for faith now do meer fancie find Oyle and wine powred in THe slighting faith we must a fault confesse But if it be through ignorance the lesse God winks at times of darknesse though indeed We are not thereby absolutely free'd But when the glorious Sun-shine doth apear What can excuse us if we see not cleer No just excuse can here excusing be And yet the Sun we often clouded see So though our Sun hath chas'd our night away Yet we have cloudes still to obscure our day Our cloud of folly makes our faith retire Yet find we smoke though it do argue fire The Authors Epigram THree clouds on mankind do like mists benight And keep some blinded in the very light First ignorance then carelesnesse the third Is obstinatly to reject the word The first is most excusable of all The second binding to a harder thrall The third exceeds all and is sinfull most If not the sin against the holy Ghost Where meanes is wanting saving faith to find We must not judge there though they yet be blind For God elects and then doth faith foresee Else how could fooles and infants saved be Againe some loyter while they have the day And yet ere night do labour and have pay But such as in the vineyard being pray'd Will never labour shall be never paid The conscience wounded with sin BUt wretched I what can I doe herein How can I labour I am dead in sin Can dead men work I hear indeed the call But can but hear it cannot work at all No worke but dead works God doth such despise He doth delight a living sacrifice I doe confesse I faine would work indeed Fain would believe I fain would learn that creed But oh my sins my sins are in the way My sins doe still my confidence betray I faine would faith unto my selfe assume But sin prevents me tells me I presume Oyle and wine powred in FAith is t is true the gift of God we read God doth both worke the will and eke the deed Faith in this nature is an easie taske We can doe nothing for the same but aske The only labour now impos'd on man Is to discerne and cherish faith began Is faith Gods gift then let us beat up still He can bestow that dowry when he will Nay faith already may infused be Though scarce discerned in a small degree Then though we build not Castles in the ayre Yet we of all things are not to despair The Authors Epigram AS faith doth point at things yet unreveal'd So faith it selfe lyes in it selfe conceal'd And may be long time in the heart no doubt Before we truly finde that sewell out Besides our sins doe much obscure that light And cast a mist before our feeble sight Yea every sin when faith would else aspire Doth helpe to keep down if not quench that fire Sin is indeed faiths enemy profest And the more sin the more is faith supprest But when that faith doth once by force command Sin then doth yeeld faith gets the upper hand Faith for a time may as it were obey But in the end faith alwaies gets the day And as faith prospers by degrees gets strength So sin growes feeble pines and dyes at length Conscience wounded with sin BUt must sin dye and by degrees surcease Where faith doth live as faith doth force increase Oh wretched creature I how shall I do then I feel alas no death but life of sin Sin strives as much as ever heretofore Or rather strugles in my bosome more I doe confesse I feel my soule distrest And faine would feel fin in my soule supprest But when I labour to restrain the same It growes inraged is the worse to tame Oh sad condition oh my soule sincks here Are there no other signs of faith appear Oyle and wine powred in NO signes but such and yet soule sinck not though Sin must be kill'd but dyes not at one blow Sin in our natures will us battell give Though dying whiles we doe in nature live But sin is mostly sure most wounded when It flies on conscience most tormenteth men Are then our conscience through our sins unquiet Sin then and faith sure are in us at sight If sin within us no resistance found Sin in our conscience would delight not wound And thus by signes we secret faith may see Which without signes cannot discerned be The Authors Epigram FAith is indeed our tree of life below Which tree we only by the fruit can know Would we know then if we have faith or no The root lies hid we to the fruit must goe The fruits are feeling first sins wounding dart Next a compunction in the wounded heart From whence proceeds a diligence with speed To get a balsome for these wounds that bleed The other fruits that fruitfull faith doth beare Are ever after to be arm'd with care With zeale and wisdome to resist that foe Who at advantage had deluded so From whence proceeds a hatred unto sin Desire of vertue and delight therein All mens endeavouring that my aid supply To make faith lively and make sin to dye The Conscience wounded with sin OH blessed faith art thou the root indeed Oh would I could with blessed Job then read Thee grounded in me springs doe testifie Though through high mountains that they have supply The fountaine will be falling and the root It will be rising forth will branches shoot I feele indeed some drops of vertue flow And beare some leaves too which doe make a show But oh my conscience cannot so be quiet Such signes are frequent in the hypocrite But sin dissembled under grace is worst The tree which beares but only leaves is curst Oyle and wine powred in FAith is the fountaine whence all graces flow Faith is the root whereon those branches grow And faith gives life though it may lye as hid To all our actions or they else are dead For Christ in whom all fulnesse doth excell If we have faith by faith doth in us dwell Whether our actions though be leaves or fruit None but our conscience truly can dispute Whether the action from the heart proceeds None but the conscience that rare language reads But when the conscience hath true knowledge gain'd That then is fruit which conscience finds unfain'd The Authors Epigram MIsguided mankinde whither have we gone To set up merit in our makers Throne Faith is in Christ and Christ in faith why then Disdaine we faith adore the works of men Sin is the old man wretched and for lorne Begot in Adam in our natures borne Christ is the new Man by a second birth Through faith conceived and by grace brought forth Grace flowes from faith and faith in Christ began Both those united make but one new man And then most blest and not till then we are When in our soules we feele this infant stir Would we then prove this new man to be ours We sure must prove it by renewing powers We must be new
DIVINE PASSIONS Piously and Pathetically expressed in three severall BOOKES Viz. I. Being a Dialogue between Dives and Lazarus with the Authors Epigrams upon that Parable II. A Dialogue between the Prodigall Son and the Pitifull Father with Epigrams on that Parable also III. Contains first an Argument against Atheisme Secondly an admiration of Gods mercy towards mankinde Thirdly the care and cure of a wounded Conscience VVritten and Composed for private Consolation and now thought not unfit to be published to all and presented to certaine worthy Persons of this Kingdome By Edward Calver Gent. LONDON Printed by T. H. for Richard Harper and are to be sold at his shop in Smithfield 1643. In landem Authoris On his DIVINE PASSIONS CHrists Parables were alwaies full of worth Which here in part thy pen hath wel set forth Dives and Lazarus well doe tipifie We should not scorne our brothers poverty Confuting Atheists thou Gods mercy praysest The wounded conscience thou both cur'st raisest Thou shew'st a fathers passion for a son That needs would from him prodigally run And in thy pleasant Epigrams we read We all to God are prodigalls indeed Thy Booke hath so much Passion that who heart Thy Stories must turne Prodigall of teares S. W. To the right Worshipfull Sir Dennor Strut Knight and Baronet to the right Worshipfull William Heveningham a worthy Member of the Honourable House of Commons to the Worshipfull Nicholas Bacon and Henry North Justices of the peace to the Worthy Thomas Baker Nathaniel Thurston and John Bayles Esquires and to Mr. John Mayhew c. Noble Knight and Worshipfull and generous Gentlemen I being bound to some of you in the bonds of affinity to all in affection but above all in duty I cannot but hold it my duty to proffer you the best of my endeavours and for want of any thing worthy I doe here persent you my good will I presume not upon your Patronage but only beg your acceptance considering that if these my endeavours be worth the accepting they shall need the lesse assistance But if any thing here brought forth be deformed it is sure most fit that he which begot it should father it The world peradventure may wonder that I draw so large a circle and then turn it to a cypher that I presume to stamp so many worthy Names in the front of this my unworthy worke and then speake nothing of the worth of your worthy persons in particular But let the world know that it is not for want of worth in your selves that I forbear the same for I doe ingenuously acknowledge I may justly draw your vertues into as large a Volume as any other who have beene most copious in that kinde But I for my part do hold it a labour little usefull to paint over that to make it passe for currant which doth shine most perfect in its owne colour Besides I am resolved your modest eares would be rather offended then fed with the sound of your own prayses though unfained But the chiefest aime of my desires herein is to doe you some service not flatter for assistance Therefore if upon perusall hereof if your more serious imployments will admit the same you shall reap any benefit or at least content I shall in this kind be sufficiently satisfied Only I desire that upon your judicious view hereof you would vouchsafe a favourable censure of which I am the more confident because I know you cannot expect any thing polished from a hand so uninstructed But not to be too full in a Preface to too empty a Sequell I implore your pardon and desire to be imploy'd your Servant in all humility Edward Calver To the Curteous and Capable READER REad Curteous Reader this is for thy sake Through want of knowledge thou canst not mistake And as thou canst not so my trust is built Through want of charity thou never wilt Dives VVHen I in nine moneths had through Virgo run That fruitfull signe and then appear'd a Sun Such fates might from my birth have been collected As if by noble Jupiter aspected So soon as born I had indowments faire Not only born but born my Fathers heire And eke with joy my fainting Mother smild Whose paines were turn'd so pleasure in her child Great preparation with the greatest mirth Was duly made to celebrate my birth Where I received honour with my name Grac'd by the greatest witnessing the same My parents joy with comfort joynd was such No cost was spar'd nor care was thought too much But all conduced readily to prove My earthly blisse decypherd from above Lazarus VVOe child of woe of all the world a scorn Nothing but woe appear'd when I was born Disast'rous Saturn did with Mars comply To make me wretched by nativitie Born onely born that Natures care allowd me But being born had scarce a rag to shrowd me My silly Parents sighing for reliefe One cryd for help the other wept for griefe Distressted Parents who all comfort wanted Must for my sake have now no biding granted Prodigious babe how could the world fore-see I should a burden to her greatnesse be A wretched Infant in my mothers womb But far more wretched in the world become So base yea so unworthy of a name The meanest blush to witnesse me the same The Authors Epigram MOst fatall starres if starres may fates decree Or partfull fate if fates may granted be One swims one sinckes one hath enough and more Another nothing begs from doore to doore The destinies on little Dives smile Poore Lazarus by them destin'd to exile Rich Matrons run when Dives comes to birth But cannot stir when Lazarus should come forth Dives attended in his cradle lying Poore infant Lazarus lies neglected crying Dives his Parents dear and only joy Lazarus his Parents object of annoy Dives hath dainties is in purple drest Lazarus with cold and hunger is opprest Alas poore Lazarus child of woe indeed Kind people take some pitty here is need Dives FOrth from my Nurse as weary of her charmes I view'd the world the world unclasp'd her armes And as another Mother or as kind Imbrac'd me sought to satisfie my mind She set before me all her various joyes As well jewels as her wanton toyes Set open all her Cabinets of price And shew'd me all the pleasures might intice She plaid me musick made me understand And gave me lovely Venus in my hand And when my tender spirits did decline She taught me to revive the same with wine Here I had heav'n or pleasures did excell These suted with my youthfull nature well The world allur'd my senses prov'd betray'd The world besieg'd my senses soon obey'd Lazarus VNtimely born and brought up as untaught With neither wit nor education fraught My friends full poore could little kindnesse shew me My kindred none or none at least would know me But griping hunger forc'd me to intreat The world some leave to labour for my meat For pity sake unto
question if thy wisdome can Is there no God how came there then a man But here I know thou wilt to nature fly All things thou saist by nature live and die And natures force doth all conclusions draw Nature shall therefore be thy only law I grant in all things that created be We may a power which is call'd nature see Which to such creatures is a law indeed Whose skill no other Dialect can read But thou who hast an understanding part And hast besides much benefit by art Sparks rak'd up in thy ashes of such light As death nor divell can extinguish quite Canst thou be grosser then the beast that dies Blind as the beast is yet hast better eyes Admit no maker but ingendring power As earth brings forth the herb the herb the flower But canst thou into natures secrets pry And canst not view a Deitie there by Earth may bring forth but not create fond head Can that give life which in it selfe is dead But here thou wilt out of thy wisdome say There is indeed both dead and living clay The dead brings forth the creature dull and base The living doth produce a living race The sensles earth we may with safety grant Brings forth the sensles grasse the hearb the plant That living morter which is man by name By generation doth produce the same Produce I say as instruments whereby Creating power continues a supply God first indeed mans God-head to convince Made man of dust but man so manking since Man then was made made not himselfe to live How can he then have any life to give Or if he hath we must subject it still Unto the force of the Creators will But be it so what can be granted thence That sensles earth or earth indu'd with sense Can out of their created substance frame An other substance or indeed the same This is but only to preserve t is plain That which before was made not make again Nor can the creature bring forth as is said Without the help of a creating ai'd Thou mad'st not then thy selfe nor yet thy Son Who did that work then which thou see'st is done Thou canst no just apologie invent Confesse there is a God then and repent Thy soule besides though now inclos'd in earth Yet pure in substance and of noble birth Cannot but at some time or other dart Some heavenly rayes into thy earthly heart Which doth convince thy knowledge of thy errour And strikes into thy conscience such a terrour As makes thee feele the power of the most high Which in thy heart thou dar'st thus to deny Were this too little at it is perchance To work upon thy wilfull ignorance Yet God hath further witnesses no doubt Thousands he hath not left himselfe without His word and works uncessantly declare him In such a voice that all the world may heare him His word reveales his truth his works his glory All creatures being do confirme the story But here againe thy wretched heart replies Those works of wonder which no mortall eyes Can see into their center something pose Thy desp'rate thoughts thou stand'st amaz'd at those But for Gods word though writ with his own pen Or from his mouth by heav'ns inspired men That suites not with thee sincks not in thy brain Tush words saist thou they are but wind or vaine Thou can'st those rules which we call Scripture read With no such trust to think them true indeed But mans invention so to keep in awe Men which by nature stand in need of Law But dust and ashes dar'st thou make a tush Which makes both Angels and the heav'ns to blush Racing besides those truths which are ingraven Upon thy soule by truth it selfe from heaven Prints of eternity upon thy soule Are stamp'd by heav'n canst thou then slight that roule Which to thee reades eternity in print Is heav'nly â—ire so hidden in thy flint Thy flint indeed but when this powerfull word Which is more sharpe then a two edged sword Strikes home upon thy flintie soule no doubt It doth force sparks of heavenly fire there out But lest these sparks should burst out into flame Thou seek'st by all meanes to put out the same Though making thus these heavenly sparks retire Thou keepst thy selfe unto eternall fire Againe this word besides the ghostly power That rests within that never raced tower The potent truth which hath so well been try'd With sweet consent and harmony supply'd That harbours in this heav'nly word is such As may convince thy marble heart asmuch The truth indeed that we may truly call One jot whereof did never faile nor shall And did thy sight not dazell at this Sun Thou there mightst cleerly read the same and run But oh thou wretched Atheist that dost find The seeing Organ of thy soule too blind To view the truths in sacred Scripture pend Or wilfull that thou wilt not apprehend O rest not under that Egyptian cloud Cast not away the meanes of light alow'd But read the Scripture to avoid that curse Disuse of reading makes thee read the worse Hadst thou a heart could truly understand Or eyes set ope by faith to read that hand Thou shouldst discerne such wonders in that glasse As nothing but a God can bring to passe The truth of this most perfectly appeares By the consent of past foure thousand yeares Each Promise tipe and Prophesie fulfil'd Do here of certain testimonies yeeld The seed to break the Serpents head was sown Three thousand yeares before the blade was grown All humane hopes might then have been casshierd And yet at length a glorious crop appear'd God once drown'd all the mountaines here below But then above in mercy set his bow To be a sign which hath been still made good That heav'ns no more should poure down such a flood Thus heav'ns by Scripture often times fore-shew What by experience men in time find true That men in Scripture so may learn to read Their Makers glory by his pen and dread Again besides the truth that Scriptures carry That in themselves they from themselves not varry Whereby they are with that perfection crown'd Which in no humane Author can be found The loftie stile that sacred Scriptures bare Their height of birth and majestie declare So powerfull so impartiall and sincere As partiall man could never yet come neere Men deeply learned and of highest wit Unlesse instructed by this holy writ Write at the fairest but with natures quill Dip'd in some fountaine on Pernassus hill Their wisdomes to no higher pitch can hover Then principalls of nature do discover Imploys that agent which we Reason call About no objects but meere naturall But sacred writ that hath a further reatch That is transcending flies a higher pitch That came from heav'n is spirituall and here Made by the spirit to us men appeare That conquers reason subdues natures Lawes As far unable to dispute the cause That is eternall therefore sent to try That part in man which hath no
into natures book Run to thy mothers long made grave and look If 't be not earth thou cam'st from whence t is plaine That earth which once did live may live again What think'st thou of thy rising from thy bed Fore-tells not that thy rising from the dead In bed thou dost in earth thou shalt but sleep In both in darknesse though in earth most deep Besides when slumber doth possession take Of senses yet the soule is then a wake The soule as it can never dye at all So never sleeps though kept by sleep in thrall God could have made us when we were in making Have stood in need of neither sleep nor waking Had he not purpos'd by them to explain Our sleep in death and life from death again The deepest darkensse of the longest night At length doth vanish by the morning light Which shewes at last the resurrection day Shall chase the night of fatall death away The entercourse of autumn and the spring The winter and the summer teach this thing When plants by a vicessitude we know Both live and dye and dye and live in shew And as the seed which in the earth is sowne Like man it to its deeper furrowes thrown As dying there produceth an increase So man doth but refine there not surcease Much like the Phaenix from whose ashes breed As men much learned give us leave to read Another Phaenix to supply that roome By sun-beams dooting on her lofty tombe But yet if yet thy heart be such a flint That all this shewne takes no impression in 't But still in heart thou say'st there is no God Though with thy tongue thou dar'st not for his rod Let me yet put one question to thee more Yet to illustrate what is said before What say'st to this then sith thou art so evill To doubt of God what think'st thou of a divell Is there think'st thou no divell and no hell Thou maist deny them out of doubt as well For this is certain this from sense doth flow No God above no divell then below But this the grossest heathen doe admit They by experience and meer natures wit Discerne a power beyond the power of men Which power hath by them still admired been But in thy conscience were not such a spark Why shouldst thou be so fearfull in the darke Were there no evill spirits to be seen What do such fears then in thy fancie mean In times of danger eminent t is known There 's no mans heart more shaken then thine own Strange apparitions gastly forms and such Strike trembling in thee nothing else so much From whence proceeds those hidious shapes and sights Those hollow voices and those walking lights Which do so oft in darknesse us affright But from the Prince of darknesse in the night If this suffice not but art still in doubt I know no further meanes to help thee out Unlesse that it were lawfull in this kind To run to Endor to suffice thy mind To such as have some spirits at command Such could most clearly let thee understand Resolve thy doubt and make it to thee cleare There are such fiends yea make the same appear If all this be too little to suffice Then sure there is some divell in thine eies Who keepes thee blinded that thou canst not see Those certain truths which thus decypherd be But oh vain Atheist rest not in this state Nay rest thou canst not t is so desperate Then strive against it exercise thy strength By use it may grow operative at length There yet is eye salve to bewray this mist If that thou dost not wilfully resist There is a sacred fountaine set apart One drop whereof would molifie thy heart Despise not then those soveraign streames below Which down do from that sacred fountain flow Those healing drops which on the crosse were shed Distil'd in Scriptures from the fountaines head Then bring thy heart that cistern into frame And let those conduits run into the same That still thou mayst by turning of the cock Such fearefull doubts those brasing doores unlock Thy heart no dout in doubts the harder growes Because the milk which form the Scripture flowes Which is most pretious to dissolve such flint Is not apply'd unto that Adamant At Scriptures breasts disdaine not sucking then There 's milke for babes and meat for strongest men There 's meat for Saempson sweet meat too not gall And hony for the fainting Son of Saul There doth that tree of heav'nly knowledge grow Which God hath pleas'd to plant with men below Another tree of knowledge shall be given More glorious too but that shall be in heaven But further knowledge then is here reveal'd The more thou seekst the more t is here conceal'd And that no doubt hath been a reason why Thou dost those truths which are reveal'd deny There 's nothing hid that shall not be made known But here 's the height of thy ambition shown Thou here wouldst to that height of knowledge clime Which is reserv'd untill another time Thou here in all things much imperfect art And therefore here thou canst but know in part But when thy cloud of flesh be done away Things secret shall be manifest as day But wouldst thou wisely harbour a desire To view those secrets Angels do admire Then first beleeve for God hath made it plain We must beleeve before we do obtain Heaven is a dowery God hath to bestow Faith 's our assurance of the same below Strive then for faith thou hast a curious eye Nothing but faith can give thee full supply Faith in this vain and emptie vale I mean By faith possessing things are yet unseen That so in fine when fruitful faith shall cease Thou mayst in glory reap thy faiths increase In heaven injoy that height of joy which here Doth only to the eye of faith appear Yea foolish man couldst thou become so wise As to beleeve a heaven above the skies And such a God a gentle God therein As for his Sons sake will remit thy sin Thou thither likewise should'st be rais'd in fine For there the faithfull shall in glory shine And those same hidden secrets which have bin Thy tortures here should most delight thee then The world to come which here thou canst not view Thou there should'st finde unto by comfort true The God above which here thou dost deny Thou there should'st see and His eternity How God should be without beginning here Confounds thee quite but there it doth appeare How spirits do subsist and what they are Thou know'st not here but 't is discover'd there And how Gods word should make a world alas Such hidden things do humane sense surpasse But when that heav'n shall humane sense refine Or rather humane sense shall prove divine God with such secrets then will thee acquaint If here by faith thou wilt be first his Saint But yet if yet thou beest a sleep so fast That all this will not rouse thee up at last But still thou
thy store That thou mights furnish what was void before Yea to make fruitfull and adorne that frame Both to inrich and beautifie the same Thou sayd'st unto the waters multiply Be fruitfull and bring forth abundantly Who hearing in their language what was said Without delay most cheerfully obey'd Thou sayd'st unto the earth then barren beare The earth did as it were thy language hear And brought forth thousands multitudes and more Of creatures which were never seen before And to the ayre thy word did but proceed Let there be foules and it was so indeed Lord what a large and wondrous preparation Was this which was the spacious worlds creation To entertaine whose greatnesse was it than Alas but for that little creature Man Nay as if this had been too little still To manifest to mankinde thy good will Thou didst prepare a garden ready deck'd With all the objects in it of delight That might seem pleasing fruit delicious growing On trees most fruitfull streams most pleasant flowing Whose flowry banck with flowers and roses set Appear'd more glorious then the pearles in jet All this prepared in this heavenly sort Thou caldst this councell in thy heavnly court Come let us make man in our Image drest For whom we have created all the rest Thou took'st a peece then of thy late form'd clay And form'd a man in a most perfect way And by a way can not be understood That form converted into flesh and blood Thou only breathedst on his breathlesse face Which gave him life and with that life thy grace Which was infus'd into that power divine His soule in which thy sacred selfe did shine His body was in such perfection made That till the Serpent did his soule invade It could not suffer any kind of wrath But had a power against the power of death But for his soule that was divine indeed In it thou couldst thy sacred Image read In Characters which none could understand So well as thee because it was thy hand Within that center thou couldst cleerly see In one the picture of thy persons three Three faculties within it representing Three Persons in thy Deitie consenting As Father Son and holy Ghost agree To make but one eternall God in thee So understanding memory and will Make but one soule and undevided still The understanding of it selfe as prime The memory by knowledge got in time The will and the affections lastly breeding From knowledge and from memory proceeding All these at first in Adams soule were pure And sparks which had a nature to indure Adam was in his understanding part So holy and so innocent in heart That nakednesse unto his conscience cleere Did neither shame nor nakednesse appeare His memory was unpolluted still Because his knowledge had begot no ill His thoughts his fancies meditations sweet And did not with the least disturbance meet His will and his affections all were free'd From all corruption as they might indeed Those cisterns must with water pure be fill'd Whose fountaines have no other streames to yeeld Lord what a heav'nly harmony was here When all these strings were thus in tune and cleere Heav'nly indeed for thou hadst set the keyes Rare musick for an earthly paradise Again besides this concord in his brest Which cannot be sufficiently exprest All things without him were at peace and stay'd The Lion and the Lamb together play'd Each creature did with other feed and sleep And all to Adam innocent as sheep All these thou gav'st him freely to command Yea all the world as it did blooming stand And bad'st him take and eate restraining none Of all the dainties in the world but one And that was no restraint to him no doubt His mind was so well satisfi'd without He had not then that motion in him hidden To covet that most which is most forbidden And in this state that Adam might have stood He had a power to have restrain'd that good Only thou mad'st his libertie so free That he might stand or he might fall from thee But Adam loe he stood not long thus great Grac'd with a help too meet for his estate But that the divell all his force imployd To worke upon the freedome man injoy'd The Serpent Sathan Lucifer that star Which heavens had cast out in a holy war Thrown forth for ever to extend his pride At most no higher then the clouds do ride Who being downe into that chaos hurld Where out at length thou did'st create the world And having fram'd that building by thy power Plac'd man as chiefe upon its highest tower This author both of envy and deceit Admiring Adam in his matchlesse height His rancor did with boyling envy swell He rais'd his powers and stratagems of hell And joyn'd them all for a most deadly fight Against poore Adam innocent and quiet But recollecting as it were his course Of seising upon Adam so by force Perceiving Adams happinesse did lye Most in his soule which death could not destroy This deep imposter and most subtill fiend Dissembled malice and would seem a friend And sought by fair means so to take away Those pearls in Adam force could not betray He sought to Eve first but to Adam by her And tempted Adam whiles he seem'd to try her His baite he unto Eves acceptance laid But Eve consenting Adam was betray'd For Sathans fore-cast aym'd at this event That Adam would give smiling Eve content And by that means to bring them both in thrall Made one a means to make the other fall Oh! fatall means and fearfull too alas For by that means he brought his will to passe The bait he proffer'd to obtaine his suit It was no lesse then the forbidden fruit Faire to the eye and pleasing to the tast But strong and deadly poyson to digest The arguments he used to perswade Were that they thereby should like Gods be made Knowing both good and evill which was true In part for they till then no evill knew But Adam tasting by the divels art That only fruit which thou hadst set apart And told him if he tasted he should dye Though Sathan did that certaine truth deny Adam did thereby instantly become A slave to Sathan subject to thy doome And conscious of his sin and therefore said He saw his nakednesse and was afraid Afraid indeed afraid he well might be Made thus a bondslave who before was free And not alone to Sathan but to sin To his affections now defil'd within His senses yea his soule became defil'd And all the streames that issu'd thence were soyld His understanding which before was pure Became corrupted earthly and obscure His memory a nursery of store In which he treasur'd up contents before Became a tedious Register wherin His conscience did torment him for his sin His will and his affections which were just Became rebellious and disorder'd lust His heart where innocencie sat as Queen Became a cage of spirits most uncleane Yea every sence of his which were before Unto the
as is due Our seales to witnesse that thy word is true But all the praise or profit else redound From our beleeving on our heads rebound We do beleeve because it is thy will But by beleeving our desires fulfill What thou commandest ought to be fulfild But we obeying conquer whiles we yeeld Most gratious God what Lord is like to thee Whose Laws give life and whose commands make free Well my we to thy statutes have regard In keeping which there is such great reward And yet in all thy just commands injoynd This one of all we do most easie find Which is our faith yet this of all the rest Most richly crownes us and doth please thee best Dear faith how deep are thy foundations laid Most glorious things may well of thee be said Could we but in thy nature perfect prove The highest mountaines at our beck Would move Through thee we see our sines are wash'd away To thee the very powers of sin obey By thee we are made heires of things above Yea have an intrest in the God of love And mounted on the sublime wings we fly With boldnesse to the Throne of grace on high The fire and faith agree in these respects The fire hath heat and faith hath its effects Only the heat doth from the fire proceed Even so from faith do other graces breed Faith then is mother of each other grace Those not borne of her are but brats of base For till that faith doth sanctifie our hearts Our highest vertues are but morall parts Faith Lord is then thy stampe upon the coyn To make it currant and acknowledg'd thine Upon our graces wherein thou dost read The very Image of thy selfe indeed Lord melt our hearts then which are else but flint That this thy stamp may therein leave thy print And make the working luster of it bright For we can know it by no other light For as some pretious roots within the ground Can not or can be very hardly found But only when the springtime doth declare Their secret lodgings by the fruit thy beare So faith that plant implanted in our soules Growes so concealed from our sight like moules That we want knowledge to discern that root But by the branches and the fruits that sproot Faith then we must have or we must lose all A living faith too or else die we shall Faiths life appeareth by the fruit it beares It fruit appeareth being grain not tares O pretious fruit may that in us be found We have no cause then to suspect the ground Only it doth belong to us to weed And cast out all that may offend the seed Conscience wounded with sin Psalme 38. MIne iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy Burthen too heavy for me verse 4. My wounds stinck and are corrupt because of my foolishnesse verse 5. I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long verse 6. For my loynes are full with a loathsome disease and there is no sound part in my flesh verse 7. I am feeble and sore broken I have roared because of the disquietnesse of my heart verse 7. Oyle and wine powred in Psalme 42. VVHy art thou so cast down oh my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God Psalme 103. THe Lord is mercifull and gratious slow to anger and plentious in goodnesse verse 8. He will not alwaies chide neither will he keepe his anger for ever verse 9. Like as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him verse 13. For hee knoweth our frame he remembreth we are but dust verse 14. Desires of Aid THou good Samaritan thou God of art Good by thy readynesse God by thy skill In powring Oyle and wine into the heart That sin hath wounded oh direct my quill That in that best experience sence of feeling I may discover both to wound and healing We are the wounded Travellers indeed But thou art wounded with compassion more Our wounds do make thy wounded heart to bleed Thy blood applyd doth he ale our bleeding sore Oh pretious balme oh let it be applyd And let my hand be by thy help a guide The Conscience wounded with sin OH my mine iniquities my sin my sin Too heavy for me oh I sinck therein It doth go over as it were my head Intolerable burden no such lead My wounds are putrifi'd corrupt and stinck My foolishnesse is such my teares I drink Troubl'd and pressed with the weight I beare All the day mourning never free from care My loynes are fil'd with loathsomnesse besides There is no soundnesse in my flesh abides My conscience roares within me and the smart Torments me with the anguish of my heart Oyle and wine powred in BUt why art thou thus cast down oh my soule Why dost thou not those fearfull doubts controull Why art thou thus disquieted in my brest Oh trust in God returne unto thy rest The Lord the Lord is mercifull and kind Most slow to wrath and to forgive inclin'd Although offended doth not alwaies chide His anger doth but for a space abide Like a most tender Father to his childe So is he pitifull and much more milde For he considers where our frailty lyes And therefore bears with our infirmities The Authors Epigram COnscience oh conscience how comes this to passe Canst thou be wounded and yet arm'd in brasse Yea in a habit far more hard then steel A conscience seared hath no sense to feel But can sin wound thus hath it such a dart Yea wound thus deeply pricking at the heart Oh cruell weapon can it thus indent Through brasse through steel yea through this adamant And yet sin works not thus upon the soule That it would conscience in the act controll But rather rocks the conscience most asleep When like an aspe it makes the wound most deep Then there is nothing can do conscience good Till it be sprinkled with dissolving blood But then each motion that doth sin apply Doth wound the conscience and doth terrifie The conscience wounded with sin ALas alas the soule that sinsmust die So Scriptures tell me can the Scriptures lie No no the Scriptures never can be broken No word shall fail that is in Scripture spoken Oh then what comfort can remaine for me How scapes my soule my sinfull soule then free For I have sin'd and sin to death betraies Death is the wages that hard master payes Inviolable word of God herein Most miserable wretch that I did sin Most wretched slave that such a Master hath Most cruell wages oh eternall death Oyle and wine powred in VVHy will you dye thus doth our Father call When I delight not in your death at all Why will you dye then Oh returne and live I pardon sin and freely doe forgive My mercies please me I delight remorse But justice comes forth by constraint and force Beleeve and live this God the Son hath brought us And by his death from death eternall
men must have new desires New strength new life new flames of sacred fires The Conscience wounded with sin BUt is it certain as this tenet saith Hath each man in him that hath saving faith Such a new creature as is Christ indeed Then which way shall we those same Scriptures read Christ is ascended into heaven again The heavens must hold him yet must him contain But if it be so that this new man must Abide in all men that by faith are just Oh then I feare me I am barren still Or faith is in me yet but in the shell I find some motions now and then indeed But prove but motions nothing doth proceed Oyle and wine powred in VVHere faith is Christ is it must needs be so The spring doth alwayes from the Fountain goe Christ is the Fountain faith the spring distild We with the Fountain by the spring are fild Besides the Scriptures in this case are rife Is Christ not in us we have then no life But life we know admits degrees therein So life of faith as sound or sick of sin Diseases do the strength of nature breake If sin distempers faith is sick or weake But sure so long as motion doth remain There yet is life and may be health again The Authors Epigram BVt in what nature if you aske of me Can Christ that new man in us dwelling be Sure chiefly as he is a God to guide As he is man he doth in heaven abide Yet in our natures what he did below Doth from his fountaine to our cisterns flow As he is God his presence we possesse As he is Man we doe by faith no lesse As Man he did the debt of mankinde pay As God he purchas'd man a heavenly stay But both made ours by imputation when Faith the condition he perform'd in man Our debt is paid then and our purchase bought Our Father for us nothing left unwrought Only on our part the condition runs Believe in Christ and be imputed Sons Blest imputation and condition sweet Blest creature where these Relatives do meet The conscience wounded with sin ALL saving faith yet without saving power But as it clayms Christ for a Saviour But here I sigh alas my sight is blinde Faith is a secret lyes full deep to finde Nothing but signes and its effects appear My sight may quickly be deceived here Leaves may delude though they he fresh and green Fruit hath been wanting where such leaves were seen Indeed my heart doth proffer me this bait That my endeavours are without deceit But here I tremble I am fore afraid My conscience should be by my heart betray'd Oyle and wine powred in THe heart of man unsanctifi'd t is sure Is above all deceiâ—full and impure But such a heart as doth in sin delight Awakes not conscience but would keep it quiet If then the conscience be afraid to sin Faith out of question did that fear begin The hypocrite doth all he does for shew The man sincere doth no such trumpet blow Doth sin in secret then the soule afright Doth prayer in secret give the soule delight Are all good duties in the doing sweet Then doubtlesse faith gives motion to those feet The Authors Epigram ALL holy duties then we must frequent Faith to our knowledge hath no other vent Those are the fruits of fruitfull faith then where Those fruits appear not how can faith be there Necessity is there upon us laid To us good duties faith is else betray'd We must be zealous both to heare and pray How dare some then cast blocks in such away Zealous indeed what ever else is done Is but like empty shadowes of the sun Empty indeed and when we come to try them They prove like smoake we finde no comfort by them Then in good duties we must labour still To draw some matter from them that may fill Some sweetnesse and some comfort in them finde Or else we vainly do but beat the Winde And yet we must good duties do although We yet finde nothing in the same but show Because God hath appointed them a way Through which like conduits he doth grace convay FINIS