maist goe with my Soul and eat thy temporall bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart and thy garments may be pleasant and delighting and thy head want no odoriferous ointment for our bountiful and liberall God hath given us many creatures for pleasure and delight as well as for necessity but 't is with a restraint our bodies are of Adams race we must not touch that which is forbidden thou maist use them all with an innocency not with any sinister end or to thinke to make thy selfe like a God by them or with them but thou maist lawfully use them all to praise thy God for them and with them Thus my body thou seest thou art happy with my Soule and my Soul is happy in thee and you shall be both glorious together in Heaven and now my heart can wish no greater blisse on earth but my tongue must ever say To my Great God all glory bee That gives such blessings unto me Ambition MY Lord I will not â—inely desire to pry into thy Cabinet of secrets to finde out what was the reason why thou didst cast down those sometime bright Angels in Heaven now tormenting tormented spirits in hel but I have heard that some have thought that it was for having too ambitious and too high desires My Lord Could their desires be rais'd higher then are mine for I confesse mine reach unto thy Throne Nothing will now satisfie me but to be inthron'd with thee in glory I am grown so confident too that I aver those high desires in me to be lawfull and know that for them thou wilt not cast me from thee but wilt inthrone me with thee My Lord I see 't is dangerous to doe any thing in thy service without a command or a message from thee For I see many things done by thy command blest with felicity when without punisht with misery I finde no command given them for such desires but methinkes I hear that blest Apostle of thine When returned from his heavenly rapture cals to me and tels me from thee that I must seek those things that are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God and that my life is hid in Christ with thee so that now I seeking to attaine my high desires made lawfull by thy command am not onely placed on thy Throne by thee but I am in thee and those rebellious Spirits that sought to obtain their ambitious desires without thy commands are not onely cast out of thy blessed presence but also are for ever to be tormented in eternall misery Now on thy Throne thou hast plac'st me Great God with thee No greater blisse can wished be My Lord by me I now will set me downe and rest Being so high blest MY God! I will not doe good on earth to shine with thee in glory But because I will shine with thee in glory I will doe good on earth Vpon Peters denyall SAint Peter How well had it been hadst thou spoke and kept thy word for why shouldst thou be offended at thy good Master he telling thee that himselfe should be smitten you should but be scattered Had he told you that you should be smitten and he separated from you there might have been some reason you might have been offended but when himselfe was to be smitten and for your sakes too to secure you from eternall destruction Methinks the offence was taken on the contrary side But if in thy family it was so taken thou strict Prince of perfection no wonder if it be so in families of looser libertie and full of imperfection I doe not wonder to hear thee say Thou wilt not be offended but I wonder that thou were not over-joyed to hear him telling thee that for all he should so suffer yet he would after he was risen goe before you into â—alille Methinks I should hear you filling the world â—ith songs of thanks-giving for joy of that Kingdome â—e hath promised you from his Father and for the assuâ—â—nce he gave you of his resurrection rather then hear â—ee denying such a powerfull and loving Master with â—athes My Lord Let me with him not be ashamed â—o professe thee but keep me from the shame of deâ—ying thee or if thou maist gain glory by my fall give â—e with him abundance of teares and a heart and â—ongue to confesse my fault to thee and to the world â—hat thou and they may see with him my repentance My Redemption acknowledged MY Lord Hast thou spoken it and shall it not be performed It is impossible Thou the Ruler of â—ll the world hast by thy blessed Prophet bid that â—hey which are redeemed by the Lord declare with praise how he hath redeemed them from the hand of the oppressor rather then thy word should not be fulâ—â—l'd to thy faithful friend Thou vvilt raise him children â—ut of the dust of the earth rather then this command not be performed thou vvilt raise me who am as one out of the dust to be one of them that must declare vvith praise hovv thou hast delivered me from the hands of mine enemies And though I finde it a thing now adays done but by few and so by doing it may make my self a wonder and ridiculous to the world and some other womanish reasons that might detaine me from it yet I cannot but know thou hast redeemed meâ— and I must confesse it was thou alone my great God that hast done it for it was none but the great God and Ruler of the world that could deliver me 〈◊〉 of the Lands of that great enemy of mine and of all man-kind that Prince that rules in the aire who goes about like roaring Lyon seeking each minute to devour us Oâ— of the arms and power of that fiery enemy hast thoâ— unparalel'd Conqueror delivered me else had I beeâ— led captive to his will For that great deliverance 〈◊〉 thine my Soul shall render thee continuall praise I was thou O great Prince of life and death that triumphed over death thou only canst deliver me from thâ— feare of death and make me imbrace it with a Heaveâ— of contentment It is onely thou my Lord who alonâ— dost arise to them that fear thy name with healing iâ— thy wings canst and hast cur'd me of to man uncurable diseases Thou hast cur'd me too of the plague oâ— my own heart No Conqueror did Conquer ought But o're what Death had power Thou Conqueror hast Conquer'd Death Which Conquer'd us each houre PSALME â— Thou hast compast me about with Songs of Deliverance BLessed King Well maist thou say Thou shouldst bâ— compast about with Songs of deliverance when thâ— Lord of Hosts was thy hiding place with him are nâ— Complainers in his presence is nothing but joy thosâ— that are under the protection of his pleasant wings cannot but have their hearts full of excessive joy which moves their tongues to sing songs of praises and thanksgiving to their great and powerfull protector for delivering
ELIZA'S BABES OR THE Virgins-Offering BEING Divine Poems and Meditations Written by a LADY who onely desires to advance the glory of GOD and not her own LONDON Printed by M. S. for Laurence Blaiklock and are to be sold at his Shop neer the Middle-Temple Gate 1652. TO MY SISTERS LOoke on these Babes as none of mine For they were but brought forth by me But look on them as they are Divine Proceeding from Divinity To the READER WHen first the motion came into my minde that these Babes of mine should be sent into the world I would faine have supprest that motion for divers reasons which may be imagined by them that shall read them But especially by those that knew my disposition But rising one day from my Devotions it was suggested to my consideration that those desires were not given me to be kept in private to my self but for the good of others And if any unlike a Christian shall say I wrote them for mine owne glory I like a Christian will tell them I therefore sent them abroad for such a strict union is there betwixt my deare God and mee that his glory is mine and mine is his and I will tell them too I am not asham'd of their birth for before I knew it the Prince of eternall glory had affianced mee to himselfe and that is my glory And now to all such shall I direct my speech whose brave spirits may carry them to high desires Place not your affections in your Youth beneath your selves but if you would be happy on earth and enjoy these outward blessings with free and lawfull contentment bestow your first affections on my Almighty Prince I would have you all love him and him to love you all I being his must doe as he will have mee and methinks hee directs me to tell you that you shall never bee happy on Earth nor glorious in Heaven if you doe not love him above all earthly things More I must tell you that if you will dedicate to his service and present into his hands your wealth witt spirit youth beauty he will give you wealth if lesse more usefull your witt more pure your spirit more high and transcendent and your youth and beauty which time will steale from you or some malignant disease with paine rend from you them he will lay up awhile for you and returne them againe for eternity with great advantage And that you need not doubt of the certainety of what is told you they that tell it you have found part of it true and shall the rest I cannot be content to be happy alone I wish you all blessed too nor can I smother up those great and infinite blessings that I have received from him with private thankes That Great Prince of Heaven and Earth proclaimed by Angels that he was come into the world to shew his good will and love to mee was here content to dye a publique death for me to save me from a Hell of misery in which I lay and should have layen bad not he the Prince of Peace and the fairest and chiefest among the sons of men shed his most precious and royal blood for mee and before he dyed be left word that I should not feare for it was his great and glorious Fathers will to bestow on us a Kingdome And was so great a Prince not ashamed to avow so great affection and love to mee and shall I be ashamed to returne him publique thankes for such infinite and publique favours No I will not but with all my minde heart and soule I blesse and praise my Almighty God for so great benefits bestowed on me his unworthy servant Methinks it is not enough for my self onely to doe it but I must send out my Babes to doe it with mee and for me And if any shall say others may be as thankefull as shee though they talk not so much of it Let them know that if they did rightly apprehend the infinite mercies of God to them they could not be silent And if they doe not thinke the mercies of God worth publique thankes I doe and therefore I will not be ashamed to be that one in ten that returned to acknowledge himselfe a cleansed Leaper And now my Babes some may say to you unlesse you had been more curiously drest or more finely shap'd your Mother might have kept you in obscurity Tell them I sent you to their more learned and refined wits to forme you to a more curious shape and tyre you in a more inticing dress But this I will say for you You want none of your limbs and your cloaths are of rich materials I dare not say I am loth to let you goe Go you must to praise him that gave you me And more I le say for you which few Mothers can you were obtained by vertue borne with ease and pleasure and will live to my content and felicity And so Adieu But stay Something you may truly say for your own imperfections and your Mothers excuse That some of you were borne when herself was but a child but My joy my blisse my happy Story In Heaven is writ and that 's my Glory Psalme 56. Vers 10. I Glory in the word of God To praise it I accord With joy I will declare abroad The goodness of the Lord. All you that goodness doe disdaine Goe read not here And if you doe I tell yon plaine I doe not care For why above your reach my soule is plac'st And your odd words shall not my minde distaste And when you read these lines mistake not a Divine affection for a Poeticall fancy for I affect not to express my fancy but I would have my fancy express my affection The Invocation Come Sacred Muse to mee this day And ever here make you a stay Within the closet of my brest For I with thee doe finde great rest My sweet Companion here thou art Dear Lord Let it not from me part From thee this gift I did receive To thee the same I doe bequeath Aspire aspire my minde aspire From earthly things unto the higher Set not thy minde on base desires But thinke upon the heavenly Quires Of Angels sweet that singing be And still the face of God doe see Admiring much his wisedome great And glorious sweetnesse of his seat Then hie my Soule to that sweet place Where glory is with mirth and grace The Request Come sweet Spirit expell my feare Assure me that thou hast a care Of me and of my giddy youth Assure me of it still for Truth That thy Spirit shall me direct And that thy power shall me protect Then shall my spirit be at rest And with sweet thoughts my soule be blest When that I know thou lovest me And that my youth shall guided be By that Spirit that doth dispose All for the happinesse of those The which be servants unto thee Blest be thy Name that so made mee The Answer HIs Spirit much thou dost desire
this place but pleasing bee When here such pleasures you may see And in this place you may behold The ancient Martyrs Crown'd with gold With Palms of Victory in their hand Which were giv'n them at Gods command By a bright streame like Christall pure The blessed Saints sit safe and sure In a faire Grove pleasant and sweet They with great joy each other meet And they recount their troubles past And their transcendent joyes at last The Quires of Angels still do sing Continuall praises to their King Like them let me be praising thee While here on earth thou 'lt have me bee Here let me drinke deep of that spring That flows from thee and I shall sing Sweet praises to thy holy name My tongue and hand shall speake thy same I still must end my God to thee All praise and glory given bee To my Sister S. G. HEavens bright shining star shine in thy face Thy mortall body with rare vertues grace I wish those beams may still thy soul inwrap That Satan may not thy sweet soul intrap From his malicious suares I wish thee free That thou mayst have thy soule at liberty Set not thy heart upon these fading pleasures Thou art an heire to heavens eternall treasures Their vain delights will not abide but vanish From thy pure soul in youth them quickly banish If thou delight in them they 'l breed thy paine But if thou banish them then shalt thou gaine To thy high-borne Soul immortal treasure Celestiall joy true eternall pleasure Then here on earth thy heaven thou shalt begin For pleasures vaine intice thee unto sin Vaine pleasure soon Sweet Sister doe thou fly That sin in thee may fade full soon and dye Fix thou thine eyes on that faire Sun of light Who aye inwrap thee in his beames most bright Dazle and blinde thine eyes to earthly things Ope them in Heaven where his sweet angels sings He bring thy soul to that immortall place Where like the Sun shall shine thy mortall face I know you pleas'd will be to hear of me If I am blest or happy you shall see My Soul I therefore now have sent you drest When so shee 's tyr'd she cannot but be blest My glory and my Lord have tane from me The garments of sad mourning you shall see Upon her head a Crowne of joy he'ath plac't How can she be but happy when so grac't The bright faire robe of honour shee hath on Which can be giv'n but by himselfe alone Seeing he hath drest me for his throne of glory But I must stay to act another Story Canticles 2. THe Winter is past the Summer is come I will now solace my selfe in the Vineyards of my beloved for he will guide me here by his Counsell and at length receive me to his Glory The Rapture MOst people hover here below Too neer the earth I le not doe so But I le arise and to Heaven goe I will not tarry here below This earthly state's too meane for mee I le flee where the bright Angels bee That still the face of God doe see With them my Soul can best agree 'Mong them I le set me downe and sing The praises of our glorious King By him we have our blest being We with delight his praises sing Still in this Rapture let me bide And from this pleasing blisse nev'r glide But be like to the Eagle ey'd I have just now methinks descride The glorious Sun in Heaven so bright On this transcendent throne of light It dazles now my humane sight The luste of it is so bright â— would not now with mortals be â—o tell them in what blisse are we â—et them arise and come to me â—f they would know our dignity â— let me not to earth now goe How dark and hideous it doth show They crawl like Ants methinks below Among such Creatures I 'de not goe But if to earth thou wilt have me To doe what thy will doth decree Let me descend more willingly By me thy will must acted bee But yet before I goe away Grant I beseech for what I pray Or let me here with thee still stay Take no offence at my delay Oh let thy heavenly Sun of light With me send down his beams most bright So to my soule shall be no night She being inwrapt in Heav'ns bright light The Flight ELiza for aske now not here She 's gone to heaven to meet her Peer For since her Lord on earth was dead What tarry here she 'd not she sed And to the heavens she took her flight That she might be still in his sight And so to us she bid adieu But prov'd her selfe a lover true The Life IF as men say we live not where we are But where we love I live above For what on earth or yet in heaven is there Desir'd can be T is none but thee Great God thou onely worth desiring art And none but thee then must possesse my heart My Wishes I Wish no wit to wrong my Brother I wish not wealth to wrong another I wish no beauty to enthrall I wish no worldly wish at all I wish from sin God would me bring I wish for heaven at my ending Vpon a paine at heart GOd laid his hand upon my heart To see if I would from it part I was content to let it goe I lik't it best to have it so For then no more it should be pain'd When it with him a place had gain'd But hee 'd hav 't here a few more dayes An Instrument unto his praise The Portion WHat if the world on me should frown Thou art my Crown 〈◊〉 wealth and beauty part away Thou art my stay Let others count this world a hell In it I 'me well â—o wonder if I happy be Sith I 'me in thee For why in thee all blisse doth dwell Then here to me can be no hell The Friday before Easter WHy should I now lament moan The blessed seed to day was sown Shall never in the earth decay But rise in triumph the third day On Easter day A Rise and see why dost thou sleep The bed of earth could not him keep The Sun is risse that made the day â—n grave thou needs fear no decay Those glorious beams hath made the earth A place to give thee a new birth From Mothers wombe thou cam'st to be A Creature of Mortality From wombe of earth thou rais'd shalt bee A creature like the Deity When thou art pleas'd that I shall dye I am content in earth to lye There shall I safely lye and rest Till thou wilt raise me with the blest Though I could wish that it might bee As were my childish thoughts in mee That like Elias I might rise On Cherubs wings in Chariot wise To thy bright heaven where I might bee There cloath'd with immortality Those thoughts were childish t is confest In grave I must be for heaven drest The earth a while my body must retaine Though as a King my Soul
deserts consider My judgement thus I must deliver Into the pit and dungeon deep Where Satan is adjudg'd to keep Where fire and brimstone raging be Where pain abides perpetually Into this place of misery There should I goe when that I dye Go leave thy thoughts thy own thoughts leave And from thy God answer receive From that fierce place of misery Thee for to save the Lord did die And though no sin he did commit He of his goodnesse thought it fit To take thy sins and quit them all And bid thee then no more to fall And tells thee thou needs not to fear For why of thee he takes the care And that on earth while thou dost live For tendance on thee he will give His Angels charge thee to protect And be the guard of his Elect His mercy is the onely reason We are secur'd from Satans Treason Felicity I Am my Gods and he doth let me see In him a true and sweet felicity Those springs of joy that rise still fresh in me Proceed my dear sweet heavenly Prince from thee On sudden Death IF thou in hast shalt send for me Great God to live in Heaven with thee Though to some minds it sodain be It is not sodain unto me Heaven LOrd thou dost bring a heaven with thee Then where I am a heaven must be For thou art ever Lord with mee The Giver engaged to the Receiver THou saist thou art ingag'd to me For what I give when I 'm to thee Thou dost accept a gift that 's poor For it I have ten thousand more The Sun Beames THy blessings like the Sunbeams bee Reaching from heaven to earth on me Like a rich Canopy they show Spreading from Heaven doth round me flow 'T is not abundance rich makes me But a sufficiency from thee To my Brother ELiza saies when as she dies Shee 'l banish tears from all your eyes Unlesse for envy you will weep That you could not her blest soul keep From her eternall blisse and joy To live with yours in earths annoy When you have brought me to my grave Then tell the world t is what I 'de have Yee need not say you left me dead But say I am laid in my bed Where I shall safely lye and sleep For heavens great Emperor doth me keep 'Mong Kings and Princes that attend Till to our glory we ascend What I Love GIve me a Soule give me a Spirit That flyes from earth heaven to inheritâ— But those that grovell here below What! I love them I 'le not do so The onely bound MY boundlesse spirits bounded be in thee For bounded by no other can they be The Christians happinesse GOds high Spirit shall thee direct His Angels shall thee still protect They shal thee guard while thou dost sleep They from all evill shall thee keep So thou no evill needs to fear Because of thee God takes the care The Retribution â—F thou art pleas'd to have my heart â— Accept it Lord from me â—ith thou dost chuse it for thy part â— give it none but thee Mine eyes to thee I doe present Accept them now of me For thou unto me hast them lent They doe belong to thee Thus heart and eyes and all are thine That doe belong to me Before I knew that they were mine They were all made by thee Gods Commands easie MY Lord how easie is thy will Do as I would be done unto Thy holy Law I then fulfill And give the Lord his praises due Why should I to another doe What I would not have done to me All praises to thee Lord is due For all we have proceeds from thee Praise GLory to my gracious Lord Who to my wishes doth accord While here I live I must thee praise For as in Heaven I spend my dayes For nought doth here my soul annoy But I possesse a Heaven of Joy And when from this blisse thou'le take me In glorious Heaven my soul shall be The Companion WHo doth an heavenly Muse injoy Regards not this vain worlds annoy Nor can they ever be alone Heavens Muse is there Companion Vpon the losse of my Brother WHen losse of ought would thee torment Cry 't is thy will Lord I 'me content My love must not divided be 'Twixt Earth and Heaven thou 'lt have me see My brother from me thou hast tane But yet content I must remaine A Brother and a friend was he But much more thou wilt be to me When thoughts of absence moves a tear Thy will is that I should forbear He went not but by thy decree And I must not displeased be On the Sun AT height of noon it cannot be That I can fix mine eyes on thee â—ut when at setting I am bold With setled eyes thee too behold â— onverter of Atheistick thought â—hou wert to me when as I sought â— remedy against that sin Which I too deep was falling in Some one above thee must make thee Thou govern'd by a God must be Being told she was proud MY body it must surely dye Off to be proud then what have I. Yet proud if they will have me be My high-borne soule it is of thee But Lord my Soul is none of mine Shall I be proud of what is thine As being thine from pride I 'me free It is enough I 'me freed by thee My pleasing Life SWeet quiet sweet obscurity Here in this life best pleaseth me Till from earth's thrall I shall be free To live in glorious blisse with thee When from earths tumults I am free To contemplate great God on thee A heaven of blisse in thee I see How can this life but pleasing be Nothing of thee merit I can But yet when free from thrall of man I can thee serve with heart more free Then from that thraldome still keep me To a Lady unfaithfull Madam THe Prince of heaven being in love with you Did to his glorious Kingdom bid Adieu The heaven he was awhile content to leave To see if you would his chast love receive You did belong to him when he you sent Into the world but you from him soon went And his chast love so pleasing and so sweet You left your wanton Paramour to meet With his unlawfull love you pleas'd your selfe Fye Madam leave him he is but an Elf. See what your dear sweet Prince hath done for you 'T is very strange but yet t is very true When he did see you wantonize with them Who were professed enemies to him He then with his fierce enemy did fight To reingain you as his ancient right He lost his royal bloud to purchase you How can you then but to this Prince prove true Can you a Coward love and stain your name By being false unto this Prince of fame Your wanton lovers actions hate the light And you 'r asham'd to act them in our sight Then here I le tell you if you know not it All your actions and vain thoughts unfit Your true and lawfull Lord doth straight espie
thought there was no God then thy God manifested himself to thee when he would have had thee taken pleasure in the vaine delights of this wicked world then thy dear father having a watchfull eye and a carefull minde over thee sent a heavy dulnes into all the powers of thy soul body inforcing thee as it were to leave those earthly vanishes because neither soul nor body could take delight in those things which others call pleasures by reason of thy exceeding heavy dulness Then dost thou my soul think that a most severe punishment on thee from thy father when thou sawest others injoy the blessings of thy God with great contentment Then in the height of this distemper wert thou my soul almost brought to the pit of despair When as the enemy pictur'd before the eyes of thy soul the sad appearance of the anger of thy God and still he â—ersisting in his pernicious temptations bid thee leave â—is service telling thee it was to no purpose to be so â—arefull to serve him for thy prayers were not heard â—hy tears not regarded thy heaviness not removed and â—f Gods word be true he hears all that cals upon him â—nd removeth from them their griefs Thus subtly â—elt my enemy with me thinking to have in wrapt me in his hidden nets of most pernicious tempâ—ations First making me to think my God was angry then that he heard not my prayers and that his word was false thus by consequence faine would he have made me to have doubted of thy being O my eternall and ever-being Father By these snares would he have bereft me of the hope I had in thy word by which I was brought to know thee Thy creatures teach us I acknowledge O Lord to know that there is a God but they cannot teach us to know how to come to this God or how to finde comfort in thee our God 't is onely thy word can declare to us what thou art and thy spirit it is that must assure us that this word is thine It was thy selfe O Lord who art able to performe what thou hast decreed that hast brought this flinty heart of mine to the knowledge of thee My Lord I must â—eeds confess thy powerfull working in framing this heart of mine to the belief of thy word and thee for before thy spirit mollified this heart of mine thy word was to it like water gliding over the hardest marble no whit entring or piercing the same My gracious Lord thy divine Majesty in all the changes and chances of my life hath had a most peculiar care of me for now hast thou taught me to know that those temptations and those perplexities in which my soul was in have been all disposed for the good and happiness of my Soul Now thou makest me to know that thy word is true and that our grief doth work for our good for though our temptations be never so great thou canst and wilt deliver thy children It was thy Majesty that kept me from doubting of thy being it was thy fatherly goodnes that stupified the powers of my Soul and Body with that heavy dulness not because thou wouldest punish me for my sins no! thou didst teach me to know that my gracious Saviour had already indur'd the punishment that my sins deserv'd My Lord thy Majesty did not lay that dejection on me proceeding from thy justice but thy mercy For my God! I must confess to thee that which thou then didst know for then I did love the world more then I loved thee and because thou wouldst have me love the pleasure that should never end thou madst me to take no pleasure in these delights which never end but in sorrow That heaviness was then a bitter pill to purge my Soul from the grosse humours of earthly love that afterwards she may be made more fit and apt to receive the sweet blisse of thine everlasting love This thy love to me kept me from falling into the miserable pit of despaire thy loving kindnesse it was that moved thee to let that word of comfort with which thou sustainest thy servant St. Paul sound ever in my ears That thy grace should be sufficient for me without which grace of thine I not having sufficient strength of my self should have fallen into the gulf of everlasting misery Thy love likewise kept meÌ„ constant to thee and thy service kept me from doing or saying that in my dispairing thoughts that had not been fit for thy servant to doe or utter Thy unwearied love and great wisdome it was that sent those tryals and temptations to me in my youth that thou mightest sanctifie my youth to thy service and make me carelesse of those pleasures that my young years were too much addicted to For if thy Majesty had suffered me to have run on to have taken pleasure in those vanities till I had been inwrapt in them and had set my whole delight in those vanishing pleasures Then had it been more hard and grievous to me to have left them But thou O my Lord didst deal more graciously with me for before I knew what pleasures meant thou took'st from me the â—ove of pleasure for which great mercy of thine I render thee most hearty thanks My Lord When I consider of these thine infinite mercies I cannot chuse but admire thy goodness and admiring say unto thy heavenly Majesty O Lord what am I that thou shouldest have such a peculiar care of me I am not worthy to be in thy thoughts much more unworthy to be belov'd of thee yet it doth evidently appear that thou dost love me in that thou takest off from me the love of the world for my Lord-unless thou lovest me thou wouldest not have cared for my love and I know that it was in love that thou weaâ—nedst me from the world because that I should love thee alone and not the world The Angels Joy YOu blessed Angels by my Father are we honoured to have you for our attendance Sure your lovely faces could not but look sad when my Saviour suffered for methinks it was a sad fight to behold your loving Lord hang tormented on a cursed tree and for those too whose sins caused his torment and then for you to hear him cry out in the bitterness of his Soul My God my God Why hast thou forsaken mee Methinks it should have so incens'd your wrath against us poor mortall creatures that you should have petitioned to your All-powerfull Lord that all humane flesh should have suffered endlesse torment seeing they had so justly deserved it rather then your righteous Lord should have dyed But whether my Soul in the deep consideration of the undeserved suffering of thy righteous Saviour dost thou run Shall the Angels which are our attendants be grieved at our happinesse My Soul wrong not those blessed spirits with such vain thoughts for God was not pleased nor his wrath appeased towards us till that time Oh sad time yet pleasant time the
His Spirit much he will inspire What thou desirest that shall be Thou hast thy wishes granted thee With thee needs must I wish to live That mak'st me wish what thou wilt give Lord harden thou my heart as hard as steel And loves vaine passion let me never feel Onely in Heaven my soul shall seek her rest In Heaven perpetually to be blest On Earth a while I must tormented be Because that sin too much abides in me It is the injoying of thy Spirit That makes my soule here true joy inherit And here to shew me that thou hat'st my sin Thy Spirit like the Sun-beams is drawn in Then doth my Soul full wo and sad remaine Till that sweet spirit doth appeare againe Then when thy Spirit againe reigns in me Then comes my joy away my paine doth flee For when thy Spirit my Soul doth injoy Nothing can then my happy Soul annoy For why No cause of sorrow I can see Because beyond my selfe it raiseth me Anguish FRom this distraction Lord my poor soul bring That still thy heavenly prayses I may sing For this distemper doth my soul affright My Lord it takes from me all my delight And pleasure that I had in serving thee This trouble great vaine folly brings to me If from thy holy service I be tane No comfort can I find but endlesse paine For what can yeeld our Souls here true content If to serve thee we are not wholly bent For here I see vaine pleasures quickly fly And that which I did love must surely dye But in thy service if I pleasure take And thy sweet word my whole delight do make That word doth still my drooping soul assure That for the best it shall be all to me If patiently I doe awaite on thee Of Submission WHat comes to me Lord comes from thee Nought comes to me but comes from thee What though against my will it be If thou it fitting seest for me Let be and Master thou my will That I thy servant may fulfill Thy holy will and thee obey Make me obedient be I pray If I obey thy Majesty I need not fear although I dye Hope WHat though my morning be debard of light For me thou shalt break forth a noon most bright The onely Comforter WHat in this world doe I deerer esteem Or greater in my minde here still do deem Then that Spirit which floweth still from thee Which makes my soule in happy blisse to be For nothing in this world here can me please Nor yet my Soule from paine and grief can ease But thy sweet spirit which abides for aye For these vaine worldly things doe fade away My soul immortall did proceed from thee And pleas'd with mortall things she cannot bee You earthly pleasures I can use you all But treasures of my soule I le not you call Goe flee vaine pleasures for sure all must grant Nought can us please but what is permanent In thee my Lord my soul alone is blest In thee alone I doe attaine sweet rest The Soules Flight WHither away my Soule do'st high That thou so fain from me would'st fly Sure it is to some holy place That thou thy selfe there may'st solace Thou wilt not here abide with me But goe to God there to be free To him thou liv'st to him thou flyest That is the reason that thou highest And here I wish thee not to stay I wish to Heaven thou mighst away From Prison oft I wish thee free That thou mayst be at liberty The Virgins Offring WIth thee blest Virgin I would bring An Offering to please my King Two Turtle Doves thou didst present Can there be better by me sent A Lambe more pure then they could be I heard was thither brought by thee These two small Turtles now of mine To him I do present with thine The Lambe will serve for thee and mee No better offering can there be Thus with thee Virgin doe I bring An offering will please my King To my Doves YOur life I ment not till my death Might give you freedome with my breath And when I breath'd in Heavens Aire free I did intend your libertie But offer'd now you sure must be A Sacrifice of thanks from mee When we are dead we cannot give Our offerings must be while we live Two Doves no Phenix you must be I must see that live comes from me You as an offering goe from me But on your wings my heart must be My heart now free from all desire But what is kindled by heavens fire To him I doe present as free As ever he did give it me I on your wings would sore aloft And still live free from humane thought Accept great God what I present Thy glory is my Souls intent Goe now my Doves and soar aloft The drooping heart raise you full oft To such a heigth bear it away That it may see celestiall day And never lett it on earth rest But leave it in Heavens glorious brest The Triumph SIth thou from thrall hast sett me free I will sing prayses unto thee Thou hast brought me from Temptation And fild me with contemplation Of thy heavenly habitation In which lives a glorious Nation Which triumphantly doe sing Praise and glory to their King No darknesse nor no dolefull night Obscures their Vision of delight No noise doth interrupt their voice They doe incessantly rejoyce Mayst thou my Soule now be so bold That glorious place for to behold And say how that faire Cities blest In which the righteous shall have rest The wals are rais'd of Gems more bright Then are the Diamonds here in sight The Saphire Diamond Ruby fine Their beauty in each one combine The other Gems their lustre bright With them doe give so fine a light That like the Rainbow it doth show But far more bright you 'l think I know Most glorious things are said of thee Thou City where the mighties bee The streets are of the purest mold Exceeding farr the brightest gold And from Gods glorious Throne doth spring A River that sweet pleasures bring Adorn'd with many a goodly tree Which fresh and flourishing ever bee They doe not onely please the eye But heal the wounds would make us dye Nor fruitlesse doe their trees appear But pleasant fruit yeeld all the year I doe not wonder fruit so rife Upon these goodly Trees of life No change doth in this place appeare No scorching heat nor cold is here This heav'n the bright Lamb his wife gives And she in this place alwayes lives She is more lovely then the Rose Fresh faire and beauteous and still goes In long white Robes so pure and clear Like Orient Pearl she doth appear And on her head a Crowne more bright Then is the Sun here in our sight The pure white Lilly at her feet And pleasant Rose there strive to meet For all their beauty and their grace Is from reflexion of her face These lovely flowers doe never fade But for eternity were made How can
in heaven doth reign The Pavillion ON thy fair wings most sacred Dove Let me be rais'd with thee on high Unto the heavenly God of Love Where I shal rest me quietly No ill shall there my Dove affright I 'le bid all feare on earth adieu For I am now at such a height As cannot reached be by you In this Pavillion I shall sing Though I may see you fly at me I am assur'd by his bright wing He will not let me wounded bee The Submission MY soul to Heaven would hast fly And there make suit that I may die Because from heaven she is detain'd Lives in a body sometimes pain'd And in her glory cannot be So long as here she stayes in me But that thy will shee doth respect And looks to what thou hast elect And will contented be to stay That here thy will she might obey The wisheth rather to please thee Then in her glory for to bee The Change VAine world when as I loved thee Dire sadnesse still possessed me But since I lernt to dispise thee Sweet joys and gladnesse filleth me The Choice HEavenly treasure In some measure Hast thou here unto me sent Yet I would dye And to heav'n fly To possesse a full content My soul 's sweet joy Nought doth annoy But my body 's sometimes pain'd I cannot bee From all ill free Till bright heaven I have obtain'd Here the story Of thy glory Is that which doth me delight But sure more joy With no annoy Must be in thy Palace bright With speed thy will Let me fulfill And take me to thy heavenly light The Rest FRom Heaven still flows such sweet Celestiall joy That this earths troubles shall not me annoy For I above them shall set safe and free And underneath me shall them gliding see The morning Star BRight morning star of heavenly light Rise to my Soul and banish night And with thy fair bright beams expell Those clouds that make this world like hell And with thy sweet attractive power Raise thou me to thy blissefull bower Where being rais'd let me aye rest Fixt in the Region of thy brest Where like a bright star I shall shine I being array'd in rayes of thine And to the darkesome world shine bright I living in thy glorious light The worlds farewell NOw to the world I bid adieu I 'me hasting better things to view To Heavens faire Palace shining bright It may be I may fly to night And 'mong bright Angels spend my time To hear and see but what 's Divine And with an Orient light be clad And live like to the Angels glad For what makes me so joyfull here Cause in thy robes I shall appear Lye thou my body in theeath Till thou shalt gain a better birth From earth thou cam'st spotted with sin And thither so return'st agen When thou art purified then I Shall take thee and thou shalt not dye And when the Trumpet thou dost hear Thou in thy glory shalt appear A King doth come to bring that lort Which he himselfe for thee hath got A Kingdom 't is of joy and glory And now I end my earthly story The Swans FAire Swans you now beyond me go In pleasant Robes like pure white snow But I ere long shall be more bright In faire eternall robes of light Your fair robes fall and fade away But my bright robes shall nev'r decay You sing they say before you dye But when I 'me dead then sing shall I. To a friend at Court REtired here content I live My own thoughts to me pleasure give While thine owne actions anger thee Sweet quiet thoughts contenteth me This blessing sweet retirednesse brings We envy none but pity Kings Christs Kingdome With you blest Angels I must sing That brought the news of heav'ns great King That from bright Heaven awhile did part To raise his Kingdome with my heart Before he came there was great strife To lead me to a hellish life But like an humble Babe cam'st thou Yet made those mighty powers to bow Thou didst regain me for thy right For I at first sprang from thy light Satan aside a while drew me But could not keep me Lord from thee When thou hast cast off that foule fin Thy Kingdome in me didst begin And here thou wilt still reign in me Till I shall come and reigne with thee At thy approach black shades did vanish And from my heart thou feare didst banish And in their room did light appear And joy instead of dreadly feare Sweet joy and peace thou didst bring me How can I chuse but sing to thee To my great God all glory be Thou plac'st his Kingdome here in me Vaine thoughts banisht A Dieu vain thoughtt Adieu Adieu My Soule no more delights in you You 'r no companion for my spirit I must a heaven of blisse inherit Your darknesse dims my souls cleare fight And you debar me of heavens light When free from you I heaven can view Vain thoughts I now will banish you My intention GO vaine invention get you hence With me make not your residence Court not my Muse with fine invention To praise my God t is my intention Lord let no line be writ by me That excludes or includes not thee Earths honour slighted OF Earthly honour tell not me The vanity of it I see T is like a flower that soon doth rise If ruffly struck it falls and dies But that bright honour which I prise Sweetly springs up and never dies And 's like the Sun whose pleasing ray Doth banish night and bring the day His pleasant sweet attractive light Raiseth me to a heavenly hight With this fair honour being drest I 'me free from fear and live in rest 'T is heavenly honour I esteem All earthly honour vain I deem The one is made to fall and dye I love what bides eternally Luke 20.36 In that world they shall be equall to the Angels HEre like the Angels let me be And as those blessed spirits free From vaine engagements let me bide And as they with thee still reside Like them I 'me made by my new birth But I 'me still wrapt in robes of earth Through a darke mantle I thee see But oh that I unwrapt may be This blessing now on earth me give That like thine Angels I might live So shall my soul such sweet joys find That earthly things I shall not minde Vpon the morning rise NOw welcome sweet and pleasant Morn Doe you not thinke that I you scorn Cause with a more Orientall light Imbellisht is my blest spirit With thanks I still you entertaine For by your light my eye-sight gain But you are darknesse to that light That is discride by my souls sights Vpon hearing the Birds sing SWeet Birds with you I le set and sing Due praises to our heavenly King Like you me thinks I am as free So made great divine Prince by thee My Robes I Will not now to thee Lord come As I from Adam came But
I will come as in thy Son His Robys shall hide my shame He is my Spouse and my lov'd Lord In him thou lovest me I to thy will would still accord And with him still agree In his bright Robes I will present My selfe to thee and say To doe thy will is my intent In him I thee obey Thou canst not now Lord me reject Thou must me perfect see His beauty doth on me reflect I 'me beautifull to thee The Dart. SHoot from above Thou God of Love And with heav'ns dart Wound my blest heart Descend sweet life And end this strife Earth would me stay But I 'le away I 'le dye for love Of thee above Then should I bee Made one with thee And let be sed Eliza's dead And of love dy'd That love defi'd By a bright beam shot from above She did ascend to her great Love And was content of love to dye Shot with a dart of Heavens bright eye Of Poetry POets they say are always poor But t is not they are at thy door They cannot chuse but wealthy be For why Rich poems flow from thee T is they that clime the hill is none of thine But goe for aid unto the Muses Nine No wonder though such fools are poor That goe for Alms to a wrong door They seek to them to get their wealth Who have too little for their selfe To the King writ 1644. TO thee Great Monarch of this Isle I send my Babes pray make them smile For yet methinks t is in thy power To make them smile or let them lower They 'r children to that Prince of might Who is the Prince of peace behight Do not with war my Babes affright In smiling peace is their delight My Prince by yeelding won the field Be not too rigid dear King yeeld Examples that are great and high I hope you 'l follow fix your eye On my great prince that is your King He left a Heaven you peace to bring A Kingdome I 'de not have you leave But rather three reform'd receive All blisse and peace I wish to you Let us in peace your presence view To the Queen of Bohemiah LOng since it was by me defir'd To see that Queen so much admir'd But well I knew t' was not for mee Great Princesses to goe to see But thraldomes key did let me out And trouble brought my wish about By thraldome then I freedome gain'd By trouble my desire obtain'd I then did see her so admir'd And thy rich graces Lord inspir'd A minde so great and bravely beare What in the most breeds care and feare A spirit high so humble bee To deigne her sweet regards to me Her I admire and for her pray On earth she may live many a day And when this earth she shall forsake That into heaven thou wouldst her take Where on a Throne she may be Crown'd And with bright Angels compast round The Lover COme let us now to each discover Who is our friend and who our Lover What art thou now asham'd of thine I tell thee true I me not of mine And you will say when you him see That none but he defir'd can bee He is the onely pleasing wight Whose presence can content my sight For He 's the purest red and white In whom my soule takes her delight He to the flowrs heir beauty gives In him the Rose and Lilly lives His pleasant haire with feemly grace Hangs by his faire sweet lovely face And from his pleasing eyes do dart Their arrows which do pierce my heart These beauties all are richly grac'st For on his head a crown is plac'st Of glory which doth shine so bright As mortall eye can see this light This lovely Lord's the Prince of Peace In him my joyes will still increase For he 's the true and constant friend Whose love begun will never end From Heaven he came with me to dwell And sav'd my soul from direfull hell 'T is he alone my heart doth gaine That keeps me from eternall pain While here I live here he will bee Death cannot separate him from me And when I dye he will me place Where I shall ever see his face Into his glory hee 'l take mee This doe I know this shall you see And now you know my loved friend My loves begun it will not end The renowned King LAdies if beauty you desire Or to high fortunes doe aspire Come now with me I have descride A Prince that to all can you guide He is a King of great renown And on your head can place a Crowne And with immortall beauty blesse Can you wish more yet wish no lesse If you desire this Prince to see Then leave the world and goe with me To true Elisian fields I 'le guide You where I this great Prince espi'd The holy leaves of Sacred writ Are those Elisians there let 's gett Where with joy we shall him finde This glorious Prince will please your minde He 's like the Rose in Sharon fields Pleasant to sight and sweetnesse yeelds With sweet and faire from his bright face The Lilly and the Rose gets grace With serious thoughts now him behold If you him love you may be bold And in his presence ever bee His beauty will reflect on thee If thou get beauty from his face He will you take from your mean place And on his Throne he will set thee Where with his Crown thou crown'd shalt bee That beauty still with thee will stay Time will not carry it away That Crowne shall no man take from thee But thou shalt wear 't eternally To my Sister S. S. SWeet Sister Let us in Heaven greet Since here on earth we cannot meet Hard by that stream of Christall pure To meet thee there I will be sure That streame which from this Throne doth rise Whose waters pure cure our ill eyes Then let us sit us downe and rest No enemies shall us there molest Le ts leave our bodies here as dead When thus our Soules to heaven are fled Where we possesse a ravisht joy When as the world lies in annoy Let 's take those waters now and drink 'T will make us then no more to think Of these base follies here below Dear Sister let us both doe so Then let us set us down and tell By whom we were redeem'd from hell T' was he that sits on you bright Throne Wrought our redemption all alone Who would not now their soules prize high For whom so great a Prince did die Come let us up those streams and see Where those bright glories sitting bee There Three in One conjoyn'd we see And yet each Person differing be There sets our powerfull God alone Upon his glorious heavenly Throne At his right hand sits his dear Son Oh! Who would think he 'd let him come From that bright Throne to suffer here And for our sakes vile to appear Ten thousand thousand Angels bee Tending about his Throne you see They sing the praises of that King Oh hear
how rare and sweet they sing My senses now are ravisht quite My Soule is fill'd with such delight That if I now my choice might have They should my body lay in grave And say That I did chuse to dye And let my body on earth lye Till it most glorious should bee Like to Those Angels that we see The holy Spirit there doth bide For in the Son they all reside No bodily presence doth appear But of that God that sufferd here These glories cannot limned bee By my frail pencell well I see Now let us down those banks like green Rich Velvet whereupon are seen Bright orient Pearl and Rubies fair Strow'd on the velvet here and there Bright Diamonds scattered there doe lye Look there springs up the violet by As if a pride that sweet flower took Her face in that bright Gem to look The pure white Violet doth delight To hang upon that Ruby bright The sweet Carnation Pink that growes By that rich Pearl howe fine it show's Now let us on these sweet bancks rest Methinks we are divinely blest Look by those christall streams there grows The Lilly fair and lovely Rose How in the waters they doe show Brighter then they do where they grow A Lustre fine those waters give Into those plants that by them live Come let us now goe walk and see Like whom we shall hereafter be See there Elias doth appear Like to the Angels that are here did forget we shall in light Be like his glorious body bright But hark Methinks I hear one say Thou must from Heaven to Earth away You must your children goe and teach How they this blessed place may reach â—will be a pleasant sight to see Their faces like those Angels bee The which ere while we did behold In Robes more bright then is the gold The which on earth we think so fine When we in those base mettals shine But yet before you goe away â—ere me a little what I say â—f crosse you find things goe below On earth a while it must be so â—et it not trouble your blest mind â—n Heaven you shall no crossness find â—f any aske you how I fare Then tell them sure I 'me free from care For I 'me in heaven you left me there The Vision WHy from celestiall bliss did you Draw me these meaner things to view Through those faire gates of pearl get I And that most pleasant wall past by Up that pure river strait I went That from the throne takes his ascent Then to the glorious throne I got Where I did see O God what not For whatsoever doth excell In thee doth in perfection dwell That glorious Lustre and bright ray Made me forget my mortall day Me thought that fine Orientall light Made me like it appear as bright From these sweet joyes why draw you me My self in meaner Robes to see For since I us'd to heaven to go All things on earth do sordid show The Heart TWo hearts in one breast can there not remain The one heart puts the other heart to pain My heart I will still keep take thou thine own My heart is happy when disturb'd by none Without a heart I know you cannot live Therefore your own I freely to you give Mine is in Heaven and will admit no change To leave my rest in heaven on earth to range I 'de have it written in my happy story None had my heart but heav'ns great prince of glory My youths affection to him I did send None can have any but what he will lend From mortall thraldome deare Prince keep thou me So though on earth I as in heaven shall bee The Bride â—Ith you me ask Why borne was I I 'le tell you t was to heaven to fly â—â—t here to live a slavish life 〈◊〉 being to the world a wife â—hen I was born I was set free â—om mortals thraldom here to bee â—r that great Prince prepar'd a bride â—â—at for my love on earth here dy'd â—â—y not I then earths thraldom scorn â—th for heavens Prince I here was born â—â—match't in heaven I we are a Crown â—t earthly thraldome puls me downe On the day dedicated to the God of Heaven â—Ord if this day belongs to thee No part of it pertains to mee â—hen sith this Day is wholly thine â—et thoughts and actions be divine â—et my soule be divinely clad â—nd let me be like Angels glad â—ith Angels food this day feed mee â—nd let heav'ns Nectar my drink bee â—nd to compleat my hearts desire â—nd downe a beam of heav'ns bright sire 〈◊〉 it let me that pure path see â—hat leads to glorious bliss and thee The Defiance COme now tumultuous flouds and show Your spite by tumults you shall know Eliza's plac'st above your reach Upon her soul you make no breach Unto the world you do let see You 'd have her loose but gain shall shee What you can get she doth not mind Her treasure lies not in your wind When my Brother was sick IF that my Brother thou wilt take from me Lord with thy will make me contented be But if it be thy blessed will my Lord To my request to bend and to accord And if no harm to him that it might bee In this request then gracious God hear me And grant that well and long he here may live And honor thee and glory to thee give And be an instrument here of thy praise And in thy service spend and end his daies But if in his young years my Lord thou please From paine and grief to take him unto ease And if thou fitter dost my Brother see With thee to raign in glory then to be Here subject to a world of slavish fears For in this mortall world we must have cares Onely in heaven we shall sweet freedom gain In heaven there is no fear no care nor pain Then to thy holy will my gracious Lord Make me thy servant ever to accord And if to Heaven thou wilt my Brother take â— pray thee teach my soul for to forsake â—ain earthly thoughts and flee from earth to thee â—o with my Brothers soul my soul shall bee My wishes are those beams may ravish thee That wrapt me now in sweet felicity The Guard YOu blessed Angels that still live And tendance on us mortals give From my most dear Lord you are sent To tend on me for the intent From harm and danger me to keep You are my guard while I do sleep â— do not grudge for to confesse Nay my poor soul can say no lesse â— am unworthy of that favour Granted to me from my Father That you on me should tendance give Yee which in glory still do live â— have offended him each hour And done the ill lay in my power Then you that still obedient be Oh! why should you attend on me This is a mystery full deep You being righteous sinners keep My God I pray thee make me know Why those blest Angels should do so For should I my
not â— have enough God is my lot â— would hear God now praised bee For his great blessings giv'n to me You 'ave bils of thanks oft sent to you For earthly blessings and they 'r due Shall not then heavenly blessings be More priz'd then earth they shall by mee This Bill of thanks to you I send What though it be not rarely penn'd 'T is the intention of my heart That I in it to you impart It is not onely sent to thee But Preachers all praise God for me I with a Trumpet could proclaime Praises to the God of fame For teaching me to know his name All people for me doe the same Being in paine LOrd if my sin produce my paine Pray let me never sin againe For pain is grievous unto me And sin is hatefull unto thee Let me not do what troubleth thee And thou 'lt not send what grieve shall me But if my patience Lord thou tryest If I will bear what thou applyest To cure the malady of sin Cease not my pain but send't again For pain I rather would endure Then grieve thine eyes of light so pure That our most secret thoughts doe spie And wanton glances of the eye For which thou sendest punishments Or else corrects with sapience Being taken with a sudden pain on the Day appointed for God's publick Service LEt not this pain Lord deter me From publick offering praise to thee Though private prayers may pleasing bee From others and as well from me But publick blessings thou giv'st me And publick praise I 'de offer thee Thou teâ—st me if I will confess Thee before men thou'lt do no lesse For me before thine Angels bright And thy great Father in his light In private I may serve thee here But that to men doth not appeare I then in publick will serve thee Whiles here thou givest me liberty And not depend on charity To think I doe belong to thee The Antidote THis Antidote will cure your fear The God of heaven for you takes care They cannot fear that live above Their fear is cured by their love My Satisfaction I Am content with this earths fate Cause I am borne for higher state Sweet quiet here I wish no more I 'de have my glory kept in store Yet I have on those Robes of glory Of which I oft have read the story That pure refined souls doe wear Living in regions free from care For with the eye of faith I see My selfe sweet Prince as I 'me in thee And with thee I doe live above Because we live where we doe lowe But Oh my God! when shall it be that the dark Lanthorne of Faith shall be swallowed up in the bright mantle of sweet fruition Being called a Stoick NOt as a Stoick I 'me exempt from care But as a Christian I would all things beare Nor that I blinded am and nothing see No I see all but take all patiently Gods Prerogative LOrd shall I grudge at thy just will Or shall I question thy great skill And think the world thou dost not rule As thou art wont peace silly fool Without his rule it cannot stand All things are done at his command Doe not then grudge at what he doth Nor in thy heart have any ruth ' Gainst them who now do rule the Land They have no power but from his hand The earth is his and he plucks down Who him displease and gives the Crowne To others if they him obey They shall still rule if not then they Shall be destroyed with his frown And to their foes hee 'l give their Crown Then let me Lord my selfe submit To what thy wisdom seeth fit Sith no authority can be But what appointed is by thee My Mansion Liza for doe you not care She lives in heaven free from earths feare â—er ' bidings in those regions be â—er converse with the Deity Mans unkindnesse my Benefit LOrd what a courtesie doth man to me When he 's unkind he drives me straight to thee Where I my deer sweet Prince do ever finde Carefull for me contenting pleasing kinde Then let them be as liketh them to me â—Ile not complain sith I can come to thee Who art my joy my love my crown my peace In whom my joys abound and still increase My Second Part. I Did withdraw me from the stage Of this vain world in my best age Thinking for heaven thou hadst be drest So I retired for my rest But thou a Prophet hadst me made Unto my selfe when I had said Another part I here must play Before I went from hence away A wife thou choo'st out for my part Which I misliked in my heart And thought wedded to none to bee Great Prince of Heaven and earth but thee But thou that hadst ordain'd that part Foundst out a means to turne my heart Because my Lord thou 'lt have me see We happy in that life may be But then on thee we must depend For thou alone that blisse canst send For should our Husbands love fixt be Upon some others not on thee Heavens Prince will never thee forsake But still his darling will thee make And should hee of thee carelesse bee Heavens Prince he will more carefull bee He from the earth wil raise thy heart That thou content maist act that part The Resurrection WHy should I be afraid to dye Or let my body in earth lye In that safe bed I 'me laid to sleep When others in their closets weep It is to me a quiet night And next day brings the wished light That makes for me eternall day My body there feels no decay And when I waken I shall finde All things well pleasing to my minde Youth beauty spirit now present Themselves for that days Ornament With Robes more bright then are the beams That from her pleasing Sun here streams Decay they say they never will For they were made with exact skill To adorne the bodies that ascend And on the Deity attend Now shall I see my Princely peer That I on earth did hold so deer And with him still converse shall I Who would not now let their soul fly Seing there 's no fear of decay Fools that think death a dismall day Fearfull Vncertainty OH you that know not when you dye Whither your Souls to heaven shall fly Or wander in the dismall shade No wonder though you be afraid Would you not wear black hellish weeds Avoid then wicked sinfull deeds Do actions that are just and right If you would live in heavenly light Do you think peace you can enjoy That others with your deeds annoy No! what you unto others doe Assure your selves shall fall on you And if good councell now you slight Look in Hells mouth and be affright Avoid betimes that hellish fume Which all your pleasures will consume To Generall Cromwell THe Sword of God doth ever well I' th hand of vertue O Cromwel But why doe I complain of thee ' Cause thou' rt the rod that scourgeth mee But if a good child I
time of thy most gracious dying Sad in respect of thy torments O blessed Saviour yet pleasant in respect of the unexpressable liberty and endless happiness which by thy powerfull dying we obtain'd Oh Blessed Spirits I cannot now thinke that you were displeas'd with us for your nature doth so concur with his will that it cannot be opposite to it But yet God was angry yea to the very apprehension of his onely Son What else made him cry out so grievously My God Why hast thou forsaken mee God was angry then with his Son for us you had reason then of grief for him not anger towards him but yet sure to see him angry with his Son and to see his onely Son so grievously tormented you could not but be mov'd what then must move you sure it could be nothing but our sins for which he suffered Oh you heavenly Spirits I finde you rejoycing when we had our Saviour born and sure you could not but rejoyce when the worke of our salvation was finished your joy was then intermingled with your sorrow if you be capable of sorrow for you could not but sorrow to see your God so grievously to suffer you could not but rejoyce to see that they on whom you attended should be so happy that by his death they should be admitted to injoy eternall life If you joy at our repentance sure your joy at our â—rgivenesse and then was the time of our forgivenesse â—ome when he willingly yeelded up his life that we â—ight live eternally then was our debts paid when as â—y now glorified body Oh Son of glory was debar'd â—f the heavenly appearance of thine eternall Godâ—ead Yee blessed Angels yee joyed in your sorrow and â—ot we but our sins were hatefull to you which were â—he cause of his most grievous suffering More bitter then grim death could be My sin my Lord was unto thee Because I sinn'd my Lord did dye Because he dy'd hate sin will I. On Earthly Love FRom thee O Heaven of glorie flowes that celestiall stream that being taken hath power to make us forgetfull of our earthly love the which must vanish and alone can set us free from those tormenting passions Thou sweet stream having cur'd us of those distempered passions hast then the power to work in our hearts a more peaceable and durable affection earthly affection ever brings distemper sometimes distraction but that sweet love which thou O pearly fountain raisest in our breast flameth in our hearts peace rest joy and it worketh a perpetuall assurance of still injoying what we love wish or can in heart desire My Lord My soule is ravisht with the contemplation of thy heavenly love and I cannot chuse but infinitely admire thy mercies to me thine unworthy servant for grievous were the perturbations which I was subject to when I was infected with the poison-bane of earthly affections the which a time thou wert pleas'd to let reigne and tyrannize in my brest which like a thorne in the flesh not being drawne out by the hand of art lies throbbing and working torment not onely to the place where it hath taken up its abode but brings distemper to the whole body So that unruly passion having taken up his place in my heart did not onely tyrannize there but wrought destraction in my Soul and bred distemper in my body But blessed be thy Majestie for that distemper for in that time of my weaknes thou Oh all-powerfull hand by thy most heavenly art didst draw from my heart that tormenting passion and by the addition of thy heavenly love which thou didst leave in the room thereof thou repairedst in me the breaches that that unrulie passion had made When I was sick I thought that I should dye I did mistake 't was earthly love not I. HOSEA 2.19 My Contract MY Lord Doth not thy Majestie send thy messages of love and favour to those that will take hold of them and beleeve there shall be a performance of what is promis'd Thy Word tels us That they that beleeve in thee shall have eternall life My Lord I do beleeve it and that this Message sent by thy royal Embassador belongs to mee aswell as to any other I will marry thee to mee for ever Thou art righteous and wilt perform it who would now refuse so great and so good a King I disdain not marriage I desire it with this great Prince who is the Prince of Kings and at whose foot-stool they must one day lay down all their Crowns and bring in all their riches at his command The greatest of them must confess they hold their Scepters of him and to him they must doe service at his will This is a Prince of such exact perfection that I cannot see any thing in him any way to be dislik't When I consider any creature I can finde in it but little to be belov'd but a great deal of inconvenience with it to be dislik't why then should I set my minde on the creature of so little worth and not wholly have my minde intent on the Creator who alone is excellent Most mighty Prince I must confess my self unworthy to be the least servant in the Court of so magnificent a King much lesse to be one who shall have the honour to be marryed to thee but because I doe thinke my selfe unworthy of thee shall I be such a fool to refuse so great a fortune No I will not My Lord I now challenge thy promise for I doe think thou hast prepared me a minde for thy selfe for thou madst me long since to be ambitious of perfection but when I saw it was not to bee obtain'd in this world how slightly did I esteem of all things in it thou having prepared my mind for thy self by the dislike of all imperfect creatures and the love of perfection Thou madst me to see a clear perfection in thy self and wroughst in me a love to thee and because I dare not presume to the thoughts of possessing thee thou seeing my desires sent that comfortable message to me and to all that doe sincerely love thee that thou wil receive us to thy selfe and wilt marry us to thee for ever I being wedded to Heavens King As his blest Spouse must his praise sing The Soules Agitation MY great and glorious God! In what a strange agitation is my Soul being assail'd by two contrary considerations the one of my heavenly bliss in which thou didst at first make me and to which thou hast and wilt in the fulness of time againe restore me the other of the sordid and vile condition in which I had by my rebellion inwrapt my selfe The thoughts of the first fils me with a sweet contenting joy the consideration of the other with a hatefull detestation of my selfe for when I record in my minde how thou at the first mad'st me a creature of a rare composition one part of thine owne divine spirit the other of earth purified by thy heavenly art and
all his fighting Souldiers victorious Conquerors and at the length he will take them up into a Triumphant chariot of glory to raigne with him as Kings in his Kingdome of immortall felicity where he will place on their head a Crown of eternall glory On ECCLES 9.7 Goe eat thy bread with joy c. MY Dear Lord with what a sweet and pleasing object this morning hast thou presented mine eyes that they may deliver it to my heart for to my heart thou art pleas'd to speak it and if any shall aske if that message was sent to me I will aver it was for they who by the hand of faith lay hold on the promises of God are and shall be partakers of those promises My hand presented that object to mine eyes mine eyes delivered it to my heart my heart took hold of it by the hand of faith so that I may confidently say It belongs both to Soul and body And now methinks I hear my God saying to me Go But some may say Goe is a word of separation and so he will say to those that shall for ever be debar'd of his happy presence but yet to me he sayes Go but it is not from him but with him to that blessed place from which Adam fell and I am sure it is not from him but with him for from him is hell but here is joy and gladnesse to my heart and delicacy of cloathing and in his presence is the fulnesse of joy and at his right hand is life everlasting But did I say it is to that place from which Adam fell my thoughts then hover'd too neer the earth it is to heaven my God bids me goe with him for I must eat my bread with joy and drink my wine with a merry heart and let my garments be alwayes white and my head must want no odoriserous oyntment for God accepts thy workes My Lord When I consider that those words were spoken to those whose works thou acceptest My confidence is somewhat shaken whether or no those words were spoken to me for thou art a God of pure eyes and canst not behold iniquity I am a creature unclean defil'd with originall and actuall sin How then canst thou O God accept my workes for unclean hands defile what they touch But stagger not my soul nor doubt for now to my memory is presented that to the house of David was a fountain set open for sin and for uncleannesse Hast thee thither my soul that thou maist be clean for thou needst not doubt but that fountain belongs to thee for from eternity by election wert thou affianc'd to him that was to be the immortall son of David and so thou being of his linage the priviledge of that fountain must belong to thee yea my Soule thou hast heard himselfe cry out If any thirst let him come to him and drinke and out of him shall flow rivers of living water I wil not stay but will hast and run to thee O blessed fountain of life and I will drinke abundantly of that desired water that shall make me capable of so great a blisse and purge me clean from my actuall and originall pollutions so that my God may accept my works and I goe with confidence to eat my bread and drinke my wine with a merry heart But stay my Soul dost thou thinke to run to heaven in a full career of felicity and pleasure thou canst not but remember that the servants of God have eaten the bread of affliction and drunke the wine of astonishment and mingled their drinke with their tears this was their portion heretofore I confesse it was so but I finde in this message at now which cals to my minde that there was a time when I could not do so for when I lay polluted in the deformity of my sins and had my hands foul with the poison of mine iniquities 't is no wonder if then our bread be the bread of affliction and our wine the wine of astonishment and how can we chuse but mingle our drinke with our tears when we feed our selves with those hands which we have washt in poison how can we chuse but thinke that that bread must end us here and carry us from a fearfull life in this world to be tormented in a hideous place of misery for ever Onâ—y God! How can they either eat or drink with contentment who have not first sought out that fountaine wherein they may wash themselves clean from that dreadfull poison But my Soul have heard thee â—ay thou wouldst hast to that pure stream and wash thee cleane from thine iniquities and thou being clean maist now goe and possesse those free liberties My Soul Thou must now flee to heaven and there eat that living bread and drinke that wine of life which cannot be taken but with excessive joy so that out of them shall flow rivers of living waters springs of joy shall rise in thee and streams of thanks and praise shall flow from thee to thy dear God for his infinite blessings these will be to thee rivers of life And from heaven my soul maist thou take those white garments with which thou maist always be cloath'd for his garments were white and glistering then aske for those robes of purity that are his for thou maist be sure thou shalt obtaine and being cloath'd in those garments thou needst not fear thou sholdst ever be found naked or unseemly drest for thou shalt be gloriously habited because God will make thy righteousnes in him as clear as the light and thy just dealing as the noon day and now my Soul thou loving and desiring those garments of righteousnesse needst not fear that thy head shall want any precious ointment for if thou with and in that great King lovest right and hatest iniquity God even thy God will annoint thee with the oyle of gladnes And now my Soul Thou seest the priviledges that are presented to thee in this speech but thou saidst ere-while it belonged to thy body too I confesse it did but my thoughts were so taken up with the consideration of the infinite felicity of my Soul that I had almost forgot my body and truly did not she accord to the action of my Soul and desire with her onely to be happy by the priviledges that adhere to her by reason of my Soul I would never seek to content her nor regard any priviledges that belongs to her but she is an assenting companion to my Soul and an instrument to convey the promises of God to her and shall hereafter be a perfect glorious companion with her in eternall blisse I will now regard the priviledges that belong to her in this message And though I thought thaâ— place from which Adam fell too mean for the felicity oâ— my Soul yet for my body it is a place sufficiently considerable and seeing the benefits that were lost by the first Adam are all with many more restor'd to thee by the second My body thou
them out of all their troubles needs must thou be compassed about with Songs of delight thou couldst not chuse but sing thy Self too those Songs thou diddest teach to thy chief Singers that they might inclose thee in the sweet aire of delighting praises and with thee my Soule must desire to sing when with thee I am so protected Saint Stephen GOd can make our faces to shine like Angels to daunt our enemies and he here can make us to see his face to shine in glory to comfort our Souls Why then should we fear our fiercest enemies why then should we not be confident of the aide of our loving and powerfull God Thy blessed power is like thy Light But our frail fear is like our night MY Soul being plac'st on the wings of contemplation with them raises me to the Regions of felicity The foundation and felicity MY great God! Thou that hast aided me in laying the foundation of assurance assist me still now â—owring in the turrets of contentment and let all know that they can never with safety ascend the turrets of delighting contentment if they have not first laid the true foundation of assurance Vpon the Temptation of the doubting of Heaven MY Soul Though that subtle enemy of thine and of all men doe seek to seduce thee by his insinuating perswasions to doubt of that unexpressable and immortall felicity of thy Soul and body yet my Soule faint not For if the holy Writ be true thy felicity is certaine the which my gracious God I doe most confidently believe to be the written word of the God of all the world by whose word and will I and this FabriCk were created though that pernicious enemy seeks to perswade me that it is a fancy of a studious braine and writ to keep people in awe to human obedience And because nothing doth please our Souls but the thoughts of eternall blisse nor afright them but the dread of eternall punishment therefore have they fained a heaven for reward of the vertuous and a hell for punishment of the disobedient and that those felicities of which I have written are but fictions of my owne braine and somewhat like they that invented it and partly taken out of it But my gracious God keep me that I fall not by these temptations but let me know why he is and hath been so busie in drawing me to doubt of thy being and of that glorious heaven which I do notwithstanding his temptations believe I shall possesse with thee My God is it to draw me to a loose liberty of my life and so by disobeying thee I might live in fear of being cast out of thy favour to eternall punishment if so I will tell him that he may cease his labour for if that which I beleeve to be the holy word of God be a fancy of any braine it is so just and pleasing to my soul that with all my power and might I will endeavour to lead my life according to the direction of that exact and royall Law and so hatefull is any thing to me that is contrary to it that when thorow my frailty I doe what in it is forbidden I am hatefull to my selfe till I am assured that that offence be washed from me and that something within me assures me that the breach of that transgression is pardon'd This is a strong argument to me against that temptation and of the divinity and eternity of my Soul for if my Soul were not to be eternally either happy or miserable why should the expectation of eternall misery trouble me and the assurance of eternall blisse so exceedingly joy me Tempter goe Reason and experience teacheth us to see that likenesse breeds love our Souls our minds for such things there are can never love nor delight in what is not but our Souls affect eternall glory then sure such a thing there is but be it so or be it not such a thing is presented to our consideration and if I am not to live a life of eternall blisse hereafter yet for the happinesse of my present life I will so neer as I can run in the paths that lead to that heaven which I so much affect that I might live with a confident hope that I shall possesse it for nothing can truely satisfie my Soul but a heaven of eternity and with these thoughts I can live on earth in a heaven of felicity Tempter Thou art like to loose thy labour for I must take up that resolution not to live a sensuall and vicious life for if I have no grace such a life is hatefull to my disposition and such a life would not I live were there no God to give blessednesse or no Devil to torment But one thing more I have now to tell thee I in the Sanctuary of the great God of all the world presenting my petitions to him that by something I might be assur'd that thy wicked suggestions to make me doubt of his being were false I was directed to consider the glorious Sun which then shined bright in mine eyes so that I plainly see that great God of whose being thou wouldst have me doubt doth aid and assist me against thy wicked temptations for it cannot be but a great God that can make and governe so glorious and so great a light the God that made that made me that God I did offend in my first parents and since in my owne person but to him am reconciled in his first borne Son Jesus Christ who is God and man and for his sake shall I possesse a Kindome of felicity here and at the last a Kingdome of eternall glory To him be Glory On the Sun-rising AS the appearance of the Sun-beams disperseth the clouds of darkness which brings sadness to the earth so let the bright shining beams of thy Spirit O heavenly Son of light disperse the clouds of darke despairing thoughts and vaine imaginations the which do darken the brightness of my Soul and bring sadness to my heart Let them purifie and raise my minde that I may still be singing praise and let me ever say To my great God all glory be Who makes his light to shine on me Heaven upon Earth MY Lord Though thou wilt not take me from earth to live in Heaven with thee yet thou comming â—rom heaven to live on earth with me makes me on â—arth to live in heaven with thee The Temple MY God! Is my body the Temple of the Holy Ghost What Palace can there be in this small Fabrick fit â—o entertaine so great a Prince yet thou hast said If my love thee thy Father will love them and thou and â—ee and thy holy spirit which cannot be separated â—rom thee will come and make thy abode with him My Lord and King thou knowest I love thee for â—ong since I was willing to have left the world and all â—he blessings that thou hast given me in it to have gone to live with thee but what talke I
leaving the world to come to live with thee Thou art come into â—he world to live with mee and in me But my great Lord where in me shall I finde thee hast thou inâ—hron'd thy selfe in my heart give me then thy assistance that no proud imagination for my own greatnes may arise to disinthrone thee and make the distaste that habitation but be thou in my heart ever attended by sweet humility and humble obedience Let all the members of my body be imployed in thy service Let my hands administer to thy Saints and not stretcht â—ut to covetousnesse Let my feet be swift to run in the wayes of thy commandements and not to shed innocent blood or if in my head thou hast taken up thy seat there let humility attend on thee too or I shaâ—â— fear thou wilt goe from me for thou resistest thâ—â— proud but though thou beest high and instabitest eternity yet thou O great Prince will dwell with thâ— humble Then in my head and in all that belong to 〈◊〉 doe thou finde humble obedience that there I mighâ— retaine thee Let not mine eyes have any proud look nor be windows to lett in vanity but let them be eveâ— looking to the hils from whence cometh my salvation Let not my tongue which thou hast given me to servâ— thee be imployed to back-bite or defame any thâ— least of thy children or any one for how know I who arâ— thine or who not but let my tongue be ever speakinâ— to thy praise and glory and let the words of moutâ— be accptable in thy sight nor let mine ears listen tâ— any idle or unseemly discourse that may displease thâ— divine Majesty and let my nostrils be ever filled witâ— the sweet savour that comes from thy heavenly garments So if all the faculties of my body be imployeâ— by my Soul humbly to serve thee I shall live and expresse a glorying heart because I know this body is thâ— Temple of the Deity Then where I am a Heaven must be For thou dost bring a Heaven with thee The true Object of Love MY Lord When thou wert pleas'd to take my thoughts quite off from the world I was directed to regard that place where thou bidst us cease from man for wherein is he to be accounted of for his breath is in his nostrils yet he a creature after thine owne image and the excellentest of all thy workman ship on earth yet this rare creature his love his hatred not to be regarded for thou canst in an instant take away that thin fume of life and then what power hath he to love or hate My Lord He is indeed a most contemptible creature in respect of thee But when my Soul enters into the consideration of thy greatnesse and deep abisse of thy endlesse power and mercy My Soul is struck dumbe and knows not what to say but silence giving me opportunity to consider of thy infinite love to me power forme beauty and excellency in and about thee my Soul is wounded with a deep affection towards thee and love cannot will not be silent And â—ow my great and powerfull God was it not enough for thee to make so great and beautifull a structure for me and for all men but when I had run from thee by my disobedience into the territories and tormenting arms of my enemy for thee O most glorious Prince of eternall blisse to leave thy Kingdome where thou â—ert attended by a multitude of bright Angels and blessed Saints which continually sing thy praises with â—heir heavenly voices for thee to leave such transcendent delights to take on thee my frail flesh and come â—o me and subject thy selfe to all the contempts that â—n insulting enemy could impose had nor this been enough to have manifested an unanswerable love to so contemptible a creature but thou My dear Prince I who wouldest set a perfect patterne of humility and â—ove for all that were thine to follow for love to mee â—hou wert content to dye and the most painfull and igâ—ominious death that could be inflicted on the meanâ—st person Thou who wert serv'd by all the world was â—leas'd thus to serve for me and to dye to save me from â—ternall death and before I knew into what tormentâ—ng habitation I had plung'd my selfe by my rebellion â—hou wert pleas'd to declare to me how thou hadst reâ—eem'd me out of those most cruel inthralments by â—hy willingly yeelding to dye for me for none could â—ave power O great Prince of Heaven and earth to have taken away thy life hadst thou not laid it downâ— of thine owne accord thou wert please to tell me too though I live here among thy enemies and mine yet â— should not be afraid of them for they can but kill my body and that too not without thy leave for none caâ—â— take thy children out of thy hand unlesse thou arâ— pleas'd to deliver them into the hand of their persecutors and by that fiery Chariot to convey us to that immortall Kingdome which thou hast promised to thou that beleeve on thee where we shall receive from thâ— hand the beautifull Crowne of our eternall glory â— my God! Who can chuse but be ravisht with thy unfaâ—dom'd mercy and unexpressable love to thy poor yeâ— by thee inriched creatures My dear Prince Whaâ— shall I doe to let all the world know what engagements my Soul hath to thee I do wish it were in my power as in my desires that all the world may sing Halalujahs to thee for the saving of my Soul from thaâ— cruel adversary and for the glory that thou wilt inveâ—â— her in and that they would sing publick praises untâ— thee for thy mercies to themselves too would thaâ— were their imployment then should not thy service be so much slighted nor thy name so much dishonoured nor thy servants so much contemn'd But Let them sing praises to thy name Whom thou hast blest And kept their Souls from endlesse paine And plac'st in rest Thou hast me kept from hellish paine And plac'st in rest How can I chuse but praise thy name When I 'me so blest Rom. 12.1 MY Lord I cannot plead ignorance for I must confesse I have often read it and knew that I was to â—er up my self a living sacrifice to thy Majesty and to â—ve my selfe wholly to thy disposing and not to have â—y sequestred thoughts from thee dedicated to mine â—wn ends in either my actions words or thoughts but â—y dear Father I now plainly see the necessity of entring â—to thy Courts to hear thee most gracious Prince â—eake to us by thy Embassadors And I nor any other â—ught to say what should I go thither to hear a man â—ell me but what I knew before But my Lord thy Ordiâ—â—nces are powerfull and thou workest more effectually â—n our hearts for the most part by the preaching of â—y word from them then by our own reading and stuâ—y and now I begin to suspect I have not offered up my â—lse so