The Garden of Zion, Title page 1 – Introduction
THE GARDEN OF ZION: Wherein the life and death of godly and wicked men in Scriptures are to be ſeene, from Adam unto the last of the Kings of Judah and Iſrael, with the good uſes of their life and death.
In this Garden conſider and take heed,
The fragrant flower growes hard beſide the weed.
A precept for the right uſe of this Booke.
…ove theſe who have their race in Gods fear runne,
…t rogues as rockes in ſea, ſee that thou ſhunne.
Printed at GLASGOW, by George Anderſon, 1644.
TO THE HIGH, AND MIGHTY MONARCH, OUR DEAR AND DREAD SOVERAIGNE, CHARLES, By the Grace of GOD, King of great Britaine, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, all Peace and Happineſſe.
Moſt gracious Soveraigne,
YOur MAJESTIES ſo loving acceptance of my former workes, preſented to You the day before Your corronation, emboldens me againe to intreat for Your Patronage, countenance, and gracious aſpect towards this little piece of poeſie full of moſt fruitfull matter.
In it Ye may clearely ſee the lives of moſt remarkable men in Scripture, and with them the lives of all the Kings of Judah and of Iſrael, with the uſes which wee ſhould make either of their life or death.
Note.Such things are needfull to bee conſidered by all men, but chiefly by Kings whoſe actions for the moſt part (whether good or bad) are put in Chronicles, the Regiſters of time, ad futuram rei memoriam; Where after ages beholding, what hath been done in ſuch and ſuch a Kings reigne, will freely, without fear, give out their verdict, concerning either their vertues or their vices, ſo that, while the memorie of the juſt ſhall be bleſſed, Prov. 10.7.the name of the wicked ſhall rot.
But mens ſayings are of little moment, the God above with whom is no reſpect of perſons will one day before the eyes of all the world,Act. 10.34. in a most open view let it be ſeene what every man hath done in his life: before his judgement ſeat all fleſh that day muſt compeare.
In all the lives of the Kings of Judah and Iſrael, obſerve that the ſinne of Idolatrie provocked GOD moſt: The baſest idole of the world is the Idole of the Maſſe, a god of dowe, Ezek. 22 3. foreign.which goeth to the draught: The Hebrews call idols Gilloulim, that is muck or doung: Beware of that new god of bread, Dij ſtercores.for if it get place in Your Majeſties Dominions, Yee need never looke for a ſound and ſolide peace, according to that ſaying, of Deborah, They chooſe new gods, Judg. 5.8.then war was in their gates; the Ark and Dagon will not faile to fight; Conſider well theſe words, and make uſe of them for Your good, as Yee would wiſh to have the Lords bleſſing upon Your government.
O whence hath come ſuch a fearfull blood-ſhed in all Your three Kingdomes? Whence is all this bloody war? the maine cauſe is, the new Go… the idol of the Maſſe ſet up in Chappell, 1 Kings 11.7.hard beſide Gods Temple like that high place which Solomo… builded for Chemos, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that wa… before Jeruſalem, directly for… againſt Gods houſe which hee ha… builded, for which doing afterwar… the Lord made a rent in his Kingdome, whereof his posteritie got th… leaſt part.
O happie ſhall Your Majeſtie bee, if with good King Joſiah Yee rene… the Covenant of the Lord in all you… Dominions, and put away the idolatrous Prieſts, and take avvay all th… high places, vvith all the monument… of idolatrie, that ſo all your Dominions may be pleaſant and fruitfull, like the mount of Olives, vvhichwhich for idolatrie lost its name,2 Kings 23.13. and vva… called the Mount of Corruption.
O vvhat a contentment to GOD vvho made you a King! O vvhat a comfort to all your good ſubjects! O vvhat a good and vvhat a glory to your ſelf! that it bee ſaid in all ages following, that King CHARLES, (like a pearle in a ring) hath beene a bleſſed Joſiah among all the Kings of Britaine.
Novv the Lord God of Gods bleſſe your Majeſtie, and make You a Defender of the Faith, as well in trueth, as in title, that in the great day of the LORD, vvith David, Jehoſhaphat, Hezekiah, Joſiah, and other gracious Kings, yee may ſtand before the Son of man, that great King, vvho hath vvritten on his thigh, The King of kings, Rev. 19.17.and Lord of lords.
From GLASGOW, the 28 of MAY, 1644. Your MAIESTIES moſt humble ſubject and ſervant, M. ZACH BOYD.
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES, Prince of Walles.
GOD who hath made your Highneſſe a Prince, ſhall by his grace, as we hope, one day make you a king, yea and more, which ſhall be like a rich Diamond on the top of your crowne, A DEFENDER of the Faith: It is now time for you to begin to be buſie, to learne to ſtirre the rudder, before Yee be made a pilot, to undertake the great charge, even the government of three kingdomes: For this great, worthy and weighty worke, Yee have great need to be wiſe, but ſo it is,Prov. 1.7 that the feare of the LORD is the beginning of wiſedome; All other wiſedome without this, is but follie.
It was a good ſaying, that King David ſaid to Prince Solomon his ſonne, If thou ſeeke him, 1 Chro. 28.9.he will be found of thee, but if thou forſake him, he will caſt thee off for ever: The beſt way to learne your Princely Leſſons, to conſider well the life and death of ki… who have ruled among Gods people, wh… vertues and vices are ſet downe by G… own pen, to be followed, or elſe to avoided.
For ſuch ends I have penned this poe… of most mens lives in Scripture with … beſt uſes I have beene able to make th… of, which heere I dedicate to your H… neſſe in all humilitie, as being my M… mite.
Accept of this little with my bl… ſing, an old Servant of GOD, n… drawing neere my threeſcore.
From GLASGOW, the 28 of MAY, 1644. Your Highneſſe m… humble Servant Mr. ZACH. BOYD.
A WATCHWORD TO THE GENERALL ASSEMBLIE.
Right Reverend,
OUr Schooles and Countrey are ſtained: yea, peſtered with idle Bookes; your children are fed on fables, love ſongs, badry Ballads, Heathen husks, youths poyſon: It much concerneth you to ſee to this, and carefully to baniſh out of the land all the names of the Pagan gods and goddeſses, which (as God hath expreſlie told us) ſhould not be taken in our lips: Pſal 16.4.Theſe words of God in Exodus are very conſiderable,Ezo. 23.13. In all things that I have ſaid to you; bee circumſpect, … make no mention of the names other gods, neither let it be he… out of thy mouth.
Seeing this by God him ſelf required, it lyeth upon you to … daine, by the viſitors of School that all theſe monuments of id… latrie be removed, and that o… ſuch Bookes have place, that m… help children to know GO… and Chriſt his Son,Iohn 17. which is … Eternall.
From GLASGOW, the 28 of MAY, 1644. Your humble ſervant Mr. ZACHARY BOYD
PRAYERS TO GOD FOR HIS ASSISTANCE IN THIS WORK.
1.
AT Thee JOVAH this work I will begin,
Inſpire mine heart, and alſo guide my pen:
Teach me to teach, and to publiſh the ſtory
Of thy moſt great workes, to thy praiſe and glory:
…ouchſafe on me in thy mercy a look,
…hat with thy praiſe I may emboſſe my book:
…y heart anone ſhall godly matter frame,
… thou ſhalt glade it with thy glowing flame:
… ſhine on me with thy bright countenance,
…nd make thy beams through my bowels to glance,
…, let not from me thy good ſprit depart,
…hat with thy Saints I here may act my part.
2.
O Mighty GOD, who all things underprops,
Refreſh mine heart with thy cleare ſilver drops,
…ke Zion hill, in a faire May morning
…angled with dew, that I thy praiſe may ſing:
… purge my ſoul, my droſſie ſprits refine,
…ne empty breaſt fill with thy breath divine:
…onceive in me, and after bring to birth
…erſes moſt ſweet, which I may warble forth;
…ouble thy ſprit on me, LORD, I thee call,
…jah like let mercies mantle fall:
…y verſe begot in paine, and borne in pleaſure,
…t them containe of thy praiſes a Treaſure.
Grant unto me that in my ſacred layes
I may expreſſe the glory of thy wayes,
O bleſſed Lord, who hearts and reines doſt try,
Make thou my thoughts to ſoare, and cut the sky;
My muſick meene accept, and with a look
Of mine incenſe receive this little ſmooke:
The widowes mites get thy more large report,
Then Hecatombes of the richeſt ſort.
O Lord of love, my ſoul with mercy fraught,
And take in good part this poore Char-coale draug…
All foggie miſts, and ſable clouds expell,
That I thy praiſe unto the world may tell:
Reveale to me Salvations ſacred things,
Seal'd in the Casket of the King of kings.
O Jeſus Chriſt, be thou my ſure refuge,
Who bare the doome of that Italian Judge.
3.
O gracious God, now teach me to compile
An uſefull work; with grace now ſteel my ſtile,
That whoſoever reads this book he may
Reape profite, I comfort, thou praiſe for ay.
The uſe of this Booke.
COnſider this who dost theſe verſes read,
Heer is a Garden, both with flowre and weed
The pleaſant Roſe he…re ſmelleth fragrantly,
The ſtinking Hemlock thou may alſo ſee:
Heere learne; with godly, godly be in life,
Ahorre all theſe who have beene men of ſtrife:
Example good follow, but ſhun abuſe;
By Gods wiſedome of all theſe men make uſe.