A Prayer-Song, Poem 1 – Poem 6
On the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
Luke 2.
10—Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy that ſhall be to all people.
11 For unto us is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord.
LEt none hence wonder that the ſouls vaſt nature
Is comprehended in ſo ſmall a ſtature:
That wonder's crampt, that mirrour here exploded;
For in this child there is compriz'd a Godhead.
But ſtay, do not the heav'ns crouch at his feet,
And beg the honour of a bearing-ſheet?
Doth not the Sun deſcend on earth to ſhine
And take his Palace, for a nobler Signe?
Doth not the Moon, like ſome great maid of honor,
With all the troops of ſtars attending on her,
Sue for ſome office? No, bleſt Childe, my Muſe
Doth veil her crown, and humbly begs excuſe:
A Quill from th' Angel's wing that ſung thy birth,
Were a fit Pen to carol forth our mirth.
Thou didſt deveſt thy ſelf of much more glory,
That thou mightſt clothe us with intranſitory.
The Sun's too weak of luſtre, it would frown
Amongſt the glories of a Martyr's crown;
And the dull glory of the azur'd ſtage,
But a poor Pageant to their equipage.
But may I draw the veil, and not deſerve
T' have one eternal on my viſive nerve?
'Twas not long ſince thy fiery-pointed eye
Did ſparkle with conſuming Majeſtie;
And is it all confin'd, compriſed all
Within the circuit of this gellied ball?
'Twas not long ſince thou breath'dſt in us our ſouls;
And ſince, thy breath did kindle burning coles:
And do we dare thy noſtrils? heark, O wonder!
He cries, whom erſt I've heard to roar in thunder.
'Twas not long ſince ſuch glory Moſes drew
From ſee'ng thy back-parts none his face could view:
And can we ſee thy face? do not, w'implore,
Brandiſh deſtructive glory th'row each pore.
'Twas not long ſince, at thy commanding word,
The world ſprung out of nought, like Jonah's guord;
And ſince at Sinai's mount, did Iſrael crie,
Let not the Lord ſpeak to us, leſt we die.
And is the mighty Counſellor ſo weak;
And he that gave the tongue, can he not ſpeak?
And muſt their glories all be underſtood
To be wrapt up in humble fleſh and blood?
A Series of wonders! which nor men
Nor Angels can nor comprehend nor pen:
Therefore as Angels humbly veil at it
Their Wiſdoms crowns, let us our crowns of Wit.
That Spirit who conceiv'd thee, he can teach
How to conceive a Wonder of this reach:
By him my ſoul a knowledge of thy worth
Brings forth as eaſie as thou wert brought forth.
Hence then let's fetch our Epoche, and call
This bleſſed day the birth-day of us all.
What did our carnal birth boot us? this morn
Redeems us who condemned were ere born.
O might I now, by vertue of thy birth,
Be born anew! 'twould adde to this days mirth;
And th' Angels who did at thy birth rejoyce,
At mine in ſinging would lift up their voice.
Bleſt Childe! that met'ſt the heaven with a ſpan,
Yet in a ſpan art couch'd; that doſt contain
Th' earth in meaſure; Lord, yet 'tis thy pleaſure
To be contained in an earthen meaſure.
The heav'n of heav'ns cannot contain thy grace,
Nor art thou ſtraiten'd in a little place.
Come then, take up my heart, and until death,
O make my breſt thy bleſſed Nazareth.
On the murther of the Innocents.
Matth. 2.
16. Then Herod when he ſaw that he was mocked by the wiſe-men, was exceeding wroth, and ſent forth, and ſlew all the children that were in Bethlehem from two yeers old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wiſe-men.
1.
GOod Babes! of whom I may ſay true,
For Chriſt ye did an off ring fall,
And di'd for Chriſt, ere Chriſt for you;
Although none could his love foreſtal.
Bleſt Infantry! your Sov'raign's taſters
To him of Herod's cup of Malice,
Ere Chriſt to finiſh his diſaſters,
Drank deep and free the final Chalice.
Bleſt Innocents! with whom the caſe thus ſtood,
Firſt circumciſed, then baptiz'd in blood.
2.
Sweet Saplings! who to ſpell the Branch,
Fall ſubject under Herod's rape;
VVhoſe Boureauxes cut and blanch,
And rob you of your juyce and ſap.
You got (bleſt Cyons) by this craft;
And you may bleſs curs'd Herod's knife:
Be'ng hence tranſplanted, y'are ingraft,
And bourgeon on the tree of life;
Where each Herodian cicatrice doth bloom
Like Aaron's rod: ſo may you bleſs your doom.
3.
Curs'd Fox! Hell with thy brains did club,
Thus needleſly to back thy claim:
But could not blinde rage ſpare thy Cub?
Muſt he fall too, before thy aim?
Foxes uſe prey abroad, but thou
(Although unwittingly) at home:
Ambitious madneſs asks not now
Whoſe't is thou prey'ſt upon, or whom.
Juſt! ſince thou haſt no bowels, that thy ſon
Should fall amongſt the reſt a ſlaughter'd one.
4.
Thus Pharaoh (like our greedy *The Arms of Rich. 3. who ſlew his brothers children.Hog,
Or of the kennel with this Fox)
Who more ador'd Anubis dog,
Then the plainneſs of Iſis ox,
Once fearing Iſrael's increaſe,
Enjoyn'd each one to drown each male,
Till Iſr'el groaning for releaſe,
Their prayers to their God exhale;
Till he deſcends, and in one fatal morn
Slew each Egyptian's, and the King's firſt-born.
5.
But you whoſe doctrine, like the crabs,
Swims backward 'gainſt the ſtream of Truth;
Speak, In what Lymbus are theſe babes,
Or all the Iſra'litiſh youth?
Say, In what fold of Purgatory,
Purg'd in what ſtreams of fire or water,
Are theſe Lambs whom this Fox did worry,
Or dog ſlew? what can fancy flatter?
Name me what canonized Saint and Martyr
Annex'd this truth unto the Scriptures Charter.
6.
Peace, Rachel, peace; do not deplore
The murther of thy children, ſeeing
They're not; yet are they not no more,
And than thou gav'ſt have better being:
VVeep not thy buds ſo ſoon do bleed
Almoſt, as thou didſt them diſcloſe;
They ſhould have grown here amongſt weed,
Now flouriſh with their Jeſſe's roſe.
Let Herod grieve for his ſon's death, and weep;
Thou haſt no cauſe; then do not ſigh ſo deep.
On John the Baptiſt's being beheaded.
Mark 6.
27 And immediately Herod the king ſent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went, and beheaded him in the priſon,
28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damſel, and the damſel gave it to her mother.
1.
THrice-happie morning-ſtar, that didſt fore-run
The Sun of righteouſneſs his neer approach;
As that Poſtilion precedes the Sun,
And uſhers to the world his glorious Coach.
Blest Prodrom! who by th'art of Philip 's wife
Didſt Chriſt fore-run in death, as well as life.
2.
Thrice-happie Jacob's Shiloh's Prolocutor!
Bleſt Mercury to Jacob's glorious Star;
Our Saviour's Harbinger, the Gentiles Tutor,
To ſhew their expectation was not far;
Who in a purer ſtream then Jordan's flood,
At laſt baptiz'd thy Baptiſm with thy blood.
3.
Curſt Herod! who as John Elijah's ſpirit
Had by a gracious influence bequeath'd;
So thou, as by poſſeſſion, didſt inherit
Thy father's rage, which here on John was breath'd.
Hadſt thou no Trophee to adorn thy birth,
But th' Baptiſt's head? no triumph but ſuch mirth?
4.
Bloody Herodias! that wert ſo rough,
To recompenſe Iohn's zeal with ſuch requitals:
Was not thy Muſick ſpirited enough,
Not joyn'd in conſort with the Baptiſt's vitals?
Never was Muſick of ſo groſs a crime
Arraigned guilty, ſince old Iubal's time.
5.
Vile Wretch! who thus wouldſt make raſh Herod's oath
A Pander to a hot inceſt'ous Bed:
Neither did Thomyris that famous Goth,
As thou on Iohn's, inſult on Cyrus head.
Vile Monſter! thus to nuſtle up thy daughter,
Ev'n from her tender yeers, to blood & ſlaughter.
6.
Wretch'd Damſel! thou whoſe too too active feet
Were onelyonly ſwift to ſhed the harmleſs blood
Of th' innocent: ev'n ſo a dancing Fleet
Waits for her prey, while 't wantons on the flood.
Ev'n ſo a Hawk doth quaver in the air,
Before ſhe ſouſe: ſo danc'd thy wicked pair.
7.
Bleſt Iohn! as was Elijah, ſo wert thou
Into a wilderneſs by fury baniſh'd;
Both forc'd by women, both purſu'd by vow,
Though both not in a fiery Chariot vaniſh'd.
Yet herein thou an equal ſhare mayſt plead;
Th'art member'd to a far more glorious Head.
8.
Good God! how are we honour'd! that as John
Fore-ran to fit Chriſt's way before his face;
Ev'n ſo our Saviour, thy bleſſed Son,
Prepares our way, and fits our reſting place:
O let's ſucceed, where we ſhall be no other
Then joynt-heirs with thy Son our elder brother.
On the woman of Canaan.
Matth. 25.
28 Then Jeſus anſwered and ſaid unto her, O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
1.
GOod-woman! who couldſt thus not only brook
A ſtern diſdainful look,
But the diſciples wrath, who held thy ſuit
Some clamorous purſuit;
As who would give no anſwer to a Cur,
But with a ſtaff or ſpur.
Nay, though that Chriſt retorted thy Lord help,
With no relief but Whelp,
And whom thou hop'dſt thy Advocate, we read,
Did thus againſt thee plead:
How heldſt thou his denials of thy want
A prologue to a grant?
As if repulſe were the propos'd condition
To faith, before admiſſion.
How by thy conſtancie was he eſteem'd
Then moſt propitious, when he fartheſt ſeem'd?
2.
When he ſeem'd deaf, how thy importun'd prayer
To muſick tun'd the ayr,
And with ingeminated violence,
Monopoliz'd his ſence?
And when he ſeem'd to thee no leſs then dumb,
How for thy faithful crumb,
He having with his bread ſupply'd thy cauſe,
Diſmiſs'd thee with applauſe.
Denials made not thy affections froward,
Nor yet thy zeal a coward.
Thy quick-ey'd faith, ſmiles through his frowns did view,
And through his wrath love knew:
It through his threats an invitation ſaw,
Which by repulſe did draw,
And in the ſharp reproaches he avouch'd,
Diſcern'd a welcome couch'd.
Let others hope of Force, and boaſt of Fortune;
When they ſhall fail, I gain when I importune.
3.
But how is Chriſt, but now ſo much eſtranged,
Now all to mercy changed?
And thou, at firſt a dog, art now inrol'd
One of his flock and fold.
For Faith's the mark by which his ſheep are known,
And ſuch ſaid he's thine own.
Ev'n ſo wiſe Ioſeph held the ten for Spies,
Though brethren in his eyes;
And Benjamin, whom he reputed chief,
Purſu'd was for a thief
But when he was diſclos'd, each threat of his
Is changed to a kiſs;
And for his late experimental check,
Wept on his brothers neck.
So as we ought to fear God's hand that ſavours
Of peace, and ſuch-like favours:
So ought we not deſpair: God oft doth frown,
And ſeems then ſtrange, when he intends to crown.
4.
Lord, what ſhe here would for her daughter have,
I for my ſiſter crave:
I for my ſoul, and ſhe, the better I,
Doth for her body vie.
That thou wouldſt diſpoſſeſs my haunted twins
Of legions of ſins;
Which though perhaps not devils, yet the ſpawns
Which here their father pawns.
I'll not pray, If thou canſt; for, Lord, I know it,
I know well thou canſt do it:
Although with him I'll pray, with tears and grief,
Lord help my unbelief.
Come, purge thy Temple; let it not thus ſtink
Like to a noyſom ſink.
Lord, if thou wilt not hear me, I will force
Thy mercy for remorſe.
The unjuſt judge at length did hear her ſute;
Why then 's the Iudge of all the world ſo mute?
On the man heal'd at the pool of Betheſda.
John 5.
5 And a certain man was there, who had an infirmity thirty eight yeers.
6 When Jeſus ſaw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that caſe, he ſaith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man anſwered him, Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another ſteppeth down before me.
8 Jeſus ſaith unto him, Ariſe, take up thy bed and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked.
1.
AS one long wind-bound in the Cape of hope,
Until his gales
Kinde Aeolus exhales,
Bans the too faithful Cable-rope,
And th' Anchors, which of Hope true emblems are,
To him occaſion matter of deſpair:
2.
So lay thy patience at Betheſda's pool,
The ſoul ſo waits,
Till death-divorcing ſtraits
Shall waft her hence. So in a School,
A full-ag'd youth, more ripe then rich, waits long
Till wafted thence to th' Academick throng.
3.
The Tyde did ſerve thee often to thy will,
By th' Angel mov'd,
Not by the Moon improv'd:
But gales of Love were wanting ſtill,
To launch thee forth. So, far from Shore or Tyde,
I've ſeen a ſhip lie on her uſeleſs ſide.
4.
But who would not than thee much longer wait,
If thus aſſur'd
By Chriſt he ſhould be cur'd?
And count all Phyſick but deceit.
The vertue of this pool's not worth thy ſtrife,
Compar'd with Chriſt the Well, and Well of life.
5.
Oh who with Lazarus would not ſuſtain
The pangs of death,
Ev'n to their utmoſt breath,
So by Chriſt to be rais'd again?
Much more with thee who would not wait a time,
With faithful patience, to be heal'd by him?
6.
Lord, thus I well remember, when infected,
Expecting ſtill
Aid from the Doctor's ſtill,
Which yet in vain I long expected:
Yet evermore ſome paſſage intervenes,
And robs me of my hope of outward means.
8.
While thus I lay like an expoſed elf,
While death upbraids
My hope of future aids,
My beſt Phyſician came himſelf.
Thus if thou come, let other Doctors ſtay,
And I will fee them after for delay.
9.
Lord, when my heart's thus troubled by thy Spirit,
Thy South nor North
Can hardly launch me forth;
Neither thy love nor wrath can ſtir it.
I'm anchor'd to the world: but call the rocks,
They'll come; but I ſtick faſt in leaden ſocks.
On the Prodigal.
Luke 15.
20 And he aroſe, and came to his father: and when he was yet a great way off, his father ſaw him, and had compaſſion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kiſſed him.
21. And the ſon ſaid unto him, Father, I have ſinned againſt heaven, and in thy ſight, and am no more worthy to be called thy ſon.
1.
FOol-hardy Prodigal! what, couldſt not brook
The diſc'pline of thy father's houſe,
But wander'dſt like the errant ſpouſe,
Ev'n as a ſheep that hath her fold forſook,
Among the vagrant goats to brouze,
From the tuition of her ſhepherds crook:
VVhen in a ragged fleece,
Each briar having ſnatch'd a peece,
He's found and welcom'd as his Child or Neece.
2.
Thus didſt thou rove & rome, thus wert thou errant,
Thus didſt thou from thy Father range,
And leftſt his Palace from ſome grange;
Thus thou embrac'dſt a ſtranger for thy Parent;
Thy Native Land leftſt for one ſtrange,
Till Death arreſts thee with a meagre warrant.
No Confeſſor or Flamine,
So can reduce, check or examine,
Like th' Inquiſition of exacting famine.
3.
Thy wine is turn'd to tears, thy robes to rags:
Thy Father did not get thy Portion
By griping us'ry or extortion;
That's not the cauſe th' haſt laviſht out thy bags,
Yet he wo'n't count thee an abortion,
Though his love draw thee not, but famine drags.
Thy cates are turn'd to husks,
To ordure thy Odours and Musks,
Thy Songs to whines, thy greets to churliſh tusks.
4.
Let theſe inducements thy return conſtrain.
So Jacob kiſſed his loſt ſon.
And David wandring Abſolon;
So Mary having often ſought in vain,
Found and embrac'd her holy One,
As thou ſhalt be when thou returnſt again.
The longing Soul of Kiſh
Ne'r did for Saul more ſtrongly wiſh,
Nor welcome him with a more joyful diſh.
5.
'Twill be a Reſurrection, no return.
So Abraham took his ſon repriev'd,
The Shunamite ſo hers reviv'd,
As thou ſhalt be receiv'd as from thy urn;
So Naim's widow took retriv'd
Her ſons life, when Chriſt did his death adjourn.
Dead Lazarus but kept
His grave four dayes, as Martha wept;
But thou haſt many yeers in darkneſs ſlept.
6.
Should any one thy Father now inform
Of a third brothers happy birth,
It would adminiſter leſs mirth,
Than that th'art regular, late ſo enorm.
So Jacob bleſt that happy dearth,
As he this famine. Let thy Brother ſtorm:
Think why, where, what thou ſerveſt:
Death here's thy wages, for thou ſtarveſt;
Think on thy Fathers mercies, and his harveſts.
7.
'Gainſt heav'n and in thy ſight I ſin have wrought,
In ſuch a Di'lect couch thy ſhrift;
Say of thy patrimonial gift,
I've not one talent in a napkin brought;
Not one to teſtifie my thrift:
Then weep the meaning of each lab'ring thought:
Say, thy dejected Spirit
Counts thee not of ſuch worth and merit,
To ſerve him, and much leſs, much leſs t' inherit.
8.
Lord, I'm a prodigal, far worſe then this:
When he away but once did rome
Thou (we ne'er read) invit'dſt him home;
But thou haſt often woo'd me with a Kiſs,
Yet how unwillingly I come!
Then threatſt me with a dearth far worſe then his:
Yet I had rather whine,
Then ſing; attend and feed with ſwine,
Then with the Lamb to ſup, with thee to dine.