The betraying of Christ Iudas in despaire. The seuen words of our Sauior on the crosse. With other poems on the Passion.

Sitio.

I Thirst, fift word on Crosse our Sauiour spake, Concluding last of greefes he suffered, His last complaint, thirst did for vvater make, His last request for that he vttered, His last torment vvas drinke of bitter gall, That cruelty offends his tast vvithall.

By trauell once leauing Iudea land, With vvearie iourney through Samaria, He crau'd in Sichar at a vvomans hand, Her gift of vvater, his great thirst t'alay, While she on tearmes, delaies and hinderance finds, Delaies begotten by vnwilling minds.

Yet after publicke in Ierusalem, He did proclaime to all vvith thirst at strife, That plenteously he had to succour them, With flowing vvaters to eternall life, Inuiting come, true comming, free attaine, That vvhich vvho drinkes, shall neuer thirst againe.

Such thirst-staunch riuers he to thirsty gaue, That streames of grace, heau'ns dew in soules did shower: Yet for his owne thirst, vvater he did craue At Iacobs vvell, and at his dying hower, To come and drinke, he free inuites all first, And at his last, himselfe complaines of thirst.

As to our thirsty soules he tendereth His grace, against all deadly thirst defence, So to his thirst, soules duty rendereth, The purest vvater of obedience, There is in him, for vvhich our vvants do call, There is in vs, he vvill be seru'd vvithall.

To corporall thirst strong Sampson once did yeeld, Vntill the chaw-bone of an Asse supplide him: And Sisara (that vanquish'd lost the field) Complain'd of thirst, to her vvhose tent did hide him: And holy Dauid thirstie, vvater needing, Did long for Bethlem cesternes most exceeding.

But different farre soules thirst, from bodies is, Vnsatisfied vvith springs of vvorldly tast, Grace gain'd by Christ, doth only answere this, A spirituall substance, craues the like repast, Those foodlesse soules, famisht eternall pine, Which are vnfed by th'essence pure diuine.

FINIS.