delihgts most eminently move His countenance the Suns bright rayes obscures His love the adamantine heart allures His wisdom all His works in order dresses His might maintains His right and pride suppresses And I am bound His bountie to believe Which changes not but shall my sp'rit relieve In His good time on whom I do rely And studie shall my self how to deny Sam. Now art thou happy and my heart is glad To see thy faithfull heart from fainting fred Hold fast and follow hard with firm desires Faith quenches not but kindles sacred fires Hele. It doth become me well to wait I see But Oh again that He would smile on me How shall I find Him out and where I pray Sam. Hold straight believe me thou art in the way Deck up thy self approach He sees thee come And with His comforts shall thee overcome The Royal King a Princely Garden plants With curious flowres and thither daily haunts Feeding among the Lillies smelling Roses Nuts Spices and perfums composing Poses A sweet Loves feast for thee He doth prepare Down in the fruitfull flow'ry valleys there And from the valley shall convey thee thence Where thy try'd faith in that long long'd for sence Is swallowed up there where the marriage loves Exceeding all conceiv'd desires thou proves There where He shall thy faith bred soul imbrace Within the consolations of His face Wherein the splendor of that brightnesse poring And in the glory of that glore adoring Renewed rayes immortall life restoring Admiring magnifying and sweetly soaring High up amongst these holy heavenly hosts Of glorious and glorified ghosts With golden harps about the throne who sing New songs of their redemption to their King Hele. O but these sweet expressions relish well My frozen heart begins to melt I feel These words unto my wearied soul I think Like precious oyl so savingly do sink Slides down like my Beloveds wine so sweetly Wakens from sleep my tongue to speak compleatly O that once for Himself He would me seal What can be nam'd that may with love prevail Insist therefore For I do gladly hear And till the tongue be loos'd shall lend the ear Sam. The weakest means have force enough to move Affections when they be surpriz'd with love He cals and sees thee come from mountains steep Which Leopards and cruel Lyons keep Leaning on thy Beloved who doth love His truth and strength at length to see thee prove Observe with me this brief gradation now And I shall cease a space and hearken you For help to our capacity compare The outward splendor of this fabrick where By nature from the caverns of the womb Out of which dungeon to the world thou came Again compare the difference aright Betwixt this Paradice and that dark night Of nature which the other so transcends As over bodies lively sp'rits ascends And there the diff'rence vast again conceive Betwixt the life of sense we shall receive And this of faith wherein we forward thrust Untill we be refined in the dust When interruptions all shall be removed And we inlarg'd to love as we be loved In knowing and injoying him who is The Author of our everlasting blesse In this gradation we may something see But under what it is infinitley SONG I. Light out of Darknesse Hel. INfinitely most certainly for feeble we Conceive aright cannot these mysteries The spot upon our blotted eyes rejecting These rayes which yet with splendor bright reflecting Upon the then capacitated sp'rits Which warming beams affections invites But so transcendent that our present case Such super-excellency cannot imbrace For dazled with these glistring gleams What we receive seems be but dreams When we let slip by our secure neglectings The grip of faith glaming at these reflectings Spare therefore to compare our deepest apprehensions Do but impair his praise whose love 's above dimensions He is more fragrant when he 's most remote Then nearest dearest loves whereon we doat Conjecture then when he appears so near That thou may'st touch and taste and smell and hear Tell if thou can this other man And so we shall recall our long debate And treat of love for all For mine he is and I am his And who could wish so high a blesse As to be treas'ring up a stock of praise While we are hurling through these whirling dayes Sam. Now my dear friends it seems to me ye shrink And I may well conjecture what ye think I shew'd you first that you should surely see Matters to make you much a musing be Eliza. This sudden change makes me indeed admire And yet the reason must of thee enquire And that she may be prayed to proceed That on her fulnesse we may further feed Song I. continued Hel. God in his Saints ador'd admir'd My soul exalts this day desir'd Of his free grace he hath appointed Among this fellowship anointed With ghostly graces for my grieves So as my life a new revives Surpriz'd with sense of love so far That flaming my affections are And for the time can do no more But th' Author of this love adore And gladly would be set to sing The praises of my Spouse and King And to record his noble acts Who passeth by my fond mistakes And smiles upon my face again That I may faithfull hence remain Now all you sweetest saints that uses To haunt these shads you sacred Muses And Graces that with me did groan In my distracted mourning moan Earth rivers all below above Come sympathize in songs of love Of love above all parallell so far As stars above the earthly glob that are You Groves and Downs where erst I deadly lay I 'le rise and dance about your doors this day Eliza. Oh now for stirring spirits that could move Amongst the flames of this heart-forcing love Amongst the wonders of this world most strange What can compare with this sweet sudden change This day of gladnesse let us now agree To solemnize this glorious victory I reverence do the Providence Divine Which in this meeting doth so clearly shine But for to sing or say confused here I cannot speak or do but still admire Sam. Come I will take thee by the hand we 'll go With her alongst these Downs and Groves also Where she hath wandred in her weighty dayes And cease their sorrow with a song of praise Then South begin and blow upon our Myrtle trees And North proceed to show thy strength to eternize This glory in each airt a crosse the continent The whole Creation may with our Love-songs consent Now rocks begin to roar for ye's the Treble take And trees attend your lowre for ye's the Tenor make My self the Base shall be Muses be ye the Meen So we shall seriously sing Solace we have seen SONG II. Life out of Death Sam. SAy on say on solaced sweetly surely we have been Jea Play on play on sense-moving mater surely we have seen Rocks We's roar and cry Trees Our strength we's try Our roots lay by With startling
affections were Fixed upon this glorious Star Which lightens all the Stars above And on poor welps lets out this love MAZE 8 Types and emblems Rev. 5.6 9 10 HEre does the Rose in Sharon lively grow The faces of the comers colouring Here living waters from the fountain flow And graces be abundant bullering Here feeds the Pelican her fainting brood Dying but being revived by her blood The Phenix tasting death death to subdue Life to restore and nature to renew Captives to rescue here the Lyon dread see and adore The Lamb in suffering death a ransome made man to restore Thy faith-bred thoghts unto these theams confine Where these transcendent mysteries do shine For every minut in eternity New marvels in this mirrour thou shalt see Join with heavens holy host in heavenly hymnes Sing hallelujahs with the Seraphims Amongst these pregnant Spirits ever poring In this abysse of blesse and joy adoring Adoring God whose wisdome bountie bright Doth shine so fair in this dark cloudy night Infer confer when thou com'st out to see These mysteries clear what shall that glory be MAZE 9. Loves union Joh. 17.22 23 NOw Happy Holy Ones who sees The Myst'ry sweet of Mysteries How from that Myst'ry myst'ries flow And from that Wonder wonders grow Fitting for souls eternall thinking When the Redeem'd are ever drinking At the Cisterns of salvation In the cups of consolation Life from the ever-living Fountain Moving on the unmoved Mountain In that celestial Communion Sublime and unconceived Union Where never then incensing stain Unto rebuke shall us arraign Nor possible again seclude From this felicity so good Of joyes transcending and exceeding All that on his face are feeding Past separation quite which is The Crown of our eternall blesse That blesse all finite thoughts above Feasting upon eternall love Where from the splendor of illustrious beams Grace in immortall glory ever streams THE FIRST STEP TO THE JEWEL NOw in this Garden where we have been using And in these Mazes moved unto musing And be returning to our Cypresse bowres To take a breathing for some silent hours Let us beware for we in danger be To sleep away our sweet tranquillity We members of the Body mysticall Which Militant we ordinarly call Are to regard the universall cases Of all the parties in their sev'rall places Common desires delights designs devoted As this State-int'rest best may be promoted So when in person most remote we are We may in sp'rit be best imployed far Now let us try this course in our retirings Fervent and faithfull be in all desirings And dutifull endeavours for our King And for His cause so shall we daily sing And let us ever in the faith be eyeing Him in His glorious actings as by seeing We may the more by grace enlarged be His glorious Name for to exalt on hie And in our secret Soliloquies then How God hath granted grace for gracelesse men Recent resume and so the sp'rit compose As you in sp'rit may sp'ritually rejoice But O! what drousinesse and what decay Infirmity and failing we bewray When from the Garden we debarred be For any space untill for new supply The Silver Trumpet sounding in our streets For fainting souls a new approach invites For help this precious Jewel as the Root Of all the Garden spices flowers and fruit For spirit feeding feasting smelling healing Apply'd to thy affections for prevailing Effectuall prove for in these Gemmes imbosed All vertue efficacious is inclosed With fixed eyes and warm affections ponder And as thou dost revive rejoice and wonder The second Step to the JEWEL THis Microcosme Man of wonders full By God made wonderfully wonderfull And in his lively image made to live By breathing in this life that he doth give A compend of the whole Creation bright In whom the Divine Nature took delight There to converse as in a mansion meet Doth join with lifelesse dust a living sp'rit This soul doth all in all the parts remain Of all the body for the bodies gain Relief and preservation in all cases Her self unmov'd whose action never ceases So and infinitely above what can Imagin'd be by any soul of man The glorious Creator doth possesse His blessed Self in all this Universe Containing all things uncontain'd unmoving His glory in all motions promoving Which shining in His Name and nature prove No change to be in His eternall Love As by his operations appear That Majesty to man and angel clear By dyving wherein there is true delight Untill through darknesse we arrive at light The JEWEL of Jewels The LORD our GOD who 's only PURE In TRUTH and GOODNESSE doth endure PERFECTION JUST OMNIPOTENT OMNISCIENT and OMNIPRESENT INFINITE ONE WONDERFUL All these rich Gemmes in this fair Jewel seen All in all All all 's involves In our believing all resolves Believing knowing presupposing Fervent love and full rejoicing In these most sweet enliving Beams True living reviving Streams frō this one All who shining is In Bounty Beauty boundlesse This Pearle rare transparent doth contain ETERNALL BLESS and MERCIFUL EMMANUEL and high COUNSELLER LOVE LIFE and only COMFORTER UNCHANGEABLE and WISDOM bright LONG SUFF'RING sweet GRACIOUS LIGHT The use of the JEWEL THis firmament of starry constellations Planets Signs Poles in sep'rate scituations Which from the Sun the Prince of Stars receive Inliving vigour to the life they have On this Terrestial Glob from every Airt Their influence on bodies all impart To every sev'rall kinde by sweet infusion Diffused variously without confusion Wherein infinite multiplicity Each one may plead these heav'ns were made for me Like Iron and Adamant alike affecting And all things else except themselves neglecting Since then the God of nature hath impos'd This naturall necessity compos'd Dead Elements to quicken and revive Procreate preserve restore and to enlive The vegetives and sensitives what then Can be the glory he for elect men Reserv'd hath in himself to let them prove The force of servent free and fountain love In moving to discern with open eyes Aright a sight of divine mysteries This Garden treasure JEVVEL every jem Spring from that sweet sublime eternall stem In Gospel Ordinances so resplendent Industrious divinely condescendent And every one in every one so vive That every one doth every one revive Whence flow these various flowers that do affect Spirituall senses to a sweet reflect Cordials of comforts here ingrafted grow And soveraign balm from precious spices flow That by the influence of refreshing beams And constant current of spiritual streams Upon the proper object so effecting Directed duely by divine directing And straightly darted out from every point Curing securing every severall joynt From that One-All unmov'd eternall pure Where infinit perfection doth endure That Omnipotent Omnipresent is And Omniscient savingly to blesse In Him the Son of righteousnesse by name Emmanuel high that only glorious beam Where wisdom full of wonder shines so bright In ord'ring all these works of wonder right That goodnesse may be seen
they be of a spirituall nature yet know not neither can they put any thing in practice but naturally Yet herein further consists the unhappinesse of man that he cannot conceive nor will he be taught to understand that there is any more excellent happinesse attainable than that whereunto they have attained or may naturally come by Whereas the Believer after many calls wakenings warnings purposes promises shifts and debates being in the peremptory time of Gods appointment the time of love effectually wrought upon by the Spirit and word of grace and truth unto a gracious wakning quickened and illuminate to see themselves under darknesse and spiritually dead without God in the world and posting on in the way of destruction and so deservedly wondring that he is not long ago swallowed up in the gulf of irrecoverable wrath Seeing also the Vail rent and the entry made by the New and Living Way for a gracious relief and hereby beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord is translated from that naturall darknesse to his marvelous light And lanching forth into this Ocean of eternall unconceivable love where the deluge of unsearchable and self-destroying misery meets with the incomprehensible deeps of infinite mercy where plunged as in the extreams of contrary Tides swelling to such heights being heaved as it were to the Region of the Air and hurled as if they should be instantly sunk in these death-destroying surges of despair And yet so strengthened that they see the wonders of the Lord who before they be aware commands peace to appear maketh all quiet and by the breathing of a sweet and soft gale brings safe to the shoar And now reflecting upon the by-past and naturall lost condition first in the guilt of the most base and irrationall revolt of Originall defection and then in the stain and stintlesse superfluities of naughtinesse daily sprouting out in actuall provocations grieving Gods Spirit and now vexing the New Man Observing also and recenting the long-suffering patience rich mercy free grace eternall and unchangeable love that hes followed them in that miserable condition melted and made them up in a new mould so as the old things are past and all things are become new to them They are set upon a two-fold task 1. Of selfdetestation as self-destroyers and 2. Of Saviour-admiration in their deliverance hating denying and forsaking themselves loving imbracing and relying upon him in a continued fast of abstinence from all that hes been offensive to His good Spirit and studious to know and delighting to do whatsoever may be well-pleasing unto Him who hes been doing all things well for us when we were disdaining his divine bounty and this being the vast difference betwixt the man in his naturall estate and in the state of grace and that no man hes ground of boasting of any thing in themselves more then another and that there is no warrant to any man to despair but for confidence in following the means appointed sincerely And the matter being of greatest consequence I have been taking the more particular notice by way of comparison betwixt the first and second BIRTH and growth in a most familiar way how any under the least degree of grace may most easily discern what progresse they have made And have annexed hereto the portraict both of the new and old man the better to inflame the affections to the love of the one and loathing of the other Not that it is possible by any comparison imaginable whether real or supposed to decipher the unsearchable mysterious way of the spirit in the soul of the elect in the Ordinances of conversion or that either Ordinances or instruments can make effectuall the work of God begetting and bringing forth the new creature unto life without the enliving power of the spirit of the new life in the Ordinances Nevertheless seeing the Lord hes appointed and blessed means wherein he will shine and whereby he dispenseth His grace very reason is convinc'd that the means are to be followed And this comparison is no further to be streached then in a rationall way to incite the reasonable party to a reverent attending with attentivenesse to the Ordinances and a confident dependance upon the truth and tendernesse of the Author obedience to whose authority is ever well taken and never any forsaken that have been sincere seekers of Him according to the perfect rule of Scripture-truth THE COMPARISON AS the mater of the body of man by the supreme Ordinance of God in the ordinary â—ct of generation is conceived brought into form and capacitate to receive the spirit of life and the â—oul being created and infused in the body doth operate unto the perfecting of the body and so by the Lord 's singular and gracious preordination they do become one compound creature for the discharging of the offices of an intelligible spirit joyned with the Organs of a bodily substance whereby to conceive and by words and actions to expresse according as they shall be by means ordinar or extraordinar naturall or supernaturall taught as the first Mover shall see meet Even so the word of the Gospel containing the seeds of the New Man by the Ordinance of Preaching and the ordinar act of hearing impressions are left upon the understanding and will for conceiving and bringing it into form quality and capacity to receive the spirit of spiritual life which creats and infuseth grace in the soul whereby every Elect Child of God according to God's gracâ—ous preordination in this new creature by tâ— efficacious operation of the Holy Ghost is ingrafted in the Head Jesus Christ and by thâ— Union inabled unto the performance of all Christian duties incumbent to the New Man anâ— that by degrees according to our growth and increase in knowledge and experience either unto doing or suffering according as they be moved oâ— called thereunto But as in the naturall generation after the Infant hes received form life senses and faculties but not come out unto the light and so withouâ— the object and exercise of them but lying undeâ— darknesse in this weak condition the brittle embrio is in hourly hazard of imminent destruction from causes seen and unseen innumerable and often proves abortive by an over-slow or over sudden birth Even so the life of grace by the Spirit and Word of the Gospel being conceived yet is the New Man overclouded with much naturall darknesse the Devil taking advantage of the time sets to work all his machinations musters up all his legions lies in ambush with swarms of temptations assaulting from all airts uncessantly from corruption from carnall reason from suggestions naturall and unnaturall wearying the poor youngling with fearfull wrestlings â—ut faithfully guarded against this malice by the â—uthor of his reviving Only the yoke of â—ondage from the undeniable endictment and â—itnesse in his own guilty conscience dragging â—im back to the justice seat of a sin revenging â—od to receive the righteous doom of his own â—righteousnesse
he is under dreadfull confusiâ—ns and hesitations in hazard of miscarriage and â—ady to give over untill it please the Lord to reâ—eal Himself more clearly and thereby making â—o the work of faith with power brings out the â—risoner of hope unto the open air of the Goâ—el to lay hold upon the Prince of life and by â—eholding Him the Captain of our Salvation 〈◊〉 giving His Life to the death for penitent and â—elieving sinners hes destroyed death spoiled 〈◊〉 of the sting and the law of its strength quieâ—ng the conscience in satisfying justice and so â—eeing the fearfull soul from the rigorous exactiâ—s of a fierce and fiery law unto a further growth â—f grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But being by much weaknesse almost â—vercome in these wrestlings and like an unwise â—n having stayed long in the breaking forth of â—ildren by gracious assistance having gained â—me better ground of confidence I break out in â—is contest with my self Ho! hellish heath dost thou not tire to toile Thy self alongst this stinking Stigian Lake What canst thou like in this forsaken Soile Where all that drove of damned devils quake Ah dost thou look for Limbos Patrum here For Purgatory or poor Infants pain No the eternall wrath of God severe Doth ever burn none doth return again Ho! lo these swelling sulph'rous floods that roar Gaze no more on these griefly ghosts forlorn Wambling in wofull endlesse torments sore Blaspheming God that ever they were born Return withdraw now do ye danger dread Despair attends and can ye overturn Thou hadst dropt down if not upheld indeed Where all these ever-dying damned mourn He that upholds thee bids thee turn in haste To taste and feast upon this fervent Love Return my soul therefore unto thy rest Prepare thy heart His mercies force to prove How canst thou be so base as misbelieve Him who hes shed His blood to set thee free Wilt thou by incredulity deprive Thy self of peace so purchased for thee Thy guilty Conscience and the Law exact He silenc'd hes that ye can say no more And now thou may this day come see and take His truth His grace Himself thee to restore Is it not now so naturall to thee Him to believe since thou art born again As once it was His truth to vilifie When thou in nat'rall darknesse did remain Thy bands thy bondage all thy tort'ring terrors From infidelity unpurg'd do spring May not this ransom now remove thy errours When death and hell hereby hes lost the sting The Law like the Law-maker doth remain Righteous and holy sp'rituall and just So doth thy Conscience here bear witnesse plain Of what thou dost amisse for that it must But none of these can hinder thee to hold The grip that thou hast got of God by grace No they do let thee see that thou art sold By sin a slave to satan and do chase Thee now with speed timous supplie to take And wonder that thou art prevented so Before the Law thy conscience did awake For then remedilesse had been thy woe Thy reason cannot thy relief receive Thy guilt will ever keep thee under grief Then shalt thou so thine own poor soul deceive And it bereave of offered relief Arise therefore and mourn the more for sin That now thou seest it hes procur'd Gods ire Again to see slain Christ for thee begin Whose blood doth quench that fear'd infernall fire Doubtlesse I would be fred of this wanrest Wherein I wrestle as a wretch forlorn Under the weight of guilt and wrath supprest And with the torment of these terrours torn But now I see I must for life believe On Him who freely loves and freely gives Not that for my believing I may live That I may live He gives me to believe And firmly now to fix upon His Love His Mercy Truth and power infinite And by the motions of His Grace to move As He shall give assistance by His Sp'rit And yet as the naturall man before he comâ— to the years of discretion by education and experience is exposed unto many dangerous trialâ— and troubles wherein he is often in danger oâ— ruine being like an untamed Colt or a wildâ— Asse in the Wildernesse snuffing up the wind brutishly exposing himself unto the perill of perishing every day in his riot and insolency Right so the new Man albeit come out of the womb of Regeneration wrestled through the straits and travels of new Birth escaped the poweâ— of the Law bondage and darknesse where undeâ— he was kept and that for the time corruptioâ— hes been kept far under that it could not get up the head having tasted how good the Lord is and doth grow up by sucking in the sincere Milâ— of the Word Yet the old and bold Serpent that vigilant subtill and restlesse enemie of our Salvatioâ— sleepes not but lyes at all advantage by all means to make use of every time under all cases for undoing all that God hes done in us so far as lyes in his power Who seeing us so satisfied with what we have received lets us swell a little and then like an Angell of Light lifts us up and leads us ouâ— of the humble and holy way of self denyal and sincere dependence for daily and immediate support unto self-confidence and carnall contentment abusing the rich mercy and turning the free grace received unto wantonnesse so that before I was aware was left in the dark pestered with meny piercing temptations and much foiled under some fearfull devices Which perceivingâ— and after some serious pause turning to my strong hold and putting on the armour of proof entered the fight of faith under his Banner who overcame for me Confident that He would also overcome in me to the praise of the glory of His Grace I break out in this passion Thou damned Devil go to the hells and die That never dying death thy portion just Infernall Feind fall down and scoarchingly For ever Why It is thy doom thou must Down downly die and there thy power restrain The Lord reprove thy pride and malice vain This passion thou puts me to perforce â—ecause thou dost perplex and vex me still Who by thy wiles would me from God divorce â—nd dragg me after thy pernicious will In plots profound thy wits thou dost imploy By treacherous trains poor souls for to destroy Thou like a Syren canst thy song enchant Untill the carnall part thereto incline When in resemblance thou dost seem a Saint This cruell craft is found in thee and thine The world worldlings at thy wish thou hast And mine own flesh to keep me in unrest My facile mind thou also much dost mar With many foolish fantasies confuse And to my judgment erâ—ors also dare Present maintain with lies and bid me chuse The rules of reason and of carnall sense So to destroy my faith on this pretence Thou lets my sins forsaken me before And shews my sorrow is below my sin And that to
unbounded Orb of love Wonders are by Believers brought about That cruell tyrants cannot cancell out And by Believers to be enjoyed are Joyes wonderfull above conceiving far But we shall spare for more exactly those Matters we must debate before we close Now to the purpose and the Person precious Whom I have seen and still esteemed gracious Notable in the Assemblies of the Saints And solemn Meetings where Believers hauntâ— I know the case and truly see it clear Fraught with the fruits of faith of love and fear But she is not in that condition now So to confesse far lesse this to avow But in this sentence most succinct I 'le shew The matter and the meaning shall pursue And this it is Heavens child of hope doth faint for want of sight Resolv'd to grope through darkest deeps for light And this assertion sure for to explain Take notice now and answer you again You see Celestiall from terrestriall things Exhaling vapours that much darkness brings Eclipses do our naturall Sun surprise Which yet we see most royally arise The worlds first birth from Gods most pure intention Eternall purpose and divine invention Was made to be by no materials Existent pre-existent Seminals In darknesse swadled up untill the bright Creating word in time commanded light And when this light aright composed stood Night to preceed day-light God saith is good Jea This dispensation sad you take I see To flow from causes one or more of three The first from provocation I conceive The second what for triall we receive The third to Soveraignity ascends The Cause supreme where causes all depends You know suppose that naturall things be used And to illustrate sp'rituall matters chused Spirituall things are not demonstrate clearly By naturall that worke by nature merely The one by the prefixed Rule doth run The other Arbitrary how and when And yet suppose these generals should contain Much to this purpose when by searching seen Yet ye must nearer come her case to clear From such effects as may be seen appear For if she be bemisted left alone In this confus'd condition she is gone Sam. Will ye not condescend that all things be Good in their time appointed certainly And that our only wise and holy King Profoundly hath contrived every thing Spirituall naturall morall arbitrary Contingent voluntar and necessary And ordered so this contrary to that Man may with dread and reverence stand thereat Jea We trust your charity hes so conceived That Scripture-truths are all by us believed Albeit that under trials severall may By strong assaults much weaknesse oft bewray We know He 's the supream and only good And all things to his glory do conclude And that suppose rejected we should be It were our place his grace to magnifie His wisdom justice truth and holinesse We question not but our untowardnesse In not adverting to his counsels grave Which only could and should from swerving save And yet our tender Lover hath appointed And with spirituall unction hath anointed With coming some and cordialls stor'd that be Soveraign for Soul-diseases seasonablie â—Mongst whom ye be of speciall esteem In binding up the wounds that desperat seem I pray you speak in proper speeches plain As this perplexed party best may gain And lead us in these mysteries divine Untill the Sun begin again to shine Sam. I know it worthy of our pains shall prove To dyve in this deep mystery of love Therefore I shall not spare to condescend Some of our precious time herein to spend This mourning Bride sure has propined been With precious sweet sp'rit-consolations clean Whereby the King of Kings doth recreate Replenish purifie and elevate The soul that to espouse he is whereby She in his absence sick of love doth ly Jea Be pleas'd more specially us to acquaint With these so precious presents and how sent And how received that so effectuall prove As to procure such firm and fervent love Sam. He cleared hes her blear'd and blinded eyes Inflam'd her heart so as she feels and sees Her Comforter convey himself with kissings And breath into her soul supernall blessings The beauty of whose visage her invites To trace him out when he doth make retreats For in her heart so hes he shed that seed Which her affections after him doth lead And at a word created now anew She bids the whole Creation adiew And in this Sphere of Love celestial soare Not stooping to terrestriall triffles more Untill her Lover come and do relieve Her weighted sp'rit and heart contrite revive Jea Why doth she not in patience possesse Her soul and so attend his timousnesse Sam. Basenesse of mind such patience she esteems Which would suspend her of these warming beams By influence whereof she alone doth live And therefore closely unto him doth cleave Jea But is her project lawfull let me know Sam. True love was never limited by law Jea But earthly minds in mounting high do burn Sam. The Spirit by habit heavenly doth turn Jea Doth she the body then the more disdain Sam. No but doth tune it to a spâ—rituall strain For it 's the organ ordained for to sing The praises of her Lovely Prince and King Jea How doth she then so sadly ly and still Sam. She doth attend his presence and his will Preparing straight his praises to expresse But till his coming lurks in heavinesse Jea But where is then the hold of Faith and Hope Fast held but pressing nearer hard to grope Desiring still the Marriage-day to see When in His Robes she may arrayed be And joyning then his sweet soul-feeding face Her firm affections fervent may imbrace Hele. Poor Pilgrim I in dole and deep unrest For want of Faith with hellish fears supprest Here wandring as a woefull wretch alone So void of sense can do no more but moan Unworthy of respect regard or view Much lesse your face my spirits to renew It is my wonder that your worth should stay So to respect this crocked clog of clay So hardned that affections cannot melt To mold a new by any motions felt Yet happy you you Blessings do procure Who would conduct and doth instruct the poor But from the wayes of wisdome I have gone So far astray that I may mourn alone And groan for grief now when I cannot mend But all my dayes in dole and dolor spend And for to understand your friendly speech Or meaning thereof hardly can I reach But true it is sometimes I have exprest Some secrets that should not have been confess Of feelings sweet above expression far Which for the time but seeming shadows are For now deserted like a desart owle I hopelesse ly and can but hopelesse howle Bewailing oft that ever I was born For all is gone and I am left forlorn Sam. Dear friends conveened here for this intent With misteries of Love to be acquaint Let us unweary willingly attend For all her griefs shall sure in gladnesse end Jea Our true desire and most delight shall be We
may more clear this Divine science see And with the whole affections of our heart To learn the Heavenly Methods of this Art I know the heart contrite and broken spâ—rit Is for our King a Receptacle meet I know with timous comforts he doth turn Unto the pure in sp'rit who for him mourn I know the thirsting soul and hungry heart In His sweet face have fulness for their part I know that pleasures in eternitie Attend their souls that fleshly follies flee I know the penny-earn'st of Peace and Bless Received by the meek and lowly is And wisely witnessed here may we see The might of truth and height of mercy free The strength of Faith shining through filial fear The wing of Love weak ones to hide and bear Hele. I wonder much that you so wise and grave Such groundlesse expectations can conceive For shew'd you are so far of this my case That I presumed should have made you cease But presuppone that these your strange conceits Were true of me which unto me relates But nothing unto me I think belong Yet were it fearfully free Love to wrong And should bewray ingratitude so far As justly might me from his grace debar For sure I am I had not been cashiered If to offend my King my heart had feared But gading I so far astray have stept And in confusions such my self have wrapt That now mine eyes are dimm'd my tongue bedumb'd Mine ears are deafned and my heart benumb'd That what I hear I do not apprehend But sure I see my well you do intend Jea Yet with permission and submission now My friend let me obtain this sute of you This is a day of grace and it may prove If you improve it well a time of love Unto this timous counsell grave advert Gainstand these griefs that do disturb thy heart Think on what light life liberty and peace Thou lately tasted hes by special grace The earnest of these Treasures rich procured For thee and by the Lover sweet secured But under cloud eclipsed thou must be By proof to find thine own infirmitie In Patience Faith Dependency Submission Importunately presse thou hes commission Then look and long and to this promise cleave And when thou art rebuked yet believe He. Madam your counsell gracious grave and good Does all desir'd felicities include But I have forfault all these offers fair And of these Blessings now am stripped bare And when I hear of former happinesse Grief horrour and despair the more increase Once was I light and now in darknesse ly Once was I life now in deaths jawes I dye Once had I freedome now in bondage bound Once had I peace now in vexation stound You speak of pleasures in a word anew But dolefully may I bid them adiew For I an earn'st of wrath endure I think Might all the sinfull sons of Adam sink The evil spirit when he does depart Returning enters in the empty heart And every devil of whatsoever deceit May in this soul receive a several seat And I will tell you more Jea No more Refrain There is too much of this untimely strain O fearfull but it be for to let slip Of Sacred Truths by Faith the saving grip And O! how bitter are the agonies Of absence in soul-searching secrecies O horrour terrour dread what dreadfull height Is absence totall in eternal night When timely tastes do so the godly tare Where shall the godlesse go beneath despair But I forbear Sir speak to her so plain That she may be brought to her self again Sam. This darknesse does th'approach of day presage And us the more unto the means ingage Thou harden dost thy self in thy mistakes And of our tendernesse advantage makes Thou dost expose thy self a present prey Syrene deceits of Sathan to obey Misled with carnal wit by quaint convoyance So subtilly to worke thy souls annoyance Wilt thou prescribe his coming or confine His counsels to these finit thoughts of thine Dare thou his faithfulnesse draw in debate Because he doth not on thy humours wait Doth he his influence dispense for hyre Dar'st thou a reason of his rules require But these demands in time and place recall Examine and answers receive we shall And now in patience yet we shall persist And with convincing arguments insist Think on when we from darknesse unto light Translated were and did receive our right Unto His Royal Court and House of Wine Where loves bright banner over thee did shine Then didst thou see in darknesse thou hadst been Clos'd Embrion-like into the womb unseen Untill thy Lover Mover in this place The fruits of His free love made thee imbrace Then didst thou clearly see that gracious He Indur'd to be obscur'd for gracelesse thee And that He might thy glorious dayes begin Assum'd thy flesh and suffered for thy sin Purg'd and perfumed thee His Bride to be And did present himself Bridegroom to thee Thy King thy Captain and thy Husband now And to engadge thee more him to avow His Princely Robes thou saw him lay aside Enter the lists and in his armour bide Till all thy foes he had defyed in fight And from their malice fred thee by his might And led thee here among these sweet contents Where only children of the King frequents But that thou may'st convinced be the more I shall this Countrie set thy face before For as it seems thou dost so sullen ly Thou art surprysed with a lethargie Or for a proof art left a little space To try what love thy Lover can displace Thou knowst the Citty of our Royall King Where He to breed and woo his Bride doth bring What glorie and excellencie alone Believers shining see about the Throne Thou seest Him righteous Judgements dayly read Give doome unto thy foes thy causes plead When from His Ivorie pallaces he comes Thee to imbrace the smell of His perfumes Affect the Virgin-bowels for to move Frames and inflames the quickned heart to love For certainly unto Beleevers true That be renew'd all things becometh new And in this World of wicked workers we A World enjoy of sweet felicitie Consisting in a Righteousnesse procured For us with sp'ritual joy and peace secured And this new heav'n and earth and citty fair Whether the Elect chosen called are Above comparison you know excells The rarest fairest richest parallels The River that out-through the Citty slides For every severall Cittizen divides Unto refreshment and the fruitfull tree That renders various fruits abundantly For every season unto all affections And soveraign physick health for all complexions Our everlasting light without declining Advancing gloriously and brightly shining Curse from the Crosse force from affliction shed The sting from death from fear and bondage fred Where we may dayly sing among the branches And swime among the streams our thirst that quenches And bath us in that River sweetly flowing And feed upon the Spices neatly growing About the banks of these delicious fields That hony milk and wine so pleasant yeeldâ—
dolor such admits Felt-love believe forbear these faithlesse fits Hele. That world of yours no falshood doth admit Faithlesse profession is a feigned fit You in the faithfull witnesse do believe And by believing faithfully do live You grafted in the lively Olive grow Where substance sweet doth from that fatness flow I formerly have in these courses gone With others as you instantly have shown But I have stept aside in following lies Upon the mount of many vanities What could it make suppose I should explain The folly and the figments of my brain The levitie of my affections vile Some seeming goodnesse under secret guile You by your importunacy do presse Me more particularly to expresse If better more then prejudice it could Or pertinent it were I surely should Sa. Whence comes this conscience of those heart-conceits Whence flow these conflicts of these soul-debates Corruption ' gainst corruption doth not side Satan against himself doth not divide Weaknesse and wandring do in us remain And yet our Lover doth us not disdain He fails us not as we do doating deem But that he absent to our sense doth seem That we may see what of our selves we may Expect if he should our supply delay And what can make us more our selves forsake Then hell-black us milk-white for Heaven to make Such sweetnesse from the breasts thou hast been sucking That weaned now thou dost but fall a drouping Thou hast been dandled on thy keepers knees And fed with suggar'd soul-festivities But now for to obtain the Royall prize Thou must to work and run and fight arise Hele. It 's easie Sailing in a gentle Gale But grievous when the tempest strieks the Sail It 's easie fighting with your fleeing foes But dreadfull when it turnes to bloody blows It 's easie speaking to a wounded heart But not so easie to retreat the dart And searching tryals light to some may be Which work to others much perplexity I pray you therefore leave me now alone You may I hurt help can you make me none Sa. In darkest dayes and sharpest stormes that blow Our Pilot how to land us safe doth know And we within the vail our Anchor sure Do cast and so can ride it out secure Our Captain stands victorious in the field He never lost a man that did not yeeld Our sweet Physician full of science sees Our wounds diseases and their remedies And doth with cordials unto us addresse When dwining we do dream of nothing lesse And it is good thou dost not us regard Lest at thy hands we should expect reward But till you take a breathing we shall walk Beside thee here and to the matter talk Now ye my friends devote and Ladies dear Who this discourse of ours do over-hear Speak your opinion from experience plain And we shall to our purpose turn again For in her griefs if we cannot be grieved We shall be griev'd when she shall be relieved But of her burdens who doth take a part Her comfort shall reflect upon their heart Maria Anna Grissilla Eliza. Thomas Maria. IT seems it shall not easy be to find The bands that do her in this bondage bind But let us now recite our speciall failings Their causes and effects and our prevailings And to avoid contest I shall break in And as you bid be bold for to begin Court-breeding leading us to high aspirings Swelling in such ambitious desirings We can for self-promotion formall prove In every project where we minde to move And can Chamelion-like all colours take As for the gaining of our point may make And from what airt we see the air to swirle For that same course quickly our sails can hurle But when we of our selves do get a sight We guard against this Idol with our might Most deeply humbled at the heart that we Are wasted in this frothy vanity For then it pleas'd my King to clear mine eies Divinely to discern deep mysteries And take a Pardon in that time of love Which made my frozen heart in melting move Yet after this anone I must you tell A fearfull tryall unto me befell Even after tasting many comforts sweet Intent some meditations to repeat Of most concernment preasing to procure In supernatâ—rall truths my standing sure Such as of souls the immortality Whose being in and out of bodies be The resurrection and immortalizing Of bodies mortall naturall spiritualizing And minding thence some higher to ascend So far as finite thoughts might comprehend Of God his goodnesse wisdome and his might Pre-ordinating all in order right By His eternall counsel pleasure will Who all things works moving unmoved still But instantly a voice both pure and plain My musing mov'd unto another strain So friend-like and so friendly muttering then Must thou be found the only fool of men What businesse is this thou goes about What strange chymaeraes shall we see come out We guided be by reason and by sence Where be thy groundlesse grounds on what pretence Dost thou intangle and perturb thy mind In courious quiâ—ks whereto thou art inclin'd Art thou so senslesse as thus to conceive Dust turn'd to dust turn ghostlesse from the grave Or that thy vanisht spirits shall return These ashes to inspire spent in that urne Some giddie-headed people wonders tell Of God of Heaven satan sin and hell But these be foolries fitted to deceive Some facile Sp'rits that fancies do conceive Canst thou defraud thy self of all thy blesse By framing to thy self a hell like this While as thou might in many pleasures flouriâ— And nature in her native notions nourish But even then when I perplexed though What could it be that this diversion wrought Unto my sence there was reply so clear Return'd in my behalf which made appear The devil his drift and his deluding lure Discourse of me by flatt'rie to procure But my firm faithfull Watch-man and my Loveâ— Seeing the malice of this murthering mover Preveens this cruel plot and interposes His subtilty and sophistry discloses Objections more then now I can recent Which none but very devils could invent Confuted and refuted were so clear By him alone who did for me appear But then said I in this confusion vext Since it is so how am I thus perplext Then instantly my great deliverance wrought Was wondrously by my Redeemer brought When to grosse Atheism the tempter he Had cast his baits for to have hooked me And if the inward Teacher had not taught Me how to answer these his reasons fraught With subtilties so mystick that again I had been tortur'd in that fearfull train But sad and bitter were the sore rebukes Of my dear Lover and the frowning looks That I endur'd for daring to adventure With this deceiver in the lists to enter Moreover fears not only me affright But also I must with afflictions fight With many terrors and with troubles toyled And by infirmity am often foyled But yet I find it for my best to be Prest and distress'd in this perplexitie For on the
cleft To send a death-bound soul a quickning lift And when our Sun seems be eclipsed far Faith playes her course by the least twinkling star The Wran may flighter on this oceans brim The Dolphine dyve the Elephant may swim For loves sweet sympathies consist in looks Blinks smiles and smells whereby the Lover hooks The loved and the loved thence again From passion strong cannot it self refrain Let this suffice and ere we do remove We 'll consolate this Lady sick of love Her Lover shall ere it be long be sure Shine on her soul and so her peace procure For she in child-birth of fair grace doth ly Let us some cordials for her pangs apply And now speak damesell and let us hear What fruit from our endeavours doth appear Hele. Now am I so o'recome constrain'd to note Your travels for my well have been devote For ev'ry parcell of your free confessions Renews the sense to me of like transgressions But now in speciall you have specified Some errors that I would were rectified And all that ye have said I must confesse For every word my grief may well increase When I look up what my most Princely Love Before he brought me here made me to prove And likewise also since he brought me here What kingly bounty daily doth appear Freely bestow'd upon a fondling poor Whose worth could never thing but wrath procure And now I am convinc'd for I have prov'd That with such fervent love he hath me lov'd That for my frailties and infirmnesse great His grace and mercy he would not retreat Or that his bowels which for me were moved By this my stumbling should have been removed But this rich bounty and this love divine I lost and am deserv'dly left to dwine And pine away in sp'rituall poverty For pride of sp'rit unseen takes root in me Which now I find the cause of all my anguish Wherein I do consume away and languish Nor should I yet have seen this vain conceit But by the fruit of that vile root of late For I did suffer my fond heart to think That I was setled so I could not sink And that by grace receiv'd I could sustain Till from this tent translated I had been I doated on his gifts did not adore Himself of whom I did enjoy that store The idol of the heart was set in place Above the Author of my grace and peace And now therefore of force confesse I must His judgements are both righteous and just For grace abus'd thus gracelesse here to ly In place of peace in deep perplexity Sam. And art thou past recov'ry can'st thou say Is there no ground of hope whereon to stay Or art thou so vain-gloriously affected Ev'n when that seed of Satan is dissected Hele. No but I am therewith infected sore That seperate I cannot any more Therefrom then from my self for it 's become Deaf to rebuke and to defence but dumb Sam. Dost thou not know for this is still confesâ— Remnants in us remain undispossest Of much perversity which all our life To purge will keep us in continuall strife Hele. And I immunity do not indeed From provocation or correction plead But this a sprig so privily doth sprout And with the root and fruit of grace break out So sp'ritually and so commixt convoy'd Untill it get the life of grace destroy'd Ev'n as these sp'rits whereby we be enliv'd By veins and arteries the blood deriv'd Out from the heart the body to maintain Unknown contains therewith the bodies bain For what I do or what I do endure Progresse in grace to make or growth procure In mortifying self self to reform This venom unawars doth all deform I cannot speak a word by rule of reason Nor think nor act religiously in season But this vile poyson of spirituall pride Doth sliely in the heart deceitfull slide This is the thing our King could not endure In Angels for by pride they fell impure What may I then base wretch impure expect Who on some drams of grace receiv'd reflect I am as if of grace a treasure sure In store I could at my command procure Whereas my conscience shewes that I am stain'd With all that justly may make me disdain'd And that which might this mighty monster check His subtilty perverse detect and break But with this tincture now I am so tainted And throughly as I were therein indented Which when I see and am ashamed sore Haughty hereof I do become the more Sam. And what but grace in this most fearfull sight Could thee sustain against the Serpents slight Whereby thou formerly hes still prevailed ' Gainst all the policie he hes assailed Hele. The flesh and sp'rit defil'd with thoughts impure Which carnall hearts do unto lusts allure I see and do gainstand by grace but this Bred up with grace grace to displace it is And cannot pitch but on the print of grace Sincerity of grace for to deface Sam. How then is this thou can so moved be Since grace thou does confesse remains in thee Whereon this witch doth fix and keep thee waking And cast thee over in this fever quaking Consider when a King provok'd hes been By his own Son by many pranks obscene Should give commands in bands to make him ly In prison dark to humble him thereby And yet indulgently again relent To try if he his folly would repent Give orders for his further liberty Out of the prison dark to set him free And yet this ranting child should still remain So sensless as to think he could retain This life of freedom and abused light By his own industry or naturall right Were it not then convenient for to cast Him in the darkest pit in fetters fast Till he by pain and pinching hunger there Were taught of vain conceits for to despair Doth this comparison thy pallat please Can'st thou apply it to thy own disease And if thou can then shall it truely prove The strong effects of a Parentall love Hele. Nothing in nature can decipher more The case and cause of my distractions sore But naturall causes have a naturall cure Yet who a wounded spirit can endure How far the heavens above the earth doth bend Spirituall things our naturall thoughts transcend My Princely Parent penetrats the sp'rit And loves the single humble heart contrite He He alone with searching piercing eyes This privy pride and arrogancie sees And cannot passe't for it doth derogate Most from His dispensations intimate Hereby in bondage I indure these stounds These hellish torments and these deadly wounds Of conscience wherein I to death am bleeding Forc't by the folly of this fancie feeding Sam. I would have thought thou shouldst preferred far Thy Lovers wisdom and affections were All similies before could be devis'd By any finite creature or advis'd Thou by his secret censures sees he sees The deepest of these damned subtilties And throws thee under bondage till thou be Taught how to guard against this devilry Now then consider him who sees
so brightly And in such wisdom makes the wound so rightly Physick appoints the poyson for to drain From the infected soul and flesh to strain Which by experience many children knows Is tended with the like tormenting throws But wants He skill or will who is our King Both health and heav'n out of this hell to bring Albeit this tumor must retain a tent The remnant of the humour for to vent Faith in thy Lover hath this strong perfume Which can this poyson pestilent consume Hele. This devilrie so close to me doth cleave Which man and angel from my King doth drive That I am tott'ring much on this turmoile And tortured so most like to take the foile Sam. Come come we ly too long aloof I see Towards the shoar now let us tackling be Mistakes misapplications most miscarries The minds of many when their judgements varies Bemisted in the want of faith whereby They should distinctly see weigh and apply We have been speaking of much fervent love Which in thy Lover doth His beloved move But now Oh thou much loved once admire What most transcendent love doth here appear When He redeem'd thee thou wast lost and yet Thou wilt thy self destroy if He permit That grace thy Lovers gift thy glory should Thy bain become imagine this who could Or could thou have imagin'd that thy flourish A cancar-worm into the bud could nourish Or that when thou was satisfied with singing Thou was unto thy idoll incense bringing This cockatrice to kill in secret lyes But being seen she by her venom dies Grace from the Author as from the fountain water When cut becometh putrified mater Like blood which from the heart through all the veins In circular motion by the nerves retains Strength in the members and returns again To pay the tribute and more vigour drain But being obstructed it corrupt becomes The member wanting nourishment benums Or as our curling brooks and silver streams Which from the fountain to the river foames By secret cranies through the ground the same Sweet current turns unto from whence she came Right so our Lover and our Princely King The ocean unexhausted and the spring Of whom we have from whom do derive All that we do enjoy in whom we live While from this sourse we daily vigour drive Life to preserve and let it passage have Uninterrupted to the font amain Then it 's increast and we refresht again But when these gifts of grace we do seclude From this right course we do our selves denude Of all our comfort whence doth swiftly grow If not foreseen our sudden overthrow Loves darling then dost thou not thence conclude Thy ardent Lover hath thee dearly lov'd Who for a little space his grace restrains That thou may seek himself where grace remains This love transcendent might a heart of steel Melt when affections do such fervour feel Hele. My heart is rather like a heart of flint Which cannot melt but doth endure the dint Sam. Loves force to flesh thy stony heart converts Hele. Love unto pride my fleshly heart perverts Sam. A fleshly heart is vices willing slave A heart of flesh impressions doth receive Of grace and vertue whereby vice it sees Resists subdues rejoyce in victories Hele. Oh now was any ever sunk so far In deaths dark shade and yet delivered were Sam. Believe me for I do assure thee this Of many children the condition is And ne're an abject did as yet bemoan This ground of grief where-under thou dost groan But so it is that till experience teach We do not to the rule of practice reach Hele. Happy thrice happy should I such esteem Who by experience so well taught had been To keep that order in his princely sight As His sweet company continue might Sam. It 's true we are new born again indeed And planted here upon heav'ns dew to feed But our Bride-groom with whom there is no change Most faithfull bides in all our failings strange Yet will permit to tempt us for our triall As we may best be bred to self-deniall The gravell also of this poys'ned flesh Seeds do ingross that would spring up afresh Unlesse by crosses and corrections meet They were supprest and we more purifi'd But this in gen'rall we may all conclude That ev'ry stripe we get is for our good Though bitter biting sad and fretting sore Sweet fruit unto thy taste shal come the more And when by proof we find the sweet effects Produc'd in ev'ry one our King elects As purging potions life and health preserving Preventing us from sinking in our swerving The old man and his notions so subduing The new man and his motions so renewing That we in our infirmnesse do rejoice And under all our suff'rings do repose In such submission as sweet peace doth bring Whence out of sorrow heav'n on earth doth spring Whereof if we did not our selves deprive By fond mistakes we should delightfull live Then for to condescend of force we must That no affliction springeth from the dust Nor yet temptation doth from fortune flow But do by Providence directly grow And by heav'ns wisdom unto us apply'd That we may be perfected when we 're try'd Hel. In evâ—ry thing this day that can be nam'd find my self most worthy to be blam'd As in this solitar reserv'd design Which certainly much detriment doth bring To many and if that the force of love Which in this famous fellowship doth move Me to attend so for my help inclin'd Far contrar to my self-conceited mind I should have been in this confusion longer Weak'ned my self and made my bands the stronger For till these free discourses do appear In this society assembled here And by this timous and this tender treating Wherein your Grace hath been with me debating I never could have thought a soul could live To which so much contagion should cleave At least a person in this land of grace That could the tract of such vain idols trace But now more perfectly I do perceive That he who freely sought us out must save And by immediate grace must still preserve For daily we to be disgrac'd deserve Now to believe O but I do desire But senslesse prove when I would most aspire Sam. Thou shew'st thy self most sensible of hearing Consent therefore thou shalt come unto clearing Hel. Some of Gods sons as they have heard have seen Some that they might endure have suff'red been To take a blink of Him cannot be seen Sam. Now may we clearly see what thou dost mean Thou senslesse prov'st indeed in thy desirings Which properly in thee are proud aspirings Its strange thou shouldst be satisfi'd so slightly Not vap'ring for high visions more brightly Or looking to be rapt above heav'ns arches About the borders of the divine marches Must thou be steward of the Royal treasure Will no less serve thy sense than Moses measure Hast thou for such a charge so strong a back Should not thy brains below the burden break Job faithfull in incomparable
trialls In darkest dayes gave dev'ls and men defyalls And never got a blink of light untill He fell submissive to his Makers will Thou knows we live by faith and not by sight By faith we suffer and prevail in fight Where is the fruit of all that sense receiv'd By thee before and what if all that 's crav'd Were streamed out upon thy strong desires Shouldst thou not spend them on thy carnall fires And when these sparkles of thy heart were spent So much the more thy sorrow should augment The child of light through fearfull darknesse groping Takes faster grip and firmer hold by hoping Thou canst not deem and nothing now thou knows Who at the coals of this corruption blows Nor see how sliely Lucifer can slide At twi-light time a plant of privy pride Ev'n when we do in all our strength resist Then can he at the part best fenced thrust And cunningly cause us ly open there Whereat the poyson'd dart he doth prepare This venom all of us do clearly see This child of grace her great vexation be And when she armed best against it is How Satan can infest her with a kisse Advert with wonder heav'nly earthly hosts Wonder all glorious glorified ghosts Wonders are seen which make you all adore Renewed marvels make you wonder more Pure spirits fill the souls of your desirings Extend your minds unto these deep admirings The quintessence of heav'ns counsell glorious Man murder'd on his murderer victorious In suff'ring Satan sift and so surprize And with such depth of subtilty devise Uncessantly and in such wyndings lurking Ev'n in our duties our destruction working But here the myst'ry of salvation is Crown'd with the cape-stone of eternal bless Of preservation by our glorious King Who our deliv'rance by his death doth bring An instance clear hereof before our eyes All the beholders evidently sees A chosen called faithfull child of grace Who for the prize most fervently doth prease Too much neglecting what she had before And strongly stretching to increase the more One much enrich'd with light and lively motions Experience deep and many sp'rituall notions In darknesse for deliverance debating Her poor condition and her case relating Sincerely set our counsell to receive But sylour'd can her self not undeceive For at her best attainment now you see How Satan snatches opportunity He sees the cup she doth delight to drink And in the liquor doth the poyson sink Let us infer from what we have been hearing And from this pregnant instance here appearing Since all the children of the first Creation Deservedly are under condemnation And that the cause ev'n to the Elect cleaves So close as unto any one that lives And that we ev'ry one are severally According to our humors diversly To some deceit or other more propense Then can appear by search unto our sense Which would unto infinitnesse amount Above what finite we could make acompt And that so many legions of lights Malicious devils and spirituall mights Our natures cases places erudition Daily attend our changes and condition And every one with every severall bait For every posture on us all await For this proud wretch doth desp'ratly disdain That we should be restor'd by grace again Or that our nature now should be renewed Or venom purged out that he had spued Therein whereby we in his Image stood Till it be blotted out by divine blood Yet we even we that most enlightned be Too carelesse live before this cruelty Much more and most for to be blam'd we prove Not studying still this boundlesse depth of love Which in our Lover moves him feed and keep His straying sterving and restored sheep Yet all that we can do doth but increase Our debt but more his mercy doth expresse This love we clearly cannot look to see Untill this body clarified be At least untill it be dissolv'd that so The soul her Lover to enjoy may go But how is this that we cannot submit Unto this wisdome and our selves acquit By firm believing as the duty chief Whereby from bondage we receive relief We see not that our drouping and dejections His faithfulnesse dishonours by reflections The growth of grace and inward peace obstructs The seeds of weeds into the heart conducts Th'envyous man with all his snares and cares The serpent slie with all his slights and snares Canst thou before the fiery tryall stand When men and devils do against thee band Such are in store and more thee to befall If fond conceits thy folly foster shall Ambition such were much to be commended Which with sobriety might be defended But ye who by confiding quiet may Repose beware presumption to bewray The Lark the Princely Eagle ne're envyes Suppose she see him skifting through the skies Ten thousand stage above her highest higher The suns resplendant beams and beauty nigher I am too tedious but to be excused Such disputs to anticipate are used Dear daughter once disdain for to repine At dispensations that are so divine Restrain the rising of such grosse deceits Refrain devising of such crosse debates A little faith finds out a fair relief Say I believe Lord help my unbelief And once resolve submission sincere Like to the pupill in the fathers fear Till which thou cannot put thy faith in act To comfort thee though thou thy brains should crack Come then threap kindnesse yet upon thy King Tell him that in the prison thou wilt sing His praises and ne're cease untill thou see His face in grace and then imbraced be This counsell daughter for to practice strive For it shall prove the way to make thee thrive He either shall the cloud of mist remove Or thee remove the clouds and mist above Where thou's be feasted in a minuts space With all the fruits of thy believing grace And from that instant in eternity Thy King enjoying shall rejoycing be Hele. O fearfull cloud of separation sad What heart can hear and not for fear fall mad Oh wonderfull that ye so wise can move Me to unmoved stand who must remove Where death bound ghosts down go depriv'd of light And suffer so in an eternall night Sam. How art thou now come up at words to carpe Perverting sense and using censures sharp And wherein thou convinced art before Would lead us unto repetitions more But lend a blink unto our travels past And thou thy self wilt censure for thy haste For we are leading thee into believing While thou unto thy facile sense art cleaving Hele. Oh to believe 't were possible for me But till I can excuse I cannot lie And well I know it is Gods love constrains You to this more then ordinary pains And I shall let you see I do not slight Your travels but do still recent them right For I confesse your presence all before There 's not a word hath past you less or more In reference to my condition duely But found so plain I do apply it truely And I shall not deny but I have tasted
The Heav'nly Manna and thereon have feasted And at the fountain have refreshed been Therein revived and returned clean And that when slumbring I began to swell I have been left in darknesse for to dwell Untill it pleas'd my King who knows my pain For my relief me to revive again I likewise do confesse what ye have said In ref'rence unto provocations made Which have recited been by severall here And pertinently made for to appear From sound experience much diversity And nearest numberlesse variety That with the like I have been led astray And drawn upon my self a cloudy day The crosse did with corruption so increase I forc'd have been my folly to confesse For I might read in every severall rod Real offences against a righteous God Who yet from wretched me did not remove His tender mercy faithfulnesse and love For in his coming I might daily see His goings were for wak'nings unto me Again I shall not take unto denyals But that I have acquainted been with tryals From all the Fiends and their infernall states Where I have often felt and dealt debates His brood within his instruments without Inviron and invest me round about And yet from all their cruelty and spight Have been preserv'd from that malicious might And where they had permission to perplex Turn'd to my good and them the more may vex And as this is by you my friends affirmed Is likewise now by me again confirmed But not the lesse â—lace that I can say I have no benefite thereby this day You have been arguing long and I replying Contending much and many things denying Wherein convinc'd that ye the right maintain Yet know ye not what sorrows I sustain For I had never darknesse known aright If once I had not seen the shining light Nor what it were to be beslav'd with devils If of their seed I had not seen the evils Nor what deliv'rance or defence could mean If fearfull danger were not something seen But while so many eminent I see For light and life inlargement liberty Forsaken and before the tryall fail How can I then presume for to prevail Who now so long so fearfully do ly Without relief or hope of remedy If ye my dolours knew ye would deplore That wofull anguish and vexation sore That I am wrangled with and wrapped in When terrours of the second death begin Of outward suffering I make no acount Although they do ye know too much amount A raging devil in the wicked reeling Venting their venom with villanous reviling Professed friends do privily supplant The most engaged in their ranting taunt And being held in fetters raging roar Because they cannot reach for to devour My person means profession and my name To burie in the dust of death they dream But when the prince of darknesse doth begin This dark and dozned heart again within To raise his works and to enlive his brood What can I men lesse then lost wretch conclude And more this tyrant hath attain'd the leading Of my affections ev'n while I am pleading Against his faunings and his flatt'ring baits Whereby I dragged am in dang'rous straits And cannot stint because I have no strength Nor hope to be relieved at the length For this I sigh for this I weep and mourn For this my bowels in my belly turn For this I seperate my self alone For this my blood and moisture both are gone Because the Comforter that can relieve My heart no answer for my grief doth give But in this desp'rate case at distance keep While all these serpents do about me sweep With open jaws sharp claws and cruell sting Trusting to sink and swallow quick they sing Sam. Well I perceive you have at length been plain Yet all doth turn unto one thing again Except some aggravation of the space The measure and ingredients in the case This closse eclipse with storms of flying fire Darknesse and thundring bolts of dreadfull ire From devils and from every instrument They could devise to work they detriment And then least for thy self to stand and fight So far above thy cunning and thy might Partly because that thou hes known them fall Compar'd with thee a shrub were cedars tall But yet look over thine accounts and cast Thou may come to a reckoning right at last These persons eminent at first did yeeld They never try'd the fight upon thee field And look again aright and thou shalt see Such as thy self triumph in victory Who in the fight by slight have oft been foil'd And yet by strength renew'd the spoiler spoild Consider also if thou couldst have stood Before old Belial and his brutish brood If they were not by chains of strength restrain'd And thou to use thy armes aright were train'd The measure and the space which most doth move thee Is the appointment of thy Prince to prove thee That thou may taste His power in preserving Under thy want and weaknesse of deserving Do no more plague thy self with this debate Against this blessed and believing state A fixed faith all slavish fear removes And in its orbe unto the Author moves For measure time and means simplie surrender Thy self to Him He is wise kind and tender Whereof much rich experience thou abuses And for tranquillity this torment chuses Wherein be sure thou shalt be tortured till Thou do submit sincerly to His will Hele. Now do I well perceive by your discourse I have not soundly looked to the sourse Of dispensations as I might have seen A secret providence did me sustain Ev'n in these darkest dayes and dangers dread Which all my torture and my torment breed For if I had then had I never thought These fiery-brands that my vexation wrought Had loosed been but were in fetters ty'd And suff'red but to bark till I were try'd I likewise see as you have said that such Who in a flourish hes professed much The field did never by confession face But turn'd in searching tryals with disgrace And for the measure and the space I know It 's good for me so to be keped low I suffered was many essayes to take Which weigh'd aright might many humble make And upon me there lyes unto believing More real bands then upon any living And now that I should limit him doth wound Me most to whom I am so deeply bound And that I have so wilfully resisted The sp'rit whereby you have with me insisted For I have doing been what in me lay My soul unto the murderer to betray But now my Saviour worthily shall have His will for He I see will me but save And here I do acknowledge my mistakes And that my diffidence the dottage makes Bemisted in the mud so have I been And so gainsaid what I have felt and seen The truth of all that ye have now exprest Is clear to me and so by me confest For He my Lover is not only wise And strong and fair and lovely in mine eyes But He is wisdom beauty might and love Where all
That all these troubles shall encrease thy bless And presuppose by dispensations yet Thou wert rapt up into an higher fit Whereby in Paradise thou could'st behold Above what either should or could be told Couldst thou who doest in this flesh temple dwell Indure these rayes and neither rust nor swell No under cloud again thou must retreat And with the messenger of Satan meet Enter the lists therefore by faith defend Thy Crown by perseverance to the end For if thou carnally become secure Thy fall shall all thy comlinesse obscure When under sad desertion thou wanders And knowst not what thou dost nor where thou danders But doest what all thy dayes makes thee asham'd When thou art smittenand by grace reclaim'd These dreadfull dolefull these disastrous dayes When on our souls the subtill Serpent prayers These weaknings warnings warmings dipt in love These smels from heaven which affections move Are meas'red out according to the need Of every member by the carefull Head And if to do or to endure thou be Appointed then anointed thou shalt be With grace sufficient unto stedfastnesse And get a blink to comfort in distresse So as a Christian in thy sufferings all Christ's glorifi'd wherein thou glory shall And argue may thou art in Him compleat When Head and members in affliction meet But thou must be upon thy guard and watch Against the Serpent at thy soul doth snatch He will uncessantly against thee fight By stratagems renew'd by day and night With snares and nets and grins laid in the way To hold thee fast when thou dost slide or stray And where he finds thee weak or wandring will Enter thy breach and break thee by his skill Corruption from within makes open doors To what temptations from without occurres And sometime Syren-like he will assail With flatt'ries but if he do not prevail He will affright thee with a thousands fears Which on thy sp'rit that evil spirit rears There is no course God for our help doth take To keep us humble or our comfort make But he doth thereunto himself apply To make us doat or else despair thereby By mediat means when he doth not prevail Then by his fiercest darts he will assail And levell at thy faith the fruit of grace Thy hope and love the new man to deface He will suggest inject vile monst'rous notions Into distrust of Atheisme the motions And seek no better party then our reason To parly with him on the points of treason Capitulation-proof he knows to be Means to o'recome experimentallie Now then the sp'rituall armour timous take And to the fight of faith with fervour make Under the Royall standard of thy love Advance and by his martiall motions move Thou know'st Gods secret ones to circumveen No hellish plots have unattempted been And what cannot the devil yet contrive According as his malice doth him drive And what is it he can contrive but sure A man to act it out he shall procure For unto such an instrument he can Masked materials furnish for the man And wicked men have still an open ear The serpent's subtile whisperings to hear And at a wink can change his voice and sight Shining Saint-like in much angelick light To gaine his point how far he shall prevail By fained friendship fawning shall assail In such commixtion and so deep devise Here to supplant and there for to surprise But when this craft doth crosse his closse design Then in a spleen he sharps his cruell sting And in his fury kindles fiery tryals For all that dare give his commands denyals And never think it strange that man forsaken Of God hath now of Satan service taken Since Law nor Gospel Instance Word or Rod Will waken or reclaim lost man to God But they in wicked obduration will Persist their fathers lusts for to fulfill Or that the devil rationall man can make Sometime the colours of a Saint to take Another time in tyrrany to boyle By cruelty the blood of Saints to spoyle For he of every man the Idol knows And at his feet his full contentment throws And lets him see this is the way alone To rise to stand to settle in his throne And cannot this deceiver thus deceive In making him vain-vile-man to conceive That when he hath receiv'd the world in hyre To his ambitious carnall hearts desire That as a Saint he hath it to possesse And for his followers as their propernesse So as they may by any slight or might People suppresse for to maintain that right Is not this truth whereon we fix our standing Clear that the devil hath man at his commanding Prophets Apostles false false Christs also We warned are to guard against ye know Who when like rav'ning Wolves they be within Cloathed like sheep can so present their skin Since Cain first his brothers blood did spill The first-born man the second man did kill Unto this day men-murd'rers are lurking And as they moved be do fall a working But lest man should when he is settled think Upon his wicked course and then forethink His villany the devil leads him fair Upon exploits and deep devices rare To make him famous and his fancie feed So as his thoughts no further may proceed And see ye not some worldly Monarchs great For to maintain and to increase their stare Are only set their neighbours to disthrone That they may reign and only rule alone And therefore guard against this strong temptation This trying flame of cruell tribulation But be not moved for they cannot smite But as God for his glory doth permit And in the tryall of his Saints he will Them humble but thereby their joyes fulfill For thy triumphant King and Captain just These mights their slights down at his feet shall thrust The shining Cherub from his brightnesse shall Together with the fairest Cedar fall The Beast the Prophet and the Whore flagitious With all their pomp their spleen and pride pernicious Whose terrour troubled men while they did live The fiery lake the fatall stroak shall give Then be not mov'd the change may glad thy heart When from their heav'n they to their hell depart Thou from thy hell at heaven shall arrive While they in bail in blesse thou's ever live For when the devil by his instruments With the blood of Saints doth mix the Elements Shall not these suff'rings then so much the more Shorten their journey and increase their glore And are they not o'rejoyed when they see Their blood include the Church felicitie But for thy further tryall yet again What if the Lord the influence should restrain Of light and life and liberty even when Thou art the butt of hell and hellish men This this is it should make the tryall sad For if his face upon thy soul thou had Shining thou should'st disdain that dreadfull crew Of devils and all the darts they could renew But in this exigent he is so near That when thou least expects he shall appear And when thou hast thine
generations hath revived and brought forth from the Womb of Regeneration a fair Family of Believers and by the Gospel-ordinances gathered them into his Garden of grace by the New and Living Way where the Fountain and Well of Life is opened free for all that will come to smell the Flowers and feast upon the Fruits of eternall and unchangeable Bounty infinitely preferable to all their losses where he conversing with them prepares them for the Pallace-Royall the Place of his Habitation where Mansions are appointed for them that they may be where He is that they may see His Glory and reâ—oice in Him for evermore And that as they have born the image of the earthly so we may â—ear the Image of the Heavenly And here is the prime and most precious Subâ—ect of Christian Contemplation where the Believer may expatiate and ingratiate himself in the â—weetest Recreations and Consolations by attaining unto and entertaining of an unseparable communion with God in Christ by the Holy Ghost â—nseparably One and only adorable MAZE 1. for restriction Job 37.33 34 HEnce carnall minds that apprehend Erroniously The Incomprehensible to comprehend most impiously Lights glorious Center inaccessible who can behold Lifes-life eternall unexpressible who can unfold How then shall men come to conceive Of this rare Blesse some do receive By Gods preordinate appointing who be renew'd And by the Holy Ghosts anointing who be indowed Brightly to see that Majesty Of God-Man that great Mystery Of love unto the Elect-seed Whence admiration doth proceed May come and see and so confesse Professe His Name and praise expresse And you who humbled in the sense of wants And search to know the priviledge of Saints May come in faith with reverence and fear See that without this frame you do forbear MAZE 2. for instruction 1 John 3.2 IN all these Mazes where we move The ground we walk upon is love And where we make approachings near Let 's come in reverence and fear Before His glorious Name who is A Beam supream of boundlesse blesse But so resplendent and transcendent To make appear convincing clear Behold this naturall Sun whose gleams doth apprehend us And whose illuminating beams doth comprehend us And thence infer how far The supream Author of this all excels this Star In this all comprehensive name I AM so condescending Eternall simple still the same all comprehending And in Emanuell sweetly seen In this fair Garden ever green Where daily with celestial showrs Be nourished His rarest flowrs Untill He glorifie His grace In such as here do Him imbrace MAZE 3. For incouragement Isa 55 John 1.27 HEre Soveraignity doth shine In condescensions so divine That ye whose lights are now anointed And for these glorious sights appointed On whom the Holy Ghost alone Hes left impressions upon Look in loves Christ-all mirrour clear Where loves sweet mystery does appear Firmly fixed till acquainted Thou be by faith therein indented This is the Mountain of our rest This sweetest Fountain only best Come drink salvation at this cup And on these consolations sup Where pleasures joy and peace abounds And glory to His Grace redounds Who Wonderfull will not conceal His Excellence but does reveal Himself so clear that we may read Him in His Name and on Him feed This Food who tasts shall thirst no more For fading gain or earthly glore But longing still to be translated Where they may be for ever stated MAZE 4. Loves mysterie 1 Tim. 3 1â— YE all who find your selves secure By lively saving faith and sure Who hes smell'd and who hes tasted Who hes felt and who hes feasted On these Love-dazling Mysteries divine Which on our cleared eyes do shine Of Man in God and God in Man Who sp'ritually destinctly scan Humanity still unconfounded With Deity and conjunctly bounded And do before The Unity in Trinity adore Advance that most admired Grace And feed upon that fairest Face For there alone and no where else That Love is found of love that smels That can be feasted on and felt The heart of Adamant can melt It 's life alone to be resolv'd In this this love to be disolv'd Tract it still and be allur'd So shall ye surely be secur'd O for these breathings of this Love That would the whole affections move MAZE 5. The fountain inexhaustible I AM THAT I AM GOD All Glorious I am that pure immense Ens entium Ens. Am I not wisdome infinite and love That omnipotent omnipresent whence I in my justice and my mercy move Am I not that sublime profound Abysse God Trinity in Unity compleat All truth all light all life eternall blesse Glorious holy Father Son Sp'rit GOD Holy Ghost eternall and infinite All Light all Life all Vertue pure compleat Irradiant being by whom all beings be Most blessfull breathings of the Vnity Sublime all-piercing and all-searching Spirit God Holy Ghost Eternall and Infinite E Expressed Splendor of the Deity M Might Majesty admir'd in Man Divine M Mercy rejoyc'd with Justice to agree A And Justice seen with joy in Mercy shine N Nerve of substantial Truth Illustrious fair V Wisdome and Well of Life where beauty springs E Eternall God of God God to declare L Lights Center where all Saints enlightned sings MAZE 6. Loves Labyrinth Eph. 5.23 THe race of man sprung from th'apostate reins deplorable And bitter root that all the branches stains restorable The mystery of man's defecting ponder The mind of God in mans perfecting wonder Perfected man degenerate by defection Defected man regenerate to perfection Adam by nature damn'd when he defected Damn'd Adam now refram'd by grace perfected O happy they may now we say Are such as sees with sp'ritual eyes aright these mysteries And do with reverence adore This Glorious Majesty before Fixed by faith till they prevail By pregnant prying through the vail The root of man elected leads this round And with the fruit of this great mist'ry's crown'd Come then and see the King as ye would live And by believing herein deeply dyve His power and his promise both believe So shalt thou see delight and love and live And with Heav'ns Quiristers adore and sing High Hallelujahs to this Glorious King MAZE 7. Loves mirrour Isa 45.22 LOve-dazled eyes look up and see Where purest spirits prying be And with seraphick love inflam'd You shall by fixing prove refram'd Gods only Son Gods rebell-wrath indure O love alluring Gods Sonship to Gods rebels to procure O large procuring We lay in darknesse till His glory shin'd And now He hes our souls in His combin'd Ingrav'd upon His Heart and Hands we be Ingrafted in His God-Man-Flesh be we Members more made Mates for Marriage loves To Him for whom the whole Creation moves In heaven and earth and hel whose scepter sweyes And dazles humane eyes with divine Rayes This Love all limits far exceeds Of length and depth and heighth and breadth Past comprehension by perusing A tractat for eternall musing Oh that our whole
ever blest Trin One compleat For evermore our songs shall be Ever renew'd uncessantly And His praises to expresse Ever shall our selves addresse AMEN O Lord so let it be So be it in Eternity THE NATURAL MAN Debated with HOw come say some such sacred flames can boil So sweet perfumes out of this sullen soyl This curious question'st with carnall eyes Bemisted sees not in these mysteries How singing doth from sighing flow And gladnesse how from sadnesse grow How mourning melting motions move In frozen hearts hot flames of love From bitterness how sweetness springs Refreshment what felt-ruine brings How from the groans of inward grief Clear freedom rises and relief In deepest darknesse sure direction In dreadfull danger safe protection Result and what can be the root That renders this admired fruit For Answer this BY Grace we see our selves with shame Under abominable blame And not the lesse so freely loved Affections feelingly are moved And overflow like Nilus River In the heart of the believer Whence grief and gladnesse love and he at Reside as in the proper seat Whence bitter mourning grief and wo For grieving such a Lover so Who surfetted hes been with grief From grief to purchase our relief Whom seeing vively through the vail Love and delight thereby prevail So that as by approaching near Unto that splendor in its sphere Be in Combustion dazled so Within these gleams we undergo And in this current strong contesting Securely in his shadow resting Zeal the birth of love and hate Daily abates this love-debate Wherewith no concord can compare One end discussing all their care Being to be made pure and clean This fervent love to entertain Grace ' gainst corruption doth begin A furious fight the soul within So that in one poor person here Betwixt two parties doth appear A hot contest with fatall blows Tending to others overthrows Whence grows this bitter-sweet debate In this grace-griev'd divided state Hence flow these tides contrary turning Mourning to mirth mirth unto mourning The old man being pincht repines The new man sweetly sings and shines The old man dwyning in his living The new man rising and reviving What dolour the old man endures Delight to the new man procures When grace is most o'resway'd it swiâ—gs Corruption under foot and sings For on a mountain of increasement And at a fountain of refreshment Bullering up eternall love With sp'ritual breathings from above Reviv'd by all these blessefull beams Shining through our cristal streams We in these glist'rings flight'ring be Untill we take our flight on hie These be the Northern gales that blow And breathings from the South that flow Upon the Spices sweet and Flowres Seasoned with Celestiall showres And in this Garden do agree Spouses to feast deliciously Upon these fruits and spices sweet Where all their comforts are compleat Who do discern aright to rise These mercies rich rightly to prize But the Believer only sees That Majesty in these mysteries And substance through the shadows more Of glory then he can adore But that the rationall man yet we may lead Some length let us by nat'rall reason plead Seeing this naturall Sun we daily see On nat'rall bodies worke effectually Vapours exhaling out of earthy things Which rarifi'd and clarified brings Repell'd by colder air our early showres Enamelling the earth with fruits and flowres Shall not the Sun of Righteousnesse far more Natures Creator whom we do adore By his almighty Influence divine Which on the long-benighted soul does shine Affect attract and elevating move Affections for the element of love Which purify'd prepared and matur'd Are for the service of their Lord allur'd And further yet by naturall things to learn Spirituall mysteries best to discern This supposition make Conceive the bounds Of this vast Ocean that the earth surrounds If all the Floods therein were the extracts And quintessence that best ingredients makes And daily that some of these cristall drops Melt from such sweet and sun-refined sops And in this Ocean be ingulfed shall They not be then transchanged in the fall Our reason shews us that this strong perfume Should soon the drosse of this sweet drop consume Consider then when this immortall sp'rit By these divine irradiations sweet Here in the Region of grace matur'd For glory and the love thereof allur'd Doth from this cloud come out imbrac'd to be In that incomprehensible excellency At the first blink transchanged be so far As heat from cold and light from darkness are And though the rising of our bodies be From death to life again a mysterie Yet when we do behold how nature brings About life to restore to lifelesse things The earth renewing daily flowers and fruits From dozen'd dead corrupt and rotten roots The vapour that 's exhaled from the brim Where sholes of herring leave their spawn to swim Congealed in a cloud again shall powre Of herrings on the ground a swiming shower Oh wofull wretched wreaked naturallist That naturally doth see and not insist To see aright believe love and know more Who natures Author is and him adore For in His time thou with thy very eyes Disclos'd shall see these divine mysteries Our body from the Elements arise And sp'rited be to meet Him in the skies And at the peep of first appearance passe To pain or pleasure as the Inditement was Recorded clearly on the conscience gravâ—d Rend'ring response respective damned sav'd And all these revolutions orderly Accomplisht in the twinkling of an eye For this the period peremptor is Eternally determinat for this That Glorious Right'ous Justice shining clear And glorious righteous mercy may appear Where all the damn'd convinc'd in anguish ly The saved on their Saviour do rely And yet poor naturall atheist that inquires Where is this blesse and where these burning fâ—es Conceive of God aright who comprehends All things incomprehended and extends His glory in His dispensations free Of mercy and of justice righteously Wherein such Majesty ador'd does shine As moves to admiration divine Through all these vast dimensions created Where all the rationall creatures are stated Sin-poyson'd persons wheresoever they be Unpurg'd are under wrath perpetuallie Likeas the Saints are wheresoever plac'd Within the glorious love of God imbrac'd This is the hell beneath and heaven above Here flames of wrath abide there beams of love Justice effects producing so contrarious Upon the Objects so directly various This naturall Sun by nature putrifies Some matter and some matter purifies Some matter harden and some soften more Some strike to death and some to life restore In Summer shining with so fervent heat And on the vild defyled puddle beat The filth therein doth such a fume disclose As doth in darknesse all the dung inclose Ingend'ring serpents vile and cruell frogs Crawling and sprewling in their poysoned drogs Right so the Sun of Righteousnesse shines pure While such the poyson of their pest indure â—or all the perturbation torment anguish Is of themselves wherein they liveing languish Thus may
the naturall man by natures light Convinced be but never see aright Till by the Holy Ghost he be renewed And in the heart by speciall grace indued And led unto the new and living way Where closing with his Saviour he may Discern from whence these waters spring that flow And make the barren fruitfull ground to grow Come then incline divine assistance can From nature thee renew a spâ—ritual man Aright to see His condescensions Applying by firm apprehensions Him shining clear in His Anointed Who is for thy approach appointed For He unmov'd all motions moves Which minutly His praises proves Extracting from most clear distractions A cluster sweet of solide actions For all that is was or shall be Is His eternall wise decree Whose high designs ador'd as His duration Admits no parallel or alteration Whom we in Christ our Saviour sweet must see Imbrace enjoy or die eternally But come and do not in your dreg remain Take up the Book and read and read again A serious Survey of this journey take This Child of Grace through all his tryals tract Here shalt thou see an unseen strength sustain The weakest that hath at the battel been And wisdome shining in the most unwise Might make affections in a rapt to rise Which in the Babe new born again doth grow Whereby he doth in Songs of Praises flow A Garden here with arbors for reposing A Jewel clear the ground of all rejoycing A Fountain whence waters of life do spring A Mountain thence thou may'st with safety sing A Spirit here perceive our sp'rits inspires With sighs and groans and answers such desires Come then in faith and as thou seeks receive Light life relief from darknesse grief and grave In brief behold these whole assertions here By proof from truth believed made appear And He above believing shall convoy Thee with Himself Himself for to enjoy Himself who is thy Potent Prince Victorious Light Life Delight and Lover only Glorious Come then attend His call and humbly say Come Lord thy servant hears and shall obey A SURVEY Of the FIRST and SECOND DEATH Closing with a SEPARATION-KISSE Betwixt two intimate FRIENDS The SOVL and BODY By way of DIALOGUE betwixt NATURE and GRACE Under the Names of FLESH and SPIRIT Heb. 9.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgement Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses 1. THE body of man is of the earth naturall earthy 2. The soul of man is of a spirituall nature spirituall 3. The two joyned together in the time of life make up a person 4. The separation of the soul from the body is the naturall death of the person 5. The separation of Gods favourable Presence by His Spirit from the soul is the spirituall death of the person 6. All the Off-spring of the first man by his apostasie and disobedience are deservedly deprived of Gods favourable Presence by his spirit so come to the world dead in sins and trespasses 7. All these the naturall Off-spring of the first man that be left in this forlorn condition living and dying in this darknesse and ignorance of God and do never attain unto the first resurrection do ly under the first and be lyable unto the second death at the last day 8. The Elect and Chosen of God be by His free grace in a time of love called and by the effectuall working of His Spirit moved to believe His word and to joine with Jesus Christ for Salvation By whom neverthelesse that they be spiritually dead in sins and trespasses they are by His Spirit quickned to see and serve the living God dying unto sin and living unto righteousness and thereby made partakers of the first resurrection Against whom the second death at the generall resurrection shall have no place 9. To be spiritually-dead the mere naturall man knows not nor by reason of his atheism can know till the second death sieze upon him first at the seperation of the soul and body and secondly again at the resurrection and judgment 10. The Believer knows by woefull proof what it is to be spiritually dead by the dead works wherein they have walked before they knew themselves under darknesse 11. The Believer knows likewise what the second death means by being sometimes from provocation and sometimes from tryall deserted and often kept at distance and of such continuance as hath been both a hell of torments and hes bred fearfull anxiety and knows also and believes the Scripture-descriptions of the eternall torments never dying death and dolour that the wicked atheist must endure and perish under everlastingly As also by being condemned in themselves and saved by the Lord they know what it is to be absolved from that dreadfull condemnation 12. As to the dissolution of the body albeit it be a beginning of the second death to the wicked as it is a preparation to the second resurrection of the Godly whose souls are then feasting upon their Saviour His Face in Paradice It may be more properly named a Sleep as it is often in Scripture especially seeing the soul hes had her night of partiall separation in the body suppose but short in comparison of time yet under many sufferings whereas the bodies night in its element is free of trouble and for the length of time it is to rest there under darknesse It is not considerable in respect of the splendor of that day of eternal glory which is at the out-breaking And seeing it is with this temporall death of the bodie that the Believer hes only adoe let us look a little more particularly upon it and specially as it concerns the Believer It is appointed for all men to die naturall death being the separation of the soul from the body is rightly named unto mere naturall man the King of terrours A metaphor from a King or Tyrant who is unresistable for power unsatiable and unexorable for cruelty undefatigable for persistence furnisht with all manner of forces for execution in all places at all times through all the Continent where any of the sons of men takes life attending them constantly till every one of them fall under the fatall and finall stroak And there is nothing created in this Universe whether from within us or from without us from the furthest remote of the Stars to the least pile of grasse or pickle of dust which were all created for our good but hath been or may be the occasion of this dissolution As also by what means amongst so many and at what time so uncertain unto any that it is a wonder that the rationall creatures who knows themselves subject to it can think of it without terrour and most terrible that the most of men are over-turned before they think seriously of it But here appears the greatest wonder that ever any of the blind-born deservedly forsaken and self-lost generation of apostate man should come to know any more hereof then
He hes trod the wine-presse of Gods wrath alone and none with Him He hes bruised the head of the old serpent that was lifted up against us He hes given the deadly stroak to all our enemies led them captive and cast them under chaines of darknesse unto the condemnation of the great day and were there ever man or Angel could have imagined of such things to have been done for them And is it possible for us out of the deepest of our conceivings to think seriously of these wonders that the Lord hes eternally designed for us and in time done for us and not be ravished with the admiration of them and over-joyed in belief of them And yet what lesse could He have done for us seeing it was His holy and eternall determination to espouse us to Himself and for that end to sprinkle us with His bloud that we may be imbraced and put beauty upon us that we may be loved by Him who is all love and admitted to His Bed-Chamber and Breasts of consolation where feasting upon that all-fulnesse and unconceivable sweetnesse that is in Him we may say and sing As we have heard so have we seen In the City of our God and of our King A SONG OF DEGREES Ascending from what we were in Nature to what we are in Grace and thence to what we shall be by believing NOw Saviour dear my soul receive Flesh blood and bones slides to the grave Grace hath procur'd by argument Of Nature now a full consent That the body shall remain Asleep till I return again And that I shall approach and prove Sweet Saviour now thy saving Love Amongst these mansions shining bright Where souls are feasting on thy sight And at what instant thou dost call The body then assume I shall That thence restor'd for evermore We in thy face may God adore That seeing there as we are seen Where never cloud doth interveen Nor subtile serpent shall appear With syren songs to tempt the ear Nor interrupt our Songs of love So set our present thoughts above As is the Heaven of heavens so far From thoughts infirm that finite are But yet because the Glory there Transcends believing let us spare And set our Songs in order right According to our present Light Of faith which fraught with wonders clear By pond'ring makes grac'd-men admire His Love and beauty still increasing While we His praises be expressing Let us make His Glorious Name Our deepest thoughts our chiefest theam So as we may with singing move In joyfull Songs of Praise and Love His Name His Name most highest high Essentiall God in Majesty Who with the Father and the Sp'rit As Counseller did take delight In this most Glorious Universe And here with men for to converse By wisdome viewing all the wonders That now appear surpassing numbers In these magnificent degrees And statutes of eternities All things by Omnipotency From nothing op'ning instantly Omniscience all things observing His providence all things preserving In all their comings goings courses Places cases and recourses According to their inclination Set by supream preordination Of that eternall counsell standing And unsearchably commanding Seen and unseen varieties Diversities rarieties From that Infinity proceeding Transcending this dimm twi-light reading Even in these clear excellencies That obvious be unto our eyes Far lesse find out Him infinite In His perfections full compleat Incomprehensible and pure Uncheangable that does indure But let our faithfull thoughts be fixt Upon that new creation next Wherein we deeply be concern'd To dive and be divinely learn'd Not by the line of humane learning But by the spirit of discerning To know how that most fatall fall The race of Adam damned all Deserv'dly left and so forlorn In bands of death and darknesse born Till in that Counsell now admired That wisdom wonderfull umpired Mercy and justice entering band In upright righteousnesse to stand To ransome from that rotten stock And so redeem a saved flock By sep'rating a second Root That should produce a precious fruit And by a sappie substance firme Regenerat renew confirme Whereby the power of His Sp'rit The marvell of all marvels meet When Members mysticall implanted Be in the divine nature fainted As being in the Head divine Where God doth in His fulnesse shine For by this mysterie adored Christ mystical's from death restored Here Soveraignity does shine And Love anterior to time Unto the Elect does appear Illustrious and shining clear Omniscience observing all And every one about this ball In every one and all their cases That by His pleasure He imbraces Omnipotency such preserving As be convinc'd of no deserving His providences likewise prove The firmnesse of His faithfull Love The travell of His Soul reviving In that all-wonderfull contriving And fully satisfi'd therein Because the fruit should purge our sin Whereby we ly in bands of wrath Untill we do apply His death Opening our eyes to see with grief Our selves and Him a sure relief Firmly fixing in our thought The wondrous wayes whereby he brought From nothing us to nature then From reasonlesse to rationall men From reason render'd reasonlesse Not standing in our steadfastnesse But prostitute to sinfull lust Were under death and darknesse thrust Again this true eternall Love Mov'd by His Sp'rit again to move Upon that then confused masse More marr'd then the first Chaos was When this good Sp'rit to order wrought That glorious work from nothing brought Whereby we may our weaknesse see The more observant hence to be Impressions pressing on the heart From which he never will depart Untill His Image be repair'd And we for glorie be prepar'd But guides us all the way we go And when we wander warns us so That through a world we are led Of snares that be before us spred Where swarms of devils are devising Daily our darkned souls surprizing And what a fray of lusts unclean Are from the spawn of satan seen Kindled and cannot quenched be Untill corruption crushed be O wonder now and wondering sing The praises of this wondrous King God His own Son Gods sole delight The life of man the worlds light Man to redeem mans nature taking That he might die for mans up-making Obscur'd be put to grief and brusing And all with chiefest pleasure chusing In time prefixt His Seed to see EMANUEL marvelous will be And now as then divinely seeing Imbraces in this glorious being Every minut under time Souls redeem'd from every clime Where this glorious Gospel's sounding Alairts and parts this globe surrounding Swarming up in severall Legions Received in celestiall regions And ordered in prepared places According to their gifted graces This is our glorious King of Hosts Sing to His praise you blessed ghosts For at His feet youâ— foes do fall While He conveens combines you all Because your high and glorious Head His fulnesse you and Members made His pains your gains His glory now Made Him delight to be with you Angels in these wonders using Minds apted rapted be in musing And ministring their service still Adoring do His glorious will And Souls redeem'd their songs begin This glory as they enter in And we in contemplation now Delight to sympathize with you In your triumphant state adoring Your King and in His glory soaring Swiming in Oceans of delights And visions of transcendent sights These glorious objects of your seeing The subject of your singing being When His comfortable reflectings Shines upon your crosse neglectings And your putting Him to grief Meets with this Royal Grace-relief Seeing now as you are seen And knowing that you might have been Amongst the damn'd by your deserving Under utter darknesse starving Where millions every minut rumble And in endlesse torments tumble While you upon His face do feed And the righteous reasons read Of all His judgements just and high That holy and unchanged be When all the Generations Of men since the creations And Angels come both good and bad To hear their sentence sweet and sad When at the twinkling of an eye The wicked shall rejected be And will endure eternall pain Rather then see that face again In righteous judgement justly burning For their grievous guilty spurning When the Faithfull father'd aright Remain rejoicing in His sight Who be of His rich grace the seed And now incorporate in the head Wherein of God all fulnesse growes And on the Members overflowes Here men and Angels clearly see The Counsells of eternity Wherein the Son of God rejoyced Eternally to see proposed This state of Sonship to the Saints With whom espoused now He haunts In heavens of blesse so far above As is the heavens we see to move This earth above and passe accounts As infinite finite surmounts From ev'ry severall soul whose cases Differs further then their faces But when in these infinities We enter and eternities And in the pleasures thereof placed And glory there by grace imbraced According to the great design Of God our Lord doth then resign Power Kingdome and authority To God alone who sets him free Of all his foes who be brought down When he receives the Royall Câ—own Of triumph now Christ mysticall Fully compleat who filleth all Now in Hiâ— Bride redeem'd rejoycing And she with joy on Him reposing In these vast dimensions bright Where He alone is all her light Life diet and delight alone The subjects of their Songs each one Nor could created-heavens contain These glorious Songs there heard and seen Sounding out from every airt And every soul a severall part And in such order sweet compos'd As all the heavens shall be rejoyc'd In the uncessant consolation Of this redeemed corporation When the King of Kings the Head A King hes every Member made And Priest to offer praises due And constantly their Songs renew But as we said so let us cease Towards these mysteries to prease Eye hes not seen ear cannot hear Nor heart conceive till we appear What for the Chosen was prepar'd And then it duely be declar'd Only by believing this Shall be above believing blesse And blessednesse which might allay All our wrestlings in the way And under hope the soul sustain Untill we may the fruit obtain When we shall joine and be victorious In that triumphant state so glorious And springing through the Skies shall sing All joyfull praises to our King FINIS
Then never think it strange to see us grieve When he is gone who should our heart relieve Nor strange to see him forc'd for to retire But rather wonder that he should appear And through the latters lend a friendly blink When he perceives the fainting heart to shrink And rather think it strange that so remisse We prove in searching what the quarrel is Of such desertions as the heart do vex And with dejection do the sp'rit perplex I do confesse believing were the best In quietnesse and confidence to rest But saving faith to holinesse adheres And guarded is with many filiall fears And out of love is ever sorely moved When evidences are of love removed Though you conversant are and so inured In heav'nly matters and so well secured Can stand before the gates of hell and make Your progresse yet the weak may stumbling take For in this case much grace we take to be Hopefull sincere in heart humilitie And studying to make out a true disjunction From every motion can obstruct that unction Whereby we be conjoyn'd in that communion With our dear Lover in a sp'rituall union So as by grace grafted in him we grow Up by that influence that from him doth flow Untill we be into his image formed And most devotly to his will conformed But you appear so prudent that therefore We leave to be consider'd lesse and more These our essayes at your command pursued To be by you corrected and renewed And as ye do think meet in time and place Compos'd and right applyed to the case Samuel Helena Sam. MOst precious people saved and secured By force of felt and fervent love allured Your conferences free I have been hearing And do approve and for your better clearing Do certify that your most Princely Love These actings in his children doth approve We who be named gracious be it known No grace but what is giv'n have of our own And by that grace immediatly maintained Converted call'd as you and so sustained The diff'rence only doth consist in this The King his pleasure good was us to blesse â—ince from the womb we came to humane sight To sanctify us by his heav'nly light And separate we be for this effect To do and suffer as he does direct â—ot specially his elect Flock to feed And them unto the living Fountain lead You have been over-hearing what was said â—n reference to this distressed Maid You have been carefull hereby to conceive The myst'ry of her case I do perceive You have been searching out for second causes Which cautioned would be with certain clauses â—ut you are sober and are satisfi'd â—om solide grounds of reason certifi'd And this is right for never one as yet Of soundest and profoundest searching wit In natures secrets by the Physicks poring Or winged with the Metaphysicks soaring Exactly could the causes and effects Matter and form with all their due respects Produc'd by natures infinite variety On severall objects marvelous rariety Conceiv'd by science or by all their Art Ever demonstrate to the thousand part Our princ'ples are with much experience fraught So by our practice we are daily taught And new essays are set on work again More light by new discoveries to attain Our King the God of Nature only knows The nature matter form effects and cause Of all things for by Him they are and shall Bring forth his glory and our gladnesse all This Microcosme Man a world contains Of various parts his Maker all maintains And this great world in all its sev'rall acts Subservient unto mans up-making makes Bodies celestiall in their sev'rall Spheres And all that to the Firmament adheres In all their various courses contribute To our continuance comfortable fruit What herb fruit flow'r beast fowl or fish there is But bend their best concurrence to our blesse The weak the strong the bitter sowre and sweet The hot the cold in their degrees compleat In all their concords and their sympathies Discords divisions and antipathies Find mater for their master Man to make Him see they do his service undertake And who can doubt but man immortal might Have stood if not deprived of that light Deservedly which in his soul did shine And did all knowledge necessar confine His present being to preserve if he Preserved had his prime integrity They stand in force but we now fallen blind Judicially death and destruction find Amidst the means of life but yet our King Doth us to light and life from darkness bring So as that now we may most clearly see That ev'ry case we come through doth agree With our condition present presuppose We should much weaknesse under wrath disclose And as amongst the sons of men we find That many are in many things inclin'd Alike none of all Adam's race have been That in all things to sympathize were seen For as we diff'rent in our faces be So in our gifts is great diversity But as all Simples from the earth that grow Or from th' elementary Ocean flow By skilfull composition refin'd Wonders do work when they are well combin'd Ev'n so with men in all their sev'rall motions Deeds dispositions and their various notions There doth result by heavens high decree To our great King a heav'nly harmonie Let it our study deep be to devise The Author of these wonders how to prize How we are wonderfully made to be From nothing and maintained wonderously How wonderfully have we wandred far How wonderfully we reclaimed are Wonder upon that glorious Majesty That shines on all his works so wondrously Wonder upon his condescentions sweet Whereby these wonders with our weaknesse meet Him him who perfect is and infinite Simple eternall essentially compleat Surpassing wonder sacredly adore And in adoring humbly wonder more Wonder upon his wisdomes deep contriving By death to bring thy death-bound lifes relivieng That his eternall Son thy flesh assum'd To ransom thee that unto death was doom'd That he eternally did so delight T' obscure his glory to procure thy light That by th' eternal Sp'rit he us inspires With grace divine faith and devote desires To know believe himself his truth and love And thereinto most loyally to move These be the contemplations best that can Beseem and do become the love-bred man These thoughts sublime can elevate alone The heart soul-savory fruit to feast upon To seal an union and communion sweet In all transcendent love divine compleat With him in heav'n who hath mans nature plac'd And by his spirit us on earth so grac'd Let us suppose that all the worlds of men Stood up on life that ever lived then That every man a different world were Of all things that hath been shall be or are And variously these all were animated With all indowments that have been created These all were also into one compacted And all were in one quintessence extracted Those spirits pure most peircing sure should prove And yet be dazled at this depth of love In darkest clouds this love finds out a