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<DATE>2008-09-04</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080812.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="elegy">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 14 -->
<HEAD>Bi&s;hops-gate Lamentation</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">For the lo&s;s of their late RECTOR Mr. ROBERT CLARK; Who died on Munday the 19 of <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> 1678, and was buried (together with his dear Con&s;ort, who died &s;oon after) on the 22 of the &s;ame Month.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>O Heaven's! how could I grieve, did I not know</L>
<L>Good and wi&s;e Providence rules all below.</L>
<L>Dear Lord, how can I think that he is gone?</L>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">He was but a white a|mong them.</NOTE>Being &s;carce yet known, he did &s;o lately come.</L>
<L>But too too true it is: O cruel Death!</L>
<L>Nor Grace, nor Wit, nor Vertue, could keep's breath.</L>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">He died of a Fever.</NOTE>But in afflicting Heats he's flown above:</L>
<L>Nor could the fierce&s;t fire burn up his Love;</L>
<L>That, conquering Death, with him to Heav'n is gone.</L>
<L>There's none that knew him can do le&s;s than mourn.</L>
<L>Self-love enforceth us; 'tis our great lo&s;s,</L>
<L>Though his great gain. Lord, &s;anctifie this cro&s;s:</L>
<L>Which to de&s;cribe I would, but have not skill.</L>
<L>Pardon my weakne&s;s, and accept my will.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>We've lo&s;t, we've lo&s;t, &s;hall I &s;ay Man? nay more,</L>
<L>A Guide, a Pa&s;tor, one that mighty &s;tore</L>
<L>Of heav'nly Coun&s;els flow'd from, as a Spring</L>
<L>Pure and per&s;picuous. Never any thing</L>
<L>Utter'd by him was either dull or dark.</L>
<L>Oh ble&s;&s;ed Prie&s;t and Prophet, heav'nly <HI>CLARK!</HI></L>
<L>Were I Enthu&s;ia&s;t, I &s;hould profe&s;s</L>
<L>By In&s;piration he did all expre&s;s.</L>
<L>His Head, his Heart, with's Tongue, &s;uch mu&s;ick made,</L>
<L>That <HI>Saul</HI> was ne'r more pleas'd when <HI>David</HI> play'd,</L>
<L>Than his prepared Hearers, who will &s;ay,</L>
<L>Profit with plea&s;ure &s;prung as clear as day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. <HI>8.6.</HI></NOTE>He on the Prophets hor&s;e fir&s;t ru&s;hing came;</L>
<L>Proving &s;ins cur&s;ed Cu&s;tom would us bane:</L>
<L>That men by Practice bad, to Habits come,</L>
<L>Like to that brute, fear not Gods &s;word or gun.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ezek.</HI> 37 3.</NOTE>Then, from that an&s;wer to <HI>Can dry bones live?</HI></L>
<L>Mo&s;t heav'nly Rules and Cautions did he give.</L>
<L>Gods power and providence we ought tru&s;t to,</L>
<L>Since all he does is good, and all can do.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 101.3.</NOTE>From <HI>David</HI>'s &s;aying with perfect heart he'd walk,</L>
<L>Sweet &s;oul, what holy mea&s;ures did he chalk!</L>
<L>To which his hearers gave great approbation,</L>
<L>And which, if practis'd, would bring reformation.</L>
<L>The &s;inful Times we &s;hould not need to blame,</L>
<L>If family-reforming were our aim.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jer.</HI> 35.14.</NOTE>How did he baffle Sin, with all its &s;hifts,</L>
<L>From that example of the <HI>Rechabites!</HI></L>
<L>The arbitrary Will of their dead &s;ire,</L>
<L>Without a Sanction they &s;o much admire,</L>
<L>That &s;tarve with cold, and choak with thir&s;t they will,</L>
<L>Rather than build, or drink, though bowls be full</L>
<L>Of tempting wine. The Prie&s;t from God may &s;ue:</L>
<L>The living Lord but thus expects from you.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jonah</HI> 3.10.</NOTE>If ever Limner to the life did draw</L>
<L>A Fea&s;t, &s;uch FAST I'm &s;ure you never &s;aw</L>
<L>As he &s;et forth upon the late occa&s;ion.</L>
<L>How did he pre&s;s for, paint forth Reformation!</L>
<L>High, low, old, young, rational, animal,</L>
<L>Acting Repentance, to the bea&s;t at Stall.</L>
<L>If <HI>London</HI> like to <HI>Nineveh</HI> would do,</L>
<L>He'd warrant it be &s;afe, and flouri&s;h too.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus did he teach both how to pray and live;</L>
<L>And practis'd all he &s;aid, that it might thrive.</L>
<L>On Week-days, Prayers and Catechi&s;e expounded;</L>
<L>Profane&s;s and Hypocri&s;ie confounded.</L>
<L>Not glutting on the Sunday, but did &s;eek</L>
<L>To make us keep a Sabbath all the week.</L>
<L>All which he did with &s;o much zeal and love,</L>
<L>As truely acted by that holy Dove-</L>
<L>-like Spirit of Chri&s;t, to whom he now is gone,</L>
<L>And whom, whil&s;t here, his eyes were fixed on,</L>
<L>As his great pattern. Je&s;us, his dear Lord,</L>
<L>He imitated in thought, deed, and word.</L>
<L>All Chri&s;tian Graces in him Habits were.</L>
<L>For Moral Vertues, few could him come neer.</L>
<L>His common Conver&s;ation was mo&s;t &s;weet;</L>
<L>No Moro&s;e gravity on's Brow did fit.</L>
<L>A dear Companion, and obliging Friend</L>
<L>All found that tri'd him: for he &s;till did bend</L>
<L>His Actions and Di&s;cour&s;es, like the Sun,</L>
<L>For univer&s;al good their cour&s;e to run.</L>
<L>The doubtful coun&s;el'd, eas'd the troubled minde;</L>
<L>Confirm'd the faithful, and to all was kinde.</L>
<L>The Churches adver&s;aries made he friends</L>
<L>That liv'd in's former Cure. For &s;uch goods ends</L>
<L>He ca&s;t forth &s;everal Nets to take &s;uch men;</L>
<L>And whil&s;t they thought to cro&s;s him, he caught them.</L>
<L>That he to Souls the greater good might do,</L>
<L>He &s;tudied how to heal their Bodies too:<NOTE PLACE="marg">He was a Phy&s;ician.</NOTE></L>
<L>And did it very often &s;afe and &s;ure;</L>
<L>Not like our Quacks; <HI>No Money,</HI> though a Cure.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This is the Guide we've lo&s;t: this our dear <HI>CLARK,</HI></L>
<L>Whil&s;t he directed us, hath hit the Mark,</L>
<L>And followed all that holy heavenly Train</L>
<L>Of Saints, Apo&s;tles, Martyrs, not in vain:</L>
<L>Prepar'd in Minde and Will for Martyrdom,</L>
<L>Though not in Fire, did in a Fever burn;</L>
<L>With a re&s;igned patience and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion,</L>
<L>He &s;trove, and pray'd, and for's home did petition:</L>
<L>And &s;o, full fraught with faith, to Heav'n he's gone,</L>
<L>Tru&s;ting in JESUS for &s;alvation.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Farewel, adieu, &s;weet Rector: alas we!</L>
<L><HI>Bi&s;hops-gate</HI> &s;ins have us depriv'd of thee.</L>
<L>Had we thy Doctrines put in exerci&s;e,</L>
<L>Death could not yet have clo&s;ed up thine eyes.</L>
<L>We now applaud thee, and lament our lo&s;s;</L>
<L>'Tis not for &s;in we grieve, but for our cro&s;s.</L>
<L>Thy heav'nly Mu&s;icks's lo&s;s we now can finde;</L>
<L>But to dance after it we had no minde.</L>
<L>We lov'd our Schi&s;m, our Pa&s;&s;ion, and our Pride;</L>
<L>Our Drink, our Profit, Plea&s;ure, Lu&s;t be&s;ide.</L>
<L>Chri&s;t's Yoke, though ea&s;ie, we could not endure;</L>
<L>Rea&s;on and Vertue, with Religion pure,</L>
<L>Our Will dethron'd: el&s;e all tho&s;e calls and cries</L>
<L>To Prayers, Sacraments, and Catechi&s;e,</L>
<L>Had been to more effect. Mo&s;t &s;ay, we know,</L>
<L>T'excu&s;e them&s;elves, Such do not always grow</L>
<L>So good as &s;hould be. But 'tis far more &s;ure,</L>
<L>Tho&s;e that do not thus do, cannot be pure.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let's pray that God would this our lo&s;s repair:</L>
<L>Though we know none, many &s;uch void there are.</L>
<L>Guide thou our Guides, we will Con and Re-form;</L>
<L>And our dear babes &s;hall ble&s;s thee, yet unborn.</L>
<L>We'll prai&s;e thee for &s;uch Teachers, and &s;uch &s;tore,</L>
<L>As &s;carce in any Age were &s;een before,</L>
<L>For Vertue, Learning and true Piety.</L>
<L>Convert their Foes; hear thou their prayers and cry</L>
<L>For us and them, and Je&s;us for us all,</L>
<L>That &s;uch another Judgement may not fall</L>
<L>Upon us; that we grope not in the dark,</L>
<L>For want of &s;uch a Lamp as was our <HI>CLARK.</HI></L>
</LG>
<CLOSER>Amen.</CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>With Allowance.</P>
<P>LONDON: <HI>Printed for</HI> L. C. <HI>1678.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
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