close As though his own they were No more their malice fear For let them do the worst to thee they can Since that thy fellow suff'rer's God and man 1 Cor. 6.19 What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and yee are not your own LOrd what an humble God art thou Thus to descend And be my friend Yea more then friend mine In-mate now Dost not enough thy self abase To look on me But I must be Thy Temple and thy dwelling place This my vile Body thou dost take And thinkest fit To honor it And for thy use a house it make Henceforth I 'l prize this house of thine At a high rate Being consecrate To thee and count it no more mine Not any part thereof shall be An instrument To sin but bent In holy wayes to wait on thee The windowes in 't shall be mine eyes Through which I 'l see My God thou me My tongue shall offâ—r Sacrifice My lips the Calves which I will pay To thee my Lord And every word Well weigh'd I 'l on thine Altar lay My Lungs the bellowes which shall blow The holy fire Of my desire Till to a lively flame it grow My Prayer as Incense shall ascend And every room In me perfume That no ill savour thee offend My heart shall be the Holocaust My hands shall bring An Offering And all shall serve the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall LEt none presume he stands so fast But that he may fall first or last The most confirm'd in grace Stands in a slipp'ry place He treads on ice and if he take not care Unto his steps is down e're he 's aware 'T is hard to keep a middle way 'Twixt two extreams and never stray Since to the worst mans mind By nature is inclind Each vertue hath two vices on both sides 'T is odds that into one of them he slides So many snares so many evils So many doubts so many divels Environ him about That be he ne're so stout His faith may faile his feet may slip awry And he soon fall from his integrity David that was so great so good And highly in Gods favour stood In two such sins he fell As might have damn'd him well But that in mercy God pleas'd to restore Him to that state that he was in before Peter though he a pillar were Of th' Church his Master did forswear Such power had fear to make His former faith to shake Thus he who stood the day before so strong Was to his grief and shame laid all along I will not be too confident Of my fast footing but content My faith and fear should stand Together hand in hand That fear may keep my faith from being too bold And faith my fear from losing of its hold 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hopes in Christ then were wee of all men most miserable I were of things the worst And most accurst If in this life my happiness did end Beasts and Birds me exceed In strength in speed The Divels me in knowledg far transcend The wicked in sports swim Up to the brim The Epicure abounds in carnal pleasure Th' ambitious man is crown'd With Honours round The Covetous augments his daily Treasure My conscience will not let Me Riches get As others do by rapine and deceit Such wayes it checks me in Saying 't is sin And warnes me of the hook under the bait As sparks do upwards fly Even so am I To troubles born at every turn we meet Reproach and iâ—nomy My Honours be My wealth serves but to buy a winding sheet Yet courage take my soul Let faith controul Thy reason let it fix thy thoughts elsewhere These worldly things ne're can Make happy man Thy happinesse comes from a higher sphere With holy Job then know Though thou art low Thy head 's as high as heaven there lives he Who thy Redeemer is And that thy bliss In seeing him with these same eyes shal be Worldly delights be gone In him alone All wealth all honor and all pleasure lies No sorrowes then shall rest Within my brest His hand shal wipe all tears from my sad eys His hand my head shall raise And crown with joyes Such joies no eye hath seen nor ear hath heard No tongue of men can tell Nor Angels well Only to feel them shall be my reward 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weake then I am strong WHat Paradox is this that there should be Weakness and strength at the same time in me A Paradox to Nature not to Grace Where without contradiction both have place When I am weakin body then I find That I am strong i' th' vertues of the mind And when I am brought by affliction low Then I in spiritual comforts high do grow When of my self I cannot go nor stand Yet I supported by Gods heavenly hand Can safely travel through a world of wo Yea through the valley of deaths shadow go And fear no ill walk through a sea of troubles Yet never sink counting the waves but bubbles Which my faith blowes away my hope doth sound The greatest depths and even touch the ground When I am ready to be swallowed by Deaths greedy jawes faith sets me up on high Like Moses on Mount Pisgah whence I can Behold a better Land of Canaan And enter too where I with joy shall see His glories in a blest eternity If so much strength to weakness doth belong Lord make me weak that thou maist make me strong Gal. 2.20 Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave his life for me BEhold the priviledg of a Christian Above another man Both Tenants to one Lord Yet in their Tenures they do not accord One hath two lives in present and the third In future but confirm'd by Gods own Word The life of Nature first the life of Grace Takes up the second place The life of Glory last Which comes not till the other two are past The Christian esteems the Natural Compar'd with th' other nothing worth at all The Natural man in present hath but one And in reversion none Yet he doth so depend Upon that one as if it ne're would end Not once considering how each trivial thing Serves to draw on its speedy ruining And as the beasts that perish so shal â—e To dust dissolved be Yea a worse mischief shall After this life this wretched man befall Of his unhappiness it being the least That his short breath expireth like the beast For his one life a double death shall have His body in the grave His soul in hell shall lye A second death that 's to eternity A miserable man he is indeed Whose single short life two long deaths succeed I will account no more
fall Made them and an Apostle divels all To gather Churches then 's a vaine attempt As if you could have any quite exempt From sinful men when do what e're you can The hypocrite wil be the holy man And put as good a face on 't as the best Purge ne're so much your body there will rest Some noxious humours in 't some Judas wil In spite of you lie lurking in it stil Christs Church is likened by him to a field Which tares and wheat confusedly doth yeeld And he commandeth us to let both grow Together til the harvest left that now By hastie separation e're the day We not good husbands but the wilde Bores play Rooting up both whereas they both should stand And waite the weeding of the Angels hand You 'l say by Tares is meant the hypocrite Which cannot be discerned by our sight Being only knowne to God and therefore we May mix with him in our society Whereas the wicked is so easily known We may and ought shun his communion Why then did Christ into his fellowship Take Judas suffer him to kisse his lip Cal him by' th' name of friend nay give him leave The holy Sacrament for to receive Although he knew his heart and all the evil He had conceiv'd which made him up a divel And so no hypocrite to Christ was he What shall we purer then our Saviour be ' Tâ—s true the childrens bread should not be cast To dogs yet of the crumbs the dogs may taste And who knowes but the tasting of them may Turn dogs to Christians ere they goe away The Word alone converts a wicked mind Much more the Word and Sacrament combind Both holy be And if we must for bear To give the Sacrament to some for fear Of profanation Why do we dispense The Word to all men without difference Or if we must not give it 'cause it may Prove death to some that take it the wrong way The very same may of the Word be said Therefore to preach it we should be afraid To mixed Congregations left that some Should worser then they were before become This only so falls out by accident 'T is neither in the Word nor Sacrament God commonly by them grace on us pours If it prove death the fault 's not theirs but ours It is the duty then of every one To fit himself for this communion And if the Minister the danger tell Of taking it unworthily 't is wel His own soul he delivers if he do it Upon their peril 't is that wil come to it We wish the Church invested were again With power notorious sinners to restraine And excommunicate them too til then We may reprove but not correct these men It is our hearts desire and we pray That every one rightly receive it may And that no Judas any more may be Admitted to this blest Society But this is rather to be wisht then found In this craz'd age where more are sick then sound More traitors then are faithful twelve to one How can we then make separation For if we wil not partial be but just Scarce one of twelve into our flock we must Receive and then how many little flocks Wil there be of us subject to the mocks Of all our enemies and whiles that each Intends his own particular the breach Wil wider grow i' th' general and we May seek a Church but stil to seek shal be John 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you WHat a high favour 's this That God should be mans harbinger to blisse When John prepar'd the way before thy face O Christ 't was no smal grace Unto the Baptist then Much greater dost thou now bestow on men In that thou goest before to make us roome In heaven against we come Lord we were not more glad At thy first coming then we should be sad At thy departure didst not thou impart This cordial to our heart Chearing our spirits thus That thou possession tak'st of heaven for us Thou in our flesh hast entered there and we By vertue thereof be Assured of our places As soone as ever we have run our races With all the Patriarchs we shal sit down And there receive our Crown It is then fit and just That we should think of shaking off our dust And laying downe our earthly Tabernacles Which are to us as shackles And hinder our souls flight To those blest Mansions which are ours by right Let us not dreame of setting up our rest Til w' are of heaven possest That is our center that Our country is our proper place whereat All our endeavours must aim since we are ne're At home til we come there O thou that art the way And wanâ—'st the way before us grant we may Follow thy steps so close that in the end We may that place ascend John 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life I Came from heaven to be your guide and I Am he by whom your path to heaven doth lie The steps I trod on earth are th' only right Way to those Mansions of most glorious light The doctrine which I taught you is the whole Truth which if follow'd wel wil save your soul And bring you to those joyes shall never end The joyes to which blest spirits doe ascend Life without death to that your hopes must tend Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me NEver was union seene So strict as that between Christ and his members though in hevaen he be And we on earth yet see We cannot suffer here but strait he cryes And feels our miseries As if they were his own So wel to him th' are known That what e're persecutions we sustain He hath the greatest share and wil complaine Talk not what vertue lies In secret sympathies As that between the loadstone and the steele Which do at distance feele Each others force and by an innate love This unto that wil move Or that betwixt the wound And Talbot powder found Or of that sensitive plant whose vertue 's such That it contracts it self at every touch All these though very rare Secrets in nature are But grace a stronger sympathy doth make 'Twixt Christ and us we take New life from him as he took flesh from us We now are one and thus Our wounds are his our smart Grives him unto the heart Who touch us touch the apple of his eye A tender part how can he chuse but cry You then that persecute And all your arrowes shoot Against the truly Christian know that you One day shall deerly rue And pay for this your spite your arrowes all On your own head shal fall You 'l find it hard to kick Against the sharpest prick And whiles you aime at man you shoot far wide Hitting your God thorow your brothers side Why then my soul art thou So sad because that now By wicked men thou persecuted art Thy Saviour bears a part And wil revenge thy cause against thy foes His hand thy wounds wil
this life of mine To be my own but thine Not I but thou dost live In me who for me Lord thy self didst give It was thy love that made thee dye for me It is my faith that makes me live in thee Phil. 3.13 14. I count not my selfe to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the Mark for the prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus THis ilfe is like a race Where every one 's a Runner and the prize A Crown of Glory Heavens the place Where the Mark's set before our eyes I who have not as yet Scarce run out half the way must not sit down And think I 've done enough but sweat And labour hard to get the Crown Nor may I cast an eye Behind to see how many I 've out run But with the foremost I must vie And better end then I begun For if I fail at last When I have gone the greatest part o' th' Race Or give off when the worst is past It will be much to my disgrace Nor is that all but then Another man shall take my crown from me And I with the faint-hearted men Out of the Lists quite cast shall be O Lord do thou annoint Me with thy oil of Grace from top to toe In every lim and every joint That I may never weary grow But persevering in My course with vigorous and active strength May be so happy as to win The Goal first and the Crown at length Heb. 13.14 Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come MAn is a Creature loves society And cannot long alone be well Hence God made Eve that she Might with him dwell From these two sprung A numerous family That to a City grew ere long And that impli'd strength and stability But see how soon this City came to nought Being destroy'd with its own weight And by division brought To ruine strait Then how can we A City have that 's strong Or permanent It cannot be What 's made with hands should e're continue long The best is made with lime and stone how then Can that which is compact of such Frail matter last yet men Are frailer much Those men that make This City are all cast In moulds of Clay and do partake Of earth themselves such vessels cannot last Nor they nor yet their City can endure Many mishaps there be will end them To perish they are sure None can defend them Each little thing To pieces breaks their frame A very wind a breath will bring Them to that nothing whence at first they came Yet whiles their worst part crumbles to the dust And falls to ashes in their urn Their souls immortal must To God return That God hath made A City without hands For them which ne're shall fail nor fade Unmoveable its vast foundation stands A most magnificent and glorious place Which they that see 't can scarce set forth Or give it half the grace As to its worth There God keeps Court Millions on either side Of Saints and Angels do resort To wait on him this City's wondrous wide The least of all those many Mansions therâ— Our greatest Cities far transcend Each one 's a Kingdom which shall ne're Admit of end This then alone Requires our chiefest care In seeking it for there is none On earth's round ball that can with it compare On this lets fix our thoughts to this aspire To this let all our actions tend Be it our sole desire There to ascend For all our bliss God hath reserv'd above Our happiness there seated is There is our Treasure there must be our love James 2.20 Wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead HEark vain man hark what the Apostle saith And do not boast so much of thy great faith For though 't were able mountains to remove 'T is nothing worth unless it woâ—k by love Love is the life of it 't is thaâ— alone Which quickens it or else 't is dead 't is none That man who breaths not at the mouth a jor Whose heart no motion hath whose pulse beaâ—s not We say is dead the like we â—ay infer Concerning faith that 's dead which doth not stir If it be living 't will be active too What the heart thinks mouth speaks the hands will do Let others shew their faith if that they please Without their works while I shew mine by these First my Religion shal be pure and then Peaceable if it be possible with men Forgiving wrongs giving what I can spare To those that want and in distresses are I wil be feet to th' lame eyes to the blind Helpful to all and unto none unkind If thus my faith be qualifi'd I shall Approve it to my self to God to all 1 Peter 5.7 Casting all your care upon God for he careth for you COme heavy souls opprest that are With doubts and fears and carking care Lay all your burthens down and see Where 's one that carried once a tree Upon his back and which is more A heavier weight your sins he bore Think then how easily he can Your sorrowes bear that 's God and Man Think too how willing he 's to take Your care on him who for your sake Sweat bloody drops pray'd fasted cry'd Was bound scourg'd mockt and crucifi'd He that so much for you did do Will yet do more and care for you Rev. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works HAd I the Art in painting like to him Who did the day of Doom so lively limn That when a Heathen Prince beheld the same With terror struck a Christian he became Thus would I set it forth unto your eye The Heavens should put on a sable dye Mask'd with the blackest vail of thickest clouds Which to the Sun Moon Stars should be as shâ—owds To muffle them in one continued night Not once affording the least spark of light Hiding their heads as sham'd or griev'd to see The horrid sins of men which then should be Made manifest and naked to the world And the dire plagues that on them should be hurs'd From this sad object let your eye retire To th' other side and see the earth on fire The Sea all bloud the Throne of God on high Whereon he sits in glorious Majesty Legions of Angels him surrounding there Millions of men that newly raised were Out of their Sepulchres by his command To hear their final sentence trembling stand Below the Divels in the various shapes Of hideous