Though, in this darker Shade, there something lies,  
Might be the loadstone of all learned eyes:  
There's ne'er a leaf in which I cannot spy  
Th'Author in's more true Anatomy:  
Yet All's too little: He is but made less  
By th' Painter's Pencil, or the Printers Press.    

ZION and PARNASSUS, OR EPIGRAMS On several texts of the Old and New Testament. To which are added, A Poem on the Passion. A Hymn on the Resurrection, Ascention, And feast of Pentecost.  
By JOHN HODDESDON.  Horat. de art Poet. 
Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci.  
LONDON, Printed by R. Daniel for G. Eversden, and are to be sold at his shop over against the little north gate of S. Paul's Church. MDCL.   

Imprimatur.  
june 7. 1650. Nath. Brent.   

To my worthy friend, and honoured Uncle, CHRISTOPHER HODDESDON Esquire, Secundary of the Upper bench.  
SIR,  
THe happy (although too late) acquaintance which I have had with you as a Friend, and the kind reception which I have found from you as a Kinsman, hath encouraged me to dedicate these Epigrams to you; not doubting, but that you who have already owned the Author, will also Patronise the Work. Sir, I shall not herein seek myself, or flatter you. That I present you with this book, is more out of respect to you, than any design for myself; and not so much to beg new favours, as to give thanks for such as I have already received. The great reward that I look for, is only your kind Acceptance; by which yet I shall be a gainer: your name in the frontispiece will add credit to the book, and grace to  
Your obliged, and ever dutiful nephew J. HODDESDON.   

Ad Juvenem optimae spei atque indolis JOHANNEM HODDESDON, Hujus libelli autorem.  
NOstra juventatuos pingat Cithereia vultus  
Suspendatque comis carmina vana tuis.  
Tu sacrata nova texisti Biblia veste,  
Primaque divinum pagina tractat opus.  
Nulla Venus, nulla his lascivit Lesbia chartis,  
Nec Minus est facies inde venusta libri,  
Charta Deum brevis illa capit: liber atria coeli  
Et pius, & doctus, (quid volo plura?) Tuus.  
Hoc Juvenis folio juste-mirabilis, in se  
Omnia quod potuit claudere, clausit opus.  Tuis Amicus studiis Henricus Bromley.  

To his much respected friend the Author on his divine Epigrams.  
NO more, ye Roman theatres, rehearse  
Your Maro's, Ovid's, or Tibullus verse:  
Here's such an honour as great Virgil missed,  
Though to attained he turned Evangelist.  
This work, which metaphrased in prose required  
A Septuagint, and often Synods tired;  
Is perfected by one, if one he be,  
Who hundreds seems in ingenuity.  
Only this work in one thing don't agree,  
But differs quite from our Theology.  
Both sacred pages, old and new, in it  
Make but one testament of th' Authors wit.  R. Marsh.  

To his friend the Author on his divine Epigrams.  
LO here's a muse, whose active nimble wings  
Soar up aloft to reach at heavenly things:  
Who makes a higher Helicon his abode,  
With eager pride, scorning the common road  
Of vulgar meditations: one whose wit  
Aimed at the noblest subject, and most fit:  
The holy Bible: and although this story  
So excellent be, that none can add more glory;  
Yet heathens, which do most respect the letter,  
Will be allured to like it fare the better.  
Go on, go on,; if thy first enterprise  
Doth mount so high, we must get eagles eyes  
To see thy next: but if thou fliest high,  
Then all that we can do, is to admire:  
Fear not mortality; God's name shall be  
(Which here you mention) thine's eternity.  W. james.  

To his friend the Author, on his divine Epigrams.  
THou hast inspired me with thy soul, and I  
Who ne'er before could ken of Poetry  
Am grown so good proficient, I can lend  
A line in commendation of my friend;  
Yet 'tis but of the second hand, if ought  
There be in this, 'tis from thy fancy brought?  
Good thief who darest Prometheus-like aspire,  
And fill thy poems with Celestial fire:  
Enlivened by these sparks divine, their rays  
Add a bright lustre to thy crown of bays.  
Young Eaglet who thy nest thus soon forsaken,  
So lofty and divine a course hast took  
As all admire, before the down begin  
To peep, as yet, upon thy smother Chin;  
And, making heaven thy aim, hast had the grace  
To look the sun of righteousness i'th' face.  
What may we hope, if thou ghost on thus fast!  
Scriptures at first; Euthusiasmes at last!  
Thou hast commenced, betimes, a saint: go on,  
Mingling Diviner streams with Helicon.  
That they who view what Epigrams here be  
May learn to make like, in just praise of thee.  
Reader, I've done, nor longer will withhold  
Thy greedy eyes; looking on this pure gold  
Thou'lt know adulterate copper, which, like this,  
Will only serve to be a foil to his.  J. Dryden of Trin. C.  

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.  
Come and behold the works of God.  PSAL. LXVI. 
COME and behold the works of God, and see  
If any greater than our God there be:  
Come, and behold his works, by whose words said  
The fabric of this Universe was made.  
And when thoust viewed all the world doth contain;  
Look on thyself, and view them o'er again.  

GENESIS  

1. God eternal. Ch. 1.  
In the beginning God did all things make:  
Himself from no time did beginning take.   

2. The Chaos. Ch. 1. v. 11.  
This rude unmoulded mass, this Four-in-One  
Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, made Union  
In discord, but could not have long subsisted:  
The Fire had Water, Earth had Air resisted,  
And infant-Nature worn with jurres at length  
Had been consumed with her proper strength;  
But that great word, which first did bid them be.  
Made separation, and yet unitye.   

3. Light created. ch. 1. v. 3.  
All things were clothed with universal Night  
When God created beams of radiant light:  
In imitation strive we that we may  
Be children now not of the night, but Day.   

4. The Firmament. ch. 1. v. 7.  
'Twas now high time God should fulfill's intent  
To build his high Watch-Tower, the Firmament:  
Which might divide the waters here below,  
From those Nectarean streams, that there do flow.  
This is his Palace, whose all-searching eye  
The inmost caverns of the earth doth spy.  
Vast is the House, but here the wonder is;  
Himself is greater than the Edifice.   

5. The Sea separated from the Land. ch. 1. v. 9  
The Ocean's wide womb yawns, and Earth gins peep  
From out the confines of the watery deep:  
'Twixt whom so firm a fixed league is plight  
That neither dare usurp the others right:  
These senseless Elements thus cease to jar;  
Yet Man with earth seas, Heaven, himself doth war.   

6. The earth bringing forth fruit. ch. 1. v. 12.  
Plenty ensues on this established peace.  
Trees, flowers, roots, herbs, grass, seeds yield their increase.  
O Let us to bring forth good fruits begin!  
Only be barren in the fruits of sin.   

7. The Sun and Moon created. ch. 1. v. 16.  
The earth replenished thus, adorned, and graced;  
The candles now above the room are placed.  
The Sun to rule the day: the Moon is given  
To guide the night: the stars made signs in heaven;  
But O what need is there in heaven of them!  
God's presence gilds the new Jerusalem.   

8. Fish. ch. 1. v. 20.  
The fruitful Sea gives sundry creatures birth  
More and more monstrous then or air or Earth:  
Thetis, whilst these she dandles in her lap,  
Wails in salt tears her speechless issue's hap.   

9 Birds and Fowls. ch. 1. v. 21.  
Fowl, the first living creatures, did repair  
Into the open mansion of the Air  
Where though their bodies confined are to th'sky;  
Man's soul a far more lofty course doth fly.   

10. Beasts and creeping things. ch. 1. v. 24.  
After the Air was filled, and the sea;  
The Earth brought forth her beastly progeny.  
But since Man fell from keeping God's behests  
he's turned more foul than Fowl, more beast than Beasts.   

11. MAN Created ch. 1. v. 26.  
His Palace fully furnished; MAN was made  
To enter it, and be by all obeyed  
Who with a reasonable soul endued  
Doth in himself another World include:  
He hath o'er all the creatures mastery;  
Thrice happy! if God's servant he could be.   

12. The end of the CREATION. ch. 2. ADAM.  
He was in paradise, in innocence,  
But having fell from grace, he fell from thence;  
Well, Adam, yet be cheered in this hard hap,  
Thou falst no lower, than thy Mother's lap.   

13. Aliud. ch. 3. v. 7.  
Adam, who dureing his first state, had none,  
Than first sought clothes, when righteousness was gone,  
Truth naked is: when truth from him was fled  
No marvel he sought a cloak for what he did.   

14. On the forbidden fruit. ch. 3. AD EVAM.  
she'll eat it, though, for eating it, she die;  
O'tis a precious apple in her eye!   

15. CAIN. ch. 4.  
Is't not a fair example thou dost give  
(Bloodthirsty Cain) to them that after live,  
That thus times Annals should record of thee  
The first man borne, the first manslayer he?  
Hold, hold thy impious hand; but 'tis too late;  
Thy brother's blood cries loud at heaven's Gate  
Lowdlike Abel for vengeance, who being slain,  
thou'rt marked: Hell knows thee by that brand again.   

16. Aliud. ch. 4.  
Who first the art of Tillage found,  
With's Brother's blood manured his ground:  
A fruitful harvest followed  
A crop of Vengeance on his Head.   

17. ABEL. ch. 4.  
More innocent, more harmless than those sheep;  
Whom though he kept, himself he could not keep.  
His Offering GOD accepts; he there fore dies,  
Unto his Brother's wrath, a Sacrifice.   

18. SETH. ch. 5.  
Seth's pillars which inscribed with learning stood  
Firme'gainst th'incursions of the swelling flood;  
Are now consumed with time, and so is he:  
These lines help to support his memory.   

19 ENOCH. ch. 5. v. 24.  
Blessed Enoch in the Heavens is thy abode.  
Thou walkest with God before thou walkest with God.   

20. METHUSALEM. ch. 5. v. 27.  
Good Enoch lived here a little space,  
And was translated to a better place.  
Methuselah lived long, how was this done?  
The Sire translated's years unto the son.   

21. NOAH. ch. 6.  
When men from Adam, sin from men had birth  
And both were now grown Giants on the Earth;  
God sent a flood, whose proud o'erflowing waves  
Drown great and little world: his Ark Noy saves;  
But when the world shall be destroyed again,  
Then AH-NO Ark shall be for mortal men.   

Aliud. ch. 6.  
The World is drowned, Noah no deluge fears;  
For he had drowned himself before, in tears.   

23. Aliud. ch. 6.  
When all mankind found in the sea their graves  
His fireof zeal Noy from the waters saves.   

24. NOAH's Husbandry. ch. 9  
After the flood Noah began  
To plant and play the husbandman.  
But too much wine carousing down,  
In drunkenness himself doth drown:  
He now too had been saved I guess  
Had he the Ark of Soberness.   

25 NOAH's Sons. ch. 9  
HAM came and saw his Father's nakedness?  
But SHEM and JAPHET covered: Noy doth bless  
These two, this curse bequeatheth to their brother  
That he should bow the ham unto the other.   

26, ABRAHAM. ch. 12. V 7.  
With this good Patriarch God did covenant  
Unto his seed blest Canaan to grant:  
But ere God to fulfil his word began  
Himself possessed the heavenly Canaan.   

27. LOT. ch. 9  
Agodly life he lived, great wealth he got  
God pleased with Lot, and Let pleased with his lot.  
Yet this strange sin by him was strangely done,  
He was the Grandfather of his own son!   

28. SODOM and GOMORRAH. ch. 19  
Sin reigned here, God therefore on this town  
Doth rain from Heaven fire and brimstone down:  
Which, as a sad praeludium, doth foretell  
What they hereafter must expect in Hell.   

29. BRAHAM, offering (his son) ISAAC. ch. 22. V 10.  
When he with willing heart, and outstretched hand  
Was ready to fulfil the hard command:  
When now the fatal knife was drawn, which so  
Was to have slain all Israel at one blow;  
God, for the Offering, did with him dispense  
Pleased with the offer of's obedience.   

30. On the Ram caught in the Bush. ch. 22. V 13.  
Ram, this with thee will prove a bloody day;  
Thou with thy life the price of life must pay:  
For Isaac thou art made a Sacrifice,  
And Christ the Paschall lamb for Sinners dies.   

31. ESAU. ch. 24. V 33.  
When, Esau toiled with hunting, now was come  
To take up toils and spoils, returning home  
Fainting for hunger: he his birthright gave  
For pottage, his near fleeting life to save.  
O fool, that hunted had so hard all day,  
Yet let's at last his brother take the prey!   

32. ISAAC. ch. 27.  
Just Abraham in his old Age begat  
Isaac heir of his blessings, and estate,  
Who blind with age, yet with foreseeing mind,  
The future fortunes of his son's divined;  
No blessing gave to Esau he loved best,  
But Jacob whom he loved not, he blest.   

33. JACOB Getting the blessing. ch. 27.  
Whilst Esau ranging seeks for Venison,  
Mean space the blessing which he sought, is gone,  
For Hearts and fallow Deer seeks every whore  
And looseth what is to his heart most dear.   

34. JACOB's Ladder. ch. 28. V 13.  
Jacob by pious fraud, and honest theft  
Supplanted Esau of his birthright: ' reft  
Him of his blessing, more what could he do?  
He did his best to have been born first too.  
Nor was less force than wisdom to him given  
By which he wrestled and prevailed with heaven:  
At last worn out with age, his staff laid by,  
He taketh his ladder, and so scales the sky.   

35. JUDAH. ch. 38.  
From Judah, Jacob's third, but strongest son;  
A greater lion than himself there sprung.   

36. JOSEPH. ch. 39  
Joseph thou'rt sold a slave, but yet made free  
From their malicious hands, who envied thee.  
A prisoner both for thine, and for their good  
Sent into Egypt to prepare them food.  
Thy Mistress would persuade thee to her will  
But found thee trusty honest Joseph still:  
And when thy garment snatched from thee was gone,  
Thy naked truth more clear than ever shone.    

Liber secundus Mosis dictus EXODUS.  

37. MOSES. ch. 1.  
HIs cradle's made of rush, he lays his head  
On Nile's proud back; that is his featherbed:  
Had he not been so lost, he'd ne'er been found  
If not cast out to drowning, had been drowned.  
Blessed Babel all things conspire thy good: and chance  
Out of thy danger works deliverance.   

38. The burning bush. ch. 3. v. 3. & 4.  
In midst of fire, and unconsumed yet!  
This doth a wonder in my mind beget.  
A fire of zeal this was made by heavens-art,  
Not to inflame the bush, but Moses heart.   

39 PHARAOH. ch. 7.  
For Pharaoh's pride against the LORD of Hosts  
An universal darkness shades his coasts.  
A darkness such as might be felt, a night  
That long usurped baffled Phoebus' right,  
He yet continued obstinate (we find)  
The greatest darkness than was in his mind.    

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS  

Command. 1.  

40. Hear O ISRAEL. I am the LORD thy GOD etc.  
Israel, that GOD, who gave, requires thine ear  
He deigns to speak; and shouldst not thou, to hear!  
So hear as after hearing to fulfil  
The holy tenor of his heavenly will:  
Who hopes that GOD should hear him, when he prays,  
Attend what GOD, attend what justice says.  
Should we so ill requital to him make,  
Who fore all other people did us take?  
To take a god'fore him? place him behind  
The fancied Idols of our idle mind?  
We have created gods indeed below  
To whom obedience, honour, love we owe.  
Whom would we see rightly to serve; O let  
Them fore our eyes, but GOD fore them be set!    

Command. 2.  

41. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Images. etc.  
Whilst to Bulls, Dogs, and Cats th'Egyptians bow  
They an egregious Hieroglyphic show  
Of vain Idolatry: but little more  
Of reason then those Animals they adore.  
For why should Man into whose soul his maker  
Hath heavenly light infused, and made partaker  
Of his own image, worship things that are  
Inferior to himself in worth so fare?  
Or worship God by Proxy? dare to set  
Of what we never saw, the counterfeit?  
If 'gainst this we a remedy would find;  
Conserve these precepts graven in our mind    

Command. 3.  

42. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain etc.  
Thou hurtst God's name with vain, and idle chat  
But Fool thou hurt'st thyself far more than that:  
Thy words are wind, but when great God doth speak  
Thou'lt find he silence can in thunder break.   

43. Aliud.  
Is God thy fellow that thou still  
Dost take his holy name at will?  
The word that framed thee thou dost mock  
And makest it thy laughingstock.  
Thou oft invokest God to hear:  
Take heed; too soon he'll lend an ear.    

Command. 4.  

44. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day etc.  
'Tis hard if out of seven we can't afford  
One day to be kept holy to the Lord:  
Rest then from Labour and bless him, that we  
In six day's toil of him may blessed be.  
This Sabbath sanctify: an earnest 'tis  
Of that eternal one of heavenly bliss.  
Bestow some hours in pious meditation  
(Though we work not) on God's work, the creation:  
And if to that grand secret we would climb  
Of our Redemption; O redeem this time!  
What though the day be changed, as 'twas heaven's will;  
Keep our devotion on't unchanged still.    

Command. 5.  

45. Honour they Father, and thy Mother etc.  
Honour thy parents, and obey  
What they, and what God here doth say.  
To them observant if thou be,  
And honour'st them, others will thee.  
Long life is promised a reward  
For those who this command regard,  
A long life shall on earth be given,  
A longer afterwards in heaven.   

46. Aliud.  
Honour and love thy father natural,  
Politic, and Ecclesiastical:  
For, in so doing, all may clearly know  
Whether thou truly honourest God or no.  
Nature's laws charge the first, which who resists  
Is of the rank of rankest naturalists:  
Thother's enjoined us by civility,  
And that imped with a smack of policy:  
The third, which teacheth, why this should be shown,  
T'all threes the sum of all religion.    

Command. 6.  

47. Thou shalt do no murder.  
murder's so foul a crime, it may not be wrought  
By us indeed in deed, in word, or thought.  
To boil with anger is manslaughter, nay  
We shall for grudge be arraigned one day.  
Of murdering there be many pieces more  
Than death which comes by murdering piece's blow.    

Command. 7.  

48. Thou shalt not Commit Adultery.  
O have a care and bridle each ill thought  
Which this command may violate; let nought  
That is but unbeseeming be in thee  
Do thou avoid all wanton company.  
Let not thy love be firmly fixed upon  
Her, that's another man's and not thine own.  
Yet on Christ's spouse the Church fix thy firm love  
Although her proper husband be above.    

Command. 8.  

49. Thou shalt not steal.  
We are forbid to steal, and if we do;  
In hell we shall be punished, and here too.  
Whilst (though we work in darkness like the mole,  
And steal) another steals from us our soul.    

Command. 9  

50. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbout.  
God is the Father of all truth; but lies  
Are only wicked Satan's properties.  
If thou then must bear witness, don't through fear  
Speak false, God will not with a liar bear.    

Command. 10.  

51. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, etc.  
This last, and least of God's commandments lies  
In order next, which we ought not despise.  
Howe'er: if aught we would contemn, begin  
With detestation to despise this sin  
Of coveting what's not our own; yet still  
Covet what's not our own, to have like will  
With our Divine Creator, that were rather  
To keep, then break, the Law of him our Father.  
What should I covet, poor babe, under age?  
But Christ my elder brother's heritage;  
That, and his love, I prise all things before,  
And covet I may covet nothing more.     

The third book of MOSES called LEVITICUS.  

52. The fire shall be ever burning, etc. ch. 6. v. 13.  
THe Priest, lest holy fire should decay,  
Duly, each morn, did on it fuel lay:  
So, lest our fire of zeal should die, 'tis fit  
Our prayers each morning give new life to it.  
Whilst we this flame foment, we need not doubt  
But that the fire of God's wrath will go out;  
This on the Altar of our hearts being kept,  
God us and our peace-offering will accept.   

53. NADAB and ABIHU burnt. ch. 10.  
Your minds were kindled with a strange desire  
Of offering incense with as strange a fire:  
This 'twas, incensed God's anger, made you wish  
You had been strangers to such deeds as this.  
Fire, sent from God, your death, and ruin was,  
Made heavenly martyrs, though not for heaven's cause;  
Whilst these unsanctified flames you bring;  
Yourselves are turned to a burnt-offering.  
Sinne-offering you were none, since no expense  
Of sacred fire could expiate your offence:  
Yet a sinne-offering too you were, for in  
Your offering there was nothing else but sin:  
Had you one spark of grace, than had not heaven  
Needed ethereal fire thus to have given.  
God gave you what you offered him, 'twas fit  
For offering such a trespass to commit.   

54. SHELOMITHS' son, blaspheming, is stoned, chap. 24.  
thou'rt stoned blasphemer, and 'twas thy desert,  
Just punishment for such a stony heart;  
That curse thou dartedst up at Heaven, fell down  
Heavy (as is stones nature) on thy crown:  
Thy Sire was an Egyptian, which made thee  
In th' holy language no more skilled to be.   

55. The year of JUBILEE. ch. 25.  
Blessed year of rest which was, as we may say,  
Through all its course a lasting holiday.  
Whose privilege of rest did so abound,  
That 'mongst the rest it privileged the ground;  
No crooked plough could now the leave obtain  
To make her furrow up her face for pain:  
Now Lands revolve to their right Lord: each score  
Of debt, and tears were wiped off from the poor.  
Blessed year, more blest, if grateful they had been,  
And made this year their resting year from sin.   

56. For unto me the children of ISRAEL, etc. ch. 27. verse the last.  
Lord, 'tis confessed we are thy servants, so  
Are glorious Angels, fare our Betters, too.  
But (might a servant say't without offence)  
We'd be thy servants in a stricter sense.  
Wouldst thou us manumize from bondage then,  
As Denizens of new Jerusalem;  
Or by adoption make us thine, this done,  
Each shall thy servant be although thy son.    

The fourth book of MOSES called NUMBERS.  

56. The ISRAELITE gathering sticks on the Sabbath day stoned. ch. 15.  
WHy didst thou break his precept, who doth say  
Abstain from labour on the Sabbath day?  
These sticks send thee to Styx, fool make thy moan.  
Thus looking for a stick, thou'st got the stone.   

58. The Rebellion of KORAH, DATHAN, and ABIRAM. ch. 16.  
Thus clogged with sin it was impossible  
But such a weight should sink them down to hell.  
A crime so foul that lest it should be spied,  
The earth did it within her entrails hid;  
She could not sure, but breed herself disquiet,  
Clogging her stomach with such loathsome diet.  
Thus they were taken in their proper gin,  
They digged a pit, and fell themselves therein:  
When thus you opened your mouths, dire murmurers,  
What marvel was't, the Earth so opened hers?   

59 AARON'S rod budding. ch. 17.  
That Aaron's rod should blossom, shows that God  
Would that the house of Levi still should bud  
And flourish; what a wonder's here? O see,  
A withered branch becomes a fruitful tree!  
But still a rod, that if we bear no fruit,  
The rod of chastisement may force us to't.  
Yet Almonds are poor fruit, I wish that mine,  
Were not of them, but rather of the Vine.   

60. AARON'S death. ch. 20.  
Thou now great priest approaching to thy death,  
Dost first resign thy office, than thy breath;  
Here thou ascend'st a mount, whence thy soul will  
Take her ripe flight unto the heavenly hill;  
Thou leav'st thy people now, yet leav'st them so,  
That thou art gathered to thy people too.   

61. The brazen Serpent. ch. 21.  
That through God's power virtue in this brass lay,  
None is so impudent that dare gain say.  
No cordial nor yet simple, 'twould appear,  
To humane sense, a simple medicine here:  
Wondrous! yet wondrous easy to apply  
Such precious salve i'th' twinkling of an eye.   

62. BALAAMS' Ass. ch. 22.  
Heaven gives a tongue and mind, the Ass begins break  
Her silence, and hath now a mind to speak.  
Her master, and his pride, no longer bears,  
Though she his ass had been so many years.  
She saw the Angel, and with terror led,  
Fell down upon the ground and worshipped.  
Had Balaam known in what a case he was,  
And done like her, he had not played the ass.   

63. Defile not the Land, etc. ch. 35.  
Do not defile our land, and make't an hell,  
With sins, wherein heavens God is pleased to dwell  
But when that is defiled, lest he depart,  
Be sure keep one place pure, and that's thy heart.    

The fifth book of MOSES called DEUTERONOMY.  

64. Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. ch. 22. v. 10.  
PReposterous sin! what reason canst thou find,  
That thou, what nature would not, wouldst have joined?  
Must the poor ass, for all past pains, at length  
Be matched thus with a beast above his strength?  
Although for humane cause desist thou wouldst not.  
O join them not, 'cause God enjoins thou shouldst not.   

65. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. ch. 25. v. 4.  
Before he took pains for thee at the plough,  
And though he eat, why yet he labours now:  
'Tis fit that he, with whose help thou dost sow,  
Should eat the fruit, of what he toiled for, too.  
Thou'lt say, as he treads out he eats, 'tis true,  
Yet as he eats, he sweats; and give him's due:  
Why dost thou muzzle up his mouth? heaven hears  
His dumb complaints, thou canst not stop heaven's ears:  
But wilt thou tie his chaps up yet (accursed?)  
Tie up his legs withal, and do thy worst.   

66. Joshua encouraged. ch. 31.  
Joshua in Moses stead, by God's command,  
Was to guide Israel to the promised land:  
Moses now ready to departed doth make him,  
This promise, that God never should forsake him.  
God would go up before him, were't not so,  
Both he and Israel down the wind would go:  
He'd be their Captain's Captain, can they miss  
To conquer Earth, whose Captain Heaven is?  
Beforehand God goes up, the cause we see,  
That Israel never might behind hand be.   

67. The Israelites freed by MOSES. ch. 34.  
He led Gods chosen from proud Pharaohs Land,  
By miracles, and an outstretched hand  
Through the red sea and Wilderness of Sin  
To th' confines of the promised land did bring;  
Where having left his charge with Joshua,  
He went before hand to prepare their way.   

68 MOSES his death. ch. 34.  
Moses, who whilst he lived, a blessing still  
Had been, leaves blessings as his dying will;  
Whose corpse lest Israel should prise too high,  
And so fall into flat Idolatry;  
God himself buried: Where, 's unknown to men,  
In silence bury all such questions then.    

The book of JOSHUAH.  

69. RAHABS preserving the two spies. ch. 2. v. 15.  
IN saving them she saved herself, who by  
Her craft so hid the spies, none could them spy;  
And though an harlot, yet in this did well,  
Proving a common friend to Israel.  
Down by a cord she let them, which did move  
Their hearts, and drew them with a cord of love.   

70. Bind this line of scarlet thread in the window. ch. 2. v. 18.  
Great Joshuah dare not siege'gainst this house lay,  
Where Rahab doth her bloody flag display.   

71. Jordan dried up. ch. 3.  
Where Joshuah goes, the Ark must go before,  
An Ark must save part of mankind once more.  
Jordan, though he overflows his banks, for fear  
Retires, seeing the fiery pillar near.  
The billows, from above, of leave debarred  
T' run down, here reverently keep court of guard:  
The waves below, seeing no succour nigh,  
Straight shrink away, and leave their channel dry:  
O wonder! which, who looks on, sees more clear  
Than Jordan's crystal waters do appear;  
For they are troubled, and yet glad that so  
Israel might o'er them without trouble go.   

72. And JOSHUAH set up twelve stones in the midst of JORDAN. ch. 4. v. 9  
Twelve stones are fixed, whereby, at once, are showed  
God's mercy and their humble gratitude.  
Those monuments may fail, in my mind, though  
The thought of this shall ever freshly flow.   

73. An Angel appears to JOSHUAH. ch. 5. v. 13.  
Now Angels meat began cease, though Manna fell  
No more, yet Angels selves aid Israel;  
And when they draw their swords, there's cause to fear  
(Or rather, hope) that th' Heathens fall draws near.   

74. JOSHUAH. ch. 6.  
King's conquered were by his victorious hand,  
The days bright Carman stayed at his command:  
Ay's lofty towers, for aye, to wrack did go;  
He with an engine beat down Jericho.  
No iron-horn'd-ram 'twas, but the mere sound  
Of rams-horns razed its walls unto the ground:  
These ruins lift his name unto the sky,  
Those horns resound his praise continually.   

75. ACHANS wedge. ch. 7.  
Accursed wretch, who by th' accursed thing,  
A general curse on Israel didst bring;  
And almost on its general: Ay could strike  
israel, when thou with hell hadst done the like:  
Hadst struck a bargain, wherein thou didst prove  
So fast wedged in with filthy lucre's love,  
Yet lose in thy desires, burying thy pelf  
Ill got, not getting burial for thyself.  
If buried, yet alive, a heap of stones  
Reward thine avarice, not precious ones.  
Two hundred shekels! a sufficient bait;  
But they're not of the Sanctuary weight:  
That thou for them shouldst hazard life, it was  
In my opinion too light a cause.  
Wast thou an Isra'lite, and couldst so dote  
To covet thus a Babylonish coat?  
Thou hast what thou desir'st, and more; for, see  
How Babel's ruins, wretch, are fell on thee.   

76. The Sun standing still. ch. 10.  
Why this unusual Solstice made the Sun?  
That with his speed great joshuah might run.   

77. Be ye the children of light. chap. 10.  
Sun stand thou still, thus joshua said; the Sun  
Amazed forgots diurnal race to run:  
He truly is a child of light, whose faith  
So great an influence o'er Lights emperor hath.    

The book of JUDGES.  

78. JAEL killing SISERA. ch. 4. v. 21.  
THou woman Worthy, who shall aye rehearse  
Thy act heroic in heroic verse?  
For nailing that proud Pagan's temples down,  
Thy temples do deserve a laurel crown.   

79. gideon's fleece. ch. 6.  
The fleece was wet, and yet no dew was found  
Upon the ground:  
The ground was wet, and yet the fleece did lie  
Upon it dry.  
Dry! 'twas a miracle, but when dew fell,  
O then it fatness dropped on Israel.   

80. Aliud. ch. 6.  
Admire the golden sheepskin, youths of Greece.  
I find more wonder fare in gideon's fleece.   

81. gideon's stratagem. ch. 7.  
How great, how glorious a conquest came,  
From sound of trumpets and of gideon's name!  
Those lamps in Israel's darkest, gloomiest night,  
Were those, that shone, and ushered in the light.  
The Midianites, though ten and more to one,  
By pitchers, not pitched fight, were overthrown.   

82. A woman killeth ABIMELECH. ch. 9  
Great warrior, who so oft hast vanquished  
Strong men, shall a weak woman break thy head?  
Well I'll excuse the matter as 'twas done;  
Thou diedst not of her hand but of the stone.   

83. JEPHTHAH. ch. 11.  
To vow, methinks, it was too rash a thing,  
But more to offer such an offering:  
With blood thy vow and country thus to free,  
For which thy daughter's not much bound to thee.   

84. SAMSON. ch. 11.  
Samson o'ercome by her, whose arms entwine  
About thee, not by th' arms o'th' Philistine:  
She blinded thee before, no wonder then,  
That they could bind, and blind thee o'er again.   

85. Aliud. chap. 11.  
Strong Samson dallying with his Dalilah,  
Confessed to her where his power lay.  
She treacherously robbed him of that, and then  
He differred not an hair from other men.   

86. RUTH.  
RUth with malignant fortune long oppressed,  
At last with honour, wealth, and husband blest:  
Freed from her wand'ring troubles and annoy,  
And yet she's Ruthful now (I mean) of joy.   

87. BOAZ his kindness to RUTH. ch. 2.  
Boaz to Ruth a stranger, kind! O know  
What kindness God to her in that did show.  
So well she husbanded this kindness; from  
Her seed the Prince of peace in time did come,  
Springing from her in direct line; yet is  
To us the centre of eternal bliss.    

The first book of SAMUEL.  

88 SAMUEL. ch. 3.  
FRom's infancy in God's house made abode:  
God called him, ere he could call on God.   

89. SAUL. ch. 10.  
Fortune to thee, O son of Kish, was kind,  
Who looking for an ass a crown didst find.   

DAVID. ch. 16.  
Blessed David, blest abroad, and blest at home;  
Blest in the seed that from thy loins did come:  
But blest 'bove all in thy harps harmony,  
Which with thy minds rare temper did agree;  
Whose tunes instruct the warbling orbs to sing  
Their Hallelujahs to their heavenly King.   

91. DAVID slaying GOLIATH. ch. 18.  
A bold attempt it was and venturous  
To offer to affront a Giant thus  
With a poor sling: this act of valour, when  
Thou didst, thou tookst time by the foretop then.   

92. JONATHAN. ch. 18.  
Of all saul's issue, jonathan alone  
Merits high praise and commendation;  
Who did, with all he had, to's girdle, part,  
And tied that zone of love 'bout David's heart,  
Which with a knot of friendship he did ty  
So fast as lasts unto eternity.   

93. SAUL enquireth of a witch at ENDOR. ch. 18.  
Had Saul live samuel's counsel followed,  
He never would have sought him being dead.    

The second book of SAMUEL.  

94. BATSHEBA, ch. IX.  
THy bathing thee, to cool thyself, did prove  
The way to set David on fire in love.   

95. ABSALON. ch. 14.  
Thy hair, O Absolom, the Scriptures said,  
Two hundred shekels every year it weighed:  
These locks, youngman, which now thou hold'st so dear,  
Will weigh no less than thy life's price I fear.   

96. AHITHOPHEL. ch. 17.  
Too wise a statesman, cursed Achitophel,  
Whose every word was thought an oracle.  
'Twas not the wisest part thou ere didst play,  
To rid thyself, a traitor, out o'th' way.   

97. ABSALON hangedon a tree. ch. 18. v. 9  
Promotion on the throne, Absalon, that  
The chiefest thing was which thou aimedst at.  
Promotion, 'cause thou wilt, thou shalt; it must be,  
Not on thy father's throne though, but a tree;  
Which tree of all the trees that ever were,  
Then bore the basest fruit when thou hung'st there.   

98. DAVID weepeth for ABSALON. ch. 18. the last v.  
What aileth holy David's grief to rise?  
Look how the tears run trickling down his eyes.  
'Tis for his son, his dearest son, alas!  
Which lately 'gainst him in rebellion was.  
His death so much he wails not, as 'cause he  
Lived not t' repent him of his treachery.   

99 JOAB killeth AMAZA. ch. 20.  
What fiend, foul Traitor, thy fell heart did move  
To make thy malice in a seeming love?  
O baseness! (with a compliment to do't)  
To take him by the beard, but mean the throat!    

The first book of KINGS.  

100 SOLOMON'S choice. ch. 3. v. 9  
RIches and honour, Power and Majesty  
Were offered, Heav'n-blest Solomon, to thee.  
Wisdom was offered too amongst the rest,  
Which thou prefer'dst, as of all gifts the best:  
That thou wert wise before, this wise choice shows,  
Else thou hadst never known so to have chose.   

101. The two harlots. ch. 3. v. 16.  
Wisest of Kings, who hearest two harlots plead,  
Both challenging the live child, not the dead:  
How wilt thou find its mother! wilt thou go  
To part the living babe, and kill that too?  
The true one sooner with her own will part,  
Then have it parted, which would kill her heart.  
By the remorseless answer of the other  
Thou cam'st to know which is, which not, the Mother.  
'Twas wisdom that, but't had been greater rather,  
Couldst thou have then found out the child's true Father.   

102. SOLOMON. ch. 3.  
What doth thy wisdom boot thee, Solomon?  
Thou'lt find it but an earth's vexation;  
Except thou knowst thyself naked and poor,  
Thou'lt know thou'rt not so wise, who knowst no more.   

103. The Queen of SHEBA. ch 10.  
Fair Queen, thy coming is an honest stealth:  
Thou tak'st more wisdom, than thou leavest wealth   

104. REHOBOAM. ch. 12. v. 8.  
Unlike his father Rehoboam makes  
Youths of his counsel, and old age forsakes;  
He goes about with sharp replies, not mild  
Persuasions, to qualify the wild  
Uproars: how he could think to guide his Realm  
That drove his boat against the common stream!   

105. Aliud. ch. 12.  
Fond Rehoboam, hadst thou served one day  
The people, they had served thee for aye.  
They now crown Jeroboam with applause,  
Yet serve thee: how? truly in thine own sauce.   

106. JEROBOAM. ch. 12. v. the last.  
By goodly words and sly insinuation  
He reined in, and reigned o'er a nation:  
Whom God had promised, if he would persevere  
In righteousness, his seed should rule for ever;  
But having Golden calves for true Gods placed,  
His race extirped, he proved the calf at last.   

107. The Prophet slain. ch. 13.  
Hadst thou but listened to God's word aright,  
Thou need'dst not, fearing him, fear lions might.  
Thy beast did scape, but thou wert slain, alas!  
Perchance the lion took thee for the ass.   

108. JEROBOAMS wife, ch. 14.  
Why didst thou come disguised? dissembledst too  
Thy voice, and thought to gull the prophet so;  
His mind is clear, though blind his eyesight be;  
Can he thy child's fate know, and not know thee?   

109. ELISHA. ch. 17.  
Ravens preserved thy life with food, I read,  
Who others with the bread of life didst feed.   

110. BAAL'S priests and ELISHA. ch. 18.  
Bawl louder, Baal doth his friends forget,  
He's thick of hearing sure; bawl louder yet,  
Perchance his Godhead now a nap doth take;  
And being drowsy, 's somewhat loath to wake.  
He's gone a journey, pray him take the pain  
To spur his steed, and ride home post again:  
Or, 'midst the groans of dying enemies,  
Perchance, he cannot hear your feeble cries.  
All done, yet nothing done, their flesh they tear  
And cut; yet sullen Baal will not hear:  
But at Elisha's prayer, is forthwith given  
Fire to consume his sacrifice from heaven:  
Then for these Priests, who spilt some blood in jest,  
The prophet in good earnest spilt the rest.   

111. AHAB. ch. 22.  
Thou art forbid expressly; art thou mad,  
Yet to go up to Ramoth-Gilead?  
Dismount quick from thy chariot again,  
Perchance thou may'st, perchance thou shalt, be slain.  
Why, sold to wickedness, dost thou go forth?  
The devil's a chapman for that pennyworth:  
Thou goest disguised for fear of being known,  
But, to thy cost, thou'lt know, he knows his own.    

The second book of KINGS.  

112. ELIIAH translated. ch. 2.  
When thou in fiery carr wert drawn to th'sky,  
Thy mantle dropped from thee immediately;  
To show that when we seek heaven in our mind,  
We ought to leave all earthly things behind.   

113. Aliud. ch. 2.  
Good Prophet, almost with thy latest breath,  
Thy soul thou to Elisha didst bequeath:  
Thy body wondrously to heaven doth go,  
More wondrously thy soul did stay below.   

114. ELISHA increaseth the widow's oil. ch. 4.  
The oil poured out caused this poor widow's sadness;  
But thus poured out, it proved the oil of gladness:  
Bring me, she said, another bottle, boy.  
There's none: she next will fill her heart with joy.   

115. Aliud. ch. 4.  
The widow put small trust in God, ere while,  
But as her faith increased so did her oil.   

116. Death in the pot. ch. 4.  
They say life's sweet, nor do they say amiss;  
Hence comes to pass that death so bitter is:  
Elisha fling in meal; for had he not,  
They all were likely to have gone to pot.   

117. NAAMAN'S leprosy. ch. 5. v. 10.  
Wash in no other but in Iordans flood,  
'Tis holy water that must do thee good.   

118. GEHAZI. ch. 5. v. 26.  
Went not my heart with thee, (Elisha said)  
When Naaman with presents did thee lad?  
Ono, thou righteous prophet, say not so,  
Thy heart did not along with that deed go.  
White innocence is gone, but in its room  
A direful white of leprosy is come.   

119. The Syrians struck with blindness. ch. 6.  
In vain, O Syrian, dost thou counsel take,  
Elisha frustrate thy device doth make.  
If thou thy secrets shouldst to none impart,  
He'd fetch them from thy secretest chest, thy heart:  
Nor fears he whom thou sendest him to kill;  
Horsemen, and fiery chariots guard him still;  
And now their eyes he doth not only blind,  
But even infatuates their very mind,  
Strikes them with blindness doubly, leads them on  
To death, yet saves them from destruction.  
joram would smite them, he bids smite no more  
With blindness, they were smote enough before.  
A banquet, lastly, he prepares for them,  
Who had prepared a bloody one for him.   

120. JEZABEL. ch. 9  
Proud painted creatures see, and wonder at  
This Queen, this Quean, by dogs dogged to her fate:  
She, who but late in rich attire was found,  
Now lies a prey for mastiffs on the ground;  
Although she went most richly clothed in all  
Her jewels, pride at last would have a fall:  
Her carrion stinks now unperfumed by art;  
Now, jezabel, thou in thy colours art.   

121. AHABS' seventy sons. ch. 10. v. 7.  
Ahab, thou hast a numerous seed,  
But all before their time must bleed.  
How in a moment all are gone!  
Their blood cementing Iehu's throne.   

122. BAAL'S priests slain. ch. 10.25.  
So, near-spent candles give a blaze before  
Their snuffs extinguished, and they shine no more?  
When jehu dignifies the priests of Baal,  
I fear this pomp is for their funeral.  
The offering to make ready, each one hies,  
Poor fools yourselves must be the sacrifice.   

123. JOASH hid in the house of GOD. ch. 11.  
O happy receptacle! happy he,  
Who hide secure i'th' house of God could be!  
But O more happy joash, had the God  
Of that house, in thy heart's house made abode!   

124. HEZEKIAH. ch. 20.  
Good Hezekiah, sick almost to death,  
His life for fifteen years prolonged hath:  
The sign whereof upon a dial made,  
The Sun fifteen degrees went retrograde.  
Unthankful he, in his heart's dial, so  
The Sun of righteousness did backward go,   

125. JOSIAH. ch. 23.  
josiah the high places down did throw,  
And meekly his own heart did lay as low.   

126. ZEDEKIAH. ch. 25.  
All things concur, O king, to ruin thee;  
First thy rebellion, next thy perjury:  
O, if thou Jeremy's advice hadst took,  
To bear, perchance thou hadst shaken off, the yoke.  
Thou saw'st thy children slain; new miseries!  
To see that object ere thou lost thine eyes.    

The first book of CHRONICLES.  

127. DAVID'S servants shaved by HANUN. ch. 19  
MUst thus Ambassadors rewarded be?  
You shavers, bearded thus despitefully;  
To receive Legates you not worthy are;  
Expect now Heralds to denounce a war.   

128. The Giant slain by Jonathan. ch. 20. v. 7.  
Defying Israel, thou soon shalt feel  
The edge of Jonathans' revengeful steel;  
Not that so monstrous bulk his force withstands,  
Though thou thyself a man art of thy hands:  
Six fingers, and six toes: and yet th' art dead,  
Thy steady feet have stood thee in small stead.   

129. DAVID'S choice. ch. 21. v. 12.  
Sword, famine, pestilence! hard choice; yet one  
O'th' three thou hast in thy election,  
Choose quickly then; since thou must fall, it stands  
Thee in some stead to fall into God's hands:  
By numbering Israel what didst thou get?  
Since that's the way but to diminish it.  
The Angel stretcheth out his hand, but 'tis  
In vain, now David begins to stretch out his.  
Blessed Nuntius, hold; a fume t'ascend gins,  
Which drives away both stench of plague and sins.    

The second book of CHRONICLES.  

130. SOLOMON'S prayer at the dedication of the temple. ch. 6. v. 13.  
THe temple by a prayer is consecrated,  
To which sole use 'twas to be dedicated:  
Who, by Heaven's wisdom, knew this house to rear,  
Knew, the main column of it must be prayer.   

131. ASA. ch. 15.  
To the Pysicians thou didst trust, I find  
The greatest sickness than was of thy mind.   

132. JEHOSHAPHAT. ch. 18.  
If thou with Ahab needs wilt partner go,  
Look with his pleasure to partake his wo.  
Ahab and thou to mask yourselves combined,  
He to disguise his body, thou thy mind.   

133. MANASSEH. ch. 33.  
In thy prosperity, perversely, thou  
Didst follow other gods, forsook'st the true:  
Dealt'st with familiar spirits; but, brought low  
By miseries, thy heart was humbled too.  
Thou from thy kingdom, and thy God waste gone:  
Returnest to God, returnest unto thy throne;  
Yet with a spirit now thou dealest, I guess,  
Not of the devil, but of righteousness.    

The book of EZRA.  

134. The dedication of the second temple. ch. 3. v. 12.  
TWo different effects arise and flow  
From the same cause, both joy and sorrow too,  
'Tis hard to judge, whether the oil of gladness  
Repels, or is repelled, by th'stream of sadness:  
Both torments strive, but the old's limping course  
At last is drowned by this fresher source.  
Ancient, and young, to th' temples consecration  
Contribute: those give cries, these acclamation.    

The book of NEHEMIAH.  

135. And their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod. ch. 13. v. 24.  
MIxing with foreign nations, you shall so  
Be made partakers of their fortune too.  
How should they speak pure Hebrew, when they had  
Their first original so impure and bad?  
Their mother's nurtured them, and who's among  
Children, that sucks not in his Mother's tongue?  
Whilst thus you match with nations Oriental,  
Your righteousness is in the Occidental.    

The book of ESTHER.  

136. Queen VASNTI. ch. 1.  
KIng Ahasuerus sent for's beauteous Queen,  
That she of all his Nobles might be seen.  
Why Vashti wouldst not come? waste pride, or fear,  
Thou shouldst not beauteous in their eyes appear?  
Do not expect from him a second call,  
The next thou hearest; Thou must not come at all.   

137. ESTHER. ch. 2.  
Esther elected in Queen Vashti's place,  
Obtained both with King and people grace.  
The golden sceptre was held forth t' assure  
Her, that her suits his favour should procure:  
Good God, when I approach thy throne, hold thou  
Thy mercies golden sceptre forth, and bow  
Thine ear to my requests: protect me still,  
And let no man, no Haman work me ill.   

138. HAMAN and MORDECAI. ch. 7. v. 10.  
Hamanth ' art but a man, why then dost thou  
Grudge that the Jew unto thee doth not bow?  
Thou covetest to be higher made than he;  
Thou shalt, but, Haman, how? upon a tree.    

The book of JOB.  

139. JOBS patience.  
HIs  stolen, goods spoiled, and children slain;  
Yet after all Jobs patience did remain:  
On each part of his body sores you'll find,  
But not a spot of sin did taint his mind;  
So that the tempter's self was tired more,  
With torturing, than he who the tortures bore.    

The book of PSALMS.  

140. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Psal. 111.  
DId little children Christs-crosse truly know,  
They quickly would be taught the rest o'th' row.  
Had we but gained this fear, we need not fear  
To gain all knowledge, worth our knowledge here.   

141. I have thought upon thy name in the night-season. Psal. 119. v. 7. oct. 7.  
When others quiet rest did take,  
Tossing in my bed lay I;  
Nor would I let heaven rest to take,  
Till heaven eased my misery.  
At last such beams of grace did on me light,  
As made a sunshine in the midst of night.   

142. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee. Psal. 119. v. 6. oct. 8.  
Ith' deadest time o'th' night I'll rise and say  
My orisons, than down in peace me lay.  
By prayer, and faith, I hope 'bove stars to bide,  
And stars can only in the night be spied.   

143. Behold how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren to dwell together in unity. Psal. 133. v. 1.  
God to send blessings down will never cease,  
On such who live in amity and peace:  
But O, what other blessing can there prove  
A greater blessing unto love, than love!   

144. But mine eyes look unto thee. Psal. 141. v. 9  
All worldly thoughts, forsake my breast, away;  
Since worldly pleasures, like the world, decay:  
At somewhat higher my soul aims; her birth  
She had from heaven, why should she stoop to earth?  
What worthier object can our fancy find,  
Then to contemplate him who gave the mind?  
But why, ambitiously, seek I to climb,  
And see what no eye saw at any time!  
Lord, give me faith, then by the eye of grace  
I shall behold thee, though not face to face.    

The PROVERBS of SOLOMON.  

145. Chap. 1. v. 1.  
WHen we for prudence would praise any one,  
We say he is as wise as Solomon:  
He who alive so many proverbs said,  
Is after death himself a proverb made.   

146. Cast in thy lot among us, etc. ch. 1. v. 14.  
Come, let's have all one purse, be Jovial still,  
Let's live in common, have the world at will.  
No, no: my lot 'mongst yours shall never fall,  
T' have all one purse, is to have none at all.   

147. Enter not into the paths, etc. ch. 4. v. 14.  
It is a fair broad way, plain, plausible,  
But yet beware, it is the way to hell,  
Although't be strowed with roses altogether,  
I'll none on't: foh! it stinks of brimstone hither.   

148. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber. ch. 6. v. 10.  
A little slumber more the sluggard cries,  
I'll take t'other odd nap, and then I'll rise;  
Good alas the weather's very cold indeed,  
For certain I am glued unto my bed:  
Thus trifles out his time, till poverty  
Catch him, and 's belly in his face doth fly:  
Go to the Ant, consider her; why so?  
The sluggard will not take the pains to go.   

149. Keep my commandments and live.  
Keep God's commandments sure, and live thereby,  
His precepts as the apple of thine eye.  
Observe his laws, thou canst not choose but thrive,  
Since his commandments do command to live.   

150. Say unto wisdom thou art my Sister. ch. 7. v. 4.  
Since thou this charge, wise King, on me dost lay,  
Wisdom, thou art my Sister, I will say;  
But O! I fear, that so unlike we be,  
She'll not be such a fool t'acknowledge me.   

151. Doth not wisdom cry? etc. ch. 8. v. 1.  
Wisdom about the streets doth crying room,  
To see if any one will take her home.  
O use her gently, do not with her part,  
But lock her in the bottom of thy heart:  
She cries, and cries to think, that all reject her;  
I'm sure there's none, but fools, who will neglect her.   

152. I love them who love me. ch. 8. v. 17.  
I know 'tis wisdom t' love them who love me;  
To love mine enemy 'tis piety.   

153. And those who seek, etc. ch. 8. v. 17.  
Wisdom requires, who would her suitors be  
Must seek her even from their infancy:  
She woos us t' woe her early; if we do,  
We shall be certain to wed her, not woe.   

154. Wisdom hath builded her house. ch. 9 v. 1.  
Wisdom hath built her house, and finished it,  
Made all her rooms, for Kings and Princes, fit.  
The arts and sciences do beautify  
This Palace, make it stand perpetually:  
Needs must it last, built in so wise a sort,  
Whom seven so mighty columns do support.   

155. Stolen waters are sweet. ch. 9 v. 17.  
Stolen things are like the book Ezekiel eat,  
Which, to his palate, seemed delicious meat;  
But swallowed in his belly, out, alas  
More bitter there, then ever sweet it was,  
Let thiefs beware, nor on stolen treasures dote;  
Though sweet i'th' mouth, 'twill choke them in their throat.   

156. It is a sport to a fool to do mischief. ch. 10. v. 23.  
When wicked men do ill, as seems them best;  
They say, to mend the matter, 'twas in jest,  
And not in earnest: well, I think not so,  
I think it was not in good earnest though.    

ECCLESIASTES.  

157. In much wisdom there is much sorrow. ch. 1. v. 18.  
IT grieves me much to hear of this; can grief  
Be got in getting wisdom? past belief!  
And yet 'tis true: the more we know, the more  
We grieve our knowledge doth no higher soar:  
Wisdoms Arithmetic contains but one  
Grand head, and that's Multiplication  
Of sorrow: She and I, I see, must part;  
What profit comes from such a sorry art?   

158. A good name is better than precious ointment. ch. 7. v. 1.  
Give't others: let their curious nostrils dwell,  
On precious ointments aromatic smell.  
Besmear them with those liquid odours; me  
Set out with those oiled arts, let no man see:  
Let me a good name keep; better by fare,  
An holy goodman is, than greater are.  
The box of ointment broke, scents sweetest; but this,  
Kept whole, most redolent and fragrant is.   

159. Truly the light is sweet. ch. 11. v. 7.  
Though Sols refulgent rays dazzle our sight,  
Those beams are better than the shade of night:  
For who but darkness children fancy it?  
A time only for Bats and Screetch-owls fit.  
I'll look to th' sun, and looking may I be  
Exhaled a meteor to heaven's axletree.   

160. Remember thy Creator. ch. 12. v. 1.  
In youthful days do not forgetful be  
Of God, who always doth remember thee;  
And though thy years be green, yet humbly bring  
Thy firstlings; make an Autumn in thy Spring:  
Thy spriteful blood, as yet, is hot. O why  
Should zeal, amidst so great flames, frozen die!  
Think on thy Maker; husband well thy time:  
In the prime service, O bestow thy prime;  
And thou who giv'st thy youth to God, wilt see,  
That God will likewise give old age to thee.   

161. God shall bring every work into judgement. ch. 12. v. 14.  
God is the judge, who, at the last grand day,  
Shall the just guerdon of our labours pay:  
All works shall into light be brought, though none  
To light eternal, but good works alone.    

SOLOMON'S SONG, or CANTICLES.  

162. I am black, but comely. ch. 1. v. 5.  
Soldier thou art black, yet Christ loves thee,  
Although nought lovely he can see.  
Though nought but what is naught there grows,  
He loves thee merely 'cause he does.  
It pleaseth now th' eternal dove,  
Not only a white house to love.   

163. Look not upon me because I am black. ch. 1. v. 6.  
Because the sun hath looked upon thee, why  
To look on thee dost thou forbid mine eye?  
Those whom the Sun of righteousness looks on,  
Though they are black now, shall be white anon.   

164. As the lily among the thorns, etc. ch. 2. v. 2.  
As doth the lily 'mongst the thorns; just so  
Doth my beloved 'midst the daughter's show:  
More truly, Lord, were this applied to thee,  
When hanging 'midst two thiefs upon a tree.  
thyself's the lily, not now white, but red;  
And these the thorns are which embrace thy head.   

165. He brought me to the banqueting-house. ch. 2. v. 4.  
He brought me to a summer house, and there  
Did feast me with abundance of good cheer;  
Those dainties yet, did not to love me force,  
Until he served his coarse, the second course.   

166. Comfort me with apples. ch. 2. v. 5.  
Art sick? of what disease? of love? O say,  
What cordial to thy lovesick heart wilt lay?  
Thinkest thou an apple will give thee relief?  
Poor soul! an apple first did cause thy grief.   

167. Rise up my love, my fair one, etc. ch. 2. v. 10, 11, 12. etc.  
Rise up my fair one, come away, for lo,  
The winter's past, the spring her head doth show;  
Let not fierce winter in thy i'll heart stay,  
I am thy Sun to thaw those frosts away.  
The chanting birds do imitate the spheres;  
But thy voice were more music in my ears.  
The sparrows in love's dialect do prate;  
The turtles bill, then come to me thy mate:  
The fig-tre puts forth her green fruits; O see!  
They load their boughs; a fig for all but thee.  
The vines about the elms do twine; just so  
Let thou and I, in love, together grow.  
Now pressing time draws near, I'll vie a flood  
Of purple with thee; thy vine, and my blood.   

168. He feedeth among the lilies. ch. 2. v. 16.  
True didst thou say, wise King, indeed,  
That Christ doth 'mongst the lilies feed:  
Christ loves a pure heart, white as snow,  
Which yet with love of him must glow.   

169. I held him, and would not let him go. ch 3. v. 4.  
Well done: hold fast my soul; let him not go,  
Nor think to be rid of thee so;  
But he'll descend to hell, my soul, I fear;  
Yet hell's no hell while he is there.   

170. His lips drop as the honeycomb. ch. 4. v. 11.  
If I a Bee could be (my dear)  
I'd gather all my honey here.  
Thy roseate lips my flowers I'd make,  
And from them store of sweets would take;  
And when I full from them did part,  
I'd store them in my hive, my heart.   

171. A garden enclosed is my sister. ch. 4. v. 12.  
A garden, though enclosed I be  
To others, I am  to thee:  
A spring I am, shut up, what though?  
My waters still to thee-ward flow;  
A fountain locked? why Lord? that's small:  
The key of David opens all.   

172. I sleep, but my heart waketh. ch. 5. v. 2.  
Although my outward body sleep,  
My mind awake I always keep;  
Nor does my soul  take a nap  
In dull securities soft lap:  
In expectation, whilst I waking wake,  
My soul a sweeter rest than sleep doth take.   

173. He gave me no answer. ch. 5. v. 6.  
He will not answer give when thy sins cry,  
His love is proved in taciturnity.   

174. Tell my beloved I am sick of love. ch. 5. v. 8.  
Sick! Sick! yet sick of such a grief am I,  
I love the causer, and the malady;  
Of which, were I not truly soul-sick, I  
Am sure, my sick-soul would for ever die.  
O wondrous sickness! where the very grief,  
Is to itself sole-med'cine, soul-relief!   

175. What is thy beloved more than another. ch. 5. v. 9  
What is he: nay, what is he not? who's he  
Can be what my beloved is to me?  
Would you the sweetness of my lover prove?  
The only way's, like me, to learn to love.   

176. His legs are like pillars of marble. ch. 5. v. 15.  
How aptly Christ is here a pillar said?  
On whom the weight of all the Church is laid.   

177. Aliud. ch. 5.  
Christ is a marble pillar; were not he,  
Our sins would crush him down immediately.   

178. My dove, my undefiled, is but one. ch. 6. v. 9  
Thy coat must have no seams, one Church must be  
Alone saved, Lord; and saved alone by thee.   

179. Many waters cannot quench love. ch. 8. v. 7.  
Love is a fire unquenchable; nor can  
It be extinguished by the art of man.  
What water can against this fire prevail!  
Tears are a water, and yet love's best oil:  
Who hate this love, shall for their hatred pay,  
Their fire shall be unquenched too, at last day.   

180. We have a little Sister, and she hath no breasts. ch. 8. v. 8.  
We have a little Sister who can show  
No breasts, what shall our little Sister do?  
This shall she do; if breasts herself have none,  
Suck at my breasts of consolation.    

ISAIAH.  

181. Therefore with joy shall ye draw. ch. 12. v. 3.  
TO draw, and draw with joy, implies; that, which  
We toil for with such joy, shall make us rich.   

182. We have made a covenant with death. ch. 18. v. 15.  
've bid farewell to God; and post to evil,  
Shook hands with God, and struck hands with the devil.  
You're now cocksure, you think, what  ensue,  
Of safety, and the devil's as sure of you:  
Your bond shall be in force, after you die,  
And bear a date, even to eternity;  
And he, your all in all, into whose power  
You give up, shall be your Executor;  
And Executer, O! this bargain, then,  
Undo, or you yourselves are undone men.   

183. woe to the rebellious children. ch. 30. v. 1.  
A Father, and a God omniscient too;  
To whom but thee should they for counsel go?  
They mean to dive down into hell, I fear,  
And search the depth of devilish wisdom there.  
woe to him who thinks hell a council fit,  
Fit 'tis that they, who take, partake of it.   

184. And thine ear shall hear a voice behind thee. ch. 30. v. 31.  
Hearest not a voice cry out of heaven and say,  
Sin-blinded wretch, thou'rt out of heaven's way:  
Turn thee, O quickly turn, lest in a trice  
Thou headlong fall into a precipice.  
Direct thy steps to goodness, and that's even  
The plainest and directest way to heaven.   

185. woe to them that go down to Egypt. ch. 31. v. 1.  
woe, woe to them that have at Egypt stayed,  
Looked down to that, not up to God, for aid;  
Who in the speed of coursers their trust put,  
And rest secure within a Chariot.  
Are they so fare enthralled, with sin, that fain  
They'd have th' Egyptian bondage too again?  
On Egypt stayed! but God doth help deny,  
And then they may stay to Eternity,  
Yet come fare short of hope; although they, to  
Procure that hoped, for secure fare do go:  
On chariots they rely, but O 'twere well,  
That those the Chariots were of Israel.   

186. I have blotted out as a thick cloud. ch. 44. v. 22.  
A sullen cloud of sin our head hangs o'er,  
Which threats to break in judgement evermore;  
Till with a vengeance falling it oppress  
The Land, and turn it to a wilderness.  
Black clouds! black deeds! yet these thick fogs of hell  
The sun of glory, rising, shall dispel.   

187. As one whom his Mother comforteth. ch. 66. v. 13.  
O comfortable words! words which do prove,  
The Mother's greater than the Father's love;  
Their tender babes they dandle on their knee,  
And of his babes of grace, as tender's he.  
O Quintessence of happiness! if thus,  
The Father through the Son, would comfort us.    

JEREMIAH.  

188. Moreover the word of the lord ch. 1. v. 11.  
THis prophet scarce was called, when again, God  
Called to ask what he saw: an almond rod,  
By which 'twas signified, how soon God will,  
The tenor of his sacred word fulfil:  
Blessed Saint! so lately called, and yet to shoot  
Thus soon, in bringing forth such early fruit.   

189. Run ye through the streets. ch. 5. v. 1.  
Run through Jerusalem, and find, who can,  
(If there be one to find) a pious man:  
Run through the turning ways, and see if any  
Do turn his ways to God among those many:  
Persist not in that ill, which to your ill  
Will prove: execute judgement, or God will.   

190. O that my head were waters! ch. 9 v. 1.  
A sweeping deluge now was coming on,  
Threatening a general destruction.  
The prophet this overflowing judgement fears,  
And meets the tidings with a tide of tears;  
He wisheth that his head, made water-rills,  
Might wail their sins the head-spring of those ills.  
The Seer hath beheld much miseries,  
That now for water he would change his eyes:  
His eyes, though water, could not vie that flood,  
Though bloodshed, not enough, bewails the blood.  
Crying to heaven; he could not drown the cry  
Their sins made, therefore cries perpetually.   

191. Woe is me for my hurt, etc. ch. 10. v. 19  
woe, woe! for what? thou hast a wound; and he  
Who gave that wound can give thee remedy:  
Then bear't with resolution; let no grief  
Exceed thy patience, though't exceeds relief.   

192. For mine eyes are upon all. ch. 16. v. 17.  
Go seek, blind wretches, some blind hole, wherein  
You think you may with safety act your sin:  
Grope 'midst Cymmerian darkness, and commit  
Such crimes, as add another night to it.  
Light, if you can, on such a dusky place,  
Where light ne'er came, where Sol ne'er showed his face.  
Wear hills upon your backs; bid mountains fall  
On you, yet God from his high mount sees all:  
O then repent in time, who e'er thou art,  
Lest that thou feel, God sees, unto thy smart.   

193. So they drew up JEREMIAH. ch. 38. v. 13.  
Telling what hap unto his king should be,  
Himself first tastes of his own prophecy;  
He's cast into a dungeon, and therein  
As much bemired with filth, as Jews with sin;  
But this black Eunuch's help's more candid fare,  
To him, than those of his own country are:  
Where for not letting his life be (as they  
Would have't) he has his own life for a prey.   

194. And it was so that when, etc. ch. 41. v. 7.  
Judah laid waste, and Gedaliah slain,  
Lest any of the people should remain:  
Ishmael contrives, and doth his worst and best,  
In a dire pitfall to entrap the rest:  
His plot's effected: O the rueful sight!  
He proves himself here a true I shmaelite.    

LAMENTATIONS.  

195. See, O Lord, and consider, for I am become vile. ch. 1. v. 11.  
SEE Lord how vile we are, our sins do lie  
Before our God's, before the nations eye:  
For our desert the land lies desert; beasts  
Here couch: birds from our ruins build their nests.  
Vile as we are, 'twould be some comfort though,  
Can we (blind we) but our own vileness know.   

196. All thine enemies have, etc. ch. 2. v. 16.  
Behold thine enemies, on every side,  
With bloody jaws, like serpents, yawning wide:  
Yet ere they swallow down their morsel, hisse  
To see how contemptible prey it is:  
No snake ere harmed with his three-forked tongue,  
Like those bisulced, which do doubly wrong;  
They show their teeth; grin, snarl, and gnash, supposing  
They shall not snap short, and catch naught i'th' closing:  
But God, who their outrageous madness seethe,  
Provides a place, where they shall gnash their teeth.   

197. Thou hast covered thyself, etc. ch. 3. v. 44.  
What cloud's so thick, or what condensed air  
'S not broke with the Artillery of prayer.  
Prayer hath omnipotence, 'twill rend asunder  
Those lets, and parl with Heaven in heavens thunder.  
Then let him muffle up his face; no doubt  
Well break those clouds until his face break out:  
Not breaking off our suit, nor till then part,  
While we through clouds force passage to his heart.   

198. They shall be slain with the sword. ch. 4. v. 9  
To die by sword, or famine, I confess  
The choice is somewhat hard; yet, nevertheless,  
Give me a soldier's death; for who would lie  
Protracting with his life his misery:  
Yet I'd choose hunger, were't my maker's will  
I after righteousness might hunger still.  
Grant me that thirst which brings not death, but life,  
Or with the Gospels' sword decide this strife.   

199. The Crown is fallen from our head, etc. ch. 5. v. 16.  
Our graceful crown from off our head is thrust,  
And gone to lay its splendour in the dust.  
That crown is fallen, and woe to us: more woe,  
Our crown of grace is fallen from us too.    

EZEKIEL.  

200. Take this stony heart out, etc. ch. 11. v. 19  
MY stony heart O take away;  
Give me heart of flesh I pray;  
But when thou this hast given, this suit I'd move,  
My heart of flesh, a fleshly heart ne'er prove.   

201. Therefore ye shall no more seek vanity, etc. ch. 13. v. 23.  
No, no, 'tis not fit Gods servants should rely  
On each vain presage, and forged prophecy;  
Should they Sibylls dark leaves consult? no: rather,  
Leave Satan, sire of lies: fly to the Father  
Of everlasting truth; so not incline  
To divinations, but what's more divine.   

202. AHAHOLAH and AHOLIBAH. ch. 23. v. 1.  
Two wretched Sisters, who in wedlock-state  
Participated, and in woeful fate.  
The one on captains altogether placed  
Her love, and she came poorly off at last.  
The other on Chaldeans dotes, and shall  
By means of those her greatest lovers, fall:  
She who took others captive with her love,  
Herself a worse way now must captive prove.   

203. The dry bones revived, etc. ch. 37. v. 2,  
See here dry bones cements God's word alone,  
The skin with the now long estranged bone:  
Life is infused, and they who lately lay  
Dispersed skeletons, set in array,  
Now make a numerous army: israel's state  
God by his vision here doth intimate:  
Their ruins he together joins, nay more  
Joyns them to him, which ne'er so near before.  
God's arm this army formed, his name be praised,  
Which hath such companies so strangely raised.  
Raise we his glory then, and pray he grant  
We prove, like those troops, his Church militant.   

204. GOOS burial. ch. 39 v. 15.16. etc.  
Gog, slain, lies yet unburied: bloody feast,  
To which each vultur's an invited guest:  
Suck in the clotted gore of these accursed,  
Who would have quenched their own unsatiate thirst  
In such another flood: they laid a gin,  
And thought to catch the harmless dove therein,  
But were escaped; revenge us though, that they  
That would have birds, may be to fowls a prey.   

205. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. ult. v. ult.  
Thrice happy city, which includ'st what e'er  
Heaven makes its boast of, that the Lord is there.  
How can thy greatness well be measured, since  
Thy blessings are unmeasured, as thy prince:  
Were I a Citizen of thee, I'd near  
Th' assaults of the infernal legions fear;  
Yet then too, had I but my choice, it should be,  
Not to live there, so God might live in me.    

DANIEL.  

206. SHADRACH, MESHACH, and ABEDNEGO. ch. 3.  
IT pleased our God his mighty power to show  
By Shadrah, Meshach, and Abednego.  
These three just persons stoutly did defy  
The King's commands, though death 'twas to deny;  
So hot their site of zeal was, that those three  
To th' golden image would not bow the knee.  
Wherefore it was the heathen King's desire,  
They should be cast i'th' scorching flames of fire:  
Which forth with then was done; yet to forbear  
The fire was forced, and durst not sing a hair.  
'Twas strange, yet not so strange; for, without doubt,  
Their fire within o'ercome the fire without.   

207. Aliud. ch. 3.  
The fiery furnace, seven fold hotter now,  
Then ever's made for those who would not bow  
Unto the golden Idol; but in vain:  
Untouched they, in midst o'th' flames, remain!  
I wonder not that they were hurt no more,  
Since they were throughly purified before.   

208. NEBUCHADNEZAR metamorphosed. ch. 4.  
By pride, I fear, O great Chaldean King,  
A seven years penance on thyself thou'lt bring;  
And come, at last, to eat grass with the beasts,  
Who us'dst each day to frolic it in feasts:  
Thou now a higher than thyself wilt see,  
Since thou'rt deprived of all dignity.   

209. DANIEL cast into the lion's den. ch. 6. v. 16.  
You savage Monsters, crueler by fare  
Then lions, although beasts of prey they are:  
Is thus his piety rewarded then,  
Strait to be thrust into the lion's den:  
They say those creatures never harm king's seed,  
But fawn on them, 'tis true in him indeed:  
Then courage, Daniel, and pluck up thy heart,  
Thou the adopted son of heaven's King art.   

210. His accusers devoured, etc. ch. 6. v. 24.  
The beasts their stomach now could find at last,  
When, who cast him into their den were cast;  
Whose bodies mangled by those lion's power,  
A fare worselion did their souls devour.    

HOSEA.  

211. Come, and let us return unto the lord ch. 6. v. 1.  
COme, jointly, let's return unto the Lord,  
Who made the sore can only balm afford;  
And th' only balm; our hurt by him thus bound  
Will be more firm, then e'er it was a wound.  
He smites, but shows his love, in smiting, best;  
Let us too smite ourselves upon the breast.  
Like fawning spaniels, let us love the more  
The Master, from whose hands the stroke we bore:  
Whilst thus we undergo these sufferings,  
Each blow is struck will cure the smart it brings.   

212. Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy as other people. ch. 9 v. 1.  
But little reason for true joys have we,  
'Midst worldly joys, whilst wallowing we be:  
Alas! a whoring from our God we're led,  
And joy in wrongs we do our nuptial bed.  
Rejoice not we like other people, no,  
But drown false pleasures in th' abyss of wo.  
This done, and God once more propitious,  
No other people ere should joy like us.   

213. When Israel was a child, than I loved him etc. ch. 11. v. 1.  
Oraculous sense! an Evangelick dream  
Enfolded in abstruse prophetic scheme.  
Epitome of what was past, yet doom  
Of what in future ages was to come:  
A sure foretoken Isr'el was belov'd;  
When for their sake from Egypt God was moved  
To call his son: and he calls us, could we  
Call on his sacred name uncessantly:  
Since he's from Egypt called, there's little doubt  
Our souls from thence shall be delivered out.   

214. Who is wise, he shall understand these things. ch. 14. v. the last.  
To understand God's ways aright would we,  
We must ourselves be right, as those ways be:  
All earthly knowledge too, we should decline  
To gain experience in God's laws divine  
This prophet sure the way of wisdom took,  
In it, he ends his life, with it, his book.    

JOEL.  

215. Awake ye drunkards, &c, ch. 1. v. 5.  
Rouse you from out your death like Lethargy,  
Drunkards, that on your couches snorting lie.  
'Ts not to carouse, (mistake me not) no sack,  
But rather sackcloth 'tis, my friends, you lack.  
The blushing liquor late you drunk, I fear,  
Must now grow paler, and turn to a tear.  
What makes you look so friday-faced to day,  
O'er pressed with woe! our pressed wine ta'en away.  
'Ts cut from your mouth, and with your swill to part,  
No mar'le it cuts you to the very heart.   

216. Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears. ch. 3. v. 10.  
Beat up the drums, and sound alarm, alarm;  
Let numerous companies together swarm:  
Beat, beat, your ploughshares into swords, learn now  
To handle weapons, who erst held a plough:  
Turn pruning-hooks to spears, and what ere are  
The instruments of peace, let be of war.  
Ploughs, thus employed, 'twill be to us I fear,  
An hard, to death a too too plenteous, year.    

AMOS.  

217. Ye who turn judgement to wormwoood, and leave off righteousness in the earth. ch. 5. v. 7.  
IS righteousness quite out of fashion then!  
And will you never put it on again?  
Were you but wise, you'd wear it; lest you be  
Yourselves worn out with war and misery;  
And you, who justice call a wormwood-cup,  
Shall justly drink a fare more bitter up.   

218. Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, etc. ch. 8. v. 11.  
A famine, yet no want of bread! can be  
Abundance, plenty, and yet scarcity:  
Are contrarieties then joined! can now  
A man be hungry, and yet filled too:  
Yet so it is: although the body's fed,  
The soul may want its food of heavenly bread.  
Much better 'twere, the first were pined away,  
Then the last have not its ambrosia:  
Yet could we truly hunger for God's word,  
heavens Granaries abundance would afford.   

219. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them. ch. 9 v. 2.  
You'll then dig deep enough; I cannot tell  
A pit you have more title to, then hell:  
Or will you climb 'bove the mid region,  
Where thunder to reward you there is none?  
Yet there you can't stay long, your sins deny  
A receptacle for you in the sky.  
That God should take you up from hell, (profane)  
'Tis with more force to hurl you down again.    

OBADIAH.  

220. Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. v. 2.  
Despised, contemned, of all the heathen folk;  
Their public laughingstock, their open talk.    

JONAH.  

221. JONAH swallowed by a fish. ch. 1.  
He's swallowed by the whale, who doth become  
To him drowned, yet alive, a living tomb:  
Himself, ingulsed in double sea, he knows,  
Being now, truly, in the depth of woes:  
But yet the fish quickly disgorged him quick;  
And for his welfare was herself sea-sick:  
Though 'twas a miracle, yet all things scanned,  
This was the soon way t' have come to land.   

222. And the Lord prepared a gourd, and made it to come over Jonah, etc. But God prepared a worm, etc. ch. 4. v. 6.7.  
How soon grown up, and yet how soon 'tis gone,  
Ere thought upon:  
Of which, longer to write, I could afford;  
But I'll cut short, and imitate the gourd.    

MICAH.  

223. woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds: when the morning is light they practise it. ch. 2. v. 1.  
HEar God in justice, here pronounce a woe,  
On those which they would fain bring others to.  
Who hatch that mischief on their beds, which they  
Intent to perpetrate th' ensuing day:  
Whilst thus they show their power they'll understand  
At last themselves the powers of Gods right hand.  
They merit it, whose only carescares to make  
Others the more and greater care to take.   

224. But thou Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little amongst the thousands of JUDAH, etc. ch. 6. v. 2.  
Thrice happy Bethlehem, though thou little art,  
Of Judah's thousands scarce the thousandth part,  
Yet out of little thee, by God's foredoom,  
An immense Saviour was foretold to come.  
This Micah could discern far off; his eye,  
Cleared by bright rays, made it appear more nigh:  
And yet his purblind countrymen scarce saw  
The light arising out of Ephratah.  
When we, far distant Isles, descry it; sure  
The too near splendour did their sight obscure.    

NAHUM.  

225. The mountains quake at him, and the hills. ch. 1. v. 6.  
SEE how the mountains quake, as if they meant  
To th' centre through themselves a way to rend.  
The hills 'gin melt, earth burns with a desire  
She might be turned to elemental fire:  
God's present; that's the cause: yet all this light  
Is dimmed by his refulgence fare more bright.   

226. The ruin of NINEVEH. ch. 3.  
Great Nineveh is fallen: the burden, late  
Good Nahum bore, is turned upon their state.  
Sad state of things: what had so populous been,  
O'erthrown, is now depopulated clean!  
Yet were it clean; fire never had come there,  
If matter none, combustible, there were.    

HABAKKUK.  

227. And the Lord answered and said, Writ, etc. c. 2. v. 2.  
When mute things shall to cry begin,  
O think how crying is thy sin!   

228. What profiteth the graven image, etc. ch. 2. v. 18.  
From him that formed you, you expect no good;  
Yet do, from what yourselves have form, wood.  
Were you not wood, and stonyhearted too,  
You'd give God his, not them what's not their due.  
Whilst you frame images by hellbred arts;  
You quite deface God's image in your hearts.   

229. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea? etc. ch. 3. v. 8.  
Though figtrees blossom not, or blossoming,  
Let fall their scarce-formed buds, blasted i'th' spring:  
Though olives bear no fatness, and the vine,  
Empty of clusters, bring no store of wine;  
Yet whilst we have God's favour, oil of gladness,  
We ne'er shall want of wine to banish sadness.  
Though all else barren are, we'll fruitful be,  
And consecrate our first-fruits, Lord, to thee.    

ZEPHANIAH.  

230. And it shall come to pass, at that time, that I will search erusalem with a candle, etc. ch. 1. v. 12.  
O Time of dismal darkness! horrid night,  
When heaven itself is forced to use a light.  
Isr'el pursues th' Egyptians sins, I fear,  
For they have got their quondam darkness here:  
God lights a candle, 'cause you Jews ('tis plain)  
Have put out yours, and must, I fear, remain  
●n night eternal: as your candle you  
Put out, from heaven you put yourselves out too.  
YE extinguish grace, and nature's light, to dwell  
Midst th' unextinguishable flames of hell.   

231. This is the rejoicing city, that dwelled carelessly, etc. ch. 2. v. 15.  
Ingodly joys, mirth, pleasure, pride; to what  
A sad condition brought you Judah's state?  
A place for beasts to lie in, yet not more,  
●r viler beasts, than there were in't before.  
What's God they wrist to their destruction,  
Who is indeed, and there's beside him none:  
Yet now, with little change, 'tis made their own,  
They're (miserable) and beside them none.    

HAGGAI.  

232. Ye have sown much, but ye bring in little: ye eat, but ye have not enough. ch. 1. v. 6.  
YOu cloth you, but no warmth you get;  
No fire of zeal inflames you yet:  
From hence, alas, the reason came,  
You clothed you not with wool o'th' Lamb.  
Unholy folk, your gains bring curses,  
You put your coin in holy purses  
Without a bottom, for therein  
You lay the wages up of sin;  
Which yet, I fear, you will not lose,  
But keep them to your lives last close,  
Until they weigh you down that precipice  
Where, like, your purses, there no bottom is.   

233. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I will take the sons of Zerubbabel, and will make them a signet, etc. ch. 2. ver. last.  
What greater sign of favour can be had,  
Then thus to be a signet made?  
A signet which was used, in times of yore,  
On great men's right hands to be wore.  
This grace didst thou, Shealtiel's son, obtain;  
And now dost at God's right hand reign:  
O grant, good God, though I a signet ne'er  
Shall prove, I may thy impress bear.  
Vouchsafe I may, in these my infant days,  
Be made a cignet to resound thy praise.    

ZECHARIAH.  

234. Yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, etc. ch. 7. v. 12.  
Heard hearts, and yet I fear if all were known,  
Not so precious as that stone.  
If hard as adamant, methinks 'twere fit  
God's laws were in such tables writ:  
But since they will not have it so, their sin  
Is wrote with lasting characters therein.   

235. Rejoice greatly daughter of Zion, shout daughter of Jerusalem. ch. 9 v. 9  
As if with aged eyes he could behold,  
What he fore told.  
As if he saw what heaven is proud of; ride  
Without all pride.  
As if he heard the people's clamours ringing,  
Hosannah singing.  
He long before, might, I have a dim cast  
Of what is past:  
But since I cannot, Heaven reserve a room,  
That I, with joy, may see the pomp to come.   

236. And in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. ch. 14. v. 20.  
Asses bore holiness of late; and now  
Must horses too?  
What Aaron's bells and plate did whilom bear,  
These beasts must wear.  
Their bridles have't engraved, though their mute tongue  
Doth want a song.  
God's servants in their hearts keep holiness,  
These on their breasts:  
We in the Scriptures, and these steeds have it  
In holy writ.    

MALACHI.  

237. A son honoureth his Father, and a servant his Master: if then I be a Father, where is my honour? if a Master, where is my fear? ch. 1. v. 6.  
A Master fear hath due to him, a Sire  
Doth honour from his progeny require.  
If God our heavenly Father be, O where  
'S his Honour? if a Master, where's his fear?  
If sense of duty nought in us will do,  
Honour for fear, fear not to honour though.   
The end of the Old Testament.    


The Gospel of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST According to S. MATTHEW.  

The blessed Virgin.  
O Virgin blest 'bove all in Israel,  
In that th' art mother of Emanuel.  
But O more blessed in that thou undefiled  
With sin, art made the daughter of thy child.   

The nativity of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST. ch. 2.  
Emanuel is born, O where shall we,  
Blessed babe, find out thy place, and worship thee?  
Where liest thou? at an Inn? left I should rove  
Tell me the sign, is't not the sign of love?  
Let me at thy celestial manger feed,  
And eat thy body which is bread indeed:  
The heavens have sent their starry Messenger,  
To bid my soul take up her lodging here.  
●…nes, which to public sins were once abused,  
Are now by us to public worship used.  
Temples farewell; heaven prompts me 'tis no sin,  
●… such a case to make my Church an Inn.   

The miracle of the loaves. ch. 15.  
Thou fed'st their bodies, Lord, and then  
Thou brok'st the bread of life again;  
Who can this wondrous banquet tell,  
But as a double miracle?  
Where to be sure they might be fed,  
Thou mad'st thy body, Lord, the bread.   

The blind receiving sight. ch. 20.  
He gave sight, and repentance, to the blind,  
At once enlightening both their eyes and mind.   

JUDAS selling his LORD. ch. 26. v. 15.  
Judas, whilst thou thy master thus dost sell,  
Traitor, thou makest thyself a price for hell.   

JUDAS his kiss. ch. 26. v. 49.  
Thy falsehood, Judas, thou wouldst hid in this  
By candying thy poison in a kiss:  
That kiss thou everlastingly shalt wail;  
Thy heart meant hale, 'twas but thy lips said Hail.   

Peter denying Christ. ch. 26. v. 74.  
Why, Peter, dost thou thus deny  
Thy Lord so oft, so bitterly?  
How dost thou think, that he will own  
Thee, when thou plead'st before his throne?  
O let the cock, whose voice sounds thy offence,  
Lend the a spur to tears and penitence.   

PILATH judging our Saviour. ch. 27.  
Whom dost thou judge, fond man? what power is given  
To thee, O wretch, to judge the judge of heaven?  
When he shall come with troops of Angels hemmed,  
For that condemning thou shalt be condemned;  
Only this different sentence he shall give,  
Thou him condemn'st to die, he thee to live.    

The Gospel of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST according to S. MARK.  

I will make you fishers of men. ch. 1.  
'tWill be an happy occupation, then,  
To fish for the immortal souls of men.  
Their hook's the word, by which our souls are sought,  
And woe betid that fish which is not caught.   

And all the devils besought him, saying, if thou cast us out, etc. ch. 5. v. 12.  
Inveterate malice, though they cannot do  
Mischief to man, they'll work the creatures wo.  
A legion of spite t' whom ere they come,  
●… marvel not they drive him to his tomb;  
But from this one expulsed, I fear, they mean  
To quench their hate (though that can't make them clean)  
In a whole sea, one easily might divine  
That filthy company they chose, were swine  
Or swinish men, when once they'd driven them in  
To th' mire, I fear, they'll ne'er return again.   

The daughter of Herodias. ch. 6.  
Damsel thy feet a fatal measure tread,  
That thus do spurn against the Baptists head;  
Which in a charger placed, thou makest thy play,  
With that be sure he'll charge thee at last day.   

And he looked up and said, I see men as trees walking, etc. ch. 8. v. 24.  
The man, late blind, 'gins resalute the light,  
And now is a probationer for sight;  
And yet how perfectly at first he sees,  
That saw the senseless Jews to walk like trees!   

The penitent chief. ch. 23. v. 40.  
He stole, and with his life did pay the price,  
Yet dying stole both life and paradise.    

The Gospel of our Lord, and Saviour JESUS CHRIST according to S. LUKE.  

When Jesus heard these things he marvelled at him, and turned about and said, etc. ch. 7. v. 9  
NOt so great faith was found in Israel,  
None found so faithful as an Infidel.  
He that believed Christ could his servant cure,  
Might have believed and so himself assure,  
That whilst prayers for his servant he did make,  
Christ would himself into his service take.   

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? ch. 11. v. 11.  
Askest thou for bread? a stone God will not give,  
But bread of life, whereby thy soul shall live;  
Or if heaven gives a stone'ts a precious one,  
'Tis Christ the rock of hope, the corner stone.   

Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it, that ye discern not this time? ch. 12. v. 56.  
What foolish star gazer is there but knows  
We shall have heat when sulphurous Austere blows?  
When muddy Zephyre calls up from the sea  
A spongy cloud, we trow there rain will be.  
heavens face 'tis easy to discern, but pry  
Not into heavens invisibility.   

ZACCHAEUS. ch. 19  
What need Zaccheus climb upon a tree,  
Who with faith's eyes his Saviour could see!    

The Gospel of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST according to S. JOHN.  

And when the ruler of the feast had tasted, etc. ch. 2. v. 9  
CHrist was invited to a nuptial feast,  
Not so much made by th' dishes as the guest;  
But lo, in midst of all this jollity,  
The wine'gins fail; which, or he must supply,  
Or they must want: he strait doth give command;  
And wine is made of water out of hand:  
The bridegroom could not choose but like such wine,  
That had a relish of that heavenly Vine.   

Except a man be born again, etc. ch. 3. v. 3.  
Again must I be born? again must I  
Shrunk up within my mother's bowels lie?  
Again receive my birth? O strange! must heaven,  
A price to things impossible, be given?  
'Tis true (O Nicodemus) for again  
Thou must be born through faith, prayer, fasting, pain.  
Christ is thy father must beget thee here,  
The Church that mother is that thee must bear.   

JESUS wept. ch. 11. v. 35.  
Moses, whilst with his wand the rock he smites,  
Gives water to the thirsty Isra'lites;  
Laz'rus, like him, had travelled long to find  
Another promised land, which was assigned  
For blessed souls above; but here, by th' way,  
Like his forefathers, drops: being forced to lay  
His weary limbs under a rock, and wait  
For such a remedy in such a straight;  
When lo a rock, a mov'ng rock comes near  
This weary tir'd-out traveller to cheer,  
Out of his eyes a double spring doth flow,  
Not to refresh his thirst alone; but lo  
It brings the dead to life: fear not to die,  
Laz'rus, since thou hast life's wellspring so nigh.   

I am the true vine. ch. 15. v. 1.  
Art thou the vine, dear Saviour? happy's he  
Who shall a branch in that stock grafted be:  
Thou art a vine, as sadly shows the loss  
Of thy dear blood at, the winepress, the cross.   

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, etc. ch. 15. v. 12.  
On peace, since that is the delight of God,  
Fix to continue soul thy sole abode;  
That so a chain of concord there may be,  
Betwixt thy conscience, thy God, and thee.   

Incredulous Thomas. ch. 20. v. 27.  
Incredulous, who thy belief dost tie  
Unto no other witness then thine eye:  
But if thou dost desire a surer band  
Unto thy faith; here, Thomas, feel mine hand.    

The Acts of the APOSTLES.  

ANANIAS and SAPPHIRA. ch. 5. v. 5. and v. 10.  
Why, when you'd sold all your possession,  
Kept you a part o'th' price? give all, or none.  
When you to Peter came, and gave him that,  
You parted with your lives at a dear rate.   

Aliud.  
At the Apostles feet thou laidst a part,  
Lay not thy treasure down, lay  thy heart.   

Saint STEPHEN stoned. ch. 7. v. 59  
Cares he for tortures, or for death think you,  
Who hath his haven, heaven, in full view?  
These stones, which would have clogged another quite,  
Add wings (O Stephen) to thy spirits flight.  
In vain you think this martyred saint to stay,  
His eyes already have prepared his way.   

SIMON MAGUS. ch. 8. v. 18.  
Simon in bitterness is thy abode,  
Who thinkest with coin to buy the gift of God.  
Thy money-good, bad Simon, keep to thee,  
For thou may'st purchase hell without a fee.   

The baptised Eunuch. ch. 8. v. 38.  
O Eunuch, treasurer to Candace, here  
A greater treasure is approaching near:  
Though 'tis but water, yet that water may  
Wash all the blackness of thy mind away.   

saul's conversion. ch. 9 v. 3.  
The light thou saw'st from heaven did make thee blind;  
And yet, O Saul, gave light unto thy mind.   

Peter's deliverance. ch. 12. v. 7, 8, etc.  
Peter, the doors flew  for thy  
Egress to former liberty.  
Thy hearts-doores to fly  begin,  
Joy with the angel enters in.   

Sirs, What shall I do to be saved? etc. ch. 16. v. 30.  
What shouldst thou do O Jailor? why repent,  
Hear the glad tidings of the Gospel sent,  
Perform thy function, thou a Jailor art,  
Imprison God's commandments in thy heart.   

PAUL beaten, ch. 16. v. 37.  
When thou with stripes wert beat, thou didst begin  
To say thou wert a Roman Citizen:  
But when the day of judgement comes, O Paul,  
Thou'lt plead thy freedom of another Hall.   

The viper shook into the fire. ch. 28. v. 5.  
Thou murderous beast who by unnatural strife,  
Dost break a passage through death to life;  
And now with fell intent upon the hand  
Of godly Paul, who scorns thy power, dost stand;  
Thinkest thou, when he hath scaped the raging sea  
That he on land shall find his death by thee?  
Or dost thou but to kiss his hand aspire?  
He scaped the sea, try if thou canst, the fire.    

The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the ROMANS.  

Who will render to every man according to his deeds. ch. 2. v. 6.  
IF labourers are worthy of their hire,  
I've undeserved thy love, deserved thine ire:  
My work, O heavenly Father, always hath  
Been the more amply to deserve thy Wrath,  
Not working in thy vineyard, but have sown  
Tares ' stead of tears to my confusion;  
Nor should I reap in joy these fruits, but hell  
Would fall to my lot, and I should have fell  
To it, yet though poor wretch I contrary  
Have been to thee still, let my wages be  
Contrary to my merits and though I  
Cannot thy mercy by my actions buy,  
My labour being nought worth, yet be't thy will  
That I may labour to be worthy still.   

Aliud.  
The earth with grateful tribute doth restore  
The seed we put into her trust before,  
But that is earthly fruit, sow then with toil  
Heaven's seeds, for that's a fare more fertile soil;  
For God takes care that those who mean to give  
Their lives to him, shall ne'er want means to live.   

For I am persuaded that neither height nor depth, etc. ch. 8. v. 28.  
The Poet's fancy that a chain of gold,  
Which doth, alone, bound to Jove's chair, uphold  
The earth, the sea, and all things else; but we  
Have better chains in our Divinity:  
Whose links are nought but amity, and love  
Which binds us fast unto our God above:  
So held by Christ that no sinister fate,  
Nor World nor Devils shall us separate.    

The first Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the CORINTHIANS.  

And now abideth Faith, hope and charity: but the greatest of these is charity. ch. 13. v. the last.  
CHarity is a grace, whence all the rest,  
Do take their rise, and is of all the best.  
This grace God used, to give us grace, which he  
Had never given, but for charity:  
This proper is to God. each other grace  
That in man's heart doth find a biding place  
Doth die with him; but this no end shall shall have  
Nor rest within the compass of a grave:  
This shows God's image in us; seek it then:  
This makes us earthly Gods; those, only men.   

Now if Christ be preached that he risen from the dead, how say some amongst you that there is no resurrection? but now is Christ risen from the dead, etc. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. ch. 15. ver. 12.20, 22.  
The execration's dreadful, yet therein  
There's nought so terrible as is the fin.  
Has Christ so ill deserved of us that we  
Should pay him thus again unthankfully!  
Let love breed love, kindling an equal fire In our desire.  
Contemplate on his sufferings, let them move:  
The greatest curse is, not our Lord to love.    

The second Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the CORINTHIANS.  

Nevertheless though we walk in the flesh, yet we do not war after the flesh. ch. 10. v. 3.  
WHat though we live on earth, our nobler part  
Hath learned to subjugate by heavenly art  
Our terrene dross, our viler heart that still  
Moves war, and is repugnant to his will,  
So dissonant they are, that midst their strife  
They both do mutually endanger life.  
Yet when that's gone, this still my comfort shall  
Be found, I have a life spiritual.   

And I will very gladly spend, and be spent for you, etc. ch. 12. v. 15.  
Spend, and be spent, and all that he thereby  
Might us enrich; this prodigality  
Is too too much! O no, he doth no more  
Than what our Saviour's self did heretofore;  
He for mankind laid down his life, and shall  
Not we too of our lives be prodigal?  
What's Pawles unto our Saviour's? and what are  
Our lives if them we do with Paul's compare?  
Sure fare below him: grant good God that we  
May follow him as he hath followed thee.    

The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the GALATIANS.  

Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? ch. 4. v. 16.  
IF truth breed enmity, he who's truth's foe  
An enemy to th' God of truth is too.  
Shall parasitick lies, oiled phrases gain  
Acceptance, where truth can no grace obtain?  
It truly shows 've none: who then will dare  
To put's in mind we men, and mortal are?  
Then fly base sycophants, count him thy so  
That fawning would not have thee think him so.  
This is the wholesom'st counsel can be given  
Like this, or th' art not like to come to heaven.   

For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. ch. 6. v. 17.  
(Paul) in thy body the Lords marks I find,  
But fare more legible are in thy mind.    

The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the EPHESIANS.  

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ch. 6. v. 16.  
If time for no man waits, but posteth on;  
Who can recall the time that's past and done.  
It seems perhaps unto our weaker eye  
To redeem time, impossibility.  
But heaven will teach it by an art divine,  
Look back upon thy grandsires age, than thine.  
See their integrity, and quiet life,  
Thine full of falsehood tending to all strife;  
Tread in their paths, to imitate them strive;  
So't may be said that age doth still survive.   

Stand therefore having your loins girt about with, etc. ch. 6. v. 14.  
Arm, arm, against an enemy, a foe  
More to be feared, than any here below.  
Weapons of Steel framed by a mortals hand  
Cannot the on-sets of this power withstand:  
True holiness within our simple hearts  
Must be our safeguard from hell's fiery darts:  
Strike down all lusts that cannot give the word,  
That word will wound these foes more than thy sword.  
When th' hast overcome, lay not thy weapons down,  
Acknowledge 'twas God's might, and not thine own,  
Else to thyself, thyself a foe art grown,  
Thou, none assaulting, shalt be overthrown.    

The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the PHILIPPIANS.  

Let nothing be done through contention or vainglory, etc. ch. 2. v. 3.  
'tIs fit each one of others better deem;  
Himself in lowest rank of all esteem.  
Nought in vainglory do, nor ostentation,  
join not humility with affectation.  
And 'midst the mad applause of th' vulgar rout,  
With consciousness of secret faults keep out  
All pride, thus sin within, this good hath done,  
To give no other intromission.  
Debarring pride, here fix thy firm abode,  
The lowest nighest is to th' highest God.   

Let your moderation be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand. ch. 4, v. 5.  
The coming of our Lord is near, and we  
Should always for that time prepared be,  
So let our moderation now be shown  
That he may vindicate us for his own,  
Only at that time waiting for such profit,  
Immoderate be in expectation of it.    

The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the COLOSSIANS.  

Set your affections on things above, and not on things below, etc. ch. 3. v. 2.  
WHo can, then him who gave affects to th' mind  
A fit object of affection find?  
Shall sordid earth bemire th' immortal soul  
Which else will soar aloft above the Pole?  
Shall dunging land, shall carts our business be  
Whilst we despise th' ethereal axletree?  
Shall all those vast dimensions of heavens globe  
A Ptolemy could take in's Astrolabe,  
Be thought room big enough to entertain  
My vast aspiring mind? no; all's but vain:  
With zeal imped I'll mount higher, till I see  
The stars as fare below me, as I, thee:  
I'll fly, at one cast have at heaven, at all,  
Take pride in climbing, and yet fear no fall.   

But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done, and there is no respect of persons. ch. 3. v. the last.  
Thou Monarch of the World, whose powerful hand  
Doth sway the nations all at thy command;  
Dealest with all justly, lettest it not be said  
Thy laws are like Arachne's finespun web.  
Where little flies are caught and killed, but great  
Pass at their pleasures and break down the net.  
Let not through their injustice fools provoke  
The God of Heaven, he strikes an equal stroke;  
Strikes at the Crown as well as at the feet,  
And often makes both head and tail to meet.   

For what is our hope, or joy, etc. Yes, ye are our glory and joy. ch. 2. v. 19.20.  
'twill add another Diadem to thee  
Good Paul, when at the last day thou shalt see  
Those Thessalonians circled with divine  
Rays of bright glory, which, though theirs, are thine:  
To hear them bless that gracious God who sent  
Of their conversion thee the instrument.  
But when Christ comes, and claims thee for his own,  
Their joys will mount to th' higher region.    

The first Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the THESSALONIANS.  

Quench not the Spirit. ch. 5. v. 19  
A Sacred heat inspires me; and shall I  
Fling water on't? or lay the fuel by?  
No, let it have its work, this burning sure  
My safety doth from others flames procure.  
But when I feel the heat decrease and gone  
Almost; I'll cast the Spirits unction on:  
Or wanting that, pour tears; salt water will  
Re-kindle it, and keeped in vigour still:  
That like as Chemists keep continual fire  
T' obtain the rich extraction they desire;  
So I may study ('twould more fruitful prove)  
To keep the Spirit the quintessence of love.    

The second Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the THESSALONIANS.  

And ye brethren be not weary in well-doing. ch. 3. v. 13.  
MAy noble Titus name long live, who thought  
That day was spent in worse than doing nought  
Wherein he did no good. so kind was he,  
Of indefatigable charity.  
In our religion, shall an ethnic thus  
Be said to have preeminence o'er us!  
Though for's vast empire none did ere excel  
That Prince; each strive at least in doing well:  
To be above him, imitate him who  
ne'er ceaseth good to us and ours to do,    

The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to TIMOTHY.  

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. ch. 6. v. 8.  
Glutton's, you are deceived; and so are you  
Fine silken Gallants too  
Which place your summum bonum in such things  
As summum malum brings.  
High fare and sumptuous you think, no doubt,  
To life will set you out,  
To wit for fools; O rather be content  
With that which God hath sent;  
Yet not content; but, since God thinks it good,  
Pray for spiritual raiment, heavenly food.    

The second Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to TIMOTHY.  

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ch. 3. v. 7.  
●…S this your learning? O 'tis surely then  
Backwards to learn again.  
So often to commence, yet never past  
Master o'th' art at last.  
Backwards you learn the holy tongue I know,  
I fear you holiness itself learn so.    

The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to TITUS.  

The profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, ch. 1. v. the last.  
PRofessing Heaven, he's in a hellish state  
That ne'er is candid, though a candidate:  
No man at any time Jehovah knew,  
Much less (if not a man) you bestial crew;  
Though you profess much, yet my faith's but small  
That you have any faith in you at all.    

The Epistle to PHILEMON.  

Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. verse 9  
Who would not rather such a prisoner be,  
Then of the richest potentest city, free?  
A prisoner: but 'tis better fare to die,  
Then seek apostatising liberty.  
O happy Paul who hadst the honour thus  
To be his prisoner who redeemed us.    

The Epistle to the HEBREWS.  

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ch. 10. v. 31.  
IN what a stupid and a sottish age  
Do we now live, that we should dread the rage  
Of punishment, which is God's harbinger,  
And torments more than the tormentors fear!  
Surely if that his instrument strike sore,  
When he's the instrument 'twill be fare more:  
These rods like that Assyrian King have power  
From him who sent them forth, not to devour  
But purge us, would until 'tis set on fire,  
Can give no heat. O then if you desire  
T' avoid the scorpions sting of punishment;  
Appease him first who hath these scourges sent.   

By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter, ch. 11. v. 24.  
Mild Moses, was it through humility  
Thou didst deny  
To be th' adopted heir of Pharaoh?  
Or if not so,  
What moved thee to refuse a dignity  
That sued to thee?  
No 'twas thy holy pride which shot upright  
At heaven, the white;  
Thou choosing God thy Father, 'twas not strange  
So choosing, thou wert proud of such a change.   

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ, etc. ch. 11. v. 25, 26.  
Cheap pennieworth affliction, when such gain  
It brings, and quits with so much joy our pain.  
Cheap bought, yet dearly too, since it doth confer  
On us what is both precious and dear.  
Who then can Moses discommend, that he  
Suffered reproaches so contentedly?  
In case he had denied to bear them, than  
He had deserved reproach from all good men.    

The Epistle of the Apostle S. JAMES.  

For as the body without the spirit is dead, even so &c. ch. 2. v. 26.  
YOu boast of faith, you say too, you have set  
It safe, like jewels in a cabinet.  
Why say you not (and I should credit give,  
Almost as soon) a carrion corpse doth live  
That doth not breathe? nor's thy faith joined with works,  
I'd sooner take a charitable Turks;  
And for your cabinet you keep it there  
So safe, that we shall never see't, I fear.   

Therefore to him that knoweth how to do well, and doth is not, to him it is sin. ch. 4. v. 17.  
Oft with myself as I have musing sat,  
Weighing the foolish and the wise man's state;  
I've doubtful been, which I might judge the best;  
The wise man knows much good, but doth least.  
The senseless doltish Idiot without wit,  
Knows nought, and naught is able to commit.    

The first Epistle of the Apostle S. PETER.  

For it is better if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well. doing, then for evil. ch. 3. v. 17.  
AFflictions are like medicines, if they be  
Given to sound bodies go down currently,  
And trouble not; but if distempers grow,  
And make the stomach queasy, 'tis not so;  
They purge, and scour, and search, till nought remain;  
That's an ill humour than comes out again:  
So 'tis with us. If we ourselves prepare,  
And with no great offence corrupted are;  
Afflictions seem more sweet, but if there lie  
Upon the soul some foul enormity;  
The burden weighs more heavy, and our God  
Seems angry, strikes hard with his iron rod.  
If I must of that bitter purge partake,  
 be for trial, not for my sins sake.   

But it is unto them according to the proverb, The dog is returned to his own vomit, and the some that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. ch. 2. v. 22. ep. 2.  
When thou art purged, and cleansed hast been,  
Be careful lest again thou sin:  
Behold the sheep that once being washed  
Is wary lest she should be dashed;  
For otherwise 'twould labour be in vain  
To wash to filth, to filth to wash again.    

The first Epistle of JOHN.  

He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. ch. 4. v. 8.  
OUr God is love, then why should we  
Live thus in wrath and enmity?  
The blessed Trinity teach us love,  
That we the liker them may prove;  
To tie true-love's-knots now begin,  
But yet at variance be with sin.    

The second Epistle of JOHN.  

For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil works. v. 11.  
TO bid an evil man God speed,  
'S to be partaker of his deed;  
But if unwittingly I spoke,  
Myself I conscious did not make?  
But must I first his business know,  
Whether it lawful be or no?  
What need of that? leave him to God,  
And unto his revengeful rod:  
Pray then that such who unto sins are bend,  
God would with speed bring them to punishment.    

The third epistle of JOHN.  

But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. v. 14.  
A Greater bliss than peace no man can have,  
He that gave peace, no doubt all things else gave.  
Peace is the chief of graces, for those were  
Indeed no graces, which at discord are:  
They, as the Poets fain, are linked in one,  
And virtue makes the full conjunction.  
Behold how this one peace doth prospering bless  
All temporal affairs with wished success.  
The earth yields her increase, each under's vine  
Sits down in peace, and drinks of his own wine.  
More joy I cannot wish you, then farewell,  
The peace of God be with you where you dwell.    

The epistle general of JUDAS.  

Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the devil, and disputing about the body of MOSES, durst not blame him with cursed speaking, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. ver. 9  
WHat argument of pro and con there was  
With them I mean not to dispute the case.  
This only I am certain of, the one  
Would bring no railing accusation:  
For 'twas as fare below him to contend,  
In bitter words, as was that ugly fiend.  
A body moved this strife at first 'twixt those  
Who had no bodies, incorporeal foes.  
Michael, in his mild words, without dispute,  
His words did to mild Moses nature suit.    

The Revelations of JOHN.  

The Revelation of Jesus Christ. ch. 1. v. 1.  
THis revelation in your minds up hoard,  
See Christ the word revealed in his word.   

Behold, he cometh with clouds, etc. ch. 1. v. 7.  
With clouds he comes, a cloudy day 'twill be  
With those, Lord Jesus, who despised thee:  
But to the Saints happy, thrice happy hour,  
Those clouds shall melt in a sweet honey shower.   

I am he that liveth, and was dead. ch. 1. v. 18.  
No death could have the power over thee,  
Thou freely didst submit thyself to die;  
Thou now dost live; in sins, Lord, I am dead;  
Join me a member to thyself the head.   

Be thou faithful unto the death, etc. ch. 2. v. 10.  
Hast thou begun well? so persever,  
Run on thy race, and alter never.  
Hell is their portion, who begin  
In piety, and end in sin;  
And this will be another hell,  
To think that they began so well.   

And I will give thee a crown of life. ch. 2. v. 10.  
In the bright throne thou shalt be set,  
About thy head a coronet:  
Thy faithfulness, and constancy  
Shall be resounded in the sky;  
And to have got this fame, with such renown,  
Shall add a greater lustre to thy crown.   

I am Alpha, and Omega. ch. 22. v. 13.  
God's the world's Alpha, its creator,  
He form all the works of nature:  
He'll be the world's Omega to  
Bring to wicked men great WO.  
Here's first and last; for th' middle man, who is't?  
Who can that be, but Mediator Christ?   

Aliud. ch. 22. v. 13.  
God doth himself Alph ' and Omega call,  
Yet no beginning hath, no end at all.   

Blessed are they that do his commandments. ch. 22. v. 14.  
O shut not up the book  
Ere you a little further look:  
A sweet encouragement  
(Read it) i'th' close is sent.  
The tree of life is yours  
Who do endeavour to your powers  
Gods precepts to fulfil i'th' best abode,  
The tree shall yield more fruit to you, than you to God.   

Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. ch. 22. v. 20.  
Make haste, Lord Jesus, quickly come,  
And take my wand'ring spirit home:  
Too long it hath been pleased with toys,  
And sought to lying vanities.  
'Twixt two I am, and fain would be  
Dissolved, Lord, and come to thee:  
O take me, Lord, and ease my fears;  
Or else I shall dissolve in tears:  
Where is the temple? gently guide  
My soul to it, thy virgin bride;  
Or if no temple fit enough there be,  
My soul's a temple consecrate to thee.   
FINIS.    

An additional corollary of divine Epigrams, such as cannot be referred to any particular place of Scripture.  By J. H. 

Saint Paul beheaded.  
THe end of thy appointed race is come,  
And thou must lose thy reverend head at Rome:  
This crumb of comfort, yet, thy spirit fed;  
Thou art the member of another head.   

Marry magdalen's joys after mourning.  
Mourning, now be gone,  
Go seek some other place, depart;  
Joy must possess thy throne,  
Now truly, now, thou mourning art.  
Her eyes have long reigned April showers,  
'Tis now full time she crop May flowers.   

S. PETER.  
Peter from petra comes, a rock, and on  
This rock the Papists lay foundation:  
This rock so narrow is, that there's no room,  
For those that would be saved, on it to come;  
IT will prove a rock, but such a rock indeed,  
As will their drowning, not salvation, breed.  
They build upon the sands, their own hopes mock,  
Since Peter's self was built on Christ his rock.   

CHRIST to me is gain.  
Cross others, if you wish there should ensue,  
Crosses, on crosses, multiplied on you:  
But if you'll needs be crossing, 'tis no loss,  
But rather gain for you to learn Christ's Χ.   

PRAYER.  
The Devil, a roaring lion, seeks each hour  
Whom he unarmed may find, and so devour.  
Let prayer our buckler be, all night, all day,  
Pray that thou be'st not made the devil's prey.   

Heavenly love.  
Great love, no marriage, there's in heaven above;  
Here is much marrying not a whit of love.   

Soul-comfort.  
Look up to heaven with erected looks  
Of love, my soul, thou art much in God's books.   

On the end of the World.  
The wicked world, in waters, long ago  
Was steeped; th' ill humours then from it did go:  
'Tis now infected with ungodly men,  
Which makes me fear that fire must purge't again.    

A Divine Poem on the cruel death and Pussion of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST.  

ANd now the time is come, dear Lord, is come,  
When not by Pilat's doom, but thy foredoom  
Thou art to suffer; 'twas not his decree,  
But thine, ordained from all Eternity.  
Thy subject, man, infringed thy Laws just force,  
And thou, the Lawgiver, sustaind'st the curse:  
When we so fare had from thy precepts swerved,  
That little we desired, this less deserved.  
When we were did in sin of so deep grain,  
Only thy dying could us cleanse again;  
When we were all be-purpled o'er, yet none  
Can blush at those offences he had done.  
Strange miracle, that crimson blood should so  
Turn our souls crimson hue to purest snow!  
Beyond expression, that he tastes of death,  
Whose breath infused in every creature breath!  
To which sad joyful narrative we come,  
Drawn by his agonies praeludium.   

Our Saviour, having supped his last, began sup  
The wholesome liquor of the saving cup;  
Which did resemble that his precious blood  
Was to be shed for our eternal good:  
Now a more bitter one to drink he hath,  
The dregs of an incensed Father's wrath.  
Being to quaff this wormwood-draught, alas,  
No mar'le he prayed the cup from him might pass.  
Now his first conflict comes, now drops of blood  
Bedew the blushing earth, whereon he stood:  
Those precious drops, which from him now down glide,  
Usher the streams must issue from his side.  
The inward torments of his soul were great,  
The outward signs whereof was bloody sweat;  
But greater follow, armed soul dyer's stand  
With holdberds, staves, and knotty clubs, in hand;  
Ready to seize the prince of peace, and he  
Who could have guards of Angels presently  
Attending on his summons, now can brook  
To be by mortal creatures prisoner took:  
O would they bind him never to departed,  
The strongest chain were love, to hold the heart;  
Or, happy they, could they so happy prove,  
Themselves to be ta'en captives by his love:  
That, that had bound them to the peace, and so  
O'th' militant Church they had been soldiers too:  
But Peter not endures it, with zeal stirred,  
Out of his sheath he draws his keen edged sword:  
Peter, if pleasure thou in swords dost take,  
The Gospels two edged sword thy weapon make;  
But he who came to heal his people's sins,  
To heal the high-priests servants ear begins.  
Who yet, poor creature, Gods call could not hear,  
Because, alas, he wants the inward ear;  
And now the shepherd took; the sheep, poor sheep  
Are scattered, when their pastor doth not keep  
Himself: the shepherd, said, I? he became  
No more a shepherd now, but proves a lamb;  
Whose fleece his servants faults for aye should cover,  
That so his father's wrath might them pass over.  
He suffers them to leave him, and doth make  
That th' means that he might never them forsake:  
This surely was his deepest grief, who here  
Deserted was, of all whom he held dear.  
Accompanied, but how? with foes, and none  
But would much rather, so, be left alone.  
Great are his sufferings sure, heavy his doom,  
Who suffers thus much  his sufferings come:  
Yet, meek and silent, giveth no occasion  
For any one to think he is in passion:  
Although he be, so patiented bears his state,  
Though full of passion, yet not passionate.  
Judas, perditions son, 'twas led the van  
Of those who came to take the Son of man.  
Foul treas'rer who, to gain a little pelf,  
Hast treasured up great wrath unto thyself.  
Our Saviour, gently, yet would call him Friend,  
How much more rightly were he styled Friend!  
What wicked deed, base traitor, hast thou done!  
Hast thou no other way to kiss the Son?  
Blind Pharisees Christ's bounty do not know;  
He'll give himself, they need not buy him so:  
Think you a price for his life can be given,  
Who gives, that life, a price to purchase heaven:  
The traitor doth not long outlive the fact;  
But he who did incite him to this act,  
Invites him to another, to destroy  
His body, make that bear's soul company.  
He hangs himself, completing his sin's score,  
Who was ensnared with love of hell before.  
Peter, who so of late his Saviour loved,  
Now runs: the rock of Peter's love is moved.  
First led to Annas, next to Caiaphas;  
To Pilate twice, to Herod once he was:  
Both Jews and Gentiles his condemners be;  
Romans, Barbarians seem in cruelty.  
Those who were foes before, now think it good  
First to cement their friendship in his blood:  
This reconcilements dire foundation  
Was built on, yet without the cornerstone:  
What wonder is it then that we have read  
Both blood, and building fell upon their head?  
False witnesses were sought, whose consciences  
Witness to them how false their witness is.  
The temple, in three days he will destroy,  
And at the three day's end reedisie  
Is of his body, yours too (would you yield  
Temples unto the holy Ghost) would build:  
This not enough, these Theo-cides begin  
To smite him on the cheeks, O horrid sin!  
Whilst they disfigure thus with blows his face,  
God's image clean from out themselves they race;  
Whilst on the face they smite him, happy wert  
Their consciences could smite them on the heart.  
Buffets are added too, and they shall hear,  
If I may say't, on both sides of their ear:  
Those buffet, I may with holy Paul  
Satan's at least, or Satan's servants call.  
How think ye, he your prayers will hear, who thus  
Have striven to deaf him both to you and us?  
Those hands which form them, they impiously  
With blows would bring unto deformity:  
Those hands they strike, to heaven he upward throws.  
They strike upon a palm that upward grows:  
His eyes too in derision they blind,  
They'd have his eyes, it seems, like to their mind.  
How could those wretches think to kood-wink him  
Who both lights organ gave and medium?  
They mock him, the eternal God, and he  
Will mock their hopes unto eternity.  
They brag they're Isaac's seed, but who can know  
Now whether they are Ishmaelites, or no?  
First scoffing, and then downright murdering, sure  
They thought it difficult hell to procure;  
Else, certainly, they never so would wrest  
It doubly, both by earnest, and in jest:  
But this is nothing yet; disloyally  
Peter whoerst forsaken, doth now deny  
His Master, and doth curse himself; but he  
Whom he denies, denies his curse shall be  
Fulfilled on him, but gives him penitence;  
Eyes first to see, then weep for his offence.  
He had decreed to die before, and hence  
It was he spoke not in his own defence:  
Had he, for his just cause, but pleaded so,  
Injustice would be forced justice to do.  
He could have uttered one such sentence then,  
Which should have forced his judge change his again  
Who yet unwilling was, that one so Just  
Should die to satlsfie the people's lust.  
Fain would he have condemned one who was  
An homicide, seditious Barrabas.  
An homicide must be released that they  
The homicides might with their Saviour play:  
Play, said I? I recant, it was not true;  
Or if they played, at least, they played the Jew.  
What madness seized you, that you should release  
The peace's troubler, bind the Prince of peace?  
Much troubled in her dream was pilate's wife;  
And did her best to save our Saviour's life.  
He hears her not, O wretch, how could it be,  
Unless all goodness were a dream to thee?  
Like dreams thy joys shall vanish, pleasures too;  
And, but hell's pains, thou shalt have nothing true.  
Scribes, people, Pharisees, together cry  
Out with him; crucify him, crucify  
Their noise resounds, and rends the air again,  
Ascending high then they shall ere attain.  
That clamour, which cried crucify him here,  
Thundering at heaven, demands for vengeance there:  
The voice ascended upwards, but alas,  
That they the lower might descend it was.  
Why washest thou thy hands? employ that art  
(Yet that were bootless too) to cleanse thine heart,  
Or in that blood, from which thou said wouldst free  
Thyself, but wash, and thou shalt cleansed be:  
But O their cry prevails, who cursing stood,  
On them, and on their children be his blood.  
God, who ne'er heard their prayers in aught but this,  
Fulfilled the tenor of their direful wish;  
Yet had they laid his blood to heart, in stead  
Of that, God had not laid it on their head.  
Pilate gins himself now to bestir,  
Not like a judge, but Executioner.  
The scourge foreshows what tortures are to come,  
Of which that is but the Proaemium.  
Deep print these lashes left; but we (unkind)  
Forget to have them printed in our mind:  
We may keep God's commands, and yet keep these,  
No sin to have such graven images.  
Stripped naked from his clothes; if ever, now  
Truth naked is, we boldly may avow:  
Who of eternal rays, himself before  
Had stripped; clogged with humanity, once more  
Is stripped of earthly garments, that so he  
Might cloth us with his immortality:  
But this was not enough; with more disdain,  
Then ere they stripped, they cloth him now again:  
Little those miscreant's thought, when thus they played,  
That they in scarlet had their judge arrayed;  
This colour with his office well agrees,  
That bloody fact, and our iniquities;  
Thus by anticipation be gins  
To be apparelled in his people's sins.  
A wreath of thorns ingirts his temples, and  
A reed, stead of a sceptre in his hand.  
Those thorns, which crown his brows, may seem to say,  
Who goes to heaven must go a thorny way.  
How can the members better think to speed,  
When he their head doth wear them on his head?  
Never were thorns so rightly said t' enclose,  
As now they are, a full-blown purple rose.  
He'll near prove steady Christian, who sticks  
Loath to embrace, kicking against these pricks.  
His sceptre weak although it be, they need  
Not fear that he will break the bruised reed;  
And now they make obeisance to him: how  
Their outward not their inward knee they bow!  
Prophetic 'tis, though little they intent  
It so, to him of right all knees must bend.  
Hail, hail, long reign the king, methinks I hear  
Their clamorous mock-shouts rend the troubled air:  
As on those goodly cities of the Plain  
He did, so wretches he on you will rain  
Snares, sulphur, fire (your courages shall quail)  
And dreadful stones of, what you wished him, hail.  
Our Lord was spit upon, and we must too  
Expect through spittle unto heaven to go:  
But O they go about fare worse than it,  
I fear they have not all their venom spit.  
The reed which stood before in's sceptres stead,  
Has left his hand, and's flown unto his head:  
Which grieving their spites instrument to be,  
Hath from that time to this sighed vocally.  
Through strokes howe'er the way may seem uneven,  
He goes a beaten path, that goes to heaven:  
Jesting is passed, and now their play must be  
Closed in a Tragical Catastrophe.  
His own clothes are put on, he in short space  
Is led to's death, Mount Calvarie's the place:  
Simon takes up his cross, his others were  
Crosses sufficient for himself to bear;  
On whose back laid, besides his grief, we find,  
The sins, and punishment of all mankind;  
And now I come, where I (methinks) could stay,  
Ravished in contemplation, for aye.  
What a sad-joyfull object greets mine eye?  
Seeing his sorrows, can I choose but cry?  
Both grief and gladness, here at once there lies;  
And even my very tears, are tears of joys.  
Can I refrain to pour a briny flood,  
Which yet is drowned in th' Ocean of his blood?  
Can I refrain to joy? those drops, I see,  
Are made the oil of gladness, Soul, to thee.  
Yet, can I choose but grieve, since paradise  
Is purchased for me at so dear a price?  
Yet, can I choose but joy in contemplation,  
That these his sorrows work my souls salvation?  
Then share me jointly, joy and sadness: part  
Stakes in my leaping, yet dissolving, heart;  
Or, since the world's a vale of tears, on earth  
I'll weep; in heaven will make eternal mirth.  
The son of man is lifted up, O see  
How heaven and earth strive for the deity!  
He in suspense, as dubious, yet is loath  
To leave one for the other, but midst both;  
Nor midst his sufferings, suffers to resign  
His humane nature, or put off's divine:  
Yet though he doubly hath obscured his light  
By humane nature, and with pains; too bright  
He is for my aspect, my eyes grow dim;  
Thus long with gazing upon glorious him;  
He now drinks up the dregs of's cup, which are  
A mixed compound of gall and vinegar.  
So he a dove in life, at his death shall  
Take in, what's not innate unto him, gall.  
The God of love drinks vinegar; O power  
Of love, which overcame with sweet that sour!  
He takes that wormwood potion down that we  
Might in the gall of bitterness ne'er be.  
His hands are nailed but not across, he stands  
As ready to embrace with open hands,  
've hit the proverb right. Sharp nails are sped  
Through both the hands of him who is our head.  
O let these wounds suffice he doth sustain,  
Let us not crucify him o'er again.  
Between two thiefs he hangs, who held to be  
Equal with God no part of robbery:  
So I'twixt grace and sin, but fain from sin  
Would be dissolved; O so a tract begin,  
My cauterixed, my iron heart! one thief  
Upbraids: O th' impudence beyond belief!  
And were't not Gospel, I should take't to be  
As fare remote from all belief, as he  
Impenitently sinful, sinful more  
In this, then ere he showed himself before.  
(If thou be'st Christ) he did his worst I see  
To rob our Lord of his Divinity.  
The other meekly chides him, and gins  
Now at his end t' ask pardon for his sins.  
Good pious thief, who thus past hope hast stole  
To heaven, and cheatest the Devil of a soul.  
A title's o'er our Saviour writ, and all  
In letters, like their own crime, capital.  
Now capital it needs must be, because  
Both o'er his head, and ' against our Head it was:  
Hebrew, Greek, Roman, which may signify  
He for all languages alike did die.  
This is the title of our King; by this  
He gives us title to a throne of bliss.  
This is the title of our King; nor need it  
Explained be, for he that runs may read it.  
Our Saviour's sorrows are at height; each scribe,  
As he by-passes, spends some quip, some gibe.  
If thou be Christ (so said the thief) 's to me  
Doubtful, if he the Christ your Christ will be.  
(If thou be'st Christ, come down) what would you do?  
Should he descend, you needs must lower go.  
(That we this miracle beholding may  
Give credence that thou art whom thou dost say)  
(Come down, and save thyself) what would you have?  
Should he himself, alas who should you save?  
So difficult you are faith to receive,  
'twill be a miracle if you believe.  
Midst pangs beyond our reasons dull belief,  
Eternal torments and internal grief,  
Our Saviour cries in this extremity  
Eli, Eli, lamasabachthani.  
Heaven now, heaven gates are shut, they now begin  
T' refuse to let the King of glory in.  
Those doors against their maker closed be,  
By him for us opened to eternity.  
His Father's ear is stopped, justice doth move  
So much his fury that it clouds his love.  
Hell gapes, and the infernal monarch glories  
Hoping t' engulf him in his territories.  
Vanished Hosannaes' are: all signs of gladness:  
Through th' universe an universal sadness.  
But the mistaking Jews believe amiss,  
Elias to his help invoked is.  
Elias was not of that mournful song  
The burden: but 'twas EL God fare more strong  
Yet as that Sire in flaming chariots hurried,  
To th' Apotheiosis was rapt and carried.  
So he's to come, involved with flames of fire,  
And turn the world to cinders in his ire.  
Then happy those, whom guilt doth not appall;  
Who theirs, can Israel's car, and horsemen, call.  
There now remains one thing for him to do,  
Then are his acts, and passions ended too.  
He thirsts: who thirsty unto him are brought  
He gives life's waters for an heavenly draught.  
That sponge of vinegar, which they thought good  
Enough for him, he'll fill it with his blood.  
And as a sign their safety he doth mean  
Purge them with Hyssop that they may be clean.  
And now 'tis finished. O that I and all  
Can in the hour of expiration call  
On God, as he. My spirit I commit  
My God to thee, thou gav'st, receive thou it.  
Father, forgive their sins, they do not know  
(Father, forgive their trespass,) what they do.  
O see his goodness! in his greatest pain  
He did not leave to intercede for man:  
Even in his change, when just he was to part,  
His spirit flew forth in prayers to change their heart;  
And with these words resigning quietly  
His soul, he who can never die, doth die.  
The sun amazed reins in his steeds, and shrouds  
His muffled face in black condensed clouds;  
Thinking it more preposterous to see  
The sun of righteousness eclipsed, than he.  
A three hours' darkness strait invelops all  
The land: the night is a night typical,  
For each hour count a day, our Saviour hath  
Just so long walked in the vale of death.  
Nature's turned topsy-turvy from her station,  
Earth's fabric moved with fear moves her foundation.  
The rocks now that grand Rock of help is shaken  
Tear their hard entrails up as thunderstruckk;  
Mosaic rites of right with him now ending,  
Begin vail to him, the veil o'th' temple rending,  
The heavens above flash lightnings out of measure;  
The earth reveals her own, and God's best treasure;  
The saints arise, and show themselves abroad,  
And in that showing show the power of God.  
Yet as the holy city now sees them,  
They may see those i'th' new Jerusalem;  
This the Centurion sees, and, on the quaking  
O'th' earth, hath fixed his faith beyond all shaking.  
The Jews high-feast is nigh at hand, and they  
For greater celebration of the day,  
Asked that the crucified might forth with be  
Dispatched outright, and taken from the tree;  
Who, t' execute this hard command were sent,  
Strait broke the two thiefs legs. sans compliment.  
Do break them. without help of legs, the one  
Will make a shift to paradise to run.  
But when they to our Saviour came, whose breath  
Was gone, they, satisfied with his death,  
Broke not a bone: the Scriptures so had spoke.  
Had they broke them, they Gods decrees had broke,  
Those were the marble columns his spouse praised,  
On whom the basis of the Church were raised.  
But one more boldly curious than the rest,  
Resolved to put the truth unto the test,  
And thrust his spear into his side, a spout  
Of blood and water severally gushed out;  
Both streams were for mankind's eternal good,  
Only denied to him that made the flood.  
Why cast they lots for's coat, since none would be  
'Mongst them content to wear his livery?  
Oh think they, clad in that same woollen coat,  
Each shall a sheep be thought, and not a goat?  
Alas! they can't act Saints parts; without doubt  
Th' all-knowing God will find dissemblers out.  
Our Lord's yet on the Cross, but in the even  
Joseph takes heart of grace, prays to be given  
To him Christ's body. Pilate hears him: gives  
What Judas sold, by him whose guilt he lives.  
His body is embalmed. O could there be  
A sent more aromatic than was he!  
Can aught more sovereign than himself be had?  
heavens sovereign, precious balm of Gilead.  
Wrapped up in fine white sindon, which (how e'er)  
Cannot his whiter innocence come near.  
Cloth me with that pure raiment that I may  
Appearing (at the last and general day)  
Not daunted; at that great mutation  
Be found to have my wedding garments on.  
His tomb's prepared of no rare Architect,  
With Imagery of Persian marble decked.  
What other ornament could that grave need,  
Wherein our Lord did deign to lay his head.  
From any former dusts' pollution free;  
Gods holy one must no corruption see.  
But soft. I am too rash that thus dare venture  
Boldly into this hallowed place to enter.  
Yet oh! e'er back I step, 'tis all I crave  
To leave my sins behind me in his grave.  
Alas the day-star's clouded from my sight;  
Alas the day! rather, alas the night!  
The Sun of righteousness is set, and I  
Groping to find the way i'th' dark must cry  
At once my Saviour Lord, why leav'st thou me?  
The Sun of righteousness is set: to rise  
After repose more splendent in our eyes.  
The Sun of glory's set, what should we do  
But turn our glory into sadness too?  
Set in a sea of blood: who's he forbears  
At least to bathe him in a sea of of tears?  
The Sun of glory's set and I have done;  
Setting a period here with him my Sun.    

An Hymn on the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST.  

1  
HE's risen, not death the power could have  
To keep him longer in the grave,  
His dusty spoils among.  
He's risen who set before to rise  
With greater splendour in our eyes;  
And with him rise my song.   

2  
This tomb in which enclosed did lie  
Mortal immortality,  
Left widowed since he went  
Though him it could not keep, shall be  
Conserved itself in memory;  
Be its own monument.   

3  
How dire a journey did he take  
Of three day's travel for our sake,  
Riding his progress on!  
Conquering even death itself, and making  
The damned fiends, aghast, stand quaking  
In their own region.   

4  
Who could a fit Nuntius choose  
Then some bright cherub for this news?  
Tidings so sweet they are  
As might create a strife to tell  
Which doth the other most excel,  
The news, or messenger.   

5  
Let superstitious Persians follow,  
With bend knees their adored Apollo,  
From his Sabeans nest;  
But my devotions' course shall run,  
An heliotropium, to that Sun  
Arising in the East.   

6  
Nor let Astrologers divine,  
Because two suns together shine,  
Death will ensue; but rather  
Life, which benignly flows from hence,  
Shown by combined influence  
Of Spirit, Son, and Fathèr.    

An Hymn on the glorious Ascension of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.  

1  
MAke clear thy optics, Soul, and view,  
If wonder gives thee leave to see  
Heaven comes to claim from earth it's due  
Who not content is forced t'agree:  
The principal she holds it best  
To pay; yet keeps the interest.   

2  
But loath her Lord so soon should hence  
From some low veil she would not let  
Him part; but lingering brought her prince  
To th' top of high mount Olivet:  
From whence an envious cloud in spite  
Doth ravish him from humane sight.   

3  
What joys Heavn's Hierarchy among?  
What peals of Hallelujahs ring?  
The glorified choir 'ginne throng  
Together to salute their King.  
There gladness is, on earth, griefs swell;  
Wrath, envy, black despair, in Hell.   

4  
Now thou art raised; why lingers here  
Thy servant in this vale of woe?  
Let him be fixed in a sphere  
With thee, not wander here below  
Let him a star; no planet prove,  
A sign in heaven of thy love   

5  
My loadstone's set aloft, attract  
With thy magnetic force my soul;  
That touched with faiths lively act  
May turn to thee as to the Pole:  
These are my Orisons which god fulfil,  
And Christ's ascension bids me hope he will.    

A Hymn on the day of Pentecost.  

1  
Hail, o day, so highly famed  
Brighter be thou still returning;  
For thy candour aye be named  
A white, a blessed, a glorious morning.   

2  
In whose just praise my muse now writing  
Fears this honoured feast she wrongs,  
Wanting, whilst she is reciting,  
What those Saints had, the gift of tongues.   

3  
Tongues as divers, and as many,  
As upon th' Apostles fell;  
Yet amongst them all not any,  
But kindled by the fire of zeal.   

4  
Those their tongues were clove asunder,  
Their praises I intent to join  
Till all as much are filled with wonder  
As they supposed to be with wine.   

5.  
But soft, rash muse, no further venture,  
That heat sure doth not thee inspire:  
Keep aloof, and dare not enter  
Lest thou deserve another fire.   
FINIS.