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A50836 The Christian pattern paraphras'd, or, The book of the Imitation of Christ commonly ascrib'd to Thomas à Kempis ; made English by Luke Milbourn ... Milbourne, Luke, 1649-1720.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471. 1696 (1696) Wing M2030A; ESTC R16611 104,301 344

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are strait and low and can't admit The Proud nor those who can with Scorners sit Wo to the Rich who fix their Hearts below Whose watry Eyes when all the Poor shall go To endless Joys with useless Tears shall flow Rejoice poor humble Souls my Truths embrace And God shall you at last in boundless Glories place LIX And now Lord what is my Hope Truly my Hope is even in Thee Bel. WHence my dearest Lord from whence Should I raise my Confidence Whence while here beneath the Skies Should my Hopes my Comforts rise Only Dearest Lord from Thee So immensly kind to Me. When was 't well with me without Thee When was 't ill and Thou about Me Keep me ever ever poor If I 'm so of Thee secure Heaven without Thee 's all uneasy Earth with Thee would rather please Me. Heaven would be no Seat of Blisses Hell would crown my warmest Wishes If that Hell beneath could show Thee If that Heaven could ne'r bestow Thee Thou' rt my Love my chief Desire All my Sighs and Groans aspire Only for Thee only to Thee While my liveliest Hopes pursue Thee When the greatest Wants surround Me When the greatest Fears confound Me From my God alone commence All my Hopes and Confidence Others hunt inferiour Pleasures All the sweet the charming Measures Of my Safety spring from Thee All things thence are good to Me. Oft I 'm punish'd oft I 'm tempted But by Mercy still prevented While his Rod severely proves Me Still my dearest Master loves Me Still thy Strokes are dear to Me As the softest Joys can be God ray Lord 's my Hope my Shelter When in Sorrow's Gore I welter He 's my Strength my only Stay All without him flies away Helps deceive Me Friends forsake Me Books but doubtful Answers make Me. Counsellors with Quirks confound Me Reeds alas deceitful wound Me. Thou my Help my Comfort art Thou instruct'st and keep'st my Heart All those things to Peace pretending All Felicities depending Must but vain and empty be When abstracted Lord from Thee All that 's Good and Wise and Great All to Thee their Spring retreat And thy Servants Comfort see Only when they trust in Thee Lord to Thee I lift my Eyes Whence my daily Mercies rise Kindest Father Dearest Lord Still thy Joys thy Smiles afford Bless and sanctify my Mind That Thou there a place may'st find That thy Glories there may rest In a Heart with Pureness drest Freed from Sins offensive Pest Lord as thy Goodness large appears Thy Mercies large O let thy Ears To thy poor Servant's Prayers be kind While here to Deathful Shades confin'd Protect preserve defend my Soul While Clouds and Storms about Me roll Let Grace attending thro a peaceful way My Soul to endless Life and endless Light convey Amen The Christian Pattern PARAPHRAS'D The Fourth Book Of the Eucharist The Invitation O Come ye tabouring Souls with Sins vast weight opprest O come and on your Master 's sacred Bosom rest My Flesh is Bread which I 'll on fainting Souls bestow My Blood the Source of Life to all the World below Take eat my Body here each faithful Soul shall find Eat eat it oft to keep your dying Lord in mind He whom my Flesh and Blood divinely entertains Lo I his Lord in Him and He in Me remains My Words with nobler Sense than Carnal Language shine They 'r Life and Sprit All All Mystick All Divine I. And Reverence his Sanctuary Believer THESE Words Dear Christ Eternal Truth are Thine And like thy Self they 'r all Divine At various Times in various Places us'd Each sacred Syllable Which from my Saviour fell New Life new Light quite thro my Soul diffus'd They 'r Thine as utter'd Lord by Thee But Mine as for Salvation meant to Me. I them with flowing Joys receive May they on Me a deep Impression leave They 'r holy and they 'r gracious All And like sweet Dews or Lovers Kisses fall But me my weighty Guilt affrights A wounded Soul no Visitors invites Thy dear soft Words attract my hungry Soul But Thoughts of inward Guilt my forward Haste controul Thou bidst that my Approach with Faith should be If I 'd have any Share in Thee That I 'd of that immortal Nourishment Accept an offer'd Part And with a grateful Heart My Prayers for Life's eternal Bliss present O ye Thou say'st with Sins opprest O come and on my heavenly Bosom rest Sweet Words Dear happy charming Sound About desponding Sinners ecchoing round By These poor Souls invited are In blest Communion with thy self to share But who Dear Lord or what am I Who dare approach the spotless Deity Heaven's lofty Throne 's impure compar'd with Thee And shall a sinful Soul thy glorious Palace be Who can so kind a Condescension show Whence such a tender Friendship flow Dare I before thy sacred Altars kneel Conscious of in-born Sin Who cruel Pangs within And all a wounded Soul's Convulsions feel Oft have I trespass'd in thy sight And dare I now consuming Flames invite Thy Terrors purest Saints avow To them the bright Angelick Armies bow Thou said'st O Come else Lord had we Resign'd to Fears and Incredulity Great Noah's saving Ark appears The Labour of a hundred lingring Years And can a few short Minutes fit the Soul To meet that God whose Arms the vassail'd World controul A Cedar Chest contain'd thy Laws of old Cedar o're-laid with Ophir's Gold Seven toilsom Years that King of Wisdom spent A Temple's Walls to raise To thy immortal Praise Eight Holy Pays in solemn Feastings went A thousand peaceful Offerings blaz'd A thousand Shouts that Ark of Mercy rais'd To its Majestick glorious Seat What tho I only find a Mystick Treat What tho plain Bread and Wine must be The Symbols of his Flesh and Blood to Me The Legislator's greater far Than Laws tho cut by heavenly Fingers are I 'm vile yet can't one Moment freely spend To purge my filthy Soul or lodg my gracious Friend What Art what Care the Godlike Moses tri'd That wondrous Casket to provide What Time what curious Skill what vast Expence Blest Wisdom's mighty Heir Took that He might prepare A Dome for thy Mysterious Residence But Lord what little Care can I To entertain so great a Guest apply O how my Thoughts distracted range How soon my Manly Resolutions change How fixt my wandring Thoughts should be From all inferiour Obligations free When not Angelick Bands But him who all the Angel-Host commands I to receive with humble Faith prepare And at a Feast of Love with my Redeemer share That sacred Ark thy Mercy 's wondrous Seat By thy peculiar Presence great That Ark the Symbol of the Deity In that Illustrious Dome Took up the noblest Room The Holiest Place as representing Thee Yet all the Sacrifices there Were but the Types of that revolving Year In which Incarnate God should fall The great Atonement and should perfect All. That great Atonement Bread and Wine To us exhibit in a Mode
a wondrous Reach or Sense profound But active Faith with Holy Practice crown'd And can that Ideot understand The Mystick Movements of Vnbounded Will Who in a paltry Fly confounds his utmost Skill To me dear Soul thy Sense submit To mighty Faith let shatter'd Reason yield Not like a Rebel proudly keep the Field I 'll give Thee apprehensive Wit Lead Thee with heavenly Wisdom's constant Light Thro all the dangerous Gloom of Intellectual Night Their Faith my Presence some dispute In Bread and Wine with Vapours both amus'd By Hell's black King in Reason's Garb diffus'd Be thou to all his Questions mute Thy Faith to my unfailing Word resign Hell's King will quickly fly before the Sword Divine Yet when the Devil baits Thee so It proves Thee not by Heaven deserted quite Hell scorns against his certain Slaves to fight But where the Plants of Vertue grow He 'll try a thousand Arts the Roots to kill And on the blooming Hopes his blasting Dews distil O to my Altars then prefer A Faith unmov'd and suppliant Reverence And tho thou feel'st thy own imperfect Sense To me the mystick Part refer Who in Himself confides Himself deceives But God the faithful Soul in no Amusement leaves My Walk with honest Hearts is free My Counsels I to humble Souls reveal And needful Truths to prideless Babes unseal Large Minds are more enlarg'd by Me But justly I refuse my slighted Grace To proud assuming Fools who curious Dreams embrace When first in Man I fixt a Light A Spotless Sun his little World survey'd By no distemper'd Organs Fumes decay'd But Sin induc'd the gloomy Night Now Reason oft an erring Guide appears While o're Life's stormy Seas Faith only safely steers Let Reason then presume no more To fix Faith's Rule or guide the wandring Mind My Word I for that constant Rule design'd But Faith's conducting Hand implore Where that thro Hell's dark Ambuscadoes leads Safe in his Master's steps the cautious Servant treads Here in the Sacramental Feast Faith walks attended by her darling Love Both here in Beauty and in Strength improve By Mystick Ways and Means encreas'd God great immense can mighty Wonders do Nor can the sharpest Eyes his cloudy Flights pursue Had Man by Wit anatomiz'd My Actions or without a Veil had shown The dreadful Honours of my Glorious Throne H 'had soon my Glorious Throne despis'd He 's not unutterably Great nor Wise Whose Strength and Wisdom plain and naked lies To shallow wordy Tongues and unbelieving Eyes FINIS The Churches Hymn after the Eucharist GLory be to God on high God who reigns above the Sky Great Mysterious Majesty May that Eternal Peace which shone With radiant Beams about thy awful Throne May she on Golden Wings descend And Her blest Influence extend Thro the rough Corners of the noisy World Late into impious Jars and dark Confusions hurl'd Welcome welcome sacred Love Welcome from those Realms above Goodness Kindness Mercy Light O dispel our gloomy Night Till inclin'd to Vertue we Only Love and Live to Thee We Bless Thee We Praise Thee In Anthems we raise Thee In our daily Devotions And kneeling before Thee We humbly adore thee And with Heavenly Motions Thy Glories we view And thy Service pursue Till on Extasy's Wings We advance from the Springs Till we flutter and dip on the fathomless Oceans Glorious God Celestial King To Thee O our Father Almighty we sing Jesus Lord Eternal Son Begot before the Birth of Time God above the Gods sublime With thy Glorious Father One Jesus Saviour condescending For a sinful World below Spotless Lamb thy Blood expending To subdue our deadly Foe Precious Sacrifice appointed Heavenly Anger to allay Prophet King and Priest anointed Thou who tak'st our Sins away O the Ways of Truth display Lord and with a gentle Sway Make our willing Hearts obey Mercy Lord we Mercy crave O our Souls in Mercy save Thou who tak'st our Sins away Bow and hear thy Servants pray Mercy Lord c. Thou who tak'st our Sins away Lord thy gracious Arms display Hear O hear thy Servants pray O Thou who sitt'st above the Sky On God's right Hand exalted high Cloth'd with glorious Majesty Mercy Lord c. Holiness belongs to Thee Holy Holy Holy We O Eternal Trinity Sing out with Angel Quires and ever sing to Thee Thou Holy Jesus art our Lord alone And with the Spirit and with the Father One Of One Immortal Throne possest And with united Praise united Glories blest Amen Haec cecini Interpres Christo Duce Auspice Christo Saucius ah Domini Pectus amore mei Vt Laudes Pater ore tuas graviore canamus In resides Animos Spiritus Alme veni Amen FINIS
rebates Weak are thy best Designs and weaker far Than all thy humblest Apprehensions are Don't then my Son thy little Actions prize Nor let great Shows delude thy wandring Eyes Let not the World be sweet or dear to thee Nor fix thy Love beneath Eternity Be TRVTH thy Darling TRVTH thy Soul's Delight Thy Innate Vileness all thy Tears excite Thy Fears thy angry Talk thy Scorn and Hate Engag'd against thy inward sinful State Some with a careless Life but Curious Eye Would boldly thro my Mystic Secret pry Neglect their own and others Souls confound Till in a Sea of deep Temptations drown'd And for their mad Attempts and Godless Pride Down by revenging Strokes to endless Tortures slide Do Thou my Anger and my Judgments fear And don't too busy on my Works appear Thy Sins examine well thy Sins survey Thy frequent Negligence thy cold Delay Some on their Pray'r-Books or on Form and Show All their Devout deceitful Hours bestow They 'l Talk indeed but never Think of Me But those of Souls refin'd more clearly see And only pant and breath to reach Eternity Their Ears all Earthly Conversation hate Unwillingly on Nature's wants they wait They all the Smiles of flattering Worlds despise And higher still in Heavenly Vertues rise And spurn the Ball below and grasp the lofty Skies V. Love is strong at Death Believer TO Thee Eternal Father I With earnest Thanks and Praises fly Father By kind Adoption Mine My Saviour's by his Birth Divine Thro whom on wretched Me bestow'd Thy streaming Pity largely flow'd Blest ever blest be thy Great Name From whom my former Comforts came Who pitied oft unworthy Me For Mercy only lives in Thee To Thee to thy Eternal Son Thy sacred Spirit blest Three in One All humble Thanks all hearty Praise I 'll thro Immortal Ages raise O Gracious God! when once my Breast Is by thy sacred Love possest All Rapture then and Extasy My Heart and Soul shall wait on Thee O then my Hope my Harbour be When Seas of Tribulation compass me Weak are my Vertues weak my Love But O with Joys my Strength improve And with thy Heavenly Discipline Oft visit and my Soul refine My Passions my Affections guide That heal'd and throughly purifi'd My Love with brighter Flames may shine And Patience make me all and only Thine O what 's the Force of Heavenly Love How wondrous all its Motions prove It makes the Heavy Burden Light And always holds the Ballance right It can the Cross with Pleasure meet And make the Bitter truly Sweet Jesus that Name belov'd can raise The humblest Soul to grasp at Praise Make it to mighty Works incline And greater still and more design Love scorns the lower World and flies Like Flames to reach their kindred Skies Love hates Restraint and hates its Chains And always of its Clogs complains Sweet Love the roughest Souls can hold Enflames the Wise the Brave the Bold Makes Heaven the Rest of Saints above And God himself subsists in boundless Love The Lover smiles and springs and flies He 's free and every Bar defies Gives All to All yet keeps it All For he his God his own can call From whom the purest Blessings fall It 's not the Gift but Giver He Above all other Joys would see Love knows no Mean but burns and glows And ore its common Bounders flows Love never values Weight nor Pains Nor of th' Impossible complains But grasps at All and All can do If he who loves can be but active too Love watches in the Lover's Eyes And ne're fatigu'd nor fainting lies Love tho confin'd abroad can rove Unfrighted by the noisy Drove Love like a Torch or Astral Fire Will always tow'rds the Poles aspire If that bright Flame my Soul possess I soon to God shall find Access My God my Love my Life is mine And I Dear Lord am All and only Thine O then with Love enlarge my Heart To me that Heavenly Gust impart That I those happy Sweets may prove And always Live and always Love May Love possess me all and raise My Passions to a soaring Blaze Teach me to sing the Songs of Love And fly with Thee dear Lord above O fill me more and more till I A Phenix in those Flames may die More than my Self I 'll love Thee Lord If thou thy lightsome Beams afford And for thy sake I 'll all embrace Who love thy Glories and who seek thy Face Love when sincere is swift and warms With pleasant and delightful Charms It 's Brave and Patient Wise and True Long-suffering Manly ever New And never seeks it self but You. Love's Cautious Humble seeks the Right Not Soft Effeminate or Light But Sober Peaceful Firm and Chast A Guard on all our Senses plac't Love to its Guides Obedience gives And meanly of it self believes Devout to God and grateful proves And still by Hope's Prescriptions moves Yea tho its God His Smiles remove Since Clouds sometimes obscure the Skies of Love Fit Me for Suffering O my God O fit me for thy sharpest Rod For if I dare not smart for Thee No Lover's Name belongs to Me. All Hardship I for Thee can bear Thy Love can harshest things endear No Pains from Thee shall make me start While Grace unvails my Eyes and Love secures my Heart VI. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith Christ YEt still my Son thou' rt neither brave nor wise And Love's soft Name is but thy thin Disguise Bel. Why Lord Chr. Consider how thy Soul recoils Despairs of Comfort and desponds with Toils The valiant Lover like a Rock secure Can all Hell 's furious Arts unmov'd endure He loves me when he thrives and lives in Peace Nor can his Sufferings make His noble Ardours cease The Prudent Lover may the Gift admire But to the Giver most his Thoughts aspire The Worth but little to the Kindness seems The Giver He above the World esteems I not the Boon his restless Heart engage Yet Doubts don't straight a total Fall presage Love's Sweet and Good when fixt on Mine and Me Grace gave it Being and the Fruits may be The Foretaste of a Blest Eternity Grace yet may vary have its Ebbs and Flows And interrupt the careless Soul's Repose He 's Brave indeed who fights the Battel thro And Courage tho opprest with Odds can shew He breaks Hell's utmost Force and all his Loves are true Then let not fanci'd Beauties charm thy Sight Nor thy Sick Soul from righteous Ways invite Sometimes perhaps thy Joys are Raptures all And down straight to their former Weakness fall If thou to get an equal Temper strive That War may warm thy Soul thy dying Hopes revive Know then the Prince of Hell thy antient Foe Would all thy Faith and envy'd Hopes o'rethrow Thy Soul's Devotions from thy Maker turn And would against thy Saviour's Passion spurn He 'd fain divert thee from thy Sense of Sin From Vertue 's Progress and thy Guard within Fills thee with impious Thoughts
with distracting Fear A Mind from all Ambitious Fancies free Is happier than with vast Abundance cloy'd Vain Wealth Applause and Honour's Pageantry Will be with this poor fleeting World destroy'd Height can't secure Thee but a prudent Zeal A Peace ill-founded never long can last New Garments can't an ulcer'd Heart conceal Nor Thou be better tho not what thou wast In Me thy Strength alone thy Safety stands I change the Heart and I reform the Mind Who leaves Me quickly feels Hell's weighty Bands And from one Danger snatch'd will greater Dangers find A Prayer for Purity and Wisdom SHEW Me Lord O shew thy Face O confirm my Heart with Grace Strengthen Lord my fainting Mind Now to worthless Cares inclin'd Wash my Eyes from needless Tears Purge my Soul from Doubts and Fears Purge it from impure Desires If it Gold or Dirt admires All alas is Transitory All a Fiction all a Story All a Blast an empty Lie All vexatious Vanity Why should I a Shade pursue I alas am dying too Give Me Wisdom Lord to see All 's but Dirt compar'd with Thee Heav'nly Wisdom Jesus send Me That while common Sweets attend Me I may fix my Heart above And Thee more than all things love Teach Me Lord to know Thee more Shew Me all the wondrous Store Of Mysterious Providence And enlarge my Soul and Sense If Thou make Me truly Wise I 'll the fawning World despise Bear with humble Patience those Who my Peaceful Course oppose Wisdom always keeps the Field Won't to noisy Language yield Scorns the Fool 's prepost'rous choice Scorns the Sirens charming Voice Walks in Holy Paths secure Of Divine Protection sure Send it O my Saviour send it I 'll with humblest Vows attend it XXVIII Thou shalt be hid from the Scourge of the Tongue Christ MY Son ne're murmur tho the World accuse Thy spotless Name thy Innocence abuse When that 's all past thy modest Thoughts must own Thy Self still worse as to thy Self best known They charge Thee deep but Thou canst quickly find Guilt deeper far disturb thy conscious Mind Try to be pure indeed some Words have prov'd Blest healing Balms tho first by Malice mov'd Live hush'd in Silence tho thy Fate 's severe And undisturb'd their lavish Language hear True Innocence will heavenly Beauties show Thro' all that noisom Dirt the villain World can throw No real Peace their hinder Words could raise It 's equal to Thee if they Curse or Praise Thou 'lt still remain unalter'd still the same How e're they mangle thy advancing Fame In Me thy Peace thy real Glory lies And He who can the common World despise Who neither fawns nor fears a snarling Age May in those Sweets of endless Peace engage From sensless Fears and Love's Distractions rise The Soul well pois'd above the World's encumbrance flies XXIX Count it all Joy when ye fall into divers Temptations Bel. BLEST Lord O blest be thy great Name From whom my Sufferings gently came Who with a Father's tender hands Such Trials for his Son commands They come They come nor can I fly But open to their Lashes lie Only in thy extended Arms I hope to rest secur'd from Harms Let Lord O let thy Rod to Me Correction and Instruction be Lord of my self with fretful Rage I 'd still against thy Hand engage No Patience I no humble Mind Within my wretched Self can find What shall I say dear Father now Beneath thy weighty Strokes I bow O save me from the threatning Hour Or act me with thy saving Power Till humbler for my Follies grown I may thy wondrous Mercies own I 'm Poor I 'm Nothing but by Thee Save Lord O save and rescue Me Patience blest God! thy Patience give And I 'll without repining live Be Thou my God be Thou my Aid And tho beneath vast Mountains laid That Weight I 'll uncomplaining bear And shake off all the Terrors of insulting Fear What shall I say my God to Thee But Do thy Pleasure Lord with Me I merit Wrath and thence for Woes And Sufferings would my Thoughts compose In them O may I Patience show Till off these rugged Tempests blow Thy mighty Hand alone can Me From all the Tempter's Furies free Baffle his Rage and break his Might And save Me from approaching Night Save Me my God as when of old Thou couldst my fainting Heart uphold I groan beneath thy weighty Chains Thy Hand can heal my Wounds and ease my smarting Pains XXX My Grace is sufficient for Thee Christ LO I 'm that God my Son who comforts Thee Come then in Sufferings only come to Me Comfort thou want'st and Comforts soon would'st have Would'st Thou with greater Warmth my Comforts crave But thou 'dst first to the World's Assistance fly I 'm but a Refuge in Extremity But all thy hopes are vain till thou canst own Me Me the Saviour of the Just alone No Creature-Aids or Arts or Counsels can Remove those Sufferings which my Hands began Resume thy Spirits then the Skies grow clear And bright again my Mercy 's Beams appear Once more I 'll raise thy Head thy State restore As Job severely try'd was happier than before What is there any thing that 's bard to Me When e're I promis'd was I false to Thee Ah where 's thy Faith Thy sacred Confidence Stand fast for shame Heroick Faith commence Be brave be bold The Time of Comfort 's nigh I now on rapid Wings to help Thee fly Let Hell 's black Tyrant rage let Nature fear Thy Temper shake lo I at hand appear Why should Futurities torment thy Mind Sorrows alone such dark Enquiries find To Day thou liv'st indeed and can't To day Lay Cares enough in thy uncertain way Such busy Thoughts are vain and useless all Wisdom will ne'r be scar'd with what may ne'r befal But what can narrow Souls imprison'd do Shamm'd off with Air and gull'd with empty show The gaudy Shadow draws their longing Eyes But swift as Dreams the gaudy Shadow flies Hell would abuse Thee but ne're cares if Thou To Sin barefac'd or painted Vertues bow If Love of present things distract thy Soul Or future Hopes thy future Fears controul Stand fast believe me on my Mercy rest Perhaps when Sorrows most assault thy Breast When Hopes all ruin'd Joys all lost appear I 'm then my Self with vast Advantage near Tho things go cross they mayn't be desperate quite A sudden Prospect may confound the sight And He 's too weak who sinks and drowns for fear When any Means untri'd to reach the Shores appear What tho I lash thee now or seem to hide My cheerful Glories or in Clouds reside My Methods lead Thee tow'rd Eternal Light Thou' rt punish'd thus but not deserted quite My Saints more Blessings in Afflictions find Than when the World is to their Wills resign'd I know thy secret unshap'd Thoughts and know A short Recess a little Cloud below May humble Thee the Price of Heaven enhance And thy Salvation's
thy heavy Lashes bore And inward Pangs and outward Woes Great Physician Lord of Souls Thou whose Hand our Hearts controuls None above and none below Can such Wounds and Balms bestow Thou to Hell canst cast me down Thou my Life with Health canst crown All the Sufferings laid on Me All my Comforts flow from Thee In thy blest Hands Dear Father I Beneath thy Rod's Correction lie Lash cut me deep that I may be In all submissive Lord to Thee Make me Obedient Humble Meek That I thy Will alone may seek My Self I yield my All to Thee Here not hereafter punish Me Thou knowst my Conscience throughly Lord Each brooding Thought each winged Word Past Present Future Matters lie At once before thy piercing Eye Thou my Interest only knowst What to purge my Rust it cost Let me Lord thy Subject be Work thy Pleasure Lord on Me Ne'r despise Me ne'r neglect Me Nor for Nature's Taint reject me I thy Jurisdiction own I to Thee am throughly known Lord teach Me what I ought to know And Love to lovely things to show To praise what only pleases Thee True Worth in what thou lovest to see While what Thou hat'st grows vile to Me. Let me never judg by sight Nor in empty Tales delight Wisdom's Methods let me learn And superiour Things discern From those little Toys below And thy Laws exactly know Mens Senses oft in Judgment fail And Toys on Earthy Minds prevail Who only grasp at what they see And scorn Invisibility Who tho the Rabble lift them high May still in common Ordure lie For when Cheats the Cheaters praise When the Vain their Fellows raise When the Blind conducts the Blind When the Weak's a Guide design'd All 's Deceit from first to last All their Praise an empty Blast For a Man's repute should be Only as He 's priz'd by Thee LI. Who hath despis'd the Day of small things Christ MY Son Tho now thy inward Flames supreamly shine Thy Prayers are Raptures and thy Flights Divine Yet Nature's Weakness oft will Lure thee down And Life's rough Cares thy soaring Fancies drown The Heart still of its mortal Load complains And needs must groan beneath its slavish Chains Since cramp'd so oft when it attempts the Skies And would to heavenly things and lofty Subjects rife With humble Thoughts then Holy Works pursue Till coming I thy smother'd Flames renew With heavenly Dews refresh the drowthy Plains Bless thee with Peace break thy weighty Chains Thy Heart enlarg'd thro Scripture-Vails shall rove And Thou to run my holy Ways shall love Till sure what e're thy present Sufferings are They can't with heavenly Bliss and future Crowns compare LII I have born Chastisement I will not offend any more Believer LORD I 'm unworthy of thy Comforts thy Love And thou mayst justly from my wreched Heart remove Vast Seas of flowing Tears could never make me pure My great my crying Sins might all thy Plagues endure But boundless Goodness Lord and Mercy lives with Thee And thy supporting Hand thy fading Creatures see Thou mak'st my drooping Soul thy wondrous Comforts know And find how far they pass our weak Attempts below What can I do my God to gain thy heavenly Grace So slow to Penitence so swift in Satan's Race I nothing Lord can plead if thou my Crimes survey But Hell and hellish Flames must all my Guilt repay I know I merit Lord thy utmost Hate Scorn Nor can my Name among thy Holy Saints be born Harsh tho the Reckoning prove I must the Test endure If I 'd thy Mercies Springs thy Comforts Streams procure What shall I say when at thy dreadful Bar accus'd What can a Sinner plead with inward Guilt confus'd I 've sinn'd great God I 've sinn'd O Mercy Mercy show O let my Eyes a while with unfeign'd Waters flow E're I to Death's black Shades the Lands of Darkness go A contrite humble Heart thy Bar for Sin demands In true Repentance all our hope of Pardon stands That stills those rugged Storms which o're the Conscience roll Our dying Gifts repairs shields the trembling Soul From Judgment 's dreadful Flames till delug'd round with Sweets The Soul its smiling God in Love's Embraces meets A contrite Heart to Thee 's a nobler Sacrifice Than all those Odours which from fuming Incense rise Sweet as those fragrant Oils which wash'd thy sacred Feet And as it 's humble must thy constant Favours meet Thy Arms a Refuge sure from Hellish Rage appear And our Pollutions all thy flowing Mercies clear LIII Love not the World neither the Things of the World Christ MY Smiles are pure my Son unmix'd with those Poor Comforts which inferiour Things disclose Wouldst thou obtain them Cast thy Clogs aside Thy Self within thy private Chambers hid There with thy God not Men Discourses nod Thy Mind and Conscience there with Sighs unfold Laugh at the World that sweet Recess prefer Before a King 's invidious Character For Mine and worldly Loves thou ne'r canst find A Time of leisure or an easy Mind From fondest Friends and Earth's Incumbrance free There thou mayst dedicate thy self to Me And like a Stranger and a Pilgrim move Thro' wastful Desarts here to Canaan's Rest above With what strange Joys that happy Man may die Whose Thoughts discharg'd from Earth's Engagements lie Words can't express nor curious Arts descry The real Saint the World's Concerns will leave And chiefly fears Self should Himself deceive Subdue thy Self thou'lt soon the World subdue That Conquest only is a Conquest true He who his sensual part by Reason guides Then with his Reason to his Lord subsides O're Earth o're himself a King triumphant rides Wouldst thou reach this Then like a Man begin And lay the Ax close to the Roots of Sin He● down Self-love and every Thought inclin'd ●o vulgar Blisses or the Creature-kind Self-love alone the Little World confounds That master'd Peace the quiet Heart surrounds How few compleatly to themselves can die Their Bird-lim'd Wings no gallant Heights can fly But here in common Cares entangled lie But those who would at large converse with Me Must from deprav'd unruly Passions be And from their darling selves and Creature-Comforts free LIV. The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God Christ MY Son Nature and Grace in all their Steps attend Soft is their Motion and oppos'd their End Only by men of inward Light perceiv'd Most aim at Good but are alas deceiv'd Sly Nature has a thousand Arts and Snares And only for its own Delights prepares Grace is sincere and all that 's ill declines Cheats none but all for God and Godlike Works designs Death Sufferings and Subjection Nature hates Grace struggling Lust with holy Art rebates Fain would be humble and would fain obey And not at large in fleshly Desarts stray Love's Discipline and on its Good would rest And for his sake it self of Self divest Nature for Pleasure seeks and seeks for Gain Grace only