not Thou hast a Chanc'lour in thy Brest That keeps th' Exchequer and hoards up the least The poorest Summe No no thou needst not feare There 's nothing will be lost that 's taken there Thinkst thou that thou hast lost that piece of Gold That 's dropt into a fairer Heape untold Or canst thou judge that Fier clos'd about With rak'd up Embers 'cause not scene is out Gold lost in greater summes is still thine owne And rak'd up Embers will in time be blowne To Flames Beleeve 't the Words thine eares have lost Thy heart wil find when thou shalt need them most 40. On the Babel-Builders SVre if those Babel-Builders had thought good To raise their heav'n-high Tower before the flood The wiser sort of people might deride Their Folly and that Folly had salv'd their Pride Or had their Faiths but enterpriz'd that Plot Their hearts had finisht what their hands could not 'T was not for love of Heav'n nor did they ayme So much to rayse a Building as a Name They that by Works shall seeke to make intrusion To Heav'n find nothing but their owne Confusion 41. On ESAV and JACOB ESau goes forth strives with his owne disquiet To purchase Ven'son for his fathers Diet Iacob abides at home and by his Mother Is taught the way how to supplant his brother There 's some that hunt like Esau sweat and toyle And seeke their Blessing by their owne Turmoyle Whilst others crave assistance and bewray Their wiser weakenes in a safer Way O if the Church my Mother will instruct me Make savory Meate and cloath me and conduct me Into my Fathers Armes these hands shall never Trust to the poorenesse of their owne Endevor Bring I a Kid but of my Mothers dressing 'T will please my Father and procure my Blessing 42. On severall Sinnes Grosse Sinne. IS like a Show'r which ere we can get in Into our Conscience wets us to the skin Sin of Infirmity IS like the falling of an April Shower 'T is often Raine and Sun-shine in an hower Sin of Custome IS a long Showre beginning with the Light Oft-times continuing till the Dead of Night Sin of Ignorance IT is a hideous Mist that wetts amaine Though it appeare not in the forme of Raine Crying Sin IT is a sudden Showre that teares in sunder The Cope of Heav'n alway comes with Thunder Sin of Delight IS like a fethered showre of Snow not felt But soakes to th' very skin when ere it melt Sin of Presumption DOes like a Showre of Hayle both wet and wound With sudden Death or strikes us to the Ground The Sin of Sinnes IT is a sulph'rous Shower such as fell On Sodom strikes and strikes to th' Pit of Hell 43. On these Showers GOod God! what Weather 's here These soules of our Have still the luck to travell in a Shower Lord we are cold and pitifully drencht Not a dry thrid And all our Fyer's quencht Our very Blood is cold Our trembling knees Are mutuall Andvils Lord we stand and freeze Alas we find small comfort from the Eye Of Heav'n These showring clouds our sins doe flye Betwixt the Sun and us Wee dry no more Then if the Sun had giv'n his office o'r Nay Lord if now and then those Beames do chance To breake upon 's and lend a feeble glaunce Vpon our reeking soules ere we begin To feele the warmth w' are dous'd and drencht agin In what a case are we Our nightly damps And daily storms have fild our Soules with Cramps With wav'ring Palseyes and our hoarser tongues Can doe thee service nor in Prayers nor Songs Our Zeales are Aguish hot and cold They be Extreamely hot toth ' World as cold to Thee Our Blood has got a Fever Lord it must Be set on fire with every wanton Lust What worlds of mischiefes are there that prevaile not Vpon our fainting Soules What is 't we ayle not That Wet and Cold can bring Yet have no power To keepe us in but dable in the Shower Shine forth bright Sun of glory Be as feirce As these eclipsing Clouds are blacke Disperse And cleare them with thy stronger beams that thus Dare interpose betwixt thy Glory ' and us Reflect on my distempered Soule Refine This vap'rous Earth this sinfull Flesh of mine That tho some Drops mâ—â—â— fall I may have power Shelter'd by thee t' avoyd the down right Shower O let my dabled Spirit still retyre To thee and warme her by thy Sacred Fyre That having ravill'd out some weary howers She may arrive where 's neither Clouds nor Showers 44. On DIVES and LAZARVS DId ever Iudge more equally proceed To punish Sin so right in kind and nature Poore Laz'rus was refus'd a Crum of Bread And Dives was deny'd a Drop of Water Children are oftentimes so like the Mother That men may eas'ly know the one by th' other 45. On two Suitors THe Soule is like a Virgin for whose love Two jealous Suitors strive Both daily move For Nuptiall favour Both with Lovers Art Plead for the Conquest of the Virgins heart The first approaching knockt and knockt agin The Doore being op'ned at his entring in He blushd and as young bashfull Lovers use Is more then halfe discouraged ere he sues At length that love that taught him what to feare Gave resolution to present her eare With what he hop'd and in a lovers fashion He oft repeates the Story of his Passion He vowes his Faith and the sincere perfection Of undissembled and entyre Affection He sues for equall mercy from her Eye And must have love or else for love must dye His present meanes were short He made profession Of a faire Ioynture though but small possession And in word to make his passion good He offers to deserve her with his Blood The other boldly enters with the strong And sweet-lip'd Reth'ricke of a Courtly tongue Salutes her gentle eares His lips discover The amorous language of a wanton Lover He smiles and faunes and now and then le ts flye Imperious glaunces from his sparkling Eye Bribes her more orient neck with pearl with charms Enclosing Bracelets decks her yvory Armes He boasts th' extent of his Imperiall Power And offers Wealth and Glory for a Dower Betwixt them both the Virgin stands perplext The first Tale pleas'd her well untill the next Was told She lik'd the one the other Loth To make a choyce She could affect them Both The one was Iocund full of sprightly mirth The other better borne of nobler birth The second su'de in a compleater fashion I but the first show'd deeper wounds of Passion The first was sadly modest And the last More rudely pleasant His faire lookes did cast More am'rous flames But yet the tothers eye Did promise greater Nuptiall Loyalty The last's more rich yet Riches but for life Make a poore Widow of a happy Wife The first 's Estate 's but small if not made good By Death Faire Ioyntures comfort Widow hood WhoÌ„ shal this Virgin 〈◊〉
To baule at Innocence to wound and teare An absent name whilst their unâ—allowed tongues Make me a glorious Martyr in their wrongs I beg no Favour Nay my hearts desire Is still to be calcin'd by such a Fyre That in conclusion all men may behold A faire gilt Counter from a Crowne of Gold Great God I care not this how foule I seeme To Man May I be faire in thy esteeme It matters not how light I seeme to be To the base world so I be weight to thee 56. On NABVCHADNEZZER WHat lucklesse Accident hath bred such ods Betwixt great Babels Monarch and his Gods That they so oft disturbe him and affright His broken slumbers with the Dreames of night Alas what hath this Princely Dreamer done That he must quit the Glory of his Throne His Royall Scepter his Imperiall Crowne Must be expeld his Honour and come downe Below the meanest Slave and for a Season Be banisht from the use the Act of Reason Must be exil'd from humane shape and chew The cudde and must be moistned with the dew Of heav'n nay differ in no other thing From the bruit beast but that he was a King What ayle thy Gods that they are turn'd so rough So full of rage what had they meat enough To fill their golden Stomacks Was thy knee Bent oft enough what might the reason be Alas poore harmelesse things it was not they 'T was not their wills I dare be bold to say They knew it not It was not they that did it They had no pow'r to act or to forbid it Deserv'st thou not Great King the stile of Beast To serve such Gods whose Deities can digest Their servants open wrongs that could dispense With what they'endure without the least offence Illustrious Beast methinks thy better'd state Has no great reason to complaine of Fate Thou art more neere to him thou didst adore By one degree then ere thou wert before â—Tis some promotion That there is lesse ods ' Betwixt thy Nature and thy senslesse Gods 57. On PARTIO HAst thou forsaken all thy Sinnes but One Beleeve it Partio Th' ast forsaken None 58. On Ignorance THe greatest Friend Religion hath t' aduance Her glory's unaffected Ignorance The burning Taper lends the fairest light And shines most glorious in the shades of night 59. On a great Battaile VVHen my rebellious Flesh doth disagree With my resisting Spirit me thinks I see Two mighty Princes draw into the Field Where one must win the Day the other yeeld They both prepare Both strike up their Alarmes Both march Both well appointed in their Armes They both advance their Banners T'one displayes A bloody Crosse The other Colours blaze A Globe terrestriall Nature carries one And Grace the other Each by 's Ensigne's knowne They meet encounter blowes exchange for blowes Dart is returnd for Dart They grapple Close Their Fortune 's hurryed with unequall Sailes Somtimes the Crosse somtimes the Globe prevailes We are that Field And they that strive to win us Are God and Sathan Those that warre within us The Flesh the Spirit No parting of the Fray Till one shall win the other lose the Day My God O weaken this rebellious Flesh That dares oppose O quicken and refresh My dull and coward Spirit that would yeeld And make proud Sathan Master of the Field Deare Lord the Field's thy own thou thoughtst it good To purchas 't with my dying Saviours Blood 'T is thine Great God by title and by right Why should thou question what 's thy owne by fight Lord keepe possession thou and let th'accurst And base Vsurper doe his best his worst 60. On the World THe World 's an Inne and I her Guest I eate I drinke I take my Rest My Hostesse Nature do's deny me Nothing wherewith she can supply me Where having stayd a while I pay Her lavish Bills and goe my way 61. On the Sabbath AWay my thoughts Away my words my deeds Away what ever nourishes and feeds My frayle delights Presume not to approach Into my presence dare not once t' encroach Vpon the hallowed Temple of my Soule Ye are not for this Day y' are all too foule Abide yee with the Asse till I goe yonder And cleave the Isaac of my heart in sunder I must goe sacrifice I must goe pray I must performe my holy vowes to day Tempt not my tender frailty I enjoyne Your needfull absence y' are no longer mine But if it may not be that we must sever Our yoakt affections and not part for ever Yet give me leave without offence to borrow At least this day although we meet to morrow 62. On Prayer IN all our Prayers th' Almighty do's regard The Iudgement of the Ballance not the Yeard He loves not Words but Matter 'T is his pleasure To buy his Wares by Weight and not by Measure 63. On FIDO FIndst thou no comfort on this fickle Earth No Joy at all No Obiect for thy Mirth Nothing but Sorrow Nothing else but toyle What doe thy dayes shew nothing worth a smile Doe worldly pleasures no contentment give Content thee Fido Th' ast not long to live 64. On CHARISSA WOldst thou Charissa wish thy fortunes better Then by thy act to make thy God thy Detter I le teach thee how to doe 't Relieve the poore And thou mayst safely set it on Gods Score 65. On RAYMOND SEBVND I Wonder Raymond thy illustrious Witt Strengthned with so much learning could commit So great a Folly as to goe about By Natures feeble light to blazen out Such Heav'n-bred Mist'ryes which the hearts of Men Cannot conceive much lesse the darkned Pen Expresse such secrets at whose depth the Quire Of blessed Angels tremble and admire Could thy vaine-glory lend no easier taske To thy sublime Attempt then to unmaske The glorious Trinity whose Tri-une face Was ne'r discovered by the eye of Grace Much lesse by th' eye of Nature being a story Objected only to the Eye of Glory Put out thy light bold Raymond and be wise Silence thy tongue and close thy'ambitious eyes Such heights as these are Subjects far more fit For holy Admiration then for Witt. 66. On Sinnes MY Sinnes are like the hayres upon my head And raise their Audit to as high a score In this they differ These doe dayly shed But ah my sinnes grow dayly more and more If by my Hayres thou number out my sinnes Heav'n make me bald before that day begins 67. On the Gospell OVr Gospell thrives the more by forreine Iarres It overcomes in outward opposition But O it suffers still in Civill Warres And loses Honour by a home-division If thou assist I care not Lord with whom I warre abroad so I have peace at home 68. On the dayes of Man LOrd if our dayes be few why doe we spend And lavish them unto so evill an end Lord if our dayes be evill why doe we wrong Our selves and Thee to wish our Day so long Our dayes decrease but still our evils renew Great
by help of Nature to acquire At least to counterfeit the Sacred Fire Of saving Grace to purge and to refresh His base desires and change his stone to flesh He spurnes at Counsell He derides and jerks Those whining Spirits that renounce their works Till too much trusting to their doing well In seeking Heav'n they find the flames of hell 24. On the ten Lepers TEn Lepers clensed And but one of ten Returne the Clenser thanks Vngratefull Men But Ten i' th' Hundred ' That 's a Gaine that we Receive or Sue yet oft deny it Thee 25. On the last Epigram HOw how am I deceiv'd that speake to thee Of Interest when the purchase was in Fee Thou mad'st a cleane Conveyance to the Ten And ne'r expectd'st the Principall agen Lord we must reckon by another Rate They gave not one yeares Purchase for th' Estate Lord how we palter with thee We pretend A present Payment till w'obtaine our End And then we crave and crave a longer Day Then pay in Driblets or else never pay 26. On the Boxe of Oyntment IT is no wonder he above the rest Whom thirty pieces tempted to betray The Lord of Glory to his death profest The Boxe of Oyntment was but cast away He that dare murther at so small a cost May eas'ly thinke the charge in Buriall lost 27. On MARY and JVDAS MAry did kisse him Iudas kist him too But both their aymes were coverd in a mist Both kisse our Saviour but their kisses doe Differ as farre as did the Parts they kist There 's danger still where double hearts doe steale The forme of Love or weare the cloake of Zeale 28. On our Saviour and his Vicar ME thinks thy Vicar Gen'rall beares the Keyes And executes thy Place with greater case And in one Iubile enjoyes more mirth Then thou my dying Lord didst from thy Birth Alas Thou hadst not wherewithall to fill Thy craving stomack He has Cates at will Thy empty Costers had not to defray Thy Tribute charge To him Kings Tribute pay Foxes haue holes Thou hadst not whereupon To rest thy wakefull head He snorts in Downe In short Thy life was nothing but the Story Of Poverty and his of Princely Glory When tempting Sathan would have giv'n thee all The wealth and glory of the World to fall And worship him at thy refusall Lord Thy Vicar tooke the Tempter at his word So came thy wants so great so great his store The Vicar so-so rich the Lord so poore 29. On the great Prelate OVr Saviours Feet were kist The people doe The very same to thee great Prelate too O who will seale but such another Kisse Vpon thy Lips our Saviour had on his 30. On Idolatry CAn common madnes find a thing that 's more Repugnant to the very Lawes of Nature That the Creators Image should adore The senslesse Image of a sensuall creature If such be Gods if such our helpers be O what are Men How more then Beasts are we 31. On the Tables of Stone THat stony Table could receive the print Of thy just Lawes Thy Lawes were written in 't It could be hew'd and letters grav'n thereon Sure Lord my Heart is harder then that Stone 32. On Mans three Enemies THere 's three that with their fiery Darts do level Against my Soul the World the Flesh the Devil Lord give me patience if not strength For there Are Three t' afflict me I 'm but One to beare 33. ☞ On DINAH ☜ WHen Dinahs careles Eye was grown too lavish To entertaine Sechem found time to ravish It is no lesse then silent invitation Although we scorne the Sin to give th' occasion Sure Dinahs Resolution was too strong Or to admit or not resist a Wrong And scornes to stoope to the Adult'rers armes We often burne intending but to warme's She went but out to see Perchance to heare What Lust could say What harme to lend an eare Anothers Sin sometimes procures our shames It staines our Bodies or at least our Names 34. On FIDO MArk when the good man prospers with his Plot Hee 's still envy'd despis'd if prosper not The Wicked have no peace with God And then How canst thou Fido look t' have peace with men 35. On JACOB HOw Iacob's troop'd Laban pursues with one Great Troope and Esau meets him with another Laban resolves to apprehend his Son Esau to be reveng'd upon his Brother Me thinks I see how Jacob stands supplide Like Vertue with a Vice on either side Laban pursues him to regaine his Gods Esau t' avenge his Birth-right and his Blessing What hope has Iacob now 'Twixt both 't is ods There will be either Death or Dispossessing God takes delight to turne our helper then When all our helps and hopes are past with men Laban encounters Iacob He requires His Gods And Esau's neare at hand by this Laban's appeas'd and quencht are Esaus Fyres T'one leaves him T'other meets him with a Kisse Iacob's in league with both The Soule that shall Have peace with God has League and peace with all 36. On Drunkennesse IT is a Thiefe that oft before his face Steales Man away and layes a Beast in 's place 37. On a Tenis-Court MAn is a Tenis-Court His Flesh the Wall The Gamesters God Sathan Th'heart's the Ball The higher and the lower Hazzards are Too bold Presumption and too base Despaire The Rackets which our restlesse Balls make flye Adversity and sweet Prosperity The Angels keepe the Court and marke the place Where the Ball fals and chaulk out ev'ry Chace The Line 's a Civill life we often crosse Ore which the Ball not flying makes a Losse Detractors are like Standers-by that bett With Charitable men Our Life 's the Sett Lord In this Conflict in these fierce Assaults Laborious Sathan makes a world of Faults Forgive them Lord although he ne'r implore For favour They 'l be set upon our score O take the Ball before it come toth'ground For this base Court has many a false Rebound Strike and strike hard but strike above the Line Strike where thou please so as the Sett be thine 38. On Abels Blood ABel was silent but his Blood was strong Each drop of guiltles blood commands a tongue A tongue that cryes 'T is not a tongue implores For gentle Audience 'T is a tongue that rores For hideous Vengeance 'T is a tongue that 's bold And full of Courage and that cannot hold O what a noyse my Blessed Saviours Blood Makes now in heav'n how strong it cries how loud But not for Vengeance From his side has sprung A world of drops From ev'ry drop a Tongue 39 On the Memory DOes thy corrected Frailty still complaine Of thy disloyall Mem'ry do'st retaine Nothing that 's Good And is the better part Of what thou hear'◠before it warme thy heart Snatcht from thy false Remembrance Is the most Of what th' inspired Prophets tell thee lost In thy unhospitable eares And not To be recall'd Quite buried Quite forgot Feare