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.

Isr'ells forgetfulnesse is show'd, Her first estate discry'd; The bounties of the Lord bestow'd, The beauties of the Bride.

ONce more, from Heauen to earth, from me to thee, From God to Iacobs great posteritie. Oh that thy greatnesse were with goodnesse mixt? Thy sinnes are so continu'd, that betwixt I see no vertues plac'd, what if there were Of twenty dayes together, no day cleare? But stuff'd with stormy weather? Earth would be Bold to taxe Heauen with meere Tyranie: Shall not I then complaine 'gainst Israell, That spends so many dayes and not one well? It's griefe to me, that I haue vnderstood, So many acts together, and none good: Open thy eares to heare, thy heart to heede, My eyes are full of dew, my lockes doth bleede: Could droppes that night's accustom'd to distill, Vpon dispised louers; yet my will, Wils thee no punishment for this neglect, I onely waite to see thy more respect,

Vnto my patience, for my long attending; My eyes are fill'd with teares at thy offending: I would not see thy faults, I would not strike, Nor shew my Iustice vpon her, I like Vengeance I sent to Egypt, there to dwell, Peace I prepar'd to stay in Israell; Iudgement I doom'd to dye with Caine, in Nod, Mercy I meant should liue with Sem in God: I wish It so, regard, and thou shall prooue, My actions all do manifest my loue; Mans lou's vnstable, like to mans estate, But where I once affect I neuer hate. Thinke on thy past, thy present, thy future tense, And tell me who hath beene thy best defence? Who is it? or who will be? Abram's dead, Isaack and Iacob, left the field and fled, So did thy friends, so did thy father and mother; As death doth fetch one, nature brings another, To keepe earth in repaire, vntill there come, The members of my Bride all knit in one.

Th'art now ship-like, still flitting, restlesse, and Floting in miseries on this nether-land, And cannot anchor yet, but shall land at The Mount aboue th' Armenian ararat. I know thy poore Barke is in danger still, Betwixt the promis'd good, and present ill; My Bethels plenties, and thy Babels wants, Drawes thee as Iron, cast amongst Adamants. Yet know if thou like Lots wife wauer do, Thou'll loose the City and the Mountaine too. Fergetfull loue, I must first send to thee, That thou shewes these signes of disloyalty: I do not take it well, thou art so slow, That thankes for all the blessings I bestow, Is yet vntruely payd. Now I could chide, But it becomes not me to vse my bride Discurteously; I'ld not be angry yet, My loue to thee, commands me not forget My patience; therefore arme thy selfe with hast, The dayes of peace, will soone be ouer-past. Hearken my spouse, I haue some things to tell, Concernes the health and wealth of Israel;

I do remember thee euen from that day, Thou lay vnshapen in a lumpe of clay, Voyd of forme, life, and beauty, I begun, Then to behold the workes that I had done, In number many, and in fashion faire, T'adorne the earth, and beautifie the Ayre: I blest them all with order, then I meant To make some pretious peece more excellent Then all the rest, and to place that aboue, And make that chiefe, and that should be my loue; And that I would preferre, and raise to honor, And that should be my bride, and still vpon her Angels should waite: And this is my decree, What wrongs are done to her, as done to me, Shall be reueng'd. Thou art this Bride I say, "And all I promise I haue power to pay; Let all thy enemies thinke on't, my intent's "That all like faults shall feele like punishments. Thee (pretious peece) when I did meane to make, With care, and loue, I thus in hand did take:

Let vs make man, of other things I sayd, Let there be such, and they were form'd and made; The Earth, the Seas, the Ayre, the Fire and all, That's made in or vpon this neather-ball, The Starres, and Lights aboue, the Moone, and Sunne: I did but speake the Word, and these were done, And they were well done; but when I apply'd, My powre and skill to frame my selfe a Bride, I made thee matchlesse thus, pure, faire, and free, The blessed Heire of Immortalitie: I'ue made thee wise, because true wisedome should, Shew like a Ruby in refined gold, And lodge in Princes breasts: I'ue made thee strong, To vanquish all thy foes, that thou a long, Through Iordans flood to Syloes streame may passe, And that as farre as Diamond doth glasse: Thou may exceede the rest, Truth did entreate, That in thy breast she might possesse a seate, And she shall keepe it, for to, keepe thee free, From flattering, lying, and hypocrisie,

From enuy, error, and the worst, that soe Thy substance may be better then thy showe. The clod I made thee of, was clay, the time When th'earth was in her nonage, in her prime, When water, earth, and ayre, were stor'd with plenties, With seuerall sorts of many seuerall deuties. The place where thou receiu'd thy first estate, Was neere to Eden, yet without the gate: But I did bring thee Inn, and did decree, What I had done should be to honor thee, And thou shall rule as chiefe, thy rule shall stand, I haue commanded all for thy command. Consider, thy state doth all else excell, To haue a being and a being well, Both argues power and mercy in the hand, Of the great worke-man; thou mayst vnderstand, In this last act apparantly doth rest, The difference betweene the man and beast; Powerfull, and pittifull, thou shalt me proue, Sure I thinke, thou thinkes I deserue thy loue,

Do not mistake my loue, 'tis pure and free, And thine's deffectiue both in qualitie, And in condition: If the price were layd, In ballance 'gainst the purchase, 'twould be sayd, That I haue made a loosers match, but still "Power may performe, and want may onely will. What euer faults are thine, if thou repent, My pleasure is in mercy, my intent Intends thy ioy, my loue is setled so, "I had rather giue ten blessings, then one blow.

FINIS.