thread 'twixt Death and thee ' This darksome Place thou measur'st may be thy Grave ' And sudden Death rides Proud on yonder Wave By thoughts dive down into the Abyss of Hell And there in Justice doth the Almighty dwell Death is a Calander compos'd by Fate Concerning all Men never out of date Yet chear up I have a message in store Whose Comforts much and joyful News is more We have yet a Friend Puissant and of Might Will see us take no wrong but do us right Le ts offer up Sacrifice with one accord And pay our solemn Vows unto the Lord And with penitent Hearts implore him And Day and Night pour forth our Souls before him For shall I be silent no I 'le speak Till Tongue be tired and my Lungs be weak Proclaim to us thy Mercy for we thurst for Grace For thou art free of Mercy to those that Mercy will embrace O save us harmless from our Foe-mans Jaws Who art turned Orator to plead our Cause How are thy Mercies full of Admiration How sovereign sweet's their Application How redefâ—â—ed are we with the Rust of Sin Which hath abus'd thy Stamp and eaten in But yet at length if we repent Instead of Plagues and Direful Punishments We shall find Mercy Love and Heavens Applause For the Great Almighty himself will plead our Cause Thine Eye that views the moving Spheres above Ought to give Praise to him that makes them move Here may we see how Prayer and true Repentance Do strive with God prevail and turn his Sentence From Judgment Just and Plagues Infernal To boundless Mercies and to life Eternal All o're the World how should these Mercies make a sound As Blessings fall Thansgiving must abound â—dge then did ever Record round thine Ear That God forsook the Heart that was fiueere But often have we seen that such as Plow â—â—wdness and Mischief reap the same they sow The Moral says all Wisdom that 's given â—o Hood-wink'd Mortals first proceeds from Heaven Far safer 't is of things unsure to doubt Than undertake to riddle Secrets out It was demanded once what God did do Before the World was fram'd Whereunto ' Answer was made he built a Hell for such As were too curious and would know too much at such curiosity preceds from him who can â—â—ly accuse Man to God and God to Man â—â—no Hourly sows fresh Schisms among the Saints â—ea buffets them then laughs at their Complaints O Chastity the Flower of the Soul â—ow is thy perfect fairness turn'd to foul There are thy Maiden-smiles thy blushing Cheek â—hy Lamb-like Countenance so fair so meek â—ay not other Virtues serve but must this Queen 〈◊〉 made the Subject of Unchast spleen So young is Man that broke with Care and Sorrow â—e's old enough to Day to die to morrow â—â—e gives us Passage to endure great Woes â—â—ath frees us from all Temporal Foes â—t tho secure my Soul did never slumber â—et do my Woes exceed both weight and number Both Poor and Rich are equal in the Grave â—rvants no Lords and Lords no servants have â—hat needs there light to him that 's comfortless â—r Life to such as languish in distress â—bjects of pitty are Bodies in distress â—nd worthy to injoy eternal Rest Lord make Wise thy Servant a Wise forecast Grieves for things present not for things are past Satan have Servants who can make true boast They gave away as much as thine have lost Others with Learning made to Wisely Mad Refuse such Fortunes as Croesus never had Lord make me Champion give me such belief A strong and fervent but not crafty Faith. I know a forc'd Love neeeds no such great Applause Since they Love Ill that Loves not for a Cause I bespeak leave to Answer all this before I knew They want no Grief that find such Friends as you Be not discontent no no forbear for I Hate less your Censures than your Flattery Succour I sought and begged but none was there To give the Alms of one poor trickling Tear. See how I lie devoid of Help or Friend O make me humble and mindful of my End. Lord make me Just in Image like my Divinâ— Creator Pollish and 〈◊〉 yea Refine my Nature Let me receive all as 〈◊〉 thy Hand With a thankful Heart as living in thy Land And consider the self-same Sorrow Grieves others to Day may make me groan to moâ— row Great King be my Comfort in my highest Grief I will not trust to Mans but thy relief I know Great God upon my true Repentance Thou wiâ—t determine to reverse thy Sentence Make me tho in a blind Age Wisely to see And in a seeing Age not bâ—ind to be He that would save his Life when Honour bids hiâ— die Steals but a Life and lives by Robbery Dishonours his God and that likens to the Powâ— Divine That made and placed her in her Fleshly Shrine The Wise and Good-like kind Physicians are That strive to heal us by their Care Their Physick and their Learning calmly use Although the Patient them strangely abuse For since the Sickness is they find A sad Distemper of the Mind The Wiseman in the midst of Woes May enjoy and feel a sweet repose Might pitty all the Griefs we see By compassion Anoint every Malady While our selves are calm our Art improve To rescue them and shew our Love That we with open Eyes may see The brightness of Gods Majesty And never more in Chains of Darkness lie 〈◊〉 be secure from Bondage and all Iniquity That comforts Divine may fortifie and raise the Soul To Heavenly Joys where none can controul The World 's a hurly burly and the Court All Tongues were fill'd with Wonder and Report The Watch is set pursute was made about To Guard the King and find the Traytors out To punish him according to his due That did not Peace nor Loyalty persue Had Man been Kind Loving True and always Good As formerly in the Golden Age they stood Then had we lived in all Delights and Glory full of Love Blest as the Holy Angels are above But now we suffer for evil Deeds Reaping the fruit of our ill Weeds But thou O Holy Jesus who did'st for us Die And on the Altar Bleeding for all Men lie Bearing all Torment Pain Reproach and Shame That we by Virtue of the same Tho Enemies to God might be Redeemed and set at Liberty Let us likewise favour to others show And live in Heaven on Earth below Let 's prize their Souls and let them be our gems Our valuable Temples and our Diadems Rich Spoils and Trophies our own Joys Compar'd to Souls all else are Toyes O let them be such unto us as they were to thee Valued as Vessels of Glory and Felicity What would I give that I might likewise see The Brightness and true Glory of thy Majesty The Joy and fulness of that high Delight Whose Blessedness is Glorious yea Infinite And while we feel how much our God doth
thing is Man how frail and brittle How seeming great how truly little We rise securely with the Morning Sun But unregarded Die e're Day be done Yet his Estate was level and he hath Free-will To stand or fall unforst to Good or Ill. Such is the State Man was created in Within his Power a Power not to Sin His life 's a bubble full of seeming Bliss The more it lengthens the more short it is The swelling of his outward Fortune can Create a prosperous not a happy Man. 'A peaceful Conscience is the true content ' But Wealth is only her Golden Ornament ' I care not so my Kernel relish well ' How slender be the substance of my shell ' My Heart being Virtuous let my Face be wan ' I am to God I only seem to Man. To him the searching of Mens Hearts belong Mans Judgment sinks no deeper than the Tongue Let shame prevent our Lips recant and give To the Almighty his Prerogative He overlooks thee and in one space Of Time his Eye is fixt on every place A Disswasive from placing our Hopes in transient Happinesses BUild not your Bliss upon the blaze of Glory Can perfect Happiness be transitory Nor in the use of Beauty place your end Nor in the enjoyment of a Courtly Friend These if injoy'd are crost with Discontent If not in the pursuit yet in the event Apply thy Heart to Wisdom with good attention For 't will inrich thy Soul with fair prevention That no foul Treason against thy Blood intended Thy Life thy State will Loyally be defended For Worship Honor and true respect Shall be done to him whom the Heavenly King do affect Peerless Honours and Princely Rights Be done to them in whom this King delights The highest Heavens will still conspire to Bless All faithful Seed and with a fair success Their Enemies he 'll ty they shall not make reply Not daring to answer nor deny The Heavens grown great with Age must soon decay â—â—e pondrous Earth in time shall pass away â—â—t yet his Sacred Words shall always flourish Though Days and Years and Heaven and Earth do perish â—an sees like Men and can but comprehend â—â—ings as they present are not as they end Man wants the Strength to sway his strong affections What Power he has is from Divine direction Which oft unseen through dulness of the Mind We Nick-name Chance because our selves are Blind And that 's the cause Man's first beholding Eye Oft Loves or Hates and knows no reason why If he be Poor that wanteth much how Poor he that hath too much and yet wants more â—â—ice happy he to whom the bounty of Heaven â—fficient with a sparing Hand hath given â—e fairest Crop of either Grass or Grain â—ot for use undew'd with timely Rain The Wealth of Crcesus were it to be given Were not Thank-worthy if unblessed by Heaven 〈◊〉 Riches which fond Mortâ—â—s so imbrace â—re not true Riches it not enlightned with true Grace Wealth interpos'd with too too gross a Care â—hey lie obscur'd and no Riches are Let not the fawning World to pleasure then invite Thy wandering Eyes the Flesh presents delight â—sist me in my Combat with the Flesh â—elieve my fainting Power and refresh 〈◊〉 feeble Spirit I will not wish to be Casâ—t from the World Lord cast the World from me To be afraid to die or wish for death Are Words and Passions of disparing Breath But wretched Man were thy condition mine I 'de not dispair as thou do'st not repine But offer up the broken Sacrifice Of an humble Soul before his gracious Eyes Whose Works are Miracles of Admiration He mounts the Meek amidst their desolation Confounds the Worldly Wise that blindfold they Grope all in darkness at the Noon of Day But guards the humble from reproach of wrong And stops the current of the crafty Tongue Thrice happy is the Man his Hands correct Beware lest fury force thee to reject The Almighties Tryal he that made thy Wound In Justice can in Mercy make it sound â—ear not tho multiply'd affliction shall Bâ—siege thee he at length will rid them all In Famine he shall feed in War defend thee Shield thee from Slander and in Griefs attend thee Thy House shall thrive replenisht with Content Which thou shalt Rule in prosperous Government For Man â—â—licted by the Almighties Hand His Faith doth flourish and securely stand Yet the worst I 'le look for that I can project If better come 't is more then I expect If other ways I am Arm'd with preparation No Sorrows sudden to an expectation Lord to thy Wisdom I submit my Will I will be thankful send me Good or Ill. If Good my present state will pass the sweeter If Ill my Crown of Glory will be greater All this experience tells when I advise Those who have taught many may themselves bâ— Wise Tho rising early with the Morning Sun Yet unregarded die e're Day be done No Gold is pure from dross tho oft refin'd The strongest Ceder's shaken with the Wind. The â—est of Men have Sins none lives secure In Nature nothing's perfect nothing pure â—â—om mudded Springs can Crystal Water come 〈◊〉 some things all Men Sin in all things some Since that my Vesture cannot want a stain Assist me lest the Tincture be in Grain To thee my great Redeemer do I fly It is thy Death alone can change my Dye Tears mingled with Blood can scowr so That Scarlet Sins shall be as white as Snow But wretched Man be not in thought too sure Sin steals unseen when we sleep most secure By Craft there are who season error with the taste of truth And tempt the frailty of our tender Youth What pleasure is in Dainties if the tast Be in it self distemper'd better fast Lord in my Soul a Spirit of Love create me And I will Love my Neighbour tho he Hate me I Love the World to serve my turn and leave her Tho I 'll not say 't is no Deceit to cozzen a Deceiver She 'll not miss me I less the World shall miss To loose a World of Gâ—ief to injoy a Life Bliss By thy Mercy Lord to Glory receive me in Aâ—though my Soul is burthen'd with my Sin For thou art Just and bent to a Wise Decree Which certain is and cannot alt'red be It seems a Paradox beyond belief Tâ—â—t Men in trouble should prolong relief We poor weaklings when we sleep in Sin Knock at onr droâ—sie Hearts and never lin Till thou 〈◊〉 our sin congealed Eyes Lest drown'd in 〈◊〉 we sink and never rise The approaching 〈◊〉 might be at once prevented With Praâ—rs and Pains râ—â—â—red reattented We try new ways dispairing of the old Love quickens Courage makes the Spirits bold Our God bids go our Credit bids us stay Our guilty fear bids fly another way O Earthy Men make not your Righteous Laws A trick for gain let Justice râ—â—e the Cause ' O worthless Man arise and see ' There 's not a twiny
a vail I mention this not to divert any from aspiring to the highest degrees of Perfection but to reprove that preposterous course many ta 〈…〉 est weight upon those things 〈…〉 least and have more Zeal for 〈…〉 then for express downright Comm 〈…〉 the one to commute for the contemp 〈…〉 For some Men are apt to scruple small thi 〈…〉 not startle at Injustice or Oppression which 〈…〉 to be rectified that Men may have an equa 〈…〉 to all the Commands of God not letting any 〈…〉 slip their Observation For he that breaks the 〈…〉 command is guilty of all not but that he that brea 〈◊〉 them all is guilty of more severe Punishments then he that breaks but one But the meaning is he that breaks one shall not go Unpunished being deeply guilty of Disobedience God having required an equal regard to all his Precepts and who so gives him not their whole Heart offers to him but a lame and unacceptable Sacrifice for any thing less than the full power of our Wills cannot please God who is of purer Eyes than to behold any the least Evil with approbation for his Wisdom being so pure a Majesty cannot be pleased with any thing that is impure of Heart Necessary is it therefore to give him the full of our Mind Will and Soul or as our Catechism expresses it To serve him with all our strength in every Centure of our Lives For the more we serve him the more and better shall we be regarded honoured and rewarded by him the searcher of all Hearts Of the excellent Qualification of the Soul from its high Extraction ALthough Men do not know the Soul neither can they see it because it is like the Eyes of our Bodies it sees every thing but it self but it self 〈…〉 assuredly know that by it we 〈…〉 inabled to do actions of Piety 〈…〉 Consciences dictates to us what is 〈…〉 done for that is a good and faith 〈…〉 that whensoever we do amiss we do 〈…〉 our Souls and stupifie our Consciences 〈…〉 Evil or cause others so to do But to a 〈…〉 let us begg of God to give us a chast Spi 〈…〉 is the Crown of faithful Souls Wherefore 〈…〉 said of Virginity that it is the Life of Angels 〈…〉 animal of the Soul the advantage of Religion which is a mutual a strong and voluntary inclination to the Worship of God for it is empty of Cares and ought to be full of Prayers which are fed with Fastings it is very advatagious to Devotion and Retirement for whosoever is careful of his Time and Behaviour shall not be robbed of his reward for his good intentions Secondly Then fail not of being eminent in your Generations for Virtue and Piety by being burning and shining Lights unmingled with any manner of Evil that you may follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth But above all be Humble for that is the Ornament of our Holy Religion and it makes you to differ from the Wisdom of the World. For our Learning is then best when it teaches us Humility for to be proud of our Learning is the greatest Ignorance in the World for our Learning is so long in getting and so very imperfect that the Learnedest person in the World knows not the Thousandth part of that which he is Ignorant of so that he cannot attain to any Maturity of Knowledge proportionable to that of Angels No Man therefore has any cause to boast of his excellency for what thou hast thou hast received from God and art the more Obliged to return him Thanks for it and thou art bound to improve the Grace that he hath given thee to his Glory Consider then that thou wer't nothing before thou as Born and what wer 't thou in the first Regions of â—y dwellings before thy Birth but uncleaness What â—â—ast thou for many Years after but Weakness and â—â—ailty As the Psalms expresses It even as the smoak â—at vanisheth away Ps 102. 3. A great debtor then â—â—t thou to God to thy Parents to the Earth and all â—â—e Creatures For all Men that have ever been were â—â—ressed with Hunger and the Frailties of human Naâ—re so that the best and wisest Persons are subject â—o the Necessity of Nature wherefore there is great â—â—ause of Humility for the Spirit of Man is light and â—oublesome his Body is bruitish and sickly he is conâ—ant in his Folly and Errour inconstant in his Manâ—er and Good Purposes his Labours are vain intriâ—ate and endless his Fortune is changeable but selâ—om pleasing his Wisdom comes not till he be ready 〈◊〉 die or at least till he have spent great part of his â—â—me in wast His death is certain always ready at â—he Door but never far off upon these or the like Meâ—â—itations If we dwell on them or frequently retire 〈◊〉 consider them we shall see nothing more reasonable â—an to be Humble and nothing more foolish than to â—e Proud Humility consists not in railing against our â—â—lves or wearing mean Cloaths or going softly or â—â—bmissively but in a hearty and real mean Opinion â—f our selves Thirdly Believe thy self then an unworthy Person 〈◊〉 heartily as thou believest thy self to be Hungry Poor 〈◊〉 Sick when thou art so love to be concealed and 〈◊〉 esteemed off Be not troubled when thou art â—ighed and undervalued and when thou hast done â—ny thing worthy of praise return it to God who is â—â—e Giver of the Gift and Blesser of the Action and â—â—ive him thanks for making thee the Instrument of is Glory Secure a good Name to thy self by being â—irtuous Pious and Humble and when People have â—n occasion to speak well of thee take no content in â—raise when it is offered thee but let thy rejoycing be in Gods Gift but let it be alay'd with Fear lest thâ— Good bring thee to Evil. Pray often for Gods Gracâ— with Humility of gesture and passion of desire thaâ— God may be Glorified by thy Example of Humility which may be as well in a low condition as in a ricâ— Begg God 〈◊〉 irriâ—h thy Soul with all Graces anâ— when thou had attained them give God thanks 〈◊〉 them Pâ—ide hinders the acceptance of our Prayerâ— Humility pierceth the Clouds and will not give oveâ— till God accepts neither will it depart till the mosâ— high regards For he resisteth the Proud but 〈◊〉 Grace to the Hâ—mble St. Jam. 4 6. Then begg Gâ—acâ— and Pardon that it may be a remedy and relief aâ—gainst Misery and Oppression and be content in 〈◊〉 conditions begg Tranquility of Spirit Patience iâ— Affliction that we may gain Love abroad and Peacâ— at home Coâ—sider the blessed Sâ—â—iour of the World 〈◊〉 who left the 〈◊〉 of his Father the Lord of Glory 〈◊〉 who took upon him the liâ—e of Labour and came tâ— a State of Poverty to a Death of Malâ—fâ—ctouâ—s to thâ— Grave of Death and the intolerable Calamitiâ—s which we deserved Therefore it 's but reasonable that wâ— should be as Humble in the
some of the Nerves which hinders the motion from being continued in the Part affected of the Body as far as the Brain which is the Seat and Organ of the Senses because the impression have some palpable let or hindereance and cannot be carried or arrive through the exterior Senses of the Brain which are called Internal But our Souls Naturally like other-Created Spirits ought not to have any dependance upon our Bodies for to have the Ideas of things they ought only to have immediately dependance upon God and by Consequence ought only to have Union with him but this Supreame Spirit having been pleased for the reasons we have said and for many others which we conceive and for more yet apparently perhaps which we do not conceive that our Souls should have their Thoughts and their Sentiments their Desires and Affections upon the occasion of the Body to the end that they should be a continual Subject of Victory and Meritorious Exercise by the assistance of Divine Grace which is of it self Victorious over the Impure delectation of Concupiscence whereof it invincibly suspends the Charm by the Heavenly and inward Taste which it gives us of God of our Duty and of Eternal Happiness for Divine Grace causes 〈◊〉 to love Order and Duty in spight of our selves making us sensible that we owe to God an infinite â—â—ve of Complacency wholly disinteressed and wholly pure for which we ought to love his Eternal and Sovereign Beauty with all the strength and motions 〈◊〉 our Hearts for this alone will convey to us true â—â—â—asure for this will furnish us with Order Truth and Justice which will undoubtedly prevent all Irregularity Which Order is to be beloved by all Spiâ—its and all upright Hearts in all the Parts of the World for this have some affinity to the Sovereign Beauty of Nature and of the Supreame Essence who â—s the Lively and Eternal Source of Order Equity and Duty the Eternal and Substantial Truth which do not discover it self but by Rays by degrees escaping â—ut from God clearing the obscure Clouds of our disorderly Desires that we may Love and Adore our Sovereign Creator who gives us the weak glimmering of his Ineffable Beauty in that Virtue and Duty which he causes us to Love which is as it were the Charm of the Supreame Being For all that we love in the abstracted Idea of our Duties or in the real Charms of the Creatures is nothing but the Splendor and the Rays or the Shadow of that Charm of Sovereign Beauty and Perfection which Gloriously shines â—n the Supreame Nature from whose Beams it is that Nature Commences equally in us the love of Complacency and the love of Union that we may be filled with Contentment with Pleasure and Love Truth Justice and Equity and all other Graces and Virtues whom we love invincibly under the Ideas and under the Names of Truth of Justice of Beauty of Virtue of Duty or of Equity which shine in all Places of the World and makes it self seen loved and adored invincibly by all Hearts in all Ages for these all preceed from the glimmering and glances of Gods Original Beauty which is so amicable by it self that as Corrupt as we are we cannot hinder our selves from loving it because it flows from the Sovereign Nature of God. 2. The Soul of Man have no Power of giving iâ— self neither the Idea nor Knowledge nor Sentiment of any particular thing but it is God who hath alâ— Perfections dwelling in him that Instructs and Inlightens the Souls of Men for his Majesty alone is the Life of every thing that Lives and the Light of every thing that is Enlightned who gives us all the Sentiments and all the Ideas which we receive or have from the occasion of our particular Bodies and from others which environ us Tho to clear this point 〈◊〉 be obscure and difficult and yet is very Important and Necessary in Order to make us comprehend our dependance upon God who is alone the All-knowing Being by himself as he is an existent Being by himself For it 's God alone who hath Essentially of himself and by himself his Eternal and Subsistent Idea by which he can distinctly see all things possible present and to come The Created Spirits who are not Thinking Beings of themselves much less Spirits knowing by themselves or in themselves the things which are exterior to them and therefore they have need to receive the Ideas of particular things from God that they may have a knowledge of them For if they had the Idea of one sole particular thing out of themselves there would not be any Idea which they might not have neither would the Soul of Man have been Ignorant of any thing if she had had a Power by her self to Form and Idea of the least thing but by Consequence would have had the Idea of all things But since of her self 〈◊〉 cannot form any one Idea by Consequence she cannâ—â— form many For to imagine she could would be no sensical and trivial Our poor Soul goes gropâ—â—â— through all the Bodies who environs it searching 〈◊〉 a Pleasure and Contentment which should satisfie iâ—â— but no Pleasure nor Treasure can give the Soul trâ—â— satisfaction but God who is the alone Sovereiâ— Pleasure which makes the Soul thus search after hiâ—â— and him allone it is we ought to regard with all oâ—â— Strength Might and Motion seeing his Majesty râ—gards our Soul by all the Rays of his Infinite Essenâ—â— For his Wisdom it is who is our Satisfaction our 〈◊〉 and Contentment yea our Sovereign Felicity Oâ— Bodies then are but as it were our Souls burden at best but a House upon the Road of Eternity Wheâ—â— fore we ought to seek for a lively Idea of our dâ—peâ—â—dance upon this Supreame Being and upon all Divine Attributes that we may the better appreheâ—â— his Sovereign Perfection whose Nature is Supream and yet is graciously pleased to operate continual in us and rules over us in all our ways and in divers operations Our Souls do not make the digsâ—ion in us the Circulation of the Blood the Natuâ—â— and pureâ—y Animal Respiration in us the Soul beiâ—â— altogether Spiritual have no Power to act this waâ— but there is nothing which we certainly know bâ—â— the Soul is the active cause and principle of it which she have gain'd the Empire either to do not do as she pleases we may therefore reflect up her Faculty which she have of thinking of willinâ—â— and determining her self which are the two oâ— active Faculties that we know in her for the othâ—â— passive and receptive Faculties of which she haâ— essentially the Empire as well as the certainty of thâ— double Faculty and of all the Acts that preceeâ— there from and we may see that she suspends 〈…〉 Thoughts and her Reasonings puts them by determâ—â—â— and applies them as she pleases to new Matters which always present themselves and thus she is Mistress of â—â—er Will without the motion