University of Virginia Library

CHAP. VII. G

GANIMEDES.

God is a substance immateriall,
Whose love is not like ours; we dote upon
The peeling, shell, and outward fashion
Of things, but Gods love is spirituall:
The inward beauty he affects,
And outward vanity rejects;
A pleasing look, a velvet skin,
Are toyes he takes no pleasure in.
Did Roses in our cheeks, and Lillies dwell,
And were our dangling tresses gold, our eyes
Like twinkling Tapers in the rowling skies,
And did our breath like fragrant gardens smell;
Yet if we be not fair within,
But if our souls be stain'd with sin;
For all our outward form, we are
But like the painted Sepulchre.
Although our lips were like a Chrystall spring,
From which flow streams of sweetest Eloquence,
Which ravisheth the heart, and charms the sence;
And though our tongues could like a Cymball ring:
Yea, though the richest Magazine
Of graces could in us be seen;
Yet if within we be but fair,
God will not for our outside care.
He is the fairest Ganymede, whose minde
Is pure and fair, whose heart is white as snow,
Whose thoughts in whitenesse doth the Swans out-go,
Whose life is bright as gold that is refin'd:
He who hath these perfections,
Shall flye on Eagles pinions,
And shall be mounted far above
All earthly things to serve great Jove.
But Christ is he whose beauty far excells
The fading beauty of our humane race,
And from whose lips flow silver streams of grace,
In whom all goodnesse and perfection dwels;
He was a harmlesse spotlesse Dove,
The Center of his Fathers love;
The object of my chief desires,
And he in whom my soul respires.
Who on the wing of his Divinity
Was elevated far above our sight,
And now inhabits that eternall light
Which with our mortall eyes we cannot see;
He Nectar of his merit pow'rs
Before his Father, and down show'rs
On us his graces from above,
Out of the bottles of his love.
O if some cloud-dividing Eagle would
Under my feet spread forth his airy wings;
And lift my minde from these inferiour things,
That I my God in glory might behold:
Lord let my prayer pierce the skies,
And from the bottles of mine eyes
Receive the Nectar of my tears,
And drink them with thy gracious ears.
O if I could with Eagles pinions cleave
The highest clouds, and with their piercing eye
Could my Redeemer in his glory see,
Triumphing over death, and o're the grave:
And as the Eagles do repair
To places where dead bodies are;
So where thy flesh is, Lord let me
Resort, that I may feed on thee.
And when my soul shall leave this house of clay,
Command thy winged Messengers (who still
Are ready to obey thy blessed will)
To be my soul-supporters in that day:
And in the Resurrection,
When soul and body meets in one,
Let them uphold me then and there,
Where I shall meet thee in the air.

GENII.

To what high dignity and place
Hath God advanc'd our humane race,
To whose beak and command
He did subdue all things that creep,
And flye within the air and deep,
And move upon dry land.
Besides, heavens blessed Harbingers,
Gods nimble-winged Messengers,
Are with a watchfull eye
By his appointment to defend
Us from all hurt, and to attend
On us continually.
Lord send to me these winged Posts,
And guard me with these heavenly hoasts
From Satans pollicies:
And let them with their shady wings
Protect me from all hurtfull things,
And from mine enemies.
And let this hoste in squadrons flye
Before me; Lord unclose mine eye,
That I may see my guard:
How with their Tents they me inclose,
And how they fight against my foes,
And keep their watch and ward.
And let these be my Tutors to
Instruct my minde, what it must do,
And how it must obey:
O by these sacred Pursuvants
Shew me thy just commandements,
And guide me in my way.
And let these comforters asswage
The pains of this my pilgrimage
In my last agony;
Let these swift-winged Legions,
Through all the starry regions
My soul accompany.
And when the trump Angelicall
Shall sound, which must awake us all,
And raise us from our dust;
Let these intelligences bring
Me to the presence of my King,
And place me with the just.
O thou great Angel, who hath still
Been my protector from all ill,
Even from mine infancie:
Whom winged Heralds all adore
With covered face, be evermore
A God and guide to me.
Thy help I did depend upon
When I was but an Embryon,
Thou took'st the charge of me,
And when I suck't my mothers brest,
And ever since, thou hast profest
That thou my God wilt be.
O let me not go then astray,
Or with my sins drive thee away,
Or misbehaviour;
But as thou hast been still to me
A Guardian, so cease not to be
My God and Saviour.
Inspire me with thy good motions,
That with my best devotions
I may thee feed and feast:
I have prepar'd the sweet incense
Of prayers, and wine of innocence;
Come then and be my guest.

GIGANTES.

O how the serpent-footed Giants are
Increased every where,
Opposing God, and all his Ordinances,
And on high pitch'd fancies
Scale heaven, and fain would pull the holy one
Down from his Chrystall throne.
They study to intrap and circumvent
The just and innocent;
Their chief delight is in rebellion,
Rapine, oppression;
They hunt, and vex, and persecute the good,
They shed and drink their blood;
They rent the Church of Christ with Heresies,
They belch out blasphemies
Against the son of that fair mother-maid;
By whom the world was made;
Who lodg'd within that maiden-cherubin
Nine moneths to purge our sin;
From whose mouth issues out the two-edg'd sword
Of his unconquered word,
With which he will cut off, and quite subdue
That proud and barbarous crue;
Great master-Gunner of heavens Ordinance,
Which makes thy lightnings glance,
And shakes earths pillars with loud roaring thunders:
Great Architect of wonders,
Fling down thy thunder-bolts, and with thy darts
Pierce all the Giants hearts
Which would subvert our Church, and State, and King
And all to ruine bring;
Which sorrow at the peace and union
Of happy Albion.
Support me that I may not fall from grace,
With that Ætnean race;
And that I may not set my heart upon
Earth and corruption,
And so neglect my soul the better part,
Lord humble so my heart,
That I may not so in my thoughts aspire,
As to incense thine ire;
And keep me from ambitious fantasies,
Proud words, and lofty eyes;
And hold me back, lest I should clamber on
Cloud-neighbouring mountains of Presumption.

GORGONES.

GRATIÆ.