Thus we prevent the last great day, anticipate And judge our selves. That light which sin and passion Did before dimme and choke, When once those snuffes are ta'ne away, Shines bright and cleare, ev'n unto condemnation, 140.¶BITTER-SWEET. Ah, my deare angrie Lord, Since Thou dost love, yet strike, Cast down, yet help afford; Sure I will do the like. I will complain, yet praise, I will bewail, approve; And all my sowre-sweet dayes I will lament, and love. 141. § THE GLANCE. When first Thy sweet and gracious eye Vouchsaf'd, ev'n in the midst of youth and night, To look upon me, who before did lie Weltering in sinne, I felt a sugred strange delight, Passing all cordials made by any art, Bedew, embalme, and overrunne my heart, And take it in. 20 5 5 Since that time many a bitter storm My soul hath felt, ev'n able to destroy, But still Thy sweet originall joy, ΙΟ Sprung from Thine eye, did work within my soul, If Thy first glance so powerfull be A mirth but open'd, and seal'd up again— When Thou shalt look us out of pain, And one aspect of Thine spend in delight 20 distribute 142. § THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALME. The God of love my Shepherd is, And He that doth me feed, While He is mine, and I am His, What can I want or need? He leads me to the tender grasse, Where I both feed and rest; Then to the streams that gently passe: In both I have the best. 5 Or if I stray, He doth convert, And bring my minde in frame: And all this not for my desert, But for His holy name. Yea, in Death's shadie black abode For Thou art with me, and Thy rod Nay, Thou dost make me sit and dine My head with oyl, my cup with wine Surely Thy sweet and wondrous love Shall measure all my dayes; And as it never shall remove, So neither shall my praise. 143.¶MARIE MAGDALENE. When blessed Marie wip'd her Saviour's feet- Shewing His steps should be the street With pensive humblenesse would live and tread; Why kept she not her tears for her own faults, And yet in washing one she washed both. 144.¶AARON. Holinesse on the head, Light and perfections on the breast, Harmonious bells below, raising the dead To leade them unto life and rest: Thus are true Aarons drest. Profanenesse in my head, Defects and darknesse in my breast, A noise of passions ringing me for dead Unto a place where is no rest: Onely another head I have, another heart and breast, Another musick, making live, not dead, Without Whom I could have no rest: In Him I am well drest. 10 15 5 10 15 Christ is my onely head, My alone-onely heart and breast, My onely musick, striking me ev'n dead, That to the old man I may rest, And be in Him new-drest. So, holy in my head, Perfect and light in my deare breast, My doctrine tun'd by Christ, Who is not dead, But lives in me while I do rest, Come, people; Aaron's drest. 145. THE ODOUR. 2 Cor. xi. 20 cleare? 25 How sweetly doth 'My Master' sound! My Master!" As amber-greese leaves a rich scent Unto the taster, So do these words a sweet content, An orientall fragrancie, 'My Master.' With these all day I do perfume my minde, My mind ev'n thrust into them both; That I might finde What cordials make this curious broth, 5 =both words This broth of smells, that feeds and fats my minde. 10 'My Master,' shall I speak? O that to Thee 'My servant' were a little so, As flesh may be; That these two words might crcep and grow To some degree of spicinesse to Thee! VOL. I. 15 |