THE BLESSED PVBLICANE.
Briefly shewing foorth the happy estate of humble repentant Sinners.
Written by John Orphinstraunge.
Imprinted at London by T.C. For Iohn Orphinstraunge.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, SIR IVLIVS CAESAR, One of his M ties most Honorable Priuie Councell: Together with the Right Worshipfull, the Doctors of the Ciuill Lawes, and the Masters of the Honorable Court of Chancerie.
Right Honourable, &c.
IT may be esteemed folly in me, if I should ouer-boldly presse into your Honors studies with a few lowly Inuocations, or the safe Rule to Coelestiall Repentance, which is the onely scope of this small Treatise, if I had not some likelihood of your fauourable and worthy acceptance; two reasons inciting me herevnto; First, for that it is compacted and fastned together by the Author, who before he knew the world, yea, before, was depriued by death of a great Losse, being made fatherles, of such a Father whose power was eminent in the Ciuill Lawes and Courts of Chancerie: [Page] before his child-birth, by the which losse, who knoweth not the miseries that such occasions inuite miserable people vnto: The Prophet Dauid herein is a perfit forme for such as truely repent, in the 37. Psalme, the 25. verse, saying, J haue beene young and now am old: and yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread: The other reason, is, because whosoeuer he be, that doth truery read it, first, the efficacie and pith of the words; secondly, he paines of the poore Author, in digesting and framing the same; thirdly, the profit and benefit of them whose zeale thirst after eternal felicitie. And thus desiring your friendly acceptance, of my poore endeuors, I humbly, and in all bounden dutie rest;
Your Honors, and Worships to
the vttmost of his power, I. Orphinstrange.
The humble and lowly Inuocation to GOD the FATHER.
GReat God of wisedom, earth, men, waters framing,
Giuer of light, of life, of breath and beeing,
Glorious
Iehouah at whose mightie naming,
All creatures rest, thy selfe all creatures seeing.
Melchizedeks God, him King of peace annointing,
Noahs Deliuerer, by thy sole power appointing,
Lots blessed Sauer from the fyred Citie,
God of all mercy, grace trueth, and endelesse pitie.
Father of
Abraham and his Familie,
Righter of
Iacobs bound calamitie,
Keeper of
Ioseph from his brethrens rage,
Sauer of
Moses in his infant age.
Guyder of
Iosuah in the promised land.
Scater of
Dauid with thy out stretch't hand,
Direct thy seruant whose poore pen assayes.
To adde one mite to thy e're-lasting prayse.
An humble and lowly Inuocation to GOD the Sonne.
SOnne of the Blessed, blessed euer-liuing,
Sunne-shine of Glory, and our good thoughts gracing,
Store-house of treasure, righteous, euer-giuing.
To vs thy mercie and our soules chiefe placing,
The Port, the Hauen for all men distressed,
Thou free deliuerer of all poore oppressed,
Thou Paschall Lambe, thou Ensigne of the iust,
Thou Fort of glory thou surest hold of trust,
Thou true Messias, searcher of all hearts,
Thou Giuer, Granter, Gracer of all Arts.
Direct thy seruant, whose poore pen assayes,
To adde one mite to thy e'relasting praise.
An humble and lowly Inuocation, to GOD the Holy Ghost.
GRacious true God-head, and Immortall Spirit,
The light of goodnesse and the path to life,
The rich Ierusalem, true heauenly merit,
Hater of Folly, and the scourge of strife,
Ruler of Sapience, councell of the Wise,
The blessed step whereby our soules doe rise,
The glasse of knowledge, and the prop of blisse,
All onely glory which all glory is,
Inspire thy seruant, whose poore pen assayes,
To adde one mite to thy e'relasting praise
THE BLESSED PƲBLICANE.
IS there on Earth ought worthy estimation,
That sinfull man should couet for to liue?
Is it an outward signe deserues saluation,
Or he be prais'd which with vain hands doth giue
Then should the Pharisee haue won the praise,
And beene a Light vnto our rich-mens dayes.
Hee humbly kneel'd, and did deuoutly pray,
Whom our sweet
Sauiour so much esteem'd,
He gain'd the Glory of that Sun-shine day,
That prai'd the lest, yet was the most redeem'd,
He won the bayes, him Christ did iustifie,
That growning beg'd in his extremitie.
Downe is he couch't within that Sacred bower,
Where Christ our Sauiour sees his poore distresse,
His contrite heart giues not his head the power,
To looke to heauen, from whence comes all redresse,
His hands are vp, and
[LORD] he first begins,
To knocke his brest, for his o're-swelling sinnes.
A Sea of teares from foorth his eyes proceed,
And inwardly his heart to heauen ascendeth
His grieued soule doth on Ambrosia feed,
And euer faint the Publican descended,
[Be mercifull] he cries, O wonders merrour!
That cryes for mercie being clogd with terrour.
[BE] is the next this wreched sinner speaketh,
Which word doth shew a perfit confidence,
He is espi'd of him he weeping seeketh,
Who cheers his heart and pardons his offence,
And notes the manner of his humble kneeling,
Adding more courage to his Christian feeling.
Forward he goeth vnto mercies Seat,
Arm'd with the resolution of his heart
Seeking for mercy though his sines be great
To mitigate the rigour of his smart,
[BE MERCIFVLL] he cryes and pardon me,
Who humbly begs this mercies gift of thee.
He calles to minde the follies of his youth,
His foule transgressions and his false reports,
His great neglecting of diuinest Truth,
Not reading that which vnto good exhorts,
His gluttony his sinne yclyped shame,
His vile oppression, losse of Christian fame.
He thinkes vpon his drunken exercise,
His periur'd swearing and his hatefull pride:
These fond misdoings come before his eyes,
Making him begge for mercies sacred Giude,
Flying the folly of his former sinne,
With humble prayers mercies gift to winne.
And as a childe that see's the Fathers rod,
Held vp as instance of his Fathers ire;
Strait cryes for mercie at the hands of God,
And of his Father pardon doth desire:
So this poore wretch, drengh't in a Sea of griefe,
Humbly begs mercie for his best reliefe.
Vnto me
LORD, [BE MERCIFVLL,] he cryes,
That of all men offended haue thee most,
Receiue thy seruant and doe not despise
Me wretched creature Sea-wrack't on thy Coast:
Mercie great
LORD, in such extremes are sweet,
As ayds poore soules in a distressed fleet.
For had I not too much offended thee,
My true contrition would not vrge me so,
Nor could my stubborn heart contented be,
Thus humbly for thy mercyes gift to goe:
But God of mercie thou hast me transformed.
And with thy mercy let me be adorned.
[TO ME A SINNER] that's my hainous cryme,
A wr
[...]tched man in mis
[...]rable plight;
Continuing so all my vncertaine time,
Shuning cl
[...]a
[...]ed
[...]y, still walking in darke night:
Fast lock't in bondage and in Sathans chaine,
Till thy sweet mercie set me free againe.
Long haue I
SINNER runne a desperate course,
In which my folly wounded my poore soule
Like to a mischiefe euer worse and worse
Which spreads farre greater seeming moostrous foule,
And I foule monster now doe humbly pray,
Thy mercyes gift to wash my sinnes away.
So shall my substance being chang'd anew,
Euer giue thankes to thy e'r-lasting Fame:
To thee, O
LORD, to thee belongs the due,
Prais'd, Blest and honoured, be thy glorious Name:
Let all the earth adorne thy Maiestie
That feeds all flesh, the earth, the Sea, the Skie.
Thus with true confidence he hasteth hence,
Fully p
[...]rswaded that he is forgiuen,
A
[...] b
[...]eing purg'd from all his vile offence,
Endeuours still to serue thee Euer-liuing.
And
Israels God doth arme his heart with ioy,
Which (but er'e-while) was chok'd with sins annoy.
Being departed; now our blessed Light▪
All-
[...]eeing, Euer-liuing, Sonne of Blisse,
Notes th
[...] behauiour of this humbl
[...]d wight,
Whose contrite prayer well accounted is,
He takes his offring,
[...]nd accepts his teares,
Freely forgiues the folly of his yeeres.
He addes vnto this poore mans commendation,
An euerlasting stile of dignitie,
A setled state, a state of preseruation,
The Scepter, Crow
[...]e, and Mace of Royaltie,
He makes him Christall, Glorious, pure within;
Giues him rich clothing, free's his soule from sinne.
And hauing thus with odours him annoynted,
Framing a Garland of the purest Bayes,
Thousands of Angels attend
[...]nts he appointed,
To gard this creature in all righteous wayes,
That if by chance his foote should step awry,
They still might shield him from iniquitie▪
And taking glory still in this perfection,
He euer circles him within his armes,
Giuing him such a blessed safe protection,
As sure defends him from all enuious harmes,
Making his foes agast that now behold him,
Which but e're-while with hatefull words controld him
This true Messins, and this wonders framing,
This Way, this Life, this Pearle of Paradise,
This heauenly Vine, this Word past words of naming,
Did not this begger, nor this wretch despise:
But iustify'd him. O most happy man,
Being thus Blessed, though a
Publican!
If he, sole Heauenly, earth's great Arch-protector,
Thee view'd, thee prais'd, thee rai'd with admiration,
True Iudge of hearts, hearts rightest true Director,
The Sap, the Marrow, Life of our Creation,
The Faithfull Shepherd, and true Husband-man,
Reiecting riches, blest the
Publican.
Not onely blest him, but he sets him foorth
As a pure Light vnto the worlds beholding,
Willing all Christians to behold the Worth
Of this rich Truth, and his rich Truth's infolding.
And with an humble heart he wils vs kneele,
If er'e we wish his mercies gift to feele.
Tis not too late to call vnto the Lord,
If wee ore-slip the mornings Sunny rayes.
Tis not too late to read his holy Word,
Though wee in folly spend our younger dayes,
If we with sorrow strike our hardened brest,
Our sinnefull soules shall with these gifts be blest.
What time soeuer, saith our greatest God,
A
Publicane shall turne his wicked wayes,
I will lay by my heauie yron rod,
And teach his heart my euerlasting prayse,
And lead his steps into the Blessed Land,
Where as a Sarre of Life, he e're shall stand.
Sure is that place where is no dread nor doubt,
Sound is that Hope which doth on thee relie.
Safe is that Fort, where danger is kept out,
And blest are such, whom thou do'st iustifie,
Happy, thrice happy is that wretched weight,
Whom thou protectest by thy glorious might.
When sinfull man doth fall in Sathans snare,
And being falne lyes groueling in the myre,
Then doth the Feind vrge him to deepe dispaire,
Till thy sweer mercie grant Coelestiall fire.
Which doth refine and cleanse the drossie part,
Framing a new, perfit, and contrite heart.
And though our sinnes be more then we can beare,
Yet let vs creepe vnto thy mercie-Seate
With true contrition let vs neuer feare
Thy mercies fauor though our sinnes be great:
For our misdoings more thy mercies grace,
Sith thy great mercies prooues the surer place.
Is then thy mercie, and All-sauing grace,
The onely thing thy seruants doe request,
Is the beholding of thy glorious face,
A certaine signe our silly soules are blest:
Then, mightie Lord, on vs thy mercie showre,
So shall we praise thy euerlasting Power.
FINIS.