the ground This Palace Thou perkt up to Heaven adorn'st Thee'n specious self-admired Parts and scorn'st Thy neighbouring Underling whose humble heart Shall raise his praise as choosing th' Better part Who deeply founded on his Rock outstands The proudest structure on the crumbling sands That over-charg'd with its owne pondeur shall With lower-shooting violences fall Intomb'd in its owne ruines ' ith'Abysse 'T wixt which and Heaven the vastest Chasma is BEE proud who can Dost constant use to bow Thy serious minde by an intentive view Of God How Great How Good Vile Sinfull thou Mercies how excellnnt and those not few God! Man Mercie Such from Such to such a man These and their Suches Weighed So Where 's the man NO All. And now what letts what 's now between Why not now joyne claspe in a mutuall close And twine in full embraces Why not lose My Name my Life in Thee so ever bee With Thee with Thee the only Heaven I 'd see No No All All be gone For I have lost have lost my selfe in One. For ever ever Lord that I may feare No more to be my self but still be here And if thy wisdome see my foolish heart Wu'd surfet on thy kisses and convert This Grace to wantonnesse shu'dst still impart Unsowred sweets yet though our lips must part But shall they part never never shall our hands Though then in Hell I be yet what withstands But I may Vault my self to Heaven on This hold Whose touch is strength whose strength is uncontrol'd I Wonder how I live I 'm but a Shade A Ghost Doe dead men eat then I 'le eat too My life is hid with Christ in God I 'm made To men a stranger to my self nor doe I know ought aft'r th'flesh live in the Spirit Survey the Glories that I Now inherit How black 's this Sun how grim a night this cleare This flearing day O what an Aegypt's here While in my Heaven-illumin'd Goshen stand I viewing the palpablely-obscured land Which did they feel it as they think they see 't How to our Dwellings wu'd they speed their feet But still the world 's the world When shall I see The Sun the Day that make these thus to mee I see else knew I not these thus wu'd see More yet more that more knowing I might be I see but oft a cloud intrudes between And make's me say 't is darknesse to have seen I see one beam through th'Cranie blear's mine eye When all are pointed there O where am I My Light shall strength my sight nay I shall be All light for as He is I shall Him see No Dark of Folly-Sin-Sorrow shall there bee VVhen I Allight Allight shall Alwaies see ACTS 10.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T Is good 't is good being Here. Shall I go downe Shall I goe eat whose stomack kindly swels VVith for by Food-indeed Shall I goe drowne My Faith in Sence Or may my spirits as well Be lost as dull'd so too the work not hast Then goe flesh goe but dip but sip but Tast Goe not unenvyed of those precious houres VVherein thou laiest me out for dead and yet Extortest more for Life where funerall flowers Are welcome sweetes But what a sad regret Comes over if not overcomes my spirit To heare them talk of straws that Thrones inherit Nay t' heare them talk like two wh'ave but one soul bound for the same Heaven-Voyage They fall foule Keep up my Faith and there the while thee feed VVhere when I am no more I food shall need Keep up my Faith and talke thee there the while Where when I am this feare shall be my Spoile Keep up my Faith and then I may goe downe And through my Crosse the better view my Crowne HOw is my soule distracted with content How full of Joyes and yet how fill'd with Griefe How well compos'd my heart and yet how rent How often straights and yet as oft reliefe Impatient of delaies I patient stay Oh come away deare Lord I 'le not away The more I have the more I still desire The more I still desire the more I have Thrice happy thirst whereby I so acquire The drinke who drinkes he never more shall crave I aske no more but this but more of this No more this th' only blisse more still there 's misse Oh could I ever dwell where I have been Or once could be where I shall ever dwell In Kedars Tents I mourne when I have seen Th' Invisible how soon my heaven to hell Is turn'd The only hell that I can see To see the face reflects no God on me Cast me into those Roomes of this great Inne Where I may heare them talke that talke of Home And when these worldlings which thee ne'r have seen Chance in my-thy appointed way to come Oh iet me be so prepossest with thee Hearing I may not heare nor seeing see When highest I arise I lowest fall And when I lowest fall I highest rise The higher my sin and shame me more appall The lower the greater's mercy in mine eyes I fall rise rise fall move but nev'r remove So stedfast am I founded on his love Mount up my spirit what not Higher yet Yet Higher Higher yet this is too low Till quite above my selfe advanc'd I get Where my New self shall me His Glory show In this third Region shall my Eagles eye Th'unclouded splendour of his face descrie Before I heard but Now I Now behold Those holy beauties that first struck me dead Those holy beauties that first did unfold The riches of my life thus thus is bred Death out of Life Life out of Death by his Light More black 's mydark mydark his Light more bright Oh how I love to love such * Desirablenesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 5.16 Lovelinesses As Thou art Altogether how I hate My selfe I cannot love oh th'expedite distresses That my self-jealous soule doe intricate Cares Cleerings Feares Desires Zeale Indignation Revenge one smile caus'd cur'd blest perturbation By'agreeing discord how delight 's augmented By these harsh touches how well grac't the close VVith a full harmony never be repented Shall this Repentance VVhen thou dost Lord compose A heart thus broken 't is then an instrument And ne'r till then can give thine ears content For never thou pleas'd with thy self alone Break'st one in two but bring'st two hearts in one So am I whole again ' cause one with Thee So love my self ' cause Loving Lov'd of Thee O VVhat a Consort is thy Word VVhen Place falls into Place O what a Beauty is thy VVord VVhen Grace is matcht to Grace But what a What then is That Word That shews all Face to Face HOw faire a Casket is thy VVord VVhat broken sparkes it doth afford From every corner to invite My eyes to frequenter delight My eyes my wondering eyes to see Such radiant Christianity Cu'd I but sett these sparks in one VVhat floods of lustre thence were flow'n One's worth a world Heaven
who hath made these latter ordinances in their time as well as those former And that the God of nature who made nothing in vaine hath given forth such a diversitie of commands not with most wise ends To shew what concord he can make in such a seeming discrepancie betweene worke and worke men and men betweene heaven and earth in such a multiplicitie of imployments in due time and place while they are all According to his will And make an inconceiveable melody in the answering of a good conscience to him To shew thorough what a varietie of occurrents he can carry the faithfull soule while he still keepes it with Him And that hee might keepe them in an humble dependencie on him to learne how to bring forth their fruits in due season To set forth the glory of Christianitie in the sutable composure of such a change of Ornaments The excellencie of it in over-comming so many difficulties in passing so many turnings and windings conducted by the thus-more-commended manifold wisedome power goodnesse of God That takest it for so much superstition so much idolizing of the best duties and therefore for so much no duties while they are set up against the will of God Thou whom prosperitie keepes praying adversitie praysing That art exalted by thy humiliation incouraged by thy feare rejoyced by thy sorrow that gettest thy life by throwing it away that findest thy selfe by losing it that art watchfull in every thing carefull in nothing That art encountred with often doubts scruples irresolutions self-disputes and yet livest at the highest rate of assurance of the divine favour That yea by feeding thy selfe with feare thy watchings prayings fastings art carryed forth in the liveliest vigorousnesse and luxuriancy of spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mic. 4. Thou that art now at the top of the third Heavens in the highest exaltations of thy spirit and now againe at the bottome of the lowest Hell while thou still lyest as fast in the hugging imbraces of the omnipresent as ever Thou whose modest sober pure peaceable guilelesse discreet unblamable zealous lively active deportment of thy selfe speakes the one that hath been brought up at thee feet of Jesus Thou whose generous magnanimous God-resembling Spirit stoopes to humilty and overtops Pride That while thou lyest below the lowest dejection of the meanest Sainted Pesant bearest thee above the most disastrous dismallest aspects of the arrogantest Prelatickst highest-aspiring Kingdome-dooming Comet as far as the third Heaven is above the Meteory Region Thou that canst gladly stoope with that meeke Lamb to wash the feete of the meanest Minister of the Gospell Lay downe thy life for the God-loved and therefore world hated brethren while Lyon-like thy righteous soule rouseth up it selfe against the Hypocriticall Pharisee with the most contemptuous and undervaluing disdaine Thou that with a heartie willingnesse canst gladly abase thy selfe to unloose the latchet of the meanest Saint while thou knowest not how to give a Pontificall Peacocke the dissembling Complement of thy hast though he swell though he burnish though he bustle though he crow it never so domineeringly till he be furtivis nudatus coloribus Thou that like thy Heavenly Father knowest how to bee afflicted in all the afflictions of his holy ones his humble ones while wherein soever the Presumptuous deale proudly Thou wilt in Him be above them and make their proudest wrath to praise Him Thou that seest far more beauty on the very feet of the poorest Embassadour of the Gospel then on the honour-pleasure-profit-Triple-crowned head of those enemies to the Crown because to the vertue because friends to the signe of the Crosse of Christ In making the earth their study their belly their God their glorious Titles their shame themselves destruction and their Country distraction Thou that knowest how to turn the other cheeke to him that smites thee and to let goe thy cloake too to him that wud take away thy coate and yet knowest thy time too when to sell it for a sword and thy life by it as deare as thou canst While yet thou seekest not so much the destruction of the enemy no nor the preservation of thy selfe as the obedience too as the glory of God by it Thou that hast learnt how to render blessing for cursing and pray for them that despitefully use thee while still thou remembrest that the same Michael that brought no railing accusation against the devill called the Pharisees a generation of Vipers the evill-working Jewes the children of the devil Thou whose well tempered soule knowest the meaning of a zealous meeknesse a milde indignation a faceat gravity a sollid pleasantnesse c. Thou who while thy cautelous heart is still agitated with the most quick resentments readiest apprehensions of dangers art most firmly setled in a most unshaken peace of a providentiall security Thou whose giving heart is streaming it selfe forth in the most inlarged and selfe-loosing compassions the most liberall supplyes and contributions to the suffering Saints and hast thy awakened feare continually exercised with the alarmes of war and death while thou standest with an undaunted magnanimity in a close fast fixed Communion with thy God like Mount Sion that cannot be shaken triumphing over Hell and Death That while thou bleedest in their wounds art bound in their bonds dyest in their death blessest for thy wounds art freed with thy bonds livest in thy death That walking in the shadow of death in the presence of thine enemies hast a set banquet of heavenly delicacies thy head annointed with the oyle of joy and gladnesse by the over-shadowing hand of the Almighty Redeemer while thy soule is like a brim-full Cup over-running with joy and praises with joy and praises Thou that amandest the wicked from thee that thou maist keep the Commandements of thy God whom thou findest so so inapprehensibly good Thou that abhorrest none more then pragmaticall busie-body censorious men as the most slight-spirited idle self-ignorant worthlesse men that are and yet seekest not thine own things but the things of others and canst not so hate thy brother in thy heart as not to rebuke him and therefore as not to rebuke him in love Thou in whose eyes a vile person is contemned whose God-acquainted spirit can not sit with vaine empty triviall-spirited persons Sons of Belial whose foolish hearts are not lift up in-to the wayes of God that are above to the wise Triflers away of precious houres in frothie frivolous fruitlesse communications that have no and therefore can administer no grace to the hearer Men not of Heaven-ascending discourse spirit life Thou that hast found the two edged sword of the word dividing between the soule and the spirit and raising this as far above that as that is above the body That thou mayest serve him in the spirit of thy minde in the more extracted as it were and more sublimed quintessence the morefree noble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of life love zeal Thou that like that Purites
And teach my grievingst griefe delight Heavens harpers did Romes Epicedium play Hundreds of yeares before her fatall day Then come sweet Lute with gentle Aires Come kindly touch me with the Cares Of Christs-Crosse-bearing soules whose share Of common woe and weale I beare With Voltos then come raise my spirits Unto the Triumphs they inherit Whose wo's their weale whose wound 's their cure whose Heaven 'S their sweet whose want's their wealth whose hel's their Heaven VVHere am I How this turne hath giddied mee Decemb. 1640. Can hardly credit what I plainly see So farre fro'th doore so backward on the stage Still to protract this wearie pilgrimage Blest Lord so turnd'st our feare-led captive thoughts As those that dreampt we saw devouring Vaultes Heapt by the foaming Beast with Virgin Slaine Indign'd his I doll-lust We dreampt againe Christs-warre-preventing Throne became the Theame Of speedy praise but fear'd this was a dreame But we awake in Paradise And that no fooles be we but wise To keepe our hold'our God so close Nor becks nor blowes shall make us loase Then prove the former dreame yet true Change but the time the latter's too AS he whose braines are weak and businesse much Walks here there now this now that will touch Takes up layes down wu'd somewhat knows not what Even so my Good my God I had forgot Craz'd by my fall Still were my braines imploy'd With swarmes of busie follies still annoy'd With great paines taking in great trifles void Of all successe and got as soone was cloy'd Thus hither thither flew but ne'r cu'd finde An object sutable unto my minde Beauty honour riches seem'd an empty shade Before I saw the substance ere I 'd made Discovery of the Truth they seem'd a lie But that being seen they seem'd a lying lie A shade of shades Natures dim glimmering light Burnt clearer in my heart and shew'd me a sight Far worthyer choyce A soule a beautious soule Inrich'd with rarer honour a prudent soule A meek-sweet lovefull heart whose noble spirit Scornes a few-thousand-miled world shu'd bury it ' N a petty speck of dirt but pleasures in Its larger glories by the eye unseen Then after this while carefull search I made Straite shun a light shew'd this too but a shade A Heaven-sent light was darted in my heart And made me this perverting course divert The world in 'ts richest ornaments is but A show a show th'compleat'st nature but Thon only good and therefore only true Give m' in a recapitulated view Those Scripture-scattered Glories O cu'd I those Thy analysized Graces well compose Into their lovely face How deep I de fall In love and say thy beauty darkens all The creatures beautie's but a skin-deep lawne That by some slight distemper soon undrawne Reveales the lurking messengers of death That lie in waite to snatch away the breath And so possesse their Master of the face That seem'd but now above a creatures grace But take the purest in 'ts admired'st hew If modest else 't is none it dares but shew Its hands and face but He but alwayes Hee Is altogether Lovelinesses Hee Is Lovelinesses altogether every one Is in Him and but in Him there is none The creatures Vertue 's but a fairer foule Lodg'd in too straite a roome t' content my soule That only recreated splendors loves Whereon simplicity and infin'ty moves And where may I enjoy it better then Admitted to its near'st approaches when No intervenient object bars my sight In its impure and narrow Channell Light Pure perfect boundlesse inaccessible light VVhen shall I live in thy delighting sight I live but I wu'd live another life VVhere light and darknesse know no longer strife I live but I wu'd live another life That might informe me what a death 's this life How how m'abhorring spirit starts me back When by thy faire I see their ugly black VVhen by thy wisdome I their folly see And by their folly may the wiser be With what a mightier force my soule returnes To thee in thee with mightier fervour burnes O Light of Lights when shall I see Thee as I 'm seen VVhen shall I bee Thou Love of Loves with Thee i' th' high'st VVho long to learn yet what 's my Christ May Thoughts Men Bookes may all I see But answers to this question be May Thoughts Men Bookes may all I see Be Thoughts Men Bookes be All of Thee May every Sermon that I heare But breake the Clouds this Sun may cleare May every thing I heare or see Be all but Testaments of Thee And when th 'ave told me all they can I still must aske as I began VVell satisfied in seeking till My search with satisfaction fill VVHat 's white compar'd to blacke to browne to gray What mar'le 't excels but take the lightest gray Nay th'purest white the strongest sight e're saw Sublime thy apprehension yet and draw A purer unto which this bright'st's as black As th' face of Hell and yet beleeve there lacks As much resemblance in this draught to th' Life As Earth of Heaven of Heaven for all our strife 'S but pourtrai'd with a coale revealed God In h's holyest glories by a dirty Clod O' th' work-besoiling Clay and yet beleeve Thou' rt altogether unable to beleeve The difference till thou seest it Thou't see a light Is able to discerne an Hypocrite A man s'inlightned he hath skill enough To cheate himselfe and all the world this snuffe This dying snuffe shall burne as black as Hell When with its Christ sincerity shall dwell But what 's that all-surpassing splendor O Where 's he Where 's he will lead me to that show And teach my thoughts my rude and artlesse lines To draw the features of that face divine Divine That every foolish fondling w'll blurt On a neat piece of finer-formed durt O beauty Cu'd I speak but I have lost Expressions in impressions I 'de rather lie Admiring Adoring More sweetnesses suck I So but fire will out must speak of him Rightly if I can however speak of him The best of things so earnestly I covet Th'Unspeakable Gift yet can I say I love it And love will praise its object so must I And yet now I begin to praise I die O may my life so porutrait forth my Love To win Corrivals mount their spirits above With sacred flames while I stand peering there Where all Terrestriall beauties shad dowes are O see prie gaze b'inamour'd here is fare For Myriads of Love-sick worlds and spare O see prie gaze b'inamour'd here is fare Whose Rivals bring each other greater share For many eyes hearts see love more then one Fresh Graces spie to feed fresh hungers on O here 's a banquet where the guests finde ever The more the merrier for the cheare failes never Discovered such a goodly plenty show's Whose there can grieve but that his friends it loose Whose there can grieve but that his griefe 's his sauce To make him rellish more his wiser choice