Let thy sober will Be sway'd by reason let thy reason still Lead thee to meditation then begin To search thy self and cypher up thy sin Having thus done thou quickly wilt discry Thy grief and where th' imperious humors lie And having found them out let no delay Damage thy Soul but quickly haste away And from the bottom of thy heart confess Thy greatest sins so Heav'n may make them less O kiss the Son for if his anger be Yea but a little kindled blest is he Whose groping Soul his seal'd up mercies found And cast his anchor in so firm a ground Heav'n smiles on them whose oft-repeated pray'r Expands their sins makes their God their care But when revolting negligence shall call Confounding ruine from th' imperial hall Of Heav'ns high-seated Palace and invite A dreadful vengeance to eclipse the light Of a resplendent happiness and double The lab'ring Soul with interposing trouble Ah then our pleasures shall be turn'd to toys And sudden grief shall expiate our joys And like Jerusalem confus'd shall we Wander and languish in obscuritie Then then our down-cast spirits shall lament And moan their just deserved punishment Then shall our Peace be drawn unto an end Then shall we look for but shall find no friend Then shall our sad Embassadors prepare And mount to Heav'n but find no audience there Then shall our blubber'd eyes in vain let slide Innumerable tears then shall the Tyde Of Heav'ns high-flowing anger rage and roar And dash against our sin-polluted shore Then shall we run and in our running meet Th' obvious sword in the blood-streaming street Then shall our hasty trembling feet retire To our sad houses there shall Death require Th' arrears of sorrow Lingring Famine shall Like to a lean-cheek'd Fury grasp us all And from our strouting veins shall squeez a flood A luke-warm deluge of diffused blood Then shall our children with their midnight cries Lament for food Then shall their mothers eyes Bedew their bosoms with the falling showres Of dribling tears Then shall their lothed hours Haste to an end And having thus exprest Their woes shall creep into Eternal rest Then shall the early melancholly Bells Sound mournful peals for their sad last farewels Ah now my Soul Can any griefs out-vy Such griefs as these Can any heart deny The justness of these Judgments If they do May they feel Sodoms and Gomorrahs too Heav'n cannot be unjust No no 't is we Provoking sinners are unjust not he Shall we offend and shall we every day Hale down his Judgments on our backs then lay The burthen of our faults on him and cry Like Traytor Judas Master is it I No no we must not but let every one Vnbosom all his actions and make known His misdemeanors then if any can Plead himself guiltless he 's a happy man Find out but ten good men and for their sake Heav'n will deduct a thousand plagues and shaâ—â— Ten thousand more from his incensed brest And for their sakes will give ten thousand rest Sodom can witness Heav'n brooks no denyal He had sav'd all had ten been found but loyal Oh blind and foolish is that City when Ten thousand doubled cannot number ten CHAP. III. Contents 1 The faithful bewail their calamities 22 By the mercies of God they nourish their hopes 37 They acknowledg Gods Justice 55 They pray for deliverance 64 and vengeance on their enemies 'T Is I have seen affliction by the rod Th' impetuous anger of the wrathful God He with a pitchy darkness mask'd my sight And hath not cloth'd me with the robes of light He turn'd his hand against me all the day He broke my bones and made my flesh decay His lab'ring fury hath built up a wall Against me and surrounded me with gall In dungeon places he me set like those Which in their graves have had a long repose And he hath made my toilsom chains to be Heavy He hedg'd me from my libertie And when I shout and cry he will not hear But makes my pray'r a stranger to his ear He hath inclosed me with stones that stay My hasty steps he hath incurv'd my way And as a lurking Bear observes my paces Or as a Lion in the secret places He turn'd me from my ways disturb'd my state Pull'd me in pieces made me desolate He bent his Bow and made my trembling heart The aym'd-at object of his fatal dart He caus'd his quivered guests t' inforce my veins And take a large possession in my reins I was my peoples laughing stock their song Was tuned to my mischief all day long He fill'd me full of bitterness and wo And made me drunk with nauseous wormwood too He brake my teeth with gravel stones and he With heaps of ashes hath involved me Banish'd my Soul from Peace Prosperity Is quite relapsed from my memory I said my strength my very hope is even Wasted and perish'd from the Lord of Heav'n Ponder my woes and my afflictions all Remember both the honey and the gall These things do still in my remembrance rest And ah my Soul is humbled in my brest This I recall to my swift-roving mind Therefore I hope and hoping hope to find It is the mercy of the Lord we sail So safe for his compassions never fail They 're every morning new thy faithfulness Is great and greater then I can express The Lord 's my portion saith my Soul and I Will therefore hope unto Eternity And that just Soul which dayly shall attend Upon the Lord shall never want a friend 'T is good that man should hope and wait upon Th' Almighties pleasure and salvation 'T is good for man to exercise the truth And bear the yoke of his offending youth He sits alone and silently makes known He bears no other burthen then his own His humbled mouth salutes the dusty ground As if some hopes of mercy may be found He 's fill'd with shame he willingly invites T'a second stroke the hand of him that smites For they that strive and really endeavor God will not leave nor cast them off for ever He will have pity though he sends a grief In multitudes of mercy lies relief He doth not punish nor augment the smart Of sinners children with a willing heart His feet take no delight to crush to death Th' offending pris'ners of th' inferior earth To turn away mans right his heart abhors Before the face of their superiors And to subvert a man in his just cause The Lord approveth not 't is not his Laws And who is he whose spend-thrift tongue dare say This thing shall come to pass when Heav'n says nay Out of the mouth of him that 's God indeed There doth not evil but known good proceed Why doth a living man with grumbling thoughts Complain as one that 's punisht for his faults Let 's search let 's try our ways let 's turn again To God and he will turn away our pain And let our hands b'extended with our Souls To Heav'ns
the splendor of this glorious Sun See how he wrastles with the gloomy clouds Of our transgressions See how he unshrouds Himself On see what pains he undergoes To prove himself our friend that were his foes Methinks I hear a throng of people cry Let Barabbas be freed let 's crucifie This Jewish King let 's lead him to his death 'T is pity he should draw a minutes breath Methinks I see how his weak hands are bound With twisted cords Methinks I see him crown'd with sharpned thorns Methinks I see them how They worship him with a dissembled bow Methinks I see the gazing people run To see the glorious setting of this Sun Methinks I see his gentle feet divide Their measur'd paces to be crucify'd Methinks I see how his delightful face Seems to receive an honor by disgrace Methinks I see how his Heav'n-fixed eyes Do overlook his raging enemies Methinks I see his spear-inviting brest Willingly ready to receive the rest Of their intended malice How his palms Like one that gives and not receives an alms Are spread abroad which truly verifies With what a chearful willingness he dyes Methinks I see how his connexed feet Salute the Cross as if they joy'd to meet With so so fast a friend Methinks I see With what a Heav'n-infus'd reluctancie He entertains their blows as if he found A lively comfort in each deadly wound Methinks I see his bubbling veins how they Swell up a little and then shrink away And hide themselves as if they had exprest For the departure of so warm a guest A secret grief till conquering death exil'd Life from the body of that Lamb that Child That Son of God in whom true joys reside Who lives by dying and by living dy'd Quis miserior quà m qui suam nescit miseriam DO I not dayly see that nothing can Be so unstable as the state of man Do I not see how fortune can correct Misfortune and as suddenly neglect Poor helpless man Sometimes his thoughts are crown'd With golden joys and sometimes kiss the ground Somtimes he 's fil'd with laughter somtims weeps Sometimes he walks in state and somtimes creeps A morning joy proves sometimes grief at night For fortunes dyal goes not always right 'T is vain 't is vain and ah that I could weep My self into a deluge and so steep My cheeks in tears Oh that I could imbark My naked Soul and swim like Noah's Ark In that grand Ocean which my flowing eyes Have made and overlook my miseries Distemp'red thoughts why do you thus torment My yeelding Soul why does my Soul relent Why am I thus afflicted why doth sorrow Take an advantage of my Soul and borrow Quotidian plagues and study how to make My heart its Theater How shall I shake These coupling fetters from my captiv'd heart How shall I bid adue to grief and part Where shall I run and labor to unsnare My breasts inhabitant Oh how or where Shall I retire my self In what sad place Shall I deplore my miserable case Could I but find a place where I might dwell And only see the Sun I 'd bid farewel To all false pleasures For now my Soul still hovers to and fro From places to place sometimes it flies too low Sometimes with more aspiring wings it flies And envies at impossibilities Then back again and with a seeming mirth Surveys the center of this flattering Earth And thus my Soul being left in this sad being Agrees in nothing else but disagreeing My ways are pav'd with thorns I take my diet From sorrows table furnish'd with disquiet I am the principle of grief my eyes Like windows open to all miseries My head 's a fountain and from thence doth flow The headlong rivers of unbridled woe My sighs like sudden storms disturb my rest As if I had a Boreas in my brest Needs must I be molested in my dreams My heart 's the receptacle of all streams Then blame me not if sorrow makes me cry Sum all misfortune up and that am I But stay my thoughts post not away too fast Extreams are dangerous and cannot last A sudden thought hath made me to confess I may be happy in unhappiness And what 's a thought 't is but a sudden puff Yet many may confound when one's enough Come let 's repose and make a little stay Our Sun 's sufficient to adorn a day Why should I wander in the darksom shades Of my own errors whilest a grief invades My naked senses 'T is in vain to strive Against the power of God who can contrive What pleases him Why shall I then repine At what he sends Can wretched I confine His will to mine Oh no He suffers well Whose suffrings tell him there 's no other Hell But in this world Who would not then endure Terrestrial torment that he may procure Celestial pleasures Sorrow brings no loss To him whose patience can sustain a cross Hereafter I will labor to prevent A little Sorrow by a great Content Surgit post nubila Phoebus WHen gloomy clouds surround the lofty skie It is an argument a storm is nigh But when the Sun 's eclipsed from our sight We must not judg an everlasting night Will then ensue 'T is danger to distrust A God that is so merciful so just The greatest sin that Satan can declare Against a guilty Soul is sad despair What though the clouds of Earth shall interpose Betwixt a Soul and Heaven the wind blows Not always in one place one happy hour May breed a calm and qualifie a showre Some greedy Lawyers when their Clyents stoek Is almost spent rewards him with a mock The Counsellor of Heav'n gives more content To a poor sinner when his breath is spent Accepts the will although his tongue be mute He seldom keeps him seven years in a suite He 's free in mercy and he takes delight To end a suite when sorrow makes it right God is not like to them that take a pride In others griefs when tears begin to slide His mercy falls he cannot brook delay But meets a sinners language half the way His ears are always open to let in A sinners prayers when he lets out his sin What thogh I have transgrest what tho my crime Appear like mountains mountains oftentimes Sink lower nay and God can pardon all As well as one for be they great or small They all are sins shrubs grow as well as trees Gods mercy will admit of no degrees He that distrusts his God shall always find A clouded conscience and a stormy mind Seven days had run before God had attyr'd The World with order yet he was not tyr'd And shall we then expect to climb so high As Heav'n in half an hour or else deny So blest a labour No perhaps to day We keep the road to morrow lose the way Contenta vita est summa foelicitas WHat is this world A looking-glass wherein We see the body nay the face of Sin What 's Wealth what 's Honor
Wolves seek up and down To find a prey in every starved Town Shall eat deaths reliques having spent that store Shall ransack up and down and howl for more All beasts and fowls shall then amazed stand To see the Sea is turn'd into a Land The Land into a Sea a Red Sea where Nothing but bones in stead of fishes are Where nothing's heard but cries and shrieks and groans Where nothing's seen except consuming bones Oh had you but the power to apprehend These sad destructive dangers how they tend Daâ—ly towards us with all the power that they Can make as if they 'd rout us in one day Dull sons of men have ye forgot to rise And draw the Curtains of your slumbring eyes Methinks this hot Alarum should affright Your Souls for ever from your fond delight What do ye mean ye cannot chuse but hear Heav'ns thundring Judgments ratling in your ear What have ye sworn Allegiance to the Prince Of utter darknesse Will no words convince Your Stubborn Souls Has a perpetual vow Been lately past betwixt Hells Prince and you Why do ye thus delight to overthrow Your selves and lose a Kingdom at one blow Oh where are my grand Rulers to correct These their enormous humors that infect The world with Errors To what fatal place Are all my Senators retired You my Triennial Powers come and dispose Your ears to my discourse and I le disclose My grief to you whose Judgments can prescribe A timely remedy without a bribe Then hark THe climing power of my disease is grown To such a height that I can hardly own A minutes rest my body politick You apprehend I know is very sick Then let the depth of understanding move The depth of pity that ye may remove These growing inconveniences that moan For your assistance Can a Kingdom groan And not be heard Can a disease remain within my body and not I complain Oâ— what I suffer That were Tyrannie Not to be paralel'd O pity me And let the fervour of my language turn Your thoughts to tears to quench those flames that burn My wasting intrals Let your hearts relent With meditating on my discontent Open your willing ears and hear me call O do not fall a slumbring whilest I fall O hear me soon that now complain too late Let my complaints make you compassionate Dissolve into a Sea of tears Involve Your selves with sackcloth Let your minds revolve Upon your native soil resolve to spend Your greatest skills to consummate the end Of my distractions and let mercy joyn With justice so shall endless love combine Your Souls That like Ezekiels wheels ye may Run one within another and not stray But like Isaiahs Seraphims may cry O holy holy holy God on high But stay nor can I end my griefs must fly A little further Mountains that are high Must be discovered Molehills often times Lie out of sight like undiscovered crimes A publike sorrow oftentimes admits A cure from them whose more concreted wits Do dayly study with more active arts More publique mischief with more private hearts Doth not the fawning Crocodile obtain By publique sorrow her more private gain Doth not the crafty Lapwing cry the least When she is nearest to her close-made nest Are there not those in this conniving age Whose outward meekness is but inward rage Are there not those in these contentious times That live by nothing but their private crimes Oh grief to speak it Are there not a sort Of wilful people that can make a sport At others ruines whose pretended zeal Hath bred much mischief in this Common-weal Are there not those that would pretend to be Reformers yet deform a Monarchie Are there not those whose upstart honors crave Perpetual durance only to enslave The Sons of Honor Thus they play the thief And joy in nothing but in others grief Are there not those who in one breath can cry Against a Lyar yet can forge a lye for their advantage and abjure the Laws Lyes are no lyes if they advance their Cause Are there not those that persecute the Arts And yet retain Monopolizing hearts Are there not those that dayly take delight To twist themselves into anothers right Do not all these which I have nam'd pretend To do all this to a religious end And ah Religion how art thou betray'd By those whose worthless industry have layd Thine honor in the dust nay and have thrown Dirt in their faces that shall dare to own Thy very name these are a sort of people That love no Church because they hate the steeple I dare affirm that Proteus ne'er could be So much transform'd as they have transform'd thee Nor can I yet conclude I must deplore My greater sorrows yet a little more Let no man take exceptions for I speak Unto my self sorrow must finde a leak I cannot hold and O that I were able To make my feeble tongue infatigable That by my full expressions I may prove How much the Serpent over-rules the Dove There was a time not long since when my fits Had found as expiation if those wits Which prov'd too serpentine had not delayd Their too-soon violated vows and playd A double game I even blush to name What odds they had and how they lost the game The world though sad is not so melancholly But that it smiles at and records that folly The breach of vows cracks honor and the loss Of opportunity deserves a cross â—n honors book and he that shall neglect A publique good shall finde a bad respect In private hearts and ruine must attend A publique Actor for a private end Are there not those hate Rome and yet make rooâ— For Catiline and labor to entomb His vile prescriptions in their Romish thoughts And yet excuse themselves and him from faults Do I not see them how they run his paths With head-long force and prosecute his Laws Do I not see their Agents how they strive To ruine others and to keep alive Themselves that liv'd not till this greedy age Rak'd them from dunghils to adorn the Stage Of Hell-bred Tyranny Do I not see How much they 'r honor'd for their Tyranny The Salamander when he 's crown'd with â—iâ— Is in his Kingdom if his Crown expire His life concludes Tell me what then remains Except the reliques of consuming flames Even so the Salamanders of these days Whose hearts are made of flames at last will blaz And smother into ashes Thus declin'd What can they leave except a stink behinde Each thing must live within its element Discretion tells us fishes must content Themselves with water and all things must live Content with that which Heav'n was pleas'd to givâ— 'T is onely man that surfeits with desire The earth the ayr the water quickning fire And all was made for man and man was made Of all these things O let it not be said That fire predominates and breeds contest Within my bowels and destroys the rest O strive now your unruly flames arise
though the path be something rough and small Better 's a rough path then no path at all For now I ramble up and down and see No certainty except of miserie Is it discretion to pull down a fair Cathedral Church because one spider's there Is it discretion to condemn the Sun Because the Dials false the Times must run Their revolutions set the Dial right Then you 'l not want a truth till Sol wants light Let all things move within their orbs suppose Th' inferior lights should labor to depose The Prince of light and drive him from his throne And by an usurpation make 't their own What strange aspects would this produce t' affright Supine Astronomers to see that light Which was at distance now approach so neer And blaze in an improper Haemisphere Consider then would not the Stars let fall Too great an influence the Sun too small On humane bodies O may they remain In their own Region then would Sol again Enjoy his just prerogatives and feed The world with such a lustre as I need Peace is the light I want could I obtain But Peace how soon should I survive again Peace is the best Physician I require Nothing but Peace to quench my hot desire A good Physician will be sure to see E're he prescribes where lies the maladie Then he 'l begin to study and to try What may be best whether Phlebotomy Be good and if it be opens a vein And so restores his Patients ease again Thus thus grand authors of my woes should you Have done at first if ye had been but true To me but when at first my griefs you saw Ye thought it good to purge me with your Law And having purg'd me ye began to see How weak I was and what a low degree Y' ad brought me to and then ye fell at strife By killing me how to preserve my life You brought strange Doctors to me whose advice I 'm sure was purchas'd by too high a price They bid me lift my arms up to my head And stir my Body for diseases bred For want of exercise they bid me play A game or two at Irish every day I took th' advice then I begun to finde A sudden alteration and my minde Was so transported that me thoughts the ground Began to dance and I my self turn'd round I fell into a trance with this presumption And ever since I 've liv'd in a Consumption Let this example all the world assure An English Grief will have no Scottish Cure And so farewel if these be your conditions Henceforth you may prove But not Physicians Englands Petition to Heaven AH me Ah me can nothing but Ah me Fly from my barren heart dear God to thee Ah me and why will not that word import Ten thousand pray'rs that so I may resort Unto thy ears by Troops then would I run Division on ah me till Time were done Weak as I am distracted and defil'd I prostitute my self not as a childe Of Sin but as a Parent that has had A numerous off-spring Now my heart is sad O grant that my unfeigned grief may grow Upon a real graft that I may show The fruit of perfect sorrow and declare How great my sins how great thy mercies are Storm thou my sins and force them to retreat And make my craving brest thy mercies seat Strike thou my flinty Soul that my desires May from a spark encrease to flames Thy fires Must thaw my Icy Soul or else I shall Remain for ever a congealed Gall I am compos'd of steel and cannot bow Except thy dear instructions teach me how Attract me by the loadstone of thy grace That through thy mercies I may see thy face And having view'd it I may never more Return to what I Idoliz'd before I have a Lydia's heart in mercy please To open it thy mercies are the keyes Ravish my Soul that I may fall in love With thee my God with thee that art a Dove Of innocency Let my raptures mount As high as Heav'n that there I may recount Thy never failing love and sing thy praise With Davids heart until the last of days Tune thou my stupid Soul and then it shall Be truly sweet and heav'nly musical Convert my swords to sighs that I my fight With my own crimes and hate to take delight To lacerate my self O tye the hands Of fury make me stoop to thy commands Convert my tydes of blood to streams of tears My lyes to truths my horrid oaths to pray'rs Make me to apprehend how thou hast wept Of late for me whilest I securely slept Let not thy tears destroy me but let me Dissolve to tears dear God and weep to thee Is it the heat of my offences make The Heav'ns to melt O Heav'n some pity take Or has thy great discretion thought it good To send these showres to wash away that blood VVhich I have lost I know thy purer eyes Cannot endure a bloody sacrifice O stop thy bottle pity my sad times And grant to me more tears or fewer crimes Be pleas'd to view me with a gracious eye And let the lustre of thy Majesty Reflect upon me let thy glorious light Create a day of mercy that the night Of sin may be expel'd O hear my pray'rs Usher'd unto thee with a tyde of tears To me O let thy mercies be exprest And fill the concave of a sinful brest Sinful ah sinful more then I am able VVith language to express intolerable Behold my festred Soul whose wounds proceed From sin and being drest with sin they bleed They bleed dear Heav'n they bleed O what a flood A flood they make and I am bath'd in blood O stop this current that does still begin Or I shall drown a Kingdom in my sin O look upon me and in mercy please To send me salve to palliate my disease Begin to hear O GOD begin to send That so my sorrows may begin to end THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH CHAP. I. Contents 1 The miserable estate of Jerusalem by reason of her sins 12 She complaineth of her grief 18 and confesseth Gods judgments to be righteous HOw doth the City that was blest of late With store of people now lament her state How like a poor distressed widow she Deplores her sorrows that was wont to be Great among Nations greater far then any How tributary is she now to many She drowns her blushing cheeks with midnight tears And from her lovers can obtain no pray'rs Her friends arm'd all with treachery arise And shew themselves her publique enemies Spuâ—â—'d with affliction Judah's forc'd to fly And throw her self into Captivity Bâ—cause of sense consuming servitude She dwells amongst the Heathen multitude Her Foes o're-took her when she was distrest Well might she wish for but could take no rest Sion is with redoubled grief surpriz'd Because her feasts by none are solemniz'd Her Gates are fill'd with desolation and Her Virgins tortur'd with afflictions hand Her Priests with sighs heart-breaking sighs
express Their grief Ah Sion's fill'd with bitterness Her chiefest people are her chiefest foes Just Heav'n with these innumerable woes Plagues her transgressions and the enemy Drives her dear Children to Captivity And that rare beauty which adorn'd and grac'd Sions dear daughter is of late defac'd Her Princes fly and ransack all about Like hungry Harts to finde a pasture out They all are fled and flying can procure No strength t' oppose the merciless pursuer But when Jerusalem was thus confin'd T' afflictions lawless bounds she call'd to minde Her by past pleasures and those days which she For now her crying sins are grown so great That Heav'n hath thrown her from his mercies seat All those that lov'd her yea and highly priz'd her Seeing her shameful nakedness despis'd her She sighs turns her back as though she 'd borrow A private breath t' express a publique sorrow For being fill'd with wickedness Her end She never thought of neither had she friend To comfort her O Lord my God behold My great afflictions Ah my foe grows bold And magnifies himself His stretch'd-out hand Hath spoyld the pleasures of my fruitful Land The very Heathen whom thou didst deny Thy Congregation do contemn defie Thy just commands and with unseemly paces Inforce an entrance to thy holy places Her bread-desiring people fill'd with grief Give their chief treasures for a small relief Behold O Lord consider my distress For I am vile and fill'd with wickedness Oh stop your hasty feet ye that pass by And look upon my new-bred misery Sum up the totals of all grief then borrow A million more 'T is nothing to that sorrow Which I support wherewith the angry power Hath pleas'd t' afflict me in His wrathful hour For he from his all-ruling throne hath sent Into my bones a fiery Government Yea and his ever-active hand hath set And I am desolate and fainting lie Being turn'd from him am turn'd to misery Fast to my servile neck He hath bound on The wreathed yoke of my transgression Impair'd my strength and by His just commands I 'm thrown into my persecutors hands Where I remorsless I must still remain Voyd of all hope to be enlarg'd again His unresisted strength hath broke the bones And made a footstool of my Mighty Ones A great Assembly He hath call'd that may Punish my youngmen that will not obey And Judahs fairest Virgin Daughter 's trod As in a winepress by th' Almighty God And O these sorrows O these miseries Stir up a tempest in my clouded eyes Mine eyes mine eyes run o're I dayly spend More tears then any brain can apprehend My foes prevail my children all are led Into Captivity my hopes are fled Sion spreads forth her feeble arms t' express She seeks for comfort but is comfortless The Lord of hoasts commands that Jacobs eyes Shall round about him see his enemies And poor despis'd distrest Jerusalem Is as a menstruous woman amongst them My God is just yet I rebellious I Transgrest against his glorious Majesty O hear my people let your ears but borrow A minutes time from Time to hear my sorrow My Virgins and my young men all are fled Into Captivity my Priests are dead My Friends refuse to hear me when I call For want of food my hungry Elders fall O Lord behold see how I am opprest My heart thumps at the portals of my brest Oh I have sinned and my sins indite me Abroad the Sword at home grim Death affrights me My friends have heard my groaning and my grief Is known to them But I know no relief My foes with clamorous voyces fill the Earth And make my grief the subject of their mirth But Heav'n hath nam'd a day when these my foes Shall be Co-partners in my mock'd at woes O God let not their faults be hid from thee But deal with them as thou hast dealt with me My heart is faint my struggling sighs are many My griefs too great to be exprest by any Meditatio in Capitulum IF thou wouldst know my Soul what harâ—s attend A sinners progress to his journeys end Here here thou mayst if with impartial eyes Thou wilt observe the unsatiate miseries Of poor Jerusalem whose tedious groans Whose sighs and sobs and tears the world bemoans Observe her heedless steps and thou shalt know Sin was the Author of her self-will'd Wo. 'T was sweet at first but sowre in th' event That little word assumes a large extent Where Sin predominates there we may find The inconvenience of a troubl'd mind For when the mind 's perplex'd then we begin Either to fall to or to fall from Sin For like the restless Sea she 's active still And always agitating good or ill If well imploy'd she builds a wall about The Soul to keep approaching dangers out But if she spends her thriftless hours in Evil She makes a banquet to invite the Devil Who with his subtle and misguiding force Will re-invite her to a second course And then let Christians judg how much disquiet That Soul sustains that loves the Devils dyet Ah then my Soul if thou desir'st to be Exempted from the lot of miserie Make Heav'n thy refuge there thou mayst be sure To find contentment and repose secure Thou needst not fear there is no poys'nous thing Can wound that Soul that truly loves his King Nor all the malice mortals can invent Shall add to thee one mite of discontent There is no sorrow no calamity T' oppress thy thoughts No wry-look'd enemy T' upbraid thy actions then my Soul advise How much it profits to be heav'nly wise Ah had Jerusalem whose grief no pen Can e're engrave into the hearts of men Been wisely wary she had never known Those late reap'd sorrows which her sins had sown Had she but search'd her bosom and contriv'd Her actions well her glory had surviv'd Had she with Davids tears in time repented Those uncorrected sins her heart lamented She had not felt those judgments which did wait Vpon the ruines of her falling State But whilst her eyes were muffl'd and deluded Folly came in where Reason was excluded Needs must that Kingdom unto ruine run Where Folly sets and rises with the Sun Like as the body that 's oppress'd with grief Can neither hope for nor obtain relief Till the disease be known there 's none can tell The rage of sickness that was always well Even so Jerusalem because that she Judg'd not the Reason of her Miserie Till she was past recovery could never Have health restor'd her but was sick for ever Alas alas that Kingdom needs must fall That has a grief so Epidemical Had she but like the Ninevites in time Stop'd those distemp'ring humors which did climb Above her strength her grief had quickly ended And Heav'n revok'd those judgments he intended Med'cines are vain things when apply'd too late And through delay a grief grows desperate He that is Sin-sick is in bad condition Except Heav'n please to be his Souls
Star-chamber where our God controuls We have rebelliously transgrest and thou Thou hast not pard'ned with a cheerful brow Thine anger hath o'reshadowed us thou hast Slain without pity we thy anger taste Th' ast vail'd thy self with clouds which will not let Our prayers pass thorough to discharge our debt And as th' off-scouring thou O Lord hast made us Amongst those factious people that betray'd us Our greedy enemies have op'ned wide Their mouths against us and our pains deride Fear like a snare incloses us about And desolation will not keep without Mine eyes run down like hasty floods of water For the destruction of my peoples Daughter Mine eyes are full and tears do stream upon My cheeks without an intermission Till Heav'n look'd down on my enriver'd face And view'd my weeping from his holy place Mine eyes affect my pining heart with pity Because of all the Daughters of my City And causless like a frighted bird that flies I still am chased by my enemies They have destroy'd me in the dungeon nay They cast a stone upon me where I lay Th' imperious waves mounted above my head And then I cry'd Alas alas I 'm dead I call'd upon thy Name O Lord my voyce Out of the dungeon made a dreadful noise Th' ast heard my cries Oh let thy ears not lie Hid from the breathing of my doleful cry And in that day when I on thee did call Thou cam'st and bid me never fear at all And when my Soul O Lord was fil'd with strife Thou didst both plead my cause and save my life And thou hast plainly seen my wrong'd estate Judg thou my cause be thou my Advocate For thou hast seen their vengeance thou dost see Their deep imaginations against me Thou their reproach hast heard and apprehended What against me their busie thoughts intended Thou know'st the very lips of them that rose Against me and the malice of my foes Behold their sitting and their rising I Am all their musick and their melody Render to them a recompence O God And let them feel thy handy-work thy rod O give them grief of heart O let them burst With dregs of sorrow let them be accurst And let thy angry persecuting hand Destroy confound and sweep them from the Land Meditatio in Capitulum COme come my Soul do not obnubilate Thy self with smoky pleasures nor create More vain delights to please thy toyish minde Be serious now let pleasures be confin'd Th' Almighty's angry and his angry Breath Expresses nothing but resolved Death His wrath is kindled and his furious hand Threatens a ruine to a sinful Land His bow is bent behold he stands prepar'd T is he 't is he that will not be out-dar'd And should his roving messenger impart A secret sorrow to a private heart What then Can all the balsams may be found â—ecure so great so terrible a wound No no O then let thy discerning eye â—e truly watchful for discovery â—ft-times prevents a mischief he 's a stranger â—o Heav'ns high Court that thinks t' outbrave a danger â—ehold my soul thou art inviron'd round â—ith troops of adversaries hark they sound Their vilifying trumpets hark they mock And make thy sorrows but their laughing stock Dost thou not hear them how they shout and cry As though they 'd cleave th' unseparable sky O be not deaf rouze up thy self advance Thy backward thoughts sleep not in ignorance Provoke not Heav'n too much O do not still Vrge more and more his most unwilling will Observe but how unpleasantly his arm Draws up his bow as one that 's loath to harm Methinks I hear him say O can ye tell Why will ye dye ye house of Israel Methinks I hear his never-ending breath Breathe a disdain against a sinners death Methinks I hear his grieved spirit say Ye that are weary come O come away And lay your burthens on my back and I Will bear them all I 'l bear them willingly Why will ye dye why will ye shut your eyes And thus run head-long after vanities Open your Adder ears come and rejoyce With me and mine let my harmonious voyce Invite you Ah what pleasures can accrue From shadows to such substances as you Cast off the works of darkness let true light Expel those mists O come when I invite What do ye mean O tell me tell me why Ye love to tumble in impurity Ah now my Soul let admiration prove That Heav'n's compos'd of nothing but of Love O Love beyond expression My deserts Rather then Mercy claim a thousand darts Call home thy wandring thoughts and let them all Like servants be obedient to thy Call Examine them the very best will show Thy best deserts are but an overthrow Review thy actions see if they can yeeld One grain of comfort see if they can shield Thy threatned state The more men strive to smother Their sins the more one sin begets another Then fly dull soul to Heav'ns high Court there Melt melt into an everlasting tear Attone thy God let not thy tongue deny The truth to him when he shall ask thee why Why hast thou done this wickedness Confess 'T is thou hast sinn'd 't is he that must depress That head-increasing Hydra Then shalt thou â—ehold with what a voluntary brow He 'l entertain thee and those joys impart To thee which wait upon a contrite heart He will have pity though he sends a grief In multitudes of mercy lies relief The God of Love did never take delight â—o mantle sinners with the clouds of night â—e's an indulgent Father and his care â— infinite as all his mercies are Compose thy numerous thoughts my Soul and run O tell that Father thou wilt be his Son CHAP. IV. Contents 1 Sion bewaileth her pitiful estate 13 She confesseth her sins 21 Edom is threatned 22 Sion is comforted HOw is the gold grown dim how is the fine The purest changed that was wont to shine The stones that pav'd the Sanct'ary are thrown Into the streets for beasts to trample on The sons of Sion which I could compare To finest gold behold see now they are Esteem'd as earthen pitchers which the hands Of the industrious Potter still commands The ill-shap'd monsters which the Ocean owns As proper guests nourish their little ones But ah my Daughters are grown pitiless Like Ostriches within the wilderness The wordless tongues of thirsty children cleave To their unliquid mouths they never leave Their integrating cries Poor hearts in vain They cry for food but can no food obtain And they that fed upon delicious sweets Are desolate in the unquiet streets They that were brought up in a scarlet dress Embrace a dunghil as their happiness For ah my peoples Daughter suffers more For her great sins then Sodom did before Her beautified Nazarites could show A purer white then milk whiter then snow Their bodies then the rubies were more red With shining Saphire were they polished But now their changed visages excel The coal in
blackness they that knew them well Now know them not their flesh adheres sticks Unto their bones they are like with'red sticks Those that are ravisht of their fading breath By the encountring sword enjoy a death Transcending theirs whose lingring souls are pinde For want of food Ah Famine 's never kinde The woful women boyl their young they have Turn'd their own fruitful bellies to a grave The Lord hath now accomplished his ire Pour'd out his streaming anger caus'd a fire To flame in Sion which devour'd and layd Those buildings waste which their own hands had made The wisest Kings nor the worlds copious Nations Did ever think to see these great invasions Of the unbridled foe whose head-long courses Divides her gates with their divided forces The Priests Prophets crimeless blood have shed Their sins drew down this mischief on their head Like those they wander whose benighted eyes Attract no light from the all-lightning skies They have themselves polluted so that none Can touch their clothes they are with blood o'reflown The people cry depart what do ye mean Depart depart touch not it is unclean The Heathen as they fled together cry'd With us they shall not sojourn nor abide Gods anger hath divided them he never Will love them more but cast them off for ever They dis-respected Priests and they forgot The gravest Elders whom they pitied not But as for us our help-beguiled eyes Fail'd us as yet no comfort would arise To us we watch'd for Nations but their pow'r Could not protect us from so great a showre They hunt our steps our oft-extended feet Cannot divide their paces in the street Our end is neer and our days total sum Is now fulfil'd for now our end is come Our persecuters our tormentors are Swifter then Eagles that enforce the ayr Upon the mountains they pursu'd us They To trap our feet in ambushcado lay Those pits which they for ruine have appointed Inclos'd our Souls delight the Lords Anointed Under whose shadow we shall live we said Amongst the Heathens thus are we dismay'd O Edoms daughter now stretch out thy voyce Be glad and for a time in Vz rejoyce This cup shall pass along to thee thou shalt Be drunk and naked 'cause thou didst revolt Thy plagues expire O Sions daughters he No more will lead thee to captivity But Edom O lament lift up thine eyes For Heav'n will visit thy iniquities Meditatio in Capitulum DIstracted Sion having spent her days In supine negligence stands in a maze Not knowing what to do her wonted joys Yeeld torment not contentment seeming toys And childish trifles which perplex her more Then thousand pleasures pleasur'd her before And now her alienated minde begins To ruminate upon her former sins Her studious thoughts recount what precious time She spent in folly weighing every crime In equal balance posing them aright Findes them too heavy and her self too light And like a frighted bird her winged minde Flies up and down thinking some rest to finde In sorrows wilderness But ah who can Finde a lost Jewel in the Ocean Now we may see how her embraced folly Is quite dissolved into melancholly And those lascivious hours which she hath spent Seem like grim Marshals giving punishment To an offending wretch As in a dream The fancy makes each object seem extream And why bâ—cause the judgment which should guide Th' unruly fancy sleeping 's layd aside The senses once lock'd up the fancy may Not onely claim a priviledg to play But to delude and represent those things To meanest Subjects which belong to Kings Which makes the flatter'd Senses even dance And leap for joy and striving to advance Themselves awake and finding all 's but vain Reason steps in and makes them poor again Even thus was poor Jerus'lem lull'd asleep With fancy-pleasing pleasure which did keep A rendezvouz within her lest that doubt Should interpose and put the fancy out Of frame And by a more diviner art Should breed a Meditation in her heart For when the wak'ned Senses once have gain'd The upper hand the fancy is restrain'd And curb'd by judgment Reason too survives Again and claims her own Prerogatives The apprehension with her new-got pow'r Begins to taste and apprehend how sowre Her sweets are grown Ah then she cries I see I 'm turn'd to nothing being turn'd from thee My great Redeemer I have quite exil'd Thy mercies from my bosom and revil'd Thy just commands presuming oftentimes To urge with my reiterated crimes Thy long-continued patience and exprest No grief at all from my obdurate brest My eyes were still laborious to discover New vanities and like a heedless lover Whose beauty-dazled eyes do onely view The Superficies seeking not how true The heart remaineth but can fondly be Content with beauties bare Epitomie And thus my rash advent'ring Soul went on Pleasures admit no intermission To them whose hearts are envious to obtain A present pleasure but a future pain And ah how quickly's yeelding flesh and blood Surpriz'd and conquer'd by a seeming good A Good that 's good for nothing but t' invite Fond Souls to ruine and o'revail the light Of real Truth and with enforc'd delusions Makes them take pleasure in their own confusions Since then my Soul no pleasures can be found In this base Center let thy thoughts rebound From this fastidious Orb learn to advance Thy self above the frowns the reach of chance And let th' extent of thy ambition be Onely to purchase an Eternitie Of happiness which shall perpetuate And make thee glorious in a glorious state Divorce thy self from thy unsum'd-up faults Protract no â—ime but clarifie thy thoughts Command thy self and thou shalt be reputed A most deserving Victor not confuted By any though their noble acts may claim A true inheritance to a lasting Fame For he that gives himself an overthrow Conquers a Kingdom and subdues a foe Then arm thy self my Soul and strive t' out-dare Satans attempts be studious to prepare Thy self and let thy adversary see When he is strongest th' art as strong as he Let not his vain delusions interpose 'Twixt thee and Heav'n O do not thou expose Thy self to wilful danger but endevor T' accost his actions but beleeve him never Thou seest how poor Jerusalem bewails Her sad disasters how she stoops and fails Beneath the burthen of her grief and cries O boundless grief O vainest vanities O dream thou not of transitory things Which are unconstant having secret wings To fly away and flying will confound Thy better parts and give thy Soul a wound Be wary then and let thy thought concur With Heav'ns commands and so will he tranfer His Kingdom to thee full of lasting treasure Where nothing's greater then the smallest pleasure CHAP. V. REmember Lord what 's come upon us see Ponder the greatness of our infamy Strangers inherit that which is our due Our habitation 's turn'd to aliens too For we are Orphans and all fatherless Our Mothers are as Widows in
still fear the Rod Of his Correction yet appear I must Sure sure he 's merciful as well as just Cheer up dejected Soul and thou shalt see His mercy's greater then thy sins can be MEDITAT. 9. Can Heav'n forget himself or can he say That thing o're night he cannot do next day Can friends forget their children or deny Their dearest blood or can a mountain fly Heav'n says he 'l be a Father till the end Then he 's a fool that doubts so true a friend MEDITAT. 10. A friend indeed but how can I expect To purchase friendship by my own neglect For ah how often hath Heav'n pleas'd to say Ye that are heavy loaden come away And I will give you ease Alas but I Thought sin no burthen neither thought to dye MEDITAT. 11. But now I see the frailty of my mind I thought I was imprison'd when confin'd Only one hour to goodness nay that hour I thought a year until I had the power To free my self when freed I had forgot What goodness was as though I 'd heard it not MEDITAT. 12. And should I strive to reckon up my sins How can he make an end that still begins The sands upon the Seas nay and the hair Upon my head are Cyphers in compare Of my excessive sins yet Heav'n can call Me as he did the spend-thrift Prodigal MEDITAT. 13. I know my sins are great and do increase Within my Sion and disturb my Peace O what am I dear Heav'n I am thy creature My sins are great but yet thy mercy 's greater Pardon blest Heav'n forgive what I have done Thou art my Father own me as thy Son MEDITAT. 14. It is a happiness to scorn the mirth Of this confused transitory Earth And he who is ambitious to create A happiness must make the world his hate Then if self-love appear we know for what We love our selves in truly hating that MEDITAT. 15. Life is the lifes preparative and Death The deprivation of unconstant breath A well directed life shall always find Society in Death a glorious mind Shall have a glorious a celestial friend To guard his glory to a glorious end MEDITAT. 16. But can a mind enammel'd with the glory Of Heav'n have end or else is Death a story Death is the end of Life and yet we see Life is deriv'd from Deaths soveraigntie 'T is quickly known the Death of Sin must give The para'ned Soul a priviledg to live MEDITAT. 17. Heav'n is the seat of Happiness and Hell The place of fury where the Furies dwell Then mount my Soul upon the spreading wings Of lofty Faith fly towards the King of Kings Whilest here thou shalt inhabit learn to know That Heav'n's too high for them that fly too low MEDITAT. 18. I am but sordid earth that 's dayly plow'd With grief and care and sorrows hourly croud Into my weak dominions and remain Like greedy Tenants thirsting after gain My eyes are always open to behold New woes for I am form'd in sorrows mould MEDITAT. 19. I am a reeling Pinnace and I sail From Port to Port sometimes a humble gale Salutes my spreading sails and by and by The waves contemning my prosperity Spit in my face being hurried by their tydes They seem to crawl into my sweating sides MEDITAT. 20. I am a clouded day I promise rain Sometimes I 'm stormy and then clear again Sometimes the Sun of Pence begins t' appear But cannot shine in sorrows Hemisphere Saddest of thoughts needs must he be distrest That finds unconstant weather in his brest MEDITAT. 21. I am a vapor having not the power T' endure the fervor of one shining hour Vapors cannot withstand a mid-days heat Afflictions must be hot where sins are great 'T is not unlike a misty morning may Oft-times prove usher to a glorious day MEDITAT. 22. I am a trembling reed and every day The wind and I are subject to a fray I 'm bruis'd and shall be broken if some hand Sustain me not I shall forget to stand But stay my Soul and hear Jehovah speak I vow the bruised reed I will not break MEDITAT. 23. I am but earth corrupted with my deeds Which are but like unprofitable weeds My soil is rank and barren and it bears No grain at all no not so much as tears Wouldst thou increase my Soul I 'le teach thee how Sow but the seeds of Faith God speeds the plow MEDITAT. 24. Despair not when affliction plows the ground Doubt not increases if the seed be found Heav'n loves a fruitful harvest and his hand Is always active to manure the Land He takes the chiefest care the greatest pains He crowns the work 't is we that reap the gains MEDITAT. 25. Man's like a house whose outward beauty may Yield pleasure to the eye If we survey The inward rooms there we may find enough Of untrim'd natures sluttish houshold-stuff Wouldst thou be fair within O man and neat Turn but thy inside out thou 'lt be compleat MEDITAT. 26. Do greedy Ravens hunger do they cry For food and are they fed and must not I I beg I crave and yet am hungry still I pine I starve and Ravens have their fill I know great God I have offended thee Because thou seed'st the Ravens and not me MEDITAT. 27. Do Lillies flourish do they still remain Neatly adorn'd and yet they take no pain They neither spin nor card they take no care And yet they 're cloth'd and I poor I go bare I know great God I have offended thee Because thou cloth'st the Lillies and not me MEDITAT. 28. Why am I thus tormented with the Rod Of my afflictions Hath my angry God Forgot his creature Shall I never have A little ease but be affliction 's slave Forbear my grumbling Soul cheer up and be Mindful of him and he 'l remember thee MEDITAT. 29. And why does Heav'n afflict me but because He 'l make me know my self and learn his Laws Then why am I disquieted If he Intends my good shall I prove enemie Unto my self My Soul take care be still Vnless he turns that good into an ill MEDITAT. 30. Then learn my soul when Heav'n afflicts to know 'T is for thy sins he does it and to show The greatness of his mercy and to make Thee love affliction for the Afflictors sake Be wise and provident and thou shalt see 'T was good for David 't will be good for thee MEDITAT. 31. If thou wilt learn my Soul how to endure With patience thy afflictions be thou sure That when the hand of angry Heav'n shall smite Thou dost not grumble like the Israelite Strive thou for patience heav'n wil teach thee how To bear affliction with a cheerful brow MEDITAT. 32. What though the waves of thy afflictions rise And rage abundantly lift up thy eyes And cry to Heav'n let patience calm thy mind And know that purest gold must be refin'd And when affliction brings thee to the brink Of death remember Peter did not sink MEDITAT.
33. When I consider how I have offended My Souls dread Soveraign and vili-pended His gracious promises I much admire He casts me not into eternal fire But he in mercy makes me kiss his Rod Tells me I am a creature he a God MEDITAT. 34. Consider well my Soul why hast thou breath Since that the wages of thy Sins are death Thou hast deserv'd ten thousand times to dye But that thy GOD whose mercy doth deny A Sinners death reprieves thee for a time To make thee know the greatness of thy crime MEDITAT. 35. O meditate my Soul what Heav'n hath done For thee that art his most rebellious Son He hath prolong'd thy days and striv'd to win And draw thee from the lothsomness of sin Admired patience O indulgent care Mercy of Mercies how can Heav'n forbear MEDITAT. 36. Have I offended and shall I despair Oh no I dare not Ah my Soul forbear To harbor such a wickedness but know When thy sins ebb Gods mercies overflow His mercy is an Ocean and thy prayer Is th' only wind can raise a tempest there MEDITAT. 37. Then pray my Soul and let thy prayers reveal Thy bosom sins O think not to conceal A crime from him that is the God of Truth And knows the sins of thy offending youth Ah know my Soul the more thou striv'st to smother Thy sins the more one sin begets another MEDITAT. 38. Can Sin the Souls consuming Viper lie And lurk secure from Heav'ns all seeing eye O no 't is vain to think so though that we Are muffl'd up with sin yet Heav'n can see O then confess my Soul and thou shalt tread And trample on the Vipers poys'ny head MEDITAT. 39. But can Confession in it self obtain An absolute forgiveness Can we gain Heav'n by a sigh O no my Soul express A perfect sorrow when thou dost confess Then let resolved Constancy endure And thou my Soul shalt truly rest secure MEDITAT. 40. Dost thou my Soul desire to be partaker Of those celestial joys wherewith thy Maker Crowns those endeavoring Souls which study still To be obedient to his sacred Will Examine well the Scriptures they will show The ready way then practise how to go MEDITAT. 41. Let thy innocuous Meditations be Serious and fervent let integritie Still wait upon them which will still defend And guard thy actions to a prosperous end Then shall thy labors have a peaceful rest Then dayly labor to be dayly blest MEDITAT. 42. But have a care my Soul left malice chance To interpose it self and so advance Above thy patience and disturb that peace Which might have blest thee with a large increase O have a care this be no fault of thine Remember who hath said Vengeance is mine MEDITAT. 43. Dost thou desire my Soul that Heav'n should say Thy pardon 's seal'd and I will blot away Thy numerous sins nay and I will no more Remember them as I have done before Then learn my Soul to know whilest thou dost live He that will be forgiven must forgive MEDITAT. 44. If thou wouldst go to Heav'n my Soul go on Not as the sluggard of wise Solomon Be not so timerous as he to say There is a Lion lurking in the way Go on with courage let the way delight thee Then shall the Lion grumble and not bite thee MEDITAT. 45. The wise man saith that sluggards shall be cloth'd With rags and all his actions shall be loth'd And he that 's willing to obtain a prize Must be laborious and have watchful eyes My drouzy Soul make Heav'n thy prize then strain T' out-run thy sins and so thou shalt obtain MEDITAT. 46. When on the ladder Jacob did discry The Angels in his dream he saw them fly Vpwards and downwards which was to express How much they scorn'd and hated Idleness Then learn my Soul how to ascend apace From sin to the perfection of grace MEDITAT. 47. What was the reason Peter wept Nay why Did he go out and weep so bitterly Could he not weep within Did he not dare Before the wicked to disburse a tear By this example Peter makes it known Who truly grieves desires to grieve alone MEDITAT. 48. Hast thou my Soul with persecuting Paul Envy'd the Church Hast thou conspir'd her fall Why then my Soul wilt thou despair 'T is true The crime is great and GOD is gracious too A light may shine from Heav'n and thou shalt be With Paul converted from thy Tyrannie MEDITAT. 49. Hast thou with thrice-denying Peter cry'd I know him not but stubbornly deny'd The Lord of Life what then the Cock may crow God may look back upon thee and bestow His liberal blessings Then my Soul deny Thy sins with Peter and weep bitterly MEDITAT. 50. But was it not my Soul a sad disaster That Peter should so soon deny his Master For whose dear sake led lose his life O what A sudden change is this I know him not Nay more as if he thought this would not do He binds it with an oath forswears him too MEDITAT. 51. What was the reason that the Lions when They entertained Daniel in their Den Did rather fear then hunger Nay how can Destroying Lions fawn upon a man My Soul there was a Lamb that tam'd the Lion And made the Den prove Daniels safest Sion MEDITAT. 52. Advise my Soul and how could Daniel live Impris'ned in the Den and none to give Him dayly food How could he rest at quiet Without th' enjoyment of some slender diet When Heav'n commands his Angels they shal feâ— A Soul my Soul that Soul can never neeâ— MEDITAT. 53. 'T was Faith that guarded Daniel from the paws Of dauntless Lions whose imperious jaws Were ty'd by Heav'ns appointment so that they Forgot their Tyranny and learn'd to play My Soul with Daniel truly think upon Thy God and Faith shall be thy Champion MEDITAT. 54. Did great Goliah fall Could he not stand That was so strong against so weak a hand Could not his armour nor his storming power Maintain so mean a Combate half an hour Here here my Soul observe and thou shalt find An armed body but a naked mind MEDITAT. 55. But how did stripling David dare to show His childish face before so great a foe He had no armour on nor sword to shield His body yet he fought and won the field Here here my Soul observe and thou shalt finâ— A naked body but an armed mind MEDITAT. 56. Be sure my Soul when e're thou shalt begin To war with the Goliah of thy sin Take Davids armour and thou shalt or'ethrow Thy sin with a most advantagious blow Boast not too much but with bold courage fight The pebble-stones of Faith fly always right MEDITAT. 57. Faith is the arm of safety which defends The Soul from all approaching harm and lends A sword to fight with Satan who may venter To make a thrust or two but cannot enter Gain thou this arm of Faith my Soul and then Thou mayst out-dare a Lion in
his Den MEDITAT. 58. Learn how to prize thy Faith my Soul and know She is thy only safety here below She is a trusty buckler to protect thee From showres of evil and to good direct thee Then rouze my Soul and be not quite cast down Repentance brings in Faith and Faith a Crown MEDITAT. 59. A Crown that 's only fitting to adorn A Princes brow and Subjects that are born To an inferior fortune must content Themselves with that which fortune freely lent But ah my Soul be wise and understand A heavenly Crown 's not made by humane hand MEDITAT. 60. A glorious Crown of Glory shall attend Attentive hearts my Soul I recommend This Crown to thee consider but the price It cost and then remember Paradise Remember whose dear blood did trickle down Like tedious showrs to purchase thee this Crown MEDITAT. 61. O boundless Love would such a Lamb as he Dye for such wolf-like sycophants as we His willing Soul did even joy t' express This introduction to our happiness His blood gush'd out to wash us clean within He shed it for our sins and yet we sin MEDITAT. 62. Rouze up my Soul and let thy Eagle-eyes Behold that Sun in whom thy safety lies Look well upon him and thou shalt discover A Lamb-like Patience and a constant Lover Admire with how much Dove-like innocence He suffer'd death for us that gave th' offence MEDITAT. 63. Art thou not ravish'd yet my Soul then hear And I will recommend unto thy ear The willing Passion of that Lamb which cry'd Eloi Eloi Eloi and so dy'd And by the vertue of his dying deed Our blood was stop'd when he began to bleed MEDITAT. 64. Man the unhappy off-spring of that man Of Sin at whose beginning we began To fall from our first principles and stray From good to bad digressing from the way Of our assur'd Salvation and exchange A world of pleasure for a world of pains And by that Heaven-forbidden taste reverst The stroke of mercy made us all accurst And hourly subject to his wrath whose power Created us and made us little lower Then Heav'n-bred Angels till the sad inventions Of Satans malice quickned the intentions Of greedy Eve whose hand soon recommended That fruit which by the Serpent was extended To her beguiled husband whose neglect Of Heav'ns Commands purchas'd a dull aspect From his revengeful brow which shin'd more bright Then glorious Cynthia in her greatest light But ah the cloud of Adams sin had made A great eclipse Poor Adam is betray'd By his own folly and condemn'd to crawl Upon his belly and gulp up the gall Of his transgressions Having thus offended He 's thrown from Paradise and vili-pended By Heav'n But all this while the Serpent sits Ravish'd with laughter tut'ring still his wits To further mischief having found success In his first enterprize doubts nothing less Then what he hopes for having thus o'rethrown The first man Adam thinks that all 's his own But that our God whose all-commanding power Can mortifie and quicken in one hour Was fill'd with pity pitied man whose state He saw was miserably desperate Begun to view him with a gracious eye And invocates his sacred Trinity And thus proceeds Have I made man have I Made wretched man man made to glorifie My name and given to his thriftless hand Preheminency both by Sea and Land And shall I not be honor'd Am I not A mindful God And shall I be forgot By slothful man Have I not gave him light In spight of darkness and shall he requite My favours thus Nay more have I not fram'd And stamp'd him with my Image and proclaim'd A lasting greatness to him And shall they Be thus obdurate now that were but clay Before I gave them breath and shall that breath Contemn defie and scorn me to the death Is this the honor which I did expect From them Is this the duty this th' effect Of all my labors Speak my dearest Son What shall we do with man that hath undone His wretched self My fury burns to be Reveng'd on man for his iniquitie Break forth my restless fury and devour That loathed thing call'd man give him no power To call me Father whil'st abused I Will stop my ears and scorn to hear him cry Begone enact my pleasure The Son reply'd Oh stop Oh stay my dear My dearest Father Let thy sacred ear Stand open but one minute that poor man May strive to plead and utter what he can For his own self Alas my Son I know The more he strives to speak the more he 'l show His guilt And ah what answer can he make To angry I that am resolv'd to take Speedy revenge The more he strives to clear Himself the more he 'l make his guilt appear Begone my fury run till thou art spent Away away and give my passion vent Vent it on man My angry Father stay A little longer hear what I will say In mans behalf Oh is not man thy creature His sins are not so great but thou art greater In mercy Oh be merciful and let If nothing will my blood discharge the debt I 'le freely give it may this Blood of mine Extinguish quite those angry flames of thine Oh be appeas'd and give me leave to strive Against the power of Satan and deprive Him of his man-deluding power I 'le charm His rav'ning malice and withhold his arm From hurting man Nay and I 'le undergo As many sorrows as the world can show For man thy Image Say the word and I Will go nay run for joy that I must dye For mans Redemption Dearest Son then go Redeem relapsed man that he may owe An endless debt But say my Son should he For whom thou dy'st revile dishonor thee And trample in thy precious blood and make That blood prove poyson to him that should take The venom of his sins away I 'le strive The Holy Ghost reply'd to make man thrive And grow in grace I 'le teach him to express No feigned but a real thankfulness O Soul-transporting Joy O truest Love Without a period O innoxious Dove Could'st thou thou Lamb of God be thus content To step from Heav'n and take that punishment Upon thy patient self which appertain'd To Heaven provoking man man that was stain'd And blur'd with sin whose spots could never be Wash'd out blest Lamb by any but by thee Had'st thou not interpos'd our Souls had bin Imbowel'd in the Ocean of our Sin And hadst thou not sustain'd us we had fell And swelter'd in the restless flames of Hell Hadst thou not look'd upon our sad condition And pitied us to see what expedition We made to our own ruines we had lost The hopes of our Salvation which cost An unknown price 'T was not a swelling flood Of heap'd up gold redeem'd us but thy blood Thy precious blood which flow'd like hasty tides In great abundance from thy wounded sides Start from the bed of Sin my Soul and run To view
whole a broken and a contrite heart Tell him th' art heavy loaden and opprest And crav'st th' enjoyment of a happy rest What though thy querelous desires at first Seem to be frivolous and slightly nurst Detract not thou but be progressive still And not too retrograte but let thy will Attend his pleasure is 't not fit that he Should be attended that attended thee What if he still denies thou art but paid With that dull Coin which thine own sins have made Hath he not waited at the brazen walls Of thy regardless brest us'd many calls Nay many thousands and hath dayly knock'd And found the nurs'ry of thy ears still lock'd And bar'd against him 'T was enough to turn Patience into an Extasie and burn The strongest Resolution and incite Vengeance to make an everlasting night Oh think on this blest Soul and be content Good actions seldom want a goood event Another DISCOVRSE Between the SOVL and FAITH So. I 'M full and yet seem empty I have store Of Earths delectables and yet I 'm poor I have what e're my rav'nous thoughts require And yet I want in having my desire I eat delicious food drink sparkling wine Enjoy my self and yet I am not mine I am the worlds delight I am the child Of pregnant fortune yet I am revil'd And what external happiness can be Thought worth imbracement is imbrac'd by me Since all these Joys are heap'd upon my back I fain would know what 't is I seem to lack Fa. Thy wants are soon exprest dull Soul I know Who wants my helpful hand wants power to go Oh what an easie matter t is to find A stuffd-up body and an empty mind Grief rests within the centre of that brest That knows not what is worst nor what is best But still looks downwards on this dunghil earth That alienates the Soul and breeds a dearth Within that sacred Essence that divine And glorious Monarchy Who can define Th' inchanting Raptures and th' emperious Joys Of sublimated Heav'n that toyls for toys Thou sayst th' art full yet empty thou hast store Of Earths delectables and yet art poor 'T is true th' art full but tell me whence proceeds That fulness say what charitable deeds Hast thou perform'd oh learn frail Soul t' express Too great a fulness breeds an emptiness Experience tells thee there is nothing worse Then slighted mercy turn'd into a curse Thou say'st th' enjoyst what e'r thy mind requires And yet thou wantst in having thy desires Thou eat'st thou drinkst and hast the worlds consent To be her darling yet art not content 'T is true he wants whose fulness wants desire To want that fulness which his wants require What though the world accumulates increase There 's no content when Heav'n denies a Peace If Heav'ns blest mouth proclaim'd no peace should be So. Vnto the wicked what 's become of me Who always liv'd to sin and sin'd to dye Oh miserable miserable I Fa. 'T is true GOD will not suffer Peace t' arise Unto the wicked yet that GOD denies A Sinners death and by a free consent Promis'd a pardon with this word Repenâ— 'T is a persisting Sinner must expect A sad reward for a perform'd neglect So. Then what must I expect have I not run Even from the rising to the setting Sun In paths of negligence and still persisted And rather back'd a sinner then resisted The power of sin Oh how can I obtain Or thoughts or hopes to be reclaim'd again Fa. The mouth of Heav'n did never yet divide His language thus My Soul shall not abide A penitent offendor no his breath Speaks better things then the lamented death Of those who though they have in former times Been permanent in their unbosom'd crimes Yet when the sense of their transgression brings Abundant sorrow then Jehovah sings Rare strains of mercy to their Souls and pours His endless mercy down in liberal showres So. And is our GOD so merciful so just To lep'rous Souls and shall not my Soul trust In such a never-failing GOD Shall I Retort a no when he proclaims an I Oh no I le take what he shall give and then When Heav'n proclaims my tongue shall say Amen For 't is thy Christ thy Love thy Son must ease us Fa. Follow me Soul I le lead thee to thy Jesus Penetrant Suspiria Coelum ARe sighs so prevalent that they can be Admitted to the ears of Majestie Is Heav'n so weak or sighs so strong that they Can make an on-set and enforce their way Unto the ears of GOD Can sighs perswade That Lamb to mercy that our sins betray'd Can roaring Lions meet and can they part Without a combate Can a lep'rous heart Meet God and think t' out-brave him in his Sion Our sins are Lions yet our God's a Lion And what 's a sigh 't is but a blast of wind Blown from the center of a stormy mind And can the ayr of one poor sigh aspire So high as Heaven Ah sighs can never tire In such a progress though they be but ayr Yet they condense within the sacred ear Of nursing Majesty who hears the sound Of wel-spent groans and takes them at the bound Sighs are like morning Larks sometimes they fly And chatter praises to the blushing skie Then wearied with their flights dart down amain Longing to repossess the earth again So sighs the Souls best oratory fly To the Interpreter of groans who 'le not deny To hear the hearts embassage but delights To see souls wingd with sighs to take such flights But when our hearts are loaded with the cares Of this vile earth and sigh themselves to tears Oh then he stops his ears and makes them know Their sighs are earthly and they fly too low Nor can they reach the suburbs of his ear Unless they mount into a higher sphere Then let thy well-directed sighs my Soul Mount upwards still that there they may condole Thy ev'ning sorrow and thy morning grief Then they 'l like Doves return and bring reliâ—f Unto thy floating heart and thou shalt find The operations of a sigh thy mind Shall purge it self thrice happy 's thy condition Sighs are good physick when Heav'n is Physician Roganti dabitur WHo would not be a Begger that may crave Upon such easie terms but ask and have Here 's swelling bounty and sure this must be No humane but a divine charitie Here well-instructed Poverty may live He that gives power to ask hath power to give The greatest gift that ever yet was known Was freely given being ask'd by none And he that gave 't hath many gifts in store Many give once because they 'l give no more But he who gave that gift will not refrain If wisely ask'd to give us gifts again And if a heart-recording gift we make Of this his giving teaches us to take Be it ordain'd that begging be an art Heav'n loves a giving hand a begging heart But let us rest a little here 's the task Heav'n knows