Silex scintillans, or, Sacred poems and priuate eiaculations by Henry Vaughan ...

Rules and Lessons.

WHen first thy Eies unveil, give thy Soul leave To do the like; our Bodies but forerun The spirits duty; True hearts spread, and heave Unto their God, as flow'rs do to the Sun. Give him thy first thoughts then; so shalt thou keep Him company all day, and in him sleep.

Yet, never sleep the Sun up; Prayer shou'd Dawn with the day; There are set, awful hours 'Twixt heaven, and us; The Manna was not good After Sun-rising, far-day sullies flowres. Rise to prevent the Sun; sleep doth sins glut, And heav'ns gate opens, when this world's is shut.

Walk with thy fellow-creatures: note the hush And whispers amongst them. There's not a Spring, Or Leafe but hath his Morning-hymn; Each Bush And Oak doth know I AM; canst thou not sing? O leave thy Cares, and follies! go this way And thou art sure to prosper all the day.

Serve God before the world; let him not go Until thou hast a blessing, then resigne The whole unto him; and remember who Prevail'd by wrestling ere the Sun did shine. Poure Oyle upon the stones, weep for thy sin, Then journey on, and have an eie to heav'n.

Mornings are Mysteries; the first worlds Youth, Mans Resurrection, and the futures Bud Shrowd in their births: The Crown of life, light, truth Is stil'd their starre, the stone, and hidden food. Three blessings wait upon them, two of which Should move; They make us holy, happy, rich▪

When the world's up, and ev'ry swarm abroad, Keep thou thy temper, mix not with each Clay; Dispatch necessities, life hath a load Which must be carri'd on, and safely may. Yet keep those cares without thee, let the heart Be Gods alone, and choose the better part.

Through all thy Actions, Counsels, and Discourse, Let Mildness, and Religion guide thee out, If truth be thine, what needs a brutish force? But what's not good, and just ne'r go about. Wrong not thy Conscience for a rotten stick, That gain is dreadful, which makes spirits sick.

To God, thy Countrie, and thy friend be true, If Priest, and People change, keep thou thy ground. Who sels Religion, is a Judas Jew, And, oathes once broke, the soul cannot be sound. The perjurer's a devil let loose: what can Tie up his hands, that dares mock God, and man?

Seek not the same steps with the Crowd; stick thou To thy sure trot; a Constant, humble mind Is both his own Joy, and his Makers too; Let folly dust it on, or lag behind.

A sweet self-privacy in a right soul Out-runs the Earth, and lines the utmost pole.

To all that seek thee, bear an open heart; Make not thy breast a Labyrinth, or Trap; If tryals come, this wil make good thy part, For honesty is safe, come what can hap; It is the good mans feast; The prince of flowres Which thrives in storms, and smels best after showres.

Seal not thy Eyes up from the poor, but give Proportion to their Merits, and thy Purse; Thou mai'st in Rags a mighty Prince relieve Who, when thy sins call for't, can fence a Curse. Thou shalt not lose one mite. Though waters stray, The Bread we cast returns in fraughts one day.

Spend not an hour so, as to weep another, For tears are not thine own; If thou giv'st words Dash not thy friend, nor Heav'n; O smother A vip'rous thought; some Syllables are Swords. Unbitted tongues are in their penance double, They shame their owners, and the hearers trouble.

Injure not modest bloud, whose spirits rise In judgement against Lewdness; that's base wit That voyds but filth, and stench. Hast thou no prize But sickness, or Infection? stiflle it. Who makes his jests of sins, must be at least If not a very devill, worse than a Beast.

Yet, fly no friend, if he be such indeed, But meet to quench his Longings, and thy Thirst; Allow your Joyes Religion; That done, speed And bring the same man back, thou wert all first. Who so returns not, cannot pray aright, But shuts his door, and leaves God out all night.

To highten thy Devotions, and keep low All mutinous thoughts, what busines e'r thou hast Observe God in his works; here fountains flow, Birds sing, Beasts feed, Fish leap, and th'Earth stands fast; Above are restles motions, running Lights, Vast Circling Azure, giddy Clouds, days, nights,

When Seasons change, then lay before thine Eys His wondrous Method; mark the various Scenes In heav'n; Hail, Thunder, Rain-bows, Snow, and Ice, Calmes, Tempests, Light, and darknes by his means; Thou canst not misse his Praise; Each tree, herb, flowre Are shadows of his wisedome, and his Pow'r.

To meales when thou doest come, give him the praise Whose Arm supply'd thee; Take what may suffice, And then be thankful; O admire his ways Who fils the worlds unempty'd granaries! A thankles feeder is a Theif, his feast A very Robbery, and himself no guest.

High-noon thus past, thy time decays; provide Thee other thoughts; Away with friends, and mirth; The Sun now stoops, and hasts his beams to hide Under the dark, and melancholy Earth. All but preludes thy End. Thou art the man Whose Rise, hight, and Descent is but a span.

Yet, set as he doth, and 'tis well. Have all Thy Beams home with thee: trim thy Lamp, buy Oyl, And then set forth; who is thus drest, The Fall Furthers his glory, and gives death the foyl. Man is a Summers day; whose youth, and fire Cool to a glorious Evening, and Expire.

When night comes, list thy deeds; make plain the way 'Twixt Heaven, and thee; block it not with delays, But perfect all before thou sleep'st; Then say Ther's one Sun more strung on my Bead of days.

What's good score up for Joy; The bad wel scann'd Wash off with tears, and get thy Masters hand.

Thy Accounts thus made, spend in the grave one houre Before thy time; Be not a stranger there Where thou may'st sleep whole ages; Lifes poor flowr Lasts not a night sometimes. Bad spirits fear This Coversation; But the good man lyes Intombed many days before he dyes.

Being laid, and drest for sleep, Close not thy Eys Up with thy Curtains; Give thy soul the wing In some good thoughts; So when the day shall rise And thou unrak'st thy fire, those sparks will bring New flames; Besides where these lodge vain heats mourn And die; That Bush where God is, shall not burn.

When thy Nap's over, stir thy fire, unrake In that dead age; one beam i'th' dark outvies Two in the day; Then from the Damps, and Ake Of night shut up thy leaves, be Chast; God prys Through thickest nights; Though then the Sun be far Do thou the works of Day, and rise a Star.

Briefly, Doe as thou would'st be done unto, Love God, and Love thy Neighbour; Watch, and Pray. These are the Words, and Works of life; This do, And live; who doth not thus, hath lost Heav'ns way. O lose it not! look up, wilt Change those Lights For Chains of Darknes, and Eternal Nights?