S. JAMES BP. OF JERUSALEM by JOSEPH BEAUMONT

ALL yee whose Pride is built upon
Some generous relation
To Noble Kindred, come & see
A Man whose Consanguinitie
Intitles Him unto a Name
Of far more illustrious Fame
Then that big Traine of Words, wherby
The Stiles of Princes swell so high:
Come see a Man, who is no lesse
Then Brother to ye Lord of Blisse.
Yet his aspiring Soule is not
Content with this alliance, but
With brave ambition strives to be
Neerer in Fraternitie
Then Natures casuall hand had plac'd him,
With royall Parents when it grac'd him.
@3James@1 will be Father to his owne
Nobilitie, & wear no Crowne
But what he wins; by Virtue He
@3Brother to ye Lord@1 will be.
Wherfore all his Noble paces
With faithfull diligence he traces,
Through every hard Heroik step
Of Life & Death he climbeth up;
And let @3Jerusalem@1 witnesse be
Unto this great Veritie;
@3Jerusalem@1, which having lost
Its Sceptre, now againe may bost
Of that reverend Throne, wch there
This glorious Bishop first did reare.
A Throne, but not of pomp & state;
A Throne on which all Meeknes sate,
A Throne of Love, a Throne wheron
Reigned pure Devotion.
Nor could lesse expected be
From Him, whose Life was Pietie,
Whose Meat & Drink was to fullfill
His dearest Masters royall will.
Ne'r did ye dangerous Blood of grape
Staine his most abstemious lip;
Onely Virgin Fountains were
Both his Cellars & his Beere,
Which pure & coole did best agree
With his unspotted Chastitie.
Nor did ye rampant flesh of Beasts
E'r reek in his grave simple Feasts;
His highest, & his daintiest Dishes
Were some modest sober fishes,
Meat very correspondent, where
Onely water serv'd for beere.
Delicious Oiles did never wet
His Body with lacivious Sweat,
No tender Bath's unmanly heat
His hardy skin effeminate.
O no; behold his reverend knee
All plated with austeritie,
No Camells rigid knee can show
More patient Brawne then there doth grow:
For on ye Temples Marble Floore
So oft he kneel'd, that what before
Was tender flesh, is now all one
With ye Sacred Pavements Stone.
Nay ev'n his forehead you may see
Seal'd with ye same Severitie;
Prostration in his Prayers had
There ye like impression made,
And mark'd him out for one, whose Zeale
No wearinesse could ever feele.
What wonder now, if He no more
Can hide his worth as heretofore,
Which all ye World that hath but eyes
Ingraven in his face descries.
Plaine they descry it, & confesse,
How much of Heavn it doth expresse:
For on their knees all in his way
The ravish'd People humbly pray
But to kisse ye utmost hemme
Of that robe, yt kisseth Him;
That they may their lips therby,
And their kisses sanctifie.
Nay ye high & sirly @3Priest@1
Convinced is among ye rest,
And his great Right imparts to him,
Who a worthier Priest doth seeme;
@3James@1 may now have leave into
The Sacred @3Oracle@1 to goe,
And injoy ye matchlesse glory
Of that Noble Oratorie.
But Winds & Seas more trusty far,
And constant then ye People are;
And no Nations ever use
Such shamelesse Treason as ye @3Jews.@1
@3Jews@1 admire & love to day
Him, whom to morrow they can slay;
@3Jews@1 can with the same lips kisse Thee,
Which by & by shall taunt & hisse Thee.
Jewish Mouths can speak all good
Of Thee, & forthwith suck thy Blood.
'Twas now their Passover, a Feast
In which a Lambs blood was ye best
That should be shed, but cursed They
Humane veins will ope to Day
JESU'S Name & Doctrine still
Perverse @3Jerusalem@1 did fill
With zealous Rage, wch will not see
How @3Maries Son the Christ@1 can be.
@3James@1 therfore now must plainly show
Whither He thinks Him so or no,
And from ye Temples Battlement
His full opinion represent.
Fooles! & what can @3James@1 professe
But truth of Him, who is no lesse
Then Truth it Selfe? He knows full well
How on this very Pinnacle
His @3Master@1 did that @3Foe@1 subdue
Who from Hells bottome thither flew.
Him therefore He proclaimes aloud
And his great Truths to all ye Crowd:
@3JESUS IS GOD@1 cries He, & this
Temple's his @3Fathers@1 House, & His.
@3Jesus,@1 whom on ye Crosse you nayld,
Dy'd, but over Death prevaild,
And laden with Hells spoiles is gone
Home unto his heavnly Throne.
At this th' impatient People crie
Intolerable Blasphemie!
Downe with him from that Holy Place
Which he profanes: The Law doth passe
His capitall Sentence; Throw him downe
Lest We make his Crime our owne.
Madnes was ready to fullfill
The furious Peoples bloody Will;
For those above feard not to throw
The @3Martyr@1 downe to them below.
Indeed they thought they threw him downe,
But helped him upward to his Crowne.
Saints by such falls as these rebound
To highest Heavns from lowest ground.
Yet @3James@1 by this not fully slaine
Feeles their furious Spight againe:
A Fullers club was soone at hand,
And Rage as ready at Command;
With this & that at Him they flie,
And in Him at Pietie.
First their barbarous ears they stop,
Then his reverend Head break ope,
And their Monstrous selves they staine
With his Blood, and with his Braine.
The Passover did never know
A Lamb so pure & mild as Thou
Great Saint but that whose eve did see,
The Holy Lamb, wch dy'd for Thee.
He dy'd for Thee, & Thou againe
For Him, & for His Truth art slaine;
Slaine indeed, but slaine into
A better Life then this below;
A Life, which will exalt Thee higher
Upon a fairer Temples Spire
Then whence Thou fell'st, a Temple where
In Truth is, what's in Shadows heere.

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