That all these troubles shall encrease thy bless And presuppose by dispensations yet Thou wert rapt up into an higher fit Whereby in Paradise thou could'st behold Above what either should or could be told Couldst thou who doest in this flesh temple dwell Indure these rayes and neither rust nor swell No under cloud again thou must retreat And with the messenger of Satan meet Enter the lists therefore by faith defend Thy Crown by perseverance to the end For if thou carnally become secure Thy fall shall all thy comlinesse obscure When under sad desertion thou wanders And knowst not what thou dost nor where thou danders But doest what all thy dayes makes thee asham'd When thou art smittenand by grace reclaim'd These dreadfull dolefull these disastrous dayes When on our souls the subtill Serpent prayers These weaknings warnings warmings dipt in love These smels from heaven which affections move Are meas'red out according to the need Of every member by the carefull Head And if to do or to endure thou be Appointed then anointed thou shalt be With grace sufficient unto stedfastnesse And get a blink to comfort in distresse So as a Christian in thy sufferings all Christ's glorifi'd wherein thou glory shall And argue may thou art in Him compleat When Head and members in affliction meet But thou must be upon thy guard and watch Against the Serpent at thy soul doth snatch He will uncessantly against thee fight By stratagems renew'd by day and night With snares and nets and grins laid in the way To hold thee fast when thou dost slide or stray And where he finds thee weak or wandring will Enter thy breach and break thee by his skill Corruption from within makes open doors To what temptations from without occurres And sometime Syren-like he will assail With flatt'ries but if he do not prevail He will affright thee with a thousands fears Which on thy sp'rit that evil spirit rears There is no course God for our help doth take To keep us humble or our comfort make But he doth thereunto himself apply To make us doat or else despair thereby By mediat means when he doth not prevail Then by his fiercest darts he will assail And levell at thy faith the fruit of grace Thy hope and love the new man to deface He will suggest inject vile monst'rous notions Into distrust of Atheisme the motions And seek no better party then our reason To parly with him on the points of treason Capitulation-proof he knows to be Means to o'recome experimentallie Now then the sp'rituall armour timous take And to the fight of faith with fervour make Under the Royall standard of thy love Advance and by his martiall motions move Thou know'st Gods secret ones to circumveen No hellish plots have unattempted been And what cannot the devil yet contrive According as his malice doth him drive And what is it he can contrive but sure A man to act it out he shall procure For unto such an instrument he can Masked materials furnish for the man And wicked men have still an open ear The serpent's subtile whisperings to hear And at a wink can change his voice and sight Shining Saint-like in much angelick light To gaine his point how far he shall prevail By fained friendship fawning shall assail In such commixtion and so deep devise Here to supplant and there for to surprise But when this craft doth crosse his closse design Then in a spleen he sharps his cruell sting And in his fury kindles fiery tryals For all that dare give his commands denyals And never think it strange that man forsaken Of God hath now of Satan service taken Since Law nor Gospel Instance Word or Rod Will waken or reclaim lost man to God But they in wicked obduration will Persist their fathers lusts for to fulfill Or that the devil rationall man can make Sometime the colours of a Saint to take Another time in tyrrany to boyle By cruelty the blood of Saints to spoyle For he of every man the Idol knows And at his feet his full contentment throws And lets him see this is the way alone To rise to stand to settle in his throne And cannot this deceiver thus deceive In making him vain-vile-man to conceive That when he hath receiv'd the world in hyre To his ambitious carnall hearts desire That as a Saint he hath it to possesse And for his followers as their propernesse So as they may by any slight or might People suppresse for to maintain that right Is not this truth whereon we fix our standing Clear that the devil hath man at his commanding Prophets Apostles false false Christs also We warned are to guard against ye know Who when like rav'ning Wolves they be within Cloathed like sheep can so present their skin Since Cain first his brothers blood did spill The first-born man the second man did kill Unto this day men-murd'rers are lurking And as they moved be do fall a working But lest man should when he is settled think Upon his wicked course and then forethink His villany the devil leads him fair Upon exploits and deep devices rare To make him famous and his fancie feed So as his thoughts no further may proceed And see ye not some worldly Monarchs great For to maintain and to increase their stare Are only set their neighbours to disthrone That they may reign and only rule alone And therefore guard against this strong temptation This trying flame of cruell tribulation But be not moved for they cannot smite But as God for his glory doth permit And in the tryall of his Saints he will Them humble but thereby their joyes fulfill For thy triumphant King and Captain just These mights their slights down at his feet shall thrust The shining Cherub from his brightnesse shall Together with the fairest Cedar fall The Beast the Prophet and the Whore flagitious With all their pomp their spleen and pride pernicious Whose terrour troubled men while they did live The fiery lake the fatall stroak shall give Then be not mov'd the change may glad thy heart When from their heav'n they to their hell depart Thou from thy hell at heaven shall arrive While they in bail in blesse thou's ever live For when the devil by his instruments With the blood of Saints doth mix the Elements Shall not these suff'rings then so much the more Shorten their journey and increase their glore And are they not o'rejoyed when they see Their blood include the Church felicitie But for thy further tryall yet again What if the Lord the influence should restrain Of light and life and liberty even when Thou art the butt of hell and hellish men This this is it should make the tryall sad For if his face upon thy soul thou had Shining thou should'st disdain that dreadfull crew Of devils and all the darts they could renew But in this exigent he is so near That when thou least expects he shall appear And when thou hast thine
Spirit and the power of God seen in the creation and conservation of all things the Son of God and the Saviour of the World who in our own flesh hath died and risen again who hath testified all these truths and recorded them in His Testament to us according as He had Himself experimentally tryed the unutterable joyes of the one and the unsuperable dolors of the other to have been wrestled with sustained and fred of but by Himself alone who was God to sustain as He was man to suffer And yet for all this conviction and formall profession what is the greatest part of all ranks doing but deceiving themselves satisfied with a brain-light without any heart-change a lip-religion without any life-reformation So reasonlesse is the rationall creature become as to deny Him reasonable service who is the Author of their reason in believing Him and acquainting themselves with Him for their good But to proceed According to the difference betwixt the Believer and the unbeliever in life and death so is it after death when the Righteous Judge of all men shall give the finall sentence Then shall the carnall man who refused that great Salvation which is now obtained by believing in the only Son of God for the remission of sin being laid down in the grave bathed in the abominations of His apostasie and impenitencie be raised up again at the Latter-day soul and body joyning to receive the irrecoverable sentence of eternall condemnation and rejection from the gracious presence of God unto the place appointed for them And for the further manifestation hereof the Lord hath been pleased to suffer some being spiritually dead and refusing to come to the Physitian of souls for life and being thereby self-condemned to ly under desperation and torment of conscience even in this life So that both word and example may joyn to the conviction of such as will not be converted Whereas the true Believer who in their life had been dying unto sin and attained unto the first Resurrection in living unto righteousnesse laid down the body under hope shal at the second Resurrection both soul and body being joyned again in that spiritual and incorruptible constitution agreeable unto immortality lift up the head with joy in coming before the Judge knowing that all judgment is committed to the Son of God who is their Kins-man Mediator and Redeemer who knows well for whose transgressions He hes made Himself an offering for satisfying the justice of God that He may see His seed the travell of His Soul and be satisfied That the pleasure of the Lord in justifying many does prosper in His Hand and in congregating and uniting to Himself who is the glorious Head and making up all the Members in one Body to become the fulnesse of Him who fills all in all that the Marriage-day may be solemnized and the marriage fully accomplished before God and all the Hierarchy of Angels Arch-Angels Throns Dominions Powers Seraphims and Cherubins with Hosannas and Hallelujahs shouting for joy and sympathising in all cordiall harmony the praises of their King the Author and Finisher of their Salvation with songs sutable and acceptable to that all-glorious Auditory and the glorified associats and assistants in that unlimited circumference whereof the All-blessed and infinite Essence of God is the incomprehensible Center and that from minutly renewed and revealed matter without intermission for evermore And for the further establishment of which truth some of Gods Children even in this life have attained the fore-tastes of the first Fruits of these eternall Consolations that they are to feast upon after this life everlastingly And seeing it is so and known to be so by the Believer where should the furthest extent of his deepest apprehensions and greatest fervencie of his affections be fixed but upon Him alone by whom he shall injoy all this blesse salvation and consolation And to this end that as they know they may commend and as they prove they may love and praise Him according as they can attain to see and conceive Him by the mirror wherein He shines making Himself and His excellencies the matter of our songs in the house of our pilgrimage untill we come up to see Him as He is and enjoy Him in the fulnesse of that blesse by the earnest whereof we are sustained under Hope And for this end let our study be to take Him up more particularly 1. First what He is in Himself 2. And secondly what He is to us 1. He is in Himself 1. The mighty God the everlasting Father wonderfull Counseller the Prince of Peace Isaiah 9.6 2. He is the second Person of the all-adored Trinity 3. His delight hes been from all eternity to be conversant with the sons of men And for that end and that the fulnesse of the God-head might dwell in him bodily hes by the operation of the Holy Ghost assumed unto Himself the nature of man from the seed of the woman in the womb of the Virgin whereby He becometh the kins-man flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone subject to all our infirmities sin except that He might be a mercifull and a compassionate high Priest and a propitiatory sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God in giving full satisfaction unto justice for the sins of the Elect in cancelling the hand-writing that spoke against them and nailing it unto the tree of the crosse when after the agony of His Soul He gave His Body to be crucified and His Blood to be shed for the Redemption of His beloved inheritance whom He hes thereby justified and will sanctifie and espouse to Himself delighted to see the increase of His grace in the Believer as the fruit and off-spring of the travel of His Soul and to whom He hes made Himself known to be the only Messias 1. First As Christ anointed Priest Altar and Sacrifice to satisfie and intercede for and reconceal us to God Prophet to instruct us in aâ—l truth and reveal the Fathers will to us and King to renew and defend His ransomed flock 2. Jesus a Saviour able to save to the utmost and cleanse them from all their sins 3. The Word incarnat from whom all our spirituall life comes 4. The Fountain opened from whence flowes all our consolation 5. The true Vine and prime branch whence influence ascends to all the members 6. The morning Star and Sun of righteousnesse by whom we are illuminate and revived 7. The Rock invincible and Corner-stone whereon our Salvation is built 8. The Mediator to procure acceptance to our persons and grants to our petitions 9. The Captain who is only able to conduct us through the wildernesse with safety 10. The bountifull Provisor for us in the midst of all our malicious enemies 11. The faithfull Witnesse who for all our failings and faithlesnesse will not deny Himself who changes not 12. This is our Emanuel our strong and mighty God who being with us what is it to us who be against us
they be of a spirituall nature yet know not neither can they put any thing in practice but naturally Yet herein further consists the unhappinesse of man that he cannot conceive nor will he be taught to understand that there is any more excellent happinesse attainable than that whereunto they have attained or may naturally come by Whereas the Believer after many calls wakenings warnings purposes promises shifts and debates being in the peremptory time of Gods appointment the time of love effectually wrought upon by the Spirit and word of grace and truth unto a gracious wakning quickened and illuminate to see themselves under darknesse and spiritually dead without God in the world and posting on in the way of destruction and so deservedly wondring that he is not long ago swallowed up in the gulf of irrecoverable wrath Seeing also the Vail rent and the entry made by the New and Living Way for a gracious relief and hereby beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord is translated from that naturall darknesse to his marvelous light And lanching forth into this Ocean of eternall unconceivable love where the deluge of unsearchable and self-destroying misery meets with the incomprehensible deeps of infinite mercy where plunged as in the extreams of contrary Tides swelling to such heights being heaved as it were to the Region of the Air and hurled as if they should be instantly sunk in these death-destroying surges of despair And yet so strengthened that they see the wonders of the Lord who before they be aware commands peace to appear maketh all quiet and by the breathing of a sweet and soft gale brings safe to the shoar And now reflecting upon the by-past and naturall lost condition first in the guilt of the most base and irrationall revolt of Originall defection and then in the stain and stintlesse superfluities of naughtinesse daily sprouting out in actuall provocations grieving Gods Spirit and now vexing the New Man Observing also and recenting the long-suffering patience rich mercy free grace eternall and unchangeable love that hes followed them in that miserable condition melted and made them up in a new mould so as the old things are past and all things are become new to them They are set upon a two-fold task 1. Of selfdetestation as self-destroyers and 2. Of Saviour-admiration in their deliverance hating denying and forsaking themselves loving imbracing and relying upon him in a continued fast of abstinence from all that hes been offensive to His good Spirit and studious to know and delighting to do whatsoever may be well-pleasing unto Him who hes been doing all things well for us when we were disdaining his divine bounty and this being the vast difference betwixt the man in his naturall estate and in the state of grace and that no man hes ground of boasting of any thing in themselves more then another and that there is no warrant to any man to despair but for confidence in following the means appointed sincerely And the matter being of greatest consequence I have been taking the more particular notice by way of comparison betwixt the first and second BIRTH and growth in a most familiar way how any under the least degree of grace may most easily discern what progresse they have made And have annexed hereto the portraict both of the new and old man the better to inflame the affections to the love of the one and loathing of the other Not that it is possible by any comparison imaginable whether real or supposed to decipher the unsearchable mysterious way of the spirit in the soul of the elect in the Ordinances of conversion or that either Ordinances or instruments can make effectuall the work of God begetting and bringing forth the new creature unto life without the enliving power of the spirit of the new life in the Ordinances Nevertheless seeing the Lord hes appointed and blessed means wherein he will shine and whereby he dispenseth His grace very reason is convinc'd that the means are to be followed And this comparison is no further to be streached then in a rationall way to incite the reasonable party to a reverent attending with attentivenesse to the Ordinances and a confident dependance upon the truth and tendernesse of the Author obedience to whose authority is ever well taken and never any forsaken that have been sincere seekers of Him according to the perfect rule of Scripture-truth THE COMPARISON AS the mater of the body of man by the supreme Ordinance of God in the ordinary â—ct of generation is conceived brought into form and capacitate to receive the spirit of life and the â—oul being created and infused in the body doth operate unto the perfecting of the body and so by the Lord 's singular and gracious preordination they do become one compound creature for the discharging of the offices of an intelligible spirit joyned with the Organs of a bodily substance whereby to conceive and by words and actions to expresse according as they shall be by means ordinar or extraordinar naturall or supernaturall taught as the first Mover shall see meet Even so the word of the Gospel containing the seeds of the New Man by the Ordinance of Preaching and the ordinar act of hearing impressions are left upon the understanding and will for conceiving and bringing it into form quality and capacity to receive the spirit of spiritual life which creats and infuseth grace in the soul whereby every Elect Child of God according to God's gracâ—ous preordination in this new creature by tâ— efficacious operation of the Holy Ghost is ingrafted in the Head Jesus Christ and by thâ— Union inabled unto the performance of all Christian duties incumbent to the New Man anâ— that by degrees according to our growth and increase in knowledge and experience either unto doing or suffering according as they be moved oâ— called thereunto But as in the naturall generation after the Infant hes received form life senses and faculties but not come out unto the light and so withouâ— the object and exercise of them but lying undeâ— darknesse in this weak condition the brittle embrio is in hourly hazard of imminent destruction from causes seen and unseen innumerable and often proves abortive by an over-slow or over sudden birth Even so the life of grace by the Spirit and Word of the Gospel being conceived yet is the New Man overclouded with much naturall darknesse the Devil taking advantage of the time sets to work all his machinations musters up all his legions lies in ambush with swarms of temptations assaulting from all airts uncessantly from corruption from carnall reason from suggestions naturall and unnaturall wearying the poor youngling with fearfull wrestlings â—ut faithfully guarded against this malice by the â—uthor of his reviving Only the yoke of â—ondage from the undeniable endictment and â—itnesse in his own guilty conscience dragging â—im back to the justice seat of a sin revenging â—od to receive the righteous doom of his own â—righteousnesse
He hes trod the wine-presse of Gods wrath alone and none with Him He hes bruised the head of the old serpent that was lifted up against us He hes given the deadly stroak to all our enemies led them captive and cast them under chaines of darknesse unto the condemnation of the great day and were there ever man or Angel could have imagined of such things to have been done for them And is it possible for us out of the deepest of our conceivings to think seriously of these wonders that the Lord hes eternally designed for us and in time done for us and not be ravished with the admiration of them and over-joyed in belief of them And yet what lesse could He have done for us seeing it was His holy and eternall determination to espouse us to Himself and for that end to sprinkle us with His bloud that we may be imbraced and put beauty upon us that we may be loved by Him who is all love and admitted to His Bed-Chamber and Breasts of consolation where feasting upon that all-fulnesse and unconceivable sweetnesse that is in Him we may say and sing As we have heard so have we seen In the City of our God and of our King A SONG OF DEGREES Ascending from what we were in Nature to what we are in Grace and thence to what we shall be by believing NOw Saviour dear my soul receive Flesh blood and bones slides to the grave Grace hath procur'd by argument Of Nature now a full consent That the body shall remain Asleep till I return again And that I shall approach and prove Sweet Saviour now thy saving Love Amongst these mansions shining bright Where souls are feasting on thy sight And at what instant thou dost call The body then assume I shall That thence restor'd for evermore We in thy face may God adore That seeing there as we are seen Where never cloud doth interveen Nor subtile serpent shall appear With syren songs to tempt the ear Nor interrupt our Songs of love So set our present thoughts above As is the Heaven of heavens so far From thoughts infirm that finite are But yet because the Glory there Transcends believing let us spare And set our Songs in order right According to our present Light Of faith which fraught with wonders clear By pond'ring makes grac'd-men admire His Love and beauty still increasing While we His praises be expressing Let us make His Glorious Name Our deepest thoughts our chiefest theam So as we may with singing move In joyfull Songs of Praise and Love His Name His Name most highest high Essentiall God in Majesty Who with the Father and the Sp'rit As Counseller did take delight In this most Glorious Universe And here with men for to converse By wisdome viewing all the wonders That now appear surpassing numbers In these magnificent degrees And statutes of eternities All things by Omnipotency From nothing op'ning instantly Omniscience all things observing His providence all things preserving In all their comings goings courses Places cases and recourses According to their inclination Set by supream preordination Of that eternall counsell standing And unsearchably commanding Seen and unseen varieties Diversities rarieties From that Infinity proceeding Transcending this dimm twi-light reading Even in these clear excellencies That obvious be unto our eyes Far lesse find out Him infinite In His perfections full compleat Incomprehensible and pure Uncheangable that does indure But let our faithfull thoughts be fixt Upon that new creation next Wherein we deeply be concern'd To dive and be divinely learn'd Not by the line of humane learning But by the spirit of discerning To know how that most fatall fall The race of Adam damned all Deserv'dly left and so forlorn In bands of death and darknesse born Till in that Counsell now admired That wisdom wonderfull umpired Mercy and justice entering band In upright righteousnesse to stand To ransome from that rotten stock And so redeem a saved flock By sep'rating a second Root That should produce a precious fruit And by a sappie substance firme Regenerat renew confirme Whereby the power of His Sp'rit The marvell of all marvels meet When Members mysticall implanted Be in the divine nature fainted As being in the Head divine Where God doth in His fulnesse shine For by this mysterie adored Christ mystical's from death restored Here Soveraignity does shine And Love anterior to time Unto the Elect does appear Illustrious and shining clear Omniscience observing all And every one about this ball In every one and all their cases That by His pleasure He imbraces Omnipotency such preserving As be convinc'd of no deserving His providences likewise prove The firmnesse of His faithfull Love The travell of His Soul reviving In that all-wonderfull contriving And fully satisfi'd therein Because the fruit should purge our sin Whereby we ly in bands of wrath Untill we do apply His death Opening our eyes to see with grief Our selves and Him a sure relief Firmly fixing in our thought The wondrous wayes whereby he brought From nothing us to nature then From reasonlesse to rationall men From reason render'd reasonlesse Not standing in our steadfastnesse But prostitute to sinfull lust Were under death and darknesse thrust Again this true eternall Love Mov'd by His Sp'rit again to move Upon that then confused masse More marr'd then the first Chaos was When this good Sp'rit to order wrought That glorious work from nothing brought Whereby we may our weaknesse see The more observant hence to be Impressions pressing on the heart From which he never will depart Untill His Image be repair'd And we for glorie be prepar'd But guides us all the way we go And when we wander warns us so That through a world we are led Of snares that be before us spred Where swarms of devils are devising Daily our darkned souls surprizing And what a fray of lusts unclean Are from the spawn of satan seen Kindled and cannot quenched be Untill corruption crushed be O wonder now and wondering sing The praises of this wondrous King God His own Son Gods sole delight The life of man the worlds light Man to redeem mans nature taking That he might die for mans up-making Obscur'd be put to grief and brusing And all with chiefest pleasure chusing In time prefixt His Seed to see EMANUEL marvelous will be And now as then divinely seeing Imbraces in this glorious being Every minut under time Souls redeem'd from every clime Where this glorious Gospel's sounding Alairts and parts this globe surrounding Swarming up in severall Legions Received in celestiall regions And ordered in prepared places According to their gifted graces This is our glorious King of Hosts Sing to His praise you blessed ghosts For at His feet youâ— foes do fall While He conveens combines you all Because your high and glorious Head His fulnesse you and Members made His pains your gains His glory now Made Him delight to be with you Angels in these wonders using Minds apted rapted be in musing And ministring their service still Adoring do His glorious will And Souls redeem'd their songs begin This glory as they enter in And we in contemplation now Delight to sympathize with you In your triumphant state adoring Your King and in His glory soaring Swiming in Oceans of delights And visions of transcendent sights These glorious objects of your seeing The subject of your singing being When His comfortable reflectings Shines upon your crosse neglectings And your putting Him to grief Meets with this Royal Grace-relief Seeing now as you are seen And knowing that you might have been Amongst the damn'd by your deserving Under utter darknesse starving Where millions every minut rumble And in endlesse torments tumble While you upon His face do feed And the righteous reasons read Of all His judgements just and high That holy and unchanged be When all the Generations Of men since the creations And Angels come both good and bad To hear their sentence sweet and sad When at the twinkling of an eye The wicked shall rejected be And will endure eternall pain Rather then see that face again In righteous judgement justly burning For their grievous guilty spurning When the Faithfull father'd aright Remain rejoicing in His sight Who be of His rich grace the seed And now incorporate in the head Wherein of God all fulnesse growes And on the Members overflowes Here men and Angels clearly see The Counsells of eternity Wherein the Son of God rejoyced Eternally to see proposed This state of Sonship to the Saints With whom espoused now He haunts In heavens of blesse so far above As is the heavens we see to move This earth above and passe accounts As infinite finite surmounts From ev'ry severall soul whose cases Differs further then their faces But when in these infinities We enter and eternities And in the pleasures thereof placed And glory there by grace imbraced According to the great design Of God our Lord doth then resign Power Kingdome and authority To God alone who sets him free Of all his foes who be brought down When he receives the Royall Câ—own Of triumph now Christ mysticall Fully compleat who filleth all Now in Hiâ— Bride redeem'd rejoycing And she with joy on Him reposing In these vast dimensions bright Where He alone is all her light Life diet and delight alone The subjects of their Songs each one Nor could created-heavens contain These glorious Songs there heard and seen Sounding out from every airt And every soul a severall part And in such order sweet compos'd As all the heavens shall be rejoyc'd In the uncessant consolation Of this redeemed corporation When the King of Kings the Head A King hes every Member made And Priest to offer praises due And constantly their Songs renew But as we said so let us cease Towards these mysteries to prease Eye hes not seen ear cannot hear Nor heart conceive till we appear What for the Chosen was prepar'd And then it duely be declar'd Only by believing this Shall be above believing blesse And blessednesse which might allay All our wrestlings in the way And under hope the soul sustain Untill we may the fruit obtain When we shall joine and be victorious In that triumphant state so glorious And springing through the Skies shall sing All joyfull praises to our King FINIS
he is under dreadfull confusiâ—ns and hesitations in hazard of miscarriage and â—ady to give over untill it please the Lord to reâ—eal Himself more clearly and thereby making â—o the work of faith with power brings out the â—risoner of hope unto the open air of the Goâ—el to lay hold upon the Prince of life and by â—eholding Him the Captain of our Salvation 〈◊〉 giving His Life to the death for penitent and â—elieving sinners hes destroyed death spoiled 〈◊〉 of the sting and the law of its strength quieâ—ng the conscience in satisfying justice and so â—eeing the fearfull soul from the rigorous exactiâ—s of a fierce and fiery law unto a further growth â—f grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But being by much weaknesse almost â—vercome in these wrestlings and like an unwise â—n having stayed long in the breaking forth of â—ildren by gracious assistance having gained â—me better ground of confidence I break out in â—is contest with my self Ho! hellish heath dost thou not tire to toile Thy self alongst this stinking Stigian Lake What canst thou like in this forsaken Soile Where all that drove of damned devils quake Ah dost thou look for Limbos Patrum here For Purgatory or poor Infants pain No the eternall wrath of God severe Doth ever burn none doth return again Ho! lo these swelling sulph'rous floods that roar Gaze no more on these griefly ghosts forlorn Wambling in wofull endlesse torments sore Blaspheming God that ever they were born Return withdraw now do ye danger dread Despair attends and can ye overturn Thou hadst dropt down if not upheld indeed Where all these ever-dying damned mourn He that upholds thee bids thee turn in haste To taste and feast upon this fervent Love Return my soul therefore unto thy rest Prepare thy heart His mercies force to prove How canst thou be so base as misbelieve Him who hes shed His blood to set thee free Wilt thou by incredulity deprive Thy self of peace so purchased for thee Thy guilty Conscience and the Law exact He silenc'd hes that ye can say no more And now thou may this day come see and take His truth His grace Himself thee to restore Is it not now so naturall to thee Him to believe since thou art born again As once it was His truth to vilifie When thou in nat'rall darknesse did remain Thy bands thy bondage all thy tort'ring terrors From infidelity unpurg'd do spring May not this ransom now remove thy errours When death and hell hereby hes lost the sting The Law like the Law-maker doth remain Righteous and holy sp'rituall and just So doth thy Conscience here bear witnesse plain Of what thou dost amisse for that it must But none of these can hinder thee to hold The grip that thou hast got of God by grace No they do let thee see that thou art sold By sin a slave to satan and do chase Thee now with speed timous supplie to take And wonder that thou art prevented so Before the Law thy conscience did awake For then remedilesse had been thy woe Thy reason cannot thy relief receive Thy guilt will ever keep thee under grief Then shalt thou so thine own poor soul deceive And it bereave of offered relief Arise therefore and mourn the more for sin That now thou seest it hes procur'd Gods ire Again to see slain Christ for thee begin Whose blood doth quench that fear'd infernall fire Doubtlesse I would be fred of this wanrest Wherein I wrestle as a wretch forlorn Under the weight of guilt and wrath supprest And with the torment of these terrours torn But now I see I must for life believe On Him who freely loves and freely gives Not that for my believing I may live That I may live He gives me to believe And firmly now to fix upon His Love His Mercy Truth and power infinite And by the motions of His Grace to move As He shall give assistance by His Sp'rit And yet as the naturall man before he comâ— to the years of discretion by education and experience is exposed unto many dangerous trialâ— and troubles wherein he is often in danger oâ— ruine being like an untamed Colt or a wildâ— Asse in the Wildernesse snuffing up the wind brutishly exposing himself unto the perill of perishing every day in his riot and insolency Right so the new Man albeit come out of the womb of Regeneration wrestled through the straits and travels of new Birth escaped the poweâ— of the Law bondage and darknesse where undeâ— he was kept and that for the time corruptioâ— hes been kept far under that it could not get up the head having tasted how good the Lord is and doth grow up by sucking in the sincere Milâ— of the Word Yet the old and bold Serpent that vigilant subtill and restlesse enemie of our Salvatioâ— sleepes not but lyes at all advantage by all means to make use of every time under all cases for undoing all that God hes done in us so far as lyes in his power Who seeing us so satisfied with what we have received lets us swell a little and then like an Angell of Light lifts us up and leads us ouâ— of the humble and holy way of self denyal and sincere dependence for daily and immediate support unto self-confidence and carnall contentment abusing the rich mercy and turning the free grace received unto wantonnesse so that before I was aware was left in the dark pestered with meny piercing temptations and much foiled under some fearfull devices Which perceivingâ— and after some serious pause turning to my strong hold and putting on the armour of proof entered the fight of faith under his Banner who overcame for me Confident that He would also overcome in me to the praise of the glory of His Grace I break out in this passion Thou damned Devil go to the hells and die That never dying death thy portion just Infernall Feind fall down and scoarchingly For ever Why It is thy doom thou must Down downly die and there thy power restrain The Lord reprove thy pride and malice vain This passion thou puts me to perforce â—ecause thou dost perplex and vex me still Who by thy wiles would me from God divorce â—nd dragg me after thy pernicious will In plots profound thy wits thou dost imploy By treacherous trains poor souls for to destroy Thou like a Syren canst thy song enchant Untill the carnall part thereto incline When in resemblance thou dost seem a Saint This cruell craft is found in thee and thine The world worldlings at thy wish thou hast And mine own flesh to keep me in unrest My facile mind thou also much dost mar With many foolish fantasies confuse And to my judgment erâ—ors also dare Present maintain with lies and bid me chuse The rules of reason and of carnall sense So to destroy my faith on this pretence Thou lets my sins forsaken me before And shews my sorrow is below my sin And that to
compleat a man But thou art carnall that objects And doth discover thy defects A little ponder understand Shall that All-wise All-working hand All-just All-good All-holy King Misse in that most intended thing His Eyes were on when He gave being To all things subject unto seeing Did He this spacious Globe erect And by their sourse the seas collect Becircled by the firmament Illustrious and so excellent With plenteous store to entertain Poor wretched men that lost have been No from eternity He knew All what was past what should ensue And in a Second Adam sweet Made man again with God to meet Who for the Elect Surety stood And them restor'd by His own Blood Their flesh assumed for that end And doth His Sp'rit unto them send Which Holy Sp'rit their sp'rit inspires With sp'rit-renewing sacred fires Quickning purging and perfuming Grace increasing vice consuming Eyes and heart and minds inlarging With His Image supercharging Such searching souls as do imbrace The splendor of his pleasing face Rapt and made apt with open eyes To dyve in these excellencies And in that sourse of sweet delight To feast upon his beauty bright Whereby he doth our souls decore And to his Image us restore On whom by faith firm fixed solely The whole affections are made holy And humble by a self-reflect Upon thy self for self neglect So modesty shines in the face And gravity that Christian grace That generous Spirit that doth â—acer Her self to serve her Saving Maker That Sapience that far far sees To compose content from contraries That chastitie that can contain Affections all in order clean That love that vertue doth allure And all licentious lusts can cure That liberall mind that lively spreads And frugally preserves the seeds That charity that chearfully Knows when how where to give supply That temperance that can subdue Proud passions as they do renew That courtesie that neatly can Carry the master like a man That clemencie that can declare The colours clear of vertue fair That patience that prudence leads That peace which pious Spirits feeds That fortitude that fairly founded With resolutions firmly grounded On truth with strong stability Expressed with alacrity Courage and circumspection so That never storm can overthrow That single heart sincere and sweet Where comfort and delight do meet That sp'rit of contemplation piercing And heavens holy myst'ries searching Longing thronging thirsting till The fruit of faith the Soul full fill Then God beholding the effects That by his beams on Saincts reflects And looking on that beauty rare Accounts and cals them sweet and fair For grace in vertue so doth shine That vertue doth become divine This is the vertue I avouch'd The vertue that I would have touch'd The vertue true that clarifies And qualifies the qualities That doth illustrate and ingrain And turns in substance shadows vain That giveth smell and taste unto All that we think or speak or do This vertue well accomplish can And compleat the Christian man Gain this vertue and thou shall Inherit Heav'n and Earth and all More solide solace sweet possesse Then heart can think or pen express Limb out her lineaments conceive Such riches where thou can receive Try her parts taste every place Such sweet thou can no where embrace Drink her in with all desire Untill she set thy heart on fire Her beams they will thy breast inflame Her streams will qualifie the same Choise of choises chief content Of all beneath the firmament Search her for she waits to see Who for her love will fervent be And if thou joine thou shalt enjoy That bliss which nothing can annoy For then thou shalt into his Image grow From whom this vertue fair doth freely flow The Portraict and Character oâ— the Old Man Under the name of Vice described COme you who wonders curious are to see Or monsters such as most detested be And you who can indeed discern aright This Brat begot in hell by heav'nly light Vice here behold stript naked to the skin Look on her outside see her well within Her port and gesture here how vile behold Vain proud implacable presumptuous bold Disorderly by satans order placed As basely in the heart they be embraced Each ruling in his sphere rounding the brain And heart with humors perverse and profane Where generositie should bud and flourish Debate deceit there doth she neatly nourish There where the truth sincerely should be stated Faithlesse hypocrisie is firmly seated Malice envy and horrid hatred there Where love should move is in her breast made bare Under the shew of chastity most clean Closs impudent incontinencie is seen Ambition avarice wrath and cruelty Watch as they may most serviceable be Within a cloud of Christian clemency And humane gentlenesse dissimulately She sets her subtil snares for to entyse The weak for she in wickednesse is wise Her sottish slaves who serve her she doth lead Their souls on sensual lusts to live and feed Or otherwise to pry how to surprize Their nearest dearest friends that they may rise To treasure state or store honour or ease As they may their beloved Idol please And for those ends do study to devise By all the means that be below the skies Without controle directly to content That humor in its fixed element Objection Can all that you have heretofore asserted Be held for truth Is poor man so deserted And by that dev'lish villany possest Which here you have so peremptory prest Is man who is the creature rational Below the brute so fallen by his fall You see most men do something civile live Vice misregard and unto vertue cleave It seems that he doth some true light retain Suppose it suffered hath a fearfull stain And if it were as you affirm then he Not only should below the brutish be But might be ranked in degree with devils The Author of these specified evils What find we more in that apostate sp'rit Finall impenitency to compleat Then you of man each man forlorn hath said Is it not for His wrack that he was made Answer Our Glorious King Eternall only Wise Almighty Mover moved by advice Of uncreated wisdome that he can No lesse have done then well in making man Man was made holy righteous and good But he did stumble when he should have stood Before the tryals of the tempter slie And slew himself and all his progeny By misbelieving Him by whom he lived Is left to live to him whom he believed And being left of God he is possest Of all the devilry that is here exprest Man unregenerate is below most sure The vildest bruit on earth and most impure What Lyon Tygre or destroying Boaâ— So fervent fierce or cruell to devour What can with that vild murtherer compare Who for to feast his idol will not spare His nearest friends brothers or native seed And will imbrew his hands in parricide And in his own hot blood for to fulfill His humor give the fatall stroak and kill What Crocodil what scorching Scorpion
rode I read in letters fair Love unconceivable and wisdome there And ever since when I such whisperings hear Flow from that buzing snake I stop mine ear ANNA We of the Citty sumptuously do live And to maintain our wealth do mainly strive So avaritious and luxurious grow As we in wealth and worldly honours flow But when our Lover doth remove the vail We see the rotten ship wherein we sail And fecklesse wares whereon our souls we waste Then to the death we do our selves detest But being bred in such societies As do advert unto varieties Of outward formes must civile be and neat According to our rank degree and state I have been shew'd by one that 's most sincere That many dangers ' mongst them do appear And that her self was fearfully afraid Lest unknown fear her weakness had bewrai'd And if I warned had not been before I might have splitted on this deadly shore But after deeper search I did perceive My self was nothing but a living grave Where noysome serpents in the members crawl The faculties infecting of the soul The soul again vain arrogant and proud For all her wak'nings walking under cloud Then after this I had a fearfull blink Which under desperation made me shrink But then even at the twinkling of an eye My Saver present set me fully free So as unto his praise I must record A self-lost soul was saved by the Lord. Thus my Redeemer so did me Redeem My danger and deliverance seen did seem So near and I so filled with conceiving Sense led me from the way of firm believing But in that sweetnesse when I fell asleep I swell'd up in a deadly fever deep And moving miss'd the Author of my joy So then my nearest friends I did imploy Who helps prescrib'd and potions did prepare To swage my swelling and my health repair But then there did such fears my soul assail Which through my weakness often did prevail To bring in question how to persevere Before the straits and tryals that appear I was brought very low but never heal'd Untill compassion with my Prince prevail'd Me to restore and make me surely see A stedfast faith was firm stability So when I look'd unto my Lovers might All faithlesse fears evanisht out of sight GRISSILLA We in the Academie that be nourish'd And fruitfull grow when we have early flourish'd Physick Laws Metaphysicks we debate What serves for mans soul body or estate And by our science and inventions then Reduce to order for the use of men But swell in pride and in disdain when we Others so far below us we espy And often our too curious spirits swerving Do over-turn our selves by our deserving For by deep speculation we do see Wonders that by none other seen can be Produc'd by natures force and render'd then In rare effects to be admir'd of men The stars in severall places we espy In constellations as they ordered be Desing'd for signs in ev'ry Variation Ascent descent degrees and inclination Severall effects on every severall thing That from the earth from air and oceans spring Gold Pearles Stones precious in the earth secured Deep steeping closely till they be matured Where by the stars they do procure their strength Of bodies short continuance and their length Of Animals Herbs Flowers their vertues all Their birth and growth their durance and their fall Which as in this clear prospect we do see By proof their operations learn'd have we And I one day these marvels so admiring Their causes and effects too much desiring To search by natures light And not adoring The God of nature but by nature poring In this deep study I was sorely stained With infidelity and then arraigned And left forlorn a little as I shewed Untill that by contrition renewed I accesse had and granted was to see That my dear Lover and Life-giver He Was natures Author and that her effects Were done directly still as he directs Afflictions fears and too much carnall care Temptations be which lead unto despair Again by grace resisting and repelling A devillish drift doth lift the heart to swelling And herein I much weaknesse have bewrayed But happily therewith hath been essayed For of his goodness I again do gain To guard against these vile debourdings vain ELIZA We who into the Country bred have been And little of the Court or Citty seen But in the Wildernesse alone were living Our bleitting droves unto the fountains driving Alongst the quickning springs and cooling streams Sheltr'd with sweetest sprigs from scorching beams Delighted in our silent Cipresse Bowers Adorned with the fairest rarest flowers And satisfied herewith as with silk Preferring to their sharpest spice our milk But under all this smooth sobriety Ingenuous care and frugall industry We live and die in ignorance indured And ly in gross profanity obdured And cannot see untill by speciall grace A brighter light do shine upon our face But after I was call'd and causâ—d to see And made asham'd of my profanity Thereby affected with my Lovers love That nothing else near to my heart could move The Devil then under a glist'ring vail My weaknesse unawares did so assail That I had drunk the poyson'd cup so deep My senses by the venom were asleep For he some instruments had so deceiv'd And to most impious principles beslav'd Under pretext of love to Christ alone Exalting him up to his Royall Throne With all that unto him do truly cleave That they by doctrines were not now to live That they are clean and cannot be defil'd Illuminate and cannot be beguil'd That all are theirs and all things common be Unto that love-bred love-fed Family With others such-like hatcht-patcht proofs so specious And drest with speeches seeming very gracious My carnall heart did presently affect To bring a present heaven in respect But when the way so pleasant did appear To flesh and blood I did begin to fear And took me to consult with truth divine So as the Majesty therein did shine Of Holinesse and Righteousnesse so clear The filthinesse and folly did appear Wherein they swell perverting truth so far That they obdur'd unto conviction are And hereby found I also out again That I unstable facil was and vain And so alas have blasted been and broken With all these blustrings whereof you have spoken Have seen my self self-lost self-damn'd and saved And yet so senslesse and so self-depraved So far corrupt so foolish and so frail Conceits impure so much with me prevail And yet with mercy and compassion clear Am compassed more than I can admire For I to wrath my self do still expose But my Redeemer still doth interpose And when I would my self in darknesse cast I rescu'd am for he doth hold me fast And when despar'dly I would make retreat From this new City and these pleasures sweet And searches every postern gate and lirk My own destruction cruelly to worke By separating yet I am surrounded In so wise windings wherein I am bounded And breath'd upon even
ever blest Trin One compleat For evermore our songs shall be Ever renew'd uncessantly And His praises to expresse Ever shall our selves addresse AMEN O Lord so let it be So be it in Eternity THE NATURAL MAN Debated with HOw come say some such sacred flames can boil So sweet perfumes out of this sullen soyl This curious question'st with carnall eyes Bemisted sees not in these mysteries How singing doth from sighing flow And gladnesse how from sadnesse grow How mourning melting motions move In frozen hearts hot flames of love From bitterness how sweetness springs Refreshment what felt-ruine brings How from the groans of inward grief Clear freedom rises and relief In deepest darknesse sure direction In dreadfull danger safe protection Result and what can be the root That renders this admired fruit For Answer this BY Grace we see our selves with shame Under abominable blame And not the lesse so freely loved Affections feelingly are moved And overflow like Nilus River In the heart of the believer Whence grief and gladnesse love and he at Reside as in the proper seat Whence bitter mourning grief and wo For grieving such a Lover so Who surfetted hes been with grief From grief to purchase our relief Whom seeing vively through the vail Love and delight thereby prevail So that as by approaching near Unto that splendor in its sphere Be in Combustion dazled so Within these gleams we undergo And in this current strong contesting Securely in his shadow resting Zeal the birth of love and hate Daily abates this love-debate Wherewith no concord can compare One end discussing all their care Being to be made pure and clean This fervent love to entertain Grace ' gainst corruption doth begin A furious fight the soul within So that in one poor person here Betwixt two parties doth appear A hot contest with fatall blows Tending to others overthrows Whence grows this bitter-sweet debate In this grace-griev'd divided state Hence flow these tides contrary turning Mourning to mirth mirth unto mourning The old man being pincht repines The new man sweetly sings and shines The old man dwyning in his living The new man rising and reviving What dolour the old man endures Delight to the new man procures When grace is most o'resway'd it swiâ—gs Corruption under foot and sings For on a mountain of increasement And at a fountain of refreshment Bullering up eternall love With sp'ritual breathings from above Reviv'd by all these blessefull beams Shining through our cristal streams We in these glist'rings flight'ring be Untill we take our flight on hie These be the Northern gales that blow And breathings from the South that flow Upon the Spices sweet and Flowres Seasoned with Celestiall showres And in this Garden do agree Spouses to feast deliciously Upon these fruits and spices sweet Where all their comforts are compleat Who do discern aright to rise These mercies rich rightly to prize But the Believer only sees That Majesty in these mysteries And substance through the shadows more Of glory then he can adore But that the rationall man yet we may lead Some length let us by nat'rall reason plead Seeing this naturall Sun we daily see On nat'rall bodies worke effectually Vapours exhaling out of earthy things Which rarifi'd and clarified brings Repell'd by colder air our early showres Enamelling the earth with fruits and flowres Shall not the Sun of Righteousnesse far more Natures Creator whom we do adore By his almighty Influence divine Which on the long-benighted soul does shine Affect attract and elevating move Affections for the element of love Which purify'd prepared and matur'd Are for the service of their Lord allur'd And further yet by naturall things to learn Spirituall mysteries best to discern This supposition make Conceive the bounds Of this vast Ocean that the earth surrounds If all the Floods therein were the extracts And quintessence that best ingredients makes And daily that some of these cristall drops Melt from such sweet and sun-refined sops And in this Ocean be ingulfed shall They not be then transchanged in the fall Our reason shews us that this strong perfume Should soon the drosse of this sweet drop consume Consider then when this immortall sp'rit By these divine irradiations sweet Here in the Region of grace matur'd For glory and the love thereof allur'd Doth from this cloud come out imbrac'd to be In that incomprehensible excellency At the first blink transchanged be so far As heat from cold and light from darkness are And though the rising of our bodies be From death to life again a mysterie Yet when we do behold how nature brings About life to restore to lifelesse things The earth renewing daily flowers and fruits From dozen'd dead corrupt and rotten roots The vapour that 's exhaled from the brim Where sholes of herring leave their spawn to swim Congealed in a cloud again shall powre Of herrings on the ground a swiming shower Oh wofull wretched wreaked naturallist That naturally doth see and not insist To see aright believe love and know more Who natures Author is and him adore For in His time thou with thy very eyes Disclos'd shall see these divine mysteries Our body from the Elements arise And sp'rited be to meet Him in the skies And at the peep of first appearance passe To pain or pleasure as the Inditement was Recorded clearly on the conscience gravâ—d Rend'ring response respective damned sav'd And all these revolutions orderly Accomplisht in the twinkling of an eye For this the period peremptor is Eternally determinat for this That Glorious Right'ous Justice shining clear And glorious righteous mercy may appear Where all the damn'd convinc'd in anguish ly The saved on their Saviour do rely And yet poor naturall atheist that inquires Where is this blesse and where these burning fâ—es Conceive of God aright who comprehends All things incomprehended and extends His glory in His dispensations free Of mercy and of justice righteously Wherein such Majesty ador'd does shine As moves to admiration divine Through all these vast dimensions created Where all the rationall creatures are stated Sin-poyson'd persons wheresoever they be Unpurg'd are under wrath perpetuallie Likeas the Saints are wheresoever plac'd Within the glorious love of God imbrac'd This is the hell beneath and heaven above Here flames of wrath abide there beams of love Justice effects producing so contrarious Upon the Objects so directly various This naturall Sun by nature putrifies Some matter and some matter purifies Some matter harden and some soften more Some strike to death and some to life restore In Summer shining with so fervent heat And on the vild defyled puddle beat The filth therein doth such a fume disclose As doth in darknesse all the dung inclose Ingend'ring serpents vile and cruell frogs Crawling and sprewling in their poysoned drogs Right so the Sun of Righteousnesse shines pure While such the poyson of their pest indure â—or all the perturbation torment anguish Is of themselves wherein they liveing languish Thus may