where 's the quickening coelestial fire I know the Eye of Heav'n is on my Heart God looks my Soul should bear the chiefest part It 's winged Faith and flaming Love within That must the pleasant Melody begin The holy Spirit must tune and touch each string Else smoothest Verse will be a harsh dull thing Display thy Love shoot down thy vital Raies Teach this cold heart the works of Love Praise O then what Life and Joy these Psalms will bring When it 's thy Spirit and my Soul that sing And though low streins with stops are here my best Yet Perfect Love and Praise shall be my REST. 6. The Threefold Nativity Prima dies hominem peperit sanctumque secunda Natalis pariet Mors tertia glorificatum MY first Birth-day brought forth a Man in sin But one that could not work nor go nor speak My second did a Life of Grace begin But such alas as yet 's diseas'd and weak The third from fleshly bonds will me release And bring me to the world of glorious Light Where all my sins and vexing griefs shall cease And Faith shall end in perfect Love and Sight This Death begins but 't is the Resurrection That fully shall obliterate sins story And state both Soul and Body in perfection Where Grace and Nature shall be crown'd with Glory As Nature taught me first complaining cryes Before it did acquaint me with Delight So Grace with grief first fill'd my Heart and Eyes Before it shewed me the joyful sight Why should not Death then be a straiter Door Than either that of Nature or of Grace Which brings us unto the Eternal Store Of Joy and Glory in God's shining face 7. Self-Denial A Dialogue between the Flesh the Spirit Flesh WHat become Nothing ne're perswade me to it God made me Something and I 'le not undo it Spirit Thy Something is not thine but his that gave it Resign it to him if thou mean to save it Flesh God gave me Life and shall I choose to die Before my time or pine in miserie Spirit God is thy Life If then thou fearest death Let him be all thy soul thy pulse and breath Flesh What! must I hate my self when as my brot her Must love me and I may not hate another Spirit Loath what is loathsom Love God in the rest He truly love's himself that love 's God best Flesh Doth God our ease and pleasure to us grudge Or doth Religion make a man a drudge Spirit That is thy Poyson which thou callest Pleasure And that thy drudgery which thou count'st thy treasure Flesh Who can endure to be thus mewed up And under Laws for every bit and cup Spirit God's Cage is better than the Wilderness When Winter comes Liberty brings distress Flesh Pleasure 's mans Happiness The Will 's not free To choose our misery This cannot be Spirit God is mans End with him are highest joyes Sensual pleasures are but dreams and toyes Should sin seem sweet Is Satan turn'd thy friend Will not thy sweet prove bitter in the end Hast thou found sweeter pleasures than Gods Love Is a fools laughter like the Joyes above Beauty surpasseth all deceitful paints What 's empty mirth to the delights of Saints God would not have thee have less joy but more And therefore shew's thee the eternal store Flesh Who can love baseness poverty and want And under pining sickness be content Spirit He that hath laid his treasure up above And plac't his portion only in Gods love That waits for Glory when his life is done This man will be content with God alone Flesh What good will sorrow do us Is not mirth Fitter to warm a cold heart here on earth Troubles will come whether we will or no I 'le never banish pleasure and choose we Spirit Then choose not sin touch not forbidden things Taste not the sweet that endless sorrow brings If thou love pleasure take in God thy fill Look not for lasting joyes in doing ill Flesh Affliction 's bitter life will soon be done Pleasure shall be my part ere all be gone Spirit Prosperity is barren all men say The soil is best where there 's the deepest way Life is for work and not to spend in play Now sow thy seed labour while it is day The Huntsman seeks his game in barren plains Dirty land answers best the Plowmans pains Passengers care not so the way be fair Husbandmen would have the best ground and air First think what 's safe and fruitful There 's no pleasure Like the beholding of thy chiefest Treasure Flesh Nature made me a Man and gave me sense Changing of Nature is a vain pretence It taught me to love women honour ease And every thing that doth my senses please Spirit Nature hath made thee Rational and Reason Must rule the sense in ends degrees and season Reason's the Rider Sense is but the Horse Which then is fittest to direct thy course Give up the reins and thou becom'st a beast Thy fall at death will sadly end thy feast Flesh Religion is a dull and heavy thing Whereas a merry Cup will make me sing Love's entertainments warm both heart and brain And wind my fancy to the highest strain Spirit Cupid hath stuck a Feather in thy Cap And lull'd thee dead asleep on Venu's lap Thy brains are tipled with some wantons eyes Thy Reason is become Lust's sacrifice Playing a game at Folly thou hast lost Thy wit and soul and winnest to thy cost Thy Soul now in a filthy channel lies While fancy seems to soar above the Skies Beauty will soon be stinking loathsom Earth Sickness and Death marr all the wanton 's mirth It is not all the pleasure thou canst find Will countervail the sting that 's left behind Blind brutish Souls that cannot love their God! And yet can dote on a defiled clod Why should I think of what will be to morrow An ounce of mirth is worth a pound of sorrow Spirit But where 's that mirth when sorrows overtake thee Will it then hold when Life and God forsake thee Forgetting Death or Hell will not prevent it Now lose thy day thou 'lt then too late repent it Flesh Must I be pain'd and wronged and not feel As if my heart were made of flint or steel Spirit Dost thou delight to feel thy hurt and smart Would not an Antidote preserve thy heart Impatience is but self-tormenting folly Patience is cordial easie sweet and holy Is not that better which turns grief to peace Than that which doth thy misery encrease Flesh When sport and wine and beauty do invite Who is it whom such baits will not incite Spirit He that perceives the hook and sees the end Whither it is that fleshly Pleasures tend He that by faith hath seen both Heav'n and Hell And what sin costeth at the last can tell He that hath try'd and tasted better things And felt that love from which all pleasure springs They that still watch and for Christs coming wait
thy self is infinitely better Than if Love made a world of worlds its debter Thy own Perfections by Attraction move As the chief formal Object of Man's Love Though our own Good we may and must intend Thy simple Goodness is Man's chiefest End They that deny this never knew Love's force Which to meer Excellence hath its recourse Or never well considered Love's End Which unto Good for Goodness sake doth tend To be Man's End is but to be most Lov'd And Good 's the Loadstone by which Love is mov'd What though to Thee the creature nothing add That proves Thee perfect neither weak nor bad And therefore fit to be the Final Cause Which all hearts by attractive Goodness draws Love is the Final and Enjoying act Closing with Thee by thy Magnetick tract Not as it mourneth for the Good we want Nor as it after distant Good doth pant 〈…〉 as it reacheth its desires And more as it with Pleasure Thee admires This Love besides its Object hath no End It doth not to some Higher Virtue tend But from a seed grows up to higher stature Of Divine Complacence which is its nature All other Grace is but the means to it They draw the bow but Love the mark doth hit But sinners lost in SELF rise not above The lower Region of their own SELF-LOVE Experience assures me that I can Love a most learned wise and holy man Unseen my very heart is to him knit Without respect to any benefit Reason convinceth me that I should erre If the known BEST my Love should not prefer Should I not rather chuse my self alone To be annihilated or undone Than the whole world should bear the same distress Or Towns or Countries seeing I am less Or the Creator should take down the Sun Destroy the Earth or Rivers cease to run Reason taught Heathens that their Country's good Was worth the shedding of their vital blood A faithful Subject thinks his Life a thing Meet to be cast away to save his King True Souldiers would chuse death if so they may But save their Captains lives or win the day Many have chose to dye through love of friends Preferring them above all selfish Ends. It is not Reason but blind selfish Passion If One refuse to dye to save a Nation A silly useless Wretch should not refuse His Death before a useful mans to chuse My Neighbour as my self I must respect And for my Brethren must my Life reject 1 Joh. 3. 16. O doleful proof of Man's unhappy fall That loves not GOD above Himself and All And if I love him most He is my End Man's Love above the Lover must ascend But O how wisely hast thou made the twist To Love Thee and My Self do well consist Love is the closure of Connaturals The Soul's return to its Originals As every Brook is towards the Ocean bent And all things to their proper Element And as the inclination of the Sight How small soever is unto the Light As the toucht Needle pointeth towards the Pole Thus unto Thee inclines the Holy Soul It trembleth and is restless till it come Unto thy Bosom where it is at home Yet no such Union dare the Soul desire As Parts have with the Whole and sparks to fire But as dependant low subordinate Such as thy Will of nothing did create As tendeth to the Sun the smallest Eye Of silly vermine or the poorest Flie. My own Salvation when I make my End Full Mutual Love is all that I intend And in this closure though I happy be It 's by Intending and Admiring Thee O happy Grace which feeds above the Skies And causest Man above Himself to rise And saves what it denys when worldlings lose What they despis'd and what they lov'd and chose The more I do my self in Love neglect And only to thy Goodness have respect When most my self I from my self abstract This is the sweetest and self-pleasing act Even when I seem to leave my self behind Coming to Thee with Thee my self I find When I am least the Object of my Love And unto Thee do most entirely move My Soul the willing Agent drawn by Grace Will Rest in Love and Vision of thy Face But in this wilderness and vale of Tears How is Love dampt by ignorance and fears For no Man's Love his knowledge can exceed And guilty Terrours disaffection breed Mortals can know thee but as in a glass True formal Knowledge doth man's mind surpass No Thoughts or Names are adequate to Thee They are but Metaphors from what we see Which first thy Works and Image signifie And thence to Thee mens rising Minds apply As far as Faith comes short of perfect Sight And this dark Prison of the Glorious Light So far this distant mediate Love 's below The heavenly Love which mortals cannot know What will it be to love Thee face to face When thou appear'st so lovely in this Glass Thy Goodness is not to that world confin'd To worthless sinful mortals thou art kind Thy mercies to the smallest are not small To some more wonderful but great to all Thy matchless Power doth it self express Upon the smallest Worm or pile of Grass The Methods of thy Wisdom are profound All must admire the depths which none can sound When Man from Holy Love turn'd to a Lye Thy Image lost became thine Enemy O what a Seal did Love and Wisdom find To reimprint thine Image on Man's Mind Thou sentst the Signet from thine own right hand Made man for them that had themselves unman'd Th' Eternal Son who in thy bosom dwelt Essential burning Love mens hearts to melt Thy lively Image he that knew thy mind Fit to illuminate and heal the blind With Love's great Office thou didst him adorn Redeemer of the helpless and forlorn On Love's chief work and message he was sent Our Flesh he took our pain he underwent Thy pardoning saving Love to Man did preach The Reconciler stood up in the breach The uncreated Image of thy Love By his Assumption and the Holy Dove On his Own Flesh thy Image first imprest And by that stamp renews it on the rest Love was his Nature Doctrine Life and Breath Love flamed in his Sufferings and Death Thus Love thine Image Love on Man doth print This Coin thy Son thy Word and Spirit mint He that will have it True must have it here Though Love prepare its way by Grief and Fear Yea oft by these expresseth its Desire They are sincere when kindled by its fire These are LOVE's Methods passing tongue pen Wonders and Joys to Angels and to Men. The Second Part. LOVE which can make its Object did produce This Worm in season for his proper use In the Earth's Garden the most happy Land Where Christians dwel Christian Kings command Where plenteous streams of living waters flow Where the first-fruits of Paradise do grow Whence Proud Dark Bloody Popery was driven To whom the opened Book of God was given Where sacred guides and books
Can turn away from or despise the bait Flesh Must I be made the foot-ball of disdain And call'd a precise fool or Puritane Spirit Remember him that did despise the shame And for thy sake bore undeserved blame Thy journey 's of small moment if thou stay Because dogs bark or stones lie in the way If life lay on it wouldst thou turn again For the winds blowing or a little rain Is this thy greatest love to thy dear Lord That canst not for his sake bear a foul word Wilt thou not bear for him a scorners breath That underwent for thee a cursed death Is not Heav'n worth the bearing of a flout Then blame not Justice when it shuts thee out Will these deriders stand to what they say And own their words at the great dreadful day Then they 'd be glad when wrath shall overtake them To eat their words and say they never spake them Flesh How Forsake all Ne're mention it more to me I 'le be of no Religion to undo me Spirit Is it not thine more in thy Fathers hand Then when it is laid out at sins command And is that sav'd that 's spent upon thy lust Or which must be a prey to thieves or rust And wouldst thou have thy riches in thy way Where thou art passing on and canst not stay And is that lost that 's sent to Heav'n before Hadst thou not rather have thy friends and store Where thou maist dwell for ever in the light Of that long glorious day that fears no night Flesh But who can willingly submit to Death Which will bereave us of our life and breath That laies our flesh to rot in loathsom graves Where brains and eyes were leaves but ugly caves Spirit So nature breaks and casts away the shell Where the now beauteous singing bird did dwell The secundine that once the infant cloath'd After the birth is cast away and loath'd Thus Roses drop there sweet leaves under-foot But the Spring shew's that life was in the root Souls are the Roots of Bodies Christ the Head Is Root of both and will revive the dead Our Sun still shineth when with us it's night When he return's we shall shine in his light Souls that behold and praise God with the Just Mourn not because their bodies are but dust Graves are but beds where flesh till morning sleep's Or Chests where God a while our garments keeps Our folly thinks he spoils them in the keeping Which causeth our excessive fears and weeping But God that doth our rising day foresee Pitties not rotting flesh so much as we The birth of Nature was deform'd by sin The birth of Grace did our repair begin The birth of Glory at the Resurrection Finisheth all and brings both to perfection Why should not fruit when it is mellow fall Why would we linger here when God doth call Flesh The things and persons in this world I see But after death I know not what will be Spirit Know'st thou not that which God himself hath spoken Thou hast his promise which was never broken Reason proclaims that noble heav'n-born Souls Are made for higher things than Worms Moles God hath not made such faculties in vain Nor made his Service a deluding pain But Faith resolves all doubts and hears the Lord Telling us plainly by his holy Word That uncloath'd Souls shall with their Savior dwell Triumphing over Sin and Death and Hell And by the Power of Almighty Love Stars shall arise from graves to shine above There we shall see the glorious face of God His blessed presence shall be our abode The face that banisheth all doubts and fears Shuts out all sins and dryeth up all tears That face which darkeneth the Sun's bright rayes Shall shine us into everlasting joyes Where Saints and Angels shall make up one Chore To praise the Great Jehovah evermore Flesh Reason not with me against sight and sense I doubt all this is but a â—ain pretence Words against Nature are not worth a rush One Bird in hand is worth two in the bush If God will give me Heav'n at last I 'le take it But for my Pleasure here I 'le not forsake it Spirit And wilt thou keep it brutish flesh how long Wilt thou not shortly sing another Song When Conscience is awakened keep thy mirth When sickness death comes hold fast this earth Live if thou canst when God saith Come away Try whether all thy friends can cause thy stay Wilt thou tell Death and God thou wilt not die And wilt thou the consuming fire defie Art thou not sure to let go what thou hast And doth not Reason bid thee then forecast And value the least hope of endless Joyes Before known vanities and dying toyes And can the Lord that is most just and wise Found all man's duty in deceit and lies Get thee behind me Satan thou dost savour The things of Flesh and not his dearest favour Who is my Life and Light and Love and All And so shall be whatever shall befall It is not thou but I that must discern And must Resolve It 's I that hold the stern Be silent Flesh speak not against my God Or else hee 'l teach thee better by the rod. I am resolved thou shalt live and die A servant or a conquered enemy Lord charge not on me what this rebell sayes That alwaies was against me and thy wayes Now stop its mouth by Grace that shortly must Through just but gainful death be stopt with dust The thoughts and words of Flesh are none of mine Let Flesh say what it will I will be thine Whatever this rebellious Flesh shall prate Let me but serve thee Lord at any rate Use me on earth as seemeth good to thee So I in Heav'n thy Glorious face may see Take down my Pride let me dwell at thy feet The humble are for earth and heav'n most meet Renouncing Flesh I Vow my self to thee With all the Talents thou hast lent to me Let me not stick at honour wealth or blood Let all my dayes be spent in doing good Let me not trifle out more precious hours But serve thee now with all my strength and powers If Flesh should tempt me to deny my hand Lord these are the Resolves to which I stand Octob. 29. 1659. Richard Baxter 8. The Prayer of the Sick in a Case like Hezekiahs To the Tune of the 51 Psalm The First Part. 1. ETernal God whose name is Love Whose mercy is my hope and stay O hear and help me from above That in distress to thee do pray Ashamed to lift up my face Hence from the dust to thee I cry Though I have sinn'd against thy Grace Yet unto it alone I fly 2. I was at first in sin conceiv'd Then liv'd a vain and sinful life Rebellious flesh which I receiv'd Is still against thy Grace in strife Long it was Lord alas too long Before I knew my self or thee Vanity rul'd my heart and tongue And O that yet my Soul
deep remorse tells me What I have done What have I done It 's graven all in Stone This heart of flint feels now What I have done What have I done my pained flesh and bone Cry out with anguish O what have I done What have I done I see I feel I groan The sad effects proclaim What I have done What have I done My friends distress and moan Cry to me night and day This thou hast done Melt sinful heart and spare not welcome grief Away delights I 'le none of your relief Shew me the Wilderness the secret Cell Where grief and I may still together dwell Where Hills and Woods may eccho all my groans And hearers may not interrupt my moans Where mortal Eyes may see no more the face Which folly hath confounded with disgrace Where I may Die alive and Live in Death And spend in Lamentation all my breath Seeing deceitful heart-tormenting sin So cunningly is crept and woven in Break it in pieces turn this Heart to dust Melt out the dross purge out the filth and rust Spare not the Lance Or if that will do good Drench it in tears Stop not this brinish flood Jesus Peace troubled Soul I 'le wash it in my blood Woman why weepest thou was the first word After his Rising spoken by our Lord To which his Angels Preface did accord John 20. 13. 15. The Relief Jesus PEace troubled Soul It 's not thy brinish flood Nor troubling Passions that must do thee good Come freely drank and bathe thee in this Blood Sinner What I so vile a wretch it cannot be Alas I fear it was not shed for me Jesus Yea even for thee So far 't was shed for all That they may come and welcome at my Call Sinner Alas Lord I have trampled on thy Blood And thy Reproofs and Calls of Grace withstood Jesus And yet I call thee Take my Mercy yet I 'le answer for thee I have paid thy debt Sinner What mine that have provoked thee so long And done thy Blood and Spirit so much wrong Jesus I dy'd for Enemies It is my Glory To wash foul hearts and blot out all their story Sinner What! one so long so terrible so sad Love one so hateful pardon one so bad Jesus Hast thou such sins as I cannot forgive Or any wants which I cannot relieve Sinner I know thy Blood can wash away my guilt I doubt not thou canst heal me if thou wilt Jesus How hath my Will deserved thy suspicion When I have made Acceptance the condition Consent and all is thine My Gift is free The purchase is not to be made by thee Sinner â— know what thou wilt do shall sure be done â—ut some God hates I fear that I am one Jesus And must the Love declar'd at such a rate So vail'd by the suspicion of Hate For this I came to Men from God above To manifest his great abundant Love Mark what my Doctrine Life and Death intend This is their principal design and end God's Power and Skill But chiefly his Great Mercy and Good Will Sinner Yet he will save none but his own Elect Not those that his Salvation neglect Jesus My Promise and thy Duty thou may'st see But canst not search the depth of God's Decree Mercy intreats thee here it 's brought unto thee Take it and God's Decree shall not undo thee All are Elect that do not to the last Refuse me and my Grace behind them cast Sinner This I have done and fear I shall do still Till I the measure of my sins fulfil Though God be Love it self I shall have none I fear my Day of Grace is past and gone Methinks I feel Grace doth my Soul forsake Thy Holy Spirit thou dost from me take Jesus Here thou art yet alive my Grace attends thee And from the jaws of Death and Hell defends thee Satan would fain at once thy Soul devour What dangers dost thou walk in every hour Yet thou art safe and hear'st the Preacher's voice Come close with Mercy and Heav'n will rejoyce Dost thou not feel my Spirit still contend And tell thee what it is that thou must mend If yet thou 'lt be but willing to be mine I and my Benefits will sure be thine I seek I knock thou find'st I have not done Yet dost thou say thy Day of Grace is gone Sinner O but I have a Heart as hard as Steel I see my misery but cannot feel Jesus Fully to feel what thou deserv'st is Hell What measure 's best it 's I that best can tell Sinner I can scarce weep a tear for sin This Heart Was never melted yet by all thine Art Sure it 's a sign my Day of Grace is gone When this unhumbled Heart remains a Stone Jesus Consent but to my Covenant and be sure The remnant of thy Hardness I will cure I 'le put a tender heart into thy breast Believe in me and I 'le forgive the rest It is no Mortal Hardness if thou chuse My Covenant and dost not me refuse Should'st thou but fully feel thy sin thou 'dst die None could sustain so great a load but I. I felt it for thee Leave it to my care To wound or heal to break afflict or spare Sinner My sin my wants my misery is such That I can never feel and grieve too much Jesus Such breaking 's good as breaks the heart of sin And maketh way for Love to enter in But not the grief that only breaketh ease Weakning the Soul and strengthning the Disease Hinder not Love and Joy but grieve in measure My Blood and not thy Tears must be thy Treasure Sinner Indeed my purest streams are too impure And cannot thy severity endure The grief of an impatient selfish spirit Cannot thy Pardon or Acceptance merit But if this hardened Heart do not relent And so great sin and misery lament How canst thou smile on such a brazen face As never felt the want and worth of grace Jesus Whence 〈◊〉 I this complaining language hear If neither want nor worth of grace appear I 'le save thee if but so far thou Repent As to my Gospel-Covenant to consent Wilt thou be healed Truly say I will And trust the cure on thy Physicians skill Sinner O there 's my sin and woe though Grace be free I cannot take thy Grace or come to thee My heart is hardened I cannot repent My Will 's enthrall'd I cannot consent This will condemn me at the dreadful day I may have Life but will not when I may Jesus Art thou not willing why then dost thou crave it Dost thou complain for grace wouldst not have it If thou hadst rather be ungodly still It seems thou speak'st all this against thy will Sinner Would not the worst of men be sav'd from Hell And in delight and endless pleasure dwell But to be Holy I have no desire But as a means to keep me from Hell fire When I seem to do good or ill forbear It is not out of
out go them both Sir Fulk Grevil Lord Brook a man of great note in his Age hath a Poem lately Printed for Subjects Liberty which I greatly wonder this Age would bear There are no Books that have been Printed these twenty Years that I more wonder at that ever they were endured than Richard Hookers eight Books of Ecclesiastick Policy dedicated by Bishop Gauden to our present King and vindicated by him and these Poems of Sir Fulk Grevill Lord Brook Davie's Nosce Teipsum is an Excellent Poem in opening the nature Faculties and certain Immortality of Man's Soul But I must confess after all that next the Scripture Poems there are none so savoury to me as Mr. Herbert's and Mr. George Sandys's I know that Cooly and others far excel Herbert in Wit and accurate composure But as Sencca takes with me above all his Contemporaries because he speaketh Things by words feeling and seriously like a man that is paâ—â— jest so Herbert speaks to God like on that really believeth a God and whose business in the world is most with God Heart-work and Heaven-work make up his Books And Du Bartas is seriously Divine And Sandy's Omne tulit punctum dum miscuit utile dulci. His Scripture Poems are an elegant and excellent Paraphrase But especially his Job whom he hath restored to the original glory O that he had turned the Psalms into Metre fitted to the usual Tunes It did me good when Mrs. Wyat invited me to see Boxley Abby in Kent to see upon the old Stone Wall in the Garden a Summer-house with this inscription in great golden Letters that In that place Mr. G. Sandys after his Travels over the World retired himself for his Poetry and Contemplations And none are fitter to retire to God then such as a retired with seeing all the vanities on Earth Sure there is somewhat of Heaven â—â— Holy Poetry It charmeth Souls into â—oving Harmony and Concord We â—â—we two Brothers in this City of â—hom one hath written a Book called â— friendly debate to make those seem â—ious or contemptible who were aâ—â—inst his way It had too much sucâ—â—ss and so far destroyed Love and â—oncord as will not easily be recoveâ—â—d in this age His Brother Mr. Paâ—ike of the Charter-house hath with â—â—ous skill and seriousness turned into â—new Metre many of David's Psalms â—â—d the advantage for holy affections â—â—d harmony hath so far reconciled â—â—e Non-Conformists that divers of â—â—em use his Psalms in their Congreâ—â—tions though they have the old â—â—es Rouses Bishop Kings Mr. Whites â—â—e New Englands Davisons the Scotsâ—â— â—â— agreed on by two Nations in â—â—mpetition with it But I digress too â—â—r All that I have to say for these Fragments is 1. That being fitted to Women and vulgar wits which are the far greatest number they may be useful to such though contemptible to those of higher elevation expectation 2 And being suited to afflicted sick dying troubled sad and doubting persons the number of such is so great in these calamitous times as may render them useful to more than I desire 3. And if my present grief may but excuse the Publication he that needeth them not may let them alone Some of them need an Exposition which I must not give the world I have added two or three Printed heretofore that they may be altogether The Lord by his merciful providence and his Grace tune up our dull and drooping Souls to such joyful praises as may prepare us for his everlasting praise in Heaven Amen London At the Door of Eternity Aug. 7. 1681. Rich. Baxter LOVE Breathing THANKS and PRAISE The First Part. ETernal God this Worm lifts up the head And looks to Thee by Thee encouraged Cheer'd by thy Bounty it would speak thy praise Whose wondrous Love hath measur'd all my daies If thou vouchsafe to make a Worm rejoyce Give him a thankful praising heart and voice Thy shining Glory blessed Angels see Angels must sing thy Highest praise not we But if thy warming beams cause Worms to speak Their baser part will not the Consort break When Time was yet no measure when the Sun It s rapid motion had not yet begun When Heav'n Earth Sea were yet unfram'd Angels and Men and all things else unnam'd When there did nothing else exist but Thee Thou wast the same and still the same wilt be When there was none to know or praise thy Name Thou wast in perfect Blessedness the same The Father Word and Spirit One in Three Trinity doth with Unity agree Th' Eternal Life that quickens all that lives The soul of souls the Light which all Light gives Immense and boundless present every where Beyond all place and creatures thou art there Uncomprehended comprehending all Foreknowing whatsoever shall befall Uncaus'd thou causest all that hath a Being Unknown thou know'st unseen thou art all-seeing Though necessary yet without constraint Unmov'd yet moving all dost never faint All things depend on Thee and Thou on none And changing all things art unchang'd alone One in th' innumerable multitude Perfectly ordering things which seem most rude Infinite Power one accent of whose breath Can sentence Heav'n and Earth to life or death Yea by one act of efficacious Will Canst make and unmake worlds give life and kill Reason transcending all created Reason Not only knowing all things in their season But with a Knowledge perfect infinite Knowing Thy self in Thine Eternal Light A knowledge which doth utterly excel The Knowledge of the Earth the Heav'ns Hell To know ten thousand worlds were but to know The finite streams which from thy Will do flow Existents Futures all Contingencies Conceal'd from man are naked to thine eyes Of every thing thou know'st the Form and Cause As giving all their Nature and their Laws Nature's whole frame is but one piece to thee The Place and Use of all things thou dost see The Globes of Heav'n and Earth are in thy span Thou seest not things by parcels like poor Man Our narrow minds see here and there a letter Not rightly plac'd and therefore read no better We make the Events of this day our sorrow Because we know not what will be to morrow Things present past and future old and new Thou see'st entirely with one single view Thou seest all at home that 's understood Loving thy self thou lovest all that 's Good Goodness it self and perfect Excellence Transcending humane Reason Will and Sense Good in thy self and to thy self alone Before thou wast to any creature known Blest in thy own Eternal pleasing sight Thy own Eternal Love Thy own Delight Those that can find in Thee no greater Good Than that thou giv'st them life and health food And bountifully from thy ample Treasure Blessest thy creatures with desired pleasure Set up themselves and do the worst they can To make themselves the Gods and Thee the Man They that can love thee but for loving them Make thee the casket and themselves the gem To love
Or playing on a Bag-pipe or a Fiddle But hath not learned how to Live and Die Nor where his Soul must dwell eternally God and all wise men judge him but a fool Who is not wise enough to save his Soul When Heav'n's made sure all Knowledge then is good For Faith and Love can turn it into food It 's pleasant then to study any Book When we see GOD the sense where ere we look When as the way to Heav'n we know each place And see God's beauty in each creature's face And when we stick not in the form and letter But all our Knowledge tends to make us better When still the more we Know the more we Love And draw more with us to the Joys above Fine Fancies are not like clear minds nor those Like Love by which the Soul with God doth close Wisdom it self will make the Mind most wise He that ascends to God doth Highest rise Sure Pisgah was Parnassus or the Mount Where three Apostles did three Glories count Christ's living streams are the true Helicon None make true Poets but Heav'ns springs alone What poor low toyish work make frothy wits Like Bacchus Scholars in their Pot-wise fits Like Childrens Poppets drest with Lace and Pin Like handsom Pictures something wants within A painted Feast carv'd with a painted Knife A Living Soul can feel it wanteth Life Without a Holy Subject End and Spirit True Wisdom's sacred Titles none can merit O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love These are the drops what are the streams above Immortal thanks my Soul doth owe my God For his well-order'd needful healing Rod The Book and Rod do well befit thy School Correction is the portion of the Fool The Rod it self will make the Sluggard rise The Rod and Book make foolish Children wise I felt or fear'd no evil at the first But my Soul's misery which is the worst Whilst for a Soul-remedy I did look Thy angry storm my Body overtook Languishing weakness shortens strength breath Consumes my flesh and threatens speedy death And what I felt reviv'd the fears of more For now my Judgment seemed at the door I knew not but it might be a foretast Of greater woe which I might feel at last My new awaken'd Soul amazed was To think that unto Judgment it must pass And see the unseen World and stand before The dreadful God whom Heav'n Earth adore I was unready to behold thy face Having no more assurance of thy Grace Having but lately too familiar been With my seducing flesh and hateful sin My Thoughts of Thee were terrible and strange And of so great and an untimely change The threatned Ruine I did thus condole O must my scarce-born unprepared Soul Before my dreadful Judge so soon appear And the decisive final Sentence hear And all my Reckonings so soon bring in And give account to God for every sin Before I do my Soul's condition know Or any scaled Pardon have to shew What if I prove an unconverted Wretch And Justice should my Soul to torments fetch How know I but the endless flames of Hell May be the place where next my Soul shall dwell Mercy would save me but I did reject it Christ's Blood would cleanse it but I did neglect it And though I am not hopeless who can bear To die uncertain under so great fear I O that my Tunes had all been better spent And that my caâ—â—y Thoughts had all been bent In preparation for the Life to come That now I might have gone as to my home And taken up my dwelling with the blest And past to everlasting Joy and Rest O that the pleasures of my sports and toyes Had all been turn'd to man-like holy Joyes And those Delights which Vanities engrost And spent on fleshly Lusts were worse than lost Had all been sweet Rejoycings in the Lord And in his holy Service and his Word O that I could my wasted Time call back Which now my Soul for greater works doth lack What would I give now for those precious daies Which once run out in pleasures and delaies O had I liv'd a strict and holy Life Though under hatred and malicious strife Though Men's and Devil's fury I had born And been the world's reproach contempt scorn Then welcome Death would but have quencht my thirst And bid the envious world now do their worst Their malice would but to my Joyes accrew And well-spent Time be sweet to my review O happy men whose portion is above Whose hearts to God and to his Service clove Who made him and his Word their chief delight And walkt in uprightness as in his sight Approv'd their Hearts and Waies to him alone As ready to appear before his Throne Now I had rather far be one of them Than one of worldly Wealth or Princely Stem O now my undrest Soul is passing forth I see both what the World and Christ are worth Thus did the face of Death my Soul awake The bonds of dead stupidity it brake Strict holy Truth I easily confest I saw that Godliness is not a jest My late besotted mind is now past doubt That Folly's careless Wisdom is devout I saw more clearly than I did before What lies on an ungodly Sinners score For what man's pow'rs were made what is their use To what all means and mercies do conduce What is man's business while he 's here below How much his creatures to their Maker owe Whether the Saint or Brute be in the right Whether it 's best to live by Faith or Sight What is true Wit what Learning 's most sublime How I and all should value precious Time I saw it 's not a thing indifferent Whether my Soul to Heav'n or Hell be sent Death also further taught me how to pray And made me cry unto thee every day It set me on the trying of my state Lest I should prove deceiv'd when 't was too late Often and carefully I searcht my heart Whether in Christ by Faith I had a part It shew'd me so much work to do at home That alien needless matters found small room It curb'd my Pride and buryed my Ambition Made me not only bear a low condition But chuse it and all things to estimate As God my Soul and Heav'n should set the rate For now as clearly as I saw the Sun I saw in lines which they may read that run That Endless things are All when we compare And transitory trifles Nothing are That Worldlings in their sleep do talk and go And all their lives are but a dreaming shew Only the true Believer lives awake And doth not spend his daies in meer mistake That all who are not Saints are worse than Brutes These O my Father were thy Rod's first-fruits O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Thus we rebound up to the Joyes above Long thus before my God I lay prostrate Begging for healing mercy at his gate And for some longer time to know his Truth And
not unripe to wither in my Youth I begg'd that hasty Death he would delay And would not snatch me unprepar'd away I promised his mercies to rehearse If he the dreadful Sentence would reverse Could I have hop'd for Hezekiah's years I should no more than he have spared tears Yet hath thy Mercy granted me since then More than thrice five yea more than four times ten My moan thou pity'dst and my cryes didst hear Delaying Death not taking off my fear The threatning malady thou didst abate And into many others didst translate Which gave me hope of some preparing space But none that Earth would prove a Resting place Appointing me to serve in gentle Chains In wholsom sickness and in healing pains So great as might my head-strong thoughts restrain From running after things terrene and vain Yet were they not so great as to make less My Service or my sober chearfulness O what a happy mixture didst thou make How meet a course did thy wise Mercy take This was the pregnant blessing kept for store Which multiply'd into a thousand more Which hath run parallel with all my daies For which I owe thee everlasting praise Too great for Volumes too high for a Verse And therefore endless Life must them rehearse 1. A Life still near to Death did me possess With a deep sense of Time's great preciousness To lose an hour I thought a greater loss Than much of sordid worldlings golden dross I thought them mad that cast their time away Being uncertain of another day That idly prate and play and feast and drink So near Eternity's most dreadful brink With filthy guilty Souls unjustifi'd Undone for evermore if thus they dy'd O! thought I where is these men's brains and sense Who care no more whither they go from hence Pastime I thought worse than a Bediam word The Name and Thing my very Soul abhorr'd 2. This methodiz'd my Studies to my gain Sham'd the contending jingling formal vein The greatest matters it did first impose Necessity my Book and Lesson chose I study'd first to save my self and others What edifi'd my own Soul and my Brothers Thence to the Branches I in order clime First Few and Great next Many Small Sublime I nere preferr'd to Talk before to Eat Words before Things the Dish before the Meat And yet I love and value all the rest My curious mind would fain have known the least But knowing Life's too short to reach to all I left till last the needless things and small 3. The frequent sight of Death's most awful face Rebuk'd my sloth and bid me mend my pace Thou knew'st my dulness needed such a spur So prone was I to trifle and demur Who dare his Soul for gain or pleasure sell That lives as in the sight of Heav'n and Hell 4. This call'd me out to work while it was day And warn poor Souls to Turn without delay Resolving speedily thy Word to Preach With Ambrose I at once did Learn and Teach Still thinking I had little time to live My fervent heart to win mens Souls did strive I Preach'd as never sure to Preach again And as a dying man to dying men O how should Preachers Men's Repenting crave Who see how near the Church is to the Grave And see that while we Preach and Hear we Die Rapt by swift Time to vast Eternity What Statues or what Hypocrites are they Who between sleep and wake do Preach Pray As if they feared wakening the Dead Or were but lighting sinners to their Bed Who speak of Heav'n and Hell as on a Stage And make the Pulpit but a Parrot's Cage Who teach as men that care not much who learns And Preach in jest to men that sin in earns Surely God's Messenger if any man Should speak with all the seriousness he can Who treateth in the Name of the Most High About the Matters of Eternity Who must prevail with sinners Now or Never As those that must be saved Now if Ever When sinners endless Joy or Misery On the success of his endeavours lie Though God be free he works by Instruments And wisely fitteth them to his intents A proud unhumbled Preacher is unmeet To lay proud sinners humbled at Christ's feet So are the Blind to tell men what God saith And faithless men to propagate the Faith The Dead are unfit means to raise the Dead And Enemies to give the Children Bread And utter strangers to the Life to come Are not the best Conductors to our home They that yet never learn'd to Live and Die Will scarcely teach it others feelingly Or if they should Preach others to Salvation Unhappy men that Preach their own Damnation How oft did I come down with shame and grief Not that I was so homely or so brief But that my own Soul was no more awake And felt no more the things of which I spake That God was nam'd with no more Reverence Nor sinners pitty'd with a deeper sense That closer warnings did not pierce men's Ears Set home by greater fervency and tears And that my speeches were so cold and sleight About things of unutterable weight And that I spake with no more seriousness When Heav'n or Hell attended the success As one that sees by Faith the Joyes and Woes To which the godly and the wicked goes O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love How should we prize and seek the Joyes above Thy Methods crost my waies my young desire To Academick Glory did aspire Fain I 'd have sate in such a Nurses Lap Where I might long have had a sluggard's nap Or have been dandled on her Reverend Knees And known by honour'd Titles and Degrees And there have spent the flower of my daies In soaring in the Air of humane praise Yea and I thought it needful to thy Ends To make the prejudiced world my friends That so my praise might go before thy grace Preparing men the Message to embrace Also my work and Office to adorn And to avoid prophane contempt and scorn But these were not thy thoughts thou didst foresee That such a course would not be best for me Thou mad'st me know that mens contempt scorn Is such a Cross as must be daily born Thy Mercy would not have me splendid dross A Minister of Pomp but of the Cross That Cross which Hypocrites may Preach Hear But all that follow Christ must also bear No Honour must I have to bring to thee But what thou first communicat'st to me In founding of thy Church thou didst declare How well all worldly Honours thou couldst spare Both in the Chief most blessed Corner Stone And in the most of those that built thereon And what great swelling Names have done since then Church-Rents and Ruines write without a Pen High Titles as the first inchanting Cup Cast down the Church by lifting of it up Titles reflect on Minds These must be low By humble Love all must thy Servants know Yet I deny not but a perfect mind May
Prison I must dwell May I not there converse with thee Save me from sin thy wrath and Hell Call me thy Child and I am free No walls or bars can keep thee out None can confine a holy Soul The Streets of Heav'n it walks about None can its Liberty controul Alas my darkened mind is chain'd To Earth and Flesh through unbelief It looks and longs by distance pain'd When wilt thou hear and send relief O loose these Chains of Sin and Flesh Enlarge my heart in thy Commands Could I but love thee as I wish How light would be all other bands 7. Must I feel Sicknesses and smart And spend my daies and nights in pain Yet if thy Love refresh my heart I need not overmuch complain This Flesh hath drawn my Soul to sin If it must smart Thy Will be done O fill me with thy Joyes within And then I 'll let it grieve alone Then to its sufferings I 'll consent To be avenged on my Foe That pain may help me to repent And sin may be consum'd by woe Pain will be short Joyes will be long Yet Lord remember man is weak Drop in thy Cordials make me strong Lest heart and hope with Flesh should break 8. I know my Flesh must turn to dust My parted Soul must come to thee And undergo thy Judgment just And in the endless world must be In this there 's most of Fear and Joy Because there 's most of Sin and Grace Sin will this mortal frame destroy But Christ will bring me to thy face Here 's Faith 's great Tryal Pain may force And Pride may willingness pretend A stupid Fool die like his Horse And Heathens make a Beast-like end Frail sinful Flesh is loth to die Sense to the unseen world is strange The doubting Soul dreads the Most High And trembleth at so great a change Yet Faith can see beyond the Skies Where now our Head in Glory is And above Flesh and Sense can rise Unto the World of Saints in bliss Cleansing the Soul from Flesh and Sin Abstracting it from things below It draws the Veil and entering in Love's glorious Mysteries can know Put forth thy Beams and Hand of Grace Open mine Eyes Take up my Heart Acquaint it with the Holy Place The Joyes and Glory where thou art O let me not be strange at home Strange to the Sun and Life of Souls Choosing this low and darkened Room Familiar with Worms and Moles Shall I be strange unto my Head The World of Knowledge Love and Joyes Conversing here among the Dead And taken up with Dreams and Toyes And strange to Angels who attend On Man and in his good delight And though unseen do us defend Ministring for us day and night Am I the first that go this way How many Saints are gone before How many enter every day Into thy Kingdom by this door Christ was once dead and in a Grave Yet conquer'd Death and rose again And by this Method he will save His Servants that with him shall Reign Shall I draw back and fear the End Of all my Sorrows Tears and Pain To which my Life and Labours tend Without which all had been in vain Can I for ever be content Without true Happiness and Rest Is Earth become so excellent That I should take it for my best Or can I think of finding here That which my Soul so long hath sought Should I refuse those Joyes through fear Which bounteous Love so dearly bought All that doth tast of Heav'n is good When Heavenly Light doth me inform When Heavenly Life stirs in my Blood When Heavenly Love my Heart doth warm No wonder if Time's womb be streight And Souls through pain and strangeness go Into the glorious World of Light Which Death translateth them unto This strangeness will be quickly over When once the Heaven-born Soul is there One sight of God will it recover From all this backwardness and fear To us Christ's lowest parts his feet Union and Faith must yet suffice To guide and comfort us It 's meet We trust our Head who hath our Eyes Christ seeth all that I would see The Way and End to Him are known He hath prepar'd the Place for me He 'l Love and Use me as his Own How many guiltless creatures die To be a feast or food for me Who love their Lives as well as I And hath not God more right to me Must I be priviledg'd alone Or no man Die until he please And God deposed from his Throne And humane generation cease Though all these Reasons I can see Why I should willingly submit And comfortably come to thee My God thou must accomplish it The Love which fill'd up all my daies Will not forsake me to the end This broken Body thou wilt raise My Spirit I to thee commend Decemb. 3. 1663. 4. Divine Love's Rest Written on Herbet's Poems THe amorous Needle knows no other REST But at its dear attractive Loadstone's breast Though lying dead before the Potent touch Its Object and Affection were not such The Oily Body married to a Spark Which some cold Flint had lockt up in the dark By the unseen Hot Soul is made so bright As if in it that Soul appear'd to sight Which in revenge for its restraint and toil Still working up wards wasts the loving Oil Having a higher Love is not content Until it reach its proper Element Thus Heav'n-born Souls but lately dead in sin By Faith and Love the heavenly Life begin And daily mounting upwards take their flight From Flesh and Earth unto the World of Light Where Darkness Sin or Grief shall never enter Where all the Saints are one in God their Center Where Love reveals it self with open face Ravishing Souls prepar'd by Saving Grace Love is their Kingdom it 's a world of Love Which they were hatcht for by the holy Dove Here he is kindling the coelestial fire Which knows its rise and doth to God aspire God who is all shall there have all my store And yet my Friends have not the less but more Love is now panting groaning in my breast Love will be then my Soul 's Eternal Feast Love now salutes us in the Gospel story But then Eternal Love will be our Glory Up then my Soul and swiftly Heavenward tend Where Love shall have no check no bounds no end 5. On David's Psalms MY God! since first thy Love this heart did touch It saith I cannot love my God too much It looketh up and panteth for that Grace Which may exalt it and unveil thy face Darkness and Distance are its grievous Chains Sad doubts and fears do feed its griping pains It sighs and wonders thou canst be so strange Where thou hast freely made so great a change Long it hath search't in hope to find the Art To raise and warm a dull and heavy Heart And now I find it practised by One That now is praising thee before thy Throne Here are the sacred words Here 's David's Lyre But
were free 3. But while I sinned thou wast kind And sent'st thy Word and Spirit of Grace Thy Light did change my darkened mind And shewed me my wretched case Though I drew back thou didst prevail And I gave up my self to thee Thou undertook'st for wind and sail Both Ship and Pilot thou would'st be 4. I turn'd my back on worldly toyes And set my face toward Glory's Shore Where thou hast promis'd highest Joyes And Blessedness for evermore I took my leave of Sin and Earth What I had lov'd I now did hate Ashamed of my former birth I gave my Life a newer date 5. But since that time how am I tost Afraid of every storm and wave Almost concluding I am lost As if thou would'st not help and save If I look out beyond thine Ark Nothing but raging Seas I see On this side Heav'ns all 's deep and dark But I look further unto thee 6. Censures and scorns and frowns I hear Storms which before I never found And yet all these I should not fear If all at home were safe and sound But thy displeasure wounds my heart I have but two parts Flesh and Soul Both of thy wrath do bear their part And thou hast left me neither whole The Second Part. 7. All this is just Lord I confess I staid too long ere I came in And how should healing grace do less When I brought with me so much sin Much Pride and Vanity I kept Too oft my heart was looking back Though God stood by me yet I slept Heav'n was at hand yet I grew slack Spare Lord and pity thy poor dust That fled into thy Ark for Peace O cause my Soul on thee to trust And do not my distress increase O keep up life and peace within If I must feel thy chastening Rod Yet kill not me but kill my sin And let me know thou art My God 9. Folly dwelt in my childish breast Sin rob'd me of my youthful daies Let not thy wrath cut off the rest And stifle thine intended praise Whilst I forgot thee thou didst bear Thy kindness did invite me home O rack me not with grief and fear Kill me not Lord now I am come 10. The silent Dust speaks not thy fame Nor in dark Graves art thou renown'd The living Saints declare thy Name And in thy Church thy Praises sound Yet let me with thy houshold dwell Though I be numbred with thy Poor And with thy Saints thy Wonders tell Although I sit behind thy door 11. Set not thy strength against frail man O turn not yet this flesh to Clay My life thou know'st is but a span If I should see the longest day Break me not all to pieces Lord Or else let each piece have a tongue To cry till thou relief afford But not to say Thou dost me wrong 12. Pity this poor unworthy Soul That here devotes it self to thee Resolve my doubts my fears controul And let me thy Salvation see O let that Love which gave me groans And taught my needy Soul to pray Remove my fears and hear the moans Which sorrow breaths forth night and day The Third Part. 13. Why art thou fainting Soul cast down And thus disquieted with fears Art thou not passing to thy Crown Through storms of pain and floods of tears Fear not O thou of little Faith Art thou not in thy Saviour's hand Remember what his promise saith Life and Death are at his command 14. To him I did my self entrust When first I did for Heav'n imbark And he hath proved kind and just Still I am with him in his Ark. Could'st thou expect to see no Seas Nor feel no tossing wind or wave It is enough that from all these Thy faithful Pilot will thee save 15. Lord let me not my Covenant break Once I did all to thee resign Only the words of comfort speak And tell my Soul that I am thine It 's no Death when Souls hence depart If thou depart not from the Soul Fill with thy Love my fainting heart And I 'll not fading flesh condole 16. Health is but Sickness with thy frowns Life with thy wrath is worse than Death My comforts thy displeasure drowns And into groans tunes all my breath Where is that Faith and Hope and Love By which thou markest all thy Saints Thy Joyes would all my griefs remove And raise this heart that daily faints 17. Am I the Jonas dost thou mean To cast me out into the deep It shall not drown but make me clean Until thou raise me there I 'll sleep O Death where is thy poisonous sting O Grave where is thy Victory Thy dust shall shortly rise and sing God's Praise above the Starry Sky 18. My God my Love my Hope my Life Shall I be loth to see thy face As if this world of sin and strife Were for my Soul a better place O give my Soul some sweet foretast Of that which I shall shortly see Let Faith and Love cry to the last Come Lord I trust my self with thee John 11. 14. or 16. O let not unbelieving Thomas words Be now my answer But my dearest Lord's Amen 9. The Covenant and Confidence of Faith To the common Tunes 1. My whole though broken heart O Lord From henceforth shall be thine And here I do my Vow record This hand these words are mine All that I have without reserve I offer here to thee Thy Will and Honour all shall serve That thou bestow'dst on me 2. All that exceptions save I lose All that I lose I save The treasure of thy Love I choose And Thou art All I crave My God thou hast my heart and hand I all to thee resign I 'll ever to this Covenant stand Though flesh hereat repine 3. I know that thou wast willing first And then mad'st me consent Having thus lov'd meat the worst Thou wilt not now repent Now I have quit all Self-pretence Take charge of what 's thine own My Life my Health and my Defence Now lie on thee alone 4. Now it belongs not to my care Whether I die or live To love and serve thee is my share And this thy grace must give If life be long I will be glad That I may long obey If short yet why should I be sad That shall have the same pay 5. If Death shall bruise this springing seed Before it come to fruit The Will with thee goes for the Deed Thy life was in the root Long life is a long grief and toil And multiplieth faults In long wars he may have the foil That scapes in short assaults 6. Would I long bear my heavy load And keep my sorrows long Would I long sin against my God And his dear mercy wrong How much is sinful Flesh my Foe That doth my soul pervert To linger here in sin and woe And steals from God my heart 7. Christ leads me through no darker rooms Than he went through before He that into God's Kingdom comes Must enter by this Door
Run fastest when the Truth 's behind No Heresies with you are sown There 's not a Truth but all will own A mixture we get here by rote And Errour keeps the major Vote There Pride and Faction cannot enter There 's no Division in the Center The Saints there play not Satan's part They use not any Carnal Art Their Righteous Brethren to Defame And by untruths to blot their Name There you are Comely and not Black Each One hath All yet None do lack What sin or smart can you befall Where SELF 's put off and God is All. Look up and see now VINES is gone Are not the Stars the more by One No but One fewer in our sight For we have forfeited his Light And such an One as all do miss Save those whose pleasure darkness is And who can Number Stars above When Saints so fast to Heav'n remove If but three such in all our times As USHER GATAKER and VINES Were taken hence by fatal sleep Three Nations should consent to weep And if an Age this loss repair The Church will think it very fair They shine in Glory now to God Who shin'd and burn'd here to a Clod. May such a sinful Worm as I Aspire and ascend so high That Kingdom 's mine in Hope and Right Which you possess by Love and Sight That God that Christ hath loved me Whose Glory blessed VINES doth see We were both washed in one stream And both enlightned by one beam One Garment also did us cloath At once One Pulpit held us both Much more One Church for we agreed Both in One Method and one Creed One Evil we did both condole As animated by One Soul Methinks where thou art I should be Although the lowest in degree Though thou art gone and I am here Yet is my Passing-hour near Time is at work both Night and Day Even when it seemeth to delay My Grave and Coffin are at hand My Glass hath but a little Sand Now I am writing and anon They 'l also say of me He 's gone Then I shall see the shining face Which is the Glory of your Place But lest in vain I hope and run Lord perfect what thou hast begun 14. A Dialogue between Death and the Believer A Rustick Song set to a pleasant Tune Death COme with me poor Mortal Quickly come away My Name is Dreadful Death Through this narrow Portal Come without delay For here I 'le stop thy Breath Presently my Dart Shall pierce thee to the Heart And away thy Life I 'le have It is in vain to fly Or any Friend to try For there 's none that can thee save Believer 2. Welcome friendly Death What canst thou do to me ' That I have cause to fear Though thou shalt stop my breath Yet I in Life shall be When thou shalt not be there And though the Gate be streight It leads unto that height Where I shall defie thy Dart Willingly I yield As armed by that Shield That will save my nobler part Death Come away frail Man And open now thy Breast And take thy mortal wound Let Friends do what they can And Physick do its best They 'l all too weak be found Lay now aside thy mirth And turn unto thy Earth I will give thee the fatal blow It is in vain to wish Thou canst not save thy Flesh For my Power thou shalt know Believer 4. Readily I come As being not the first That hath past through thy door Thou shalt but help me home When thou hast done thy worst And thou shalt be no more By drawing out my blood Thou shalt but do me good And ease me of my grief And though thou look so grim Thou shalt bring me to him That will give me full relief Death 5. Thy Flesh I 'le turn to Clay And all thy Bones to Dust And leave thee in the Grave Make no longer stay For come away thou must It is in vain to crave Cloathed from head to feet But with a Winding-sheet My Prisoner thou shalt be Bearing my loathsom Mark Thou shalt lie in the dark And the face of no man see Believer 6. Thou shalt but dig the ground Where God his Seed will sow And raise it at the Spring And there I shall be found And Christ his own will know And unto Glory bring When here I cease to live A better Life he 'l give Which thou shalt not destroy And though This Life thou spill My Soul thou canst not kill Nor again with fears anoy 7. When thou put'st out these Eyes I shall receive my sight My Day will all be Noon Above the spangled Skies Where never shall be Night Nor need of Sun or Moon The Grave also shall keep My Dust in quiet Sleep Till the Coming of my Lord That Flesh shall shine with God That now is but a Clod And must lie as a thing abhorr'd Death 8. Thy merry Daies are gone Thou shalt no longer stay Thy Life shall end in pain Thy Time and work is done And all thy Sport and Play And never shall come again Here take thy leave of Health And of thy Goods and Wealth And of every pleasant Friend Bid farewel to them all For here thy Corps shall fall And the World to thee shall end Believer 9. Boast not O conquered Foe For thou could'st have no strength But what comes from my sin My Lord will overthrow Thy Power at the length And will thy Prisoners win Thou could'st not keep my head When he lay in thy Bed But he rose and now doth Reign He 'l take away thy sting And endless Life will bring And with him shall I remain 10. How oft have I undrest me And laid my Garments by And dyed till the next day I do but go to rest me And shall rise speedily My Lord will not delay When thou hast broke this shell My Soul with Christ shall dwell And with Saints and Angels bright This World is but the Womb From which my Soul must come Into the Eternal Light 11. And what though Death be painful The pain is quickly past My Soul shall soon be freed My Lord shall make it gainful The gain shall ever last And Joy shall Grief succeed And though the Place seem strange And Nature fear a change Yet I with Christ shall be And when with him I dwell I know I shall be well And his glorious Light shall see 12. Thou shalt but kill my sin And crown my painful Race And end my Grief and Fear Thou shalt but let me in To see the blessed face Of my Redeemer dear And is it any loss To follow with my Cross Till I attain the Crown It 's he that truly dyes That Mercy doth despise And at last God will disown 13. I knew that from my Birth I was a mortal man My frailty is confest I knew my Flesh was Earth My Life was but a span And here is not my Rest If thou canst say no more All this I knew before And yet thy threats defie Have I long sought in pain And would I not obtain Joyful Eternity 14. O feeble thing How canst thou conquer Christ And make his Promise void First overcome my King And his Command resist By whom thou art employ'd First win the World above And conquer endless Love And then I 'le be thy slave Kill an immortal Soul And we will all condole And fear a darksome grave 15. It 's Christ that doth thee send To bring about his end And him thou must obey He is my dearest Friend And doth no harm intend In calling me away And why should he fear ill Whom Love it self doth kill And numbreth with the Blest Why should not Death fulfil His good All-ruling WILL My SPRING my GUIDE my REST. Hoc migraturus scripsi sub imagine Carmen FArewel vain World As thou hast been to me Dust and a shadow such I leave to thee The unseen Life and Substance I commit To him that 's Substance Life Light Love to it Some Leaves and Fruit are dropt for soil seed Heaven's Heirs to generate to heal and feed Them also thou wilt flatter and molest But shalt not keep from Everlasting Rest Vel Munde dolose vale mihi vera palestra fuisti Perficitur Cursus certa corona manet Vita fugax cessat Praestant aeterna caducis Mens superos visit Pulvere pulvis erit Excipe Christe tuum Tibi vixi Errata remitte Spe tibi commissum perfice Christe tuum Tu mortis mors es Vitae tu vita perennis Gloria nostra Tua est Gloria Lumen Amor. Non loca non coetus non hinc sperata videntur Optimus Omnividens Maximus illa videt THE English Verses written on a fair Marble over the Grave where my Wife and her Mother are buried in the upper end of Christ's-Church Chancel broken and lost by the fall of the Church when burnt were these Thus must thy Flesh to silent Dust descend Thy mirth and worldly pleasure thus will end Then happy holy Souls but woe to those Who Heav'n forgot and earthly pleasures chose Hear now this Preaching Grave without delay Believe Repent and work while it is day FINIS Mar. 3. 20. 21. 2. Cor. 5. 13. Matth. 20. v. 21. Matth. 19. v. 29. * Thuanus Davila * The Earl of Orery's Answer to a Petition * He dyed suddenly on the Lord's Day at night after he had Preacht and Administred the Sacrament * Mr. Anthony Burgesse was Minister at Lawrence Church Mr. Love succeeded him and was beheaded by the Remnant of the Long Parliament which cut off the King for sending Money to some about the present King Mr. Vines succeeded him * Those that saw me stand in his Pulpit at Lawrence Church between his Leggs when I Preacht for him because he could get no other Room in the Church understand this †See his Letter in the end of my Confession