Commendatory Poem 4

IIII. THOMAS SHEPARD Anagr: Arm'd as the Shop.

Arm'd as the shop of God's good word

Does weapons to him afford

Defend's the right of little ones,

Whom God in the Church-Covenant owns

The [illegible] of this Church among,

To whom his kingdom does belong,

And there withal the seal thereof,

Through his free mercy, grace, and love,

Yet are there some which them forbid

(As once his weak disciples did)

To come to Christ, and scruple make,

Whether thereof they should partake?

But Christ was very angry for it,

As for such zeal he did abhor it;

On come, said he, and welcomed such,

With tokens of affection much:

As if that they and scarcely any

But such as they might challenge any

Or part, or portion in his grace,

(So did his favor them embrace)

His babes, his lambs, his little creatures

He calls them. As for such defeatures,

Christ they defeat as well as them

Whom they presume so to contemn.

This holy shepherd is like David,

From lion's mouth, and bear's who saved

That little kid; whom God did crown

With great and singular renown:

And so this shepherd has (no doubt)

A glorious crown his head about.

For all his labors, (and for this;)

In high and everlasting bliss.

And as the Lord does honor him

(For Christ his sake) so his esteem

Both is, and ought to be most rare,

Among them who Christ his followers are,

And oh how should we bless his name

That on his Son he pours the same

Good Spirit that was in the Father

Or doubles it upon him rather:

LORD these epistles do you bless!

And as your truth they do confess

So make them precious in the eyes

Of all that do your gospel prize.

Amen

JOHN WILSON Senior