The court convert: or, A sincere sorrow for sin, faithfully travers'd expressing the dignity of a true penitent. Drawn in little by one, whose manifold misfortunes abroad, have render'd him necessitated, to seek for shelter here; by dedicating himself and this small poem. By H.A. gent. H. W. (Henry Waring) 1695 Approx. 28 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 23 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A67600 Wing W856AA ESTC R219546 99831009 99831009 35471 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67600) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 35471) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2085:18) The court convert: or, A sincere sorrow for sin, faithfully travers'd expressing the dignity of a true penitent. Drawn in little by one, whose manifold misfortunes abroad, have render'd him necessitated, to seek for shelter here; by dedicating himself and this small poem. By H.A. gent. H. W. (Henry Waring) 28 p. Printed for the author, [London] : [1695?] Place and date of publication from Wing. Epistle dedicatory signed: Henry Anderson. In verse. Copy stained with print show-through and tightly bound. Reproduction of the original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sin -- Early works to 1800. 2008-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-07 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2009-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2009-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Court Convert : OR , A Sincere Sorrow for SIN , Faithfully TRAVERS'D ; Expressing the Dignity of a True Penitent . Drawn in Little by ONE , whose Manifold Misfortunes Abroad , have render'd him Necessitated , to seek for Shelter Here ; By Dedicating Himself and this small POEM . By H. A. Gent. Printed for the Author . TO THE HONOURED Ioseph Boyeck Esq r : S r THE Author's Condition being at present on a Level , and the Basis of his former Fortune Overthrown , to get Clear of the Dilemma , and prevent his future Interment in the Ruins ; Humbly takes leave to Dedicate this small Poem ( the Off-spring of a Penny-less Muse ) to Your kind Acceptance : Having nothing in this Iron Age , wherewith to support him , but a Feeble Quill . He knows it is not Practicable to Trade for Wealth in the Poets Territories , he might as well depend on the Wheel of Fortune for a Benefit , which only Turns to the advantage of her Favourites , than Fish for Pearl in the Muses Helicon , where are only Wrecks , and no Riches ; he has only play'd a little about the Brink ; which , if not we done , is submitted to Correction : But , b●lieving the spirit of Goodness and true Humility , resides in your Generous Breast , as Rich Gemm in a Noble Cascate , he is Encourag'd to Lay this the aforesaid Brat a● your Hospitable gate ; for they whose Estimate of Men , and things Proceed not from a Blind and Popular Applause ; Lives u●most near the Example of our SAVIOUR who , when on Earth Declin'd the Conversation of a Proud Tetrarch , for that of a Poor Lazer , and Valu'd more the Holy acts of an Humble Fisher , then all the Great and Heroick Deeds of a Haughty Caesar . I am Your Honours most Dutiful Servant , Henry Anderson THE COURT CONVERT . DEluding World , which hath so long amus'd , And with false Shapes my dreaming Soul abus'd ; ●yrannick Court , where simple Mortals buy , With Life and Fortune , splendid Slavery ; ●ence-forth Adieu ; my goodly Stock of Years , ●aid out for that , I now lament with Tears . Monarchs , who with amazing Splendor glare , ●nd Favorites , who their Reflections are ; ●oth shine , 't is true , but 't is like Glass they do ; ●rittle as that , and made of Ashes too : The Hour is set , wherein they must disown The Royal Pomp , the Treasure , and the Throne : The dazling Lustre of Majestick State Shall be extinguish'd by the Hand of Fate ; Highness must stoop into the hollow Grave , And keep sad Court in a cold dampish Cave . Beauty , and jovial Youth , decays apace ; Age still , and Sickness , oft doth both deface , The Favorite whom all adore and fear , Whose Strength doth so unshakable appear , It 's but a Tower built on flitting Sands , No longer than the Tempest sleepeth , stands : Nor can the Calm of Fortune long insure ; Or Monarch's Favour , crazy Man secure : We moulder of our selves , and soon or late , We must resign beloved Life to Fate . From stately Palaces we must remove , The narrow Lodging of a Grave to prove : Leave the fair Train , and the light-guilded Room , To lie alone benighted in the Tomb. GOD only is Immortal ; Man not so : Life to be paid , upon demand , we owe. The rigid Laws of Fate , with none dispense , From the least Beggar , to the greatest Prince . The crooked Sythe , that no Distinction knows , Monarchs , and Slaves , indifferently mows . One Day we 'd pity those we now admire , When after all the Glory they acquire ; When after all the famous Conquests they have made , Fierce Death their Lawrels in the Dust hath laid . Those Heads and Hands , which States and Princes steer , Who Rule in Peace , and Conquer in the War , Shall , by a sad , and certain Change of State , Be doom'd a Prize to Death , and rigid Fate : Then be no more ; their very Name will die To Fame , unless preserv'd by History . 'T is Heaven's Great KING alone , whom Angels serve Who does our Hearts , our Care , our Love , deserve ; To HIM all 's due , there 's nought at our command , But must be paid at his Divine Demand : To HIM the Christian ought to make his Court , His Love the only Matter of Import : Not , but that Honour must to Kings be paid , Being by Heav'n , Heav'n's Vicegerents made ; To such we dedicate our Hearts and Hands , With due Submission to their just Commands ; And their unjust ones , tho we cannot do , We must the Mulct , with Patience , undergo : T is Sacrilege ( in any Case ) to pry ●nto the God-like Power of Majesty ; And mere Typheon insolence to strive , Law to a King , with lawless Arms to give . But all good Subjects should adore the Hand , By which Kings , and the Crowns they wear , do stand ; And while the Earth's great Master we revere , Pay Homage also to the Thunderer ; To GOD , whom Kings obey ; whose Bounty gave Their Scepters , Crowns , and all the Goods they have : To GOD , whose Sun-beams guilded Royal State , And Glory gives to each great Monarch's Fate ; With whose unknown , but to HIM easy , Skill , Manages Powers , and Princes as HE will. Now for to get in favour with this Prince , There needs no more , but simple Innocence : No Honour at his Court is bought with Gold ; But for cheap Love are all Preferments sold : And in proportion to the Love you bring , You shall have Power from the KING of Kings : With a good Stock of Love there one may climb , To a great Fortune , in a little time . Nor is it hard me-thinks to love a GOD , Who is himself so Loving , and so Good. In other Courts a Man doth lose himself , Oft for a little , and long drudg'd for Pelf ; In Business bearing an uncertain State , Made void ( sometimes ) by Envy , or by Hate , Rendring Possession of too short a Date . For as a Dropsie makes the Body grow , ( At the same time , that it brings Nature low ) O're-whelm'd with Water , choak'd with Wind , So Wealth at once swells up , and starves the Mind ; ●t GOD , the Soul's Capacity doth fill ; ●is Bounty over-flows Man's boundless Will : ●nd since the Earth cannot our Nature bless , ●nd the great World 's too little for the less , ●is boundless Self he gives us , is so good ( As Romans hold ) the Sacramental Food ●o regale us , with 's Body and His Blood , With Heavenly Manna , Angels tasteful Meat , The same he gave His loving Twelve to Eat : ●imself the Treater , and Himself the Treat . Come all that Hunger to the Royal Feast ; Come ev'ry one and wear the Nuptial Vest : ●et the King's Splendor dash , or dazle none ; Or being Mean , discourage any one . ●our Host is known to be as Meek , as Great ; And will alike the King and Beggar treat . Spare not his Board , you cannot make him poor ; The more he gives , the greater is his Store : His Bounty , like his Treasure 's unconfin'd , By giving , still to Give the more inclin'd . Come then , and crowd into his Royal Court , And to the Source of Goodness all resort . Love H I M , whose Goodness Words cannot express ; And whose Ail-flowing Bounty is not less ; Lift up your Reason then , and have a care , No foolish worldly Baubles enter there : With such Precaution you 'll acquire his Grace , And purchase in his glorious Court a Place , Where you will bless the Day you first awoke , The happy Time in which your Slumber broke : Crowds of all Blessings will your Hearts invade , And your fresh blooming Joys will never fade . No more the Storms of Princes you will fear , That cause so many Wrecks , and Wretches here , Where in a Moment all the Cargo's lost , Which your whole Stock of anxious Care has cost ; One Day [ with GOD ] affords you more Content , Than twenty Lives , in Courts of Princes spent ; An angry Word , a Slight , a gloomy Frown , Will be enough to cast a Courtier down : ●f he would beg a Favour of his King , Let his Request be ne'er so mean a thing , A hundred Journeys he must undertake , His Suit to this and that great Courtier make : Thousands of Legs , and Cringes it will cost ; ●nd after all , perhaps his Labour 's lost . ●ut with GOD's Votaries it is not so ; We cannot ask so fast , as He 'll bestow ; His EAR is still , to hear our Suits , inclin'd , And to each Suitor daily proveth kind . HE often hears , before we are aware , And our least Wants by HIM consider'd are ; The smallest Hair falls not beside HIS Care. On HIM we cannot our good Thoughts displace , Unless we madly throw away HIS Grace . Only to Him our Hearts should yield the Sway , And not , by false Obedience , Heaven betray : For first GOD doth what he would have us do , Love with a Love , beyond Example true : His Charming Law is LOVE , His Yoke is sweet , Both for the King and poorest Beggar meet : Easy and Light , alike to Great and Small , And the same Hire proposed to them all . Of Monarchs , he to Him is Great alone , Who to himself becomes a Little One. The only Greatness which poor Man can have , ●s to be here his Great Redeemer's Slave : That King that doth not Heav'n's just King obey , A Traitor is himself to Majesty . The simple Shepherd , who with chast Desire , The cheerful Innocence to Heav'n aspires : The honest painful Labourer , who sweats ●rom Morn to Night , to get the Bread he eats ; ●f he serves Heaven , is indeed more Great Than Kings , with all their Pride and Purple State. Thrice brave those Monarchs , who had dar'd to fly ●rom all th' alluring Charms of Majesty ; Lay down the Sword , their conqu'ring Troops forsake , Unarm'd alone the Heaven of Heavens t'attack , A Holy War with Hosts of Pleasures wage , ●nd tho the Flesh did for the Foe ingage , Triumph'd o'er Foreign and Domestick Rage . Thrice blest are those , who fled from being Great , From Courts to safer Cottages retreat : Heaven kindly doth their humble Thoughts defeat ; For Greatness , while they strive to shun , they meet . They are made Great , and so more glorious Kings , By being just , than by all earthly Things . Ah! how we win , in losing for our GOD , While Heav'n is gain'd for a poor sorry Clod Of Earth : When for a short Grief here endur'd , We are of Everlasting Joys assur'd : Since for one Pleasure we refuse our Sense , We shall have Millions for our Recompence . Poor abus'd Men , unlucky Flock , they stray Without the Shepherd , void of the right Way . Unthinking Souls , that perish with Delight , Which all the Threats of Heav'n cannot affright : F●r sure those Pains , which do on Sin attend , ●ins which begin , but never must have end ; ●●e immaterial Fire that burneth still , ●●t to their great Misfortune cannot kill ; ●he Devil's Dungeon , and all sorts of Pain , ●hich Human Fortitude cannot sustain , ●ight ( one wou'd think ) Mens brutish Courage shake , ●nd in our Souls a noble Fear awake : ●●t if the Racks of Hell can't Sin subdue , ●ffer the Lord of Hosts to conquer you ; ●●pose Him not unwisely , but imbrace ●●e favourable Offers of his Grace : ●●store Him to the Kingdom of your Hearts , ●●st without Mercy , by the Devil's Arts : ●he old Vsurper's lawless Power disown , ●epose the hellish Tyrant from the Throne ; ●●d let King JESUS reign in it alone . His Law is much more easy to observe , Than those o' th' World ( which yet we gladly serve It neither hurts the Body , nor the Mind ; But is indeed to one and t'other kind : A Check sometimes it may afford to Sense ; But is , at length , it s own Benevolence . O Divine Law ! O easy Law of Love ! Let ME observe thee , and thy Wages prove : But then i' th' World a hundred Laws there be , Void of all Sense , but full of Tyranny ; Where foppish Form , our Liberty restrains , And cripples us with false fantastick Chains . You must pretend to Love whom you Detest ; Fawn on the Great One , when by him opprest ; With sneering Praise guild o'er his blackest Crimes , And all those Humours which debauch the Times : ●sk your Displeasure with a smiling Face , ●●d swear you 're highly pleas'd with your Disgrace ; ●●iumph in shew , when you are overthrown , ●●d all your Discontents and Griefs disown ; ●●tting off quite ( with base uneasy Art ) ●●e honest Commerce of the Mouth and Heart . ●●hameful Slavery of poor Mankind , ●●worthy of a Man , or Christian Mind ! ●●●tead of CHRIST , whom always we shou'd own , ●●●se Tyranny and Passion we enthrone ; ●●●nging to those that from all Vertue run , ●● serve a thousand Masters in their turn . ●●e crouded Way of Vice cou'd never show 〈◊〉 Pleasure , which true Vertue doth bestow ; ●●●m Innocence a native Joy accrues , 〈◊〉 wracking Sorrow always Guilt pursues . The Ill Man 's never Quiet nor Content ; The Good is full of Chear , ●ho Penitent . His inward Calm upon his Brow appears , And Halcyon like , no blustring Storm he fears . Him , all the Turns of Fate 's prepar'd to find , Meets Frowns and Favours with an equal Mind . If Sickness warns him of approaching Death , Or Fortune robs him of his worldly Wealth , It cannot his unshaken Courage move , Who , above Earth , hath plac'd in Heav'n his Love His Health , his Riches , and his sole Delight , Is here to serve his GOD with all his Might ; And that great Master faithfully to trace , Whose Death was Triumph , Pleasure a Disgrace ; He lov'd the Cross ; O Cross ! O happy Wood ! That once was manur'd with our Saviour's Blood , And moisten'd with his Tears , with Tears of Grief , Whilst He that shed them , dy'd for our Relief ; Whose all-revenging Death [ by th' Cross ] did quell Th' usurped Force of Sin , and Power of Hell ; The Stygian Monster 's Power , and so set free ●enowned Heroes from Captivity . T was by this Cross that he to Heav'n did climb , ●nd order'd all Mankind to follow HIM . ● Cross ! O CHRIST ! O Wounds ! O Streams of Blood ! ● KING ! to your ungrateful Slaves too Good ! ●y Heart's Delight , my lingring Soul's Desire , ●y Love , that burns me with a Jambent Fire . ●y JESUS ! Blessed Body , and his Blood , ●rought down from Heav'n above to be Man's Food : ●our LOVE , I find , does to such height amount , ●y Gratitude is lost in the Account . When Punishment was to my Actions due , Amazing Favours my Misdeeds ensue ; Instead of being by your Justice thrust , With sudden Thunder , into native Dust : While with my Works I earn'd the Fire of Hell , And Satan triumph'd o'er my wretched Will ; When I provok'd your Justice with the height Of base Ingratitude , and Earth's Delight , You did ev'n then , O depth of Goodness ! deign , My Heart of all innated Vice to drain ; Which first , in being Yours , was truly blest , Till I ( vile Wretch ) my MASTER dispossest : YOV were its Lord , its Monarch ; and what more ? Vouchsaf'd t' espouse a thing so mean and poor , To the expence of Your dear Blood and Breath ; Your purple Sweat and Tortures , worse than Death , So dear it cost YOV ; yet I bore away , Tho you have ( once more ) made the Wretch your Prey . Dear Lord , I wander'd in the Paths of Vice , And grop'd on blindfold to the Precipice : ●nstead of loving YOV , the only Good , 〈◊〉 made each empty Vanity my God : But , O Excess of Mercy ! YOV repay , With Grace and Gifts Your Slave 's black Treachery , Whom the false World , and falser Court deceiv'd ; Whom Sin and Satan wretchedly enslav'd . What dismal Blindness did possess my Mind , ●or silly short-liv'd Toys to have resign'd A blest Eternity ; and you dear Lord , Who can a real heavenly Good afford ! Eyes , on my Cheeks let trickling Tears run down , Your guilty selves in your own Waters drown . False Guides , that led me to the Hunter's Snare ; When by my self , left wholly to your Care : Ah poor , ambitious , fond , deluded Sight , Thus on the sorry Creature to delight ! Your Fellow-Slave , a Bit of Earth , a Dream , E'en a poor wretched Nothing to esteem . For what avails a Mitre or a Crown , Or all that here a Man can call his own ? Those whom our fawning Flatterers call Great , Whom baser Mankind prostrate at their Feet , In the Divine Eternal Glass appear As little as the meanest Mortal here . When th' Eye in Darkness sets , and Life's warm Fire With th' Ice of Death , in Sorrow doth expire ; What matters Gold , by some Men so ador'd ? What Pleasure will a starry Crown afford ? This Garb ill fits a pale and lifeless Head , And that bright Metal shines not to the Dead ; Corruption then will not forbear its Prey , For fear of dead and helpless Majesty ; Nor will that Lustre , which amaz'd poor Man , Dazle the Legions of bold Vermin then : Alas ! There 's no Distinction in the Grave , Between the greatest King and meanest Slave : All Flesh is there unto one Change design'd , And leaves all worldly Goods and Fame behind . But different Fates the righteous Souls attend , From theirs that here do make a wicked End. Those of the Good , to Heaven's Great King repair , The unknown Pleasures of his Court to share , ●n Peace and glorious Triumph to enjoy The Fruit of their laborious Victory : But those who lodg'd in Bodies , did defy , With unrepented Crimes , the Deity , Condemn'd to Chains , and hopeless of Relief , Die to all Bliss , but ever live to Grief . It is a doleful Scene , to see base Man Provoke his patient MAKER all he can ; Shun Happiness , so easy to be won , And take a world of Pains to be undone ; Even employ his whole Life-long , to buy A wretched Right to endless Misery . Thus he , who studies to indulge his Earth , And quite neglects the Meaning of his Birth , Into the gaping Jaws of Satan runs , And the inviting Arms of JESUS shuns : Those Arms that stand still open to receive All weary Prodigals that Sin do leave ; Arms full of Love and Pity , which display , Even to Foes and Traitors , Sanctuary : ●or those he left his Father's bright Abode , Made Son of Man , to make Man Son of GOD. To cure their Wounds , He Life's Elixir bled , And dy'd a Death , to raise them from the Dead . Dear JESUS , who with such a charming Art , ●ath soften'd and reduc'd Man's sinful Heart ; Did likewise , on the Day the Church renews The Annual Obsequies of her dead Spouse , ●rom worldly Vice her Votary set free , ●nd from the Court an● World deliver'd me : ●o from my self , thus freed , didst after deign , ●o bind me with your Love 's enlarging Chain : ●or such your Favours , shew me but the way , ●ood Lord , my due Acknowledgment must pay . ●OU had the Goodness , for my sake , to dye , Which I , for YOU , will do most willingly : And since my Life cannot suffice to pay For the least Breath of that You gave away ; I wish the Lives of all the World were mine , That all , for Your dear sake , I might resign . But a rent Heart , since You will not despise , And a bruis'd Reed , to You in Sacrifice , My Prayers I humbly offer ; and adore The GOD that doth accept a Gift so poor . I love You , Lord , as bed-rid Men love Health , Close Prisoners Freedom , or starv'd Beggars Wealth My Soul thirsts after Thee , pure Spring of Good , As the chac'd Deer after a cooling Flood . Nor do I love You for your HEAVEN ; no , For Your blest sake all Comfort I 'll forego . The sharpest Pain from thence will easy be , And nought but HELL can be a Grief to me . FINIS .