enquire to pray and yet not finde the light of thy presence But O Lord Leave not this poor Soul of mine but make it to understand the unmeasurableness of thy Bounties and Mercy Oh for that day when this knowledge of mine now childish and darksome shall be turned into a full and clear Vision O happy darkness if thus to become lightsome The more hidden thou art now blessed Saviour the more glorious wilt thou be then Ah that my heavie thoughts had the wings of an Angel to soar aloft amongst those celestial Quires Me-thinks I see when thou shalt be pleas'd to remove the skreen of my mortal body which now detains me from thy presence and interrupts the view of thy glory how nothing will be able to hinder the eagerness of my Soul from flying to thee Me-thinks I see Eternity too short to enjoy thee Surely there 's no possibility of pleasure without thee no faculty of Soul to wish or think any thing but thee yea my Soul would more willingly wain into nothing then part with thee Thee my only incomprehensible and Eternal All my dear dearest Lord and God! Adieu then those charming warbles of a fleeting and deceitful world O merciful Father Behold my prodigal Soul which returns unto thee Receive me as a mercenary servant if thou wilt not receive me as a Son for I resolve no longer now to run after the salt waters of worldly pleasures and contentments The light of thy countenance is far better then life it self being able to turn the shaddows of death into life and the midnight of the sharpest adversities into the noon-tide of joy and chearfulness Oh how great is the clemency of God to hide from us the greatest part of things which will befal us in the world The knowledge whereof would continually overwhelm our wretched life with sadness and affrightment and give us no leave to breathe among the delicious Objects of the earth Had many great and eminent persons mounted on the highest degree of honour but seen how they were still falling into endless Abysses or beheld the change of their Fortune and the bloody ends of their life it is impossible but the joys of their Tryumphs would have been moistned with Tears and through a perpetual fear of inevitable necessity they would have lost all the moments of their felicity And did the poor and seemingly forsaken Soul thorowly at once apprehend the severe anger of an omnipotent God what alas would it do when it sees it self menaced by the hideous and affrightful terrors and mischiefs of Satan What shall the poor heart do when God is pleas'd to write bitter things against it when he shall scare it with dreams and terrifie it with Visions Surely not pains imprisonments poverty or death it self can be more troublesome to it Whereas the comforts of a quiet conscience becalmed with the gracious in-comes of Gods gracious presence and enlightned with his glorious Beams which expel the darkness and ignorance of our cursed Nature as are so many threads of gold which involve us here below in precious repose and a certain expectation of beatitude until at last we finde wings to take our flight to the City of Peace and Refuge promised unto us by that mouth which never erred and whose Laws are established upon foundations stronger then the pillars of heaven and earth and where we shall receive the excellent Promises and clearest revelations of Eternity The Soul admires the infinite Riches of her Saviours Love in taking Humane Nature upon him WIth what admiration is not the heart of man seized on when he entereth into the great Abysses which are discovered in our Redemption and when he seeth Jesus a Saviour to reveal unto us the secrets and wisdome of heaven by his blessed Incarnation For what saw he in our Nature but a brutish body and a Soul all covered over with crimes and wholly drenched in remediless miseries Or what could he set before him but a miserable ungracious wretch cast forth upon the face of the Earth wallowing in uncleanness abandoned to all sorts of scorns and injuries And yet behold how the Prince of Glory looking on us with the eyes of his mercy taketh us washeth cloatheth adorneth and tyeth us to himself by a hand of infinite Love He laid aside the beautiful Angels and came upon earth to seek this lost creature though a Foe to his Honour and injurious to his Glory See O my Soul How that God far beyond all other created Essences hath been so liberal as to bestow himself on thee He bowed the Heaven and came down rendering his sacred Person subject to all the misery of humanity to bruises to tearings to shatters to violences oppositions and tyrannies and all to accomplish a King of sorrow calamity and scorn He laid aside all the Prerogatives of his most perfect Soul exposing it to labours to tears and griefs to those stupendious Throws in the Garden which made him cry out in those expressive words My God! My God! To what a point hast thou let me to be brought and in the end to be commended even to death it self How alas didst thou abandon thy body to heat to cold to weakness to hunger to thirst to travel to weariness to fear to sadness of Soul and death it self What was it but Love and Love alone that brought down God from heaven to be incarnate in the womb of a Virgin and to suffer all the hardships not sinful to which humane Nature is subject So that thou art not able to conceive the multitude and greatness nor any way comprehend the worth of his mercies And what then canst thou say but only lie gasping with admiration of so vast so unknown a goodness and sigh out the rest in the Center of thy heart Good God What sublimate is made in the Limbeck of Love What attractive was there in Humane Nature to draw thee from the highest part of the heavens to its love Thou out of thy goodness wouldst not lose him who through his own weakness delighteth to lose himself O miracle That humane Nature should be thus tyed to the Divine That glory should be separated from the estate and condition of glory yeilding his Soul up as a prey to sadness O dear Saviour Thou stretchest out thy hand to him who turns his back to thee Man flyeth as a Fugitive and thou pursuest him even to the shaddow of Death What may we say more of so profuse a Bounty Oh how thou courtest sinful flesh Being not content to pardon his crimes but even through thy own death to procure him a Kingdom All the ancient Patriarchs who were persecuted in times past and all the glorious Martyrs who since our Saviour have endured such torments made but a tryal of his Dolours Impatient souls then as we are Can we expect a greater motive to suffering then to have our Saviour for an example Who then will complain Or who is the man who cannot bear a
and easie What though thou here seem to weep for a time thou shalt but onely resemble the Flower-de-luce which weeps a little and out of its own Tears produceth seeds to renew its Beauty The salt Sea of this world shall become a flourishing field as it did to the people of God when they came out of the chains of Egypt Wee are here in this World like little Infants without Air or Light besmeared with blood and swadled in Clouts which Nature onely gave thee for a time to fit thee the better for that life where thou shalt for ever breath in all freedom and liberty We are yet in Prison Fetters and Obscurity until the coming of the great day wherein God shall give us a Spiritual body All the pomp of this World all our life yea all that pleaseth here and taketh up our heart is but the shadow of that Glorious Beauty and contentment which passeth in Eternity Let me then O my God! continually exercise my self in the desires of joyes Eternal let me sanctifie all other Loves to the love of Jesus Christ let me forsake all humane things O my God! and betake my self wholly to the consideration of his excellency When I speak let it be of Heaven as of my resting place and of thee as of the Object of my Felicity Ah! what can be more divine then to see a Soul thus capable of the influences of Heaven whom the Sithe of Time cannot affright whom the Threats of the world nor the wheel of Inconstancy neither the power of Death can dismay O House of God! O Temple of Peace when will the time come which will devest us of all that is mortal which will sweeten the bitterness of our life replenish our hearts with spiritual refreshment and at last put us into the bosom of Immortality The Soul filled with Heavenly Love sends forth the pure flames of her Affection GOd who loves the importunities of his servants often hides his face the longer to the end his Grace may with the more brightness afterwards appear We find in Nature that the Sun is never more resplendent then after an Eclipse the Sea never more calm then after a Tempest nor the Air brighter then after a shower Neither is it ever too late to knock and cry at the Gate of Heaven The fainting Beggar which neglects the re-inforcing of his complaint often goes away without his reward The weary and lingering Christian seldom attains the end of his journey where he shall live for ever in the Palace of Peace and contentment where our happiness shall be perpetual and our fulness never occasion loathing to him that possesseth it Neither doth God do us any injury if after long waiting here instead of a Crown which is the Weather-cock of winds of a Scepter which is the Reed of the times or of a Life which is the Harbenger of Death he affords us delights and glories which outstrip the flight of Thoughts which drie up all our Tears and surmount all our Imaginations It was once told a great Prince being in his Infancy bred up in the House of a Peasant whose Son he took himself to be that he should no longer follow so mean an employment of life that his Hat should be turned into a Diadem his Spade into a Scepter his Raggs into Robes of Gold his Cottage into a Pallace and his servitude into an Empire Oh can we think how he was ravished with the love of a Father by whom he was born to so much Treasure and Greatness And shall we not have the like approbation when our Saviour tells us we are not created to live among Mire and Dirt to be tyed to a wretched frail and miserable Body to walk among Bryars and Thornes and embroyl our selves in the toyls and cares of a mortal life Bring me then O dear Jesus in thine own time into those celestial Palaces of incomprehensible lights and unspeakable Beauties Enlighten me O thou Son of Righteousness to discover those glorious excellencies all white with Innocency and resplendent with the Rayes of Glory from the Syrens of the world which so much abuse us with deceits vanitie and infamies I acknowledge thus far the infinite mercy of thy divine Providence that while I was in darkness and under the black Cloud of thy heavy displeasure thou sanctifiest my Fetters and hast now raised up my Ashes above the Crowns of the World Thou mightest indeed have made me ambitious delicate haughty covetous and adorned with worldly Treasures to have walked on Roses to have putrifed in delights yea made my happiness seemingly to have out-run my desires Such there are I confess who have defiled their names with reproach wearied the Earth with their vices astonished Posterity with their deportments and peopled Hell with their crimes But O mercy that thou makest me to see light in the most dusky Nights and a Haven of comfort in the most forlorn shipwracks O most Mighty O most Soveraign Lord of all things visible and invisible were I with thee in the shades of death what should I fear being between the arms of Life O great eye who seest all and art not seen of any here below Thou art truly worthy if we with mortal lips may call thee worthy yea worthy to whom all the world should give continual thanks for thy inexplicable Benefits Worthy before whom we on our bended knees should all our life-time remain prostrate Worthy that for thee we should have Prayers and prayers everlastingly on our lips O Monsters of impudency if yet we see not thy goodness and persist insensibly of thy mercy With these considerations if the Soul now wholly ravished she walks on Earth as a man suspended in Heaven drenched in God and fill'd with the joyes of his Spirit Her eyes are listed up towards Heaven though streaming down tears for sinne upon Earth Her hands are still lifted up thither by prayer Her heart formerly contracted with sadness for crimes committed against so good a God now melts with joy unspeakable Neither earing nor drinking nor sleeping is able to dissolve the sweet conversation she hath with God Now is it that the Soul begins to lead a life wholly Celestial as one who seems to have nothing to do with the Bodies and conversations of the living Now is it that after so many Tempests so many Thunder-claps and Whiriwinds of grief and sadness she arrives at a Port not of temporal felicity but of the unspeakable joyes of Heaven Ah ignorant that we are of the works of God! perpetually fixed to the Earth and deprived of those sparkles of heavenly fire and light Let us but a little draw aside the Curtain and we shall see through so many Clouds the glorious Rayes of lasting happiness There may you behold the Effigies of a gracious Soul with a Crown on its Head and Scepter in its Hand with prosperity continually smiling with loves free from disturbance with desires void of denials with affairs without
our selves any where into the hands of Innocency rather then among the imaginary felicities of sin and wickedness Say to thy self O my Soul it will not be long until thy Eyes be shut and thy body become troublesome to all that come near it unless speedily yeilded up to the Earth And no sooner will death absent thee from the eyes of thy Friends but forgetfulness will draw thee off from their heart Thou art enforced O my Soul to inhabite in a sickly body encountring with all sorts of pains and maladies O my God! What a favour then is it to be banished from so many Gouts Sciaticks Collicks so many pains of Head Teeth and Heart so much hunger thirst and other infirmities which afflict a frail and momentary body And oh that we would but remember this when Temptation comes upon us When we are tempted to give up our minde to the world and drown our selves in earthly cares when we are tempted to profits pleasures and evil company with the neglect of the Duties of Gods Worship That we would but seriously be-think whether the world will then be as sweet as now Whether our unruly Passions and Lusts will then bear the same sway with us and whether all the Glories Beauty Honours and Preferments of the world will not then seem needless vain and unprofitable Alas Will any of those things be comfortable to thee at that day of Reckoning Is this a day to be forgotten Is not that man worse then mad that is going to judgement and never thinks of it Should we not rather forget to eat to drink to sleep or work then a matter of so great concernment What To forget that we must remember for ever O poor Souls How much rather should we in the midst of all our Temptations and allurements to sin imitate him who wheresoever he went seem'd to hear a Voice calling to the World Arise ye Dead and come to judgement The Misery of those who have yeilded to the Passion of Love and the Glory of Souls which have overcome it TO mention the sad effects of sensual Love which hath so many ways of working will be a Task very hard and difficult seeing this Fury hath a thousand hands and a thousand attractives yea for the most part different and quite opposite It takes by the eyes by the ears by the Imagination by change of purpose by flying pursuing honouring and insulting by complacency and by disdain Somtimes it lays hold by Tears by laughing by modesty by boldness by confidence by subtilty by simplicity by speech and by silence It assaileth us somtimes in company somtimes in solitude at windows in grates in Theaters at Feasts at Sports yea oftentimes at the Church and in Duties of Devotion Briefly if we behold one transfixed with violent Love we shall finde he hath all that in his love which Divines have placed in Hell viz. Darkness flames an evil Conscience an ill savour and banishment from the presence of God Sin will not at first discover its dreadful events and Tragedies It will perchance shew you a chamber wherein Beauty is presented which hideth gross infirmities It presents you with smiles glances Courtships and flatteries which yet carry nothing with them but ruine yea it shews you Sports and Banquets Tears and Funerals in one day Alas How many millions of men are there in the world who would be most fortunate and flourishing if they knew how to avoid the mischievous power of this Passion Hence is it that so many Virgins are stoln away so many Families desolated and Parents precipitated often times into their Tombs by their ungrateful children That so many little Innocents are made away by death whose birth also is often prevented Hence is it that so many Widdows are dishonoured that chaste Wedlocks are disturbed and so many Rapes committed Is it not hence that so many are abandoned to dishonour their Estates to pillage and poverty their Reputation to infamy and their whole lives to continual disturbances Is it not hence that poysons are mingled that Halters are noozed that Swords are sharpned and those Tragedies begun in the Night are executed upon the Scaffold in full day-light Good God! What heavie scourges do always fall on sin and what a pleasing spectacle among so many confusions is it to see any Victory gained over evil Love It were easie to enlarge the History of Loves power which would require a Volumn greater then hath yet been seen if I should tell you how Love oftentimes rejecteth the greatest commands wisest Edicts and best Laws How it despiseth Honour neglects Fame Wealth Health Life Soul and all It is compared also by some to Fire the most active and strongest worker of all the Elements which destroyeth Castles Houses and Cities which melts and consumes the hardest Metals and if our contemplation dive into former Times or if we turn over the variety as well of Modern as Ancient Histories not only Divine but Humane we shall finde the sad effects of our evil Love how Ambition Revenge and Murther vices which not only eclipse our judgments but darken our understandings have ever proved fatal to the Undertakers thereof and that we shall not only see with grief but finde with repentance how this Passion of fond Love hath brought shame instead of glory misery for felicity and affliction for content where affection hath not had reason for its guide nor vertue for its object I shall spare to insist on those infamous Ladies whose memory purchased by odious Lust will survive the course of time as Cleopatra Faustina Clitemnestra with the last whereof Aegistus lost his honour through too great a familiarity and we finde not a few to suffer a great eclipse of their credit through their too much effeminacy whence it was that Demosthenes being demanded a great price for a little pleasure by the Courtezan Lais answered I will not buy repentance at so dear a rate well considering that the fairest flowers do as well serve for a shelter to hide Aspes and Serpents as to beautifie Garlands and Chaplets neither would desire the fruit of that Tree nor the kernel of that Apple which was at first of that fatal and dreadful consequence to the Taster The things we finde commended in Mary Magdalen by our blessed Saviour was her humility and the Office she performed to his feet and no way admiring her comly countenance and the pleasant flower of her youth which she had too often made as a snare to betrey her Lovers and all to let us see how loathsome disrelishing and unsavoury are the husks of vain and empty Beauty and how irksome the taste of sinful pleasures are which like deep laughing still carries a deep sigh in the end in respect of those inward vertues of the soul to be preferred beyond the fair and ruddy fruit of Earthly Beauty But then again on the contrary how large do we finde History in setting forth the admirable command which some have had
a most certain sorrow and uncertain contentment Yea we should then say of all the most ravishing Objects thereof How senseless was I when I Courted you O deceitful World Thou didst appear great to me when I saw thee not as thou art but so soon as I did see thee aright thou wert no mo more to me but just nothing Whither then dost thou straggle O my Soul Whither dost thou fly O seek out him who hath marked his steps with his great Conquests Who hath made visible his way by his own light paved it with his wounds and watered it with his most precious blood Say unto him at least O my Jesus Stay with me for it is late in my heart and the night is far advanced by the want of true light Alas O my Lord wherefore art thou pleased to hide thy self from a Soul that languisheth for thee Ah! Take away the vail from my eyes and suffer thy self to be seen in the habit of thy excellent Beauties Oh my God! If I cannot enter as sorrowful as I would into my grave I will yet go repentant into some obscure and savage Cave where the Sun shall no more shine on a head so sinful as mine or trace some desart mountains where with freedom I may pour forth my sighs and complaints There will I make that mouth which hath been often the gate of unchaste and idle speeches to become a Temple of thy Praises There shall those arms and hands which have been the chains of wanton embracements have room enough to be lifted up in prayer to heaven mine eyes O mine eyes which first received that fire which hath so passionately devoured my Soul shall there turn Fountains and want no water to wash that heart which hath so long been a burning Furnace of worldly lusts and affections and those feet which have strayed in the ways of sin and wickedness shall there traverse and weary themselves in the desolate paths of Furies and wilde Beasts Briefly O my God! Since I have so betrayed my heart abused my youth spent prodigally thy treasures and made Crowns of silver to the Idol of my own inventions since I have forsaken thee who art the unchangeable eternal and incomparable goodness and without whom all other goods are nothing to follow the wanton fires of my own lusts where alas shall I finde Tears sufficient to wash away my Offences Where shall I finde parts enow of my body to be offer'd up as the Sacrifice of my Repentance Wash me wash me again O my Jesus Make clean I beseech thee merciful Saviour my most sinful Soul What though it were as black as hell yet being once in thy hands how soon will it become more white then that Dove of silver wings whereof the Prophet speaks Oh my God! Have some pity on that heart which is so many times torn in pieces and strays among so great a multitude of Objects which estrange and draw me from thee Draw me O Lord from the great throng of so many inferiour things that so I may retyre into my own heart and finde peace in thee Make me to see the first beams of that Liberty which thou grantest to thy children Ah! When shall my thoughts return from wandring in those barren Regions where thou art not acknowledged When shall they cease to run in full career after all that pleaseth their sense and account thy Cross only and the Throne on Mount Calvary to be the true Path-way to heaven Here I am I confess in the Wilderness of sin in the Desart of this world O when shall I be re-united and so purifyed by thy favours that I may celebrate continual days of Feasting in my Soul I was one of those and I cannot deny it that through my sins helped to apprehend thee in that obscure and dolorous night wherein thou wert betrayed and when thou enteredst into the Garden of Mount Olivet to expiate the sin committed in a Garden by our first Parents Were not my sins then the Traytors that laid hold on thee Were they not my sins which drew those bitter sorrows from those most dainty Sweets Which made thee suffer pains in a place of delight and turn'd that place which was made for Recreation into a dismal Den of Desolation Oh sad change Ah my Jesus What hath my sins brought upon thee Those Olives which were tokens of Peace did there denounce War against thee the Plants there did groan the Flowers were flowers of death and those clear Fountains were turn'd to fountains of sweat and blood What then remains but that I be now ashamed of all the fading curiosities of the world Ah! Shall I not study this Garden And forsaking all other pleasures make my heart fit ground for Jesus to reside and delight in O beautiful Garden since made so by the sighs of my dear Saviour Here let me only breathe in thy walks let me lose my self that I may never be lost with my God Let me gather thy flowers since thou hast deckt them with thy blood Let me wash my self in those Fountains which thou hast sanctified with thy sweat O my dear Saviour Let me have no other Will but thine Wilt thou be abridged of thy own Will to give me an example of mortifying my Passions and shall I retain any wicked or inordinate appetite Hast thou like the Dove of Noah's Ark escaped the Deluge of so many Passions and torrents of dolours falling headlong so fast on one another to bring me green Olive-branch of peace and shall my soul be so audacious as to wage war against thee by my sins O what earth could then open wide enough to swallow me What thus to live with a hand stretched out against heaven which pours out for nothing but Flowers and Roses Out alas No no Raign O my dear Saviour within all the conquered powers of my Soul Let thy Wounds be the adored Altars of my Vows Let me hereupon promise an inviolable fidelity to thy service Let me live no more but for thee since thou makest my life to flourish with thy tryumphant Resurrection Ah my Soul Dost thou want any thing to provoke thy Love Is there not a Sea of Love here before thee Cast thy self in then and swim in the Ocean thereof Sit no longer under the weeping banks of worldly sorrow Thou hast long sate mourning with Hagar Gen. 21.15 1 Kin. 19.6 2 King 6.16 in this Valley of Tears Thou hast long been in the posture of Elias sitting down under the Tree forlorn and solitary yea desiring rather to die then to live Nay how many times hast thou cryed out with Elisha Alas What shall I do and with passionate Jonah I am weary of my life When shall I be out of this frail this corruptible Body this ruinous ensnaring and deceiving flesh O when shall I be out of this vexatious world whose vain pleasures are but deluding Dreams What remains then O my Soul But that thou strive to get out
state wherein thou wouldst die to fear Hell always that thou maist not fear it ar all to frame a tender and timerous conscience to thy self and to call thy self often to account in this manner Ah poor Soul if thou wert now at this instant to dislodge out of this world art thou in an estate to be presented before the Throne of the supream Judge hast thou not some sinnes unrepented of some restitution to make do there not some vain thoughts and worldly lusts lodge and remain within thy heart Say further to thy self alas what is a little time when it is gone how quickly shall I be in another world how speedily will our years pass how will our minutes of pleasure be then repaid with everlasting sufferings what have I then to do but to provide for heaven And let me think that time lost wherein Nothing is done to that end And seeing all the pleasure of sinne here in this world is but to converse with Swine and feed on Husks O that we had but a right apprehension of the fulness and pollution thereof and how momentary and uncertain that delight is vvhich vve reap by it The Soul being ready to sink under the weight and apprehension of her Sins bemoanes the weakness of her Faith and desires help from her Saviour THough Prosperity and the Beauty of the world doth not easily corrupt Souls which have once taken upon them to live in the fear of God yet notwithstanding they oftentimes vvould and in some sort change them every sin being a tripping off of the Souls heels The poor labouring and industrious Bee sometimes goes so long upon her hony as that by much walking she there entangles her feet So a Soul yea one of those who are most devout being continually soothed by a long sequel of pleasing successes and the delights of the world taketh some small flight out of it self and seeketh content in the smiling and delicate aire of the worlds delights though at last they prove nothing but the Objects of grief and sorrow But no sooner doth adversity strike and God hold up his finger but the Soul re-entereth into it self it raiseth it self above the wayes of the Moon and compass of the Sun to the goodly Temple of Eternity where Spirits live dispoiled from these Masses of flesh and Bones which we draw along with us in the midst of the various revolutions of this mortal life This is the way which the Soul taketh so soon as through sinne she is alienated from the Court of Heaven She entereth into a sad retirement and in this manner bespeaks her self O Lord this World is irksome to me I cry unto thee Lord unto thee do I fly O thou whose clemency reacheth from Heaven to Earth set my sinnes from me as wide as the East is from the West It is thou onely O Jesus that canst cure the ardours of my Sufferings It is thou onely that canst dry up my Tears break my Fetters and dissipate all my Troubles If I am in darkness thou art light if in doubt thou art my councel if in danger of shipwrack thou art my Haven if in a Labyrinth of Dangers thou art the Thread to guide me out yea if at the Gates of death thou art my Life O suffer me not dear Saviour now to sink under the grievous weight of my many infirmities Then she looks about her as if it seemed Nature had displayed the Mountains Valleys the Woods Forrests and Rivers and the great Theatre of the works of God altogether to assist and further her in the height of her sadness She that formerly seemed like those that shined in the Majesty of sumptuous attire was now covered with course Cloth She who seemed like those that altogether sparkled with precious Stones appeared now in a Livery of Sackcloth and since he had formerly entertained a mortal beauty was now wholly taken up and wasted with sadness and mortification of the Flesh Methinks I hear how the Soul reasoning with her self and being ever perplexed and involved finding pain in repose thirst in abundance and seeming separated from the fountain of true comfort sadly cries out My God! I know that no good can be had without thee the true and soveraign Good In every place that I am without thee I am in pain All the Riches which are not in thee seem to be meer poverty All the greatness pleasures and profits of the World are nothing to me unless I can call thee Saviour From thee onely comes that joy which all the Saints have studied with pain with delight and tasted with Glory It is that which S. Peter calls 1. Pet. 1.8 A joy vnspeakable and full of Glory It is that which S. James said contained the consummation of all comforts Iam. 1.2 which S. Paul found in the Caverns of the Earth which some have found upon Wheels others in Flames some in Gibbets others on Gredirons and lastly it is that which descenderh from Heaven and with Eternal streams of comfort watereth the dry and parched hearts of distressed Souls Thus was the divine Soul like the Moon in an Eclipse which appeareth wholly dark on the side towards the Earth but faileth not to be most bright in that part which looketh towards Heaven And though some who behold her with carnal eyes in such a state may think her totally darkned yet God in this retirement and sweetness of repose darts his glorious Rayes upon her through the Cloud of the Body and causeth her to see the eyes of Angels as a Soul wholly invested with the Sun of Righteousness In the mean time she relisheth this retreat as Manna from Heaven and tasteth this deep silence with incredible delight after so many confused clamours of a troubled Conscience It seemeth unto her that she then speaks to God face to face and that she saw all the pride of the Earth much lower then her feet Her Soul was whitened in her Tears and purified in her desires pouring out all unto God as it were through the Limbeck of her ardent Devotion and drawing the Curtain over all worldly affairs to be onely entertained with God And from this time forward she lives beyond the sense of worldly affections Time seems to have no Sythe for her Death is unprovided with Darts Calumny loseth its Teeth at her and Glory spreads throughout the Ensigns of Immortality She seems onely to live on Extasies turning that little breath which remained on her lips to the praises of God She now also sees it a matter very reasonable that God should make use of all manner of Arms to prosecute a Fugitive from his Providence who hath made a divore from its Creator and seeks to save himself in a Region of nothing She can bethink of no better way to purifie those eyes then with tears which are now wholly bent towards Heaven neither any better course then mortifyings and fastings to whither the beautiful Roses of her face and at last to
which are always flourishing cool shadow my wandering eyes from the burning glances of lustful concupisence Let those eyes which no sooner began to exercise the functions of life but were seen all in blossom and an amourous aspect for us allay the spreading Rayes of those open Casements Let those eyes which from the top of a mountain looked on a poor famished people who wander'd through the deserts as sheep deprived of their shepherd guid my straying heart to thy own self Briefly let those chrystal fountains which daily distil the sweet influences of mercies which in dropping tears so freely poured out themselves over miserable Hierusalem which prov'd so efficacious for us when thou gav'st up thy Soul with weeping and bleeding in the Sacrifice of the Cross quench the flames of all unholy desires and abate the fervour of all sinful thoughts and affections within us The Soul in a Phrensey breaks out into admiration of Gods love in being freed from the misery of everlasting flames THe discourse of Heavenly things is the sweetest Manna which the Soul tasteth in the wilderness of this world She is ever crying out O Glory O Bliss O Happiness how have ye struck me to the heart O when will the happy day come that I shall sit at this Fountain-head and not need with pain to draw the water of pleasure When shall I arrive at this sweet Ravishment and Extasie Alas my dulness my weakness my drowsiness yea ever and anon is she crying out Oh the compassion of that Physitian which finding his Patients in a Phrensie and knowing that nothing could preserve their life but the loss of his own is contented to die not onely for those who were the causers of his death but the Actors and instruments themselves Solomon saith That Love is as strong as death Cant. 8.6 But if we examine the strength of each we shal find Love to be the stronger It s true all earthly things submit to the power of death young and old Kings and Peasants Scepters and Spades are all alike to him Not the Supremacy of the King also not the holiness of the Prophet as we see in David not the gravity of the High Priest verified in Eli to his Sons Not the wisdom of Solomon or the strength of Sampson are any way exempted from owing Homage or paying tribute to Love as unto Death If we compare also the acts of Love with those of Death we shall find Love not onely as powerful and universal but much stronger Death being only seen in taking the Rich the Strong the Wise the Young the Great But O behold how Love hath prevailed over the Son of God the Saviour and life of the world See how he submitted himself to his death out of Love Was it not Love and onely Love that wrestled with God and overcame him in this that he should leave the Heavens and lay down his life submitting himself to that death which had no power over him O my God what do I here see what is this my eyes behold Truly my Lord my God! death hath transported thee even to Extasie Alas what shall I say to thee my heart overwhelming love when I consider how many Millions are swallowed up in Eternal perdition while I am one of that small number thou hast brought to the light of knowing thee and finding the narrow way to salvation Why didst thou set thine eyes upon me preferring a wretch before so many thousands was it because I was Nobler or more excellent then they Ah no! O my Soul what dost thou expect if this be not enough to set thee on fire Look about thee and behold yet a further endearment see thy own Country thy Neighbours Acquaintance thy Kindred and Friends yea how many maist thou find of all degrees more worthy of acceptation then thy self Oh how the Soul is fill'd with a Seraphick Love with a fire drawn from the most pure flames of Heaven which is uncessantly burning being shut up within a melting heart without consuming and which like a Diamond in the midst of a thousand Hammers is never moved with all their violence is never tempted with the glittering of Honours but is alwayes tempering of Gall with the most delicious contentments of this life to follow her Jesus her wounded Jesus her Jesus that was crucified for her Still is she crying out to her self whence come those Lights those Joyes those Pleasures Consolations and Hopes which are thus above our strength and wherewith we often find our thoughts to be transported and raised above our selves Is it not from thee O Jesus who enters into our Soul and becomes our Comforter we need not seek thee in Heaven seeing thou art thus in our heart and there utterest thy Oracles O do thou still raise us above all the concupisences of flesh let us ever love and dilate our selves in thee which thus fillest us with the height of thy Glories Let the sweet familiarity we have with thee our Redeemer steal from us all extraordinary care of the worlds employments Though we are within the world let us be nothing less then of the world Let us like Fishes live silent in the roaring of the waves and keep our selves freshamidst the brinywaters of the Sea of this world yea like the beams of the Sun let us touch the Earth but never leave Heaven And since mercy provoked changeth it self into severe Justice and what Creatures then are there which will not punish a fugitive Soul which flyes from her Saviour through her ingratitude when he draws her to him by the sweetness of his love O let me above all things fear to be forsaken of thee my God! O let not mine eyes be the snares of my Soul Blessed Lord thou hast given thy self for a portion thy Son for a Ransom Rom. 8.32 Ier. 10.16 Psal 16.5 thy Spirit for a Pledge thy Word for a Guide and thy glorious Kingdom for an Inheritance and alas how unable am I to value the least of thy blessings much less to repay thee any thing for them since I am infinitely below all thy mercies and had I any thing worthy thy acceptance it were all thine and I could offer nothing to thee but thine own What then shall I do but throw my heart to the feet of thy bounty all naked all melted without self-will or povver of resistance Lord do thy pleasure upon me 1 Sam. 3.8 Howbeit I will not despair of my Disease vvhilst I remember the Physitian Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Yea I hope I am even now under thy healing hand And though during my continuance in this Body many infirmities oppress me yet vvill I never leave craving what thou hast taught me alvvayes to ask Give me therefore a Gracious disposition a more watchful obedience to thy law a more mortified conversation for the future and more sorrow and contrition of heart for what is past O let my eyes be open to see the shortness of
into Adamant are the Eternal Springs of Lebanon dryed up are the Heavens become Iron that no drops of dew can distill down to refresh thy languishing Soul Where are now thy old friends which were so much delighted with thy Glory upon mount Tabor who lately sung so cheerfully at thy entering into Hierusalem yea even solemnly protested their readiness to die with thee Alas they are all asleep so fast so dead asleep that neither shame nor compassion on their Masters disconsolate condition can make them to say so much as one short prayer for themselves Oh weak condition of humane friendship unhappy and miserably deluded are all they who build on so false a Bottom How far better is it to trust in God then Man O ill requited Master is this the fruit of all thy Teachings Is this thy reward for all thy Benefits Is this the Profit of all thy Wonders thou hast made amongst them What though Judas were tempted with the glittering of Silver which dazels the eyes of all the World yet what Plea have thy beloved Disciples to excuse their dulness their coldness and want of Love Though Earth fail Heaven should be kind And now O my Soul thou who hast been witness to this great Spectacle What shall not this strange and incomparable love of thy Saviour make thee wholly to go out of thy self Look if thou are able to look at so glorious a Light or judge of so infinite charity and tell me what thou canst do Canst thou love any thing after this but thy Lord Jesus Canst thou affect any thing but thy dear Saviour Can thy greatest troubles or hardships distaste thee Thou complainest indeed of thy Sufferings but weigh them in this Ballance and alas how little cause hast thou to complain Ah! what poor flea-bitings are those which thou art afflicted with in respect of the Torments thy Saviour underwent for thee whom thou thus seest to have traced out the way with his own gored footsteps having his Head Crown'd with Thorns his shoulders charg'd with the infamous Burden of the Cross his ears pierced with Reproachful speeches and his eyes floating with Tears in which condition he ascended mount Calvary and invites thee to follow him Were they not thy sins O my Soul which were the Nails that fastned his Hands and his Feet were they not the Spears which pierced his sacred side Look upon thy Hypocrisie which was the kiss that betrayed him Behold thy Back-slidings which made his Soul weary to death which caused the withdrawment of his Fathers love and made him cry out that he was forsaken Hath Christ endured so much for thee and wilt thou not suffer a little for him Ah happy is that Affliction which is raised from thy Saviours love How rich shall we be when we have him for our Portion yea how high when we shall see a true contempt of the world under our feet Maist thou forbid O blessed Jesus that I should go about any worldly Throne which carries not thy Scepter or that I should talk of Honours when there is mention made of thy Holy Cross Let all greatness where thou art not be baseness unto me and let me mount up unto thee by those stairs of Humility whereby thou camest down to me O let me kiss the paths of that Mount which thou hast sprinkled with thy precious Bloud and esteem that Cross above all earthly things which thou hast consecrated by thy cruel pains Alas is it not a shameful thing that God should seek us among the heats of his Love and Sufferings and yet we cannot be found by him Shall we not forsake all the Disorders of a sensual life which hinder the effect of his Grace shall we not with the Samaritan woman forsake and leave behind us our Pitcher that we may return full of Jesus Christ shall we not bid farewel to all those occasions which lead us to sin O dear Saviour the most pure of all Beauties since it is for thee that so many Champions have peopled Deserts and passed the stream of bitterness and sorrow bearing their Crosses after thee and amongst the most cruel of dolours have felt the sweetness of thy presence shall I shed no Tears for those sins that pierced thee shall Jesus carry so many Thorns upon his Head and shall I have none in my heart Alas my Soul canst thou behold a Crown of Thorns grafted upon a man of sorrow what Spectacle alas is this no more a man but a skin dispoiled and bloody taken from the teeth of Tigers and Leopards Every stroak made a wound every wound a fountain of blood O hideous Prodigies which took away from us the light of the Sun and covered the Moon with a sorrowful darkness Heaven wears mourning upon his Cross all the Citizens of Heaven weep over his Torments The Earth quakes the Stones rend the Sepulchres open the Dead arise and all to teach us by insensible Creatures the pitty we should take of his Sufferings And in conclusion of all what should we hence learn but imitating our blessed Saviour who having sadness in his Soul even to death yea taking up a resolution and deprecation in the approaches thereof cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me willingly to submit to all those Sufferings he shall think fit to lay upon us Neither to be any way fearful or solicitous in what manner God will please to take us to him or in the least manner to be troubled touching the place hour or manner of our Dissolution since he that made us best knows how to dispose of us as he please who can give us a Cordial in our greatest fainting Fits and therefore his will ought to be the rule of our Life and Death our Sufferings and our Sorrows since from him who is all goodness of himself we cannot expect any thing but the best Are we mortal and shall we grieve to die Shall we not gladly drink of that Cup whereof our Saviour hath begun Death is unwelcom onely to those who have not mortified their desires and affections here while they lived why then should we have regret to leave so miserable a lise Why should we be unwilling to bid adieu and quit this place where we have endured so many Deaths and which hath so long been the place of our sorrows O my God! what a vain fear then is that which startles me what a sad Pensiveness which over-spreads me Oh when and where shall I take my flight unto thee Do not tell me O dear Saviour there is a great Chaos between thee and me since thou hast already passed it and wilt thou not then lift me up by thy mercy I am here as within the Deserts of Africa in a burning world the drought whereof makes it a habitation for Devils O my God! I am tormented in this flame until some Lazarus be found to dip the end of his finger in thy blood to allay the burning of my thirst and restore me into the bosome of a merciful God O bessed day when we shall be free from sorrow and suffering but not from comfort where we shal rest from our Labours and perfectly injoy the most perfect God who as he is love it self will perfectly love us yea love us for ever O comfortable words how sweet must they needs be to our ears how refreshing to our wearied Senses and languid Spirits Ah What smiles shall we then perceive in that face of Sorrows and with whom we have here suffered when he shall pronounce that joyful sentence Come ye blessed of my Father shal we then repent our Sufferings and Sorrows are not the Tears of Repentance sweet unto us This is that joy which was procured by sorrow This is that Crown which was procured by the Cross Jesus did weep that our Tears might be washed away Our Saviour bled that we might not be wounded O blessed Love Oh in what a frame will our Soul then be who can express who can conceive the infinite love and unexpressible joy of so happy a Union so sweet a Reconcilement who can question the love which he doth so sweetly taste or doubt of that vvhich vvith such joy he feeleth vvhen vve shall be incircled in Eternity and for ever praise him FINIS
CELESTIAL AMITIES OR A SOUL Sighing for the Love of her SAVIOUR BY Edward Reynell Esq CANT 7.10 I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me CANT 8.6 Set me as a Seal upon thy heart as a Seal upon thy Arm for Love is strong as Death LONDON Printed by J. M. for Abel Roper and are to be Sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Sun over against S. Dunstans Church in Fleet-street 1660. To the LADIES of our Times IT was the passage of an able Pen That to describe a Holy State without a virtuous Lady Full. Ho. State pag. 300. were to paint out a year without a Spring And how might I seem guilty of the like neglect should I treâ—t of Love and not reflect on you Ladies who account your selves and indeed should be the chiefe Ornaments thereof Some there are I confess who have an Itch to set down your Crimes rather then your Virtues They say you are the Syrens of the Earth which cause shipwrack without water and if you but step awry they look on you presently as a Star in Eclipse they cry out Omne malum fere ex Gynesio Women are usually the originall of all mischief But the fairest Beauty is not without some Cloud And I shall no way desire to strike at your Vices by slandering your Sex it savouring rather of Passion then Charity to blame the General for the defects of Particulars Though too many there are indeed who follow the steps of the first VVoman and abandon themselves to Luxury vanity and dissolute Pleasures But what though Dinah will be gadding abroad and say it is to visit the Daughters though it be to entangle and to be taken by the men of the Land Do we not find three Maries at the foot of the Cross humble and mortified What though Pride the eldest Daughter of this fair Mother Beauty seldome begets the best House-wives yet how many Women are there truly Divine who shine in their Houses like rising Stars or the Sun in his Orb. And he that would equal their worth shall rather find insufficiency in his purpose then want of merit in the Object Solomon also gives us a large description of a virtuous Woman Eccles 6. perpetually exercised on good works travelling incessantly like Bees from their Birth and losing no time but to give it unto God Devotion being the first Portion which he hath granted them whereas were they never so well composed had they all the Beauties which a heart could desire or the imagination feign it would be but like some cruel Creature whom nature had lodged in a painted house or like a Case covered with precious Stones to preserve a Dunghil And for your incouragement in the wayes of Holiness how many eminent Patterns could I lay before you whom Histories have hardly scope enough to commend and who appear to the world like a blushing Morning which riseth the more fair after a shower Oh what a wealthy Exchequer of true Beauties what a spacious Store-house of heavenly minded Lovers do we find in the sacred Scriptures what a rich Mine of costly Jewels may we there behold Shall I shew you the Humility of the Maries the Faith of Sara the upright and blameless walking in the commandments of God of Elizabeth Shall I present you with a Dorcas fruitful in good works a Priscilla heavenly in discourse a Lidea whose heart was opened a Bersheba Lois Eunice careful to teach their Children in the fear of the Lord. What shall I tell you of the great Woman of Shunem 2 King 4.9.10 vers 23. Act. 16.13 Phil. 4.3 who made preparation for the Prophet and attended his Ministry of such as hearkned to Pauls Sermon and were helpers to him also of a Hanna an Abigail a Judah a Hester and many others which are there registred for our imitation and lie hid like Treasures of great value in the veins of the Earth And as if Innocency were never better lodged then at the sign of Labour Idleness being the source of embroiling the Spirits do we not find the wisest of men further describing a virtuous woman by the Oeconomy she holds forth in the Government of her Family And if we look upon other Histories we shall find Augustus Caesar the Founder of Empires not reputing the working with the Needle such kind of employments unworthy of his Daughters And the Romans much more preferring as a Relick the Distaff of Queen Tanaquilla then the Lance or Sword of Romulus You Ladies then that consume your precious Time in Painting Powdering Perfuming and adorning your selves with such other Actings as if Death and Love had conspired to make their feast in one and the same place you who complain if the least beam pierce through a little hole of your Fan or if a Fly chance to light upon it You who if a Hair be but amiss presently call a Council for the reforming thereof Oh consider that such vanities conclude not your happiness But the perfections of your Sex end in wisdom and the fear of God which is the first and last Ornament Remember also how suddenly the Scene in the Masque will be altered what then will become of your Shops of vanity those superfluous Ornaments and that long Inventory of Ladies Gallantry which made the Gates of the City to lament and mourn Isai 3.11 Isai 3.18.21 and which since that day have been increased amongst you by modern Fashion-mongers Time and Age will one day wither the Blossoms of your youth as the Sun davers the freshest Roses and Lillies Spend some time then more then for the Body Pride and Earth Let not your thoughts strike sail to Affection nor your hearts do homage to that which will ensnare and imprison you in the Fetters of sinne Do you know how speedily the Storms of an evil Conscience may trouble the serenity of your delights and the seeming tranquillity of your Affections the best of our Joyes here being but fires of straw or flattering Sun-shines which are either suddenly washed away with a shower or Eclipsed by a Tempest Labour then to supply your natural defects with the virtues of your mind Read constant Lectures of your own mortality Those Flowers are best and sweetest which grow in the Garden and not in the Wilderness Adam was never more beautiful then when he was in his Innocency and free from gaudiness and we find Solomons Spouse all glorious within and needs no outward Ornaments to make her amiable Oh think not then on Religion as upon some fearful Apparition whose visage is so fair and lovely You say nothing delights you more then to love and to be beloved and is not a true Christian the best Lover and beloved of the best You say nothing is more ravishing then Beauty and can you he better delighted then in the highest Beauty of your Saviour Briefly that you may the better behold that precious Oyntment which drops down from the head of Jesus into the Souls
glances If my Hairs have been Nets to captivate any soul under the yoke of wanton Love O let them be trampled under feet as the Ensigns and Standards of wicked Cupid Let those Embraces which carried nothing but the poyson of a luxurious passion now clasp him under whose shelter I shall eternally rest secure Briefly let me breathe nothing but the delicacies of Chastity and let those pleasing Odours which were once vowed to sensuality at last become the sweetest exhalation of odoriferous persume at the Altar of my Saviour that so I may practise a sanctified revenge on my self and my Repentance never end but with my life That our love to God ought to precede and exceed all other Loves SO many and great are the delights and enticements of the Flesh the Divel and the World to withdraw man's love from God as that he hath not only imprinted in his heart that he was solely to love his Creator but such was his infinite goodness to the end man might never forget it as to leave him his spiritual Law written in Tables of Stone Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy might Deut. 6. Neither do we finde any Law or Precept so strongly and largely enjoyn'd as this binding the heart tongue hand eyes and the faculties of our soul to love God How then can we answer our own Soul without blushing here or without confusion or condemnation at the last day Or can we render any thing less then love Can any price be set too high for so infinite a ransome whereby both soul and body forfeited by our sins to Satan and eternal Hell fire are freed through the shameful tortures the disgraceful usage and cruel murthering of a merciful Saviour Had God as justly he might in return of his infinite love commanded thee to offer unto him all thy Wealth to sacrifice all thy Children as some Heathen have done and as once he tempted Abraham Had he required thee with stripes and fastings to mortifie and kill thy body Had he commanded bounty to the poor the poor man might have said I cannot give it If labour or fasting the sick and infirm or if knowledge the simple might have said I have them not in my power But if in lieu of all this he require only that which is the least thy love and which without expence pain or labour thou mayest easily afford O my soul How canst thou make a better purchase then by love to make God Heaven and Earth to be wholly thine All that God Courts and Wooes man for is his Heart Prov. 23.26 and wilt thou not grant him this desire O my soul He might have required all thy substance all thy actions to be spent in his immediate service and worship He grants thee thy wealth and the fruits of thy honest labour and bids thee give only what thou canst best spare of all thy Increase he takes only a Tenth and from all thy worldly labours only a sevonth part Love and the affection of thy heart being all that he entirely calls for Thy blessed Saviour so highly valued this Treasure of love as that even then when he was to depart and leave the world he left it as his last Will and Testament to his Disciples and that as he had loved them so they should love one another John 13.34 Ah! saith he being at the last point as it were before his Possion to his Disciples and in them to us my time is but short and I finde death approaching before which I have one only remembrance to give you That you love one another It was not long before that he desired them that If they did love him they would keep his Commandments Love being as it were the Embassadour of God and hath not only proclaimed the Fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 but as our Saviour himself pronounced thereon depends the Law and the Prophets O then my God! my Jesus make me to keep the Law of thy Love and nothing else Thy love is a yoke which brings with it more honour then burden It is a yoke that hath no weariness in it O my sweet Saviour My soul is weary and greatly distasted with all the fading delights of this transitory world and doth incessantly languish after thee Shew me then my stains and give me water to wash them out Let the night cease to cast a dark Vail over my mortal body but let the Sun be advanced high and the break of day begin to guild the mountains where my Soul hovereth and is ashamed to see its self so dark before light and smutted over before thy immortal whiteness Alas I am altogether but one stain and thou art all purity do not however write me on the ground as a childe of the earth but write me in heaven since I am the portion which thou hast purchased with thy precious blood Thy love is the Center of all our true love on which our heart as on the point of a Compass being set the other part moves about the Circumference of the World Is it not the Almighty whose mercies are without number Where hath it been well with us without him Or How can it be ill with us where he is present I had rather saith one be a Pilgrim here on earth with him then be in heaven without him And blessed then sure are they who delight to attend his service and cast from him all the fetters and impediments of worldly love For what will all things avail if we be forsaken of our Creatour Can we live without the Fountain of Life All places are solitary where he is not and where he is there only is fulness of pleasure O Jesus the author of all Glories henceforth be unto me my only Crown For oh how vain is the rest and solace of man who though nothing brings joy and comfort without God and that he finds so little entertainment in all worldly treasures as that the vanity in possession will soon reprove the violence of his appetite is notwithstanding still sullying himself in the puddles thereof How often do we cry out with the perverse Jews not Christ but Barrabas not God but Mammon How often with the Idolatrous Israelites do we say of our Covetousness Honours Greatness and the rest of our Lusts Ye are our Gods whereas alas God cannot endure that one Temple should receive both his Ark and the Idol Dagon He will not have the Divel the Flesh and the World should come in and lodge in his Bed-chamber thy heart it being but just with God to require it But oh how unreasonable art thou in dividing it between him and his enemies between God and Baal between Light and Darkness 1 Cor. 6.14 Fond Worldlings Can you be so great enemies to your souls as being once unloosed from slavery to sigh wither and languish for your fetters for shame then forsake the love of these poor Cottages these
fading pleasures these little Ant-hills which enflame thy heart Thy Country is no longer Earth behold the great Globe of Heaven all replenished with glorious Lights why do we so extreamly torment our poor life running after this worlds shadows which we cannot follow without trouble nor possess without fear nor lose without sorrow He that cloaths the flowers of the Meadows more gorgeously then Monarchs who lodgeth so many little Fishes in golden and azure shells He who but openeth his hand and replenisheth all Nature with his blessings will never forsake us at our need if we love him and keep his Commandments A man that must die needs very few worldly things but whole Kingdoms will not satisfie covetousness O my God Shall I always then fly after that which flies from me and never follow Jesus who follows me and even loves me when I am ungrateful Ah no more let me run after the vanishing Beauties of a deceitful world Our love to Jesus should be like the Needle in the Seamans Chard which though it be ever moving and casting about as it were to several parts yet it still returns and retains its whole setled course to the true Pole-star It should be like the Oak the Hart and the Elephant which as Naturalists observe are long liv'd and not like Pincks Roses and Tulips flowers of sight and smell but delightful only for a few hours If you will examine King David the man after Gods own heart he will tell you he hath conquered the Bear and the Lyon and that great Gyant Goliah yet was not satisfied He had stept from a Sheep fold to a Crown yet was not contented He had subdued all his Enemies and Rebels yet had he no rest until he enjoyed Heaven I have a goodly Heritage saith he but the Lord is the fulness of my Inheritance in whose presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. And therefore it is that he again saith Psal 73.24 There is none O Lord upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee We finde all sublunary bodies compounded of the four Elements and all the goods of the Body reduced to four heads First Life under which we understand health strength and beauty of Body Secondly Honour under which may be comprised Titles Offices Priviledges and Retinue Thirdly Wealth Lands Money and Revenues have place Fourthly Pleasures which are as various as there are objects of our senses pleasing to our taste sight touch hearing and smell Now though all these ordinately desired and lawfully used may be both useful and lawful yet are they not able to satisfie the soul longer then a wind or lightning And therefore man should not and indeed truly he cannot set his love upon them And alas O poor soul What canst thou finde in all other loves which prove no other then that of Sampson who paid so dearly for relying on his trecherous Dalilah or as the Prodigals Lovers in the Gospel who like Mice Whores and Swallows make love and frequent the house in the Summer of prosperity or like Lice who continue no longer then there is sweat to nourish them but in the end like Actaeon's hounds prove your destroyers The like we finde of Job's friends and of those the Prophet mentions Isa 1.23 Who loved gifts and followed after Rewards Not much unlike to those were the seeming friends of King David of whom he so often complains and prays against as being of his Council and eating his bread Psal 54. yet while they had butter and oyl on their lips their hearts and tongues were spears swords and very poyson And as these to David were more dangerous then his publique enemies for of those saith he I could have taken heed so are all the false Loves of Delight Feature Beauty or other parts or gifts Yea their Loves are like the Apples of Sodom or like that creature called Acucena which at twice handling yeilds out an ill savour or as the flowers of the Garden which long hold neither colour nor scent Ye then which cry Come and let us crown our selves with Roses Let us eat drink and take our fill of love Ah! How suddenly are you and your loves vanished And your place no where to be found How do ye starve like Tantalus in the midst of all your glory and abundance How doth that which seemeth so much to encrease your felicity occasion your punishment Yea How doth the pain you meet with mix gall and bitterness with all the sweet appearances of the world What wanted Solomon of all the desireable things under heaven He had seven hundred Wives and three hundred Concubines He built himself stately Palaces adorn'd them with variety of Orchards and Gardens He had Attendants answerable to his Wealth and Glory yet when he weighed all together instead of proclaiâ—ing himself happy he cryed out All is but vanity and vexation of spirit Prov. 1.1 How great then alas is our folly to seek and expect our happiness here in the best enjoyments and most pleasing delights the world holds forth unto us Sit no longer then O my Soul by the fire of earthly comforts where the cold of carn I fears and sorrows do still afflict thee Wilt thou house thy self still on worldly thoughts and confine thy self to worldly dulness Away with those Soul-tormenting cares and fears Away with those Heart-vexing worldly sorrows Stand by a little O forbear to trouble my aspiring soul whilst I look up and see my eternal happiness whilst I lay aside my mourning robes and partake the joys of an everlasting Spring Happy change to leave these clods of earth and perpetually enjoy the glory of the Sun Blessed Conquest to tryumph on earth and enjoy heaven to conquer death and enjoy life to withdraw thy love from a wretched world and wholly fix it on thy Saviour the Fountain of all true love and goodness O that I were able O that I could feelingly say I love thee But ah Lord What is a Feast without an appetite Thou must give me a stomack as well as meat Thou mayst set the Dainties of Heaven before me but alas I am blinde and cannot see them I am sick and cannot relish them I am benummed and cannot receive them O then thou Spirit of Life breathe thy Graces upon me Take me by the hand and lead me up from earth to thy self that I may see by faith what thou hast laid up for them that love and wait for thee That the Soul can take pleasure in nothing until it meet with satisfaction from its Maker GOd having concluded our salvation in Love shews us that the best and speediest way to be happy is to love him who is the Author of our felicity and the immoveable Sun about which so many changes and agitations of all Creatures circumvolve which continually groan and aim at this first Beauty as the true Center of everlasting repose Oh this is the most assured way
dedicated to the Fantasies of our Spirits Let Reason get the upperhand of our Passion let our eyes be fast setled upon the Law of God which tells us that there is never any thing lost by being faithful unto him And let us still represent to our selves the short pleasure which accompanies sin and the remorse of Conscience which follows it and it will tend much towards the extinguishing of the Flames of Love to break all its Darts and to make us sole master of our captivating Lusts Neither is dissoluteness of habit the least sign and fore-runner of the Adulteries of the minde many having this way made so proud a monument of their vanity as to erect an Eternal Reproach of their punishment Heaven and Earth must be turned over Nature must be forced and all Arts wearied out to serve as instruments to Pride and Luxury and to what end serves those false Guiess those costly Jewels those shameless Flies patchings and paintings wherewith women daub and besmear their Faces unless to destroy Chastity To what end serves the nakedness of their Neck and Breasts How little do these things speak or breathe the odour of Vertue but much rather expose shame to their Sex and scandal to civil decency Surely whosoever thus appears too quaint before the world can hardly carry a sound heart before God And Tertullian bewailing the furniture and equipage of such a Woman saith Quasi ad pompam funeris constitutam Tert. de Hab. Mulieris It would be more fit for the setting forth of her Funerals then the ornament of her body which indeed would seem better adorned if cloathed like Eve with simple skins then in such vain and worldly Pomps Our Affections and services can no longer be pleasing to the Saviour of the world when we are thus engaged to false Divinities Poor Creatures then as we are to love rather to measure the world in its vanity then to possess it in the love of God! To prefer darkness before the Sun Thorns before Grapes Acorns before good Corn and not to place our affections on our Jesus who was crucified for us Proud dust and ashes as we are since born with supereminency of body and seeming the goodliest Creatures of the world why should we go about to beg glory from poysons of the Earth from worms and spoils of the dead You then that have no other Idol but Beauty who worship no other Deities but pleasure and Ambition O consider that as a Rose adorned with its own leaves obscures the Beauty of all other Flowers so the best Art is to have no Art to take whatever Nature hath given and to render all to God Let not your thoughts strike sail to Affection let not your hearts do homage to that Beauty which will ensnare and imprison you in the Fetters of sin but rather timely resist the influence of your amorous assaults being the Rocks whereon many have sadly suffered shipwrack the Fountain which sends forth many poysoned streams and the Tree whose fruit is bitter to the stomach how pleasing soever it be to the palate Consider further how that in an instant God can turn your vessel of gold into an earthern Pot. For alas what a short life have we here Love saith one may be compared to the Punais Worm which bites while she liveth and after death maketh her infection to be felt The sin of the body too often begins in that of the face which is insensibly eaten with painting and poyson and too often do we derive Beauty from corruption Neither do I know a better way to stop the beginnings of Lust then to think of the end thereof Those that in the first Temptation will but take the pains to draw the Curtain shall behold such a huge Gulph of scandals injuries rages lothsomness and despairs as that they would as willingly almost descend into hell alive as consent to this brutish Passion Who would not account him mad who always walks in solitude who courts a shaddow who sigheth laugheth feareth waxeth pale blusheth desireth hateth dieth riseth again is now in earth and straightway in heaven in one hour acteth a Comedy of a dozen Personages and every minute changeth and metamorphoseth himself What a silly thing is it to see any one thus to trouble and vex himself in pursuit of a wylie Wench that delights to exercise Her most infamous Tyrannie Is it not a pitiful thing to see a man burn in Ice and congeal in Fire Having the colour wan the Visage meagre the eyes hollow the cheeks sunk the spirits giddy the reason uncollected and the whole Body Feverish and distemper'd for a creature that will soon fail his expectation Who is there that will not condemn that King who suffered his Minion to take off his Crown and set her Slippers on his head That Dionysius the Tyrant should write the expeditions of his Kingdom and that Mirrha his Wife should Cancel or Signe them at her pleasure Who would not be astonished at the Roman Macarius who having conquered Love in the world was surprized in the Wilderness by finding a Womans Shooe And yet may we daylie observe an infinite number of matters much more strange Why go we then about to Idolize a Woman Have we not slavery enough at home but we must needs seek it abroad O let us consider that they which thus suffer their heads to run at liberty after such sottish Loves die a thousand times a day in following of scornful Beauty and have little cause to brag yea though they attain the end of their pretensions their Passions being most violent for things that must quickly be taken from them What a shame is it to observe many who waste so much of their precious time for the kiss of a Hand the touch of a Lip the glance of an Eye the untying of a Shooe-string and the like That they should thus make a Goddess of a piece of Flesh and kiss the Fetters of their slavery instead of breaking them That they should take a glory to sacrifice their Liberty to that Idol whereby at last they suffer a shameful servitude And as for the cruelties attending this Passion What Furies what Poysons what Racks what Swords and Gibbets belong to the violence of enraged Lovers And shall we still rejoyce in the sense-pleasing flatteries of our sensual Desires What Nothing to be seen but Tears Horrour Grief Astonishment and other representations of death And shall we thus Court those flames Shall we embrace that Stake to which we shall be a Martyr Ah! Were we but well awaked with what horrour should we behold the precipices whereinto we are falling How plain should we behold these golden snares which like the Carcanet of Medea or the Trojan Horse will at last bear Arms against us And to the end then that we may not turmoil and weary our selves in the By-paths which directly lead us into the myre of violent affection neither wholly resign our selves over to such
of thy eternal happiness That when all Loves fail the Love of God remains THe Soul of man is unsatisfied nothing but the Creator thereof will content it It walks but sadly amongst the Riches Honours and Dignities of the world all the joys glories and beatitudes of the earth afford it no comfort It wholly represents God as the beginning and end of all things and is ravished with its glory as poor creatures use to be with the heat of the Sun It is he alone which the soul seeks esteems and honours All that she sees hears or understands besides is nothing to her if it carry not his Name and take colour from his Beauty she well knows she shall get all by loving him and death it self which comes from his Love is the gate of Life Here we every night finde a little death in our sleep sickness and pains are still subject to overtake us neither indeed do we know what belongs to a Crown Scepter or Kingdom while we are in this base life But surely had we talked only one quarter of an hour with a blessed Soul departed and discoursed of the State of the other life Oh! How would our heart dissolve into desires How would we hasten to go out of that ruinous house where of we are but Tenants How would we be ravished to hear these words Go faithful soul out of this Body go out with joy in full peace and safety the eternal mountains those glorious Heavens and all the goodly company of Angels and blessed Spirits which there inhabite will there receive thee Go on confidently behold God is ready to wipe away all thy Tears No more sorrows no more clamours behold an Estate altogether new Oh What Repose What Peace What cessation of Troubles shall we there meet with Our Saviour met the Young-man that was carried to Burial at the Gate of Naim Luke 7.11 which is interpreted The Town of Beauties to shew us that neither Beauty nor Youth are freed from the Laws of Death And it was not impertinately storyed of a young man who going eagerly after the pursuit of his Lusts met a dead Corps in his way which occasion'd his return and the future amendment of that and other his exorbitant and lascivious courses And truly as the consideration of our ashes will humble us under the greatest Pride so will it abate and consume our burning Lust he being very strong by Nature or wicked by his own choice who will not amend himself having ashes for his Glass and death for his Mistris Oh! What then is it silly dust and ashes that thus strangely enflames thy swelling veins when the least breath or shew of death is like Belshazzar's hand-writing on the Wall ever ready to affright thee Wilt thou then pursue those seeming joys and fancies which will at last vanish into a dejected Melancholy Wilt thou unadvisedly let loose the Reins of thy affections towards the enjoyment of such perishing Pleasures If so oh How dearly wilt thou buy thy folly What are we alas and what is all we call ours To day we flourish and are well spoken of we please and are in favour with men But out alas our flower will fade to morrow and we shall be evil spoken of and out of favour with God and man And whither tends all this O my soul but to tell thee that thou art made to wait on thy Lord and Spouse and wholly to thirst after Divine things neither must thou ever think to attain perfect rest and happiness in the troublesome Bed of this world Three cubits of earth will suffice us and how little or much soever we possess how beautiful or deformed soever we are this is all shall be left us Yet how often O God! doth it come to pass that for a little deceitful Beauty a little fugitive honour a little filthy pleasure and that not long we so slightly regard the joys of heaven neither dread the everlasting pains of hell He that but truly be-thinks himself of Haman's pride of Belshazzar's sacriledge Ahab's covetousness Absolon's hair Sampson's locks and Dives riches shall quickly finde that these things wherein we most presum'd and which we esteem'd our best support may suddenly become the occasion of our ruine and destruction You then that say Come and let us enjoy the pleasures that are let us take our fill of precious wine and sweet perfumes and no way lose the flower of our time let us crown our selves with Roses before they fade away and let no meadow be untraversed by us O that ye would but a little apprehend that what this way seems most to afford you content exposeth you a hundred times a day to the hazard of your lives For how little alas is the continuance at best of all the favours of Fortune When one Sun-shine of pleasure is past in comes a Tempest and when one storm is dispersed how are we again cast into new despairs and at last with what dreadful complaints able to rend Rocks and Marbles asunder will we lament our sins then presented unto us like so many Furies which heretofore we esteemed so light If then at any time thou art taken with the Syren and pleasing smiles of the world if thou seem here to content thy self in the beholding of earthly Palaces rich furniture exquisite pictures and sweet Perfumes if thou seem here to please thy melancholy Fancy in high Mountains goodly Forrests rich Marbles fair Meadows pleasant Rivers and beautiful Flowers O do but be-think thy self What are these What is this to Heaven What is this to Eternity All being but a little Atome to the unspeakable joys of the Celestial Paradice Earthly delights may I confess astonish but can never satiate our senses Temporal Beauty is but a transitory charm an illusion of our senses a Flower which hath but a moment of life and a Dyal which we never look on but when the Sun shines What is humane glory but a Dunghil covered with snow a Glass painted with false colours a sugar'd Fruit gilded with poyson or a dangerous Hostess in a fair House Shall we then trust so fading a good Shall we hazard our Souls in so unhappy a snare Or shall we tye out contentments to so slippery a knot Or dote upon temporal goods which like chirping Birds give us only a little Musick in the Summer and so fly away There are some who upon these words of the Psalmist By the waters of Babylon we sate down and wept have compared the temporal goods and delights of the world to these Waters not only for their swift running away and never returning but for their trouble in procuring and their sorrow in losing and well may we therefore hang up our Harps and sit down weeping while we live in this Babylon of Captivity And surely Wisdom tells us that such is the vanity of all earthly goods as that there is nothing so great in this Vale of Tears whose loss should any way disquiet us VVhat
inexplicable sweetnesses of his bounty O the excellency of divine Love which thus causeth a Calm to be found in a Tempest Safety in the midst of Dangers Life on the brinck of Death Comfort in Disasters an Upholding in the midst of Weakness and which protects so many people under the shadow of its Branches Happy Souls which flyes hence into heaven enricht with the purple stains of so heavenly a Fountain yea happy are the wounds from whence flow so much virtue and goodness What greater mercy could there be then to see a Humane Nature sought unto by God which was once despoiled of the Robe of Honour and Diadem of Glory as a just chastisement of its Rebellions and condemned to a Prison of Flames and Darkness even then when it was unable to free it selfe and when neither Angel nor Man could deliver it from the misery whereinto it was plunged To see it I say sought unto by God when it flew from him and to consider how so heavenly a Father transported with unspeakable love said unto it Take my only Son to redeem thee from thy many remediless calamities And this onely Son disdaineth not to become its Ransom and delivered himself for it to Torments so enormious and Confusions so hideous What shall we further admire in the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation Can there be any thing in the world greater then a Man-God If we cast our eyes on our heavenly Father we there see a work of the power of his Arm wherein he seems to have exhausted all his strength The Heaven and the Stars saith Gregory Nyssen were but the works of the Fingers of this divine Majesty but in the Incarnation he proceedeth with all the extent of his might with all the Engines of his power and Miracles of his greatness Blessed Jesus who can chuse but love and adore thee who wert not content onely to reconcile us to thy Father but espousedst our Nature and unitedst it to thy selfe by an indissoluble Band we naturally use to shew an aversion and dislike to such persons as are loathsome mishapen and infected and if with those defects we find a Soul wicked ungrateful and an Enemy to God we conceive him with such horror as that we had need be more then men to endure him But were not we in as bad estate as this for besides the mis-fortunes and calamities which encompassed us on all sides were we not Enemies to God by being too much a friend to our selves and yet all this while he accepteth us and appropriateth us unto himselfe amongst all these contrarieties The Soul checks her selfe for her backwardness and too much neglect of her Saviours invitations WHat imagination is sufficiently powerful to figure to its selfe the ardent dolours of a wounded Soul who desiring to be free and purified from the contagions of the earth and apprehending the shadows of the least sinnes hath its spirit seised on with the consciousness of some more hainous and grosser omissions How hard a matter is it for the Soul to guid the Helm of Reason in so tempestuous a storm of disturbances and in so dead a night of misery to adore the Ray of Gods Providence since almost swallowed in the depth of her sorrows But Nature having at last evicted a huge Tide of Tears she thus sighs out the other in Complaints My God! how justly have my sins deserved this desolate condition yea to endure the Trial of those sorrows which might ever befall the thoughts of a wretched Creature How happy alas are those pure and innocent Souls who have departed from their Bodies when they were ignorant of the sinnes which have approached my knowledge and defiled my thoughts They like little blossoms were cut off in the tenderness of their Age and thrice happy had my Soul been to have been transported into the other world before I had felt that trouble and anguish of Spirit which through the sense and horrour of my sinnes in refusing those gracious tenders of a mercifull Saviour now so sadly afflicts me O wicked and ungrateful heart it is thou which art the source and spring of all my disasters wretch whether goest thou what hast thou to do with the things of the world which will at last ruine thee wilt thou thus cast underfoot the Laws of thy God! Is it not madness to let pass so many golden Harvests which time presents thee and to sow nothing but wind and vanity which onely return thee thorns and sorrows and at last abandons thee as a Pilgrime rob'd and dispoil'd by a Thief O poor Soul wilt thou live rather amongst feavers and burning coals in an inconstant world then tie thy self to the will of God Miserable man to have thy heart fill'd with such restless desires wilt thou like Ravens be ever feeding upon Carrion Is it for such infamous pleasures thou renouncest the delights of heaven unhappy man where wilt thou find place to rest on at the last Dost thou forget the words of the Prophet Jer. 17.11 Silly Partridge thou broodest borrowed Eggs thou hast hatched Birds which were not thine let them fly since thou canst not hold them And canst thou yet fix thy beatitude upon this Gold that Silver that Beauty that Profit and Pleasure as on a little Divinity Is not Jesus thy Saviour enough to content thee must a world be made of Gold and Roses to please thee Alas senseless Soul canst thou have any better Object to behold then a Saviour on the Cross all naked and who in his nakedness giveth all things Oh! how little are all things mortall with him who looks upon a God immortal Blessed Jesus having thee for my guid I will walk confidently in the shades of death since they cannot separate me from the fountain of life I came not into the world glittering with precious Stones neither can I go out poorer then I came Let Poverty then come against me with all its terrours I shall account it a Glory to die poor for a God so dispoiled If Banishment come what need I care what Land be under my feet so my eyes be fixed in Heaven Or what at last can Imprisonment Fetters Gibbets yea death it selfe take from me but a life of Pismires and Flies and a miserable Carkass subject to a thousand deaths And woe unto that Soul the darkness of whose understanding is so great that though Jesus be all light he cannot see him how deprived is that will who though he be all goodness he cannot love How are his affections perverted who though he be all power will yet refuse to submit unto him Alas how art thou estranged from him when thou wert created it was by his power If thou live it is by his bounty if thou move it is by his assistance If thou lie down he sustaineth thee if thou sleep he refresheth thee if thou awake he enlightneth thee if thou read he teacheth thee if thou eat he nourisheth thee if thou art cloathed he warms
know ah little indeed the glory and blessedness of this love little dost thou know the excellency of this Love Is there any thing here below but baseness in espect of thy enjoyments above are the heavy sufferings the unsatisfying vanities of this world really sutable to thy desires or canst thou find any place more sutable to thy misery then that of mercy or of nearer interest or Relation then that of Heaven Come away then O my Soul stop thine ears to the ignorant language of the world what is the Beauty the Riches the Honours thou hast so much admired Canst thou but even close thine eyes and thou wilt think it all darkness and deformity What is the beauty thou hast so much admired alas when the night comes it will be nothing to thee whilst thou hast gazed on it it hath withered away doâ—h not the wrinkles of consuming sickness or of age or some other deformity make it as loathsome as it was once delightful Ah then O miserable man that thou art unworthy Soul how canst thou love a skinful of dirt and canst no more love the heavenly Glory art thou not a Soul is not heaven the onely lovely Object art thou not a Spirit and is not Earth a Dungeon to Celestial Glory shall Gold or Greatness or worldly Pomp be thy Idols vvhich are all dirt and dung to Christ come forth then O my dull and drowsie Soul thou hast lain long enough in these earthly Cells where cares have been thy Fetters where sorrows have been thy lodgings and Satan thy Jaylor The Soul calling to mind the infinite Love of her Saviour bewailes her ungratefulness and the coldness of her returns WHen holy David considered the vvorks of Gods hands the Sun and the Moou which he had made Psal 8.3 4. he immediately breaks forth into thoughts of humility touching the frail and sad estate of man But blessed Lord what can we say for our great neglect of that Love which hath stretched it self for us even to the death of the Cross and what stupidity is it to forget that that bloody Banquet which was to us the source of life should bring with it the Edict of death O poor Sinner What hast thou done look upon a Deed that vvas worthy of none but thy cruelty stretch out thy hands put thy fingers into those wounds vvhich thou hast made bedew thy hands like unbelieving Thomas in that sacred stream vvhich flowed from thy Saviours side Drink miserable vvretch of that River vvhich there thou seest glide to quench thy thirst Look and behold those dead eyes which accuse thy nakedness and which thou still dost wound with the aspect of thy wickedness alas they are not shut so much by the necessity of death as by the horrour of thy Luxury Behold the great temper of thy Saviours Soul in his most horrible sufferings what could be invented which he endured not what could be undergon which he met not vvith Oh high effect of an infinite Love vvhich found no belief in senses no perswasion in minds no example in manners nor resemblance in nature It is storied of a Prince vvho being desirous to offer himself to death for the preservation of his Subjects took the habite of a Clown the better to facilitate his death he laid down his Crown and Purple and all the Ensigns of Royalty onely retaining those of Love and lost his life in his Enemies hands But alas this was but a mortal life and in giving it he onely paid that tribute to Nature which at last he must of necessity yield But where have we read that a man glorious by Birth and immortal by condition hath espoused that humility which all the world despiseth that mortality which all must partake of that mercy which none can equalize and for no other occasion then to dye for his friend O dear Jesus thou wert by nature immortal and impregnable against all exterior violences thou took'st not the Body of a Peasant nor a body of Air but a true body of Flesh personally united to the word of God Thou O blessed Saviour consumedst thy body with Travails thou quailedst it with toils thou castedst tottered Rags over thy Purpleâ— thou laid'st our miseries upon thy own shoulders and at last resignedst thy selfe as a Prey to a most dolorous death My God! What a Prodigie is this Thou foundest a way to accord infirmity with Soveraignty Honour with Ignomy Life with Death and Time with Eternity O God of Glory O mild Saviour all this hast thou done it was not possible that sole God should suffer death nor sole Man should vanquish it but God and Man hath overcome it Ought not then thy pains to be as much adored by our wills as they are incomprehensible to our understandings And alas how much ought we to be ashamed since instead of enkindling our Affections with the sacred fires of thy Eternal Love we have sought after prophane fire from the eyes of earthly Beautie and have opened our hearts to Forreign flames Ah ungrateful Soul art thou not afraid to hear those heart-piercing words Cant. 5.6 I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when I spake I sought him but I could not find him Shall the love of God be so communicative as to stream forth by those two conduit-pipes of Glory and Beauty and art thou not hereupon even confounded to see thy heart so narrow and streightned in the exercise of holiness and good works Oh blessed Saviour thou didst spend thy time in continual pain and labours here on Earth for the redemption of the world Many were the scorns reproaches and miseries thou endurest for us Thou didst even melt and dissolve under the ardors of unspeakable affection and zeal for our salvation and at last exposedst thy self to languors sorrows extasies and the cruel punishment of the Cross and shall ingratitude be all the return thou reapest for such infinite mercy How justly maist thou many many times question with me as thou did once with S. Peter Joh. 21.17 Lovest thon me Thou seemest indeed poor soul to love me But why then dost thou not keepe my Commandements Doth not fond love which ordinarily delights to see what it cannot attain find too much admiration for thy eyes and food for its flame Ah that ever thou shouldst spend so many hours endure so much pain and run so many hazards to seek after an unhappy loathsomness Oh that ever thou shouldst take away thy love from me to place it on Creatures which so little deserve it And why should the faculties of the eye which was ordained for light be thus applyed to darkness Shall that which was Created for the use of Life be the cause of Death Alas what canst thou gain by imbracing thy Lusts O poor deceived Soul what Snares what Traps what Tempests beset thee on all sides O Man miserable wretch drenched in the waters of bitter Tears where alas wilt
thou save thy self if thou put not thy selfe under the shelter of thy Saviours Cross If thou lose him thou hast nothing left to comfort thee In him thou hast all things If thou art Hungry thou needest but to taste of his love if Thirsty the light of his countenance is farre better then the Corn and Wine of this world We read of many accomplished Beauties in former ages which have drawn the affections of those that beheld them but what are those but fading shadows to the love of Jesus which winneth whole Nations and Monarchies to it From hence it is that so many Kings Queens and great Personages have forsaken the Pomp and Beauty of the World and followed him through Thornes and Rocks that so many millions of the wisest and most purified Souls upon Earth have abandoned themselves and loved him even to the suffering of Flames and Wheeles yea the dismembring of their whole Body Oh that our hearts could then dissolve for him Oh that they could dayly melt in his service without consuming since there is nothing which equalizeth the excellency of this Celestial Love But wretched Creatures as we are can we chuse but grievc to see them torn and divided by so many vile and base Objects which divert our Affections and hinder us from giving them to God for which they were made Oh how much should we blush thus to contaminate our hearts with the wickedness and impurities of the Earth The heart of Man should be as a fortunate Island wherein there is nothing but God and it Or like the Nest of that little Bird which cannot hold one silly Fly more then it self But alas what Creatures are there there lodged to the prejudice of our Creator O poor Soul really miserable do but once open thine eyes and thou shalt soon see the head-long ruine which threatneth thee Carnal Souls have much ado to conceive how a man may become passionate in the love of God it is a love too high say they to transfer our Affections into Heaven we know no affection but for temporal and visible things O blinded Spirits ignorant of the glorious Mysteries of Heaven How do ye thus argue with your selves O sad Souls is Heaven a Country wherein they have no commerce Doth God speak to thee in all his Creatures nay doth he seek for thee dost thou behold him through the veil of Nature in somany various Objects Dost thou daily see him in the Image of his Bounty and Greatness of his power and the splendor of his Beauty and in the lively Characters of his Majesty and wilt thou be so much charmed with the present pleasures and delighted so with the Workmanship as to forget the Workman Wilt thou embrace the shadow for the body and momentary Beauties for Eternal verities Oh! but thou objectest that he is a secret so hidden and invisible to men that our poor spirits finde more confusion then light in seeking him I answer hold thy peace O thou ignorant and mis-judging Soul God shews himself in as many mirrours as there are Creatures in the world All that we see hear touch or handle cease not to recount unto us the love of our Maker Do we not find the daily experience of his love in every minutes preservation Do we not hear the sweetness of his voice and harmonies in the chirping of every little Bird and Nightingale yea the least silly Fly holds forth a tone which all the art of the world cannot frame If we behold the murmuring of those silver streams which so sweetly charme and delight our senses if we cast an eye upon those various party-coloured Flowers with what an exquisite delicacie shall we find them adorn'd insomuch that as we have it from the sacred lips of Eternal Wisdom Solomon in all his Royalty was not like one of these But when we cast our eyes towards Heaven when we behold the Sun the Moon and those silver sparcles which shew themselves as soon as the Night spreads its Mantle over the inferior Regions of the World Ah! how may we with the Princely Prophet cry out The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Expose not then the loss of thy innocency and sanctity O poor Soul to the alluring occasions of this tempting world and thou needest not fear but in him to find salve forall thy wounds It may be thou fearest Poverty alas hath not thy Saviour consecrated it in the Crib and in Clouts Dost thou fear Reproaches he hath sanctified them in the loss of his Reputation Dost thou fear dolours he hath lodged them in his own flesh Dost thou fear Death he hath overcome it for thee only let thy heart be devested from the ardent affections thou hast towards worldly enablements beholding them as an inconstant moving of shadowes and Spirits which with a swift course glide before our eyes And lastly let us look towards the eye of God which perpetually beholdeth us Let us behold it as our Pole-star and flaming Pillar whereby at last we shall learn to repose our selves in his bosome slumber upon his heart and sleep eternally between his Arms. The Soul breaks into Sighes and dissolves into desires for the presence of God THe Soul of Man being made to the Image of God and for the possession and fruition of God will never rest but in the conformity of its understanding and will to its Creator It casts its eyes indeed oftentimes on the Sea the Earth with so many Rivers which moisten it so many Trees which cover it so many living Creatures which furnish it so many men which inhabite and dress it but yet rests not there It figures also the Air in its thoughts with all its Birds so different in shape so various in colour so diversified in their Notes but alas like Noahs Dove she finds no rest for her footing It glanceth up further to those Christaline and azure Vaults where the Sun the Moon and so many silver Stars perform their career with such measure as God hath determined yet finds not God in any of them It contemplates those innumerable Legions of Angels Spirits of Fire and light which resplendently shine as Lamps before the face of God yet ever cryes out it is not be God onely being he who comprehendeth all things and not onely bounds them but incomparably surpasseth them What do I here then O Jesus without thee but sail without Stars and labour without the Sun Alas if I can do nothing here without thee if without the Sun-shine of thy presence I am but an unprofitable servant and burden to the Earth what do I here All that satisfieth the desires of the curious all that which inviteth the admiration of the wisest all that which enflameth the hearts of the most passionate yea Land and Sea Thrones and Scepters Arms and Empires are but as a silly drop of dew before thy face And wilt thou yet O disloyal Soul entertain in thy heart a mass of
of all thy Actions Behold thy sinnes thus begotten by thee Behold thy iniquities which thou didst love so much as to preferre before thy Saviour Alas alas what Comfort what Happiness hast thou now in all these Thus the unhappy Soul thinking her self undone cuts off her words and deeply sighing with sobs of true Repentance and a lively penetrating grief wisheth her self any thing rather then a Reasonable Creature And how glad would a miserable sinner be if he might turn to nothing and cease to be But alas how doth he find himself lost and involved in misery yea perpetually gnawn and torn with a torrent of inexplicable dolours which cause him to break out into unheard of Phrensies O Pallace of God saith he that I have lost O ugly Den of Serpents whereinto I am thrown O hideous darkness which shall for ever be my inheritance O infernal countenances of enraged Devils who must for ever be my Companions The brightness of Paradice will now be nothing unto me the joyes of Heaven will now but aggravate my grief what alas then shall I do whether shall I turn my self Go then ye Worldlings go let Love fool ye Ambition rack you Covetousness rust ye Lust inflame ye Hope tickle ye Pleasure melt ye Let Anger burn Envy gnaw and Jealousie prick ye Revenge exasperate Cruelty harden Fear sreez and sorrow consume ye Yet know that one day ye will wish to have devested your selves of all your worldly affections and that ye had loved nothing but for God of God and to God See see fond man of Earth who art glutted with delights and with the Richman in the Gospel signest Requiems to thy Soul Luk. 12.11 As having Goods laid up for many years See I say at the doors of these Syrens or rather the Sepulchers of thy lusts the smoak and stench of these dainties which have heightned thy sinnes ready to smother thee See see those pleasures which like Lots wife over the burning Ruines of Sodom cry out against thee with an Eternal voice Traiterous Pleasures Pleasures Enemies of the Cross of Christ how alas have ye beguil'd me how have ye deceived me Alas O voluptuous O carnal Creature how short a time will it be ere those Members which thou wouldest not crucifie by a holy mortification on the Cross of Jesus shall be tormented with those pains of the justice of God! Ah Illusion ah Witchcraft why should we live in the excess of those pleasures which we shall one day have more occrsion to curse then cherish Oh thou ungrateful to God! Traytor to thy own salvation Go I say and place thy self in a better state of happiness Go thou and make a Covenant with Hell and agreement with death But O remember what will be the event Alas poor Soul that thou shouldest purchase Repentance so dear to give up the expectation of Eternity and the fruition of so many glorious years as a prey to one unhappy minute of pleasure Where is thy faith which thou hast promised to God where is thy weariness to avoid sinne Dost thou think that God doth not see thee sinning The time is drawing on when Death shall strip thee to the very skin and leave thee nothing but what thou hast done and given for God How would it then comfort thee to have conformed thy self to a religious life and to have made every action thereof a step to Eternity What greater thoughts of comfort can possess thy heart then those which bring to thy remembrance a lively faith purity of life exemption from grievous sins poverty of Spirit affection to the word of God humility charity to thy Neighbour clemency and a full resignation of thy whole mind to the will of thy Creator Alas how vvill one sole pleasure taken in heavenly Objects be a thousand times better and more esteemed then all the delights and contentments of the world But on the contrary how sad will it be when thy conscience which as Phylo terms it is the little consistory of the soul shall sit on a Throne with a Scepter in her hand and say unto thee wicked Servant recall thy Thoughts Words and Actions how hast thou mispent the time of thy life how many dayes hast thou carelesly lost what sluggishness at thy rising what negligence in thy employment how great Words and how little Works Why this rash judgement that curious question these wandering eyes these stragling thoughts this angry passion that hasty slander why this dayes intemperance that dayes excess this dayes neglect of thy God that dayes uncharitableness to thy Neighbour Oh how sad will these expressions be at the last day Cursed Atheism why wouldst thou rather feel thy torments then believe them Cruel Ambition to vvhat pass hast thou brought me deceitful Riches how have ye beguilded me wicked Company vain Companions worldly Pleasures how have ye been the chains of my Ruine Alas how can I write or how canst thou hear or read this vvithout trembling to think on thy forlorn condition Poor vvretch vvhat vvill become of thee vvhen thou shall look above thee and see the God which hath forsaken thee the Saints whom thou hast despised and all the faithful at the right hand of Glory vvhen thou shalt look below and see those hideous flames which thou must a bide for ever vvretched Soul vvhat vvouldst thou now give for a Christ vvhich onely can but will not save thee vvhat vvould thou give for one hours time of repentance which once thou slep'st under refusedst and esteemedst of no value Then wilt thou say unto thy self O God! O God! whom have I lost yet cannot lose I have lost thee as my Saviour yet have thee still present beholding my pains O Eternity shall there never be end of my evils shall those Torments be alwaies beginning Ah why was not the womb of my Mother the Sepulcher of my birth Why did not the Stars which then ruled throw the sparkles of their influences against me why did not the Earth swallow me up in my Cradle must I live one sole minute on earth to live an Enemy to God eternally Ah Lord what a depth is there in thy judgement let silence smother the remainder of my complaints since I can no longer endure my self nor my Tongue make known the conceptions of my heart Neither canst thou justly complain poor Soul whatsoever thou be that God did thee wrong in making such a hell for thee seeing thy sinne hath neither end nor limits in its Eternity It is an infinite evil becaus it strikes at the head of an infinite Divinity Wilt thou say to an Omnipotent God thou createdst me to serve thee but I will live for my selfe Thou maidst a World for my use but I wil fill it with my sins thou redeemedst me with thy blood but I will contemn and trample it under my my feet O horrible confusion O unspeakable wickedness No way of redress then is there left thee O poor Soul but to live alwaies in a
to the voyce of his deceitful charming not doubting that however Christ had for a time withdrawn his wonted favour he was still her Advocate and even at that instant pleading her case and answering for her at the Bar of Gods Justice all those suits which Satan was then objecting against her Oh saith the Soul it is he that dyed for my sins and rose again for my Justification my own Righteousness alas is but as menstruous Rags It is he onely that was made for me Wisdome Righteousness and Redemption Rom. 5.25 It is he that hath satisfied an infinite Justice for my sinnes Isai 53.4 5 6. It is he that bears my grief and carries my sorrows and will at last cure my sufferings Behold then the various Dispensations of a merciful God! Oh the wonderful experience of a strong belief in a high mounted Soul whose excellent Graces of Charity and Humility are like so many wings to carry her above all the sense of her present Afflictions giving her to see that though Jesus were sometimes pleased to hide himself in the Gospel as the Sun within a Cloud yet he would again draw the Curtain the Sun of Righteousness would appear with healing in his wings and notwithstanding his present withdrawment did receive her sighs and bottle up her Tears and would again shew himself in the best time And whensoever the ship of her Soul seemed wrack't then would she endeavour to save her self upon the Rock of his infinite mercy at this Pool of Bethesda would she still lie until he cured her on this Thread would she catch to bear up her wounded spirit and upon him would she still wait who loves those to the end whom he once loves whose presence she always desired to cherish and resolved still to wait on him who but for a time hides his face from the house of Jacob Isai 8.17 And Iob. 10.1 laying her complaint upon her self How often would she thus expostulate with her offended God Ah Lord the marks of thy bounty * Semel electus semper dilectus I confess are no less then all I am and have Ah wretched I that continually wear about me all the Tokens of thy kindness and yet not love thee what shall I answer when thou saist unto me I created thee like unto my self I made thee a little God on Earth I imprinted on thy forehead the Character of my Greatness The Sun shined on thee the Earth supported thee the Creatures clothed thee and yet thou hast forgotten me O admirer of thy self and ignorant of my works Why hast thou husbanded my goods as to change them into evil Alas poor Soul what evidence will at the last day be produced against thee The Devils who first tempted thee to sin will then rise up as witnesses against thee The Angels of God before whom thou shouldst not have sinned will then testifie against thee The abused Creatures will then be brought in to thy conviction The Messengers of God will cry aloud against thee for neglecting their Doctrine All the personal mercies which thou hast received will also be so many evidences against thee the Earth that bore thee the Air thou breathedst in the Food which nourished thee the Clothes which covered thee the Creatures that laboured for thee the Houses thou dwelledst in and all things else that served for thy use will then further thy condemnation And may not God himself justly expostulate with thee Did all my mercies deserve no more thanks shouldst thou not have better served me that gave them was I so hard a Master was my work so hard and unreasonable or my Rewards of so little value as no way to perswade thee to my service Ah ungrateful wretch that the love of God the evil of sinne the blood of thy Saviour the Judgements to come the Glory promised and the punishment threatned should not be as forcible to draw thee to Holiness as a little fleshly delight and worldly gain is to draw thee to wickedness O whether will thy mind fail when distempers shall steer it Whether will thy Fancy run when Diseases shall ride it What Hell wilt thou frame within thy Conscience Watchings will surprize thee Dreams will terrifie thee and if some terrible Bird do but croak in the Night it is presently the sad voice of some dead man who bids thee prepare for another world Ah! that thou couldst but think of thy perplexed condition vvhen thy conscience being once awakened shall blush and stare thee in the face when thy sins with David Psal 51.3 Shall be ever in thy sight Then will thy mouth be confessing thy eyes weeping thy cheeks blushing thy hands writinging and smiting thy bosome thy heart-bleeding thy Heart-strings breaking and thy voice crying out vvith Cain My sinnes are greater then can be forgiven Then too late wilt thou cry Lord have mercy upon me vvhen a ruinous house shall be ready to fall about thy ears vvhen tediousness of sickness loss of Goods and confusion of understanding shall encompass thee when thy windy sighes and deep-fetch't Groans of thy breaking heart when the misty Clouds of thy closing eyes the Roaring thunder of thy stammering tongue sometimes perchance venting horrible Oathes and Blasphemies shall represent nothing but Images to the Beholders And alas vvhat vvilt thou do when in the last agonies of Death thy Body shall feel such great disturbances as will make thee to turn here and there to rub the Bed-clothes vvhich over-power thee with Convulsions vvhich choke thy speeches make thy Visage Pale thy memory to faulter and a cold sweat to over-spread all thy body which is onely encompassed with weeping eyes whining countenances distracted looks affrighted and dejected Visages hideous out-cryes and perchance which is worse with petty Furies Ah! what content wilt thou then take when Death comes to sound his last Trumpet in thy Ears saying unto thee Come let us be going thou must dislodge from thy Riches thy large possessions from thy Beauties and fading Pleasures from thy friends and from thy kindred and never more to return again Oh! how bitter will be the remembrance of death how harsh will it be unto unmortified spirits when they shall say to the Body ah whither goest thou dear Hostess whether goest thou Thou hast hitherto most tenderly pampered me pompously cloathed me wantonly cherished me I was thy Idol thy Pride thy Glory and whether now must thou go What into a Grave with Serpents and Wormes alas what wilt thou do there and what will become of thee Thus fares it with distressed Souls in the shades of Death when fixing their dying eyes upon their former acquaintance they find some weeping others screeching some fainting and all under a veil of sorrow encompassing their Bed with this sad Note alas do you leave us and shall we meet no more Farewel pleasing amities adieu all our sports feasts and loves now is the time come that me must leave all our earthly acquaintance all our Table
friends Ranters Gamesters Amorists and all the delights of former Companies since from this moment we shall be for ever separated Whereas far otherwise shall it be with those heavenly and victorious souls who have lived to God Time and the Laws of Death have nothing to affright them with All that they have to do is but to go out of a dark Dungeon and a streight Prison to leave a world of sadness and misery and enter into a spacious Temple of Eternal Splendors where their Being shall have no end their knowledge no ignorance nor their love suffer change Repair then unto him O my Soul who is all-sufficient and though the discharge of thy duty be above the power of thy ability yet can he give thee a heart to perform what he requireth from thee There is no Prison for a Soul whom God hath set at liberty The whole world belongs to him who knows how to misprise it God seeketh thy conversion and he is able to turn thee He requireth thy faith and he is able to make thee believe he requireth thy love and by knocking at the door of thy heart he is able to get entrance into it Be not sad then O my Soul but adore that infinite mercy which doth at any time chastise thee with Temporary punishments being not willing to make thee an Object of that fury which is kindled by Eternity of Flames Why shouldst thou not bend all thy affections to Jesus who is onely able to delight thee Why shouldst not thou be enamoured of his Beauties Why shouldst thou not sigh after his Attractives If we behold the Sun we cannot chuse but love God that Glorious Light being the Image of the Soveraign King the Eye of the which enlightneth the Stars in Heaven createth the Fruits and Flowers upon Earth and giveth strength to all living Creatures How pleasant a thing also is it to behold those goodly Forrests to trace those flourishing Woods to be delighted with the murmuring Waters to hear the pleasant notes and warbling of Birds in the sweetness of solitude and retirement But O my Soul rest not here Let thy Spirit fly to that hidden Spirit which thus distributeth it self through so many melodious Divisions throughout the whole world When thou contemplatest the world and all things thereto belonging think on that secret Spirit which insinuateth it self thereunto with such admirable power ravishing sweetness and incomparable harmony Oh love thy Jesus because he is fair and made all these Beauties presented before thee Love him because he is good and communicateth himself unto thee Love him because he is thine and thou art wholly his O be thou still touched with his beauty his wisdom and goodness and let his mercy still soften thy heart And how a thousand times wilt thou bless the hour of this Resolution Ah Jesus why should I argue any longer with my vain Thoughts Why should I dispute any longer with my sinful Lusts Why do I not fly away weigh Anchor set Sails and go forward towards my Eternal happiness Shall I create unto my self an Empire in my Banishment shall I suppose my self in a Haven in the midst of shipwrack surely the Soul which is ravished with the contemplation of Heaven will not stay upon Flesh She hath nothing to do with the standing puddles of Egypt which do onely enflame thirst in her veins but is ever seeking refreshment in the Cisterns of Bethel No more will she ask where is her God become not a tract of a Tear will be visible on those cheeks where Flouds and Billowes of sorrow had formerly appeared Though formerly she went weeping under the heavy load of her sinnes she at last returns with precious seed she soons recovers her joy Psal 51.10.11 and peace and loseth no Graines Psal 126.6 but rather gets ground in the fire of Temptation she receives double with Iob for all her losses for a Cup of Affliction Vessels of joy and for a few disconsolate dayes moneths and years of delight and comfort in Heaven where she no longer complains of her frailties but cryes out It is enough Lord it is enough what am I or what is my Fathers House that thou shouldst thus deal with me And oh if there be such pleasures in the Kingdom of Grace how unspeakable are those laid up for us in the Kingdom of Glory The Soul is ravished upon the Return of her Saviours Presence THough the Soul of Man may live at uncertainties upon a certain Faith and in time of desertion trembling may accompany the people of God yet it truly relies upon Christs mercy Job 13.15.16 Psal 6.8 it shews a true saving and justifying faith in the very act of Reliance and dependance And though Gods Afflictions are oftentimes like hot Spices comfortable to the stomack though hot in the mouth yet the Soul with the Spouse is ever waking whensoever it falls into any spiritual slumber The greatest darkness ordinarily as we use to say is about the break of day And it is not impossble but that when sadness and melancholly which is many times the Nurse of doubting shall pervert our Reason and clad the Soul in mourning weeds there may be an Eclipse at the fairest Noon through the with-drawment of Gods favour and the interposition of Satans Temptations The dark Cloud which sometimes comes between God and the Soul is again cleared with many Lights and most sweet consolations insomuch that being again gilded over with the most radient Splendors and admirable Beauty of her beloved she breaks out with profusions of heart not to be expressed Holy Asaph may complain Will the Lord absent himself for ever Will he be favourable no more hath God forgotten to be Gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercy Psal 77.7.8 9. and yet all this expostulating with God is not because he suspects the truth of his Promises but because at such times the Soul cannot so plainly see it it looks upon its sinnes in a multiplying-Glass and in the gloomy day of Affliction is ready to behold them as an evidence that it wants that interest in God it should have and thinks with David and the Church it is wholly cast off Psal 43.2 44 9 80 1. But after those fainting and soul-swounding fits and too much eying and poaring on sin without observing the nature of God in his Covenant when the poor Soul as well looks upwards with one eye towards Gods mercy as with the other downward on her sins she is kept from being over-powred with Satans temptations she concludes there is yet some help in her God she still layes hold on the merits of her Saviour And however her stomack may be gone for a time yet when she awakes out of her spiritual Desertion she cryes out Surely the Lord is in this place though I knew it not Ps 4.3.8 I shall again sit at Davids Table who bids me to come and taste and see how good the Lord is
Fear not O Spouse thy Beloved is not wholly departed Be not troubled if thy journey to Canaan be through the wilderness of this world and if in thy way to Sion thou pass through the valley of Baca since Christ is a Cloud and Pillar to direct thee Thus by the Gates of Hell doth God oftentimes shew us the way to Heaven He who is not tyed alwayes to bring a Soul thither by one and the same Road can make Death the way to life The Sun of Righteousness is stil bright though behind a Cloud and not seen to us The Nurse is withdrawn oftentimes that the Mother may get the chiefest affections of the Child And though God leave a poor Soul labouring in the Pangs of Desertion yet through the Sun-shine of Gods countenance ripening its Graces cloudy weather still advantageth her growth and her Barrenness at last yeelds a fruitful Harvest Gods relief comming alwaies in the best time and she patiently attends his help from Heaven even until the fourth which is the last watch of the Night And when vvith Peter she is freed out of the Prison of strong Temptation and God is pleased to come in unto her with abundance of comfort Oh! how is she raised to bless the Lord who hath forgiven her sinnes and healed all her infirmities The waves of Terrours and flouds of Afflictions never beat so violently upon her neither did she so much complain of spiritual wants as now she saw the wonders of God in the deep and the infinitenefs of his Wisdom in the dispensations of comfort and joy of grief and terrour The Souls complaint now is no longer Where is my God become or that There is no soundness in her flesh because of his anger All her distempers seem but as so much Physick to clense her from her manifold sins Yea she now seems even drown'd in sweetness and in sinking cryes out Oh the breadth of thy unfathomable love what Saint what Tongue what Angel can speak out thy unexpressible kindness Ephes 5.17 Thou hast loosed my Bonds Oh that my heart could burn in love towards thee Oh that I could as I desire make known to others hovv good thou hast been to me in preserving strengthning and fixing my fiath on a Rock not to be over-born vvith the storms and swelling Surges of Satans Temptations Methinks I meet thee every where O blessed Jesus with a hundred arms unfolded to do me good what place what time what moment is not filled vvith thy Bounty Though passions have for a time assailed my mind and thy Terrours have affrighted my spirits yet behold now thy Grace hath shot through the dark Clouds of my Sin and doubting thy Darts have pierced the Center of my heart with quickning sparklings my spirits are come again Ah how my Soul is fill'd with joy ravishment and admiration Oh God! who is he who beholds the fading shadows of the world this dismal place where cares and sorrows are still growing young and never die that would ever betray his Soul Heaven and his God to yield obedience thereunto who vvould betray an Eternity of blessing for a Pleasure so short and wretched who would build Tabernacles here to lose a Mansion among Celestial Souls where Love onely Reigns who would not give a farewel to those earthly Cottages to ascend those mounts of Bliss vvhere every season is a constant Spring who vvould desire to make his name great here on Earth and desire to have them enrolled among the Saints in Heaven O what Celestial mirth what an expansion of all the faculties of the Spirit yea what rejoycing is there in the heart of Man vvhen Christ begins to make it his Throne all Powers do him homage all Passions render him service Who can conceive what joy passeth in the Soul vvhen Jesus is pleased to take up his lodging in it Hovv is the heart excited awakened and enflamed towards Heaven what distaste is there of all things in the world It is as light to bleared eyes It is as food to hungry Travellers It is the repose to the wearied the Country of poor Pilgrims and the Crown of all our happiness Nothing but Fires Desires Sweetness Affections Joyes and Admirations will transport our Souls having once regained our wel-beloved our thoughts will wholly be employed upon Jesus we shall be dead and insensible to all the Objects of the world All the Thornes wherewith it is encompassed will seem as Roses If we swim in the Tears of Wotmwood it will be no other then sweet water All the wounds we receive will be but like Rubies and Pearls Our Maladies will prove but sports our Calumnies will be our blessings yea Death it self no other then a happy life When the Soul sleeps Jesus is in her sleep vvhen she speaks Jesus is under her Tongue when she Writes Jesus is under her Pen and when she is merry she chaunts forth the praises of her Jesus in her solitude she seems all environed with Raptures And vvhen any reproves her for being alone she cries out nothing less before she vvas interrupted with their company In the morning she grieves to think how often she shall offend God before Night Being about to rest she bitterly vvith scalding Tears laments that she shall have no more power over her Dreams but offend her Saviour while she slept Thus is her mind alwayes running after her dear Spouse Se is in a prison of Love vvhere her Thoughts her Hopes her Joyes were Chains And still doth she elevate her self upon the wings of Faith in the highest postures she can towards Heaven taking the choisest affections vvith her vvhereby to ascend that Mountain of pure and inexpressible light She vvell knew that true Pleasure vvas to be found no vvhere but in God vvhose Joyes are like those Gardens which never vvither but are perpetually watered vvith immortal Graces And oh How if it vvere possible vvould she express her love to him by daily offering her self a hundred times for him in as many Sacrifices as she hath Thoughts and Body Members Never Ship laden vvith Gold arrived more gladly at the Haven after many tedious Tempests and a thousand disasters among Pirates at Sea as the poor soul novv seems to take content in the love of God And having spun out all the Web vvhich he gave her cryes out I have ended all the hopes of the vvorld why stayest thou O my God! to receive my Soul which I bear in my lips O Jesus at whose name the Heaven the Earth and Hell do bend the knee I now care not what I suffer for thee so I sin not against thee so I may for ever injoy thee Thus the love of God is like Lightning in a Cloud still striving to break forth and suffers the Soul to take little rest in any thing but what it undertakes for the glory of her Maker Joh. 11. who many times defers the cure that his power may be the more manifest the heats of
thy Masters Table sometimes suffice thee Canst thou not be content to touch the Hem of his Garment Hast thou eaten so plentifully of the Loaves of his mercy canst thou not sometimes be content to fast with him in the Wilderness Wilt thou be with him in the Calm and not with Peter adventure to him on the waves of Trouble Thus doth the poor Soul often check her self for her great faintness under the power of some affliction But though she see it a sad thing to row where Jesus is not in the Boat yet at last she finds all things to fall out aright with those who embarque with him If he once say It is I be not afraid Mat. 14.6.26 How quickly doth the storm of temptation cease Nothing seems grievous to a sincere Christian so as at last with the Apostle he may finish his course with Joy He is like a Pearl coming out of the salt Sea beholding himself involved almost from his birth in great acerbities and horrible confusions from whence he mounts with so much lustre as to make his adversities the steps to the Temple of Glory That Soul which hath brought it self to love God above all and to despise all in comparison of him and accounts it self unhappy if for one moment of time diverted from the sweet Idea's and most sublime thoughts of his person will with comfort pass over all the troubles and acerbities suffered in in his service perpetually languishing with most ardent desires to behold him face to face Have you never seen those poor Tulips in a Garden shut up with melancholly under the shadie coldness of the night which in the next morning have been as it were unlock with the Key of the Suns Rayes Just so doth it happen to those drooping Souls who sometimes seem benummed and frozen through the want of that Presence which at last enlivens them with great refreshment and cheerfulness Who would have thought that Jonah when contrary to the advice of his Master he would turn Polititian and fly from his Presence should forthwith be swallowed by the greedy Ocean yet behold when the Tempest pursued him the Sea raged on him the Belly of a Whale which we thought his Sepulcher became his Palace wherein had he not been buried he had dyed Sure there is I know not what kind of charm in holy sadnesses which cannot be sufficiently expressed but such it is that a Soul contristated from God when it is fallen into those Abysses wherein all the world reputes it lost findeth in the bottom of its heart such lights and sweetnesses as that there is not any comfort in the world to be compared with them Still is the dejected Soul crying out My God! I adore thy holy Providence which sometimes drencheth me with Gall and Wormwood in an age wherein others are accustomed to vvalk on Roses Thou know'st O Lord that my pride hath need of such a counter-poise and in all equity hast thou done that which thy wisdom thought good What though mine eyes are moistned and fail not every night to pour forth streaming Rivers Is it reason I should live without some light hurt seeing thee wounded on all sides for my example Can I receive or take contentment in the hopes of a better fortune Where should I gather those pleasures that I shall at last in joy in thee It s true I am yet upon the weeping banks of the River of Babylon But since thou hast at last promised to wipe off those Tears since thou hast told me Thy yoke is easie and thy burden light and hast at last promised to ease all those that labour and are heavy laden why should I not fix all my consolations and songs at the feet of thy Cross why should I desire any thing more in the world then the performance of thy holy will Observe then whosoever thou art that readest these lines of what wood God useth to frame his Saints Do we not see oftentimes that some escape out of Prison by fire others falling into precipices very gently have found their liberty in the bottom thereof others to whom poyson hath turn'd into nourishment others to whom blowes of a Sword have prolonged life by opening their Impostumes yea often it is that the seeds of good hap are sometimes hid under the appearances of evil Oh silly humane Prudence then which darest to row against the providence of God! finding us many precpices in thy passions which seem so pleasing to thee as thou openest snares to betray thy poor soul Is it possible that any who bears the Name of a Christian should not be grieved to lead a life an Enemy to the Cross of Christ That so many good men as we read of should by the power of virtue afflict their bodies and preferre contempt above all that the world esteemeth that they might conform to the sufferings of their Saviour and any contentment should be delightful which comes not from divine things and blots out all the memory of sensual delectations Can it possibly be that the Soul which hath forsaken the Love-dalliances of the world and razed out of his heart all other love as the Rayes of the Sun scatter the Shadows and Phantasms of the Night should any more delight in its former pleasures No sure she returns as from the Country of the dead with languishing voyce and interrupted words she bedews her self with tears for every vain thought and idle word which offers violence or makes the least breach on her former engagement When David avvaked as it were out of a dead sleep after he had remained nine moneths covered with filth and blood without coming to himself until Nathan took away that veil that blinded him how soon did he become another man He was no more that amourous David but a Penitent exceedingly humbled having a heart bleeding eyes weeping a sad and disfigured face a body made thin sighings redoubled one upon another Joynts pined away with fastings and austereness Bones broken by reason of his sin Society was unpleasing to him the light unwelcome to him because reproaching him with his offence His Couch swam with Tears his Harp was employed in expressing his griefs his whole Body all this while dying to all mortal things of the earth ecchoed his groanings and swell'd with weeping on the Sea of Repentance until he regained that presence from which he desired God never more to cast him And oh that we could but cast those eyes which have so often descried the fair prospects of the world upon Jesus our Saviour the true brazen Serpent to free us from the Serpents of Hell Fire yea O dear Saviour look back upon me as thou didst upon Peter cast those eyes upon me which did incessantly watch for my salvation even to the passing of whole Nights in sighs and Prayers O cast those eyes of love of mercy and compassion upon me which dart the beams of day-light into souls that love thee Let those eyes
having the least motion to revenge alwayes rendering good for evil And last of all behold him pouring out Tears of joy under his Saviours Cross Here onely is the Sanctuary of rest where wearied Souls may lay their heads Here shall we be sure to meet with comfortable embraces Here shall the banished live more contented then Kings in their greatest Royalty Farewel Honours farewel Empires Riches Reputation Pleasures and gorgious Habiliments Farewel stately Buildings great Possessions Gold Silver precious Stones Feasts and all earthly Pastimes But welcome that Sickness Banishment welcome those Chains Reproaches Punishments yea Death it self which at last brings us asleep under our Saviours Cross O happy Cross O welcome Troubles why blessed Jesus should I grieve to have those shoulders wounded with such a load as through thy aid will become so pleasant unto me The world is an uncertain Sea where usually a Tempest doth arise when a Calm is expected But here 's Constancy in a good course of life Here 's Patience in Tribulation Here 's Courage to support injuries and Comfort against distresses O the poor Treasures that can be hoarded in Caves in Houses in Towers What proportion do they bear to this Heavenly Treasure O the scant presence and jealous absence of all the Goods and Delights of the world How fleeting and momentary are they how changeable are their inclinations how hungry are the Benefits and how pinching their Prodigalities How base their Ends and aims in their most real Professions how weak and frivolous their Passions yea how easily are all consum'd in a few trivial distasts O my onely God! what miserable penurious blasts are these to blow the Coals of my love unto thee Henceforth for ever make me to run with Mary Magdalen after the sweet odours of thy glorious presence make it all my pleasure to sit dayes nights and hours weighing the greatness of thy Excellency the richness of thy Glory and the beautifulness of thy Attributes Make me to spend all my strength in blessing thee for thy goodness in rejoycing at thy Mercies in admiring thy Justice and adoring thy Truth and in an awful Reverence of thy Eternal Majesty Thus doth the Soul filled with Humility and the zeal of Devotion often and not without groans speak unto her self What shall I triumph where my Master hath been covered with Reproaches Shall I take glory on my head where my Saviour hath taken the Cross upon his Shoulders shall I adorn that head with Crowns of Pearl where he received one of Thornes No O Jesus I have too long in deep draughts drank of the poysonous sweets of this worlds alurements Now will I hang all Honours at the feet of thy Cross What is Beauty Strength Valour Wisdom Industry Eloquence or all the things in the world but Dung in comparison of thy Cross O beloved Jesus there can I sit and condemn whatloever the world doth honour and esteem O my Saviour what sweetness and allurements are there in thy Sufferings Here is our Wisdome our Justice our Sanctification and Redemption Here is the splendor of the celestial Father and the Character of his substance who by his Word doth support the world And shall I not take up my Cross and follow him as he hath commanded amidst the many great Affronts Disgraces and Persecutions suffered by him Shall I not therein also accompany his Prophets the glorious company of his Apostles and the Noble Army of Martyrs Did my Saviour fly from Scepters and run to the Cross would he have no worldly Kingdoms because their Thrones were made of Ice and their Crowns of Glass and shall I not believe that where he is there can be no Desert or solitude See see then how the Characters of a suffering God are the dearest delights of a sanctified Soul which is no more it self but altogether transfigured with a heavenly transmutation It lives wholly on the bloud of its Saviour it breathes not but by his spirit it speaks not but by his words it thinks not but by his Meditations It defies Tribulation Anguish Pain Nakedness and Dangers It adventures amongst bloody Swords and Persecutions and is no way affrighted with burning Faggots and boyling Cauldrons And if thou O my Soul art at any time unwilling to part with this Earthly Tabernacle think but how willingly the glorious Martyrs of Christ sacrificed themselves in as many Torments as they had members They preached on Crosses sang in Flames triumphed on Wheeles Deserts and Tears Scorchings and Snows were nothing to them in the way to that Glory for which thou art unwilling to forsake a Dung-hil But O my God! if thou think it fit to exercise my patience to try my faith to correct my sin by the wickedness of men give me grave never to be so disturbed with the injustice of Creatures but that I may consider the justice of thee who art the most righteous Creator O let me not be vanquished and suppressed by the burden of the Cross but rather enabled by the weight of it to walk more steadily in all holiness Justice and sobriety before thee And though Affliction here seem like the Cloud which the Prophet saw to carry winds and storms in it but was environed with a golden Circle yet let it at last be encompassed with the brightness and smiling felicity of that day wherein Calumny shall change it selfe into Adoration Rage into astonishment and those that are thought lost in the Labyrinth of misery shall see themselves consecrated and carried through their punishments into the Haven of Eternal safety Be not dismayed then O faithful Soul in the Sufferings and troubles of this life suffer not thy self to be overcome with those Temptations which will snatch so rich a Crown out of thy hands Happy and for ever blessed wilt thou be to enter into so incomparable a Glory vvhen it shall be said unto thee having left the Deserts of this world come now and dwell in the everlasting delights of thy God! O throw away those vanities which too much too much flattered thee with the splendors of a deceitful world Raise up thy self and say O when will that day come which will restore me a body to render it to God a body no longer of frail pondorous and perishable Earth but a body immortal and gilded with the splendors and sufferings of my Saviour Yea let us more fix our Thoughts on an Immortality a Resurrection an Eternal Life a life of God gained for us by the pains sweats and blood of Jesus to which he daily invites us a life which will charm all our Troubles sweeten all our rigours purifie all our intentions animate our virtues and at last after so many hardships and Travels of a wretched life so many Calumnies and Reproaches and after so great a Tumult of miseries Crown us with happiness rest our weather beaten Ark and bring us into a sweet and quiet repose In Imitation of our Saviours great Patience under his Passion the