Origens Repentance: AFTER HE HAD SACRIFICED TO THE Jdols of the Heathen.  
GATHERED FROM SVIDAS, NICEPHORVS, OSIANDER, and the greek and latin copies in ORIGENS works; Illustrated and applied to the case of every poor penitent, who in remorse of soul, shall haue recourse to the Throne of Grace.  
divided into three Sections: Containing 

1 Origens fearful fall.  
2 His behaviour in it.  
3 His worthy and sound conversion.    
Together with Origens Life and Death, and other material observations.  
Written by STEPHEN jerom, Master of Arts, and Preacher of the town of Newcastle; first for his own exercise, and now published for the good of others.  Tolle& lege, Take up and read. August. Confess. lib. 8. cap. 12. 
Printed at London by John BEALE, for Roger jackson, and are to be sold at his Shop near Fleet-Conduit. 1619.   

The Contents.  

SECT. I.  
1 THe wil●ss of Satan.  
2 The policies and pollutions of the wicked.   

SECT. II.  
3 The deceits, dangers, true cause, and cure of sin.  
4 The rage and rack of a guilty conscience.   

SECT. III.  
5 The importunity of remorseful prayer.  
6 The flesh his frailty.  
7 faiths victory, are discoursed and discovered.    

THE PREFACE TO THE READER: AS APOLOGIZING FOR THE poem, SO GIVING LIGHT AND life to the whole history of the Life and Death of the famous ORIGEN.  
CHRISTIAN READER:  
SInce it is not in writing of books of what nature soever, whether in divinity or humanity, Verse or Prose, as it is in building houses, planting orchards, purchasing land, trafficking in commodities, or the like secular affairs and occurrents, wherein men reserve to themselves, their own private ends, without acquainting the world with their purposes and projects; but he that prints a book is bound, by the prescription of as long a continued custom, as since Printing was invented, to give the critical world a satisfactory reason of his doings, and to reveal his motives and inducements, yea secret ends and occasions of his published labours: since I once again act this public part vpon the worlds stage, I condescend to pay this tolerable tribute of custom, to whosoever shall be my Stationers customer, for these subsequent Shedules, as to acquaint him with my Reasons and Resolutions in their penning and printing. Know then, that the very primus motor, and first mover of my pen, to prosecute this sad and sable subject, was my delight and desire. Delight I took in the perusal of it, as it is recorded in authentic Authors. Desire, to produce that pleasure and profit unto others, which I experimented in myself, lent it legs to walk, or rather wings to fly to the public view. Secondly, the importunities of some friends, to whom I did communicate these my mental exercises; who either out of partial love to the Author, or out of iudgement( at least opinion) of the work, equallizing and paralleling it to that repentance of Peter already extant, did so far plead and prevail for the publishing of it, as they haue now prest it to the press, adding onely fuel to that fire, which I hope the coal from the Altar hath enkindled within me, to do all the good I can, either in public or private, so long as I sojourn in this my tabernacle of the flesh, knowing( as the very Heathens were persuaded 
●… icero in Officij●, Non ●… s●●● nati sumus, pa●tem patria, partem ●… ntes. ) that wee are not born to ourselves alone, but to others,: yea further, that we( chiefly which are public persons) haue not received our talents alone for ourselves,( no more then the Bee her hony 
Sic●●s non vob●●, melcatu Apes. , the ox his strength, the Horse his agility; other inferior sublunary creatures, Animate or Inanimate, sensitive or vegetative, any natural good quality or property; yea, no more then the sun his heat, the heauenl● bodies their influences, light and motions for themselves) but for the good of others: knowing also that true good is communicatiue 
●… onum est sui commu●… ati●um,& quo com●… mus eo melius. , distributive, and diffusiue, like the oil powred out for the suppling, like the precious Spikenard 
●… wrist. Ethic. ●… hu 12.2.3. , or Maries box of ointment( broken on the head of the true anointed) effused for the refreshing, or as the beauteous Vine, spread abroad for the shading and the sheltering of others: knowing also that he is the best Christian, who being sound at the core, and sincere in himself, brings the most glory to God, and good to others, chiefly those that are Gods by election, or effectual vocation:( even as that is the best fire which equally heats, and warms the most: the best three, whether apple, pear or quince, &c. which brings the most and best fruits: the best Garden, that( bes●des delight) affords most flowers, herbs or drugs for meate or medicine: the best flock that affords most fleece, best flesh, purest wool, most copious milk to their masters:) desiring also to be as near as I can a pattern of that which is pressed and preached to others, and which the Word persuades, whilst we haue time to do good, Galath. 6.10. yea, not to forget to do good, Hebr. 13.16. yea, to redeem the time for doing good, Ephes. 5.17. with many the like places.  
From these considerations and others of this nature, I thought good, neither in this, or in any other particular, wherein I persuade myself I may positively do any good, or priuatiuely prevent any evil, to be wanting to my power, in my best pains: fearing the terror of the Lord 
1. Cor. 5.11. , and mine inexcusable sin in the great day of Audite, and of accounts: if I should hid my Talent in a napkin, or bury it in the ground 
●ath. 25.25. , or put my light under a bushel, or stand idle in the Market-place in the day of working, or sleep or slumber with the Virgins 
Verse 5. , in this needful time of watching, or hoard up any gift God hath given me,( as misers their gold, or as country cormorants their grain.) I desire, and will endeavour, like that merciful man in the psalms, Psal. 112.9. like that prudent and provident woman in the proverbs, to dispose and scatter vpon the necessities of others, Prou. 31. v. 20. As the Husbandman his seed in a hoped harvest: hoping( like those lights hung forth in the Tradesmens shops, which shine to the workers within, and the passengers without) that the Lord will give me grace till the night of death, to hold out some small glimmering to enlighten myself and others, chiefly those to whom I haue any relation, either spiritual, natural, moral, or ministerial.  
To apply these Generalls to my special purpose: if any question this truth, whether any good can come to any, by these my unpolished labours: though I am neither conceited, nor enamoured of this mental issue( as they say, the Crow is of her own bide, and the Ape of her yongling) being conscious to myself of mine own defects: yet without any ouerweaning self-love, if I be not deceived in my Caites and Cooking, I should give some good relish in this commixture of pleasure with profit to every sound palate, that is not distempered by pride or prejudice: and this( me thinks) should be demonstrable, if we consider, either the matter here handled, which is historical: or the manner of handling, which is poetical.  
First for history, what Encomiums and commendations are given of it, not onely by the greek Writers amongst the Heathens, Plato, Aristotle, thucydides 
Lib. 1. belly Pelopo. {αβγδ}, &c. , Polybius 
Lib. 1. histor.& lib. 3. , Strabo 
Lib. 1. Geograph. , dionysius Halycarnaesseus 
Lib. 1. historiae ●rchiphr●nesios ca● Sophias. , Tully amongst the latins, and others: but even of our own modern Historians, by Winger in his laborious theatre, Melancton in his Additions to Carions Chronicle, Meander in his Synopsis, Gesserus in his Epitome of Histories, with Camerarius and the rest: any man meanly conversant in their Writings, that reads but their Prefaces to their books, may easily perceive, that History is the mistress of Life, the mother and mid-wife of Truth, the conserver of actions, the Register of antiquity, the Monument of famed, the Nurse of Memory, the life of the dead, the treasure of the living, the square and rule in the circumstance of all honourable designs and employments, the dead counsellor, as Alphonsus called it, counseling better then the living: the looking-glasse of Time, in which we may behold the actions, affections, words and works of the living and of the dead: the Interpreter of all Nations, all Natures, whereby wee may freely converse in the Courts of Emperours and Kings: in the palaces of Dukes and Nobles: in the camps of the Martiall: in the universities, schools, Studies, Cloisters and Cells of the greatest Schollers in divinity or humanity: yea in the shops of the famous Artisans, to hear, see and censure what ever they haue said or done blame-worthy, or fame-worthy, in their places and functions: and this hath been the reason, why the famousest men that ever were for Artes or arms, haue been so swallowed up with delight in Histories and Historians: as that great Alexander with Homer, Cornelius Scipio with Zenophons Cyrus, Demosthenes with thucydides, which he writ eight times over with his own hand, to make it familiar unto him: and that great general under Charles the fift, Fronsperge, with livy, from whom he acknowledged himself to haue received so much light and life in managing his martiall affairs: but of all the rest, we are most affencted with the memorials of these things that haue happened strange, unusual, remarkable and observable in the lives or deaths of those that haue been most eminent in Place or Grace in the Church or Common-wealth.  
To apply this to my present purpose: A man that shall seriously poise and ponder the life of Origen, as he is thoroughly described by Eusebius in many chapters: by Pamphilus the Martyr in his Apologies for him: by Saint Jerom the translator of many of his works, the trumpet of his famed, and admirer of his learning, chiefly in his apology against Ruffinus, and in his Epistles to Pammachius, and to Ocean: by Erasmus, the Collecter, Corrector and Censurer of his labours; in his Preface before his first Tome: by Grineus and Rhenanus, the Heralds of his praises, and defenders of his virtues, in their Epistles to their friends prefixed before Origens works. He that shall seriously consider the lustre and eminency of his gifts, the promptness and dexterity of his wit, whom the great critic, Erasmus, compares with the chief and choice wits of Rome, Athens, Italy, or all Graecia, able so to swim without a cork, that he attained to the perfection of Artes without a Teacher and Tutor: of memory so tenacious, in utterance so plausible, in elocution so fluent, in discourse so ready, in apprehension so quick, in understanding so deep, in dispute so subtle; besides the perfecting of his natural parts by Art, so acute a Logician, so eloquent a Rhetorician, so profound a Philosopher, so deep a Mathematician: that even his enemies, porphyry, and other Heathens and heretics could not but applaud and approve him: but above all, so exquisite a divine, that Saint jerome in his Prologue before his Homilies vpon Ezekiel, fears not to call him the Master of the Church, after the Apostles,( that howsoever in some places he do sharply tax his errors,) yet in his Preface vpon his Questions vpon Genesis, he wisheth himself to haue that knowledge of the Scriptures, which Origen had, together with the envy of his name. Athanasius withall esteeming of him, as singular and laborious, oft-times using his testimony against the Arrians, Socrates lib. 6. cap. 13. he that shall consider him withall, so laborious, that( except the necessary times of his parsimonious eating, and moderate sleeping, for refreshing of nature) he was continually employed either in reading, conferring, disputing with heretics, Catechizing, Preaching, writing, or dictating( in which he was so copious, that daily dictating as much as seven falconers could writ, Commenting on all the Scriptures; besides other tracts in positive and controuersall divinity, with many things in humanity, writing as much, saith Saint jerome, as Varro amongst the Romans: the number of his books coming to seven thousand volumes,( most of which are perished:) I say, he that shall seriously consider these excellent mixtures of Nature, Arte and Grace, concurring in this one man, together with his excellent zeal and sanctity of life, that many times to the ieoparding of his own life, he would encourage, comfort, and kiss the Martyrs as they went to their deaths: he himself so desirous of martyrdom, that besides his encouragements to his Father Leonides( the first Martyr in Decius his time) he would needs be martyred with him, even when he was a child, if he had not been restrained: the graces of God even in those yeeres so budding out in him, that oft when he was asleep his Father would bare his breast, and kiss it, as being the lodge and the Temple of the Spirit of God: as Master Fox notes, Part. 1 Martyrol. pag. 49. out of Eusebius and Antoninus.  
He that shall truly and dexterously compare these many and manifold graces of this Origen, with his infirmities; his dross with his gold; his falls and slips with his virtues; the errors of his iudgement, in broaching, holding, defending so many untruths, bundled up by Osiander and other Authors; chiefly the heresy of the Millenaries 
Osiana. epitome. C●●t. : the lightness and levity of his wit, or the mist in his understanding, turning real, positive and historical truths, into fictions and fabulous allegories and untruths( as the Turkes in their Alcoran, the Iewes in their Thalmud, the Hebrew rabbis in their Comments vpon the old Testament, the Friers in their Postils 
See World of wonders, and the Bee ●i●… of the Romish Church ) wresting and wringing the dugs of the Church, the old Testament( chiefly) and the new, as a man wrings his nose till it give blood: the indiscreetnesse of his zeal from some misconceived Scriptures, in Castrating and Gelding himself 
Euseb. lib. 6 cap. 7. , as the prescribed means of chastity, to the grief of his friends, derision of his enemies, and his own lasting obloquy: but above all the foulness of his fall into the sin of of idolatry, yea even after he had sustained so many torments, rackings, dungeons, and threats of death 
Eus●b. lib. 6. cap 39. ; comparing, I say, thus his chaff with corn, weeds with flowers, it cannot but stir up admiration and commiseration in the dullest apprehension, and the grossest imagination.  
Omitting all the rest, the thing which I chiefly take notice of, is the greatness and grossness of his idolatry, together with his confused and disordered Repentance, which I haue( according to my Talent in that kind) reduced into number and order.  
Concerning his fall, thus it was, according to Suidas and Nicephorus 
Lib. 5. cap. 39, , that under the hot persecution under Decius, in which so many Martyrs sealed the Truth with their blood( amongst which were many of Origens Schollers and Catechists, as one Plutarchus with Serenus his brother, who were burned; Heraclides and Heron, who were both beheaded; another Serenus, as also Julianus, Cromion, Epimachus, Alexander, Macar, Isodorus, burned: many women of masculine faith tormented, Quinta, Apollonia, Mercuria, Dionisia, Potamiena, 
See Euseb. hist. eccles c. 6▪ cap. 40. or 41. after the greek.  with many more; some stoned to death, some beheaded, some burned, some broiled in hot pitch) after many other, Origen fell into the hands of those Butchers. After many torments which he manfully suffered, they desiring rather his apostasy then his martyrdom( because he being a Pillar of the Church, and falling, many would fall with him) they used this stratagem: bringing him to an Altar, where was a foul filthy Aethiopian; this option or choice was offered unto him, whether he would offer to an idol, or haue his body abused with a foul blackamoor. Then Origen, who was always a lover and admirer of virginity, who with a philosophical mind, had always kept and preserved his chastity undefiled; much distasting and detesting that filthy villainy to be done unto his body, condescended to the other motion, of two evils, as he thought, choosing the less: whereupon the judge putting Incense in his hand, caused him to set it to the fire, on the Altar. Epiphanius alleged by Master Fox 
Martyrol. part. 1. pag. 54. , mitigates the matter( though in other things a great and severe censurer of Origen and his works) and saith, That he being urged to sacrifice to Idols, took the boughs in his hand, wherewith the Heathens were wont to honor their Idols, calling vpon the Christians to carry them in the honor of Christ. It is added also by some in the extenuation of his fact, that he was rather induced to sacrifice, from a hoped good that he might do, because( as appeareth by some passages in his Repentance) some of the Pagans had promised and covenanted, that vpon condition of his sacrificing, they would turn Christians, and be baptized: but he condescending to this cursed compact, they revolt from their promise, leaving him in the stocks and briars of a stinging conscience( as indeed what faith or fidelity is there in a 
Gen. 31. ●.  Laban, a 
Iudges 16.2.  Timnite, a Philistim, a Saul, a turk, a Faux 
No saith to be held with heretics, is the position and practise of the Papists▪ as was shewed in their doings with jerome of prague, and John hus, in the council of Constance. , a Papist, a Pagan, to one of the orthodox Religion, contrary to their idolatrous superstition?) how ever his fact was, the judge putting him by from martyrdom. The Church of Alexandria misliking the fact done, Excommunicate him from their Church, and drive him from their Communion: of which he being ashamed, left Alexandria and came to jerusalem, where being entreated to preach by some of the Ministers, by reason of his famed that had gone over all Churches, by much entreating and pressing, willing nilling in a great and thronging auditory, he goes into the Pulpit, opens the Bible, by special providence hits vpon the sixteenth and seuenteeth verses of the fiftieth psalm; the words being these, But unto the wicked, saith God, what hast thou to do to declare my Statutes, or to take my covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and hast cast my words behind thee? Which Text no sooner red, but his own guilty conscience making the Comment by a practical syllogism, applying the Prophets expostulation to his late transgression: he hastily clasps the book again, sits down as one Plannet-strucke, not able to speak one word; but bursting out into vehement and abundant tears,( which in a silent oratory did pled his guilt) all the auditory wept excessively with him: what became of him after is not extant in history, save onely that he died and was butted in Tyre: Eusebius thinketh he departed under the Emperours Gallus and Volusianus, Anno 255. in the threescore and sixteenth year of his age, in great misery and poverty: but more miserable by the rack of Conscience, in his deep distress he pens this Repentance following, which I haue by Poetizing authority thus illustrated and enlarged by running division, vpon his plain song.  
That wherein I am now to labour is to stop the mouth of exception, that may call in question the truth, either of his Fall, or Repentance. I know Eusebius himself, who writes his life at large, mentioneth neither: I know Baronius, that great Chronologer, in his Annals mentioneth neither 
Ann●. tom. 3. ad annum 253 num. 118. . I know Erasmus 
Censurae praefixa lamento. , though he translate it out of the Greek copy, yet favouring the credit of Origen, he thinketh it to be penned by some of his aduersaries in disgrace of him. I know our learned Country-man, Master cook, in that laborious work of his, termed the Censure of the Fathers, placeth this in the rank of one of the Spurious works falsely fathered vpon Origen, and reckoneth it with one of the knights of the post 
Censura Script. p 70. . It is much for me to answer all these great Authorities, which, as it were, command me to account it a fiction: yet thus much for a counterpoise, I plead for the truth of it. First, great and learned Papists account it and allege it as a real truth, as namely the divines of Colen 
Censara Colo. dial. 6. , he that writ the three conversions of England 
Part. 3. p. 9. , Hosius 
Confessio Petrick c. 58.  the cardinal, and others, which though I do not absolutely aver it as truth, because they allege it, since they oft allege many fictions, lies, Legends, and bastard writings( as our men haue manifested) for the propping of their ruinous and declining cause; yet their Authorities for it may countervail Baronius, if not also Erasmus, who are against it. Secondly, it is in the Tomes of Origens greek copy. Thirdly, it is approved by Saint jerome, and translated by Erasmus himself; which me thinks he should never haue done, if there had not been some probable truth in it. Fourthly, his fact is recorded by Suidas, a grave and venerable greek Author, who lived more then a thousand year ago:( to omit Nicephorus, who yet is joined with Eusebius, Socrates and Dorotheus, as an ecclesiastical Historian; however in many things he is as fabulous, as lying Lippomanus, and as unsure as Popish Surius:) besides good Master Fox 
Martyrol. part. 1. p. 5 , that great antiquary, and diligent searcher out of the acts and Monuments of the Church, and of the chief Pillars of the Church, both in ancient and modern times, allegeth from Authors, without contradiction, Origens transgression and humiliation. Fiftly, A Doctor of our Church 
Meridith Hanmer. Apud Euseb. lib. 7. cap. , the Translator of Eusebius, hath also thought good in his iudgement to translate this Fact of Origens out of Suidas and Nicephorus; as also out of the greek copies omitted by Eusebius himself, whom some think a partial favourer of Origens, as was also Chrysostome, which was the occasion of all his broils and bickerings with Epiphanius 
Socrat. l. 6. c. 11. 12. 1 . sixthly, I am informed by a divine of this place, of very great reading and iudgement, that Bishop jewel having in the frailty of the flesh, given too much way to some things in that turbulent and tragical time, in queen Maries reign 
Quinquen●ium Mar●… ,( as did that good Cranmer, Pimbleton and others; as did also good old 
Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 43.  Serapion, in the dayes of Decius) and repenting and recanting what he had done, in the reign of queen Elizabeth: he alleged this very fact and fall of Origens in a public Auditory, applying it with grief unto himself. And thus much, they say, eloquent Doctor humphrey relates, writing his life. I confess, I cannot in this place, nor in these straits of time, come to the sight of Doctor Humfreyes book, and therefore I trust Tradition and relation. seventhly, Come to reason, and what improbability is there, either in Origens thus sinsinning or repenting? might not Origen sin thus foully, though not finally,( which is not incident to the Elect) as soon as others? was he not a man, and therefore subject to mutation? from which the Nature angelical was once not exempted; much less now the Nature human, in the state of corruption. Did not the Lords own peculiar people, the Israelites, oft Idolatrize with the gods of the Nations 
Iudges 2.11.11. Ch. ●. v. 5, 6 7, 8, 9. c. 4. 1, 2, 3. , in their prosperity, yet returning and repenting in their adversity? Did not Salomon, the mirror of wisdom, fall as foully 
1 King 11.5. , and yet rise again, as( besides other arguments used by Authors 
D. Willet in Synops. Soto maior praefat. Comment. in Eccles. See a Sermon called Sa●omons harp. ) his Ecclesiastes is a real and demonstrative repentance? Come to Histories: Did not that good old Serapion sympathise in this sin, and yet( as appears by a Letter writ by Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, to Fabian) had assurance of his pardon even in his death-bed, how ever the Church( as though they had been all Nouatians or Catharists) would not admit him vpon any acknowledgement? leaving Oecebolius, and of late times Francis Spira, of whose repentance( notwithstanding his grievous conflicts and seeming desperation) the learned Perkins and others are well persuaded; as also that zealous and worthy Cranmer 
Fox Martyr. part. 2. , before mentioned, who after his subscription to Popish Articles, took as deep a reuenge of his transgressing hand, as ever did the roman Scoeuola.  
Come to the Bishops of Rome, even those, that in former time were far less Antichristian then these of later times, for whom their deluded proselytes so plead, that they cannot err,( how ever some of their fellowes 
Canus l●b. 6. c. ult loc. Auton●●●● p. 5 〈◇〉 2●. , by instances, examples and reasons, contradict them) we shall find that many of them( as appears by approved Authors) haue erred heretically, some idolatrously as far as Origen; succeeding, yea exceeding Peter, not in his supposed seat or pretended faith, but in his Fact, in denying his Master 
Raynolds d● Idol. Rom. ●cclesiae. Whitak. de Rom. Pont. p. 781. . Clemens 
Epist 5 in tom. council.  heretically holding a platonical community for goods and wives, to be as free as the sun and air: Siricius 
G●atian. dist 82. Calu. lib. 4 Instet. cap. 12.24. , that marriage, Gods ordination, was pollution: Innocent 
Aug lib 2. cap. 4. cont. Pelag.  the first, that children could not be saved without the Eucharist: Pelagius 
Apud. Grat. dist. 31.  decreeing married Deacons to be deposed: Gregory 
Magd●b. Cent. 8. c. 10.  the third dividing by divorce in case of dangerous diseases: coelestine the third in case of heresy 
council. tried Sess. 24. c. 5. : John 
Conci●. C●n●tant. ●es. 11.  the three and twentieth, that the souls of men be mortal: yea some of them as gross heretics as ever were, and so remain on record( for all Bellarmines Glozing and sophistical colouring:) Victor 
Euseb. Ec●l. hist. lib. 5. cap. 28. , a Samosatenian: Zepherinus, a Montanist, acknowledging the Prophesies 
Tertul. in lib. contra Praxeam sic de eo testatur.  of Montanus, Prisca, and Maximilla▪ Liberius 
Damasus i● vita, Zozomen. ib 4 c. 15.  an Arrian; yea after he had suffered so much for Athanasius: Felix 
ruffian. lib. 10. c. 22. Theod lib. 2 cap. 17. , infoelix, leavened with the same leaven: coelestine 
Laur. Valla in lib. cont. Den. Constantius.  and Anastasius 
Grat. dist 19 Alphons. lib. 1. cap. 4. co●tra Haeres. , Nestorians: Vigilius 
Liberatus in Bre●●ar. ●ap. 22.  an Eutichetian; yea Marcellinus 
Andrad. lib. 2 def. Conc. Trident.  a gross Idolater, as ever was our Origen; even sacrificing to Idols.  
Eightly,( that we may make some special use of Origens Fall) do we not usually see that men of greatest gifts and graces, oft-times are tainted with some infirmities or foul vices in conversation, or errors in iudgement:( like some faire face with a foul mole; as a sweet rose with an eating canker, as the white swan with her black feet, as the plumed Peacock with an hellish voice?) Salomon 
Nehem. 13.27.  so wise amongst men, so beloved of God, so shining in graces, yet so besotted with women, so spotted with corporeal and spiritual pollutions. Samson 
Iudges 14.15. &c. Chap. 16.  that renowned Nazarite, so stout, so strong, yet so effeminately weak. Amongst the Heathens Alexander 
Quintus Curtius lib, 4.& lib. 5. , so full of prowess, yet so palpably proud, so sottishly drunk, so brutishly boisterous in murdering his wise Parmenio, his stout Philotas, his dear Clytus, for denying his fool●●●ly desired deity? Hannibal, mark anthony, Iulius Caesar: other Worthies so heroic, so warlike, so wise; yet so effeminate, so weak, so womanish: Picus the earl of Mirandula( who might be reckoned amongst those whom Scaliger terms worthy and wonderful spirits) so learned; yet( as divinus testifies of him) so loose and luxurious; with many more that might be added, confirm and ratify this undeniable truth. Yea which is more, which of the Fathers, the lights of the world, the successors of the Apostles, the pillars of the greek and latin Church, were without their naeui, their warts, their wants, their errors? as Osiander in his epitomizing of the Centuries, and Sculietus in his Medulla Patrum, haue observed throughout all their writings: to show some few of many, Cyprian condemns the baptism of heretics as unlawful, in which fourscore and seven Bishops erred with him 
In council. Cartha●ine . Tertullian a Montanist, is doubted to be homo Ecclesiae, a man of the Church: hilary erring touching Christs humanity: Irenaeus in affirming Christ to haue died the fiftieth year of his age, contrary to all orthodox divines. Our Origen so erroneous in many things, chiefly in imagining the divels at last to be saved; that as some haue doubted whether to account him among the Fathers or heretics, so some Papists haue as much questioned his salvation, as they did Salomons. To omit the rest, in two particulars, the whole stream of the Ancients haue run counter.  
The first, in that they thought that Christians should reign with Christ after the resurrection here on earth, in a golden jerusalem, and there should enjoy such a heaven as the Turkes dream of in their Alcoran, marrying wives, begetting children, eating, drinking, and living in corporeal delights.  
The second, that they thought the world should endure but six thousand yeeres: which opinion the judicious Zanchie doth discuss 
De fine seculi. , and Saint Augustine 
In Enar. Psal. 89.& civit. Dei, lib. 18. cap 3  condemn as rash and presumptuous. The broachers and breeders of the first opinion, were justin Martyr, In dial. cum Tryphone. Irenaeus alleged by Jerom, In Esaiam lib. 18. Papias apud Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 36. Victorinus, Lactantius divin. Instit. lib. 7. cap. 23. Apollinarius, severus, nominated both by Saint jerome, ●omment. in Esaiam, lib. 18. & in Psal& in Ezek. lib. 11. Nepos recorded by Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 23. Of the second opinion were also Irenaeus lib. 5. c. 23. Hilar. in Matth. Lactantius divin. Instit. lib. 7 cap. 14 Hieron Epist. 139. & justin Martyr respons. a● Orthodox quaest. 71. Yet all missing the mark, determining without the word, they groped for the truth in the dark fog of their own inventions, and found it not. Now our Origen being of as great graces as the rest, why are not his falls and errors as probable?  
Now ere I conclude, I desire leave of further enlargement to make some use to ourselves of the fearful fall of this our present Penitent, that so wee may gather figs from his thorns, grapes from his thistles, drawing light out of his darkness, and good from hi● evil. God for this purpose oft permitting the falls of his Saints, that we that stand( as the Apostle 
Rom. 11.18.19.20.  urgeth from the falling away of the Iewes) might take heed lest we fall, that, like Lots w●f● turning into a pillar of salt( as Augustine instanceth in her) their example might season us, to make us more careful and cautelous, not more secure and presumptuous, after the fashion of the world; who from the sins of Noah, Lot, david, Samson, Salomon, Peter, and other of the Saints, think they haue a warrantable charter to sin, making the presidents of others falls, so mans Proctors, Patrons, and Protectors of their security, in their sensual courses, imitating( as Ambrose 
Pe●ca●it Dau●d quod so●ent ●e●e 〈◇〉 a●& pen●●●t quod non solent reg●●  notes in Kings and great men compared with david) their sins, but not their sorrows; their fallings by transgressing, not their rising by repenting.  
But in the slips and slidings of the Saints, and so of this our Origen, First, We may see what man is, if God leave him never so little to himself; what indeed, but a city without walls? a Fort without a garrison, a ship●e without anchor, cable, Pilot or Palynure: a confused army without a general: a straying sheep without a shepherd: a vine vnpropt: a house ruinous( as the philistines Dagons) without the upholding pillar; yea a bowl set on the top of a hill( the hand withdrawn) never resting, ever running till it come to the bottom? so we falling from God to sin, into the bottomless gulf of hell( as the staff left alone fals to the ground) without the staying and underpropping hand of grace. Hence Abraham is feigning or dissembling, Noah drunk, Lot incestuous, david unclean, Salomon idolatrous and adulterous, Ezekiah haughty hearted, Thomas incredulous, Peter presumptuous and crauenly timorous: Theodosius( in his anger massacring seven thousand Thessalonians) bloody and furious: our Origen grossly idolatrous: when God let them a little alone, and left them to stand by themselves( as the mother or nurse sometimes doth the weakling child) we see how gross were their falls, how grievous their sins.  
Secondly, As a depending admonitorie use, the consideration of the premises, must cause us always, according to our saviours command, to watch and pray 
Luke 21.36. , to stand vpon our guard, to be sentinels over our hearts, Centurions over our affections, to keep( as the jailer his prisoner) this roving runagate heart 
Prou. 4.23. , with all diligence, yea with watch and ward, with lock and key( as the careful and vigilant Father, his wandring Dinah, his immodest daughter) within the doors and bars, and limits of the Word: lest going a whoring after strange gods with Israel; after dumb Idols with the Papists; after vain and vile inventions, with the profane ones of the world: the divell, that unclean Sichem 
Gen. 34.2. , that malignant spirit meeting with it, thus straying and straggling from God, from our Fathers house, whorishly affencted( as incestuous judah 
Gen. 38.15.16. , with veiled Thamar) beget vpon it such bastards of sins, as shall bring more dishonour to God, more danger and damage to our own souls, then Lots unclean issue, and spurious fry 
Gen. 19. last verses. ( Moab and Ammon) to transgressing Israel.  
Thirdly, Not to trust in ourselves, or to repose any confidence or affiance in any thing from ourselves, either for the doing of any positive good, or preventing any privative evil; not to go out with goliath 
1 Sam. 17.44.  in our own might, in a proud presumption in ourselves with Peter, but to walk 
Mich. 76.7.  humbly, as Micah admonisheth: to go out every day, against sin and Satan, and our own traitorous and rebel hearts, in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, as david against that Giant 
1. Sam. 17.45. : to put vpon us the spiritual armor prescribed, to buckle it close to us daily, since wee haue Satan, that subtle Serpent, so politicly ensnaring, so powerfully assaulting; the world with her allurements, intrapping: our own flesh, as eve to Adam, Delilah to Samson, daily tempting and betraying; yet, not to rest in the value of the weapons, or to trust to our own valour in wielding them, but to make the Lord our stay and our strength, our spear and our shield, to be strong in him, and in the power of his might, Ephes. 6.10.  
Fourthly, To take notice of our weakness and cowardice, in some straits and assays of our fickleness and inconstancy, in holding out the spiritual battery: for we shall see it in this instance, and feel and find it experimentally in ourselves and others, that though a Christian sometimes be exceeding strong and courageous, and marcheth against his souls assailants like a second Jehu, or a conquering jephte, standing strongly and stoutly in the day of trial: First, Partly from his own watchfulness and circumspection. Secondly, Partly from the diligent and careful custody of his own heart. Thirdly, Partly in the wise guidance of his ways, according to the rule and square of the Word. Fourthly, Partly from the constant and conscionable use of the means. Fiftly, Partly from faith, affiance and dependence vpon God. sixthly, But above all, by the assisting aid of the powerful and al-preuailing sanctifying Spirit, resisting and conquering many and mighty temptations: yet at other times, the same man, the same Christian combatant, may be so infirm and weak: First, Satan more slily, subtly, and incessantly rempting. Secondly, Grace more weakly assisting. Thirdly, God leaving his seruant to himself( as he did david 
1. Chr. 21.2: , Ezekias 
2. Chr. 32.31. , this our Origen) in a temptation of probation or trying. Fourthly, His providence wisely, for good ends and causes, permitting. Fiftly, But above all, the heart being but weakly guarded. sixthly, Gods presence not awfully eyed. seventhly, The deceits of sin, not strictly observed. Eightly, The occasions of sin not cautelously prevented. Ninthly, Good duties, public or private hearing, reading( but chiefly prayer) either wholly omitted, or intermitted for the matter; or slightly, heavily, superficially and perfunctorily performed for the manner, a lighter or lesser temptation may prevail, and vassalize the soul of a courageous Christian.  
If we require examples, which are called the hostages and pledges of our speeches: we may observe, david at one time so tender hearted, that he was smit for touching the very garment of the Lords anointed 
1 Sam. 24.5. , that he would spare even his enemies, Saul and 
2 Sam 19.23.  Shimei, when he had them in his power: at another time so bloody, so filthy, that he would not onely abuse his own body and blood in uncleanness 
2 Sam. 12. , but by a treacherous premeditated plot, effuse and power out the blood of his dear and faithful friend. Once wee haue Peter as stout as a Lion, in confessing and professing Christ with his fellow Disciples 
Acts 4 19.20. , courageously confronting and contesting against all the menacings, threatenings, beatings, force and fury of the malicious Scribes and malignant pharisees: at another, as a Hare or Hart, so heartless, or Hen-hearted, that the very breath and blast of a silly Damosell 
Luke 22.57. &c.  made him cry craven, and fearfully deny his Master. At one time we haue Reuben 
Gen 37.21.  so natural to pity and commiserate his brother joseph, pleading for his life, in his unbrotherly usage by his emulating brethren: at another time so unnatural and ungracious too, as incestuously he defiles 
Gen. 49.4.  his fathers bed. Thomas is once so strong, that hearing of Lazarus death 
John 11.16. , he offers to accompany his Master Christ and his fellow Disciples, to go and to die with him, in respect of the present peril by the Iewes laying await for Christ: at another time so incredulous, that he would not, nor could not beleeue the life of Christ, averred and avouched to him by so many eye and ear witnesses 
John 20 25. . To leave the rest: this our Origen, once even in the prime of his youth, being but a Boy, so spirited, that he durst look grim Death on the face, in the cause of Christ, and desired to go to Christ thorough racks and fires, as a martyr in desire( as some speak of John the Disciple) being by the force of friends restrained from the Act, writing a letter consolatory to his martyred father, not to sh●inke in the profession of so good a cause for any outward respect: yet at another time, the same Origen so infirm, weak, unwise, so deceived, so deluded, that shamefully, blamefully, publicly he sacrificed to an idol, and so rejected and ref●sed the true service and sacrifice of his saviour. What shal we say to all this? not as the Prophet 
●… ame 8. , Lord what is man, that thou art mindful of him? &c. but, Lord what is man, if thou be not mindful of him? even as the child set cockering near the fire, or over the pond, ready every minute to fall in, and burn or drown, if the nurse be unmindful. I must say again, Lord what is man, if thou leave him to himself? and all of us had need say and pray with the zealous Anne Ascew martyr, Lord do not thou forsake me, lest I forsake thee.  
Fiftly and lastly, In Origens fall, once so good, so great, so glorious a light, so eminent in grace and peace; we may learn what to esteem of man, yea even of the choice and chief of men; namely, to esteem of them as men, not gods, not angels, but men; frail men, as the Scripture speaks of Elias, subject to frailties and infirmities; and therefore not to adore them, not to magnify them too much, not to make Idols of them, not to attribute too much unto them; as the Papists and Canonists to the Antichristian man of Rome( deifying him more then ever the Samaritans did Simon Magus; or the Sidonians Herod, or the Scycophants of Alexander, that ambitious Monarch). The graces of God in men, First, let us reverence. Secondly, let us bee thankful unto God for them. Thirdly, let us endeavour to imitate them. Fourthly, let us make the best benefit and use of them, in profiting by them. Fiftly, let us desire the Lord to redouble the like gifts and graces vpon us, as Elisha desired the spirit of Elias. sixthly, let us take heed we do not envy the graces of any, as the proud and carnal pharisees did our saviour Christ, because he was in greater grace with God and man, his Sermons better accepted, and he more deservedly honoured in the hearts of the people then themselves. seventhly, let not( above all) our emulation grow to hatred, as Cain against Abel 
●… ohn 3.12. ,( for this shows a Cainish brood 
●… ers. 15. , and one of the Serpents seed) but yet let us still hold them so as men, that we honor that God, the giver and wise dispenser and disposer of his gifts, above the subiects and receivers of these gifts. Let us rest and rely vpon the Lord, and not vpon man: let us not make flesh our arm, nor trust to the reed of egypt; for he that rests on man, rests but vpon a broken staff, a staff of reeds: he that builds on man, builds vpon a sandy, unsure and day foundation; man being but day, a blast, a bubble, a vapour, a wind, whose breath is in his nostrils.  
And thus much, according to our first proposed method, for the subject or matter useful, which is historical.. Now I desire, without prejudice of prolixity to Apologize for the manner( which perhaps will bee more excepted) being poetical; for the lawfulness or laudablenesse of poetry, if I should speak much, I should call in question that which is not controverted: if I should spend much in the praise of it, I should writ Jliads after Homer: since so many pens haue as so many trumpes and Heralds, prosecuted her due and deserved praises, both divines and others; and indeed it were to add water to the sea, or light to the sun. For first, since it hath pleased the wisdom of God, to indite and pen some of the holy Oracles in Numbers, as the book of job, the book of the psalms, the proverbs of Salomon, his Ecclesiastes and Canticles, &c. Secondly, Since our saviour himself makes the psalms of david one part of the Scripture, dividing the whole into the Law and Prophets, and book of psalms, Luk. 24.44. Thirdly, since some of these numerical Scriptures, so pleasingly, so plentifully and powerfully, in that elevated, sublime, and refined style and strain, describe the great and glorious attributes of God, as Psal. 103. The mercy of God: job Chap. 37.38.39.40. The Power, Glory and majesty of God shining in the creatures; the leviathan, the Rinoceros, the Lion, &c. Ecclesiastes Chap. 12. describing the approaching of old Age, as other Scriptures other things in as apt similitudes, in as sweet metaphors, yet in a greater heat and height of spirit, and sweetness of eloquence, then either Virgil, or Homer, or Tully, or Demosthenes ever attained unto. Yea, fourthly, since the holy men of God, vpon special mercies received, of adornation or preservation, to the better exciting and stirring up of themselves and others, haue praised God in spiritual songs and holy hymns, as Moses and the Israelites delivered from Pharaohs pursuit, Exod. 15.1. Deborah and Baruch after their victory over Jabin and Sisera, Iudges 5. judith and the Elders of Israel, for the overthrow of Holofernes: david and all his host, after his four great last battels over the philistines, 2. Sam. 22. Moses in his Cygnaean or Swan-like song, as also that good old simeon, a little before their deaths, Deut. 31.19.22. and 32.1.2. &c. Luk. 2.29.30. Good Anna, after shee had obtained a desired son, 1. Sam. 2. yea even vpon other occasions, 
2. Sam. 1.17.18.19.20  as david in that exquisite Epitaph, which he makes vpon the death of Saul and Jonathan, as besprinckling their tombs( as also Abners) with his tears of love, so perfo●ming his last obsequies, in his poetizing funeral Neniae. Fiftly, Since it cannot bee denied, but that it is a special gift of God, as the very Heathen thought their Poets extraordinary inspired: 
Exod. 31.3.& 35.30  since there can be no excellency even in mechanical Trades, in working in gold, silver, brass or ston, much less in this mental and more noble exercise of the understanding part, but it comes from God, from whence every good gift proceeds, as the light from the sun, heat from the fire, and waters from the Sea, Jam. 1.17. Then sure who ever speaks against Poetry, in itself and own nature, is either witless or wicked, wanting either a sound brain or good heart, in so much that I may say, like other parts of learning, it hath no enemies, but either the ignorant or malicious. I know indeed it is abused; not the use of it, but the abuse is to be taxed, as it is made fuel to the fire of lust, a bawd or Pander to uncleanness, a bait to sin, the bellows to blow up these lustful sparks in our corrupted nature; as it is abused and abased by the Poets, Poetasters, rhymers, Sonnetters, Amorettoes, Balladers and Terntonists of our time: chiefly those Comaedians, that sell their vain and frothy wits, such as sell their tongues, voices, actions, and personated gestures to the sinful times; Players, the Pest and Plague of a well ordered Common-wealth, the corrupters and poisoners of men, of mindes, of manners 
●… odin. de Repub. lib. 6.〈…〉. 1. , able to effeminate even a roman Spirit, even masculine virtue itself: as not onely Plato, Cato, and some of the wisest Heathens, but that once Light of Oxford 
●… psius de Glad. lib. 1.〈…〉. 7. , and other zealous men of our own, besides the Fathers 
D. Reinolds against Gagar, and other Ci●… ian●, in his ouer●… owe of stage-plays. Cyprian. de Spect. lib. ●… pist 2. ●… rysost hom. 56 in Gen. ●… meus Alex poed. lib. 3. 〈…〉. 11. ●… ian. de Guber. dei. 6. praedictae expensae. 〈…〉 condemned by se●… rall councils, by ●… inolds alleged. , haue thought and written. Thus, I know, it may be abused; so may the best blessings of God, women to uncleanness, wine to drunkenness, as indeed they both are by the Ers and Onans, and the Baltazars of our dayes: licentious men, whose belly is their god, and whose goddesse is Venus; so may meate to gluttony, iron to wounds, or unlawful blood-shed: Tobaccho from a physical use, to a vain fantastic, humorous abusive profuse prodigality: apparel to pride and luxury: Wit to Machiuillian policy: authority( as Ahabs) to cruelty: magistracy to injustice and bribery: the Artes and tongues, sophistically to colour schism and heresy: so all the rest of Gods creatures, blessings, graces, to superfluity, pride, arrogancy, vanity, villainy, and the most egregious iniquity.  
even so I say of poetry, because many vain vicious men abuse it; some, even of the sons of Belial, do prostitute it as a bawd to sensuality: may it not therefore be moderately used( as a man lawfully his marriage) for the forming and framing the diviner issues of his soul, and the mental conceptions of his understanding? Yea indeed, the more that the world abuseth this, the more are they to be applauded and approved, that seek to refine it, and bring it to the true use: like as Erasmus, Melancthon, Agricola and others, deserve well of all posterity, for refining the latin tongue in Belgia, long before rusted, and barbarously corrupted by the inundation of the goths and Vandals.  
I know not what more can justly be objected against me: unless, first, the gravity of my place and function, in intermeddling: or secondly, my defects in handling: or thirdly, my enlarging and adding more in the poem, then is in the Prose, greek or latin. For the first, if any ask or marvell, as once, why Saul amongst the Prophets? so now, why a Preacher amongst the rank of Poets? To stop the mouth of this exception, I might answer, that one Swallow makes no Summer, nor one action a habit, to give a denomination to the doer, no more then to play one strain of a Lute, make a professed musician. Secondly, if to Poetize were a disparagement, then the gravest divines that ever the world had, are culpable. For to omit the Poems of Moses and david Prophets, of Salomon a Preacher, before specified; haue wee not the Poems of many of the Fathers 
●… reg. Naz. Arcana de princ. versus 422● d. carmen contra. A●…. Jtem de Poem à se ●… it, Lugd. 1591. in 8o. ? Are not the Poems of Prudentius, Paulinus, Fortunatus, and diuers others extant? yea haue we not of later times the Poems of Melancton, Luther, Beza, Strigelius and diuers others? Yea what part of Scripture is there, but I can instance famous schollers and judicious divines, to haue written vpon them Glosses, Comments, Expositions, Paraphrases, &c. all in poetry, both Protestants, and the acutest of the Papists? yea, some versifying vpon all in general; in which it were easy to instance not only the Authors, but the place and time of their publishing and printing, with the quantity of their volumes. To insist in some, haue we not extant 
●… prian. carmen ●… sis tom. 3. Antuerp. 〈…〉 1589.  Amenus and Lauterbachius 
●… nard. Oratio Ryth●…, de Pass. , their Enchiridions vpon both the Testaments( though 
●… tress. Basil apud ●… ri●. 64. in 4o.  Prudentius were thought to be the Author of the first:) haue we not 
●… cof. 73. in 8o.  Boius, as also Fryen 
Viennae 24. in 8o.  his Muemosinon, or memorial of the Bible: Chelius 
Herborna 1608.  his Disticks in alphabetical order vpon every Chapter. Vulteius 
In octavo 1605. , as also Helmboldus 
Marpurgi. 87. in 4o. , their Monastickes vpon the same subject; the last also his Disticks vpon every Epistle and gospel for the year, 
Duaci 87. in 8o.  Orbizius his sacred Idyls: and( to omit many more) reverent gualther 
Tiguri 43 in fol.  his Arguments vpon the old and new Testament, in sacred verse, and for several parts of Scripture: vpon Genesis we haue recorded in these great volumes, called Bibliotheca Patrum, in which the several dispersed writings of sundry Authors, are collected five books of the Poems of Alchimus or Alcimus 
Biblioth. Patrum p 35 , three books of Marius 
To. 8. Bill Patr. Col. 28  Victors, one book of Saluianus, called his Hexameron 
Ibidem tom. 5. , and another Hexameron of Dracontius 
Tom 8. Col. 969.  a Spanish Priest, concerning the Creation of the world, besides the heroic verses of one Didilindus 
Hetdelb. anno 87. in 4 , of the state and fall of our first Parents: Skernitius 
Wittemb. 15●0.  his Elegiackes vpon jacob and Esau: Fracastorius 
Venetijs 1584. in 4●.  his joseph: Didimus 
Lib 8. ●●●s.  his Iosephiados in eight books, comprising whole Genesis. In Exodus we haue extant Borluith his Tetrastickes 
Impr●nt 1558. , comprising the most memorable things in the book: Alcinus 
Tom. 5. B●bl Patr.  his Heroickes, concerning the Israelites passing thorough the read sea: Vrbanus 
Wi●temb 1680.  Tymeus Metrically describing the typical brazen Serpent in Numbers: yea, Husanus 
Anno 1580. in 4o.  in his successive houres, or mosaical Images in 2. books of Eleg. Theodorits in Gr. Epigrams: Petrus de Rigae, according to the literal or allegorical sense, poetizing the whole Pentateuch or five books of Moses, which Riga. 
B●si● 1536. , also hath versified the whole book of Numbers: as one Theodorus 
Manus●r extant in Bi●…  Prodromus the book of Iudges: Louitius 
●uit Praesbit. Remens●…  the book of Ruth: Actius 
B●sil anno 1536.  as also Abraham Laescherus 
imprinted 1532.  the book of Kings, as also the Monomachie or combat betwixt david and goliath: expressed also by the zealous gualther 
Anno 1604. in 8o. : chiefly for the book of psalms in general, and on several psalms we haue as many turning them into several kinds of verses, as there be several psalms: Bersman 
Basil. apud Operi.  turning Psal. 62. Paraphrastically: our Theodor Beza all of them 
1594. in octavo. , with their Arguments, in several kindes of verses: the like the learned Buchanan 
Antuerp in 4o. , with Chytraeus 
Geneuae 1566.  his Collections vpon Buchanans Paraphrase: Lemannus 
Francof. 1595.  performing the same, in perpetual Hendecasyllables: besides wee haue the Hexameters and Dactylls of Horlinus 
Tiguri. in 16. , Henry Stephens 
Magdeb. in 4o.  Saphyckes: Toscanus 
In decimo sexto.  his Distickes: 
Paris. in 80.  Castilion his Odes: D. 
Basil. 1551.  Maior his verses heroic on several psalms; see Camaerarius 
Magdab. in 4o.  vpon the seven penitential, with many more: so for the three books of Salomon, we haue Eobanus Hessus 
1573. in 8o. , and Aluarus 
Basil apud Winteru●…  in numerous verses, Lemannus 
Ibidem 1538.  in his Christian ethics: Mallerius 
Tigur. 1680. in 40.  in his greek Metaphrase rendering the proverbs, the same Author, as also one John Clayius 
Geneuae 1600. 8o.  his Ecclesiastes, as also Viuianus 
Lips. 1583. in 8o. , Grebner 
Apud Plant 1580. , Siberus 
1562. in 4o. , Moncerus 
Witemb. 1690.  in his sacred Bucoliques; and above all, our reverent 
Paris. 1587. in 40.  Beza, canting and singing sweetly vpon his Canticles, or Song of songs: what pains one Carpenter 
Geneuae 1584.  in his Heroickes Paraphrastically: Mollerus in his Elegiackes 
Paris 1589.  vpon Esau: how much Cornerus 
1587. in 80. , Finckelaus 
1606. in 40. , Jacomotus 
Tubingae 1571. , joachim Camerarius 
Geneuae 1591. , and others, some in greek metres, some in latin▪ Elegies, haue anew lamented the Threenes and Lamentations of the mournful ieremy; any man may see in their extant Poems: Hoius 
Arg. 1568 in 80.  in his sweet Numbers vpon Ezekiel: 
Duaci 1598.  Castellioes Heroickes vpon jonas: Resman 
Argent. 1544.  vpon Amos: Osius 
Lips 1599. in 80.  vpon malachi: Theuanus 
〈…〉 1604 in 8o.  vpon the twelve Prophets; yea, Eudosia 
Posseu tom 1. fol. 458.  that learned woman( Empresse to Theodosius the junior) by her Metaphrase vpon Daniel, haue perpetuated their names by poetry. The like I might instance in some, that haue as profitably, as pleasingly poetized vpon the rest of the Scriptures in the new Testament: besides, I might show, what, how much, and by how many other divine subiects haue been prosecuted; chiefly the Birth, Incarnation, Circumcision, Death, Passion, triumphal resurrection, Glorious Ascention of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ, divinely poetized by Prudentius, Paulinus, Sedulius, Fortunatus, and others amongst the Ancients: by 
●… n carminibus sacris.  Widebramus, 
In Isagog.  Strigelius, Castilion, Montanus, Cresilius, Coelius, Lumnius, Iungius, Faber; and by the chief and choice wits of the Papists.  
Now is Poetry commendable in them, worthy of their pains, their parts, their spirits, worthy the gravity, the greatness, the graces, the places of those eminent men, famoused divines, great Schollers in their places or graces: and shall it be culpable and blamable in me, or any other in my rank, to bee employed in this course and kind?  
Secondly, if my want of exactness, and concisenesse in this kind bee censured, my dissuetude and want of practise may plead my excuse: for since some nine or ten yeeres ago I left the university, converting and turning the stream of my studies from philosophy and poetry, to the theory and Preaching practise of divinity:( as once Augustine his Millenarie rhetoric: Saint jerome and this our Origen, their vehement studies of Humanity, to the study of theology; as once our reverent Beza, his youthful Poetizing, with which detracting Papists so blemish him( as though they should blemish Augustine for his once Manichisme, and S. Paul for his once pharisaism) into more profitable preaching; so leaving the handmaides to court divinity, the mistress Penelope, I say, since, haue I very seldomely and slightly used this vein, either in latin or English; except of late, that I was awakened to answer in verse, a Dotterels rhyme doggerill, in a nameless, shameless loose lewd libel: 
A confused Chaos or a lump of sin,  
Pandoraes box, diseased without, within;  
A bastard brat, a baggage Beldams tail,  
The fume of smoke, Tobaccho, Wine and ail:  
A mess, a mass of malice, sink of evil,  
A false-tun'd Black-bird, feathered from the divell:  
A hellish brand inflamed from 
●… ther take Cainish ●… n cain, or Canis, it this Doeg, or Cyn●… k dog.  Cainish ire,  
His pen the taper, and his paper fire.  
A silly sottish Song from rural strains,  
Or blood impostum'd, burst from Popish veins:  
Which vein, veins cut, I aimed to cure, not kill;  
And shewed the world his wounds, his floods of ill,  
Which Dragon-like on innocency casting,  
His gull did burst, and all his venom wasting:  
His fools bolts shot from bow of poisoned hate,  
from me rebounds, on his selfe-guiltie pate.  
— ●st praestat motus componere fructus?  
Al.— si fas dicere? said non— Fas.  
— Dabit Deus his quoque finem( aut funem.)  
— Interim levius fit patientia,  
Quicquid corrigere est nefas,& patior, vt potiar.   
Thirdly, if any object that I haue exceeded my bounds and limits, in making so great a fire or smoke from so small a spark; adding so much in aggravating the sin or sorrow of Origen, in so many circumstances, more then was either done or said: herein I take that Licentia Poetica( as they call it) which both Virgil used in his Aeneidos; Statius in his Thebaidos: Homer in his Iliads; and our Spencer( our English Homer) in his fairy queen; yea, which the exquisite Poet silvester useth in his Dubartas; and in his own little Dubartas, running all descants and poetical divisions( in this best mind music of numerous versifying) from some positive, real( or else only fictious or imaginary) grounds: and indeed, as Virgil makes his Aeneas, Homer his Achilles and his Ulysses, but images and patterns of a martiall worthy, and a wise Polotitian, Zenophon his Cyrus, the pattern of a true Prince: Tully his Orator, the rule of Oratory. So I desire onely in my aims and ends, that my Origen may be a pattern and a president of a true penitent.  
In which aims and hopes resting; craving pardon for my prolixity( the pains being mine( Ingenious Reader) as well as the patience thine, my error being an error of love, not a loved error:) desiring the God of all Grace, 
Error ex amere, non ex more.  even he that is the Author of every good gift and grace, who gives repentance unto Israel 
Acts 5.31. : that who ever reads this, having committed any sin against conscience, either actually in his conversation, or subscribed to any Popish untruths( for fear, or sinister respects) against the light of his knowledge, and the illumination of his iudgement, imitating Origen in his horrid sin, may much more imitate and exceed him, in his happy, speedy, and sincere Repentance: which hoping, and for which instantly praying; I rest.  
From my House in Newcastle, May 12. A constant friend to Sion, and a well willer to all that love the truth, in the Truth. S.I.   

Origens Repentance: divided into three Sections, each Section containing a Century of Stanzaes.  

SECTION I.  
The Argument.  
Origen shows his grief, and cause of grief;  
The virtues heaven had given him, his abuse:  
Sathans deceitful wil●ss; displays in brief  
All their pollutions, and their subtle use.  

1.  
OH thou who reads each sins confused line, 
Origen as liu●… speaks in his o●… person and complains.   
vapours of ink sent from my spotted soul;  
Conioyn thy tears, thy sighs, thy sobs to mine,  
bewail my woes, assist me to condole;  
Pray with me, for me; prayers& tears do sail me,  
Or if forth powred or showered, they'll not avail me.   

2  
So hard's my heart, so stony is my rock,  
So frozen is my fount, my streams do stop;  
sin prisons sorrow, guilt doth grief vp-locke,  
And every sprig of grace Hels sword doth lop:  
I that was once a fruitful spreading Vine,  
Sin-blasted, wasted, withered, now decline.   

3  
How can I grow that haue no root of grace,  
Nor dews of Hermon, heauens sweet refreshing?  
How shall I speak, when words will take no place?  
Words, sighs, tears, stopped, stayed, dulled by transgressing;  
clipped are Faiths wings; Oh whither should I fly!  
Sin stops Gods ears, to whom then should I cry?   

4  
How should I walk? my legs sin-shackled are:  
How shall I see? spiritual eyes are wanting.  
What hope of peace, when God proclaims me war?  
Where's courage, comfort, sin my spirits danting?  
Who pleads my cause? my advocate doth leave me:  
And hellish furies still of joys bereave me.   

5  
Each Creature cries, and calls to be revenged;  
Because with Idols I haue been partaker,  
And traitrously revolting haue offended,  
They threaten death in quarrel of their Maker;  
And if( Sea-like) they were not kept in bound,  
From worms to Angels, all would me confounded.   

6  
The Sun doth blushy my sin, and threats my bane,  
Because( Owle-like) I fled the best suins light;  
The moon, the stars, against me do complain,  
As with a second 
●… udges 5 20.  Sisera prest to fight;  
Because filled full of light from Graces sun,  
Light, life, and love, I lost, like wavering moon.   

7  
I fear the Angels, and archangels all,  
Cherubs, and Seraphins, the Thrones, and Powers;  
Their several orders thought hierarchical,  
The Bridegroomes Paranimphes, Churches Paramours,  
As just revengers of my fearful fall,  
Since 'gainst their God my crimes were capital.   

8  
In fiery flames my fears are to be burned,  
As 
●… en. 19.25.  Sodomites, 
Kings 1.10.12  two fifties Captaines slain,  
Because zeals fiers are into ashes turned;  
Since 
Pet. 2.8.  Lots are vexed,& wronged Saints complain.  
Thus quenched and dammed, is every flamme of grace,  
And with these outward heats my flesh deface.   

9  
I fear the liquid airs tempestuous train,  
Of hail, snow, storms, frost, whirlwinds, bolts of thunders,  
Since such extremes, such vipers oft hath slain,  
Whose sins like mine, brought plagues, were ages wonders;  
well may air choke me with infectious smoothers,  
Since my pollutions haue infected others.   

10  
I fear the whelming waters to devour me,  
As 
Iudges 5.21  Iabins troops, and those 
Exodus 14.27  egyptian foes:  
I sink in Seas of sins, which ouer-poure me,  
The greater Sea the lesser may enclose;  
In surging waves I do deserve the floating,  
Since, light as watery 
Genesis 49.4  Reuben, was my doting.   

11  
I fear the Beasts, myself the greatest beast, 
jer. 10.14 Tit. 1.12   
( As all the wicked are by Scriptures telling)  
Haue broken the bonds of grace, Gods laws& hest,  
'gainst heaven sinning, 'gainst my King rebelling;  
boars tusks, dogs fangs, bulls horns, bears paws do fright me;  
Snakes stings, birds beaks, each creature doth despite me.   

12  
For they may plague me here, and after rise  
My guilt to witness, and my fault t'accuse,  
( As Shebaes queen 
Math 12.41, 42  who went to hear the Wise;  
Or weeping ninivites condemn the Iewes)  
So they may me, for they haue kept their place,  
Whilst I like Lucifer, haue fallen from grace.   

13  
And as the forest Beasts that hear the sound  
Of their King lions voice, do frighted quake;  
So I that hear and feel the thundering wound  
Of Iudahs lion, like the water shake,  
And with affrighted eve 
Gen. 3.8  would live unknown;  
All things haue guard, onely our fears haue none.   

14  
Yea, my 
●… onscience: Cordis ●… ntia, Index, vin●… c, judex ainae.  Recorder, judge, and petty God,  
Altar of peace, erst Patron of my cause,  
Is now my jail, my rack, my scourge, my rod,  
( As Aetna; Curtius gulf) opes fiery jaws,  
And for my sin, to suck me up, still threats;  
As blood-guilt wretch 
●… auillac that hel●… Parricide for 〈◇〉 assassination vp●… the late French ●… ng was thus ●… gued. , I'm pinched with pincers heats.   

15  
Oh metamorphosis! oh transmutation!  
Oh pricks! thorns, briars, on the vile sprigs of sin:  
Oh bitter fruit! what change? what alteration?  
In body, soul, in mind, without, within?  
Oh pleasing poyson-sinne! oh divels delusion!  
Oh Pha●tons folly! Chaos of confusion.   

16  
Oh hart, heau'ns harbour, throne of heau'ns great King,  
The Bridegroomes bed, the garden grown with spices 
Cant. 6.1, 2. ,  
The Spirits sweet lodge, heau'ns choir, where Angels sing;  
Now nest of unclean birds, replete with vices,  
A cage of stinging Scorpions, den of divels,  
Where Zims and Oyms haunt all sinful evils 
Es●iah 13.21. .   

17  
Once felt I meltings, when the Bridegroomes voice  
Spake blandishments, and languishings of love;  
sweet ecstasies, my rapt soul did rejoice,  
joys influence distilling from above;  
O Pythagorean music of the spheres!  
What Lydian, Doricke tunes, my Spirits cheers?   

18  
Now heart and harp is broken, all frets, all strings  
My music marred, the Organ of my glory;  
My tongue, my bell, an harsh alarum rings,  
untuned, vntim'd, vntrim'd, sad, sullen, sorry,  
Nor can my voice like Cymbals sound Gods praise,  
Wanting the souls blessed breath her Tones to raise.   

19  
My will once willed t'obey Gods sacred lore,  
Like melting wax, as men gold threads do draw,  
As tamed Heifers used to'th yoke before,  
submiss to bear, to do Gods will and law;  
Since nilling late, to lend Gods truth my blood,  
I never since had will to work one good.   

20  
My love inflamed to thee my Christ, thy Church,  
Thy glorious truth, thy holy ones, thy Saints,  
Now alienate by wily Serpents lurch,  
With other objects base itself acquaints:  
changed are Loues torrents, streams are crossly flowing,  
oars of affections are contrary rowing.   

21  
On God my fear was once divinely placed, 
sin changeth a filial or sonne-li●… fear, into that which is slavish an●… servile.   
Tri-Vne Iehouah, was my love, my dread:  
But now those prints of grace from heart are razed;  
And slavish fears are written in her stead:  
Such as are writ in cain, or in the divell,  
The damned Ghosts, or Angels which are evil. 
james 2.19.    

22  
But Conscience, Oh thou pearl of pearls the best!  
My safeties ark, hide Manna, hony-tasting,  
Gold Throne of Salomon, faire port of rest,  
How are Seas sin broken in, thy comforts wasting;  
Croesus called Solon, when his fate was dying;  
I Conscience, Conscience, cry; but none's replying.   

23  
As Saul that rebel King, whom God rejects,  
( Nor answers by his urim, nor his Thumim,  
By Oracle or Prophets sacred texts,)  
Is in his strictest needs to Samuels running; 
1 Sam. 28.15, 〈…〉   
As Zedechiah flies from place to place, 
Ierem. 39.4.   
besieged and sacked, yet finds no rest nor grace.   

24  
So I to God, t' his Church, to conscience fly,  
My bosoms jonathan, my friend, my Fort;  
Yet hear no answer, hope no good reply,  
Because to Endors Witch I did resort,  
And by my offerings Idols did prefer,  
joining myself to th' worst Idolater.   

25  
How haue my fancies dreamed? what haue I done?  
What were my thoughts? Oh hand what wast thou acting?  
Wind-turning weathercocke, most changing moon  
Ecclipst by Earth, no Sun of grace reflecting;  
enclosed and clouded in the mists of sin,  
deprived of heat and light, without, within.   

26  
Oh what a torture in my troubled soul!  
( Worse then the wrestling of Rebeccaes twins 
Gen. 25.22 )  
subjecteth now to Sathans base control,  
And vassalliz'd by tyrannizing sin;  
faiths Fort subdued, and every grace supplanted,  
Armies of fears haue all my spirits daunted.   

27  
O speckled soul! O miserable Man!  
Oh worst of Saints! Oh gross and grievous sinner!  
How are my beauties blasts? my meal all bran?  
My gold turned dross? help, help, O souls refiner;  
For Sathans fan hath seuer'd all my wheat,  
Nought's left but chaff to satisfy hels heat.   

28  
A guilded tomb, a sepulchre be painted,  
A varnished pillar, plac'st in Gods own Temple,  
With forms of grace, with substance near acquainted,  
Of holiest Hypocrites, the worst example;  
A standing cipher, onely making number,  
Seeming to wake, yet ever in a slumber.   

29  
Oh sin! harts gal, thoughts grief, my souls deep wound,  
Sadding my Spirit, my cureless conscience raging,  
Within my flesh no powers nor parts be sound,  
My scorching heats, nor man, nor means assuaging;  
Onely Christs blood poured from each passive vain,  
Can heal my heart, my hurt, and help my pain.   

30  
To this I run, poor silly sheep for shelter,  
From raging jaws of 
The divell who hath the property of a wolf, Gemimanus Sum. exempl. lib. de animalib. terrest. c●… 39. pag. 252.  wolves that would invade me;  
In mine own strength, in mine own blood I welter,  
Till thy blessed hand( my souls physician) aid me;  
Each shadow, thought, moat, hair, or dream doth fear me,  
( My guilt so great) lest raging 
1 Pet. 5.8.  lions tear me.   

31  
O whither fly I? where, where shall I hid me  
From thy fierce wrath? O thou great God of vengeance:  
Nor cain 
Gen. 4.16▪  nor Iudas, no ill may abide thee,  
But fly as heartless dear the Hunters lance;  
Who views the frowning countenance of thine ire,  
Is as dry stubble; for thy wrath is fire.   

32  
In every place thou frights me with thy presence,  
In heaven, Earth, Hell,& deeps, thy sergeant's extended,  
Thou fill'st the World with thine vnmeasur'd essence,  
Where lurk I then? wraths brow, wraths bow once bended.  
Each cauerne corner of this Earth thou knowest,  
Thou weild'st this welkin, through the Sea thou rowest.   

33  
No bush, nor leaf, could hid sin-conscious Adam 
Gen. 3.8, 9 ,  
From thine all-seeing, all-surueying eyes;  
Nor jonas 
Ion. 1.  Tarsus Barge, nor Tents thief 
Ios. 7.  Achan,  
No distance deafes thine ears from sins shrill cries:  
Oh then my sins as Sodomes pierce thy hearing,  
As read as crimson in thy sight appearing.   

34  
My facts are writ in thy memorials books,  
characterized with Adamantine pen,  
On which thine eye of Iustice hourly looks,  
And sees each sin, where it was done, and when;  
Lest thou forget, or I find ease within,  
My conscience checks, curbes, cries do never lin.   

35  
For if I would thee fly, yet fly myself  
I never could; my conscience still doth dog me,  
This Naemesis pursues, this freting elf,  
This wolf, this vulture gnaws, this led doth clog me,  
This bloody Slouth-hound all my footings traces,  
And finds me out, though in Meanders Mazes.   

36  
O pangs of selfe-guilt! how thy hellish brand  
Inflames my feeling parts with scorching dolours?  
A spirit which haunts and whips me with sins wand,  
( Like Brutus Ghost) affrights with fearful colours;  
( As Abels 
Gen. 4.10.  blood) this guilt hath loudly cried,  
That Peter 
Matth. 26.34.  like my Christ I haue denied.   

37  
sin lion-like, long 
Gen. 4.7.  couchant at my doors,  
Now gripes and grinds my heart, his seized pray,  
As tigers, or flesh-wolues ones flesh devours;  
My guilt me gnaws, whence heart as Hind doth bray:  
This Cerberus barks, and bites with fixed fangs,  
Oh dire convulsion! oh corroding pangs!   

38  
As bleeding Deere, hit, hurt with venomed arrow,  
runs raging, restless midst the briery thicket,  
So sins dire dart transfixed through my souls marrow,  
Wounds, rots, rankles, restlessly doth prick it;  
Like teeming women, pains and pangs increase,  
As sick men, place I change, but find no peace.   

39  
As trait'rous in my sin, so sorts my sorrow,  
On rending rack my heart's each hour extended;  
I sigh the nights, and sing laments all morrow:  
For Gods own bow against me lieth bended;  
Th'inuenom'd arrows of his wrath haue hit me,  
Nor will my stricter judge or bail acquit me.   

40  
Nor will my jailor free one fettered thought,  
But( Dogge-like) dogs me still, my soul accusing,  
With Scritch-owle-outcries, tells me what I wrought;  
My place, my grace, my God, my Church abusing:  
When sins foul guilt did first my conscience stain,  
By offering incense to an idol vain.   

41  
Woe to myself, woe to my fact, my faulting, 
A remorseful pen●…tent described.   
Woe to my grief, my guilt, my horrid anguish,  
My crooked paths, my blameful, shameful haulting;  
My straining conscience, bringing life to languish:  
Woe to my craven heart, my Hare-like fearing,  
My coward courage, no temptation bearing.   

42  
Woe to my reckless reason, carnal counsel,  
My flattering flesh, my seeming friend, my foe;  
With which consulting, head-long down I fell  
Into this Sea of sin, these waves of woe,  
In which now drenched, I drown,' less mercy mind me;  
Lost,' less my pilot steer, and pastor find me.   

43  
Woe to my hand, first actor in this treason,  
Woe to my heart, first causer of my quailing,  
Woe to the place, the persons, woe the season;  
In which, by which my subtle foe prevailing,  
I grieved my God, and scandalized his Saints,  
Sin prest, oppressed my soul, through which it faints.   

44  
Oh pitty, pitty me, my cause, my case  
Friends, fellowes, followers, pupils, Christians all,  
Humbly I beg, you'll pray the God of grace,  
My sins to pardon, to remit my fall,  
To purge my spots with that unspotted blood  
Was  shed for me, where my blessed surety stood.   

45  
mean while Ile wail and sigh my sins transgression,  
And strive to wash my watery couch with weeping,  
From hearts compunction moaning my digression,  
And to the throne of grace submisly creeping,  
Poure out my soul, and spend it like a taper,  
Till all the fog of sin exhale to vapour.   

46  
Oh that my head a wellspring 
Ieremies wish. ●… er. 9. v. 1.  were of waters,  
And every hair dissolved to brinish tears,  
These mates( my sorrows) should be quick relaters  
To the wide world, filling all open ears,  
That God, men, Angels, spirits above, beneath,  
( If sensible) should hear my bellowing breath.   

47  
Oh that my head were turned into a fountain,  
Mine eyes to standing lakes, the lids to sluices;  
Each dale, each vale, each grove, each desert mountain  
Should witness well my woes for mine abuses:  
All fields, all forrests should my groanings know,  
And echo tell what throbs from my heart flow.   

48  
If none would answer, yet that sad Nymph would,  
For she repeats each lamentable story,  
Though feigning Poets paint her for a scold,  
Yet Shee in part would show how I am sorry:  
The Hyades and dryads would weep,  
To hear my rueful cries wak't from sins sleep.   

49  
If wished desire were deeds, more would I weep  
Then watery Niobe, then Heraclite 
A Philosopher always weeping, and lamenting th●… follies of men: o●… the contrary Deu●…critus always laug●…ing. ,  
Then he that stolen Vrias fairest sheep 
2. Sam. 12 4. Psal 6.& 38.& 51 ,  
Then shee that washed and wiped her saviours feet 
Luke 7.38. .  
Then that Disciple which denied his Master 
Peter, Mat. 26. last verse. ,  
And after healed sins wound with sorrows plaster.   

50  
O that my brain a perfect limbecke were 
Ierem. 9.1. ,  
Distilling tears extract by heavenly fire,  
These sweet due drops would melt sins slavish fear,  
Such flowing floods would quench heau'ns kindled ire.  
Not all the Nectar and Ambrosian juice  
Were half so welcome as those tears of truce.   

51  
O tears the keys that opes the way to bliss,  
The holy water quenching celestial fire,  
Th'attoment true 'twixt God and mans amiss,  
The Angels drink, the blessed Saints desire;  
The ioy of Christ, the balm of grieved hearts,  
The spring of life, the ease of all mens smarts.   

52  
The second King of Israel by succession 
david his repentance declared in all the seven Psalm penitential. ,  
When with Vrias wife he had offended,  
In bitter tears bewailed his great transgression,  
And by his tears found grace, by grace amended:  
He night and day in weeping did remain 
Psal. 6.6. ,  
I night nor day can any tear constrain.   

53  
And yet my sin in magnitude and weight  
His far exceeds; how comes it then to pass  
That my repentance should not be as strait,  
Sith Graces face( dear Lord) is as it was?  
The truth is this, although my need be more,  
I am not humbled as he was before.   

54  

●… easoneth the case ●… th his soul.  O hapless soul! that bearest the stamp of heaven,  
Why didst thou thus abuse Heau'ns holy pleasure?  
Oh why was sense and reason to me given?  
That in my bounds I could not keep a measure:  
I know I must account for every fault,  
Yet with my God I heathenishly did hault.   

55  
This to peruse( dear God) kills my poor soul,  
Did not thy mercies it revive again;  
O hear me( Lord) in bitterness and dole;  
That of my fall do prostrate here complain:  
And at thy feet with Mary knock for grace,  
Though wanting Maries tears to wet my face.   

56  
Shee( happy convert) saw her life misled,  
At sight whereof her inward heart did bleed,  
To witness which, her outward tears were  shed;  
Oh blessed Saint! and oh thrice blessed deed!  
But wretched I, that did worse sins then hers,  
Nor tears can  shed, nor grief within me stirs.   

57  
When shee had lost thy presence but one day,  
Thy want was such as shee could not sustain,  
But to thy tomb shee takes the readiest way 
John 20. v. 1.11.12. ,  
There sprinkling funeral tears like dropping rain;  
Nor from her search was shee once stirred or moved,  
Till shee had gained thy sight, her dearly loved.   

58  
But I haue lost thy presence many daies,  
Yet still am slack to seek thee as I should;  
My soiled soul in sins pollution stays,  
unmeet to move unto thee, though I would:  
Yet if I could by faith thy help attend,  
I know I should, as shee, find thee my friend.   

59  
Oh could I stay and pray! But oh how hard  
Is my steeled heart! of mettall unrelenting,  
How is all ghostly feeling from me barred  
From day to day? deferring my repenting;  
With carrion crows 
Cras, cras.  still croaking out to morrow,  
When present sores ask present plastring sorrow.   

60  
As base banckerouts posting off their day,  
And their believing creditors deludes,  
That never finds a time their debts to pay;  
So grace that knocks each hour( 1), my heart secludes, 
Reu. 3.20.   
Nor audience gives unto the Spirits motion,  
Prescribing rue, 
Matth. 3.1.  sins purging bitter potion.   

61  
Oh we mad men, procrastinating thus,  
Our tributary tears, our wished conversion: 
Ezek. 18.32.   
Not difference much betwixt bruit 
Esay 1.4.  beasts and us,  

1. Pet. 4.4.  That run in riots to our souls subversion;  
reckless, regardless of Gods bounteous proffers,  
Which pressing present tears, grace present offers. 
Ezek. 18.31.    

62  
What senseless Beggar doth reject his alms?  
What wearied plaintiff stops his causes hearing? 
motives to hasten delayed repentance.   
What soldier's deaf to th'sound of drums, phifes, shalms?  
What innocent wronged, puts off his present clearing?  
What vlcerous Leper would refuse his cure?  
What spotted face would not again be pure?   

63  
Who scorns the blood-stone for to staunch his bleeding?  
Who the 
A drug muc●… like to mastic, s●…ueraigne against the stitch.  Olibanum to cure his stitch?  
What poor Petitioner stays his well-proceeding?  
Who present pulling forth, from fire, pond, ditch?  
Yet we fond sinful men, weak wits, unwise,  
defer repentance, present grace despise.   

64  
Amongst these fools in highest rank I stand,  
Who ought to be the first of penitents;  
Refusing cure from the best divisions hand,  
Still lingering, calls of grace, in Kedars tents.  
Oh soul seduced, oh flesh as fond as frail,  
With whom, nor grace, nor iustice can prevail.   

65  
I know the sacred searcher of each heart, 
jer. 17.9, 10:   
Both sees 
Heb. 4.13. ●… al. 94.9.10.  and knows the deeds which I haue done,  
And for my last foul fact, may cause me smart,  
No sheltering place his fiery wrath can shun:  
I should deceive myself, to think that he  
For sin would punish others, and spare me 
Ezek. 18.4. .   

66  
The first man 
Gen. 3.6.23.24.  Adam( he that bread mans thrall)  
For one bare sin was cast from perfect rest,  
And all mankind was banished by his fall  
From Paradise; and unto sorrow prest.  
If he for one, and all for him feel pains,  
What plagues for me, for greater sins remaines?   

67  

●… er. 2.4. ●… e 6.  The Angels made to attend the Lord in glory,  
Were thrust from heaven; onely for one sin;  
That but in thought( as some record the story)  
For which they now in lasting darkness been.  
If they( once glorious) thus tormented be,  
I base slime, what will become of me?   

68  
To Achan, 
josh 7.21.24.  Achans house one sin of theft,  
As one of blood, brought sin to Israels King; 
Ahab, 1 King. 21. 〈…〉. 19.   
One sin of pride hath Herods life bereft; 
Acts 12.23.   
One sin of drink to Nabal death did bring 
1. Sam. 25.36.38. .  
One sin did 
Leuit. 10.1.  Nadab burn; of sins, my one  
Exceeds all these, how can I scape alone?   

69  
What shall become of me, that not in thought,  
In thought alone, but in my words and dead,  
Besides birth-sinnes, this actual sin hath wrought?  
Idolatrizing makes my soul to bleed.  
What's to be done? Ile take the mourning wings,  
And onely fly to Christ, to cure my stings 
As the Israelite looked vpon the brazen Serpent; sow to Christ, stung with sins sting, by the old Serpent the Diue● Numb. 2●, 9. Chap●… 12.23. John 3.14. .   

70  
I know 'tis vain, as saith the wisest man,  
To call again the deeds which once are past 
Factum infectum fieri nequit. :  
Oh let me see, what best is for me than,  
To gain thy favour, whiles frail life doth last,  
That in the next I may admitted be  
In the meanest office to attend on thee.   

71  
I will( as did the prodigal son 
Luke 15.18.19.20.  sometime)  
Vpon my knees with hearty true contrition  
And weeping eyes, confess my former crime,  
And humbly begging, crave with low submission,  
That thou wilt not of former crimes detect me 
Quem poenitet peccasse, paenè est●…nocens.   
But like a loving Father now respect me.   

72  
Or as the wife that hath her husband wronged,  
Ile come with tears, and with a blushing cheek,  
For giuing Idols what to God belonged;  
And say, my King, my Lord, my love most meek,  
I haue defiled the bed that thou didst owe,  
forgive me this, and mercy free bestow.   

73  
And though the world can witness mine abuse,  
As true spectators of my tragedy;  
My staring eyes Ile put to such good use,  
Wearying my judge, so with my constant cry:  
That when my wrinkles shall my sorrows tell,  
The world may say I ioy'd not, though I fell.   

74  
even thus in sorrow will I spend my breath,  
And spot my face with never-ceasing tears,  
Till griefe-bred winckles( messengers of death)  
Haue purchased mercy, and removed my fears;  
And then the World within my looks shall see,  
The woe, the wrack, the sin that troubled me.   

75  
And lest my tears should fail me at my need,  
Before my face Ile fix my saviours passion 
Not by poring on crucifix, as the ●… apists idolatrous●…,( for such super●… itions were un●… roached in Origens● me) but in a men●… ll and heavenly ●… editation, in the ●… ules soliloquy, as ●… d Bernard, Augu●… ne, and others, in ●… eir works to bee ●… ene, called their ●… oliloquiums. ,  
And see how his most precious sides did bleed,  
And note his death and torments in such fashion,  
As never man the like did undertake,  
How freely he hath suffered for my sake.   

76  
If this his kindness and his mercy shown,  
Cannot provoke me unto tender crying,  
Then will I back again turn to mine own,  
Mine own foul sin, caused by my faiths denying;  
And if for them no tears mine eyes can find,  
sighs shall cause tears,& make mine eyes more blind.   

77  
Oh hardened heart! oh more then flinty soul!  
Hewed out of Caucasus, oh Pumice eyes!  
brain dry as summer channels, or parched scroll;  
Oh tongue untuned for hymns, or holy cries!  
dear Lord unloose her strings, dissolve my flint,  
Strike my hearts rock, that tears may never stint.   

78  
For as my sins surmount the sands in number,  
And equalize the twinkling stars of heaven,  

●… ae inutile pondu●●… catum  The heaviest weights that ere the Earth did cumber,  
So need I mercies more, to be forgiven;  
And sorrows more, which may those mercies crave,  
To raise my 
John 11.43.44.  Laz'rus soul from sins deep grave.   

79  
No sin so sinful, never wretch so wicked,  
transgressed as I( so full, so foul rebelling)  
Like to a wanton Colt 'gainst God I kicked,  
Against my Master; light and life expelling:  
In whom I lived, and moved, and had my being,  
'gainst him I spurned, his faith, his fear denying.   

80  
Apostate I, 
Origens partic●… sense of his fe●…full back-sliding●…  of all Apostates worst,  
Am far ascendant in the scorners seat,  
In sins degrees commencst above th'accurst;  
Of cowards chief that ever made retreat,  
Flying his Captaines colours, and his cause,  
Frighted with fears of deaths devouring jaws.   

81  
Not 
1 Tim. 1, 19, 2●  Hymeneus, Asian Alexander,  

2 Tim. 1, 16.  Phigellus, or Philetus, 
2 Tim. 4, 16.  Demas, 
Iudas, Acts 1, 〈…〉  Iude,  
Hermogenes, or 
Nicholas first a●… Deacon in the A●…stles time, after some think) an●…reticke, of wh●… came the Nicol●…taines, See Acts 〈…〉 R●uel. 2.6  Nicholas did wander,  
So far from faith, or practised half so lewd:  

Of the Aposta●… of Francis Spir●… swearing obedi●… to the Romish Church before Popes legate a●… Venice, and his pair after, the●…ned may read Epistles of Celi●… his friend Curiu●… Grineus his Pro●… lib 2, pag. 151, 1●…  Spire, Pimbleton 
An Apostate Queen Maries o●… s●e book of M●… , nor any time hath known,  
Like me turned Haggard, which away haue flown.   

82  
I that was captain, thus to leave my colours,  
A shepherd, to the wolf to yield my sheep,  
How the remembrance filles my soul with dolours,  
The trump of truth proclaims my sinful sleep;  
And in this backward race I bear that bell,  
Which rings my shane, and toules my fames last knell.   

83  
I that was placed in Christ his Church a pillar,  
Prop to the weak, and to the blind a guide,  
A friend to truth, to Sion a well-willer,  
Now turned Apostate, and thus back to slide;  
This fact entrencheth me within the lists,  
Of 
Oecebolius a So●…ster, a right Ver●…nus, changing o●… paganism, at l●… in horror of co●…ence he fals pro●… at a Church de●… in Constantinopl●… crying to the p●…ple; Tread vpon tread vpon me savoury salt Gri●… de Apostasia. pag.〈…〉  Oecebolians, or damned Iulianists 
Julian first a Christian, after a persecuting Pagan, died in the war with sapour, casting his o●… in the air, blaspheming that Christ the Galilean had overcome him. Theod. lib. 3. Of the same●…ther were Valens the Emperor, turning Arian, An. Chri. 378. Aurelianus turning Pagan, see Euseb, 〈…〉 .   

84  
I that in Alexandria was a light,  
The Churches star, ore christendom faire shining;  
I that such learned Volumes did indight,  
Besides all pains, disputing, and divining,  
Oh( woes me wretch) my lights are out, or spotted,  
My star is fallen, and all my lines are blotted.   

85  
Once was I called a constant Adamant 
●… rigenes Adaman●…, which name ●… h Erasmus( wri●… g his life) was gï●… him even from 〈…〉 childhood, by ●… ich he was cal●…, as Basil had the name of Great, ●… n. B. of Constanti●… le called Chryso●… e, for his elo●… ence, Gregory Na●… nzen the divine, ●… hanasius the ●… orlds Doctor. ,  
So firm my faith, so fixed was my heart,  
No troubles could me move, no crosses daunt:  
This name, this famed, now lost, and laid apart,  
Not Adamas, but Demas Demens name me,  
And by that style, let after Ages shane me.   

86  
I that could speak the threefold sacred tongues,  
Hebrew, greek, latin; learned in all the Arts,  
To whose disputes a 
Origen professeth ●… th divinity and ●… ilosophy with ●… eat admiration, 〈…〉 scholars flock●… g from far. Eu●…. lib. 6. c. 14. c. 15. 〈…〉 18. Amongst the ●… t of his scholars ●… re after famous, ●… e●dorus, called by ●… crates, lib. 4. c. 22. ●… egorius Neocaesa●… nsis, Athenodorus, ●… er B. of Pontus. ●… seb. lib. 6. ca. 29.  thousand Students throngs,  
Trouping( as Bees to Thyme) from distant parts,  
To suck the Nectar dropping from my tongue;  
even that maimed member, did my God most wrong.   

87  
I that could dive into the deeps profound 
Besides Eusebius, even Porphyry himself in his third book of those fifteen which he wrote a●… inst Christians, commends Origens learning in all Philosophy, as red in the works of Plato, ●… umerius, Cronius, all the Pythagoreans, in Cherimon the stoic, and in the works of Coruntus, from ●… ence he borrowed( after the graecian manner) his allegorizing of Scripture, wresting them ●… s the Papists now) as a man his nose till it bleed.   
Of Natures Well, thence draining wondrous notions,  
Of plants, herbs, roots, gums, trees, which grace the ground;  
Of heavenly lights, stars, flux, names, natures, motions;  
Yet for all this, Natures great God despising,  
With Pagan fools should be Idolatrising.   

88  
I that was red in all the mysticke songs,  
Of numerous Poets, sacred, and profane,  
I that could 
Erasmus in hi● 〈◇〉 prefers him fo●… critical Grāmari●… before Aristarch●… the graecian, or ●…natus, or Seruius●…mongst the Latin●  critic every Writers wrongs,  
And rectify his least transgressing strain;  
I that sucked hony from each authors hive,  
Should now worst Bee, drone-like, leave off to thrive.   

89  
I that in th' mathematics deep was seen,  
And public red 
Eusebius, lib. 6. c.  mine arithmetic lines,  
But married chief to'th Arts commanding queen 
divinity, wh●… all the Arts sert●… as Hager Sarah, a●… handmaides th●… mistress. ;  

Of the extraor●…nary name, fa●… pains, and parts Origen, who wo●… be informed, let h●… read Chronicum F●…cij, fol. 101 Eus●b. 〈…〉 6. c. 3.8, 19.20.24. Hist. Magd. Cent● pag. 76. vsque ad 88. Osiand. Epitome C●… 3. lib 1. c. 6. Eras●… ante Tomos de eius●…ta: Rhena. epistol● ad Hermanum: Gri●… epistola. ad Erastu●… Ibidem.  Shining as moon, 'mongst stars of best divines,  
Like morning star should fall from orb of heaven,  
Oh light, lend light, till dark sins be forgiven.   

90  
Is he admired, adored, whose far blown famed,  
The trump of mouths through foreign coasts doth ring?  
Then I; whose famed to'th Emperours Mother came,  
Who sends her Guard, which me to Antioch bring 
Euseb. lib. 6. ca. 2▪ ;  
Whose heavenly lore, shee having heard and seen,  
pours gifts vpon me, like great 
1 Kings 10.10.  Shebaes queen.   

91  
From whence to Alexandria com'd again,  
Opening truths sacred, secret mysteries,  
I then increased my labours and my pain 
Of all the Fathers Origen writ most, the best where he was sound, the worst where unsound, V●… been, &c. jerome compares his Volumes with these of the Roman Varro for number, Epistola 〈…〉 Paulam. Erasmus refers them all to three heads, schools, Homilies, Tomes. ,  
In commenting the holy Histories 
There is no part of the word, on which he hath not writ, if his perished works were extant, sai●… Erasmus. at the cost of one Ambrose, Origen dictating kept seven falconers ever writing. Eus●… lib. 6. c. 21. ;  
Yet gross Idolatry succeeding next,  
A falser glozing gloss, corrupts truths text.   

92  
Twas I the present times so much admired,  
( Like Roman livy) some came far to view me:  
So sound my iudgement, th' heathens chief desired,  
By push of learned encounters to subdue me;  
Both Platonist and Pythagorian,  
All whom confuting, some to faith I wan 
●… 'mongst the rest, 〈…〉 plutarch, and ●… aclas his cousin, first a Martyr, 2. ●… oppe of Alexan●… Euseb. lib. 6.34. .   

93  
Besides disputes with heretics( hell bread 
〈…〉 the Helcesaits ●… om he mentions the 82 psalm, so 〈…〉 Arabians who ●… jed the Sou●es ●… mortality, as also ●… y private men, Ambrose a Valen●… ian, Beryllus B. of ●… tra. Euseb. lib. 6. c. 32.36.37. )  
Whose 
Sam. 5 3.  Dagon-errors fell before Gods ark,  
The Spirits bright sword cut off their Hydras head;  
Truths light discovered, beate away their dark:  
Some Heathens, Heretike-conuerts were baptized,  
As Gods new plants, 
Many of Origens● hollers and Cate●… ists, grew so strong zeal and know●… ge, that they ●… re Martyrs under ●… cius. Euseb. lib. 6. ●… 40.  were watered, catechised.   

94  
These grew in grace, but since haue I declined;  
These forward went, 
〈…〉 Sam. 4.18.  like ely I back fell:  
These prospered well, I staru'd away and pined:  
These lived good Subiects, but I did rebel;  
These worshipped God in spirit first and last,  
I satan; when to divels I incense cast.   

95  
The more my blame, the more my shames confusion,  
The more my grief, the more my bitter gull,  
So far t'attend my subtle foes delusion,  
So far from good, from grace, from God to fall;  
The more excuseless is my yielding sin,  
More means, bands, bounds, I had to hedge me in.   

96  

Medea in the Poet ●… deo meliora proboque. ●… eteriora seaner.  I knew the best, yet still did worse and worse;  
I knew the right, yet went the way was wrong;  
Saw Iacobs blessing, yet took Esaus curse;  
Knew truths sweet tune, yet erring notes I song;  
I knew the poison, yet did drink my fill;  
Saw what was good, yet followed what was ill.   

97  
I base, bad seruant, thus more stripes deserving, 
Luke 12.48.   
Because I knew what was my Masters will,  
Yet from the same by 
His enemies wh●… his own weaken●…  wil●ss and weakness swerving,  
Am worthy drowning in my floods of ill,  
In which by slavish fears, by servile failing,  
I plunged my soul, temptations so prevailing.   

98  
Each circumstance adds weight unto my fall,  
To sink me deep in this dead 
mere mortuum.  Sea of sin,  
Chiefly my knowledge, and my place withall,  
The grace with Gods true Church I lived in,  
Professor of his sacred truth by teaching,  
But diffring far in practise from my preaching.   

99  
I knew there's but one 
1 Cor. 8.6.  God, as sun but one,  
One Earth, one Phoenix, and one soul in Man;  
I knew this God would worshipped be alone 
Math. 4.10. :  
Idols are vain, vile, gross, and 
1 Cor. 8.4.  nothing can.  
Thus with this truth, these Monsters still I slue,  
Teaching it others, yet myself untrue.   

100  
Thus opposite to nature, false to all,  
The noble gifts, with which I was endued,  
I did proclaim with greatness of my fall,  
Stumbling on that I best might haue eschewed;  
But pause my soul a little, take new breath,  
And then anew, weep out thy living death.    

The second Section.  
The Argument.  
He shows the cause and cure of hateful sin,  
The dangers which depend vpon the same,  
The miseries offending Men live in,  
And what the guilty conscience doth inflame.  


●… gen in his own ●… son goes on.  I Set faire copies, yet myself made blots;  
I pricked true notes, yet kept no tune in singing:  
I held Truths glass, yet washed not out my spots;  
I slept, my bells yet others wak't with ringing;  
I made, and did persuade full many a Martyr,  
Yet brought to'th best, I proved a silly starter.   

2  
Thus( Skuller-like) I look not at my rowing,  
But as the Hare, I glancst aside in running;  
My words on heaven, my works on hell bestowing,  
Sinne-wrapt, intrapt, for all my curious cunning;  

●… en. 27.22.  I had sweet Iacobs voice, but Esaus hands,  
My tongue was free, my heart was chained in bands.   

3  
I cooked the meate, the which my soul ne're tasted,  
I did desire the good 
●… auls case, Rom. 7. ●… 19.20. &c: the 〈…〉 of most Chri●… ns: for Paul in 〈…〉 chapped. speaks ●… he person of a 〈…〉 regenerate,& of a man vnre●… erate, as Armi●… and his Secta●… dream.  I did not do:  
Many to Martyrs crown my thanksgivings hasted,  
Yet I( with Christ) to calvary feared to go,  
Beare-like to'th stake, unwillingly I haled,  
The thought of fire my soul and flesh apaled.   

4  
Willing the Spirit was, the flesh was weak;  
This heavenly part went on, this Earth recoiled:  
Grace marched like jehu, Natures heart did break,  
My better part was forward, worse was foiled;  
resolved my soul, but fear my body choose,  
Which fear my Palinody 

Here is a map that duell or ciu●… war which mo●… Christians find themselves in th●… understanding har●… wils, affections, b●… twixt the flesh and the spirit, grace, nature.  
Gal 5. v. 17.   did compose.   

5  
The dire remembrance of this cursed action,  
As thorns, darts, daggers, as the Serpent stingeth,  
That to my God I shew'd so weak affection,  
Each thought of this, blood from my hart veins wringeth,  
Oh that my griefs and groans were loud as thunder,  
To fill the Earth, and cause the Heau'ns to wonder.   

6  
Oh that my lungs with sighs were worn away,  
Oh that this marble heart would melt and weep,  
Or that this rock would rend on which I stay:  
In sorrows brine, my soul I then would steep.  
Oh would I could out-mourne the pelican,  
The dove, the Crane 
Esai. 38. v. 14. , all Creatures, any Man.   

7  
Alas that I( a Cedar) strait and tall  
In Gods own ground, by hand of grace well planted,  
Should now be barren, dead, and dried; and fall  
By him who Edens protaplasts supplanted:  
No sap of grace, leaves, buds, or blossoms left me,  
Nak't Man, nak't Swan; my fairest plumes bearest me.   

8  
alas that I a Turret towering high,  
Should with the ground be now low leveled,  
A precious pearl, soyl'd with impiety;  
A fruitful Vine, untimely withered:  
A burning Taper, darkened yet so sore,  
As that I fear it will lend light no more▪   

9  
I was a Saint, yet furious in my sin;  
A living member, rott'n, dismembered, dead:  
Christs Spouse diuorest, unclean, without, within;  
A joint disjointed from my mysticke Head,  
A budding bough, broke from the three of life,  
A beauteous branch, pruned by sins poisoned knife.   

10  
alas that I bedecked with grace, should lose it;  
Gracious with God, should graceless, godless prove,  
Like that Disciple, treacherously disposed,  
Who divell turned 
〈…〉 Iudas. , devoid of faith, fear, love.  
So Marcelline 
●… hn 13 2.2  with holy orders crowned,  
( As Records tell) was idolising found.   

11  
alas that I, a sweet wel-springing fountain,  
Am now dried up, like to a summers brook,  
A fruitful valley, made a desert mountain,  
A watchman in a deadly slumber took;  
A well stocked Trades-man in the wears of heaven,  
Now bankerout, unthrift, talent lost, ship riven.   

12  
Ay me my Priesthood 
How ever some ●… apists as impudent●… deny this, as they ●… e the fact of ●… ope Joan, yet Bel●… rmine himself ●… nfesseth it, though 〈…〉 extenuates it, as 〈…〉 so the errors of ●… lix, of Liberius, of ●… lestine, Vigelius, A●… stasius, Honorius, ●… d other heretical ●… opes. D. Whitaker 〈…〉 pontiff. Romano ●… aest. 6. p. 788 proves 〈…〉 Ex concilio synues●… no, ex Damaso pon●… si. Andradius fate●… r etiam, def. Concilij ●… rid. lib. 2. folio 100. Origens Priesthood ●… ere mentioned, ●… t not as Aarons, ●… t the Leuiticall ●… jests, or as our po●… sh Priests, offering 〈…〉 that unbloody ●… crifice of their ●… eaden God, some●… mes vpon a bar●… ine of blood( as 〈…〉 the powder trea●… n) but as the Apo●… e useth the word, ●… esbyters, Presby●… hey, or as Ministers 〈…〉 a larger accep●… on) Sacerdotes, sa●… dantes, docentes, ●… c. Non sacrifican●…. , how shall I bewail thee?  
Ay me my Ministry, how shall I lament thee?  
Ay me my Function, foully haue I failed thee,  
Oh salt vnsauoury 
Math. 5.13. , fruitless haue I spent thee:  
My brightest light 
●… erse 14.  is lost; temptations puff,  
Hath put my Candle out, left nought but snuff.   

13  
Oh pitty me my friends thus fallen, thus down;  
Pitty my woes, my wounds, my sores, my sorrows:  
Pitty the loss of my celestial crown,  
My cross, my curse, my back ploughed up in furrows;  
Pitty my stain, my shane, my ruthful plight,  
Pitty me all, the Worlds most wretched wight.   

14  
bewail me, whom blessed Angels haue bewailed;  
bewail me, whom the Saints haue long lamented;  
bewail me, who so fond, foully failed;  
bewail me, who so little haue repented:  
bewail me who for grapes yields fruits of briar,  
Thistles for figs, allotted to hels fire.   

15  
Now let the Elders mourn, their staff is broken;  
Now young Men mourn, your Master is surprised;  
Now Virgins mourn, of pureness there's no token  
In him, by whom you once were patronized:  
Now clergy mourn, since your clear lamp& light,  
Is fallen from faith, by sin eclipsed quiter.   

16  
And I myself will mourn, and fresh renew  
My sad laments, uncessantly bemoaning  
My fact, my fall, with tears unfeigned, true;  
With sighs, with sobs, and with continual groaning:  
And with my mouths confession and hearts grief,  
Ile break the chains of sin, to get relief.   

17  
Ile take me words 
Hos. 14.1.3 , Ile up, and to my Father 
Luk. 15.18. ,  
And throw me down before his mercies feet:  
And though I wrath deserve, he'll pitty rather;  
For his compassion's great, his goodness sweet 
Psal. 103 v 8. :  
Ready to pardon more, then we can pray,  
To hear, and help 
Esai. 30.18. , ere we our suits bewray.   

18  
Ile to my God, my guide, my gracious saviour,  
My rock 
Psal. 18. , my refuge, and my sure salvation;  
Acknowledging my wretched, worst behaviour,  
Most worthy wrath, deserving black damnation; 
Origens asking pa●…don, and his c●n●…dence in Christs m●…rits.   
Ile offer on the Altar of Christs merit,  
The 
Psa●. 51.17.  offering of an humble contrite spirit.   

19  
Oh where's my shepherd? here am I lost sheep 
Luke 15.4. ;  
Oh where's my Father? here am I lost Son,  
awaked at last from den of deadly sleep;  
Returning home ragg'd, tattered, and undone:  
My oil all spent, fond Virgins- 
Math. 25.3.  talent wasting 
〈…〉& v. 28. ,  
My mouth vnrellisht, swinish food long tasting.   

20  
Oh where is he best, blessed 
Luke 10.  Samaritan?  
That saw, and saved the woe distressed wight,  
Whom Priests and levites, neither help, nor can;  
Yet he relieu'd him in his piteous plight:  
Lord here's more wounds, view, rue this soul of mine,  
Sinne-bleeding, needing mercy, oil, and wine.   

21  
Here's a fit object for thy love and merits,  
A thirsty soul desires thy sweet refreshing,  
Whose birth-sinne 
original sin which we haue from Adam not by imita●… ion, as the Pelagi●… us dream, but by ●… ropagation, as cor●… upted branches& ●… treames from a ●… oot and fountain corrupted.  by his Fathers claim inherits  
Hell as right heir; much more by his transgression:  
Here yet let mercy triumph, cease thine ire,  
And pluck me as a brand out of the fire.   

22  
I know my guilt is great, my fall is gross,  
My sins yell loud, yet louder speaks thy blood:  
Me and my guilt, I bring thee and thy cross;  
Where in my place thou pledge and surety stood:  
One drop of that balm 
See an excellent proportion betwixt ●… aul●e, and Chr●sts ●… lood, and saui●g grace, in Grineus his 23 problems, first part, pag. 284. 285.  will my conscience cure,  
Applied by'th hand of grace, and heal me sure.   

23  
Oh it surmounts all Iulups, all confections,  
All Cordials, drugs, bezoar, or unicorn,  
All Smaragde, Diamonds, Rubies, earths eiections;  
All pearl, all Gold, all Mines that ere were torn:  
They help the heart, and body in a swoon,  
But this revives the soul, cures Conscience wound.   

24  
As sacred oil 
Psal. 133.2.  from Aarons head distilling,  
down to his skirts did speedily descend,  
So( Lord) with oil of grace my soul be filling;  
Drop down thy Myrrh, this hard heart cause to bend:  
Me in thy Garden 
Cant. 5. v. 1.  set to gather spices,  
Lop off my lusts, and weed out all my vices.   

25  
Lord speak the word 
Math. 8. v. 8.25. , thy seruant shall be whole;  
check my souls tempests, calms will then ensue;  

Zachar. 12.  Poure out thy Spirit, Ile poure forth my soul 
As Anna, 1 Sam●… 15, as david, Ps●… 42.5. ;  
Reflect 
As Christs eye darting vpon Pe●… pierceth his hear●… to tears. Luk. 22. ●…  one glimpse of grace, t'will me renew:  
Tune thou my tongue, and it shall sing thy praises,  
Touch thou my heart, my heart to heaven thou raises.   

26  
give thou me grace, and I shall give thee glory;  
Lend me thy hand, I shall redeem my fall:  
Strike thou my heart, I shall be sinne-sicke sorry; 
Da domine, quod●…bes,& jube quod v●…   
Ope thou mine cares, and I shall hear thy call:  
unloose my lips, and they shall swiftly move,  
To vent my hearts divine thoughts of thy love.   

27  
Alas, in me all power to grace or good,  
Is quiter bereft, lost, dulled, and merely dead,  
Sinnes-poyson festering both my soul and blood;  
Sinnes-canker spreads each part from foot to head:  
leaves me as nak't as Adam, yet doth say,  
The utmost debt of sin my soul must pay.   

28  
My sin-sieg'd soul now won, Hels Prince invading,  
Massacring Grace, his own black troops replacing,  
Hope fallen, love coold, zeal quenched,& Faith disgrading;  
Presents, proclaims my fall, my foul abasing:  
More heartless I then Hens, Mice, dove, or dear,  
Since all my strongest Garrison is fear.   

29  
Oh horrid alteration! dismal change;  
How is my coin back alchimiz'd to tin?  
As when the Tartars, Turkes, or Gotthes did range  
Within those Coasts, which force or fraud did win:  
Mangling their foes, promiscuous blood effusing,  
Their swords to spare or age or sex refusing.   

30  
As some stern conqueror no sooner rears  
His black flag on the walls of conquered foes,  
Nor old, nor young, nor any kind forbears;  
But all like sheep, pell mell to ruin goes:  
As armed Greekes did tyramnize in Trey,  
When Synons craft did Ilium destroy.   

31  
As is the Ship on Neptunes curled back,  
Tost here and there( wind-sporting wooden ball)  
Till on some dismal rock at last shee crack;  
Her splitted planks, lo here, lo there they fall:  
The wears all lost, the passengers do down,  
unless help come in that same fatal stowne.   

32  
So fairs my soul: faire Port once well compacted,  
A ship well rigged, an Army set in order,  
Faith, general, pilot, King, had laws enacted;  
Reason Vicegerent, Memory Recorder:  
Heart, Will, Affections, Subiects yielding homage,  
My microcosm in this time felt no damage.   

33  
But oh my sinne● sin-offering to the divell,  
This subtle divell, this disturbs my peace:  
This greek, this sinon, this rank roote of evil,  
lays me on Hels rack, makes my heaven cease:  
Beheads each grace, makes shipwreck of my soul,  
Subiects each power to Sathans damned control.   

34  
Confounds mine orders, brings an ataxy;  
Fires all my rooms, burns my retiring harbour,  
queen Faith deposeth from her Regen●ie;  
Shaues off each grace, like Sampsons female barber 
Delilah. Iudges 16. v. 19. :  
Combustion makes, as Nero did in Rome 
Suetonius in vita Neronis. ,  
Fires every street and place, where it doth come.   

35  
Oh fearful symptoms of most deadly sins!  
Oh dangerous death to eat the fruit forbidden!  
Who can cast up th' account our trespass wins?  
sins honie's seen, though still his sting be hidden:  
Yet stings he hath, which led like 
As the poyson● bullet in the Souldiers flesh. , without doubt,  
Lies in our flesh, till sorrow eat it out.   

36  
sin, as false Iudas, murther-minding joab 
2 Sam. 3. v. 27.3 ,  
Thou hast thy hayles, thy congees, and thy kissings;  
A seeming Israelite, a real Moab;  
A den, a Serpent lurks 
Gen. 49. v. 17. , yet hides thy hiffings:  
As do the blacke-thorne buds, thy flowers seem faire,  
Bitter thy fruit as gull, and Aloes are.   

37  
As river 
Pliny.  Hipanis, smooth running streams,  
Thy course to deaths dead Sea is speedy tending,  
In clouds of death thou sett'st thy glim'ring beams;  
Faire seem thy projects, to perdition bending:  
Thy Labans 
Gen. 32.7.41.  promises are faire, not just,  
A staff of Reedes deceives the leaners trust.   

38  
As Sodomes apple, near th' Asphalticke lake,  
Of specious show, yet touched, to ashes turning,  
So are sins poisons sweet, yet bane 
Hoc sunt peccata lapsis quod grando frugibus, quod turb●…dum sidus arboribus quod armentis pestilens vastitas, quod n●…uigijs saua tempest●… Cyprian. Sermo. d●… Lapsis. Chrys. Hom. 〈…〉 populi Antioch p●… 200. peccatum san●… est, poena ferrum ●e●…cinale, &c.  to take;  
Like iealousy the guilty bowels burning:  
Thy Coloquint 
2 Kings 4.40.  brings death into the pot,  
Which till we swallow, we discern it not.   

39  
Oh Hels false Factor! Agent for the divell,  
By what cross ways and wil●ss thou dost delude us?  

●… atans wil●ss.  What strains, what trains, baits, stratagems for evil;  
That Hell may haue us, heaven may servile us?  
How near at each advantage dost thou watch us,  
With Matcheuillian policies to catch us?   

40  
Like to a cunning Angler, Hell can frame  
His baits for souls, of every several fashion:  
He knows each man, his place, face, nature, name;  
Acts, words, profession, and imagination:  
Accordingly to which he still is heeding,  
To bait sins hook, as serves each stomacks feeding.   

41  
What Syrens tunes? what false Hyenaes cries?  
What Dalilean curious delusions?  
What Circes charms? what gross Mercurian lies,  
Thou forging frames to work our souls confusion?  
What change of calls? false Fowler to entrap us,  
In nets and gins, in which our sins do wrap vs.   

42  
If Iudas will betray 
Luk. 22.4, 5, 6. , here's ready coin;  
If cain will kill 
Gen. 4.6, 7, 8. , thou wrath, words, swords, canst lend:  
Here's golden wedge, if Achan will purloin 
josh. 7.21. ;  
If Esau hunt for blood 
Gen. 32. v. 6. , thou wilt attend:  
If Herod 
Mar. 6.17.  seek for whores, he shall haue more;  
Rome, France, and spain, keep ever stews in store.   

43  
If Ammon burn, veiled Thamar 
2 Sam. 13, from v. 1. ●… v. 15.  shal be brought him,  
Th'hast Pandar-Ionadabs for lusting peers:  
If faire foul absalon 
2 Sam. 16.21.& ch. 8. v. 14.15.  haue but bethought him,  
To sail for Colchos crown, thou pilot steers:  
His ship of fools, his youthful blood sea-boyling,  
Achitophel shall direct his lusts, his spoiling.   

44  
When eve did long 
Gen. 3. v. 5.6. , thou didst commend the apple,  
Which fatal food soon flattered Adam tastes;  
Ere since sweet sins of every stamp and staple,  
For every tooth, cook't, carved, dressed, prest thou hast:  
Each act, each fact, each sins deed is thy jewel,  
To every lustful fire thou bring'st the fuel.   

45  
I writ my thoughts, my knowledge, and my sense,  
I fain not lies or libels 
Let libelers( wh●…ther Atheists, P●…pists, or prophan●… ones) see their P●… degree from Hell without being at cost with a Heraul● ; those are thine,  
Birds of the night, thine own dark deeds pretence;  
leadest hand and heart in every slandering line:  
But what I know, I speak; mine own heart vexed,  
Writes feeling Comments on this woeful text.   

46  
I am that bide the Fowler subtly draws,  
Caught like the fly in what Hels spider weaued;  
I am that lamb fallen in the lions jaws,  
Like that young Prophet 
1 Kings 13. v. 9. compared wi●h v. 1●… 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. 2●…  by false friends deceived:  
I credulous Hare, catched up by Fox-like game,  
burn like the fly within the Candles flaming.   

47  
I now all woe, haue others woes bewailed,  
And wept 
In his Comment●…  their tragic case, their ruthful fall,  
Now act their parts,( so sore hath sin prevailed:)  
Oft in my griefs I haue bemoaned King Saul 
1 Sam. 16. v. 1. v. 1●… ,  
Of place, grace, peace, yea, hope of heaven bereft,  
And to the hands and power of satan left.   

48  
I once bewailed the wise King Salomon 
1 Kings, ch. 11. v.〈…〉 2, 3.4, 5, 6. ,  
( Mirror of Men, with every virtue graced,)  
Yet fallen so far, so foul( unworthy son  
Of so sincere a Sire) so sin defaced,  
That once I deemed him damned; but that repented,  
He was Christs type, Truths pen, Gods love,& sins relented.   

49  
I haue lamented strong victorious samson 
judge. 16. v. 20.21 ,  
Gods Worthy, great Alcides parallel,  
( weak Israels Pillar, and the Churches Champion;)  
He that by wanton Woman foully fell:  
Of these, and many mo I mourned the fall,  
Yet I more blotted, spotted then them all.   

50  
I sympathise and symbolise the last,  
Most of the three, yea, pass him in his cross;  
He lost his hair, my heads chief crown is cast;  
He carnal eyes, eyes mental are my loss:  
Him, Earths possessions; my spiritual gift,  
And heavenly riches are by sin bereft.   

51  
He to a Woman bowed, to Belial I;  
He gave his seed to Moloch, I my soul;  
Him lust corporeal; me Idolatry,  
spiritual fornication, did make foul:  
He by a Womans wil●ss, was brought to shane,  
Me mine own timorous tongue hath brought to blame.   

52  
As he, so I digressed by degrees,  
Walking Oxe-like, by steps unto the shambles:  
All virtues wine, I turned to vices lees;  
My herb of grace, time turned, and choak't with brambles:  
As wax with fire, or fat of rams consuming,  
So did I melt, when I did dare presuming.   

53  
Lastly, as he was out of Iacobs bound,  
In Timnaths cost, among th'vncircumcis'd 
judge. 14. v. 1.2. ,  
Wandring astray; as Sichem 
Gen. 34. v. 2 3.  Dinath found;  
A lustful fire his inflamed heart surprised:  
He drunk stolen waters 
Prou. 9. v. 15.17.  at the Harlots well,  
Straide from Gods Mount, the Fount of Israel.   

54  
So I imprudent, was snared by condition  
Of false Men, that equivocating speak;  
( Their crafts conveyance, void of all suspicion;)  
To them I got soon as the day did break:  
Put them in mind of promise; they were slack,  
And urged my sacrifice; which done, they broke.   

55  
eftsoons these Apes did mow, Gods doves did mourn;  
These Philistines rejoice 
judge. 15: v. 1 〈…〉 16. v. 24. , the Church she weeps;  
Oh Origen! Origen from the Faith doth turn:  
Thus bleat the flocks, alas our shepherd sleeps.  
Origen hath sacrificed, the streets resound,  
Our Pillar's fallen, our Pastor's in a swoon.   

56  
Oh crimson sin! oh most accursed deed!  
Oh maddest Man! infatuated 
Gal. 3.1.  wretch;  
Oh, this recording makes my heart to bleed!  
And fresh again on th' rack my conscience stretch:  
For my profane hand scarce did touch the fire,  
When on my heart God lightened signs of ire.   

57  
That royal Psalmist did no sooner pluck,  
The lap from Saul( that was the Lords anointed;)  
But with the guilt his conscience foul was struck 
1 Sam. 24. v.〈…〉 ;  
His body shooke as it had been disjointed:  
So I no sooner sinned, but through my liver,  
An Earthquake ran, which made my heart to shiver.   

58  
The raging Element no sooner wasts,  
Th' Idolatrous Incense in her furious fiers;  
But instantly my judge incensed, casts  
His brands of wrath, which all my spirits tiers;  
And burns mine dials, like the Centaurs shirt,  
Which lust-burnt Hercules to his loins begird.   

59  
As he, so I feel hideous, hellish anguish;  
This dire Megaera, selfe-corroding worm,  
Still s●●ding, freting, causing cureless languish;  
Sinnes-ghost, feare-frighting with his ghastly form:  
As that great Magies dog 
●… is reported by ●… es& other Au●…, of that great 〈◇〉 an Agrippa, ●… esteemed of ●… es●he ●he fift and ●… s) that at his ●… n the devil appeared to him in ●… e of a black ●… e, to whom he 〈…〉; Abi, abi, per●… qui me totum ●… disti. , Cornelius crying,  
Vaunt thou cursed cur, cause of my damned dying.   

60  
The ston of sisyphus, Ixions wheel,  
Prometheus vulture, punisher of pride,  
All such fein'd plagues, as Poets form, I feel;  
As Moses 
●… odd. 3.2. ●… es deceits decided, as al●o her ●… gers.  bush, selfe-burning fires I bide:  
Right Salamander, in these flames I live,  
A dying life, or living death, sins give.   

61  
Oh cursed content, which mortals take in sinning!  
A pleasing pain, a painful perilous pleasure,  
A gainful loss, a hateful losing winning:  
What's won is wrath, what's gained is Gods displeasure:  
Storing up wrath 
●… m 2.7. , as misers pile their treasure,  
till prest down weight 
●… m. 6.23.  the just God pays in measure.   

62  
Oh sin! oh couchant fox! how near my door  
Thou makest thy den; which ope, thou interest to,  
Like Sampsons Foxes with fire-brands in store 
●… dg. 15. v. 4. ;  
tied to their tails; with thee are fire-brands mo:  
As needle for the thread, so sin makes way  
For woes 
●… e Deut 28 from 〈…〉 to v. 68. so ●e●… 26. from v. 14. ●… 1, ●2. ; it's Prologue to the Curses play.   

63  
sin ushers Iudgement, Punishment's her page.,  
Which close attends, as puny Clerkes their Masters:  
When sin hath wrought, Wrath pays deserved wage.  
Herod, cain, Iudas, and the Gospels wasters,  
Haue tried this truth; and each dayes practise proves it:  
Oh let none sin! who hath a soul and loues it.   

64  
For tis an act i'th vpper h●use of heaven,  
In Gods book writ, and limbed in each mans life;  
Who wilful sins( unless by grace forgiven)  
Shall die the death 
Ezek. 18. , and live in endless strife.  
As jacob held his brother Esaus heels 
Gen. 25, 26. ,  
So curses follow sins fast running wheels.   

65  
And oft oretakes it, takes it in the act,  
As Iudges theeues, Masters their Seruants tripping;  
Or as the whore tane in her filthy fact,  
seldom, or never scapes without her whipping:  
So finds my soul, my sin like Neroes mother 
Nero killed 〈◇〉 own mother A●…pina to see the 〈…〉 where he first la●… ,  
Hath formed this brat,( selfe-guilt) my peace to smother.   

66  
Nay more, my just judge, just 
God usually 〈◇〉 a just proporuo●… punishing, in t●… manner, measu●… nature, in whic●… sin; poena& c●… proportionata, sa●… schools.  proportion keeps,  
And Iudahs lion holds the measures equal;  
The watch of Israel wakes, not slumbering sleeps;  
But views each sin and circumstance withall:  
As we him grieve, so he augments our grieves;  
Thus Iudges do to felons and to theeues.   

67  
If 
judge. 1. v. 5, 6●…  Adonibezecke cut off the thumbs  
Of twenty Kings, the like he's like to find.  
If Agags Sword devour, just Samuels dooms  
The like to him 
1 Sam. 15. v. 3●… . If Sodomites be blind  
By sensual lust, deprived of th'eyes of reason,  
God strikes with bodies blindness 
Gen. 19. v. 11.  in that season.   

68  
If these most monstrous men do burn in lust,  
Against both grace, and natures constant light,  
For heaven to rain 
Gen. 19. v. 24,  unnatural fire tis just,  
Which may consume these monstrous men outright.  
Nay, if the churl do grudge a crumbs relief,  
Tis fit his tongue in hell 
Luk. 16. v. 21. 2●…  do feel the grief.   

69  
Thus tis with me; as I did sin by fire,  
As Nadab and Abihu, Aarons sons 
●… vit. 10.1. ;  
So scorched am I with fiery flames of ire;  
And as my sins, so God my iudgement dooms:  
As Candles, Candles light, as fire makes fire,  
So sin brings plagues, as like as son to sire.   

70  
Like plagues indeed, yea, all plagues and extremes;  
Not marching slowly in the rear behind;  
But linked as close as theeues in iron chains.  
So jonas sin 
〈…〉 12● 1 V. 2, 3  wrath followed swift as wind:  
Yea, Sea, wind, waves 
〈…〉 coniurati veni●… ad Classica ven●…. , each Creatures bow is bended,  
To take their great Creators part offended.   

71  
I am too sure, with me he is offended,  
I feel his force, I fear his frowns, his might;  
His rods are ready, and my stripes intended;  
His darts are sharp, his sword vnsheath'd to fight:  
Nor can my false deluders now bestead me,  
That to this act by false delusion lead me.   

72  
They cannot me bestead, nor help themselves,  
Nor their endangered souls; nor can they save  
From splitting on sins ruinous rocks and shelves;  
For dead they are, and butted in sins grave:  
themselves dead carrions, me they killed with stink,  
They Sathans slaves, me in their chains they link.   

73  
Thus stood the case; this cursed compact was made,  
That if to Idols I would sacrifice,  
They willing seemed, and held them well appaide,  
To condescend that I should them baptize:  
In heat of zeal, to gain them to my God,  
I served theirs; Oh here's my rack, my rod!   

74  
Oh heat vnhallow'd! oh thou wild fire burning!  
Nor quenched, nor dammed, with waters of discretion;  
preposterous zeal 
I speak not against true zeal, wish wee were all more heated with this coal from the Altar: I declaim against Laodicean luke-warmenesse, 〈…〉 wish Magistrates more zealous, like david, Moses, Nehemias, Neh. 13. Preachers as Paul and Apollos, Acts 17.16. Ch. 16 2.5. All Christians as steven the Protomartyr, Act 7.51. Onely I tax a papistical, blind, vain, anabaptistical, preposterous zeal, l●ke persecuting Pauls, before his calling, like fire out of the chimney in the thatch burning, overturning all. , Church, Commonwealth o'returning;  
drunk with conceits, devoid of circumspection:  
untamed Colt, wild ass, still fond braying;  
Torrent broken forth, all drowning, all dismaying.   

75  
Oh fondling I ●( for sinners all are fools 
Psal. 14.1. jer. 4.22. Prou. 1.7.& v. 22. )  
In seeking others, I haue lost myself;  
In bringing Heathens to the Christians schools,  
I fell from faith, dashed on sins dangerous shelf:  
To help the rest, I drowned in deep desire,  
I burnt in pulling others from the fire.   

76  
In setting others right, I mist my mark;  
In saving others, I haue lost my life;  
Others to bring to light, my light's made dark;  
To work their peace with God, I wrought my strife:  
Them to present spotless before the Lord,  
I satan served, and made myself abhorred.   

77  
I evil did, that good might come thereon,  
In favouring, furthering good, I acted ill;  
By good intents and thoughts 
Good intents and good meanings, on which blinded Papists, and ignoran●… Protestants build so much, are not approuable, unless they haue good grounds from God●… Word, the true square of all action and affections.  I am undone;  
In willing well, I lost my bliss of will:  
I planted thorns, in hope that grapes might grow;  
That figs might sproute, I thistle seeds did sow.   

78  
The Pagans to the Faith I sought to turn,  
That so their silly souls, as Bees in hive,  
In heaven might rest: For this my zeal did burn,  
As me of sleep it wholly did deprive:  
For all night satan in his sleights expert,  
Thus laboured my purpose to divert.   

79  
What Origen, 
Sathans speech& his delusions.  and starts thou at the matter,  
To cast some grains of heathenish frankincense;  
Since hundreds thus thou'lt bring to baptisms water?  
With pueling conscience canst thou not dispense?  
What, is the fact so foul? the crime so great?  
Know'st thou not God is easy to entreat?   

80  
Hath he not pardoned greater sins then thine,  
Peter, Manasses, david, Mary, Paul?  
fearest thou on thee his mercies-sunne to shine,  
When thy designs are good, thy sin so small?  
again, to gain him souls if thou desire,  
think what thou winn'st by sprinkling but this fire.   

81  
Besides, thou little dream'st( demurring man)  
If thou deny, how hot's the fire to burn thee,  
Or how the scorching flamme thou suffer can.  
By these deceits, oh divell thou didst suborn me;  
To do thy will I; rose by dawn of day,  
Omitting, nay, forgetting for to pray.   

82  
Oh blinded heart! why didst thou not remember?  
Oh foolish mind! why didst thou not bethink thee?  
Oh distracted brain! hand, tongue unmindful member;  
Oh senses, in sins chains what divell did link ye?  
No Crane-like 
The Cranes keep ●atch by course, a shane for Christians if we watch not, as our general enioines vs. Luk. 21. v. 36. since our enemy is so subtle, our flesh so traitorous, our estate so dangerous.  sentinel, 'mongst all descries  
This Mercury that charms your Argus eyes.   

83  
You saw no hook within this Fishers bait,  
You saw no net orespread with Fowlers chaff,  
You spied no tricks in Sinons subtle pate;  
In Sathans through you fed, yet felt no draff:  
So faire a thread this Spiders craft did spin,  
You doubted not, nor did detect a sin.   

84  
In Babels language satan casts suggestions,  
How that my sin( if any) venial was;  
soon shifted, shrifted, pardoned by confessions 
Papists rid●culouslie ●●ke s●me sins so ●e●iall, that they n●uer defile a m●n, so M ●●lu● a ●●●st Hesch●s● ag. 105. or easily ●ill 〈◇〉,& wiped by ●o● water, oil, chrism, &c Bellarmine de cultu Sanct. lib. 3. c. 7. Or at furthest in Purgatory, Bel lib. 1. c. 9. de Amiss. gratiae. ;  
alms, aves, Beads, works, Trentals, D●rge; or mass:  
But heavier then the led, sand, ston, I find,  
Light-seeming sin, oppressing soul and mind.   

85  
Oh small, great sins! great, little, what's your name?  
Little in show, in substance grossly great;  
Like poisoned pricks, small wounds; yet great's your flamme;  
As smothered fire, sparks slow, yet strong the heat:  
As rankling sores false healed, do inly rot,  
So smallest sin wounds want nor guilt, nor spot.   

86  
How small the sin, when eve the fruit desired?  
Yet like that little flay which Adrian choked;  
Or like some smaller sparks which towns haue fired;  
This sin choked grace, and Gods strong wrath provoked:  
This is Pandoras box, the trojan Horse,  
Whence came ill Greekes,( all grieves which mortals cross.)   

87  
What lesser sin in carnal reasons eye,  
Then swear by heaven, by Earth, by head, by heart?  
Faith, troth, the siluers cross, or cock, or pie?  
Yet each of these do act their sinful part,  
Come from the divell, and descend to hell: 
james 5. v. 12.   
james 
Math. 5. 3●, 35, 36.  and Christ Iesus 
Math. 5.22. , both this truth do tell.   

88  
To term a Brother Racha, Rakehell, fool,  
Precise ass, cocke-braine Man; such libel phrases,  
Each tongue inflamed by hell doth usual role;  
Besides such oaths as heaven and Earth amazes:  
These deemed small sins, small rocks, yet conscience beating;  
e councils confusion, hel is Scriptures threating.   

89  
What Gods calls foul, ler no man cleanly call;  
God saith each sinne's unclean, let none defend it;  
Each sin which God calls great 
Though wee hold not a stoical quality in sin, yet every sin is great in it own nature, and none venial, except by repentance: for first every sin is against God himself, an infinite good. je. 2.27.8.14. Mich 7.9. Psal. 51.6. 2. Light sins cause great evils, public and private, yea, death itself. Psa. 90.7, 8, 9. Rom. 6.23. 3. The least sin needs an infinite price to purge it, even Christs blood. Ephe. 1.7. 1 Pet. 1.18. 4. The rage of conscience a●ter sin, is in the hatching, act, and after guilt, Prou 12.18. Rom. 2.15. 1 Pet. 3.16. , let none count small:  
But leave it, loathe it, end it, and amend it:  
For his pure eyes hates that which is impure,  
But most the stupid, sensual, and secure.   

90  
No concord is there twixt chief good and evil;  
Twixt th'Arke 
1 Sam. 5.1.2.  and Dagon, Christ 
2 Cor. 6.15. , and Belial;  
Twixt God and Mammon 
Math. 6.24. judas, v 7. The pollutions of the wicked. , Michael 
Sub specie Iucunditatis venenum infundunt bonis. Amb. Officio. lib. 1. c. 20.  and the divell;  
Twixt hony sweet, and Aloes or gull:  
As oil with dregs, or Eagles plumes with rest,  
mix not; no more should bad be mixed with best.   

91  
Oh these, these bad ones, were my souls betrayers;  
Agents for Hell, fit Factors for all ill;  
The Prince of darkness, busy, base purueyers;  
These witcht my mind, inueagled my will 
Sub specie Iucunditatis venenum infundunt bonis. Amb. Officio. lib. 1. c. 20. :  
These like rot apple, did corrupt me sound,  
These high shelu'd sands, soon brought my ship on ground.   

92  
Ill company, oh cause of many woes!  
The sugared bait, that hideth poisoned hook;  
The rock unseen, which shipwrecked souls orethrowes;  
The poisoned basilisk that kills with look c:  
The easiest step to ruin and decay,  
Graces confounder, and Hels smoothest way.   

93  
Oh that I were confined to some close cave,  
Where all alone retired from Earths delight,  
I might with Peter, tears vntroubled haue,  
And never come in wretched worldlings sight;  
Whose ill-bewitching company still brings,  
deep provocation, whence great danger springs.   

94  
This, well fore-saw good men of ancient time,  
Which made them shun th'occasion of foul sin;  
Knowing it was the Nurse of every crime;  
And Siren-like would train fond worldlings in:  
Alluring them with musics rarest sound,  
But poisoning them with many a deadly wound.   

95  
This made those ancient Hermits 
Of the superstit●…on, strictness, an austerity of life, it wonderful whats writ by Sozomen. lib 4. c. 23. by Socrate lib. 4. c. 23. by Cas●… lib. 2. Gastrim. c. 26 &c 40. Chiefly by Hospinian de Origine Monach of Anthony Paulus simplex. Macarius, Dorotheus: Birrhus, Alas,& other hermits in the dese●ts of egypt, Edom,& Syria, onely to quench the inward heats of lust within them, as flying the occasions, by company without them.  live retired,  
In vaults, in rocks, in deserts, dens, and caues;  
herbs, roots, and waters, were the foods desired,  
Dead to the World, mewed up in living graues:  
Beasts, Birds, their fellowes: Creatures, all their books;  
This course they held t'auoid sins snaring hooks.   

96  
Yet now he's held no sociable man,  
In this corrupting age, that shall refuse  
T'associate wicked persons now and than;  
Nay, vild, precise, unless their ways he choose:  
Frequent good fellowship, and give such place,  
As vildest live, and furthest off from grace.   

97  
But better tis( beleeue each wise mans trial,)  
To fly such good-bad fellowes, rocks of evil 
Augustine de civit Dei. lib. 2. c. 27. Satius est eos irritare temperantia, quam placare Luxuria,& honestate inimicitiae●… prouocare, quam lenire. ,  
And leave them freting, fuming at denial;  
Then with such wild goose fly unto the divell:  
For who like Iacobs sons do join in ill,  
The brandished sword of vengeance shall them kill.   

98  
Oh fly these imps of hell, all you that fear,  
Or sins, or plagues; or love God, and your quiet;  
Each Christian Pilot learn at last to steer  
far from these rocks, run not their course of riot:  
Let every Lot be out of sodom hasting 
Gen. 19.22. ,  
leave babylon 
Apo. 18.4. , lest you her plagues be tasting.   

99  
Tread not the ground where Corah cursed doth stand 
Qui iunguntur in ●… lpa, non separantur 〈…〉 poena. Cyprian. li. 1. 〈…〉 pistola 4. See Prou. ●… 3.20. ,  
Dathan, Abiram 
Num. 16.26. ●… ee Exod. 23.32.33. 〈…〉 34.12& 15.16. , with their complices;  
Lest that you be devoured out of hand,  
Partaking wrath with their most vain devices:  
Let every loving Christs beloved John,  
leave wretcht Cerinthus 
●… ee Deut. 7.23.4. Euseb. Hist. lib. 4. c. 〈…〉 iron. aduersus haer. ●… b. 3. c. 3. So the In●… abitants of Samo●… teum made the ●… after bee poured ●… ut of the Bath in ●… hich Eunomius the Arrian Bishop had ●… ashed. Theod. lib. 4. 〈…〉. 14.  in his bath alone.   

100  
Why should Christs sheep go graze amongst the goats?  
'mongst bloody wolves, lambs cannot be delighting 
As the Scripture every where dissuades company and familiarity with the wicked, giuing caue●… ts against their pollutions; as Prou. 4.14. Prou. 9.6. So wee shall see the godly in their words haue ●… rotested and contested against them, and in works, acts, and gestures, haue shown how much ●… hey did detest them. We haue Dauids pattern in psalm 119. v. 115. Psal. 141.4. jeremy 15.17. ●say 6.5. In Histories, Polycarpus detesting martion, Eus. 4. c. 14. Mares the B. of Chalcedon, Julian the Apostate, Hist. trip. lib. 6. c. 14. Origen Paulus Samosetenus. Eus. lib. 6. c. 3. The orthodox Christians, the Cataphrygians; Marcellus, the heretical council at Tyre. Zozom. lib. 2. c. 31. I wish we had like zeal ●… nd circumspection. :  
Gods harmless doves had better keep their coats,  
Then fly with hawks, or feel the Vultures gripping:  
Good Chickens by the Glead were never had,  
Or Bees by drones, or godly by the bad.    

The third Section.  
The Argument.  
He shows the powerful strength of moving prair,  
And with what melting pitty tis received;  
How fleshes frailtie's subject to despair,  
If by Faiths Conquest, Hell were not deceived.  

I Am no Mountbanke, painting glozing fables,  
I speak my feelings and my dear bought wit;  
Thousand of yeeres haue writ this truth in tables;  
confirmed by witnesses in sacred writ:  
That as the plague-sicke do infect the whole 
Aliquid mali pro●…ter vicium malum. ●…rasm. adag. ,  
So vicious fools infect the virtuous soul 
Dum spectant laes● oculi, laeduntur& i●… ovid. de remed. .   

2  
That phoenix for his faith, the faithfuls Father,  
Best blessed of very Men, great Abraham,  
When did he fain, or foul dissemble rather 
Gen. 12. v. 13.& Chap. 20. v. 2. in th●… Court of Pharaoh Abimilech. ,  
But when to heathenish wicked Courts he came?  
When did that holy david fain a madness,  
But in King Achis Court 
1 Sam. 21.11.12.1  the finke of badness?   

3  
When did chased joseph swear by Pharaohs life,  
But trained in egypt far from Israels Tents 
Gen. 42. v. 15. ?  
How grudged meek Moses at the floods of strife,  
amidst the rout of rebel rablements 
Num. 20.12.13, 〈…〉 27.14. Deut. 32.51. :  
Where was Church pillar 
Gal. 2.9.  Peter, Cephas shaken,  
But in the High Priests Hall 
Luk. 22.& 55.56. &c.  by fear ore taken?   

4  
Nay more, how was sins Cockatrice egg first hatched;  
But when the Woman with the Serpent talking 
Gen. 2.17. with ch. v. 1, 2, 3,, 5. ,  
Had Gods plain truth( oh vild untruth▪) attached?  
jehosaphat smarts with Ahabs warring, walking 
1 King. 22.29.32. :  
That young sent Prophet going home again,  
Through ill league sinning 
1 King. 13. v. 15.16. 〈…〉.& 24. , was by a lion slain.   

5  
Too great an instance of the gross pollutions,  
Come by conversing with the wicked train,  
Were filthy sins, more fearful executions  
On Israel 
Numb. 25.1.2.3.4. 〈…〉 v. 9. see 1 Cor. 10. , three and twenty thousand slain:  
Besides, the Princes hanged for lustful whoring  
With Moabs wantons, and their gods adoring.   

6  
This was a constant custom of that Nation,  
To Idolize with cursed canaanites 
Psal. 106.3.5, 36. ;  
And mixed with Heathens for to learn their fashion,  
In following Moabs, Ammons, Edoms rites:  
In following times they took Chaldean wives,  
For whose divorcement zealous Ezra strives.   

7  
This folly was the fall of Salomon 
1 Kin. 21. v. 1.2.3.4. 〈…〉 &c. Nehem. 13.26. ,  
Which heathenish wives and Concubines did find;  
Like fierce Maxentius, long since writ vpon;  
That living to the dead did link and bind,  
Till with the stink the one corrupts the other,  
Not able to endure the poys'ned smother.   

8  
But holla Muse, retreat thy forward pen,  
In Chronickling the fals of any other;  
thyself fallen foulest 'mongst the sons of men,  
'gainst God thy Father, and the Church thy Mother:  
The divels Factors haue the worst deceived thee,  
And of the greatest graces so berean'd thee.   

9  
Oh wicked tempters! poisoners of my blood,  
My bitter potion, death within my pot;  
unwholesome unction, spoilers of my good;  
What sack of grace, what trophies haue you got?  
Once Shiloahs Swan, my feathers you haue plumed,  
When Peter-like amongst you I presumed.   

10  
Lord, what is Man, if to himself thou leave him?  
A Vine vnpropt, a Hop-yard wanting stays;  
The fables Crow, when wily fox deceives him; 
● Mans weaken●… to stand in grace withstand sin, w●… the Lord leaue●… him to himself.   
A silly sheep which from the shepherd strays,  
Fals in the fangs of dogges, or wolvish jaws,  
Till him the Pastor 
Luk. 15.4.5.  finds and homeward draws.   

11  
What ships are we when as our Pilot's lost?  
Vnrig'd, vntrimm'd, vntackled, water washed,  
Floating on Neptunes surge, with fierce winds tost;  
At length her vnmann'd bulk on rocks is dashed:  
All split, her wears all lost, her inmates drowned,  
So( God forsaking) sins our souls confounded.   

12  
Our souls are Cities sacked, which want their walls;  
Without thy help, the enemy inuades us;  
Our Armies lack their arms, their Generals;  
unless thy grace as Lord Protector lead us:  
We cannot stand, or make our battle stout,  
But like to Harts, or Hares, fly, or fall out.   

13  
Nay, nay, if thou once fail us, fall we must;  
Like to the staff that wants the propping hand,  
As criples,( crutches broken) lye in the dust;  
Or new weaned child, that slips his holding band:  
Thou our lives life; in thee each breaths 
Acts 17.25. , moves, lives;  
As soul to flesh, to soul thou grace-life, gives.   

14  
Hadst thou been here Lord 
●… ohn 11.21. ( weeping Martha cries)  
My brother had not died, nor I been sorry;  
Hadst thou been with me Lord( my soul replies)  
I had not fallen, nor  told this doleful story:  
But( as thine own two Kings 
david, 1 Chr. 21. 〈…〉. Ezekias, 2 Chr. 〈…〉. v. 31. ) thou thought'st to try me,  
What was in this false heart that did deny thee.   

15  

●… he penitents ●… mplaint against than& himself.  Oh divell! what hast thou done? my soul's undone;  
( I think my sin and Muse renew my woes)  
I Spider-like haue now a faire thread spun,  
Which black confusion onely up doth close;  
Nor ever will it clew, or web, or yarn,  
Or profit bring; but cause my bowels earn.   

16  
Alas, my Church( my wife) still lives, yet I a widow;  
Many my Children, yet an Eunuch I;  
My flocks haue flourished like the flowery meadow;  
But I a hardened Heath, scorched, dusty, dry:  
As david lambs from lions 
Sam. 17.34.  I saved many;  
Vnsauoury salt, cast out, now worst of any.   

17  
Alas fond reuben 
●… en. 49.34. , I haue lost my crown;  
Fouling my Fathers bed, my Priest-hoods glory;  
From Heauens high hopes, to lowest Hell fallen down,  
Onely to save this life that's transitory:  
To keep this breath, base bubble, glow-wormes shine,  
I lost all joys both mortal and divine.   

18  
Oh Esaus change, to sell my birth 
●… en. 25.32.  for broth!  
For Counters, coin; my Gold for Earths base dross;  
For saving brittle glass, lifes 
●… am. 4.14.  vaporous froth,  
( As swinish 
●… lar. 5.27.  Gaderen) Christ I held no loss:  
Oh base exchange! as death this very thought,  
My spirit dulls, my moisture turns to drought.   

19  
And, which of all my griefs is not the least,  
My room is voided, each Saul 
As Saul mist D●…uid out of his pla●… at Table. 1 Sam. 27.  may miss my place:  
over my Pulpit swallows build their neast;  
Spiders and cobwebs do my seat deface:  
My teaching chair is rust for want of sitting,  
False fugitive, so fickle is my flitting.   

20  
Yea, when I come t'expound the mysteries  
Of sacred truth, to any Christian flock,  
My soul records her own late Histories,  
And on my hearts hard anvil hell doth knock:  
And calls to mind this proverb evermore,  
Physician heal thyself 
Medice cura te●…sum. Luk. 4.23. , cure none before.   

21  
witness( what too too many can relate)  
When erst I left the Alexandrian schools,  
And to judea came; the Clerkes entreat  
That I would take some Text from sacred rowles: 
A memorable story.   
And 'mongst that numerous Auditory sit,  
And press such points as I should hold most fit.   

22  
By much entreat I yield to them at length,  
Ascend the seat, and ope the best of books;  
Yet not one word to speak, had I the strength  
( Except the Text:) each eye vpon me looks,  
Expects my speech: but I was planet strooke, 
Vox faucibus h●…   
My joints did shake, betwixt my teeth words stuck.   

23  
The reason was not fond 
sorts Virgili●… so called from o●…ning Virgil, and●…plying his vers●… fortunate, or v●…tunate. Cel. Rod Antiq. Lect. A p●…tise much like H●…mans casting o●… Purr. easter 3.7.  Virgilian lots,  
But providence divine directs my Texts  
To'th fiftieth psalm, in which the Prophet notes  
The hypocrite for his base-by respects;  
Which speaks Gods truth, his laws takes in his lips,  
Yet vnreform'd, his life to lewdness slips. 
Psal. 50. v. 16, 1●…    

24  

●… ohn  soon as I red this Text, down sit I sobbing;  
I am the Man( dear God) my conscience cries;  
I fellon-like thee of thine honour robbing,  
Thy laws I preach 
Rom. 2.20.21.22. , thy laws I did despise:  
Tis I thy covenants in my mouth that took,  
Yet reformation hate, and truth forsook.   

25  
grief stopped my speech, and I no more could say;  
Eyes trickling tears, in silence pleads my case:  
Each man doth weep, and acts in my sad play;  
Another Bochim 
●… udg. 2. v. 4.5.  might we call this place:  
Each Israelite there present draws his waters 
Sam. 7.6. ,  
And for my sin before the Lord them scatters.   

26  
Oh Lord respect them, let them up ascend,  
Like morning Incense to thy Graces Throne;  
As wrestling jacob 
●… as. 12.4. , let them mercy bend;  
To show some tokens that thou hearest my mone:  
Thou promisest 
●… al. 34.17.18.  the righteous suits to hear,  
And penitents 
●… sai 40.2.& 49. 〈…〉. 4.7.8. ●… et. 5 6. ●… hn 1.9.  submissive to forbear.   

27  
How haue the prayers of thy Saints been granted,  
Past expectation, or the thoughts of any?  
None e're by faith, with thee was well acquainted,  
But thou reueal'dst to him thy mercies many:  
Both Patriarkes, Prophets, Kings, Disciples, Saints,  
Haue had thine open ears to their complaints.   

28  
In every exigent thou wast their friend;  
In war their shield, in doubts their oracle;  
In sickness, pains, and grief, thou help didst lend;  
Sometimes by means, sometimes by miracle 
●… in. 19.35. ●… d. 14.15.16.17. :  
And though like us, they subject were to sin,  
To hear, heal, help them, thou didst still begin.   

29  
Lord give me leave to strength my weakened faith,  
With the memorials of thy mercies old;  
Onely recounting what thine own truth saith;  
Viewing those patterns in thy book enrolled:  
For what is writ, was writ 
Rom. 15. v. 4.  for my souls saving,  
That faith might free me from foul sins depraving.   

30  
Ist not thy truth, that though our sins be read  
As is the scarlet 
Esa. 1. v. 17, 18. , thou wilt wash them white,  
In that read gore our saviours side did  shed,  
By Romish Souldiers 
Math. 27. Luk. 2 , and the jewish spite?  
Which blood exceeds goates, bulls, sheep, heifers all;  
Which types were once in use to purge sins fall 
Heb. 9.12, 13, 14. .   

31  
Ist not thy truth that sinners 
Math. 11. v. 13. 1 Tim. 1.14, 15.  haue their part  
In grace and mercy, more then haue the just?  
The Publicans that lay there sins to heart,  
No pharisees 
Luk. 18.13, 14.  which in themselves do trust?  
Thou didst not come to heal the whole, but sick 
Mar. 2.17. ;  
Which to thy mercies, not their merits stick.   

32  
Thy coming calls not righteous 
Luke 5.32. Luke 19.10. Luke 4.11. Esay 61.1  to repentance;  
But sinners broken, bruised, heavy hearted;  
just hypocrites with thee haue no acquaintance;  
Nor are thy graces to the proud 
Prou. 16.5. Iam. 4.6. Esay 40.4. 1 Pet. 5.5.  imparted:  
The lofty Cedars fall, the hills thou shakest,  
But lowly vales, full of sweet fruits thou makest.   

33  
The self-conceited just one thou reiectest;  
As full, he loathes thy Manna and thy hony:  
Thou hungry 
Math. 5. v. 3, 4, 5. , lank, lean, thirsty souls respectest;  
And bids them eat, drink 
Esay 55. v. 1. , free without their money:  
Such gaping earths, such dropsy hearts 
Psal. 42.1, 2.  thou fillest,  
As nought can quench, till thou their suits fulfillest.   

34  
Such doves as will not rest, but in each hole  
Of thy pierc'st wounds, or in thy mercies ark;  
Such Pellicans as 
Psal. 6.6.  day and night condole,  
( Not prattling Parrots, or loud singing larks)  
Are thy delights; such Birds as sad parts bears,  
And sing their Lachrymae, thy Spirit cheers.   

35  
Thy Feasts are made, as thou commandest ours,  
For halt, lame, blind, that cannot like requited thee:  
On thirsty ground thy watery dews thou showers;  
That heart which sorrow drinks, doth much delight thee:  
unto the poor thou dost thy gospel preach,  
The humbled heart 
Psal. 25.9.  thou carefully dost teach.   

36  
To th'heauy laden thou dost promise ease 
Math. 11.28. ,  
And call'st for such as feel sins ponderous weight;  
The sacrifice of contrite heart doth please 
Psal. 51.17. ,  
The broken spirit is thy hearts delight:  
With such thou promisest to lodge 
Esay 57.15.  and dwell,  
But lofty proud ones, thou dost hate as hell.   

37  
The bending reede that trembleth at thy wind,  
Shall stand untouched, when stubborn oaks shall fall;  
The couching Cananite dog 
Math. 15.27.28.  shall mercy find,  
When Basan bulls under the Axe shall fall:  
The towering Pines thou'lt level with the ground,  
When petty shrubs shall stand, and flourish sound.   

38  
Nay, thou'lt not quench the flax 
Esay 42.3. Math. 12.20.  that faintly smokes,  
Nor hurt the Reede that is already bruised,  
Nor call his counts, whose tears haue washed thy books;  
Nor him accuse 
1 Cor. 11.31. , that hath himself accused:  
Nor him condemn, that hath himself adiudged,  
Nor book the sins at which his soul hath grudged.   

39  
Nay more, my faith, thy promises 
Mich. 7.18, 19.  assure me,  
That sin repented, shall be clean out razed;  
And more with mercies baits for to 'allure me,  
Behind thy back, thou saist 
Esai 38.17. , mourned sins are placed:  
Or like th' egyptians 
Exod. 14.  drowned in the deeps,  
They shall be bound up in eternal sleeps.   

40  
What though my sins be like the pitchy clouds,  
Thy mercies are the hot reflecting sun 
Mal. 4.2. ;  
The saving shelter, which the humbled shrouds;  
When grief vnties the web 
Repentance lik●… Penelope in the po●…  which sin hath spun:  
I know thou canst blot out what I did writ,  
Since that thy mercies are indefinite.   

41  
Infinite in their number, measure, length,  
Wide as the World, and deep as is the Ocean;  
High as the Heauens, great as is thy strength; 
Psal. 103.11, 12, 1● exod 34.6. jonas 4.2   
Thy power, thy might, enlarged in every motion,  
As far exceeding all my deeds, desires,  
As Seas do drops, as sparks surpassed by fires.   

42  
Each leaf, line, syllable, in sacred writ,  
speaks peace unto the humbled penitent:  
Each letter as a plaster, faith can fit,  
To suppling wounded souls that can relent:  
Each inky tittle doth entitle gladness,  
Each word a fan, to blow away my sadness.   

43  
Thou bidst us ask, and haue 
Math. 7.7. Psal. 50.15. ; to seek, and find;  
knock, call, and cry; thou'lt ope the gates of Grace;  
And wilt incline, and answer to our mind:  
Yea, ere we cry 
Psal. 32.5.  or speak, our sighs 
Psal. 38.9.  haue place:  
Thy grace prevents 
Esai. 30.18. , thou kindlest first zeals fires,  
Which move to pray 
Psal. 10.17. ; then hearest our wished desires.   

44  
These are thine own blessed words, sure, steadfast ever,  
Like laws of Medes and Persians, ever during;  
heaven, Earth, Sun, moon, shal fail 
Math. 24.5 : but they persever,  
sealed, stamped, confirmed, sins grief of grace assuring:  
Nay, blessed God, thou canst as well cease being,  
As be to prostrate soul 
2 Tim. 2.13:  thy grace denying.   

45  

God cannot deny ●… imselfe, nor his ●… ercy to the peni●… ent: for his mercy ●… e himself. Quic●… vid est in Deo est De●… Zanchy de Attrib. ●… ei.  For as to burn, is natural to the fire,  
The air to moisten, and the Seas to flow,  
The Fish to spawn, the Son to come from's Sire;  
The heavenly Lamps on Earth their lights to show:  
Each thing in nature else, his form to follow,  
Grace graft in God, so flows in hearts vnhollow.   

46  
Thou bid'st us come, and meetest us in the way,  
As that kind Father 
Luke 15.20  did his thriftlesse son;  
Yea, if we purpose to confess and pray;  
As Dauids 
Psal. 32.5.  were, our sins away are done:  
whilst we to pray, thou dost prepare to grant,  
This course thou hold'st with every son and Saint.   

47  
Oh hold it Lord with me, with me thy child;  
Though disobedient once, now feare-felt burning 
As the burnt child dreads the fire, so Gods se●uants once overtaken in sin,( as david in lust) ever after fear sin, with al occasions, means& motives leading to sin. See 〈…〉 Cor 7.11. ;  
I am thy Seruant 
Psal. 116.16, , though by sin defiled;  
Thy Son, thy Saint, from Kedars Tents returning:  
sins bolts shooke off, now broken from Sathans jail,  
fly to my Father for his mercies bail.   

48  
Oh bail me, hail me, help me silly dove,  
From Hels fierce gripe, whose sharpened tallens seize me:  
Thou art my God 
Psal. 18.1, 2. , guide, rock, strength, health, life, love;  
Best souls Physician, when sins sores disease me:  
In grief my ioy, in crosses my comforter,  
In pain my balm, in sorrows my supporter.   

49  
Thou my Supporter, how then did I fall?  
If thou my Champion, how then came I wounded? 
The fleshes conflict with the spiri●… concerning the gif●… of grace, and th●… cause of sin.   
At thought of this my spirits do quiter appall;  
My sense is lost, heart plunged, and soul confounded:  
If grace were graft, how did my three decline?  
If Christ were at my feast 
John 2, 3. , how failed my wine?   

50  
How can this be 
Luke 1, 34. , the most blessed Mary said?  
If God be with us,( th'Angell Gideon 
judge. 6.13.   told)  
Whence is this ill? Thus must the sense be laid;  
From God we life, and soul, and motion hold:  
In him we live, how then comes sin to dead us?  
How conquers hell, when Heau'ns Commander lead us?   

51  
If God give grace, why takes he grace away?  
Since his free gifts are 
Rom. 11.29.  firm without repenting;  
We are ruinous houses, he our prop and stay l;  
We fail, or fall, he Graces hand absenting:  
To stand, or fall then, is not in mans power 
every grace is f●… God, both the preventing, renewing working, coworkin●… comforming, an●… confirming grace, see Rom. 9.16. He●… 12.2, Phil. 1.6, Ph●… 2.13. & velle& p●…se a Deo. Vide At●… Enchi. cap. 31. Nole●…tem praeuenit, volen●…tem subsequitur. ,  
One day, one date, one moment, minute, hour.   

52  
Thus pleads frail flesh, thus cauels fond reason;  
Thus wretched wits can wickedly dispute;  
Thus mortal worms, 'gainst heaven commit high treason;  
Whom thou by lightning thunders mightst confute,  
Answ'ring by whirlwinds: but to show thy love,  
Thy word in peace doth parley from above.   

53  
And shows that thou art free, obliged to none;  
Existing, yea, subsisting in thy nature;  
GOD, blessed for ever, ruling all alone;  
Not bound to Angels, Man, or human Creature:  
But free giv'st grace, where, when, to whom thou pleasest,  
Some bound in chains thou leau'st, some chained, thou easest.   

54  
To none indebted, grace or good thou owest;  
But as a free Prince, givest free thy favours:  
On jacob thou, not Esau 
Mal. 1.2. ●… om 9.13.  love bestowest;  
Respectlesse of their age, birth, blood, behaviours:  
East, West, North, South, thy gracious winds do blow 
John 3.8. ,  
The Oceans of thy mercies freely flow.   

55  
As is the Iron in the smiths own hand,  
Wood in the Carpenters 
Rom. 9.20, 21. , i'th Potters day,  
To make their works and wears to fall or stand,  
In form, frame, manner, measure every way,  
As please themselves; so thine own will and pleasure 
Rom. 9.15. ,  
Of all thine acts, is square, and rule, and measure.   

56  
Abel thou hast accepted 
Gen. 4.4, 5. ●… om. 9.11, 12. , cain rejected,  
With both their hearts, aims, offerings, well acquainted;  
The Publicans poor plaints thou hast accepted 
Luk. 18.12.13.14. ;  
refused the pharisees, with his virtues painted:  
Th'vlcerous Lazarus soul thou fetched to glory;  
But send'st the churl to Hell( as saith thy Story 
Luke 16, 22, 23. .)   

57  
Thou softnest whom thou wilt, and hardnest some;  
Withdrawing grace 
Rom. 9.17, 18, 22. 〈…〉. Exod. 33.19. , and drawing others home;  
Some melt like snow, as day some hard become,  
By thy words, burning fire 
jer. 23.29. , thy Graces sun:  
A Pharaohs heart grows hard 
Exod. 9.16. ●… om 9.15.  as steel or flint;  
Iosiahs melts like wax 
2 Chro. 34.27 , takes virtues print.   

58  
As one selfe shower sets wholesome 
Heb. 6, 7, 8  flowers a growing,  
And causes weeds to sproute and spring apace;  
And as rich Nile makes egypt fat by flowing,  
When other torrents broken, the meads deface:  
So selfsame word, by Hermons due( Gods blessing)  
In some works grace, makes some more vild transgressing.   

59  
even as the Winter brooks that swiftly run,  
More break, and swell, and rage, and roar by stoping;  
As shrewd Colts wax more wild, the curb undone;  
As corn grows rank, and faster sprouts by lopping:  
As camomile more spreads, the more 'tis trodden.  
So vain men grow more vicious, more forbodden 
Ruimus in vetitu●… cupimusque negata. .   

60  
Yet stopping's not the cause why Riuers swell;  
Nor cropping, cause the corn grows thick a while;  
Nor ist the loose bit makes the Colt rebel;  
Nor treading cause, why spreads the camomile:  
But in their natures and their properties,  
Is the true cause of these varieties.   

61  
No more is God, nor offered grace by preaching,  
Cause of offences, but corrupted nature,  
And Sathans sleights; when we do hear his teaching,  
We break Gods laws, and leave the blessed creator,  
The onely God, and blessed hope of Creatures;  
As some his Spouse, that lusts on loathed features.   

62  
Doth God cause sin 
Bellarmine ve●y unequal( after h●… manner) charget● our divines with the Ma●iche●s and Libertines, to mak●… God the Author o●… sin. Lib. 2. de Ami●…sione gratiae, c. 3. us 〈…〉 ad c. 8. When indee●… who ever reads M Calu. Inst lib 1. c 1●… c. 18. sect 4 lib. 2 c. 〈…〉 sect 1, 2. His Comments in Gen. c. 〈…〉 v. 21. in Act● 2.23 〈…〉 jac. 1.13. in Exod 〈…〉 21. & alibi, as al●… Peter Martyr in c. 〈…〉 ad Roma.& in loc●… Bez. resp. ad H●sch 〈…〉 ad castle. Aphor. 〈…〉 Zwingl us Serm. d●… prouidentia, he sh●… see( as they are e●…cellently cleared b●… Pareus Contra. be lib 2.) That we ar●… as far from thi●… blasphemy, as an●…quiuocating Iesui●… is from truth; a ca●…nall Cardinal fro●… true Christianity. ? no more then heats cause could,  
Or the bright Sunny beam, the cloudy dark;  
Or shepherds seek the ruins of their fold;  
Or frozen numbnesse comes from fiery spark:  
Or thirst by drinking, or by meate pinched hunger,  
Or waking eyes, the cause of others slumber.   

63  
No, no; sins proper cause is Sathans wil●ss,  
And our sick hearts, which heed his damned illusions,  
When with his sleights the S●rpent so beguiles,  
That we consent to act our own confusions:  
He as sins father 
In eves first sinn●… in Dauids adultery and numbering t●… people, in Iudas h●… treason, in Peter●… denial, there wa●… satan first tempting. ●en 3. fi ●● st●…ring up and exciting. 1 Chro. 21. 1. first filling and entering the hart. jo●. 13 2. first winowing Peter. Luk. 12 31●… , and our hearts the Mother,  
Begets, brings forth sins bastard brat; none other.   

64  
His darts are fire; our natures are the tinder,  
Or as the powder soon inflamed by touching:  
And as the fire grows great by coals or cinder,  
So sin we more by Sathans near approaching.  
As coldest Regions furthest from the sun,  
So most we sin, when fast from God we run.   

65  
Gods absence then, not God 
Si peccani, ego pec●… avi, non fatu, non for●… una, non Diabolus, non Dominus. Aug in Psa. ●… 2. Ber. in Cant. Ser. 〈…〉 6. , is sins main cause,  
As the suins absence is the cause of could.  
To clear this truth, I further add this clause,  
As the true Tenet which the schools do hold 
Ens agit in malo, ●… on agit malè, non a●… it malum. :  
That God he works in sin 
Mala tantum praes●… t, non praedestinat, ●… on facit; bona vero 〈…〉 praestat,& praede●… inat. Aug. lib. 6. Hy●… og. , but no sin worketh,  
And in each sin his secret suffering lurketh.   

66  
In every sin there is Gods hand 
Sciente sinente, per●… ittente, As he per●… itting satan to ●… o into swine. Mat. 〈…〉 .31. So wicked men ●… o fulfil their lusts. , Gods act,  
Both generally, and in his wise disposing 
●ledgects 14 16. Some●… mes also not per●… itting, as in Abi●… ilecks case, Gen. 〈…〉 .6. Senacheribs: Kings 19.28. See ●… al. 205.14. ;  
The power by which we move to every fact,  
That is from God; but not the facts 
God is Ergō syner●… s, A worker in all ●… rts of works, Com●… unis author, non nisi ●… ni fautor. Lipsius li. 〈…〉 c. 20. Videm Mar. 〈…〉.  composing:  
In God we move indeed; but ill to move,  
This comes from Hell, it comes not from above.   

67  
I instance thus: God gives us power to speak;  
But ill to speak, that cometh from the divell;  
To lye, to swear, to rail, or vengeance wreak,  
In graceless, godless terms, unsound, uncivil:  
In Ashdods language, as Saint james doth tell,  
The tongue is merely set on fire by hell 
Sicut naturarum narum optimus cre●… or, ita malarum vo●… ntatum iustissimus ●… dinator. Aug. de cor●… t.& gratia c. 14. .   

68  
To move is Gods; but motion of the body,  
To Iezabels dormant Couch, the Harlots bed;  
As th'Oxe to slaughter 
●… am. 3 6. , as to'th stocks the noddy 
●… rou. 7.22, 23. ;  
As neighing resty jades 
●… er. 5.8. , fat, full, and fed:  
Here satan moves the soul, the flesh he fires  
To these unlawful, lustful, loose desires.   

69  
In all the rest of sins I instance might,  
How in their form, Hell bears the force and sway,  
To move the wrong Irregular from right;  
( Oh bloody motion which the soul doth slay!)  
Yet washed are Gods pure hands, free from our blood,  
Since he dissuades the wrong, persuades the good.   

70  
Which good's from him, the ill is merely ours;  
As in the Horses halt I instance may 
Corpus Deus fecit, morbum non fecit: 〈…〉 nimum similiter fecit, n● peccatum, nimis indo●…tus est, qui vitium n●…turae non decernit ab●… Authore naturae. F●…sil Art. 3. ad Artic. fa●… sò imput. :  
The Horse doth move; this comes from Natures powers,  
The halt comes from disease, or strengths decay:  
feet frettish, splint, or spauen, shoulder straining;  
hoof cloyed, the Farcy, or some humour reigning.   

71  
I further add, that God, in sin committed,  
Disposeth sin unto his further glory;  
Either in mercy when the fault's remitted,  
As to Paul, Peter, or who else are sorry:  
Or else in iustice, when that hardened hearts,  
As erst in sin, in vengeance act their parts.   

72  
And now blessed God, I thank thee for resolving  
This case of conscience, which my heart did trouble;  
I see my doubts, my fears, my faint revolving,  
To turn, to burn, my chaff, my sin, my stubble:  
My sacrificing, and what ere was ill,  
Came from the Serpent, and my wretched will.   

73  
I see thou canst dispose my sin to good, 
Faiths victory.   
And to thy glory, if it please thy Grace;  
Light from my dark, and water from my mud;  
fear from my fall, thou canst extract and place:  
It's in thy power, there wanteth but thy will,  
To cleanse my filth, my soul with faith to fill.   

74  
Its in thy power to purge out all my dross,  
My led, my tin, my leaven, my corruption;  
T'appease my conscience, to recall my loss,  
To build my walls broken down by sins irruption:  
To wash my crimson sins, make white and pure;  
To cleanse my stains and blots, my wounds to cure.   

75  
I know each sin's a sickness, a disease;  
A death, a plague, a pestilent pollution;  
A scab, a skurfe, which on the soul doth seize;  
A guilty thief deserving execution:  
A wound, a wrack, a rotting, rankling sore,  
Which plagues the parts infected more and more.   

76  
I know that lust's a fire, a burning pad;  
envy consuming, as the canker eating;  
unbridled passions, raving, raging mad;  
Ioy, fear, hate, sorrow, need a mad mans beating:  
Anger's a fury 
Ira brevis Flaccus▪ Ira quasi vra ab vrendo. Aristotle calls it {αβγδ}, because of the heat of it. Lib. 1. c. 1 de animalibus; alij affectus apparent, hic imm●net. Seneca. de Ira lib. 1. c. 1.1. , grief's a tormenting gull,  
Wrath's a short frenzy, which makes reason thrall.   

77  
I know the tympany of swelling pride,  
Th'insatiate gulf of avarice, Hell-gaping:  
Two sins that God nor Man could ere abide;  
Th'one soars aloft, on th'earth the other's scraping:  
With all these sins, these sores I haue been festered,  
With other plagues yet now my heart is pestered.   

78  
I now recount my rot hypocrisy,  
When I a putride post 
Ma h. 13.27. , a glow-worm shining,  
By epilepsy 
1 Tim. 4.1. Heb. 6 6.  and apostasy,  
Into a falling sickness soon declining:  
My fall so great, so grievous, that one push,  
My head, my heart, did into cinders rush.   

79  
Ere since my timorous 
A trembling ●e●● a punishment of sin● Deut. 28.65. Psal. 55.4.  heart( like lurking lark,  
Ore whom the Hobby daires) doth trembling quake;  
As needles touched with loadstone in nights dark,  
Till to the North they rest, do move, and shake:  
By dart of deadly sin my spirit is wounded,  
My soul is sadded, and each sense confounded.   

80  
But thou hast Gileads balm, and Mercies oil,  
Which can heal more then Sathans sting can hurt.  
Ile up with Moab to this blessed spoil;  
up, up my soul, why lagg'st thou still in dirt?  
There's corn in egypt 
Gen. 43.2. , and my Ioseph's there;  
There's grace with God, to give it he'll not spare.   

81  
Why do we hear the leprous Lazars cry 
2 Kings 7 3.4. ?  
Sore prest and pinched with hunger, thirst, and could?  
Toth' Tents of foes, rather let's go, then die;  
On which resolving, they were happy bold.  
Then why do I stand here? since I more needing  
Thy mercies, then thy meat, my wounds fresh bleeding.   

82  
Lord here I hunger, and I need thy feeding;  
Oh give me crumbs, I ask not childrens bread 
Math. 15. 26.27.2●… .  
Oh had I faith, I know I should be speeding;  
But faith is lost, and fear is come in stead:  
Lord give me faith, that once I may beleeue,  
And then I know, more then I ask, thou'st give.   

83  
Oh faith, the souls bright eye 
John 12.46. , thou lamp of light;  
Thou sun of stars, thou queen, thou Lady blessed 
The praise and power of faith. ;  
princess of graces, all with Iemmes bedight;  
Concomitate with ioy 
1 Pet. 1.8. Rom. 5.1. , hope, peace, and rest:  
Heauens eldest Daughter, coming from above,  
Mother of fear, repentance 
mark 1.15. , prayer 
Ro. 10.14. , and love 
Gal. 5.6. .   

84  
Thou dost refine, revive 
●… ohn 5.24. c. 11.26. , and purge the heart;  
Freest from the Law 
●… om. 8.2. 1 Tim. 1.9 , the judge, the jail, the curse;  
From guilt of sin, from death, and deadly smart;  
From all contrived judgements, Hell makes worse:  
From wrath, from woe, from feared condemnation,  
The soul assuring of sins 
●… sal. 32.1, 2  condonation.   

85  
The helm 
●… phe. 6.16 , the hammer, to keep off, beate down  
Hels fiery darts 
1 Pet. 5.8 , strong Achillean shield;  
Which all Gods Worthies 
Heb. 11.33, 34 , warriors of renown,  
Against the World 
〈…〉 John 5.4. , Flesh, divell, did ever wield:  
The victory and trophies of the just,  
In every cross and storm 
Esai. 28.16  their Anchors trust.   

86  
The hand that knits the matrimonial band,  
spiritual contract 
〈…〉 Cor. 12, 12  twixt the soul and God;  
The Charter which we haue 
John 3.16. ●… ebb 10.39  to Canaans Land;  
Our claim to bliss, sealed evidence: Aarons rod,  
Still budding, blooming, working miracles 
Math. 17.20. ,  
Grounded on truth of sacred Oracles.   

87  
The way 
●… ohn 3.16  to life, as saith the Life the Way;  
The just Mans life 
Hab. 2.4. , by which in Christ 
Gal. 2.19.  he lives,  
As natural branches 
●… ohn 15.5, 6  in the Vine do stay:  
And as the Vine to's branches life still gives,  
So Christ to us, on whom by faith w'are grounded,  
As is the house on corner ston 
〈…〉 Pet. 2.6, 7  sure founded.   

88  
Oh holy Faith which justifies 
Gal. 2: 16  the sinner!  
And makest of stones, hell brands, blessed Abrahams sons 
Gal. 3.7.9 ;  
Faith, ground of things unseen 
●… hn 1.12 , the souls refiner,  
That fill'st with suins faire light our Earthly moons:  
Thou golden cord which draws the Lord from high,  
To dwell in hearts 
Heb. 11.1  which faith doth purify 
Ephe. 3.16 Acts 15.9 .   

89  
Oh Faith, which to each promise titleth all!  
And freest each captive soul 
Math. 9.29 Gal. 3.23.  from Sathans chains;  
To Christ unites 
Gal. 5, 6  rich, poor, bond, free, great, small:  
Oh that no dram of thee in me remaines!  
Oh Lord thou canst do in me 
Math. 13.58.  no great works,  
Whilst in my heart great unbelief close lurks.   

90  
I know, nor Prayers, nor orisons, nor tears,  
Nor cries, nor sighs prevail 
Tit. 1.15. , where faith is wanting;  
Impure 
Esai. 7.9. , unsure the heart, stopped are Gods ears;  
Dead, dulled the soul, grace unbelief supplanting:  
As croak of toads, wolves howl, lambs bleat, snakes hissing,  
Are sacrifices all 
Esay 1.11.12.13. Ose. 12.11. jer. 7.8.9. , if faith be missing.   

91  
Let harlots vow, let Esaus salt tears flow 
Heb. 12.17. ;  
Let Iudas 
Math. 27.3, 4. , Ahab 
1 Kings 21.27. , counterfeits repenting:  
Let Papists, Pagans, pharisees, alms 
Ma●h. 6.2.  bestow,  
Let Herod hear 
mark 6.20. , Iewes 
Psal. 78 34.35, , Saul 
1 Sam. 15.24. , pretend relenting:  
All these are legal, servile, as dead trunk,  
Wanting Faiths soul, haue in Gods nostrils stunk.   

92  
Oh Lord enkindle and increase 
Luk. 17.5.  my faith;  
In part Lord I beleeue 
mark 9.24. , help unbelief:  
Oh ope mine ear, to hear what the Spirit 
revel. 2.11.  saith;  
To clasp grace preached to me, of sinners 
1 Tim. 1.15.  chief:  
For since thou callest all 
Math. 11.28. revel. 3.20.  I am included,  
From thy check roll, let me not be secluded.   

93  
Lord stay thy wrath, and cease thy frowning anger;  
Correct me as my Father, not my judge 
Psal. 6.1.2.3.   
Thy frowne's a flaming furnace, full of danger;  
Iustice to hell 
revel. 21.8. , might make me headlong trudge:  
Oh give me here my quittance, make me clear,  
Else how shall I at last dayes doom appear?   

94  
When sun shall be eclipsed 
●… th. 24.29.  moon lose her light;  
Heauens melt as wax 
●… et. 2.10,& 12 , the Earth dried up and burned;  
Thy troops attendant 
●… th. 24.31 , thousand Angels bright;  
The World dissolved, and unto nothing turned:  
The great Archangels trump 
Cor. 15.52  the dead reviving,  
Sheep, Goats, before Christ standing 
●… h. 24.32, 33, ; Iudgment given.   

95  
Lord, what shall I then do before thy bar,  
unable for to answer mine accusing?  
The least of sins from heaven may me debar;  
Chiefly mine unbelief 
〈…〉 belief& im●… ency, being ●… s against grace the gospel, of●… God far more 〈…〉 all the brea●… of the Law. , thy grace refusing:  
Oh plant betimes thy graces in my heart,  
That with thy Saints in ioy 
●… der well Heb. 2. 〈…〉 c. 10 28. ●… e 21 28. 〈…〉. 26  I may haue part.   

96  
My weakness caused my fall, my fall my sin;  
My sin my shane 
jacob obtained blessing, cloa●… with the g●r●… ts of his elder ●… ther. Gen. 27.15. , which now my face doth cover;  
Thy mercies garment for my guilts foul skin,  
Lord please to give, to grant; my faults pass over:  
Cloath me with wedding 
●… e f●ithful cloa●… in the robes of ●… sts righteous●… e, obtain mer●… ●rom God the ●… r.  robes out of thy merit,  
That from the same I blessings may inherit.   

97  
Lord let me find thy goodness in thy power,  
As samson found in lion 
●… dges 14.8  hony sweet;  
On my hearts heath, some drops of grace down shower;  
look on thy plaintiff, prostrate at thy feet:  
condemn no further, stay thine execution,  
To punish twice, tis not thy resolution.   

98  
I once am judged within my Conscience Court;  
accused, convict 
〈…〉 Cor. 11.21. ●… hrist at last re●… es himself to mourning soul, ●… ee did to wee. , in sorrows prison penned:  
Lord judge no more; release, relieve, support  
My burd'ned heart: let comforts now be sent.  
blessed be thy name 
Mary Magda●… and to afflicted 〈…〉 in Pathmos. , I comforts now am feeling,  
Thy sun now shines, thy Spirit is ioy revealing.   

99  
Then up my soul, thy sentinel now calleth;  
The voice 
Cantic Cha. 2 , the word, the bridegroom bids me come:  
Awake, arise, to sleep 
1 Thes. 5.2.3  it small availeth;  
Since day draws nigh of dire and deadly doom.  
The night of sin is past, the Serpent Death  
creeps close to sting, and stop my vital breath.   

100  
Oh happy stop, that stays the course of sin!  
Oh gaining loss! oh living, dying life!  
Oh stinglesse Serpent! do thy worst, Ile win;  
Thy darts are deadly, yet they stint my strife:  
And when through Deaths deep Sea thou row'st me over,  
My Heau'ns faire haven shall I soon discover.   

Death opes Heauens door; In goes my soul to rest,  
In Abrahams bosom, blessed: for ever blessed.    
FINIS.