Diuine epistles. Dedicated. to right honble. & worthy guests inuited to ye nuptialls of the great Kings sonne. &c By Augustin. Taylor. preacher at Hawarden.

THE ARGVMENT.

The promised Messias birth, Conquers hell, death, and sinne; And t'Eden backe with mickle mirth, Brings Adam and his kinne.

IMmortall soule, and my elected Queene, Though hitherto thou hast most carelesse beene T'obserue my will; yet now incline thy neart, Or thou and I for euermore shall part: See this epistle truely vnderstood, Read it with teares for it is writ with blood: A pretious price is found to pay thy det, A sacrifice not ordinary to get, For thou had but one God, God but one sonne, That sonne one life, that life to death was done, To bring old Adam backe to Edens blis, And now learne what it cost to finish this. I (being promis'd) came, man did disdame me, The world was proud and loft to entertaine me: My earthly mother had so poore a kinne, She was deni'd a lodging in the Inne, When night, and paine, and teares, and trauell tooke-her, poore Mary was alone, and all forsooke-her.

Sighing and seeking, to find place for rest, And at the last a stable was the best, That could be spar'd, this I had power to mend, But I came rather like a lowly friend, Then like a maister, and so caus'd it try'd, "I came to shew my loue, and not my pryde: My pathes were plaine, my cradle was a cratch, I had no friends, none shew'd such loue to watch For my arriuall, the worlds loue was small, Mary was mother, mid-wife, nurse, and all: No costly robes, nor silkes, nor cloth of gold, Prouided was to keepe me from the cold, Nothing but poore attyre, and homely things, Thus Princeps Regum terrae (King of Kings) Begun his Lambe-like raigne: yea my pretence, Was onely peace, my armor innocence: I did not many nights in safety nappe, Vpon my louing mothers lowly lappe, But warning came, I must to Aegypt flee, Herod was mou'd, and making search for mee,

And I must runne or die, for his intent's To wash his hands in blood of innocence, The time wherein he did the infants slay, Shall still be noted for a dismall day, He aym'd at my fall, but he fell (we see) And murther'd many to haue metwith mee, But he mistooke himselfe, and miss'd his ayme, And I to Bothlem safe return'd againe; In spite of Herod, prophecies did ring, That Dauids sonne was borne to be a King: I did sustaine temptation for thy sake, Much toyle and trauaile I did vndertake, To make thy burthen light, I dare presume To sweare, betweene my cradle, and my tombe, I knew no perfect rest, I had no bed, Foxes had holes, and birds were furnished With nests and lodgings, but my head had none, Mine was like Iacobs state when he left home, And his old parents, to procure his rest, From angry Esau with his kin in th'east,

He was benighted in a strange land, where He neither found friends nor companions, there His pillow was a stone, his bed was earth, A naturall musitian made him mirth, (Surmis'd the Nightingall) he could not get, Wherein to wrape himselfe from nights could sweat: His vncoth roome was all with greene be spred, And rouing cloudes were curtaines to his bed; His canopy was heauen, where he might view, Millions of Starres fixt in the blackest blew. He went to bed as mildly as a lambe, And slept as moderatly as a man, And rose as earely as a Larke, and fed With more content then e're he went to bed: Then towards his vncles, he doth post amaine, To proue if Rachels loue he may obtaine, And at the last his prentiships and paine, Winnes his faire bride, and he comes home againe, With's Lady in his hand, his slockes before, His seede about him, and his Princely store,

Comes after with his seruants, and thus hee With beauty, riches, health, and dignitie, Comes home attended. I with Iacob may Compare my trauailes, so that by the way, I make some difference, by the difference gather, I left a fayrer home, a better father; To tread strange pathes where I was neuer knowne, I sought for strangers loue, and left my owne: Iacob was neuer in such miscrie, I was both worser cloth'd, and lodg'd then he, I went to fetch my bride, from amongst those, That dwelt farre further off, and were my foes. He payd but loue and seruice for his bride, I payd my seruice, loue, and life beside, He brought his home with riches and renowne, With ioy and gladnesse vnto Sichem towne; And for her mouing tents, he hath her giuen, Faire fixed temples, stately types of Heauen: His bed was on the earth, mine was within, He slept for sorrow, but I slept for sinne,

I rose more earely to prepare thy way, For I saw sun-rise, before he saw day: I'll bring thee home, adorn'd with better things, The power and honor of all earthly kings; (And let their powers together lincked bee, All cannot make one worthy t'waite on thee: I spent my dayes in sorrow for thy good, I sayl'd to th'Cradle in teares, to th'graue in blood; And more then this I was content to doo, My middle time had mickle sorrowes too. I liu'd releeuing poore, healing, and feeding, I wipt those eyes that wept, wounds that were bleeding I cur'd, and car'd for all that were in woe, None can complaine that they away did goe Without a pardon for the great'st transgression, All those that brought repentance found compassion. I haue beene thine, thine both in word and deede, My tongue did preach, and pray, my flesh did bleede, From my fresh wounds the smallest droppe that fell, Is price sufficient to saue Israell:

I promise thee (beleeue my promise then) One drop may saue more worlds then this hath men, It is sufficient: Know I did not come, To plead defficience, and pay halfe the summe; Let him that's poore, and needy, and that must Confesse his pouerty, and take on trust, I haue no such occasion, let him score, That's growne disable, beggarly, and poore. Thy ransome all is payd, and thou art rich, And still within my store-house there's so much, It neuer can be empti'd, do not want, My bounty cannot make my blessings scant: Desire and I will giue thee more, (and more) "Thou canst not make the stocke of mercy poore, Presume not neither, for I will expresse, My Iustice on presumptuous saucinesse; The meeke and lowly I delight to guide, "I owe the greatest punishments to pride, My Israell, my death hath bought thy life, Forget not then the duties of a wife:

The office of a husband I haue showne, In greater measure, then the world hath knowne, The graue is conquer'd, death hath now no sting, All foes are vanquisht by thy Lord and King; And now thy Christ as chiefe aloft doth raigne, And Edens gates are now vnbarr'd againe; The Lambe being slaine, the fity sword, by him Is taken from the angry Cherubin, And my faire bride may come (and welcome) in.

FINIS.