vain Projectors NO mortal Man can limit or restrain The boundless fansies of another's brain But may such Fetters on his own Thoughts lay As will keep them from wandring much astray But naturally Men add wings to try How high their vain ambitious Hearts can fly Until like Icarus their waxen wings Do melt and all their hopes to ruin brings But when our Souls do with Angellick Love Soar high they will Celest'al joys improve To flaming Zeal and raise our hearts so high As will discern our Immortality To my Rich Friend become Poor TEll me Old Friend and speak the truth If twenty Dishes in thy Youth Did then more please and gratifie Thy Stomach with that Gluttony Which did Diseases daily breed Till now thou dost on one Dish feed Tell me if now thy constant health Gives not more joys than thy lost Wealth Afforded by thy vast excess In frequent Treats and Wantonness Which made a noise more than content For all thy charge and time mispent When to the Poor half that expence Would have procur'd God's Providence And sav'd the loss of thy Estate Which thou hast thought upon too late Tho' now thou dost aloud profess Thy Poverty proves Blessedness On Injustice IF Charity to Men be God's Command Justice must in much higher favor stand If neither can in wicked Men find place They slight God's Anger and despise his Grace But these are petty Crimes when Avarice Doth harden hearts for gold and Souls intice To sell Salvation at so cheap a Rate Such villanous intentions aggravate When a design'd premeditated cheat With a bold-fac'd fraud shall just Right defeat And a false Cause by power shall justifie Hell only can reward such Infamy For God with indignation does declare He will Poor Men's Oppressors never spare Against Momentary Joys NOW let my Friend from sighs and sorrow cease For Crimes repented let thy joy increase For thy serene assurance lately gain'd Of pardon by thy Saviour's Blood obtain'd Let thoughts of thy Eternal Glory rise And scorn all Earthly Bawbles that surprise Unsteady Souls with present fading Toyes That cloud the brighter Beams of Heav'nly joys And boldly do those glist'ring bubbles try In hope they 'll last unto Eternity Who raise their idle fancies by their wit To practise Atheism rather than submit To part with present Moments of delight To purchase Heav'n with God's Beatick sight Who with his known Decrees will not comply But think to live till they are pleas'd to dye Tho of such Men it may be truly said They are that moment both alive and dead The Terror of Death by Death is cured IF Death were not for Sin from Heaven sent It could not be esteem'd a punishment To be deliver'd from our daily woe While'twixt our Roses Thorns and Thistles grow So that our care should be to weed our hearts From foul excrescents by such holy Arts As will that fatal sting of Sin destroy And so convert our sorrows into joy When we the Pangs of such a Death endure As doth produce both Punishment and Cure To my Old Friend on his Birth-day MY Friend thou dost well to celebrate thy Birth-day as a vow'd Sacrifice to God because he did reserve the first born to himself of Living Creatures and thou art one But let not thy Altar be adorn'd with a superfluous Treat with too many flagons of rich Wine and Tables throng'd with Wealthy Guests as if it were a Bacchanalian Feast But such a moderate Meal for thy own Servants with some Poor Neighbours that may soberly rejoyce to see a New Year begin with a propitious prospect of thy insuing happiness and pray thy Piety and charity may Shine round about thy Habitation here on Earth until thou art advanc'd to Heaven Death is the Beggars highest Holiday T IS but a faint Felicity that any Man can have in all the Honours Treasures and Pleasures of this World without a joyful inward assurance of his Salvation when the next moment an angry Neighbour or a Tyrant Prince can end his days Or Sickness by tormenting pains turn all his joy into sorrow while he lives with despairing terrors worse than all at the approach of Death when a poor pious Beggar will die transported full of Celestial Joys for his highest Holiday and be as welcome into Heaven as the greatest Monarch And therefore may be well and truly said Both Souls are of the same fine Substance made To my merry Friend WHY now so joyful my good Friend has thy Princes smiles this Morning added new feathers to thy Heart that makes it fly so high His frowns to morrow may turn those gay feathers into Lead tho' thou deserve not such a change Consider now such frequent sad Fates as do befal the craftiest Men that only trust in mortal accidents for their support in Princes favours and raise thy Souls delight in Service of the King of Kings whose favours will endure unto Eternity above the reach of Earthly Storms and then thy Prince's favours will have a sure foundation to subsist on with higher joys than any Sycophants black Arts by Malice or by Envy can disturb thy Peace or Pleasures when a good Conscience is so center'd and so fix'd on God For no Man can imagine the constant felicity of a strict pious Life in all conditions but he that is so reconciled with a lively Faith to God as chearfully to part with all the glist'ring Bubbles of this World to enjoy everlasting Bliss in Heaven which ought to be the supreme hope of our best endeavours On the fear of Death THO Men by nature Born to fear to Die May still account it a great misery When Piety and Prayer can't prevail To change the pow'r of that severe Intail Tho' all our Hearts and Souls do still agree To frame our Minds to God's most bless'd Decree Because no other means like that the best To bring Mankind to his Eternal Rest. Yet our weak Faith cannot the credit gain By Heavenly joys and glory to obtain Such Courage and a Valour so Divine Rather to Die with joy than to repine To part with fading pleasures that no Age Can for one moments certain time engage They shall abide nor can find any cure That Men on Earth for ever shall endure How great a shame and folly then that we Should fear to go where we desire to be And so preferr our miseries on Earth Before a bless'd and glorious chearful Death That will in gratitude the surest way Our Souls to God in Paradise convey When Faith with such a Zeal shall so comply 'T will shew a Godly Gallantry to Die On the Art of Meditation WHO will the Art of meditation learn Must make each Paragraph his chief concern For some few moments to consider on Lest reading more create confusion And unavoidably disturb the Brain With more at once than what it can retain When Piety by Art is thus refin'd It will rejoyce the heart inrich the mind With sacred Thoughts beyond all Earthly care Till flesh be turn'd into Angelick Air All Men should live as ever in God's sight And make Devotion their supreme delight And then observe how God does Grace return To make Seraphick Joy the brighter burn FINIS * He shewes a great Goblet * He points to the Cup that had the poyson
and Haimantus Cler. Have you commanded all the Mariners Aboard each Captain to his charge bid the Souldiers fill the Decks with their full numbers And display their Colours left nothing wanting That may add to the Glory of the Navy Haim Sir all things are in their Pride and height The Captains Bravery seems to lend brightness To the day and like the Sun throwes raies and light About 'em Nor lookstheir Gold less awful Than the Souldiers Steel On the Ships appear The Joy and Riches of a Conquest and yet they Keep the Order of a joyning-battel There wants nothing to make a War-like Princely And well-commanded Navy but your Presence Sir Clear I would not have them think us such Poor Men That we are drove to seek for their Relief To sue for Bread and Water but rather That we come like Noble Woers full of Rewards and Presents able to return All favours we receive and equally To honour Them that honour Us as Great As they It shall appear that he that is Master of such a Fleet may style himself Prince though Lord of nothing else Haim The people Flock upon the shore and with one Voyce say You come to fetch their Princess Sir you have More than their Consents already you have Their wishes too Clear I marry Haimantus Such a Jewel would make the rest look dim There are two Ladies in this Isle if fame Say true the wonders of the World When Nature Made them she summon'd her whole God-head And unwearied wrought till she had done Form'd each limb as if she had begun there She seem'd to practise on the World till then And what like beautiful she fram'd before Were but Degrees to this Height these the Ascent From which she now must fall They made her Older Than the labour of a thousand years Enter a Servant Serv. Ther 's a great train it seems from Court coming To your Highness Clear Come le ts meet 'em As Clearchus is going out Arats Phronimus Eurylochus and Pallantus meet him Ara. Sir the King congratulates your safety And is glad of your Arrival though the Cause Were dangerous You would have Oblig'd him Much Sir if you had been bound for Creet Clear The King is Royal and chides me kindly He binds a Stranger ever to his Service Ara. His Majesty expects you 'll honour him With your Presence this night at Court Clear My Lord I shall wait upon him But I must fist Entreat you 'l favour me with your Company A ship-board I shall not need to excuse A Souldiers Entertainment I doubt not But your Lordships knows it well Coursnesse and Plainnesse are the Praise of it Arat. Sir you are The Envy of your Neighbour Princes you So farre exceed them in a Brave Command I nere was happy in the like sight before And my Lord they that can boast the strangest Have not seen one so Common and so Rare Your Navy lookes as if she wore the Spoiles Of a whole Land or came to purchase 'em Clea. My Lord you 'l make me proud Your presence yet Will adde unto its Glory Enter Timeus and Coracinus Exeunt Omner Time Found dead upon the shore Cor. I my Lord Thrown into a Cliffe Time Were they drown'd Cora. 'T is believ'd not my Lord for many fresh Wounds Were found upon their bodies and yet their Clothes Were wet Time 'T is strange Were there but two Cor. No my Lord Time That 's stranger yet Reward the Men that found them And bid'm make no farther enquiry After their Deaths nor speak of it Let it Exit Coraos Die with you too doe you hear The Villaines Have rob'd at their return and got their deaths That way I nere could spare 'em worse the State Stands in greater need of theirs than of the Sword of Justice Rodia Rod My Lord He calls Rodia and she Entern Time Is your Lady to be spoke with Rod Alwayes My Lord by you But now she 's coming forth Enter Endora Time Save you sweet Sister End O y' are welcome Sir Time Sure Eudora Venus and the Graces Had their hands to day about you You look Fairer than your self and move in the Sphear Of Love and Beauty Cupid has taken His Stand up in your Eyes and shootes at all That come before him Pray Venus he misse me Eud. When doe you grow serious Time These are the Fair Lookâ— Must captivate the Stranger Prince in a Free Country And this the Dresse that must inchant him ha Eud. There is no Charm in 't certainly it pleas'd Me the least of Many No 't is your Fair Mistresse that beares those Love-Nets about her If the Stranger'scape her he 's safe Time ' Had better Kill his Father and then gaze upon the Spectacle than look upon her with the Eyes of Love Eud. Nay then you are unjust Would you have him stronger than your self was If he for that be guilty the same Doom Must belong to both alike Time But I have Prevail'd so far that he shall be free both From the danger of Love and seeing Nor must You make up his entertainment Eud. I was Commanded to be ready and Attend there Time But now the Commissions alter'd And runs in the Other Sence Eud. I shall be Content to obey either May I not Know the cause Time You may We would not feed The Prince here with hopes to get a Wife This Was the Storm that drove him in Nor must you Onely for this time forbear his presence But while he staies He 's unworthy of you Eud. If you know him so I shall then without Excuse denie his Visits But I think This businuesse may be borne a Nobler Way Nor will the End Fail though the Meanes be Fair Leave it to me If he Sue with Honour He will take an Honourable Answer Though he gain none from me I 'le get his Love And send him home no lesse a Friend than if He were a Husband By my Restraint you 'l Onely procure unto your self the markes Of Jealousie and Rudenesse and fouler Staines If that the Crime were nam'd to the desert Besides it does proclaim in Me too such A Weaknesse as I am much asham'd of Had he a Face adorn'd with the Graces Of both Sexes Beauty and Manlinesse And these after the Custome of the Roman Princes in their Statues Engrafted on On the body of some God I could look on Converse I and neglect him too when I Have reason for it Fear not me then Time I doe not I know thee strong the Honour Of a Kingdome may lean with safety on Thee But he will linger here too long besot The State with Feastings and in this Jollity Give Opportunity to Treacherous Practises He must be us'd Ill there are Reasons for it Eud. Is there then a Policie In Rudenesse Why doe you not rather send A Defiance to him Proclaim him Enemie This were Nobler far than to receive him In your armes and then Affront him say Health And wish Poyson in
without A drop of Bloud Poly. Away we stay too long Lead us where you left the Prince Exeunt Omnes Enter Aratus Never did Justice shew her self so Eminent This was a Deed as if her own Hand Had wrought it Who can complain the want of Providence Or say the Guiltie and the Innocent make one Heap in Judgement when This is told A Tyrant in the Midd'st of All his Strengths guarded with Friends and Armes What ever Power or Policie could make him Safe with by a Single Hand strengthen'd with Justice was snatcht from the midd'st of all The Ligt'ning melts not the enclos'd Gold With half that wonder leaving that Containes it Nor doth the Plague in a Multitude of Men Make a Choice so Curious Enter to him Cleander and Clearchus Clean My Lord we may Sheath our Swords This Gallant Act of the Heroick and The brave Pallantus has not onely Remov'd a Tyrant but I may say Dissolv'd an Armie and Reduc'd a Kingdome The Pretor in the Cities Name offers Allegiance And divers Bodies both of Horse And Foot have left th' Enemies Camp and are Come over to us What can we attribute To this Noble Deed that in any measure May reach the Greatnesse of it We ought to Acknowledge it the Compendium of all Our Future Fortunes and what over High And Happy shall succeed to us to be The Consequents alone of this A Benesit Of that Universall Nature that like The Sunnes Influence our Enemies feel The Good of it as well as we Ara. Sir you weigh This Action as you ought And while you can look Thus Nobly on the Services are done you You 'l make this Isle a Land of Heroes The Princes Eyes breed Vertues when they shine Upon 'em and what ever has been found To be his Temper quickly growes to be The Genious of the People Clear What thinkes your Lordship If we drew out and fac'd the Body of The Enemy that yet holds together And with Fear or Forces sought to dissolve 'em Ara. My Lord what can we return you for this Gallant Forwardnesse But the Force that now Stands against us will not be worth your Highnesse Hazard nor yet paines to face ' eur A little Shame and Obligation to their Late Master Is all the Bond that holds 'em And a few Dayes if not Houres will scatter 'em without Our Swords But this Message from the City Will require your Majesties attendance To it Please you to hear what their Demands Are to you Exeunt Omnes Drums and other noyses of an Assault Pall Within Spare no Opposition Bréak the Gates add fire unto your Force Enter Rodia and another Lady frighted in Endora after them Rodia O Madam they break in upon us Eud. O my Father when thou art slain I cannot Fear what after does befall me The same That was their Crueltie to Thee will to Me be Pittie A noyse as if the doores were forc'd Pallantus and other Souldiers break in Pall Stand No man advance to touch a Life Or doe a further Violence My Rage Has blindly lead me on to Violate A place no lesse Sacred than the Temples And rudelie ere I lookt about hath thrust me On the Deitie So those that are led To see some Glorious Sight eager and longing Ask still as they passe which is the way and How near till they are engag'd within its Splendour which opening suddainly upon them Makes 'em retire as fast again with Reverence Eud. What stayes thee Monster And makes thee pant thus Ore the Prey Here I stand ready and doe Invite thy Furie Come and save my hand A labour if thou art Surfeited I 'le Whet thy Appetite Th' art a Murderer A Villain these Name thee not They are but Diseases of the State Thou the Death The Law Comprehends them within her Verge thy Giant Faults doe so much O're-top Her that Justice Cannot reach thee and if there were no Gods Thou then wert Innocent and would'st stand Safe Because thou art so Wicked Thou hast Kill'd Thy King O no thou had'st no share in him He was a King of Men thou a Beast the Foulest and the bloudiest that ever preyd On Innocence Pall My Revenge how false Thy Beautie was Eud. How Monstrous thou appear'st Thou represents unto me all Ill I ever heard of Pall And thou all that I ever heard of Good Eud. Thou mov'st like so many Living-Mischiefes had the Priests beheld thee They might have Divin'd all these Future Evills So exactlie in thy Form that what they told Would rather have seem'd a Story than A Prophesie and have sav'd us from thee Nature was never Guiltie of such a Work Some Hellish-Power hath given thee Birth and Spirit And sent thee on the Earth to destroy all That 's Fair and Holy Cap. Sir raise your Spirits Can you endure such words as these Souldiers on And make Her feel those Evils She hath utter'd Pall Hold hold Thou Worse than she hath Named darest thou Command or move to such a Sacriledge If thy Sinnes were told thee from the Heavens Thou'dst blaspheme the Voice that spoke to thee Withdraw thy Rage is too Unhollow'd for This Place Provoke me not with another Offer I shall not swollow your Bitterness Though guilded in the Name of Friendship Exeunt Captain and Souldiers Eudo. What next intend'st thou What Master-piece Of wickedness wilt thou glory in alone Know thou canst not Force me here within thy Reach I am as safe as if an Army All resolute to death divided us She shewes a Dagger This Hand something weaker than a Womans Can resist all thy strength were it as great In Mischief as in Will Pall Though I seem all That you have Named and Fouler yet this is A sin I dare not do O think me not Worse than you have said already and then I may again wash off my Stains The Beasts Are Noble meek to Chastity and humbly Lick the feet of Majesty Judge me not By shew our Eyes deceive us and as oft Perswade us to the Wrong as do the Blind- Mans feet falsely do prompt us All that is VVhite is Innocent and all that 's Black is Sinful without exception Should those That look on you be led so by the sense They must kneel down before you and adore you As some Deity not being able To phansie so much God as they do see In you Such Formes their Powers have given you That you may become a Rival in their VVorships Eudo. VVhy talk'st thou thus Thy Tongue hath no more power Than hath thy Hands Pall Neither intend Violence VVould you could entertain of me one thought Of Goodness as hopeless as you think me I 'd undertake to make it good and Better't Daily Eud. Why delay'st thou VVhat would'st thou have Pall Forgiveness Love I dare not say Eudo. Love Thy Thoughts are more Mishapen than thy self In thy very Hopes thou art Cruel This Base Imagination hath wrong'd me more Than all thy Actions In those thou onely Sought'st the
Perfumes laid there on purpose the which wraps the Pile in smoak and smells ore all the Roome At the End of the Song the Curtain falls and shuts both the Scene and Actors from the Beholders Sight FINIS Mid-night and Daily THOUGHTS To a careless Sinner THou dost not sure believe that thou shalt die Or never think'st upon it seriously Because thou liv'st as if thou didst disdain After this life ever to rise again Else thou wouldst set a higher price upon The Glories of thy Resurrection For 't is not possible a Man of sense Can always hold so ill intelligence With Heaven as not to wish or not to fear He never may or never would come there Some Caveats WHen petty Pleasures are procur'd with Gold When youth is gone and we decrpeid old There 's no more Gusto than a Tale twice told The greatest Monarchs while they flourished Were honour'd and ador'd but being dead Were soon forgot and only pitied So that whatever Marble Tombs pretend All their gay glories never can defend Their pamper'd bodies from the Beggar 's end Caesar and Alexander both became The highest splendor of a glorious Name And yet in some things both deserved blame So that when Men have all the World subdu'd They may themselves and all their Fame delude Unless they do in Piety conclude Those mighty Hero's car'd not to be good But brave because they never understood The sacred Sanction of our Saviour's Blood But those who saw the Miracles he did And heard how boldly he their Crimes forbid Are justly scourg'd instead of being chid What 's our due then who do believe yet run The course which that accursed Crew begun To slight God and re-crucifie his Son Which shews Men want some Caveats to restrain The idle Fancies of a busie Brain That frequent losses bring instead of gain These serious Thoughts are Caveats to despise Such Crimes as from our idle hours may rise And captivate our Senses in disguise Till by a power divine we can obtain Such bright serener joys as will sustain Our Souls and to eternity remain For we are born to learn and to express By daily actions what we do profess To purchase everlasting happiness On Poverty PUre honest Poverty in former times Was no disgrace but now our latter Crimes Have introduc'd new kinds of punishments To expiate our sins for old Contempts In luxury and such profuse expence That we are now chastiz'd for that offence With Penury to make us own our shame And free all present accidents from blame Which from God's mercy now to us is sent To make our most obdurate hearts repent And yet there may such poverty proceed From wicked Men whose malice have decreed Our ruine to get wealth for their support In spight of right or their damnation for 't And such absurd base scandals do invent That no man's innocence can e'er prevent From such Devils good Lord deliver me As hate all those who truly worship thee And with profound repentance do submit To all the judgments that our God thinks fit And make the poverty I now endure For all excesses past a perfect cure On Pride OF all the Vanities I know 't is Pride Which all the World most justly may deride That like an Ass with golden Trappings dress'd Thinks himself 'bove all other Beasts the best And when he brays does all that hear him fright Mistaking their amazement for delight Like gilded Fools that only learn of late To strut and make loud noise when they do prate For Pride did ne'er the greatest man adorn Nor free him from God's hate and wise Men's scorn Satan for Pride and for Ambition fell With his accursed Crew from Heav'n to Hell On Pride's Kindred PRide 's next of kin are such as do despise Their Neighbours for the Motes in their dark Eyes Who first their own Beams should remove then learn That Rule by which they may such Motes discern And by this caution constantly prevent Such rash Censures that do raise discontent Between good Friends who seldom will endure A blind Man's Precepts till himself he cure Septemb. 3. 1693. On this Day's Sacrament received LORD I Did believe but not such joy conceive As since I did thy Sacrament receive To ratifie thy mercy and my zeal By adding of thy Holy Spirit's Seal Upon my heart to manifest thy love And all my doubts and fears by faith remove Which made me shrink from death but now my voice Shall Hallelujah's sing and Soul rejoice To celebrate this Victory obtain'd O'er all my sins by thy bless'd Conduct gain'd How great then is my Obligation grown If thou wilt this day my Election own By adding joys on joys and grace on grace Till I in glory come to see thy face And now adore and worship thy great Name With warm addresses from this sacred flame On Adoption I Have read that he who lives in a constant uniform Obedience to the Gospel and performs the Conditions required in it departs sincerely from iniquity and shuts up the ways that lead him into temptation may give himself as strong and comfortable an assurance that he is an adopted Child of God as if a voice from the Clouds should tell him so and is a good argument for frequent Meditations How to know when our Sins are forgiven IT has been asked How a Soul may know when her Sins are forgiven and answered thus When she finds the same affection to God with his that said I hate iniquity and all false ways I utterly abhorr Yet David who said so did die and so must we Tho' our Souls may by the same grace become of the same temper with his and our sins be forgiven too yet we may consider how few Men do slip out of this World into eternity with a joyful hearty delight to be with God through divine Love which is the highest perfection of an holy life and is our greatest assurance to manifest our sins forgiven when our Souls are by faith so fixed on God as to know no joy so great as such spiritual Comforts do raise when we desire to be in Heaven which taught David to hate iniquity and to abhorr all false ways and so reduced him from all his sins to become a man after God's own Heart On Reconciliation before we die IF we fully consider our manifold sins and the horrid Punishment due unto us for them if not forgiven before we die 't will make us tremble at the approach of Death But if we do believe in Christ's plenteous Redemption with GOD's immense Mercy to deliver us from Hell's eternal Torments and exalt us unto Heaven's eternal Joy and Glory it may be justly said Happy is that Man who can obtain such a Reconciliation with GOD before he die as daily to delight in the Meditation of a sudden Death with inward assurance of his eternal Bliss the moment he expires which is the highest Exaltation of Joy on Earth and will be the greatest Comfort at the
the Power of Faith THough Men by Nature born to fear and to avoid what may seem hurtful yet that fear by Grace and Faith may be converted into divine Valour of the highest kind as is evident by the Three Children in the fiery Furnace and by Daniel in the Lion's Den which with other the like Examples should invite such Men as trust in God not to fear what he only can prevent if he thinks fit and though a fearful Man cannot remove a Mole-hill for want of Faith much less Mountains how little Faith then have we when the noise only of Ill News does affright our unsetled Souls with dismal apprehensions of what may never happen more than the ill event brings with it if it do unto such pious men as live prepar'd to bear afflictions for few moments here with faithful joyful Thoughts of their eternal Happiness in Heaven So that we see the Power of Faith will remove the greatest terrour and work Miracles when Men dare trust in God Lord give me grace to live as I do write And as thy holy Spirit shall indite To manifest thy mighty Mercy shown To such a Reprobate as must own Christ's Doctrine to suffer CHrist's Doctrine is with patience to inure Our selves to suffer what he did endure On Earth from that malicious cursed Crew Who scorn'd his Miracles and boldly slew Their bless'd Messiah who did then submit To die because his Father did think fit That we redeemed by his precious Blood Might trust in him who dy'd to do us good And now may sighing sing and weeping pray Our death may prove our highest Holy-day When we with Christ in Paradise appear And shine amongst those blessed Angels there On the Power of Love to God TO love and fear God is what every good Christian doth own and what most Men think they do but very few I fear do understand what it is to love and fear Him as we ought with all our Heart Soul and Mind above all other Objects whatever which is a Lesson of great use to bring Men to Heaven who know that we are dying every moment that we live and cannot wish more pleasure here than we shall find by serving God thus For those who can love him with all their Heart and Mind will worship and adore him with the same Zeal and will obey praise thank pray and trust in him with the like fervent affection in all their divine addresses with their utmost endeavours to be with him in Heaven which God never will reject nor can eternal Bliss be purchased at a lower rate of Love Thus God exposes Heaven to entice Good Men to purchase at the Market-price When Love with all its Perquisites comply To six a blessed Immortality On such exalted Souls as take delight To mediate on his beatick sight When their enlightned Faith does bring them there Enrich'd with love they 'll bid adieu to fear And leave no arguments to justifie Such timorous Men as dare not think to die Though their eternal joy will then be such That none will have too little or too much And those who truly love will surely find Their happiness by God is predesign'd Who sees the heart and thoughts of every Man That loves and serves him to the best they can On Faith WHen Faith grows strong our Fancies will soar high To search the secrets of Eternity Which to our Souls are of so near concern That no man can a greater Lesson Learn Nor have a more serene celestial Bliss Than he 'll enjoy by practising of this Great step which by degrees will lead him on To the sacred Seat of his Adoption Where Faith 'bove all the Gifts of Grace will shine With Love in Bliss and Glory most divine On God's Mercy OUr God from us his Glory keeps conceal'd Because it would destroy us if reveal'd His Essence we can never understand 'T is well if we obey his just Command For God to mortal Man will never teach Such great Secrets because what we can reach By Nature cloys as soon as had or known He therefore lets us live by Faith alone Still subject to so many hopes and fears That our prime Joys are damp'd by frequent tears Which daily do our sorrows multiply Until death comes to tell us we must die The only remedy ordain'd to cure All sorts of evils that we here endure Yet God in mercy makes amends at last To free us from all miseries are past By raising them to bliss who do their best To gain a share in his eternal rest Which belt in God's esteem is to do all Was done by bless'd St. Stephen and St. Paul On true Valour HAppy are they who in these latter days Are fill'd with love with gratitude and praise To God whose joyful Souls do ever fly With highest thoughts of their Eternity And by the actions of their lives declare That Faith in Christ has conquer'd their despair For all past Crimes and now with Death has made Strict Friendship never more to be afraid Of his most sick alarms in disguise Nor of his quickest Summons by surprize And thus the greatest Cowards in the Land For Valour may in competition stand With any Hero's of the former age Or those who now in a just cause engage When Courage is a Vertue to be brave And sets a Crown on such a Soldier's grave On Relapsed Man in Paradise WHen Youth with strength wealth and beauty flourish Some short joys our wanton hearts may nourish But when old age is much decrepid grown We ought with sighs and tears great Sorrows own For idle hours that we have vainly spent Without the sense of shame or punishment And if we die in that unhappy state All hopes of mercy then will come too late So that if age revive and propagate Past sins till they do greater Crimes create 'T will turn old Age's Blessings into hate Then let no mortal man presume to think He cannot see when he is pleas'd to wink For no Man yet was ever such a Sot That Age his former Crimes had so forgot That on his Crutches thinks 't is boldly brave Loaden with Crimes to creep into the Grave Much worse than Youth when cross'd in his desire In a mad fit dares leap into the fire Which shows that all our Ages here ne'er can Retrieve the Curses of relapsed Man Till faith in Christ create a brighter flame Impow'ring men to have a surer claim To Heaven at our blessed Saviour's cost Than that which Adam's disobedience lost By which we the intrinsick Treasure find Of future joys in a Seraphick mind On the Power of Faith IF all Men did our Christian Graces understand That like good Heraulds we might rank them according to their antiquity and merit Faith may claim the highest dignity and place as of just right to be the most fixed foundation on the blessed Rock of our Salvation which will unmov'd withstand the greatest Storms when lofty Structures built on Sand are with Wind
and Rain soon tumbled down And if we mind those mighty Miracles of the first Ages they all relate unto Faith Our blessed Saviour also used to say Whosoever believeth in me shall never die Do you believe that I can do this and then Be it done according to your Faith Thy Faith has made thee whole The Woman with the bloody Issue had no other application for her Cure but Faith Without Faith what signifies our Creed And to what purpose did our Saviour bleed If we all Doubting could from Faith divide Pure Faith would then in greatest triumph ride God grant all those the Power of Faith that die In joyful Hopes of bless'd eternity When their departing Souls will gladly own By faith they rise from Dunghills to a Throne How to delight in GOD THe Text says Delight in the Lord and he will give thee thy hearts desire And no doubt but if we delight in him with the highest faculty of our Souls above all carnal appetites with contemplation of his glorious Essence and Attributes in frequent fervent Prayers with continual Gratitude for his daily Mercies To adore him as we might we should find such a rejoycing in God to be the most voluptuous felicity that the heart of Man is capable of But we mock our selves too often with a belief of this Felicity by a careless searching short in our own Hearts for a clear proof of the divine Perfection of this delighting in God which every Man must find in himself for no Man can correct the unseen Errours of his Neighbour's heart So that it must be every Man's concern to examine his own Conscience how much he rejoyces in God more than in all worldly Fruitions and according to his proportion in excelling therein his peace of Conscience will prove the more exalted joyful Feast and will create in him the greatest hope of his heart 's promised desire and is the surest way to remove our natural Fear of Death who only can lead us to glory which all Men ought to think on more than all other affairs in this World For if we delight in God as we ought We should the clear intrinsick value find When Grace enriches a delighted Mind That trusts in God and by such bless'd converse Excells all pleasures of the Universe Which no Man's Faith nor Fancy can conceive Till that delightful practice gives him leave Then Souls enlightned by that holy fire Will pass to Paradise when they expire An higher Bliss can no Man's heart desire Though worldly joys may all our Senses please The Soul's joy makes them all but a disease But when God's glory in our Souls doth shine It shews those holy Raptures are divine Yet we ought not to think that every petty pleasing Object that assaults our Senses doth deserve the Name of a Delight more than little Children have for every new Baby they do see But when the Soul's supreme delight is so fixed on God that every address brings men as near to him as Souls can come while they are involved in Clay yet by a flaming Zeal and such high mounting Faith as doth believe that God is every-where and Heaven with him and them are altogether at that time there Where such joys may grow up to such a divine Delight in God as will come nearest unto his beatick sight tho' few Men seek it by such practice as we might and therefore cannot fansie such transcending Bliss on Earth as those her metick Livers have who daily do converse in Heaven with great delight in expectation of a quick Summons thither and such Piety may be truly called Delighting in God 'T is said my Book does need apology To beg a Pardon for tautology Which is a Crime I never understood If the repeated matter be all good David's Example as my Pattern may Excuse that Errour and for pardon pray On the Power of Divine Meditation DAvid says God requires no Sacrifice But Penitence and Faith he does despise The Blood of Beasts We are to thank and praise His holy Name and honour him always And if we trust him as we ought Mankind Will be by frequent Comforts so refin'd That we on Earth shall have a daily taste Of his eternal Peace and joys at last If David's Rules authentick be That God Had rather use his Mercy than his Rod And proffers Heaven at so cheap a rate T' invite us to become regenerate What labour less can mortal Men invent To gain God's favour and 'scape his punishment If thus our Duty may his Favour claim All Men will trust and honour his great Name Such Ecstasies in Meditation will Men's heads with glorious heavenly Visions fill And by degrees our Souls with joys advance To think that we are there in such a trance And find that such enlightning Zeal as this Is emanation for our future Bliss A Dream of Heaven THough Sleep Death's Image be I have been now I know not where convey'd I know not how Where something did appear so dazling bright I could not see its Glory for the Light My Soul supriz'd with Wonder and amaze Methought I pray'd and did forbear to gaze Frighted and pleased at what I lik'd and fear'd I found it was a Dream of Heaven appear'd Which waking fled but did my Fancy fill With blessed Ideas which abide there still With such transporting joy that I can weep To think of what I had and could not keep On a Dream of Hell STart not my Soul 't is but a Dream to show The dismal Terrors of eternal Woe Which unrepenting Sinners feel below Where Satan with his cursed Crue do dwell For their Ambition tumbled down to Hell While we rejoice on the Divine Presence Of our exalted Bliss by Penitence Those fiery Streams we seem to see May give us joy to find that we are free From that sad Doom where Torments never cease But rather to Eternity increase While our Conversion doth aloud proclaim What mighty Honour due to God's great Name Who will in Mercy save a Reprobate If his Repentance do not come too late On Death 'T Is very strange the World should still comply To think that Death is sent to make us dye By leading us to Immortality And the same moment does our sonls convoy From worldly slavery to eternal joy So that we ought to find some other Name For God's great Messenger that bears our blame Alone tho' Life and Death are both the same Moment our eternal Lot to end this strife We may treat Death as our first step to Life No terror find by our remove from hence When all our Happiness proceeds from thence The POSTSCRIPT IF Heaven be what we read or hear and see or do believe to be the glorious Habitation of the more glorious Trinity that we pretend to love to obey to trust worship and adore as one united God who has created Heaven and Earth the Sea and all therein and from whom we do expect eternal happiness when our Souls expire How