TRUE CHRISTIAN LOVE To be sung with any of the common Tunes of the PSALMS COL 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisedom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord EDINBVRGH Printed by Andro Anderson ANNO DOM 1655. TO THE READER SInce CHRISTS fair Truth craves no mans art Take this rude Song in better part TRUE CHRISTIAN LOVE I Have a heart for love and love I cannot choose but have A love that can give full content the least as I can crave I want not suters and they all have agents still with me Who promise that which I do seek but sure I know they lie Though honour height to lift me up and mammon me to serve Yet their attendants skars me not nor makes my heart to swerve Pale fear duske envie care and toyle with other ill hew'd wights Wait for my service if I weed their masters O what sights The onely thing like to prevaile was match unto my minde When fancie buskde my party with perfections of each kind But now I see that fancie is not reall as it seemes No earthly love can give content all loves but Christs are dreams Then why want I contenting love since Christs love may be had In whom is all that I do seek or can be thought or said What other loves do seem to have is truely in him found The scattered beauties of them all in him are jointly bound What they do lack and cannot have because they finit be It s infinit in him it stands for ever still O Hee He he is only worthy love and nothing else but he Alas that vanity so long hath so bewitched me Why heard I flattering idols words why did I parly keep Why suffer'd I affection to sing me so asleep How went I on so foolishly and keept so oft their tryst As if false loves could be found true and had no minde of Christ No not when Christ was suiting me and they found oft untrue I stack still in their bonds and could my self no wayes rescue Yet good and wise Lord Jesus Christ did still pursue my love He knew though I refus'd my heart was his he could me move And now it s done my love is thine Lord Jesus home receive This whorish heart and suffer not my soul hence to deceive There shall my suiters all me serve but thou my love shall be They shal be mine not I theirs else they shall not follow me Thus shal I have advantage twise and blest shal be my lot I le get my lovers goods and love above theirs well I wot A love that will not me despise though I unworthy be Though vile and loathsome yet will he not loath but pitty mee Though fickle I he will not change his constancy is known Of change no shadow is with him he loves for ay his own When I for want of wit and strength offend and do confesse He will not chide but pardon me my faults both more and lesse He will not charge upon me lay more nor I may well bear But will my burthens as I need support I do not fear No wrath at others wil cause him unpleasant be to me No flanderer will get his ear to heare of me a lye He will not misconstruct my words he will not angry be Nor fret without a cause nor frowne nor fitch a fault falsly Nor mark my wayes so narrowly as nothing to passe by His love will hide my sin in love faith safely may rely He will not waste his heritage nor will himself disgrace No foes can hurt him and their spyt he turnes upon their face His love to other Saints shal not work prejudice to me More then the Suns light unto all doth hinder me to see No causelesse jealousie will vex at any time his minde But if he see my heart go wrong I know he is so kinde As to admonish and rebuke and chasten if it need And so me save from perishing too oft deserv'd indeed If I be sad he will be loath yet more to vex my heart If any other will do so 'gainst them hee 'l take my part And those that grieve me he will grieve and curse them more and lesse That curseth me so will he those that blesse me surely blesse If trouble set about me round he will not me forsake Nor leave me comfortlesse alone but pity on me take And if he hide his face a while as wisedome oft requires He doth but excercise my faith and sharpen my desires And if he seeme to stay well long that I become so dead As I can neither say nor sing nor meditate nor read Nor do ought else that might asswadge hearts pangs in such a case But sit and droup and hang my head long looking for his grace Uttering but broken words or none perplext with thoughts confusde Suggestions whisper all the while as if I were refusde Yet still his gracious hand doth me support with secret strength And makes me in these deeps not drown but brings me through at length Mean time he keeps my scattered words and failing those my teares In books and bottels and takes course to rid me out of fears And failing both my words and tears he makes each wofull grone And failing those my sighes and all the parcels of my mone Yea when I fit astonished my lifted hands and looks Speaks all my minde to him as if it written were in books For he doth search the heart and knowes what is the spirits mind And as its fit gives answer to needs cry in every kinde And look how sharp these tryalls are their fruit is far more sweet His countenance compenseth all with one blink when we meet For he doth make my heart more glad then any tongue can tell Though grief was great yet joy is now more sweet nor grief was fell For judge ye whosoever felt what weight in sin what griefe In minde opprest what angnish is when soul sees no relief What torment in perplexity what horrour in Gods wrath What hell in feard eternity at loosing of his breath And presuppon a soul were sure to dwell at last above In heaven with Christ yet know ye not what langour is in love What sicknesse in deferred-hopes what battell with our so What trouble when God hides his face and seems us to forgo Now judge again when weights are lift grief anguish torments gone For wrath death hell eternity of fear now there is none But in their place the heart lift up life light and rest is come Felt love peace victorie hearts health and Christs Sprit all in summe Judge when our much prokocked Lord himself shews reconcilde If with the joy that then is felt a heart may not
not fear But fear may only thine offence whose love be bought so dear And since thou hast me bought so dear why may I not be sure That love which made thee pay my price shall stedfastly endure If I should lean to my free-will or strength I could not stand Oft had I perisht if my life had lyne in mine own hand I wonder not that such as leane to their works will or strength Fit others for and make themself apostasie at length For such do not deny themselves and so not follow thee I chasde am to thee for refuge and so preservde must be Chasde souls are sensible of sin and sensible of wrath And flee from both to thee for life and in thee draw their breath How then can such not persevere and so be sav'd at length Whom thou dost empty of their own and fils with thy fresh strength These are the souls that come to thee whom thou wilt not cast out These souls are drawn and driven to thee whom thou must save no doubt These are thy sheep for whom thou prayes for whose life thou didst die Whom liars shall not long deceive whom non can pull from thee These did thy Father give to thee with this expresse command Son see thou losse not one of those I 'le crave them at thine hand Keep them and make them persevere and lead them all the way Through life and death and raise them up to glory at that day Thou dost accept this charge and pawns thy honour charge to keep Our faithfull Sheepherd well I know not slumber will nor sleep These sin and Law chasde souls thou counts true Isaaks all to be Children of promise styling them and heirs annex'd with thee These are Gods Elect whom he hath predestinat of old And in his councell hath decreed to save as he hath told Whom to assure of endlesse life by his unchang'd decree His truth and oath he laid in pawn in which he cannot ly And swore by his eternall self for greater there was none That of this elect company there should not perish one And though these souls like ship on sea may fearfully be tost And whiles may seem close overwhelm'd yet none such shall be lost Their anker lyes within the vaile no winde can make it drive It lyes where thou art landed Lord and where we shall arrive Now who so saith that thy elect for all this perish may And that thy Saints of purpose call'd from thee may fall away And looses us from leaning on the strength of thy right hand They draw from building on the rock and bids us build on sand They say Peter and Iudas are alike belov'd of thee And that they both for gifts receiv'd alike beholden be As Iudas for his perishing may wyte the love of pelf So Peter his free-will for life may praise and thank himself They say thou knowest not who are thine of none they make thee sure They say the Lords foundation doth not ay firm indure They say thou chooses some to day and casts them off the morn They make thee like vain man to be and do thy counsell scorn They make thee pray for thine Elect and not get thy request Yea though thou for them live for ay to interceed as Priest Gods Elect whom to he gives right to be his sons and heirs They make them want sure right to have the heritage for theirs That Saints till death seduc'd may be and sheep pull'd from thine hand Whom God thee chargd to keep and save to say they do not stand Thy word thy oath thy covenant they make no certaintie Faiths anker they make drive they speak in iubstance blasphemie They make the merchand nothing wise and very short of thought Who pay'd the price and was not sure to have what thou had bought Yea so unwise as for thy sheep thine own life not to spare Whom thou may losse though so dear bought such foolish blocks are rare O wicked thoughts be far from me I know thy love doth last And whom of purpose thou dost call Thy grace doth hold them fast Whom thou dost love for them thou died for whom thou dy'd they live Thy love thy ransoning and heaven all joyntly thou dost give And whosoever hates his sin and sets his love on thee May be assur'd thou lovd'st him first and for his life didst die Now Lord thou knowes I hate my sin and seeks to have it slain Thou that knows all knows I thee love and feels it not in vain Then Lord my love thou wilt allow that I apply thy death And by that means perswaded rest to be exeemd from wrath And well I wot the ransome is sufficient eneugh Me to redeeme from hell and imp me in thee as thy bough For me thou emptied thy self and stood in Fathers aw For me thou emptied thy self and fulfilled the law For me thou took on thee the curse and felt thy Fathers wrath For me oft plunged was thy soul and heavy to the death For which I sinfully did laugh thou mournd and wept full sore For pleasure taken in my sin through grief oft didst thou roar For mine ill words thou silencd was and knew not what to say For mine ill deeds thou Lord was bound condemned and led away Thy ditty were each one my wrongs against both God and man Thy sentence was my due desert for sins whereto I ran These lashes laid upon thy skin those stripes and all thy wounds Were for my souls wounds made with sin O love which thus abounds O thus my love to see thee sad O thus to see thee weep O thus to hear thee grone and pant and cry with sighs cut deep O agony O fearfull sweat O tears O bloody drops How mingled down from cheeks to feet each chasing other hops To see my love for love of me on bloodie shoulders bear That crosse that curse that growing wrath and trembling thus for fear To see almighty God so weak lifes fountain thus to die With shame pain ov'rchargd till heaven wondred and all for me Woes me for all my sins woes me for roots of sin so strong Which have so long time grown in me and like to stick so long Oh help my Love to have them slain Oh here revenge thy death Oh on this ill avenge me too which wrong'd us both so hath Well's me I wot thou wilt anone grant this and each request Anone our joy perfite shall be anone our marriage feast For as thou died for me for me so also didst thou rise And reignes as God and shal me fetch so makes thy Word me wise Fond lovers Tell me now if you have any love like this Come take a share with me my Love wholly spirituall is Come
change your loves and love with me or else you perish shall Go charge your loves to do the same or perish shall you all Gods curse on him that loveth not my Love Lord Jesus Christ Or loves not them that do love him this curse with death keeps tryst 〈◊〉 this is my Love yet if 〈◊〉 could like your love die All these excellencies of his should work my miserie Or yet if I by death could be depriv'd of this my Love All that is said or can be more were nought to my behove But now my Love shall never die his dayes shall never end His life shall eternize his Love his life to love doth tend And I by death shal have no losse my love shall then be more Both mine to him and his to me Blessed be God therefore Yea and because I cannot live and broke his love beneath My chariot to eternall life death he appointed hath Therefore till death his love shall be the best part of my life In him I 'le strive gainst baser loves and death will end the strive Only my Lord still pittie me and tarrie not too long My sprite and flesh cry Come Lord come death shal renew my song FINIS Psal. 4. 6 7 1 John 2. 15 16 17. 1 Tim. 6. â— Eccles. 1. 2. Can. 5. 10. Psa. 77. 22. Psa. 73. â— Cant. 1. â— Cant. 8. 1 Ezek. 16 5 6. 〈◊〉 â— 6 Iam. 1. 17 Iohn 13. 4 Psal. 10 8 9. 1 Cor. 10 19. Hab. 3. â— Isa. 27. 4 Psal. 103. 3 â— Pet. 4. 8 Psa. 89. 22 John 13. 1 Isai. 30. 21 Rev. 2. 19. Gen. 12. 3 Num. 24. 9. Job 5. 29 Psa. 61. 15 Pet. 1. 9 7. James 1. 2 3 12 Joh. 5. 14 Isa. 13. 2 Psa. 56. 8 Psal. 120. 2 Rom 8. 27 Psal. 20. 5 Psal 4. 7 Psal. 34. all Psal. 76 to 10 verse Prov. 13 12 Psa. 22. 14 Psal. 116. 3 14. 7 8 Joh. 15. 13 Psa. 84. 10 Psalm 116 7. Gal. 2 20 Iohn 2 18. Dan. 2 47 Psalm 2. 8. Heb. 1. 2 Prov. 8. 22 c. 2 Cor 1. 20. Rom. 5. 8 Deut. 32 4 Isa. 57. 15 Mat. 〈◊〉 29. Mal. 3. 2 Psalm 139 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rev. 4. 7 Mat. 28. 20 Phil. 2. 6 1 Ioh. 5. 7 Gen. 3 22 â—â—â—d 24 Iohn 5. 14 15 Gen. 2 2. 3 Heb. 4. 10. Gen. 2. 10 Gen. 4 10 Gen. 6. 14 Gen. 8. 21 Gen. 9. 31 Isai. 54. 9 Heb. 3. 2 3 Iohn 11 17 2 Cor. 3. 6 c. Heb. 7. 26 c. Heb. 10. 14 Heb. 7. 1â— Heb. 9. 2 c Num. 17. 8 Col. 1. 17 Isai. 57. 1 Cant. 1. 2 Cant. 1. 2 Cant. 2. 5 Cant. 2. 3 Cant. 5. â— Cant. 1. 5 Cant. 1. 16 Hos. 2. 3 Luke 1. 35 Luke 2. 16 Mat. 2. 13 Luk. 2. 47 Phil. 2. 7 Isai. 8. 18 Isai. 55. 3 Psal. 4. 8 Psal. 61. 2 Mat. 27. 33 Rom. 8 31 Mat. 8. 31 Matth. 4. 1 Matth 4. 1 Heb. 2. 18 Mat. 4. 3 Mat. 46 Mat. 4. 8 Mat. 4. 6 Mat. 4. 10 Luk. 23. 11 Psal. 22. 7 John 1. 11 Mat. 8. 20 Mat. 7. 27 John 4. 5 John 4 5 Mat. 2. 37 Iohn 8. â—â— Luke 4. 20 Mat. 8. 2â— Mat. 26 5â— Mat. 26. 65 Joh. 18. 22 Isa. 50. 6 Mat 27. 29 Mat â—7 25 Mat. 27. 4 Mat. 16. 24 1 Tim. 2. 12 Ioh. 5. 39 1 Pet. 4. 16 Mat. 15. 19 Psalm 119 116 Mat. 15. 9 Mat. 18. 6 Psal. 56. â— Iohn 13. 1 Mat. 16. 24 Heb. 6. 18 Iohn 6. 37 Iohn 17. 9 Ioh. 10. 28 Ioh. 6. 39 Ioh. 6. 39 Psal. 111 4. Heb. 9 Rom. 8. 9 Rom. 8. 17 Tit. 1 1 Rom. 8. 9 Heb. 6. 18 Heb. 6. 13 Isa. 54. 1â— Heb. 6. 19 Rom. 8. 28 Mat. 7. 24 Mat. 26. 15 2 Tim. 2. 10 Heb. 6. 1 17 18 Iohn 17 9 Rom. 8 34 Heb. 7 25 Rom. 8. 16 Ioh. 10. 28 Heb. 6. 18 Ioh. 10. 11 Ioh. 13. â— Rom 8. 28 〈◊〉 5. 8 1 Ioh. 4. 19 Ioh. 21. 17 Gal. 2. 20 Psal. 116. 17 Rom. 4. 5 Phil. 2. 7 Gal. 3. 14 Mat. 26. 38 Mat. 27 Isai. 53. 9 Iohn 〈◊〉 27 Mat. 2â— 3 8 Luk 2â— 24 Mat. 27 Mat. 26. 45 Rom. 7. 4 Ioh. 16. 23 Rom. 5. 25 〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 5. 10 â—ant 5 16 Cor. 16 〈◊〉 24 Acts 2. â—4 Rev. 1. 18 â— Cor. 5. 1 Rev. 1. 1â— Heb. 1. 1â— 1 Cor. 13. 1â— 2 Kin. â— 1â— Rev. 22. 2â—
be filde Now what can others love do heere to soule in such a case But adde more grief and make the vaile more thick to hide Christs face Then others loves all get you gone or else take servants place Too hard conditions were to me for you to quite his face For one houres joy in him is more though mixt with drierie tears Then all earths honour pleasure wealth can yeeld in many yeares Now let me rest and ruse my love who first me lov'd and chusde And long cald for my wortalesse love and would not be refusd I le seek his love as he sought mine and learn of him to love Since he invites I cannot misse though whiles he shall me prove My love 's his Fathers eldest sonne his Father King of Kings His heritage is Heaven and earth and in them both all things His wisdome laid the worlds round and parted Sea and Land Earths body through as vines he drew the waters with his hand He made the Sun and Stars so swift yet not be seen to move Least men on earth had vexed been with motions from above His strength upholds this weightie globe and yet which is far more He bare our sins and heavie wrath deserv'd of us therefore For trueth Gods promises in him are all Yea and Amen For love his death for us a proofe sufficient hath been For justice he can do no wrong for mercy there is none Or shal in hell be who have sought for grace through him alone Most loftie and most lowly minde most good and most severe Most lovely and most terrible do all in him cohere The meekest lamb to all his friends a Lyon to his foes He gives his peace to all that comes wrath followes all that goes No foe can stand before his face no fugitive can flee No lurking hole can hide from him his eyes do all things see Almighty all where present though his body heaven containe Eternall God though he as man mans properties retaine No robry for his maiestie his fathers match to be The fathers god-head and the Spirits and his are one all three Therefore when I do love the Son I love the father too And so the Spirit who dwell in him to all I worship do Hee is the tree of Life to me and so to all his own No fierie sword debars us now all wee for friends are known In him my Sabbath is begun he teacheth me to cease From mine own works and leads me to his rest by steps of peace Flood branchd in foure to water all new plants of paradice Redeemde and holy making them and righteous and wise Though we have slaine him yet his blood speaks better things for us Then Abels crying curse but his cryes Lord be gracious Though wrath should overflow the land as with a new deludge Or fire consume the earth yet Christs safe Ark is for refuge For now no wrath unmixt with love shall of his own be felt Because God in his sacrifice the smell of rest hath smelt And as the bow in clowd is pawn of not returning flood So is that offring constant pledge of our eternall good True Isaack offered up to me not minted at but slain Most Isaack like in this escape though slain he rose again Sweet Ioseph by his brethren sold by our means made to serve He hath provided well our food least we through want should sterve From Egypts bonds and slavery base it s he that sets us free It s he that doth prepare our way through floods and raging sea The Prophet raisde like Moses true but fruitfuller then he He law and curse and types of good Christ grace and truth gives me My duty Moses shewes but strength none can he give to do But Christ by teaching gives me life and will and action to The priest that offred only once and pacify'd for ay And needs not Aaron-like repeat his sacrifice each day For Aarons offring oft did prove his offring unperfite But Christs because it perfect makes God still our sins to quite In him all leav's and types are fild in him they have an end No further use of them since God did Christ their substance send No priest by office now on earth no proper sacrifice No alter of materials no fixt place of service The tent where God dwels bodily the temple where the tryst Is set for meeting of our God as reconcil'd is Christ He arke with readie Angels eled he mercy seat of God Accesse and oracles of peace giving to us abroad By him the withered rod bears fruit with him is manna hid The Law in him lyes closde from speach except through mercies lid By him my prayers are perfum'd and smell as insence sweet By him my cup is furnished and table fill'd with meat The Priest the alter and the Lamb the laver washing all And what else any rite did signe he fils up great and small The judge which rids his people from all adversaries hand Our kindly King by whom we may possesse that promis'd land To all his iubjects affable above all earthly Kings His basest servants have his ear at all times in all things He is the Churches darest love and therefore must be mine Though I be base yet will his grace to be my love incline Oft hath he prov'd his love to me and will not now decline Oft hath his love much sweeter been to me then finest wine Oft hath the preaching of his word in straits and fears of death As sweetest kisses been to me convoyed with lively breath Oft hath his Apples hunger stayde my thirst his flaggons quench'd Oft hath his shadow me refresht as herbs by dew bedrench'd Oft in his love withdrawing Hee from bed hath made me rise And seek him long before I fand to make me after wise And when we met his wrath was gone he cald me spouse betroath'd And washing me by pardon said my fair love though self loath'd Now fairest love let my soul say who made me clean but thou Who made a childe of wrath like me stand reconciled now What makes me lovely but thy love that set the price on me Whose beauty makes me fair but thine what have I not from thee My exaltation is come to be a childe of God By thy descending to be man and some whiles heer abode Thy clean conception and birth proves thee to be the tree Where cut from Adams filthy stock â—impted clean must be Thy manger makes my bed more soft thy stable gives me innes Thy banishment home brings me where my countrey-people winnes Thy wisedome in thy child-hood hides my foolish youthly toyes Thy self devoting unto griefes is ground of all my joyes Thy emptying my fulnesse is thy meannesse me promots Thy hyding of thy royall state