Praise No Oratours nor Poets wit can Limme At full the gifts wherewith God furnisht him For as the Sunnes bright shining Lampe at Noone Excells the lesser Starres and pale fac't Moone So Christ more Just more Meeke and Patient was Then Enoch Moses Job and did surpasse As well in Mysticke as in Actuall Flames Whereof indeed we mortals know no Names Unlesse we terme them Graces most Transcendent To him alone from Our Great God descendent All Adams Sonnes with Josephs Mayden wife For Zeale for Faith for Holynesse of life Nay more were all their Vertues joyn'd in One They would look foule compar'd with his alone Comparing him with other men the Light Of Heaven you must confound with darkest night For without his Habilliments of Grace No Mortall man can see Gods Heavenly Face Without his Helpe the Godhead full of Ire Consumes Mankind as Stubble in the fire Without his Merits veile as Wedding suite No Humane wight can win a Saints Repute Cloath'd with his Robes none ever went amisse The Alpha and Omega of all blisse At last Christ grew to thirty yeares of Age Which was the time that in his Pilgrimage He from thenceforth till death should exercise His Priesthoods place to open Israels Eyes Melchisedechs predestinated place Whose Order Time should never more deface But they more blind then Bats were in those times When Zeale and Love were Snares and Nets for crimes He therefore now to grace his Legate John To Jordan went and by him thereupon Would be baptiz'd although the Prophet strove To put him by as worthyer from Above Christs will was such he Baptisme would receive That to his Church he might that Patterne leave And that as he perfected Moses Lawes So he for us would plead the New mans Cause Which at â—he Font from sinne Originall Doth cleanse and to New life invites us all If we goe on as we were Catechiz'd And crave with Flames of zeale to be baptiz'd For Baptisme is Heavens gate the which to ope Grace gives to us the Keyes of Faith and Hope No sooner did that heavenly Dove descend And Satan markt to what those words did tend This is my Sonne in whom I am well pleasd But all amaz'd he stood and sore displeas'd And hearing John before himselfe Him prize The Lambe of God that should with Fire baptize He doubted much lest this was He should tread As on a footestoole his Old Serpents Head To crosse therefore the doome of Gods Edict And Justice force her selfe to contradict This Prince of Fiends the Python of the East Our Antichristian Dragon of the West Bent al his thoughts his plots and machinations Gods Heire to win and raze our Hopes foundations Which when the Searcher of all Hearts had read With deepe insight he by the Spirit led His Sonne from Jordan to a desart where He might be try'd with Fasting and with feare Aswell to satisfie for Adams Deed As us to warne the Dragons wiles to heed Satan as shadow dogs him at the heeles And cunningly ere he his Pulses feeles Physitianâ—like â—like who first the Signes and Dyet Notes and what brought the Patient out of quiet He waites aloofe and finds our Saviour still Watch Fast and Pray to save Mankind from ill But at the last with fasting forty dayes To Christ supposed weake the Fiend bewrayes His fraudulent and perillous designe Which was at Hels instinct to worke a signe Or Miracle and by that act repaire His Pride-falne state or drive Christ to despaire Thou dost beleeve saith he that thou art Holy The Child of God not dimm'd with Carnall folly A Saint foretold by Prophets Oracles And canst like them worke some rare Miracles Now in this Place make Triall of the Spirit Whether such precious gifts thou dost inherit To equall Moses and the Thesbites Fame Both which thou may'st by working wonders shame I see from Food thou fastest over-long Whereby thy Body faints and feeles much wrong Loose not the Substance for the Accident Nor thy deare life for what 's impertinent Thou art but Young and in thy flow'r of Age And may'st doe wonders on this worldly Stage If thou cheare up thy selfe this present day Else beauty strength and Body will decay Some I have knowne so long to mortifie Their Flesh in hope their Soules to purifie That by such fasts they were much stupifide Light heads and all to seeme Soule-glorifide Be thou more wise to shun the fatall rod Of Famine If thou be the Sonne of God Command these present Stones to be converted Into pure bread or else thou art perverted When Satan thus had ended his discourse Christ to Gods word did hasten his Recourse No other Shield then Scripture did he use Which by heav'ns leave I paraphras'd produce I doe renounce the Flesh and Worldâ—y guile Thy tempting Baites shall not my heart beguile To long for Earthly Food more then Gods Word To breake the vow I made at Jordans Foord The Covenant of Baptisme which I seal'd I meane to keepe whereby Mankind is heal'd And purg'd I will not once distrust the Lord Nor in least thought traduce his written Word He can by many meanes releeve my wants That cloathes the Lillies and renews the Plants Mans Body here not onely lives by Bread But with Gods word his Spirit must be fed The Holy Ghost for Light to after Saints And to divulge our Ghostly Foes attaints To force them to confesse their wiles and pride Doe try not daunt those whom the heavens guide Permitted Satan yet to tempt him more With all his slights but not to hurt or gore His Body which reserv'd for Sacrifice Himselfe would shortly yeeld for sinnefull vice The Fiend would not so let him passe away He had more Trickes upon Mankind to play Because our Saviour Satan did contemne He rapt him up into Jerusalem And set him on the Temples Pinacâ—e Now shew thy selfe quoth he by Miracle The Sonne of God by casting thy selfe downe From hence headlong for God will guard his owne Be confident and take it as thy Creed Saints may performe all things t is so decreed I see thou shin'st replenished with Faith And knowâ—st full well what sacred Scripture saith By this great Act thou mayst thy Fame advance Above the Starres and now on earth enhaunce Thy Praise among the vulgar Multitude Who will be wean'd from their old grosse rude Traditions and thee for their Great Messias More will beleeve then John their new Elias Who with new Rites of Baptisme now of late At Jordan toyles men to regenerate Proceed then boldly to this famous Act And never doubt the Issue of the fact For God hath given his Angels charge of thee To save thy Body and defend thee free From all Annoyes Perils or hurts of Stones That might against thee dash or bruise thy bones With such or like surmizes Satan sought Our Saviour to entrap and turne his Thought From lowlinesse and worldly Pompes contempt The chiefest meane Mans Freedome to
stones meete our Willes conformity Though Nature doth Impostumated swell Or burne with Feavers like the fits of Hell The Spirit yet more strong in the Vacation Will overcome and settle our Vocation Gods Mercy will with Natures moods dispence If fixing on his Sonne our Confidence And Rest we kneele twixt Love and reverend feares To Him alone with contrite sighes and teares Unfaignedly sweet Abbaes sound to greet Oft looking downe on our vile Peacockes feete O would these Layes might now rebound with Ecchoes And pierce the Eares of Earths Magnificoes With sad Portents reverberating Rue And Wormwood moods for slighting what is true Because they doate despising Saints Correction On Idoll-praise of Good my Lords reflection And derogate from Gods Prerogative Not giving thankes to him by whom they thrive With Titles more than Donâ— then Gundamore Like Herod or proud Babels scarlet Whore Gods wrath in spight of all their brave reputes Will squeeze their Pompe and Popelike Attributes Truth echoed Ruth and he that scornes her Eccho Pigmaâ—ion turnes Don Quishot or a Hicco Truth spake this doome with Trumpets sounding loud God helpes the meeke and tumbles downe the proud So spake her voyce in them that bad us shunne High Seats rich Robes to weare the homely spun Old Sackecloathes weed plaine stuffe or Camels haire Contritions Garbes puft Honours to impaire So spake bright shining Truth that Noble Dame In them that warn'd the Outward man to tame Who by Saint John at the Lambes Feast records That Fouâ—es shall eate the flesh of Mighty Lords When poorest Saints and meanest of Esteeme Shall feed with Christ though they unworthy seeme To Carnall Eyes and whilst those Potentates Or pamp'red Lords with all their Glistring states For want of Wedding Robes shall be excluded And to become a shamefull prey concluded Meane while to gaine a Name like Alexander Some live by Bloudy spoyles or else they squander Their surest Meanes on Earth for the support Of their high pompe and blazing starres report But after death O Fooles what Harvest shall Ye reape by Fame or Port Pontificall Or if perchance ye live to dappled Age Will not a lingring hell abate your Rage Would God these Lines might prove Angelicall That they were stampt in Letters Capitall For never Age durst be so bold to call Like Ours Damn'd Pride of Graces Principalâ— Christ wils us not to Judge men for that sinne Whereof we know our selves have guilty beene For looke with what rough measure we doe mete To others God will make the like complete Upon our score To cure a Brothers sight T is fit our owne be cleare to Judge aright We must not give Gods holy things to dogges Nor Minister his Mysteries to hogges For hoggeâ— in Mire the finest Pearles will tread And envious dogs with Bruitish Passions led Will snarling-wise their Masters Guests molest Whom he invited to his marriage Feast These dogs and â—ogs Christ warnes us to prevent Full cautiously lest us they circumvent And interrupt our entry into blisse The Gate whereof is straite and many misse To find it out Although they have been Call'd Yet very few are chosen and install'd True Saints so narrow is the heavenly Gate Some know the Way but comming there too late They are repuls'd some boast of Miracles And of great Merits yet find Obstacles And for their vaunts are dasht Not every one That cals Lord Lord or knowes Gods murthered Son Shall enter there with glozing snares and Nets The hollow Hearts prove then the greatest Lets As doe their Bragges of Meritorious workes Or naked Faith Here the slie Serpent lurkes Unseene of Carnall eyes and will betray Soules with faign'd Ecchoes till they lose their way But if they like our highest Fathers will They must shun ill and so climbe up his Hill How many thousands doate on worldly Pleasure So long untill they lose Soules sacred Treasure Sometimes Hels theeves breake in and all is gone Some other time wanting the Corner stone Their house fals downe which whilst they build againe Death summons them or tortures them with pain That they forget their Master and their charge And lose thereby his Grace and their discharge All yee therefore that mind the Heavenly Palace Take Christs advise Build not for carnall solace On Bog or Sand but build upon the Rocke Your Temple where you need not feare the shocke Of Tyrant-waves nor foggy Earths eruptions Nor undermining Fankes nor Theeves irruptions And then you shall be sure though Natures date Concludes your State to meet with happier Fate To Counterfeits much blame Christ did impute And such as gave their Almes for vaine repute He willes us not to strive for Wealth or Place Nor for Good workes to looke for Humane Grace To love his Friends and not on them to prey Nay to forgive and for our Foes to pray We must not on a Brother wrecke our teene Nor let the Sunne goe downe upon our spleene We must remit not onely seven Times But Seventy times seven and that betimes Lest that we run that wretched Stewards race To whom his Lord compassioning his Case Suspended all his Debts untill he heard How he had dealt with others sore and hard He God forbad with Babling to abuse But when we pray the briefest Termes to use More tending to his Praise then our supplies Which last wee season must sometimes with sighes Not Parrot-like by roate but from the Roote And Bottome of the Heart with Abbaes Note The Module whereof himselfe declar'd Thus having us from tedious Formes debarr'd Father most High thy Name be glorâ—fide Thy Kingdome come As doth in heaven betide Thy will on Earth be done Food daily give To us As we our Foes Lord us forgive And let us not be tempted by the Devill The World or Flesh but free us from all Evill This pithy Forme the Lord to us did leave For patterne pure if we it well conceive We must in chiefe looke on Gods Sacred Power And sanctifie his Name before we powre Devotions forth for our owne Private Ends. We must doe nothing worldly but what tends More to his Praise than to our owne respect He warnes that we false Christians must expect Who the true Faith to bring into neglect Will forge strange things well-nere to foole the Elect False Balaams who not holding Love for Roofe Would cover Faith with Golden Clouds aloofe False Teachers like the Scribes and Pharisees Who should seduce the world with Dreames and lies Who like Jewes Rabbies for Supremacies Should gape and Hunt for Lordly Primacies Over his Members whom he Brethren styles A Caveat true for Antichristian Wiles Yea and for Lords if they good Christians grieve Under pretext of Gods Prerogative To these he other addes signes that portend The Judgement day at hand and the worlds End When that we see strange Plagues Fraud Famine Jarres With Massacres of Saints and Bloody warres When Mauzzims Type raignes in Gods holy place Like Caesars set for Sions last disgrace When
his death when Saints rose from their Tombe How many Jewes turn'd Christians in one day Who had the gift of Tongues on Whitsunday Some Christian Jewes when Roman Rage had rent Judaeas state to Jordans Pella went To Antioch Tyre Arabia Babylon To Corinth Creet Damascus Macedon And to remoter Coasts in hope of rest Whence after James decease in time distrest Some fell some grew By these the Gentiles rose From darkenesse to Soules light tooke up the Crosse Preacht Christ mixt with Jewes they were ingraft In one faire stocke untill by Satans craft The Nicholaites and the Nestorian Sect Did with false drugges the Easterne world infect In vaine therefore we looke for more Conversion Of moderne Jewes before the Worlds subversion Then what is past unlesse which Jewes abhor Our Romanists leave off Shrines to adore Much lesse Elias to descend in Flesh With Enoch since their Spirit some possesse And since the Formers gift infus'd in John He clear'd the way for the Creators Sonne Already hath the Gospels Larum rung To quicken soules whom the Red dragon sâ—ung Yea Nations to our Auncestors unknowne Heard lately of Mount Olivets renowne And might unto the Christian Faith be wonne If Britaine Spaine and Holland joyne in one Religious League to traffique on the Mayne For Indian Soules more than for Worldly Gaine As Spaine exchang'd her wares for Gold and spice So we by Peters Net may sacrifice And catch more Preyes for Christ then Spaine hath done Except henceforth our New Mans course she run What braver gaine can be then Soules to win From Heath'nish spoyles and superstitious sin What taske can Pilgrims take more happily Then th' Abissine for Manuscripts to try Who as they say hath those unknowne to us Which will strike dumbe all Sects Idolatrous What easy meanes and secondary wayes Hath God lent us now in these latter dayes Since Printing and the Loadstone he made knowne To cleare the darke and put the Poâ—e-starre downe That so his Word might with the setting Sunne Conclude the worke which in the East begun O Noble Europe how I pitty thee If that great Plague which some Divines foresee Due for thy Wiles and Pride light on thy flocke Americans raised to the Living Rocke Whereof sometime thou vauntst in Aprill-youth While Feasts for Fasts and Lies thou take for Truth But I leave these as secrets of the Lord As yet thou hast his Pledges and his Word Which may till Doomes-day last if thou repent And banish Schisme the Baâ—e of Loves content How many stout Confesâ—ouâ— like bright Starres Hath God inspir'd to 〈◊〉 our jarres How many men of Ghostly Ranke as Lay Yea Mitred Saints have gone the Martyrs way Grave Cranmer Ridley Hooper Latimer And Ferrar fam'd in Englands Register Not fearing like true Members of their Head To suffer rather death then be misled Or to connive with false dissembling Brow At Babels Charmes though ne're so faire of show How many Heraulds hath he sent of late Yet slighted all to warne each Christian state To sue for Grace their follies to forbeare And to prepare with true Religious feare For their New Birth and Spirits Renovation Before the day of wrath Earths conflagration Among the rest his Grace enlightned me In Britaines Isle Soule-dangers to foresee And by a Sparke lent from his Heavenly Flame To Sacrifice and spread the Newmans Fame To this effect and that I might regaine Some swarmes for Christ I chose a tinckling strain Wherewith I found like John in Jewry-Land Repent Repent Gods Kingdome is at hand Admonitio Christiana EXitus Orbis adest Chaos fatale diei Extremae subit atra brevi Campana sonabit Vos igitur moneo Praeconis more Litate Pectoris ex imis Christo Nova sacra Monarchae Ille Dei Sermo concludet Ovesque Luposque Judicii extremi Sermone Venite vel Ite Ite hinc in Furias in Topheâ— ite Ferae Fida sed ad Ferias Turba venite Poli. A Christian Admonition THe Fatall end which shal the world confound Draws neere Doomes-dayes Bell will shortly sound In Preachers Type I warne you then to bring New Offerings from the Heart to Christ our King For He Gods word will cloze the Latter day Thus by his word Come Sheep Wolves pack away Packe hence to Hell ye Creatures wild To Heaven Come ye the True and milde A Hymne of Repentance to be sung for the ease of an afflicted Conscience WHat strange assaults of sins surrounding tide Breake in upon our Soules on every side How fearefully Gods darts of vengeance glide So neere they glide we cannot turne aside We feele enough to pull downe Pride More terrours then we can abide It is no wrong but Justice which we feele Though we were scourg'd with Wires of keenest steele Or broiled on the Coales or flay'd alive We merit not Doomes respite nor reprieve Because in time we did not grieve For sinne nor sought in Grace to thrive Sinne is the cause of our Law-suits and jarres Sinne is the cause of our late Civill warres The former robs us of our meanes of Thrift The latter of our friends with bloodier drift For want of shrift and hearts uplift Fiends doe as Wheate our Passions sift We ought indeed more godâ—y to have beene Before we felt Gods Judgements for our sinne We ought indeed his Arrowes to prevent With Prayers Vowes and houres more frugall spent Yet we repent with heart neere rent His Talents use by us mis-spent We will not yet of Freedome quite despaire No Gracious God we know thou canst repaire Our drooping state though plunged in the mire Of mangie sinne or scortcht with Troubles fire Thou canst refraine thy Judgements Ire Our Temples cleanse our Soules inspire Thou at a becke Soules-tortures canst remove Or else asswage our griping fits above Straind Natures reach as thy Sonne Jesus did Poore Publicans of their diseases rid Yea though griefes were of causes hid Their utmost sting thou canst forbid To thee alone for Mercy we appeale Who heretofore the Israelites didst heale By Serpents stung and sundry others cure By Miracle thou canst Soule-ease procure Nay health assure and cleanse us pure As thou didst Naaman though impure Lord pitty us and blesse our Second Birth As thou with heate showres dost barren earth As Peter Paul the Thiefe in Calvary And her whom Jewes tooke in Adultery Thou didst cheere up in misery Because they did for Mercy cry Behold how Satan wheeles about our braine More busy now than ever with his traine Of fiends unseene to circumvent our will He knows us weake and therefore bends his skill The more his mallice to fulfill Because we are so craz'd and ill He stiles our Heathenish spoiles states purging pills Our jarring Pleas as necessary ills Our Niggardize good thrift Pride decency Our drunken healths kind Fellowship and why He knowes that Carnall fallacy Enwraps the Soule in Lunacy Against his snares we have no other fence Then thy Sonnes merits Blood and Innocence
O God most Just and for his sake we trust Thou of meere Grace wilt us repute as Just Before we be by Satan crusht Before our Bones lye in the dust Now is the Time or never to us ayd For after death when we in earth are layd What Sacrifice what Offering wilt thou have Thy Christ hath ransom'd us and thou dost crave No more then his deserts to save Sinners from Hels devouring grave Christ is our Head him onely we adore Christ is the Saint whose helpe we still implore Christ is the Light which harts more cold then Ice Hath warm'd and chear'd by the Soules Exercise Christ is the Lambe that paid the price To Justice due for humane vice This Sacrifice regardfull of the strife Twixt Heaven Earth for our sicke soules releife Most gracious Lord we to thy Grace present Not to fulfill Romes Amulets intent Or unction charm'd for Sacrament But with pure Faith Loves Balme to vent Both which thou hast from Heaven sent Both which on Earth yeeld thee content Amen The Second Dayes EXERCISE The Argument The Mystery explain'd of Christ his Birth Why he came poore and strange to Carnall Mirth Here they are toucht who soile his Feastivalls With Riot Pomp or drunken Bacchanalls THe Scribe of late who blaz'd the Churches state From Christs Ascent till this yeares present date Now represents a more Soule-quickning part And to win strayes drops on the stony heart Alluring them by sacred charmes to watch And waite on Him who made poore Bethlems cratch Borne there without Male-Sire in Judaes Land Like Daniels Mountaine-Stone cut without hand More glorious than the Romane Capitoll Or Rhodes Colosse in the Sev'n Wonders Roll. For this sweet Trance to rebaptize the Will To rowze the Braine the Soule with zeale to fill Draw Christians neere and view the Stable-Cratch Where lay the Virgins Son Draw neere dispatch And humbly greet this Heav'ns Earths umpeere Whose Joyfull Feast good Christians every yeere Do solemnely renew for twelve Dayes space Till that bright Starre ends at his Native place Wisemen they were who did this Light partake Led by that Flame which through the Prophets spake Had we their Star or Iacobs Staffe for Guide Diviner Dreames our Fancies would betide We might then hope with safety and with Ease To passe the Spanish Straights and Mid-land Seas In spite of Moorish Pirates or Algiere And without feare of Turkes to domineere Till we arriv'd at last on Joppaes Strand And so from thence survey that Holy Land Where dwelt sometime a Shepheard Royaliz'd Out of whose Ligne Our Saviour Humaniz'd The second Adam our soules Shepheard came As well from God as from Just Abraham But how cam'st thou quoth Zeale to found out Truth In tuned forme a worke for Joviall Youth No humane skill can ancient yeares exchange From whence then spring these Tunes these motions strange In thee whose Beard bewrayes that Melancholy Strives to supplant the sanguine humour wholy He that inspir'd poore Fishermen to rowle Deep Mysticks with New Tongues and to enrowle For after-times his Gifts on them conferr'd Hath now fresh Heat into my veines transferr'd To scare the Proud to cure the crazed Foole Like that which sometimes stirr'd Bethesdaes poole He guided me to Bethlem Nazareth To Jordan Salem and Gennesâ—reth Whence by Christs Birth Deeds Crosse and rising up From death to Life we cheere up Soules that droop For there is no distemper nor disease But if we fixe on Christ we shall find ease Christ paid the Price for our infirmities Christ onely is the New mans Sacrifice To honour Him with Soule-rapt Extasie God breath'd in me sweet-working Poesâ—e Slight not then Readers my conceites but heare With spungy eares what I deliver here God grant that these work more sung of his Sonne Then all my former workes and I have done Old things are done we must be borne anew Rise Libertine and Christ his Birth renew Rise up thou lazy Soule thou pampred Sot T is neere Sun-set leave we this sensuall Cot For Castawayes who spend their time in pleasure And cannot in a yeare find one dayes leasure To meditate upon Christ crucifyed With humble thoughts and vessels sanctifyed Nor on Christs Birth how that his Incarnation Availes us more than Adams first Creation O why came he into the world a stranger And would be borne in a poore homely Manger Why did the Lord of Lords himselfe abase To take on him our faults but to give place To Justice which equality requir'd Which to shame Pride harmoniously desir'd Gods Righteous Zeale did satisfaction aske But Man could not performe so great a taske The infinite high Wisdome was offended And for a price as infinite intended The whole world shooke the Elements did warre The Planets starres and humours fell to jarre All chang'd their former course The Sun lookt pale Fiends into Hell were like Mankind to hale There were but two and they from goodnesse fell How could their Race then be but slaves to Hell Soft hasty wit I saw the New man comming Just at their Fall to curbe the Devils cunning I saw their Griefe their Penitence and Crosse I saw Gods Grace Conditionall after Losse I saw Gods Seale of Pardon for their Sinnes When their bare Limbs he cloth'd with Coates of Skinnes For when our Parents sinn'd they were asham'd Shâ—me wrought remorse Then Christ Gods Mercy claim'd The second of the Glorious Trinity Tooke pitty on Mans losse of unity The Word that spake when Light and Life began Claim'd share of Grace for his Reformed Man As a Just Sire and his Mild wife do treat How their lewd Child they might reclaim or beat So Justice did and Graâ—e expostulate What should become of Adam and his Mate Justice alleadg'd their voluntary Fall But Grace oppos'd the Serpents Charmes and Gall The One protested Death but the kinde Other Sought with Gods Love the sting of Sinne to smother The One did Man a Turne-coat Traâ—tour name The Other on his Frailty layd the blame The One Mans wicked Thoughts insisted on The Other Mans Repentance stood upon Justice strict Law but Grace against Laws Scourgâ— Gods Court of Conscience did most strongly urge And sweetly pray'd her Sister not to ranke Mankind with Fiends for One though mortall Prank This Matter then of mighty consequence Betwixt them Both yet standing in suspence With various Pleas concerning our Salvation Or in Hells Flames our finall Reprobation The Virgins two did mutually agree To compromit the same to Gods Deâ—ree On which Suspence these Glorious Attributes With Zeale and Love concluded their Disputes Th' Almighty then consulted not with any Of Angels Ranke though there he had full many Not for their Zeale with Seraphins approv'd Nor Cherubins though them he dearely lov'd They Spirits were but of a Creatures mould Then mystickly the Father did unfold The Matter to his Sonne and Holy Ghost Gods Honour sav'd how Man might not be lost Nor left depriv'd of Light and Favour
whoâ—ly Like those proud Angels darkned for their Folly There was no way to make Legitimate Mans Bastard slips nor to repaire our state With Faiths Free-will Divine and absolute Of whose essentiall Forme Some now dispute There was no way for Adam nor his Seed Nor Nature left to do this Glorious Deed Since that the vapour of the Dragons Gall Had fouly blackt their Gifts Organicall There was no way this worke to bring to passe But by Regeneration to deface The sting of sinne and by a New-made Creature Borne of the Spirit and of Humane Nature To do Gods will which Adam fail'd to doe One that could live here poore and patient too Voyd of sâ—nne spleene and thoughts deformitieâ— Voyd of all guile and lustfull vanities One that could fixe his Faith on God alone Of Power earth with Heaven to attone One that could breake the Devils combinations One that could brook the triall of Temptations One who mankind was able to renue And with New gifts their nature to endue Yea such a one that could endure the rod Of his for Sinnes of men displeased God And that partaking of Divinity Could with the Head unite Humanity And lastly One that able was to tread Downe sâ—nnes delight the wily Serpents Head This Raresâ— One the Trinity did see Could not among Mens Race nor Angels be For the brightest Angels unfaithfull prov'd And the best men were bad though well belov'd To satisfy Gods wrath there needed then A Higher power for the Sinnes of men To sacrifice before their full attonement No Blood of Beâ—sts could make this reconcilement No Prayers made to Angels Starres nor Saints No Purging Flames could stint sad Soules complaintes No Dove-like Sighes nor Cataract of Teares No Fasts nor Hermits Garbs could ease their fears Not Incense not the blood of all the World Nor all their merits yet together hurld But blood of Man that never had offended Of a New-man downe from Above descended Of a New Mould endowed with Free will Which Adam lost with power to barre all ill Who taking on himselfe all mens transgressions Would dy that death which by their owne confessions They had deserv'd and by that meanes t' asswage Gods Justice and supplant the devils rage The Fathers Word then and his bosome Sonne By whom for whose sake all things were done Consented to be borne of Humane flesh With dowries meet the fainting to refresh Whereby their eyes might see his reall light Though Infinite yet not to hurt their sight Gods owne true Heire the light and Spring of Life Did willingly assume to end all strife To bound himselfe although ubiquity To Calendar in Time Eternity Christ undertooke a new to represent The second Adams Part to which Intent And to redeeme us from his Fathers Doome He our fraile flesh tooke in a Virgins wombe For Nine Moneths space shut up in narrow place Whose strength no place can hold no Time nor space Almighty God his Promise to make good To his adopted Saints of Adams Brood That One of Evaes Seed in time to come Should at the last the Serpent overcome And triumph by his Death on Hellish Sinnes As Sampson did on Dagons Philistines Had moved Joseph one of Davids House To take the Virgin Mary for his Spouse Both knowne to be of Zorobabels Race Which branch'd from Davids Root hold up to grace Their Pedegree though they were clouded then Through poverty Whereby appeares to men How much to Lawfull meanes Gods Purenesse tends Whilst thus by Wedlocks veile He shrouds his Ends How Maries lowly minde by Grace Divine For her Babes worth did Evaes pride decline But leaves the Rich with Mammons Pitch defil'd For She was Poore and He a Carpenter Yet God did them before Great Folkes preferre A Slighted Paire his two-fold Instrument To bring Christs Birth to full accomplishment Now Sixe Moneths came since Grave Elizabeth Of John conceiv'd And then to Nazareth God sent againe the Angel Gabriel Glad Tidings of much wonder to foretell That there the Blessed Virgin should with Child Conceive not by the Male but by the Mild And Gentle Sparks breath'd from the Holy Ghost And that likewise in Judaes Hilly Coast Elizabeth her Cosen then was blest Though Old and barren with an Embrion Guest Who born should roome make for the highest King As his Tong-loos'd would shortly sing This Signe the Angell added to Confirme The Maidens Faith and make his Message firme For Malachy had prophesied that John Eâ—ias-like should preach ere Christ came on The Angell gone in hast the Virgin-Saint Went with these newes her Cousen to acquaint At whose Approach the Sixe months Embryon sprung And she a Psalme God Magnifying sung I need not since Old Wives of it can prate The Angels Ave Mary here relate His words to her were Newes Miraculous But wrest for vowes they prove Idolatrous When mumbling on fine Beades like Parrats Chaâ— They beg in a strange tongue they know not what Yet by the New-mans leave we paraphraze And paint her Dowries forth in modest phraze Not Suppâ—iant wise to court Imagery But to renew like Saints her memory All haile to thee O Mary full of Grace Happy be they who see thy Virgins face Among the Angels Legions rais'd on high And there advanc'd for thy Humility Which didst Christ by the Holy Ghost conceive As Clay Gods stamp did by his Word receive Blest be thy Name O Mayd Gods Spouse Mother Which broughtst a Sonne our Saviour and our Brother Such Greetings thou didst from the Angell merit Before thou knew'st Conception by the Spirit Whereby thou didst Manoahs Wife excell Though Sampsons birth an Angell did foretell But why seeke I to overcloud thy Praise With these poore lines lame hobling sorry Laies To pray to thee would derogation be To his high worth who saved thee and me For not the Woman but the Womans Seed Did Satan foile and ransome Adams Deed To praise thee more then thy deare Son in Bookes That were to racke thy praise on Tenter-hookes As if God thee a goddesse did install Conceiv'd without sinnes sting Originall In Heav'n thou shin'st no more to be molested With Sinners songs to superstition wrested Where leaving thee Gods Treasures to contemple I greet on Earth thy Infants former Temple Concluding thee of Female kind the best The mother of my Saviour ever Blest The Type of that true Church in which we thrive And therefore Blest in the Superlative But when that Joseph knew his Bride with Child By him untoucht he thought he was beguil'd In his late choyce and therefore privately Like a Just man most loath her publiquely To shame by letting all their Neighbours know Her fault suppos'd with Indignations Brow He purposed the matter to protract Or to give up the Note of the Contract He studyed how this new Affinity He might shake off and shun her company One while he thought to pocket up the Fraud Yet fear'd to be to his owne house a Baud. Love Griefe
harme the Soule Then let not worldly wits our New Man Scorne Though vile he seeme or of the Hope forlorne For he that outwardly lookes vilified May passe yet for a Creature Justified Whil'st that he beares the Cribbe where Christ was borne In mind with his Red Crosse and Crowne of Thorne Be meeke therefore ye States and people all All from the Kings Bench to the Coblers Awle Thanke God for them whom for your Good he sends And ponder that which to your safety tends Repent ye of your Sinnes depend on Grace That so Christs merits may your sinnes deface Thinke Daily on the New Mans Crucifixe And Christ his Cratch in your Remembrance fixe Pray oft against lewd Francies Provocation And let your Deeds to Love have more relation Compare our yeares from Christ his Incarnation With the Floods Time from Adams first Creation And one Thousand sixe Hundred fifty sixe May to the World a Fatall Period fixe In Desolation to all hardned Hearts In Dissolution of our Earthly Parts If all the Signes foretold by Daniel Christ Paul and S. John fall out with Antichrist True Signes indeede which Faith and Love withdraw By Warres Pride Schismes and Wiles in winding Law Besides this Signe that Gods two Prophets lay Martyr'd ere Babel could her charmes display And who can tell but when th' Electors fayle Romes Empire sets and Doomes Day shall prevaile That Empire which began when Christ was borne Ere he returnes shall set and be forlorne Since that which barr'd in Paules time his Revealing Lies waste what bootes the Antichrists Concealing Now whilst we looke for Times extreamest Date And Christ his Comming either soone or late Let us salute his Cratch his Birth admire And pay our vowes to him wiih zealous fire Great Abraham rejoyc'd to see his Dayes When rapt to Paradise he felt his Rayes So did that Baptist Babe in Mothers Wombe Spring by Instinct with Joy to heare him come Conceiv'd in Flesh of that Immortall Flame Which promis'd was Sinne Death and Hell to shame So Angells sung of him Propheticke Layes So Simeon sung with Anna songs in praise Of Bethlems Babe both ravisht at his sight When Mary cloz'd her due Mosaicall Rite Acknowledging the true Messias Borne Of Evahes seed to save the Soule forlorne And so shall we in minde feele Musick rare If we muse on our New Mans Birth with care I meane that Sparke which at our Baptisme rose Within our Hearts three Monsters to oppose Then freely we his Gospell may imbrace And sing this Lullaby with measur'd pace The Holy Ghost to save fraile Adams Race Breath'd a sweet Flame in Mary full of Grace This Flame infus'd in Flesh both Man and God We greet and cloze his Birth with Simeons Ode Thy Birth and Name doe saving Health betide O Maide-borne Man God by the Fathers side Thou art the Gentiles Light Emanuel The Glory Head and Crowne of Israel Whose Glimpse we having seene in sacred Trance Lord now in Peace us to that Light advance That Light which thou conceived'st in our Flesh To save Mankind and Satan to suppresse The Light of Soules thy true essentiall Forme Of Mary borne Eves Off-spring to reforme Whom with Thee and thy Spirit three in one We honour praise and serve Great God alone Without depending upon Angels Saints Or such whom Baal for Advocates be Saints A Hymne in Memory of our Saviours Birth and Incarnation ALL yee that are of Spirit mild And long to greete the Virgins Child Lay by a while your worldly Cares The Outward mans bewitching snares And let us now submissive sing The Cradle-cratch of Heavens King Blest be the wombe which Jesus bare Blest be his Name that saves from care Fraile Adams seed if they repent Their time mispent to Satan lent Christs onely Name doth Satan shame Then let us all sound Christ his Fame Let every Heart submit to Christ For without Christ none can subsist Blest be the Brests which gave him sucke Blest be thy Cratch which hadst the lucke O Bethlem with a Starre to boote To spread abroad King Davids roote In thee was the Messias borne Jewes Shiloh Prince yet held in scorne Because he did not personate A Royall Babe with open state But that he lay in Manger base They waigh'd not well the Mysticke Case That Mary did Eves want supply Our New-man Adams qualify How Christ was come to humble Pride And by Low Ebbes Flouds to divide That Christ at first grew like a Graft From Heaven sent to put downe Craft Whence like a shrub but Cedar now The hugest Tree he makes to bow And so must we stoope often Low Ere we shall like this Cedar grow We must embrace his Cribbe and Crosse Ere parted be our Gold from Drosse We must Cashiere wilde Fancies wags Our high Conceits and Merits brags Then Yee that hope Gods Babe to meet Waigh more then Plumes your Peacocks feete Sith Christ before a bed of Downe Preferr'd a Cratch beate Pleasures downe I meane those snares which ye shall fâ—nd To cheat good Time and mad the mind And beare about you more his Markes Then Carnall Toyes or Nine dayes sparkes Observe what things ye vow'd of late At your New Birth to shun and hate Ere ye presume to kisse this Child O yee that are by Nature wild The Third Dayes EXERCISE The Argument The Life which Christ led in our vale of Teares Vntill of Age he grew to Thirty yeares How then he was Baptiz'd by Holy John And tempted thrice by Satan thereupon THough Christ a Child inherent Righteousnesse Originall and Actuall did possesse And in his Youth sufficient gifts inherit To cope with Hell yet by the Sacred Spirit He was not led into the Wildernesse Till to more yeares he grew of Manlinesse That in all points like us excepting sinne He might on Earth his Humane course begin Cloath'd with our fâ—esh expos'd to scorners gall Temptations Death and yet o'recomming all For never God his children leaves for trials Till he them armes gainst Satans false espials Now I review the shadow of his Diall Backe to his Swathes with a short true Memoriall Of his rare gifts and Heavenly Qualities Which more more shot forth with properties Convenient for his greene and tender Age Whil'st here he went his earthly Pilgrimage From his Conception Birth and Cradle Blest I doe proclaime of Babes this Babe the Best Nature and Grace contended in his Feature Till they it form'd a peerelesse lovely Creature And what they did if ought at all let slip His God-head made compleat their workmanship O would my Lord now doe the like for This This weakeling which with awfull sense I kisse This Embryon or Conception of my braine Christs Portraiture which I shall draw in vaine Except the Spirit of th' Evangelists The Holy Flame which guided to the lists Of the Triple Combat this Man of men Doe purify my style from Blots uncleane And my swift Trance from Superstitious fury Whilst I from Wales to
Types substantiall Truth he brought And our New-man in him Regenerate Shall doe the like if we cooperate We shall Gods word love more than Superstitions And follow Truth more than Humane Traditions The which Christ grant who felt excepting sinne All Natures griefes which we are plunged in From those Ten Lawes in stony Tabâ—es wrot By God himselfe he never swarv'd one Jot But them observ'd inviolated all Yea and the Morall as the Ceremoniall On Sabbath daies no man could him prevent But that he would the Synagogue frequent Which Nâ—â—e I may not silent overslip How sacredly Christ did all men outstrip In honouring the Seaventh feastfull Day At which time he most joyfully did pray With Davids Tunes both Hymnes and Psalmes he sung His heart whole Peales to his deare Father rung Of Jubilees and Thankes for Humane Good For sending him to save his Flesh and Blood Yet nerethelesse he seem'd not to gainsay But that Good deeds might well be done that day Or Casuall workes forc'd of Necessity Those would not barre the workers Piety No more then Davids deed when as he fed Constrain'd by Hunger on the Holy Bread For as he said God made the Sabbath day For Man not Man for it On it to pray On it to satisfy weake Natures Need And yet with mounting thoughts to save his Creed He must Praise God the Authour of his Calling And others by his steps confirme from Falling More often on that dayes Solemniz'd Feast Then other dayes not limited for rest Sixe dayes God left for Natures wordly Carke But that day to refresh th' Immortall Sparke Gods Lawes he kept unabrogated Holy Which none besides himselfe did ever wholly Above all sinnes which he saw raigning here Idolatry he loathed most for deare His Fathers Honour was to him and next To this great sinne his soule was oft perplext To see debate amongst his Neighbours Those Of Abrahams seed whom of meere Grace God chose And singled out from Superstitious Nations Peculiar to avoid their profanations For He the Sonne of Love borne from Above Could not endure the Opposites to Love He could not brooke without anxiety And troubled thoughts to see Cold Charity To see them with fat gifts the Lawyers feed To nourish Pride whilst others starv'd for need Therefore against all Malice he contested Nay them who hated Good men he detested He spent the best part of his Youthfull houres In hearty suite unto the Heavenly Powers For their conversion from such carnall pleasure And for their Wils restraint with Graces measure Because his life he might securely lead Till thirty yeares were full accomplished Himselfe he mated with the simplest Jew But seldome with the Proud or Heathenish Crew To shunne Vaineglory and the Serpents rage With Servants forme he cloakt his Parentage To Old and Young though but of meane Repute With whom he met he gave the first salute With Peace God speed Good morrow or Adieu And chiefely to the vertuous whom he knew So stampt in Soule after the New-mans Forme Who did their best the Old man to reforme With gracious words he ever heartned those According to his Naturall dispose To such as griev'd in body or in minde He shew'd himselfe most pittifull and kind With word and deed he sought their Amity And to accord their strife and enmity Though he no thankes for Peace-endeavours had More then in Aegipt Moses of the Bad. He never Place nor puft up Glory sought Nor what he not perform'd did promise ought His Word and Meaning still agreed in one Grounded upon their substance Truth alone He for ill use his Tongue did never traine Nor ever tooke the Name of God in vaine All wrangling Sects he shun'd the Pharisees For Pride and for Faith wrackt the Sadduces He hated them who scandaliz'd the Law And nourisht strife for Profit without aw Of God or Man as likewise their lewd Members Which kindled needlesse fires rak't up in Embers He scorn'd for Gold our Mercenaries hire To cloake the Right or Clients draw like wire He loathed wyles and lyes and loved Truth More than his life In hottest time of Youth When choller gall and passions domineere In him no signe of wrath did once appeare He used more to hold his Peace then speake Comparing those to Sives which secrets leake Against the Bodies loathsome Maladies To live as if he were in Paradise A diet spare both to the whole and sicke He still advis'd and Fasting the best Physicke This moved him to fast in Youth farre more Than in his Greene more springing yeares before He knew the worth of Dyets Excellence That a small thing workes Chyles nutriments Because the Blood and Humours Ebâ—â—litions Deriv'd from Food evapourate pollutions Toward the braine and soules chiefe faculties Distemp'red by the Bodies Qualities He affected Dyet even at a Feast Whereat Good man he came a seldome Guest By this stay'd course of Constitution sound His Body grew no Humours did abound Pernicious but with Daniels might compare Or the like choycest Saints for sober fare And by this stint to Nature his Complexion Most rare arriv'd to Beauties chiefe perfection As Carbuncles doe in the darkest Night Afford to all the Roome about them Light So was Christs Life of all the Neighbors seene To shine that none could taxe him of one sinne Or justly say that he at wealth did ayme Or Honour for he did them both disclaime As opposite to what the Trinity Affects in Man divine Humility With daily Prayers Fasts and watchfullnesse He still repulst the Darts of wickednesse He had so much and yet he made no boast Thereof Divine gifts of the Holy Ghost That Satan fail'd to peepe in or contemple The smallest chinke of his faire Spirits Temple Perhaps not thinking that the Godhead would Descend so low but leave Hell uncontroul'd Yet our defects that were most miserable He had as Man but not one damnable Which might have beene to Purity a Barre Or for our Ransome which might work a Jarre He honour'd God the Authour of his Good He loved Man as his owne Flesh and Blood His whole pure Heart not mixt by halves or hire He vow'd to God and kept his vow entire He never halted betwixt God and Baal Nor ever made of Soules Mechanique sale Which was the cause he went by day unshot And with those shafts that fly by night unsmote Gods holy Angels guarded him without Gods holy Spirit guided him throughout From those close Baites of the Infernall Angle Which more or lesse all Adams Brood entangle For proofe or Losse according to their Creed But Saints at last God succours in their need With Patience strength and Faith Apostolicke Whereby they may unto their Saviour sticke As God inspiring Gifts and their true sence As God and Man Christ drew their Quintessence And left the same within the Gospell coucht Which Saints have since with Martyrs seales avoucht Thus Jesus liv'd and spent his youthfull dayes And yet my Pen sets out not halfe his
so thou please 2. As thou didst drowne proud Pharaohs Host And guid'st thine owne through Marine Coast So thine Elect through every Age Thou didst preserve from Satans rage So didst thou raise to life againe Thy Prophets twaine in Sodome slaine So didst thou Lord in Judgement meete In Eighty eight the Spanish Fleete And save us then and since againe From Ruine Losse and Powder-traine Lord grant us Peace our Crosses ease Or them release if so thou please 3. Their Leaguers force thou did'st divide When we most fear'd Hels raging Tide Reforming Faith in Publicans Among the Britaines Dutch and Danes Bohemians Swethens Polanders The Swizzers French and Hollanders To counterpoize Great Babels side And by thy Word to tame her Pride Which neere hath rent her Triple Crowne When every Bird requir'd their owne Lord grant us Peace our Crosses ease Or them release if so thou please 4. O Gracious God how strange is this That thou hast cal'd blind Strayes to Blisse And didst for us New Kings beget When Old Elizaes Sunne was set The Tent she pitcht James setled sure And Charles now Raignes like Cynosure With Golden starres encircled round He doth not slight the Gospels sound But still renues the Holy Fire Bequeath'd him by his Royall Sire Lord grant us Peace our Crosses ease Or them release if so thou please 5. When Bavares Duke and Ferdinand Had yok't thy Flocke in Germane Land There rose up from the Northerne Zone A Machabee who eas'd their moane Nor is it lesse miraculous That thou hast rais'd great Bourbons House Against the Eagle to make head When Both would gripe thy Turtles dead And this diverting of their Force Spinnes Truce for us in them Remorse Lord grant us Peace our Crosses ease Or them release if so thou please 6. A thousand yeares the Fiend was curb'd And no great Plague true Saints disturb'd He made no fierce prodigious warre Till Wichliffe preacht what Berengare And former Saints had vow'd with cares Against the Masse and Mauzzimes wares But afterwards when by thy Word Some were Reform'd with Fire and Sword He then pursu'd thy New borne Flocke Because they chose Faiths living Rocke Lord grant us Peace our Crosses ease Or them release if so thou please 7. Even to this day Hels Magogs still Thy Servants racke their Blood doe spill O when shall we poore Pilgrimes be From Satans wiles and tumults free O when shall we their Period see And sing to thee our Jubilee Exempt from cares and Carnall stings O Glorious God and King of Kings Not in this world till Christ doth come In person first all Soules to doome Lord grant us Peace our Crosses ease Or them release if so thou please Amen The Fourth Dayes EXERCISE The Argument Christ having Preacht the Gospel and New-Birth Confirm'd the same by wondrous signes on Earth The Priests conspire his Death Judas revolts His Supper Bloody Sweate and sore Assaults IF I had dranke at pale Pirenes well As to the wise Bellerophon befell Or that I had Vrania for my guide I might transcend the Starres and hope to ride On the Pegasean Steed with Azur'd Reines Untill the Poles resounded with my Straines Such Lofty wishes through Poeticke guile Farre be they from my Low and trembling stile Not Phaeton nor waxe-wing'd Icarus But Lucifers and Adams Fall should scare us From mounting high to Pinacles and Towers Where Lightnings Flash where raigne the Aiery Powers Which may our Carnal thoughts blow to despaire Such mighty sway beare Spirits in the Aire Like them whose Hearts once toucht with hallowed Fire Have quencht the Flame by ruffâ—ing to aspire Or like our Eves who in this Evening Age When they should kneele climbe up proud Honours stage Where Mammon they adore and Christ by halves As if Gods Grace would breathe on Golden Calves No sure his Spirit loathes Ambitious Fires But the milde Soule and humble he inspires Such as of Yore were Jewries Fishermen The Virgin Mary Anna Magdalen God will not hold him guiltlesse that presumes To touch his Ark with Flanting robes or plumes Avaunt then Gallants with your Idoll-Fumes Depart ye Ladies with your nice perfumes Kisse not Gods Sonne ye proud imperious Lords For he abhorres High lookes Bug-beares bigge-words A simple Garbe contents our Saviours Cratch Smooth glozing Termes take those who Termely catch Sad Sackeclothes weed becomes this age of Our Where Fiends unseene waite ready to devoure As lawfull spoyles our Kingdomes fairest flower This suites me plaine my Applications sowre Yet wholesome like to Lemmons in a Fever To curbe those putrid Fumes of Head and Liver Which now of late the Gentry of this Isle With Riot Pride and costly Feasts defile Then O Great Britaine take it for no wrong If I enchaunt thine eares with a meane song Not grounded on false Druydes Antique Tales But wrapt in Christ his Swathes found in Wales From that wild Place where Satans Policy Failed to tempt his Will and Phantasie Arrived then to thirty yeares of Age Our Saviour to perfect his Pilgrimage Returned backe to Galilee againe In the third lustre of Tiberius Raigne Where he on Truth at Nazareth commented But thence repuls'd the next Coast he frequented With this true Note by that respectlesse Towne No Nation heeds a Prophet of their Owne And having chose his Prime Apostles there Who to that end predestinated were He Preacht good Newes unto the true Beleeveâ— To cherish his New Church and to releeve her Good Newes indeed which thralled Soules restore To greater Grace then Adam lost before The Tree of Life that of Old Adams foiling And it of all Luxuriant Sappe dispoyling Christ did transferre to Mortall men on Earth Who hardly could beleeve the Second Birth They thought that none but an Old Serpent could Cast off his Skin and so renue his Old Inveterate New None but the Phaenix dead Could of his Ashes reare another Head With lively Parts as burnisht as the First This seem'd a worke Divine which no man durst Attempt before our Saviour made it plaine That Humane Impe must here be Graft againe And re-baptiz'd by the bright Holy Ghost Whose Name and Gifts he blaz'd through Jewries Coast. Elixirs dreame nor Pythagorean Change Could work this Feate Ghostly Willes exchange Not Sun nor Stars not Humane sâ—ed nor Sence Could breed or cause this quickning Quintessence That spirit which breath'd on the Waters crude When that earths Lumpe confused lay and rude From a thicke Chaos th' Elements did sever And with all quickning Thaw did Ice dissever Transforming what he would have new straite Harmoniously by Number Measure waight This Love-bred Flame grac'd the pure Virgins wombe And none but him such wonders great become This Doctrine Christ to Nichâ—demus taught Who then of him Soule-Consolation sought When at the bruite of his strange Miracles This Learned Scribe to heare Christs Oracles Had stole to him at Salem in the night Fearing the Factions of th' Herodians Might Who nere about that
time got Captiv'd John And through a frisking Wench slaine thereupon I heare quoth he that thou a Prophet art From Heaven sent Salvation to impart Thy Deeds import no lesse for who but One Of Gods owne Choyce or his beloved Son Can doe such workes beyond set Natures reach Or utter such deepe points as thou dost preach Enflamed with the sparkes of thy renowne Which flyes abroad throughout our spacious Towne I come to thee desirous to be taught In the true way and so to Heaven brought Our Saviour turn'd to our Faiths Alphabet And him to learne Truths A.B.C. did set Not Principles of mens Philosophy But Rules which Stony hearts doe mollify He must said Christ who will Gods Kingdome see Become New-borne and so an Infant be That saying is quoth Nichodemus strange How can I now my Ancient yeares exchange For a New Birth I shall get sooner roome In an old Tombe than in my Mothers wombe Jesus convinc'd his Errour and mistake With this reply Thou dost my speeches take In a wrong sense for truth I tell to thee None enters Heav'n nor shall Gods Kingdome see Except he be of Water and the Spirit First borne and then that place he shall inherit That part of Man borne of the Flesh is Flesh More Old than of the Spirit which is fresh Young and Gallant he which is borne hence Leads a new Life and voyd of Lusts Offence When the wind blowes thou hear'st a noyse and sound But know'st not whence it comes nor whither bound So fares it with the Holy Spirits man How he came rapt with Blisse he can not scan He knowes not how his Spirit New became By Grace unseene from the Great Spirits Flame When Nicodemus heard this Lesson rare He answered these things not likely are How can it be that Man without Commotion Of Natures sense should apprehend this Motion Of his New-Birth by the quicke Spirits Seed And grow so strong except some thing him feed Except some Rayes which we not Outward see Or God-head rap the Mind how can this be Bear'st thou a Doctours Style and dost thou teach Said Christ and know'st not this which I doe Preach I speake the Truth and what my Soule hath seene I testify yet all in vaine hath beene If when I speake of Earth youâ—le not beleeve Sure if I tell of Heaven you will grieve None ever yet that Glorious place ascended But through the word which from that Place descended Yea none comes there but who by faith on earth Beleeves Gods Word the second Adams Birth The Womans seed foretold in Paradise Who should confound the Charmers Sorceries Who was fore-doom'd to be sâ—ung in the Heele By the Old Serpent and Gods wrâ—th to feele Whom men lift up and wicked Satan stung As the Brasse-Serpent in the Desart hung Out of this Text all ye who are misled With glozing sinnes your destiny may read That no man shall behold Gods Glorious Face Unlesse by Grace Regeneration raze Sinnes aspicke stings for those stings that zeale And Love be stampt in him with Heavens Seale Unlesse we leave to serve the Old Mans Lord And hate his Life and Lawes in thought and word Unlesse we looke on Him who was lift up On Calvares Crosse and pledge him in his Cup Unlesse we leave our sinnes and to conspire Against his Saints Hell is indeed our Hire Hell is Mans Hire Except his Earthly Clod Be sanctify'd and rebaptiz'd from God His Braine Heart Tongue and Soules chiefe Faculties In one must with Christs Nature sympathize Which spight of sinne Gods Spirit soone or late By Grace effects in the Regenerate Which comes to passe by pondring Truths Record Christs Testament his Covenants and word Shunning Scandall the cause of foule offence By a pure Life Faith Love and Penitence And lastly by oft cheering up the Soule With that Repast which Nature doth controule That Mysticke Lambe unseene yet reall flesh Slaine yet living now Soules to refresh Thus doth the Holy Ghost worke and Create A new borne Babe a Soule Regenerate Ev'n He that quickned Christ in Maries wombe Will breath on him and make him then become By Motion calme unseene and secret meane Christs lively Member pure Reformed Cleane Conformed to the Head our Elder Brother Whose last command was this Love one another Now by these signes our Britaines sure may know Whether they be of his true Christian Row To be Baptiz'd without the Sacred Spirit Is surely never Heaven to Inherit They be but Nurles half Christians dwarfes or elves Nor Hot nor Cold which doe perswade themselves By Baptisme bare with Water the Communion And Outward workes to be of Saint-like union For what will our great Charters Seale availe If to performe the Covenants we faile That is to love our New mans Lord and Head Learne his New Law and a New life then lead God by Christ's death more power did restore With that Free-will which Adam lost before Grace gave to us this Supernaturall Free gift to cope with the Will Naturall This Will our New-man hath from Bondage free Because true Faith brought Bondage on his knee Which as Love-tokens each good Christian hath Left him by Grace to lead him in Christs path But if he slights this Path being Catechiz'd How can he be with Flames Characteriz'd How dares he say that he doth harmelesse save His Sureties triple vow except he rave If he delights in Carnall talke or Lust More than Gods Word his Faith lies in the dust Devotion failes whilst sinne in Man doth raigne Whilst Satans raigning fancy guides his braine Nor can Gods Graâ—e within his heart fix anchor Till it be cleans'd of rust and Natures rancour Or if it burne it quickly may expire By Carnall meanes and blasts except the Fire Of zeale be kept still in by daily use With watch and ward from Holy things abuse Except the Soule for God Faiths Tything powres Heapt daily from the foure and twenty houres This is a Mystery which few observe And fewer like but give themselves to serve The vicious Times more for Promotion striving Or Plots to please rich humourists contriving Then Grace to beg with humble hearts and sorry Then first to seeke before their owne Gods Glory Joyne we our wills to his we shall be pure For Christ his death Old Adams Plagues did oure But now a dayes in worldly Policy Some temporize to hide their Lunacy Like Adams nakednesse till time more mellow And ripe shall change their Youthfull haires yellow Or else because against the Holy Ghost For sinning they doe tremble to be lost If once New borne of the same Flaming Spirit They lose their Talent or chance to bury it O causelesse doubts like to Hob-goblins Feares As though Gods spirit loathes the sighs and teares Of his poore Converts nay he will assure And helpe to make their rathe Election sure No Fits stop them like Agues stormes or Raine But Grace moves to their Centred Hearts againe Though I confesse that
great Presumptuous sinne Concernes them much who have New-formed bin As many were soone after Christs Ascent Possest with Gifts to Schooles Astonishment By the Immediate wondrous Inspiration Of Gods bright Flame though by the Instigation Of Satan they chance afterwards to fall To Lunacies yet let them hope with Paul And Peter falne by Christ his Blood Remission For who dares judge Grds Grace without misprision Or sentence our Grave Cranmer for his feares Since at his Death he purg'd his Fall with Teares And sacrific'd his Hand first to the fire Because it did against his Heart conspire Let them take up these words with Job and say Ile put my trust in him though he me slay T is true I fell which Fall I will not Cover I was Soule-sicke but God may me recover Barre Aire and Bloud of motion Circulare Meteours the one Heart-griefes the other scare The Body feeles sins Symptomes and diseases So feeles the Soule till Grace them both releases Which never failes a Saint though for a while Foule Lustfull fogges Faithes working may defile Let none despaire that hath Repentant beene Or can but once a day sigh for his sinne Many grave Rules and Documents profound Christ left and did unto the Jewes expound Amongst which others here I will relate The Lowly Pure the Poore and desolate The Peace-maker and for the Faith opprest These with the Zealous he pronounced Blest Christ termes those Blest of Spirit Poore and Mild Then what is Mans Great Spirit Satans Child His bristling up with Braggadochian vaunts With fuming Spleene with Gall and Girding Taunts His standing on fond Natures brittle Pinion Or his owne Merits puffe or Wits opinion His sleighting of a Saint that favour craves As if himselfe were Pope Christs Members slaves His thundring peales of Penalties high rackt As if his owne swell'd Head no Surgeon lackt His false designes to bring home Massy Crimes From Forraigne Climes in Antichristian Times His Challenges for Honours wrong'd repaire Or by Law-suites Saints Fortunes to impaire What Spirit swayes shewes the Red Dragons Mace Not of the Lambes but wicked Belials Race So farre was Christ from wrath or vengeance taking So farre from spoyling foes or greedy raking That he bad Peter to put up his Sword When he had Malchus smote and at his word Confessing he was Jesus though they were Scar'd at his voyce he will'd them not to feare And when his owne Disciples did presume To urge him like Elias to consume Those men with fire which wilfully deny'd To harbour him the fiend then undescry'd By them he checkt and said that they did rave For he came not to kill but Soules to save Who then beleeves Saint Patrickes Oracles That Irish Kernes he kild by Miracles Or credit our New Sects who doe conspire To plant our Saviours Church by Sword and Fire So farre liv'd Christ from Pride at once he had But one plaine Robe wherewith his backe was clad One Coate he wore to shrow'd his naked skinne A Seamelesse Coate to cover Adams sinne A Coate indeed wrought uniforme and plaine To shew that he recover'd backe againe Our former suite of Innocence entire Without those seames of Schoolemens nice attiâ—e Which likewise we like Turtle Doves must weare At our New Birth with Love and filiall feare Not slashing it like Schismatiques unbid Nor casting Lots as Romes fell Souldiers did Who not content to gore his Guiltlesse side And Body slay his Rayment did divide The Fóxes had their Holes the Aiery Foule Their proper Nests But he poore harmelesse Soule Like Noahs Dove on earth could scarce have footing No certaine Lodg nor comforts worth the booting Glad in his Travels to receive releife Of them who for his sake received Life Instead of Ease he Persecution felt Chose Desarts oft and into Brine did melt His Eyes with griefe to see such Combination Such Pride among his owne selected Nation He spent the day in Preaching and good deedes The night in Prayer for their foule Misdeedes Yet liv'd he more contented with his Fate Than Solomon with all his Royall state Before whose pompe traines Illustrious muster He priz'd the Lillies for their native Lustre Such Artlesse flowers he saw of goodlier hew And Glaring more then any Maske or shew This Christ exprest with Gospels Majesty With Practicke patience Love and Poverty Teares often shed true zeale and thereupon His Fathers Doome for Sinners undergone To stint our daily Cares for worldly pelfe The Morrowes Carke he bids leave to it selfe For why should we distrust our Fathers Ayd When we see Fieldes with various Robes array'd And Sparrowes bred without Mans industry Then how much more will he our Need supply Before we thinke on things meere Transitory Seeke first said Christ the Joyes of Heavenly glory And then be sure of this you shall have more Than serves your turn out of his bounteous store Or at the least what Nature may suffice Food Rayment Lodging or the like supplies Have you forgot the many Thousands fed With a few Fish and Barley Loaves of Bread To teach us thrift the scraps when they were filâ—d Most frugally to be laid up he will'd Looke carefully the Fragments be not lost Or cast away quoth he the Gentle Oast A faire advice to them that spend on Hounds What serves for Humane use though wealth abounds This Rule likewise a warning Type I place For them that waste their Inward Food of Grace Distributing in Playes some Pearles to Hogges Christs holy scrappes as Huntsmen cheere their Dogges When we must keepe the Reliques of our boord Ought we not more the Sacred Word to hoor'd The smallest crummes and passagâ—â— of Grace May stead the weake in their New holy Race O let us then without Sophisticke Brabble Reserve all Remnants of the Mysticke Table Least that the Seed which Christ the better Part Most needfull calls misse rooting in the Heart Least Martha-like with Household toyle â—pprest We want the Food which Mary liked best The Word which she so well disgested then That her best Choyce crownes her Saint Magdalen To weane us from aspiring to Promotion The Old mans plot the Serpents shining Motion When some of his Apostles strove for place Jesus did thus their lofty mindes abase He tooke and rank't a Child in midst of them Protesting that though he of scorned stem Were held by them yet Meeke and Innocent His Spirit might an Elders worth prevent And that unlesse a Child we imitate In harmelesse Love we seeke Gods Lambe too late Doubtlesse there is a great Antipathy Betwixt the World and Heaven for Quality And Motion when the Church here Militant Failes to Consort her Tunes extravagant With the Elects Allelujahs Vnion The Greatest here may misse of Saints Communion But if our thoughts shine circled in the Ring Of mutuall Love with constant Faith a thing That may not be except the Holy Ghost Infuse those flaming Twinnes then will the Hoasâ— Of Angels Quire by the like Sympathy As Load
Servants stript Murtherd his Sonne and were themselves extirpt These severall sorts of Temporizers toucht We find by Christ himselfe and sharpely coucht Under these pithy Parables like them Which praise the Tree and yet the Fruite contemne For some there are as Jesus did rehearse Who by the High way side good Corne disperse And this the Birds catch up and prey upon Some sow in Barren ground too neere the Stone Which wanting Earth moisture wants encrease So hardned Faith can never harvest Peace And though Gods word be Preacht on Sabbath dayes Yet lacking Rooâ—e it withers decayes Such Auditors and outward Formalists Stand both excluded out of Christian Lists Some seed springs faire but choakt with thornes and Tares Soone faile like braines too full of worldly cares When Satans weedes of vanity or Lust Grow up with Faith then Faith lies in the dust So in Gods Church spring Heresies accurst Unlesse Good Pastours weed them up at first But blest be they who sow in Fruitfull ground Their Graine shall sure a hundred fold abound Like Mustard seed though at the Prime but smal Yet at the Harvest it growes full and Tall. If Adams Sonnes could with a zealous mind Receive Gods Word his Spirit they should finde His holy Gifts would multiply with store From blisse to blisse they should rise more more Such Prophesies of Christs are come to passe Where we may see as in a steely glasse How some â—ay for Gods Messengers a traine Yea and to slay their Masters Sonne againe How neere some runne into damnations brinke Like Beares to eate his Flesh his Blood to drinke For doe not they with Blasphemy mistake To bragge that they did Flesh materiall take When Christ before his Passion as he sate At Supper did no such communicate In reall forme nor yeeld for them to gnaw His Limbes which then and there entire they saw His Flesh and Blood Christ consters to be Life And Quickning Spirit and to end all strife He saith that Man must have another Birth The Elder borne of flesh or Carnall earth The second of the Spirit New and quicke Whereto a Saint with constant faith must sticke For as the flesh subsists with earthly Bread So by his Deaths Record the Soule is fed His Sacrificed flesh with mouthes Confession And Hearts Beliefe receiv'd heales all Transgression And doth through Grace the Spirits food impart Unto Gods Image pure Mans noblest part This made Christ say The flesh cannot availe For Blisse but that his quickning words prevaile This quickning food Christs Spirit satisfide When Satan try'd his Body mortifide Mans person here not onely lives by Bread But with the word of God he must be fed This unseene meate Christ had as he did tell Whereof they knew not at Samariaes Well On which Eternall â—ates those Soules that feed Of Carnall food shall never stand in need Nor at Doomesday when Hagges howle out Alasse Shall Soule-fed Saints to condemnation passe This Living water free'y without sale Christ cry'd to all a â—hirst both great an small To drinke beleeve and feed on Christ implyes The selfe same thing in our great Sacrifice Our Bodies food by Nature rots at last Converts to dung and to the draught is cast Or is to Humours chang'd but Christ his food Transformes us to his quickning flesh and blood Of the like Substance form'd and Quality As the New mans by Christs Conformity The Rocke a figure was the Vine a signe Blest be the Branches grafted in this Vine So blest be they who make true Ghostly use Of this Rocke Vine and Blood without abuse As here our Soules feed on Christs flesh and blood By faith so musing on his Sacred food We shall raisd up to higher Dignity Feed on Christs Godâ—ead and Humanity Where now we feed on Christ the Lambe divine We then shall Feast through Christ with God in Trine Gods word begat the Churches Sacraments Of sundry formes yet One in their intents The Circumcision and the Easter Lambe Our Baptisme and the Eucharist became Mysterious signes Christs Image to renew By Grace in man the Gentile as the Jew In which as they their Faith infolded fixt So we on Christ Baptiz'd and Câ—ucifixt For in the Cloud the Nation circumciz'd Were in the Desart to Faiths Rocke baptiz'd An easie yoake for us two Objects free Both which they darkling saw through Crystall we â—They God admir'd in their old Sacrifice As we doe Christ in ours with Extasies Faith saved them and did their soules releeve And the same God saves us if we beleeve Since they were sav'd beleeving in the Shadowes Then why not we receiving him that made us Yea sure we may according to our Creed And zeale feed on his Flesh true Flesh indeed Not Chymicke-like with changing Accidents But as our New-man feeds with Soule-rapt sense Not with our Teeth nor yet Fantasticke flesh But as himselfe at Supper did expresse It for Soules Food to his Disciples then As now with his Deaths type to Christian men Who this beleeves and helpes the wounded man Without a Fee like the Samaritane If he be Lowly as the Publican Asham'd of sin and doth the best he can To please the Lord he shall be borne anew Of Gods bright Spirit and see all things New The Sacraments typ'd with New properties The one doth cleanse the Babes impurities The other cheeres us up by Sacrifice Of Bread and Wine Food of new Qualities Vnder whose veile they blest by sacred Word We minde in Trance the Body of the Lord And then we checke the World the Flesh the Devill For Saints wel know that nothing which is evil Nor yet that Flesh wherein our Spirits move Shall Heaven see till Grace our sins remove Which may not be unlesse we will Repent To Natures griefe and Fiends astonishment How we become New borne no more we know Than Nicodemus how the wind did blow But by our Faith that Gods Sonne crucified Doth now on his Right hand sit glorified Above all Thrones A Saviour Priest and King Triumphant over sin the Dragons sting And may heale us as the Brasse Serpent hung Did Israelites by fiery Serpents stung If we receive this Viands excellence With Inward taste more than with Outward sense But why did Christ Evangelize Salvation In mysticke sort and aime at Reprobation By sentences to carnall wits so darke Was it that we more seriously might marke The Sence when they should moralized be By Clerkes of our Leviticall Degree Perhaps such Tropes propt with Divinity May worke in some with greater Majesty So Saints sometimes to States Tyrannicall Have read by Riddles or in Generall Grave Lectures on the Gospels Lightning Text Least their seeds growth by spleene or by pretext Of winding Lawes were dasht with dis-respect Or silenced themselves with foule neglect If bluntly they or headlong out of Season Preach much of Peace to Tyrants voyd of Reason Christs flocke well knowes his voyce but on the rest That stray let Wolves
is it not Profane to Sacrifice To God before the Soule be cleans'd of Vice How many wayes may we redeeme the Times If we apply our Willes thereto betimes The Mornings prime in Prayer to the Lord We ought to Sacrifice and to record His wondrous Acts unto our Families Or Neighbours whom with Charitable Ties The Chaine of Faith hath linked in together As Fellow Saints The Noone-tide we may either In sober Meales or in Almes-giving spend The Afternoone to gentle Walkes may tend There more to prayse the Flowers variety Then Salomon in all his Royalty To suck the Hilles or fragrant Gardens Aire Or it may tend to make the Soule more faire By reading Scriptures or the Martyrs wrongs Choise Catechismes Sermons or sacred Songs To shew us zeale against a Graven Elfe Moses broke the Tables of God himselfe The like pure Flame burnt in Phinehes Soule When he with Steele foule Whoredome did controule Do we contend in Lawfull Warres debate Or in defence of our Religions state Who in Old time more constantly did brook Proud Giants scornes Or with more Patience took Their Flouts which did at his good Sermons bark Then Noe whilst he built his famous Ark Who better did Gods Chosen Souldiers guide Then Abram Josuab and the valiant David Who more resolv'd to fight in a good Cause Then the brave Maccabees for Moses Lawes Would you observe a Kings or Judges Part Their lawfull Charge grave Moses doeth impart As Subjects Dammage by their winkt at Bribes And Tyrannies old Samuels Book describes Would yee Rule well your selves a House or State These Salomon and Sirach moderate Ere Sidrach Misach and Abednego Would Idolize the Fire they undergo Nor could the Lions Den nor Medes decree From serving God enforce good Daniels Knee Do we desire to see a harmelesse Mask With Daunces Songs and Shoutes Here is a Task For our New man with David to consult And Judaes Kings whilst Incest doeth insult On that great Baptists Life from Jordan led To pay unto a Frisking Mayd his Head Comforts for Griefe wee feele in Davids Psalmes By Jeremy by Job or Tobiths Almes What wonders do the Spirits Penmen teach Perform'd by Saints beyond Dame Natures reach Do we affect to drink most wholesome Wine Go we to Cana or to Christ the Vine Where without charge both White and Red abound To cheere sad Soules while Christ his Health goes round Would wee see acted a rare Convertite Damascus shewes us Paul Christs Favorite Would we discerne the Newman in his strength The Gospell paints his Portraiture at length Would we behold She-paragons of Beauty Or of that Sexe some others False and Haughty Sara Rebecca Rachel Debora Miriam and she that nailed Sisera So Hanna Ruth Priscilla Magdalen And Philips Nunnes deserve a Prophets Pen. So Judith Ester and Susanna Chast And she within all Glorious that 's embrac't By Heavens King with Sunny Robes adorn'd Maugre the plots of men by Fiendes suborn'd Whose prayse we find blaz'd in the Canticles Extended then and since by Oracles So for her Zeale with them I parallel Christs Prophetesse the Widow Phanuel These Female sparkes invite my Soule a Guest And so the Churches Type at the Lords Feast Sweet Mary blest in the Superlative Cheeres me with her whom Zachary did wive Who brought like Sara forth in Ancient Age A Prophet to proclayme Christs Pilgrimage The Elect Lady Hulda the Prophetesse Lydia and Dorcas make a Holy Messe Then Jezabel I read and Babels Whore Both rampant bent the Church of God to gore Last Athaliaes Fate from Bloudy snares Saphiraes me from Double dealing scares As likewise do from Gadding Dinaes Fall Lots wife and Evaes Doome good Dames recall These Histories or such in Holy writ Exemplified this sacred Day befit Good Bookes advance the Newmans Sacrifice But Bad to Heathnish vice soft Braines entice Therefore let us borne of the Spirits seed Immortall scorne our Christian Mindes to feed With Tales vaine Sports or fond Lascivious Bookes Which Fiendes suggest for Soules as shining Hookes Exploites belied on Patrick Arthur Guy The Peeres of Fraunce or Spaines bald knightly Fry To the intent that from Gods word the Will Might be seduc'd t' apprehend more Ill. Arming our Mindes let us our Bodyes too The Parcels of Christs Temple not undoe With Drunken Healthes the Divells Sacrifice In these last Times nor yet Apicius-wise With various kindes of Gurmandizing Cheere Which dimmes with noysome Fumes the Spirits Cleere And the Five senses so intoxicates That Pulpits blush to see such Nodding Pates How oft saw we some at this Holy Tide More Sensuall bent then any day beside Some haunting more the Taverne then the Church Some on the Spoile some living on the Lurch And some farre more to deck their Out-side bent Then by Gods word to feele Soule-ravishment Strutting more oft to Church with Painted Wings Then to beare thence Soule-wares sacred things Yet presse I not too peevishly Precise But Christians may in comely modest wise Weare what they list so that their glittring Port Cause no offence unto the weaker sort So that their Pomp do not Devotion let I care not how in Forraigne Robes they jet What Hurrying Noise what March and rumbling Coile As if they went unto a Play or Broile Do Gallants keep wirh Coaches in the Street When they at Church should Saints most humbly greet Since God allowes to the Domestick Beast Which labour'd the sixe Dayes our Sabbaths Rest How dare they then his Creatures put to Paine More to proclaime their Pomp then Peace to gaine Such Sabbath-breakers I do greatly feare Before the Lambe preferre proud Lucifer Yet for this Clause let not the Courtly Eare Mistake my sence for I do not averre But that in their Caroach or their Sedan Without Disgust to the most Puritan The Aged Weak or those of tender feet May use what Meanes they please in Church to meet When with lowd Threates tempestuous Winds do raigne Or When the Cloudes dissolve to dropping Raine So that their Hearts be voyd of swelling Pride And that their Journey be with Christ to side Who when he did in greatest Triumph passe On Earth as Man rode on a Simple Asse Nor do I waigh such points so strict a way But Fishers Cookes and Pothecaries may Labour or save what would be cast away If on the Eve they toyle not for that Day But I could wish good Christians not to play The Epicures on the Lords Sabbath Day Causing their Cookes to dresse more Choice of Meate Then Heliogabale could digest to eat Whilst that ten Quailes or Phesants in one Dish His Pandaâ—s sauc'd with Pearle and Ambergriese God graunt that we more suting our Vocation May ruminate with serious Meditation This wholesome Feast which I have plainely drest And those New Rules which I have now exprest For Boyling Braines swelld up with Arrogance That they may stoup and feele the Spirits Traunce To do Gods Will to muse on Heavenly Joyes And not to clinche
those Joyes through worldly Toyes Lord here we yeild thee thanks though soyld with Errours And round about beset with many Terrours For turning Brittaines Iland from a Beast To be Baptiz'd and of Baptiz'd the Best While she doeth firmely to thy Pledges stick To thy true Seales and Spirits Candlestick Praysed be thou who hast to us reveald The Certaine Meanes whereby we may be heal'd Of Natures Spots and those Contagious Evills Heapt on us by the World the Flesh and Devills More in these Latter Times then heretofore When our Great Tempter lay enthralled more And of his Stings curb'd by the Holy Ghost Till Babels Whore perk'd up and rul'd the rost Which sacred Meanes we humbly pray thy Grace May still support us in our New-mans Race As we begunne so with more Love to burne Untill thy Sonne Incarnate shall returne With Finall Doome to judge the Dead and Quick The Dead in Faith and the Church Catholick A joyfull Hymne to be sung on the Lords Day winding up the Sevenths Dayes Exercise REjoyce yee Saints hoyse up your highest Sayles And magnify with loud Hosaâ—â—aes hayles The Lord that first saluted from the Grave Fraile Adams Sonnes and them their debts forgave Spread forth his Sabbaths Palmes sing joyfull Psalmes Attend his word and to the Poore give Almes How Amiable and Cordiall is thy Word Above all Objects els O mighty Lord How ravishing with Pleasures Manifold Surmounting Musick Pomp or heapes of Gold Sounds in our Hearts the Heavenly Bridgroomes voice How sweetly ring those Peales of Hallowed Noise Thrice Holy sung by Hoasts of Cherubins Thrice answer'd by Love Flaming Scraphins O Unity thrice blest in Trinity O Trinity thrice blest in Unity For the pursuit of which Harmonious straine Though fully we cannot as yet attaine To that brave Pitch by reason of our Fogges Thy Grace yet drawes the will and dries our Bogges So if we glaunce as through a Glasse a while At their sweet Tunes and in thy Laud Compile Some zealous worke to testify our Love And ready will which therewithall may move Thy Saints on Earth to warble forth thy Prayse Thou art well pleas'd as with the Widowes Mite Who Abrams deed didst by a Ramme acquite Teach us O Christ to waigh th' effect and Cause Of this Dayes Rest like those whom at Emaus Thou mad'st with zeale to burne the selfe same day When thou didst Rise and metst them by the way That we with Vowes and Sabbaths true Delight May think on thee without the least despite Of Spleene or Gall which might prophane the Time And blacke our Soules with a Notorious Crime If we neglect our Duties and thy Call Now to appeare at this thy Feastivall Wâ—thdraw our mindes from Natures fond desires Or Ruffling showes which might put our Fires And make some justly call our Day of Rest A Carnall Time or Saturnalian Feast Restraine our Longing Fits from all excesse Of Meats and Drinke which might our Wits oppresse And by their mounting Fumes up to the Braine Thee to neglect our Noblest Part constraine And cause us Nabal-like the Sots to play When we to Thee our Thankfull vowes should pay For on this Day thy Cabinet stands ope And we on it for store of Jewells hope O let us not like to that Thorny Ground Be choakt with worldly Cares but Fruitfull found And watchfull still attending on thy Word At this thy Sabbaths Feast it to record And edify our Neighbours as our selves Before our Crimes link us with frantick Elves Or to Conclude before thou do remove As Sonne of Man in Person from Above To judge Mankinde which shortly we expect And on the seventh Day as some suspect Good Lord by vertue of thy Sabbaths Rest According to thy will grant our Request That as thou didst with Body Glorified Rise up from Death so we Soule-purified May Rise from Sinne and up to Heav'n ascend And not to Hell like damned Ghosts descend All Glory be to Thee as heretofore In Persons three one God for evermore Amen Another Hymne in our Redeemers Prayse LEt all that soil'd the Precepts Ten New Day-light crave through Christ. Amen And let all Angells Saints and Men For ever blesse Christs Name Amen Amen Amen sound we like Thunder That at our Zeale the World may wonder That at our Noise the World agast May turne to Christ now at the last To tune his Prayse with Newer Tongues And with the Heart more then the Lunges Let Christ be Alpha in our Songes And our Omega as belonges To Catholickes of Christian stock The Spirits seed Sheep of one Flock Let all our Thoughts conspire in One To fixe our Faith on Christ alone And with one voice aloud to Sing Christ is our Head Judge Saviour King The Prince of Angells Gods Delight The Crowne of Saints Mens only Light The Womans Seed the Sonne of God Which on the Head of Satan trod The Lion borne of Judaes Ligne The Root of Jesse Mount Calvares Signe The Glorious Starre of our New Birth Whence springs our Peace and sweetest Mirth The second part BOth First and Last as we begunne Let us applaud our Makers Sonne With lowd Hosannaes every day Like chirping Birds in Moneth of May Like Consorts Tune or Ring of Bells Let us shew how our Love excells And never cease Christs Name to ring Till we meet all as in one Ring Or Circle round whence no Disunion Shall ever part our Hearts Communion Like Nightingales in Summers Bowre Let us on Christ thinke every howre And never leave to blaze his Story Untill we meet this Lord of Glory This Lord of Lord that crusht the sting Of our great Foe for which we sing All prayse to him that conquerd Sinne And did for us the Triumph winne Amen The New-mans Song of Thankesgiving after the Receiving of the Communion WE took this Day Christs Flesh and Bloud Drest in the Forme of sacred Food We fed on Bread surmounting Wealth We drank Christs Wine of Saving Health O Mystick signes O Grace Divine Transferred from the Heavenly Vine And Living Bread that came from God To warme and change our Earthly Clod We took those Signes like Baskets rare But opening them most dainty Fare We found to please our Spirits Tast We found enough to break our Fast. We felt our Soules cast in New Mould And changed from the Creature Old Love made us all of one consent Faith wrought in us the Lords Intent To mind his Passion Death and Love Till He to Judge comes from Above By these two Gifts we grow to be Christs Body from disunion free By them like Floure bak't in one Loafe The Lord feedes us under our Roofe By them like Lines we meet in one Firme Center in Gods Truth alone Gods Truth that blest our Christian spouse With happy Lot like Obeds House Blest for the Ark while there it stayd When Others were by it dismayd The second part WE yeeld thee Thanks most Gratious Lord Who doest Faiths Light to us record