transgression Against thy sacred name let me implore Thy heavenly grace to help me oh restore To me an humble heart that may submit To what thy knowing wisedom shall think fit For me poor mortal who am weak and frail VVhose only hopes in Christ is to prevail Lord wash me in his blood then shall I be Though black by nature yet made white by thee And though I am in Prison cast full low Raise me again good God and now bestow Thy abundant graces let thy will be done I am resolv'd thy will to wait upon Until my change shall come do not delay That happy hour that I may see the day VVhen thou by death wi lt perfectly restore me Lord let a prisoners sighes now come before thee Psalm 86.17 Shew some good token upon me for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Phillippians Chap. 4. v. 12. I know how to abound and how to suffer need c. DIvinest Saint there 's few on Earth but thee Have learnt contentment a felicity Beyond all Arts th'Apostle only can Approve himself the best contented Man A Lesson which the World hath long forgot To set in practice Men affect it not This is a thing unpleasing to their tast Therefore in sad repining time they wast Were Heavens delightful Paths beset with pleasures For Sence to revel in our chiefest Treasures Would there be plac'd our sensual hearts would be Too full of Joy in Earths felicity Were there no rubs nor stops to make us faint Who would not be a Convert and a Saint The Crown of Glory it would truly be As the sweet Garlands of Eternity But he that enters Heavenly bliss must wear A Crown of Thornes e're he attain that Sphear Fond Worldlings are so vainly stufft with Pride That a Holy meekness can not abide Unless it carry pleasing Pomp aloft Religious Meekness it is seldom lâ—â—â— Preaching of Patience it doth Clearly Show There are sublime enjoyments which we owe Due reverence to and yet we will not learn This holy Lesson fully to discern Our vain repinings at the Almighties ways Who can cast down and in a moment raise Our better fortunes But th'Apostle here Hath nobly learnt for to Sustain and bear His pinching wants sans Murmurings or grudge At his Corrections that 's a righteous Judge He that hath bid us seek the heavenly glory Tells us that earthly things are transitory And after this vain Heathens they do walk And shall we Christians like the Heathens talk And have no higher prospect than this world For which the Angels from the heavens were hurl'd Shall we lye groveling in this lower Sphear Rowling our selves in Carnal pleasures here Making morality our only bliss And have no other thoughts of Heaven than this Was it for this that the Eternal Lord Bow'd the high Heavens and came with free accord Leaving his Throne to bring us unto glory Then let us cease from things so Transitory And raise our souls unto sublimer Joys For terrene pleasures are but foolish Toys Vain is that Man which foolishly doth wrap His chief felicity in natures Lap And all the dull enjoyments of his Sence With care and vehement Toyle to fetch it thence Tell me then man That doest in pleasures swim And hast the Cup with joy fil'd to the brim Hast thou forgot thy God thy Guide thy Maker Be not so stupid least thou be partaker Of endless Torments should the Luminaries Loose their bright Lusters that but seldom varies And put on purple Robes that Direful sight Of bleeding planets would thy soul affright Or if the air were turn'd into a stream Of blood by that most powerful hand Supream Or could thy deafned ear but hear the blast Of the last direful Trump what speedy hast wouldst thou then make be most fully bent To check thy Fancy posting to repent Such things prodigious greatly would affright The Bold'st prophaner that took delight In actions Sacrilegeous wicked ways The memorie then of former sinful days Will fill the inner man with dismal fright And make the Sinner restless day and night Oh man remember this 'T is truth alass The enjoyments of the world are poor and pass Away like empty aire there 's no fruition But Dives like we make a sad petition So doth the vain voluptuous worldling laugh At pure religion and do vainly quaff Scorning the poor oppressed Suffering Man And shew him all the envious spight they can As though a pious life could not enjoy Some tides of pleasure but have still annoy His sight 's bemisted he can't yet descry The expected hopes of blest eternity He thinks himself Secure and free from strife And knowes no Joyes but in this present life Did we but know these rich rewards will fall On the religious poor to crown them all What happiness attendeth on the Motion Of suffering Saints in their most pure devotion 'T would make us triumph in our low estate And be in love with hardship at this rate Imbracing poverty with a holy zeal To enjoy that bliss which we cannot reveal 'T would comfort in our very low estate When suffering by the cruel hand of fate From Men enrag'd but we are still to learn The Apostles rule to wait till the return Which crowns with bliss the patient waiting Soul That still expects in faith without controul And yet how hardly do we grief endure When smallest troubles do our souls inure With so much passion that we hardly can Bear the least brunt of Scorne so vain is man So sensless are we of Gods greatest power Forgetful wretches that even every hour We censure and accuse thy providence Like faithless persons scarce enricht with sence Lord ope our eyes and make us plainly See The worlds vain shews Mans insufficiency That empty air the pleasures here below Grant these Joyes that from thy presence flow To these good Lord let our hearts still stand bent So shall we evermore have full content Job 2.10 In all this did not Job Sin with his Lips WAs Job a statue was his noble heart Impenetrable could not Sorrows Smart Move his so fixed Soul nor yet Hells hate His so Strong bulwark conscience penetrate Behold him then mirror of patience Whom all the Legions could not fright him thence Nay he could breath divinity in groans Make sighs his Musick and in sacred tones Turn sorrows into Sermons and his pains To pious Lectures improving for gains Even saddest sufferings and did never vent The least invective from foul discontent How wondrous is that soul that is so fixt Valiant in conflict and indeed not mixt With base repinings but can bear his Cross And triumph in it without sence of loss By suffering much humility hath taught Job patience which with greatest care he sought So nobly that it doth adorn his parts And makes them lovely ev'n beyond all arts Like the Philosophers stone that with each touch Turns all to gold and
Leapers bodied a new But we don't see what good there doth accrue Unto his better parts and that perhaps Lies bed-rid in a very sad relaps His successor was happier whose disease And sin were both remov'd which did appease His piercing pains at the Phisicians talk Which said arise take up thy bed and walk How many are there like the Leaper foul Look no higher than their bodies do controul All other considerations but to cover Their fowler parts and willingly do smother And slight their nobler parts which should adorn It lies infected and exposed to scorn We are so eager to procure Chimestry And all that art can make to prompt Luxury To make our natures feed upon its flame While our better parts lie naked to the shame Of mankind that should with right zeal desire To feed not quench the true Celestial fire By which our souls shall ever truly be Enlivened and preserved O Lord for thee How do the Torments of a limb an hour Move us to feel and want thy healing power VVe practice more devotion in that fit Than many a moneth before we did feel it The loath'd deformities of our worser parts Gives us more grief and more aflicts our hearts Than those pale and infernal shapes that thus Dissigureth Heaven's Character in us Come shew that beauty is without a blot That hath no blush of guilt no Leprous spot That saintlike infant Man that knows no guile I 'le sit and here admire him for a while VVe're all conceiv'd in sin and cannot be VVithout our spots until we 're washt by thee VVere our vains purer than the violets smell And could perfume the air yond paralel VVere Adams sin a stranger to our blood And could our innocency have withstood Thy justice our rebellious going astray VVould Check our Lusts and prompt us thus to pray The blackness of our thoughts would proclaim Though silently sin is our chiefest aim Yet was there not a generation That thought themselves clean without contagion VVere right in their own Eyes and did deride The world as Leapers in their scorning pride The Pharisee was the more polluted Man Than the soft hearted humble Publican VVhich did so proudly his best plums display VVhich carried more contagion in that sway Of pride and ostentation but he 's the winner Oh God be merciful to me a sinner But he that trusts to merit and its paint And thinks himself a convert and a Saint May loose these Joyes if that he doth despise The mercy seat where the true comfort lies And rely on his so great stock of parts His humane Learning and his skill in arts VVithout thy polishing they cannot be Made useful in our returns O Lord to thee No saint nor Angel can procure us bliss But the only begotten son whose merit it is The leaper is a beauty far beyond My soul 's more foul and my vile courses tend Yea Lazarus which had so many soars Are less in number far than my vile scores Which I have run in sin and am as lame As the poor criple cur'd of sin and shame Oh wash me Lord in thy Bethesda pure I shall be cleansed and be ever sure Of thy healing mercies let me not be One of the nine ungrateful Lord to thee It will make my soares loathsome in thy sight And me eject unto eternal might But I do know thy goodness and thy power Doth still preserve us mortals every hour That ever can keep us in a holy mean Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 1 Kings 19.9 And he came unto a Cave and Lodged there DId the good prophets zeal so far provoke Proud Jezabel to threat the heavy stroak Of death did he then fle th'threatned rage Of a furious woman to be more at large He came to Beershaba in so great fear And in much hast he left his servant there While he journied on in his so great distress Until he came unto the wilderness Where under a Juniper tree he humbly sate With heavy sobs sadly bewail'd his fate Come Lord it is enough do not delay Thy severe Justice take my life away But a good Angel he doth interpose And wakes the sleeping prophet from 's repose And bids him eat and cease this moan to make Behold a cruze of water and a cake By divine providence prepar'd to be A support to natures necessity He eat he slept and willingly obeys And in that strength he travel'd forty days To Horcb the Mount of God though still in fear He came into a cave and lodged there Behold enraged Malice it doth force Eliah to a Cave there 's no remorse In a Womans fury there is no suspence No liberty for life or conscience He must fly to a narrow compass to save both They are in danger if he admit of sloth Behold him now a Hermit to his pain For prophesying against wicked Ahabs reign 'T was but a kind of tipe that did foretel To after ages such a paralel Those votaries of the Church the which did turn Caves into cloisters and therein did mourn And fill these silent grots with divine love And chant forth ecchoes with the saints above And make them Chappels there to laud and praise In sacred Halelujahs all their days The purity of their zeal I much admire Make solitude it's mirth in such retire Can make Melancholly devotion fit Object of glory and the Joyes of it And sequester themselves from vain delight To contemplate with Angels day and night So those divine retirers have done well If they ring not too loud their merit bell If in imitation of the King of glory They fast and pray I such a votary Do highly prize but if his vain tradition Take place he must be brought unto contrition If that those pious exiles in devotion Not studying humane praise but virtues motion Do contemplate with Heaven and of its glory Abandoning the world that 's transitory Such self denial no Man ought to blame But worldlings court it to their greater shame Not caring what vile courses they pursue To satisfie their lusts it is too true All rapine and disorder they commit And fondly brag and boast and glory in it But these our pious exiles they do give Up both their names and lives that they may live Religiously devout 't is strange to have A Prophet now retir'd unto a Cave No no they 've higher thoughts and their devotion Tends much the way to get the best promotion But he 's the Man that humbly can deny His tempting lusts when fortune cast him high And can out face the world and conquer it And with our Prophet in a Cave down sit VVith sweet contentment lodge in it all night VVhen high revenging rage sets him to flight Prisons and Caves are solitary places VVhere friends think it much if that they shew their faces And give a word of comfort in that condition But leave poor prisoners to their said contrition They 'l say 't is out of the way they
to find Something above the world therefore how vain Are worldlings which so foolishly take pain Making their chief enquiries but for dross Vexatious vanities subject to loss Without a holy care this Lawyer wise Makes right enquiry and demands advice Of the best councel T'whom he doth resort Ev'n him that best can answer and report Some Some there are that only do enquire After good titles make it their desire 'T is there divinity lead them that way So they grow rich they care not who decay If they cant Rant and swagger cheat and prate They 'l sell eternity at any rate So sadly doe our vices drown religion That to enquire of heaven is held derision There 's no such airy questions in their books It 's trivial of no worth 't will spoil their looks And marr their pleading yea their gain that 's chief Have no such memorandum in their brief Stop then vain Man consider with thy self Why dost thou covet to grasp so much pelf It 's not the flattering title of a name Guilded with massey Gold can keep thy shame From the Almighty's eyes so full of light That do observe thy pleadings wrong or right Plead like the Lawyer here for a possession It 's suitable to every Mans profession To plead for Heaven The client must not leave That suit unfollowed least he doth deceive His Heaven born soul for they must both appear Before one bar in trembling and in fear There 's no delay when cal'd no writ can move Our day of hearing 's fixt in Heaven above Lord let us with delight approach to thee Which art chief counsel in extremity And not reflect on parts demurs of wit But eye that Throne whereon indeed doth sit The Judge of all the Earth from whose clear sight No flesh can hide it self Let our delight Be to enquire thy waies which chiefly tend To that true glory ne'r shall have an end The Lawyers most importunate request Let it with zeal ev'n always warm our breast And stir up in our hearts a holy strife To get assurance of eternal life John 11.36 Jesus Wept STop O my soul and here behold and see Thy Saviour sweet in his humanity His passions did prevail he could not keep His eyes of mercy dry but soare did weep For Lazarus and in him for us all That wrapt are and involv'd in sin and thrall Oh who can hear this and yet have the power To hold his eyes from streaming out a shower Of tears what frozen heart can choose but melt Into a flood of teares if they e'r felt A touch of conscience for those sins of theirs And yet will not accompany his tears Behold we see the marble hearted Jew Censuring his grief with malice to pursue Their envious taunts corruption of their mind And jearing said can't he that cur'd the blind Keep Lazarus alive do not deride It was that God and Christ be glorified And clearly did determine that vain strife I am the Resurrection and the life No wonder if they did refuse to be Mourners which acted such a villany And had such small compassion on his grief That were become his Murderers in chief And op'd that fountain stream of his dear blood Which gushed out like water from a flood Which still lies op where we may have access To him by faith and truth and holiness And yet how many are there that do bear Thy title and boldly pretend to wear The livery of thy name but do refuse The characters of thy Cross and still are Jews How coldly sure are they stand thus affected That are not touched with grief nor yet dejected For his harsh sufferings at his latest breath Which seems to be forgetful of his death How richly are good Mary's tears requited Which wash't her Saviours feet which she delighted Her eyes were moving bathes still running over To see his brim full drops that did discover His love divine which nothing could remove To shew his power his mercy and his love Whom Martha did diswade for want of faith Lazarus come forth our blessed Saviour faith Had Lazarus but known what a rich prize He was esteem'd in the Almighty's Eyes He would have dy'd and not repented To be thus buried and so much lamented Have such a mourner wait upon his pall Which is the Almighty Saviour of us all Divinest Saviour thou didst weep for those That could not weep nor yet fully disclose Their vile affections it was sin that kept Them prisoners to their lusts their sences slept Thou pourest out thy tears thy life and blood And shall we not pour ours even in a flood That fully should speak out unfained sorrow For sin and not defer it till the morrow But we 're so plung'd in sin and many feares That we cannot accompany thy tears It is to sad a walk for flesh and blood Unless thy spirit lead us to what is good Shew us thy purer ways least we intrude And give us hearts of pious gratitude That we may glorifie thy name with praise For our redemption and that all our days May be a thanks giving not to say we slept Remembring always that our Jesus wept Matth. 6.33 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you c. OUr blest Redeemer doth continue here His precepts teaching Gospel course to steere Contained in his Sermon on the Mount A heavenly subject worthy our account But we poor wealkings an how frail are we That 's last in thought which ought the first to be Our duller parts are now so dead and numb All clog'd with earthly cares our tongues are dumb To make enquiry after thy purer ways Which should express our duty and thy praise Such loyterers are we Heav'n ward that we make Small speed and have more mind and care to take Our carnal considerations with us so That we cannot effectually let go Our thoughts from sins but cause our Maker stay Our leisure oh the wretched sad delay Of sinful flesh that studies to provide Superfluous things for to abett our pride Mean while our better parts lie to th' view Of Heavens great Eye with whom we have to do Such strangers are we to our souls concern That wee indeed don 't in the least discern Thy love and favor to us whence we miss These joyes above ev'n Heavens eternall bliss We gaze no higher than the Lower sphear Rowling in meer morality whilst there As though we had nothing beyond our breath To look for when wee 'r snatcht away by death What thoughts ambitious do we ever carry For terrene Joyes how little for Gods glory Vain Jolities and worldly pleasures swallow The thoughts of Heaven not suffering us to follow Gods heavenly Preceps we do sadly lie Dead in our thoughts of immortality Vain man what is' t that thou dost sacrifice Thy idle thoughts unto or wherein lies Thy chief felicity The pagans can Fancy a bliss amongst the shades vain Man And
azure spangled Heaven which we do see Where the magazin of Stars so fixed be Which stocks the world with light it s but a vail Or curtain drawn to keep our sences frail From over prying into th' almighties Throne Where only is felicity alone Which no eye ever saw nor yet shall see The hidden glories of eternity Tombs are but wardrops or Chambers of death Hung'd with their winding sheets beneath the Earth Where we shall all after this life be laid Till to our fathers we be gathered If that same heavenly glimps which did appear Upon the mount did the disciples chear Which made them wish that they might there strait raise Three Tabernacles to eternal praise And there abide Oh if that beauty then Reveal'd from Heaven unto these blessed Men Was so Transcendent how will th' enjoyment be Oh ravish us with desires that we may see Where Christ is gone before 't was the Martyrs Joy Amid their tortures valued as a toy Though their limbs were broken and mangled Yet they were sure their hairs were numbred If Peters shadow had that healing power To cure the sick which applied to him each hour How powerful is that shining glory then Which doth such wonders for the Sons of Men. Let no one doubt nor be at any strife If once his name be in the book of life Though his earthly Tabernacle be laid down Yet he shall have an everlasting Crown Of endless glory beyond expression far And shine in Heaven like a glorious Star Who is it would not slight and disregard The vanities of this life for such reward And welcome poverty with all its chains And triumph in the assurance of such gains As that nobly divine transcendent love That is prepared in the Heavens above Where there 's assurance for to live for ever And sweetly rest in the bosom of the father Thou didst create us Lord for to serve thee But by our frailties we 'r become to be For ever lost But thou of thy great love Didst restore us to true joyes above Oh fill us with meditations of thy praise Which may elevate our spirits all our days That we may walk in some measure divine That by a holy practice we may shine As Stars in the lower orb and express that light We have by faith received by thy might And power divine Oh let our hearts be ever Filled with praises and be silent never And still express our thanks and not have done Until we shine in brightness like the Sun And from a holy walking never sever But shine as Stars for ever and for ever Matthew 2.10 And when they saw the Star they Rejoyced with exceeding great Joy I 'm still surpriz'd with wonder at the love Of our offended God that from above Should shew his Star to wise men of the Fast Which welcom'd such an object did not rest But gave it reverence with an holy fear They well knowing the motions of the sphear That blessed object that unwanted Star Which they did with much joy behold from far And there was kindled in them a desire To post unto Jerusalem to enquire Where 's he that is born King we 've seen his Star To worship him with joy are come from far Herod seem'd troubled at such sudden news And all the congregation of the Jews On went these Men the Star being still their guide It rested where the blessed Babe was laid There they rejoyce no frights did them annoy Seeing the Star they had exceeding joy Rouse then my soul in a holy contemplation Of this bright Star whose radiant beams and motion Did quickly spread it self Judea over It s powerful influence did soon discover Divine effects that it did fully tend To be a tipe of mercy to the end To save lost Man oh beauteous Star of light The effects whereof will keep us from that night Of utter darkness in which we all lay hid And by it's mercy shall be glorifi'd Had the ancients known this Star't would raise their sence And enrich their genius with due reverence This sparkling splendor did surely outshine The knowledge of that age it was divine T' was such a lustre That it did adorn The orb beyond the glory of the morn That powerful luminary that directeth time That blessed morning Star shin'd more divine And prov'd a happy guide them safe to bring With holy offerings unto Christ their King And in a joynt harmony with one voice They having seen the Star did much rejoyce See how these pagans footed it what pain They took in travel for that happy gain And blest fruition of that gâ—orious fight Though poor is full of Majesty and might They nimbly walk from the remotest parts In pure devotion and with chearful hearts When some that boldly do profess thy name Will scarce come forth their chamber O! the shame Of such besotted souls as will not rise And prostrate themselves before the eyes Of their offended God though ne're so cheap But snug and snore in sin and fondly heap Crime upon crime not from their vices part Though th' offering small an humble penitent heart But these wise Travellers did freely bring Gold Frankenscence and Myrrhe to Christ the King And made an Inn a Temple there to pay Their tribute O the miserable delay Of pure devotion 'T is their greater shame That stript him of the glory of his name It should exalt all hearts for to rejoyce With adoration and a thankful voice They 'd but one single Star to be their guide But we have many that with active pride Do darken religion and have it in derision Such quaking Comets making an apparition And fiery aspect that will fright away Rather than lead will cause us go astray Into their sottish errors to prevent Le ts keep close to the holy government Which Christ and his Apostles left behind To rectifie the errors of mankind Which if we practice and study aright We need not fear Sathan with all his might Pretended illuminations in religion Eclipseth real light with foul derision And such a nasty Mist doth often gather That in stead of clearing Eyes do blind them rather 'T was a true light by which the wisemen steer'd Which brought them in such triumph that it cheer'd Their hearts with joy that they did see the day Which some do study to forget and lay A load of obliquy on such pretence Not allowing it a day of reverence But let them wallow in their haughty pride It prov'd a blessed day and happy guide To unwearied Travellers but for such as they That sottishly and wildly run a stray And have no Star to guide them but let them wander And fall in their own pitts that thus do slander Thou that hast stockt the world with so much light And enricht it with so many Stars so bright To serve us Mortals 'T was fit thou shouldst take One to thy self thy herald for to make And cause the brightness of that Star surpass All other Stars that now
cannot stay They have no business that doth tend that way Such cunning slights they often do relate Let them have care they meet not with such fate And then their cruelty may be required And their harsh dealings in which they delighted He 's the divine Hermit that can gainsay His carnal motions and nobly obey His virtue which will quickly mount him high If he pursue the arts of Charity And not so slight the poor suffering Man But add unto his comfort all he can And make him musick with his Christian love Which will intitle him to the joyes above These are such graces in which God delight It Will have good acceptance in his sight If I am in a Cave Lord let me be Refreshed and comforted alone in thee Thy mercies doth refresh me every morn Though by my friends I have been held in scorn Thou hast given support to me from hands unknown And many mercies unto me have shown Give me a thankful heart in my distress That I may follow thee in the wilderness Oh let me worship with a reverence due To thy great love whose voice did thrice subdue Thy murtherers oh teach me to submit My self to what thy wisedom shall think fit Teach me all humility to make A prison comfortable and therein take My whole delight in thee and of thy ways And sing forth Halelujahs to thy praise With Paul and Siloas let me sweetly sing The praise and glory of my God and King O let not griefs confound me in this loss But bear with patience this so heavy Cross Which would sink frail flesh and blood did not thy hand Support my weak and feeble soul to stand First to my confidence alone in thee Which hath appeared a Loving God to me Which truly is my hope and help to save Which did relieve the Prophet in a cave Wherein he lodged and did take quiet rest And was in thy preserving power blest That I may do so Lord grant me thy spirit To give due praises then I shall inherit Eternal mansions thou my soul wilt save And raise me from a Prison or a Cave Into eternal bliss the highest sphear ' Mongst Saints and Angels to be lodged there Genesis 28.12 And he dreamed a Dream and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached unto Heaven and behold the Angels descending and ascending on it DId Isaac call surely he did no less And with a holy zeal his Son to bless And give him charge how to demean his life Forbidding Canan's Daughters for a Wife He bids him rise and go unto none other But unto Laban his own Mothers Brother At Padan-aram withour any stay And God Almighty bless thee in the way And multiply thy seed that thou mayst be A mighty Nation next posterity May inherit the blessed promise in good deed Which was made unto Abraham and his seed Jacob obeys and travels all the day Until the Sun declin'd he made no stay Then laid he down his weary bones to rest Stones were his pillow where his sleep was blest He dreamt and behold a ladder there was set Where Angels did descend ascend on it No sooner had good Jacob's soul tak'n rest His contented humility was blest With an heavenly vision which salutes his sence That blest obedience that brought him thence Was ravisht with an object that did prove A blessed guide unto the Heavens above Where these blest spirits so enricht his sence With a sweet and harmonious influence These divine Travellers not contending But orderly ascending and descending Oh happy solitude that thus doth meet A heavenly company so rich and sweet A blessed interview that did requite The hardness of his lodging with delight In such an object did his soul take rest And with such dreams was his stir'd fancy blest That the Lord of all the Earth should not dispence To make good his fore promis'd providence By Angels which did gradually ascend Up to that Heaven which never shall have end When I behold the posture of this sleeper Whom Angels had the charge of as his keeper And his hard lodging which gave him delight He had eternal glory in his sight I cannot choose but wonder in derision At them that lasily expect a vision Upon their beds of down when most at leisure Expecting apparitions in their pleasure Their spirits would grow sick of some disease If visions should disturb or move their ease They quickly would catch cold and loath to say At midnight I 'le arise my vows to pay 'T was holy Davids zeal he did not slumber Being fully awak'd his sins did cumber His new refined soul Took much delight In humility to prostitute in the sight Of his offended God did oft confess How much he sinned ' gainst his holiness With many a sorrowful plaint and piercing fears He often washt his couch in penitent Tears God drops not miraclesin the wantons lap Nor communicate grace by chance or hap But confers his rich glories chiefly to those That study virtue and are vices foes And are cast down in trembling sorrows deep Are comforted with visions in their sleep John must be an exile and brought low to pine Before he be enabled a divine And confer with Angels in a holy trance Before his humane learning can advance And make him a fit Harbinger for Heaven Such gifts are not attain'd but divinely given By the wise disposer of all events Which turneth sufferings to their hearts contents This Holy Mans obedience made him leave All carnal thoughtsbehind him least it bewreave Him of the blest fruition of that bliss Prepared for him in true happiness His prayers and meditations only keep Him company it caused an happy sleep So pleasant that he for ever disclaim'd All converse with the world and it disdain'd All secular interests he did entertain More noble thoughts which prov'd his richer gain And made him an happy instrument of glory As 't is recorded in the sacred story Jacob had only a rich Canopie The azure spangled Curtains of the skie His lights the lamps of Heaven O safe and blest Where Angels did protect and guard his rest Ever in motion with their care defending In a holy zeal ascending and descending Oh how securely doth he ever rest That leans on providence and is not prest With worldly cares but joyfully doth make Providence his guard and therein chiefly take His sole felicity he cannot miscarry If divine thoughts become his sanctuary Nor need he fear disturbance in his sleep Where God and Angels do him safely keep Yea his very dreams will chear his soul with joy No dangers nor assaults can him annoy Good Jacob having no sooner clos'd his eyes But by an inspir'd fancy he espies These holy Porters with endeared love Inviting him unto the Heavens above Presenting him a ladder whereby he sees There is no leaping there but by degrees VVe must carefully climb Heaven that Throne is high By gradual steps of faith and charity Every virtue
is a step if by it we climb That ladder will advance us to see him If we tread our vices under and by it show They 'r fixt unto the Earth that is below Where the foot doth rest but we must leave behind Our vain delights the frailties of Mankind And studiously be industrious for such gain As will requite the trouble and the pain Our progress must be constant and not slack A holy pace if that we once look back Into the plain the world will steal our sence From climbing with a religious reverence O Lord how doth this subject meet my case That am cast down into a stony place I mean a place unpleasant ' cause not free But it haâ—h mounted me to come to thee Thou hast shew'd to me a ladder thy blest ways Enliven me O Lord to give thee praise Had I bin rich and had of plenty store I should have scorn'd this ladder as heretofore I thought on pleasures and the worlds vain guise Did too too much affect and bleere these eyes That now look up to thee O let my sight Be clear to see the blest eternal light Thy abundant graces oh thou which truly art The great Physitian which can cure my heart Give me a holy longing and inflame In me a servent zeal to praise thy name If bitter potions be for my souls health Apply them Lord although it purge my wealth There is more true riches in thy love in store Than ever I could lose all times before Thou hast given thou hast taken thy blessed will be done Give me thy mercies in thy only Son To be my ransom I shall be richer then Then e're I was amongst the sons of Men. This casting down will raise me to that Throne Of mercy in whom is my faith alone And I therein rejoyce though thus cast down That thou look'st not on me with angry frown But hast often sent thine Angels to support My feeble state when they to me resort And cherish this frail body 'T is from thee That so much love and bounty comforts me Give me thy grace so far to use thy love With temperate meekness and from me remove All carnal confidence and humbly bend My studies to please him that me defend Thy promises O Lord do never fail And yet how careless are we that are frail Thou shewest us the living way unto thy self Yet we are blinded with the love of pelf Of this deluding world we 're loth to walk Thy pathes yet proudly do we brag and talk Of coming to thee but we are loth to climb That ladder that will mount us to see him That sits upon the Throne O how weak and lame Are our devotions 't is our greater shame To see how nimbly we do thus pursue The perishing delights within our view But make so little progress in that race That thou hast set all ways before our face Oh quicken and make us earnest with holy love To invocate our Christ that sits above To give us of thy spirit that we may move With holy zeal to the Altar of thy love Where the blest Angels do ever attend As ministring spirits that ascend and descend Proverbs 18.14 But a wounded spirit who can bear HEark O my soul consider this wise prince Mark well his Councel and not stir from thence Incline thine ear to wisedom don't delay To mind his pious precepts let it sway VVithin thy heart O let instruction learn Thee to delight and study to discern These many moral virtues which are taught And may by grace be obtain'd if they be sought VVith a holy zeal O let true virtue be Thy chief desire then oyntment it will be Unto thy neck as Bracelets to thine arm If thou these precepts keep 't will keep from harm Therefore so value them as a rich price And observe how fully it correcteth vice And helpeth much mans spirits to chear But alas a wounded spirit who can bear VVhere shall I find a temper can endure Such stings of conscience of the sad pressure Beyond belief which rageth and is mad At every gripe and pain the soul is sad The very Earth trembles and can't sustain It self it groans and travels with its pain To be delivered the Ambitious Angels fell And through their foul despair do roar in hell How dolorous is despair that wound is deep VVhere mercy is shut out and Devils do keep The festerd wound a bleeding without sence Oh the Horror of a wounded conscience It so afflicts and startles all the parts VVith the terrors of the pains rais'd by such arts Yea all the tortures which the Martyrs felt VVere flea-bites to those pains raised by this guilt Tortures of cruelst shape would well become Be easy sufferings a pleasing Martyrdom Compared unto those never dying pains Those living deaths those tortures and those Chains That so strongly hold the sences Captive in Satans foul bands the reward of their sin VVhat can there be compar'd not all our sence Can paralel a wounded conscience The shreiks of oyls which add blackness to the night Offends the ears yea dying groans that fright And fill our souls with sadness at such cries As conscience makes it even rends the skies With the screetches of those pains their conscience utter It beats within and horrid pains they suffer Despair so rageth with a furious voice That it distempers all with its hideous noise It descants it writes Satyrs against it self Sad dying elogies alas poor Elfe VVhat fatal Ideas dost thou thus shape VVithin thy fancy what a tone dost make Surrounded with all the tortures black grief Can add oh 't is so far beyond belief To express that suffering in a perfect sence Oh the terrors of a wounded conscience Did David walk on mourning all the day And night his prickt conscience to allay Did not his eyes run over with his tears These weeping springs rais'd by his many fears He breaths nought but such sad trembling accents As ariseth from his souls sad discontents Despairing Ecchoes thinking it too late He sighes he moans and thus he expostulates Dear God is thy Mercy shut up for ever Shall my poor soul enjoy it never That attribute of thy Mercy and thy love VVhich thou hast treasur'd in the Heavens above Oh shut not up from me that humbly crave But grant thy pardoning mercy Lord to save My afflicted soul I hope thou wilt not be A God of love to all and none to me Let any other torment fright me hence Than the terrors of a guilty conscience Let me for ever dwell in dungeons deep Or such a cell as light durst not to peep In some forsaken vault or dismal place So as I may enjoy thy glorious face Let all the poverty that can attend A wretched man yet if thy Love thou send And cover my naked soul that is thus storm'd All Leprous with sin and much deform'd VVith the terrors of thy Judgments which may take Vengeance on me if thou dost once forsake My spotred