Thy Longings nothing could on Earth suffice Should'st thou but miss thy Maker there Thro Me alone in Price thy Blessings rise I all the noblest Gifts endear And canst thou dream large Hecatombs Should satisfy what God requires Think'st Thou I feed on what consumes With noisom Stench and in material Fires No I thy Self Dear Soul thy All command Give then O give thy Self to Me I leave my Body in thy faithful Hand I offer'd all my Self for Thee Dearly I 'm sure I purchas'd Thee Give then O give thy Self to Me But give it freely or the Gift will be A poor unworthy Sacrifice If I must only have a Part in Thee No happy Union thence can rise A Free-Will-Offering finds a place With God and to thy Self assures Vast Liberty and wondrous Grace Which none while of himself too fond procures I 've said Vnless a Man his All forsake He 's no Disciple fit for Me And wouldst thou one of my Attendants make From all inferiour Service free Wouldst Thou my blest Disciple be Give then O give thy Self to Me IX Offer unto God Thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the Most High Believer WHAT e're this Lower World contains Dear Lord is Thine And since a Free-Will-Offering Favour gains I here to Thee my Self resign Lord with a Heart sincere I freely offer up my Self to Thee My faithful Service and obsequious Fear A Sacrifice of Praise to be When I thy Self Dear Lord receive And round thy Table smiling Angels wait O don't my glorious Hopes deceive But let it be New Life to Me Let Me thy heavenly Grace thy Loves participate My Sins Dear Lord for Love of Thee I sacrifice Those Sins with which from early Infancy I durst offend thy sacred Eyes Lo at thy Altars here I cast them all O let thy burning Love Consume them Lord my sinful Conscience clear And all the Stains of Sin remove That Grace which Sin had lost before That Grace of which my Self my Self bereav'd O to my Soul Dear God restore Smile Lord on Me And let Me be To thy immortal Kiss thy boundless Peace receiv'd I 've sinn'd I 'm lost Lord what shall I For Pardon do I 'll at thy Feet with deep Confession lie And all my Tears for Guilt renew Atone my God for Me To Thee I 'll offer up unceasing Cries I 'll offer up unceasing Prayers to Thee Look down O look with gracious Eyes I hate my Sins I hate them All Lord I repent indeed I mourn and grieve O save Me from a future Fall My Sins pass o're Wash out my Score My Soul with Blood redeem'd with precious Blood relieve I here for Mercy Lord resign My Self to Thee O don't repay those black Deserts of Mine But in thy Goodness deal with Me My fairest Actions here Poor weak alas I offer up to Thee O let 'um grateful in thy Sight appear Adorn'd with Life and Sanctity My Soul for nobler Actions wing And Me a senseless Brute a worthless Slave By thy all-prudent Conduct bring To that blest Place Where well-us'd Grace Shall all the bright Rewards of full Perfection have Lord at thy Feet I humbly lay My just Desire For Friends Relations Benefactors pray And all who my Relief require For them thy Aids dispose From Pains from Dangers from Afflictions free Let them thy dear reviving Smiles disclose And sing their grateful Hymns to Thee Where others Lord have injur'd Me Where I have injur'd others O forgive O let our numerous Failures be All gently past And we at last In mutual Charity and God's Embraces live Lord let our doubtful Hearts be free From Jealousy From Wrath from Malice all those Crimes which we Oft in each others Tempers see And let thy Grace remove What e're Distrust in Christian Souls can raise Or Charity confound or murder Love Or Nature's crasy State betrays Mercy we Mercy Lord implore On needy Souls thy Mercy Lord bestow And Grace from thy unbounded Store Till happy we May live with Thee Where endless Mercy reigns and boundless Pleasures flow X. Not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the Manner of some is Christ WOuldst Thou thy Passions utmost Rage command Wouldst Thou against infernal Malice stand More watchful yet and stronger grow Here the Springs of Mercy flow Here I every Grace bestow Here my Servants kindly know Oft at my Altars oft prepar'd appear And oft thou 'lt meet thy mighty Saviour there Hell knows what Strength my Flesh and Blood can give And tries a thousand Means and Ways And all his subtle Art displays To make the doubtful Soul in pinching Hunger live When for my Supper pious Souls are drest They 'r oft by Hell's delusive Wiles distrest He 'll still among my Sons appear Scatter Care and sensless Fear And tho I my self am near Try to make Disturbance there Scorn then his Terrors tho deform'd and foul And let Himself beneath the Burden howl Let neither Sloth nor Coldness ravish Thee Hell's Malice nor imposing Art Enslave or turn thy yielding Heart When it on joyful Wings should fly to feast with Me. He 'll tell Thee Holy Cheat He 'll tell Thee there Thy Preparations should be more severe But Thou hast ne'r confest thy Sin Never let Repentance in Never cleans'd thy self within And wouldst now in vain begin If this be true fly dearest Soul O fly And at my Feet with deep Contrition lie Before my Priest thy Follies humbly lay He bears my sacred Character And his absolving Hands confer True Life on contrite Souls and Comforts cloudless Day Throw off Hell's Poison from thy fainting Soul Sins Burden from thy drooping Conscience roll Fly then dear Soul O fly to Me I 'll thy happy Shelter be Set Thee soon from Bondage free Fly dear Soul O fly to Me Name not to Morrow that 's a tedious Day Now now thy own Internal State survey Don't with some stupid Brutes my Feast forbear Lest They more firmly ty'd should be To save themselves and honour Me But let those Vows renew'd my sacred Feast endear How low's their Love's and their Devotion 's Tide Who can so soon from their Engagements slide How dear how truly welcom 's He Who preserves his Conscience free Lives in Faith and Purity And is always fit for Me Sometimes thy Soul 's touch'd with an awful Fear Or may for some important Cause forbear But if encroaching Sloth thy Heart detain O shake it quickly off and I Will to thy fervent Bosom fly And thou shalt Loves renew'd and glowing Fervours gain If justly absent let thy chearful Will Thy eager Thoughts approach my Altars still Live so adorn'd with Innocence Lively Faith and heavenly Sense As may leave Thee no pretence With Attendance to dispense But when the Son of God assum'd the Man When his dear bloody Death thy Life began When He shook off Death's Chains and climb'd the Skies When He the glorious Spirit sent New Loves for Loves renew'd present And let Devotion 's Flames with
to Thee Since oft my Sins thy Throne alarm Against me all the World should arm Shame and Confusion's due to Me But Praise and Glory Lord to Thee And till I have my Heart subdu'd My haughty Heart to bear the rude Assaults of every Creature here And Nothing to my self appear No inward Peace no sacred Light Can me to Rest or Joys invite Or to Eternal God my wandring Soul unite XLII Not as the World giveth give I unto you Christ NE're with thy own vain Thoughts my Son comply Nor on a Man for Friendship cast thine Eye Unless thou ld'st live involv'd unstable die If Thou on living lasting Truth rely Unmourn'd thy Friends may live unmourn'd may die Be they Love's Circle but the Center I. The best of Men should be belov'd for Me Friendship without Me must uncertain be I only bless it with Eternity Die die my Son to all Affections here Thou 'lt then no lonesom Rocks or Desarts fear Who leaves Earth's Joys may to his God be near Search but thy Bosom first thy self to know Thou daily to thy self wilt viler grow And higher tow'rd thy mighty Maker go But He who Worth within Himself can find Must to his God's Superiour Grace be blind His Spirit only loves the lowly Mind Wer 't Thou from Love of Self and Creatures free My Grace should flow in mighty Streams on Thee But few the Maker thro his Works can see Subdue thy self for Me thou 'lt grow more light Thy Mind more towring and thy Wisdom bright But smallest Toys belov'd retard the noblest Flight XLIII The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power Christ DEspise fine Words my Son and smart Replies God's Kingdom not in Words but Practice lies My Words clear up the Mind enflame the Heart Sorrows unfeign'd and serious Joys impart Read 'um but not with Critick Art or Wit To mortify thy secret Lusts submit Mortification will more useful be Than all the subtle Quirks of empty Sophistry When Thou hast made vast Learnings Circle all Must on one little Point one Center fall I teach Men Knowledg and a purer Sense To Babes than Men can e're to Men dispense Where I Instructions sacred Light disclose The Soul more large more full the Wisdom grows But Wo to Those who Curious Arts explore And slightly pass my happy Service o're Christ the great Teachers Teacher whose Command Bright Angels own will soon in Judgment stand Examine all his Followers throughly o're The Conscience with impartial Eyes explore Search all his Churches as with Torches thro Expose the works of Darkness all to view And Men of Learned Tongues with Judgment 's weight pursue I in an instant raise the Humble Soul And make it stretch to Truth 's Eternal Goal And in a moment more of Sense to use Than Schools can in a Life 's long Course infuse No noisy Words no Novel Schemes confus'd No titled Pride no Arguments abus'd Are heard with Me I nobler Thoughts inspire To scorn the World and from its Joys retire To relish and to seek Eternity To bear with Scandals and from Praise to fly In Me to hope my Smiles alone desire And not to foreign Loves or Worldly Gains aspire My Saints for Love of Me their Silence broke Knew Wonders and Mysterious Wonders spoke More Knowledg too by Leaving All obtain'd Than they before by nice Distinctions gain'd Yet I to some but Common things disclose To some my Grace peculiar Notions shows In Signs and Dreams some read my Sacred Will Some I with Mystick Revelations fill Books speak to all alike but all alike Can't on the Point of Holy Learning strike I only teach them Inward Truths and I Search all their Hearts and all their Thoughts descry I give their Undertakings just Success And as I judg it best with various Favours bless XLIV Neither make thy self over wise Christ MY Son sometimes a learned Ignorance Will more thy Interests advance Than all that Learning which vain Worlds admire To be quite Crucifi'd to Earth below An Ear quite deaf to Sirens Charms to show More Pleasures more Delights will give Than high in Honour's Throne to live Thy Soul with better Thoughts of endless Peace inspire Turn O turn thy Eyes away From those Offences brutish Fools may lay Before thee Leave them to their vain Conceits He 's happier who from noisy Jars retreats Than He who hopes alas in vain He may a barbarous Age restrain Stand well with God If God but smile on Thee Then Fools of Conquests proud may see They 've only gain'd an Inauspicious Victory Blest God to what a pass the World is come Men mourn for Crosses And lament their Losses By Sea by Land Abroad at Home Spend tedious Days and Nights And renounce their Lives Delights To get a poor Subsistence here But of their Souls they never dream Their Souls a melancholick trifling Theme For them they 'd not an Angel's Warnings hear They hunt for Shadows and for Flies And the One necessary thing despise Bent all on outward Follies thoughtless all Unless a Gracious God their flying Sense recal XLV The Simple believeth every Word Bel. SInce Human Health and Helps are vain Lord let me thy Assistance gain Of promis'd Aids I oft have fail'd Where none were promis'd oft prevail'd Men are essential Vanity But all our Health and Hope 's in Thee Blest be my Lord my God in All Which on his faithful Servants fall But lost infirm unstable We A Mass of dull Mistakes and Mutability What happy Man so wisely keeps His Soul He neither nods nor sleeps Rarely mistakes is ne're perplext Nor with Events surprizing vext He who has fixt his Heart on Thee Alone can from those Rubs be free He when in Sorrow's Chains involv'd By Thee shall have his Bonds dissolv'd None e're was lost or cast aside Who on thy kind Supports rely'd Friends may deceive Us Thou alone Art always Faithful always One O were it so but once with Me My Hopes securely built on Thee My Heart no silly Fears would move And Words of Spite would idle prove Who can all future Ills foresee Or who from sudden Wounds be free I who to glorying Language yield Am hurt because without a Shield Men are but frail alas decay'd Tho by our Flatterers Angels made Whom should I credit Lord but Thee Thou great Eternal Verity But Men are Liars changing weak And vainly act and vainly speak Falsly with nearest Neighbours deal And with their Oily Words their venom'd Hearts conceal That I should of Mankind beware And of the Adversary's Snare And those who cry Lo here Lo there Thou oft hast made thy Servant hear My Duty now I dearly know O may I better wiser grow Watch o're my Words and ne'r confide Another should my Follies hide Lest when I think I 'm safe betray'd I should a common Jest be made O grant me thy Protection Lord From treacherous Brutes and Hands abhorr'd From Me deceitful Words remove My Lips with honest
Truth improve It 's Truth I would in others find O mayn't I be my Self to Lies inclin'd From Tatling and Credulity And Words which out unguarded fly He 'll keep Himself who 'd Peace pursue And He 'll reveal Himself to few To Thee great Lord of Hearts he flies No windy Words his Soul surprize But in his Thoughts and all his Deeds He by thy sacred Will proceeds That I may keep thy Grace Divine I shan't for fond Applause design Nor vulgar Air but carefully My Soul to Life reform'd and purer Zeal apply Man bloated up with empty Praise May like a slimy Meteor blaze But soon as shooting Stars appear And fall from his exalted Sphere But who in private spends his Days Not gaining but deserving Praise He thro' his Christian Course walks all in peaceful Ways XLVI Esteeming the Reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt Christ ON Me My Son fix all thy Pains and Care For empty Words are only empty Air. If Conscience sting to mend thy Life prepare If not think what thou for thy God could'st bear Frighted with Words canst thou contend with Blows Thy selfish Thoughts thy best Resolves oppose Scar'd with Reproach Fig-leaves thy Guilt would use And with a trifling Plea thy Coward Heart excuse Look thro' thy Bosom then O search it well Close there the World and vain Affections dwell Loth to be humbled or to blush for Sin Thou show'st that World still lives and reigns within Hear Me thou 'lt all inferiour Scandal slight Tho Malice should her utmost Force excite How should they hurt thee Son despise them all They from thy Head can't make one single Hair to fall God's Fear and Wisdom scorns the World's Disgrace And sober Faith will common Fears efface I the great Judg Mens common Practice know Who bears the Injury who gives the Blow I all the Thoughts of gloomy Hearts reveal Yet from themselves the secret Test conceal While to my Sentence Guilt and Innocence appeal Mens Judgments fail but mine unchang'd remain Obscure to Fools to Men of Wisdom plain To Mine then not thy Own Decisions stand The Just unmov'd may Fate 's last Force command Unvex'd with Malice and unshock'd with Lies Not Pride but Reason is his Exercise He knows I search the Heart and try the Reins No false Appearance e're my Doom restrains What Fools as Charity and Vertue prize Casts but an ugly Shade in my severer Eyes Bel. Just Mighty Judg Dear patient Lord To me thy Faith and Strength afford Thou knowst our frail Corruptions all How short my Sense and Wisdom fall Thou knowst what 's to my Self unknown I then should thy Chastisements own Mercy to Me O Mercy show And Pardon and thy Grace bestow Thy Mercy 's more indulgent far Than all our vain Excuses are Tho not self-conscious I should be Unfit to plead my Cause with Thee Without that Mercy I and All Beneath the weighty Strokes of dismal Vengeance fall XLVII For when He is tried He shall receive the Crown of Life Christ LET not my Son those Sufferings born for Me Those Sorrows thy tyrannic Conquerors be But let my Promise strengthen comfort Thee I can beyond the largest Thoughts repay Sorrows continue but for one short Day Wait humbly and they fly on Wings away The Time shall come when all that Pain and Noise Shall cease which now thy inward Peace destroys That 's short which only Time 's short Bounds employs Up rise to work with earnest Toils regard My Vineyard then I 'll be thy great Reward Write Read Sigh Sing Pray Cease thy Passions guard Such Exercise with Manly Courage bear That glorious Crown which thou at last shalt wear More Dangers may and sharper Toils endear I see I see the blest approaching Day No Night shall its Eternal Beams allay But thee to Rest and endless Peace convey who 'll from this Load of Death deliver Me How long shall I a mournful Pilgrim be Such Cries shall never more be heard from thee Death then shall yield and Life for ever last Thy cheerful Days no Sorrow's Wormwood taste With sweet Society and Splendor grac'd O couldst Thou see the Saints immortal Crown The Saints whom sensless Worlds of old bore down Their present Honours and their vast Renown thou 'dst soon be humble scorn the Joys beneath For God's dear sake embrace approaching Death And tho by Men despis'd Celestial Honours breathe Knew'st Thou but This could this thy Heart possess thou 'dst ne'r complain but think thy Sufferings less Compar'd with thy superiour Happiness Heav'n gain'd or lost is of a vast Concern Look up then thro' the Clouds thy Lot discern Mine and my Saints advancing Glories learn We who endur'd so many Wounds of old Peace now and Joys in full Possession hold In my Eternal Father's Royal Lists enroll'd XLVIII For the Things which are seen are Temporal and the Things which are not seen are Eternal Believer O Salem with Immortal Glories light O Day for ever ever bright Free from Clouds and free from Night Where Truth 's the Sun and sheds his gladsom Rays Where he diffuses cheerful Days And the same unchanging stays Sink wretched World O Day Eternal shine That Saints may bask in Beams Divine And may their blest Lot be Mine Those Days the Saints at Rest with gladness know We find these bitter here below Full of Mischief full of Wo. We 'r here defil'd with Sins with Lusts ensnar'd With Bugbear-Dreams and Terrors har'd And with endless Dangers scar'd Wild with too curious Thoughts and Fancies vain Opprest with Errors weighty Chain Rack'd with Wants and torn with Pain Or broke with soft delights all the Tempter's train When shall these Ills be past my Soul be free From Sins extream Servility So to think Dear Lord on Thee When shall I bathe in Joys immortal Springs And free from wretched Worldly Things Mount on Freedom's airy Wings When shall my Peace be solid full secure And firm on every side endure And my Saviour's Smiles procure When Lord shall I thy Kingdom 's Glories fee And make Thee all in all to Me And for ever reign with Thee Now I a poor a banish'd Wretch appear And now a thousand Sorrows bear While by Foes surrounded here Ah to an Exile Lord some Comfort give From Woes ray wretched Heart retrieve For in Thee my Wishes live Earth's Comforts are uneasy Weights to Me I long Dear Lord I pant for Thee Ah how ineffectually Dull Earth wild Passions check my Towring Soul When I 'd the lower World controul Lust alas subdues Me whole Thus Civil Wars distract my tortur'd Breast My Mind by Rebel Lusts opprest Loses all its private Rest How great 's my Torment while my Mind aspires To Heav'n but Carnal base Desires Quench the sacred rising Fires O don't in Wrath thy wretched Servant view But with thy pointed Shafts pursue And my struggling Lusts subdue Give Me but Wisdom I 'll the World deny And those Ideas vain
thy heavy Lashes bore And inward Pangs and outward Woes Great Physician Lord of Souls Thou whose Hand our Hearts controuls None above and none below Can such Wounds and Balms bestow Thou to Hell canst cast me down Thou my Life with Health canst crown All the Sufferings laid on Me All my Comforts flow from Thee In thy blest Hands Dear Father I Beneath thy Rod's Correction lie Lash cut me deep that I may be In all submissive Lord to Thee Make me Obedient Humble Meek That I thy Will alone may seek My Self I yield my All to Thee Here not hereafter punish Me Thou knowst my Conscience throughly Lord Each brooding Thought each winged Word Past Present Future Matters lie At once before thy piercing Eye Thou my Interest only knowst What to purge my Rust it cost Let me Lord thy Subject be Work thy Pleasure Lord on Me Ne'r despise Me ne'r neglect Me Nor for Nature's Taint reject me I thy Jurisdiction own I to Thee am throughly known Lord teach Me what I ought to know And Love to lovely things to show To praise what only pleases Thee True Worth in what thou lovest to see While what Thou hat'st grows vile to Me. Let me never judg by sight Nor in empty Tales delight Wisdom's Methods let me learn And superiour Things discern From those little Toys below And thy Laws exactly know Mens Senses oft in Judgment fail And Toys on Earthy Minds prevail Who only grasp at what they see And scorn Invisibility Who tho the Rabble lift them high May still in common Ordure lie For when Cheats the Cheaters praise When the Vain their Fellows raise When the Blind conducts the Blind When the Weak's a Guide design'd All 's Deceit from first to last All their Praise an empty Blast For a Man's repute should be Only as He 's priz'd by Thee LI. Who hath despis'd the Day of small things Christ MY Son Tho now thy inward Flames supreamly shine Thy Prayers are Raptures and thy Flights Divine Yet Nature's Weakness oft will Lure thee down And Life's rough Cares thy soaring Fancies drown The Heart still of its mortal Load complains And needs must groan beneath its slavish Chains Since cramp'd so oft when it attempts the Skies And would to heavenly things and lofty Subjects rife With humble Thoughts then Holy Works pursue Till coming I thy smother'd Flames renew With heavenly Dews refresh the drowthy Plains Bless thee with Peace break thy weighty Chains Thy Heart enlarg'd thro Scripture-Vails shall rove And Thou to run my holy Ways shall love Till sure what e're thy present Sufferings are They can't with heavenly Bliss and future Crowns compare LII I have born Chastisement I will not offend any more Believer LORD I 'm unworthy of thy Comforts thy Love And thou mayst justly from my wreched Heart remove Vast Seas of flowing Tears could never make me pure My great my crying Sins might all thy Plagues endure But boundless Goodness Lord and Mercy lives with Thee And thy supporting Hand thy fading Creatures see Thou mak'st my drooping Soul thy wondrous Comforts know And find how far they pass our weak Attempts below What can I do my God to gain thy heavenly Grace So slow to Penitence so swift in Satan's Race I nothing Lord can plead if thou my Crimes survey But Hell and hellish Flames must all my Guilt repay I know I merit Lord thy utmost Hate Scorn Nor can my Name among thy Holy Saints be born Harsh tho the Reckoning prove I must the Test endure If I 'd thy Mercies Springs thy Comforts Streams procure What shall I say when at thy dreadful Bar accus'd What can a Sinner plead with inward Guilt confus'd I 've sinn'd great God I 've sinn'd O Mercy Mercy show O let my Eyes a while with unfeign'd Waters flow E're I to Death's black Shades the Lands of Darkness go A contrite humble Heart thy Bar for Sin demands In true Repentance all our hope of Pardon stands That stills those rugged Storms which o're the Conscience roll Our dying Gifts repairs shields the trembling Soul From Judgment 's dreadful Flames till delug'd round with Sweets The Soul its smiling God in Love's Embraces meets A contrite Heart to Thee 's a nobler Sacrifice Than all those Odours which from fuming Incense rise Sweet as those fragrant Oils which wash'd thy sacred Feet And as it 's humble must thy constant Favours meet Thy Arms a Refuge sure from Hellish Rage appear And our Pollutions all thy flowing Mercies clear LIII Love not the World neither the Things of the World Christ MY Smiles are pure my Son unmix'd with those Poor Comforts which inferiour Things disclose Wouldst thou obtain them Cast thy Clogs aside Thy Self within thy private Chambers hid There with thy God not Men Discourses nod Thy Mind and Conscience there with Sighs unfold Laugh at the World that sweet Recess prefer Before a King 's invidious Character For Mine and worldly Loves thou ne'r canst find A Time of leisure or an easy Mind From fondest Friends and Earth's Incumbrance free There thou mayst dedicate thy self to Me And like a Stranger and a Pilgrim move Thro' wastful Desarts here to Canaan's Rest above With what strange Joys that happy Man may die Whose Thoughts discharg'd from Earth's Engagements lie Words can't express nor curious Arts descry The real Saint the World's Concerns will leave And chiefly fears Self should Himself deceive Subdue thy Self thou'lt soon the World subdue That Conquest only is a Conquest true He who his sensual part by Reason guides Then with his Reason to his Lord subsides O're Earth o're himself a King triumphant rides Wouldst thou reach this Then like a Man begin And lay the Ax close to the Roots of Sin Heâ— down Self-love and every Thought inclin'd â—o vulgar Blisses or the Creature-kind Self-love alone the Little World confounds That master'd Peace the quiet Heart surrounds How few compleatly to themselves can die Their Bird-lim'd Wings no gallant Heights can fly But here in common Cares entangled lie But those who would at large converse with Me Must from deprav'd unruly Passions be And from their darling selves and Creature-Comforts free LIV. The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God Christ MY Son Nature and Grace in all their Steps attend Soft is their Motion and oppos'd their End Only by men of inward Light perceiv'd Most aim at Good but are alas deceiv'd Sly Nature has a thousand Arts and Snares And only for its own Delights prepares Grace is sincere and all that 's ill declines Cheats none but all for God and Godlike Works designs Death Sufferings and Subjection Nature hates Grace struggling Lust with holy Art rebates Fain would be humble and would fain obey And not at large in fleshly Desarts stray Love's Discipline and on its Good would rest And for his sake it self of Self divest Nature for Pleasure seeks and seeks for Gain Grace only