Love's Revenge. WHEREIN IS. BRIEFLY SHOWN FROM THE HISTORY OF the holy Scripture, the rising, growth, and final fall of the Man of Sin; with the long and continual strife betwixt the two Seeds, how they have, from time to time, sought to disinherit each other: and how that Christ, by his righteous life, and long sufferings, in the end shall get the victory, and justly revenge himself upon his adversary.  Omnia vincit amor, etc. 
By Ios. Speed.  HABAK. 1.5. ACT. 13.41. 
Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish away: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall not believe, if a man should declare it you.  
At AMSTERDAM Printed by Richard Raven. 1631.   

The Preface.  

WHen darkness is suppressed by light,  
That nights black shadows shun the day;  
True faith doth give the soul clear sight,  
To see and find the living way.   

Then must proud Death give place to Life,  
In vain it is his strength to try;  
For Hope will end that deadly strife  
And swallow Death in victory.   

And Error must acknowledge Truth,  
For all his fierce and cruel rage;  
For Love hath threatened him in youth,  
And will not spare him in his age.   

When Faith hath light for to discern,  
And Hope can hold in storm and rain:  
If Love be there to guide the stern,  
The wished shore they shall attain:  
No travel can unfruitful prove,  
When Faith, & Hope, do work by Love.   

When unbelief is beaten down,  
And Faith hath got the upper hand;  
Then light doth show true faith her crown,  
Which she shall have, if she do stand.   

And then despair of force must fly,  
In vain it is if she contend:  
For life will give Hope victory,  
If she continue to the end.   

And hatred must of force departed,  
And give true Love free place to dwell:  
For truth will give Love true desert,  
And hatred due reward in hell.   

Light is the glance of Faith's clear sight,  
Life is the crown which Hope requires:  
Truth is the guide which leads both right,  
Through Love to finish their desires:  
Where Light, and Life, and Truth agree,  
Faith, Hope, and Love make unity.    

To the Reader.  

LEt prejudice be laid aside,  
Christian Reader, in thy reading:  
Let love unfeigned be thy guide,  
Thy thoughts to equal judgement leading.  
The labour and the charge is mine,  
I wish the profit may be thine.   

To think that I should all men please,  
All men would think such thoughts were vain,  
Esteeming it a fools disease,  
Arising from an idle brain:  
That labour which I here bestow,  
Is but to pay the debt I own,   

Unto my Country, and my Friends,  
And all which do profess Christ's name;  
In him our faith gins, and ends,  
By him we hope to purchase fame:  
If then our love be like to his,  
We all shall see him as he is.   

If any thing displeaseth thee,  
When thou my Faith and hope dost prove:  
Yet fasten malice to that tree,  
On which she once did murder love:  
And break in twain that Serpent's head,  
For love shall reign, when hate is dead.   

I seek to trouble no man's mind,  
Nor yet to give offence to any:  
Yet dare not hide, nor leave behind,  
That good which may redound to many.  
Whereat if any kick or hench,  
Were he not galled, he should not winch.   

The mark whereat I chief aim,  
Is to unfold the fraud of sin:  
What rights and titles he doth claim.  
The evil days that we live in:  
Our present danger, his desire,  
To bring us to eternal fire.   

If then by chance I hit the mark,  
At which my bow is holy bent:  
Or if I miss this subtle Clerk,  
'tis but one headless a-row spent:  
Yet hit, or miss, thus much I know,  
The blind by chance may kill a Crow.    

The Authors Faith.  

I Do believe in God alone,  
Whose love doth pass all breadth & length:  
And do rely on other none,  
To make the arm of flesh my strength:  
My faith is such, not to remove,  
Such is my Hope, such is my Love.   

He is the only Lord of lords,  
A King of mighty strength and fame,  
His Majesty with truth accords,  
And great jehovah is his name:  
The first, the last, the total sum,  
Which is, which was, which is to come.   

He is the God of Israel.  
Their root and generation:  
The vanquisher of Death, and Hell,  
The horn of our salvation:  
Before whole throne all flesh shall come,  
The wicked to their final doom.   

Then why should I fear mortal man,  
Whose breath within his nostrils lies?  
His life for length is but a span,  
Although his malice never dies:  
My body he may keep in thrall,  
But cannot hurt my soul at all.   

Let cursed Cain then fret and rage,  
And wicked Lamech boast his fill:  
Let scoffing Ham come on the stage,  
Let bloody Nimrod work his will:  
Let Babel's Tower, through Satan's pride,  
Be once again re-edified.   

Let pharaoh with his host pursue,  
Let Amaleck stand in the way:  
Let Og and Sihons' hateful crew,  
Their bloody banners still display:  
Let proud Goliah's hellish cry,  
The God of Israel defy.   

Let Balaam lay a stumbling block,  
Let Rabshecah come railing down:  
Let dogged Doeg accuse Christ's flock,  
Let Shemey curse, let Nabal frown:  
Let Philistines their battles pitch,  
Let Saul ask counsel of a Witch,   

Let the ten tribes of Israel,  
Give care to Ieraboam's call,  
Let Ahab marry jesabel,  
And build an altar unto Baal:  
Let Baal's Priests cry till hear doth break,  
Their God can neither hear nor speak.   

Let Nebuchadnezar pour out  
His thundering threats, rage, and revile,  
Let Baltazar his drunken rout,  
The vessels of the Lord defile.  
Let haughty Hamans' pride bewray  
His hateful thoughts to Mordekay.   

Antiochus, that wicked root,  
Let him run on his wretched race:  
To waste and trample under foot,  
God's Temple, and his dwelling place.  
Let Holofernes rule and sway,  
Till judith take his head away.   

Let Samballat the Horonite,  
With all his cursed crew accord,  
To race, to sack, to vanquish quite  
The walls and building of the Lord.  
Let men conspire with malice fraught,  
Yet shall their counsels come to nought.   

Let cruel Herod still assail,  
The tender infants for to stay,  
Let Scribes and Pharisees prevail,  
Give judas money to betray.  
My faith is fixed on him above,  
So is my hope, so is my love.   

His ways are right, his judgements just,  
His mercy always firm and sure,  
To such as on his goodness trust,  
And steadfast to the end endure.  
He giveth all men life and breath,  
And grieveth at the sinner's death.   

He did admonish wretched Cain,  
To leave his wicked enterprise:  
Suffer (said he) not sin to reign.  
Lest Abel's blood for vengeance cries.  
Abandon wrath, there's grace in store,  
If not, lo sin is at thy door.   

And when he saw, and well perceived.  
All flesh corrupting of their ways,  
His spirit strove, his soul was grieved,  
Contained his wrath yet many days:  
Had true repentance there been found.  
The world had sur'ly not been drowned.   

When Sodom and Gomorahs' cries,  
Ascended up unto his throne,  
Yet was there mercy in his eyes,  
He would have saved them each one:  
Can he have found some godly men.  
He would have spared them all for ten,   

But Cain, which was through malice led,  
Quite to renounce his chiefest good,  
Did in his wicked collar shed,  
His brother Abel's guiltless blood:  
And wrath, commixed with deadly hate.  
Brought Cain to be a Runagate.   

And boasting Lamech could not scape,  
Which in his heart a man would slay,  
The wicked world for filthy rape,  
Was drowned, and taken all away.  
And Ham, which in the Ark was nursed,  
Was after for his sin accursed.   

And Nimrod was not quite forgot,  
Which hunted sons of Shem away.  
The wicked ones which vexed Lot,  
The Lord at length did them repay,  
They suffer for their foul desire,  
The vengeance of eternal fire.   

And Pharaoh with his host was drowned.  
The waters overwhelmed them all,  
When Israel did find dry ground,  
And passed through both great and small.  
Thus can the Lord, from Satan's rage,  
Preserve his own from age to age.   

For Amalech was rooted out,  
And Sihon was cast headlong down.  
And mighty Og in battle stout.  
Was dispossessed of his Crown.  
And proud Goliath, wicked bred,  
Returned back without his head.   

When Balaam came at Balacks' call,  
To bring his wickedness to pass,  
To work the means of Isr'els' fall,  
He was rebuked by his Ass.  
And Ashurs' king could not prevail,  
Though Rabshecah ceased not to rail,   

Doeg, Shemey, Nabal, and the rest,  
Vild instruments of Satan's rage,  
Whose minds with malice be possessed.  
Quite to supplant God's heritage,  
With Dives shall in flaming fire.  
Receive their due deserved hire.   

And Israel's anointed King  
Saul, did himself of grace deprive,  
Sin struck him with a mortal sting,  
For sparing Amalec alive.  
His heart and hand was wholly bend,  
To persecute the innocent.   

And jeroboam could not stand,  
Because he was a wicked man,  
God struck him with a withered hand,  
When he did sacrifice at Dan.  
For money he wrought many evils,  
Made Priests, which sacrificed to Devils.   

And Ahab wicked imp of hell,  
Which built an altar unto Ball,  
Was rooted out with jesabel,  
None left to piss against a wall.  
For in that place where Naboth stood,  
The dogs licked up the Tyrant's blood.   

And Nebuchadnezar for pride,  
Was metamorposed to a beast.  
And Baltazar, whom lust did guide,  
Received judgement at his feast,  
A hand prescribing on the wall,  
His overthrow before them all.   

And haughty Hamans' sudden fall,  
Whose thoughts all good men did deride,  
May be a precedent to all,  
Whose minds be puffed up with pride,  
That Gallows did his malice slay,  
Which he set up for Mordecay,   

Antiochus, that wicked root,  
Which did jerusalem deface,  
And trod God's Temple under foot,  
And set an idol in the place;  
God did him strange diseases send,  
And brought him to a fearful end.   

And Sanballat must taste wrath's cup,  
For his proclaiming up and down.  
That such as build God's Temple up,  
Be rebels to their King, and Crown;  
And Holofernes on his bed,  
Must pay his ransom with his head.   

And cruel Herod was accursed,  
That he the tender Infants smote;  
And judas for his trason burst,  
Which never more shall be forgot.  
And Christ's dear blood still vengeance cries,  
Upon the Scribes and Pharisees.   

Behold and see what hath been past,  
How sin hath raged from his birth;  
Such was the first, such is the last,  
There is no new thing on the earth.  
Yet can no storm nor tempest move,  
True Faith, firm Hope, and constant Love.   
joshuah Speed.   

Love's Revenge. Wherein is briefly showed from the history of the Holy Scripture, the rising, growth, and final fall of the man of sin; with the long and continual strife betwixt the two Seeds.  

THe Serpent which did first begin  
The powers of man's soul to draw,  
To separate himself through sin  
From God, by breaking of his law;  
Having by craft our Parents slain,  
Did Tyrantlike begin to reign.   

For man did lose his first renown,  
The world through justice to maintain:  
Sin sways his sceptre, wears his crown,  
And by injustice now doth reign,  
And will do still both far and near,  
Until the righteous judge appear.   

For man could now no man acquit,  
Which was a breaker of God's law;  
Not any man condemn by right,  
And not himself to judgement draw:  
For man by sin once overthrown,  
Then judging sin, condemns his own.   

This was the Serpent's subtle bait,  
Which did unto man's crown aspire,  
To draw the woman by deceit,  
To win her man to his desire;  
That he might in his firstborn Cain,  
Begin and end his wicked reign.   

This Viper bred in Paradise,  
No sooner born, but instantly  
Drew Adam unto sin and vice,  
By changing truth into a lie:  
And Adam caught in Satan's begin,  
Became a bondslave under sin.   

By hearing, Evah was deceived,  
By seeing, Evah was beguiled,  
By tasting, Evah hath conceived  
This man of sin, that cursed child:  
By taking in the Serpent's breath,  
Lust brought forth sin, sin brought forth death.   

Ear, eye, foot, hand, lips, tongue and all,  
Did band themselves against God's law,  
To work man's ruin by his fall,  
And man through sin to judgement draw:  
Thus was man brought in Satan's thrall,  
Ear, eye, foot, hand, lips, tongue & all.   

But God, whose love doth far exceed  
The fraud and malice of the Devil,  
Did then make known his truth decreed,  
To raise man out this lake of evil,  
To quicken him which then lay dead,  
And break in twain the Serpent's head.   

But Adam, which could not discern  
Twixt good and evil but through sin,  
Must now another lesson learn,  
By grace to seek, by faith to win  
That crown of glory, joy, and bliss,  
Which he had lost for him and his.   

For he, which once was lord of all,  
Had sole command, did rule and sway,  
Must now attend an others call,  
Another rule, and he obey:  
For he once lending sin his ear,  
Must now for sin, sins burden bear,   

And with a sad and heavy heart,  
No vows nor prayers might avail,  
Out of the Paradise departed,  
His sinful act there to bewail,  
His mother Earth to blow and furrow,  
And sweeting eat the bread of sorrow.   

And with his poor distressed wife,  
Our mother Evah (first misled)  
Excluded from the tree of life,  
whereof before they might have fed:  
Their first neglect of God's free grace,  
Lost them the freedom of that place.   

For now the way was full of fear,  
No entering in but by the sword;  
The Cherubims stood Centre there,  
That none might pass without the Word;  
Which word is Christ, who on the Cross  
Must pay man's debt, redeem his loss.   

Then Adam having known his wife,  
In time brought forth her firstborn Cain.  
Next Abel, whose unspotted life,  
Did show his life which must be slain;  
And by his death and blood then spilt,  
Declare his death which since was killed.   

But Cain, who in the flower of youth,  
The supreme power did obtain,  
To judge with equity and truth,  
And by true justice for to reign;  
And by the virtue of his birth,  
To be sole ruler of the earth.   

In time true justice did pervert,  
And was to wickedness inclined;  
The Serpent did possess his heart,  
And made his eyes, through malice, blind:  
He which by sin gave Adam sight,  
By sin extinguished cain's true light.   

When he by offering did find  
That God no persons did respect,  
But looked unto an humble mind,  
A contrite heart, the proud reject,  
Then was his countenance cast down,  
And on his brother 'gan to frown.   

For then the Serpent did beget  
Strong jealousy within his breast,  
A fire which made him rage and fret,  
That he could have no peace nor rest,  
No love could his desires further,  
But foul revenge, and cruel murder.   

And thus distracted, trembling fear  
Benumbed his senses, made him doubt.  
The Serpent rounds him in the ear,  
Thy brother seeks to root thee out,  
To get thy throne, and sit on high,  
Cain cannot live, lest Abel die.   

Though thou by birth art first in place,  
God hath elected him to reign;  
Thou art already in disgrace,  
'tis Abel now, no longer Cain:  
Though Cain by birth the crown inherit,  
The crown depends on Abel's merit.   

While jealousy and ill surmise,  
False witnesse-bearers thus complained,  
Disdainful wrath called an Assize,  
Poor Abel must be now arraigned,  
Revenge is judge, blood, blood Cain cries,  
Till murder closed up Abel's eyes.   

Thus wicked Cain through malice led,  
The Serpent's instruments to use,  
To strike the nail upon the head,  
His guiltless brother to accuse,  
Who judging him throuh hate to die,  
Condemned himself eternally.   

But Abel though unjustly did  
Receive sins just reward from Cain;  
Yet doth his life in Christ lie hid,  
And shall with Christ appear again,  
cain's foul injustice to relate,  
And justly punish Cain for hate.   

Now sounds an echo in mine ears,  
Rebounding from sad Adam's cries;  
Me thinks I see a flood of tears,  
Run gushing out from Evahs' eyes:  
She mourns for Abel, he for Cain,  
Each one wails one, both weep for twain.   

What stony heart would not relent,  
To think on this distressed pair;  
Whose tears, whose groans at this event,  
Did dew the earth, did pierce the air:  
Yet helpless still, all was in vain,  
One son was cursed, the other slain.   

Oh, Cain (quoth he) renowned fair,  
My firstborn Cain, and only might.  
No, no, (quoth she) 'tis virtue's heir,  
Abel my son, and souls delight:  
For Cain doth live, 'twas Abel bled;  
Nay, Abel lives, but Cain is dead.   

Doth Abel live, quoth mournful Eve,  
Yes, Abel lives, weep not in vain;  
Do thou no more for Abel grieve,  
But let us both lament for Cain;  
For he though dead still lives to dye,  
yet living dead eternally.   

where's Abel then my only joy?  
And doth he still possess the light?  
Oh, let me see that lovely Boy,  
Hid him no longer from my sight.  
Doth Abel live? I'll cease to cry;  
Is Abel dead? let Evah die.   

Peace foolish woman, weep no more  
For Abel's loss; thy son is blessed:  
And is arrived at the shore  
Of perfect joy, eternal rest.  
To mourn for Abel is in vain,  
For Abel's loss is Evahs' gain.   

But Cain, Oh Cain, my firstborn Cain,  
Beginning of my royal Race;  
Oh, let mine eyes gush out amain,  
To think on thy distressed case:  
 while a Lord, a Prince of state,  
And now a vagrant Runagate.   

That Viper which Eve once did bear,  
And made me father him unknown,  
Which with sin's dart and bloody spear,  
Did strick me dead to get my crown,  
Hath Cain by sins allurements won,  
My firstborn Cain, his firstborn son.   

Where shall I seek relief for Cain?  
His fact can no way be excused:  
If of the Lord, it is in vain,  
His loving counsel he refused.  
Nor dares he come before his face  
Himself, to seek, or sue for grace.   

Oh, where shall Cain find rest or peace?  
Anguish and fear do him pursue?  
The earth denies him her increase,  
The heavens refuse to give him dew.  
Gild and despair ring murders knell,  
Wrath and revenge drive Cain to hell.   

His brother's blood is not yet dry,  
If on the earth he fix his eyes:  
If then his thoughts ascend on high,  
There Abel's blood for vengeance cries.  
Thus did Cain God's displeasure win,  
And thus tormented live for sin.   

Thus Adam spent his days in grief,  
And Evahs' sorrows were not done,  
Till God did send them both relief,  
And gave to Eve another son,  
In place of Abel which was slain,  
And separated him from Cain.   

His name was Sheth, which Evah bore,  
To be a holy nation,  
God's truth and justice to declare,  
God's son by imputation,  
By Abel's blood from death set free,  
As Adam was, even so was he.   

And unto Sheth was Enoch born,  
Succeeding in that godly race;  
Gods holy temple to adorn,  
And beautify his holy place:  
For to set forth his worthy fame,  
And magnify his holy name.   

But Cain then destitute of grace,  
Excluded from the face of God,  
Must seek another dwelling place;  
Who went into the land of Nod,  
To spend his days, and weary life,  
And there did Cain first know his wife.   

Who unto Cain a son did bear,  
Henoch by name, so was he called:  
Then did he soon erect and rear  
A City strong and well bewalled:  
For his defence he built the same,  
And called it by his first bornes name.   

Then when the Lord had separated  
The good from bad, the wheat from tares;  
And had the Serpent's strength abated,  
And freed his Church from Tyrant's fears:  
He led her by his Holy Spirit,  
By faith to win, by love to merit.   

He took her to his wedded wife,  
He freed her from that wicked Elf;  
In Abel he laid down his life,  
To purchase her unto himself:  
That none could part with wicked hands  
What God had knit through wedlock's bands.   

Then did the Serpent change his hue,  
New mischief on her head to heap,  
Another poisoned drink to brew,  
To cast her in a deadly sleep:  
Where love doth bear the greatest venture,  
There murder hath no place to enter.   

For now he doth begin afresh,  
And labours with all might and main,  
To change the spirit into flesh,  
And bring her under sin again;  
Defiling of the lawful bed,  
To rend the body from the head.   

For he which led Cain unto wrath,  
And laid his honour in the dust,  
Brought her into the sinful path  
Of fond desire, and fleshly lust,  
wherein she walked without fear,  
Till she was catched in beauty's snare.   

He set men's daughters fore their eyes,  
Enticing beauty made them pairs;  
By his enchanting sorceries,  
Gods sons became the Devils heirs:  
Christ's spouse made drunk with harlot's wine,  
Became the Serpent's Concubine,   

Then he which first accused Cain  
Of cruel murder, pleaded right;  
Did call for justice once again,  
'Gainst wedlock's breach through sins delight.  
This Quean (quoth he) is void of grace,  
She plays the Harlot fore thy face.   

Why dost thou suffer her so long?  
Shall justice now no more have place?  
This is a plain and open wrong,  
This is a great and foul disgrace,  
Who so commits adultery,  
Is by the law condemned to die.   

Take vengeace then and do not stay,  
Let justice be no longer slacked;  
Much danger lurketh in delay,  
Reprove the sin, condemn the fact;  
Reward her for her fleshly lust,  
So shall I know that God is just,   

She hath defiled her lawful bed,  
The band is broke, the knot unknit,  
The body parted from the head,  
And fallen into the stinking pit  
Of fleshly lust, and foul desite,  
Where she lies wallowing in the mire.   

No man may part what God doth join,  
Without transgressing of his law:  
What God doth part none may combine,  
And not himself to judgement draw:  
Yet hath she rend what God had joined,  
What God did part, she hath combined.   

Dost thou not yet begin to frown?  
She hath conceived Giant's seed:  
Her children seek for world's renown,  
Such monsters doth this Harlot breed;  
Thy lowly gesture they disdain,  
For virtue dies, and sin doth reign.   

Thus ceased he not for to complain,  
But calls for justice now afresh:  
Then, quoth the Lord, I strive in vain  
With mortal man, he is but flesh:  
Yet will I cross his wicked ways,  
By shortening of his sinful days.   

Oh, now I see man's heart and mind,  
And all his thoughts to mischief bend:  
Oh, love can be no longer blind;  
My soul doth grieve, I do repent  
That I made man upon the earth,  
His ways are evil from his birth.   

Oh, now I see they do disdain  
My loving counsel to embrace;  
My blood, I see, is spent in vain,  
For they be destitute of grace:  
They are by sins allurements led,  
As seeing, blind; and living, dead.   

Now wrath is seated in my breast,  
I will with man no longer strive,  
But will destroy both man and beast,  
I'll leave no fowl, nor worm alive:  
What on the earth doth creep and move,  
Shall now my wrath & vengeance prove.   

All are corrupted in their ways,  
The earth is full of cruelty;  
Therefore I will cut off their days,  
All what doth live and breathe, shall die:  
One only No, just and upright,  
Hath grace and favour in my sight.   

He and his family shall live,  
Eight souls in number will I save:  
But to the rest strong vengeance give;  
Sin calls for justice: sin shall have  
Sins just reward, sin to confound,  
When all the world, for sin, is drowned.   

And thus the Serpent which had slain  
Mankind through sin, even at the first;  
Who when he saw them live again,  
Through faith in Christ, and he was cursed,  
Was then to further malice bend,  
That he God's grace could not prevent.   

For now he laid his plot more sure,  
To strike the nail upon the head,  
Man first from grace for to allure,  
And there through sin to strike him dead;  
Then hold him snared in this begin,  
Till justice had rewarded sin.   

And thus he wrought his vile intent,  
Man's nature being weak and frail,  
To hold him back for to repent,  
Lest grace and mercy should prevail,  
And keep him in sins fetters bound,  
Till all the world for sin was drowned.   

Yet still he had a further mark,  
Man was not from his malice freed;  
By stealth he crept into the Ark,  
There to preserve his wicked seed:  
Who coming forth was cursed by name,  
For laughing at his father's shame.   

The world again grown to his flower,  
The people one, all had one speech,  
Did soon devise to build a tower,  
Whose top unto the heavens should reach,  
To keep them from the waters rage,  
Which had destroyed the former age.   

The Lord awaking at this sound,  
To cross them in their proud intent,  
Their language did forthwith confound;  
One knew not what another meant:  
And scattered them both far and near  
Upon the earth, as doth appear.   

Then from Shems race he did make choice  
Of Abram, to inherit all;  
Who did give ear unto his voice,  
And did attend upon his call:  
His wife was Sarah, meek and mild,  
But she was barren, had no child.   

His kindred, and his father's house  
He did forsake, and God obey:  
And with his dear and loving Spouse,  
His country leave, and took his way,  
Unto a land to seek his chance,  
Where he had no inheritance.   

With him God made a covenant,  
Which Devil, death, nor hell could sever:  
The Serpent's malice to adant,  
He gave by covenant for ever,  
To him, and to his seed alone,  
That land where sin had placed his throne.   

When he was come at God's command,  
And did behold before his face,  
A pleasant and a fruitful land,  
Which God had given unto his race:  
God did his promise then renew,  
And he believe that God was true.   

The Serpent than was full of grief,  
For than he knew, and did not doubt,  
God's promise, Abraham's belief,  
Did both conspire to root him out;  
Therefore did ponder in his mind,  
Some other issue for to find.   

To strive (quoth he) is all in vain,  
No power can withstand God's might:  
To go to God and there complain,  
Will not avail, I have no right.  
What God hath spoken will ensue,  
Abram is just, and God is true.   

My land is gone, my crown is lost,  
And I almost driven to despair:  
I will go haunt the woman's ghost,  
And be her son, and Abraham's heir:  
So shall it stand what God decreed,  
And I still reign in Abraham's seed.   

Have I not Evah once deceived,  
Before her Adam she had known,  
Which brought forth sin, through lust conceived,  
And Adam took him for his own:  
Why then not Sarah be beguiled,  
By mothering of Hagars' child.   

I'll once again put on sin's mask,  
Wherein God's handmaid I misled;  
And Abraham's wife I'll take to task,  
And her unto my fancy wed:  
Thus like a stout and boldfaced wooer,  
This wily Serpent went unto her.   

Sarah (quoth he) prince Abraham's wife,  
Beauty's prime flower, lovely dame,  
Whose virtues, whose unspotted life,  
Have merited eternal fame,  
Shall beauty, virtue, chastity,  
In Sarah live, with Sarah die?   

Thy man, a Prince of high renown,  
Who with his bow, his sword, and spear,  
Four Kings at once threw headlong down,  
And holds the world in servile fear,  
Shall virtue, valour, honours right?  
Obscured lie in darksome night.   

Thy wealth and substance hath no end  
Of corn and cattle thou hast store:  
No servants wanting to attend,  
Yet God doth still increase the more:  
And yet, alas, this princely pair,  
Live destitute still of an heir.   

This pleasant land, and fertile ground,  
Which thou dost see before thy face,  
With milk and honey to abound,  
Which God hath given to Abraham's race,  
Must stay with Cham's posterity,  
If blessed Abram seedlesse die.   

Be thou no longer then misled  
By Abraham's faith, all is in vain,  
Abram is old, thy womb is dead,  
What hope is there a child to gain?  
Reason doth show without dispute,  
A barren womb can yield no fruit.   

Then be not slack, do not refuse,  
Let not Gods promise be in vain;  
For God doth give, but man must use  
The means whereby for to attain;  
Take counsel then and be not nice,  
Be ruled once by my advice.   

For thou art old, thy womb decayed,  
And hast been barren all thy life:  
Take Hagar thy Egyptian maid,  
Give her to Abram for a wife,  
For she is young and fit to breed,  
By her may Abram have a seed.   

These words did sound well in her cares,  
And she forthwith to end this strife,  
And to avoid all further fears,  
Gave Abram Hagar to a wife:  
And herein Sarah was beguiled,  
Thus coveting to have a child.   

For Abram did obey her voice,  
Went in to Hager, she conceive:  
He was content with Sarahs' choice,  
For he did steadfastly believe.  
God would not fail in time of need,  
To raise him up a holy seed.   

When Hager found herself with child,  
She presently 'gan to disdain  
Sarah her Mistress, meek and mild,  
Who unto Abram did complain;  
I put my handmaid in my place,  
And now she holds me in disgrace.   

Quoth Abram then, to end this strife,  
Peace loving Sarah, I am thine:  
Thou art my spouse, and lawful wife,  
And Hagar but my concubine:  
Thy maid is bound, but thou art free,  
Do with thy maid what pleaseth thee.   

Then Sarah did rebuke her maid,  
for her disdain and haughtiness;  
And Hagar being sore afraid,  
Did fly into the wilderness:  
Where sitting by a fountain fair,  
An Angel found her in despair.   

Hagar (quoth he) what makes thee cry?  
How art thou come into this place?  
My Dame's displeasure made me fly,  
(Quoth she) I dare not see her face.  
Return (quoth he) remove this blame,  
Submit thyself unto thy Dame.   

Thou art with child, and from this birth  
I will increase and multiply  
Thy seed to overspread the earth,  
Like as the stars do fill the sky  
For multitude so infinite,  
That none shall number them aright.   

To Abram thou a son shalt bear  
Amongst his brethren he shall dwell:  
He shall be wild and full of hair,  
He shall be called Ishmael:  
The course and tenor of his life,  
Shall be to live in hate and strife.   

When Hagar brought forth Abraham's son,  
The Serpent did begin to vaunt,  
The day is got, the field is won,  
(Quoth he) this is God's covenant:  
Though Cham may here no longer dwell,  
Yet I shall reign in Ishmael.   

But Abram being full of years,  
They were in number ninety nine,  
The Lord again to him appears,  
I am the God of thee and thine:  
(Quoth he) thou art my sole delight,  
Walk thou before me, be upright.   

With thee I'll make a covenant,  
With thee, I say, with thee alone,  
Thy seed shall be inheritant,  
Within this land, and other none:  
Yea, thou shalt many nations breed,  
And kings shall from thy loins proceed.   

Thou shalt be called Abraham,  
And Sarah be thy Spouses name,  
Which shall bring forth that blessed Lamb,  
At least, the shadow of the same.  
For Sarah hath the blessing won,  
She shall conceive and bear a son.   

Then Abraham fell on his face,  
And laughing said within his heart,  
I have almost run out my race,  
Am almost ready to departed.  
An hundred years have spent in care,  
My wife ten less, shall she now bear?   

Quoth Abraham then at the length,  
Let Ishmael live in thy sight,  
He is the firstborn of my strength,  
Let him not lose his lawful right:  
He is as yet my only son,  
I say no more, thy will be done.   

Then quoth the Lord, I hear thy cry,  
Concerning Ishmaels' first birth;  
I will increase and multiply,  
And make him fruitful on the earth:  
Do thou not languish, faint, nor fret,  
Twelve Princes shall thy son beget.   

But will establish my decree,  
My covenant shall firmly stand,  
Which I before did make with thee,  
When thou didst leave thy native land.  
In Isaac will I plant my fear,  
Which Sarah shall to Abram bear.   

The Serpent than found little chance,  
For now he plain and clearly saw  
That Canaan's inheritance,  
Was given by promise, not by law:  
And neither craft, nor birth, nor merit,  
Can make the handmaid's son inherit.   

Wherefore he grew much discontent,  
Yet knew not where first to assault;  
But like a Hound which lost the sent,  
Run back again to find the fault:  
He did no time nor travel spare,  
Thinking at length to kill the hare.   

And while the game was yet afoot,  
His first exploit that would not addle;  
Now lays the axe unto the root,  
To win the horse or lose the saddle.  
He now did think to make all sure,  
To get this crown, and sit secure.   

For Isaac grown to years and strength,  
And Abraham through years decayed;  
He took to him a wife at length,  
A virtuous, a godly maid,  
Rebekah she was called by name,  
A comely, sweet, and lovely dame.   

But she was barren, could not breed,  
Which caused her to mourn and grieve;  
But Isaac prayed to God for seed,  
Who soon was heard; she did conceive,  
Now, quoth the Serpent, I'll entomb  
Myself within Rebekahs womb.   

I now have found that only pair,  
Though Hagars' son could have no chance;  
Rebekahs son, and Isaac's heir,  
Must have the sole inheritance:  
Then though Rebekahs womb should burst,  
Yet will I strive to be the first.   

When as Rebekah felt this strife  
Within her womb; she 'gan to muse,  
And almost weary of her life,  
Went to the Lord to know this news,  
What hath (quoth she) my womb possessed,  
That thus deprives me of my rest?   

Within thy womb two nations  
Are bred (quoth he) be not derided:  
Two sundry generations,  
Shall out thy bowels be divided:  
The greater shall for honour hunger,  
Yet shall the elder serve the younger.   

When she came to deliverance,  
Twins did appear, she had a pair;  
The first, born to inheritance,  
Was ragged, red, and rough with hair;  
The youngest white, and smooth to feel,  
Who held his brother by the heel.   

The Serpent now did nothing want,  
He was no longer under awe,  
For he was in the Covenant,  
By birth, by promise, and by law:  
By birth, by law, the land possessing,  
By promise to obtain the blessing.   

He which rebuked was at first,  
That he our father had undone:  
Then by the son in Cain accursed,  
For hateful murdering of the son.  
In Ham a triple curse did merit.  
For vexing of God's holy Spirit.   

Yet now he thought the field was won,  
He from the curse should now be freed,  
For he was Isaac's lawful son,  
And one of blessed Abraham's seed:  
The former curse was all in vain,  
He which did curse, had blessed again.   

But now the story to relate,  
What time in time did bring to pass,  
These boys grew up to man's estate,  
Esau a cunning Hunter was:  
And in the field much time he spent;  
Plain jacob dwelling in a tent.   

Esau was Isaac's only boy,  
He brought his father pleasant meat:  
But Jacob was Rebekaes joy,  
His mother's love to him was great:  
In him she had her whole delight,  
And kept him always in her sight.   

Upon a time it came to pass,  
That Esau weary, almost spent,  
In great distress through hunger was;  
Who coming to his brother's tent,  
Give me (quoth he) some broth & bread,  
For I am faint, and almost dead.   

Then Jacob thought he would requite  
His brother for his former wrong,  
That he by strength had got his right,  
When he was weak, and Esau strong.  
I'll strive quoth he yet once again,  
Though he be rough, and I be plain.   

I faint, I languish, I despair;  
Shut not thine ears unto my cry,  
Quoth Esau then, shall Jsaac's heir,  
Through hunger perish, fainting die?  
What shall our father Jsaac say,  
If Jacob do his firstborn slay.   

I do not seek to have thy life,  
Nor shorten any of thy days,  
I am not bend to hate nor strife,  
Quoth jacob then, 'tis hunger slays  
Isaac's first born; so Esau die,  
Thou shouldst provide so well as I.   

That man doth kill, that will not save  
A man from death, if in his power;  
For God, I say, will mercy have,  
Not cruelty for to devour:  
Quoth Esau then, let mercy move,  
And do not break the band of love.   

Sell me thy birthright then, quoth he,  
And I will lave thy hungry soul;  
But thou shalt swear 'twixt thee and me,  
That it shall stand without control:  
Which being done, I then will save  
Thy fainting body from the grave.   

Then Esau, with himself at strife,  
Began to reason in his mind;  
Should I through hunger lose my life,  
What comfort should I therein find?  
To sell my birthright were a shame,  
An endless blemish to my name.   

Should I refuse for to consent,  
And yield unto my brother's will,  
And perish so through discontent?  
The law which says, Thou shalt not kill,  
Would soon reprove this evil fact,  
And judge it for a murderous act.   

Should I unto my brother give  
My birthright for a mess of broth,  
I were unworthy for to live;  
I should exclude myself by oath  
From Canaan, the world's delight,  
Mine heritage by law and right.   

Should Esau, Jsaac's firstborn die  
Without his blessing? he would grieve:  
Should he, through hunger's cruelty,  
Perish unblessed? who should relieve  
His dying soul in this distress,  
And bring him unto happiness?   

Two evils hold my soul in thrall,  
I must choose one; I'll choose the least:  
Lose life, I lose my land and all;  
And more than that, shall die unblessed:  
To live is bad, to die is worse,  
To lose a crown, and win a curse.   

Should I not shun sharp hungers blow,  
And seek myself for to defend,  
How should my father Isaac know,  
Who brought his firstborn to his end?  
I'll sell my land, and hold my bliss,  
For live, or die, the land is his.   

And yet to live in this disgrace,  
Is worse than languishing to die:  
For where shall Esau find a place  
For him, and his posterity?  
When Jacob is by oath possessed,  
For Esau's seed there is no rest.   

Better had Esau been unborn,  
And never to have seen the light,  
Then thus to be with hunger torn,  
And live or die to lose his right:  
Oh, Jacob, hear thy brother's cry,  
Give me some broth, I faint, I die.   

Sell me thy birthright, thou shalt have  
Both bread and broth to save thy life;  
But thou must yield to what I crave,  
And by an oath must end this strife.  
What hopes can Esau's birthright give,  
If Esau die, and Jacob live?   

Thus Esau was at length compelled,  
When he was weak, could hardly stand,  
Through cruel hunger for to yield  
Unto his brother's full demand;  
To sell, renounce, and bind by oath,  
His birthright for a mess of broth.   

But yet, alas, this was not all,  
A greater woe was yet to come,  
This but an entry to his fall,  
A passage to his final doom;  
For now he lost laws right alone,  
The promise lost, than all was gone.   

As he grew up in years and strength,  
So did he grow in world's delights,  
And took to him two wives at length,  
Both daughters of the Canaanites;  
Whereat Rebekah mourned and pined,  
They were a grief to Isaac's mind.   

But Isaac waxing old and blind,  
His glass then being almost run,  
His firstborn came into his mind,  
He called for his eldest son:  
Let Esau come, let him appear.  
Father (quoth he) thy son is here.   

My son, quoth Jsaac, I am old,  
And almost ready to departed;  
My firstborn Esau is enrolled  
Within the bowels of my heart:  
Make haste, my son, and be not slow,  
Take thou thy quiver and thy bow;   

And get thee gone into the field,  
Provide for me some pleasant meat,  
Such as the woods and forests yield,  
Such as thy father loves to eat,  
That I may feed, thou standing by,  
My soul may bless thee fore I die.   

Rebekah hearing what had passed,  
When Esau to the field was gone,  
She called then in all the haste,  
For jacob, her beloved son;  
Who letting other matters fall,  
Attended on his mothers call.   

Thy father hath sent Esau out,  
With all his instruments, to hunt;  
My son, quoth she, be bold and stout,  
Thou must yet stand another brunt;  
And I will be thy instrument,  
Thy brother's blessings to prevent.   

He that our mother Eye misled,  
And did beget that wicked seed,  
Which struck our father Adam dead,  
And made our brother Abel bleed,  
And held mankind in fetters bound,  
Till God the world in justice drowned.   

Then did deride his father's shame,  
Almost brought Sarah to despair,  
That virtuous and godly dame,  
Distrusting how to have an heir:  
And in my womb did make such strife,  
That I was weary of my life.   

Shall he which was accursed in Cham,  
In Hagars' son was made a slave,  
Be blessed again in Abraham,  
And in Isaac the promise have?  
Then will he still himself advance,  
In jacobs' true inheritance.   

While Esau Venison doth kill,  
Bring thou two kids out of the fold:  
It shall miss of a woman's will,  
If he which then his birthright sold,  
Lose not his blessing now again,  
And Jacob unto both attain.   

I will provide thee dainty meat,  
And thou shalt bring it unto him,  
Such as his soul desires to eat,  
He cannot see, his eyes be dim:  
Stand thou but by while he doth feed,  
Thou shalt be blessed in Esau's stead.   

Then jacob to his mother said,  
My brother Esau he is rough,  
And I am smooth, therefore afraid,  
With Esau's Heifer for to plough:  
Though he be blind, I stand in doubt,  
That he will feel, and find it out.   

Thus doing, I may him provoke  
Sharply to punish this offence;  
And bring me under Esau's yoke,  
A just reward and recompense  
For such a fact; Nay, that is worse,  
My blessing may turn to a curse.   

My son (quoth she) be not afraid,  
But harken to thy mother's voice,  
Thou only do what I have said,  
Out of the goats take thou the choice:  
Bring me two kids, fat and well fed,  
Then let the curse light on my head.   

In all the haste than jacob went,  
And did his mother's mind fulfil,  
His brother Esau to prevent:  
He brought two kids and did them kill;  
Rebekah, she made pleasant meat,  
Even such as he did love to eat.   

And to attain to her desire,  
All other things then being done,  
She took her eldest sons attire,  
And put it on her youngest son;  
The young goat's skins she then did take,  
His neck and hands rough for to make.   

Then she did put into his hand,  
That pleasant meat which she had dressed;  
Go thou (quoth she) at my command,  
And bring it him, thou shalt be blessed.  
When he came to his father near,  
He said, My father, I am here.   

(Quoth Isaac then) but who art thou?  
Thy firstborn Esau, than (quoth he)  
I bring thee pleasant meat even now,  
I have done as thou badst me.  
Arise and eat, father, 'tis I,  
Give me thy blessing fore thou die.   

Then Jsaac rising from his bed,  
Began again for to demand,  
How is my son so quickly sped?  
And who hath brought it to thy hand?  
The Lord which thou dost serve, quoth he;  
And I have brought it unto thee.   

Then half amazed, at the length,  
His former doubt he did renew,  
Art thou the firstborn of my strength?  
Come, let me prove if it be true:  
My firstborn Esau he is rough,  
Let me but feel, it is enough.   

As jacob by his father stands,  
He felt his son, but found no choice:  
These are my firstborn Esau's hands,  
Quoth Isaac then, but Jacob's voice;  
My firstborn hath the blessing won,  
My blessing light on thee my son.   

He scarce had uttered this speech,  
His tongue and lips did hardly rest:  
But fear had made another breach,  
More doubts arose within his breast:  
And pondering said within his mind,  
Isaac is feeble, old, and blind;   

And therefore prone and apt to fail;  
My son doth for his blessing call,  
'tis Iacob's voice, should he prevail,  
My first born were dismissed of all.  
But Esau's hands be rough with hair,  
Then why should Isaac thus despair.   

Jacob my son no hunter is,  
Nor knew that I his brother sent  
For Venison; and more than this,  
He hath no hunting instrument;  
No bow nor quiver he doth bear,  
To shoot and kill the fallow Deer.   

He knows not what my meaning is,  
Nor that his father doth intent,  
To give his honour and his bliss,  
Unto his firstborn fore his end:  
Who should him then have hither sent,  
His brother Esau to prevent?   

Now son, come give thy father meat.  
But art thou Esau? Yes, quoth he,  
Then let thy aged father eat,  
That he may bless and honour thee.  
He brought him bread, and flesh, & wine.  
Wherewith his father then did dine.   

Then kissing of his son, did smell  
Esau's field-garments in his nose;  
This strife was ended, all was well,  
Another witness than arose,  
Though Isaac's ear, did jacob dread,  
Yet nose, and hand, for Esau plead.   

Wherefore shall Isaac now delay?  
Two witnesses of force must stand:  
Most voices carry it away;  
Though ear accuse, yet nose, and hand,  
Each one apart, and both as one,  
Give witness to my eldest son.   

Behold, my son, thy pleasant scent  
Is like the savour of a field,  
Which God hath blessed, the firmament  
Shall give thee dew; the earth shall yield  
The fertile fatness of the ground,  
With corn & wine thou shalt abound.   

Let people then thy servants be,  
Nations bow under thy hand;  
Thy mother's children honour thee,  
Thy brethren be at thy command:  
Who thee doth bless, shall blessed be,  
And cursed, who so curseth thee.   

This was no sooner finished,  
And Jacob scarce gone out the place,  
But Isaac's firstborn, rough, and red,  
Which was returned from the chase,  
And had his Venison well dressed,  
Came to his father to be blessed.   

Who coming in, lift up his voice,  
Father, quoth he, arise and eat,  
For I have brought thee worthy choice  
Of Venison, most dainty meat:  
'tis pleasant, sweet, and savoury,  
Oh bless thy son before thou die.   

But who art thou which dost appear,  
Quoth Isaac then, now all is done?  
Esau, thy firstborn; father dear,  
Rise, eat, and bless thy eldest son.  
I have fulfilled thy command,  
And wait a blessing at thy hand.   

Then Isaac half-amazed stood,  
His sudden fear was wondrous great;  
where's he which first came from the wood,  
Quoth Isaac then, and brought me meat?  
Which hath his father thus possessed,  
I blessed him, he shall be blessed.   

When Esau heard his father speak,  
And that his blessing thus was gone:  
He wept as if his heart would break,  
Shed bitter tears, did wail and moan;  
And in his grief and agony,  
Bless me, Oh father, he did cry.   

Thou art deceived so well as I,  
My son, quoth he, what shall I say?  
Thy brother came with subtlety,  
And hath thy blessing now away:  
Thy brother jacob he hath won  
The blessing from my eldest son.   

Oh, cruel jacob, thou didst get,  
And mad'st me yield to thee by oath,  
When I was catched in hunger's net,  
My birthright for a mess of broth.  
And now hast by this subtle feat,  
My blessing for a piece of meat.   

Thus twice he hath deceived me,  
Quoth Esau then, he is the same,  
For cruelty and subtlety,  
jacob may justly be his name.  
Oh father, hast thou now no more?  
No blessing left for me in store?   

What blessing shall I thee afford?  
Thou art in bondage, he is free;  
I have made jacob Esau's lord,  
His brethren his servants be.  
With wheat and wine he shall abound,  
And have the fatness of the ground.   

Thus were the Serpent's projects spoiled,  
A passage to his final fall;  
And was at his own weapons foiled,  
At craft, at cruelty, and all:  
And always got, as truth doth show,  
Still thrust for thrust, & blow for blow.   

But now the Serpent at a stand,  
To mighty discontent did grow;  
He now did fear a further brand,  
He now did dread a greater blow:  
This shade (quoth he) which here I find,  
Doth show what substance is behind.   

For now I see that God doth bend  
Himself to throw me headlong down;  
And will effect it in the end,  
He doth already gi'en to frown:  
It is that seed which truth hath bred,  
Which is ordained to break my head.   

After that I was cursed in Cham,  
Ishm'el no promise could attain;  
Then he was blessed in Abraham,  
In Isaac did the promise gain.  
And then in Jacob was possessed,  
When Esau went away unblessed.   

These shadows do declare his right,  
Which thus do strive for victory;  
For who hath seen two shadows fight,  
The substances not being by?  
The shadow hath no substance made,  
The substance doth beget the shade.   

By craft I got the upper hand,  
Man being blind, could not prevent,  
Nor could he any longer stand,  
The woman was my instrument;  
Then did I cruelly proceed,  
Till I made guiltless Abel bleed.   

Now he hath got the upper hand,  
My birthright's lost by cruelty;  
How should I any longer stand?  
My blessing he got craftily:  
Man being blind could not prevent,  
The wife was now his instrument.   

A hungry mind did make me strive,  
And put the woman unto pain;  
But hunger would not let me thrive,  
For hunger thrust me out again:  
By craft I brought her womb in thrall,  
Her craft hath shut me out of all.   

In Abraham I cannot stand,  
No promise can in Isaac have,  
For Jacob shall possess my land,  
And Esau shall be Jacob's slave;  
And I excluded for a drone,  
Birthright and blessing, all is gone.   

One project I have yet in store,  
Which if it work unto my mind;  
I once again shall get before,  
Though now I be so far behind;  
Malice and hate do call and cry,  
To act another tragedy.   

Wrath and revenge do me provoke,  
For murder I was cursed in Cain:  
Why should I not by murder's stroke,  
Be blessed in Esau now again?  
Why should I for a blessing pine?  
Were jacob dead, than all were mine.   

But yet I will delay the time,  
Till aged Isaac he be dead;  
Then will I act this bloody crime,  
And strike the nail upon the head,  
And thrust myself into the throne,  
For Esau then shall be alone.   

What God hath promised in troth,  
To Abraham's posterity,  
And hath confirmed by an oath,  
That cannot fail, God cannot lie:  
Then Isaac dead, and Jacob slain,  
No seed but Esau is to reign.   

Should I do this, and Jsaac live,  
In vain my labour would be spent:  
God would him strength and courage give,  
My wicked purpose to prevent;  
And raise him seed in Iacob's stead,  
Although Rebekahs womb were dead.   

Have I not once before been crossed,  
When I did think myself most sure?  
Then Ishmael his birthright lost,  
God did old Abraham procure  
Another seed, which then was bred,  
In Sarahs' womb, decayed and dead.   

Revenge applauded this for good,  
But hatred overcome with rage,  
Can not contain her angry mood.  
Nor could her passions assuage:  
Her soul was ready to departed,  
Until her tongue had eased her heart.   

Thus was his project overthrown,  
By trusting of his secret friend:  
This rumour soon abroad was blown,  
What mischief Esau did intent:  
Which coming to Rebekahs ear,  
The loss of both her sons did fear.   

Wherefore she then without delay,  
Called jacob in, her youngest son,  
Sent him to Haran, there to stay,  
Until his brother's rage were done:  
And jacob, willing to obey,  
Received his charge, and went his way.   

As darkness doth pursue the light,  
And constantly his course doth run,  
So doth the day expel the night,  
At the arising of the Sun:  
Each one doth chase, each one doth fly,  
Till light, at length, gets victory.   

Darkness did claim the highest right,  
Because he was the first in place:  
But God did soon beget true light,  
Proud darkness from the earth to chase;  
And that the day might bring to light,  
What darkness had wrought in the night.   

Darkness betrothed was to lust,  
Which did conceive beguiling sin,  
Who being born, man's soul with rust,  
Was cankered, foul, and eaten in.  
Man scarcely had received breath,  
But man was subject unto death.   

But light took faith to be his wife,  
Which did conceive unfeigned love:  
Who being born, abandoned strife,  
Did darkness daunt, and sin reprove,  
Bondage renounce, and death affright,  
And brought eternal life to light.   

The Serpent's craft his crown did gain:  
By craft he made the woman fall:  
The woman by her craft again,  
Did thrust the Serpent out of all:  
By craft he won, by craft he lost,  
Thus craft by craft was ever crossed.   

The Serpent's seed by cruelty,  
Did seek his crown for to maintain:  
The woman's seed, as cruelly,  
In time shall thrust him out again:  
When blood doth flow up to the brink,  
Then blood for blood shall be his drink.   

But once again for to return,  
The Serpent's malice to relate,  
Who did through rage and fury burn,  
To execute his deadly hate;  
And did the shadow hunt and chase,  
Until the substance came in place.   

At him it was that he did aim,  
At him which should his seed advance;  
At him which did by promise claim,  
True Canaan's inheritance;  
Can he bring him unto his fall,  
The Serpent than was lord of all.   

In time the substance did appear;  
This Isaac was God's only son,  
Which came to shed his blood most dear,  
To lose the works which sin had done:  
His life, eternal life did win,  
His death, destroy and vanquish sin.   

The Wisemen from the East did spring,  
When they did see his star appear,  
For to be hold this blessed King,  
And worship him in love and fear:  
And did inquire of the jews,  
To know where they should find this news.   

But Herod, taking it in scorn,  
Perceiving it for to be true:  
The star did show, a King was born,  
He called all the learned crew:  
This King which shall subdue the earth,  
(Quoth he) where shall he have his birth?   

At Bedlam, they did reply,  
In David's house he must arise,  
According to the prophecy.  
This hearing, he did call the wise,  
And sent them there to seek about,  
Until that they had found him out.   

When you have found him, come and tell  
Me where he is, that I may go  
And worship him; I know it well  
This King is borne, it must be so;  
His star will go before your face,  
Until you come unto the place.   

These men they went, as Herod told,  
They found the babe, and did him greet;  
They did present incense, and gold,  
And did fall down before his feet:  
But being warned of this thing,  
They went not back unto the king:   

But did return another way,  
Unto the place where they did dwell:  
Which Herod hearing, left delay,  
And calling murder out of hell,  
This cruel bloody Edomite,  
Did seek to cut off David's right.   

David (quoth he) did joab send,  
To trample Edom under foot;  
And slay his males even to the end,  
And leave him neither branch, nor root:  
He thought he would not leave him one  
For to uphold his father's throne.   

But Hadad, being then a child,  
Escaped David's tyranny:  
And joab also was beguiled,  
For Hadad did to Egypt fly;  
Where he did find a dwelling place,  
For to preserve our kingly race.   

This Hadad did escape alone,  
Of all the king's posterity:  
But Herod will leave David none,  
He now shall prove my tyranny;  
I'll lay his males all at my foot,  
And leave him neither branch, nor root.   

With that he sent his Horsemen out,  
To execute his full command;  
At Bedlam, and there about,  
All males to murder out of hand;  
Even all, from two years old, and under,  
Must feel the rage of Herod's thunder.   

But joseph, warned in the night,  
This Persecutor then beguiled;  
And into Egypt took his flight,  
With Mary, and this tender Child:  
There to preserve this Infant's breath,  
Until this cruel Tyrant's death.   

This Child escaped the Tyrant's rage,  
For he was manifest to none,  
Till he was thirty years of age;  
And then baptised was of john,  
For John was sent to make him known,  
Though not received of his own.   

When he out of the water went,  
Then presently, faith, hope, and love,  
Which God from heaven unto him sent,  
Came down upon him like a Dove:  
This Spirit kept him from all evil,  
When he was tempted of the Devil.   

Twice twenty days and nights a-row,  
He then did fast, no more nor less;  
And did to extreme hunger grow,  
Who being in the wilderness,  
A desolate and barren place,  
Began to wail his woeful case.   

And to his father he did cry,  
Oh, help me out of this distress,  
And suffer not thy son to dye  
For hunger in this wilderness:  
Let not my soul be overthrown,  
Father, thou knowst I am thine own.   

When Ishmael did hear this cry,  
As he was shooting in that place,  
He did imagine presently,  
This sure is he, for whose disgrace,  
I, and my mother heretofore,  
Were both of us thrust out of door.   

I was deprived of my right,  
And brought into this wilderness,  
Where hunger did my soul affright,  
And I did lie in great distress;  
Which did augment my mother's grief,  
Till God from heaven did send relief.   

Now he is come into my case,  
Hunger doth make him now complain:  
Now will I mock him to his face,  
And get my birthright once again:  
With meat I will delude his eye,  
But keep him fasting till he die.   

The Serpent thought, here is no fence,  
This man he is with hunger crossed;  
Distrusting of God's providence,  
Sharp hunger, Esau's birthright lost:  
Can I but bring him to despair,  
His case were mine, and I the heir.   

While Isaac then, through hunger great,  
Unto his father loud did cry;  
Came Ishmael, and showed him meat,  
And did present it fore his eye;  
But did intent to give him none,  
But mock him till his breath was gone.   

He seeing food, for food did cry:  
Restore my birthright then, quoth he.  
No, Ishmael, I'll rather die,  
Then sell my birthright unto thee.  
Though hunger doth my soul affright,  
Yet will I not resign my right.   

If thou refuse the means to live,  
It showeth but a stubborn will;  
For man must take, when God doth give,  
The law doth say, Thou shall not kill:  
If thou wilt live, lay hold in time,  
For murder is a deadly crime.   

What cruelty was that in Saul,  
On his own sword to fall, and die?  
Ahitophel's sin was not small,  
Which hanged himself as wickedly.  
Wilt thou be strangled with sins cord,  
Or run thyself on hunger's sword?   

Or, canst thou change these stones to bread,  
Thy hungry body to sustain?  
Or dost thou think for to be fed,  
With Manna here yet once again?  
What hope hast thou to find red resse,  
Within this desert wilderness?   

When Abraham returned faint,  
From that great slaughter of the kings,  
His hungry soul did make complaint;  
Melchisedech him succour brings:  
And he, his life for to defend,  
Did take such food as God did send.   

What need I reason any more?  
Or why dost thou contend in vain?  
What measure thou didst meet before,  
I'll measure now to thee again:  
For if thou live, thou must resign;  
Or if thou die, the right is mine.   

Though thou have bread, and I have none,  
Though thou be strong, and I be weak,  
Yet man lives not by bread alone,  
But by each word which God doth speak:  
Upon each word I will rely,  
Although I should for hunger dye.   

When God did Abraham command,  
To offer up his only son,  
The knife was ready in his hand,  
He said, Oh Lord, thy will be done:  
He knew God's promise was not vain,  
His might could raise him up again,   

To leave the means which God doth give,  
Is God to tempt, death may ensue;  
To sell my birthright for to live,  
Is to distrust that God is true:  
As if God's justice, truth, and might,  
Can not give life to maintain right.   

The law which says, Thou shalt not kill,  
It doth reprove all other evil;  
And teacheth to obey God's will,  
And not submit unto the Devil:  
If I through hunger faint and pine,  
That is God's sword, and none of min   

Saul spent his days and time in hate,  
Neglected truth and equity,  
Therefore his end was desperate,  
Did hopeless live, and hopeless die;  
His life nor death resemble mine,  
But life, and death, and all is thine.   

Ahithophel grew to despair,  
Because his counsel might not stand;  
And hung himself up in the air,  
The Tempter being at his hand:  
Therefore I do no counsel crave,  
From such as wicked counsel have.   

Melchisedech to Abraham  
Did bring a blessing with his meat:  
But this doth come from cursed Cham,  
And brings a curse, if I do eat:  
I'll rather fast, and dying win;  
Then eat to live, and die for sin.   

Dost thou to me what thou dost crave,  
That I to thee should do again?  
Then justice thou shalt surely have,  
Thy labour is not spent in vain.  
I hunger; thou dost keep thy store,  
But thou shalt hunger evermore.   

Though I can change no stones to bread,  
Nor God from heaven no Manna rain;  
The Spirit which me hither led,  
Will surely bring me hence again:  
No subtle plot, nor hunger's lust,  
Shall make me in my God distrust.   

This arrow being spent in vain,  
He did provide another shaft,  
I'll shoot (quoth he) yet once again,  
Experience hath taught me craft:  
Trust and distrust did both conspire,  
And Esau's crown laid in the mire,   

When he by birth was placed on high,  
And seated on the highest Tower,  
God's providence was always nigh,  
His Angels watching day and hour,  
Vain confidence did work his fall,  
Neglecting means, neglected all.   

The Hart and Hind were Esau's game,  
And fish and fowl, both small and great,  
With other beasts both wild and tame;  
And Venison was Esau's meat:  
He daily hunting, daily found,  
Which made him daily to abound.   

And therefore laid up none in store,  
Nor did for any want provide:  
But vainly trusting to have more,  
Did tempt the Lord, set means aside;  
And once dismissed of his game,  
He lost his birthright, and his name.   

But now I see that hunger's sword,  
Cannot bring this man to despair,  
But still he feeds upon God's word;  
I'll take him up into the air,  
And set him on a Tower hie,  
There prove if he will live, or die.   

His faith is firm; I now will prove,  
And try him if his hope be sure;  
If so, I'll tempt him in his love,  
And prove if I can him allure:  
If he can stand out all these three.  
Then I shall know that this is he.   

The Serpent than did thus begin,  
Quoth he, I am not void of pity;  
Thou seest that I have brought thee in  
The compass of this holy City,  
And freed thee from the wilderness,  
Where thou didst lie in great distress.   

And now I clear and plainly see,  
That fire, water, famine, sword,  
No beasts nor fishes cruelty,  
Can make thee to forsake God's word;  
That is thy buckler, sword, and shield,  
Wherewith thou dost maintain the field.   

And sure it is that God is just,  
And true, for he did never fail  
Those to preserve which in him trust,  
His eye is always in the sail:  
No height nor depth can fright or scare,  
That man which liveth in his fear.   

I call to mind, how God did save  
Daniel, in the Lion's den:  
The fishes womb was Ionah's grave,  
Yet God did bring him out again.  
Three holy men walked in the fire,  
Which had no power to sienge their tire.   

Eliah was by Ravens fed,  
When as the famine first begun;  
One handful meal gave daily bread  
To him, the widow, and her son;  
That little oil and meal did last,  
Until that famine great was passed.   

And God did David still preserve,  
From cruel Saul's pursuing sword:  
Such men, I say, which do not swerve,  
But still do feed upon God's word,  
Gods love to them cannot be cold,  
They cannot perish though they would.   

Now thou art freed from hunger's power,  
Her's food enough within this town.  
But how shall I come from this Tower?  
Leap off from hence, cast thyself down.  
No danger can lay thee on board,  
While thou dost feed upon God's word.   

His Angels have charge over thee,  
If that thou be his Holy-one;  
Thou canst not fall by his decree,  
Nor dash thy foot against a stone:  
This is the writing of God's hand,  
What God hath written, that must stand.   

But it is written then again,  
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God:  
Then labour thou no more in vain,  
For I will settle mine abode  
Here in this place, to void offence,  
Till God send means to bring me hence.   

If thou wilt not leap from this Tower,  
Tell me wherein thy hope then lies?  
Pale hunger will thy soul devour,  
While plenty stands before thine eyes:  
Thy misery and great distress,  
Is worse than in the wilderness.   

If I should bend unto thy will,  
Myself cast down, and falling, die:  
The law which says, Thou shalt not kill,  
Would tell me, I had gone awry:  
I will not like a blind man grope,  
But live in faith, or die in hope.   

Those men which walked in the fire,  
In hope did live, by faith did win:  
But those which wrought the king's desire,  
Did hopeless die, to cast them in;  
And Ionas in his jeopardye,  
Did cast hopes anchor in the sea.   

When hopeless Saul began to frown,  
Then hopeful David he must fly;  
Yet David's hope did win Saul's crown,  
And hopeless Saul must hopeless die:  
Eliah's hope was not in vain,  
When he did pray, and hope for rain.   

The Prophet in the Lion's den,  
By faith did live, through hope endure;  
And hope did bring him out again,  
His cause was just, his life was pure:  
But his accusers, they must try  
The Lion's force, and hopeless die.   

That God which shut the Lion's jaws,  
To show his false accusers spite,  
And bound their strong and cruel claws,  
That they could neither scratch nor bite:  
And by his mighty hand did keep  
The Prophet jonas in the deep.   

That God which did bring joseph out  
That desolate devouring pit:  
Where envy, hate, and malice stout  
Had thrown him in, there for to sit  
In deep despair, and fainting, die,  
Where no man should hear joseph cry.   

That God, which by his mighty hand,  
Did once divide the raging sea;  
And made the foaming waves to stand  
Like walls, to show his strong decree:  
And close again at his command,  
To swallow up proud Pharaoh's band.   

That God which in the wilderness,  
So many thousand souls did feed,  
And secure them in their distress,  
And made their enemies to bleed:  
And by his strong and mighty hand,  
Possess them in that holy land.   

That God which jeremy did call,  
For to accomplish his desire,  
Out of that dungeon of thrall,  
Where he lay struggling in the mire:  
And with one handful meal did save  
Eliah's body from the grave.   

That God which always did defend  
His servant David in his thrall;  
And did him means and comfort send,  
When he pursued was by Saul.  
That God which on proud Saul did frown,  
Brought lowly David to his crown.   

That God which doth restrain the force  
Of burning and consuming fire;  
And make the waters change their course,  
To part, or close, at his desire:  
Gives Lion's power to save, or kill,  
And makes the Whale attend his will.   

That God which hath from age to age,  
Been always merciful and just;  
And hath preserved from tyrant's rage,  
His servants which did in him trust;  
What should he now when all is done,  
Forsake his own and only Son?   

Though thou do now my soul pursue,  
And think I am forsaken quite;  
Yet I do know that God is true,  
And will not cast me from his sight:  
In him alone is all my trust,  
For he is merciful and just.   

The Serpent being at a stoun,  
Amazed, thus to hear him speak,  
Thought, should I cast him headlong down,  
His faith is strong, though he be weak:  
And faith will win, hope being by,  
Will swallow death in victory.   

But what is faith? or what is hope?  
If love be wanting, all is vain:  
For want of love doth make men grope,  
And blindling seek for to attain,  
And catch at any thing they find,  
When want of love hath made them blind.   

With that he took him up again,  
And set him on a mighty mount,  
Where he did lay a subtle train,  
To call him to his last account;  
There he must either lose, or win,  
And thus the Serpent did begin;   

I found thee in the wilderness,  
A desolate and barren field,  
Where thou didst lie in great distress,  
And almost ready for to yield  
Thy vital breath, and there to die,  
In extreme grief and misery.   

Hunger had compassed thee about,  
No means there was food to attain,  
Nor any way for to come out,  
Not one to whom thou mightst complain:  
Such was the place, such was thy state,  
Forsaken, waste, and desolate.   

There I did come and bring thee meat,  
Requiring thee but for to yield,  
But thou refusing for to eat,  
didst put on faith to be thy shield,  
And like a Captain bold and stout,  
didst fight and stand that combat out.   

But then to prosecute this ditie,  
Thy faith yet further for to try,  
I brought thee to the holy City,  
And set thee on a Tower high,  
Where plenty was of bread and wine,  
Though thou refuse to eat of mine.   

There thinking for to prove thy faith,  
If that thou wouldst leap down and eat;  
But than it was (the Scripture saith)  
Thou shalt not tempt thy God for meat:  
Then hope did bear the greatest sway,  
To come down thence some other way.   

But now thou art left destitute,  
Of faith or hope for to attain,  
For now I see that thou art mute,  
Thy faith, thy hope, and all is vain,  
This is thy last extremity,  
Then either yield to live, or dye.   

Just Abraham denied his wife,  
When he in Gerar went to dwell:  
And all was to preserve his life,  
Lest beauty should ring murders knell.  
Of him that promised Isaac came,  
And art thou more than Abraham?   

When famine was in Canaan,  
And Isaac in much peril stood,  
He did forsake his land, and ran  
Unto Abimelech for food:  
And more than that, to save his life,  
He did deny his lawful wife.   

And jacob, to prolong his days,  
When hunger would have stroke him dead,  
Did call his sons, and left delays,  
And sent to Egypt to fetch bread:  
Three holymen in one agree,  
And art thou more than all these three?   

Then yield, or else for hunger starve,  
Think not the widow's meal, or oil,  
Or Ravens shall thy life preserve,  
Give up thy right, and end this broil:  
For life and death stand equal nigh.  
Then eat and live, or fast and die.   

For thou art bound in hungers bands,  
No hope thou hast for to get free:  
What God can pluck thee out my hands?  
What power can deliver thee?  
Thy faith must fail, for all thy trust,  
Doth now lie bleeding in the dust,   

Though I be ready for to starve,  
And see no means how to get free;  
Yet know, the God which I do serve,  
Is able to deliver me:  
And though he do forsake me still,  
Yet will I not yield to thy will.   

With that the Serpent did transform  
Himself: his glory did appear,  
And said, All this is but a storm,  
A calm will follow, do not fear,  
Nor fall thou not into despair,  
I will make thee my only heir.   

Nothing, I see, will make thee yield,  
Thou shalt be now my sole delight,  
If thou wilt not forsake the field,  
But wilt maintain my lawful right:  
All what I have, all what is mine,  
Do thou but crave, it shall be thine.   

And now behold before thine eyes,  
The royal kingdoms of the earth:  
For all that is under the skies,  
Is mine inheritance by birth:  
All glory, majesty divine,  
Honour, and power, all is mine.   

Nebuchadnezar wore my crown,  
And did my royal sceptre sway,  
He did maintain my high renown,  
All men must his command obey;  
Now will I give all this to thee,  
If thou wilt bow and worship me.   

Satan, avoid, I am forbade,  
And must obey if I will live,  
To worship any other God,  
Then him which doth the power give:  
All honour, majesty divine,  
Belongs to him, 'tis none of thine.   

Nebuchadnezar did not love  
The God of heaven, whom I adore,  
Nor knew his power came from above,  
But was his own; my God therefore  
Did his ambition deride,  
Even in the height of all his pride.   

And made him like another beast,  
Seven winters long in frost and snow,  
Among the oxen for to feast,  
That he at length might come to know;  
And in this time might justly prove,  
All power coming from above.   

The Serpent then thought in his mind,  
This must be sure that blessed Lamb,  
For in my tempting I do find,  
That he is more than Abraham,  
Then Isaac, jacob, more is he;  
Nay, he is more than all these three.   

For Abraham's faith was weak and frail,  
When God did promise him a seed;  
And Isaac's hope began to fail,  
When he lay ready for to bleed:  
And Iacob's love, that was not great,  
When he refused his brother meat.   

Yet Abraham, when hope was past,  
By faith did blessed Isaac gain;  
Isaac also while hope did last,  
Prayed for a son, God gave him twain;  
But Jacob's love did win the crown,  
When faith & hope were both put down.   

This man he is but one alone,  
Yet with them all he doth agree,  
So that I now see three in one,  
And yet this one more than these three;  
They were like shadows on a wall,  
And this the substance of them all.   

Moses and Aaron, both did fail,  
They were not perfect in God's sight,  
And joshuah could not prevail,  
For he was put unto the flight,  
And could not win nor conquer aye,  
Till achan's sin was put away.   

What need I any more repeat,  
All men have failed in their time:  
Yea, all have sinned, small and great,  
This man alone is void of crime:  
His faith, his hope, his love will draw,  
Sinnes strength & power from the law.   

Oh, this is he which was foretold,  
That of a Virgin should be born:  
For thirty pence he should be sold,  
And made a curse, and open scorn:  
Yet when his guiltless blood is shed,  
The curse will light upon my head.   

This is that Abel which was slain,  
Whose blood was poured on the ground;  
And yet in Sheth did rise again,  
Death's fetters could not hold him bound:  
This is that Henoch, other none,  
Which God did take up to his throne.   

When all men fell, this man did stand,  
His faith alone did mercy crave;  
He built an Ark at God's command,  
Him and his family to save:  
Which being done, he entered in,  
And did condemn the world for sin.   

This is that blessed Abraham,  
Which did not spare his only son,  
But went to offer up that lamb,  
And said, Oh Lord, thy will be done:  
This is that Isaac now, I say,  
Which was as ready to obey.   

This is that jacob which did fly,  
His brother's malice to prevent:  
And went to Haran speedily,  
There where his father had him sent,  
Within his mother's house to find,  
A wife unto his father's mind.   

This is that judah, born to reign,  
Levi, to offer sacrifice:  
That joseph, which did gather grain,  
Against a famine should arise,  
His hateful brethren to feed,  
When they did stand in extreme need.   

This is that Moses, which did smite  
The proud Egyptian to ground,  
Seeing him with an Hebrew fight,  
He gave him there a deadly wound:  
He thought they would on him depend,  
As one that should their right defend.   

Coming again the other day,  
He found two Hebrews at debate:  
My brethren, than he did say,  
Why do ye one another hate?  
Love teacheth men to suffer long,  
And not to do his brother wrong.   

The wrongful would not understand,  
But in his heart began to grudge,  
Thrust Moses from him with his hand,  
Saying, Who hath made thee a judge?  
Or, art thou come my blood to spill,  
As thou didst the Egyptian kill?   

This Moses fled; but came again,  
For to release them from their bands;  
But then his coming was not vain,  
He plucked them out of Pharaoh's hands,  
And by a strong and mighty hand,  
He brought them out of Egypt land.   

This is that joshuah, whose might,  
Possessed them in the holy Land;  
Slew one and thirty kings in fight,  
The Sun and Moon, both still did stand,  
Until his enemies did fly,  
And he return with victory.   

This is that David, which took care,  
His father's sheep from Wolves to hold;  
He killed a Lion and a Bear,  
Which would have broke into his fold:  
And after that Goliath slew,  
The proudest Giant of the crew.   

He was a Shepherd, so is this,  
Yet chosen king while Saul did reign,  
This must be he, how should it miss?  
For Gods anointing is not vain,  
The Crown doth hang over his head,  
And he shall reign when I am dead,   

Saul's unbelief, despair, and hate,  
Deprived him of his renown:  
Faith, hope, and love, did David's state  
Advance, and brought him to the Crown:  
The more I do the Shadow see,  
The more I know that this is he.   

I must of force now give him scope,  
I can by no means him allure,  
For Abram 's faith, and Isaac's hope,  
Have made his birthright firm and sure;  
And Iacob's love, that perfect band,  
Hath bound the blessing in his hand.   

And thus he left him, there he stood,  
Through hunger fainting, almost dead:  
But then the Angels brought him food,  
Wherewith his hungry soul was fed:  
And then he went from coast, to coast,  
To seek the sheep which he had lost.   

He brought glad tidings to the poor,  
The broken hearted he did bind;  
And opened the prison door,  
That captives, liberty might find:  
And showed them the reward of sin,  
To comfort those which strove to win.   

He made the blind receive their sight,  
The Lepers he made whole and clean;  
The lame and cripple go upright,  
The deaf to hear, the dead were seen  
To rise again out of their grave,  
He did help all that help did crave.   

For all diseases he did cure,  
He did the Devils dispossess,  
And sought all men for to allure,  
To purchase life and happiness:  
Sins fetters he did break asunder,  
That all men did behold, and wonder.   

While that the sun did shine thus bright,  
The Serpent overspread the sky,  
With misty clouds, to damp the light,  
And make his beams reflect, and fly,  
That men could not, by humane sight,  
Know night from day, nor day from night   

You look for a deliverer,  
A King (quoth he) to set you free;  
But Joseph's son, the Carpenter,  
You may be sure is none of he:  
Will you on baseness fix your eyes?  
And feed your ears with fantasies.   

Suppose he were of David's race,  
Yet can he be no Nazarite:  
For Beth lehem, that is the place,  
Which claims the title and the right,  
The honour and the high renown,  
Of Judah's sceptre and his crown.   

And Prophet he is surely none;  
Be not deceived, open your eyes,  
Where have you read of any one,  
Out Nazareth that should arise?  
And by his Genealogy,  
No Priest, nor Levite he can be.   

He doth that which Moses forbade,  
He will not live under his awe:  
'tis good to see he's not of God,  
Because he doth not keep his law.  
His statutes he will not obey,  
But work upon the Sabbath day.   

God spoke with Moses in the mount,  
For Moses fore the Lord did stand;  
And every man must give account,  
For all which Moses did command,  
If any thing were done amiss:  
But no man knows whence this man is.   

'tis true, he bears a seeming show,  
His words be pleasing to deceive,  
But who doth any Ruler know,  
That doth him or his words believe?  
Or any learned Pharisees,  
No, no, such men be all too wise.   

If you will live in godly fear,  
And be submissive to God's word,  
Unto the Priest incline your ear,  
He messenger is of the Lord:  
Within his heart doth wisdom grow,  
And from his lips doth knowledge flow.   

But such as do not know the law,  
And still remain under the curse,  
He may by his allurements draw,  
And lead them forth from bad, to worse;  
And bring them to their final end,  
While they on his fair words depend.   

What though he doth work miracles,  
And many people follow him?  
Yet know, these are but infidels,  
Whose eyes be blind, whose sight is dim:  
They follow him but to be fed,  
And have their bellies full of bread.   

If you will miracles behold,  
And such as have been wrought by God,  
You know what Moses did of old,  
When he did but cast down his rod,  
Before the face of Egypt's king,  
That rod a Serpent forth did bring.   

He turned the waters into blood,  
The dust to vermin did arise,  
That all men then amazed stood;  
He brought in thousand swarms of flies,  
To fill their houses; and the ground,  
With multitudes did still abound.   

A mighty murrain he did bring  
On Pharaoh's cattles, speedily;  
So that it was told to the king,  
All sorts of cattles 'gan to die:  
Who sent to Goshen, where they found,  
The Hebrews cattles all were sound.   

He brought a scab, a blistering sore,  
Which did annoy both man and beast;  
And did torment both rich and poor,  
The Sorcerers could have no rest:  
All the enchanters lost their might,  
For none could stand in Moses sight.   

And when he could not yet prevail,  
Nor Pharaoh yield to his desire;  
He called for a mighty hail,  
Thunder and lightning, mixed with fire,  
Which tore the trees which fruit did yield,  
And slew the cattles in the field.   

And then again stretched out his rod,  
And with a mighty eastern wind,  
And by the power of his God,  
He brought a strange and fearful kind  
Of Grashopers, in such a store,  
The like was never seen before.   

And when he stretched out his hand,  
Which was so powerful and strong,  
Black darkness did possess the land,  
Which did endure full three days long,  
That no man did enjoy his sight,  
And yet the Hebrews had clear light.   

When God the firstborn all had slain,  
In Egypt land of man and beast;  
The Kings own heir which was to reign,  
And so descending to the least:  
Then Pharaoh's soul was full of woe,  
For than he let God's people go.   

But Pharaoh, vexed at the heart,  
And taking it in great disdain,  
That Israel should so departed,  
He thought to fetch them back again;  
And calling all his warlike crew,  
He Israel did then pursue.   

Then Moses stretched out his Rod,  
And did the raging sea divide;  
And by the power of his God,  
Did Pharaoh and his host deride:  
And did deliver Egypt's slave,  
And made the sea proud Pharaoh's grave,   

When Korah, Dathan, and the rest,  
Two hundred fifty Captains stout,  
This worthy Moses did molest,  
The Lord did quickly find them out:  
For Moses sake the ground did rive,  
And swallowed them all alive.   

What miracles hath this man wrought,  
That may be once compared to these?  
I wonder men should bend one thought,  
To listen to such fantasies:  
Such dreams make sleeping men to quake  
Which vanish when a man doth wake.   

For what can he do any more  
Than other men, so well as he,  
Have done, or could have done before?  
Search but the Scripture, you shall see  
What other men have done in time.  
Yet were no gods, but earth and slime.   

He fasted forty days and nights,  
Eliah did as much as he:  
He is one of the greatest lights,  
Open your eyes and you shall see,  
The heavens obeyed his desire,  
And at his call did send him fire.   

The skies did shut at his request,  
And at his prayer open again:  
The Lord he gave not any rest,  
Until that he had sent him rain:  
This man was by the Ravens fed,  
And in his time did raise the dead.   

The waters he did once divide,  
And made the river jordane stand  
Like walls uprighs on either side,  
Till he went through upon dry land:  
Then with a whirlwind he did fly,  
Here from the earth into the sky.   

Elisha also did divide  
jordane: made poisoned waters sweet:  
The children which did him deride,  
The Bears devoured them for meat:  
And die his prayer be did gain,  
To raise the dead to life again.   

He cleansed Naaman's leprosy,  
'Gainst nature he made iron swim;  
His fame throughout the world doth fly,  
Such worthy acts were done by him:  
And being dead, it is most plain,  
His bones did raise the dead again.   

This man is like to none of these,  
He cometh here but to deceive;  
He cannot cure one small disease,  
Except a man do first believ:  
The Endors Witch, when Saul did crave,  
Raised Samuel out of his grave.   

This is but Egypt's sorcery,  
This Serpent was in Egypt bred;  
But Moses Rod will make him fly,  
Or else his Serpent bite him dead:  
No Sorcerer 'mongst us may dwell,  
No Witch may live in Israel.   

You know the Prophets have foretold,  
That subtle Foxes should arise,  
And thrust themselves into this fold,  
To vent their forgeries, and lies:  
Such Prophets as God hath not sent,  
We must in time lay to prevent.   

What doth he bring out of his store?  
Men to a godly life to draw?  
But such as have been taught before,  
They be the doctrines of the law:  
Why should our sight then be so dim,  
That we should fix our eyes on him?   

And thus the Serpent by his craft,  
The woman once again misled;  
That he might shoot another shaft,  
To strike the second Adam dead:  
He knew where faith could have no venture  
There love could have no place to enter,   

For as true faith doth work by love,  
So unbelief doth work by hate:  
The one is one with God above,  
The other is the Devil's mate:  
Unfeigned love doth cover sin,  
But hate by murder seeks to win.   

But Christ, perceiving his intent,  
And knowing he his life must give,  
The Devil's malice to prevent,  
That Adam once again might live,  
In Paradise to rule and reign,  
And cast the Serpent out again.   

He did not seek to be made known,  
But his Desciples daily prove,  
To see how far that they were grown,  
In steadfast faith. in hope, and love:  
And trying them all, one by one,  
He picked out Peter, James, and John.   

These three forthwith along he led  
With him unto a mountain high;  
Where he himself transfigured,  
That they might see his majesty,  
And in what glory he should reign,  
When he should come on earth again.   

Behold (quoth he) and take a glance,  
For all what is under the skies,  
That is my sole inheritance,  
Even all what stands before your eyes:  
Faith, hope, and love, my crown did gain,  
Faith, hope, and love with me shall reign.   

As flesh and blood cannot attain  
True faith, to stand out constantly;  
Even so, where flesh and blood doth reign  
Faith, hope, and love of force must die  
Therefore he set before their eyes,  
What flesh doth hate, and blood denies.   

Two witnesses he there did call,  
That Peter, james, and john might see,  
It was no shadow on a wall,  
No idle dream, nor fantasy:  
Then God from heaven, this being done,  
Gave witness to his only Son.   

This pleased Peter passing well;  
Master (quoth he) lot us here make  
Three Tabernacles, here to dwell,  
That Moses one of them may take,  
Eliah one; for making three,  
There yet remaineth one for thee.   

No Peter, no, here is no place,  
The enemy will not permit;  
I only set before thy face,  
A mark to aim at, and to hit:  
A royal kingdom for to win,  
If thou by faith canst enter in.   

And james can lay hopes anchor fast,  
By casting it upon this rock:  
Then john shall by his love at last,  
Preserve and keep my little flock:  
And nourish them by love alone,  
When faith is lost, and hope is gone.   

For faith and hope were born of man,  
And therefore cannot long endure:  
They both shall end as they began,  
For they were born but to allure,  
Eternal love to be man's friend,  
That man may live when they do end.   

Faith did find out the holy Land;  
Hope led them in the wilderness:  
But love did bear the chief command,  
For he our fathers did possess,  
In Canaan, that mighty host,  
When faith was gone, and hope was lost.   

Faith, first doth bring man under awe,  
Then hope attends upon God's will;  
But love alone must end the law,  
Each royal precept to fulfil:  
For Love, he is that only one,  
Which makes a servant prove a son.   

Moses my servant gave my law,  
Eliah did attend my will,  
And kept all men in servile awe;  
Now I am come for to fulfil  
Each royal precept, and to give  
True grace, that man by faith may live.   

These are my faithful witnesses,  
These men have overcome by love;  
These men have seen my holiness,  
On earth beneath, in heaven above;  
Their witness doth in one agree,  
To testify that I am he.   

Faithful Moses stands me by,  
Hopeful Eliah doth the same;  
And love from heaven doth testify,  
That I am he which bears his name:  
Faith, hope, and love in one agree,  
That you may know that I am he.   

Moses was sent for to destroy,  
Not sparing either man or beast;  
Proud Pharaoh's kingdom to annoy  
With sundry plagues, till he released  
His bondslave, and did let him go,  
Moses did daily work his wo.   

But I am sent for to preserve,  
And call all men unto a feast;  
From grace and truth I may not swerve,  
Until that I have all released,  
Both jew and Gentile in their kind,  
I may not leave one hoof behind.   

Moses obeyed my command,  
And did the Passover ordain:  
That jacobs' heritage might stand,  
When Egypt's firstborn all were slain:  
And be preserved by that Lamb,  
When the devouring Angel came.   

Moses the red sea did divide,  
An Angel went before his face,  
Which did him through the waters guide,  
When Pharaoh did pursue and chase:  
A fiery pillar in a cloud,  
Did this preserving Angel shroud.   

Now I am come for to fulfil,  
I am that Lamb which shall be slain;  
I must obey my father's will,  
My coming cannot be in vain:  
I am that Angel which shall slay,  
The Serpent's firstborn in one day.   

Moses, the Red-sea, and the Cloud,  
The fiery Pillar, all am I;  
That Angel which the Serpent proud,  
Shall overthrow; even when I die,  
My blood shall Egypt's slave defend,  
And bring the Serpent to his end.   

In flaming fire I once came down,  
And did descend upon the mount;  
That men might fear when I did frown;  
And Moses calling to account:  
Both high & low might trembling stand,  
For breaking of my least command.   

Eliah with consuming fire,  
Did prosecute this fiery law,  
To execute my wrath and ire,  
On such as would not live in awe:  
He made both high and low obey,  
And in his zeal Ball's prophet's slay.   

That law which I did once reveal  
In fire, unto my servant true:  
And after by Eliah's zeal,  
With burning fire again renew:  
Now love hath found a faithful friend,  
This law in fiery love to end.   

All what by Moses was begun,  
And never had been taught before,  
Shall now by me be all undone,  
Shall vanish and appear no more:  
And circumcision shall fall,  
And end in me, for I am all.   

This law is minister of death,  
And showeth the reward of sin;  
It must be ended with my breath,  
My guiltless blood the crown must win:  
I must by death God's wrath expel,  
And overcome sin, death, and hell.   

This law I gave in flaming fire,  
Thunder and lightning made men quake:  
The trumpet did blow wrath, and ire,  
The burning mount did trembling shake:  
Curse upon curse did there begin,  
Thunder and fire did threaten sin.   

But now in love I did appear,  
No thunder, lightning, smoke, nor fire;  
No trumpet blue, the sky was clear,  
All men might come which did desire,  
Into the mount, to hear what is  
Virtue's reward, bliss upon bliss.   

That curse which I did then pronounce,  
Is due to all men by desert;  
Yet I will bear it every ounce,  
No man shall bear with me a part.  
All men be guilty, and in thrall,  
I guiltless, free, must pay for all.   

That blessing which I now did give,  
Is due to all men which deserve,  
For love, which would that all should live,  
Gives food of life, that none should starve:  
If men do come again in thrall,  
The guilty then must pay for all.   

In fiery love I gave this law,  
That men might one another love;  
And love hereafter might men draw,  
To fix their eyes on him above,  
Who sitting at the righter hand,  
Shall have the rule and sole command.   

In fiery love I will proceed,  
I will not banish, scourge, nor kill;  
No tares nor cockles will I weed  
Out of my wheat, they shall grow still:  
Both shall have place, both shall have room  
To grow, until the harvest come.   

And then the wheat which love did sow,  
By love shall reaped be again;  
Hates cockles shall no longer grow,  
For love will then in great disdain,  
Burn and consume in wrath and ire,  
Hate and his tares in flaming fire.   

But now again in brief to show,  
The subtle Serpents cruel spite;  
How he did seek to overthrow,  
Grace, mercy, justice, truth, and light:  
And to maintain and nourish sin,  
That cruel murder still might win.   

An eye I must have in the sail,  
(Quoth he) I will not let him rout;  
For he beginneth to prevail,  
And many men begin to doubt:  
His wonders do amazement strike,  
Because no man can do the like.   

But if he now be come to reign,  
I'll keep him out by open wrong:  
I'll put him to reproach and pain,  
And make himsing another song:  
I, and the woman will combine  
To murder him, than all is mine.   

But yet the woman shall not know,  
What is my purpose and intent,  
By striking of this deadly blow,  
Although she be my instrument:  
She shall accuse, and I will judge,  
That I may once revenge my grudge.   

Fair Sarahs' fancy once I fed,  
When she was almost in despair:  
She laid Hagar in her bed,  
That Abraham might have an heir:  
Now will I draw her unto mine,  
That she may be my Concubine.   

And now I must no longer stay,  
It cometh now upon the knip;  
Much danger lurketh in delay,  
If I occasion let slip:  
I'll round the woman in the ear,  
And set before her hope and fear.   

Sarah (quoth he) Princess divine,  
The wife of heavenly Abraham,  
All bliss in heaven and earth is thine,  
For thou shalt bear that blessed Lamb,  
Which shall subdue and conquer all,  
And bring the world in servile thrall.   

Thou shalt conceive when strength is spent,  
And bear this son when hope is gone:  
Then let not Hagars' son prevent,  
The right of Sarahs' lawful son:  
You know how Abraham full well,  
Did love his firstborn Ishmael.   

For Abram's love to his firstborn,  
Made Ishm'el Isaac to disdain:  
But Sarah took it in great scorn,  
And did to Abraham complain;  
Quoth she, to ease my heart of doubt,  
The handmaids son must be put out.   

If Abraham yet once again,  
Hath caused Hagar to conceive:  
How should it miss? it is most plain,  
So Sarah constantly believe,  
Her time of bearing will draw near,  
And blessed Isaac shall appear.   

This man he is thy handmaids son,  
Who is his father no man knows,  
If so this thing by God be done,  
It still most plain and clearly shows.  
This is he which did Isaac flout,  
And Hagars' son must be put out.   

When Abraham to Gerar went  
To dwell: he did deal craftily,  
For, fearing of some ill event,  
His loving spouse he did deny,  
Lest that the beauty of his wife,  
Should cause the king to take his life.   

And in that land was Isaac born,  
That son of promise, for to reign;  
Whom Jshmael did mock and scorn,  
Yet Sarah did his right maintain;  
And Ishmael thrust out of door,  
Though Abraham did grieve therefore.   

But when Abimelech did see,  
That God for Abraham did stand:  
And Abraham, by God's decree,  
Grew rich and mighty in his land;  
And that he had a lawful heir,  
Abimelech did half despair.   

And he, with his chief Captain stout,  
In haste to Abraham did ride,  
Saying, Oh man, I stand in doubt,  
(For God, I see, is on thy side)  
That thou wilt turn me out of all,  
And bring me and my house in thrall.   

If thou wilt vow thou wilt refrain,  
To injure either me or mine:  
Then thou shalt deal with me again,  
As I have dealt with thee and thine:  
When as a stranger thou didst come  
To sojourn here, I gave thee room.   

Then Abraham without delay,  
To put him out of servile fear,  
Did covenant with him that day,  
And to Abimelech did swear,  
That love with love he would requite,  
And not deprive him of his right.   

And that Abimelech might see,  
He sought not to possess his land,  
He did perceive his constancy,  
When God did Abraham command,  
To sacrifice that promised seed,  
He would have made young Isaac bleed.   

For Abraham was nothing slack,  
He would not fail in any case,  
But laid the wood on Isaac's back,  
To carry it unto the place,  
To which his father him then led,  
Where he should have been offered.   

An altar there he then did make,  
While Isaac by amazed stood:  
He bond his son, and did him take,  
And laid him up upon the wood;  
Then took the knife into his hand,  
To execute the Lords command.   

An Angel's voice then to him came,  
Descending down out of the sky,  
Which called unto Abraham,  
Who said, My Lord, lo, here am I;  
Thy son (quoth he) thou shalt not slay,  
I see thy love for to obey.   

These things do clear and plainly show,  
If Sarah will but open her eyes,  
This is the ground where truth doth grow,  
From hence the substance must arise;  
For Abraham did show the way,  
For thee to walk in, and obey.   

If thou the truth hereof wilt find,  
And bring an end unto this strife,  
Then say, thou hast thy right resigned,  
And art no longer Abram's wife;  
Thou dost not sleep in Abram's bed,  
The Emperor is now thy head.   

Him now thou must obey and fear,  
And bow unto his royal might:  
And hold the oath which thou didst swear,  
By seeking to maintain his right;  
And not to injure him nor his,  
Then nothing can be done amiss.   

Then apprehend this stumbling stone,  
This fellow which makes all this strife,  
And bring him unto Caesar's throne,  
And let him there plead for his life;  
Then shalt thou find, if thou do so.  
Whether he be thy King, or no.   

Bring him before the judgement seat,  
Accuse him of some wickedness;  
That I with rods his back may beat,  
Until he truly doth confess,  
What things that he hath done amiss,  
And tell me true from whence he is.   

If he be mocking Ishmael,  
I'll mock him with a thorny crown;  
That will please Sarah passing well,  
For she will lead him out of town,  
And make him there an open scorn,  
When back and sides with rods be torn.   

For if this fellow should prevail,  
And all the people to him cleave,  
The Roman forces will assail  
Your Towns, and Cities; and not leave,  
Till they have thrown all under foot,  
And leave you neither branch nor root.   

If this be Isaac from above,  
Most sure it is he shall not die:  
No other way thou hast to prove  
The truth, and know the certainty:  
By life, or death, thou must it know,  
Whether he be thy son, or no.   

If this be Isaac which shall reign,  
To whom the promises were made,  
He shall come from the cross again,  
The substance must be like the shade:  
Yea, in the last extremity,  
He shall come down, and shall not die.   

If that he die upon the cross,  
Thou hast no cause at all to fear:  
For Sarah can sustain no loss,  
'tis not the son which she should bear:  
If that he be thy Handmaids son,  
Then there is but a mocker gone.   

Suppose that he some Prophet were,  
One that had done no wickedness:  
It needful is that one should bear,  
The people's sins and trespasses,  
Gods favour once again to win.  
And to appease his wrath for sin.   

If he be Isaac, understand,  
A thing it is must come to pass;  
It is the work of Gods own hand,  
For Abraham sole actor was:  
'Twas he which should have Isaac slain,  
'Twas he which brought him back again.   

For Abraham, which was God's friend,  
When he should offer up his son,  
Two servants true took to attend,  
To testify what he had done:  
To take an Ass he thought it good,  
To help his son to bear the wood.   

Here is a perfect way to know,  
By his two servants which attend,  
Who shall be there to strike the blow,  
For they must witness to the end:  
If God be there, it is most plain,  
All safely shall return again.   

If otherwise it come to pass,  
That he and both his servants die,  
And none return except the Ass;  
These servants than will testify,  
The Devil hath him thither brought,  
And there his open shame hath wrought.   

These things did please the woman well,  
When he had blown them in her ears:  
And she forthwith for to expel,  
All dangers and ensuing fears:  
And being full of wrath and ire,  
Did execute his full desire   

For when the Passeover drew near,  
That she should eat the Paschall Lamb,  
Her Passeover did then appear,  
To end the work for which he came;  
The substance first a curse she made,  
Then sought a blessing from the shade.   

The Vipar nursed in the Ark,  
Which did bewray his father's shame:  
Did then go creeping in the dark,  
For to betray his brother's name:  
And bind him fast in iron bands,  
To bring him in the Serpent's hands.   

When he was in the Serpent's claw,  
False witnesses she did procure;  
Which when they could not stand by law,  
The Priest began him to adjure;  
Thinking to catch him in a snare,  
That he himself might witness bear.   

When the High Priest did hear him speak,  
It than did blow no little gail:  
His clothes he did rend and break,  
His countenance appeared pale;  
And in his malice he did cry,  
Lo, we have heard his hlasphemy.   

What shall we do in such a case?  
Some said, he worthy is to die;  
And some did spit him in his face,  
Some buffet him as cruelly;  
And othersome did him deride,  
And vex him sore on every side.   

Then Peter's faith began to fail,  
And hope was almost at a loss;  
But fervent love did still prevail,  
And followed him unto the cross:  
Love would not start, love would not fly;  
But love would see his Master die.   

But Sarah, full of malice fraught,  
Did bring him unto Caesar's throne,  
Like as the Serpent had her taught,  
And there she did accuse her son:  
A fire was kindled in her mood,  
Which nought could quench but Isaac's blood.   

While Sarah thought, through cruel bands,  
On Ishmael to end her grudge,  
She brought her son in Hagars' hands,  
And Ishmael he was the judge:  
And Hagars' child, this being done,  
Did mock the mother and the son.   

While she accused, it came to pass,  
That Ishmael did understand,  
That he a Galilean was,  
Where Edom had the chief command:  
Then he sent Jsaac to his son,  
That he might judge what he had done.   

But Herode wore a Fox's skin,  
And thought, If I should this man judge,  
Then Pilate will again begin,  
For to renew his former grudge:  
My father once thrust in his hand,  
Where Pilate hath the chief command.   

He sent to Bedlam and slew  
The Infants where he had no might;  
And now, our friendship to renew,  
I will surrender him my right;  
That Pilate may this man adore,  
As Herod would have done before.   

When Edom with his warlike train,  
Had showed him his utmost spite;  
Then Herod sent him back again,  
Dressed and arrayed all in white,  
That Ishmael might Isaac slay;  
Thus were they made good friends that day.   

Sarah, again, to end her grudge,  
Her son fore Caesar's throne did draw:  
Quoth Jshmael, let jacob judge,  
Condemn this man by Jacob's law:  
Yet knew, that jacob had no might,  
For Ishmael had Jacob's right.   

When he had mocked them one by one,  
Esau and jacob, each apart:  
Then Hagar did deride her son,  
Which pleased Sarah at the heart:  
For she did cloth him all in red,  
And set a crown upon his head   

Of pricking thorns, in great disgrace,  
Which made the blood run from his brow:  
And some did spit him in his face,  
Some other to him kneel and bow;  
Then Ishmael did him forth bring,  
And said, Oh jews, behold your King.   

But Pilate, he was wholly blind;  
This was the Serpent's subtle feat:  
And yet by smelling he did find,  
That this was done through malice great;  
And fain he would have let him go,  
But Sarah would not yield thereto.   

Quoth Pilate then, you have your choice,  
jesus, or Barrabas must die:  
Then Esau did lift up his voice,  
Oh crucify, Oh crucify,  
This malefactor on a tree,  
And let just Barrabas go free.   

justice (quoth Pilate) hath forbade,  
A guiltless man to crucify.  
He makes himself the son of God,  
And by our law he ought to die,  
Quoth jacob then, be not dismayed,  
But this made Pilate more afraid.   

When he so far did understand,  
He asked him much about this thing:  
Which done, he did the jews demand,  
What he should do unto their King;  
Quoth Sarah, thou his life must end,  
Else thou art none of Caesar's friend.   

When he did hear the woman speak,  
Her words they did him much affright;  
Though Caesar's laws he might not break,  
Yet durst he not abridge his right;  
And once again did ask this thing,  
If he should crucify their King.   

The woman hearing this demand,  
Through extreme malice did reply,  
If thou for Caesar's right wilt stand,  
This fellow thou must crucify:  
For Cesar is my King alone,  
And other king I know of none.   

Thus Pilate was constrained to yield,  
For he must stand for Caesar's right:  
And Hagar she did win the field,  
And Sarah lose her lawful right:  
And Jshmael did Isaac flout,  
And thrust him and his mother out.   

When Sarah saw that Hagars' boy,  
Which she to Abraham had born,  
Did flout and mock her only joy,  
And laugh her only son to scorn,  
She said, Though Hagars' son be thine,  
Yet shall he have no share with mine.   

Cast out the Bondmaid, with her son,  
For Hagars' son shall have no chance;  
But he which I by Abram won,  
Shall have the sole inheritance:  
Which thing was grievous in his sight,  
That Ishmael should lose his right.   

Then God to Abraham did say,  
Thou must obey the woman's voice,  
Put Hagar and her son away,  
For I myself have made the choice:  
In Isaac I thy seed will call,  
For Isaac shall inherit all.   

But Abraham possessed with grief,  
Did early in the morn arise,  
And did provide them some relief,  
Their hungry bodies to suffice,  
Some water and some bread in store,  
Until the Lord did send them more.   

But when the water all was spent,  
She laid her son under a tree:  
And Hagar grieved from him went,  
For she would not his anguish see.  
Her son's distress did make her cry,  
For nature could not see him die.   

While she did thus pour out her cries,  
The Lord did show himself most mild,  
For he did open Hagars' eyes,  
And she found water for her child;  
And filled her bottle to the brink,  
And gave her son thereof to drink.   

But now, when Jshmael did flout  
Abram's faith, and Isaac's hope:  
And Hagar did cast Isaac out,  
The Serpent did provide a rope,  
To strangle love; and hatred send,  
To bring true love unto his end.   

Hate would not wait for a command,  
And malice would be nothing slack,  
For she did take him by the hand,  
And lay a tree upon his back:  
And made him bring it to the place,  
Where hatred would true love disgrace.   

She nailed him fast, hand and foot,  
Unto the tree which he had born;  
For to complain it was no boot,  
Thus he was made an open scorn;  
And 'gainst all nature, law, and grace,  
She mocked her son even to his face.   

She thought he was the most accursed,  
And at his torments she did wink:  
When pangs of death did make him thirst,  
She gave him Vinegar to drink:  
Which done, he yeeled up his breath,  
And dying, he did vanquish death.   

Herode and Pilate did consent,  
They did agree upon one day,  
Isaac and Jacob to prevent,  
But guiltless Isaac first to slay;  
Then scatter jacob by their might,  
To take away his lawful right.   

When Jshmael had Isaac slain,  
He thought to lock him in the grave;  
But Isaac did come forth again,  
And made proud Ishmael deaths slave;  
And bond him fast in mortal bands,  
Till he be slain by Isaac's hands.   

When Herode heard he rose again,  
Edom his maliee did renew,  
And Jsaac's males he would have slain,  
For hopeful James this tyrant slew:  
And faithful Peter kept in bands,  
To murder him by cruel hands.   

When he escaped Edom's rage,  
And that God's Angel set him free:  
Then Jshmael came on the stage,  
To act his cruel tragedy,  
And faithful Peter did deride,  
For to cut off the Christian guide.   

When faith and hope had lost their right,  
The Serpent did, through malice move,  
These tyrants both with all their might,  
To murder, and to vanquish love,  
That Ishm'el might for Isaac reign,  
And Esau, jacob's blessing gain.   

Then John they catcht within their claws,  
On him their tortures they did prove:  
Love plucked him out the Lion's jaws,  
For malice could not murder love:  
Love had before his life laid down  
For Jsaac's promise, Iacob's crown.   

When Isaac shall come down again,  
His children for to advance;  
That they with him might live and reign,  
In Canaan's inheritance:  
Then Jshmael shall play his part,  
That he may have his due desert.   

For Pilate then shall work his will,  
By his edicts and tyranny,  
The Males in Galilee to kill,  
Or bring them into slavery;  
That Jsaac, coming there, may see,  
All boved again what he set free.   

But then Rebecca shall complain  
To Herode of this open wrong:  
This is the land where thou dost reign,  
Why dost thou suffer him so long?  
My Males be slain by Pilat's hand,  
Where thou dost rule & bear command.   

Herode shall give her good content,  
And say, I will thy Males set free,  
And Pilat's malice will prevent,  
If thou wilt vow and swear to me,  
Never to injure me nor mine,  
Then will I stand for thee and thine.   

And thus Rebecca, to get free,  
And be released from Jshm'els' bands,  
Shall enter into slavery,  
She and her Males in Edom's hands;  
That when as Isaac comes in fight,  
They all shall lose their lawful right.   

For when as Isaac shall appear,  
Her love and constancy to try,  
She will not then of Isaac hear  
But flatly shall her man deny:  
Then Bashemath, and Edom stout,  
Shall thrust both her, and jacob out.   

When Edom hath by cruelty,  
Got jacobs' birthright for to reign;  
He then shall think as subtly,  
His blessing likewise to obtain:  
But when this thing, shall come about  
Jsaac will feel, and smell him out.   

For though he once deceived was,  
And cast his firstborn out the nest;  
Yet God did bring it so to pass,  
He blessed him whom God would have blessed  
Which Jsaac soon did understand,  
To be the work of Gods own hand.   

When Edom subtly therefore,  
Shall come unto his father first;  
Isaac shall turn him out a door  
And curse him whom God will have cursed:  
The blessing shall on Jacob rest  
He blessed him, he must be blessed.   

But when as Edom bold, and stout,  
Hath by a strong and cruel hand,  
Thrust jacob, and Rebecca out,  
For to possess their native land,  
Then shall the jew come in again,  
Which hath so long lived in disdain,   

For then the Lord he will awake,  
And unto his remembrance call,  
The covenante which he did make  
With Abraham; and Sarah shall  
Conceive and bear that promised seed,  
Which on the Serpent's head shall tread.   

His judgements shall be just and pure,  
And he shall reign from Sea to Sea:  
So long as Sun and Moon endure  
In glory, strength, and majesty.  
The Kings to him shall bring their store  
All Kings (I say) shall him adore.   

Then Sarahs' love shall not be vain,  
Though she did offer up that Lamb;  
For she shall then come in again,  
Her constant love to Abraham,  
In all her troubles then shall win  
The love of God to bring her in.   

If then Rebecca do the same,  
When like temptations provoke,  
She shall again come out of blame,  
And jacob cast off Esau's yoke,  
So he do not his promise break,  
Which unto Laban he did make.   

When Sarahs' time is come to bear,  
That she delivered shall be;  
Then cruel Pharaoh shall appear,  
He shall arise out of the sea,  
And come again upon the earth,  
To kill this child even at his birth.   

But God attending to her cry,  
When she is ready for to bear,  
Shall with his power stand her by,  
And free her from the Dragon's fear;  
And take her son up to his thronc,  
For he must reign and rule alone.   

For her he shall prepare a way,  
Into the wilderness to fly;  
Lest that the Dragon should her slay,  
And show on her his tyranny:  
There shall she learn to know his ways,  
Thousand, two hundred, threescore days.   

There shall she learn to live in awe,  
And from her God no more departed;  
For there the Lord will write his law,  
Within the tables of her heart:  
All shall his holy name confess,  
Even from the greater, to the less.   

Then shall those witnesses appear,  
Which were with Jesus in the mount,  
To bring the world in servile fear,  
And call them to their last account,  
For murder, theft, adultery,  
And all their other cruelty.   

If any man will do them wrong,  
Then fire out of their mouths shall go:  
They shall be powerful and strong,  
To work their adversaries woe:  
And Moses Rod, which once did bud,  
Shall turn the waters into blood.   

And sundry plagues bring on the earth,  
If they their prophecy disdain;  
Eliah he shall bring a dearth,  
Upon the world for want of rain:  
And so their enemies shall kill,  
Till they their prophecy fulfil.   

But when their prophecy is done,  
Then Ishmael and Edom stout,  
Their strength shall both combine in one,  
To cast these holy Prophets out:  
These witnesses shall then be slain,  
And then the world shall laugh again.   

But as these witnesses before,  
Came down with God, to testify  
That Love which he had kept in store,  
His only Son which came to die,  
God's wrath and justice to appease,  
And all mankind from death release.   

So then they shall go up again,  
When all this wickedness is done:  
And unto God they shall complain,  
For they shall witness with the Son:  
And call for justice at God's hand,  
For breach of every command.   

The n God in wrath and great disdain,  
When he doth hear their plaint and moan,  
Will send his Son yet once again,  
To overthrow the Serpent's throne;  
And Jacob's seed for to advance,  
In Canaan's inheritance.   

Then all the souls of holy men,  
Which do under the Altar lie;  
Even all the Chickens with the Hen,  
Which now to God for vengeance cry,  
Shall then behold sins overthrow,  
When the seventh trumpet 'gins to blow.   

The seventh seal shall be then undone,  
Then earthly men shall all despair;  
The seventh plague than shall light upon  
The Prince that ruleth in the air:  
Then Loves revenge shall surely come,  
For God will be no longer doom.   

The Serpent's throne he will divide,  
And rend his kingdom into three:  
And over throw all tyrant's pride,  
All Egypt's bands and slavery;  
Sodoms' foul sin, and Babel's jar,  
And make an end of bloody war.   

He shall to Edom come in white,  
As he him once to Pilate sent;  
And Edom shall condemn by right,  
'tis then too late for to repent:  
He will him not to Pilate send,  
That Pilate should his quarrel end.   

For Edom must lay down his life,  
For murder done by him before:  
Then lying with his father's wife,  
To make his mother play the whore:  
Such facts, God's wrath they do procure,  
And justice can them not endure.   

From Edom he shall go in red,  
As Hagar did him once attire:  
And set a crown on Ishm'els' head,  
Of pricking thorns; then flaming fire,  
Shall burn and lay all under foot,  
And leave them neither branch nor root   

Yet shall his blood be justly shed,  
The law will take away his life:  
He did defile his father's bed,  
And made a harlot of his wife:  
Injustly then when this was done,  
Did crucify God's only son.   

Then Hagars' spite and foul disdain,  
Her gold shall then appear but dross;  
He shall reward her for her pain,  
Whom she doth still mock on the cross:  
And cast out Hagar and her son.  
For all the spite that they have done.   

The Winepress he shall tread in red,  
And with a massy rod of steel,  
Shall break in twain the Serpent's head,  
Because that he hath bruised his heel:  
The cup is full up to the brink,  
And blood for blood shall be his drink.   

Proud Egypt shall be drowned in blood,  
When Israel shall be set free;  
They shall not know where Babel stood,  
For they shall all in one agree:  
And Sodoms' sin and foul desire,  
Shall vanquished be in flaming fire.   

Then shall he plant his dwelling place,  
Upon the top of mountains high,  
That nations may see his grace,  
His glory, and his majesty:  
And all may come with one accord,  
Unto the mountain of the Lord.   

That they may learn to live in awe,  
And be instructed of the Lord;  
From Zion shall go forth his law,  
And from Jerusalem his word:  
For he shall judge in truth and right,  
And men shall learn no more to fight.   

Their swords and spears they then shall break,  
And shall not use them any more,  
But shall them scythes and mattocks make,  
To dress the earth, and bring in store;  
That men may reap the earth's increase,  
And live in perfect joy and peace.   

The wolf shall with the lamb then dwell.  
The leopard lie with the kid:  
The calf feed with the lion fell,  
A little child shall them forbid:  
The bear and cow together eat,  
Their young ones lying at their feet.   

No Asp, no Cockatrice annoy,  
Upon the mountain of the Lord,  
There shall be nothing to destroy,  
But all shall then obey his word:  
By justice he shall rule and sway,  
And with his lips the wicked slay.   

For when this trumpet 'gins to blow,  
Christ's kingdom than is at the door,  
For he himself on earth shall show,  
To save the needy and the poor:  
The widow and the fatherless,  
To secure in their great distress.   

All prophecies be then fulfilled,  
All shadows ended, gone, and vain:  
That Lamb which once on earth was killed,  
Shall then come down on earth to reign:  
He bought his kingdom with his life,  
And won it with an endless strife.   

He died, that man might ever live,  
He strove to bring in endless peace,  
Because the earth again might give  
Her fatness, and her full increase,  
Her children all alike to nurse,  
When he had ta'en away the curse.   

The poor in heart he will sustain,  
The mourners shall be comforted:  
The meek with him on earth shall reign,  
The hungry soul it shall be fed:  
The merciful shall mercy gain,  
For mercy than they shall obtain.   

The pure in heart shall God behold,  
Peacemakers shall his children be;  
Such as unjustly be controlled,  
Shall in his kingdom be made free:  
Such as men now do most disdain,  
Shall with him in his kingdom reign.   

The rich he will not once respect,  
Such as rejoice shall mourn and cry,  
The haughty mind he will reject,  
The glutton shall for hunger die:  
He which no mercy had in store,  
Shall merciless be judged therefore.   

The unclean shall not see his face,  
Peace-breakers, peace shall never find:  
Such as do persecute and chase,  
Shall be rewarded in their kind;  
And such as do revile and hate,  
Shall never come within his gate.   

This King is righteous and true,  
In all his combats he shall thrive,  
And shall his enemy pursue,  
Until he take the Beast alive,  
And apprehend his learned Clerk,  
Which makes most men receive his mark   

Also his image to adore,  
And at his greatness to admire,  
Them will he cast alive therefore,  
Into a lake of burning fire:  
A sword shall out his mouth proceed,  
Which all the rest shall make to bleed.   

They shall be justly judged to die,  
Their sentence shall come from above,  
Distrust, despair, and cruelty,  
The breach of faith, of hope, and love,  
Shall them to endless torments bring,  
Then men Hallelu-jah shall sing.   

Then the old Serpent which did crave,  
When he had slain the world's pure light,  
To have a stone laid on his grave,  
That none should take him out by night:  
And have him locked and sealed in,  
Before his Sabbath did begin,   

Shall then be chained at the last,  
And cast into a groundless pit;  
The door upon him sealed fast,  
That he shall not come out of it,  
The world to cumber nor molest,  
While Christ is taking of his rest.   

Then shall there be no more complaints,  
No anguish, sorrow, grief, nor pain;  
God will give judgement to his Saints,  
And they a thousand years shall reign,  
With him in perfect joy and peace,  
Before the Serpent he release.   

When thousand years be come about,  
He shall be loosed in his gail;  
Then the old Serpent shall come out,  
And in the world shall much prevail:  
And Gog and Magog shall combine,  
To execute his last design.   

And like the sand upon the shore,  
In multitudes they shall come down,  
To make the Saints appear no more;  
But God will at their malice frown,  
And burning fire from heaven shall send,  
To bring them all unto their end.   

The Serpent which did them beget,  
And drew them unto his desire,  
Shall then be taken in the net,  
And cast into the lake of fire,  
To be tormented evermore,  
With them that were cast in before.   

There shall they ever scorch and singe,  
In endless torments, never die:  
And love shall have his full revenge,  
On them for all their cruelty:  
Then Loves reward shall come to his,  
When they shall see him as he is.   

For then the judgement shall appear,  
And all shall rise both great and small;  
Each one shall then his sentence hear,  
For they shall then be judged all.  
And death and hell which did aspire,  
Shall go into the lake of fire.   

Then shall come in man's perfect joy,  
And sorrows than shall have an end;  
None shall be left for to annoy,  
Jerusalem shall then descend:  
That blessed Bride from God shall come,  
Trimmed and adorned for her groom.   

He then shall end her doleful cries,  
Release her from all grief and pain;  
And wipe all tears off from her eyes,  
And death shall then no longer reign;  
For than he will make all things new,  
His words be faithful, just, and true.   
FINIS.   

A Postscript to the Author.  

THose that so quaintly, in such gaudy dress,  
Trim their vain lines, their vainer Loves to prove;  
May come and view thy Poem's comeliness;  
Here they shall see the mighty power of Love:  
Behold that brand, that everlasting stain,  
Which Envy marked upon all Adam's breed,  
Almighty Love hath rinzed it out again,  
With better blood than could young Abel bleed.  
Thou Broker carest not for to set it forth,  
For Love thy subject is, and Love's thy end:  
Thou bearest the labour and the charges both,  
For love unto thy Country, and thy Friend.  
Thy useful Lines may well be seen in Print,  
Unless the Stati'oner, or the Devil be in't.   
R. RAVEN.