ELIZA'S BABES OR THE Virgins-Offering BEING Divine Poems and Meditations Written by a LADY who onely desires to advance the glory of GOD and not her own LONDON Printed by M. S. for Laurence Blaiklock and are to be sold at his Shop neer the Middle-Temple Gate 1652. TO MY SISTERS LOoke on these Babes as none of mine For they were but brought forth by me But look on them as they are Divine Proceeding from Divinity To the READER WHen first the motion came into my minde that these Babes of mine should be sent into the world I would faine have supprest that motion for divers reasons which may be imagined by them that shall read them But especially by those that knew my disposition But rising one day from my Devotions it was suggested to my consideration that those desires were not given me to be kept in private to my self but for the good of others And if any unlike a Christian shall say I wrote them for mine owne glory I like a Christian will tell them I therefore sent them abroad for such a strict union is there betwixt my deare God and mee that his glory is mine and mine is his and I will tell them too I am not asham'd of their birth for before I knew it the Prince of eternall glory had affianced mee to himselfe and that is my glory And now to all such shall I direct my speech whose brave spirits may carry them to high desires Place not your affections in your Youth beneath your selves but if you would be happy on earth and enjoy these outward blessings with free and lawfull contentment bestow your first affections on my Almighty Prince I would have you all love him and him to love you all I being his must doe as he will have mee and methinks hee directs me to tell you that you shall never bee happy on Earth nor glorious in Heaven if you doe not love him above all earthly things More I must tell you that if you will dedicate to his service and present into his hands your wealth witt spirit youth beauty he will give you wealth if lesse more usefull your witt more pure your spirit more high and transcendent and your youth and beauty which time will steale from you or some malignant disease with paine rend from you them he will lay up awhile for you and returne them againe for eternity with great advantage And that you need not doubt of the certainety of what is told you they that tell it you have found part of it true and shall the rest I cannot be content to be happy alone I wish you all blessed too nor can I smother up those great and infinite blessings that I have received from him with private thankes That Great Prince of Heaven and Earth proclaimed by Angels that he was come into the world to shew his good will and love to mee was here content to dye a publique death for me to save me from a Hell of misery in which I lay and should have layen had not he the Prince of Peace and the fairest and chiefest among the sons of men shed his most precious and royal blood for mee and before he dyed he left word that I should not feare for it was his great and glorious Fathers will to bestow on us a Kingdome And was so great a Prince not ashamed to avow so great affection and love to mee and shall I be ashamed to returne him publique thankes for such infinite and publique favours No I will not but with all my minde heart and soule I blesse and praise my Almighty God for so great benefits bestowed on me his unworthy servant Methinks it is not enough for my self onely to doe it but I must send out my Babes to doe it with mee and for me And if any shall say others may be as thankefull as shee though they talk not so much of it Let them know that if they did rightly apprehend the infinite mercies of God to them they could not be silent And if they doe not thinke the mercies of God worth publique thankes I doe and therefore I will not be ashamed to be that one in ten that returned to acknowledge himselfe a cleansed Leaper And now my Babes some may say to you unlesse you had been more curiously drest or more finely shap'd your Mother might have kept you in obscurity Tell â—hem I sent you to their more learned and refined wits to forme you to a more curious shape and tyre you in a more inticing dress But this I will say for you You want none of your limbs and your cloaths are of rich materials I dare not say I am loth to let you goe Go you must to praise him that gave you me And more I le say for you which few Mothers can you were obtained by vertue borne with ease and pleasure and will live to my content and felicity And so Adieu But stay Something you may truly say for your own imperfections and your Mothers excuse That some of you were borne when herself was but a child but My joy my blisse my happy Story In Heaven is writ and that 's my Glory Psalme 56. Vers 10. I Glory in the word of God To praise it I accord With joy I will declare abroad The goodness of the Lord. All you that goodness doe disdaine Goe read not here And if you doe I tell you plaine I doe not care For why above your reach my soule is plac'st And your odd words shall not my minde distaste And when you read these lines mistake not a Divine affection for a Poeticall fancy for I affect not to express my fancy but I would have my fancy express my affection The Invocation Come Sacred Muse to mee this day And ever here make you a stay Within the closet of my brest For I with thee doe finde great rest My sweet Companion here thou art Dear Lord Let it not from me part From thee this gift I did receive To thee the same I doe bequeath Aspire aspire my minde aspire From earthly things unto the higher Set not thy minde on base desires But thinke upon the heavenly Quires Of Angels sweet that singing be And still the face of God doe see Admiring much his wisedome great And glorious sweetnesse of his seat Then hie my Soule to that sweet place Where glory is with mirth and grace The Request Come sweet Spirit expell my feare Assure me that thou hast a care Of me and of my giddy youth Assure me of it still for Truth That thy Spirit shall me direct And that thy power shall me protect Then shall my spirit be at rest And with sweet thoughts my soule be blest When that I know thou lovest me And that my youth shall guided be By that Spirit that doth dispose All for the happinesse of those The which be servants unto thee Blest be thy Name that so made mee The Answer HIs Spirit much thou dost desire
will come as in thy Son His Robys shall hide my shame He is my Spouse and my lov'd Lord In him thou lovest me I to thy will would still accord And with him still agree In his bright Robes I will present My selfe to thee and say To doe thy will is my intent In him I thee obey Thou canst not now Lord me reject Thou must me perfect see His beauty both on me reflect I 'me beautifull to thee The Dart. SHoot from above Thou God of Love And with heav'ns dart Wound my blest heart Descend sweet life And end this strife Earth would me stay But I 'le away I 'le dye for love Of thee above Then should I bee Made one with thee And let be sed Eliza's dead And of love dy'd That love defi'd By a bright beam shot from above She did ascend to her great Love And was content of love to dye Shot with a dart of Heavens bright eye Of Poetry POets they say are always poor But t is not they are at thy door They cannot chuse but wealthy be For why Rich poems flow from thee 'T is they that clime the hill is none of thine But goe for aid unto the Muses Nine No wonder though such fools are poor That goe for Alms to a wrong door They seek to them to get their wealth Who have too little for their selfe To the King writ 1644. TO thee Great Monarch of this Isle I send my Babes pray make them smile For yet methinks t is in thy power To make them smile or let them lower They 'r children to that Prince of might Who is the Prince of peace behight Do not with war my Babes affright In smiling peace is their delight My Prince by yeelding won the field Be not too rigid dear King yeeld Examples that are great and high I hope you 'l follow fix your eye On my great prince that is your King He left a Heaven you peace to bring A Kingdome I 'de not have you leave But rather three reform'd receive All blisse and peace I wish to you Let us in peace your presence view To the Queen of Bohemiah LOng since it was by me defir'd To see that Queen so much admir'd But well I knew t' was not for mee Great Princesses to goe to fee. But thraldomes key did let me out And trouble brought my wish about By thraldome then I freedome gain'd By trouble my desire obtain'd I then did see her so admir'd And thy rich graces Lord inspir'd A minde so great and bravely beare What in the most breeds care and feare A spirit high so humble bee To deigne her sweet regards to me Her I admire and for her pray On earth she may live many a day And when this earth she shall forsake That into heaven thou wouldst her take Where ou a Throne she may be Crown'd And with bright Angels compast round The Lover COme let us now to each discover Who is our friend and who our Lover What art thou now asham'd of thine I tell thee true I me not of mine And you will say when you him see That none but he defir'd can bee He is the onely pleasing wight Whose presence can content my sight For He 's the purest red and white In whom my soule takes her delight He to the flowrs heir beauty gives In him the Rose and Lilly lives His pleasant haire with feemly grace Hangs by his faire sweet lovely face And from his pleasing eyes do dart Their arrows which do pierce my heart These beauties all are richly grac'st For on his head a crown is plac'st Of glory which doth shine so bright As mortall eye can see this light This lovely Lord's the Prince of Peace In him my joyes will still increase For he 's the true and constant friend Whose love begun will never end From Heaven he came with me to dwell And sav'd my soul from direfull hell 'T is he alone my heart doth gaine That keeps me from eternall pain While here I live here he will bee Death cannot separate him from me And when I dye he will me place Where I shall ever see his face Into his glory hee 'l take mee This doe I know this shall you see And now you know my loved friend My loves begun it will not end The renowned King LAdies if beauty you desire Or to high fortunes doe aspire Come now with me I have descride A Prince that to all can you guide He is a King of great renown And on your head can place a Crowne And with immortall beauty blesse Can you wish more yet wish no lesse If you desire this Prince to see Then leave the world and goe with me To true Elisian fields I 'le guide You where I this great Prince espi'd The holy leaves of Sacred writ Are those Elisians there let 's gett Where with joy we shall him finde This glorious Prince will please your mindâ— He 's like the Rose in Sharon fields Pleasant to sight and sweetnesse yeelds With sweet and faire from his bright face The Lilly and the Rose gets grace With serious thoughts now him behold If you him love you may be bold And in his presence ever bee His beauty will reflect on thee If thou get beauty from his face He will you take from your mean place And on his Throne he will set thee Where with his Crown thou crown'd shalt bee That beauty still with thee will stay Time will not carry it away That Crowne shall no man take from thee But thou shalt wear 't eternally To my Sister S. S. SWeet Sister Let us in Heaven greet Since here on earth we cannot meet Hard by that stream of Christall pure To meet thee there I will be sure That streame which from this Throne doth rise Whose waters pure cure our ill eyes Then let us sit us downe and rest No enemies shall us there molest Le ts leave our bodies here as dead When thus our Soules to heaven are fled Where we possesse a ravisht joy When as the world lies in annoy Let 's take those waters now and drink 'T will make us then no more to think Of these base follies here below Dear Sister let us both doe so Then let us set us down and tell By whom we were redeem'd from hell T' was he that sits on you bright Throne Wrought our redemption all alone Who would not now their soules prize high For whom so great a Prince did die Come let us up those streams and see Where those bright glories sitting bee There Three in One conjoyn'd we see And yet each Person differing be There sets our powerfull God alone Upon his glorious heavenly Throne At his right hand sits his dear Son Oh! Who would think he 'd let him come From that bright Throne to suffer here And for our sakes vile to appear Ten thousand thousand Angels bee Tending about his Throne you see They sing the praises of that King Oh hear how
their great and powerfull protector for delivering them out of all their troubles needs must thou be compassed about with Songs of delight thou couldst not chuse but sing thy Self too those Songs thou diddest teach to thy chief Singers that they might inclose thee in the sweet aire of delighting praises and with thee my Soule must desire to sing when with thee I am so protected Saint Stephen GOd can make our faces to shine like Angels to daunt our enemies and he here can make us to see his face to shine in glory to comfort our Souls Why then should we fear our fiercest enemies why then should we not be confident of the aide of our loving and powerfull God Thy blessed power is like thy Light But our frail fear is like our night MY Soul being plac'st on the wings of contemplation with them raises me to the Regions of felicity The foundation and felicity MY great God! Thou that hast aided me in laying the foundation of assurance assist me still now towring in the turrets of contentment and set all know that they can never with safety ascend the turrets of delighting contentment if they have not first laid the true foundation of assurance Vpon the Temptation of the doubting of Heaven MY Soul Though that subtle enemy of thine and of all men doe seek to seduce thee by his insinuating perswasions to doubt of that unexpressable and immortall felicity of thy Soul and body yet my Soule faint not For if the holy Writ be true thy felicity is certaine the which my gracious God I doe most confidently believe to be the written word of the God of all the world by whose word and will I and this Fabrick were created though that pernicious enemy seeks to perswade me that it is a fancy of a studious braine and writ to keep people in awe to human obedience And because nothing doth please our Souls but the thoughts of eternall blisse nor afright them but the dread of eternall punishment therefore have they fained a heaven for reward of the vertuous and a hell for punishment of the disobedient and that those felicities of which I have written are but fictions of my owne braine and somewhat like they that invented it and partly taken out of it But my gracious God keep me that I fall not by these temptations but let me know why he is and hath been so busie in drawing me to doubt of thy being and of that glorious heaven which I do notwithstanding his temptations believe I shall possesse with thee My God is it to draw me to a loose liberty of my life and so by disobeying thee I might live in fear of being cast out of thy favour to eternall punishment if so I will tell him that he may cease his labour for if that which I beleeve to be the holy word of God be a fancy of any braine it is so just and pleasing to my soul that with all my power and might I will endeavour to lead my life according to the direction of that exact and royall Law and so hatefull is any thing to me that is contrary to it that when thorow my frailty I doe what in it is forbidden I am hatefull to my selfe till I am assured that that offence be washed from me and that something within me assures me that the breach of that transgression is pardon'd This is a strong argument to me against that temptation and of the divinity and eternity of my Soul for if my Soul were not to be eternally either happy or miserable why should the expectation of eternall misery trouble me and the assurance of eternall blisse so exceedingly joy me Tempter goe Reason and experience teacheth us to see that likenesse breeds love our Souls our minds for such things there are can never love nor delight in what is not but our Souls affect eternall glory then sure such a thing there is but be it so or be it not such a thing is presented to our consideration and if I am not to live a life of eternall blisse hereafter yet for the happinesse of my present life I will so neer as I can run in the paths that lead to that heaven which I so much affect that I might live with a confident hope that I shall possesse it for nothing can truely satisfie my Soul but a heaven of eternity and with these thoughts I can live on earth in a heaven of felicity Tempter Thou art like to loose thy labour for I must take up that resolution not to live a sensuall and vicious life for if I have no grace such a life is hatefull to my disposition and such a life would not I live were there no God to give blessednesse Devil to torment But one thing more I have now to tell thee I in the Sanctuary of the great God of all the world presenting my petitions to him that by something I might be assur'd that thy wicked suggestions to make me doubt of his being were false I was directed to consider the glorious Sun which then shined bright in mine eyes so that I plainly see that great God of whose being thou wouldst have me doubt doth aid and assist me against thy wicked temptations for it cannot be but a great God that can make and governe so glorious and so great a light the God that made that made me that God I did offend in my first parents and since in my owne person but to him am reconciled in his first borne Son Jesus Christ who is God and man and for his sake shall I possesse a Kindome of felicity here and at the last a Kingdome of eternall glory To him be Glory On the Sun-rising AS the appearance of the Sun-beams disperseth the clouds of darkness which brings sadness to the earth so let the bright shining beams of thy Spirit O heavenly Son of light disperse the clouds of darke despairing thoughts and vaine imaginations the which do darken the brightness of my Soul and bring sadness to my heart Let them purifie and raise my minde that I may still be singing praise and let me ever say To my great God all glory be Who makes his light to shine on me Heaven upon Earth MY Lord Though thou wilt not take me from earth to live in Heaven with thee yet thou comming from heaven to live on earth with me makes me on earth to live in heaven with thee The Temple MY God! Is my body the Temple of the Holy Ghost What Palace can there be in this small Fabrick fit to entertaine so great a Prince yet thou hast said If â—ny love thee thy Father will love them and thou and â—â—ee and thy holy spirit which cannot be separated from thee will come and make thy abode with him My Lord and King thou knowest I love thee for â—ong since I was willing to have left the world and all â—he blessings that thou hast given me in it to have gone to
His Spirit much he will inspire What thou desirest that shall be Thou hast thy wishes granted thee With thee needs must I wish to live That mak'st me wish what tâ—ou wilt give Lord harden thou my heart as hard as steel And loves vaine passion let me never seel Onely in Heaven my soul shall seek her rest In Heaven perpetually to be blest On Earth a while I must tormented be Because that sin too much abides in me It is the injoying of thy Spirit That makes my soule here true joy inherit And here to shew me that thou hat'st my sin Thy Spirit like the Sun-beams is drawn in Then doth my Soul full wo and sad remaine Till that sweet spirit doth appeare againe Then when thy Spirit againe reigns in me Then comes my joy away my paine doth flee For when thy Spirit my Soul doth injoy Nothing can then my happy Soul annoy For why No cause of sorrow I can see Because beyond my selfe it raiseth me Anguish FRom this distraction Lord my poor soul bring That still thy heavenly prayses I may sing For this distemper doth my soul affright My Lord it takes from me all my delight And pleasure that I had in serving thee This trouble great vaine folly brings to me If from thy holy service I be tane No comfort can I find but endlesse paine For what can yeeld our Souls here true content If to serve thee we are not wholly bent For here I see vaine pleasures quickly fly And that which I did love must surely dye But in thy service if I pleasure take And thy sweet word my whole delight do make That word doth still my drooping soul assure That for the best it shall be all to me If patiently I doe awaite on thee Of Submission WHat comes to me Lord comes from thee Nought comes to me but comes from thee What though against my will it be If thou it fitting seest for me Let be and Master thou my will That I thy servant may fulfill Thy holy will and thee obey Make me obedient be I pray If I obey thy Majesty I need not fear although I dye Hope WHat though my morning be debard of light For me thou shalt break forth a noon most bright The onely Comforter WHat in this world doe I deerer esteem Or greater in my minde here still do deem Then that Spirit which floweth still from thee Which makes my soule in happy blisse to be For nothing in this world here can me please Nor yet my Soule from paine and grief can ease But thy sweet spirit which abides for aye For these vaine worldly things doe fade away My soul immortall did proceed from thee And pleas'd with mortall things she cannot bee You earthly pleasures I can use you all But treasures of my soule I le not you call Goe flee vaine pleasures for sure all must grant Nought can us please but what is permanent In thee my Lord my soul alone is blest In thee alone I doe attaine sweet rest The Soules Flight WHither away my Soule do'st high That thou so fain from me would'st fly Sure it is to some holy place That thou thy selfe there may'st solace Thou wilt not here abide with me But goe to God there to be free To him thou liv'st to him thou flyest That is the reason that thou highest And here I wish thee not to stay I wish to Heaven thou mighst away From Prison oft I wish thee free That thou mayst be at liberty The Virgins Offring WIth thee blest Virgin I would bring An Offering to please my King Two Turtle Doves thou didst present Can there be better by me sent A Lambe more pure then they could be I heard was thither brought by thee These two small Turtles now of mine To him I do present with thine The Lambe will serve for thee and mee No better offering can there be Thus with thee Virgin doe I bring An offering will please my King To my Doves YOur life I ment not till my death Might give you freedome with my breath And when I breath'd in Heavens Aire free I did intend your libertie But offer'd now you sure must be A Sacrifice of thanks from mee When we are dead we cannot give Our offerings must be while we live Two Doves no Phenix you must be I must see that live comes from me You as an offering goe from me But on your wings my heart must be My heart now free from all desire But what is kindled by heavens fire To him I doe present as free As ever he did give it me I on your wings would sore aloft And still live free from humane thought Accept great God what I present Thy glory is my Souls intent Goe now my Doves and soar aloft The drooping heart raise you full oft To such a heigth bear it away That it may see celestiall day And never lett it on earth rest But leave it in Heavens glorious brest The Trimph SIth thou from thrall hast sett me free I will sing prayses unto thee Thou hast brought me from Temptation And fild me with contemplation Of thy heavenly habitation In which lives a glorious Nation Which triumphantly doe sing Praise and glory to their King No darknesse nor no dolefull night Obscures their Vision of delight No noise doth interrupt their voice They doe incessantly rejoyce Mayst thou my Soule now be so bold That glorious place for to behold And say how that faire Cities blest In which the righteous shall have rest The wals are rais'd of Gems more bright Then are the Diamonds here in sight The Saphire Diamond Ruby fine Their beauty in each one combine The other Gems their lustre bright With them doe give so fine a light That like the Rainbow it doth show But far more bright you 'l think I know Most glorious things are said of thee Thou City where the mighties bee The streets are of the purest mold Exceeding farr the brightest gold And from Gods glorious Throne doth spring A River that sweet pleasures bring Adorn'd with many a goodly tree Which fresh and flourishing ever bee They doe not onely please the eye But heal the wounds would make us dye Nor fruitlesse doe their trees appear But pleasant fruit yeeld all the year I doe not wonder fruit so rife Upon these goodly Trees of life No change doth in this place appeare No scorching heat nor cold is here This heav'n the bright Lamb his wife gives And she in this place alwayes lives She is more lovely then the Rose Fresh faire and beauteous and still goes In long white Robes so pure and clear Like Orient Pearl she doth appear And on her head a Crowne more bright Then is the Sun here in our sight The pure white Lilly at her feet And pleasant Rose there strive to meet For all their beauty and their grace Is from reflexion of her face These lovely flowers doe never fade But for eternity were made How can
in heaven doth reign The Pavillion ON thy fair wings most sacred Dove Let me be rais'd with thee on high Unto the heavenly God of Love Where I shal rest me quietly No ill shall there my Dove affright I 'le bid all feare on earth adieu For I am now at such a height As cannot reached be by you In this Pavillion I shall sing Though I may see you fly at me I am assur'd by his bright wing He will not let me wounded bee The Submission MY soul to Heaven would hast fly And there make suit that I may die Because from heaven she is detain'd Lives in a body sometimes pain'd And in her glory cannot be So long as here she stayes in me But that thy will shee doth respect And looks to what thou hast elect And will contented be to stay That here thy will she might obey She wisheth rather to please thee Then in her glory for to bee The Change VAine world when as I loved thee Dire sadnesse still possessed me But since I lernt to dispise thee Sweet joys and gladnesse filleth me The Choice HEavenly treasure In some measure Hast thou here unto me sent Yet I would dye And to heav'n fly To possesse a full content My soul 's sweet joy Nought doth annoy But my body 's sometimes pain'd I cannot bee From all ill free Till bright heaven I have obtain'd Here the story Of thy glory Is that which doth me delight But sure more joy With no annoy Must be in thy Palace bright With speed thy will Let me fulfill And take me to thy heavenly light The Rest FRom Heaven still flows such sweet Celestiall joy That this earths troubles shall not me annoy For I above them shall set safe and free And underneath me shall them gliding see The morning Star BRight morning star of heavenly light Rise to my Soul and banish night And with thy fair bright beams expell Those clouds that make this world like hell And with thy sweet attractive power Raise thou me to thy blissefull bower Where being rais'd let me aye rest Fixt in the Region of thy brest Where like a bright star I shall shine I being array'd in rayes of thine And to the darkesome world shine bright I living in thy glorious light The worlds farewell NOw to the world I bid adieu I 'me hasting better things to view To Heavens faire Palace shining bright It may be I may fly to night And'mong bright Angels spend my time To hear and see but what 's Divine And with an Orient light be clad And live like to the Angels glad For what makes me so joyfull here Cause in thy robes I shall appear Lye thou my body in theeath Till thou shalt gain a better birth From earth thou cam'st spotted with sin And thither so return'st agen When thou art purified then I Shall take thee and thou shalt not dye And when the Trumpet thou dost hear Thou in thy glory shalt appear A King doth come to bring that lott Which he himselfe for thee hath got A Kingdom 't is of joy and glory And now I end my earthly story The Swans FAire Swans you now beyond me go In pleasant Robes like pure white snow But I ere long shall be more bright In faire eternall robes of light Your fair robes fall and fade away But my bright robes shall nev'r decay You sing they say before you dye But when I 'me dead then sing shall I. To a friend at Court REtired here content I live My own thoughts to me pleasure give While thine owne actions anger thee Sweet quiet thoughts contenteth me This blessing sweet retirednesse brings We envy none but pity Kings Christs Kingdome WIth you blest Angels I must sing That brought the news of heav'ns great King That from bright Heaven awhile did part To raise his Kingdome with my heart Before he came there was great strife To lead me to a hellish life But like an humble Babe cam'st thou Yet made those mighty powers to bow Thou didst regain me for thy right For I at first sprang from thy light Satan aside a while drew me But could not keep me Lord from thee When thou hast cast off that foule fin Thy Kingdome in me didst begin And here thou wilt still reign in me Till I shallcome and reigne with thee A thy approach black shades did vanish And from my heart thou fearc didst banish And in their room did light appear And joy instead of dreadly feare Sweet joy and peace thou didst bring me How can I chuse but sing to thee To my great God all glory be Thou plac'st his Kingdome here in me Vaine thoughts banisht A Dieu vain thoughtt Adieu Adieu My Soule no more delights in you You 'r no companion for my spirit I must a heaven of blisse inherit Your darknesse dims my souls cleare fight And you debar me of heavens light When free from you I heaven can view Vain thoughts I now will banish you My intention GO vaine invention get you hence With me make not your residence Court not my Muse with fine invention To praise my God t is my intention Lord let no line be writ by me That excludes or includes not thee Earths honour slighted OF Earthly honour tell not me The vanity of it I see T is like a flower that soon doth rise If ruffly struck it falls and dies But that bright honour which I prise Sweetly springs up and never dies And 's like the Sun whose pleasing ray Doth banish night and bring the day His pleasant sweet attractive light Raiseth me to a heavenly hight With this fair honour being drest I 'me free from fear and live in rest 'T is heavenly honour I esteem All earthly honour vain I deem The one is made to fall and dye I love what bides eternally Luke 20. 36. In that world they shall be equall to the Angels HEre like the Angels let me be And as those blessed spirits free From vaine engagements let me bide And as they with thee still reside Like them I 'me made by my new birth But I 'me still wrapt in robes of earth Through a darke mantle I thee see But oh that I unwrapt may be This blessing now on earth me give That like thine Angels I might live So shall my soul such sweet joys find That earthly things I shall not minde Vpon the morning rise NOw welcome sweet and pleasant Morn Doe you not thinke that I you scorn Cause with a more Orientall light Imbellisht is my blest spirit With thanks I still you entertaine For by your light my eye-fight gain But you are darknesse to that light That is discride by my souls sights Vpon hearing the Birds sing SWeet Birds with you I le set and sing Due praises to our heavenly King Like you me thinks I am as free So made great divine Prince by thee My Robes I Will not now to thee Lord come As I from Adam came But I
rare and sweet they sing My senses now are ravisht quite My Soule is fill'd with such delight That if I now my choice might have They should my body lay in grave And say That I did chuse to dye And let my body on earth lye Till it most glorious should bee Like to Those Angels that we see The holy Spirit there doth bide For in the Son they all reside No bodily presence doth appear But of that God that sufferd here These glories cannot limned bee By my frail pencell well I see Now let us down those banks like green Rich Velvet whereupon are seen Bright orient Pearl and Rubies fair Strow'd on the velvet here and there Bright Diamonds scattered there doe lye Look there springs up the violet by As if a pride that sweet flower took Her face in that bright Gem to look The pure white Violet doth delight To hang upon that Ruby bright The sweet Carnation Pink that growes By that rich Pearl howe fine it show's Now let us on these sweet bancks rest Methinks we are divinely blest Look by those christall stremas there grows The Lilly fair and lovely Rose How in the waters they doe show Bright er then they do where they grow A Lustre fine those waters give Unto those plants that by them live Come let us now goe walk and see Like whom we shall hereafter be See there Elias doth appear Like to the Angels that are here I did forget we shall in light Be like his glorious body bright But hark Methinks I hear one say Thou must from Heaven to Earth away You must your children goe and teach How they this blessed place may reach T will be a pleasant sight to see Their faces like those Angels bee The which ere while we did behold In Robes more bright then is the gold The which on earth we think so fine When we in those base mettals shine But yet before you goe away Here me a little what I say If crosse you find things goe below On earth a while it must be so Let it not trouble your blest mind In Heaven you shall no crossness find If any aske you how I fare Then tell them sure I 'me free from care For I 'me in heaven you left me there The Vision WHy from celestiall bliss did you Draw me these meaner things to view Through those faire gates of pearl get I And that most pleasant wall past by Up that pure river strait I went That from the throne takes his ascent Then to the glorious throne I got Where I did see O God what not For whatsoever doth excell In thee doth in perfection dwell That glorious Lustre and bright ray Made me forget my mortallday Me thought that fine Orientall light Made me like it appear as bright From these sweet joyes why draw you me My self in meaner Robes to see For since I us'd to heaven to go All things on earth do sordid show The Heart TWo hearts in one breast can there not remain The one heart puts the other heart to pain My heart I will still keep take thou thine own My heart is happy when disturb'd by none Without a heart I know you cannot live Therefore your own I freely to you give Mine is in Heaven and will admit no change To leave my rest in heaven on earth to range I 'de have it written in my happy story None had my heart but heav'ns great prince of glory My youths affection to him I did send None can have any but what he will lend From mortall thraldome deare Prince keep thou me So though on earth I as in heaven shall bee The Bride SIth you me ask Why borne was I I 'le tell you t was to heaven to fly Not here to live a slavish life By being to the world a wife When I was born I was set free From mortals thraldom here to bee For that great Prince prepar'd a bride That for my love on earth here dy'd May not I then earths thraldom scorn Sith for heavens Prince I here was born If match't in heaven I weare a Crown But earthly thra'dome puls me downe On the day dedicated to the God of Heaven LOrd if this day belongs to thee No part of it pertains to mee Then sith this Day is wholly thine Let thoughts and actions be divine Let my soule be divinely clad And let me be like Angels glad With Angels food this day feed mee And let heav'ns Nectar my drink bee And to compleat my hearts desire Send downe a beam of heav'ns bright fire By it let me that pure path see That leads to glorious bliss and thee The Defiance COme now tumultuous flouds and show Your spite by tumults you shall know Eliza's plac'st above your reach Upon her soul you make no breach Unto the world you do let see You 'd have her loose but gain shall shee What you can get she doth not mind Her treasure lies not in your wind When my Brother was sick IF that my Brother thou wilt take from me Lord with thy will make me contented be But if it be thy blessed will my Lord To my request to bend and to accord And if no harm to him that it might bee In this request then gracious God hear me And grant that well and long he here may live And honor thee and glory to thee give And be an instrument here of thy praise And in thy service spend and end his daies But if in his young years my Lord thou please From paine and grief to take him unto ease And if thou fitter dost my Brother see With thee to raign in glory then to be Here subject to a world of slavish fears For in this mortall world we must have cares Onely in heaven we shall sweet freedom gain In heaven there is no fear no care nor pain Then to thy holy will my gracious Lord Make me thy servant ever to accord And if to Heaven thou wilt my Brother take I pray thee teach my soul for to forsake Vain earthly thoughts and flee from earth to thee So with my Brothers soul my soul shall bee My wishes are those beams may ravish thee That wrapt me now in sweet felicity The Guard YOu blessed Angels that still live And tendance on us mortals give From my most dear Lord you are sent To tend on me for the intent From harm and danger me to keep You are my guard while I do sleep I do not grudge for to confesse Nay my poor soul can say no lesse I am unworthy of that favour Granted to me from my Father That you on me should tendance give Yee which in glory still do live I have offended him each hour And done the ill lay in my power Then you that still obedient be Oh! why should you attend on me This is a mystery full deep You being righteous sinners keep My God I pray thee make me know Why those blest Angels should do so For should
I my deserts consider My judgement thus I must deliver Into the pit and dungeon deep Where Satan is adjudg'd to keep Where fire and brimstone raging be Where pain abides perpetually Into this place of misery There should I goe when that I dye Go leave thy thoughts thy own thoughts leave And from thy God answer receive From that fierce place of misery Thee for to save the Lord did die And though no sin he did commit He of his goodnesse thought it fit To take thy sins and quit them all And bid thee then no more to fall And tells thee thou needs not to fear For why of thee he takes the care And that on earth while thou dost live For tendance on thee he will give His Angels charge thee to protect And be the guard of his Elect His mercy is the onely reason We are secur'd from Satans Treason Felicity I Am my Gods and he doth let me see In hima true and sweet felicity Those springs of joy that rise still fresh in me Proceed my dear sweet heavenly Prince from thee On sudden Death IF thou in hast shalt send for me Great God to live in Heaven with thee Though to some minds it sodain be It is not sodain unto me Heaven LOrd thou dost bring a heaven with thee Then where I am a heaven must be For thou art ever Lord with mee The Giver engaged to the Receiver THou saist thou art ingag'd to me For what I give when I 'm to thee Thou dost accept a gift that 's poor For it I have ten thousand more The Sun Beames THy blessings like the Sunbeams bee Reaching from heaven to earth on me Like a rich Canopy they show Spreading from Heaven doth round me flow 'T is not abundance rich makes me But a sufficiency from thee To my Brother ELiza saies when as she dies Shee 'l banish tears from all your eyes Unlesse for envy you will weep That you could not her blest soul keep From her eternall blisse and joy Tolive with yours in earths annoy When you have brought me to my grave Then tell the world t is what I 'de have Yee need not say you left me dead But say I am laid in my bed Where I shall safely lye and sleep For heavens great Emperor doth me keep 'Mong Kings and Princes that attend Till to our glory we ascend What I Love GIve me a Soule give me a Spirit That flyes from earth heaven to inherit But those that grovell here below What! I love them I 'le not do so The onely bound MY boundlesse spirits bounded be in thee For bounded by no other can they be The Christians happinesse GOds high Spirit shall thee direct His Angels shall thee still protect They shal thee guard while thou dost sleep They from all evill shall thee keep So thou no evill needs to fear Because of thee God takes the care The Retribution IF thou art pleas'd to have my heart Accept it Lord from me Sith thou dost chuse it for thy part I give it none but thee Mine eyes to thee I doe present Accept them now of me For thou unto me hast them lent They doe belong to thee Thus heart and eyes and all are thine That doe belong to me Before I knew that they were mine They were all made by thee Gods Commands easie MY Lord how easie is thy will Do as I would be done unto Thy holy Law I then fulfill And give the Lord his praises due Why should I to another doe What I would not have done to me All praises to thee Lord is due For all we have proceeds from thee Praise GLory to my gracious Lord Who to my wishes doth accord While here I live I must thee praise For as in Heaven I spend my dayes For nought doth here my soul annoy But I possesse a Heaven of Joy And when from this blisse thou'le take me In glorious Heaven my soul shall be The Companion WHo doth an heavenly Muse injoy Regards not this vain worlds annoy Nor can they ever be alone Heavens Muse is there Companion Vpon the losse of my Brother WHen losse of ought would thee torment Cry 't is thy will Lord I 'me content My love must not divided be 'Twixt Earth and Heaven thou 'lt have me see My brother from me thou hast tane But yet content I must remaine A Brother and a friend was he But much more thou wilt be to me When thoughts of absence moves a tear Thy will is that I should forbear He went not but by thy decree And I must not displeased be On the Sun AT height of noon it cannot be That I can fix mine eyes on thee But when at setting I am bold With setled eyes thee too behold Converter of Atheistick thought Thou wert to me when as I sought A remedy against that sin Which I too deep was falling in Some one above thee must make thee Thou govern'd by a God must be Being told she was proud MY body it must surely dye Off to be proud then what have I. Yet proud if they will have me be My high-borne soule it is of thee But Lord my Soul is none of mine Shall I be proud of what is thine As being thine from pride I 'me free It is enough I 'me freed by thee My pleasing Life SWeet quiet sweet obscurity Here in this life best pleaseth me Till from earth's thrall I shall be free To live in glorious blisse with thee When from earths tumults I am free To contemplate great God on thee A heaven of blisse in thee I see How can this life but pleasing be Nothing of thee merit I can But yet when free from thrall of man I can thee serve with heart more free Then from that thraldome still keep me To a Lady unfaithfull Madam THe Prince of heaven being in love with you Did to his glorious Kingdom bid Adieu The heaven he was awhile content to leave To see if you would his chast love receive You did belong to him when he you sent Into the world but you from him soon went And his chast love so pleasing and so sweet You left your wanton Paramour to meet With his unlawfull love you pleas'd your selfe Fye Madam leave him he is but an Elf. See what your dear sweet Prince hath done for you 'T is very strange but yet t is vety true When he did see you wantonize with them Who were professed enemies to him He then with his fierce enemy did fight To reingain you as his ancient right He lost his royal bloud to purchase you How can you then but to this Prince prove true Can you a Coward love and stain your name By being false unto this Prince of fame Your want onlovers actions hate the light And you 'r asham'd to act them in our sight Then here I le tell you if you know not it All your actions and vain thoughts unfit Your true and lawfull Lord doth straight espie He
sees the wanton glances of your eye Think with your selfe and then you will refraine You both your self and your great Lord defame I wonder how you can this vain world love As if you did forget your heaven above And in your ill unlawfull actions live Your God doth freely all things to you give Prove you but constant to his love and true All things are lawfull to be us'd by you The Curse IF thou detainst my right from me I never will wish worse to thee Thou ill enough hast in thy selfe My right to thee will prove an Elf. My Angels will be good to mee But Devils they will prove to thee A Metamorphis strange I see Angels with me Devils with thee Thus while I wish no ill to thee With what I have God will blesse me And will with what thou dost detain Put thee to a most hellish paine This on my Tombe shall written bee When I in Glory am with thee VAin mortals you thinke I am dead You are deceiv'd for I am fled Unto that Kingdome I did chuse when as the earth I did refuse And I in glory now am plac'st And with a Crowne in Heaven am grac'st My soul in fair bright Robes doth shine My Lord methins they 'r like to thine Which in the Mountain did appear Glorious shining bright and clear On marriage LOrd if thou hast ordain'd for me That I on earth must married be As often I have been foretold Be not thy will by me contrould And if my heart thou dost incline Children to have Lord make them thine Or never let 't be said they 'r mine I shall not like what 's not divine I no ambition have for earth My thoughts are of a higher birth The Souls sweet Babes do bring no pain And they immortalize the name The Gift MY Lord hast thou given me away Did I on earth for a gift stay Hath he by prayer of thee gain'd me Who was so strictly knit to thee To thee I onely gave my heart Wouldst thou my Lord from that gist part I know thou wouldst deliver me To none but one belov'd by thee But Lord my heart thou dost not give Though here on earth while I doe live My body here he may retain My heart in heaven with thee must reigne Then as thy gift let him thinke me Sith I a donage am from thee And let him know thou hast my heart He onely hath my earthly part It was my glory I was free And subject here to none but thee And still that glory I shall hold If thou my Spirit dost infold It is my blisse I here serve thee T is my great joy thou lovest mee The choice of my Friend PRay tell the world I did chuse thee Cause thou aspir'st to heaven with mee I did not chuse for earthly state But'cause thou seem'st base earth to hate It was not earth my love did merit 'T was a high and heavenly spirit Thus with heaven I did decree That such a one my friend should be And while our spirits doe aspire To heaven I have my hearts desire And still methinks I am yet free We living both great God in thee The change Great God! HOw hast thou chang'd my thoughts in me For when I thought to be a wife I then did think troubled to be Because I saw most live in strife But thou a husband hast given me Whose sweet discretion doth direct And orders all things so for me As if of heaven he were elect To take all trouble quite from me That earths possession here doth bring And so doth leave me quite to thee Thy praises here to sit and sing Promise Performed MY Lord thou hast perform'd most free What in thy word thou promis'd me That if thy Kingdome first sought wee All things on earth should added bee Thou hast giv'n me earth water aire And heavenly fire which is more rare That heavenly flame thou hast sent me To offer up the earth to thee And if thou pleasest them to take I willingly shall them forsake I 'le not be loth to give to thee What of thy bounty thou gav'st me Plenty thou hast great God in store And if thou please canst give me more If earth thou tak'st and heaven giv'st me A gainer yet I much shall bee Not a Husband though never so excelling in goodness to us must detaine our desires from Heaven MY heart I finde upon her wings Ready to flee from earthly things But that the vertue lives in thee On earth a while retaineth me Not that of life I weary am For what on earth here wish I can From heavens great Prince receive I doe I must most freely tell to you Great blessings from him I injoy And with him I have no annoy Yet these must not retaine my heart Another of me claims his part To heavens great prince I must away No love on earth here must me stay He lent me but awhile to you And now I must bid you adieu My Descent IF any one thinke meane of me 'T is cause they doe not my birth see I did descend from a great King And an Immortall God did spring I 'me daughter to the King of Kings And must contemn base earthly things To heaven's great Prince he married me And now my linage you may see And while I mean am in your eye I often to my glory flye And with my great Prince do abide Where placed by his blessed side With heavenly blisse methinks I 'me crown'd His glorious beams do me surround Where I set and hear the story Of my Prince and see his glory To my Husband WHen from the world I shall be tane And from earths necessary paine Then let no blacks be worne for me Not in a Ring my dear by thee But this bright Diamond let it be Worn in rememberance of me And when it sparkles in your eye Think 't is my shadow passeth by For why more bright you shall me fee Then that or any Gem can bee Dress not the house with sable weed As if there were some dismall deed Acted to be when I am gone There is no cause for me to mourn And let no badge of Herald be The signe of my Antiquity It was my glory I did spring From heavens eternall powerfull King To his bright Palace heir am I. It is his promise hee 'l not lye By my dear Brother pray lay me It was a promise made by thee And now I must bid thee adieu For I 'me a parting now from you My Bill of thanks to Mr. C. THough my words rare thou dost not finde Might not God be prais'd by my minde The heart not phrase God doth esteem To him my heart in them are seen Let men like God my words not minde In them a thankfull heart they finde To praise him is my souls intent For his great blessings he hath sent You said at the end of my dayes God would them bring out to my praise My own praise I regard it
child I will bee I 'le kiss the Rod and honour thee And if thou' rt vertuous as 't is sed Thou 'lt have the glory when thou' rt dead Sith Kings and Princes scourged be Whip thou the Lawyer from his fee That is so great when nought they doe And we are put off from our due But they for their excuse do say 'T is from the Law is our delay By Tyrants heads those laws were made As by the learned it is said If then from Tyrants you 'l us free Free us from their Laws Tyranny If not wee 'l say the head is pale But still the sting lives in the tail To a Lady that bragg'd of her Children IF thou hast cause to joy in thine I have cause too to joy of mine Thine did proceed from sinfull race Mine from the heavenly dew of grace Thine at their birth did pain thee bring When mine are borne I set and sing Thine doth delight in nought but sin My Babes work is to praise heav'ns King Thine bring both sorrow pain and fear Mine banish from me dreadfull care The Conquest GOd made on earth a paradice at first For man but he by sin betrayd his trust But heavens great Prince who came to conquer sin For me won Heaven and Paradise againe Questions and Answers Qu. LOrd why have I so much from thee An. Th' art child to me Qu. But why on earth have I such store An. In Heav'n is more Qu. Lord I have more then I doe need An. The poor then feed Then sith l'me thine I 'le be divine And what I 've more I 'le give the poor To a Friend for her Naked Breasts MAdam I praise you ' cause you 'r free And you doe not conceal from me What hidden in your heart doth lye If I can it through your breasts spy Some Ladies will not show their breasts For feare men think they are undrest Or by 't their hearts they should discover They do 't to tempt some wanton Lover They are afraid tempters to be Because a Curse impos'd they see Upon the tempter that was first By an all-seeing God that 's just But though I praise you have a care Of that al-seeing eye and feare Lest he through your bare brests see sin And punish you for what 's within Safety MY gracious God be not my foe It matters not if man be so And let my wayes great God please thee Then from all foes I shall be free What Kingdome to be wisht WHose Kingdome can I wish but thine Who mak'st hell Heaven and me divine What Kingdome ought I wish to be But where all thine shall reign with thee All thoughts of Kingdoms I will banish But of thy Kingdome will not vanish No Kingdome must I wish But Heav'ns great Prince of glory Which if I be divine Will be mine onely story Earthly blessings doe me surround With heavenly blessings I am crown'd On earth I live free from all care Because heavens King I love and feare Comfort in Temptations and Afflictions COme Christians that so mazed bee At earths events O come and see What cause there is for your dismay When God takes care for you each day Th' Apostle bids us then to joy When as temptations us annoy And heavens great Prince sed unto you Before he bid the earth adieu Let not your hearts here troubled be For if you do beleeve on me In heav'n a Palace there is for you Fear not in me it is your due I' st prison that doth you afright In dungeon deep hee 'l be your light I' st war whose fear you do pretend The Lord of Host can you defend I' st sicknes that doth cause your dread He easie can make your sick bed Unless by these he will you take Into his glory and there make You to behold those Visions fair Will ravish you from all your care Then sith heav'ns King can safe you keep There is no cause for you to weep You shall not enter to his rest If you be doubting him molest On going to the Sacrament I To the world Lord will let know That I desire thy death to show By going to some publick place And take the pledges of thy grace And when I take the bread then I Will say my Lord did for me dye And thus I le doe great God for thee For thou hast done much more for mee And when I drinke the wine I le tell Thy blood redeem'd my soul from hell And then I le offer up to thee What thou sweet Prince requirest of me None but the Sacrifice of praise Dost thou require now adayes And that I should remember thee When as these things are done by mee My Prayer in my Youth MY Lord whose mercies to me are unspeakable who in thy works art great and powerfull wholly bend mine affection on that which is certain and not subject to varibility to that which to that which no sinister mishap can alter Oh let not my Soul which thou hast made to be fed with heavenly Manna which still will last here seek to be satisfied with vain delights which soon will vanish Banish from me the Thoughts of vaine delights and make me know that they must end And for those infinite blessings which thou hast deigned to bestow upon me make me for ever to admire thee and from my heart send up the sweet incense of thanks and praise for thy heavenly benefits bestowed on me thine unworthy servant The Temptation MY Soul Woulst thou finde favour with the Lord be not then afraid to goe to him Let not the feare of thy former past sins nor of thy continuall weakness be an occasion to hinder thee of thy happiness but let the assurance of the pardon of thy sins and the certainty of the promise to strengthen thy weakness animate thee to goe confidently to the throne of grace There do not imagine that thou seest thy sins stand as a thick cloud to keep thy prayers from ascending to the presence of thy God nor think that through that dark cloud thou seem'st unseemly in the eyes of thy loving father be not thou ignorant that the bright beames of his gracious favour hath dispersed those clouds of thy sins never to be gathered again together before his pure eyes Know thou that he will not let such fearfull sights and sad appearances to stand in his presence to afright his dear chosen children No my Soul such sights are not there he that cals thee hath removed from thee all those things which should hinder thy passage to him or disturbe thy quiet appearance before him He cals thee and bids thee be confident in his presence He assured thee by his word that thou shalt finde his spirit strengthning thy weakness and inabling thee to performe that which thou thoughtest impossible for thee to overcome My Soul he hath brought thee from thy straying errours he hath inabled thee to overcome the manifold temptations of thy suttle enemy when he would have
heavenly art and built up fit for a Temple for thy divine greatnesse to inhabite these thoughts fill me with a pleasing contentment But when the consideration of my vile condition in which by my too much yeelding to please my earthly companion comes into my minde I then hate my selfe for I have thereby made my self subject to all painfull diseases yea to mortality by my intemperance for how justly might I have pleas'd my selfe in the lawfull and temperate use of all thy other creatures and could not a whole world of pleasures content us but we must take that one forbidden My God! I am to my selfe a hatefull creature how much more must I needs be to thee whose eyes can behold no impurity but my dear Father look not now on me as I have cloath'd my self but look on me as new arrai'd by thy blessed Son the King of Saints And to settle the disturbed motion of my mind send downe a beam from thy glorious divinity that might so inlighten the eyes of my Soul that I might now behold my selfe as cloathed with thy self for thou wert pleas'd to cloath thy divine nature with my mortality that my mortall nature might be made immortall by being joyned to thy divinity My great God! these thoughts will not onely take off my hatred from my self but I fear if it be possible make me too much love and admire my selfe but it cannot be for that bright beame from thee makes me see my selfe not but in thee and with these thoughts hast thou so rais'd my Soul beyond what it was that I see my self cloath'd with the bright white robes of thy pure innocence for thou knowest no sin I now look on my selfe as sacred and on this flesh as immortall onely because it hath spoâ—ted it selfe with sin after thou hadst made it purer then the common earth therefore in the earth must it be laid again to be purified till it be fit to be new built up a glorious structure for her divine companion Then wilt thou take us both up into thy glorious habitation where we shall not be capable of doing any thing that shall any more cause us to part from our selves or thee I once immortall was Lord made by thee I that bliss lost But I againe it see Restor'd with more great Prince of Saints to me The Contempt of the World MY Gracious God! Doe I offend thee if I contemn the world I finde thy blest Apostle counting all but dung in respect of the knowledge of thee then by his example I hope I offend thee not but yet when I consider it is thy workman-ship which is most excellent and thou hast given it to the sons of men I cannot but call my thoughts in question with some suspition of fear of offending thee for my dear God! I confess that what I see most desired by people for themselves or for others is to me most displeasing and distastefull My powerfull God! if I doe not offend thee in it still keep me in this minde if I doe root out as it is my daily prayer this contempt and all things else that within me disliketh the pure eyes of thy divine Majesty My Lord Somewhat to clear my selfe to the world that I doe not offend in this point for thou knowest my heart I doe not contemn any thing in it as thinking meanly of it as thou hadst made it My great God! thou madest all things good at the beginning but since the making of them the perfection of all things is much changed Our sins altered the purity of all things in the world then as it is made sordid by our sins I distaste those odde things I see pleasing to the most But my Lord This may draw me into another inconvenience and make some thinke I thinke better of my selfe then of others for distasting those things sullyed with sin But I know thou wilt answer for me that I confess to thee that by nature I am sinfull addicted to love those things soyled by our sins so that it doth not make me think well of my self but it makes me love and admire thee the more when I see thy abundant mercy to me in giving me a minde so contrary to the most for I doubt not but thou hast made many in the world as happy as thou hast made me in giving them such a minde For my deare Father What do they atchieve when they attaine that here which they desire a few conveniences accompanied with ten thousand troubles fears and distastefull cares for I have often heard some express how happy they should be but for such and such inconveniences when I having food and raiment sufficient and possesse a heaven of felicity in thee am happy without a But. The Royal Gods MY Lord With what a Title hast thou honored the Kings of the earth I have said yee are Gods and the Children of the most high Thou hast given them that Title their desires pretended too to be Gods and to be of their race they that knew not thee my great God! nor from what true immortall race they sprung yet would have the world think them to be of divine linage and themselves to be gods And shall not wee who know from whom and by whom Kings reigne think our Princes to be as they are stil'd by that great King who set them to reigne for him God forbid but that we should so think of them and they of themselves He is the great God of the world and hath set them as lesser Gods under him to governe and protect that people over which he hath plac'st them The people must then honor their King as a God under him not observe or adore him above him and hee must esteem himselfe as a God â—ooâ— if he be of that great immortall race he will not degenerate but will be like to him He will be like a fiery pillar in the night of ignorance and darknesse to direct them which way they shall walk and as a cloud in the day of persecution to keep them from the pursuing adversary he will my God with thee hide them under his wings and they shall be safe under his protection hee will be just too punishing those who seek the destruction of thine and his people His bowels of mercy will be extended and he will not punish according to their deserts and rather then destruction shall shall come to thine and their people they will follow the example of that renowned Prince thy first-born Son they will with him a while leave their glory and take up with him an humble deportment and cry with him Thy will be done not mine They thus imitating thee their great patterne shall be blessedt by thee with eternall renown and crowned by thee in immortal glory but first thou hast said They must dye like men The Rule MY Lord What an infallible rule hast thou left us to know whether we be thine or no for if the preaching of
perfume that ever proceeded out of the earth was joyn'd with the odoriferous scent of righteousnesse from heaven Blessed Ioseph knew thy perfect body needed no imbalming That pure Balsam that came from heaven at the beginning kept thy precious body from corruption On the crosse was all that that was to be suffered in the body finished God would not suffer his holy one to see corruption truth made hast and sprung the third day from the earth and righteousness shewed her selfe from heaven in thee met mercy and truth righteousnesse and peace there kissed each other Now are they in thee conjoyn'd never againe to be separated 'T is not for ignorant man seeing thou hast not reveal'd it to examine what thou didd'st with thy precious soul when thy body was in the grave My Lord I will not search into those secrets kept in thine owne Cabinet Thou hast reveal'd enough to confirme my faith and to make me happy Thou hast told me That righteousnesse looked downe from heaven I will not expect thy coming from any other place The Acknowledgement MY Omnipotent God faine would I say something to thee but I am afraid But shall my womanish fear make thee loose thy glory My God it must not Thy glory must so dazle mine eyes that I must not regard the censure of the world And if thou O all-seeing eye seest ought of my selfe in what I write or say restraine my hand from writing and my tongue from speaking but if thy glory be the intention of my heart let not my hand and tongue be asham'd to confesse that I cannot but see those infinite blessings that thou hast bestowed on me which thou hast not as yet bestowed on all My Lord I were a fool if I did not see them I were a beast if I did not acknowledge them but thou hast taught me to know the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent into the world to take away my sins this wisdome given me by thee inlightens mine eyes to see thy blessings and that I must not be like a beast which receives many favours from thee without acknowledgment Then with infinite thankes I doe acknowledge to thy glory thou hast inriched me with a multitude of thy blessings And that I may know that whatsoever is in me tending to good is from thee there are times that I cannot see any thing that hath any appearance of good in me for when by thy mercies I lay me down in peace to take my rest being happy in the consideration of thy infinite mercies and full of thy goodnes yet in my fleep I finde my thoughts busied in nothing but a multitude of confused follies and vaine imaginations which plainly represent to me my naturall condition that by nature I cannot think a good thought but thou remembring thy mercies in the morning againe restorest to me thy gifts and graces in which I was happy the night before So that thou makest me to lye downe in peace and to rise with joy when I see that thou dost each day renue to me thy heavenly gifts for thou art to me as thou art to all that fear thee the light of my eyes the joy of my heart and a Crowne of glory to my head My Lord shall not these blessings of thine be acknowledged by me to thy praise and glory for fear the world should say I were proud of them Most people glory in something or other and thou hast said Let them that glory glory in the Lord. My God! thou hast heard my prayer that I leanrt of thy fervant that thou wouldst give me a glorying heart and now thou makest me with him to rejoyce in the God of my Salvation My Lord experience hath taught me to know that if I delight in earthly things thou wilt take them from me for thou wilt not have thy children delight in any thing more then in thy selfe But if we love thee thou wilt manifest thy selfe to us and wilt give us more full possession of thy desired selfe But my beloved Lord if after the expression of my excessive joy for being thine I shall through the frailty of mine owne nature and thy sufferance fall into any great transgression to make thee for a while to withdraw from me the pleasing and joyfull light of thy countenance My tender Father assure me that thou wilt againe restore me to the joy of thy salvation here in this world or thou wilt in thy mercy take me to a more full possession of thee in the felicity of thy chosen where I shall perpetually rejoyce with thy children But to make me carefull of my selfe let me remember thy warning Let him tha thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall The invincible Souldier MY Lord the Lord of Hosts I being in sweet security under thy banner cannot but acknowledge with thankes thy mercy to me for the meanes that brought me to this felieity Thou art mercifull to me in letting me be borne of Parents who were listed under thy command and to be brought up by her that did survive who knew thy service was perfect freedom She that was happy in being a Souldier of thine used her authority by love to bring her children under the obedience of that Generall whom she serv'd and â—o make me love him in my child-hood whom her experience had taught to love and admire inforc'd me to read his Royall story wherein I might see his victorio us conquest who was neverfoil'd There did I see his enemies had all their forces from him wherewithall they resisted him His wisdome his power his valour stole into my heart a little desire to follow him But when I came to consider what a great Prince I should serve what impenetrable weapons and armour he had provided for me to defend my self what rewards he had promis'd to give to all that did overcome I began to contemn the thoughts of serving any but that victorious Prince of glory And seeing greaâ— God thou hast bid us take that impenetrable armour I will not willingly ever goe without it Then dear Prince bestow on me the Girdle of Truth and put on me the brest-plate of thy Righteousnes and let my feet be shod with the Gospel of peace and let me have the shield of Faith and set on my head the Helmet of Salvation and instruct me how to weild the Sword of the Spirit and when I am so arm'd I shall not fear the fiery darts of the assailing enemies Though they be principalities and powers and rulers of darknes in this world My Prince whom I serve is a Ruler of those Rulers and will assist me yea the stars shall aid us in their courses against our adversaries That bright morning star shall arise on our side to enlighten us and to dazle and afright our weak-sighted resisters with his exceeding brightness The sweet influence that flows from that over-ruling star shall make us to renew our strength each houre to maintaine the
restor'd to thee by the second My body thou maist goe with my Soul and eat thy temporall bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart and thy garments may be pleasant and delighting and thy head want no odoriferous ointment for our bountiful and liberall God hath given us many creatures for pleasure and delight as well as for necessity but 't is with a restraint our bodies are of Adams race we must not touch that which is forbidden thou maist use them all with an innocency not with any sinister end or to thinke to make thy selfe like a God by them or with them but thou maist lawfully use them all to praise thy God for them and with them Thus my body thou seest thou art happy with my Soule and my Soul is happy in thee and you shall be both glorious together in Heaven and now my heart can wish no greater blisse on earth but my tongue must ever say To my Great God all glory bee That gives such blessings unto me Ambition MY Lord I will not winely desire to pry into thy Cabinet of secrets to finde out what was the reason why thou didst cast down those sometime bright Angels in Heaven now tormenting tormented spirits in hel but I have heard that some have thought that it was for having too ambitious and too high desires My Lord Could their desires be rais'd higher then are mine for I confesse mine reach unto thy Throne Nothing will now satisfie me but to be inthron'd with thee in glory I am grown so confident too that I aver those high desires in me to be lawfull and know that for them thou wilt not cast me from thee but wilt inthrone me with thee My Lord I see 't is dangerous to doe any thing in thy service without a command or a message from thee For I see many things done by thy command blest with felicity when without punisht with misery I finde no command given them for such desires but methinkes I hear that blest Apostle of thine when returned from his heavenly rapture cals to me and tels me from thee that I must seek those things that are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God and that my life is hid in Christ with thee so that now I seeking to attaine my high desires made lawfull by thy command am not onely placed on thy Throne by thee but I am in thee and those rebellious Spirits that sought to obtain their ambitious desires without thy commands are not onely cast out of thy blessed presence but also are for ever to be tormented in eternall misery Now on thy Throne thou hast plac'st me Great God with thee No greater blisse can wished be My Lord by me I now will set me downe and rest Being so high blest MY God! I will not doe good on earth to shine with thee in glory But because I will shine with thee in glory I will doe good on earth Vpon Peters denyall SAint Peter How well had it been hadst thou spoke and kept thy word for why shouldst thou be offended at thy good Master he telling thee that himselfe should be smitten you should but be scattered Had he told you that you should be smitten and he separated from you there might have been some reason you might have been offended but when himselfe was to be smitten and for your sakes too to secure you from eternall destruction Methinks the offence was taken on the contrary side But if in thy family it was so taken thou strict Prince of perfection no wonder if it be so in families of looser libertie and full of imperfection I doe not wonder to hear thee say Thou wilt not be offended but I wonder that thou wert not over-joyed to hear him telling thee that for all he should so suffer yet he would after he was risen goe before you into Galilee Methinks I should hear you filling the world with songs of thanks-giving for joy of that Kingdome he hath promised you from his Father and for the assurance he gave you of his resurrection rather then hear thee denying such a powerfull and loving Master with Oathes My Lord Let me with him not be ashamed to professe thee but keep me from the shame of denying thee or if thou maist gain glory by my fall give me with him abundance of teares and a heart and tongue to confesse my fault to thee and to the world that thou and they may see with him my repentance My Redemption acknowledged MY Lord Hast thou spoken it and shall it not be performed It is impossible Thou the Ruler of all the world hast by thy blessed Prophet bid that they which are redeemed by the Lord declare with praise how he hath redeemed them from the hand of the oppressor rather then thy word should not be fulfil'd to thy faithful friend Thou vvilt raise him children out of the dust of the earth rather then this command not be performed thou vvilt raise me who am as one out of the dust to be one of them that must declare vvith praise hovv thou hast delivered me from the hands of mine enemies And though I finde it a thing now adays done but by few and so by doing it may make my self a wonder and ridiculous to the world and some other womanish reasons that might detaine me from it yet I cannot but know thou hast redeemed me and I must confesse it was thou alone my great God that hast done it for it was none but the great God and Ruler of the world that could deliver me out of the hands of that great enemy of mine and of all man kind that Prince that rules in the aire who goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking each minute to devour us Out of the arms and power of that fiery enemy hast thou unparalel'd Conqueror delivered me else had I been led captive to his will For that great deliverance of thine my Soul shall render thee continuall praise It was thou O great Prince of life and death that triumphed over death thou only canst deliver me from the feare of death and make me imbrace it with a Heaven of contentment It is onely thou my Lord who alone dost arise to them that fear thy name with healing in thy wings canst and hast cur'd me of to man uncurable diseases Thou hast cur'd me too of the plague of my own heart No Conqueror did Conquer ought But o're what Death had power Thou Conqueror hast Conquer'd Death Which Conquer'd us each houre PSALME Thou hast compast me about with Songs of Deliverance BLessed King Well maist thou say Thou shouldst be compast about with Songs of deliverance when the Lord of Hosts was thy hiding place with him are noâ— Complainers in his presence is nothing but joy those that are under the protection of his pleasant wings cannot but have their hearts full of excessive joy which moves their tongues to sing songs of praises and thanksgiving to