that saved we may be From his destroying hand If I 'm so vile That all I think or do sin doth defile How is it possible that any thing I can perform that may me safety bring If I had all the World at my command To offer up to him nought at my hand Needs He to take whose all things are nor could I it so bring as He accept it would From me that am so vile but alas I Have nothing of mine own but misery And sin I must therefore lye down forlorn Bewailing that sad day when I was born And wishing that some Hills or Mountains might Fall on and cover me from his dread sight That He might not how sinful I am see Nor I Him who so angry is with me But oh alas these bootless wishes are Nought they avail me nothing but Despair Remains as my sad lot in wretchedness To perish evermore without redress O wo is me what shall I think or do I am undone I sink I perish Oh! Minist Despair not Soul But hear and listen well Unto a true story that I shall tell Tidings of joy and gladness I do bring Tidings of peace that well may make thee sing Incline thine ear therefore and bend thy mind That of my words thou may'st the comfort find Though thou most wretchedly from thy Creator Hast run and play'd vile prevaricator From his just laws hast sin'd against him still And hast not set by his most holy will Unworthy art of love most worthy wrath Yet He to thee a strong affection hath Loves thee intensively and thy welfare To bring about no cost or pains doth spare One only Glorious and dear Son hath He Begotten of him from eternity The brightness of his Glory light of light The Image of his person His delight His word eternal his wisdom most pure By whom He all things made and makes t' endure Yet him did He send forth when He saw fit To expiate the sins thou did'st commit To ransom thee from thrall to Death and Devil To raise thee up and free thee from all evil To bring thee from thy woful lost estate In which thou must else lain time without date And thee restore again unto his grace That thou might'st see his sweet and glorious face Injoy his favour sit under his wing And his high praises evermore might'st sing That glorious splendor of his Majesty Who in his Bosom was eternally According to his will determined Was born of a poor Damsel espoused Unto a Carpenter of mean degree Laid in a Manger where there use to be The Ass or Oxen feeding other room The Inn affording not for his welcome When that poor Damsels time was come that she Of this unheard of birth untwin'd should be Even like as if some mighty Prince by birth Should quit his Fathers Pallace and the mirth He there injoy'd should lay his robes aside His Princely robes and the better to hide His high-born dignity and great degree With Pilgrims or poor beggars rags should be Meanly attir'd and so himself betake To travail through great dangers for the sake Of some of his poor subjects who allur'd By some false Traytor had his Realm abjur'd Joyn'd themselves in confederacy to His Fathers and his own most hateful foe Till thereby they upon their heads had brought By means of that rebellion they had wrought Some dreadful punishment and deadly thrall Indangering the ruine of them all That He might in that strange disguise unknown Vanquish those foes who had them overthrown And unexpectedly a pardon bring Unto them from their own much injur'd King And by such love declared win their mind Unto himself that they with him combin'd Might from those Traytors who had them seduced Into his Fathers Kingdom be reduced Under his conduct as their Prince and guide Whose love and care of them they had so try'd Even so this mighty high-born Son of God Into this World down by a path untrod Descended in a garb unknown wherein He wore the badges of our loathsom sin Cloath'd with great poverty infirm and weak Fil'd with reproaches which his heart did break Through swelling Seas of sorrows travail'd He In the strength of his love to seek up thee And save thee from that wretched state wherein Thou ready wast to perish in thy sin In this disguise made under law and so Exposed to indure that curse and woe Which was thy due when he was set upon By all the powers of Hell the field He won In an unusual manner not by strength But weakness rather where through He at length After some combates yielded up to Death His spotless body and his blessed breath Wherein the laws demands He so fulfil'd That it's condemning power thereby He kil'd For so the bonds He cancel'd and the debt Discharg'd that bound thee ore to death and set Thee free from under Sathans power and force That thou may'st now again have free recourse To thy Creators presence for He hath By this his pilgrimage and Death the wrath Of his displeased Father pacified So that his anger He hath laid aside And holds thee now no longer as a Foe bound ore to Death but freely lets thee go Keeps thee not at a distance any longer But calls thee back and by his Son who stronger Is then thine enemies as by the way And leader too by whom the weakest may Strongly and safely walk against the worst Endeavours and resistance of that curst Infernal crue who seek to keep thee back He thee invites and prays thou wilt not slack Thy pace unto him but return again Into his heavenly Kingdom there to reign Over thine enemies in glorious state For everlasting time beyond all date That safely to him thou might'st back be brought This Royal Prince of glory who thee bought From thraldom by his blood doth thee invite To hear his pleasant voyce behold his light In which he sets himself in glorious state Before thy view beseeching thee to hate Those enemies who did thee overthrow And brought thee from so high to be so low And Him to listen to believe and love Who for thy sake descended from above And worst of Deaths and dangers did sustain That He might thee restore to life again He with his words puts forth his mighty hand To turn thee and to make thee understand To give thee strength to lean on him and go The good way after him which He doth show He loves thee dearly wooes thee with his heart Intreats thee from thine Idols to depart Which will undo thee ore again if yet Thou wilt thy self to their advise commit Beseeches thee to save thy self or rather Be sav'd by him who came forth from his Father To save poor sinners bring them safe and sure Unto those joys which ever shall endure He condescends unto thee though thou be'st Viler then any thing that here thou seest As in thy sins unworthy of him yet He Disdains not to address himself to thee Incline thine ear
O Daughter give good heed Unto those gracious words which do proceed From his most holy lips in such like wise As here doth follow do not them despise Christ Dear Soul the price of my most precious blood Which I have shed for thee and for thy good For I my self a ransom gave for all And now I to repentance do thee call Hearken to me and to my voice give ear Turn not away from me why should'st thou fear To listen unto me I am thy friend Thy Lord thy Saviour did not stick to spend My life and blood for thee and now I have Through painful cross and through the silent grave Obtain'd my Fathers Kingdom am ascended Unto the throne of glory where attended I am with millions of the heavenly Host The glorious Angels yea the Holy Ghost Immeasurably upon me doth rest And with all heavenly blessings I am blest I 'm heir of all things yea in me doth dwell All fulness of the Godhead Heaven and Hell And Earth and Seas and all things else that be Are put into subjection under me And all that I have suffer'd and sustain'd 'T was for thee and thy good all I have gain'd Thereby I gain'd for thee thee to possess Of endless joys and everlasting bless Behold me then behold me turn thine eye From other objects see what Majesty What glory and what beauty are in me What riches and what fulness and how free I am the same to all those to impart Who me imbrace and love with all their heart Behold me then dear Soul and wistly view My matchless virtues see how good how true How powerful too I am I 'm rich to all In mercy who sincerely on me call None that repair to me do I cast by But them relieve and cure their misery I 'm alsufficient able every way To make thee happy to an endless day Turn then away from empty things thine eye From lies from falshood and from vanity Which cheat thee and deprive thee of all good Oh turn to Me who for thee shed my blood Look towards me dear Soul behold and see Hath any other such things done for thee As I have done hath any condescended And stoopt so low hath any else expended And laid out so much to obtain thy love As I that came to th' earth from Heaven above And laid down all my riches and my life That I might thee redeem from all that strife 'Twixt God and thee and take thee for a Wife That I might free thee from th' infernal foe That held thee captive and fills thee with woe Can any give to thee such gifts as I Can they advance thee to like dignity Can any so inrich thee as I can Can any thee so satisfie what man Or Angel may with me compare Can or will do for thee as I will do Oh turn thee unto me my darling dear Open thine eye on me incline thine ear Give me thy heart it is thy love I seek And I deserve it I am lowly meek And merciful no one is like to Me Yet I have set my heart and love on thee See See I that am heir of all things and Have Sovereign power and all things do command I who thee can save or destroy with ease Can make or break thee or do what I please Who happy am without thee and no need Have of thee or of ought that can proceed From thee do suit and court thee and request That thou wilt love me that thou may'st be blest It 's not to be by thee advanc'd made great Or rich or safe that I thy love intreat But 't is because I love thee and do wish Thy everlasting happiness and bliss It 's not because that thou art fair and fresh For thou art all deform'd thou art but flesh Defil'd with sin as with a Leprosie Of which unless I cure thee thou wilt die I can without thee live and happy be For I my Fathers joyful face do see Where fulness of delights I have and where Dwells neither want nor grief danger nor fear But thou poor wretch can'st not without me live It 's I alone that life to thee can give Yet I am free to give my self and all I am to thee or that as mine I call A Covenant I with thee will gladly make An everlasting Covenant thee to take And love and live with thee as mine for ever To be thy Head and Husband none shall sever 'Twixt thee and me I will thy portion be And want of good things thou shalt never see For here and for hereafter I 'll take care Of thee and as my life I did not spare Thee to redeem from Death and Hell so now I will withhold nothing from thee that thou May'st want or need I 'll wash thee from thy dirt I 'll make thee clean and handsom I 'll thee girt With robes of glory and with rich attire My righteousness and virtues thy desire I 'll fill and satisfie Thou shalt be fed With finest of the wheat with Angels bread With honey from the rock butter and oyle The choisest things of Heaven and thou the spoil Of all thine enemies shalt take and wear Them as thy Ornaments and thou shalt bear My name upon thee shalt my consort be Thou shalt in Me rejoyce and I in thee I will thee joynture in my portion great And set thee with me on my Royal seat Bring thee unto my God and Father He Will entertain imbrace and welcome thee In and with me He 'll the same love impart To thee wherewith He loves me in his heart He and all his is mine and all shall be Thine that is mine if thou'lt accept of me Minist Oh matchless match Oh peereless Prince of life That wilt accept of such a homely Wife Come then dear Soul since Christ himself will give Give him thy self too and for ever live Christ I 'll feed thee with my flesh and blood my heart And body too I will to thee impart And no good thing will I with-hold from thee But freely give 't if thou 'lt accept of me Behold I stand with patience great and wait With much long suff'ring at the clos'd up gate Of thy hard heart where I behold and see What is within and whom thou hast with thee How with thy mortal foes thou mak'st a rout Sporting thy self while me thou keepest out While I with patience stand I call and knock For entrance in but thou the door do'st lock And bolt against me Both by works and words I call and knock my very rod affords Low'd calls unto thee if thou wilt me hear And open unto me my Sister dear I 'll come in unto thee I 'll soon drive out That wicked company that rebell rout Which now oppress thee and do wound thee sore Urging thee against Me to shut thy door Yea I will soon subdue them unto thee And thou from their dominion shalt be free If thou wilt hear and open unto me I
he In leading them there-through by day and night Both by a shady cloud and fiery light In giving them from Heaven Angels bread Wherewith for forty years they were all fed In causing flinty Rocks to give them drink When they through thirst seemed to be at pits brink How did he by a Serpent made of brass Erected heal their wounds and made them pass Safely through mid'st of swelling Seas and floods Drave out seaven Nations and their lands and goods Divided to his people to possess That they his Name for evermore might bless And all might see That they who serve God have A great preserver who them all will save And recompence with good and that To Bliss The only certain way to serve God is How did he ruddy David while a youth Because he served him in upright truth Take from the sheep-folds and with oyl anoint him And to rule over Israel appoint him And though he from Saul's envy suffred much While he Gods favour did unto him grutch And many dangers too of death sustain'd Before the Crown and Kingdom he obtain'd Yet how did God him keep uphold and save In many a desert mountain hill and cave Till having humbled him he his promise Remembred and cut off his enemies Gave him the Sovereign power and government So that he ruled long with great content Inlarg'd his Territories and increast His power among the great ones of the East Till in his great prosperity he fell Into the sins whereof the Scriptures tell When that it might appear that God regards Mens actions and unto them gives rewards And punishments according thereunto He met with sad corrections and much woe Though mixt with mercies manifold because He did through grace repent and to my laws Return How strangely did he Mordecay And the Jews help whom Haman sought to slay Turning upon his Head those evils which He for them had devis'd into the ditch He for them dig'd he himself was cast down That thereby both Gods favour and his frown He might at once declare How helped he Those worthies which are call'd the children three They walkt in mid'st of fiercest flames no smell Of fire their garments had when they down fell Dead at the furnace mouth who east them in Such difference is 'twixt righteousness and sin How helpt he Daniel in the Lyons den And him deliver'd when those very men Destroy'd were who devis'd his ruine How Did he oft help his servants when brought low In times of Macchabees and all along When they dispersed were and suff'red wrong How helped he the holy men that dy'd In faith of me whom the World crucifi'd Through many Storms and Tempests by the rage Of persecutors rais'd in every age For love of me they willingly did yield To Death so as by Death they won the field Triumphing over every worst torment That was devised by the curst Serpent And his inraged instruments until By their deaths and their doctrine they did fill The World with fruits and made proud error fall Before the truth confessed by them all For those same ignominious Deaths and crosses Those heavy sufferings and most grievous losses Whereat the World doth stumble and whereby They with the Devil in confederacy Endeavour to affright thee from my Word More comfort and more glory far afford Then all those pleasures and those braveries By which they do bewitch the mind unwise Yea many have more peace and joy exprest In cruel Deaths through me then they who rest And quiet in the World injoy as far As a glow-worm's exceeded by a Star Of greatest magnitude or by the Sun Which with great glory doth its courses run Which moved Moses though both Learn'd and Wise The riches of all Egypt to despise And all its pleasures to take part with those Who suff'red great oppressions from their foes For sake of me because he well perceived That greater glory then can be believed Is thence received yea more then can be found Form all the best injoyments of this Round Who are more honour'd in this World's esteem Then they who do their life and blood out teem And many watchings fastings combates great And hardships suffer which each hour them threat To do their Countrey service or maintain Its liberties or greater rule to gain Unto it and shall those who for the sake Of their most high creator undertake His truth and Kingdom to assert be thought The only persons to be set at nought Or be the worse accounted because they Do many cruel things sustain all day Are they not therefore far more worthy praise For suff'ring so great things so divers ways The worst of Deaths and Torments that the wit And malice both of Men and Devils knit Together could devise and bear the shame Of vilest imputations for my Name Shews it not forth their greater love to me And is' t not meet I should so loved be Who for their sakes my state of glory left And suffered my self to be bereft Of all things even of life and to sustain The greatest agonies in Soul and pain In body even the dreadful curse to bear Of God's most righteous Law because they were Thereof the breakers and thereby concluded To be from Gods most joyful sight extruded Is it not too a commendation to My person and my kingdom that they so Dare suffer for them for therein they show That they such excellencies in them know That for the sake thereof they do contemn The greatest mischeifs can be done to them Rather then be thereof depriv'd yea sure The patience too wherewith they do endure Their gloryings also and great joys therein Which often in that case exprest hath been Unlike to those who suffer otherwise Some excellency clearly testifies In what they suff'red for and that they found Some such strong satisfactions to abound As nothing in this World can them afford But only the Divine power of the Lord. And sure if they who for their Countrey dye With Monuments and Trophies gloriously Are honour'd and the more by how much they More willingly and greater suff'rings may Have undergone those ignominious things Which the confession of my doctrine brings Through Sathan's and the World's malice upon My followers as oft times it hath done Their glory and their praise esteemed should be And so they are esteemed too of me And of my Father who will recompence Such glory to them as such patience And love to him and me may challenge yea According as of us they taken be Of our great grace and favour who account Them worthy of such glories as surmount All humane merit and though they do owe Such service to us yet great things bestow By way of recompence such as surpass All humane understanding as far as The Heavens exceed the Earth or th' Ocean large Exceeds the compass of some Boat or Barge For 't is the glory of the Majesty Of God to give rewards exceeding high As Kings give gifts like Kings and not like those
And made it harden thon the flinty stones Against thy flatteries then should no dart Of thine have driven me to these sighs and moans Let none be tempted by thy speckled skin Or slily windings more to let thee in XIII Oh had I fixt mine eye and heart upon Those happy objects where no love is lost Had I been ruled by discretion Then had I never with these blasts been tost Who loves unduely's rightly thus rewarded The more he loves the less to be regarded XIV Who loves inordinately puts his heart Into anothers hands it to command Who when they list may play a Tyrants part Who love 's in measure keeps't in his own hand And if 't is flighted he can then withdraw't And place it beeter then on thing of naught XV. And yet it 's better when love 's badly set Upon unlawful objects t' have it crost Then that its satisfaction it should get For then the soul 's in danger to be lost Who can the mischiefs number which insue When unchast love injoys pleasures undue XVI What guilt unto it self the soul contracts What stings of conscience frightful fears of Hell What horrour shame reproach spring from such acts What other mischeifs where 's the tongue can tell Hoe many loose not only name and place But even their lives seeking to shun disgrace XVII How many have been cast down wounded sore How many strong ones hereby have been slain How many rich ones hath this love made poor How many sober ones hath it made vain Yea Cities through unchast love have been sackt And Common-wealths and Kingdoms hereby wrackt XVIII This brought the Deluge on the World of old And Sodom and her Sisters over-turn'd So as the like beside was never told By fire and Brimstone from Heav'n being burn'd This many thousand Graecians did destroy While they beseig'd the here-through ruin'd Troy XIX On this I more inlarge all men to warn How they their loves misplace and let them run Least they do gather thence both scath and scorn And wail too late when it hath them undone Give God thy heart i' th first place there 's great odds 'Twixt putting 't in a creatures hands and Gods XX. Perhaps some friendly soul whose heart was knit Unto his friend or neighbour in loves bands Desiring love again this posie writ And grav'd it on a ring that on the hands Of his friend worn or by him read it might Their hearts in mut'al love firmely unite XXI Perhaps some man who true love 's worth admir'd And found thereof within himself some want Cry'd out thus as a man that love desir'd Invoking love her self to him to grant Making his moan as if he thus should say Love Love Love come and make with me thy stay XXII Perhaps some living in this frozen age And seeing charity to be waxt cold Himself and others thereto to ingage Did grave these words upon a Ring of Gold But be it as it will I hope I well May good instructions to my self thence spell XXIII This threefold mention of this word to me Love's excellency rightly may imply That there is nothing in the World may be So good as hearty love and charity If other things with true love we compare Its excellencies superlative are XXIV Love not that thing which springeth out of dust And on some outward glosse doth fix the eye Which wantons call Love but the Scriptures lust For that is full of sin and vanity Chaining the soul to things that do it harm And oft to their destruction men doth charm XXV But that Divine and Heavenly frame of soul Which fills it full of goodness and inlarges Its motions and doth lead it to controule What ' ere as evil a right judgment charges A pure and heavenly flame inkindled from That holy fire that down from Heaven doth come XXVI Which at the good of the beloved aims And not a man 's own will to satisfie To all good offices the mind it frames And leads it all mischeivousness to fly Faith hope joy patience meekness fortitude And justice good are Love doth all include XXVII Love both believes and hopes and long indures With courage bearing and performing all That the beloveds good or praise procures Strongly resisting all that cross doth fall Love joys to do what 's right hates to do ill Yea love the law it self doth all fulfil XXVIII Love hath its rise from He'ven and Heaven 's its seat Where on a stately throne it s plac't on high Needs must the worth of love be very great When such its birth is and its Majesty Yea God himsld who all things is above Is not call'd power or strength or faith but Love XXIX Love is a vertue therefore pure and clean That from all filthiness and vice is free Producing all that 's good the heart can't mean Ill where love ruleth for love could not be A child of Heav'n or there its seat retain If free it were not from all spot and stain XXX Needs must it also unto God be pleasing Since it in him hath its original And to the heart it dwels in its most easing Of all d'sturbing passions that inthrall To self and others it 's a very spring Of ev'ry wholsome advantagious thing XXXI Yea Love's eternal seeing in the brest Of God from everlasting 't was conceiv'd And it for evermore shall be possest When other vertues have their end reciv'd So long as God is who doth live for ever Love shall abide and end it shall have never XXXII When what we now believe and hope for we Shall fully have and nothing more expect Yet we shall love and ever loved be We never shall God or God us reject Nor one another but eternally Shall live in love and perfect unity XXXIII When all out suff'rings shall be o're and past And patient courage have no further place Yet Love shall flourish and for ever last Therefore then Love there is no choiser grace After all vertues press we but above Them all lets follow after fervent Love XXXIV But yet again this thrice repeated word Love Love Love hath another mystery At least to me me-thinks it may afford This observation not unusefully That of right Love there are right objects three God neighbours and our selves should loved be XXXV The first Love God respects Love God for He Above all other things our Love deserves If any other thing more loved be Our love from its right order greatly swerves God far above all other things excels Because in him all excellency dwels XXXVI If lovely beauty may our love attract And cause our eyes and hearts thereon to gaze Such lovely beauty dwels in him in act As may with admiration us amaze A perfect fitness for to satisfie Our souls with goodness to eternity XXXVII Beauty doth stand in a just symmetry A fit composure and proportion due Of parts and of appearances to th' eye Such as a loveliness presents to th'veiw Such justice wisdom pow'r and goodness
are In God and so agreeing None 's so fair XXXVIII Behold his lively image Chirst our Lord Where God himself unto us doth present He 's white and ruddy his face doth afford What ever may our souls like and content Power wisdom greatness riches glory grace And all that suits our wants dwells in his face XXXIX What ever we can wish desire or crave That may promote our hearts content or ease In God we may behold it and it have Yea so as perfectly our hearts to please When healed so as we can see aright All beauty 's far below his glory bright XL. If love and bounty may challenge as due Affection from us He the first is there God loves so and his favours old and new Are such as none like them there ever were We nothing have that 's good but He it gave us We no ill scape but He therefrom doth save us XLI Oh who God's love and goodness can set forth Who can his benefits justly repeat Their number 's numberless and such their worth As cannot be exprest it is so great Behind before about us look we round Above beneath we see his love abound XLII Where shall we first begin where make an end If with the world's beginning that 's too late Before the World God did us good intend Sure then his love is of an elder date And it 's his desire we should do well for ever His love 's eternal then and endeth never XLIII When God did make this World and Being give Unto each thing therein it was for man That He might be well and contented live Yea h's thoughts to make it before it began Were with an eye to us that we might Be And might his goodness and his glory see XLIV What a well furnisht house did God provide With all accomodations that might make Our lives most comfortable yea beside We of his heav'nly Image did partake God gave us pow'r and rule over the rest Of creatures and with fitness for 't us blest XLV Wisdom he gave to manage such a pow'r And such a manly courage majesty And countenance as well might make them lowre That would but dare t' oppose his Sovereignty Yea male and female for each other meet He made us that our converse might be sweet XLVI Yea further he did also us create Capable with himself converse to have And did his mind to us communicate What could we more of him desire or crave How great his love and goodness to us then When we were innocent and upright men XLVII But yet his love he shewed forth more sully When we by sin were fallen into woe And sins curst fruits did soul and body sully And we deserv'd he should have been our foe When we were helpless and had ever perish't Unless his love had us reliev'd and cherish't XLVIII When the whole World could not relieve our case But more then a whole World it did require To ransom us from ruin that his face We might behold with joy and ' scape his ire Then more then all this World he for us gave Oh how he lov'd us that he might us save XLIX He to redeem us sent his only Son Cloth'd with our flesh and blood made poor and weak Made sin and curse for us as one undone That he the pow'r of sin and curse might break He him deliver'd to death on the cross That by his death he might repair our loss L. Yet neither did his love and goodness here Take up and cease but knowing that we wanted A quickning pow'r us up again to rear And keep from death that quickning pow'r he granted For raising up his Son again from dead He fil'd him with all fulness o' th' God-head LI. Set him upon the throne of Majesty Made him a quickning spirit and so gave Him cloth'd with pow'r and all Authority To bring us back again from sin death grave Yea rescue and defend us from the Devil Fill us with blessings free us from all evil LII His Son his only Son by whom he made This World and all therein he thus did give A gift beyond the World it can't be said How great a gift he was that we might live For he a person is excelling far All things that by him either were of are LIII Through him he daily doth us feed and cloth And bountifully lade with benefits Upholds us in our tryals don't us loath Though bad requitals oft from us he gets Yea Heaven he opens to us and displays His glory to us thither us to raise LIV. Through his dear blood he hath prepar'd a way And grace affords that we his Sons may be Injoy his favour see his face alway Be satisfied with good from ill be free Yea and in glory ov'r other things Reign to eternity with him as Kings LV. The good and glory which he hath prepared For us unworthy sinful wretched men In our return to him can't be declared Oh what a lover of us is He then Yea all his rods and chastisements do tend To bring us to those joys that have no end LVI And to impow'r and move us to repent And close with him his Spirit doth us give With that grace and those means which us prevent That we though dead may hear and hearing live So that but yielding our obedience to him He 'll work our works nought shall pluck us fro him LVII He calls us to him bids us ask and crave What ever good we want us to supply Cleaving to him we shall it surely have For nought that 's good for us will he deny Yea much he freely gives unaskt that so To hope in him and ask he might us wooe LVIII And more then we can ask or think he 'll give Yea more then now our narrow hearts can hold If we believe on him and to him live The glory he will give cannot be told What love 's like his or where is such a lover Amongst all persons that we can discover LIX There 's none in Earth beneath nor Heaven above That loves like him his love if we do heed 'T will us convince that him again to love It 's meet yea love to him in us 't will breed The first love to him then rightly belongs Let him be first in all our praising songs LX. Yea he 's so worthy love that well we may Treble the exhortation with respect To him and to our selves and others say Love Love Love God who ever we neglect He 's worthy and we 're backward him to love Need therefore fervently thereto to move LXI Yea love 's his due in the highest degree Because his goodness is superlative With all things that we have with all we be He 's worthy love so long as we 're alive Love God therefore with all thy mind heart soul Love Love Love and let nought that love controule LXII Love God with all thy mind to him attend Consider what of him we hear and find Yea set our selves
friends his Mother Sister Brother They of him in a special sort are known They 'r honour'd of him far above all other How can he brook it from us if we them Who are so near and dear to him contemn LXXXVIII Them as his Pearls and Jewels he reputes His lot his portion his inheritance His garden of delights which pleasant fruits Bring forth to him and he will them advance Yea he is their lot and portion too Nothing he thinks too great for them to do LXXXIX Love them therefore as thine own choisest friends Consort with them and walk in their good ways Do for them all that to their welfare tends When they are cast down seek them up to raise Spare not for them thy wealth strength life to spend For that 's the way to make the Lord thy friend XC For such an unity with him they have That he doth take what e'r to them thou do'st As done unto himself It 's he doth crave Thy charity when they be almost lost Through want of some relief or in some danger If thou neglect them thou mak'st him a stranger XCI Grace teaches thee to love God's friends yea all In whom man's nature savable is found Nature doth teach thee to those thou do'st call Thy friends and kindred in love to abound If Gods and thine they 'r both a double tye To love them dearly upon thee doth lye XCII Grace natural affections don't destroy But rectifies making them clean and right To love thy friends and kinsfolks and to joy In their prosperity it doth excite And it allows and leads thee soberly With them to sorrow in their misery XCIII Yea usually more then in other folks Because more nearly knit and joyn'd to thee Grace love from every several tye provokes Where it doth find more grounds it makes more free Who loves not all is short in grace his friends Who loves not grace and nature both offends XCIV Yea grace will lead to love both strangers to us As God us while to him we strangers were And enemies who labour to undo us Seeking all comforts from us quite to tear For God us loved while his enemies And while we did him and his laws despise XCV While we against his truth and holiness Did act continually and him so hated That in our hearts we liked nothing less Yea could have wished him annihilated 'T was then his kindness to us that did slay Our enmity and it remove away XCVI That any are our enemies 't is not Essential to them because men they be But it 's because errour of them hath got The mastery or ill in us they see Endeavour them to cure our selves to mend And then their enmity will have an end XCVII And if our love will cure them of their ailments And turn their hearts to us we gainers are Our friends they 'll be because we so their failments By love have cur'd and had of them such care Who hates his enemy but makes him worse And makes himself too partner in the curse XCVIII Who loves his enemies doth imitate The God of love who us his foes to save Lay'd down for us his life and nought doth hate But that corruption which doth us inslave Where love doth conquer men best get their ends Their foes they overcome and make their friends XCIX Oh noble love who while thou mak'st men yield Unto their foes in all may do them good Not overcome of ill do'st win the field And oftimes draw'st thine enemies heart blood Not to be shed in anger to their guilt But boil in love and for their good be spilt C. Thus Christ did conquer Saul while he did spare His life and soul from ruine and imploy Him in the ministry a conquest rare On him he got wherein they both had joy And he who 's life did forfit as Christ's foe In love to him did freely it forgo CI. Thus thou thy will upon thy foes may'st have If thou do'st conquer them by charity However thou that way thy soul shalt save And if not their's they shall more sorely dye Them and thy self by hatred thou mayst kill And near-the-less mayst fail to have thy will CII Love 's the best weapon wherewith we can fight Against what ever persons us oppose While it in their welfare seeks its delight We may them conquering win and nought shall lose But what shall be repaid and hundred fold With that which far exceeds the choicest gold CIII Oh that of that blest Lamb who lost his life And powred forth his dearest precious blood That by his love he might o'rcome our strife And his fierce persecutors bring to good We willing were to learn this lesson well To strive in love each other to excell CIV That others evils may not quel our good But we with goodness may o'rcome their ill That though of mischiefs they cast out a flood Upon us we may seek their welfare still Who lives in love and love intirely keeps Shall laugh when he who lives in hatred weeps CV But yet a third time love may lead us yet After another object to inquire Love we our selves Can we our selves forget Or can we fail our own good to desire We are not bid to love our selves because It is suppos'd we 'll do that without laws CVI. That we should love our selves God doth imply When love unto our neighbours bid doth he Making love to our selves the rule whereby Love to our neighbour measured should be To love our Neighbours as our selves what 's that But if we hate our selves them too to hate CVII And yet so brutish we our selves have made That other things we love our selves neglect Yea all our times and strength are oft out laid On what our own destruction may effect The love wherewith we love our selves is hate Indeed though love we it do nominate CVIII For there 's a love to self that oft destroys The soul which God therefore forbiddeth to us Branding self love as sinful ' cause 't annoys And in the consequent doth but undo us When so our selves and what 's ours we affect That God and Neighbours we to love neglect CIX Of such a love to self the World is full And every where it's fruits are to be found It 's that which from all goodness men doth pull And makes them in all wickedness abound Men so themselves and their own lusts do mind It 's rare an honest godly man to find CX Some men their wisdom goodness strength and parts So much do overween and magnifie That unto God and Christ their minds and hearts For grace and mercy they do not apply Yea and what wholsom counsels unto them Others do give they proudly do contemn CXI Some men their will and purpose cleave to so That what God doth require they don't regard Yea every one they do account their foe Who their will cross or their designs retard Yea many one that he may have his will Cares not God to blaspheme and men
to kill CXII Some men their praise with men and reputation With fools so love that so they may them get They 'll shape their manners into any fashion And faith and conscience too to sale they 'll set Turning their backs on all that God prescribes Rather then bear therefore some taunts or jibes CXIII Some for their honour so ambitious are That rather then they 'll loose a cap or knee They 'll fret and sume yea for it they don't care A Mans or Nations ruine if they see Because unto proud Haman Mordecay Would not bow down he all the Jews would slay CXIV Some men for their inriching are so set That so they may but their estates increase Though by oppressing others they it get By lying cheating breaking of the peace They matter not nay they 'll for money sell Both God and Heaven and give themselves to Hell CXV Some men their own delights their pleasures ease So love and value that they matter not For God or men so they themselves may please And have their belly-chear punk pipe and pot Give them their hawks hounds pastimes sports plays They matter not what God's laws or Man's says CXVI Some folks their forms and handsomeness so prize That all their care is wholly thereon set How they some pretty fashion may devise Their hair trim or their cloths i' th' new cut get Yea so thy be but fashionably fine Their souls may perish and the poor may pine CXVII Some men their own inventions so set by Or their own fancies in Religion That of true godliness the heart may dye So be their ceremonies go but on Let others rack their conscience let them kill Their bodies loose their souls they 'll have their will CXVIII Nay many who do honest men appear And from gross acts of wickedness are free Who by no means will lye be drunk steal swear Yet their own things so mind from God they flee Their Oxen Farmes Trades Merchandise or Wives God of their Love Heaven of their Souls deprives CXIX But this unto mens selves is no right love But hatred rather it may well be stil'd Beause their hearts from God it doth remove And their souls are thereby of life beguil'd A man's soul is himself who that neglects Himself doth hate what ever he respects CXX It 's something else that men do love indeed In this false self love it 's a self of sin Which did from Sathan at the first proceed And at this motion Adam first let in Sin so in man dwells and 's with him so one That is as a man's self is oft spoke on CXXI Thence we are bid our members on the Earth To mortifie when he that bids us so Uncleanness fornication lawless mirth Therein forbids and what may us undo It 's this indeed that man so likes and loves And it 's the love of this that God reproves CXXII The true love to our selves it is imply'd In that which God requires of us as that The Lord we seek love serve his will abide With patience love our neighbours all ill hate Himself he truly loves who doth indeavour For what his soul will happy make for ever CXXIII He that regardeth not God's holy Word To hear and learn and carefully obey Who seeketh not to know and have the Lord His Father friend his comfort help and stay Who hates his neighbours and doth love his lust Loves not himself but 's to himself unjust CXXIV He that doth truly love himself doth take The course that tends directly to his good Doth seek to know it doth inquiry make For it not resting till 't is understood Above his sense and body loves his soul And whatsoere would harme it doth controule CXXV Who loves himself indeed doth hate all sin In love to Christ his lust he will deny Will walk in all good ways the World to win Would not offend God or men injury Commits himself to God on him doth stay And from his holy fear turns not away CXXVI Thus if this posie thou do'st understand Thou mayst do well to bear it in thy mind Yea did'st thou wear it then upon thine hand And practise it thou thence much good might'st find Love not thy lusts the world or worldly pelf But love God love thy neighbour love thy self CXXVII But if God thou neglect'st to love and for True love to others and thy self do'st place Some blind affections to their friendship or Their proper stature fair or comely face Which being of the flesh though green and fair They now do seem but grass and flowers are CXXVIII Or if thou thine own wit and parts adoring Thy will thy pleasures beauty strength or ways Or with thine own invention go'st a whoring Or dot'st on thine own honour name or praise Or any like affection in the stead Of true love placing do'st this posie read CXXIX Then thou this posie do'st not well apply Nor need'st such iterations to incite Thy love but rather need'st that to deny Then to foment because thy love 's not right Love not love not love not well may we say When ours or other mens affections stray CXXX Love not the World nor things thereof so saith The holy Ghost from fleshly lusts abstain They fight against our souls lead from the faith Deprive us of all good and make us vain Lord all unlawful love purge out of me And make me love my self my neighbours Thee Another POSIE O. M. W. R. God first doth try then satisfie I. HOW wondrous are God's ways He is most worthy praise His counsels all are very deeply laid The fool can't in his mind His methods see or find Who of his judgments may not be afraid Through Seas and Wilderness his ways lie Yet when he hath try'd he doth satisfie II. His works are so i' th' dark To us who can them mark Till he doth bring them forth unto the light Though he i' th' dark begin Yet doth he never lin Till by his lustre he dispel the night Then they who fear'd and sorrow'd may espy How much they err'd and praise him heartily III. This is that way of God With all his Saints oft trod As at the first light out of darkness sprung So through much darkness he Hath made his people see The light of life where-through thy oft have sung Christ fills his vessels first with water and Then waters turns to wine by his command IV. And this he doth that so He might make us forgo Those lusts and Idols whereunto we cleave And those sins mortifie Which else would make us dye He proves whether for him we them will leave And may we not when try'd as dross be found God will us save and our joys shall abound V. God tryed Abraham When out of Vr he came From 's kindred and his country made to go But yet he did him save And better lands he gave Then that was which he call'd brought him fro An heavenly country he before him set Which caus'd his
worshippers from death Either of body or of soul though they Did do their service to them every day Dead fouls with dead things suit the living God Who quickens what is dead and with his rod Corrects the Nations living things likes best Even living groans of an inspired brest The World such living service can't perform It hates the pow'r and only likes a Form Of Godliness which they may leave or take Use or lay by as for their turn 't doth make Mistake me not herein as if I thought Or else intended to judge all pray'rs naught That are taught by a Book or as if none Might pray acceptably who pray thereon It is the Worlds bad guise I here reprove Who serve God with pretences their sins love Which many too may do that pray without A Book and so too many do no doubt Delight themselves in their own gifts and parts While yet their lusts they love with all their hearts Witness the pride or avarice of some Who yet as Saints into God's presence come I know a Book that service may hold forth Which God requires and shews to be of worth And so each sacred Bible doth declare What worship God requires of praise and pray'r Or other ways of service but no ground Of any such distinction so is found As if some Bibles did not shew the way How we should serve God and unto him pray I do suppose it was some other thing That you did signifie in your saying Likely those Form's of Pray'r you meant thereby That are injoyned by Authority If so pray know that I the words of them Do not except against much less condemn The Prayers are pithy Orthodox and good More gen'rally if rightly understood And such as whereto I Amen can say Heartily when with them I hear men pray And so may others too I think although Some few things there among scruple I do Unto the pure all things are pure and good But that must warily be understood For what I am not satisfied in I cannot say I am without my sin Nor would I thereby stain my Conscience Or unto others give cause of offence But why you Sir those Prayers the Service call I can't well tell nor much inquire it shall I call them not my Service they that do May lay them on the Altar I think so They might be off'red up although they there Should lye untouch't or unread all the year As a sum of the Churches pray'rs and praise And so less grief to some men they would raise And they the same are and as pithy too Though never read as when men read them do Though I the reading of them too allow To such as please if any would them know Or in those words would their desires express I can mine sometimes too with readiness Though I profess I ne'r could find it yet In any passage of the holy writ That God requires or holy men did use To read their pray'rs to God but pray excuse That passage in me I leave others free Let others leave me so and we agree Sententious Verses of an unknown Author COnfession is to cure our sin A very present Medicine Thy Saviour on his Cross did choose To save thy life his own to loose Our Saviour cry'd Repent Repent As John who fore our Saviour went Blessed be the Name of Jesus Who tormented was to ease us The grace of Jesus is to me The only true felicity Christ's Cross my Crown I do esteem What ever earthy men do deem My hope in Christ is fixed sure Who wounded was my wounds to cure My hope shall never be confounded Because my hope on Christ is grounded My soul cleave fast to Christ above For nought on earth deserves thy love Fear not my soul be not dismaid For Jesus Christ thy debts hath paid The Death of Christ is life to thee If thou a Christian truly be Faith is not faith unless it be A faith that works by charity Christ is by marriage knit to thee If thou to him by Sanctity Admire my soul the mystery Of Jesus Christ's nativity Christ was conceiv'd i' th' Virgins womb That thou might'st a Son of God become Christ unto thee if thou be his Both light and food and Medicine is If thou polluted art with sin The fountain's open enter in He that doth eat and drink by â—aith Christ's flesh and blood salvation hath Be wise do not too far inquire For what thou rather shouldst admire Christ is ascended up on high And we must up as Eagles flie God sealeth by his holy Spirit As many as shall life inherit Great is the Churches dignity That chosen is Christ's spouse to be In Christ we are of God elect What 's out of Christ God doth reject Our prayers do pierce the starry sky And fetch down blessings from on high The Angels of the Lord protect All those that are the Lord 's elect The Devils treacheries who knows A thousand ways he seeks our woes He 's only wise who God doth know And doth by life his knowledge show To live it is not but to dye To live in sin securely Christ's life must be a Rule to thee If Christ's Disciple thou wilt be Thou from thy self must first depart Before thou can'st in Christ have part Thy soul can nothing satiate But God who did the same create Labour to have thy conscience pure When all things fail that will endure What is a bubble such is man Whose life in length is but a span The man that Covets is but poor Although he riches have great store The sign by which the Saints we know It is by love their faith to show The soul that chaste is is Christ's Spouse His bed of rest his lodging house The life of man's a rolling stone Mov'd to and fro and quickly gone Love not the World the World is vain But love the things that will remain The Palme-tree grows the more prest down And crosses prove the Churches crown Take up thy cross and it endure Then of a crown thou shalt be sure Let not tentations cast thee down For perseverance will thee crown Think every day to be thy last And when that 's come thy life is past Grieve not when Christian friends do dye They gain by Death eternity Remember that Christ Jesus shall Thoughts words and deeds to judgment call All earthly things tread under thee And let thy thoughts in Heaven be The Saints are Pilgrims here below And towards Heaven their country go If thou beest here a child of grace ' Mongst Angels thou shalt have a place If into Hell thou would'st not fall Think dayly on 't and mind God's call The pains of Hell do far extend Beyond all time World without end Doth Adam dye Christ in thee live Christ shall eternal life thee give Upon the carelesness and covetousness of some that regard not to Read much-less are willing to buy good and useful Books and the wickedness of others that traduce them
'll come in to thee I with thee will sup I 'll spread thy Table I will fill thy cup I 'll put thee to no charge I 'll bring my meat And freely give to thee that thou may'st eat And drink abundantly of that blest wine Which will thee satisfie with joys divine Open therefore to me my Sister dear Open thy heart to me Oh taste my chear Give me thy self let me thy body have And heart also I will them bless and save It 's all I ask of thee I crave no more Give me thy self do but thou me adore Give me thy love and thy affections and Be thou but subject unto my command Cleave to me with thy heart put all thy trust In me believe in me for I am just I will not fail or leave thee But thou none Must entertain besides me I alone Challenge thy love and service and it 's fit That none besides me none from me them get I parted for thy sake with all I had To ransom thee from thy forlorn and sad Condition and I all that I again Receiv'd have of my Father not disdain Upon thee to bestow my self I gave To ransom thee my self I give to save Thee too and therefore I alone deserve That thou should'st me alone both love and serve The Devil and his works thou must forsake Thou may'st not serve him his suggestions take For truth use divinations witchcrafts charms Inchantments times observe for good or harms Consult familiar Spirits believe his lies Ask counsel of the dead Idolatries Practise or what ere crafts He doth devise He in the disobedient beareth sway Inticing them to sin and go astray From my right paths Thou must resist him and In nothing yield thy self to his command Thou must forsake this wicked World likewise Not list'ning to their counsels who despise Me and my doctrine nor associate Thy self with them who my good ways do hate It 's pomps and pastimes shows and braveries Vain customs fashions and formalities Thou may'st not dote on neither may'st thou take My gifts or Ordinances and them make Idols as is the guise of worldly men Who do despise me and my laws contemn Their Silver Gold their Riches Houses Lands Their Kings and Governors and their commands They Idolize while after them they lust And in them secretly do put their trust Prefer them before me and fear them so That in my straight ways oft they durst not go The flesh with it's desires also thou must Renounce even every sinful cursed lust Thy bruitish appetites to satisfie In Drunkenness Uncleanness Gluttony Excess of Riot Sports or rich Attire Or what else thy corruptions do desire My words thou must receive and them hold fast No Article of them thou by may'st cast But howsoere thy reason they may pose Thou in thy heart must truly with them close And firmly them retain My holy will Take heed unto that thou may'st it fulfill No Gods but Me in my sight may'st thou have However secretly for none can save Thee but the holy Trinity who all Do meet in me on none else may'st thou call Or look or trust to nor thy Conscience May'st yield to them upon any pretence No image may'st thou to thy self invent Nor may thy heart or knee thereto be bent No false imaginations of me or Devised worships for I them abhor But worship God in Me and as my Word Doth thee direct for I 'm a jealous Lord. Thou may'st not take my holy Name in vain Nor it with Blasphemies or false Oaths stain Or with a vain Profession without fruits Produced thereby such as with it suits Or blemish it with any sinful way For I 'll not such hold guiltless The seaventh day Thou must observe in me to take thy rest Who am the substance by that day exprest That I may sanctifie thee thou be blest To Father and to Mother while they live And to all thy superiours thou must give Due honour and subjection too in me Giving to Caesar what things Caesars be To all men owing nothing but to love Cheifly those loving who are from above All Murther with all Malice Envy Hate See thou avoid with all Strife and Debate Thy body keep in Chastity thou must Flee Fornication and unlawful Lust Thou must not others Wrong or from them take Ought that is theirs nor them Calumniate But yield thy self to Me and be content With Me and what I give letting no bent Of Avarice possess or stain thy mind Thou shalt in me all satisfaction find All which I certainly will work in thee If thou wilt but yield up thy self to Me. I put on thee no hard nor grievous task What I require I 'll give too if thou ask It of me and for it on me depend My Spirit to work it in thee I will send And wherein thou through weakness goest astray The vertues of my blood shall take 't away Be thou but upright and chast unto me I am and evermore will be for thee If thou refuse this offer thou must die And perish in thy sins eternally None other Lords or lovers can thee save What ere they be or seem they ne'r so brave For they be vanities of vanities Their strength is weakness their promises lies Their words are wind and all they meditate Is from a feined love a real hate Their smoothest language is false flattery Their best imbraces are but treachery Their kisses of thee are but like to his Who sometimes me betrayed by a kiss And when he said Hail Master yet even then He me deliver'd up unto those men That sought my life to whom he had me sold For thirty pieces not of yellow Gold But whitely silver or like his who while He feined love to Abner did beguile And smite him with a Weapon on his side Under his fifth rib that thereof he died And on another time as one well verst In that accursed craft Amasa pierc't With warlike Sword to th' heart while friendlike He Saluted him and as one with him free Did with his right hand take him by his beard And kist him till his blood him all besmear'd Such are the soft imbraces of those foes To thee and Me who do my words oppose Suggesting to thee that I am austere And put upon thee more then thou can'st bear That they are thy best friends and wish thee well And many pleasing stories to thee tell As that thou art whole strong wise holy just May'st live without me may'st follow thy lust That to deny thy self of thy desire Is foolishly thine own death to conspire With me who love thee not but wish thy loss And take delight to bring thee to the cross Where like unto my self thou may'st be made A publick scorn ' mongst those that drive the trade Of robbing by the high-way-side or those Who unto Kings and Magistrates are foes Rebelling against them and their commands And seeking in their blood to wash their hands Or else amongst such Hereticks most
gave way Day after day To lusts or cares or fears CLIV. How oft when he Had cleans'd us we Did us again defile How oft confest Yet not redrest How much we hid through guile CLV A spring of sin We had within Running continually No good in us How marvailous Was his love and mercy CLVI To each good deed That did proceed From us through his good grace Sin did adhere And it besmear Such was our wretched case CLVII But oh his love Did not remove But constantly abide Love made him blind And not to mind Our sins but them oft hide CLVIII So as that God Ofttimes his rod Forbore on us to lay And passing by Iniquity He turn'd his wrath away CLIX. A fountain great He open set And there us purifi'd And if he chode Yet love he show'd And did not always chide CLX Sometimes he hid His face and did An angry count'nance shew That he might make Us sin forsake And be to him more true CLXI Oft by some cross Some grief or loss He made us him to seek And then we felt His love to melt How gentle he and meek CLXII His loving mind Unto mankind Appearing did us save That did us make Those things forsake Which did us fore-inslave CLXIII Nor did he grieve Us to receive When unto him we came But readily Did justifie And wash us in his Name CLXIV He by his power Us every hour Did keep in his great love Which every way He did display As he did see 't behove CLXV What he did by Pleading on high God's mercy to obtain And what from thence He did dispence Made us with him remain CLXVI To him to cleave Him never leave Or if we went astray Our good shepheard Did us regard And reduce to his way CLXVII His love us drew And made us true And hid us when we fail'd Him to forgo Who lov'd us so Nothing with us prevail'd CLXVIII To him we nought That good was brought No good thing we could do He who us bought All in us wrought And helpt us against our foe CLXIX What we did want He did us grant We could but ask and have Askig aright And in his light Yea much unaskt he gave CLXX He to us clave He did us save Or else we had been gone He did begin And never lin Till all things he had done CLXXI. He in his armes Kept us from harmes He did us safely bear He did us feed Keep save and lead Untill he brought us here CLXXII Something we wore On Adam's score As we from him did spring So long as Death Held us i' the ' Earth From whence he did us bring CLXXIII The Serpents seed Which he did breed Within us and without Did dog us too Us to undo And compast us about CLXXIV Through Christ our shield We won the field He was our Captain brave Down fell our flesh We sprung up fresh He brought us out from grave CLXXV Oh faithful friend Unto the end Who did us never fail Through him we stood ' Gainst all the flood He made us to prevail CLXXVI Our Prophet he Who made us see The way of truth and right He sent that guide That did abide With comfort strength and light CLXXVII He did as Priest Upon his Breast Us in the Heavens present Our good procur'd Our weal assur'd Our evils did prevent CLXXVIII He was our King All good did bring Gave Laws made us them chose Rul'd with his arme Kept us from harme Subdued all our foes CLXXIX Yea all our wound He up hath bound As our Phisitian good Our maladies With remedies He cured by his Blood CLXXX Yea Prophets he Made us to be And Heavenly Priests and Kings To offer praise And raign always Over all other things CLXXXI Oh happy we This day that see When nothing doth annoy We have no pain Nor grief sustain But we are fil'd with joy CLXXXII Oh blest be he By whom this we For ever do possess Let creatures all Before him fall And him for ever bless CLXXXIII But we much more Will him adore Who are his choice delight Whom he doth fill Of great good will With pleasures in his sight CLXXXIV Were every part Of us a heart Yet he should have them all Were each a tongue And his praise sung By each 't would be too small CLXXXV To this our King Who did us bring To this All-Happiness Let 's sing a song Eternal-long His praises to express Hallelujah Another to Christ. I. Oh holy glorious King The Mighty Prince of Peace Thou art the Lamb by whom we came From sin to have release II. To thee we owe our selves To thee all praise is due To thee O King we 'll praises sing A song of praises new III. Oh mighty Word of God Gods dear and only Son Thou did'st us know when we were low When we were quite undone IV. Thou had'st no need of us For thou wert God above And we nothing to thee could bring And yet thou did'st us love V. Thou in the form of God Wast high and rich indeed Therefore of us who were but dust Thou could'st not stand in need VI. Thou thou all glorious art The Father thee possest When he began his works even then Thou laydest in his Breast VII Before his works of old Were either fram'd or wrought The ancient hills or fruitful fields Or Earth thou wast forth brought VIII The Father purposed His purposes of old In thee who art and do'st impart His wisdom manifold IX When he the Heavens prepar'd And the foundations lay'd Of the vast Earth in joy and mirth Thou ever by him stay'd X. Before the World was made The day or darksom night Fountain or deep or Mountain steep Thou thou wast his delight XI By thee the Worlds he made And all things more or less Without thee nought to pass was brought Thou worthy art of bless XII By thee he made us men And in thine Image clean All things we see were made for thee And all the things unseen XIII Thou art the heir of all And in thee all things stand The Life that lasts and Death out-casts Thou all things do'st command XIV Thou art th' eternal truth The everlasting light The unity all without thee Be falshood strife and night XV. The Angels thou did'st make Those which did not abide Worthily fell down into Hell The recompence of pride XVI We by thee made fell too By listning to the lies Which th' old Serpent did first invent Aspiring to be wise XVII Wisdom we had in thee And wise thou did'st us make Wiser to be foolishly we Presum'd thee to forsake XVIII While we thy holy Word And thy command divine Departed fro and our selves to The Serpent did incline XIX Great was the misery Which we were plung'd into For from thee gone God we had none Our state was full of woe XX. God gave us what was meet And that whereby we might The Tempters wiles which did beguile us Have all avoyded
quite XXI Our fall was of our selves It did not come from thee We willingly the way to dye Did chuse but thou wert free XXII Yet blessed be that will That did permit our fall And whatsoere permitted were To any of us all XXIII For now we see 't was well That God did so permit And not withhold that Serpent old From tempting us to it XXIV For hereby he hath shew'd His attributes most clear How foolish we how dear to thee And unto him we were XXV That so we in our selves No more might put our trust Or listen to what led us fro Thee to fulfil our lust XXVI Yea thereby to himself Our hearts he doth indear While we do see what for us he Hath done while such we were XXVII And so it hath ingag'd Us wondrously to thee That thou so high vouchsafest to dye To set such caytiffs free XXVIII When we all helpless were And hopeless were become Thou did'st us save our foes out drave Brought'st us to thy kingdom XXIX There 's nothing in these acts But big with love it is From first to last we love do taste And thee for ever bliss XXX No shorter date can be Sufficient to express Our hearty sense of so immense A love and it confess XXXI Yea wisdom too we see In suffring that our fall It was O King glory to bring To thee in our recal XXXII That thou might'st be made known And the Father in thee That thy love might shine forth most bright And we more happy be XXXIII We never can express Our thanks sufficiently That thou O King did'st back us bring And to that end did'st dye XXXIV Let 's then strike up our strings As Harpers full of skill And sing our song All our ay-long Till we do sing our fill XXXV What one is like to thee Oh holy glorious one What did thee move us thus to love When we were all undone CXXXVI Thou in thy self wast blest Thou character express Of Gods person his only Son His Glories full brightness XXXVII It was exceeding love And goodness to us when I' th' dust we lay and were but clay To make us living men XXXVIII In thy divine Image And to be like to thee A living soul and to controule All things in Earth and Sea XXXIX How could the dust deserve To be preferred so It was only thy pleasure high Thus thereunto to do XL. Yet as it did no good Such favour to procure So it no bad within it had For all thy works were pure XLI Whereas we not only Void of all goodness were But had done ill yet 't was thy will Favour to us to bear XLII All those expressions great Of love when we were dust We valued not but quite forgot To satisfie a lust XLIII The Serpent who no good Had done for us at all Far before thee preferred we When we from thee did fall XLIV For without any shew That it was true he said We took his lye threw thy truth by Thy love aside we laid XLV Oh great ingratitude Folly and madness great So easily to throw thee by And suffer such a cheat XLVI Whereby we were defil'd And made thine enemies Very unjust and fil'd with lust And all things good despise XLVII Yet that thou might'st us save Thou wast content to be For us made flesh in our likeness Such sin except as we XLVIII Thou did'st not take the form Of some great King or Lord Like a servant poor and in want Thou we'rt of men abhor'd XLIX In which abased forme Great grief thou did'st sustain Yea for our good to shed thy blood Thou didest not disdain L. Oh wond'rous love indeed That one so great and high Who did proceed from God should bleed And for us sinners dye LI. Besides reproaches blows Abuses shame and scorn Thy bloody sweat agony great Whereby thy life was worn LII The curse which was our due Thou also did'st endure In the grave lay till the third day Our freedom to procure LIII Yea also thou went'st down Into the lower Hell As one bereft of God and left Thy griefs no tongue can tell LIV. It was no gain from us That thou could'st get thereby When we most had we could not add Unto thy Majesty LV. But how much less when we Had lost what thou did'st give And nothing had but what was bad And were unfit to live LVI Oh what was sinful man That thou should'st him so love At such a cost to save the lost What pitty did thee move LVII How can we but confess That thine of right we are Since thou us made thy life down laid Us when sinners to spare LVIII And yet that was not all Thy love did so exceed 'T was not only least we should dye That for us thou did'st bleed LIX Thou like to us was 't made And our deserts did'st bear That we might be made like to thee Thy robes of glory wear LX. Oh depth oh heigth of love None may compare with thee So low to lye that we so high Who were so low might be LXI Which thing to bring about God raised thee again For pangs of death or Hell beneath Could not thee long detain LXII Because thou art the life The life eternal and Against that life no mortal strife Of Death or Hell could stand LXIII The Serpent and his slaves Did strive thee down to hold But all in vain thou rose again As was of thee foretold LXIV Oh mighty conqueror A glorious conquest here Thou oâ—â—â— evil sin World and Devil Triumphantly did'st bear LXV This was the glorious fight This was the day indeed Which God did make for his Names sake This did from him proceed LXVI These were the wars of God A battel bravely fought 'Twixt th' innocent and the Serpent Whereby our peace was wrought LXVII No war was like to this This the foundation laid Of all the blows and overthrows Upon the foes since made LXVIII Those were the mortal foes Of God and mankind too ' Gainst God's glory and Man's safety Their malice thy did show LXIX Oh Prince of might elect God's dear and only Son Thou them withstood unto thy blood Wherethrough the field was won LXX This field for us was fought Their helpless prey were we But thou them foil'd and their plot spoil'd Ransom'd we were by thee LXXI We were thy lawful prize And thou our lawful Lord Oh happy day then all did say Who did believe thy word LXXII How deadly was that thrall In which before we lay No Tyrants fell be so cruel To use their slaves as they LXXIII Here was the coming in Of all our future good Our hopes of all that since did fall On this foundation stood LXXIV We never had come here Or this glory possest Unless thou Lamb had'st overcame And given us this conquest LXXV Here through thou took'st the spoiles Of all thine enemies And went'st on high triumphantly With those thy victories LXXVI Oh who this victory This Conquest gotten
Light might love infinite 71. To Thee oh Trinity in unity Eternal happiness Eternal endless Bless That art without all change eternally 72. We sing and shout alway Hallelu-jah Praise thee we will always Throughout our endless day And sing with heigth of joy Hallelujah Hallclujah Such things but far more pure and excellent Then any humane tongue or pen can vent Or any heart of man while here alive Can by all he may hear or read contrive Conceive or think of shall those gloriously Blest persors utter when they shall their high And everlasting Kingdome have and hold For their great joys and glories can't be told They 'r far above what mortal man can speak Thine heart to apprehend them is too weak For never any since the World began Hath ever heard no nor Angel nor man Hath by the care perceiv'd or by their eye Have seen the greatness of the dignity Or brightness of the glory foreprepar'd For those who unto God give due regard Who love him and for his appearance wait None but God see 's and knows their happy state Canto VI. The Worlds Vanity Seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousness c. Matth. 6.33 In the sixth Canto Christ presents In brief the former two's contents The Damneds woes Saints merriments Perswades the Soul to chase the best The Man consults with his own brest Couâ—sâ—ls the Soul the way to rest Chriâ—â—s Servant doth the same perswade The Soul inclines but is afraid To its Objection answer's made By Christ and by his Minister Christ doth himself and Name declare Gives Counsels which the safest are Renews â— is suits with earnestness With arguments the Soul doth press Him more to value the World less And by some instances 't is plain That their both ways and ends are vain Who judge this world to be the Main Chr. SEE I have set before Thee good and ill I say not chuse whither of them thou will But chuse the Life and good that thou mayst be Happy for ever and destruction flee Think on these things the doleful state of those Who do rebel against me and oppose My truth and my most equal government How dreadfull then will be their punishment Think if thou canst be able to endure So woful torments as sinners procure By sin unto themselvs think how great bless If me thou closest with thou shalt possess Accept my profer'd kindness me embrace Submit unto my Doctrine so my grace And favour thou shalt have and never know The woful plight of them that ly below Oh be perswaded now to let go all That doth pollute Thee and obey my call Follow my counsels let me have thy heart Thou shalt have mine and il'le ne're from thee part I 'le be thy friend for ever thou shalt have More happiness than thou canst think or crave Man Hast thou not heard my Soul what thy great Lord Proposeth to thee in his holy word Such things thou there hast heard wilt thou not then Unto his wholesome Counsels say Amen Consider with thy self how bad thy state In Adam was how thou deservedst hate What sinfulness unto thee yet doth cleave How good the Lord hath been who did not leave Thee in thy fallen state but such an one Hath sent forth for man even his only Son What he hath done for thee how he thee woes Unto himself that thou with him wouldst close How in his word and what it doth contain He answers the Objectors cavils vain That unto Atheism would thee fain move Shew's what will be hereafter dost approve His profer'd love Wilt thou of him accept Part with thy Idols or shall they be kept Without all doubt its best to let all goe To close with Christ who doth thee love and woo Consider with thy self if thou him slight All besides him to help thee have no might For they 'r poor sorry vanities can 't give Thee solid comfort or cause thee to live For ever or with full content while here They cannot satisfie thy soul not chear Tâ—y drooping Spirits when Death shall draw nigh And summons thee to yield thy breath and dy Alas how short and how uncertain be The lives of men as we may daily see How many dy while yet their bones are moist With marrow Even while they have much rejoyâ—'t In their firm strength while milk was in their brest How suddainly hath pale death them opprest Mini. If thou an Atheist wer 't and couldst not tell Whether in truth there be an Heaven or Hell Yet were it not far better so to think And seek for Heaven than only eat and drink Injoy this world a while and then down ly In a forgotten dark obscurity For if there be such things as thou hast heard If Heaven be never sought for Hell ne're fear'd Gods way and word despis'd his truth neglected And all his profer'd love and grace rejected Thy case must needs be sad for it doth tend Unto those miseries that never end And that there may be such things reason can't Any good warrant fancy not to grant Seeing the being of the world and all Therein with many things that do befall Evince a Deity and what so great But may be well conceiv'd as well as that This so great world a being given it had He that sees and believes this sure is mad To think impossible what e're beside Is as from him that made it testify'd Whereas if no such things should be which yet Who can suppose except that he can get All principles of Reason blotted out And wholly all those things which round about He sees so great denie to be yet then What shall he loose who them believeth when He comes to dy â— 't is but uncertain joys Which when Death comes men look upon as toys Some poor and fancâ—â—d injoyments which Do either ly without men and the pitch Of inward worth doth nought advance nor give Increase of quietness while men do live Yea oft increase disquiets fears and troubles Or if they something add within 't is bubbles Which swell a little and a while appear And then if looked for they are not there When as also they that perswaded be To chuse Gods ways and trust in him we see To live as well oft-times in outward state As they that mind this world and Gods ways hate And commonly express more inward peace When they afflicted be and when they cease Here to abide in life with joys far more Depart than they who have themselves up-bore By worldly riches honours injoyments Of pleasures or of any Earth-contents Man Sure 't is the best mysoul with him to close Who with such love and promises thee wooes Seeing such bless he gives as none besides Can give even bless that evermore abides Soul I do his promises like well and what He saith unto me they are very great It s my desire him to imbrace and take No better choise or bargain can I make But here 's a world so
hard that if I do Him chuse and after his advises go How shall I live for I have heard that He Hath told his followers that they shall be Hated of all men and shall troubles find The world will perfecute oppress and grinde Them all to pieâ—es How then shall I live Or what can comfort in such cases give Besides I many things for this Life want A Wife or Husband Riches Honour shan't I first look after these and have a care I don't deprive my self of things that are Most reedful for me here I hope I may First seek these things for my support and stay And afterwards seek after God and find him But till I have those things I cannot mind him Man But mind my Soul what He who doth thee love And suits thee sâ—â—ll-hereto it doth behove Thee well to weigh whither against these things He any Antidote sufficient brings Lord cause my Soul to understand and know What to such fears and cares thou dost us show Chr. Dear Soul confider me life up thine eye From what 's about thee there and see what I Am and have done for thee and then mind well What to assure thee of welfare I tell I am the WONDERFUL and wondrous things I have effected whereof the World rings Such as none else besided the i◠〈…〉 Both God and Man hypostatically Or in one person The Immanuel God so in me as in none else doth dwell Such things I 've done and do as none else did My worth and name though much dâ—â— ar'd is hid So that it cannot all seen or known be None but my Father fully knoweth the. I am the Counsellor with me is skill And Wisedom how to manage what I will I know what things have been what are and shall Hereafter unto any man befall I know thy mold and temper what thou art And what thou want'st whither what 's sweet or tart Be better for thee what is in thy mind And wherein thou felicity mayst find What or who are against thee who befriend thee What may indanger thee and what may mend thee How Harm thon may'st incur and how avoid it What this or that would be if thou injoy'd it There 's nothing hid from me I I can tell How to dispose of Thee and thy things well And I 'm so good and faithful that nothing I will advise Thee but what good may bring I am the MIGHTY GOD all power I have To order and dispose to kill or save None greater is than I because in me All fulness of the Godhead dwells and he With all his power and glory doth me fill So that I can do what soer'e I will My Fathers will is mine and mine is his But one will only in us both there is And I can execute it all with ease Because I can do whatsoer'e I please All power in Heaven and upon earth is mine I can make all things together combine To bring about my purpose Angels men Yea and infernal spirits I can when And as I please make use of and imploy To bring about thy sorrow or thy joy For I 'm th' ALL-MIGHTY GOD and I can do Whatever I do purpose there is no Thing to be done or word that I do say But I can do it too and in what way I please whither with many or with few With means or without means I can renew The heart though it be foul 〈◊〉 and rain And I can raise thy â—â—dy up again When dead and turn'd to dust and rottenness I can do all things my power is boundless And I 'm the LORD of Hosts all things below 〈◊〉 Be put and do their best obedience owe me All that my Father hath is mine and I Invested am with full authority Over all things the earth is mine and all That is therein and I can for them call And use them and imploy them as I will Even the whole World what heav'n Earth and Seas sill And I the Everlasting Father am Though as a Child into the World I came Born of a Woman given a Son to be To mankind â— comfort unto them and Thee That I might bring yet from Eternity I was brought forth and liv'd in great Glory Yea on me now the Goverment as made A Child and Son for man is wholly laid And both for ancientness wisdome and care To see and to provide for thy welfate I may a Father from of old be stild And Thou on me depend mayst as a Child For I 'm the Faithful God th' Amen am Who never fails my friend not tell a ly But speak in righteousness and am upright And Truth and Uprightness are my delight Falshood and lies I perfectly do hate Deceit and wickedness abominate There 's nothing wreathed or perverse from Me. No guile defiles my heart no flattene Proceedeth from my lips what 〈◊〉 I say For just and true all men believe it may I 'm full of goodness and of mercy too I 'm Love it self and all in Love I doe To those that listen to me all my ways Are Truth and Mercy every one doth praise Me and my works and doings who me know And all my Saints my worthiness do show For I 'm the PRINCE of PFACE too by my blood I took away what against mankind stood To keep him out from God fin law and death And I create Peace by my holy Breath What ever is mans trouble or his sear If he 'll obey me I his heart will chear I will dispel his dumps errours mistakes And what annoys my powerful word it makes Peace and gives quiet I the floods controul And I with goodness satisfie the Soul My works declare my Name they clearly shew My wisdom Greatness Goodness that I 'm true And kind and loving See what I for Thee And all have done Let my works speak for me I for mans sake and for thy cause came down From Heaven laid by my Royal Râ—bes and Crown Was made a man yea poor and full of grief Sustain'd your curse and death that so relief To thee and mankind I thereby might bring Oh many griefs and agonies did wring And pierce my Spotless soul I passed through Many temptations way both smooth and rough To Grave and Hell that so I might obtain Freedom there from for youâ— I rose again And up to Heaven ascended there to be With and from God a SAVIOUR unto Thee There I appear for the an HIGHPRIEST great To intercede for mercy and intreat Gods favour towards thee thy sins to cover And to obtain that God may pass them over A Merciful High-Priest who mercy can Shew forth and exercise to sinful man Tender his weakness and conpassionate Those that are in a poor afflicted State Yea I did therefore suffer and did prove Many temptations is it did behove That so the tempted and the miserable To succour and relieve I might be aâ—le All which of my mere merey did proceed For of mankind I had at all no need
thee The Earth with all it's fulness mine is and Subject they be to my will and command And all that 's mine is the Irs who are in me And I will thereout to their welfare see Why take'st thou care for meat or drink Behold The Birds of Heav'n though more than may be cold They neither plow nor â—oâ—e not reap nor get Laid up in Storehouses provisions yet My Father doth for each of them provide So that in hardest 〈◊〉 they wide And canst thou fear that he with thee neglect Since unto man he hath shewd such respect As far surpasses all the care he hath Of Birds and Beasts Oh thou of â—â—tle saith And why for raiment â—â—â—'st thou thought as fearing God will not give thee clothes fit for thy wearing Behold the Lillies or the Tulips fine How bravely they be colour'd how they shine Though they do neither â—oyâ— nor spin not do Any thing which their clothing tends unto Yet they so gallantly assayed are That Solomon himself they cutted 〈◊〉 In bravery though he for Ornament And Royal garments was most ominent As having Gold and Silver precious stones And whatsoever they that sit on Thrones Do highly prize and porgeously array Themselves with their heigth and worth to display And canst thou be so faithless as to fear That God will not vouchsafe thee clothes to wear If thou dost yield thy self to serve him and Bee'st ready to obey my just command Seeing those fairest flowers be nought but grass Whose form and beauty soon away doth pass And though to day they florish yet to morrow They 'r burnt i' th Oven or wither in their furrow Wereas He Thee and Mankind so doth prize As cannot be declar'd in any wise Take thou no thought therefore for those things but For them and all things thy trust in me put And first Gods Kingdom and his right coufness Seek after and be sure He will thee bless And all things for this life as them for thee He seeth meet administred shall be It s not thy way first to seek other things And afterwards me that confusion brings And many mischiefs to those who so doe And much proâ—â—â—es me and my Father t To just displeasure because foolishly They undervalue things that are so high Yea and what can be more preposterous Then that men do themselves disorder thus Shall not the better things be prized most And greatest care be had they be not lost What shall some poor and forâ—y painted cloth Which is grown old and eaten with the moth Be so esteemed as the chiefest care When the house is on fire shall be to spare It from the burning while in the mean time For want of care upon the house to climbe And quench the fire that 's breaking out in 't all The stately building likely is to fall And be consum'd especially when too In case the liouse be safe the fire can do No hurt unto the paited cloth ovithin Or were it lost one might much sooner spin Or buy a better cloth and with less cost Then to rebuild the house if that be lost Is not my love and 〈◊〉 better â—â—rn Then all the best injoyments on earth are I happy make the soul that doth me find I fill their 〈◊〉 fures satisfie their mind Who me embrace I give them lengch of days Eternal life peart is in all my ways Riches and honours pleasâ—â—â— sweet and true And lasting they shall have whom I renew All things thou canstsdefire are far below Me and what I on my lovers bestow Fulness of joy they shall enjoy who come To be inheritors of my Kingdome Rivers of pleasures shall them satisfy At my Fathers right hand 〈◊〉 Whereas wives honoâ—â—â—s pleasures friends riches And what the world can give men may possess And yet be miserable they may dy Soon and go down to hell for wretchedly Live if they live so as small joy they shall Have much less what 〈◊〉 satisfy from all Those their injoyments foe of times some moth Or worm breeds in those earthly things which doth Eat out the pleasure or fill with such grief As there against no earthly thing relief Can give and at the bestin Dâ—â—th they fail And in the dread full judgment nought avail Beside we cannot take it well to see Our love so slighted He is not of me Worthy who will not all things else forsake For love of me Seeing that I to make Him safe and happy all forsook that I Injoyed with my Father in glory And I alone the man that doth me take Do so inrich that I him happy make Noting with me may be compar'd Beside This very often hath been prov'd when try'd That while men other things use to prefer Before me and my grace and so defer Till those things they have got to seek for me With those things they prefer their hearts so be Besotted and â—â—â—ar'd that afterward They ner'e find in their hearts to have regard Unto my words to seek me seriously But vainly spend their days untill they dy And t is a just reward from God that they Who me so â—â—ght as that they won't obey My counsels but do hearden their own heart Should hardned be so as ne're to convert But fall into destruction though so full Of mercy is my Father as to pull Sometimes such men too out of those their snares And dangers Which their foolish lusts and cares Run them into because no pleasure He Doth take that wicked men destroyed should be But it s a dangerous presumption To slight his grace when offered upon A thought uncertain that they after may And will do better on some after-day How often is it found that God justly Doth give such over to believe a ly And always to presume that afterward To morrow and to morrow they 'l regard And turn to him but never that time find In which they seriously do set their mind To seek him till Death sodainly them take From hence and then in hell their beds they make Min. It is the nature too of lust in men As often times it hath been prov'd that when It gets its head into mens hearts Its tail It draws in after and doth so prevail That when in one thing its fulfil'd it brings Other new lusts forth and as t were by strings Draws on a whole throng one after another Till all desires of good they wholly smother Choking the seed was sown that never it Takes root or perfect fruit doth e're beget He that now wants a wife and must her have Before he can attend on God and crave And seek his Kingdome and his righteousness Thinking could He that one desire gossel He nothing elss should want but be at â—easure To seek the Lord and in his wans taâ—e pleasure But when on such accounts He God neglects And more the getting of a Wife resnects If as sometimes it doth fall out his life Be not first gone before He gets his Wife But he obtains his
wholly to My self conform thee for although thou be Or weak or dead there 's life enough in me Who am the Resurrection and Life too So that though men be dead yet if they do Believe on me I Life to them will give And living and believing they shall live For ever why dost thou thy weakness plead To this or that or tell me thou art dead There 's the more need on that account that thou Yield up thy self to me down thy self bow To my dispose who all things fully have That may supply thy wants and thy soul save I know thou' rt weak and dead and all that 's naught I need not what 's in man by Thee be taught Nay I do therefore woe thee that I may By curing thee remove those things away If such a one thou wert not then no need For me so seek thee or that thou take need To me to save thee but if thou l't be mine As I have often said I will be thine And what 's mine shall be thine also and sure My things are able thy weal to procure My wisdome thou shaâ—t haâ—e the way to show And thee to help weâ—lthy concerns to know And to direct thee how to make thy choice In every thing do but thou hear my voice My strength shall strengthen thee to walk my way Enter the straight gate and my will obey Though thou be weak and in the strength thaâ—s thine Canst not do this or that canst not in mine I 'le be thy holiness my Spirit I 'le give To thee that therein thou mayst act and live Or rather acted be and live cannot My holy spirit fetch out every spot That cleaves to thee and so display my love As thee from all thy Idols to remove It s not in thine own self that I require Thee this or that to do or ought desire It s in me and what 's mine which I therefore Freely thee give because I know thou' rt poor Naked and dead and weak and wretched too Nothing that 's good hast nought that 's good canst do I 'le be thy husband and I am so good I 'le bear with all thy badness till my blood And grace hath betterd thee I will thou l't see Demean my self so gently toward thee That with my gentleness I 'le break thine heart And make thee cleave to me and to depart From all thine Idols do but thou consent My Grace shall be for theâ—e sufficient The fountain of thy sin is great indeed But of my grace the fountain doth exceed No weakness death or badness that 's in thee No difficulties in the way that be Shall hinder thee from bliss If thou l't but give Thy self unto me freely thou shalt live Oh take my yoke upon thee it shall bow thee And bear my burthen it shall not ore-throw thee For my yokes easy give consent and go Forth in my strength all things for thee I 'le doeâ— In all things be for me and then I will Be for thee too and and all thy works fulfill Lean on mine arm or shoulder I 'le sustain thee And though thou homely bee'st I 'le not disdain thee As upon Eagles wings I will thee bear And carry thee through all do not thou fear Only yield unto me my voice to hear Through all the Wilderness I will thee guide In every danger I 'le from ill thee hide I 'le never never leave thy soul untill All my good pleasure I in thee fulfill All things are ready only yield thy will Incline thine ear and hear me do not stop It against me and I 'le my doctrine drop So thereunto that even thy very heart It shall make willing and thy soul convert And cause thee from thy Idols to depart Do but so hear me as to know my name That known thy heart to trust in me will frame Soul And is it so dear Lord then what shall let But that to thee I yield my self and set My heart upon thee wholly I refign My self up to thee to be only thine Help me herein for thou art good indeed None is like to thee while thy words I heed Marrow they are and and fatness to my tast Oh thou my soul affected with thee hast Seeing thou camest to save even sinners chief Lord I believe help thou my unbelief None is like thee thou art the only wooer Thou' rt worthy love oh thou most worthy doer Oh take my heart dear Lord for thou alone Art worthy of it and besides thee none There 's none hath done for me such things as thou There 's none besides hath made me such things know There 's none so lovely or so fit for me Therefore dear Lord I yield my self to thee I 'm thine to love and praise thee and thee serve Oh never let me from thee stray or swerve Oh thou art very fair the white and ruddy None may with thee compare make it my study Thee that I may more know and more delight in My self to thee I ow Me thou hast right in When I was damn'd toâ—dy thou didst redeem me And though unworthy I Thou didst esteem me So as thy self to give for me a ranlome That so my soul might live I am unhandsome Worthy great shame and blame but though I naught be Yet blessed be thy name thou hast upsought me Oh that I knew thee more and more did love thee That I might thee adore as 't doth behove me Oh shew thy self to me make me to know thee Make me thy fâ—ce to see and to follow thee I am a sinfull man unworthy of thy love I nothing good do can but what thy wrath may move Yea what of thy good grace thou give'st me power unâ—o Sin hath in me such place as otherwise I do Yet seeing I am thine though I am nothing worth Do thou my heart incline after thee to go forth Set thou my heart and eye with all intensiveness Upon thy Majesty that without pensiveness I may go wheresoe're thou goest me before May unto thee adhaere and ever thee adore Thou all art and in all Thou gav'st thy self for me And whatsoe're befall its meet I be for Thee It was thy pleasure Lord so for my soul to do Oh do thou yet afford thy heavenly grace thereto Those lusts that be in me and which do thee offend Drawing my heart from thee subdue and meamend For I am much amiss and very full of spots That I thy Name may bliss purge thou away my blots Remove my sins away that I to thee may cleave Let me not go astray Do thou me never leave I cannot trust my heart 't is so full of deceit It s apt from thee to start it is a very cheat Do thou it rectiâ—â—e make it to thee upright That I may heartily love thee in thee delight And though I wretched be do not thou me disdain Since thou hast loved me let me thy love retain Thou art the All in all stay my soul upon thee And
Lo's Wife thy pace thou must nor slack For fear thy love grow cold and so decay That thou from after me turn quite away Thou must thy flesh â—ield up to be subdu'd And mortify'd by me because its rude And full of stubbornness and oft hath broke Both of my laws and of my love the yoke Yea so rebelhous against me it is And hath led thee so much to do amiss And with so high a hand 〈◊〉 had I not Been merciful to thee as 〈◊〉 to Lot When he in Sodom lingred â—eath to part Therefrom when call'd thou there through hast thy heart So often hardned thou destroyd hadst been Through it much hurt and forrow thou hast seen I must therefore for thee it came that it May not grow rank sti'd and make thee unfit For fellowship with me who holy am And unto thee to make thee holy came But if at my reproof thou wiâ—t let go Its lusls the less grief I shall put thee to Oh yield it up Dear soul at every turn Be not offended that I parge or burn It oâ—t of thee thy self now offer up A sacrifice to me drink of my cup I give to cleanse thee from thy filth within And from what therâ—e breaks forth upon thy skin Like to a Leprosy and doth defile Thy person and dotli make thee very vile Yield but thy self to me and iâ—le thee cure I 'le make thee like my self both white and pure So shall I in thy beauty much delight And thou shalt always dwell in my blest sight And therefore do not fear I will not harm thee But only cleanse thee from thy filth and arm thee Against what may destroy thee I must prove thee And humble as my spouse because I love thee That so I may thee fashion to my mind Make thee fit for me and that thou mayst find More favour in mine eyes I may be for thee And that thy filâ—h may not make me abhor thee But fear not when I have thee fully try'd Thou shalt with me also be glorify'd Fear not l'th wilderness I will thee feed And by my right hand I will there thee lead And by thy right hand too I will thee holâ— Nothing shall harm thee I thy frame and mold Do fully know and will not on thee lay More than what by my strength endure thou may Only resign thy flesh and self to me And thou shalt my Salvation surely see I now unto my self do freely spouse thee But I shall not as yet so fully house thee As I intend here fter thou must tarry And wait a while before I fully many Thee to my self before unto that place Those royal Mansions which for thee my grace Hath fitted I thee take where I receive And entertain all that in me believe Thou hast been very whorish and thou art Polluted with thy whoredomes at thy heart Thy flesh and body is defil'd with what Thou from thy lovers whoredomes oft hast got And I cannot into my Bride-bed take thee Till I first wash thee white and clean do make thee Thou must the time of purifying stay Before our solemn joyful wedding day In the mean time constant to me and chast Thou must abide and thou mayst not make hast After injoyments of delights so that With other pleasures thou thee satiate And turn thee from me to some other lover Thee to content thou mayst let none be over Thy heart and conscience besides me who am Thy only Lord and Saviour that meek Lamb Who bought thee with my blood and thee did call To me that I might be thy All in All If thus thou dost then I will be for thee And all I am and have it thine shall be Soul Dear Lord thy words in every thing are right My soul approves them finds therein delight Make me them more to know further to see Into the wondrous things that in them be Thy love is wonderful worthy receit And to be fed upon more than our meat It s better far than wine doth me refresh Although it rellish not unto the flesh Who would not such a lover as thou art Imbrace with both his arms with all his heart Who can like blessings give like comforts bring Above all GODS Thou art the mighty KING Oh who can fathom who can comprehend The greatness of thy love there 's no such friend Or lover as thou art none can forgive The soul its sins like thee or make it live Oh who am I that I should welcome be Or be accepted unto life by thee That thou shuld'st call and woo me and imbrace Me in thy arms cause me to see thy face Thy pleasant face and own me as thy own And in thy words thy love to me make known Yea both thy words and love cause me to know To draw my heart from off the things below And fix it on thy self and things above Oh there 's no sweetness to that of thy love Its tasts at present most delightful are All other pleasures it surpasses far But as if all at present was but small Thou holdst forth such a portion too as all For future time yea to eternity For ever to injoy thy Majesty I less am than the least of thy mercies Which thou dost give wilt not thou me despise But passing by all my unworthiness And many mighty sins such love express As passeth knowledge Oh that I again With my whole heart thy love may intertain And love for love return perpetually And never shrink from thee no though I dy Oh Lord thy love ingages me to be Wholly devoted and given up to thee For it s but meet that I be wholly thine And for thy sake give up all that is mine Who for my sake didst not the cross decline It s meet that I a sacrifice should be Wholly devoted and given up to thee A living holy sacrifice whereby Thou may'st be glorifyed and lift on high For great thy love to me is I confess Nor can I by my tongue or pen express The great desâ—râ—s of love and service too Which far beyond all my returns I ow. I do acknowledge too thy words be true In all they say of me that nothing's due To me of praise or approbation for I am so loathsome thou mayst me abhor I am polluted with a whorish heart So as I jealous am least I depart Away from thee it oftentimes indeed Hath play'd the Harlot and brought forth a breed Of hateful Monster full of venome fell Against thy purity The brats of Hell Unchast desires and lusts self-love and pride Ambitious thoughts a loathness to be ty'd Up to thy just commands an evil eye Of envy against such as I could spy Prefer'd before me often at them fretting With covetous desires to be getting More of this worlds injoyments profits pleasure Slothfull mispending of that time and leasure Thou hast afforded me for better things From which much other mischief oft times springs Such things my bowels oft have eat and
I am too slack In seeking thee yea woe is me I 〈◊〉 From thee have run apace since I begun To move toward thee I 'm too apt to run Toward my Idols in the ways of sin Yea Lord thou know'st how since I did begin To court thy favour I have run apace In wicked ways wherein had not thy grace And mercy me prevented I had been Or'e thrown forever this day never seen But oh my pace toward thee is so dulâ— That need I have that after thee thou pull My sluggish Soul oh bring thou me into Thy Chambers of defence and delight so As in thy love I such delight may take As never thee any more to forsake Let me be so inclosed as with walls Of sure defence that whatsoe're befalls I never may again from thee withdraw But allways may thee fear and stand in aw Least I offend thee oh that I to thee May swiftly run with all that upright be And in thy Chamber may with them abide Where thou dost all that love thee safely hide Wee 'll then be glad in Thee and much rejoyce Oh King wee 'l sing thy praise with chearful voice Wee 'l think upon thy loves which do excel The choisest Wine Oh we remember well The sweetness of its tast who be upright They do thy person love in thee delight Not in themselves their parts their gifts nor yet Those pleasures only that from thee they get Like to the Concubines which love to be Delighted with thy loves courted by thee But thee and thy concerns do slight neglect To seek thy glory don't thy name respect Sincerely but make thou me upright so As my heart wholly after thee may go Oh thou whom my soul in some measure loves Do thou me show what me to know behoves Tell thou me where thou feed'st thy flock and make Me go upright Let me not thee forsake With sinners in their dainties to perâ—ke Let me not turn aside from thee to go After the flocks of thy companions who Lift up themselves into equallity Of power or worth unto thy Majesty But shew me thy good ways and make me see The thing that is acceptable to thee Stay me with flagons of thy love and let Me of thy apples too the comforts get For I desire thy love oh do thou show it And cause thou me more clearly yet to know it Under my head put thou thy left hand and Therewith support me and let thy right hand Embrace my soul and keep me safe untill I have fulfil'd my course perform'd thy will And oh that then thou wouldst make hast unto My soul and be thou swifter than a Roe That so our union may compleated be And I may full fruition have of thee Make hast oh my beloved like a Roe Or a young Hart that on the Mountains go That leap upon the Mountains and o're Hills Come skipping Thou art he alone that fills The souls of those that love thee with delight And mak'st them fully happy in the sight Of thy most glorious person do not tarry Help me to hast to thee then hast to marry Me to thy self that I with thee may dwell Who dost in all excellencies excell And in the mean time make me chast and true Unto thee what opposes thee subdue Working my works in and for me yea al Thine own good pleasure whereto thou dost call And counsel me the work of faith with power That I may persevere unto the hour And in the hour of death till unto thee Thou tak'st me up in joys for aâ—e to be I leave my self to thee oh do thou what Is good for me Chr. I will so fear not that Amen HALLELUJAH FINIS A Song of Loves Lord grant that in a right renewed mind I may such love to thee and thy things find As to say of and to thee this behind 1. I Am my well beloveds My well-beloved's mine He is a person lovely Excellent and divine 2. For he is the Immanuel Both God and man in one The Mighty God the wonderful And like him there is none 3. His excellence surpasseth What one may it declare Or who among the mighty May with this one compare 4. Oh all ye that in love are Your lovers who commend Is any of them able To match with this my friend 5. Hath any of them ever So great things for you wrought Or is there any of them Hath you so dearly bought 6. Is any of them so high Either in Rank or birth No there is none so glorious Either in Heaven or Earth 7. Ther 's none of them is so great There 's none of them can do So great things and so wonderful Or can inrich you so 8. As this my Lord and Saviour Can and will do for me If I be upright with him And do not from him flee 9. Ye that in Kings and Princes And mighty Potentates Do make your boasts come tell me Hath he there any mates 10. Can any of them match him Nay they are all below The greatest of those great ones Their service to him owe. 11. They 'r short in understanding Their pow'r also is less Their rule extends not so far Nor yet their happiness 12. They are but men as others Their lives are but mortal Their breaths must pass out of them And then they perish all 13. But this my Lord and Lover Doth live for evermore His understanding's perfect All creatures him adore 14. Nothing for him too hard is For he can all things do Nothing from his eyes hid is For he all things doth know 15. He ruleth over all things Both in the seat and land Yea and all things In heaven be Subject to his command 16. He heir of Heav'n and earth is He is lord of all glory His brith's above all creatures There 's none can match his story 17. His excellence excels all That 's either hard or seen One half of what 's true of him Never declar'd hath been 18. Go glory of your Princes And Benefactors great Tell of their great majesty Their royal train and seat 19. I none of them shall envy This one 's mcuh better far Whom my soul hath desire to They can't with him compare 20. He hath far greater glory Than any one of them Though yet he is so lovely That none he doth contemn 21. Though they be poor and little If unto him they flee He none of them disdaineth But they accepted be 22. Those whom ye use to boast of Be proud and lofty too And oft in words and carriage Great haughtiness they show 23. Though they be far below him Who my beloved is And like to meaner persons He them reâ—roves I wiss 24. For in his hands they all are To do with as he please And he can make or break them Or change their state with ease 25. Oh there is none so lovely As this Beloved one In pitty love and goodness Like to him there is none 26. He higher than the Heavens is Or
brightest Angel there In dignity and glory Yet he appeared here 27. That he might save us sinners Like to a Servant poor Where of our miseries too The liveries he wore 28. Yielding himself to death up And great indignities To ransome us from ruine Nor doth he now despise 29. The meanest that obey him To take into his grace Though he on high's ascended Unto his holy place 30. He such invites unto him With him they may be bold His secrets he unto them Most free is to unfold 31. Whoever him doth follow Shall see his pleasant face Hee 'l not disdain their lowness But kindly them imbrace 32. Hee 'l not despise their prayers Nor turn away his ear But being full of mercy He their complaints will hear 33. The sweetest of all persons Better than all is he The meekest and the gentlest Fairer then mens sons be 34. The highnest and the lowest The white and ruddle one In greatness and in goodness Like to him there is none 35. Come ye Queens and Princesses Whose Birth is great and high Who think yuor happinesses Do reach unto the sky 36. Because your Lords be great ones And have a great command For that their rule extendeth Both unto Sea and Land 37. Do ye not highly extol Your great good fortunes here Do ye not use your selves too Oft up thereby to bear 38. Do ye not think your great Lords To be so great and high And such advancements to you That ye for them could dy 39. Or else endure great hardships For them and for their sake With whom in their high honours So greatly you partake 40. Behold ye him whom I praise And whom my soul desires As its friend to delight in Can give what it requires 41. Lo Ho is much more noble In Birth and in degree And there 's not any Monarch Who 's of his gifts so free 42. Nor are the gifts which they give So pretious or so rare They all are but his Stewards And can't with him compare 43. Himself above all gifts is The Richest pearl of price His love cannot be valued The soul it satisfies 44. Oh he my love deserves more And to be followed Through every condition Whereto by him it s led 45. Then any of the greatest And highest Potentates Who have the largest Empires And rule the greatest states 46. I 'm his by way of purchase Who made and bought me too By that most precious blood which Did freely from him flow 47. Which he also discovered And call'd me of his grate There through that I might know him And might him too imbrace 48. And him I own to be mine My Lord and Saviour And his I am to care for And serve in every hour 49. My soul and body his are And whatsoe're I have And he is mine to give me What good for me I crave 50. Oh that I were more truly And heartily indeed Given up to love and live to Him who doth so exceed 51. All other lovely objects Be their worth ne're so great I should need not to fear then What ever may me threat 52. For I am his and of me He hath the care and charge And his disire toward me Is very full and large 53. Hee 's able to protect me From what may do me harm And 's ready to infold me Within his mighty arm 54. Oh that I were devoted More unto him and were More willing to be always To him chast and sincere 55. I 'm his not sins and Sathins That them I should obey Oh that when they intice me My heart might always say 56. Christ is my well-beloved He must my service have He 's only worthy of it Who only doth me save 57. For He He also mine is A portion may suffice To satisfie me always Your promises are lies 58. I 'me his and not a Servant Unto the world or men That I should yield my Conscience To be inslav'd by them 59. I may not to their pleasures My life and will compose To follow their desires So I my self might lose 60. For they cannot protect me When my Lord shall appear If he should then reject me They cannot me upbear 61. No no I 'm his who loves me And bought me by his blood From all that conversation Which is not just and good 62. He 's mine too to command me And be my sure defence Who certainly will keep me And glad my Conscience 63. For he will give assistance Of safety in his love And hold me in his hand so As nough shall me remove 64. He only may do with me What unto him seems best For He hath right unto me And will lead me to rest 65. Oh that he would imbrace me And give my soul a kiss Whose love than wine is better And fills the soul with bliss 66. His love the love of women Surpasseth very much How ever pleasing that is Its pleasures are not such 67. No nor is strength not servour Much less its beensitt As those that he that 's loved Of this Beloved 〈◊〉 68. Their love to this is empty Its pleasores be but short Although they 'r prerry creatures And 〈…〉 69. Their favour is deceitful Their beauty 's but a blast Their kingnesses soon vanish Their sweetness doth not last 70. Their embraces are bruises Their kisses oft are bites The vanity that 's in them Exceeds oft their delights 71. The love of Christ excelleth It s constant firm and sure It s very full of comforts And pleasures that indure 72. His words are full of kindness Yea when they are most tast Yet grace and love is in them Which floweth from his heart 73. His kisses and imbraces Are full of ravishment Filling the soul with goodness And riches of content 74. His beauty never changeth His strength doth 〈◊〉 ne're decay He is the same for ever Yesterday and to day 75. Oh that my Soul were fitted His kindness to receive That I by my unkindness His Spirit might not grieve 76. Oh may he count me worthy Of his inamourments Forgiving all my follies Causes of discontents 77. His soul it is spiritual Most holy just and pure All wickedness he hateth He can it not indure 78. But I poor wretch am sinful And full of vanity How can I be delightful And pleasing in his eye 79. Dear Lord I am unworthy To be owned of thee That thine I should be stiled And thou accept of me 80. Yet do not thou disdain me Do thou me lovely make That so thou may'st imbrace me And pleasure in me take 81. Be thou mine me to purify And to make 〈◊〉 and white Make me more thine and cause me In thee to take delight 82. Prepare my soul unto thee That I may thee imbrace And give thee intertainment And theâ— may'st me sâ—late 83. Lay thou me in thy bosom And keep me in thine arm So shall I rest securely Void of all fear of harm 84. Oh cause my soul to kiss thee And lay thee in my heart
That thou mayst me imbracing Thy loves to me impart 85. And all the night of darkness Mayst lodge within my brest And I in thy imbraces May find sweet peace and rest 86. Oh make me subject to thee That thou mayst be above Uniting me unto thee And fill me with thy love 87. And let my loving-kindness Such love again beget That I my heart and bowels May open to thee set 88. And thou thy Word put in me As an immortal seed Fil'd with that Life and Spirit Which doth from thee proceed 89. That thou mayst make me fruitful With fruits of righteousness An of-spring which thine Image May livelily express 90. That thou thy pleasure in me Subject to thee mayst take And I have pleasures in thee Which may me chearful make 91. Oh make thou me so lovely That thou mayst count me meet For such communion with thee As is so pure and sweet 92. That chaste I may be to thee And content in thee find That none else I may look to Or covet in my mind 93. May never go a whoring From under thee my Lord But may be fully pleased With what thou dost afford 94. Nor only let me love thee Like to some Concubine So as for pleasures only Me to thee to incline 95. But as a Spouse and chaste one Though thou shouldst them withhold Yet I may love thy person And vertues manifold 96. And thine affaires take care of As things that are mine own And faithfully observe what Thou shalt to me make known 97. Leaving it to thy wisdom Those pleasures to impart Which cannot but be pleasing And satisfie my heart 98. But let me not love pleasures So as if thou delay Thine to impart unto me I should to others stray 99. But make me ever willing To stay and waite for thee Who when thou seest it fitting Will thine impart to me 100. Thou art the only worthy To be lov'd and obey'd Oh that my heart upon thee More fixed were and stay'd 101. Oh sanctifie me to thee And my soul purifie Bless rods and mercies to me That I to sin may dye 102. And unto all that from thee Would steal my heart away That I may live unto thee In what I do and say 103. Thou art the lovely portion Riches and honour dwell In thee with whatsoever Delights and doth excel 104. Oh were my heart reduced To that simplicity That I might chuse and love thee And cleave to thee only 105. I would not change my lot there For any of the heigths Of highest greatest persons My earnest groans and sighs 106. Shall reather be through suff'rings To have thy company Then live else where without thee In greatest jollity 107. With all the greatest fulness This World to them affords Who live in its embracements As high and mighty Lords 108. Yet thou hast room for them too In thy high palaces Oh make thou them acquainted With thy sweet embraces 109. Oh make them see how empty All things without thee are That they may flock unto thee Seeing thee only fair 110. All honour be unto thee Thou only worthy one For it is due unto thee And unto thee alone 111. In oneness with the Father And with the holy Spirit Thou worthy art all blessing For ever to inherit 112. To thee it 's my desire To leave my self and all I am with whatsoever I through thy gift mine call 113. Lord pardon my abuses Of thy great love to me And make my soul both upright And constant unto thee 114. So that thy blessing ever May on my soul remain And cleanse me so as that thou Mayst not my work disdain 115. Purge out what doth offend thee And make me white and pure That thou mayst ever own me And I be ever sure 116. Of thy love and thy favour Which life doth far excel And in thine heavenly mansions May with thee ever dwell Amen and Amen FINIS A Posie Improved UPON THE POSIE of a RING Love Love Love EPAVCIS MVLTA I. AMongst the pretty Poseys I have seen Which either friends or lovers have invented I have on none to discant tempted been Nor hath any my fancy more contented If rightly 't be apply'd then this above This one word thrice repeated Love Love Love II. What man it was who did the same invent From whom or unto whom the token came Whether some Love to his Love it sent Or for what other cause some did it frame It matters not nor what they did thereby Intend unto their friend to signifie III. Perhaps some young man who his Mistress loved Or else some Mistress who did love her Friend And want of love again or fear'd or proved In them they loved did this token send Their love to quicken and their constancy To them the better to provoke hereby IV. Like as some person who while he assays To do or reach for something and doth fall Into some danger whence he cannot raise Or save himself most earnestly doth call Help Help Help tripling it vehemently As like to suffer greatly else thereby V. So possibly some lover while he sought The pleasing object of his love to gain Being into some doubt or question brought Thereof or meeting with slights or disdain Might in his earnestness cry as above As one else like to perish Love Love Love VI. Perhaps some wanton who had lust mistook For love seeking his lust to satisfie Might send it to his Harlot to provoke Her fond affection unto him thereby Exhorting her to love love love again That oft his will with her he might obtain VII Perhaps some person who had lov'd too much Some other person and loves flames had felt Sadly to scorch him when they did him touch His folly wailing on this subject dwelt As crying out upon a thing so hot Whence He much heart smart and much hurt had got VIII That carnal love I mean wherein the creature Is made the object of a blind affection Doteing upon its beauty parts or feature Which when it meets with slighting and rejection As oft it s foolishly misplac't on what Either's unlawful or repays with hate IX Brings forth instead of pleasure doleful grief Stinging the soul with fears and sad despairs Distractions jealousies without relief And many fruitless dumps and waking cares Causing such one out of this love to cry Bewailing thus his fortune bitterly X. Love Love Love thou art a most cruel thing When fixt on some disdainful one thou' rt found Thy sweets are bitter thou leav'st many a sting Infusest venom and the heart dost wound Oh had thy fond deceits my soul ne'r tainted Oh had I with thy force ne'r been acquainted XI Love Love Love that fond thing which men so call Woe worth the time I did thee intertain Expecting sweetness where I meet with gall And pleasures where I nothing find but pain Unhappy soul that longedst after fruit That may not be obtained by any suit XII Would I had hardned against thee my heart
to seek to know him bend Our thoughts to him and keep him in our mind With greatest earnestness his praises view To think on him bid all things else adieu LXIII Love God with all thy heart as him we know Let our affections close with and embrace Him freely fully all things high and low To the injoyment of him must give place Resign our wills to him on him rely Joy and delight we in his Majesty LXIV Seek his approvement fellowship and grace Joy in his word and service and adhere Firmely unto him seek his strength and face Above all things and the loss thereof fear Yea love the places whereon be his name His paths posts statutes and frequent the same LXV Love God with all thy soul the life and might Which soul united with the body gives To put forth all our strength it is but right Seeking and serving him who ever lives Remiss and slothful seeking him implies That our love to him 's cold and cold love dies LXVI Yea yet again we may be thrice put on To love the Lord because a Trinity There is in him He 's three though yet but one As Scriptures do expresly testifie Love God the Father Son and holy Spirit For each of them thy fervent'st love do merit LXVII For each and All are love in one and have Joyntly and severally their love exprest To us poor mortals that they might us save And that our miseries might be redrest In love the Father sent the Son unto us In love the Son came and the Spirit doth wooe us LXVIII In love the Father his Son yielded up To be made flesh and poor despis'd and dye 'T was He that gave to him that bitter cup Which wrung his Soul with many an agony In love to us he rais'd him up again And hath exalted him on high to reign LXIX In love to us the Son our flesh and blood Did at the Father's just appointment take And in our room and stead as surety stood And by his dying did atonement make And rose and off'red up himself on high Living to plead for us continually LXX In love to us he sent the holy Ghost And gifts did give to men as he thought good That so by them his Name in ev'ry coast Might be proclaim'd and his grace understood And unto those who do his grace retain He 'll come in glory and raise them to raign LXXI In love to us the Holy Ghost comes forth In Christ his Name and doth his truth make known Shewing the things of Christ and their great worth Wooing us to him that we might him own Waiting with patience for our turning in Ready to wash and cleanse us from our sin LXXII He guids us into truth he gives support Strengthneth in services and sufferings Unto our fainting Spirits he gives comfort Yea he all life and blessings to us brings Will raise us up from death and grave and give In glorious bodies us with Christ to live LXXIII Love Love Love God therefore intensively Who was and is and who is yet to come Love every person in the Trinity Oh that he had in my heart all the room Thus in the first place love to God is due But let us now a second Object view LXXIV Love secondly our Neighbour for the Text That bids us first of all to love the Lord Tells us the second precept which is next Is love our Neighbours and we in God's Word Good reason for it find because they are Our brethren though with God they can't compare LXXV All men are sprung from out one common stock Branches of the same root made of one blood Rais'd from one common mold chips of one block Fram'd by one hand capable of one good We had at first the same original And must at last into the same dust fall LXXVI Indeed there is in us such backwardness To love our Neighbours that this thrice repeated Word Love may be apply'd with earnestness That our cold hearts to love them may be heated God we so little love our selves so wrong That Neighbours get not what to them belong LXXVII 'T would be as good for them happy to be And to be miserable full as sad As to be happy will be good for thee And to be miserable for thee 's bad Seek to promote their good prevent their wooe Do to them as thou wouldst be done unto LXXVIII Especially fince it is God's good will And precept that thy Neighbour thou should'st love And that he might thee move it to fulfill His own example gives thee from above He hath both loved thee and others too As he hath done to thee to others do LXXIX God's love to thee obliges thee again Readily what he bids thee to obey To Love thy Neighbour then do not disdain Whatever lust of thine thereto say nay Though of thy love unworthy he doth seem Worthy of thine obedience God esteem LXXX But who 's our Neighbour surely every man Distinct from us at least till fil'd with evil Any we find that clearly see we can That they are thereby made one with the Devil For they that are God's enemies so far Out of our loves we lawfully may bar LXXXI But for all others they should loved be Whither they be our friends our foes or strangers Their good we should indeavour joy to see Defend and seek to rescue them from dangers Grieve for their harms and do what in us lies Their happiness to further any wise LXXXII Me thinks three sorts of Neighbours I espy God's friends our own and they that neither be Respectively to whom this trinity Of love-commands again apply may we Love those that love God love friends and allies Love other men strangers or enemies LXXXIII Love those that love God for they 'r worthy love In that they do the thing that 's good and right They are God's friends he loves them that may move Thee therefore in them to take much delight They love not God who do not love his friends And they are faulty who e'r them commends LXXXIV For in asmuch as any loves God He God's image in him in some measure bears They are Christ's vertues which in him we see God's and Christ's liv'ries he upon him wears And he that loves not God as seen in 's brother Loves not but hates God howe'r he it smother LXXXV If God thou lov'st and seek'st desirously Acquaintance with he with his people dwels In cleaving to their heavenly company Thou shalt meet with him as the Scripture tells If thou hast no desire his face to know Thou lov'st him not what face so e'r thou show LXXXVI Amongst all men they the first place should have In our affections because God's in them They 'r nearest to him what they of him crave He 'll give for he their pray'rs will not contemn They then who him neglect and them despise He needs must take to be his enemies LXXXVII They be Christ's favourites he doth them own As his dear
Quis leget aut emet haec SEE here my friends that which with much expence Of time and money if without offence I may suggest it I prepared have Your good to further and your souls to save Is here exposed to you will you read it So as with seriousness to mind and heed it Will you with little charge and cost that buy Which doth me in far greater charges lye Your pains in Reading it will be far less Than mine it to Compose and in this dress To make it ready for you and your gain Will far exceed your cost if it remain Upon your Reading it in memory And if unto the practise you apply Your hearts of what it tends to as you ought You will not then repent that you it bought But I observe it some men's humour is To slight and undervalue things like this They 'll rather idle Ballads buy and read Or such bad Books as vice do breed and feed And what their souls tend to spoil and destroy For pride or belly chear they will imploy Their time and money and it is a grief To find such humours in some men so brief To see no more regard to what with pains And cost prepar'd is for their endless gains Yea sometimes I with such could angry be When such like carriages in them I see Or marvail at their stupidness to slight What their own welfare much advantage might But then when I look higher and reflect Upon the sad regardless disrespect That too too commonly we all express To God and Christ who far more for our bless And endless happiness than any man By all his study and expences can Have done and have prepar'd and tender to us Whereto with much long suff'ring they do wooe us It doth allay my grief and wonder too As to my labours or what others do Of like import for what am I or any Who labour in such studies whereby many Might benefitted be with him compar'd Who hath eternal life for us prepar'd By such a costly way as by the Death Of his dear Son who for us spent his breath And 's life and soul expos'd to many a grief To bring unto our souls endless relief Find we not Christ himself sometime complain That he had labour'd and his strength in vain Had spent while they among whom he had wrought Did all his love and labour set at naught Though he doth freely tender all the good Which he hath bought by his most precious blood For mankind unto whosoever will Accept thereof and take thereof their fill Yet because something he again requires That men do value and which their desires And love are bent upon they should forsake That of his better things they might partake Because he bids us of him his things buy Men do refuse them too too generally Though all he doth require us to forgo Or unto him to offer up that so We might be happy in what he doth give And might with him in joys for ever live Is nothing worth nor worthy to be ey'd Compar'd with what he gave when as he dy'd For us and for our sins his life and blood More precious far than can be understood Or else compar'd with what he gives again Even joys and glory that ever remain If we resent it if our labours be And cost neglected Oh then what may he With whose both pains and cost if we compare Any or all of ours they nothing are His labour and his patience very great Beside his agonies and bloody sweat He went about by Land and Sea that good He might do unto those who shed his blood Which he most freely poured out that we Drinking thereof might blest for ever be Yet amongst men how slender his reward How few his love or labours do regard Such is the Worlds guise such it constantly Hath been to cast their best concernments by While vanity they love and follow after Mere leasings or fond things of mirth and laughter Yea not only such things they disrespect As tend their greatest weal most to effect But oft repay with hatred and disdain The greatest love and things of greatest gain Whereof as Christ himself the Sovereign Lord Of glory so his choise servants afford Sufficient proof and evidence how great Their pains and labour the World to intreat To save their souls how great their diligence By Preaching Writing Travail Patience In good and bad reports and yet how bad Their intertainment every where how sad Their ill requitals oh at how great cost Have we our Bible truths how many lost Their precious lives laid out their strength and time That we might know the way whereby we climb May up to Heaven and happiness yet who Will even for Heaven it self their lusts forgo Well then may I not grutch at cost or pains Nor grumble at any neglects disdain Or what like things me for my labours shall From any man at any time befall Yea if I for my labours disrespect May meet with it may make me to reflect Upon my self and smiting on my thigh To say Thus thus too much and oft have I Requited God Christ and the holy Ghost And those his servants who unto our coast With pains and travail God's truth carried forth Truths of unspeakable and boundless worth Why then should I complain if I should find Such disrespects as suit less with my mind Or why should I expect respect or look For better likement unto any Book Than usual is for all good things to have Hatred they must expect who souls would save When I and others mend and better be To God they will deal well enough with me AN EPITAPH UPON Mr. THOMAS LILLY Of South-Lin I. THou that go'st by cast here thine eye I sometime walked there I was a Flower I stood my hour And now I 'm fallen here II. I in my time was of the prime That lived in this Town A Lilly fresh but I was flesh And Death hath cut me down III. ALl flesh is grass it 's grace doth pass The best is but a flower The stoutest man do what he can Must dye when 't is his hour IV. If riches could Death's force withhold I had not dyed yet Riches good store I had Death's sore Yet thence no cure could get V. I thought of this I sought for bliss I good attention gave To what I heard the Lord I fear'd And as I sought I have VI. O man thou must return to dust What ever now thou art Dust was thy breed and 't is decreed Thou and the World must part VII Yet thou may'st live if thou do'st give Good heed to mend thy ways For though thou dye yet certainly God will again thee raise VIII For Death came in by loathsom sin But Christ for all did dye And unto those who with him close He 'll give the victory IX Nothing beside will long abide But soon will fade away Consider well Take heed of Hell Think on thy dying day X. So farewel friend and God thee send To live so holily That Heaven may be a place for thee When 't is thy turn to dye FINIS Reader there be too many mistakes of Words Letters and Points the chief of them thou hast here a note of and how thou may'st correct them viz. as follows IN the Title page vers last for inot r. into In the Epistle p. 1. vers 14. for too r. two v. 16. r. woe In the Apology p. 3. l. 32. r. such woers p. 4. l. 36. r. I my self submit In the body of the Poem p. 2. l. 30. put out the full stop at bands p. 5. l. 30. r the vile p. 6. l. 33. for to r. so p. 8. l. 14. put out the stroke of the parenthesis and put it in l. 17. after back p. 11. l. 22. r. the better and their talk p. 34. l. 13. r. they may make p. 39. l. 14. r. good God p. 42. l. 30. r. naught p. 44. l. 20. for vow r. bow p. 54. l. 14. for left r. lift p. 58. l. 10. r. in my joys p. 60. l. 20. r. reprov'st us p. 65. l. last for can r. did p. 66. l. 1. and 3. for make r. made p. 69. l. 24. r. that they in their p. 72. l. 34. r. fill us p. 111. l. 14. for whom r. when p. 131. l. 4. for once r. over p. 139. l. 17. for abhorred r. adhered p. 138. al. 140. l. 33. for to r. so p. 148. l. 9. for is r. if and l. 29. put out is p. 151. l. 30. r. fading p. 161. l. 15. for nosh r. now p. 164. l. last r. do pierce p. 167. l. 14. r. show'd p. 172. l. 15. for best r. blest p. 181. l. 24. for but r. by p. 186. l. 15. the word Lamentations should have been in a great and different character as also diverse other words in the foregoing pages p. 211. l. 22. r. death honour p. 224. l. 33. r. between p. 228. l. 5. for thy r. thee p. 232. l. 26. for caret r. care p. 234. l. 16. r. stinch p. 235. l. 6. r. though p. 244. l. 30. r. thy pledge my holy p. 243. l. 27. for fashion r. fathom p. 254. l. 6. put our the stop at so p. 259. l. 27. r. heart p. 256. l. 22. r. ay p. 260. l. 4. for lovely r. lowly p. 264. l. 4. for this r. his p. 267. l. 28. put out not p. 268. l. 7. for soul r. love p. 276. l. last for oft r. oft p. 295. l. 6. r. and their portion Other mispointings I leave to thy discretion to observe and rectifie in thy Reading