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
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
counsels slight Hate my reproofs and my good Spirit despite Who do the World and their own Iusts prefer Before me and my grace loving to err From my good ways refusing to return They shall be rais'd again and judg'd to burn In that eternal Lake of wrath and woe Which was prepar'd for the Infernal foe The Devil and his Angels who seduced Them to rebel and not to be reduced Before my dreadful judgment seat they shall Stand trembling then yea then both great and small Shall judged be and when my Saints rejoyce Then they shall weep and wail hearing that voice Depart ye cursed ye who have refused My profer'd grace and all my love abused Who would not come to me when I did call you Though I did tell you then what would befall you Ye who then put Me from you and to me Did say Depart for we desire not thee Us to instruct or teach or to reprove us We care not whether thou do'st hate or love us We value not thy love nor fear thy wrath We will not know thy ways nor tread thy path Thy words do cross our wills we 'll break thy cords Thou shalt not reign o're us for we are Lords We 're owners of our selves and all we have We need not thee nor like that thou us save From our corruptions for we like them so We take thee that reprov'st for our foe Thy company we like not nor that sort Of frantick fools who do with thee comport Pressing thy laws we hate them in our heart And put them from us let them too depart They are a burthen and a trouble to us And we 'll destroy them least they should undo us This then your manner was to me and mine Ye were contented we should starve or pine When we were hungry ye would not us feed Nor would ye give us drink when we did need Nor when we wand'red would ye take us in Nor cloath us when we naked were and thin When we were sick or cast in prison ye Neglected us to visit or to see Nay ye did thrust us from you ye did beat us And by your cruelties did slay and eat us Ye mockt our counsels because being poor We trusted in the Lord did him adore Depart from me therefore ye cursed crue And from my lovers Take ye now your due With your curst Counsellors the Devil and His wicked Angels whose will and command Above mine ye prefer'd For ever be A seperated company from me And from all mine in that great dreadful lake Of Fire and Brimstone where I 'll vengeance take For all your wickedness and great despite Ye shew'd against me and those who did right Ye trod me under foot my blood ye slighted As common and my spirit of grace despited Now I will tread you in my wrath for I The wine-press of the wrath of God mighty Do tread I 'll in my fury trample you And all to pieces crush and squeaze you now What! think you now a share with us to have Whom ye thrust from you when we counsel gave To leave your evils and with us take part Ye judg'd our counsels over sharp and tart To your pride and corruptions when ye were Ashamed of me and my reproach to bear Ashamed of my followers because they Reproached were poor and despised lay Would ye now fain your selves insinuate With us when we are glorious 'T is too late We will not own you now but are asham'd Of such accursed caytiffs who are nam'd Ungodly wicked unclean hypocrites Ambitious worldlings proud men Sodomites With many another such like wretched name As into my Book of life never came Away ye Caytiffs as ye sow'd now reap As ye have brew'd now drink Go howl and weep Lament your folly cry now Fools we are Who counted us the fools and did not spare To make us cry and weep and sigh and groan And unto God make our complaint and moan When ye us slighted and abused so As made us with sad grieved hearts to go Solace your selves together in those flames Of dreadful fire which all proud rebels tames Ye laught at us and in our griefs took pleasure Now we will mete out to you the same measure When we were from our houses hal'd and outed Of Synagogues for righteousness ye shouted When we were mockt and scorned by men ye houted And when we answer'd for our selves ye flouted When we condemned were and cast in bands Then ye rejoyced much and clapt your hands When we were hang'd and burn'd and crucifi'd Then ye did triumph o're us us deride These trusted in the Lord ye us'd to say These were the persons used much to pray In houses to that purpose they would meet And oft of God be talking in the Street Let 's see now where their God is and what he Can and will do for them to set them free Let 's see if he them from our hands can save Let him deliver them it them he 'll have Now we again do over you rejoyce At your distress we now lift up our voice We triumph over you and do deride Your folly madness stubbornness and pride Now we your confidences boldly flout And over your destruction we do shout To see our mortal foes who were so stout From God and all his holy ones thrust out Into eternal torments we 'll now taunt Your Idols and those places ye did haunt To work your wickedness where be your Gods Whom ye did use to worship and with odds Prefer before your Saviour what 's become Of all your stocks and stones and Idols dumb Where are those mighty men under whose wing Ye put your trust of whom ye us'd to sing Whose power and greatness ye did magnifie Trust in and fear and lift up to the sky Whose Laws and whose commands ye did prefer Far before me and mine ye did deter My people from their service to me setting Their greatness and their threats before them getting Commissions from them us to persecute Why do ye not to them now make your suite And pray them to befriend you in your needs And bear you out in all your wretched deeds Ye acted against God and against us For which ye stand by me condemned thus Where are your potent Kings and Emperors Your Popes your Cardinals your great Doctors Your gallant Lords and Ladies Learned men Of whom and whose authority ye then Did make your boasts and with their names us frighted And in whose countenance ye much delighted Where are their Crowns their Scepters their Miters Their crosier Staves their Councils and their Writers Their dreadful weapons which they oft abused Against us from those ends they should have used Them to as against theives and high-way robbers Seditious persons felons and disturbers Of publick peace by wicked acts abusers Of Gods good creatures and of men mis-users What is become of all that greatness now Before the which ye us'd your selves to bow And flusht with which and
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
By which means seeing I the conquest 〈◊〉 O're death and hell and overthrew the plot Of the old Serpent subde and crasty Let those my doings of me testify They show my love my power and wisdom too And they my faithfumess and truth do show Would I have 〈◊〉 in any thing I say Sure it would there have been wherein there lay So many diffiâ—â—â—â—ties in my way Behold me then dear Soul and duty mind What I am and have done and thou â—halt find Encouragement enough against these things Which do occasion those my waveringâ— Why dost thou 〈◊〉 or care for things below Seeing thy wants and dangers all I 〈◊〉 And I can any thing on thee bestâ—â—â— What if men should thee hate and 〈◊〉 And band themselves against thee 〈◊〉 I Secure thee from all harm that may befall To thee or thine from any of them 〈…〉 Are they not in my hands â— their 〈◊〉 hears I can dispose and order all their part And power and time and breath are in my hand And I can that of 〈◊〉 way theâ—â— command And If thou mindst â—â—y love thou mayst be sure That in obeying me 〈◊〉 thee 〈◊〉 From what may harm thee although because I All-wise am I shall thy security And safety in such manner prosecute As may best with thy after we sare suit In which because thoâ— childish art or blind Or foolish and canst not in thy wear mind Discern or comprehend my ways or see The method of my walkings towards thee Nor canst well judge what may be for the best And that the rather because in thy bâ—est Lust bears so great a sway which covereth After those things that â—â—nd unto thy death Shrinking away from that wherein thou mayst Find more felicity if then thou stay'st Thy self upon me and on me sely Plucking quite out and casting by that eye Though thy right eye which seeing things amiss Moves thee to stumble at my ways in this Or that thing which I order and suspect That I do not things for the best effect Thou shalt do wisely And thou may'st me trust With thee and thine 〈◊〉 since I am just And righteous and sindâ— I love thee too And being to order thing to thy best good As may in what in said be understand If thy ways please 〈◊〉 I thine enemies Can and will make thee to befriend their eyes Shall towards thee be good thee for to spare For their affections too in my hunds art If great men hate thee I can safely hide Thee from their malioâ— I can curb their pride Or break their power or take away their breath Or thee from them for by such ways I Death Make mine befriend or else I can divert Their enterpriser as when Saul begirt Poor David I the Philistins did send To find Saul other work and so befriend My persecuted Servant or I can And often imeâ— I doe the wrath oâ— of man Turn to my praise and that that doth remain Beyond what may me praise I can restram See how the Sparrows though of value small Among the Birds of prey do live â—â—one fall No not one of them to the ground 〈◊〉 by My Fathers pleasure though they often 〈◊〉 In midst of dangers If my Father hath Such care of â—parrows where is then thy saith To crost me with thy safety and him who Doth value and esteem of mankind so As all the Birds and Beaâ—ts too never were As what â—suff'red for you makes appear Trust me then with thy safety verily Except I see it good thou shalt not dy Or suffer by the hands of men I will Be shield end Buckler to thee â— and thee still Will hide and 〈◊〉 so that though men fret And do themselves also against thee ser They shall not harm thee But if I do 〈◊〉 That it will for thy good be that I thee Deliver up into their hands to 〈◊〉 Imptison banish take away thâ— right Or kill thy body do thou them not feaâ— For all their malice shall be ended there For more they cannot do then kill the 〈◊〉 And when that 's done I 'le raise it up 〈◊〉 And seeing I so love thee thou may'st know For certain that if me thou dost follow I will not let them â—ill 〈◊〉 except Do see I may advantage thee thereby For such my pow'â— is that even Death and Hell And all their torment I can easly â—â—â—ll Make them serâ—â— my designe those to advance To glory who are my inheritance Feare nothing therefore of what may befall thee But yeild thy self and go where ere I call thee And do my service cheatfully with Thee I I thy Saviour evermore will be I that Almighty am and can desend thee I that do love thee well will succor send thee Thou shalt not be alone I will not leave thee I will go with thee and will not deceive thee I 'le strengthen thee to bear what shall befall thee I 'le thee support and â—â—ear where ere I call thee In all afflictions my love that 's better Then wine thou shalt rast of I that am greater Then all against thee will in my arms bear thee And mitigate the sense of what may dear thee I gave my self for thee and grief sustained A bitter death I bare in love unfeigned For thee and for thy sake fear not to give Thy life and body to me as I live I 'le take the care of them I will thee cherish And no hair of thy head shall from thee perish In life and death I will be faithful to thee And notwithstanding Death â—onor I 'le do thee I 'le make thy sufferings bearable and sweet And with my good spirit thou shalt surely meet If I into deep waters do thee lead I will go with thee and bear up thy head So as they shall not overflow or drown thee No though they should no ev'ry side surround theâ— Into the fire if I do lead thee yet No dammage thou from its fierce flames shalt get For I 'le safe keep thee bear thee in my armes And I 'le secure thy soul from all ill harms Fear none of those things then that unto thee By Sathan or his Servants done may be Though into prison they ten days thee cast And there with chains of Iron make thee fast I will be with thee there and bring thee out Be confident of me my love don't doubt Be faithful unto me and I will give A Crown of life to thee and thou shalt live And as for other things why should'st thou care Seeing my Father for thee did not spare To give me up to Death and gives me too To be thy Head and portion How canst thou Suspect or fear that any thing He will Withold from thee that 's good No. He will fill Thy cup with what 's who some for thee to drink If thou away from my words dost not shrink All things are mine and what I have shall be Thine and I 'le give of them what 's good for
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
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
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
He will freely grant He 's full and free and none will turn away That come to him and on his Name do stay To Him I call thee Reader Thou art He Who art invited and spoke to by me Who ere thou art rich poor wise or unwise I call Thee unto Christ do not despise What I present Thee though as 't is from me Thou many weaknesses therein mayst see Yea Christ doth call Thee by me in the main It is his language do not it disdain Slight not his love it 's He that doth Thee woo I 'm but his spokesman but the Trunk where thro He sends his voice to Thee do thou it hear Peruse this Book and mark well what is there Propounded to Thee Read it to the end And much good do 't Thee so desires Thy Friend April 30. 1673. JOHN HORNE Another to the READER of the Contents of this BOOK 1. REader If thou do'st look into this Book For wit and for high strains Thou 'lt loose thy pains 2. It was not my intent strains to invent Or witty phrases which some men count rich 3. 'T was not thy lust to feed while thou dost read Nor yet to satisfie a vain fancy 4. But 't was thy Soul to win from vice and sin And woo thee unto Bliss that I writ this 5. The mind and fancy have their lust and crave Food for their pleasure too which may undo 6. But here they will not find their sails with wind To fill I do not ride in state and pride 7. My wit runs plain and smooth yet doth not sooth Nor lull thy Soul a sleep to fall i th' deep 8. I do not soar or fly up loftily In words and phrases where all Stars appear 9. I go low near the ground both sure and sound My lines are not too heady but square and stedy 10. The matter which I write doth want no height But mounts up very high 'bove Stars and Sky 11. It opens Heaven to thee where thou mayst see Such excellencies as mans wit do pass 12. It treats of his high love who 's from above And who above is gone and 's on the Throne 13. Yet by the way doth tell the woes of Hell And warns thee for to keep from that sad deep 14. It shews the lovely face and glorious grace Of Heavens high heir in part to take thy heart 15. Though who can him declare He is so fair No pencel can set forth his wondrous worth 16. These great things to express I sought no dress Of flaunting eloquence nor great expence 17. Of wit and art for they cannot display Their glory more but hide their native pride 18. Is not his labour lost and all his cost Who would the Sun make fine and gild its shine 19. The finest cloth of Gold that may be sold Yea Pearls and Diamonds sure would it obscure 20. Rich lines with rich wits suits such tree such fruits Such as I have I give read well and live An Apology for writing the following Poem in Verse and at such a time as wherein I left my living it being writ in Anno 1662. after August 24. therein What 's hear thou'lt say A Preacher turn'd a Poet A marry'd man in 's Elder days to woo it What doth He dote Is this a time for him When He hath lost his Living to go rime As if He was well satisfi'd and pleas'd That He of Fourscore pounds by th' year is eas'd Alas He is not for a Poem fit His scull's too thick He wants both Art and Wit What can this Babler say can ought proceed From him that worthy is that we it read To this I something briefly answer shall And then commit it to thy perusal TO Poetry I do not much pretend Though at that time I found my Genius bend Somewhat thereto when this I wrote my skill Is small having but little dipt my quill In those still waters which do qualify The soul best for the Art of Poetry Yet to my inclination at that time A little I gave way to write in rime I scarcely can tell why but I did find That sort of Spirit or Muse to court my mind To which it having sometimes by the by Yielded it self a little amorously And yet divinely too at length it fell Vpon this subject wherewith it did swell Till far beyond what I did first intend It did this large production here forth send Wherein that happ'ned to me which sometime Befals young mayds or women in their prime Who while they tick and toy and to young men Perhaps their lovers they do now and then Yield up themselves after a wanton sort To taste the pleasures of the Nuptial sport Not thinking or desiring although wild Thence to conceive and to bring forth a child Yet after sometimes scaping which doth make Them bolder of those pleasures to partake Before they are aware they 're oft deceived Begin to swell and find they have conceiv'd Even so it far'd with me saving that I In my attempts did act more honestly And therefore not asham'd of what I did I have not sought to keep its product hid As is their wont who acting sinfully Are fill'd with shame and therefore seek to fly From peoples knowledge of it but while to That Spirit which my mind sometime did woo I somewhat pleasingly my self inclin'd It did insinuate into my mind That though I thought but only by the by To exercise my wit yet sodainly I felt my self to swell grow big and sick Of my conceptions that I see I quick Was prov'd before I thought so and perceived That something from that Spirit I had received That had the nature of an heavenly seed And this same Embrio in my mind did breed Which as it dropt into my mind in verse So I in meeter do it here rehearse A way which holy men have sometime took As may be shewed from Gods holy Book They holy things conceiv'd and pend in song Which their sweet singers did sing among The people at their solemn meetings oft As in the Book of Chronicles we 're taught Vnto the pure all things be pure and they May any gift of God use any way May take he leads them to thereby to draw Themselves and others more to mind his law And this of verse doth some men more delight Then if the same in prose peruse they might For I conceive that something there is found In most mens minds that doth of musick sound That it s much wrought on by and suiteth best With what in measur'd numbers is exprest And some where we are willed to our King Not only praise but skilful praise to sing The holy Spirit of Wisdom judges it A practise also for him not unfit To condescend to men in any ways Whereby He them from Earth to Heaven may raise And leads his servants to be All to any That they thereby may unto God win many That I should go a wooing now may be Perhaps an unbeseeming thing
and his Companions be But such as fear'd the Lord thereto did he Invite and call they in God's mysteries Have the best judgment are the truly wise Nor God nor good men for their poverty Do any such despise why then should I Better by one poor good man prais'd to be Than by a thousand bad of high degree In such though mean men in this World God's treasures Have oft been put and they of divine pleasures Have oft the largest deepest draughts the Saints Or holy men what ever outward wants Have them attended Christ's inheritance With all its glorious riches doth advance If such then like my works if what I 've pen'd Those that be truly pious do commend It is enough if they be pleas'd I much Pass not for their accounts that are not such Though that 's the lot of goodness too that oft Some such it praise too who themselves are naught Such virtu's beauty that it oft attracts Their eyes and tongues who yet refuse its acts Who loving sensual pleasures can't endure Themselves unto those labours to inure Whence those good fruits are reap't which who so taste Shall joys injoy which evermore shall last Such forcedly though th' act not praise what 's right But vertues foll'wers praise her with delight J Horne THE Divine VVooer Canto I. A wake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 5.14 The Call The man upon his Soul doth call To view it's state original And what it 's now through Adam's fall The Soul it 's bad estate espies And ready to despair out cries A Minister thereto replies Directing it to Christ He shews Of him the gladsome heavenly news Yea Christ himself for its love sues Declares his worthy facts his love And what to close with him might move And shews what doth it most behove Then warns it of it's subtle foes Who seek to bring to it great woes And there this Canto hath it's close Man ROwse up thy self my Soul consider well What of thy state I herein do thee tell What was thy first condition what it 's now That what behoves thee thou mayst better know Good was thy state at first before thy fall For thou from God hadst thine original A pure off-spring of his heavenly breath Thou wast not subject unto sin or death Or grief or fear or any thing might harm thee Till the old Serpent from thy God did charm thee For we in Gods own image and likeness At first were framed and he did express Great love and bounty to us he withheld Nothing of good from us our state excel'd All creatures here below for to us he Gave the Dominion over Land and Sea And all that in them were yea all above He made also for us such was his love A pleasant Garden even a Paradise Of pleasures also full of rarities He for us planted and therein a Tree Of life by which we might from Death been free Yea whatsoever might yield us delight To Soul or Body touch or taste or sight He therein did provide with different sex For more content and off-spring nought did vex Or cause disquiet then yea thou didst know The nature of all things and couldst it show And such agreeing names on them impose As might their inward properties disclose Yea even with God himself thou to converse Wast fitted and his praises couldst rehearse And hadst thou still obey'd his just commands And had'st not broke by Sin the sacred bands Of friendship wherewith to himself he ty'd thee Nothing should ere have power had to divide thee From his affections nor should any thing Befaln thee but what good to thee should bring But now alas thy state is altered Since thou by sinning from thy God hast fled By listning to the Serpents subtlety And giving heed to his false glozing lye Of all the good thou had'st thou art berest And nought but what 's bad now in thee is left The Image of thy God wherein did stand Thy cheifest glory thou hast marred and Like to the Beasts that perish now hast made thee And Satans lies to ruine have betray'd thee His poyson hath thy heart infected so That nought but wickedness therefrom doth flow So that of God thou nought deserv'st but hate Yea and all creatures thee to ruinate May well conspire since thou so wretchedly Hast turn'd away from God their enmity Against thee is but just that as before Thou waft Heavens favourite and all things bore Respect unto thee now they should neglect thee And unto answerable woes reject thee To what thy blesses were for oh my Soul Thou art become a Dungeon very foul Nasty and dark and loathsomâ—sin and evil Have got possession in thee and the Devil Hath thee inslav'd so to his will and lust That thou art full of all that is unjust And hateful unto God who therefore hath From Paradise expel'd thee in his wrath And unto Death hath thee condemned so That from the force thereof thou can'st not go Of unclean Birds thou art become a cage Thy lusts and passions in thee rule and rage And drive thee to and fro and thee expose Unto the Malice of Infernal foes All thou do'st mean think love or joy in now What is it but what 's vain and brutish Thou In whom Gods Wisdom sometime had delight Art now become a very loathsom sight Wholly for her pure fellowship unmeet And for his service for from Head to Feet Thou full of sores and ulcers art In thee Nothing that 's right or lovely can He see Thou neither knowest him nor thy self nor how Thou may'st thy self recover nor can'st thou His favour re-obtain by any thing Which thou by way of off'ring can'st him bring For unto him no reall love thou hast Nor any virtuous thing of all good waste And empty now thou art To Sathans power And to Gods wrath obnoxious every hour Oh then how sad's thy state where ere thou go Thou art in danger of eternal wo. While thou art in thy sins over thy Head Gods wrath doth hang his wrath whom Angels dread And all the Creatures and whose furious ire When poured forth is like devouring fire So as the Rocks are thereby rent and fall Asunder for it 's able to turn all Into its Antient Chaos and to bring The whole Creation to a mere nothing Bethink thee then my Soul what course to take Is there no way thy peace with God to make Is there no way his wrath to pacifie To scape his vengeance that thou may'st not die Not die for ever while thou yet hast space Mayst thou not seek for and implore his grace Soul And is it so indeed is this my case Doth sin in me Gods image so deface And render me so loathsom in his eye Is his wrath so provok't am I to dye By his just law so doom'd oh whither then Shall I betake my self what can we men Devise or do whereby his anger we May pacifie
they sought to do us good Had we them heard we might have understood That goodness in Gods ways which would have made Us for the sake thereof aside t' have lay'd Our sins But wo is us we fools them counted But now we see how they on high are mounted Whereas we fools in midst of flames do lye Dying perpetually yet never dye Wo worth the time that we did slight the poor Neglecting them when they were at our door And to the hungry did not deal our bread Nor cloath the naked nor sick visited Wo worth the time we slothful were and spent Our time in idleness and merriment And thereby gave advantage to the Devil To rob us of all good fill with evil Wo worth the time we did our selves content To hear or Preach God's word but never meant It to obey or else therefrom we fell Through carelesness when we had begun well Wo to the pomps and wordly vanicies Which did bewitch our hearts our ears our eyes Wo worth the time we clos'd our eyes and when Our hearts we hardned cursed be the men Who did mislead us and contemn the truth Or that perverted us debaucht our youth Or any other ways were instruments Of bringing upon us these punishments Wo worth such Kings and Counsellors as made Us to commit such things as have betray'd Our souls to Hell while we them judged wise And flatter'd them we did God's laws despise We took them to be Gods on Earth their will We thought a law which we ought to fulfill Without considering whether their command Did or did not with Gods law and will stand Wo worth the publick places of resorts Wo worth the Chancery and the Innes of Courts The Universities and places where We learn'd to gent it and our selves up bear By our great breeding learning learned pride To contemn honest Christians and deride The simple meaning man whose care it was To fear the Lord and their time well to pass Wo worth our curious Arts Opinions And thoughts that we alone were wisdoms sons Alas we see for all the Learned Schooles We were simplicians and did play the fools Wo worth contentious Lawyers who did set Us upon strifes our monies for to get Fomenting differences and causless Suits Whereof we with them now do reap these fruits Wo worth the foolish fashions and devices Which Sathan introduc't to nourish vices Wo worth the play 's and interludes that we Did take delight and spend our time to see Where we did learn much wantonness and lust And how to scoff at honest men and just Wo worth the Taverns Alehouses and Innes They were the shops where we did trade in sins Wo worth the pleasant Wines strong Ale and Bear And other liquors wherewith oft we were Made like the Beasts and wherewith flusht we sung Our songs against good Men making them dung Wo worth the Whores and Harlots with whom we Consumed our estates and wofully Mispent our times debaucht our selves and spent Our bodies and our strengths with great content Wo worth their rowling eyes their wanton glances Their flatt'ring speeches and lascivious dances Their smoother fore-heads and their painted faces Their light behaviours their flanting laces Their beautiful eye lids their cheeks so fair Their naked bosoms and their well set hair Accursed their temptations and their Arts To take our minds and draw away our hearts Accursed their allurements and embraces Their whorish fore-heads and impudent faces Wo worth our wanton hearts and wandring eyes That were allured by such vanities That look't upon such objects and did lust Such things with them to do as were unjust That by our wanton carriages and doings Our painted speeches and our earnest woings Did draw poor silly women into snares And oftentimes surpris'd them unawars Wo worth those flames of lust wherein we burn'd Wo worth us that therefrom we never turn'd For now we burn in Hell in endless flames Of such a vengeance as our lust quite tames Wo worth our ceiled Houses rooms so warm Our costly furniture they help't to charm Our hearts and our affections them unto That we could not abide them to forgo When we were call'd for Christs sake them to leave Our love to such things helpt us to bereave Of better satisfactions where we see Yon then despised men in glory be Wo worth unrighteous laws and them that did Them wickedly devise us to forbid Christ to confess according to his will And armed us with power his Saints to kill Branding them as Male-factors or as those Who did their lawful Governors oppose Wo worth Seditious persons who did band Themselves against the powers of the Land Ordained of God to govern on pretence Of Reformation using violence Sheathing their Swords in Kings and Rulers sides Or it assaying by which means the tides And floods of high severity was rais'd Against such quiet innocents as prais'd Both righteousness and truth and prayed for Redress of evils but yet did abhor Rebellious courses thereunto to take Or any such disturbances to make Only from such defilements they abstain'd As being practis'd would their souls have stain'd Whether by custom or authority Commended or commanded though thereby They being also lookt upon as men Who did the lawful Governours contemn Were by us sundry ways wrong'd and abus'd Imprison'd persecuted and misus'd And godliness was for the sakes of some Who themselves misbehaved made to come Into suspition and neglected so As with the stream of vice we chose to go And to assure those over us that we From all seditious practises were free Of false mifguided zealots who did not Christ's doctrine follow but it quite forgot And his instructions not by carnal sword To force his kingdom up but by his Word And by a patient suff'ring whatsoere For his Name sake they should be made to bear We thought it best for us to Swear and Rant Carouse or Whore or Warrants out to grant Against Religious persons because they Did meet in private oft to hear or pray Whereby we ran into th' other extream And made our selves as bad or worse then them Seditious persons with whom now we bear This dreadful Doom to be tormented here Accursed be those persons who presum'd Upon their greatness and thereby assum'd To Lord it over our poor Consciences And bow them to their wills on vain pretences Wo worth also those persons who were stil'd The Ministers of Christ and yet beguil'd Our now lost souls by their great ignorance Their blindness and their supine negligence Feeding themselves and vexing us with Suits Or bringing forth many unrighteous fruits Neglecting us to teach or Catechise And by their life and doctrine make us wise By their perverting of the Scriptures and By their false glosses bearing us in hand That if we were Elect we must be saved However we our selves then misbehaved And that some men were then rejected so From all eternity and unto woe Destined that for them there was no grace Nor possibility to
They who refus'd And it abus'd His justice must abide CIII Those things that we Could not so see While mortal flesh we had For then our sight Was not so bright Though we saw what did glad CIV These things we now Do clearly know Their reason now we see Our vails are gone Darknesses none Within our hearts now be CV We see it 's true In time most due God sent his only Son Of woman made As he had said As ne'r before was done CVI. Angels it see And did agree With joy it to declare Angels and we Agreed now be And knit together are CVII Though in our flesh Us to refresh It was that Christ appear'd For us to dye Our death thereby To vanquish which we fear'd CVIII Angels had not Our flesh or spot Of sin therein as we Yet they who stood I' th truth were good And joy'd our good to see CIX Under the Law The Word us saw Under the Law came he That he that way Our debts might pay And by Death set us free CX Our bands to break He did them take And with them he was bound God's cords we burst Christ was accurst That he might heal our wounds CXI We were condemn'd Who had contemn'd God's holy Word and will He was contemn'd Misus'd condemn'd Our evils did him kill CXII For us he dyed Being crucified Sustain'd a cruel death Was broke with grief Us'd as a thief Till he gave up his breath XVIII His grave was made And body laid With the rich and unjust His honour high Despis'd did lye All cover'd up with dust CXIV Oh wondrous sight Oh love most bright Never the like was seen That one so high So low should lye Poor caytiffs to redeem CXV Of men what one For men undone His Son would so abase For enemies That him despise That they might be in place CXVI Yet such a love The Lord above To us when poor did show For bankrupt us He made him thus To pay what we did owe. CXVII His wisdom here Did strange appear The World was pos'd hereby Its eye was blind And could not find Hereof the mystery CXVIII This it befool'd This it quite gull'd This cross so cross did lye They stumbled here And could not bear That 't was God's Son did dye CXIX It did deride And crucifi'd This mystery again As if that he God could not be That such things did sustain CXX This wisdoms height Did dim the sight O' th' Serpents eye so sore He could not see Those heights here be Yet did against them roar CXXI This brake his head This down did tread His craft and power who Had man brought down And quite ore-thrown Into a pit of wo. CXXII Here wisdom we And power did see When God did clear our eyes The law fulfil'd Its curse was quel'd Whon Christ from grave did rise CXXIII For here it was That God did pass Sentence upon our sin He judg'd it here Christ did it bear For us who fell therein CXXIV This vanquisht Death Appeased wrath Did justice satifie Pardon for more Then Adam's score Was purchased hereby CXXV Great pleasure here As did appear God took who the third day Without delays Did him up raise From the grave where he lay CXXVI And did him take Even for the sake Of what he suffered To be on high In his body And of all power the Head CXXVII Here God did lay A certain stay And sure foundation Of all his acts And mighty facts For man's salvation CXXVIII Of all our hope The under-prop While we had not attain'd Of all the bless We do possess Now we the end have gain'd CXXIX Here lay the ground Here God did found Our slidden hearts and feet Hence all the flood Of all the good Wherewith we ere did meet CXXX Yea on this ground God did new found The Earth and World again Both as it was Till it did pass And as it doth remain CXXXI Here he fulfil'd What was forth-held Of a prepared Feast All ready here That might us chear So as no want i' th' least CXXXII The holy Spirit As he did merit Fully God did him give That for his praise He might us raise From Death and make us live CXXXIII From darkness great Wherein we sate From Death to Life from Thrall To Liberty Of his mercy Thereby he did us call CXXXIV He sent forth light He gave us sight And turn'd our hearts to mind What he held forth That so its worth And goodness we might find CXXXV He gave his speech And did beseech Us to consider well He gave an ear That we might hear The things that he did tell CXXXVI Full oft when we His light did see We winked with our eyes It did displease us It did dis-ease us Faulting our vanities CXXXVII Ofttimes we heard But then we fear'd Least what we heard should mar Our false pretences Wrong confidences And put it from us far CXXXVIII Ofttimes we felt The power that dwelt In him and in his truth Almost we turn'd And yet oft spurn'd Thus dealt we from our youth CXXXIX Oh how we lov'd What he reprov'd How loath with it to part From idols vain How loath t' abstain Although they caus'd us smart CXL But oh his love That did him move To pass by our misdeeds He did forgive And made us live His gratiousness exceeds CXLI In misery That we should dye He had no will at all He interceded And for us pleaded And yet again did call CXLII His patient Good deportment His lamb-like gentleness His suffering long Our many a wrong Oh what tongue can express CXLIII How oft his love Did our hearts move And make us to him look How oft did we Look back to see The Idols we forsook CXLIV It was the strength The power and length Of his dear love unto us His words of grace His pleasant face His constancy to wooe us CXLV His excellence His love immense The freeness of his grace Which caught our heart And made us part With all him to embrace CXLVI Oh had he not Ofttimes forgot Our great unkindnesses And look't away From what each day We acted quite amiss CXLVII If with his eyes Iniquities Against us he had markt How we rebel'd Our lusts fast held The light he gave us darkt CXLVIII We had been then Like yonder men Who cast out of his fight Do yell and cry Most hideously Throughout their endless night CXLIX But there is none Save him alone None like him constant is His constancy Was our safety And brought us to this bliss CL. Can it be told How manifold Our stubbornesses were Our great neglects And disrespects Committed year by year CLI How much to do He had to wooe Before he did obtain How oft in heart We did depart When wooed from him again CLII. What vanities Did draw our eyes From looking him upon How often we Refus'd to see His great salvation CLIII How dull we were His voice to hear How oft we stopt our ears How we
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
past 132. Herein thou didst again A noble conquest make Us from our sin we lived in Unto thy self to take 133. Oh noble Conqueror Thy power and might we see Oh Lord of Hosts throughout all coasts What one is like to thee 134. Herein we do admire The force of thy great love Our stubborn hearts and bad deserts Which got so much above 135. And here began our bliss Our happy state in which Thou didst us bring unto a spring And Fountain sure and rich 136. Here our new life began Because we planted were Into a stock which did not mock But made us fruit to bear 137. A Root most free of Sap And living juice where from We did inherit both Life and Spirit Yea all good thence did come 138. A Root which did us bear And give us living fruit Thy word declar'd it thy Arm unbar'd it And made us with it sute 139. Thence all our Springs were found And all our fruits were good For all our own away were thrown Being unfit for food 140. Oh what an happy state Were we advanced to When into thee planted were we And made in thee to grow 141. We one with thee became And of thy bliss partook Better we had and what did glad More than what we forsook 142. God pittyed us before But now he did us own He in his love did us approve And of him we were known 143. The special love that was Thy lot thou didst impart Gods loving face that secret place Which thou hadst in Gods heart 144. This was a happy Change While we in Adam were Our case was sad and very bad But now 't was blessed here 145. We had not God before Because we had not thee In whom he is and gives his bliss Then wretched men were we 146. For though thou wert the hope And help of lost mankind Yet without Thee hope had not we Nor solid peace of mind 147. But when in Thee thou gavest Sure title to all good Because in Thee the living Tree And Root of life we stood 148. We were to Thee espous'd And Thou our Husband wert In thine Estate for love and hate We thenceforth had our part 149. Thy Father ours became Thine Angels were our guard Thy Riches ours thy Wisdom Power And thine was our reward 150. Thine Enemies thence were ours And thy friends our friends too In Thee Elect God did respect And favour to us show 151. Yea hence is all the joy And glory we possess Hence Worlds abuse and Gods good use In joy and happiness 152. Thence God us took for Sons All former things were gone No wrath abode his love He show'd His face upon us shone 153. But Thou hadst other fights Wherein a share had we At thy command with Thee to stand Against the Enemie 154. In which Thou wert our help Our Captain and our Guide Thy grace and love they did us move Still with thee to abide 155. The same that did at first Our hearts to thee subdue Was it prevail'd when Joes assaild And made us to Thee true 156. In which thy grace supply'd What in us wanting was Our weaknesses Miscarriages There throught thou by didst pass 157. Doubtless had'st thou not been So cloth'd with Charity Our many halts Retreats and Faults Had made Thee cast us by 158. But none is like to Thee No Captain so will bear His Soldiers faults retreats and halts Or can their hearts so chear 159. Thou wast the prize for which We fought thy prize were we Our Enemies Plot was us t' have got Quite out again from Thee 160. Therefore they us inticed To leave the Faith wherein We one with Thee were made and free Were set from all our fin 161. That was the bed of love The bond of Amity Therefore from that to separte Us sought the Enemy 162. By many a Stratagem He did us oft assail By flatteries and batteries Yet could he not prevail 163. Although he had the world As a great Magazine Of fiery Shafts fit for his Crafts Our souls to undermine 164. From whence on either side He did us oft assault With pleasing sights or dreadful frights Yea we had many a fault 165. From which he oft-times rais'd By his great policy Such over casts and dreadful blasts As made us like to fly 166. Oft-times us to allure To take part against thee Pleasures He brought into our thought Or glory made us see 167. And sundry other things Which with our flesh did sute From Trees to sight fit for delight Moving to pluck the fruit 168. Sometimes to puff us up That down he might us throw Our godliness gifts parts graces Or works he would us show 169. Sometimes again by Cheats Which he thereto abus'd Some crooked way He forth would lay Which was of Thee refus'd 170. Sometimes this art he us'd The easly'r us to take As if of light an Angel bright He were He shew would make 171. Oft-times He also shew'd What dreadful things should be From instruments of his intents If we would cleave to Thee 172. The world he stir'd to wrath Against us for thy sake So that of mocks Scourges or Stocks Oft times we did partake 173. Yea many hardships thence He pressed us withal By many losses and divers crosses Moving from Thee to fall 174. Not only our Estates He sometimes from us caught But even our blood like to a flood Was powred out full oft 175. But Thou by thy good grace And help which thou didst give Our Enemy did make to fly And made our Souls to live 176. Armour of righteousness On each hand us did fend Thy glory bright stood on our right O' th' eft wrath without end 177. If to Thee and thy Word Thy right and perfect ways Firm we would cleave and not thee leave Thou shew'dst us endless praise 178. But if Thee we would leave And turn to vanâ—â—ie For worldly good or fear of blood We endless torments see 179. Which things eternal while Thou mad'st us keep in view Things temporal we slighted all And not from Thee withdrew 180. Thou wert our strength and stay Our help was of thy grace Through thy defence no fond pretence Did move us out of place 181. Here also Thou didst get The conquest o're our foes The victory and the glory Unto thine honour goes 182. We had been wholly foild And driven from Thee again But that our heads thou covered'st And didst our hearts sustain 183. To thee we give the praise Of our safety untill Through manifold perils untold Our days we did fulfill 184. When yet one combate more Abode us generally To yield our Breath passing through death And in the grave to ly 185. Nor had we any might Against that Enemy Give way mus we to Gods decree That mankind once must dy 186. Whereto by several ways We did arrive at length Diseases some made thither come Or some decay of strength 187. By persecutions some Through many deaths much pain Who for thy name
of the creature and the Lord forsakes For what advantage can it be unto The soul when it its body shall forego That it had Wife or Husband House or Land Riches Honours or pleasures at command Yea Crowns and Scepters while the body it Inlive'ned Oh what profit will it get From any or from all those things when in The depths of Hell oppressed with its sin It shall have its abode can they relieve Its misery when it shall mourn and grieve And wail its folly No alas too gross For it a Spirit they are its sad great loss Of me and of my favour cannot be Made up by any thing it here could see For then no drop of comfort can it have How ever earnestly it may it crave This that thou may'st the better see mind well Another true story that I shall tell There was a certain rich and wealthy man Who far'd deliciously each day that ran Over his head was clothed with the best And finest silks and linnens wherewith drest he glitter'd bravely and all things he had Which this world could afford to make him glad There also was a poor and piteous man Cal'd Lazarus a Cripple lean and wan And full of sores who used to resort To th' rich mans dore and beg for some comfort His hunger-starved body to relieve But the hard hearted Churl would little give His dogs more kind than he would very oft His sores lick gently Death at length hence caught Poor Lazarus whom Angels did attend To guard his soul from every evil Fiend And carred him to Heaven where he did rest With great content in Father Abrahams brest Soon after 't came to 'th rich mans turn to dy And leave the world for no satiety And fulness of this world could always keep Him here alive but the black dismal sleep Of Death surpris'd him when a quiet end He seem'd to have circled with many a friend Amending on him till his life did fail When they did seem his death much to bewail Although his heirs were glad enough at heart That they might share to each of them a part Of those vast heaps which he had laid in store For after times and witheld from the poor From all which now they beare him to the grave Where rich and poor like intertainment have Save that they on his Funeral bestow'd More cost and worship and his greatness show'd On a more stately Tomb or Monument Whereon they ingrav'd his name to the intent It might not be forgot but before then His wretched Soul was hurri'd to the Den Of damned Spirits even to the pit of Hell Where what his torments were what tongue can tell This wretched man stript of his pomp and state And all his riches which he had of late Lay then in flames of fire tormented sore Because he had abus'd his wealth before Spent it on 's lusts relieved not the poor Had slighted God his truth and grace contemn'd Therefore to torments he was there condemn'd Where not one drop of water could he get Whereby he might allay the burning heat Wherein his wretched tongue that us'd to boast Great things blaspheme God curse the poor did roast And fry in flames which caused him to cry And howl and roar and yell most hideously When lifting up his woful eyes aloft He ' spyed that poor Lazarus whom oft He had disdained to behold before When he lay lame and begging at his doore In Abrahams bosome full of peace and joy Disturb'd with nothing that might him annoy Then calling out to Abraham he did cry Oh Father Abraham hither turn thine eye For I was of thine off-spring and from thee And thy blest stock deriv'd my pedegree Father shew forth thy pitty now behold I ly in torments here that can't be told My Soul is on a flame with scorching wrath Nothing in it now ease or quiet hath That tongue wherewith it secretly did speak More wickedness than ever forth did break From out my bodies lips see how it fries And flames tormented in these miseries Dear Father Abraham even for the sake Of those thy bowels whence I issu'd take Some pitty on thy child and Lazarus Send from thee to help me tormented thus Oh let him but one drop of water fetch One drop of comfort me to ease poor wretch Oh might he but the very end and tip Of one poor finger in cold water dip And to the tip of my scorcht tongue apply Which flames of fiery wrath do wondrously Afflict with sharpest pains 't would mitigate Somewhat these wofull torments 't would abate My heat a little Oh dear Father send That Beggar hither me now to befriend To whom that good old Patriarck reply'd Ah Son for that thou wast so 'ts not deny'd Remember how thou didst thy self abuse In thy life time and Gods good gifts misuse When this poor man lay begging at thy doors Unpitty'd by thee hungry full of sores Thou hadst enough wherewith to have reliev'd His penurie then yea therefore thou receiv'd Gods gifts of bounty but thou letst him ly Neglected then thou scornd'st his poverty Now therefore he with me doth rest possess And thou hast torments now without redress Yea now a gulf is fixt twixt us and thee So that though we each others state may see We cannot change them so as that we may Pass hence to you your torments to allay Nor can you come to us us to molest Or take part with us in our endless rest We joys have whereof you may not partake You endless burnings which we may not slake Your riches now have end your pleasure 's past Your torments and your miseries shall last Learn hence that 't is not riches nor great State Nor any fleshly priviledge will bate Nor yet preserve from endless misery Those persons who in sin do live and dy Who me neglecting and my gifts abusing And my now profer'd grace and love refusing Prefer their lusts and riches thereunto And in vain worldly ways do chuse to go All their now present injoyments shall fail them And after death none of them shall avail them Be now advised by me Dear Soul therefore If thou wouldst happy be for evermore Seek first Gods Kingdome and his righteousness So shalt thou have them and therein Gods bless Accept my profer'd love imbrace my grace When I say seek the Lord seek thou my face Get wisdom get true knowledge in thy heart Receive my words and let them not depart Out of thy heart and mind but let them ly Between thy tender breasts continually Then other things as they will lead thee thou May'st better look for and shalt find them too It is but reason that I do propoud No better course can for thy good be found For if thou seekest first the world or what Of it thou likest before thou hast got That which thou seekest thou may'st chance to dy And perish from my presence endlesly As in the former parable even now I did for admonition to