Christ The woman will not dive so deep To dispute his Commissions extent To whom he was to whom he was not sent But kindly came and humbly him ador'd Prest her suit and cries out Help me O Lord. It is not meet to cast to dogs the bread Says Christ with which the children should be fed She storms not at a Dog 's disgraceful Name But wifely makes advantage of the same Since I 'm a dog saith she for crumbs I plead Give me some crumbs Lord of children's bread Christ praised her great faith and did fulfil All her desire and gave her all her will. Tho Christ withdraw seek him he will appear He hears thy cry when he seems not to hear Tho he seem strange unto him kindly come Tho thou be call'd a dog yet seek a crumb If Satan say thou art a reprobate That by a dispute dark and intricate Concerning secret things and depths profound He may affright thee and thy mind confound Listen not to a lying murthering cheat Enter not with him on that great debate Come on Christ's call effectual vocation Will free thee from the fears of reprobation All whom he draws are called in effect And were from all Eternity elect But if thou say I fear the bitter smart Of a repenting prickt rent broken heart I must confess my sins with grief and tears And watch against my lusts with careful fears And thus my mirth is marr'd and my gladness Is turn'd to grief and melancholly sadness I answer that it is of God's free grace That for repentance there is any place Justice might say go weep in Hell and burn It 's grace that says Sinner repent and turn The pricking of the heart lets out the sin Which festers and destroys when kept within It 's for thy health that thy hard heart be rent That so thy vile impostume may be vent It 's not a Foe 's but a Physician 's wound God breaks the heart to make it whole and sound The Lord doth heal the broken in their heart Their pain is gain there 's pleasure in the smart There 's peace and safety in their watchful fears The Oil of Joy is mixt with Gospel-tears The Lord is broken by our whorish heart Should not our heart then break with grief and smart When Christ was bound our sins did make the bands They were the Nails that pierc'd his feet and hands They were the Thorns that tore and rent his head They were the Spear that made his heart to bleed The lashing Whips the Fists that did him beat They made his body weep a bloody sweat His outward pains the Agony within His troubled soul procured were by sin Look on him whom thou pierced Oh! look on still That grief thy heart and tears thine eyes may fill That kindly thou maist weep and mourn like one Who mourneth for a first and only Son. Sin is against the Lord breaks his laws It mars his Image and from God withdraws Thy sin doth vex and grieve the holy Sp'rit Should thou with grief for sin contrite They shall find mercy who confess and turn Comfort is promised to these who mourn The Oil of Joy the Lord for mourning gives And he the humble contrite heart revives If godly sorrow will not thee destroy It tends to life its tears are seeds of joy Gospel-grief which melts the heart aright Is sweeter far than all the world's delight And even godly grief the sweeter then All the delights of all the sons of men Who can the peace of God who doth transcend And pass all understanding comprehend Their Joy that 's full of glory who is able To express for it is unexpressable Christ calleth on thee Sinner to repent And he exalted is for this intent To give repentance and remission Imploy him to remove thy heart of stone They who are turn'd from sin to God by grace Find Wisdom's paths both pleasantness and peace The Word the Sacraments Prayers and Praise Are lightsome pleasant and delightsome ways Blessed is he who knows the joyful sound And who can say O Lord thy words were found I did them eat and thy word was to me My heart's delight and joyful melody Admire the Lord's low condescendency That he would speak and write to such as we And write so plainly that each hungry one Tho simple findeth food to live upon And so sublimely that the Learned might Not nauseate but search desire delight And in such useful sweet variety For to prevent loathing satiety Here Histories of grace and ancient things Of persons good and great of Saints and Kings Examples rare of Faith and Self-denial Of patience under the fiery Trial Of hope when Sense spoke nothing but despair Of Love over-coming ill with good O rare Of Fortitude join'd with a broken Sp'rit Of warlike courage in a heart contrite And wit to rule an Army and a Nation With wisdom that made wise unto salvation But O! the History of Histories So full of Miracles and Mysteries The Son of God his Incarnation His coming with life and salvation These good news are and will be ever fresh That God was manifested in the flesh And dwelt with us then on the Cross did die Rose from the Grave ascended up on high Much may be seen of God in the Creation But he 's more clearly seen in man's salvation For here appears God's wisdom manifold His spotless Justice doth it self unfold Suing the guiltless Surety till he died Not quitting him till he had satisfied Here Love shines bright as in its proper place Upon the Mercy-seat the Throne of Grace Lo this is love God who is Love did give His Son to death that Enemies might live His own beloved loving lovely Son Only begotten with his Father one In Essence one in Mind and one in Will who all his Father's Precepts did fulfil Who holy harmless spotless was yet he Got a command for the lost sheep to die To die both in their stead and for their good To wash away their sins with his own blood Christ lov'd the Father and he lov'd the sheep And so took pleasure this command to keep O matchless love it passeth all degree The Judge doth for the Malefactors die It was his meat to do his Father's will His work to finish Righteousness fulfil He went from place to place still doing good Healing the sick giving the hungry food Delivering from all maladies and evils Relieving them who were opprest with Devils He was most meek lowly in heart and mind Most merciful most affable and kind Easie he was to be intreated all Who call'd him found him ready on a call When called to a Marriage he went And made their water wine when wine was spent When call'd he went with Publicans and Sinners And even with Pharisees unto their Dinners All who did come for good got all they sought And often better than they askt or thought The man sick of the Palsie laid before Christ on a bed seeks health Christ giveth
had not his Wedding-garment on Incurr'd the Sentence of Damnation If thou come thither as to common food Thou wilt draw on the guilt of Jesu's blood Come with repentance mourn when thou dost see The Lord whom thou by sin didst crucifie Come hungring thirsting for this holy Feast The hungring soul shall be with goodness blest Come meek and lowly to Christ crucified The meek shall eat and shall be satisfied Christ dwells with those who are of humble Spirit And doth revive the heart of the contrite Thou must have Faith that Christ himself thou may Eat Spiritually not in a carnal way Purge out the leaven of hypocrisie And eat this feast with heart-sincerity Purge malice out Division detaste This is a Love and a Communion-feast Forgive the sins of others heartily As God for Christ's sake hath forgiven thee If wants discourage guilt stare in thy face Then judge thy self beg mercy seek for grace If thou seek Jesus fear not do not stay He hath all that thou want'st haste come away Come to the blood of sprinkling with thy sin The Fountain's open wash thy self therein As it 's of grace that the most glorious Lord Speaks unto us and seals his faithful Word By Sacraments so it is of his grace That we may speak to him in every place Yea he most graciously of us requires That we in every thing make our desires Known t' him by prayer and supplication That we may freed be of all vexation And that we may to our comfort find The peace of God guarding our heart and mind Offer thy hearts desires unto the Lord For things agreeable unto his Word Pray in the Spirit who helps up every groan And sigh and suit we cannot pray alone Pray in Christ's Name if access thou would'st have To grace and answers of thy suit receive This is the new and living way the gate Of life that leadeth to the Mercy-seat All those for whom Christ doeth interceed Mercy and grace find in the time of need Be humble fervent pray in love and faith Life up pure hands without doubting and wrath Confess thy sins with sorrow and with shame For mercies praise the Lord's most holy Name And pray that God's Name may be hallowed Before thou com'st to seek for daily bread If answers come not soon wait knock again He hath not said Seek ye my face in vain Seek ask knock wait with expectation Thou shalt rejoice in God's salvation The very pouring out of a sad heart Before the Lord will somewhat ease its smart He heareth prayer and he loves to hear His Doves his Turtles voice he bows his ear All their desires groans breathings chatterings Are pleasant musick to the King of Kings These broken Notes he joins in pleasant sets Of Musick and their moaning words repeats He hears Ephraim while he doth bemoan Himself he telleth every word and groan His bowels move he hath compassion Upon his pleasant child and his dear Son. Is it not meet that since the Lord takes pleasure To hear and to repeat thy suits takes leasure That thou with pleasure should'st persist to cry And wait his leasure till he do reply Sometimes he answers Prayers e're they are done Sometimes he answers e're they be begun For he regardeth our necessity And answereth our need before we cry And sometimes humble patient expectation Is a most needful part of supplication That man is indiscreet who is offended That he 's not answered ere his suit be ended The needy he will not forget alway The poor man's hope shall not be lost for ay Think it not then a weariness to pray To come by this new true and living way With boldness by the Blood of Jesus Christ The Son of God the merciful High-Priest Who doth for ever live to interceed For sinners sensible of sin and need And takes those who come to him by the hand And brings them into grace wherein they stand Into the holiest the Mercy-seat That from the God of Grace they Grace may get Pardons of sins cures of all maladies And for all wants full suitable supplies Light Life Strength Grace to do and persevere When they are tempt with pleasure or with fear Yea more than they can ask or think upon Grace Grace sure mercies God's salvation Are not then all God's Ordinances sweet Since in them he doth with his people meet Himself his Mind his Grace he doth impart To them and they pour out to him their heart Blessed are they the joyful sound who hear And to God's Word apply their heart and ear It 's Spirit and Life it light in darkness gives And when they faint and fear it them relieves O! blessed are they who are washed in The Fountain opened for faults and sin These Waters cleanse heal quicken and make grow All things where they do come and overflow And happy are they who by Christ the King Are brought into the house of banquetting And happy they who by his Sp'rit are led Unto his house of Prayer and there made glad If this begun-communion be so sweet What will it be when it 's in Heaven compleat As for Christ's Rod and Cross tho they appear So sharp and sad yet follow do not fear That he himself doth humble to reprove And chasten thee it 's condescending love For if thou wert without correction Thou wouldst a Bastard be and not a Son. It 's better to endure Paternal Ire Than bear the vengeance of eternal fire If thou receive the rod with spirit mild Thou maist be sure God treats thee as a child Why shouldst thou his chastising hand suspect Since for thy profit he doth thee correct That we may partake of his holiness And may bring forth the fruits of righteousness His fire will not consume thee but thy sin It purgeth out thy filthy dross and tin These Thorns are kindly sharp which hedge the way That thou maist not thy lovers find but say I will to my first husband go I know That it was better then with me than now He is to anger slow he stirs not all His wrath he quickly lets the quarrel fall He spares even when he strikes debates in measure Waits to be gracious gives space and leasure To those whom he chastiseth to repent Speaks to their heart to move it to relent Despise not the Almighty's chastisement And when he thee rebuketh do not faint Humble thy self under his mighty hand Obey his will it 's madness to withstand Turn to his hand that smites and kiss the rod And it is meet that thus thou say to God I have chastisement born I 'le not offend Have mercy give me Grace my faults to mend What I see not Lord teach me that I may Know secret sins and no more go astray Blest is the man who is of God chastised And from his Law thus taught and exercised Sin brings down rods rods bring forth fruits of peace Christ turns the fruits of sin to means of grace God's soveraign Grace
THE GOSPEL-CALL In METRE Compiled by W. V. Whereunto is added Twenty Five Considerations OF THE PAINS prepared for SIN After this Life WITH A SERMON Preached on Acts VII 60. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound Psal 89.15 To day if you will â—ear his voice harden not your hearts Ps 95.7 8. Hear and your soul shall live Isa 55.3 Rise he calleth thee Mark 10.49 LONDON Printed for Richard Butler in White-Lion-Court in Barbican 1688. THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER Honest Reader THE sad Degeneracy of the Age we live in makes it appear but too great a Truth That such Books as these were never more necessary or more seasonable And therefore I hope there needs no Apology for publishing this The following Papers came recommended to me from Persons of known Honesty and Integrity Our Author has thought fit in Modesty to conceal his Name and I will not trouble my self or thee with impertinent Guesses Nor will I pretend positively to determine why he has cloath'd part of his Conceptions in a Poetick Dress since Examples are not wanting in all times in this kind The Royal Prophets David and Solomon have excell'd in Divine Poesie And we are not wanting in our own Age of great Men famous in our Generation who have oblig'd the World with their Excellent Labours of this Nature witness the Famous Quarles Inimitable Cowley Facetious Donne and the Divine Herbert to name no more who gives this Excellent Reason A Verse may find him who a Sermon flies And turn Delight into a Sacrifice As for the following Discourse 't is plain and honest fitted to the meanest Capacities which I hope will render it universally acceptable It treats of things of the greatest Moment and highest Consequence no less than the Concerns of Eternity I will no longer detain thee from the Perusal which I wish may redound to thy great benefit I heartily recommend it to thee and thee to the Grace of God. I am Thine R. B To the Author of the Gospel-Call THY Gospel-Call Dear Friend has out-done all Those gaudy florid Strains Which puzzle Vulgar Brains Thy Book has Worth Which needs no setting forth By my weak Pen The Praise is thine For which thy Name shall shine Bright like the Morning-Star Which ushers in the Day from far Until the Restitution of all things agen T. D. To the Author of the Gospel-Call AWake my Muse how can I silent be When I these pious Works of David see They that peruse this little Book may find The wise Suggestions of the Author's Mind How wittily this Worthy does impart His Sentiments with Judgment and with Art In Stile most Elegant in Sence profound In Morals practical and Doctrine sound Who like a Geographer does here display To Heaven the surest and the safest way In Gospel-Colours does delineate The lively Landschape of our future State. Dull Soul chear up here here 's thy chiefest Good 'T is not Terrestrial but Celestial Food A. T. THE GOSPEL-CALL In METRE READER awake awake my Soul and all That is within me hearken to the Call Of God most gracious who calleth thee His Name to hallow and to glorifie And from vile lusts vain glory cheating pelf Invites thee to Communion with himself This is thy chief end thy Felicity Thy greatest good thy highest dignity Here is Light Life Love all that 's meet Needful and useful holy right and sweet And all which truly fills the heart and eyes Elsewhere is nought but emptiness and lies Jehovah calls the Father and the Son The Holy Ghost Blest Three in Essence One. Nothing but God the Father Son and Spirit Can fit and fill thy Soul 's vast appetite The Soul 's a Spirit and while not unite To God who is a Spirit Infinite It wandreth seeking rest but findeth none Nor ought that gives it contentation Immortal Souls in things which fade with time Cannot find rest Come restless soul to him Who in Eternity hath his abode And is from and to everlasting God Who changeth not with whom is no mutation Nor any shadow of an alteration Who is and was and shall be still the same Whose Name alone is I am that I am When thy heart fails thy hearts strength he will be And thy sure Portion to Eternity God Infinite in wisdom only wise Calls Wilt thou fool Wisdom's advice despise It 's God Almighty who doth thee command Wilt thou frail wretch Omnipotence withstand Since the most Holy calleth upon thee To disobey were gross profanity Since the most Just most justly doth thee press To disobey were meer unrighteousness He who thee calls is good and gracious To anger slow in mercy plenteous He 's lovely loving Love who calls on thee Wilt thou from love grace goodness mercy flee He who doth call most faithful is and true Trust Truth it self and thou shalt never rue The Great Creator calls whose Word did call What was not and of nothing formed all Who all thy Members wrought most curiously And form'd thy Spirit in the midst of thee He gave and still he life to thee doth give Thou liv'st in him wilt thou without him live Thou mov'st in him from him move not away From him in whom thou go'st go not astray In him thou dost exist and canst thou be Without him who gives being unto thee Where art thou Adam when the Lord doth cry Where 's God my Maker Man should then reply When he in whom thou liv'st and doth consist Commands how dares thou for thy life resist When he in whom thou mov'st doth thee command To come to him how dares thou lingring stand Lord what is Man that thou so much should'st make Of such a nothing and such knowledge take Of Man who is but dust and fading grass And which is worse a loathsome filthy Mass Of darkness horror lust profanity Unrighteousness of sin and misery Conceiv'd in sin form'd in iniquity A slave to divers lusts lusts of the eye Lusts of the flesh and to the pride of life To anger hatred malice wrath and strife All in him is corrupt and vitiate His heart 's deceitful wicked desperate Estrang'd from God straying as soon as born Inclin'd to lies apostate and forlorn This Man whom thou O Lord didst once create In thine own Image in a happy state Hath quite dis-made himself He who was light Is darkness now he who was made upright Is now perverse ungodly and unjust Conform to Satan to his will and lust Without the Lord under Gods curse and wrath Liable to the first and second death To plagues in this life which were long to tell And to the easeless endless pains of Hell. Lord what but Grace and Mercy could thee move Upon thy hateful Foes to set such love To speak to them who hearken not to thee To follow them who from thy presence flee To shew thy self to them who shut their eyes On thee and turn them unto vanities To stretch thy arms to those which turn their
find A hiding place to hide him from the wind And they whom a tempestuous storm doth beat With pleasure to a covert make retreat Tho thirsty when in a dry place they see Rivers of waters thither they will flee If travellers see a great high Rock stand In a Sun burnt and scorched weary land Tho they be weary yet they mend their pace To find in its cool shadow some solace The drowning man longs at the Rock to be The chased man into a strength doth flee Yet all these things when they together twist Are but meer shadows when compar'd with Christ He is the Truth true Light true Life true Food A refuge from all ill He 's all that 's good To buy this Pearl all things are wisely sold For it 's a treasure that cannot be told Riches unsearchable in Christ do meet In this one Pearl all treasures are unite Earth's Riches upon which poor worldlings dote Tho they appear to be yet they are not They are uncertain yea uncertainty And certainly they will make wings and fly They are but shadows when they seem to stay And are found nothing when they flee away These many things to nothing do amount When in Death's shadow men cast the account Oft-times in life these Riches take their wing When death is come they signifie nothing Except to vex the rich they cannot free From death nor him in death accompany But here true wealth riches unsearchable Eternal riches substance durable With many things vex not thy heart or head Since in one Pearl all good is treasured Rest not in hear-say come himself behold And thou shalt see much more than hath been told Buy without price or money O! cheap rate And calculate for our poor mean estate Sure it 's free grace which hath this match made Where all things good may be for nothing had Put to thy hand fear not thou maist be bold Since he himself commands thee to take hold Since sweetness better by the taste than eye Or ear is known O come and taste and see How good the Lord is eat that which is good Fatness and Marrow soul-delighting food Drink wine that 's well refined on the Lees Drink poverty away and miseries Be filled with the Spirit do not fear Lest thou exceed there is no excess here Drink thirsty soul and drink abundantly He who drinks most liveth most soberly This drink doth not the sence and head confound It clears the eyes makes mind and judgment sound It doth not pervert but right the heart And from all evil to all good convert They reel not for the Spirit doth them lead They safely go their paths are stablished Their Mirth 's not madness it is solid pure Ends not in sadness but doth still endure They who are filled with the Spirit rejoice Make melody to God with heart and voice They Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs do sing Give thanks to God through Christ in every thing These Joys begin the perfect melody Which is above come taste and sing and see Ah carnal wretch who knows no other Feasts But such as common are to men with beasts Who seeks no better meat nor better drink Than what corrupts and turns to filth and stink Thy belly is thy God thy glory shame Thy pleasure is the shadow of a dream Which goes in coming when it comes it goes And leaves a filthy stain upon the soul It leaves a sting for thy vexation And guilt which binds to condemnation Thy momentary mirth thy pleasures vain Brings on most real and eternal pain Thy fill is emptiness thy mirth is madness The laughter of a fool that ends in sadness Thy fleshly lusts tho they seem to delight Against thy soul most fiercely they do fight Their fond embraces are death's cruel grasps Their seeming sweetness is the gall of Asps The money 's spent for that which is no bread But is the bane whereby thou' rt poisoned Thy labour 's spent for vexing vanity Which doth torment but cannot satisfie When wilt thou come unto thy self and say Ah! I am famished I pine away With hunger I am cheated poisoned I feed vile lusts by them I 'm murthered I hear of bread indeed and bread to spare And of a Feast where all things ready are Since I am called shall I not make haste And run before I die But Oh! the Feast And the Feast-maker are just at my hand Before the door tho closed he doth stand He knocks and doth me lovingly invite Since he 's so near alas shall we not meet If any man what ere he was before My voice hear and to me open the door I will come in and sup with if he Poor thing have nothing he shall sup with me These are his words if I had ears to hear Lord open them give me the hearing ear Since Lord thou art so near do not depart Stand not without ah shall a door us part Make the King's Keys or since thou' rt not for breaking Right the split lock it is of thine own making I have it split it will not budge nor gee For any thing that can be done by me Lord thou canst mend it put thy hand within Open my closed heart thou know'st the gin When David's Key in thy Almighty Hand Doth open none can shut or thee withstand Come in O mighty one and dispossess Satan and Lust which do my soul oppress Of thy own goodness Lord the Feast provide Enlarge my heart and my mouth open wide And fill it for both hunger and the fill Proceed from the good pleasure of thy will. Without thee I am nothing nothing have And nothing good can think will do or crave Unless thy Spirit help my infirmity And grace perfect all that concerneth me I cannot come except that I drawn be Draw me O Lord and I will come to thee O wretched sinner cry for mercy cry When Christ the Son of David is so nigh Blind Bartimeus heard that Christ past by He takes the tide and doth for Mercy cry Many did think his crying a disgrace And charged him that he should hold his peace But he the more did lift his voice and cry O Son of David mercy have on me Jesus stood still he thought it not a shame To be thus call'd but answer'd to his Name The Beggar being called made no stay But in his haste did cast his Cloak away He seeks for sight obtaineth his request He came in faith in love he follows Christ Let nothing which Devils or Men can say Scare thee cast all impediments away Since the great Master calls make no delay Turn a deaf ear to all who him gain-say Do as the woman of Canaan did From whom Christ tho retir'd could not be hid She crieth out Have mercy on me Lord Christ hears her cry but answers not a word And when he speaks his words discourage more Than did the silence which he kept before I am not sent but to Israel 's lost sheep Says