PEACE WITH HER FOVRE GARDERS VIZ. Fiue Morall Meditations OF Concord Chastitie Constancie Courtesie Grauitie Eschew euill and doe good seeke Peace and ensue it LONDON Printed for Iohn Teage and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Ball. 1622. SOme loathing Peace wish Warre because vnknowne To them Peace is like Manna common growne I such doe wish to trauell out and see Their Countries Blisse by others misery Peace types vs out the Blisse of our Creation Warres shew our fall from Glory to damnation All Warriours since which seeke immortall fame Must fight for PEACE or merit Hell and shame Sweet PEACE to Subiects doth all blessings bring Immortall honour to a mortall King The Uertues foure which doe on Peace attend Her Body guard as still doth them defend For nothing sets a Kingdomes Peace so fast As Courtiers constant courteous graue chaste TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IOHN LORD BISHOP of Lincoln Lord Keeper of the Great Seale and one of his MAIESTIES most Honorable Priuy Councell THou great Peace-Keeper whom the greatest King That our great God of Peace did euer bring To rule these Westerne Iles in happy Peace For Honours Arts and Piety's increase Thou whom this mighty Monarch doth intrust With his Great Seale as Prudent Faithfull Iust God to thy outward blisse adde inward Peace That Goodnes with thy Greatnesse may increase May but thine actiue Spirit now descend Frō high affaires and high-straind thoughts vnbend To walke in Muses gardens delicate Wisest Apollo thou shalt imitate And Martiall Pallas whom the Poets faine To leaue Olympus Mount for Tempe-plaine Thus Dauid leaues his Throne to sit with Graces The Preacher after Trauels Hymen paces These Precedents imboldned haue my Muse For Patron of the Graces thee to chuse Whom great Augustus with his Seale doth grace Oh be a true Mecenas in thy place Seale vp for euer Ianus Temple doore And let Bellona's voice be heard no more I of some Graces onely meditate But they are all in thee habituate Then my defects excuse when we oppose Darknesse to Light the day more glorious showes Your Lordships humble seruant Robert Aylet To the curious READER PRophaner Michols will be censuring Eu'n Dauid if hee doe but dance and sing Before the Arke Then how should holy Rimes Escape the Iawes of these Censorious times MEDITATION I. Of Peace and Concord WHen first Worlds great Creatour fashioned This little Mansion for our Soules of Clay Man in his image he so ordered He had both Will and Power to obay Thus this sweet concord might haue lasted ay If to his Power had been ioynd his Will Which failing in Obedience to stay He brake the Peace whereby he all did fill With Fury Warres and Strifes which doe continue still Thus by mans wilfull fault Hostility Betweene him and his Maker first began Such breach hath Sinne made with the Deity As reconcile not all the creatures can Besides they all are Foes become to man For that he 'gainst their Maker did rebell Poore Adam guilty naked wo and wan The Noise of God to couert doth compell A guilty Conscience is more terrible than hell Adam eu'n then did feele a double paine One paine of Losse another paine of Sense And now against him Battailes all maintaine Heau'n Hell World Creatures Wife and Conscience Are out with him for Disobedience Till God who first elected Man in Loue For mercies sake now by Obedience From him doth paine of Losse and Sense remoue And brings to endlesse Peace and rest in heau'n aboue Of wondrous value is this Pearle of Peace Which to redeeme the Lord of Life was sold Most sweet peace-offring when for our release Christs precious bloud was as a ransome told Not that we heere should Peace and quarter hold With Hell World Lust true Peace's mortall foes Such Peace doth vs in dang'rous warres infold Except we these most valiantly oppose For seeming Peace on earth we doe the heau'nly lose Therefore the great Peace-maker did not come To send vs Peace on earth but Swords and Strife Debate betwixt the Father and the Sonne Mother and Daughter Husband and the Wife Perpetuall warfare is a Christians life With Armes and Weapons he must fortifie Against his foes which will assaile him rife Right end of Warres and all hostility Is gaine of happy Peace and sweet tranquillity Thou that before through warres and dread affray Hast for vs enter'd on true Peace and rest By thine owne bloudy wounds vs op'ning way And paines wherewith thy foes did thee infest Inspire sweet heau'nly peace into my brest That thence as from a Lymbick may distill Sweet drops of peace on hearts that are opprest And with true loue of heau'nly peace so fill As feeling her sweet Good they neuer faint for ill Peace may be call'd the minds serenity The concord of th' affections and the will The Band of Loue the hearts simplicity The Soules chiefe good the conscience free from ill Thus is she simply but if so you will Discerne her nature plainer we diuide Her by the friends to whom she beares good-will Thus we in Peace with God doe first abide Next with our selues and last with all the world beside And yet this peace with God our selues and men Is but one and the same true heau'nly peace That happy peace we haue with God is when We freed by Faith are iustifide of Grace True inward peace then in our hearts hath place When as our Consciences excuse within Then peace with men we rightly doe embrace When to haue peace with all men we begin Thus haue we peace with Iewes and Turkes but hate their sinne Eternall inward and externall peace Eternall Peace is that with God alone From which our inward Life hath and increase The third 's the peace we haue with eu'ry one No farther yet than it concernes our owne For when we wrong'd or iniuride behold Those that with vs in godly League are growne We breake our League if peace with them we hold For by such worldly peace our loue to God growes cold God is the Author Christ the King of Peace The Seeds of peace are by the Spirit sowne Which water'd by his Seruants heere increase Till they into abundant fruits are growne How beautifull the feet of them doe showne That Peace's ioyfull tidings to vs bring This Pearle of Peace where euer it is knowne Doth passe all vnderstanding Christ our King Did honour Peace on earth with his sweet publishing Health Quiet Happinesse Prosperitie All Concord Liberty and good successe Peace to vs brings with minds-tranquillity And frees our Soules from dismall heauinesse It is the doore to inward happinesse True inward Peace our hearts doth mollifie And make like Wax that Ioy on them may presse The priuy Seale whereby assuredly We sealed are to liue with God eternally The Gentiles that farre off and strangers were Peace by Christs precious bloud now maketh nic For he 's our peace whereby
not faile By slight within our wils with brands to slide Where with he fires the gates and all the Towne beside Thus when as Ioab and the host were prest To lye in Tents and Fields a warfaring And Ishai's sonne in Peace at home doth rest Diuinest Hymnes and Layes on Harpe to sing Malicious Basiliske with lustfull sting Enflames his eyes which set his heart on fire And from his heau'nly peace to warre doth bring Such lustfull warres such raging hot desire As breed him dismall broiles and Gods reuenging ire For mans whole life is a continuall warre With Satan World his fleshes sinne and Lust Satan the Captaine these his Souldiers are Against these alwayes stand in armes we must But most of all when we in peace doe trust We want Chastity's commanding Power Sweet holy Lady faithfull pure and iust In peace and rest our safe defence and tower Dames Laps enriching more than Danaës golden shower Thou that from slime of earth man first did'st raise To beare thine owne expresse similitude That he in purity might spend his dayes And all corruption sinne and lust exclude Who hast his heart with Grace diuine indude To be thy temple and thy Spirits Cell From me all thoughts words acts vnchast seclude Whilst I the honour of this vertue tell For in a heart vnpure chast Spirit will not dwell I take her for that vertue of the minde Which doth the Furiousnesse of Lust retaine In reasons bounds And our affections binde In Royall Links of Vertues golden Chaine As Abstinence doth appetite restraine From foode immoderate So from desire Vnlawfull she doth mind and flesh containe And bounds in limits Generations fire As meekenesse bounds the rage of Zeales reuenging ire For eu'n as Appetite without restraint Of Abstinence delights in Gluttony And valiant Zeale is without Meekenesse taint With cruell rage and spites malignity Eu'n so without this vertue Chastitie The noblest vigour of sweet generation Abounds in Lust and foule Adultery And spends the vitals without moderation But Chastitie bounds all to lawfull propagation In twofold currents runnes her purer sourse Body's and minds The minde remaineth chast Though one by violence the Body force Againe thy mind may be corrupt vnchast Though thou no act in flesh committed hast Thine eyes hands eares words lookes least lustfull thought She will containe if in thine heart once plas't Th' vnspotted Lambe whose bloud thee dearely bought Vnchastly neuer spake look'd did once heard or thought She hath her first diuine pure excellence With her beginning from our Soules creation That heau'nly holy purest influence God breath'd into the Lump his hand did fashion And though at first by Natures deprauation She as all other vertues did vs leaue Yet we againe by true mortification Of earthly Members her againe receiue And seeke as members chaste to chastest head to cleaue For as nought better can the mind containe Than reading heau'nly thoughts and meditation So nothing fleshly lusts doth more restraine Than Fasting Prayer and mortification Sweet chastity 's of heau'nly propagation And as none gaine gift of Virginity But by the Spirits chaste sanctification So none conserue their Sacred Chastitie But by that Spirits working Grace and Sanctitie Wherefore as wantonnesse Adultery Amongst the wicked workes of flesh are nam'd So Meekenesse Continence and Chastity Are call'd the Spirits Fruits by none defam'd Talke scurrilous to heare she is asham'd Her modest lookes are free from Wantonnesse Vncleannesse Filthinesse may not be nam'd Within their mouthes that Chastitie professe Tongue eye and eare th' affections of the heart expresse The Heathen did this Chastitie of minde In all that came to worship God require For they her seated in the Soule did find From whence comes eu'ry good or bad desire And as Soules substance pure immortall fire Doth Bodies made of Elements transcend So doth the Chastitie of minde aspire Our Soules to Angels purity doe tend When we in flesh with them in chastest thoughts contend The fleshes Chastitie is to be free From sinfull touch or act that of the mind Is Faith vnuiolate not to agree To any lustfull thought we seldome find The body chaste where minde is ill inclin'd In this she doth Virginity transcend That she is the Preseruer of mankind And from chaste nuptiall bed doth children send Without which all the world would perish soone and end These therefore alwayes her Companions are Shamefastnesse Continence and Modesty The enemies that of her stand in feare Are Fornication wanton Luxury For she ay chastens their iniquitie The Seminary's of Delight and Pleasure Carowsing Chambering and Gluttony Which Worldlings heere account their greatest treasure She hates and liues in all by Natures little measure Fulnesse of meat Sleepe play Garrulity With ease of body costly vaine attire The fuell are of Lust and Luxury Which heere dry vp our humid and conspire To burne our soules and bodies in hell fire Other sinnes are without but generation To procreate by mutuall desire Except it be confin'd with moderation A sinne is 'gainst our body's health and soules saluation Lust may be lik'ned to some Riuer maine Bounded by purest Channels of her owne Wherein so long as she her streames containe Her waters pleasant pure and sweet are knowne But if her swelling waues so proud be growne They passe their Bounds and ouerflow the Plaine Her flouds late pure now foule muddy showne And boundlesse ouerflow the grasse and graine So rageth lawlesse Lust let loose from Vertues raine For we are like vnruly Horses all Still neighing after neighbours wiues But she Vs as with Bit and Bridle doth recall And makes our Lusts to reasons rules agree Thus two as in one Body ioyned be And are for mutuall Bounds of sweet desier And bounded thus the act is Chastilee Like to the vsefull Element of fier Which bounded all preserues but loos'd is all 's destroyer This boundlesse Lust some liken to the Fire And Brimstone God did downe on Sodome raine Virginity to mount God doth require Lot to escape vnto who doth obtaine Rather in little Zoar to remaine So they that from Lusts Sodome-scorching flame Can not Virginiti's high Mount attaine May stay in Zoar which they wedlock name The Citti's safest but the Mount of greater fame As glorious Sunne when he doth first arise Is both of heau'n and earth the wonderment Eu'n so a woman modest chast and wise Of House and Husband is the ornament An honest Wife 's a gift from heauen sent As light on golden Candlestick shines bright So Beauty in a woman continent A Lampe to House and Husband all the night All day like glorious Beames of Titans heau'nly Light And as that is the noblest victory Which Souldiers with most danger do obtaine So she that keeps her honour'd Chastitie 'Gainst most temptations doth most glory gaine 'T is harder base affections to restraine In ease and rest than moderate aright A Kingdome which by open force we gaine So many are our Lusts that in
vs fight So strong is Satans force so subtill is his slight No beauty forme or golden Vestiment Do so adorne the Body as the Mind Is graced by this Vertues Ornament Without sweet Light the Sun as soone we find As Shamefastnesse from Chastity disioyn'd Immodest lookes are Darts against her throwne When man and womans light aspects are ioyn'd The battel 's fought both sides are ouerthrowne Ah cruell fight where neither side defends her owne As eyes from wanton lookes eu'n so our eare 'Gainst all immodest Charmes we must inclose For Shamefastnesses vaile these off doe teare And our affections prone to Lust vnlose The Flame and Fier do not sooner close Than Impudence and foule vnchastity Then Beauty like Gold-ring in swinish Nose Doth roote in Durt of Impudicity No Body's chast where Mind 's ioyne in Adultery Who is not cloth'd in robe pure snowy white Of Chastitie the Lambe will neuer know Then Dames that in faire ornaments delight Desire to be as you desire to show All richest Pearles Gold Iewels heere below Are nothing to this Gem of Chastitie No fairer Flower doth in Loues garden grow Than Blush of Shamefastnesse and Modesty No Iewell like the Belt of Truth and Sanctitie Nor doe I onely heere of you require A Continence for feare of Law or Fame But such a Chastitie I doe desire That neither may your Mind nor Conscience blame Oh let it be vnto your Soules a shame A Bird should you in Chastity transcend The Turtle neuer changeth mate or name For this the Story Iudith doth commend But this is no Command but counsell for a friend Take heere for patterne Rachels chastest sonne Who eu'n a princesse lustfull soft embrace For vertues Loue not feare of shame did shun I heere might grant Lucretia a place But that selfe-murther doth her foule disgrace Penelope's a Mappe of Chaste desire Who farre away all Idlenesse doth chase Nor takes least heate from Suiters lustfull fire But twice ten yeeres expects her dearest Lords retire Susan 's so chaste her rumour dares not blame To this high pitch of honour they doe rise That shunne all idlenesse and wanton game And more than gold their names honour prize Sobriety them ay accompany's Both in their speaking eating and attire Their modest gate sweet carriage shamefast eyes Doe proue their Beds be nests of chaste desire To quench more than enflame the brands of lustfull fire Eu'n fruitfull Venus true to husbands side May win from heau'ns high Queene the golden Ball And virgin Pallas may be well denide The honour which chast Matrons doth befall Glory of either Sexe Oh how then shall This hand vnchast of that pure chastnesse write By which Christs-Bride surmounts the daughters all And doth the Queenes and Concubines delight Binding eu'n mighty Kings with her most glorious sight Her turtle-voyce Doues eyes as Lilly-white Excels the thornes so She all Womankind Yet loues but one whom she in bed by night Doth seeke for long at last alone doth find He her alone in armes embraceth kind And she alone delights in his imbrace Chast Bridegrome chastest Bride together ioyn'd Of Saints beget a holy heau'nly race With this high Mystery Christ doth chast Wedlocke grace And brandeth with spirituall Fornication Those who on earth their chastest Head forsake And stoope to Idols and abomination Here choyce of Louers to themselues to rake The Saints and Angels they for Bridegrome take When they before their Images do fall Thus she the Scarlet-whore herselfe doth make And they her bastards which she beareth all Such bastards with true-heiers ne'r inherit shall As chast so we a ielous Bridegrome haue And as his Loue like Death is sure and strong So 's Ielousie as cruell is as graue Who such a louing Husband dares to wrong His ielous Fury may expect ere long But now I stray from sweetest Meditation I ought to end as I began my song One word more of a Worthy of our nation A patterne worth thy learning loue and imitation Thomas Archbishop of Yorks famous See When Doctors counsell and his friends him praid For Cure to vse a female-remedy And for that turne him brought a comely mayd Most piously to them replide and said That to preserue his flesh which was to die His Soules immortall Chastitie betraid Should neuer be Such heau'nly chastity Shewes plaine his Soule doth liue in heau'n eternally But as the Lute which yeelds a pleasant sound Doth others but it selfe no whit delight So if examples onely I propound To others and not practise what I write I neuer may approach the chastest Light To which our chastest Head before is gone For no vnchast one commeth in his sight Except with Magdalen they sigh and grone And cleanse with floods of teares their filthinesse each one Thus clensd our Soule is like Brides liuing-Well Whose waters are most pleasant pure and sweet Our bodies eyes like fountaines two which quell And quench all Lusts temptatiōs which they meet But now adayes we hold this Grace vnmeet In noble valiant brest to intertaine Men onely thinke her fit for Dames to greet And to their basest Lusts let loose the Raine But sure no Vertue dwels where she doth not remaine The Flesh against the Spirit coueteth But if the Spirit manfully hold out It all Lusts base temptations vanquisheth Who haue a purpose resolute and stout To temper their affections may no doubt Defend their honour ' gainst Concupiscence And though they oft opposd are by a rout Of their owne lusts hels and worlds violence Their chast resolued mind maintaines their innocence Then Fooles are they that when they haue began In spirit in the flesh will make an end He that once tastes of Lust more hardly can Abstaine than he that neuer did intend Me from her first Beginnings Lord defend She 's like the Serpent that did Eue assaile She pleasant fruits and pleasures doth pretend Her mouth drops hony-sweet but with her taile She stings eu'n all to hell with whom she doth preuaile But though I make a cou'nant with mine eyes Like Iob no lustfull obiect to behold Yet oft this Monster will mine heart surprize And vnawares in sinfull Thought infold This Serpents cunning sleights can not be told The best way to auoyd them can be found Is her aloofe to keepe if thou be bold To chat with her she vnawares will wound I almost feare her filthinesse now to propound Vncircumcised rayling Philistine Who all Gods hoste defies in single fight I dare not suffer thee to come within Such is thy force such is thy cunning slight Thou art a Gyant of exceeding might If you will hearken vnto my perswasion Keepe him aloofe and in the forehead smite Best way to shun Lusts furious inuasion Is warily here to auoid the least occasion Dauid escapes the Beares and Lyons pawes And ouerthrowes the Philistine in field And yet this subtill Serpent him so drawes His heart vnto her Syrens-songs doth yeeld Then she him conquers without
sword or shield And leades him by the eye-lids to her snare Heau'ns from such subtill vile allurements shield All those that haue a Conscience and care Their hearts fit Temples for thy Spirit to prepare Purge vs with Hyssope and we shall be pure Wash vs we than the Snow shall be more white Our Soules and Bodies Temple shall be sure A holy house wherein thou mayst delight But I the vertue for the vice haue quight I purpos'd Chastity here to commend But Lust so fiercely with my Muse doth fight I scarce mine owne am able to defend Therefore with Prayer I my Meditation end Oh thou that mad'st my Soule a little King And in this little-world my-Body plac't It subiect making to the ordering Of Reason wherewith thou this King hast grac't Set first of all the Soueraignes Kingdome fast Whereby his Subiects he may rule aright That is affections keepe most pure and chast But most in spirituall chastitie delight To which adde Constancie of which I next do write MEDITATION 3. Of Constancy SO oft as I the Splendour do behold Of heau'nly Graces linkt in golden chaine Which them so firmely doth together hold That all they but as one seeme to remaine My Soule is so delighted with their traine That she desires to dwell with them for ay But oft employment pleasures cares and gaine Mine eyes and heart so draw another way I fleshly motions more than spirituall obay And as these Graces ioyn'd my soule delight So doth each singled out by Meditation Sing I of Loue I loue with all my might If Humblenesse she workes humiliation So Faith Repentance Hope Iustification By Righteousnesse imputed Mercy kind Ioy Patience Fortitude chast Conuersation Peace Meeknesse Prayer Zeale eu'n all I find Do alwayes to my Song both sute mine heart and mind But such are my Corruptions innate Hels malice and the worlds enticements vaine I can no longer hold that happy state Than I in Contemplation remaine This is the cause my Muse is now so faine To sing of Constancie that heau'nly Grace Which all the rest doth ay with vs retaine Most glorious Grace the lustre of whose face Both heau'nly Loue and all her Peeres for euer grace For without Her the rest are all but showes Like Corne by high-wayes side flourish awhile And seemes more glorious than that which grows Vpon best bottom'd dunged tilled Soyle But as that onely doth our eyes beguile With flourishes in calme and gentle spring But Summers heate and frosts it 's verdure spoile Eu'n so these rootlesse Vertues flourishing Aduerse or prosp'rous Fortune to confusion bring Thou that art from Eternity the same Without least shadow of Variety Like to the Sun heau'ns pure world-lightning flame Constant in beate course and serenitie Three yet subsisting in one Deitie Who though thou seem'st to change with things below Art farre in truth from Mutability Oh make mine heart in vertue constant grow That thence as from a Fountaine this Discourse may flow We Constancie a Perseuerance call In some good purpose for in eu'ry thing We vndertake right must be first of all Resolu'd of next our firme perseuering A vaine vnsettled idle wauering Without iust ground by Proteus Poets faine Who on himselfe as many formes will bring As he hath idle notions in his braine Or base desires and Lusts which in his heart remaine But in good purpose to stand fast and sound Not onely man-like is but most diuine Like God in whom no change was euer found For as the Sunne this worlds pure crystall eyne In heau'n doth alwaies with like glory shine Though by the varying Medium's here below It seeme more glorious in the Summer time Than when Eolian blasts darke clouds do blow So Constance is the same though alt'ring oft in show This Constance is with Patience a twin Begot by Iupiter of Fortitude Mother and Babes as like as neere of kin Who hath one with all three must be indude These lift vp to heroicall habitude And come from Iustice and a prudent mind If Fury Rage Wrong Rashnesse do intrude We them no vertues faire but vices find With whom Minerua nor the Graces euer ioyn'd Patience and Constancie in this agree Effeminate faint hearts ay to oppose And men relieue in all extremitie Vndanted resolute who will not loose That liberty they haue the Good to choose Thus seeme they one now marke their difference Patience all wrongs with courage vndergoes For without Suffering's no Patience But Constance is in ioy and paine a firme defence Without Compulsion free for Vertues sake Patience constrain'd oft by necessity Most cheerefull valiantly doth vndertake To beare what cannot well auoyded be One good end Constancie propounds which she Onely regards but noble patience Before her will all euils conquerd see Which her oppresse in flesh or conscience Both haue braue resolution and sound confidence No fury of the headlesse Multitude No Tyrants rage a constant mind can shake Though all the world turne to a Chaos rude The ruines crush him may but can not make Him stagger nor Ioues thunder make him quake The Sea may roare the waues mount to the skies And threaten him to drowne in deepest Lake But Fury Rage Waues all he doth despise And when hopes outward faile his inward highest rise He constant perseueres vnto the end Like some good traueller who giues not in Till he attaine the place he doth intend And as the Souldier that the towne would winne Fights stoutly till he conquers all within Eu'n so in Buildings Arts or Merchandize In any Worke or Science we beginne It is the end where all our glory lyes He runs in vaine that faints before he wins the Prize Though all her meanes all her strength do saile Yet feares she not to hold out to the end She 's still the same and nothing can preuaile To alter any Good she doth intend To whom the heau'ns true Constancie do send Within their hearts to dwell on all occasions Effects most admirable thence transcend She fils the heart with such secure perswasions They it defend from all faint-hearted base inuasions A constant man the most disastrous fate With a most pleasing forehead entertaines Integrity so sweetens his estate As in a pleasant Calme he ay remaines With her he alwayes in his heart retaines Hope Prudence Fortitude Right Temperance And when him Troubles Losses Griefe or Paines Assaile so stoutly patience doth aduance He liueth most secure not subiect vnto Chance Braue noble Constance who art neuer sound Except dame Prudence thee accompany Thou on her counsels and aduice dost found Thy setled resolutions all whereby Thou standst most firme for Truth and Honesty Nothing can thee thus well resolu'd withstand In vaine and euill things no constancie But base peruersnesse we do vnderstand Iust honest profitable's all she takes in hand For perseuerance in a thing that 's ill Is to this Vertue no lesse enemy Than they that by affections guide their will With vaine inconstancy and leuitie