University of Virginia Library

John Norton. Anagr.
INTO HONNOR.

From Honour into Honour go
(the Lord thus calling thee)
To higher Honour, then there could
on Earth obtained bee.
Heav'n is the Seat of Honour for
those whom he Crowns with Grace;
For the most honourable Crowns,
Heav'n is the onely place.
By men that are most ignorant
of Gods revealed Will,
Thou may'st be miserable thought;
for so they construe still
(Like bruitish ones) the minde of God
if Saints die in a swoon,
As if their Sun, all bright before,
Were now gone down at Noon.
As if their case were now by farre
the more to be deplor'd,
As that which doth but little hope
(or none) of Bliss afford.
Yea, holy Job his Friends to this
did too-too much incline,
[That sudden Changes, such us his,
do argue Wrath divine.]
But when the Saints do perish thus
(as foolish men conceive)
That is the time, and means whereby
more Honour they receive,
As being Crown'd with Royal Crowns
which are at Gods right hand.
Like Joseph from his Dungeon
rais'd by the Kings Command.
'Twas a translation marvellous
which did Enoch remove
From out this sinful world, to be
crown'd in the Heav'ns above,
Where now he lives, & reigns, with heaps
of highest honour fill'd,
All his Predictions to be
from time to time fulfill'd.
An unexpected death did seize
on Jobs posteritie,
But in the Heav'ns a glorious Lot
for them prepar'd did lie.
Moses and Aaron when as they
had suffer'd much, were bid
As 't were, before their time to die
(as in their Mounts they did)
What if the Land of Canaan
they might not visit? yet
A place more glorious in the Heav'ns
they, both of them, did get.
In flaming-fiery-Charet wrapt
from earth Elijah was,
And by the same convey'd he was
unto his bliss-ful place.
Be it that good Josiah were
cut off with suddain stroke,
He dy'd in peace, and unto rest
eternal was he toke.
No funeral to Sion was
as his so lamentable,
Yet was his death as well as life
to him most honourable.
Theirs was the griefe, the joy was his.
God highly honourd him,
Although his death to carnal eyes
might miserable seem.
The cursed executioner
cut off John Baptist's head,
But how did Jesus honour him
both when alive, and dead.
The Crowned Martyr holy Stephen
in cruel wise was ston'd,
But by his blessed Saviour's
most sweet imbraces own'd.
Yea, Christ himself, Gods own dear Son,
whose death more woeful was
Yet from his cross how soon advanc'd
to that most glorious place!
So God his Christ with honour crown'd;
So Christ doth honour his,
To whom Gods Honour, and his Christ's,
most dear and precious is.
And such an one our Norton was
whose death we so lament,
Whose whole desire was upon Christ
and on his glory bent
None can deny it good nor bad,
like as to Samuel
They all were forced to confess
he had done all things well.
If any one should have an heart
with envy fill'd so much
As unto him his honour due,
malignantly to grutch
Yet this will adde unto the weight
of his most glorious Crown,
And both in sight of God and men
increase his high renown.
Tis true: he was a man, and none
himself abhorred more;
But none did more the Lords free grace
in Jesus Christ adore.
Nothing but this, to know, or preach,
or share in did he wish.
This was on Earth, as 't is in Heav'n
his blessed Paradice.
To Honour Christ, he was content
as well by Sea, as Land,
His Life to venture, yea his ALL,
was All at Christ's Command.
The care of all His Churches-dear
lay heavy on his heart,
As he did ever, but at last,
most fully it impart.
His life was nothing but of death
a daily meditation,
And to his happy end, at last,
a solemn preparation.
He was a man (if any were)
that loved truth, and peace,
Which to promote, in every kinde
he ne're at all did cease.
An Orthodox Divine he was
(his writings all do show,)
Both Englands, Holland, all the World,
or do or may it know.
His books do Antichrist confute
with all his viperous brood,
Especially where they eclipse
the merits of Christs blood.
Church-holy-order he maintain'd
against Morellianisme,
Decrying every sect, but most
abhorring Quakerisme.
His last both words, and works
(like Davids) were the best
And as his death more neer approach'd
more lively then the rest.
Nothing, but things at Gods right hand,
and heavenly Mansions
Was in his thoughts, at home, abroad,
breath'd in's expressions.
Ipswich was happy, Boston more,
(if it we had but known)
Whom two such Johns successively
God gave to be their own.
But John and Paul, so much admir'd
(and most deservedly)
Must be content to be abas'd
by some, before they dy:
And being dead, it will appeare
such Prophets once we had,
When God hath once abased us
with changes very sad.
The Lord, if his good pleasure be,
our miseries prevent,
And of our great unthankfulness
grant that we may repent.
Then will the Lord this Widow-Church,
that widows house relieve,
And make us all rejoyce again
whom now he makes to grieve.
We griev'd him first, and just it was
that he should grieve our hearts,
Though when at low'st we are, tis far
beneath our just deserts.
I speak of all New-England, but
chiefly of Boston Church,
Oh! let us all impartially
our wayes and spirits search;
And say as the Disciples did,
Lord, is it I? is't I?
And thou, my soule, beyond the rest
It to thy self applie.
Tis thou hast sinned: were there none,
but thy unworthiness
Well might the Lord both thee, and all,
because of thee, distress.
When such green trees, as were those Johns
Gods hand thus spareth not,
Of such a dry and withered one
Lord what will be the lot?
However we must bless thy name
(what ere of us become)
That thou takes up such fruitful ones
to thine eternal home.
Oh! that their rare Examples wee
to follow had the grace!
That thou may'st count us worthy once
of that most glorious place.
As for his Mary, let her say,
[Rabboni] unto him,
Who calls her [Mary] by her Name,
and did her Soul redeem.