Englands Hallelujah, Hymns 1
Englands Hallelu-jah.
1.
MY thankefull heart and hand doe vndertake
To write, indite, some holy heauenly Song;
Some sacred Song of LoueLove and Land to make
Which may to Englands Lord alone belong:
O that my Pen were prompt as that sweet writers,
That sacred, sugred, Kingly Praise-Inditers!
2.
O, euerliuing, euerlouing, Lord,
Father of Mercies, Fountaine of all Grace;
Whose noble Name and Fame, Heauen, Earth, record
Glorious in Heauen, in Earth, in eueryevery Place:
Who art farre fairer in thy beauteous praise,
Than is the Sun, in all his brightest rayes.
3.
Thou art most glorious in the Worlds Creation,
Wherein are various Workes of wonder showne;
But, much more glorious in Mans Restauration,Gods Me… cies.
Wherein was Mercies-Miracle well knowne:
Thy workes (ô Lord) indeed are wondrous great,
But yet, thy Mercies must hauehave supreme seate.
4.
The Heauens declare thy handy-workes, ô Lord,
1. To Man.The Earth is full of Creatures admirable;
The Sea, a Sea of Wonders doth affoord,
Full fraught with Fishes, huge, innumerable;
But yet thy LoueLove to Man amongst them all,
I iustly most admire, and euer shall.
5.
Man, out of Dust (base dust) at first created,
Yet after thy blest Image, blestly made;
Man, Lord of all thy Creatures ordinated,
Man, by them all, in Earth, Aire, Sea, obay'd:
Yet, Man, by Pride and Hells malignity,
Deprau'd of Blisse, Depriu'd of's Royalty.
6.
To Man, much blest, in his pure Generation,
To Man, most curs'd, in his Degenerous-case;
2. To the elect in generall.To Man, best blest, in his Re-generation,
By Christ, Mans sole Peace-maker, Spring of Grace:
To Man (I say) and of all Men, to Those,
Whom, Hee, by Faith, to be his Flocke hath chose.
7.
And, of all These, to VsUs his Little-flocke,
To VsUs (I say) his English-Israelites;
3. To vsus of England in particular.To VsUs, ingrafted, on, old Israels stocke,
And to Our Land of Goshen; whom the frights
Of forreine Foes and home-bred Enemies,
By force and fraud, hauehave, oft, sought to surprise.
8.
Thy LoueLove (ô Lord) I say, to Our poore Nation,
Beside Spirituall-Graces, largely giuen;
Thy Word and Sacraments, Food of Saluation,
The best High-way for vsus to walke to Heauen:
Thy many Temporall Protections great,
From all the dangers, which fell Foes did threat.
9.
From all the Terrours of our Foes without vsus
From all the Horrours of our Foes within;
From all that rose against vsus, round about vsus,
From Truth, to Errour, vsus to worke and win:
This thy great LoueLove, our great Deliuerance,
This, would my gratefull Voyce and Verse aduance,
10.
That (maugre all the might and spight of Spaine,
And Antichristian Balaam of Rome,)Balaam of Rome.
Thou hast and wilt thy Churches right maintaine,
And turne Romes Curses to hir owne dire doome:
Blessing, whom he would Curse, crossing the hate,
Of Spaines proud Amalecke, that Scourge of State.Amalecke of Spain… ▪
11.
And, as hard hearted Pharaoh and his Traine,
In Aegypt, by Gods fearefull Plagues, oft, smarted;
But, still his Goodnesse Goshen did sustaine:
And to his people Light and LoueLove imparted:
Propping, protecting These with sweet aspection,
Cropping, Correcting Those, with foule infection.
12.
Euen so proud-hearted Antichrist of Rome,
And …is Crowne-thirsting Paramour of Spaine,
Heauens, iust displeasure hath with heauy doome
Oft, foyled, spoyled, with their impious Traine:
Our English-Goshen being still protected,
Such was his Goodnesse, So, hee vsus affected.
13.
Witnesse, ô euer witnesse, may those dayes,
Those Malcyon-Dayes of sweet Eliza's Raigne;
Eliza, worthy Englands endlesse praise,Queen… …lizabeth▪
That Friend to Faith, That Scourge to Rome, & Spaine:
All present, past, and future Ages Glorie,
Worthy prime Place and Grace in datelesse Storie.
14.
By whom, the Lord so many wonders wrought,
To whom the Lord so great deliuerance gaue;
For whom in their owne Snares hir Foes he caught,
In whom his Church (poore Church) he oft did saue:
By wondrous, glorious, world-admir'd protection,
Such was to Hir and Hirs, Heauens firme affection.
15.
Witnesse (I say) the Treasons ofte contriued
Bishop of Chi…ester in his Thākfull Remē brance.By Westmerland, Northumberland, and Poole;
Stukely, and f…lse Mendoza; yet none thriued,
For Heauen did see, and smile, and Them befoole;
That impious person Parsons, Irish-Sanders,
Campian, Romes Champion, All full fraught with slaunder▪
16.
Troupes of Traitors.Creitons Torne-Papers, Allines impudence,
Englefields Plott, and Rosses enterprise,
Parries pernicious practis'd Jnsolence,
Sauages sauage plotted Villanies:
Babingtons barbarous Treason, Percies Spleene,
And Iewish Lopez, All to kill That Queene.
17.
Throgmorton, Stafford, Stanly, and Tyrone,
Implacable Conspiratours, were, All;
Like Sampsons Foxes tyde by th' Tailes in One,
All ranne like Fire-brands fierce to worke the fall
Of that rare Queene, Christs Church to ruinate,
As Reuerend Carleton sweetly doth relate.
18.
Some sought and wrought, with Poisons, Pistolls fierce,
Romes Rhetoricke.With Daggers, Daggs, and such like Instruments;
Hir harmelesse Heart iniuriously to pierce,
Some by Rebellions aym'd at foule Intents:
All aym'd, amisse, and All did misse the White,
And Law and Vengeance payd them All their right.
19.
But, if you'l see, Sisera's Pride at height
Against that English Deborah most sweet;
And how the Lords strong Arme did for Hir fight,Spaines Armado. 1588.
Behold it in his Eighty-Eights great Fleet:
His great Armado, shipps most huge and tall,
Which, Hee, Inuincible did fondly call.
20.
This Fleete did floate vponupon our English Seas,
With This, he had euen swallowed vp, in hope,
Our Albions Iland, Nothing, Les…e, could please
The hungry Appetites of Spaine and Pope:
And This fierce Force, and factious Parts within,
Promis'd, assu…'d, they should the Conquest win.
21.
Thus Phillip hauing with insulting Pride,
On eueryevery part, beset vsus with his power;
Gaping (but fondly gaping) eueryevery tyde,
Our Liues and Lands like Quicke-sands to deuoure:
Euen then, the Wooden-walles of Jericho,
The breath and blast of Gods wrath downe did blow.
22.
Then did the Lord, arise a Lord of Hoasts,
And all our Foes disperse and dissipate,
Then did he drench and drowne their Spanish boasts,Mr. Wardes Difflo, Dissipo.
And to vsus did their Captaines captiuate:
The raging waues their ships did sinke and batter,
And all their formidable Forces scatter.
23.
Then was our Englands Deborah most deare,
(By Gods all-potent power, all-patent Grace)
Made most triumphant ouer foes and feare,
Heauen did from Hir, proud Sisera quite chace:
The starres in order, windes, waues, seem'd to fight,
To vindicate hir Innocence and Right.
24.
Thus, for that time, th' insatiate thirst of Spaine,
Was quenched, to his cost and high disgrace;
Most of his mighty shippes spoil'd, sunke and ta'ne,
Those that escap't, crept home in shamefull case:
But spight of Home-bred Traitors, forreine Foes,
Eliza liu'd and dy'd a fragrant Rose.
25.
This was the Lord; Let thankefull hearts declare it,
For, tis exceeding wondrous in our Eares;
That yeere of Eighty-Eight, ô neuer spare it,
To blaze the praise of That yeere, all thy yeeres:
Let English Isre'll, sing and say all wayes,
Not vntounto vsus, but to the Lord be prayse.
26.
But, what? had Romes inueterate spight and spleene
King Iames.An End, with sweet Elizaes blessed End?
Oh no: King Iames succeeding that faire Queene,
Against Him, they their Plotts againe did bend:
The Cause continuing workes the same Effect,
And Spayne and Rome their Dagon must erect.
27.
Then, for th' aduancement of their Cath'like-Cause,
Romes apish Popish Priests are firebrands, first,
Watson and Clarke.VVatson and Clarke, encourage, with applause,
A Romish-proiect, Treason most accurst:
But, if you'll see a Mapp of All, in One,
Looke on their Pouder-Plot, oh There tis showne.
28.
A Plott of Treason, hatched, first, in Hell,
The Papists Pouder-Plott. 1605 No. 5.I meane the Hell of Romish He…rts most base;
Bred and brought forth, by Men, like furies fell,
Incarnate Diuels, onelyonly Men in face:
Nourisht, and cherisht, by Romes Man of Sinne,
By Whom, all Treasons End or else Begin.
29.
A Treason 'twas, transcending all compare,
Though True, yet Strange to all Posterity;
Such, as whose fulnesse, foulenesse to declare,
Would seeme t' exceed the bounds of Verity:
Yea, no true story from Earths first Creation,
Could ere relate so curs'd a Coniuration.
30.
A Priest was Prouost in this foule designe,
Hellish incarnate Garnet, this was He;
He prompts, prouokes, The Earth to vndermine,Garnet the Jesuite.
And with Gun-Pouder, then, It, stuft must be:
Wherwith, King, Queene, Prince, Prophets, Peeres, & All,
Should with One Blow, hauehave had One fatall fall.
31.
The mixture of Nocents with Innocents,
Would nought availe; All should hauehave drunke One Cup;
High, Low, Rich, Poore, None were impediments,Nocents & Innocents.
With Pouder, All, at Once had bin Blowne vp:
Hearts worse then Neroes, voide of mercy quite,
Whole Kingdomes Heades, at One stroake, off to smite.
32.
But our supernall Isre'ls Shepheard good,
Who neuer sleepes nor slumbers o're his flocke,
Close by vsus (by his Prouidence) then, stood;
He sate, and saw, and smil'd, and them did mocke:
Turning the Counsell of Achitophell,
Into mad Folley, Folly fecht from Hell.
33.
And, in the Snare, which they for vsus had made,
Perillus-like, Themselues were iustly snared;
Our Soules did by Gods goodnesse, safe euade,
Whilst They, amongst themselues, their mischiefe shared:
Haman, and all his Popish impious Fellowes,
Were hanged, All, vponupon their owne high Gallowes.
34.
Oh here were Worke for endlesse Meditation,
To make the thankefull Heart breake forth in Praise;
With fire of zeale and holy exultation,
To liue, to louelove, …nd laud the Lord alwayes:
His endlesse, boundlesse Goodnesse to proclaime,
And cause our Childrens Children doe the same.
35.
But yet, ô English heart, goe one with me,
And taste and see that God was yet more gracious;
His neuer-emptied Hands still forward, free,
To fill thy Soule, with blessings, specious, spacious:
Blacke-Fryers.To leaue Blacke-Fryers fatall fearefull doome,
A Type of Justice on the Rabble of Rome.
36.
Whose circumstances, (yet) considered right,
May iustly moue vsus to admire the Lord,
In all his workes of wonder, grace and might,
And matter of much thankefulnesse afford:
To see Romes forward Pride and Impudence,
By Gods owne Hand, receiue due recompence.
37.
Nouembers 5t. with VsUs, Their Pouder-Plott;
Memorable Notes.Nouembers 5t. with Them, Their Fatall Fall:
In This, or Plott or Pouder, there was not,
No Pouder. No Plott.In This and That, GODS Finger seene to All:
This to disgrace, That, to destroy our Church,
But in Them Both, Heauen left them in the Lurch.
38.
In That, They sought our guiltlesse blood to spill,
But Wee escapt and They were paid with Blood;
In This, Themselues were Authours of their ill,
Whiles They, our Gods and Nations Lawes withstood:
Their woefull Ends, I meddle not withall,
For, Both, did to their Mr. stand or fall.
39.
But, leauing Them (I say) to God most iust,
And yet most gracious, to true Penitents;
I, yet a little farther leade thee must,
To see Gods LoueLove, in yet more large extents:
That so thy, Heart, with Dauids may say well,
Truly the Lord is good to Israell.
40.
O whoso'ere had (not long since) but ey'd,
Of True Religion, the strange tottering state;1623.
How Hollow Hearts ('mongst vsus) swamme with the tyde,
How Popish Priests durst boldly to vsus prate:Romish Foxes came out of their Holes.
Out-beard, out-braue vsus, yea and to our face
Contest, contend, Christs Gospell to disgrace.
41.
Who ere (I say) did This, then see, did say,
Or (at least) Feare, Religion was nigh dead;
That all hir Beauty, almost buried lay,
Romish Recusants had got such a Head:
And, quite (all most) to let Hopes Life-blood out,
See, what, it pleased the Lord to bring about.
42.
Our (then) Prince Charles, our staffe of future ioy,
Now, vnderunder God, the Crowne of our Content;Prince Charles in Spaine.
VntoUnto our sodaine, All-suppos'd annoy,
From Albion faire, to blacke Iberia went:
Our Day was darkned with the Fogges of Spaine,
… quite disheartned, till it clear'd againe.
43.
Our Pearle of peerelesse price, was lockt vp fast,
In a polluted Cabinet, too-sure;
Ouer our Sunne, a Spanish Cloud was cast,
Which did our English Light, delight, obscure:
(VnderUnder pretext of a mis-matched Match)
Till Matchiuill of Rome and Spaine could hatch
44.
Could hatch (Isay) their Egges of Policie,
To winde and binde to Theirs, Our Church and State;
To weaue Their Webbe of Europes Monarchie,
Wherein, They (then) seem'd workemen fortunate,
So cunningly They had contriu'd each thing,
That Hope and Hap, seem'd Both, to Crowne them King.
45.
Spaines *As, one most wittily did Anagra matize on the Name of GondamoreRomane Dog, that sly Fox-Populj,
With Craft, lay closse, his Egges to heat and hatch;
His M•, on Ambitions Horse, did hie,
No lesse, than our Great Britaines Crowne to catch:
But, when This thought himselfe safe set i'th' Saddle,
His haste, made waste, Tothers Egges All, prou'd addle.
46.
Gods Goodnesse and Wisedome ouer-matched Machiuil of Spain.Our God, (good God) Those Machiuillians great,
In their owne Counsels, strangely did besot;
His louelove to vsus, made them, themselues to cheat,
What they had got, they stupidly forgot;
What they so long did long for, thirst, affect,
Then, put vponupon them, they did slight, neglect.
47.
O, heere, I cannot, but admire, adore,
The wondrous Wisedome of the Lord, alone;
Oh, heere, I may not easily passe-ore,
The Contemplation of Gods mercy showne
To England, happy England, in This Act
Of Mercy, wherein, Many are compact.
48.
For, first, Had Spaine, like Saul, his Micholl wedded
Sauls Michol, Spains Infanta.To our deere Dauid, We had wedded bin
To many Woes, of All-Wisemen (then) dreaded,
By false fain'd Friends, meere Foes, without, within:
What might That Saul hauehave car'd t'haue spar'd a Daughter?
Whereby he thought t'hau… wrought good Dauids slaughter.
49.
Some Troian-Horse, by Spaines Pelasgan Art,
With sacred shew, our Kingdome might hauehave entred;
A Spanish Fleet (at least) t'vphold the part,
Of vrged Reformation had bin ventred:
A Fleet (I say) full fraught with arm'd protectio…,
To bring the Puritans to due subiection.
50.
Againe, had Spaine ne're meant to make the Match,
(As that's most sure) yet, had they still protracted,
Protested, vow'd, aduantage (still) to watch,
(Which part they oft hauehave finely, falsely, acted)
With sly delayes, t'haue wyer-drawne their wiles;
What might they not hauehave wrought on vsus, the whiles?
51.
Might they not, thus (at least) hauehave bound our hands,
From least assistance to our Neighbour-Friends;
Till they had ouer-run the Netherlands,
And eueryevery where obtained their proud Ends:
Whilst we (alas) stood looking at all This,
And, in Them, saw, for VsUs, Rods laid in pisse.
52.
Oh then, that royall King and Queene of Hearts,
Bohemiaes Princely Paire and pleasant Plants,
Had found Afflictions added to their smarts▪
Had then bin drown'd in helpelesse woes and wants:
Had bin a prey fit for those hungry Iawes,
…hich, long, had gap'd to gripe them in their Pawes.
53.
Then, oh then had Religion restlessely,
And helpelessely, yea hopelessely bin baited;Venatio Catholica.
Then Edoms Sons had raisd a cruell Cry,
Like bloody Blood-Hounds vndefatigated:
'Downe with it, downe with it, euen to the ground,Psalme 13…
'…et no memoriall of it, ere, be found.
54.
But see, oh see, how our good God arose,
Like a most glorious Sun with gracious Rayes;
At whose vp-rise, that monstrous Cloud of woes,
Was quite dispel'd, disperst; And to Heauens praise,
Those threatned stormes of Spaines, Romes Raine & thunder,
Were turn'd into a Calme to our great wonder.
Prince Charles returned out of Spaine.55.
For why, Gods LoueLove, led, yea pull'd-forth our Prince,
From Spaines foule Fogges: So that our Sun most faire
Hath clearely, cheerely, on vsus, euer since
Shined, and shut-out all our deepe despaire:
Sodainely, sweetly, to our admiration,
He came to vsus, to our Hearts exultation.
56.
He came, came safely, yea, he solely came,
Solely (I say) free from all Spanish voake;
Yea, which is most and best, (blest be Gods name)
He came vntainted of least smell of smoake,
Of Romish, Spanish Coales of Heresie,
Gods Grace did guide, guarde, his Sincerity.
57.
The Prince in Spaine. Ioseph in Egypt.Yea, Hee (with Ioseph) seem'd to before-sent,
Into That Egypt by his God and King;
Those many growing Mischiefes to preuent,
Which through all Europe, ranke began to s…ring:
To shield vsus from a Famine, not of Bread,
But of Gods Word, which most men, most did dread.
58.
For why? Romes S…uen Lanke-Headed hungry Beast,
Hungring for Blood, yea Blood of Gods blest Saints;
Had his deuouring Rage, so much encreast,
And our faire Peace brought to so hard constraints,
That all our former Full-felicity,
Was nigh deuourd, throughout all Germany ▪
59.
But, as I sayd, What our false feares of strife,
Like Iosephs Brethren, did misterme, mistake;
And what Spaine, Rome, like Potiphars base Wife,Spaine and Rome, Potipha…s Wife.
Wrought on good Joseph, spoile of him to make:
That did the Lord conuert to our great good,
And well he went, as then our Cases stood.
60.
Oh England, England, VVhat canst Thou repay?
VVhat Retribution hast Thou for thy God?
Thy God, who, Thus, hath bin thy staffe and stay,
And freed Thee, thus, from Spanish, Romish, Rod:
From cruell Men, which are Gods Sword, indeed,
VVhose Mercies are but Mischiefes bloody Seed.
61.
O what canst thou to God, thy God, repay?
VVhichWhich wondrously, Life out of Death hath brought;
Light out of Darkenesse, from blacke Night, bright Day,
VVhichWhich from such Bondage, hath such Freedome wrought:
VVhichWhich hath thy stooping, drooping, Heart reuiued,
And of their impious Ends thy Foes depriued.
62.
A thankefull Heart, Gods mercies oft to minde,
A thankefull Tongue to preach abroad his praise;A triple, true Tha…esgiuing.
A helpefull Hand, to his poore Members kinde,
This triple-Tye, is All; yea, This, a…waies,
He most expects, he best respects, requires,
This p…yes all Debts, This props all new de…ires.
63.
VVith holy Dauid, thankefully to take
The Cup of Sauing Health, to blesse the Lord;
Recitall, is Requitall thou must make,
His many Mercies, to recount, record:
Yea, All his Blessings, oft, to ruminate,
Is thy best meanes, Then to remunerate.
64.
But, how vnthankefull, England, hast Thou bin,
For These, all these, Gods Mercies vntounto Thee?
Englands Ingratitude.Amongst thy many others, This One Sin,
Of grosse Ingratitude, may iustly be
A woefull witnesse, how thou hast neglected,
Thy God, and all his Goodnesse, disrespected.
65.
How bruitishlie, how like a sottish Swine.
Hast thou, the Akornes of Gods mercies free,
Simile.Most rudelie rauen'd vp, Ne're cast thy Eyne,
Vp to the Oke of Grace, Life-giuing Tree:
Of Gods meere Mercy, Bounty, whence alone
All these great Goods, like Floods, hauehave to thee flowne
66.
How-farre vnlike the little Chickin, gratefull,
Another.VVhichWhich, eueryevery drop it drinkes, lookes vp to Heauen,
As if, by Nature, taught to hold most hatefull,
Ingratitude, euen for least Blessings giuen:
But Thou, than any Creature, more vnkind,
Gods many, mighty Gifts, blot'st out of minde.
67.
For, whereas Hee hath Loaded Thee with LoueLove,
(VVitnesse those wondrous Mercies, pre-recited)
Plenteouslie poured, showred from Aboue,
OnelyOnly because his LoueLove in thee delighted:
Yet Thou, thy Lord hast Loadèd with thy Crimes,
VVith Sins transcending Those of elder Times.
68.
And, as himselfe, b…'s Prophet doth complaine,
Amos 2.13.He, like a Cart, prest downe with she…ues of Corne:
Long time, hath scarce bin able to sustaine
The waight of thy innumerous sins forborne;
Forborne (I say) with wondrous patience,
Not laying on thee Sins due recompence.
69.
VVith such paternall Longanimity,
Each day, weeke, monethmonth, yea Yeare by yeare expecting
Thy due Conuersion, with Sincerity,
Thy Soules saluation Fatherlike affecting:
But all in vaine his gracious expectation
VVas frustrate still, by thy ill prouocation.
70.
So that (as by another Prophet, Hee,
Protests) Hee is most wearie of Repenting;…eremie 15.6.
And can, no longer, linger, patient be,
From strict, exact, iudiciall, Conuenting
Of England and hir Sonnes foule sinnes before him,
VVho thus forgat, for's Goodnesse to adore him.
71.
And since the Musicke, of his mercies sweet,
Could neither thy dull Heart, nor deafe Eares charme;
To cause thee with due Laud his LoueLove to greet,
And so preuent, th' euent of future harme:
Therefore the Thunder of his Iudgements fierce,
He now doth vow, thy Heart shall plague and pierce.
72.
His prudent Iustice therefore thought not fit,
To Cockney or to Cocker thee in Sinne;
VVith too indulgent Silence, still, to sit,
But now to iudge thee iustlie will begin:
For stroakes of LoueLove, to giuegive thee stripes of wo…',
To make thy Cup with bitternesse oreflow.
73.
VVhichWhich, how effectually it came to passe,
Oh London, London, Thou canst witnesse be;The las… great Plague.
VVhen thy incensed God did (late) alas,
VVith a fierce Plague, in iustice vifite thee:
Thy Beauty into Baldnesse quicklie turning,
Sweet tunes into sad tones; Mirth into mourning
74.
If euer Ieremies loud Lamentation,
For Captiuated Salems pitteous plight,
Londons lamentable Estate.…id, in a Cittie, find equiparation,
VVere personated, pattern'd-out, most right:
Oh then, who Salems sorrow heard or knew,
Might thereby Londons loud Lamentings view.
75.
London, I say, which (as Ierusalem)
VVas Queene and Lady of all other Citties;
Great Britaines Pride and precious Diadem,
A Subiect fit fot Panegyricke Ditties:
This faire Metropolis, obiect of Eyes,
Abiect, by sinne, fild with sad Elegies.
76.
How didst thou London, solitarie sit,
VVhi…h formerly with people full wast fild?
How didst thou London, sadly Widow it,
Who wast of Prouinces, the Princesse held?
How didst thou waile all day, weepe sore all night,
Both night and day thy Cheekes with teares bedight
77.
Yea, how wast thou, by thine owne Sonnes forsaken,
How were thy neighbouring Friends become thy Foes?
By frights and feares how wast thou ouertaken?
Oh hovv hadst thou want added to thy woes:
At home, by Epidemicke Plague, infected,
Abroad, b' vnhospitable Friends neglected.
78.
Thy Gates and Streets most desolately left,
Gods fierce Destroying Angell smiting dead;
Whereby were Thousands of their liues bereft,
Thy Priests and People from thee frighted, fled,
Thy Priests (I say) whose piety and Pittie
Should hauehave redrest, and drest thy wounded Cittie.
79.
But These and Those like heartlesse Harts were fled,
Spirituall Plastures, Pastures thee denying;
Nothing more heard than Knells of Bells for Dead,
And cryes of Watery-Eyes for friends a dying:
For Friends, yea Fathers, whom they durst not see,
Nor, as they would or should, assistant be.
80.
Oh, who is able rightly to relate,
Thy sad thy bad condition to condole;
When Death-Tryumphant sate in Chaire of State,
When his Dead-wounding Weapon, Sicke and whole;
Yea Poore and Rich did to the Graue annexe,
Without distinction of or Age or Sexe.
81.
When nought was heard, but loud alarm's for death,
When nought was seene but Trophies of his Spoiles
When nought was felt or found but stifled breath
To put a period to Liues restlesse Toyles:
VVhen all our Gallants-Coaches gaue large roome
For ghastly-Coarses passage to the Tombe.
82.
VVhen Tombes into wide-gaping Pitts were turned,
VVhen wearing-Cloathes were Coffins made for many;Bishop Hall in his Sermon of Thankesgiuing.
VVhen Parents, Children, Youngmen, Maides, All mourned,
VVhen All were frighted, free from Feare not Any:
VVhenas, instead of Signes, each Houses doore
A Red-Crosse and a Mournefull-Motto wore.
83.
VVhen buried Bodies in their Beds of Clay,
VVere piled-vp on heapes, like Fagot-stackes;
VVhere All they mingle, None they single lay,
Yea, some Dead Corps due Dormitorie lackes:
VVhen None suruiu'd, but might with Dauid say
Thousands, Ten Thousands, Dead about him lay.
84.
VVhen thus (I say) thy Citty populous,
By that fierce Epidemicall destruction,
Wa… made, all most, a Desert ruinous;
A Golgotha, a Chaos o… Corruption:
When passions and Compassions reluctation,
Was tenter'd-vp to highest aggrauation.
85.
When these, all these, yea more than these mishaps
Came flocking, fl…wing, flying, round about thee;
Besides, worse feares, of yet-worse After claps,
When horrou…s, terrours, were within, without thee:
When …uery minute, eueryevery Man did looke,
From hopelesse Life, to be soone snatch'd and tooke.
86.
The…, oh, euen then, London, like Niniuie,
In …able Sack-cloth, sobbing, sighing, satt;
In Fasts and Prayers▪ a loud to Heauen did crie,
Wi…h conscio…s Co…sterna…ion falling flatt:
With …e Sub…ission, true Contrition bending,
And vp to Heauen, hir prest petitions sending.
87.
And Then, euen then, ô see, and to admire,
The wondrous merciemercy of our Lord of LoueLove;
… didst th…u supplicate, desire,
Me…y and gracious pardon from aboue;
Nay, sooner than thou calldst, Hee, answer gaue,
And while thouspak'st, Hee heard and did thee saue.
88.
Yea, He was found of Thee that sought'st Him not,
Hee ranne to thee, who from him fast didst flie;
Hee minded thee, though thou hadst him forgot,
And though thou wouldest not, cur'd thy Maladie:
Yea, though thou Him prouoked'st to his face,
Yet, He preuented Thee, with his good Grace.
89.
'Twas not thy Fasts (faint Fasts) that he respected,
'Twas not thy hollow, halfe-Humiliation;
To be, a day or two, in Soule, deiected,
Or, rather, seeming so, for oftentation:
In Sack-Cloth sadly, downe thy selfe to spread,
Or like a Bull-rush to hang-downe thy Head.
90.
Was This the Fast, which God of Thee would hauehave?
Was This the humble-contrite Heart he asked?
Was This the true Repentance God did craue?
Oh no: yet, vnderunder OnelyOnly-This, was masked
Thy seeming sorrow, weake Humiliation,
Yea, in the midst of This, much Prouocation.
91.
So, that the Lord, This iust complaint might make,
Of VsUs, and our best Acts iniquity;
Oh England, what should I doe for thy sake?Hosea 6.4.
Oh London, what could I doe more, for thee?
Thy Goodnesse being, but like Cloudes i'th day
Or Mornings-dew, which passeth soone away.
92.
Oh 'twas the Lords meere Mercy plenteous,
That Wee, all wee, were not consumed quite;
Because his sweet Compassions faile not VsUs,
But, are renew'd, eued eueryevery Morne and Night:
For, when we call, or Crie, he heares vsus straite,
Yea, Hee on our Repentance (oft) doth waite.
93.
Oh Lord, though our peruerse Iniquities,
Our great Transgressions, 'gainst vsus testifie;
Though our Back-slidings, foule deformitiesLamenta… 22.23.
Are growne vntounto strange multiplicity;
Yet, for thy Names-sake thou hast merciemercy showne,
In time of trouble, We thy Truth hauehave knowne.
94.
Thou, that acceptedst Ahabs faind Submission,
Thou that e…en pittiedst Hypocrites false Feares;
Hast kindly taken our but meane Contrition,
And botled-vp our few, vnworthy Teares:
Thou, Israels-Keeper, stedfast Hope most kinde,
To doe vsus good, hast had vsus still in minde.
95.
If, what Benhadads Seruants said, was true,
1 Kings 20.31.That Israells Kings, were kind and gracious Kings;
Hovv much more sure, canst Thou both say and shevv,
That from Heauens-King, All Grace and Goodnesse springs,
Our Isr'ells King, That Hee's most kinde and sweet,
When Sinners, Him, vvith true Repentance meet.
96.
VVitnesse, and euer vvitnesse may That louelove,
Th…t wondrous LoueLove of His, to Thee (late) knovvne
That most admired MercieMercy from aboue,
To London, latelie louelie, seene and shovvne:
To thee ô London, in thy wofull state,
VVhen Death and Dearth sought Thee to ruinate.
97.
VVhen sodainlie, beyond all expectation,
The Lord in LoueLove, did looke vponupon thy woe;
And to his Glory and thy Admiration,
Th'ore flowing Flood-Gates of his Grace let-goe:
VVhereby full Streames of merciemercy issued out
And soone refresht thy Citie round about.
98.
The wonder full anasedaine ceasing of the Plague.VVhereby (I say) thy weekelie Thousands were
Brought dovvne to Hundreds, Hundreds, brought to Ten;
Thy Ten, to One, thy One to None, thy Feare,
To safe Security vvas turn'd, and Then;
For Mourning, thou hadst Mirth, for sorrow, Joy,
For Sicknesse, Health, svveet Solace for Annoy.
99.
Thy Streets, vvere then re-peopled and replenisht,
And Girles and Boyes vvithin thy Walls re-sporting;Z…cha. 8.5
Thy teares dry'd-vp, thy feares vvere from thee banisht,
Thy late fled-Sonnes and Daughters home resorting:
To their long-hoped Homes flocking amaine.
Thy Houses, yea Gods Houses, fild againe.
100.Zacha. 8.15
Then thy sad Fasts into glad Feasts vvere turned,
Thy City fraught vvith Hir Inhabitants;
Then, Joy possest the Hearts of those that mourned,
Plenty supply'd the place of vvoefull wants:
This vvas the Lord, and tvvas most admirable,
This vvas our God, vvhose Mercies are most stable.
101.
Nay, yet a little stay and stand amazed,
In admiration of more Mercy, yet;
VVherein the Lord is, yet, more to be praised,
For (yet) another wondrous Benefit:
VVherein vve may most visiblie perceiue,
God leaues not giuing, till to aske wee leaue.
102.England stil vngra… full.
But first, (oh and tis worst) consider vvell,
Hovv vvell, thou England didst requite thy God?
VVhose Grace, vvhose Goodnesse, thus did flovv, excell,
So soone, so sweetlie laying by his Rod:
Didst thou requite Him as he merited?
VVast thou made better, humbler-spirited?
103.
Nay didst thou not (Back-sliding England) rather
Rebelliouslie backe to thy Vomite hasten?
Didst thou not seeme to re-collect and gather,
More strength, thy selfe to Sinne more firme to fasten:
And like the Snake late f…stred at the fire,
Hast festred All, and re-incens'd Gods Ire.
104.
And since thy Heart grew so obdurate, hard,
That Pharao-like nought but the Rod could tame thee;
That thy late pricking Plague thoudst not regard,
That neither Words, nor Wounds would yet …e-clame…t
That nothing could thy hard heart mollifie,
But thou grewst worse and worse rebelliouslie.
105.
Since thou thy selfe, thy Sinnes wouldst not bewaile,
And we… thy Heart, and vveepe thy part in teares;
But would'st by Sinne, thy Selfe, thy Soule assaile,
And blocke it vp, with blacke affrighting Feares:
Such Feares therefore forthwith vponupon thee came,
As able vvere a stoutest Heart to tame.
106.
Famine feared.A Feare (I say) of Famines scarefull Fangs,
Of piercing Death, by pining Dearth made hast;
With macerating, fierce and pinching pangs,
Our Sins fat fullnesse, foulenesse, to lay waste:
Their Prouinder from pampered Colts to take,
More tame and tractable them th…s to make.
107.
Mighty & …n…essant Shewers of …ai…. ….God, to this End, did send vponupon the Earth,
Such sad, incessant Shewers vnseasonable,
Whose rainey Influence did menace Dearth,
And (for our Sins, vnkind, vnreasonable)
Did poure vponupon our Corne-fields most faire,
Fierce frequent Floods their beautie to impaire.
108.
Wherewith they (waxing to the Harues… vvhite,
And almost ri…e and readie for the Sickle)
Were, all, so drencht, nigh drown'd (a pitteous sight)
With Heauen-shed-Teares, which did in streames downet…
That our glad Hope of Haruest iustlie left vsus,
Sad Feare of Famine, thereof quite bereft vsus.
109.
A dreaded Deluge, on vsus therefore growing,
And vve with doubtfull Danger all-su…rounded;
Huge Shewers of Raine from th' angrie Heauens flowing,
And all our Graine vvith Raine like to be drownded:
Then, not till then our heart the Rods smart felt,
Our Rockey-hearts, then into teares gan melt.
110.
Then like stiffe-necked Israell we did stoope,
Then our distresse forc'd vsus to crie and call;
Then sighes and sorrowes made vsus drop and droope,
Then vvere vve humbled and did humblie fall
Before Gods Foot-stoole, at his Mercy-seate,
And vveepe and vvaile for our offences great.
111.
Yea, then (I say) our King religiouslie
Publisht, proclaim'd a Fast throughout the Land;A general Publike Fast.
Then, All were ordered in Humilitie,
With broken-hearts before the Lord to stand:
MercieMercy to craue and Reconciliation,
On true Repentance and due Reformation.
112.
And see (oh see and neuer cease t' admire)
Gods infinite, ineffable compassion;
Readier to giuegive, than we are to desire,
Yea, euen vponupon appearance, shape and fashion
Of Penitence, Humility, and Feare,
See, see how soone, He lends and bends his eare.
113.
No sooner did our Griefe, his Grace entreate,
No sooner did we, prostrate, promise make,
Sin to forsake, but Hee, in merciemercy great,
His Wrath forsooke, his Kindnesse did re-take:
And on bare-promise (oh twas bare indeed)
He did no farther in his vvrath proceed.
114.
August 2. 1626.For why, Behold (tis worth an Ecce, trulie)
That very-day on which that Fast vvas kept,
Whereon, the Kingdome vvas assembled dulie,
Mr Burton, in his Popes Bul-baitingWherein they All for Sinne sincerelie wept:
God graciouslie, the Sluice of Heauen did stop,
Immediatelie it ceast to raine, one drop.
115.
When wee gan weepe, the Heauens began to smile
Whe wee were sad and sorrowfull for Sinne,
The Sunne began to laugh on vsus the vvhile,
As if, with vsus, it n'ere had angrie bin:
The Heauens grim cloudie Countenance grevv cleere,
And did our Hearts with happie Change re-cheere.
116.
A sweet & strange change.From That day forward, euen That very day,
Most extraordinarie cleare and faire,
It constantlie continued▪ to display,
(Without least intermission) Sun-shine rare:
Till, by Gods goodnesse and his fauour great,
It banisht Feare and made our Joy compleate.
117.
Vntill (I say) our Haruest happilie,
Not onelie in due season was possest;
But (ô the Lords boundlesse Benignity)
Our Rarnes were All vvith great aboundance blest:
A Copious Croppe of eueryevery kind of Graine,
Did vntounto All men, EueryEvery where, remaine.
118.
And is thy God (ô England) so propitious?
So prone, so prest, vvith mercies to embrace thee?
VntoUnto thee still so louinglie auspicious,
With so sweet Fauours graciouslie to grace thee?
How gratefully shouldst thou such Grace repay?
How should thy Heart thy thankes expresse alway?
119.
O how much care and Conscience should be shew'd,
So many marchlesse mercies faire to write
In datelesse Rubrickes of pure Gratitude?
And there to keepe of them perpetuall sight.
And at so sweet a sight, amaz'd to stand,
Admiring Gods great LoueLove vntounto thy Land,
120.
And in this contemplating Admiration,
To praise the Lord and promise faithfullie,
To walke more worthie of so great Saluation;
To hate, those Sins, with zealous feruencie,
Which are the cursed Cause of all this Ill,
Which force perforce Gods anger 'gainst thee still.
121.
But, oh, ô woe, I tremble to relate it!
O yet, not yet, doe All these Mercies moue thee;
And as for Iudgement, Thou euen seemest to hate it,
Nothing availeth to reclaime, reproue thee:
Thou neither wilt for Judgements or for LoueLove,
Forsake thy Sinnes or feare the Lord aboue.
122.
Well, if his Rod may not reforme thy Riot,
Take heed and tremble, for Hee hath an Axe;
Wherevvith he can thee quicklie quaile and quiet,
If thou in Sinne, vvilt worse and worser vvaxe.
And if his Axe be laid to th' Roote 'oth' Tree,
O then without redemption, vvoe is thee.
123.
Then, He, that vvith such Longanimitie,
Hath stood and knocked at thy hard-Hearts doore;
Will stay no longer, but most angrilie,
As thou hast grieu'd his Spr'it, Hee'l grieue thee more:
Then thou shalt crie but Hee will giuegive no care
Because when Hee did call, Thou wouldst not heare.
124.
Then, maist Thou feare, least in his high displeasu…
In stead of thy late dreaded Dearth of Bread,
He send a Famine fearefull, out of measure,
Euen of his Word, whereby the Soule is fed:
Without which Food the Soule will starue and die,
And be expos'd to vtmost Miserie.
125.
Oh then I say (but, ah, good Lord forbid)
Our Candlestickes being from vsus ta'ne away,
Our Soules caelestiall Light would quite be hid,
Our Feet at eueryevery step would slip and stray
Into the myre and Mudde of odious Errour,
And we made Subiects of all woe and Terrour.
126.
Then, since we did our Fathers stripes deride,
Hee'l giuegive vsus ouer to his Seruants Rage;
A gap, a gate, He (then) will open wide,
To let in Foes, whose furie to asswage:
Nought shall suffice, till they VsUs quite deuoure,
And Captiuate our Princes to their power.
127.
O England, England, call to mind these things,
Recant, repent, thy great Ingratitude;
Cease to incense Heauens glorious King of Kings,
B…times returne, before He thee exclude;
Oh yet tis time, now then returne with speed,
Before his wrath to This extent proceed.
128.
Returne, Returne, I say, Breake off thy Sinne,
Why wilt thou perish, English Israell?
Oh, now, to sue for Sauing Grace, begin▪
To cease from Ill, and trulie to doe well:
And which is most and best, obedient be,
To All, thy God, in Ought commandeth thee.
129.
And, what (ô England vvhat doth God require?
What speciall Thing doth Hee from Thee expect?
O He hath tould, and taught thee his desire
What Sacrifice his Soule doth most affect:
Iustly to deale, and MercieMercy to embrace,
Humbly to walke, before his sacred Face.
130.
Iustice (I say) to LoueLove and doe what's Right,
To doe to All, vvhat Thou'd'st hauehave done to thee;
To hauehave a pious and a pitteous Sprite,
Wrongs to forgiue, as thou'dst forgiuen be:
To walke before the Lord vvith Constancie,
And a pure Heart, in true Humilitie.
131.
To pay those Vowes vvhichwhich Thou to God didst make,
In bitternesse and sorrow of thy Heart;
That thou wouldst Sin, yea All thy Sinnes forsake,
Yea, from Sinnes Least Appearance to depart:
Sinnes nauseous Vomite to euaporate,
And n'ere, with Dogges, It re-ingurgitate.
132.
To search thy Heart, to search and seeke, and finde
That traiterous Achan, Sin-bane of thy Soule
To pay and punish it, in Jts due kinde,
The pride thereof to pull-dovvne and controule:
Thy selfe, for Sin, to iudge, condemne, arraigne,
So, God, thy Iudge from iudgement vvill abstaine.
133.
That so, thou turning from thy Paths peruerse,
Thy God from thee may turne his Plagues away;
And his vindicatiue Verdict reuerse,
His heau'd-vp Hands from striking stroakes may stay:
That thou returning to his Courts of Grace,
He may returne to thee with Loues embrace.
134.
That, as thou yerst in Sin didst take delight,
So, now thy LoueLove may on the Lord be set;
That so thou mai'st be gracious in his sight,
Thy Sauiour hauing satisfi'd Thy Debt:
And by his Merits made Redintegration,
Twixt God and Thee for thy poore Soules saluation.
135.
Hee hath not dealt with eueryevery Nation, thus,
Nor hauehave the Heathen knowledge of his Law;
He hath not lou'd them, as he loueth VsUs,
Nor wrought or sought so many vvaies, to draw
Them from their Lusts vntounto his Lo…e and Lure:
As vntounto VsUs, VsUs to protect, secure.
136.
For vvhichwhich, euen These, All these blest Arguments,
These good, these great, these gracious signes of LoueLove;
For these, All these vnpatternd Presidents,
Of boundles Bounty, MercieMercy from aboue:
A holy Life, an vpright Conuersation,
And thankefull Heart is best retaliation.
137.
These are the Twins that wins his LoueLove and fauour,
These onelyonly make a Compleate Sacrifice;
This Franckincense and Myrrh hath sweetest sauour,
These make most aimable in Gods Eyes,
The Person and the Present, Abel-like,
And into God, new force of fauour strike.
138.
The 5 Senses.This Mu…icke in Gods Eare doth sound most sweet,
This Picture pleaseth most his sacred sight;
This sauourie Meate is for Gods Palate meet,
This fragrant Po…ie doth his smell delight:
This siluer-tuned-string to strike and touch.
God most affects, besides These, ther's none such,
139.
O then, that Wee had Hearts as full of Praise,
As God hath Hands full fraught with blessings store,
O that our Hearts and Hands would ioyne alwaies
Gods Goodnes, Greatnesse, duelie to a dore:
Like Jonathan and Dauid faithfullie,
Two indiuiduall Friends in Loyaltie.
140.
To publish and proclaime in Verse and Voyce,
In Words and Workes the Mercies of the Lord;
With gratefull Hearts (Gods, onelie louelie Choice)
His workes of wonder trulie to record:
O that our Tongues, our Hearts, Hands, Liues and All,
In Gratitude, could be reciprocall.
141.
That so the Lord might still more pleasure take,
Daylie to Loade vsus vvith his Gifts of Grace;
To Crowne vsus with new Comforts and to make
Our Nation, th'only Station and prime Place,
Wherein to shew the Sun-shine of his LoueLove,
Whereon to shewre his Blessings from aboue.
142.
To make our Land the Land-marke and example
Of Mercy, Plenty, Peace and Victorie;
VnderUnder our Feet our Foes to tread and trample,
VVhichWhich at his Sion, hauehave an euill Eye:
Out of their Heads to make the Eye to fall,
That longs and lookes to see his Israells fall.
143.
Meane while, Let VsUs and all the World accord,
Let Heauen and Earth, and Sea, vvith vsus combin…
Let all our Fellow-Creatures, helpe afford,
Let Windes and Waters, with vsus all conioyne;
To sing and sound, to preach and to proclaime,
The Lords victorious, euer-glorious Name.
144.
Let Kings, Peeres, Prophets, People sing his praise,
Let Old and Young, Let high and Low, Rich, Poore;
Let Fishes, Fowles, and Beasts his bounty blaze,
Let Wells, and Woods, let Hills and Dales, adore
The sacred Name of God our Lord supernall,
For All his Mercies, Temp'rall and eternall.
145.
Let Men, Let Saints and Angels, blesse the Lord,
And, Him, for euer praise and Magnifie;
Let All that is in Heauen and Earth record
The Name and Fame and matchlesse Memorie
Of our eternall-ternall heauenly Lord:
Let England, and All English-Hearted, then
VVith Mee, blesse God, and say, Amen, Amen.
FINIS.
Gloria in excelsis Trin-Vni Deo.