degree of Love With greater Doubts and Fears will saving prove Great Bodies with small souls are animate Great Heads with little Eyes are oculate Small Candles lighten Rooms that are more large A Steward may have spacious Lands in charge The Kingdom may be bigger than the King The Diamond may be smaller than the Ring The House may bigger than the dweller be Great Fear and little Love consistent be But still true Love to God and Man are known More by the Fruits than by the Sense alone â— must be such a Love as when there 's need Will venture suffer visit cloath and feed â— my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Which gently leads us to the Joyes above Love still went on and lined out my way Hedging me in lest I should go astray Yet after this how oft did I transgress By light discourse and wanton play fulness â—ating to fulness Yea even Cards and Dice Began my mind with pleasure to entice But Providence did quickly interpose And by a wonder take me off from those Sin most ensnar'd by pleading lawfulness Though Conscience often did the sin confess That wounded deepest which by seeming small Drew me to venture and resist thy Call And knowingly the same oft to commit Thinking all Christians had as great as it Let all that would not be undone by sin Fly the occasions where it doth begin At first it 's safe and pleasant to resist But O how doleful is it to persist Sin doth not open its design at first Its first appearance sheweth not the worst Flattering the sense it seems to be a friend But it proves pain and poison in the end Pray from Temptation that you may be free If from the evil you would saved be Repentance must convince you that it's gall Which first appeared innocent or small O how it fills the Soul with guilty fears Our filial Evidences blasts and tears Disturbs our Peace and feeds the gnawing Worm Turns our Tranquility into a storm It puts a piercing sting into the Cross And makes Death dreadful as the greatest loss Yet all my folly Mercy did forgive And did my guilty wounded soul relieve O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Heal me and fit me for the Joyes above Thy Love in order to it s well known Ends Shew'd me great mercy in meet Guides Friends Antient and grave Divines solid and staid Who from Experience both preach'd and pray'd Learned yet counting Christianity The chiefest Learning and Philosophy These as the Fathers of my untaught Youth Were willing to communicate the Truth Their help and fruitful converse was my stay And great encouragement in all my way More pleasant to me than my youthful games My love doth grudgingly suppress their names The company thou gav'st me was not vain â—ot proud or factious sensual or prophane â—â—t serious sober and obedient Those time was in their peaceful labours spent â—umble and meek who made it their discourse â—o stir up Faith and penitent remorse â—inding the Lowest and the Highest things â—ot medling busily with States and Kings Making thy holy Word their chief delight â—nd meditating in it day and night â—ending thy day in works of holiness â—ating prophaneness lewdness and excess Content with little yet aspiring high â—paring no pains for immortality Low in the world but for salvation wise Though scorn'd by faithless fools as too precise O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Such thou wilt take to dwell with Thee above Thy Mercy did my younger Studies guide Sweet leisure and meet Books thou didst provide And that I might thy Love the better see My Tutor thou thy self wast pleas'd to be As Honey-combs are made by patient Bees Who fetch the matter home by slow degrees In many daies and from a thousand Flowers Not perfecting their work in a few hours So taughtst thou me to wait the Learning time Not reaching first at matters too sublime Few to maturity of Knowledge grow Who think they know before indeed they know Thou didst improve the thirsty love of Truth Which thou hadst given me even in my youth My Labours thou mad'st easie by delight Each daies success did to the next invite But O the happy Method of thy Grace Which gave my own Salvation the first place And first resolv'd me of the utmost end Which all my after Studies must intend Shewing me first Why and For What I must Lay out my Studies that they be not lost Unhappy men who follow base designs And are not Christians when they are Divines O that an Impious Divine were rare Although the terms a contradiction are Alas in what a blind or trembling State Should I all day have at my Studies sate And with how little joy or hope of gains If I had study'd still in Satan's chains O foolish Studies to consider how The Earth is fixed and the Plants do grow What is each creatures specifying cause And what are all their Orders and their Laws When thy own saving Change is to begin And thou hast yet no pardon of thy sin When all the while thou art a Son of Wrath Who to Eternal Life no title hath When in thy flow'ring Studies thou may'st dye And be undone to all Eternity Who would be playing at a childish game While his own House is in a burning flame What if I knew whether the Earth or Sun So swift and unperceiv'd a course doth run Or knew the course and order of the sphears Or were best skill'd in numbering past years Knew all the Houses of the starry Sky And things that are for common wits too high What if I knew all these never so well And knew not how to scape the flames of Hell What gain or pleasure would my knowledge be If I the face of God must never see Or what if I could fool away my time In smooth and well composed idle Rhyme Or dreaming Lovers Fancies could rehearse In the most lofty and adorned verse While my unholy Soul in fleshly thrall Should be lamenting its own Funeral But when my Soul had fixt on God her End Then all my Studies unto him did tend They all were ordered in due place and season Guided by Faith allowed by sound Reason Thou taughtst me first the Only Needful Thing And all my Studies harp'd still on that string Judging the greatest Knowledge to be vain Which tendeth not to the Immortal gain There is a Knowledge which increaseth sorrow And such whose fruit will die before to morrow Yea there 's a knowledge which occasions sin Desire of Knowing did Man's woe begin All means are to be judg'd of by their End That 's good which doth good or doth good portend Its End and Objects which ennoble acts Those that do glorious things are glorious facts Who calls a self-condemning sinner Wise That on a syllable can criticize That can in mode and figure talk in vain Or learnedly his pride and sin maintain That 's best at the resolving of a Riddle
were free 3. But while I sinned thou wast kind And sent'st thy Word and Spirit of Grace Thy Light did change my darkened mind And shewed me my wretched case Though I drew back thou didst prevail And I gave up my self to thee Thou undertook'st for wind and sail Both Ship and Pilot thou would'st be 4. I turn'd my back on worldly toyes And set my face toward Glory's Shore Where thou hast promis'd highest Joyes And Blessedness for evermore I took my leave of Sin and Earth What I had lov'd I now did hate Ashamed of my former birth I gave my Life a newer date 5. But since that time how am I tost Afraid of every storm and wave Almost concluding I am lost As if thou would'st not help and save If I look out beyond thine Ark Nothing but raging Seas I see On this side Heav'ns all 's deep and dark But I look further unto thee 6. Censures and scorns and frowns I hear Storms which before I never found And yet all these I should not fear If all at home were safe and sound But thy displeasure wounds my heart I have but two parts Flesh and Soul Both of thy wrath do bear their part And thou hast left me neither whole The Second Part. 7. All this is just Lord I confess I staid too long ere I came in And how should healing grace do less When I brought with me so much sin Much Pride and Vanity I kept Too oft my heart was looking back Though God stood by me yet I slept Heav'n was at hand yet I grew slack Spare Lord and pity thy poor dust That fled into thy Ark for Peace O cause my Soul on thee to trust And do not my distress increase O keep up life and peace within If I must feel thy chastening Rod Yet kill not me but kill my sin And let me know thou art My God 9. Folly dwelt in my childish breast Sin rob'd me of my youthful daies Let not thy wrath cut off the rest And stifle thine intended praise Whilst I forgot thee thou didst bear Thy kindness did invite me home O rack me not with grief and fear Kill me not Lord now I am come 10. The silent Dust speaks not thy fame Nor in dark Graves art thou renown'd The living Saints declare thy Name And in thy Church thy Praises sound Yet let me with thy houshold dwell Though I be numbred with thy Poor And with thy Saints thy Wonders tell Although I sit behind thy door 11. Set not thy strength against frail man O turn not yet this flesh to Clay My life thou know'st is but a span If I should see the longest day Break me not all to pieces Lord Or else let each piece have a tongue To cry till thou relief afford But not to say Thou dost me wrong 12. Pity this poor unworthy Soul That here devotes it self to thee Resolve my doubts my fears controul And let me thy Salvation see O let that Love which gave me groans And taught my needy Soul to pray Remove my fears and hear the moans Which sorrow breaths forth night and day The Third Part. 13. Why art thou fainting Soul cast down And thus disquieted with fears Art thou not passing to thy Crown Through storms of pain and floods of tears Fear not O thou of little Faith Art thou not in thy Saviour's hand Remember what his promise saith Life and Death are at his command 14. To him I did my self entrust When first I did for Heav'n imbark And he hath proved kind and just Still I am with him in his Ark. Could'st thou expect to see no Seas Nor feel no tossing wind or wave It is enough that from all these Thy faithful Pilot will thee save 15. Lord let me not my Covenant break Once I did all to thee resign Only the words of comfort speak And tell my Soul that I am thine It 's no Death when Souls hence depart If thou depart not from the Soul Fill with thy Love my fainting heart And I 'll not fading flesh condole 16. Health is but Sickness with thy frowns Life with thy wrath is worse than Death My comforts thy displeasure drowns And into groans tunes all my breath Where is that Faith and Hope and Love By which thou markest all thy Saints Thy Joyes would all my griefs remove And raise this heart that daily faints 17. Am I the Jonas dost thou mean To cast me out into the deep It shall not drown but make me clean Until thou raise me there I 'll sleep O Death where is thy poisonous sting O Grave where is thy Victory Thy dust shall shortly rise and sing God's Praise above the Starry Sky 18. My God my Love my Hope my Life Shall I be loth to see thy face As if this world of sin and strife Were for my Soul a better place O give my Soul some sweet foretast Of that which I shall shortly see Let Faith and Love cry to the last Come Lord I trust my self with thee John 11. 14. or 16. O let not unbelieving Thomas words Be now my answer But my dearest Lord's Amen 9. The Covenant and Confidence of Faith To the common Tunes 1. My whole though broken heart O Lord From henceforth shall be thine And here I do my Vow record This hand these words are mine All that I have without reserve I offer here to thee Thy Will and Honour all shall serve That thou bestow'dst on me 2. All that exceptions save I lose All that I lose I save The treasure of thy Love I choose And Thou art All I crave My God thou hast my heart and hand I all to thee resign I 'll ever to this Covenant stand Though flesh hereat repine 3. I know that thou wast willing first And then mad'st me consent Having thus lov'd meat the worst Thou wilt not now repent Now I have quit all Self-pretence Take charge of what 's thine own My Life my Health and my Defence Now lie on thee alone 4. Now it belongs not to my care Whether I die or live To love and serve thee is my share And this thy grace must give If life be long I will be glad That I may long obey If short yet why should I be sad That shall have the same pay 5. If Death shall bruise this springing seed Before it come to fruit The Will with thee goes for the Deed Thy life was in the root Long life is a long grief and toil And multiplieth faults In long wars he may have the foil That scapes in short assaults 6. Would I long bear my heavy load And keep my sorrows long Would I long sin against my God And his dear mercy wrong How much is sinful Flesh my Foe That doth my soul pervert To linger here in sin and woe And steals from God my heart 7. Christ leads me through no darker rooms Than he went through before He that into God's Kingdom comes Must enter by this Door
more advantage here than danger find Thy Soil is oft manured by such dung I 'le Honour give to whom it doth belong It may be safe to others but to me 'T was best from such Temptations to be free Let my preferment lye in serving all While I sit low I have not far to fall Keep me from the Temptations of the Devil For so thou dost deliver us from Evil. My youthful Pride and Folly now I see That grudg'd for want of Titles and Degree That blush'd with shame when this defect was known And an inglorious Name could hardly own Attempting to have hid it twice or thrice With vile equivocations next to lies And to thy Methods was unreconcil'd Because I was not Rabbi Doctor styl'd Forgive this Pride and break the Serpent's brain Pluck up the poisonous Root till none remain Give me the Wisdom I 'le not beg the Fame Grant me the thing let others take the name Give me the Learning and it is no harm If thou shalt place me in the lowest Form Honours are shadows which from seekers fly But follow after those who them deny I brought none with me to thy work but there I found more than I easily could bear Although thou wouldst not give me what I would Thou gavest me the promis'd hundred-fold O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Thy wayes not ours lead to the Joyes above The Third Part. THE wondrous Mercy of my bounteous Lord which sent me forth to Preach his sacred Word Prepar'd my way and call'd me to the place Where I must first proclaim his Saving Grace All things thou suitedst fitly to my need Giving me freedom season ground and seed Poor thirsty Souls attend with greedy Ear Crowding in multitudes thy Word to hear Thy Mercy opening so wide a door Gave some first-fruits betimes and hopes of more The various places where my Lot did fall Were all appointed to me by thy Call I never was to any of them brought By the Direction of my own forethought Much less was ever any by me sought And least of all by price or bargain bought I nere found cause of one place to repent Although my sins in all I must lament None were foreseen yet after seen to reason To be the fittest for the work and season But among all none did so much abound With fruitful mercies as that barren ground Where I did make my best and longest stay And bore the heat and burden of the day Mercies grew thicker there than Summer flowers They over-numbered my daies and hours There was my dearest Flock and special Charge Our hearts in mutual love thou didst enlarge 'T was there that mercy did my Labours bless With the most great and wonderful success Yet there were Sons of Belial whose rage Reason with Truth and Love could not asswage Who Lov'd and Hated just as Satan bid them Rul'd by the Reins of Lust by him that rid them In swinish drunkenness they drownd their wits Most furious in their rude tumultuous fits As Boars or Stags at other times more tame When lustful heats their blood and brains inflame Fiercely assault such as stand in their way None 's safe before them till their heats decay So doth the love of revellings and sport Poor brutish fleshly sinners so transport That ragingly they fly in that man's face Who doth by sacred Truth their sin disgrace And as in Armies Drums and Trumpets sound The frightful cries of wounded men to drownd And even the fearful in the furious crowd Are carry'd on to death through streams of blood So those ensnared Youths who formerly Out of the Rout retain'd some modesty Conjoyned with the Rabble did as they The common fury and their lusts obey Run with the Herd Mirth and the Rables noise Drown Reasons Plea and God's reclaiming voice Death is forgot Conscience cannot be heard Hell and Damnation now are little fear'd They have their curse their own sentence pass Away with Jesus give us Barr abas Away with Preachers who disturb our game Talk not of Judgment Let us bear the blame Whilst grieved Preachers can but wish groan O that your day of mercy you had known O my Dear God! how precious is they Love Which looks on such with pity from above Now England's horrid Civil Wars began When God a sinful Nation meant to fan When sin grown high bold out-fac'd the Light When Pride and Faction pleaded Divine Right When most their Love some their Patience lost When proud malicious men must not be crost When wise men seemed fools fools seem'd wise And when the worst were best in their own eyes When Piety with Lazarus was loath'd And Sin with Purple and fine Linnen cloath'd And when the sacred Tribe despising Souls Through love of wealth honor blow'd the coals When Demas for the World deserted Paul And their own matters were first sought by all When they that sought their good things in this life Had banisht Love fill'd the Church with strife Where striving factions Charity defy'd And carnal Counsels did the Church divide When swinish Gadarens did Christ refuse And the prophane his servants did abuse When Holiness the common Foe was deem'd And nothing more intollerable seem'd When holy Truth and Preachers were despis'd And wicked means to cast them out devis'd When sin presum'd to make a mock of grace And folly spit reproaches in Christ's face When vulgar rage had found this common vent And impious scorn on Godliness was spent When sin was not so much oppos'd as God Then were we ready for the bloody Rod. When those sins reign'd that must not now be nam'd But by Heav'ns Justice shall at last be sham'd When old condemned vanities and crimes Became the Reverend Virtues of the Times Then God in Judgment sate to plead his Cause And judge the proud despisers of his Laws Banish'd Love doth feaster'd hearts forsake Blindness suspicions wrath possession take Each man unto the fire his Fagot brought And each against another quarrels sought The whirlwind in the North did first arise And raise the dust which troubled English Eyes And though Heav'ns mercy there prevented blood The Irish fury shed a crimson flood The French blood shew'd the temper of the Nation Their Faith and Faithlesness keep Moderation Their Bartholomews hot dog-daies thirst had cost Thirty or forty thousand lives at most But Ireland's Romish Zeal was hotter far And in their preparation to a War Two hundred thousand they surpriz'd and slew Not that their Will so small a measure knew But here God checkt their Power heard the cries Of dying Innocents which pierc'd the Skies England affrighted by her neighbours harm Threatned to be the next takes the Allarm As Citizens that see a raging flame Threaten the Neighhours houses with the same Do leave their Trades and all together run Trying to quench the Fire where it begun And then pull down the houses which adjoyn Some seek to