CHRIST'S WORDS ON THE CROSSE,

MY GOD."

66

MY GOD,

CHRIST, when he hung, the dreadfull crosse upon,
Had, as it were, a dereliction,

In this regard; in those great terrors he
Had no one beame from God's sweet majestie.

JEHOVAH.

JEHOVAH, as Boëtius saith,

No number of the plurall hath.

CONFUSION OF FACE.

GOD then confounds man's face, when He not hears The vows of those who are petitioners.

ANOTHER.

The shame of man's face is no more
Then prayers repel'd, sayes Cassiodore.

BEGGARS.

JACOB, God's beggar was; and so we wait,
Though ne're so rich, all beggars at His gate.

GOOD AND BAD.

THE bad among the good are here mixt ever; The good without the bad are here plac'd never.

SIN.

SIN no existence; Nature none it hath,
Or good at all, as learn'd Aquinas saith.

MARTHA, MARTHA.

THE repetition of the name, made known
No other than Christ's full affection.

YOUTH AND AGE.

GOD on our youth bestowes but little ease;
But on our age most sweet indulgences.

GOD'S POWER.

GOD is so potent, as His power can
Draw out of bad a soveraigne good to man.

PARADISE.

PARADISE is, as from the learn'd I gather,
A quire of blest soules circling in the Father.

OBSERVATION.

THE Jewes, when they built houses, I have read,
One part thereof left still unfinished;
To make them thereby mindfull of their own
Cities most sad and dire destruction.

THE ASSE.

God did forbid the Israelites to bring
An asse unto him, for an offering;
Onely, by this dull creature, to expresse
His detestation to all slothfulnesse.

OBSERVATION.

THE Virgin-mother stood at distance there

From her sonne's crosse, not shedding once a teare; Because the law forbad to sit and crie

For those who did as malefactors die.

So she, to keep her mighty woes in awe,

Tortur'd her love, not to transgresse the law.
Observe, we may, how Mary Joses then,
And the other Mary, Mary Magdalen,
Sate by the grave; and sadly sitting there,
Shed for their Master many a bitter teare:
But 'twas not till their dearest Lord was dead,
And then to weep they both were licensed.

TAPERS.

THOSE tapers which we set upon the grave
In fun'rall pomp, but this importance have,
That soules departed are not put out quite;
But, as they walk't here in their vestures white,
So live in heaven in everlasting light.

CHRIST'S BIRTH.

ONE birth our Saviour had; the like none yet Was, or will be a second like to it.

THE VIRGIN MARY.

To work a wonder, God would have her shown At once a bud, and yet a rose full-blowne.

ANOTHER.

As sun-beames pierce the glasse, and streaming in,
No crack or schisme leave i'th' subtill skin;
So the divine hand work't, and brake no thred,
But in a mother kept a maiden-head.

GOD.

GOD, in the holy tongue, they call
The place that filleth all in all.

ANOTHER OF GOD.

God's said to leave this place, and for to come
Nearer to that place then to other some;
Of locall motion, in no least respect,
But only by impression of effect.

ANOTHER.

GOD is Jehovah cal'd; which name of His,
Implies or essence, or the He that is.

GOD'S PRESENCE.

GOD's evident, and may be said to be
Present with just men to the veritie;
But with the wicked, if he doth comply,
'Tis, as S. Bernard saith, but seemingly.

GOD'S DWELLING.

GOD's said to dwell there, wheresoever He
Puts down some prints of His high majestie ;
As when to man He comes, and there doth place
His holy Spirit, or doth plant His grace.

THE VIRGIN MARY.

THE Virgin Marie was, as I have read,
The House of God, by Christ inhabited ;