pregnant woman 〈◊〉 our beaâ— Unto the Child which she should shortly rear Her fruit unseen she sheildeth from all harmes What will sâ—â— do when 〈◊〉 within her Arms So if God lov'd us long before we were Much more when lov'd and â—â—â—â—'d with filiall fâ—ar Now in the rarenesse of thiâ— speciall grace The fewer number have the higher place The greater is his bounty and his plenty Upheapt with mercies when the most are â—mpty These graces chiefly they depend on one Our reconcilement Jesus made alone He is the Conduit pipe by which do flow All graces on the dwellers have below It s Jacob's Ladder which to Heav'ns ascends Of enemies ' gainst God it makes us friends The Angels which ascend and do descend This Sâ—ale our prayerâ— Gods blessings do portend Jacob his sleeping at the Ladders foot Our Conscience rests most â—â—â—ly doth denote Under the shade of Christs 〈◊〉 intercession Doth satisfie 〈…〉 for our transgression For ere that time on whatsoever side Man turn'd his 〈◊〉 his heart was â—eâ—â—â—fide If upon God 〈…〉 consuming fire Arm'd against sinners with considerate ire If on the Law he saw Gods indignation In the sharp sentence of his condemnation If on the Heavens with horror he could say Thence I 'm debar'd in that I went astray If on the world he saw himself derest Of rule o're Creatures he before possest If on himself he fearfully espâ—â—â— Thousands extern and Spirit all maladies By signes of Heav'n and Earth 〈◊〉 he did feaâ— Approaching vâ—â—geance to his thoughts appear Then Satan death that deep abisse of Hell Frights him which pain the losse no tongue can tell But now all sorts which look upon their Jesus With confidencâ— beholds him who can ease us If he behold his God he calls him â—ather Who him adopâ—â— in Christ that is his Saviour If on the Judgement 〈…〉 cast his eye His Elder Brother 〈◊〉 in Majesty As Judge and Advocate upon the â—hrone Hee 'l say more fâ—iends in 〈◊〉 he Acedeth loâ—e If he think on the Angelâ— he will â—ay These keep me and defend me in my â—â—y If on the Heav'n he 〈◊〉 his speculation He will conclude it is my habitation If of the Thunder he shall hear the noise He will confesse it is his Fathers voice If he behold the Law considerately He saith that Christ his debt did satisfie If he on earth have wealth abound in store Hee 'l say in glory he shall have much more If with adversity he suffer â—osse Hee 'l say Christ suffer'd more upon the Crosse If he think on the Devill Death or Hell Saint Paul hath taught him â—ow his foes to quell Where is thy sting O death would cause â—â— dye O grave where is thy force thy victory Our God be praised and his name adorn Who made us triumphant through Christ our Lord. If these like angâ—y Wâ—â—ps buzze in our ear Their sting is lost we â—â—â—ed them not to feard If the old Serpent he do prick our Heel Christ brâ—â—seâ— his â—ead no anguish we â—an feel Unto the love of God these obligations Are common to the faithfull of all Nations If each look back upon his time that 's gone I dare well say of â—ll there is not one But grants besides the 〈◊〉 that God doth bestow Yet private mercies unto his o'restow Freedom from dangerâ— bring at despair Good chances evidence Gods love and 〈◊〉 Gainfull afflictions purposes are crost Turn to our good when in the world we 're toss'd Shall it be said Gods Messings on 〈◊〉 Make us not fruitfull and his iâ— boâ—â— vain While we do say God doth us good for this That we should love him is no need of his But here 's the cause in that he would â—s save He wills our love â—â— all that he would have Besides if we love him he is the cause This love he kindles our 〈…〉 This love's first step though holy fit for use It but begins to Heav'nward doth conduce For he that loves his God but for repast Is like to boyes thâ—â— pray to break their fust But such a love no â—â—rthâ—â— doth 〈◊〉 He wrongs his God and wages makes his end If love of God aâ— nought but profit aiâ— Then above God we striye to build the same And make our interest more excellent Then Godâ— high service so 〈…〉 Let him that 's come unto this first gradation Of love and stands still on this step and station Know that it 's much that God in us doth pardon If that his wrath our self-love do not guerdon Wherefore let us advance and mount more higher So to the second sâ—ep we shall aspirâ— The second degree is to love him for his 〈…〉 he is 〈…〉 OF love to God this iâ— the 〈…〉 Solely to love him with sincerity 'T is not for profit nor for worldly 〈◊〉 It is to love him onely for himself 〈◊〉 To wit all gains 〈…〉 Of benefits and 〈…〉 Sans hope of guerdom 〈◊〉 his love as brings Saving to love him 〈…〉 â—hings Of this love David spâ—ke with châ—â—â—full voice Saying let all shâ—â— love thy 〈◊〉 rejoyce To love him for his 〈…〉 Because hee 's soveâ—â—igne 〈…〉 Wise in his Councells in 〈…〉 True in his promise 〈◊〉 hiâ— trust In habits glory overâ—â—ll doâ—h 〈◊〉 To which no 〈…〉 can attain Soveraign perfection 〈…〉 possessing The Book o' th 〈…〉 pâ—â—ly doth expresse him Whose life 's without beginning without â—â—ding Essentially upon himself depending Eternity in him 's immutable His greatnesse is alike 〈◊〉 His power impâ—â—â—â—ll bâ—sseth â—ll resistancâ— The great Preserved and the sure assistances Who by his word the world did make and frame And by his sight â—â—e â—â—verâ—eth the same And by his will â—e shall 〈◊〉 When he is pleas'd all things â—â— consumâ—â—ate Who in one vertue and perfection he Includes all vertue which in Creatures be For these great loves so beneficiall So ought our love to be reciprocall Christ taught us in his prayer which he did frame First to demand the Hallowing of his name And that his Kingdome to us might appear Ere we petition him for profit here A love that so possest the spirit of Paul And Moses also that neglecting all Their hope of blisse they wished to be blotted Out of lifes book and for their doom allotted The curse of God from 's presence to abidâ— Rather then he should not be glorified Wherefore to plant in us this supream love Our knowing God hereto much may us move It shall stand need so far as we are able To know Gods essence why so amiable Beauty is that by nature all affect Now light on beauty doth the most reflect Without which light all beauties want their rayes Are but deformities as nights to dayes And for this cause when God first set his hand To the Creation of this earths vast strand In the begining first he made the light Which him resembled therein did delight He is that Sun of Justice doth not set Never o'reshaded his pure light to
Divine it hath no sympathie For the Philosophy that 's naturall With Nat'ralists is deemed best of all Contrarily the Scriptures do declaâ—e That nat'rall love with heavenly holds no share For since that Sathan hath defac'd the Image Of God in Adam and in Adam's Image Man's turned towards the world in his desires From heav'n to earth his groveling thought retires Our carnall thoughts our Mundane base delights Hold enmity against the God of spirits If any one have grace his God to love The gift's not ours but God's that dwells above Therefore our Jesus saith in 's Gospell Law None comes to him except his Father draw And blessed 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 Did pull us out â—idâ—usâ—ful 〈…〉 The sacred verity of this 〈…〉 inâ—â—râ—'d We must love God bee use he lov'd us first This also 〈…〉 and firmâ— effect Of Gods true love if 〈…〉 Next under heaveâ—◠〈…〉 wâ— should require More then this grace to love with whole deâ—â—â—â— For to the faithfull this doth testifie That God with 's love his soul shall satisfie This lov 's the very first effeâ—â— of faith Traceth Gods image as the Scripture 〈◊〉 It is the mark and 〈…〉 For they are endow'd witâ— love and filâ—ull fear This love 's the soâ—â— of vertues 〈◊〉 and othâ—â— Hath soveraign eminenâ—◠〈◊〉 elder brother She sits as Judge our 〈…〉 regâ—leth Summs up the La◠〈◊〉 Judgâ— and 〈◊〉 This love sustaineth 〈◊〉 did Sâ—â—phâ—â— A ladder that can each â—â— high as Heaven She 's peace of consciencâ—â— yâ—elding that content Is superexcellently 〈◊〉 Yea it is such I dare â—ith boldnesse say Gives us a â—aste of Heav'n â—â— this our day It here begins the uâ—â—on endlesse â—â—st Communion with God amongst the blest Our thoughts and muse in this sweet meditation Cannot soar up to higher contemplation For what is thâ—â—â— thâ—n God that iâ— so grâ—â—t Or then his love to tell on oâ— to â—eat The profit likewise surely is no lesse Then it is sweet which no tongue can expresse Men are not good nor bad because that they Beleeve and trust but that they do obey 'T is said they 'r good even those that love good things None else is such but God the King of Kings Who not alone in goodnesse doth transcend But makes there so that love him to the end Let 's be instructed by Gods holy Spirit That 's love it self so shall we heav'n inherit And which will form our heaâ—â—â— unto the frame Of reall love and not a love in 〈◊〉 Least we should take a love corporeall In lew of love that 's true and spirituall An itching love that is importunate A furious heat our brains in 〈◊〉 â—â—ate To wit of vices that 's extrâ—â—mly ill For chief vertueâ— which God's â—ests fulfill A brutish sicknesse 〈…〉 For a perfection that 's Angell 〈◊〉 'T is doubtlesse 〈◊〉 of him that shall dispose Himself to love his God iâ— one of those Neglects all base and by considerâ—â—ions For serving God with willing inclinations Though he incurre the worlds malignant hate He 's not dejected nor 〈…〉 Starts not nor shrinks for all 〈…〉 disdain This worlds harsh hatred bringâ— thâ—e â—ndlesse gain Earths brittle pleasures Heav'ns afflicting rod Do work the weal of them which love their God Evills turn blessings not to onâ— bâ—fall Whom God shall scourge with stripes corporeall The bodies sicknesse proves a speciall cure Unto the soul the Magi hold it sure Heavens high Phisitian by 〈…〉 skill Can cure with poison that waâ— wont to kill His strokes are balm as holy David saith Matter of patience for to try our faith The passive sufferer meekly bears his Crosse And for Gods cause he values not his losse Theâ—e sufferings are like scarrs upon the face And honours man received in bloody chase Conformities unto our Captain Christ As Christian soldiers numbred in his list And all through under propping of this love Tartnesse iâ— tempâ—red that it sweet doth prove And maketh us entirely to rejoyce Some one will say and thereto doth assent Thâ— love of God'â— a verâ—ue excellent And that to love him we before must know What is this duty which to him we owe And that our knowledge here is most obscure Both dimme and dark bemisted and impure Yet in no wise we must forbear forget To study knowledge that 's before us set Our Ignorance must have no toleration Nor cause neglect in God's negotiation Of God although our knowledge be but small It us incites to love him therewithall One glimpse of his most radiant rayes and gleams Exceeds the Sun with his most splendent beams The knowledge knowing God with dark'ned sight Surpasseth nat'rall and the Gentiles light So if a prisoner do in dungeon lye And at a think some beam of 〈◊〉 espyâ— By that he knows the beauty of the light Which comforteth the silly Captive wight The petty portion and the 〈◊〉 of skill In knowing God whose fulnesse all things fill Sufficient is for to delight our taste With 's excellence above the Heav'ns plac't And with his love our souls so to enflame His love alone gives cause to blesse his name Besides God's knowledge that 's made known to any May savingly sufficient be to many The debts we owe to God by obligation For 's goodnesse in his love 〈◊〉 admiration Are fully set forth to â—â— in his Word As sacred Oracles the same record Which Paul the convert preaching hath not spared But Gods whole Councell unto us declared The fiâ—st degree of the love of God is to loâ—â— God because of the good which he doth â—â— â—â—d which 〈◊〉 to receive of him THe first and lowest step is God to love Mercies received hereto may us move On this degree David did much rejoyce Blessed his God because he heard his voyce For so it must be truly â—nderstood God will be lov'd in thaâ— hiâ— doth us good It 's God that made preserves and doth us guide Instructs our souls for bodies doth provide Redeems â—s by his Son next by his Spirit He sanctifies us Heaven foâ— to in hâ— it Directs us by his Word him for to serve Makes us his friends we shoul'd not from him 〈◊〉 Yea ev'n his children with himself 〈◊〉 Such love like this as yet 〈◊〉 ever none Plato in his blind way to God 〈◊〉 thanks For three things which he harshâ—â—â— in their raâ—ks First making him no Beast but made hi◠〈◊〉 Next born a Greek and no 〈◊〉 Yet to his lustre more to make it shine He termed was Philosopher Divine We that in quainter Schooles have been instructed In better wayes of prayâ—e have 〈◊〉 conducted His name of us ought also to be blest For three things likewise which are here exprest First that in mercy men he did 〈◊〉 make Next that of holy truth we do partake Thirdly ' mongst those who Christians called 〈◊〉 He makes us faithfull on â—â— through his ow◠〈◊〉 A fourth â—e'l adds that by his own decâ—â—â—ing He did adopt 〈…〉 world had bâ—â—ing For if a
let Which doth not onely to the eyes give light But also to our eyes he giveth sight Guesse at the brightnesse of the King of Kings Wherâ— Angels vail their faces with their wings Whose eyes are dazled 'fore the glorious Throne Where his Majestick brightnesse on them shone If at the fight of Christs humanity The nat'rall Sun as then shall dark'ned be As some dark light when brighter doth appear His light Divine must needs be much more clear If on the life of God we contemplate Ours is as dust and dung so vile of rate Mans life 's a fluxe and hath of parts succession But God at once hath all his in possession He who desires comparingly to know Gods life from Mans at Sea doth ebbe and flow The Sea with some small Brook he may compare At so great distance differently they are The Sea is very great the Brook but small Seas keep their bounds but Brooks keep none at all The Sea is owner of her floods in store The Brookes have none but from the Seas before Gods life and mans are semblant in such sort God's infinite Man 's as a moment short His life consisteth doubtlesly in rest And all at once is instantly possest God's all â—n all his life depends on none Our life our all is from our God alone Earth as it was before doth earth become The Spirit Gods gift to him returneth home Gods knowledge is a pit that 's so profound That humane reason cannot reach nor sound God knowes all things ev'n such as yet are not Past present and to come he all doth note We things alternately do here espie But God seeth all at once with his clear eye We see things present why because they be But why things are is God that doth them see For God to see it is as if to will His wil'ls to do all this he doth fulfill Here for to know things we them look upon But God to know things views himself alone Because God's absolute and perfect wise All Modells are transparent to his eyes And in his will as Judge he doth deâ—â—â—e And sentence every chance what it shall be His holinesse it ought to be admired The Saints and Angels have not like acquired Ev'n as Gods Word the highest Heav'n doth call The Heav'n of Heav'ns for it incloseth all Others inferior and of lesse degree Within the highest that included be So God is nam'd by proper appellation Holy of holies in his heav'nly station Of Creatures holinesse a quality is all But God is sanctity it self substantiall God's self is holy are men or Angells no If they prove Saints 't is cause God makes them so Justice 'twixt God and Men we ought to know Men are deem'd just because just things they do Contrarily in God they are just things Being done by him on whom all justice hings Wherefore hee 's just for this no other cause Working his will prescribed in his Lawes Which in his Mandates us he sets before Still to obey observe for evermore And to our minde he doth the same impart And it engraves within our hidden heart He loveth justice truth and equity He hates the workers of iniquity He rootes out lyars and the men doth hate That thirst for blood he doth abominate Of his great goodnesse what ought we to say Which loves them hate him and do go a stray By which upon the just and wicked crew Daily his Sun doth shine and still râ—new By which he powrs his blessings down in rain Into their mouthes which do blaspheme his Name In chief this goodnesse that 's so infinite Shines in his Sonne his onely dear delight This Sonne before all time he did beget Eternally he him begetteth yet Sonne of his Father yet of equall date Both infinite and both interminate Eternall wisdome word essentiall God everlastingly beatificall This Sonne whom Esay calls the eternall Father Would make himself the Son of man the rather That we might be Gods children noâ—â—orlorn He was content in Stable to be born That we might have of Heav'n the full fruition ' Mongst beasts was born in poor and low condition He who er'st was and is of life the bread Did suffer hunger that we might be fed He who 's the Well of life he did not shrink To thirst himself that we might freely drink He who is life it self was pleas'd to dye That we might live and that eternally All this for Creatures vile which did rebell That he might free them from the jawes of hell These are the depths of grace no bottome hath We understand not we must reach by faith These recreate our hearts cause admiration Likewise no lesse adds to our consolation Here are the highest Tests can be exprest Of Gods great love to man so manifest The riches of that grace Angels admir'd To pry into have earnestly desir'd Now to what end may all these sayings move us But to love God who did so greatly love us And to admire the treasures of his grace With such like joy as Saints that see his face O God since that thy greatnesse hath no end Which dust and ashes cannot comprehend Thy bounties boundlesse past imagination Our Spirits are stopped with this contemplation Our words much lower are then is our mind Our thoughts beneath the truth are still confin'd Of this Gods greatnesse speak we stammeringly Our praises thee abase and villifie We draw the picture of the Sun most bright With a black Coal the Embleme of the night O God raise up our Spirits and Souls to thee And if our knowledge shall too feeble be Inflame our love with such an ardent zeal As thy pure Word is pleased to reveal Thou pleas'd to be our Father by dilection O touch our hearts with filliall affection Thou that dost daily give us apt occasion Of loving thee addict our inclination Though we be poor in means uncapable Thou only canst make us most acceptable All these and many more considerations Ingage our love by numerous obligations These raise our Spirits not for our selves to love This God but for his sake it doth us move Our God he duplicates this word it 's I it 's I For mine own sake saith sinners shall not dye His Church he doth resemble to a flock Which bears his name and his peculiar stock He safely guards her both by night and day Least she to Sathan should become a prey The third degree is not onely to love God above all things and more then our selves but also not to love any thing in the world but for Gods love THe third degree it is our God to love As both in Heav'n and Earth all things above And in this world what ere our God did make Nought must we love but onely for his sake This world hath many objects that we find From loving them we cannot stay our mind Yea on account it would be reckoned ill If we should not hold on to love them still A Father loves his Children and a