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INTERESTING FACSIMILES.
In crown 8vo., boards, or old-style binding, price 3.S. 6d. ; antique calf, Ios. 6d. net;
polished morocco, 21s, met.
BUNYAN’S PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. Being a facsimile
reproduction of the First Edition, published in 1678.
In crown 8vo., old-style binding, price 5s. ; antique calf, Ios. 6d. met; polished
morocco, 21S. net, post free.
THE TEMPLE. Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations. By
GEORGE HERBERT, late Oratour of the Universitie of Cambridge. This fac-
simile is made from one of about 20 copies which were struck off for presentation
to Herbert's friends, in 1630, before the issue of the first published edition.
In 8vo., antique style, price 4s. 6d. net.
THE A. B. C., BOTH IN LATYN AND ENGLYSHE,
1538. Being a facsimile reprint of the Earliest Extant English Reading Book.
With an Introduction by E. D. SHUCKBURGH, M.A., Librarian of Emmanuel
College, Cambridge.
In 2 vols., paper boards, 15s. ; large-paper copies (50 only), 31s. 6d.
GOLDSMITH'S VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. A facsimile of
the First Edition, in 2 volumes, with a Preface by AUSTIN Dobson, and a full
Bibliographical List of English Editions and Translations.
In crown 8vo., contemporary binding, price Ios. 6d. antique calf, 21s. net.
THE LIFE AND STRANGE SURPRISING ADVEN-
TURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE, OF YORK, MARINER. Being a
facsimile reproduction of the First Edition, published in 1719, with the curious
frontispiece and a preface by AUSTIN DOBSON.
In 2 vols., 12mo., paper boards, price 15s.,"large paper, 21s.
RASSELAS, PRINCE OF ABYSSINIA. By Dr. SAMUEL
Johnson. A facsimile of the First Edition. With an Introduction by Dr.
JAMES MACAULAY, and a complete Bibliography of the work to the present date.
In parchment binding or in paper boards, price ros. 6d. net; in polished morocco,
gilt edges, 21s. 6d. net.
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST. Being the Autograph Man-
uscript of THOMAS A KEMPIS, reproduced in facsimile from the original MS.
preserved in the Royal Library, Brussels.
Printed on rough handmade paper, similar to that of the original, and bound in
handsome contemporary vellum binding, price £2 2s.
THE BOKE OF ST. ALBAN’S. By Dame JULIANA BERNERs.
Containing the Treatises on Hawking, Hunting and Heraldry. Printed at St.
Alban's, by the Schoolmaster-Printer, in 1486. With an Introduction by
WILLIAM BLADES.
Demy 4to., printed on handmade paper, and bound in vellum, price 18s. ; polished
morocco, extra tooled, by Ramage, price £33s. net.
A TREATYSE OF FYSSHYNGE WITH AN ANGLE ;
being the first English book on Fishing. By Dame JULIANA BERNERs. A
facsimale reproduction of the First Edition, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, at
Westminster, in 1496. With an Introduction by the Rev. M. G. WATKINs.
In appropriate leatherette binding, price 7s. 6d., post free.
SILEX SCINTILLANS. Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations.
By HENRY WAUGHAN (Silurist). Being a facsimile of the First Edition, pub-
lished in 1650. With an Introduction by the late Rev. WILLIAM CLARE, B.A.
ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C.
A Book for Boys and Girls.
A t
Book for Boys and Girls;
OR, * } 364-3 $"
Country Rbgmes for Cbiloren.
BY
JOHN BUNYAN.
BEING
A FACSIMILE OF THE UNIQUE FIRST EDITION,
PUBLISHED IN 1686, DEPOSITED IN THE
ARATZSA MUSEUM.
WITH AN INTRODUCTION, GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF THE WORK,
BY REv. JOHN BROWN, D.D., AUTHOR OF “JOHN
BUNYAN : HIS LIFE, TIMES, AND WORK.”
LONDON :
ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW.
1889.
§f
:
s
;
AVTRODUCTION.
HEN Mr. Offor published his com-
plete edition of Bunyan's Works
in 1862, he, of course, included in the col-
lection the little book issued in Bunyan's
name, and long known under the title of
“Divine Emblems.” At the same time he
said in the preface that a mystery hung
over this little work which many years'
diligent research had not enabled him to
solve. For in the two lists of Bunyan's
Works made by Charles Doe in 1692 and
1698, there is no mention made of any
book bearing the title referred to, nor is
there any such title to be found in the
many advertisements of his works issued
by Bunyan's own publishers. Some clue
to the mystery seemed to be offered in the
fact that a work with a different title, but
(viii )
identical with the “ Divine Emblems” in
other respects, was published in 17OI as
“A Book for Boys and Girls; or, Tem-
poral Things Spiritualized,” by John
Bunyan. The natural conclusion was that
this was the same work as the one num-
bered thirty-seven in Charles Doe's list
of I698, and described as “A Book for
Boys and Girls; or, Country Rhymes
for Children in Verse on Seventy-four
Things;” and, in the list of 1692, as
“Meditations on Seventy-four Things.”
Under one or other of these two titles
also the book was advertised as Bunyan's,
both by Nathaniel Ponder and Dorman
Newman—the one the publisher of the
“Pilgrim’s Progress,” and the other of the
“Holy War.” That Bunyan had published
some book of the kind there could there-
fore be no doubt, but here came the diffi-
culty: the “Divine Emblems” contained
only forty-nine similes, whereas, as we have
seen, the original work was described as
“Meditations on Seventy-four Things.”
How did the seventy-four turn out to be
only forty-nine Mr. Offor made the in-
genious suggestion that in the later work
(ix )
two emblems had in some instances been
run together into one. For example, the
first emblem in the later edition contains
meditations on two things — the Barren
Fig-tree and God’s Vineyard ; and the
second has a meditation on the Lark and
the Fowler, and also a comparison between
the Fowler and Satan. It may be, Mr.
Offor suggested, that these two emblems
were in this way originally four, and so
with others ; and upon this plan the
volume contained exactly seventy-four
meditations.
This was ingenious, but not satisfactory;
and the real truth could only be arrived
at when a copy of the original work, as
Bunyan sent it forth in 1686, should happen
to turn up. There seemed but faint hope
of this, however, for though the book has
gone through many editions, it has, ever
since 17OI, been published only in the
shortened form in which we have been so
long familiar with it ; all through the
eighteenth century, therefore, no copy of
the original seems to have been within
reach of any of the publishers. Moreover
Mr. Offor, one of the most indefatigable
( x )
of collectors, had, as he tells us, made
most diligent inquiry for this first edition
both in the United Kingdom and in
America, but all in vain.
And now, thirty years after his long
and fruitless search, when no one was
thinking very much about the missing
book, it has, within the last few months,
unexpectedly turned up, and is here pre-
sented to the reader in facsimile. Its
history, so far as we can arrive thereat,
is curious and interesting. It appears
originally to have belonged to the well-
known seventeenth-century diarist, Nar-
cissus Luttrell, who bought it for sixpence,
the price at which it was first issued, on
May 12, 1686. In the Luttrell Collection,
now in the British Museum, there is a
broadside of Bunyan's entitled “A Caution
to Stir up to Watch against Sin.” On
this sheet Narcissus Luttrell has written
the price, one penny, and the date of pur-
chase, “8 Aprill, 1684.” In like manner,
on the title-page of this newly-acquired
copy of “A Book for Boys and Girls,”
there is recorded the price and date of
purchase, the record both on broadside and
( xi )
title-page being evidently in the same
handwriting, the style being the same, and
a marked peculiarity about the letter “d ”
occurring in both cases. The broadside
in question seems to have passed from its
first purchaser, Luttrell, to the Duke of
Buckingham, forming part of the Stowe
Collection, and it is not improbable that
the book before us went with it at the
same time to the same destination. Here
in the dignified repose common to ducal
libraries, these “Country Rhymes '' pro-
bably remained undisturbed all through
the eighteenth century, and on into the
nineteenth ; and on the breaking up of the
great collection of which it formed part,
it seems to have found its way back again
into the hands of the trade. What hap-
pened to it in the interval we have no
means of knowing ; all that we do know
with certainty is that some six or seven
years ago it was purchased for forty
guineas from a London bookseller by a
gentleman from New York, and that a
few months ago this gentleman sold part
of his valuable collection, which was pur-
chased by Mr. Henry N. Stevens, of Great
** ( xii)
Russell Street, among the books thus sold
being the one before us. It was shortly
after acquired by the authorities of the
British Museum ; and thus, after being in
two well-known collections, yet dropping
out of public knowledge for more than
a century and a half, twice crossing the
Atlantic and now coming once more to the
light, this little work from the pen of the
Dreamer has at length found a final resting-
place in the great library of the nation.
Looking at the work as we have it now
in its complete form, we find that Mr.
Offor’s suggestion was not the true ex-
planation. There was no running of two
similes into one, but the original seventy-
four meditations were reduced, in 1701, to
forty-nine by simply dropping twenty-five
out of the book altogether. Those left
out were the Meditations numbered I., II.,
X., XXIV., XXVII., XXVIII., XXIX.,
XL., XLVII., XLIX., L.I., LIV., LV.,
LVI., LX., LXII., LXIII., LXIV., LXV.,
LXVII., LXVIII., LXIX., LXXI.,
LXXII., LXXIV. Other changes also
were introduced. The curious little sub-
stitute for a horn-book at the beginning,
( xiii )
entitled “An Help to Children to learn
to read English,” was taken away, and,
consequent upon this, the last twelve lines
of the poetical address to the reader also.
It is somewhat difficult for us to imagine
Bunyan writing out half a dozen different
alphabets, giving lists of vowels and Con-
sonants, and teaching children to spell the
simple words of their own tongue, or to
spell aright their own Christian names.
Yet here we have the thing before us,
It may be that our old friend Nathaniel
Ponder, the publisher, made this addition
himself by way of meeting the wants of
the boys and girls, for whom the book
was intended, in days when spelling-books
were not so plentiful as they have sinc
become. Still, in the closing lines of the
address to the reader, as it originally stood,
Bunyan claims this work as his own, and
the last three in the list of names of girls
—Christiana, Katherine, Frances—are dis-
tinctly Bunyanish, the first being the name
of his own heroine, and the other two
names in his own family. Probably, by
way of making up for the removal of so
much matter from the beginning and the
( xiv)
body of the work, there was added to it at
the end the poem by Bunyan, originally
sold as a broadside, and entitled “A
Caution to Stir Up to Watch against Sin.”
While several of the meditations were
taken away entirely, many of those remain-
ing were subjected to considerable revision.
The unknown editor of 17OI set about
doing for these “Country Rhymes’ what
Joshua Gilpin, the pious but mistaken
Vicar of Wrockwardine, attempted some
eighty years ago to do for Bunyan's
greater work, the “Pilgrim's Progress.”
To this worthy vicar it seemed desirable
that “the excellent, though illiterate,
Bunyan should be made to speak with a
little more grammatical precision ; that his
extreme coarseness should be moderately
abated ; that he should be rendered less
obscure in some passages, less tauto-
logical in others, and offensive in none.”
This attempt to translate Bunyan's racy
English into high-sounding Johnsonese
ended, as might be expected, in producing
a book which no one cared to read, and
the popular instinct, sounder than the
pedantic, prefers Bunyan in his seven-
( xv. )
teenth-century doublet to Bunyan in
eighteenth-century buckram.
Exception may be taken in the same
way, though not to the same extent, to the
revision of this “Book for Boys and Girls,”
which took place in 1701. The reader,
glancing over two or three of the medita-
tions left out, may be inclined to think
that a little of their seventeenth-century
naturalism might very well be spared ; at
the same time, while some changes were
perhaps necessary, the changes made were
not in every case improvements. For
example, Bunyan, speaking of some who
think much of the decoration of their
houses, and the adornment of their
persons, says:
“Meanwhile their soul lies ley has no good in 't.”
This expression, “lies ley,” which, of
course, means to lie fallow, uncultivated,
the editor tames down into :
“While their immortal soul has no good in 't.”
“Pretty taking notes” is weakened into
“pretty tuneful notes.” In its original
( xvi )
form, the meditation on the rising of the
Sun is put thus:
“The night is gone, the shadows fled away,
And we now most sure are that it is day;
Our Eyes behold, and our Hearts believe it,
Nor can the wit of man in this deceive it.”
This is shortened to :
“The night is gone, the shadows fled away,
And now we are most certain that 'tis day.”
The boy spoken of in the forty-sixth
meditation was reminded that he must
be careful with his watch, and wind it
duly :
“Or else your watch, were it as good again,
Would not with time and tide you entertain.”
This was put more baldly thus:
“Or else your watch will not exactly go—
'Twill stand or run too fast, or move too slow.”
There are those, Bunyan tells us in the
fifty-ninth simile, who give no response
even to skilfullest music, and like to these
are those who lie
“Under the Word, without the least advance
Godward : such do despise the Ministry.”
( xvii )
This is spoilt, rather than improved, by
being put into this shape :
“They lie
Under the Word, without the least advance :
Such do despise the Gospel Ministry.”
Passing by these, and other illustrations
of doubtful editing, and coming to the
book itself, we are impressed anew with the
fact that Bunyan was an allegorist, rather
than a poet. Yet a poet he aspired to be.
“Man’s heart is apt in metre to delight,”
says he in one place, and he indulged him-
self in this direction to an extent which
is not always realized. If all his poetical
efforts were brought together, they would,
in point of bulk, make a considerable
volume. In the very first year of his long
imprisonment, he solaced the tedium of
Bedford Gaol by sending forth his “Profit-
able Meditations,” a work in nine sections,
and running into a hundred and eighty-
six stanzas. Three years later, in 1664,
while still a prisoner, he published his
poetical “Meditations on the Four Last
Things,” to which he added, “Ebal and
Gerizzim ; or, The Blessing and the
Curse,” the former extending to about
( xviii )
twelve hundred lines, and the latter to
eight hundred. A year later he sent forth
his “Prison Meditations” in seventy
stanzas, in which occur the well-known
lines :
“For though men keep my outward man
Within their locks and bars,
Yet by the faith of Christ I can
Mount higher than the stars.”
There are weighty reasons for not
accepting the work known as “Scriptural
Poems,” and usually attributed to Bunyan,
as genuine. But passing by these, for
something like twenty years after the ap-
pearance of his early prison books, his
only attempts in the direction of poetry
were confined to seven stanzas inserted in
the work known as “The Greatness of
the Soul"; the broadside issued in 1684,
entitled “A Caution to Stir Up to Watch
against Sin”; the poetical introductions to
the first and second parts of the “Pilgrim’s
Progress,” and to the “Holy War,” and
the verses inserted here and there in the
“Pilgrim,” and including the Shepherd
Boy's Song, and the charming lyric begin-
ning,
( xix )
“Who would true valour see
Let him come hither ;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather.”
In the last year of his life, 1688, Bunyan
sent ſorth what in point of length may be
regarded as his most considerable poetical
venture, the work entitled “A Discourse
of the Building, Nature, Excellency, and
Government of the House of God.” This
extended to nearly fourteen hundred lines,
and is a kind of development of the idea of
the Palace Beautiful of his Pilgrim story.
The “Book for Boys and Girls’ now
before us preceded this later work by about
two years, being published in 1686. In
a characteristic preface he tells his readers
that this little book of his is meant for
boys and girls, slyly adding that he means
those of all ages and of all sorts and
degrees; for often our bearded men do act
like beardless boys; our women please
themselves with childish toys. To do
good to these juveniles of all ages, he will
come down to meet them :
“Good reader that I save them may,
I now with them the very Dotteril play.
( XX )
And since at Gravity they make a Tush,
My very Beard I cast behind the Bush.
And like a Fool stand fing'ring of their Toys;
And all to show them they are Girls and Boys.”
He could, he says, were he so pleased,
use higher strains, but what would be the
practical good of that ? The arrow gone
out of sight awakes not the sleeper. To
shoot too high may set mere children on
the upward gaze; but it is that which hits
a man doth him amaze. Paul played the
fool sometimes, that he might the better
catch those that were fools indeed ; and
he himself will not hesitate to follow so
good an example.
In some of these meditations he recurs
to similes he has already set forth in earlier
works. The thirty-third, for example,
“The Barren Fig-tree,” was the subject
of one of his most searching treatises,
published some four years earlier, and in
which he had shown that the cumber-
ground must to the wood-pile, and thence
to the fire. The longest in the series,
that on “The Sinner and the Spider,”
had more than once occupied his thoughts
before. In a book of his published in
1675, and entitled “Light for Them that
( xxi)
*.
Sit in Darkness,” he shows that the soul
in temptation is like a fly in a spider's
web : “The fly is entangled in the web ;
at this the spider shows himself; if the fly
stir again, down comes the spider to her
and claps a foot upon her; if yet the fly
makes a noise, then with poisoned mouth
the spider lays hold upon her ; if the fly
struggle still, then he poisons her more
and more. What shall the fly do now *
In the second part of his “Pilgrim’’ also
the same illustration, with a different
application, comes back to him, when In-
terpreter shows Christiana and her com-
panions a very great spider on the wall,
and they have edifying discourse thereupon.
Passing to some of the other meditations
contained in the book, we feel how aptly
Bunyan has been described as a religious
AEsop, with a fable for everything. His
imagination was ever with him the domi-
nant faculty, and here, as elsewhere in his
works, it plays with all sorts of fancies, but
always with serious purpose. Great truths
are shown to be nestling for us under
leaves of simplest circumstance—
“The Swan on still Saint Mary's lake,
Floats double, Swan and Shadow.”
( xxii )
Similes are seen everywhere. The sky
with its ever-varying phenomena; human
life with its frailties and pathos, its follies
and sublimities ; the birds and beasts with
their suggestive relations to each other
and to man; natural objects, with their
power of throwing light upon the super-
natural ; all come and go in these pages,
leaving lessons to make us wiser. Alex-
ander Smith, the Glasgow poet, said of
the book: “Bunyan’s muse is clad in
russet, wears shoes and stockings, has a
country accent, and walks along the level
Bedfordshire roads. But if as a poet he
is homely and idiomatic, he is always
natural, straightforward, and sincere. His
lines are unpolished, but they have pith
and sinew, like the talk of a shrewd
peasant. There are here also many
touches of pure poetry, showing that in his
mind there was a vein of silver which,
under favourable circumstances, might
have been worked to rich issues; and
everywhere there is an admirable homely
pregnancy and fulness of meaning.”
In the complete book, as we now have
it, there are one or two additional medi-
( xxiii )
tations which have a sort of autobiographic
interest. The child awakened from his
dream (No. II.) utters this lamentation :
’ “I have in sin abounded,
My heart therewith is wounded,
With fears I am surrounded,
My Spirit is confounded.”
We recall, as we read this, that Bunyan
tells us how, because of his sins, “the Lord,
even in my childhood, did scare and
affright me with fearful dreams, and did
terrify me with dreadful visions.” The
meditation upon a ring of bells (No.
XXIX.) also seems to take us back to
Elstow steeple and the old days when
he so dearly loved to join the ringers.
The comparisons are vivid throughout.
His body is the steeple, where the bells,
the powers of his soul, do hang; the
clappers are the passions of his mind;
while the ropes are the promises, and God-
given graces the ringers:
“Let not my Bells these Ringers want, nor
Ropes ;
Yea, let them have room for to swing and
sway.”
( xxiv. )
He had seen village lads steal into Elstow
steeple, and make jangle with the bells; so
did the lusts of his body sometimes into
the belfry go : \
“Then, Lord, I pray thee keep my Belfry Key,
Let none but Graces meddle with these Ropes.”
We have now also, for the first time,
curiously enough, staves of music given to
which two of the Meditations (XXXI. and
XXXIV) were evidently to be sung. The
clef in both cases is obsolete now, being
printed in the shape in which it is found in
Christopher Simpson’s “Compendium of
Practical Musick,” 1678. This is a sort of
middle term between the form given in
I653, by Henry Lawes, in his “Ayres and
Dialogues for one, two, and three voyces,”
and that found in Playford's Psalms of
1697. The printing of this music, as will
be seen, is rather rudely executed, and in
the first of the two melodies given there
appear to be two notes left out. We have
also for the first time in this edition a
rhyming version of the Apostles' Creed
(No. X), possibly another reminiscence
of Elstow Church and his earlier days.
The rest of the twenty-five meditations
( xxv )
now restored to us have very much the
same character as those with which we
have been long familiar. The fatted swine
being made ready for the butcher’s stall
reminds him of the gross overfed men of
the world ripening for judgement; the
postboy hurrying along and allowing none
to give him stop or stay is suggestive of
the zeal of the true pilgrim on his way
heavenward ; the boy with his paper of
plums, which he counts so much better
than bread, like Passion in the “Pilgrim,”
Soon spends his delights and comes back
by-and-by with nought but paper and
thread ; the brave weathercock faces the
wind, blow from what quarter it may, so
should the Christian face Antichrist in
each disguise ; finally, the horse that starts
and snorts at Sound of drum is like those
Christian professors who cannot face trials
and persecutions for their faith. Others
there are of firmer soul, of whom Bunyan
himself was one, who from the drum will
neither start nor flee,
“Let Drummers beat the charge or what they
will,
They'll nose them, face them, keep their places
still.”
( xxvi )
We may now close this foreword with
a brief reference to some of the editions
through which this book has passed since
its first appearance. Published in 1686, it
was never reprinted in Bunyan's lifetime.
In 17OI it reappeared with all the changes
to which reference has been made. The
title-page then ran as follows: “A Book
for Boys and Girls; or, Temporal Things
Spiritualized. By John Bunyan. Licensed
and entered according to Order. London :
Printed for, and sold by, R. Tookey, at
his Printing House, in St. Christopher's
Court, in Threadneedle Street, behind the
Royal Exchange, 1701.” Of this second
edition the only known copy existing is
in the Bodleian Library. There were no
illustrations to the book till 1707, when
the third edition appeared, which, accord-
ing to an advertisement of the period, was
“ ornamented with cuts.” The earliest
copy now in existence, next to the second,
is one of the ninth edition, which appeared
in 1724, and bore, for the first time, the
title which the book has ever since re-
tained : “Divine Emblems; or, Temporal
Things Spiritualized.” This was “adorned
( xxvii )
with cuts suitable to every subject.” Suit-
able they might be, but fearsome to see
they certainly were. In 1757 a tenth
edition was published by E. Dilly, at the
Rose and Crown, in the Poultry. This
was embellished with a new set of en-
gravings, executed in better style. The
costumes depicted, as might be expected,
were those of the early Georgian period,
the ladies standing out with hooped
petticoats and high head-dresses, and the
men with cocked hats and queues. These
engravings were again and again repeated,
and were reproduced in good style a few
years ago by Bickers and Son, in an
edition containing a preface by Alexander
Smith. This edition of I757 had a curious
preface signed “J. D.,” and “addressed to
the Great Boys in Folio and the Little
Ones in Coats.” What this preface had
to do with the book it is somewhat diffi-
cult to see, inasmuch as it is mainly con-
cerned with showing “ that Language came
originally by Revelation of God, and not
by Chance, nor invented by Artifice.”
About 1790 a very pretty edition of the
“ Divine Emblems” was issued, “En-
( xxviii )
graved, printed, and sold by T. Bennett,
of Plough Court, Fetter Lane.” It was
in square 16mo., and was remarkable not
merely for the excellence of its illustra-
tions, but also for the unusual circumstance
that not merely these, but the entire book,
from the title-page to the end, was en-
graved and printed from copper plates.
The only known copy of this edition is
now before the present writer, having been
saved from the ruin of Mr. Offor’s collec-
tion, the pages being complete, but the
back and binding entirely burnt away.
A handsome edition, with superior illus-
trations, was also edited by W. Mason,
and published by Alexander Hogg, in
1780. Other editions were issued in
London in 1790 and I793 by C. Dilly, and
in 1802 by J. Mawman, in the Poultry;
and in Coventry by M. Luckman (N. D.)
and N. Merridew, 1806, but they do not
call for special remark.
§

Country 33bünts|
F O R .
Children.
By j. B.
| Licenſed and Entred according to Order.
3
-ms---
LONDON, Printed for N. P. and Sold by the
Bookſellers in London 1686.
-*g,
—-º-º-
...afºh.
T O T H E
R. E. A. D. E. R.
Courteous Reader, º
heTitle-page will ſhew, if there thou looks
who are the proper Subjećir of this Book.
They'r Boys and Gurlf of all Sorts and Degrees,
From thoſe of Age, to Children on the Knees.
Thus comprehenſive am I in my Notions ;
They tempt me to it by their childiſh Motions.
We now have Boys with Beards, and Girls that be
Big as old Women, wanting Gravity. *
Then do not blame me, 'cauſe I thus deſcribe them;
Flatter I may not, left thereby 1 bribe them
To have a better judgment of themſelves,
Than wiſe men have of Babies on their Shelves.
Their antick Tricks, fantaſtick Modes, and way,
Shew they like very Boys, and Girls, do play
With all the frantick Fopp'ries of this Age;
And that an open view, as on a Stage;
Our Bearded men, do at like Beardleſs Boys;
9ar Women pleaſe themſelves with childiſh Toys.
Our Miniſters, long time by Word and Pen,
Dealt with then, counting them, not Boy, but Men :
Thunder-bolts they ſhot at them, and their Toys:
" Rat bit thernor, 'cauſe they were Girls and Boyſ.
!
The better charge, the widerſtall they ſhot,
ºur elſe ſo high, Theſe Dwarfs they touched not
#leſtead of Wen,they found then Girl, and Boyſ,
* Widdiff to nothing a to childiſh Toys
Wherefore good Reader, that I ſave them may,
1.now with them, the very Dottril Play.
nd ſince at Gravity they make a Tuſh,
Myvery Beard'ſ ca; łehind the Buſh.
And i. a Fool ſtand fing'ring of their Toys 3
Andall to ſhew them,they are Girls and Boys.
Nor doſi bluſh, although I thinkſome may
call me a Baby, 'cauſe I with them play
I dºt to ſhew them how each Fingle-fangle,
on which they doting are, their Soal, entangle,
A; with a ń. a Trap, a Ginn, or Snare.
And will deſtroy them, have they not a Care,
Paul feem'd to play the Fool,that he mºght gain
Thoſe that were Fools indeed, if aor in Gratn.
Aná did it by their things, that they might know
Their emptineſs, and might be brought unto
What would them ſave from Sin and Panty.
A Noble Aët, and full of Honeſty.
To be, nor I would like them be in Pice,
While by their Play-things, I would them entice,
To mount their Th9ughts from what are childiſh Toys,
To Heav'n, for that’s prepar'd for Girls and Boys.
Nor do I ſo confine my ſelf to theſe,
A, to ſhungraver things, I ſeek to pleaſe,
Thoſe more compoſa with better things than Toys:
Tho thus I would becatching Girls and Boys.
A 2 Wherefore
Wherefore if Men have now a mind to look;
Perhaps their Graver Fancies may be took
Wuh what is here; thobut in Homely Rhimes:
But he, who pleaſes all, muſt riſe betimes.
Some, I perſpade me, will be finding Fault,
Conclading, here I trip, and there I halt,
No doubt ſome could theſe groveling Notions raiſe
By fine-ſpun Terms that challenge might the Bays.
But ſhould all men before’t to lay aſide
Their Brains, that cannot regulate the Tide
By this or that man's Fancy, we ſhould have
The Wuſe, unto the Fool, become a Slave
What tho my Text ſeems mean, my Moral be
Grave,as ºf fetcht from a Sublimer Tree.
And if ſome better handle can a Fly,
Then ſome a Text, rhy ſhould we them deny
Their making Proof, or good Experiment,
Of ſmalleft things great miſchief to prevent
Wiſe Solomon did Fools to Ptſ-ants end,
To learn true Wiſdom, and their Lives to mend.
Tea, God by Swallows, Cuckgivs, and the Aſt;
Shews they are Fools who let that ſeaſon paſs,
Which he put in their hand, that to obtain
Which is both preſent, and Eternal Gain,
I think ſhe wiſer ſort my Rhimes may flight
But what care 1. The fooliſh will delight
To read them, and the Fooliſh, God has choſe.
And doth by Fooliſh Things, their minds compoſe,
And ſettle upon that which is Divine :
Great Things, by httle oner, are made to ſhine.

I could, were I ſo pleas'd, uſe higher Strains.
And for Applanſe, on Tenters ſtretch my Brains,
Auf what needs that? The Arrow out of Sight,
Does not the Sleeper, nor the Watchman fright.
To ſhoot too high doth but make Children gaze,
Tis that which hits the man, doth him amaze.
And for the Inoonſiderableneſs
Of things, by which I do my mind expreſs;
May 1 by them brºng ſome good thing to paſs,
Ar Sampſon, wuh the jew-bom of an Aſ i
Or as Brave Shamgar with bus Oxe Goad,
(Both things not manly, no, for War in Mode
I have my end, tho / my ſelf expoſe
To ſcorn; God will have Glory in the cloſe.
Thn'ſ much for artificial Babe: ; and now
Tc thoſe who are in yearrbut ſuch, I bow
/My Pen to teach them what the Letter; be,
Andhom they may improve their A, B, C.
Nor let my pretty Children them deſpiſe ;
All, needs muſt there begin, that wou d be wiſe
Nor let them fall under Diſcouragement,
Who at their Horn-book ſtack, and ume hath ſpen,
ºpon that A, B, C, while others do
Into their Primer, or their Pſaltergo.
Some Boys with difficulty de begin,
Who in the end, the Bay; ,and Lawrel roun.
j, B.
Anhelp to Chil-dren to learn to read Eng-liſh.
Inor-der to the at-taining of which, they muſt firſt be taught
the Let-ters, which betheſe that follow,
a 3 (LºD Q: # 45 tº 3, 15 # 49 ſº 3D ſº º
#
;
ºl
Qſì
n O p q r ſ tu to r p 3,
M N O P Q_R S T v W
º in no p q r ſ t w u w x y z.
r x E F G H H K L. M. No P & R s T V w
a b c d e f g h : k l m n o r ſt v u w x
The Vowels are t ſe, a, e, i, o, u. P 1 J &
As there are vow-els, ſo are there Con-ſo-namts, and they are
theſe.
b c dif g h k 1 m n p q r ſ t w w x y z.
There are alſo dou-ble Let-ters and they are theſe.
fſ ſi ſã fl fi fi ſã ſh. *
After theſe are known, then ſet your child to ſpel-ling, Thus
Tºo, to T-h-e, the, Gr, or, I £if I n, in, Me, me,y-ou, you;
fi-nºd, find, S-infin: In C-h-ri-ſtchrift,isis,R-i-gh-teau
n-e-ſs, Righ-te-ouſneſs. *
Arid ob-ſerve that e-very word or ſyl-la-ble (tho ne-ver ſo
finall) muſt have one vow. ei or more ri ht-y placed in it.
For inſtances, Theſe are no words nor Syl-lärbles, be cauſe they
have no vow-els in them, namely, ſlºgld, ſtrnght, ſpil, dril,f\l.
Words made of two Letters are théſe, and ſuch-like, If, it is, ſo,
do, we, ſee, he, is, in, º
Words con-ſiſt-ing of three Letters,
But, for, her, ſhe, did, doe, all, his, way, you, may, ſay, nay.

Names
To learn Chil-dren to ſpell artight their names
Names of Boys.
Thomas.
James,
Si-mon.
Ed-ward.
John.
Ro-bert.
Richard.
Ad-am
Ti-mo-thy.
Jacob.
A-bra-ham
Mo-ſes
Aa-ron,
Phi-ſip.
Mat-thew."
Bar-tho-lo-mêW
Wil-ll-arm.
Hen-ry
Ralph.
Stephen.
Je-re-mi-ah
Pe-ter.
George
Jo-nas.
A-mos.
Ni-cho (as
Job.
Da-vid.
Names of Girls.
An-na.
Su-ſan-ria.
|Rebekah.
Mag-dà-lene.
E-liza-beth.
Sa-rah.
Mary.
Jane.
Dor-cas.
Ra-chel.
Di-nah.
Do-ro-thy.
Joanna.
ly-di-a.
Da-ma-ris.
A-bi-gail.
Mi-chal.
Han-nati.
Ruth.
Mar-tha.
Agnis.
Mar-ga-ret,
Ju-dith.
Joan.
Alice.
FPhe-be.
Grace.
Chriſ-ti-a-na.
Ka-the-rine,
Fran-ces.
To learn children to know Figures, and Numeral Lºtterſ.
Figurer.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
. "Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Io, Ten.
I 1. Eleven.
12. Twelve.
13. Thirteen.
14. Fourteen.
15. Fifteen.
16. Sixteen.
17. Seventeen.
18. Eighteen.
19. Nineteen.
30. Twenty.
30. Thirty.
40. Forty.
50. Fifty.
60. Sixty.
7o. Seventy.
Bo. ;
o. Ninety.
#. a Hundred.
5oo. Five hundred.
rooo... a Thouſand.
|
Numeral Fletters
I. One.
II. Two.
III. Three.
IV. Four.
W. Five.
V H Six.
W II. Seven.
VIII. Eight,
IX. Nine.
X. Ten,
XI. Eleven.
X I I. Twelve.
X I II. Thirteen.
X I V. Fourteen.
X V. Fifteen.
X
V
I.
Si
Xt
ee
ſla
XV II. Seventeen.
XV III. Eighteen.
X IX. Nineteen.
XX. Twenty.
XXX. Thirty.
X L. Forty.
1. Fifty.
L X.
L
C. a Hundred.
D. Five hundred.
M. a Thouſand.
I ſhall forbear to add more, being perſwaded this is enoug
for little Children to prepare themſelves for Pſalter, or Bible.
A
( 1)
sº-
B O O K



Boys and Girls, &c.
I.
Zpon the Ten Commandments.
1. *T*Hou ſhalt not have another God than me :.
2. Thou ſhalt not to an Image bow thy Knee.
3. Thou ſhalt not take the Name of God in vain:
4. See that the Sabbath thou do not profain.
5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother to :
6. In Aćt or Thought ſee thou no Murder do.
7. From Fornication keep thy body clean :
8. Thou ſhalt not ſteal, though thou be very mean.
6. Bear no falſe Witneſs, keep thee without Spot:
lo. What is thy Neighbours ſee thou Covet not
B
(2)
I I
The awakened Childs Lamentation.
V Hen Adam was deceived,
I was of Life bereaved;
Of late (too) l perceived,
I was in ſin conceived.
2.
And as I was born naked,
I was with filth befpaked,
At which when I awaked,
My Soul and Spirit ſhaked.
3.
My Filth grew ſtrong, and boyled,
And me throughout defiled,
Its pleaſures me beguiled,
My Soul how art thou ſpoyled!
My joys with ſinwere painted,
My mind with fin is tainted,
My heart with Guilt is fainted,
I want with God acquainted.
5 ©
I have in ſin abounded,
MW h herewith is wounded
y heart thereWith is 3 With
(3)
with fears I am ſurrounded,
My Spirit is confounded.
G.
I have been often called,
By ſin as oft enthralled,
Pleaſures hath me fore-ſtalled.
How is my Spirit gauled !
As ſin has me inſaid,'
I am thereof deteóted:
Mercy I have neglečted,
I fear I am rejećted.
8.
The Word I have miſ-inſed
Good Council too refuſed;
Thus I my Self abuſed ;
How can I be excuſed?
9.
When other Children prayed,
That work I then delayed,
Ran up and down and played,
And thus from God have ſtrayed.
Q.
Had I in God delighted,
And my wrong doings righted;
! had not thus been frighted,
Nor as I am benighted.
H Y .
O! That God would be pleaſed,
Tºwards me to be appeaſed;
B 2 And
(4)
And heal me thus diſeaſed,
How ſhould I then be eaſed
I 2.
But Truth I have deſpiſed,
My follies idolized,
Saints with Reproach diſguiſed,
Salvation nothing prized.
I 3.
O Lord! I am aſhamed ,
When I do heartbee named;
'Cauſe thee I have defamed,
And liv'd like Beaſts untamed !
- I4.
Would God I might be ſaved,
Might have an heart like David;
This i have ſometimes craved,
Yet am by ſin enſlaved
I 5.
Vanity I have loved,
My heart from God removed ;
And not, as me behowed,
The means of Grace improved.
I 6.
O Lord! if I had cryed
(When I told tales and lyed)
For Mercy, and denyed
My Luſts, I had not died
17.
But Mercies-Gate is locked,
Yed, up that way is blocked,
( ; )
Yea ſome that there have knocked,
God at their cryes hath mocked.
18.
'Cauſe him they had diſdained,
Their wicked ways maintained,
From Godlineſs refrained,
And on his word complained.
I 9.
I would I were converted
Would ſin and I were parted,
For folly I have ſmarted;
God make me homeſt-hearted
2O.
I have to Grace appealed,
Would’twere to me revealed,
And Pardon to me ſealed,
Then ſhould I ſoon be healed!
2. I
Whoſe Nature God hath mended,
Whoſe ſinful courſe is ended,
Who is to life aſcended,
Of God is much befriended.
22,
Oh! Were I reconciled
To God, I, tho defiled,
Should beas one that ſmiled,
To think my death was ſpoiled.
23.
Lord: thou waſt crucified
For Sinners, bled and dyed,
B 3
(9)
I have for Mercy cryed,
Let me not be denyed.
& 24.
I have thy Spirit grieved;
Yet is my life reprieved,
Would I in thee believed,
Then I ſhould be-relieved.
2 Se
Were but Repentance intº,
And had [Faith unfeigned,
Then joy would be maintained
Hn me, and in reſtrained.
26,
But this is to be noted,
I have on Folly doted,
My Vanities promoted,
My ſelf to them devoted.
27.
Thus I have fin committed,
And ſo my ſelf out-witted;
Yea,and my Soul unfitted,
To be to Heaven admitted,
* 28.
But God has condeſcended,
And pardon has extended,
To ſuch as have offended,
Before their lives were ended.
29.
O Lord! do not diſdain me,
But kindly entertain me; Y
"Yea
(7)
yea in thy Faith maintain me,
And let thy Love conſtrain me !
H II
Meditations upon an Egg.
M
He Egg's no Chick by falling from the Hen;
Norman a Chriſtian, till he's born agen.
The Egg's at firſt contained in the Shell;
Men afore Grace, in fins, and darkneſs dwell.
The Egg when laid,by Warmthis made a Chicken;
Add Chriſt, by Grace, thoſe dead in ſin doth quicken.
The Egg, when firſt a Chick,the ſhell's its Priſon;
So's fleſh to th’Soul, who yet with Chriſt is riſen.
The Shell doth crack, the Chick doth chirp and
The fleſh decays, as mendo pray and weep. (peep;
The Shell doth break, the Chick's at liberty;
The fleſh falls off, the Soul mounts tip on high.
But both do not enjoy the ſelf ſame plight;
The Soul is ſafe, the Chick now fears the Kite.
2.
But Chick's from rotten Eggsdonotproceed;
Nor is an Hypocrite a Saint indeed.
The rotten Egg, though underneath the Hen,
If crack'd, ſtinks, and is loathſome unto men.
Nor doth her Warmth make what is rottenſomnd,
What's rotten, rotten will at laſt befound.
B 4 The
(8)
The Hyppocrite, fin has him in Poſſeffion,
He is a rotten Egg under Profeſſion.
3.
Some Eggs bring Cockatrices; and ſome men
Seem hatcht and brooded in the Vipers Den.
Some Eggs bring wild. Fowls;and ſome men there be
As wild as are the wildeſt Fowls that flee,
Some Eggs bring Spiders; and ſome men appear
More venom than the worſt of Spiders are.
Some Eggs bring Piſs ants; and ſome ſeem to me
As much for trifles as the Pifs-ants be.
Thus divers Eggs do produce divers flapes,
As like ſome Men as Monkeys are like Apes,
But this is but an Egg, were it a Chick,
Here had been Legs, and Wings, and Bones to pick,
I V.
Upon the Lord’s Prayer.
Ur Father which in Heaven art;
Thy name be always hallowed;
Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done;
Thy Heav'nly path be followed.
By us on Earth as 'tis with thee,
We humbly pray;
And let our Bread us given be
From day to day.
Forgive our debts, as we forgive
Thoſe that to us indebted are: Iſ)
w t()
(9)
htotemptation lead us not;
ºut ſave us from the wicked's Snare,
The Kingdom's thine,the Power too,
we thee adore,
The Glory alſo ſhall be thine
For evermore.
V
Meditation upon Peep of day.
Oft, though it be peep of day, do'ut know,
Whether 'tis Night, whether ’tis Day or no.
I fancy that I ſee a little light;
But cannot yet diſtinguiſh day from night.
I hope, I doubt, but ſteddy yet I be not,
I am not at a point, the Sun I ſee not.
Thus 'tis with ſuch, who Grace but now poſſeſt,
They know not yet, if they are curſt or bleſt.
VI.
Upon the Flint in the Water.
This Flint, time out of mind, has there abode,
Where ChryſtalStreams make their continual Road,
Yet it abides a Flint as much as 'twere,
Before it touch'd the Water, or came there.
Its hard cbdurateneſs is not abated,
"is not at all by water penetrated.
Though



(ro )
Though water hath a ſoftning vertue in't,
This Stone it can’t diſſolve, ’cauſe ’tis a Flintº
Yea though it in the water dothriemain ;
It doth it's fiery nature ſtill retain.
If you oppoſe it with it's Oppoſit,
At you, yea, in your face it's fire 'twill ſpit.
Compariſon.
This Flint an Emblem is of thoſe that lye,
Like ſtones,under the Word, until they dye.
It's Chryſtal Streams hath not their nature changed
They are not from their Luſtsby Grace eſtranged.
VII.
Upon the Fiſh in the Water,
| -
The water is the Fiſhes Element t
Take her from thence, none can her death prevent
And ſome have ſaid, who have Tranſgreſſors been,
As good not be, as to be kept from ſin.
2.
The water is the Fiſhes Element :
Leave her but there, and ſhe is well content.
So's he who in the path of Life doth plod,
Take all, ſays he, let me but have my God.
( 11)
3.
The water is the Fiſhes Element:
Her ſportings there to her are excellent.
So is God’s Service unto Holy men,
They are not in their Element till then.
V : I i.
Opon the Swallow.
His pretty Bird, oh! how ſhe flies and ſings!
T But could ſhe do ſo if ſhe had not Wings?
Her Wings, beſpeak my Faith, her Songs my Peace,
When I believe and ſing, my Doubtings ceaſe.
I X.
Opon the Bez.
T He Bee goes out and Honey home doth bring;
And ſome who ſeek that Hony find a ſting.
Now wouldſt thou have the Homy and be free
From ſtinging; in the firſt place kill the Bee.
Cornpariſºn.
This Bee an Emblem truly is of ſin
Whoſe Sweet unto a many death hath beer.
Now would'ſt have Sweet from fin, and yet not dye,
Do thou it in the firſt place mortifie.
X.
( 12 )
X.
Opon the Creed.
Dobelieve in God;
And in his only Son;
* as to his Born of a Woman, yet * begot
Godhead. Before the world begun.
I alſo do believe
That he was crucifi’d,
Was dead and buried; and yet
* as to his Believe he * never dy’d.
Godhead. The Third day I believe
He did riſe from the dead;
Went up to Heav'n, and is of God
Of all things made the Head.
Alſo I do believe,
That he from thence ſhall come,
To judge the quick, the dead,and to
Give unto all juſt Doom.
Moreover I believe
In God the Holy Ghoſt ;
And that thereisan Holy Church,
An univerſal Hoſt.
Alſo l do believe,
That ſin ſhall be forgiven;
And that the dead ſhall riſe; and that
The Saints ſhall dwell in Heaven.
XI.
(13)
XI.
Opon a low'ring Morning.
WEI, with the day, I ſee, the Clouds appear,
And mix the light with darkneſs every where :
This threatning is to Travellers, that go
Long Journeys, ſlabby Rain, they’l have or Snow,
Elſe while I gaze, the Sun doth with his beams
Belace the Clouds, as 'ſwere with bloody Streams;
This done, they ſuddenly do watry grow,
And weep, and pour their tears out where they go.
Compariſon.
Thus’tis when Goſpel-light doth uſher in
Tous, both ſenſe of Grace, and ſenſe of Sin;
Yea when it makes ſin red with Chriſt's blood,
Then we can weep, till weeping does us good.
XII.
Opon over-much Niceneſs.
ls, much to ſee how over-Nice ſome are,
About the Body and Houſhold Affair:
While, what's of Worth, they ſlightly paſs itby,
Not doing, or doing it ſloyehly.
Their
(14)
Their houſe muſt be well furniſht, be in print;
Mean while their Soul lies ley, has no good in't.
Its outſide alſo they muſt beautifie,
When in it there's ſcarce common Honeſty.
Their Bodies they muſt have trick'dup, and trim
Their inſide full of Filth up to the brim.
upon their cloths there muſt not be a ſpot,
But is their lives more then one common Blot?
How nice, how coy are ſome about their Diet,
That can their crying Souls with Hogs-meat quiet.
All dreſt muſt to an hair be, elſe ’tis naught,
While of the living bread they have no thought.
Thus for their Outfide they are clean and nice,
While their poor Inſide ſtinks with ſin and vice.
JK II.
Meditations upon the Candle.
An’s like a Candle in a Candleſtick,
Made up of Tallow, and a little Wick;
And as the Candle is when tis not lighted,
So is he who is in his ſins benighted.
Nor can a man his Soul with Grace inſpire,
More then can Candles ſet themſelves on fire.
Candles receive their light from what they are not
Men Grace from him, for whomat firſt they carenol,
We manage Candles when they take the fire?..
God men, when he with Grace doth them inſ;
( 15 )
And biggeſt Candles give the better light,
As Grace on biggeſt Sinners ſhines moſ,
The Candle ſhines to make another
A Saint unto his Neighbour ligh ſhould
The blinking Candle we do much deſpiſe,
Saints dim of light are high in no mans eyes.
Again, though it may ſeem to ſome a Riddle,
We uſe to light our Candle at the middle ;
True, light doth at the Candles end appear,
And Grace the heart firſt reaches by the Ear.
But 'tis the wick the fire doth kindle on,
As 'tis the heart that Grace firſt works upon.
Thus both doth faſten upon what's the main,
And ſo their Life and Vigour domaintain.
The Tallow makes the Wick yield to the fire;
And ſinful Fleſh doth make the Soul deſire,
That Grace may kindle on it, in it burn ;
So Evil makes the Soul from Evil turn.
But Candles in the wind are apt to flare;
And Chriſt’ans in a Tempeſt to deſpair.
The flame alſo with Smoak attended is;
And in our holy lives there's much amiſs.
Sometimes a Thief will candle-light annoy;
And luſts do ſeek our Graces to deſtroy.
What brackiſh is will make a Candle ſputter;
Twixt ſin and Grace there's ofta heavy clutter.
Sometimes the lightburns dim, 'cauſe of the ſnuff,
Sometimes it is blown quite out with a puff;
But Watchfulneſs preventeth both theſe evils,
Keeps Candleslight and Grace in ſpight of Pº
Or
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Nor let not ſnuffs nor puffs make us to doubt;
Our Candles may be lighted, though pufft out.
The Candle in the night doth all excel.
Nor Sun, nor Moon, nor Stars, then ſhine ſo well.
So is the Chriſtian in our Hemiſphere,
whoſe light thews othershow their courſe to ſteer.
When Candles are put out, all's in confuſion;
where Chriſtians are not,Devils make Intruſion.
Then happy are they who ſuch Candles have,
All others dwell in darkneſs and the Grave.
But Candles that do blink within the Socket,
And Saints whoſe heads are always in their pocket,
Are much alike; ſuch Candles make us fumble,
And at ſuch Saints,good men and bad do ſtumble.
Good Candles do'nt offend, except fore eyes,
Nor hurt unleſs it be the filly Flies:
Thus none like burning Candles in the night,
Nor ought to holy living for delight.
But let us draw towards the Candles end,
The fire,you ſee, doth Wick and Tallow ſpend.
As Grace mans life, until his Glaſs is run,
And ſo the Candle and the Man is done.
The man now lays him down upon his Bed;
The Wick yields up its fire; and ſo is dead.
The Candle now extinétis, but the man,
By Grace mounts up to Glory, there to ſtand.
X IV
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XIV.
‘Upon the Sacraments.
Two Sacraments I do believe there be,
Baptiſm and the Supper of the Lord:
Both Myſteries divine, which do to me,
By Gods appointment, benefit afford:
But ſhall they be my God? or ſhall I have
Of them ſo foul and impious a Thought,
To think that from the Curſe they can me ſave 2
Brcad, Wine, nor Water me no ramſom bought.
XV.
Upon the Suns Reflection upon the Clouds in a fair Mar-
nung.
Ook yonder, ah! Methinks mine eyes do ſee,
Clouds edg’d with ſilver, as fine Garments be
They look as if they ſaw that Golden face,
That makes black Clouds moſt beautiful with Grace.
Unto the Saints ſweet incenſe or their Prayer,
Theſe Smoaky curdled Clouds I do comparé.
fºr as theſe Clouds ſeem edg’d or lac'd with Gold,
Their Prayers return with Bleſſings manifold.
C XV'ſ.
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Y V I.
Upon Apparel.
od gave uscloaths to hide our Nakedneſ,
G And we by them, do it expoſe to View.
Our Pride, and unclean Minds, to an exceſ; 3
By our Apparel we to others ſheW.
XVII.
The Sinner and the Spider.
Sinner.
V VHit black? what ugly crawling thing art
Spider. (thou?
I am a Spider *-
Sinney.
A Spider, Ay, alſo a filthy Creature.
Spider.
Not filthy as thy ſelf, in Name or Feature:
My Name intailed is to my Creation;
My Feature's from the God of thy Salvation.
Sunner.
I am a Man, and in God's Image made,
I have a Sonlfhall neitber dye 7:07" fade :
God haſ poſſeſſed me with humane Reaſon,
Speak nºt 4gainſt me, left thou ſpeakeſt Treaſon.
Fay
(19 )
For if I am the Image of my Maker,
of Slanders lata on me he ºf Partaker.
Spider.
I know thouart a Creature far above me,
Therefore I ſhun, I fear, and alſo love thee.
But tho thy God hath made thee ſuch a Creahure,
Thou haſt againſt him often play’d the Traitor.
Thy ſin has fetcht thee down: Leave off to boaſt :
Nature thou haſt defil'd, God’s Image loſt.
Yea thou, thy ſelf a very Beaſt haſt made,
And art become like Graſs, which ſoon doth fade.
Thy Soul, thy Reaſon, yea thy ſpotleſs State.
Sin has ſubjected to th'onoſt dreadful fate.
But I retain my primitive condition,
I've all, but what I loſt by thy Ambition.
Sumner.
Thou venom'd thing, I know not what to call thee,
The Dregs of Nature ſurely did befalthee;
Thou waſ made of the Droſs, and Scum of all;
Man hates thee, doth in ſcorn thee Spider call.
Spider.
My Venomsgood for ſomething,'cauſe God made it;
Thy Sin has ſpoilt thy Nature, doth degrade it
9thumane Vertues; therefore tho I fear thee,
Will not, tho I might, deſpiſe and jear thee.
Thou ſayſł I am the very Dregs of Nature,
Tºy Sin's the ſpawn of Élevils, 'tis no Creature.
hou ſayſt man hates me, 'cauſe I am a Spider,
*or man, thouatthy God'arta Derider: h
C 2. My
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My venom tendeth to my Preſervation;
Thy pleaſing Follies work out thy Damnation.
Poor man, I keep the rules of my Creation;
Thy ſin has caſt thee headlong from thy Station,
I hurt no body willingly; but thou -
Art a ſelf-Murderer: Thou knowſt not how
To do what good is, no thou loveſt evil?”
Thou fly'ſt God's Law, adhereſt to the Devil.
Sinner.
Ill-ſhaped Creature there's Antipathy
"Twixt Men and Spiders, 'tus in vain to lie,
I hate thee, ſtand off, if thou doſt come nigh me,
I'll cruſh thee with my foot; I do defie thee.
Spider.
They are ill ſhap’t, who warped are by ſin;
Antipathy in thee hath long time bin
To God. No marvel then, if me his Creature
Thou doſt defie, pretending Name and Feature.
But why ſtand off? My Preſence ſhall not throng ther,
'Tis not my venom, but thy ſin doth wrong thee."
Come I will teach thee Wiſdom, do but hear me,
I was made for thy profit, do not feer me.
But if thy God thou wilt not hearken to,
What can the Swallow, Ant, or Spider do?
Yet 1 will ſpeak, I can but be reječted ;
Sometimes great things, by ſmall means are efféâted
Haik then ; tho man is noble by Creation,
He's lapſed now to ſuch Degeneration;
is ſo beſotted, and ſo careleſs grown,
As not to grieve, though he has overthrown
Himſelf
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Himſelf, and brought to Bondage every thing
Created, from the Spider to the King.
This we poor Senſitives do feel and ſee;
For ſubject to the Curſe you made us be.
Tread not upon me, neither from me go 3
*Tis man which has brought all the world to Wo.
The Law of my Creation bids me teach thee,
Iwill not for thy Pride to God impeach thee.
I ſpin, I weave, and all to letthee ſee,
Thy beſt performances but Cobwebsbe.
Thy Glory now is brought to ſuch an Ebb,
It doth not much excel the Spider's Web.
My Webs becoming ſhares aud traps for Flics,
Do ſet the wiles of Hell before thine eyes.
Their tangling nature is to let thee ſee,
Thy ſins (too) of a tangling nature be.
My Den, or Hole, for that 'tisbottomleſs,
Doth of Damnation ſhew the Laſtingneſs.
My lying quat, until the Fly is catcht,
Shews, ſecretly Hell hath thy ruin hatcht.
In that Ion her ſeize, when ſhe is taken,
I ſhew who gathers whom God hath forſaked.
The Fly lies buzzing in my Web to tell
Thee, how the sinners roar and howlin Hell.
Nów ſince 1 ſhew thee all theſe Myſteries,
How canſ: thouhate me, or meScandalize?
Sinner. :
Well, well, I no more will be a Derider;
! did not look for ſuch tgº- a Spider. , Spider
( 22.)
- Spider. w
Come, hold thy peace, what I have yet to ſay,
If heeded, help thee may another day.
Since I an ugly ven’mous Creature be, -
There is ſome Semblance 'twixt vile Man and Me.
My wild and heedleſs Runnings, are like thoſe
Whoſe ways to Iuin do their Souls expoſe,
Day-light is not my time, I work’ith’ night,
To ſhew, they are like me who hate the Light.
The ſlighteſt Bruſh will overthrow my houſe,
To ſhew falſe Pleaſures are not worſe a Louſe.
The Maid ſweeps one Web down, I make another,
To ſhew how heedleſs ones Convićtions ſmother.
My Web is no defence at all to me,
Nor will falſe Hopes at Judgment be to thee.
Summer. &
O Spider I have heard thee, and do womaer,
A Spider ſhould thus lighten. and thus thunder!
Spider.
Dobuthold ſtill, and I will let thee ſee,
Yet in my ways more Myſteries there be.
Shall not I do thee good, if I thee tell,
I ſhew to thee a four-fold way to Hell.
For ſince I ſet my Webs in fundry placcs,
! ſhew men go to Hell in divers traces
One I ſet un the window, that I might
Shew, ſome go down to Hell with Goſpel-light.
Onc l ſet m a Corner, as you ſec,
Toſhcw, how ſome in ſecret ſnared be.
Groſſ
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Groſs Webs great ſtore I ſet in darkſome places,
To ſhew, how many ſin with brazen faces.
Another Web I ſet aloft on high,
To ſhew, there's ſome profeſſing men muſt dye.
Thus in my Ways, God Wiſdom doth conceal;
And by my ways, that Wiſdom doth reveal.
ihiáe myſelf,when I for Flies do wait,
So doth the Devil, when he lays his bait.
If I do fear the loſing of my prey,
iftir me, and more ſhares upon her lay.
This way, and that, her Wings and Legs tye,
that ſure asſhe is catcht, ſo ſhe muſt dye.
But if I ſee ſhe's like to get away,
then with my Venom, I her Journey ſtay.
All which my ways, the Devil imitates,
To catch men'cauſe he their Salvation hates.
Sinner.
O Spider, thou dºſht’ſ me with thy Skiff,
I prethce ſpit this Venom at me ſtill.
Spider.
I am a Spider, yet I can poſſeſs
The Palace of a King, where Happineſs
So much abounds. Nor when I do go thither,
Do they ask what, or whence I come, or whether
I make my haſty Travels, no not they ,
They let me paſs, and I go on my way.
I ſeize the Palace, do with hands take hold
Of i)oors, of locks, or bolts 5 yea I am bold.
When in, to Clamber up unto the Throne,
And to poſſeſsit, as if twere mine own.
C 4 Not
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Nor is theſe any Law for bidding me
Here to abide, or in this Palace be.
Yea, Iſl pleaſe I do the higheſt Stories
Aſoond, theſe fit, and ſo behold the Glories
My ſelf is compaſt with, as if I were
One of the chiefeſt Courtiers that be there.
Here Lords and Ladies do come round about me,
With grave Demeanor: Nor do any flout me,
For this my brave Adventure, no not they ,
They come, they go, but leave me there to ſtay.
Now, my Reproacher, I do by all this
Shew how thou may’ft poſſeſs thy ſelf of Bliſs:
Thou art worſe than a Spider, but take hold
On Chriſt the Door, thou ſhalt not be controul’d.
By him do thou the Heavenly Palace enter,
None chide thee will for this thy brave Adventure.
Approach thou then unto the very Throne,
There ſpeak thy mind, fear not, the Day's thine own.
Nor Saint nor Angel will thee ſtop or ſtay 3
But rather tumble blocks out of thy way.
My Venom ſtops not me, let not thy Vice
Stop thee; poſſeſs thy ſelſ of Paradice.
Go on, l ſay, although thou be a Sinner,
Learn to be bold in Faith of me a Spinner.
This is the way the Glories to poſſeſs,
And to enjoy what no man can expreſs.
Sometimes I find the Palace door uplock’t;
And ſo my entrance thither as up blockt.
But am I daunted 2 No, I here and there
Do feel, and ſcarch ; ſo, if I any where,
At
(25)
At any chink or creviſe find my way,
I croud, preſs for paſſage, make no ſtay;
And ſo, tho difficultly, I attain
The Palace, yea the Throne where Princes reign.
I croud ſometimes,as if I’d burſt in ſunder,
And art thou cruſh't with ſtriving do not wonder.
Some ſcarce get in, and yet indeed they enter;
Knook, for they nothing have that nothing venture.
Nor will the King himſelf throw dirt on thee,
As thou haſt caſt Reproaches upon me.
He will not hate thee, O thou foul Backſlider!
As thou didſt me, becauſe I am a Spider.
Now, to conclude ; ſince 1 ſuch Dočtrine bring,
Sight me no more, call me not ugly thing.
God wiſdom hath unto the Pºſt-ant given,
And Spiders may teach men the way to Heaven.
Sinner.
Well, my good Spider, I my Errors fee,
I waſ a fool for railing upon thee.
Thy Nature, Penom, and thy fearful Hae,
Both ſhew what Sºnners are, and what they do. .
Thy way and works do alſo darkly tell,
How ſome men go to Heaven, and ſome to Hell.
Thou art my Monitor, I am a Fool;
They learn nay, that to Spiders go to School.
XVI I I,
(2.6 ).
X VII [.
Meditatiens upon day before Sun-riſing,
But all this while, where's he whoſe Golden ray
Drives night away,and beautifies our days?
Where's he whoſe goodly face doth warm and heal,
And ſhew us what the darkſome nights conceal?
Where's he that thaws our Ice, drives Cold away?
Let's have him, or we care not for the day.
Thus’tis with who partakers are of Grace,
There's nought to them like their Redeemers face,
Y | X.
Of the Mole in the Ground.
Tº: Mole's a Creature very ſmooth and flick,
She digs i'th'dirt, but 'twill not on her ſtick.
So's he who counts this world his greateſt gains,
Yet nothing gets but's labour for his pains.
£arth’s the Mole’s Element, ſhe can't abide
To be above ground, dirt heaps are her pride;
And he is like her,who the Wordling plays,
He imitates her in her works, and ways.
Poor filly Mole, that thou ſhouldſt love to be,
Where thou, nor Sun, nor Moon, nor Stars can ſee.
But oh! How ſty's he who doth not care,
So he gets Earth, to have of Heavena ſhare.
(ºt
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XX,
Of the Cuckow.
Thou Booby, ſayſt thou nothing but Cuckow?
The Robin and the Wren can thee out do.
They to us play thorow their little throats,
Not one, but ſundry pretty taking Notes.
But thou haſt Felldws, ſome like thee can do
Little but ſuck our Egg!, and ſing Chekow. e
Thy notes do not Firſt welcome in our Spring,
Nor doſt thou it's firſt Tokens to us bring.
Birds lefs then thee by far,like Prophets, do
Tellus’tis coming, tho not by Cuckow.
Nor doſt thou Summer have away with thee,
Though thou a yauling, bauling Cuckow be.
When thou doſt ceaſe among us to appear,
Then doth our Harveſt bravely crown our year.
But thou haſ fºllows, ſome like thee can do
Little but ſuck our Eggs, and ſing Cuckow.
Since Cuckows forward not our early Spring,
Nor help with notes to bring our Harveſt in
And ſince while here, ſhe only makes a noiſe,
. So pleaſing unto noneas Girls and Boys;
The Formaliſt we may compare her to,
for he doth ſuck our Eggs and ſing Cuckow,
XXI.
( 18)
XXI.
Of the Boy and Butter Fly.
Behold how eager this our little Boy,
E of this Butter Fly, as if all Joy,
All Profits, Honours, yea and laſting Pleaſures,
Were wrapt up in her, or the richeſt Treaſures,
Found in her would be bundled up together,
When all her all is lighter than a feather.
He hollo's, runs, and cries out here Boys, here,
Nor doth he Brambles or the Nettles fear:
He ſtumbles at the Mole-Hills, up he gets,
And runs again, as one bereft of wits;
And all this labour and this large Out-cry,
is only for a ſilly Butter ſly.
Compariſon.
This little Boy an Emblem is of thoſe,
Whoſe hearts are wholly at the World's diſpoſe.
The Butter-fly doth repreſent to me,
The Worlds beſt things at beſt but fading be.
All are tut painted Nothings and falſe Joys,
Like this poor Butter fly to theſe our Boys.
His running thorough Nettles, Thorns and Bryers,
To gratifie his boyiſh fond deſires,
His tumbling over Mole-hills to attain
His end, namely, his Butter-fly to gain;
Doth
(29)
Doth plainly ſhew, what hazards ſome n]enTun,
To get what will be loſt as ſoon as won.
Men ſeem in Choice, then children far more wiſe,
Becauſe they run not after Butter flies :
When yetalas ! for what are empty Toys
They follow Children, like to beardleſs Boys.
XXI I.
Of the Fly at the Candle.
Whatails this Fly thus deſperately to enter
A Contbat with the Candle? will ſhe venture
To claim at light? Away thouſilly fly;
Thusdoing, thou wilt burn thy wings and dye.
But 'tis a folly her advice to give, * .
She'lkill the Candle, or ſhe will not live.
Slap, ſays ſhe, at it ; then ſhe makes retreat,
So wheels about and doth her blows repeat.
Nor doth the Candle let her quite eſcape,
But gives ſome little check unto the Ape.
Throws up her heels it doth, ſo down ſhe falls,
Where ſhe lies ſprawling, and for ſuccor calls.
When ſhe recovers, up the gets again,
And at the Candle comes with might and main
ºutnow behold, the Candle takes the Fly,
Abd holds her till ſhe doth by burning dye.
Compariſon.
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Compariſon.
This Candle is an Emblem of that Light,
Our Goſpel gives in this our darkſome night.
The Fly a lively Pićture is of thoſe
That hate, and do this Goſpel light oppoſe.
At laſt the Goſpel doth become their ſnare,
Doth them with burning hands in peices tear.
XXIII.
Opon the Lark and the Fowler
Thou ſimple Bird what mak’ſt thou here to play :
Look, there's the Fowler, prethee come away.
Doſt not behold the Net? Look there’tis ſpread,
Venture a little further thou art dead.
Is there not room enough in all the Field
For thee to play in, but thou needs muſt yield
To the deceitful glitt’ring of a Glaſs,
Plac'd betwixt Nets to bring thy death to paſs?
Bird, if thou art ſo much for dazling light,
Look, there's the Sun above thee, dart upright?
Thy nature is to ſoar up to the Sky,
Why wilt thou come down to the nets, and dye *
Take no heed to the Fowler’s tempting Call;
This whiſtle he enchanteth Birds withal.
Or if thou ſeeſt a live Bird in his net,
Believe ſhe's there’cauſe thence ſhe cannot get.
*
K
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Look how he tempteth thee with his Decoy,
That he may rob thee of thy Life, thy Joy:
come, prethee Bird, I prethee come away,
why ſhould this net theetake,when’ſºape thoumay?
Hadſt thou not Wings,or were thy feathers pull'd,
or waſt thou blind or faſt aſleep wer’t lull'd :
The caſe would ſomewhat alter, but for thee,
Thy eyes are ope, and thou haſtWings to fee.
Remember that thy Song is in thy Riſe,
Not in thy Fall, Earth's not thy Paradiſe.
Keepup aloft then, let thy circuits be
Above, where Birds from Fowletsnets are free.
Compariſon
This Fowler is an Emblem of the Devil,
His Nets and Whiſtle, Figures offill evil.
His Glaſsan Emblem is of ſinful Pleaſure,
And his Decoy, of who counts ſina Treaſure.
This ſimple lark's aſhadow of a Saint,
under allurings, ready now to faint.
This admoniſhera true Teacher is,
Whoſe work's to ſhew the Soul the ſnare and bliſs,
And how it may this Fowler's net eſcape,
And not commit upon itſelf this Rape.
XXIV-
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XXIV.
Of the fatted Swine.
Ah,Sirrah! I perceive thou art Corn-fed,
With beſt of Hoggs-meat thou art pampered.
Thou wallow'ſt in thy fat, up thou art ſtal’d,
Art not as heretofore to Hogs waſh call’d. (it.
Thine Orts lean Pigs would leapat, might they have
One may ſee by their whining how they crave it.
But Hogg, why look'ſt ſo big? Why doſt ſo flounce,
So ſhort, and fling away, doſt now renounce
Subjećtion tothy Lord, 'cauſe he has fed thee?
Thou art yet but a Hogg, of ſuch he bred thee.
Layby thy ſhorting, do not look ſo big,
What was thy Predeceſſor but a Pig.
Butcome my gruntling,when thou art full fed, ,
Forth to the Butchers Stall thou muſt be led.
Then will an end be put unto thy ſhortings,
llnto thy boariſh Looks and hoggiſh Sportings ;
Then thy ſhrill crys will eccho in the air;
Thus will my Pig for all his Greatneſs fare.
Compariſon.
This Emblem ſhews, ſome men are in this life,
Like full-fed Hoggs prepared for the Knife.
It likewiſe ſhews ſome can take no Reproof;
More phan the fatted Hogg, whoſtands aloof, Y
€2.
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Yea; that they never will for mercy cry,
Till time is paſt, and they for ſin muſt dye.
XX v.
On the riſing of the Sun.
Lºlº Sol doth peep up from beneath,
Shews us his golden face, doth on us breath.
He alſo doth compaſsus round with Glories,
Whilſt he aſcends up to his higher Stories.
Where he his Banner over us diſplays,
And gives us light to ſee our Works and Ways.
Nor are we now, as at the peep of light,
To queſtion, Is it day, or is it night 2
The night is gone, the ſhadow's fled away ,
And we now moſt ſure are that it is day.
Our Eyes behold it, and our Hearts believe it,
Nor can the wit of man in this deceive it.
And thus it is when Jeſus (hews his face,
And doth aſſure us of his Love and Grace.
X X VI.
typon the promiſing Fruitfulneſs of Tree.
A Comely ſight indeed it is to ſee,
A World of Bloſſoms on an Apple-tree.
Yet far more comely would this Tree appear, .
If all its dainty blooms young Apples were. B
* |C) Ult
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But how much more might one upon it ſee,
If all would hang there till they ripe ſhould be.
But moſt of all in Beauty 'twould abound,
If then none worm-eaten could there be found.
But we, alas! Do commonly behold
Blooms fall apace, if mornings be but cold.
They (too) which hang till they young Apples are,
By blaſting Winds and Vermine take deſpair.
Store that do hang, while almoſt ripe, we ſee
By bluſtring Winds are ſhaken from the Tree.
So that of many only ſome there be,
That grow till they come to Maturity.
Compariſon.
This Tree a perfeót Emblem is of thoſe,
Which God doth plant,which in his Garden grows.
It's blaſted Blooms are Motions unto Good,
..Which chill Affeótions do nip in the bud.
Thoſe little Apples which yet blaſted are,
Shew, ſome good Purpoſes, no good Fruits bare.
Thofe fpoilt by Vermin are to let us ſee,
How good Attempts by bad Thoughts ruin'd be.
Thoſe which the Wind blows down, while they are
Shew, good Works have by Tryal ſpoyled been:(green,
Thoſe that abide, while ripe, upon the Tree,
Shew, in a good man fome rupe Fruit will be.
Behold then how abortive ſome Fruits are,
Whičhat the firſt moſt promiſing appear.
The
(35)
The Froſt,the Wind,the Worm with time doth ſhew,
There flows from much Appearance, works but few
XXV II.
On the Poſt-boy.
Bº: this Poſt-boy, with what haſte and ſpeed
He travels on the Road ; and there is need
That he ſo does, his Buſineſs call for haſte.
For ſhould he in his Journey now be caſt,
His Life for that default might hap to go;
Yea, and the Kingdom come to ruin too.
Stages are for him fixt, his hour is ſet,
He has a Horn to ſound, that none may let
Him in his haſte, or give him ſtop or ſtay.
Then Poſt-boy blow thy horn, and go thy way.
Compariſon.
This Poſt-boy in this haſte an Emblem is,
Of thoſe that are ſet out for laſting Bliſs.
Nor Poſts that glide the road from day to day,
Have ſo much buſineſs, nor concerns as they.
Make clear the road then, Poſt-boy found thy horn,
Miſcarry here, and better n'ere been born.
HD 2. XXVIII.
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XX V | | I.
typon the Horſe in the Mil.
Orſes that work i'th’Mill muſt hood-wink’t be;
For they’l be ſick or giddy, if they ſee.
But keep them blind enough, and they will go
That way which would a ſeeing Horſe undo.
Compariſon.
Thus 'tis with thoſe that do go Satan’s Round,
No ſeeing man can live upon his ground.
Then let us count thoſe unto ſin inclin'd,
Either beſides their wits, bewitch'dor blind.
X X 1 X
Opon a Kung of Bells.
(weak,
Bº. have wide mouths and tongues, but are too
Have they not help, to ſing, or talk, or ſpeak
But if you move them they will mak’t appear,
By ſpeaking they'l make all the Town to hear.
When Ringers handle them with Art and Skill,
They then the ears of their Obſervers fill,
With ſuch brave Notes, they ting and tang ſo well
As to out ſtrip all with their ding, dong, Bell.
Compariſon,
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Compariſon.
Theſe Bells are like the Powers of my Soul;
Their Clappers to the Paſſions of my mind
The Ropes by which my Bells are made to tole,
Are Promiſes (I by experience find.)
My body is the Steeple, where they hang,
My Graces they which do ring ev'ry, Bell:
Nor is there any thing gives ſuch a tang,
When by theſe Ropes theſe Ringers ring them well.
Let not my Bells theſe Ringers want, nor Ropes;
Yea let them have room for to ſwing and ſway :
To toſs themſelves deny them not their Scopes.
Lord! in my Steeple give them room to play.
If they do tole, ring out, or chime all in,
They drown the tempting tinckling Voice of Vice:
Lord! when my Bells have gone, my Soul has bin
As’twere a tumbling in this Paradice!
Or if theſe Ringers do the Changes ring,
Upon my Bells, they do ſuch Muſick make,
My Soul then(Lord)cannot but bounce and ſing,
So greatly her they with their Muſick take.
But Boys ( my Luſts) into my Belfry go,
And pull theſe Ropes, but do no Muſick make
They rather turn my Bells by what they do,
Or by diſorder make my Steeple ſhake.
Then, Lord! I pray thee keep my Belfry Key,
Let none but Graces meddle with theſe Ropes:
And when theſe naughty Boys come, ſay them Nay,
From ſuch Ringers of Muſick there's no hopes.
5
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O Lord ' If thy poor Child might have his will,
And might his meaning freely to thee tell?
He never of this Muſick has his fill,
There's mothing to him like thy ding,dong, Bell.
X X X.
Opon the Thief.
Tº: Thief when hedoth ſteal,thinks hedoth gain,
Yet then the greateſt Loſs he doth ſuſtain.
Come Thief, tell me thy Gains, but do not falter,
When ſum’d what comes it to more than the Halter?
Perhaps, thou!'t ſay, the Halter I defie »
So thou mayſt ſay, yet by the Halter dye.
Thou!'t ſay, then there’s an end; no, pretheehold,
He was no Friend of thine that thee ſo told.
Hear thou the Word of God, that will thee tell,
without Repentance Thieves muſt go to Hell.
But ſhould it be as thy falſe Prophet ſays,
Yet nought but Loſs doth come by Thiêviſh ways.
All honeſt men will flee thy Company,
Thou liv'ſt a Rogue, and ſo a Rogue wilt dye.
innocent boldneſs thou haſt none at all,
Thy inward thoughts do thee a Villain call.
Sometimes when thou ly'ſt warmly on thy Bed,
Thou art like one unto the Gallows led.
Fear, as a Conſtable, breaks in upon thee;
Thou art as if the Town was up to ſtone thee.
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If Hogs do grunt, or ſilly Rats do ruſle,
SThou art in conſternations, think'ſt a buſie
By men about the door is made to take thee .
Andall becauſe good Conſcience doth forſake thee.
Thy caſe is moſt deplorably bad;
Thou ſhun'ſt to think on’t, leſt thou ſhouldſt be mad.
Thou art beſet with miſchiefs ev'ry way,
The Gallows groaneth for thee ev’ry day.
Wherefore, I prethee Thief, thy Theft forbear,
Conſult thy ſafety, prothee have a care.
If once thy Head be got within the Nooſe,
'Twill be too late a longer Life to chuſe.
As to the Penitent thou readeſt of,
What's that to them who at Repentance ſcoff.
Nor is that Grace at thy Command or Pow'r,
That thou ſhouldſt put it offtill the laſt hour.
I prethee Thief think pn’t, and turn betime;
Few go to Life who do the Gallows clime.
D 4 X XXI.
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XXX I. ^
Opihe Child with the Bird at the Buſh.
tº:#
EHE:-
#
#.
:
ižHH
y little Bird, how canſt thouſit;
And ſing amidſt ſo many Thorns !
Let me but hold upon thee get;
My Love with Honour thee adorns.
Thou art at preſent little worth;
Five farthings none will give for thee.
But prethee little Bird come forth,
Thou of more value art to me.
'Tis true, it is Sun-ſhine to day,
Tomorrow Birds will have a Storm ,
My pretty one, come thou away,
My Boſom then ſhall keep thee warm.
Thou ſubjećt art to cold o'nights,
When darkneſs is thy covering,
At day's thy dangers great by Kites,
How canſt thou then ſit there and ſing?
*
Thy


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Thy food is ſcarce and ſcanty too,
Tis Worms and Traſh which thou doſt eat;
Thy prefent ſtate I pity do,
Come, Pll provide thee better meat.
Pll feed thee with white Bread and Milk,
And Suger-plumbs, if them thou Crave ;
I'll cover thee with fineſt Silk,
That from the cold I may thee ſave.
My Father's Palace ſhall be thine,
Yea in it thou ſhalt ſit and ſings
My little Bird, if thoul't be mine,
The whole year round ſhall be thy Spring.
I'll teach thee all the Notes at Court;
unthought of Muſick thou ſhalt play;
And all that thither do reſort,
Shall praiſe thee for it ev'ry day.
I'll keep thee ſafe from Cat and Cur,
No manner-o'harm ſhall come to thee;
Yea, I will be thy Succourer,
My Boſom ſhall thy Cabbin be.
But lo, behold, the Bird is gone ;
Theſe Charmings would not make her yield :
The Child’s left at the Buſh alone,
The Birdflies yonder o'er the Field.
Compariſon.
This Child of Chriſt an Emblem is ;
The Bird to Sinners I compare:
The Thorns are like thoſe Sins of his,
Which do ſurround him ev’ry where,
Her
(42 )
Her Songs, her Food, and Sun-ſhine day,
An Emblem’s of thoſe fooliſh Toys,
Which to Deſtruction lead the way,
The fruit of worldly, empty Joys.
The Argements this Child doth chuſo,
To draw to him a Bird thus wild,
Shews Chriſt familiar Speech doth uſe,
To make's to him be reconciled.
The Bird in that ſhe takes her Wing,
To ſpeed her from him after all:
Shews us, vain Man loves any thing,"
Much better than the Heav'nly Call.
XX X i.
Of Moſes and his Wife.
Ti, Ä/oſes was a fair and comely man;
His wife a ſwarthy Ethiopian: -
Nor did his Milk-white Boſom change her Skin;
She came out thence as black as ſhe went in.
Now Mºſes was a type of Mºſes Law,
His Wife likewiſe of one that never ſaw -
Another way unto eternal Life 3
There's Myſt'ry then in Moſes and his Wife.
The Law is very Holy, Juſt and good,
And to it is eſpouſ’d all Fleſh and Blood:
But this its Goodneſs it cannot beſtow,
On any that are wedded thereunto,
Therefore
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Therefore as Moſes Wife came ſwarthy in,
And went out from him without change of Skin:
So he that doth the Law for Life adore,
Shall yet by it be left a Black-a-more.
X X X 1 II.
vpon the barren Fig-tree in God's Vineyard
What barren, here! in this, ſo good aſoyir
The fight of this doth make God's heart recoyl
From giving thee his Bleſſing. Barren Tree,
Bear Fruit, elſe thine end will curſed be
Art thou not planted by the water ſide 2
Know'ſt not thy Lord by Fruit is glorifi’d 2
The Sentence is, cut down the barren Tree:
Bear Fruit, or elſe thine End will Curſed be .
Haſt not been dig’d about, and dunged too,
Will neither Patience, nor yet Dreſſing do:
The Executioner is come, O Tree,
Bear Fruit,or elſe thine End will curſed be *
He that about thy Roots takes pains to dig,
Would if on thee were found but one good Fig,
Preſerve thee from the Axe: But barren Tree.
Bear Fruit,or elſe thy End will curſco be!
The utmoſt end Öf Patience is at hand,
Tis much if thou much longer here doth ſtand.
0 Cumber-ground, thou art a barren Tree,
Bear Fruit, or elſe thine End will curſed be:
Thy
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Thy ſtanding northy name will help at all,
when fruitful Trees are ſpared thou muſt fall.
The Axe islaid unto thy Roots.O Tree!
ear fruit, or elſe thine End will curſed be.'
XXX I l ; I.
Of the Roſe-buſh.
}
f
:
:
His homely Buſh doth to mine eyes expoſe,
A very fair, yea comely, ruddy, Koſº.
This Roſe doth alſo bow its head to me,
Saying,come, pluck me, I thy Roſe will be.
Yet offer I to gather Roſe or Bud,
Ten to one but the Buſh will have my Blood.
This looks like a Trappan,or a Decoy,
To offer, and yet ſnap who would enjoy.
Yea, the more eager on’t, the more in danger,
Be he the Maſter of it, or a Stranger. tº
Buſh, why doſtbear a Roſe? If none muſt havčiū
Why doſtexpoſe it, yet claw thoſe that crave it ſ *


(45)
Art become freakiſh? Doſt the Wantonplay,
Or doth thy teſty humour tend this way?
Compariſon.
This Roſe God's Sonis,with his ruddy Looks.
But what's the Buſh f Whoſe pricks, like Tenter-
Do ſcratch and claw the fineſt Ladies hands, (hooks.
Or rent her Cloths, if ſhe too near it ſtands.
This Buſh an Emblem is of Adam’s race
Of which Chriſt came, when he his Father’s Grace
Commended to us in his crimſon Blood,
While he in Sinners ſtead and Nature ſtood.
Thus Adam’s Race did bear this dainty Roſe,
And doth the ſame to Adam’s Race expoſe:
But thoſe of Adam’s Race which at it catch,
Adam’s Race will them prick and claw and ſcratch.
X X X V.
of the going down of the Sun.
What, haſt thou run thy Race? Art going down?
Thou ſeemeſt angry, why doſt on us frown?
Wen wrapthy head with Clouds, and hide thy face,
As threatning to withdraw from us thy Grace?
Qhieave us not! when once thou hid'ſt thy head,
Qur Horizon with darkneſs will be ſpread. +
Tell's, who hath thee offended? Turn again:
âlas! too late Entreaties are in vain:
Compariſon.
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Compariſon.
Our Goſpel has had here a Summers day;
But in its Sun-ſhine we, like Fools, did play.
Of clſe ſall out, and with each other wrangle,
And did in ſtead of work not much but jangle.
And if our Sun ſeems angry, hides his face,
Shall it go down, ſhall Night poſſeſs this place?
Let not the voice of night-Birds us afflićt,
And of our miſ-ſpent Summer us convićt,
X X XVI.
‘Upon the Frog.
He frog by Nature is both damp and cold,
Her Mouth is large, her Belly much will hold:
She ſits ſomewhat aſcending, loves to be
Croaking in Gardens, tho unpleaſantly.
Compariſon.
The Hyppocrite is like unto this Frog 3
As like as is the Puppy to the Dog.
He is of nature cold his Mouth is wide,
Toprate, and at true Goodneſs to deride,
He mounts his Head, as if he was above
The World, when yet 'tis that which has his Love.
And
(47)
:
And though he ſeeks in Churches for to croak,
He neither loweth Jeſus, nor his Yoak.
XX XVI I.
Opon the whipping of a Top.
T Is with the Whip the Boy ſets up the Top,
The Whip makes it run round upon it's Toe;
TheWhip makes it hither and thither hop:
Tis with the Whip, the Top is made to go.
Compariſon.
Our Legaliſt is like unto this Top,
Without a Whip, he doth not Doty do.
Let Moſes whip him, he will skip and hop;
Forbear to whip, he’l neither ſtand not go.
XXXVI I I.
'Upon the Piſmºre.
uſt we unto the Pif-mire go to School,
F To learn of her, in Summer to provide
jor Winter next enſuing; Man's a Fool,
9 filly Ants would not be made his Guide.
But Sluggard, is it nota ſhame for thee,
o be out-done by Pif-mires f Prethee hear:
Thaſr.
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Their Works (too) will thy Condemnation be,
When at the Judgment Seat thou ſhalt appear.
But ſince thy God doth bid thee to her go,
Obey, her ways conſider, and be wiſe.
The Piſs-ants tell thee will what thou muit do,
And ſet the way to Life before thine eyes.
XXXIX.
º/pon the Beggar.
E wants, he asks, he pleads his Poverty,
H They within doors do him an Alms deny.
He doth repeat and aggravate his Grief;
But they repulſe him, give him no relief.
He begs, they ſay, be gone ; he will not hear,
But coughs, ſighs and make ſigns, he ſtill is there
They diſregard him, he repeats his groans;
They ſtill ſay nay, and he himſelf bemoans.
The grow more ſugged, they call him Vagrant;
He cries the ſhriller, trumpets out his want.
At laſt when they perceive he'll take no Nay,
An Alums they give him without more delay.
Com ſ.
parſon.
This Beggar doth reſemble them that pray.
To God for Mercy, and will take no Nay.
but wait and count that all his hard Gain-ſays,
Are nothing elſe, but fatherly Delays.
Then,
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Thenimitate him, praying Souls, and cry:
There's nothing like to importunity.
X L.
‘Upon an Inſtrument of Muſck in an unskilful Hand.
lippoſe a Viol, Citterm, Lute, or Harp,
Committed unto him that wanteth Skil; ,
Can he by Strokes, ſuppoſe them flat or ſharp,
The Ear of him that hears with Muſick fill P
No, no, he can do little elſe then ſcrape,
Or put all out of tune, or break a ſtring:
Or make thereon a mutt'ring like an Ape,
Or like one which can neither ſay nor ſing.
Com pariſon.
The unlearn'd Novices in things Divine,
With this unskill'd Muſician I compare.
For ſuch, inſtead of making Truth to ſhine,
Abuſe the Bible, and unſavoury are.
X L. J.
Upon the Horſe and his Rider
Here's one rides very ſagely on the Road,
Shewing that he affects the graveſt Mode.
Another rides Tantivy,or full Trot,
To ſhew, much Gravity he matters not
E Lo,
(5o)
Lo, here comes one amain, he rides full ſpeed,
Hedge, Ditch,nor M }. Bog,he doth not heed.
One claws it up Hill without ſlop or check,
Another down, as if he’d break his Neck.
Now ev’ry Horſe has his eſpecial Guider;
Then by his going you may know the Rider.
Compariſºn
Now let us turn our Horſe into a Man,
His Rider to a Spirit, if we can:
Then let us by the Methods of the Guider,
Tell ev'ry Horſe how he ſhould know his Rider.
Some go as Men direét in a right way,
Nor are they ſuffered to go aſtray:
As with a Bridie they are governed, *
And kept from Paths, which lead unto the dead.
Now this good man has his eſpecial Guider;
Then by his going let him know his Rider. "
$ome go as if they did not greatly care, . .
Whether of Heaven or Hell they ſhould be Heir.
The Rein it ſeems as laid upon their Neck,
They ſeem to go their way without a check.
Avow this man too has his eſpecialGuider;
4nd by his going he may kilow his Rider.
Sºme again run, as if reſolv'd to dye
Body and Soul to's Eternity: $89
Good
(51 )
Good Counſel they by no means can abide;
They’l have their courſe,whatever them betide.
Now theſe poor Men have their eſpecial Gaider;
Were they not Fools they ſoon might know their Rider.
There's one makes head againſt all Godlineſs,
Thoſe (too) that do profeſs it he'l diſtreſs:
He' taunt and flout, if Goodneſs dothappear,
And at its Countenancers mock and jear.
Now this man (too) has his eſpecial Guider;
4nd by hiſ going he might kºw his Rider,
X L II.
Chomthe Sight of a Pound of Candle, falling to the
Ground.
Ult be the Candles down,and ſcatt’red too,
Some lying here,ſomethere? What ſhall we do?
Hold, light the Candle there that ſtands on high,
ſt You may find the other Candles by.
Light that, I ſay, and ſo take up the Pound,
You did let fall, and ſcatter on the Ground.
Compariſon.
The fallen Candles to usintimate,
The bulk of God’s Eleåt in their lapſt State.
heir lying ſcatt’red in the dark may be,
Toſhew by Manslapſt state his Miſéry,
y P E 2 The
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The Candle that was taken down, and lighted,
Thereby to find them fallen, and benighted,
Is Jeſus Chriſt: God by his Light doth gather
who he will ſave, and be unto a Father.
X LI I I.
Of Fowls flying in the Air.
M*. ſee a Sight moſt excellent,
* All Sorts of Birds fly in the Firmament:
Some great, ſome ſmall, all of a divers kind,
Mine Eye affecting, pleaſant to my Mind.
Look how they tumble in the wholeſom Air,
Above the World of Wordlings, and their care.
And as they divers are in Bulk and Hue,
So are they in their way of flying too.
So many Birds, ſo many warious things,
Tamblingi'th Element upon their Wings.
Compariſon.
Theſe Birds are Emblems of thoſe men, that ſhaft
Ere long poſſeſs the Heavens, their All in All.
They are each of a divers ſhape, and kind;
To teach, we of all Nations there ſhall find,
They are ſome great, ſome little, as we fee;
To ſhew, ſome great, ſome ſmall, in Glory be.
Their flying diverſly, as we behold;
Do ſhew Saints Joys will there be manifold.
Some
N (53)
Some glide, ſometmount,ſome flutter,and ſomedo,
In a mixt way of flying, glory too.
And all to ſhew each Saint, to his content,
hall roul and tumble in that Firmament.
XLIV.
Opon a Penny Loaf.
T Hy Price one Penny is, in time of Plenty;
In Famine doubled 'tis, from one to twenty.
Yea, no man knows what Price on thee to ſet,
When there is but one Penny Loaf to get.
ar. ! ſ...,
Compariſo::,
His Loaf's an Emblem of the Word of God,
A thing of low Eſteem, before the Rod
Of Famine ſmites the Soul with Fear of Death:
But then it is our All, our Life, our Breath.
XL V.
#/pon the Vine-tree,

V Bat is the Wine, more than another Tree:
Nay moſt,thanit, more tallmore comly be?
What Workmanthence will takeaBeamor Pin,
Tomake ought which may be delighted in?
E 3 It's
(54)
It's excellancy in tº Fruit doth lie.
A fruitleſ; Vine! It wrot worth a Ply.
Compariſon.
What are Profeſſors more than other men?
Nothing at all. Nay, there’s not one in ten,
Eitherfor Wealth, or Wit, that may compare,
In many things, with ſome that Carnal are.
Goodare they,if they mortifie their Sin;
But without that they are not worth a Pin.
X i, V |
The BoyandWatch-maker.
His Watch my Father did on me beſtow,
A Golden one it is, but 'twill not go,
Unlefsit be at an Ulncertainty;
But as good none, as one to tell alye.
When 'tis high Day, my Hand will ſtandat nine;
I think there's no man's Watch ſo bad as mine.
Sometimes’tis ſtillen, 'twill not go at all,
And yet 'twas never broke,nor had a Fall.
Watch-maker.
YourWatch, thoit begood,through want of skill,
May fail to do according to your will, t
Suppoſ,
(55)
Suppoſethe Ballance, Wheels, and Spring be go
; 2ll things eſſe, unleſs .# good,
To manage it, as Watches ought to be,
Your Watch wil) ſtill be at uncertainty.
Come, tell me, do you keep it from the Duſt?
Yea wind it alſo duly up you muſt.
Take heed (too) that you do not ſtrain the String;
You muſt be circumſpect in ev'ry thing.
Or elſe your Watch, were it as good again,
Would not with Time, and Tide you entertain.
Compariſon.
This Boy an Emblem is of a Convert:
His Watch of th’work of Grace within his heart.
The Watch-maker is Jeſus Chriſt our Lord,
His Counſel, the Direčtions of his Word.
Then Convert, if thy heart be out of frame,
Of this Watch-maker learn to mend the ſame.
Do not lay ope’thy heart to Worldly Duſt,
Nor let thy Graces over-grow with Ruſt.
Be oft renew’d in th' Spirit of thy mind, ,
Or elſe uncertain thou thy Watch wilt find.
XL V II.
Upon the Boy and his Paper of Plumbt.
V Hathaſt thouthere, my pretty Boy?
plumbs? How 2 Yes, Šir, a Paper full.
Ithought’twas ſo, becauſe with Joy
Thou didſt them out thy º pull.
4. , Tile
(56)
The Boy goes from me, eats his Plumbs,
which he counts better of than Bread:
But by and by he to me comes,
With nought but Paper and the Thread.
Compariſon.
This Boy an Emblem is of ſuch,
Whoſe Lot in worldly things doth lie:
Glory they in them ne'er ſo much,
Their pleaſant Springs will ſoon be dry.
Their Wealth, their Health, Honours and Life,
Will quickly to a period come;
If for theſe, is their only Strife,
They ſoon will not be worth a Plumb.
X L V H II.
Opon a Looking-glaſs.
N this, ſee thou thy Beauty, haſt thou any :
Or thy defe&ts, ſhould they be few or many.
Thou mayſt (too) here thy Spots and Frecklesſee,
Haſt thou but Eyes, and what their Numbers be.
But art thou blind, there is no Looking Glaſs,
Can ſhew thee thy defects, thy Spots, or Face.
|
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Compariſon.
}
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(57)
Compariſon.
unto this Glaſs we may compare the Word,
For that to man advantage doth afford,
(Has he a Mind to know himſelf and State; )
jo ſee what will be his Eternal Fate.
But without Eyes, alas! How can he ſee?
Many that ſeem to look here, blind Menbe.
This is the Reaſon, they ſo often read,
Their judgment there, and do it nothing dread.
X LIX.
Opon a Lanthorn.
He Lanthorn is to keep the Candle Light,
* When it is windy, and a darkſome Night.
0.dain'd it alſo was, that men might ſee
By Night their Day, and ſo in ſafety be.
Compariſon...
Compare we now our Lanthorn to the man,
That has within his heart a Work of Grace.
As for another let him, if he can,
P9 as this Lanthorn, in its time and place:
Profeſs the Faith, and thoua Lanthorn art:
ºu; yet if Grace has not poſſeſſed thee:
Thou.
( ;8 )
Thou want'ſt this Candle Light within thy heart,
And artnone other, than dark Lanthorns be:
L.
of the Love of Chrift.
TH: love of Chriſt, poor I may touch upon
But 'tis unſearchable. Oh! There is none
It's large Dimenſions can comprehend,
Should they dilate thereon, World without end.
When we had ſinned, in his Zeal he ſware,
That he upon his back our Sins would bear.
And ſince unto Sin is entailed Death,
He vowed, for our Sins he'd loſe his Breath.
He did not only ſay, vow, or reſolve,
But to Aſtoniſhment did ſo involve
Himſelf, in man's diſtreſs and miſery,
As for, and with him, both to live and dye.
To his eternal Fame, in Sacred Story,
We find that he did lay aſide his Glory.
Step'd from the Throne of higheſt Dignity;
Become poor Man, did in a Manger lie;
Yea was beholding unto his for Bread;
Had, of his own, not where to lay his Head,
Thorich, he did, for us, become thus poor,
That he might make us rich for evermore:
Nor was this but the leaſt of what he did,
But the outſide of what he ſuffered
God made his Bleſſed Son under the Law
under the Curſe, which, like the Lyon's Paw,
i):
(59)
Did rent and teår his Soul, for mankinds Sin,
More than if we for it in Hell had bin.
His Crys, his Tears, and Bloody Agony,
The nature of his Death, doth teſtify
Nor did he of Conſtraint himſelf thusgive, ,
for Sin, to death, that man might with himſive.
He did do what he did moſt willingly,
He ſung, and gave God.Thanks, that he muſt dye.
But do Kings uſe to dye for Captive Slaves?
Yet we were ſuch, when Jeſus dy’d to ſave’s.
Yea, when he made himſelf a Sacrifice,
It was that he might ſave his Enemies.
And, tho he was provoked to retrač.
His bleſt Reſolves, for ſuch, ſo good an Aći,
By the abuſive Carriages of thoſe
Thät did both him, his Love, and Grace oppoſe:
Yet he, as unconcerned with ſuch things,
Goes on, determines to make Captives Kings.
Yea, many of his Murderers he takes
Into his Favour, and them Princes makes.
H. [.
Of the Horſe and Drum.
Ome Horſes will, ſome can't endure the Dram,
But ſhort and flounce, if it doth near them comic.
They will, nor Bridle nor Rider obey,
But head ſtrongbe, and fly out of the way.
Theſe
(60)
Theſe skittiſh Jades, that can't this noiſeabide,
Nor will be rul’d by him that doth them ride;
I do compare thoſe our Profeſſors to,
which ſtart from Godlineſs in Tryals do.
To theſe, the threats that are againſt them made,
Are like this Drum to this our ſtarting Jade.
They are offended at them and forſake
Chriſt, of whoſe ways they did Profeſſion make.
But, as I ſaid, there other Horſes be,
That from a Drum will neither ſtart, nor flee.
Let Drummers beata Charge, or what they will,
They'lnoſe them, facethem, keep their places ſtill.
They fly not when they to thoſe rattlings come,
But like War-Horſes do endure the Drum.
Ł II,
On the Kackling of a Hen.
T He Hen ſo ſoon as ſhe an Egg doth ſay,
(Spreads the Fame of her doing what ſhe may.)
About the Yard ſhe kackling now doth go,
To tell what’twas ſhe at her Neſt did do.
Juſt thus it is with ſome Profeſſing men,
If they do ought that good is, like our Hen,
They can’t but kackle on’t, where’ere they go,
What their right hand doth, their leſt hand muſt
(know,
LIII.
(61)
Ll II.
Opon an Haur-Glaſs.
His Glaſs when made, was by the Work mans
1 The Sum of ſixty minutes to fulfill. (Skill,
Time more, nor leſs, by it will out be ſpun,
But juſt an Hour, and then the Glaſsis run.
Man's Life, we will compare unto this Glaſs,
The Number of his Months he cannot paſs ;
But when he has accompliſhed his day,
He, like a Vapour, vaniſheth away.
L V.
Upon the Chaikºffene.
Th; Stone is white, yea, warm, and alſo ſoft,
Eaſie to work upon, unleſs’tis naught.
It leaves a white Impreſſion upon thoſe ,
Whom it doth touch, be they it's Friends or Foes.
The Child of God, is like to this Chalk-ſtone,
White in his Life, eaſily wrought upon:
Warm in Affections, apt to leave impreſs,
On whom he deals with, of true Godlineš.
He is nº ſulling Coal, nor daubing Pitch,
Nor one of whom men catchthe Scab, or Itch;
But
(6- )
But ſuch who in the Law of God doth walk,
Tender of heart, in Life whiter thai Chalk.
§, V.
ºpen a Stinking Breath.
Oth this proceed from an infected Air? (Fare?
D Or from man's common, ſweet and wholeſome
ſt comes from a foul Stomack, or what’s worſe,
lifterous Lungs, Teeth, or a private Curſe.
To this, Iſome mens Notions do compare,
Who ſeem to breathein none but Scripture Air,
They ſuckisin, but breathe it out again,
Soputrified, that it doth ſcarce retain
Anything of its native Excellence.
It only ſerves to fix the Peſtilence
Of their deluſive Notions, in the mind
Of the next fooliſh Proſelyte they find.
H. VI.
©pon Death.
*Eath's a cold Comforter to Girls and Boys,
Who wedded are unto their Childiſh Toys:
"More Grim he looks ūpon our luſtful Youth, (Truth t
Who, againſ: Knowledge, ſlight God's ſaving,
But
(63)
But moſt of ali, he diſmal is to thoſe,
Who once profeſs'd the Truth, they how oppoſe.
Death has a Dart, a Sking, which Poyſon is,
As all will find, who do of Glogy miſs.
This Sting is Sin, the Laws it’s Strength, and he,
Orthey, will find it ſo, who damned be.
True, Jeſus Chriſt, indeed, did Death deſtroy,
For thoſe who worthy are, him to enjoy.
He waſhes them in's Blood from ev’ry Sin
They’r guilty of, or ſubjećt to hath bin.
Sohere's, nor Sting, nor Law, nor Death to kill,
And yet Death always, ſome men terment will.
But this ſeems Heºrodox or Myſtery,
For Death to live to ſome, to ſome to dº,
Yet 'tis ſo, when God doth man's Sinforgiye,
Beath dies, but where’tischarged, Death doth live.
H, VII.
‘Upon the Snail.
He goes but ſoftly, but ſhe goeth ſure,
She ſtumbles not,as ſtronger Creatures do:
Her Journeys ſhorter, ſo ſhe may endure,
ºfer than they which domuch further go.
1. makes no noiſe, but ſtilly ſeizeth on
*Flow.ror Herb, appointeåfor her fºod.
he which ſhe quietly doth feed upon,
tº othersrange, andgare, but findnogood.
And
(64)
And tho ſhe doth but verv ſoftly go,
How ever 'tis not faſt, nor ſlow but ſure;
And certainly they that do travel ſo,
The prize they do aim at, they do procure.
Co. partſon.
Although they ſeem not much to ſtir, leſs go,
For Chriſt that hunger, or from Wrath, that flee;
Yet what they ſeek for, quickly thy come to,
Tho it doth ſeem the fartheſt off to be.
One Aét of Faith doth bring them to that Flow'r,
They ſo long for, that they may eat and live;
Which to attain is not in others Pow'r,
Tho for it a King's Ranſom they would give.
Then ſet none faint, nor be at all diſmaid,
That Life by Chriſt do ſeek, they ſhall not fail
To have it, let them nothing be afraid;
The Herb, and Flow'r is eaten by the Snail.
L VI I I.
of the Spouſe of Chriſt.
( neſs,
V Ho's this that cometh from the Wilder.
Like Smoaky Pillars, thus perfumed with
Łeaning upon her deareſt in Diſtreſs, (Myrrhº
Led into's Boſom, by the Comforter? She'
Shë'S
(65)
She's clothed with the Sun, crown'd with twelve
The ſpotted.Moon her Footſtool he hath made.(Stars,
The Dragon her aſſaults, fills her with Jarrs,
Yet reſts ſhe under her Beloved’s Shade.
But whence was ſhe 8 What is her Pedigree *
Was not her Father, a poor Amorite *
What was her Mother, but as others be,
A poor, a wretched and ſinful Hittite'
Yea, as for her, the day that ſhe was born,
As loathſome, out of doors, they did her caſt 5
Naked, and Filthy, Stinking, and forlorn :
This was her Pedigree from firſt to laſt.
Nor was ſhe pittied in this Eſtate;
All let her lie polluted in her Blood:
None her Condition did commiſèrate,
Their was no Heart that ſought to do her good.
Yet ſhe unto theſe Ornaments is come,
Her Breaſts are faſhioned, her Hair is grown;
She is made Heireſs of the beſt Kingdom;
All ber Indignities away are blown.
Caſt out ſhe was, but now ſhe homeistaken,
Naked (ſometimes) but now you ſee ſhe's clo'd;
Now made the Darling,though before forſaken,
Baſe foot, but now, as Princes Daughters, ſhod.
Inſtead of Filth, ſhe now has her Perfumes,
inſtead of Ignominy. her Chains of Gold:
inſtead of what the Beauty moſt conſumes,
Her Beauty’s perfeót, lovely to behold.
hoſe that attend, and wait upon her, be
Princes of Honour, cloth'd in white Aray
F ilpot,
*
(65)
Upon her Head's a Crown of Gold, and ſhe ,
Fâts Wheat, Honey, and Oil, from day to day.
For her Beloved, he's the High'ſt of all,
The only Potentate, the King of Kings:
Angels, and Men, do him jehovah call,
And from him, Life, and Glory, always ſprings.
He’s white, and ruddy, and of all the Chief;
His Head, his Locks, his Eyes,his Hands, and Feet,
Do for Compleatneſs out-go all Belief,
His checks like Flowers are, his Mouth's moſt ſweet.
As for his Wealth he is made Heir of all,
What is in Heav'n, what is on Earth, is his :
And he this Lady, his joynt-Heir, doth call,
Of all that ſhall be, or at preſentis.
Well Lady, well, God has been good to thee,
Thou, of an Out-caſt, now art made a Queen.
Few or none may with thee compared be;
A Beggar made thus high is ſeldome ſeen.
Take heed of Pride; remember what thou art,
By Nature, tho thou haſt in Grace a ſhare:
Thou in thy ſelf doth yet retain a part
Qf thine own Filthineſs, wherefore beware.
Ll X. .
Opon a Skilful Player on an Inſtrument.
H* that can play well on an Inſtrument,
Will take the Ear, and captivate the Mind,
With Mirth, or Sadneſs; For that it is bent
Thereto as Muſick, in it, place doth find. Bü
t
* (66)
But if one hears that hath therein no skill,
(As often Muſick lights of ſuch a chance)
Ofits brave Notes, they ſoon be weaty will ;
And there are ſome can neither ſing nor dance.
Compariſon.
unto him that thus skilfully doth play,
God doth compare a Goſpel-Miniſter,
That rightly preacheth (and doth Godly pray)
Applying truly what doth thence infer.
This man, whether of Wrath or Grace he preach,
So skilfully doth handle ev'ry Word;
And by his Saying; doth the heart ſo reach,
That it doth joy or ſigh before the Lord.”
But ſome there be, which, as the Bruit, doth lie
Under the Word, without the leaſt advance
God-ward: Such do defoiſe the Miniſtry,
They weep not at it, neither to it dance.
L X.
Vpon Fly. blows.
Tº: is good Meat provided for man's Health.
To this the Fleſh fly comes, as twere by Stealth
Bloweth thereon, and ſo Be-maggots it,
As that it is, tho wholſome, quite unfit
For queazy Stomachs, they muſt paſs it by :
Now is not this a prejudicial Fly?
F 2 Compariſº,
(67)
Compariſon.
Let this good Meat, good Dočtrine ſignify,
And call him which reproaches it, this Fly.
For as this Fleſh-fly blows this wholſome meat,
That it the queazy Stomach cannot eat:
So they which do good Dočtrine ſcandalize,
Preſent it unto ſome in ſuch Diſguize;
That they cannot accept, nor with it cloſe,
But ſlight it, and themſelves to Death expoſe.
Reproach it them, thou art a mauling Club,
This Fly, yea, and the Son of Belzebub.
#, X i.
Of Man by Nature
Rom God he’s a Back ſlider,
..T Of Ways, he loves the wider;
With Wickedneſs a Sider,
More Venom than a Spider.
In Sin he’s a Confider,
A Make-bate, and Divider;
Blind Reaſon is his Guider,
The Devil is his Rider.
LX iſ,
(68)
H. XII.
Of Phyſick:
ſºurging Phyſick,taken to heat or cool,
Worketh by Vomit, Ulrine, Sweator Stool;
But if it worketh not, then we do fear
The danger's great, the Perſon's Death is hear.
If more be added, and it worketh not ;
And more, and yet the ſame's the Patients Lot.
All hope of Life from Standers-by is fled,
The Party ſick is counted now as dead.
gº
Compariſon.
Count ye the Sick, one that’s not yet converted,
Impenitent, Incredulous, Hard hearted:
In whom vile Sin is ſo predominant,
And the Soul in it’s Aéts ſo converſant;
That Hke one with Diſeaſes over-run,
This man with it at preſent is undone.
Now let the Phyſick be the Holy Word,
(The Bleſſed Dočtrine of our Deareſt Lord.)
And let the Doſes to the Patient given
Be, by Directions of the God of Heaven.
Convincing Sermoſis, ſharp and ſound Rebukes,
let thembe Beggars, Knights, Lords, Earls or Dukes:
You muſt not ſpare them, Life dothºlie at Stake,
And dye they will, ifrº they don't take.
j
(69)
If thef: do finely work, then let them have
Dircóllons unto him that can them ſave.
Lay open then the Riches of his Grace,
And Merits of his Blood before their Face.
Shew them likewiſe, how free he is to give
His Juſtice unto them, that they may live.
If thcy will doubt,and not your Word believe,
Shew them, at preſent they have a Reprieve;
On purpoſe they might out their Párdon fue,
And have the Glory of it in their view. .
- Inſtances of this Goodneſs ſet before,
Their Eyes, that they this Mercy may adore.
And if this Phyſick taken worketh well,
Fear not a Cure, you ſave a Soul from Hell.
But if theſe Doſes do not kindly work,
If the Diſeaſe ſtill in their Mind doth lurk :
If they inſtead of throwing up their Vice,
Do vomit up the Word, loath Paradice:
Repeat the Potion, them new Doſes give,
Which are much ſtronger, perhaps they may live:
But if they ſerve theſe as they ſerv'd the reſt,
And thcu perceiv'ſt it is not to them Bleſt:
if they remain incorrigible ſtili,
And will the Number of their Sins fulfill ;
The Holy Text doth ſay that they muſt dye;
Yea, and be damned without Remedy.
ā, Āllī,
(70)
LXIII,
Opon a Pair of Spectacles.
Pećtacles are for Sight, and not for Shew,
S Neceſſity doth Spectacles commend 3.
was’t not for need, there is but very few,
That would for wearing Spectacles contend.
We uſe to count them very dark indeed,
Whoſe Eyes ſo dim are, that they cannot be
Helped by Spectacles; ſuch men have need
A Miracle be wrought to make them ſee.
Compariſon.
Compare Speãacles to God's Ordinances,
For they preſent us with his Heav'nly Things,
Which elſe we could not ſee for hinderances,
That from our dark and fooliſh Nature ſprings,
If this be ſo, what ſhall we ſay of them, ,
Who at God’s Ordinances ſcoffand jear?
They do thoſe Bleſſed Spečtacles condemn,
By which Divine Things are made to appear.
I, XI W.
Opon our being ſo afraid of ſmall Creatures.
An by Creation was made Lord of all,
But now he is become an underling;
He thought he ſhould agained by his Fall,
Butloſt his Head-ſhip over ev'ry thing. †
F 4 What '.
(71. )
what t What! A humane Creature and afraid
Of Frogs, Dogs, Cats, Rats, Mice, or ſuch like Cre.
This fear of thine has fully thee betraid, tlife?
Thou art Back-ſlid from God, to him a Traytor.
. . How by his Fall is ſtately Man decay’d 2 -
Nor is it in his hand now to renew him,
Of things diſmaid, at him, he is afraid 3
Worms, Lice, Flies, Mice; Yea Vanities ſubdue him.
LX V.
Opan our being afraid of the Apparition of Evil Spirits.
Some fear more the Appearance of the Devil,
Than the Commiſſion of the greateſt Evil.
They ſtart, they tremble, if they think he's near,
But can’t be pleaſed unleſs Sinappear. r
Theſe Birds,the Fowler’s Preſence dothafright,
To be among his Lime twigs,they delight.
But, juſt men who have with the Devil bin.
Have been more ſafe, than ſome in Heav'n with Sin,
LXVI.
Opon the Diſobedient Child.
Cº. become, while little, our delights,
When they grow bigger,they begin to fright's
Their ſinſul Nature prompts them to rebel,
And to delightin Paths that lead to Hell. hei
Theiſ
(72.)
Their Parents Love, and Care, they overlook,
Asif Relation had them quite forſook. "
They take the Counſels of the Wanton's rather,
Then the moſtgrave Inſtrućtions of 3 Father.
They reckon Parents ought to do for them,
Tho they the Fifth Commandement contemn.
They ſnap, and ſnarl, if Parents them controui,
Tho but in things, moſt hurtful to the Soul.
They reckon they are Maſters, and that we,
Who Parents are, ſhould to them Subjećt be
lf Parents fain would have a hand in chuſing,
The Children have a heart will in refuſing.
They’l by wrong doings, under Parents, gather
And ſay, it is no Sin to rob a Father,
They'ſ joſtle Parents out of place and Pow'r,
They'l make themſelves the Head,and them devout,
Hów many Children, by becoming Head,
Have brought their Parents to apeice of Bread :
Thus they who at the firſt were Parents Joy,
Turn that to Bitterneſs, themſelves deſtroy.
But Wretched Child, how canſt thou thus requite
Thy Aged Parents, for that great delight *
They took in thee, when thou, as helpleſs lay
In their Indulgent Boſoms day by day 2 -
Thy Mother, long before ſhe brought thee forth,
Took care thouſhould'ſt want, neither Food, nor
º Father glad was at his very heart, (Cloth,
Had he, to thee, a Portion to impart.
Somfort they promiſed themſelves in thee,
But thou, it ſeems, to themagricf wilt be, H
\ QW
(73 )
głow oft ' How willingly brake they their Sleep,
If thou, their Bantling, didſt but whinch or wee;.
Tncir Love to thee was ſuch, they could have giv'n,
That thou might'ſt live,almoſt, their part of Heav'n,
But now, behold, how they rewarded are :
For their Indulgent Love, and tender Care,
All is forgot, this Love he doth deſpiſe,
They brought this Bird up to pick out their Eyes.
LXV i.
Opon the Boy on his Hobby-horſe.
Ook how he ſwaggers, cocks his Hat,and rides,
L How on his Hobby-horſe, himſelf he prides:
He looketh grim, and up his Head doth toſs,
Says he’l ride over's with his Hobby-horſe.
Compariſon.
Some we ſee mounted upon the Conceit
That their Wit, Wealth, or Beauty is ſo great:
But few their Equals may with them compare,
Who yet more Godſy, Wiſe, and Honeſt are.
Behold how huff, how big they look; how high
They lift their heads, as if they'd touch the Skie:
Norwill they count theſe things, for Chriſt, a loſ;
So long as they do ride this Hobby-horſe.
..How LXVI il.
(74)
Lx v III
Opon the Image in the Eye.
Ho looks upon another ſtedfaſtly,
V Shall forthwith have his Image in his eye.
Doſt thou believe in Jeſus? (Haſt that Art?)
Thy Faith will place his Image in thy heart.
LXIX.
Qpon the Weather cock.
Rave, Weather-cock, I ſee thou’t ſet thy Noſe,
Againſt the Wind,which way ſo’ere it blows:
So let a Chriſtian in any wife,
Face it with Antichriſt in each diſguize.
L X X.
Open a Sheet of white Paper:
His ſubjećt is unto the fouleſt Pen,
Or faireſt, handled by the Sons of Men.
Twill alſo ſhew what is upon it writ,
Bet wiſely, or non-ſence, for want of wit.
Each blot, and blur, it alſo will expoſe,
To thy next Readers, be they Friends, or Foes.
Corpºrtſon,
(75 )
Compariſon.
Some Souls are like unto this Blankor Sheet,
(Tho not in Whiteneſs: ) the next man they meet;
if wiſe, or Fool, debauched, or Deluder,
or what you will, the dangerous Intruder
May write thereon,to cauſe that man to err,
in joðtrine, or in Life, with blot and blur.
Nor will that Soul conceal from who obſerves,
But ſhew how foul it is, wherein it ſwerves:
A reading man may know who was the Writer,
And by the Helliſh Non-ſence, the Inditer.
LXX I.
Upon the Boy dull at his Book.
ome Boys have Wit enough to ſport and play,
S Who at their Books are Block-heads day by day.
Some men are arch enough at any Vice,
But Dunces in the way to Paradice,
L XXI 1.
Opon Time and Eternity.
Ternity is like unto a Ring.
Time, like to Meaſure, doth it ſeif extend;
Meaſte
(76)
Meaſure commences, is a finite thing,
The Ring has no beginning, middle, end.
LXXIII.
Opon Fire.
Ho falls into the Fire ſhall burn with heat ;
While thoſe remote ſcorn fromit to retreat.
Yea while thoſe in it, cry out, oh I burn.
Some farther off thoſe crys to Laughter turn.
Compariſon.
While ſome tormented are in Hell for ſin;
On Earth ſome greatly do delight therein.
Yea while ſome make it eccho with their Cry,
Others count it a Fable and a Lye.
LXX I V.
Of Beauty.
B. at beſt is but as fading Flow’rs,
PBright now,anon with darkſome Clouds it low’rs.
Tis but skin-deep,and therefore muſt decay;
lmes blowing on it ſends it quite away.
Then why ſhoſld it be,as it is, admired,
By 9ne and to ther, and ſo much deſired.
hings flitting we ſhould moderately uſe,
* We by them our ſelves ſhall much abuſe.
- T H E
(77 )
T H E
C O N T E N T S
| . Poñ the Ten Commandments.
sºl 2. The awakened Childs Lamentation
3. AMéditations upon an Egg,
4. Opon the Lord's Prayer.
5. Meditation upon Peep of day.
6. Upon the Flint in the Water
7. Upon the Fiſh in the Water
8. Upon the Smallow.
9. Opon the Bee.
1 O. Opon the Creed.
1 I’. Upon a low'ring Morning
12. Opon over-much Niceneſs.
I 3. AMeditations upon the Candle.
14, Opon the Sacraments.
15. Upon the Suns Reflections upon the Clouds in a fair
Morning.
16. Upon Apparel
17. The Sinner and the Spider.
18 A4editation upon day before Sun-riſing.
19. Of the AMole in the Ground.
2O. Of the Cuckow.
21. Of the Boy and Batter-Fly a
* 22. Of
( 78 )
22.
23.
24.
25.
26
27.
28.
29.
3O.
3 I
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
. Upon the Piſnire.
39.
4O.
4 i •
42.
of the Fly at the Candle.
Opon the Lark and the Fomler.
Of the fatted Swine.
On the riſing of the Sun.
Opon the promiſing Fruitfulneſs of a Tree.
On the Poſt-boy.
Opon the Horſe in the Mill.
Opon a King of Bells
Opon the Thief.
Of the Child with the Bird at the Buſh.
Of Moſes and his Wife
Opon the barren Fig-tree in G od's Pineyard.
Of the Roſe-buſh.
Of the going down of the Sun.
Opon the Frog.
Opon the whipping of a Top.
Opon the Beggar
Opon an Inſtrument of Muſick in an unskilful Hand.
Upon the Horſe and his Rider. tº
Opon the Sight of a Pound of Candler falling to the
Ground.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
$o.
Of Fowls flying in the Air
Cpon a Penny Loaf
Cpon the Vine-tree
The Boy and Watch. maker
Çpon the Boy and his Paper of Plumbs.
Opon a rººf.
©pon a Lanthorn.
Of the Love of Chriſt.
51. Of
(79)
51. of the Horſe and Drum.
52. On the Kackling of a Hen.
53. Upon an Hour Glaſs.
54. Opon the Chalkſtone.
55. Upon a Stinking Breath.
56. Upon Death,
57. Opon the Snail.
58. of the Spouſeof Chriſt.
59. Upon a Skilful Player on an Inſtrument.
60 Upon Fly-blows.
61. Of Manby Nature.
62. Of Phyſick,
63. Upon a Pair of Spettacles,
64. Upon our being afraid of ſmall Creatureſ.
65. Upon onr being afraid of the Apparition of Evil
Spirits,
66. Upon the Diſobedient Child.
67. Upon the Boy on his Hobby-horſe
68. §. the Image in the Eye.
69. Upon the Weather-cock,
7o., Upon a Sheet of white Paper.
71. Upon the Boy dull at his Books
72. Upon Time and Eternity.
73. Opon Fire.
74. Of Beauty.
§
F J N I S
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