My ravish'd judgement quite confounded rests,
Which on each side, variety invests.

But then what soule will daigne to looke so low,
As to take pleasure in so meane a sight,

When they of Heaven the heavenly beauties know,
And shine aloft like starres, yea farre more bright,
When they that kingdome then securely owe,
By promise first, last by possession's right:

From which no doubt so great contentment springs,
That they esteeme not of inferior things.

The stately building, admirably round,
Above the compasse of encroaching houres,
With strength and beauty that doth still abound,
To lodge the happie host of heavenly powers,
The world's great maker curiously did found
On fields of pearle with diamantine towers!
Which (though most pretious) do no wonder breed,
The forme so farre the matter doth exceed.

The sight-confining, crystall-covered skies,
That mirrour cleere through which in every part
The Heaven (as jealous) lookes with many eyes,
To marke men's actions, and to weigh each heart,
That spheare of light whose stately course none tries,
To imitate, or æmulate by art,

That which to us so gorgeous is in show,
The building's botome is, the part most low.

The bounds of Heaven, the forme or matter here,
Where God enthron'd with majestie doth sit,
Who durst but aime by mortall types to cleere,
(As fondly trusting to deluded wit)

Might make his madnesse nothing else appeare,
And should a crime more monstrous thus commit,
Then thence one (stealing fire) was fain'd to do,
And should for punishment farre passe him too.
Who can (though dayly seene) describe the sky,
By which (poore curtaine) better is enclos'd,
(With mustr'd beauties courting still the eye)
Though eminent to every age expos'd? [try,
Of Sunne, Moone, starres, who doth the substance
Or how their bodies are for light compos'd?
The very soules by which we reason thus,
Are for their essence strangers unto vs.
Then of Heaven's mysteries if we should judge,
The work would prove (our maker's wrath to tempt)
Ridiculous folly, arrogancy huge,
Presumption still encount'ring with contempt;
And if that we (base wormes whom clay doth lodge)
By scaling clouds, Heaven's stately towers attempt;
To paint their glory, in the least degree,
The Sunne it selfe would scarce a shadow be.

The Lord's chiefe house is built of living stone,
But certainely celestiall roomes excell,
Which Christ himselfe prepares for every one,
Where they at last eternally may dwell;
With majestie there stands his stately throne;
The bounds about doe all with glory swell:
Let this content, no words such worth can eaven,
He who made all the world, made this his Heaven.

What sacred vision calls us from the skie,
A mystery with reverence to attend?
From starry towers the silver streamers flie,
Whilst th'azure rounds their ports with pompe extend:
A glorious towne with glistring walls I spie!
Which falls not downe, but softly doth descend,

And straight sweet sounds melodiouslie tell, This is God's tent, he comes with men to dwell.

The gorgeous citty (garnish'd like a bride)
Where Christ for spouse expected is to passe,
With walles of jasper compass'd on each side,
Hath streets all pav'd with gold, more bright then
glasse;

Twelve pretious stones for walkes her waies divide,
Where still there is engrav'd in lasting brasse,
Of happie twelve the celebrated names;
"An honour due defraying former shames."

Life's water pure forth from the throne doth flow,
With mutuall joy where saints and angels meete;
On every side of it life's tree doth grow,
Where streames of nectar beautifie the streete,
With colours like the sacramentall bow,
To looke on pleasant, and in tasting sweete;
Then from all feare her citizens to free,
We still his people, he our God will be.

Of that brave city where the saints doe dwell,
Which ravish'd Iohn by earthly types designes,
Who would the beauty and perfection tell,
(As he then saw) had need of angel's lines;
But this is certaine, that it must excell,
Where glory still in the meridian shines;
No shadow there can ever cloud the light,
Where every thing is of itselfe still bright.
Each stone amidst the street doth shine afarre,
And like to lightning, light about bestows;
As in the firmament a radient starre,
Each just man's beauty now for brightnesse grows;
Then he whose presence darknesse quite must barre,
The life of light, the fountaine whence it flowes;
Is (that great day which at a height still stayes)
The Sunne of glory, and the just his rayes.
There none shall need like mortals with complaints
(World's common care)for want of roome to grudge,
But he in granting grace who never faints,
Doth them reward of whom he had beene judge;
And (clear'd from sinne) all justly then call'd saints,
Doth daigne himselfe (as harbenger) to lodge,
Since gone
before (where we shall him embrace)
Of purpose to prepare the promis'd place.
The swelling earth where hils such heights do reare,
To be our jayle, which Heaven a space decrees,
Man, cattell, corne, and what these need doth beare,
Whose whole none yet (though still in travell) sees;
It compass'd is by a farre distant spheare,
And that by others, growing by degrees;
Of which in bounds the highest must abound,
A large circumference, an endlesse round.
Heaven's store of roomes by Christ is clearly shown,
Yet would not this extended be so farre,
To meke each place peculiarly one's owne,
Where one may be, and thence may others barre ;
This smels too much of what we here have known,
Which most of minds the harmony doth marre;
These words of mine, and thine, chiefe grounds of
The fountains are of all the toils of life. [strife,

Soules glorifi'd may where they please repaire,
Then made secure, that nought can them annoy,
For no restraint their freedome doth impaire,
Who as his host the Lord of hosts convoy;
As fishes in the seas, fowls in the ayre,
None claimes a share, but all do all enjoy:

O! what a holy host together throngs,
To magnifie the Lord with heavenly songs?
We at that time not onely shall behold,
Milde Moses there, just Samuel, and the best
That for the cause of God have beene so bold,
Whil'st sacred fury breath'd out of their breast,
But even with them that are so much extold,
We shall be partners of eternall rest,

And spying with what zeale they act their parts,
The greater ardour may enflame our hearts.

As earst on th' Earth he did divinely use,
That man thrice sacred, prophet, poet, king,
Whil'st heavenly furie doth high thoughts infuse,
Then to his harp an holy hymne may sing,
Thrice happie thou that thus imploy'dst thy Muse,
Whose pen, it seemes, was from an angel's wing,
Since thy harmonious sounds still mount, and move
With melodie to charme the spheares above.

This is the way to have eternall lines,
That all the hosts of Heaven may them approve,
Whose loftie flight no fatall date confines,
Whil'st fraughted onely with a sprituall love,
This is a subjeet which all else declines,
And in request for quiristers above,
Which must these authors all immortall make,
That for God's glory thus a course do take.

The prophets and the patriarchs rejoyce,
To see the things fulfill'd which they fore-told,
And all that were the Lord's peculiar choice,
To whom he did his mysteries unfold,
There many millions multiply a voice,
And above measure do a measure hold;
These whom the Lambe of God as his doth seale,
Are kindled all with love, and burne with zeale.

The noble martyrs, (champions of the faith)
Who straight, when challeng'd, scorn'd both force
and art,

(Encount'ring bravely with a tyrant's wrath)
Whose chearfull count'nance smilingly did smart;
Then as inviting, not avoyding death,
(Their drosse first burn'd) well purifi'd did part;
Not out of haste to have their torments done,
But that in Heaven they so might settle soone.
They now do reape the fruits of former toils,
All crown'd with starres, like Phoebus in the face,
In white, perchance adorn'd with princes' spoyls,
Whom they (whil'st raging) did orecome in peace;
Of all their bodies drawn from sundry soils,
The wounds for pompe do give the greatest grace,
Which shine, as rubies set in crystall rings,
And make them to be like the king of kings.
Triumphing victors entring Heaven with state,
A golden trumpet may their praise proclaime,
And some great angell all their deeds dilate,
Which glory doth reward, not envi'd fame;
Then when enstall'd, where eminent in seat,
The voice of thousands celebrates their name:
With eager eares attending their discourse,
Though knowing all, from them to heare their course.

If there admitted, as whil'st here we live,
With mutuall pleasure to exchange our mindes,
O what contentment would that conference give,
For sweet variety of sundrie kindes !

Nor need we feare that some would fraud contrive:
Base hate, nor flattery, there no object findes.

And if they would (as none can do in ought)
The breast transparent would bewray each thought.

There one from Adam, Eden's state might heare,
How large it was, and in what region plac't,
What pleasures did most singular appeare,
What hearbs, what fruits, or flowers the garden
grac'd;

How Evah first was knowne, why straight held deares
And if he there that new-borne bride imbrac'd:
What these two trees were like in forme, or hew,
Where life, and knowledge, vegetable grew.

Who would not gladly know (before he err'd)
His first designes, what thoughts he entertain'd,
Each circumstance how he with God conferr'd,
How will (by him not rein'd) above him raign'd,
If there to stay, or where to be preferr'd,
Then in what forme the serpent Satan fain'd;
What taste the apples had, what change, both finde,
By sight, and knowledge, when grown weake and
blinde.

He tels how short a time their blisse did last,
And seem'd thereafter but a vanish'd dreame;
How angels them from Paradise did cast,
Where first their souls were seiz'd by feare and
shame;

Then through what lands these banish'd pilgrims past,

And (forc'd to labour) what rude tools they frame: What race they had, what progresse mankinde made, And all their crosses till that both were dead.

When Adam ends, then Noah calls to minde
The history of all before the Flood,
And how the arke could hold of every kinde,
One of each sexe, to propagate their brood,
How it was well contriv'd, for wave and winde,
To void their excrements, and keep their food:
And whil'st the seas did wash the earth from sinne,
How that small remnant spent their time within.

He can report the world's new growth againe,
Which at the first no living penne renownes:
How every person did a house attaine,
The house a village, villages grew townes;
Then provinces all peopled did remaine,
And straight ambition mounted up to crownes;
That in his time (though all was once his owne)
The floud was quite forgot, and he not knowne.

We there may learne how that the Lord of old,
By dreames and visions did declare his will;
How all who crav'd, had straight his counsell told,
By urim, thummím, and by ephod still;
And well they might to prosecute be hold,
What prophets first secur'd by sacred skill,
Whom then (though great) the world with scorne
did view,

For till first dead, men never get their due.

This by Helias there may be resolv'd,
How he and Enoch were from hence estrang'd;
If wing'd with flames, or in some cloud involv'd,
(No usuall guests) along'st the ayre they rang'd;
If they their bodies kept, or were dissolv'd, '
Or in what forme to scape, corruption chang'd:
Christ's ushers thus, their passage serves to prove,
How we with glory once may mount above.

Who try'd each state, both best and worst, a space,
The spite of Satan, mercies of the Lord,
In body wounded, spoil'd of goods and race,
By Heaven abandon'd, by the world abhorr'd,
By wife and friends accus'd, as falne from grace,
Yet what was lost had (multipli'd) restor❜d:
With many other doubts he this can cleare,
How he (a Gentile) then to God was deare.

If one would know the deeps of naturall things,
How farre that wisedome could her power extend;
What usuall issue every cause forth brings,
The meanes most apt to compasse any end;
The wisest then of men, or yet of kings,
Whose spatious judgement all could comprehend,
Great Solomou such mysteries can teach,
As all philosophers could never reach.

Of these ten tribes that were the Gentiles' prey,
We then may learne the course how good or ill,
If they with them incorporated stay,
Or if that there the Lord their race did kill,
Or else from thence did leade them all away,
By seas and deserts, working wonders still:
As yet reserv'd their ancient lands to gaine,
If he by them would show his power againe.
As from the ancients, that best understood,
We there may learne the grounds whence know-
ledge springs,

So they may know from us (a greater good)
What their beginnings to perfection brings;
Who (babe-like first) were nurs'd with tender food,
By types and figures masking sprituall things,
Whil'st temporall blessings entertain'd their faith,
Who scarcely knew true grace, were fear'd for wrath.

The ancient fathers of her infant state,
For constancy by persecution crown'd,
The churche's progresse chearfully relate,
In spite of tyrants which no power could bound;
Which wax'd in trouble, bath'd by bloud, grew great,
Till all the world behov'd to heare her sound;
And where on Earth long militant before,
She now triumphs in Heaven for evermore.

The greatest comfort that on Earth we finde,
Is to converse with them whose gifts we love,
So variously to recreate the minde,

And that this meanes our judgment may improve,
Loe here are all by sacred pennes design'd,
Whose parts not onely men, but God did move :
Some of each science can all doubts resolve,
Which wits in errour's maze did oft involve.

And shall not these appointed to have place,
(Triumphing still) in the eternall towne,
The new Ierusalem, the seate of grace,
Whom Christ with glory doth as conq'rours crowne,
Shall they not have true beauty in the face,
Which never blush shall burne, nor teare shall
drowne?

There every member perfect made at length,
Shall have proportion, comelinesse, and strength.
These eyes that here were lock'd up from the light,
And scarce had beene acquainted with the day,
Then (lightning glory) shall appeare more bright,
Nor is the morning's torch, which rayes array;
They that were deafe shall heare each accent right;
Some who were dumbe shall then God's praise dis-
Who all the bodie doth to strength restore, [play,
That with defects had tainted beene before.

They whom sterne Death when infants did surprise,
And even ere borne abortives did pursue,
What such might be though none can now surmise,
Till demonstration prove conjectures true,
Shall at the last in the same stature rise,
The which to them potentially was due:
(Their litle dust then all extended soone)
A moment doth what yeares should earst have done.
Exhausted age (Time's prey) that hath runne post,
Whose eyes as if asham'd (when fail'd) sinke in,
Which onely serves of what hath beene to boast,
With shaking joynts, and with a withered skin,
All is restor'd that forfeited for sinne;
Shall then revive, recovering what was lost;

And phenix-like new beauties all display,

66

They must be perfect that in Heaven can stay." Babes from the cradle carried to the ground, Who did not live to get, nor give offence; The ag'd by weakenesse that to bed were bound, Of life's three kinds scarce keeping that of sense; Both rysing now may of these yeares be found, Which Christ might count when as he parted hence: Or else they shall all in that state be seene, For health and beauty, which their best hath beene. Our bodies shall not then as now grow grosse, (Exulting humours tending to excesse) Nor can extenuate, since free from crosse, Which might distemper, alter, or make lesse ; They have no excrements, corruption's drosse, Which doth our vilenesse palpablie expresse: For in that citty nothing shall be seene, That either is infirme, or yet uncleane. What wonder must the shining substance move, Of sprituall bodies, when divinely borne? Iudge by some parts what all the rest may prove This onely uselesse fleece from creatures shorne, (More bright then are Berinthia's haires above) As beames the Sunne shall every head adorne; Then pretious stones for ornament most meete, More glorious are the nailes of hands and feete. The face, Heaven's frontispiece, the braine's chiefe spheares,

Where intellectuall powers their course doe sway; The eyes are starres, externall orbes the eares, Lips, morning's blushing flames, cheeks, lightning

day;

Legs, not their burden, them their burden beares, The armes, like angels' wings, through th' ayre doe - stray,

Man skie-like bright, but still from tempest free, (Earst little world) a little heaven may be.

As Adam once (whilst naked) free from sinne,
Was not asham'd to walke before the Lord,
So shall the saints (when glory doth begin)
Be to the same integrity restor❜d;

[skinne,
No barenesse, robes, but brightnesse deckes the
Which no way else could be so much decor'd:
For, nakednesse when shining every where,
Is purenesse, and not impudency there.

The rayments held most rich for silke or gold,
Would but deforme, and no way could adorne,
Nor shall we need a guard against the cold,
Of things too oft superfluously borne;
As simple, sluggish, poore, none can unfold
What scandall can procure, contempt, or scorne:
No weakenesse is that any covering needs,
But all are shown, both bodies, thoughts, and deeds.

The bodie's beauties that are thus expos'd,
Though both the sexes haunt together must,
(Nought can take fire, where fire is not enclos'd).
Shall neither snare, nor tempt the minde with lust;
Since generation's period is impos'd,

We leave such thoughts when rising with the dust:
All carnall fancies quite extinguish'd rest,
And sprituall love doth ravish every brest.

As naked angels innocently live,
With pure affections, quite estrang'd from ill,
And covet nothing, but doe onely give
To God attendance, and obey his will;
So shall we then with mutuall ardour strive,
(All concupiscence past) whom zeale doth fill
To love the Lord, and still his praise to sing,
Not capable of any other thing.

Though beauty thus a blessing doth remain,
And (made immortall) not by time surpris'd,
Yet this even here is but the least we gaine,
A quality, no vertue, meanely priz'd,
We shall more strength and nimblenesse attaine,
Then ever hath been found, or yet devis'd,
Not vex'd to conquer, from invasion free,
We cannot wish but that which straight shall be.

The greatest cause of wearinesse below,
By building Babels of confounding doubt,
(To search out truth still making us too slow)
Is this grosse burden that we beare about;
So that whilst bent what is remote to know,
From this strict jayle, still strugling to be out:
What labour hath the interrupted minde,
Though sleep arrest, which scarce can be confin'd?

But when the Lord doth these defects supply,
By which the bodie's pow'rs are thus impair'd,
As planets keep their course above the sky,
They move, as bright and swift, and when compar'd,
To angels every where like them they flye,
By secret vertue, spritually prepar'd:
No weakenesse then the bodies can controule,
And they in motion second may the soule.

Infirmities abandon'd all with sinnes,
The body as it would past faults defray,
To serve the soule, obsequiously beginnes,
Which us most gorgeously doth then array,
To fowles as feathers, to the fishes finnes,
Affording meanes to further still their way:

The bodies then (as soules direct) doe move,
And have no stop below, nor yet above.

No painefull sicknesse, nor consuming sore,
Which now with new alarmes us oft invest,
Shall vexe the soule with anguish any more,
As charging this fraile fort to yeeld her guest.
Nor shall she then, with passions (as before)
Of her deare partner interrupt the rest;
With mutuall pleasures multipli'd in force,
This second marriage nothing can divorce.

Through Heaven and Earth (though travelling ore all)

In these two volumes, God's great workes to see,
No danger is that can their course appall,
Nor can they faint who still in triumph be,
And may themselves in stately seats enstall,
As kings, or priests, or greater in degree:
Whilst they (all light) see all about them light,
Immortall minions in their maker's sight.

O! happy soules, who, fil'd with heavenly things,
There for your mates continually shall have
The holy prophets, patriarchs, and kings,
Apostles, martyrs, all whom Christ did save;
This to my minde so great contentment brings,
Words cannot utter what my thoughts conceive:
But what more good can be surmiz'd then this?
The Lord their King, and Heaven their kingdome is.
Nor were it much such happinesse to finde,
But quickly might make all our pleasures vaine,
If to decay at any time design'd,
We possibly were capable of paine,
The feare of that would still torment the minde,
Which true contentment thus could not attaine:
"For the more pretious that a treasure proves,
The greater care the jealous owner moves."
All that could perish, to confusion past,
Extinguish'd time no period can pretend,
No expectation now accounts shall cast,
Whose progresse doth on Nature's course depend:
All then expir'd, or perfected, at last,

We have no ends, nor nothing then can end:
But all things there from bounds and measure free,
Eternall are, and infinite must be.

We neither then can doe, nor suffer ill,
Nor need wee feare (as earst before) to fall,
The man who first had Paradise at will,
Made all who followed by his forfeit thrall;
The man who first tooke Heaven (there raigning
Our great Redeemer hath secur'd us all : [still)
So that obeying what he doth command,
Though angels fell, wee shall be sure to stand.
The tyrants here that most disturbe our rest,
Are viprous passions, parricides unkinde, [breast,
Though breeding them, who burst out through the
A wretched parent by her off-spring pin'd,
Whilst sometime longings sweetly doe molest,
And sometime feares doe shrewdly vexe the minde,
Which alwaies like a sea some storme must tosse,
Whilst wishing what we want, or fear'd for losse.
But now a never interrupted blisse,
With constant joy doth full contentment give,
While as the minde not bended, nor remisse,
Can neither wish, nor feare, nor doubt, nor strive,
It having all, what had ean never misse,
And (satisfi'd) with confidence doth live: