In the Tabernacle p. 115. l. 8. for to r. by p. 124. l. 〈◊〉 r. Glory p. 129. l. 20. r. how can A Serious and Pathetical CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same Thanksgivings for the Body BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who 〈◊〉 all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and 〈◊〉 mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles O Lord who art clothed with Majesty My desire is to praise thee With the holy Angels and Archangels To glorisie thee And with all thy Saints in the Church triumphant For the eternal brightness Of thine insinite bounty The freedom of thy love Wherein thou excellest the beams of the Sun To celebrate thee I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How precious are thy thoughts also unto me O God! How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand When I awake I am still with thee Blessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God! For ever blessed be thy holy Name For that I am made The work of thy hands Curiously wrought By thy divine Wisdom Enriched By thy Goodness Being more thine Than I am mine own O Lord Thou hast given me a Body Wherein the glory of thy Power shineth Wonderfully composed above the Beasts Within distinguished into useful parts Beautified without with many Ornaments Limbs rarely poised And made for Heaven 〈◊〉 filled With celestial Spirits Veins wherein Blood floweth Refreshing all my flesh Like Rivers Sinews fraught with the mystery Of wonderful Strength Stability Feeling O blessed be thy glorious Name That thou hast made it A Treasury of Wonders Fit for its several Ages For Dissections For Sculptutes in Brass For Draughts in Anatomy For the Contemplation of the Sages Whose inward parts Enshrined in thy Libraries Are The Amazement of the Learned Are The Admiration of Kings and Queens Are The Joy of Angels Are The Organs of my Soul Are The Wonder of Cherubims Those blinder parts of resined Earth Beneath my Skin Are sull of thy Depths For Many thousand Uses For Hidden Operations For Unsearchable Offices But for the diviner Treasures wherewith thou hast endowed My Brains Mine Eyes My Heart Mine Ears My Tongue My Hands O what Praises are due unto thee Who hast made me A living Inhabitant Of the great World And the Centre of it A sphere of Sense And a mine of Riches Which when Bodies are dissected fly away The spacious Room Which thou hast hidden in mine Eye The Chambers for Sounds Which thou hast prepar'd in mineEar The Receptacles for Smells Concealed in my 〈◊〉 The feeling of my Hands The taste of my Tongue But above all O Lord the Glory of Speech whereby thy Servant is enabled with Praise to celebrate thee For All the Beauties in Heaven and Earth The melody of Sounds The sweet Odours Of thy Dwelling place The delectable pleasures that gratisie my Sense That gratify the feeling of Mankind The Light of History Admitted by the Ear. The Light of Heaven Brought in by the Eye The Volubility and Liberty Of my Hands and Members Fitted by thee for all Operations Which the Fancy can imagine Or Soul desire From the framing of a Needle 's Eye To the building of a Tower From the squaring of Trees To the polishing of Kings Crowns For all the Mysteries Engines Instruments wherewith the World is filled which we are able to frame and use to thy Glory For all the Trades variety of Operations Cities Temples Streets Bridges Mariners Compass admirable Picture Sculpture Writing Printing Songs and Musick wherewith the World is beautified and adorned Much more for the Regent Life And Power of Perception Which rules within That secret depth of sathomless Consideration That receives the information Of all our senses That makes our centre equal to the Heavens And 〈◊〉 in it self the magnitude of the World The involved 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 common sense The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 fancy The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Of things that are past The 〈◊〉 of things to come Thy 〈◊〉 be glorified For evermore For all the art which thou hast hidden In this little piece Of red clay For the workmanship of thy hand Who didst thy self form man Of the dust of the ground And breath into his Nostrils The breath of Life For the high Exaltation whereby thou hast glorified every body Especially mine As thou didst thy Servant Adam's in Eden Thy Works themselves speaking to me the same thing that was said unto him in the beginning WE ARE ALL THINE And why O Lord wouldst thou so delight To magnify the dust 〈◊〉 from the ground From the dark obscurity of a silent Grave Thou raisest it O Lord Herein indeed Thou raisest the poor out of the dust and 〈◊〉 the needy out of the dunghil That thou mayst set him with Princes even with the Princes of thy people But why would the Lord take pleasure in creating an earthly Body why at all in making a visible World Couldst thou not have made us immortal Souls and seated us immediately in the throne of Glory O Lord thou lover of Righteousness Whose Kingdom is everlasting Who lovest to govern thy Subjects by Laws and takest delight to distribute Rewards and Punishments according to right Thou hast hidden thy self By an infinite miracle And made this World the Chamber of thy presence the ground and theatre of thy righteous Kingdom That putting us at a distance A little from thee Thou mayst satisie the Capacities Of thy righteous Nature Thou wast always sit to reign like a King Able to rule by the best of Laws To distribute the greatest Rewards and Punishments That therefore thou might'st raise up Objects for these Thou hast seated us at a little distance from thee Not 〈◊〉 respect of thy Ubiquity but degree of Knowledge In Heaven thou 〈◊〉 ellest As a Bridegroom with thy Bride A Father with thy Children A King with Kings Governours and Peers Shewing and manifesting all thy Glory Unto which thou wouldst have us first to come As humble and obedient Servants That in us thou mightst see Ingenuity Thanksgiving Fidelity Wisdom Love Even to an absent Benefactor There is the Kingdom of eternal Glory Beyond which can be no Rewards The highest of all being there attained In which can be no trial Blessedness being seen with open face
shine as the Sun In thy heavenly Kingdom From whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Then shall each Limb a spring of Joy be found And ev'ry Member with its Glory crown'd While all the Senses fill'd with all the Good That ever Ages in them understood 〈◊〉 are Containing Worlds of Treasure At one Delight with all their Joy and Pleasure From whence like Rivers Joy shall overflow Affect the Soul though in the Body grow Return again and make the Body shine Like Jesus Christ while both in one combine Mysterious Contracts are between the Soul Which touch the Spirits and by those its Bowl The Marrow Bowels Spirits melt and move Dissolving ravish teach them how to love He that could bring the Heavens thro the Eye And make the World within the Fancy lie By beams of Light that closing meet in one From all the Parts of his celestial Throne Far more than this in framing Bliss can do Instame the Body and the Spirit too Can make the Soul by Sense to feel and see And with her Joy the Senses wrap'd to be Yea while the Flesh or Body subject lies To those Aflections which in Souls arise All holy Glories from the Soul redound And in the Body by the Soul abound Are felt within and ravish ev'ry Sense With all the Godheads glorious Excellence Who found the way himself to dwell within As if even Flesh were nigh to him of kin His Goodness Wisdom Power Love divine Make by the Soul convey'd the Body shine Not like the Sun that earthly Darkness is But in the strengths and heights of all this bliss For God designs thy Body for his sake A Temple of the Deity to make But now O Lord how highly great have my Transgressions been who have abused this thy glorious Creature by Surseiting and Excess by Lust and Wantonness by Drunkenness by Passion by immoderate Cares excessive Desires and earthly Fears Yea had I been guilty of none of those had no Lies and Oaths polluted my Tongue no vain Imaginations 〈◊〉 my Heart no stealing my Hands nor idle Speeches profaned mine Ears Yet have I been wholly estranged from thee by the sinful Courses of this World by the Delusions of vain Conversation Being unsensible of these things I have been blind and dead profane and stupid seared and ingrateful and for living beneath such a glorious Estate may justly be excluded thine everlasting Kingdom Enable me to keep thy Temple 〈◊〉 Which thou hast prepared for thy self Turn away mine Eyes From beholding Vanity Enable me to wash my hands in Innocency That I may compass thme altar about And list up my Hands To thy Holy Oracle Put a Watch over the Door of my Lips That I speak not unadvisedly with my Tongue Let my Glory awake early in the morning To bring praises unto thee Enter O Lord the Gates of my Heart Bow down the Heavens O Lord And break open those Everlasting Doors That the King of Glory may enter in Let the Ark of thy Presence rest within me Let not Sin reign in our mortal Bodies that we should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither let us yield our Members as instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but let us yield our selves to God as those that are alive from the Dead and our Members as Instruments of Righteousness to God Rom. 6. My Beloved put in his Hand by the Hole of the Door and my Bowels were moved for him I rose up to open to my beloved and my Hands dropped with Myrrh and my singer with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the Handles of the Lock O my beloved be not as a Wayfaring Man that turneth aside to tarry but for a Night Thou hast ravished mine Heart with one of thine Eyes How fair is thy Love my Sister my Spouse How much better is thy Love than Wine and the smell of thine Oyntments than all Spices Thy Lips O my Spouse drop as an Hony Comb Hony and Milk are under thy Tongue and the small of thy Garments is as the smell of Leb mon Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Return O my Love I would lead thee and bring thee Into my Mothers House I would kiss thee yet should I not be despised O let me live in thy Bosom for ever O Infinite God Center of my Soul Convert me powerfully unto thee that in thee I may take Rest for thou didst make me for thee and my heart 's unquiet till it be united to thee And seeing O Eternal Father thou didst create me that I might love thee as a Son give me Grace that I may love thee as my Father O only begotten Son of God Redeemer of the World seeing thou didst Create and Redeem me that I might Obey and Imitate thee make me to Obey and Imitate thee in all thy imitable Persection O Holy Ghost seeing thou didst create me to Sanctify me do it O do it for thine own Glory that I may acceptably praise and serve the holy and 〈◊〉 Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Amen Let all thy Creatures bless thee O Lord and my Soul praise and bless thee for them all I give thee Thanks for the being thou givest unto the Heavens Sun Moon Stars and Elements to Beasts Plants and all other Bodies of the Earth to the Fowls of the Air the Fishes of the Sea I give thee thanks for the beauty of Colours for the harmony of Sounds for the pleasantness of Odours for the sweetness of Meats for the warmth and softness of our Raiment and for all my five Senses and all the Pores of my Body so curiously made as before recited and for the Preservation as well as Use of all my Limbs and Senses in keeping me from Precipices Fraetures and Dislocations in my Body from a distracted discomposed confused discontented Spirit Above all I praise thee for manifesting thy self unto me whereby I am made capable to praise and magnify thy name for evermore Thanksgivings for the Soul I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all Generations And the Heavens shall praise thy Wonders O Lord thy faithfulness also in the Congregation of the Saints The Heavens shall praise thy Wonders But more the Powers of my immortal Soul Which thou hast made more excellent than the Clouds and greater than the Heavens O Lord I rejoyce and am exceeding glad Because of thy Goodness In Creating the World In Giving Brightness to the Sun In Ruling the Sea In Framing the Limbs and Members of my Body But much more abundantly For the Glory of my Soul Which out of Nothing thou hast builded To be a Temple unto God A living Temple of thine Omnipresence An understanding Eye A Temple of Eternity
of his Passion And since I am Redeemed by the Death of thy Son Know that I am made to inherit all things Rom. 8. 32. Give me Power therefore To overcome all Opinions Of the World Ways Of the World Customs Of the World Censures Of the World Who err in thy Kingdom From the way of Blessedness Since thou hast promised He that overcometh shall inherit all things And I will be his God and he shall be my Son Rev. 21. 7. In Jesus Christ let me sit down with thee in the heavenly Places Glory with thine Inheritance Enjoy thy People thy peculiar Treasure Prize thy Love unto mankind Delight in the Beauty of thy celestial Bride See thy Joys And take pleasure in them in all Ages Because Jesus Christ enjoyeth them all He bought them with a price Let me delight in his Happiness above mine own Let his Happiness be to me Not only mine But more than mine ten thousand fold Here upon Earth let it be my Joy That He Dwelleth in Heaven The Angels and Cherubims sing his Glory All Power in Heaven and Earth Is put into his hands He shall come in the Clouds of Heaven and in all the Glory of his Fathers Angels and shall judge The Quick and the Dead He shall enjoy his Bride the Church triumphant for evermore Thee in them Them in Thee All these let me O Lord enjoy in him Here on Earth Above in Heaven Let the miraculous Excellency of his eternal LOVE Open the gate of Wonder to me Liberty to me Difficulty to me The gate of Glory The gate of Triumph The gate of Invincible Peace The gate of Unchangeable Goodness The gate of Beauty and Delight By teaching me to love as he loveth The Souls of Men Of the worst of Men More than my self Tho the more I love The less I be loved Tho they Hate me Tho they Persecute me Tho they Kill me Let my Love be Immortal Let my Love be Sovereign Let my Love be Divine Let my Love be Invincible The Master point of Art In Christian Religion Which my Saviour taught on the Cross From the Chair of his Profession Let me learn O Lord with zeal and joy The love of Souls triumphed Over the love of his own Life His hands and feet his heart and head Were all opened Even to the last drop of blood For us Enemies For us Rebels For us Felons Let his O Lord be the Rule of mine Who valueth a Soul above the world Dying for my Soul Thou shewedst that my Soul was dearer to thee Then thine own Life O my Lord make me like thee A Son of God In my love to Sinners Thy self worth many worlds thou gavest for sinners And whatsoever love I bear to thee thou hast by Deed enrolled and set it over unto others What glorious Treasures shall I possess When all these are so esteemed Nevertheless O Lord Let my love be Genuine Divine and Free And for the delight I take To rescue and to save them To exalt and crown them Let me pour out my self My Spirit Soul and Blood My Time Labour Health Estate Life and all O'tis Heavenly Divine Angelical The glorious Victory over all the world Is love continuing beyond unkindness Fill my love with the Zeal of thine Like thine O Lord I desire it should be A flame of thirsting Industry Out living hatred Over all Unkindness Over all Ingratitude Over all Perversness An eternal Triumph Ever lively Always conversant in the highest Altitude O my God do not deny me Forgive my former Flatness Forgive my former Intermissien Forgive my former Deadness Let me love every Person as Jesus Christ Meet his love and thine O Lord In every Person It is my desire Lord That my love to Men should be so strong That I may love Jesus Christ For loving them Enlarge my Soul To the love of Cities Counties Kingdoms Throughly settled in the love of Christ. The Virtue that shineth Brightest in his Example And standeth highest in his Commendation O learn me this and the whole is learned Learn me this the Divine Art And the Life of God! Desire Heroic Courage Long Suffering Compassion Forwardness Activity Everlasting and most lively Diligence Grant unto me in calling Souls So will I sing and praise thy Name Being one with Thee To Everlasting O what great Things dost thou permit a Worm To ask of Thee Grant it for his sake Who became a Curss for me Sin for me Awaken Sinners Give us to understand The infinite fervor and zeal of thy Love Who having prepared for us Heaven and Earth Angels and Men Thy self and all things Redeemed us by the Blood of thine eternal Son Called us by thy Prophets Martyrs and Apostles Desired to seat us in eternal Glory And left us to our selves only for this That we may satisfie thy Will In imitating thee Voluntarily and freely With the best of Actions Dost infinitly delight to see us Blessed And enjoy thy self When we O God are by thee enjoyed Give us to remember How that Love of thine Is the Fountain of thy Patience And long Suffering towards us To see it daily How it burneth for us How unchangeably thou Delightest To Communicate thy Goodness To Glorifie thy Bounty To Distribute thy Treasures To Reposire thy Blessedness In our Souls How infinitely thou lovest To To see thy similitude in our Natures To Enjoy thy self as given unto us To Admire thy workmanship in our Glory To Feel in us thine eternal Blessedness Behold thy Creatures whom thou so lovest Crowned with glory and honor Ps. 8. 4. In the throne of heaven Rev. 30. 20. And since nothing can hinder us But sordid baseness In contemning thy Treasures Let our acknowledgment of thy Goodness And love of it Burn day and night Like unto thine That being strengthened with Might by thy Holy Spirit in our inward Man Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith That we being rooted and grounded in Love May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth And to know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledge that we may be silled with with all the fulness of God NOW to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the Power that worketh in us Unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages world without end Amen Ephes. 3. 20. 21. A KEY to the Gate Of Wonder NOthing being more Wonderful than an invincible Lover triumphant over Injuries Of Liberty Being entred therein we walk at large with unlimited Freedom in Gods Commandments Of difficulty Because nothing at first is more contrary to Nature But Gods Example hath made it easie Of Glory The Glory of Christ is his Love of Sinners Whom whosoever imitateth in the universality of it he is a Son of God Of Triumph Death Hell unkindness temptationt rampled under foot Of invincible Peace Nothing can offend them Of 〈◊〉
good no not one Ps. 14 2 3. They know not neither will they understand they walk on in darkness All the foundations of the earth are out of course Ps. 82. 〈◊〉 O Lord thy word testisieth What my experience seeth That the Sons of Men Err in their hearts From thy holy Ways The Glory of thy Kingdom they cannot see The Blessedness of their Estate None will regard Nor behold the Brightness of Thine eternal Treasures Nor how near they are to Thine eternal Love The glory of the Earth is Stainedby Sin Oppressed with Tares Spoiled with Briars and cursed Thorns But more with the corruptions Blindness of sinful Men. Errors of sinful Men. False Opinions of sinful Men. Wherein according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience They all walk In the Lusts of the Flesh In the vanity of the Mind Having the Understanding darkned Being alienated from the life of God Through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4. 17. 18. With one consent they wander up and down To polluted streams And will not refresh their Soul With living Waters The riches of thy bounty Which with infinite liberality Thou freely givest They disregard By that means turning the world into a 〈◊〉 Wilderness Of Owls and Dragons That thirst after happiness They know not what Seek it they know not where Find it no where They seek it in Gold not in Thee In Silver In Apparel In Feasts In Houses In any thing Little Rare False Counterseit Scarce Unknown But in the high Estate to which already they are by thee exalted they find no pleasure The freedom of thy Love hideth it from their Eyes The Truth and Commonness of thy Glorious Works They cannot see The daily Continuance and presence of thy Riches maketh them despised The Greatness of thy Wealth not understood Thou preventest us With the pure Blessings of thy Goodness Their Endlesness Excellency Abundance Service Variety 〈◊〉 Compasseth us about Yet Blmdeth our Eyes They Grope in Darkness Wander in the valley of the shadow of Death Are estranged from thy Treasures Err from Thee Hope for any End of their vain Endeavours Never attain any Rest in their feigned Riches Escape imaginary Wants But still increase Conceited Poverties O Lord they have drown'd not only themselves but the world also In Destruction and Perdition Covered it with Snares With Chains of Darkness Woes and Miseries By their false Opinions False Opinions concerning Happiness Till thy Word came and shined among us That plainly sheweth The Glory of the Father Bringing us back To the true Treasures Causeth us to see That we are already exalted And that it is not by seeking what we want But by enjoying what we have That we are truly Blessed Thy Word alone Extricateth our Souls from all their Snares Our Wants are none Thou hast wrought all things already for us Were a Sun that shineth Now to be created Millions of Gold would be thought Too little His Beams more Necessary Than the approach of Angels Are now Despised Being by reason of their presence not understood They animate our Blood Beautifie the World Give light to the Day Warmth and Spirits Without them no Morning Flowers Waters Springs could be But all the World a Cave of Datkness Death and Misery Which an Angels presence cannot mend Thy Laws thy Works thy Ways Thy Revelation from Heaven The Excellencies of our Soul The Endowment of our Body Thy Tender Love Thy Truth and Faithfulness These are the Riches Thou hast prepared for the Poor For Creatures cut out of Dust and nothing To these thy Word reduced us again That shining Light Infinitely more precious and Heavenly than the SUN That Holy Fountain Of Living Waters Refresheth the Soul Even of thy Holy Angels It self is a Treasure worth innumerable Millions of Gold and Silver A Book which thou hast sent To me from Heaven To Detect the vanities of this wicked World To Guide my feet into the way of peace To Shew me the Treasures of eternal Happiness To Elevate my thoughts Purifie my heart Enlighten my eyes Refine my Soul Direct my Desires Quicken my Affections Set my Mind in frame Restore me to thine Image Call me again to Communion with Thee In all thy Goods and Treasures O Lord thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name It sheweth me the Greatest and Highest Things Bringeth my Soul cut of Prison Leadeth me in the Paths of Blessedness and Glory Teacheth me to ponder upon the Works of thy Hands And to Meditate upon thy Laws Day and Night To speak of the might of thy terrible Acts To talk of thy Doings O my God every Day will I bless Thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever Ps. 141. 2. All thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall Bless the Ps. 145. 10. I will sing of Judgment and Mercy to thee O Lord will I sing And talk of all thy wondrous Works Ps. 145. 2. The Sons of Men hast thou given Me The Heavens and the Earth and all that is therein Thy manifold Wonders Ancient Miracles Laws Promises H. Oracles and Blessed Revelations In thine Image to be enjoyed Thy self and All Things The best of Treasures In the best of manners I Acknowledg thy Gift Thy Heavenly Gift And I adore the Wisdom and Glory of the Way whereby thou givest me the H. Bible To deliver me from the darkness of the disordered VVorld I needed O Lord a Book from Heaven I longed to receive it And panted after it with my Expectation Which above my Hopes Was already sent Before I was born A Book inclosing the best of Tidings the wisest Counsels the newest Revelations Heavenly Discoveries the profoundest Depths the highest Wonders the rarest Miracles the most glorious Examples the treasures of Wisdom the richest Promises the joys of God Divine Affections the greatest Encouragements Halclujahs Raptures Shewing us How Man is Magnified In Covenant with God Lord of his Works His Son and Friend Ministred to by Angels Admired by Cherubims Made for Heaven Called into the Glory of Almighty God Ordained for his Throne Redeemed by his Son Shal rise from the Dead Be made Immortal Overcome the World Be more than a Conqueror Inherit all things O Jerusalem Jerusalem Hadst thou known at least in this thy Day the things that concern thy Peace But now they are hidden from thine Eyes Had you seen Oh! ye Sons of Men the High Estate of your ample Glory how would you have been ravished Ye that are Crowned with Loving Kindness and Tender Mercies Beloved of God more than Himself Doth he not love his Son as Himself Tendered as his Eye Exalted above Angels In all things magnified by his Eternal Love as much as wisdom Goodness Power infinite could atcheive By all his Counsels Laws and Works exalted As in the Death of Jesus Christ. O my God I give thee Praise For