Center Man's for a more sublime Advent'r 'T is pitty Dust in th' Ayre or Eye Should hinder a Celestiall spie With lumbering Body leave behinde The low th' ignoble servile mind Such men I mean as can't out-pass Old Abrah'ms servants or his Ass The secret secker only knows What secrets Heaven can disclose Gods Holy of Holies still shuts out The vulgar and unholy rout In secret places of the stairs And clefts of Rocks lye mine Affaires Angels will scarce in crouds appear We say The few'r the better chear If busie Ants of mole-hill birth Promiscuously converse on Earth Let th' High-born Bird of Paradise Scorning the Earth still scale the skies An Ant-hill and Exchange agree Save Men the greater Trifters bee Thus mortals toyl to live below Whilest Man by toyl to Heav'n might go What though thou 've been shorâ—-winded sure Heav'ns hill can Earths green-sickness cure Or what needst dread the journeys length Whilest all along thy way 's thy strength II. BEe'ng thus Ascended Binde and slaughter Thy fin thine Only Child of laughter In this Mount God will soon be seen If some Dear sin dont intervene Dear sin indeed whilest Angels sect Their first Estates for it and Hell Dear sin whilest for its buâ—ks men do Fair Heavens houshold-bread forgo A present flash and future flame Is the best Income sin can name 'T was sin eclips'd the Angels Crown And what brought them will keep thee down Man dost not see how Cherubs stand With flaming swords on every hand From rape of such to guard Lifes Tree As of dead works the workers bee Ah! guilty soul dar'st look abroad Or unagreed dar'st walk with God To reconcile dar'st thou aspire Thy dross with that consuming fire Sure such Attonement shall begin When sin proves grace or grace proves sin Since Earth's too dead too dark too low Sure Hell to Heav'n shall never go III. BEe'ng thus far onward in this steep Wouldst further climbe then learn to creep Who try can tell th' Ascents like these Are the best sâ—al'd on th' hands and knees Angels first rose then fell and so By growing too high became so low But Christ did raise his Royall Crest By building such a lowly nest The Pharisee that nothing knows Of the true Temple boldly goes Into its shadow there to boast Reck'ning proud fool without his Host The Publican doth smite upon His Heart as if 't were made of stone Which stone despised thought 't lay below Did to a Temple sooner grow Unto Gods Altar nakedness God suffers to have no access Th' indowments of mens minds we call Their parts importing therewithall No man of parts can decent be Unless cloath'd with humilitie The Highest to the low gives grace Who veil â—heir own shall see his face In dust and ashes self abhor'd Are the accepted of the Lord. Most flaring fair fac'd Dinas are Sooner undone for being fair The veil'd Rebekah Isaac takes And his dear bosom-consort makes How can a near acquaintance grow Whilest God proud hearâ—s far off doth know Proud hearts know not themselves and then Sure Heav'n must needs be out oâ— ken Whilest the void Aire and worthless wind Brooks no way to be down confin'd Earthquakes must all things overthrow Rather than empty Aire keep low Gems Jewels India's Treasures dwell In meanest Caverns low roof'd Cell Thus from the pots the Lord doth take And into Crowns his Treasures make Would'st then be profited by mee From earth sin and proud self get free Yet 't is a Trinity indeed After the which with winged speed I would pursue and ever may Both body soul and spirit pray He whom I seek and ever shall Is THREE and ONE And ONE and ALL. MEDITATE upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy proffiting may appear to all 1 Tim. 4.51 FINIS
should seem that under Their Angels wings Each laid some evil Oh wretched things And hatch'd a Devil And so by sinning sing'd their wings What wonder Thy fine white linnen Lord sin burnt to tinder Satan's thy creature But now doth want First form and feature Oh miscreant Thou mad'st him bright but sin turn'd all to cinder Yet thou' rt the FATHER still those Stars in view Lanterns hung out In all mens sights Thy Court about Those various lights FATHER of Lights there dwelling clearly shew That golden Globe comes trundling from thine hand Father thou saist Thou Sun of mine Run East and West Cease not to shine Rounding my Bowling-green of Sea and Land That burnisht silver Ball 's hurl'd forth by Thee That Moon of thine That always ranges Doth sit and shine In constant changes Says plainly He that changeth not made mee The Pleiades cluster of six call'd seaven The Signes twice six The Errant Train The Stars that fix The Northern Wain And all the Constellations of the Heaven The Great Orion with those Bands of his Stars Great and Least The Milkie way With All the Rest Doth plainly say That He whose Breasts drop Lights their Father is The Archt Expanse whose Props who can descry That surging Roof And Saphyre-cieling Yeelds ample proof To all mens feeling It had its rise from Thee O thou most High Those stately Offices all on a row Standing about Thy spangled Court And yet without For greater Port Thee Father of Heav'ns Family do show There stands thy Minting-house thy Bulloign brought From 'ts place of birth Vapours I mean From drossie earth Are there made clean And as thou pleasest cast and coyn'd and wrought There stands thy Treasurie that doth contain Gems in great store Of orient hue Who can count o're Thy Pearls of dew Thy golden Lightnings or thy silver Rain There stands thy Wardrope Lord the purple shrouds Which thou dost use And dapled skie Like Ermins shews Thy Majestie And when thou wilt thou weaâ—'st the gold-fring'd clouds There stands thy stable-room Sometimes thy mind 's To ride abroad That men below There is a God Above may know Hearing the neighings of thy prancing winds There 's thy distillatorie Thence thou dost Heav'ns drops distill In such great store Earth drinks its fill Till 't needs no more Then the cold ashes are cast forth in Frost There stands thy great Confectionary There Those heaps of Snow Double-refin'd Do clearly show And bring to mind That they belong to th' Great Confectioner 'T is He that makes those Frost-works He that makes Moist Drops when cast In 's Comfit-mold Hail-stones at last When they grow cold 'T is He that candies all the Icie flakes There stands thy Magazine Thou dost erect Thy flaming forges And there prepare Thy shafts and scourges Weapons of war Which when thou wilt thy Rebell foes correct Storms tempests thunders thunder-bolts with these Great and small shot Brimstone and fire Father what nor If thou require Dart thence to chastise those that thee displease Whole Egypt from thy storm of Hail shot runs His Heathen-Head That Royall slave Slunk under-bed When th' Heavens gave But one round volley from thy greater guns Thou' rt the Rains Father Frost thou 'st gendred What Prose or Verses Can better shew Thy tender Mercies Then melting Dew This shews thine Heart and hoary frost thine Head Th' Ancient of Days begat me says the Snow The Lord of Hoasts 's my Fathers Name The Thunder boasts And Lightnings flame I carry Fathers Colours says the Bow So thou' rt the FATHER still Lord 't is alledg'd By th' Feather'd Hosts That here and there Th' Aeriall Coasts And Quarters bear Under thy Wings they were both hatch'd and fledg'd That Bird of Paradise Lord thou must owe it With chattring cryes Swallows and Cranes Plead th' Only wise Did hatch our Braines And He that made our season made us know it 'T was God All-seeing made my piercing Eye Do h the Eagle say To th' God of Love Our broods we lay Saith Stork and Dove If these be ours sure we 're thy Progenie With early visits and salutes from Earth Up the Lark climbes As if it meant With Seraphims Of high descent By vieing notes and wings prove equall birth The plumed Ostriches forget their young But thou their Father With carefull hand Their Eggs dost gather Laid in the sand Hatching to life and hideing them from wrong The goodly Peacock with his Argus-train His Angels plumes His well-set border Strongly presumes To th'God of Order Unto whose pomp this splendour doth retain The tumbling Deeps where all the waters gather Roundly declare That Name of His Whose Counsells are The Great Abyss Seas swell too big to own a meaner FATHER Surely the Ocean 's thine Lord is it not Thou bid'st it boyle But not boyle o're And 't does recoile Within the shore Thou dost both furnish Lord and salt the Pot. Thou Great-House-keeper must the Fish-pond owe Whose banks and shores Are Rocks and sands Whose fullness stores All Coasts and Lands For thou the greatest Family canst show These Water-works are thine invention Lord. Is th' Oceans force When most serene Charg'd by thine Horse Thy Winds I mean What mighty banks and trenches Lord appear Under the covert of these surging Seas Those Armed Bands Each jointed scale Like Armour stands Or Coats of Male March here and there securely as they please Leviathan that moving Mount or Fort Who can deride stormes battering Of Sons of pride Thou call'st Him King There tumbles he to make his Maker sport So thou' rt the FATHER still Ev'n Earth can cry From Cliffs and Mountains Hills high and steep Sprinâ—s Mines and Fountains That run so deep How deep 's thy wisdom Lord thy pow'r how high Thou gav'st the Rocks their Rise Springs sprang from thee Great Architect Earths Fabrick fair Thou didst erect And hang i' th Ayr To shew its Makers Independancy Thy very foot-stoole Lord thou dost inlay With Mines of gold And silver Ore Who can unfold Or prize the store Wherewith thou dost enrich poor dust and clay This inlay'd foot-stoole thou hast round beset With Vegetants Who can declare Those various Plants Their Vertues rare That spring from dust of heav'nly Fathers feet Those short-lived Beauties that the Florists gather Look up a while With a fair Eye Give God a smile And though they die Yet leave such seed as plainly shews their Father Thou' rt fruitfull Parent of All Trees fruit-bearing Who doth not see Earth doth but nurse These Plants for thee Thine Heav'ns disburse Continuall payments for these Plants up-rearing Some Trees there are though suckled with earths sap Yet run upright As if they meant By their vast height Prove their descent And lay their Leavie Locks in Fathers lap Others there are too weak to rise alone Yet seem to know Where Father dwells Why should they go To Neighbours else To borrow crutches to run up upon The Herds the Folds the Beasts innumerable The
multifarious Creeping Creatures Whose food is various As their features Cry still to God Our FATHER spread our Table Father to Live thy Gift alone can bee Earth's cold and dead And cannot give To what it bred To breath or live Surely the fountain of all Life 's with thee This spacious House thus built and furnisht so Come let 's convey Our Image just Did th' Father say To breathing dust Leaving our likeness to keep House below Then was clay stamp'd by Act of Parliament With God's bright face A Creature Crown'd Wish Life and Grace Heav'n-born Heav'n-bound Of upright aspect of Divine descent Father thy foot-steps we may find and gather All other-where But in this creature Thy face shines clear Witness his feature Who reads mans face may quickly spell his Father Said I one may my God I should have said One might have done But things fall cross Flesh turns to stone Pure gold to dross Silver degenerates to dirt and lead Said I there is I should have said there was My God! there was Thy countenance So in his face That ev'ry glance The shining Sun in brightness did surpass Father this walking talking Plant was Hee Whom thou didst love Whom thou didst prize All Plants above Thy Paradise Thou soon didst quit when thou hadst lost this Tree From th' side whereof a female plant did spring A splended pair Now th' Earth begins T' outshine the Ayr Where Heavens bright twins The Sun and Moon their Light as tribute bring Woman to man's a gift of Gods own giving That man alone No more might be Yet as much one And one with thee A gift endors'd with Doners Name the living This Royall consort to compleat mans joy Thou God of Union Didst well provide For chast Communion As his dear Bride Whom thou hast crown'd on Earth as thy Vice-Roy So th' little world with greatest work and skill Was fram'd at last And being the best Its grace was past To rule the rest Nothing 's forbidden but its knowing ill Upon thy foot-stool thou hadst built a Throne For man to sit My God at thine And at his feet Thou didst consigne All other things in due subjection Thou gav'st him Life 't was fit should'st give him Law His fear did fall By thy command On Creatures All In Sea and Land He standing only in his Fathers Awe His Diadem was bright Intelligence Wisdom in full Whose ev'ry spark Makes Diamonds dull And Gems look dark His Ermine Robe was purest Innocence A Rationall-Plant-Animal was he Could vegetate Could Move and walk Could contemplate Discourse and talk Fair Issue of the Blessed Trinity Parents own Picture wise just holy Son Thou mad'st that star His Heart to be Triangular Yet one with thee Who art the Ever-blessed Three in One. That Instruments Three Strings thou God Trin-Unc Th' Intellect Will And Memory Did'st Wisdoms skill And Sanctity And Righteouâ—ness give charge to keep in Tune And Oh! What rare and ravishing content My God did take Till on a day A fall did crack spoiling his play The strings together with the Instrumenc But oh what tongue what pen what prose what verse What tears what cryes What melting moanes What sobs what fight What piercing groanes Can mans so suddain so sad fall reherse Of late a most compleat and upright Piece My God did frame Of crooked bone But th' Serpent came When God was gone And wound his work to greater crookedness Wound out of Heaven but into Paradise In a Friends guise That cankerd Devil By fallacies Drew Eve to evil And thus the Mother of all living dies Man being thus on th' one side mortified How quickly doth The Gangrene spread Infecting both The heart and head Thus Adam liv'd and reign'd rebelld and died Down comes the Son by leaping Fathers hedge An Apple there As some do gather But a choak-Pear As I think rather Did tempt him Oh my teeth are yet on edge O fruit Death was thy fruit thy gall thy foot Mee thinks I tast With all my bread Which makes me hast Unto the dead Thou bredst that worm that kill'd me in my root Which bee'ng once wither'd root and branch did fall With such aweight Made the earth to groan From such an height Man fell upon The inferiour creatures and so crusht them all These subjects thus opprest soon take up Arms ' Gainst Rebell-Man Heav'ns deputie Who first begun to mutinie Against his Sov'raign to revenge their Harms For sin that made man Naked Arm'd the Earth So poor man scrambles In sweat and blood ' Midst thorns and Brambles For sorry food Till's Dust turns thither whence it had its Birth Now the Earth that sometimes own'd him for its King Makes him Distrain With plow or spade For every grain Or 't can't be had That wont of'ts own Accord its Tribute bring Man having broke Gods Peace all turns to strife ' Gainst his Creatour Ev'n Dogs proclaime Fal'n man a Traitour A two edg'd Flame Cries Come not Rebell near this Tree of Life Besides these wares without that worm doth gnaw Mans in most soul A worm late breeding O th' fruit he stole Whereof man feeding Became as broken as his Makers Law Yet thou' rt the FATHER these mourning Verses Do prove thee so Mans miseries The Creatures wo And all their cries Plainly proclaime thee FATHER of all mercies Thy Providence and Patience towards man Do seem to strive O blessed strife Who shall reprieve The Traitours life By lenghthening out his poor contracted span Though man made so much hast to stir thine ire Yet thou art slow My God thou art I find it so Thou melt'st mine heart With burning Coles but of another fire Thine En'my hungers and thou giv'st him food Thine En'my thirsts Thou giv'st him drink Oh! mine heart bursts Oh! Who would think Man were so bad that sees his God so good Father Thou mak'st thy Sun still shine on those That lowr on thee And when Heav'n lowers 'T is love we see For fruitfull showrs Thou makest then to fall on thankless foes Man what art made of Dost not feel that Sun Dissolve the Ice But thou art Clay Th'harder for this Yet showrs we say Soften the hardned Clay But thou art stone Father When man had ceas'd thy sonne to be And turn'd thy foe Yet didst thou not Desert him so Nor hast forgot To set thy child though batter'd on thy knee When man first stript himself and shew'd his shame Cloaths from the Backs Of Beasts less wild Mans FATHER takes To dress his Child Man lost his Robe and Beasts must bear the blame Could I to cloath a Foe thus strip a Friend My God! My God! What have these done And yet thy Rod Due to thy Son Falls on these servants backs that never find Thus Man 's both fed and clad at thine expence Kept at thy charge Yet keeps it not But lives at large As having got His force to fight thee from thy Providence Heaps upon Heaps One load upon another God gives
Man store Like a Dear Friend Man sins the more Till in the end Or Mercies sins or sins do Mercies smother Yet thou' rt the FATHER still of mercies Father When through sins curse Such Rebels dye Thou dost yet nurse Their Progenie As th' Hen her Chickens so thou dost them gather Thus are all things conserved since the fall Both man and Beast The Raven 's fed The Lillie's drest Then put to Bed All 's kept in 'ts kind or Individuall How beauteous in its season is each thing Summer supplies What Winter spends When Autumn dies Such stock descends As may set up the next succeeding Spring Thy Providence makes Clouds feed th' Earth with Rain Th' Earth feed the Plant Plant th' Animal So there 's no want Nor wast at All. Then th' Earth with Vapours feeds the Clouds again By these the Marshes make the Mountains drink And liquid Seas At thy Commands Water by these The parched Lands Who but thy self should such a thing forethink Thou dost for ev'ry mouth provide a Meat For ev'ry meat A mouth provide Thy Board's full set On ev'ry side If ought do fall to th'ground that th' earth doth eat Father for All things thou dost well provide Thou didst Erect This fair Creation And dost project Its preservation And being the House-Keeper art the great House-Guide Thou serv'st Thy self of All. Ev'n Satans Brain Ripens thy Plot And his design When he thinks not Promoteth thine Thou mak'st that Black-smith forge his own dark chain Thou mak'st mans wrath praise thee And all his evil Thou turn'st to good In all mans Story Ev'n in mans blood Thou sav'st thy glory Goodness rules all in spight of man and Devil Yea such is Fathers care and Fathers skill When foolish man Led by that elf Doth all he can T' undo himself T' extract mans greatest good from such an ill So thou 'rt the FATHER still Thy new Creation Most sweetly shews Thy Father-hood My God renews Faln man to good By a new word through th' Spirits Incubation Adam comes forth but in a new Edition Gods bright Portraiture Is new imprest The Divine Nature On mans brest Clear from all treason and from all Misprision Father thou soak'st this Adament in blood Of thy first-born Mine heart I felt Did the impress scorn And would not melt Till that red Sea resolv'd it to a flood Father I heard thee beg the Rebels peace Rising betimes To ope thy doores For all my crimes My God implores Me to take pardon for my wickedness Then said I turn me O my Lord my God! And I will turn To bear thy yoak Mine heart doth burn That I it broke O my dear child I le run and burn my rod. Thus spake my father Pains o th' second birth Did pinch and grieve But Gods dear strength Did soon relieve And at the length His child bee'ng washt and drest my God makes mirth Nor doth mans elder brother grudg or grieve But sing and smile Angels do shout Heav'n rings the while Th' whole court throughout To see poor spend-thrift man return and live Man thus adopted and regenerate Searcheth his Fathers Lâ—st Testamâ—nt And thence man gathers H av'ns full â—nteâ—t For his inheritance and faâ—ur stâ—â—â— Thou prov'st thy self my FATHER all these waieâ— Now let thy Dove Teach me to fear To s ve and love Thee Father Dear Proving my self thy Child ev'n all my Dayes If you call on the FATHER passe the time of your sojourning herein fear 1 Pet. 1.17 SON O Let that Dove that sometimes did thee Crown With yellow Gold And silver Plumes Unto thy Poet Thee unfold That humbly by thy leave presumes To spread thy fame and scatter thy Renown Let thine Heroick Spirit guide my Verse If thou the thing Indite I 'le write Touching the King What my weak willing heart would fain reherse 'T was when Augustus Cesaer laid a Tax On all the Earth Grace call'd for Thee 'T was then thy Mother gave thee Birth That thou might'st set all Nations free Heavens fair Impression's stampt on Virgin Wax To us a Child is born grace gives a Son Heav'ns were too bold To say That they That King can hold Who now into a Manger crouds His Throne For since sin made man brutish like the Rest My God did lay The Bread of Life Come down from Heav'n ' mongst Oats and Hay That man might find his food as rise Yea find his Saviour whilst he seeks his Beast 'T is not the Cloth but Crown that shews the King A Cave's a Court If there Appear The Princes Port. Wise men what means your Star your sparkling thing Sure you can read by that Orientall light What is this stranger That makes his Bed In this poore Cottage Crib and Manger Hav'ng no where else to lay his Head 'T is Christ Earths Joy Hels Torment Heav'ns Delight Satan 't is Christ my Crown but Christ thy terror Bite if thou dare His heel I feel Is somewhat bare But thy bruis'd head shall ever rue thine error All wise men do but foolish sinners do not Lye prostrated Before this Babe Being lodg'd in such a poore straw-beds Nor to this new-born child cry Ab They 're so unwise their Masters crib they know not My Lord at eight daies old began to bleed For my disease To free Poore mee Not for 's own ease Surely this martyrs blood 's the Churches seed Then went he to his Temple with his Mother One Dove me thought That blessed maid Might then have spar'd that Lamb be'ng brought Before the Lord whose fleece if laid But rightly on the worlds whole sin might smother From thence my Lord posts into Egypts-land Have at thy head Black Prince For since Egypts dark bed Hath lodg'd this light what dungeon can withstand When Bethl'hem first gave Judahs Lion breath He boldly wades Through th' seav'n fold stream The Dragons country he invades On their own ground thus daring them Thence safe returning dwells at Nazareth Can any good come thence fair Nazarene Thou dwellest there Buâ— Lo The Snow Is not so cleare As thou canst make the Black-Moore sinner clean At twelve years old my Lord went thence to sit I' th' Temple which Ne'r shines so bright As when my Saviour doth enrich Its darkned windows with his light There sits the child to teach the Doctours wit The seav'ntieth week be'ng come the time foreset In Daniels book Foretold Of old My Saviour took Baptisme to him a type of 's bloody sweat Then was the water washt that scoures my dress My God my Christ Thou could'st not need For thine own sake a John Baptist But that thou mightest cleanse thy seed Thou' rt pleas'd thus to fulfill all righteousness Jordan's the cleaner Lord for washing thee Hath John indeed To be By thee Baptiz'd such need O my baptiz'd Redeemer Sprinkle me Christ thence ascending meets his own dear dove Descending while The bridegroomes friend The Baptist doth both see and smile Whose ears that heavenly voice attend O son
be Thus on my Cross I work a new Creation Loosing the bands Of sin Within From th' sinners hands My bitter sacrifice brings sweet salvation Thus I give life to others yet I dye I heal their wounds And break their bands Yet anguish mine own soul confounds More then these nailes do pierce mine hands My God! why dost thou me forsake Oh! why They rend my garments cast lots for my coate Whilst I hang here Shame doth Me cloath Else nak'd I were Yonder 's thy Josephs coat Lord dost not know 't The seamless vesture of thy sinless child How bloody is' t My God! My God! Yet not so bloody as thy Christ Is all within by thy sharp rod. O be not fierce to me for I am mild See how I 'm nail'd to this most bitter tree How I 'm accurst How gall Is all My drink in thirst And wilt thou so my God my God! leave mee See how men turn my Glory into shame Mocking my faith And confidence Some say he for Elias pray'th But Lord thou know'st my mind and sense They flout they fleete whilst I call on thy name Yet save me for I 'm thine thine handmaids son Made of this woman Thy shade This maid When known by no man Impow'rd to bring forth me thine holy one Father I 'm the only fatherless on earth All others have Fathers or had O pity pity Lord and save Thy Fatherless support the sad Oh! leave me not in death who gav'st me birth My God! my God! why dost thou me forsake Who never thee Forsook Or took One sin to mee Except the sins that thou didst bid me take They fill the spunge with vinegar but thou My soul dost fill With sharper grief Oh! sinner here 's a bitter pill Yet for thy sickness sweet relief My God! my God! O do not leave me now How darkness vailes the land yet clouds do hover Darker by far Thy wrath Lord hath Eclyps'd thy star Whilst from thy darling thou thy face dost cover How both Suns suffer while thy Son lies under Thy fierce displeasure Th' Sun bears a part But mine eclypse it cannot measure Lord thy sore frowns do teare my heart More then the Temples vaile that 's rent asunder Now come thy breaches and thy darkness on O Jewish Land For thou Hast now Both rid thine hand Of thy bright light and of thy Corner-stone Father the earth 's all ague and I more Ev'n rocks are rent My soul 's more torne Yet flinty Jewes don 't once relent My God leave not mine hope forlone I h've done Lord open th' everlasting Doore Father into thine hands I give my Spirit And utmost breath Whilest I Thus dye And with me death That my dear seed henceforth may life inherit Then Christ in sweet submission bowes his head To all Gods pleasure I think on 't still Lord make the bowing heart my treasure An heart to bow to all thy will That dying I may say all 's finished This done my Saviour quickly shews his force Graves open flie They shake And quake That see him die The rude Centurion's struck with strange remorse Thus Christ le ts loose his pris'ners captivates His scornfull foes They knock their breast Confessing whom they did oppose To be Gods SON now not in jest Thus Sampsons death brake the Phylistians pates Then with a spear his side a Souldier strikes Cleaving the Rock That may Each day Water that Flock Whose Shepheard is now past all push of pikes This is the fountain op'ned for thy sin Jerusalem Thy filth thy guilt Here is for each a proper stream Water and Blood Let none be spilt O quench thy guilt and cleanse thy filth herein Isra'l thy Paschall Lamb thy Christ is dead That Lamb from Heav'n Have care Prepare Purge out thy Leaven Mingle no more thy malice with thy bread Or if the Jewish lump won't leave their leaven Make me leave mine I have in me Lord nail it to this Cross of thine An evill heart of enmity Lord kill this enmity 'twixt Earth and Heaven Be thou my fort and hiding-place my soul Would lodg in thee My Lord Affoard One cleft for mee Thy walls are shatt'red yet thou' rt timber-whole Satan and sin I h've seen i th' Tragick story Shoot through and through Thy blessed heart Yet not one bone was broken though Mount Sinai's Cannons plaid their part In this rock hide me till I h've seen thy Glory Shall not Christ Crucified far dearer be To me then Pelf Then name Or fame Or life it self 'T was thus with Joseph why not thus with me The Souldiers having broke the others leggs But not my Lords Joseph a man Rich in the goods this world affoards But more in faith most boldly ran To Pilate and Christs lifeless body beggs Then in clean linnen wraps that skin and bones That martir'd treasure And why Can't I Take as much pleasure To cloath thy members Lord thy naked ones Jewes now ouâ— king's come down Sirs do you see him Your Temple lies Flat by the ground Will you believe when 't doth arise Catching your Christ at his rebound Why if his own won't have him Lord give me him Christ having now giv'n death his deadly wound Follows him home Invades Deaths shades Enters a tombe To see what spoils may in a grave be found Great Conquerour who hast kill'd death i th' duel After this art Lodg'd in a stone Rather take up in my poor heart How hard soever or how none Oh! that I were thy Cabinet dear jewell But Josephs rock was pure that grave was new First in a womb Which none Had known Then in a tombe Where none had lain my Lord log'd this doth shew I must be clean and new first Yet thy passion And streame of blood What did it mean That Purple yet a Christ all flood Was 't not the making of me clean Doth not thy rising mean my renovation Then make and take for such this heart of mine And dwell in it This breast Is best That I can get Had I a better Lord it should be thine Surely the King of terrour I could brave If my Lord would This Sepulcher This heart as his own quarters hold I would nor goale nor goaler fear Oh how my Saviours Corps perfume the grave Lord make this heart of mine a living one Through thy deaths merit Convey I pray To me thy spirit Who thy dead flesh didst Coffin in dead stone With th' Arimathean Counsellour combin'd A learned Rabbi To shew Christ kindness An Israelitish Doctor may be Some wiser man will blame my blindness And Antichrist in Law and Learning find But may my soul with blessed Joseph dwell And Nicodem Yet down With th' Gown Cry some of them Who scarce I doubt from these can bear the Bell. A spicie mixture 'bout an hundred pounds Who came by night To Jesus brings T' embalme his Lord that gave him light With Aromatick precious things Yâ—â— not one half so precious as those wounds Now Jesus
Stop or pursue So short Report Want so much giue See how the last words have the first forgot But oh fond Priests and Elders whence is it That you can stroak These souldiers pates Sure such neglect would you provoke Of all Yet you 're their advocates Alas how fury doth befoole their wits Mean while Disciples were so far from thieving That when this newes They btought That saw 't Yet they refuse To take 't for truth being so far from believing As two of them were to Emaus going Their busie tongue Bee'ng well imploy'd My dearest Lord stands them among No sooner talk't of then enjoy'd Happy the Servants whom he finds so doing What is your talk that makes your walk so sad Saith Cleopas Dost thou Not know These things Alas A mighty Man and Prophet we have had Mighty in word and deed with God and Men Jesus was he Of Nazareth We'd hop'd might our Redeemer be But him our Rulers put to death This bee'ng the third day since And yet agen We know not what to think on 't hurried 'Twixt hope and fear For some That come From th' Sepulcher Assure us that he 's risen from the Dead But oh this evill heart of unbelief This want of faith That can provoke The gentle Lamb of God to wrath Setting in ev'ry wheel a spoke Clouding the rising Sun with gloomy grief O fooles and slow of heart replies my Lord Slow to believe me But oh Not so Not slow to grieve me Ought not your Christ fulfill the written word But Christ can't alwaies hold his chiding story Sugars his checks With sweet instructions Moses his vaile in pieces breaks Proves by prophetick fair deductions Through Seas of sufferings Christ must land in Glory My Lord then makes as he would further go But they begin so pray Him stay And he turns in Happy who love their close reprovers so This bread of life thus broken when he had He breaks more bread And makes them eat Their Lord 's their Sheepheard they 're well fed Body and Soul with blessed meat My soul seek Christ first and those things he 'll add Just now my Lord makes them see who he is Then slips away And oh 'T was so With me last day One moment op'ned and seal'd up like bliss When Christ was gone say they we might have guest What light 't was brought So bright a day To darkest Scriptures might have thought The risen Sun was in our way Finding our hearts so burn within our breast Then they return back to Ierusalem Brimfull of joy To feast The rest But they are coy Till Christ Himself stands in the midst of them And 't is so still Whoever's sent about To tell thy story Hardness of hearts And unbelief blinds all thy glory Lord who believes Lord who converts Till thy deare presence puts all out of doubt Their doores bee'ng shut and hearts much more that even My Lord to put All out Of doubt None else can do 't This newes imparts in person to th' eleven Yet oh how hard a thing is this believing A sprite appears As they suppose The same that in their storms of fears Walk't on the Seas when winds arose Phant'sies fooles-bolt how 't hinders truths receiving Jesus salutes them with a peace be to you Once and agen 'T is I Sirs why Distrust you then Why do you let such thoughts arise why do you Down doubtings I 'm got up And ready have Sirs come and see And feel I pray A Tombe dead unbelief for thee Dig'd in my side but t'other day And for your doubtings in each hand a grave If these suffice not handle feel my feet There are two more Doubt not I 've got All as before Rather then miss their faith their sense he 'll meet Then for the further feeding of their faith He calls for food They give him fish And Honey-Combe but oh his blood And body is a sweeter dish Then breathing take the Holy Ghost he saith Now doth the frost-nipt Tree of life recover Puts forth again New springs And brings Fruits that remain Spirit and Life so prove's Deaths Winter 's over Thomas mean while bee'ng absent from the rest Freezing from th' fire Like them that miss Th' assemblies Christ is wont t' inspire With sweet assurance joy and bliss Can't feed his faith with hear-say of a feast He must first hold a Coroners inquest Must see Christs ayles And must First thrust i th' print of o th' nailes His fingers e're this faith enter his breast His faith must go on stilts or not at all See with the eye Feel with the hand His faith must in his fingers lye His faith must in his feeling stand At th' bound from sorry sense he 'll catch the ball Th' week after he and they be'ng all together With blessed greeting Increase Of peace Christ Crowns their meeting Thomas saith he come reach thy finger hither As men are wont who 've Children to be taught My Lord was fain Though ev'ry letter In 's hands and feet were printed plain With 's finger teach him spell the better The Child to faith by fealing must be brought My Lord and my God! how this sight relieves me Poor Thomas cries Christ saith Thy faith May thank thine eyes Blessed is he who sees not yet believes me Disciples after this a fishing go But nothing's caught Throughout the night Till Jesus comes and brings a draught Lord shew me so which side 's the right When to catch souls thy Gospell net I throw Christ look't into their cup-board just before Children have ye Got meate To eate Else come to me I 've food and firing for you on the shore Hence sinfull cares infest my soul no longer Base diffidence Doubtings retreat Soul mind thy Saviours providence Do thine own work and he 'll find meat Or give thee somethings better if thou hunger Dinner bee'ng done Christ speaks of working then And so should we Our whet Not let Our food should be Shepheards Christ feeds to feed his sheep agen Shepheards who love to eat but not to feed Are what they 're not Not what they are A Paradox and Gordian knot Which Christ will cut and will not spare Shepheards in name but rav'ning wolves indeed Peter dost love me more then these I 'll prove thee Then feed and keep My flock My stâ—ck Of Lambs and Sheep All knowing Lord saith he thou know'st I love thee Peter when thou wast young then thou wast free To come and go As thou'dst a mind Girding thy self 't shall not be so When thou art old others shall bind And gird and carry thee Man follow mee Peter replies and what must this man do What 's that to thee Follow Me thou How busie wee Are to mind others works our own not so In an appointed mount in Galilee Christ meets th' eleven Chargeth them there By all his pow'r in Earth and Heav'n To Preach the Gospell ev'ry where Baptizing in the name of One and Three And in so doing
but at length relieve me And with thy gentle wings but stroke my smart Dear heart said he I struck thee for to stroke thee Put thee in bonds to set thee free That I might better heal I broke thee I 'm sent to comfort by convincing thee Though I 'm all light and peace yet I did send thee To a dark prison holding over My black rod but it was to mend thee For friends do Fools and Phranticks thus recover Remember man thy wild and Bethlem tricks How oft I strove with the in vain Thine heel could kick against my pricks Sure 't was high time to get thee in a chain Thou and Manasseh stood in much more need Of iron chaiâ—s then chains of Gold Distracted folk must purge and bleed And in their moneths be caught and kept in hold O blessed bonds said I O happy trouble O bitter-sweet sweet-bitter smart My pain was great my profit double Whilst thus thou undertak'st to tame mine heart Void Chymicks spill your Spirits quit your art Cease from your oft sought unfound stone There 's but one Spirit can convert An iron chain into a golden one Dear Dove thy pris'ner may I ever bee Bondage is like to be my state If to my self thou leave me free He 's only free whom thou dost captivate Where the Lords Spirit is there 's liberty No man can say Jesus is Lord But by the Holy Ghost or cry Abba till that sweet Spirit teach that word I was a lisper and a stamerer And could not skill o th' Shibboleth That might my pray'r to God indear Till this free Spirit gave new speech and breath I was a beggar so extreamly poor I skill'd not how to make my moanes But this Dove met me at Gods door Supply'ng my want of words with store of groanes I was in suit and could not well make good My Title But said this free Spirit Soul take this seal the seal of blood I am thy witness and thou shalt inherit I found a riddle whilst I sought a Text But this free Spirit loos'd the knot Which when I h'd read yet what was next Had not this Spirit prompted I 'd forgot My barren grounds were chapt for want of rain Gasping tow'rds Heaven for a flood This Spirit flowing in a main Told me that he had brought me that 's as good I sea the mine heart found so much dross and tin So â—itâ—â—â— else I self a mourning Both for my gross and splendid sin Then he to me the spirit was of burning I fell a burning when my God did chide me Water said I or I 'm undone This streaming Spirit streight suppli'd me Till all those scorching flames were quencht and gone I fell a chilling till my heart grew stone Scarse had I left one warm desire My frozen heart was next to none Then said this holy Spirit I am fire I fell a melting when I felt his heat My soul was broached at mine eyes The ice was thawn to tears and swear Which with fresh gales this Spirit gently dries These fontinells thus dri'd pride rais'd a tumour And then the Spirit 's fain to take His Lancet and let out the humour But oh mine heart how did it burn and ake Which this dear Dove perceiving straight way goes T' a precious box and thence applies An ointment made of Sharons Rose Which both the swelling cools and mollifies When I was none this Spirit made me be And live and breath when I was worse For worse then nothing sin made me For my rebuilding freely did imburse My stony heart this spirit harcht to flesh My fleshly heart did circumcise My bleeding heart with balme refresh Those tears that fell from bleeding Saviours eyes In native gore when I polluted lay Hav'ng none to wash to salt to swath me His counsells were my salt that day His lawes my swadling bands his grace did bathe me With milk for Babes this comforter did fill Both Testaments the old and new But how to come by'â— I 'd no skill Till he those breasts of consolation drew He took me by the hand and taught me go For I went all by forms before Till's holy unction made me know A new and living way to Fathers door I got upon an hill would fain descry Heav'ns Canaan from earths wilderness But being there could nothing spy Till with his eye salve he mine eyes did dress Over against Heav'ns haven on the shore I stood and waited for a wind Then did this Spirit waft me ore In heart in hope in faith in joy of mind Arithmetick and th' art of measuring I h'd studied but bungled still The measure of a span to bring Oâ— number of my daies I could not skill Then this free Spirit gave a watch to me Which ev'ryday wind up I must To tell me how my time did flee But I forgot and let is stand and rust Then being griev'd that I 'd so direspected Both guift and giver did indeavour To wind it up but t' had collected Such soil as from the wheels I could not sever Then did I moutning to the donour go Confess'd my fault shew'd him the soile It gather'd whilst neglected so Do not despaire said he for I am oyle This is the Spirit of all life and bliss Yet when I felt him first I died The fountain of my life he is Yet but for him I h'd neer been mortified This Spirit in mine heart doth shee l abroad Gods dear and never dying love Yet not a day but his sharp rod Doth me severely chastise and reprove This Spiritrais'd my Christ yet casts me down Doth cast me down and yet uphold Mine humblings are my joy my Crown My fear doth make my faith more firm and bold Calms are not alwayes proffitable for me Therefore the winds are sometimes high This Spirit blusters and is stormy That I might groundfast in humility This Spirit is my good and only guide Yet walk i th' Spirit Scriptures say My conduct and my path beside This Spirit is my Captain and my way Man walk according to thy native light Say some and thou shalt perfect bee Perfect indeed as noon's at night Lord in thy Spirits light light let me see A spirit there 's in man but th' inspiration Of the Almighty only can By no less than a new Creation Enlighten't such a dungeon sin made man Mans spirit is the Candle of the Lord Which who would see by first should light At Gods own fire ev'n Gods own word Gods word 's his mind seat us in black and white For since th' incarnate word his tender love In blood to write us condescends What wonder that his own dear Dove In inke and paper praies us to be friends Nor Son nor Spirit had I understood Bee'ng sunk so deep in sins dark grot Had not the Son took bone and blood Had not the Spirit pen and paper got The Son in humane nature clad doth raise My conscience out of guilts dark grave The Spirit cloath'd in humane
phrase My mind out of blind ignorances cave The Son in servile form came down among 's Serving to purchase us command The Spirit fell in cloven tongues As who would lisp that we might understand Surely this Spirit of all Spirits fram'd That Book of Books my Bible dear A thing that 's all things can be nam'd Food physick treasures pleasures all are here A glass that shewes to ev'ry man his face A staff that helps the lame to walk A spur that makes him mend his pace A light that shews what and what not to balk A Book that makes the simple truly wise A Book that proves the wisest fools A Book that helps the Readers eyes A Book that baffles and befools the schools A Book whose ev'ry leafe whose ev'ry line Out shines the milky way as far As if Heav'ns light should all combine To darken and obscure one painted star A Book that told my story ere I was A Book that tels me what shall be When I 'm no more what doom shall pass On States on Churches Persons and on me This Book 's truths standard nay 't is truth it self So well's the Spirit here pourtrai'd This Book doth sanctifie the shelf The heart I mean where it 's sincerely laid Yet some by reason some by new found light Not only leave to question take But mend this Book and set it right By Tables of Errata's they would make So much is good and 't is Canonicall As to mans reason is commensur'd Gods light by mans must stand or fall And so the Sun by th' Sextons Clock is censur'd Methinks I love the Author for the Book The Book for th' Author much more love When op'ning into it I look My God I can't forget thy sweet spread-Dove The gentle wings I feel and hear the mourning Of that dear Turtle waiting still Upon my grieving and returning To bring an Olive-branch of peace i th' bill The lines I grant are not all of one colour Yet all make up mans doom and duty Some promise joy some threaten dolour Variety makes up the Turtleâ— beauty This Dove Bezaleel and Aholiab taught All curious works for th' Sanctuary But Scriptures are more finely wrought Shewing most art where they seem most to vary As when this one sweet Spirit is call'd seaven Perfection's meant in unity A Spirit filling Earth and Heaven That operates in all but diversly Some reckon seaven Suns to ev'ry week So many Moons to ev'ry year As shee turns th' whole face or half cheek And doth by turns first sit and then appear This Spirit makes in Sampson strength excell And in a Moses government And wisdom in a Daniel And all much more in Christ where 't dwelt unpent This Spirit doth transcribe the Gospell-story On th' fleshly tables of mine heart Christ's Cradle Cross his Grave his Glory All 's acted on that stage by th' Spirits art To his Birth answers my Regeneration Heart-Circumcision suits to his To 's Cross and Grave mortification And Grace and Hope to 's Rising and his Bliss And then as Christ makes intercession for us The Spirit in us intercedes With crying blood out Christ doth store us With sighes and groanes the Spirit in us pleads This Spirit is unbounded yet believers In earthen vessels this rich treasure Only receive as he delivers And he dispenseth each one but a measure This Spirit is eternalll never dies An unextinguishable fire Yet in mens hearts oft gasping cries Oh! if you quench me thus I shall expire This Spirit is a Dove yet to contest With Crowes and Vultures is he fain Whilst in his room mans wretched breast Doth lusts unclean wraths rapines entertain This Spirit is a Dove yet 's vexed often By foolish man that peevish wasp Whose heart nor Sun nor show'r can soften Man grieves him without whom he could not gasp This tender Spirit who but man would grieve If I my Comforter make sad Who only can sad hearts relieve Alas my God who then shall make me glad Grieve foolish heart be 't to thine own perplexing Be thou as melted wax in me That thou shouldst set this Dove avexing That sweetly seales redemption unto thee Give stubborn heart relent since for thy sake The Lamb of God not only blood But ev'n Gods turtle tears doth take Let thy repentance still help on the flood Melt stony heart till all becomes one river Dove do delight near ponds to dwell Groans are best musick to a griever Such is Gods Dove whose groanes thy duty tell Shew not thy self vexatious to a Dove That cannot grieve thee without grieving Ev'n Publicans yield love for love Quench not truths Spirit by thy unbelieving Afflict not this dear guide go not astray Nor look back from an holy life While th' Spirit saies this is the way Have salt in thee remember man Lots wife Check not this Spirits checks but let them bee Taken for kindness as they are His smitings reckon oyl to thee Say smits my rock my God and do not spare Grieve not this Holy Ghost by entertaining Such inmates as he cannot bear If bands of lusts thine heart be training What room for this sweet Spirit can be there Seek holyness seek peace make after Union Let Medication stir this fire Pray'r blow it up let sweet Communion Maintain it burning still and raise it higher Quench not the smallest spark in thy weak brother What flames are on that hearth of thine Boast not nor yet deny or smother Rather desire thou for to burn then shine Some care not for this Dove had they his feather A sorry bargin such would make Over a while such shall have neither Seek thou the Spirits gifts for graces sake Ware sinning against light and grace and love Know ev'ry of those sins that are done Directly against this dear Dove Comes near to that that never shall have pardon If we live in the SPIRIT Let us walk in the SPIRIT Gal. 5.25 FAITH FRom thee dear Dove Yet still in thine embraces To Faith Hope Love That Trinity of graces Now let me pass and succour so my Verses That I may express what my muse rehearses Faith I 'll begin With thee for thou wast th' first When bloody sin Had made me all accurst That shew'd th' avenger posting after me And bad me to some refuge-City flee Some men would make Faith and Repentance strive Who should place take But surely Faith 's the hive In which that busie Bee repentance makes Tears drop like honey from mans heart like wax For who can grieve For that which they believe not Who can believe Mans sinfull state and grieve not I did believe the law and so relented I did believe the Gospell and repented I did believe That God made all things good And then did grieve That I had brought a flood A flood of sins and so of miseries On all this brought a deluge on mine eyes I did believe That God took flesh lost blood So to relieve Me and to drown sins flood
Stretching its neck to look for land Beyond deaths gulf and life beyond The day of doom Hope is next door to Heav'ns gate 'T is but a step from this to that Nay Hope doth Heaven antedate And bring down hither Hope 's th' antidote against despair Coffin of fear and Couch of care Cradle of patience Hope hath fair Even in foule weather Hope is the mourners Handkerchief Hope is the Balme of ev'ry grief Hope doth endorse the beggars brief Ere it 's collected In Hope I have what yet I want Hope makes me full while things are scant Hope doth consummate what I can't Yet see effected Hope hath an harvest in the Spring In Winter doth of Summer sing Feeds on the fruits whilest blossoming Yet nips no bloom Hope brings me home when I 'm abroad As soon as th' first step homeward's trod In Hope to thee my God! my God! I come I come Hope sends the Ship to Sea and then Ere it returns brings't home agen The port of all Seafaring men Is this GOOD HOPE I am a Sea man too My Soul Though toss'd with doubts when weather 's foul Doth like some Sea-sick vessell roul Yet Heav'n's its scope Hope doth the Souldiers weapon wield By Hope the Souldiers Helmet's steel'd Hope gives him ere he fights the field Hope holds his station I am a Souldier too My Sword Is that o th' Spirit th' two-edg'd word Now for an Helmet give me Lord Th' Hope of Salvation Hope sets the poor Apprentice free First day he 's bound And why not me Thou hast Indentures Lord by thee Wherein I 'm tied Mount Sinais Covenants they bee Yet Hope doth Lord Enfranchize mee In Sion-hill where all are free That do reside In Hope the School Boy doth commence Master of Art and fair science Yea whilest i th' lowest form steps thence To th' Doctors Chair I 'm a School-Schollar too My God! But yesterday I felt thy rod Yet still with Hope am girt and shod Away despair ' Tiâ— Hope â—hat doth the sower feed Who seems to cast away his seed But doth preserve in very deed And mend his store I am a Seeds-man too my Lord And but for Hope thou would'st affoard Thy blessing when I sow thy word I had forbore I am a Seeds man every teare I sow in Hope 't will bring an care Fit for thy floor in time of yeare For thee to gather Were 't not for Hope the heart some say Would break yet Hope led me one day Weeping along the Milkie way To thee O Father I am a Seeds man casting bread On th' waters where it seems lye dead Yet Hope assures me 't shall be fed And then restor'd Hope doth the pris'ners bolts unlock His fetters doth in sunder knock Hope drives the Freemans trade and stock My dearest Lord I am a captive too Sins chain Doth hold and hamper but in vain By Hope I 'm saved and set again At liberty I am a Tradesman too Thou art That God with whom I deal My heart Takes Heav'n to be the only mart Thither trade I Exporting groans and broken pray'rs That scarse can clamber up the stairs Importing rich and precious wares Ev'n joy and peace Joy that exceeds all understanding o th' Spirits sealing Christs own handing Peace that is of Gods own commanding And can't surcease Hope makes the labourer to run A race as 't were with each daies Sun Paying his wages ere 's work be done And mine much more I daily dig and delve within Stubbing at th' roots and stumps of sin And but for Hope one day to win I should give ore O come that long'd for day come quickly This Hope defer'd makes my heart sickly Grace is a Rose but sin is prickly And still adheres Amphibion like the diver tries Whet sharp with Hope t' anatomize And geld the deeps his hop'd for prize Forbids his feares I am a diver too Thy word Doth richer rarities affoard A greater deep and better stor'd With Pearls and treasure Angels desire to dive into These deeps and so I daily do Whose Pearls are rich and Cordiall too Health Wealth and Pleasure 'T is Hope that makes the racer fleet Bringing the wager to his feet Make hast saith Hope what don 't you see 't You 've won you 've won I am a racer too My race From sin to glory is by grace Hope sets Heav'ns Bliss before my face And then I run I heard the witty world once say The bird i th' bush may flie away Take Heav'n who will 't is present pay For which we trade To Faith and Hope I told this story Their havings are but transitory Said Faith said Hope and I have glory That cannot fade Hast it said I Hope shew it me What 's this said Hope thou here dost see Said I an Acorn No said he But 't is an Oake What is' t said Hope thou see'st fast by A grain of Mustard seed said I. A plant said Hope reaching the sky And thou'dst right spoke Then I perceiv'd the meaning was Hope ripens seeds of Grace to Grace Makes Grace when grounded Mount and pass To th' highest story Hope shew'd me then a sparkling stone What 's this said Hope that I 've got on I strait reply'd 't is Grace begun Said Hope 't is glory Then learnt I that Grace inchoate By lively Hope doth maturate And rip'ning doth anticipate Heav'n here on Earth I spake to Hope of a reversion I had in Heaven since conversion Said Hope why cast you an aspersion On th' second birth Reversion sounds said Hope to mee Your state at present dead to bee But I have Heav'n in hand you see Whereon I live I am Faiths present recompence My Grammar knows no Future tense The Verbs that make up all my sense Are Substantive Who 're these said Hope thou see'st before Prostrate and begging at a door Said I they are Heav'ns Parish Poor Said Hope they 're Kings Kings said I. But where are their Crowns Their Scepters Kingdoms Countries Towns Their Armine Robes and Purple Gowns Those royall things I can said Hope tell where they bee Safely they are reserv'd by mee Safely reserv'd from them and thee Look here are they All 's lockt Hope lend 's the key said I. Hope fetch a Bible presently On which when I h'd but cast mine eye I found a key The right key 't was o th' door of Hope Enter said Faith thou â—â—edst not â—rope I turn'd the key and th' door flew ope And I went on But O the things that there I saw Jewels of joyes in foiles of awe But blab not Muse Know'st not the Law Peace and have done 'T is not allow'd thee to display The brightness of Hopes holy day Unutterable things to say Muse do not vent're Hope shew'd me but I can't say what Only let him that questions that But get the key that then I gat And let him enter Then let him say If ever he The like things unto those did see Or yet can utter
which I look my God will save My soul from sin my flesh from grave And from deaths pow'r O death where is thy victory That I might live my Lord did dye He fled thee not but made thee flie Hav'ng drawn thy sting Thou hadst of teeth a double row Till Christ by 's Cross took thee a blow When fastning on him But thou' rt now A tooth-less thing Well maist thou bark but canst not bite Bending thy brow shewing thy spight Death do thy worst Hope sets me quite Beyond thy spleen What though my death seems written in The very parchment of my skin With the black ink of my foul sin Yet have I seen On both hands of a friend once slain But since return'd to life again A better story Printed plain My sights but dim Yet in the print o th' nailes I see Life in a Saviours hands for mee Whilst as he hung upon the tree Hope hangs on him And still shall hang on him untill My bones have learnt to climbe that hill Where now he sits and whence he will Yet come down hither That he may gather into one Each dust of his and scatt'red bone Then shall he as a living stone Translate me thither And now my Lord what wait I for Standing and knocking at thy door I stand and knock at th' door of Hope Till knocking makes the door stand ope We are saved by HOPE but Hope that is seen is not Hope Rom. 8.24 LOVE FRom Faith and Hope I come sweet Love to sing For ev'ry Anchor hath its ring Whereby 't is wedded to its Cable-Rope Love makes the match 'twixt Faith and Hope 'Twixt Grace and Grace no marriage can be made But where this golden ring's first had O golden Love thou circling endless thing All grace concenters in thy ring What though mine heart be flinty rock and stone Yet flints have fire And have I none No spark of Love thou God of Love for thee That hast twice over hammerd mee There 's not one spark kindled upon mine hearth But at first glance it quits the earth As if it knew the element of fire Were some Diviner thing and high'r Lord I can feel there 's such a thing as Love Warm in my breast and feel it move I find I love my Child and so doth he And shall I not my God! love thee Is Love the only fire that doth descend Or is my God my God no friend Sure all my doubts and fears cannot disprove The condescention of thy Love The Elements we find invert their course Fearing a Vacuum would be worse And did not Love stoop low when God did dye To fill up mans vacuity Reader stop here And drop a tear When Love that ev'ry Ev'ning makes my bed Had not whereon to lay his head Except you 'll call that bloody Cross and bitter A Love-sick Saviours bed and litter When Love it self being as rich as store To make me rich â—id become poor Unless those tears and bloody drops that fall You 'll Pearls account and rubies call And can the flaming Element of Love To store my wants drop from above Why can't mine Earth as well to Heaven grow As Heav'ns Love fire come down so low Why may I not Elijah-like aspire To ride to Heaven in that fire That fire of Love that came from thence down hither On purpose sure to help methither When Love to hatred did himself expose And prick's own foot to ease his foes Printing full proof in his chapt parched skin What flames of Love there were within When Love unthought unsought for did come down Exchanging for a Cross his Crown Love undesir'd Love undeserv'd did take Mans game to play to save mans stake Whilest flames of wrath so sorely did contest With this Love-fire in Saviours breast Heightning the heat so far till 's blood boyâ—'d ore Issuing out at ev'ry pore Lord can the eye That reads be dry Ah! if it can let not the writers bee No tears of Love my God! for thee Lord could Love make thee take my sins as thine Sure then thy sorrows shall be mine The stripes that rent thy back shall smite and knock My breast till they have cleft my rock The ir'n that in thine hands left such a pâ—int Shall strike some fire out of my flint Shall I not love that friend that lov'd me So So Lov'd me when I was his foe Lord let not want of Love encrease my score My debts were great enough before Make me thy Love so burning hot to feel As to dissolve and melt my steel And burn my stony heart to fervent lime As I h've seen fire turn stone sometime My heart is thine Lord thou hast bought that stone And thou hast fewell of thine own Wil 't not quit cost great builder if it will O throw mine heart into thy kill Lime is an usefull thing in buildings sure And lime of stone will best endure Knowledg puffs up but Love is edifying And growes the stronger by long lying Oh that I had that lime of Love that is As by Antiperistasis Hotter for water I would often then Weep till I even flam'd agen But now I mourn That I can't burn Can 't burn Alas my God I 'm burning ever But oh my burning is a Fever Such hectick heat doth too too plainly prove That I am but infirm in Love Lord dost not see how Giants do invade Thy right my God confound their trade Who using lust for lime by Hellish art Would rebuild Babell in my heart 'T is not so long my God and Saviour since Thou didst expell th' usurping Prince Rasing his works and strong holds built within With lime of lust and piles of sin Can I Love sin that hatefull cruell thing That grinds the Serpents forked sting Shew'ng death how twice at once to murther me And can I not my God Love thee Can I Love sin that puts me on the wrack Till bones do break and sinews crack And Can I not Love him that climb'd the tree Wracking himself to take down me Can I Love sin since hatred nere had bin Never bin heard of but for sin And can I not love LOVE that came to dye To kill hatred and enmity Love sin that founded Hell at 's own expence And not my God that saves me thence Alas how strangly Love its mark can miss Oh that mine head and heart for this Were both one flood Of tears of blood Or can mine heart like Josephs Mistriss make Love to the Servant and mistake These things below for my dear God above To whom I owe ev'n all my Love And then when these chast Creature-comforts flie Rather then yield or gratifie Can I complain unto my Lord and say That they did tempt then flie away Alas poor Creatures would not be abused And must they yet be thus accused And God in them And that I may be found Guiltless must guilt reach God at th' bound Thou gav'st me these to prove thy Love to me But not
Oh 't is thy right Accept my mite Or is it Love that sharpens Love again My Saviour every grinding pain Of thine on Earth and present Intercession Pleads for a Love beyond expression 'T is Love I live upon And do I yet Suspect thy Love or question it Lord if my Living be n't full proof thy dying Gives evidence beyond denying Herein is Love without dissimulation Thy Love thou provest by thy Passion Whose every wound with open mouth cries out We are Loves Vouâ—hers if you doubt When Heav'nly Hoasts first saw thee breath if then They run and preach good will tow'rds men If thus they comment on thine Infant-breath My God! what thought they of thy death Oh! how he Lov'd him if who saw thee shed Tears for thy friend Laz'ras bee'ng dead Cryed out What might they 've said that saw thee dye Bleeding for me thine enemy And dare I can I yet renew that grief Doubting thy Love through unbelief If I but say I Love how doth it grieve me If yet my Friend will not believe me And dare I yet suspect the God of Love Who saies who swears who dies to prove He Loves me Shall I fail in proof of mine And then to make a mends doubt thine Doubling thereby Each inâ—ury I find I feel I see and can't I say He Loves me doubts out of my way Doubtings by Demonstrations overcome Sure then if ever may be dumb Or if I needs must doubt and jealous bee Lord I le suspect my self not thee My soul lov'st thou thy Lord say yea or nay My God I 'm gravell'd what to say Yet will I hold mine heart to th' Sâ—rutiny Till it affirm or else deny Deny my God! I dare not nay I cannot And yet methinks affirm I may not Oh that I could This only can I say Dear Lord that I cannot say nay Thoughts in again Loves no such neutrall thing You must a certain Verdict bring Only be sure for 't is your own behoof Your Verdict stands on certain proof Alas my thoughts can never solve this doubt Unless thy Love Lord help me out My God what crouds of witnesses seem strive To be depos'd o th' Negative My seldome thoughts of thee my cold devotions Heartless profession lifeless motions My wanton Dalian with the world and sin My want of kindness to thy kin My little longing when thou' rt out of sight Or lab'ring to regain the light I sigh to say How these plead NAY These ah my God! and many more than these My little little care to please Or fear of grieving thee my want of leisure For thee and in thee want of pleasure My numbe Lethargick zeal when men defame Thy Saints thy worship waies or name How say I that I Love thee when mine heart So poorly plaies the Lovers part My Love commands mine eye mine hand my purse Can I Love thee yet serve thee worse Or must my friend of all friends be deni'd What I yield all I Love beside Alas my Lord such proof had almost got A Verdict past I Love thee not But that one witness came and crost the rest Stifling that Verdict in my breast Yet t' was not much that witnesse had to say But sorely weeping cri'd I pray If 't be as you pretend that there 's no fire Whence is this smoaking flax desire My Jesus thou' rt my Judge the Judge of all To whom my Love must stand or fall Thou that knowst all things knowst that I abhor My self for Loving thee no more My dear I h've sometime long'd and do I not Long yet that thou wouldst loose one knot To tye another what 's this life to me If I must still be strange to thee To Love is life Else life 's but strife Oh that I were a Graduat in that Colledge Where Love is known that passeth knowledg Where smiling Saints do comprehend and dwell In Love incomprehensible Where perfect Love casts out tormenting fear Nor theirs nor thine is doubted there Where full-eyed Love may see to interline Thy text with some short Notes of mine But whilst I 'm low as earth short as a span Fleet as a shade narrow as man The height length depth and breadth of Love to measure I have nor skill my God nor leisure Love that 's as high as Heav'n for thence it came And thither with it bound I am Love that 's as long as length eternity Must say how long for so can't I. Love that 's as deep as Hell for thence it took Me And the day 's down in my book Love that 's as broard as sin that spreads all over Yet Lord thy Love my sin doth cover Th' Astronomer what houses stars do keep Can tell the diver gage the deep But I poor Christs-Cross-Sholler cannot spell LOVE though a monasyllable Lord I could be content mine earth might turn To ashes so my soul might burn And all my powers become one Holocaust Reaching thy Love and life at last Lord stir this fire And raise it higher Here 's a poor broken heart a Sacrifice Which yet thou 'st said thou lt not despise I bind it on thine Altar in desire Heav'ns favour set it all on fire Lord shall I ever be a Questionist Help me commence in Love to Christ Or still incept'ring pass a grace mine heart May once be master of this art But as I said methought I heard one say Away bold Freshman you must stay Your time there 's many'n act ere this degree And hare there must no hudlings bee Lord if it must be so my now Condition I tender to thine own Tuition Till I have better Arguments to prove I'm more proficient in thy Love Charge thy self with me Me and all that 's mine Subject I to thy discipline Lord I will have no mind distinct from thee Who givest all that 's thine to mee If others ask me can you walk abroad I le answer Go and ask my God Where thou saist go though flesh and blood say stay I 'le creep if I can't run that way Or if I as I fear I shall transgress This law of Love I now express I 'le humbly strip my self next serious thought Till thou hast whipt me for my fau't Then kiss thy rod And cry my God! Then if thou smile thy favour Lord shall be Like rain upon mown grass to me Or like warm Sun-beams that succeed some showr Till joyes poor Bud's a full-blown flower But I will watch left some Old-Adam seed With joyes fair flower put forth some weed Which when 't first peeps thy weeding knife I le borrow Lest the ground harden by to morrow I le mark thine eye a better brighter Star Than that that guidâ— the Mariner My dull remisness Lord thine eye shall whet To more observance when sharp set Thy quick and hasty look shall quicken mee I le away to my Book or Knee I le chide my busie play-fellows Away My master frowns I dare not play Lord I 'le see by thine eyes thine
God deny Refusing Him that speaketh when they cry The Deaf Ear'd-Idoll is abhord And Men like Idols of the Lord Who deafness plagues with deafness and doth turn His Ear from Dives whilest his Tongue doth burn Lord therefore to Deaf Hearers give To live to hear to hear and live Yea into th' Harvest send forth Labourers To fill thy floor by gathering in of Ears Thou sow'st thy Word as Seed and then 'T is fit thou reap the Ears of Men As Mary weeping heard till showrs of tears Full ripe for thine own reaping made her Ears What Heaps shall in thy Garnets bee When Ears are Circumcis'd by Thee Fair Sion shall be like an heap of Wheat That round about with Lillies is beset When Malchus lost an Ear thy touch A Saviours skill and virtue 's such Râ—pair'd that Loss Lord 't is but Ask and Have Thou canst find Ears in Lazarus his Grave Thou Davids Heir of Davids Keys Canst shut and open as thou please Thy still voice loud winds and proud waves obey Unto thy Word let not Mens Ears say Nay Thou didst a Pris'ner once impow'r Judg Felix bee'ng Auditour To give the Charge that took the Judg by th' Ear More Bonds did then on th' Bench then Barr appear When Heav'ns great Guns from tire to tire According to thy Word give fire Kadesh doth tremble Hindes do calve for fear The howling Desarts and deaf Rocks give ear And is Mars Heart more wild more hard More full of noises stronger barr'd Yet is the star the key-hole Lord put in Thy finger then the gentlest word will win All turns and moves One Ephâ—phatha Removes obstructions out of th' way Then th' Ear shall welcome every second word Wiâ—h a Come in thou Blessed of the Lord The Scriptures speak of th' Learned Ear Sâ—â—â— then thy tongue must teach to hear Morning by morning let thy Musick make The heavy Ears of Mans dull mind to wake If Sons of God fair Angels stand Waiting the Son of Gods command Which when it comes who sees these Holy things Might see their Ears converted into wings If the Deaf Divell lends an Ear Not led by Love but forc'd by Fear And if the sworn plague famine only know By hearkning to his Word they Come and Goe In vain doth poor Man stop his Ear And say in 's Heart Hee 'l never hear Harvests bring Ears and such is the Worlds end Graves must find Hearers then The Dead attend Then Happy He that sooner heard Hearing before for afterward God had his Eares on Earth and doubtless He Shall with full sheaves repaid in Heaven be If Sol'mons servants were so blest That coun'd their Lesson from his breast How Happy're those Disciples then whose Ears Are tun'd to the true Musick of the Sphears Where the First-Mover is Free Grace Free Purpose moves i th' second place Third Orbe's the Word of Grace in which do shine As many Stars as Promises Divine These Lessons so Divine so good The Orbes bee'ng Oyl'd in Saviours blood Do so divinely correspond that so Needs must the Hearer the Diviner grow Then comes that holy Turtle Dove Gently descending from above And stealing through the Earth-hole into th' heart Doth Heav'ns Intelligence on Earth impart This is a joyfull sound indeed What Halcyon dayes shall hence succeed Whilest Thunders terror makes Deaf Rebels quail Christâ— voice to his Disciples is All hail If God that rules all otherwhere Love so to move the Orb of th' Ear Sure then the Blessed of the Lord are they That Hearing hearken Hearkening that Obey The Humble Hearer may invite God Guest-wise to a Disht Delight A fervent whole-broke-heart serv'd vp in Tears The Bread bee'ng made o th' Contrite hearers Ears Nay God invites Himself to sup Where such delights are so serv'd up By a clean hand whereth ' ear and the heart 's kept hot God is Mans Guest and Heav'n will pay the shot A letter H is not say we Let HEARING then mine EARING be Thou God of Israel bore thy servants Ear That I in iâ— this Jewel still may wear Let every one be swift to HEARE But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own Souls Jam. 1.21 22. MEDITATION I come to sing the last but not the least Be'ng that that Clencheth in mans mind and breast Those Nails th' Assemblies Masters drive Not t' eat but to Digest makes thrive Sweet sacred thing Caelestiall Contemplation Old Enochs Trade young Isaacâ— Recreation That furnishest Mans thoughtfull breast With Greatest Work and Sweetest Rest Israel's sweet Singer us'd when first awake His Lark-like Rise upon thy wings to take With which he made his morning-flight Of which his Feather-bed at night The nimble Life-guard of that Royal mind Were Thoughts by thee divinely Disciplin'd Marshall'd in each dayes front and rear Greatness thus guarded know's no fear When anxious Musings would invade that soul When Cares would clog or make it stomack-foul Thou didst exoâ—erate Thy skill Did still prepare the Stomack-pill Thy Physick having wrought and hungry health Thine hopefull Patient re-surpriz'd by stealth Then thou that hony-comb didst drain And break the Bone that did contein The fat the sweet which from the Promise flow's Whereof the sensuall worldling nothing knows Thus Meditation first sets right Then saâ—iat's the souls Appetite Man 's fed with Manna void of surfets fear Where Meditation's Cook Digestions clear Mortals thus fed with Angels fare Converted into Angels are By Contemplation was that Darling drest When Guest-wife Heaven bad him to a feast John's cloath'd in spirit when they call To keep the Lords daies festivall In Contemplations Mount who dwell can stretch Their hand to Heav'n that Starry Crown to reach And dress themselves in that bright Sun Whilest under-foot they tread the Moon In Contemplations Pisgah they that have At once a view of Canaan and their grave In this worlds Desart wearied Do willingly undress to Bed Sweet sacred Meditation may I bee Wrought recreated garded thus by thee Physick'd and fed by thy Dispensatory By thee be drest with Grace prepar'd for glory I. Then learn O man to part betwixt Dead earth and th' earth wherewith thou're mint Sure walls of â—lay may higher rise Then what in earths â—ead dungeon lies The Soul with Earth's already clad Earth upon earth would make more sad Shall wings make massie Mountains fly Shall hands stitch Earth unto the sky Then dung-bill droâ—es scale Heaven may And Muck-worms creep i' th' Milkie way To carry Earth to Heav'n some think But must Earth rise or Heaven sink Nor Earth nor Heaven must be their prize But a fools Mah'mets Paradise If yet thine Earth to Earth adhere Then let the Dead the Dead interre If thou can't lift the inferior part Yet as Gods Offring heave thine heart Thy Body 's but thy Beast and sure All else is but its furniture Leave then thy heavy jade below Up to the place that God shall show Earth's ever moving to Earths