Is now returning whence it came For the blood-thirsty have beset And clos'd me round my Hands and Feet They have transfixt distended on The shameful Cross I ev'ry Bone Can truly count as if I were A Monster they upon me stare And having got me in their Toyl They reckon all I have their Spoil They part my Garments but the Lot Is cast upon my seamless Coat Contented rather than it tear The whole should go to one Mans share But be not far from me O Lord My chiefest strength thy help afford And from these bloody-Men set free Thine only One O rescue me And as in former time thine Ear Hath open been unto my pray'r Be ready now my Life to save From the devouring Jaws o' th' Grave Then in the Congregation I Will sing thy praise contin'ally And to thy Faithful there declare How great thy Love and Mercies are Ye Seed of Jacob spend your days In Songs of Thanks and hearty Praise For he hath not despis'd my Pray'r When in Affliction but his Ear Hath been attentive and his Face He hath not vail'd in my disgrace All my discourses Lord shall be Of these thy Favours shown to me My Vows within thine House I 'le pay Among the Faithful that they may Joyn in Devotion and each one Send up their thanks unto thy Throne Remembring that in times of want Thou evermore art pleas'd to grant Unto the poor when they do call Refreshments to rejoyce them all Those Nations who thy Laws do scorn When they hear this shall to thee turn And joyntly yield with one accord To worship thee as Supreme Lord For thou art Governour of all And all must to thy Footstool fall Those thou hast fill'd with good shall bow And they who to the Pit do go Who none of all thy VVonders know Their Seed shall serve thee they thy worth And righteousness shall warble forth From age to age shall be made known This that thou Lord for me hast done That all men may as well as I Confide in thee for Victory PSALM 23. 1. THe Lord my Shepheard is whose care Doth over me preside No want nor any tort'ring fear Shall long with me abide 2. He into flow'ry Meads doth bring Me where I feed all day And leads me to the bubling Spring Where I my thirst allay 3. His Spirit doth my Soul revive And for his Name-sake he Doth gently lead me while I live In paths of Piety 4. Though I should greatly be distrest O're-whelm'd in deep despair On thy protection Lord I 'd rest And would no evil fear 5. For thou my Shepherd art thy Sheep Thou never do'st neglect My Soul thou wilt from danger keep And safely me protect 6. In presence of envious Foes Thou do'st my Table spread My Cup with sprightly Wine o're-flows Sweet Oyls anoint my Head 7. Mercy and Truth in a full Tyde Shall ever follow me Within thine House I will reside And sing my praise of thee PSALM 25. 1. MY God in deep distress I lift my Soul to thee There 's none so timely can redress As thou my misery 2. Since I my trust repose In thee my sure defence Exalt my name lest that my Foes Deride my confidence 3. Shame none who love thy Laws Let the perfideous be Cloath'd with contempt who without cause contemn thy Saints and Thee 4. Each minute I implore Thy special Grace O show Thy Servant how he evermore Thy sacred Will may do 5. Keep me as thou hast done In thine unerring way Thou God of my Salvation Permit me not to stray 6. But call to mind that love And bounty I have seen A God of tender mercies prove As thou of old hast been 7. As for those days I spent In Sins of high degrees Remember not now I repent Those grand impurities 8. But as thy mercy 's great Let thy compassions shine Upon a wretched Profligate Who humbly now is thine 9. Thou art most good and just And 't is thy glory Lord To teach transgressors how they must Conform unto thy Word 10. All those who humble are In Judgment he will guide From vertuous paths he doth declare Their Feet shall never slide 11. His mercy ever lives His truth doth never dye Of these the fruits he ever gives To his continually 12. Forgive me then O Lord Those Sins of high degree Which I have wrought O loose the Cord Of mine Iniquity 13. Who dreads to disobey The Lord will not refuse To teach that man the saving way His Soul should always chuse 14. His Barns and Coffers shall Enjoy the richest store His Seed shall here inherit all He leaves and ten times more 15. Nor will he e're conceal Those duties he should do What is of moment to reveal He shall be sure to know 16. So now what ever strait Attends my wandring Feet On my Salvation I will wait who 'l free me from the Net 17. Thy help I now implore Have mercy Lord on me Make bare thine Arm as heretofore For I have need of thee 18. Free me in my distress The pressures of my heart Do ev'ry minute Lord encrease O show thy saving art 19. Forgive those Sins which are The cause of all this hate Which my malicious Foes declare My ease commiserate 20. For dayly they encrease And hate mine innocence Unjustly they disturb my peace Chastise their insolence 21. And in thine arms infold My Soul which trusts in thee Mine innocence O God uphold As thou hast promis'd me 22. O free thine Israel From troubles which inclose His habitations make him dwell Secure amidst his Foes PSALM 31. 1. IN thee O Lord I place my trust Bow down thine Ear and from the Grave Preserve my Life as thou art just And shew thy mighty Arm can save O let me never suffer shame For my affiance in thy Name 2. Be thou my Rock and Castle strong When any threat'ning storms appear Where I may rest secure from wrong Till all the Clouds dispersed are Direct and guide me all my days Through all the Lab'rinths of my ways 3. Into thy hands I do commit My very Soul redeem'd by thee Enlarge my Feet from out the Net In secret laid to mischief me Thou know'st O Lord thou God of truth Thine I have been up from my youth 4. In thee the Saviour of the Just Not in the Gentile Vanities I have repos'd my chiefest trust Lord I abhor their practices And always thought their Auguries And Divinations to be lies 5. All my delight and joy shall be To reckon up thy mercies shown In Troubles thou hast thought on me And set my Feet in a large room Free from the rage of all my Foes Whose malice did my Life inclose 6. Yet I no end of trouble know I sigh and mourn my years away My Sins have brought me very low For want of Flesh my Bones decay Mine Eye it is consum'd with grief Have mercy Lord and send relief 7. For I am made the mirth and scorn
due to Thee ERRATA PAge 14. l. 1. Assembly r. Synagogue l. 14. include in a Parenthesis p. 18. l. 22. needful r. sacred p. 24. l. 15. tyr'd r. tyred p. 39. l. 2. work r. works p. 40 l. 8. Disciple r. Disciples p. 50. l. 27. unto r. into p. 55. l. 11. inconsistant r. inconsistent p. 57. l. 23. ingen'ous r. ingenuous p. 63. l. 5. r. make p. 65. l. 6. hear r. here p. 68. l. 17. r. when to the three p. 69. l. 16. hea'vny r. heav'nly p. 88. l. 25. the r. their Souls p. 90. l. 2. those cruel marks the Jews p. 119. l. 12. soon r. some p. 136. l. 2. coule r. could p. 137. l. 13. r. and communion p. 145. l. 15. mounful r. mournful p. 152. l. 21. false r. base lyes p. 165. l. 6. Age r. Ag'd l. 7. looked r. look'd l. 19. are r. was tan'e p. 168. l. 11. r. Turn thou us Lord p. 169. l. 14. Sin r. Sins p. 170. l. 4. r. we have against thee done p. 187. l. 9. should r. shouldst l. 15. Women r. Woman p. 192. l. 18. higer r. high'r A SACRED POEM The Birth of S. John and the most holy Jesus Luke the first SInce there are many who have undertook Of those great Wonders to compile a Book Which of late years were in this Nation done Just in that order as they were made known To them by those who at the same time were Eye-witnesses of what they did declare To me who from the first have understood Exactly sev'ral things it seemed good To write Divine Theophilus to thee This following matter as 't was told to me That thou the truth of all those things may'st know Which I suppose was taught thee long ago In Herod's days who King of Jewry was There liv'd a sacred Priest call'd Zacha'ras One of Abia's Course he had to Wife Elizabeth of an Exemplar life The Virgin was before she knew his Bed Nor was she less devout when married Both righteous were both blamelesly did live In all those Laws God to the Jews did give No Child they had nor e're were like to have Elizabeth too old was to Conceive It came to pass while that he went to burn Within the Temple Incense in his turn Before the Lord and all the People were Without devoutly on their knees at Pray'r On the right hand o' th' flaming Altar he Perceiv'd an Angel of the Lord to be His aged Limbs scar'd at the Vision shook Trembling he stood until the Angel spoke The Promise of John's Birth and Office Fear not said he thy Prayers are heard a Son Thy Wife shall bear and thou shalt call him John Thousands of hearts glad at his birth shall be As well as thou and praise the Lord with thee He shall be great in the Almighty's sight For abstinence a perfect Nazarite Not tasting Drink that 's strong nor any Wine Endu'd early with the Spirit Divine Many of Isr'el's Children to the Lord Shall be converted by his pow'rful Word He shall before the true Messiah go I' th' Pow'r and Spirit of Elijah so That he shall make the Ceremonious Jews Admire Justice and her Paths to chuse And so prepare them to be wise that they Shall Christ receive and his Commands obey How shall I know since I am now grown old Said Zacharias what thou hast foretold Shall come to pass my Wife is likewise known Through heatless age past hopes to have a Son Gabriel's my name by the great God's command Before whose sacred presence I do stand With these glad Tydings I am sent to thee But since thou faithless art and wilt not be Perswaded of the truth of what I say Deaf shalt thou be and dumb until that day Thine aged Wife shall bring forth to thy joy From her now barren Womb this promis'd Boy Long did the People with amazement wait For Zacharias at the Temple Gate Forth at the length the aged Priest did come Deaf as the Angel said and likewise dumb Soon they perceiv'd something reveal'd had been By a wing'd Herald which he there had seen Beck'ning he stood but could not for his heart What he had heard and seen to them impart The Conception of S. John Baptist It came to pass so soon as he had done His priestly Office and the Crowd was gone The silent Priest departed to his home And streight his Wife receiv'd a pregnant Womb. Five Months from home not willing to abide The People's Censure she withdrew aside Although assur'd she was her marr'age Bed Was never stain'd with a disloyal deed She knew this Mercy in her aged days Was an unwonted Gift and so gave praise Unto the Lord who had remov'd that day From her the shame of barrenness away In the sixth Month the glorious Gabriel came From the Almighty to a Town whose name Was Nazareth within whose happy Wall There liv'd a Virgin whom they Mary call Youthful and florid as the blooming May Devout and piously imploy'd each day Of Body chast and humble too in mind In whom all Heavenly Graces brightly shin'd She was betroth'd to Joseph for a Wife A man all just and of a pious life And was descended from that valiant King Who Isr'el freed with a smooth Stone and Sling To her the Angel came as she alone On bended Knees was praying to the Throne Of the great God and thus to her he said The Salutation Hail thou most lovely person happy Maid The Lord is with thee thou art highly blest Of all thy Sex thou art the happiest When she beheld the glorious Messenger Who in this manner had saluted her A Rosy Blush diffus'd it self all o're Her lovely Face and shame-fac'd on the Flore She cast her Eyes troubled and in her mind seeking th' importance of his words to find But while she musing was silence he broke And thus the borrow'd Form to Mary spoke The Promise of Conception of the most Holy Jesus Fear not thou lovely Maid from Heavens King Before whose Face thou hast found Grace I bring Most joyful news Thou shalt conceive a Son Who shall to Isr'el bring Salvation Him thou shalt Jesus call he great shall be The happy product of Divinity He shall his Father David's Throne ascend His Scepter over Isr'el shall extend Of his Dominion there shall be no end To him the Rulers of the Earth shall bring Their borrow'd Crowns and own him as their King How can I hope blest Gabriel said she While I a Virgin am that this to me Can ever happen to conceive a Son A thing ne're heard off nor was ever known Thy God doth know how I have always led Throne A single life and ne're defil'd my Bed Therefore said Gabriel from the glorious Of the most High his Spirit shall come down And fruitful make thine hallow'd Womb to bear Jesus the Son of God thy Saviour What I have said th' Almighty will fulfill His Pow'r is able to effect his Will And as a Token
am well pleas'd who from my self did come On purpose to reveal my Will below That all might know what 't is they ought to do Jesus indu'd with power from on high Took on him now the publick Ministry And taught the People Doctrines so Divine The Sun not clearer than their Truths did shine Confirming them with Wonders such as ne're Eye saw before nor ear did ever hear MIRACLE I. Jesus his turning Water into Wine at a Marriage Feast in Cana of Galilee THe first he wrought was in a certain Town Of Galilee by th' Name of Cana known Where the blest Virgin to a Nuptial Feast Was by the Bridegroom call'd to be a Guest Jesus and his Disciples likewise were Bid with some others and all present there Down sate the Bridegroom chearful as the day And by his side the blushing Bride all gay The welcome Guests around the Table sate With sev'ral sorts of healthful Viands fraight All Dinner while a diligent Slave did stand With watchful Eye and with a ready hand Behind each Guest to fetch what he did need Not with a Leaden-heel but nimble speed No loose Discourses at the Table were Civil the Guests were no Buffoon was there One who imagines he doth glory get To be discoursive in the dregs of Wit Yet harmless mirth and flowing Goblets went Around the Board till all the Wine was spent Mary who knew the Bridegrooms Store was gone Unto her Son the want of Wine made known She told him 't was a fit occasion now In publick his Mirac'lous Pow'r to show By doing that they all would judge Divine With an Almighty Word create more Wine Jesus who knew his time of action best Unwilling yet his Pow'r to manifest Unto the World he gently did repress His Mothers too impatient forwardness Yet he assur'd her that the Guests should be Supply'd with Wine but done so privately That none but she and his Disciples should With those who serv'd the Miracle behold Straight to the Waiters did the Virgine go And what he will'd commanded them to do Within the Room six Cisterns stood each one Holding three Firkins all of Marble-stone These in their order on their sev'ral Stands Were fill'd with Water for to wash the Hands Of the invited Jews an act prophane Esteeming it to eat with hands unclean Up to the Brim with Water Jesus bid The Servants fill these Vessels which they did Straight he commanded one of them to bear A full Glass of it to the Governour Who when he tasted of the Work Divine The Water turned into gen'rous Wine He call'd the Bridegroom of the lib'ral Feast And askt him why he had reserv'd his best Of Wines till last all men says he at first Bring their best Liquors but at last their worst But thou the noblest Wine of richest taste After w' have freely drank hast brought at last This Wonder Jesus the Eternal Son Perform'd in Cana and his Pow'r shone So bright in his Disciples Eyes that they Own'd him the Son of God from that same day MIRACLE II. His Cure of a Noble Man's Son who lay Sick of a Feaver at Capernaum IN Galilee a Noble Man there was Belonging unto Herod Antipas Whose Son did Sick at Capernaum lye Past all the hopes of Physick's remedy Hearing that Jesus was to Galilee Out of Judea come away went he To Cana and besought him to come down Unto his house and heal his dying Son Now Christ who knew the Galileans well To be of Tempers most inflexible That to his Doctrin they would not be brought To give belief except he wonders wrought Resolv'd forthwith from his tormenting pain To raise this Courtiers Son to health again But he poor man impatient of delay Thinking his Son could not out-live the day Importun'd Christ to come immediately And work this Cure before his Son did dye Jesus who saw the faithful Parents Tears Willing to rid him of his anxious fears Told him he might unto his home retire His Son was well and that the raging Fire Which did inflame the Blood in every Vein Was now extinguisht and all calm'd again Which when the Father heard he went his way Fully believing what the Lord did say Unto his house as he was trav'lling down The welcome news of his recover'd Son Came to his Ears brought by the nimble care Of some who his domestick Servants were His Arms around the first Man's Neck he flung Tell me said he tell me my Friend how long 'T is since the burning Feaver did depart From my recover'd Son my dearest heart Just at the seventh hour thy Son said he Whom we concluded past recovery All on a sudden yesterday was well And so we left him as these here can tell Who in the joyful news did all accord So home they went with their rejoycing Lord. Arriv'd at length to his beloved Son After a thousand kind expressions shown He in the hearing of his Wife and those Who of his houshold were did straight disclose The wondrous manner of his Child 's great Cure And what great grief his fears made him endure And then precisely reck'ning up the time Of 's Sons being well and Christ's so telling him They all concluded when these things they knew To his Almighty Word the Cure was due And with their Lord to the great God did give Glory and in his Son the Christ believe This second Wonder Jesus wrought when he Came from Judea into Galilee No doubt but sev'ral more were done by him Both in Judea and Jerusalem Only these two as done the first year stand Upon Record writ by the faithful hand Of his beloved John and now we go To tell what in the next year he did do MIRACLE I. In the second year of Christ's publick Ministry The taking of a vast draught of Fish at the command of Jesus to launch out into the Deep c. ASsist me Lord while I the Wonders pen Which thou hast wrought among the Sons of Men. Near to Gennes'reth's Lake as Jesus was Teaching aright the much abused Laws Unto the People who long while had been Falsly instructed by their Priests therein From neighb'ring Towns the Crowd did so encrease That he was well nigh stifled in the Press Close to the Shoar two Boats a float did lye The one belong'd unto old Zebedee And his two Sons his Partners James and John Andrew and Peter did the other own These all the night a Fishing in the Lake Had toyling been but ne're a Fish could take And now upon the Shoar all tyr'd stood Having made clean their Nets within the Flood Jesus who 'fore he taught these Boats did see With much ado got from the Company And went into the Boat which did belong To Simon Peter from the gazing throng And causing him to thrust it from the Land The People taught who on the Shoar did stand When his discourse was ended and each one Of the confused Rabble home were gone Simon said he launch out into the Main
And cast your Nets to try your Luck again Into the watry Chambers of the Deep And thence on Shoar the Scaly Dwellers sweep But Simon told him we have all the night Labour'd in vain and on no Fish could light And now at noon day and a Sky serene To think we shall be more successful than We yet have been is a conceit so vain That none who knows the Trade can entertain Nevertheless at thy request we 'll wet Once more our Nets although no Fish we get Then down into the deep they hopeless cast Their fatal Engines and inclos'd at last So vast a draught of Fish both great and small That their Nets brake and they were forc'd to call To James and John to come and help them take The slutt'ring Pris'oners forth the crystal Lake Come to their help with much ado they got Part of the loaden Net into the Boat Still by degrees they more of it did pull Till they had heap'd with Fish their Boat so full That down into the deep they sinking were At which the greedy Simon full of fear Fell at the knees of Jesus and besought Him to depart out of the sinking Boat For Lord said he my Sins so num'rous are They 'l render me unfit to reap a share Of this great draught so great as ne're was known Which is a cause of admiration To me and my Companions who before Ne're saw the like nor ever shall see more But Jesus bid him lay aside all fear They were as safe as if on Land they were Besides said he if thou and these will be Who are thy Partners Followers of me Ye shall have all by much a nobler Trade Than this of men ye shall be Fishers made And with the Gospel-Net which you shall use Millions of Gentiles ye shall take and Jews And through Death's Chambers safely to the Shore Of Life and Bliss bring them for evermore Now when the four their Vessels safe had brought Unto the Shore which once they never thought Alive they should have reacht from that same time They forsook all they had and follow'd him MIRACLE II. The Cure of a Demoniack in the City of Capernaum JEsus to Capernaum went straightway With his Disciples on the Sabbath-day When a great number of the City were Assembled in the Synagogue to hear Their Rabbies with a reverence profound Erroneously Gods sacred Law expound Jesus came in and while they did unfold Their wronged Law and strange Traditions told His patient ear attentively did lend Unto their roving talk till it did end Then stretching forth his Arm th' eternal Son Of the great God his heav'nly Speech begun Teaching the Jews sublimer Truths than they By their conceited Priests were taught that day Preaching as one Commission'd from above Th' unheard of Mercies of the God of Love With so much pow'r that they wonder'd all Having ne're heard the like from any fall Now that same restless Spirit who doth go Round the vast Orb to work the overthrow Of fallen Man had then among the rest Of the assembled Jews a Man possest Who when he heard the ever blessed Lord Divinely teach most hellishly he roar'd And thus he spake Can't we be let alone Since we are banisht from the heav'nly Throne To have the freedom of this lower World Must we from hence as from above be hurl'd What have we Jesus for to do with thee Are we not here from thy Dominion free Art thou with pow'r come down to make us leave Those conquer'd Souls which by our wiles we have Fetter'd with a design to make them be Companions with us in our misery I know thee who thou art and must thee own To be the mighty Saviour and the Son Of that just God whom by our fatal Pride We would have equall'd but in vain we try'd Then Jesus sharply did rebuke the Fiend And to his saucy Questions put an end Commanding him to hold his peace and quit The captiv'd Body and ne're argue it Th' enraged Fiend who durst no longer stay Within his conquer'd Tenement of Clay All foaming threw him on the paved Floor Beating his Face till 't was imbru'd all o're With Froth and Blood then with an hideous yell Forth sally'd the infernal Imp of Hell Now when the Standers by beheld the deed They all astonisht were and all agreed That sure his Doctrin must be heav'nly And that the Teacher more than Man must be Whom the affrighted Devils do obey Tremble when he commands and sneak away Then through the Coasts of Galilee his Name Tryumphing rode upon the Wings of Fame MIRACLE III. The Cure of Peter's Wives Mother who was sick of a Feaver NO sooner was the Sabbath-duty done And to their homes th' amazed Jews all gone But Jesus James and John with Simon went And Andrew to their poor retirement Where almost till the dawn of the next day With the two pair of Brothers he did stay Within the house sick at that time did lye Simon 's Wives Mother at the point to dye Whose aged blood caus'd by a feav'rish flame Boyl'd with such fury that no Art could tame Whom the Physitians had quite given o're Knowing their skill could not her health restore Peter who just before had seen his Lord Effect a Cure by his Almighty VVord Upon a Man whom Satan had possest Fell on his Knees and humbly did request That by his mighty Pow'r he would cure His aged Mother's raging Calenture Jesus who ever ready was to give Relief to those who did in him believe Came to the Bed where the distemper'd Soul Tortur'd with scorching heat did toss and rowl And in the view of all who there did stand He took the woman by the burning hand And raising her upright the Feaver straight Did by his Sov'raign touch its rage abate So well she was that forthwith she did go And made Provision for her Guests below MIRACLE IV. The Cure of divers sick persons in the Evening of that Sabbath NOw when the fiery Chariot of the Sun Had round this part of our Horizon run Most of the City hearing of the Fame Of Jesus to the door of Peter came Bringing their Sick their Blind their Lame and all Those whom the Devil had long held in thrall Jesus whose love no limits ever knew When he beheld the sad diseased Crew And heard their dying groans and fearful crys Arising from their various miseries Out of a tender pity to Mankind Cur'd the Possest the Sick the Lame and Blind And the infernal Fiends would not allow Whom he cast forth to say they did him know MIRACLE V. The healing of several Sick and Diseased Persons by Jesus as he went through Galilee and more particularly the Cure of a Leper BEfore the guilded Planet of the East Had from his watry Bed arose and drest His nimble Body with a fulgent ray Up Jesus got and went aside to pray Into a solitary place when soon He was by Simon Andrew James and John Follow'd and
on his Knees upon the ground With lifted hands in fervent Prayer found Straight with the reasons of their coming out They did inform him how his fame had brought By those he had restor'd as many more Diseased persons round about the door Who there attended to receive their doom And would not thence depart till he did come But he who came commission'd from the Throne Of the great God to make his Gospel known Askt them with him to th' neighb'ring Towns to go For so his Father order'd him to do That they his glorious Truths might likewise hear And Power see and of them witness bear Then with the four he went such care had he To preach the Gospel throughout Galilee And dayly in their Synagogues he taught Th' abused People and such VVonders wrought In curing those whom Satan had possest That his Almighty Pow'r was manifest There was a Jew who a long while had been Vext with a Leprous Scab all o're his Skin Who by the Priest was by a rigid doom Forbid within their Synagogues to come He came to Jesus with an humble Soul And begg'd on bended Knees to be made whole For Lord said he I know if thou do'st please 'T is in thy pow'r to cure my soul Disease The Son of Love who of our Bodies here As well as Souls hereafter takes a care Stretcht forth his Arm and touching him said he My pleasure 't is that thou henceforth shalt be Freed from this Leprous Scab and as he said All on a sudden he was healthful made Then to the Priest he order'd him to go As by the Law he was oblig'd to do And shew himself and for his cleansing bring VVhat was requir'd for an Offering But how he came to be restor'd to none No not unto the Priest to make it known Yet when he was departed he began To publish it that Jesus was the Man VVho wrought this mighty Cure though forbid To tell it told them all he said and did So that with safety Jesus could no more Enter the City as he did before In publick but a while withdrew aside To Desart places where he did abide But there the Galileans found him out Flocking from every quarter round about MIRACLE VI. The Cure of a Man sick of a Palsie at Capernaum JEsus though for a while he did refrain From Capernaum came at length again Into the City in the open day And to the house of Simon went straightway Long had he not been there but a great Crew VVas met together when they once it knew A Crew so num'rous that there was no room No not about the door for all to come Jesus who all occasions did embrace To teach the People what their duty was Arose and sweetly the Almighty's will Into their itching Ears did there instil But while amidst the Doctors of the Laws His Fathers sacred Truths he teaching was A Paralytick to the house was brought To have a Cure by his great power wrought But the ungovern'd press into the Room Would not permit the Bed-rid Wretch to come When lo his Friends bethought them of a wile And climbling to the top o' th' low built Pile The Roof uncover'd when they so had done Into the Room they let the Palsy'd down VVhen Jesus saw the strange unusual way The Friends of the diseas'd had to convey The Paralytick to him Son said he For thy great Faith thy Sins forgiven be Which when the Scribes and Pharisees who were Sitting within the Room with him did hear They thought within themselves how dares this Man Blaspheme at this rate since there 's none that can Forgive our Sins but that Almighty One Who sits above in his Celestial Throne Jesus who by his Pow'r Divine could tell Those ranc'rous thoughts which in their heart did dwell Looking upon the envious Scribes did say VVhy judg ye thus Which is the easier way To tell the Sick thy Sins forgiven be Or thou art cur'd of thine Infirmity But that ye may the mighty Power know The Son of Man hath over all below To make both Soul and Body to arise Healthful and free from all Infirmities He stedfast look'd upon the Palsied Soul And bid him rise for he was now made whole VVho straight obey'd and taking up his Bed VVent forth before them all recovered Now when the Jews beheld what Christ had done They were amaz'd having the like ne're known And with their mouths gave glory to the Lord VVho so impower'd his great Prophets Word MIRACLE VII The Cure of an Impotent Man by the Pool of Bethesday AT Solyma there was a noted Feast To celebrate the which the ever-Blest VVho ne're omitted what he ought to do In all obedience to the Law did go Within the Town there stood just by the place Wherein the Jews did use to wash always The slaughter'd Bodies of their harmless Beasts Which were to be the Victims at their Feasts An House of Mercy where the Blind and Lame And Wither'd Persons lay who thither came To be immers'd within this bloody Pool In which who-e're was plung'd was straight made whole Under this Roof an helpless Wretch did ly bound with the Bands of an Infirmity Thirty eight years expecting there to find Some pious Person who would prove so kind As him into this healing Bath to set That he thereby might Strength and Vigour get But this neglected He could find not one So little did they all his Case bemoan That when the Waters troubled were therein Would his assistance lend to put him in The Son of Love who all his life time spent In works of Mercy to the Impotent Came to the place where the Diseas'd did lye And looking on him with a tender Eye Propos'd this question to the Bed-rid Soul Whether he willing was to be made whole Sir said the Man long have I waited here For this intent but I am ne're the near No Friend I have that when the VVaters be Troubled their helping hand will lend to me To put me in others this blessing gain Through help of Friends which I cannot obtain Jesus who knew the sad and helpless case Of the Diseas'd and how he friendless was Bid him arise take up his Bed and go Unto his house for he was healed now Then straight he rose and taking up his Bed On which a long and sad Life he had led Begun with it upon the Sabbath-day On which the Cure was wrought to go away This when the Jews beheld who did detest All violations of their Day of Rest They were enrag'd and told him what he did Upon that day their sacred Law forbid Which no laborious action would allow And such was his which he ought not to do But boldly he reply'd the Man who made Me whole this day the same unto me said Take up thy Bed and walk and so I will Though in the very act you do me kill Then they demanded of him who he was That durst command him to infringe