To all such of the Congregation both men, woemen, and children o [...] discretion that are of the English nation▪ residing at Hamborough that seeke, & serue god in sincerity vvithout hipocrisie or faction.

BLessed, & beloued in the lord. The Christian sobriety▪ & cōfortable charitie vvhich I obserued in my table brothers occa­sioned the cōposing of these hymnes. It vvas their goodnes to make them publique for the benefitt of others also. They are all deuine songs, yea from meditations of the scripture are they dravvne. If you shall vse them in your priuate families to gods glorie, [Page] [...]ur ovvne solace, & to the instructiō, [...]edification of your children I haue [...]e end of my desire. Receaue them as [...]e symptomes of my soules affection the generall aduancment of gods [...]uice, to the priuate consolation of you your children, & to the praise, and [...]nour of our ovvne mother tongue. [...]us in the midest of manie harshe [...]mes of grudge, and despite I haue [...]arned to tune the songs of Sion. For vvhich I praise god, and shall neuer [...]ase to pray for your blessednes in the [...]uing mercies of Iesus Christ his [...]uours. resting

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. [...]OHN POWELL one of [...]he assistants of the worthy cōpanie of the Marchants Aduenturers residing at Hamborough.

WOrthy frend. VVhen Iuliā the Apostate infested the church of god, sōtimes by barbarous cruelty, & somtimes by deuilish policie, among other his vvicked practises that vvas not the least, nor the last vvhen [...]e interdited the christians all vse of bookes, both priuatly, & publike­ [...] for their children to learne [Page 4] excepte Poetry. It pleased almighty god in that distresse of his church to stirre vp a learned man one Apollinarius a singular Meta­phrast to put into heroicall Greeke verse all the psalmes of Dauid by vvhich blessing the children of god had vse, and comfort of that excel lent booke of the psalme, & the tyrants decree tooke noe hold of thē, because novve it vvas become deuine poesie, & poetry they might read. Which shevves vnto vs gods especiall, & singular providence for his church vpon all occasions. And novve albeit (god be blessed) there is noe cause to complaine either of any such Apostatical povver, for vve haue an Apostoli­call king, nor of any such vvicked pollicy, for vve haue had kings, & Queēs nursing fathers, & nursing [Page 5] mothers of our church; yet in these Hal [...]yon daies of ours I haue presumed to metaphrase some passages of Dauid psalmes as an Essay to knovve vvhether vve might expresse our harts to god in our holy soliloquies by mōasillables in our ovvne mother tongue, or no. It being a receaued opinion amōgst many of those vvho seeme rather to be iuditious, then caprichious, that heretofore our english tongue in the true idiome thereof consisted altogether of Monasillables, vntill it came to be blended, and mingled vvith the commixture of Exotique languages. And I my selfe haue seene all the lord prayer vsed in the tyme of Iohn Wickleefe to be expressed in vvords of one sillable. And because gods children did reckon seauen tymes seauen yeares [Page 6] before they could enioy their yeare of Iubile. I haue made allusion in this little Essay to tune forth seauē tymes seauen sad sobbs for sinne, that vvhen vve haue spent the remaynder of our vvretched dayes of our pilgrimage here, god may in his mercie vvipe avvay all teares from our eyes, & bring vs to our eternall Iubile in his glorious king­dome. Which god grant to you, to me, & to all Christian people for his ovvne rich mercie sake, and the satisfactory meritts of Iesus Christ our lord Amen.

Written from my studie vvithin the English house at Hamborough Jan. 24.

To his much respected good frend Mr. THOMAS BARKER one of [...]e assistants of the worthy cōpanie [...]f the Marchants Aduenturers residing at Hamborough.

WElbeloued. There is nothing more comfortable to a spirituall minded mā [...]n to muse, & meditate of his [...]arture hence into the blessed [...]t of Christ in the other life: [...] to a vvordling that vvould [...]ld vp a rest for his body here, & [...]g a requiem to his soule in this [...]le of teares nothing is more [Page 28] fearefull, & hiddeous then for hi [...] to heare death spoken of. We m [...] therefore examine our selues vvhether vve can sing a song of [...] in this exile, and banishmēt, vvh­ther vve can solace our selues, in hymnes, & songs of our ends, a [...] departure hence. For vve m [...] hence Nothing more sure, but t [...] tyme vvhen, the place vvhere, [...] the manner hovv Nothing mor [...] vnsure. It is sufficient that g [...] telleth vs our life is but a flov [...] that fadeth, an hovver th [...] passeth a shadovve that depart [...] a vanity that vexeth, a momēt t [...] vvarneth, a nothing vvhen vv [...] haue done all vve can. For [...] thoughts, our faults, our purpos [...] our proiects, our loues, our liu [...] vvhen our breath departet [...] perisheth in the tvvinckling of [Page 29] O then let vs meditate, & muse our selues, and sing, & say to our [...]les, that our end, & the last [...]ings are not the least, but the best [...]ngs that vve can consider of to [...]rtifie vs, & make vs meete for [...]e sauing mercies of god in Christ, vvhich I recomend you in my [...]arest loue, & rest.

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. NICHOLAS BACKHOUSE [...]archant one of the assistants of the vvorthy companie of the Marchant Aduenturers residing at Hamborough.

MUch endeered. The cheefest parts of gods seruice are either prayer [...]r praise Prayer for vvhat vve vvant. Praise in thanks giuing for vvhat vve haue receaued.

The svveete singer of Israell in his heauenly composed hymes vseth [...]oth to pray to god, & to praise [...]od. I need not recomend vnto you [Page 54] prayer I hope you vse it as I knovv you doe publikely soe I doubte no [...] but you vse it also priuatly Preaching is gods speach to you Prayer is ours to him. Preaching belongs to me, I preach to you [...] your pastor, & pray for you also Prayer belongs to you to pray for me, your selfe, all yours, all go [...] childrē. For the manner hovve no [...] better president, noe more perfect patterne, then S. Paulls practice [...] his prayers, vvhich I haue here metaphrased for you in the syllables of your ovvne mother tongue. Go [...] the father is the objecte of your prayers, & prayses. God the sonne the presenter of them as the only master of requests in heauen. Go [...] the holy ghost the very breath [...] your prayers, the simle of you [...] soule. Vse this blessed exercise both [Page] of prayer, & praise. Be in loue vvith it, & god vvill loue you. To vvhich loue of his in this modell of my best loue to you I recomend your vvell disposed thoughts in the sauing mercies of Christ Iesus your lord, & mine. Resting

To his much esteemed good freend Mr. WILLIAM CHRISTMAS Marchant one of the deacons of the English Church residing at Hamborough:

Grace here, glory for euer in Christ.

LOuing, & beloued frend. The title of this heauenly hymne shevveth the excellency thereof. For it is called the song of songs, or the Canticles of vvise Soloman. The subiecte is most sacred, for it is the [...]uptiall loue song betvveene Christ, & his spouse. Wherein their mutuall loues by svveete resēblāces [Page 76] are mystically, & maruelously ex­pressed What more comfortable song then to sing our harts loue vve beare to Christ in the blessed vnion by one spirit vvherby vve haue euerlasting life. Tvvo of the first chapters of vvhich song I haue metaphrased into Monosyllables, vvhich I haue bequethed to your loue as a signe of mine, & to seale both ours. Receaue it as the rest of your colleagues, for I vvish you all the happines of both vvorlds in the sauing mercies of Christ t [...] vvhich I recommend you, & a [...] that looke vpon you vvith loue resting.

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. ISAAC LEE one of the assistants of the most vvorthy companie of the marchants-Adventurers re­siding at Hamb:

MOre thē much beloued when god brought man forth at the first he put him not into a vvildernes, but into a garden, a paradise, & place of pleasure wherby I see that his sacred maiestie did not reioyce in the misery, but in the delight & happines of his creatures. Cheere­fulnes therefore pleaseth god [Page 100] better then dulnes, [...] & heauines of hart. Let vs be▪ godly, & good in our pleasures, & it vvill neuer displease our maker) neither vvill he grudge, or repin [...] at our ioy. To this purpose haue I framed certayne hymns for th [...] priuat solace of such as shall take delight there in. One portion vvhereof I haue consecrated to you▪ Let yt haue acceptance of you by your practice of yt▪ I expect [...] other guerdon for my paines. For the highest knovves vvith vvhat an honest hart I composed this, & the rest, & vvhat a desire I had in the framing thereof for the good of many. I haue euer hated epi­curean resolution▪ Let vs eate, & drinke to morrovve vve shall dye. But I haue euer loued entyre [...] exhortacion. Let [...] [Page] vs pray, & praise god, To mor­rovve vve shall liue For to loue, is to liue, & vvhere vve loue, the [...]e vve liue▪ If vve loue god, vve shall liue in him by our prayers, by our prayses, & all by one spirit. O then let vs so loue him, that vve may liue in him in our daylie voices, that they may be hard to his glory, our comfort, & good example of our brethren. The god of heauen ioy your [...]art in all your life, & in your death that vve may all meete to sing together in the quire of heauen vvith the angells in the sauing mercies of our Sauiour Christ.

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. WALTER PELL one of the assis­tants of the most vvorthy cōpanie of the marchants-Adventurers re­siding at Hamb:

LOuing frend. If you vvould die vvell, you must endeuour to liue vvell. Then let your death be neuer so suddaine, It vvill not come vnexpected neither vvill you be vnprepared. The daies, & houers of daies that you haue spent in gods seruice either in praying, or praysing him shalbe [Page 124] so many cordialls of comforts, [...] consciences of vvell led purposes, & vvill so take vp your hart in ioye, & solace, that noe terrour of death, or darkenes shall appale yt. Who vvould not then be busie in this so serious, so sacred a busines? Let vs neuer thinke to be soundly merry, if this be not our musique. Reason, & Religion guides vs here vnto. For veary Reason shevveth vnto vs that vve must all die, & Religion enlighteneth vs hovve vve may dye vvell. Fooles iudge actions by euents, But the vvise for see by iudgmēt of reason, & faith vvhat vvill inevitably ensue. To this purpose all this is sayd. That as I haue in myne endeered loue sent you an introduction herevnto in this paper token so you vvould [Page 125] accept, & practize it. So shall I euer rest your votary praying to god for your eternall happines in Christ Iesus his sauing mercies.

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. WILLIAM WALCOT marchant, one of the most vvorthie cōpanie of Marchant Adventurers residing at Hamborough.

Happines for euer.

KInd frend. Forced fauours vvere euer sleighted, & thankles. But voluntary respects had euer vvith the best, and most noble minds courteous acceptāce hovve small, & meane soeuer the thing vvas. For a mā to giue his soule to his Creator vvhen he sees he must dye, & his goods to the poore, [Page 148] vvhen he sees he must part vvith them, & to forgoe our sinne, vv [...] vve can noe longer follovve yt are cold, yea vnkind obediences. But for a young man to remember his creator in the daies of his yout [...] & in his best, & strongest age [...] bequeath himself euery day to god in prayer, & praise is that­reasonable, & seasonable sacrifice vvhere vvith the most high is most pleased. To this purpose and noe other god knovveth I haue tendered these voluntary Essaies to diuerse of my masters, & Table­brothers. Let me not seeme to to officious, vvhile I desire to doe good, & expresse my loue. For [...] vnto the rest so vnto you Beloued Gā-naunt haue I sent this parcell. Receaue yt, as I meane yt both vvith hand, & hart, & then [...] [Page 149] am assured; it vvill neuer repent you of your acceptation, nor me of my dedication. The great lord keeper of heauen, & earth keepe you in his feare all the daies of your life, & preserue you for his sauing mercies in Christ Iesus in the end of your life, & for euer.

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. EDWARD MEEDE one of the assistants of the most vvorthy companie of Merchants Aduenturers residing at Ham­borough.

ALL happines in the lord Iesus. I present vnto you a part of Ieremies Lamentations meta­phrased. You may see herein my true hart vnto you all. In the midst of lamentable discōtents I tuned my soule, tongue, & [Page] pen to the land of god. And the rather in these lamentations for that they sorted some vvhat to my retired meditations. One tyme, or other all men are not as they vvould be. It is the condition of gods children. Happie is that man that can vse gods scourge to his amen dement. The great modera­tor of all things knovves his children fittest to be made palmes, to be spread vvith burthens, & vvaights, & not to be Oliues. That so vve might more thinke of our victorie, then of our rest. It is enoughe for vs that vve shall once triumph in heauen, & rest for all. To this holy rest, and eternall tranquillity god­giude [Page] vs all, into vvhose blessed keeping I recommend you in Christ sauing mercies. And rest.

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. IOHN GREENWELL on of the Assistants of the most vvorthy companie of marchants-Adventurers residing at Hamb:

WElbeloued in the lord. We are all strangers here in the earth, our home is aboue in heauen. It vvas a great greefe to gods Israel to tune the songs of Sion in a strange country. Hovve then is it vvith vs, that vve like so vvell of the things here, & thinke not of the blessings aboue. Hierusalem vvas once [Page] the mistrisse of the vvorld, th [...] Metropolis of the earth, & ye [...] vvhen the vvorlds darling fo [...] gatt god she vvas layd in the dus [...] That is the cause of the Prophe [...] lamentation. Indeed vvho vvould not shovver dovvne teares to [...] the holy place de [...]iled, & Ierusa [...] made an heape of stones? But vve see noe place be it neuer so glorio [...] in our eies, noe persons be they neuer so gratious in the sight of men that can escape gods [...] vvhē he vvill scourge The Turkes haue encroched into Chri­stendome, & made that [...]itty of Constantinople vvhich vvas once the glory of the east, a veary cage of vncleane Mahumetans. What Christians hart doth not bleed to see yt? to heare of yt? We haue cause to lament this. The prophe [...] [Page] [...]ad reason to condole that. O that our harts vvere touched vvith remorse for the poore distressed Christians that liue tributaries to the misbeleeuing. Turke. Consi­der in these hymnes the condition of gods people so subjecte to moane & misery. God directe all our [...]arts tovvard him in vvealth, in vvoe, in all. And so I cōmending you to god vvith the rest▪ in the sauing mercies of Iesus Christ, Am.

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. JOHN STAMPE, marchant one of the cōpanie of the Merchants-Ad­venturers residing at Ham­borough.

MYNE vnfained loue in Christ vnto you. Noe vvise man vvould sell his thoughts for all the vvorld. For as they are much pleasing to a mans selfe so are they beneficiall vnto others. I little thought vvhe I began to make an Essay into this businesse that it vvould haue enlarged it selfe into eleuen [Page] branches. What it is, & as it is▪ Euen the all of it I devote to all my table-brothers▪ Wherein your selfe haue a part. I shall desire your aecentance vvith the rest And euen so herein I commēd my loue to you, my lines to the vvorlds rensure, & the vse of thē to gods children; for vvhose s [...]ke I haue endeuored this Thus [...] my prayers for your succesfu [...] prosperity in all things. I leaue yo [...] to gods sauing grace. Remaying

To his much esteemed good frend Mr. GEORGE FRANKLYN on of the Assistants of the most vvorthy companie of marchants-Adventurers residing at Hamb:

Grace here, Glory hereafter in Christ.

LOuing, and beloued. The vvords of a dying father, or of a dying frend are vvont to take deepe impression in the minds, & memories of good natures. Whose vvords shall pearce, if the vvords of our Christ our dying Christ, and that for vs, & his last also. Whose I say if not his? To you I send the last vvords [Page] of Christ, in the last place, yet you are not the least in my loue. The first in intention, is last in exce­cution. And nothing is conveayed to the intellectuall povvers that is not first in the sensible parts. It vvas gods purpose of our Christ euen in the creatiō, that he should be thus vpon the crosse. See then your Christ at his last. Tune your dolefull dumps to a sad soule, and ioy in sobbs. For he prayes, cries, yells, promiseth, perfecteth all, that vve may be all in all vvith god. What can be more? Christ passion is the modell of our profes­sion, yea the medall of our perfe­ction. For gods strength is per­fected in our vveakenes.

We may sovve in teares, vve shall reape in ioy. Let my spring be vvett so that I may haue a [Page] plentifull Autume I care not. Vir dolorum can best tune his voice to dolours. If god vvill haue it so, His vvill be done. He did so vvith his ovvne. We cannot imagine our condition free. God giude vs through all by his sauing grace, To vvhich I shall euer recom­mend you, and rest.