and devour The seeds of grace as soon as they do sprout And is too strong for us to keep him out Oh! let not him prevail such harm to do us As he desires but Lord return unto us Return in mercy though thou find us slack To come our selves fetch draw and pul us back From our own courses by thy grace divine And set and keep us in each way of thine Vouchsafe that every one in his degree The secret error of his life may see And in his lawful calling all his dayes Perform his Christian duty to thy praise Give peace this troublous age for perillous The times are grown and no man fights for us But thou oh God! nor do we seek or crave That any other Champion we may have Nay give us troubles if thy wil be so That we may have thy strength to bear them too And in affliction thee more glorifie Then here heretofore in our prosperity For when thy countenance on us did shine Those Lands that boasted of their corn and wine Had not that joy which thou didst then inspire VVhen we were boyld and fryde in blood and fire Oh! give us again that joy although it cost us Our lives Restore thou what our sin hath lost us Thy Church in these Dominions Lord preserve In purity and teach us thee to serve In holiness and righteousness until VVe shal the number of our dayes fulfil Defend these Nations from all overthrows By forraign enemies or home-bred foes Our State with ev'ry grace and vertue bless VVhich may thine honor and its own increase Inflame our Nobles with more love and zeal To thy true Spouse and to his Commonweale Inspire our Clergy in their several places VVith knowledge and all sanctifying graces That by their lives and Doctrines they may rear Those parts of Sion which decayed are Awake this People give them souls that may Believe thy VVord and thy commands obey The plagues deserv'd already save them from More watchful make them in all times to come For blessings past let hearty thanks be given For present ones let sacrifice to heav'n Be daily offered up For what is needing Or may be useful in the time succeding Let faithful Prayers to thy throne be sent With heart and hands upright and innocent And let all this the better furthered be Through these Remembrances now brought by me For which high favour and imboldning thus My spirit in a time so dangerous For chusing me that am so despicable To be imployed in this honorable And great imployment which I more esteem Than to be crowned with a Diadem For thy enabling me in this Embassage For bringing to conclusion this my Message For sparing of my life when thousands dy'd Before behind me and on ev'ry side For saving of me many a time since then VVhen I had forfeited my soul agen For all those griefs and poverties by which I am in better things made great and rich Then all that wealth and honor brings man to Wherewith the world doth keep so much ado For all which thou to me on earth hast given For all which doth concern my hopes of heaven For these and those innumerable graces Vouchsafed me at at sundry times and places Unthought upon unfeigned praise I render Lnd for a living sacrifice I tender To thee oh God my body soul and all Which mine I may by thy donation call Accept it blessed Maker for his sake Who did this offring acceptable make By giving up himself Oh! look thou not Upon those blemishes which I have got By naturall corruption or by those Polluted acts which from that ulcer flows According to my skill I have enroll'd Thy Mercies and thy Justice I have told I have not hid thy workings in my brest But as I could their pow'r I have exprest Among our great assemblies to declare Thy wil and pleasure lo I do not fear And though by Princes I am checkt and blamed To speak the truth I am no whit ashamed Oh! shew thou Lord thy mercy so to me And let thy love and truth my guardians be Forgive me all the follies of my youth My faulty deeds the errors of my mouth The wandrings of my heart and ev'ry one Of those good works that I have left undone Forgive me all wherein I did amiss Since thou employd'st me in performing this My doubting of thy calling me unto it My fears which oft disheartned me to do it My sloth my negligences my evasions And my deferring it on vain occasions VVhen I had vowed that no work of mine Should take me up til I had finisht thine Lord pardone this and let no future sin Nor what already hath committed bin Prophane this Work or cause the same to be The lesse effectual to this Land or me But to my self Oh Lord and others let it So moving be that we may ne're forget it Let not the evil nor the good effect It takes or puff me up or me deject Or make me think that I the better am Because I tel how others are to blame But let it keep me in a Christian fear Stil humbly heedful what my actions are Let all those observations I have had Of others errors be occasion made To minde me of mine own And lest I erre Let ev'ry man be my Remembrancer With so much charity as I have sought To bring their duties more into our thought And if in any sin I linger long Without repentance Lord let ev'ry tongue That names me check me for it and to me Become what I to others fain would be Oh! Let me not be like those busie brooms Which having cleansed many nasty rooms Do make themselves the fouler but sweet Father Let me be like the precious Diamond rather Which doth by polishing another stone The better shape and lustre set upon His own rough body Let my life be such As that mans ought to be who knoweth much Of thy good pleasure And most awful God Let none of those who spread of me abroad Unjust reports the Devils purpose gain By making these my warnings prove in vain To those that heare them but let such disgaces Reflect with shame upon their authors faces Til they repent And let their scandall serve Within my heart true meekness to preserve And that humility which else perchance Vain-glory or some naturall arrogance Might overthrow if I should think upon With carnal thoughts some good my lines have done Restrain moreover them who out of pride Or ignorance this Labour shal deride Make them perceive who shal prefer a story Composed for some temporall friends glory Before those Poems which thy works declare That vain and witless their opinions are And if by thee I was appointed Lord Thy judgements and thy mercâ—es to record As here I do set thou thy mark on those Who shal despitefully the same oppose And let it pulikely be seen of all Til of their malice they repent them shall As I my conscience have discharged here Without
volumes For dispersed are Ev'n quite throughout this Land every year Ev'n many thousand Reames of scurrill toyes Songs Rimes and Ballads whose vain use destroyes Or hinders Vertuous knowledge and Devotion And thus they do to further the promotion Of our Diana Yet Behold if we To publish some few sheets required be Con aiâ—ing pious Hyâ—ns or christian Songs Or ought which to the praise of God belongs We do so fear the hindrance of our gain That like the Ephesian Silver-smith faine A great complaint as to have enlarged A little Book had grievously o'recharged The Common-wealth Whereas if it were weigh'd How much of late this Land is overlaid With triviall volumes or how much they do Corrupt our Manners and Religion too By that abusive matter they contain I should not seem unjustly to complain These times do swarm with Pamphlets which be far More dangerous than mortall poysons are Ev'n in those books whereby the simple thought To finde true knowledge they their bane have caught For thence strong heresies there being hid Amid some doubtles truths a while unspi'd Steale out among the people by degrees More mischief working than each Reader sees And so to ruine knowledge that is made A instrument whereby it rising had For by their lucre who the Churches peace Disturb their private profit to increase Those Doctrines which are un-authorised Are so promiscuously divulg'd and spread Among approved Verities that fome Are in those Labyrinths amaz'd become And such a contradiction is in that VVhich their confused Pamphlets do relate That common Readers know not which to leave Nor which the Church of Egland doth receive And from this mischiefe many others flow VVhich will in future times more harmfull grow This spins vain controversies to their length By this most heresies receive their strength And what distraction it already makes Our grieved Mother wofull notice takes Instead of active knowledge and her fruit This silleth men with itching oâ— dispute And empty words whereby are set abroach A thousand quarrells to the truths raproach The sectaries the munkeys and the apes The Cubs and Foxes which do maâ— our Grapes The VVolves in Sheep-skins and our frantick rable Of VVorship-mongers are innumerable And as the Churches quiet they molest So they each other spightfully infest VVe have some quakers some that halfe way go Some Semi-quezills some wholly so Some Anabaptists some who do refuse Black-puddings and good pork like arrant Jews Some also term'd Arminians are among Our Priests and people very lately sprung VVhat most so callâ—d profess I stand not for And what some say they teach I do abhor But what some other so misnam'd believe Is that whereâ—o best Christians credit give For as we see the most reformed man By Libertines is term'd a Protestan So by our purblinde Formalist all those VVho new fantastick crotchets do oppose Begin to be misterm'd Coxils now And hence e'relong will greater mischiefs grow Then most imagine For the foolish fear Lest they to be Dattrells may appear Or else be term'd quakers will make Great multitudes Religion quite forsake And I am halfe perswaded this will one Of those great Schismes or earthquakes cause which Iohn Foretold in his Apocalyps and they Are blest who shall not thereby fall away Some Hocasses and some Famalists have we And some that no man can tel what they be Nor they themselves Some seem so wondrous pure They no mans conversations can endure Unless they use their pleaistrings and appear In ev'ry formall garb which they shall weare There be of those who in their words deny And hate the practise of Idolatry Yet make an idol of their formall zeale And underneath strickt holiness conceale A mystery of evil which deceives them And when they think all safe in danger leaves them Their whole Religion some do place in hearing Some in the outward action of forbearing Ill deeds or in wel doing though the heart In that performance bear no reall part Some others of their morrall actions make Small conscience and affirm that God doth take No notice how â—n body they transgress If him in their â—nward man confess As if a soul beloved could reside Within a body quite unâ—anâ—fide Some not contented in the act of sin Are grown so impudent that they begin To justifie themselves in wickedness Or by quait arguments to make it less And by such Monsters to such ends as this The Christian liberty defamed is Mewfangledness Religion hath o'rethrown And many as fantasticall are grown In that as in apparell Some delight In nothing more than to be opposite To other men Their zeale they wholly spend The present government to reprehend The Churches discipline to vâ—ll fie And raile at all which pleads antiquity They love not peace and therefore have suspition Of Truth it self if out of persecution And are so thankless or so heedless be Of Gods great love in giving such a free And plentious means of publishing his word That what his Prophets of the Jews record Some verifie in us Much pralse is given To that blinde age wherein the Queen of Heaven Was worshipt here And alsly we extoll Those dayes as being much more plentifull Some at the frequency of Preaching gâ—utch And tyred with it think we have too much Nay impudently practise to suppress That Exercise and make our plenty less And that their doing may not want some faire Or goodly coulor they do call for Pray'r Instead thereof as if we could not pray Until our preaching we had sent away As these are foolishly or lewdly wise We have some others want only precise So waywardly dispised amidst our plenty And through their curiosity so dainty That very many cannot well digest The bread of life but in their manner drest Nor will Gods Manna or that measure serve Which he provides but they cry out they starve Unless they feed upon their own opinions Which are like Egypt Garlike and her Onionâ— Some like not Prayer that 's extempory Some notany that set form doth carry Some think there 's no devotion but in those That howle or whine or snufle in the nose As if that God vouchsafed all his Graces For feigned gestures or for sowre faces Some think not that the man who gravely teacheth Or hath a sober gesture when he preacheth Of gentle voyce hath any zeal in him And therefore such like Preachers they contemn Yea they suppose that no mans doctrine laveâ— The Soul of any one unless he raves And roares aloud and slings and hurleth so As if his arms he quite away would throw Or over-leap the Pulpet or else break it And this if their opinion true may make it Is to advance their voyces trumpet-like As God commands yea this they say doth strike Sin dead Whereas indeed God seldome goes In whirlwinds but is in the voice of those Who speak in meekness And it is not in The pow'r of noyse to shake the walls of sin For clamors antique actions writhed
sight Is to be found the fulness of delight Of wisdome beautie riches knowledge pure Of happiness for ever to endure Of goodness joy and true Nobilitie Of treasure pleasure and felicitie Of all that merits love or admiration Or worketh comfort or sure contentation Yea all the powers and powerful faculties Of soul and bodie shal partake likewise Shal be sufficed with the ful fruition Of heav'ns eternal ternal glorious vision God unto all his sacred Saints shal be Their universal sweet felicitie Containing each particular delight Which may affect th' aspect of their blest sight Infinite both for number and for measure And without end shal be their endless pleasure To th' eyes he shal be a Mirror cleer Melodious Musick to delight the ear To th' Palate he shal be Mellifluous Mell Sweet spiring Balm for to refresh the Smel Unto the understanding he shal bee A Light most bright and pure it'h high'st degree To th' VVill he shal be perfect contentation To th' Memory erelasting continuation In him we also shal injoy possess What ever various time could here express Yea all the beauties of his rarest creatures VVhich may our love allure by their sweet features All joy and pleasure to content the minde Such at it'h creatures selves we nere could find This sight I say is th' angels chiefest treasure The Saint repast repose and princely pleasure This is their everlasting life their crown Their Meed their Majestie their high renown This their rich rest their spacious specious palace Their outward inward joy and soveraign solace Their Paradise divine their Diadem Their ample bliss their blest Jerusalem Their peace of God past all imagination Their ful beatitude and sweet salvation To see him who them made re-made made Saints Him seeing to possess without restraints Possessing him to love him as their King And loving him to praise him as the Spring And Fountain of this all felicity And praising ever this blest â—nitie O then my soul cease not to like to love These admirable lovely joyes above And though thy corrupt flesh is th' obstacle And stays delayes from this blest habitacle Although thy flesh like churlish Nabal frown Refuse the pains to seek this sacred crown Yet let thy Spirit like good Abigal Go forth to find this place angelical Let Hagar never get her Mistris place Nor Ismael good Isaac so disgrace But strive most strenuously fight that good fight Subdue thy flesh withstand proud Satans might And with the eye of faith believe desire To live with Christ pray seek sue and inquire Pray earnestly to Christ thy King above In burning zeal firm faith and burning love For what â—s this world nought but a flouâ—ing fanciesie A theatre or vainness pleasant phrenâ— A sinc of sin a shop of all deceit Iniquities chief center and sure seat A Map a mirror of all miserie A Dunge on of most dire calamitie Lovely to look on like the Scarlet VVhore But dangerous to deal with evermore A mazie Labyrinth of impious errors A camp of Cruelty of tears and terrors Constant in nought but in inconstancy And most unconstant in that constancie In nought the same save not to be the same And of being but a very name Still floting fleeting never at a stay Hates on the morrow whom it loves to day Yea t is a Ioab ful of craft and guile Kills his Embracers with a traiterous smile A Wrastler 't is and trippeth up the heels Of many a man ere he its grasping â—eels Solomon wise strong Sampson so renownd It made their lengths to measure on the ground Therefore to love the world is nought els sure Then to her Lime-twigs thy poor soul t' allure Which so the feathers of thy faith will marre Thy soul if 't may be from heav'ns joyes to barre Why then my soul shouldst thou to the earth be thral Which hast a heav'nly blest Original Why shouldst thou pin thy thoughts on mortal things Who art immortal from the King of Kings And why shouldst thou a sp'rit invisible Be pleas'd with things both gross and visible Striving to pamper thy corrupted bodie Whose definition is indeed that both-die Both Soul and Body when the Flesh gives way To Sin and Satan in their dire decay And hence it is that Latinists likewise Thus Corpus fitly crimologize Cor which was once the heart of pure perfection Is thus made Pus all filth and foul infection Why then shouldst thou then thy self so low depress Who art of high caelestial Nobleness One of thy Fathers first-born children deer Whose name in Heav'ns blest Records may appear Why should the worlds falle promises delude thee Since heav'n with grace goodness hath induâ—d thee Wilt thou a Princes Son a heavenly Prince Let Satans gilded apples thee convince Wilt thou the Son of heav'ns all-sacred King Offend thy father for so vile a thing Wilt thou thy birth-right Esau-like forge For one dire mess of broth bewitching wo Oh. no! deceitful Dalilah a-dieu Thy Syrens Songs my soul doth most eschew Thy Crocadile-like tears which would betray me By heav'ns preventing-grace shal never slay me For all thy bitter-sweets false protestations My soul esteemeth but hellish incantations Wherefore as Aâ—mon being once defiled With his own Sister whom he had beguiled After the fact did hate her ten times more Then ever he had loved her before So I whom thy false friendship once defiled VVhom thy deceitful ambush once beguiled I hate abominate thy mischief more Then ere I lov'd or liked thee before As sea-men Rocks as Children Scorpâ—ons flie So Oh my souâ— hate worldly vanity And oh what 's he that would not leave most glad Worlds vanities so finite base and bad For pleasures infinite VVhat 's he would take Fraudulent joyes and permanent forsake None doubtless none but Dastards void of grace None but faint-hearted fearful cowards base The resolute couragious Christian bold Dares deaths grim face confront see and behold Dares death defie and his approach desire Because by death he knows he shal acquire The end of all his hope for deaths the Key Which opes the door to true felicitie Yea 't is no pain but of all pains the end The gate of heav'n and ladder to ascend And death 's the death of all his storms and strife And sweet beginning of immortal Life Therefore with smiling count'nance merrily To heav'n his place of rest he casts his eye And in his heart these thoughts are oft revolved Unfeignedly I wish to be dissolved To be with thee O Christ my Saviour sweet Thee my deer eldest brother for to meet I see thee Christ I see thee heav'nly home I gladly would and quickly to thee come I see thee O thou Saints caelestial place I much desire I once had run my race But though I cannot with Elias run i th' strength o' th spirit in this race begun Unto the heav'nly Canaan yet give Grace Though I with Iacob halt to halt apace And if not so yet that at
least I may Like to an infant learn to creep the way And grow from strength to strength from grace to grace Until I come in presence of thy face For I am weary of this pilgrimage And long for thee my heav'nly heritage How oft have I thee view'd with admiration How oft hast thou been my souls meditation How oft have I been ravisht with desire That unto thee my soul might once aspire How oft have I been scorn'd and vili-pended Earths most unpleasant pleasures quickly ended Being compared to those joyes above Which from my heart my soul doth dearly love My heart my life my bliss my joy my gem My soules dear soul is New-Ierusalem And now I come my joyes I come to you For whom I did so often seek and sue I pain and death do heartily imbrace So that my soul amongst you may take place Yea though ev'n hel it self were in my way And would my journey stop disturb or stay I would it pass and hazard hells annoy To live with Christ in his caelestial joy And surely since heath'nish Cleoâ— brotus Did seem but desp'rately so valorous Hearing his Master Plato once discourse Of immortalitie with furious force From an high Rock himself did head-long throw In hope to be immortalized so O how much rather then I pray ought I Dying it'h Lord a thousand death to die To be inveâ—ted in that perfect glory Shown an affur'd in truths most faithful Story He di'd in bare opinion Souls blind-love I die in saith and knowledg from above He onely hopâ— to have immortal Life I for immortal rest and glory rife He went unsent-for I am oft invited Even Christ himself my soul hath oft incited Incited oft I say with resolution And Pauls firm faith to wish for Dissolution Shal then his Pagan-courage mine excel Shal fear of death my Christian-courage quell Since my sure ground than his is much more firm And death to me is but my sorrows term And that my soul i' th end shall sure exult Although the way seem somewhat difficult O no my soul be valorous and stout With constant courage persevere hold out None fight but with a hope of victory Thy fight wel finisht brings eternitie If one shoul say unto a Captain stout Go forward with bold courage fight it out Do but thy utmost fight and give not over For thou in th end the conquest shalt recover Would any David his Goliah flie From whom he 's sure to win the victorie Would any Gideon such a fight refuse Could any valiant Ioshua think you chuse But enter combat with the proudest Foe Whom he with triumph surely shal orethrow My Saviour sweet even thus to me hath said Take courage Christian Souldier ben't afraid Do thou thy utmost Satan to with-stand For I will be propitious at thy hand Fight valiently and though thy Foes fierce might May hap to bring thee on thy knees i' th fight May often foil thee by his crafty snare Yea though his claws were ready thee to tare Yet I wil raise thee up I le thee defend And thou shalt sure be victor in the end Who then I say what 's he would be so base As not this proffer gladlie to imbrace Who could with vile pusillanimity So free a Conquest coward like deny Shal doâ—ing Lovers for their Ladies fight And for their sakes account all danger slight Shall Merchants venture both lives and goods For wealth pelf through th' Oceans dangrous floods Yea shal the ship boy gladly undergo All hazards which or Sea or shore can show Onely in hope to gain a Masters place And to obtain a cunning Pilots grace And shal my Soul turn coward â—ear and flie Shal not my soul controle that enemy Whom Christ my General first overthrew And thereby all his subtilties wel knew And knowing them hath taught me how to fight Me to defend him offend put to flight Yea and hath promis'd heel assistant bee And in my weakness cause my foe to flee And underneath my feet pull Satan down And me as victor graciously wil crown O then my soul stand stourly to 't and fear not Christs sacred arms in vain about thee bear not Fight this good fight and let proud Satan know Christ being Captain thou'lt him overthrow For if Heav'ns King by grace be on thy side Thou needst not fear what ere do thee betide No danger sure can in that Battel bee Where thou for Christ and Christ doth fight for thee And here 's my comfort this is my souls stay That whether Satan wound or do me stay Dye fleshly body so my soul may live Christ to my soul the Palm of grace wil give But as a mighty Emp'rour which proclaims At some great Feast Olympick warlike Games Wherein to him which proves the Conqueror And doth the best exploits this Emperor Wil give a crown his valor to reward And him with Kingly favour wil regard But not the Emp'rour unto him descends But lie to th' Emp'rors Gallery ascends There from his Princely hand to take the Crown The triumph trophy of his high renown Even so the Christian Souldier having gained The victory for which he long had strained With all his power spiritual to quel The rage of rayâ—nous sin and Satan fel Musts from the worlds Lists in a blessed end By death Heav'ns glorious Gallery ascend There from the hands of Jesus Christ himself To take a Crown far passing worldly pelf A Crown of joy even glories plenitude A Crown of bliss even heav'ns beatitude Not as the Meede of his deserving merit But as the free gift of Gods sacred Spirit For having done what ever I am able Yet my best service is unprofitable Only in mercy he is pleas'd to Crown His own good gifts in me to my renown O! therefore death shal be my welcome guest Death which translates from la Sour unto rest From worldly sorrow to heav'ns joyes encrease From wo to weale from trouble to sweet peace From earth the stage of instability To heav'n the fortress of true constancie Go then you godless Heliogabolites You drunken Vicars proud cosmopolites Go please your selves in swearing feasting fighting And not what 's just but what 's your lusts delight in Go please your selves with rich and large extents Of wealthy Mannors stately tenements Grow proud to see your underlings beslaved And by your greatness wrongfully outbraved To see your ward-roabs stuft with proud apparel Your mouths with oathes your thoughts with strife quarrel To have variety of worldly pleasure Delicate Gardens Coffers ful of treasure Treasure saâ—d I nay white and yellow clay Bewitching Mammon Sin-bane souls decay Or if there 's ought that doth you more allure Or which you would with more content procure Use it possess it yet for all this know You shall it all with shame and smart for go Yea God wil take at deaths disastrous day Your Lands your life your goods your Gods away This this alas did cause the Prophets cry
This mov'd S. Paul with zealous ardâ—ncy 'gainst worldlings to cry out and them accuse That they themselves their souls would so abuse Such lying vanities so to respect So sottishly their Souls health to reject In Aegypt straw and stubble for to buy Yea Straw I say and chaffe which finally Would their own house burn down and ruinate And head-long them to hel precipitate Whereas their saviour at a cheaper price Would sel them gold pure gold rare Merchandise Even all the Golden joyes and sweet delight Of Paradise coelestial sacred sight That Pearl of blest salvation which to buy The wisest Merchant would most joyfully Sel all his worldly treasure earthly pelfe With this rare jewel to enrich himself And what 's his price O cheap and nought else sure But what thou maist thy self with ease procure Only thy heart t is only this he craves This given to God both soul and body saves Not that thy God is better by the same But thou made blest to magnifie his Name 'T is onely thine not his good he desires And for this good he only thanks requires Oh therefore silly simple sinful man What greater madness tel me if thou can Than such a proffer fondly to refuse Than death for life for treasure Straw to choose For precious liquor Fountain water good To choose foul puddles stinking ful of mud Oh more then mad men thus to take more pain Head-long to run to hel with might and main Then even the holiest Sain is to go to heaven Who oft with treats and threats are thereto driven But 〈◊〉 my soul thy Saviours Counsel take O do not thou his bounty so forsake Go buy of him give body heart and all To purchase this rare Gem angelicall And with that royal Shepheard David say O thou my soul trust in the Lord alway Yea in his awe and Law take thou delight O like love love look on this both day and night Let it be thy arithmetick alwayes To take account and number out thy dayes A Deaths-head let thy chiefe companion be An hour glass remembrancer to thee Let thy chiefe study be continually How to live wel and blessedly to dye So shalt thou O my soul most happy be When thou of that blest Citie art made free When thou amongst that sacred hierarchie Shal sing sweet tones and tunes melodiously With heavâ—ns Psalmodical harmonious quire Of Saints and Angels zealous hot as fire The Diapason of whose heav'nly Layes Doth warble forth heav'ns due deserved praise Where thou being grac't and plac't in heav'nly state In precious pleasure ne're to â—erminate Being sweetly rap't in heav'nly extasie Christ and his Churches Epithalamy My sainted foul with surged voice shal sing To God in Christ my three-one heav'nly King O happy Citizens enfranchis'd there O joyful quiristers singing so cleare Victorious souldiers thus to be trans-planted Where peace for war where life for death is granted Happy wert thou my soul most truly blessed If thou wert once of this rare joy possessed That then I might be fill'd and never fated With that rare sight which once initiated Shal last for aye without times dissolution Shal be most specious without all pollution Therefore my heart as hart being chaft and chased By furious hounds most nimbly tract and traced Desires the water-brook his heat t' allay That so refresht he thence may scud away Even so my heart O Lord desires to see Those Crystal streams of Life which slow from thee Sighes sues pursues her Countrey to recover Here abject subject too too triumpht over By my three fierce and furious enemyes Who seek my soul t' insnare and sin-surprize Even Satan that old hunter and his hounds The quakers Hectors which give my soul deep wounds Who more like ravening wolves would fain devour And captivate my soul in hellish power But thy preventing grace O spring of Grace Preserves my soul dis-nerves their horrid chace And as a Bird out of the Fowlers Grin And as Noes Dove looking to be let in Into the Ark of thine eternal rest My cyred soul is unto the addrest My soul with worlds encumbrances oppressed Desires O Lord to be by thee refreshed My soul doth thirst and hasteth to draw near And longs before thy presence to appear O tree of Life O ever-living spring Whose laud and praise the heav'nly hoast do sing O when shal I come and appear in sight Of thee the Sâ—n of righteousness most bright When shal my soul by thine all-saving hand Be led with joy from forth this Desâ—rt Land When shal I leave this Wilderness of wo Wherein my soul is tossed to and fro I sit alone as one a house the sparrow i th' Vale and Dale of tears fears sighes and sorrow O lead dear Christ my love-sick soul by th' hand From this vast wilderness drie thirsty Land To thy wine-Cellers that I there may tast Of thy wine-flagons thou prepared hast Comfort me with the apples of thy grace With thy Hid-Manna strengthen my weak case With heav'nly Milk and Honny Lord make glad My heart which worlds afflictions hath made sad O Let me once from wisedomes sacred Lip Coelestial Nard and Rosean Liquor sip Yea let me fatiare mine insariate thirst With that sweet Milk wherewith thy Saints are noure't I thirst O Lord I thirst thou art the wel O quench my thirst and let me with thee dwel I hunger Lord I hunger thou are bread Even bread of Life O let my soul be fed I seek thee Lord yet stil I go astray Through high-waies by-wayes yet I miss the way Thou art O Lord the perfect way and dore My soul wil follow if thou go before Direct my feet to leave the paths of sin Ope glories gate and let my soul go in Let it be riches to me to possess thee Let it be gloy to me to confess thee Let it be clothes Christ Jesus to put on Let it be food his word to feed upon Yea let it be my life to live and dye For Christ my King and for his verity So shal my riches be to me eternall So shal my glory be with Christ supernal So shal my clothing fril be fair and new So shal my food be Manna heav'nly dew So shal my life nere fade but ever spring Being stil preserv'd by Christ my Lord and King But oh alas when shal I see that day That day of gladness never to decay That day of Jubile when all are glad That day when all rejoyce none can be sad Whose endless time and never fixed date Eternity shal never exterminate That Saints blest birth-day which shal nere have evening That lasting day to which no night gives ending That rare Grand-Iubile that Feasts of feasts Sabbaths of sabbaths endless rests of rests To which least care shal never dare come neare Wherein the Saints shal shake ofâ— palid fear O pure O pleasant most desired day Of that eternal springing month of May In which my soul shal evermore rejoyce In which
hear and see and bear a part In heav's heart-charming musick sacred art In that rare comfort of Mel-Melody At Christs rare Nuptials blest solemnity Come then Lord Jesus oh I cannot cease To wish my soul in thine eternal peace Give me O Lord good Stephens Eagles-eye Through thickest clouds heav'ns glory to espye Give me O Lord a voice angelicall With Heart unfeigned on thee thus to call How long O Lord how long wilt thou delay Lord Jesus come come quickly do not stay Make hast and tarry not I thee intreat And draw my soul from earth to heavenly seat For why I feaâ— Lord falsifie my fear That Satan wil 'gainst me such malice bear To cause my refractory flesh to stur My soul unto Rebellion so t' incur Thy wrath and indignation for the fame My stubborn flesh therefore Lord curb and tame O free me from this Fleshly Prison strong Wherein my soul hath fettered lyen too long Fett'red I say yea fest'red more 's my shame More art thou flâ—sh and much more I too blame Who oft with Adam fondly have aspired And with vain-glory led have oft desired The fruit o' th' Tree of Knowledge for to eat Not of the Tree of Life more soveraign meat And to be red in any other Book Much pride and pleasure I have often took Than in my Book of conscience to behold The wo whereinto sin doth me infold With wontons I oft view'd Prides Looking-Glass But not times Dyall how my dayes did pass Yea on earths follies I have fixt mine eyes Gazing on blaztng worldly vanities Yet Lord I know that as thou hast a book wherein my faults are writ on them to look So thou a Bottle hast wherein to keep My contrite tears when I for Sin do weep And though my self unworthy I agnize Unto thy throne to lift my finful eyes Yet I my self unworthy do not find To weepe before thee til mine eyes be blind Lord then vouchsafe vouchsafe I thee beseech An ear an answer to my souls sad speech O come Lord Iesus come I humbly pray Speake peace unto my soul O do not stay Bind up my wounds make whole my malady VVith the Samaratans sweet charity Into my sore powre thou the Oyle of gladness Revive my soul from sin constrained sadness O bring my soul out of this mire and mnd This sinck of sin where I too long have stood Smite off my Fetters of iniquity As thou didst Peters in captivity Stop in me all the conduits of transgression Break Satans weapons of my son's oppression Yea let my eyes be as continual Lavers To wash and clense sins ulcers stinking savours For a clean Lord I know takes delectation To have a clean heart for his habitation Give therefore grace O Lord whiles here I live That I a bil of due divorce may give Unto that harloâ— sin which too-too-long Hath by false Flattery done my soul much wrong O double treble happy were I sure If once I might put off sins rags impare Tâ—ose Menstruous cloathes wherewith I am disguised VVhereby thine Image in mee 's not agnized VVhereby in thy pure sight I am but loathed O therefore that my soul might once be cloathed VVith thy most Royal Robes of righteousness Thy seamelâ—ss spotless Coat of Holyness And therein be presented to the Sight Of my great Lord the Father of all Light And be ingrafted and incorporate Into this New-Ierusalems blest state Ino this Kingdome evermore existing Into this Kingdome all of joy consisting Where all thy Saints and Sacred Angels reign By thee their mighty Lord and soveraign Cloathed in vestures of the purest white Stil in the presence of thy sacred sight Their heads adorn'd with Crowns of purest Gold Of preecious stones rich Pearls rare to behold Thou Lord alone being the Diadem Of these thy Saints in this Ierusalem Whose only sight is their beatitude Which duresfor aye without vicissitude But Lord it may be thou maist say to me Alas poor soul wouldst thou my beauty see None ere could see the glory of my face And lives on earth such is mans mortal case Lord thus I answer and I this confess That thy coelestial glorious holiness Is so immense so infinite so rare So great so glorious gracious specious fair That no flesh living can it see and live Yet to my soul O Lord this mercy give That so it may behold thy sacred sight Let death with thousand deaths my body smite So my poore Soul may see thy Majesty Let death my breath and Life end speedily Oh then I say and ne're shal cease to say O three-sold four-sold happy sure as they Who by a pious life and blessed end By Christ heav'ns Ladder to heav'ns joyes ascend Who for the minutes of Earths Lamentation Enjoy heav'ns endless years of consolation Who from this earthly prison are set free And in heav'ns Palace live O Christ with thee Yea who being dead to sin and Earthly toyes Are there in plenitude of perfect joyes But oh most wretched miserable I Who in the Flouds of worlds mortality By huge heav'n-mounting hel descending waves By Rocks Syrths whirlpoles al which seem my graves Am stil constrain'd to sail through dangers great Which waters winds weather together threat And which is more I mosterroniously Through ignorance oft wander clean away I lose my way and then am danger'd most Not â—nowing whither my poor ship doth coast Being thus expos'd to seas all jeopardies Like Ionah when from Ninive he flies Tost to and fro even into the Maw of hel By furious hound which 'gainst me rage and swel So that my way to th' Harbour of my rest Thus being lost my soul is fore opprest But which is worst whiles thus to thee I sail I meet Sea-Monsters which do me assail Resistful Remoraes do strive to stay me And huge Leviathan gapes wide to slay me Lifes toyes and troubles Satans craft and power Nould stay my voyage and would me devour Restless redresse is thus I store about Hnd for thy heavenly my soul cryes out Wherefore Sea-calming wind controlly Lord To my perplexed soul thine aid afford For if thou wilt O Lord thou canst me cherish O therefore help or else my soul wil perish One Depth O Lord another in doth call As waves break out and on each other fall The depth of my calamity profound Doth invocate thy Mercies which abound I call and cry from many waters deep My soul from sinking Lord preserve and keep O keep me from these dangers imminent Which have my silly soul on all sides pent Let thine oustretched arm upholding grace Once bring my soul unto her resting place From floods or worldly infelicity Into the â—ven of eternity How long O Lord how long wilt thou prolong Thy wrathâ— appeale and ease me from among These dâ—death-threatning dangers O direct My way to thee my 〈◊〉 to thee erect My â—fidence re-plan in thee I pray That â—o these tempâ—sts may me not dismay That so these floods though flow may