Where we no task are set but for to sing The praises of our Liberal Royal King And to adore him in our nature now Mov'd by his spirit his name for to avow As Members of His Body mystical And dyving still in Divine Myst'ries all In Oracles and Ordinances seeing Him and Him in His dispensations eyeing He. These Metaphors I know not what they mean Nor to discern your plainest speech attain The one enfolding deepest mysteries The other not discern'd with carnall eyes Sam. Thou dost not only in the Faith bewray Thy weaknesse but doth wilfully betray Thy self in contradicting sweetest feelings Experimented sensible revealings Flowing and falling timous tides of love Which did thy-then lively affections move Thou know'st what every word we speak doth mean And that it is thy Lovers language clean Appointing for our weaknesse figures frail The splendor of spiritual things to vail As wine and milk aples and hony sweet Under his shadow feasting we delight Lest in His light we should be rapted so That souls should suddenly abortive go Can'st thou the body of the Sun behold And not be dazled if thou wert so bold Whose light and operations yet thou may Enjoy and not thy weaknesse so bewray Amongst the shadows thou may'st feed securely Upon the substance that doth then allure thee Where dyving dayly in this depth by seeing From glory unto glory formed being We come to true tranquillity at length And there enjoy our Lovers joy our strengthâ— So as we may with peace a space suspend That Glories breaking up that doth attend To be imparted for eternitie When we by grace matured for it be Eyes ears and hearts see hear not nor conceives Now what the true Believer then receives Farlesse who can our King conceive aright Untill we be admitted to his sight Who in such Glory inaccessible Enjoyes Himself to us impenitrable But by the grace of faith so apprehended As for our comfort He hath condescended So as we must be bred led fost'red here For sights unseen by such as do appear This is the life ye know Believers live To whom both grace and glory He doth give Up then my heart take heart among thy mates Ly not so sad thy Wel-beloved waitâ— To see thee stir for He will thee sustain Suppose both weak and wanting thou hast been Up up come come go go with us Hel. No no What thou hast said I do believe But lo I am but blind although to see I seem And what I seem'd to see falls out a dream Or vision vanish'd by the way it came Nor know I how I do or what I am Sam. This is not unto death I thee assure But shall His honour and thy health procure What thou hast seen and felt do not deny But His unchanged love believe apply Hele. How can the blind the deaf the dumb confesse Believe apply faith or felt-felt-love professe Doubtlesse I have His fervent love again Provoked and forsaken am Sam. Refrain Thy sense is gone it seems but where 's thy reason For thou art bourding with a birth of treason Because through weaknesse thou canst him provoke Must he his constant counsell then revoke When in thy birth and blood thou lay in bands And hands of death did he not give commands Death to be gone and thee ordain'd to live What merite for this mercy didst thou give Knows he not well that thou no good canst do Without his presence and supply thereto And shall he now reputed be a changer Hele. No but to me he makes himself a stranger Sa. Strange when thou hast thy self from him estranged Thy reason should conclude that he is changed Or that he hath estrang'd himself so far While such love-tokens resting with thee are Hast thou not biding still beside thee here A Mirror full of beauty passing clear Wherein thou dost his portraict true possesse Full means to keep thy heart from heaviness He woo'd thee in a time of fervent love That thou shouldst constant faithfull loyall prove Preparing trimming purifying till The Nuptiall-rites he should compleat fulfill Do not what he hath done for thee deny Extoll his acte and on his truth rely Hele. What thou hast said that surely have I seen Acted by him for me hath truly been I am convinc'd and more than any speach Or largest heart-conceptions can reach But true it is when I to admiration His deeds had found surpassing declaration And then far far far over and above Had felt his sweetnesse in a time of love My melting heart within his heart relenting That almost warms affections in recenting But in that sweetnesse then I fell asleep Surprised with such sopor sad and deep That when I did awake my only One Was gone and now poor I do die alone For in his absence I 'm become a block A wretched fruitlesse and a withered stock Sa. Dost thou conceive these blinks these smiles these smells These melting motions whereof now thou tells Were tendred out thy fancy for to feed No but to strengthen faith for fruit and feed Hele. Then shall I no more look to see my Love Sam. Sense follows such as do most faithfull prove And feelings flee when they are followed most But when we stand by faith there 's nothing lost Hele. Oh! lost What losse can be compar'd to this To lose the only Author of my blisse Sam. Thy Blesse Conceive me and resolve me this If thou hadst thy desire unto thy wish Shouldst thou in this poor dusty rusty shrine Indure that splendor by these beams should shine Upon thy sp'rits Thou know'st how soon they failed When with a little blink thou wast assailed Look up make bold take hold hold fast by hoping And till thine eyes anointed be be groping Amongst thy Mates where I have seen thee there Presse forward with thy pith do not despair He. I know not what nor yet whereof ye mean Sam. I witnesse will as yet what I have seen When first thy Princely Lover to this place Translated thee could'st thou then sleep or cease But with Associats of the Citty using Uncessantly in deepest mysteries musing A frequent waiter at solemnities Much mov'd in minding our immunities About the River spying out thy spots And washing in the Streams away thy blots Upon the Mountains where Heav'ns dew distills And Fountain that with all refreshments fills Thou art so fram'd and to a habite new Inflam'd with firm affections pure and true Exactly set uncessantly to sing The praises of thy ever-glorious King The rarest Aires and sweetest musick matching And unto new inventions nightly watching Adorned with such ornaments ingrain That most infective tempests never stain What hes indured been by men of mights For to defend our priviledged rights Thou hast observ'd and deeply pondered then Composed to be wondred at by men These things deny thou canst not witnesse clear The Cittizens thine own Associats here Witnesse thy vestures new these shining Robes From mourning more refrain restrain thy sobs This world new no
Then never think it strange to see us grieve When he is gone who should our heart relieve Nor strange to see him forc'd for to retire But rather wonder that he should appear And through the latters lend a friendly blink When he perceives the fainting heart to shrink And rather think it strange that so remisse We prove in searching what the quarrel is Of such desertions as the heart do vex And with dejection do the sp'rit perplex I do confesse believing were the best In quietnesse and confidence to rest But saving faith to holinesse adheres And guarded is with many filiall fears And out of love is ever sorely moved When evidences are of love removed Though you conversant are and so inured In heav'nly matters and so well secured Can stand before the gates of hell and make Your progresse yet the weak may stumbling take For in this case much grace we take to be Hopefull sincere in heart humilitie And studying to make out a true disjunction From every motion can obstruct that unction Whereby we be conjoyn'd in that communion With our dear Lover in a sp'rituall union So as by grace grafted in him we grow Up by that influence that from him doth flow Untill we be into his image formed And most devotly to his will conformed But you appear so prudent that therefore We leave to be consider'd lesse and more These our essayes at your command pursued To be by you corrected and renewed And as ye do think meet in time and place Compos'd and right applyed to the case Samuel Helena Sam. MOst precious people saved and secured By force of felt and fervent love allured Your conferences free I have been hearing And do approve and for your better clearing Do certify that your most Princely Love These actings in his children doth approve We who be named gracious be it known No grace but what is giv'n have of our own And by that grace immediatly maintained Converted call'd as you and so sustained The diff'rence only doth consist in this The King his pleasure good was us to blesse â—ince from the womb we came to humane sight To sanctify us by his heav'nly light And separate we be for this effect To do and suffer as he does direct â—ot specially his elect Flock to feed And them unto the living Fountain lead You have been over-hearing what was said â—n reference to this distressed Maid You have been carefull hereby to conceive The myst'ry of her case I do perceive You have been searching out for second causes Which cautioned would be with certain clauses â—ut you are sober and are satisfi'd â—om solide grounds of reason certifi'd And this is right for never one as yet Of soundest and profoundest searching wit In natures secrets by the Physicks poring Or winged with the Metaphysicks soaring Exactly could the causes and effects Matter and form with all their due respects Produc'd by natures infinite variety On severall objects marvelous rariety Conceiv'd by science or by all their Art Ever demonstrate to the thousand part Our princ'ples are with much experience fraught So by our practice we are daily taught And new essays are set on work again More light by new discoveries to attain Our King the God of Nature only knows The nature matter form effects and cause Of all things for by Him they are and shall Bring forth his glory and our gladnesse all This Microcosme Man a world contains Of various parts his Maker all maintains And this great world in all its sev'rall acts Subservient unto mans up-making makes Bodies celestiall in their sev'rall Spheres And all that to the Firmament adheres In all their various courses contribute To our continuance comfortable fruit What herb fruit flow'r beast fowl or fish there is But bend their best concurrence to our blesse The weak the strong the bitter sowre and sweet The hot the cold in their degrees compleat In all their concords and their sympathies Discords divisions and antipathies Find mater for their master Man to make Him see they do his service undertake And who can doubt but man immortal might Have stood if not deprived of that light Deservedly which in his soul did shine And did all knowledge necessar confine His present being to preserve if he Preserved had his prime integrity They stand in force but we now fallen blind Judicially death and destruction find Amidst the means of life but yet our King Doth us to light and life from darkness bring So as that now we may most clearly see That ev'ry case we come through doth agree With our condition present presuppose We should much weaknesse under wrath disclose And as amongst the sons of men we find That many are in many things inclin'd Alike none of all Adam's race have been That in all things to sympathize were seen For as we diff'rent in our faces be So in our gifts is great diversity But as all Simples from the earth that grow Or from th' elementary Ocean flow By skilfull composition refin'd Wonders do work when they are well combin'd Ev'n so with men in all their sev'rall motions Deeds dispositions and their various notions There doth result by heavens high decree To our great King a heav'nly harmonie Let it our study deep be to devise The Author of these wonders how to prize How we are wonderfully made to be From nothing and maintained wonderously How wonderfully have we wandred far How wonderfully we reclaimed are Wonder upon that glorious Majesty That shines on all his works so wondrously Wonder upon his condescentions sweet Whereby these wonders with our weaknesse meet Him him who perfect is and infinite Simple eternall essentially compleat Surpassing wonder sacredly adore And in adoring humbly wonder more Wonder upon his wisdomes deep contriving By death to bring thy death-bound lifes relivieng That his eternall Son thy flesh assum'd To ransom thee that unto death was doom'd That he eternally did so delight T' obscure his glory to procure thy light That by th' eternal Sp'rit he us inspires With grace divine faith and devote desires To know believe himself his truth and love And thereinto most loyally to move These be the contemplations best that can Beseem and do become the love-bred man These thoughts sublime can elevate alone The heart soul-savory fruit to feast upon To seal an union and communion sweet In all transcendent love divine compleat With him in heav'n who hath mans nature plac'd And by his spirit us on earth so grac'd Let us suppose that all the worlds of men Stood up on life that ever lived then That every man a different world were Of all things that hath been shall be or are And variously these all were animated With all indowments that have been created These all were also into one compacted And all were in one quintessence extracted Those spirits pure most peircing sure should prove And yet be dazled at this depth of love In darkest clouds this love finds out a
He hes trod the wine-presse of Gods wrath alone and none with Him He hes bruised the head of the old serpent that was lifted up against us He hes given the deadly stroak to all our enemies led them captive and cast them under chaines of darknesse unto the condemnation of the great day and were there ever man or Angel could have imagined of such things to have been done for them And is it possible for us out of the deepest of our conceivings to think seriously of these wonders that the Lord hes eternally designed for us and in time done for us and not be ravished with the admiration of them and over-joyed in belief of them And yet what lesse could He have done for us seeing it was His holy and eternall determination to espouse us to Himself and for that end to sprinkle us with His bloud that we may be imbraced and put beauty upon us that we may be loved by Him who is all love and admitted to His Bed-Chamber and Breasts of consolation where feasting upon that all-fulnesse and unconceivable sweetnesse that is in Him we may say and sing As we have heard so have we seen In the City of our God and of our King A SONG OF DEGREES Ascending from what we were in Nature to what we are in Grace and thence to what we shall be by believing NOw Saviour dear my soul receive Flesh blood and bones slides to the grave Grace hath procur'd by argument Of Nature now a full consent That the body shall remain Asleep till I return again And that I shall approach and prove Sweet Saviour now thy saving Love Amongst these mansions shining bright Where souls are feasting on thy sight And at what instant thou dost call The body then assume I shall That thence restor'd for evermore We in thy face may God adore That seeing there as we are seen Where never cloud doth interveen Nor subtile serpent shall appear With syren songs to tempt the ear Nor interrupt our Songs of love So set our present thoughts above As is the Heaven of heavens so far From thoughts infirm that finite are But yet because the Glory there Transcends believing let us spare And set our Songs in order right According to our present Light Of faith which fraught with wonders clear By pond'ring makes grac'd-men admire His Love and beauty still increasing While we His praises be expressing Let us make His Glorious Name Our deepest thoughts our chiefest theam So as we may with singing move In joyfull Songs of Praise and Love His Name His Name most highest high Essentiall God in Majesty Who with the Father and the Sp'rit As Counseller did take delight In this most Glorious Universe And here with men for to converse By wisdome viewing all the wonders That now appear surpassing numbers In these magnificent degrees And statutes of eternities All things by Omnipotency From nothing op'ning instantly Omniscience all things observing His providence all things preserving In all their comings goings courses Places cases and recourses According to their inclination Set by supream preordination Of that eternall counsell standing And unsearchably commanding Seen and unseen varieties Diversities rarieties From that Infinity proceeding Transcending this dimm twi-light reading Even in these clear excellencies That obvious be unto our eyes Far lesse find out Him infinite In His perfections full compleat Incomprehensible and pure Uncheangable that does indure But let our faithfull thoughts be fixt Upon that new creation next Wherein we deeply be concern'd To dive and be divinely learn'd Not by the line of humane learning But by the spirit of discerning To know how that most fatall fall The race of Adam damned all Deserv'dly left and so forlorn In bands of death and darknesse born Till in that Counsell now admired That wisdom wonderfull umpired Mercy and justice entering band In upright righteousnesse to stand To ransome from that rotten stock And so redeem a saved flock By sep'rating a second Root That should produce a precious fruit And by a sappie substance firme Regenerat renew confirme Whereby the power of His Sp'rit The marvell of all marvels meet When Members mysticall implanted Be in the divine nature fainted As being in the Head divine Where God doth in His fulnesse shine For by this mysterie adored Christ mystical's from death restored Here Soveraignity does shine And Love anterior to time Unto the Elect does appear Illustrious and shining clear Omniscience observing all And every one about this ball In every one and all their cases That by His pleasure He imbraces Omnipotency such preserving As be convinc'd of no deserving His providences likewise prove The firmnesse of His faithfull Love The travell of His Soul reviving In that all-wonderfull contriving And fully satisfi'd therein Because the fruit should purge our sin Whereby we ly in bands of wrath Untill we do apply His death Opening our eyes to see with grief Our selves and Him a sure relief Firmly fixing in our thought The wondrous wayes whereby he brought From nothing us to nature then From reasonlesse to rationall men From reason render'd reasonlesse Not standing in our steadfastnesse But prostitute to sinfull lust Were under death and darknesse thrust Again this true eternall Love Mov'd by His Sp'rit again to move Upon that then confused masse More marr'd then the first Chaos was When this good Sp'rit to order wrought That glorious work from nothing brought Whereby we may our weaknesse see The more observant hence to be Impressions pressing on the heart From which he never will depart Untill His Image be repair'd And we for glorie be prepar'd But guides us all the way we go And when we wander warns us so That through a world we are led Of snares that be before us spred Where swarms of devils are devising Daily our darkned souls surprizing And what a fray of lusts unclean Are from the spawn of satan seen Kindled and cannot quenched be Untill corruption crushed be O wonder now and wondering sing The praises of this wondrous King God His own Son Gods sole delight The life of man the worlds light Man to redeem mans nature taking That he might die for mans up-making Obscur'd be put to grief and brusing And all with chiefest pleasure chusing In time prefixt His Seed to see EMANUEL marvelous will be And now as then divinely seeing Imbraces in this glorious being Every minut under time Souls redeem'd from every clime Where this glorious Gospel's sounding Alairts and parts this globe surrounding Swarming up in severall Legions Received in celestiall regions And ordered in prepared places According to their gifted graces This is our glorious King of Hosts Sing to His praise you blessed ghosts For at His feet youâ— foes do fall While He conveens combines you all Because your high and glorious Head His fulnesse you and Members made His pains your gains His glory now Made Him delight to be with you Angels in these wonders using Minds apted rapted be in musing And ministring their service still Adoring do His glorious will And Souls redeem'd their songs begin This glory as they enter in And we in contemplation now Delight to sympathize with you In your triumphant state adoring Your King and in His glory soaring Swiming in Oceans of delights And visions of transcendent sights These glorious objects of your seeing The subject of your singing being When His comfortable reflectings Shines upon your crosse neglectings And your putting Him to grief Meets with this Royal Grace-relief Seeing now as you are seen And knowing that you might have been Amongst the damn'd by your deserving Under utter darknesse starving Where millions every minut rumble And in endlesse torments tumble While you upon His face do feed And the righteous reasons read Of all His judgements just and high That holy and unchanged be When all the Generations Of men since the creations And Angels come both good and bad To hear their sentence sweet and sad When at the twinkling of an eye The wicked shall rejected be And will endure eternall pain Rather then see that face again In righteous judgement justly burning For their grievous guilty spurning When the Faithfull father'd aright Remain rejoicing in His sight Who be of His rich grace the seed And now incorporate in the head Wherein of God all fulnesse growes And on the Members overflowes Here men and Angels clearly see The Counsells of eternity Wherein the Son of God rejoyced Eternally to see proposed This state of Sonship to the Saints With whom espoused now He haunts In heavens of blesse so far above As is the heavens we see to move This earth above and passe accounts As infinite finite surmounts From ev'ry severall soul whose cases Differs further then their faces But when in these infinities We enter and eternities And in the pleasures thereof placed And glory there by grace imbraced According to the great design Of God our Lord doth then resign Power Kingdome and authority To God alone who sets him free Of all his foes who be brought down When he receives the Royall Câ—own Of triumph now Christ mysticall Fully compleat who filleth all Now in Hiâ— Bride redeem'd rejoycing And she with joy on Him reposing In these vast dimensions bright Where He alone is all her light Life diet and delight alone The subjects of their Songs each one Nor could created-heavens contain These glorious Songs there heard and seen Sounding out from every airt And every soul a severall part And in such order sweet compos'd As all the heavens shall be rejoyc'd In the uncessant consolation Of this redeemed corporation When the King of Kings the Head A King hes every Member made And Priest to offer praises due And constantly their Songs renew But as we said so let us cease Towards these mysteries to prease Eye hes not seen ear cannot hear Nor heart conceive till we appear What for the Chosen was prepar'd And then it duely be declar'd Only by believing this Shall be above believing blesse And blessednesse which might allay All our wrestlings in the way And under hope the soul sustain Untill we may the fruit obtain When we shall joine and be victorious In that triumphant state so glorious And springing through the Skies shall sing All joyfull praises to our King FINIS
he is under dreadfull confusiâ—ns and hesitations in hazard of miscarriage and â—ady to give over untill it please the Lord to reâ—eal Himself more clearly and thereby making â—o the work of faith with power brings out the â—risoner of hope unto the open air of the Goâ—el to lay hold upon the Prince of life and by â—eholding Him the Captain of our Salvation 〈◊〉 giving His Life to the death for penitent and â—elieving sinners hes destroyed death spoiled 〈◊〉 of the sting and the law of its strength quieâ—ng the conscience in satisfying justice and so â—eeing the fearfull soul from the rigorous exactiâ—s of a fierce and fiery law unto a further growth â—f grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But being by much weaknesse almost â—vercome in these wrestlings and like an unwise â—n having stayed long in the breaking forth of â—ildren by gracious assistance having gained â—me better ground of confidence I break out in â—is contest with my self Ho! hellish heath dost thou not tire to toile Thy self alongst this stinking Stigian Lake What canst thou like in this forsaken Soile Where all that drove of damned devils quake Ah dost thou look for Limbos Patrum here For Purgatory or poor Infants pain No the eternall wrath of God severe Doth ever burn none doth return again Ho! lo these swelling sulph'rous floods that roar Gaze no more on these griefly ghosts forlorn Wambling in wofull endlesse torments sore Blaspheming God that ever they were born Return withdraw now do ye danger dread Despair attends and can ye overturn Thou hadst dropt down if not upheld indeed Where all these ever-dying damned mourn He that upholds thee bids thee turn in haste To taste and feast upon this fervent Love Return my soul therefore unto thy rest Prepare thy heart His mercies force to prove How canst thou be so base as misbelieve Him who hes shed His blood to set thee free Wilt thou by incredulity deprive Thy self of peace so purchased for thee Thy guilty Conscience and the Law exact He silenc'd hes that ye can say no more And now thou may this day come see and take His truth His grace Himself thee to restore Is it not now so naturall to thee Him to believe since thou art born again As once it was His truth to vilifie When thou in nat'rall darknesse did remain Thy bands thy bondage all thy tort'ring terrors From infidelity unpurg'd do spring May not this ransom now remove thy errours When death and hell hereby hes lost the sting The Law like the Law-maker doth remain Righteous and holy sp'rituall and just So doth thy Conscience here bear witnesse plain Of what thou dost amisse for that it must But none of these can hinder thee to hold The grip that thou hast got of God by grace No they do let thee see that thou art sold By sin a slave to satan and do chase Thee now with speed timous supplie to take And wonder that thou art prevented so Before the Law thy conscience did awake For then remedilesse had been thy woe Thy reason cannot thy relief receive Thy guilt will ever keep thee under grief Then shalt thou so thine own poor soul deceive And it bereave of offered relief Arise therefore and mourn the more for sin That now thou seest it hes procur'd Gods ire Again to see slain Christ for thee begin Whose blood doth quench that fear'd infernall fire Doubtlesse I would be fred of this wanrest Wherein I wrestle as a wretch forlorn Under the weight of guilt and wrath supprest And with the torment of these terrours torn But now I see I must for life believe On Him who freely loves and freely gives Not that for my believing I may live That I may live He gives me to believe And firmly now to fix upon His Love His Mercy Truth and power infinite And by the motions of His Grace to move As He shall give assistance by His Sp'rit And yet as the naturall man before he comâ— to the years of discretion by education and experience is exposed unto many dangerous trialâ— and troubles wherein he is often in danger oâ— ruine being like an untamed Colt or a wildâ— Asse in the Wildernesse snuffing up the wind brutishly exposing himself unto the perill of perishing every day in his riot and insolency Right so the new Man albeit come out of the womb of Regeneration wrestled through the straits and travels of new Birth escaped the poweâ— of the Law bondage and darknesse where undeâ— he was kept and that for the time corruptioâ— hes been kept far under that it could not get up the head having tasted how good the Lord is and doth grow up by sucking in the sincere Milâ— of the Word Yet the old and bold Serpent that vigilant subtill and restlesse enemie of our Salvatioâ— sleepes not but lyes at all advantage by all means to make use of every time under all cases for undoing all that God hes done in us so far as lyes in his power Who seeing us so satisfied with what we have received lets us swell a little and then like an Angell of Light lifts us up and leads us ouâ— of the humble and holy way of self denyal and sincere dependence for daily and immediate support unto self-confidence and carnall contentment abusing the rich mercy and turning the free grace received unto wantonnesse so that before I was aware was left in the dark pestered with meny piercing temptations and much foiled under some fearfull devices Which perceivingâ— and after some serious pause turning to my strong hold and putting on the armour of proof entered the fight of faith under his Banner who overcame for me Confident that He would also overcome in me to the praise of the glory of His Grace I break out in this passion Thou damned Devil go to the hells and die That never dying death thy portion just Infernall Feind fall down and scoarchingly For ever Why It is thy doom thou must Down downly die and there thy power restrain The Lord reprove thy pride and malice vain This passion thou puts me to perforce â—ecause thou dost perplex and vex me still Who by thy wiles would me from God divorce â—nd dragg me after thy pernicious will In plots profound thy wits thou dost imploy By treacherous trains poor souls for to destroy Thou like a Syren canst thy song enchant Untill the carnall part thereto incline When in resemblance thou dost seem a Saint This cruell craft is found in thee and thine The world worldlings at thy wish thou hast And mine own flesh to keep me in unrest My facile mind thou also much dost mar With many foolish fantasies confuse And to my judgment erâ—ors also dare Present maintain with lies and bid me chuse The rules of reason and of carnall sense So to destroy my faith on this pretence Thou lets my sins forsaken me before And shews my sorrow is below my sin And that to
delihgts most eminently move His countenance the Suns bright rayes obscures His love the adamantine heart allures His wisdom all His works in order dresses His might maintains His right and pride suppresses And I am bound His bountie to believe Which changes not but shall my sp'rit relieve In His good time on whom I do rely And studie shall my self how to deny Sam. Now art thou happy and my heart is glad To see thy faithfull heart from fainting fred Hold fast and follow hard with firm desires Faith quenches not but kindles sacred fires Hele. It doth become me well to wait I see But Oh again that He would smile on me How shall I find Him out and where I pray Sam. Hold straight believe me thou art in the way Deck up thy self approach He sees thee come And with His comforts shall thee overcome The Royal King a Princely Garden plants With curious flowres and thither daily haunts Feeding among the Lillies smelling Roses Nuts Spices and perfums composing Poses A sweet Loves feast for thee He doth prepare Down in the fruitfull flow'ry valleys there And from the valley shall convey thee thence Where thy try'd faith in that long long'd for sence Is swallowed up there where the marriage loves Exceeding all conceiv'd desires thou proves There where He shall thy faith bred soul imbrace Within the consolations of His face Wherein the splendor of that brightnesse poring And in the glory of that glore adoring Renewed rayes immortall life restoring Admiring magnifying and sweetly soaring High up amongst these holy heavenly hosts Of glorious and glorified ghosts With golden harps about the throne who sing New songs of their redemption to their King Hele. O but these sweet expressions relish well My frozen heart begins to melt I feel These words unto my wearied soul I think Like precious oyl so savingly do sink Slides down like my Beloveds wine so sweetly Wakens from sleep my tongue to speak compleatly O that once for Himself He would me seal What can be nam'd that may with love prevail Insist therefore For I do gladly hear And till the tongue be loos'd shall lend the ear Sam. The weakest means have force enough to move Affections when they be surpriz'd with love He cals and sees thee come from mountains steep Which Leopards and cruel Lyons keep Leaning on thy Beloved who doth love His truth and strength at length to see thee prove Observe with me this brief gradation now And I shall cease a space and hearken you For help to our capacity compare The outward splendor of this fabrick where By nature from the caverns of the womb Out of which dungeon to the world thou came Again compare the difference aright Betwixt this Paradice and that dark night Of nature which the other so transcends As over bodies lively sp'rits ascends And there the diff'rence vast again conceive Betwixt the life of sense we shall receive And this of faith wherein we forward thrust Untill we be refined in the dust When interruptions all shall be removed And we inlarg'd to love as we be loved In knowing and injoying him who is The Author of our everlasting blesse In this gradation we may something see But under what it is infinitley SONG I. Light out of Darknesse Hel. INfinitely most certainly for feeble we Conceive aright cannot these mysteries The spot upon our blotted eyes rejecting These rayes which yet with splendor bright reflecting Upon the then capacitated sp'rits Which warming beams affections invites But so transcendent that our present case Such super-excellency cannot imbrace For dazled with these glistring gleams What we receive seems be but dreams When we let slip by our secure neglectings The grip of faith glaming at these reflectings Spare therefore to compare our deepest apprehensions Do but impair his praise whose love 's above dimensions He is more fragrant when he 's most remote Then nearest dearest loves whereon we doat Conjecture then when he appears so near That thou may'st touch and taste and smell and hear Tell if thou can this other man And so we shall recall our long debate And treat of love for all For mine he is and I am his And who could wish so high a blesse As to be treas'ring up a stock of praise While we are hurling through these whirling dayes Sam. Now my dear friends it seems to me ye shrink And I may well conjecture what ye think I shew'd you first that you should surely see Matters to make you much a musing be Eliza. This sudden change makes me indeed admire And yet the reason must of thee enquire And that she may be prayed to proceed That on her fulnesse we may further feed Song I. continued Hel. God in his Saints ador'd admir'd My soul exalts this day desir'd Of his free grace he hath appointed Among this fellowship anointed With ghostly graces for my grieves So as my life a new revives Surpriz'd with sense of love so far That flaming my affections are And for the time can do no more But th' Author of this love adore And gladly would be set to sing The praises of my Spouse and King And to record his noble acts Who passeth by my fond mistakes And smiles upon my face again That I may faithfull hence remain Now all you sweetest saints that uses To haunt these shads you sacred Muses And Graces that with me did groan In my distracted mourning moan Earth rivers all below above Come sympathize in songs of love Of love above all parallell so far As stars above the earthly glob that are You Groves and Downs where erst I deadly lay I 'le rise and dance about your doors this day Eliza. Oh now for stirring spirits that could move Amongst the flames of this heart-forcing love Amongst the wonders of this world most strange What can compare with this sweet sudden change This day of gladnesse let us now agree To solemnize this glorious victory I reverence do the Providence Divine Which in this meeting doth so clearly shine But for to sing or say confused here I cannot speak or do but still admire Sam. Come I will take thee by the hand we 'll go With her alongst these Downs and Groves also Where she hath wandred in her weighty dayes And cease their sorrow with a song of praise Then South begin and blow upon our Myrtle trees And North proceed to show thy strength to eternize This glory in each airt a crosse the continent The whole Creation may with our Love-songs consent Now rocks begin to roar for ye's the Treble take And trees attend your lowre for ye's the Tenor make My self the Base shall be Muses be ye the Meen So we shall seriously sing Solace we have seen SONG II. Life out of Death Sam. SAy on say on solaced sweetly surely we have been Jea Play on play on sense-moving mater surely we have seen Rocks We's roar and cry Trees Our strength we's try Our roots lay by With startling
generations hath revived and brought forth from the Womb of Regeneration a fair Family of Believers and by the Gospel-ordinances gathered them into his Garden of grace by the New and Living Way where the Fountain and Well of Life is opened free for all that will come to smell the Flowers and feast upon the Fruits of eternall and unchangeable Bounty infinitely preferable to all their losses where he conversing with them prepares them for the Pallace-Royall the Place of his Habitation where Mansions are appointed for them that they may be where He is that they may see His Glory and reâ—oice in Him for evermore And that as they have born the image of the earthly so we may â—ear the Image of the Heavenly And here is the prime and most precious Subâ—ect of Christian Contemplation where the Believer may expatiate and ingratiate himself in the â—weetest Recreations and Consolations by attaining unto and entertaining of an unseparable communion with God in Christ by the Holy Ghost â—nseparably One and only adorable MAZE 1. for restriction Job 37.33 34 HEnce carnall minds that apprehend Erroniously The Incomprehensible to comprehend most impiously Lights glorious Center inaccessible who can behold Lifes-life eternall unexpressible who can unfold How then shall men come to conceive Of this rare Blesse some do receive By Gods preordinate appointing who be renew'd And by the Holy Ghosts anointing who be indowed Brightly to see that Majesty Of God-Man that great Mystery Of love unto the Elect-seed Whence admiration doth proceed May come and see and so confesse Professe His Name and praise expresse And you who humbled in the sense of wants And search to know the priviledge of Saints May come in faith with reverence and fear See that without this frame you do forbear MAZE 2. for instruction 1 John 3.2 IN all these Mazes where we move The ground we walk upon is love And where we make approachings near Let 's come in reverence and fear Before His glorious Name who is A Beam supream of boundlesse blesse But so resplendent and transcendent To make appear convincing clear Behold this naturall Sun whose gleams doth apprehend us And whose illuminating beams doth comprehend us And thence infer how far The supream Author of this all excels this Star In this all comprehensive name I AM so condescending Eternall simple still the same all comprehending And in Emanuell sweetly seen In this fair Garden ever green Where daily with celestial showrs Be nourished His rarest flowrs Untill He glorifie His grace In such as here do Him imbrace MAZE 3. For incouragement Isa 55 John 1.27 HEre Soveraignity doth shine In condescensions so divine That ye whose lights are now anointed And for these glorious sights appointed On whom the Holy Ghost alone Hes left impressions upon Look in loves Christ-all mirrour clear Where loves sweet mystery does appear Firmly fixed till acquainted Thou be by faith therein indented This is the Mountain of our rest This sweetest Fountain only best Come drink salvation at this cup And on these consolations sup Where pleasures joy and peace abounds And glory to His Grace redounds Who Wonderfull will not conceal His Excellence but does reveal Himself so clear that we may read Him in His Name and on Him feed This Food who tasts shall thirst no more For fading gain or earthly glore But longing still to be translated Where they may be for ever stated MAZE 4. Loves mysterie 1 Tim. 3 1â— YE all who find your selves secure By lively saving faith and sure Who hes smell'd and who hes tasted Who hes felt and who hes feasted On these Love-dazling Mysteries divine Which on our cleared eyes do shine Of Man in God and God in Man Who sp'ritually destinctly scan Humanity still unconfounded With Deity and conjunctly bounded And do before The Unity in Trinity adore Advance that most admired Grace And feed upon that fairest Face For there alone and no where else That Love is found of love that smels That can be feasted on and felt The heart of Adamant can melt It 's life alone to be resolv'd In this this love to be disolv'd Tract it still and be allur'd So shall ye surely be secur'd O for these breathings of this Love That would the whole affections move MAZE 5. The fountain inexhaustible I AM THAT I AM GOD All Glorious I am that pure immense Ens entium Ens. Am I not wisdome infinite and love That omnipotent omnipresent whence I in my justice and my mercy move Am I not that sublime profound Abysse God Trinity in Unity compleat All truth all light all life eternall blesse Glorious holy Father Son Sp'rit GOD Holy Ghost eternall and infinite All Light all Life all Vertue pure compleat Irradiant being by whom all beings be Most blessfull breathings of the Vnity Sublime all-piercing and all-searching Spirit God Holy Ghost Eternall and Infinite E Expressed Splendor of the Deity M Might Majesty admir'd in Man Divine M Mercy rejoyc'd with Justice to agree A And Justice seen with joy in Mercy shine N Nerve of substantial Truth Illustrious fair V Wisdome and Well of Life where beauty springs E Eternall God of God God to declare L Lights Center where all Saints enlightned sings MAZE 6. Loves Labyrinth Eph. 5.23 THe race of man sprung from th'apostate reins deplorable And bitter root that all the branches stains restorable The mystery of man's defecting ponder The mind of God in mans perfecting wonder Perfected man degenerate by defection Defected man regenerate to perfection Adam by nature damn'd when he defected Damn'd Adam now refram'd by grace perfected O happy they may now we say Are such as sees with sp'ritual eyes aright these mysteries And do with reverence adore This Glorious Majesty before Fixed by faith till they prevail By pregnant prying through the vail The root of man elected leads this round And with the fruit of this great mist'ry's crown'd Come then and see the King as ye would live And by believing herein deeply dyve His power and his promise both believe So shalt thou see delight and love and live And with Heav'ns Quiristers adore and sing High Hallelujahs to this Glorious King MAZE 7. Loves mirrour Isa 45.22 LOve-dazled eyes look up and see Where purest spirits prying be And with seraphick love inflam'd You shall by fixing prove refram'd Gods only Son Gods rebell-wrath indure O love alluring Gods Sonship to Gods rebels to procure O large procuring We lay in darknesse till His glory shin'd And now He hes our souls in His combin'd Ingrav'd upon His Heart and Hands we be Ingrafted in His God-Man-Flesh be we Members more made Mates for Marriage loves To Him for whom the whole Creation moves In heaven and earth and hel whose scepter sweyes And dazles humane eyes with divine Rayes This Love all limits far exceeds Of length and depth and heighth and breadth Past comprehension by perusing A tractat for eternall musing Oh that our whole
exceeding good It shines in glory on ingratitude That mercy may in God admired be He makes an object of our misery Justice ador'd shines bright in Jesus bleeding By merits mercy for our persons pleading Eternall love shines clear in timous grace Gaining the elect of the rebell-race Counsell and comfort for the heart contrite Long suff'ring to convince the haughty sp'rit That life and light by which we see and live That sp'rit of truth whereby we do believe By whom alone these glorious rayes transcendent Become so bountifully condescendent And from the grounds of these ingredients green Sov'raign preservatives to save are seen For feeding breeding feasting framing right The Babe of Grace translated unto light A sp'rituall sympathy of inclination 'Twixt Head and Members by a new creation As naturall grafts well grafted in the root Come timely to their known and kindly fruit By shedding out and sucking substance sweetly Incorp'rate and corroborate compleatly This practicall Divinity could make Which of the Divine Nature doth partake For through the vail admitted by believing We instantly receive above conceiving To see our selves blind-born sin-born and more Death-born wrath-born forlorn for eveâ—more And in that minut then immediatly Light life relief and true tranquillity By looking up and in this JEWEL dyving Presented for perpetuall reviving As on the heart it doth impression take And kindly motions to the Mover make So as with longings we enlarg'd may be This glory to enjoy triumphantly From this One-all One-uncreated Blesse Who glorious in the whole Creation is Till face to face we Called come to see And chang'd from glory unto glory be The Symphonicall Desires and delights of all Saints in their Retirements SONG I. DArknesse depart do not our eyes deprive Of this bright Star of day that doth appear To usher in the Sun that can revive Our fainting hearts and clouded spirits clear The Rose of Sharon all our banks and bowers Perfumes with odours of all ointment sweet Our fields be sending forth the fairest flowres The singing birds our slownesse do invite The Turtle mourning for her Mate doth moan Because his comming he so long delayes And we affected with her griefs do groan And tune our Lutes unto her mourning layes Most glorious Sun of righteousnesse consent To hear to see to cause thy face to shine The clouds dispell make clear the firmament And for thy coming move us to incline Oh that we could Thee know believe and love Then could we not but for thy coming long Wonder importunate we do not prove Untill our sighs be turned to a song Most glorious King out through the continent The glorious Gospel gloriously convey Make all the Nations come with one consent To kisse the Son and on his statutes stay The Devil that by delusion doth deceive The world lost roaring in fiery rage Of whom the Beast and Prophet false receive Babel and Balaam's ruine for their wage Endite condemn discover give them doom With these the Whoor flagitious detect The Serpent and the Man of Sin consume From all their drifts redeem thy dear Elect. Triumphant Monarch for thy Truth appear And with thy brazen legs these tyrants turn Out of the way with eyes of flaming fire These fiends pursue and in thy fury burn When shall thy garments stain'd with blood be seen Of these proud foes that do thy grace disdain The glory of these wonders doth pertain To thee this might and malice to restrain How this wild Lion through the earth doth reel And prey upon poor blind-born Adams race Whirling the worldly minded like a wheel Up by his gins thy Image to deface Thou sees O Thou who pow'r hes to prevent This vile invet'rate and invective spleen And for destroying Satans works was sent Our evil deserts let not thy help detain Dread King who question dare thy just decrees Mysterious holy righteous and profound For out of all apparent contraries Glory and might right doth to thee redound Let all the hosts in heav'n and earth be still And with submission simple thee adore The Projects of thy wise eternall will To see fulfill'd rejoice for evermore All revolutions strange our King aright Doth by a change of providence direct By death and darkness making life and light Brightly appear for all his dear Elect. Heav'ns King our sp'rits more sp'ritually dispose And shine upon the seed of saving grace That faithfully and fruitfully repose We may and all the swey of flesh displace The time that thou art glorious to appear Hasten impediments out of the way Remove that seeing eyes clear'd to admire The magnified in thy members may The wicked world that doth in lies delight The voice of truth and wisdom doth disdain And will not see till everlasting night Close up their fight in soul-tormenting pain Longing we be when we himself may see Shining in glory on his glorious Throne Where feasting in his glorious face we 'll be When immortality we have put on Welcome great King let now the glorious Day Begin to dawn of thy eternall reign In righteousnesse thy Royall Scepter swey Of mercy and of judgement we may sing Time mend thy pace unto thy period post Stir up thy strength do not retard nor slide All shall be done anone be gone thou must Eternity to sink thee down doth glyde Let us our sp'rits a little time compose And fix upon the starry Firmament And all the Stars that are let us suppose Full as the Sun did shine so excellent And that this glob of earth transparent were And ev'ry star out from his glorious Sphere Darting his rayes and influence so far As all dimensions of the world appear â—oor worms we never could a blink endure Of this created glory we conceive â—ut in the beauty of this brightnesse sure Be raz'd because we could it not receive â—gain by faith in contemplation ponder What places for the Elect are prepared â—o far surpassing all the Stars in number â—nd to the glory of the Sun compared 〈◊〉 immortality when we 're arrayed â—nd for these places pure spiritualized â—ransparent in this splendor there displayed â—nd yet humane remain so subtillized Yet our great King those changes we perceive From naturall darknesse to this light of grace Exceeds more fully then we can conceive Till we receive that fulnesse in His face Where that all-glorious increated light Remains whence we our light and life derive And shall enjoy joyes in His joyfull sight Unseen unheard till there we do arrive Who see these marvels but they must admire Who see admire but doubtlesse they do long Who see admire and long but do aspire Seated to be these miracles among But rather how is it we do not weigh The wisdome of our King and condescend Simply unto His dispensations high Who our desires unruly doth suspend Untill by tryals strong through truth sustained Our lost condition and His love we see And by His grace be from the world weaned And fitted for this Life of Glory be
alone was able to endure and overcome but to be allured and enlarged by freedome from outward and supply against inward intanglement to recent the variety of most observable Dispensations wherewith I have been exercised these 70. years and to read over the Endictment of provocations upon the travels and troubles that I have been tossed with in that time allotted me hereto being sustained under and rescued from the distractions of all the trials and temptations that I have tasted of unto this day But specially since the time that by grace I have had in any measure my senses exercised to discern the benefite of his presence and Providence ordinary and extraordinary and the burden and bitternesse of his absence the deepest and darkest hell that the child of God meets with and therefore carries the name of Desertion albeit not properly being partiall and blessed be the Lord but temporall and not according to the measure But I forbear knowing that the exercises of Gods children are various and all wonderfull both in maner and measure And seing I have found that the most sad tart distractive or destructive whereof I have tasted whether upon the mind conscience name means body or friends have been prescribed by such wisedome inflicted by such favour qualified by such compassion timed by such prescience and sweetned by such deliverance and thereby produced such inward consolation that I have been overcome in admiring and adoring that depth of excellency that hath therein appeared and thereby become desirous to impart some part thereof unto others that the Christian Believers who have been sustained under the like trials feasted upon the like furniture and delighted with the like deliverances may take occasion to renew their songs of thanksgiving and praise to their Royal Provisor and Captain of their Salvation And likewise that such who scar at the Profession and keep at distance by reason of the Crosse and contumelies that cleave unto the Professor unto whom nothing is certain but what is seen and present whereas unto the Believer things future and unseen for the time be most certain and yet will out of curiosity glance at every thing as if they were making use of all things May know that it is for want of spirituall discerning and senses so exercised to taste and smell the sweet fruits of a sanctified Crosse that keeps them from closing with and coming under the Colours of the Captain of Salvation who leads through and feeds with such freedom and furniture as should make them sing under all their sufferings The project and end of all being to induce and perswade unto the ardent study of this secret and saving way of God upon the soul unto convincing and converting whereby the faith of His eternall Love being increased all the desires and delights of the heart may be fixed upon and fervently intended for a Communion with Him who is altogether delectable and only desirable The matter manner and circumstances being consonant to Scripture-verity Scripture-president and the experience of the most sound and sincere the figures and metaphors familiar and significant the composing and personating thereof to the life whereby the matter may be the more perspicuous and leave the better impression I trust shall not offend any And now most Noble and truely Religious Lady although your Ladyship hes been honoured with the patronage of the most exquisite exercise of practicall Divinity that hes seen the light in our dayes yet I trust your L. shall not esteem it inconsistent with that well deserved reputation enjoyed by you that your L. name is here most deservedly prefixt as sole Lady and Mistris of this Quire being so well versed in exercises of this nature being also of a continued standing in the way of Christianity from your infancy untainted and undanted by temptation or tribulation from within or from without how plausible or how perillous soever they have appeared constantly keeping the path that is called holy by the line of Truth and Righteousnesse as the fruits of that saving faith once given to the Saints without reversion which workes by love clear and sufficient evidence hereof removing all grounds of suspiâ—ion of private respects or vulgar ends and who can discern aright the vertue or attain unto the utility of such supplies of His gracious presence and providence but such as have seen and felt tasted and feasted upon the sweet and soul-ravishing fruits of eternall infinite and unchangeable love wisdome mercy power and faithfulnesse of God in them The sensible fruition whereof at some times unto the Saints is like sweet oyntment powred out and gives such fragrant smells as sets the Virgins upon a Love-ardour and extasie in enquiring after Him when He seems absent whom they have found altogether Lovely and only desirable when in His Garden of Grace He hes been letting down the Dew of Heaven upon the spices of His own planting Here your Ladyship hes been nourisht cherisht and refresht amongst your associats flourisht and been fruitfull and instrumentall to the comfort and encouragement of others under the diversity of severall cases incident to these of your fellowship I have likewise after your Ladyship remembered the name of that famous and memorable Matron Marion Macknaught whose memory hes left a sweet smell behind her and whose soul is now so over-joyed in Saviour-love that she rests superexceedingly satisfied attending the finall consummating of all things subject to alteration and the glory that is to be revealed through which she hes been well guided and guarded and after whom and others that be gone before Your Ladyship is advancing through the windings and mazes of this labyrinth the task and tryall of a Christian Believer where is to be obtained the greatest victories imaginable and also to be gained the richest treasures of all desirable excellencies attainable only by the guiding of the holy Ghost in holding fast the well twisted threed of sacred truth whereby we make a sweet entry a sure progresse and a victorious retreat whereas in letting this grip slip we fall amongst Rocks Robbers and being bemisted amongst soul-murderers head-notions and heart-motions perverting both wit and will unto unevitable and unrecoverable ruine wirh the multitude who slumbering in their sensualities are swallowed up in the groundlesse gulf of endlesse oblivion unlesse it please the Lord in an extraordinary way to interpose and wonderfully worke our rescue thereby witnessing His unsearchable soveraignity in saving some while others are suffered to sink in their own devices who seeing themselves self-lost and so saved they are bred unto self-denial simple submission unto and sole dependance upon their guide with songs of joyfull deliverance from dangers past with confidence and courage for future supply All which for recreation in spare houres is offered unto your Ladyship not being prejudiciall to your more solemn and serious exercise wherein being daily sprinkled with the dew of grace and throughly purified by the bloud of sprinkling and so prepared for the
the Church the Spouse of Christ and of every chosen Child of God and Member of the Body mysticall after Regeneration Neverthelesse of all the tryals troubles and temptations they are to meet with in the strait way II. Secondly in particular there is represented the sad condition and sharp affliction of the Child of God under desertion made appear in a threefold consideration 1. First More felt then real Debated from Page 8. to 23. Where it is made evident that the Child of God after Regeneration may be wrapt under fearfull clouds of darknesse and discouragement and impossible to be comforted till there come a reviving from the inward Comforter And this is most properly Love sicknesse being for tryal and prevention Psa 42. Psa 30.7 8 9 10. 2. Secondly Real and felt And this is debated from Page 23. to 49. Wherein there is notice taken of the severall most prevailing tentations upon several ranks of persons viz. The Court-bred the School-bred the Countrie-bred and the Citty-bred the Civilian also and the most savage of conversation Neverthelesse the party deserted not able to discern the speciall cause of the affliction untill the means be sanctified by inward supply And this is for chastisement and correction tending to humiliation Psal 51. 1 Sam. 1.16 3. Thirdly More real then felt Debated from p. 49. to 76. Where it is made appear that the believer may be lying under much guilt unsensible unâ—ill a timous wakning come and when it is come under much perplexity untill a word of peace be pronounced And this is for tryall and wakening Isa 39.12 2 Sam. 24.10 11 12 13. III. Thridly After all this serious debate unto small purpose the smoaking flax being long smoothered and now breathed upon it kindleth swiftly and breaks out sweetly in an excessive flame of spirituall fervour And whereby then and not till then the party being prevailed with there appears a correspondent alteration of affections in the whole strain and uniforme expressions of the whole Society 1. First The perplexed person under absence is now upon renewed sense elevated unto a most sublime soul-ravishing rapture in a SONG p. 76. and the continuation thereof p. 77 78. 2. Secondly The Associates sympathising therewith in extasie SONG 2. p. 79. 3. Thirdly The continuation of the Sympathy in extasie SONG 3. pag. 80 81. 4. Fourthly The Soul-rapture upon renewed sense again renewed SONG 4. pag. 82 83. 5. Fifthly Solide grounds of spirituall security by way of Echo p. 84. 6. Sixthly A timous warning to guard against carnall security with comforts and incouragements unto chearfulnesse against trials and troubles till he end his journy p. 85. to 96. 7. Seventhly The grounds of Gospel-ordinances presented under the name of the Pallace-garden from p. 96. to 107. wherein there are nine severall MAZES making up the Garden viz. First A Border of Restriction p. 98. Secondly A Beam of Instruction 99. Thirdly Cordials for Incouragement 100. Fourthly Loves Mystery 101. Fifthly The Fountain unexhaustible 102. Sixthly Loves Labyrinth 103. Seventhly Loves Mirrour 104. Eighthly Loves Emblem 105. Ninthly Loves Union 106. 8. Eightly The Jewel of Jewels a Vade-mecum for heart impression and preservation p. 110. to 114. 9. Ninthly The Symphonicall desires and delights of the Redeemed in their retirements closing with that Song Rev. 15.3 4. p. 114. to 121. 10. Tenthly A harmonious Consort and a Song of praise p. 121. to 126. 11. Eleventhly Reviving Recollections and Solliloquies closing with the Song of all Saints Rev. 7.12 p. 127 to 1â—4 12. Twelfthly An Objection by the mere natural man answered and the party advised p. 134. to 142 In all which there is represented sure grounds of â—oud comfort under all the trials incident to the Child of Goâ— after regeneration from his birth in his life and death and after death his soul injoyments boâ—es rest and resurrection soul and bodies second conjunction small absolution and endlesse beatitude carrying also through the whole discourse from infallible truth the terrours of the Law against all that be under the Law all â—eâ—ding to 〈◊〉 serious study of keeping a Communion with God in the Spirit with a spiritual and chearfull conversation undeâ— all dispensations crosse or comfortable in that humblenesse and singlenesse of heart the fruits of saving faith which workes by love to the praise of the Author and our own peace And as to the additions of a preparatory Paradox explained in a comparison betwixt the first and second birth going before a subsequent survey of the first and second death resurrection and generall judgement they bâ— hereto annexed for making compleat the intended designe of delineating the pedigree of the new Creature from the right stock of his portraict from his true Parentâ— and Procreation his crosses conflicts comforts and confidences from the right Fountain in life and in death his restauration from death and darknesse unto immortall life and light of glory from the all-glorious and ever blessed Author of his being and this his most blessed well-being TO THE OBSERVANT READER UPON THE ENSUING POEM YOu who desire to know the plain tho strait Path-way to new Jerusalems high gate Whose pav'ment bright emboss'd with Gems be far More rich and fine then the most glistring Star In glore excells the boundlesse saphire bounds Of lights vast Curtain these pure Christall-â—ounds Whose azure Canopy and pleasant fields Great ground of soul-amazing wonder yeelds If any in designs so high aspires As to resolve through waters and through fires Of tort'ring trouble to climb the steep yee-rocks 'Twixt Heaven and earth in spight of Satan's strocks And will rest satisfi'd with nothing lesse Then Heav'n yea God Himself eternall blesse Resolving to endure all grief all pain All losse this great prize All in all to gain Lo here 's a Pilgrim who being guided by Truths sacred threed and Gods directing eye Is now come near his journies end not stayed By fained fraud or vain hopes not dismayed By force frowns hate or groundlesse fears expecting Gods call to enter Jordan and neglecting Fond vanities he 's looking from the top Of Pisgah by the eye of faith and hope Toward the Promis'd Land which to enjoy Through 's time he mainly did himself imploy But while God spares soul-wasting idlenesse He loaths and therefore on the Wildernesse Through which he 's come and all that did befall Him in his way there-through and in his call Thereto reflecting all he well observes And unto others carefully preserves Lo therefore here held forth thou 'lt clearly see Of Christian cases the diversity Sometimes rapt to the third heav'ns by loves wings They see their strange soul-ravishing sights and things Vnutterably glorious whence doth spring Amazing joy true peace which makes them sing Here neither reason faith nor hope but love And sense cause the soul-chariot-wheels to move Sometimes these soul-transporting objects be Vail'd whence flow darknesse great perplexity Afflicting trouble tort'ring grief of mind By which they are
quench the wrath of God the more I must to mourn again for sin begin So friend-like teaching me how to remeed My own undoing by thy treacherous deed And wouldst have me believe that by repenting I must redeem my self or lost remain And so ensnare me by thy wise inventing And wast my substance in this subtile train For better wouldst thou never seek of me Then in these fetters perishing to see As if my Lord who hath me freely loved Did not revive me when my life were spent As if again this Love I had not proved Which mov'd my heart sincerely to repent So as alone He hath done all for me That by His death I may victorious be Hereby again thou dost advantage take Carelesse to make and carnally secure Both sluggishly and senslesly to slack In duties whereto Love doth me allure As if His Love were not of force to guide Me through the straits wherein I may be tri'd And when my Lord better to let me see My self whereof I daily stand in need The influence of his grace restrains from me Then butcher-like thou follows me with speed And dost surmise that I do beat the air And notions print to presse me to despair And when thou canst not by thy wit prevail Because I do by faith thy darts resist Then lion-like thou dost in arms assail And by thy wicked instruments insist To persecute in body state and name Thereby to bring me unto publike shame Thus didst thou first begin with lying lewd And therein counterfeited as thou can And then thy flatt'ry did convert to feud Burning in malice to betray the man The Syrene first and then the serpent grim Now from thy lurking hole the Lions limb But now thy fury to thy face shall turn And vex thee in quotidian extasie Of endlesse woe for evermore to burn In pain when I am from thy spight set free For all thy trains shal both increase thy charge And for triumphs victorious us enlarge For certainly what thou hast done or can Yet ever do in time to come I know Shall do but heap hape on the hopefull man And in the end turn to thy overthrow For as he is in battell try'd the more Into his rest shall he enjoy of glore And this I do not glosse upon in pride For weaknesse with the weakest I confesse And when my Lord doth leave me to be try'd Then dwining do I ly in deep distresse But then ev'n then whole hell cannot bereave Me of this faith I know whom I believe Thus Satan old thou seest not how I soar Above thy sight upon the Eagles wing EMANUELS might protects me evermore And in thy spight shall me to safety bring So go for lo I leave thee here to ly And with thy mates eternally to die And now again as the naturall man being brought to the light and through the trials and travels incident to him in his infancy and under age unto the years of discretion and experience is to be exercised in serious and important affairs concerning himself his Country and concernment and thereby is to give proof of his gifts and endowments grounded upon justice temperance prudence and fortitude with all other subordinate requisites and yet meeting with so many difficulties in the progresse of his best intended and most approvable actions is subject to much haulting and deviation in many things turning to his reproach The New Man in like manner being come through these and many such assaults and come up to some growth in light and experience is to be exercised as a Professor of Christianity and to exercise himself therein both in his generall and particular calling being strengthened by the gifts and grace received both to do and endure as it shall please the Giver to give the calling And for this end that he be indued with these requests 1. So much knowledge of himself as may produce sincere self-denial 2. So much of GOD as may make up a sole dependency upon a Providence 3. Faith whereby to sacrifice his Isaac his dearest darling to the service of God upon a known call 4. A fixed confidence that if he should slay thee thou wilt trust in him 5. Love above comparison so far as God is above the creature 6. Zeal like Phineas impartiall in the execution of justice in the Cause of God and our Country 7. Submission in what he takes as in what he gives 8. Patience in resting quiet and confident in all he doth 9. Humility tending to the increase of grace thankfulnesse under the crosse as under comfort 10. Chearfulnesse so shall the joy of the LORD be thy strength These be the approven grounds whereby to walk with approbation but how short every man comes in the practice it is too well seen whether from the world when it flattereth or frowns affecting or repining And in the unregenerate part what a filthy fume flows daily out of that stinking pudle where the dregs and spawn of all the devilry of hell is engrossed and but in part purged or rather born down and kept under from out-breaking in palpable enormities And yet the Devil knows well what coal to blow at and how to quicken more damnable and deadly Vipers to suck out our spirituall life unseen or adverted unto as spirituall pride carnall security under the exercise of our best actions taking growth with our gifts whereby Gods Spirit is grieved desertion procured crosses afflictions and corrections inflicted for humbling reclaiming keeping under and in order the light and facile heart which would miscarry unto ruine if not prevented But for this misery of self-deceiving deceit and desperate wickednesse of the heart the many inventions it finds out being prompted thereunto by the old Serpent to undo it self and how far the remnants of this corruption may prevail even in the Regenerate it is better seen then guarded against by too many as much fearfull and bitter experience can witnesse But thus it becometh every one that knows so much as that God knows the heart to make search till they attain to know the plague of their own heart that they may be confounded in themselves not lifting up their face for shame seing God is pacified towards them for all that they have done because of the stability of His Covenant Ezek. 16.62 63. But naturally every man being so conceited of himself scarce any man will believe that such things as both Scripture and experience make clear to be in the heart of man can be in his heart but will be ready to say Am I a dog that I should be tempted to do such things Till under the triall we become taught by wofull proof the folly of our faithlesnesse in our defections And having been much toyled in pruning and suppressing these sproutings and superfluities of naughtinesse that are alwayes taking life in the body of death So Hydra-like that as one head is stricken off another more monstrous and menstruous springs up to be conflicted with
from that fruitfull Scorpion of corruption which multiplies the conception and make the burden so unsuperable that the delivery workes her own destruction but by the grace of God crushed suppressed and partly purged out the life of grace is preserved in the Believer And yet neverthelesse there remains an itching dreg in the heart that it will needs have some latitude if no other wayes attainable yet under pretence of lawfull liberty for recreation or preservation of the outward man and under the colours and in the shadow whereof some well smelling Aple or amiable Idol may steal in and present it self in such glistrings as dazels the eye oâ— spiritual discerning So as the judging part is blunted and benumbed under the prevalency of this well masked and bewitching darling or Dalilah doated on unto destruction and herewith being not only toyled but often foyled I have been driven to fall under this conception that suppose a man even a Child of grace while he is under mortality carrying the remanents of corruption within him were ravished to heaven and got a blink of the blesse that is to be enjoyed there and again plunged into hell to behold these terrible torments prepared for impenitent sinners and thereafter set up for a season to act a part upon the stage of this world although it should not fail to seem to himself and others that henceforth he should live like a Saint upon the earth yet let him be left a little to himself and the devil permitted to try him with a bait agreeable to his humor or an idol well trimmed to his fancy under such deceivable pretext pretence or otherwise as the subtile serpent can well insinuate It might be too justly feared that he should be in so great perill as ever our first Parents were in Paradice so as to conceive a possibility of standing but by immediate grace sustaining it were most palpable presumption and that the only way to preserve and increase grace is by conversing in Heaven keeping a Communion with God and the frequent use of Ordinances to lead us out of our selves unto a sincere dependence upon God and out of the world so as to use it as if we used it not in a humble and chearfull submission unto all His gracious dispensations whether bitter or sweet to the naturall part which I suppose very hardly any man who is too conversant in the things of the world and active about them further then a pressing calling calls him to can attain the world being but the Pandor or Cater to furnish fewell for the Old Man to feed the affections and inflame the fiery lusts of the flesh the eye and the pride of life But it is possible with God to carry the cable through the eye of the needle suppose the strait way must be thrust through and the kingdome of grace and of glory taken with violence But reflecting upon this Old Man and the troubles and trials that the soul is put to under his jurisdiction which cannot consent unto tha lawlesse law that he would maintain in the members and to dismantle unmask and ripe him up in some specials I have here tinkled a little at the description thereof under the name of Vice And because all things directly contrar and opposite one to another together presented are most lively and best discerned I have therefore also herewith delineate the New Man under the name of Vertue so as the one and the other may allure and procure the heart unto the affections of desire and detestation THE PORTRAICT AND CHARACTER OF VERTUE OR The New Man shining in Vertue DESCRIBED COme ye whose curiosity Rare precious pleasant things would see And you who can discern aright Fair Vertue in ber beauties bright Her post and gesture well perceive Holy humble sweet and grave So rarely mixt so fairly shine So lovely in their luster fine Each in its Orb so ord'red see That nothing can so pleasant be Behold her flourishing fore-head Where Generosity doth spread Her brow 's a Stage where joining hands Both Statelinesse and meeknesse stands Look in her eyes for there is seen That she is prudent chast and clean The comely portraict of her nose A searching wit doth well disclose Her sweetest cheeks full of delight All love but loyall banish quite Both strength and resolution deck The fairnesse of her fairest neck Her breasts so beautifull appear Both liberall and frugall clear Her heart and hands do well agree In clemency and charity A midst this frame of beauty fair A tongue wel taught and tamed where Expressions proper sweet and plain Witnesse where wisdom doth remain Her noble parts her health preserves With nutriture the spirits serves Out of that store the sellers keep Of heavens earth seas their hight their deep In all wherein contain'd she dives True good extracts to goodness cleaves And doth bring out of projects ill The means to save was made to kill When stormy winds of trouble blow Doth firmly stand and fairly grow Out of afflictions she can find Both patience and peace of mind And in the midst of sorrows see Where best refreshments furnisht be Contempt and malice she doth prise As manure rich to make her rise From care disdain distrust and grief Envy despair of mischiefs chief She sees and knows and can compose By all things gain by nothing lose Time never can her beauty stain Nor tyrannie approach her gain Her riches are beyond the reach Of all that policy can stretch Old Sathan when he comes to spoil At all incounters gets the foil Fond lust and all that carnall crew Her feet below she doth subdue Be slav'd by none she serves her Maker And all her strength unto Him facer Deep in the Well of Life she drinks And feeds upon the River brinks Where that Ambrosia sweet distills From Sacred Truth the soul full fills She searches all Gods wayes and sees Divine and heav'nly mysteries Converts her food in courage strong And by sincerity along As by the nerves for new supply Doth act her part most chearfully â—ointly conjoin'd by sinews sure Of strongest truths which do endure Till all her foes she does outface That would her fairest grace disgrace Objectionâ— But pause a little answer here How may this matter so appear What fairer rarer excellencie Had Adam in his innoncencie How now can his rebellious race This beauty and this blesse imbrace For of a man what can you crave If he be holy humble grave Modest meek generous prudent Chast courteous lovely sapient Strong temperat full of charity Circumspection courage clemency Resolute liberall frugall able Patient active prompt and stable Possest with truth delight and peace And still sincere this grace to grace Where is the man hereof may boast Gods Image seing he hes lost Answer Now justly left it 's true indeed None of this poysoned perverse seed Can to true happinesse attain But doats on durelesse shadows vain And naturall gifts now never can Accomplish or
can Obscurely watch to catch the prey as man The beast whose colour ev'ry object changes And that Hienna through the desert ranges And with the voice of man man to insnare With mans hypocrisie cannot compare Who can pretend for Truth and Piety Yet tramp on Truth to raise himself you see Who of the bruitare so degenerate As with the other kind to generate Or sex O horrible but only he Who was appointed most for purity In sp'rit-defilements which no beast do know Man tempted is and thereby beasts below Malice and envy in the brutish brood Was never seen as in our poyson'd blood And man in light the liar is below For God he knows and trembling stands in aw But man forsaken now no better sees Being by the liar led to follow lies And look what e're the devil hes to doe But man he finds an instrument thereto How should the beast such levies with him lead If man did not for him in armes proceed How could man for his acts apologiâ—e If satan taught him not to subtilize When the old serpent in the chair him sets Pride and disdain the lying tongues he gets The world the avaricious gets for hyre And the ambitious honour at desire Some unto satan offer service will That they by him may gain that hellish skill Themselves to help and in malicious slight Others destroy out of revengefull spight Some do conceive themselves profoundly wise Satan to serve them as they do devise And if some curious spirits be more strange Incontinent directly he can change The bait and lead them on the stars to gaze Put them by natures products in a maze By demonaicall demonstrations feeding The fancie till he fix them for proceeding For he to all their doatings doth apply Gaining his gain this cruell craft hereby Apples and idols trimm'd he hes for all Humours that under finity can fall So is he serv'd then doth he smile to see Some others wallow in their vice and die For what remains of all mans naturall light Tends still unto his more conviction right But that there is some sort of order civil In some and that in all men ev'ry evil Doth not appear alike yet certainly The seed of vice in every one doth ly In some by providence vice is restrain'd Some be by breeding unto vertue train'd Some be bound up by bit and bridle so That what they would they cannot come to do And some there be beyond the common line By study do to goodnesse much incline But they not knowing right their glorious Maker Do not their doings to his glory sacre But vainly glory in themselves to gain A name and fame which is their idol vain So vile an idol never yet was nam'd Whereby most men have most been blam'd and sham'd As is vile man himself more meet be placed With devils then with divine worship graced And yet the strong man in his strength wil glore The wordling in his wisdome glory more The rich man in his treasure put his trust And doat upon himself in gathering dust The man to contemplation addicted Though he of any least can be convicted Yet can an aerial Image fancie feign And idolize the vapours of his brain And who is he who is not prepossest With some heart-darling hardly dispossest Even by such as presse to purge the will Of all that holy sp'rituall motions kill No too much spirituall pride finds place Even where are sown the seeds of saving grace How then can such as do no better see Some darling want doating whereon to be So that even those who have aspyred highest Have fallen short and sunken as thou seest Scripture indites and conscience gives the doom All flesh is justly damn'd untill he come Who justice satisfies for them elected By God from all eternity respected And now in time true members do remain Been born of water and of blood again Thus as his justice glorious is clear So doth his merite glorious appear For then when all concluded were in sin And under wrath his mercy did begin So as without all shadow of excuse Twice damn'd they be that this free grace refuse So never think it strange that man in sin And vice ly rotting till he die therein For he is poysoned with the spawn of hell And seed of satan since he did rebell But wonder O! this wonder strange behold Above what ever can with tongue be told That we in this contagion dyed so deep Should cleared be pure colours white to keep But set thy self thy self before in sin And to detest thy sinfull self begin Study thy self thy Saviour then shall see And shall preveenâ— thy soul-perplexity Most timously who knows to save alone And will advert unto thy hopefull moan Open thine ears to hear thine heart to hold The marvels of those mercies manifold Held â—ut so much with such incitements sweet As lost man may his comforts yet compleat So shalt thou find and by experience prove Thy Maker is thy God that man doth love But if thou dost reject his voice alluâ—ing Thy heart in induration obduring Thy conscience wakened shal be witnesse sure Destruction to thy self thou dost procure THE TURTLE-DOVE UNDER ABSENCE PRESENCE OF HER ONLY CHOISE OR DESERTION DELIVERANCE REVIVED WHEREIN By way of DIALOGUE in a POEM under severall significant Figures and Allegories the most ordinary exercises of the Child of God after Regeneration untill by many most searching tryals he become strong and able to discern aright in doing and induring as he shall be called to iâ— in his way and warfare through the wildernesse to his journiâ—s end is shadowed out WITH A necessary WARNING against Security in most secure times AND Closing with a Word for wakening of the naturall Man â—â— 7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled ERRATA Page 4. Line 12. read his Royal. p. 8. l. 1. r. With cunning p. 10. l. 20. r. but helplesse p. 12. l. 8. r. thy Lover Ibid. l. 25. r. world new p. 26. l. ult r. unknown fire p. 38. l. 12. r. And re-deliv'ry p 52. l. 14. r. lifes reviving p. 55. l. 22. r. in the blood p. 60. l. 13. r. the stony p. 66. l. 13. r. with his pernicious tares p. 71. l. 11. r. then left p. 85. l. 9. r. Thy Sp'rits p. 87. l. 7. r. These wak'nings p. 94. l. ult begins the next Speaker Helen p. 122. l. 9. r. man's most deep conceiving p. 128. l. 29. r. are not weighing The NAMES of the SPEAKERS in this Dialogue and what they represent The Signification of the NAMES SAMUEL a learned judicious and experienced Christian Placed of God JEANNA a Honourable and Religious Lady of much experience Gracious HELENA a Christian afflicted in spirit under desertion and comforted upon deliverance Pittifull MARIONA a Christian conversant in Heaven Sweet perfume GRISSELLA a School-bred Christian Grave Lady MARIA a Court-bred Christian
unbounded Orb of love Wonders are by Believers brought about That cruell tyrants cannot cancell out And by Believers to be enjoyed are Joyes wonderfull above conceiving far But we shall spare for more exactly those Matters we must debate before we close Now to the purpose and the Person precious Whom I have seen and still esteemed gracious Notable in the Assemblies of the Saints And solemn Meetings where Believers hauntâ— I know the case and truly see it clear Fraught with the fruits of faith of love and fear But she is not in that condition now So to confesse far lesse this to avow But in this sentence most succinct I 'le shew The matter and the meaning shall pursue And this it is Heavens child of hope doth faint for want of sight Resolv'd to grope through darkest deeps for light And this assertion sure for to explain Take notice now and answer you again You see Celestiall from terrestriall things Exhaling vapours that much darkness brings Eclipses do our naturall Sun surprise Which yet we see most royally arise The worlds first birth from Gods most pure intention Eternall purpose and divine invention Was made to be by no materials Existent pre-existent Seminals In darknesse swadled up untill the bright Creating word in time commanded light And when this light aright composed stood Night to preceed day-light God saith is good Jea This dispensation sad you take I see To flow from causes one or more of three The first from provocation I conceive The second what for triall we receive The third to Soveraignity ascends The Cause supreme where causes all depends You know suppose that naturall things be used And to illustrate sp'rituall matters chused Spirituall things are not demonstrate clearly By naturall that worke by nature merely The one by the prefixed Rule doth run The other Arbitrary how and when And yet suppose these generals should contain Much to this purpose when by searching seen Yet ye must nearer come her case to clear From such effects as may be seen appear For if she be bemisted left alone In this confus'd condition she is gone Sam. Will ye not condescend that all things be Good in their time appointed certainly And that our only wise and holy King Profoundly hath contrived every thing Spirituall naturall morall arbitrary Contingent voluntar and necessary And ordered so this contrary to that Man may with dread and reverence stand thereat Jea We trust your charity hes so conceived That Scripture-truths are all by us believed Albeit that under trials severall may By strong assaults much weaknesse oft bewray We know He 's the supream and only good And all things to his glory do conclude And that suppose rejected we should be It were our place his grace to magnifie His wisdom justice truth and holinesse We question not but our untowardnesse In not adverting to his counsels grave Which only could and should from swerving save And yet our tender Lover hath appointed And with spirituall unction hath anointed With coming some and cordialls stor'd that be Soveraign for Soul-diseases seasonablie â—Mongst whom ye be of speciall esteem In binding up the wounds that desperat seem I pray you speak in proper speeches plain As this perplexed party best may gain And lead us in these mysteries divine Untill the Sun begin again to shine Sam. I know it worthy of our pains shall prove To dyve in this deep mystery of love Therefore I shall not spare to condescend Some of our precious time herein to spend This mourning Bride sure has propined been With precious sweet sp'rit-consolations clean Whereby the King of Kings doth recreate Replenish purifie and elevate The soul that to espouse he is whereby She in his absence sick of love doth ly Jea Be pleas'd more specially us to acquaint With these so precious presents and how sent And how received that so effectuall prove As to procure such firm and fervent love Sam. He cleared hes her blear'd and blinded eyes Inflam'd her heart so as she feels and sees Her Comforter convey himself with kissings And breath into her soul supernall blessings The beauty of whose visage her invites To trace him out when he doth make retreats For in her heart so hes he shed that seed Which her affections after him doth lead And at a word created now anew She bids the whole Creation adiew And in this Sphere of Love celestial soare Not stooping to terrestriall triffles more Untill her Lover come and do relieve Her weighted sp'rit and heart contrite revive Jea Why doth she not in patience possesse Her soul and so attend his timousnesse Sam. Basenesse of mind such patience she esteems Which would suspend her of these warming beams By influence whereof she alone doth live And therefore closely unto him doth cleave Jea But is her project lawfull let me know Sam. True love was never limited by law Jea But earthly minds in mounting high do burn Sam. The Spirit by habit heavenly doth turn Jea Doth she the body then the more disdain Sam. No but doth tune it to a spâ—rituall strain For it 's the organ ordained for to sing The praises of her Lovely Prince and King Jea How doth she then so sadly ly and still Sam. She doth attend his presence and his will Preparing straight his praises to expresse But till his coming lurks in heavinesse Jea But where is then the hold of Faith and Hope Fast held but pressing nearer hard to grope Desiring still the Marriage-day to see When in His Robes she may arrayed be And joyning then his sweet soul-feeding face Her firm affections fervent may imbrace Hele. Poor Pilgrim I in dole and deep unrest For want of Faith with hellish fears supprest Here wandring as a woefull wretch alone So void of sense can do no more but moan Unworthy of respect regard or view Much lesse your face my spirits to renew It is my wonder that your worth should stay So to respect this crocked clog of clay So hardned that affections cannot melt To mold a new by any motions felt Yet happy you you Blessings do procure Who would conduct and doth instruct the poor But from the wayes of wisdome I have gone So far astray that I may mourn alone And groan for grief now when I cannot mend But all my dayes in dole and dolor spend And for to understand your friendly speech Or meaning thereof hardly can I reach But true it is sometimes I have exprest Some secrets that should not have been confess Of feelings sweet above expression far Which for the time but seeming shadows are For now deserted like a desart owle I hopelesse ly and can but hopelesse howle Bewailing oft that ever I was born For all is gone and I am left forlorn Sam. Dear friends conveened here for this intent With misteries of Love to be acquaint Let us unweary willingly attend For all her griefs shall sure in gladnesse end Jea Our true desire and most delight shall be We
may more clear this Divine science see And with the whole affections of our heart To learn the Heavenly Methods of this Art I know the heart contrite and broken spâ—rit Is for our King a Receptacle meet I know with timous comforts he doth turn Unto the pure in sp'rit who for him mourn I know the thirsting soul and hungry heart In His sweet face have fulness for their part I know that pleasures in eternitie Attend their souls that fleshly follies flee I know the penny-earn'st of Peace and Bless Received by the meek and lowly is And wisely witnessed here may we see The might of truth and height of mercy free The strength of Faith shining through filial fear The wing of Love weak ones to hide and bear Hele. I wonder much that you so wise and grave Such groundlesse expectations can conceive For shew'd you are so far of this my case That I presumed should have made you cease But presuppone that these your strange conceits Were true of me which unto me relates But nothing unto me I think belong Yet were it fearfully free Love to wrong And should bewray ingratitude so far As justly might me from his grace debar For sure I am I had not been cashiered If to offend my King my heart had feared But gading I so far astray have stept And in confusions such my self have wrapt That now mine eyes are dimm'd my tongue bedumb'd Mine ears are deafned and my heart benumb'd That what I hear I do not apprehend But sure I see my well you do intend Jea Yet with permission and submission now My friend let me obtain this sute of you This is a day of grace and it may prove If you improve it well a time of love Unto this timous counsell grave advert Gainstand these griefs that do disturb thy heart Think on what light life liberty and peace Thou lately tasted hes by special grace The earnest of these Treasures rich procured For thee and by the Lover sweet secured But under cloud eclipsed thou must be By proof to find thine own infirmitie In Patience Faith Dependency Submission Importunately presse thou hes commission Then look and long and to this promise cleave And when thou art rebuked yet believe He. Madam your counsell gracious grave and good Does all desir'd felicities include But I have forfault all these offers fair And of these Blessings now am stripped bare And when I hear of former happinesse Grief horrour and despair the more increase Once was I light and now in darknesse ly Once was I life now in deaths jawes I dye Once had I freedome now in bondage bound Once had I peace now in vexation stound You speak of pleasures in a word anew But dolefully may I bid them adiew For I an earn'st of wrath endure I think Might all the sinfull sons of Adam sink The evil spirit when he does depart Returning enters in the empty heart And every devil of whatsoever deceit May in this soul receive a several seat And I will tell you more Jea No more Refrain There is too much of this untimely strain O fearfull but it be for to let slip Of Sacred Truths by Faith the saving grip And O! how bitter are the agonies Of absence in soul-searching secrecies O horrour terrour dread what dreadfull height Is absence totall in eternal night When timely tastes do so the godly tare Where shall the godlesse go beneath despair But I forbear Sir speak to her so plain That she may be brought to her self again Sam. This darknesse does th'approach of day presage And us the more unto the means ingage Thou harden dost thy self in thy mistakes And of our tendernesse advantage makes Thou dost expose thy self a present prey Syrene deceits of Sathan to obey Misled with carnal wit by quaint convoyance So subtilly to worke thy souls annoyance Wilt thou prescribe his coming or confine His counsels to these finit thoughts of thine Dare thou his faithfulnesse draw in debate Because he doth not on thy humours wait Doth he his influence dispense for hyre Dar'st thou a reason of his rules require But these demands in time and place recall Examine and answers receive we shall And now in patience yet we shall persist And with convincing arguments insist Think on when we from darknesse unto light Translated were and did receive our right Unto His Royal Court and House of Wine Where loves bright banner over thee did shine Then didst thou see in darknesse thou hadst been Clos'd Embrion-like into the womb unseen Untill thy Lover Mover in this place The fruits of His free love made thee imbrace Then didst thou clearly see that gracious He Indur'd to be obscur'd for gracelesse thee And that He might thy glorious dayes begin Assum'd thy flesh and suffered for thy sin Purg'd and perfumed thee His Bride to be And did present himself Bridegroom to thee Thy King thy Captain and thy Husband now And to engadge thee more him to avow His Princely Robes thou saw him lay aside Enter the lists and in his armour bide Till all thy foes he had defyed in fight And from their malice fred thee by his might And led thee here among these sweet contents Where only children of the King frequents But that thou may'st convinced be the more I shall this Countrie set thy face before For as it seems thou dost so sullen ly Thou art surprysed with a lethargie Or for a proof art left a little space To try what love thy Lover can displace Thou knowst the Citty of our Royall King Where He to breed and woo his Bride doth bring What glorie and excellencie alone Believers shining see about the Throne Thou seest Him righteous Judgements dayly read Give doome unto thy foes thy causes plead When from His Ivorie pallaces he comes Thee to imbrace the smell of His perfumes Affect the Virgin-bowels for to move Frames and inflames the quickned heart to love For certainly unto Beleevers true That be renew'd all things becometh new And in this World of wicked workers we A World enjoy of sweet felicitie Consisting in a Righteousnesse procured For us with sp'ritual joy and peace secured And this new heav'n and earth and citty fair Whether the Elect chosen called are Above comparison you know excells The rarest fairest richest parallels The River that out-through the Citty slides For every severall Cittizen divides Unto refreshment and the fruitfull tree That renders various fruits abundantly For every season unto all affections And soveraign physick health for all complexions Our everlasting light without declining Advancing gloriously and brightly shining Curse from the Crosse force from affliction shed The sting from death from fear and bondage fred Where we may dayly sing among the branches And swime among the streams our thirst that quenches And bath us in that River sweetly flowing And feed upon the Spices neatly growing About the banks of these delicious fields That hony milk and wine so pleasant yeeldâ—
dolor such admits Felt-love believe forbear these faithlesse fits Hele. That world of yours no falshood doth admit Faithlesse profession is a feigned fit You in the faithfull witnesse do believe And by believing faithfully do live You grafted in the lively Olive grow Where substance sweet doth from that fatness flow I formerly have in these courses gone With others as you instantly have shown But I have stept aside in following lies Upon the mount of many vanities What could it make suppose I should explain The folly and the figments of my brain The levitie of my affections vile Some seeming goodnesse under secret guile You by your importunacy do presse Me more particularly to expresse If better more then prejudice it could Or pertinent it were I surely should Sa. Whence comes this conscience of those heart-conceits Whence flow these conflicts of these soul-debates Corruption ' gainst corruption doth not side Satan against himself doth not divide Weaknesse and wandring do in us remain And yet our Lover doth us not disdain He fails us not as we do doating deem But that he absent to our sense doth seem That we may see what of our selves we may Expect if he should our supply delay And what can make us more our selves forsake Then hell-black us milk-white for Heaven to make Such sweetnesse from the breasts thou hast been sucking That weaned now thou dost but fall a drouping Thou hast been dandled on thy keepers knees And fed with suggar'd soul-festivities But now for to obtain the Royall prize Thou must to work and run and fight arise Hele. It 's easie Sailing in a gentle Gale But grievous when the tempest strieks the Sail It 's easie fighting with your fleeing foes But dreadfull when it turnes to bloody blows It 's easie speaking to a wounded heart But not so easie to retreat the dart And searching tryals light to some may be Which work to others much perplexity I pray you therefore leave me now alone You may I hurt help can you make me none Sa. In darkest dayes and sharpest stormes that blow Our Pilot how to land us safe doth know And we within the vail our Anchor sure Do cast and so can ride it out secure Our Captain stands victorious in the field He never lost a man that did not yeeld Our sweet Physician full of science sees Our wounds diseases and their remedies And doth with cordials unto us addresse When dwining we do dream of nothing lesse And it is good thou dost not us regard Lest at thy hands we should expect reward But till you take a breathing we shall walk Beside thee here and to the matter talk Now ye my friends devote and Ladies dear Who this discourse of ours do over-hear Speak your opinion from experience plain And we shall to our purpose turn again For in her griefs if we cannot be grieved We shall be griev'd when she shall be relieved But of her burdens who doth take a part Her comfort shall reflect upon their heart Maria Anna Grissilla Eliza. Thomas Maria. IT seems it shall not easy be to find The bands that do her in this bondage bind But let us now recite our speciall failings Their causes and effects and our prevailings And to avoid contest I shall break in And as you bid be bold for to begin Court-breeding leading us to high aspirings Swelling in such ambitious desirings We can for self-promotion formall prove In every project where we minde to move And can Chamelion-like all colours take As for the gaining of our point may make And from what airt we see the air to swirle For that same course quickly our sails can hurle But when we of our selves do get a sight We guard against this Idol with our might Most deeply humbled at the heart that we Are wasted in this frothy vanity For then it pleas'd my King to clear mine eies Divinely to discern deep mysteries And take a Pardon in that time of love Which made my frozen heart in melting move Yet after this anone I must you tell A fearfull tryall unto me befell Even after tasting many comforts sweet Intent some meditations to repeat Of most concernment preasing to procure In supernatâ—rall truths my standing sure Such as of souls the immortality Whose being in and out of bodies be The resurrection and immortalizing Of bodies mortall naturall spiritualizing And minding thence some higher to ascend So far as finite thoughts might comprehend Of God his goodnesse wisdome and his might Pre-ordinating all in order right By His eternall counsel pleasure will Who all things works moving unmoved still But instantly a voice both pure and plain My musing mov'd unto another strain So friend-like and so friendly muttering then Must thou be found the only fool of men What businesse is this thou goes about What strange chymaeraes shall we see come out We guided be by reason and by sence Where be thy groundlesse grounds on what pretence Dost thou intangle and perturb thy mind In courious quiâ—ks whereto thou art inclin'd Art thou so senslesse as thus to conceive Dust turn'd to dust turn ghostlesse from the grave Or that thy vanisht spirits shall return These ashes to inspire spent in that urne Some giddie-headed people wonders tell Of God of Heaven satan sin and hell But these be foolries fitted to deceive Some facile Sp'rits that fancies do conceive Canst thou defraud thy self of all thy blesse By framing to thy self a hell like this While as thou might in many pleasures flouriâ— And nature in her native notions nourish But even then when I perplexed though What could it be that this diversion wrought Unto my sence there was reply so clear Return'd in my behalf which made appear The devil his drift and his deluding lure Discourse of me by flatt'rie to procure But my firm faithfull Watch-man and my Loveâ— Seeing the malice of this murthering mover Preveens this cruel plot and interposes His subtilty and sophistry discloses Objections more then now I can recent Which none but very devils could invent Confuted and refuted were so clear By him alone who did for me appear But then said I in this confusion vext Since it is so how am I thus perplext Then instantly my great deliverance wrought Was wondrously by my Redeemer brought When to grosse Atheism the tempter he Had cast his baits for to have hooked me And if the inward Teacher had not taught Me how to answer these his reasons fraught With subtilties so mystick that again I had been tortur'd in that fearfull train But sad and bitter were the sore rebukes Of my dear Lover and the frowning looks That I endur'd for daring to adventure With this deceiver in the lists to enter Moreover fears not only me affright But also I must with afflictions fight With many terrors and with troubles toyled And by infirmity am often foyled But yet I find it for my best to be Prest and distress'd in this perplexitie For on the
rode I read in letters fair Love unconceivable and wisdome there And ever since when I such whisperings hear Flow from that buzing snake I stop mine ear ANNA We of the Citty sumptuously do live And to maintain our wealth do mainly strive So avaritious and luxurious grow As we in wealth and worldly honours flow But when our Lover doth remove the vail We see the rotten ship wherein we sail And fecklesse wares whereon our souls we waste Then to the death we do our selves detest But being bred in such societies As do advert unto varieties Of outward formes must civile be and neat According to our rank degree and state I have been shew'd by one that 's most sincere That many dangers ' mongst them do appear And that her self was fearfully afraid Lest unknown fear her weakness had bewrai'd And if I warned had not been before I might have splitted on this deadly shore But after deeper search I did perceive My self was nothing but a living grave Where noysome serpents in the members crawl The faculties infecting of the soul The soul again vain arrogant and proud For all her wak'nings walking under cloud Then after this I had a fearfull blink Which under desperation made me shrink But then even at the twinkling of an eye My Saver present set me fully free So as unto his praise I must record A self-lost soul was saved by the Lord. Thus my Redeemer so did me Redeem My danger and deliverance seen did seem So near and I so filled with conceiving Sense led me from the way of firm believing But in that sweetnesse when I fell asleep I swell'd up in a deadly fever deep And moving miss'd the Author of my joy So then my nearest friends I did imploy Who helps prescrib'd and potions did prepare To swage my swelling and my health repair But then there did such fears my soul assail Which through my weakness often did prevail To bring in question how to persevere Before the straits and tryals that appear I was brought very low but never heal'd Untill compassion with my Prince prevail'd Me to restore and make me surely see A stedfast faith was firm stability So when I look'd unto my Lovers might All faithlesse fears evanisht out of sight GRISSILLA We in the Academie that be nourish'd And fruitfull grow when we have early flourish'd Physick Laws Metaphysicks we debate What serves for mans soul body or estate And by our science and inventions then Reduce to order for the use of men But swell in pride and in disdain when we Others so far below us we espy And often our too curious spirits swerving Do over-turn our selves by our deserving For by deep speculation we do see Wonders that by none other seen can be Produc'd by natures force and render'd then In rare effects to be admir'd of men The stars in severall places we espy In constellations as they ordered be Desing'd for signs in ev'ry Variation Ascent descent degrees and inclination Severall effects on every severall thing That from the earth from air and oceans spring Gold Pearles Stones precious in the earth secured Deep steeping closely till they be matured Where by the stars they do procure their strength Of bodies short continuance and their length Of Animals Herbs Flowers their vertues all Their birth and growth their durance and their fall Which as in this clear prospect we do see By proof their operations learn'd have we And I one day these marvels so admiring Their causes and effects too much desiring To search by natures light And not adoring The God of nature but by nature poring In this deep study I was sorely stained With infidelity and then arraigned And left forlorn a little as I shewed Untill that by contrition renewed I accesse had and granted was to see That my dear Lover and Life-giver He Was natures Author and that her effects Were done directly still as he directs Afflictions fears and too much carnall care Temptations be which lead unto despair Again by grace resisting and repelling A devillish drift doth lift the heart to swelling And herein I much weaknesse have bewrayed But happily therewith hath been essayed For of his goodness I again do gain To guard against these vile debourdings vain ELIZA We who into the Country bred have been And little of the Court or Citty seen But in the Wildernesse alone were living Our bleitting droves unto the fountains driving Alongst the quickning springs and cooling streams Sheltr'd with sweetest sprigs from scorching beams Delighted in our silent Cipresse Bowers Adorned with the fairest rarest flowers And satisfied herewith as with silk Preferring to their sharpest spice our milk But under all this smooth sobriety Ingenuous care and frugall industry We live and die in ignorance indured And ly in gross profanity obdured And cannot see untill by speciall grace A brighter light do shine upon our face But after I was call'd and causâ—d to see And made asham'd of my profanity Thereby affected with my Lovers love That nothing else near to my heart could move The Devil then under a glist'ring vail My weaknesse unawares did so assail That I had drunk the poyson'd cup so deep My senses by the venom were asleep For he some instruments had so deceiv'd And to most impious principles beslav'd Under pretext of love to Christ alone Exalting him up to his Royall Throne With all that unto him do truly cleave That they by doctrines were not now to live That they are clean and cannot be defil'd Illuminate and cannot be beguil'd That all are theirs and all things common be Unto that love-bred love-fed Family With others such-like hatcht-patcht proofs so specious And drest with speeches seeming very gracious My carnall heart did presently affect To bring a present heaven in respect But when the way so pleasant did appear To flesh and blood I did begin to fear And took me to consult with truth divine So as the Majesty therein did shine Of Holinesse and Righteousnesse so clear The filthinesse and folly did appear Wherein they swell perverting truth so far That they obdur'd unto conviction are And hereby found I also out again That I unstable facil was and vain And so alas have blasted been and broken With all these blustrings whereof you have spoken Have seen my self self-lost self-damn'd and saved And yet so senslesse and so self-depraved So far corrupt so foolish and so frail Conceits impure so much with me prevail And yet with mercy and compassion clear Am compassed more than I can admire For I to wrath my self do still expose But my Redeemer still doth interpose And when I would my self in darknesse cast I rescu'd am for he doth hold me fast And when despar'dly I would make retreat From this new City and these pleasures sweet And searches every postern gate and lirk My own destruction cruelly to worke By separating yet I am surrounded In so wise windings wherein I am bounded And breath'd upon even
when the breath is failing And helped up by everlasting healing Whereby my safety doth proceed I prove From infinite and from unchanged love For as I am confounded and ashamed To see my self in such convictions blamed So am I more comforted to repose Upon my Prince and in his peace rejoice And now I grant that by His grace I gain In watchfulnesse and also do refrain To taste or touch or to aproach too near Where perill of infection doth appear TH0MAS O deep profound O! what a deepnesse is â—he wisdome knowledge and eternall blesse â—f this who is the glorious King of Saints â—d graciously among his children haunts â—d O! How many are our miseries â—d O! How rescued by such mysteries â—re I by providence above perceiving â—ght lessons once receive above conceiving â—any but by these are taught aright 〈◊〉 see themselves and to abhore that fight 〈◊〉 we this while a main Professor been â—use I hated vice and sin obscene â—eigh'd against it and did vertue love 〈◊〉 vicious hate and verteous did approve 〈◊〉 in this gracious fellowship have seen â—t hitherto I have but blinded been 〈◊〉 do I see Believers and their rights â—ir world new and their renewed lights 〈◊〉 tryals and the straits they did endure â—ork for their well and they preserved sure As also I have seen these lad assailings Of satan and your speciall prevailings Whereof I never knew nor lesse nor more For they were mysteries great to me before We in the wilderness that have been bred Amongst the brute on brutish lust were fed Your breeding been in School in Court and Citty Delicious curious delicate and witty But not exeem'd from tryals more then we Expos'd to many that most dreadfull be You do by curious speculations give Place to the serpent darts at you to drive But as he hes into his fang so fast Such windings He for us needs not fore-cast For this I do confesse albeit I could My heav'n upon this love to vertue hold Yet Satan of hypocrisie a spice Hes in the heart shed where it sliely lyes For seeing you with others who assemble At solemn meetings I would them resemble Dissemble what within my bosom grew And learn to prattle things I never knew Likewise I find too great a tryall here At meetings when both Sexes do appear And ordered so that oppositely airted The venome of much vanity is darted Out from the poyson of infective eyes At civill and sacred festivities Now these and many such enormities Naughty profane vain superfluities We civill men do see and do forbear To mortifie when they do most appear But you the flesh who do subdue so far That fairly springing up afresh you are Like fruitfull branches and like garden-flowers That wat'red be by sweet Celestial showers Preserve your peace when we our selves consume In making up Inditement for our doom Andrea Grissilla Anna. And. GReat good grave Ladies wise and Virgins pure Ye know ye could not well our sight endure For we what folly in the flesh remains By much experience tasting have with pains Do make it now our trade for to travers Through all the corners of this Univers Unvailing vice and bearing witnesse good Against that venom which infects our blood And ev'ry one of you in all your places With this sweet fellowship of gracious faces Cannot deny but ye had warning all Against these slights which might procure your fall Now are we glad to hear you so confesse Your weaknesse and your Lovers lovingnesse Anna. The most sincere and self-deny'd agrees Upon these sacred sweet solemnities Which we frequent for there by cords of love After our Lover we are mov'd and move In all sincere devotion avowed And unto new obedience are bowed Nor doth our lib'rall Lord us quite deprive Of recreations whilst we warily live And. True this the mind of many is indeed But may noâ— us discourage to proceed The kindnesse of our King doth us constrain To seek his glory and your sp'rituall gain Daily and dolefull proof doth witnesse well Our weaknesse and we may much folly feel Possesse our hearts for when we tempted be Surpris'd we are and can it not foresee Many affected seem and make a show To follow us that back again do go The cunning Serpent sleeps not but by flight Knows how to enter our corruption right Can give it life and then a bait most sweet Prepared for our pleasure we shall meet Colour'd with recreations in the name Of lawfull liberties to save the blame This I may say and can it now avow We doing are our selves for to undo All that we can But when we are intent The sacred Mysteries for to frequent Advancing still in faith our selves forsaking Tending our King and his sweet Crosse up-taking And who is he that doth aright detest Himself and on his Lovers favour feast And is not this poor ignorance engrain When recreations we prefer profane Which profite not nor pleasure but do perish Before the fruit appear from-out the flourish Whereas if we ev'n here in our traversings Had with our King constant and clean conversings Then should our tasting smelling hearing seeing Render a relish unto all admiring When in the galâ—ies he himself were shewing Feed on his face enliv'ning grace renewing And when he doth himself again retreat We have his Word and Works for to repeat Where from the least most common that is nam'd Most wondrous wayes of wisdom are proclaim'd And if these marvels we did rightly see Then recreated should we fully be Above what all created comforts can Confer upon the sp'rituall-graced man Ye know tho we translated be to light Yet all of us our nat'rall temper right Retain so as a stronger potion will Some person save which would another kill So with the gracious we do still consent In sowing seeds of sp'rituall nourishment But then the sturdy ground must break and bruise So as the season may the seed infuse An. We know your meaning unto us is good And better seen it is then understood Out of zeal in every thing you are From self-experience bidding us beware And in this present purpose to proceed It seems that this discourse may be apply'd For we of severall ranks degrees professions Presented have our case and our confessions And as there be of sev'rall persons here So do our tryals diversly appear And doubtlesse what would helpfull be to some Should most untimous to another come You see it so not one of us doth find What bands in bondage doth this dam'sell bind So sure there doth concur as seems to me Some other grounds of this varietie Of exercise unto us incident Who all are sprung from one root and discent Such as to our effectuall calling may Refer or to the maner time or way Gris Certain if we exactly ponder would All that upon our nature and this mould Had influence it verily should prove Our feeble frail conceptions far above We in the generall jointly do confesse
this distressed Maid Is tainted with the things that we have said Or that such guilt so grosse could find a place For to obscure such gravity and grace But we by bitter proof have truly proved Matter in us remaining unremoved Which can such motions bring unto respect When on these painted Portraicts we reflect That are suggested by the serpent slie Or by the sense sent to the phantasie But though we cannot shun we see the craft And Arrows keen he doth against us shaft Armour of proof we stand in and resist The sharpest dart he at our heart can thrust The fairest Idol that he can invent The sweetest Apple that he can present And when we sleeping be surpriz'd and foyl'd And ere we be aware betray'd and spoyl'd Our Captain sees and cannot long refrain Us to relieve and set us right again So as to him we do more closely cleave And watchfull walk for all the time we live This subtile hunter he is ever spying Where we be weakest and is ever trying By all means set to make us swell or swither The spunk of life by spouts of hell to smother This impure sp'rit prince of the air doth carry Into the brain many vain vapours aery Which the affections surely should infect If timously we did them not detect But if this airt the carnall part incline To blink asquint when he doth Saint-like shine Then are we over-clouded and we know Our Jealous Lover must us then reprove For he corrivall never could indure But sealed for himself will have us sure Since all that we can wish conjoyn'd in one Of blesse combined is in him alone And we convinced be abundantly Of love-obligements unto loyalty And when he sees us truly humbled much Under these trials which the heart doth touch Then in his tendernesse to us doth turn With comforts as we in his absence mourn Thus when we stand or fight or faint or fall He is so near that we are saved all This love above all finite reach ascending Unalterable and so condescending That even when we are secluded sore We oblidg'd be for to believe the more For if we were not so rebuked then Carelesse we should become like carnall men These are the flames this is that force of love Floods cannot quench might slight cannot remove This is our King our Sunne our Shield our Friend Who by his blood hes us to him combin'd Whose splendent rayes full fraught with vertue shall From this grosse drosse affections pure exhale And fix within that element of love Where our delights alone on him may move Gris Much graced Matron your discourse devote Much verity and charity doth note Ye who above us do so far resort Can best discern these Arrows to retort That from the prince of darknesse darted still Within the dark for to infest the will Your charity grave Matron most agrees With rich experience and with cleared eyes The mystery of mercy you have seen Melted in love and moulded have you been So as no evill you can think or wrest To worst but all interprete to the best But many novices come to this place Who tasted have and do belong to grace Are often on extreams as they abound In feelings or are under absence drown'd And in their halâ—y on dayes will not allow Esteem to any that be them below As little for themselves do they preserve When under darknesse drouping they do starve And we be ever checking those mistakes But self-conceit obdurate many makes Till they be tortur'd under many tryals And taught to live by faith in self-denyals But for the number wherewith we must meet Not possible it is for to repeat Some hes been spoken to by our dear friends Both from intention purpose good and ends And suffer me as yet to signifie Of these our travels the necessitie As by this simile we 'll better see If we dissect our own Anatomie The matter composition and the Art Of Heav'n admirable in ev'ry part Flesh blood bones nerves veins arteries sustaining Humours hot cold moist dry and mixt containing Seat and assistance offices and ends Each other serving none another offends And all disperst through all this fabrick rare By instruments above a thousand pair From top to toe by searching we may see No lesse then wonders in variety The very head a magazin is made Of marvells most magnificent and dread And whoso should down to the foot descend And on the parts therein contained spend Some space in every place they should perceive Hundreds which wonders were for to conceive And every one that charge for to fulfill Appointed by the glorious Makers will As by pre-ordination God doth give These souls immortall whereby we do live Ye likewise see that all these parts and pow'rs Composed in this little world of ours And animated by this living breath Lyes dwining now under the sting of death And that through this defiled body spreads These soul-preserving now life-poys'ning threeds For as the body doth in part defect Then can the soul thereby work no effect Ye likewise see the soul cannot be seen Which in the body hath infused been That both might be an instrument to raise The Authors greatnesse and his goodnesse praise And for this end endow'd above conceiving With large capacities fit for receiving All that our Maker shall reveal to make Us see him and his service undertake So as her gifts in such excellencies In number worth and great varieties Exceeds what e're be said of bodies may As doth the breath of God excell this clay Not only ample simple pure capacious But also subtile pregnant and sagacious To dyve to search to soar and never cease Untill she do her Author once imbrace In whom she shall far far above desiring Be fed with wonders unto all admiring But now in all her parts so far depraved By listing to her lust and so beslaved That when she 's taught and rescu'd yet again Constant she cannot in her course remain But steps aside and doth her self deprive Of these revivings that should her enlive And as it is most strange aright to see These contraries corporeall to agree This structure of the body to maintain Untill it must turn to the dust again Albeit some interruptions often make The soul in all her agitations slack But how much more incomparable ye know Were it to keep in frame These fancies move In our light minds imaginations vain From which the carnall part cannot refrain Which most doth mar that special consolation We should enjoy by sp'rituall contemplation By dyving in these mysteries divine Wherein the glory of our King doth shine And whereby we are by his light delighted Untill by this his grace we be perfected But when his Spirit to prevent our swelling Or from the vapors of that venom dwelling In us obstructed is who then oh who So over-clouded can but sadly go For he 's the soul by which the soul doth live Ev'n as the soul the body keeps alive
so brightly And in such wisdom makes the wound so rightly Physick appoints the poyson for to drain From the infected soul and flesh to strain Which by experience many children knows Is tended with the like tormenting throws But wants He skill or will who is our King Both health and heav'n out of this hell to bring Albeit this tumor must retain a tent The remnant of the humour for to vent Faith in thy Lover hath this strong perfume Which can this poyson pestilent consume Hele. This devilrie so close to me doth cleave Which man and angel from my King doth drive That I am tott'ring much on this turmoile And tortured so most like to take the foile Sam. Come come we ly too long aloof I see Towards the shoar now let us tackling be Mistakes misapplications most miscarries The minds of many when their judgements varies Bemisted in the want of faith whereby They should distinctly see weigh and apply We have been speaking of much fervent love Which in thy Lover doth His beloved move But now Oh thou much loved once admire What most transcendent love doth here appear When He redeem'd thee thou wast lost and yet Thou wilt thy self destroy if He permit That grace thy Lovers gift thy glory should Thy bain become imagine this who could Or could thou have imagin'd that thy flourish A cancar-worm into the bud could nourish Or that when thou was satisfied with singing Thou was unto thy idoll incense bringing This cockatrice to kill in secret lyes But being seen she by her venom dies Grace from the Author as from the fountain water When cut becometh putrified mater Like blood which from the heart through all the veins In circular motion by the nerves retains Strength in the members and returns again To pay the tribute and more vigour drain But being obstructed it corrupt becomes The member wanting nourishment benums Or as our curling brooks and silver streams Which from the fountain to the river foames By secret cranies through the ground the same Sweet current turns unto from whence she came Right so our Lover and our Princely King The ocean unexhausted and the spring Of whom we have from whom do derive All that we do enjoy in whom we live While from this sourse we daily vigour drive Life to preserve and let it passage have Uninterrupted to the font amain Then it 's increast and we refresht again But when these gifts of grace we do seclude From this right course we do our selves denude Of all our comfort whence doth swiftly grow If not foreseen our sudden overthrow Loves darling then dost thou not thence conclude Thy ardent Lover hath thee dearly lov'd Who for a little space his grace restrains That thou may seek himself where grace remains This love transcendent might a heart of steel Melt when affections do such fervour feel Hele. My heart is rather like a heart of flint Which cannot melt but doth endure the dint Sam. Loves force to flesh thy stony heart converts Hele. Love unto pride my fleshly heart perverts Sam. A fleshly heart is vices willing slave A heart of flesh impressions doth receive Of grace and vertue whereby vice it sees Resists subdues rejoyce in victories Hele. Oh now was any ever sunk so far In deaths dark shade and yet delivered were Sam. Believe me for I do assure thee this Of many children the condition is And ne're an abject did as yet bemoan This ground of grief where-under thou dost groan But so it is that till experience teach We do not to the rule of practice reach Hele. Happy thrice happy should I such esteem Who by experience so well taught had been To keep that order in his princely sight As His sweet company continue might Sam. It 's true we are new born again indeed And planted here upon heav'ns dew to feed But our Bride-groom with whom there is no change Most faithfull bides in all our failings strange Yet will permit to tempt us for our triall As we may best be bred to self-deniall The gravell also of this poys'ned flesh Seeds do ingross that would spring up afresh Unlesse by crosses and corrections meet They were supprest and we more purifi'd But this in gen'rall we may all conclude That ev'ry stripe we get is for our good Though bitter biting sad and fretting sore Sweet fruit unto thy taste shal come the more And when by proof we find the sweet effects Produc'd in ev'ry one our King elects As purging potions life and health preserving Preventing us from sinking in our swerving The old man and his notions so subduing The new man and his motions so renewing That we in our infirmnesse do rejoice And under all our suff'rings do repose In such submission as sweet peace doth bring Whence out of sorrow heav'n on earth doth spring Whereof if we did not our selves deprive By fond mistakes we should delightfull live Then for to condescend of force we must That no affliction springeth from the dust Nor yet temptation doth from fortune flow But do by Providence directly grow And by heav'ns wisdom unto us apply'd That we may be perfected when we 're try'd Hel. In evâ—ry thing this day that can be nam'd find my self most worthy to be blam'd As in this solitar reserv'd design Which certainly much detriment doth bring To many and if that the force of love Which in this famous fellowship doth move Me to attend so for my help inclin'd Far contrar to my self-conceited mind I should have been in this confusion longer Weak'ned my self and made my bands the stronger For till these free discourses do appear In this society assembled here And by this timous and this tender treating Wherein your Grace hath been with me debating I never could have thought a soul could live To which so much contagion should cleave At least a person in this land of grace That could the tract of such vain idols trace But now more perfectly I do perceive That he who freely sought us out must save And by immediate grace must still preserve For daily we to be disgrac'd deserve Now to believe O but I do desire But senslesse prove when I would most aspire Sam. Thou shew'st thy self most sensible of hearing Consent therefore thou shalt come unto clearing Hel. Some of Gods sons as they have heard have seen Some that they might endure have suff'red been To take a blink of Him cannot be seen Sam. Now may we clearly see what thou dost mean Thou senslesse prov'st indeed in thy desirings Which properly in thee are proud aspirings Its strange thou shouldst be satisfi'd so slightly Not vap'ring for high visions more brightly Or looking to be rapt above heav'ns arches About the borders of the divine marches Must thou be steward of the Royal treasure Will no less serve thy sense than Moses measure Hast thou for such a charge so strong a back Should not thy brains below the burden break Job faithfull in incomparable
trialls In darkest dayes gave dev'ls and men defyalls And never got a blink of light untill He fell submissive to his Makers will Thou knows we live by faith and not by sight By faith we suffer and prevail in fight Where is the fruit of all that sense receiv'd By thee before and what if all that 's crav'd Were streamed out upon thy strong desires Shouldst thou not spend them on thy carnall fires And when these sparkles of thy heart were spent So much the more thy sorrow should augment The child of light through fearfull darknesse groping Takes faster grip and firmer hold by hoping Thou canst not deem and nothing now thou knows Who at the coals of this corruption blows Nor see how sliely Lucifer can slide At twi-light time a plant of privy pride Ev'n when we do in all our strength resist Then can he at the part best fenced thrust And cunningly cause us ly open there Whereat the poyson'd dart he doth prepare This venom all of us do clearly see This child of grace her great vexation be And when she armed best against it is How Satan can infest her with a kisse Advert with wonder heav'nly earthly hosts Wonder all glorious glorified ghosts Wonders are seen which make you all adore Renewed marvels make you wonder more Pure spirits fill the souls of your desirings Extend your minds unto these deep admirings The quintessence of heav'ns counsell glorious Man murder'd on his murderer victorious In suff'ring Satan sift and so surprize And with such depth of subtilty devise Uncessantly and in such wyndings lurking Ev'n in our duties our destruction working But here the myst'ry of salvation is Crown'd with the cape-stone of eternal bless Of preservation by our glorious King Who our deliv'rance by his death doth bring An instance clear hereof before our eyes All the beholders evidently sees A chosen called faithfull child of grace Who for the prize most fervently doth prease Too much neglecting what she had before And strongly stretching to increase the more One much enrich'd with light and lively motions Experience deep and many sp'rituall notions In darknesse for deliverance debating Her poor condition and her case relating Sincerely set our counsell to receive But sylour'd can her self not undeceive For at her best attainment now you see How Satan snatches opportunity He sees the cup she doth delight to drink And in the liquor doth the poyson sink Let us infer from what we have been hearing And from this pregnant instance here appearing Since all the children of the first Creation Deservedly are under condemnation And that the cause ev'n to the Elect cleaves So close as unto any one that lives And that we ev'ry one are severally According to our humors diversly To some deceit or other more propense Then can appear by search unto our sense Which would unto infinitnesse amount Above what finite we could make acompt And that so many legions of lights Malicious devils and spirituall mights Our natures cases places erudition Daily attend our changes and condition And every one with every severall bait For every posture on us all await For this proud wretch doth desp'ratly disdain That we should be restor'd by grace again Or that our nature now should be renewed Or venom purged out that he had spued Therein whereby we in his Image stood Till it be blotted out by divine blood Yet we even we that most enlightned be Too carelesse live before this cruelty Much more and most for to be blam'd we prove Not studying still this boundlesse depth of love Which in our Lover moves him feed and keep His straying sterving and restored sheep Yet all that we can do doth but increase Our debt but more his mercy doth expresse This love we clearly cannot look to see Untill this body clarified be At least untill it be dissolv'd that so The soul her Lover to enjoy may go But how is this that we cannot submit Unto this wisdome and our selves acquit By firm believing as the duty chief Whereby from bondage we receive relief We see not that our drouping and dejections His faithfulnesse dishonours by reflections The growth of grace and inward peace obstructs The seeds of weeds into the heart conducts Th'envyous man with all his snares and cares The serpent slie with all his slights and snares Canst thou before the fiery tryall stand When men and devils do against thee band Such are in store and more thee to befall If fond conceits thy folly foster shall Ambition such were much to be commended Which with sobriety might be defended But ye who by confiding quiet may Repose beware presumption to bewray The Lark the Princely Eagle ne're envyes Suppose she see him skifting through the skies Ten thousand stage above her highest higher The suns resplendant beams and beauty nigher I am too tedious but to be excused Such disputs to anticipate are used Dear daughter once disdain for to repine At dispensations that are so divine Restrain the rising of such grosse deceits Refrain devising of such crosse debates A little faith finds out a fair relief Say I believe Lord help my unbelief And once resolve submission sincere Like to the pupill in the fathers fear Till which thou cannot put thy faith in act To comfort thee though thou thy brains should crack Come then threap kindnesse yet upon thy King Tell him that in the prison thou wilt sing His praises and ne're cease untill thou see His face in grace and then imbraced be This counsell daughter for to practice strive For it shall prove the way to make thee thrive He either shall the cloud of mist remove Or thee remove the clouds and mist above Where thou's be feasted in a minuts space With all the fruits of thy believing grace And from that instant in eternity Thy King enjoying shall rejoycing be Hele. O fearfull cloud of separation sad What heart can hear and not for fear fall mad Oh wonderfull that ye so wise can move Me to unmoved stand who must remove Where death bound ghosts down go depriv'd of light And suffer so in an eternall night Sam. How art thou now come up at words to carpe Perverting sense and using censures sharp And wherein thou convinced art before Would lead us unto repetitions more But lend a blink unto our travels past And thou thy self wilt censure for thy haste For we are leading thee into believing While thou unto thy facile sense art cleaving Hele. Oh to believe 't were possible for me But till I can excuse I cannot lie And well I know it is Gods love constrains You to this more then ordinary pains And I shall let you see I do not slight Your travels but do still recent them right For I confesse your presence all before There 's not a word hath past you less or more In reference to my condition duely But found so plain I do apply it truely And I shall not deny but I have tasted
own frail faintings felt Immediate love and mercy shall thee melt And yet what if that thy good God advise A deeper draught thy folly to surprise We are so prone to fix on proofs we prove Both naturall in our faith our hope our love What then when in the light thou seems to live And in much lively liberty revive And with much confidence thou dost conceive That all that thou hast sought thou shalt receive And yet thou art not only quite denyed But the response is contrary replyed Well this is sharp but certainly it 's sweet That divine checks should with our idol meet That when vain we would our own morcels carve We should be left in hazard for to starve Himself Himself alone and nothing else But what of him and of His vertue smels He and not we knows what is for our good And never will His own thereof denude Both how and when to help for he doth hear Our sp'rituall supplications all sincere Which qualified according to His will He fails not for our well but shall fulfill What if again poor weakling yet alace Thou shouldst ly groaning at the Throne of grace And knowst not how to seek or what to say Far lesse can presse or pertinently pray Yet this is good God sees thy strong desires And flames the sacrifice with sacred fires And to His praise doth make our peace appear Out of the odours of our sighs sincere So that as yet we may convinced be That all His gifts are grace and mercy free For tho the way be strait and full of snares And we infirm possest with fears and cares Our fault it is we do not soar above What tempests all the gates of hell can move We should an heaven upon earth enjoy If thus we did believe thus him imploy On him repose him love in him delight Who is th'ingraven-form and glory bright Of the eternall God in whom we have Accesse by grace to come seek and receive All that is for our good who so doth give Above what we can ask seek or believe Hele. Enough enough there needs no more My Lover doth my life restore â—n him alone I move I live And bound I am him to believe Affections cannot have the force From his dear love me to divorce The flatteries frowns the hooked baits Whereby the cunning hunter waits To snatch me unawars my eyes Anointed are and clearly sees The lying Serpent sliely lurking And in his brood most boldly working Both from within and from without But my most Royal Captain stout Hath crusht the Serpents cruell head And pleads my cause against his seed And daily helps me to subdue The old man and his notions new To purge the heart and make it clean And in temptation doth sustain My fainting and my failings crave Both food and physick these I have And when I suffer with my Love Such comforts as come from above And on my sp'rit conferred be By His good Sp'rit spiritually That if the Devil knew he would Restrain his malice if he could So what can interrupt my peace In this free full unchanged grace Untill through times and trials we Make entry in eternity Jea Enough enough I do confesse indeed With this which is in watchfulnesse proceed Guard well against security and sure Thou shalt from swerving be the more secure These wak'nings and these warmings of affections As antidotes unto thy dull dejections Out of the cisterns of salvation spring Whence we in sucking consolation sing And if we hereby do our strength renew For stormy tempests that be to ensue Then happy we when we have rightly used These mercies rich But when they be abused By fond conceiving that they shall endure We fall asleep and carnally secure And sure before we be aware we shall In slipp'ry places slide or catch a fall And in that slumber be surpris'd again And with disgrace shall our Profession stain Most bitter proof and sad experience dear Hes made this truth in ages all appear That many sons go groaning to the grave For grieving him so graciously does save By whose immediate mercifull supply They be sustain'd that still dependent be There is no reason for our standing but Eternall love that chois'd us changed not Infinite mercie seen can also move The finite thing infinite love to love Thus living dyving in this sweet abysse I leave thee in a most transcendent blesse And to my charge again shall now apply And thou by sure experience shalt try The precious fruit of precious time so spent That these thy pains thou never shalt repent But as of my infirmnesse thou wast tender My Lord to thee shall recompences render Abundantly above what finite we Can seek believe or think infinitely Gris I likewise go farewell my friends most dear Who witness were unto these wonders here Our King how comely in his comings be And in his goings for our goods is He You see what sadnesse in his absence is And in his presence what a heav'n of blesse And that through godly sorrow from within Our sp'rituall comforts rise and do begin Now seek His Name for therein ye shall see His mercy meeting with your misery And that His grace and His unchanged love â—s greatly our ingratitude above And that His Name as precious ointments sweet Of fragrant smell the Virgins pure invite For in these ornaments he doth appear Amongst us in the Pallace-garden here Where by his breathings mixt with warming showres â—eds out in flourishes our sweetest flowres â—nd spices that he doth delight to see â—mell taste defend and cause to fructifie â—here shall we find our friends frequent that place â—ceiving and communicating grace â—o know our King as he doth visits give 〈◊〉 there the dwyning soul he doth revive â—e blind the deaf the dumb the lame also â—o see and hear and speak and come and go And for the stately pallace royall fair He purifies the comers and prepare Come let us come for here his glorious Name Of all the Students is the only theam And all these curious Mazes and Meanders Delightfull be unto the understanders Attending still till they translated be Into the mansions of eternity THE INTRODUCTION TO The Pallace Garden THe first Man Adam of the earth earthly made a living Soul forfeited to himself and all his posterity the greatest natural happinesse imaginable by the naturall Creature and that after possession received thereof in Paradise that Garden of all pleasures and preferments thaâ— the whole Universe and all therein containeâ— could afford and being crowned with the height of that beatitude a communion with God in the manner and measure of manifestation whereby the creature could be most capable of the Creator But this folly of the mutable creature could not frustrate the eternall design of the only wise and wonderfull God whose wisedom in the last ADAM a quickening Spirit the Lord from heaven took delight to be conversant with the children of men and out of these lost
affections were Fixed upon this glorious Star Which lightens all the Stars above And on poor welps lets out this love MAZE 8 Types and emblems Rev. 5.6 9 10 HEre does the Rose in Sharon lively grow The faces of the comers colouring Here living waters from the fountain flow And graces be abundant bullering Here feeds the Pelican her fainting brood Dying but being revived by her blood The Phenix tasting death death to subdue Life to restore and nature to renew Captives to rescue here the Lyon dread see and adore The Lamb in suffering death a ransome made man to restore Thy faith-bred thoghts unto these theams confine Where these transcendent mysteries do shine For every minut in eternity New marvels in this mirrour thou shalt see Join with heavens holy host in heavenly hymnes Sing hallelujahs with the Seraphims Amongst these pregnant Spirits ever poring In this abysse of blesse and joy adoring Adoring God whose wisdome bountie bright Doth shine so fair in this dark cloudy night Infer confer when thou com'st out to see These mysteries clear what shall that glory be MAZE 9. Loves union Joh. 17.22 23 NOw Happy Holy Ones who sees The Myst'ry sweet of Mysteries How from that Myst'ry myst'ries flow And from that Wonder wonders grow Fitting for souls eternall thinking When the Redeem'd are ever drinking At the Cisterns of salvation In the cups of consolation Life from the ever-living Fountain Moving on the unmoved Mountain In that celestial Communion Sublime and unconceived Union Where never then incensing stain Unto rebuke shall us arraign Nor possible again seclude From this felicity so good Of joyes transcending and exceeding All that on his face are feeding Past separation quite which is The Crown of our eternall blesse That blesse all finite thoughts above Feasting upon eternall love Where from the splendor of illustrious beams Grace in immortall glory ever streams THE FIRST STEP TO THE JEWEL NOw in this Garden where we have been using And in these Mazes moved unto musing And be returning to our Cypresse bowres To take a breathing for some silent hours Let us beware for we in danger be To sleep away our sweet tranquillity We members of the Body mysticall Which Militant we ordinarly call Are to regard the universall cases Of all the parties in their sev'rall places Common desires delights designs devoted As this State-int'rest best may be promoted So when in person most remote we are We may in sp'rit be best imployed far Now let us try this course in our retirings Fervent and faithfull be in all desirings And dutifull endeavours for our King And for His cause so shall we daily sing And let us ever in the faith be eyeing Him in His glorious actings as by seeing We may the more by grace enlarged be His glorious Name for to exalt on hie And in our secret Soliloquies then How God hath granted grace for gracelesse men Recent resume and so the sp'rit compose As you in sp'rit may sp'ritually rejoice But O! what drousinesse and what decay Infirmity and failing we bewray When from the Garden we debarred be For any space untill for new supply The Silver Trumpet sounding in our streets For fainting souls a new approach invites For help this precious Jewel as the Root Of all the Garden spices flowers and fruit For spirit feeding feasting smelling healing Apply'd to thy affections for prevailing Effectuall prove for in these Gemmes imbosed All vertue efficacious is inclosed With fixed eyes and warm affections ponder And as thou dost revive rejoice and wonder The second Step to the JEWEL THis Microcosme Man of wonders full By God made wonderfully wonderfull And in his lively image made to live By breathing in this life that he doth give A compend of the whole Creation bright In whom the Divine Nature took delight There to converse as in a mansion meet Doth join with lifelesse dust a living sp'rit This soul doth all in all the parts remain Of all the body for the bodies gain Relief and preservation in all cases Her self unmov'd whose action never ceases So and infinitely above what can Imagin'd be by any soul of man The glorious Creator doth possesse His blessed Self in all this Universe Containing all things uncontain'd unmoving His glory in all motions promoving Which shining in His Name and nature prove No change to be in His eternall Love As by his operations appear That Majesty to man and angel clear By dyving wherein there is true delight Untill through darknesse we arrive at light The JEWEL of Jewels The LORD our GOD who 's only PURE In TRUTH and GOODNESSE doth endure PERFECTION JUST OMNIPOTENT OMNISCIENT and OMNIPRESENT INFINITE ONE WONDERFUL All these rich Gemmes in this fair Jewel seen All in all All all 's involves In our believing all resolves Believing knowing presupposing Fervent love and full rejoicing In these most sweet enliving Beams True living reviving Streams frō this one All who shining is In Bounty Beauty boundlesse This Pearle rare transparent doth contain ETERNALL BLESS and MERCIFUL EMMANUEL and high COUNSELLER LOVE LIFE and only COMFORTER UNCHANGEABLE and WISDOM bright LONG SUFF'RING sweet GRACIOUS LIGHT The use of the JEWEL THis firmament of starry constellations Planets Signs Poles in sep'rate scituations Which from the Sun the Prince of Stars receive Inliving vigour to the life they have On this Terrestial Glob from every Airt Their influence on bodies all impart To every sev'rall kinde by sweet infusion Diffused variously without confusion Wherein infinite multiplicity Each one may plead these heav'ns were made for me Like Iron and Adamant alike affecting And all things else except themselves neglecting Since then the God of nature hath impos'd This naturall necessity compos'd Dead Elements to quicken and revive Procreate preserve restore and to enlive The vegetives and sensitives what then Can be the glory he for elect men Reserv'd hath in himself to let them prove The force of servent free and fountain love In moving to discern with open eyes Aright a sight of divine mysteries This Garden treasure JEVVEL every jem Spring from that sweet sublime eternall stem In Gospel Ordinances so resplendent Industrious divinely condescendent And every one in every one so vive That every one doth every one revive Whence flow these various flowers that do affect Spirituall senses to a sweet reflect Cordials of comforts here ingrafted grow And soveraign balm from precious spices flow That by the influence of refreshing beams And constant current of spiritual streams Upon the proper object so effecting Directed duely by divine directing And straightly darted out from every point Curing securing every severall joynt From that One-All unmov'd eternall pure Where infinit perfection doth endure That Omnipotent Omnipresent is And Omniscient savingly to blesse In Him the Son of righteousnesse by name Emmanuel high that only glorious beam Where wisdom full of wonder shines so bright In ord'ring all these works of wonder right That goodnesse may be seen
ever blest Trin One compleat For evermore our songs shall be Ever renew'd uncessantly And His praises to expresse Ever shall our selves addresse AMEN O Lord so let it be So be it in Eternity THE NATURAL MAN Debated with HOw come say some such sacred flames can boil So sweet perfumes out of this sullen soyl This curious question'st with carnall eyes Bemisted sees not in these mysteries How singing doth from sighing flow And gladnesse how from sadnesse grow How mourning melting motions move In frozen hearts hot flames of love From bitterness how sweetness springs Refreshment what felt-ruine brings How from the groans of inward grief Clear freedom rises and relief In deepest darknesse sure direction In dreadfull danger safe protection Result and what can be the root That renders this admired fruit For Answer this BY Grace we see our selves with shame Under abominable blame And not the lesse so freely loved Affections feelingly are moved And overflow like Nilus River In the heart of the believer Whence grief and gladnesse love and he at Reside as in the proper seat Whence bitter mourning grief and wo For grieving such a Lover so Who surfetted hes been with grief From grief to purchase our relief Whom seeing vively through the vail Love and delight thereby prevail So that as by approaching near Unto that splendor in its sphere Be in Combustion dazled so Within these gleams we undergo And in this current strong contesting Securely in his shadow resting Zeal the birth of love and hate Daily abates this love-debate Wherewith no concord can compare One end discussing all their care Being to be made pure and clean This fervent love to entertain Grace ' gainst corruption doth begin A furious fight the soul within So that in one poor person here Betwixt two parties doth appear A hot contest with fatall blows Tending to others overthrows Whence grows this bitter-sweet debate In this grace-griev'd divided state Hence flow these tides contrary turning Mourning to mirth mirth unto mourning The old man being pincht repines The new man sweetly sings and shines The old man dwyning in his living The new man rising and reviving What dolour the old man endures Delight to the new man procures When grace is most o'resway'd it swiâ—gs Corruption under foot and sings For on a mountain of increasement And at a fountain of refreshment Bullering up eternall love With sp'ritual breathings from above Reviv'd by all these blessefull beams Shining through our cristal streams We in these glist'rings flight'ring be Untill we take our flight on hie These be the Northern gales that blow And breathings from the South that flow Upon the Spices sweet and Flowres Seasoned with Celestiall showres And in this Garden do agree Spouses to feast deliciously Upon these fruits and spices sweet Where all their comforts are compleat Who do discern aright to rise These mercies rich rightly to prize But the Believer only sees That Majesty in these mysteries And substance through the shadows more Of glory then he can adore But that the rationall man yet we may lead Some length let us by nat'rall reason plead Seeing this naturall Sun we daily see On nat'rall bodies worke effectually Vapours exhaling out of earthy things Which rarifi'd and clarified brings Repell'd by colder air our early showres Enamelling the earth with fruits and flowres Shall not the Sun of Righteousnesse far more Natures Creator whom we do adore By his almighty Influence divine Which on the long-benighted soul does shine Affect attract and elevating move Affections for the element of love Which purify'd prepared and matur'd Are for the service of their Lord allur'd And further yet by naturall things to learn Spirituall mysteries best to discern This supposition make Conceive the bounds Of this vast Ocean that the earth surrounds If all the Floods therein were the extracts And quintessence that best ingredients makes And daily that some of these cristall drops Melt from such sweet and sun-refined sops And in this Ocean be ingulfed shall They not be then transchanged in the fall Our reason shews us that this strong perfume Should soon the drosse of this sweet drop consume Consider then when this immortall sp'rit By these divine irradiations sweet Here in the Region of grace matur'd For glory and the love thereof allur'd Doth from this cloud come out imbrac'd to be In that incomprehensible excellency At the first blink transchanged be so far As heat from cold and light from darkness are And though the rising of our bodies be From death to life again a mysterie Yet when we do behold how nature brings About life to restore to lifelesse things The earth renewing daily flowers and fruits From dozen'd dead corrupt and rotten roots The vapour that 's exhaled from the brim Where sholes of herring leave their spawn to swim Congealed in a cloud again shall powre Of herrings on the ground a swiming shower Oh wofull wretched wreaked naturallist That naturally doth see and not insist To see aright believe love and know more Who natures Author is and him adore For in His time thou with thy very eyes Disclos'd shall see these divine mysteries Our body from the Elements arise And sp'rited be to meet Him in the skies And at the peep of first appearance passe To pain or pleasure as the Inditement was Recorded clearly on the conscience gravâ—d Rend'ring response respective damned sav'd And all these revolutions orderly Accomplisht in the twinkling of an eye For this the period peremptor is Eternally determinat for this That Glorious Right'ous Justice shining clear And glorious righteous mercy may appear Where all the damn'd convinc'd in anguish ly The saved on their Saviour do rely And yet poor naturall atheist that inquires Where is this blesse and where these burning fâ—es Conceive of God aright who comprehends All things incomprehended and extends His glory in His dispensations free Of mercy and of justice righteously Wherein such Majesty ador'd does shine As moves to admiration divine Through all these vast dimensions created Where all the rationall creatures are stated Sin-poyson'd persons wheresoever they be Unpurg'd are under wrath perpetuallie Likeas the Saints are wheresoever plac'd Within the glorious love of God imbrac'd This is the hell beneath and heaven above Here flames of wrath abide there beams of love Justice effects producing so contrarious Upon the Objects so directly various This naturall Sun by nature putrifies Some matter and some matter purifies Some matter harden and some soften more Some strike to death and some to life restore In Summer shining with so fervent heat And on the vild defyled puddle beat The filth therein doth such a fume disclose As doth in darknesse all the dung inclose Ingend'ring serpents vile and cruell frogs Crawling and sprewling in their poysoned drogs Right so the Sun of Righteousnesse shines pure While such the poyson of their pest indure â—or all the perturbation torment anguish Is of themselves wherein they liveing languish Thus may
The Heav'nly Manna and thereon have feasted And at the fountain have refreshed been Therein revived and returned clean And that when slumbring I began to swell I have been left in darknesse for to dwell Untill it pleas'd my King who knows my pain For my relief me to revive again I likewise do confesse what ye have said In ref'rence unto provocations made Which have recited been by severall here And pertinently made for to appear From sound experience much diversity And nearest numberlesse variety That with the like I have been led astray And drawn upon my self a cloudy day The crosse did with corruption so increase I forc'd have been my folly to confesse For I might read in every severall rod Real offences against a righteous God Who yet from wretched me did not remove His tender mercy faithfulnesse and love For in his coming I might daily see His goings were for wak'nings unto me Again I shall not take unto denyals But that I have acquainted been with tryals From all the Fiends and their infernall states Where I have often felt and dealt debates His brood within his instruments without Inviron and invest me round about And yet from all their cruelty and spight Have been preserv'd from that malicious might And where they had permission to perplex Turn'd to my good and them the more may vex And as this is by you my friends affirmed Is likewise now by me again confirmed But not the lesse â—lace that I can say I have no benefite thereby this day You have been arguing long and I replying Contending much and many things denying Wherein convinc'd that ye the right maintain Yet know ye not what sorrows I sustain For I had never darknesse known aright If once I had not seen the shining light Nor what it were to be beslav'd with devils If of their seed I had not seen the evils Nor what deliv'rance or defence could mean If fearfull danger were not something seen But while so many eminent I see For light and life inlargement liberty Forsaken and before the tryall fail How can I then presume for to prevail Who now so long so fearfully do ly Without relief or hope of remedy If ye my dolours knew ye would deplore That wofull anguish and vexation sore That I am wrangled with and wrapped in When terrours of the second death begin Of outward suffering I make no acount Although they do ye know too much amount A raging devil in the wicked reeling Venting their venom with villanous reviling Professed friends do privily supplant The most engaged in their ranting taunt And being held in fetters raging roar Because they cannot reach for to devour My person means profession and my name To burie in the dust of death they dream But when the prince of darknesse doth begin This dark and dozned heart again within To raise his works and to enlive his brood What can I men lesse then lost wretch conclude And more this tyrant hath attain'd the leading Of my affections ev'n while I am pleading Against his faunings and his flatt'ring baits Whereby I dragged am in dang'rous straits And cannot stint because I have no strength Nor hope to be relieved at the length For this I sigh for this I weep and mourn For this my bowels in my belly turn For this I seperate my self alone For this my blood and moisture both are gone Because the Comforter that can relieve My heart no answer for my grief doth give But in this desp'rate case at distance keep While all these serpents do about me sweep With open jaws sharp claws and cruell sting Trusting to sink and swallow quick they sing Sam. Well I perceive you have at length been plain Yet all doth turn unto one thing again Except some aggravation of the space The measure and ingredients in the case This closse eclipse with storms of flying fire Darknesse and thundring bolts of dreadfull ire From devils and from every instrument They could devise to work they detriment And then least for thy self to stand and fight So far above thy cunning and thy might Partly because that thou hes known them fall Compar'd with thee a shrub were cedars tall But yet look over thine accounts and cast Thou may come to a reckoning right at last These persons eminent at first did yeeld They never try'd the fight upon thee field And look again aright and thou shalt see Such as thy self triumph in victory Who in the fight by slight have oft been foil'd And yet by strength renew'd the spoiler spoild Consider also if thou couldst have stood Before old Belial and his brutish brood If they were not by chains of strength restrain'd And thou to use thy armes aright were train'd The measure and the space which most doth move thee Is the appointment of thy Prince to prove thee That thou may taste His power in preserving Under thy want and weaknesse of deserving Do no more plague thy self with this debate Against this blessed and believing state A fixed faith all slavish fear removes And in its orbe unto the Author moves For measure time and means simplie surrender Thy self to Him He is wise kind and tender Whereof much rich experience thou abuses And for tranquillity this torment chuses Wherein be sure thou shalt be tortured till Thou do submit sincerly to His will Hele. Now do I well perceive by your discourse I have not soundly looked to the sourse Of dispensations as I might have seen A secret providence did me sustain Ev'n in these darkest dayes and dangers dread Which all my torture and my torment breed For if I had then had I never thought These fiery-brands that my vexation wrought Had loosed been but were in fetters ty'd And suff'red but to bark till I were try'd I likewise see as you have said that such Who in a flourish hes professed much The field did never by confession face But turn'd in searching tryals with disgrace And for the measure and the space I know It 's good for me so to be keped low I suffered was many essayes to take Which weigh'd aright might many humble make And upon me there lyes unto believing More real bands then upon any living And now that I should limit him doth wound Me most to whom I am so deeply bound And that I have so wilfully resisted The sp'rit whereby you have with me insisted For I have doing been what in me lay My soul unto the murderer to betray But now my Saviour worthily shall have His will for He I see will me but save And here I do acknowledge my mistakes And that my diffidence the dottage makes Bemisted in the mud so have I been And so gainsaid what I have felt and seen The truth of all that ye have now exprest Is clear to me and so by me confest For He my Lover is not only wise And strong and fair and lovely in mine eyes But He is wisdom beauty might and love Where all
Our glorious King eternall only wise Incomprehensible all things contains Who never doth the heart contrite despise But by His Sp'rit the broken sp'rit maintains By worlds of men thy will fulfilled be Through all the earth and let thy glory shine Jehovah high in Heav'n eternally And all the Elect to thy praise incline SONG II. A Song of triumph Rev. 15.3 4. Great And Marvelous Are Thy Works Lord God Almighty Just And True Are Thy Wayes Thou King Of Saints Who Shall Not Fear Thee O Lord And Glorify Thy Name For Thou Only Art Holy For All Nations Shall Come And Worship Before Thee For Thy judgements Are Made manifest GReat greatness doth unto our God belong And Majesty to be ador'd alone Marvelous and admir'd thy Saints among Are thy decrees eternall every one Thy works within thy Sanctuary are seen Works full of wonder thou to light hast broght Lord Lord thy purposes are pure and clean God only God that thou in us hast wrought Almighty might all finite light transcending Just justice uncontroll'd in wisdome right And righteousnesse in all thy acts extending True God of truth conjoin'd with glorious might Are not the Hosts of heav'n our heav'nly King Thy Mercy Justice Statutes truth desiring Wayes Wisdome works to see and seeing sing Thou King of Saints thy Majesty admiring King King of Kings before whose glorious face Of glory Kings created Crowns cast down Saints seperate and sanctified by grace Who thee imbrace thy praises shall resound Shall not the Nations thy great Name regard Not thee by whom their beings only be Fear thee who for thy people hast prepar'd The consolations of eternity O thou who doth so far our faith exceed Lord lead us to thy truth thereto to cleave And firmly fix our eyes on thee to feed Glorify thy Name in us us Lord revive Thy name is like to oyntments only sweet Name O ye Nations His dread Name with fear For He in all perfections is compleat Thou seest Him past comparison appear Only thy self Self-soveraignity Art thou incomprehensible alone Holy immense adored Majesty For thou art glorious Heavens and earth upon All only All in all thy Name is seen Nations in thy Salvation shall rejoyce Shall not the captives that deliver'd been Come and upon thy grace and peace repose And who will not unto thy greatnesse still Worship and homage do with heart sincere Before the Throne in ardency of will The Saints among when there they shall appear For now the wisdom of thy wise decrees Thy judgments deep and so divine so cleared Are to the sense of every eye that sees Made manifest and ever are admired A Harmonious Consort in a Song of Praise SONG III. Part. 3. THrones and dominions now adore This deep profound abysse before Of Wisdome and of knowledge high Shining in just mercy free Flowing from that fountain love That both the head and members move And made the dying head to live And all the members dead revive The mights and slights did him defy Below His feet down thrown do ly They bruis'd His heel but from His hand Now must they feel an iron brand Which breaks the necks of all His foes And makes the Hosts of Heaven rejoice For now our Glorious Head doth render To God the Kingdome and doth tender Himself unto His Spouse redeemed And members so by Him esteemed That so His long desires that day For evermore enjoy He may And they refyned and inflamed With sacred fires and so reframed Which the most glorious Head inspires And Members glorified admires The Universall Heavens filled With all this influence instilled By our victorious King alone Christ mysticall God-Man in One Whose generations account Who can which doth so far surmount All rationall mens conceiving Believing all poor sp'rits perceiving But O! admired doth invite Finite unite with infinite And in their stations sp'ritualized And gradation authorized Cordially with all consents Above the Orbs and Elements The Region of the fire and air Adoring be Echo Beware Now spare Till there you do approach and then Let Angels and immortall Men Like Stars resplendent shining sing Praise to their Author Spouse and King Do not I pray thee so inhibite For we cannot be prohibite To conceal that grace that glory That in this very middle story We do enjoy by faith and hope Which giveth latitude and scope With much alacrity to sing And when we be eclips'd to bring Unto the Altar timous tears And bemoan our faithlesse fears For He is firm who us affects And cannot fail who us protects And there shall in the darkest night Arise for us a glorious light And in the deepest deadly hell The Balme of Paradise shall smell Which shall increase of grace procure And shall our souls in peace secure Then do us not discharge to sing Praise to our Royall Spouse and King Sing on but in sobriety Beware of soaring too too high Flight'ring above the lofty line Where Love resides and doth refine Affections to incline aright To live by faith untill we come to sight The second Part of the third SONG THen by this liberty to sing Of our most Royall Spouse and King whose Love doth us allure His Deity in glory we Tri-unity adoring be our comforts to secure There unapproachable He is In all eternity of blesse above our feelings far For at the word of His command All things appeared where they stand from nothing as they are We do these wonders all believe And that He hes come to relieve us who did so disdain To do His wil and hear His voice But wilfully made wofull choise to sin which hes us slain Here is the Text here is the Theam Here is the Fountain here the Stream whence all our comforts spring Here all the Angels ever dive Hence all the Saints their life derive here doth our glory sing His power experimentally By working in us mightily we know do and believe For we in ignorance were born And in the bands of death forlorn till He did us receive Who can His wisdome but adore And providence so much the more as we are ever seeing From wonderfull varieties And seeming contrarieties harmonious agreeing Him in His truth we worship must He being only worthy trust as we do daily try Far far above our weak believing In every strait He is relieving as we His word apply His knowledge whose all-seeing eye All things that are were or shal be are ever straight before All persons places cases right Divinely ordered in His sight which Angels do adore And O! how righteously our King Doth to the rule of justice bring and equally compose Above our weak capacity Unmov'd by partiality alike to friends and foes His pittying mercy we admire Whereby He doth our miseries clear and leads us to be cur'd Who in our blood were lying blind That we our light and life may find by Him for us procur'd In these excellencies our King Does shine we Him injoy and sing but O!