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| WHILST 1 at Bethania he, | |
| Receiued in Simon’s house, doth there remaine, | |
| A woman, by him late from sinne set free, | |
| Doth come, her louing Lord to entertaine, | |
| Bringing a boxe of alabaster faire, | 5 |
| Fill’d with an ointment, costly, sweet, and rare. | |
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| O Love! sole life of peace, and death of strife, | |
| Strong knot to tye, sweet vnion of consent; | |
| Thought’s purity, faire mappe of angels’ life, | |
| Heauen’s new-made liuery, nurce of all content; | 10 |
| How true it is the world of thee doth say, | |
| That whoso loues can brooke of no delay! | |
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| This curious boxe she breaks, and quickly powres | |
| This precious liquor on her Saviour’s head, | |
| Whose sweet-distilling drops full mainly showres | 15 |
| Adowne his neck, and on his garments shed, | |
| Refining all the ayre neere which they fell | |
| With fragrant odour of their pleasing smell. | |
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| But enuious malice soon occasion finds | |
| This woman’s godly meaning to reproue; | 20 |
| Some standers-by do murmur in their minds, | |
| As discontent to see such zealous loue: | |
| His owne disciples, too, that sate at bord, | |
| Do grudge such cost bestow’d vpon their Lord. | |
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| Why need this needlesse waste be made, say they, | 25 |
| Of what was worth three hundred pence at least? | |
| It better had bin sold, and giuen away | |
| To poore for almes against this holy feast: | |
| ’Tis pitie such sweet oyle, so dearley bought, | |
| With idle vaine expence should come to nought. | 30 |
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| Thus they: but Christ, that sought to saue his foes, | |
| Forgets not now to helpe a friend at need; | |
| He soon perceiues the grudging thoughts of those | |
| That were mislikers of this woman’s deed, | |
| And mildly doth rebuke them for their sinne, | 35 |
| With praise of her that did the worke begin. | |
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| O why should you, whom I have chose for mine, | |
| Against your louing Lord offended be? | |
| Why should your murmuring hearts with spite repine | |
| At her whose faith wrought this good worke on me? | 40 |
| Take heed, this lesson was first learnt at hell, | |
| To grudge at grace, and enuie doing well. | |
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| The poore may be relieued when you will,— | |
| No want of them the earth doth euer find; | |
| But me you shall not haue amongst you still: | 45 |
| The work’s now done that heauen had erst assign’d; | |
| And she that knew I shortly hence must go, | |
| Against my buriall did this cost bestow. | |
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| Of truth, therefore, I say, in each place where | |
| The world’s redemption shall be preacht or taught, | 50 |
| This woman’s zeale shall be related there, | |
| In memory of what she now hath wrought: | |
| Great loue shall surely reape a great reward; | |
| Heauen do’s the hart, not outward shews, regard. | |
