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Tongues of fire, and sate upon each of them.

When fire like the Postilian was past
Elijah; a soft language came at last.
But here was no precedencie in either,
The fire and language did come both together,
For he who Father of all language is,
Was in the Apostles fire, but not in his.
That fierie apparition which did flame
In Moses bush, and not enfire the same,
Helpt not his tongues defect, nor did him store
With any dialects unknowne before.
Here it did both, here the divided blaze
Refin'd their stile, and varied their phrase.
The Prophet had not power to forbeare
Because it was fire in his bones; 'twas here
Fire in their tongues; they needs must silence breake
Tongues tipt with fire, how can they choose but speak?
The Prophets tongue once with a coale had bin
Toucht at the Altar by a Cherubin;
But here it were superfluous to require
Coales for these tongues, these tongues themselves were fire,
These tongues the Spirit would not represent
In the drie, cold, or the moist Element,
That temper were too languishing and weake,
So powerfull an Embassie to speake.
They must be fire, whose doctrine must be hurl'd
Swift as the wings of lightning through the world,
And worke th' effects of lightning; will not hit
A heart of flesh, but gently passe by it.
But grindes these hearts to dust, whose hardnesse dare
Provoke a Nether Mill-stone to compare,
And like the lightnings uncontrouled stroake
Slides by a Reed, but ruinates an Oake;
Like fire they were to separate the gold
From the admixture of th' impurer mould,
To take the masse of the whole rationall creature
To fine, and quintessentiate their nature,
And with the Alchimie of heavenly fire,
Make the extracted spirits to aspire,
Which with repeated heates they so refin'd
That they drew out th' Elixar of Mankind.
Steele-temper'd consciences, and hearts conflate
Of sturdiest metals, as unmov'd as fate
Were by the working of the fire made fit,
Cœlestiall formes, and notions to admit.
Their Sermons were not only heard but felt
And made a leaden Auditory melt.
Which being so dissolved they imprest
Divine Ideas in the softned brest.
Those parted blazes fix'd on them did shine
Like prettie Commets, whence one might divine
Some alteration; and there was; for then
There was the change of soules, and change of men.
Or else like Starres these little flames did slide
With which th' Apostles were all stellified,
And turn'd to the twelve Signs, through which the Sun
Of Righteousnesse should as his Zodiack run,
Or from the Phantasme which did then appeare,
There was some order instituted there.
The badge was fiery tongues, and they may bost
Themselves of th' Order of the Holy Ghost.