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A60173
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A sacred poem of the glory and happiness of heaven. By J. S.
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J. S. (James Shute), 1664-1688.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing S3713A; ESTC R218088
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16,412
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22
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A SACRED POEM OF THE Glory and Happiness OF HEAVEN By J. Shute LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXXIX THE GLORY and HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN ABove the tallest most exalted View When stretcht and lifted up by Opticks too Above the Convex of this Azure Vault So out of sight we can't tell what to call 't High above all that our Conceits can reach When sublimated to their utmost stretch There is what we call Heav'n a joyous State Too happy for a Guess to calculate The greatest Riches that a Miser's Dream E're conjur'd up to tempt and flatter him The most of Honour that a Monarchs Court Can give those Men that hunt and rival for 't The rarest Scenes that raptur'd Saints have view'd When Fancy wrought in a Prophetick Mood Fall infinitely short of Heav'n and can't Yield Joys enough to treat or tempt a Saint He to whose Palate nothing suits but Bliss Can't relish such ignoble Fare as this Alas his noble Soul can't stoop to esteem Things so inglorious and unworthy him Heav'n has more Glory couch'd within a Point Than all this worthless scanty World has in 't 'T is guarded round with double Walls of Gold As hard to force as stately to behold The Batteries which Damned Spirit 's make Can 't Scale its Bulwarks nor its Pillars shake Their Hellish Engines spend their Strength in vain For Bullets shot do but rebound again The gay Embroid'ry of the Place invites All Admiration and the gaudy Sights Which charm the Eye on ev'ry side proclaim The Pow'r and Skill of him that wrought the same 'T is garnish'd round with Light and blazon'd all With those bright Rays which from Gods Image fall Thrones and Dominions here in order stand Rankt in their Stations like a charging Band Mansions like Leaves in their Autumnal Falls Lye scatter'd up and down on Pedastalls Above hang Canopies of vast Extent Propt by the Pow'r of God Omnipotent Scepters and Crowns of costly sorts here are Rank't and enshrin'd like Magazines of War Pearls Rubies and Diamonds in Clusters shine And hang like Grapes upon a fruitful Vine The bright Piazza's of the Palace Court Are pav'd with Rubies of the richer sort Three Royal Thrones all curiously wrought Carv'd by the Skill of an Almighty Thought Are fix'd on a commanding Place wherein The Father Son and Spirit Sit and Reign Their Crowns are charg'd with richer Pearls and more Than India yields or ever Aaron wore And being triple-shap'd they do imply The deep-lay'd Myst'ry of the Trinity In Godhead these are One in Will the same Yet Three in Personality and Name The Fathers Looks are so divine his Face Bears in its Visage such Majestick Grace That 't is a Happiness it self compleat To be enabled to contemplate it His aspect is so gravely great and shews So much of Deity to him that views That 't is a Question manag'd in Disputes Which do's it most This or his Attributes He 's happy in himself and 's Creatures are Happy so far as they his Image bear The Prospect of his Glory shines as bright In Hellish Darkness as in Heavens Light He do's enjoy his happy self as well Amidst the daring Blasphemies of Hell As the Saints Songs but he has praise of Them Because they bless themselves in blessing Him He is to them both Theatre and Stage And all they act is in his Personage His Self-sufficiency compleatly fills His Breast with Goodness some of which distills In Drops of Love on all his Works but this Is only what o'reflows from his Abyss The Son the Second of the Three appears Bright with that Glory which his Image bears His Throne is such as He that fills it none Can fancy to be less than Three in One. The Host salute him God and joyntly sing Hosannah's to their Prophet Priest and King That yet these Functions are in act is true For Honour 's paid him to each Office due He 's Prophet for his Spirit do's reveal The dark Intendments of his Fathers Will And working with his Word affords us Light That shews us all the deep Designs of it He 's Priest and makes an Altar of his Throne To offer up the Church her Prayers on His Intercession makes an Off ring good When hallow'd with the Merits of his Blood. He 's King this by his Scepter may be guest Besides his Presence speaks him such at least His Church on Earth entitles him Supream And all Heav'ns Hierarchies second them Embroider'd thus with Offices and drest With all that speak one Beautiful or Blest He sits enthron'd and naked to the View Of those that wonder and adore him too The Holy Ghost the Last in Order shews Himself as great as Son or Father do's His Presence is Divine his looks do own A Grandeur proper to a God alone The Beauty of his Image do's express A shining pure untainted Holiness His Graces sweeter Odours do present Than e're Arabia from her Spices sent The Gifts wherewith he is embalm'd descry The Sweetnesses that in his Nature lye The Grace and Greatness of his Presence draws The Eyes of all Spectators where they pause Not out of Fear but Wonder while they see So much of Sweetness Love and Majesty Before these Thrones the whole Celeftial throng Do Homage Couching as they dance along Where each devoutly on his bended Knee Lauds the distinct but undivided Three The Fathers mighty Will and matchless Pow'r Are what in Him they most of all adore The Saints rejoyce in these because they know These made them happy and will keep them so They bless that Word whose mighty sound awoke Dull lifeless Nothing to a World and spoke A lumpish Chaos to a curious Frame And still has govern'd and upheld the same They reverence his Greatness most and bow To the grave Grandeur of his Godly Brow. Their low respectful postures plainly prove Their filial Sense of his Paternal Love. They praise his Works below and sing them forth In Numbers measur'd to express their Worth But when they view those Instances of Love That make more Figure in his Works Above When they survey the whole Celestial Sphere And paraphrase on all the Wonders there They tune to higher strains and make their praise Keep pace with what Deserts its Object has So then Gods Power most applauded seems Nay 't is the Burden of their Sacred Hymns The Sons Perfections they as much proclaim Couching in Homage to his Sacred Name They honour him as Soveraign and own How much they hold by Vertue of his Crown They Stile him Prince of Peace and all accord In dutiful Allegiance to their Lord His Name of Saviour sounds so sweet to all It makes their Raptures Epidemical His bright unmantled Glory spreads it's Rays And heats their spirits to delight and praise Some his Humility extol and some His Love that made Man from his Mansion come Some his Example some his Doctrine bless Some his Compassion some his Holiness All joyn his Incarnation to adore That
these perhaps admittance find 'T is probable that some are left behind As Taste and Smell but all do Hear and See Else when shall Faith to Vision changed be VVhich Two I think are so endow'd that they Have all their Imperfections purg'd away For if by Grace we 're chang'd from what we were VVhy should not Glory make such Changes here But whether here are Some or All or None To own or not is free for any One. This we believe All Requisites concur To make the Body glorious and pure Body and Soul thus dignified are drest To solemnize a second Marriage Feast No jarring Faculties untune the Soul But all conform to Reason's Musick Rule Its Thoughts are calm and find an easie Vent Its Passions are all Love and Merriment Its Humors even sociable and sweet Its Pleasures constant and intensely great Its Virtues all are consonantly tun'd And dance in Consort when they run their Round No cross Propensions counterstrive within No stubborn Humors clash and intervene No Aversations cramp the Will 's Decrees No Stops arrest it in its Purposes But all such civil Altercations cease And usher in an universal Peace The Body too is well in Frame the Tongue Speaks of no Parts that suffer Want or Wrong All factious Insurrections are supprest Its Work is Ease and all its Labours Rest No sickly Fastings made its Beauty Fade No Pains nor Hardships do its Strength invade The Veins are Channels only to conveigh The Peaceful Inundations of Joy. The Nerves grow big and consciously proud As being inspirited with nobler Bloud All parts in their Relation to the whole Do dutifully joyn to serve the Soul. Whose Precepts being mild the Body has An easier Service than its former was Thus One has no Rebellious Lusts to tame The other no Severities to blame But both their mutual Affections prove By interchangeable Returns of Love. Now when th' Elect shall from the Quarters come To be possest of their Eternal Home When at the Judgment of the Just the Saints Shall take their ultimate Accomplishments Then Soul and Body shall unite that Both When joyn'd may make what neither single doth What joyful Ecchoings will then rebound How will the Cloysters and Piazzas sound VVhat Acclamations will the Legions make How will the Kingdom and its Pillars shake VVhat a glad aspect will the Heavens wear VVhen this great Marriage Rites in Action are How will Praise sound amidst the jolly Crew VVhen ev'ry Saint is Bride and Bridegroom too Oh blessed Harmony when All in One Sing sacred Hymens in a Bridal Tune This glad triumphant Day Blest Spirits state The Epocha for their Eternal Date So will I date these Lines and as I go Still take that Time as if 't was present now Now Divine Wisdom do's it self reveal And all those Depths it did so long conceal Ah what a lovely sight is This and how Do Saints in Praise and Admiration bow How do's it gratifie their Souls to see The faithful Records of Eternity These Legends shew how God did first create Things in that Order they continue yet These Comment on the World and represent A Modul of its Make and Government They teach them how his grand Designs were laid What Issues and Results his Counsels had How his deep Thoughts and Purposes were wrought To that effect which most advantage brought The Southern Queen thought it a happy Thing To hear the Wisdom of a Jewish King But here 's that Happiness as much out-don As God is Wiser than King Solomon His Power also stands in View and shews It self as Glorious as his Wisdom do's 'T is neither terrible to view nor meet Allays of Love do so attemper it On Earth his Presence dreadful we believe We know we can't behold his Face and live But here these Bosom-Favourites do treat With God their Sov'raign as their Intimate Now they delight to see and feel the hand That fix'd the Heavens in the Place they stand That rais'd this Earthly Frame and did subdue The Pow'r of Men and Rage of Devils too That sav'd his Flock when Wolves about it stood Threatning its Death thirsting for its Bloud That turn'd the Wheel of Providence about And order'd all things that were fastned to 't That made cross Dispensations work for Good And all things work as 't was his Will they should The sight of this so heightens their delight That all their Joys are aggravated by 't If Pow'r and VVisdom so delightful are How will the Aspects of his Love appear Sure this endearing Spectacle do's want Nought that may ravish and transport a Saint VVhen Love shall shew it self without a Vail And nothing of its Loveliness conceal When it shall smile without a frown and dart Its Beams direct to the Spectators Heart VVhen Saints shall see that gracious Breast wherein Love from Eternity has active been Whence all designs of Mercy did proceed VVhere all great Acts of Grace were born and bred VVhen they shall see what made God's only Son Put off his Glory and desert his Throne VVhat made him condescend to take a Birth And pitch his Tabernacle here on Earth VVhy 't was that he with such submission dy'd And pray'd that he might live who pierc'd his side Their Souls sing Anthems with a freer Vent Being rapt beyond themselves in Ravishment Let him that can their Joyfulness express I wont confine it to my scanty Guess And as the sight of these foments their Bliss So do's the prospect of his Holiness Alas this cannot chuse but give Delight They live and move and have their Beings by 't Self-Love would make them long to have this seen Being what themselves are made and moulded in To see a Being so intensely pure That nothing can exalt or drain it more A Nature so untaintedly Divine So spiritually spotless and so fine So simple lovely and endearing too Must needs exasperate their Joys anew Thus these Perfections and as many more As endless Sums can add unto the score Or God that owns them only knows are seen By those glad Eyes which always suck them in And what a Prospect entertains their sight With an unbounded Province of Delight In him there are so many Things that call For Admiration that the Angels all Together with the Saints still eye their God And hover in the Light of his Abode Now Happiness is all they do pursue T hey've that of Vision and Fruition too Their full ey'd Souls have now a strength to bear Gods Glory tho' its Brightness do's appear They 're so intent on Vision that they seem To prey on God whilest they are viewing him Their Eyes behold with such a thirsty Zeal That where they set them first they settle still They look till what they for their Object had By Transformation is their Beings made For God while they behold him do's impart Some of himself to each Spectators Heart And still the more they look the more they seem To have of what they view and