pregnant woman 〈◊〉 our beaâ— Unto the Child which she should shortly rear Her fruit unseen she sheildeth from all harmes What will sâ—â— do when 〈◊〉 within her Arms So if God lov'd us long before we were Much more when lov'd and â—â—â—â—'d with filiall fâ—ar Now in the rarenesse of thiâ— speciall grace The fewer number have the higher place The greater is his bounty and his plenty Upheapt with mercies when the most are â—mpty These graces chiefly they depend on one Our reconcilement Jesus made alone He is the Conduit pipe by which do flow All graces on the dwellers have below It s Jacob's Ladder which to Heav'ns ascends Of enemies ' gainst God it makes us friends The Angels which ascend and do descend This Sâ—ale our prayerâ— Gods blessings do portend Jacob his sleeping at the Ladders foot Our Conscience rests most â—â—â—ly doth denote Under the shade of Christs 〈◊〉 intercession Doth satisfie 〈…〉 for our transgression For ere that time on whatsoever side Man turn'd his 〈◊〉 his heart was â—eâ—â—â—fide If upon God 〈…〉 consuming fire Arm'd against sinners with considerate ire If on the Law he saw Gods indignation In the sharp sentence of his condemnation If on the Heavens with horror he could say Thence I 'm debar'd in that I went astray If on the world he saw himself derest Of rule o're Creatures he before possest If on himself he fearfully espâ—â—â— Thousands extern and Spirit all maladies By signes of Heav'n and Earth 〈◊〉 he did feaâ— Approaching vâ—â—geance to his thoughts appear Then Satan death that deep abisse of Hell Frights him which pain the losse no tongue can tell But now all sorts which look upon their Jesus With confidencâ— beholds him who can ease us If he behold his God he calls him â—ather Who him adopâ—â— in Christ that is his Saviour If on the Judgement 〈…〉 cast his eye His Elder Brother 〈◊〉 in Majesty As Judge and Advocate upon the â—hrone Hee 'l say more fâ—iends in 〈◊〉 he Acedeth loâ—e If he think on the Angelâ— he will â—ay These keep me and defend me in my â—â—y If on the Heav'n he 〈◊〉 his speculation He will conclude it is my habitation If of the Thunder he shall hear the noise He will confesse it is his Fathers voice If he behold the Law considerately He saith that Christ his debt did satisfie If he on earth have wealth abound in store Hee 'l say in glory he shall have much more If with adversity he suffer â—osse Hee 'l say Christ suffer'd more upon the Crosse If he think on the Devill Death or Hell Saint Paul hath taught him â—ow his foes to quell Where is thy sting O death would cause â—â— dye O grave where is thy force thy victory Our God be praised and his name adorn Who made us triumphant through Christ our Lord. If these like angâ—y Wâ—â—ps buzze in our ear Their sting is lost we â—â—â—ed them not to feard If the old Serpent he do prick our Heel Christ brâ—â—seâ— his â—ead no anguish we â—an feel Unto the love of God these obligations Are common to the faithfull of all Nations If each look back upon his time that 's gone I dare well say of â—ll there is not one But grants besides the 〈◊〉 that God doth bestow Yet private mercies unto his o'restow Freedom from dangerâ— bring at despair Good chances evidence Gods love and 〈◊〉 Gainfull afflictions purposes are crost Turn to our good when in the world we 're toss'd Shall it be said Gods Messings on 〈◊〉 Make us not fruitfull and his iâ— boâ—â— vain While we do say God doth us good for this That we should love him is no need of his But here 's the cause in that he would â—s save He wills our love â—â— all that he would have Besides if we love him he is the cause This love he kindles our 〈…〉 This love's first step though holy fit for use It but begins to Heav'nward doth conduce For he that loves his God but for repast Is like to boyes thâ—â— pray to break their fust But such a love no â—â—rthâ—â— doth 〈◊〉 He wrongs his God and wages makes his end If love of God aâ— nought but profit aiâ— Then above God we striye to build the same And make our interest more excellent Then Godâ— high service so 〈…〉 Let him that 's come unto this first gradation Of love and stands still on this step and station Know that it 's much that God in us doth pardon If that his wrath our self-love do not guerdon Wherefore let us advance and mount more higher So to the second sâ—ep we shall aspirâ— The second degree is to love him for his 〈…〉 he is 〈…〉 OF love to God this iâ— the 〈…〉 Solely to love him with sincerity 'T is not for profit nor for worldly 〈◊〉 It is to love him onely for himself 〈◊〉 To wit all gains 〈…〉 Of benefits and 〈…〉 Sans hope of guerdom 〈◊〉 his love as brings Saving to love him 〈…〉 â—hings Of this love David spâ—ke with châ—â—â—full voice Saying let all shâ—â— love thy 〈◊〉 rejoyce To love him for his 〈…〉 Because hee 's soveâ—â—igne 〈…〉 Wise in his Councells in 〈…〉 True in his promise 〈◊〉 hiâ— trust In habits glory overâ—â—ll doâ—h 〈◊〉 To which no 〈…〉 can attain Soveraign perfection 〈…〉 possessing The Book o' th 〈…〉 pâ—â—ly doth expresse him Whose life 's without beginning without â—â—ding Essentially upon himself depending Eternity in him 's immutable His greatnesse is alike 〈◊〉 His power impâ—â—â—â—ll bâ—sseth â—ll resistancâ— The great Preserved and the sure assistances Who by his word the world did make and frame And by his sight â—â—e â—â—verâ—eth the same And by his will â—e shall 〈◊〉 When he is pleas'd all things â—â— consumâ—â—ate Who in one vertue and perfection he Includes all vertue which in Creatures be For these great loves so beneficiall So ought our love to be reciprocall Christ taught us in his prayer which he did frame First to demand the Hallowing of his name And that his Kingdome to us might appear Ere we petition him for profit here A love that so possest the spirit of Paul And Moses also that neglecting all Their hope of blisse they wished to be blotted Out of lifes book and for their doom allotted The curse of God from 's presence to abidâ— Rather then he should not be glorified Wherefore to plant in us this supream love Our knowing God hereto much may us move It shall stand need so far as we are able To know Gods essence why so amiable Beauty is that by nature all affect Now light on beauty doth the most reflect Without which light all beauties want their rayes Are but deformities as nights to dayes And for this cause when God first set his hand To the Creation of this earths vast strand In the begining first he made the light Which him resembled therein did delight He is that Sun of Justice doth not set Never o'reshaded his pure light to
let Which doth not onely to the eyes give light But also to our eyes he giveth sight Guesse at the brightnesse of the King of Kings Wherâ— Angels vail their faces with their wings Whose eyes are dazled 'fore the glorious Throne Where his Majestick brightnesse on them shone If at the fight of Christs humanity The nat'rall Sun as then shall dark'ned be As some dark light when brighter doth appear His light Divine must needs be much more clear If on the life of God we contemplate Ours is as dust and dung so vile of rate Mans life 's a fluxe and hath of parts succession But God at once hath all his in possession He who desires comparingly to know Gods life from Mans at Sea doth ebbe and flow The Sea with some small Brook he may compare At so great distance differently they are The Sea is very great the Brook but small Seas keep their bounds but Brooks keep none at all The Sea is owner of her floods in store The Brookes have none but from the Seas before Gods life and mans are semblant in such sort God's infinite Man 's as a moment short His life consisteth doubtlesly in rest And all at once is instantly possest God's all â—n all his life depends on none Our life our all is from our God alone Earth as it was before doth earth become The Spirit Gods gift to him returneth home Gods knowledge is a pit that 's so profound That humane reason cannot reach nor sound God knowes all things ev'n such as yet are not Past present and to come he all doth note We things alternately do here espie But God seeth all at once with his clear eye We see things present why because they be But why things are is God that doth them see For God to see it is as if to will His wil'ls to do all this he doth fulfill Here for to know things we them look upon But God to know things views himself alone Because God's absolute and perfect wise All Modells are transparent to his eyes And in his will as Judge he doth deâ—â—â—e And sentence every chance what it shall be His holinesse it ought to be admired The Saints and Angels have not like acquired Ev'n as Gods Word the highest Heav'n doth call The Heav'n of Heav'ns for it incloseth all Others inferior and of lesse degree Within the highest that included be So God is nam'd by proper appellation Holy of holies in his heav'nly station Of Creatures holinesse a quality is all But God is sanctity it self substantiall God's self is holy are men or Angells no If they prove Saints 't is cause God makes them so Justice 'twixt God and Men we ought to know Men are deem'd just because just things they do Contrarily in God they are just things Being done by him on whom all justice hings Wherefore hee 's just for this no other cause Working his will prescribed in his Lawes Which in his Mandates us he sets before Still to obey observe for evermore And to our minde he doth the same impart And it engraves within our hidden heart He loveth justice truth and equity He hates the workers of iniquity He rootes out lyars and the men doth hate That thirst for blood he doth abominate Of his great goodnesse what ought we to say Which loves them hate him and do go a stray By which upon the just and wicked crew Daily his Sun doth shine and still râ—new By which he powrs his blessings down in rain Into their mouthes which do blaspheme his Name In chief this goodnesse that 's so infinite Shines in his Sonne his onely dear delight This Sonne before all time he did beget Eternally he him begetteth yet Sonne of his Father yet of equall date Both infinite and both interminate Eternall wisdome word essentiall God everlastingly beatificall This Sonne whom Esay calls the eternall Father Would make himself the Son of man the rather That we might be Gods children noâ—â—orlorn He was content in Stable to be born That we might have of Heav'n the full fruition ' Mongst beasts was born in poor and low condition He who er'st was and is of life the bread Did suffer hunger that we might be fed He who 's the Well of life he did not shrink To thirst himself that we might freely drink He who is life it self was pleas'd to dye That we might live and that eternally All this for Creatures vile which did rebell That he might free them from the jawes of hell These are the depths of grace no bottome hath We understand not we must reach by faith These recreate our hearts cause admiration Likewise no lesse adds to our consolation Here are the highest Tests can be exprest Of Gods great love to man so manifest The riches of that grace Angels admir'd To pry into have earnestly desir'd Now to what end may all these sayings move us But to love God who did so greatly love us And to admire the treasures of his grace With such like joy as Saints that see his face O God since that thy greatnesse hath no end Which dust and ashes cannot comprehend Thy bounties boundlesse past imagination Our Spirits are stopped with this contemplation Our words much lower are then is our mind Our thoughts beneath the truth are still confin'd Of this Gods greatnesse speak we stammeringly Our praises thee abase and villifie We draw the picture of the Sun most bright With a black Coal the Embleme of the night O God raise up our Spirits and Souls to thee And if our knowledge shall too feeble be Inflame our love with such an ardent zeal As thy pure Word is pleased to reveal Thou pleas'd to be our Father by dilection O touch our hearts with filliall affection Thou that dost daily give us apt occasion Of loving thee addict our inclination Though we be poor in means uncapable Thou only canst make us most acceptable All these and many more considerations Ingage our love by numerous obligations These raise our Spirits not for our selves to love This God but for his sake it doth us move Our God he duplicates this word it 's I it 's I For mine own sake saith sinners shall not dye His Church he doth resemble to a flock Which bears his name and his peculiar stock He safely guards her both by night and day Least she to Sathan should become a prey The third degree is not onely to love God above all things and more then our selves but also not to love any thing in the world but for Gods love THe third degree it is our God to love As both in Heav'n and Earth all things above And in this world what ere our God did make Nought must we love but onely for his sake This world hath many objects that we find From loving them we cannot stay our mind Yea on account it would be reckoned ill If we should not hold on to love them still A Father loves his Children and a
catch a fall As in a crosse-way man is set to stand Sometimes the spirit then flesh gets upper hand Between the love of God and worldly love Some strange suggestions do him try and prove How oft iâ— it after Gods love prevailed By fresh assaults the faithfull â—â—e assailed And the fresh forces the Spirit do withstand Against Gods fear and love themselves do band The faithfull being by these appetites Beset with lusts and such like lewd delights Shall feel this love of God within his heart Thus speaking Man whence is it thou doest start O wretched man whether now wilt thou go Doth not God see 't thy inclination know Despisest thou his menace and his frown Rejectest thou his promises to own Forgettest thou thy honoured high vocation Dares thou provoke Gods Spirit to indignation Why shouldst thou on his Church a scandall bring Since Christ thereof is Soveraign Lord and King Where are the promises which thou hast made him For guifts receiv'd as yet thou hast not paid him Is this the way to Heaven thou dost devise And being fall'n art thou assured to rise And for short pleasures which have lost their tast Thy peace of Conscience must it be displac'd For pottage wilt thou of thy right bereave Thy self and vainly so thy birth-right leave At these suggestions will the faithfull stay Crosse his desires and let them bear no sway But all 's not done our frailtie's yet not quelled Nor froward flesh which hath so long rebelled For after these our holy resolutions We have great dulnesse causing diminutions And then the Divell doth espy occasion Makes a fresh onset by a re-invasion If we be idle use bad company Neglecting pray'r or duties else of piety Then our desires do rouze themselves again The Flesh and Spirit for mastery strive amain Which makes the faithfull in this restlesse strife Desire his death and 's weary of his life O wretched nature it selfs enemy Destroyes it self pursuing misery O thou corruption that takes root so deep O mutinous sedition that doth keep In us hostility and doth not slack But us as slaves to Egypt would bring back Which like Lots wife lookes back with her desire On sinfull Sodom flaming all with fire If we have thoughts that fixed are on death Our flesh will whisper we may yet long breath If we shall hear or read Gods sacred Word Threatning our ruine by his glittering sword It soothes us up and doth us so perswade VVe are secure to others it is said If we Heav'ns glory shall recount consider It will suggest we shall come early thither If thou incited be to help the poor Iâ— doth suggest it will impair thy store If thy friends frailty thou wouldst reprehenâ— 'T will over-aw thee lest thou him offend Each good affection hath ev'n as it were Like to a Pot on either side an ear By which the world and flesh take hold upon Striving to lett the execution Rebekah's steps we next must imitate VVho great with Childe her God did supplicate VVho instantly resolved her request Two striving Twinns they did her Womb molest A lively figure not so old as true Of man it represents the old and new The old man's carnall by corrupted nature The other new is the regenerate Creature As in a conflict both do daily strive And are at odds so long as wee 're alive Unto Rebekah's suit God did decree The old unto they young should subject be The flesh unto the spirit must be subjected And by that means shall be of God accepted The fift degree is that wherewith we shall love God in the life to come NOw here remains the last and chief degree This highest step is Heav'ns felicity VVhich is the love wherewith at last we shall Love God in 's glory that 's Coelestiall For we love things by nature here below According as by science we them know VVe therefore shall God love much better then VVith love of Saints and not as mortall men Now as th'Apostle saith we know in part But then revealed open and apart As in a Glasse we see but here obscurely But then perspicuously as Christall purely VVhen he in glory shall consummate grace Then shall we see as it were face to face Our love which here dstractedly doth stand And sees farâ— off shall then see near at hand Our love on God shall onely fixed be Being the obiect of felicity As when two swelling Rivers proud and high Encountring each other furiously They joyn in force and by their strong invasion Do make a marvellous flood and inundation So that the love of God and self affection Are like two Streams on earth have no connexion Which no where else hencforth shall have their meeting 'Till they in Heav'n each other give the greeting When these affections twain shall be commixt And in one love are fast and firmly fixt For then in loving God our selves may love Because that league God doubtlesse will approve And dwell in us where he delights to dwell Resembling him whose north no tongue can tell For Saints and Angels they undoubtedly Do love themselves with ardent fervency Let us forbear to love untill that time Our selves or ought in us doth not incline Our hearts and make them hopefull of this love Which is eterniz'd in the Heav'ns above But now for that this love wherewith we shall Love God in Heav'n is supernaturall Springs from the view and lovely contemplation Of his own face beyond all admiration Love is not kindled else but by the sight Let 's learn what sight this is brings this delight Our bodies eyes two wayes discern and see Or apprehending what the image be For so the bodies to our view exposed They are apparent visibly disclosed Or by in letting to our nat'rall sight The thing we see which truely is the light So do we see the day no otherwise Then that it daily enters in our eyes Now God that is the chief supremest light In 's glory will shew souls that hee 's most bright For in his Saints he keeps his habitation And 's in them all in all without cessation But in this life we in his works behold His wondrous workmanship so manifold In which he made an abselute impression As 't were his vertues Picture past expression Therefore as now we see the nat'rall light Then shall we see our God with such a sight But now we see it not but with these eyes The bodies windowes and no otherwise For then the light of God through all our parts We shall receive which holifies our hearts Ev'n as a man were only eye throughout As he should see at once things round about This sight of God it will assuredly Transform us like himself in puritie For as a mirrour by the Suns reflection Shines like the same in clearnesse sans defection For God receiveth none to contemplate His face save those are in Celestiall estate He doth transform them that the semblant prove Like to himself irradiate in love As God himself is perfect love and charity It man behoves to imitate his paritie Upon this view and heavenly radiation Should be inflam'd with loves association And burn with heat of this hot spirit'all fire Whose ardency the Saints in light acquire A fire which to the Seraphims gives name So call'd because their ardour aye inflame The summe of all is their officious love Their fervent zeal their service to improve Here these degrees and steps of love must end For higher Heav'n-ward we cannot ascend Of Jacobs ladder this step is the last By which we mount where speechlesse joyes are plac't FINIS