He would such equal works have made appears None should have cry'd The singer of God is here But now as Moses did this way confute His faithless foes who did with him dispute By greater deeds and all their Arts o're-throw The self-same thing did JESVS also do The strongest Arguments he then did use For to convince the unbelieving Jews Were the great Signs wonders which he wrought And did this way refell what e're they thought Against his Person or his Doctrine either And they thereby were silenc'd all together My works saith he to me do witness give And for their sake you ought me to believe For if that I such mighty works do'nt do As none e're did or can pretend unto Believe me not but if they witness give How unexcusable then will they you leave He also had a witness from Great John Besides his works which were divinely done And God himself from Heaven witness bore So great a Witness ne're was heard before The written Word likewise this Truth did tell If they the same would have consider'd well And therefore search the Scriptures Sirs saith he For they are those which testifie of me Thus every way you see the proofs are plain He was the true Messias you have slain Therefore repent you unbelieving Jews With fained scandals longer don't abuseâ— Your blessed Lord nor 's Gospel more refuse The dangerous troubles of the Prince of Light The scandals that he met with and the spight The hatred by that Soul unto him shown Whom he design'd the Consort of his Throne Her weak pretences for this causeless scorn And with what wond'rous patience it was born How she receiv'd him with a scornful Brow We have in part set forth and also how By mighty Signs and Wonders he did prove Both his divine Ascent and matchless Love But now the Reader with attentive Ear And longing mind desires 't is like to hear How the poor blinded Soul behav'd her now Does she not straight unto his Scepter bow Doth she not yield and readily consent To close with him and heartily repent She ever did his precious Love abuse And such a Proffer wilfully refuse He ample proof and witness now hath given That he was sent down to her out of Heaven His Noble Birth and Sovereign Dignity Sure now she can't nay dares not to deny What can she further say I pray what more Hath she to urge to keep him out o' th Door Or has he left her and will come no more What Prince would ever put up so much wrong Or wait upon a stubborn Soul so long Or who would ever make another tryal That has so often had such flat denyal Ah no! he can't his Love 's so great and strong He hopes still to obtain her Love e're long See how with tears and sighs and melting heart He woos intreats and doth his Love impart As one resolv'd he 'l no denial have True Lovers press their suit ev'n to the Grave Prince of Light 'T is not Ungratefulness which yet can change My purpose or my heart from thee estrange My strong Affections on thee are so fixt That nought has them remov'd or come betwixt My Soul and thine but had'I lov'd thy face And that alone my kindness had giv'n place My slighted suit should long e're this have ended And never more on thee had I attended Or did I love thee for thine Heav'nly Eye I then might court Angelick Majesty Or if the smoothness of thy Whiter Brow Could charm mine eyes or mine affections bow To outward Objects pollisht Marble might Have given as much content as much delight No no 't is neither brow nor lip nor eye Nor any outward thing I can espy That has or could surprize my tender heart I know thy Nature who and what thou art Nor is it Vertue a homely Case Wherein lies hid much rich and precious grace Together rarely mixt whose worth doth make Me love the Casket for the Jewels sake 'T is none of this My eye doth pierce within But nothing there can I behold but Sin The reason of my Passion wholly lies Within my Self from whence it first did rise And though thou canst not it at present see Thou shalt if thou wilt hearken unto me O come poor Soul and give me but thy heart And unto thee choice Love I will impart I come to call thee and do call again O shall I not of thee my Suit obtain Dost not perceive what I for thee endure And may not all this thy Love to me procure The Soul seem'd not at all to mind this Friend Nor would she yet to him attention lend She could not in him any beauty see Nor did she know her own sad misery She bid him then depart and said to all He had no form nor comeliness And shall I ' gainst my fancy foolishly admire Where I no beauty see to tempt desire Whilst he was thus extending forth his Love And studying all obstructions to remove That so he might the Souls affections get Behold his Enemies with malice set Themselves against him with such horrid rage It seems no less than 's ruin to presage Ah! for this Prince methinks my heart doth ake To see what head against him they do make But that which doth the greatest trouble bring Is to see th' Soul combine against the King Did ever creature deal thus by a Lover Or ever such inhumaneness discover What hurt did this dear Prince unto her do That she would seek his utter overthrow Is this to recompence his fervent Love What will she now a Traitor to him prove If she his Love will not accept must she Expose him thus to shame and misery Is love to Sin and filthy Lust so sweet That Jesus must be trodden under feet Because he would that Contract break asunder This surely is Earth's shame and Heavens wonder What he that went about still doing good And in the gap of danger always stood Them to Defend from Ruin ah shall he The object of their Rage and Malice be He that to them no harm did do or think And yet must he this bitter potion drink Ah precious Lord how doth my spirit grieve To think what wrong from them thou didst receive So strange their malice and so fierce their spight That if God's Word did not the same recite Who thereunto would any Credence give Or the Relation of their Deeds believe But how was he expos'd what did they do 'T is that say some that we would have you show Their hearts were fill'd with wrath up they rise And thrust him out o' th City then devise To get him up to th'brow of a great Hill And cast him headlong down from thence they will Break all his bones and kill him out o' th way This they designed Holy Authors say Not that their Cruelty performed was For through the midst of them he free did pass His Pow'r Divine did his Protector stand And rescued him from all this
doth affirm and I Esteem above what e're Antiquity Hath left recorded or most curious Eyes Can view in best approved Histories Relating to the matter we have stated Which follows thus as 't is by him related About the period of Tiberius's Raign Who at Christ's Death was Rome's proud Soveraign Strange hideous Cries shriekings and howlings be Heard with amazement in the Grecian Sea Complaining that their great God Pan was fled From whence great Conâ—â—ernations followed No sooner did the louder Trump of Fame This news of their great Pan â—s Retreat proclaim But it was brought unto the Emperours Ears And unto him a certain Truth appears Who being startled at the strange Relation Falls with his Wisemen into Consultation Who sought by Magick to resolve the doubt Which all their Art and Skill could not find out Yet Christians in those days could quickly spy The way to open the whole Mysterie Comparing times they found this strange Relation Did just fall out upon Christ's Death and Passion And then concluded straightway bâ— the â—all Of their great Pan which signifieth All All Spirits by Christ's Death were so afflicted Their utter Ruin thereby was pâ—â—â—icted Yea others of their own Reconâ—â— still do Confirm the truth of this their overthrow How one of them constrain'd sometime before By God himself their fall did thus deplore An Hebrew Child that shall be born will be The final downfal of our Dignity All our usurpt Dominions by that Child Shall come to nought and utterly be spoil'd He strikes us dumb and nonplus's our Art Henceforth in vain no further Questions start But sad and silent from our Shrines depart Thus God doth force Devils sometimes to speak That which doth much against their Int'rest make But stay my Muse the Cherubs chant again O listen to this more melodious strain The glorious Angels do sweet Triumphs sing Upon the Conquests of our Heav'nly King They clap their wings and leap for joy to see This total Rout and happy Victorie Shall Heav'n rejoyce and more concerned Earth Not sing aloud Jehovah's praises forth O happy Day blest hour the best of all Poor Mortals ever saw since Adam's fall Christ of a truth is risen from the Grave No Pow'rs of Hell could keep him in the Cave Yet are there some in these in these last evil days Deny that he from Death himself did raise The Jews also with their Forefathers say 'T was a Deceit for he was stoln away Whilst drousy Soldiers fell into a sleep Who the Sepulchre had a charge to keep A thing themselves no doubt could not believe But was forg'd by the Devil to deceive And blind mens Eyes who wanted that inspection They might have had touching his Resurrection 'T was the last game the Devil could devise To hinder Christ's most glorious Enterprise They knew that if his Resurrection were Received for a truth no hope was there But all that they had done it tumble must So the last Evil would exceed the first But if they had believ'd it certainly The Souldiers had with great'st severity Been punished for being so remiss About a thing so weighty as was this Besides were they asleep how could they tell What things there came to pass or what befell Or if awake why did they not prevent Those men who came with such a strong intent And can one think if the Disciples durst Attempt that thing they should have stript him first Would they not take the body in the cloaths Lest e're they 'd done the Sould'ers should have rose And caught them doing it and then be sure Great sufferings for it they must endure Nay had these men been guilty of such evils They 'd been no better than seducing Devils The worst of Mortals and how was it then That God should own and witness to such men By aiding them Would Heavens Pow'r have gone To prove a Cheat when Miracles were done Again they were of such Integrity As none could brand with the least infamy And they 'i th face of Foes without least dread Declare that he was risen from the Dead That they convers'd with him full forty days Whilst he instructed them in all his ways Before he did ascend And then agen In Galilee at once five hundred men Saw him with joy and in their witness gave That he indeed was risen from the Grave Here stop again my Pen Time calls away Upon this Theme thou must no longer stay Leave them to perish let them fall and die That this blest Resurrection do deny Shall God his Saints and Angels witness bear Unto this thing and yet shall Mortals dare To call the same in question or deny What is confirm'd by such Authority No firm as Earth or Heav'ns more stable poles Let this great Truth be fixt in pious Souls Without it Faith 's a Fancy and the best Of men more wretched than the vilest Beast But now awake my Muse no longer slumber The Day doth dawn and joys which none can number Are rushing in upon the Prince of Light This sorrow 's gone nought now but Glory bright Shines forth in him now is he rais'd on high Far out o' th reach of all malignity Nor men nor Devils can annoy him more He 's safely landed on the long'd-for shore Go Turtles go whilst thousand Joys betide The glorious Bridegroom and his purchas'd Bride That Sun is risen who will ne're go down Who will his Spouse with light of Glory crown But where 's the Soul O where alas is she For whom he dy'd and hung upon the Tree What greeting O what Joy when they do meet There will abound the thoughts thereof are sweet He that was Dead is come to Life again And ever shall in bliss Eternal raign Thrice happy is that Soul which he hath chose To be his Love his Dove his Sharon's Rose But where is she and what is her Estate For nothing of her we have heard of late Doth she not wait doth she not long to see His lovely Face and to embraced be In his dear Arms O do'nt she greatly crave One sight of him one visit more to have Doth not her Soul dissolve then into tears With thoughts of him who freed her from all fears Read the next Part and you will quickly find The Fruit of Sin and nature of the mind That is corrupt and fill'd with carnal Love How nothing can those vile Affections move Oh how unkind to Christ do Sinners prove The End of the First Book Behind this Curtain 〈◊〉 suppose to be such Glory which 〈…〉 can see Besides the Day being 〈…〉 too If wee 〈…〉 yet more 〈◊〉 dare not 〈◊〉 see Death and Devils sin World cast down Whilst Heaven doth the glorious Victor crow◠〈…〉 BOOK II. The Glorious Lover A Divine POEM CHAP. I. Shewing how Christ renews his Suit again and again which is done either by the ministration of the Gospel or by his various Providences and yet the Soul refuses to receive him THUS have you
Jesus give He to this purpose spake yet ne'r-the-less Lov'd best the wages of unrighteousness The Understanding may much light receive And yet may not the Soul rightly believe Nor be espous'd to Christ may not rely On him alone in true simplicitie But to proceed with careful Eye let 's view What follows here what 't is doth next ensâ—e As Combatants sometimes a Parly beat After some sharp Encounter or retreat And with each other do expostulate About their rising or their sinking fate Even so likewise do these strong inward Foes They pause as 't were parly then fall to blows Old-man The Old-man moves and presently he meets With the poor Soul and thus Affection greets Thou for my Int'rest ever yet hast been And sweet says he Ah! sweet's a bosom sin Thou never yet deny'dst to yield subjection Unto my will and now indear'd Affection Our Master great Apollyon doth command That we unite our force and faithful stand Against our Foâ—s thy int'rest is invaded Thou â—eest by whom thou knowst who are inraged Hold safe thine own ne'r let those Objects go Thou lov'st so dear 't will be thy overthrow And thereby too the Soul will unawares 〈…〉 involv'd in more vexatious cares And those delights which thou weâ—t wont to have Will be obscured in the darksom Cave Of black Oblivion buried out of sight Should once the Soul close with this Prince of Light Not that we think thou canst'ith ' least approve Of thiâ— whereby she should withdraw her love Quite from those things which we esteem so dear For Heart and Will some ways do yet adhere Unto our Int'rest yet basely misled She is 〈◊〉 since she 's been enlightened We are content she should cry up the choice She thinks to make let her in that rejoice Yet there 's a secret we would fain reveal She 's blinded by her over-fervent zeal It iâ— enough since she has made such vows To love him 〈…〉 to become his Spouse Why should she not have yet sweet sensual pleasures To please the flesh to whom the greatest treasure Of right belongs that ever were poste it How can her glory better be exprest Than to imbrace what is so freely given Joys here below as well as bliss in Heaven Let her not fear to spend her days in mirth That 's Heir of Heaven and Lady of the Earth This think upon and secretly impart So sweet a Message to the yielding heart Affection hears and willingly consented And strives with this to make the Soul contented Nay with it too the Soul began to close Until poor Conscience did them both oppose Affection Will and Conscience talk a while Apollyon straight starts up and with a smile Salutes them all seeming as if he were One unconcern'd with any matters there Who well observing how thâ—se three contended Begs leave to speak a word as he pretended In favour to them all desiring he Might at this time their Moderator be At this they seem'd to pause and stand all mute At length the Soul but faintly grants his Suit The Devil having thus obtain'd his end Salutes the Soul Fair Virgin I commend Thy happy choice almost if not quite made Yet if all matters were but wisely weigh'd Thou 'lt find Affection has advis'd thee right And 't can't be safe such Counsel now to slight The greatest honours oft for want of care In just improvements have been made a snare What bount'ous Heav'n Earth affords refuse not Be not so nice ye ' buse the things you use not What is thy Soveraign willing to receive thee Into Celestial Joys yet quite bereave thee Of present sweetness Tush this cannot be He will sure ne'r such wrong do unto thee Reflect not what thy former state hath been But what 't is now a Saint more than a Queen Things present and to come nay all are thine Come merry be drinkof the choiest Wine Thine honour 's great and let thy joys abound Chant to the Viol hear the Organ sound Let the melodious Lute and Harp invite thee And each transcendent joy on Earth delight thee A sweet is What a thing reproacht call'd Sin It in the bosom lies has harbour'd bin By chiefest Saints O then do not deny The present good that 's pleasant to the Eye But it thou fearst thou shouldst thy Lord offend Observe this Rule which I shall next commend Let all thy words be pleasant smooth and sweet When him thou dost in daily Duties meet Seem to be chast and let no Saints espy The smallest sign of Immoralitie Be â—rave in speech and lowly when thou meetst them And call them thy dear Brethren when thou greetst them And if thy Soveraign seek to have thy heart Let him have some yet must the World have part Call him thy Friend thy Saviour own him so And to poor Saints thou must some kindness show Or else thy covetousness they will espy And 〈…〉 be charg'd with what Idolatry Thus mayst thou keep his love but when thou go's Amongst thy old acquaintance yet his Foes Let them know nothing let no sentence fall Which may discover this to them at all Thus having spoken briefly be thou wise And with thy Friends my Agents now advise Thus ends the Old-man and Apollyon's suit And the poor Soul in this assault stood mute Not well discerning who these thoughts did dart Into her yielding and divided heart Nor hath she got that grave and good inspection What 's best to do and where to take direction But goes to th' Flesh with that doth she consult Which quickly brings her to a sad result I hitherto saith she have been deprest What shall I do how may I be at rest The Flesh or corrupt Affection What 's the reversion of a Prince's State When 't must be purchas'd at so dear a rate 'T is but arriving at a seeming pitch Of Honour and to be câ—nceited Rich. If there 's no way to get this promis'd Crown But to incur the world'ds vile scoff and frown With loss of life and all we call our own 'T would folly be to seek for such a prize For what we have is pleasant in our Eyes A real thing and present as 't is dear To part with it is more than flesh can bear But by the way mind what our Friends propound A Medium to enjoy them both is found Wherefore 't is best in this perplexing case For to unite that Counsel let 's imbrace Soul Hast thou forgot or knowst thou not mine eyes Have been enlight'ned let us first advise With Judgment lest this over-rash conclusion Turn all our Consultations to confusion It would be well could we I must confess Those sinful sweets and present joys possess Without the loss of those transcendant pleasures That 's in Jehova's unconfined Treasures But what if Judgment says it must not be Nor Truth nor Conscience with us will agree If so what shall I do what shall I choose Whilst I secure one I both may loose The flesh or
corrupt Affection's Reply One word I 'le briefly drop and speak no more Thou 'st put thy case to Conscience heresofore And what redress pray had you what didst gain Did he not gripe thee sorely for thy pain Wilt thou neglect so sweet advice as this Judgment and Conscience both may judg amiss But if thou lik'st it and canst be contented By knawing Conscience still to be tormented Then I 'le be silent and improve thy skill Yet will I love and like where I did still â—adst thou been counsel'd to forsake the Lord Would I do'st think have spoken the least word Once to dissuade thee from so just a thing Nay Soul thou oughtst nay must respect this King But whilst he 's absent whilst he dwells on high Thou hast no other Object for thine Eye Then these Consult with Conscience now do what you please But as for me I am for present case CHAP. VI. Shewing the policy of Satan in keeping the Soul from a full closing with Christ Also the nature of a bosom sin NO sooner was this sharp Encounter over But in a little time you might discover The Soul half vanquish'd by her weak opposing Sometimes resisting and then faintly closing Sometimes you 'l see her just as 't were consenting And presently you 'l find her much lamenting Beset on every side with troops of fears Which makes her to bedew her cheeks with tears Complains to Conscience hoping for relief Till Conscience cheeks her and renews her grief Sometimes she 's drawn to fix her tender Eye Upon the Gospel's pure Simplicitie Her love-sick thoughts at â—its seem to aspire As if she could pass through hot flames of â—ire And say with Peter Though all should deny Thee my blest Lord yet so will never I. But when the Soul once comes to see the Cross Its courage fails O! 't is at a great loss When she perceives she and her lusts must part O that sticks close go's to the very heart The thoughts of that is hard 't is Self-denial That puts the Soul upon the deepest tryal Some ready are to make a large profession In hopes of somewhat perhaps the possession Of Heav'n at last but straight sounds in their Ear Deny thy self come part with all that 's dear For Jesus sake Ah! this they cannot bear The Young-man ran he seem'd to be in haste But news of this did all his courage blast The gate is strait O! 't is no easie thing To for-go all in love to this blest King The way is narrow which leads unto life 'T is Self-denial that begets the strife 'Twixt Flesh and Spirit there 's a constant War They opposite and quite contraries are As Fire and Water Light and Darkness be Such diffâ—ring Natures never can agree So between these is like antipathie The flesh is like the Young-man give 's attention To what the Preacher says until he mention His bosom-sin the Lust he so much loves This makes him face about and back removes He goes away yet lov'd to hear Christ preach Up Legal works but when he came to reach His Dalilah that blow so griev'd his heart That Christ and he immediately must part His great possessions could not give to th' poor Though he had th' promise of abundance more Treasures above but being not content To pay that price for Heaven away he went How loth's the Flesh to yield that Grace may win The happy Conquest of a Bosom-sin How will it plead how wittily debate Excuse or argue to extenuate The Crime at length it yields forc'd to give way But first cry's out O give me leave to stay A year a month a week at least one day Put when it sees it cannot that obtain The loser looks and pleads yet once again Ah! let my fond my fainting breaking heart Hug it the other time before we part Much like Rebeckah's Friends the flesh appears It parts with sin but 't is with floods of tears Each has his Darling his beloved sin Whilst unconverted much delighted in Give me say some but leave to heap up Treasure And I 'le abandon all forbidden pleasure Others again there be that only prize The popular applause of being wise A name of being learn'd judicious grave Able Divines 't is this too many crave Some boast their natural and acquired parts Which take the ears of some seduce the hearts Of many simple Souls who go astray While others are for feasting day by day There 's some delight in drinking choice of Wine Whilst others are to Gaming more inclin'd That sin that finds more favour than the rest That is thy darling sin thou knowst it best O search thy bosom well pry pry within Till thou findst out thy own beloved sin That gives thee kisses that 's the lust that slays thee O that 's the cursed Judas which betrays thee Ah! see how blind how foolish Sinners are Like to rebellious Saul theyâ—l Agâ—g spare They entertain this Lust close in their heart And are indeed as loth with it to part As with a Hand or Eye and therefore she Crys out with Sampson O this pleases me Ah! I will freely part with all the rest Might I but hug this Darling in my breasâ— Souls once convicted quickly do begin To hate detest and leave all grosser sin Sins visible unto the natural Eye Such which are of the black and deepest die They are possest with such a dread and fear They 'l not touch them nor venture to come near These foul defilements nay such spots disdainf Then presently conclude they 'r born again And shall be sav'd though bosom lusts remain And if at any time some beams of light Discover secret Sin or Conscience sâ—ite Or touch the Dalilah they then begin To think of making covers for such sin Which in the secret of the bosom lies With the fair Mantle of Infirmities But if at any time the searching Word Which cuts and trys like a two-edged Sword Pierces the heart and will divide asunder The soul and spirit and e're long bring under These Soul-deluding Covers and espies Those secret Lusts which in each corner lies And doth unmask those evils and disclose The Soul's hypocrisie yea and expose It's nakedness to view unto its shame Now now the Flesh begins to change the name Of every Lust that lies so closely hidden Soul touch not saith the Lord 't is Fruit forbidden O! saith the Flesh 't is pleasant in mine eyes Yea says the Tempter Soul 't will make thee wise Taste it is sweet the liberty is thine And Wisdom is a Vertue most divine And Vertue saith the flesh will make thee shine Christ he prohibits Souls from taking pleasure In laying up their bags of Earthly Treasure For these things have in them a secret Art To steal away th' affections of the Heart Christ tells the Soul Our Hevenly Father knows What 't is we want and so much he allows Which he sees best which we contentedly Should take from him who will our wants supply