Name Of Saints it being now their Right Iews to this Title having forfeited their Claim III. BUt this high Honour 's little in the Eyes Of our thrice holy Sectaries Thus to be herded they disdain To march i' th' common Christian Train Those the Apostles holy call they count Prophane Affect a more Supreme degree Saints above the Saints to be And more exc'llent Precepts do they give Than others do they better live Divine Credentials can they show They more than former Ages know Sad Experience answers No. What are then their great Attainments Rude Behaviour uncouth Garments New coyn'd Words distorted Looks Ignorance and contempt of Books To all Government Perversness To Conviction an Aversness To speak the Truth the Faith they do desert Religion all that 's sacred to a Farce convert IV. WHen Iames and Iohn to our Lord their Mother brought To sit at 's right and left Hand him besought They might the Honour in his Kingdom have Says he You know not what it is you crave So we may say to those 'mong us aspire To th' Name of Saints you know not what it is that you desire Can you sustain the Burden you take up Support the Honour which you so usurp The stile of Saint is not a flaunting Name To give a Sect Repute and Fame A Term a Badge but does denote a State Dutys requires of an Heroick Rate The Saints Gods Champions are 'Gainst Hell and Sin they War Temptations Hardships undergo All Dangers Torments Death it self break thro' And as their Calling's higher So from them greater Wisdom all require And if at any time they fall None their Lapse does Frailty call But in their Eyes it does avail As when Natures self does fail And as a Monster 's look't upon by All. V. IF St. Paul's Advice be therefore good Least he fall let him beware Who lately stood Much more it will become their Care To keep their Footing who Exalted are For if a Fall on level Ground A Bone may break or Limb may Wound He that walks upon a Tow'r Had need be circumspect that Hour If Heedless here he be and rash To pieces his whole Body he may dash Those Angels from their Station fell Stopt not till they came to Hell And so An Hypocrite Saint will sink until he can no lower go The Title therefore wave and be the Thing An empty Name to Heaven none e'er did bring That which on Aarons Miter was inscrib'd Holiness to the Lord let none thro' Pride In Capital Letters on his Forehead write But labour to be Holy in his sight While to be Christ's you all declare You do confess that you no Christians are The Sin o' th' Iews and yours comes all to One They took away Christ's life and you allow him none VI. Heriticks in the Days of Old T' oppose some single Truths were bold But Quakers dare 'Gainst Vniversal Faith declare All Christian Doctrines Worship Churches brand Whose sacred Rites Professors Structures stand Besmeer'd with Ordure by their impious Hand Nor Holy Scriptures do they less blaspheme Advancing 'bove them what themselves do dream Subjection to all Magistrates disown Usurp both Pow'r of Parliament and Throne A Sect by Leather Breeches first begun Rude and Seditious silly and course-spun In which for th' highest Place these two do vie Excess of Folly and Impiety Contemn'd by all the Sober Pious Wise. But they by their Numbers fright those who their Cant despise For th' Ecclesiastic and the Civil State Profess'dly are their Grievance and their Hate And cou'd they reach their highest Aim and Vow They wou'd destroy All that they disallow The Muses I. PHoebus his daily Course being run His Rayes of fire Quench't in the Sea or else lay'd by Apollo now and not the Sun The Prince and President of the Muses Quire As on Parnassus he did ly Say'd you to whom I did bequeath My Daphnes ever verdant Wreath Refresh me with your charming Layes Our Votaries record those who adore the Bayes Thalia promptest of the Nine Whose Harp was ever turn'd as ever strung At his Command thus Sung In lofty Numbers and Divine All mortal and immortal Pow'rs All that are great in Heaven and Earth are Ours The God's themselves do higher prize A Hymn than Sacrifice To be extoll'd for doing Good Than have their Altars flow with Sheeps and Oxens Blood II. THe mighty Hero when h' as fought And Conquest his high Wishes glut All Opposition under him has brought On Necks of Kings has set his Foot Whose noble Deeds shine forth so bright His very Person is a sight And never moves without the Ax and Rods To shew that Life and Death Depend upon his Breath And that his Pow'r approaches to the Gods This Pomp and Glory he does lightly prize His Tribute and Dominion yet much more despise With all the Vulgars gaze And simple Praise An Ode of Pindars far esteemeth more Than Crouds and Crowns than Trophies Triumphs all the Peoples Rore The great Pelaean Prince Achilles Tomb Beholding wept ' and his a happyer Doom Pronounc'd in being sung in Homer's Verse Than to be stil'd himself Lord of the Vniverse III. BEauty which does such mighty Monarchs sway Makes them to stoop whom all beside obey At whose proud Feet do prostrate ly Riches Youth Nobility Who causes her own Fair Sex for Envy dy This her Empire holds below The Glorys we the Muses do bestow Fam'd Helen thought it less To reign a Queen than to be enthron'd in Verse And Iulia did their Court despise Who her Person did admire Because Augustus was her sire What was so great in their's was little in her Eyes Chose Ovids celebrated Love to be Before her high Imperial Dignity The Learned and the Wise Seek Fame tho under Truths disguise Thy self great Paean the admired Eye Of Heav'n when brightest thou dost shine Th' art but a Planet in the Skye At Helicon a God and Pow'r Divine A Chorus here of all the Nine Joyn'd in the Close And Phoebus to restore the Day to mortal Men arose The Sullen Shepherd I. PRetending Muse What dost thou here Nought more Ungrateful can appear Thy Laurel I disclaim and Lyre Thy Verse and Musick less admire I 'd rather see a shaggy Coat Than this thy gorgeous Dress and Varie'gated Coat Th' adored Idol of our Plains Th' Ambition of our most accomplish't Swains Fair Aleria for a while By thy Arts I did beguil She did pronounce that I wou'd prove most true Who knew so well Beauty and Worth to give their due On this Success I bore me high But while on thee I did rely Behold where foil'd and scorn'd upon the Ground I ly II. THis is Pans high and solemn Day In which I Sung and on the Pipe did play Thro' Natures secrets Thou my Song did'st steer And the Celestial Orbs that guid the Year In wond'rous Strains I made our Shepherds know Whence fruitful and unfruitful Seasons flow Philosopher Bard Astronomer I my self
as Eagles and as Lions strong Where'er they March Victory went along How are the Mighty in the Battle slain Who shall thy Glory Israel now sustain II. THe Daughters of Philistia will rejoyce In Dances and with Instruments and Voyce Israels Dishonour make their Theme Dagon extol the God of Heaven blaspheme Gilboa the Scene of all our Woe May Corn nor Grass e'er on thee grow Such Blessings may'st thou never know An Off'ring to God's House to pay A Lamb or Sheaf upon his Altar lay The Conflict was not in the Plain In thy High Places Trust was put in vain Israel never felt so heavy a Rod But when she lost the Ark the Symbol of her God Saul and Ionathan in their Lives Lovely and pleasant were in all Mens Eyes Their Death the Land has wounded deep Daughters of Sion mourn and weep In Gold and Scarlet Saul did you array His Reign your Lives made constant Holy-day How are the Mighty in the Battel slain Who shall thy Glory Israel now sustain III. AH my brother Ionathan Generous Prince and more than Man A nobler Soul was never Guest Than thine in any Mortals Breast To me thou yet resigne'st a Throne No less by Virtue than by Birth thy Own The Love for which I unto thee do owe Was wonderful surpast what softest Women know Great for thee is my Distress Thy Loss my Soul does like to Death oppress Utter my Harp some lofty Strain That his Memory may retain But Harp and Hand invoked are in vain The powerful Notes did disenthral From the Evil Spirit rescue Saul Faint and wans Help themselves when they relate thy Fall How are the Mighty in the Battel slain Who shall thy Glory Israel now sustain All Sin is Folly I. OF this no other Proof there needs Then the Confusion which Men find In their recoiling Mind After their Wicked Deeds For the Sin 's no sooner o're But they immediately deplore The loss of Wisdom Virtue Innocence which they possest before The Veil is fallen from the Face Of the bewitching Sin And they disclose involv'd within A Hag and not a Helen in the place That which they loath and disapprove A Cure and not a Cause of Love II. NOr was it God's least Favour to Mankind That first their Guilt themselves shou'd find Their Conscience them upbraid Chastise and make afraid Before the Law their Crimes cou'd reach A sober disabused Mind shou'd them impeach 'T was not the Parable o' th' Poor-mans Lamb Did Davids Soul at first awake These words I 'ave sinn'd within his Heart he spake ' Before that Nathan came Nor was 't the Cock's repeated Crow Made Peter his Transgression know It star'd in 's Face and stood before his Eye While yet he curs'd and did his Lord deny The Horror and Compunction felt within Forestal'd the outward Herald of his Sin III. THo Sin 's a Folly it does not yet denote Things of a small and light Import But such as are of greatest Weight Folly in what concerns our mortal and immortal State 'T is a Defect but 't is no Jest Not what Men laugh at but detest The Flames of Hell are said to yield no Light So Sin tho foolish causes no Delight Absurd and harmless things our Mirth do make They 're Fools themselves pleasure in Mischief take Who o're a Precipice can a blind Man see To step and laugh at the Calamity Be tickl'd at the Sight of such an Evil Must have the Spleen and Malice of a Devil IV. IN a wicked Man's Condition There is not only Error but Perdition Mistake but Death in all Transgression For God he makes his Foe who was his Friend The Bow he for him bent against him bend Those then that by his Goodness are not won It will concern his Vengeance yet to shun Th' Apostle makes this smart Demand To those his Anger dare withstand Are Men than he of greater Power There 's none that think so in their Wits But in Sins raging and over-bearing Fits As if they were they slight him in that Hour Eternal Burning who can bear None possibly And yet in Sin when Men engaged are Whether they can or no they do not care V. FOlly in Sin does ne'er so high abound As when among the Saints 't is found They Sin against a mighty'r Grace Boldly transgress As they confess Before God's Face Astronomers wonder in no mean Degree Dark spots i' th' Body of the Sun to see I' th' Source and Font of Light to find Night and Day together joyn'd The World 's yet seiz'd with more amaze And does as at a Portent gaze When crimes the Righteous stain and spot Their Lives like common Persons blot When such bright Luminarys cease to shine Sully'd to darkness in their Orbs incline Frailty confess who were suppos'd Divine VI. WHen from what 's just the Impious range There falls out nothing that is strange But when a David does from Grace depart Adult'ry and Murder perpetrate A Man that 's after God's own Heart The Truth of Faith the Holy fear In'ts Firmament no greater Prodigie can appear The Salt that shou'd preserve the World does taint Those Sin encourage who shou'd lay restraint Religion does it self receive a Wound Atheists blaspheme upon this Ground The Sin of ev'ry Saint Adams Offence does lively paint For ev'ry Saint's renew'd again Unto God's Image he was created in And if he stood in Adams place He wou'd the stamp again deface A second Time destroy all human Race Quakers I. THo Israels Sins were numberless and great Long time God seem'd not to chastise but threat Ten Murmurings he passed-by When in the Desert they did ly Their Whoredoms and Idolatry His whole Displeasure wou'd not show Endur'd the Golden Calf and those of Dan and Bethel too And in Rebellion when more mad Apostacy to Idols they did add Into his Temple Baalim brought The Heathens worst Abominations wrought His Patience thus tho highly urg'd He did not them destory but scourg'd Deliver'd them into the Hand Of those enslav'd them in a forâ—ign Land But with a Purpose to recal again And that his People still they shou'd remain They found his Oath to Abra'm true As they their Sins his Mercy unto them he did renew II. BUt when most spar'd they most did disobey The Saints of God the Son of God did slay Not only Blood of Prophets spill But the Messiah their Redeemer kill This Act for Pardon left no place Mercy it self in Him they did destory and Grace And wrought not only Deportation Some Weeks of Years of Desolation But the intire Rejection of their Nation His Wrath so long restrain'd God on them lay'd This last Offence for all the former pay'd Into the Place of Abra'ms carnal Seed He made his spiritual Offspring to succeed These only for his People now did know And all the formers Titles Priviledges did on these bestow And when St. Paul does to the Churches write To all Believers he does give the
ODES AND ELOGIES UPON Divine Moral SUBJECTS LONDON Printed for Henry Bonwicke at the Red-Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1698. ODES The Priest I. WHence is 't my Muse that thou appear'st so fair Exalted both in Garb and Air Not only Verdant are thy Bayes But round thy Head they dart unwonted Rayes Muse Did not great Wor'ster learn td Ely late Their matchless Works to thee communicate Make them frequent thy unfrequented Gate And that my Laurel Springs dost thou admire Enough my Muse th' ast Reason to aspire Strain to a higher Key thy Strings And Sing henceforth of Sacred Things Odes and Elogies essay divine The Priest to these thou'lt rightly joyn The Priest too let thy Layes adorn The Priest so much the Ages Scorn II. GOd with his Voice did once his Laws proclaim In Thunders Earthquakes and in Fire Lest if Mens Hearts he only did inspire And they no Outward Object saw They shou'd deny him Author of his Law And take him for an empty Name But the Conviction was so full of Dread While Men beheld that God did live themselves were well-nigh dead Their sinful Nature they confest too weak To bear his Presence or to hear him speak III. HIs Mercy for this Cause made choice Of Men to be unto the World his Voice Not that all Men should claim this Grace No not the Blemish'd even of Aaron's Race Less the prophane and vile by Trade 'T is true that he did call Elisha from the Plow and Amos from the Oxes Stall And Fishermen Apostles made But then his Call advanc'd their State As Men from Earth Wise men from Idiots did create These to the World at first did Preach God inspir'd what they did teach Says he Solicitous be not what to say It shall be given you in that day IV. BUt when our Lord to Heav'n had shew'd the Way And none but the Perverse cou'd stray Of such Almighty Aid there was not need It was enough the Rule to weigh as well as read Together with a pious Heart Study to use and humane Art Industry to undergo And learned Languages to know The which the Spirit does befriend Tho' it o'er-bears not Men unto the End V. IN these Phanatick and Atheistick Days Heav'n enough we ne'er can praise When Botchers Coblers from the Stall Their Itch to Preach do term a Call And those a God deny believe no Priest at all That yet the Holy Order we enjoy Debased by no late Alloy Learn'd Apostolick and pure That fiery Trials can endure And Truth 'gainst Hell it self secure VI. MY Muse thy Lyre is faint and weak One Stillingfleet alone to speak His Rev'rend Aspect Gracious Life to draw Answ'ring both Gospel and Levitic Law Who Singly dares all Hereticks engage Their Strength their Rudeness and their Rage Hower fam'd in ours or any former Age. When ancient Errors they disguise Or New devise He does detect them with his piercing Eyes The Reason shew they so much vaunt Is miserable Sophistry and Cant Their Doublings Sculkings can descry Dodging 'tween Gibb'rish and Philosophy Their Scoptic and Elaborate Shifts expound Be the grave Nonsense never so profound If to Antiquity or Tongues they fly They find that there He 's Conversant and they but Strangers are VII THe solid Truth when heretofore Such Triflers cou'd not shake The Good Man they their Sport did make With Flourishes of Wit insulted o're Hobbs tho' subtil in Dispute His Talent was to baffle not confute And when he made a lucky Jest His Follow'rs thought he had the Best But here together with the Truth they see Language and Wit tho' both neglected be So strong so beautiful and high What they their Business make is far below his Bye That here their Petulance so ill they place They throw but Dirt upon a lovely Face Which them does bruitish shew but it no way disgrace Psal. lxxvii 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever Will he be favourable no more Written before the Peace I. WHen Men thro' high Presumption disobey Not by mistake but knowing go astray What wonder is it if they Danger meet As Cattle led not by their Head but Feet And like to them become a Prey What wonder is it when they cry And when Afflictions them oppress That God is Deaf to their Distress And does all Help to them deny They cry not from their Sense of Sin But from the Durance they are in Deliverance if they cou'd obtain And in beloved Sins remain Midst Threats of Hell their present Ease they 'd hold a Gain For present Ease is all their Care This their Devotion warms 't is this enflames their Pray'r II. IN these our Days Loud are the Plaints we here 'T is now no less than the Ninth Year That Wars amaze Th' Accounts brought to us from abroad However Various Evils all record Allies are false and sep'rate Leagues renew France only and the Port between themselves are true Plantations late are lost our Merchants tan'e Thousands by Famine Sieges Earthquakes slain Forts are betray'd Towns storm'd ras'd plunder'd or in Ashes lay'd Even at this Distance Bombs we seem to hear And Seas tho interpos'd secure us not from fear And in these Mis'rys having long been tos't 'T is say'd Our hop'd for Peace at last is crost Ungrateful Men confess Our Evils than our Sins are less And Providence adore Upon this very Score However they are near We do not see and feel them tho we hear That in Gazetts they only have a Place Of Slaughters when we read None in our Streets do bleed And Bombs and Cannon flash not in our Face III. THeir Suff'rings those compute but not their Sin Long it would be before these Men confess That more than twice Nine Years th 'ave lived in Prophaness Whoredom and in Drunkenness That Means they never us'd Lust to subdue Ne'er car'd to pay to God or Man their Due Or thought the Nations Happiness the less When most Enormous Crimes did it oppress But if the Foe at any time prevail'd To murmur and complain they never fail'd If Vengeance with our Sins kep't equal Pace Deplorable in truth wou'd be our Case For yet no Age did ever see Vices improv'd to such Degree He that was lately Lew'd essays To justify his wicked Ways By Blasphemy Our Libertines are Vnitarians grown Themselves to be Socinians Deists own I doubt to call what 's ugly Paints Yet these Pretences are but Feints For Atheism is the real End To which these Vizor-Names do tend IV. THe Foe of God and Man does now despise By sly Delusions to subvert a few Here and there to gain a Prize To Tempt he holds below his Fame It answers not his Mighty Aim Which is Religion Truth and all that 's Holy to subdue God's Throne in Heav'n he did attack in vain But that on Earth he doubts not to obtain And with these Hopes his Grandees does excite To Piqueroon no more As mean and poor But 'gainst the strongest Forts
of Faith to fight Adult'ry Murder are the common Facts A Vulgar Sinner daily acts Exploits of greater Moment and Effect He from his Heroes does expect Not only by their Lives that they deny But by their Words and Pens a Deity That they invalid and disgrace The sacred Writ that holds with Men so high a Place That makes Distinction between Good and Bad Fools terms Wise and Wisemen Mad 'T is this Religious Mormoes does sustain And Hells Endeavours renders vain For what Men idly teach All that is seen a God does preach As Air and Earth were other Sermons mute Them we'd dispise and not confute Ne'er feare tho' Tellescopes discry A spot i' th' Sun or unknown Star i' th' Sky That God they 'll ever shew unto a Mortal Eye V. IN vain we hope for Peace While against Heaven we war Blessings expect when Sins encrease And what we beg our selves debar We use the Psalmists Words in vain In this our State provoke when we complain Will the Lord's Anger always burn His Favour will it ne'er return His Mercy has he quite forgot And will he never From out his Book Transgressions blot But cast us off for ever God at no time is slow to hear To Contrite Souls to lend an Ear Their Supplications does not slight Or in their Miseries delight From him all Cruelty's removed far And Men alone Obdurate are We think that Months and Years we wait His Pleasure to redress our State Deplore his long protracted stay When in truth 't is We delay And God it is that does attend Till we reform our Lives and impious Ways amend If this were done no more wou'd need Blessings from Heav'n wou'd come with winged Speed Psal. xc 10. The days of our Age are Threescore years and Ten. I. WHen David old Barzillai did invite To share with him the Glorys and Delight The Pomp and Affluence that did await His new recover'd Throne and State Says he Thy Servant fourscore Years has pass't And can I longer what 's Delicious taste The Voice of Singing Men or Women hear It more becomes my present Care To cast an Eye upon my Grave and End Than to Pleasures now pretend More for a Tomb than for a Court prepare II. THe Old as little Relish find In youthful Pleasure As dying Men do at the News of Treasure Or those that hood wink 't are or Blind In what is Fair To them the Object is as 't were not there When on the Beautiful the Aged look Straightway without Delight They drop their Sight And by its Charms are no way strook When loud at Triumphs are the Peoples Voice With Feasting Bells and Bonfires all rejoyce Calmly they their Sense express Bless the God that does them bless All beside this to them is Irksomness And 't were not much if such were all The Evils which old Age befall Sharp Pains do also them attack Their Board afflictive makes their Bed a Rack III. YEt as a Blessing Men old Age do prize And justly tho' infirm 't is also wise It is not captivated with the sight Of evr'y Toy but judges right What others dote on can despise When it contests with Aches or the Stone Under Infirmities or Years does grone It is but like the Pain A Prisoner does sustain When they his Gyves unlock The Bolts to free him rudely from him knock A Glorious Jubile he sees is near And Death is welcom 'cause he after it does nothing fear But if that Men grow old in Sin Sad indeed 's the State they are in Beside the Burden under which they lye There 's always standing in their Eye The Horrors of a sad Eternity Boaz and Ruth I. WHen Boaz 'mong his Reapers came And lovely Ruth did gleaning see She seem'd an Angel in his Eyes Clad in a mean and mortal Guise Astonish'd in no low degree He ask't the Damzels Name And being told With Joy he her no less than Wonder did behold For tho by Face she was unknown Her near Alliance he did own And long before she came Lowd was the Trumpet of her Fame These things he gladly understood Tho Love alone supply'd both Fame and Blood He gave the Reapers charge To let her range the Field at large And no way her reproach Tho on the bound-up Sheavs she did encroach But rather purposly let fall Handfuls of Ears For in his Heart he wish't her All. II. HIs Speech he next did to her self address After the most obliging wise A Virtuous Passion cou'd devise And Love and Bounty both express Damsel say'd he glean not elswhere You shall be always welcome here Strict Command on all l 'ave lay'd That high regard to you be pay'd And when you are with Heat opprest Where to refresh and be at rest These Maids will show Surpriz'd she was and bowed low For Boaz 'mong the Great Ones had a Name The sense of such unlook't for Grace Flush't in her sweet and modest Face And 'bove her Words declar'd her highest Aim Was but his humble Handmaid to be known If yet so proud a Title she might own When Evening came she gladly bore To Naomi her gather'd store A homely Load you 'll say for One so Faire And who deserv'd much more to weare A Robe of Ermins and a Crown But Royal Ensigns tho of high Renown May not with Filial Piety compare III. HEaring the Progress Ruth had made Naomi worship't And then said Our gloomy Days begin to clear Our Sorrows draw unto an end We have no longer Cause to fear Altho the Good is small Which doth to us befal Compared with the Glorious Work which God does more intend By a Prophetick Ray I see I see the Blessed Day Moab and Ammon will no more Baal Moloch Ashteroth adore But Israel's God obey Abra'm will Lot a Second time redeem Here to adore she then again did seem And Daughter say'd observe what I appoint In Iordan bath and cleanse away the Soyl Contracted by your late incessant Toyl With precious Oyl your self Anoint Adorn you in your best Attire That Nature may with Grace conspire Till we do all we can our selves Effect Divine Assistance vainly we expect Boaz will shortly hold his Harvest Feast Where you will be a bright and shining Guest Keep still your natural modest Mien Most meek when Beauty's most Imperious seen This your Excellence will show When that which All admire your self you do not know IV. UPon the solemn Feasting Day First Boaz did the Temple's Dutys pay And then to all that Genial was gave way The Threshing-floor did loudly ring While on Cymbals some did play to Timbrels others sing The good of all the Land was there What ever fruitful Canaan bears With gen'rous Wine the Cups went round The loaded Tables did abound With Fatlings of the Earth and Air And there not only Plenty was but Wit Or something that did pass for it The Room did reel with harmless Rural Mirth While some applauded others gave it birth