makes them both Heav'n and Hell Her age in times meer infancy was vast Transcending all Arithmeticians skill The number of her fore-past years to cast Though they should use the stars that Heaven fill Each grass and grain of dust that Earth can shew And all the drops and sands in Sea and shore With the Ayre 's Atomes they would be too few Were each a thousand thousand millions more For figures that grand number to express To which they would amount Howe'er when time Shall be no more her youth will be no less Then at the first O wonder most sublime Here muse and stand amaz'd presumptuous man Who squandrest pretious time in seeking that VVhich when possess'd annoys Content ne'er can Be found in Treasures Honours Pleasures flat False titillations They the fancy please With momentaneous tickling but the foul Can no satiety receive from these Whilst her diviner eyes espie their foul And gross delusions winning us to waste Our time of grace short week of working dayes On toyes and trifles care away to cast Neglecting our creation's end his prayse That formed us and so to lose our pay In that eternal Sabbath's rest to come And gull us with false hopes that fade away When Judgement dooms us Hell for our sad home Whose everlasting flames should us deter From their allurements and our souls provoke No longer true repentance to defer But take upon us our Redeemers yoke Embrace his endless love And let that force Our souls to grace by holy violence Redeem our time by Faith and true remorse And giving neither God nor man offence For on the husbanding of this short span Of our frail life eternal life depends Or death eternal Oh! when this we scan It should unbottom us from all false ends And keep us firm in truths sincerest wayes And in the pathes of life that when times race Is run and all distinguishments by dayes Hours months years shall here no more have place We may enjoy Eternity above Whereof that we may not at last be mist But ponder still in heart what doth behove Eternity Ah dearest Lord assist AMEN The Epigram on the same ETernity my Muse doth quite confound Her true Description never Mortal found Rings Snakes and Globes with such round things as those Th' Ancients for her diâ—…e resemblance chose A boundless Plain a pointless Parallel A Circle that includes both Heaven and Hell Yet hath nor Centre nor Circumference Demonstrable to Reason or to sence Each Mathematick poinâ— of whose vast Ring Equals her whole Dimension Wondrous thing Yet true as strange Nay more I 'll tell you what Think what man cannot think and she is that She rounds my Verse no man her depth can sound Eternity my Muse doth quite confound Objections Solutions and Chorus Objection 1. WHy should onely Man desire To transgress his Makers Laws Who made him so high aspire That all earthly things he awes Solution 1. NOthing but corrupted Nature Made Man so perverse a creature Nothing but renewing Grace Can Mans guilt and filth deface Objection 2. WHy should Christ from glory come To be born in coursest home Live and die in pain and grief For unthankful mans relief Solution 2. NOthing but divinest Love Brought our Maker from above Who for all his grief and pain Craves but Love for Love again The CHORE OH admired Love divine Suit our hearts with love to thine Then adieu false creature-joys Welcom Truths and farewel Toys Man's Heart 1. A Curious triangle methinks I see Immur'd by Heav'ns Eternal Architect His seed-plot of each Grace divine to be A glorious Paradise without defect A Paradise in Paradise that 's slight The Paradise of Paradise the throne Of the worlds great Creator whose delight Was fiâ—… therein his Majesty thereon Such was Mans heart and such might still have bin Had he baulk'd Serpentine deceit of sin 2. But ah most horrid fate since Adam fell This Nursery a Wilderness is grown Eden of Eden is the Hell of Hell And Graces plants by Pride's puffs over-thrown Earth-mice have eat the seeds the thorns and briers Hemlock and Wormwood have o'er spread the ground Once till'd to grace Lusts and corrupt desires With all their base productions there abound And what was once the King of Glories home Is wholly now a Den for Fiends become 3. World flesh and devil this triangle have fill'd Having got full possession plac'd therein A cursed rabblement of Elves that build Fortifications and strong holds for Sin The blessed Founders greatest Enemy Who in them rests secure thence Grace repells Though profer'd by the Lord spontaneously And all good Inclinations quite expells Whence from a sp'ritual Cana-an it 's grown No less then a mysterious Babylon 4. It 's now the old Red Dragons Nursery A new Plantation of each hateful crime The Shop of that accurst Apothecary Who therein doth his pois'nous drugs sublime Pride's Mercury Zeal-chilling Ellebore Intemperancies Swine-bane Antimony Of Infidelity and thousands more The Opium of dull security And Lusts Cantharides these he refines By them to work his mischievous designes 5. The cunning Gardiner doth oft-times graft Bud and inoculate to shew his skill Produc'th fair-seeming flow'rs on stocks stark naught And specious fruits from roots corrupt and ill But these like Sodoms Apples vanish quite If try'd by touch which sorts he mostly plants In a close corner for his own delight Allotted to Hypocrisie where wants No dressing that the Devil can afford To nourish plants accursed and abhorr'd 6. Stand you but there at gaze and you will deem Your self in Heaven with Saints incircled round Whilst it is Hell and Devils for they but seem And are not real as will once be found The Angels trumpets that at last shall blow Our Resurrection-summons them shall blast And we their painted falsities shall know Themselves in everlasting flames be cast Their rotten Roots which all shall plainly see Proclaim who Impt them and whose Imps they be 7. Dread God! shall this Intruder still possess Thy sacred portion and thy choisest field 'T will make him question thine Almightiness Avenge thee Lord and force the fiend to yeild Root out his worthless plants and replant thine New turn the ground and sow thy seeds of grace Afresh therein and let thy power divine Cherish them there Satans rank weeds deface Batter his raised forts his forces rout Re-enter in thy Right and turn him out 8. Renew thy sin-demolish'd Image here Hallow this little frame to thy great praise New mold new make the model hence cashier Innate corruptions plain the crooked ways Throw down the hills and hillocks raise the vales Manure the barren ground more fertile make The erst unfallow'd plots re-build the walls Thy wonted pleasure in this fabrick take Lord it did cost thee dear when thou went'st hence To purchase it with thy heart-blood's expence An Epigram on the same COuld not Creations Title keep Gods Right In mans false heart that subtile Serpents spight Compell'd him to
once and I dare say The rest will throw down arms and run away She is thy castle's porter she lets in World Devil and all that may provoke to sin Call self forth to the bar thou needst not try her She 's both judg'd and condemn'd go crucifie her Methinks as did Copernicus I ' spy The world with all her trinkets round to fly At that brave sentence Satan sneak away As one that in the field hath lost the day Like black Cur scar'd with tail betwixt his legs Seeing he sate abrood on addle eggs Walk on brave heart now thou' rt a man indeed Now thou hast done the work no more then need Hadst not thou hadst for ever been undon Run cheerly forth thou 'lt come to Heav'n anon An Epigram on the same MAn know thy self and wherefore thou wert made Not wealth to seek or make deceit a trade Deceit 's a trade that will deceive at last Greatest Deceivers when th' accounts are cast If thou wilt needs deceive deceive thy foes Who have and do deceive thee at thy nose The devil world and flesh all three at once I 'll shew thee how to do 't if thou have sconce Thou hast two men within thee here 's the skill Cast out the old and keep the new man still This new-mans sent alone packs them for ever 'T will conjure better then Tobiah's liver Age. MAn 's no stay'd creature Lo he now appears Transform'd from what he was his hoary hairs And baldness shew that Winter's neer when late 'T was but high harvest Ceres out of date Pursues her sister Flora on with speed Blow'th to bespeak of her for next years seed Thus times revolve and then return but man Review's no more what 's past the strongest can But one time have and but once have that time To Platonize in Christians is a crime Grave Sir time present's only in your power The past and future times are none of your You can't the first recal nor latter tell What it shall bring to pass this you know well If you but lose the present your time 's lost Irrevocab'ly gone nay more 'T will cost Your loss of labour body soul and all And that for ever Oh! let this appal Your subtle heart rouze your clogg'd memory Time to redeem lest you eternally Rue that neglect you 're wise pray therefore weigh How your state stands for he that did conveigh All to you that you have or can have here Past it but for six days not for a year Four of the best expir'd if rightly cast Infancy childhood youth and manhood past You now are in the fifth at Fryday's stage But Saturday left for your doating age And that 's half pain half play the school-boys maze And old mens too for then their life 's a blaze Like a spent candle which if let alone Burns dim then flashes and is forthwith gone But ah look further then comes on the day That should thy Sabbath be the day of pay 'T will be to all for all shall have their hire As they deserve though not as they desire Who finde it not a pleasure-pleasure-day of rest Finde it a pain-day not to be exprest Oh then begin to think and cast about With care how to work your salvation out I know your care is great those things to save Whereof no use at all you 'll shortly have You 're penny-wise pound-foolish nay much worse You 're body-wise soul-foolish O dire curse You to advise as others were too bold Might jealousie provoke since you are old Should I to you Put off the old man say You 'll think I bid you cast your self away That 's a fond errour pray mistake me not It will not shorten health or life a jot Suppose the worst if you should thereby die 'T will screw your life up to eternity Work work your change for now the days are neer Of which you 'll say in sorrow pain and fear I have no pleasure in them when your sky Sun Moon and Stars shall dark'ned be on high And Clouds shall follow rain House-k eepers tremble The strong men bow themselves and grinders nimble Through paucity shall cease the window-peepers Be darkned and the street-doors shut by keepers When you shall undergo those other woes That Isr'el's royal preacher quaintly shows Desire shall fail your dust to earth return Your soul to God your carkase to the urn 'T will be too late to work when death's dark night Hath you envelopt robb'd of light and sight Sure none defer their work but thriftless fools 'Till dotage hath depriv'd them of their tools That they should work with think you he that gave Men souls and bodies with endowments brave To do him service can contented be In his foe's work them all imploy'd to see And take the Devil's gleanings we such folly Would highly scorn And can our God most holly An wise be so deluded Man remember Thy yeer is almost past it 's high December Work ne'er so hard who 'll give thee a yeers pay To work for him 'twixt this and new-yeers day Yet God will do 't if thou wilt faithful prove And serve him in true fear with fraudless love Give him thy heart and less thou canst not give Nor craves he more So thou shalt surely live Live beyond date of death or force of fear Where nothing that offends shall more come near What canst expect thy gain more to advance Then thy life's change for firm inheritance Such an inheritance earth ne'er did see Thy self thy everlasting heir shalt be A better Lord was never tenant had If thou refuse him thou art worse then mad He 'll make thee co-heir with his own sole son The Lord of Heaven and Earth and with him one Haste haste accept the motion whilst thou may'st 'T is a cheap purchase whatsoe'er thou pay'st And he expects no more but thy old clothes Thy carnal habits which he likewise lothes But will 's thou cast them off for he retains No servitor on whom such ragg remains He 'll clothe thee in white Robes of righteousness Whose glory Cherubims cannot express Add to the pow'r he gives but thy endeavour And thou shalt sit inthron'd with him for ever Quick shift thy vestments and go hide thee in Those splendent Robes cast off thy rags of sin Let lusts and passions a new Master get Speed lest thou be prevented by Sun-set Now now 's thy time to do 't for who doth know Whe'er thou shalt live a minute more or no This done thou 'lt reap invaluable gains And I 'll require but thanks for this my pains Nay if thou give me none content I 'll be He for whose glory 't is will pay them me Epigram GRay Hair with graceless Heart a guilded tomb Greedy yet fruitless like a barren womb It 's Harvest high and yet no fruit appears This plague's far worse then Egypts fruitless years Those Harvests fail'd but they had Grain in store Here 's no fruit now nor hopes of
that hate verse 18 All comfortless Zion spreads forth her hands Concerning Jacob God his foes commands To hem him round and poor Jerusalem Is as a menstrous woman made by them verse 19 The Lord is righteous for against his Laws I have rebelled Oh! I pray you pawse All people hear and see my sorrow bred By my young men and Virgins captive led verse 20 I call'd my lovers but they me deceiv'd My Priests and Elders were of life bereav'd In City while they sought meat for relief verse 21 Behold O Lord me in distress and grief My bowels vexed and my heart is quelled Since against thee I grievously rebelled The sword abroad bereaves and death at home verse 22 My foes have heard i 'm comfortless become And that I sigh in trouble They rejoyce That thou hast done it Lord thy sacred voyce Hath call'd a day which thou wilt bring to be And they shall then be all like unto me verse 23 Look on their wickedness and them reward As thou hast me for my transgressions Lord For many are my sighs and numerous My heart is faint for thy afflicting us CHAP. II. verse 1 HOw hath the Lord in anger covered Poor Zions Daughter with a cloud o'eâ— spreaâ— And cast from Heaven his imperial City Down to this dunghil earth the splendid beauty Of Israel and calls not now to minde His foot-stool in his day of wrath assign'd verse 2 The Lord hath swallow'd up all Jacob's Tents And pitiless in Judah's holds made rents And brought them to the ground he hath defil'd The Kingdom and the Princes all exil'd verse 3 In his fierce wrath he'th cut off Isr'els horn His right hand from foes presence back is born ' Gainst Jacob like a flaming fire he burneth Which round about devoureth and o'erturneth verse 4 His bowe he foe like bent with his right hand He stood as adversary with death fan'd All those that pleasant were unto the eye In Zions daughters Tabernacle high He pour'd his fury forth like flaming fire verse 5 The Lord was foe and swallow'd in his ire All Israel her palaces and all Strong holds and mourning hath increas'd withall verse 6 With Judah's daughters wo with violence His Tabernacle he remov'd from thence Even as a garden and destroyed rests The place of his assembly solemn feasts And Sabbaths he hath caus'd to be forgot In Zion King and Priest he heeded not verse 7 In his wrath's indignation God hath cast His Altars off abhorr'd his Temple wast Her Palace-walls he gave up to her foes By them a noise in the Lord's house arose verse 8 As in a solemn feast God purpos'd hath Destroying Zion's daughter's wall in wrath He hath stretch'd out a line neither withdraw'd His hand from ruining he therefore made The rampart and the wall both to lament They languish'd joyntly both in discontent verse 9 Her gates are all interr'd her bars are broke Her King and Princes under Gentiles yoke The law is fled Prophets no vision see verse 10 And Zion's daughters elders silenc'd be Sitting on ground dust-headed sack-cloth-girt Jebus her Virgins hang down heads in dirt verse 11 Mine eyes do fail with tears my bowels vex'd My liver poured out on earth perplex'd For the destruction which my people meets Children and sucklings swoon in City-streets verse 12 They ask of Mothers corn and wine and swoonded As those that in the City-streets are wounded VVhilst in their mothers bosoms thus they cry'd They poured out their souls expir'd and dy'd verse 13 VVhat thing shall I to witness take for thee To what by me may'st thou compared be verse 14 O daughter of Jerusalem what shall I equal to thee that I may let fall Some drop of comfort thy sad soul to chear O Virgin Sions daughter it is clear Thy breach is Ocean-like in magnitude verse 15 Who can thee heal thy Prophets have seen rude Vain foolish things for thee would not display Thy sins thy captive state to turn away But have for thee seen burthens false and causes verse 16 Of banishment By-passers all make pauses Clap hands and hiss and wag their heads at thee Daughter of Jebus crying Is this she Beautie 's perfection term'd joy of the earth verse 17 Thy foes all gape against thee and in mirth Hiss gnash their teeth now certainly they say VVe have her swallow'd up this is the day VVe looked for which we have found and see verse 18 God hath what he devised done and he Fulfilled hath his word of old commanded He hath thrown down not piti'd and hath banded Thine enemies against thee to rejoyce Set up thine adversaries horn and voice verse 19 Their heart unto thee Lord aloud did cry O wall of Sions daughter from thine eye Let tears run down like rivers night and day And give thy self no rest thine eyes no stay verse 20 Arise make nightly cries when watch begins Pour out thy heart like water for thy sins Before God's face and lift thy hands on high To Him for thy young babes that fainting lie verse 21 On top of every street O Lord behold Consider to whom thou hast done what 's told Shall women eat their fruit a span-long child Prophet and Priest be in the Temple kill'd verse 22 The young and old lie groveling in the streets The sword my virgins and my young men meets Thou in thy day of wrath hast slain them all Thou hast them kill'd and let no pity fall verse 23 Thou summon'd hast as in a solemne day My terrours round about that none away In thy wrath's day escaped or remain'd The children that I swaddeled and train'd Brought up and cherish'd and to keep presum'd My mortal enemy hath all consum'd CHAP. III. verse 1 I Am the man that hath affliction seen verse 2 By his wrath's rod. By him led have I been Into obscurest darkness grief to tell But not into the light save that like Hell verse 3 Surely against me is he turned right His hand is turn'd against me day and night verse 4 He hath made old my flesh and skin and spilt verse 5 My broken bones He hath against me built With gall and travel he hath compass'd me verse 6 Like dead of old in the dark places he Me fet He hath me hedged round about verse 7 Made my chain heavy that I can't get out verse 8 My pray'r he shuts out when I shout and cry verse 9 He curv'd my paths and wall'd my ways up high verse 10 VVith squared stone He was a bear to me Lying in wait and lyon-like was he verse 11 In secret place My wayes he turn'd aside And into pieces he did me divide verse 12 And made me desolate He bent his bowe Made me his shafts-mark so to shoot me through verse 13 He caus'd his quiver's arrows in my reins verse 14 To enter deep And in their merry veins Distressed I the people's laughter was verse 15 And song all day He me hath fill'd alas VVith bitterness with