I have not offered up my â—elfe so exactly to thee as I should for me thought â—e besought me from thee to offer up my self a living sacrifice wholly and acceptably to thee My Lord I have heretofore long since given my selfe to thee by piece meals but I fear reserving something from thee and if offering my selfe wholly to thee be but a reasoâ—oble serving of thee sure when I reserved any thing from thee that service was contemptible But gracious Father pardon all that heretofore I have done amisse in thy service for now I doe give up my selfe wholly to thee But how shall I dare to say my self I dare not appeare by my selfe in thy presence yet with and in my self I may Thou hast taught me out of thy royall story to know that thou hast given me that Princely Son of thine I cannot chuse but accept so rich a present then seeing he is mine and I am his I am confident to present my selfe to thee with and in him My Lord thou canst not but take the care 〈◊〉 me now I have given my selfe wholly to thee the gracious Father let me live without fear of falling froâ— thee for if I fall from thee wilt not thou loose paâ—â— of thy glory My Lord I know it stands not witâ— thine honour to let that perish which is committed iâ— to thy hands then sith I have commited my self wholy to thee let me with confidence sit downe and resâ— and â—â—ar no evill For from all ill I shall be free Sure nothing can be ill to me Vpon Adams fall MY Dear God! did thy Majesty make Adam wise before he fell then any man or hast thou sincâ— his fall given man the gift of Faith or had he no neeâ— of Faith or did Adam not beleeve thee the maker 〈◊〉 all things so much as we beleeve each other 〈◊〉 Adam did not beleeve thee when thou toldst him thâ— the day he should eat of that tree he should dye thâ— death We thinke men wise when they avoid what told them will hurt them I finde Adam not so wise and if one tell us Mercury will cause our death 〈◊〉 that are called the depraved Sons of Adam will not eaâ— it if we be in our right senses though the purenesse 〈◊〉 the colour may tempt us and it be onely a mortaâ— man that tels us so who neither made it nor eveâ— try'd it Adam beleev'd not the O Lord who made that tree and gavest the nature to it O Adam whâ—â— made thee to eat of that tree hadst thou not this great world full of all pleasures to content thee a beautiâ—uâ— healthfull active body a minde indued with all excelent and pleasing knowledge No where couldst thoâ— cast thine eye but it had pleasing objects nothinâ— couldst thou tast but it was delicious no troubled mind no distracted thoughts to take thee one minute from these delights or cause thee to wish a change Oh what then was it But now I must check my selfe Great God pardon me I now sin with Adam whiles I am inquiring why Adam sinn'd he would know what he should not I what I cannot Thou hadst made him so wise as was sufficient for any mortall man and hadst given him such qualities of his Soul as were requisite to have made him for ever happy in that blessed condition Frail Adam I will no more examine whether thou hadst faith or no or whether thou didst thinke to have been happier by what was kept from thee then in possessing what was so plentifully given to thee Great God I will content my self to know thou hadst made him at first in a happy condition and us so in him and will be patient now I see my selfe in a worse because thou hast given me faith to beleeve I shall be in a better And as Adam made himselfe unhappy by expecting to be happier So I shall be more happy by beleeving I shall be gloriously perfect hereafter Security in Danger MY Lord When with that blessed servant of thine I send up to thee my petitions for security against those that rise up against us Let me receive his assurance that thou hearest me out of thy holy hill and let me say with him I will lay me downe and also sleep in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety I will not be afraid of ten thousand of people that should beset me round about for seeing it hath pleas'd thee to let me be in a Kingdome of division though blessed be thy name who hath yet preserv'd me I am now in a place of peace yet for ought I know I might to morrow be incompassed with ten thousand enemies though not to me in particular yet to those among whom I am now in safety But if thou art pleas'd I shall be so inclos'd then let not me be afraid of them fhr thou canst preserve me either by destroying those that would harme me or by letting me finde favour in the sight of mine enemies or by their hands canst thou send me to thy blessed Tabernacle of security where I shall never need any more to send up prayers for deliverance but shall alwayes sing praises to thee for having so many wayes to deliver me And so all fear I now may bid adieu Goe enemies I 'me secur'd from you The Royall Priest-hood PEace Present now no more to me to take my spirit from the height of felicity that I am a creature of a weaker sex a woman For my God! If I must live after the example of thy blessed Apostle I must live by faith and faith makes things to come as present and thou hast said by thy servant that we shall be like thy blessed Son then thou wilt make all thy people as Kings and Priests Kings are men and men are Kings And Souls have no sex the hidden man of the heart makes us capable of being Kings for I have heard it is that within makes the man then are we by election capable of as great a dignity as any mortall man But thoughts of mortals now Adieu I will close the eyes of my Soul to mortality and will not open them but to eternity seeing that by thy grace and faith in thee thou hast made us partaker of thy divine nature by thy assistance I will live by faith I will no more now see my self as mortall but as an immortall King will I begin to live that hidden man never dies but when mine immortall King that plac'st me in this Kingdome of felicity with him shall see it fit time he will raise me on a triumphant Chariot compos'd of the wings of bright Angel to his immortall Kingdome of Glory where I shall reigne with him for all eternity and never more desire to change Aud as a Royall Priest must I be to thee ever offering up the sweet incense of my praises to thy divine Majesty for thy infinite mercies to me thy unworthy servant The secure Pavillion MY God Thy children need not now pray that those lips may be put to silence that speak grievous things against them they have long since had a freind and thou a servant that sent up his petitions to thee for that and as if he had been ravisht with a present answer from thee he cryes out O how great is thy goodnesse that thou hast laid up in store for them that fear thee before the Sons of men that would dishonour thy servants And now he hath brought us so pleasing a message from thee that it is no wonder if we with disregard slight those unsavory words which we hear And now look here all you who shall any way slight or annoy his children by your odd speeches they are plac'st above your reach for God will hide them in the secret of his presence from the pride of men he will keep them secretly in his Pavilion from the strife of tongues you may shoot but your aime must be above your head if you think to hit them and when you have shot your arrows cannot reach them but they may light where you would not have them on your own heads A Question MY God! What businesse on earth is worth detaining a Soul from Heaven that is prepar'd with desire to come from earth to live in heaven with thee Palmer Why told you me God hath something here remarkable for mee to doe before I leave the earth else could I have laid downe my head each night with expectation of a mornings rise in heaven now I doe lay it downe onely with a contenting joy that I am his and that when his will is done with me or by me here I shall then goe to possesse tha Heaven which onely can content the desire of my immortall Soul Had you not told me so I might have hop'd that excessive joy for the glory which I shall possesse might have rais'd me to that blisse to which I doe aspire My God my Soul breaths after thee and cannot be satisfied till she comes to a full possession of thee Lord what on earth can there be done by mee Worth keeping here my longing Soul from thee Wings my Doves you have now obtain'd To flee to that Invincible Rock Where you may hide you safe In those Clifts of Security From your Malignant Enemies Who may flee after you And think to graspe you And so to hurt you But they cannot But you may without any gaul tell them You are plac'd beyond their envies reach And with that blest Apostle may say 'T is a small matter for me to be judg'd By you or of mans judgement The Lord is Judge of all He judgeth me and I Am safe under His powerfull Wings
not I have enough God is my lot I would hear God now praised bee For his great blessings giv'n to me You 'ave bils of thanks oft sent to you For earthly blessings and they 'r due Shall not then heavenly blessings be More priz'd then earth they shall by mee This Bill of thanks to you I send What though it be not rarely penn'd 'T is the intention of my heart That I in it to you impart It is not onely sent to thee But Preachers all praise God for me I with a Trumpet could proclaime Praises to the God of fame For teaching me to know his name All people for me doe the same Being in paine LOrd if my sin produce my paine Pray let me never sin againe For pain is grievous unto me And sin is hatefull unto thee Let me not do what troubleth thee And thou 'lt not send what grieve shall me But if my patience Lord thou tryest If I will bear what thou applyest To cure the malady of sin Cease not my pain but send't again For pain I rather would endure Then grieve thine eyes of light so pure That our most secret thoughts doe spie And wanton glances of the eye For which thou sendest punishments Or else corrects with sapience Being taken with a sudden pain on the Day appointed for God's publick Service LEt not this pain Lord deter me From publick offering praise to thee Though private prayers may pleasing bee From others and as well from me But publick blessings thou giv'st me And publick praise I 'de offer thee Thou teâ—st me if I will confess Thee before men thou'lt do no lesse For me before thine Angels bright And thy great Father in his light In private I may serve thee here But that to men doth not appeare I then in publick will serve thee Whiles here thou givest me liberty And not depend on charity To think I doe belong to thee The Antidote THis Antidote will cure your fear The God of heaven for you takes care They cannot fear that live above Their fear is cured by their love My Satisfaction I Am content with this earths fate Cause I am borne for higher state Sweet quiet here I wish no more I 'de have my glory kept in store Yet I have on those Robes of glory Of which I oft have read the story That pure refined souls doe wear Living in regions free from care For with the eye of faith I see My selfe sweet Prince as I 'me in thee And with thee I doe live above Because we live where we doe love But Oh my God! when shall it be that the dark Lanthorne of Faith shall be swallowed up in the bright mantle of sweet fruition Being called a Stoick NOt as a Stoick I 'me exempt from care But as a Christian I would all things beare Nor that I blinded am and nothing see No I see all but take all patiently Gods Prerogative LOrd shall I grudge at thy just will Or shall I question thy great skill And think the world thou dost not rule As thou art wont peace silly fool Without his rule it cannot stand All things are done at his command Doe not then grudge at what he doth Nor in thy heart have any ruth Gainst them who now do rule the Land They have no power but from his hand The earth is his and he plucks down Who him displease and gives the Crowne To others if they him obey They shall still rule if not then they Shall be destroyed with his frown And to their foes hee 'l give their Crown Then let me Lord my selfe submit To what thy wisdom seeth fit Sith no authority can be But what appointed is by thee My Mansion ELiza for doe you not care She lives in heaven free from earths feare Her ' bidings in those regions be Her converse with the Deity Mans unkindnesse my Benefit LOrd what a courtesie doth man to me When he 's unkind he drives me straight to thee Where I my deer sweet Prince do ever finde Carefull for me contenting pleasing kinde Then let them be as liketh them to me ' I le not complain sith I can come to thee Who art my joy my love my crown my peace In whom my joys abound and still increase My Second Part. I Did withdraw me from the stage Of this vain world in my best age Thinking for heaven thou hadst bedrest So I retired for my rest But thou a Prophet hadst me made Unto my selfe when I had said Another part I here must play Before I went from hence away A wife thou choo'st out for my part Which I misliked in my heart And thought wedded to none to bee Great Prince of Heaven and earth but thee But thou that hadst ordain'd that part Foundst ' out a means to turne my heart Because my Lord thou 'lt have me see We happy in that life may be But then on thee we must depend For thou alone that blisse canst send For should our Husbands love fixt be Upon some others not on thee Heavens Prince will never thee forsake But still his darling will thee make And should hee of thee carelesse bee Heavens Prince he will more carefull bee He from the earth wil raise thy heart That thou content maist act that part The Resurrection WHy should I be afraid to dye Or let my body in earth lye In that sase bed I 'me laid to sleep When others in their closets weep It is to me a quiet night And next day brings the wished light That makes for me eternall day My body there feels no decay And when I waken I shall finde All things well pleasing to my minde Youth beauty spirit now present Themselves for that days Ornament With Robes more bright then are the beams That from her pleasing Sun here streams Decay they say they never will For they were made with exact skill To adorne the bodies that ascend And on the Deity attend Now shall I see my Princely peer That I on earth did hold so deer And with him still converse shall I Who would not now let their soul fly Seing there 's no fear of decay Fools that think death a dismall day Fearfull Vncertainty OH you that know not when you dye Whither your Souls to heaven shall fly Or wander in the dismall shade No wonder though you be afraid Would you not wear black hellish weeds Avoid then wicked sinfull deeds Do actions that are just and right If you would live in heavenly light Do you think peace you can enjoy That others with your deeds annoy No! what you unto others doe Assure your selves shall fall on you And if good councell now you slight Look in Hells mouth and be affright Avoid betimes that hellish fume Which all your pleasures will consume To Generall Cromwell THe Sword of God doth ever well I' th hand of vertue O Cromwel But why doe I complain of thee ' Cause thou' rt the rod that scourgeth mee But if a good
ELIZA'S BABES OR THE Virgins-Offering BEING Divine Poems and Meditations Written by a LADY who onely desires to advance the glory of GOD and not her own LONDON Printed by M. S. for Laurence Blaiklock and are to be sold at his Shop neer the Middle-Temple Gate 1652. TO MY SISTERS LOoke on these Babes as none of mine For they were but brought forth by me But look on them as they are Divine Proceeding from Divinity To the READER WHen first the motion came into my minde that these Babes of mine should be sent into the world I would faine have supprest that motion for divers reasons which may be imagined by them that shall read them But especially by those that knew my disposition But rising one day from my Devotions it was suggested to my consideration that those desires were not given me to be kept in private to my self but for the good of others And if any unlike a Christian shall say I wrote them for mine owne glory I like a Christian will tell them I therefore sent them abroad for such a strict union is there betwixt my deare God and mee that his glory is mine and mine is his and I will tell them too I am not asham'd of their birth for before I knew it the Prince of eternall glory had affianced mee to himselfe and that is my glory And now to all such shall I direct my speech whose brave spirits may carry them to high desires Place not your affections in your Youth beneath your selves but if you would be happy on earth and enjoy these outward blessings with free and lawfull contentment bestow your first affections on my Almighty Prince I would have you all love him and him to love you all I being his must doe as he will have mee and methinks hee directs me to tell you that you shall never bee happy on Earth nor glorious in Heaven if you doe not love him above all earthly things More I must tell you that if you will dedicate to his service and present into his hands your wealth witt spirit youth beauty he will give you wealth if lesse more usefull your witt more pure your spirit more high and transcendent and your youth and beauty which time will steale from you or some malignant disease with paine rend from you them he will lay up awhile for you and returne them againe for eternity with great advantage And that you need not doubt of the certainety of what is told you they that tell it you have found part of it true and shall the rest I cannot be content to be happy alone I wish you all blessed too nor can I smother up those great and infinite blessings that I have received from him with private thankes That Great Prince of Heaven and Earth proclaimed by Angels that he was come into the world to shew his good will and love to mee was here content to dye a publique death for me to save me from a Hell of misery in which I lay and should have layen had not he the Prince of Peace and the fairest and chiefest among the sons of men shed his most precious and royal blood for mee and before he dyed he left word that I should not feare for it was his great and glorious Fathers will to bestow on us a Kingdome And was so great a Prince not ashamed to avow so great affection and love to mee and shall I be ashamed to returne him publique thankes for such infinite and publique favours No I will not but with all my minde heart and soule I blesse and praise my Almighty God for so great benefits bestowed on me his unworthy servant Methinks it is not enough for my self onely to doe it but I must send out my Babes to doe it with mee and for me And if any shall say others may be as thankefull as shee though they talk not so much of it Let them know that if they did rightly apprehend the infinite mercies of God to them they could not be silent And if they doe not thinke the mercies of God worth publique thankes I doe and therefore I will not be ashamed to be that one in ten that returned to acknowledge himselfe a cleansed Leaper And now my Babes some may say to you unlesse you had been more curiously drest or more finely shap'd your Mother might have kept you in obscurity Tell â—hem I sent you to their more learned and refined wits to forme you to a more curious shape and tyre you in a more inticing dress But this I will say for you You want none of your limbs and your cloaths are of rich materials I dare not say I am loth to let you goe Go you must to praise him that gave you me And more I le say for you which few Mothers can you were obtained by vertue borne with ease and pleasure and will live to my content and felicity And so Adieu But stay Something you may truly say for your own imperfections and your Mothers excuse That some of you were borne when herself was but a child but My joy my blisse my happy Story In Heaven is writ and that 's my Glory Psalme 56. Vers 10. I Glory in the word of God To praise it I accord With joy I will declare abroad The goodness of the Lord. All you that goodness doe disdaine Goe read not here And if you doe I tell you plaine I doe not care For why above your reach my soule is plac'st And your odd words shall not my minde distaste And when you read these lines mistake not a Divine affection for a Poeticall fancy for I affect not to express my fancy but I would have my fancy express my affection The Invocation Come Sacred Muse to mee this day And ever here make you a stay Within the closet of my brest For I with thee doe finde great rest My sweet Companion here thou art Dear Lord Let it not from me part From thee this gift I did receive To thee the same I doe bequeath Aspire aspire my minde aspire From earthly things unto the higher Set not thy minde on base desires But thinke upon the heavenly Quires Of Angels sweet that singing be And still the face of God doe see Admiring much his wisedome great And glorious sweetnesse of his seat Then hie my Soule to that sweet place Where glory is with mirth and grace The Request Come sweet Spirit expell my feare Assure me that thou hast a care Of me and of my giddy youth Assure me of it still for Truth That thy Spirit shall me direct And that thy power shall me protect Then shall my spirit be at rest And with sweet thoughts my soule be blest When that I know thou lovest me And that my youth shall guided be By that Spirit that doth dispose All for the happinesse of those The which be servants unto thee Blest be thy Name that so made mee The Answer HIs Spirit much thou dost desire
will come as in thy Son His Robys shall hide my shame He is my Spouse and my lov'd Lord In him thou lovest me I to thy will would still accord And with him still agree In his bright Robes I will present My selfe to thee and say To doe thy will is my intent In him I thee obey Thou canst not now Lord me reject Thou must me perfect see His beauty both on me reflect I 'me beautifull to thee The Dart. SHoot from above Thou God of Love And with heav'ns dart Wound my blest heart Descend sweet life And end this strife Earth would me stay But I 'le away I 'le dye for love Of thee above Then should I bee Made one with thee And let be sed Eliza's dead And of love dy'd That love defi'd By a bright beam shot from above She did ascend to her great Love And was content of love to dye Shot with a dart of Heavens bright eye Of Poetry POets they say are always poor But t is not they are at thy door They cannot chuse but wealthy be For why Rich poems flow from thee 'T is they that clime the hill is none of thine But goe for aid unto the Muses Nine No wonder though such fools are poor That goe for Alms to a wrong door They seek to them to get their wealth Who have too little for their selfe To the King writ 1644. TO thee Great Monarch of this Isle I send my Babes pray make them smile For yet methinks t is in thy power To make them smile or let them lower They 'r children to that Prince of might Who is the Prince of peace behight Do not with war my Babes affright In smiling peace is their delight My Prince by yeelding won the field Be not too rigid dear King yeeld Examples that are great and high I hope you 'l follow fix your eye On my great prince that is your King He left a Heaven you peace to bring A Kingdome I 'de not have you leave But rather three reform'd receive All blisse and peace I wish to you Let us in peace your presence view To the Queen of Bohemiah LOng since it was by me defir'd To see that Queen so much admir'd But well I knew t' was not for mee Great Princesses to goe to fee. But thraldomes key did let me out And trouble brought my wish about By thraldome then I freedome gain'd By trouble my desire obtain'd I then did see her so admir'd And thy rich graces Lord inspir'd A minde so great and bravely beare What in the most breeds care and feare A spirit high so humble bee To deigne her sweet regards to me Her I admire and for her pray On earth she may live many a day And when this earth she shall forsake That into heaven thou wouldst her take Where ou a Throne she may be Crown'd And with bright Angels compast round The Lover COme let us now to each discover Who is our friend and who our Lover What art thou now asham'd of thine I tell thee true I me not of mine And you will say when you him see That none but he defir'd can bee He is the onely pleasing wight Whose presence can content my sight For He 's the purest red and white In whom my soule takes her delight He to the flowrs heir beauty gives In him the Rose and Lilly lives His pleasant haire with feemly grace Hangs by his faire sweet lovely face And from his pleasing eyes do dart Their arrows which do pierce my heart These beauties all are richly grac'st For on his head a crown is plac'st Of glory which doth shine so bright As mortall eye can see this light This lovely Lord's the Prince of Peace In him my joyes will still increase For he 's the true and constant friend Whose love begun will never end From Heaven he came with me to dwell And sav'd my soul from direfull hell 'T is he alone my heart doth gaine That keeps me from eternall pain While here I live here he will bee Death cannot separate him from me And when I dye he will me place Where I shall ever see his face Into his glory hee 'l take mee This doe I know this shall you see And now you know my loved friend My loves begun it will not end The renowned King LAdies if beauty you desire Or to high fortunes doe aspire Come now with me I have descride A Prince that to all can you guide He is a King of great renown And on your head can place a Crowne And with immortall beauty blesse Can you wish more yet wish no lesse If you desire this Prince to see Then leave the world and goe with me To true Elisian fields I 'le guide You where I this great Prince espi'd The holy leaves of Sacred writ Are those Elisians there let 's gett Where with joy we shall him finde This glorious Prince will please your mindâ— He 's like the Rose in Sharon fields Pleasant to sight and sweetnesse yeelds With sweet and faire from his bright face The Lilly and the Rose gets grace With serious thoughts now him behold If you him love you may be bold And in his presence ever bee His beauty will reflect on thee If thou get beauty from his face He will you take from your mean place And on his Throne he will set thee Where with his Crown thou crown'd shalt bee That beauty still with thee will stay Time will not carry it away That Crowne shall no man take from thee But thou shalt wear 't eternally To my Sister S. S. SWeet Sister Let us in Heaven greet Since here on earth we cannot meet Hard by that stream of Christall pure To meet thee there I will be sure That streame which from this Throne doth rise Whose waters pure cure our ill eyes Then let us sit us downe and rest No enemies shall us there molest Le ts leave our bodies here as dead When thus our Soules to heaven are fled Where we possesse a ravisht joy When as the world lies in annoy Let 's take those waters now and drink 'T will make us then no more to think Of these base follies here below Dear Sister let us both doe so Then let us set us down and tell By whom we were redeem'd from hell T' was he that sits on you bright Throne Wrought our redemption all alone Who would not now their soules prize high For whom so great a Prince did die Come let us up those streams and see Where those bright glories sitting bee There Three in One conjoyn'd we see And yet each Person differing be There sets our powerfull God alone Upon his glorious heavenly Throne At his right hand sits his dear Son Oh! Who would think he 'd let him come From that bright Throne to suffer here And for our sakes vile to appear Ten thousand thousand Angels bee Tending about his Throne you see They sing the praises of that King Oh hear how
child I will bee I 'le kiss the Rod and honour thee And if thou' rt vertuous as 't is sed Thou 'lt have the glory when thou' rt dead Sith Kings and Princes scourged be Whip thou the Lawyer from his fee That is so great when nought they doe And we are put off from our due But they for their excuse do say 'T is from the Law is our delay By Tyrants heads those laws were made As by the learned it is said If then from Tyrants you 'l us free Free us from their Laws Tyranny If not wee 'l say the head is pale But still the sting lives in the tail To a Lady that bragg'd of her Children IF thou hast cause to joy in thine I have cause too to joy of mine Thine did proceed from sinfull race Mine from the heavenly dew of grace Thine at their birth did pain thee bring When mine are borne I set and sing Thine doth delight in nought but sin My Babes work is to praise heav'ns King Thine bring both sorrow pain and fear Mine banish from me dreadfull care The Conquest GOd made on earth a paradice at first For man but he by sin betrayd his trust But heavens great Prince who came to conquer sin For me won Heaven and Paradise againe Questions and Answers Qu. LOrd why have I so much from thee An. Th' art child to me Qu. But why on earth have I such store An. In Heav'n is more Qu. Lord I have more then I doe need An. The poor then feed Then sith l'me thine I 'le be divine And what I 've more I 'le give the poor To a Friend for her Naked Breasts MAdam I praise you ' cause you 'r free And you doe not conceal from me What hidden in your heart doth lye If I can it through your breasts spy Some Ladies will not show their breasts For feare men think they are undrest Or by 't their hearts they should discover They do 't to tempt some wanton Lover They are afraid tempters to be Because a Curse impos'd they see Upon the tempter that was first By an all-seeing God that 's just But though I praise you have a care Of that al-seeing eye and feare Lest he through your bare brests see sin And punish you for what 's within Safety MY gracious God be not my foe It matters not if man be so And let my wayes great God please thee Then from all foes I shall be free What Kingdome to be wisht WHose Kingdome can I wish but thine Who mak'st hell Heaven and me divine What Kingdome ought I wish to be But where all thine shall reign with thee All thoughts of Kingdoms I will banish But of thy Kingdome will not vanish No Kingdome must I wish But Heav'ns great Prince of glory Which if I be divine Will be mine onely story Earthly blessings doe me surround With heavenly blessings I am crown'd On earth I live free from all care Because heavens King I love and feare Comfort in Temptations and Afflictions COme Christians that so mazed bee At earths events O come and see What cause there is for your dismay When God takes care for you each day Th' Apostle bids us then to joy When as temptations us annoy And heavens great Prince sed unto you Before he bid the earth adieu Let not your hearts here troubled be For if you do beleeve on me In heav'n a Palace there is for you Fear not in me it is your due I' st prison that doth you afright In dungeon deep hee 'l be your light I' st war whose fear you do pretend The Lord of Host can you defend I' st sicknes that doth cause your dread He easie can make your sick bed Unless by these he will you take Into his glory and there make You to behold those Visions fair Will ravish you from all your care Then sith heav'ns King can safe you keep There is no cause for you to weep You shall not enter to his rest If you be doubting him molest On going to the Sacrament I To the world Lord will let know That I desire thy death to show By going to some publick place And take the pledges of thy grace And when I take the bread then I Will say my Lord did for me dye And thus I le doe great God for thee For thou hast done much more for mee And when I drinke the wine I le tell Thy blood redeem'd my soul from hell And then I le offer up to thee What thou sweet Prince requirest of me None but the Sacrifice of praise Dost thou require now adayes And that I should remember thee When as these things are done by mee My Prayer in my Youth MY Lord whose mercies to me are unspeakable who in thy works art great and powerfull wholly bend mine affection on that which is certain and not subject to varibility to that which to that which no sinister mishap can alter Oh let not my Soul which thou hast made to be fed with heavenly Manna which still will last here seek to be satisfied with vain delights which soon will vanish Banish from me the Thoughts of vaine delights and make me know that they must end And for those infinite blessings which thou hast deigned to bestow upon me make me for ever to admire thee and from my heart send up the sweet incense of thanks and praise for thy heavenly benefits bestowed on me thine unworthy servant The Temptation MY Soul Woulst thou finde favour with the Lord be not then afraid to goe to him Let not the feare of thy former past sins nor of thy continuall weakness be an occasion to hinder thee of thy happiness but let the assurance of the pardon of thy sins and the certainty of the promise to strengthen thy weakness animate thee to goe confidently to the throne of grace There do not imagine that thou seest thy sins stand as a thick cloud to keep thy prayers from ascending to the presence of thy God nor think that through that dark cloud thou seem'st unseemly in the eyes of thy loving father be not thou ignorant that the bright beames of his gracious favour hath dispersed those clouds of thy sins never to be gathered again together before his pure eyes Know thou that he will not let such fearfull sights and sad appearances to stand in his presence to afright his dear chosen children No my Soul such sights are not there he that cals thee hath removed from thee all those things which should hinder thy passage to him or disturbe thy quiet appearance before him He cals thee and bids thee be confident in his presence He assured thee by his word that thou shalt finde his spirit strengthning thy weakness and inabling thee to performe that which thou thoughtest impossible for thee to overcome My Soul he hath brought thee from thy straying errours he hath inabled thee to overcome the manifold temptations of thy suttle enemy when he would have
pleasant time the time of thy most gracious dying Sad in respect of thy torments O blessed Saviour yet pleasant in respect of the unexpressable liberty and endless happiness which by thy powerfull dying we obtain'd Oh Blessed Spirits I cannot now thinke that you were displeas'd with us for your nature doth so concur with his will that it cannot be opposite to it But yet God was angry yea to the very apprehension of his onely Son What else made him cry out so grievously My God Why hast thou forsaken mee God was angry then with his Son for us you had reason then of grief for him not anger towards him but yet sure to see him angry with his Son and to see his onely Son so grievously tormented you could not but be mov'd what then must move you sure it could be nothing but our sins for which he suffered Oh you heavenly Spirits I finde you rejoycing when we had our Saviour born and sure you could not but rejoyce when the worke of our salvation was finished your joy was then intermingled with your sorrow if you be capable of sorrow for you could not but sorrow to see your God so grievously to suffer you could not but rejoyce to see that they on whom you attended should be so happy that by his death they should be admitted to injoy eternall life If you joy at our repentance sure your joy at our forgivenesse and then was the time of our forgivenesse come when he willingly yeelded up his life that we might live eternally then was our debts paid when as thy now glorified body Oh Son of glory was debar'd of the heavenly appearance of thine eternall Godhead Yee blessed Angels yee joyed in your sorrow and not we but our sins were hatefull to you which were the cause of his most grievous suffering More bitter then grim death could be My sin my Lord was unto thee Because I sinn'd my Lord did dye Because he dy'd hate sin will I. On Earthly Love FRom thee O Heaven of glorie flowes that celestiall stream that being taken hath power to make us forgetfull of our earthly love the which must vanish and alone can set us free from those tormenting passions Thou sweet stream having cur'd us of those distempered passions hast then the power to work in our hearts a more peaceable and durable affection earthly affection ever brings distemper sometimes distraction but that sweet love which thou O pearly fountain raisest in our breast flameth in our hearts peace rest joy and it worketh a perpetuall assurance of still injoying what we love wish or can in heart desire My Lord My soule is ravisht with the contemplation of thy heavenly love and I cannot chuse but infinitely admire thy mercies to me thine unworthy servant for grievous were the perturbations which I was subject to when I was infected with the poison-bane of earthly affections the which a time thou wert pleas'd to let reigne and tyrannize in my brest which like a thorne in the flesh not being drawne out by the hand of art lies throbbing and working torment not onely to the place where it hath taken up its abode but brings distemper to the whole body So that unruly passion having taken up his place in my heart did not onely tyrannize there but wrought destraction in my Soul and bred distemper in my body But blessed be thy Majestie for that distemper for in that time of my weaknes thou Oh all-powerfull hand by thy most heavenly art didst draw from my heart that tormenting passion and by the addition of thy heavenly love which thou didst leave in the room thereof thou repairedst in me the breaches that that unrulie passion had made When I was sick I thought that I should dye I did mistake 't was earthly love not I. HOSEA 2. 19. My Contract MY Lord Doth not thy Majestie send thy messages of love and favour to those that will take hold of them and beleeve there shall be a performance of what is promis'd Thy Word tels us That they that beleeve in thee shall have eternall life My Lord I do beleeve it and that this Message sent by thy royal Embassador belongs to mee aswell as to any other I will marry thee to mee for ever Thou art righteous and wilt perform it who would now refuse so great and so good a King I disdain not marriage I desire it with this great Prince who is the Prince of Kings and at whose foot-stool they must one day lay down all their Crowns and bring in all their riches at his command The greatest of them must confess they hold their Scepters of him and to him they must doe service at his will This is a Prince of such exact perfection that I cannot see any thing in him any way to be dislik't When I consider any creature I can finde in it but little to be belov'd but a great deal of inconvenience with it to be dislik't why then should I set my minde on the creature of so little worth and not wholly have my minde intent on the Creator who alone is excellent Most mighty Prince I must confess my self unworthy to be the least servant in the Court of so magnificent a King much lesse to be one who shall have the honour to be marryed to thee but because I doe thinke my selfe unworthy of thee shall I be such a fool to refuse so great a fortune No I will not My Lord I now challenge thy promise for I doe think thou hast prepared me a minde for thy selfe for thou madst me long since to be ambitious of perfection but when I saw it was not to bee obtain'd in this world how slightly did I esteem of all things in it thou having prepared my mind for thy self by the dislike of all imperfect creatures and the love of perfection Thou madst me to see a clear perfection in thy self and wroughst in me a love to thee and because I dare not presume to the thoughts of possessing thee thou seeing my desires sent that comfortable message to me and to all that doe sincerely love thee that thou wil receive us to thy selfe and wilt marry us to thee for ever I being wedded to Heavens King As his blest Spouse must his praise sing The Soules Agitation MY great and glorious God! In what a strange agitation is my Soul being assail'd by two contrary considerations the one of my heavenly bliss in which thou didst at first make me and to which thou hast and wilt in the fulness of time againe restore me the other of the fordid and vile condition in which I had by my rebellion inwrapt my selfe The thoughts of the first fils me with a sweet contenting joy the consideration of the other with a hatefull detestation of my selfe for when I record in my minde how thou at the first mad'st me a creature of a rare composition one part of thine owne divine spirit the other of earth purified by thy
live with thee but what talke I leaving the world to come to live with thee Thou art come into â—he world to live with mee and in me But my great Lord where in me shall I finde thee hast thou inâ—hron'd thy selfe in my heart give me then thy assistâ—nce that no proud imagination for my own greatnes may arise to disinthrone thee and make the distaste that habitation but be thou in my heart ever attended by sweet humility and humble obedience Let all the members of my body be imployed in thy service Let my hands administer to thy Saints and not stretcht out to covetousnesse Let my feet be swift to run in â—he wayes of thy commandements and not to shed inâ—ocent blood or if in my head thou hast taken up thy seat there let humility attend on thee too or I shall fear thou wilt goe from me for thou resistest the proud but though thou beest high and instabitest eternity yet thou O great Prince will dwell with the humble Then in my head and in all that belong to it doe thou finde humble obedience that there I might retaine thee Let not mine eyes have any proud look nor be windows to lett in vanity but let them be ever looking to the hils from whence cometh my salvation Let not my tongue which thou hast given me to serve thee be imployed to back-bite or defame any the least of thy children or any one for how know I who are thine or who not but let my tongue be ever speaking to thy praise and glory and let the words of mouth be accprable in thy sight nor let mine ears listen to any idle or unseemly discourse that may displease thy divine Majesty and let my nostrils be ever filled with the sweet savour that comes from thy heavenly garments So if all the faculties of my body be imployed by my Soul humbly to serve thee I shall live and expresse a glorying heart because I know this body is thâ— Temple of the Deity Then where I am a Heaven must be For thou dost bring a Heaven with thee The true Object of Love MY Lord When thou wert pleas'd to take my thoughts quite off from the world I was directed to regard that place where thou bidst us cease from man for wherein is he to be accounted of for his breath is in his nostrils yet he a creature after thine owne image and the excellentest of all thy workman ship or earth yet this rare creature his love his hatred not to be regarded for thou canst in an instant take away that thin fume of life and then what power hath he to love or hate My Lord He is indeed a most contemptible creature in respect of thee But when my Soul enters into the consideration of thy greatnesse and deep abisse of thy endlesse power and mercy My Soul is struck dumbe and knows not what to say but silence giving me opportunity to consider of thy infinite love to me power forme beauty and excellency in and about thee my Soul is wounded with a deep affection towards thee and love cannot will not be silent And now my great and powerfull God was it not enough for thee to make so great and beautifull a structure for me and for all men but when I had run from thee by my disobedience into the territories and tormenting arms of my enemy for thee O most glorious Prince of eternall blisse to leave thy Kingdome where thou wert attended by a multitude of bright Angels and blessed Saints which continually sing thy praises with their heavenly voices for thee to leave such transcendent delights to take on thee my frail flesh and come to me and subject thy selfe to all the contempts that an insulting enemy could impose had not this been enough to have manifested an unanswerable love to so contemptible a creature but thou My dear Prince I who wouldest set a perfect patterne of humility and love for all that were thine to follow for love to mâ—e thou wert content to dye and the most painfull and ignominious death that could be inflicted on the meanest person Thou who wert serv'd by all the world was pleas'd thus to serve for me and to dye to save me from eternall death and before I knew into what tormenting habitation I had plung'd my selfe by my rebellion thou wert pleas'd to declare to me how thou hadst redeem'd me out of those most cruel inthralments by thy willingly yeelding to dye for me for none could have power O great Prince of Heaven and earth to have taken away thy life hadst thou not laid it downe of thine owne accord thou wert please to tell me too though I live here among thy enemies and mine yet I should not be afraid of them for they can but kill my body and that too not without thy leave for none can take thy children out of thy hand unlesse thou art pleas'd to deliver them into the hand of their persecutors and by that fiery Chariot to convey us to that immortall Kingdome which thou hast promised to those that beleeve on thee where we shall receive from thy hand the beautifull Crowne of our eternall glory O my God! Who can chuse but be ravisht with thy unfadom'd mercy and unexpressable love to thy poor yet by thee inriched creatures My dear Prince What shall I doe to let all the world know what engagements my Soul hath to thee I do wish it were in my power as in my desires that all the world may sing Halalujahs to thee for the saving of my Soul from that cruel adversary and for the glory that thou wilt invest her in and that they would sing publick praises unto thee for thy mercies to themselves too would thaâ— were their imployment then should not thy service be so much slighted nor thy name so much dishonoured nor thy servants so much contemn'd But Let them sing praises to thy name Whom thou hast blest And kept their Souls from endlesse paine And plac'st in rest Thou hast me kept from hellish paine And plac'st in rest How can I chuse but praise thy name When I 'me so blest Rom. 12. 1. MY Lord I cannot plead ignorance for I must confesse I have often read it and knew that I was to offer up my self a living sacrifice to thy Majesty and to give my selfe wholly to thy disposing and not to have any sequestred thoughts from thee dedicated to mine own ends in either my actions words or thoughts but my dear Father I now plainly see the necessity of entring â—nto thy Courts to hear thee most gracious Prince speake to us by thy Embassadors And I nor any other ought to say what should I go thither to hear a man tell me but what I knew before But my Lord thy Ordinances are powerful and thou workest more effectually on our hearts for the most part by the preaching of thy word from them then by our own reading and study and now I begin to suspect