are strait and low and can't admit The Proud nor those who can with Scorners sit Wo to the Rich who fix their Hearts below Whose watry Eyes when all the Poor shall go To endless Joys with useless Tears shall flow Rejoice poor humble Souls my Truths embrace And God shall you at last in boundless Glories place LIX And now Lord what is my Hope Truly my Hope is even in Thee Bel. WHence my dearest Lord from whence Should I raise my Confidence Whence while here beneath the Skies Should my Hopes my Comforts rise Only Dearest Lord from Thee So immensly kind to Me. When was 't well with me without Thee When was 't ill and Thou about Me Keep me ever ever poor If I 'm so of Thee secure Heaven without Thee 's all uneasy Earth with Thee would rather please Me. Heaven would be no Seat of Blisses Hell would crown my warmest Wishes If that Hell beneath could show Thee If that Heaven could ne'r bestow Thee Thou' rt my Love my chief Desire All my Sighs and Groans aspire Only for Thee only to Thee While my liveliest Hopes pursue Thee When the greatest Wants surround Me When the greatest Fears confound Me From my God alone commence All my Hopes and Confidence Others hunt inferiour Pleasures All the sweet the charming Measures Of my Safety spring from Thee All things thence are good to Me. Oft I 'm punish'd oft I 'm tempted But by Mercy still prevented While his Rod severely proves Me Still my dearest Master loves Me Still thy Strokes are dear to Me As the softest Joys can be God ray Lord 's my Hope my Shelter When in Sorrow's Gore I welter He 's my Strength my only Stay All without him flies away Helps deceive Me Friends forsake Me Books but doubtful Answers make Me. Counsellors with Quirks confound Me Reeds alas deceitful wound Me. Thou my Help my Comfort art Thou instruct'st and keep'st my Heart All those things to Peace pretending All Felicities depending Must but vain and empty be When abstracted Lord from Thee All that 's Good and Wise and Great All to Thee their Spring retreat And thy Servants Comfort see Only when they trust in Thee Lord to Thee I lift my Eyes Whence my daily Mercies rise Kindest Father Dearest Lord Still thy Joys thy Smiles afford Bless and sanctify my Mind That Thou there a place may'st find That thy Glories there may rest In a Heart with Pureness drest Freed from Sins offensive Pest Lord as thy Goodness large appears Thy Mercies large O let thy Ears To thy poor Servant's Prayers be kind While here to Deathful Shades confin'd Protect preserve defend my Soul While Clouds and Storms about Me roll Let Grace attending thro a peaceful way My Soul to endless Life and endless Light convey Amen The Christian Pattern PARAPHRAS'D The Fourth Book Of the Eucharist The Invitation O Come ye tabouring Souls with Sins vast weight opprest O come and on your Master 's sacred Bosom rest My Flesh is Bread which I 'll on fainting Souls bestow My Blood the Source of Life to all the World below Take eat my Body here each faithful Soul shall find Eat eat it oft to keep your dying Lord in mind He whom my Flesh and Blood divinely entertains Lo I his Lord in Him and He in Me remains My Words with nobler Sense than Carnal Language shine They 'r Life and Sprit All All Mystick All Divine I. And Reverence his Sanctuary Believer THESE Words Dear Christ Eternal Truth are Thine And like thy Self they 'r all Divine At various Times in various Places us'd Each sacred Syllable Which from my Saviour fell New Life new Light quite thro my Soul diffus'd They 'r Thine as utter'd Lord by Thee But Mine as for Salvation meant to Me. I them with flowing Joys receive May they on Me a deep Impression leave They 'r holy and they 'r gracious All And like sweet Dews or Lovers Kisses fall But me my weighty Guilt affrights A wounded Soul no Visitors invites Thy dear soft Words attract my hungry Soul But Thoughts of inward Guilt my forward Haste controul Thou bidst that my Approach with Faith should be If I 'd have any Share in Thee That I 'd of that immortal Nourishment Accept an offer'd Part And with a grateful Heart My Prayers for Life's eternal Bliss present O ye Thou say'st with Sins opprest O come and on my heavenly Bosom rest Sweet Words Dear happy charming Sound About desponding Sinners ecchoing round By These poor Souls invited are In blest Communion with thy self to share But who Dear Lord or what am I Who dare approach the spotless Deity Heaven's lofty Throne 's impure compar'd with Thee And shall a sinful Soul thy glorious Palace be Who can so kind a Condescension show Whence such a tender Friendship flow Dare I before thy sacred Altars kneel Conscious of in-born Sin Who cruel Pangs within And all a wounded Soul's Convulsions feel Oft have I trespass'd in thy sight And dare I now consuming Flames invite Thy Terrors purest Saints avow To them the bright Angelick Armies bow Thou said'st O Come else Lord had we Resign'd to Fears and Incredulity Great Noah's saving Ark appears The Labour of a hundred lingring Years And can a few short Minutes fit the Soul To meet that God whose Arms the vassail'd World controul A Cedar Chest contain'd thy Laws of old Cedar o're-laid with Ophir's Gold Seven toilsom Years that King of Wisdom spent A Temple's Walls to raise To thy immortal Praise Eight Holy Pays in solemn Feastings went A thousand peaceful Offerings blaz'd A thousand Shouts that Ark of Mercy rais'd To its Majestick glorious Seat What tho I only find a Mystick Treat What tho plain Bread and Wine must be The Symbols of his Flesh and Blood to Me The Legislator's greater far Than Laws tho cut by heavenly Fingers are I 'm vile yet can't one Moment freely spend To purge my filthy Soul or lodg my gracious Friend What Art what Care the Godlike Moses tri'd That wondrous Casket to provide What Time what curious Skill what vast Expence Blest Wisdom's mighty Heir Took that He might prepare A Dome for thy Mysterious Residence But Lord what little Care can I To entertain so great a Guest apply O how my Thoughts distracted range How soon my Manly Resolutions change How fixt my wandring Thoughts should be From all inferiour Obligations free When not Angelick Bands But him who all the Angel-Host commands I to receive with humble Faith prepare And at a Feast of Love with my Redeemer share That sacred Ark thy Mercy 's wondrous Seat By thy peculiar Presence great That Ark the Symbol of the Deity In that Illustrious Dome Took up the noblest Room The Holiest Place as representing Thee Yet all the Sacrifices there Were but the Types of that revolving Year In which Incarnate God should fall The great Atonement and should perfect All. That great Atonement Bread and Wine To us exhibit in a Mode
thy Mercies give In Me th' Eternal Springs of Mercy live To Me their grateful Tribute all should pay As to their Parent-Seas kind Rivers find their way From me the Great the Small the Rich the Poor As from a living Fountain draw their Store And who for Me the World can freely leave Shall find his Hopes and Grace for Grace receive But he who dares without his Maker boast And trades for Pleasures from a foreign Coast Shall lose his Joys and in Himself shall find Eternal Furies to distract his Mind No Goodness then to thy vile Self ascribe No real Vertues to the Mortal Tribe But all to me from whom all Blessings flow Who all demand because I all bestow That ALL my Bounty might with grateful Praises show This Holy Truth puts Self-conceit to flight And when the Soul 's adorn'd with Heavenly Light And Heavenly Love no pining Envy there No narrow Thoughts no little Loves appear Ethereal Flames can soon those Damps controul And with exalted Thoughts enlarge the Soul If then Thou' rt truly Wife thy Joys will be Thy Hopes thy Confidence in Me to Me All Praise all Honour 's due thro vast Eternity X. Thy Service is perfect Freedom Believer ONCE Lord again I 'll Silence break Once more to my Redeemer speak To thee my God my King my Love Who dwells Invisible above With Thee what treasur'd Sweets appear For all the Sons of Heavenly Fear For all possest by powerful Love For all who faithful Servants prove Ineffable to that pure Mind To meditate on Thee resign'd How great 's thy Goodness Lord to Me Which when I was not made me Be Reduc'd me when I us'd to rove And taught me Service and enjoin'd me Love O Spring of boundless Love to Thee What should my Humble Language be Can I forget Thee Lord When I Was lost in Woes and left to die Thy Pity found and rais'd me more Than my own swelling Thoughts before Was wondrous Gracious wondrous kind When Hell and Sin enslav'd my Mind What should my grateful Offering be But to renounce the World for Thee To lay my self beneath thy Feet And count thy hardest Service sweet Is' t much if I my Service pay Where all the World around obey No But it 's Great it 's Glorious sure That I a Wretch forlorn and Poor Should in thy House Admission gain And Portions with thy happy Sons obtain See Lord how I tho wholly Thine Yet gain since Thou thy self art Mine Seas Earth and Heaven thy Word obey And all to Me their Tributes pay Nay thy Superiour Angels too Weak Me with guarding Cares pursue Nay Thou thy Self my God my Lord Couldst to the Ruin'd Aids afford A Man for wretched Man couldst be And as a Ransom give thy Self for Me. What shall I then return to Thee Dear God for all thy Loves to me O could I serve Thee all my Days O could I worthy Trophies raise To thy Immortal Name and prove The utmost Force of grateful Love Thou art my Lord thy Servant I To Thee I all my Toils apply To Thee unceasing Praises sing To Thee my Strength an Offering bring To Thee my longing Wishes fly O from thy Self Dear Lord my Wants supply Great is his Honour great his Praise Who All beneath thy Footstool lays And with a chearful Air can quit The World and to thy Yoke submit When wean'd from Fugitive Delights And all those Joys the World excites When from his sinful Self reclaim'd And with superior Loves enflam'd Thy Spirit sweeter Joys shall give And always in his Bosom live Then tho in narrow Paths He move And all the Straits of Vertue prove His Soul at Liberty shall fly And pass the utmost Barriers of the Sky Dear Slavery Delightful Chains Where Man his largest Raunge obtains Lives free from all the Weights of Sin And Holy and at ease within O happy State O charming sweet Where Men with chearful Angels meet Where Man an Angel's Work may do And Man becomes an Angel too Dear happy State God's pleasing Sight Hell's Terror and the Saints Delight Blest Chains to be with Smiles embrac't Blest Chains with Gems of Glory grac't Which bring Eternal Blessings down And all our inward Joys with endless Honours crown XI Watch and be sober Christ YET Son there 's yet a mighty Tast behind And many Rules have slipt thy wandring Mind Bel. What Lord are They Chr. That all thy fond Desires Should gladly bend to what my Will requires That Thou thy Self and selfish Love deny And to Obedience all thy Thoughts apply Ambitious Dreams rouze thy aspiring Soul Thy lazy Thoughts ambitious Dreams controul Yet think Does thy Ambition only glow With Heavenly Love or Love of Self below If I inflame Thee thy obsequious Mind Will always be to my Decrees resign'd If vain Self-Love the Plague prevails within And all thy Passions are enslav'd to damning Sin Then ne're be fond of sudden Heats nor those Too freely on thy yielding Heart impose Consult me first lest Penitence too late Thy Raptures should to dark Despair translate Ambitious Zeal may seem divinely rais'd But should when well consider'd first be prais'd Nor should those Ardours be rejected quite Since I sometimes those spreading Flames excite But still the Spirit to the Seer should yield And Extasy to Reason quit the Field Lest Madness should the fiery Soul surprize Or Scandals from ungovern'd Fervours rise Or Thou despair when All thy bold Pretence despise Yet sometimes holy Violence may controul The brutish Passions of the Sensual Soul Slight the Remonstrances of Flesh and Blood And only make its own Dominion good The Rebel to a just Subjection bring And make the Spirit reign a Sovereign King Chastise the stubborn Soul till mortify'd It lays its Vanity and veils its Pride And in a little can Contentment find To all the sharpest Pains of Heavenly Life resign'd XII In your Patience possess ye your Souls Believer AT last my God! at last I see Since Happiest Lives perplex'd may be How needful Patience is for me For tho I Peace alone pursue Rough Broils and Wars are all in view And all my Days disturb'd and few Christ True Son then never dream of Peace Where every Cross and every Pain may cease True Peace with Tribulation may reside And ne'r be lost tho fiercely try'd Thou think'st it's hard to suffer here But canst thou Hell 's Eternal Tortures bear Wouldst thou from Hell's Eternal Tortures fly Then learn to bear an angry Sky Among the softest Fools enquire They too on Earth have sometimes felt the Fire Perhaps with Pleasures mixt so roll in Sin And never feel Remorse within They 'd satiate all their wild Desires But Ah! how soon the fading Sweet expires As Clouds of Smoak in loose Dispersion fly So all the Sons of Pleasure die No Mark of all their Joys remains Their Lives are rack'd with never-ceasing Pains Those Toys in which they fix supream Delight Those very Toys their Pains excite So wisely
God's Decrees are laid That where the World has wretched Captives made That very World should have a poisonous Sting And Sorrows and Confusions bring Like Russian Bears for Honey They Their Souls in pawn for bitter Sweets can lay But Thou my Son thy native Lusts subdue And self-denying Ways pursue Delight in God thy Lord and He Will give the Wishes of thy Heart to Thee Wouldst Thou have Comfort have sincere Delight Lo I thy thirsty Soul invite Give o're this paltry World and all Which here fond Men their Sweets their Comforts call So Blessings shall thy Heart thy Head surround With inexhausted Favours crown'd The more Thou' rt wean'd from Earth below The more the sweeter still my Comforts flow But e're the Race be gain'd the Battel won Thou 'lt thro a thousand Dangers run Ill Habits Flesh the Prince of Hell With utmost Force will struggling Grace repel But Prayer and Zeal and grounded Vertue may The furious Opposition lay And lawful Industry obstruct their fatal Sway. XIII Let this Mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Christ MY Son who e're rejects my lightsom Yoke Who e're would his Obedience vow'd revoke Rejects my Grace and real Good must lose While He his own fantastic Dreams pursues Who e're unfreely to his Pastor bends That Guide whom God with Heaven's Commission sends He 'll still indulge his Lusts and murmur still And kick against his great Creator's Will Then swiftly to thy lawful Teachers yield If o're thy self thou 'dst win the glorious Field For Foreign Foes to better Terms will come When Rebels once are throughly quell'd at at Home Self is a deadly Foe when Self presumes And Rebel-Arms against the Mind assumes That Self then with a just Contempt despise If thou'dst victorious o're the stubborn Inmate rise Thou quak'st to hear of just Obedience why Because that Self thy darling Self is by Is' t then so much when Dust and Nothing can For God's dear sake submit to Godlike Man Yet I the mighty God the Lord of All Whose Word from Nothing spoke this pondrous Ball I stoop'd to Earth assum'd inferiour Mould And for thy sake my self to Sufferings sold That thou might'st humble thy advancing Pride I like a Slave abus'd affronted dy'd Learn then vile Dust learn wretched mouldring Clay Thy Head beneath the meanest Fooosteps lay Learn learn at last to break thy stubborn Will And of a Subject all the pious Parts fulfil Let Zeal against thy self enflame Thee more Than all thy furious Passions could before Bow to the meanest Slave let Beggars be Superiour in thy own Esteem to Thee Wouldst Thou vain Dust of harsh Affronts complain How oft hast thou deserv'd Eternal Pain How oft hast thou affronted Him whose Hand Could Heaven and Hell to just Revenge command My Eye yet spar'd Thee that thy self might see How dear thy Soul's Salvation was to Me. That Thou my treasur'd Love mightst throughly know Thy grateful Heart and Lips with Praises flow That Thou mightst Favour in Obedience find Be always to the Hand of Heaven resign'd And to a Self-contempt reduce thy Humble Mind XIV How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Believer ON me blest God thy Thunders break And Terror all thy Judgments speak My Soul the dreadful Cracks confound My trembling Bones the dismal Sound Astonish'd Dearest Lord I see The Heavens themselves impure to Thee Since Angels Sins were punish'd there How foul must wretched I appear Those Stars from Heaven thy Vengeance threw And what can sinful Ashes do Those once who made a glittering show On Earth now sink to Pains below And those who Angels Bread could eat Would now be glad of Husks for Meat All our pleasing Actions we All our Good receive from Thee If thy Hand the Vessel steer Wise our happy Cares appear If the Helm thy Mercy quit We to Seas and Storms submit All our Courage Lord we own From thy Hand descends alone Only then our Hearts are sure When by thy Defence secure But our Guards in vain we keep If thy Eyelids close to sleep Left alas We sink we perish But our Lives thy Favours cherish Cold Unstable Wretched We Are confirm'd and warm'd by Thee O then how mean and low I to my self should show What Good in Me may seem How little worth esteem But O! what Gloom around Thy Judgments Lord is found With what Submissions I Before thy Feet should lie Since to my Self I there Poor Nothing Lord appear O Weight unmeasurable O Deeps unnavigable Where I can Nothing find Of Me but Shade and Wind. Where 's then my secret Pride How can my Heart confide In poor fantastick Dreams Of Vertues native Beams Since all my Glories tost On Judgment 's Seas are lost Lord in thy Sight What Toys are we How vain how light Compar'd with Thee Shall Dust invade The Scorners Chair With Him who made Himself compare He bears no part With fancy'd Wits Whose humble Heart To God submits He 'll all the Pride Of Earth refuse Whom Vertues guide And Truth subdues He can't Mens vain Applause endure Whose Hopes remain In God secure For Those who praise Are Nothings found And only raise An empty Sound Their Words are blown To Fairy Lands And Truth alone Eternal stands XV. Ye ought to say If the Lord Will. Christ THUS then my Son thy humble Thoughts declare Lord if it please Thee grant thy Servant's Prayer Lord if my Action may thy Praise proclaim O bless it with thy own auspicious Name Lord if it useful or expedient be O for thy Glory bless thy Works to Me But if They hurtful to my Soul may prove Or won't my happy future State improve From Me such fond Desires Dear Lord remove Tho right and good to me my Thoughts appear They mayn't the Spirit 's sacred Impress bear And if from Spirits Good or Bad they flow For Men it 's hard it 's very hard to know Nay sometimes Flesh and Blood their Dreams may bring And eager Hopes from swelling Lusts may spring So oft deceiv'd we think those Flames Divine Which only with a faint inferiour Lustre shine If then some lovely Object strike thy Soul With pious Cares and humble Fears controul Thy eager Wishes and thy All resign To th' firm Decrees of Providence Divine Say Lord Thou knowest alone what 's best for Me May all my Works receive their Turn from Thee What when how much than wilt Dear Father give While I beneath thy Wise Directions live O do thy Pleasure with Me make Me still Advance thy Glory and observe thy Will O guide Me fix Me by thy powerful Hand And Me at large in all Estates command Thy Hand now holds Me lead Me turn Me round But let Me still in Holy Paths be found Lo I thy Servant here prepar'd and free Nor would I live Lord to my Self but Thee O may my Heart and Tongue in Heavenly Praise agree The Prayer Believer TO me O tender Jesus give
here if thou 'dst to Glory rise Take up the Cross if Thou with Me wouldst reign Those who embrace the Cross shall Life's pure Light obtain Believer Dear Jesus since to walk with Thee I by the World despis'd and crush'd must be Teach Me to scorn the World teach Me to cleave to Thee Servants beneath their Masters are And must to suffer with their Lords prepare Life from thy precious Life O let thy Servant share What e're abroad I read or hear Refreshments all in that and noblest Joys appear Christ My Son since Thou so much hast heard and known That Knowledg O with holy Practice crown He loves Me best who knows and keeps my Will His Soul I 'll with endearing Glories fill And He shall reign with Me on Sion's sacred Hill Believ Holy Jesus Dearest Lord O perform thy sacred Word See! The Cross I gladly bear Since thy Hand has laid it here Thence my better Life shall rise It 's my Guide to Paradise Lord I 'll bear it I 'll endure it Never never Lord abjure it Believ Forward Brethren let us move Jesus now our Guide will prove For his sake the Cross we bear For his sake we 'll persevere He 's our Captain he will aid us And thro' greatest Dangers lead us Come let 's boldly march behind him We in greatest Straits shall find him While our Duties we deny not While from Wars with Hell we fly not LVII Count it all Joy when Ye fall into divers Temptations Christ I Son in humble Patience more delight Those Vertues which a World of Woes excite Than all that brisk Devotion which appears In warm Professors in their calmer Years Thy Soul why should a petty Scandal tear Which should unmov'd the greatest Scandal bear Fie let it pass It 's not the first or last Life must a thousand sharper Potions taste Thou' rt brave and canst couragious Thoughts diffuse While like a Hand the distant Danger shews But when a sudden Storm o're-spreads the Skies Thy Wit and Courage sinks and faints and dies Think then how frail thou art how soon subdu'd To make thee wiser yet such Tests are oft renew'd Thou know'st the Truth then wretched Fears disdain And uninvolv'd thou may'st thy Lot sustain The Test with Joy at least with Patience bear Repress thy Passions let not others hear One Word unfitting from thy Lips proceed Lest such in weaker Souls should scandal breed Grace will both Woes and inward Lust resist And as I live I 'll soon thy Soul assist With new and greater Comforts visit Thee If Thou with faithful Prayers devoutly call on Me. Gird Thee to Sufferings with an easy Mind Temptations oft in their Effects are kind No God no Angel Thou but Flesh and Blood And since nor Man nor purer Angels stood Not these in Heaven nor those in Paradise Some crafty Sin thy Vertues may surprize But I the Mourning Soul can raise and those Who their own Frailties know with Godlike Joys compose Bel. Thy Words are sweeter Lord to Me Than dropping Hony-combs can be What should I do in Straits and Woes Did not thy Word thy Thoughts compose O may I suffer all things here May I a thousand Tempests bear If I at last my Port may gain If I may endless Life obtain O let Me in thy Favours die Let Me to Abraham's Bosom fly Thy Servant Dearest God respect And to thy Kingdom 's Joys thro' peaceful Ways direct LVIII How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Christ MY Son dispute not of that Gloom profound Those Deeps which my obscurer Ways surround Ask not why God that Man to Glory chose Why This to Hell's dark Flames rejected goes Why That should under long Afflictions groan And This exalted mount the sacred Throne These things all humane Sense surpass nor can Man's short-lin'd Sense unfathomable Judgments span If Hell then or if impious Men disclose A curious Humour thus their Dreams oppose God must be just and all his Judgments right Clear are his Judgments and his Justice bright My Ways are to be fear'd not vainly scann'd Nor can created Sense beneath the dreadful Burden stand Ask not what Grace was on the Saints bestow'd Who reigns the Greatest near their smiling God Dispute not what their Interests are above Nor seek by them to gain their Maker's Love Some fondly dote on those extinguish'd Lights Such Love not Heaven but Hellish Art excites Turn all thy Thoughts thy zealous Loves on Me I rais'd the Saints to their supream degree To them my strong effectual Grace was free I not Desert their Heads with Honours crown'd Their Weakness my preventing Graces found I knew them e're this World from nothing rose And them before its first Foundations chose They chose not Me but I by pity mov'd Them thro' corrupted Nature's horrors lov'd And by Afflictions surest Test improv'd With Comforts blest and Perseverance too And crown'd their Faith at last with promis'd Glories due The First the Last alike I kindly know And Love alike on all their Souls bestow I only in my Saints am justly prais'd In Them my Name above the Stars is rais'd While Poor Unactive Undeserving They Meer Objects of unbounded Mercy lay Love made 'um ONE made 'um Lights to Thee And to be follow'd where they closely follow'd Me. Saints but instruct Thee in thy Duty still I not themselves their vast Affections fill Rapt high above themselves they ever prove Unbounded Blisses and unbounded Love They live unchang'd while Truth their Souls invests And holy Flames enlarge their heavenly Breasts They serve Me only and in that should be Loves and Devotions Patterns to the World Thee It 's not thy Work with curious Art to pry Into the Mystick Secrets of the Sky What Saints departed do concerns not Thee Thy Vows thy Honours all belong to Me. Think how thy Sins in Bulk and Number rise How little Goodness in thy Bosom lies How far Thou mayst of their Attainments fail Who now on Joy's unstormy Ocean sail But don 't to them for Grace or Aids repair I only aid the Poor I only answer Prayer Could They alas thy vain Devotions hear They'd ne'r those misappli'd Devotions bear They know they merit nothing nor can do What foolish Men with foolish Vows pursue They love their God their Joys unbounded flow Nor happier by misguided Worship grow Before my Feet their starry Crowns they lay To him who ever lives submisly pray And to the spotless Lamb their Adorations pay Don't in those lightsom Realms at Greatness aim Thy Merits can't the smallest Favours claim Thy Sins thy weighty Sins would sink thee down And wouldst thou thoughtless Wretch deserve a Crown First be a Child in harmless Innocence From that low State thy happy Days commence Be humble first and leave the rest to Me Vast as thy largest Hopes thy vast Reward shall be Wo to those haughty Souls who scorn to be Harmless as Babes and yet pretend to Me Heaven's Gates
bleeding Lord And thou my Soul with grateful Praise Thy Dear Redeemer's wondrous Bounty blaze Who in a Vale of Tears a Wild of Woes Would such vast Springs of holy Joys disclose As oft as there My Thoughts appear So oft I read my own Redemption o're So oft partake my Saviour's Merits boundless Store His treasur'd Mercies inexhausted prove And inexhaustible his Love O then renew thy Watch thy Thoughts compose With this great Feast thy holy Tremblings close So something new and kind and sweet Thou 'lt always in that sacred Duty meet Thy Lord will to thy Heart as lively come As if just born from Mary's Virgin-Womb As if the Tree Of Infamy Just now our sacrific'd Atonement bore And all the Soil around blush'd with his purple Gore III. Shew forth the Lord's Death often till his coming Believer Lo Here I come Dear Lord to Thee That I partaker of thy Gifts may be That I with swelling Joys may taste That Holy Feast that Sweet Repast By Thee for humble Souls prepar'd In Thee Dear Lord I all my Longings see My Health Redemption Strength Hope 's in thee My Crown my great Reward Jesus I lift my Soul to Thee O let thy flowing Joys descend on Me I would with good Zaccheus fain My Gracious Master entertain With Reverence and humblest Vows I 'd fain the Son of Faithful Abraham be My Soul would fain unite it self to Thee And Thee its Lord espouse I 'm satisfi'd if Thou be Mine No Comforts Lord are valu'd here but Thine Without Thee Life no Joys can give Nor can my Soul without Thee live I 'll oft to wait on Thee prevail Lest while unfed by Thee I upward move And mighty Foes and mighty Dangers prove My wretched Heart should fail When Mercy Lord thy Tongue employ'd And sickly Worlds thy healing Balms enjoy'd thou 'dst never send 'um fasting Home Lest Fasting should to Fainting come Dear Jesus be as kind to Me Thy Flesh thy Blood refresh the fainting Soul And who prepar'd receives the wholesome Dole Life's glorious Heir shall be I feel Dear Lord I feel how Sin How Sloth how want of Zeal prevail within O could I oft with Fervour pray O could I oft my Life survey I 'd to thy Holy Table fly Then I 'd be throughly purg'd enflam'd renew'd My holy Vows should be with Joy pursu'd Which else would faint and die I Lord with deep Confusion own To Sin my very Infant-Nature's prone But when I here my Vows renew I 'd Sin detest and Good pursue Dear God that Physick grateful make Tho I receive I 'm slothful oft and cold But should for holy Works be quite unsould Should I that Feast forsake How oft I 'm indispos'd to be My God a fit Communicant for Thee But still at proper Times I 'll strive To keep my holy Flames alive And share thy gracious Mysteries This Lord supports the Faithful Soul that He To Earth confin'd may still remember Thee Thy Loves devoutly prize Wonders of Condescending Love That Thou great God of Spirits shouldst from above To those in Spirit poor dispense Thy universal Influence And all their hungry Gripes relieve Happy thrice happy Souls who swell'd with Joy All their Devotions all their Flames employ When they their Lord receive How great 's the Lord how dear the Guests How true the Friend who then invades their Breasts The Mate how sweet the Spouse how fair Lovely as fancy'd Angels are Be silent Earth be silent Skies Their Grace their Beauties all descend from Thee Yet can 't their Beauties to the least degree Of thy Illustrious Name thy wondrous Glories rise IV. They shall be fill'd with the Fatness of thy House LORD I Apply My Heart to Thee O quicken Me And let thy Grace In Me take place Till with an humble Heart Before thy Altars I Appear and take a Part In Love's great Mystery Rouze Me Lord O rouze my Soul Off its lazy Temper roll Visit Me with thy Salvation Glut my eager Expectation With all those Heavenly Sweets which rise From that prodigious Sacrifice Clear Lord my Eyes that I may thro The Bread and Wine my Saviour view May I my Saviour's powerful Words believe And Grace from thence and heavenly Strength receive Wise Angels scarce those wondrous Depths can find The Condescensions of a boundless Mind And what can Sinners do to wretched Earth confin'd To be With Thee On Wings of Love I swiftly move With Heart sincere And awful Fear And with a Faith secure Thy just Commands obey Of my Redeemer sure In his appointed way O may I but meet Thee there And as One with Thee appear Mercy Dearest Saviour send Me And let powerful Grace attend Me Till I melt down with sacred Love And ne'r for other Comforts move This is the Christian 's noblest Flight His Body's Health his Soul's Delight The heavenly Physick for despondent Souls Which kills my Follies and my Lusts controuls Abates Temptations greater Grace bestows Here Courage bolder Hope securer grows Faith greater Strength and Loves a brighter Flame disclose How free From Thee Dear Lord to those Thy Goodness flows Whose Love and Fear Attend Thee there Thence mighty Comforts flow To lay their various Woes And when they sink below On Thee their Hopes repose Grace and Safety strong and new Here their growing Hopes pursue Wishes faint and cold Affections Mighty Doubts and weak Reflections Refresh'd with this Celestial Food Are chang'd and ever chang'd for good Here Thine thy faithful Love survey And with thy Strength their Weakness weigh Cold undevout and in themselves obdur'd Till Life Devotion Heat are here procur'd Streams will be sweet where sweet the Fountains rise A constant Heat from constant Burning flies This Fire more lively Flames this Spring more Sweets supplies What tho I know My boldest Strain Can ne'r contain That endless Love Which shines above Tho no Seraphick Flame My narrow Soul inspire Yet I 'll submisly claim One Spark of Heavenly Fire I 'll my longing Heart prepare Free from Pride and free from Care And devoutly there attending Watch the sacred Gleams descending What tho I can't approach the Spring Nor Vessels to receive it bring I 'll to the Rills my Lips apply And catch some Drops as sliding by Some sliding Drops to cool my thirsty Soul Dear Jesus Holy Saviour O controul My Wants Here poor and hungry Lord I lie Yet it 's thy Word Come weary Souls and I Will all your fainting Souls with needful Rest supply I moil And toil Opprest with Sin And Pains within By Woes o're-born And rack'd and torn Beneath that dreadful weight I murmur Lord and groan And from this mournful State Of Life would fain be gone Oft Temptations break my Rest Sorrows oft distract my Breast Hell's uneasy Weights oppress Me Griefs unweildy Chains possess Me. Whence then should my Assistance rise To Thee Dear Lord I lift my Eyes O keep Me safe O guide me right From hence to reach Eternal Light Thou
a wondrous Reach or Sense profound But active Faith with Holy Practice crown'd And can that Ideot understand The Mystick Movements of Vnbounded Will Who in a paltry Fly confounds his utmost Skill To me dear Soul thy Sense submit To mighty Faith let shatter'd Reason yield Not like a Rebel proudly keep the Field I 'll give Thee apprehensive Wit Lead Thee with heavenly Wisdom's constant Light Thro all the dangerous Gloom of Intellectual Night Their Faith my Presence some dispute In Bread and Wine with Vapours both amus'd By Hell's black King in Reason's Garb diffus'd Be thou to all his Questions mute Thy Faith to my unfailing Word resign Hell's King will quickly fly before the Sword Divine Yet when the Devil baits Thee so It proves Thee not by Heaven deserted quite Hell scorns against his certain Slaves to fight But where the Plants of Vertue grow He 'll try a thousand Arts the Roots to kill And on the blooming Hopes his blasting Dews distil O to my Altars then prefer A Faith unmov'd and suppliant Reverence And tho thou feel'st thy own imperfect Sense To me the mystick Part refer Who in Himself confides Himself deceives But God the faithful Soul in no Amusement leaves My Walk with honest Hearts is free My Counsels I to humble Souls reveal And needful Truths to prideless Babes unseal Large Minds are more enlarg'd by Me But justly I refuse my slighted Grace To proud assuming Fools who curious Dreams embrace When first in Man I fixt a Light A Spotless Sun his little World survey'd By no distemper'd Organs Fumes decay'd But Sin induc'd the gloomy Night Now Reason oft an erring Guide appears While o're Life's stormy Seas Faith only safely steers Let Reason then presume no more To fix Faith's Rule or guide the wandring Mind My Word I for that constant Rule design'd But Faith's conducting Hand implore Where that thro Hell's dark Ambuscadoes leads Safe in his Master's steps the cautious Servant treads Here in the Sacramental Feast Faith walks attended by her darling Love Both here in Beauty and in Strength improve By Mystick Ways and Means encreas'd God great immense can mighty Wonders do Nor can the sharpest Eyes his cloudy Flights pursue Had Man by Wit anatomiz'd My Actions or without a Veil had shown The dreadful Honours of my Glorious Throne H 'had soon my Glorious Throne despis'd He 's not unutterably Great nor Wise Whose Strength and Wisdom plain and naked lies To shallow wordy Tongues and unbelieving Eyes FINIS The Churches Hymn after the Eucharist GLory be to God on high God who reigns above the Sky Great Mysterious Majesty May that Eternal Peace which shone With radiant Beams about thy awful Throne May she on Golden Wings descend And Her blest Influence extend Thro the rough Corners of the noisy World Late into impious Jars and dark Confusions hurl'd Welcome welcome sacred Love Welcome from those Realms above Goodness Kindness Mercy Light O dispel our gloomy Night Till inclin'd to Vertue we Only Love and Live to Thee We Bless Thee We Praise Thee In Anthems we raise Thee In our daily Devotions And kneeling before Thee We humbly adore thee And with Heavenly Motions Thy Glories we view And thy Service pursue Till on Extasy's Wings We advance from the Springs Till we flutter and dip on the fathomless Oceans Glorious God Celestial King To Thee O our Father Almighty we sing Jesus Lord Eternal Son Begot before the Birth of Time God above the Gods sublime With thy Glorious Father One Jesus Saviour condescending For a sinful World below Spotless Lamb thy Blood expending To subdue our deadly Foe Precious Sacrifice appointed Heavenly Anger to allay Prophet King and Priest anointed Thou who tak'st our Sins away O the Ways of Truth display Lord and with a gentle Sway Make our willing Hearts obey Mercy Lord we Mercy crave O our Souls in Mercy save Thou who tak'st our Sins away Bow and hear thy Servants pray Mercy Lord c. Thou who tak'st our Sins away Lord thy gracious Arms display Hear O hear thy Servants pray O Thou who sitt'st above the Sky On God's right Hand exalted high Cloth'd with glorious Majesty Mercy Lord c. Holiness belongs to Thee Holy Holy Holy We O Eternal Trinity Sing out with Angel Quires and ever sing to Thee Thou Holy Jesus art our Lord alone And with the Spirit and with the Father One Of One Immortal Throne possest And with united Praise united Glories blest Amen Haec cecini Interpres Christo Duce Auspice Christo Saucius ah Domini Pectus amore mei Vt Laudes Pater ore tuas graviore canamus In resides Animos Spiritus Alme veni Amen FINIS
with the Violence of a hot Brain and too much Light may strike a Man quite blind yet humble as the Original is I have sometimes adventur'd to soar a little but never out of Sight To compensate for the meanness of the Stile I have drest it out in the greater Variety of Numbers and have tuned them to the Judicious Ear so as nothing in them may sound harsh or ungratefully and instead of the Original Chapters I have put a Text of Scripture generally pretty apposite in the head of every Division It may now perhaps supersede the Common English Prose Translation but I 'm not for discarding even Sternhold and Hopkins for a worse Version of David 's Psalms nor that Prose for tedious and ill-sounding Rhimes The 3d Book being all Dialogue I have given all fitting Variety to without resolving it into Stanza's In short by the Smoothness of the Verse the general Correctness of the English and that pious Air which runs thro' the whole some I hope may be drawn to admire Divine Poetry and to court a native Loveliness more than a flaunting adulterated Beauty The Employ was a happy Diversion of those Melancholic Thoughts which else might have affected one too much who had met with no extraordinary good Usage from the World In it I endeavour'd as much as possible to make the Author's Sentiments so far as justifiable my own and the Peruser may read my Heart and the Original Composer's together And indeed whoever would Translate or Paraphrase an Author well must try to work up himself to the same temper he was in when he wrote the Original A narrow Soul can't exhibit the Excellencies of Homer or Virgil in another Language nor will David 's Harp sound well in any Hand but where the same Spirit who influenced that sweet Singer of Israel has in some measure possest the Heart and harmoniz'd the Life and Conversation I expect the Criticks should spend their Verdicts upon the Performance As for the Subject it 's too much out of the road of the Witty Tribe they 'l let it alone for the same reason for which Aretine spoke no evil of God But they 'l carp at an Epithet or nibble at a Phrase and look upon it as very Affrontive that a little Theologue should pretend acquaintance with the Muses that he should presume to censure the Brethren of Parnassus or divert Poetry from the Service of lewd Mistresses from Burlesquing the most Divine Truths from profane Rants and blasphemous Flights from the Slavery of an obscene Stage and gratifying a corrupted Populace To all this He must plead Guilty He owns he loves and reverences that Holy Religion which they scoff at and ridicule and here as a late Author expresses it Is a Field of Satyr open'd to Him But he had rather spend his Time in composing Hymns to the Glory of his Maker than Satyrs upon an Atheistical Crew not that he fears their Returns but he thinks every Minute mispent which is laid out upon them I pretend not yet that I have made a compleat Poem of the Christian Pattern perhaps even the great Corneille fail'd in that tho some say his Paraphrase on our Author was his Masterpiece I dream not of having honour'd my Country exalted my Mother Tongue that I have wrong'd my Author less than others have done that my Faults are neither gross nor frequent and all that Those who are us'd to admire themselves can't forbear it when they have one Foot in the Grave but the old Hound deserves the Cudgel who thinks he can pinch as close when his Teeth are out as he could in his more vigorous Years If a good Christian as well as a good Critick shews me my Error I 'll correct it Criticism should aim only at mending what 's amiss The true Critick distinguishes of the Stiles of Authors gives us an Authentick Text and the true Import of Words in particular Writers shews the difference between spurious and genuine Pieces that Relation there is between Mens Writings and the Laws and Usages of the Countries or Places they write in or about He tries to fix the Aera's of great Revolutions and of particular if considerable Events and endeavours to shew the Cryptick Sense of the most learned or obscure Authors The Critick who employs himself thus deserves not the Character of ill Nature he only helps to set things in their true Light where he shews any Man his Mistakes he gives him an opportunity of rectifying 'um that he may look out into the World with the Eulogies of some reasonable Creature beside himself He lets the World see how much they are oft impos'd on by Names and Noise and how justly they may complain Grandia saepe quibus mandavimus Hordea sulcis Infelix Lolium steriles nascuntur avenae Which notwithstanding the New Version of that great Poet I 'd render thus Oft where with fairest Grain we sow'd the Fields Darnel and barren Oats the luckless Harvest yeilds Some Gentlemen perhaps who by the Religion they profess claim kindred with Heathens Jews and Mahometans for it 's good to be of the strongest side may think I have gone out of my way that 's the Word under the last Head to meet with them I must confess I have some Obligations to them which in due time God willing I shall very faithfully discharge I can't wonder that those who have call'd my Mother Whore should fix a malicious Character upon Me. They are a Generation formidable not for their reasoning Faculty but for their Jesuitism and Impudence They deal with the Defenders of Truth as Aethiopian Apes with their Enemy the Lion they fling all the Sand and Dust they can rake together into his Mouth and Eyes and then run away grinning and hope to escape in a Cloud of their own Raising They shelter their Sawciness under the Pretence of a fine new Discovery they have found doubtless after much Fasting and Prayer as Father Laelius of old that there are Nominal and Real Trinitarians and who would regard them who are so divided among themselves as if those who assert the Father Son and Holy Ghost to be real distinct Persons or Subsistences in the same Divine Nature and those who assert That every particular Person has his own peculiar Mode of Subsistence in that Divine Nature did not both believe a real Trinity Or as if They were not to be credited in their most solemn Asseverations when these Night-Birds declareing their Agreement with the Church of England that superannuated Beldam that Empire of King Oberon as they sometimes very respectfully call Her expect to be believed tho to believe them a Man must crack more Flashoods and notorious Contradictions than all those Mysteries amount to which they have pretended to break their Teeth upon Indeed if they 'd own once that the Father in and by Himself is infinite Eternal Incomprehensible c. that the Son is in and by Himself Infinite Eternal Incomprehensible
no Peace to the Wicked THE Man whose wretched Thoughts are fixt below Has lost his Peace On him eternal crowding Mischiefs flow And like rough Tides his swelling Cares increase The flattering Fool looks down with scornful Pride On others but with strange Disturbance sees How all the wiser World his Plumes deride So Haman mad and restless sate In all his Pomp and Courtly State While bended Knees To Haman's Insolence the pious Jew deni'd If griping Avarice the Soul invade His Quiet 's lost Himself a Slave in Golden Fetters made And all his mighty Expectations crost A Storm which on his Windows breaks confounds His mighty Slumbers with distracting Dreams A Band of Cheats and Thieves his Bed surrounds Nor can a thousand Bolts and Bars E're silence his intestine Wars But dismal Gleams Of flashing Ruins pierce him with a 1000 Wounds Only the humble Soul the Soul resign'd Is truly blest In him no anxious Fears a Seat can find No Worldly Cares distract his peaceful Breast While groveling Souls strive but in vain to be Dismist from Hellish Force from Earthy Chains He calmly lives from all Disorders free He happy Soul enflam'd with Love Pants all and groans for Joys above He only gains Instead of Cares and Fears a calm Eternity VII Worldly Confidence is vain VAin is the Man who puts his Trust In worldly Joys or mouldring Dust Who hates the Mean or scorns the Poor But stands upon himself secure But God the Hope of all the Wise Their Weakness and their Wants supplies Don't then on Craft but God depend He 'll crush the Proud the Poor defend Boast not of Wealth nor mighty Friends What 's good from God alone descends Vaunt not thy self tho strong or fair One short Disease may both impair Boast not of Sense or various Arts Not thou but God that Sense imparts Others above thy self suppose For He thy Faults and Frailty knows Boast not of Works with lofty Eyes God may what Man approves despise If any Vertue lodg in thee Adorn it with Humility From haughty Hearts and scornful Eyes Envy and hateful Malice rise Only in humble private Cells Unchanging Peace and Safety dwells VIII Too much Familiarity breeds Contempt NE're to the Volge unvail thy Heart But to the wise good Man thy Thoughts impart From green young Heads and unknown Strangers fly Fawn not on Wealth nor near the Palace ply The humble meek devout obliging Man Will more instruct thy Soul than such Acquaintance can Court not a single Beauty's Love But in thy Prayers commend 'um all above Thy Soul to holy Meditations give And with thy God in close Communion live Thy Charity to all the World extend But Worlds can scarce afford one faithful useful Friend Sometimes we Men unknown admire And their Acquaintance by report desire But when we see 'um once our partial Eyes Their Garb their Mien their downcast Looks despise So when wee 'd others with our Freedoms charm Our private Faults display'd their scornful Thoughts alarm IX It 's better to obey than command HE 's happier far Who in Life's doubtful War His Teacher's just Commands obeys Than he who others tho with Prudence sways A 1000 Dangers on the Teacher wait A 1000 Griefs attend his State While the Obedient rest With Safety blest Thy Thoughts may be Wise in a just Degree But others wiser far may prove And Prudence by the wisest Rules will move It 's safer much to take Advice than give And free from Pride he 'll safely live Who in his faithful Guides Alone confides X. In the Multitude of Words there is Sin LAnguage the Birth of thoughtful Souls If wisely us'd the angry World controuls Language a thousand Truths reveals And thrô the Ears Maeanders gently steals Down to the dark Recesses of the Heart And feels and tunes the cheerful Strings Of equal Souls and when it sweetly sings The Sympathetick Spirits in Consort move And each to other mutual Joys impart And taste the softest Notes of all commanding Love But as we feel a jarring Sound When artless Fingers all the Strings confound And flat and sharp and high and low All jumbled in eternal Discords flow So ill us'd Language breaks the sweet Concent Of Thoughts all tun'd to Peace before And the vain Wretch may then too late deplore The working Mischiefs of his careless Tongue As Pigmies would with wondrous Toils prevent The mighty Ruins rending Mountains roll along My Wits perhaps I highly prize And straight at Heaven my lavish Language flies I all that 's good or great abuse And all the Checks of sober Sense refuse Or with vast Floods of native Eloquence Words like a never-failing Tide Off my smooth Tongue with powerful Swiftness slide Yet while I think to rule the captive World And hurry headlong on depriv'd of Sense I 'm all at once beneath eternal Tortures hurl'd What tho I call my Tongue my own Yet Prudence is by well-weigh'd Language known But when my Words at random fly Expos'd I to a thousand Dangers ly So gentle Floods in Season fertilize The gaping Meads and thirsty Plains But constant Storms and everlasting Rains The rotting Seeds of useful Plants confound While thro the Glebe rank Flags or Rushes rise Or squallid Ooze extends a barren Paleness round Think then on God my Soul 't is He Who can alone thy Tongue 's Director be Talk of thy mighty Maker's Praise And Trophies to his boundless Goodness raise Thy own and others Good with Care advance Treasons from careless Tongues may flow And Murders on the Roots of Treason grow Speak well then or in humble silence rest Words are exempted from the Strokes of Chance When stifled at their Birth within the thoughtful Breast XI Peace I leave with you PEace has a charming Name but still declines The Heart with foreign Cares beset Her God an unintangled Soul assigns For her Imperial lasting Seat Blest are the Poor for they shall Peace obtain But how can Peace a safe Retreat In wandring Fancies gain What made the Saints of old contemplative And only heavenly Thoughts pursue What made them with themselves severely strive And always to their God be true Strictly they search'd and try'd their Ways at home And would their Inward Lusts pursue But never farther rome But what are We poor cold unactive things Unus'd to Wars or Victory Baffled by Sin 's imperious Menacings And Slaves to each Infirmity Would we throw off our Chains and nobly rise Our serious Thoughts engag'd might be On Bliss above the Skies It 's Kinglike sure uncurb'd at home to reign With inward Peace and Freedom blest But where 's the Man who dares his Lusts restrain Or purge his own polluted Breast Where 's he who dares force through the pinching Gate Or who 's with strong Resolves possest The Saints to imitate If but a sudden Storm against me rise My Hopes alas are faint and dead Could I to God but lift my faithful Eyes His Wings he 'd straight around me spread
pries Improv'd by daily Exercise Who on his Master longs to wait And would Earth's mean Incumbrance abdicate Watch then my Soul and shut the Door Admit inferiour Toys no more But hear O humbly hear what He My God my Lord will speak to Thee He 's all thy Health thy Life thy Peace And makes thy Inward Jars to cease Cast off poor transitory things And search for Truth 's Eternal Springs The World 's a Cheat the Creatures Cheats If once their mighty Lord retreats Throw off then all those Cheats below And Faith in thy Creator show If thou'dst the utmost Sweets of Heavenly Blessings know II. Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Believer SPeak Lord O speak thy Servant hears Unclose my Eyes unlock my Ears To me thy Sacred Dictates shew O to thy Words my Heart encline O make it yield to Truths Divine As Lillies bend with Morning Dew Thy awful Thunder's dismal Roar Made Israel's frighted Tribes implore Not Thee but Amram's Son to hear They trembled at his radiant Brow But when from burning Darkness Thou Declar'dst thy Name they dy'd for Fear With all submissive Boldness I To Thee alone for Counsel fly Speak Lord O speak thy Servant hears No Moses I no Saint require But thy dear Words alone desire O speak to my attentive Ears Sweet may the Prophets Language sound When they Mysterious Truths propound Plain are their Words their Counsels plain Without they show thy sacred Way And Plant and Water all the Day And Cry but Cry alas in vain From Thee the Spirit only flows By Thee the Heart with Fervor glows Thy Aid the Mystic Word explains Thou giv'st Perfection Strength and Light And mak'st the grateful Soil requite With weighty Fruit the Workman's Pains Then let no Moses speak to me On Thee Dear Lord I wait on Thee For Fruit for Life for endless Love O teach me what I hear to do And Love to what I know to shew And Faith by Holy Works to prove Speak then O speak thy Servant hears With Thee the living Word appears Thy Words Eternal Life bestow Speak Lord O give thy Self to Me And then my Lips and Heart to Thee Shall with Eternal Praises flow III. Be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Christ HEar then my Words my Son more sweet than those Which antient Philosophic Sages chose My Words are Life and Spirit far above That wretched Phrase which Human Senses love Not fram'd for itching Ears but humble Souls Where mighty Love the silent Thought controuls Happy the faâ—our'd Christian taught by Me Who lives from common Fears and wild Destruction free I taught my Prophets and my Priests of old And still to Men my saving Truths unfold Most lie like sensless Adders deaf or They The World more gladly than their Lord obey The World poor Trifles transient Joy propounds Yet every Street with eager Slaves abounds I promise pure Delights and endless Love Yet can't the stupid Hearts of Mortals move Nay in my Holy House the Plague prevails No little Priest for small Preferment fails To go to run to fly but scarce can crawl When I to Holy Pains and sharp Repentance call For paltry Sums how oft the noisy Bar Maintains a tedious and a costly War By Night by Day with restless Care they 'l ply If they some distant Glimpse of Gain descry But sensless Fools for never-changing Good For vast Rewards and Honour's rising Flood For Crowns of endless Bliss they 'l rarely try But at the very Thoughts of active Vertue die Blush then poor whining lazy Wretch to see How Slaves of Earth with more Activity For Hellish Deeps and Chains of Darkness strive Than Thou in thy Creator's Arms to live Those Fools can more in dull Delights rejoice Than Thou to hear thy Saviour's warning Voice Yet oft they lose their empty Hopes but I Ne'r broke my Promise nor was known to Lie Rocks may be torn and mighty Mountains fall One Word dissolve the vast Terraqueous Ball But where I find a constant Love to Me My happy Friends a full Reward shall see More than their largest Thoughts their Souls shall find Their Bosoms always calm their Maker ever kind Then on thy Heart my powerful Word engrave Peruse it well and my Assistance crave When Tempests gather in an angry Sky With Wisdom they 'll thy Head and Heart supply I oft my Friends with sharp Temptations prove As oft revive them with returning Love This makes them prosecute their Sins with Hate This makes them close at Vertue 's Altars wait But he who slights my kind Instructions shall Beneath the dreadful Stroke of weighty Vengeance fall IV. Lord I come to do thy Will Believer MY God my only Good may I To Thee one humble Word reply I wretched Worm more vile and low Than Words can speak or Heart can know Wilt thou thy worthless Servant own May I approach thy awful Throne Pity Dear Lord thy Pity send On him who nothing can pretend No Grace no Strength no Light 's in me But Weakness and Obscurity But Thou art Holy Just and Kind Immense and thy Almighty Mind Runs thro the World and fills it All But Souls which back from Vertue fall Thy Love thy tender Mercy Lord To Me a needy Slave afford Thy Goodness hates an empty Place O fill my Head and Heart with thy enlightning Grace How can I live a Stranger here Unless thy pitying Grace appear O let me Mercy Mercy see And never turn thy Face from Me Forsake not Lord my Soul lest I Like drowthy Fields or Desarts lie Unfruitful Barren Dismal Wild With Dragons and with Serpents fill'd Teach me Obedience Lord to Thee And Prudence and Humility Thy Wisdom reads my Soul my Heart Thy Truth examines every Part And e're the World or I were made Before thy searching Eyes my unborn Thoughts were laid V. And they who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth Christ WAlk then with Me Truth 's Sacred Motions trace And turn thy Heart to seek my glorious Face Truth will protect Thee from the Tempter's Rage And guard Thee from a vile seducing Age She 'll set Thee truly free and make Thee rise Above those Errors Men to break her Force devise Believer True Dearest Lord O may it be My God as Thou declar'st to Me Let Truth instruct me keep me sure And my Eternal Bliss procure From vile Affections Chains unbind And brutish Loves debauch'd and blind Then with a Heart sincere and free I 'll walk my God I 'll ever walk with Thee Christ To Thee I 'll all the Ways of Goodness show And thou my Son shalt all my Pleasure know Think on thy Sins think with the sharpest Sense Nor dream of Merits or of Innocence Thy Sins are many and thy Passions wild Thou oft by Hell's deceitful Arts beguil'd Thy Pains are worthless but thy Falls severe Chains Grief and Ruins round thy Tents appear No Praise on thy Phantastic Vertue waits But every thing thy swelling Pride
perverts thy Mind When most to Prayers and most to Heaven enclin'd He hates Confessions and to find Thee there Where Sacred Flesh and Blood to Faithful Souls appear Trust not believe Him not his Hellish Snares Are strongest then when He for Peace declares Say to Him Hence be gone false Fiend for shame No more thy Lies in pious Ears proclaim Hence vile Seducer ne're expect a Part In Me My Jesus now defends my Heart Too strong for Hellish Arms nay Death would be More welcome far than vile Consent to Thee Hold thy deluding Tongue I 'll hear no more Should'st Thou a thousand wheedling Arts explore The Lord 's my Light my Health I scorn to fear Tho round my Soul Infernal Bands appear My God 's my ready Help my Kind Redeemer near Now like a valiant Souldier keep the Field And tho sometimes thy native Frailties yield Resume thy Courage and resist thy Foe My Grace shall freely to assist Thee flow But when the Fiend shall from thy Sword retreat Beware of flattering Words or vain Conceit By these surpris'd the gallant Hero fails And easeless Blindness o're the World prevails O ne'r since warn'd approach that rocky Shore Made rich with scatter'd Wrecks of thousands lost before VII He giveth more Grace unto the Humble Christ MY Son has bright Devotion 's Flame possest With inward Sacred Heat thy Zealous Breast Then boast not of it nor too loud proclaim The wondrous Force of that Celestial Flame Fill not the Temple with an empty Noise Nor to amuse the Croud exalt thy Voice Think 't was a Grace on thy dull Soul bestow'd To make thee groan beneath thy sinful Load Think how the Prince of Hell may cheat Thee How Thy Breast may with a false Devotion glow A Lip and Tongue-Devotion where the Heart In all the Business never bears a Part. Think how a little time may quench the Fire The glaring Torch in nauseous Fumes expire Or if it were a Heavenly Gift indeed Think of thy Beggar'd State thy pinching Need Till lowly Thoughts those Heavenly Flames succeed Thou begg'st for Comforts but mayst rise as High When Comforts at a greater Distance lie If with a lowly Heart an easy Mind With Self-denial and with Thoughts resign'd Thou bear thy Wounds if still with ardent Vows With Prayers on God thy pondrous Cares repose If still thy Heart to pious Works enclines With bold Endeavours and with Wise Designs Thy struggling Arms above the Waters are Not yet by Woes opprest nor sunk by black Despair Some when they miss Success impatient prove Man can't Himself nor where He pleases move Man acts on God the whole Success depends Who where he will his blest Assistance sends Some with imagin'd Heats themselves destroy Nor can Themselves in modest Bounds enjoy But swelling with Enthusiastic Rage Beyond the Bars of sober Sense engage And while they dream above the World they fly The flashy Meteors quickly faint and die So low they fall who would so wildly soar And don't the Refuge of my Wings implore So Men unskill'd in Ways of Vertue fail Unless to guide their Feet some Wiser Heads prevail If Man who fondly in Himself confides From all the Paths of sober Goodness slides It can't be strange if Madmen scorn the Rein And hate the Doctors who their Heats restrain Mean Sense with lowly Thoughts securer far Than mighty Parts with Pride exalted are It 's more unhappy to be Proud than Poor That Man 's unwise who in his Mirth secure Forgets past Poverty and never dreams How soon a Cloud may vail Heavens kindest Beams And He 's imprudent who when prest with Woes Off all his Hopes of Peace and Favour throws And on my Mercy can't with steady Faith repose Where haughty Pride in peaceful Times prevails In Wars too oft the bloaty Courage fails Couldst Thou thy modest Thoughts with Temper guide Between th' Extremes of Baseness and of Pride thou 'dst both in Straits and Storms securely ride Be sure when warm'd within with Heavenly Light To meditate on long succeeding Night When That comes on conclude again the Day May quickly dawn and make a longer stay That for my Glory and thy Good before I brought the Night so soon and can the Day restore A Peace unshock'd has greater Dangers far Than all the Bickerings of a Ghostly War The Soul where Charity and Meekness reigns A nobler Character of Glory gains Than Those who boast of Visions and of Light And all their Cant in Scripture-Phrase indite Or on Preferment 's Pinacle can light Who seeks God's Honour best secures his Own And He who meanest in Himself is grown Who shoots bright Honour from his vigorous Eyes When scornful Worlds his humble Fates despise Must to the noblest Heights in Heavenly Favour rise VIII I abhor my self in Dust and Ashes Believer DUST and Ashes tho I be Let me speak dear Lord to Thee Should I Lord to Merit fly On my own vain Works rely Thou becom'st my Enemy All my Sins against me rise All my Sins my Heart surprize But if with a lowly Heart I from wretched Self can part If contemn'd dejected I In the Dust before Thee lie Then again thy Light thy Grace Shall my sinking Soul embrace All my Vanity and Pride That submissive Veil shall hide Lord to Me my Self display What I was and am to Day Whence I come and where I go For alas I nothing know If I Lord am left to Me All I am's Infirmity But if Thou thy Favour show O how strong my Graces grow How my bubbling Joys o'reflow Strange my God! how wondrous strange Is the sudden blissful Change When my Soul with Guilt opprest Is by thy Embraces blest From thy Springs of boundless Love My preventing Guardians move All my Wants to Thee are known Off those mighty Dangers thrown Numberless and Nameless grown In what horrid Snares I fell While I lov'd my Self too well When I lov'd and long'd for Thee I retriev'd my God and Me. How Love 's sacred Sparks enflam'd me How my own Reflections sham'd me When in Love's bright Mirror I Saw my own Deformity Found sweet Jesus found how free All thy Favours were to me When desertless hopeless grown Bright on Me thy Favours shone Sing my Soul O sing his Praise Hymns to our Redeemer raise Whose All-searching Eyelids found me Whose All-pitying Loves unbound me All my Sins and Follies past And with tendrest Arms embrac't Turn O turn us Lord to Thee That submiss and grateful we May in pleasing Sacrifice Make our Songs as Incense rise And possest with Heavenly Flame Thee our Health and Strength proclaim IX And your Life is hid with Christ in God Christ IF thou my Son wouldst be with Glories blest Make Me thy chiefest Good thy final Rest So thou too much to meaner Joys inclin'd Shalt be from those inferiour Loves refin'd It 's vain to fix thy Heart on things below Which only inward Heat and Thirst bestow Turn then to Me for I
it like some fair Gem lost in the Quarry lies XXXIII My Son give me thy Heart Christ NE're in thy roving Thoughts my Son confide They 'l fix to Day to Morrow change their side While to a wretched load of Earth confin'd Thou 'lt suffer always by a changing Mind Now sad now pleasant now serenely blest Straight with a thousand inborn Storms opprest Deep in Devotions now but soon profane Now studious quickly in a slothful strain Now wondrous grave and soon as light vain The Man of sense that various Humours scorns While sacred Art his happy Life adorns On God his Polar Star he 'll fix his Eye Furl all his Sails and not to Windward ply But through rough Tides with Oars his Passage force And to his heavenly Port direct his constant Course Sometimes the wisest Christian Pilot may Encroaching Sleep's Lethean Drops obey Some humane Frailties Flesh and Blood surround And selfish Dreams the steddy Soul confound They seek for Heav'n but seek for Pleasure too And double Ways with double Hearts pursue So when blest Mary's Brother left the Grave And to his Master Death resign'd his Slave To Bethany the Jews in Troops repair'd With curious Thoughts but more alas prepar'd To gaze on Lazarus to Life restor'd Than to obey themselves their Lord's reviving Word Clear thy Intention first direct it true And then with steddy steps thy Holy Course pursue XXXIV That God may be All in All. Bel. MY God 's my All my Soul's desire How can I greater Bliss require Sweet Note dear charming Name to Me Who hate inferiour Vanity My God my dearest Lord my All I 'd oft the pleasing Sound recal How all things smile when Thou art here But dead when Thou withdraw'st appear Thou fill'st the peaceful Soul with Joy Thy Works thy chearful Saints employ Thy Name in every Work they praise And Trophies to thy Goodness raise Without Thee nothing sweet we find But when thy Grace adorns the Mind Then all things savour well and we Thy Hand in all thy Works of Wonder see Blest with thy Love we relish All Without thee nothing taste but Gall. Here witty Worldlings grosly fail Where Vanity and Death prevail But those who can the World subdue And Flesh and Blood with Scorn pursue Such happy Men are wise indeed Such happy Men to Truth proceed From Vanity from Flesh and Blood To all that 's Holy all that's Good The Creature 's noblest Character These to its Maker's Praise refer And can a just Distinction find Between the whole Created Kind And Him who made them and between What in our fleeting Years is seen And what includes Eternity Between that Light we daily see And that which centers in the Deity O Thou Eternal Light Divine With thy All-piercing Glories shine Quite thro' this gloomy Heart of mine Purge make me glad illuminate New Life within my Soul create And raise Me to a raptur'd State O come O come blest long'd for hour On me thy quickning Favours shower And let me feel thy nearer Power No Joys Dear Lord can perfect be Till I that happy Instant see And Thou art All in All to Me. Still Adam's Lusts in Me reside Not yet not throughly crucify'd They 've bled but never truly dy'd The Flesh against the Spirit arms My Soul with fiery Discord warms And with unceasing Wounds alarms O Thou whose great Command the Sea The rugged Waves and Winds obey O help O hear thy Servant pray With thy Almighty Arm surprize And crush my inward Enemies Who still in Arms against me rise O let me all thy Wonders view My Hopes my Shelter Lord renew While I thy Smiles alone my Lord my God! pursue XXXV Blessed is the Man who endureth Temptation Christ THY Life my Son can ne'r of Health be sure Unless thy Heart Celestial Arms secure While hellish Foes thy trembling Heart surround The Shield of Patience must repel the Wound Fix then on Me for Me resolv'dly dare For Me for Sufferings and for Wounds prepare So may'st thou blow the Flames of sacred Love And reach the Palms of glorious Saints above Thy Foes then with a Manly Force repel The Conqueror may be crown'd while Dastards sink to Hell Would'st Thou on Earth with Peace and Ease be blest Then never dream of Heaven's Eternal Rest Rest is a foolish Purchase here below For Patience all thy Studies here bestow True Peace springs out from Heav'n and not from Earth God not the Creature gives that Blessing birth Pains Sorrows Tortures Griefs Temptations Woes Wrongs Wants Reproofs Confusions Scandals Blows These fox the Love of God must all be born And Patience still the Sufferer's Life adorn These edg true Valour these the Christian Soul Beneath the Standard of their Lord enroll These Trials that unfading Crown compose Those Honours which entwine the Brows of those Who to endure the worst of Earthly Furies chose Or can'st Thou dream to live at Peace within Unmov'd by Scruples and unshock'd by Sin Such Ease no pious Saints of old procur'd But Cares Temptations Doubts and Fears endur'd They in their God and not themselves would trust True to their King to their Engagements just They knew these Woes could no Proportion bear To those bright Wreaths triumphant Martyrs wear Or would'st Thou Child with ease at once obtain What they could scarce with Tears and Labours gain No but on God with Manly Courage wait Take Comfort in him nor distrust thy fate And to his Honour with a chearful Note Thy Self thy Body and thy Soul devote I 'll pay thee and thy suffering State shall be A boundless Treasure of immortal Wealth to Thee XXXVI Be not afraid of them neither fear their Words tho Briars and Thorns be with Thee and Thou dwell among Scorpions Christ ON Me O let thy Heart securely rest A guiltless Conscience in a guiltless Breast The Censures of a thoughtless World may scorn Above their spite on Wings of Honour born It 's Godlike Great in all things to be good And yet by Malice falsly understood Tho Men are blind God visits Innocence And to his own will nobler Joys dispense The Faithless World will things at random call Nor could an Angel hope to please them all Great Paul devoted to his Master's Name First pleas'd his God then All to All became Yet lash'd by silly Tongues their Sense despis'd Scorn'd all their Censures by Heaven advis'd In holy Freedom still his Conscience exercis'd He all his Strength his Zeal his Wisdom us'd And saving Light thro' gloomy Worlds diffus'd The real Price of Humane Souls enhanc'd And their Instruction and their Health advanc'd Yet could not he a foolish World restrain Unscourg'd unjudg'd or undespis'd remain But when he found the World to Lies resign'd Noisy as Seas and faithless as the Wind Weak and Mistaken but assuming more Than suted with their Wit 's exhausted Store With humble Patience to his Maker He Referr'd his Case whose piercing Eye could see His spotless Innocence
Divine What Flames should then enlarge my Heart When in my Saviour I expect a Part How should I dress to meet my bleeding Lord While every Type great Kings and Saints of old ador'd David before that precious Ark of old Could not his warm Affections hold But danc'd with all his Might and loudly play'd His tuneful Harp he strung And to his Harp he sung When that thro' Sion's Gates its Entrance made Sweet were his Airs and soft his Stroke When he 'd His Jews to holy Joys provoke God's Spirit on his Heart abode And Prayers and Blessings with his Musick flow'd Such Zeal that Antient Type pursu'd And shan't my Heart with nobler Heat indu'd Shan't it with greater Spirit embrace The Substance than the Shade of future Grace Shan't I with springy Joys my Saviour meet And at his Altars bow and kiss his sacred Feet Fools oft to see pretended Reliques fly And cast a curious wondring Eye On Fanes to Saints Imaginary rais'd Where richest Silks and Gold The dowdy Corps enfold And Thieves and Rebels are for Martyrs prais'd A thousand Pilgrimages past They prove but Hell's obdurate Slaves at last O could they rest a while at home And not to follow sensless Fancies rome Wonders on Wonders here they 'd view Far more than e're Loretto's Shrine could shew Jesus with Love and Mercies crown'd Would shed his sacred Influences round And to the Loving Hoping Faithful Heart Would all his glorious Self his heavenly Joys impart O Thou great Architect of Earth and Skies Invisible to mortal Eyes To us how wondrous all thy Actions prove And here how sweet how kind Thy Favourites may find Th' immense Expressions of Prodigious Love Unfathomable Deeps how far Too short our wretched Intellectuals are When we would sound the vast Abyss Of unintelligible Mysteries What Art that Mirroir could compose By which the Souls of faithful Saints disclose Their Saviour in a Sacrament And on his bleeding gaping Wounds intent Eat his dear Flesh and drink his sacred Blood That Bread of Life and this immortalizing Flood Who can those Capillary Rills descry By which unbodied Graces fly Thro' bodied Symbols to the faithful Mind How pure Devotion 's Fires How Vertue 's warm Desires Room in the Sinner with Repentance find What hidden Sweets can Faith descry How sharp how piercing is the faithful Eye He meets a thousand Graces here Lost Vertues in his Soul reviv'd appear And tho deform'd by Sins before This can its Beauties and its Charms restore Nay the best balmy Symbols may New Life and Health to fainting Saints convey While Faithless Souls meer Bread and Wine partake And but a damning Feast of empty Symbols make But ah how cold how deadly cold we prove To meet our dear Redeemer's Love How we refuse his kind extended Arms Arms which alone can be Our Souls security From Death's Tyrannic Force and Hell's Alarms He purifies our Natures He From endless Torments dearly sets us free Beneath his Shade we safely move And feel the Beams shot from his Orb of Love Why should we then so cold appear To all his Loves Mysterious Tendries here Ah Blind ah Rocky-hearted Crew Who can so slow such wondrous Grace pursue More careless as their Master kinder grows And can with stubborn Hearts his offer'd Loves oppose Were but one single Sacrament design'd The World to one sole Priest confin'd What Sholes would to the distant Temple flow How would they stretch their Eyes To see these Mysteries How eager for that Heavenly Banquet grow But when a thousand Pastors wait And all may with their Lord participate When so immense his Loves appear Alas we nauseate the Celestial Chear Yet Jesus Holy Shepherd we Poor Exiles now present our Thanks to Thee Thy Flesh thy Blood our Souls relieves Thy tender Call our dying Faith retrieves Come all to Me with Sins vast Weights opprest I 'll give you sudden Ease I 'll give you certain Rest II. Behold how he loved Vs Believer MOV'D by thy Goodness and thy Mercies I Dear Lord to thy Assistance fly Touch'd with a thousand Plagues I come to Thee O be the great Physician Lord to Me Hungry and Thirsty Lord I bring A fainting Soul to Life's Immortal Spring A Beggar I Heaven's gracious King adore A Servant I my Master's Smiles implore Form'd by thy Hand Lord here I stand And for my great Creator's Bounties wait And for his Comforts in a ruin'd helpless State Whence is it that my God should come to Me O what am I thus grac'd by Thee How can a guilty Soul endure thy Sight How in a Miscreant can my God delight Thou know'st no Good resides in Me And I my own my inward Vileness see Thy Grace thy Goodness and thy boundless Love I own I honour and with Thanks improve And for thy sake I 'd here partake That I my tender smiling God might know O mayn't my horrid Crimes obstruct the wondrous Flow Sweet gracious God! with what respectful Praise Should I thy spreading Glories blaze Who for our sakes a mortal Nature took But who can thro' the Mystick Bounty look What can I think when worthless I May hold Communion with the Deity What can I do but with a prideless Mind Some Means t' extol thy boundless Goodness find Thy endless Praise My God I 'll raise But ever ever Lord my Self despise And from the lowliest State to heavenly Favours rise Lo Thou' rt incomprensible Sanctity A filthy loathsom Sinner I Unfit to raise my sinful Eyes to Thee But Thou Great God couldst condescend to Me. Lo Thou canst in a Wretch delight A Beggar to a plenteous Feast invite thou 'dst have me banquet on Celestial Food On Bread of Angels and Divinely Good Thou Lord wouldst be That Bread to Me That Bread of Life which from above descends And Life and Vigour thro a fainting World extends See! see my Soul whence such bright Loves can shine And Condescensions all divine What Thanks what Praise are to thy Saviour due How should thy Service as his Name be true How salutary Lord how kind In this we all thy mighty Counsels find The Food all costly and the Banquet sweet Where we by Faith our great Redeemer meet Thy powerful Cares Thy Truth declares Thy Words from Nothing sprung the World of old In less than Nothing now eternal Truths unfold My Lord my God Great God and Man that Thou Shouldst tow'rd a wretched Creature bow That thou thy self in Bread and Wine shouldst give In true Believers humble Hearts to live What Sense such Wonders can pursue So True so Strange yet not so Strange as True Thou Lord of All who hadst no need of Me Yet by a Sacrament my Guest wouldst be Lord keep my Heart O ne'r depart Till I by thy effectual Influence find A Body spotless pure to lodg a peaceful Mind It 's thy Appointment Lord design'd by Thee To celebrate thy Memory O may I oft thy Merits here record O may I oft here meet my
who couldst give thy Fleshy thy sacred Blood By Faith to be my Soul 's Immortal Food O let thy Arms embrace Me Lord while I Here prostrate at thy sacred Footstool lie Till my Devouter Soul approach the peaceful Sky V. Who is able to describe his Glory Christ WOuldst Thou be worthy to participate To eat my Body and to drink my Blood Wouldst thou attain a sinless State Be wholly pure be wholly good Great was the Baptist's Honour who before My self the Gospel-Standard bore Pure are those Angels who on constant Wing Before my Throne Immortal Anthems sing Yet John yet Angels will submisly own Their Lord is kind but their Deservings none What then can Sinners plead or whence can they Pretend to Merits or to Favours due Would they alas their Souls survey Or to Themselves themselves be true They'd to the Dust before my Footstool bow No Merit then but Grace allow They'd all my condescensive Acts adore Their own unfit defective State deplore And with Amazement view that wondrous Love Which at my Table could such Guests approve Thou at my Altars as a Priest canst wait Approach my Presence and my Gifts dispense And Bread and Wine canst consecrate With mighty Words of Mystick Sense What Miracles my Language once could do Those Miracles thy Words renew Mean Matter thence proves a substantial Sign Of Grace Celestial and of Food Divine And by those Ways which heavenly Wisdom trod Sense sees the Matter Faith discerns the God Thou speak'st the Matter still the same remains Yet Strength invisible to all conveys The Mind sublimely entertains And Light thro humble Souls displays Thou seest the Sign couldst thou my Word believe thou 'dst then the inward Part receive Think then what Grace those sacred Hands confer When they imprint the Priestly Character Think what a glorious weight thy Shoulders bear When thou canst in thy Saviour's Room appear A Priest should always bring the Sacrifice Of Holy Converse and an Humble Mind In Him their Pattern vulgar Eyes Of Piety and Love should find With Angels or Angelick Saints below He should his holy Hours bestow When e're He robes himself his Thoughts should be How He may reconcile the World to Me How in his Saviour's Name he 'll intercede And how for Sinners with their Maker plead Think then think how thy Lord was crucifi'd O let his Sufferings melt thy yielding Heart Think how by cruel Hands he di'd That He to all might Love impart Think o're his Love his Life his Innocence From his Example Love commence Mourn o're thy murdering Sins with Sighs Tears Expunge the Follies of thy careless Years Give oft and oft receive that Food design'd To rouze the Sinner and refresh the Mind Mourn too for others Sins and O advise They'd oft remember their expiring Lord And with a grateful Sacrifice For Them his bleeding Wounds record When Thou shalt at my Board devoutly stand And raise thy Consecrating Hand God shall be honour'd Angels shall rejoice My Church adore Me with a chearful Voice New Grace shall every weary Soul revive And we 'll for ever in a blest Communion live VI. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord Bel. MY dearest Lord my surest Guide My God whose Help was ne'r deny'd What shall I do O teach Me Lord I 'm Terror all Confusion all When I my Vileness Lord recal And thy Majestick Height record I die if I abstain and I If I approach unworthy die Shew Me Dear Lord the perfect way Some Exercise before Me lay To fit Me for that sacred Feast It 's good it 's wondrous good to know What Reverence my Soul should show To Thee to be a welcome Guest To taste thy Banquet worthily And sacrifice a Heart to Thee VII Let a Mam examine Himself Christ THE Priest the Private Christian when they dare Approach my Table should with utmost care Their sinful Hearts survey They should with Reverence and Humility Firm Faith and just Resolves to honour Me Their Thoughts in order lay Discourse Receive and Consecrate And in my House with all their best Devotions wait Search thro' thy Conscience where some Taint appears With meek Confession and with mournful Tears O make thy Conscience pure Then when Thou com'st from all Convulsions free Of private griping Guilt thou may'st on Me Rely with Faith secure Hate all thy Sins but hate them more Which by their swift Returns advance thy daily Score Count o're the Bead-roll of thy sinful Deeds Mourn o're that Lust from whence thy Guilt proceeds As from a Poisonous Root O sigh to see thy Thoughts to Earth confin'd Enslav'd to Passions and to Lusts resign'd And all their baleful Fruit Think how thou' rt lost in outward Sense And how thy Phantosms vain from vain Delights commence Think how thou slightst thy Soul 's Internal State How worldly Joys thy holy Flames rebate How hard to Sighs and Tears How swift thou to a loose Debauch canst fly How slow to Rigours and Severity How fond of itching Ears To hear what 's new to see what 's fair And mean and humble things pass with a scornful Air. Mourn o're thy griping Hand thy stingy Heart How wild thy Talk how vain thy silent Part How loose thy Manners are Ill-tim'd thy Actions vast thy Appetite Deaf to thy God but fond of lazy Night And still averse to Care Fond of a Fable Drowsy all When thy poor Soul's Decays for constant Vigils call How Restless till my Holy Days are past How loth to taste of my Immortal Feast How all distracted there Thy Thoughts unhing'd thy Passions quickly rais'd Pointed thy Words thy Censures loudly blaz'd And all thy Dooms severe In Blessings mad in Suffering low Swift in thy boasting Tongue in thy Performance slow These and thy other Sins with Grief confest In this Resolve let all thy Sorrows rest Thy faulty Life to mend Then to my Honour all thy Self resign And let thy Body let thy Soul be Mine To Me thy Thoughts ascend So shall thy Sacrifice be sweet And in his Supper Thou thy Dearest Saviour meet Give but thy Self in this no Sacrifice Can please me more no purer Incense rise From Altars here below If thus a Man with all his Might repent My Grace shall then his Future Woes prevent And Life on him bestow I 'll straight expunge his fatal Score Bless Him with endiess Smiles and mark his Sins no more VIII He endur'd the Cross Christ THUS on the Cross I stretch'd my bleeding Arms And thus my naked Limbs expos'd Thus I dissolv'd dark Hell's malignant Charms And thus thy Wars with Heav'n compos'd I gave my Self a Sacrifice And bore what else thy Soul had born O on my Wounds then turn thy Eyes See how my Brows the sanguine Drops adorn Offer O offer then thy Self to Me A Sacrifice sublim'd and pure O be thy Strength thy best Affections free O may I but thy Self procure Give Me thy Self the Gift I 'll prize But All without thy Self despise
Thy Longings nothing could on Earth suffice Should'st thou but miss thy Maker there Thro Me alone in Price thy Blessings rise I all the noblest Gifts endear And canst thou dream large Hecatombs Should satisfy what God requires Think'st Thou I feed on what consumes With noisom Stench and in material Fires No I thy Self Dear Soul thy All command Give then O give thy Self to Me I leave my Body in thy faithful Hand I offer'd all my Self for Thee Dearly I 'm sure I purchas'd Thee Give then O give thy Self to Me But give it freely or the Gift will be A poor unworthy Sacrifice If I must only have a Part in Thee No happy Union thence can rise A Free-Will-Offering finds a place With God and to thy Self assures Vast Liberty and wondrous Grace Which none while of himself too fond procures I 've said Vnless a Man his All forsake He 's no Disciple fit for Me And wouldst thou one of my Attendants make From all inferiour Service free Wouldst Thou my blest Disciple be Give then O give thy Self to Me IX Offer unto God Thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the Most High Believer WHAT e're this Lower World contains Dear Lord is Thine And since a Free-Will-Offering Favour gains I here to Thee my Self resign Lord with a Heart sincere I freely offer up my Self to Thee My faithful Service and obsequious Fear A Sacrifice of Praise to be When I thy Self Dear Lord receive And round thy Table smiling Angels wait O don't my glorious Hopes deceive But let it be New Life to Me Let Me thy heavenly Grace thy Loves participate My Sins Dear Lord for Love of Thee I sacrifice Those Sins with which from early Infancy I durst offend thy sacred Eyes Lo at thy Altars here I cast them all O let thy burning Love Consume them Lord my sinful Conscience clear And all the Stains of Sin remove That Grace which Sin had lost before That Grace of which my Self my Self bereav'd O to my Soul Dear God restore Smile Lord on Me And let Me be To thy immortal Kiss thy boundless Peace receiv'd I 've sinn'd I 'm lost Lord what shall I For Pardon do I 'll at thy Feet with deep Confession lie And all my Tears for Guilt renew Atone my God for Me To Thee I 'll offer up unceasing Cries I 'll offer up unceasing Prayers to Thee Look down O look with gracious Eyes I hate my Sins I hate them All Lord I repent indeed I mourn and grieve O save Me from a future Fall My Sins pass o're Wash out my Score My Soul with Blood redeem'd with precious Blood relieve I here for Mercy Lord resign My Self to Thee O don't repay those black Deserts of Mine But in thy Goodness deal with Me My fairest Actions here Poor weak alas I offer up to Thee O let 'um grateful in thy Sight appear Adorn'd with Life and Sanctity My Soul for nobler Actions wing And Me a senseless Brute a worthless Slave By thy all-prudent Conduct bring To that blest Place Where well-us'd Grace Shall all the bright Rewards of full Perfection have Lord at thy Feet I humbly lay My just Desire For Friends Relations Benefactors pray And all who my Relief require For them thy Aids dispose From Pains from Dangers from Afflictions free Let them thy dear reviving Smiles disclose And sing their grateful Hymns to Thee Where others Lord have injur'd Me Where I have injur'd others O forgive O let our numerous Failures be All gently past And we at last In mutual Charity and God's Embraces live Lord let our doubtful Hearts be free From Jealousy From Wrath from Malice all those Crimes which we Oft in each others Tempers see And let thy Grace remove What e're Distrust in Christian Souls can raise Or Charity confound or murder Love Or Nature's crasy State betrays Mercy we Mercy Lord implore On needy Souls thy Mercy Lord bestow And Grace from thy unbounded Store Till happy we May live with Thee Where endless Mercy reigns and boundless Pleasures flow X. Not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the Manner of some is Christ WOuldst Thou thy Passions utmost Rage command Wouldst Thou against infernal Malice stand More watchful yet and stronger grow Here the Springs of Mercy flow Here I every Grace bestow Here my Servants kindly know Oft at my Altars oft prepar'd appear And oft thou 'lt meet thy mighty Saviour there Hell knows what Strength my Flesh and Blood can give And tries a thousand Means and Ways And all his subtle Art displays To make the doubtful Soul in pinching Hunger live When for my Supper pious Souls are drest They 'r oft by Hell's delusive Wiles distrest He 'll still among my Sons appear Scatter Care and sensless Fear And tho I my self am near Try to make Disturbance there Scorn then his Terrors tho deform'd and foul And let Himself beneath the Burden howl Let neither Sloth nor Coldness ravish Thee Hell's Malice nor imposing Art Enslave or turn thy yielding Heart When it on joyful Wings should fly to feast with Me. He 'll tell Thee Holy Cheat He 'll tell Thee there Thy Preparations should be more severe But Thou hast ne'r confest thy Sin Never let Repentance in Never cleans'd thy self within And wouldst now in vain begin If this be true fly dearest Soul O fly And at my Feet with deep Contrition lie Before my Priest thy Follies humbly lay He bears my sacred Character And his absolving Hands confer True Life on contrite Souls and Comforts cloudless Day Throw off Hell's Poison from thy fainting Soul Sins Burden from thy drooping Conscience roll Fly then dear Soul O fly to Me I 'll thy happy Shelter be Set Thee soon from Bondage free Fly dear Soul O fly to Me Name not to Morrow that 's a tedious Day Now now thy own Internal State survey Don't with some stupid Brutes my Feast forbear Lest They more firmly ty'd should be To save themselves and honour Me But let those Vows renew'd my sacred Feast endear How low's their Love's and their Devotion 's Tide Who can so soon from their Engagements slide How dear how truly welcom 's He Who preserves his Conscience free Lives in Faith and Purity And is always fit for Me Sometimes thy Soul 's touch'd with an awful Fear Or may for some important Cause forbear But if encroaching Sloth thy Heart detain O shake it quickly off and I Will to thy fervent Bosom fly And thou shalt Loves renew'd and glowing Fervours gain If justly absent let thy chearful Will Thy eager Thoughts approach my Altars still Live so adorn'd with Innocence Lively Faith and heavenly Sense As may leave Thee no pretence With Attendance to dispense But when the Son of God assum'd the Man When his dear bloody Death thy Life began When He shook off Death's Chains and climb'd the Skies When He the glorious Spirit sent New Loves for Loves renew'd present And let Devotion 's Flames with
greater Brightness rise But He who waits for none but Festivals Between them oft to Sin remisly falls Then happy 's He and truly wise Who by constant Exercise Can to such a temper rise Duty can't his Heart surprize Come then but Antient Prudent Rules obey Abhor the busy Fools fantastick Way Break not the Churches Peace but wisely wave Thy whymsied Schemes for Publick Good Who cuts the Banks le ts in a boundless Flood Nor can the frighted Boor his drowning Pastures save XI Search the Scriptures Lord evermore give us this Bread Believer DEarest Jesus kindest Lord What Sweets that happy Soul may taste Who feeds with Thee at thy immortal Board That Board where Sinners only fast Where Thou thy Self art All Meat Drink Inviter Waiter Principal More lov'd by faithful Souls and more desir'd Than all those glittering Toys by carnal Fools admir'd Ah! how pleasant Lord and sweet Should Tears of Holy Sorrow be How should I love to wash thy sacred Feet And prove a Magdalen to Thee But where 's that flagrant Mind Where can I Sorrow's Holy Fountains find My Heart should fall in Tears in Flames should rise Since Thou art here indeed and seen by faithful Eyes Lord my sinful dazling Sight Can't thy full Beams of Glory bear Nor could the World subsist should all the Light Of thy Majestic Brows appear It 's wondrous Goodness all That God beneath my Cognizance should fall That I should him in holy Signs adore Before whose Servile Form bright Angels bow'd before O may I contented prove To live and walk in Faith's pure Light Till that Eternal Day shall dawn above And Shades and Figures take their flight When that great Day mail shine Then glorious Saints shall bask in Beams Divine View all the Godhead's dark Abyss and see That Word made Flesh of old engulph Eternity When I read those Wonders o're Scarce inward Joys can please my Mind I scorn what e're I saw or heard before Till I thy glorious Face can find O witness Lord for Me No Comfort I no Rest can find but Thee And since thy Face no Mortal Eyes can view Let me that future Bliss with Patient Love pursue Thus the Saints enthron'd with Thee Th' Effects of Faith and Patience found My Faith My Hope 's the same O may I be By Faith with equal Glories crown'd By their Examples I Soar with an active Faith to reach the Sky My Rules my Comforts Lord thy Scriptures are And my declining Hopes thy Flesh and Blood repair Life a wretched Load would be If we no Light no Food could meet But Lord thou mak'st thy Flesh a Feast for me Thy Word a Lamp to guide my feet Oh these I sweetly live Light to my Soul thy sacred Writings give And When I at thy Altars Lord appear I find the Bread of Life the great Elixir there These th' Exchequer-Tables are Where all the Churches Treasure lies To This pure Souls for Holy Food repair To That to clear their Cloudy Eyes That thro Faith's perfect Ways And thro the Vail to th' holiest Place conveys Blest be my Jesus Light of endless Light Whole Servants wandring Souls to Wisdom's Springs invite Blest O blest be thy great Name Dear Maker dear Redeemer who Couldst Love immense to sinking Worlds proclaim Yet not a Paschal Figure show But wouldst thy Self appear Expose thy Flesh the faithful Heart to chear Pour Healthful Sweets into the saving Bowl While joyful Angels wait around the thirsty Soul O how glorious is the Seat By Thee to happy Priests assign'd Who still when they thy awful Words repeat Thy Efficacious Presence find And daily feast on Thee How clean their Hands how pure their Hearts should be Good Works should their untainted Hands employ Their Lips be Love's sweet Springs their Hearts the Thrones of Joy Thus to Priests their Lord declares I 'm all Essential Holiness O Ye who wait on my Divine Affairs The same accepted Grace express O with a single Eye With Modest Looks approach the Mystery Your Hands unspotted to those Altars raise Where God at Your Request his wondrous Love displays O may We to Priesthood rais'd Thy Gracious Influences find For Holy Lives and pure Devotions prais'd And to internal Peace refin'd And tho our Lives may fail O let our Tears above our Crimes prevail While We with humbler Souls and warmer Love In all thy sacred Ways with swift Obedience move XII He who Eats and Drinks unworthily Eats and Drinks his own Damnation Christ I Love the Pure and Holiness bestow I love within a well-purg'd Heart to rest Up then my kind Approaches know Know who designs to be thy glorious Guest A rise thy noblest Room prepare Let it be furnish'd well and large and fair I with a glorious Train design To eat the Paschal Lamb with Thee And can thy Heart embrace a Guest Divine Who would a constant Inmate be Purge then that Old fermenting Poison well And let no Darling Sin within thy Bosom dwell Cast off the Follies of a sinful Age And all the vicious modish Rout exclude Thy Sins with bitter Tears engage And fly O fly the Godless Multitude The Lover when his Mistress come With costly Arras hangs his fairest Rooms And hopes his nice expensive Care May to her Eyes his Flames declare But know shouldst thou a thousand Years enjoy And all thy busy Thoughts employ The Preparation of a thousand Years To what my Justice claims a small Proportion bears Thou 'lt feed before Me but the Privilege Not thy Deserts but Grace and Mercy gave Nor would a starving Slave alledg Desert should He a rich Man's Bounty crave And at his Table feasted He Could but submissive there and thankful be Come then Dear Soul but not of Course Approach but not compelled by Force O come with holy Love and awful Fear And at my Marriage-Feast appear I call Thee I invite Thee freely I At thy submiss approach will all thy Wants supply Praise God when I Devotion 's Grace bestow Praise not thy Merits but my Mercy praise If thy Devotions colder grow Thy Prayers thy Sighs importunately raise Cease not thy Prayers and Tears till I With rilling Grace thy thirsty Soul supply Thou need'st Me I 've no want of Thee Nor can thy Knees advantage Me I come to better thy Defective Mind Thou com'st a Smiling God to find thou 'dst fain be One with Me thy Grace renew And with reviving Flames a hoiler Life pursue Don't then my offer'd Grace my Favours slight But thy poor Heart with utmost Pains prepare Him whom thy Soul adores invite And grasp and hold Him with a faithful Care But ne're in Preparations rest Nor when the Feast is past unguard thy Breast Be careful when the Banquet 's o're As when a Guest design'd before He toils as much who would his Post maintain As He who Wealth at first would gain The Heart still kept will but prepare it more And add new Floods of Grace to those imbib'd before What can
filleth the Hungry Soul with Gladness Believer SWeetest Jesus Dearest Lord For whom my eager Passions long O now my pointed Griefs record How weak my Heart my Wants how strong How lost in Vices how immerst in Woes Tempted disturb'd opprest by angry Foes Tainted without poison'd within With the baleful Weeds of Sin Lord to Thee for Help I fly For Comfort and Support to Thee I O All-knowing God apply Who all my private thoughts canst see From Thee true Comfort true Assistance flows Thy Wisdom my defective Nature knows More indigent than all beside Till with Vertue 's Sweets supply'd Naked here and Poor I stand And pitying Grace with Tears desire O feed Me with a bounteous Hand Enflame my Heart with Love's soft Fire With thy bright Presence scale my gloomy Eyes Embitter what my Soul on Earth can prize To Patience all my Woes convert And from Creatures purge my Heart Lift my Heart above the Skies Nor let it wander here below Let me all Earthly Joys despise And Sweets which from the Creature flow Be thou my richest Bread my noblest Wine My Love Essential and my Joy Divine Ever O Dearest Jesus be All that 's sweet and good to Me Let thy Presence Lord enflame Me O warm O burn O change me quite And to thy Own blest Nature frame Me Endu'd with Vigour Beam'd with Light Let Me with Thee in Secret Vnions move And melt Me throughly with the Flames of Love Nor from thy Table let my Heart Thirsty e're or Hungry part Let thy Mercies work on Me Wondrous as in thy Saints of old O may with a Prodigy Celestial Heats my All enfold I sink but Thou the bright Eternal Fire In Me make me above the Clouds aspire My Intellectuals six above And refine my Soul with Love XVII But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy c. Believer WIth true Devotions and with fervent Love And with a Heart resign'd And with an Ardent Mind Tow'rd thy Altars Lord I move Thy Holy Saints thy Servants Lord of old Were very rarely in Devotion cold But with Humility They'd bow before thy Face O may I so approach to Thee Dear Lord great Source of Heavenly Grace And with a faithful Soul thy offer'd Loves embrace I know I merit Nothing but I bring A willing Heart to Thee As if my Love could be Rais'd from some Eternal Spring Whatever Vows the purest Minds conceive I with submissive Veneration leave Before my God my King Nor would I Part detain My All I for an Offering bring Let others Sacrilege maintain I 'd with a Heart entire my Saviour entertain O Thou my Lord my God whose wondrous Art First rais'd my curious Mould And when to Follies sold Did the Kind Redeemer's part Let Me my Lord with such firm Loves embrace Such Awe such thankful Praise such humble Grace Such Faith Hope Purity As that blest Maid of old When what her Womb 's blest Fruit should be With Smiles the cheerful Angel told Lo I thy Servant Lord Thy kind Engagements hold So thy great Harbinger the Baptist too Tho in his Mother's Womb Before thee found a Room His exulting Joys to shew And when He saw thee passing humbly cry'd Lo there the Bridegroom of the Glorious Bride And I his Friend with Joy His sacred Language hear O may I so my Thoughts employ When I before thy Face appear May my exulting Heart the Robes of Gladness wear I 've heard of Holy Saints with Joys enflam'd Till the contending Soul Could not the Force controul Which their inward Joys proclaim'd I 've heard of Extasies and wondrous Lights And Glorious Visions and Mysterious Flights I 've heard the Creature loud Thy mighty Acts resound May I with inward Heat endow'd Spread thy Illustrious Glories round My Heart with boundless Joys and heavenly Raptures crown'd Accept my Vows Dear Lord accept my Praise Those holy Hymns which I Would to Infinity Vast as thy Immenseness raise Praise Lord I owe Thee and would give Thee Praise Thro' shortest Moments and thro' longest Days Nor would I Lord alone Thy Praises celebrate I 'd draw the blessed Angels down I 'd move the World's united State Till they in Deathless Songs thy Gracious Acts relate May the wide World the many-Languag'd Tribe With Fervour Lord proclaim Thy Ever-glorious Name And to thy Renown subscribe May We who here with awful Reverence feed From Faith to Faith from Love to Love proceed Till we with mutual Prayers Each others Health implore And freed from all inferiour Cares And fed from thy Immortal Store We live and ever love but jar and faint no more XVIII The secret things belong unto the Lord our God Christ SEE how the dreadful Pest o're-flows How swift the dark malignant Angel flies Enters the Heart and thence infects the Eyes See how the Fiend triumphant grows And spreads the curious fatal Temper round And makes the shallow Fool attempt the Deeps profound Poor Man abus'd by Reason's Glare Will needs into his Maker's Secrets pry And comprehend Mysterious Majesty And all his boundless Powers declare Reason a Star till Sin obscur'd the World And from its lofty Sphere the radiant Substance hurl'd It shines still but with faded Light Dim and uncertain and with Scurf o'relaid Yet now would those superiour Orbs invade It shunn'd with native Lustre bright Then Man his mighty Soveraign's Nature knew But from the dark Research with awful Wisdom flew They 'd now with false Philosophy False Reason false Discourse and false Design Beyond the harmless Protoplast refine And with a sawcy daring Eye Anatomize and quite decipher Me And like themselves would bound and mould the Delty Can't they discern how Three are One Can't they conceive how One subsists in Three Can't they my Graces smallest Movements see Thro' Holy Institutions drawn Tho Scripture both in plainest Words descry They 'l unfelt Truths abjure and give their God the Lâ—â— With rotting Limbs and tainted Souls They scorn the modest Christians humble Flight Banter's their Sense and Blasphemy their Light Yet while to Hell they sink in Sholes Men must their worldly Wisdom's Reach admire Who for a Carnal Crew a Carnal God desire Blind with the Beams of sacred Light As Batts they flutter in a Cloudless Air Nor can my Majesty's Refulgence bear But gasp and sicken at the Sight They'd my vast Sphere to their short Span confine Or like the swelling Toad with Oxlike Greatness shine For shame let Brutes at last believe God may be more than Man can Vnderstand Nor can they reach to his All-powerful Hand The humble Soul may Truth retrieve And He who bows his Head to Antient Lore May grow more wise at last tho but a Fool before Blest ever blest be sober Minds Who won't for needless Questions wildly range Nor Revelation for their Reason change What Heaps eternal Darkness finds Who with their humbler Sense dissatisfi'd Too near the scorching Sun on waxen Wings would ride I in a favour'd Saint demand Not such
rebates Weak are thy best Designs and weaker far Than all thy humblest Apprehensions are Don't then my Son thy little Actions prize Nor let great Shows delude thy wandring Eyes Let not the World be sweet or dear to thee Nor fix thy Love beneath Eternity Be TRVTH thy Darling TRVTH thy Soul's Delight Thy Innate Vileness all thy Tears excite Thy Fears thy angry Talk thy Scorn and Hate Engag'd against thy inward sinful State Some with a careless Life but Curious Eye Would boldly thro my Mystic Secret pry Neglect their own and others Souls confound Till in a Sea of deep Temptations drown'd And for their mad Attempts and Godless Pride Down by revenging Strokes to endless Tortures slide Do Thou my Anger and my Judgments fear And don't too busy on my Works appear Thy Sins examine well thy Sins survey Thy frequent Negligence thy cold Delay Some on their Pray'r-Books or on Form and Show All their Devout deceitful Hours bestow They 'l Talk indeed but never Think of Me But those of Souls refin'd more clearly see And only pant and breath to reach Eternity Their Ears all Earthly Conversation hate Unwillingly on Nature's wants they wait They all the Smiles of flattering Worlds despise And higher still in Heavenly Vertues rise And spurn the Ball below and grasp the lofty Skies V. Love is strong at Death Believer TO Thee Eternal Father I With earnest Thanks and Praises fly Father By kind Adoption Mine My Saviour's by his Birth Divine Thro whom on wretched Me bestow'd Thy streaming Pity largely flow'd Blest ever blest be thy Great Name From whom my former Comforts came Who pitied oft unworthy Me For Mercy only lives in Thee To Thee to thy Eternal Son Thy sacred Spirit blest Three in One All humble Thanks all hearty Praise I 'll thro Immortal Ages raise O Gracious God! when once my Breast Is by thy sacred Love possest All Rapture then and Extasy My Heart and Soul shall wait on Thee O then my Hope my Harbour be When Seas of Tribulation compass me Weak are my Vertues weak my Love But O with Joys my Strength improve And with thy Heavenly Discipline Oft visit and my Soul refine My Passions my Affections guide That heal'd and throughly purifi'd My Love with brighter Flames may shine And Patience make me all and only Thine O what 's the Force of Heavenly Love How wondrous all its Motions prove It makes the Heavy Burden Light And always holds the Ballance right It can the Cross with Pleasure meet And make the Bitter truly Sweet Jesus that Name belov'd can raise The humblest Soul to grasp at Praise Make it to mighty Works incline And greater still and more design Love scorns the lower World and flies Like Flames to reach their kindred Skies Love hates Restraint and hates its Chains And always of its Clogs complains Sweet Love the roughest Souls can hold Enflames the Wise the Brave the Bold Makes Heaven the Rest of Saints above And God himself subsists in boundless Love The Lover smiles and springs and flies He 's free and every Bar defies Gives All to All yet keeps it All For he his God his own can call From whom the purest Blessings fall It 's not the Gift but Giver He Above all other Joys would see Love knows no Mean but burns and glows And ore its common Bounders flows Love never values Weight nor Pains Nor of th' Impossible complains But grasps at All and All can do If he who loves can be but active too Love watches in the Lover's Eyes And ne're fatigu'd nor fainting lies Love tho confin'd abroad can rove Unfrighted by the noisy Drove Love like a Torch or Astral Fire Will always tow'rds the Poles aspire If that bright Flame my Soul possess I soon to God shall find Access My God my Love my Life is mine And I Dear Lord am All and only Thine O then with Love enlarge my Heart To me that Heavenly Gust impart That I those happy Sweets may prove And always Live and always Love May Love possess me all and raise My Passions to a soaring Blaze Teach me to sing the Songs of Love And fly with Thee dear Lord above O fill me more and more till I A Phenix in those Flames may die More than my Self I 'll love Thee Lord If thou thy lightsome Beams afford And for thy sake I 'll all embrace Who love thy Glories and who seek thy Face Love when sincere is swift and warms With pleasant and delightful Charms It 's Brave and Patient Wise and True Long-suffering Manly ever New And never seeks it self but You. Love's Cautious Humble seeks the Right Not Soft Effeminate or Light But Sober Peaceful Firm and Chast A Guard on all our Senses plac't Love to its Guides Obedience gives And meanly of it self believes Devout to God and grateful proves And still by Hope's Prescriptions moves Yea tho its God His Smiles remove Since Clouds sometimes obscure the Skies of Love Fit Me for Suffering O my God O fit me for thy sharpest Rod For if I dare not smart for Thee No Lover's Name belongs to Me. All Hardship I for Thee can bear Thy Love can harshest things endear No Pains from Thee shall make me start While Grace unvails my Eyes and Love secures my Heart VI. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith Christ YEt still my Son thou' rt neither brave nor wise And Love's soft Name is but thy thin Disguise Bel. Why Lord Chr. Consider how thy Soul recoils Despairs of Comfort and desponds with Toils The valiant Lover like a Rock secure Can all Hell 's furious Arts unmov'd endure He loves me when he thrives and lives in Peace Nor can his Sufferings make His noble Ardours cease The Prudent Lover may the Gift admire But to the Giver most his Thoughts aspire The Worth but little to the Kindness seems The Giver He above the World esteems I not the Boon his restless Heart engage Yet Doubts don't straight a total Fall presage Love's Sweet and Good when fixt on Mine and Me Grace gave it Being and the Fruits may be The Foretaste of a Blest Eternity Grace yet may vary have its Ebbs and Flows And interrupt the careless Soul's Repose He 's Brave indeed who fights the Battel thro And Courage tho opprest with Odds can shew He breaks Hell's utmost Force and all his Loves are true Then let not fanci'd Beauties charm thy Sight Nor thy Sick Soul from righteous Ways invite Sometimes perhaps thy Joys are Raptures all And down straight to their former Weakness fall If thou to get an equal Temper strive That War may warm thy Soul thy dying Hopes revive Know then the Prince of Hell thy antient Foe Would all thy Faith and envy'd Hopes o'rethrow Thy Soul's Devotions from thy Maker turn And would against thy Saviour's Passion spurn He 'd fain divert thee from thy Sense of Sin From Vertue 's Progress and thy Guard within Fills thee with impious Thoughts