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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52171	Mentis humanæ metamorphosis, sive conversio, The history of the young converted gallant, or, Directions to the readers of that divine poem written by Benjamin Keach, intituled Warre with the devil here shewing the readers thereof how to read the same poem aright in these four respects, viz. I. in reference to the substance or history thereof, II. in reference to the intent or mystery thereof, III. in reference to the consequent doctrine thereof, IV. in reference to practical application thereof / compiled in a poem by J. Mason, Gent. ...; Mentis humanae metamorphosis	Mason, John, fl. 1676-1683.	1676 (1676)	Wing M916; ESTC R7190	51,417	169

you all farewel and wish you may live well and so dye well which you cannot do except you first bid the World farewel and dye to that whilst here you live The whole Compass of this Earth through all its round Circle of 32 points must be left for Heaven-sake in all its Longitudes and Latitudes and Degrees thereof All must be left for one Pearl one only Treasure for which the Merchant or Mariner sold all he had to purchase it And where the Treasure is there will the Heart be whether in Heaven or in Earth But on Earth the Needle the Heart or Mind of Man hath no rest it is a Pilgrim there and travelleth to its Resting-place above all Earthly Joys State and Delight which Resting-place is Invisible it is a Misterie above Nature the Natural minded unconverted Man can have no propensity or inclination to it the Heavenly converted Soul seeks and finds it and is fixed in it as the Needle to the North-point its proper place of Rest. For after all Fixation crowns the work The Needle would be a cast away were it not both Toucht and Fixt For otherwise it could give no Direction no true Instruction nor be of any use service for its maker or its master but being Fixed after long Trembling and Quaking and seeking Rest it secretly and silently rejoyceth with an Allelujah to its Creator Rejoycing that it is Fixt to-towards him as all true Saints do and ever did Therefore said David that sweet Singer of Israel in the midst of all his Troubles and Tryals My Heart is fixed O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Awake my Harp c. Psal. 50.7 And again Psal. 59.16 I will sing of thy Power I will sing a loud of thy mercy early in the morning unto thee O my strength will I sing For God is my Defence saith he and the God of my mercy In him my Heart is fixed He is the God of my salvation and deliverance the God that giveth me Life Strength Health Food and Raiment The God who hath anointed me with the Spirit of Grace and with the inward light of his Countenance who hath pardoned my sin and redeemed my Feet from Death Who hath given me a New Heart to love his Commandments And his Law is sweet to my Lips as the Honey and the Honey-comb more delightsome than my dayly-food yea than all the Glories of my Kingly-crown ●n him my heart resteth to him will I sing and give praise But the Needle the Heart or mind of Man cannot come to this place of Rest and Perfection till it first be Baptized Annointed like the Heart of David by the Holy Ghost The Heart must become a Child in its Humility taken up into Christs Arms and blest For the word of God namely the Prophets and Apostles bring the Heart as a New-born Infant unto Christ inwardly in Spirit that like the Needle touched with the Load-stone it may be made Partaker of this Heavenly-Nature and so be made like unto him conformed to his Image lost in the first Adam then it is inabled to stand fixed and at Rest in the midst of all this worlds Tryals and Temptations as converted unto him who is the Rest and resting-place to all that be His. Therefore great need is there to all mankind of this Conversion of this outward and inward unction this divine Metamorphosis or change of the Mind this New-birth for without it none can make war with the Devil The world and the flesh none can become Old Souldiers of Christ Or Conquerours over Sin Hell and Death without it for this is the one thing necessary to everlasting Joy Rest and Perfection here and for evermore For it is the Saints Jewel their white-stone by which all are Purified Sanctified and Justified to all eternity Yea this is the sure infallible mark of the True Church on Earth the Lilley-hearted Church the Lillies of the Vallies the Lillies and Roses in Solomon's Garden here Typed forth by this lively similitude of the little Needle Loe Readers if all this be true if the case thus stands before the Throne of Jesus Christ where is then all Pride Envy Dispute Wars Jars and Contention about Religions All Religions and Opinions Institutions Signs Services and Sacrament must be subordinate and stoop to this one things necessary this Place of Rest and Fixation which is an humble clean Heart directed to God and Goodness in Jesus Christ alone And then farewell Sensuality and Gentility Riches and Honour for this one treasure this essential Principal of Rest and everlasting Happiness And thus much for the similitude omitting all Curiosity of discourse concerning Magnetick Bodies in general as likewise the variation of the Needle on this and that side the Aequator with all other abstrusities in this matter And only wish after all that my writing here might beeome magnetick to my beloved Readers and might attract some at the least to true Love of the Saints Jewel here described and so become members of the universal Lillie Church with their Lillie-pointed Hearts touched with the Load-stone of divine Love and Grace And thus much of-this Book written occasionly from the sight of that Divine Poem aforementioned in the beginning written by the hand of One altogether unknown unto me hoping it will prove acceptable to him and to the Lovers and Believers of the Truth as it is in Christ Jesus the fountain of all Truth Remaining to them all a Servant to my Power in the service of the said Truth John Mason The full Period An Advertisement WHereas His Majesty hath been gratiously pleased by his Letters Pattent to grant and confirm to Richard Hains the sole cleansing the Seed called Trefoil Nonsuch or Hop clover from its Husk and course Grass he being the first that made the discovery with prohibition to all others to cleanse the same which Seed thus cleansed is very profitable to many places of this Kingdom especially for dry Lands as Chalkey Rocky and Hilly Grounds c. which are Naturally barren and will produce little or no Pasture These are to certifie all Gentlemen Farmers and others willing to improve such barren Grounds so as with the expence of six shillings to make Land which without it is dear of half a Crown an Acre by the Year to be worth 15 20 or 25 shillings per Acre and for their farther information They may have a Printed account of the Nature use and advantage of the said Seed cleansed as aforesaid At Mr. Russels Coffee-house in Bartholomew-close near West-Smith field The said Seed so cleansed is to be sold by Mr. Thomas Mottershed at the Cross keys in Lumbard-street and Mr. William Lucas at the naked Boy in the Strand and not else-where in London The way for sowing it is with Oats and Barley and the first Weeks of January February March and April the said Richard Hains himself will be in London and may be spoken with at the

a Wonder doth appear Of such a One our news-News-books never told Nor yet the Belgick's Mercury of old And therefore marvel not if I supply The Old Defect with this New History Two kinds of Birth the Scripture well explains Esau the First Jacob the Last obtains These Names two Natures do imply and so The Last supplants the First and brings it low For a New Nature doth a New Name take And a New Birth doth a New Christian make 'Till now this Gallant did Usurp that Name But his New Birth makes him to be the same And far more Noble is this Second Birth For this from Heaven comes but that from Earth Yea this is Born of God but that of Man This calls God Father That nor will nor can This Noble Birth transcends each Coat of Arms. All natural Extract or the Field Alarms And for this Birth this Youth himself bereaves Of his First Birth and its Vain-glory leaves With all its tinckling Titles of Degrees To which men bow their heads and bend their knees This was the third hard Cross to this poor soul For all the Powers of Hell this work controul Old Satan's Kingdom cannot stand one hour In that poor heart where Pomp hath lost its power Nor can Gentility in its Pride agree With Christianity in true sympathie For these to Princes are as opposite As Light and Darkness or as Black and White The Jew and Gentile don 't more different seem Than Gentleman and Christian in esteem Dam me to Hell the sinful Gallants crie Hell is their Portion sin their propertie To whom this Convert stands a Pattern here Of True Repentance and of Holy Fear Of true Nobility in the highest kind Born of Humility in the lowest mind Who to obtain a New-name as New-born Leaves all vain Trappings which his Name adorn And here degrades himself of Gentile Pride So to be made for Christ his lowly Bride For such a one each Gallant ought to be And so make good this Gallant 's History The End of the Third Degree in Conversion Descending and Third Mortifying Virtue Called Execution of Iudgment and Will In forsakeng all Vain Gentility The Fourth Mortifying Grace or Virtue Being the Fourth Step or Degree in his Conversion Descending Called Rationality or True Discretion In Bridling of the Wit and Lordly Tongue THus now bereft of his Gentility For Conscience sake in deep Humility And of that Vain Imagination late Which Airie Titles bred in his first ' state Such as the Vulgar their Commanders give Though ne're so Vile ' though ne're so Vain they live He now doth wonder how he play'd the child With those fine Rattles which his Wits beguil'd And next he strives with all the Power he can In all his Words to prove a Rational Man For Speech is given unto all but few Attain in Speech the Moderation due Therefore himself he now doth Recollect And both his Tongue and his wild Wit Correct He that can Rule his Wit doth Rule his Tongue Else it will prove oft-times too large too long Thus a new work he now doth undertake As well for Credit as for Conscience-sake And so becomes a well composed Soul Whose Babbling Wit true Reason doth controul His words are few he in deep silence dwells And only to the Wise his Minde he tells Lest he be made at any time or season A scorn to Fools that understand no Reason Reason's the Jewel which his Soul doth prize As giving sight to his awak'ned Eyes Regenerate Reason now becomes his Guide In all his Words Works Thoughts beside A God-like Image and a Light Divine When saving Faith its grossness doth Refine But 't is Preposterous Piety to make Reason the Ground of Faith and Truth mistake For God's the Lord of Reason and of Sense Of Phancy Judgment and Intelligence Yea he is Lord of Language and doth give Reason to Man in Language pure to live And by that Light to Rule his vagrant Tongue Least he exceed in Talk or speak what 's wrong To guard his lips as with a flaming Sword For Man must give account of every Word Of every idle saying jest or story Which he of vents for his own praise and glory The Tongue 's a Bruitish Member void of Wit And Man must keep perpetual Warr with it And stand upon his Watch to keep it in Lest it fly out and fall to deadly Sin For all Man's talk is either good or evil So he an Angel Acts or else a Devil Therefore observe in each Particular How Reason leads this Convert through this war Where he finds several Enemies at hand They against him he against them doth stand The several Particulars follow concerning Vanity in Discourse and here Forsaken As the Enemies to Reason Faith and Truth 1. The First Particular Vanity in Speech Namely Lightness Iesting and Laughing Forsaken by this Convert ANd now this Noble Princely Youth begins To take account of all his Verbal Sins Which seem'd before an Ornament and Grace To his High-Birth his Quality and Place But now this Laughing Spirit he Corrects With solid looks and his light humour Checks For Manly Reason in his Sober School Permits no Scholar there to act the Fool To vent his With or laugh at his own jest Or to make Sport in vain for all the rest For nothing more corrupts the work of Grace Than a loose jesting Tongue and laughing Face 2. The Second Particular Forsaken in Vaniloquie Viz. Complement ANd next he leaves his nimble tongues activity In Complemental Fine and False Civility False Flāttering Titles now he gives no more Nor lends the Name of Madam to a Whore Nor Sir unto a Knave All Gentile Oaths And Humble Service he both leaves and loaths For all his Care is to serve God aright With Lips unfeign'd in all the Peoples sight 3. The Third Particular in Vaniloqui forsaken Viz. Amorous Discourse Songs and Uerses ANd to proceed he now no more rehearses To his Fine Misse his Amorous Books Verses Into the Fire he casts his Playes burns them For fume they are and into fume he turns them Like unto like from Wanton Flames they came And must again return into a Flame His Aerie Sonnets and his wild Romances Tales Fables Fictions and a thousand Chances Of Wandering Knighthood and brave Chivalrie Are now all mute and in deep silence lie One Penitent Psalm doth more his Soul delight Than all the Books of Mirth that Wit can write Saying O Lord with Grace my Heart renew And fill my lips with language chaste and true 4. The Fourth Particular Vanity in Talk Forsaken Viz. Telling of Uulgar News NOr tells the News from any forreign Part For he finds News at home in his own heart There 's Civil Warrs begun and like to hold For Sence by Reason scorns to be controul'd Because he long hath reign'd as Elder-Brother And frets to be supplanted by the other Nature and Custome would not yield to Grace Nor to

the Spirit would the Flesh give place Pride still would be Supream and Carnal Lust Would Reign and Rule and be accounted Just. His Wit his Will Fancy all cry Treason Against the Truth in his Anointed Reason Old Satan too if possible would fain The Castle he hath lost once more regain But in this Converts heart Grace keeps the Field ' Til all at last to Truth and Reason yield And this good News he to his Friends imparts Who feel find these Warrs in their own hearts O that the Gallants of this Age as well As Forreign News this Home bred News could tell And fill our News Books with these Holy Warrs In stead of Christians most Unchristian Jarrs 5. The Fifth Particular Vanity in Talk Forsaken Namely Religious Debate AS for the Sects and Churches their wayes His Heart 's his Church he none of them gainsays Though they gainsay each other opose Each others Tenets both in Verse and Prose Sect against Sect Church against Church ingage Swords against Swords tongues against tongues do rage What some call truth som others hold for lies What one Condemns another Justisies And 't is impossible to please them all 'Till they have more of Honey less of Gall. Some Preach by Books some Reason some by Spirit Some Preach Free grace some Free-will some Merit Some for the Churches Institution stand And some against them rise throughout the Land Thus Pro and Con tossing the Ball about They fill the Land with wrangling with doubt And wilst each Party strives to get the Ball Sometimes they give and sometimes get a fall ☞ Reason's Advice in this Case But peaceful Reason in his low Contrition Bids him sit still and mind his own Condition Gentle to hear all sides with patient Ear But unto nooe save Christ's own voice adhere For as in life he 's neither vain nor vicious So he 's no wrangling Make bate or Seditious A fit Companion for those Souls alone Who with the whole Creation sigh and groan For such a one each Gallant ought to be And so make good this Converts Historie The end of the Fourth Degree Descending Called Rationality in Speech and Bridling the Gallant Tongue 5. The Fifth Mortifying Grace or Virtue being the Fifth Step or Degre in his Conversion Descending Namely Abstemiousness or Continence in Meats Drinks Cloaths and all Sensuality THus when his Reason into Light was brought And from its dark Eclipse to clearness wrought Having first learn'd himself thus to deny Of Gentile talk and all Vaniloquie Lo this Young Heir born to a large possession Leaves all to follow Christ in strict Profession And in New-life with dayly Sin-denyal Bears his first Cross in many a tempting tryal For now his Joyes run a contrary way Quite cross to what they ran in his First-day His Hawks and Hounds he leaves for all his care Is to find out the Truth not hunt the Hare His Fleet-Race Horses all are quite out-run For he hath now a larger Rarce begun His Tables Cards and Dice he flings away For he hath now a harder Game to Play Whilst Tears do trickle from his mournful eyes With sad remembrance of his Vanities For he play'd wrong before and doth begin A second Game against each youthful Sin His costly Dishes and delicious Fare And gaudy Dress which he was wont to were He claims no more For Pride or Ornament But having Food and Raiment is content And with a Dish of Herbs or Garden-sallet Can Dine or Sup and satisfie his Palate His Sword and Belt his Periwigge and Plumes His whiting Powders and his strong Perfumes All sent and smell like Adled Eggs quite rotten Or like good Chear long vented and forgotten To both th' Exchanges he now bids farewell With all the Modes and Fashions there they sell All the Attractive shooing hornes of Vice He hates as Vermin and Aegyptian Lice His Moderation and Gratitude Thus in his moderate Food and comly Dress He keeps the mean and balks all vain excess What e're he wears what e're he eats or drinks Of Christ's last Supper or his Cross he thinks And setting all his old Excess a part He keeps a daily Eucharist in his heart Perpetual Thanks do Transubstantiate And Change his Mind into a Heav'nly state For that is the right Transubstantion Which most mistake in gross imagination Who in their blinded Superstition strange Themselves unchanged think the Bread should change And this vain Error for four hundred years Hath fill'd the Christian world with doubts fears But this wise Convert in his changed Sight Free from that Errour Ears and Drinks aright For he himself is changed and his Food In his New-change is by due Thanks made good And as a Nazarite thus he doth endure Both in his Diet and his Habit pure For such a one each Gallant ought to be And so make good this Converts Histerie Th end of the Fifth Degree Descending Called Abstemuousness or Continency Touching Sensuality The Sixth Mortifying Grace or Virtue Being the Sixth Step or Degree in his Conversion Descending Namely Solitude or Separation from all Uain and Uicious Society WHo e're hath learn'd to bridle in his tongue No more to vain acquaintance doth belong And so remains the last and greatest Wonder The Heaviest Cross and hardest to come Under As if the Soul from Body were Divided And with the Flesh no more the Spirit Sided For now his Old Aquaintance and Sweet Friends Whom as his Soul he lov'd he reprehends His Consorts kindred and Relations dear He baulks he Shunns Seldome doth come neer He keeps aloofe from All and doth not dare To eat or drink with those who Lye or Sweare Vain Company he Loathes Pure Grain from weeds He now discerns No more with Swine he feeds Yet if Occasion chance to draw him in His Care is then to keep himself from Sin And as a Sheep feeding among the Beasts He 's all alone though present at their Feasts For ' though among them yet he is not of them And rather doth bewail then scorn or scoffe them From Sin and Sinners both he turnes away And their Allurements scorns though ner'e so Gay For all his Joy is fix't on higher-Things A fit Companion for the best of Kings For now the King of Saints doth not disdain To sup with him and in his heart to Reign Yea after all he leaves the glorious Court With all his Pomps Pleasures Game Sport And one day by his Cross had rather ' bide Than in the Court a thousand dayes beside The Painted Madams and the Spotted Faces VVith Amorous Arms he now no more embraces And to his Tempting Miss dares boldly say I am not I begone away away That Park he baulks where Gallants Sacrifice To Venus and her Nymphs their Hearts and Eyes At the She-Bulls he laughs and turns his Eyes From the beholding of those Vanities For he is turn'd another Creature quite Nor Sin nor Sinners can give him

Christ is to none that turn to Christ deni'd The smallest grain of Faith in time of need Prevails with him and never fails to speed By whom the peace is made for ever sure 'Twixt God and Man which can and will indure Through a Resigned Will to his good pleasure Taking what he will give and wait his leasure Christs will with mans united in mans heart Make that firm tye which time can never part Grace and free-will set both their Seals thereto Which all the powers of hell cannot undoe But the Seir'd heart whether men chide or praise it No Counsell can to Grace or free-will raise it ●ecause it can no true Repentance find ●or Faith nor Conscience nor least change of mind Thus some attain that everlasting Bliss Which others by neglect for ever miss ●he Saints above in several mansions raigne ●nd several Regions sure in Hell remain ●nd thus according as our works shall be ●ach man receives his Measure and Degree ●is measure and degree in joy or pain ●nd so shall rise in glory or in shame ●he End of the Third Part of this Book and of the Third Direction to the Reader THE Fourth Part of this Book And Fourth Direction TO THE READER OF THE Book aforesaid Concerning the Application thereof in general and in special ☞ The First Application General Directed to all Real Converts and real Readers hereof as lovers of the Truth and as Legitimate and true Christians I Love that Reader who shall view this Book With serious thought and to himself doth look Who learns to read his inward soul thereby And the whole matter to himself apply ●or 't is not made for vain applause or praise Or the vain glory of the Poets Bayes But for a light to every one that reads To guide him right in all his words and Deeds ●nd though some few should give it commendation ●nd thereto set their seal of Approbation Yet he 's the Reader whom my soul most loveth Whom this small Book commendeth and approveth To praise the Truth is but lip-labour vain Except the truth doth him approve again Him do I love whom these lines justifie ●nd so makes good this Converts History And blest is he that rightly can apply This story to himself without a lye ●ea happy is that Convert who can say My Friends 't is I I am this youth this day This day I find and tell what I have found That my Conversion's built upon sure ground ●is no Fiction which was told to you ●y me this day the Story is made true ●ecause I hear and fear and do obey ●nd murder not my Conscience any way And besides this I clearly feel and find Christ's Kingdom ruling in my heart and mind ●nd thereby know I am his promis'd Wife ●nd that my Name stands in the book of Life With all those faithful Converts now at rest 〈◊〉 Abrahams Bosome and their Saviours Breast The Second Application General directed to Apostate degenerate Christendome And all false Hypocritical Christians LEave Christian leave thy old Hypocrisie And learn to own thy close Adultery Which thou do'st act as I before have told In the wrong use of Creatures manifold Leave leave thy Church and good books read no more Till thou for shame leav'st playing of the Whore Though to thy self thou may'st seem chast and just The Holy Law will manifest thy Lust For all Gods laws and each Commandement Were writ by his own hand and so were sent Into the World to teach man how to serve And Worship him without a close reserve In spirit and in truth man must obey them Without excuse and in no wise betray them Watch therefore thy false Heart thine eye and ear And keep within the bounds of holy fear Have a suspition and just jealousie O're thy best deeds thy zeal and piety ●rove thy Conversion out that it be right ●east thou be found within the ballance light When Law and Death before Christ's Throne shall cite thee ●nd with a Cat'logue of thy sins Indite thee ●nd tell thee how thy Conscience thou hast slain ●nd Crucifi'd the Lord of Life again Thy light thou hast extinguisht oft in Theft ●o many Murders and Adulteries left Which thou count'st good and lawful for thy part ●ecause Gods Law 's not written in thy heart But now be wise and just why wilt thou dye ●●ke to a fool in thy Hypocrisie Learn to escape O man that secret snare Of the Great Whore by which most ruin'd are To the Female Sex in General Gentry and others AN honest Wife in some respects may be Her Husbands Whore when both in sin a●gree Yea she that ne're knew Man may be a Whore To her own self and to a thousand more When Woman of Mans Rib at first was made She was ordain'd for his meet help and aid But she became his Murderer in part A deadly wound she gave him to the heart For she soon turn'd unfaithful and unjust And so upstart his Whore in Pride and Lust. His Wife became his Whore and tempted him To Whoredom first by acting unknown sin For till that time sin was as yet unknown Though now with men women common grown Thus in the sin the woman was the first And man the next so both became accurst ●et when to God their Whoredom they confess'd ●●eir curse was taken off their Marriage blest And to this day most women act the woman Eve first did by tempting to undoe man 〈◊〉 so to boot undo themselves for ever ●hen death at last shall soul and body fever ●●less they first turn Converts in their lives ●nd so become true Virgins and true Wives For lo this story doth concern you all ●f that fair Sex and sounds a General call ●oth to the Married and Unmarried lass 〈◊〉 view themselves in this unspotted glass ●hat e're is said of this young Gallant here ●●tends to every Female far and neer For Lust and Pride is their Inheritance 〈◊〉 they run on within the Devil's dance ●●om head to foot they put his livery on ●all vain fashions by the vain begun 〈◊〉 meats and drinks in cloaths and dresses brave ●hich many damn but never any save And thus they play the Whore with ev'ry creature 〈◊〉 several Fashion and of several Feature ●he very Church is now become a Stage ●f all She-Gallantry this wanton age ●he poor do act the rich the rich each evil 〈◊〉 Eve when first she hearkned to the Devil And so her Maydenhead she lost though young Unto the Devil by a Serpents Tongue And thus the Serpent in you seems to dwell Of him you savour and of him do smell Your wanton nimble Tongues so full of Tattle Within your lips incessantly do rattle Tale upon tale and story upon story Boasting and telling of your own fine glory Thus on you go in Pride in Lust in Lying O that you went as fast in self-denying That in this worst last age you all might be The