out go them both Sir Fulk Grevil Lord Brook a man of great note in his Age hath a Poem lately Printed for Subjects Liberty which I greatly wonder this Age would bear There are no Books that have been Printed these twenty Years that I more wonder at that ever they were endured than Richard Hookers eight Books of Ecclesiastick Policy dedicated by Bishop Gauden to our present King and vindicated by him and these Poems of Sir Fulk Grevill Lord Brook Davie's Nosce Teipsum is an Excellent Poem in opening the nature Faculties and certain Immortality of Man's Soul But I must confess after all that next the Scripture Poems there are none so savoury to me as Mr. Herbert's and Mr. George Sandys's I know that Cooly and others far excel Herbert in Wit and accurate composure But as Sencca takes with me above all his Contemporaries because he speaketh Things by words feeling and seriously like a man that is paâ—â— jest so Herbert speaks to God like on that really believeth a God and whose business in the world is most with God Heart-work and Heaven-work make up his Books And Du Bartas is seriously Divine And Sandy's Omne tulit punctum dum miscuit utile dulci. His Scripture Poems are an elegant and excellent Paraphrase But especially his Job whom he hath restored to the original glory O that he had turned the Psalms into Metre fitted to the usual Tunes It did me good when Mrs. Wyat invited me to see Boxley Abby in Kent to see upon the old Stone Wall in the Garden a Summer-house with this inscription in great golden Letters that In that place Mr. G. Sandys after his Travels over the World retired himself for his Poetry and Contemplations And none are fitter to retire to God then such as a retired with seeing all the vanities on Earth Sure there is somewhat of Heaven â—â— Holy Poetry It charmeth Souls into â—oving Harmony and Concord We â—â—we two Brothers in this City of â—hom one hath written a Book called â— friendly debate to make those seem â—ious or contemptible who were aâ—â—inst his way It had too much sucâ—â—ss and so far destroyed Love and â—oncord as will not easily be recoveâ—â—d in this age His Brother Mr. Paâ—ike of the Charter-house hath with â—â—ous skill and seriousness turned into â—new Metre many of David's Psalms â—â—d the advantage for holy affections â—â—d harmony hath so far reconciled â—â—e Non-Conformists that divers of â—â—em use his Psalms in their Congreâ—â—tions though they have the old â—â—es Rouses Bishop Kings Mr. Whites â—â—e New Englands Davisons the Scotsâ—â— â—â— agreed on by two Nations in â—â—mpetition with it But I digress too â—â—r All that I have to say for these Fragments is 1. That being fitted to Women and vulgar wits which are the far greatest number they may be useful to such though contemptible to those of higher elevation expectation 2 And being suited to afflicted sick dying troubled sad and doubting persons the number of such is so great in these calamitous times as may render them useful to more than I desire 3. And if my present grief may but excuse the Publication he that needeth them not may let them alone Some of them need an Exposition which I must not give the world I have added two or three Printed heretofore that they may be altogether The Lord by his merciful providence and his Grace tune up our dull and drooping Souls to such joyful praises as may prepare us for his everlasting praise in Heaven Amen London At the Door of Eternity Aug. 7. 1681. Rich. Baxter LOVE Breathing THANKS and PRAISE The First Part. ETernal God this Worm lifts up the head And looks to Thee by Thee encouraged Cheer'd by thy Bounty it would speak thy praise Whose wondrous Love hath measur'd all my daies If thou vouchsafe to make a Worm rejoyce Give him a thankful praising heart and voice Thy shining Glory blessed Angels see Angels must sing thy Highest praise not we But if thy warming beams cause Worms to speak Their baser part will not the Consort break When Time was yet no measure when the Sun It s rapid motion had not yet begun When Heav'n Earth Sea were yet unfram'd Angels and Men and all things else unnam'd When there did nothing else exist but Thee Thou wast the same and still the same wilt be When there was none to know or praise thy Name Thou wast in perfect Blessedness the same The Father Word and Spirit One in Three Trinity doth with Unity agree Th' Eternal Life that quickens all that lives The soul of souls the Light which all Light gives Immense and boundless present every where Beyond all place and creatures thou art there Uncomprehended comprehending all Foreknowing whatsoever shall befall Uncaus'd thou causest all that hath a Being Unknown thou know'st unseen thou art all-seeing Though necessary yet without constraint Unmov'd yet moving all dost never faint All things depend on Thee and Thou on none And changing all things art unchang'd alone One in th' innumerable multitude Perfectly ordering things which seem most rude Infinite Power one accent of whose breath Can sentence Heav'n and Earth to life or death Yea by one act of efficacious Will Canst make and unmake worlds give life and kill Reason transcending all created Reason Not only knowing all things in their season But with a Knowledge perfect infinite Knowing Thy self in Thine Eternal Light A knowledge which doth utterly excel The Knowledge of the Earth the Heav'ns Hell To know ten thousand worlds were but to know The finite streams which from thy Will do flow Existents Futures all Contingencies Conceal'd from man are naked to thine eyes Of every thing thou know'st the Form and Cause As giving all their Nature and their Laws Nature's whole frame is but one piece to thee The Place and Use of all things thou dost see The Globes of Heav'n and Earth are in thy span Thou seest not things by parcels like poor Man Our narrow minds see here and there a letter Not rightly plac'd and therefore read no better We make the Events of this day our sorrow Because we know not what will be to morrow Things present past and future old and new Thou see'st entirely with one single view Thou seest all at home that 's understood Loving thy self thou lovest all that 's Good Goodness it self and perfect Excellence Transcending humane Reason Will and Sense Good in thy self and to thy self alone Before thou wast to any creature known Blest in thy own Eternal pleasing sight Thy own Eternal Love Thy own Delight Those that can find in Thee no greater Good Than that thou giv'st them life and health food And bountifully from thy ample Treasure Blessest thy creatures with desired pleasure Set up themselves and do the worst they can To make themselves the Gods and Thee the Man They that can love thee but for loving them Make thee the casket and themselves the gem To love
Prison I must dwell May I not there converse with thee Save me from sin thy wrath and Hell Call me thy Child and I am free No walls or bars can keep thee out None can confine a holy Soul The Streets of Heav'n it walks about None can its Liberty controul Alas my darkened mind is chain'd To Earth and Flesh through unbelief It looks and longs by distance pain'd When wilt thou hear and send relief O loose these Chains of Sin and Flesh Enlarge my heart in thy Commands Could I but love thee as I wish How light would be all other bands 7. Must I feel Sicknesses and smart And spend my daies and nights in pain Yet if thy Love refresh my heart I need not overmuch complain This Flesh hath drawn my Soul to sin If it must smart Thy Will be done O fill me with thy Joyes within And then I 'll let it grieve alone Then to its sufferings I 'll consent To be avenged on my Foe That pain may help me to repent And sin may be consum'd by woe Pain will be short Joyes will be long Yet Lord remember man is weak Drop in thy Cordials make me strong Lest heart and hope with Flesh should break 8. I know my Flesh must turn to dust My parted Soul must come to thee And undergo thy Judgment just And in the endless world must be In this there 's most of Fear and Joy Because there 's most of Sin and Grace Sin will this mortal frame destroy But Christ will bring me to thy face Here 's Faith 's great Tryal Pain may force And Pride may willingness pretend A stupid Fool die like his Horse And Heathens make a Beast-like end Frail sinful Flesh is loth to die Sense to the unseen world is strange The doubting Soul dreads the Most High And trembleth at so great a change Yet Faith can see beyond the Skies Where now our Head in Glory is And above Flesh and Sense can rise Unto the World of Saints in bliss Cleansing the Soul from Flesh and Sin Abstracting it from things below It draws the Veil and entering in Love's glorious Mysteries can know Put forth thy Beams and Hand of Grace Open mine Eyes Take up my Heart Acquaint it with the Holy Place The Joyes and Glory where thou art O let me not be strange at home Strange to the Sun and Life of Souls Choosing this low and darkened Room Familiar with Worms and Moles Shall I be strange unto my Head The World of Knowledge Love and Joyes Conversing here among the Dead And taken up with Dreams and Toyes And strange to Angels who attend On Man and in his good delight And though unseen do us defend Ministring for us day and night Am I the first that go this way How many Saints are gone before How many enter every day Into thy Kingdom by this door Christ was once dead and in a Grave Yet conquer'd Death and rose again And by this Method he will save His Servants that with him shall Reign Shall I draw back and fear the End Of all my Sorrows Tears and Pain To which my Life and Labours tend Without which all had been in vain Can I for ever be content Without true Happiness and Rest Is Earth become so excellent That I should take it for my best Or can I think of finding here That which my Soul so long hath sought Should I refuse those Joyes through fear Which bounteous Love so dearly bought All that doth tast of Heav'n is good When Heavenly Light doth me inform When Heavenly Life stirs in my Blood When Heavenly Love my Heart doth warm No wonder if Time's womb be streight And Souls through pain and strangeness go Into the glorious World of Light Which Death translateth them unto This strangeness will be quickly over When once the Heaven-born Soul is there One sight of God will it recover From all this backwardness and fear To us Christ's lowest parts his feet Union and Faith must yet suffice To guide and comfort us It 's meet We trust our Head who hath our Eyes Christ seeth all that I would see The Way and End to Him are known He hath prepar'd the Place for me He 'l Love and Use me as his Own How many guiltless creatures die To be a feast or food for me Who love their Lives as well as I And hath not God more right to me Must I be priviledg'd alone Or no man Die until he please And God deposed from his Throne And humane generation cease Though all these Reasons I can see Why I should willingly submit And comfortably come to thee My God thou must accomplish it The Love which fill'd up all my daies Will not forsake me to the end This broken Body thou wilt raise My Spirit I to thee commend Decemb. 3. 1663. 4. Divine Love's Rest Written on Herbet's Poems THe amorous Needle knows no other REST But at its dear attractive Loadstone's breast Though lying dead before the Potent touch Its Object and Affection were not such The Oily Body married to a Spark Which some cold Flint had lockt up in the dark By the unseen Hot Soul is made so bright As if in it that Soul appear'd to sight Which in revenge for its restraint and toil Still working up wards wasts the loving Oil Having a higher Love is not content Until it reach its proper Element Thus Heav'n-born Souls but lately dead in sin By Faith and Love the heavenly Life begin And daily mounting upwards take their flight From Flesh and Earth unto the World of Light Where Darkness Sin or Grief shall never enter Where all the Saints are one in God their Center Where Love reveals it self with open face Ravishing Souls prepar'd by Saving Grace Love is their Kingdom it 's a world of Love Which they were hatcht for by the holy Dove Here he is kindling the coelestial fire Which knows its rise and doth to God aspire God who is all shall there have all my store And yet my Friends have not the less but more Love is now panting groaning in my breast Love will be then my Soul 's Eternal Feast Love now salutes us in the Gospel story But then Eternal Love will be our Glory Up then my Soul and swiftly Heavenward tend Where Love shall have no check no bounds no end 5. On David's Psalms MY God! since first thy Love this heart did touch It saith I cannot love my God too much It looketh up and panteth for that Grace Which may exalt it and unveil thy face Darkness and Distance are its grievous Chains Sad doubts and fears do feed its griping pains It sighs and wonders thou canst be so strange Where thou hast freely made so great a change Long it hath search't in hope to find the Art To raise and warm a dull and heavy Heart And now I find it practised by One That now is praising thee before thy Throne Here are the sacred words Here 's David's Lyre But
Can turn away from or despise the bait Flesh Must I be made the foot-ball of disdain And call'd a precise fool or Puritane Spirit Remember him that did despise the shame And for thy sake bore undeserved blame Thy journey 's of small moment if thou stay Because dogs bark or stones lie in the way If life lay on it wouldst thou turn again For the winds blowing or a little rain Is this thy greatest love to thy dear Lord That canst not for his sake bear a foul word Wilt thou not bear for him a scorners breath That underwent for thee a cursed death Is not Heav'n worth the bearing of a flout Then blame not Justice when it shuts thee out Will these deriders stand to what they say And own their words at the great dreadful day Then they 'd be glad when wrath shall overtake them To eat their words and say they never spake them Flesh How Forsake all Ne're mention it more to me I 'le be of no Religion to undo me Spirit Is it not thine more in thy Fathers hand Then when it is laid out at sins command And is that sav'd that 's spent upon thy lust Or which must be a prey to thieves or rust And wouldst thou have thy riches in thy way Where thou art passing on and canst not stay And is that lost that 's sent to Heav'n before Hadst thou not rather have thy friends and store Where thou maist dwell for ever in the light Of that long glorious day that fears no night Flesh But who can willingly submit to Death Which will bereave us of our life and breath That laies our flesh to rot in loathsom graves Where brains and eyes were leaves but ugly caves Spirit So nature breaks and casts away the shell Where the now beauteous singing bird did dwell The secundine that once the infant cloath'd After the birth is cast away and loath'd Thus Roses drop there sweet leaves under-foot But the Spring shew's that life was in the root Souls are the Roots of Bodies Christ the Head Is Root of both and will revive the dead Our Sun still shineth when with us it's night When he return's we shall shine in his light Souls that behold and praise God with the Just Mourn not because their bodies are but dust Graves are but beds where flesh till morning sleep's Or Chests where God a while our garments keeps Our folly thinks he spoils them in the keeping Which causeth our excessive fears and weeping But God that doth our rising day foresee Pitties not rotting flesh so much as we The birth of Nature was deform'd by sin The birth of Grace did our repair begin The birth of Glory at the Resurrection Finisheth all and brings both to perfection Why should not fruit when it is mellow fall Why would we linger here when God doth call Flesh The things and persons in this world I see But after death I know not what will be Spirit Know'st thou not that which God himself hath spoken Thou hast his promise which was never broken Reason proclaims that noble heav'n-born Souls Are made for higher things than Worms Moles God hath not made such faculties in vain Nor made his Service a deluding pain But Faith resolves all doubts and hears the Lord Telling us plainly by his holy Word That uncloath'd Souls shall with their Savior dwell Triumphing over Sin and Death and Hell And by the Power of Almighty Love Stars shall arise from graves to shine above There we shall see the glorious face of God His blessed presence shall be our abode The face that banisheth all doubts and fears Shuts out all sins and dryeth up all tears That face which darkeneth the Sun's bright rayes Shall shine us into everlasting joyes Where Saints and Angels shall make up one Chore To praise the Great Jehovah evermore Flesh Reason not with me against sight and sense I doubt all this is but a â—ain pretence Words against Nature are not worth a rush One Bird in hand is worth two in the bush If God will give me Heav'n at last I 'le take it But for my Pleasure here I 'le not forsake it Spirit And wilt thou keep it brutish flesh how long Wilt thou not shortly sing another Song When Conscience is awakened keep thy mirth When sickness death comes hold fast this earth Live if thou canst when God saith Come away Try whether all thy friends can cause thy stay Wilt thou tell Death and God thou wilt not die And wilt thou the consuming fire defie Art thou not sure to let go what thou hast And doth not Reason bid thee then forecast And value the least hope of endless Joyes Before known vanities and dying toyes And can the Lord that is most just and wise Found all man's duty in deceit and lies Get thee behind me Satan thou dost savour The things of Flesh and not his dearest favour Who is my Life and Light and Love and All And so shall be whatever shall befall It is not thou but I that must discern And must Resolve It 's I that hold the stern Be silent Flesh speak not against my God Or else hee 'l teach thee better by the rod. I am resolved thou shalt live and die A servant or a conquered enemy Lord charge not on me what this rebell sayes That alwaies was against me and thy wayes Now stop its mouth by Grace that shortly must Through just but gainful death be stopt with dust The thoughts and words of Flesh are none of mine Let Flesh say what it will I will be thine Whatever this rebellious Flesh shall prate Let me but serve thee Lord at any rate Use me on earth as seemeth good to thee So I in Heav'n thy Glorious face may see Take down my Pride let me dwell at thy feet The humble are for earth and heav'n most meet Renouncing Flesh I Vow my self to thee With all the Talents thou hast lent to me Let me not stick at honour wealth or blood Let all my dayes be spent in doing good Let me not trifle out more precious hours But serve thee now with all my strength and powers If Flesh should tempt me to deny my hand Lord these are the Resolves to which I stand Octob. 29. 1659. Richard Baxter 8. The Prayer of the Sick in a Case like Hezekiahs To the Tune of the 51 Psalm The First Part. 1. ETernal God whose name is Love Whose mercy is my hope and stay O hear and help me from above That in distress to thee do pray Ashamed to lift up my face Hence from the dust to thee I cry Though I have sinn'd against thy Grace Yet unto it alone I fly 2. I was at first in sin conceiv'd Then liv'd a vain and sinful life Rebellious flesh which I receiv'd Is still against thy Grace in strife Long it was Lord alas too long Before I knew my self or thee Vanity rul'd my heart and tongue And O that yet my Soul
first appearing of the Day The dawning Light which comes before the Sun As he that to Christ's Scpulchre first run Excites the LOV'D Disciple to do better The certain news of Life comes by the later Fear is Love's Harbinger It is the womb Where Love doth breed till time of ripeness come No wonder if it be not seen till then The Seed and Embrio are hid from men Though Thou com'st in by Love Fear draws the latch Fear makes the motion tho Love makes the match Fear is the soil that cherisheth the feed The Nursery in which Heav'ns Plants do breed God first in Nature finds Self-Love and there He takes advantage to implant his Fear With some the time is long before the Earth Disclose her young one by a springy Birth When Heav'n doth make our Winter sharp long The seed of Love lies hid or seems but young But when God makes it Spring-time his approach Takes from the barren Soul its great reproach When Heav'ns reviving Smiles and Raies appear Then Love begins to spring up above Fear And if sin hinder not by cursed shade It quickly shoots up to a youthful blade And when Heav'ns warmer beams dews succeed That 's ripened fruit which even now was but seed Yet doth not flowring fruitful Love forget Her Nursing Fear there still her Root is set In Humble Self-denyal under-trod While Flower and Fruit are growing up to God After Love's Birth-Day holy Fear and Care The outward Part of the New-creature are As mortal man consists of Flesh and Soul So Fear and Love on Earth do make one Whole Love as the Soul unseen yet bears the sway Fear as the Flesh more felt must it obey By Fear Love doth the daring Flesh restrain And keepeth men awake by threatned pain This frame is mortal Not that Love can dye But leaving Fears will dwell alone on high Yet will retain a Reverent Fear of God But not the terrour of his Wrath or Rod. O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love How wise thy Methods to the Life above Thou first appear'dst in Lightning as to Paul My heat abated at thy feet I fall The voice with which thy Call thou didst begin Was to convince me and reprove my sin I first enquired of thee who thou art And then what duty thou hadst made my part Thus Fear and Care began but the sweet Name Of Jesus did reviving Hope proclaim And though long time it scarcely did appear Yet sure some hidden spark of Love was there I lov'd thy Holy Word Good Books were sweet Those that did with my own condition meet Heart-searching Ministers were my delight ☞ Those that did most my drowsie Soul excite I dearly loved all in whom I saw A Love to Thee and Care to keep thy Law The speech and sight of Holy men was sweet I honour'd them and could have kist their feet I felt their living words go to the quick When common idle prating made me sick I dearly lov'd my serious bosom friend Who did in Love my failings reprehend That could my doubting troubled mind condole And help to keep awake my sleepy Soul Who could unfold the Mysteries of Grace And speak particularly to my case Sweetly disclosing his experience Extolling Mercy from his own deep sense One that had been instructed by the Rod And boiled over in the Praise of God Who early and oft in the night would rise To offer Thee a Thankful Sacrifice Who warm'd me with his Zeal when I was cold And my remissness lovingly controul'd Who stirr'd me up and taught me how to pray And friendly watcht and warn'd me every day And yet his Piety did not exceed His Charity to those that were in need For such a friend I had though after all Himself became my warning by his fall As more than One or Two have done since then Shewing when Grace withdraws we are but Men. O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love These are the seeds what are the fruits above Yet did I scarce discern that it was Thee Whom in the Glass my pleased Mind did see But though thine Image more incur my sense I love it for the pourtrayd excellence It 's not because the Workmanship is fine But Good and Holy and because it 's Thine I better know the Map that 's in my hand But yet by it I better Love the Land Sure when I lov'd thy Books and every letter I lov'd the Sense and End and Author better He loveth Wisdom sure who loves the Wise It 's like he loves the Light who loves his Eyes If one in Prison had his life begun Where he had never seen the shining Sun Yet if he dearly love the Candle-light He 'd urely love the Sun which is more bright Or if the Sun had alwaies clouded been And men its scattered Light alone had seen â—'s true our Thoughts and Love of that we see Would more exact and satisfying be But to the unseen Cause as it is Better Our Love of Estimation would be Greater And even a Knowledge general and dark Would be the Chooser of our End and Mark. That Love 's most sensible which Sense doth breed But that Commands which Faith and Reason feed The Country than the Map I must confess ☞ â—s much less known but is not known as less A Creat and Certain Object should do more Though darkly known than trifles at my door An Unseen Kingdom would with men prevail To leave their Native place and hoise up sail And venture over stormy boisterous Seas which shews that great things tho unseen most please No wonder if the Knowledge be most clear Or little things which to the sense are near These narrow parcels we can comprehend When unseen Greatness doth the mind transcend But yet This moves the Wheels and is the Spring Before the nearest sight of some small thing That is most Loved which I make my End To which my great designs and actions tend For which I can all other Treasure spend Although I do it darkly apprehend O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Unveiled fully to thy Saints above As fire first kindleth on the nearest Wood My sense thus fixed on the nearest good And where sense fixed there with greatest sense The mind did exercise its Complacence It seem'd more cold to that which distant was Yet still looks further as I forward pass And towards my End the nearer Heav'n I go My Love abstracteth more from things below Love seemeth to get ground and Fear decaies Doubting Grief give place to Thanks Praisâ— And tho Fear wrought with greatest sense before And was in bulk and violence much more Yet the least spark of Love which is sincere Will save the Soul tho mixt with greater Fear Who loves God somewhat the world above him Loving not God as God he doth not love him Love must be so far tryed by the measure That God be Lov'd above all earthly Treasure But that suppos'd the least