THE BRIDES ORNAMENTS.
MEDITAT. I. Of Heauenly KNOWLEDGE.
A Daily
warfare is a
Christians life,
Where
Souldiers all, not onely stand in need
Of
Armes and
Valour (to maintaine the strife
The cursed
Serpent makes with
Adams seed)
But of this
Treasure, Knowledge, both to feed
Their
Soules with
food most pure Celestiall,
And furnish with such
Weapons as they need;
I therefore her
Loues Treasurer doe call,
For we in daily want stand of her
Treasure all.
By feigned
Treasure; did the
Serpent traine
Our two first Parents to their cursed sinne;
Pretending they should goodly
treasure gaine,
And
Knowledge, both of
good and
euill, win:
But
good doth end, where
euill doth begin;
For drosse they doe exchange their purest gold.
The
Serpent bad without, themselues within
They find the euill, as the
Serpent told:
But vp to Heav'n flies
good, which can no
ill behold.
Thus all our
Treasures lost we had before,
The
Knowledge of
Gods nature and his
will,
And we become vnarm'd, rude, naked, poore;
Of all things ignorant, but doing ill:
Now vs our enemies may easily kill,
We hauing lost our
weapons and our
treasure:
Which
wealth and
weapons if regaine we will,
We must attend this heau'nly
Ladys pleasure;
Diuine sweet
Knowledge not confin'd by weight or measure.
[Page 2] Thou
Word incarnate! whom aright to know
Is Life eternall, Ioy and happy rest,
To mee this
Ladies wondrous Beautie show,
And richest
treasures, which in
golden Chest.
Thou hid'st from
Hell and malice of the
Beast;
Knowledge, contain'd in either Testament:
Wherein thy Will and Nature is exprest
How we should liue and
Serpents sting preuent,
How conquer
Hell, and
serue thee with a true intent.
Some
Knowledge call,
th'habit of demonstration,
Some her to
know by
causes doe define;
Some
th'vnderstandings sound determination,
Wee her to
heau'nly Doctrine here confine:
Which in a
threefold Booke to man doth shine,
Of
Creatures, first, and latter Testament,
The
Booke of Creatures shewes
Gods power diuine,
The
Law is much in
types and
shadowes spent,
Whereof the
Gospel is the full accomplishment.
In
Booke of creatures, all men may obserue
Gods Wisdome, Goodnesse; Power, and Prouidence,
By which he made the world and doth preserue
In truest motions, its circumference:
Sending from Heav'n raines sweetest influence;
Filling our hearts with Mirth and Ioyfulnesse;
And giuing all things,
Motion, Being, Sense:
This doth
Gods power and
God-head plaine expresse;
But not his
Will, which leads to endlesse happinesse.
Yet by this Booke are left without excuse
Idolaters, who downe to
stocks doe fall;
Which their owne hands haue made for such abuse,
And leaue their
Maker, blessed ouer all;
Who as his
Power and Goodnesse generall
Appeares most plainly in this Worlds Creation;
So doth his gracious
Bountie on them fall,
In sending food for daily sustentation,
And in their healths and liues continuall preseruation;
[Page 3] The next two
Bookes, most plainly doe disclose
Gods will particular, and generall,
Particular to
Patriarchs, Prophets, those
That till
Christs time, on
God aright did call:
For this did not on all the Nations fall,
Gods will was then in
Iury onely knowne:
But now the
Gospel soundeth out to all,
The seed thereof in eu'ry Nation's sowne,
Which doth reueale hid mysteries before vnknowne.
The first, Gods power and prouidence doth shew;
The second, types out our Regeneration;
The third, directly leadeth vs to know
All that is needfull, for our owne Saluation;
Ev'n from Election to Glorification:
This Booke reueales all secret mysteries,
Hidden in
Christ, before the Worlds foundation;
Though worldlings this, as folly doe despise,
Yet this true
Knowledge onely happy, makes and wise.
As some great
Princes might and Maiestie,
Is often to the meanest stranger knowne;
But his most
secret counsell and
decree,
To
friends and
counsellours is onely showne.
Ev'n so
the King of Kings holds not vnknowne
From
Heathens sight, his
Maiestie and
might:
But hath disclosed onely to his owne,
The
secret of his
counsells, and
delight;
Whereby they may him worship, please, and serue aright.
This is the
Knowledge which I seeke to trace,
This onely doth true happinesse affoord,
Whereof the onely cause is inward
Grace,
And
vnderstanding Gods most holy Word:
The helpes which
humane Learning doe record;
Law, History, Arts, Physicke, Poetrie;
Are but as
seruants waiting on their
Lord,
And
hand-maids to their
dame Diuinitie;
All
Knowledge without this is foolish vanitie.
To
Babes and sucklings oftentimes reueale,
When from great
Clerkes of Wisdome and
deepe skill,
Thy pleasure is this
treasure to conceale;
Oh
sacred breath! which in our hearts doth steale,
Like sweetest
Zephyrus most pleasing wind,
Whence no man knowes, yet doth it surely seale,
That certaine
Knowledge which I seeke to find,
Knowledge of God and Christ the Sauiour of mankind.
All
Graces that doe serue
Loues Royall Queene
From
heauenly Knowledge haue their maintenance,
And alwayes in her company are seene,
None without
Knowledge may neere
Loue aduance;
With her are
Diligence, and
Temperance:
True Faith so neere her euer doth attend,
You would her take for
Knowledge at a glance,
Though often
Faith doth so her selfe transcend,
That shee beyond the reach of
Knowledge doth ascend.
Not
Faith alone, but
Workes accompany
True
Knowledge, who in words doth make profession
He knowes
God, but in
Workes doth him deny,
Is ev'n a lyar by his owne confession;
How many from this rule doe make digression?
That would in
Knowledge be accounted high,
But giue themselues to Pride, Lust, and Oppression;
Enuy, dissembling, Schisme, Idolatry
Alas true
Knowledge neuer kept such company.
Some onely seeke to
know, that they may
know;
And this is
foolish curiositie,
And some of Learning make a goodly show,
And this is
base and idle vanitie:
Some
Knowledge seeke for their
vtilitie,
Or their preferment, which is
filthy gaine,
Some to teach other, which is
Charitie,
Some by this
Knowledge seeke Heav'n to attaine,
To know and walke not right is damnable and vaine.
[Page 5] I liken this true
Knowledge to the flower,
Or blossome springing from the root of
Grace,
That doth most gloriously adorne
Loues bower,
And fills with pleasant odours all the place:
Which blossome beautifull, in little space,
It selfe into most goodly fruits doth spend,
Faith, Mercy, Peace each good and perfect
grace,
Which
fruit so farre the
flower doth transcend,
God, Men, and
Angels tast it, and the same commend.
As Blossomes doe not from
root liuely spring,
That after blowing, haue a fruitlesse fall;
So
Knowledge that in
Workes is vanishing,
Had neuer any
root from
grace at all.
But is like to
good seed, that's said to fall
From sowers hand, downe by the high-way side,
Whose rooting being shallow, loose, and small,
Could not the
Suns hot scorching heat abide;
But in the blade, with some, small light affliction dide.
Some liken heau'nly
Knowledge to the
Sunne,
Then which in this world nothing more to sight
Obiected is: But we by
Sinne become,
Like him borne blind, depriu'd of naturall light.
Till some
Power supernaturall enlight,
And though more plaine in this world nothing's showne,
Than
Gods eternall
God-head, goodnesse, might;
Yet vntill
Grace enlighten 'tis vnknowne,
No cause hereof in God, but in our selues is knowne.
Knowledge is like the talents which the
Lord,
When he went forth did to his seruants lend:
The first who his one talent vp did hoard,
Like him, that for his
Knowledge doth contend;
But therewith not himselfe, nor others mend:
Hee that with talents two, gain'd other twaine;
Is he that doth his time and labour spend
To saue himselfe, and those with him remaine,
But he that gaind the fiue; seeks all mens soules to gaine.
Which foolish
maids had
common with the Wise,
Oile workes of Pietie and Mercy are;
Which foolish Virgins idlely doe misprise,
But when one,
Loe the Bridegrome comes, out cryes,
The foolish Virgins
Lamps are spent and done,
Wherefore they must to merits merchandize,
And borrow when they of their owne haue none,
The Churches
Treasury will furnish ev'ry one.
Like Widowes Oile, that doth encrease by spending,
Like flames, that lightning others, gaine more light.
Like Vsurers coine, that doth augment by lending;
Like Ioy, that most encreaseth by delight.
Like
Manna that the Angels food is hight,
Whereof each gathers what may him suffice:
Except such as in Flesh-pots more delight,
Like Springs which more you draw, the faster rise,
Like
Tutors, who by teaching Schollers, grow more wise.
No
Simile can her so well expresse,
As infinite and boundlesse treasury;
Or Sea of waters which become no lesse:
Though Fountaines all with streames it doth supply.
How infinite is this grand mystery,
To lay of nothing this huge Worlds foundation:
One God, three persons in the
Trinitie,
Oh depth of
Knowledge! Gods owne
Incarnation,
Obedience, Passion, Resurrection, Exaltation.
Oh! I am drown'd, here
Elephants may swim,
My
Lambe-like Muse in
shallow Fords must wade,
And seeke for
Knowledge to desist from
Sinne,
And make
Faith, Mercy, Pietie my trade.
By
Faith, I know, Christs merits mine are made;
The rest are-fruits of my Sanctification,
Abundant
Knowledge doth with sorrow lade,
To
Know and doe
God's willis delectation,
And onely by
Christs merits bringeth to Saluation.
When as he it
eternall life did call;
To
know God, and the Christ which he had sent:
This is the
Knowledge so much sought of all,
Before and since the
Law, and euer shall,
Though till
Christs time, it was so shadowed;
As couer'd it in types and signes seem'd small,
But since
Times fulnesse is accomplished,
Behold, they all in
Christ are easie to be read.
By this did
Abel offer of his Sheepe,
The fat, and
God accepted his oblation:
By this so well
Gods Law did
Henoch keepe,
Hee him exalted from earths habitation;
For this did
Abram Ieaue both house and Nation,
Assured, that from out his Loines should spring
That
Knowledge, which to
know was his saluation
Herein did
Dauid, though he were a
King,
Take more delight than
Crowne, or any worldly thing.
See
next his royall sonne,
King Salomon,
Then whom arise a
Wiser neuer shall,
Who knew plants natures, eu'n from
Lebanon
Her Caedars tall to
Hysope by the
wall:
Who as in
Wealth in
Knowledge passed all;
Yet after hee had traced
Uanitie,
And found how sonnes of men thereby did fall.
Him to this
Knowledge did againe apply:
And swanlike sang
Christs Churches Epithalamy.
Wake I, or sleepe, or am I in a trance?
Or doe another
Salomon behold?
A
Dauid who doth far and wide aduance,
His gracious scepter? But no bounds can hold
His
Knowledge, secret things for to vnfold;
Law, History, Arts and
Philosophy,
All noble
sciences that can be told,
Yet seemes to loue alone
Diuinitie.
Which truely can direct in
Peace to liue and die.
[Page 8] Who as hee is the
Learnedest of Kings,
So 'tis his Ioy and Glory for to be,
The
King of learned men; which in all things,
Makes God to prosper him as all may see,
This makes him raise to place of high degree,
Men of great
knowledge, well to rule the
Land,
And put downe
Ignorance and subtiltie,
Which highest in their owne conceits doe stand;
Long sway thou
Brittons Scepter with thy sacred hand.
And when thy Cloake,
Elias-like, must fall
Vpon
Elisha thine vndoubted heire,
Inherite hee thy
Peace and
Knowledge all,
And in thy
Spirit rule as in thy chaire:
But I must leaue this field so ample faire,
Teach mee, O Lord, to
know and
doe thy will,
And let thy
grace againe in me repaire
Thine
Image lost, and all corruptions kill;
Thus we thy will on Earth, as they in Heav'n fulfill.
This
knowledge must stand by vs at our last,
When as wee ready are our soules to tender
To him, that for false
knowledge curious tast,
Though guiltlesse did his life to Iustice render:
For this the
Holy Ghost doth more commend her,
That bare her
Sauiours knowledge in her brest;
Than that shee bare him in her wombe; yet tender,
For
One all
Generations call her blest,
By th'other one of his
true members shee doth rest.
But though this onely necessary is,
And first for our saluation to be sought,
Wee onely at our last of it haue misse,
As too meane subiect for ambitious thought:
Thus the vnlearned rise, and heav'n haue cought,
When
greatest Clerks with Sciences profound,
Heartlesse, and comfortlesse to Hell are brought,
For God doth their great wisedome oft confound,
Because their inward parts are not sincere and sound.
[Page 9] Alas! of
knowledge here we haue no care,
But all our
youth in follies idely spend;
Our strength in lusts and strifes away we weare;
In
age we worldly profit all intend:
Alas what gaine we by this at our end?
When our fraile Body doth returne to dust,
Our Soule to him that gaue it must ascend,
Whereof least iot of time account they must,
Which hath been spent in discord, profit, folly, lust.
Oh! knew we but the vertue of this treasure?
Like to the Merchant wise, we would sell all
To buy it, where we should find profit, pleasure,
Such Ioy as neuer on our hearts did fall:
Oh heav'nly Comfort! Ioy spirituall:
Delight vnspeakeable in hearts that' grow,
Of those that shee is conuersant withall;
What Ioy can there be greater than to know
Gods endlesse
Loue in
Christ, which shee to vs doth show.
Sure I could wish my whole life here to spend,
In this diuine most holy contemplation,
whereof I know not how to make an end,
Shee yeelds such plentie of sweet meditation:
Most heav'nly mysteries of our Creation,
Wherein appeare
Gods might and Maiestie;
But aboue all his loue in mans saluation
This is that wondrous hidden mystery,
Into the which eu'n
Angels did desire to pry.
But we confesse though thou dost here reueale,
Abundant
knowledge, yet we little know
Wherefore 'gainst vs the
Heathen may appeale
Who though thou didst to them but glimpses show
Of
Truth, and
Iustice, did more righteous grow,
Than wee that doe thy
sacred Truth confesse;
And make of
Puritie a glorious show;
But to adorne the
Gospel we professe
With workes of
Charitie, Ah! wee doe nothing lesse.
[...]
[...]
[Page 10] Oh it is meate and drinke, we know not of;
To know and doe our heav'nly Fathers will:
Our blessed
Sauiour alwayes fed thereof,
And hereof
Saints and
Angells eate their fill.
These are the fruitfull plants which flourish still,
Milke, Hony, liuing Water, spiced Wine;
Which doe refresh
Christs Spouse when shee is ill:
These
richest Iewells, which her make so fine,
Locks, Ribands, Roses, which so gloriously do shine.
For this, shee is the
Bridegroomes darling Doue,
And vnto her that bare her, onely deare:
For this the daughters, when they see her loue,
And all the
Queenes and
Wiues make merry cheere:
This makes her looke than
Sunne and
Moone more cleere.
Her
nauell, belly, head, necke, brests adorne;
With these shee to her
husband doth appeare,
More
beautifull, than is the fairest
morne;
Or faire like
twinning Ews, on
Gilead washt and shorne.
Thou that such heav'nly
Knowledge didst instill,
Into plaine Fishers that they could confound
By argument, ev'n Clerkes of greatest skill,
And diue into thy
Mysteries profound:
Who by their
clouen-fiery tongues forth sound,
The
Knowledge of thy
Truth to ev'ry Nation;
Canst make this
Knowledge in mine heart abound,
By one, sparke of diuine illumination,
And rauish my weake soule with heav'nly admiration.
And though imperfect here our
Knowledge be,
By reason of our humane imperfection,
And for by
Faith alone, we things doe see,
And nothing
know indeed in true perfection;
Yet when thy
Spirit cleares our minds infection,
Wee shall then
know, ev'n as we now are
knowne;
And things now seene, by mirrour-like inspection;
To vs shall be most euidently showne,
In
Knowledge we shall reape, what we in Faith haue sowne.
[Page 11] What then's
imperfect, shall be done away,
Knowledge shall perfect our felicitie;
Which is our free beholding God, for ay,
In his great
Goodnesse, Loue, and
Maiestie,
So farre as
finite may
infinitie,
Farther to reach my
Muse dares not be bold,
When
Angels of so high sublimitie,
Gods Light and Maiestie cannot behold,
Finite with
infinite can no proportion hold.
MEDITAT. I. Of ZEALE and godly IEALOVSIE.
OH that some holy fire enlightening,
My Soule now rauish would with thoughts diuine,
Whilst I of
Iealousie, Loues daughter sing,
And godly
Zeale, which like the
Sunne doth shine,
Alas!
Minerua, and the
Muses nine,
Are too weake helpes their aide here to intreate,
With
Colefrom Altar let some
Seraphine
Touch my rude tongue, and set my braine on heate,
The
Glory of this
Grace in loftie rhimes to sweate.
Fit Subiect, for a sacred
Poets Verse,
Which should it selfe in
Extasie transcend,
Zeales sacred Praise, with
Knowledge to rehearse
Both
Method and
Deuotion doe commend:
Who as the
houshold Chaplaine doth intend,
To all that liue in Royall Court of
Loue;
And
Prayers for them all, to heau'n doth send,
For without
Zeale none possible can moue,
To high
Olimpus Court, the Seate of mightie
Ioue.
[Page 12] For
Prayers that to Heau'n seeke to ascend,
Without the Feruour of this sacred
Zeale,
Fall downe like smoakie vapours, that intend
Into Aires middle region to steale:
But those that are supported by her seale
Like
Fumes of incense by the
Lamb contend
Eu'n in th'Almighties presence to reueale
Our wants, and craue his aid vs to defend:
'Gainst worlds and
Serpents poyson to our latest end.
Oh!
thou, to whom it was both drinke and meate,
To finish and to doe thy Fathers Will,
Whom
Zeale of
Gods owne house eu'n vp did eate,
And made thee on the Crosse thy bloud to spill:
Who whipst out Merchants that thy house did fill,
With doues and money, theeues and merchandize,
Some
Zea-lous iuice into my pen distill,
And raise my mind aboue her wonted guise,
That so my
Muse may with her matter sympathise.
All other holy
Graces disposition,
By rules of
Art I formerly define;
But
Zeale so feruent is no definition
Can her containe, or bound in any line;
Onely shee is by nature, pure, diuine,
Beloued daughter to the
Queene of
Loue,
Whose
mothers Graces, so in her doe shine,
Shee well the
primate of her
Court may proue,
And ranked be for place, all other
Peares aboue.
I here omit that
Zeale, which without hate
Of others, doth to vertuous deeds contend,
And vs enflames that
good to emulate,
Which we to be in others apprehend:
I here that holy
Iealousie commend,
Which onely doth from
Loue diuine proceed;
When, not for
our, but
Gods cause, we intend
To loue both him and his in word and deed,
For this is that right
Zea'le which of true
Loue doth breed.
When therefore
zeale doth with true
knowledge meete,
Shee doth inlarge our hearts with heav'nly notions,
Sublime, transcendant, admirable, sweet;
But where this
knowledge wants, shee's vndiscreet,
Rash, violent, seditious, rude and blind,
Faults for so faire a
Lady farre vnmeet;
You see two
zeales here of a differing kind,
I leaue the worst, and seeke the fairest out to find.
Sweet
Lady! daughter to the
Queene of Loue;
Which is the cause of
Zeale and
Iealousie,
If you will aske mee what this
Queene doth moue,
To loue vs wretches that in sin doe lye;
I answere,
Goodnesse of her
Maiestie.
Most excellent is then this holy fire,
Of
zeale, proceeding from such ancestry,
Goodnesse and
Loue, which therefore wee require
To true effects of
Loue and
Goodnesse to aspire.
Sweet
zeale! How fairely dost thou beautifie
Th'affection, where thou mak'st thy habitation,
Like
Temple, which thy Lord did purifie,
When as his Soule with
zeale and indignation,
Was mou'd to see
Gods Temples prophanation,
Not suffering thy house of endlesse rest,
To be abus'd by Pride or lustfull passion,
Th'affection which doth lodge within my brest,
The
Temple where
Christ and the
Holy Ghost should rest.
Companions of
Zeale are
Pietie,
Faith, Knowledge, Patience, Fortitude, and
Right,
In workes of
Mercy, Peace, and
Charitie,
And sweet
Humilitie is her delight:
With all her Power shee is opposite
Against all that
Gods glory may oppose,
Shee spends in feruent
Prayers, day and night;
And those by
Knowledge doth so well compose,
They bring
Gods blessings down, and vp his Iudgements close.
Who able is thy vertue to commend,
Which doth the
Church into one
Body tye,
And for
Gods glory onely dost contend:
For
publike good, and not for
priuate end.
Lo! th'
Angells-Being doth in
zeale consist;
Whose
sacred ardour doth all flames transcend,
Wherewith they oft enlight our minds darke mist,
When flames of hottest
zeale they to our soule suggest.
Oh!
Loue as strong as
Death and
Iealousie,
Cruell as
graue: Thy flames like coales of fire
Consume and burne vp all most violently,
No Streames or Flouds can quench her sacred ire,
Should we sell all we haue, we could not buy her:
The Daughter
zeale is like the Mother free,
Them both from
Heau'n th'
Almightie doth inspire,
And therefore neither will affronted bee,
With
Riualls, Heathen
Gods most base
Idolatree.
Fond
Zeale that's fitly called which doth want
Faith, Knowledge, Loue diuine, and
Graces all,
It still doth most vaine superstitions haunt,
And to most base
Idolatry doth fall,
Vnhumane
Fury; Madnesse tragicall!
Of men, whom thus blind
zeale and strange desire,
Transports beyond
rage diabolicall,
To offer vp their children in the fire
Of some offended deuill to appease the ire.
Strange is this
zealous fury of the rude,
When
Ignorance doth guide their blind deuotion,
The gathering of the froward multitude,
When they be stirred with some feruent motion:
All following some braine-sicke idle notion,
With discontent, against authoritie,
Raise
Schismes in Church, in Common-wealth Commotion;
Pretending all their
Conscience-liberty,
Alas! these be no fruits of holy
Iealousie.
By which his nature best wee vnderstand,
Ascribes vnto himselfe this
Iealousie,
As being link'd in
Hymens holy band;
Vnto his
Church, his
vndefiled: And
His
Church againe, to shew her feruent
Loue,
And
Ioy shee takes in her new ioyned hand,
Like
Loue-sicke Bride the
Bridegroome oft doth proue,
And him with
zeale inuites her to imbrace and
Loue.
Neuer new
wedded Bridegroome was more faine
Of his
new-Bride, than
Christ is of his
Doue,
Neuer did truest
Turtle more complaine,
For losse of
Mate, than this
Spouse of her
Loue;
It would a stony heart to fountaines moue
Of teares to heare the Churches piteous mone,
When shee doth misse him whom her
Soule doth loue,
Where's my belou'd? Ah whither is shee gone?
And left his
saddest Deare, to sigh and sit alone.
And therefore as a
Signet on his heart,
And as the
Seale that is on his right hand,
Shee would be ioyn'd, that shee might neuer part,
But alwayes in his
Grace and
presence stand.
No
Keeper in
Christs Vineyard must command,
Hee will his Vineyard prune and dresse alone,
Whereby his
Iealousie wee vnderstand,
His
Vine the
Bridegroome will haue drest of none,
The
Bride out of his presence neuer will be gone.
Doth mine inuention faile? that wont to flow
In
Similes, that make hard things seeme plaine?
Or doth the whole Creation here below,
Nothing affoord
zeales nature to explaine?
Alas all earthly
Similes are vaine
T'expresse the nature of this
Heau'nly fire,
Which in the glorious
Angells doth remaine,
And in the
Spirits of that blessed Quire,
Which here with Hymnes and Praises doe
Gods loue admire.
[Page 16] Shall dust and ashes dare yet be so bold,
Her to the
holy fire to compare
Which in the
Bush thy seruant did behold
Flaming, but did the
Bush not singe or seare:
Such flames of
zeale oft in our hearts there are,
Which doe enlighten them, but not consume
These flames our
Prayers to
Iehoua beare,
By these our
Praises spiritually vp fume,
And in Gods nostrils are like incense and perfume.
Or shall I like her to some Lionesse
Rob'd of her whelps, by some aduenturous hand,
Who in her wondrous woe, and furiousnesse,
Deuour's and slayes all in her way that stand:
Who can the force of
Iealousie withstand?
Being of so great strength and wondrous might,
God grant our
zeale the Truth may vnderstand,
And that true
Knowledge may your minds inlight,
To make vs
zealous for
Gods glory and the right.
May I not like her to strong churlish wine,
Which doth confound the braine, inflame the blood:
But cool'd with water pure, and sugar fine,
For both of them is soueraigne and good:
Eu'n so doth
Iealousies most feruent mood,
Allaid with
sugar of sweet
Charitie,
And coold with
sweetest Christalline pure floud,
The silent streames of soft
Humilitie,
Transcend in all good workes, of
Loue and
Pietic.
This is the
zeale and sacred emulation,
Which the Originall doth signifie;
Which hath with
Loue in
Heau'n her habitation,
And all our actions here doth sanctifie,
And when our Maker vs shall glorifie,
Behold! our
zeale shall in perfection shine,
Begun on earth in true sinceritie,
And as our Fleshly courage doth decline,
Our
zeale will grow more hot, and neerest to diuine.
For scoffing at his holy promisd seed,
And
Moses Pharaohs Court and grace neglect,
When hee th'
Egyptians Destiny did reed,
That smote a brother of the holy breed:
This
zeale made noble
Phineas with his speare,
Slay
Zimry and
Cosbi in their damned deed,
Though
Saul the fat of
Amalec would spare;
Yet
Samuels zeale doth
Agags flesh in pieces teare.
Oh had his Master
Eli's burnt so hot
Against his sonnes, when they by violence
The fattest of Gods offrings from him got,
And with foule
Lust defil'd the
sacred Tents:
Had he like
Phineas punish't this offence?
Our eares then should not haue so tingeled,
To heare of Gods great wrath and sore offence,
He and his sonnes in one day slaughtered,
And all his race from th'
Arke for euer banished.
Zeale made the warlike
Dauid to aspire
To build an house for
Gods owne habitation,
And though warres crost his
zeale and good desire,
Yet made he for it royall preparation,
And's Sonne it finisht on his laid foundation,
Who gold and siluer vessels in did bring,
It making
Iudahs Ioy, the admiration
Of all the World, the Seat of the great King,
Whither the
Tribes goe vp, for his true worshipping.
I may with this example dignifie
The noble
zeale of our late
famous Queene,
Who much desired to reedifie
Paules Temples ruines, which so fearefull seeme,
And make her faire as euer shee was seene:
But warres abroad, and broiles within her Land,
Most fatall to this pious worke haue beene;
So as it still most ruinous doth stand,
Expecting helpe from
Solomons pacificke hand.
whil'st burning it to others giueth light,
And like to sweetest
incense and
perfume
For others Good, spends all her force and might,
Oh
blessed fire! if kindled aright,
It burne with Loue of Heauen, and holy things,
Retaining in our hearts, both day and night,
His sweet imbraces, who is
King of
Kings,
Loathing the worlds vaine wanton wicked dallyings.
This
Cupid be thy soules and hearts delight,
Whose
Bow and golden shafts of
Zeale and
Loue,
Doe conquer
Fury's, Fates, and worlds despight,
And stay the
thunderbolts of angry
Ioue:
Oh see the force of
Loue and
Zeale doth moue
All powers that in
Heau'n, Earth, Hell transcend;
Grant
thee alone I zealously may
Loue;
And let thy
Iealousie me safe defend,
That neuer to
strange Gods I my affection bend.
Let vs learne
zeale of him that in the day's
Of's slesh, did offer
Prayers, supplication
With strongest cry's and teares to God alwayes,
That able was to saue him from his
Passion;
And learne of him true holy
indignation,
To be ev'n eaten vp with feruent
zeale,
To see
theeues den, in Gods owne
habitation,
But first let
Knowledge our
Commission seale
That where
this Feruour wounds, our
Charitie may heale.
But ah our
zeale of
Prayer now growes cold,
Zeale of
Gods glory like our
Charitie,
And as the world declines, now waxing old,
Ev'n so doth all our
zeale and
pietie:
We raise our
houses ev'n to dare the
skie,
But raze
Gods Temples equall with the ground,
Our Fathers built them for posteritie,
And left with
Ornaments adorned round,
But we them with their
Ornaments seeke to confound.
I meane our
hearts the
Bridegroomes habitation,
We will bestow on them no spirituall cost,
But leaue them foil'd with vilest prophanation;
Pride, Lust, Vaine-glory, all abomination,
Tis time to wish this holy Bishops
zeale
Would make of them to God new consecration,
And that the
Holy Ghost their doores would seale,
Against all spirituall theeues, that
holy goods would steale.
Oh that some holy fit of
Heau'nly fire,
Raising my
Muse to
zealous contemplation,
Would in mine heart that feruent flame inspire,
And
zealous Loue Saint
Paul bare to his nation,
When, as hee could haue wish't eu'n reprobation
For their sakes, from whose flesh
Christ did descend;
Or of the Prophet, by predestination
Most sure, his name in
Booke of Life was pen'd
Yet wisht it wiped out Gods glory to defend.
But I confesse, we rather doe enuy,
Gods gifts and graces in our Bretheren,
And
Iosuah-like forbid them prophesie,
Shewing more
zeale to honour Greatnesse, then
To Glorifie the
King of Heau'n, yea when
We in our hearts find any emulation,
'Tis for vaine-glory, and the praise of men,
To build our houses, not
Gods habitation,
And leaue faire large possessions to our generation.
Let vs with
Dauid make a sacred vow,
And to th'Almightie
God of
Iacob sweare
Neuer to come within our house, nor bow
Our
Limbs vpon our
Beds, till we prepare
A place
Gods spirituall Temple vp to reare:
Nor euer suffer sleepe within our eyes,
Or slumber in our eye-lids to appeare,
Till we an habitation doe deuise,
Where we may to th'Almightie offer sacrifice.
[Page 20] My mind inflame Lord with that hot desire
And
zeale to glorifie thy
holy name,
That like thy
Martyrs I may dread no fire,
Because I feele within a hotter flame.
Hot Coles therefore shall be to mee the same,
As to the
Martyr was the
Boiling Oyle,
Which did more coole indeed than him inflame,
Because his
zeale within did hotter boile,
Sweet heau'nly dewes doe most inrich the hottest soile.
Oh were mine head a conduit full of teares,
Mine eyes two rocks continually to run,
As well to cleanse foule
Lusts of youthfull yeeres,
As coole the zealous slames in me begun;
Had I thus once my Bridegroomes presence won,
I neuer would let goe my well-laid hold,
Till hee into my
Mothers chamber come,
With sweet embraces ay, mee to infold,
His ardent
Loue would neuer let my
zeale grow cold.
MEDITAT. III. Of TEMPERANCE.
MY
Muse now fares like to some
Pilot wise,
Who hauing some dread stormes of danger past,
That tost his vessell oft vp to the skies,
Now sailing in the calme with temperate blast,
Goes gently on, lest too much dangerous hast
His ship vnwares on hidden rocke impight,
And him and all his hopes away should cast,
For thus it oft befalls some carelesse wight,
To wreck in
fairest calme, when they the storme haue quight.
[Page 21] I late was tost in rough and boisterous
Sea,
Of
Zeale and
Iealousie, which hauing past,
I am to saile in calme and fairest
Lea,
Of
Temperance, most abstinent and chast;
Therefore my
Muse goes on with sober hast,
Knowing against her many dangers lie,
Which by the
touch, tongue, smell, eye, eare, or
taste,
Would her
entrap, and bring in
ieopardy,
Which
Poets by the
Syr'ts and
Syrens doe imply.
And therefore did the famous blind
Bards quill,
Preferre
Vlysses in his Court of
Fame,
Who of this
Temperance had got the skill,
Fore
Aiax, Hector, or
Achilles name,
His
Odysses may testifie the same
Which were compos'd his
Temperance to commend
By which he men and monsters ouercame,
And did life, honour, chastitie defend,
'Gainst
Syrens and
Enchantments to his latest end.
And sure the
Heathen, to all
Christians shame,
Seem'd wondrously vs herein to transcend,
But that they wanted that most holy flame
Of
zeale, which I so lately did commend,
And
knowledge, which should guide them to their end,
All that they had by natures light was showne,
But
God his
holy Word to vs doth send,
Whereby his
Will and
Counsell is made knowne,
What fruit then ought we beare, where so good seed is sowne.
Eue was the first
Author of
Intemperance,
Led by her eye, nice tast, and fond desire
Of
Knowledge, with proud wicked
Ignorance,
And chang'd
Gods Loue to euerlasting ire,
The Garden loosing for eternall fire;
But what
shee lost his
Temperance doth gaine,
Whose aid now in mine entrance I desire
Who from all food, did fortie dayes abstaine,
And all's Life from
intemperate, thought, word, deed, refraine.
That all the rest, in her they would imply,
As
Loue, Peace, Concord, Pudour Virginall,
Gentlenesse, Meekenesse, Liberalitie,
Thrift, Silence, Friendship, Goodnesse, Grauitie,
Honesty, Purenesse, all true
moderation,
Which doth withhold from
Sin and
Vanitie,
And bringeth vnto true humiliation:
Most happy
Mother of so faire a Generation.
But in some limits that I may her bound,
I
her define to be a
moderation
Of such
desires, as are within vs found
In
Diet, Actions, Words, and
Affectation;
For with these
fow'r I bound my
Meditation;
In
Diet shee requires
Sobrietie,
In
Actions, true vnfain'd
humiliation,
Her
Words she graceth aye with
Modesty,
And her
affections charmes with
Meeknesse; Chastity.
See in her
Diet, first
Sobrietie,
In words and actions true
humiliation,
Accompany'd with precious
Modesty;
Last
Continence from
Lust, and angry
Passion,
The cause of all is
prudent Moderation;
The
aged Palmer, Spencer, Guyons trustie guide,
That stands against all
stubborne perturbation,
By whose sage helpe, secure and safe we slide,
By whirle-pooles, and deepe gulfes which gape for vs so wide.
For all through this worlds boistrous Sea must passe,
Before we at our quiet Hav'n arriue,
The
Boate our Body is, as brittle glasse,
Our
Steeres-man▪ Temperance, it right doth driue,
Besides the Rocks, that threat this Boat to riue;
Are many
Gulphes, and
Whirle-pooles of decay
Which wait th'
Affections, and the
Senses fiue
By force and sweet Allurements to assay,
Some fall by rage and diet, some by lustfull play.
[Page 23] But in that Body where doth reason sway,
And
Sense and
Passion be obedient,
There the
affections all behold you may
In happy peace, and goodly gouernment:
There
Temperance adornes her glorious Tent,
With vertues all to make it shine most bright,
The mirrour of Gods workes most excellent,
And to them all such bounteous banquets dight,
As may be best for
Health, Praise, Profit, and
Delight.
Most
glorious frame of
nature! which shee built,
The whole world in one point t'epitomize,
Iust, pure, and perfect, till
intemprate guilt,
Her Makers Hests by Pride did foule misprise,
Since that shee learned to belowly, wise,
And not obey intemperate desire,
Thus shee her
glorious house reedifies,
And most of all doth lowly Cells admire,
The loftiest is no place for
temperate retire.
Shee therefore neuer comes in company,
Of such as swim in pride, and bathe in blisse,
Wasting their dayes in ease and luxury,
For in such ease, men easily doe amisse,
But hee whose mind in studie watchfull is,
Whose limbs are toyl'd with labour, mind, with paine;
Shee these as her sweet darlings deare doth kisse,
The idle life cannot to her attaine;
Before
her Gate, high God
employment did ordaine!
Excesse doth make the minde of beastly man,
Forget his first created excellence;
That pure estate in which his
Life began,
And as a
Beast that wants intelligence,
'Twixt
sense and
reason put no difference,
But like a
Brute of base and swinish kind;
Delights in filth and foule incontinence,
For
Lust and Wine so far transforme the minde,
Affections beare the sway, and
royall reason binde.
Wherein like filthy beasts base men lie drown'd,
And
Swines of
Gods faire Images doe make;
This
vice hath now with vs such footing found,
As Drunkennesse with glory doth abound,
Pure Liber, wont to be the
Muses friend,
All
musing, Wit and
Learning doth confound,
The
Flemings this did first to vs commend,
But herein we them and all Nations now transcend.
No better stratageme doth
Satan know,
(I alwayes must except base drunkennesse)
Then gaming all our youth to ouerthrow,
The
fruict Intemperate of Idlenesse
Oh horrible, infernall wickednesse:
To heare a wretch, his Makers name blaspheme,
When Dice or Carding crosse his good successe,
And eu'n his
Soule, which
Christ's bloud did redeeme;
With his estate, to hazard to a
dyes esteeme.
Intemprate, drinking, Play, smoake, in excesse
Is now our gallants onely occupation,
The poisoning fruits of their loose Idlenesse,
Base
Gourmandizing, filthy
Fornication
Is turn'd from foule reproach to commendation,
Now vse of
Armes and manly exercise,
Are held a
toile and not a
recreation;
Who so is
moderate, chast, valiant, wise,
Him as precise and cynicall they doe despise.
Oh foolish
Man! learne
Temperance of thy Dog,
Thine Horse and Hawke, wherein thou tak'st delight,
Which when they should shew sport, thou dost not clog
And fill with food, their greedie appetite;
Thou them dost diet, that they may be light,
And keepst from Lust, their courage to prolong,
One dulls the Body, th'other kills the Sprite,
But
Abstinence doth make both swift and strong,
The
temperate mans dayes are happy healthfull long.
[Page 25] And may vnto
Pauls Pilote be compar'd,
Whose vessell with exceeding tempest tost,
Vnlades, and lightens, hauing most regard,
To saue his
Life, though all his goods be lost;
Eu'n so the
temperate man in this world crost,
With baits of
appetite, lust, anger, pride,
Makes vse of those that for his vse are most,
But needlesse things, wherewith his vessels cloid,
With his owne hands doth to the hungry, fish diuide.
When I behold the stately Firmament,
Adorn'd with glorious
Lamps of heau'nly fire;
The Stars with their appointed roomes content,
And neither other to supplant desire;
Their
Temperance in Heau'n, I doe admire:
But then I view the anbitious sparkes below,
Who to possesse the whole Earth doe aspire;
And all poore Cottages to ouerthrow,
That stopt their prospect, great alone on earth to grow.
Nature with small, no plentie
Lust can bound,
Vnlimited desires here satisfie,
No Gold, nor Siluer can, though they abound,
Like stones amongst the
wise Kings vanitie:
Though
Iesses Sonne haue such varietie
Of
Wiues and
Maids, yet comes the
stranger, Lust,
Vrias onely
Lamb for him must dye,
No home-bred fare, can satisfie base dust;
But strange rare cates from forraine nations haue we must.
The
temprate man, I to a Brooke compare,
Contented with sweet Fountaines of her owne;
Which runs most pleasant, pure, delightfull, cleere:
But if with flouds her channels once be flowne,
Then streight her troubled waters foule are growne.
So whil'st we
Temperance with vs retaine,
And no excesse of Diet's in vs knowne,
Our heart from ire, our bed is free from staine:
But cease from
Temperance, and all is foule againe.
[Page 26] And as pure Streames continue sweet and cleere,
Whil'st they within their Channells swiftly flow,
Refreshing all the plants and flowers neere,
But if they idlely stand, or run but slow,
Then thicke and foule like idle lake they grow:
Ev'n so the man that doth his minde aduance,
His Makers heau'nly will to doe and know,
To honour shall be rais'd aboue all chance,
But he that idle grow's falls to
Intemperance.
Shee is a short, but a most pleasant way,
Wherein small labour is but much delight,
The
Empresse that doth our affections sway,
The
Genus of all other
vertues hight,
Piller of Fortitude, The
Helmet bright,
Against
Lasciuiousnesse, The
eyes best guide,
Bond of
goodwill, of
cogitations light,
Restraint; The
Enemy of
Lust and
Pride,
The
Soules chast counsellour, her vow' and prayers to guide.
Of
Prudence and true
Wisdome the foundation,
To him that hath her, can no ill befall,
No greater wealth can be then Contentation,
Who hath her, hath that, who lacks that, wants all,
Who nothing need; eu'n Gods the Heathen call.
Fortune may bring vs wealth and royall fare,
But
Temperance must giue content withall,
By her we freed from perturbations are,
And hauing
daily bread, doe take no farther care:
For from her
Temper shee receiues her name,
As being of extreames the moderation,
The
golden meane that doth affections frame,
Actions and Words to natures ordination,
Vnspotted pure as at our first Creation:
Thus wee abstaine from
Lust and Violence,
And though on earth is yet our Conuersation,
Wee hope ere long to be receiued hence,
Meane while, our Life's a sacrifice of Continence.
[Page 27] Thus see our
protoplasts first cloth'd in skins
The greene
herbe of the field their onely
meate,
The
Beasts their
Conuiues, and the
Woods their
Inns,
To shield from cold, and saue from scorching heate,
And all this must be got with toile and sweate,
No liuing thing was then allowed good;
For, as the learned thinke, man might not eate,
Of any liuing creature till the Floud,
But since, as the greene herbe, God gaue them all for food.
How often did the Fathers pray and fast,
And some from women, some from wine abstaine,
Till sixtie yeeres they keepe their bodies chast,
A
Temprate and chast seed here to obtaine:
When
Ruth at
Booz feet, all night had laine
He ladeth her with corne and sends away,
From lawlesse Lust he doth himselfe containe,
Though he had dranke, and cheer'd his heart that day,
An habite of true
Temperance see here you may.
Ioseph would not against his Maker sinne,
For
Pharoahs Stewards Ladies soft embrace,
Yet easier 'tis a walled towne to winne,
Than to resist temptations vile and base,
Nought sooner doth our liues with
Lust disgrace,
Than bathe in ease and swim in foule excesse,
Had
Dauid beene at warre in
Ioabs place
He had not falne into such wickednesse,
Adultery, the fruit of fulnesse, Idlenesse.
Oh tell me
Dauid, where was then become,
Thy fasting wont thy soule to humble so,
That it was wont to thy reproach to come,
And weakned so thy knees, thou couldst not goe?
Thy teares which did to such great plentie grow,
They were thy meat and drinke, both day and night,
All watering thy couch, so they did slow,
That eu'n my
Muse weepes at thy piteous plight,
Yet had thy soule therein vnspeakeable delight.
[Page 28] I cannot but admire the
Temperance,
Of that
great Monarch; mightie
Phillips Sonne,
Who when he had vnto his gouernance,
Darius Empire,
Wife and
Daughters wonne,
Their beautie would by no meanes looke vpon;
Esteeming it a most vnworthy deed,
When he so many men had ouercome,
To be of one weake woman conquered,
Like
Temperance of so yong a Prince I neuer read.
Not that the Heathens
Temper I compare,
To those that haue beene truely sanctifide,
Of which
Iob is to vs a patterne rare;
Who least his eyes should draw his heart aside,
Did couenant they on no Maid should glide:
How infinite are watchings, fastings, cold,
Which to subdue the flesh
Paul did abide,
But aboue all th'examples I haue told,
The
Locust-eater and's Disciples liues behold.
And though whilst that the
Bridegroome pleas'd to stay,
The
children of
Bride-chamber did not fast,
Yet when from them he taken was away,
Behold they then did pay for all was past,
And oft did hunger, whip, and prison tast;
No
Poets quill ere able was to faine,
Like
Temp'rance of pure Lamb most temprate chast,
Reuiled, scoffed, scorned, scourged, slaine;
Yet opn'd not his mouth to scoffe, or speake againe.
Oh shall the
King of Angels and of Men,
Abus'd by workmanship of his owne hand,
Endure such wrongs, and neuer turne agen:
Whose one word could haue call'd th'whole heau'nly Band,
The Fury of these wretches to withstand;
And shall the
Lord of Life so meekly dye,
For our
intemperate affections; and
Shall not we them all with him crucifie,
And fleshly members of our Body's mortifie?
[Page 29] But we like
Foxes build a stately hall,
And like the
Birds in stately cedars nest,
When
Hee that did of nothing make them all,
Had not a place to lay his
head to rest;
Wee see his glorious members here distrest,
Want lodging, food, and raiment for the cold,
Whil'st we abound in meates, and fill our chest
With change of raiment, and with store of gold,
And in birds softest plumes, our looser limbs infold.
Alas how many hunting worlds gay showes,
By base
Intemperances sweetned baite,
And vile
Ambition which downe headlong throwes,
Are brought to ruine most infortunate;
Oh grant that I may liue in meane estate,
And my freed soule with Contemplation please;
My clothing warme, my diet
temperate,
Freed from all tempests of worlds raging seas,
Which tosse poore sailing soules, in dangerous disease.
Most happy who with little is content,
That though he want, yet neuer doth complaine;
Ne wisheth more his sorrow to augment,
Knowing that he by heaping wealth doth gaine,
Nothing but care, vexation, and paine:
What more than daily bread here doe I need?
What need of forraine cates or feathers vaine?
Let fields my food; my flocke my clothing breed,
No other would I weare, no other would I feed.
In vaine doe foolish men the Heau'ns accuse
Of sad misfortunes, paines, and iniuries,
Which doe (if we knew truely them to vse)
To eu'ry man what's fittest for him size,
That's not the best estate which most we prize,
Nor that the worst, which most men seeke to shun,
Each as he list his fortunes may deuise,
Which wishes, no man happinesse hath wun,
Such wishers cease to liue, before their life begun.
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[Page 30] It is mans mind that maketh good or ill,
Wretched or happy, sad, glad, rich or poore,
He hath abundantly all things at will,
That hauing little, yet desires no more,
When he that's drown'd in wealth, & swims in store,
Doth liue in want to satisfie desire,
Which neuer hath enough, fond fooles therefore,
Are they that feed
Lusts and
Ambitions fire,
Which like base
Auarice, doth more and more require.
When first I saw the glory of the
Great,
I then them onely happy men did hold,
For sumptuous houses, lodging, rayment, meat,
Honour, Attendance, Iewells, Siluer, Gold,
But when the cares and dangers I behold,
Of those whom Fortune doth so high aduance,
How to dissembling slattery some are sold;
Lust, Fulnesse, Idlenesse, Intemperance;
My life I happy deeme, in quiet lowly chance.
Thus of late folly's, I though late complaine,
And that sweet
Peace, which doth not there appeare,
Now in mine
homely Cell I entertaine,
Which by her want I learne to loue more deare;
Sweet holy quiet life! where meanest cheare
To hungry stomocks, is a daily feast,
Where thirst like
Nectar, makes fresh cooling beere;
Where in a cabbin is more quiet rest,
Than on Downe
Persian beds, with Gold and Feathers drest.
In this estate I no man doe enuie,
Nor would enuied be of any one;
Great store of wealth, doth store of cares supply,
That little that I haue is still mine owne,
I reape with Ioy the crop, that I haue sowne,
Without least care but onely to attend it,
The
Lambs I weane, are daily
greater growne:
What haue I but to praise him that doth send it?
And with a cheerefull heart vnto the poore to lend it.
[Page 31] But least corrupt my mind, or body grow
with too much ease, or wanton Idlenesse;
My mind I set my
Makers Will to know,
His
Wisedome, Power, Truth, and
Holinesse;
I often ride or walke to wearinesse,
The members of my body to subdue
And
Temper 'gainst
Lust and
Laciuiousnesse,
Thus by sweet contemplation, oft I view,
Such high transcendent things, as yet I neuer knew.
Thus rapt with contemplation I find,
That all these worlds-gay show's which men admire,
Are but
vaine shadow's, to the
ioy's of mind
Of those, that lead their liues in safe retire;
Whose onely happinesse and hearts desire,
Is here the talents God hath lent to spend
Vnto his glory, as he doth require,
And vsing
Temperately what he doth send;
Thus grant that I may liue, Thus grant that I may end.
MEDITAT. IIII. of BOVNTIE.
NOw will I raise faire
Alma's stately tower,
On
Temperance, her strong and soundest frame;
And goodly deck
Dame Bounty's dainty bower,
Whereby all Princes gaine immortall fame:
Some call her
Alma, some her
Bounty name,
The trusty
Almner of
Loues Royall Court;
Who beares the bag to giue to blind and lame,
And Suitors all that thither doe resort
Rewards most
bounteously, and feeds in seemely sort.
[Page 32] For on this heau'nly
Dame the eyes of all
Looke vp, that of her liberalitie
They may receiue, and shee againe lets fall,
Vpon them needfull things most plenteously,
Her bounteous hand shee opens willingly,
With blessings eu'ry creature full to fill,
To those that
Knowledge seeke, abundantly,
Shee giueth
Wisdome, Vnderstanding, Skill,
To know their
Makers Bountie, Maiestie, and
Will.
Most glorious
Alma! when as
Temperance
Controlls the noble Plentie of her Hall,
And with her Staffe keepes out
Intemperance,
Which doth abuse her
Grace and
Bountie all;
For where most Plentie is, there most doe fall
By want of
Temperance to Lust and Sin,
Till they be brought low as the
Prodigall,
For he that will true Praise by
Bountie win,
Must first of all at home with
Temperance begin.
For
Temperance with watchfull
diligence,
Are like two springs which
waters doe supply,
To open handed free
Beneficence,
And her discernes from
Prodigalitie,
By
Diligence we get sufficiencie
By
Temperance, what we haue gotten, spare
To minister to
Liberalitie,
For these two,
Lady-Bounty's handmaids are,
And for her, iust, and truly, store of wealth prepare.
But they that liue in
sloth and foule excesse,
Though they may seeme to be most liberall,
Oppression, and
Extortion mercilesse,
Are
Lakes, from whence their
Bounty's streamed doe fall,
And thus they rob the poore, that therewithall
They may themselues, rich friends, and children feast,
Blaspheming their great Maker, Lord of all,
And imitating basest sauage beast,
Which fawnes vpon the great, But doth deuoure the least.
[Page 33]
God of all Bountie, King most Liberall;
Who to thy vassall Man at his Creation,
Didst subiect make, Fish, Fowle, Beasts, creatures all,
And of thine handy works gau'st domination;
Who by thy prouidence and ordination
Him needfull things not onely dost prouide,
But for his health, delight and contentation,
That he may plentie to the poore diuide,
My
Muse to sing, heart, hands, to practise
Bountie guide.
Bountie, Beneficence, Benignitie,
In name though diuers, one in substance be,
Beneuolence and
Liberalitie,
Make
actions, and
affections agree,
If as they are, in God you wish to see,
They like his
Goodnesse are vnlimitted,
And as his
Mercy, Loue, and
Grace are free,
Which on his creatures are abundant shed,
But by my shallow
Muse their depth cannot be read.
They are too high to reach, too deepe to sound,
For all the earth is filled therewithall:
In heau'n aboue Gods
Goodnesse doth abound,
The
Bountie of his Grace is ouer all;
Of all the
Meditations which call
My mind, to holy
Ioy and admiration,
None lets more comfort than Gods
Bountie fall,
Both for my being and my preseruation,
But most in that he shed his bloud for my
Saluation.
Here could I wish my
Muse might euer dwell,
In viewing Gods great
Goodnesse, Bountie, Loue,
Which three to th'holy
Trinitie I well
May here ascribe; For
Goodnesse first doth moue
The
Father, to beget
Eternall Loue,
From
Loue and
Goodnesse, Bountie doth proceed:
Yet all these
three, as one in God doe proue,
In
substance one, although
distinguished
In
working! But this height my reach doth far exceed.
[Page 34] And therefore rauish't now with contemplation,
Beyond the compasse of my feeble eye,
My soule amaz'd falls downe to adoration
Of this misterious holy
Trinitie,
And from
diuine come to
benignitie:
And
bountie which should be in men below,
A
habit wee of
liberalitie;
Her call and good
affection we should show
In
thought, heart, word, and
deed, to eu'ry one we know.
And must from
goodnesse and true
loue proceed,
The onely cause of true
benignitie;
Wherefore, except these be in vs indeed,
Our
bounty is but
prodigalitie:
Or some like
froth of
superfluitie.
The crums and leauings of
Intemperance,
Which oft are dealt out with an euill eye,
More for vaine credit, or base circumstance,
Then for goodwill, or care Gods glory to aduance.
For eu'ry act hath then her true effect,
Which from true ground right aymeth at her end,
As when both
loue and
goodnesse doth direct
What
bounty truly gets, aright to spend:
Loe thus doth heau'nly
grace and
Bounty send
Her blessings temporall alike to all;
But doth for greater
benefits intend,
To those that on Gods name aright doe call,
And in this heau'nly sort, ought we be liberall.
Oh! then th' effects of
bounty glorious are,
When
Prouidence with true
Frugality,
Doe seeke by
Iustice to prouide and spare
Fit
sustenance for
liberality;
Behold that heau'nly
bounteous Maiesty,
Sends raine and fruitfull seasons whereby store
Of Blessings, th'earth may to his hand supply,
And many hidden treasures vp doth store
For to exalt the rich, and to refresh the pore.
[Page 35] Then humane
bounty like her Makers is,
When as shee labours to doe good to all;
But most of all to bring poore soules to blisse,
And fill their hearts with food spirituall:
Oh
Grace Diuine?
Bounty Angelicall;
With
spirituall loaues in Wildernesse to feed
Gods Saints, when spirituall hunger them doth gal;
The ignorant which pine with inward need,
Diuine sweet comforts to their fainting soules to reade.
True
Bounty's knowne, best by her company,
For shee in
Truth and
Mercy takes delight;
Faith, Iustice, Temperance, Humility,
And is withall
Loues graces richly dight,
Herein appeares her glorious heau'nly Sp'rite:
Shewing that shee of seed diuine is borne,
Of
Loue and
Goodnesse, not of
Vaine delight,
Or
Fame and
Praise of men, when shee doth scorne
To seeke feign'd bounteous shewes, her
goodnes to adorn.
For thus th'
ambitious man is
bountifull,
Thus belly-gods in plentie take delight,
Deceit with
gifts his neighbour seekes to gull,
The couetous bribe large to conquer right;
From such false
Bounty, Truth is banish't quite,
Humility, Faith, Knowledge, Temperance,
Nor any of
Loues Graces in her sight,
May suffered be their ensignes to aduance,
There dwells
Contention, Pride, Oppression, Ignorance.
As
daughters of the
horse-leech, still doe cry,
Giue giue: as Graue and Hell be neuer full,
So nought the couetous eye can satisfie,
But he that's liberall and bountifull
Is like full clouds, which doe most plentifull
Water the earth, and poure downe store of raine,
Yet are not emptie; for the mercifull
And liberall shall greater plentie gaine,
And he that scattereth shall find increase againe.
[Page 36] That hand is neuer emptie of reward,
Where as goodwill the hearts chest filleth full,
And
bountie neuer is so much afear'd,
Causlesse to giue, As not be bountifull
Where need requires; His face is beautifull
Where sweet Goodwill both heart and lookes haue Ioyn'd;
But th'enuious and malitious doe pull,
On wrinkles: And a man shall euer find,
The beautie of the face to alter with the mind.
Bountie is like vnto the glorious Sun,
Which as a
Bridegroome doth from chamber glide,
And as a
Gyant ioy's his course to run
From
East to
West, most swiftly he doth ride,
Nothing from's fertile heat it selfe can hide;
He doth not looke that one him vp should call:
So
bountie deales her Graces far and wide,
And Blessings without asking sends to all;
Expecting not vaine praise, where shee lets graces fall.
As some faire glorious garment, which we weare
Vpon our shoulders, reaching to the ground,
Couers all spots, and Naeues that on vs are:
So where this noble
bounty doth abound,
It couereth all faults that can be found,
For as
Loue couers, so doth
Bounty hide
A multitude of sins, and doth confound,
By her bright Beames,
Detraction, Enuy, Pride;
Alas these are to weake where
Bounty's on our side.
Shee's like vnto the Lamp of glorious day,
Which doth diuide the darknesse from the light,
For whereas
Bountie doth her beames display,
Behold bright day: without them there is night;
The King that by his
bountie doth inuite,
His subiects hearts to Loue and Honour due,
Sleepes more secure, than he that doth by might
And feare, strong forts and walled townes subdue,
And for his guard's encompassed with armed crue.
[Page 37] Bountie and Benefits are eu'n the Bands,
Of
Concord, and as fire doth quickly dye,
That is not fostered with coles or brands;
So dies true Loue with men: Except supply
Be made by gifts and liberalitie:
Who doth the wandring soule direct aright,
Though with him he doth deale most bounteously;
Yet doth he but his fellowes candle light,
And to another giues, yet loseth selfe no light.
True
bounty seekes
high God to imitate,
Who to the most vnthankfull is most free,
Sol doth his light to Theeues participate
And without tempests, Pirates saile on Sea,
The Heau'ns of all good things the Authors bee,
Faire fortunes to vngratefull fooles doe send,
As onely seeking to doe good: so we
(Though oft in vaine our
bountie we doe spend)
To the vnthankfull must, as to the thankfull lend.
Gods
bounty's like to incense and perfume,
Cast on an heart inflam'd with holy
zeale,
Which praises vp, like cloudes of smoake doth sume,
And sweetest odours round about doth deale:
Man's Bounty is like widowes cruse or meale,
Which spent vpon the
Prophet growes to more,
Like Surgeons skill, which as he more doth heale,
Doth grow more cunning than he was before,
The diligent and bounteous hand want neuer store.)
As many fruits doe faire encrease and grow,
Not so much by the nature of the ground,
As by the
bounty, which from Heau'n doth flow,
And temperate aire that is about them found,
So all good
Arts in noblest wits abound,
More by some
Princes liberalitie,
And high regard they haue of
Muses sound,
Than their owne nature, strength, and industry,
Best friends to
Arts are
Bounty and
Humanity.
[Page 38] Should I but here recount the names of all,
Whom
bountifull in holy Writ I find,
I of your patience should be prodigall,
And my short time for this discourse assign'd,
Let me their names vp in a bundle bind;
Which if you please to ope as sweetly smell,
As
Camphires bush: my
Muse is now inclin'd,
Of some prophane examples here to tell,
Which seeme in noble
Bounty others to excell.
Than treasure
Cyrus more his friends esteem'd,
Whereof he multitudes by
bounty won:
And
Alexander greatest glory deem'd,
By
bounty neuer to be ouercome;
A King of
Egypt thought it better done,
His subiects coffers, than his owne to fill:
When as
Alphonsus heard
Titus Vespasians sonne,
Accounted that day lost, when for goodwill
He had giu'n nought; said, I ne're spent a day so ill.
Behold! these fiue examples liue in one,
The
bounteous Monarch, that our Scepter sways,
Esteemes his friends' boue gold, or precious stone,
And ouercomes eu'n all that him obay's,
By soueraigne
Bounty, to's immortall praise,
No King so fills his subiects chests with gold,
His
bounteous deeds in number passe his day's:
Ah! how then dare my niggard rimes be bold,
The sacred
bounty of my Soueraigne to vnfold.
Who hoards not vp his wealth in Caue or Tower,
Nor into prisons darke condemnes his gold:
But as on him from heau'n all Blessings shower,
So are his to vs Subiects manifold:
As from thicke clouds, we numberlesse behold,
Large streames of fruitfull raine on earth to fall:
So is his largesse to his seruants told,
Who entring poore, returne rich from his hall,
Like
Tagus golden sands, his hands are liberall.
[Page 39] Vouchsafe, oh
bounteous Soueraigne! heare thy thrall,
After thy cloud, a subiects drop'd to sing;
Whom thou didst to deserued honour call,
And was in name and bountie as a
King:
Who in thy bounteous steps thee following,
Did from obscurity my
Fortunes raise,
Without desert or my least offering,
He now in Heau'n his
bounteous King doth praise,
As he with
bounty honour'd him here all his day's.
And let vs all his
bounteous praises sing,
Whose
bounty vs from Hell and Death doth raise,
Our blessed
Sauiour, Prophet, Priest, and
King,
Who here in
bounteous deeds spent all his day's;
Casting out Deuills, sauing soules alway's,
Healing the sicke, giuing the blind their sight;
Mournes for our sins, for enemies he pray's;
Comforts the rich, and feeds the hungry wight,
And still in doing good, doth set his whole delight.
How could malicious heart of enuious man,
Consent to murther such a
bounteous King?
Scourge, scorne, deride, despight him what they can,
Still in his bounteous deeds perseuering;
Yea when vnto the Crosse they him doe bring,
Father they know not what they doe, he cry's;
And when his body hangs their torturing,
He to the Thiefe not Paradise denyes;
Thus doing good he liues: Thus doing good he dyes.
What doth the
Lord of Life eternall dye?
Which vnto vs eternall life doth giue;
See his large
bounty, and
benignity?
Hee gaue his life for vs, that we might liue,
What heart of stone doth not here melt, or riue
But with his
Life, his
Bounty doth not end,
He by his Will, and Testament doth giue
Vs Heau'n, yea more the Comforter doth send,
With millions of
Angells, on vs to attend.
[Page 40] Who can of this his
Sauiours Bountie tast?
And to his members not be
bountifull,
If thou want wealth, and coine giue what thou hast,
And let our hearts be alwaies mercifull,
And like the fertile ground yeeld plentifull
Encrease, of all the seeds which thereon grow,
'Tis
Bountie that doth fill our garner's full,
He sparing reapes, that sparingly doth sowe,
True
Bounty's noble hand no want did euer know.
But ah too many couetous of Praise
And Glory doe by fraud and rapine spoile;
Other's, that they thereby there names may raise,
And some goods gotten by much care and toile,
Spend on their pleasures, and thereby beguile,
Their poore and needy neighbour of his right,
Drinking and surfetting in ease the while,
And spending frankly on some base delight,
Like Brutes are bountifull to their owne appetite.
Some onely by their
Bountie seeke for fame,
And these are onely to
Ambition free,
Some Patrons now aday's such Shepheards name,
To feed the Flocke, as loose and Idle Bee,
Wealth vnto wealth to adde they all agree:
Mo man respects the needy and the poore,
The emptie vessels, emptie still we see;
They that are full, to them is added more,
Dry
hills want water, when the
valley's swim with store.
As
Knights which of the noble Order are
Of
Garter, that they better may be knowne,
A golden
George about their necke they weare,
Nor doe the same at any time lay downe,
Whereby their noblenesse should be vnknowne:
So
Nobles alwaies weare
Benignitie,
Whereby whose
Sonnes you are yee may be showne,
For nothing proues you
Sonnes of the most High,
More than your
Bountie and true
Liberalitie.
[Page 41] But of
salse bountie you doe vainely boast,
Delighting in vaine pastime, oyle and Wine,
And gluttons feed for glory to your cost,
Whil'st at your doores, the poore may sterue and pine,
You welcome such as you inuite to dine;
But scarce afford the poore scraps, at your gate;
Which shew that all your
bountie is to Ioyne
Credit and Glory to your great estate,
And but for Crowes and Kites, or Daw's do lay a Baite.
You for a million at a cast will play,
And hazard all your fortunes at a game,
And grudge not for one daintie bit to pay
A thousand, and then glory in the same,
With gold you tricke and trim vp some loose Dame,
The sinke that sucks vp all your
Liberalitie,
Thus lauish you to your eternall shame,
All that your Fathers got by their
Frugalitie,
And left to you to spend in
bounteous hospitalitie.
Braue
Alexanders deeds for ay commends
His wondrous confidence, and
bountie rare;
Who dealing out amongst his faithfull friends,
Lands, houses, townes, he gold and all did share,
When one besought him wisely to forbeare,
For what, said he, alas! is left the
King?
New hopes of gaming more, said he, there are,
Thus on his fate and fortunes venturing
The Heau'ns propitious seem'd, to him, in eu'ry thing.
But ah! poore Prince! thy
hopes are all but vaine,
As were the
Benefits thou didst expose;
But we are certaine of eternall
gaine,
If
bounteously Gods blessings we dispose:
Ah! what is it if worldly things we loose!
And thereby gaine vs an
Eternall Crowne,
Which heau'nly
Bountie layeth vp for those,
That their owne glory willingly lay downe,
And what they reape by
Bountie bounteously haue sowne.
[Page 42] Such all within most gloriously shall shine,
Their vestiments shall be of twined Gold;
They shall of Hony tast, and spiced Wine;
And all the Bridegroomes fruits both new and old,
He gently will such in his armes infold;
And satisfie their sense with pleasing smell,
No eare hath heard, no tongue hath euer told,
The
Ioy and
Bounty that with him doe dwell,
But more of these, where next of heau'nly
Ioy I tell.
MEDITAT. V. Of Spirituall and Heau'nly IOY.
HOw should a heart opprest with worldly cares,
Of
Spirituall inward Ioy now rightly sing;
Since none her knowes, but who her image beares,
And feeles the
Spirits inward witnessing:
All sacred stuffe I to this building bring
No helpe, but he that
Abba Father cry's,
Can teach my
Muse to touch this golden string,
I therefore here forbeare prophane supply's,
My Spirit wholly on the
holy Spirit rely's.
Well, said the King, All worldly things are vaine,
And trauell which beneath the Sun he found
Compared to left drop or minutes gaine,
Which
Spirituall Ioy did to his heart propound;
No reach of
Wisards skill, no wit profound,
Is able this true
Ioy to comprehend,
This Musicke wholly to the Saints doth sound,
The inward man can onely apprehend,
Sweet liuely
Spirituall Ioy, which neuer shall haue end.
[Page 43] No
Muses darling euer yet did dreame,
Of this sweet wind, which where it lists doth blow;
This onely is sweet
Israels Singers theame,
Which he by heau'nly influence did show;
And then most, when the outward man brought low,
By paine of body, or by griefe of mind,
Did from his pen diuinest comforts flow,
Most heau'nly
Ioy's, which he was wont to find,
To grow more strong within, as he without declind.
Oh
Ioy of ioy's? vnspeakeable delight,
Eu'n when our soules the powers of hell doe shake,
And vs with Iustice and due vengeance fright,
When as our guilty conscience is awake,
That all with terrour tremble, horrour quake;
That then our gentle
beame of heau'nly
Grace,
Not onely shall from vs this horrour take,
But in
Loues armes vs in an instant place,
They onely know this
Ioy, that haue beene in this case.
If euer I receiued strength and skill
From Heau'n, to scale the hill of
contemplation,
I now doe hope Gods
gracious Spirit will,
Me fill with Ioy for his sweet meditation;
Oh,
blessed Spirit! who by sweet inspiration,
Directest eu'ry
holy Prophets quill,
Enlighten mine, by heau'ns illumination,
That most diuine sweet
Ioy's it may distill
Into the Readers heart, and Mine with comfort fill.
No tongue could euer tell, no heart conceiue,
Therefore no Art is able to define
What is the
inward Ioy which we receiue,
By
peace of conscience, and
Grace diuine:
But sure it is, that speciall marke or signe,
Which on our soules the
holy Spirit of Grace
Most gently doth imprint, and liuely line,
Whereby we doe behold Gods cheerefull face,
And spiritually feele, our
Bridegroomes sweet embrace.
Besides this
inward Ioy spirituall,
By one we common blessings here enioy,
By th'other we in Sin and errour fall;
Those be partakers of
Ioy naturall,
That health of body haue, and worldly store,
The
carnall Ioy we sinfull pleasures call,
Excesse of meate, and wine, Lips of a whore,
And all mans vaine delights 'gainst rule of heau'n lore.
These
Ioy's, which with false pleasures vs deceiue,
Are not of kin to
Ioy spirituall;
For that they alway's doe our hearts bereaue
Of inward
Ioyes pure food
Angelicall;
Gods goodnesse is th'efficient cause of all,
And though each person in the
Trinitie,
May seeme to haue a working seuerall,
Yet all in one, and one in all agree,
With
Ioy here to begin mans true felicitee.
There many causes are materiall,
Why we this
inward Ioy in vs should haue▪
Gods
freest grace, which doth most surely call,
All those that he elected hath to saue;
The
Peace of conscience, which
Ioy vs gaue,
And eke the
Ioy of our
Sanctification:
Whereby eu'n heauens inheritance we craue,
And certainly expect
glorification,
And are inuited guests to heau'ns
participation.
As are Gods gifts and graces infinite,
So causes are of
Ioy spirituall;
It fills my soule with infinite delight,
When all his benefits to mind I call;
But none like this that's
Sonne should saue vs all;
By that great secret of his Incarnation,
Which made the
Babe into
Ioy's passion fall,
At
blessed Mothers heau'nly Salutation,
And made blind
Simeons soule, reioyce in his Saluation.
And her sweet little
Lord to magnifie
Her
Sauiour, which shee in her armes did bring;
This made in heau'nly Host such melody,
When newes was brought of his
Natiuity;
Oh
Ioy of Ioy's! to you is borne this day
A
Sauiour, God from all eternitie:
This made the Wise-men from the East to stray,
And offer to him gifts, that in a cradle lay.
This made the holy King, propheticall,
Though many pleasant Lay's to Harpe hee sing,
Straine none so high, and so patheticall,
As those of his
Sonne, Sauiour, Lord, and
King:
Oh then each stroake, hee strikes, to heau'n doth ring.
His heart reioyceth; and his tongue is glad,
Such Ioy doth hope of resurrection bring,
That though his flesh be with corruption clad,
His heart shall neuer faint, nor soule be euer sad.
We for this
hope, it count exceeding
Ioy
When we doe fall, on many sore temptations,
And when afflictions most abound, we
Ioy
In
Trialls, Sufferings, and
Tribulations:
The
Angells in their holy habitations,
At our conuersions wondrous
Ioy receiue,
What passing
Ioy will be and delectations,
When all the
members to their
head shall cleaue,
And for short Sorrowes, endlesse recompence receiue.
My
Muse her selfe eu'n out of breath now fly's,
Rais'd vp so high by
Ioy Spirituall;
Yet by
Ioy's obiects, she must higher rise,
To
Father, Sonne, the
Holy Ghost, and all:
What greater
Ioy, than on the
Father call;
And how did
Abraham reioyce to see?
The day of his
Redeemers nuptiall;
Ah what more
Ioy vnspeakeable can bee?
Than feele the
holy Spirit of Grace to dwell in thee.
[Page 46] Oh happy Host, such guests to entertaine,
With
peace of conscience, their continuall feast,
Open you euerlasting doores againe,
Open,
The King stands knocking ready prest;
The
King of Glory, to come in and rest:
Downe from the fig-tree speedily then come,
And entertaine thy
Sauiour in thy brest,
To day Saluation is to thee come home,
With
Faith, Hope, Loue, and
Truth perfume thou eu'ry rom.
For without these, true
Ioy will neuer stay,
With her must all the
heau'nly Graces bide,
Long-suffering, Mercy, Peace, desire to
Pray,
God these hath ioyn'd, no man may them diuide,
False
Ioy's without these into vs may slide,
As stony ground, which did receiue the seed;
Did flourish faire, and Branch on eu'ry side;
But this did
Faith, but
temporary breed,
And we this but a
momentany Ioy areed.
There are besides this friendly seeming
Ioy,
Other that are professed enemy's;
As those which worldly happinesse enioy,
And liue in pleasures, ease, and jollity's:
Against these th'author of true ioy reply's,
Woe vnto you that laugh, for you shall waile,
Lament and howle for your iniquity's,
When Iudgement comes, and all mens hearts shal faile,
What then shall all your worldly pleasures you auaile.
Another
Ioy against true
Ioy I find,
When in true cause of Ioy we so delight,
That we omit from Lusts, to clense our mind,
And valiantly 'gainst base affections fight,
Ah! how can
heau'nly true Ioy take delight,
Amongst our grosse corruptions here to dwell,
Sure this
Reioycing is not good and right,
A little
Leuen makes the
whole lump smell,
Our boastings vaine: This water's not from liuing well.
[Page 47] There is a counterfett, and feign'd delight,
Shew'd in the face, but comes not from the heart,
Whom I may call,
A merry Hypocrite,
Others reioyce so in their owne desert,
In their redemption they will beare a part:
These are the men, whom workes must iustifie,
Alas! poore wretch! remember what thou art,
And whence thou hast receiued thy supply,
And thou shalt soone from this thy
proud reioycing slye.
Proud slesh and bloud! that dares of merits boast,
When in thy Makers presence thou do'st stand,
And hopest to regaine what
Adam lost,
By thine
inherent Iustice: thou do'st band,
Directly 'gainst thy Makers glory; and,
Seek'st to reioyce in Iustice of thine owne,
Presume not 'boue thy strength to vnderstand,
But merry be and glad in
God alone,
Who is all
Worthinesse, but in thy selfe is none.
As those which vaine applause of men regard,
And at their doing almes a trumpet blow;
Gaine onely praise of men, for their reward,
But
God no such good-workes will euer know;
So those in whom these boasting merits flow,
And in their meritorious workes delight,
God neuer them doth this sound comfort show,
They may awhile seeme goodly in mans sight,
But neuer feele true inward
Ioy and sound delight.
As those which onely see the Stars and Moone,
But neuer saw faire
Phaebus glorious light,
Beleeue no cleerer lights haue euer shone;
Than those faire Lamps, which doe adorne the night;
So those that neuer knew this
true delight,
Those
heau'nly Ioy's to holy Saints confin'd,
Thinke there most
Ioy, where flesh doth most delight:
But tast they once sweet inward
Ioy of mind,
In all these
worldly Ioy's they no content can find.
[Page 48] This
heau'nly Ioy by no similitude,
In Heau'n or Earth can truly be exprest,
Yet is shee felt; as oft in simple rude,
As in the most profound, deepe learned breast;
None know her, till they be of her possest.
For as we feele the winde when it doth blow,
But whence it comes, or where it meanes to rest,
No wit of man ere able was to show;
So many feele these
Ioy's, but know not whence they flow.
As in the
Incarnations mysteries,
The blessed Virgin ouer-shadowed
By th'
Holy Ghost, and power of the most High;
Perceiu'd her fruitfull womb replenished,
But knew not whence, till th'
Angell it aread;
So wee this
Babe of
Ioy spirituall,
Oft feele in vs most liuely quickened;
But know not how, nor whence the same doth fall,
Till that same
Spirit of Truth, to vs reuealeth all.
And as no creature able is of man,
The
Spirit to discerne, but man alone,
So of this
Spirituall Ioy, no spirit can
Conclude, but this sweet spirituall holy One:
Some would it liken to the glorious Sunne,
Which by his liuely beames doth Life inspire;
Where they an obiect fit to light vpon,
But I forbeare too nicely to inquire,
And rather in mine heart, to feele her
beames desire.
Oh
Sunne of Light! Bright Glory of thy
Sire,
Who when thou left'st the earth, thy Spirit didst send,
Into our hearts sweet comforts to inspire,
And with vs to abide till world's last end:
Some good examples to my
Muse commend,
Of holy men, which tooke so much delight
In heau'nly
Ioy's, they holy them intend,
And banish all vaine worldly pleasures quite
Shining like
glorious Lamps in worlds obscurest night.
Most what concealed vnder ashes ly's
Which one, till into flames they doe respire,
At home more easie, than aborad descry's:
Because it selfe within best testify's,
In
Abraham appear'd this holy flame;
When as he saw his
Sauiour with his eyes
Who of his blessed seed long after came,
For
Abram saw
Christs day and ioyed in the same.
Vp
Miriam vp, thou merily canst sing;
Now through the Red Sea thou art safely past,
Hereby our Baptisme then prefiguring,
That when
Repentance vs with teares hath wash't,
With
Ioy wee
Egypts Bondage of should cast:
But neuer did more
Ioyfull musicke sound,
Than
Dauids: when he of this
Ioy did tast,
Restore mee to those wonted
Ioy's I found,
And euer let thy
holy Spirit in me abound.
Oh blessed
Bridegroome of the fairest
Bride,
How often when shee seeketh thee by night,
Doest thou thy
Ioyfull presence from her hide?
That wanting, shee in thee may more delight:
How oft againe, when thou do'st her inuite?
Rise my belou'd, and ope to mee the doore,
Such is her nicenesse, and her sluggish sprite;
Shee will not rise to let thee in, before
Thou thence art gone; And then thy losse shee doth deplore.
These are the
apples, odours, nuts, and
wine,
Which comfort her, when shee is sicke of
Loue;
These
Christs embraces that doe her entwine,
The
kisses which he giues his
Turtle Doue:
Milke, spice, pomegranats, which shee so doth loue,
All these are
inward Ioy's the
Bride hath here,
Whereof she with the
Bridegroomes friends doth proue;
And eates and drinkes with
Ioy and
merry cheere,
Yea drinkes abundantly with her
beloued deare.
[Page 50] This was the
Ioy, that him was set before,
That did endure the
Crosse, despise the
shame,
And Lord of all, became low, naked, pore,
Enduring death vs to excuse from blame!
His
Martyrs and
Apostles in the same
Suffrings and crosses him haue followed;
And trode the
Wine-presse as their order came,
Where some in scorching flames more Ioy's haue red,
Than wearied Limbs could find, in softest downy bed.
This 'twas the
Kingly Prophet so admir'd,
When loathing all worlds pompe and glory vaine,
He this one onely thing of God desir'd,
For euer in his
Temple to remaine,
To view the Beautie of that
heau'nly traine:
This made him leaue his purple Crowne and Throne,
And in a linnen
Ephod dance amaine:
For this would
Constantine be rather one
Of
Christ his members, then the
Empires head alone.
But why seeke I for witnesses without,
Since 'tis the
Spirit within that testify's,
Our Soule that without wauering or doubt,
With
Peace of Conscience, Abba Father Cry's:
Vnto whose Soule this
Spirit eke reply's,
Be glad and Ioyfull, I am thy saluation
Be not afraid-My
Grace shall thee suffice
To conquer
Hell; And to resist temptation,
And yeeld the soundest
Ioy in greatest tribulation.
I will make glad thy soule, delight thine heart,
And with a cheerefull countenance will smile,
For
I am thine and
mine againe thou art;
And though afflictions here thee square and file,
No power in Earth or Hell shall thee beguile
Of those sweet
Ioy's, which are for thee prepar'd:
Oh tarry thou my leasure but a while,
And thy petitions all, I will regard,
Delight in mee, I am thy hope, and iust reward.
[Page 51] Oh! who can heare these Ioyous inuitations,
These blessed promises, and yet complaine,
That hee's afraid of crosse, or tribulations:
Oh! neuer let these worldly pleasures vaine,
Make me so great a looser for their gaine;
And let me here all worldly griefes endure,
Lord onely free me from eternall paine,
This inward
Ioy shall euer me assure,
And on thy merits I in all, will rest secure.
Who would not rather couet there to dwell,
Where
fulnesse is of Ioy for euermore,
Than in false vaine delights, which leads to Hell
Voluptuous Diet, flatt'rings of a Whore;
I rather had with
Dauid keepe a dore
Where inward
Ioy, may in my soule abound;
Than swim in pleasures and preferments store,
In Princes Courts, where vaine delights are found,
Which like faire flowers fade, and quickly fal to ground.
But I confesse, this prouerb true I find,
That where
Gods Church is raising, there to build,
His
Chappell is the
Deuill most inclin'd,
And where best seed is sowne in Ground well till'd,
He with most
tares and
weeds it alway's fill'd:
Vaine pleasures, are his
tares, true
Ioy's our
wheate,
Till haruest both together grow in field,
Then will the
Lord of Haruest surely beat,
The cockle from pure corne, at his owne board to eate.
Fountaine of
Ioy! oh set thy whole delight;
Into thy Lawes and Statutes to enquire;
To meditate thereon both day and night,
My soule than Gold doth more these
Ioy's desire.
Let others honour, wealth, and wine admire;
Lift, Lord, on me thy louing countenance,
Thy
louing fauour, shall my Soule raise higher,
Than
Princes highest
fauours can aduance,
To heau'nly
spirituall wealth, not subiect vnto chance.
[Page 52] In holy Writ, I many places find,
From whence doe flow these
Ioy's spirituall,
But no where faster, than within my mind,
Oh Lord! Thou know'st; not I; from whence they fall:
God of all
Peace, and
Ioy perpetuall;
Let not my
Ioy A temporary proue,
But with her in mine heart thy
Graces all
Infuse,
Faith, Mercy, Patience, Peace, and
Loue;
To passe by things below, and seeke for things aboue.
Of endlesse
Ioy how should I make an end?
My
Muse is neuer weary of delight;
Since I this
Meditation did intend,
I neuer scarce could sleepe by day or night.
So doth the pleasing matter me inuite;
So full of
rimes, and so the
numbers run:
That I in shorter time haue finish't quite,
This tast of
Ioy, than I haue earst begun
Some other
Graces: But my hower-glasse hath done.
FINIS.