unbounded Orb of love Wonders are by Believers brought about That cruell tyrants cannot cancell out And by Believers to be enjoyed are Joyes wonderfull above conceiving far But we shall spare for more exactly those Matters we must debate before we close Now to the purpose and the Person precious Whom I have seen and still esteemed gracious Notable in the Assemblies of the Saints And solemn Meetings where Believers hauntâ— I know the case and truly see it clear Fraught with the fruits of faith of love and fear But she is not in that condition now So to confesse far lesse this to avow But in this sentence most succinct I 'le shew The matter and the meaning shall pursue And this it is Heavens child of hope doth faint for want of sight Resolv'd to grope through darkest deeps for light And this assertion sure for to explain Take notice now and answer you again You see Celestiall from terrestriall things Exhaling vapours that much darkness brings Eclipses do our naturall Sun surprise Which yet we see most royally arise The worlds first birth from Gods most pure intention Eternall purpose and divine invention Was made to be by no materials Existent pre-existent Seminals In darknesse swadled up untill the bright Creating word in time commanded light And when this light aright composed stood Night to preceed day-light God saith is good Jea This dispensation sad you take I see To flow from causes one or more of three The first from provocation I conceive The second what for triall we receive The third to Soveraignity ascends The Cause supreme where causes all depends You know suppose that naturall things be used And to illustrate sp'rituall matters chused Spirituall things are not demonstrate clearly By naturall that worke by nature merely The one by the prefixed Rule doth run The other Arbitrary how and when And yet suppose these generals should contain Much to this purpose when by searching seen Yet ye must nearer come her case to clear From such effects as may be seen appear For if she be bemisted left alone In this confus'd condition she is gone Sam. Will ye not condescend that all things be Good in their time appointed certainly And that our only wise and holy King Profoundly hath contrived every thing Spirituall naturall morall arbitrary Contingent voluntar and necessary And ordered so this contrary to that Man may with dread and reverence stand thereat Jea We trust your charity hes so conceived That Scripture-truths are all by us believed Albeit that under trials severall may By strong assaults much weaknesse oft bewray We know He 's the supream and only good And all things to his glory do conclude And that suppose rejected we should be It were our place his grace to magnifie His wisdom justice truth and holinesse We question not but our untowardnesse In not adverting to his counsels grave Which only could and should from swerving save And yet our tender Lover hath appointed And with spirituall unction hath anointed With coming some and cordialls stor'd that be Soveraign for Soul-diseases seasonablie â—Mongst whom ye be of speciall esteem In binding up the wounds that desperat seem I pray you speak in proper speeches plain As this perplexed party best may gain And lead us in these mysteries divine Untill the Sun begin again to shine Sam. I know it worthy of our pains shall prove To dyve in this deep mystery of love Therefore I shall not spare to condescend Some of our precious time herein to spend This mourning Bride sure has propined been With precious sweet sp'rit-consolations clean Whereby the King of Kings doth recreate Replenish purifie and elevate The soul that to espouse he is whereby She in his absence sick of love doth ly Jea Be pleas'd more specially us to acquaint With these so precious presents and how sent And how received that so effectuall prove As to procure such firm and fervent love Sam. He cleared hes her blear'd and blinded eyes Inflam'd her heart so as she feels and sees Her Comforter convey himself with kissings And breath into her soul supernall blessings The beauty of whose visage her invites To trace him out when he doth make retreats For in her heart so hes he shed that seed Which her affections after him doth lead And at a word created now anew She bids the whole Creation adiew And in this Sphere of Love celestial soare Not stooping to terrestriall triffles more Untill her Lover come and do relieve Her weighted sp'rit and heart contrite revive Jea Why doth she not in patience possesse Her soul and so attend his timousnesse Sam. Basenesse of mind such patience she esteems Which would suspend her of these warming beams By influence whereof she alone doth live And therefore closely unto him doth cleave Jea But is her project lawfull let me know Sam. True love was never limited by law Jea But earthly minds in mounting high do burn Sam. The Spirit by habit heavenly doth turn Jea Doth she the body then the more disdain Sam. No but doth tune it to a spâ—rituall strain For it 's the organ ordained for to sing The praises of her Lovely Prince and King Jea How doth she then so sadly ly and still Sam. She doth attend his presence and his will Preparing straight his praises to expresse But till his coming lurks in heavinesse Jea But where is then the hold of Faith and Hope Fast held but pressing nearer hard to grope Desiring still the Marriage-day to see When in His Robes she may arrayed be And joyning then his sweet soul-feeding face Her firm affections fervent may imbrace Hele. Poor Pilgrim I in dole and deep unrest For want of Faith with hellish fears supprest Here wandring as a woefull wretch alone So void of sense can do no more but moan Unworthy of respect regard or view Much lesse your face my spirits to renew It is my wonder that your worth should stay So to respect this crocked clog of clay So hardned that affections cannot melt To mold a new by any motions felt Yet happy you you Blessings do procure Who would conduct and doth instruct the poor But from the wayes of wisdome I have gone So far astray that I may mourn alone And groan for grief now when I cannot mend But all my dayes in dole and dolor spend And for to understand your friendly speech Or meaning thereof hardly can I reach But true it is sometimes I have exprest Some secrets that should not have been confess Of feelings sweet above expression far Which for the time but seeming shadows are For now deserted like a desart owle I hopelesse ly and can but hopelesse howle Bewailing oft that ever I was born For all is gone and I am left forlorn Sam. Dear friends conveened here for this intent With misteries of Love to be acquaint Let us unweary willingly attend For all her griefs shall sure in gladnesse end Jea Our true desire and most delight shall be We
Where we no task are set but for to sing The praises of our Liberal Royal King And to adore him in our nature now Mov'd by his spirit his name for to avow As Members of His Body mystical And dyving still in Divine Myst'ries all In Oracles and Ordinances seeing Him and Him in His dispensations eyeing He. These Metaphors I know not what they mean Nor to discern your plainest speech attain The one enfolding deepest mysteries The other not discern'd with carnall eyes Sam. Thou dost not only in the Faith bewray Thy weaknesse but doth wilfully betray Thy self in contradicting sweetest feelings Experimented sensible revealings Flowing and falling timous tides of love Which did thy-then lively affections move Thou know'st what every word we speak doth mean And that it is thy Lovers language clean Appointing for our weaknesse figures frail The splendor of spiritual things to vail As wine and milk aples and hony sweet Under his shadow feasting we delight Lest in His light we should be rapted so That souls should suddenly abortive go Can'st thou the body of the Sun behold And not be dazled if thou wert so bold Whose light and operations yet thou may Enjoy and not thy weaknesse so bewray Amongst the shadows thou may'st feed securely Upon the substance that doth then allure thee Where dyving dayly in this depth by seeing From glory unto glory formed being We come to true tranquillity at length And there enjoy our Lovers joy our strengthâ— So as we may with peace a space suspend That Glories breaking up that doth attend To be imparted for eternitie When we by grace matured for it be Eyes ears and hearts see hear not nor conceives Now what the true Believer then receives Farlesse who can our King conceive aright Untill we be admitted to his sight Who in such Glory inaccessible Enjoyes Himself to us impenitrable But by the grace of faith so apprehended As for our comfort He hath condescended So as we must be bred led fost'red here For sights unseen by such as do appear This is the life ye know Believers live To whom both grace and glory He doth give Up then my heart take heart among thy mates Ly not so sad thy Wel-beloved waitâ— To see thee stir for He will thee sustain Suppose both weak and wanting thou hast been Up up come come go go with us Hel. No no What thou hast said I do believe But lo I am but blind although to see I seem And what I seem'd to see falls out a dream Or vision vanish'd by the way it came Nor know I how I do or what I am Sam. This is not unto death I thee assure But shall His honour and thy health procure What thou hast seen and felt do not deny But His unchanged love believe apply Hele. How can the blind the deaf the dumb confesse Believe apply faith or felt-love professe Doubtlesse I have His fervent love again Provoked and forsaken am Sam. Refrain Thy sense is gone it seems but where 's thy reason For thou art bourding with a birth of treason Because through weaknesse thou canst him provoke Must he his constant counsell then revoke When in thy birth and blood thou lay in bands And hands of death did he not give commands Death to be gone and thee ordain'd to live What merite for this mercy didst thou give Knows he not well that thou no good canst do Without his presence and supply thereto And shall he now reputed be a changer Hele. No but to me he makes himself a stranger Sa. Strange when thou hast thy self from him estranged Thy reason should conclude that he is changed Or that he hath estrang'd himself so far While such love-tokens resting with thee are Hast thou not biding still beside thee here A Mirror full of beauty passing clear Wherein thou dost his portraict true possesse Full means to keep thy heart from heaviness He woo'd thee in a time of fervent love That thou shouldst constant faithfull loyall prove Preparing trimming purifying till The Nuptiall-rites he should compleat fulfill Do not what he hath done for thee deny Extoll his acte and on his truth rely Hele. What thou hast said that surely have I seen Acted by him for me hath truly been I am convinc'd and more than any speach Or largest heart-conceptions can reach But true it is when I to admiration His deeds had found surpassing declaration And then far far far over and above Had felt his sweetnesse in a time of love My melting heart within his heart relenting That almost warms affections in recenting But in that sweetnesse then I fell asleep Surprised with such sopor sad and deep That when I did awake my only One Was gone and now poor I do die alone For in his absence I 'm become a block A wretched fruitlesse and a withered stock Sa. Dost thou conceive these blinks these smiles these smells These melting motions whereof now thou tells Were tendred out thy fancy for to feed No but to strengthen faith for fruit and feed Hele. Then shall I no more look to see my Love Sam. Sense follows such as do most faithfull prove And feelings flee when they are followed most But when we stand by faith there 's nothing lost Hele. Oh! lost What losse can be compar'd to this To lose the only Author of my blisse Sam. Thy Blesse Conceive me and resolve me this If thou hadst thy desire unto thy wish Shouldst thou in this poor dusty rusty shrine Indure that splendor by these beams should shine Upon thy sp'rits Thou know'st how soon they failed When with a little blink thou wast assailed Look up make bold take hold hold fast by hoping And till thine eyes anointed be be groping Amongst thy Mates where I have seen thee there Presse forward with thy pith do not despair He. I know not what nor yet whereof ye mean Sam. I witnesse will as yet what I have seen When first thy Princely Lover to this place Translated thee could'st thou then sleep or cease But with Associats of the Citty using Uncessantly in deepest mysteries musing A frequent waiter at solemnities Much mov'd in minding our immunities About the River spying out thy spots And washing in the Streams away thy blots Upon the Mountains where Heav'ns dew distills And Fountain that with all refreshments fills Thou art so fram'd and to a habite new Inflam'd with firm affections pure and true Exactly set uncessantly to sing The praises of thy ever-glorious King The rarest Aires and sweetest musick matching And unto new inventions nightly watching Adorned with such ornaments ingrain That most infective tempests never stain What hes indured been by men of mights For to defend our priviledged rights Thou hast observ'd and deeply pondered then Composed to be wondred at by men These things deny thou canst not witnesse clear The Cittizens thine own Associats here Witnesse thy vestures new these shining Robes From mourning more refrain restrain thy sobs This world new no
dolor such admits Felt-love believe forbear these faithlesse fits Hele. That world of yours no falshood doth admit Faithlesse profession is a feigned fit You in the faithfull witnesse do believe And by believing faithfully do live You grafted in the lively Olive grow Where substance sweet doth from that fatness flow I formerly have in these courses gone With others as you instantly have shown But I have stept aside in following lies Upon the mount of many vanities What could it make suppose I should explain The folly and the figments of my brain The levitie of my affections vile Some seeming goodnesse under secret guile You by your importunacy do presse Me more particularly to expresse If better more then prejudice it could Or pertinent it were I surely should Sa. Whence comes this conscience of those heart-conceits Whence flow these conflicts of these soul-debates Corruption ' gainst corruption doth not side Satan against himself doth not divide Weaknesse and wandring do in us remain And yet our Lover doth us not disdain He fails us not as we do doating deem But that he absent to our sense doth seem That we may see what of our selves we may Expect if he should our supply delay And what can make us more our selves forsake Then hell-black us milk-white for Heaven to make Such sweetnesse from the breasts thou hast been sucking That weaned now thou dost but fall a drouping Thou hast been dandled on thy keepers knees And fed with suggar'd soul-festivities But now for to obtain the Royall prize Thou must to work and run and fight arise Hele. It 's easie Sailing in a gentle Gale But grievous when the tempest strieks the Sail It 's easie fighting with your fleeing foes But dreadfull when it turnes to bloody blows It 's easie speaking to a wounded heart But not so easie to retreat the dart And searching tryals light to some may be Which work to others much perplexity I pray you therefore leave me now alone You may I hurt help can you make me none Sa. In darkest dayes and sharpest stormes that blow Our Pilot how to land us safe doth know And we within the vail our Anchor sure Do cast and so can ride it out secure Our Captain stands victorious in the field He never lost a man that did not yeeld Our sweet Physician full of science sees Our wounds diseases and their remedies And doth with cordials unto us addresse When dwining we do dream of nothing lesse And it is good thou dost not us regard Lest at thy hands we should expect reward But till you take a breathing we shall walk Beside thee here and to the matter talk Now ye my friends devote and Ladies dear Who this discourse of ours do over-hear Speak your opinion from experience plain And we shall to our purpose turn again For in her griefs if we cannot be grieved We shall be griev'd when she shall be relieved But of her burdens who doth take a part Her comfort shall reflect upon their heart Maria Anna Grissilla Eliza. Thomas Maria. IT seems it shall not easy be to find The bands that do her in this bondage bind But let us now recite our speciall failings Their causes and effects and our prevailings And to avoid contest I shall break in And as you bid be bold for to begin Court-breeding leading us to high aspirings Swelling in such ambitious desirings We can for self-promotion formall prove In every project where we minde to move And can Chamelion-like all colours take As for the gaining of our point may make And from what airt we see the air to swirle For that same course quickly our sails can hurle But when we of our selves do get a sight We guard against this Idol with our might Most deeply humbled at the heart that we Are wasted in this frothy vanity For then it pleas'd my King to clear mine eies Divinely to discern deep mysteries And take a Pardon in that time of love Which made my frozen heart in melting move Yet after this anone I must you tell A fearfull tryall unto me befell Even after tasting many comforts sweet Intent some meditations to repeat Of most concernment preasing to procure In supernatâ—rall truths my standing sure Such as of souls the immortality Whose being in and out of bodies be The resurrection and immortalizing Of bodies mortall naturall spiritualizing And minding thence some higher to ascend So far as finite thoughts might comprehend Of God his goodnesse wisdome and his might Pre-ordinating all in order right By His eternall counsel pleasure will Who all things works moving unmoved still But instantly a voice both pure and plain My musing mov'd unto another strain So friend-like and so friendly muttering then Must thou be found the only fool of men What businesse is this thou goes about What strange chymaeraes shall we see come out We guided be by reason and by sence Where be thy groundlesse grounds on what pretence Dost thou intangle and perturb thy mind In courious quiâ—ks whereto thou art inclin'd Art thou so senslesse as thus to conceive Dust turn'd to dust turn ghostlesse from the grave Or that thy vanisht spirits shall return These ashes to inspire spent in that urne Some giddie-headed people wonders tell Of God of Heaven satan sin and hell But these be foolries fitted to deceive Some facile Sp'rits that fancies do conceive Canst thou defraud thy self of all thy blesse By framing to thy self a hell like this While as thou might in many pleasures flouriâ— And nature in her native notions nourish But even then when I perplexed though What could it be that this diversion wrought Unto my sence there was reply so clear Return'd in my behalf which made appear The devil his drift and his deluding lure Discourse of me by flatt'rie to procure But my firm faithfull Watch-man and my Loveâ— Seeing the malice of this murthering mover Preveens this cruel plot and interposes His subtilty and sophistry discloses Objections more then now I can recent Which none but very devils could invent Confuted and refuted were so clear By him alone who did for me appear But then said I in this confusion vext Since it is so how am I thus perplext Then instantly my great deliverance wrought Was wondrously by my Redeemer brought When to grosse Atheism the tempter he Had cast his baits for to have hooked me And if the inward Teacher had not taught Me how to answer these his reasons fraught With subtilties so mystick that again I had been tortur'd in that fearfull train But sad and bitter were the sore rebukes Of my dear Lover and the frowning looks That I endur'd for daring to adventure With this deceiver in the lists to enter Moreover fears not only me affright But also I must with afflictions fight With many terrors and with troubles toyled And by infirmity am often foyled But yet I find it for my best to be Prest and distress'd in this perplexitie For on the
The Heav'nly Manna and thereon have feasted And at the fountain have refreshed been Therein revived and returned clean And that when slumbring I began to swell I have been left in darknesse for to dwell Untill it pleas'd my King who knows my pain For my relief me to revive again I likewise do confesse what ye have said In ref'rence unto provocations made Which have recited been by severall here And pertinently made for to appear From sound experience much diversity And nearest numberlesse variety That with the like I have been led astray And drawn upon my self a cloudy day The crosse did with corruption so increase I forc'd have been my folly to confesse For I might read in every severall rod Real offences against a righteous God Who yet from wretched me did not remove His tender mercy faithfulnesse and love For in his coming I might daily see His goings were for wak'nings unto me Again I shall not take unto denyals But that I have acquainted been with tryals From all the Fiends and their infernall states Where I have often felt and dealt debates His brood within his instruments without Inviron and invest me round about And yet from all their cruelty and spight Have been preserv'd from that malicious might And where they had permission to perplex Turn'd to my good and them the more may vex And as this is by you my friends affirmed Is likewise now by me again confirmed But not the lesse â—lace that I can say I have no benefite thereby this day You have been arguing long and I replying Contending much and many things denying Wherein convinc'd that ye the right maintain Yet know ye not what sorrows I sustain For I had never darknesse known aright If once I had not seen the shining light Nor what it were to be beslav'd with devils If of their seed I had not seen the evils Nor what deliv'rance or defence could mean If fearfull danger were not something seen But while so many eminent I see For light and life inlargement liberty Forsaken and before the tryall fail How can I then presume for to prevail Who now so long so fearfully do ly Without relief or hope of remedy If ye my dolours knew ye would deplore That wofull anguish and vexation sore That I am wrangled with and wrapped in When terrours of the second death begin Of outward suffering I make no acount Although they do ye know too much amount A raging devil in the wicked reeling Venting their venom with villanous reviling Professed friends do privily supplant The most engaged in their ranting taunt And being held in fetters raging roar Because they cannot reach for to devour My person means profession and my name To burie in the dust of death they dream But when the prince of darknesse doth begin This dark and dozned heart again within To raise his works and to enlive his brood What can I men lesse then lost wretch conclude And more this tyrant hath attain'd the leading Of my affections ev'n while I am pleading Against his faunings and his flatt'ring baits Whereby I dragged am in dang'rous straits And cannot stint because I have no strength Nor hope to be relieved at the length For this I sigh for this I weep and mourn For this my bowels in my belly turn For this I seperate my self alone For this my blood and moisture both are gone Because the Comforter that can relieve My heart no answer for my grief doth give But in this desp'rate case at distance keep While all these serpents do about me sweep With open jaws sharp claws and cruell sting Trusting to sink and swallow quick they sing Sam. Well I perceive you have at length been plain Yet all doth turn unto one thing again Except some aggravation of the space The measure and ingredients in the case This closse eclipse with storms of flying fire Darknesse and thundring bolts of dreadfull ire From devils and from every instrument They could devise to work they detriment And then least for thy self to stand and fight So far above thy cunning and thy might Partly because that thou hes known them fall Compar'd with thee a shrub were cedars tall But yet look over thine accounts and cast Thou may come to a reckoning right at last These persons eminent at first did yeeld They never try'd the fight upon thee field And look again aright and thou shalt see Such as thy self triumph in victory Who in the fight by slight have oft been foil'd And yet by strength renew'd the spoiler spoild Consider also if thou couldst have stood Before old Belial and his brutish brood If they were not by chains of strength restrain'd And thou to use thy armes aright were train'd The measure and the space which most doth move thee Is the appointment of thy Prince to prove thee That thou may taste His power in preserving Under thy want and weaknesse of deserving Do no more plague thy self with this debate Against this blessed and believing state A fixed faith all slavish fear removes And in its orbe unto the Author moves For measure time and means simplie surrender Thy self to Him He is wise kind and tender Whereof much rich experience thou abuses And for tranquillity this torment chuses Wherein be sure thou shalt be tortured till Thou do submit sincerly to His will Hele. Now do I well perceive by your discourse I have not soundly looked to the sourse Of dispensations as I might have seen A secret providence did me sustain Ev'n in these darkest dayes and dangers dread Which all my torture and my torment breed For if I had then had I never thought These fiery-brands that my vexation wrought Had loosed been but were in fetters ty'd And suff'red but to bark till I were try'd I likewise see as you have said that such Who in a flourish hes professed much The field did never by confession face But turn'd in searching tryals with disgrace And for the measure and the space I know It 's good for me so to be keped low I suffered was many essayes to take Which weigh'd aright might many humble make And upon me there lyes unto believing More real bands then upon any living And now that I should limit him doth wound Me most to whom I am so deeply bound And that I have so wilfully resisted The sp'rit whereby you have with me insisted For I have doing been what in me lay My soul unto the murderer to betray But now my Saviour worthily shall have His will for He I see will me but save And here I do acknowledge my mistakes And that my diffidence the dottage makes Bemisted in the mud so have I been And so gainsaid what I have felt and seen The truth of all that ye have now exprest Is clear to me and so by me confest For He my Lover is not only wise And strong and fair and lovely in mine eyes But He is wisdom beauty might and love Where all
generations hath revived and brought forth from the Womb of Regeneration a fair Family of Believers and by the Gospel-ordinances gathered them into his Garden of grace by the New and Living Way where the Fountain and Well of Life is opened free for all that will come to smell the Flowers and feast upon the Fruits of eternall and unchangeable Bounty infinitely preferable to all their losses where he conversing with them prepares them for the Pallace-Royall the Place of his Habitation where Mansions are appointed for them that they may be where He is that they may see His Glory and reâ—oice in Him for evermore And that as they have born the image of the earthly so we may â—ear the Image of the Heavenly And here is the prime and most precious Subâ—ect of Christian Contemplation where the Believer may expatiate and ingratiate himself in the â—weetest Recreations and Consolations by attaining unto and entertaining of an unseparable communion with God in Christ by the Holy Ghost â—nseparably One and only adorable MAZE 1. for restriction Job 37.33 34 HEnce carnall minds that apprehend Erroniously The Incomprehensible to comprehend most impiously Lights glorious Center inaccessible who can behold Lifes-life eternall unexpressible who can unfold How then shall men come to conceive Of this rare Blesse some do receive By Gods preordinate appointing who be renew'd And by the Holy Ghosts anointing who be indowed Brightly to see that Majesty Of God-Man that great Mystery Of love unto the Elect-seed Whence admiration doth proceed May come and see and so confesse Professe His Name and praise expresse And you who humbled in the sense of wants And search to know the priviledge of Saints May come in faith with reverence and fear See that without this frame you do forbear MAZE 2. for instruction 1 John 3.2 IN all these Mazes where we move The ground we walk upon is love And where we make approachings near Let 's come in reverence and fear Before His glorious Name who is A Beam supream of boundlesse blesse But so resplendent and transcendent To make appear convincing clear Behold this naturall Sun whose gleams doth apprehend us And whose illuminating beams doth comprehend us And thence infer how far The supream Author of this all excels this Star In this all comprehensive name I AM so condescending Eternall simple still the same all comprehending And in Emanuell sweetly seen In this fair Garden ever green Where daily with celestial showrs Be nourished His rarest flowrs Untill He glorifie His grace In such as here do Him imbrace MAZE 3. For incouragement Isa 55 John 1.27 HEre Soveraignity doth shine In condescensions so divine That ye whose lights are now anointed And for these glorious sights appointed On whom the Holy Ghost alone Hes left impressions upon Look in loves Christ-all mirrour clear Where loves sweet mystery does appear Firmly fixed till acquainted Thou be by faith therein indented This is the Mountain of our rest This sweetest Fountain only best Come drink salvation at this cup And on these consolations sup Where pleasures joy and peace abounds And glory to His Grace redounds Who Wonderfull will not conceal His Excellence but does reveal Himself so clear that we may read Him in His Name and on Him feed This Food who tasts shall thirst no more For fading gain or earthly glore But longing still to be translated Where they may be for ever stated MAZE 4. Loves mysterie 1 Tim. 3 1â— YE all who find your selves secure By lively saving faith and sure Who hes smell'd and who hes tasted Who hes felt and who hes feasted On these Love-dazling Mysteries divine Which on our cleared eyes do shine Of Man in God and God in Man Who sp'ritually destinctly scan Humanity still unconfounded With Deity and conjunctly bounded And do before The Unity in Trinity adore Advance that most admired Grace And feed upon that fairest Face For there alone and no where else That Love is found of love that smels That can be feasted on and felt The heart of Adamant can melt It 's life alone to be resolv'd In this this love to be disolv'd Tract it still and be allur'd So shall ye surely be secur'd O for these breathings of this Love That would the whole affections move MAZE 5. The fountain inexhaustible I AM THAT I AM GOD All Glorious I am that pure immense Ens entium Ens. Am I not wisdome infinite and love That omnipotent omnipresent whence I in my justice and my mercy move Am I not that sublime profound Abysse God Trinity in Unity compleat All truth all light all life eternall blesse Glorious holy Father Son Sp'rit GOD Holy Ghost eternall and infinite All Light all Life all Vertue pure compleat Irradiant being by whom all beings be Most blessfull breathings of the Vnity Sublime all-piercing and all-searching Spirit God Holy Ghost Eternall and Infinite E Expressed Splendor of the Deity M Might Majesty admir'd in Man Divine M Mercy rejoyc'd with Justice to agree A And Justice seen with joy in Mercy shine N Nerve of substantial Truth Illustrious fair V Wisdome and Well of Life where beauty springs E Eternall God of God God to declare L Lights Center where all Saints enlightned sings MAZE 6. Loves Labyrinth Eph. 5.23 THe race of man sprung from th'apostate reins deplorable And bitter root that all the branches stains restorable The mystery of man's defecting ponder The mind of God in mans perfecting wonder Perfected man degenerate by defection Defected man regenerate to perfection Adam by nature damn'd when he defected Damn'd Adam now refram'd by grace perfected O happy they may now we say Are such as sees with sp'ritual eyes aright these mysteries And do with reverence adore This Glorious Majesty before Fixed by faith till they prevail By pregnant prying through the vail The root of man elected leads this round And with the fruit of this great mist'ry's crown'd Come then and see the King as ye would live And by believing herein deeply dyve His power and his promise both believe So shalt thou see delight and love and live And with Heav'ns Quiristers adore and sing High Hallelujahs to this Glorious King MAZE 7. Loves mirrour Isa 45.22 LOve-dazled eyes look up and see Where purest spirits prying be And with seraphick love inflam'd You shall by fixing prove refram'd Gods only Son Gods rebell-wrath indure O love alluring Gods Sonship to Gods rebels to procure O large procuring We lay in darknesse till His glory shin'd And now He hes our souls in His combin'd Ingrav'd upon His Heart and Hands we be Ingrafted in His God-Man-Flesh be we Members more made Mates for Marriage loves To Him for whom the whole Creation moves In heaven and earth and hel whose scepter sweyes And dazles humane eyes with divine Rayes This Love all limits far exceeds Of length and depth and heighth and breadth Past comprehension by perusing A tractat for eternall musing Oh that our whole
The Turtle-dove an emblem of the new Creature her properties described THe Turtle-dove truely resemble can Of any thing in nature the New-man In heart and whole affections constant pure Does loyall only to her choise endure Most searching piercing storms and darkest night In presence of her Lover she doth slight But thoughts of separation be so sad Created comforts cannot make her glad Whiles vexing grief from self-suspition grows That his removall from her motion flows This Animall the Rationall so exceeds She for preferment of affection pleads They born again this case can only state Prevail and far exceed in the debate For they refram'd refin'd revived be By that anointing makes them hear and see Himself who so elects allures and loves His Dove redeem'd reproves proves and approves Most blessed they thus taught thus fram'd thus gain'd To God by grace and from the world wean'd CANT 2.12 14. The voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rocks in the secret places of the Stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voices for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely PSAL. 68.13 Though ye have lien among the pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her feathers with yellow Gold THE TURTLE-DOVE UNDER THE ABSENCE PRESENCE OF HER ONLY CHOISE OR DESERTION DELIVERANCE REVIVED 1. Ushered with the NICODEMIAN PARADOX explained in a Comparison betwixt the First and Second BIRTH and closed with the Characters of the Old and New Man 2. And seconded with a SURVEY of the First and Second DEATH which inclosed with a Sepation-kisse betwixt two most intimate Friends the Soul and Body of Man 3. And a Glimring of the First and Second Resurrection and Generall Judgement closing with a Song of Degrees from what we were to what we are and from thence toward what we shall be By a Lover of the Celestiall Muses IOHN 3.8 The wind bloweth where it â—isâ— c. EDINBVRGh Printed by Andrew Anderson Printer to the CITTY and COLLEDGE Anno DOM. 1664. The Presentation of the Turtle-Dove to the Lady VISCOUNTESS of KENMOOR RIght Noble Madam Please your Honour now Accept this present of a Turtle Dove Which in the Ark reserv'd secure hath been And both the worlds new and old hes seen The Nations of the old deaths captives living The natives of the new in death reviving She sees preserv'd from fear from pit from snare Where wretched worldlings wamble in despair Those old ascendent shining and shut out These born anew with Songs of safety shout Eternall purposes reveal'd she weighs And timous precious promises applyes Timely performances she truly proves And feels how fervently her Lover loves Now when you have consideratly seen Her Songs and found them clear and Christ-all-clean Then let her sweetly by your licence flie Amongst true mourners with her melody These discords well compos'd abounding there In concords move a sweet soul-melting air Ladies and Lovers Lidia-like advert Till sp'ritual motions mollifie your heart That moulded new in love true and divine Then in your Lovers likenesse you may shine An ACROSTICK upon the NAME of the Right Honourable LADY JEAN CAMPBEL VISCOUNTESS of Kenmoor L LOve-bred designs from deep divine desires A A Sp'rit inspires transcending humane skill D Dilating still the will with heavenly fires I Inflam'd wherewith admires her Lover still E Elected Ladie elevated Lover J Injoy the object of thy Love sublime A Adore the dictats of thy Divine Mover N Now training thee to treasures after time E Eternall troubles inward tryals strong C Come out to make thee famous in thy fight A And manag'd be the mysteries among M Make up thy life-translation unto light P Presse through the straits the precious prize perceive B Bounty bestows and blessed souls receive E Eternall triumphs glorie infinite L Loves Darling comes thy comforts to compleat The Minion of the Muses here Great Mistris of this gracious Quire Whose study unto self-denial Had suffered to shine the trial Should made the Muses homage do Her Pen and Person both unto An ACROSTICK upon the name of that very Religious and Famous GENTLE-WOMAN MARION McKNAICHT M More happy then imagined can be A And blessed are such as with heart sincere R Resolve to cleave to Christ to live and die I In Him with Him and for Him to appear O O What transcedent glorie grows from grace N None but no not the soul refined shall M c Make to appear that Light that Life that peace K Known only to the pure Possessors all N Now thou by grace art unto glory gone A And gain'd the Garland of eternall blesse I In seeing Him who on the glorious Throne C Created uncreated glory is H Heavens Quire did sing at thy conversion sweet T Time posts thy finall comforts to compleat Those names among the living worthily Preserved be that true Belivers be And such they be that truely do believe Who living learn to die dying to live TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Noble and Religious LADY JEAN VISCOUNTESS of KENMOOR Right Honourable BEing past controversie and universally acknowledged that bitter Experience is the best Teacher and School-master of fools amongst which rank I do esteem my self to be inferior to very few And therefore must be educate under such exercises and discipline as the only wise Parent who knows well the frame disposition and inclination of every one of his children sees meet for instructing rectifying and reclaiming of the blind-born ignorant prone to all maner of perversity out of that naturall darknesse by the illumination of the holy Ghost unto the life of grace whereby God makes himself known to the Elect and themselves to themselves and whereby they be moved to hate and abhore themselves to love and believe Him so clearly manifested to them that the Devil or his instruments from without or from within cannot gain ground so far against the work of his begun grace as to raze it Neverthelesse the subtile Hunter cruell and violent Persecutor of such as are thrusting through the strait gate ceaseth not to prepare and set many snares privily in our way partly by entangling our minds with too much worldly affairs and other vain inventions and partly by presenting well-polished idols for our humors as means of diversion whereby we be marred in our growth and come slowly unto maturity But our only good God and gracious Father who out of his infinite goodnesse hath begun knows also how to accomplish his work in every one of his own For proof whereof I have made bold to let your Ladyship know that after many multiplied compassions unchangeable love and long-sufferings wherewith my Lord hath been driving me nearer to Himself now at length to lead me apart as it were out of the world by a singular and unexpected providence unto the wildernesse not to be tempted by the Devil as my dear Saviour was before me who
the Church the Spouse of Christ and of every chosen Child of God and Member of the Body mysticall after Regeneration Neverthelesse of all the tryals troubles and temptations they are to meet with in the strait way II. Secondly in particular there is represented the sad condition and sharp affliction of the Child of God under desertion made appear in a threefold consideration 1. First More felt then real Debated from Page 8. to 23. Where it is made evident that the Child of God after Regeneration may be wrapt under fearfull clouds of darknesse and discouragement and impossible to be comforted till there come a reviving from the inward Comforter And this is most properly Love sicknesse being for tryal and prevention Psa 42. Psa 30.7 8 9 10. 2. Secondly Real and felt And this is debated from Page 23. to 49. Wherein there is notice taken of the severall most prevailing tentations upon several ranks of persons viz. The Court-bred the School-bred the Countrie-bred and the Citty-bred the Civilian also and the most savage of conversation Neverthelesse the party deserted not able to discern the speciall cause of the affliction untill the means be sanctified by inward supply And this is for chastisement and correction tending to humiliation Psal 51. 1 Sam. 1.16 3. Thirdly More real then felt Debated from p. 49. to 76. Where it is made appear that the believer may be lying under much guilt unsensible unâ—ill a timous wakning come and when it is come under much perplexity untill a word of peace be pronounced And this is for tryall and wakening Isa 39.12 2 Sam. 24.10 11 12 13. III. Thridly After all this serious debate unto small purpose the smoaking flax being long smoothered and now breathed upon it kindleth swiftly and breaks out sweetly in an excessive flame of spirituall fervour And whereby then and not till then the party being prevailed with there appears a correspondent alteration of affections in the whole strain and uniforme expressions of the whole Society 1. First The perplexed person under absence is now upon renewed sense elevated unto a most sublime soul-ravishing rapture in a SONG p. 76. and the continuation thereof p. 77 78. 2. Secondly The Associates sympathising therewith in extasie SONG 2. p. 79. 3. Thirdly The continuation of the Sympathy in extasie SONG 3. pag. 80 81. 4. Fourthly The Soul-rapture upon renewed sense again renewed SONG 4. pag. 82 83. 5. Fifthly Solide grounds of spirituall security by way of Echo p. 84. 6. Sixthly A timous warning to guard against carnall security with comforts and incouragements unto chearfulnesse against trials and troubles till he end his journy p. 85. to 96. 7. Seventhly The grounds of Gospel-ordinances presented under the name of the Pallace-garden from p. 96. to 107. wherein there are nine severall MAZES making up the Garden viz. First A Border of Restriction p. 98. Secondly A Beam of Instruction 99. Thirdly Cordials for Incouragement 100. Fourthly Loves Mystery 101. Fifthly The Fountain unexhaustible 102. Sixthly Loves Labyrinth 103. Seventhly Loves Mirrour 104. Eighthly Loves Emblem 105. Ninthly Loves Union 106. 8. Eightly The Jewel of Jewels a Vade-mecum for heart impression and preservation p. 110. to 114. 9. Ninthly The Symphonicall desires and delights of the Redeemed in their retirements closing with that Song Rev. 15.3 4. p. 114. to 121. 10. Tenthly A harmonious Consort and a Song of praise p. 121. to 126. 11. Eleventhly Reviving Recollections and Solliloquies closing with the Song of all Saints Rev. 7.12 p. 127 to 1â—4 12. Twelfthly An Objection by the mere natural man answered and the party advised p. 134. to 142 In all which there is represented sure grounds of â—oud comfort under all the trials incident to the Child of Goâ— after regeneration from his birth in his life and death and after death his soul injoyments boâ—es rest and resurrection soul and bodies second conjunction small absolution and endlesse beatitude carrying also through the whole discourse from infallible truth the terrours of the Law against all that be under the Law all â—eâ—ding to 〈◊〉 serious study of keeping a Communion with God in the Spirit with a spiritual and chearfull conversation undeâ— all dispensations crosse or comfortable in that humblenesse and singlenesse of heart the fruits of saving faith which workes by love to the praise of the Author and our own peace And as to the additions of a preparatory Paradox explained in a comparison betwixt the first and second birth going before a subsequent survey of the first and second death resurrection and generall judgement they bâ— hereto annexed for making compleat the intended designe of delineating the pedigree of the new Creature from the right stock of his portraict from his true Parentâ— and Procreation his crosses conflicts comforts and confidences from the right Fountain in life and in death his restauration from death and darknesse unto immortall life and light of glory from the all-glorious and ever blessed Author of his being and this his most blessed well-being TO THE OBSERVANT READER UPON THE ENSUING POEM YOu who desire to know the plain tho strait Path-way to new Jerusalems high gate Whose pav'ment bright emboss'd with Gems be far More rich and fine then the most glistring Star In glore excells the boundlesse saphire bounds Of lights vast Curtain these pure Christall-â—ounds Whose azure Canopy and pleasant fields Great ground of soul-amazing wonder yeelds If any in designs so high aspires As to resolve through waters and through fires Of tort'ring trouble to climb the steep yee-rocks 'Twixt Heaven and earth in spight of Satan's strocks And will rest satisfi'd with nothing lesse Then Heav'n yea God Himself eternall blesse Resolving to endure all grief all pain All losse this great prize All in all to gain Lo here 's a Pilgrim who being guided by Truths sacred threed and Gods directing eye Is now come near his journies end not stayed By fained fraud or vain hopes not dismayed By force frowns hate or groundlesse fears expecting Gods call to enter Jordan and neglecting Fond vanities he 's looking from the top Of Pisgah by the eye of faith and hope Toward the Promis'd Land which to enjoy Through 's time he mainly did himself imploy But while God spares soul-wasting idlenesse He loaths and therefore on the Wildernesse Through which he 's come and all that did befall Him in his way there-through and in his call Thereto reflecting all he well observes And unto others carefully preserves Lo therefore here held forth thou 'lt clearly see Of Christian cases the diversity Sometimes rapt to the third heav'ns by loves wings They see their strange soul-ravishing sights and things Vnutterably glorious whence doth spring Amazing joy true peace which makes them sing Here neither reason faith nor hope but love And sense cause the soul-chariot-wheels to move Sometimes these soul-transporting objects be Vail'd whence flow darknesse great perplexity Afflicting trouble tort'ring grief of mind By which they are
consum'd in which they 're pyn'd Then reason's corrupt faith's weak sense is gone Hope fails love still remaining's left alone Which surely though unsensibly unites The soul to Christ Christ to the soul invites Lo likewise here thou 'lt see the ground on which Some Christians are so toss'd some not so much With their procuring causes and occasions Grave warnings suting all such dispensations Lest when they be advanc'd they swell in pride And turn secure then sadly fall or slide With heartlesse frettings When they cannot have All things at all times their vain hearts do crave In all which things his words he fitly squares With sound experience its norm and dares With open face avow all here declar'd To have been clearly known found seen and heard Come therefore read and with all care peruse His words for love to thee did cause him chuse To publish them Thy good he did intend Next to Gods glory and if this great end Be reach'd he 's recompenc'd for all his pain Give praise to God thank him for thine 's the gains W. G. To my highly Honoured and very obliging FRIEND upon his rare and sutable Choise in the ensuing POEM MVch honoured Sir the stately peerlesse worth Of your high soaring spirit is held forth In slighting things terrene divine desiring With most undanted boldnesse high aspyring To know see yea injoy him whose perfections Cannot be reach'd by most inlarg'd conceptions Of most capacious sp'rits and deeply dyves In these hid â—hings which knowing souls in lives Your progresse since ingag'd in this abstruse Deep art being helped by the heavenly muse Appears in these well fram'd lines which contain A Christians present toyle but future gain O but your warnings wise and counsells be Wholsome convey'd with moving gravity Your skilfull well tun'd Songs shew that you 're taught In heavenly Poesie and fully fraught With free Urania's gifts your lofty strain Holds forth a heav'n sprung high Poetick vein Surely such soul-transporting Songs could not By any not transported be begot How hes your soul been fill'd with rapting joyes O how enlarg'd by the melodious noise Of these celestiall hosts and glorious throngs How elevated by their pleasant Songs When such sweet parallels were by your pen Convey'd of so great use to blind-born men Great Sir well done ye have not basely spent Your noble and broody spirit forc'd to vent It self on somewhat in devising vain Vtopian stories which Romanticks fain Who busk Chymerick notions which are not Else where but in the fanciers brain begot And with high-flown deckt words great things portend Which try'd into a noysome nothing end Your gravity would not permit you choise Such theams you fancy not a birthlesse noise Your subject's grave your drift's not transient pleasure But solide joy true peace these lasting treasures W. G. TO THE JUDICIOUS READER Upon the excellency and sutablenesse of the AUTHOR his Choise and Subject of the Turtle-dove in the ensuing POEM HO curious Sp'rits who love to spend your time In reading strange new things in Prose or Rime Come here a Creature rare describ'd you 'll see No Monster yet more strange then Monsters be She 's stil'd a Turtle-dove hereby's held forth Her Clement Nature Properties and Worth But if ye'll mark her with a searching eye Ye'll find her wonderfull made wondrously She is begot she 's born and yet O strange Created nay renew'd Ne're such a change Was heard of by Philosophers Yet more By that same act by which she 's made adore She is espous'd yea match'd Her Maker is Her Lover yea her Mate and she 's made his His milk's her food her Collactaneus Mother Sucks the same breasts their Nurse is al 's their Bâ— Yet both his members are He 's soul and head They Feasters He 's the Table and the Bread He 's Prophet Sacrifice Priest Judge and King They Judges Priests and Kings with him shall reign And though these seem to be moe when alone Yet Husband Mother Spouse Nurse makes but one WILLIAM GORDOUN The POEM with the accomplishmenes Epitomized BEauty and Valour many Volums prove To be the Object of most ardent Love And subject where the most profound confine Their deepest thoughts both morall and Divine The Streams of Truth unto the Fountain leads Where Vertue true from verity proceeds Unfading Beauty does in Vertue shine And Valour strong triumphs in Truth Divine Vertue Truth still victorious doth grace And Truth in Vertue Beauty fair imbrace What foes fair Vertue to deface contend Truth overturns and doth her cause defend From Truth what Rivall Vertue would allure Vertue disdains and does his death procure Fair Vertue does a constant Conflict keen From foes within and foes without sustain But by the Truth her Standart-bearer stands Against the malice of these mighty bands Most happy they and right Heroick sure Can faithfull hearts unto this fight procure But all these conflicts and these battels be Spirituall and discerned sp'ritually Yet carnall minds for substance shadows take But who for substance shadows does forsake True Valour Vertue Beauty Love come see The Subject of these Songs ensuing be Where shining in this Portraict shall appear The lineaments of a lively Christian clear Delineat from his birth and breeding glorious â—raught with the Trophees of triumphs victorious THE NICODEMIAN PARADOX EXPLAINED By a COMPARISON betwixt the Natural Generation of MAN and the Spirituall Regeneration of the NEW CREATURE CLOSING With the CHARACTERS of the OLD and NEW MAN THE PARADOX 1. Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. 2. That before we can come to GOD we must know our selves captives and slaves to Satan 3. That before we enter the way to Heaven we must see our selves in the way to hell 4. That the most sad Crosse produceth the most sweet fruit of most kindly comfort 5. That the Believer keeps a daily Feast and also a daily Fast. 6. That there is no true contentment attainable in any thing present 7. That the Believer enjoyes joyes unspeakable in things unseen 8. That the poor that have nothing possesse all things and make many rich THese and the like of these are unto every man in the state of nature clear contradictions for no Creature is able to surpasse its own Sphere The Vegetative attains not unto Sense The Animal attains not unto Reason The Rational can as little apprehend the things of God which are only discernable by the Spirit of God The most able of men for judgment understanding or other parts naturall or by learning and industry acquired or extraordinarly given by revelation are but common gifts of the Spirit as proper to the Believer in grace so to the unbeliever in nature and by the man wholly in nature naturally received and naturally practised As also the very devils are known to have more light by the many advantages and occasions they have of knowledge both by experience and revelation then all the sons of men and although
quench the wrath of God the more I must to mourn again for sin begin So friend-like teaching me how to remeed My own undoing by thy treacherous deed And wouldst have me believe that by repenting I must redeem my self or lost remain And so ensnare me by thy wise inventing And wast my substance in this subtile train For better wouldst thou never seek of me Then in these fetters perishing to see As if my Lord who hath me freely loved Did not revive me when my life were spent As if again this Love I had not proved Which mov'd my heart sincerely to repent So as alone He hath done all for me That by His death I may victorious be Hereby again thou dost advantage take Carelesse to make and carnally secure Both sluggishly and senslesly to slack In duties whereto Love doth me allure As if His Love were not of force to guide Me through the straits wherein I may be tri'd And when my Lord better to let me see My self whereof I daily stand in need The influence of his grace restrains from me Then butcher-like thou follows me with speed And dost surmise that I do beat the air And notions print to presse me to despair And when thou canst not by thy wit prevail Because I do by faith thy darts resist Then lion-like thou dost in arms assail And by thy wicked instruments insist To persecute in body state and name Thereby to bring me unto publike shame Thus didst thou first begin with lying lewd And therein counterfeited as thou can And then thy flatt'ry did convert to feud Burning in malice to betray the man The Syrene first and then the serpent grim Now from thy lurking hole the Lions limb But now thy fury to thy face shall turn And vex thee in quotidian extasie Of endlesse woe for evermore to burn In pain when I am from thy spight set free For all thy trains shal both increase thy charge And for triumphs victorious us enlarge For certainly what thou hast done or can Yet ever do in time to come I know Shall do but heap hape on the hopefull man And in the end turn to thy overthrow For as he is in battell try'd the more Into his rest shall he enjoy of glore And this I do not glosse upon in pride For weaknesse with the weakest I confesse And when my Lord doth leave me to be try'd Then dwining do I ly in deep distresse But then ev'n then whole hell cannot bereave Me of this faith I know whom I believe Thus Satan old thou seest not how I soar Above thy sight upon the Eagles wing EMANUELS might protects me evermore And in thy spight shall me to safety bring So go for lo I leave thee here to ly And with thy mates eternally to die And now again as the naturall man being brought to the light and through the trials and travels incident to him in his infancy and under age unto the years of discretion and experience is to be exercised in serious and important affairs concerning himself his Country and concernment and thereby is to give proof of his gifts and endowments grounded upon justice temperance prudence and fortitude with all other subordinate requisites and yet meeting with so many difficulties in the progresse of his best intended and most approvable actions is subject to much haulting and deviation in many things turning to his reproach The New Man in like manner being come through these and many such assaults and come up to some growth in light and experience is to be exercised as a Professor of Christianity and to exercise himself therein both in his generall and particular calling being strengthened by the gifts and grace received both to do and endure as it shall please the Giver to give the calling And for this end that he be indued with these requests 1. So much knowledge of himself as may produce sincere self-denial 2. So much of GOD as may make up a sole dependency upon a Providence 3. Faith whereby to sacrifice his Isaac his dearest darling to the service of God upon a known call 4. A fixed confidence that if he should slay thee thou wilt trust in him 5. Love above comparison so far as God is above the creature 6. Zeal like Phineas impartiall in the execution of justice in the Cause of God and our Country 7. Submission in what he takes as in what he gives 8. Patience in resting quiet and confident in all he doth 9. Humility tending to the increase of grace thankfulnesse under the crosse as under comfort 10. Chearfulnesse so shall the joy of the LORD be thy strength These be the approven grounds whereby to walk with approbation but how short every man comes in the practice it is too well seen whether from the world when it flattereth or frowns affecting or repining And in the unregenerate part what a filthy fume flows daily out of that stinking pudle where the dregs and spawn of all the devilry of hell is engrossed and but in part purged or rather born down and kept under from out-breaking in palpable enormities And yet the Devil knows well what coal to blow at and how to quicken more damnable and deadly Vipers to suck out our spirituall life unseen or adverted unto as spirituall pride carnall security under the exercise of our best actions taking growth with our gifts whereby Gods Spirit is grieved desertion procured crosses afflictions and corrections inflicted for humbling reclaiming keeping under and in order the light and facile heart which would miscarry unto ruine if not prevented But for this misery of self-deceiving deceit and desperate wickednesse of the heart the many inventions it finds out being prompted thereunto by the old Serpent to undo it self and how far the remnants of this corruption may prevail even in the Regenerate it is better seen then guarded against by too many as much fearfull and bitter experience can witnesse But thus it becometh every one that knows so much as that God knows the heart to make search till they attain to know the plague of their own heart that they may be confounded in themselves not lifting up their face for shame seing God is pacified towards them for all that they have done because of the stability of His Covenant Ezek. 16.62 63. But naturally every man being so conceited of himself scarce any man will believe that such things as both Scripture and experience make clear to be in the heart of man can be in his heart but will be ready to say Am I a dog that I should be tempted to do such things Till under the triall we become taught by wofull proof the folly of our faithlesnesse in our defections And having been much toyled in pruning and suppressing these sproutings and superfluities of naughtinesse that are alwayes taking life in the body of death So Hydra-like that as one head is stricken off another more monstrous and menstruous springs up to be conflicted with
compleat a man But thou art carnall that objects And doth discover thy defects A little ponder understand Shall that All-wise All-working hand All-just All-good All-holy King Misse in that most intended thing His Eyes were on when He gave being To all things subject unto seeing Did He this spacious Globe erect And by their sourse the seas collect Becircled by the firmament Illustrious and so excellent With plenteous store to entertain Poor wretched men that lost have been No from eternity He knew All what was past what should ensue And in a Second Adam sweet Made man again with God to meet Who for the Elect Surety stood And them restor'd by His own Blood Their flesh assumed for that end And doth His Sp'rit unto them send Which Holy Sp'rit their sp'rit inspires With sp'rit-renewing sacred fires Quickning purging and perfuming Grace increasing vice consuming Eyes and heart and minds inlarging With His Image supercharging Such searching souls as do imbrace The splendor of his pleasing face Rapt and made apt with open eyes To dyve in these excellencies And in that sourse of sweet delight To feast upon his beauty bright Whereby he doth our souls decore And to his Image us restore On whom by faith firm fixed solely The whole affections are made holy And humble by a self-reflect Upon thy self for self neglect So modesty shines in the face And gravity that Christian grace That generous Spirit that doth â—acer Her self to serve her Saving Maker That Sapience that far far sees To compose content from contraries That chastitie that can contain Affections all in order clean That love that vertue doth allure And all licentious lusts can cure That liberall mind that lively spreads And frugally preserves the seeds That charity that chearfully Knows when how where to give supply That temperance that can subdue Proud passions as they do renew That courtesie that neatly can Carry the master like a man That clemencie that can declare The colours clear of vertue fair That patience that prudence leads That peace which pious Spirits feeds That fortitude that fairly founded With resolutions firmly grounded On truth with strong stability Expressed with alacrity Courage and circumspection so That never storm can overthrow That single heart sincere and sweet Where comfort and delight do meet That sp'rit of contemplation piercing And heavens holy myst'ries searching Longing thronging thirsting till The fruit of faith the Soul full fill Then God beholding the effects That by his beams on Saincts reflects And looking on that beauty rare Accounts and cals them sweet and fair For grace in vertue so doth shine That vertue doth become divine This is the vertue I avouch'd The vertue that I would have touch'd The vertue true that clarifies And qualifies the qualities That doth illustrate and ingrain And turns in substance shadows vain That giveth smell and taste unto All that we think or speak or do This vertue well accomplish can And compleat the Christian man Gain this vertue and thou shall Inherit Heav'n and Earth and all More solide solace sweet possesse Then heart can think or pen express Limb out her lineaments conceive Such riches where thou can receive Try her parts taste every place Such sweet thou can no where embrace Drink her in with all desire Untill she set thy heart on fire Her beams they will thy breast inflame Her streams will qualifie the same Choise of choises chief content Of all beneath the firmament Search her for she waits to see Who for her love will fervent be And if thou joine thou shalt enjoy That bliss which nothing can annoy For then thou shalt into his Image grow From whom this vertue fair doth freely flow The Portraict and Character oâ— the Old Man Under the name of Vice described COme you who wonders curious are to see Or monsters such as most detested be And you who can indeed discern aright This Brat begot in hell by heav'nly light Vice here behold stript naked to the skin Look on her outside see her well within Her port and gesture here how vile behold Vain proud implacable presumptuous bold Disorderly by satans order placed As basely in the heart they be embraced Each ruling in his sphere rounding the brain And heart with humors perverse and profane Where generositie should bud and flourish Debate deceit there doth she neatly nourish There where the truth sincerely should be stated Faithlesse hypocrisie is firmly seated Malice envy and horrid hatred there Where love should move is in her breast made bare Under the shew of chastity most clean Closs impudent incontinencie is seen Ambition avarice wrath and cruelty Watch as they may most serviceable be Within a cloud of Christian clemency And humane gentlenesse dissimulately She sets her subtil snares for to entyse The weak for she in wickednesse is wise Her sottish slaves who serve her she doth lead Their souls on sensual lusts to live and feed Or otherwise to pry how to surprize Their nearest dearest friends that they may rise To treasure state or store honour or ease As they may their beloved Idol please And for those ends do study to devise By all the means that be below the skies Without controle directly to content That humor in its fixed element Objection Can all that you have heretofore asserted Be held for truth Is poor man so deserted And by that dev'lish villany possest Which here you have so peremptory prest Is man who is the creature rational Below the brute so fallen by his fall You see most men do something civile live Vice misregard and unto vertue cleave It seems that he doth some true light retain Suppose it suffered hath a fearfull stain And if it were as you affirm then he Not only should below the brutish be But might be ranked in degree with devils The Author of these specified evils What find we more in that apostate sp'rit Finall impenitency to compleat Then you of man each man forlorn hath said Is it not for His wrack that he was made Answer Our Glorious King Eternall only Wise Almighty Mover moved by advice Of uncreated wisdome that he can No lesse have done then well in making man Man was made holy righteous and good But he did stumble when he should have stood Before the tryals of the tempter slie And slew himself and all his progeny By misbelieving Him by whom he lived Is left to live to him whom he believed And being left of God he is possest Of all the devilry that is here exprest Man unregenerate is below most sure The vildest bruit on earth and most impure What Lyon Tygre or destroying Boaâ— So fervent fierce or cruell to devour What can with that vild murtherer compare Who for to feast his idol will not spare His nearest friends brothers or native seed And will imbrew his hands in parricide And in his own hot blood for to fulfill His humor give the fatall stroak and kill What Crocodil what scorching Scorpion
can Obscurely watch to catch the prey as man The beast whose colour ev'ry object changes And that Hienna through the desert ranges And with the voice of man man to insnare With mans hypocrisie cannot compare Who can pretend for Truth and Piety Yet tramp on Truth to raise himself you see Who of the bruitare so degenerate As with the other kind to generate Or sex O horrible but only he Who was appointed most for purity In sp'rit-defilements which no beast do know Man tempted is and thereby beasts below Malice and envy in the brutish brood Was never seen as in our poyson'd blood And man in light the liar is below For God he knows and trembling stands in aw But man forsaken now no better sees Being by the liar led to follow lies And look what e're the devil hes to doe But man he finds an instrument thereto How should the beast such levies with him lead If man did not for him in armes proceed How could man for his acts apologiâ—e If satan taught him not to subtilize When the old serpent in the chair him sets Pride and disdain the lying tongues he gets The world the avaricious gets for hyre And the ambitious honour at desire Some unto satan offer service will That they by him may gain that hellish skill Themselves to help and in malicious slight Others destroy out of revengefull spight Some do conceive themselves profoundly wise Satan to serve them as they do devise And if some curious spirits be more strange Incontinent directly he can change The bait and lead them on the stars to gaze Put them by natures products in a maze By demonaicall demonstrations feeding The fancie till he fix them for proceeding For he to all their doatings doth apply Gaining his gain this cruell craft hereby Apples and idols trimm'd he hes for all Humours that under finity can fall So is he serv'd then doth he smile to see Some others wallow in their vice and die For what remains of all mans naturall light Tends still unto his more conviction right But that there is some sort of order civil In some and that in all men ev'ry evil Doth not appear alike yet certainly The seed of vice in every one doth ly In some by providence vice is restrain'd Some be by breeding unto vertue train'd Some be bound up by bit and bridle so That what they would they cannot come to do And some there be beyond the common line By study do to goodnesse much incline But they not knowing right their glorious Maker Do not their doings to his glory sacre But vainly glory in themselves to gain A name and fame which is their idol vain So vile an idol never yet was nam'd Whereby most men have most been blam'd and sham'd As is vile man himself more meet be placed With devils then with divine worship graced And yet the strong man in his strength wil glore The wordling in his wisdome glory more The rich man in his treasure put his trust And doat upon himself in gathering dust The man to contemplation addicted Though he of any least can be convicted Yet can an aerial Image fancie feign And idolize the vapours of his brain And who is he who is not prepossest With some heart-darling hardly dispossest Even by such as presse to purge the will Of all that holy sp'rituall motions kill No too much spirituall pride finds place Even where are sown the seeds of saving grace How then can such as do no better see Some darling want doating whereon to be So that even those who have aspyred highest Have fallen short and sunken as thou seest Scripture indites and conscience gives the doom All flesh is justly damn'd untill he come Who justice satisfies for them elected By God from all eternity respected And now in time true members do remain Been born of water and of blood again Thus as his justice glorious is clear So doth his merite glorious appear For then when all concluded were in sin And under wrath his mercy did begin So as without all shadow of excuse Twice damn'd they be that this free grace refuse So never think it strange that man in sin And vice ly rotting till he die therein For he is poysoned with the spawn of hell And seed of satan since he did rebell But wonder O! this wonder strange behold Above what ever can with tongue be told That we in this contagion dyed so deep Should cleared be pure colours white to keep But set thy self thy self before in sin And to detest thy sinfull self begin Study thy self thy Saviour then shall see And shall preveenâ— thy soul-perplexity Most timously who knows to save alone And will advert unto thy hopefull moan Open thine ears to hear thine heart to hold The marvels of those mercies manifold Held â—ut so much with such incitements sweet As lost man may his comforts yet compleat So shalt thou find and by experience prove Thy Maker is thy God that man doth love But if thou dost reject his voice alluâ—ing Thy heart in induration obduring Thy conscience wakened shal be witnesse sure Destruction to thy self thou dost procure THE TURTLE-DOVE UNDER ABSENCE PRESENCE OF HER ONLY CHOISE OR DESERTION DELIVERANCE REVIVED WHEREIN By way of DIALOGUE in a POEM under severall significant Figures and Allegories the most ordinary exercises of the Child of God after Regeneration untill by many most searching tryals he become strong and able to discern aright in doing and induring as he shall be called to iâ— in his way and warfare through the wildernesse to his journiâ—s end is shadowed out WITH A necessary WARNING against Security in most secure times AND Closing with a Word for wakening of the naturall Man â—â— 7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled ERRATA Page 4. Line 12. read his Royal. p. 8. l. 1. r. With cunning p. 10. l. 20. r. but helplesse p. 12. l. 8. r. thy Lover Ibid. l. 25. r. world new p. 26. l. ult r. unknown fire p. 38. l. 12. r. And re-deliv'ry p 52. l. 14. r. lifes reviving p. 55. l. 22. r. in the blood p. 60. l. 13. r. the stony p. 66. l. 13. r. with his pernicious tares p. 71. l. 11. r. then left p. 85. l. 9. r. Thy Sp'rits p. 87. l. 7. r. These wak'nings p. 94. l. ult begins the next Speaker Helen p. 122. l. 9. r. man's most deep conceiving p. 128. l. 29. r. are not weighing The NAMES of the SPEAKERS in this Dialogue and what they represent The Signification of the NAMES SAMUEL a learned judicious and experienced Christian Placed of God JEANNA a Honourable and Religious Lady of much experience Gracious HELENA a Christian afflicted in spirit under desertion and comforted upon deliverance Pittifull MARIONA a Christian conversant in Heaven Sweet perfume GRISSELLA a School-bred Christian Grave Lady MARIA a Court-bred Christian
rode I read in letters fair Love unconceivable and wisdome there And ever since when I such whisperings hear Flow from that buzing snake I stop mine ear ANNA We of the Citty sumptuously do live And to maintain our wealth do mainly strive So avaritious and luxurious grow As we in wealth and worldly honours flow But when our Lover doth remove the vail We see the rotten ship wherein we sail And fecklesse wares whereon our souls we waste Then to the death we do our selves detest But being bred in such societies As do advert unto varieties Of outward formes must civile be and neat According to our rank degree and state I have been shew'd by one that 's most sincere That many dangers ' mongst them do appear And that her self was fearfully afraid Lest unknown fear her weakness had bewrai'd And if I warned had not been before I might have splitted on this deadly shore But after deeper search I did perceive My self was nothing but a living grave Where noysome serpents in the members crawl The faculties infecting of the soul The soul again vain arrogant and proud For all her wak'nings walking under cloud Then after this I had a fearfull blink Which under desperation made me shrink But then even at the twinkling of an eye My Saver present set me fully free So as unto his praise I must record A self-lost soul was saved by the Lord. Thus my Redeemer so did me Redeem My danger and deliverance seen did seem So near and I so filled with conceiving Sense led me from the way of firm believing But in that sweetnesse when I fell asleep I swell'd up in a deadly fever deep And moving miss'd the Author of my joy So then my nearest friends I did imploy Who helps prescrib'd and potions did prepare To swage my swelling and my health repair But then there did such fears my soul assail Which through my weakness often did prevail To bring in question how to persevere Before the straits and tryals that appear I was brought very low but never heal'd Untill compassion with my Prince prevail'd Me to restore and make me surely see A stedfast faith was firm stability So when I look'd unto my Lovers might All faithlesse fears evanisht out of sight GRISSILLA We in the Academie that be nourish'd And fruitfull grow when we have early flourish'd Physick Laws Metaphysicks we debate What serves for mans soul body or estate And by our science and inventions then Reduce to order for the use of men But swell in pride and in disdain when we Others so far below us we espy And often our too curious spirits swerving Do over-turn our selves by our deserving For by deep speculation we do see Wonders that by none other seen can be Produc'd by natures force and render'd then In rare effects to be admir'd of men The stars in severall places we espy In constellations as they ordered be Desing'd for signs in ev'ry Variation Ascent descent degrees and inclination Severall effects on every severall thing That from the earth from air and oceans spring Gold Pearles Stones precious in the earth secured Deep steeping closely till they be matured Where by the stars they do procure their strength Of bodies short continuance and their length Of Animals Herbs Flowers their vertues all Their birth and growth their durance and their fall Which as in this clear prospect we do see By proof their operations learn'd have we And I one day these marvels so admiring Their causes and effects too much desiring To search by natures light And not adoring The God of nature but by nature poring In this deep study I was sorely stained With infidelity and then arraigned And left forlorn a little as I shewed Untill that by contrition renewed I accesse had and granted was to see That my dear Lover and Life-giver He Was natures Author and that her effects Were done directly still as he directs Afflictions fears and too much carnall care Temptations be which lead unto despair Again by grace resisting and repelling A devillish drift doth lift the heart to swelling And herein I much weaknesse have bewrayed But happily therewith hath been essayed For of his goodness I again do gain To guard against these vile debourdings vain ELIZA We who into the Country bred have been And little of the Court or Citty seen But in the Wildernesse alone were living Our bleitting droves unto the fountains driving Alongst the quickning springs and cooling streams Sheltr'd with sweetest sprigs from scorching beams Delighted in our silent Cipresse Bowers Adorned with the fairest rarest flowers And satisfied herewith as with silk Preferring to their sharpest spice our milk But under all this smooth sobriety Ingenuous care and frugall industry We live and die in ignorance indured And ly in gross profanity obdured And cannot see untill by speciall grace A brighter light do shine upon our face But after I was call'd and causâ—d to see And made asham'd of my profanity Thereby affected with my Lovers love That nothing else near to my heart could move The Devil then under a glist'ring vail My weaknesse unawares did so assail That I had drunk the poyson'd cup so deep My senses by the venom were asleep For he some instruments had so deceiv'd And to most impious principles beslav'd Under pretext of love to Christ alone Exalting him up to his Royall Throne With all that unto him do truly cleave That they by doctrines were not now to live That they are clean and cannot be defil'd Illuminate and cannot be beguil'd That all are theirs and all things common be Unto that love-bred love-fed Family With others such-like hatcht-patcht proofs so specious And drest with speeches seeming very gracious My carnall heart did presently affect To bring a present heaven in respect But when the way so pleasant did appear To flesh and blood I did begin to fear And took me to consult with truth divine So as the Majesty therein did shine Of Holinesse and Righteousnesse so clear The filthinesse and folly did appear Wherein they swell perverting truth so far That they obdur'd unto conviction are And hereby found I also out again That I unstable facil was and vain And so alas have blasted been and broken With all these blustrings whereof you have spoken Have seen my self self-lost self-damn'd and saved And yet so senslesse and so self-depraved So far corrupt so foolish and so frail Conceits impure so much with me prevail And yet with mercy and compassion clear Am compassed more than I can admire For I to wrath my self do still expose But my Redeemer still doth interpose And when I would my self in darknesse cast I rescu'd am for he doth hold me fast And when despar'dly I would make retreat From this new City and these pleasures sweet And searches every postern gate and lirk My own destruction cruelly to worke By separating yet I am surrounded In so wise windings wherein I am bounded And breath'd upon even
this distressed Maid Is tainted with the things that we have said Or that such guilt so grosse could find a place For to obscure such gravity and grace But we by bitter proof have truly proved Matter in us remaining unremoved Which can such motions bring unto respect When on these painted Portraicts we reflect That are suggested by the serpent slie Or by the sense sent to the phantasie But though we cannot shun we see the craft And Arrows keen he doth against us shaft Armour of proof we stand in and resist The sharpest dart he at our heart can thrust The fairest Idol that he can invent The sweetest Apple that he can present And when we sleeping be surpriz'd and foyl'd And ere we be aware betray'd and spoyl'd Our Captain sees and cannot long refrain Us to relieve and set us right again So as to him we do more closely cleave And watchfull walk for all the time we live This subtile hunter he is ever spying Where we be weakest and is ever trying By all means set to make us swell or swither The spunk of life by spouts of hell to smother This impure sp'rit prince of the air doth carry Into the brain many vain vapours aery Which the affections surely should infect If timously we did them not detect But if this airt the carnall part incline To blink asquint when he doth Saint-like shine Then are we over-clouded and we know Our Jealous Lover must us then reprove For he corrivall never could indure But sealed for himself will have us sure Since all that we can wish conjoyn'd in one Of blesse combined is in him alone And we convinced be abundantly Of love-obligements unto loyalty And when he sees us truly humbled much Under these trials which the heart doth touch Then in his tendernesse to us doth turn With comforts as we in his absence mourn Thus when we stand or fight or faint or fall He is so near that we are saved all This love above all finite reach ascending Unalterable and so condescending That even when we are secluded sore We oblidg'd be for to believe the more For if we were not so rebuked then Carelesse we should become like carnall men These are the flames this is that force of love Floods cannot quench might slight cannot remove This is our King our Sunne our Shield our Friend Who by his blood hes us to him combin'd Whose splendent rayes full fraught with vertue shall From this grosse drosse affections pure exhale And fix within that element of love Where our delights alone on him may move Gris Much graced Matron your discourse devote Much verity and charity doth note Ye who above us do so far resort Can best discern these Arrows to retort That from the prince of darknesse darted still Within the dark for to infest the will Your charity grave Matron most agrees With rich experience and with cleared eyes The mystery of mercy you have seen Melted in love and moulded have you been So as no evill you can think or wrest To worst but all interprete to the best But many novices come to this place Who tasted have and do belong to grace Are often on extreams as they abound In feelings or are under absence drown'd And in their halâ—y on dayes will not allow Esteem to any that be them below As little for themselves do they preserve When under darknesse drouping they do starve And we be ever checking those mistakes But self-conceit obdurate many makes Till they be tortur'd under many tryals And taught to live by faith in self-denyals But for the number wherewith we must meet Not possible it is for to repeat Some hes been spoken to by our dear friends Both from intention purpose good and ends And suffer me as yet to signifie Of these our travels the necessitie As by this simile we 'll better see If we dissect our own Anatomie The matter composition and the Art Of Heav'n admirable in ev'ry part Flesh blood bones nerves veins arteries sustaining Humours hot cold moist dry and mixt containing Seat and assistance offices and ends Each other serving none another offends And all disperst through all this fabrick rare By instruments above a thousand pair From top to toe by searching we may see No lesse then wonders in variety The very head a magazin is made Of marvells most magnificent and dread And whoso should down to the foot descend And on the parts therein contained spend Some space in every place they should perceive Hundreds which wonders were for to conceive And every one that charge for to fulfill Appointed by the glorious Makers will As by pre-ordination God doth give These souls immortall whereby we do live Ye likewise see that all these parts and pow'rs Composed in this little world of ours And animated by this living breath Lyes dwining now under the sting of death And that through this defiled body spreads These soul-preserving now life-poys'ning threeds For as the body doth in part defect Then can the soul thereby work no effect Ye likewise see the soul cannot be seen Which in the body hath infused been That both might be an instrument to raise The Authors greatnesse and his goodnesse praise And for this end endow'd above conceiving With large capacities fit for receiving All that our Maker shall reveal to make Us see him and his service undertake So as her gifts in such excellencies In number worth and great varieties Exceeds what e're be said of bodies may As doth the breath of God excell this clay Not only ample simple pure capacious But also subtile pregnant and sagacious To dyve to search to soar and never cease Untill she do her Author once imbrace In whom she shall far far above desiring Be fed with wonders unto all admiring But now in all her parts so far depraved By listing to her lust and so beslaved That when she 's taught and rescu'd yet again Constant she cannot in her course remain But steps aside and doth her self deprive Of these revivings that should her enlive And as it is most strange aright to see These contraries corporeall to agree This structure of the body to maintain Untill it must turn to the dust again Albeit some interruptions often make The soul in all her agitations slack But how much more incomparable ye know Were it to keep in frame These fancies move In our light minds imaginations vain From which the carnall part cannot refrain Which most doth mar that special consolation We should enjoy by sp'rituall contemplation By dyving in these mysteries divine Wherein the glory of our King doth shine And whereby we are by his light delighted Untill by this his grace we be perfected But when his Spirit to prevent our swelling Or from the vapors of that venom dwelling In us obstructed is who then oh who So over-clouded can but sadly go For he 's the soul by which the soul doth live Ev'n as the soul the body keeps alive
Then never think it strange to see us grieve When he is gone who should our heart relieve Nor strange to see him forc'd for to retire But rather wonder that he should appear And through the latters lend a friendly blink When he perceives the fainting heart to shrink And rather think it strange that so remisse We prove in searching what the quarrel is Of such desertions as the heart do vex And with dejection do the sp'rit perplex I do confesse believing were the best In quietnesse and confidence to rest But saving faith to holinesse adheres And guarded is with many filiall fears And out of love is ever sorely moved When evidences are of love removed Though you conversant are and so inured In heav'nly matters and so well secured Can stand before the gates of hell and make Your progresse yet the weak may stumbling take For in this case much grace we take to be Hopefull sincere in heart humilitie And studying to make out a true disjunction From every motion can obstruct that unction Whereby we be conjoyn'd in that communion With our dear Lover in a sp'rituall union So as by grace grafted in him we grow Up by that influence that from him doth flow Untill we be into his image formed And most devotly to his will conformed But you appear so prudent that therefore We leave to be consider'd lesse and more These our essayes at your command pursued To be by you corrected and renewed And as ye do think meet in time and place Compos'd and right applyed to the case Samuel Helena Sam. MOst precious people saved and secured By force of felt and fervent love allured Your conferences free I have been hearing And do approve and for your better clearing Do certify that your most Princely Love These actings in his children doth approve We who be named gracious be it known No grace but what is giv'n have of our own And by that grace immediatly maintained Converted call'd as you and so sustained The diff'rence only doth consist in this The King his pleasure good was us to blesse â—ince from the womb we came to humane sight To sanctify us by his heav'nly light And separate we be for this effect To do and suffer as he does direct â—ot specially his elect Flock to feed And them unto the living Fountain lead You have been over-hearing what was said â—n reference to this distressed Maid You have been carefull hereby to conceive The myst'ry of her case I do perceive You have been searching out for second causes Which cautioned would be with certain clauses â—ut you are sober and are satisfi'd â—om solide grounds of reason certifi'd And this is right for never one as yet Of soundest and profoundest searching wit In natures secrets by the Physicks poring Or winged with the Metaphysicks soaring Exactly could the causes and effects Matter and form with all their due respects Produc'd by natures infinite variety On severall objects marvelous rariety Conceiv'd by science or by all their Art Ever demonstrate to the thousand part Our princ'ples are with much experience fraught So by our practice we are daily taught And new essays are set on work again More light by new discoveries to attain Our King the God of Nature only knows The nature matter form effects and cause Of all things for by Him they are and shall Bring forth his glory and our gladnesse all This Microcosme Man a world contains Of various parts his Maker all maintains And this great world in all its sev'rall acts Subservient unto mans up-making makes Bodies celestiall in their sev'rall Spheres And all that to the Firmament adheres In all their various courses contribute To our continuance comfortable fruit What herb fruit flow'r beast fowl or fish there is But bend their best concurrence to our blesse The weak the strong the bitter sowre and sweet The hot the cold in their degrees compleat In all their concords and their sympathies Discords divisions and antipathies Find mater for their master Man to make Him see they do his service undertake And who can doubt but man immortal might Have stood if not deprived of that light Deservedly which in his soul did shine And did all knowledge necessar confine His present being to preserve if he Preserved had his prime integrity They stand in force but we now fallen blind Judicially death and destruction find Amidst the means of life but yet our King Doth us to light and life from darkness bring So as that now we may most clearly see That ev'ry case we come through doth agree With our condition present presuppose We should much weaknesse under wrath disclose And as amongst the sons of men we find That many are in many things inclin'd Alike none of all Adam's race have been That in all things to sympathize were seen For as we diff'rent in our faces be So in our gifts is great diversity But as all Simples from the earth that grow Or from th' elementary Ocean flow By skilfull composition refin'd Wonders do work when they are well combin'd Ev'n so with men in all their sev'rall motions Deeds dispositions and their various notions There doth result by heavens high decree To our great King a heav'nly harmonie Let it our study deep be to devise The Author of these wonders how to prize How we are wonderfully made to be From nothing and maintained wonderously How wonderfully have we wandred far How wonderfully we reclaimed are Wonder upon that glorious Majesty That shines on all his works so wondrously Wonder upon his condescentions sweet Whereby these wonders with our weaknesse meet Him him who perfect is and infinite Simple eternall essentially compleat Surpassing wonder sacredly adore And in adoring humbly wonder more Wonder upon his wisdomes deep contriving By death to bring thy death-bound lifes relivieng That his eternall Son thy flesh assum'd To ransom thee that unto death was doom'd That he eternally did so delight T' obscure his glory to procure thy light That by th' eternal Sp'rit he us inspires With grace divine faith and devote desires To know believe himself his truth and love And thereinto most loyally to move These be the contemplations best that can Beseem and do become the love-bred man These thoughts sublime can elevate alone The heart soul-savory fruit to feast upon To seal an union and communion sweet In all transcendent love divine compleat With him in heav'n who hath mans nature plac'd And by his spirit us on earth so grac'd Let us suppose that all the worlds of men Stood up on life that ever lived then That every man a different world were Of all things that hath been shall be or are And variously these all were animated With all indowments that have been created These all were also into one compacted And all were in one quintessence extracted Those spirits pure most peircing sure should prove And yet be dazled at this depth of love In darkest clouds this love finds out a
so brightly And in such wisdom makes the wound so rightly Physick appoints the poyson for to drain From the infected soul and flesh to strain Which by experience many children knows Is tended with the like tormenting throws But wants He skill or will who is our King Both health and heav'n out of this hell to bring Albeit this tumor must retain a tent The remnant of the humour for to vent Faith in thy Lover hath this strong perfume Which can this poyson pestilent consume Hele. This devilrie so close to me doth cleave Which man and angel from my King doth drive That I am tott'ring much on this turmoile And tortured so most like to take the foile Sam. Come come we ly too long aloof I see Towards the shoar now let us tackling be Mistakes misapplications most miscarries The minds of many when their judgements varies Bemisted in the want of faith whereby They should distinctly see weigh and apply We have been speaking of much fervent love Which in thy Lover doth His beloved move But now Oh thou much loved once admire What most transcendent love doth here appear When He redeem'd thee thou wast lost and yet Thou wilt thy self destroy if He permit That grace thy Lovers gift thy glory should Thy bain become imagine this who could Or could thou have imagin'd that thy flourish A cancar-worm into the bud could nourish Or that when thou was satisfied with singing Thou was unto thy idoll incense bringing This cockatrice to kill in secret lyes But being seen she by her venom dies Grace from the Author as from the fountain water When cut becometh putrified mater Like blood which from the heart through all the veins In circular motion by the nerves retains Strength in the members and returns again To pay the tribute and more vigour drain But being obstructed it corrupt becomes The member wanting nourishment benums Or as our curling brooks and silver streams Which from the fountain to the river foames By secret cranies through the ground the same Sweet current turns unto from whence she came Right so our Lover and our Princely King The ocean unexhausted and the spring Of whom we have from whom do derive All that we do enjoy in whom we live While from this sourse we daily vigour drive Life to preserve and let it passage have Uninterrupted to the font amain Then it 's increast and we refresht again But when these gifts of grace we do seclude From this right course we do our selves denude Of all our comfort whence doth swiftly grow If not foreseen our sudden overthrow Loves darling then dost thou not thence conclude Thy ardent Lover hath thee dearly lov'd Who for a little space his grace restrains That thou may seek himself where grace remains This love transcendent might a heart of steel Melt when affections do such fervour feel Hele. My heart is rather like a heart of flint Which cannot melt but doth endure the dint Sam. Loves force to flesh thy stony heart converts Hele. Love unto pride my fleshly heart perverts Sam. A fleshly heart is vices willing slave A heart of flesh impressions doth receive Of grace and vertue whereby vice it sees Resists subdues rejoyce in victories Hele. Oh now was any ever sunk so far In deaths dark shade and yet delivered were Sam. Believe me for I do assure thee this Of many children the condition is And ne're an abject did as yet bemoan This ground of grief where-under thou dost groan But so it is that till experience teach We do not to the rule of practice reach Hele. Happy thrice happy should I such esteem Who by experience so well taught had been To keep that order in his princely sight As His sweet company continue might Sam. It 's true we are new born again indeed And planted here upon heav'ns dew to feed But our Bride-groom with whom there is no change Most faithfull bides in all our failings strange Yet will permit to tempt us for our triall As we may best be bred to self-deniall The gravell also of this poys'ned flesh Seeds do ingross that would spring up afresh Unlesse by crosses and corrections meet They were supprest and we more purifi'd But this in gen'rall we may all conclude That ev'ry stripe we get is for our good Though bitter biting sad and fretting sore Sweet fruit unto thy taste shal come the more And when by proof we find the sweet effects Produc'd in ev'ry one our King elects As purging potions life and health preserving Preventing us from sinking in our swerving The old man and his notions so subduing The new man and his motions so renewing That we in our infirmnesse do rejoice And under all our suff'rings do repose In such submission as sweet peace doth bring Whence out of sorrow heav'n on earth doth spring Whereof if we did not our selves deprive By fond mistakes we should delightfull live Then for to condescend of force we must That no affliction springeth from the dust Nor yet temptation doth from fortune flow But do by Providence directly grow And by heav'ns wisdom unto us apply'd That we may be perfected when we 're try'd Hel. In evâ—ry thing this day that can be nam'd find my self most worthy to be blam'd As in this solitar reserv'd design Which certainly much detriment doth bring To many and if that the force of love Which in this famous fellowship doth move Me to attend so for my help inclin'd Far contrar to my self-conceited mind I should have been in this confusion longer Weak'ned my self and made my bands the stronger For till these free discourses do appear In this society assembled here And by this timous and this tender treating Wherein your Grace hath been with me debating I never could have thought a soul could live To which so much contagion should cleave At least a person in this land of grace That could the tract of such vain idols trace But now more perfectly I do perceive That he who freely sought us out must save And by immediate grace must still preserve For daily we to be disgrac'd deserve Now to believe O but I do desire But senslesse prove when I would most aspire Sam. Thou shew'st thy self most sensible of hearing Consent therefore thou shalt come unto clearing Hel. Some of Gods sons as they have heard have seen Some that they might endure have suff'red been To take a blink of Him cannot be seen Sam. Now may we clearly see what thou dost mean Thou senslesse prov'st indeed in thy desirings Which properly in thee are proud aspirings Its strange thou shouldst be satisfi'd so slightly Not vap'ring for high visions more brightly Or looking to be rapt above heav'ns arches About the borders of the divine marches Must thou be steward of the Royal treasure Will no less serve thy sense than Moses measure Hast thou for such a charge so strong a back Should not thy brains below the burden break Job faithfull in incomparable
delihgts most eminently move His countenance the Suns bright rayes obscures His love the adamantine heart allures His wisdom all His works in order dresses His might maintains His right and pride suppresses And I am bound His bountie to believe Which changes not but shall my sp'rit relieve In His good time on whom I do rely And studie shall my self how to deny Sam. Now art thou happy and my heart is glad To see thy faithfull heart from fainting fred Hold fast and follow hard with firm desires Faith quenches not but kindles sacred fires Hele. It doth become me well to wait I see But Oh again that He would smile on me How shall I find Him out and where I pray Sam. Hold straight believe me thou art in the way Deck up thy self approach He sees thee come And with His comforts shall thee overcome The Royal King a Princely Garden plants With curious flowres and thither daily haunts Feeding among the Lillies smelling Roses Nuts Spices and perfums composing Poses A sweet Loves feast for thee He doth prepare Down in the fruitfull flow'ry valleys there And from the valley shall convey thee thence Where thy try'd faith in that long long'd for sence Is swallowed up there where the marriage loves Exceeding all conceiv'd desires thou proves There where He shall thy faith bred soul imbrace Within the consolations of His face Wherein the splendor of that brightnesse poring And in the glory of that glore adoring Renewed rayes immortall life restoring Admiring magnifying and sweetly soaring High up amongst these holy heavenly hosts Of glorious and glorified ghosts With golden harps about the throne who sing New songs of their redemption to their King Hele. O but these sweet expressions relish well My frozen heart begins to melt I feel These words unto my wearied soul I think Like precious oyl so savingly do sink Slides down like my Beloveds wine so sweetly Wakens from sleep my tongue to speak compleatly O that once for Himself He would me seal What can be nam'd that may with love prevail Insist therefore For I do gladly hear And till the tongue be loos'd shall lend the ear Sam. The weakest means have force enough to move Affections when they be surpriz'd with love He cals and sees thee come from mountains steep Which Leopards and cruel Lyons keep Leaning on thy Beloved who doth love His truth and strength at length to see thee prove Observe with me this brief gradation now And I shall cease a space and hearken you For help to our capacity compare The outward splendor of this fabrick where By nature from the caverns of the womb Out of which dungeon to the world thou came Again compare the difference aright Betwixt this Paradice and that dark night Of nature which the other so transcends As over bodies lively sp'rits ascends And there the diff'rence vast again conceive Betwixt the life of sense we shall receive And this of faith wherein we forward thrust Untill we be refined in the dust When interruptions all shall be removed And we inlarg'd to love as we be loved In knowing and injoying him who is The Author of our everlasting blesse In this gradation we may something see But under what it is infinitley SONG I. Light out of Darknesse Hel. INfinitely most certainly for feeble we Conceive aright cannot these mysteries The spot upon our blotted eyes rejecting These rayes which yet with splendor bright reflecting Upon the then capacitated sp'rits Which warming beams affections invites But so transcendent that our present case Such super-excellency cannot imbrace For dazled with these glistring gleams What we receive seems be but dreams When we let slip by our secure neglectings The grip of faith glaming at these reflectings Spare therefore to compare our deepest apprehensions Do but impair his praise whose love 's above dimensions He is more fragrant when he 's most remote Then nearest dearest loves whereon we doat Conjecture then when he appears so near That thou may'st touch and taste and smell and hear Tell if thou can this other man And so we shall recall our long debate And treat of love for all For mine he is and I am his And who could wish so high a blesse As to be treas'ring up a stock of praise While we are hurling through these whirling dayes Sam. Now my dear friends it seems to me ye shrink And I may well conjecture what ye think I shew'd you first that you should surely see Matters to make you much a musing be Eliza. This sudden change makes me indeed admire And yet the reason must of thee enquire And that she may be prayed to proceed That on her fulnesse we may further feed Song I. continued Hel. God in his Saints ador'd admir'd My soul exalts this day desir'd Of his free grace he hath appointed Among this fellowship anointed With ghostly graces for my grieves So as my life a new revives Surpriz'd with sense of love so far That flaming my affections are And for the time can do no more But th' Author of this love adore And gladly would be set to sing The praises of my Spouse and King And to record his noble acts Who passeth by my fond mistakes And smiles upon my face again That I may faithfull hence remain Now all you sweetest saints that uses To haunt these shads you sacred Muses And Graces that with me did groan In my distracted mourning moan Earth rivers all below above Come sympathize in songs of love Of love above all parallell so far As stars above the earthly glob that are You Groves and Downs where erst I deadly lay I 'le rise and dance about your doors this day Eliza. Oh now for stirring spirits that could move Amongst the flames of this heart-forcing love Amongst the wonders of this world most strange What can compare with this sweet sudden change This day of gladnesse let us now agree To solemnize this glorious victory I reverence do the Providence Divine Which in this meeting doth so clearly shine But for to sing or say confused here I cannot speak or do but still admire Sam. Come I will take thee by the hand we 'll go With her alongst these Downs and Groves also Where she hath wandred in her weighty dayes And cease their sorrow with a song of praise Then South begin and blow upon our Myrtle trees And North proceed to show thy strength to eternize This glory in each airt a crosse the continent The whole Creation may with our Love-songs consent Now rocks begin to roar for ye's the Treble take And trees attend your lowre for ye's the Tenor make My self the Base shall be Muses be ye the Meen So we shall seriously sing Solace we have seen SONG II. Life out of Death Sam. SAy on say on solaced sweetly surely we have been Jea Play on play on sense-moving mater surely we have seen Rocks We's roar and cry Trees Our strength we's try Our roots lay by With startling
on our stumps Seas Huge Oceans we Mounts Main Mountains high Hills We Hills that be resound shal your transumpts Our solace is in thee who loves the heart contrite And is a sanctuary unto the broken sp'rit Great joyes to thine thou dost propine By love divine up with thy self eternall When all thy foes with the godlesse goes In endlesse woes down to the pit infernall Thus all the joy of mind And solace we have seen Is his sweet face inclin'd In love still springing green So glory we in knowing Thee our King to be our Life our Love our Light Who bought us dear and keeps us here till we appear by grace in glory bright Jea Sweet maid thou dost to melody incline Our minds to move in mysteries divine Rapt up in most Seraphick-love to sing The praises of our high exalted King SONG III. Liberty out of Bondage Sam. NOw thou who dyving is in this abysse of blesse Conveyed through all these wonders To be enjoyed by so many numbers Who were by Adam old depraved And by the second Adam saved Thou having then seen what thou can In that great mystery of Divine Majesty GOD-MAN And doth aspire with all desire to pry and to admire These excellencies the quintessences Of all felicity in their simplicity Yet think these things to be more high Then can conceived be under mortalitie More then the child unborn by its sagacity Hes of capacity for to conceive aright Of this large Universe where we converse untill it come to light So should it be with thee in heav'nly places Amongst these faces made so fair By the splendor shining there That thou should'st disdain And mourn to turn again Unto these earthly treasures And all created pleasures And shouldst admire so much and more As if thou wert design'd Alive to be enshrin'd in that live-tomb Of the mothers womb for evermore Yet think again what shall become of some who never dreams of these sad theams Till they be hurl'd in everlasting flames without remission or relenting When time is past of pardon by repenting Hel. Oh now my soul shall these thee now exceed In Songs alongst these streams whilst they thee lead Thou dazles doating where thy guides do go But prostrate be and here in excesse show With joy of heart that none can equalize A soul thus ravish'd who shall eternize The praises of her Love with such content Who freed her from so fearfull detriment Who feeds her now with so delicious fare And doth propine her with such riches rare And leads her to the Land where she may see His face by grace where joy and glory be Now that I may your sweetest songs excell I 'le on my Lovers face adoring dwell And as I see and do receive I shall Report unto your mutuall comfort all Be elevate with full consent again To prosecute this Evangelick strain SONG IV. The Joy of the LORD Hel. OUr glorious our victorious King doth reign The hosts of heav'n do sing about his Throne Where he is gone in all delights to live Whence we derive our light and life alone Know him who would make bold treat for a smile He never did beguile a true Believer He is a River full of divine delights None like Him in the depths nor in the heights For He was dead and is alive again He did sustain hells pain when he was slain Our freedom to procure he did endure What we deserved and never swerved And of these stounds he bears the wounds Thus shalt thou know him for he is non-such And thou shalt say too much cannot be said of such a One Whom man and angel heav'n and earth alone Have their dependency eternally upon So shalt thou need no more One blink shall heal thy sore And thou shalt thirst no more For He a Fountain is of blesse supernall And this eternall is For on his eyes indeed With soul-festivities they feed so sweet so sure They cannot more indure to gade And when He hides His face sad sad they be Bâ—t groping still and hoping till He smile again Or do translate them to his heav'nly Train Where all the Members mysticall delighted Triumph in him in whom they are perfected Sam. I do rejoice in this thy heart-content Hel. And I rejoice that thou wast hither sent Jea And I rejoice here with you both to be Hel. And I rejoice and praise my King for thee Sam. Now I must go unto my charge again Hel. I pray thee do not so but stay Sam. Refrain Hel. Then one word by thine Echo bid me speak Echo Speak Hel. Now need I any more but to believe E. Live Hel. And any more to do but live exact E. Act. Hel. What if I tempted be shall I endure Echo Dure Hel. In suff'ring what will free me from disgrace E. Grace Hel. Shall I promove and constantly persevere E. Ever Hel. And will my dear Love go from me or no E. No. Hel. Then shall I sure believe and live and act Endure by grace and perseverance make The Warning Jea OUr dearest friend unto his charge again Is gone and I no longer may remain But ere we part sweet girle I must thee give Some warnings that thou may more warily live Thou hast been weighted in this absence short But sees not what the journey may import Now thou art glistering fair upon the mountain Extracting life from the life-giving fountain They Sp'rits sp'rituallized are and poring Thy clearer apprehensions highly soaring Both bred and fed by divine excellencies And breathings of the sweetest influences And so delighted art to shine by grace And holinesse before thy Lovers face But yet remember when thou sadly lay In bondage under absence then this day Of so clear seeing if thou couldst conceive Right so bethink if now thou canst believe That ever such a thing should thee befall As may again thy liberty enthrall But in the bodie while thou art beware For we are tempted and in danger are To be insnar'd for the old man is prone To snatch at every bait before us thrown For this I wish thee wisely to uptake The case of every child of God and make The diffâ—rence right 'twixt the rebellious man And the obedient new-born Christian The last a weakling but a willing child The first both wicked false perverse and wild Upon whose back the crosse the rod must ly The serpents brood may be born down thereby Which both so numerous and so nimble be As atoms in the air before thine eye Or vapours-like from brooks corrupt that rise And do the shining of the Sun surprise Such is the sinning sin such is the seed Of Sathan in the soul such is the breed Whereby the new-born Christian is annoy'd Till by the grace of Christ they be destroy'd Worldly desires delights cares fears to daun The weeds of carnall lust how to supplant So as the seed of grace may sweetly spring Which successe makes us under sadnesse sing Believing certainly the truth of this
own frail faintings felt Immediate love and mercy shall thee melt And yet what if that thy good God advise A deeper draught thy folly to surprise We are so prone to fix on proofs we prove Both naturall in our faith our hope our love What then when in the light thou seems to live And in much lively liberty revive And with much confidence thou dost conceive That all that thou hast sought thou shalt receive And yet thou art not only quite denyed But the response is contrary replyed Well this is sharp but certainly it 's sweet That divine checks should with our idol meet That when vain we would our own morcels carve We should be left in hazard for to starve Himself Himself alone and nothing else But what of him and of His vertue smels He and not we knows what is for our good And never will His own thereof denude Both how and when to help for he doth hear Our sp'rituall supplications all sincere Which qualified according to His will He fails not for our well but shall fulfill What if again poor weakling yet alace Thou shouldst ly groaning at the Throne of grace And knowst not how to seek or what to say Far lesse can presse or pertinently pray Yet this is good God sees thy strong desires And flames the sacrifice with sacred fires And to His praise doth make our peace appear Out of the odours of our sighs sincere So that as yet we may convinced be That all His gifts are grace and mercy free For tho the way be strait and full of snares And we infirm possest with fears and cares Our fault it is we do not soar above What tempests all the gates of hell can move We should an heaven upon earth enjoy If thus we did believe thus him imploy On him repose him love in him delight Who is th'ingraven-form and glory bright Of the eternall God in whom we have Accesse by grace to come seek and receive All that is for our good who so doth give Above what we can ask seek or believe Hele. Enough enough there needs no more My Lover doth my life restore â—n him alone I move I live And bound I am him to believe Affections cannot have the force From his dear love me to divorce The flatteries frowns the hooked baits Whereby the cunning hunter waits To snatch me unawars my eyes Anointed are and clearly sees The lying Serpent sliely lurking And in his brood most boldly working Both from within and from without But my most Royal Captain stout Hath crusht the Serpents cruell head And pleads my cause against his seed And daily helps me to subdue The old man and his notions new To purge the heart and make it clean And in temptation doth sustain My fainting and my failings crave Both food and physick these I have And when I suffer with my Love Such comforts as come from above And on my sp'rit conferred be By His good Sp'rit spiritually That if the Devil knew he would Restrain his malice if he could So what can interrupt my peace In this free full unchanged grace Untill through times and trials we Make entry in eternity Jea Enough enough I do confesse indeed With this which is in watchfulnesse proceed Guard well against security and sure Thou shalt from swerving be the more secure These wak'nings and these warmings of affections As antidotes unto thy dull dejections Out of the cisterns of salvation spring Whence we in sucking consolation sing And if we hereby do our strength renew For stormy tempests that be to ensue Then happy we when we have rightly used These mercies rich But when they be abused By fond conceiving that they shall endure We fall asleep and carnally secure And sure before we be aware we shall In slipp'ry places slide or catch a fall And in that slumber be surpris'd again And with disgrace shall our Profession stain Most bitter proof and sad experience dear Hes made this truth in ages all appear That many sons go groaning to the grave For grieving him so graciously does save By whose immediate mercifull supply They be sustain'd that still dependent be There is no reason for our standing but Eternall love that chois'd us changed not Infinite mercie seen can also move The finite thing infinite love to love Thus living dyving in this sweet abysse I leave thee in a most transcendent blesse And to my charge again shall now apply And thou by sure experience shalt try The precious fruit of precious time so spent That these thy pains thou never shalt repent But as of my infirmnesse thou wast tender My Lord to thee shall recompences render Abundantly above what finite we Can seek believe or think infinitely Gris I likewise go farewell my friends most dear Who witness were unto these wonders here Our King how comely in his comings be And in his goings for our goods is He You see what sadnesse in his absence is And in his presence what a heav'n of blesse And that through godly sorrow from within Our sp'rituall comforts rise and do begin Now seek His Name for therein ye shall see His mercy meeting with your misery And that His grace and His unchanged love â—s greatly our ingratitude above And that His Name as precious ointments sweet Of fragrant smell the Virgins pure invite For in these ornaments he doth appear Amongst us in the Pallace-garden here Where by his breathings mixt with warming showres â—eds out in flourishes our sweetest flowres â—nd spices that he doth delight to see â—mell taste defend and cause to fructifie â—here shall we find our friends frequent that place â—ceiving and communicating grace â—o know our King as he doth visits give 〈◊〉 there the dwyning soul he doth revive â—e blind the deaf the dumb the lame also â—o see and hear and speak and come and go And for the stately pallace royall fair He purifies the comers and prepare Come let us come for here his glorious Name Of all the Students is the only theam And all these curious Mazes and Meanders Delightfull be unto the understanders Attending still till they translated be Into the mansions of eternity THE INTRODUCTION TO The Pallace Garden THe first Man Adam of the earth earthly made a living Soul forfeited to himself and all his posterity the greatest natural happinesse imaginable by the naturall Creature and that after possession received thereof in Paradise that Garden of all pleasures and preferments thaâ— the whole Universe and all therein containeâ— could afford and being crowned with the height of that beatitude a communion with God in the manner and measure of manifestation whereby the creature could be most capable of the Creator But this folly of the mutable creature could not frustrate the eternall design of the only wise and wonderfull God whose wisedom in the last ADAM a quickening Spirit the Lord from heaven took delight to be conversant with the children of men and out of these lost
ever blest Trin One compleat For evermore our songs shall be Ever renew'd uncessantly And His praises to expresse Ever shall our selves addresse AMEN O Lord so let it be So be it in Eternity THE NATURAL MAN Debated with HOw come say some such sacred flames can boil So sweet perfumes out of this sullen soyl This curious question'st with carnall eyes Bemisted sees not in these mysteries How singing doth from sighing flow And gladnesse how from sadnesse grow How mourning melting motions move In frozen hearts hot flames of love From bitterness how sweetness springs Refreshment what felt-ruine brings How from the groans of inward grief Clear freedom rises and relief In deepest darknesse sure direction In dreadfull danger safe protection Result and what can be the root That renders this admired fruit For Answer this BY Grace we see our selves with shame Under abominable blame And not the lesse so freely loved Affections feelingly are moved And overflow like Nilus River In the heart of the believer Whence grief and gladnesse love and he at Reside as in the proper seat Whence bitter mourning grief and wo For grieving such a Lover so Who surfetted hes been with grief From grief to purchase our relief Whom seeing vively through the vail Love and delight thereby prevail So that as by approaching near Unto that splendor in its sphere Be in Combustion dazled so Within these gleams we undergo And in this current strong contesting Securely in his shadow resting Zeal the birth of love and hate Daily abates this love-debate Wherewith no concord can compare One end discussing all their care Being to be made pure and clean This fervent love to entertain Grace ' gainst corruption doth begin A furious fight the soul within So that in one poor person here Betwixt two parties doth appear A hot contest with fatall blows Tending to others overthrows Whence grows this bitter-sweet debate In this grace-griev'd divided state Hence flow these tides contrary turning Mourning to mirth mirth unto mourning The old man being pincht repines The new man sweetly sings and shines The old man dwyning in his living The new man rising and reviving What dolour the old man endures Delight to the new man procures When grace is most o'resway'd it swiâ—gs Corruption under foot and sings For on a mountain of increasement And at a fountain of refreshment Bullering up eternall love With sp'ritual breathings from above Reviv'd by all these blessefull beams Shining through our cristal streams We in these glist'rings flight'ring be Untill we take our flight on hie These be the Northern gales that blow And breathings from the South that flow Upon the Spices sweet and Flowres Seasoned with Celestiall showres And in this Garden do agree Spouses to feast deliciously Upon these fruits and spices sweet Where all their comforts are compleat Who do discern aright to rise These mercies rich rightly to prize But the Believer only sees That Majesty in these mysteries And substance through the shadows more Of glory then he can adore But that the rationall man yet we may lead Some length let us by nat'rall reason plead Seeing this naturall Sun we daily see On nat'rall bodies worke effectually Vapours exhaling out of earthy things Which rarifi'd and clarified brings Repell'd by colder air our early showres Enamelling the earth with fruits and flowres Shall not the Sun of Righteousnesse far more Natures Creator whom we do adore By his almighty Influence divine Which on the long-benighted soul does shine Affect attract and elevating move Affections for the element of love Which purify'd prepared and matur'd Are for the service of their Lord allur'd And further yet by naturall things to learn Spirituall mysteries best to discern This supposition make Conceive the bounds Of this vast Ocean that the earth surrounds If all the Floods therein were the extracts And quintessence that best ingredients makes And daily that some of these cristall drops Melt from such sweet and sun-refined sops And in this Ocean be ingulfed shall They not be then transchanged in the fall Our reason shews us that this strong perfume Should soon the drosse of this sweet drop consume Consider then when this immortall sp'rit By these divine irradiations sweet Here in the Region of grace matur'd For glory and the love thereof allur'd Doth from this cloud come out imbrac'd to be In that incomprehensible excellency At the first blink transchanged be so far As heat from cold and light from darkness are And though the rising of our bodies be From death to life again a mysterie Yet when we do behold how nature brings About life to restore to lifelesse things The earth renewing daily flowers and fruits From dozen'd dead corrupt and rotten roots The vapour that 's exhaled from the brim Where sholes of herring leave their spawn to swim Congealed in a cloud again shall powre Of herrings on the ground a swiming shower Oh wofull wretched wreaked naturallist That naturally doth see and not insist To see aright believe love and know more Who natures Author is and him adore For in His time thou with thy very eyes Disclos'd shall see these divine mysteries Our body from the Elements arise And sp'rited be to meet Him in the skies And at the peep of first appearance passe To pain or pleasure as the Inditement was Recorded clearly on the conscience gravâ—d Rend'ring response respective damned sav'd And all these revolutions orderly Accomplisht in the twinkling of an eye For this the period peremptor is Eternally determinat for this That Glorious Right'ous Justice shining clear And glorious righteous mercy may appear Where all the damn'd convinc'd in anguish ly The saved on their Saviour do rely And yet poor naturall atheist that inquires Where is this blesse and where these burning fâ—es Conceive of God aright who comprehends All things incomprehended and extends His glory in His dispensations free Of mercy and of justice righteously Wherein such Majesty ador'd does shine As moves to admiration divine Through all these vast dimensions created Where all the rationall creatures are stated Sin-poyson'd persons wheresoever they be Unpurg'd are under wrath perpetuallie Likeas the Saints are wheresoever plac'd Within the glorious love of God imbrac'd This is the hell beneath and heaven above Here flames of wrath abide there beams of love Justice effects producing so contrarious Upon the Objects so directly various This naturall Sun by nature putrifies Some matter and some matter purifies Some matter harden and some soften more Some strike to death and some to life restore In Summer shining with so fervent heat And on the vild defyled puddle beat The filth therein doth such a fume disclose As doth in darknesse all the dung inclose Ingend'ring serpents vile and cruell frogs Crawling and sprewling in their poysoned drogs Right so the Sun of Righteousnesse shines pure While such the poyson of their pest indure â—or all the perturbation torment anguish Is of themselves wherein they liveing languish Thus may