Beneath which it was necessary that we should be made To the 〈◊〉 we might be governed In a righteous Kingdom But couldst thou not have remitted our Knowledge and established to thy self a righteous Kingdom without composing our Bodies or the World By the Fall of some we know O Lord That the Angels were tried Which are invisible Spirits Needing not the World Nor clothed in Bodies Nor endued with Senses For our Bodies therefore O Lord for our earthly Bodies hast thou made the World Which thou so lovest that thou hast supremely magnified them by the works of thy hands And made them Lords of the whole Creation Higher than the Heavens Because served by them More glorious than the Sun Because it ministreth to them Greater in Dignity than the material World Because the end of its Creation Revived by the Air Served by the Seas Fed by the Beasts and Fowls and Fishes Our pleasure Which fall as Sacrifices to Thy glory Being made to minister and attend upon us O Miracle Of divine Goodness O Fire O flame of Zeal and Love and Joy Even for our earthly bodies hast thou created all things All things Visible All things Material All things Sensible Animals Vegetables Minerals Bodies celestial Bodies terrestrial The four Elements Volatile Spirits Trees Herbs and Flowers The Influences of Heaven Clouds Vapors Wind Dew Rain Hail and Snow Light and Darkness Night and Day The Seasons of the Year Springs Rivers Fountains Oceans Gold Silver and precious Stones Corn Wine and Oyl The Sun Moon and Stars Cities Nations Kingdoms And the Bodies of Men the greatest Treasures of all For each other What then O Lord hast thou intended for our Souls who givest to our Bodies such glorious things Every thing in thy Kingdom O Lord Conspireth to mine Exaltation In every thing I see thy Wisdom and Goodness And I praise the Power by which I see it My Body is but the Cabinet or Case of my Soul What then O Lord shall the Jewel be Thou makest it the heir of all the profitable trades and occupations in the World And the Heavens and the Earth More freely mine More profitably More gloriously More comfortably Than if no man were alive but I alone Yea though I am a Sinner thou lovest me more than if thou hadst given all things to me alone The sons of men thou hast made my treasures Those Lords Incarnate Cherubims Angels of the World The Cream of all things And the sons of God Hast thou given to me and made them mine For endless Causes ever to be enjoyed Were I alone Briars and thorns would devour me Wild beasts annoy me My Guilt terrifie me The World it self be a Desart to me The Skies a Dungeon But mine Ignorance more The Earth a Wilderness All things desolate And I in solitude Naked and hungry Blind and brutish Without house or harbour Subject unto storms Lying upon the ground Feeding upon roots But more upon melancholy Because void of thee Therefore thou providest for me and for me they build and get and provide for me My Bread Drink Clothes Bed My Houshold stuff Books My Houshold stuff Utensils My Houshold stuff Furniture The use of Meats Fire Fuel c. They teach unto me provide for me While I O Lord exalted by thy hand Above the Skies in Glory seem to stand The Skies being made to serve me as they do While I thy Glories in thy Goodness view To be in Glory higher than the Skies Is greater bliss than 't is in place to rise Above the Stars More blessed and divine To live and see than like the Sun to shine O what Profoundness in my Body lies For whom the Earth was made the Sea the Skies So greatly high our humane Bodies are That Angels scarcely may with these compare In all the heights of Glory seated they Above the Sun in thine eternal day Are seen to shine with greater gifts adorn'd Than Gold with Light or Flesh with Life suborn'd Suns are but Servants Skies beneath their feet The Stars but Stones Moons but to serve them meet Beyond all heights above the World they reign In thy great Throne ordained to remain All Tropes are Clouds Truth doth it self excel Whatever Heights Hyperboles can tell O that I were as David the sweet Singer of Israel In meeter Psalms to set forth thy Praises Thy Raptures ravish me and turn my soul all into melody Whose Kingdom is so glorious that nothing in it shall at all be unprofitable mean or idle So constituted That every one's Glory is benesicial unto all and every one magnified in his place by Service What is man O Lord that thon art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Kings in all their Glory minister to us while we repose in peace and safety Priests and Bishops serve at thine Altar guiding our Bodies to eternal Glory Physicians heal us Courts of Judicature stand open for our preservation The Outgoings of the morning and evening rejoyce to do us service The holy Angels minister unto us Architects and Masons build us Temples The Sons of Harmony fill thy Quires Where even our sensible bodies are entertained by thee with great magnificence and solaced with Joys Jesus Christ hath washed our feet He ministred to us by dying for us And now in our humane body fitteth at thy right hand in the throne of Glory As our Head For our Sakes Being there adored by Angels and Cherubims What is it Lord That thou so esteemest us Thou passed'st by the Angels Pure Spirits And didst send thy Son to die for us That are made of both Soul and Body Are we drawn unto thee O why dost thou make us So thy treasures Are Eyes and Hands such Jewels unto thee What O Lord are Tongues and Sounds And Nostrils unto thee Strange Materials are visible bodies Things strange even compared to thy Nature Which is wholly spiritual For our sakes do the Angels enjoy the visible Heavens The Sun and Stars Thy terrestrial Glories And all thy Wisdom In the Ordinances of Heaven In the Seasons of the Year Wondering to see thee by another way So highly exalting dust and ashes Thou makest us treasures And joys unto them Objects of Delight and spiritual Lamps Whereby they discern visible things They see thy Paradise among the sons of men Thy Wine and Oyl thy Gold and Silver By our Eyes They smell thy Perfumes And taste thy Honey Milk and Butter By our Senses Thy Angels have neither ears nor eyes Nor tongues nor hands Yet feel the Delights of all the World And hear the Harmonies not only which Earth but Heaven maketh The melody of Kingdoms The joys of Ages Are Objects of their joy They sing thy Praises for our sakes While we upon Earth are highly exalted By being made thy Gifts And Blessings unto them Never their contempt More their amazement And did they not love us Their Envy hereafter But now their Joy When our Glory being understood We shall
giving me the Bible in such a manner In no doubtful narrow private Way Hast thou sent it to me But in a way Sublime Most High Rich Heavenly In a way most Large Profound Glorious Solemn Wonderful In all Ages hast thou been preparing it By all kind of Miracles Sealed it By the Ministry of Patriarchs and Prophets Crowning it By Apostles Publishing it By Tongues Adorning it By Prophecie fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled an Evidence greater than all that can else be imagined Confirming it By Successes exalting it By the humble Submission Distance Acknowledgment Reverence Of Kingdoms Fathers Sages crowned Emperours in the Lands and Ages Making it Eminent By the Materials in it supremely Enriching it O my God Hadst thou sent it to me by the Ministry of Angels it had not been capable of the Glory that now is in it Nor had the manner of thy giving it Been so Celestial Divine and clear Hadst thou sent it to me alone It had been infinitely less Less Obliging Less Effectual Had all the Counsel of the H. Cherubims Conspired together To have written a Book Had they taken Pens from the wings of Seraphims Had they drawn the Characters in Gold and Pearl Nor For Beauty more excellent Nor For manner more Gorgeous Nor For Materials more Rich Nor For any thing more Heavenly Divine Blessed Could they have sent it to us To me O Lord to me it cometh Mine hast thou made that Glorious Treasure An infinitie of Worth A World of Delight is included in it An alsufficient Ocean swims in its Womb For all Occasions An endless Mine of Profitable Variety Times Elixar The Quintessence of Ages Wisdoms Treasury The Magazine of History The Incense Light and Leaven Of this Earthly World A Collection of Experiences Fraught with Counsels Embassies of Angels Judgments Mercies Commandments Denunciations Threatnings Promises Affections Mirrours For all Estates Prosperity Adversity Sickness Health Life Death Liberty Bondage Peace War Riches Poverty Subjection Dominion Captivity Victorie Virginity Marriage Youth Old Age Priesthood Laity City Country Innocency Misery Grace Glory Affording Presidents for all these upon all occasions Advice Encouragement Blessing Caution Blessing O my God what endless Streams of Living Waters flow down from so little and small a Fountain To revive the Barrenness Of this Languishing World Here I behold the fate of Kingdoms Their Destinies Sores Remedies and Cures Consolations for the Poor and Broken hearted Instructions for Families Documents for the World Terrors to the Evil Encouragements and Delights for the Good and Blessed The Creation of Heaven and Earth Adam's Paradise The Fall of Man The Drowning of the World The Genealogie of Nations The confusion of Lahguages The computation of Ages Abraham made the Friend of God And Blessing to Mankind Joseph's Chastity and Charity Moses's Miracles The Ceremonial Law That curious Gospel In ancient Hieroglyphicks Israel's Victories Settlement Judges Samuel's Government David's Melody Solomon's Temple Proverbs Wisdom Riches Peace and Kingdom All abundantly flowing to my Bosom Elijab's Zeal Manasseb's Penitence Zedekiab's Bondage Israels Dispersion 〈◊〉 Captivity God's Long suffering Merciful Restitution Our Saviours Birth It s glorious Circumstances His Life Tranfiguration Passion Parables Resurrection Ascention into Heaven Our Kingdom and Priesthood Purchased by him Made conformable to his Example The Epistles of the Apostles Those Letters of Love and Eternal Wisdom The appearance of Glory and Heaven opened in the Revelation All these hath my God given me with ten thousand times greater Profit and Advantage than if he had given them to me alone Multitudes of Publishers Nations of Admirers Ages of Adorers Increase my Joys Had they come to me in a Hidden Private Narrow VVay I might sear some Dream Or worse Illusion The Amplitude of God in all his Magnisicence had been too much straitened Concealed Taken away To me denied Indeed abolished But now I see him in all Kingdoms Glorifying his Name shewing his Goodness to ma ny Thousands Making Me Making Every one beside The Heir of it all I know him to be God By the greatness of his Love The universality of his Care The bright continuance of his Eternal Wisdom And see his Oracles exalted on the Desks In many Temples Countenanced by Kings Ratified by Parliaments Joyfully Sounded from many thousand Pulpits Had an Angel brought me this Glorious Book Being not prepared the other way O how poor desolate and miserable The World had been No Revelations in other Ages No Miracles No Ministry of Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles No Acclamations of joyful People No Delights of God in other Kingdoms Yea no Companions should I have then enjoyed but in a Wilderness of Infidels surrounded with Rebels through all Persecutions in a Night of Darkness Dearth of Holiness World of Vices Reproaches Enemies must I have Entered into Glory Blessed therefore be the Lord my God For the fulness of his Love I rejoyce in the manner of thy Revelation It shews the Depth and Infinity of thy Nature The coming of Cherubims had been but a Toy A Feather in comparison By the Ministry of thousands Hath it been Confirmed in all Kingdoms Enlarged Crowned Rooted Beautified And for these Causes by thy Servant Peter is so preferred For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the Coming and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ but were Eye Witnesses of his Majesty For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the Excellent GLORY This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light which shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day star arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1. 16 c. A more sure Word of Prophesie Written in the Volume of the Book Preferred above the voice that came from the Excellent Glory at the Transfiguration of Christ upon Mount Tabor For these Causes doth our Saviour prefer Moses and the Prophets above the Testimony of our rising from the Dead Yea which is Wonderful above the Power of his own Words And when the H. Ghost was given and spake in the Apostles Notwithstanding all the Miracles he gave them to atcheive He submitted to the Tryals of the H. Scriptures Teach me O Lord to Magnify with Joy What thou hast magnified Open thou mine Eyes that I may see the great things In that Map of Heaven Let it be a Clew A Gale of Air A Golden Chain Coming from thy Throne Raising me to Glory By them am I taught how here upon Earth to walk with God which is the Great Mystery the Master point of skill in thine Eternal Kingdom Appendix to the former Thanksgiving ANd now O Lord How infinite indeed is every Sin How infinite thy Love How high the Glory and
shine as the Sun In thy heavenly Kingdom From whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Then shall each Limb a spring of Joy be found And ev'ry Member with its Glory crown'd While all the Senses fill'd with all the Good That ever Ages in them understood 〈◊〉 are Containing Worlds of Treasure At one Delight with all their Joy and Pleasure From whence like Rivers Joy shall overflow Affect the Soul though in the Body grow Return again and make the Body shine Like Jesus Christ while both in one combine Mysterious Contracts are between the Soul Which touch the Spirits and by those its Bowl The Marrow Bowels Spirits melt and move Dissolving ravish teach them how to love He that could bring the Heavens thro the Eye And make the World within the Fancy lie By beams of Light that closing meet in one From all the Parts of his celestial Throne Far more than this in framing Bliss can do Instame the Body and the Spirit too Can make the Soul by Sense to feel and see And with her Joy the Senses wrap'd to be Yea while the Flesh or Body subject lies To those Aflections which in Souls arise All holy Glories from the Soul redound And in the Body by the Soul abound Are felt within and ravish ev'ry Sense With all the Godheads glorious Excellence Who found the way himself to dwell within As if even Flesh were nigh to him of kin His Goodness Wisdom Power Love divine Make by the Soul convey'd the Body shine Not like the Sun that earthly Darkness is But in the strengths and heights of all this bliss For God designs thy Body for his sake A Temple of the Deity to make But now O Lord how highly great have my Transgressions been who have abused this thy glorious Creature by Surseiting and Excess by Lust and Wantonness by Drunkenness by Passion by immoderate Cares excessive Desires and earthly Fears Yea had I been guilty of none of those had no Lies and Oaths polluted my Tongue no vain Imaginations 〈◊〉 my Heart no stealing my Hands nor idle Speeches profaned mine Ears Yet have I been wholly estranged from thee by the sinful Courses of this World by the Delusions of vain Conversation Being unsensible of these things I have been blind and dead profane and stupid seared and ingrateful and for living beneath such a glorious Estate may justly be excluded thine everlasting Kingdom Enable me to keep thy Temple 〈◊〉 Which thou hast prepared for thy self Turn away mine Eyes From beholding Vanity Enable me to wash my hands in Innocency That I may compass thme altar about And list up my Hands To thy Holy Oracle Put a Watch over the Door of my Lips That I speak not unadvisedly with my Tongue Let my Glory awake early in the morning To bring praises unto thee Enter O Lord the Gates of my Heart Bow down the Heavens O Lord And break open those Everlasting Doors That the King of Glory may enter in Let the Ark of thy Presence rest within me Let not Sin reign in our mortal Bodies that we should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither let us yield our Members as instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but let us yield our selves to God as those that are alive from the Dead and our Members as Instruments of Righteousness to God Rom. 6. My Beloved put in his Hand by the Hole of the Door and my Bowels were moved for him I rose up to open to my beloved and my Hands dropped with Myrrh and my singer with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the Handles of the Lock O my beloved be not as a Wayfaring Man that turneth aside to tarry but for a Night Thou hast ravished mine Heart with one of thine Eyes How fair is thy Love my Sister my Spouse How much better is thy Love than Wine and the smell of thine Oyntments than all Spices Thy Lips O my Spouse drop as an Hony Comb Hony and Milk are under thy Tongue and the small of thy Garments is as the smell of Leb mon Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Return O my Love I would lead thee and bring thee Into my Mothers House I would kiss thee yet should I not be despised O let me live in thy Bosom for ever O Infinite God Center of my Soul Convert me powerfully unto thee that in thee I may take Rest for thou didst make me for thee and my heart 's unquiet till it be united to thee And seeing O Eternal Father thou didst create me that I might love thee as a Son give me Grace that I may love thee as my Father O only begotten Son of God Redeemer of the World seeing thou didst Create and Redeem me that I might Obey and Imitate thee make me to Obey and Imitate thee in all thy imitable Persection O Holy Ghost seeing thou didst create me to Sanctify me do it O do it for thine own Glory that I may acceptably praise and serve the holy and 〈◊〉 Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Amen Let all thy Creatures bless thee O Lord and my Soul praise and bless thee for them all I give thee Thanks for the being thou givest unto the Heavens Sun Moon Stars and Elements to Beasts Plants and all other Bodies of the Earth to the Fowls of the Air the Fishes of the Sea I give thee thanks for the beauty of Colours for the harmony of Sounds for the pleasantness of Odours for the sweetness of Meats for the warmth and softness of our Raiment and for all my five Senses and all the Pores of my Body so curiously made as before recited and for the Preservation as well as Use of all my Limbs and Senses in keeping me from Precipices Fraetures and Dislocations in my Body from a distracted discomposed confused discontented Spirit Above all I praise thee for manifesting thy self unto me whereby I am made capable to praise and magnify thy name for evermore Thanksgivings for the Soul I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all Generations And the Heavens shall praise thy Wonders O Lord thy faithfulness also in the Congregation of the Saints The Heavens shall praise thy Wonders But more the Powers of my immortal Soul Which thou hast made more excellent than the Clouds and greater than the Heavens O Lord I rejoyce and am exceeding glad Because of thy Goodness In Creating the World In Giving Brightness to the Sun In Ruling the Sea In Framing the Limbs and Members of my Body But much more abundantly For the Glory of my Soul Which out of Nothing thou hast builded To be a Temple unto God A living Temple of thine Omnipresence An understanding Eye A Temple of Eternity
all things as he enjoyeth them Goodness To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them Love To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them In thy Likeness In Communion with Thee As Sons and Heirs As Kings and Priests As Brides and Friends As Coheirs with Christ As Partakers of the Divine Nature To the Praise of thy Glory To the Joy of thy Son By the Power of thy Spirit Dwelling in us Let him who is the Light of the World Be insinitly Profitable unto us The Light of Life to quicken our Sence The Light of Love to enflame with Goodness The Light of Knowledge to open our eyes O the Joy and Treasure of our Souls Jesus our Saviour Christ the anointed of the Lord Anointed for and given to us Thou artthe Purchaser of all our Glory And thy fruition of it The great Example Teaching us to enjoy it How were thine Affections here upon earth Present with all Families Present with all Kingdoms Present with all Ages Of what Esteem was every Soul in all the World By being the Image of thy Fathers Person Thou art thy self the brightness of his Glory His Son The Heir of all things Heb. 1. 〈◊〉 2 3. And the Glory which he hath given thee Thou hast give unto us Job 17. 22. O let us all with open Face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord be transformed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 13. 18. Make us to understand the Power which thou hast given us to become the Sons of God Teach us to use it For now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Jo. 3. 2. Thy Father needeth not The Heavens or the Earth The Seas or Stars The Clouds or Trees or Fields or Rivers For us he made them and Enjoyeth them only by his 〈◊〉 Goodness And love unto us He needeth not Cherubims He needeth not Angels He needeth not Men Being insinitely Blessed Without beginning His goodness enjoyeth them Only by this he exalteth them to Glory His Goodness enjoyeth them By making them Blessed And by the pleasure he taketh To see them sitting Like God himself In the Throne of Heaven His Goodness only needeth them And it is his Glory that his Goodness needeth them That God from all Eternity should infinitely Delight in exalting others Create them out of nothing Make them his Image By Almighty Power Give himself to one By infinite Love Communicate himself wholly to all his Hosts By eternal Wisdom That having no use of them But meerly to imploy his Goodness Advance them and Crown them He should infinitely desire to see them blessed This is his Glory Whose Goodness is his Wisdom For by that doth he inherit all his Works His Blessedness also For so good he is that himself is crowned In every Creature Himself enjoyeth the happiness of Angels Infinitely delighteth in the Blessedness of Men And by the way of Eminence Includeth all things Being therefore himself the object of Delight The exceeding Joy Ps. 43. Of all his Creatures His Goodness is so great That then he most enjoyeth himself When he is enjoyed He loveth to be seen and delighted in To be the Glory Joy and Treasure Of all his Hosts He loveth to be delighted in Because he delighteth To be The Sun of every Eye The crown of every head The Jewel and the Joy of Every Bosom Who when he is the object of all our Joy The delight of Angels The Ineffable Fathomless Eternal Object of all Delight To all his Creatures To all his Kingdoms To all his Ages Is then himself in eternal Glory Our Author and our End Enjoying himself By that which is himself His infinite Goodness Our Joy and Blessedness O then why should not we Ponder upon the Goodness Of our Author and our End And imitate the Goodness Upon which we ponder Since as he is our Author by doing all Things for us So he is our End by calling us to contemplate what he hath done Especially what he is Whose Love is his Blessedness Since as thou O Father enjoyest all things In creating us to Glory Thine eternal Son enjoyth all things In Redeeming them for us And us for them And by the joy that he taketh In seeing us attain The End of our Redemption Yea since the Holy Ghost by Goodness enjoyeth all Things In his Elect People When having healed their Rebellion He notwithstanding their Wilfulness Openeth their Eyes Dwelleth in them Guideth their Thoughts Enliveneth their Hearts Giveth them Power And maketh them by his Grace To enjoy God In all his Works Ways Counsels Thoughts and Attributes Since goodness in the Father Since goodness in the Son and Since goodness in the Holy Ghost Are Wisdom Glory Are Peace and Blessednes Why should not we by Goodness alone Be fraught with Wisdom Glory Be fraught with Peace Blessedness And enjoy all things as God doth By delighting in his Blessedness In the Blessedness of Christ our Lord In the Blessedness of God the H. Ghost In the Blessedness of Angels and Men Especially since the Blessed of God and them is Goodness indeed the Delight which they take in our happiness O Goodness inessable Who never more expressest thy Goodness Than by making Creatures like Thee Sovereign and supreme in Goodness Restore us by thy Son and thy Holy Spirit By the Merits of the one By the Working of the other To the similitude of that Goodness Whereby thou enjoyest thy self in all things Enable us to delight in thee our God For loving us so Gloriously To delight in thy Highness In the Blessedness of thy Son In the Godhead and Blessedness of the H. Ghost In the Joy of Angels Cherubims That our selves in thy Likeness and Men May be the Joy and Blessedness Of all thy Hosts Thy Blessedness O Lord in all thy Creatures The Crown of thy Works The Centre of thy Beams The Temple of thy Goodness Thy peculiar Treasures For by this O Lord shall we Reign in Glory And now most holy Father I crave strength Eternally to perform my great desire Of Glorifying Thee Praising Thee Blessing Thee For all the Riches of thine eternal Love In the Redemption of the World Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Goodness In giving thy Son I should never have understood That thou givest us all things Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Love In giving all Things In making them Meet to be heavenly Treasures And giving us Powers endless to enjoy them I could scarcely have believed The giving of thy Son But now with Joy I praise thy glorious Name Because having made me In the best of manners Which is in thine Image To enjoy all things I know thou hast Redeemed me By the Death of thy Son And feel in my self a Nature answerable to the greatness
in its Womb In every moment an infinity of Joys Thy Ways O my God are infinitely Delicious From the beginning until now Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Wisdom Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Goodness Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Power Are in every thing Magnified Are in every thing Perfectly exalted Towards all thy Creatures Thy Condescention in creating the Heavens And the Earth Is wholly Wonderful Thy Bounty to Adam To me in him Most Great and Infinite Blessed be thy Name for the Employment thou gavest him More Glorious than the World To see thy Goodness Contemplate thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Love Be Ravish'd with thy Riches Sing thy Praises Enjoy thy Works Delight in thy Highness Possess thy Treasures And much more Blessed be thy H. Name For Restoring me by the Blood of Jesus To Thy glorious Works To Those blessed Emploments It is my Joy O Lord to see the Perfection of thy Love towards us in that Estate The Glory of thy Laws The Blessedness of thy Works The Highness of thine Image The Beauty of the Life that there was to be led In Communion with Thee Those intended Joys are mine O Lord In thee my God In Jesus Christ In every Saint In every Angel But the glorious Covenant so graciously renewed O the Floods the Seas the Oceans Of Honey and Butter contained in it So many thousand Years since my standing Treasure O reach me to Esteem it O reach me to Reposite it in my Family As that which by its Value is made sacred Infinitely Sacred because infinitely Blessed How ought our first Fathers To have esteemed that Covenant To have laid it up for their Childrens Children As the choicest Treasure The Magna Charta of Heaven and Earth By which they held their Blessedness The Evidence of their Nobility The antient Instrument of their League with God Their pledge claim to eternal Glory The sacred Mystery of all their Peace But they Apostatized and provoked thy Displeasure Sixteen hundred and fifty six Years Till thou did'st send a Flood that swept them away Yet did'st thou give them The Rite of Sacrificing The Lamb of God To betoken his Death From the beginning of the World Shewedft them thy Glory And that of Immortality By Enochs Translation Of which me also hast thou made the heir In the midst of Judgments thou hadst mercy on Noah And saved'st us both In an ARK by Water That Ark is mine Thy Goodness gave it me By preserving my Being and Felicity in it It more serveth me there where it is 〈◊〉 Than if all its Materials were now in my In that Act did'st thou reveal thy Glory As much as by the Creation of the World itself Reveal thy Glory to me and by many such Dispel the foggs of Ignorance and 〈◊〉 That else would have benighted And drowned my Soul The Rainbow is a Seal Of thyrenewed Covenant For which to day I praise thy Name As for the wicked They revolted back from the Life of God But the holy Sages brightly shined Whom thy Goodness prepared To be the Light of the World Melchisedec North 〈◊〉 himself In whom thy Goodness Blessed Me thy Servant In whom thy Goodness Blessed And all Nations Whom thy Goodness chiefly Blessed by making a Blessing When the World would have extinguished Knowledge And have lost thy Covenant Thou heldest the Clew and maintained'st my Lot and sufferedst not all to perish for ever Out of the Loins of thy beloved Thy Glory form'd a Kingdom for thy self Govern'd by Laws Made famous by Miracles 〈◊〉 by Mercy 's Taught from Heaven 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Witness thou dwelledst among them Thy Servant David in most Solemn 〈◊〉 sang Thy Praises Thy Glory appeared in Solomon's Temple But more in his Wisdom And the Prosperity of thy People Thy Prophers in their order ministred to us The concealed Beauty of thy Ceremonies Is wholly mine To me they exhibit in the best of Hieroglyphicks JESUS CHRIST The Glory of their Ministery Service and Expectation For two thousand Years is my Enjoyment For my sake and for thy Promise sake Did thy goodness forbear When their Sins had provoked Thee To destroy them wholly How did thy Goodness in the time of Distress Watch over them for Good When like a Spark in the Sea They were almost wholly Extinguished In the Babilonish Waves How Lord did'st thou Work in that Night of Darkness Making thy Glory and the Glory of Love More to appear Then was 〈◊〉 Welfare turning upon the hinge Our Hope gasping for a little Life Our Glory brought to the pits brink And beyond the possibility of human remedy Endangered in the Extinction of that Nution How then did thy Power shine In making Nehemiah the Kings Cupbearer Hester Queen Mordecai a Prince The three Children cold in the furnace Daniel Lord chief President of 127 Provinces Zorobbabel and Ezra especial favorites And in sending thy people home Without any Ransom That the influence of thy promise Might surely descend And our Saviour arise out of Davids Loins Be born at Bethlehem Crucified at Jerusalem According to the Prophesies That went before concerning him Blessed Lord I magnific thy holy Name For his Incarnation For the Joy of the Angels that sang his praises For the Star of his Birth For the Wise men's Offerings that came from the East For the Salutation of thy handmaid Mary For the Ravishing Song of the blessed Virgin For the Rapture and Inspiration of Zacharias thy Servant For the Birth of John our Saviours forerunner O Lord Who would have believed that such a worm as I should have had such Treasures In thy celestial Kingdom In the Land of Jury 3000 miles from hence So great a Friend such a Temple Such a Brest plate Glittering with Stones of endless price Such Ephod Mytre Altar Court Priest and Sacrifices All to shew me my Lord and Saviour By the Shining Light of nearer Ages By the Universal consent of many Nations By the Most powerful Light of thy blessed Gospel See that remoter in the Land of Jury More clearly to shine The universal Good which redounded to all Is poured upon me The root being beautified by all its branches The fountain enriched and made famous by its streams Their Temple Sacrifices Oracles Scriptures Ceremonies Monuments of Antiquity Miracles Transactions Hopes Have received credit and magnificence by successes By the Lustre Authority and Glory By the Conviction of Ages By the Acknowledgment of Sages By the Conversion of Philosophers By the Of Flourishing Cities Empires 〈◊〉 and mighty States All which enamel the Book of God And enrich it more for mine exaltation The very Trees and Fruits and Fields and Flowers that did service unto them Flourished for me And here I live Praising thy Name For the silencing of Oracles And the flight of Idolatry For demolishing the Temple When its Service ended For permitting the Jews In severity to them For permitting the Jews In mercy to me To kill my Saviour For
In the Tabernacle p. 115. l. 8. for to r. by p. 124. l. 〈◊〉 r. Glory p. 129. l. 20. r. how can A Serious and Pathetical CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same Thanksgivings for the Body BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who 〈◊〉 all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and 〈◊〉 mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles O Lord who art clothed with Majesty My desire is to praise thee With the holy Angels and Archangels To glorisie thee And with all thy Saints in the Church triumphant For the eternal brightness Of thine insinite bounty The freedom of thy love Wherein thou excellest the beams of the Sun To celebrate thee I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How precious are thy thoughts also unto me O God! How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand When I awake I am still with thee Blessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God! For ever blessed be thy holy Name For that I am made The work of thy hands Curiously wrought By thy divine Wisdom Enriched By thy Goodness Being more thine Than I am mine own O Lord Thou hast given me a Body Wherein the glory of thy Power shineth Wonderfully composed above the Beasts Within distinguished into useful parts Beautified without with many Ornaments Limbs rarely poised And made for Heaven 〈◊〉 filled With celestial Spirits Veins wherein Blood floweth Refreshing all my flesh Like Rivers Sinews fraught with the mystery Of wonderful Strength Stability Feeling O blessed be thy glorious Name That thou hast made it A Treasury of Wonders Fit for its several Ages For Dissections For Sculptutes in Brass For Draughts in Anatomy For the Contemplation of the Sages Whose inward parts Enshrined in thy Libraries Are The Amazement of the Learned Are The Admiration of Kings and Queens Are The Joy of Angels Are The Organs of my Soul Are The Wonder of Cherubims Those blinder parts of resined Earth Beneath my Skin Are sull of thy Depths For Many thousand Uses For Hidden Operations For Unsearchable Offices But for the diviner Treasures wherewith thou hast endowed My Brains Mine Eyes My Heart Mine Ears My Tongue My Hands O what Praises are due unto thee Who hast made me A living Inhabitant Of the great World And the Centre of it A sphere of Sense And a mine of Riches Which when Bodies are dissected fly away The spacious Room Which thou hast hidden in mine Eye The Chambers for Sounds Which thou hast prepar'd in mineEar The Receptacles for Smells Concealed in my 〈◊〉 The feeling of my Hands The taste of my Tongue But above all O Lord the Glory of Speech whereby thy Servant is enabled with Praise to celebrate thee For All the Beauties in Heaven and Earth The melody of Sounds The sweet Odours Of thy Dwelling place The delectable pleasures that gratisie my Sense That gratify the feeling of Mankind The Light of History Admitted by the Ear. The Light of Heaven Brought in by the Eye The Volubility and Liberty Of my Hands and Members Fitted by thee for all Operations Which the Fancy can imagine Or Soul desire From the framing of a Needle 's Eye To the building of a Tower From the squaring of Trees To the polishing of Kings Crowns For all the Mysteries Engines Instruments wherewith the World is filled which we are able to frame and use to thy Glory For all the Trades variety of Operations Cities Temples Streets Bridges Mariners Compass admirable Picture Sculpture Writing Printing Songs and Musick wherewith the World is beautified and adorned Much more for the Regent Life And Power of Perception Which rules within That secret depth of sathomless Consideration That receives the information Of all our senses That makes our centre equal to the Heavens And 〈◊〉 in it self the magnitude of the World The involved 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 common sense The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 fancy The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Of things that are past The 〈◊〉 of things to come Thy 〈◊〉 be glorified For evermore For all the art which thou hast hidden In this little piece Of red clay For the workmanship of thy hand Who didst thy self form man Of the dust of the ground And breath into his Nostrils The breath of Life For the high Exaltation whereby thou hast glorified every body Especially mine As thou didst thy Servant Adam's in Eden Thy Works themselves speaking to me the same thing that was said unto him in the beginning WE ARE ALL THINE And why O Lord wouldst thou so delight To magnify the dust 〈◊〉 from the ground From the dark obscurity of a silent Grave Thou raisest it O Lord Herein indeed Thou raisest the poor out of the dust and 〈◊〉 the needy out of the dunghil That thou mayst set him with Princes even with the Princes of thy people But why would the Lord take pleasure in creating an earthly Body why at all in making a visible World Couldst thou not have made us immortal Souls and seated us immediately in the throne of Glory O Lord thou lover of Righteousness Whose Kingdom is everlasting Who lovest to govern thy Subjects by Laws and takest delight to distribute Rewards and Punishments according to right Thou hast hidden thy self By an infinite miracle And made this World the Chamber of thy presence the ground and theatre of thy righteous Kingdom That putting us at a distance A little from thee Thou mayst satisie the Capacities Of thy righteous Nature Thou wast always sit to reign like a King Able to rule by the best of Laws To distribute the greatest Rewards and Punishments That therefore thou might'st raise up Objects for these Thou hast seated us at a little distance from thee Not 〈◊〉 respect of thy Ubiquity but degree of Knowledge In Heaven thou 〈◊〉 ellest As a Bridegroom with thy Bride A Father with thy Children A King with Kings Governours and Peers Shewing and manifesting all thy Glory Unto which thou wouldst have us first to come As humble and obedient Servants That in us thou mightst see Ingenuity Thanksgiving Fidelity Wisdom Love Even to an absent Benefactor There is the Kingdom of eternal Glory Beyond which can be no Rewards The highest of all being there attained In which can be no trial Blessedness being seen with open face
to 〈◊〉 That Nature never gave to any thing a power in vain To what end therefore am I endned with these eternal Powers The similitude of thy Greatness in my Soul Infinity in my Soul Eternity in my Soul Is it not that I might live In the simili tude of thy Wisdom towards all thy Creatures Goodness towards all thy Creatures Holiness towards all thy Creatures For to nothing that is without the reach of my Comprehension Can my Thoughts extend To nothing without the sphere of my Knowledge Can I behave my self Amiably Can I behave my self Beautifully Can I behave my self Wisely To the intent therefore that being wise like thee I might be just and good to all thy Creatures And be holy towards them in all my Ways And be holy towards them in all my Thoughts And be holy towards them in all my Affections Hast thou made me thus in thy great similitude That being wise and holy towards thee and all things as I ought to be I might evermore be gloriously blessed In thy diviner Likeness To which I am created O my God! In the contemplation of my Soul I see the Truth of all Religion Behold all the Mysteries of Blessedness Admire thy Greatness Rejoyce in thy Goodness Praise thy Power Adore thy Love Am ravished with thy Wisdom Transported Pleased with the beauty of thy 〈◊〉 Who hast made me 〈◊〉 best and greatest Like thee Thine Image Friend Son Bride More than thy Throne Thy 〈◊〉 Treasure Such wonderful Power hast thou created in me That I am able to do more than my Soul durst once attempt to imagine A greater Power have I received of thee Than that of creating Worlds Could I create Worlds and not enjoy them It would be to no purpose Could I create millions of Worlds and enjoy them all I could only enjoy created things In receiving a Power To enjoy all things I am made able to enjoy even thee Who art infinitely greater Thee in every thing Every thing in thee My self in all things for evermore I have received a Power infinitely greater Than that both of Creating and Enjoying Worlds Infinitely more Blessed Infinitely more Profitable Infinitely more Divine Infinitely more Glorious O Lord I am contented with my Being I rejoyce in thine infinite Bounty And praise thy Goodness I see plainly that thy love is infinite And having made me such a Creature I will put my Trust in Thee Could I have chosen what power soever I pleased I would have chosen this A Power to Please thee A Power to Enjoy thee In all the Varieties of Works and In all the Varieties of Creatures Compared unto these A Power To Divide the Sea Turn Mountains into Gold Command the Sun Trample upon Divels Raise up the Dead With whatsoever all the fancy of man can imagine or desire Is Very feebleness Is Unprofitable Vanity Is Foolish Childishness Blessed be thy Name that thou hast given me Power to Praise thee A Power not only to Comprehend The Magnanitude Being Nature Order Place of Things Bat to love their Goodness Prize their value Delight in their Beauty Rejoyce in the Benefits which I receive from them Which is Wholly to enjoy them These things thou commandest my Soul to do That I might be Wise and Holy Yet givest me Liberty To do what I please Not that thou art careless or indifferent what I chuse But because thou wouldest make me Blessed and Glorious An Object of Delight to thine Eternal Godhead And like unto thee the Joy and Blessing of all thy Creatures Who by Loving them freely As Thou dost Delighting in their Beauty And prizing their Goodness Shall my self be Beautiful in all their eyes Thine IMAGE O Lord To thee and them a peculiar Treasure The Works thou commandest thou infinitely desirest and tellest us plainly They are better than Wine More precious than Fruits More pleasant than Spices Living Waters Even to thee our God Which satisfy the fire of thine eternal Love Being desired of thee because they are necessary To our happiness My soul O Lord doth magnify thee Because out of nothing thou hast exalted thy Servant Requiring that I should do the works which thy soul commandeth And not another That the glory of such Deeds might shine in me And the pleasure of the goodness whereby I do them That being honoured in the eyes of Angels and Men I might be enlarged by them Acknowledged Received into their bosoms Delighted in Embraced Crowned Thou makest thy Bride All Glorious within And her own Works Shall praise her in the Gates While chiefly she is beautiful To thee her God Shineth in thine Image Reigneth in thy Throne Most in thy bosom They all delight to look upon her And in every work thou requirest of her Rivers of Oyl and Wine are hidden Yea living Streams of Divine Affection Which thou more prizest then Thousands of Rams and tens of thousands of Rivers of Oyl Then Worlds though Millions of Gold and Silver The Work of Love Is the Soveraign Delight Of all the Angels The Cream and Crown of all Operations The Cause Efficient and the end of all Things The Navil Which conveys all the Joys of Heaven and Earth Into the Soul of Man The Oyl wherewith We anoint The Gold wherewith We Crown Thy Holy Angels Thy Saints Thy Son Our selves in them And thee in all A Power in this have we received O Lord To please thee more And to enrich thy Kingdom with Greater Treasure Than if Creating Worlds We presented them at thy feet At the feet of thy Saints Of every Angel They all like Thee More Desire our Good Works Than Crowns and Scepters Which are Holy Treasures In communion with Thee For ever to be enjoyed By doing them our selves we are made thine Image That we should have the Glory Of being Crowned with the Beauty Of our own Works Is not 〈◊〉 but more thy Glory Infinitely more thy Glory and Joy Most Holy Lord How infinite is thy Thirst That we should perform the thing thou desirest O Lord Thou so loved'st us That for our perfect Glory Thou didst adventure into our hands A Power of displeasing thee Which very confidence of thine ought more to oblige me than all the things in Heaven and Earth faithfully to love thee But wo is me I have sinned against thee I have sinned O Lord And put an Object before thee Which thou infinitely hatest An ugly Object Of infinite 〈◊〉 From which it is impossible Thou should'st turn away thine eyes And hadst thou not loved me With a greater Love Than all this I must like Lucifer Have 〈◊〉 into the Pit Of eternal Perdition But thou hast redeemed me And therefore with Hallelujahs Do I praise thy Name Recourting the ancient Glories Which thou 〈◊〉 in my Soul And 〈◊〉 That infinitely more is left unsaid O my God Sanctify me by thy Spirit Make me a Temple of the Holy Ghost A willing Person in the day of thy Power Let my Saviour's Incarnation be
up in order unto thee When I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Psal. 40. 5. When I leave the Earth And ascend to thy Throne To see thy Glory above the Heavens There I am ravished with amazement and joy To see thy Love More great to thy Servant Than if thou hadst loved none besides Thou Sun of Righteousness Life and Glory Who gav'st thy self wholly to every Soul How wonderful are the Riches of thy manifold Wisdom Giving All things to One More than if they were given to him alone The Rays of the Sun Which shine in my eyes I know to be mine But those that fly to the utmost Stars That go to the Mountains Shine upon the Moon Are scattered and dispersed Over all the Heavens Seem to forsake me And fly wholly to other places Yet beautify the World And make me Possessor of all its glories They reflect again And closing in mine eye Cause me to see even all thy Glories Did that glorious Orb Of embodied Light Direct all his Beams to me I could not see him So perfectly as now If uniting into one they scorch'd me not A night of darkness Would still surround me The Heavens and the Earth Would to me be lost The beauty of all the Creatures be Buried in a Grave The World a Dungeon round about me Nor do those Rays which seem to leave me Illuminate alone They digest Gold Cherish Minerals Animate the Air Quicken Trees Excite the Influences of the very Heavens Melt the Waters Inspire living Creatures Ripen Fruits Perfect Flowers Raise Exhalations Cause the Rivers Begetting Propagating Enlivening all those Creatures Cherishing all those Creatures Preserving all those Creatures That are the life and beauty of my Habitation Thou hast created Cherubims Thou hast created Saints Thou hast created Angels Like Suns they shine Like Stars they serve Like Jewels they adorn Thy celestial Kingdom Their Beauty Love Melody Wisdom Order Goodness Ministry Power Their Thrones Joys and and Crowns Praises Make them like thee Whose Image they bear My supremest Treasures And me they serve As perfect Joys While I to them am made a Glory Hadst thou loved me and none besides Those glorious Hosts had never been Of those my Joys my soul had been bereaved More than thy self Hast thou given me In giving me beside thy self Those thine Images In every one of those As the Sun shineth both naked to mine eye Again in a mirror Hast thou given me thy self A second time But O the vast the 〈◊〉 the unconceivably sufficient and endless Powers Of mine immortal Soul That are able to enjoy thee Wholly in thy self Wholly in thy Son Wholly in each of all thine Hosts In advancing whom to the highest Thrones Thou hast employed thy Goodness Thou hast employed thy Wisdom Thou hast employed thy Power To enrich thy Servant With The Chief of Beings With Living Temples With Glorious Hosts With Second Selves With Inestimable Mirrors With Fellow-Members With Divinest Treasures In Communion with whom By all their Knowledge and Love enlarged I shall ever see thy glorious self In the unsearchable Excesses Of eternal Love Infinitely more than infinite In Glory for evermore Goodness for evermore Wisdom for evermore Blessedness for evermore Hadst thou created none but me alone And made me the Temple Of thine eternal Godhead In giving me thy self thy Bounty would be infinite In raising such Kings to love and see me Who are each thine Image Who are each thine Friend and Who are each thine Son Thy Love is more By giving me thy self In each of them Infinitely insinite O Lord I am transported With the Excesses of thy Love By making them thy Likeness As thou gavest me thy self Thou givest me them Employing all thy Wisdom Employing all thy Goodness Employing all thy Power In making them thine Image That in the Likeness of thy Glory That in the Likeness of thy Love and That in the Likeness of thy Blessedness They might be to me What my God is Each one A shining Light Each one An exceeding Joy Each one A Fountain of living Waters Each one A Royal Diadem Each one A Crown of Glory Thou hast given me thy self Again and again in each of those Especially by making me to them What thou art A Lover of their Happiness A Rejoycer in their Joy A Delighter in their Glory Thanksgivings for the Blessedness of God's Ways TO him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood And hath made us Kings and priests to God and his Father To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1. 5 6. Thou Lord art one and the same for ever LOVE ETERNAL more Thy Goodness infinite Thy Bounty omnipresent Thy Wisdom enriching every gift Making every Creature an endless Treasure Making every Thought and Action an endless Treasure Only we Are blind and dead and dull and foolish Only we Apostate Enemies careless Wanderers Only we Banishing our selves Only we Accustomed only to narrow things Like Runnagates we dwell in a dry Land And see not the Mysteries of thy holy Courts The inward Beauty of all thy Creatures Because we loath the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Restore thine Image Recall our Minds Enable us in thy Likeness To enjoy thy Works To see thy Wonders Possess the Worlds Delight in thy Laws Feel our selves Admire thy Riches Wean us O Lord from Vain Treasures Little Treasures Useless Treasures False Treasures Dead Treasures Unprofitable Treasures And elevate our Souls To thee and thine Make us acquainted Our Thoughts paralel Our Affections present Our Imaginations busie constant familiar With great things wide things fathomless things eternal things Thy Bride thy Son Thy Dominion over Ages The glory of thy Kingdom Which Includeth all Which Endureth for ever Teach us thy ways upon Earth Which are infinitely Holy Which are infinitely Sweet Which are infinitely Glorious Which are infinitely Delightful Which are infinitely Beautiful Transforming all that look upon them Exalting those that are busie in them Concerning all Reaching unto all To every Soul in Heaven and Earth From every Region From every Age and From every Kingdom O my Lord thou art in every thing Divine Wise Blessed Holy Heavenly Glorious Because in every thing thou overflowest 〈◊〉 to all Art infinite in Goodness in all thy Ways Infinitly Communicative of all thy Goodness Granting it wholly to all thine hosts In every thing wholly to every person In every place Every way For every End By him in thy Likeness wholly to be enjoy'd Whom thou constitutest likewise And appointest to be heir Of all that Goodness communicated unto all Recollecting the same And causing it to rest in him alone Yea not to rest But with greater joy From him to overflow To all thine Armies Let the same mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus Phil. 2. Who is gone before us to prepare a mansion In the beavens for us 10. 14. Teach us by Wisdom To enjoy
of his Passion And since I am Redeemed by the Death of thy Son Know that I am made to inherit all things Rom. 8. 32. Give me Power therefore To overcome all Opinions Of the World Ways Of the World Customs Of the World Censures Of the World Who err in thy Kingdom From the way of Blessedness Since thou hast promised He that overcometh shall inherit all things And I will be his God and he shall be my Son Rev. 21. 7. In Jesus Christ let me sit down with thee in the heavenly Places Glory with thine Inheritance Enjoy thy People thy peculiar Treasure Prize thy Love unto mankind Delight in the Beauty of thy celestial Bride See thy Joys And take pleasure in them in all Ages Because Jesus Christ enjoyeth them all He bought them with a price Let me delight in his Happiness above mine own Let his Happiness be to me Not only mine But more than mine ten thousand fold Here upon Earth let it be my Joy That He Dwelleth in Heaven The Angels and Cherubims sing his Glory All Power in Heaven and Earth Is put into his hands He shall come in the Clouds of Heaven and in all the Glory of his Fathers Angels and shall judge The Quick and the Dead He shall enjoy his Bride the Church triumphant for evermore Thee in them Them in Thee All these let me O Lord enjoy in him Here on Earth Above in Heaven Let the miraculous Excellency of his eternal LOVE Open the gate of Wonder to me Liberty to me Difficulty to me The gate of Glory The gate of Triumph The gate of Invincible Peace The gate of Unchangeable Goodness The gate of Beauty and Delight By teaching me to love as he loveth The Souls of Men Of the worst of Men More than my self Tho the more I love The less I be loved Tho they Hate me Tho they Persecute me Tho they Kill me Let my Love be Immortal Let my Love be Sovereign Let my Love be Divine Let my Love be Invincible The Master point of Art In Christian Religion Which my Saviour taught on the Cross From the Chair of his Profession Let me learn O Lord with zeal and joy The love of Souls triumphed Over the love of his own Life His hands and feet his heart and head Were all opened Even to the last drop of blood For us Enemies For us Rebels For us Felons Let his O Lord be the Rule of mine Who valueth a Soul above the world Dying for my Soul Thou shewedst that my Soul was dearer to thee Then thine own Life O my Lord make me like thee A Son of God In my love to Sinners Thy self worth many worlds thou gavest for sinners And whatsoever love I bear to thee thou hast by Deed enrolled and set it over unto others What glorious Treasures shall I possess When all these are so esteemed Nevertheless O Lord Let my love be Genuine Divine and Free And for the delight I take To rescue and to save them To exalt and crown them Let me pour out my self My Spirit Soul and Blood My Time Labour Health Estate Life and all O'tis Heavenly Divine Angelical The glorious Victory over all the world Is love continuing beyond unkindness Fill my love with the Zeal of thine Like thine O Lord I desire it should be A flame of thirsting Industry Out living hatred Over all Unkindness Over all Ingratitude Over all Perversness An eternal Triumph Ever lively Always conversant in the highest Altitude O my God do not deny me Forgive my former Flatness Forgive my former Intermissien Forgive my former Deadness Let me love every Person as Jesus Christ Meet his love and thine O Lord In every Person It is my desire Lord That my love to Men should be so strong That I may love Jesus Christ For loving them Enlarge my Soul To the love of Cities Counties Kingdoms Throughly settled in the love of Christ. The Virtue that shineth Brightest in his Example And standeth highest in his Commendation O learn me this and the whole is learned Learn me this the Divine Art And the Life of God! Desire Heroic Courage Long Suffering Compassion Forwardness Activity Everlasting and most lively Diligence Grant unto me in calling Souls So will I sing and praise thy Name Being one with Thee To Everlasting O what great Things dost thou permit a Worm To ask of Thee Grant it for his sake Who became a Curss for me Sin for me Awaken Sinners Give us to understand The infinite fervor and zeal of thy Love Who having prepared for us Heaven and Earth Angels and Men Thy self and all things Redeemed us by the Blood of thine eternal Son Called us by thy Prophets Martyrs and Apostles Desired to seat us in eternal Glory And left us to our selves only for this That we may satisfie thy Will In imitating thee Voluntarily and freely With the best of Actions Dost infinitly delight to see us Blessed And enjoy thy self When we O God are by thee enjoyed Give us to remember How that Love of thine Is the Fountain of thy Patience And long Suffering towards us To see it daily How it burneth for us How unchangeably thou Delightest To Communicate thy Goodness To Glorifie thy Bounty To Distribute thy Treasures To Reposire thy Blessedness In our Souls How infinitely thou lovest To To see thy similitude in our Natures To Enjoy thy self as given unto us To Admire thy workmanship in our Glory To Feel in us thine eternal Blessedness Behold thy Creatures whom thou so lovest Crowned with glory and honor Ps. 8. 4. In the throne of heaven Rev. 30. 20. And since nothing can hinder us But sordid baseness In contemning thy Treasures Let our acknowledgment of thy Goodness And love of it Burn day and night Like unto thine That being strengthened with Might by thy Holy Spirit in our inward Man Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith That we being rooted and grounded in Love May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth And to know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledge that we may be silled with with all the fulness of God NOW to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the Power that worketh in us Unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages world without end Amen Ephes. 3. 20. 21. A KEY to the Gate Of Wonder NOthing being more Wonderful than an invincible Lover triumphant over Injuries Of Liberty Being entred therein we walk at large with unlimited Freedom in Gods Commandments Of difficulty Because nothing at first is more contrary to Nature But Gods Example hath made it easie Of Glory The Glory of Christ is his Love of Sinners Whom whosoever imitateth in the universality of it he is a Son of God Of Triumph Death Hell unkindness temptationt rampled under foot Of invincible Peace Nothing can offend them Of 〈◊〉
Blessedness of Heaven How dreadful the Fall of every Sinner How bottomless and infinite The Abyss of Misery How endless and unsearchable The Sphere of Mercy O my God since thou hast made me to be thy Friend Having made me thy Son in capacity That I might make my self so in Act By rightly using the power which thou givest me Without which it is impossible but that thou shouldest be displeased with thy Work Since the only Duty thou enjoynest me Is to live in thy Image And to be like thee To all thy Creatures To delight in thy Goodness And to enjoy thee in all thy Works Since thou leavest me to my self only for my Happiness and perfect Glory And art willing to save me In the best of all possible manners And nothing less than the best Can agree with thy Nature I acknowledge that if fail in so fair a Covenant and refuse to please thee in such a Duty The natural result of it is That I should be tormented for ever I be seech thee to forgive me what is past according to the infinite greatness of thy tender Mercies To remember that I am a sinner prone to evil And to give me thy Grace With all holy care watchfulness and Diligence To do that glorious work without intermission Whereby Thy happiness is enjoyed Thy Spirit delighted My Soul saved Crowned in thy Kingdom Advanced in thy Bosom Thanksgivings for God's Attributes Sing unto the Lord a new Song and his praise from the ends of the Earth ye that go down into the Sea and all that is therein Ye I sles and the inhabitants of the Earth Let the Wilderness and the Cities lift up their voice the Villages that Kedar doth inhabit Let the inhabitants of the Rock sing let them shout from the top of the Mountain Let them give Glory to the Lord and declare his praise in the islands Isd 42. 10 11 12. Forhe hath made my Soul In the Image of himself An understanding eye That like an open day Shall at once be present in all places Though because he is invisible By bodily eyes he cannot be seen Yet hath he manifested himself His Essence Wisdom Goodness Power In all places of his Dominion To the Understanding In the Fabrick of my Body Nature of my Soul Glory of the World Blessedness of his Laws soveraign Providence Miracles and Wonders O Lord I am satisfied with the fruit of thy Lips with the works of thy Hands And now I ascend to thine Eternal Glory To see the Treasure of thy Divine Essence Which thou hast hidden for us Since the beginning of the World men have not heard nor perceived by the Ear neithe hath the Eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him The Fountain it self is sweeter than the Streams O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with Majesty Who coverest thy self with Light as with a Garment who stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain Ps. 104 1 2. That Greatness Majesty Light and Glory hast thou made to be the enjoyment of every Soul Thy Soveraignity and Dominion is the glory of my Soul Thou hast made them 〈◊〉 by pleasing me perfectly and advancing me 〈◊〉 them O the beauty of thine infinite Kingdom It is impossible thou shouldst ever be without the eternity of infinite Wisdom The fathomless Treasury of unlimited Goodness shineth here more than the Sun in the very Heavens The Zenith and Nadir and the Poles of Power in all their Altitudes That infinite Wisdom Goodness Power are wholly mine in all their activities atchievements Glories Made so by the infinite workings of infinite Wisdom Goodness and Power In every Soul supreme in thy Kingdom Crowning mine O my God who could have made every Soul among innumerable millions The end of all things Every one King of all thy Kingdom Can every one be higher than all the rest One mans exaltation here upon Earth is the depression of another But in thy Kingdom every ones advancement the exaltation of all Every one highest Yea more than this Infinitely more than we can ask or think More than Supreme More than 〈◊〉 More than Sole More than the end of all things hast thou made every Person living in thy Kingdom My Soul is ravished with the elevation of thy Joys Sing O ye Heavens for the Lord hath done 〈◊〉 shout ye lower parts of the Earth break 〈◊〉 into Singing O Mountains O Forest and every Tree therein Isa. 44. 23. For the Lord is wonderful in the midst of his Saints It is strength to my Navil and marrow to my Bones to consider the perfection of thy Doings H. H. H. Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy Glory All the supremest and grearest Heights are easy to thee easy tobe seen through easy ' to bee understood Impossibles Impossibles overcome and attained transport and amaze us with delight and wonder Every one supreme Every one solel every one Soveraign If that be impossible what is it O Lord to be more than so All the beauty of Holiness in thy Kingdom is the Sphear of my delight and pleasure for ever To see thee magnified by all thine Hosts who art the Fountain and Author of all their Glory is my perfect melody joy and glory Thou hast made them mine by making them to please me to please me voluntarily and freely in their actions by praising thee Thine infinity thine eternity the exquisite perfection of thine Omnipresence are all mine in all their operations Because thou lovest me thou givest me thy self Thine eternity by creating me for had that not been I that was nothing should have had no beginning Thine Omnipresence in upholding me For without thee I should return into nothing Thine infinity by enlarging me enabling me to consider the infinite spaces beyond the Heavens where thy Divine Majesty more especially dwells But in giving me to see the Original of my being to understand my foundation and discern that by which I am enlarged Thou hast given me thine Eternity Infinity and Omnipresence in another manner As the object of mine eye Themes of my Praise Causes of my Joy Subjects of Complacency Grounds Yea Crowns of Glory Being infinitely present in every place thou makest me perceptive and I see thy Giory Being infinitely present in every place thou art exquisitely so and wholly there O Lord I admire the perfection of thy Presence the incomprehensible excellency of thine Omnipresence wholly every where I admire the effects and Glory of its attainments For by it alone art thou infinitely communicative Thy Wisdom it is thy Goodness it is and and thine Almighty Power it is one O Lord with all thine Attributes Thine infinity resideth in every Centre therefore in my Soul which were it not there I could not behold Thine eternity and infinity are both the same both are present in every moment therefore in me All the conceivable parts both of thine Infinity and