Three Decads of Divine Meditations Whereof each one containeth three parts. 1. A History. 2. An Allegory. 3. A Prayer. With a commendation of the private Countrey life. By Alexander Rosse |
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| III. | The Third Decade. |
 | Three Decads of Divine Meditations |  |
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The Third Decade.
I. Elisha's pot of Salt, and Meale. Moses his Rodde.
The bitter waters, and the barren ground,Were by Elisha's Salt made sweet and sound.
So did the same Elisha strangely heale
The noysome Pottadge with a little meale.
So Moses sometimes with a piece of wood,
Did Marahs waters sweeten and make good.
O Lord this Wood, this Salt, this little Flowre,
Doe shew that thou can bring sweet ont of sowre.
This Wood did sweeten Marah; So that Tree,
On which thou diedst, hath giuen life to me.
Lord season my afflictions, heale my fault,
Either with sweet or sowre, with meale or salt.
II. The Sunamites Sonne.
Gehazi from the Mount came downe apace,And laid the Staffe vpon the Infants face.
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The Childe, therefore Elisha must be faine
To come, who ouer the Childe himselfe extends,
And ioynes his mouth to mouth, & hands to hands
Then presently the Childe began to sneeze,
And on the Prophet lifted vp his eyes.
The world was dead in sinne, but thou, O God,
Didst send the Prophets with the Word, thy Rod.
But they could not to the dead Childe restore
Spirituall life, thou camst thy selfe therefore.
Thou kiss'd vs, thou assum'd our stape and feature,
Thou did enioyne thy selfe to our base nature.
Lord ioyne thy hands to mine, ioyne eyes to eyes,
And mouth to mouth, that I from sin may rise.
Neither the staffes nor seruant can giue breath,
To my dead soule, but thou by thy sweet death.
III. The Wise Men and Starre.
Three wisemen came to Bethlem from a farre,They were conducted thither by a Starre.
To Christ Frankincence, Myrh, and Gold they bring
To shew he was both God, and Man, and King.
The Gentiles once farre off do now begin,
To draw neere to the Church, and to come in.
The Church is Bethlem, or the house of bread,
Where Christ the Bread of life is borne indeed.
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But did not shine vpon Ierusalem.
The Gentiles saw it, though thy dwelt so farre,
Yet Iacobs Sons could not see Iacobs Starre.
O wretched Iewes you haue beene euer blind,
You groope at noone, yet Christ you cannot finde,
On you he shin'd, and you could not perceiue him
Yet strangers whom he knew not, did receiue him.
Lord bring me vnto Bethlem and protect me,
And with thy word as with a Starre direct me.
Sweete Babe accept the gifts which here I offer,
To thee out of my heart, my choisest coffer.
Not gold, but loue; not incense, but good actions;
Not Myrrh, but all my mortified affections.
IIII. The touching of Christs garment.
Thousands did press on Christ, both poore & richBut onely one poore woman did him touch.
Her touch was faithfull, but the peoples pressing,
Was carnall, therefore they receiu'd no blessing.
Shee by the faithfull touching of Christs garment,
Was cured of her twelue yeares griefe & torment.
The faithlesse Papists in their carnall masse,
Touch not Christs hem, but rudely on him presse.
Faith, faith is it, which only doth him please,
Lord grant me faith, and then I shall haue ease,
For till I touch, till to my soule thou say,
Be of good cheere; my griefe will not away.
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V. The good Samaritane.
The Priest and Leuite did not helpe the manWhom theeues did wound, but the Samaritan
Who powred in his wounds soft oyle and wine,
Doe thou the like sweet Iesus now to mine.
Spirituall theeues, my mortall sinnes haue hurt me,
Then with thy grace and mercy Lord support me.
For men and Angels neither will nor can
Cure me, but thou O sweet Samaritan.
Powre in my wounds the oyle of thy good Spirit,
And wash them in the new wine of thy merit.
Then binde them vp with loue, and bare my sinne
Vpon thy flesh, then bring me to the Inne,
I meane thy Church; speak to the hoasts thy preachers
That they will be my comforters and teachers;
Till thou returne againe, for then I know
That thou wilt pay the debts which I doe owe.
VI. The lost Sheepe.
The man that hath a hundreth Sheepe, forsakesNinety and nine, to seeke out one that lakes
And goeth after still, vntill he findes
That sheepe, and then reioyceth with his friends.
Christ left his Angels, and without delay
Sought out mankinde, that had gone long astray,
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Which caus'd in heauen & earth great ioy & mirth.
Old Simeon, and Ann, and Mary sung,
And heauens bright roofe with songs of Angels rung.
Sweet Shepheard of my soule I humbly pray,
Seeke out thy sheepe, for shee is gone astray:
Anst bare her on thy shoulders, as sometimes
Thou did thy crosse, bare all her sinnes and crimes.
And through the dangers of this life conduct her,
Be thou her food, and with thy word instruct her.
Then bring her home, & when she is come thither,
Call all thy Saints and Angels straight together.
They are thy friends, make them reioyce and sing
All Halleluiah to their Lord and King.
Who sought me vp & down with griefe and paine,
And did at last finde his lost sheepe againe.
VII. The Prodigall.
Hauing spent all, and being in great want,His former course of life he did recant.
Home he returnes, and his fault confesseth,
His father meetes him, and his sonne embraceth.
The best robe was brought forth at his command,
Shooes for his feete, a gold ring for his hand.
Then sent for musick, and caus'd kill the Calfe,
Which made the elder brother fret and chafe.
The Iewes did murmur at the Gentiles calling,
Therefore the Gentiles rising was their falling.
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Here in a strange place full of whores and theeues;
To spend his heauenly portion they bewitch him,
With which sometime his Father did enrich him.
Loe all is spent, and now he's forc'd to serue
Vnder a Marchant, where he's like to starue:
Satan I meane who feeds him with his swine,
Whose cheere was wont to be oyle, milke, & wine.
For all the dainties of this world are
But husks with Gods chiefe blessings to compare.
My soule then being in this wofull case,
Begins to call to minde his wonted grace.
His fathers house, his cheere, his wealth & treasure,
His hired seruants with their ease and pleasure.
Sweet Father loe thy prodigall returnes
Naked and torne, marke how he sobs & mournes.
He doth confesse the faults that he hath done,
That he's vnworthy to be call'd thy Sonne.
He hath offended heauen, and thee, yet make him
Thy seruant Lord, and doe not now forsake him.
Meete and preuent him with preuenting grace,
And by a kisse make him enioy thy face.
Cloath him with thy best robe of innocence,
And giue him shooes to runne with patience
His race. Put on a Ring and make him free
From sinne, and death, and Satans tyrannie.
Then set him downe, and let his soule be fill'd
With that fat Calfe, which for his sins was kill'd.
Come in O brother Iew, doe not disdaine,
My soule once dead, but now aliue againe.
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VIII. Christs Coat parted.
O thou whose life the wicked Iewes derided,Whose seamlesse Coat by Souldiers was deuided,
Thy church was once a coat without a seame,
But now she is deuided to our shame.
So is that coat of perfect holinesse
Which thou lent me to cloath my nakednesse.
My cruell sinnes to my great griefe and scorne
From my poore soule this blessed coat haue torne.
And now to me it is both shame and torment
To see my naked soule without this garment.
Figge leaues of merits will not hide my sinnes,
Nor yet that coat which Adam had of skinnes.
But I am counsell'd by the Church my mother,
To put on thy faire cloathes deere elder brother.
That I may in thy name, and cloathes, and sauour,
Receiue my Fathers blessing and his fauour.
IX. Christs side pearced.
O Lord thy heart was pearced with a Lance,It was for mine, but not for thine offence.
Pearce then my heart with sorrow for my sin,
And bath it in the blood which thence did spin.
For here is Iacobs Well, there flowes from hence
These waters which can wash my conscience.
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Then let me enter Lord while it is day:
And suffer me with Thomas for to hide
My sinfull hand within thy wounded side.
X. Christ and Mary speaking together.
c. Touch me not Mary. M. Why dear Iesus? why?c. I am not yet ascended vp on high.
Thou comes to touch me with thy carnall hand,
It is not hands but faith that I demand.
But now, thou art ascended, thou art gone
To sit with God thy Father in his Throne.
Permit me then by faith O Iesus sweet,
To touch, and kisse thy wounded hands and feet.
| Three Decads of Divine Meditations | |