A Temple of thy Wisdom Blessedness and Glory O ye Powers of mine immortal Soul bless ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever He hath made you greater More glorious Brighter Better than the Heavens A meeter dwelling place for his eternal Godhead Than the Heaven of Heavens The Heaven of Heavens And all the Spaces above the Heavens Are not able to contain him Being but dead and silent Place They feel not themselves They know nothing See no immensity nor wideness at all But in thee my Soul there is a perceptive Power To Comprehend the Heavens To Feel thy self To Measure all the Spaces beyond the Heavens To Receive the Deity of the eternal God And those Spaces By him into thee To feel and see the Heaven of Heavens All things contained in them And his Presence in thee Nor canst thou only feel his Omnipresence in thee But adore his Goodness Dread his Power Reverence his Majesty See his Wisdom Rejoyce in his Bounty Conceive his Eternity Praise his Glory Which being things transcendent unto place Cannot by the Heavens at all be apprehended With Reverence O God and Dread mixed with Joy I come before thee To consider thy Glory in the perfection of my Soul The Workmanship of the Lord In so great a Creature From East to West From Earth to Heaven In the twinkllng of an eye My Sight removeth Throughout all the Spaces beyond the Heavens My Thoughts in an instant like the holy Angels Nor Bounds nor Limits doth my Soul discern But an infinite Liberty beyond the World Mine Understanding being present With whatsoever it knoweth An infinite Bulk excludeth all things Being void of Life is next to nothing Feeleth not it self Is a dead Material Vain Useless But I admire O Lord thine infinite Wisdom In advancing me to the similitude Of thine eternal Greatness A Greatness like thine Hast thou given unto me A living Greatness A Soul within That receiveth all things A Greatness Spiritual A Greatness Heavenly A Greatness Divine A Greatness Intelligent A Greatness Profitable Blessed be the Lord Whose Understanding is insinite For giving me a Soul Able to comprehend with all Saints the length and breadth and depth and heighth of the Love of God which passeth Knowledge that I might be filled with all the fullness of God Eph. 3. And if the fullness of God Then not only his Immenuty Beyond the Heavens But his fullness in the Ages His Absent-Presence in all Generations He whose Greatness is the only useful Greatness Hath made my Soul the Image of his own Whose Wisdom and Greatness both are one A Simple Life An eternal sphere of infinite Knowledge In every Centre Expanded every where Yet indivisible The similitude of thine Infiniteness I see printed in it But that of thine Eternity is supremely wonderful In both I 〈◊〉 So strangely glonious Hast thou made my Soul That even Yesterday is present To mine inward eye The days of my Infancy The days of my Childhood The days of my Old Age. We have An endless Liberty Being able to see walk be present there Where neither the Eagles eye nor the Lions thought can at all approach The deeds of our Progenitors Their Lives and Persons Thy ways among the Ancients The services of the Sun in all Generations The Sun of Righteousness in his Rising and Eclipse The Creation of the World And the Government of Kingdoms Can we behold The day of Judgment The Delights of Ages The Sphere of time Nor will that contain us An infinite liberty we find beyond them Can walk in thine Eternity All at large In every moment see it wholly Know every where That from everlasting to everlasting thou art God Whose everlasting Glory is the Treasure of my Soul And thine eternal continuance a permanent NOW With all its Contents For ever enjoyed What O Lord hath thy Hand created Who how what is thy Creature O my King Thou hast made me like thee To measure Heaven with a span Comprehend a thousand Ages as one day See an Infinity before and after Thine Infinity is abused By the ignorance of men It restraineth nothing But magnisieth all Thou hast made the World Most wide and glorious In respect of its Age In respect of its Immensity In respect of its Contents To me nevertheless but The drop of a Bucket To me nevertheless but The dust of a ballance To me nevertheless but A very little thing And in compa rison of thee The Omnipresent Eternal God My Beloved God A very Nothing Unsatiable is my Soul Because nothing can fill it A living Centre wider than the Heavens An infinite Abyss So made by the perfection of thy Presence Who art an insinite KNOWLEDGE in ev'ry Centre Not corporeal but simple Life Wonderfully sufficient in all its Powers For all Objects Material Immaterial Operations Earthly Heavenly Temporal Eternal A work worthy of Immortality To create an endless unsensible Body Is not the way to Celestial Greatness A Body endless though endued with Sense Can see Only visible things Taste The Qualities in Meat and Drink Feel Cross or tangible Bodies Hear The harshness or melody of Sounds Smell The things that have Odours in them But those things which neither Sight nor Smell nor Taste can discern nor Feeling try nor Ear apprehend The Cream and Crown and Flower of all Thoughts Counsels Kingdoms Ages Angels Cherubims The Souls of Men Wisdom Holiness Dominion Soveraignty Honour Glory Goodness Blessedness Heroich Love yea GOD HIMSELF Come not within the sphere of Sense Are all Nulliries to such a Creature Only Souls immortal Souls are denied nothing All things are 〈◊〉 to the Soul of Man All things open and nal ed to it The Understanding seeth Their Natures Their Uses Their Extents Their Relations Their Ends Their Properties Their Services Even all their Excellencies And thee my God is she able to behold Who dwellest in her In all the Spaces of thy great Immensity To accompany thy Goodness and see whatsoever thy hand is doing That in the Joy of all She might abide in Communion With thee for ever Whose works are her Treasures Whose ways her Delights Whose joys thy Counsels She is fit indeed to be the Bride of God! By this I see that thy hand hath made me The End of all things I know thou hast pleased me In every Being which I am able to behold Since thou hast made me thy Image There is not a Sand In the utmost Indies Which I cannot apprehend Nor a Thought In any part of all Eternity But I am fit to know O the bounty of an eternal God! The Swiftest Thought The Smallest Sand Are infinitely enriched by thy disposal of them And every thing contained in the Womb of Eternity Made a Gift transcendent to my Soul Equally near to mine Understanding By thine infinite Goodness Wisdom Power Expressed in them Fraught with Treasure Eternally to be seen In Heaven to be enjoyed Atheists 〈◊〉 Divines 〈◊〉 All agree and consent
settlest the surrows thereof thou makest it soft with Showers thou blessest the springing thereof Thou Crownest the Year with thy Goodness and thy Paths drop fatness They drop upon the Pastures of the Wilderness and the little Hills rejoyce on every side The Pastures are clothed with Flocks the Valleys are covered over with Corn They shout for joy they also sing Psal. 65. 8 9 10 11 12 13. These O Lord being seen in thy Sanctuary Were Davids Joys Their Publick Beauty his Personal Delights O that my Heart were awake O God To see the Glory of thy Handy Work Thy visible Works are The Joy of Angels The Delight of Cherubins Heavenly Treasures When thou hadst said the Foundations of the Earth and accomplished the Creation of the World The Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for Joy Thy Servant Moses transported into 〈◊〉 and Blessing Joseph on the brink of Glory Saw the Beauties which Angels admire The perfection of thy visible Treasures Blessed of the Lord be his Land for the precious things of Heaven and for the Deep that coucheth beneath And for the precious things brought forth by the Sun and for the precions things put forth by the Moon and for the chief things of the ancient Mountains and for the precious things of the lasting Hills And for the precious things of the Earth and the fullness thereof and for the good Will of him that dwelt in the Bush. Deut. 33. 13 14. c. Blessed be the Glory of him who created all things and upholdeth them daily by the word of his Power All these thy Goodness giveth me Which I with Moses and thy Saints enjoy Had I none other yet These alone are the Angels Songs Surrounded with these I live in Eden But thou hast reserved thy peculiar Joys And given me all other Superadded Treasure The Actions on this Theatre Of thy glorious Kingdom The Lives of thy Saints Their Souls their Tears their Praises In eternal Glory they are seen so perfect that nothing can be added nor taken from them for ever Eccl. 3. 14. And therefore is it that every Creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea c. and all that are in them shall we hear saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be to him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore Rev. 5. 13. To him that sitteth upon the Throne Because he created them To the Lamb for evermore Because he purchased them for us That we shall hear all Creatures In Heaven and Earth So praising thee Plainly sheweth that we shall Understand their Natures See their Beings Know their Excellencies Take Pleasure in them Because they are thy treasures given unto us Compleat Perfect Divine Blessed Innumerable Endless Angelical Heavenly Deep Fathomless Great Glorious Permanent Eternal In hearing all that are in them praising thee We shall behold their Centres Know their Uses See every Property Every Excellence Every Degree in every Excellence Every End to which they are ordained Every Person to whom they relate In every one of which they glorify thee By exalting us Serve us by glorifying thee By delighting all are serviceable to each And glorify my Soul by delighting all Especially by the Glory which they pay to thee Who delightest in them For the perfect Good which they do to thy sons Both here and hereafter In thy glorious Kingdom I admire the Wisdom whereby thou enrichest all thy Wonders The Sun is as a Bridegroom coming forth of his Chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run his Race Psal. 19. 5. His Beams Which enter and revive mine eyes Which beautify and quicken all the earth Do service unto me As if no Man were created but I alone The Moon and Stars Dew and Rain Hills and Valleys Fields and Meadows In serving Fishes In serving Fowls and In serving Beasts Serve all the sons of Men A new deep and richer way And in serving them Bless Me thy Servant Enrich Me thy Servant Serve Me thy Servant What Blindness then O Lord possesseth all the sons of men That covet Treasures in the midst of Glory See not thy Riches Gape after Honours Complain of Poverty in the midst of Wealth Turn thy Glory into Shame Love Vanity Follow after Leasing And while they have Eyes and see not The Glories of thy Kingdom Ears and hear not The Voice of thy Creatures Hearts and understand not The Excellencies in them Disquiet themselves in vain to walk in a vain shew heaping up Riches not knowing who shall gather them Psal. 39. 6. But they that will be rich fall into Temptation and a nare and into many foolish and hurt ful Lusts that drown Men in Destruction and Perdition For the love of Money is the root of all Evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. As Adam by seeking knowledge in a foolish way lost all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge which were laid up for him So do these in seeking Riches Destruction and Misery are in all their Ways Ingratidude and Wo Folly and Complaining Ignorance Stupidity Sloth and Poverty Thy Glorious Treasures They therefore Despise because they have them And will never learn to use them Till they lose the benefit and Enjoyment of them But I thy Servant will sing aloud of thy Mercy To make known to the Sons of Men thy A ighty Acts and the Glorious Majesty of thine Excellent Kingdom Psal. 145. 12. That the Sons of Men Might be shining lights To me thy Servant And praise thy Name for thy Glory To which they see thee Exalting thy Creature That I might enjoy the Benefit of the Holy Scriptures And see the use of all thy Creatures That I might see thy ways Among all the Nations And rejoice with thee In thy Judgments and Mercies That with Order and Government Laws and Customs They might beautify the World Which else would be no more than a silent Eden That I might see the good of thy Chosen Rejoice in the gladness of thy Nation And glory with thine Inheritance Psal. 106. 5. That our feet may stand within thy Gates O Jerusalem Whither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimony of Israel Psal. 122. 4. Were they Created Were they Enlarged Were they Beautified Who are Heirs with me of thine eternal Kingdom Festivals and Sabbaths Sacraments and solemn Assemblies Bishops Priests and Deacons Emperors Kings and Princes Counsellors Physicians Senators And Captains In all the Beauty of their Office and Ministry 〈◊〉 Shine like Stars In the firmament of thy Kingdom In the midst of whom Thy Servant liveth O give me Wisdom To see their Splendor To Enjoy their Influences Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward There is no man which reckoneth them
up in order unto thee When I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Psal. 40. 5. When I leave the Earth And ascend to thy Throne To see thy Glory above the Heavens There I am ravished with amazement and joy To see thy Love More great to thy Servant Than if thou hadst loved none besides Thou Sun of Righteousness Life and Glory Who gav'st thy self wholly to every Soul How wonderful are the Riches of thy manifold Wisdom Giving All things to One More than if they were given to him alone The Rays of the Sun Which shine in my eyes I know to be mine But those that fly to the utmost Stars That go to the Mountains Shine upon the Moon Are scattered and dispersed Over all the Heavens Seem to forsake me And fly wholly to other places Yet beautify the World And make me Possessor of all its glories They reflect again And closing in mine eye Cause me to see even all thy Glories Did that glorious Orb Of embodied Light Direct all his Beams to me I could not see him So perfectly as now If uniting into one they scorch'd me not A night of darkness Would still surround me The Heavens and the Earth Would to me be lost The beauty of all the Creatures be Buried in a Grave The World a Dungeon round about me Nor do those Rays which seem to leave me Illuminate alone They digest Gold Cherish Minerals Animate the Air Quicken Trees Excite the Influences of the very Heavens Melt the Waters Inspire living Creatures Ripen Fruits Perfect Flowers Raise Exhalations Cause the Rivers Begetting Propagating Enlivening all those Creatures Cherishing all those Creatures Preserving all those Creatures That are the life and beauty of my Habitation Thou hast created Cherubims Thou hast created Saints Thou hast created Angels Like Suns they shine Like Stars they serve Like Jewels they adorn Thy celestial Kingdom Their Beauty Love Melody Wisdom Order Goodness Ministry Power Their Thrones Joys and and Crowns Praises Make them like thee Whose Image they bear My supremest Treasures And me they serve As perfect Joys While I to them am made a Glory Hadst thou loved me and none besides Those glorious Hosts had never been Of those my Joys my soul had been bereaved More than thy self Hast thou given me In giving me beside thy self Those thine Images In every one of those As the Sun shineth both naked to mine eye Again in a mirror Hast thou given me thy self A second time But O the vast the 〈◊〉 the unconceivably sufficient and endless Powers Of mine immortal Soul That are able to enjoy thee Wholly in thy self Wholly in thy Son Wholly in each of all thine Hosts In advancing whom to the highest Thrones Thou hast employed thy Goodness Thou hast employed thy Wisdom Thou hast employed thy Power To enrich thy Servant With The Chief of Beings With Living Temples With Glorious Hosts With Second Selves With Inestimable Mirrors With Fellow-Members With Divinest Treasures In Communion with whom By all their Knowledge and Love enlarged I shall ever see thy glorious self In the unsearchable Excesses Of eternal Love Infinitely more than infinite In Glory for evermore Goodness for evermore Wisdom for evermore Blessedness for evermore Hadst thou created none but me alone And made me the Temple Of thine eternal Godhead In giving me thy self thy Bounty would be infinite In raising such Kings to love and see me Who are each thine Image Who are each thine Friend and Who are each thine Son Thy Love is more By giving me thy self In each of them Infinitely insinite O Lord I am transported With the Excesses of thy Love By making them thy Likeness As thou gavest me thy self Thou givest me them Employing all thy Wisdom Employing all thy Goodness Employing all thy Power In making them thine Image That in the Likeness of thy Glory That in the Likeness of thy Love and That in the Likeness of thy Blessedness They might be to me What my God is Each one A shining Light Each one An exceeding Joy Each one A Fountain of living Waters Each one A Royal Diadem Each one A Crown of Glory Thou hast given me thy self Again and again in each of those Especially by making me to them What thou art A Lover of their Happiness A Rejoycer in their Joy A Delighter in their Glory Thanksgivings for the Blessedness of God's Ways TO him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood And hath made us Kings and priests to God and his Father To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1. 5 6. Thou Lord art one and the same for ever LOVE ETERNAL more Thy Goodness infinite Thy Bounty omnipresent Thy Wisdom enriching every gift Making every Creature an endless Treasure Making every Thought and Action an endless Treasure Only we Are blind and dead and dull and foolish Only we Apostate Enemies careless Wanderers Only we Banishing our selves Only we Accustomed only to narrow things Like Runnagates we dwell in a dry Land And see not the Mysteries of thy holy Courts The inward Beauty of all thy Creatures Because we loath the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Restore thine Image Recall our Minds Enable us in thy Likeness To enjoy thy Works To see thy Wonders Possess the Worlds Delight in thy Laws Feel our selves Admire thy Riches Wean us O Lord from Vain Treasures Little Treasures Useless Treasures False Treasures Dead Treasures Unprofitable Treasures And elevate our Souls To thee and thine Make us acquainted Our Thoughts paralel Our Affections present Our Imaginations busie constant familiar With great things wide things fathomless things eternal things Thy Bride thy Son Thy Dominion over Ages The glory of thy Kingdom Which Includeth all Which Endureth for ever Teach us thy ways upon Earth Which are infinitely Holy Which are infinitely Sweet Which are infinitely Glorious Which are infinitely Delightful Which are infinitely Beautiful Transforming all that look upon them Exalting those that are busie in them Concerning all Reaching unto all To every Soul in Heaven and Earth From every Region From every Age and From every Kingdom O my Lord thou art in every thing Divine Wise Blessed Holy Heavenly Glorious Because in every thing thou overflowest 〈◊〉 to all Art infinite in Goodness in all thy Ways Infinitly Communicative of all thy Goodness Granting it wholly to all thine hosts In every thing wholly to every person In every place Every way For every End By him in thy Likeness wholly to be enjoy'd Whom thou constitutest likewise And appointest to be heir Of all that Goodness communicated unto all Recollecting the same And causing it to rest in him alone Yea not to rest But with greater joy From him to overflow To all thine Armies Let the same mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus Phil. 2. Who is gone before us to prepare a mansion In the beavens for us 10. 14. Teach us by Wisdom To enjoy
in its Womb In every moment an infinity of Joys Thy Ways O my God are infinitely Delicious From the beginning until now Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Wisdom Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Goodness Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Power Are in every thing Magnified Are in every thing Perfectly exalted Towards all thy Creatures Thy Condescention in creating the Heavens And the Earth Is wholly Wonderful Thy Bounty to Adam To me in him Most Great and Infinite Blessed be thy Name for the Employment thou gavest him More Glorious than the World To see thy Goodness Contemplate thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Love Be Ravish'd with thy Riches Sing thy Praises Enjoy thy Works Delight in thy Highness Possess thy Treasures And much more Blessed be thy H. Name For Restoring me by the Blood of Jesus To Thy glorious Works To Those blessed Emploments It is my Joy O Lord to see the Perfection of thy Love towards us in that Estate The Glory of thy Laws The Blessedness of thy Works The Highness of thine Image The Beauty of the Life that there was to be led In Communion with Thee Those intended Joys are mine O Lord In thee my God In Jesus Christ In every Saint In every Angel But the glorious Covenant so graciously renewed O the Floods the Seas the Oceans Of Honey and Butter contained in it So many thousand Years since my standing Treasure O reach me to Esteem it O reach me to Reposite it in my Family As that which by its Value is made sacred Infinitely Sacred because infinitely Blessed How ought our first Fathers To have esteemed that Covenant To have laid it up for their Childrens Children As the choicest Treasure The Magna Charta of Heaven and Earth By which they held their Blessedness The Evidence of their Nobility The antient Instrument of their League with God Their pledge claim to eternal Glory The sacred Mystery of all their Peace But they Apostatized and provoked thy Displeasure Sixteen hundred and fifty six Years Till thou did'st send a Flood that swept them away Yet did'st thou give them The Rite of Sacrificing The Lamb of God To betoken his Death From the beginning of the World Shewedft them thy Glory And that of Immortality By Enochs Translation Of which me also hast thou made the heir In the midst of Judgments thou hadst mercy on Noah And saved'st us both In an ARK by Water That Ark is mine Thy Goodness gave it me By preserving my Being and Felicity in it It more serveth me there where it is 〈◊〉 Than if all its Materials were now in my In that Act did'st thou reveal thy Glory As much as by the Creation of the World itself Reveal thy Glory to me and by many such Dispel the foggs of Ignorance and 〈◊〉 That else would have benighted And drowned my Soul The Rainbow is a Seal Of thyrenewed Covenant For which to day I praise thy Name As for the wicked They revolted back from the Life of God But the holy Sages brightly shined Whom thy Goodness prepared To be the Light of the World Melchisedec North 〈◊〉 himself In whom thy Goodness Blessed Me thy Servant In whom thy Goodness Blessed And all Nations Whom thy Goodness chiefly Blessed by making a Blessing When the World would have extinguished Knowledge And have lost thy Covenant Thou heldest the Clew and maintained'st my Lot and sufferedst not all to perish for ever Out of the Loins of thy beloved Thy Glory form'd a Kingdom for thy self Govern'd by Laws Made famous by Miracles 〈◊〉 by Mercy 's Taught from Heaven 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Witness thou dwelledst among them Thy Servant David in most Solemn 〈◊〉 sang Thy Praises Thy Glory appeared in Solomon's Temple But more in his Wisdom And the Prosperity of thy People Thy Prophers in their order ministred to us The concealed Beauty of thy Ceremonies Is wholly mine To me they exhibit in the best of Hieroglyphicks JESUS CHRIST The Glory of their Ministery Service and Expectation For two thousand Years is my Enjoyment For my sake and for thy Promise sake Did thy goodness forbear When their Sins had provoked Thee To destroy them wholly How did thy Goodness in the time of Distress Watch over them for Good When like a Spark in the Sea They were almost wholly Extinguished In the Babilonish Waves How Lord did'st thou Work in that Night of Darkness Making thy Glory and the Glory of Love More to appear Then was 〈◊〉 Welfare turning upon the hinge Our Hope gasping for a little Life Our Glory brought to the pits brink And beyond the possibility of human remedy Endangered in the Extinction of that Nution How then did thy Power shine In making Nehemiah the Kings Cupbearer Hester Queen Mordecai a Prince The three Children cold in the furnace Daniel Lord chief President of 127 Provinces Zorobbabel and Ezra especial favorites And in sending thy people home Without any Ransom That the influence of thy promise Might surely descend And our Saviour arise out of Davids Loins Be born at Bethlehem Crucified at Jerusalem According to the Prophesies That went before concerning him Blessed Lord I magnific thy holy Name For his Incarnation For the Joy of the Angels that sang his praises For the Star of his Birth For the Wise men's Offerings that came from the East For the Salutation of thy handmaid Mary For the Ravishing Song of the blessed Virgin For the Rapture and Inspiration of Zacharias thy Servant For the Birth of John our Saviours forerunner O Lord Who would have believed that such a worm as I should have had such Treasures In thy celestial Kingdom In the Land of Jury 3000 miles from hence So great a Friend such a Temple Such a Brest plate Glittering with Stones of endless price Such Ephod Mytre Altar Court Priest and Sacrifices All to shew me my Lord and Saviour By the Shining Light of nearer Ages By the Universal consent of many Nations By the Most powerful Light of thy blessed Gospel See that remoter in the Land of Jury More clearly to shine The universal Good which redounded to all Is poured upon me The root being beautified by all its branches The fountain enriched and made famous by its streams Their Temple Sacrifices Oracles Scriptures Ceremonies Monuments of Antiquity Miracles Transactions Hopes Have received credit and magnificence by successes By the Lustre Authority and Glory By the Conviction of Ages By the Acknowledgment of Sages By the Conversion of Philosophers By the Of Flourishing Cities Empires 〈◊〉 and mighty States All which enamel the Book of God And enrich it more for mine exaltation The very Trees and Fruits and Fields and Flowers that did service unto them Flourished for me And here I live Praising thy Name For the silencing of Oracles And the flight of Idolatry For demolishing the Temple When its Service ended For permitting the Jews In severity to them For permitting the Jews In mercy to me To kill my Saviour For
O Praise the Lord of heaven praise him in y e heighâ—… Praise him all ye angels of his praise him all his host Psal. 148. 1. 2. Kings of the earth and all people princes and all judges of the world Young men maidens old men and children praise the Name of the Lord for his Name onely is excellent and his praise above heaven and earth Psal. 14.8 11. 12. Lot every thing that hath breath praise y e Lord Ps. 150. â—… A SERIOUS and PATHETICAL CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same PUBLISHED By the Reverend Doctor HICKS At the request of a Friend of the Authors LONDON Printed for Samuel Heble at the Turksbead Fleet street over against Fetser-laneend 1699. A LETTER Concerning this Book from the PUBLISHER to the BOOKSELLER Mr. Keble WHEN I desired you to Print these excellent Papers I told you they were recommended to me by a devout Person who was a great Judge of Books of Devotion having given the World one already which had been well received in three impressions and would in time furnish'd it with more And when I promis'd you to write a Preface 〈◊〉 them I knew not of any other 〈◊〉 that designed to do it but since 〈◊〉 have received one from the hand of 〈◊〉 worthy Gentleman of the Authors acquaintance who had a desire to pay his respects to his pious Friends Memory in a Preface to his noble Remains And indeed he had a much better title to write a Preface before them than a stranger who can only tell how greatly the Author of them wrote but knew not how greatly he lived I will therefore intreat you to accept of his Preface for mine and to send me twenty Copies of the Book well Bound as soon as you can and at as easy rates as you can afford them I believe I shall have occasion for a greater number for the Book in every thing answers to its title and as I have received great delight and benefit in reading of it So I shall recommend it to persons of parts and pious inclinations as I shall find Opportunities I wish all Booksellers would employ the Press so much for Gods Honour and the publick Good as you do for besides other Peices which are written with great force and eloquence to chastise the Vices of the Age you have printed many good Books of Devotion which made me desire that you should print this Had the Author 〈◊〉 to Publish it it would have come abroad with greater advantages for 〈◊〉 art some places which seem to require the hand of the same Architect who made them to reform 〈◊〉 but they are but few and such as only need to be made a little more correct or plain and we must not wonder that there are some uncorrect and obscure Passages in a Book which is so sull of Thoughts and composed in Numbers or numerous Periods which tho of the freer sort are not so easy for an Author to express his thoughts in as plain and unconfined Prose I wish you a very happy New year and remain Jan. 2d 1698. Your faithful Friend and Servant George Hickes TO THE READER THO the unhappy decay of true Piety and the lmmoralities of the Age we live in may be a discouragement to the multiplying such Books as this yet on the other hand this degeneracy of Manners and too evident contempt of Religion makes it it may be the more necessary to endeavor to retreive the Spirit of Devotion and the sacred Fires of of Primitive Christianity And since 't is hop'd this ensuing Treatise may somewhat conduce to these noble Ends It is thought to be no unprofitable Undertaking to commit it to the Press it being part of the Remains of a very devout Christian who is long since removed to the Regions of Beatified Spirits to sing those Praises and Hallelujahs in which he was very vigorously employ'd whilst he dwelt amongst us and since somewhat of Preface is become as it were a necessary part of every Book instead of any particular Dedication which is commonly overstuft with Flattery and Complements I will only give thee some account of the Author To tell thee who he was is I think to no purpose And therefore I will only tell theewhat he was for that may possibly recommend these following Thanksgivings and Meditations to thy use He was a Divine of the Church of England of a very comprehensive Soul and very accute Parts so fully bent upon that Honourable Function in which he was engaged and so wonderfully transported with the Love of God to Mankind with the excellency of those Divine Laws which are prescribed to us and with those inexpressible Felicities to which we are entitled by being created in and redeemed to the Divine Image that he dwelt continually amongst these thoughts with great delight and satisfaction spending most of his time when at home in digesting his notions of these things into writing and was so full of them when abroad that those that would converse twith him were forced to endure some discourse upon these subjects whether they had any sense of Religion or not And therefore to such he might be sometimes thought troublesome but his company was very acceptable to all such as had any inclinations to Vertue and Religion And tho he had the misfortune to come abroad into the World in the late disordered Times when the Foundations were cast down and this excellent Church laid in the dust and dissolved into Confusion and Enthusiasme yet his Soul was of a more refin'd allay and his Judgment in discerning of things more solid and considerate then to be infected with that Leaven and therefore became much in love with the beautiful order and Primitive Devotions of this our excellent Church Insomuch that I beleive he never failed any one day either publickly or in his private Closet to make use of her publick Offices as one part of his devotion unless some very unavoidable business interrupted him He was a man of a cheerful and sprightly Temper free from any thing of the sourness or formality by which some great pretenders to Piety rather disparage and misrepresent true Religion than recommend it and therefore was very affable and pleasant in his Conversation ready to do all good Offices to his Friends and Charitable to the Poor almost beyond his ability But being removed out of the Country to the service of the late Lord Keeper Bridgman as his Chaplain he died young and got early to thoses blissful Mansions to which he at all times aspir'd ERRATA The Reader is desired to pardon divers mispointings and to make these following cnrections P. 3. l. 31. read Sculptures p. 7. l. 27. r. That thou mayest p. 34. l. 16. r. While she is chiefly beautiful p. 48. l. 2. r. Snare p. 71. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trampled p. 76. l. 9. r. thy Testimonies p. 87. l. 9. r. Know p. 95. l. 30. r.
shine as the Sun In thy heavenly Kingdom From whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Then shall each Limb a spring of Joy be found And ev'ry Member with its Glory crown'd While all the Senses fill'd with all the Good That ever Ages in them understood 〈◊〉 are Containing Worlds of Treasure At one Delight with all their Joy and Pleasure From whence like Rivers Joy shall overflow Affect the Soul though in the Body grow Return again and make the Body shine Like Jesus Christ while both in one combine Mysterious Contracts are between the Soul Which touch the Spirits and by those its Bowl The Marrow Bowels Spirits melt and move Dissolving ravish teach them how to love He that could bring the Heavens thro the Eye And make the World within the Fancy lie By beams of Light that closing meet in one From all the Parts of his celestial Throne Far more than this in framing Bliss can do Instame the Body and the Spirit too Can make the Soul by Sense to feel and see And with her Joy the Senses wrap'd to be Yea while the Flesh or Body subject lies To those Aflections which in Souls arise All holy Glories from the Soul redound And in the Body by the Soul abound Are felt within and ravish ev'ry Sense With all the Godheads glorious Excellence Who found the way himself to dwell within As if even Flesh were nigh to him of kin His Goodness Wisdom Power Love divine Make by the Soul convey'd the Body shine Not like the Sun that earthly Darkness is But in the strengths and heights of all this bliss For God designs thy Body for his sake A Temple of the Deity to make But now O Lord how highly great have my Transgressions been who have abused this thy glorious Creature by Surseiting and Excess by Lust and Wantonness by Drunkenness by Passion by immoderate Cares excessive Desires and earthly Fears Yea had I been guilty of none of those had no Lies and Oaths polluted my Tongue no vain Imaginations 〈◊〉 my Heart no stealing my Hands nor idle Speeches profaned mine Ears Yet have I been wholly estranged from thee by the sinful Courses of this World by the Delusions of vain Conversation Being unsensible of these things I have been blind and dead profane and stupid seared and ingrateful and for living beneath such a glorious Estate may justly be excluded thine everlasting Kingdom Enable me to keep thy Temple 〈◊〉 Which thou hast prepared for thy self Turn away mine Eyes From beholding Vanity Enable me to wash my hands in Innocency That I may compass thme altar about And list up my Hands To thy Holy Oracle Put a Watch over the Door of my Lips That I speak not unadvisedly with my Tongue Let my Glory awake early in the morning To bring praises unto thee Enter O Lord the Gates of my Heart Bow down the Heavens O Lord And break open those Everlasting Doors That the King of Glory may enter in Let the Ark of thy Presence rest within me Let not Sin reign in our mortal Bodies that we should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither let us yield our Members as instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but let us yield our selves to God as those that are alive from the Dead and our Members as Instruments of Righteousness to God Rom. 6. My Beloved put in his Hand by the Hole of the Door and my Bowels were moved for him I rose up to open to my beloved and my Hands dropped with Myrrh and my singer with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the Handles of the Lock O my beloved be not as a Wayfaring Man that turneth aside to tarry but for a Night Thou hast ravished mine Heart with one of thine Eyes How fair is thy Love my Sister my Spouse How much better is thy Love than Wine and the smell of thine Oyntments than all Spices Thy Lips O my Spouse drop as an Hony Comb Hony and Milk are under thy Tongue and the small of thy Garments is as the smell of Leb mon Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Return O my Love I would lead thee and bring thee Into my Mothers House I would kiss thee yet should I not be despised O let me live in thy Bosom for ever O Infinite God Center of my Soul Convert me powerfully unto thee that in thee I may take Rest for thou didst make me for thee and my heart 's unquiet till it be united to thee And seeing O Eternal Father thou didst create me that I might love thee as a Son give me Grace that I may love thee as my Father O only begotten Son of God Redeemer of the World seeing thou didst Create and Redeem me that I might Obey and Imitate thee make me to Obey and Imitate thee in all thy imitable Persection O Holy Ghost seeing thou didst create me to Sanctify me do it O do it for thine own Glory that I may acceptably praise and serve the holy and 〈◊〉 Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Amen Let all thy Creatures bless thee O Lord and my Soul praise and bless thee for them all I give thee Thanks for the being thou givest unto the Heavens Sun Moon Stars and Elements to Beasts Plants and all other Bodies of the Earth to the Fowls of the Air the Fishes of the Sea I give thee thanks for the beauty of Colours for the harmony of Sounds for the pleasantness of Odours for the sweetness of Meats for the warmth and softness of our Raiment and for all my five Senses and all the Pores of my Body so curiously made as before recited and for the Preservation as well as Use of all my Limbs and Senses in keeping me from Precipices Fraetures and Dislocations in my Body from a distracted discomposed confused discontented Spirit Above all I praise thee for manifesting thy self unto me whereby I am made capable to praise and magnify thy name for evermore Thanksgivings for the Soul I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all Generations And the Heavens shall praise thy Wonders O Lord thy faithfulness also in the Congregation of the Saints The Heavens shall praise thy Wonders But more the Powers of my immortal Soul Which thou hast made more excellent than the Clouds and greater than the Heavens O Lord I rejoyce and am exceeding glad Because of thy Goodness In Creating the World In Giving Brightness to the Sun In Ruling the Sea In Framing the Limbs and Members of my Body But much more abundantly For the Glory of my Soul Which out of Nothing thou hast builded To be a Temple unto God A living Temple of thine Omnipresence An understanding Eye A Temple of Eternity
my Exaltation His Death my Life Liberty and Glory His Love my Strength And the incentive of mine His Resurrection my Release His Ascension my Triumph His Gospel my Joy The Light of his Countenance And of thine in him My Reviving Healing Comforting Sun In the day of thy Grace let me work for thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Goodness And according to the wideness of mine Understanding The Greatness of my Soul The Liberty of my Thoughts Walk at large In all the Regions of Heaven and Earth In all the Regions of Time and Eternity Living in thine Image Towards all thy Creatures On Angels wings Holy Meditations According to the transcendent Presence of my Spirit everywhere Let me see thy Beauties Thy Love to me To all thy Creatures In the First Creation In the Government of Ages In the Day of Judgment In the Work of Redemption In My Conception and Nativity In All my Deliverances In The Peace of my Country In Noah's Ark. With Moses and David Let me behold thy ways Delight in thy Mercies Be praising thee O shew me the excellency of all thy works In the Eternity that is before the World began let me behold the beauty of thine everlasting Counsels And in the Eternity which appeareth when the World is ended let me see thy Glory O God of infinite Majesty now I confess that the Knowledge I have of thee is admirable by that which I discover in my self for if in a thing so gross as is my Body there be a Spirit so noble as is my Soul which giveth it Being and Life governeth it and in it and by it worketh such stupendious things how much more necessary is it that thou be in the midst of this extended World who art that supream Spirit by whom we all are live move and have our being Since therefore thou art my Being and my Life thou art my Soul too and I rejoice to have thee for my 〈◊〉 loving thee infinitely more than my stlf O that all did know thee and love thee more than their Life and their own Soul since thou art the true Life and Soul of all To whom be Glory Honour and Praise for evermore Amen Thanksgivings for the Glory of God's Works BLess the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments hearkening to the Voice of his word Bless the Lord all ye his hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his WORKS in all places of his Dominion Bless the Lord O my soul. Psal. 103. 21 22 23. O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Psal. 8. 1. When I consider the Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him For thou 〈◊〉 made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his fect All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas Psal. 8. 3 4 c. O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world Thy works O Lord are for ever to be remembred The earth is full of thy riches The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal. 24. 1. The heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men As we are visible Bodies Conversing here beneath He hath given us the Earth To his Image As we are invisible and immortal Souls Hath he given the heavens And the heaven of heavens The woods and trees and fields and valleys hast thou subjected to the Government and work of our hands The heaven of heavens to our Understand To see their glory ings Admire their greatness Enjoy their delight Possess their treasures Rejoyce in their hosts And 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 Mines of gold and veins of silver The variety of precious stones Diversity of minerals Iron Brass Copper Lead and Tin Carbuncles Emeralds Pearls Diamonds All these Hast thou given to our bodies Subjected the same to the use of our hands That we might beautify the earth With Crowns and Scepters Regal Thrones Palaces and Temples Pillars Castles Cities Closets Jewels Rings Chains Ornaments Delectable things Which by the Use of all men Become the fruition Of every holy and wise Spectator Oyl and Wine Perfumes and Spices Wheat and Rye Fruits and Flowers Hast thou given to us to delight our Senses Apples Citrons Limons Dates and Pomgranates Figs Raisins Grapes and Melons Plumbs Cherries Filberts Peaches Are all thy riches for which we praise and bless thy Name Clouds and Vapours glorify thee By serving us Springs and Rivers praise thy Name Being far more precious than gold and silver The Day is thine the Night also is thine thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the Earth thou hast made Summer and Winter He appointed the Moon for seasons the Sun knoweth his going down O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches These serve us in their glorious heights so perfectly that we cannot alter their course because we cannot mend their Operation The Fowls and Fishes Beasts and creeping things Hast thou made ours By giving them Excellencies meet to serve us Strength Swifrness Fat Skin Hair Wool Flesh Sinews Veins and Senses By giving us Understanding and Bodies to subdue them By giving us a Right and Dominion over them For all these O Lord I bless and glorify thy Holy Name And give Thee Thanks So Glorious are thy Works that Skies full of Pearl Globes of Gold Spheres of Silver greater than the Earth are Dross and Poverty in Comparison of thy Treasure All which thou offerest me to partake of The Duty to which thou hast called me Is greater than my Wealth To contemplate thy Glory The Excellency of thy Wisdom 〈◊〉 Infinite Goodness The Riches of thy Love To me thy unworthy Servant Exhibited in those Their Value Fulness Ministery My Right Interest Property Thy Blessedness Mercy Favor And in all these My Wonderful Exaltation with thee my God Blessed is the Man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may Dwell in thy Courts He shall be satisfied with the Goodness of thy House even of thy Holy Temple They also which Dwell in the Utmost parts are afraid of thy Tokens thou makest the Outgoings of the Morning and Evening to rejoyce Thon visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly Enrichest it with the River of God which is full of Water Thou preparest them Corn when thou hast so provided for it Thou waterest the Ridges thereof abundantly thou
Goodness Nothing can discourage them Of Beauty and delight They are amiable in the Eye of God and Angels and ravished with security in the heights of Triumph Thanksgivings for the Blessedness of his LAWS GIve unto the Lord O ye Mighty give unto the Lord Glory and Strength Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness Ps. 29. 1 2. O that my Ways were directed to keep thy Statutes Ps 119. 5. I will praise thee with uprightness of Heart when I shall have learned thy Righteous Judgments Ps. 119. 7. I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Ps. 119. 16. Thy Testimonies O God are my Delight and my Counsellors Ps. 119. 24. O my God! Teach thy Servant to walk upon Earth In thy Similitude Open mine Eyes that I may behold wonderous Things out of thy Law Ps. 119. 18. Thy Laws O God Are greater Tokens of thy Love to me Than Heaven and Earth In them I see the Mirrour of the Mind In them I see the Beauty of the Love In them I see My Crown of Glory O how hast thou Magnified me thy Servant In thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord thou Tenderest my Happiness As the apple of thine Eye Commanding all others to love me As they love themselves Thou makest my Person sacred in the world Hedgest in my safety By thy holy Laws Wilt have no man to approach me But with Love and Reverence My Life My Honor My Estate and Goods My Soul My Body My dear Relations And dearest Friends My Ease My Peace My Joy Thy Laws Those Bulwarks of my Repose and Pleasure So wholly dignisie and exalt thy servant As if they had been made for me alone Should thy Goodness design to make a Creature The greatest imaginable The highest above the Cherubim The most Glorious among the Angels Thy Son thy Friend Thy Bride thine Image What greater Laws in favour of it could thy Wasdom provide than that upon pain of eternal 〈◊〉 all Angels Cherubim and Men should love that Creature as they love themselves What can he withhold that 〈◊〉 as himself With that Love thou hast given me Persons Honors Riches Houses Arts Hearts Abilities Their Beauty Strength Authority Vineyards Fields Gold and Silver And which is more than all hast compassed me about With all the Powers in Heaven and Earth Angels and Men For my Preservation Yea For my Delight Enlargement Honor Glory Nor can any thing but the intervening Rebellion of Men eclipse or hinder thine Eternal Bounty Thou hast made me to live In the Temple of their Soul To reign with thee In the Throne of their Minds Encompassed not with skies But blessed Affections I thank thee O Lord and praise thy Name for all the Consolation of thy holy Laws As if I alone Were the only Person for whom All things were made They are all commanded Angels and Men to love and take Care of me All other things to minister unto me All to magnisie please and delight me While I see thy Goodness Laying all the obligations In Heaven and Earth Upon Angels and Men to be kind to me And crowning their Obedience with the Same Rewards Where with thou rewardest their love to thee It is impossible they should proceed from any other than the infinite Ocean of eternal Love I bless thee more For commanding me to love all others Than for commanding them to love me In this O my God Thy Laws are not only The hedge of my Repose And steps unto my Throne But the Light of mine Eyes And the Crown of my Glory The Physick of my Soul And Rules of my Transformation To the Image of thy Blessedness Thy Laws are a Light to my feet and a Lamp to my 〈◊〉 Ps. 119. 105. The SUN is a glorious Light Whose Beams are most Welcom Whose Beams are most Necessary Whose Beams are most Useful To me and all the Sons of Men But thy Laws surpass the light of the Sun As much as that of a Gloe-worm Being the Light of Glory Teaching us to live On Earth in Heaven O how I love thy Law It is my Meditation all the Day Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than my Enemies for they are ever with me I have more Understanding than all my Teachers for my Testimonies are my Meditation I understand more than the Ancients because I keep thy Precepts Ps. 119. 97 c. And I must confess O Lord to the honor of thy great Name that Thy Laws in commanding others to love me have made all things mine that commend their love Their Oyl and Wine their Jewels Palaces Gold and Silver Heaven and Earth yea all the things that magnifie them are mine O Lord because the Ornaments of those Persons whom thy Laws command to love me as themselves Thy Laws are my Purveyors And in shewing me the sincerity of thine Eternal Love The Right of my Joys All things in Heaven and Earth they 〈◊〉 To be mine Even Thee my God The Fountain of them all The Soveraignty and Authority Whereby thou makest Laws They shew to be mine And ravish me both here And in Heaven for ever But in commanding me to love Angels and Men They teach me to live In the Similitude of God And are the inward Health And Beauty of my Soul Marrow Wine and Oyl WITHIN They teach me to live in the Similitude of thy Glory Shew me thine inward Goodness Make me a Joy and Blessing unto all THINE INWARD GOODNESS Is among all thy Treasures Thy best Delight While I possess that I am made The Tabret and the Song of thy chosen People The Jewel of thy Saints Joy of the Cherubim The Crown of Glory and a Royal Diadem To thy Holy Angels To thee my God a peculiar Treasure I marvel at the Divinity of thine eternal WISDOM Who environest me with Glory In the midst of all Fruitions Making me a Joy to all others While they are so to me There is an end of all Perfection but thy Commandments is exceeding broad Ps. 119. 96. The World which thou hast made Is the City of our God The Streets are Ages And every Soul a Temple in it In which thou O my God rakest delight to Dwell Thy Laws are the Statutes enjoyning My Affections to all the Citizens The Inhabitants of the World So glorious are thy Laws They are the Canons of thy Bounty The Rule of Life The enlargement of my Soul My Peace and Liberty I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou saith enlarge my heart Ps. 119. 32. O Lord they be The best of Laws Command the best of all possible Works Lead us to the highest of all possible Rewards Teach us to live in the Similitude of God Advance us to thy Throne Guide us in the paths of Blessedness Make us the sovereign End of all Things More than the Sole final and comprehensive Teaching us to love Thee more than our selves Derive into our
all things as he enjoyeth them Goodness To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them Love To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them In thy Likeness In Communion with Thee As Sons and Heirs As Kings and Priests As Brides and Friends As Coheirs with Christ As Partakers of the Divine Nature To the Praise of thy Glory To the Joy of thy Son By the Power of thy Spirit Dwelling in us Let him who is the Light of the World Be insinitly Profitable unto us The Light of Life to quicken our Sence The Light of Love to enflame with Goodness The Light of Knowledge to open our eyes O the Joy and Treasure of our Souls Jesus our Saviour Christ the anointed of the Lord Anointed for and given to us Thou artthe Purchaser of all our Glory And thy fruition of it The great Example Teaching us to enjoy it How were thine Affections here upon earth Present with all Families Present with all Kingdoms Present with all Ages Of what Esteem was every Soul in all the World By being the Image of thy Fathers Person Thou art thy self the brightness of his Glory His Son The Heir of all things Heb. 1. 〈◊〉 2 3. And the Glory which he hath given thee Thou hast give unto us Job 17. 22. O let us all with open Face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord be transformed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 13. 18. Make us to understand the Power which thou hast given us to become the Sons of God Teach us to use it For now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Jo. 3. 2. Thy Father needeth not The Heavens or the Earth The Seas or Stars The Clouds or Trees or Fields or Rivers For us he made them and Enjoyeth them only by his 〈◊〉 Goodness And love unto us He needeth not Cherubims He needeth not Angels He needeth not Men Being insinitely Blessed Without beginning His goodness enjoyeth them Only by this he exalteth them to Glory His Goodness enjoyeth them By making them Blessed And by the pleasure he taketh To see them sitting Like God himself In the Throne of Heaven His Goodness only needeth them And it is his Glory that his Goodness needeth them That God from all Eternity should infinitely Delight in exalting others Create them out of nothing Make them his Image By Almighty Power Give himself to one By infinite Love Communicate himself wholly to all his Hosts By eternal Wisdom That having no use of them But meerly to imploy his Goodness Advance them and Crown them He should infinitely desire to see them blessed This is his Glory Whose Goodness is his Wisdom For by that doth he inherit all his Works His Blessedness also For so good he is that himself is crowned In every Creature Himself enjoyeth the happiness of Angels Infinitely delighteth in the Blessedness of Men And by the way of Eminence Includeth all things Being therefore himself the object of Delight The exceeding Joy Ps. 43. Of all his Creatures His Goodness is so great That then he most enjoyeth himself When he is enjoyed He loveth to be seen and delighted in To be the Glory Joy and Treasure Of all his Hosts He loveth to be delighted in Because he delighteth To be The Sun of every Eye The crown of every head The Jewel and the Joy of Every Bosom Who when he is the object of all our Joy The delight of Angels The Ineffable Fathomless Eternal Object of all Delight To all his Creatures To all his Kingdoms To all his Ages Is then himself in eternal Glory Our Author and our End Enjoying himself By that which is himself His infinite Goodness Our Joy and Blessedness O then why should not we Ponder upon the Goodness Of our Author and our End And imitate the Goodness Upon which we ponder Since as he is our Author by doing all Things for us So he is our End by calling us to contemplate what he hath done Especially what he is Whose Love is his Blessedness Since as thou O Father enjoyest all things In creating us to Glory Thine eternal Son enjoyth all things In Redeeming them for us And us for them And by the joy that he taketh In seeing us attain The End of our Redemption Yea since the Holy Ghost by Goodness enjoyeth all Things In his Elect People When having healed their Rebellion He notwithstanding their Wilfulness Openeth their Eyes Dwelleth in them Guideth their Thoughts Enliveneth their Hearts Giveth them Power And maketh them by his Grace To enjoy God In all his Works Ways Counsels Thoughts and Attributes Since goodness in the Father Since goodness in the Son and Since goodness in the Holy Ghost Are Wisdom Glory Are Peace and Blessednes Why should not we by Goodness alone Be fraught with Wisdom Glory Be fraught with Peace Blessedness And enjoy all things as God doth By delighting in his Blessedness In the Blessedness of Christ our Lord In the Blessedness of God the H. Ghost In the Blessedness of Angels and Men Especially since the Blessed of God and them is Goodness indeed the Delight which they take in our happiness O Goodness inessable Who never more expressest thy Goodness Than by making Creatures like Thee Sovereign and supreme in Goodness Restore us by thy Son and thy Holy Spirit By the Merits of the one By the Working of the other To the similitude of that Goodness Whereby thou enjoyest thy self in all things Enable us to delight in thee our God For loving us so Gloriously To delight in thy Highness In the Blessedness of thy Son In the Godhead and Blessedness of the H. Ghost In the Joy of Angels Cherubims That our selves in thy Likeness and Men May be the Joy and Blessedness Of all thy Hosts Thy Blessedness O Lord in all thy Creatures The Crown of thy Works The Centre of thy Beams The Temple of thy Goodness Thy peculiar Treasures For by this O Lord shall we Reign in Glory And now most holy Father I crave strength Eternally to perform my great desire Of Glorifying Thee Praising Thee Blessing Thee For all the Riches of thine eternal Love In the Redemption of the World Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Goodness In giving thy Son I should never have understood That thou givest us all things Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Love In giving all Things In making them Meet to be heavenly Treasures And giving us Powers endless to enjoy them I could scarcely have believed The giving of thy Son But now with Joy I praise thy glorious Name Because having made me In the best of manners Which is in thine Image To enjoy all things I know thou hast Redeemed me By the Death of thy Son And feel in my self a Nature answerable to the greatness
Bosom all the treasures Of God Angels and Men Make all the enjoyments of Kingdoms ours Teach us to enjoy all thy Works and Holy Ways In the best of manners In the fulness of their service To Angels and Men Direct us to the End for which we were Created Are answerable to the Nature and Powers Of our Souls Shew that thou lovest us infinitely Since thou hast given us all things Among those in those by those thyself Are Laws sit for the Bride of God Articles of Marriage between us and thee The Copy of thy Bosom The Commentaries of Heaven and Earth Teaching us how they are all to be enjoyed Ordinances of thy House for the Sons of God Consonant to thy Nature Suitable to thy Works The very Laws which Angels keep in Heaven Requiring duties that are the Works of Glory Fixing us to thee Making us to live here in Heaven Even thou O Lord By Goodness inheritest thy Self and all Things Is it not my Joy Is it not a part of the beatifical Vision To see how perfectly thy Goodness loveth us How it enjoyeth all things for our sakes O God I love thy Goodness Delight in thy Nature Rejoyce in this that thou takest perfect pleasure In glorifying thy Wisdom And Power infinitely So to exalt us Who will not delight in being beloved of thee Yet that is all which thy Laws require When we are commanded to love thee To love thy Goodness To rejoyce in thy Favour To prize thy loving Kindness according to the Value And Glory of it Who being infinite Love Love unto us Exaltest thy Sovereignty Exaltest thy Wisdom Exaltest thy Power In all places of thy Dominion To Magnifie thy Sons To Adorn thy Bride To Enrich thy Servants Thy Laws O God Are the perfect Laws of Right Reason Nature speaks them Eternity rewards them Reason asserts them Wisdom suggests them Interest and self love doth prompt them Thy Benefits oblige us to them The Beauty of Holiness is exceeding Wonderful In one act all Gratitude Obedience together Goodness Blessedness together Wisdom Glory together To prize all things according to their value being The Perfect Work of Right Reason The Fulfilling of all Laws The Answer of all Obligations The Payment of all Gratitude The Way to all Rewards The Fruition of them Whereby we are in one Thy Servants Sons Thy Bride Image Objects of Delight to Almighty God The Joy of Angels The beautiful Possessors of Heaven and Earth Advanced to thy Throne Crowned with thy Glory By prizing we receive all thy Treasure By feeling we enjoy it By valuing we feel it By enjoying it We Glorisie thee Acknowledge thy Goodness Admire thy Power Fullfil the Work for which we were made Satisfie thy Design Accomplish the End of the whole Creation Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way How marvellous is thy loving Kindness O Lord How great is thy Goodness whichthou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thouhast wrought for them that put their trust in thee before the Sons of Men Having laid infinite Obligations upon us Thou commandest us to be Happy And With infinite Rewards recompencest Those That keep thy Commandments How excellent are thy Laws to me in particular They Require all Angels Cherubim and Men to delight in and promote my Happiness They command Kings Emperours To take care of and love me Wise Men Apostles To take care of and love me Patriarchs Prophets To take care of and love me Saints and Martyrs To take care of and love me Among Cherubim and Angels Command them to love and delight in all those whom I love and whom as my Friends and Brethren I love to see beloved delighted in and honored Command me those Duties which make me a Sovereign a supreme Blessing a Delight an inestimable Joy to the whole World Require me to do no other things than those only whereby I enjoy my supreme Happiness Make me a Delight to God himself who rejoyceth to see me enjoy his Happiness Command Cherubim Angels and Men to do me those services every one of which is More Sweet More Profitable More Amiable More Delightful More Satisfactory Than Seas of Amber Mountains of Pearls Thousands of Gold and Silver Which Works are To Love each other To Praise God To Behold his Works To Enjoy his Blessedness Ordaining them each to live perpetually in the Similitude of his HOLY LIFE Which is an endless Sphere of beautiful Delights Prepared for the enjoyment of me his servant O my God! Thy Laws are so convenient for every Soul As if they were prepared for him alone So perfectly promote the happiness of all As if nothing were regarded But the Publick Peace of the whole World They banish all things Evil from the Earth Anger Malice Injustice Oppression Covetousness Ambition Cruelty Pride Disorder War Those bitter Roots of Gall and Wormwood That would spoyl even Heaven being there They introduce all things good And profitable to Men Order Humility Love Wisdom Knowledge 〈◊〉 Justice Contentation Peace Security Joy Glory Establish the Happiness of all the Earth Make all things conspire for each others felicity Create a Benevolence in every Soul to all the World Make all the Sons of Men In their Actions Thoughts and Persons Like the holy Angels All A Blessing to each other All Like God the enricher of our happiness The world a Paradice Every one in it the heir of it They interpret and enrich the Works of God Which by serving all are serviceable to each While we like God Above the Sun the Stars the Skies Are a mutual Joy in all Generations And Thee Which is the greatest Benefit of all Being faithfully kept they allure to dwell Well pleased among us O make me to understand the way of thy Precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Disguised Duties Real Joys Having prepared for us such inestimable Treasures Nature it self requires us To See the Beauty that is in them To Love their Goodness To Rejoyce in their Glory Thy Laws are exceeding Righteous because they require what Right requires Infinitely Righteous and strangely so Because they command what Reason Wills What Wisdom it self Nature urges Thy Goodness by commanding us to live happily having shut up in one all Perfections It is Right O Lord That we should Understand thy Love Be sensible of thy Benefits we receive from Thee Answer the Obligations that lie upon us Live in thine Image towards all thy Creatures Prize every thing according to its Value Satisfie the Powers of our immortal Souls By sixing them on their proper Objects in a Blessed manner Do that which leadeth us to Bliss Accomplish the End for which we came into the World Be Delights like Thee To thine Eternal Majesty All these in one Work do thy Laws command How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth
breaking their Covenant Casting them off Dispersing them throughly Punishing them with Destruction In revenge of the Murder of Jesus Christ. Now if the Fall of them be the Riches of the World and the Demolishing of them the enriching of the Gentiles how much more their fulness Rom. 11. 12. What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead Rom. 11. 14. Restore them O Lord That as we have obtained Mercy Through their unbelief So they by our Mercy and our Faith prevailing may obtain Mercy The death of Jesus that universal Benefit Spreads from a Centre Through all the World And is wholly the Joy of all People The Patience of Job was once obscure Which is now the Publick Right Of Mankind The Cross of Christ exceeding vile Yet now in my Closet my perfect Treasure Pregnant Signes What infinite Depths may lie concealed In the rude appearance of the smallest Actions A world of Joys hid in a Manager For me for every one His Cross a prospect of eternal Glory Sheweth that All things are treasures infinitely Diffusive Earthly Occurrences celestial Joys For the Learning of the Fathers I glorisie Thee More for the Labors of the holy Apostles My crown and my joy Their Persecutions are my Glory Their Doctrine my Foundations Their Sweat my Dew Their Tears my Pearl Their Blood my Rubies For giving of the Holy Ghost Upon the day of Pentecost I supremely praise Thee O let me be filled with it That I may clearly see the Powers of my Soul That As a Temple of thy Presence I may inherit all things That In the Light of my Knowledge All Ages may abide And I in them walking with thee In the Light of Glory What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Ps. 116. 12 13. With reverence I will learn The riches of our Saviour At the time of his Ascention And see what a Paradise The Glory of his Resurrection Made the World Who when he ascended up on high led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers Eph. 4. 8. and 11. O let me see into the deeper Value of such glorious Treasures Nearer to our Saviour Greater than the Angels Images of God Labouring to death For our sakes Of all the benefits Which they did to all My bosom is the recipient I the Heir How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring the glad tidings of good things Rom. 10. O blessed be thy glorious Name For the Conversion of this Island Wherein I live The Day spring from on high That visited us The Light of the Gospel The Conversion of our Kings The professed Subjection Of our Lords and Senators Our Ministers Bishops Pastors Churches Sacraments Liturgy Sabbaths Bibles Laws Ecclesiastical Establishment of Tythes Universities Colledges liberal Maintenance of our Saviours Clergy Christian Schools Cathedrals and Quires where they sing his praises That Pillars are erected in our Land To his Name That his Cross is exalted to the top of Crowns Seated on high On more than kingly Palaces His Temple in our Borders That his Gospel is owned and fully received His Kingdom established by Laws In our Land Which might have been a Wilderness Which might have been a Golgotha Which might have been a very Tophet A blind corner of brutish Americans And I a torn desolate confessor Or far worse A Negroe like them In the horrid Island For all this I glorify thy Name Humbly confessing and acknowledging With Joy Thy Mercy in this to have been greater Towards us Than in delivering Israel from the Egyptian Bondage Earnestly beseeching thee to forgive the Ingratitude and Stupidity of thy People Open their Eyes Cause every one to see That he is the Heir and Possessor Of all thy Joys In their Peace and Prosperity Let me thy Servant inherit Peace And in thy Light let me see Light Make them more my Treasures By making Them better By making Me wiser Increasing both our love What hast thou done for me thy Servant In giving me The Beauty of the World In giving me The Land in which I live In giving me The Records of all Ages In giving me Thy self in all for evermore Being done for thousands for all O Lord It is more my Joy I bless thy Name for the Perfection of thy Goodness so wholly communicable to many Thousands So endlesly communicated from all Generations Coasts and Regions to every Soul By enriching whom thou magnifiest me Because they are My Friends Because they are My Temples Because they are My Treasures And I am theirs Delighted by my love in all their happiness Tho War should arise in this will I be confident One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Ps. 27. 3 4. He hath chained Ages Kingdoms together Nor can they without us Nor we without them Be made perfect Heb. 11. 40. The Lord is King throughout all Genrations Magnifying his eternal Wisdom In making every true Christian possessor Of his Joys The multitude of Possessors enrichers of Enjoyment Every one the end of all his Ways Me even me Hath thy Glory exalted in all these things I am possessor and they my treasures I am delighted abundantly by being possessed That thou O Lord art supreme possessor And every one of thine possessor In thy Likeness Pleaseth me supremely pleaseth me wholy Furthereth my Joys Addeth to them Maketh them Infinite Yea infinitely Infinite The very manner of Enjoying O Lord Let all the Greatness whereby thou advancest thy Servant Make me not more proud but more humble More Obedient to the King More Diligent in my Calling More Subservient to my Spiritual Fathers Pastors and Teachers More Meek to mine Inferiours More Humble to all More Compassionate on the ignorant More Sensible of my Sins More Lowly to the poor More Charitable to the needy More Loving to mine Enemies More Tender to the erroneous Thirsting their return More Industrious in serving thee In calling them In saving all Teach me by Wisdom to see the Excellency of all thy Doings And by goodness to rejoyce in all thy mercys To delight in the Praises which they offer unto thee And in the Blessings which descend upon all thy Creatures O make my life here upon Earth beautiful O Lord that my Soul may be pleasing to thy Saints and Angels To be well pleasing to whom is an unspeakable delight because thy love is infinite to them Thanksgivings for the Wisdom of his WORD THE Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are altogether become 〈◊〉 there is none that doth
good no not one Ps. 14 2 3. They know not neither will they understand they walk on in darkness All the foundations of the earth are out of course Ps. 82. 〈◊〉 O Lord thy word testisieth What my experience seeth That the Sons of Men Err in their hearts From thy holy Ways The Glory of thy Kingdom they cannot see The Blessedness of their Estate None will regard Nor behold the Brightness of Thine eternal Treasures Nor how near they are to Thine eternal Love The glory of the Earth is Stainedby Sin Oppressed with Tares Spoiled with Briars and cursed Thorns But more with the corruptions Blindness of sinful Men. Errors of sinful Men. False Opinions of sinful Men. Wherein according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience They all walk In the Lusts of the Flesh In the vanity of the Mind Having the Understanding darkned Being alienated from the life of God Through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4. 17. 18. With one consent they wander up and down To polluted streams And will not refresh their Soul With living Waters The riches of thy bounty Which with infinite liberality Thou freely givest They disregard By that means turning the world into a 〈◊〉 Wilderness Of Owls and Dragons That thirst after happiness They know not what Seek it they know not where Find it no where They seek it in Gold not in Thee In Silver In Apparel In Feasts In Houses In any thing Little Rare False Counterseit Scarce Unknown But in the high Estate to which already they are by thee exalted they find no pleasure The freedom of thy Love hideth it from their Eyes The Truth and Commonness of thy Glorious Works They cannot see The daily Continuance and presence of thy Riches maketh them despised The Greatness of thy Wealth not understood Thou preventest us With the pure Blessings of thy Goodness Their Endlesness Excellency Abundance Service Variety 〈◊〉 Compasseth us about Yet Blmdeth our Eyes They Grope in Darkness Wander in the valley of the shadow of Death Are estranged from thy Treasures Err from Thee Hope for any End of their vain Endeavours Never attain any Rest in their feigned Riches Escape imaginary Wants But still increase Conceited Poverties O Lord they have drown'd not only themselves but the world also In Destruction and Perdition Covered it with Snares With Chains of Darkness Woes and Miseries By their false Opinions False Opinions concerning Happiness Till thy Word came and shined among us That plainly sheweth The Glory of the Father Bringing us back To the true Treasures Causeth us to see That we are already exalted And that it is not by seeking what we want But by enjoying what we have That we are truly Blessed Thy Word alone Extricateth our Souls from all their Snares Our Wants are none Thou hast wrought all things already for us Were a Sun that shineth Now to be created Millions of Gold would be thought Too little His Beams more Necessary Than the approach of Angels Are now Despised Being by reason of their presence not understood They animate our Blood Beautifie the World Give light to the Day Warmth and Spirits Without them no Morning Flowers Waters Springs could be But all the World a Cave of Datkness Death and Misery Which an Angels presence cannot mend Thy Laws thy Works thy Ways Thy Revelation from Heaven The Excellencies of our Soul The Endowment of our Body Thy Tender Love Thy Truth and Faithfulness These are the Riches Thou hast prepared for the Poor For Creatures cut out of Dust and nothing To these thy Word reduced us again That shining Light Infinitely more precious and Heavenly than the SUN That Holy Fountain Of Living Waters Refresheth the Soul Even of thy Holy Angels It self is a Treasure worth innumerable Millions of Gold and Silver A Book which thou hast sent To me from Heaven To Detect the vanities of this wicked World To Guide my feet into the way of peace To Shew me the Treasures of eternal Happiness To Elevate my thoughts Purifie my heart Enlighten my eyes Refine my Soul Direct my Desires Quicken my Affections Set my Mind in frame Restore me to thine Image Call me again to Communion with Thee In all thy Goods and Treasures O Lord thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name It sheweth me the Greatest and Highest Things Bringeth my Soul cut of Prison Leadeth me in the Paths of Blessedness and Glory Teacheth me to ponder upon the Works of thy Hands And to Meditate upon thy Laws Day and Night To speak of the might of thy terrible Acts To talk of thy Doings O my God every Day will I bless Thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever Ps. 141. 2. All thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall Bless the Ps. 145. 10. I will sing of Judgment and Mercy to thee O Lord will I sing And talk of all thy wondrous Works Ps. 145. 2. The Sons of Men hast thou given Me The Heavens and the Earth and all that is therein Thy manifold Wonders Ancient Miracles Laws Promises H. Oracles and Blessed Revelations In thine Image to be enjoyed Thy self and All Things The best of Treasures In the best of manners I Acknowledg thy Gift Thy Heavenly Gift And I adore the Wisdom and Glory of the Way whereby thou givest me the H. Bible To deliver me from the darkness of the disordered VVorld I needed O Lord a Book from Heaven I longed to receive it And panted after it with my Expectation Which above my Hopes Was already sent Before I was born A Book inclosing the best of Tidings the wisest Counsels the newest Revelations Heavenly Discoveries the profoundest Depths the highest Wonders the rarest Miracles the most glorious Examples the treasures of Wisdom the richest Promises the joys of God Divine Affections the greatest Encouragements Halclujahs Raptures Shewing us How Man is Magnified In Covenant with God Lord of his Works His Son and Friend Ministred to by Angels Admired by Cherubims Made for Heaven Called into the Glory of Almighty God Ordained for his Throne Redeemed by his Son Shal rise from the Dead Be made Immortal Overcome the World Be more than a Conqueror Inherit all things O Jerusalem Jerusalem Hadst thou known at least in this thy Day the things that concern thy Peace But now they are hidden from thine Eyes Had you seen Oh! ye Sons of Men the High Estate of your ample Glory how would you have been ravished Ye that are Crowned with Loving Kindness and Tender Mercies Beloved of God more than Himself Doth he not love his Son as Himself Tendered as his Eye Exalted above Angels In all things magnified by his Eternal Love as much as wisdom Goodness Power infinite could atcheive By all his Counsels Laws and Works exalted As in the Death of Jesus Christ. O my God I give thee Praise For
giving me the Bible in such a manner In no doubtful narrow private Way Hast thou sent it to me But in a way Sublime Most High Rich Heavenly In a way most Large Profound Glorious Solemn Wonderful In all Ages hast thou been preparing it By all kind of Miracles Sealed it By the Ministry of Patriarchs and Prophets Crowning it By Apostles Publishing it By Tongues Adorning it By Prophecie fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled an Evidence greater than all that can else be imagined Confirming it By Successes exalting it By the humble Submission Distance Acknowledgment Reverence Of Kingdoms Fathers Sages crowned Emperours in the Lands and Ages Making it Eminent By the Materials in it supremely Enriching it O my God Hadst thou sent it to me by the Ministry of Angels it had not been capable of the Glory that now is in it Nor had the manner of thy giving it Been so Celestial Divine and clear Hadst thou sent it to me alone It had been infinitely less Less Obliging Less Effectual Had all the Counsel of the H. Cherubims Conspired together To have written a Book Had they taken Pens from the wings of Seraphims Had they drawn the Characters in Gold and Pearl Nor For Beauty more excellent Nor For manner more Gorgeous Nor For Materials more Rich Nor For any thing more Heavenly Divine Blessed Could they have sent it to us To me O Lord to me it cometh Mine hast thou made that Glorious Treasure An infinitie of Worth A World of Delight is included in it An alsufficient Ocean swims in its Womb For all Occasions An endless Mine of Profitable Variety Times Elixar The Quintessence of Ages Wisdoms Treasury The Magazine of History The Incense Light and Leaven Of this Earthly World A Collection of Experiences Fraught with Counsels Embassies of Angels Judgments Mercies Commandments Denunciations Threatnings Promises Affections Mirrours For all Estates Prosperity Adversity Sickness Health Life Death Liberty Bondage Peace War Riches Poverty Subjection Dominion Captivity Victorie Virginity Marriage Youth Old Age Priesthood Laity City Country Innocency Misery Grace Glory Affording Presidents for all these upon all occasions Advice Encouragement Blessing Caution Blessing O my God what endless Streams of Living Waters flow down from so little and small a Fountain To revive the Barrenness Of this Languishing World Here I behold the fate of Kingdoms Their Destinies Sores Remedies and Cures Consolations for the Poor and Broken hearted Instructions for Families Documents for the World Terrors to the Evil Encouragements and Delights for the Good and Blessed The Creation of Heaven and Earth Adam's Paradise The Fall of Man The Drowning of the World The Genealogie of Nations The confusion of Lahguages The computation of Ages Abraham made the Friend of God And Blessing to Mankind Joseph's Chastity and Charity Moses's Miracles The Ceremonial Law That curious Gospel In ancient Hieroglyphicks Israel's Victories Settlement Judges Samuel's Government David's Melody Solomon's Temple Proverbs Wisdom Riches Peace and Kingdom All abundantly flowing to my Bosom Elijab's Zeal Manasseb's Penitence Zedekiab's Bondage Israels Dispersion 〈◊〉 Captivity God's Long suffering Merciful Restitution Our Saviours Birth It s glorious Circumstances His Life Tranfiguration Passion Parables Resurrection Ascention into Heaven Our Kingdom and Priesthood Purchased by him Made conformable to his Example The Epistles of the Apostles Those Letters of Love and Eternal Wisdom The appearance of Glory and Heaven opened in the Revelation All these hath my God given me with ten thousand times greater Profit and Advantage than if he had given them to me alone Multitudes of Publishers Nations of Admirers Ages of Adorers Increase my Joys Had they come to me in a Hidden Private Narrow VVay I might sear some Dream Or worse Illusion The Amplitude of God in all his Magnisicence had been too much straitened Concealed Taken away To me denied Indeed abolished But now I see him in all Kingdoms Glorifying his Name shewing his Goodness to ma ny Thousands Making Me Making Every one beside The Heir of it all I know him to be God By the greatness of his Love The universality of his Care The bright continuance of his Eternal Wisdom And see his Oracles exalted on the Desks In many Temples Countenanced by Kings Ratified by Parliaments Joyfully Sounded from many thousand Pulpits Had an Angel brought me this Glorious Book Being not prepared the other way O how poor desolate and miserable The World had been No Revelations in other Ages No Miracles No Ministry of Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles No Acclamations of joyful People No Delights of God in other Kingdoms Yea no Companions should I have then enjoyed but in a Wilderness of Infidels surrounded with Rebels through all Persecutions in a Night of Darkness Dearth of Holiness World of Vices Reproaches Enemies must I have Entered into Glory Blessed therefore be the Lord my God For the fulness of his Love I rejoyce in the manner of thy Revelation It shews the Depth and Infinity of thy Nature The coming of Cherubims had been but a Toy A Feather in comparison By the Ministry of thousands Hath it been Confirmed in all Kingdoms Enlarged Crowned Rooted Beautified And for these Causes by thy Servant Peter is so preferred For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the Coming and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ but were Eye Witnesses of his Majesty For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the Excellent GLORY This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light which shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day star arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1. 16 c. A more sure Word of Prophesie Written in the Volume of the Book Preferred above the voice that came from the Excellent Glory at the Transfiguration of Christ upon Mount Tabor For these Causes doth our Saviour prefer Moses and the Prophets above the Testimony of our rising from the Dead Yea which is Wonderful above the Power of his own Words And when the H. Ghost was given and spake in the Apostles Notwithstanding all the Miracles he gave them to atcheive He submitted to the Tryals of the H. Scriptures Teach me O Lord to Magnify with Joy What thou hast magnified Open thou mine Eyes that I may see the great things In that Map of Heaven Let it be a Clew A Gale of Air A Golden Chain Coming from thy Throne Raising me to Glory By them am I taught how here upon Earth to walk with God which is the Great Mystery the Master point of skill in thine Eternal Kingdom Appendix to the former Thanksgiving ANd now O Lord How infinite indeed is every Sin How infinite thy Love How high the Glory and