not step out 'T is unbeleeving pride proud faithlesnesse 'S the bitter roote of all unhappinesse Looke on the humble-and-beleeving man He will be happy doe you what you can Below he lies the while he flies above Th' great'st evills and sweets the bitterest in love Still may I Act my God-adoring faith Not heare what sinne or sinfull sorrow saith Up up above I am out of the reach Of what in pact in peace will make a breach The cause once known the Cure's halfe done th' disease Exactly tane away the Symptomes cease Being as co-transient as co-incident Faith knowes no sinne nor humblenesse male-content Perverse and faithlesse faithlesse and perplext 'S the combination of the holy Text. A generation of perversenesses In whom's no faith no men of blessednesses Were they implanted in my pleasant rivers And suckt th' sweets m' All-abounding Name delivers Liberall to thirsty soules cu'd they the while Thus feeding runne to th' dry and barren soile Cry out for any want but want of care To keepe them fatting on Angely fare To stretch their wider branches to receive More of my fulnesse in more fruitfull leaves Happy happy soules indeed big with delight Knowne of and knowing the Lord what lust m' excite Him sit nay stand nay walke i' th' wayes of folly What blacke event becloud with melancholy Pure candid limpid quicke pellucid spirits Streame from the lively fountaine well demerits The honour o' th' parent grace Why 's living man Whose life is joy so sorrowfull what can What reas'n deject him man suffers for his sinne Which faith not suffering let 's no suff'rings in For while it comes to God it turnes from evill That found this left why troubled at words of divels But wary indigning simpathizing hearts Are Agents in their sweetly-played parts I le boldly say 't if truth say true So farre untoward so farre a Jew Untoward froward faith I can as well While melt in love gainst love rebell Untoward froward faith I can as well While blesse in heaven banne in hell Heare then the summe of Christian art Keepe faith in all things Acting's part Faith's onely where it lives and where it lives 'Ts the spirit the paire of nerves that motion gives To every action the man the worke is dead Is sinne where this is not the heart the head FOnd man in those first loynes himselfe unblest Fled from his nest cou'd never since find rest Now soares above now headlong fall's below That place-uncircumcised Being O That faith wou'd hold me still above my feare And feare below my pride Durst I presume To blesse my selfe my selfe unblessed doome Wer 't thou my feare great God how soone I 'd start Abhorre runne farre from this div'l swolen heart Aspires thy Throne in envious discontent To doe it's homage to thy regiment My wanton head wu'd it more Babells plot To reach forbidden fruite my froward heart not Rejoyce in all thy wills my stubborne hand Not quickly act thy soveraigne commands This head heart hand this all that first wu'd Thee Their Maker governe e're they 'd humble be Wert thou my trust shud I still sow the wind And reape the whirlewind tangle teare my mind With thorny cares such tireing circuits fetch To rake the Mammon makes me more a wretch Contrive a wisedome that thou never taughtst Create Chimaeras flocks of monstrous thoughts Headlesse conceipts that hold not of thy Christ The head the whole where all our worth 's compris'd Resolve upon an happinesse of mine owne Though by 't my happinesse be quite o're throwne Pitch such an height of learning unto which I will attaine what e're come on it itch After vaine applause be eminent or none Have what I will or else let all alone Silly-proud-childish-obstinate-God-denying else How madly lost when fondly sought my selfe How faithlesse pride the brainessets on the wracks While fretting grief the heart-strings gnawes and cracks Were God thy ayme thy stay this ne're wu'd neede H' accepts the doing will for th' willing deede How hard and yet how easie now I worke To please my Saviour sav'd me from the Turke My tireing Tyrant selfe expects the tale Of toylosome Brickes though time straw strength shu'd faile I will be rich will honors pleasures have Saith selfe or else I le venter on the grave But who pursues these riches honors pleasures He knownes not Christ his Alsufficient Treasures How easie is thy yoake thy burthen light When with selfe world divell mandates I them tight The faith that once of God hath got a taste Loves not the world so well to fall for hast But takes his time meanes measure manner kinde As willinger to be without were so his minde Whose manifold wisedome shewes its mighty power To keepe the soule whom neither th' golden showre O' th' glittering'st goods the cheating world can tender Nor th' bitting'st siege fiercest shots can make surrender And wherein faith most bravely hath acquitted 'T selfe 's not told so easily as pertinently omitted Since then the evill heart is to depart From thee and to depart from Thee 's the heart Of unbeleefe put in this faithfull feare Then shu'd I still be good because still here All blisse is in Thy presence th' evill heart 'S in evill case cause 't will from Thee depart Evill departs fares ill and all because This fearelesse unbeliefe not tends Thy lawes Stampt on the heart in golden Carracters Of ne're defaced loves and thence transfers Its thoughts to trash puts forth its hand to folly Th' luscious fare's resolv'd in t ' adust melancholly Fond fearelesse faithlesse man n'er findes his rest Runnes from his mercy least he shu'd be blest Then let thy feare fall and incompasse me From this false world while faith makes upward flie Thus both made one in love this faithfull feare Translates my soule to its celestiall Spheare To rest from th' labour I to 'th utmost doe And sing 't along ' cause thou wu't bring me through So gives he his beloved rest sweet sleepe Amidst the sprightly est activitie dost keep My spirits in reposed freshnesse while Th' world breakes their sleepe head heart with vaine turmoile Worke out salvation with a trembling feare Give love its perfect worke 't will cast out feare Th' excrementitious humours thus expeld Th' implanted spirit of faith's communion's held The better with the gracious love that sweetly feedes O' th' purer Pabulum of humble deeds 1 Joh. 3.9 CUd'st thou induce th' proposall t' vouchsafe a touch Unto the stateliest to yes the fairest moile The richest dâ—â—â—â—gerie what brave indignation'd boyle In that Heroick breast while thou sha't see The imminent Crowne of such an eminencie Surround thee in a glorious compasse hath no end Of time nor place but shud'st thou not intend Thy heedie faith but th' glancingst squint-eye lend From him to painted lies how soone thou d'st mend O how thy bowell's'd turne within thee with A sweete regret to think thy father seeth Cou'dst thou now sinne while such a
spread downeward in the roote of my humble faith so much the more nourishment I draw and consequently thrive in bulke and stature towards the full measure of perfection in Christ Jesus We have according as we receive but we receive according to our humility-the hollow of the Palme the capacitie the capability of the hand of faith therefore we have according to it Againe Grace is the Indwelling of God in us and Humility the emptying and the unselfing us of our selves to live in him looke then as he comes in the very first forming of grace so we goe out and as wee goe out so he comes in with a daily and further transforming us into himselfe Or thus Christ is the patterne of Humility but in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead therefore Thc humblest man is the most gracious man Nay who 'twixt th' one and th' other difference can For indeed Grace is Humility-and Humility is Graceis godlinesse they having divers names in a divers respect Humilitie as we are made unlike to are outed of our selves Grace-and Godlinesse as made like to as Inned in our God The unselfdenying man therefore is the prond man-is the ungracious-the ungodly man Or thus God himselfe hath so humbled himselfe take upon him the forme of a servant to be God-with Phil. 2. ver 6 7. The Lord of Life hath shed blood hath been slaine and that on the Crosse for 〈◊〉 Acts 3.15 1 Cor. 11.27 In whom it is humility looke on the Earth to looke on the Heavens Psal 11 Grace then being but what a man hath of God it mâ— be but what he hath of humility The more truly then the more kindly the Sould humbled the more raised the more sublimed it is 〈◊〉 cause more filled with him who is Above all But of tâ— otherwhere God willing the Kingdome standing 〈◊〉 not overturned by these studie-disturbing Statestroying Over-looking Prides QVia des noixil en casse Et qui n'en a il s'en passe Hee that hath Nuts to h's teeth them puts Hee that hath none lets 'em alone 'S ne'r troubled about ' em Just such toyes are all the joyes This world can give and I can live As well without ' em It is not bread whereby I 'm fed I much may carve and yet may starve If Nature feed not But on the aire I can well fare If God shall make me all forsake So say they need not God is my portion all this spatious world â—S a little-tinie Nut that to me hurld â—'ve more adoe to get the Kernell forth Then all the world as but the shell is worth God 's in 't I know and God's without it too And I get him without with lesse adoe My Nuts are left I 'm off my childish stage Approach the Acme of m'eternall Age â—care f'r this ratling pleasure Counter-wealth These Hobby-horse Honours For this trumpery pelte â—arths puling sucklings stretch your throats I draw My Life fro'th ' Wisdome o' the Gospel-Law ARise my Harp my Heart is risen up Praise him hath fill'd hath overfill'd thy cup. â—rise my Heart my Harp is risen up â—raise him hath fill'd thy praise-o'rerunning cup. â—eart Harp arise mixe your melodious notes Whereon my soule my soule to him devotes â—ow praises vow thy selfe in praisefull blisse â—y Heart the Spirit my Harp the Organ is â—ay Harp and Heart and sweetly both agree 〈◊〉 Him my Life my life your Echo bee â—esse Heart Harp blesse with blest conspiracy â—y Life Earth Heaven your constant Echo be SIng pretty Bird and welcome in the Spring And mock my silence heark unthankfull soule How sweetly doth she chant it sing on sing My daintiest Bird how nimbly doth she rowle And poure out Roundelaies as if she wu'd Have all at once her concords understood Yet pretty wretch how well she keepes the time How gracefully she rests how entertaine Her Flats with Sharps how neatly doth she climbe Up note by note and run them downe againe VVith gentle breast breaths many a melting straine Harke harke unthankfull soule what still refraine Rouze up put in thou lacking in thy part Refuse so just a challenge Thou hast two Springs From Earth one Heaven another rise up my heart The winters past raine gone 't is time to sing The Flowers appeare heard is the Turtles voice The voice of thy Beloved Arise Rejoyce Up meditate his praises on thy Lute VVith a grave Higgaiion while like Seraphim Thou burst'st in t ' flams fails th' tongue 'to speak depuâ—â— Thine eyes They Let astonisht silence him Proclaime wondrous in doing in Sanctitie Glorious in praises fearefull I praise Thee Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Rest My rest yet restlesse I how faine wu'd speake But so o're powerd with dazling Light so prest VVith Humbling weight of Massie Glory breake M'imprisoning earth claime climbe my high degree Glory in its El'ment can't too heavy be O turne away thine eye No turne mine eye To a refulgent Sun whose steady view May feast upon unmixed Entitie 'S uncircumscribed and uncoulerd Hew Till * Ps 14.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complectitur copiam affluentiam Fluminis Luminis cum celeritate lubentia ac pronitate Fosterus whelm'd in living floods of streaming beames I rise far far above these dunghill-steames To sing Blest God who to thy Pure in heart I' th' Sight of Thee all blessings dost impart LOrd I believe O help my unbeliefe My sins are great therefore my sins remit Are thy thoughts thy wayes mine To see the Chiefe Of sinners Chiefe of Saints a work befit Such free full grace O how my soule admires Rapt up in wonders lost in large desires How I expatiate in this Infinite I stretch I retch and yet still more 's before Still I put out my selfe so from Selfe quite Am drawne most happy losse to finde such store I 've lost my empty Barke * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swift sailing come Inrich't with Glory to my Glorious Home Tosse World thy waves Heart harker for thy Earth Blow Divle thy blasts He he is in my Barke Shall quit me of you all Ravisht with mirth While to my Husband-Pilots Loves I harke With full assarance fleetly glide along Long longing t'sing that overlasting long Hallelujah Hallelujah But must I rest I heare A harshned touch what interchange here needs Or have I so fastidious an eare Or i' st Variety my joyings feeds But that that 's Grounded on Simplicity In Jah's the confluence of all Harmony T 'S a Princely Fabrick This. What curious rowes Of glittering windows stately Batiements How well compact proportion'd trim it showes A Master-piece of Arts imbellishments And what a bredth and length it runs as high As if it wu'd the spangled Cope outvie In lofty glory And if within you prie How neatly furnisht with rich Utensils How gorgeous deckt with broidred Tapestry What Paintings Carvings Guildings What so e're fills Th' eyes with content Yet be the Seat unsound Foundation shallow soon't salutes
patience waite on that God either for helpe in or from distresse whom I beleeve not on good grounds to be my reconciled father in Christ Who in him hath promised both who is faith full and will not suffer c. 1 Cor. 10.13 and thus beleeveing how can I but thus patiently waite on him And happy thrice happy man is he that thus waites thus beleeves Let our afflictions be never so various never so tedious let our mindes be never so disquiered our bodies never so diseased our estates never so distracted in a word let deepe call upon deepe and all the waves and billowes of God passe over us as David complaines Psal 42.7 let afflictions be continuall as v. 3. yet but let us with the hand of faith lay fast hold on his loving kindnesse v. 8. on his power in taking him for our rocke v. 9. and this will beare up our heads from sinking cheare up our hearts from fainting close up our mouthes from murmuring yea fill them with praises v. ult in the middest of the waters be they never so violent never so shorelesse Confesse I do the multitude and continuance of crosses are of themselves too heavy weights and may adde much to the burthen so much it may bee as may bruise but never so much as may breake the backe of a true beleever And yet why talke I either of bruising or breaking since I may boldly say be but consident and you shall be patient be but patient and the burthen shall be tolerable and not onely tolerable but easie not easie onely but pleasant A paradox to a naturall man but to a spirituall a most approved truth Otherwise what lesse then a rigid taskmaster might the spirit of God seeme Who instead of facilitating a Christians suffering should by the imposing of an impossibilitie exasperate it were it not a grace that he wu'd give to the humble James 1. v. 2. a verse with the two following well worthy your serious consideration Hee saith not repine not or further be patient but yet further rejoyce and how coldly or by halfes no with all joy and that when in temptation onely no in temptations and those divers too and that indefinitely for degrees not in little onely but in temptations be they what they will be more or lesse more or lesse violent and that when we meet with temptations No when we fall into them when we tumble as it were headlong into the pit whence there is no easie or suddaine rising So that we must not onely not repine but be patient not onely bee patient but rejoyce and that with all joy and that even in the middest of the most tedious most various most grievous temptations not onely in the calmenesse of peace in the Sunshine of honour in the harvest of riches in the Eden of pleasure in a word when the faire skie of prosperitie on every side invites us thereunto but even then when the glorious Sunne of comfort our ever-gracious God withdrawes his loving countenance from the sensuall eye within the darke clouds of poverty disgrace sicknesse c. when on every side the tempests of trouble and anxiety beat hard on the soule then even then is it time for it by the spirituall eye of faith to pierce these clouds and see the loving countenance of its God shining on it even then as bright as ever Then is it time for patience to be a prop to the head for joy to bee a cordiall to the heart Away then with that distrust that breeds impatiency that impatiency that breeds sorrow that sorrow that breeds affliction For indeed no evill afflicts further then it affects nor affects farther then it enters nor enters farther then it findes a distrusting and yeelding heart Let not therefore unbeliefe betray your soule to the tyranny of griefe Let then the divell the world and the flesh conspire against us let them muster up all their forces let them environ us with the closest siege let them cut off all comfortable supplies let them make the most thundering temptations the most piercing calamities they can devise yet why should wee so dishonour our good disadvantage our selves as to yeeld where he hath undertaken to defend where with out yeelding there is no being overcome and where the being overcome is so dangerous Maugre all the sicknesse and paine of the flesh all the discredit displeasure disprofit of the world yea all the temptations of the divell whatsoever make but God your stay and strength bring but your heart to him by unfained repentance for your swarving from him and him to your heart by a faithfull dependance and relying on him and you shall remaine as mount Zion that shall not bee removed And happy happy sure is that man whose enemies make him such a friend And indeed nothing nothing so happy were you when they presented themselves unto you under the specious vizard of health wealth and honour When they fang unto you their intising songs of ease peace and pleasure as now when they show themselves in their colours come against you with banners displayed and beat up on every side alarums of terrour and amazement For then were those fained songs apart to lull you asleepe in the cradle of securitie those false sights to make you take them for friends at least not for foes at least not so deadly foes But now you see them in their right shape heare them in their right tone you fly for succour from a dissembling enemy to a faithfull friend Who in that he is God cannot but give safe protection who in that he is good cannot but give all ready and requisite protection to all that truly come in unto him And surely he that is all in all is able to counterpoise yea infinitely to over-poyse all carnall contentments For indeed what of delight is there in any of these worldly things we call good as health wealth c. Which from him they have not or without him can have There is there is surely nothing in them of themselves but vanitie and vexation of spirit Neither is it the meere want or possession of them but the absence or presence of our ever-present God in or with them that can make a man 〈◊〉 â—â—acher happy or unhappy How else can Paul and Sylas sing in a prison when Ahab lies sorrow-sick in a Palace How else can Jobs losse make him patiently dedendon God when Judahs gaine makes him desperately depend on a tree God then must be the ingredient in all these earthly things else are they like those physicall drugges with uncorrected sooner ruine then restore So that what is prosperitie unsanctified but adversitie what adversitie sanctified but prosperitie And blessed ever blessed is that man that thus knowes the peace of perplexitie the riches of poverty the credit of discredit the pleasure of paine the health of sicknesse the libertie of imprisonment the joy of sorrow in a word the prosperitie of a adversitie And this he
perfect in weakenesse concording discord And if it be the glory of God to bring light out of darkenesse good out of evill how can we but rejoyce that by being subjects of the one we come to bethe instruments of the other 2 Cor. 12. 1 Cor. 2.5 And if good be the object of the concupiscible facultie why shu'd we make our affections the object of our irascible The Lord strengthen us with joy in the inner man and then goe it how it will with the outer So may we gladly keepe the word of his patience in the saddest and patience-assaultingst times so shall hee keepe us from or at least in and therefore from the houre of temptation that shall come upon all the world to try them Now is it a time for the patience of the Saints for them that keepe the Commandements of God and the faith of Jesus Now is it a time for those that have held fast this inviolable knot in the bond of love to hold up their heads in rejoycing as then knowing the greater redemption drawes nigh when the greater calamitie approaches Thus what ever of these things we may know already feelingly in the heart if not notionally perspicuously in the head let us not faile to put one another alwayes in remembrance Alwayes striving together in our Prayers and that with no small conflict of heart that we may be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mistery of God and the Father and of Christ Had we more godly and brotherly love wee should have more comfort and that would hunger after more knowledge and that fill with more assurance and that furnish with more grace and all acknowledge the mistery of the puritie of the wisedome of the love of the Godhead So much spirit so much faith so much faith so much Christ so much Christ so much love so much love so much knowledge so much knowledge so much fulnesse of God Eph. 3.16 c. Come then what may come befall what may befall to the flesh The Lord be with the Lord will be with will be our Spirits Ruat Mundus Restat Deus PLay on about the Candle wanton flie Play sindge thy wings consume thy soule and die Make jests of Scripture-jeere the God of heaven Laugh at the Light-mock them who hath receiven It in their hearts-and shine it in their lives Invent unheard of opprobries contrive New fashion'd obloquies scum hell for scurrulous wit Or dive th'lowest depths of the unfathom'd pit 'T will furnish thee with just sufficient store To make thy selfe a foole and nothing more Enough and but enough to over-reach And cheate thy selfe th' infernall cheater'l teach Else shud'st be wiser then thy master shud Thy wit have wit enough to make thee good On madnesse belch thy deadly Antipathie To heaven in thy horrid blasphemy Cast up thy workes and reare thy mounts on high Heape fetch on fetch to overtop the skie Shield thee with distinctions say it is not him Thou shoot'st at but his word Saint Image Limbe Not God but God in them While merrily along To the correcting stocks the foole holds on His heedlesse way tickled with the high desert Of h's flattering wit into his endlesse smart PUritan the invention of Hell the Character of a Christian the language of prophanenesse the blasphemy of God the evomition of a heart desperately wicked a glorious defamation an undermining of an open thrust at the very heart life and power of Religon an evident preferring of Pharisaicall formes and Laodecean neutralitie a Match-divillian device to kindle sire in Church and State a slie practise of the old Serpents old maxime Divide and Raigne a word that is as it is made enterteined And what indeed is this Puritan but a Protestant drawing naturall conclusions from his owne praemises beleeving and living according to his owne profession at the highest pitch of his owne principles Nor know I indeed how one differs otherwise from the other then a Papist from an Arminian A perfect birth from an Embrio a Bird from an Egge Time and due heate Cateris non obstantibus will give them both their full maturity And as I have had it from good hands confessed by a Papists that Protestanisme not kept down wu'd naturally grow up to Puritanisme And surely that which doth not is but a dry and dead stumpe without branches or at farthest leaves without fruite Is that tree which cumbers the ground is that ground which is nigh unto cursing to the executed sentence of its amendment-unaverted judgement Let then this or whatsoever other synonymous Nickname any divill-brooded braine hath latelier hatched be sent forth drest in the gavest feathers of proud and selfe-conceited and therefore desperately foolish wit yet shall they prove but finer colour'd excrements but ensignes of their vanitie and therefore not seasonably prevented of their eternall vexation of spirit But what then those more blacke and darke aspersions of impudently-forheaded calumniators with the very thoughts where of I abhorre to defile my memory Whose empty whose witlesse wit is so taking with because so easily apprehensible by so aptly sutable to corrupt nature While the substantiall wisedome of heaven is only justified by her children Who have learnt of her how ever these scoffers deceive themselves God whom in his word Saints c. they mock will not be mocked Jude 15. Act. 4.9 Matth. 25.42 c. Try all things hold fast that which is good REject the Branne reteine the flower All things abide their sifting houre Perfection onely in Heaven is 'T is knowledge here to know we misse But they who studdy not to advance Are ignorant of their ignorance But we that follow on to know In floods of lights and loves shall flow Baptiz'd in glory till wee see Th' unseene in all his Puritie But what O what then shall we be Who so much of him here can see Chant in a fire of humble zeale Soule-loosing hymns of restlesse weale Ravish't and ravish't while we rest Hugg'd in his aye-fomenting brest Surrounded in a Maze of blisse Distracted with felicities While firmely resident in one In whom All knowables are knowne The things that neither eye eare heart Can see heare thinke the milliont'h part Who see nor love simplicitie Inf'nit Invisibilitie O what what then who this now know Yet know not ought as w' ought to know T Is calme within and so I sang before 'T is calme without so sing what sang before My head-my heart-my hand shall sing My God my Prophet Priest and King These three below with those above Shall make six parts unite in love And so I sang in the extreamest storme And what else can I'n the serenest calme O Teach thy servant to be humble for the humble thou wilt teach Let him see thee and he dies and he lives for ever Send forth thy Light and thy Truth and let them lead him in thy presence Cause thy face to shine upon him and it will teach him they statutes Thy loving kindnesse is better then life O let it never depart from him O Comfort him with thy Aples and refesh him with thy Cordialls For his soule is sicke is sicke with love O thou Discerner of hearts Why are thy Chariot wheeles so slow How long shall he looke out of the window How how long shall those beauties be masked and the God of glory vailed When shall this night of ignorance turne day and these thicke clouds be dispersed Why hast thou showne thee and but shown thee O fully abidingly Thou hast wounded his heart with thy glories and it bleedeth inwardly It sinkes it falls it dies for want of more wounding 'T is sweetly imbittered with thy inconceavable thy insupportable Loves What bounds can hold it what thing detaine it what expressions describe it How long shall it languish in thy strength and expire in thy breathings O never never shall these gratious visitations forsake it THus all my life 's a course of seeking Thee Who liv'd who lost Thy life in seeking me Such is my faith such shall my finding be Whose love hath found the way to waite on Thee With righteous works which can't extended be To Thee but thou wu't meete so doing me So running from my selfe to be Ingulph't in ever-blessed Thee So twining streames in sweete confusion Till know my Love without allusion Clos'd in a Close without Conclusion I have gasped after thy Salvation O Lord Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly