Three Grains of Spiritual Frankincense, Title page – Dedication
THREE GRAINS▪ OF Spirituall Frankincenſe, Infuſed into Three Hymnes of Praiſe; AND Humbly offered toward the publike Thankſgiving, commanded by Authority of Parliament to be celebrated throughout the Commonwealth of England, the 30. of this preſent January, 1650.
IF Scorners term theſe Ballads, 'twill not much
Regarded be, though there be many ſuch:
For, they, perhaps, are Fools, or Children, yet;
And may be wiſer, when they ſhall have wit.
If any thinks theſe Odes are over long,
Let him not do his credit ſo much wrong,
To ſay it, till he ſees what may be ſpar'd;
And, paſſe thereon his judgment, afterward.
There can ariſe no great diſcommendation,
By lengthning out a pious Recreation:
Nor merit they much heed, that can be weary
To ſing of Dangers paſt, and to be merry.
LONDON, Printed by R. Auſtin. 1651.
To the Right Honourable JOHN BRADSHAVV Eſqu. LORD PRESIDENT OF THE Councell of STATE.
My Lord,
THe Parliament having lately graciouſly conſidered my humble Suit and long patience? (and I, by the refreſhment thereby obtained, getting ſome leiſure to entertain my naturall Genius) an earneſt Deſire immediately poſſeſt me to perform ſomwhat, which might ſhew me thankful to God, and to thoſe friends, by whoſe Mercy, I and my Family have been preſerved, from periſhing under our late Preſſures; and he who wrought that Deſire in me, offered therewith to my thought, an Undertaking ſutable to my inclination; with hope, that he would inable to the perfecting thereof in due ſeaſon, though interruptions will be many, and the time, whereto I muſt confine my ſelf, very ſhort.
The Supreme Authority hath enacted a publique Thankſgiving throughout this Common wealth, on the thirtieth of this January (being the laſt day of the late Kings life, as alſo the firſt of Englands reſuming her long loſt Liberty) a Day, which may by good reaſon be made an everlaſting Anniverſary, in remembrance of that, and other great Deliverances. And, therefore I thought it would neither be an impertinent expreſſion of my Gratitude, nor unacceptable where I owe it, to prepare proper Hymnes for that daies Celebration, with ſome other brief Commemoration, to keep in mind GODS late Mercies to this Republique, when that daies ſolemnity ſhall be forgotten; and thereupon compoſed (among other aſſaies, yet unfiniſhed) the three following Hymnes, which I thus communicate, before the perfecting of what is further intended; in hope it may be a means to prepare the hearts of ſome for a more due obſervation of that Day, by giving them ſpace to conſider, how pertinent they are to the duty then required; and that they may be thereby in readineſſe for thoſe who ſhall be willing to make uſe of ſuch helps to Devotion.
Hymnes are ſo proper to publique acknowledgements of extraordinary Deliverances, and Mercies (ſpirituall, or temporall) that by the Primitive Churches, Jewiſh and Chriſtian, they were this way commemorated, and left upon record even to this day; as appears in Holy Writ, by the Hymns, Songs, and Pſalms, of Moſes, Deborah, Hannah, David, Eſay, Hezekiah, Simeon, Zachary, and Mary, with others. The practiſe alſo of Chriſtian Churches, in, and after the Apoſtles time, makes it evident, that they ſung Hymnes and Songs upon the ſeverall occaſions, happening from time to time. And though Scorners, and ignorant perſons do in this Age viliſie, or contemn the gift of Poeſie; yet the moſt knowing, and moſt pious, among all Nations, have alwaies practiſed, and do ſtill approve the uſe of that Faculty, to rouze up ſpirituall affections in the ſoul, toward the illuſtrating of Gods Praiſes: and they who diſpiſe it, are diſpiſers of that Gift, which God hath given for his own glory, with our advantage: For, it is none of thoſe accompliſhments, which may be acquired by meer human induſtry, (though it may be much better'd thereby) but is one of Gods Peculiars, and infuſed in the mothers womb, as is generally confeſſed by learned and underſtanding men, many of which have long ſtudied for it in vain, by meer helps of Art.
Upon theſe conſiderations, and by the example of many Prophets and Poets, (for in ſome other languages, one word ſignifies both) who very well knew that advantages may be made by the right uſe of that Faculty, upon ſuch occaſions of praiſe as have been vouchſafed to this Nation; I have thereby ſought to illuſtrate Gods Mercies; with an aſſurance, that it ſhall prepare the hearts of many, to a more cheerfull performance of what is commanded, and help to charm down thoſe diſtempers which trouble the Common Peace, and hinder our reconcilement, both to God, and to each other; and I hope it will not ſeem Arrogance in me to offer them to that uſe.
For, though it be no rare thing to ſee many run on errants before they are ſent; and to obtrude their undigeſted Conceptions upon publique Auditories; yet private perſons, qualified by their Education, Converſation, and Gifts, may with modeſty and ſubmiſſion make tender of that which they conceive edifying; yea, and ought, (as I think) ſo to do, their conſciences perſwading it to be their duty: becauſe I find it was a Liberty, Apoſtolically allowed, and taken for private Chriſtians to communicate their ſeverall Gifts in publique Congregations; and that he who brought a Hymn, brought that which was acceptable, as appears in that place, where the Apoſtle preſcribes what Order is to be obſerved at ſuch Meetings. According to that approved practiſe, I offer the enſuing Hymnes, compoſed and fitted to the Meridian of vulgar capacities; and yet (I hope) not ſo inartificially compoſed, as to make them deſpiſed of the learned. I have alſo out of ſuch tunes as the people are acquainted withall, choſen thoſe which are beſt ſutable to the matter and occaſion, ſitting the firſt Hymn to a ſtrain, beſeeming the beginnings of Exultation: The ſecond, to higher ſtraines of rejoycing, and the laſt to the fulneſſe of praiſefull Thankſgivings; all which I humbly ſubmit to your grave Cenſure.
And I dedicate, and firſt ſend them to your Lordſhip, for many good Reaſons. Firſt, by your approbation of their uſefullneſſe, I ſhall be the more comfortably confirmed in that hope which I have thereof already. Secondly, your exemplary reſpect may make others perhaps take the more heed of them; and by growing acquainted with them for your ſake, reſpect them afterward for their own. Thirdly, you were one of the moſt eminent perſonall inſtruments under God, of that Juſtice upon which the many Mercies followed, which are the ſubject of theſe Hymns; and I thought they would be the more acceptable unto you, in regard no man had been in greater danger, if God, by not appearing for us, had permitted our Adverſaries to prevail. Laſtly, an Obligation lies upon me, to give you ſome viſible teſtimony of my thankfullneſſe for benefits conferred.
For, Sir, notwithſtanding it offends your modeſty, to hear me make offers of acknowledgements, (though it be in private) yet I will now take the boldneſſe to tell it openly, that, if God by his compaſſion, moving in the heart of your Lordſhip, and one other Noble Friend, (whoſe modesty hath likewiſe yet ſtopt my mouth) had not freely vouchſafed ſupplies during my late ſtreights, I and my Family, (conſidering in what hazzard all my other hopes then lay) had, in probability, long ſince been quite ruined, or expoſed to moſt deſpicable wants; as would be manifest, if the circumſtances of my ſuffering ſhould be fully declared, and I ſhould not now perhaps have had courage enough in me to have compoſed theſe Hymnes, or to have ſung a joyfull ſong in the Land of the Living, this day.
They are, therefore, not ſo much mine, as yours, and his; Take them therefore at your own, and with them my prayers, that God would return your mercies a thouſand fold into your boſomes, And make them comfortable unto you, both all the daies of your lives, and at the hours of your death. I have nothing elſe to retribute but Prayers, except it be by adding ſo much to the honour of your Juſtice and Mercy, as the ſingle teſtimony of an honest man (never aſperſed with flattering) may confer: If that be any thing worth, I can truly ſay, that I have ſeen you active in the moſt eminent proſecution of human publiqke Juſtice under the Sun; and that I am a witneſſe alſo of your extraordinary private mercy, by being twice thereby delivered from probable deſtruction. VponUpon contemplation whereof, I am warranted to aſſure you from him who can make it good, that if you perſevere (whereof I doubt not) in your heroicall progreſs, all the power, threats, and miſchievous practiſes of your moſt inraged and malicious Adverſaries, ſhal be but as fire and materialls co-operating with better Ingredients to make refined Gold for your immortall Crown; and that their revilings, ſnarlings, and detractions, ſhall make it more glorious then Diamonds, Pearls, and Rubies, & ſhine brighter many Ages hence, then it can now. It ſhall queſtionleſſe be ſo; and therefore if ought happen hereafter, that may ſeem bitter to the fleſh in more then ordinary meaſure, or threaten any terrible event, be aſſured, they are but operations of that Fire which is uſed in preparing the eſſentiall Materialls of your expected Crown. He ſo preſageth, whoſe predictions you have ſeen verified in more dubious matters; and he is alſo unfainedly
Your Lordſhips moſt humble ſervant, GEORGE WITHER.