O Praise the Lord of heaven praise him in y e heighâ—… Praise him all ye angels of his praise him all his host Psal. 148. 1. 2. Kings of the earth and all people princes and all judges of the world Young men maidens old men and children praise the Name of the Lord for his Name onely is excellent and his praise above heaven and earth Psal. 14.8 11. 12. Lot every thing that hath breath praise y e Lord Ps. 150. â—… A SERIOUS and PATHETICAL CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same PUBLISHED By the Reverend Doctor HICKS At the request of a Friend of the Authors LONDON Printed for Samuel Heble at the Turksbead Fleet street over against Fetser-laneend 1699. A LETTER Concerning this Book from the PUBLISHER to the BOOKSELLER Mr. Keble WHEN I desired you to Print these excellent Papers I told you they were recommended to me by a devout Person who was a great Judge of Books of Devotion having given the World one already which had been well received in three impressions and would in time furnish'd it with more And when I promis'd you to write a Preface 〈◊〉 them I knew not of any other 〈◊〉 that designed to do it but since 〈◊〉 have received one from the hand of 〈◊〉 worthy Gentleman of the Authors acquaintance who had a desire to pay his respects to his pious Friends Memory in a Preface to his noble Remains And indeed he had a much better title to write a Preface before them than a stranger who can only tell how greatly the Author of them wrote but knew not how greatly he lived I will therefore intreat you to accept of his Preface for mine and to send me twenty Copies of the Book well Bound as soon as you can and at as easy rates as you can afford them I believe I shall have occasion for a greater number for the Book in every thing answers to its title and as I have received great delight and benefit in reading of it So I shall recommend it to persons of parts and pious inclinations as I shall find Opportunities I wish all Booksellers would employ the Press so much for Gods Honour and the publick Good as you do for besides other Peices which are written with great force and eloquence to chastise the Vices of the Age you have printed many good Books of Devotion which made me desire that you should print this Had the Author 〈◊〉 to Publish it it would have come abroad with greater advantages for 〈◊〉 art some places which seem to require the hand of the same Architect who made them to reform 〈◊〉 but they are but few and such as only need to be made a little more correct or plain and we must not wonder that there are some uncorrect and obscure Passages in a Book which is so sull of Thoughts and composed in Numbers or numerous Periods which tho of the freer sort are not so easy for an Author to express his thoughts in as plain and unconfined Prose I wish you a very happy New year and remain Jan. 2d 1698. Your faithful Friend and Servant George Hickes TO THE READER THO the unhappy decay of true Piety and the lmmoralities of the Age we live in may be a discouragement to the multiplying such Books as this yet on the other hand this degeneracy of Manners and too evident contempt of Religion makes it it may be the more necessary to endeavor to retreive the Spirit of Devotion and the sacred Fires of of Primitive Christianity And since 't is hop'd this ensuing Treatise may somewhat conduce to these noble Ends It is thought to be no unprofitable Undertaking to commit it to the Press it being part of the Remains of a very devout Christian who is long since removed to the Regions of Beatified Spirits to sing those Praises and Hallelujahs in which he was very vigorously employ'd whilst he dwelt amongst us and since somewhat of Preface is become as it were a necessary part of every Book instead of any particular Dedication which is commonly overstuft with Flattery and Complements I will only give thee some account of the Author To tell thee who he was is I think to no purpose And therefore I will only tell theewhat he was for that may possibly recommend these following Thanksgivings and Meditations to thy use He was a Divine of the Church of England of a very comprehensive Soul and very accute Parts so fully bent upon that Honourable Function in which he was engaged and so wonderfully transported with the Love of God to Mankind with the excellency of those Divine Laws which are prescribed to us and with those inexpressible Felicities to which we are entitled by being created in and redeemed to the Divine Image that he dwelt continually amongst these thoughts with great delight and satisfaction spending most of his time when at home in digesting his notions of these things into writing and was so full of them when abroad that those that would converse twith him were forced to endure some discourse upon these subjects whether they had any sense of Religion or not And therefore to such he might be sometimes thought troublesome but his company was very acceptable to all such as had any inclinations to Vertue and Religion And tho he had the misfortune to come abroad into the World in the late disordered Times when the Foundations were cast down and this excellent Church laid in the dust and dissolved into Confusion and Enthusiasme yet his Soul was of a more refin'd allay and his Judgment in discerning of things more solid and considerate then to be infected with that Leaven and therefore became much in love with the beautiful order and Primitive Devotions of this our excellent Church Insomuch that I beleive he never failed any one day either publickly or in his private Closet to make use of her publick Offices as one part of his devotion unless some very unavoidable business interrupted him He was a man of a cheerful and sprightly Temper free from any thing of the sourness or formality by which some great pretenders to Piety rather disparage and misrepresent true Religion than recommend it and therefore was very affable and pleasant in his Conversation ready to do all good Offices to his Friends and Charitable to the Poor almost beyond his ability But being removed out of the Country to the service of the late Lord Keeper Bridgman as his Chaplain he died young and got early to thoses blissful Mansions to which he at all times aspir'd ERRATA The Reader is desired to pardon divers mispointings and to make these following cnrections P. 3. l. 31. read Sculptures p. 7. l. 27. r. That thou mayest p. 34. l. 16. r. While she is chiefly beautiful p. 48. l. 2. r. Snare p. 71. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trampled p. 76. l. 9. r. thy Testimonies p. 87. l. 9. r. Know p. 95. l. 30. r.
In the Tabernacle p. 115. l. 8. for to r. by p. 124. l. 〈◊〉 r. Glory p. 129. l. 20. r. how can A Serious and Pathetical CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same Thanksgivings for the Body BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who 〈◊〉 all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and 〈◊〉 mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles O Lord who art clothed with Majesty My desire is to praise thee With the holy Angels and Archangels To glorisie thee And with all thy Saints in the Church triumphant For the eternal brightness Of thine insinite bounty The freedom of thy love Wherein thou excellest the beams of the Sun To celebrate thee I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How precious are thy thoughts also unto me O God! How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand When I awake I am still with thee Blessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God! For ever blessed be thy holy Name For that I am made The work of thy hands Curiously wrought By thy divine Wisdom Enriched By thy Goodness Being more thine Than I am mine own O Lord Thou hast given me a Body Wherein the glory of thy Power shineth Wonderfully composed above the Beasts Within distinguished into useful parts Beautified without with many Ornaments Limbs rarely poised And made for Heaven 〈◊〉 filled With celestial Spirits Veins wherein Blood floweth Refreshing all my flesh Like Rivers Sinews fraught with the mystery Of wonderful Strength Stability Feeling O blessed be thy glorious Name That thou hast made it A Treasury of Wonders Fit for its several Ages For Dissections For Sculptutes in Brass For Draughts in Anatomy For the Contemplation of the Sages Whose inward parts Enshrined in thy Libraries Are The Amazement of the Learned Are The Admiration of Kings and Queens Are The Joy of Angels Are The Organs of my Soul Are The Wonder of Cherubims Those blinder parts of resined Earth Beneath my Skin Are sull of thy Depths For Many thousand Uses For Hidden Operations For Unsearchable Offices But for the diviner Treasures wherewith thou hast endowed My Brains Mine Eyes My Heart Mine Ears My Tongue My Hands O what Praises are due unto thee Who hast made me A living Inhabitant Of the great World And the Centre of it A sphere of Sense And a mine of Riches Which when Bodies are dissected fly away The spacious Room Which thou hast hidden in mine Eye The Chambers for Sounds Which thou hast prepar'd in mineEar The Receptacles for Smells Concealed in my 〈◊〉 The feeling of my Hands The taste of my Tongue But above all O Lord the Glory of Speech whereby thy Servant is enabled with Praise to celebrate thee For All the Beauties in Heaven and Earth The melody of Sounds The sweet Odours Of thy Dwelling place The delectable pleasures that gratisie my Sense That gratify the feeling of Mankind The Light of History Admitted by the Ear. The Light of Heaven Brought in by the Eye The Volubility and Liberty Of my Hands and Members Fitted by thee for all Operations Which the Fancy can imagine Or Soul desire From the framing of a Needle 's Eye To the building of a Tower From the squaring of Trees To the polishing of Kings Crowns For all the Mysteries Engines Instruments wherewith the World is filled which we are able to frame and use to thy Glory For all the Trades variety of Operations Cities Temples Streets Bridges Mariners Compass admirable Picture Sculpture Writing Printing Songs and Musick wherewith the World is beautified and adorned Much more for the Regent Life And Power of Perception Which rules within That secret depth of sathomless Consideration That receives the information Of all our senses That makes our centre equal to the Heavens And 〈◊〉 in it self the magnitude of the World The involved 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 common sense The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 fancy The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Of things that are past The 〈◊〉 of things to come Thy 〈◊〉 be glorified For evermore For all the art which thou hast hidden In this little piece Of red clay For the workmanship of thy hand Who didst thy self form man Of the dust of the ground And breath into his Nostrils The breath of Life For the high Exaltation whereby thou hast glorified every body Especially mine As thou didst thy Servant Adam's in Eden Thy Works themselves speaking to me the same thing that was said unto him in the beginning WE ARE ALL THINE And why O Lord wouldst thou so delight To magnify the dust 〈◊〉 from the ground From the dark obscurity of a silent Grave Thou raisest it O Lord Herein indeed Thou raisest the poor out of the dust and 〈◊〉 the needy out of the dunghil That thou mayst set him with Princes even with the Princes of thy people But why would the Lord take pleasure in creating an earthly Body why at all in making a visible World Couldst thou not have made us immortal Souls and seated us immediately in the throne of Glory O Lord thou lover of Righteousness Whose Kingdom is everlasting Who lovest to govern thy Subjects by Laws and takest delight to distribute Rewards and Punishments according to right Thou hast hidden thy self By an infinite miracle And made this World the Chamber of thy presence the ground and theatre of thy righteous Kingdom That putting us at a distance A little from thee Thou mayst satisie the Capacities Of thy righteous Nature Thou wast always sit to reign like a King Able to rule by the best of Laws To distribute the greatest Rewards and Punishments That therefore thou might'st raise up Objects for these Thou hast seated us at a little distance from thee Not 〈◊〉 respect of thy Ubiquity but degree of Knowledge In Heaven thou 〈◊〉 ellest As a Bridegroom with thy Bride A Father with thy Children A King with Kings Governours and Peers Shewing and manifesting all thy Glory Unto which thou wouldst have us first to come As humble and obedient Servants That in us thou mightst see Ingenuity Thanksgiving Fidelity Wisdom Love Even to an absent Benefactor There is the Kingdom of eternal Glory Beyond which can be no Rewards The highest of all being there attained In which can be no trial Blessedness being seen with open face
of his Passion And since I am Redeemed by the Death of thy Son Know that I am made to inherit all things Rom. 8. 32. Give me Power therefore To overcome all Opinions Of the World Ways Of the World Customs Of the World Censures Of the World Who err in thy Kingdom From the way of Blessedness Since thou hast promised He that overcometh shall inherit all things And I will be his God and he shall be my Son Rev. 21. 7. In Jesus Christ let me sit down with thee in the heavenly Places Glory with thine Inheritance Enjoy thy People thy peculiar Treasure Prize thy Love unto mankind Delight in the Beauty of thy celestial Bride See thy Joys And take pleasure in them in all Ages Because Jesus Christ enjoyeth them all He bought them with a price Let me delight in his Happiness above mine own Let his Happiness be to me Not only mine But more than mine ten thousand fold Here upon Earth let it be my Joy That He Dwelleth in Heaven The Angels and Cherubims sing his Glory All Power in Heaven and Earth Is put into his hands He shall come in the Clouds of Heaven and in all the Glory of his Fathers Angels and shall judge The Quick and the Dead He shall enjoy his Bride the Church triumphant for evermore Thee in them Them in Thee All these let me O Lord enjoy in him Here on Earth Above in Heaven Let the miraculous Excellency of his eternal LOVE Open the gate of Wonder to me Liberty to me Difficulty to me The gate of Glory The gate of Triumph The gate of Invincible Peace The gate of Unchangeable Goodness The gate of Beauty and Delight By teaching me to love as he loveth The Souls of Men Of the worst of Men More than my self Tho the more I love The less I be loved Tho they Hate me Tho they Persecute me Tho they Kill me Let my Love be Immortal Let my Love be Sovereign Let my Love be Divine Let my Love be Invincible The Master point of Art In Christian Religion Which my Saviour taught on the Cross From the Chair of his Profession Let me learn O Lord with zeal and joy The love of Souls triumphed Over the love of his own Life His hands and feet his heart and head Were all opened Even to the last drop of blood For us Enemies For us Rebels For us Felons Let his O Lord be the Rule of mine Who valueth a Soul above the world Dying for my Soul Thou shewedst that my Soul was dearer to thee Then thine own Life O my Lord make me like thee A Son of God In my love to Sinners Thy self worth many worlds thou gavest for sinners And whatsoever love I bear to thee thou hast by Deed enrolled and set it over unto others What glorious Treasures shall I possess When all these are so esteemed Nevertheless O Lord Let my love be Genuine Divine and Free And for the delight I take To rescue and to save them To exalt and crown them Let me pour out my self My Spirit Soul and Blood My Time Labour Health Estate Life and all O'tis Heavenly Divine Angelical The glorious Victory over all the world Is love continuing beyond unkindness Fill my love with the Zeal of thine Like thine O Lord I desire it should be A flame of thirsting Industry Out living hatred Over all Unkindness Over all Ingratitude Over all Perversness An eternal Triumph Ever lively Always conversant in the highest Altitude O my God do not deny me Forgive my former Flatness Forgive my former Intermissien Forgive my former Deadness Let me love every Person as Jesus Christ Meet his love and thine O Lord In every Person It is my desire Lord That my love to Men should be so strong That I may love Jesus Christ For loving them Enlarge my Soul To the love of Cities Counties Kingdoms Throughly settled in the love of Christ. The Virtue that shineth Brightest in his Example And standeth highest in his Commendation O learn me this and the whole is learned Learn me this the Divine Art And the Life of God! Desire Heroic Courage Long Suffering Compassion Forwardness Activity Everlasting and most lively Diligence Grant unto me in calling Souls So will I sing and praise thy Name Being one with Thee To Everlasting O what great Things dost thou permit a Worm To ask of Thee Grant it for his sake Who became a Curss for me Sin for me Awaken Sinners Give us to understand The infinite fervor and zeal of thy Love Who having prepared for us Heaven and Earth Angels and Men Thy self and all things Redeemed us by the Blood of thine eternal Son Called us by thy Prophets Martyrs and Apostles Desired to seat us in eternal Glory And left us to our selves only for this That we may satisfie thy Will In imitating thee Voluntarily and freely With the best of Actions Dost infinitly delight to see us Blessed And enjoy thy self When we O God are by thee enjoyed Give us to remember How that Love of thine Is the Fountain of thy Patience And long Suffering towards us To see it daily How it burneth for us How unchangeably thou Delightest To Communicate thy Goodness To Glorifie thy Bounty To Distribute thy Treasures To Reposire thy Blessedness In our Souls How infinitely thou lovest To To see thy similitude in our Natures To Enjoy thy self as given unto us To Admire thy workmanship in our Glory To Feel in us thine eternal Blessedness Behold thy Creatures whom thou so lovest Crowned with glory and honor Ps. 8. 4. In the throne of heaven Rev. 30. 20. And since nothing can hinder us But sordid baseness In contemning thy Treasures Let our acknowledgment of thy Goodness And love of it Burn day and night Like unto thine That being strengthened with Might by thy Holy Spirit in our inward Man Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith That we being rooted and grounded in Love May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth And to know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledge that we may be silled with with all the fulness of God NOW to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the Power that worketh in us Unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages world without end Amen Ephes. 3. 20. 21. A KEY to the Gate Of Wonder NOthing being more Wonderful than an invincible Lover triumphant over Injuries Of Liberty Being entred therein we walk at large with unlimited Freedom in Gods Commandments Of difficulty Because nothing at first is more contrary to Nature But Gods Example hath made it easie Of Glory The Glory of Christ is his Love of Sinners Whom whosoever imitateth in the universality of it he is a Son of God Of Triumph Death Hell unkindness temptationt rampled under foot Of invincible Peace Nothing can offend them Of 〈◊〉
Beneath which it was necessary that we should be made To the 〈◊〉 we might be governed In a righteous Kingdom But couldst thou not have remitted our Knowledge and established to thy self a righteous Kingdom without composing our Bodies or the World By the Fall of some we know O Lord That the Angels were tried Which are invisible Spirits Needing not the World Nor clothed in Bodies Nor endued with Senses For our Bodies therefore O Lord for our earthly Bodies hast thou made the World Which thou so lovest that thou hast supremely magnified them by the works of thy hands And made them Lords of the whole Creation Higher than the Heavens Because served by them More glorious than the Sun Because it ministreth to them Greater in Dignity than the material World Because the end of its Creation Revived by the Air Served by the Seas Fed by the Beasts and Fowls and Fishes Our pleasure Which fall as Sacrifices to Thy glory Being made to minister and attend upon us O Miracle Of divine Goodness O Fire O flame of Zeal and Love and Joy Even for our earthly bodies hast thou created all things All things Visible All things Material All things Sensible Animals Vegetables Minerals Bodies celestial Bodies terrestrial The four Elements Volatile Spirits Trees Herbs and Flowers The Influences of Heaven Clouds Vapors Wind Dew Rain Hail and Snow Light and Darkness Night and Day The Seasons of the Year Springs Rivers Fountains Oceans Gold Silver and precious Stones Corn Wine and Oyl The Sun Moon and Stars Cities Nations Kingdoms And the Bodies of Men the greatest Treasures of all For each other What then O Lord hast thou intended for our Souls who givest to our Bodies such glorious things Every thing in thy Kingdom O Lord Conspireth to mine Exaltation In every thing I see thy Wisdom and Goodness And I praise the Power by which I see it My Body is but the Cabinet or Case of my Soul What then O Lord shall the Jewel be Thou makest it the heir of all the profitable trades and occupations in the World And the Heavens and the Earth More freely mine More profitably More gloriously More comfortably Than if no man were alive but I alone Yea though I am a Sinner thou lovest me more than if thou hadst given all things to me alone The sons of men thou hast made my treasures Those Lords Incarnate Cherubims Angels of the World The Cream of all things And the sons of God Hast thou given to me and made them mine For endless Causes ever to be enjoyed Were I alone Briars and thorns would devour me Wild beasts annoy me My Guilt terrifie me The World it self be a Desart to me The Skies a Dungeon But mine Ignorance more The Earth a Wilderness All things desolate And I in solitude Naked and hungry Blind and brutish Without house or harbour Subject unto storms Lying upon the ground Feeding upon roots But more upon melancholy Because void of thee Therefore thou providest for me and for me they build and get and provide for me My Bread Drink Clothes Bed My Houshold stuff Books My Houshold stuff Utensils My Houshold stuff Furniture The use of Meats Fire Fuel c. They teach unto me provide for me While I O Lord exalted by thy hand Above the Skies in Glory seem to stand The Skies being made to serve me as they do While I thy Glories in thy Goodness view To be in Glory higher than the Skies Is greater bliss than 't is in place to rise Above the Stars More blessed and divine To live and see than like the Sun to shine O what Profoundness in my Body lies For whom the Earth was made the Sea the Skies So greatly high our humane Bodies are That Angels scarcely may with these compare In all the heights of Glory seated they Above the Sun in thine eternal day Are seen to shine with greater gifts adorn'd Than Gold with Light or Flesh with Life suborn'd Suns are but Servants Skies beneath their feet The Stars but Stones Moons but to serve them meet Beyond all heights above the World they reign In thy great Throne ordained to remain All Tropes are Clouds Truth doth it self excel Whatever Heights Hyperboles can tell O that I were as David the sweet Singer of Israel In meeter Psalms to set forth thy Praises Thy Raptures ravish me and turn my soul all into melody Whose Kingdom is so glorious that nothing in it shall at all be unprofitable mean or idle So constituted That every one's Glory is benesicial unto all and every one magnified in his place by Service What is man O Lord that thon art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Kings in all their Glory minister to us while we repose in peace and safety Priests and Bishops serve at thine Altar guiding our Bodies to eternal Glory Physicians heal us Courts of Judicature stand open for our preservation The Outgoings of the morning and evening rejoyce to do us service The holy Angels minister unto us Architects and Masons build us Temples The Sons of Harmony fill thy Quires Where even our sensible bodies are entertained by thee with great magnificence and solaced with Joys Jesus Christ hath washed our feet He ministred to us by dying for us And now in our humane body fitteth at thy right hand in the throne of Glory As our Head For our Sakes Being there adored by Angels and Cherubims What is it Lord That thou so esteemest us Thou passed'st by the Angels Pure Spirits And didst send thy Son to die for us That are made of both Soul and Body Are we drawn unto thee O why dost thou make us So thy treasures Are Eyes and Hands such Jewels unto thee What O Lord are Tongues and Sounds And Nostrils unto thee Strange Materials are visible bodies Things strange even compared to thy Nature Which is wholly spiritual For our sakes do the Angels enjoy the visible Heavens The Sun and Stars Thy terrestrial Glories And all thy Wisdom In the Ordinances of Heaven In the Seasons of the Year Wondering to see thee by another way So highly exalting dust and ashes Thou makest us treasures And joys unto them Objects of Delight and spiritual Lamps Whereby they discern visible things They see thy Paradise among the sons of men Thy Wine and Oyl thy Gold and Silver By our Eyes They smell thy Perfumes And taste thy Honey Milk and Butter By our Senses Thy Angels have neither ears nor eyes Nor tongues nor hands Yet feel the Delights of all the World And hear the Harmonies not only which Earth but Heaven maketh The melody of Kingdoms The joys of Ages Are Objects of their joy They sing thy Praises for our sakes While we upon Earth are highly exalted By being made thy Gifts And Blessings unto them Never their contempt More their amazement And did they not love us Their Envy hereafter But now their Joy When our Glory being understood We shall
A Temple of thy Wisdom Blessedness and Glory O ye Powers of mine immortal Soul bless ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever He hath made you greater More glorious Brighter Better than the Heavens A meeter dwelling place for his eternal Godhead Than the Heaven of Heavens The Heaven of Heavens And all the Spaces above the Heavens Are not able to contain him Being but dead and silent Place They feel not themselves They know nothing See no immensity nor wideness at all But in thee my Soul there is a perceptive Power To Comprehend the Heavens To Feel thy self To Measure all the Spaces beyond the Heavens To Receive the Deity of the eternal God And those Spaces By him into thee To feel and see the Heaven of Heavens All things contained in them And his Presence in thee Nor canst thou only feel his Omnipresence in thee But adore his Goodness Dread his Power Reverence his Majesty See his Wisdom Rejoyce in his Bounty Conceive his Eternity Praise his Glory Which being things transcendent unto place Cannot by the Heavens at all be apprehended With Reverence O God and Dread mixed with Joy I come before thee To consider thy Glory in the perfection of my Soul The Workmanship of the Lord In so great a Creature From East to West From Earth to Heaven In the twinkllng of an eye My Sight removeth Throughout all the Spaces beyond the Heavens My Thoughts in an instant like the holy Angels Nor Bounds nor Limits doth my Soul discern But an infinite Liberty beyond the World Mine Understanding being present With whatsoever it knoweth An infinite Bulk excludeth all things Being void of Life is next to nothing Feeleth not it self Is a dead Material Vain Useless But I admire O Lord thine infinite Wisdom In advancing me to the similitude Of thine eternal Greatness A Greatness like thine Hast thou given unto me A living Greatness A Soul within That receiveth all things A Greatness Spiritual A Greatness Heavenly A Greatness Divine A Greatness Intelligent A Greatness Profitable Blessed be the Lord Whose Understanding is insinite For giving me a Soul Able to comprehend with all Saints the length and breadth and depth and heighth of the Love of God which passeth Knowledge that I might be filled with all the fullness of God Eph. 3. And if the fullness of God Then not only his Immenuty Beyond the Heavens But his fullness in the Ages His Absent-Presence in all Generations He whose Greatness is the only useful Greatness Hath made my Soul the Image of his own Whose Wisdom and Greatness both are one A Simple Life An eternal sphere of infinite Knowledge In every Centre Expanded every where Yet indivisible The similitude of thine Infiniteness I see printed in it But that of thine Eternity is supremely wonderful In both I 〈◊〉 So strangely glonious Hast thou made my Soul That even Yesterday is present To mine inward eye The days of my Infancy The days of my Childhood The days of my Old Age. We have An endless Liberty Being able to see walk be present there Where neither the Eagles eye nor the Lions thought can at all approach The deeds of our Progenitors Their Lives and Persons Thy ways among the Ancients The services of the Sun in all Generations The Sun of Righteousness in his Rising and Eclipse The Creation of the World And the Government of Kingdoms Can we behold The day of Judgment The Delights of Ages The Sphere of time Nor will that contain us An infinite liberty we find beyond them Can walk in thine Eternity All at large In every moment see it wholly Know every where That from everlasting to everlasting thou art God Whose everlasting Glory is the Treasure of my Soul And thine eternal continuance a permanent NOW With all its Contents For ever enjoyed What O Lord hath thy Hand created Who how what is thy Creature O my King Thou hast made me like thee To measure Heaven with a span Comprehend a thousand Ages as one day See an Infinity before and after Thine Infinity is abused By the ignorance of men It restraineth nothing But magnisieth all Thou hast made the World Most wide and glorious In respect of its Age In respect of its Immensity In respect of its Contents To me nevertheless but The drop of a Bucket To me nevertheless but The dust of a ballance To me nevertheless but A very little thing And in compa rison of thee The Omnipresent Eternal God My Beloved God A very Nothing Unsatiable is my Soul Because nothing can fill it A living Centre wider than the Heavens An infinite Abyss So made by the perfection of thy Presence Who art an insinite KNOWLEDGE in ev'ry Centre Not corporeal but simple Life Wonderfully sufficient in all its Powers For all Objects Material Immaterial Operations Earthly Heavenly Temporal Eternal A work worthy of Immortality To create an endless unsensible Body Is not the way to Celestial Greatness A Body endless though endued with Sense Can see Only visible things Taste The Qualities in Meat and Drink Feel Cross or tangible Bodies Hear The harshness or melody of Sounds Smell The things that have Odours in them But those things which neither Sight nor Smell nor Taste can discern nor Feeling try nor Ear apprehend The Cream and Crown and Flower of all Thoughts Counsels Kingdoms Ages Angels Cherubims The Souls of Men Wisdom Holiness Dominion Soveraignty Honour Glory Goodness Blessedness Heroich Love yea GOD HIMSELF Come not within the sphere of Sense Are all Nulliries to such a Creature Only Souls immortal Souls are denied nothing All things are 〈◊〉 to the Soul of Man All things open and nal ed to it The Understanding seeth Their Natures Their Uses Their Extents Their Relations Their Ends Their Properties Their Services Even all their Excellencies And thee my God is she able to behold Who dwellest in her In all the Spaces of thy great Immensity To accompany thy Goodness and see whatsoever thy hand is doing That in the Joy of all She might abide in Communion With thee for ever Whose works are her Treasures Whose ways her Delights Whose joys thy Counsels She is fit indeed to be the Bride of God! By this I see that thy hand hath made me The End of all things I know thou hast pleased me In every Being which I am able to behold Since thou hast made me thy Image There is not a Sand In the utmost Indies Which I cannot apprehend Nor a Thought In any part of all Eternity But I am fit to know O the bounty of an eternal God! The Swiftest Thought The Smallest Sand Are infinitely enriched by thy disposal of them And every thing contained in the Womb of Eternity Made a Gift transcendent to my Soul Equally near to mine Understanding By thine infinite Goodness Wisdom Power Expressed in them Fraught with Treasure Eternally to be seen In Heaven to be enjoyed Atheists 〈◊〉 Divines 〈◊〉 All agree and consent
my Exaltation His Death my Life Liberty and Glory His Love my Strength And the incentive of mine His Resurrection my Release His Ascension my Triumph His Gospel my Joy The Light of his Countenance And of thine in him My Reviving Healing Comforting Sun In the day of thy Grace let me work for thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Goodness And according to the wideness of mine Understanding The Greatness of my Soul The Liberty of my Thoughts Walk at large In all the Regions of Heaven and Earth In all the Regions of Time and Eternity Living in thine Image Towards all thy Creatures On Angels wings Holy Meditations According to the transcendent Presence of my Spirit everywhere Let me see thy Beauties Thy Love to me To all thy Creatures In the First Creation In the Government of Ages In the Day of Judgment In the Work of Redemption In My Conception and Nativity In All my Deliverances In The Peace of my Country In Noah's Ark. With Moses and David Let me behold thy ways Delight in thy Mercies Be praising thee O shew me the excellency of all thy works In the Eternity that is before the World began let me behold the beauty of thine everlasting Counsels And in the Eternity which appeareth when the World is ended let me see thy Glory O God of infinite Majesty now I confess that the Knowledge I have of thee is admirable by that which I discover in my self for if in a thing so gross as is my Body there be a Spirit so noble as is my Soul which giveth it Being and Life governeth it and in it and by it worketh such stupendious things how much more necessary is it that thou be in the midst of this extended World who art that supream Spirit by whom we all are live move and have our being Since therefore thou art my Being and my Life thou art my Soul too and I rejoice to have thee for my 〈◊〉 loving thee infinitely more than my stlf O that all did know thee and love thee more than their Life and their own Soul since thou art the true Life and Soul of all To whom be Glory Honour and Praise for evermore Amen Thanksgivings for the Glory of God's Works BLess the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments hearkening to the Voice of his word Bless the Lord all ye his hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his WORKS in all places of his Dominion Bless the Lord O my soul. Psal. 103. 21 22 23. O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Psal. 8. 1. When I consider the Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him For thou 〈◊〉 made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his fect All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas Psal. 8. 3 4 c. O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world Thy works O Lord are for ever to be remembred The earth is full of thy riches The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal. 24. 1. The heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men As we are visible Bodies Conversing here beneath He hath given us the Earth To his Image As we are invisible and immortal Souls Hath he given the heavens And the heaven of heavens The woods and trees and fields and valleys hast thou subjected to the Government and work of our hands The heaven of heavens to our Understand To see their glory ings Admire their greatness Enjoy their delight Possess their treasures Rejoyce in their hosts And 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 Mines of gold and veins of silver The variety of precious stones Diversity of minerals Iron Brass Copper Lead and Tin Carbuncles Emeralds Pearls Diamonds All these Hast thou given to our bodies Subjected the same to the use of our hands That we might beautify the earth With Crowns and Scepters Regal Thrones Palaces and Temples Pillars Castles Cities Closets Jewels Rings Chains Ornaments Delectable things Which by the Use of all men Become the fruition Of every holy and wise Spectator Oyl and Wine Perfumes and Spices Wheat and Rye Fruits and Flowers Hast thou given to us to delight our Senses Apples Citrons Limons Dates and Pomgranates Figs Raisins Grapes and Melons Plumbs Cherries Filberts Peaches Are all thy riches for which we praise and bless thy Name Clouds and Vapours glorify thee By serving us Springs and Rivers praise thy Name Being far more precious than gold and silver The Day is thine the Night also is thine thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the Earth thou hast made Summer and Winter He appointed the Moon for seasons the Sun knoweth his going down O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches These serve us in their glorious heights so perfectly that we cannot alter their course because we cannot mend their Operation The Fowls and Fishes Beasts and creeping things Hast thou made ours By giving them Excellencies meet to serve us Strength Swifrness Fat Skin Hair Wool Flesh Sinews Veins and Senses By giving us Understanding and Bodies to subdue them By giving us a Right and Dominion over them For all these O Lord I bless and glorify thy Holy Name And give Thee Thanks So Glorious are thy Works that Skies full of Pearl Globes of Gold Spheres of Silver greater than the Earth are Dross and Poverty in Comparison of thy Treasure All which thou offerest me to partake of The Duty to which thou hast called me Is greater than my Wealth To contemplate thy Glory The Excellency of thy Wisdom 〈◊〉 Infinite Goodness The Riches of thy Love To me thy unworthy Servant Exhibited in those Their Value Fulness Ministery My Right Interest Property Thy Blessedness Mercy Favor And in all these My Wonderful Exaltation with thee my God Blessed is the Man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may Dwell in thy Courts He shall be satisfied with the Goodness of thy House even of thy Holy Temple They also which Dwell in the Utmost parts are afraid of thy Tokens thou makest the Outgoings of the Morning and Evening to rejoyce Thon visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly Enrichest it with the River of God which is full of Water Thou preparest them Corn when thou hast so provided for it Thou waterest the Ridges thereof abundantly thou
up in order unto thee When I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Psal. 40. 5. When I leave the Earth And ascend to thy Throne To see thy Glory above the Heavens There I am ravished with amazement and joy To see thy Love More great to thy Servant Than if thou hadst loved none besides Thou Sun of Righteousness Life and Glory Who gav'st thy self wholly to every Soul How wonderful are the Riches of thy manifold Wisdom Giving All things to One More than if they were given to him alone The Rays of the Sun Which shine in my eyes I know to be mine But those that fly to the utmost Stars That go to the Mountains Shine upon the Moon Are scattered and dispersed Over all the Heavens Seem to forsake me And fly wholly to other places Yet beautify the World And make me Possessor of all its glories They reflect again And closing in mine eye Cause me to see even all thy Glories Did that glorious Orb Of embodied Light Direct all his Beams to me I could not see him So perfectly as now If uniting into one they scorch'd me not A night of darkness Would still surround me The Heavens and the Earth Would to me be lost The beauty of all the Creatures be Buried in a Grave The World a Dungeon round about me Nor do those Rays which seem to leave me Illuminate alone They digest Gold Cherish Minerals Animate the Air Quicken Trees Excite the Influences of the very Heavens Melt the Waters Inspire living Creatures Ripen Fruits Perfect Flowers Raise Exhalations Cause the Rivers Begetting Propagating Enlivening all those Creatures Cherishing all those Creatures Preserving all those Creatures That are the life and beauty of my Habitation Thou hast created Cherubims Thou hast created Saints Thou hast created Angels Like Suns they shine Like Stars they serve Like Jewels they adorn Thy celestial Kingdom Their Beauty Love Melody Wisdom Order Goodness Ministry Power Their Thrones Joys and and Crowns Praises Make them like thee Whose Image they bear My supremest Treasures And me they serve As perfect Joys While I to them am made a Glory Hadst thou loved me and none besides Those glorious Hosts had never been Of those my Joys my soul had been bereaved More than thy self Hast thou given me In giving me beside thy self Those thine Images In every one of those As the Sun shineth both naked to mine eye Again in a mirror Hast thou given me thy self A second time But O the vast the 〈◊〉 the unconceivably sufficient and endless Powers Of mine immortal Soul That are able to enjoy thee Wholly in thy self Wholly in thy Son Wholly in each of all thine Hosts In advancing whom to the highest Thrones Thou hast employed thy Goodness Thou hast employed thy Wisdom Thou hast employed thy Power To enrich thy Servant With The Chief of Beings With Living Temples With Glorious Hosts With Second Selves With Inestimable Mirrors With Fellow-Members With Divinest Treasures In Communion with whom By all their Knowledge and Love enlarged I shall ever see thy glorious self In the unsearchable Excesses Of eternal Love Infinitely more than infinite In Glory for evermore Goodness for evermore Wisdom for evermore Blessedness for evermore Hadst thou created none but me alone And made me the Temple Of thine eternal Godhead In giving me thy self thy Bounty would be infinite In raising such Kings to love and see me Who are each thine Image Who are each thine Friend and Who are each thine Son Thy Love is more By giving me thy self In each of them Infinitely insinite O Lord I am transported With the Excesses of thy Love By making them thy Likeness As thou gavest me thy self Thou givest me them Employing all thy Wisdom Employing all thy Goodness Employing all thy Power In making them thine Image That in the Likeness of thy Glory That in the Likeness of thy Love and That in the Likeness of thy Blessedness They might be to me What my God is Each one A shining Light Each one An exceeding Joy Each one A Fountain of living Waters Each one A Royal Diadem Each one A Crown of Glory Thou hast given me thy self Again and again in each of those Especially by making me to them What thou art A Lover of their Happiness A Rejoycer in their Joy A Delighter in their Glory Thanksgivings for the Blessedness of God's Ways TO him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood And hath made us Kings and priests to God and his Father To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1. 5 6. Thou Lord art one and the same for ever LOVE ETERNAL more Thy Goodness infinite Thy Bounty omnipresent Thy Wisdom enriching every gift Making every Creature an endless Treasure Making every Thought and Action an endless Treasure Only we Are blind and dead and dull and foolish Only we Apostate Enemies careless Wanderers Only we Banishing our selves Only we Accustomed only to narrow things Like Runnagates we dwell in a dry Land And see not the Mysteries of thy holy Courts The inward Beauty of all thy Creatures Because we loath the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Restore thine Image Recall our Minds Enable us in thy Likeness To enjoy thy Works To see thy Wonders Possess the Worlds Delight in thy Laws Feel our selves Admire thy Riches Wean us O Lord from Vain Treasures Little Treasures Useless Treasures False Treasures Dead Treasures Unprofitable Treasures And elevate our Souls To thee and thine Make us acquainted Our Thoughts paralel Our Affections present Our Imaginations busie constant familiar With great things wide things fathomless things eternal things Thy Bride thy Son Thy Dominion over Ages The glory of thy Kingdom Which Includeth all Which Endureth for ever Teach us thy ways upon Earth Which are infinitely Holy Which are infinitely Sweet Which are infinitely Glorious Which are infinitely Delightful Which are infinitely Beautiful Transforming all that look upon them Exalting those that are busie in them Concerning all Reaching unto all To every Soul in Heaven and Earth From every Region From every Age and From every Kingdom O my Lord thou art in every thing Divine Wise Blessed Holy Heavenly Glorious Because in every thing thou overflowest 〈◊〉 to all Art infinite in Goodness in all thy Ways Infinitly Communicative of all thy Goodness Granting it wholly to all thine hosts In every thing wholly to every person In every place Every way For every End By him in thy Likeness wholly to be enjoy'd Whom thou constitutest likewise And appointest to be heir Of all that Goodness communicated unto all Recollecting the same And causing it to rest in him alone Yea not to rest But with greater joy From him to overflow To all thine Armies Let the same mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus Phil. 2. Who is gone before us to prepare a mansion In the beavens for us 10. 14. Teach us by Wisdom To enjoy
Goodness Nothing can discourage them Of Beauty and delight They are amiable in the Eye of God and Angels and ravished with security in the heights of Triumph Thanksgivings for the Blessedness of his LAWS GIve unto the Lord O ye Mighty give unto the Lord Glory and Strength Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness Ps. 29. 1 2. O that my Ways were directed to keep thy Statutes Ps 119. 5. I will praise thee with uprightness of Heart when I shall have learned thy Righteous Judgments Ps. 119. 7. I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Ps. 119. 16. Thy Testimonies O God are my Delight and my Counsellors Ps. 119. 24. O my God! Teach thy Servant to walk upon Earth In thy Similitude Open mine Eyes that I may behold wonderous Things out of thy Law Ps. 119. 18. Thy Laws O God Are greater Tokens of thy Love to me Than Heaven and Earth In them I see the Mirrour of the Mind In them I see the Beauty of the Love In them I see My Crown of Glory O how hast thou Magnified me thy Servant In thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord thou Tenderest my Happiness As the apple of thine Eye Commanding all others to love me As they love themselves Thou makest my Person sacred in the world Hedgest in my safety By thy holy Laws Wilt have no man to approach me But with Love and Reverence My Life My Honor My Estate and Goods My Soul My Body My dear Relations And dearest Friends My Ease My Peace My Joy Thy Laws Those Bulwarks of my Repose and Pleasure So wholly dignisie and exalt thy servant As if they had been made for me alone Should thy Goodness design to make a Creature The greatest imaginable The highest above the Cherubim The most Glorious among the Angels Thy Son thy Friend Thy Bride thine Image What greater Laws in favour of it could thy Wasdom provide than that upon pain of eternal 〈◊〉 all Angels Cherubim and Men should love that Creature as they love themselves What can he withhold that 〈◊〉 as himself With that Love thou hast given me Persons Honors Riches Houses Arts Hearts Abilities Their Beauty Strength Authority Vineyards Fields Gold and Silver And which is more than all hast compassed me about With all the Powers in Heaven and Earth Angels and Men For my Preservation Yea For my Delight Enlargement Honor Glory Nor can any thing but the intervening Rebellion of Men eclipse or hinder thine Eternal Bounty Thou hast made me to live In the Temple of their Soul To reign with thee In the Throne of their Minds Encompassed not with skies But blessed Affections I thank thee O Lord and praise thy Name for all the Consolation of thy holy Laws As if I alone Were the only Person for whom All things were made They are all commanded Angels and Men to love and take Care of me All other things to minister unto me All to magnisie please and delight me While I see thy Goodness Laying all the obligations In Heaven and Earth Upon Angels and Men to be kind to me And crowning their Obedience with the Same Rewards Where with thou rewardest their love to thee It is impossible they should proceed from any other than the infinite Ocean of eternal Love I bless thee more For commanding me to love all others Than for commanding them to love me In this O my God Thy Laws are not only The hedge of my Repose And steps unto my Throne But the Light of mine Eyes And the Crown of my Glory The Physick of my Soul And Rules of my Transformation To the Image of thy Blessedness Thy Laws are a Light to my feet and a Lamp to my 〈◊〉 Ps. 119. 105. The SUN is a glorious Light Whose Beams are most Welcom Whose Beams are most Necessary Whose Beams are most Useful To me and all the Sons of Men But thy Laws surpass the light of the Sun As much as that of a Gloe-worm Being the Light of Glory Teaching us to live On Earth in Heaven O how I love thy Law It is my Meditation all the Day Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than my Enemies for they are ever with me I have more Understanding than all my Teachers for my Testimonies are my Meditation I understand more than the Ancients because I keep thy Precepts Ps. 119. 97 c. And I must confess O Lord to the honor of thy great Name that Thy Laws in commanding others to love me have made all things mine that commend their love Their Oyl and Wine their Jewels Palaces Gold and Silver Heaven and Earth yea all the things that magnifie them are mine O Lord because the Ornaments of those Persons whom thy Laws command to love me as themselves Thy Laws are my Purveyors And in shewing me the sincerity of thine Eternal Love The Right of my Joys All things in Heaven and Earth they 〈◊〉 To be mine Even Thee my God The Fountain of them all The Soveraignty and Authority Whereby thou makest Laws They shew to be mine And ravish me both here And in Heaven for ever But in commanding me to love Angels and Men They teach me to live In the Similitude of God And are the inward Health And Beauty of my Soul Marrow Wine and Oyl WITHIN They teach me to live in the Similitude of thy Glory Shew me thine inward Goodness Make me a Joy and Blessing unto all THINE INWARD GOODNESS Is among all thy Treasures Thy best Delight While I possess that I am made The Tabret and the Song of thy chosen People The Jewel of thy Saints Joy of the Cherubim The Crown of Glory and a Royal Diadem To thy Holy Angels To thee my God a peculiar Treasure I marvel at the Divinity of thine eternal WISDOM Who environest me with Glory In the midst of all Fruitions Making me a Joy to all others While they are so to me There is an end of all Perfection but thy Commandments is exceeding broad Ps. 119. 96. The World which thou hast made Is the City of our God The Streets are Ages And every Soul a Temple in it In which thou O my God rakest delight to Dwell Thy Laws are the Statutes enjoyning My Affections to all the Citizens The Inhabitants of the World So glorious are thy Laws They are the Canons of thy Bounty The Rule of Life The enlargement of my Soul My Peace and Liberty I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou saith enlarge my heart Ps. 119. 32. O Lord they be The best of Laws Command the best of all possible Works Lead us to the highest of all possible Rewards Teach us to live in the Similitude of God Advance us to thy Throne Guide us in the paths of Blessedness Make us the sovereign End of all Things More than the Sole final and comprehensive Teaching us to love Thee more than our selves Derive into our
Bosom all the treasures Of God Angels and Men Make all the enjoyments of Kingdoms ours Teach us to enjoy all thy Works and Holy Ways In the best of manners In the fulness of their service To Angels and Men Direct us to the End for which we were Created Are answerable to the Nature and Powers Of our Souls Shew that thou lovest us infinitely Since thou hast given us all things Among those in those by those thyself Are Laws sit for the Bride of God Articles of Marriage between us and thee The Copy of thy Bosom The Commentaries of Heaven and Earth Teaching us how they are all to be enjoyed Ordinances of thy House for the Sons of God Consonant to thy Nature Suitable to thy Works The very Laws which Angels keep in Heaven Requiring duties that are the Works of Glory Fixing us to thee Making us to live here in Heaven Even thou O Lord By Goodness inheritest thy Self and all Things Is it not my Joy Is it not a part of the beatifical Vision To see how perfectly thy Goodness loveth us How it enjoyeth all things for our sakes O God I love thy Goodness Delight in thy Nature Rejoyce in this that thou takest perfect pleasure In glorifying thy Wisdom And Power infinitely So to exalt us Who will not delight in being beloved of thee Yet that is all which thy Laws require When we are commanded to love thee To love thy Goodness To rejoyce in thy Favour To prize thy loving Kindness according to the Value And Glory of it Who being infinite Love Love unto us Exaltest thy Sovereignty Exaltest thy Wisdom Exaltest thy Power In all places of thy Dominion To Magnifie thy Sons To Adorn thy Bride To Enrich thy Servants Thy Laws O God Are the perfect Laws of Right Reason Nature speaks them Eternity rewards them Reason asserts them Wisdom suggests them Interest and self love doth prompt them Thy Benefits oblige us to them The Beauty of Holiness is exceeding Wonderful In one act all Gratitude Obedience together Goodness Blessedness together Wisdom Glory together To prize all things according to their value being The Perfect Work of Right Reason The Fulfilling of all Laws The Answer of all Obligations The Payment of all Gratitude The Way to all Rewards The Fruition of them Whereby we are in one Thy Servants Sons Thy Bride Image Objects of Delight to Almighty God The Joy of Angels The beautiful Possessors of Heaven and Earth Advanced to thy Throne Crowned with thy Glory By prizing we receive all thy Treasure By feeling we enjoy it By valuing we feel it By enjoying it We Glorisie thee Acknowledge thy Goodness Admire thy Power Fullfil the Work for which we were made Satisfie thy Design Accomplish the End of the whole Creation Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way How marvellous is thy loving Kindness O Lord How great is thy Goodness whichthou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thouhast wrought for them that put their trust in thee before the Sons of Men Having laid infinite Obligations upon us Thou commandest us to be Happy And With infinite Rewards recompencest Those That keep thy Commandments How excellent are thy Laws to me in particular They Require all Angels Cherubim and Men to delight in and promote my Happiness They command Kings Emperours To take care of and love me Wise Men Apostles To take care of and love me Patriarchs Prophets To take care of and love me Saints and Martyrs To take care of and love me Among Cherubim and Angels Command them to love and delight in all those whom I love and whom as my Friends and Brethren I love to see beloved delighted in and honored Command me those Duties which make me a Sovereign a supreme Blessing a Delight an inestimable Joy to the whole World Require me to do no other things than those only whereby I enjoy my supreme Happiness Make me a Delight to God himself who rejoyceth to see me enjoy his Happiness Command Cherubim Angels and Men to do me those services every one of which is More Sweet More Profitable More Amiable More Delightful More Satisfactory Than Seas of Amber Mountains of Pearls Thousands of Gold and Silver Which Works are To Love each other To Praise God To Behold his Works To Enjoy his Blessedness Ordaining them each to live perpetually in the Similitude of his HOLY LIFE Which is an endless Sphere of beautiful Delights Prepared for the enjoyment of me his servant O my God! Thy Laws are so convenient for every Soul As if they were prepared for him alone So perfectly promote the happiness of all As if nothing were regarded But the Publick Peace of the whole World They banish all things Evil from the Earth Anger Malice Injustice Oppression Covetousness Ambition Cruelty Pride Disorder War Those bitter Roots of Gall and Wormwood That would spoyl even Heaven being there They introduce all things good And profitable to Men Order Humility Love Wisdom Knowledge 〈◊〉 Justice Contentation Peace Security Joy Glory Establish the Happiness of all the Earth Make all things conspire for each others felicity Create a Benevolence in every Soul to all the World Make all the Sons of Men In their Actions Thoughts and Persons Like the holy Angels All A Blessing to each other All Like God the enricher of our happiness The world a Paradice Every one in it the heir of it They interpret and enrich the Works of God Which by serving all are serviceable to each While we like God Above the Sun the Stars the Skies Are a mutual Joy in all Generations And Thee Which is the greatest Benefit of all Being faithfully kept they allure to dwell Well pleased among us O make me to understand the way of thy Precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Disguised Duties Real Joys Having prepared for us such inestimable Treasures Nature it self requires us To See the Beauty that is in them To Love their Goodness To Rejoyce in their Glory Thy Laws are exceeding Righteous because they require what Right requires Infinitely Righteous and strangely so Because they command what Reason Wills What Wisdom it self Nature urges Thy Goodness by commanding us to live happily having shut up in one all Perfections It is Right O Lord That we should Understand thy Love Be sensible of thy Benefits we receive from Thee Answer the Obligations that lie upon us Live in thine Image towards all thy Creatures Prize every thing according to its Value Satisfie the Powers of our immortal Souls By sixing them on their proper Objects in a Blessed manner Do that which leadeth us to Bliss Accomplish the End for which we came into the World Be Delights like Thee To thine Eternal Majesty All these in one Work do thy Laws command How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth
in its Womb In every moment an infinity of Joys Thy Ways O my God are infinitely Delicious From the beginning until now Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Wisdom Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Goodness Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Power Are in every thing Magnified Are in every thing Perfectly exalted Towards all thy Creatures Thy Condescention in creating the Heavens And the Earth Is wholly Wonderful Thy Bounty to Adam To me in him Most Great and Infinite Blessed be thy Name for the Employment thou gavest him More Glorious than the World To see thy Goodness Contemplate thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Love Be Ravish'd with thy Riches Sing thy Praises Enjoy thy Works Delight in thy Highness Possess thy Treasures And much more Blessed be thy H. Name For Restoring me by the Blood of Jesus To Thy glorious Works To Those blessed Emploments It is my Joy O Lord to see the Perfection of thy Love towards us in that Estate The Glory of thy Laws The Blessedness of thy Works The Highness of thine Image The Beauty of the Life that there was to be led In Communion with Thee Those intended Joys are mine O Lord In thee my God In Jesus Christ In every Saint In every Angel But the glorious Covenant so graciously renewed O the Floods the Seas the Oceans Of Honey and Butter contained in it So many thousand Years since my standing Treasure O reach me to Esteem it O reach me to Reposite it in my Family As that which by its Value is made sacred Infinitely Sacred because infinitely Blessed How ought our first Fathers To have esteemed that Covenant To have laid it up for their Childrens Children As the choicest Treasure The Magna Charta of Heaven and Earth By which they held their Blessedness The Evidence of their Nobility The antient Instrument of their League with God Their pledge claim to eternal Glory The sacred Mystery of all their Peace But they Apostatized and provoked thy Displeasure Sixteen hundred and fifty six Years Till thou did'st send a Flood that swept them away Yet did'st thou give them The Rite of Sacrificing The Lamb of God To betoken his Death From the beginning of the World Shewedft them thy Glory And that of Immortality By Enochs Translation Of which me also hast thou made the heir In the midst of Judgments thou hadst mercy on Noah And saved'st us both In an ARK by Water That Ark is mine Thy Goodness gave it me By preserving my Being and Felicity in it It more serveth me there where it is 〈◊〉 Than if all its Materials were now in my In that Act did'st thou reveal thy Glory As much as by the Creation of the World itself Reveal thy Glory to me and by many such Dispel the foggs of Ignorance and 〈◊〉 That else would have benighted And drowned my Soul The Rainbow is a Seal Of thyrenewed Covenant For which to day I praise thy Name As for the wicked They revolted back from the Life of God But the holy Sages brightly shined Whom thy Goodness prepared To be the Light of the World Melchisedec North 〈◊〉 himself In whom thy Goodness Blessed Me thy Servant In whom thy Goodness Blessed And all Nations Whom thy Goodness chiefly Blessed by making a Blessing When the World would have extinguished Knowledge And have lost thy Covenant Thou heldest the Clew and maintained'st my Lot and sufferedst not all to perish for ever Out of the Loins of thy beloved Thy Glory form'd a Kingdom for thy self Govern'd by Laws Made famous by Miracles 〈◊〉 by Mercy 's Taught from Heaven 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Witness thou dwelledst among them Thy Servant David in most Solemn 〈◊〉 sang Thy Praises Thy Glory appeared in Solomon's Temple But more in his Wisdom And the Prosperity of thy People Thy Prophers in their order ministred to us The concealed Beauty of thy Ceremonies Is wholly mine To me they exhibit in the best of Hieroglyphicks JESUS CHRIST The Glory of their Ministery Service and Expectation For two thousand Years is my Enjoyment For my sake and for thy Promise sake Did thy goodness forbear When their Sins had provoked Thee To destroy them wholly How did thy Goodness in the time of Distress Watch over them for Good When like a Spark in the Sea They were almost wholly Extinguished In the Babilonish Waves How Lord did'st thou Work in that Night of Darkness Making thy Glory and the Glory of Love More to appear Then was 〈◊〉 Welfare turning upon the hinge Our Hope gasping for a little Life Our Glory brought to the pits brink And beyond the possibility of human remedy Endangered in the Extinction of that Nution How then did thy Power shine In making Nehemiah the Kings Cupbearer Hester Queen Mordecai a Prince The three Children cold in the furnace Daniel Lord chief President of 127 Provinces Zorobbabel and Ezra especial favorites And in sending thy people home Without any Ransom That the influence of thy promise Might surely descend And our Saviour arise out of Davids Loins Be born at Bethlehem Crucified at Jerusalem According to the Prophesies That went before concerning him Blessed Lord I magnific thy holy Name For his Incarnation For the Joy of the Angels that sang his praises For the Star of his Birth For the Wise men's Offerings that came from the East For the Salutation of thy handmaid Mary For the Ravishing Song of the blessed Virgin For the Rapture and Inspiration of Zacharias thy Servant For the Birth of John our Saviours forerunner O Lord Who would have believed that such a worm as I should have had such Treasures In thy celestial Kingdom In the Land of Jury 3000 miles from hence So great a Friend such a Temple Such a Brest plate Glittering with Stones of endless price Such Ephod Mytre Altar Court Priest and Sacrifices All to shew me my Lord and Saviour By the Shining Light of nearer Ages By the Universal consent of many Nations By the Most powerful Light of thy blessed Gospel See that remoter in the Land of Jury More clearly to shine The universal Good which redounded to all Is poured upon me The root being beautified by all its branches The fountain enriched and made famous by its streams Their Temple Sacrifices Oracles Scriptures Ceremonies Monuments of Antiquity Miracles Transactions Hopes Have received credit and magnificence by successes By the Lustre Authority and Glory By the Conviction of Ages By the Acknowledgment of Sages By the Conversion of Philosophers By the Of Flourishing Cities Empires 〈◊〉 and mighty States All which enamel the Book of God And enrich it more for mine exaltation The very Trees and Fruits and Fields and Flowers that did service unto them Flourished for me And here I live Praising thy Name For the silencing of Oracles And the flight of Idolatry For demolishing the Temple When its Service ended For permitting the Jews In severity to them For permitting the Jews In mercy to me To kill my Saviour For
breaking their Covenant Casting them off Dispersing them throughly Punishing them with Destruction In revenge of the Murder of Jesus Christ. Now if the Fall of them be the Riches of the World and the Demolishing of them the enriching of the Gentiles how much more their fulness Rom. 11. 12. What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead Rom. 11. 14. Restore them O Lord That as we have obtained Mercy Through their unbelief So they by our Mercy and our Faith prevailing may obtain Mercy The death of Jesus that universal Benefit Spreads from a Centre Through all the World And is wholly the Joy of all People The Patience of Job was once obscure Which is now the Publick Right Of Mankind The Cross of Christ exceeding vile Yet now in my Closet my perfect Treasure Pregnant Signes What infinite Depths may lie concealed In the rude appearance of the smallest Actions A world of Joys hid in a Manager For me for every one His Cross a prospect of eternal Glory Sheweth that All things are treasures infinitely Diffusive Earthly Occurrences celestial Joys For the Learning of the Fathers I glorisie Thee More for the Labors of the holy Apostles My crown and my joy Their Persecutions are my Glory Their Doctrine my Foundations Their Sweat my Dew Their Tears my Pearl Their Blood my Rubies For giving of the Holy Ghost Upon the day of Pentecost I supremely praise Thee O let me be filled with it That I may clearly see the Powers of my Soul That As a Temple of thy Presence I may inherit all things That In the Light of my Knowledge All Ages may abide And I in them walking with thee In the Light of Glory What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Ps. 116. 12 13. With reverence I will learn The riches of our Saviour At the time of his Ascention And see what a Paradise The Glory of his Resurrection Made the World Who when he ascended up on high led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers Eph. 4. 8. and 11. O let me see into the deeper Value of such glorious Treasures Nearer to our Saviour Greater than the Angels Images of God Labouring to death For our sakes Of all the benefits Which they did to all My bosom is the recipient I the Heir How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring the glad tidings of good things Rom. 10. O blessed be thy glorious Name For the Conversion of this Island Wherein I live The Day spring from on high That visited us The Light of the Gospel The Conversion of our Kings The professed Subjection Of our Lords and Senators Our Ministers Bishops Pastors Churches Sacraments Liturgy Sabbaths Bibles Laws Ecclesiastical Establishment of Tythes Universities Colledges liberal Maintenance of our Saviours Clergy Christian Schools Cathedrals and Quires where they sing his praises That Pillars are erected in our Land To his Name That his Cross is exalted to the top of Crowns Seated on high On more than kingly Palaces His Temple in our Borders That his Gospel is owned and fully received His Kingdom established by Laws In our Land Which might have been a Wilderness Which might have been a Golgotha Which might have been a very Tophet A blind corner of brutish Americans And I a torn desolate confessor Or far worse A Negroe like them In the horrid Island For all this I glorify thy Name Humbly confessing and acknowledging With Joy Thy Mercy in this to have been greater Towards us Than in delivering Israel from the Egyptian Bondage Earnestly beseeching thee to forgive the Ingratitude and Stupidity of thy People Open their Eyes Cause every one to see That he is the Heir and Possessor Of all thy Joys In their Peace and Prosperity Let me thy Servant inherit Peace And in thy Light let me see Light Make them more my Treasures By making Them better By making Me wiser Increasing both our love What hast thou done for me thy Servant In giving me The Beauty of the World In giving me The Land in which I live In giving me The Records of all Ages In giving me Thy self in all for evermore Being done for thousands for all O Lord It is more my Joy I bless thy Name for the Perfection of thy Goodness so wholly communicable to many Thousands So endlesly communicated from all Generations Coasts and Regions to every Soul By enriching whom thou magnifiest me Because they are My Friends Because they are My Temples Because they are My Treasures And I am theirs Delighted by my love in all their happiness Tho War should arise in this will I be confident One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Ps. 27. 3 4. He hath chained Ages Kingdoms together Nor can they without us Nor we without them Be made perfect Heb. 11. 40. The Lord is King throughout all Genrations Magnifying his eternal Wisdom In making every true Christian possessor Of his Joys The multitude of Possessors enrichers of Enjoyment Every one the end of all his Ways Me even me Hath thy Glory exalted in all these things I am possessor and they my treasures I am delighted abundantly by being possessed That thou O Lord art supreme possessor And every one of thine possessor In thy Likeness Pleaseth me supremely pleaseth me wholy Furthereth my Joys Addeth to them Maketh them Infinite Yea infinitely Infinite The very manner of Enjoying O Lord Let all the Greatness whereby thou advancest thy Servant Make me not more proud but more humble More Obedient to the King More Diligent in my Calling More Subservient to my Spiritual Fathers Pastors and Teachers More Meek to mine Inferiours More Humble to all More Compassionate on the ignorant More Sensible of my Sins More Lowly to the poor More Charitable to the needy More Loving to mine Enemies More Tender to the erroneous Thirsting their return More Industrious in serving thee In calling them In saving all Teach me by Wisdom to see the Excellency of all thy Doings And by goodness to rejoyce in all thy mercys To delight in the Praises which they offer unto thee And in the Blessings which descend upon all thy Creatures O make my life here upon Earth beautiful O Lord that my Soul may be pleasing to thy Saints and Angels To be well pleasing to whom is an unspeakable delight because thy love is infinite to them Thanksgivings for the Wisdom of his WORD THE Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are altogether become 〈◊〉 there is none that doth
Ps. 119. 103. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Ps. 119. 131. Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy Statutes Ps 119. 12. They make us blessed By teaching our Souls to imitate thee At midnight will I rise up to give thanks unto thee for thy Righteous Judgments Ps. 119. 62. I will delight in thy Law I will speak of thy Testimony before Kings I will meditare in thy Statures They satiate the Powers of our immortal Soul Ambition with the Honor of all the Angels Coveroushess with the Riches of Heaven and Earth Love with the goodness of God all things Make us fit for the Throne of Glory By making us a Joy to all Angels Kingdoms Ages O give me Understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Ps. 119. 34. O Lord I beseech thee give me love unto thy Laws Delight in thy Laws Meditation on thy Laws Right Understanding of thy Laws And entire obedience unto thy Laws If my delight had not been in thy Law I had perished in my Trouble Hallelujab Thanksgivings for the Beauty of his Providence THY Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy Faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds Thy Righteoushess is like the great Mountains thy Judgments are a great Deep O Lord thou preservest Man and Beast How excellent is thy loving Kindness O God therefor the Children of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings They shall abundantly be satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasures For with thee is the Fountain of Life and and in thy Light shall we see Light O continue thy loving Kindness to them that kdow thee and thy Righteousness to the upright in heart Let not the foot of Pride come against me and let not the hand of the Wicked remove me There are the workers of Iniquity faln they are cast down and shall not be able to arise Ps. 36. Let us with all the Saints in the Church Triumphant Sing The Song of Moses the servant of God And The Song of the Lamb Saying Great and Marvelous are thy Works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy Ways thou King of Saints Let their Beauty ravish us Let their Farness delight us Let their Goodness enrich us Let their Wisdom please us Let their Abundance transport us Let them ever be such in our Eyes as they are in thine Whose Delights have been in the habitable Parts of the Earth among the Children of Men. O Lord I delight in thee For making my Soul so wholly Active So prone to Imployment So apt to Love That it can never rest nor cease from thinking I praise thee with Joy For making it so wide that it can measure Ages See thine Eternity And walk with thee in all thy Ways It must be busie And it is happy for me Thou hast made it a LIFE like thine O God All Activity Its Rest is Imployment and its Ease is Business Teach me the best and fairest Business Teach my Soul to walk with thee By thinking Wisely Upon all thy Doings Let me never rust in 〈◊〉 or Sloth Nor sleep in Death Nor 〈◊〉 my self with Vanity Nor 〈◊〉 my self thorow with needless Fears or Sorrows We are always Desolate while our Souls are Idle But when our Thoughts are employed far and near upon then glorious Objects then are we encompassed with Festivals of Joy Solemnities and 〈◊〉 Blessed be thou O Lord And for ever Blessed be thy glorious Name For preparing for us in all Ages Perfect Treasures THE WORKS OF THY RIGHTEOVSNESS Are more pleasant to Angels Than apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver O Lord let me be in all my Solitudes As a Jeweller among thy Jewels As a Perfumer among thy Odors As a Servant among thy Treasures As a Son among thy Servants Thine Image and thine Heir Among all thy Works in all Kingdoms and Nations In the dead time of the Night In my greatest Retirements Let all thy Works be neer unto me All thy Ways Thy Wonders Thy Revelations from Heaven Thy MERCIES Thy JUDGMENTS My familiar Joys Let them fill me with Company when I am most alone Fill me with Delights Surround me with Beauty Turn my Retirements into Songs My Days into Sabbaths My Darkness into Day Or into a Night of Joy as in the solemn Assemblies For enflaming my Soul with the Thirst of Happiness For shewing me its Objects and the manner of Enjoying them For causing me to prefer Wisdom above hidden Treasure and to search for her as for Gold and Silver I Bless and Praise thy H. Name The Desire satisfied is a Tree of Life Had I never thirsted I should never 〈◊〉 valued nor enjoy'd WISDOM I know by experience that she is better that Rubies And all the things I can desire are not to be Compared with her She putteth on my head an ornament Of Grace A crown of Glory she giveth to 〈◊〉 Prov. 4 9. Maketh me a possessor of all thy Joys Bringeth me to the Store-house of thine everlasting Riches 〈◊〉 me in Paradice Surroundeth me with Flowers Yea with all the Delights in the Garden of God May Lillies compare with the Souls of Men Perfumes with Virtues Gold with Affections Crowns with Ages Temples Cities Kingdoms are in my ways Coronations Triumphs Victories surround my Feet No ways strewed with Lillies Pearls and Diamonds can equal these I. These sweeter far Lillies are No Roses may with these compare How these excel No Tongue can tell Which he that well and truly knows With praise and joy he goes How great and happy 's he that knows his Ways To be divine and heavenly Joys To whom each City is more brave Than Walls of Pearl and Streets which Gold doth pave Whose open Eyes Behold the Skies Who loves their Wealth and Beauty more Than Kings love golden Ore II. Who sees the heavenly antient Ways Of GOD the Lord with Joy and Praise More than the Skies With open Eyes Doth prize them all yea more than Gems And Regal Diadems That more esteemeth Mountains as they are Than if they Gold and Silver were To whom the SUN more pleasure brings Than Crowns and Thrones and Palaces to Kings That knows his Ways To be the Joys And Way of God These things who knows With Joy and Praise he goes The Souls of Men and Holy Angels are my delights How endless are thy Treasuries How wide thy Mansions How delectable my Joys Many millions of Miles from hence The Sun doth serve me The Stars many thousand Leagues beyond the Sun The morning Stars and Sons of God Abundantly beyond them all Nor is there any Bounds of my Habitarion The inestimable Presence of Almighty God Endlesly extendeth protracting my Joys And with an Eye from Infinity Beholdeth my Soul The Sun of Righteousness is my perfect Joy Mine Understanding seeth him In the highest Heavens In every moment I see Eternity Conceived
giving me the Bible in such a manner In no doubtful narrow private Way Hast thou sent it to me But in a way Sublime Most High Rich Heavenly In a way most Large Profound Glorious Solemn Wonderful In all Ages hast thou been preparing it By all kind of Miracles Sealed it By the Ministry of Patriarchs and Prophets Crowning it By Apostles Publishing it By Tongues Adorning it By Prophecie fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled an Evidence greater than all that can else be imagined Confirming it By Successes exalting it By the humble Submission Distance Acknowledgment Reverence Of Kingdoms Fathers Sages crowned Emperours in the Lands and Ages Making it Eminent By the Materials in it supremely Enriching it O my God Hadst thou sent it to me by the Ministry of Angels it had not been capable of the Glory that now is in it Nor had the manner of thy giving it Been so Celestial Divine and clear Hadst thou sent it to me alone It had been infinitely less Less Obliging Less Effectual Had all the Counsel of the H. Cherubims Conspired together To have written a Book Had they taken Pens from the wings of Seraphims Had they drawn the Characters in Gold and Pearl Nor For Beauty more excellent Nor For manner more Gorgeous Nor For Materials more Rich Nor For any thing more Heavenly Divine Blessed Could they have sent it to us To me O Lord to me it cometh Mine hast thou made that Glorious Treasure An infinitie of Worth A World of Delight is included in it An alsufficient Ocean swims in its Womb For all Occasions An endless Mine of Profitable Variety Times Elixar The Quintessence of Ages Wisdoms Treasury The Magazine of History The Incense Light and Leaven Of this Earthly World A Collection of Experiences Fraught with Counsels Embassies of Angels Judgments Mercies Commandments Denunciations Threatnings Promises Affections Mirrours For all Estates Prosperity Adversity Sickness Health Life Death Liberty Bondage Peace War Riches Poverty Subjection Dominion Captivity Victorie Virginity Marriage Youth Old Age Priesthood Laity City Country Innocency Misery Grace Glory Affording Presidents for all these upon all occasions Advice Encouragement Blessing Caution Blessing O my God what endless Streams of Living Waters flow down from so little and small a Fountain To revive the Barrenness Of this Languishing World Here I behold the fate of Kingdoms Their Destinies Sores Remedies and Cures Consolations for the Poor and Broken hearted Instructions for Families Documents for the World Terrors to the Evil Encouragements and Delights for the Good and Blessed The Creation of Heaven and Earth Adam's Paradise The Fall of Man The Drowning of the World The Genealogie of Nations The confusion of Lahguages The computation of Ages Abraham made the Friend of God And Blessing to Mankind Joseph's Chastity and Charity Moses's Miracles The Ceremonial Law That curious Gospel In ancient Hieroglyphicks Israel's Victories Settlement Judges Samuel's Government David's Melody Solomon's Temple Proverbs Wisdom Riches Peace and Kingdom All abundantly flowing to my Bosom Elijab's Zeal Manasseb's Penitence Zedekiab's Bondage Israels Dispersion 〈◊〉 Captivity God's Long suffering Merciful Restitution Our Saviours Birth It s glorious Circumstances His Life Tranfiguration Passion Parables Resurrection Ascention into Heaven Our Kingdom and Priesthood Purchased by him Made conformable to his Example The Epistles of the Apostles Those Letters of Love and Eternal Wisdom The appearance of Glory and Heaven opened in the Revelation All these hath my God given me with ten thousand times greater Profit and Advantage than if he had given them to me alone Multitudes of Publishers Nations of Admirers Ages of Adorers Increase my Joys Had they come to me in a Hidden Private Narrow VVay I might sear some Dream Or worse Illusion The Amplitude of God in all his Magnisicence had been too much straitened Concealed Taken away To me denied Indeed abolished But now I see him in all Kingdoms Glorifying his Name shewing his Goodness to ma ny Thousands Making Me Making Every one beside The Heir of it all I know him to be God By the greatness of his Love The universality of his Care The bright continuance of his Eternal Wisdom And see his Oracles exalted on the Desks In many Temples Countenanced by Kings Ratified by Parliaments Joyfully Sounded from many thousand Pulpits Had an Angel brought me this Glorious Book Being not prepared the other way O how poor desolate and miserable The World had been No Revelations in other Ages No Miracles No Ministry of Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles No Acclamations of joyful People No Delights of God in other Kingdoms Yea no Companions should I have then enjoyed but in a Wilderness of Infidels surrounded with Rebels through all Persecutions in a Night of Darkness Dearth of Holiness World of Vices Reproaches Enemies must I have Entered into Glory Blessed therefore be the Lord my God For the fulness of his Love I rejoyce in the manner of thy Revelation It shews the Depth and Infinity of thy Nature The coming of Cherubims had been but a Toy A Feather in comparison By the Ministry of thousands Hath it been Confirmed in all Kingdoms Enlarged Crowned Rooted Beautified And for these Causes by thy Servant Peter is so preferred For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the Coming and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ but were Eye Witnesses of his Majesty For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the Excellent GLORY This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light which shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day star arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1. 16 c. A more sure Word of Prophesie Written in the Volume of the Book Preferred above the voice that came from the Excellent Glory at the Transfiguration of Christ upon Mount Tabor For these Causes doth our Saviour prefer Moses and the Prophets above the Testimony of our rising from the Dead Yea which is Wonderful above the Power of his own Words And when the H. Ghost was given and spake in the Apostles Notwithstanding all the Miracles he gave them to atcheive He submitted to the Tryals of the H. Scriptures Teach me O Lord to Magnify with Joy What thou hast magnified Open thou mine Eyes that I may see the great things In that Map of Heaven Let it be a Clew A Gale of Air A Golden Chain Coming from thy Throne Raising me to Glory By them am I taught how here upon Earth to walk with God which is the Great Mystery the Master point of skill in thine Eternal Kingdom Appendix to the former Thanksgiving ANd now O Lord How infinite indeed is every Sin How infinite thy Love How high the Glory and
Blessedness of Heaven How dreadful the Fall of every Sinner How bottomless and infinite The Abyss of Misery How endless and unsearchable The Sphere of Mercy O my God since thou hast made me to be thy Friend Having made me thy Son in capacity That I might make my self so in Act By rightly using the power which thou givest me Without which it is impossible but that thou shouldest be displeased with thy Work Since the only Duty thou enjoynest me Is to live in thy Image And to be like thee To all thy Creatures To delight in thy Goodness And to enjoy thee in all thy Works Since thou leavest me to my self only for my Happiness and perfect Glory And art willing to save me In the best of all possible manners And nothing less than the best Can agree with thy Nature I acknowledge that if fail in so fair a Covenant and refuse to please thee in such a Duty The natural result of it is That I should be tormented for ever I be seech thee to forgive me what is past according to the infinite greatness of thy tender Mercies To remember that I am a sinner prone to evil And to give me thy Grace With all holy care watchfulness and Diligence To do that glorious work without intermission Whereby Thy happiness is enjoyed Thy Spirit delighted My Soul saved Crowned in thy Kingdom Advanced in thy Bosom Thanksgivings for God's Attributes Sing unto the Lord a new Song and his praise from the ends of the Earth ye that go down into the Sea and all that is therein Ye I sles and the inhabitants of the Earth Let the Wilderness and the Cities lift up their voice the Villages that Kedar doth inhabit Let the inhabitants of the Rock sing let them shout from the top of the Mountain Let them give Glory to the Lord and declare his praise in the islands Isd 42. 10 11 12. Forhe hath made my Soul In the Image of himself An understanding eye That like an open day Shall at once be present in all places Though because he is invisible By bodily eyes he cannot be seen Yet hath he manifested himself His Essence Wisdom Goodness Power In all places of his Dominion To the Understanding In the Fabrick of my Body Nature of my Soul Glory of the World Blessedness of his Laws soveraign Providence Miracles and Wonders O Lord I am satisfied with the fruit of thy Lips with the works of thy Hands And now I ascend to thine Eternal Glory To see the Treasure of thy Divine Essence Which thou hast hidden for us Since the beginning of the World men have not heard nor perceived by the Ear neithe hath the Eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him The Fountain it self is sweeter than the Streams O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with Majesty Who coverest thy self with Light as with a Garment who stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain Ps. 104 1 2. That Greatness Majesty Light and Glory hast thou made to be the enjoyment of every Soul Thy Soveraignity and Dominion is the glory of my Soul Thou hast made them 〈◊〉 by pleasing me perfectly and advancing me 〈◊〉 them O the beauty of thine infinite Kingdom It is impossible thou shouldst ever be without the eternity of infinite Wisdom The fathomless Treasury of unlimited Goodness shineth here more than the Sun in the very Heavens The Zenith and Nadir and the Poles of Power in all their Altitudes That infinite Wisdom Goodness Power are wholly mine in all their activities atchievements Glories Made so by the infinite workings of infinite Wisdom Goodness and Power In every Soul supreme in thy Kingdom Crowning mine O my God who could have made every Soul among innumerable millions The end of all things Every one King of all thy Kingdom Can every one be higher than all the rest One mans exaltation here upon Earth is the depression of another But in thy Kingdom every ones advancement the exaltation of all Every one highest Yea more than this Infinitely more than we can ask or think More than Supreme More than 〈◊〉 More than Sole More than the end of all things hast thou made every Person living in thy Kingdom My Soul is ravished with the elevation of thy Joys Sing O ye Heavens for the Lord hath done 〈◊〉 shout ye lower parts of the Earth break 〈◊〉 into Singing O Mountains O Forest and every Tree therein Isa. 44. 23. For the Lord is wonderful in the midst of his Saints It is strength to my Navil and marrow to my Bones to consider the perfection of thy Doings H. H. H. Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy Glory All the supremest and grearest Heights are easy to thee easy tobe seen through easy ' to bee understood Impossibles Impossibles overcome and attained transport and amaze us with delight and wonder Every one supreme Every one solel every one Soveraign If that be impossible what is it O Lord to be more than so All the beauty of Holiness in thy Kingdom is the Sphear of my delight and pleasure for ever To see thee magnified by all thine Hosts who art the Fountain and Author of all their Glory is my perfect melody joy and glory Thou hast made them mine by making them to please me to please me voluntarily and freely in their actions by praising thee Thine infinity thine eternity the exquisite perfection of thine Omnipresence are all mine in all their operations Because thou lovest me thou givest me thy self Thine eternity by creating me for had that not been I that was nothing should have had no beginning Thine Omnipresence in upholding me For without thee I should return into nothing Thine infinity by enlarging me enabling me to consider the infinite spaces beyond the Heavens where thy Divine Majesty more especially dwells But in giving me to see the Original of my being to understand my foundation and discern that by which I am enlarged Thou hast given me thine Eternity Infinity and Omnipresence in another manner As the object of mine eye Themes of my Praise Causes of my Joy Subjects of Complacency Grounds Yea Crowns of Glory Being infinitely present in every place thou makest me perceptive and I see thy Giory Being infinitely present in every place thou art exquisitely so and wholly there O Lord I admire the perfection of thy Presence the incomprehensible excellency of thine Omnipresence wholly every where I admire the effects and Glory of its attainments For by it alone art thou infinitely communicative Thy Wisdom it is thy Goodness it is and and thine Almighty Power it is one O Lord with all thine Attributes Thine infinity resideth in every Centre therefore in my Soul which were it not there I could not behold Thine eternity and infinity are both the same both are present in every moment therefore in me All the conceivable parts both of thine Infinity and