of Death too for that sprung from thee EVE My Lord I have transgrest and do with tears Confess my fault Oh let thy gracious ears To my request incline and let the heat Of kindled wrath abate now at thy feet I prostrate lye God knows my heart is thine My Love and high esteem whate're is mine Through my means true is is thou art accurst But know the Serpent hath beguil'd me first Dost think I would have done 't had I foreseen What would the consequence thereof have been Oh! pity me dear Adam for I do My crime acknowledg and bewail it too And if that such intreaties might have sped I 'd beg the punishment upon my Head Might wholly light and God would thee restore To all the happiness thou hadst before On those terms welcome sorrow welcom pain I all would freely bear of none complain Be kind unto me Adam me forgive My great offence and let me with thee live Broken my heart is multipli'd my fears My sighs consider and observe my tears In this my sore distress do not me leave Me a part of thy self do not bereave Of thine advice and aid A look give down A look of love on her who is thine own ADAM Here 't is my Dearest for thee come arise And those o'reflowing tears wipe from thine eyes Which my displeasure caus'd alas that is The least effect of what thou didst amiss His wrath I dread whom we provoked have And from that wrath I gladly would thee save By bearing all my self I 'd loudly cry Let Eve live in thy sight and let me dye But this discourse is vain though I am loath To see thy miseries yet since we both Have sinned both must suffer and feel smart Our Judges sentence carv'd us both our part What then remains but that we study do Love to each other how to shew it too In all ways possible for so may we Somewhat alleviate our misery EVE My Lord with thankfulness I do admire Thy love to me just object of thine ire Which great and undeserved love doth raise Hope toward God that we shall speak his praise For if man thus forgiveth how much rather Will he forgive of Mercy who 's the Father ADAM Most sweet these words dear Consort and my mind Gives me that we and ours shall favour find In the eyes of our God Methought there did Great comfort lye in th' very sentence hid A sudden death was look'd for but lo He In stead of death only impos'd on thee Travailing sorrows And it 's richly worth Considering thou Children shalt bring forth For all those pains and when a Child thou hast Forget thou wilt all sorrows that were past In stead of me our Judg did curse the ground Which now will grow more wild and will abound With thorns and thistles It s face will be marr'd With vexing weeds so I must labour hard But sleep by labour will be made more sweet And I by labour shall get bread to eat But above all this hath my comforts fed One day thy seed shall bruise the Serpents head On these encouragements let us both fly Unto his mercy-seat and there let 's lye Cover'd with shame and drown'd with tears let 's now Before him like poor malefactors bow Of this our sin let full confessions Mixed with fervent supplications Ascend before his Throne He may relent And mercy shew unto us penitent It is the only way to scape the Rod Humbly to seek our refuge in our God SON of GOD. Father the Sentence I have past Thy will And pleasuâ—e therein I did all fulfill Nor have I finished that work alone But from th' offenders took their heart of stone And gave them one of flesh so that they melt For now the burden of their sin is felt Yea more behold they pray and sue for grace Nothing will please them but thy pleased face As Priest their names upon my breast I bear And now an Advocate for them appear Presenting their requests all incens'd and With Intercession back them Let thy Hand Of Love reach out a Pardon Let them obtain Thy choicest favour for my sake again From those deep sighs rising from hearts opprest And kindly broke smell a savour of Rest. Now that they seek thee be thou of them found And where Sin hath let Grace much more abound Despise them not who unto thee do fly If thou dost them thou shalt me too deny I will their sins for ever take away For their offences I by death will pay What is done I would not have thee undo Most highly it becomes thee to be true Unto thy righteous threats They did forsake Thy Law and thy Commandments did break And visited let their transgressions be With Rods and with stripes their iniquity Let their own wickedness correction give And backslidings reprove them while they live May they and theirs by sad experience know It is an evil thing and bitter too That they forsook God and made it appear By that departure they cast off his fear Yet thine own purposes of Grace fulfill Do thou them good and be their Father still Some sign of favour give them Let them see That thou art reconcil'd with them in me GOD. Be it my Son according to thy will Whatever thou hast spoken I 'le fulfill In thee I reconciled am and can For thy sake pardon all the sins of man He shall be sure to feel my smarting Rod Yet I will be to him a loving God When thou art suitor what shall not be done What 's too much for thy Intercession Which I know thou wilt ever live to make With me in Heaven for poor Sinners sake Therefore to th' utmost thou shalt Saviour be Unto all those that come to God by thee Who shall be happy Go ye Angels then And Peace proclaim on Earth Good will to men ANGEL Adam I hither come Tydings to bring From our and your Creator Heavens King Unto thy Pray'rs he hath inclin'd his ear Although a sinner thou to him art dear Upon thy sin Death might have seizure made And if it had done 't thou must have obey'd Its summons but behold there 's a reprieve Which Grace hath issu'd forth and thou shalt live Many and many days that thou thereby When e're Death comes mai'st be prepar'd to die Unto thy Makers pleasure it is fit Having offended humbly thou submit Bad will be mixt with good thy days will be Sunshine and cloudy God lays out for thee Sore trials But of sin do thou repent And learn in every state to be content One called Abr'am shall from thee descend Whom God will own and honour as his Friend From him in David's line also shall spring The promised Messiah Zions King Born of a Virgin overshadow'd by The Holy Ghost power of the most High He upon David's Throne shall sit full sure His Kingdom shall for evermore endure From Gentiles he thick darkness shall dispell And be the Glory of his Israel He out
POEMS IN TWO PARTS First An Interlocutory Discourse concerning the Creation Fall and Recovery of Man Secondly A Dialogue between Faith and a Doubting Soul By SAMVEL SLATER LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockeril at the Three Legs in the Poultry 1679. TO THE READER Courteous Reader AN itch of Scribling and appearing in Print hath not seiz'd me though I must confess my self easily perswaded to draw up this following Discourse An account of my publishing the Dialogue between Faith and a doubting Soul you will find before it That being delivered to the Book-seller and by him communicated to some of my Brethren they were pleased to signifie their approbation thereof wishing withal it might be accompanied with something about the Fall of Man The motion I readily closed with and so set to work in the midst of many affairs and under a very tenacious and afflictive distemper Yet I have in short time finished it and now send it abroad Be pleased to give it a fair and friendly reception If thou dost not like some things in it no more do I yet have not leisure to mend them I was much taken with Learned Mr. Miltons Cast and Fancy in his Book viz. PARADISE LOST Him I have followed much in his method and have been otherwise beholding to how much I leave thee to judg but I have used a more plain and familiar stile because I conceive it most proper Cast a mantle of love over failings wherever thou findest them and either do better or accept this from Thy Cordial Friend SA SLATER Febr. 6. 1678 9. A DISCOURSE CONCERNING The Creation Fall and Recovery of Man Iehovah Elohim I Am that which I am this is His Name Who happy always is always the same He Essence and Existence owes to none Whom can he owe it to being God alone Himself he his own happiness doth call What can he want who in himself hath all Both life and light and love and every thing Which may delight and satisfaction bring Of company there is no want for he Hath in himself a Blessed Trinity Before the World was he was not alone He then was and is still full Three in One. And in this happy that the Trinity Doth not divide his perfect Unity For the Three Persons are one Essence still One therefore in affection one in will The Son set up from everlasting is His Father's great delight the Father his Before him always he rejoiceth he Causeth and findeth matchless joy to be The Spirit too which doth from them proceed Doth the same joy both feast upon and feed But though no want of any thing could be Consistent with his sacred Deity His Goodness did not love to stay at home Communications did it become He did no Heaven need is his own place Yet for th' eternal glory of his Grace Heaven he fram'd and Earth both by a word Of power in both he is the Soveraign Lord. Above he Angels plac'd who all once shone As Morning-Stars about that Glorious Throne On which he sits an everlasting Sun Whose influence and beams can ne're be done A Law to them he gave that Law some brake And down he kickt them to the burning Lake Where they in everlasting chains shall lie Wishing for death though they can never die Yet Heaven is not empty for although Many did fall many do stand who do Attend upon him Thousands yea and more Ten thousand times ten thousand do adore His Majesty with veiled face and sing In th' highest glory to their God and King But besides Angels he from Earth did take A despicable clod and of it make A Creature whom he nobly did endue With Will and Understanding and did shew In him his own Image than Angels less He was but little for with Holiness God did invest him and resolv'd to make Him of ne're-ending happiness partake And with his chosen Progeny to fill His stately Palace his most holy Hill So he resolv'd so did and formed man One and no more in one the World began Of dust he formed him dust of the ground Yet he with Honour him and Glory crown'd His own similitude he gave him and Sov'raign authority for to command Fishes of Sea with Fowls and Beasts of sield Who all obedience unto him must yield And having made him for his pleasure-sake He commun'd with him and thus to him spake GOD. Adam who art my Workmanship know thou Unto none shalt but thy Creator bow Others shall bow to thee thee I have given All things that are under the cope of Heaven The world is thy dominion but my love Hath for thy Court chosen this pleasant Grove Eden I call 't a Garden where thou hast Varieties to please both eye and tast One fruit alone 's with-held and therefore see Thou do not venture once to taste that Tree Which knowledg doth of Good and Evil give Forbear to taste it as thou hop'st to live I who am Truth it self and cannot lie Say In the day thou eatest thou shalt die Death 't is I threaten therefore have a care Who e're shall tempt thee to 't Adam beware All other fruits I give thee for thy meat Of them thou hast free leave freely to eat Be then content if this thou tastest sin Will draw the latch and so grim Death comes in ADAM O God my Maker I do thee adore For mine own being and this bounteous store Which thou providest hast O let my love Always flame high to thee my God above Yet grant me leave to speak and make my moan Unto thy gracious ear I am alone In midst of comforts comfortless since I My days do pass without society Whatever creatures in the world there are Of each sort of them I do find a pair Which I together see associate And sweetly please themselves each in his Mate But betwixt me and them 's disparitie No pleasure therefore 'cause no harmonie Man should not turn a bruit and no bruit can Be a companion suitable to man GOD. Canst not thou find pleasure enough alone What Prince would have another in his Throne Look round about thee see how I have made Others to serve and thee to be obey'd On thee shall all attend from thee take Law And of thee every one shall stand in awe Before thee they shall come to sport and play And various delights yield every day Names thou hast given them and so dost know Their nature and their duty they know too Be satisfied then and mind my charge Great are thy comforts thy dominion large Besides look up to me I am alone From everlasting beside me is none Heaven view Skie with Sea Earth and Air And who is there that can with me compare All Creatures I have made and all to me Be more inferior than they are to thee Yet be assured that I do possess In mine own self most perfect happiness ADAM Lord pardon me thy dust if I reply And once more speak unto thy Majesty I cannot
reputation Instead of glory I must take the dress Of one that hath no form nor comeliness In form of God I am and robbery Do think it none to claim equality With him but yet I must a man become And be found in a sorry servants form Nay more if I to man would bring relief Sorrows must my familiars be and grief Mine intimate acquaintance I must be Most sorely bruis'd for his iniquity For his transgressions wounded In that day On me thou their iniquities wilt lay Yet this doth not discourage nor much more I have of love and bowels as great store As thou canst have of wrath This pleaseth me Full out as much as Vengeance pleaseth thee More thou art not displeased with his sin Than I am pleas'd Salvation him to bring Him I will draw out of the horrid pit And on a rock most sure I 'le set his feet Thy Justice honour I will so secure As that thy Mercy shall for ay endure Look on me Father then and take my word Which it's impossible for me to break great Lord Thou know'st me faithful thou dost know that I Can upon no account my self deny Look then again I here as surety stand To pay what e're thy Justice shall demand Ask what thou wilt thou canst not ask amiss Performed it shall be what e're it is Can only blood pardon procure If so Rather than not a pardon mine shall go My life I 'le give for his and part with all Which I can part with Let thine Anger fall On me thine only Son that burden I Will take to take away iniquity In all its guilt and power And that I may Be a fit object for it in the day Thou shalt appoint I will to my Godhead The Manhood joyn and so have blood to shed Blood thou canst not except against for I As man will suffer as God satisfie Let men me as a worm tread underfoot And laugh and shake the head and the lip shoot Let Bulls yea Bulls of Bashan me beset And come like hungry Lyons me to eat Let me be poured out like water and Let all my bones as dislocated stand What though my heart melted must be and I Shall have my strength like to a potsherd dry What though in sorrows thou do me immerse And cruel ones my hands and feet will pierce I 'le bear yea welcome all since thus I can Redeem from wrath poor but beloved Man Nay when I am thus brought upon the stage Let death it self spend on me all its rage Let it strike fiercely with its Iron Rod And then boast it hath kill'd the Son of God My heart is glad my glory joys also My flesh shall rest in hope because I know My precious Soul thou wilt not leave in grave I incorrupt shall resurrection have Of life the path thou wilt me shew to store Of joys and pleasures which forevermore Are in thy glorious presence Thus although I seem to yield unto that mighty foe By him to be devoured yet will I Fall like my self and a brave Conquerour die My very weakness shall much stronger be Than men and Devils Devils and men shall see I at my lowest can their pride abate And be above them in their greatest height 'Gainst man the hand-writing shall not prevail Out of the way I 'le take it and will nail It to my Cross. All adverse powers I 'le spoil And give to principalities the foil So be triumphant o're th' infernal crew And also of them all make open shew My people I will ransome from the grave From death I will them all redeemed have O cruel death even I thy plagues will be O grave I will destruction bring to thee And utterly root out mine enemies Repentance shall be hidden from mine eies In death I 'le fall that death may die by me In grave I 'le lie that graves may sweetned be To mine that shall come after I my head Will lay in dust that dust may prove a bed Of fragrant Roses yielding to them rest Who by sin were ty'rd out by world opprest Yea that same death which was brought in by Sin And was intended only to have been A way to Hell shall through my dying-love For mine be made the way to joys above A way to Heav'n for them I will it make When out of grave I shall rise for their sake As their head and first fruits I will disarm Death of its sting that it shall do no harm To mine As victor then in triumph high I I will captive lead captivity And to my Chariot-wheels will firmly bind All those mine Enemies who were combin'd Me to disgrace mine to destroy attend My triumph as slaves they shall when I ascend In clouds to Heaven and direct my course Father with gladness unto thee the source And spring of happiness when I will sit On thy right hand until under my feet My foes by thee be brought At length I will Descend again in state and so fulfil My joys and thy Decrees Father I 'le go Waited upon by Angels who shall blow And by their mighty breath that Trumpet sound Whose noise shall rough the Seas and shake the ground And make them both surrender up my dead Who with those living then shall me their Head Follow into thy presence where I shall Resign my Scepter that God all in all May be Father this I 'le perform and thus We shall rejoyce in them and they in Us. GOD. None could have spoken thus but He that is The brightness of my glory the express Image of mine own person in whom be All the perfections of the Deity My Son thou art my most beloved Son In whom I am well-pleas'd mine only one My works I took delight in because good Much more in man mine image while he stood Nor am I so incensed by his fall As utterly to ruin him and all Who shall of him proceed Now he is lost I am resolv'd to be at much more cost For his to be admired Restauration Than ever I was at for his Creation I made him with my word alone but will Ransome him with thy life and thereby fill Both Heaven and Earth with wonder that I part With thee who art so near unto my heart For man's Redemption I do not care What charges I am at I will not spare For cost but freely will deliver up Thee unto death and mingle such a cup For thee to drink as never one did taste For bitterness and yet I will no waste Admit of though it wormwood be and gall My pleasure is thou drink it dregs and all But thine own love will sweeten it for I Know for man's sake thou lovest to deny Thy glorious self and never wilt repine To shed thy blood so man may have the wine And as thy love doth prompt thee so I do Set everlasting joy before thee too For thy encouragement A just regard Shall be had to thee and a full reward Shall crown thy
its burden and in chains Of darkness clapt us while himself still reigns In light and glory therefore now will we Be pleas'd at his disturbance now that he Is to repentance brought for making man Yea grieveth inwardly for making man VVhere is the beauty now of his Creation He that his darling was is his vexation I have him so seduc'd that even he Novv is become his Makers enemy Man whom before he in his arms did cherish Of Love is now worse than the beasts that perish Hasten sin now him with all evil fill Death feast upon him but be hungry still Both air and earth your territories call And exercise dominion over all But specially o're man diseases cast Sorrows throwe on him and him killl at last Thus Devil Sin Death and the Triplicity Infernal after all victorious be Let our grand enemy rejoyce that out Of Heaven he hath tumbled at one bout So many thousand Angels I can tell Almost as great a feat perform'd by Hell At once and by one little Strat'gem I Have Adam ruin'd and his progeny Millions and Millions of them who shall now 'Gainst God rebel and to our Scepter bow Henceforth to make man happy shall cost more A great deal than it would have cost before ADAM Night most uncomfortable I have had None such till now a thousand thousand sad And frightful thoughts have taken up my mind And now Eve at my waking I do find My head much discompos'd yea out of frame I feel my self all o're find not the same Serenity within nor strength without There is alas there is a total rout Of purity and peace and joy All 's gone Instead of being made we are undone Our eyes indeed are open'd for I see Our selves expos'd to shame and misery Now we are naked and that very thing Which was our glory doth now blushes bring Our rectitude is lost our beauty is Turn'd to deformity All is amiss And out of order quite where e'r mine eye Fixeth on self or thee I faults espy An hapless hour it was when without fear Thou didst incline thy over-curious ear Unto that ill-taught Serpent who did feign An humane voice that he thereby might gain Closer attention from thee and infuse Notions would thy credulity abuse T' our ruin he a very counterfeit Was and his promises an arrant cheat It 's true our eyes are open'd and we do Know good as he said and what 's evil too But that 's bad knowledg which increaseth sorrow Something to day we feel more shall to morrow And daily more The good we had is lost And evil we do know unto our cost How evil is it for us to be stript Of innocencies robes and to be whipt With lash of Consciences within are fears Which do perplex our Spirits in our ears A dreadful sound is always in our face Marks of sin are instead of wonted grace With boldness now I cannot look on thee And how shall I with confidence then see The face of God whom we so much offended After he had us both so much befriended Nay how shall we upon the Angels look Or how will they such loathsome Creatures brook Let us go seek a place as dark as night Where we may be removed from that light Which will our spots and blemishes discover For now we nothing are but spots all over EVE Go then I follow for my cheeks are dy'd Red with a blush and first let us both hide Some way or other those parts which do seem Of all the most uncomely which we deem Most fit to be concealed Let us sow Broad and thick leaves together which may go About our middles and so cover round Such parts as now with shame do most abound For if we them with modesty do hide Better we may Spectators eyes abide With Fig-leaves we are cloath'd but sad the story We fallen are down from our former glory ADAM A covering this is but such as will Neither secure nor beautifie we 're still More cloath'd with shame within we have no rest Oh how do frightful thoughts our Souls molest Deep springs of fruitless sorrow do arise And streams of brinish tears flow from mine eies In which I may be drenched all the day And I no hand know will them wipe away All things I find now in an uproar are All turned up-side down my passions dare Rebel against my Reason That great Queen Who was inthron'd by God and should have been Sole Governess doth now a Captive stand Devested of its power at the command Of base unruly lusts that strive to be Controllers unto it masters to me So Understanding rules not but my will Scorns to obey its dictates they both still Bow to a bruitish appetite and I Can only groan under its tyranny For this Eve thee I thank to thee I owe All even all the miseries I know Wouldst thou have kept thy place hadst thou obey'd Thy Husbands counsels wouldest thou have stay'd By me as I advis'd this had not been Such a sad case as this we had not seen Learn henceforth to keep home without dispute Of womans wandring mischief is the fruit EVE Be not so partial Adam prethee come Lay not the fault on me alone bear some Of it thy self it cannot be deny'd But we between us should the blame divide When was that charge giv'n forth When did God say Be sure that you together always stay I did conclude kind Heaven did us permit Sometimes to be alone and judg'd it fit So to be then and being innocent Thought where I would I might go so I went My head thou wast if therefore thou didst know Mischief would follow why didst let me go One positive command of thee had made My purpose change and me with thee have staid I did not would not go without thy leave I had it thou didst me permission give And likely 't is had I been by thy side We both had fallen had we both been tri'de ADAM I am undone by thee and yet must I Be charged as cause of our misery By granting leave to go I did approve My self to thee yet blam'd am for my love And is 't indeed just matter of complaint That I on thee laid not a full restraint Alas that could not be impos'd by me For God himself had us created free Advise I did and warn'd yea did foretel What en'mies were abroad and what might well Fall out unto our hurt and prejudice Even in this delightful Paradise But when I all had said thy confidence Was rais'd being built on thine own innocence And strength But to speak fully to thee I Knowing thy rare perfections did rely Upon thy virtue but see since that time Errour in love may prove a fatal crime And henceforth may all men be warn'd by me And may all women too be warn'd by thee Husbands away with jealousies you must Love wives with dearness but not overtrust Them with self-rule Wives don 't your selves abuse And then your Husbands
written in his Book That is a vain attempt that course once take Thy soul thou'lt wound work for sorrow make There is enough in Christ and none shall die But such as do not to that refuge flie In him are safely Arkt persons unclean Who grievous sinners like to thee have been Haste thou for shelter too Why this delay O soul it must be done Do it to day Wouldst thou destroy thy self shall black despair O'rewhelm and drown thee now there 's such a fair And ready passage leading to the Ark In which thousands of thousands do imbark And are conveyed to a land of rest Where neither sin nor sorrow can molest Up up for shame away to him with speed Who 's call'd a Saviour and is one indeed Do but go to him yea go at a venture Into his gracious presence all may enter He never said to any seek in vain All humble seekers shall his favour gain His promise is if any one will rise And make address to him he in no wise Will cast him off Flee thou unto his grace So he in arms of love shall thee imbrace None e're departed empty from him He Is infinitely full full out as free Haste to him therefore haste thy days do spend End thou thy danger e're thy days do end Put in thy sickle reap what he hath sown He 's not thy foe if thou be not thine own The invitation is Whoever will Let him come hither and here take his fill If thou wilt take then Christ will give believe Stretch out thy hand he will thy wants relieve He is the God of Love then to him go Thou canst not ask the thing he will not do Others have sought and found asked and had Who sinners were like thee as old as bad Their good success should ease and chear thy heart Christ will do his if thou wilt do thy part Doubt 4. From uncertainty of interest SOVL. I question still mine interest in God And cannot call him Father Mine abode Is yet in darkness I want light to read Mine Evidences by Oh! could I feed My joys with full assurance did I know That God is reconciled Christ did do And suffer all for me I soon would chase All sorrow hence and with a smiling face Look on my dearest Lord nothing should hinder His love should be the spark my heart like tinder Should quickly kindle and be all in slame With love and praises to his holy name Thrice happy Paul could say Christ dy'd for him Which fill'd his soul with joy up to the brim Did I know that my comforts would run o're I 'd sit and sing but sigh and sob no more FAITH Dost thou desire to know it Look within Is no discov'ry made then look agen Beg light from Heaven when 't is dark below Thou shalt know if thou follow on to know Christ dy'd for all in whom he lives make out His living in thee and thou needst not doubt If thou canst say O Lord my heart is thine Thou well maist say O Lord thy death is mine He enters no House but he sprinkles first The Door-posts of it with that blood which burst Out of his precious side That sincere love Which glows within thy breast came from above And is a sweet reflection of that fire And purer flame in him and doth aspire To its own Element 't will carry thee To that blest place where is no room for me Cease groundless fears God will not him deny That saith Lord give me Christ or else I dye Deal faithfully in thine own case and own With thankfulness what God for thee hath done Thou canst not choose but say many a time Christ hath himself shewn willing to be thine Thou dost accept him dost not Then all 's done The match is made and Jesus is thine own God saith wilt have my Son thou say'st yea Lord Be it to me according to thy word His Love and Law also both I would have His Peace without his Grace I do not crave I am as willing he in me should reign As that by him I happiness may gain Let this be thy return for so shall he Fill thee with grace and Heaven with such as thee Doubt 5. From inward Corruptions SOVL. With such as me believ 't who will I can't Whoever enters Heaven sure I shan't Nought that defiles shall thither come that place Is fill'd with Glory for Souls fill'd with Grace But mine is stuff'd with sin numberless evils Ill thoughts affections Legions of Devils Haunt and inhabit here Lord what a pow'r Of lusts are crawling in it every hour I never set my self to look within But I discover filthy heaps of sin Did others see what I do they with shame And scorn would shun me I disgrace that name Which graceth me Christ's holy name I bear Him I profess his Livery I wear With him I live his word I hear yet feel No yielding to him in this heart of Steel Filthy I was and so am still How can An holy Christ dwell in so soul a man Sure he his habitation sweepeth clean There are not in his Temple heaps of sin Sin dies in him that liveth therefore I Have no true life not finding sin to dye FAITH Sin is in thee But is there nothing more There may be Grace though of corruption store In midst of enemies thy Saviour reigns And of those enemies still ground he gains That mighty one hath girt his Sword to 's side And conquering to conquer he doth ride Thou feelest thy corruptions are rife Such feeling is a mercy sign of life Dead men feel nothing load them load again They do not groan they do not once complain It 's well when sin doth trouble and molest Which did thee please for Christ hath promis'd rest To heavy laden souls nor is he slack To take that burden off which galls thy back He will not pass thee by because so ill Thou art the fitter for his Sov'reign skill A good Phisician overlooks the sound And goes where sicknesses do most abound Hate and abhor thy sins thy self bemoan If sin lose love it cannot keep the throne Where 't is endear'd it lives loathed it dies Christ at one time humbles and sanctifies As for the stirrings of thy lust at most They 'r but death-pangs it shall give up the Ghost Sampson did at his death make greatest sport The Devils rage grows high when 's time is short Be thou so wise in th' case which thou art in As to discern 'twixt reign and rage of sin What speak thy bleeding heart weeping eyes Sure this that sin don't reign but tyrannize Danger of death is past because I see By these complainings sin doth die in thee Doubt 6. From want of Godly sorrow SOVL. Could I indeed mourn kindly then at last I 'd think the bitterness of death were past Could I with weeping mingle all my drink Or make my bed to swim could I so think On my corruptions as to
dissolve Into a flood of tears I should resolve My doubts and banish fears Were e're a vein Of godly sorrow breath'd 't would ease my pain Then I should smile at table rest in bed A bleeding heart would cure an aking head But mine alas is stupid brawnie dry Will scarce afford a tear will scarce supply Me with desired groans sometimes I see My brethren furnisht with a treasurie Or ocean of tears How soon can they With laden clouds o'recast their clearest day One thought of Christ or word of sin doth make Their eyes run over and their hearts to ake I can't command a drop when they have store And therefore grieve 'cause I can grieve no more FAITH Poor soul oh that thy head were waters and Thy chamber Bochim Oh! that a command Would sweetly break thine heart and make it melt Feeling such sorrow as it never felt I wish that these dry cheeks bedew'd may be With tears for him that shed his blood for thee They would be Aqua vitae gen'rous wine Quickly reviving this faint heart of thine Those tears would drown thy sorrow that rain Would make the inward chaps to close again Well take a turn upon that fatal mount Where Christ was crucifi'd and there recount His pressing sorrows there behold the Sun Of Righteousness eclips'd and having run His race of life setting at last in dark Wrapt up in clouds stand still a while and hark How deep his sighs were fetcht in that black night Who brought for us immortal life to light His soul was sorrowful ev'n unto death Yet in that sorrow not the smallest breath Of comfort reacht him he was fain to ' bide The rage of enemies nay God did hide Men reak'd their rage his Father too did pour His wrath upon him in the self-same hour And all this for thy sin lay that to heart Thou did'st transgress and he endur'd the smart Dwell on these thoughts for sure a Saviour's groan May pierce and mollifie an heart of stone Repeated thoughts that God did him forsake May kindly work and cause thy heart to ake Since Peter wept with one cast of Christs eye Thou mai'st to hear him say for thee I die Yet measure not repentance by thy tears Sorrow is deepest when it least appears Don't always judg of inward sorrows by The tongue complaining or the weeping eye For full-charg'd vessels frequently run least Through want of vent so doth the heart opprest Many have words yea tears too at their will Who Christ rejecting hug their Idols still Esau did weep and yet could find no place For wisht repentance nor for saving grace Again there may true Penitents be found O'rewhelm'd with grief with brinish tears not drown'd Some mens complexions are hot and they Buckets of water must needs want to lay The fire that burns within whilst others are So full of moisture they 've enough to spare Grace sanctifieth and makes better yet Natures defects are not suppli'd by it Divers affections too are in the heart Now one anon another acts its part Thy grief once wrought and then thou couldst have stood Under Christs Cross till thou had'st wept a flood Holy revenge now is upon the stage And prosecutes with never-ending rage The murderer that Christ did crucifie And nothing but its blood will satisfie Despond not then O soul that sacred fire Of holy anger which shall not expire Upon the altar of thine heart doth dry That dew which once upon thy cheeks did lie Come dost thou feel the heavy weight of sin Wouldst give a world there were not one within Is that thy misery thy plague thy sore Wouldst willingly offend thy God no more If God should bid thee ask a boon wouldst cry Lord that my soul might live my sin might die Canst part with Delilah canst Agag hew Thy Kingly-darling-lust canst bid adieu To all the Idols of thine heart then he Who dy'd for sinners also dy'd for thee That sense of sin those inward pains that cause A man to loath himself yield to Christs laws The Gospel calls enough Do thou not cover One of thy sins God will them all pass over What e're is wanting in thy tears Christs blood To th' utmost will supply and make it good Huge mountainous transgressions of man Small rivers cannot hide but th' Ocean can Doubt 7. From spiritual unfruitfulness SOVL. But my heart is a barren soil that lays My comforts dead did I fill up my days Place and Relations ah did I find A fruitful soul I should not faint in mind I cannot weep yet if my work went on Were this my straitned heart enlarg'd to run The ways of Gods Commandments then my peace Would like a river be and still increase Abundant fruits of holiness would be Proofs of my love to God Gods love to me God justly doth expect from every one Returns of love and duty There is none Deserves a servants name unless he do Perform the work his master sets him to God likes not idle drones that drink and eat At others cost and live on others sweat His people are industrious and can say Lord we our work have finisht in our day Whereas mine lieth dead upon my hand While time flies swiftly I do idle stand Many commands before me present are But where 's obedience if I compare My life with God's law I most plainly see Of much that should little is done by me I stand and wonder at my Masters cost Then sit down sighing when I think all lost FAITH Suppose it true that little fruit is found Upon thy branches thou dost not abound In service though thy reck'ning-day doth haste Yet days for working do run out to waste The best of servants oft have cause to say I have not done a days-work in a day But what 's thy duty now sure not to throw All hope away and utterly undo Thy precious high-born soul by black despair Rather mend former faults by future care Is one day gone and yet its work not done Then if thou canst do two days work in one And having been too too remiss before Double thy diligence and strive the more Didst sleep away thy golden morning hours Then in the afternoon call up the pow'rs Of soul and body working each amain Not leaving till thy losses thou regain This doth become a Christian not to sit Doubting and drooping only in a sit Of Melancholy which his comfort kills And him with spiritual distempers fills But is 't a just charge which thou dost put in Against thy self poor soul O do not sin In false-accusing act not Satan's part To make him all the sport thy self the smart Let the best laden branches hang the head Be thankful for some fruit the tree's not dead That hath one cluster Though more would do well Out of that one thou mal'st a blessing spell Acknowledg what thy God to thee hath been And overlook not thy returns to him Thankfully own receipts of Grace withall Do not disown