Rapture Occasioned by the Miraculous Deliverance of His Highness
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Logan West
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www.puritansearch.org
VATICINIUM CAUSUALE.
A RAPTURE Occasioned By the late Miraculous Deliverance OF HIS HIGHNESSE THE Lord Protector, From a Desperate Danger.
With, a NOVERINT UNIVERSI, in the Close.
By Geo: Wither, Esq
Who so dwelleth in the
Secret,
of the MOST HIGH, shall abide in the
shadow,
of the ALMIGHTIE.
LONDON, Printed for T. Ratcliffe, and E. Mottershed. 1655.
A RAPTURE Occasioned By the late Miraculous Deliverance OF HIS HIGHNESSE THE Lord Protector With, a Noverint Universi, in the Close.
I
Will not let this, slip into the
Dark,
Or keep the
Light,
without a special mark:
For, when GOD
Acts,
or
speaks,
each
Word
and
Deed.
Should be observed, with some
useful heed.
That, which hath happened, cannot be
undone,
Or lie
concealed;
For, many
Lookers on,
And, (some, who love to trumpet forth
Mischances,
With Descantings, on all their
Circumstances
)
Have publsh'd what befell. Thence,
Rumour
spreads;
Puts various
Fancies,
into Peoples heads;
And everyone draws
Uses,
or,
applies
As
Malice
fools him, or,
Love
makes him wise:
But,
Providential favors,
are expressed,
As well in
worst, Events
as in the
best;
And, they who know not this, will never find
The
Ports of Comfort,
with an
Adverse-wind,
When he that heeds this, steers through all
Events,
Or,
Censures,
without fears, or Discontents:
Then, as a
Secret,
why should we disclose
From man to man, what everybody knows?
And, put the
Jealous Uulgar,
in a fear
There's somewhat done, not fit for them to hear?
Why, is it
whisper'd,
still, as if, to be
Surpriz'd by those things, from which none are free,
Dishonor on his
Highness
could be thrown?
Or, as if
him,
it misbeseem'd to own
That
Action,
which occasioned an Event
Producing, some external
Detriment?
Or, why it is conceived, as if, to
Us,
Or, unto
him,
his fall were Ominous?
Is it not good, we should have, now and then,
Somewhat to mind us, that we are but
men?
And, that our trust in
Princes,
gasping lies
In that
short blast,
which from their nostrils flies?
When he did
Fall,
was it not wondrous well,
That, from his
seat,
into GOD'S's
Arms
he fell▪
And, that,
He
falling, fell not in such wise,
As they, who
Rise, to fall;
But,
Fell,
to
Rise?
And to Arise with an improvement too,
By
Thankfulness,
for having scaped so?
As also, with that
Mark,
upon him set,
Of being GOD's especial
Favorite?
If, what befell, must needs be understood
As
Ominous;
why, should it not of
Good,
An
Omen
be? (as I believe it will,
Much rather, then prove
Ominous
for ill?
For, who can think, that,
He
was saved from
A
Mischief,
that, to
Mischieves
he might come?
Or, that,
We,
by his safety, from the
Curse
Of
Anarchy,
are saved, for a worse?
Or, that, when
Mercies
GOD, is pleased to show,
They do portend some
Evils
to ensue?
What
Inference
more wicked, can be brought?
What, more
profanely!
what, more vilely thought!
Tir'd with continual
Cares,
(in hope, to find
Refreshments,
by Diversions of the mind)
Er'e
serious thoughts,
were wholly laid aside,
He grasp'd those
Raines,
which, he had often tried
To manage heretofore, with
good success,
When,
Small things
he more minded;
Great things,
less:
And, though he sped not, as in former time,
His
Acte,
was not
unseemly;
nor a
Crime,
As they suppose, whose Memory forgets,
What, others, or, what, best
themselves
befits.
For,'twas not judged an
Unprincely Game,
To drive a
Chariot,
when th'
Olimpian Fame,
Was thirsted after; And, when on that
Hill,
Kings,
with their
Equals,
therein showed their
skill,
And wrapped in
Clouds,
raised by their horses heels,
And,
Thundrings,
from their furious Charret wheels,
Were emulous, the high-prized
Wreaths
to wear
Belonging to the skillful'st
Charioteer.
And, what detraction, from the Reputation
Of
Princes,
is that Manly
Recreation,
More now? or, then it was, when,
Charles,
of late,
For his disport, upon the Coach-box, sat?
(As many times he did) and not disdain
To let
Inferiors,
ride in
Charles his Waine?
Or, what Dishonor is it, that, through
one
Mishap,
he failed, of what was, oft, well done?
It was not want of skill, to use the
Rain,
That stout, and chaste
Hippolitus
was slain:
But, an unlookt for, dreadful
Apparition,
(Of purpose raised, to hasten his perdition)
Frighted his
horses;
which, with
headstrong fury,
Their
Driver,
from the Beaten paths, did hurry
Among the Rocks: And, what, thereon befell,
(The
Story
is so known) I need not tell.
Yet, this I will observe, (to make the Fable,
To my
Intention,
further serviceable)
That, though asunder dragd, his
Members
were,
It magnifide his
Wisdom, Love,
and
Care,
Who made him sound, more then it harmed him,
Who had that hurt: For, every scattered
Lim,
Was re-united, without detriment
In any kind, by that dismemberment
Only, to
Virbius,
from
Hippolitus,
His name was changed, as, it befalleth us,
When, from our
Selfnesse,
we are rent and torn,
To be
Regenerated,
or
New-borne.
And, so (I hope) when we have summed up all
Which, to his
Highness
happened, by his
Fall,
His
gains,
will be much greater then his
cost;
And, nothing, but
self-confidence,
be lost.
This, by the way: now I to that will come;
Which moved me, on this
subject
to presume.
A free
Officiousnesse,
doth me employ
To be, this once, instead of
Philip's
boy,
Who, every morning, called on him to mind
That, he was
Mortal,
and of
human kind:
For, though his sad disaster hath of late,
In likelihood, remembered him, of
that,
It will not be amiss, that, I engage
His
Caution,
further, by this surplusage;
Lest, though his
Piety,
shall him incline
To do his duty, I may fail of mine,
Who think myself obliged, when I shall see
Occasion,
his
Remembrancer
to be,
As I have been to others; who, thereto
Gave less regard, then he (I hope) will do.
As GOD, hath often shown, 'twas he, that,
armed
His head in battle;
and, preserved unharm'd
His
Person,
when the chance of
War
he tried,
And thousands slaughtered fell, on every side:
So, he now gives a new
Experiment,
That, it is he alone, who doth prevent,
The Danger of his
Peace;
and, that, there are
Perils inclosing him, when none appear.
It doth inform him, with a
sident tongue,
What
wariness,
doth now to him belong
More then in former times; and, that there are
Aswell in his
Retirements,
as in
War,
Guards, Sentinels,
and
Watchings,
necessary
With strictness to be kept; lest he miscarry.
Moreover, it informs, that, had he none
Maligning him; Even he
Himself,
alone,
Might be his own
Destroyer;
by forgetting
Due
Care:
Or, else, by
acting,
or
omitting
Such things, as have a very nigh relation,
Either to
Danger,
or to
Preservation.
It calls on him, to mind, how many ways,
And means there are, of cutting short his
days
If GOD, prevent not: yea, it calls on him,
Both, to redeem, and husband well, his
Time;
And, loudly calls; that, for the
Mercy
shown,
It may, in showing
Mercy,
be bestowne:
That, they, who of his
Justice,
well believe,
May bless him, for the
Comforts,
they receive;
That, they, who, in his ruin would have joy'd,
May rather wish, their own Designes destroyed;
And, that, the
Blessing,
may be carried on,
Which,
his,
and
our
PROTECTOR, hath begun.
It likewise, calls upon us
all,
to heed
Both our
own ways;
and how, GOD, doth proceed;
Chiefly, in what, of late, vouchsafed was
By his applying of
preventing Grace,
For his
Deliv'rance,
in whose
life
consists
The likeliest Gard of
public Interests;
And, which, includes, of
Mercies, yet to come,
Another
Pledge:
and, as it were, the
sum
Or, brief
Epitome,
of all things done
For our avail, since first the
Wars
begun.
My contemplating of his
Dangers-past,
Makes them seem great: yet, it hath made this
last,
Exceed them all; and so great to have been,
That, surely, had not, God himself, stepped in,
To bring him
Succor,
suddenly from heaven
No
safety
had been found; no
Quarter
given.
Thus have we seen, a tender
Mother,
run
(Or, rather fly) when her dear
only Son
Was innocently playing in the street;
And snatch him, from among the horses feet
Indangering his Life: Thus, have we seen.
A Loving
Bridegroom,
throw himself between
Death,
and his
Bride;
and bravely fetch her from
A
Peril,
which was desperate become.
To tell this
Danger,
were to tell you that,
Which I can better
Fancie,
then
relate;
And, which (as I conceive it) cannot well
Be better shown, by any
parallel,
Then when a brave
Ship,
on huge
Billowes
tost,
With
Sails full-spread, Helme
broke, and
Ruther
lost,
Is by a strong
storm,
in the darkest
night,
Forced to a
strange Coast,
with a
wind fore-right,
Upon the
Rocks,
which over-hanging, lie,
The foaming
Flouds,
a hundred fathomes high;
Where, every
Wave,
all cries for help, out roars;
Threating destruction, both from
Seas
and
shoares:
Where, can be seen nor
Earth,
nor
Heaven,
nor
Light,
But dark blind ways, to
everlasting night;
And, where, no
succor,
find admittance can
By all the
Power,
and all the
wit
of
man.
By this
Description,
you, perhaps, may guess
From what a depth of desp'rate dang'rousnesse
His
Highness
was repreev'd; and, who, alone
Must, then, be his
Deliverer,
or none.
Thence, you may likewise, gather,
if you will,
(And not continue blind, and froward, still)
Who takes charge of
him; Whom,
they do oppose;
Who without cause, at this time are his
Foes;
And, for what end, such aids vouchsafed be
In great
immergencies;
And, so may HEE.
Oh! let us, therefore, better now, improve
The evidences of
Eternal Love,
Then we have done: and, let his
Highness,
mind,
How bountiful, how gracious, and how kind,
Our GOD hath been to him; that, so he may
Unto his
People,
part thereof repay,
In love to them: Let him remember, too,
Had he miscari'd, what had been to do:
What, likely to be suffered; not alone
By
some of us;
but, even by
ever'y one,
Who breaths the
British
air; and, not despise
This
Counsel,
though the
Giver
seem unwise.
Yea, let it be considered, (to improve
A hast'ning, unto
Unity in Love
)
What sad
Confusions,
had anew been hurld.
Upon this much unsettled
British world,
(And, upon others, whom we would respect)
If, what was almost done, had took effect.
Let this great
Mercy,
never be forgot;
Chiefly, of him, who hath the largest
Lot
In this
Deliverance;
Lest worse he speed,
When of a
Helper,
he shall stand in need.
And, let it make him, more to hasten on
That, which his Prudence prompteth should be done;
Lest, some such
Human Casualtie
prevents
The manifesting of his good
Intents,
And gives his
Foes,
occasions to believe
Their own vain thoughts; And makes his friends to grieve.
I doubt not, what I
counsel▪
If I did,
It had with me, in mine own heart, lain hid.
But,
He,
who me emboldeneth unto this,
Perswades me, that my
aims,
I shall not miss:
Gives me, for
earnest
of them, a
presage,
Of healths Return, with future
Tutulage:
Shows me, by what
conditions,
he may gain
Th'
Eshablishment,
he labors to obtain;
And
(secret things considered)
bids me, tell him,
'Twas
Mercy,
not a
Mischief,
that befell him:
That, also, there are greater
Mercies,
yet,
For him, reserved; if he shall not forget
This
Favor;
nor the
Vowes,
and
Protestations,
Made heretofore, to GOD, and to these
Nations:
Assures me, that, on these
Conditions
lies,
The highest
glory,
whereto he can rise;
And, that, if he escape the
stumbling stones,
Environing th'Ascent, to
Earthly Thrones,
He, without fear of any harm, shall tread
On
Vipers Asps,
and on the
Dragons head:
That,
Emperor
to style him, should not better
His happy
Lot,
or make him ought the greater;
But, rather seem, a foolish over-lay
Of purest
Ophir Gold,
with
common Clay.
Thus, otherwhile,
Remembrances
I scatter,
As, GOD, and
Man's proceedings,
offer matter;
Not without some discernible effect:
(Though neither they, nor I, gain much respect.)
For, on my
Self,
they have an
operation
Not needless; yea, the less good acceptation,
They have with others, they, thereby, to me
The more effectual, sometimes rendered be;
And, teach me to be quiet, and to bear
What misbefals me, with more
Joy,
then
Care.
Thus, when the
Bows
of
Malice
are full bent,
And, poys'ned
shafts,
made ready to be sent
Against th'
upright in heart;
I, interpose
Minerva's
shield, sometimes, unknown to those
Whom it secures; and, when, for what was done,
Others, with all the thanks, away have gone.
Long since, with suchlike
Spels,
and
Charmes
as these,
I did assay, to cure the
Kings disease;
But, either, he was over-deaf to hear,
Or else, not strong enough, my
Charmings
were.
Oft, afterward, I sung unto the
State,
Some
Lessons,
which, when 'twas a day too late,
Were called for; and frequently there fell
Much
ill
to me, for wishing others
well.
Sometimes, I, to the
Common-people
fidle
To still their madness; and, oft fool, and riddle
To make them wiser: but, with little gains,
To them; and, loss of labor, for my pains.
And, now, to charm those, I endeav'ring am,
Who seek to turn his
Glory, into shame,
Whom GOD, hath honor'd; That, I might make less
(If possible) their sottish brutishness,
Who wound
themselves,
through him; and scoff and jear
At
Mercy,
shown to their
Deliverer,
In such a
Danger,
as could be, by none
Removed, but, by an
Almighty-one.
Vain
sons of men,
how long, will ye despise
Good Counsel! and, still, follow after Lies!
Not knowing, or not heeding, that, GOD hath
Maugre your
Spite,
your
Envy,
and your
Wrath,
Made him to be your
Lord,
whom you contemn;
To
Supreme honors
height, advanced him;
Laughs you to scorn;
Turns all your oppositions,
To his advantage and your own perditions:
Not heeding, GOD, hath given all these
Lands;
All these three
Nations,
up, into his hands;
And,
him,
on
them
bestowed; to make proof, whether
He,
or else
They;
or,
both of them,
or
neither,
Will hearken to his
Voice:
that, he may do,
What their
proceedings
will incline him to.
Fools! 'tis not as you dream: But, whatsoever
He
Was,
or
Is,
or,
shall to you appear,
GOD, from among your
selves,
did him advance,
To gard his
Flocks,
and his Inheritance;
To be a friendly comforter of those,
Who are his
Friends;
A terror to his Foes:
And, what, you fret and storm at, was not done,
By
man's designments;
but, by GOD, alone.
Through all these
Islands, be it therefore known;
And, to all
persons,
everywhere, which own,
Relation to this
Empire;
that by
him,
Who hath dispose of every
Diadem,
(
Of
Scepters, Crowns,
&
Thrones)
the
change
was made,
Which did remove the
Government
we had;
(
When our great sins deserved to be bereft,
Of all those
Privileges,
which are left
)
And, that, GOD, in
mere mercy,
did translate
The
Power,
which was in other men, of late,
To be with him entrusted, who is now
Stil'd, your PROTECTOR.
Know, likewise,
that, you
Are bound, by
Law
and
Conscience,
to obey;
And humbly at his
Throne,
yourselves to lay
On those
Conditions,
only, whereon, he
Hath your
Protector,
undertook to be.
Moreover,
Be it known,
that, if he shall
Performe his
Part;
and, you perversely fall
Into
rebellious actings;
or, not cease
From those, which may disturb the
common-peace;
His
Scepter,
shall, perforce, your stif necks bend
To that, which he doth Righteously intend;
And, either thereunto obedient make you,
Or, therewith, bruise; or, else, to pieces break you:
Lest, your perverseness, bring a
Tirant
hither,
To break us;
never to be set together.
And, that, if prudently you do comply,
He may, at last, improve his
Sov'raignty,
To make you far more
happy,
and more
free,
Then else, you had been, or had means to be.
And, now great OLIVER, to thee, likewise,
Let this be known;
and, do not thou despise
The
Publisher;
GOD, doth expect to have
Honor
from them, to whom he
honor
gave:
That, such, who have the rule over men, be just:
That, they their
Vowes
infringe not, nor his
trust:
That, they consider, he bestows large measure,
Of
Power
upon them, not to act their pleasure,
Or to fulfill their lust; but, doth enlarge
His Bounty, that their
Place,
they may discharge
With Courage: That, he
Riches
doth provide,
Lest
Avarice,
might draw their hearts aside;
Or,
wants,
to do
injustice,
them compel:
That, he gives
honors,
not to make them swell
Above their
Brethren;
but, them, to exempt
From what, may fall upon them, by
contempt:
And, that, all these things, are on them bestowed,
Much more, for others
sakes,
then for
their own.
Know
SIR, that, GOD, from
persons
in your place,
Expects all this; and thereto offers
Grace,
And
Power,
for asking: That, (what ere some say)
He, none necessitates to go astray;
Nor leaves, nor hardens any (not the worst)
Till, Love to
selfnesse,
makes them, leave him first.
If, this, thou well considering, shalt act
Accordingly; performing thy
Contract,
With GOD, and with his
People;
he, shall then,
Give thee the Love, and Hearts, of all
Good men:
Fixe thee as firmly, as the
Rocky shoares,
Which sleight the
Ocean,
when it foames and roars:
And brighter make thy
Fame,
and spread it more,
Then any man's renowned heretofore:
For, in
Fames Book,
thou mayest enrolled be
The first, who, made a
People truly free:
And
first-borne,
of those
Viceroys,
who, shall take
Their
Throns
from HIM, whose
Kingdom
down will break,
All Monarchies of
Tirants;
with all those,
Who, help patch up, the
Clay and Iron toes,
The Relics of that
Image,
which hath been
The prop of him, that's called,
the man of sin.
All this may be: and, if thou strive to go
The
way,
that open lies;
It shall be so.
Oh! lose not this advantage, for a Buble,
Which, in vain hope, begins, & ends with trouble.
And, lastly,
Be it known, (
not by event
Which may be to thy future detriment,
But, by
pre-caution)
that, if fail thou shalt
Without this
Peoples
obstinate default,
Of what they, justly may from thee expect,
Who art advanced their
freedoms
to protect;
Or shalt abuse thy
Power,
them, to oppress;
Or, leave them unreliev'd, in their distress,
So, that, they must be forced to cry, and call,
To GOD, for help: GOD, hear, and help them shall:
Search what is done: And, though their former sin,
Hath great, and full of
provocations
been,
He, for the present time, will pass it by,
And on thy
failings,
only, cast an eye:
Avenge their
Cause;
call thee, accompt to give,
Of all those
Favors,
which thou didst receive;
(
Of that late
Mercy,
too, among the rest,
Which hath occasioned, what, is here expressed
)
And, with much indignation, cast thee down,
When, to its height, thy Confidence is grown.
Yea, they, who shall most flatter, and with whom
Thou, shalt then, think most safe thou mayst become,
Will help destroy thee: And, this, shall to Thee
A sad
presage,
of thy destruction be,
Which, may be made a
Prophecy Divine,
Of
Everlasting Good,
to Thee, and Thine.
But, to his
Saints,
GOD, gives a blessed close;
And, keeps his
Vengeance,
only, for his Foes.
Thus, I have shown, that,
Mercy
which produces
Contempt in
Scorners,
came for better uses:
Let it, by all, whom it concerns, be weighed;
And, when, I have more to say,
It shall be said.
Geo. Wither.