The Winter of my infancy being over-past

Then supposed, suddenly the Spring would hast

Which useth every thing to cheare

With invitation to recreacion

This time of yeare.

The Sun sends forth his radient beames to warm the ground

The drops distil, between the gleams delights abound,

Vèr brings her mate the flowery Queen,

The Groves shee dresses, her Art expresses

On every Green.

But in my Spring it was not so, but contrary,

For no delightfull flowers grew to please the eye,

No hopefull bud, nor fruitfull bough,

No moderat showers which causeth flowers

To spring and grow.

My Aprill was exceeding dry, therfore unkind;

Whence tis that small utility I look to find,

For when that Aprill is so dry,

(As hath been spoken) it doth betoken

Much scarcity.

Thus is my Spring now almost past in heavinesse

The Sky of pleasure’s over-cast with sad distresse

For by a comfortlesse Eclips,

Disconsolacion and sore vexacion,

My blossom nips.

Yet as a garden is my mind enclosed fast

Being to safety so confind from storm and blast

Apt to produce a fruit most rare,

That is not common with every woman

That fruitfull are.

A Love of goodnesse is the cheifest plant therin

The second is, (for to be briefe) Dislike to sin.

These grow in spight of misery,

Which Grace doth nourish and cause to flourish

Continually.

But evill mocions, currupt seeds, fall here also

whenc springs prophanesse as do weeds where flowers grow

VVhich must supplanted be with speed

These weeds of Error, Distrust and Terror,

Lest woe succeed

So shall they not molest, the plants before exprest

Which countervails these outward wants, & purchase rest

Which more commodious is for me

Then outward pleasures or earthly treasures

Enjoyd would be.

My little Hopes of worldly Gain I fret not at,

As yet I do this Hope retain; though Spring be lat

Perhaps my Sommer-age may be,

Not prejudiciall, but benificiall

Enough for me.

Admit the worst it be not so, but stormy too,

He learn my selfe to undergo more then I doe

And still content my self with this

Sweet Meditacion and Contemplacion

Of heavenly blis,

VVhich for the Saints reserved is, who persevere

In Piety and Holynesse, and godly Feare,

The pleasures of which blis divine

Neither Logician nor Rhetorician

Having restrained Discontent,

The onely Foe to Health and Witt,

I sought by all meanes to prevent

The causes which did nourish it,

Knowing that they who are judicious

Have alwaies held it most pernicious.

Looking to outward things, I found

Not that which Sorrow might abate,

But rather cause them to abound

Then any Greife to mittigate

Which made me seek by supplicacion

Internall Peace and Consolacion

Calling to mind their wretchednesse

That seem to be in happy case

Having externall happinesse

But therewithall no inward grace;

Nor are their minds with knowledg pollisht

In such all vertues are abollisht

For where the mind ’s obscure and dark

There is no vertu resident,

Of goodnesse there remaines no spark;

Distrustfullnesse doth there frequent

For Ignorance the cause of error

May also be the cause of terror

As doth the Sun-beames beutify

The Sky, which else doth dim appeare

So Knowledg doth exquisitly

The Mind adorn, delight and cleare

Which otherwise is most obscure,

Full of enormities impure.

So that their Soules polluted are

That live in blockish Ignorance.

Which doth their miseries declare

And argues plainly that their wants

More hurtfull are then outward Crosses

Infirmities, Reproach, or Losses.

Where saving Knowledg doth abide,

The peace of Conscience also dwels

And many Vertues more beside

Which all obsurdities expels,

And fils the Soule with joy Celestiall

That shee regards not things Terrestiall.

Sith then the Graces of the Mind

Exceeds all outward Happinesse,

What sweet Contentment do they find

Who are admitted to possesse

Such matchlesse Pearles, so may we call them;

For Precious is the least of all them.

VVhich when I well considered

My greife for outward crosses ceast,

Being not much discouraged

Although afflictions still encreast,

Knowing right well that Tribulacion

No token is of Reprobacion.

Excessive worldy Greife the Soule devouers

And spoyles the activnesse of all the Powers,

Through indisposing them to exercise

What should demonstrate their abilities,

By practicall improvment of the same

Unto the Glory of the givers name.

Though Envy wait to blast the Blossoms green

Of any Vertu soon as they are seen,

Yet none may therfore just occasion take

To shun what Vertu manifest should make,

For like the Sun shall Vertu be beheld

VVhen Clouds of Envy shall be quite dispeld;

Though there be some of no disart at all

Who no degree in worth can lower fall,

Prefer’d before the Verteous whom they taunt

Onely because of some apparent want,

Which is as if a Weed without defect

Before the Damask Rose should have respect,

Because the Rose a leafe or two hath lost,

And this the Weed of all his parts can boast;

Or elce as if a monstrous Clout should be

Prefer’d before the purest Lawn to see,

Because the Lawn hath spots and this the Clout

Is equally polluted thoroughout

Therefore let such whose vertu favours merits,

Shew their divinly magnanimious spirits

By disregarding such their approbacion

Who have the worthlesse most in estimacion,

For who loves God above all things, not one

Who understands not that in him alone

All causes that may move affection are,

Glimpses wherof his creatures doe declare,

This being so, who can be troubled

When as his gifts are undervalued,

Seeing the giver of all things likewise

For want of knowledg many underprise.

Time past we understood by story

The strength of Sin a Land to waste,

Now God to manifest his Glory.

The truth hereof did let us taste,

For many years, this Land appears

Of usefull things the Nursery,

Refresht and fenc’d with unity.

But that which crown’d each other Blessing

Was evidence of Truth Divine,

The Word of Grace such Light expressing,

Which in some prudent Hearts did shine,

Whose Flame inclines those noble minds

To stop the Course of Prophanacion

And so make way for Reformation.

But He that watcheth to devour,

This their intent did soon discry,

For which he strait improves his power

This worthy work to nullify

With Sophistry and Tiranny,

His agents he forthwith did fill

Who gladly execute his will.

And first they prove by Elocution

And Hellish Logick to traduce

Those that would put in execucion,

Restraint of every known abuse;

They seperate and ’sturb the State,

And would all Order overthrow,

The better sort were charged so.

Such false Reports did fill all places,

Corrupting some of each degree,

He whom the highest Title graces

From hearing slanders was not free,

Which Scruple bred, and put the Head

With primest members so at bate

Which did the Body dislocate.

A Lying Spirit mis-informed

The common peeple, who suppose

If things went on to be reformed

They should their ancient Customs lose,

And be beside to courses ty’d

Which they not yet their Fathers knew,

And so be wrapt in fangles new.

Great multitudes therefore were joyned

To Sathans plyant instruments,

With mallice, ignorance combined,

And both at Truth their fury vents;

First Piety as Enimy

They persecute, oppose, revile,

Then Freind as well as Foe they spoyle.

The beuty of the Land’s abollisht,

Such Fabericks by Art contriv’d,

The many of them quite demollisht,

And many of their homes depriv’d

Some mourn for freinds untimely ends,

And some for necessaries faint,

With which they parted by constraint.

But from those storms hath God preserved

A people to record his praise,

Who sith they were therefore reserved

Must to the heigth their Spirits raise

To magnify his lenity

Who safely brought them through the fire

To let them see their hearts desire

Which many faithfull ones deceased

With teares desired to behold,

Which is the Light of Truth professed

Without obscuring shaddowes old,

When spirits free, not tyed shall be

To frozen Forms long since compos’d,

When lesser knowledg was disclos’d.

VVho are preserv’d from foes outragious,

Noteing the Lords unfound-out wayes,

Should strive to leave to after-ages

Some memorandums of his praise;

That others may admiring say

Unsearchable his judgments are,

As do his works alwayes declare.