 | A Spiritvall propine of a Pastour to his People |  |
You whom it behooueth because of time to be teachers, hes
neede againe to be taught the elements of the speaches of God.
Heb. 5. 12.
19 And sa my beloued brethren, let all men be swift to heare, slaw to speake, slaw to wrath.
21 And casting away all filth, & excrement of euill, with meekenes, receiue the ingraft Word, whilk saues your saules.
22 And be you doers of the Word, and not hearers onely, beguiling your selues.
Iam. 1.TO THE REUERENDE Fathers and Brethren, Elders of the
Congregation of Kilrinny, and haill flocke
committed to their gouernement; the Pastor,
wisheth, grace, mercie, and peace, from God the Father
and from the Lord Iesus Christ.
TO THE PASTORS.
Sonnet.
VVithout a ground, we big into the aire,And sa our wark dois vanish with the wonde:
Thought in appearance it be neuer sa faire:
Na profite permanent there of is found.
If with our flockes, we lay not weill the ground
Right sure and solide, of the Catechisme,
Of all our paines, na profite can redound,
To plant the truth, and banish Atheisme:
And poesie, it is na Paganisme:
Bot sweit in Oyntment of the holy Sprit:
For sik as seikes their God in Christianisme.
To ken and keip, the mater fallen meit.
Great profite then this little paine may yeild.
Our flockes in Christ till edifie and beild.
M. R. D.
TO THE READER.
Sonnet.
Wauld thou be sure of soveraine remeide,Thy wearied saule maist sweitly to refraiche.
Wauld thou with courage beate the deadly seide:
Against the devill, the warld and wicked flaiche.
Wauld thou be strong and stoutly byde the braiche
Of Satans slights, and cause of Christ debate.
Wauld thou devise his shamles face to daiche.
And all his troupes by faith for to defate.
Wauld thou on earth approch to heauenly state:
And being man, an Angels life to laide
In songs to sound the praises care and late
Of him wha thee and all the world hes maid.
Imploy thy time, thy tongue and thine ingyne.
And chuse, and vse, this spirituall propyne.
M. I. D.
GOD HIS WEALE.
I cair not for Parnassus bankes, nor Pindus stately breas,For Theocren her streames and aire, dois me refresh and ease.
Nor wish I for Aonis welle, nor springs of Helicon,
For Theocren aboundantly, dois me content alone.
Quhilk plennishes my breast and mind, with water and with wond:
Sa that my beames with Swadas mearch, dois fullelie abound.
TO THE BVIKE.
O blessed bocke of peaper permanent!O night resembler of a liuely grace!
No barren birth of coyle and time mispent,
No loftie luste with false and fardie face,
Be not ashamed, thou bears the verie trace
And paterne vine of heauenly influence:
The voyage, way, and Palore vnto peace,
A mate for myrth the gyde for gouernence,
Mounting on heigh vnto divine essence,
Then drawing thence race dew of happie store.
For Woe, for Wealth for Faith, for conscience,
Yeelding in end for paine a perfite lore.
Go range about the coastes and countries all
Thou leadst aright to life celestiall.
I. I.
SONNET.
The liuely Lampes of great Iehovies lichtQuhilk driues the deadly smoke of sin away,
The grounds of grace, the gage of glorie bright
The way to wealth quhilk sall indure far ay.
A Salue for saules, a solide plat to pray
At morne, at nicht, and other seasons meit
A truth to [illeg.] the state where thou suld staye
A healthsome hyue of heauenly songes sweit.
Behald thou hes, in weichtie, wise, discreit
And pleasant style, a schort and reddie way.
To Paradyse with pleasures all repleit,
To reigne and sing O holy, holy aye.
Pray and assay herein sum space to spend.
Giue place to grace, and God sall blisse the end.
M. W. S.
A SONNET ENCOMIASTICK to the Buike.
O lampe of light, and guyd for gouernence,O booth of blis, and garden of all grace,
Leade stearne to life, a craig for conscience
O Floure of faith, and peirles pearle of peace,
O rule of right, of truth the verie trace,
O Sinayes sight, and glansing glasse of glore,
For weaknes strenth, for mirth a pleasand mace,
Sweit songs for Saints, of stedfast ioyes a store.
O key of knowledge, lyne of heauenly lore,
O well of wisedome, vow of vertues al,
O schield for sinne, and salue for euery sore,
O hearts true health, and trustie friend in thrall,
Go shaw, but aw, thy comely countenance
Naman, weill can, thy comforts recompance.
M. I. C.
TO THE READER.
Giff pleasure may perswade, or mater moue,If profit may preuaile, or mirthe allure:
Heir stay thy hart, ô heir repose thy loue,
Heir sall thou finde, quhilk may thy loue procure:
Heir pleasure, game, and mirth quhilk sall indure,
Quhen earthly pleasure, game, and myrth decayes:
Tak paines and proue, prooffe sall thy hart assure,
None gets the gaine, bot he wha prooffe essayes.
Wey, vse, apply: away with fleshly stayes.
Delite, reioyce in heauenly musicke sanges:
Sen Poesie heir warkes, and faith arrayes.
Array thy hart with all that them belanges.
Quhen griefe and sorrow hes my hart opprest:
Resorting heir, I finde both ease and rest.
M. I. C.
The Author to the Reader, anent the Commendatorie Sonnets.
I pat my papers in sum Pastors handTo be perus'de, and censur'd sikkerlie.
When they returnd, I lurke on them and sande
Them weill be-deckt with Sonnets as you sie.
Take not their praises (Reader) meaned of me:
Bot of the mater quhilk my Muse intreats:
Of that their loue, would wish my Buik to bie
Als gud indeed, as in their kynd conceates.
For like as honest men of their estates,
Allowes not foolish flattring words and wain
Sa certainely my hart extreamely hates,
Sik praysing as may iustly moue disdain.
Think weill of all, this onely they profes.
To prayse the TRVTH that they may it embres.
| A Spiritvall propine of a Pastour to his People | |