University of Virginia Library

CERTAINE Serious thoughts: Which at severall times and upon sundry occasions have stollen themselves into Verse, and now into the publike view.

[Sometimes a well-aymd thought would point at Heaven]

Sometimes a well-aymd thought would point at Heaven
But O mine heart,
That broken Bow, carrying the shaft on even
Aside doth start:
Lord! that I may not, from that mark decline
Let my fraile Ew be back't with the true Vine,
And give me Arrows winged from above
With the sure flying feathers of the Dove,
Then guide my hand, and make me levell right
And 'tis thy honour if I hit the White.

On the 6. parts of Prayer.

My Supplications often have prevail'd,
Nor have my Deprecations often fail'd;
My Intercessions have been heard by thee;
But Lord! Confession best-becommeth me;
For all thy love; for giving and forgiving,
Accept the Sacrifice of my Thanksgiving;
Little I say by Imprecation,
More, then, in all things, let Thy will be done.

Going to the Sacrament of the LORDS SUPPER.

Thou ever-blessed Saviour, at thy death
By by-partite Indenture didst bequeath
Thy body, bloud, and merits to each one
Whose grace-instructed faith cals them his own,
Whose sin-avoyding Actions doe proclaim,
Him an Adorer of thine holy Name.
Till thou O Lord, or call, or come again,
Let me not violate the Counter-pane,
Goe with me, O my gracious God, and give
Life to my Faith, that I by Faith may live.

On a particular Occasion.

Rouze thee my too forgetfull Muse; rehearse
Th'Almightie's goodness in a thankfull verse,
He only shew'd thee trouble, sent reliefe
When best-applyed means but added griefe,
He to his servants prayer had regard,
And turn'd his Chastisments to a reward.

ANOTHER.

[Shall cunning Satan still defraud my soule]

Shall cunning Satan still defraud my soule
And steale into my heart by gilded sins?
He can make splendid, what is ne'r so foule;
He knowes not how to end, who once begins
To tast his sly deceits; beware hee'l give thee
Poyson in sweetned pills, and so deceive thee.

Vpon Psalm 90. 10.

First written upon a bare leafe in Quarles His Poems, over-against his verses on Mors tua.

Great God! this death-beleaguerd Fort cal'd Man
Though strongly back't by nature, seldom can
Out-last the seventeeth yeare; though thou afford
To my sin-stained life that number, Lord
The third part of them have already slip't
Me too regard less; Satan still hath nipt
Thy blooming crop, my weak resolves have bin
Swift to dissolve into accustom'd sin,
O let th'uncertain remnant of my dayes
Be dedicated to my Makers praise;
O that this lump of dust knod-up in bloud,
Would once leave trifles, and pursue what's good.
Feare then I would not, though a voice should say,
Thy glass is run, and thou must dye to day,
For so from sin, and sorrow should I rest;
And rise, not unto judgment, but a feast;
That marriage-Supper, which we read, of old
Was by the Bridegroom, to the Iewes foretold:
That marriage Supper, where to heavens King
Blest soules eternall Alleluja's sing.

Vpon Psalm. 7. 12. 13, 14.

Vpon Matth. 10. 34.

Came then the God of peace to send the sword?
Doth variance accompany his word:
Must all those sacred knots nature doth tye
In Father, Mother, Brothers, Sisters dye;
Truth hath it selfe depos'd it, and I must
Believ't how-ever strange, yet sure 'tis just,
Nor doth Religion cancell or withstand,
Or any way abbreviate that command:
Whereby we duty-bound to Parents are,
Nor Charity and love doth it impare,
To other friends; what's theirs, to them impart
We may, we must, and yet choose Mary's part:
He, whose direction only point's-out Right
The most disjoynted soules can re-unite,
And so cement a friendship by his word
Too strong to be dissolved by the sword.

On a particular occasion.

I will not doubt, my God I know can doe't
My God I know can doe't, I will not doubt.

To Master Wroth School-Master at Epping in ESSEX.

Scindimur incerti.

Can mans distracted fancy find the way
To truth; where thousand sects themselves display
Supporting errour? This terrestriall round
hath scarce a place where Veritie is found.

ASIA.

Asia , which only, glories to haveieen
A spotlesse man, where Canaan hath been
A type of Heaven, and the blest abode
Of the whole world's creator Iacob's God,
Where all the sacred pen-men once did preach,
Nay, where the Lord himself vouchsaf'd to teach,
Wallow's in darknesse now their Sun is set,
With bended knees they crouch to Mahomet;
And in the stead of Sinai's Law-Divine,
The Talmude is receiv'd in Palestine.

AFRICA.

Though Hippo's Sainted-Bishop Augustine
Like a bright Lamp in Tunis once did shine;
In Ægipt, by St Mark, although were sown
The early seeds of true Religion,
Though Æthiopia's Eunuch did proclaime
The Lamb whom he mis-tooke till Phillip came;
All's now erased, and a man may say
Nothing but error spreads in Africa.

AMERICA.

This Spain-enriching new-found world, a gem
Once proffer'd to our Henry's Diadem;
With reverence to their puppet-zemes do pray,
Whil'st to them they themselves become a prey.
Those devill-spirits every where appeare,
Not honour'd though ador'd, serv'd but for feare;
And yet this now in-fatuated flock
Shal know the Shepherds voyce and Bridgroom's knock:
Their time of Gospell's next Religion may
Still bending West find out America.

EVROPE.

No harbour where my Sea-tost ship may lye,
At Anchor, and expect felicity!
So many lands run o're, and yet not see
A path directing to Eternity!
What hope remain's? in Europ, sure, he shall
That fly's Charybdis into Scylla fall.
Opinions here, as much as faces vary,
Some this, some that, some think the quite contrary.
Hence 'tis that every Nation may discover
Her armed Natives murthering one another.
Wa'st not from hence the King of France thought good,
To drench his Sisters Nuptials in bloud?
Hence all the present forreign jarrs, and those
Where Tweed her flowing streames doth interpose;
And as asham'd to heare warrs threats again,
Hastens to hide her face within the Maine.
Poor Soul, thy wearied foot-steps may in vaine
Survey the universe, return again
As farre from satisfaction as before,
Vnlesse divine direction thou implore;
Lord teach my wary thoughts so to decline,
All devious paths, as to keep close to thine.

Vpon 1 Cor. 3. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

The heaven-instructed Master-builder layd
Zions foundation, skilless men have reard
Their own inventions: some have wooden made
And saplesse doctrines, of small use when heard.
Others their hay-like withering Sermons vent,
No Scyth is sharper then their byting phrase;
Most bring us stubble, when the corn is spent,
And trifles prosecute with strained praise.
All these are combustible; send that fire
Thine holy Spirit, try, consume, refine,
Thy Prophets so with sacred truths inspire
That they may rectifie each crooked line.
Vs hearers such affections affoord
As fit's a spirituall building to thee Lord.

Vpon Amos 1. 11.

In sacred Scripture, I have sometimes read
A sorer famine threatned then of bread.
That judgments fal'n on us. Where for a time
I sojourn'd, West-ward in a Northern Clime,
Two Counties, for the lack of Wine unable
Were to invite us to the Holy Table;
This question rose, amongst discourse, about it,
May not the Sacrament be given without it?
Some said it might, some that again deni'de,
I dare not take upon me to decide,
Nor unto other doe I ayme to give
A Law: but for my own part thus conceive;
So God vouchsafe my soules repast to mak't
I care not though in Vinegar I tak't,

Feb. 8. 1642.

Tis not base trembling, cowardize and feare
That mak's me in this fighting age, forbeare
To draw my sword: but seem an uselesse thing
Perhaps, whil'st others by adventuring
Gaine glorious titles; for my Countries good
My steps would fearlesse march in Seas of bloud,
And welcome certaine ruine: yet I finde
A war within my selfe, and stay behind.
Eternall blessings fasten on the Crown,
To Charles his head; God grant him all his own:
And may as long-liv'd curses fall upon
Their heads who honour not his Princely Son,
So from my heart I wish: and yet suspect
Many unsound will sound that Dialect:
The form-obtrudors may deform and make
Eneruous (whilst the Church of Rome doth take
Advantage, and supplant Religion)
Il'e not thrust in my hand to help them on.
Whose heart can lesse then bleed, whose head can be
Lesse then a spring of teares, when his eyes see
Distemper'd Zion, in this wofull plight,
Her sun with-drawn, inveloped with night?
My willing Muse, so she were unperplext,
Could wish to sing her Nunc-Dimittis next.
Ho! all that love her, all that passe this way,
Contribute here your sighs, sit down to pray
And mourn, till God, all other hopes are vaine,
Make up the breaches of his Church again.
Lord say Amen, let it be so, that we
The beauty of thine holinesse may see
Unum hoc, a te Domine, expetivi, usquè immo & usq:
Idem expetam : sacro-sanctæ nempe ut ædis
Tuæ incola, populi tui lætitiâ fruar,
Psallentiq; Israeli comes adjungar

Si fractus elabatur Orbis Impavidam ferient ruinæ:

Some foot-steps of this Warre traced.

On the death of our Vertuous and deare friend Mistris Dorothy Warwick at Marsk, Aug. 6th 1644.

If only light griefs find a tongue; and those
That are extream, cannot themselves disclose
Immur'd by stupid silence, surely then
Nothing but flowing teares must from my pen
Be-blur this paper: 'tis beyond the art,
Of language to expresse the smallest part
Of our deep sorrowes for her losse, whose age
Scarce to the Summer of her Pilgrimage
Attayned had; yet so ripe fruit, but few
After the Autumne of their yeares can shew.
No act of hers could be esteemed lesse,
Then one step forward to that place of blisse;
Where now her faith is crowned, and we find
Her sweet and pretious memory behinde.

Mors Mea.

My flitting Soule must leave her house of clay,
The tim's not more uncertaine then the way
And manner, whether my consumptive breath
Shall leisurely-expiring creep to death,
Or some more furious, hasty sicknesse have
Commission to snatch me to my grave.
Water may cause or th'torrid element,
My dissolution by some accident.
Ten thousand means and more doe this discry,
That young, strong, healthfull, rich, and all may dye,
Though I scape chance, and sickness, yet I must
At length by age subdu'd crumble to dust.
I dare not wish, nor were it fit, to be
A carver for my selfe. my God, to thee
My willing soule resign's her fate, what s'ere
Thou layest on me, give me strength to beare.
Yet, if it stand with thy good pleasure, send
Not suddaine death, nor sence-bereaved end.
And if thou'st honor with white haires my dayes,
O teach me how to spend them to thy praise,
That when I shall forsake the sons of men,
My better part may flye to thee, Amen.

Mors Christi.

Thou Son of God, descending from above
Would'st manifest by that rare act thy love
To poore lost mortalls; did'st vouchsafe to take
A death-subjected nature for our sake;
Nor did'st disdaine to have thy sacred face;
Made by those stubborn Jewes, their spitting-place.
Thou patient stood'st the object of their scorn,
Deck't in a purple robe, and crown of thorn;
And Millions of such troubles having past,
A shamfull death thou underwent'st at last,
All this for us and more; for even as we,
Thou tempted wast, the cup was drunk by thee,
Which thy just angry Father had prepar'd
To ransome man by Sathan's art insnar'd.
Mine heart to thee's too poor an offering,
Who by once dying took'st away death's sting.

Fraus Mundi.

Fond man I why doth thy fancy doat upon
Such nothings, as the world can call its own?
Why should such Ignes fatui divert,
Thy erring foot-steps, or mislead thy heart?
Belike thy soule but little light injoy's,
For darkness gives the being to such toyes,
Grant thou hast honour, beauty, riches, pleasure,
Delitious fare with heaped summes of treasure,
All in superlatives; get one gem more,
Or else the former makes thee but more poore:
Nay thou must fell them all that one to buy,
If thou do'st mean to gaine felicity.

Gloria Cæli

Stay, doe not black this Paper, for it is
A better Emblem of the place of blisse
Then my dull pen can draw; 'tis pure and white
May serve to represent eternall light;
Hath neither spot nor wrinckle, none of them
May come within the new Ierusalem.
But how should paper, or my lines, which are
Composed both of ragges, such joyes declare
As never eye, nor eare, nor heart, nor braine
Of man within that small sphear could containe?
Yet may thy humble contemplation
Discern some glimpses by reflection:
Read then the glory of thy great Creator
In this large book the world, which is his Creature.
If wandring there thou chauncest to espy
An object that is glorious in thine eye,
Be it those greater, or the lesser lights
Innumerably sparkling in cleare nights;
Or the those-emulating Diamond
That pretious issue of inriched ground,
Doth from some costly root a flow'r arise,
Whose various colours please thy gazing eyes.
Do'st thou admire the structure of some face,
Which seem's to have engrossed every grace,
Hast thou observed all the excellence,
Wherewith Gods bounty feast's each severall sence?
Screw up thy meditation then, think, Lord
If to earth on earth thou art pleas'd t'afford
Such blessings, ô thrice happy sure they be
Who sainted are in blest Eternity.

Dolor Inferni.

FAITH.

Tvrn or'e the sacred leaves, th'Almighty hath
By sweet gradations, open'd to thy Faith
The word of promise, new-fal'n man hath got
A new-found meanes, to spoyle the serpent's plot.
For God hath said; The woman's seed shall give
A wound unto thy head, that man may live.
Thence, through sucessive generations, trace
That more explayned Covenant of Grace:
Till, (from the world's beginning slain) the Lambe
Attended by a quire of Angels came,
In his rich bosome, bringing plenteous store
Of blessings, only pointed at before;
And then observe, what pretious legacies
Thy bounteous Lord bequeath's thy soule, and dye's
To give thee life from both the Testaments,
And from the heaven-ordayned Sacraments,
Suck ever-flowing comfort: for to thee
As well, as any heretofore, agree
The still effectuall promises, which stand
Now proffer'd to thy Faiths applying hand.

HOPE.

CHARITY.

On GODS UBIQVITARY PRESENCE.

No gloomy shades, nor darkned face of night
Can shrow'd a sinner, from the quick-ey'd sight
Of all-discerning Heaven: God doth rule
Beyond the controverted coasts of Thule.
And his unbounded justice doth controle,
The frozen vertices of either Pole.
All inter-fluent seas, all Regions stand
Subjected to the power of his command.
Then let not fancy'd secrecy invite
Thy deeds of darknesse to out-black the night,
Nor though some sorraine Clime thou wandrest in,
Where no know'n face can argue thee of sin,
Dare to let-loose thy rebell-soule, but know
There is a God above, see's all below:
Who shall hereafter be thy judge, and then
Thy bare-fac'd crimes, unmask't before all men,
And Angells must appeare, nay more, the Devills
Will aggravate, that prompted to, those evills.

Decemb. 10. 1644.

How many contradictions dayly come
Born on the wings of lying fame! by some
We hear of Battailes, stratagems, and sleights
Whil'st others make them victories, or flights.
All various rumors struggle for beliefe
Whil'st varying humours seed the present griefe.
Once more, the hopefull tearmes of happy-peace
Salute's our greedy eares: O, may it please
The all-disposing power above, to frame
Our fitted hearts, to entertaine the same.

Going to Bed.

Thus, on a pale sheete, I extended, shall
Become ere long a livelesse coarse, and all
These too-much prized trifles, which retard
My soule in her best flights, without regard
Or rellish, must be left: then, in my grave
Where all things are forgotten, I shall have
A coole and lonely lodging, by the earth
Lock't-up from all this worlds mis-called mirth.
If thou, O blest Creator, shalt restore
The peace, ease, plenty we injoy'd before,
Let not those over-valued blessings move
Our earth-bred thoughts to sleight the things above.
Her's no abiding City: but thy grace
May make the house of death a resting place.

[Thou sacred Arbitrer of life and death]

Thou sacred Arbitrer of life and death,
Who summon'st, at thy pleasure, vitall-breath,
When in thy house, my elevated soule
Should mount to thee, yet lingring here, doth foule
Her self with terrene fancies make mine eye
Recall my thoughts, and preach mortality.
There lyes those dear remembrancers, I have
Two parents, and two children in one grave;
In twice-two yeares, thy wisdome saw it best
To call these two sweet couples to their rest;
And since so neer, on both sides, I have seen
Thine arrowes to me, teach me how to weane
From this distemper'd globe, my mis-plac'd love
And fix it firmly on the things above.
Then if't shall please thee next to call on mee,
I'le boldly leave this clay, and come to thee.

May 10. 1645. Hearing the Birds sing after the departure of our deare MOTHER.

And can you sing poor birds? do you not see
A mourning countenance on every tree?
Doth not each stone in this sad fabrick, tell
What sable thoughts within these walls do dwell?
Since she who added sweetnesse to the spring,
To Summer glory, she whose care did bring
More fruit then Autumne, and from whom it was
That Icy-Winter undiscern'd did passe,
Hath left these habitations, my-thinks you
Should leave henceforth your warbling sonnets too,
Yet sing, but change your note and joyne with me,
Tune your loud whistles to an Elegie.

JUNE 8. 1645.

Mvst then the fate of York-shire, and the North
Be try'd once more by dint of sword, step-forth
Thou God of Battle, let the people see
By the successe, which side is own'd by thee.

[Easie and undiscerned is the guile]

Easie and undiscerned is the guile
Which brings on mischiefe usher'd by a smile.
Thus many who arride the Common-weale
With joynt-pretences but disjoyn'd designe,
Their own with publique interests intwine
The better, and more covertly to steale
Advantage to a party, putting on
A forme of Paralell-expression,
Faced with Good and Safety; yet extend
Their actions and endeavours to the end
Of time, they'l never meet, but hold a course
In lasting distance still, from ill to worse!