A small Mite, In Memory of the late deceased (yet still living, and never to be forgotten) Mr. WILLIAM ERBERY.
Being
- 1. An Acrostick on the letters of his name.
- 2. An Elegie on his death, or worthy living fame.
Whereunto are added Two New SONGS:
The one being some brief Touches on the 12 Chapter of the Revelation, more fully to be enlarged in the experimental Christian.
The other, touching the doing away of Sin through the Lord Christ in our souls, and the dostroying all our mental enemies: with other remarkable Passages.
Some are dead that seem alive:
But Erbery's worth shall still survive.
April 20, 1654.
READER,
'TIs above my dull capacity to set forth the true worth of the heroick Erbery, in these few rude & unpolisht lines: but I hope some able Pen will mend my deficiency herein, in giving the true Character of that holy harmless man; for which not onely the world hated him, but also many Church-ones: but 'tis to be hoped they did it ignorantly.
I know Momus and Zoilus will have a fling at these few lines, (although they be but as grave-clothes) that I have put on him; (he deserving a more sublime garb) but all that I shall say (as to that) is, That 'twere well if we that are ready to judge and censure others, would no longer do it in words but in actions of righteousness: viz. if others be proud, tyrannical, envious, bitter, deceitful, let us be meek, humble, loving, faithful, as Christ was: This is that against which there is no law; & this is the kingdom and life of Christ, which shall in time abide when all that is a lye shall vanish away.
I am thine to power, J. L.
April 25. 1654.
An Acrostick on the letters of the name of the incomparably loving Mr. William Erbery.
W hat if thy flesh hath lost its form?
I n us thou living art:
L ight that's of God in thee was born,
L ove centred in thy heart.
I n and through storms thou hast been led:
A ll clouds before thee fell;
M an true, that's one with God the Head,
E ven in thy life will dwell.
R ight Resurrection we do own;
B elieve's, you need not fear't:
E ternally it shall be known;
R isen Erbery's light will clear't.
Y et many real hearts could weep,
'Cause thus thy flesh doth seem to sleep.
But if the Envious to rejoyce,
Thinking thy life hath lost its voice,
They'll be deceiv'd: for it will live,
Their Serpent mortal wounds to give.
An ELEGIE On the late deceased Mr. WILLIAM ERBEAY, Who is not dead, but sleepeth.
IF ever God in man appear'd,
He did in Erbery:
If ever light of late was clear'd,
'Twas through his single eye.
[...]
He had the Radix of true Love
That in this Age was found:
His heart divinely was above;
His judgement most profound.
He was the Dove for Innocence,
The Lion for true Courage;
The Lamb he was, for Passiveness,
Most humble in his carriage.
O how did he base Earth contemn,
With all its Vanities!
A servant he was to all men,
Yet scorned to take Tythes,
But he is dead!—Sure't cannot be;
'Tis but the earthly matter:
His life is to Eternitie,
Though never under water.
Oh how did Forms before him fall,
That had not Christian power!
They're brought into confusion all,
Much like the Babel tower.
He was that noble true Divine,
Though sometimes in dark clouds:
God oft hath so appear'd in time,
To spoil our Idol-shrouds.
I want words to express that worth
That did in him remain:
A man (most true) in Love brought forth,
At Greatness did not aim.
I think I said he was not dead;
I wish he be not so:
His life can scarce be parallelled
In any that I know.
But why do Formalists triumph,
And Churches seem to smile,
As if his light were quite defunct?
God is not so servile,
As to be ty'd unto his form,
And onely there to be;
His Principles in thousands born,
Would 'twere; his Innocencie
Viz. that Innocence that appear'd in M. Erbery which is rarely found in any.
:Then would sin, hell, and devils all,
Away before it flie;
'Twould prove most fatal to them all,
And slay the evil eye.
How firmly did he still abide
All persecuting storms!
How could he in his bosome hide
(Through Love that Envie scorns)
His greatest enemies? He could bless,
And Love for Malice give.
The Son of God, all may confess,
Did truely in him live.
Some brief Touches on the twelfth Chapter of the Revelation; although not all that might be.
The Tune, When the — enjoys his, &c.
IN heaven a wonder did appear;
A woman clothed with the Sun:
On Luna's glory she did tread;
Her head with stars was crown'd upon.
The woman was with child,
Groaning in pain turmoil'd,
Expecting a deliverance:
For she was sore opprest,
But in th'end was blest:
For she bore a Son; 'twas no mischance.
The woman which in pangs appear'd,
Might be mans weakness which we fear'd:
The Sun and Moon, with Stars her crown,
Might be all Forms which we did own:
The Childe she brings to birth
Is him that rules the earth,
And doth our potent enemies slay:
Yea, Sin, Hell, Devil,
With all that's call'd Evil,
When the Man-child's born shall quite decay.
Another wonder I'll declare;
A Dragon great, of Edom's dy,
In heaven also he did appear,
With heads of strange monstrosity:
His tayl drew the Stars,
And caused many Wars:
Before the woman he did stand,
The Childe to oppress,
And the woman to distress:
But God did save them from his hand.
The greatest Dragons tyranny,
Which cometh from the evil eye:
His Hydra's heads with crowns and horns,
May be the cheats in finest Forms;
In which we mounted hie,
And unto God did crie,
'Cause that our rotten hearts did hide.
The Dragon seem'd a Saint,
And did the outside paint:
Thus Serpent-like he was our guide.
For he can a time-server be,
So long as Honour beareth sway:
Like a Cameleon change will he,
As long as Thine and Mine we say.
Viz. That which is truly Gods, and we call ours, but is not.
He can turn up his eyes,
And yet for blood he cryes:
His colour you have heard is red:
And if he weep and pray,
His end is to destroy
(Like the Crocodile) the Childe our Head.
In heav'n also a Combat's fought
'Twixt Mich'el and the evil one;
Who hath put the devil to the rout,
And now he's out of heaven thrown.
Now we joy and sing
Unto the Lord our King,
Which the Accuser hath destroy'd.
Now Conscience is free
From the good and evil tree:
When Saints are in heaven.
There's none in heav'n that are afraid.
Wherefore you that in heav'n be,
A glorious life you have attain'd;
Now from the devil you are free,
And now in God you rest have gain'd.
But those that live on earth
Shall feel the Dragons wrath:
[...]Their weakness he would live upon,
But that their life's in Christ their Head.
They may well meaning be,
And yet they clearly see
That Christ to God doth none accuse.
They may not fully know
'Tis Moses that doth so *,
Joh. 5.45.
Since man doth good and evil chuse.
A spiritual Song touching the doing away of SIN through Christ, and the bringing in of Love, and freeing us from our Enemies.
Tune, S— a Charge.
1.
TO him that's all, yet one,
Sing with joy, sing with joy;
Our God he is alone:
Sing with joy.
'Tis he blots out all sin;
In him we joy and sing,
'Cause we are one with him:
'Tis tidings glad we bring.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
2.
Our hearts are void of care:
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
Our mindes no ill do fear:
Sing with joy.
No bug bears us affright,
Or evil's in our sight
Viz. In the sight of that which is born of God, so as to harm it.
:The devil's put to flight;
We walk in the true light.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
3.
Those that are blinde shall see,
Sing with joy, sing with joy,
Gods glorious unity.
Sing with joy.
The deaf his truth shall hear,
And freed shall be from care,
By love that casts out fear:
Then they with us shall share.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
4.
Sinai doth pass away:
Sing with joy, sing with joy:
Sion's will be the day:
Sing with joy.
For Faith and Hope shall cease
Before you are at peace:
'Tis Love must give you ease,
[...]For in old Adam he resides:
But the womans Child's in heaven,
And hath all power given,
To destroy the devil and earth besides.
But while the Dragon lives in earth,
He persecutes the woman milde:
But she with Eagles wings doth flee
Above his envie through her Childe:
In the wilderness she stood,
Until the Dragons flood
Which would have drown'd her, was decay'd:
And of the earth had help,
Though the devil in it dwelt.
When the woman's strong, the devil's afraid.
And yet for war he doth appear
Against the woman and her seed:
He calls Gods strangeness madness vain;
His foolish things he down would tread.
He crieth much for Forms,
But God in many scorns,
And calls it horrible Blasphemy:
He'll tell you man shall rise
When Christ comes from the skies;
But Emmanuel he down would cry.
The Dragon further doth go on
To flay the remnant of her seed:
[...]When Forms shall quite decease.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
5.
Churches to Love must come:
Sing with joy, sing with joy:
Which thinketh hurt to none.
Sing with joy.
Or else they'll hardly see
The glorious liberty
Of Gods sons that are free;
But in dark hell will be.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
6.
What though black storms appear?
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
The great Whore is in fear.
Sing with joy:
Her flesh is now on fire;
She'll hardly mount much higher,
Though she doth still aspire:
Her Beast begins to tire.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
7.
When God the Whore hath burn'd:
Sing with joy, sing with joy:
And all her bastards spurn'd:
Sing with joy:
And spoil'd her golden Cup,
Of which she made us sup:
Then we shall see, we hope,
Her Formal shop shut up.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
8.
Then man the Lord shall finde,
Sing with joy, sing with joy:
And know his all-great minde.
Sing with joy.
Then we shall clearly see
Of God the mystery
Of Trine in Unity,
And how he All will be.
Sing with joy, sing with joy.
FINIS.