miss This Sting is Sin the Laws it's Strength and he Or they will find it so who damned be True Jesus Christ indeed did Death destroy For those who worthy are him to enjoy He washes them in 's Blood from ev'ry Sin They 'r guilty of or subject to hath bin So here 's nor Sting nor Law nor Death to kill And yet Death always some men torment will But this seems Het'rodox or Mystery For Death to live to some to some to dye Yet 't is so when God doth man's Sin forgive Death dies but where 't is charged Death doth live LVII Upon the Snail SHe goes but softly but she goeth sure She stumbles not as stronger Creatures do Her Journeys shorter so she may endure Better than they which do much further go She makes no noise but stilly seizeth on The Flow'r or Herb appointed for her food The which she quietly doth feed upon While others range and gare but find no good And tho she doth but very softly go How ever 't is not fast nor slow but sure And certainly they that do travel so The prize they do aim at they do procure Comparison Although they seem not much to stir less go For Christ that hunger or from Wrath that flee Yet what they seek for quickly thy come to Tho it doth seem the farthest off to be One Act of Faith doth bring them to that Flow'r They so long for that they may eat and live Which to attain is not in others Pow'r Tho for it a King's Ransom they would give Then let none faint nor be at all dismaid That Life by Christ do seek they shall not fail To have it let them nothing be afraid The Herb and Flow'r is eaten by the Snail LVIII Of the Spouse of Christ. VVHo's this that cometh from the Wilderness Like Smoaky Pillars thus perfumed with Myrrhe Leaning upon her dearest in Distress Led into 's Bosom by the Comforter She 's clothed with the Sun crown'd with twelve Stars The spotted Moon her Footstool he hath made The Dragon her assaults fills her with Jarrs Yet rests she under her Beloved's Shade But whence was she what is her Pedigree Was not her Father a poor Amorite What was her Mother but as others be A poor a wretched and sinful Hittite Yea as for her the day that she was born As loathsome out of doors they did her cast Naked and Filthy Stinking and forlorn This was her Pedigree from first to last Nor was she pittied in this Estate All let her lie polluted in her Blood None her Condition did commiserate Their was no Heart that sought to do her good Yet she unto these Ornaments is come Her Breasts are fashioned her Hair is grown She is made Heiress of the best Kingdom All her Indignities away are blown Cast out she was but now she home is taken Naked sometimes but now you see she 's clo'd Now made the Darling though before forsaken Bare-foot but now as Princes Daughters shod Instead of Filth she now has her Persumes Instead of Ignominy her Chains of Gold Instead of what the Beauty most consumes Her Beauty 's perfect lovely to behold Those that attend and wait upon her be Princes of Honour cloth'd in white Aray Upon her Head 's a Crown of Gold and she Eats Wheat Honey and Oil from day to day For her Beloved he 's the High'st of all The only Potentate the King of Kings Angels and Men do him Jehovah call And from him Life and Glory always springs He 's white and ruddy and of all the Chief His Head his Locks his Eyes his Hands and Feet Do for Compleatness out-go all Belief His checks like Flowers are his Mouth 's most sweet As for his Wealth he is made Heir of all What is in Heav'n what is on Earth is his And he this Lady his Joynt-Heir doth call Of all that shall be or at present is Well Lady well God has been good to thee Thou of an Out-cast now art made a Queen Few or none may with thee compared be A Beggar made thus high is seldome seen Take heed of Pride remember what thou art By Nature tho thou hast in Grace a share Thou in thy self doth yet retain a part Of thine own Filthiness wherefore beware LIX Upon a Skilful Player on an Instrument HE that can play well on an Instrument Will take the Ear and captivate the Mind With Mirth or Sadness For that it is bent Thereto as Musick in it place doth find But if one hears that hath therein no skill As often Musick lights of such a chance Of its brave Notes they soon be weary will And there are some can neither sing nor dance Comparison Unto him that thus skilfully doth play God doth compare a Gospel-Minister That rightly preacheth and doth Godly pray Applying truly what doth thence infer This man whether of Wrath or Grace he preach So skilfully doth handle ev'ry Word And by his Saying doth the heart so reach That it doth joy or sigh before the Lord. But some there be which as the Bruit doth lie Under the Word without the least advance God-ward Such do despise the Ministry They weep not at it neither to it dance LX. Upon Fly-blows THere is good Meat provided for man's Health To this the Flesh-fly comes as 't were by Stealth Bloweth thereon and so Be-maggots it As that it is tho wholsome quite unfit For queazy Stomachs they must pass it by Now is not this a prejudicial Fly Comparison Let this good Meat good Doctrine signify And call him which reproaches it this Fly For as this Flesh-fly blows this wholsome meat That it the queazy Stomach cannot eat So they which do good Doctrine scandalize Present it unto some in such Disguize That they cannot accept nor with it close But slight it and themselves to Death expose Reproach it then thou art a mauling Club This Fly yea and the Son of Belzebub LXI Of Man by Nature FRom God he 's a Back-slider Of Ways he loves the wider With Wickedness a Sider More Venom than a Spider In Sin he 's a Consider A Make-bate and Divider Blind Reason is his Guider The Devil is his Rider LXII Of Physick PUrging Physick taken to heat or cool Worketh by Vomit Urine Sweat or Stool But if it worketh not then we do fear The danger 's great the Person 's Death is near If more be added and it worketh not And more and yet the same 's the Patients Lot All hope of Life from Standers-by is fled The Party sick is counted now as dead Comparison Count ye the Sick one that 's not yet converted Impenitent Incredulous Hard hearted In whom vile Sin is so predominant And the Soul in it's Acts so conversant That like one with Diseases over-run This man with it at present is undone Now let the Physick be the Holy Word The Blessed Doctrine of our Dearest Lord. And let the Doses to the Patient given Be by Directions of the God of
Here had been Legs and Wings and Bones to pick. IV. Upon the Lord's Prayer OUr Father which in Heaven art Thy name be always hallowed Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done Thy Heav'nly path be followed By us on Earth as 't is with thee We humbly pray And let our Bread us given be From day to day Forgive our debts as we forgive Those that to us indebted are Into temptation lead us not But save us from the wicked's Snare The Kingdom 's thine the Power too We thee adore The Glory also shall be thine For evermore V Meditation upon Peep of day I Oft though it be peep of day do'nt know Whether 't is Night whether 't is Day or no. I fancy that I see a little light But cannot yet distinguish day from night I hope I doubt but steddy yet I be not I am not at a point the Sun I see not Thus 't is with such who Grace but now possest They know not yet if they are curst or blest VI. Upon the Flint in the Water This Flint time out of mind has there abode Where Chrystal Streams make their continual Road Yet it abides a Flint as much as 't were Before it touch'd the Water or came there It s hard obdurateness is not abated 'T is not at all by water penetrated Though water hath a softning vertue in 't This Stone it can't dissolve 'cause 't is a Flint Yea though it in the water doth remain It doth it's fiery nature still retain If you oppose it with it's Opposit At you yea in your face it's fire 't will spit Comparison This Flint an Emblem is of those that lye Like stones under the Word until they dye It 's Chrystal Streams hath not their nature changed They are not from their Lusts by Grace estranged VII Upon the Fish in the Water 1. The water is the Fishes Element Take her from thence none can her death prevent And some have said who have Transgressors been As good not be as to be kept from sin 2. The water is the Fishes Element Leave her but there and she is well content So 's he who in the path of Life doth plod Take all says he let me but have my God 3. The water is the Fishes Element â—er sportings there to her are excellent 〈◊〉 is God's Service unto Holy men They are not in their Element till then VIII Upon the Swallow THis pretty Bird oh how she flies and sings But could she do so if she had not Wings â—er Wings bespeak my Faith her Songs my Peace When I believe and sing my Doubtings cease IX Upon the Bee The Bee goes out and Honey home doth bring And some who seek that Hony find a sting â—ow wouldst thou have the Hony and be free â—om stinging in the first place kill the Bee Comparison This Bee an Emblem truly is of sin Whose Sweet unto a many death hath been â—ow would'st have Sweet from sin and yet not dye â—o thou it in the first place mortifie X. Upon the Creed I Do believe in God And in his only Son Born of a Woman yet begot Before the World begun I also do believe That he was crucifi'd Was dead and buried and yet Believe he never dy'd The Third day I believe He did rise from the dead Went up to Heav'n and is of God Of all things made the Head Also I do believe That he from thence shall come To judge the quick the dead and to Give unto all just Doom Moreover I believe In God the Holy Ghost And that there is an Holy Church An universal Host. Also I do believe That sin shall be forgiven And that the dead shall rise and that The Saints shall dwell in Heaven XI Upon a low'ring Morning Well with the day I see the Clouds appear And mix the light with darkness every where This threatning is to Travellers that go Long Journeys slabby Rain they 'l have or Snow Else while I gaze the Sun doth with his beams Belace the Clouds as 't were with bloody Streams This done they suddenly do watry grow And weep and pour their tears out where they go Comparison Thus 't is when Gospel-light doth usher in To us both sense of Grace and sense of Sin Yea when it makes sin red with Christ's blood Then we can weep till weeping does us good XII Upon over-much Niceness T Is much to see how over-Nice some are About the Body and Houshold Affair While what 's of worth they slightly pass it by Not doing or doing it slovenly Their house must be well furnisht be in print Mean while their Soul lies ley has no good in 't It s outside also they must beautifie When in it there 's scarce common Honesty Their Bodies they must have trick'd up and trim Their inside full of Filth up to the brim Upon their cloths there must not be a spot But is their lives more then one common Blot How nice how coy are some about their Diet That can their crying Souls with Hogs-meat quiet All drest must to an hair be else 't is naught While of the living bread they have no thought Thus for their Outside they are clean and nice While their poor Inside stinks with sin and vice XII Meditations upon the Candle MAn 's like a Candle in a Candlestick Made up of Tallow and a little Wick And as the Candle is when 't is not lighted So is he who is in his sins benighted Nor can a man his Soul with Grace inspire More then can Candles set themselves on fire Candles receive their light from what they are not Men Grace from him for whom at first they care not We manage Candles when they take the fire God men when he with Grace doth them inspire And biggest Candles give the better light As Grace on biggest Sinners shines most bright The Candle shines to make another see A Saint unto his Neighbour light should be The blinking Candle we do much despise Saints dim of light are high in no mans eyes Again though it may seem to some a Riddle We use to light our Candle at the middle True light doth at the Candles end appear And Grace the heart first reaches by the Ear. But 't is the Wick the fire doth kindle on As 't is the heart that Grace first works upon Thus both doth fasten upon what 's the main And so their Life and Vigour do maintain The Tallow makes the Wick yield to the fire And sinsul Flesh doth make the Soul desire That Grace may kindle on it in it burn So Evil makes the Soul from Evil turn But Candles in the wind are apt to flare And Christ'ans in a Tempest to despair The flame also with Smoak attended is And in our holy lives there 's much amiss Sometimes a Thief will candle-light annoy And lusts do seek our Graces to destroy What brackish is will make a Candle sputter T'wixt sin and Grace there 's oft a heavy clutter Sometimes
Joy Thou didst them out thy Paper pull The Boy goes from me eats his Plumbs Which he counts better of than Bread But by and by he to me comes With nought but Paper and the Thread Comparison This Boy an Emblem is of such Whose Lot in worldly things doth lie Glory they in them ne'er so much Their pleasant Springs will soon be dry Their Wealth their Health Honours and Life Will quickly to a period come If for these is their only Strife They soon will not be worth a Plumb XLVIII Upon a Looking-glass IN this see thou thy Beauty hast thou any Or thy defects should they be few or many Thou mayst too here thy Spots and Freckles see Hast thou but Eyes and what their Numbers be But art thou blind there is no Looking Glass Can shew thee thy defects thy Spots or Face Comparison Unto this Glass we may compare the Word For that to man advantage doth afford Has he a Mind to know himself and State To see what will be his Eternal Fate But without Eyes alas How can he see Many that seem to look here blind Men be This is the Reason they so often read Their Judgment there and do it nothing dread XLIX Upon a Lanthorn THe Lanthorn is to keep the Candle Light When it is windy and a darksome Night O dain'd it also was that men might see By Night their way and so in safety be Comparison Compare we now our Lanthorn to the man That has within his heart a Work of Grace As for another let him if he can Do as this Lanthorn in its time and place Profess the Faith and thou a Lanthorn art But yet if Grace has not possessed thee Thou want'st this Candle Light within thy heart And art none other than dark Lanthorns be L. Of the Love of Christ. THe love of Christ poor I may touch upon But 't is unsearchable Oh! There is none It 's large Dimensions can comprehend Should they dilate thereon World without end When we had sinned in his Zeal he sware That he upon his back our Sins would bear And since unto Sin is entailed Death He vowed for our Sins he 'd lose his Breath He did not only say vow or resolve But to Astonishment did so involve Himself in man's distress and misery As for and with him both to live and dye To his eternal Fame in Sacred Story We find that he did lay aside his Glory Step'd from the Throne of highest Dignity Become poor Man did in a Manger lie Yea was beholding unto his for Bread Had of his own not where to lay his Head Tho rich he did for us become thus poor That he might make us rich for evermore Nor was this but the least of what he did But the outside of what he suffered God made his Blessed Son under the Law Under the Curse which like the Lyon's Paw Did rent and tear his Soul for mankinds Sin More than if we for it in Hell had bin His Crys his Tears and Bloody Agony The nature of his Death doth testify Nor did he of Constraint himself thus give For Sin to death that man might with him live He did do what he did most willingly He sung and gave God Thanks that he must dye But do Kings use to dye for Captive Slaves Yet we were such when Jesus dy'd to save 's Yea when he made himself a Sacrifice It was that he might save his Enemies And tho he was provoked to retract His blest Resolves for such so good an Act By the abusive Carriages of those That did both him his Love and Grace oppose Yet he as unconcerned with such things Goes on determines to make Captives Kings Yea many of his Murderers he takes Into his Favour and them Princes makes LI. Of the Horse and Drum SOme Horses will some can't endure the Drum But snort and flounce if it doth near them come They will nor Bridle nor Rider obey But head strong be and fly out of the way These skittish Jades that can't this noise abide Nor will be rul'd by him that doth them ride I do compare those our Professors to Which start from Godliness in Tryals do To these the threats that are against them made Are like this Drum to this our starting Jade They are offended at them and forsake Christ of whose ways they did Profession make But as I said there other Horses be That from a Drum will neither start nor flee Let Drummers beat a Charge or what they will They 'l nose them facethem keep their places still They fly not when they to those rattlings come But like War-Horses do endure the Drum LII On the Kackling of a Hen. THe Hen so soon as she an Egg doth lay Spreads the Fame of her doing what she may About the Yard she kackling now doth go To tell what't was she at her Nest did do Just thus it is with some Professing men If they do ought that good is like our Hen They can't but kackle on 't where ' ere they go What their right hand doth their left hand must know LIII Upon an Hour-Glass THis Glass when made was by the Work-mans Skill The Sum of sixty minutes to fulfill Time more nor less by it will out be spun But just an Hour and then the Glass is run Man's Life we will compare unto this Glass The Number of his Months he cannot pass But when he has accomplished his day He like a Vapour vanisheth away LIV. Upon the Chalk-stone THis Stone is white yea warm and also soft Easie to work upon unless 't is naught It leaves a white Impression upon those Whom it doth touch be they it's Friends or Foes The Child of God is like to this Chalk-stone White in his Life easily wrought upon Warm in Affections apt to leave impress On whom he deals with of true Godliness He is no sulling Coal nor daubing Pitch Nor one of whom men catch the Scab or Itch But such who in the Law of God doth walk Tender of heart in Life whiter than Chalk LV. Upon a Stinking Breath DOth this proceed from an infected Air Or from man's common sweet and wholesome Fare It comes from a foul Stomack or what 's worse Ulcerous Lungs Teeth or a private Curse To this I some mens Notions do compare Who seem to breathe in none but Scripture Air. They suck it in but breathe it out again So putrified that it doth scarce retain Any thing of its native Excellence It only serves to fix the Pestilence Of their delusive Notions in the mind Of the next foolish Proselyte they find LVI Upon Death DEath 's a cold Comforter to Girls and Boys Who wedded are unto their Childish Toys More Grim he looks upon our lustful Youth Who against Knowledge â—light God's saving Truth But most of all he dismal is to those Who once profess'd the Truth they now oppose Death has a Dart a Sting which Poyson is As all will find who do of Glory