A Prospective Glass to Look into Heaven — John Vicars

A Prospective Glass to Look into Heaven · John Vicars

A PROSPECTIVE GLASSE TO LOOKE INTO HEAVEN, OR The Coelestiall CANAAN described.

Together with the SOVLES sacred Soliloquie, and most ardent desire to be inuested into the same.

Sung in a most heauenly Hymne, to the great comfort of all good CHRISTIANS, by the MVSES most vnworthy, IOHN VICARS.

REVEL. 21. 1. And I saw a new Heauen and a new Earth.

1. COR. 13. 12. Here, wee see as through a Glasse.

LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for Iohn Smethwicke, and are to be sold at his Shop in Saint Dunstanes Church-yard in Fleet-street. 1618.

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SOCIETIE OF THE GOVERNOVRS OF Christs Hospitall, I. V. Dedicateth all his poore endeuours, and wisheth the Kingdome of Grace heere, and the Kingdome of Glorie hereafter.

YOur Worships fauours, from my Birth still found;

HaueHave me in all my best Endeuours bound:

And, since I Owe more then I Know to Pay;

I rest your Worships, to my Dying-day.

Your Worships in All, alwayes to be commanded, IOHN VICARS.

To the Right Worshipfull, Sir IOHN LEMAN, Knight, President of Christs Hospitall, and Alderman of LONDON, I.V. wisheth all earthly Prosperitie, and the Reall fruition of this Ideall description.

REligions Rules and Natures Bonds bind All,

To keepe account and true memoriall

Of fauours past or present; lest with shame,

Ingratitude should Cracke their Credits fame.

Since then (Right worshipful) these Bonds All bind,

This Dutie needs to Mee must be assign'd;

Who, from your VVorships vndeseruedly

HaueHave found much fauour and great courtesie:

Whose sweete Effects hauehave my good so effected,

As Blacke Obliuion may not make neglected.

And since your VVorship worthily is made

The President, chiefe Pillar, Prop and Aide

Of Gouernment in that blest Hospitall

Of Christs poore members, Orphans poore and small;

I, therefore ioy, thus to Congratulate

Your Worships hap, their Helpe so fortunate.

As also that I may expresse, in part,

Some sincere Fruites of my most gratefull Heart:

By Dedication of this my poore Mite,

To your good Worship; due to you by right.

Which, hoping you (Right Worshipfull) will take

With kind acceptance: Heau'ns great King you make,

A blest Partaker, of that Maiestie,

Which my weake Pen can here but Typisie.

To your Worship in his Power and Prayers duely and d…tifully Deuoted, IOHN VICARS

To the Godly Reader.

SInce, for the most part, all men take delight,

Of nouelties to heare, to write, to tell

Of treasures and of pleasures, which excell,

Which best may please their itching eares and sight.

And for that cause hauehave many Captaines stout

By Sea and Land (to finde out and discouer

The admirable workes of Heauens Arch-mouer)

Trauail'd the Globes-circumference about,

Yea, many wise Cosmographers hauehave spent

Much time and trauaile, cost and care to write

The Nature, Manners, Riches, and Delight

Of famous Kingdomes in Earths Continent.

But I, the most vnworthie of the most,

HaueHave vnderta'ne by Heauens all-blest direction,

To contemplate th' vnspeakeable perfection

Of New Ierusalems most sacred Coast:

In which Suruey (lest I, with Icarus

Should soare too-high; or, lest with Vzzah, I,

Should touch Gods Arke, into Heauens-Secrets pry;

Or question what God doth inhibit vsus:)

Prophetick-Iohn I heere hauehave made my Guide,

And by his Plat-forme drawne this Map of mine,

And heereto Barnards, Napiers help Diuine,

And Brightmans bright assistance hauehave applide.

Wherein (good Christian Reader) thou may'st finde

Things admirable, glorious, sweet and rare;

Treasures and pleasures, matchlesse, past compare,

Such as transcend the reach of humane minde:

And such indeed, as, though I had the skill

And Tongue of wisest men and Angels bright,

Yet were I most vnable to Indite

The true perfection of this Sion-hill.

Wherefore, as old Historians testifie

A wise Geometrician once t'haue found

The foote of Hercules cut in the ground

Of high Olympus-hill apparently,

Did by the length of's foote delineate

The whole Proportion of Alcides great:

So, though the Fabrique of Heau'ns supreme Seate

In its perfection none can demonstrate,

Yet by some things exprest in sacred writ,

And circumstances suting to the same,

Wee may thereof in minde coniecture frame,

Although (alas) wee come farre short of it.

No mans Imagination can conceiue,

No Vnderstanding comprehend the same,

No Tongue can tell the maiesty and same,

But those (as Christ sayth) which doe it receiue.

And therefore, Hee, Hid-Manna doth it call,

Hidden, because vnsearchable, vnknowne,

Manna, because more sweet than Hony-combe,

Manna delightfull, meate Angelicall.

O then, auaunt, thou fond Poetick fiction

Of Greekes suppos'd (but false) Elysean fields,

Which they doe dreame, such soueraigne solace yeelds,

Which they to get, hauehave suffered much affliction.

Why boast th' Aegyptians of their high-topt Spheares?

Cloud-kissing pinacled Pyramides?

Assuerus, his pompous Palaces?

Of these and more than these, what now appeares?

What talke wee of East Indian Marchandize?

What of West-Indies Mines of massie Gold?

What of the richest Iewels to behold?

What of most precious Pearles of rarest price?

Here's worke of wonder, worthie admiration,

Heere is a Structure, which out-lasts Times date;

Heere is a Country rare, faire, fortunate,

Heere's to be view'd the Land of sure-Saluation.

Wouldst thou be Rich? ô, here's true Wealth indeed:

Wouldst thou Liue-euer? here's Eternity,

Wouldst thou Liue-merry? here's Festiuity,

And perfect Ioy, which doth Earths ioy exceed.

Heere, in this Heauenly Canaan, thou mayst finde

Riuers, which flow with Milke and Heny sweet,

Heere, as Companions, Angels shall thee greet,

Here's ioy to fill Soule, Body, Hart, and Minde.

Since then, the Subiect whereof now I treate

So Holy is, (kind Reader) me excuse,

That I, prophane Poeticke Phrase refuse

In this discourse of Heauens supernall Seate:

For, tis not Fame, nor hope of worldly wealth

That I desire; The Golden Age is past.

But that I wish, Thine as mine owne Soules-Health,

For which, I pray, and shall while breath doth last:

For LoueLove, I onelyonly looke for LoueLove againe,

This, if repayd, repayes my greatest paine.

Thine in Christ Iesus, IOHN VICARS.

To the Authour, in praise of his Prospectiue Glasse.

THy Verse containes pure language in true measure,

Thy View descries the Best blest Syon-hill,

Thy vow discouereth thy religious Will,

Thy Drift is to disclose to all this treasure:

Thy Verse, thy View, thy Vow, thy Drift declare

Thy Wit, thy Skill; thy Will, thy Zeale, all rare.

Thine in the truth of a friends affection, I.H. of Cambridge M. in Arts, and Preacher of Gods Word.

A louing LOOKING GLASSE, sent to his friend, M. IOHN VICARS, in returne for his Heauenly PROSPECTIVE GLASSE.

MY lookes can shew me Heauen through Thine,

My louelove can shew thee, but his Hart, through Mine,

LoueLove, lookes, Heauen, and my Hart best part of friends,

Thy Glasse, Grace, Friendship and thy Zeale commends.

NATHANIEL CHAMBER, of Grayes-Inne, Gent.

A Prospective Glass to Look into Heaven, Title page – Encomium 2

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SOCIETIE OF THE GOVERNOVRS OF Christs Hospitall, I. V. Dedicateth all his poore endeuours, and wisheth the Kingdome of Grace heere, and the Kingdome of Glorie hereafter.

To the Right Worshipfull, Sir IOHN LEMAN, Knight, President of Christs Hospitall, and Alderman of LONDON, I.V. wisheth all earthly Prosperitie, and the Reall fruition of this Ideall description.

To the Godly Reader.

To the Authour, in praise of his Prospectiue Glasse.

A louing LOOKING GLASSE, sent to his friend, M. IOHN VICARS, in returne for his Heauenly PROSPECTIVE GLASSE.