Beneath which it was necessary that we should be made To the 〈◊〉 we might be governed In a righteous Kingdom But couldst thou not have remitted our Knowledge and established to thy self a righteous Kingdom without composing our Bodies or the World By the Fall of some we know O Lord That the Angels were tried Which are invisible Spirits Needing not the World Nor clothed in Bodies Nor endued with Senses For our Bodies therefore O Lord for our earthly Bodies hast thou made the World Which thou so lovest that thou hast supremely magnified them by the works of thy hands And made them Lords of the whole Creation Higher than the Heavens Because served by them More glorious than the Sun Because it ministreth to them Greater in Dignity than the material World Because the end of its Creation Revived by the Air Served by the Seas Fed by the Beasts and Fowls and Fishes Our pleasure Which fall as Sacrifices to Thy glory Being made to minister and attend upon us O Miracle Of divine Goodness O Fire O flame of Zeal and Love and Joy Even for our earthly bodies hast thou created all things All things Visible All things Material All things Sensible Animals Vegetables Minerals Bodies celestial Bodies terrestrial The four Elements Volatile Spirits Trees Herbs and Flowers The Influences of Heaven Clouds Vapors Wind Dew Rain Hail and Snow Light and Darkness Night and Day The Seasons of the Year Springs Rivers Fountains Oceans Gold Silver and precious Stones Corn Wine and Oyl The Sun Moon and Stars Cities Nations Kingdoms And the Bodies of Men the greatest Treasures of all For each other What then O Lord hast thou intended for our Souls who givest to our Bodies such glorious things Every thing in thy Kingdom O Lord Conspireth to mine Exaltation In every thing I see thy Wisdom and Goodness And I praise the Power by which I see it My Body is but the Cabinet or Case of my Soul What then O Lord shall the Jewel be Thou makest it the heir of all the profitable trades and occupations in the World And the Heavens and the Earth More freely mine More profitably More gloriously More comfortably Than if no man were alive but I alone Yea though I am a Sinner thou lovest me more than if thou hadst given all things to me alone The sons of men thou hast made my treasures Those Lords Incarnate Cherubims Angels of the World The Cream of all things And the sons of God Hast thou given to me and made them mine For endless Causes ever to be enjoyed Were I alone Briars and thorns would devour me Wild beasts annoy me My Guilt terrifie me The World it self be a Desart to me The Skies a Dungeon But mine Ignorance more The Earth a Wilderness All things desolate And I in solitude Naked and hungry Blind and brutish Without house or harbour Subject unto storms Lying upon the ground Feeding upon roots But more upon melancholy Because void of thee Therefore thou providest for me and for me they build and get and provide for me My Bread Drink Clothes Bed My Houshold stuff Books My Houshold stuff Utensils My Houshold stuff Furniture The use of Meats Fire Fuel c. They teach unto me provide for me While I O Lord exalted by thy hand Above the Skies in Glory seem to stand The Skies being made to serve me as they do While I thy Glories in thy Goodness view To be in Glory higher than the Skies Is greater bliss than 't is in place to rise Above the Stars More blessed and divine To live and see than like the Sun to shine O what Profoundness in my Body lies For whom the Earth was made the Sea the Skies So greatly high our humane Bodies are That Angels scarcely may with these compare In all the heights of Glory seated they Above the Sun in thine eternal day Are seen to shine with greater gifts adorn'd Than Gold with Light or Flesh with Life suborn'd Suns are but Servants Skies beneath their feet The Stars but Stones Moons but to serve them meet Beyond all heights above the World they reign In thy great Throne ordained to remain All Tropes are Clouds Truth doth it self excel Whatever Heights Hyperboles can tell O that I were as David the sweet Singer of Israel In meeter Psalms to set forth thy Praises Thy Raptures ravish me and turn my soul all into melody Whose Kingdom is so glorious that nothing in it shall at all be unprofitable mean or idle So constituted That every one's Glory is benesicial unto all and every one magnified in his place by Service What is man O Lord that thon art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Kings in all their Glory minister to us while we repose in peace and safety Priests and Bishops serve at thine Altar guiding our Bodies to eternal Glory Physicians heal us Courts of Judicature stand open for our preservation The Outgoings of the morning and evening rejoyce to do us service The holy Angels minister unto us Architects and Masons build us Temples The Sons of Harmony fill thy Quires Where even our sensible bodies are entertained by thee with great magnificence and solaced with Joys Jesus Christ hath washed our feet He ministred to us by dying for us And now in our humane body fitteth at thy right hand in the throne of Glory As our Head For our Sakes Being there adored by Angels and Cherubims What is it Lord That thou so esteemest us Thou passed'st by the Angels Pure Spirits And didst send thy Son to die for us That are made of both Soul and Body Are we drawn unto thee O why dost thou make us So thy treasures Are Eyes and Hands such Jewels unto thee What O Lord are Tongues and Sounds And Nostrils unto thee Strange Materials are visible bodies Things strange even compared to thy Nature Which is wholly spiritual For our sakes do the Angels enjoy the visible Heavens The Sun and Stars Thy terrestrial Glories And all thy Wisdom In the Ordinances of Heaven In the Seasons of the Year Wondering to see thee by another way So highly exalting dust and ashes Thou makest us treasures And joys unto them Objects of Delight and spiritual Lamps Whereby they discern visible things They see thy Paradise among the sons of men Thy Wine and Oyl thy Gold and Silver By our Eyes They smell thy Perfumes And taste thy Honey Milk and Butter By our Senses Thy Angels have neither ears nor eyes Nor tongues nor hands Yet feel the Delights of all the World And hear the Harmonies not only which Earth but Heaven maketh The melody of Kingdoms The joys of Ages Are Objects of their joy They sing thy Praises for our sakes While we upon Earth are highly exalted By being made thy Gifts And Blessings unto them Never their contempt More their amazement And did they not love us Their Envy hereafter But now their Joy When our Glory being understood We shall
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
Blessedness of Heaven How dreadful the Fall of every Sinner How bottomless and infinite The Abyss of Misery How endless and unsearchable The Sphere of Mercy O my God since thou hast made me to be thy Friend Having made me thy Son in capacity That I might make my self so in Act By rightly using the power which thou givest me Without which it is impossible but that thou shouldest be displeased with thy Work Since the only Duty thou enjoynest me Is to live in thy Image And to be like thee To all thy Creatures To delight in thy Goodness And to enjoy thee in all thy Works Since thou leavest me to my self only for my Happiness and perfect Glory And art willing to save me In the best of all possible manners And nothing less than the best Can agree with thy Nature I acknowledge that if fail in so fair a Covenant and refuse to please thee in such a Duty The natural result of it is That I should be tormented for ever I be seech thee to forgive me what is past according to the infinite greatness of thy tender Mercies To remember that I am a sinner prone to evil And to give me thy Grace With all holy care watchfulness and Diligence To do that glorious work without intermission Whereby Thy happiness is enjoyed Thy Spirit delighted My Soul saved Crowned in thy Kingdom Advanced in thy Bosom Thanksgivings for God's Attributes Sing unto the Lord a new Song and his praise from the ends of the Earth ye that go down into the Sea and all that is therein Ye I sles and the inhabitants of the Earth Let the Wilderness and the Cities lift up their voice the Villages that Kedar doth inhabit Let the inhabitants of the Rock sing let them shout from the top of the Mountain Let them give Glory to the Lord and declare his praise in the islands Isd 42. 10 11 12. Forhe hath made my Soul In the Image of himself An understanding eye That like an open day Shall at once be present in all places Though because he is invisible By bodily eyes he cannot be seen Yet hath he manifested himself His Essence Wisdom Goodness Power In all places of his Dominion To the Understanding In the Fabrick of my Body Nature of my Soul Glory of the World Blessedness of his Laws soveraign Providence Miracles and Wonders O Lord I am satisfied with the fruit of thy Lips with the works of thy Hands And now I ascend to thine Eternal Glory To see the Treasure of thy Divine Essence Which thou hast hidden for us Since the beginning of the World men have not heard nor perceived by the Ear neithe hath the Eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him The Fountain it self is sweeter than the Streams O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with Majesty Who coverest thy self with Light as with a Garment who stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain Ps. 104 1 2. That Greatness Majesty Light and Glory hast thou made to be the enjoyment of every Soul Thy Soveraignity and Dominion is the glory of my Soul Thou hast made them 〈◊〉 by pleasing me perfectly and advancing me 〈◊〉 them O the beauty of thine infinite Kingdom It is impossible thou shouldst ever be without the eternity of infinite Wisdom The fathomless Treasury of unlimited Goodness shineth here more than the Sun in the very Heavens The Zenith and Nadir and the Poles of Power in all their Altitudes That infinite Wisdom Goodness Power are wholly mine in all their activities atchievements Glories Made so by the infinite workings of infinite Wisdom Goodness and Power In every Soul supreme in thy Kingdom Crowning mine O my God who could have made every Soul among innumerable millions The end of all things Every one King of all thy Kingdom Can every one be higher than all the rest One mans exaltation here upon Earth is the depression of another But in thy Kingdom every ones advancement the exaltation of all Every one highest Yea more than this Infinitely more than we can ask or think More than Supreme More than 〈◊〉 More than Sole More than the end of all things hast thou made every Person living in thy Kingdom My Soul is ravished with the elevation of thy Joys Sing O ye Heavens for the Lord hath done 〈◊〉 shout ye lower parts of the Earth break 〈◊〉 into Singing O Mountains O Forest and every Tree therein Isa. 44. 23. For the Lord is wonderful in the midst of his Saints It is strength to my Navil and marrow to my Bones to consider the perfection of thy Doings H. H. H. Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy Glory All the supremest and grearest Heights are easy to thee easy tobe seen through easy ' to bee understood Impossibles Impossibles overcome and attained transport and amaze us with delight and wonder Every one supreme Every one solel every one Soveraign If that be impossible what is it O Lord to be more than so All the beauty of Holiness in thy Kingdom is the Sphear of my delight and pleasure for ever To see thee magnified by all thine Hosts who art the Fountain and Author of all their Glory is my perfect melody joy and glory Thou hast made them mine by making them to please me to please me voluntarily and freely in their actions by praising thee Thine infinity thine eternity the exquisite perfection of thine Omnipresence are all mine in all their operations Because thou lovest me thou givest me thy self Thine eternity by creating me for had that not been I that was nothing should have had no beginning Thine Omnipresence in upholding me For without thee I should return into nothing Thine infinity by enlarging me enabling me to consider the infinite spaces beyond the Heavens where thy Divine Majesty more especially dwells But in giving me to see the Original of my being to understand my foundation and discern that by which I am enlarged Thou hast given me thine Eternity Infinity and Omnipresence in another manner As the object of mine eye Themes of my Praise Causes of my Joy Subjects of Complacency Grounds Yea Crowns of Glory Being infinitely present in every place thou makest me perceptive and I see thy Giory Being infinitely present in every place thou art exquisitely so and wholly there O Lord I admire the perfection of thy Presence the incomprehensible excellency of thine Omnipresence wholly every where I admire the effects and Glory of its attainments For by it alone art thou infinitely communicative Thy Wisdom it is thy Goodness it is and and thine Almighty Power it is one O Lord with all thine Attributes Thine infinity resideth in every Centre therefore in my Soul which were it not there I could not behold Thine eternity and infinity are both the same both are present in every moment therefore in me All the conceivable parts both of thine Infinity and
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.
In the Tabernacle p. 115. l. 8. for to r. by p. 124. l. 〈◊〉 r. Glory p. 129. l. 20. r. how can A Serious and Pathetical CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same Thanksgivings for the Body BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who 〈◊〉 all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and 〈◊〉 mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles O Lord who art clothed with Majesty My desire is to praise thee With the holy Angels and Archangels To glorisie thee And with all thy Saints in the Church triumphant For the eternal brightness Of thine insinite bounty The freedom of thy love Wherein thou excellest the beams of the Sun To celebrate thee I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How precious are thy thoughts also unto me O God! How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand When I awake I am still with thee Blessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God! For ever blessed be thy holy Name For that I am made The work of thy hands Curiously wrought By thy divine Wisdom Enriched By thy Goodness Being more thine Than I am mine own O Lord Thou hast given me a Body Wherein the glory of thy Power shineth Wonderfully composed above the Beasts Within distinguished into useful parts Beautified without with many Ornaments Limbs rarely poised And made for Heaven 〈◊〉 filled With celestial Spirits Veins wherein Blood floweth Refreshing all my flesh Like Rivers Sinews fraught with the mystery Of wonderful Strength Stability Feeling O blessed be thy glorious Name That thou hast made it A Treasury of Wonders Fit for its several Ages For Dissections For Sculptutes in Brass For Draughts in Anatomy For the Contemplation of the Sages Whose inward parts Enshrined in thy Libraries Are The Amazement of the Learned Are The Admiration of Kings and Queens Are The Joy of Angels Are The Organs of my Soul Are The Wonder of Cherubims Those blinder parts of resined Earth Beneath my Skin Are sull of thy Depths For Many thousand Uses For Hidden Operations For Unsearchable Offices But for the diviner Treasures wherewith thou hast endowed My Brains Mine Eyes My Heart Mine Ears My Tongue My Hands O what Praises are due unto thee Who hast made me A living Inhabitant Of the great World And the Centre of it A sphere of Sense And a mine of Riches Which when Bodies are dissected fly away The spacious Room Which thou hast hidden in mine Eye The Chambers for Sounds Which thou hast prepar'd in mineEar The Receptacles for Smells Concealed in my 〈◊〉 The feeling of my Hands The taste of my Tongue But above all O Lord the Glory of Speech whereby thy Servant is enabled with Praise to celebrate thee For All the Beauties in Heaven and Earth The melody of Sounds The sweet Odours Of thy Dwelling place The delectable pleasures that gratisie my Sense That gratify the feeling of Mankind The Light of History Admitted by the Ear. The Light of Heaven Brought in by the Eye The Volubility and Liberty Of my Hands and Members Fitted by thee for all Operations Which the Fancy can imagine Or Soul desire From the framing of a Needle 's Eye To the building of a Tower From the squaring of Trees To the polishing of Kings Crowns For all the Mysteries Engines Instruments wherewith the World is filled which we are able to frame and use to thy Glory For all the Trades variety of Operations Cities Temples Streets Bridges Mariners Compass admirable Picture Sculpture Writing Printing Songs and Musick wherewith the World is beautified and adorned Much more for the Regent Life And Power of Perception Which rules within That secret depth of sathomless Consideration That receives the information Of all our senses That makes our centre equal to the Heavens And 〈◊〉 in it self the magnitude of the World The involved 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 common sense The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 fancy The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Of things that are past The 〈◊〉 of things to come Thy 〈◊〉 be glorified For evermore For all the art which thou hast hidden In this little piece Of red clay For the workmanship of thy hand Who didst thy self form man Of the dust of the ground And breath into his Nostrils The breath of Life For the high Exaltation whereby thou hast glorified every body Especially mine As thou didst thy Servant Adam's in Eden Thy Works themselves speaking to me the same thing that was said unto him in the beginning WE ARE ALL THINE And why O Lord wouldst thou so delight To magnify the dust 〈◊〉 from the ground From the dark obscurity of a silent Grave Thou raisest it O Lord Herein indeed Thou raisest the poor out of the dust and 〈◊〉 the needy out of the dunghil That thou mayst set him with Princes even with the Princes of thy people But why would the Lord take pleasure in creating an earthly Body why at all in making a visible World Couldst thou not have made us immortal Souls and seated us immediately in the throne of Glory O Lord thou lover of Righteousness Whose Kingdom is everlasting Who lovest to govern thy Subjects by Laws and takest delight to distribute Rewards and Punishments according to right Thou hast hidden thy self By an infinite miracle And made this World the Chamber of thy presence the ground and theatre of thy righteous Kingdom That putting us at a distance A little from thee Thou mayst satisie the Capacities Of thy righteous Nature Thou wast always sit to reign like a King Able to rule by the best of Laws To distribute the greatest Rewards and Punishments That therefore thou might'st raise up Objects for these Thou hast seated us at a little distance from thee Not 〈◊〉 respect of thy Ubiquity but degree of Knowledge In Heaven thou 〈◊〉 ellest As a Bridegroom with thy Bride A Father with thy Children A King with Kings Governours and Peers Shewing and manifesting all thy Glory Unto which thou wouldst have us first to come As humble and obedient Servants That in us thou mightst see Ingenuity Thanksgiving Fidelity Wisdom Love Even to an absent Benefactor There is the Kingdom of eternal Glory Beyond which can be no Rewards The highest of all being there attained In which can be no trial Blessedness being seen with open face