hazard my Eternal pleasures Speak sinner was it not so The sinner answers My God these weeping eyes and bended knees confess so much God speaks Had I not told thee that sin would cost thee thy life then thou hadst had some excuse have I said it and will the great God change sinner thou must die I told thee so before and now I tell thee again the God of Heaven cannot lye Get thee gone thou cursed wretch into eternal flames and keep that Devil company in chains and torments with whom thou hast rebelled against me and go see what pleasures thou hast in sinning The Sinner answereth Thou great God and terrible Judge I do confess thy sentence just but if there be any powels of mercy in thee pity me or I die for ever Mercy mercy Lord for I am thy creature the workmanship of thy hands If there be any thing in the trembling heart and hands and knees of this thy sentenced prisoner that will move compassion O pity pity a condemned sinner God speaks What! stays he longer to trouble my patience I say be gone thou cursed though thou art my creature know that my wrath hath kindled on better creatures than thou art get thee to Hell and the howling Devils will tell thee as much The sinner speaks Ah wo wo wo to me for ever cursed I am and cursed must I go for ever My righteous Judge and ye Glorious Angels adieu for ever Live live for ever bless'd and happy in his love I might have lived and joyed and gloried in that God that made both ye and me but like a wretch that I am wo that ever I was born I sold his favour and so my eternal life for a thing of nought a vain lust a sinful pleasure that lasted but for a season and I go I go into eternal flames What says my heart to this Methinks the very thoughts of it do make my heart to quiver and my flesh to shake all round about me I feel no strength in all my joints God speaks So so I am glad something moves thee But think again that the Devil did take hold of thee and drag thee from the place thou fittest on to Hell suppose the Father frowning on thee and all the Angels shouting thee down to Hell and glorying in thy damnation but think again thou sawest when all were joying to see thee sentenced to Hell that he that sat just by the Judge whom thou thoughtest even now to be his Son but knewest it not Look look methings I see him rise off his Throne see see how the Angels fall to adore him methinks he is a coming near thee Oh how my heart doth tremble Oh what will he torment me before my time Ah me my doom is great enough already Sinner speaks Thou wilt not send me to a worser place than Hell my Judge hath passed my sentence thou canst not send me into worser than flames or punish me longer than everlastingly Christ answers Oh how my bowels turn this sinner knows not what is in my heart he thinks I am his enemy Sinner shake off thy tears and wipe thine eyes thou shalt not die The sinner speaks again Oh thou glorious God or Angel or I know not what to call thee do not delude or deride a poor Caitiff wretch in the midst of misery Why wilt thou raise me to such a pinacle of hope to cast me down and make my fall the greater My Judge hath passed the sentence I must die and who can reverse the doom Ah! I must go see my prison-door wide open the smoke and flashes come to meet my despairing soul half way Christ speaks And now my heart begins to break my love can keep no longer in how causlesly doth this wretch torment his heart he knows not who I am I must reveal my self Sinner I love thee I say thou shalt not die Come feel my heart and pulse how they beat and tell how strong my love within doth act them Dost thou not fee I have left my Throne and am come down to the Bar where thou standest condemned But why dost thou weep Come let me wipe thine eyes and bind up thy bleeding and despairing heart I tell thee thou shalt not die If Heaven will have blood it shall have mine so it will but spare thine Sinner if thou knewest who I am thou wouldest not doubt one tittle I tell thee I am his Son his only Son that but now condemned thee I know he is just and justice must be satisfied But do not thou fear if one of us must die it shall be I I will pour out my blood a sacrifice for sin and appease his wrath and make you friends again Ye innumerable company of Angels yet servants at my Father will why do ye rejoyce to see my prisoner sent to Hell this cursed soul over whom in glory you do now triumph I do resolve to die for and to buy her to my self a Spouse and to make her blessed with your selves and give her a Princes's place on a Throne that is by my self Sinner speaks Is this a dream or am I waking the goodness greatness glory of this sudden unexpected blessed change tempts me to doubt whether it be true or whether it be some unruly fancy that doth delude this wretched heart of mine What for the Son of God to debase himself so low as to take my nature so my cause and become the prisoner What! and though he knows he shall be cast Will he hear the sentence and quietly bear bolts and shackles and chains which should have fettered me Yet more than this Doth he know it is impossible to get a reprieve from his Father and judge and that he must most assuredly drink the bitterest dregs of Death more bitter than Devils or damned Souls in Hell has yet ever tasted of For it is impossible the Cup should pass And can he will he dare he venture But stay I must be a Spouse to be exalted from this Dunghill to be a Princess to the Son and Heir of Glory Hold hold here 's enugh it is a dream an idle fancy of a distempered brain I shall never find a heart to believe one Syllable But yet methinks if it be a dream 't is a Golden one Is it possible that such a damned wretch as I could harbour such silken gilded thoughts of such love grace mercy and tenderness of the Son of God Oh my heart if they were not true how came they into my mind or how came they to stay or could they if but meer fictions make such a change in my heart Could they so victoriously conquer all my fear silence all my doubts allay the heats of a scorched and be-helled Conscience But why a dream poor wretched heart Didst thou not see him step off his Throne Was it a time to dream or sleep in when thou wert before the judgment-seat while God was frowning and the Devils dragging thee to and fro to
the workers of iniquity shall I ever more slight such Love as this shall it not overcome my Rebelliousness and melt down my cold and hardned heart shall I be saved from Hell and not be thankful Angels are admiring these miracles of Love and shall not I admire them Their love to us doth cause them to rejoyce while they stand by and see our Heavenly feast And should it not be sweeter to us that are the guests that feed upon it My God how dearly hast thou purchased my Love How strangly hast thou deserved and sought it Nothing is so much my grief and shame as that I can answer such Love with no more fervent fruitful Love O what an addition would it be to all this pretious mercy if thou wouldst give me a Heart to answer these thine invitations That thy Love thus poured out might draw forth mine and my Soul might flame by its approaching unto these thy flames And that Love draw out by the sense of Love might be all my life O that I could Love thee as much as I would Love thee Yea as much as thou wouldest have me Love thee But this is too great a happiness for earth But thou hast shewed me the place where I may attain it My Lord is here in full possession who hath left me these pledges till he come and fetch us to himself and feast us there in our Masters Joy O blessed place O happy company that see his Glory and are filled with the streams of those Rivers of consolation yea happy we whom thou hast called from our dark and miserable state and made us Heirs of that felicity and passengers to it and expectants of it under the conduct of so sure a guide O then we shall Love thee without these sinful pauses and defects in another measure and another manner than now we do when thou shalt reveal and communicate thy attractive Love in another measure and manner than now Till then my God I am devoted to thee By right and Covenant I am thine My soul here beareth witness against my self that my defects of Love have no excuse Thou deservest all if I had the Love of all the Saints in Heaven and Earth to give thee VVhat hath this world to do with my affections And what is this sordid corruptible flesh that its desires and pleasures should call down my Soul and tempt it to neglect my God VVhat is there in all the sufferings that man can lay upon me that I should not joyfully accept them for his sake that hath Redeemed me from Hell by such unmatched voluntary sufferings Lord seeing thou regardest and so regardest so vile a worm my heart my tongue my hand confess that I am wholly thine O let me live to none but thee and to thy service and thy Saints on earth And O let me no more return unto iniquity nor venture on that sin that killed my Lord And now thou hast chosen so low a dwelling O be not strange to the Heart that thou hast so freely chosen O make it the daily residence of thy spirit Quicken it by thy grace adorn it with thy gifts employ it in thy Love delight in its attendance on thee refresh it with thy joys and the light of thy countenance and destroy this carnality selfishness and unbelief And let the VVorld see that God will make a Palace of the lowest heart when he chooseth it for the place of his own abode Direct 8. VVhen you come home review the mercy which you have received and the duty which you have done and the Covenant you have made And 1. Betake your selves to God in Praise and Prayer for the perfecting of his work And 2 Take heed to your hearts that they grow not cold and that worldly things or diverting trifles do not blot out the sacred impressions which Christ hath made and that they cool not quickly into their former dull and sleepy frame 3. And see that your Lives be actuated by the grace that you have here received that even they that you converse with may perceive that you have been with God Especially when Temptations would draw you again to sin and when the injuries of Friends or Enemies would provoke you and when you are called to testifie your Love to Christ by any costly work or suffering remember then what was so lately before your eyes and upon your heart and what you resolved on and what a Covenant you made with God Yet judge not of the fruit of your Receiving so much by feeling as by faith for more is promised than you yet possess Here follows the Authors solemn Resignation of himself to Father Son and Holy Ghost O My God I look to Thee I come to Thee to thee alone No man no worldly creature made me none of them did redeem me none of them did renew my soul none of them will justifie me at thy Bar nor forgive my sin nor save me from the penal Justice none of them will be a full or a perpetual felicity or portion for my soul I am not a stranger to their promises and performances I have trusted them too far and followed them too long O that it had been less though I must thankfully acknowledge that Mercy did early shew me their deceit and turn my enquiring thoughts to thee to thee I resign my self for I am thine own to thee I subject all powers of my Soul and body for thou art my Rightful Sovereign Governour from thee I thankfully accept of all the benefits and comforts of my life in thee I expect my true felicity and content to know thee and love thee and delight in thee must be my blessedness or I must have none The little tastes of this sweetness which my thirsty soul hath had do tell me that there is no other real joy I feel that thou hast made my mind to know thee and I feel thou hast made my heart to love thee my tongue to praise thee and all that I am and have to serve thee And even in the panting languishing desires and motions of my soul I find that thou and only thou art its resting place and though Love do now but search and pray and cry and weep and in reaching upward but cannot reach the glorious light the blessed knowledge the perfect love for which it longeth yet by its eye its aim its motions its moans its groans I know its meaning where it would be and I know its end My displaced soul will never be well till it come near to thee till it know thee better till it love thee more It loves it self and justifieth that self-love when it can love thee it loaths it self and is weary of it self as a lifeless burden when it feels no pantings after thee Wert thou to be found in the most solitary desart it would seek thee or in the uttermost parts of the earth it would make after thee thy presence makes a croud a Church thy converse
Thou feest thy debt and thy Saviours payment of it these are no fictions thou hast just now read a sure word of Prophecy that hath confirmed it Those wounds those stripes those bruises which thou readest of he bore for thee and which were due to thee It was thou that shouldst have been led from prison to judgment from prison to the Judgment-seat of the great God who should have sat as Judge he should have arraigned thee sentenced thee and have sent thee to the slaughter-house of Hell where thou shouldest have been weeping and wailing and gnashing of thy teeth But Oh amazing love and grace the Son of God that loved me better than his life stept off his Throne and took my nature on him and became a man like to me only sin excepted he came and bid me comfort my trembling heart he would put himself in my condition and become the prisoner and if my sin would cost his life he would freely part with it Methinks I feel my bowels turn my spirits melt within me was ever love like to his love he was a stranger to me why did he not let me die It was his Father I did wrong why did he not let me suffer What if my punishment was as great as Hell surely I did deserve it What if my pains and screeches were eternal Ah! I was a creature a worm a fly a nothing to him and what need he have cared but he loved me and could he love a prisoner at the Bar I was a sinner a vile polluted one methinks he should have loathed me but he did wash thee and make thee clean again Ay but I was his Fathers enemy and so no friend to him or would he love an enemy or did he not know so much but how could that be when he saw my heart and the enmity that was in it yes he did and yet he loved thee even while we were enemies he died for us But why did he love an enemy or how could he do it I know not why it is past my reason to imagine it Oh inexpressible love Oh love past thought I cannot fathom thee with my reason thy ways are unaccountable he loves because he will love And though his love displeaseth us yet it pleaseth him to love us What ails my heart I cannot find it stir What dead under the reviving thoughts of thy dearest Redeemer I just now said he loved thee though an enemy and when thou lovedst not him I see the enmity is not quite remov'd thou canst not love him yet Arise shake up thy self and look about thee thou dost not sure see thy mercy surely thou understandest not what thou oughtest to understand Come away Oh come away lift up thy drowsie head I will make thee look and love while I set thee all on burning and make thee ere I leave thee confess thou lovest him Think think Oh my soul that thou hadst just now sinned and broke that law which threatned death and upon the breach doth find thee guilty Think that thou sawest a flaming Cherubim a messenger of the Court of Heaven flirt in at that door and arrest thee for High treason and give thee a summons to rise from the seat thou sittest on to make a sudden answer for thy life Look then my soul Ah! I lookt just now I see that door wide open What 's this a spirit Ah me I am undone for I have sinned I think the room shakes under me or else 't is my heart that 's trembling What 's this I hear I must now answer for my life O what shall I say I know not what I have sinned my Conscience tells me that I have sinned the witness within will cast me I see the Inditement writ with blood on my heart the pride sensuality and the earthliness of which I am charged with I am not able to deny one tittle Oh for a mountain to cover me Oh whither shall I go wither shall I flie That Bed these Curtains this closet cannot hide me My Mother Father Wife or Child can not help me O who then shall I run whither I know not vengeance will find me out where ever I go Oh cursed and subtil Satan are all thy fair promises and inticements come to this O my wicked cursed foolish heart that ever I should believe him before my Creator that told me the day I sinned I should surely die Oh that for a little simple transient pleasure I should so madly hazard my eternal life and now I must be cast to Hell to bear the punishment of my folly Think once again think that this were the day and this the very place in which God should come and sit in Judgement on thee Methinks I see the Heavens bow themselves Oh what a crackling do I hear in the Clouds look yonder see who comes it is my Judge his countenance is as a flame of fire he utters his voice like Thunder the mountains skip or rather shake or rather tremble Now now is the time of my utter destruction near at hand Oh how shall I look him in the face his looks do already affright me I shall not say one word and I have not one Friend that will say one word for me It 's true I see a terrible glorious Troop of Angels that do attend him but they are all his friends and therefore all my enemies I dare not speak a word to them and alas if I should they are all but his servants and fellow-creatures with my self alas they cannot yea they will not help me It 's true there is one that one that seems as one with God the beams of whose countenance are far brighter than all the Host of Heaven Besides if God have a Son it may be it is he methinks he is a mirrour of his Fathers Glory but this I know not be what he will he cannot pity me a sinner the doors of hope are all shut up and now as a miserable wretch I must prepare to hear my sentence the Judge is set and with trembling heart and joints I stand a prisoner at the Bar for my life and now I must attend his call God speaks Sinner where art thou The Sinner answers Lord here am I. God speaks How darest thou thus abuse 〈◊〉 Grace and kindle up my zeal against 〈◊〉 that now as stuble it will cons 〈…〉 this the thanks that thou 〈…〉 all the love that I have sh 〈…〉 Must I make a whole world and 〈◊〉 it to thee and as if that was to 〈…〉 I bid thee freely take my self and all and would not this content thee Was I not as a Father to thee the time thou lovedst me and didst obey me Did I not make thy seat a Paradice and strewed thy paths with pleasure Did I not rejoyce over thee as a young man over his bride What evil hast thou found in me that thou shouldst thus rebelliously revolt and break my Laws and for a trifle sell my favour and
get thee away to Hell O then just then he stept down drew near and took thee by the hand and spoke these reviving words to thee Doubt this and doubt thy judgment But why a dream I am not now in Hells torments whither I was just now sentenced My heart is now at ease and quiet surely something must be the reason why the Devil that but now had hold of me hath left me Where is the Conscience that but now was burning in me But Oh cannot the presence of the Lord put me out of doubt Do not his words that were so kind his tender dealing with me doth not his stooping to me taking me by the arm and the gentle lifts that he gives to my drooping soul speak him present Oh! do not my head eyes arms heart breast and the case of every joint and limb about me witness the same Away my unbelieving heart what a stir is here to make thee believe a thing so evident Doubt my mind and freely doubt I 'le give thee leave when thou hast any occasion or reason for it But why should I doubt that which is past all doubt May I not believe my senses I both saw and heard him speak the words or shall I misdoubt his faithfulness I know he is the Son of God he cannot lye but it is true yet my God I pray thee be not angry with my scrupulous heart thou seest in tears I make the doubt let it be an argument to me of sincerity I do not ask that question as one that would be fain perswaded it's true Canst thou think my Lord that I would not be reconciled and cheerfully accept of Grace when thou so freely offeredst it O but Lord speak these words to my heart which thou hast already spoke to my ear and thou wilt melt it into love and thankfulness and I shall never doubt it more Object But yet but what can Heaven love so much Answ Thou silly worm how idly dost thou question must Heaven and so its love be bound up to so narrow and contracted thoughts as thine are What can God love no more than thou canst Love is a perfection and God is infinitely perfect so must be infinitely and incomprehensively loving Thou fool go sound the Sea and tell me its greatest depths give me the height of yonder Stars this possibly thou maist do for the Seas are not so deep but they have a bottom nor the Stars so high but they may by art be known But Oh the heights and depths and breadths and lengths of the love of our Redeemer He is God and his breasts are so full of love that they flow and overflow with love they have no bottom Do but try my soul cast thy self into this bottomless lovely Ocean into this endless Bosom and when thou hast been sinking millions of millions of years tell me whether you come to ground Ye glorious Angels and ye blessed Spirits of just men made perfect that live above you that have been wading downward these five thousands of years do ye feel a bottom or are ye near one Away away my foolish heart if this be all thou hast to plead he may redeem thee and take thee for his Spouse and betroth thee to himself notwithstanding all this Object But Oh this filthy loathsom fleshly self this base unthankful earthly heart that can prefer a dunghill dross and dirt before him that can freely lay out his love to a creature like my self But Oh how hard and stiff and unrelenting am I to my God But Oh he will slight me because I have often put him off and slighted him he cannot love and die for such a one as I am Answ Cease fool thy reasonings he cannot love an enemy because thou canst not he cannot die because thy cowardly heart will not suffer thee Why should he fear the grave that had power over it And what though thou art unworthy of his love if he will have thee and make thee worthy Thy heart is base and what of that if he will mend it thy filthy rotten and polluted soul he intends to wash and cleanse it till it is without spot and wrinkle or any such thing Thy stubborn proud earthly and lustful heart he can make humble tender soft and yielding And when he hath made thee as he would why may not he take thee to himself and lay thee next his heart and delight over thee everlastingly Object But will his Father yield to this I am too poor a match for the Son and heir of all things But will he can he suffer his Son to die to buy such a beggarly thing to himself as I am Answ A way these silly simple childish thoughts how like an inhabitant of this earthly sensual world dost thou reason thou wilt not under-match and therefore will not God his Son Thou fool thou wilt not because thou canst find another equal But dost thou not know that God can find none equal to his Son he must stoop or else go without It 's true he might have gone without but what if he would not why should not Heaven have its will as well as thou Thou hast no dowry and he doth need none and yet thou arguest as if Heaven would make traffick with his Son and his love as we silly worms do here but we are beggars and so are Angels and all the glorious Hosts above they are his Creatures hang and depend upon him and cannot subsist one moment happy without suplies and helps of his Grace and why may he not bring a beggarly man as near to himself as a beggarly Angel if so it pleaseth him Object But doth it so please him Answ How often have I told thee it doth please him and hast thou not believed Come if thy hearing will will not satisfy let thy seeing do it Look if thou hast eyes Come tell me doth not Heaven look as though it was pleased with the offer of his Son What cloud or darkness dost thou see about the Throne What sign or token of displeasure canst thou at all discover Open thine eyes view the God of Glory Do his looks bespeak him to be thy Father or thy Judge And canst thou not be read both Husband Father and Lord and all in his countenance What not see it surely thou art blind If he had not told as much from his own mouth his eyes and looks bespeak his love and favour loud and clear enough to thee But doth he not tell thee to put thee out of all doubt this is my well-beloved Son hear him hear him What 's that believe him whatsoever he says why what saith he O dull and stupid heart hast thou forgot already He said he will pay his life for thine and doth not his Father bid thee hear him He said he would reconcile thee love thee and make thee friends again And is it not comfort when the Father bids thee believe him he said he will pardon wash and
cleanse thee and take thee to himself betroth thee to him for ever and after all will give thee to see his Glory even the same Glory which he had before the World And the Father is willing to all this for he tells thee his Son is his well-beloved Son and bids thee believe him and misdoubt not one syllable And canst thou after all this doubt that the Father is not willing But do not his Angels likewise who are ministring spirits with voice and looks proclaim as much that Heaven is well-pleased with the Son and with his Death and Passion and so with thee in him Do not the Angels admire the mystery of Redeeming Grace that makes them so desirous to peep into it Why did they proclaim his coming into the World and sing for joy that there was good will in Heaven to men on earth or why do they so diligently attend thee by night and day Thou seest them not keep guard about thy Chamber-door and round about the Curtains of thy bed Why do they attend thee from room to room and follow thee down stairs and out of doors if it were not but that thou art some great Princess nearly allied to their Lord and Master Thou dost not see this blame then thine eyes and the infidelity of thy heart shall it be less true because thy base infidelity cannot digest it Thou might doubt God Heaven and every thing else on that score but hast thou not it from his own mouth that the Angels are ministring spirits for the heirs of Glory Come tell me I say tell me quickly I must have an answer Can this and all this be true and Heaven yet not be pleased If God with his Son and Angels be all content that thou shouldst be restored and so exalted to such dignities as to be heir unto the Crown of Heaven if these be pleased who is there in Heaven that can else be displeased What saith my heart what not yet one word Oh how long shall I be troubled and pestered with my unbelief Oh my God strike chide and break this flint reprove this stubborn and unbelieving heart I cannot perswade it that thou lovest me or art willing to love me I urge thy word and my best reason to prove it but I cannot make it yield Oh break I pray thee this Flint or Adamant upon thy downy breast of love strike and one blow of thine will make it fall in pieces and confess at length that thou art well pleased with thy Son and fully satisfied that he should bleed and die for me But let me try thee once again if thou hast lost thine ears and eyes I 'le see if thou hast lost thy feeling too Thou sayst thou canst not believe that God is willing to accept the Son for thee or that thou so vile a wretch canst be accepted of by the Father through the merits of his Death and sufferings Come tell me is not this thy language I know thou darest not to speak so much in words But ah my Heart I find thou hast got a Tongue as well as my Mouth that often mutters and speaks a different language But tell me if thy unbelief hath any ground for it What makes it then that thy self is so free from fears and terrours when thou shouldest believe the Almighty of thy Bodies Death Resurrection and coming to Judgment if thou thoughtest him not thy friend and reconciled to thee in his Son if not methinks thy fears should fright thee and trembling seize on every joynt and yet thou wilt foolishly mutter against thine own feeling Soul Speaks O blessed God! I feel thou hast overcome I yield I yield I have not left a word to speak against thy love thy Son hath offered satisfaction and thou hast accepted it thou hast laid down O my Saviour thy life for mine and thy Father and my Father is well pleased with it Blood is paid Justice is satisfied Heavens doors are widened thine arms opened to receive me nothing is wanting but by heart make it such as thou wilt have it and then take it to thy self Come up my soul thou hast an heart and there is a Christ the Father thou seest is willing and the Son is willing give but thy consent and he is thine for ever Fear not thy hardness blindness deadness loathsomness all these cannot hinder if thou be but willing He hath been in the world to ask the worlds consent already and also thine thou canst not doubt of his good-will speak but the word and he hath thine too What stickest thou at surely thou art a sluggish spirit what dost thou ail Half of this ado would find a heart for a little mire or dirt or something else that is worse and is not Christ better But ah yet I feel a piece of unbelief still working in thy very bowels as if that Jesus that died at Jerusalem were not the Son of God and the Redeemer of the World And is this all O were I certain thou wouldst ne're doubt more how freely should I make satisfaction But Oh! I faint and tire with the trips and stumblings of my unbelief But mount my Soul thou must resolve to tire and put to silence all thy unbelieving bablings or they will thee which if they do never expect an hours peace or quiet more thou must resolve to conquer thy unbelief or to be conquered thou knowest her tyranny too well to let her go away the victoress He was not the Christ thou sayest but tell me why Object His Parentage was too low and mean what the Saviour of the world a Carpenters Son how can it be Answ My unbelief in the first place thou lyest his Mother was a Virgin and her Conception knew no Father but the Almighty power of the overshadowing Holy Ghost he was more truly the Son of God than Joseph's Son And was his birth thinkst thou so mean whose Parentage was so glorious Object His birth but mean and beggarly no sooner born but cradled in a manger and could Heaven suffer this Answ It consists But yet it was as glorious for did not a Star proclaim him born and did not a whole Host of Angels sing and shout it up for joy and did not wise men yea and Kings bring Incense Myrrh and Frankinsense being but as so much tribute unto the new-born King and heir of all things as if by instinct they knew they held their Crowns of him a greater honour than ever any new born Prince hath yet received before him or ever shall or will do after him Methinks my unbelieving heart I could dare to tell thee that room was no stable it was a Palace and did not the cost presents and glorious presence of Kings speak as much Object But his days were spent in poverty meanness and disgrace and can I dare I trust my soul with such a one and take him to be the Son of God Answ And now I wonder at thee it's true what
where where are they I saw them by me but just now I said them by my heart before I went to bed Oh what was I so long a reasoning about Oh what long and many threds did my reason spin even now but to make these twines to tye up my joy and to raise up my love and to hang my Heavenly delight upon But ah I fear this envious world hath with her vanities stollen them away or hid them from me or the envious Devil or unbelief have been ravelling or snarling of them that now I am as far to seek as ever Whither O whither shall I go to find them out Now will the Bridegroom come and I am not ready I cannot dare not go to day Now will my Lord be angry and ask me why I came not and I have no answer to make him And if I go undrest he will ask me where is my Weding-garment and then I shall be speechless Ah foollsh simple heart that thou shouldst take no more care but to let these thoughts of earth so intangle themselves with thy so pure and heavenly contemplations Now how to get them loose again thou knowest not this thou mightest by heed and care have prevented but now what help Lord I have sinned O holy Father pardon this time and I will take more heed Oh come and unty my thoughts from this earth and come and dress me up as best pleaseth thee Come be not discouraged Oh my Soul Let but thy attire of Grace be whole that is sincere thy God and so thy Saviour will accept thee Though thy garments are not so much perfumed with Heaven as thy brethrens are but yet if they are but white and free from the spots of flesh and spirit thou wilt be looked on and liked of well enough Thy Lord doth know that all have not Talents alike and where he gives but a little he expects but little A faith that it richly embroidered over with love and delight is not given to all and is not expected from any but from those to whom it is given Thou hast an honest willing serious heart that thinks it doth despise and trample under feet the nearest dearest pleasures profits and glories in the world in compare with him that gave himself to death for thee and hadst rather anger flesh and blood the dartest friends and all the world than him by sinning against him in the least If this be true fear not thou hast thy Weding-garment on thou art well clad as mean so ever as it is it is such a one as Heaven gave thee and such a one as thy dear Redeemer can and will embrace thee in The Presence-Chamber Fear not O my soul I charge thee do not faint Let not thy weakness and the poverty of thy grace discourage thee â—ee how thy Lord draws nigh Fear not I say he will not ask thee Friend how camest thou hither not having on thy Wedding garment He sees thy heart and sees thou hast it on Oh he comes and it is out to whisper thee a welcome in thine ear it is but to fall about thy neck and kiss thy be-tear'd cheeks and bid thee a kind welcome to thy bleeding Lord. Soul Oh did I think to be thus much made of I thought he would not have minded me but I did no sooner appear and set my feet within the doors but he ran to meet me he took mee in his arms he brought me hither and set me here Is this a house or is it a Palace Is this a Court for Princes or for Angels Never did place more ravish me into amazement than this place Beautiful are thy gates O Zion O how pleasant is the habitation of the most high Is it the place or the company that strikes me into astonishment Now I can say most feelingly say with David My delights are with the Saints of the most high and the most excellent of the earth Their poverty their disgrace their contempt amongst whom they live do not puzzle my quick-ey'd Faith these are the Kings Daughters that are all glorious within their garments are of needle work imbroidered over with pure gold fine-spun gold These O these how poor and mean soever they are or may seem to be these shall sit with Christ to Judge the World Oh! how my soul is ravished with delight to see and look on those with whom I shall live for ever If they are so lovely now what will they be hereafter when our God shall take them and scowr off their rust and wash their Garments bright in the Sun-shine of his countenance and change those mortal and corruptible bodies into immortal and glorious ones and set them upon Thrones about himself and lade their heads with Crowns of massy gold and when I shall hear them warbling out the everlasting Praises of the Lamb whose Body and Blood we shall sit down to feed on Communion-Plate Never was Gold or Silver graced thus before To bring this Body and this Blood to us is more than to Crown Kings or be made Rings For Star-like Diamonds to glitter in The Bread Welcome Fairest take and eat 't is the sweetest dainties dearest morsel Heaven can afford thee Welcome my Dear to the Table of my Lord. Welcome a thousand times I bid thee yea welcomer than thine own heart can wish Take eat this morsel it cost my life it 's a portion thy Father sent unto thee by me and bid me remember thee of his love to thee He bids thee remember a Fathers love Ay a Saviours He hath a heart to give thee and so have I. Take this in earnest of them both in one Take freely if thou wert not welcome I would have told thee I would have asked thee for thy Weding-Garment knew I not thy heart or if I were uncertain of thy love I would have scorn'd thee as unworrhy of my presence did I know thou lovest any thing above me I would have hid my face and never have spoke thee a welcome so feelingly and kindly to thy soul Tell me O tell me dost thou not love me I know thou dost and above Father or Mother Wife or Child Lands or Living or Credit I know thou dost And wilt thou not take the Cross and sollow me I know thou wilt I see and know the labour of thy love I remember the pains and travel of thy soul I saw thee follow me on thy knees in tears and begged my life rather than thy life I know thy heart I saw it bleeding before my Throne I took it in my arms and bound it up and in that breast I remember I put it up again I saw thee when no eye saw thee I heard thee and had compassion on thy groanings whilst thou wert complaining that I had shut out thy prayers I will remember since thy heart did first fall sick with love since the time thy flesh began to die and since thou laidst thy self in the grave down by me and wert willing to
on my head did ake when thine was crowned with thorns Anguish and indignation did loose my nerves and with a palsie shook mine hands when thine had a Mock Scepter put into them a reed and a scoff Hail Jesus King of the Jews And did not mine heart break and bleed to hear that thine was pierced Ah my Lord and shall I yet find an heart to wish thee here again No no I am glad thou hast escap'd their bloody hands and now got quite without their reach I am glad thou hast got to perfect ease and rest and know'st no pains nor griefs nor sorrows Oh! take a full possession of thy Fathers breast and sit thee down upon his Throne Thou art a King for ever And take delight in these thy soul did travel die and bleed for on earth I will repine at nothing that shall advance thy glory But Oh! thou cruel bloody unbelieving world you wicked murtherous bloody Jews though I rejoice my Lord is safe arrived home and quietly landed within his Haven yet from you I cannot hold mine anger that made his Sea a Sea of blood and drain'd his heart to make it deep filld his sails with sighs and groans that caus'd his voyage to be so doleful What good got you to stand and laugh to see him sorrowful to scoff and jeer to hear his lamentations what cursed rage was that to make such haste to fetch him vinegar and gall to prolong his life to lengthen out his dolors How could you find such barbarous hearts to triumph over a bleeding dying lamb that was so innocent How could you taunt at him when you heard him praying for you Father forgive them and so tenderly excusing you for they know not what they do Methinks that kindly harmless carriage should have pierced your hearts those melting words should have dissolv'd them and instead of piercing him I should have thought you pierced And ah but that I know an unbelieving heart my self and understand what hardness means I should stand and wonder Oh! it 's too hard an Adament for downy words and doleful sounds and tender carriages to break and shatter How often have I outstood all those my self And when I served my flesh how little did I mind them And when they have been presented to me in the Gospel or in a Sermon told that all these tortures he endur'd for me and I in part believed it too yet was I not as a man bereft of my senses and I was no more mov'd in mine heart as if I had not heard or understood and were quite bereav'd of sense and reason But had I thus continued in my senseless unbelieving state and as I liv'd so died yet how deservedly should I have born the wrath of God and have been sent to Hell as a recompence of mine unbelief And yet you careless secure Jews can you think to escape when God comes to make inquisition for blood How will you do if this sin shall find you out If God requires blood for blood what will become of yours If he had been no more than a common man the Law would then have required your lives for payment But how if in the end he prove a Prophet nay more than that the Son of the most high God the Prince and Saviour whom God had promised to raise the Messiah whom Moses and the Prophets bare witness to and him that you so long'd and wisht to see How will you look what will you say what answer will you make when all these truths are cleared where will you hide your selves for shame and what will you do when confusion shall thus take hold upon you What! will you then confess the fact or will you deny it with what face can you do the first And if you do the latter the curse you and your Fathers drew upon your selves Let his blood be upon us and our children stand still on record against you and will cry you guilty Will you excuse it with your unbelieving ignorance But how will you be able to rub your brows into so much confidence How dare you say you were ignorant of him when you say you know both Moses and the Prophets and they bear witness of him You askt a sign and did he not give you both signs and wonders How often did he cure your Lame How wonderfully did he heal your Lepers and those sick of the Palsie yea of all manner of diseases How did he open the eyes of the blind give light to them that was born blind yea restore the withered hand make the crooked straight and open the ears of the deaf and cast out Devils and raise the dead Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ A Prayer before the Receiving the Holy Communion MOST Holy God I am as stubble before thee the consuming Fire How shall I stand before thy Holiness for I am a sinful Creature laden with Iniquity that have gone backward and provoked the Holy One of Israel when I was lost thy Son did seek and save me when I was dead in sin thou madest me alive Thou sawest me polluted in my blood and saidst unto me live In that time of love thou coveredst my nakedness and enteredst into a Covenant with me and I became thine own Thou didst deliver me from the power of Darkness and translate me into the Kingdom of thy dear Son and gavest me remission of sin through his blood But I am a grievous Revolter I have forgotten the Covenant of the Lord my God I was engaged to love thee with all my heart and to hate iniquity and serve thee diligently and thankfully to set forth thy praise But I have departed from thee and corrupted my self by self-self-love and by loving the world and the things that are in the world and have fulfilled the desires of the flesh which I should have crucified I have neglected my duty to thee and to my neighbour and the necessary care of my own Salvation I have been an unprofitable Servant and have hid thy Talents and have dishonoured thee whom in all things I should have pleased and glorified I have been negligent in hearing and reading thy holy Word and in meditating and conferring of it in publick and private Prayer and Thanksgiving and in my preparation to this holy Sacrament in the examining of my self and repenting of my sins and stirring up my heart to a believing and thankful receiving of thy grace and to love and joyfulness in my Communion with thee and with one another of thy People I have not duly discerned the Lord's Body but have prophaned thy holy Name and Ordinance as if the Table of the Lord had been contemptible And when thou hast spoken peace to me I returned again to folly I have deserved O Lord to be cast out of thy presence and to be forsaken as I have forsaken thee and to
bring forth its store Thoughts offer your first-born God did assume the shape of Man With flesh his glory vail'd Himself he humbled unto death He to the Cross was nail'd III. Made sin us to acquit from sin Accursed us to bless Of Righteousness he wrought a Robe To hide our nakedness Darling of Heaven he was and is The Father 's chief delight Angels wonder the Saints above Are ravish'd at his sight IV. Array'd he is with Majesty Angels do him attend All pow'r is his in Heaven and Earth All to his Scepter bend A glorious Crown is on his head Most lovely is his face Treasures of wisdom are with him For us he 's stor'd with grace V. His Love doth pass dimensions His Love exceeds all thought Stronger than death this Love to us Salvation hath brought Hence all the Clouds away away Darken no more mine eye Fain would I see this lovely one Whose dwelling is on high VI. Open thine Eye here Jesus stands He looks he breathes he moves By Faith thou may'st discern him plain In this sweet Feast of Loves And art thou here indeed my Lord Draw nearer yet to me And nearer nearer my dear Lord Too near thou canst not be VII Come my Beloved let me view Thy beauteous lovely face Thee I would fold in arms of love Fain I would thee embrace I feel I feel a flame within Dear Lord I thee admire Thy sparkling beauty which I see Hath set me all on fire VIII Thy kind looks have me overcome The glances of thine Eye Sweetly my Soul transported have I feel an extasie Unutterable Joys I feel How sweet how sweet how sweet Is this taste of thy Love whilst I And my Beloved meet IX Sure this the Gate of Heaven is Methinks I'm entring in Where I shall always see thy face And no more grieve or sin Ten thousand praises let us give Unto our Lord on high Let heart and lip and life combine To make the melody HYMN II. I. O Come let us joyn all like one The Lord to magnifie Let us together lift his name In sweet sounds to the Sky Sweet Hymns of Love come let us sing Let Love us act and move Let Love our voices tune to praise Our God for God is Love II. God's Love the lofty Heav'ns above In height doth far transcend Its depth the Sea its breadth and length Is without bound or end God's Love to us is wonderful To us who Rebels were God gave his only Son to die That Rebels he might spare III. From guilt and reigning power of sin And Satan's slavery From fire of Hell us to redeem God gave his Son to die Christ suffer'd in our stead he was More harmless than the Dove That God should lay our sins on him This this indeed is Love IV. O come let us give God our Loves Let every heart take fire Let flames come forth and joyn in one And unto Heav'n aspire â—weet Spirit come like Southern Gales Within us breathe and move Blow up our spark into a flame That we may burn with love V. That we with all our hearts may love Our hearts Lord circumcise Of Love persum'd with sweet Incense Accept the Sacrifice VI. Draw near O God unvail thy self Our cloudiness remove O shine and smile on us that we may see thy face and love VII Dear Jesus come and visit us A stranger do not prove Heal wounds of sin speak peace that we Thy voice may hear and love VIII Our selves we offer with our hearts Our whole selves we resign To thee who art the God of Love We are and will be thine HYMN III. I. GOD hath us brought into his Courts And Chambers of his Love That he might feed and feast us here With dainties from above Heav'n opened is before our Eye The Vail is rent that we May upward look and his dear Son Crowned with Glory see II. This Jesus crowned was with Thorns Scourged with cruel hands His flesh was torn when to the Cross He tyed was with Bands Tears trickled from his mournful eyes Sweat dropped from his face Blood flowed from his hands and feet And side in streams apace III. His groans were strong his crys were loud Pressures of wrath did lye Upon his Soul with sense of which In anguish he did dye He harmless was and innocent No guilt upon him lay But as our Surety he our debts Did by his sufferings pay IV. Thus did he Justice satisfie By dying in our room That we might justified be By Faith that to him come The Bread we eat at this great Feast Christ's flesh is and his blood Is represented by the Wine This this indeed is food V. Here is the heavenly Manna which Our God to us doth give Who eateth other bread shall die In eating this we live A hidden life of Grace we have Breathing desires and love Christ is our Life the Author Spring By whom our Graces move VI. Come let us look unto our Lord This Glass will show his face Not veiled over with dark Types As heretofore it was God-man that name is wonderful So is his beauty so His love is full of wonders both Beyond our reach to go VII Yet where we cannot comprehend Looking let us admire Admiring love loving rejoyce And to enjoy aspire Our Lord is present at this Feast He looks let 's meet his Eye With ours sweet glances looks of love It may be we shall spy VIII Come Lord draw near we long we long Thy face to see thy love To taste thy voice to hear within To feel thy Spirit move Thou art all fair thou hast no spot Thy beauty is divine Thou art all love embrace us Lord In those sweet Arms of thine IX We look we wait we hope we trust We long we love we burn Ravish thou dost our hearts whilst thou To us thine Eye dost turn With all the powers of our Souls Dear Jesus we thee praise In songs of joy and thankfulness Our voices we do raise X. Hosanna's we Hosanna's we Do sing with one accord In Hallelujah's of triumph We joyn to praise the Lord. Ye Angels and triumphant Saints Praise ye our Lord above Whilst we his Servants here below Do sing his praise with love HYMN IV. I. THousands of thousands stand around Thy Throne O God most high Ten thousand times ten thousand sound Thy praise but who am I Thine arm of might most mighty King Both Rocks and hearts doth break My God thou canst do every thing But what would show thee weak II. Most pure and holy are thine Eyes Most holy is thy Name Thy Saints and Laws and Penalties Thy holiness proclaim Mercy is God's Memorial And in all Ages prais'd My God thine only Son did fall That Mercy might be rais'd III. Thy bright back-parts O God of Grace I humbly here adore Shew me thy glory and thy face That I may praise thee more Mysterious depths of endless love Our admirations raise My God thy Name exalted is Far above
all our praise HYMN V. I. TO whom Lord should I sing but thee The maker of my Tongue Lo other Lords would seize on me But I to thee belong As thou Lord an immortal Soul Hast breathed into me So let my Soul be breathing forth Immortal thanks to thee II. Sing and triumph in boundless grace Which thus hath set thee free Extol with shouts my saved Soul Thy Saviour's love to thee Sweet Christ thou hast refresht our Souls With thine abundant grace For which we magnifie thy Name Longing to see thy face III. Down from above the blessed Dove Is come into my breast To witness God's Eternal Love This is my heavenly Feast This makes me Abba Father cry With confidence of Soul It makes me cry my Lord my God And that without controul IV. Thou art all power thou art all love And so thou art to me Blest be my God now and henceforth And to Eternity HYMN VI. I. LORD give me a believing heart Advance it more and more Rebuke those doubts and scruples that Are crowding at my door Lord let thy Word and Spirit guide Thy Servant in thy way May I walk closely with my God And run no more astray III. All they that sit down with thee must Be decked with thy Grace Thou smil'st on such Communicants And they behold thy face Come holy Spirit come and take My filthy Garments hence The guilt the stain the love of sin Will give my Lord offence III. Let nothing that is not divine Within thy presence move What e're would cause thee not to shine In tokens of thy Love Awake Repentance Faith and Love Awake O every Grace Come come attend this glorious King And how before his face IV. Let not my Jesus now be strange And hide himself from me O cause thy face to shine upon The Soul that longs for thee HYMN VII I. WE to our heavenly Father give The tribute praise we owe Who by his purifying Grace Prepares us here below Lo here 's the most amazing proof Of great and matchless Love Not that our Early love to God Did his prevent and move II. His motives all to pity us From his own bowels flow Thence came the richest gift of Heav'n To Guilty Men below That to his glorious grace all praise Might be intirely paid Who that he might forgive our sins Christ's Blood our Ransom made III. Let then this glorious gift of God Yet more our Souls refine That his pure Image may in us With greater glory shine Draw us dear Lord and towards thee We with swift wings will move Thou Object of our highest hopes And of our dearest Love IV. Thanksgiving is an heav'nly work It 's all in Heav'n they do To thank and praise the Lord most high On Earth is sweet work too O! blessed are the Saints above How active is your state You ever bless the Lord our God Not at our broken rate VI. But O! how weak are crawling Worms How short our Sabbath-days We die more hours by far in sleep Than we do live in praise O glorious God! accept our wills And weaknesses forgive We wish our Souls were like the Saints Unlike them as we live V. But O my God! reach down thy hand And take us up to thee That we about thy Throne may stand And all thy Glory see All glory to the sacred Three One Everlasting Lord As at the first still may he be Belov'd obey'd ador'd HYMN VIII I. COme let 's adore the King of Love The King of suff'rings too For love it was that brought him down And set him here below Love drew him from his Paradice Where Flowers that fade not grow And planted him in our poor dust Among us Weeds below II. O narrow thoughts and narrow speech Here your defects confess The life of God the death of Christ How faintly you express O thou who from a Virgin root Made'st this fair Flower to spring Help us to raise both heart and voice And with more spirit sing III. To Father Son and Holy Ghost One undivided Three All highest praise all humblest thanks Now and for ever be HYMN IX To the Tune of the 100 Psalm I. TUne now your selves my heart strings high Let us aloft our voices raise That our loud song may reach the Sky And there present to thee our praise To thee blest Jesus who came'st down From those bright Spheres of Joy above To purchase us a dear bought Crown And woe our Souls t'espouse thy Love Long had the World in darkness sat Till thou with thy all-glorious light Began to dawn from Heav'ns fair Gate And with thy beam dispell'd their night We too alas still here had stood As common slaves in this same shade But Jesus came and with his Blood Our general Ransom freely paid And now my Lord my God my All What shall I most in thee admire That pow'r which made the world shall The world again dissolve with Fire Oh no! thy strange humility Thy wounds thy pains thy Cross thy death These shall alone my wonder be My health my joy my staff my breath To thee great God to thee alone Three Persons in One Deity As former Ages still have done All Glory now and ever be HYMN X. I. THE Mighty Jesus fill'd with love Did these dark Regions leave The heav'nly Hosts all wandring stood King Jesus to receive The great Jehovah sets a Throne Installs our glorious King Both Heav'n and Earth must him adore And loud Hosannah's sing II. There sits the King of Peace and Love A Saviour is his name Mercy his Nature and delight And ever so the same Come all that fear come all that want And speedy succour find He n're denies a praying Soul He is soo good and kind III. Behold and wonder at his Love We are his daily care His ear his heart is always fixt To hear and answer prayer Be not afraid to bring your Suit Come with a chearful heart Weak crys mixt prayers cannot bar A grant to his own part IV. Satan it 's true presents his Plea And Justice brings its claim But all are silent when he pleads His Blood his Love his Name Let holy Souls then daily go To Jesus on his Throne And love that all-prevailing Friend Who says we are his own HYMN XI As the 67th Psalm I. O This ungrateful World To kill so kind a Friend That made the Lord of Glory die What might this act portend But wonder holy Souls God's thoughts all thoughts transcend Christ murder'd by a Rebel World And yet he is our Friend II. It 's true Christ left the Earth But is enthron'd above Not to revenge this cruel act But lives and reigns in love II. Sweet is his work on high Peace is the charming voice Let but a Soul embrace his Call The heav'nly Host rejoyce Behold he stands and calls Come Sinners come to me My Love my Kingdom shall be yours To all Eternity III. Believe my faithful Word All my designs are
to do Adieu my Friends farewell my Husband Wife and Child I must go see my bleeding Lord that 's dearer to me than you all Come now my soul thou art alone thou knowest the way make hast and seed look yonder see how the people flock cross but this vale and climb but up this mount thou wilt soon arrive at bloody Golgotha where thou shalt see thy bleeding and dying Siviour to sigh and linger out a dying life on the Cross in love for thee This this might Oh my Soul have been thy day and thou might'st have been the prisoner this I say might have been the day in which thou might'st have drunk the bitter cup of the fierce anger of God But look yonder there he goes that must drink up the dregs and all for thee Look again there he goes that must lay down his life that thou maist be reprieved But come my soul draw up a little nearer thou canst not see him well at so great a distance stand here and thou wilt see him passing look there he goes with a train of Virgins following But see how cruelly these barbarous Jews do use him they make him bear his Cross himself and press his wearied fainting limbs above his strength see how they laugh and scoff and wag their heads as if he were their May-game Methinks my heart boils up with rage to see these cruelties revenged Oh! how could the blessed God forbear to see his blessed Son thus wronged Why did he not send twelve Legions of Angels for his rescue Why doth he not send down fire from Heaven upon the heads of these his Sons enemies and so consume them But stay my foolish heart thou knowest not what spirit thou art of this debt was owing and it must be paid God requires so much and it must be given or thou canst not be saved Thy Lord did know this well enough for this he came from Heaven and committed himself to the rage of men he knew he must endure all these revilings and doth it grieve thy soul to see him thus abased Stay but a while and thou shalt see him more look up my soul come tell me what thou seest Oh I cannot sorrow tyes my tongue I cannot speak I see and hear those things that I want a power to utter I see a troop of Virgins following him their weeping Eyes their blubbering lips their sighs and throbbings speak them mourners I see my Lord looks towards them and kindly chides their loving sorrow Why weep ye Oh ye Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me My Lord what need was there for that question Should not they weep when thou must bleed Would not their eyes have been flints if that then they should not drop tears for thee when as thou wert about to pour out thy life and blood for them Ah! could they chuse or do less than weep to see thine innocent self among a herd of Tygers what should a Lamb do there they saw thee in their ravenous jaws about to tear thy heart to suck out all thy blood and leave thee dead Have I not sat and read and read and wept viewing over the story and could they forbear that with their watry eyes saw this scene then acted But whither O whither O ye blinded Jews are ye dragging this my Lord My spirit begins to faint I now can look no longer my heart now begins to swell with grief it must now break or I must vent it at mine eyes in streams Look see the Hammer and Nails the Hammer lift up to strike Bloody man thou durst not sure surely thou dost not know whose hands and feet thou art now piercing it is the Prince and Saviour of the World Foolish heart see how thou art mistaken look see it 's done the nails are driven to the head see how the crimson tears run trickling down his hands and feet and see how hardened hearts be laughing at it Oh silly foolish blinded men what laugh you at This very Christ whom now you mock shall be your Judge this very man Jesus whom you have thus abused shall come attended with thousands of Angels with the sound of Trumpets and shall sit upon your life and death Him whom you now have nailed to a Cross hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour What then will you do when that great and terrible day of the Lord shall come How will you look him in the face whom you have spit on How will you dare to speak a word for your selves to him whom you have nailed to a tree and crucified His wounds in hands side and feet shall all bear witness against you and his innocent blood that you have spilt shall cry aloud about the throne for vengeance against you your flouts shall then be turned into tears and your taunts into lamentations And how will you then look and cry when God passeth sentence on you and thrusts you down to Hell to bear the punishment of your sins this is the Lord that came to spare your lives yet your wickedness spared not his and how at length can you think to escape with yours But once again look up my soul and see what is become of thy nailed and crucified Lord Ah me he is not quite dead look how he gasps and pants for life Oh how his looks are changed How pale and wan do I see his cheeks the blood and all the spirits are quite drawn from them Methinks he should be dead for see how weak his neck is grown that it is not able to support his head that lyes a dying on his bleeding breast What yet not dead see how he shakes and stirs his dying limbs what gasps and groans do I hear him fetch as if his soul were strugling to get out Hark hark he speaks Oh let me catch the least breath of my dying Saviour What saith my Lord Hark what dost thou not hear What My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I am amazed to hear these words How couldst thou suspect thy Fathers love How could he be far from thee who was one with thy self But Oh! this is but the voice of his Manhood and not of his Godhead It was the voice of the dying and bleeding Man Jesus not the voice of the God Jesus But Oh my Lord what are those pains and gripes thou feelest that brings forth these complainings But why do I ask this question hath he not been all this while a drinking up the cup his Father gave him the bitter and sowr and poysonous cup of his Fathers wrath which I and all the world had else drunk of he just now swallowed down the last mouthful of the dregs whose bitter noisom taste hath sent forth these doleful lamentations for mark he had no sooner spoke these words but he gasped his last The causes of his Death And must the Son of God be humbled thus must he that was from everlasting raised and advanced above every man in heaven
and earth he that lay in the arms and breast of God loved by the Father and his only Son honoured adored admired and beloved of ten thousand times ten thousands of Angels But must this God leave all this glory and change that sweet Heavenly and delightsome Palace for so mean so low so dirty a cottage as to be born a man And must his entertainment at first be no better than a stable or a manger could give him No sooner must he begin to live but must an enemy assault his life Must he travel up and down the earth and spend his time and strength in preaching glad tidings to miserable undone men and fill the world with signs and wonders and not deserve so much of men as a house to dwell in or a hole to put his head in and after all this humble holy long-suffering life must he be thought of by this unthankful and unbelieving world as one not worthy to live and not have a breathing in that air which he both made and gave them to breath in but must he at length be laid hold of by a traiterous Judas that he had once taken for one of his Apostles must he suffer all this But ah alas what is this must he be also crowned with thorns and must he sweat and bleed Oh far more than tongue can utter Oh astonishing condescention thus did the Son become a servant and learn'd obedience by his sufferings and served three and thirty years apprenticeship in the pain and travel of his soul here on earth a longer time than Jacob served for his beloved Rachel that because he loved us better and therefore gave a better dowry for us But had I lived to have seen this Prince of Glory thus disguis'd this Eastern Sun thus benighted in a cloud this Glorious God thus wraped up in rags of flesh should I have known him or not my sensual heart I doubt thee much wouldest thou have cleaved to him and loved him better than thy life and have said Though all leave thee I will not and with Paul I am willing and ready not only to be bound but to die for thee What thinkest thou Oh my soul couldst thou have left Husband Wife Father and Mother and all the rest of thy Friends and have sold all that thou hast and followed him what him whom the Prophet foretold Isa 53. 23. He hath no form or comliness in him that you should desire him he is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs Tell me tell me couldst thou have divorced thy self from all and have taken this seemingly uncomely person for thy Lord and only Husband Ah me I do not know my heart but surely had I known him as I do now know him I should not have stuck at any thing for him For what if his Face did want comliness seeing it came so with tears and grief for thee and wilt thou love thy friend the worse because he shares in sorrow with thee for thou canst not but know that he came from Heaven to take to himself a Spouse on Earth and if I was one that he loved and grieved for to see my stubborn heart so hard to yield was this the cause he wanted beauty On such a want as this is lovely and me thinks my heart could have cleaved the closer to him There was no beauty or comliness in him and what of that my ugly and deformed soul deserves more loathing my righteousness the comeliest part about me is but rags or a menstruous cloth if there were no more desirableness in him than in me Oh had I loved him then and left all for him it were no wonder but that he should love me I rather stand amazed There was no beauty in him it may be so but could it be otherwise expected from him who came to work in fire and smoke who came to quench the Flames of Hell and to satisfie Gods wrath and justice to pull out filthy souls from the jaws of lustful sensual flesh and blood it was not beauty but strength that was here needful A glance of an amorous eye would not have wounded Satan and made him fall from Heaven like a flash of Lightning A comly countenance could not have inchanted and unbar'd Hell gates and made them fall and break before him into shatters What need a fair hand to touch our filthy rotten souls and 〈◊〉 them up in menstruous blood and wash 〈◊〉 clean or what need such clean hands to 〈◊〉 about the rusty iron gates wherein I 〈…〉 world lay bound in chains and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 down to take our cankered bolts and 〈◊〉 them off to take us by the hand to 〈…〉 up and lead us out Alas there needs no such eye face or hand for such a work It is powerful all-conquering strength that is here required It was a powerful victorious arm that here was needed and such a one he had But what should he do with a beautious body that must be so abased and abused as his was an uncomly face will serve where it must be spit on What must he do with a fair soft delicate hand which must be pierced another kind of hand is good enough to knock a nail into And what needs his body be of a clear white thin transparent skin will not any serve that body that must be bruised and wounded as his was nay as it was necessary his should be But why thus necessary either he must be thus dealt with or else my sin cannot be pardoned Either he must be despised of men or I must be of God Oh! he must drink up this bitter cup with all its dregs or else I must have drunk it up my self It was I that sinned and I must have suffered this cursed proud and earthly heart of mine rebelled and broke the Laws and should have suffered and born the punishment had not he stept in and born the stroke off from me I had been now burning in everlasting flames and have been lingering out this time in torment which I am now spending in the sweet thoughts of my escape And is not this all true speak out my Soul hath not the Prophet said as much Surely saith he he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace lay upon him and by his stripes we are healed All we like sheep are gone astray we are every one turned to his one way and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all He was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the shearers was dumb so he opened not his mouth He was taken from prison and judgment and who shall declare his generation for he was cut off from the land of the living And for the transgression of my people was he smitten