Eternity and Time are opposite For Time no more can bound Eternity Then Finite can inuirone Infinite Both of both which haue such repugnancy As nere can stand with Gods true Unity Eternity is then produc'd from hence By ioyning of his sole Infinitie With his essentiall intelligence And all the Attributes proceeds from thence If then Eternity doth bound this One Or rather he bounds all Eternity How could he Bee or beeing all alone How could he worke that worke vncessantly For hee 's all Act that acts continually Hauing no subiect whereupon to worke And beeing without his Creatures vtterly It seemes he must in Desolation lurke Which must of force an actiue nature irke Or how could he extend his goodnesse when None could receiue it if none Beeing were What honor could he haue there beeing then No one to honor him or him to feare Or what in loue if hee his children deere Had made t'exist from all eternity As to eternity th' are made t' appeere What inconuenience could ensue thereby Yes very great and marke the reason why He is an Essence free not bound to ought Who can and doth exist in boundlesse blisse Although besides himselfe that there were nought For he of greatest glory cannot misse Sith that eternally all gloris his But should the Creatures eternall be His glory would be much eclip'st by this For were th' eternall too aswell as he They would be gods as great in each degree Then nought he needes to giue him laude or loue Or subiect for his worke though nought there were For ere nought was he did not worke or moue Yet idle was not for his Spirit did steere In contemplation of his Essence cleere So himselfe to himselfe was Well of Weale And in himselfe did Glory it selfe appeare Which to himselfe himselfe did aye reueale So pleasd himselfe with what himselfe did feale Suppose no man but one were on the Earth And none but Vermine vile did him attend What honour could they yeeld What ioy or mirth Could they afforde that rather doe offend Such and no more doe men their Maker lend Who were made changeable by changelesse will So chang'd they are and to the worse they tend Who in respect of him continue still Worse then vile Uermine though they were more ill Who for his goodnesse is the God of grace And for his glory is the Lord of Light Whose glorious greatnesse filleth eu'ry place For no place is exempted from his Sp'rite And by it all that is compasst quite As the least Poynt is by the Heau'ns clire And nothing is so solid as hath might To keepe him out as it can Aire or Fire But he is all in all and parte intire Hee 's not in Temples made with mortall hands Nor those which his immortall hands haue made Nor in himselfe as Man for Fleshes bands Can hardly hold the least glimse of his Shade Much lesse his Substance which e're biding had No more in one then in an other place And though with Flesh it seemeth to be clad Yet dwells he in it but by pow'r and grace And so he dwells in all he doth embrace He dwells in Heau'n of Heau'ns by his Glory For there that matchlesse Glory glitters most He is in Hell and each place transitory By presence of his Spirit the holy Ghost He dwells in Christ but how O Christ thou knowst For as the Soule and Body makes one Man So God and Man one Christ do make thou showst Yet the coherence neither may or can The diffrence abrogate since Christ began Whose natures from confusion are as free As from distraction they are cleerely quit Which though connext confounded may not be Much lesse distracted both in one beeing knit But how conioyn'd surmounts the reach of Wit For in Christs body bodily doth dwell The fulnesse of the Godhead most vnfit To be contained in Heau'n Earth or Hell His greatnesse doth their greatnesse so excell Then Contemplation stay here make a pause Stirre not too fast about vncompasst things Though thou canst compasse Heau'n and Earth because Thou art the Image of this King of Kings Yet this flight is too farre for thy clipt wings The Trinity in Unitie's a wonder Surmounting wonders which amazment brings Yet lesse if more may be that God is vnder Fraile flesh and so contayn'd God cannot sunder Which two-fold natures oft co-operates And euermore assotiates each other But neuer mutually participates Each others properties as mixt together For what one hath the selfe same hath not either But in their kindes are diuerse yet but one That 's one of two or two in one much rather Which mystery to God is onely knowne But not as he is Man the same is showne To whom yet nerethelesse all pow'r is giu'n In whom as in its proper place it bides By which he ruleth in Earth Hell and Heau'n And were there some thing else the same besides Which powre beeing infinite with it he guides Each finite thing vnto its proper end In which omnipotence such force resides As were he willing he the Heau'ns could bend Belowe base Hell and make it Heau'n transcend Which peerelesse powre though nothing can oppugne Yet doth it selfe it selfe still so restraine As that it selfe cannot it selfe impugne For what it bindes it cannot loose againe At selfe same time for then that powre were vaine As beeing repugnant to it selfe and so No order should that rulelesse powre containe And then it selfe it selfe would ouerthro And with it selfe all things to wrack should go He cannot make Man free and bond at once Nor giue him Will and wrest it how he will He cannot hold in hate his Holy ones Nor in his loue much lesse imbrace the ill He cannot change himselfe beeing changelesse still Such things he cannot do not through defect Of powre what not if please him to fulfill But of his powre this is a strong effect That can do all but that it should reiect Who being euermore a compleate Acts In highest degree of diuine excellence He neede not chase Perfection by the tract For in himselfe It selfe hath residence Then motion hath he none by consequence For that must firmely stand wherein all moues Who is both Center and Circumference Of Motions motion for it him behoues To giue all rest which he moues or remoues He cannot moue but to himselfe alone Because alone at once hee 's eu'ry where And all that is is only in this ONE Then vnto what or whither should he steere Sith all 's in him that shal be is or were For mou'd he Motion should not tend to Rest But Motion should to Motion tend for ere So Time in bootelesse turnes should be at best When it should draw most neere to most vnrest He is that ONE in whom each one doth moue He moues each one that all in him should rest For whatsoe're from him doth most remoue It findes and feeles thereby the most vnrest Yet from himselfe nothing himselfe can wrest Who
they kicke As Beasts they were and wondrous ill aduiz'd Band be these Bacchus feasts which oft they make Which makes Reason sleepe and Riot keepes awake Can Meate and Drinke which pleaseth but the Taste A Sence from th Understanding most remote Which pleasure for so small a while doth last As passing but two inches of the throte Make men their sames and Soules away to cast GOD shield that famous Men so much should dote Let neuer Men of Minde their Mindes defile With such a vice more vile then Vice most vile O what a hell of Minde good Mindes endures When they in minde behold such Men of Minde Whose Soules are deckt with intellectiue pow're Imploy the same repugnant to their kind To find out lothsome leakage which procures Them witts to loose where they such Leakage finde Can any griefe be greater then to see A man that men commands a beast to be Conuerting martiall sports that were in vse To winie vnaccustom'd Combates O That valiant men should dare men to carouse And count them cowards that will not doe so For now it is become a great abuse Healthes to refuse If legges can stand or goe But out vpon such Combatts and such game Whereas the victors glory is their shame The Spirit of Man whose temper is diuine And made to mount vnto the highest height Should not to such Soule-smillings base decline But with hir nimble wings should take her flight Where she might druncke be made with Angels wine To make her slumber in diuine delight But if his Sprite ascend when wine descends The Spirite of Wine and not his Sprite ascends Then how prodigious is it when the Mind That should be conuersant with heau'nly Sweetes To swash of Swine should Sow-like be inclind That swallowes vp what ere their rauine meetes And in strong drinke deuouring pleasure finde Till they lie durt-deuoured in the Streetes But let great men whose sp'rites are most diuine This most base beastlinesse to Beasts assigne For if the Head replenisht be with Wit No roome remaines for Wine there to reside For if the Wine thrusts in it out thrusts it Much Wine and Wit together cannot bide And when the Hart where the Affections sit With wine's inflam'd th' Affects soone shrinke aside And like enraged Furies doe confound Both Grace and Nature Wit and Iudgement sound For when the Braines are full of winie fumes The Soule with Aegypts darkenesse is inclosde And what the Braine receiues the Hart assumes For as the one the other is disposde The Powres of both Wine vtterly consumes If Wine against their Powers be opposde So the Soules Faculties and her Affects Are brought to nought by Wines too bad effects For if the Soule at best and best aduizd Be prompt Opinion still to chop and change What will shee doe when she with Wine 's baptizd How will she wander then where will she range Where nay where not she being so disguizd If from herselfe herselfe she may estrange Then eu'ry way shee le runne saue that is right Because her eie of Iudgement wanteth sight For Reas'n th' effect of the Intelligence Winde-driu'n from the Sterne that rules the Minde What shall direct the faculties of Sense In their right course but bolde affections blind Which headlong runnes into all foule offence As they are mooued by their corrupt kind For eu'ry Sensuall man in sensuall sort Of Sensualitie makes but a sport Then Reas'n must rule or Sense will runne awry Vnruely Sense by kinde is so o'rethwart Yet Reason hath a two-folde property And in her practise vseth double Art For now by Consequence she Truth doth try Then heere and there for Truth her trialls start And starting so she balkes Truths euidence Then right she doomes not but by Consequence Sharpe Wits wil pierce hard Propositions strait Quicke Wittes by sharp coniecture Truth attaines Great Wits at once conclude it in Conceit Slowe and yet sure wittes find it out with paines And all those wittes on Wisedome still doe waite To serue her in the Skonce that bounds the braines Whose Powre she still imployes t' augment her might And doomes of their indeuors most vpright For shee within the Soule is Queene of Queenes As God vnto the Soule is King of Kings Th'internall Senses are Queenes yet but meanes Wherewith her businesse to effect she brings On whome as on her Minions still she leaner With greater ease to doe vneasie things But for her selfe she is in Natures due Soules Mind Mindes Soule and Gods sole Image true Or rather Gods Soules sole Character right In whose breast it had haue and shall haue euer True restlesse rest whose word true Wisedome hight That past beginnings liu'd and dieth neuer Did on our flesh which dide in painefull plight That none might from our Soules that Wisedome seuer For wein that and that in vs doth bide By vnchang'd interchange on either side The Body in the Elements is cloz'd The Bloud within the Body is confind The Spirits within the Bloud the Soule 's dispoz'd Within the Spirites which Soule includes the Minde The Vnderstanding in the Minde 's repoz'd And God in th' Understanding rest doth find So this Worlde 's made for Man Man for the Soule Soule for the Mind the Minde for God her Gole How be 't it is too true she was betray'd When Sinne perswaded hir shee should be eu'n With Wisdome infinite and so assay'de To match that Pow're that all hir pow'r had giu'n Then for she was ingrate and so vnstay'd She was bereft much virtue though forgiu'n That now she see'th Truth but through a vaile So in discerning Truth she oft doth faile For as the Soule so is her faculties The Spring beeing choak'd the streame cannot be strong They see not wel that haue but sand-blind eyes Nor is that firme that frailty hath among So humane Wisdome be it ne're so wise Oft goeth right but ofter runneth wrong Whose restlesse trauells are but Truth to meete And yet though oft at hand shee cannot see t. For how can humane Wisdome chuse but erre When all hir science comes from th' outward Sences Which oft misse apprehend and misse referre And so betrayes our best intelligences Then Iudgement needs must fayle that doth conferre False Antecedents with false References For what those Sences constantly affirme The Iudgement doth as constantly confirme But yet in cases of our constant faith Wee Faith beleeue and giue our Sence the lie Nay whatsoe're our humane reason saith If it our faith gainesay we it deny On highest heights Faith hir foundation laith Which neuer can be seene of mortall eye For if Faith say a Maid may be a Mother Though Sence gainesay it wee beleeue the other If Faith affirme that God a man may bee A mortall man and liue and die with paine We it belieue though how we cannot see For heere strong Faith doth headstrong Reas'n restraine And with the truth compells hir to agree Lest she should ouer-runne hir selfe in vaine So
in wretched plight So Lucian that from the Faith did slide In Traians time became an Athist quight And did both God and Prouidence deride For which in peeces torne by dogs he dide Vpon the Statua of Senacherib Engrauen was Learne by me God to feare Who for this monster at Heau'ns God did gibe Was slaine b' Adramelech and Sharezer The wicked Sonnes of this more wicked Sire And so th'appostata damn'd Iulian Of plagues for such contempts can witnesse beare Whose bloud whilst from his hart amaine it ran Cryed thou hast ouercome O Galilean Iustinian whom Pelagius ill did schoole For holding but that onely heresie Was quite of Sence bereft and made a foole And in one day was well ill and did die So ended in a day his life and folly But should I scite the Iudgements as I might That haue bin powr'd on such impiety It would be tedious and with horror dight The hardiest hearer it would sore affright Pirrhon Plutarchus Sonne would not belieue What his Eyes Eares Nose Tongue and hands did kno His Sences he imagin'd might deceiue And therefore did conclude they still did so So God and Prouidence deniers do Who though their Sences outward and interne The being of them both do plainely sho Yet they will not belieue what they discerne Though ne're so neere it do their Soules concerne But bring we their best reasons to the Scoles Of Iudgement and well weigh the same therein If there were Prouidence say these wise fooles Why should not vselesse thinges which made haue bin To comber Man cease or to ruine rin Whereto serues Rockes and Seas and Dales and Hills Desartes wild Beastes by such what do we win Which burdens but the Earth with harmefull Ills That Men annoy and oft destroy and killes Why are the virtuous plagu'd the vitious pleas'd And twixt all creatures why is here such strife Yea why hath Sinne vpon all mankinde seas'd And why do such leade here a dying life Where goodnesse is most rare and euill rife Can Prouidence remaine where these consist As-well may concord rest twixt Man and Wife That still are tongue to tongue and fist to fist As Prouidence appeere where these exist With Reasons leauing no place for reply These questions oft haue bin replide vnto Then in a word thou canst not this deny But in an Artists worke thou canst not do Are things made to some end thou dost not kno Yet blam'st thou not the worke-man but thy Wit Then wilt thou not to God like fauour sho But censure things he makes as most vnfit VVhen thou want'st reason but to ayme at it For he is Reas'n it selfe we Rashnesse are VVhich nerethelesse had Reason for our guide VVhich Guide plaid least in sight ere we were ware And almost quite forsooke vs for our pride That now in vs it 's scarce seene to abide But should we see with Reasons open Eyes The secrets which in Wisdomes brest reside VVe should be Gods at least should be as wise For we with God should all that Is comprise But sith fooles follies must be answered Lest they do weene them wiser then they bee In few too few of their obiections bred In their best braines that with the worst agree VVee 'l shape as beeing bound them answer free Had it not bin saist thou lewde Libertine Meeter that Man should ne're Corruption see Then to the same made as he is incline And so impeach the Prouidence diuine VVhie dost not rather aske why Man is Man And not an Angell rather then a clod Mans Minde immortall is and reason can And were he all vnchang'd he were a God God stedfast stands but his works needs must nod Man 's not created here still to remaine But to his Maker he is made to plod Through thick and thin and cannot rest attaine Till in his God alone he it obtaine How can there be saist thou such prouidence Sith God made Man to serue him as his end Then how could Man preuent Gods purpose since And fall from that his Maker did intend Without his God should thereto condiscend Or if not so then t is a consequent What did eusue God could not comprehend Or if he could he could it not preuent And so not God if God not prouident Nor Grace nor Powre nor Wisdome did he want This to preuent but he it did permit Not that his prouidence therein was scant But to make man more cling to him by it What prouidence can better God befit Then Ill to turne vnto a greater Good For had we still bin staid we had not flit Then would we weene that of our selues we stood And thinke our selues Gods peeres in constant moode For what procur'd Mans fall but peerelesse pride Which was that he would needs be without peere And as a God without his GOD abide So God to make himselfe sole GOD appeere Made man to see he could not stand or steere Without his God that seeing he could not stand But by his ayde he should to him drawe ncere Inuoking humbly his all-helping hand And binde himselfe to him in louing band For we with ghostly pride are oft inflate And beeing so God suffers to fall With Wit and Will for which our selues we hate And ay are vexed at the very Gall That we to sinne should so our selues enthrall So Sinne it selfe serues for a Sentinell To keepe vs from it sith no sorrow small It threatens to hir Slaues then O how well Ought we to speake of God and his counsell Of whom our Motions and our Actions are But their disorder from our selues proceede Yet he of our well-doing hath a care Though of our selues we do not well indeed But yet he makes our ill oft well to speed He whom his hart approu'd did proue this true Who through adultrous and a worse misse-deed Himselfe and eake his God he better knew And did himselfe forsake and God ensue As he permitted Man for Iustice sake To fall to make his Iustice so appeere So suffers he Mans will his to forsake That his pow're should be seene to draw them neere And make of both free-wills one will intire For were there but twixt God and Man one will Then Gods great pow're not so perspicuous were Which makes Mans wayward will his owne fulfill Without constraint through pow're and peerelesse skill But yet thou saist why staid he not Mans will How should he then haue made his will bin free Better vnfree saist thou then be so ill But t is not ill at libertie to bee If it brings bondage better be vnfree Saist thou againe But then Man were not Man And he would grudge at lacke of liberty So God did for the best say what thou can Although Mans libertie to loosenesse ran But wouldst thou God bereaue of liberty That is selfe Freedome and his hands so bind That hee should not through straight extremity Do with his owne according to his minde Then all Gods pow're by thee should be assign'd And