A Temple of thy Wisdom Blessedness and Glory O ye Powers of mine immortal Soul bless ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever He hath made you greater More glorious Brighter Better than the Heavens A meeter dwelling place for his eternal Godhead Than the Heaven of Heavens The Heaven of Heavens And all the Spaces above the Heavens Are not able to contain him Being but dead and silent Place They feel not themselves They know nothing See no immensity nor wideness at all But in thee my Soul there is a perceptive Power To Comprehend the Heavens To Feel thy self To Measure all the Spaces beyond the Heavens To Receive the Deity of the eternal God And those Spaces By him into thee To feel and see the Heaven of Heavens All things contained in them And his Presence in thee Nor canst thou only feel his Omnipresence in thee But adore his Goodness Dread his Power Reverence his Majesty See his Wisdom Rejoyce in his Bounty Conceive his Eternity Praise his Glory Which being things transcendent unto place Cannot by the Heavens at all be apprehended With Reverence O God and Dread mixed with Joy I come before thee To consider thy Glory in the perfection of my Soul The Workmanship of the Lord In so great a Creature From East to West From Earth to Heaven In the twinkllng of an eye My Sight removeth Throughout all the Spaces beyond the Heavens My Thoughts in an instant like the holy Angels Nor Bounds nor Limits doth my Soul discern But an infinite Liberty beyond the World Mine Understanding being present With whatsoever it knoweth An infinite Bulk excludeth all things Being void of Life is next to nothing Feeleth not it self Is a dead Material Vain Useless But I admire O Lord thine infinite Wisdom In advancing me to the similitude Of thine eternal Greatness A Greatness like thine Hast thou given unto me A living Greatness A Soul within That receiveth all things A Greatness Spiritual A Greatness Heavenly A Greatness Divine A Greatness Intelligent A Greatness Profitable Blessed be the Lord Whose Understanding is insinite For giving me a Soul Able to comprehend with all Saints the length and breadth and depth and heighth of the Love of God which passeth Knowledge that I might be filled with all the fullness of God Eph. 3. And if the fullness of God Then not only his Immenuty Beyond the Heavens But his fullness in the Ages His Absent-Presence in all Generations He whose Greatness is the only useful Greatness Hath made my Soul the Image of his own Whose Wisdom and Greatness both are one A Simple Life An eternal sphere of infinite Knowledge In every Centre Expanded every where Yet indivisible The similitude of thine Infiniteness I see printed in it But that of thine Eternity is supremely wonderful In both I 〈◊〉 So strangely glonious Hast thou made my Soul That even Yesterday is present To mine inward eye The days of my Infancy The days of my Childhood The days of my Old Age. We have An endless Liberty Being able to see walk be present there Where neither the Eagles eye nor the Lions thought can at all approach The deeds of our Progenitors Their Lives and Persons Thy ways among the Ancients The services of the Sun in all Generations The Sun of Righteousness in his Rising and Eclipse The Creation of the World And the Government of Kingdoms Can we behold The day of Judgment The Delights of Ages The Sphere of time Nor will that contain us An infinite liberty we find beyond them Can walk in thine Eternity All at large In every moment see it wholly Know every where That from everlasting to everlasting thou art God Whose everlasting Glory is the Treasure of my Soul And thine eternal continuance a permanent NOW With all its Contents For ever enjoyed What O Lord hath thy Hand created Who how what is thy Creature O my King Thou hast made me like thee To measure Heaven with a span Comprehend a thousand Ages as one day See an Infinity before and after Thine Infinity is abused By the ignorance of men It restraineth nothing But magnisieth all Thou hast made the World Most wide and glorious In respect of its Age In respect of its Immensity In respect of its Contents To me nevertheless but The drop of a Bucket To me nevertheless but The dust of a ballance To me nevertheless but A very little thing And in compa rison of thee The Omnipresent Eternal God My Beloved God A very Nothing Unsatiable is my Soul Because nothing can fill it A living Centre wider than the Heavens An infinite Abyss So made by the perfection of thy Presence Who art an insinite KNOWLEDGE in ev'ry Centre Not corporeal but simple Life Wonderfully sufficient in all its Powers For all Objects Material Immaterial Operations Earthly Heavenly Temporal Eternal A work worthy of Immortality To create an endless unsensible Body Is not the way to Celestial Greatness A Body endless though endued with Sense Can see Only visible things Taste The Qualities in Meat and Drink Feel Cross or tangible Bodies Hear The harshness or melody of Sounds Smell The things that have Odours in them But those things which neither Sight nor Smell nor Taste can discern nor Feeling try nor Ear apprehend The Cream and Crown and Flower of all Thoughts Counsels Kingdoms Ages Angels Cherubims The Souls of Men Wisdom Holiness Dominion Soveraignty Honour Glory Goodness Blessedness Heroich Love yea GOD HIMSELF Come not within the sphere of Sense Are all Nulliries to such a Creature Only Souls immortal Souls are denied nothing All things are 〈◊〉 to the Soul of Man All things open and nal ed to it The Understanding seeth Their Natures Their Uses Their Extents Their Relations Their Ends Their Properties Their Services Even all their Excellencies And thee my God is she able to behold Who dwellest in her In all the Spaces of thy great Immensity To accompany thy Goodness and see whatsoever thy hand is doing That in the Joy of all She might abide in Communion With thee for ever Whose works are her Treasures Whose ways her Delights Whose joys thy Counsels She is fit indeed to be the Bride of God! By this I see that thy hand hath made me The End of all things I know thou hast pleased me In every Being which I am able to behold Since thou hast made me thy Image There is not a Sand In the utmost Indies Which I cannot apprehend Nor a Thought In any part of all Eternity But I am fit to know O the bounty of an eternal God! The Swiftest Thought The Smallest Sand Are infinitely enriched by thy disposal of them And every thing contained in the Womb of Eternity Made a Gift transcendent to my Soul Equally near to mine Understanding By thine infinite Goodness Wisdom Power Expressed in them Fraught with Treasure Eternally to be seen In Heaven to be enjoyed Atheists 〈◊〉 Divines 〈◊〉 All agree and consent
In the Tabernacle p. 115. l. 8. for to r. by p. 124. l. 〈◊〉 r. Glory p. 129. l. 20. r. how can A Serious and Pathetical CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same Thanksgivings for the Body BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who 〈◊〉 all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and 〈◊〉 mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles O Lord who art clothed with Majesty My desire is to praise thee With the holy Angels and Archangels To glorisie thee And with all thy Saints in the Church triumphant For the eternal brightness Of thine insinite bounty The freedom of thy love Wherein thou excellest the beams of the Sun To celebrate thee I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How precious are thy thoughts also unto me O God! How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand When I awake I am still with thee Blessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God! For ever blessed be thy holy Name For that I am made The work of thy hands Curiously wrought By thy divine Wisdom Enriched By thy Goodness Being more thine Than I am mine own O Lord Thou hast given me a Body Wherein the glory of thy Power shineth Wonderfully composed above the Beasts Within distinguished into useful parts Beautified without with many Ornaments Limbs rarely poised And made for Heaven 〈◊〉 filled With celestial Spirits Veins wherein Blood floweth Refreshing all my flesh Like Rivers Sinews fraught with the mystery Of wonderful Strength Stability Feeling O blessed be thy glorious Name That thou hast made it A Treasury of Wonders Fit for its several Ages For Dissections For Sculptutes in Brass For Draughts in Anatomy For the Contemplation of the Sages Whose inward parts Enshrined in thy Libraries Are The Amazement of the Learned Are The Admiration of Kings and Queens Are The Joy of Angels Are The Organs of my Soul Are The Wonder of Cherubims Those blinder parts of resined Earth Beneath my Skin Are sull of thy Depths For Many thousand Uses For Hidden Operations For Unsearchable Offices But for the diviner Treasures wherewith thou hast endowed My Brains Mine Eyes My Heart Mine Ears My Tongue My Hands O what Praises are due unto thee Who hast made me A living Inhabitant Of the great World And the Centre of it A sphere of Sense And a mine of Riches Which when Bodies are dissected fly away The spacious Room Which thou hast hidden in mine Eye The Chambers for Sounds Which thou hast prepar'd in mineEar The Receptacles for Smells Concealed in my 〈◊〉 The feeling of my Hands The taste of my Tongue But above all O Lord the Glory of Speech whereby thy Servant is enabled with Praise to celebrate thee For All the Beauties in Heaven and Earth The melody of Sounds The sweet Odours Of thy Dwelling place The delectable pleasures that gratisie my Sense That gratify the feeling of Mankind The Light of History Admitted by the Ear. The Light of Heaven Brought in by the Eye The Volubility and Liberty Of my Hands and Members Fitted by thee for all Operations Which the Fancy can imagine Or Soul desire From the framing of a Needle 's Eye To the building of a Tower From the squaring of Trees To the polishing of Kings Crowns For all the Mysteries Engines Instruments wherewith the World is filled which we are able to frame and use to thy Glory For all the Trades variety of Operations Cities Temples Streets Bridges Mariners Compass admirable Picture Sculpture Writing Printing Songs and Musick wherewith the World is beautified and adorned Much more for the Regent Life And Power of Perception Which rules within That secret depth of sathomless Consideration That receives the information Of all our senses That makes our centre equal to the Heavens And 〈◊〉 in it self the magnitude of the World The involved 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 common sense The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 fancy The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Of things that are past The 〈◊〉 of things to come Thy 〈◊〉 be glorified For evermore For all the art which thou hast hidden In this little piece Of red clay For the workmanship of thy hand Who didst thy self form man Of the dust of the ground And breath into his Nostrils The breath of Life For the high Exaltation whereby thou hast glorified every body Especially mine As thou didst thy Servant Adam's in Eden Thy Works themselves speaking to me the same thing that was said unto him in the beginning WE ARE ALL THINE And why O Lord wouldst thou so delight To magnify the dust 〈◊〉 from the ground From the dark obscurity of a silent Grave Thou raisest it O Lord Herein indeed Thou raisest the poor out of the dust and 〈◊〉 the needy out of the dunghil That thou mayst set him with Princes even with the Princes of thy people But why would the Lord take pleasure in creating an earthly Body why at all in making a visible World Couldst thou not have made us immortal Souls and seated us immediately in the throne of Glory O Lord thou lover of Righteousness Whose Kingdom is everlasting Who lovest to govern thy Subjects by Laws and takest delight to distribute Rewards and Punishments according to right Thou hast hidden thy self By an infinite miracle And made this World the Chamber of thy presence the ground and theatre of thy righteous Kingdom That putting us at a distance A little from thee Thou mayst satisie the Capacities Of thy righteous Nature Thou wast always sit to reign like a King Able to rule by the best of Laws To distribute the greatest Rewards and Punishments That therefore thou might'st raise up Objects for these Thou hast seated us at a little distance from thee Not 〈◊〉 respect of thy Ubiquity but degree of Knowledge In Heaven thou 〈◊〉 ellest As a Bridegroom with thy Bride A Father with thy Children A King with Kings Governours and Peers Shewing and manifesting all thy Glory Unto which thou wouldst have us first to come As humble and obedient Servants That in us thou mightst see Ingenuity Thanksgiving Fidelity Wisdom Love Even to an absent Benefactor There is the Kingdom of eternal Glory Beyond which can be no Rewards The highest of all being there attained In which can be no trial Blessedness being seen with open face
shine as the Sun In thy heavenly Kingdom From whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Then shall each Limb a spring of Joy be found And ev'ry Member with its Glory crown'd While all the Senses fill'd with all the Good That ever Ages in them understood 〈◊〉 are Containing Worlds of Treasure At one Delight with all their Joy and Pleasure From whence like Rivers Joy shall overflow Affect the Soul though in the Body grow Return again and make the Body shine Like Jesus Christ while both in one combine Mysterious Contracts are between the Soul Which touch the Spirits and by those its Bowl The Marrow Bowels Spirits melt and move Dissolving ravish teach them how to love He that could bring the Heavens thro the Eye And make the World within the Fancy lie By beams of Light that closing meet in one From all the Parts of his celestial Throne Far more than this in framing Bliss can do Instame the Body and the Spirit too Can make the Soul by Sense to feel and see And with her Joy the Senses wrap'd to be Yea while the Flesh or Body subject lies To those Aflections which in Souls arise All holy Glories from the Soul redound And in the Body by the Soul abound Are felt within and ravish ev'ry Sense With all the Godheads glorious Excellence Who found the way himself to dwell within As if even Flesh were nigh to him of kin His Goodness Wisdom Power Love divine Make by the Soul convey'd the Body shine Not like the Sun that earthly Darkness is But in the strengths and heights of all this bliss For God designs thy Body for his sake A Temple of the Deity to make But now O Lord how highly great have my Transgressions been who have abused this thy glorious Creature by Surseiting and Excess by Lust and Wantonness by Drunkenness by Passion by immoderate Cares excessive Desires and earthly Fears Yea had I been guilty of none of those had no Lies and Oaths polluted my Tongue no vain Imaginations 〈◊〉 my Heart no stealing my Hands nor idle Speeches profaned mine Ears Yet have I been wholly estranged from thee by the sinful Courses of this World by the Delusions of vain Conversation Being unsensible of these things I have been blind and dead profane and stupid seared and ingrateful and for living beneath such a glorious Estate may justly be excluded thine everlasting Kingdom Enable me to keep thy Temple 〈◊〉 Which thou hast prepared for thy self Turn away mine Eyes From beholding Vanity Enable me to wash my hands in Innocency That I may compass thme altar about And list up my Hands To thy Holy Oracle Put a Watch over the Door of my Lips That I speak not unadvisedly with my Tongue Let my Glory awake early in the morning To bring praises unto thee Enter O Lord the Gates of my Heart Bow down the Heavens O Lord And break open those Everlasting Doors That the King of Glory may enter in Let the Ark of thy Presence rest within me Let not Sin reign in our mortal Bodies that we should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither let us yield our Members as instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but let us yield our selves to God as those that are alive from the Dead and our Members as Instruments of Righteousness to God Rom. 6. My Beloved put in his Hand by the Hole of the Door and my Bowels were moved for him I rose up to open to my beloved and my Hands dropped with Myrrh and my singer with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the Handles of the Lock O my beloved be not as a Wayfaring Man that turneth aside to tarry but for a Night Thou hast ravished mine Heart with one of thine Eyes How fair is thy Love my Sister my Spouse How much better is thy Love than Wine and the smell of thine Oyntments than all Spices Thy Lips O my Spouse drop as an Hony Comb Hony and Milk are under thy Tongue and the small of thy Garments is as the smell of Leb mon Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Return O my Love I would lead thee and bring thee Into my Mothers House I would kiss thee yet should I not be despised O let me live in thy Bosom for ever O Infinite God Center of my Soul Convert me powerfully unto thee that in thee I may take Rest for thou didst make me for thee and my heart 's unquiet till it be united to thee And seeing O Eternal Father thou didst create me that I might love thee as a Son give me Grace that I may love thee as my Father O only begotten Son of God Redeemer of the World seeing thou didst Create and Redeem me that I might Obey and Imitate thee make me to Obey and Imitate thee in all thy imitable Persection O Holy Ghost seeing thou didst create me to Sanctify me do it O do it for thine own Glory that I may acceptably praise and serve the holy and 〈◊〉 Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Amen Let all thy Creatures bless thee O Lord and my Soul praise and bless thee for them all I give thee Thanks for the being thou givest unto the Heavens Sun Moon Stars and Elements to Beasts Plants and all other Bodies of the Earth to the Fowls of the Air the Fishes of the Sea I give thee thanks for the beauty of Colours for the harmony of Sounds for the pleasantness of Odours for the sweetness of Meats for the warmth and softness of our Raiment and for all my five Senses and all the Pores of my Body so curiously made as before recited and for the Preservation as well as Use of all my Limbs and Senses in keeping me from Precipices Fraetures and Dislocations in my Body from a distracted discomposed confused discontented Spirit Above all I praise thee for manifesting thy self unto me whereby I am made capable to praise and magnify thy name for evermore Thanksgivings for the Soul I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all Generations And the Heavens shall praise thy Wonders O Lord thy faithfulness also in the Congregation of the Saints The Heavens shall praise thy Wonders But more the Powers of my immortal Soul Which thou hast made more excellent than the Clouds and greater than the Heavens O Lord I rejoyce and am exceeding glad Because of thy Goodness In Creating the World In Giving Brightness to the Sun In Ruling the Sea In Framing the Limbs and Members of my Body But much more abundantly For the Glory of my Soul Which out of Nothing thou hast builded To be a Temple unto God A living Temple of thine Omnipresence An understanding Eye A Temple of Eternity
Ps. 119. 103. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Ps. 119. 131. Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy Statutes Ps 119. 12. They make us blessed By teaching our Souls to imitate thee At midnight will I rise up to give thanks unto thee for thy Righteous Judgments Ps. 119. 62. I will delight in thy Law I will speak of thy Testimony before Kings I will meditare in thy Statures They satiate the Powers of our immortal Soul Ambition with the Honor of all the Angels Coveroushess with the Riches of Heaven and Earth Love with the goodness of God all things Make us fit for the Throne of Glory By making us a Joy to all Angels Kingdoms Ages O give me Understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Ps. 119. 34. O Lord I beseech thee give me love unto thy Laws Delight in thy Laws Meditation on thy Laws Right Understanding of thy Laws And entire obedience unto thy Laws If my delight had not been in thy Law I had perished in my Trouble Hallelujab Thanksgivings for the Beauty of his Providence THY Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy Faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds Thy Righteoushess is like the great Mountains thy Judgments are a great Deep O Lord thou preservest Man and Beast How excellent is thy loving Kindness O God therefor the Children of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings They shall abundantly be satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasures For with thee is the Fountain of Life and and in thy Light shall we see Light O continue thy loving Kindness to them that kdow thee and thy Righteousness to the upright in heart Let not the foot of Pride come against me and let not the hand of the Wicked remove me There are the workers of Iniquity faln they are cast down and shall not be able to arise Ps. 36. Let us with all the Saints in the Church Triumphant Sing The Song of Moses the servant of God And The Song of the Lamb Saying Great and Marvelous are thy Works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy Ways thou King of Saints Let their Beauty ravish us Let their Farness delight us Let their Goodness enrich us Let their Wisdom please us Let their Abundance transport us Let them ever be such in our Eyes as they are in thine Whose Delights have been in the habitable Parts of the Earth among the Children of Men. O Lord I delight in thee For making my Soul so wholly Active So prone to Imployment So apt to Love That it can never rest nor cease from thinking I praise thee with Joy For making it so wide that it can measure Ages See thine Eternity And walk with thee in all thy Ways It must be busie And it is happy for me Thou hast made it a LIFE like thine O God All Activity Its Rest is Imployment and its Ease is Business Teach me the best and fairest Business Teach my Soul to walk with thee By thinking Wisely Upon all thy Doings Let me never rust in 〈◊〉 or Sloth Nor sleep in Death Nor 〈◊〉 my self with Vanity Nor 〈◊〉 my self thorow with needless Fears or Sorrows We are always Desolate while our Souls are Idle But when our Thoughts are employed far and near upon then glorious Objects then are we encompassed with Festivals of Joy Solemnities and 〈◊〉 Blessed be thou O Lord And for ever Blessed be thy glorious Name For preparing for us in all Ages Perfect Treasures THE WORKS OF THY RIGHTEOVSNESS Are more pleasant to Angels Than apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver O Lord let me be in all my Solitudes As a Jeweller among thy Jewels As a Perfumer among thy Odors As a Servant among thy Treasures As a Son among thy Servants Thine Image and thine Heir Among all thy Works in all Kingdoms and Nations In the dead time of the Night In my greatest Retirements Let all thy Works be neer unto me All thy Ways Thy Wonders Thy Revelations from Heaven Thy MERCIES Thy JUDGMENTS My familiar Joys Let them fill me with Company when I am most alone Fill me with Delights Surround me with Beauty Turn my Retirements into Songs My Days into Sabbaths My Darkness into Day Or into a Night of Joy as in the solemn Assemblies For enflaming my Soul with the Thirst of Happiness For shewing me its Objects and the manner of Enjoying them For causing me to prefer Wisdom above hidden Treasure and to search for her as for Gold and Silver I Bless and Praise thy H. Name The Desire satisfied is a Tree of Life Had I never thirsted I should never 〈◊〉 valued nor enjoy'd WISDOM I know by experience that she is better that Rubies And all the things I can desire are not to be Compared with her She putteth on my head an ornament Of Grace A crown of Glory she giveth to 〈◊〉 Prov. 4 9. Maketh me a possessor of all thy Joys Bringeth me to the Store-house of thine everlasting Riches 〈◊〉 me in Paradice Surroundeth me with Flowers Yea with all the Delights in the Garden of God May Lillies compare with the Souls of Men Perfumes with Virtues Gold with Affections Crowns with Ages Temples Cities Kingdoms are in my ways Coronations Triumphs Victories surround my Feet No ways strewed with Lillies Pearls and Diamonds can equal these I. These sweeter far Lillies are No Roses may with these compare How these excel No Tongue can tell Which he that well and truly knows With praise and joy he goes How great and happy 's he that knows his Ways To be divine and heavenly Joys To whom each City is more brave Than Walls of Pearl and Streets which Gold doth pave Whose open Eyes Behold the Skies Who loves their Wealth and Beauty more Than Kings love golden Ore II. Who sees the heavenly antient Ways Of GOD the Lord with Joy and Praise More than the Skies With open Eyes Doth prize them all yea more than Gems And Regal Diadems That more esteemeth Mountains as they are Than if they Gold and Silver were To whom the SUN more pleasure brings Than Crowns and Thrones and Palaces to Kings That knows his Ways To be the Joys And Way of God These things who knows With Joy and Praise he goes The Souls of Men and Holy Angels are my delights How endless are thy Treasuries How wide thy Mansions How delectable my Joys Many millions of Miles from hence The Sun doth serve me The Stars many thousand Leagues beyond the Sun The morning Stars and Sons of God Abundantly beyond them all Nor is there any Bounds of my Habitarion The inestimable Presence of Almighty God Endlesly extendeth protracting my Joys And with an Eye from Infinity Beholdeth my Soul The Sun of Righteousness is my perfect Joy Mine Understanding seeth him In the highest Heavens In every moment I see Eternity Conceived
O Praise the Lord of heaven praise him in y e heighâ—… Praise him all ye angels of his praise him all his host Psal. 148. 1. 2. Kings of the earth and all people princes and all judges of the world Young men maidens old men and children praise the Name of the Lord for his Name onely is excellent and his praise above heaven and earth Psal. 14.8 11. 12. Lot every thing that hath breath praise y e Lord Ps. 150. â—… A SERIOUS and PATHETICAL CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same PUBLISHED By the Reverend Doctor HICKS At the request of a Friend of the Authors LONDON Printed for Samuel Heble at the Turksbead Fleet street over against Fetser-laneend 1699. A LETTER Concerning this Book from the PUBLISHER to the BOOKSELLER Mr. Keble WHEN I desired you to Print these excellent Papers I told you they were recommended to me by a devout Person who was a great Judge of Books of Devotion having given the World one already which had been well received in three impressions and would in time furnish'd it with more And when I promis'd you to write a Preface 〈◊〉 them I knew not of any other 〈◊〉 that designed to do it but since 〈◊〉 have received one from the hand of 〈◊〉 worthy Gentleman of the Authors acquaintance who had a desire to pay his respects to his pious Friends Memory in a Preface to his noble Remains And indeed he had a much better title to write a Preface before them than a stranger who can only tell how greatly the Author of them wrote but knew not how greatly he lived I will therefore intreat you to accept of his Preface for mine and to send me twenty Copies of the Book well Bound as soon as you can and at as easy rates as you can afford them I believe I shall have occasion for a greater number for the Book in every thing answers to its title and as I have received great delight and benefit in reading of it So I shall recommend it to persons of parts and pious inclinations as I shall find Opportunities I wish all Booksellers would employ the Press so much for Gods Honour and the publick Good as you do for besides other Peices which are written with great force and eloquence to chastise the Vices of the Age you have printed many good Books of Devotion which made me desire that you should print this Had the Author 〈◊〉 to Publish it it would have come abroad with greater advantages for 〈◊〉 art some places which seem to require the hand of the same Architect who made them to reform 〈◊〉 but they are but few and such as only need to be made a little more correct or plain and we must not wonder that there are some uncorrect and obscure Passages in a Book which is so sull of Thoughts and composed in Numbers or numerous Periods which tho of the freer sort are not so easy for an Author to express his thoughts in as plain and unconfined Prose I wish you a very happy New year and remain Jan. 2d 1698. Your faithful Friend and Servant George Hickes TO THE READER THO the unhappy decay of true Piety and the lmmoralities of the Age we live in may be a discouragement to the multiplying such Books as this yet on the other hand this degeneracy of Manners and too evident contempt of Religion makes it it may be the more necessary to endeavor to retreive the Spirit of Devotion and the sacred Fires of of Primitive Christianity And since 't is hop'd this ensuing Treatise may somewhat conduce to these noble Ends It is thought to be no unprofitable Undertaking to commit it to the Press it being part of the Remains of a very devout Christian who is long since removed to the Regions of Beatified Spirits to sing those Praises and Hallelujahs in which he was very vigorously employ'd whilst he dwelt amongst us and since somewhat of Preface is become as it were a necessary part of every Book instead of any particular Dedication which is commonly overstuft with Flattery and Complements I will only give thee some account of the Author To tell thee who he was is I think to no purpose And therefore I will only tell theewhat he was for that may possibly recommend these following Thanksgivings and Meditations to thy use He was a Divine of the Church of England of a very comprehensive Soul and very accute Parts so fully bent upon that Honourable Function in which he was engaged and so wonderfully transported with the Love of God to Mankind with the excellency of those Divine Laws which are prescribed to us and with those inexpressible Felicities to which we are entitled by being created in and redeemed to the Divine Image that he dwelt continually amongst these thoughts with great delight and satisfaction spending most of his time when at home in digesting his notions of these things into writing and was so full of them when abroad that those that would converse twith him were forced to endure some discourse upon these subjects whether they had any sense of Religion or not And therefore to such he might be sometimes thought troublesome but his company was very acceptable to all such as had any inclinations to Vertue and Religion And tho he had the misfortune to come abroad into the World in the late disordered Times when the Foundations were cast down and this excellent Church laid in the dust and dissolved into Confusion and Enthusiasme yet his Soul was of a more refin'd allay and his Judgment in discerning of things more solid and considerate then to be infected with that Leaven and therefore became much in love with the beautiful order and Primitive Devotions of this our excellent Church Insomuch that I beleive he never failed any one day either publickly or in his private Closet to make use of her publick Offices as one part of his devotion unless some very unavoidable business interrupted him He was a man of a cheerful and sprightly Temper free from any thing of the sourness or formality by which some great pretenders to Piety rather disparage and misrepresent true Religion than recommend it and therefore was very affable and pleasant in his Conversation ready to do all good Offices to his Friends and Charitable to the Poor almost beyond his ability But being removed out of the Country to the service of the late Lord Keeper Bridgman as his Chaplain he died young and got early to thoses blissful Mansions to which he at all times aspir'd ERRATA The Reader is desired to pardon divers mispointings and to make these following cnrections P. 3. l. 31. read Sculptures p. 7. l. 27. r. That thou mayest p. 34. l. 16. r. While she is chiefly beautiful p. 48. l. 2. r. Snare p. 71. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trampled p. 76. l. 9. r. thy Testimonies p. 87. l. 9. r. Know p. 95. l. 30. r.
Beneath which it was necessary that we should be made To the 〈◊〉 we might be governed In a righteous Kingdom But couldst thou not have remitted our Knowledge and established to thy self a righteous Kingdom without composing our Bodies or the World By the Fall of some we know O Lord That the Angels were tried Which are invisible Spirits Needing not the World Nor clothed in Bodies Nor endued with Senses For our Bodies therefore O Lord for our earthly Bodies hast thou made the World Which thou so lovest that thou hast supremely magnified them by the works of thy hands And made them Lords of the whole Creation Higher than the Heavens Because served by them More glorious than the Sun Because it ministreth to them Greater in Dignity than the material World Because the end of its Creation Revived by the Air Served by the Seas Fed by the Beasts and Fowls and Fishes Our pleasure Which fall as Sacrifices to Thy glory Being made to minister and attend upon us O Miracle Of divine Goodness O Fire O flame of Zeal and Love and Joy Even for our earthly bodies hast thou created all things All things Visible All things Material All things Sensible Animals Vegetables Minerals Bodies celestial Bodies terrestrial The four Elements Volatile Spirits Trees Herbs and Flowers The Influences of Heaven Clouds Vapors Wind Dew Rain Hail and Snow Light and Darkness Night and Day The Seasons of the Year Springs Rivers Fountains Oceans Gold Silver and precious Stones Corn Wine and Oyl The Sun Moon and Stars Cities Nations Kingdoms And the Bodies of Men the greatest Treasures of all For each other What then O Lord hast thou intended for our Souls who givest to our Bodies such glorious things Every thing in thy Kingdom O Lord Conspireth to mine Exaltation In every thing I see thy Wisdom and Goodness And I praise the Power by which I see it My Body is but the Cabinet or Case of my Soul What then O Lord shall the Jewel be Thou makest it the heir of all the profitable trades and occupations in the World And the Heavens and the Earth More freely mine More profitably More gloriously More comfortably Than if no man were alive but I alone Yea though I am a Sinner thou lovest me more than if thou hadst given all things to me alone The sons of men thou hast made my treasures Those Lords Incarnate Cherubims Angels of the World The Cream of all things And the sons of God Hast thou given to me and made them mine For endless Causes ever to be enjoyed Were I alone Briars and thorns would devour me Wild beasts annoy me My Guilt terrifie me The World it self be a Desart to me The Skies a Dungeon But mine Ignorance more The Earth a Wilderness All things desolate And I in solitude Naked and hungry Blind and brutish Without house or harbour Subject unto storms Lying upon the ground Feeding upon roots But more upon melancholy Because void of thee Therefore thou providest for me and for me they build and get and provide for me My Bread Drink Clothes Bed My Houshold stuff Books My Houshold stuff Utensils My Houshold stuff Furniture The use of Meats Fire Fuel c. They teach unto me provide for me While I O Lord exalted by thy hand Above the Skies in Glory seem to stand The Skies being made to serve me as they do While I thy Glories in thy Goodness view To be in Glory higher than the Skies Is greater bliss than 't is in place to rise Above the Stars More blessed and divine To live and see than like the Sun to shine O what Profoundness in my Body lies For whom the Earth was made the Sea the Skies So greatly high our humane Bodies are That Angels scarcely may with these compare In all the heights of Glory seated they Above the Sun in thine eternal day Are seen to shine with greater gifts adorn'd Than Gold with Light or Flesh with Life suborn'd Suns are but Servants Skies beneath their feet The Stars but Stones Moons but to serve them meet Beyond all heights above the World they reign In thy great Throne ordained to remain All Tropes are Clouds Truth doth it self excel Whatever Heights Hyperboles can tell O that I were as David the sweet Singer of Israel In meeter Psalms to set forth thy Praises Thy Raptures ravish me and turn my soul all into melody Whose Kingdom is so glorious that nothing in it shall at all be unprofitable mean or idle So constituted That every one's Glory is benesicial unto all and every one magnified in his place by Service What is man O Lord that thon art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Kings in all their Glory minister to us while we repose in peace and safety Priests and Bishops serve at thine Altar guiding our Bodies to eternal Glory Physicians heal us Courts of Judicature stand open for our preservation The Outgoings of the morning and evening rejoyce to do us service The holy Angels minister unto us Architects and Masons build us Temples The Sons of Harmony fill thy Quires Where even our sensible bodies are entertained by thee with great magnificence and solaced with Joys Jesus Christ hath washed our feet He ministred to us by dying for us And now in our humane body fitteth at thy right hand in the throne of Glory As our Head For our Sakes Being there adored by Angels and Cherubims What is it Lord That thou so esteemest us Thou passed'st by the Angels Pure Spirits And didst send thy Son to die for us That are made of both Soul and Body Are we drawn unto thee O why dost thou make us So thy treasures Are Eyes and Hands such Jewels unto thee What O Lord are Tongues and Sounds And Nostrils unto thee Strange Materials are visible bodies Things strange even compared to thy Nature Which is wholly spiritual For our sakes do the Angels enjoy the visible Heavens The Sun and Stars Thy terrestrial Glories And all thy Wisdom In the Ordinances of Heaven In the Seasons of the Year Wondering to see thee by another way So highly exalting dust and ashes Thou makest us treasures And joys unto them Objects of Delight and spiritual Lamps Whereby they discern visible things They see thy Paradise among the sons of men Thy Wine and Oyl thy Gold and Silver By our Eyes They smell thy Perfumes And taste thy Honey Milk and Butter By our Senses Thy Angels have neither ears nor eyes Nor tongues nor hands Yet feel the Delights of all the World And hear the Harmonies not only which Earth but Heaven maketh The melody of Kingdoms The joys of Ages Are Objects of their joy They sing thy Praises for our sakes While we upon Earth are highly exalted By being made thy Gifts And Blessings unto them Never their contempt More their amazement And did they not love us Their Envy hereafter But now their Joy When our Glory being understood We shall
to 〈◊〉 That Nature never gave to any thing a power in vain To what end therefore am I endned with these eternal Powers The similitude of thy Greatness in my Soul Infinity in my Soul Eternity in my Soul Is it not that I might live In the simili tude of thy Wisdom towards all thy Creatures Goodness towards all thy Creatures Holiness towards all thy Creatures For to nothing that is without the reach of my Comprehension Can my Thoughts extend To nothing without the sphere of my Knowledge Can I behave my self Amiably Can I behave my self Beautifully Can I behave my self Wisely To the intent therefore that being wise like thee I might be just and good to all thy Creatures And be holy towards them in all my Ways And be holy towards them in all my Thoughts And be holy towards them in all my Affections Hast thou made me thus in thy great similitude That being wise and holy towards thee and all things as I ought to be I might evermore be gloriously blessed In thy diviner Likeness To which I am created O my God! In the contemplation of my Soul I see the Truth of all Religion Behold all the Mysteries of Blessedness Admire thy Greatness Rejoyce in thy Goodness Praise thy Power Adore thy Love Am ravished with thy Wisdom Transported Pleased with the beauty of thy 〈◊〉 Who hast made me 〈◊〉 best and greatest Like thee Thine Image Friend Son Bride More than thy Throne Thy 〈◊〉 Treasure Such wonderful Power hast thou created in me That I am able to do more than my Soul durst once attempt to imagine A greater Power have I received of thee Than that of creating Worlds Could I create Worlds and not enjoy them It would be to no purpose Could I create millions of Worlds and enjoy them all I could only enjoy created things In receiving a Power To enjoy all things I am made able to enjoy even thee Who art infinitely greater Thee in every thing Every thing in thee My self in all things for evermore I have received a Power infinitely greater Than that both of Creating and Enjoying Worlds Infinitely more Blessed Infinitely more Profitable Infinitely more Divine Infinitely more Glorious O Lord I am contented with my Being I rejoyce in thine infinite Bounty And praise thy Goodness I see plainly that thy love is infinite And having made me such a Creature I will put my Trust in Thee Could I have chosen what power soever I pleased I would have chosen this A Power to Please thee A Power to Enjoy thee In all the Varieties of Works and In all the Varieties of Creatures Compared unto these A Power To Divide the Sea Turn Mountains into Gold Command the Sun Trample upon Divels Raise up the Dead With whatsoever all the fancy of man can imagine or desire Is Very feebleness Is Unprofitable Vanity Is Foolish Childishness Blessed be thy Name that thou hast given me Power to Praise thee A Power not only to Comprehend The Magnanitude Being Nature Order Place of Things Bat to love their Goodness Prize their value Delight in their Beauty Rejoyce in the Benefits which I receive from them Which is Wholly to enjoy them These things thou commandest my Soul to do That I might be Wise and Holy Yet givest me Liberty To do what I please Not that thou art careless or indifferent what I chuse But because thou wouldest make me Blessed and Glorious An Object of Delight to thine Eternal Godhead And like unto thee the Joy and Blessing of all thy Creatures Who by Loving them freely As Thou dost Delighting in their Beauty And prizing their Goodness Shall my self be Beautiful in all their eyes Thine IMAGE O Lord To thee and them a peculiar Treasure The Works thou commandest thou infinitely desirest and tellest us plainly They are better than Wine More precious than Fruits More pleasant than Spices Living Waters Even to thee our God Which satisfy the fire of thine eternal Love Being desired of thee because they are necessary To our happiness My soul O Lord doth magnify thee Because out of nothing thou hast exalted thy Servant Requiring that I should do the works which thy soul commandeth And not another That the glory of such Deeds might shine in me And the pleasure of the goodness whereby I do them That being honoured in the eyes of Angels and Men I might be enlarged by them Acknowledged Received into their bosoms Delighted in Embraced Crowned Thou makest thy Bride All Glorious within And her own Works Shall praise her in the Gates While chiefly she is beautiful To thee her God Shineth in thine Image Reigneth in thy Throne Most in thy bosom They all delight to look upon her And in every work thou requirest of her Rivers of Oyl and Wine are hidden Yea living Streams of Divine Affection Which thou more prizest then Thousands of Rams and tens of thousands of Rivers of Oyl Then Worlds though Millions of Gold and Silver The Work of Love Is the Soveraign Delight Of all the Angels The Cream and Crown of all Operations The Cause Efficient and the end of all Things The Navil Which conveys all the Joys of Heaven and Earth Into the Soul of Man The Oyl wherewith We anoint The Gold wherewith We Crown Thy Holy Angels Thy Saints Thy Son Our selves in them And thee in all A Power in this have we received O Lord To please thee more And to enrich thy Kingdom with Greater Treasure Than if Creating Worlds We presented them at thy feet At the feet of thy Saints Of every Angel They all like Thee More Desire our Good Works Than Crowns and Scepters Which are Holy Treasures In communion with Thee For ever to be enjoyed By doing them our selves we are made thine Image That we should have the Glory Of being Crowned with the Beauty Of our own Works Is not 〈◊〉 but more thy Glory Infinitely more thy Glory and Joy Most Holy Lord How infinite is thy Thirst That we should perform the thing thou desirest O Lord Thou so loved'st us That for our perfect Glory Thou didst adventure into our hands A Power of displeasing thee Which very confidence of thine ought more to oblige me than all the things in Heaven and Earth faithfully to love thee But wo is me I have sinned against thee I have sinned O Lord And put an Object before thee Which thou infinitely hatest An ugly Object Of infinite 〈◊〉 From which it is impossible Thou should'st turn away thine eyes And hadst thou not loved me With a greater Love Than all this I must like Lucifer Have 〈◊〉 into the Pit Of eternal Perdition But thou hast redeemed me And therefore with Hallelujahs Do I praise thy Name Recourting the ancient Glories Which thou 〈◊〉 in my Soul And 〈◊〉 That infinitely more is left unsaid O my God Sanctify me by thy Spirit Make me a Temple of the Holy Ghost A willing Person in the day of thy Power Let my Saviour's Incarnation be
my Exaltation His Death my Life Liberty and Glory His Love my Strength And the incentive of mine His Resurrection my Release His Ascension my Triumph His Gospel my Joy The Light of his Countenance And of thine in him My Reviving Healing Comforting Sun In the day of thy Grace let me work for thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Goodness And according to the wideness of mine Understanding The Greatness of my Soul The Liberty of my Thoughts Walk at large In all the Regions of Heaven and Earth In all the Regions of Time and Eternity Living in thine Image Towards all thy Creatures On Angels wings Holy Meditations According to the transcendent Presence of my Spirit everywhere Let me see thy Beauties Thy Love to me To all thy Creatures In the First Creation In the Government of Ages In the Day of Judgment In the Work of Redemption In My Conception and Nativity In All my Deliverances In The Peace of my Country In Noah's Ark. With Moses and David Let me behold thy ways Delight in thy Mercies Be praising thee O shew me the excellency of all thy works In the Eternity that is before the World began let me behold the beauty of thine everlasting Counsels And in the Eternity which appeareth when the World is ended let me see thy Glory O God of infinite Majesty now I confess that the Knowledge I have of thee is admirable by that which I discover in my self for if in a thing so gross as is my Body there be a Spirit so noble as is my Soul which giveth it Being and Life governeth it and in it and by it worketh such stupendious things how much more necessary is it that thou be in the midst of this extended World who art that supream Spirit by whom we all are live move and have our being Since therefore thou art my Being and my Life thou art my Soul too and I rejoice to have thee for my 〈◊〉 loving thee infinitely more than my stlf O that all did know thee and love thee more than their Life and their own Soul since thou art the true Life and Soul of all To whom be Glory Honour and Praise for evermore Amen Thanksgivings for the Glory of God's Works BLess the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments hearkening to the Voice of his word Bless the Lord all ye his hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his WORKS in all places of his Dominion Bless the Lord O my soul. Psal. 103. 21 22 23. O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Psal. 8. 1. When I consider the Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him For thou 〈◊〉 made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his fect All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas Psal. 8. 3 4 c. O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world Thy works O Lord are for ever to be remembred The earth is full of thy riches The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal. 24. 1. The heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men As we are visible Bodies Conversing here beneath He hath given us the Earth To his Image As we are invisible and immortal Souls Hath he given the heavens And the heaven of heavens The woods and trees and fields and valleys hast thou subjected to the Government and work of our hands The heaven of heavens to our Understand To see their glory ings Admire their greatness Enjoy their delight Possess their treasures Rejoyce in their hosts And 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 Mines of gold and veins of silver The variety of precious stones Diversity of minerals Iron Brass Copper Lead and Tin Carbuncles Emeralds Pearls Diamonds All these Hast thou given to our bodies Subjected the same to the use of our hands That we might beautify the earth With Crowns and Scepters Regal Thrones Palaces and Temples Pillars Castles Cities Closets Jewels Rings Chains Ornaments Delectable things Which by the Use of all men Become the fruition Of every holy and wise Spectator Oyl and Wine Perfumes and Spices Wheat and Rye Fruits and Flowers Hast thou given to us to delight our Senses Apples Citrons Limons Dates and Pomgranates Figs Raisins Grapes and Melons Plumbs Cherries Filberts Peaches Are all thy riches for which we praise and bless thy Name Clouds and Vapours glorify thee By serving us Springs and Rivers praise thy Name Being far more precious than gold and silver The Day is thine the Night also is thine thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the Earth thou hast made Summer and Winter He appointed the Moon for seasons the Sun knoweth his going down O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches These serve us in their glorious heights so perfectly that we cannot alter their course because we cannot mend their Operation The Fowls and Fishes Beasts and creeping things Hast thou made ours By giving them Excellencies meet to serve us Strength Swifrness Fat Skin Hair Wool Flesh Sinews Veins and Senses By giving us Understanding and Bodies to subdue them By giving us a Right and Dominion over them For all these O Lord I bless and glorify thy Holy Name And give Thee Thanks So Glorious are thy Works that Skies full of Pearl Globes of Gold Spheres of Silver greater than the Earth are Dross and Poverty in Comparison of thy Treasure All which thou offerest me to partake of The Duty to which thou hast called me Is greater than my Wealth To contemplate thy Glory The Excellency of thy Wisdom 〈◊〉 Infinite Goodness The Riches of thy Love To me thy unworthy Servant Exhibited in those Their Value Fulness Ministery My Right Interest Property Thy Blessedness Mercy Favor And in all these My Wonderful Exaltation with thee my God Blessed is the Man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may Dwell in thy Courts He shall be satisfied with the Goodness of thy House even of thy Holy Temple They also which Dwell in the Utmost parts are afraid of thy Tokens thou makest the Outgoings of the Morning and Evening to rejoyce Thon visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly Enrichest it with the River of God which is full of Water Thou preparest them Corn when thou hast so provided for it Thou waterest the Ridges thereof abundantly thou
settlest the surrows thereof thou makest it soft with Showers thou blessest the springing thereof Thou Crownest the Year with thy Goodness and thy Paths drop fatness They drop upon the Pastures of the Wilderness and the little Hills rejoyce on every side The Pastures are clothed with Flocks the Valleys are covered over with Corn They shout for joy they also sing Psal. 65. 8 9 10 11 12 13. These O Lord being seen in thy Sanctuary Were Davids Joys Their Publick Beauty his Personal Delights O that my Heart were awake O God To see the Glory of thy Handy Work Thy visible Works are The Joy of Angels The Delight of Cherubins Heavenly Treasures When thou hadst said the Foundations of the Earth and accomplished the Creation of the World The Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for Joy Thy Servant Moses transported into 〈◊〉 and Blessing Joseph on the brink of Glory Saw the Beauties which Angels admire The perfection of thy visible Treasures Blessed of the Lord be his Land for the precious things of Heaven and for the Deep that coucheth beneath And for the precious things brought forth by the Sun and for the precions things put forth by the Moon and for the chief things of the ancient Mountains and for the precious things of the lasting Hills And for the precious things of the Earth and the fullness thereof and for the good Will of him that dwelt in the Bush. Deut. 33. 13 14. c. Blessed be the Glory of him who created all things and upholdeth them daily by the word of his Power All these thy Goodness giveth me Which I with Moses and thy Saints enjoy Had I none other yet These alone are the Angels Songs Surrounded with these I live in Eden But thou hast reserved thy peculiar Joys And given me all other Superadded Treasure The Actions on this Theatre Of thy glorious Kingdom The Lives of thy Saints Their Souls their Tears their Praises In eternal Glory they are seen so perfect that nothing can be added nor taken from them for ever Eccl. 3. 14. And therefore is it that every Creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea c. and all that are in them shall we hear saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be to him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore Rev. 5. 13. To him that sitteth upon the Throne Because he created them To the Lamb for evermore Because he purchased them for us That we shall hear all Creatures In Heaven and Earth So praising thee Plainly sheweth that we shall Understand their Natures See their Beings Know their Excellencies Take Pleasure in them Because they are thy treasures given unto us Compleat Perfect Divine Blessed Innumerable Endless Angelical Heavenly Deep Fathomless Great Glorious Permanent Eternal In hearing all that are in them praising thee We shall behold their Centres Know their Uses See every Property Every Excellence Every Degree in every Excellence Every End to which they are ordained Every Person to whom they relate In every one of which they glorify thee By exalting us Serve us by glorifying thee By delighting all are serviceable to each And glorify my Soul by delighting all Especially by the Glory which they pay to thee Who delightest in them For the perfect Good which they do to thy sons Both here and hereafter In thy glorious Kingdom I admire the Wisdom whereby thou enrichest all thy Wonders The Sun is as a Bridegroom coming forth of his Chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run his Race Psal. 19. 5. His Beams Which enter and revive mine eyes Which beautify and quicken all the earth Do service unto me As if no Man were created but I alone The Moon and Stars Dew and Rain Hills and Valleys Fields and Meadows In serving Fishes In serving Fowls and In serving Beasts Serve all the sons of Men A new deep and richer way And in serving them Bless Me thy Servant Enrich Me thy Servant Serve Me thy Servant What Blindness then O Lord possesseth all the sons of men That covet Treasures in the midst of Glory See not thy Riches Gape after Honours Complain of Poverty in the midst of Wealth Turn thy Glory into Shame Love Vanity Follow after Leasing And while they have Eyes and see not The Glories of thy Kingdom Ears and hear not The Voice of thy Creatures Hearts and understand not The Excellencies in them Disquiet themselves in vain to walk in a vain shew heaping up Riches not knowing who shall gather them Psal. 39. 6. But they that will be rich fall into Temptation and a nare and into many foolish and hurt ful Lusts that drown Men in Destruction and Perdition For the love of Money is the root of all Evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. As Adam by seeking knowledge in a foolish way lost all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge which were laid up for him So do these in seeking Riches Destruction and Misery are in all their Ways Ingratidude and Wo Folly and Complaining Ignorance Stupidity Sloth and Poverty Thy Glorious Treasures They therefore Despise because they have them And will never learn to use them Till they lose the benefit and Enjoyment of them But I thy Servant will sing aloud of thy Mercy To make known to the Sons of Men thy A ighty Acts and the Glorious Majesty of thine Excellent Kingdom Psal. 145. 12. That the Sons of Men Might be shining lights To me thy Servant And praise thy Name for thy Glory To which they see thee Exalting thy Creature That I might enjoy the Benefit of the Holy Scriptures And see the use of all thy Creatures That I might see thy ways Among all the Nations And rejoice with thee In thy Judgments and Mercies That with Order and Government Laws and Customs They might beautify the World Which else would be no more than a silent Eden That I might see the good of thy Chosen Rejoice in the gladness of thy Nation And glory with thine Inheritance Psal. 106. 5. That our feet may stand within thy Gates O Jerusalem Whither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimony of Israel Psal. 122. 4. Were they Created Were they Enlarged Were they Beautified Who are Heirs with me of thine eternal Kingdom Festivals and Sabbaths Sacraments and solemn Assemblies Bishops Priests and Deacons Emperors Kings and Princes Counsellors Physicians Senators And Captains In all the Beauty of their Office and Ministry 〈◊〉 Shine like Stars In the firmament of thy Kingdom In the midst of whom Thy Servant liveth O give me Wisdom To see their Splendor To Enjoy their Influences Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward There is no man which reckoneth them
all things as he enjoyeth them Goodness To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them Love To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them In thy Likeness In Communion with Thee As Sons and Heirs As Kings and Priests As Brides and Friends As Coheirs with Christ As Partakers of the Divine Nature To the Praise of thy Glory To the Joy of thy Son By the Power of thy Spirit Dwelling in us Let him who is the Light of the World Be insinitly Profitable unto us The Light of Life to quicken our Sence The Light of Love to enflame with Goodness The Light of Knowledge to open our eyes O the Joy and Treasure of our Souls Jesus our Saviour Christ the anointed of the Lord Anointed for and given to us Thou artthe Purchaser of all our Glory And thy fruition of it The great Example Teaching us to enjoy it How were thine Affections here upon earth Present with all Families Present with all Kingdoms Present with all Ages Of what Esteem was every Soul in all the World By being the Image of thy Fathers Person Thou art thy self the brightness of his Glory His Son The Heir of all things Heb. 1. 〈◊〉 2 3. And the Glory which he hath given thee Thou hast give unto us Job 17. 22. O let us all with open Face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord be transformed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 13. 18. Make us to understand the Power which thou hast given us to become the Sons of God Teach us to use it For now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Jo. 3. 2. Thy Father needeth not The Heavens or the Earth The Seas or Stars The Clouds or Trees or Fields or Rivers For us he made them and Enjoyeth them only by his 〈◊〉 Goodness And love unto us He needeth not Cherubims He needeth not Angels He needeth not Men Being insinitely Blessed Without beginning His goodness enjoyeth them Only by this he exalteth them to Glory His Goodness enjoyeth them By making them Blessed And by the pleasure he taketh To see them sitting Like God himself In the Throne of Heaven His Goodness only needeth them And it is his Glory that his Goodness needeth them That God from all Eternity should infinitely Delight in exalting others Create them out of nothing Make them his Image By Almighty Power Give himself to one By infinite Love Communicate himself wholly to all his Hosts By eternal Wisdom That having no use of them But meerly to imploy his Goodness Advance them and Crown them He should infinitely desire to see them blessed This is his Glory Whose Goodness is his Wisdom For by that doth he inherit all his Works His Blessedness also For so good he is that himself is crowned In every Creature Himself enjoyeth the happiness of Angels Infinitely delighteth in the Blessedness of Men And by the way of Eminence Includeth all things Being therefore himself the object of Delight The exceeding Joy Ps. 43. Of all his Creatures His Goodness is so great That then he most enjoyeth himself When he is enjoyed He loveth to be seen and delighted in To be the Glory Joy and Treasure Of all his Hosts He loveth to be delighted in Because he delighteth To be The Sun of every Eye The crown of every head The Jewel and the Joy of Every Bosom Who when he is the object of all our Joy The delight of Angels The Ineffable Fathomless Eternal Object of all Delight To all his Creatures To all his Kingdoms To all his Ages Is then himself in eternal Glory Our Author and our End Enjoying himself By that which is himself His infinite Goodness Our Joy and Blessedness O then why should not we Ponder upon the Goodness Of our Author and our End And imitate the Goodness Upon which we ponder Since as he is our Author by doing all Things for us So he is our End by calling us to contemplate what he hath done Especially what he is Whose Love is his Blessedness Since as thou O Father enjoyest all things In creating us to Glory Thine eternal Son enjoyth all things In Redeeming them for us And us for them And by the joy that he taketh In seeing us attain The End of our Redemption Yea since the Holy Ghost by Goodness enjoyeth all Things In his Elect People When having healed their Rebellion He notwithstanding their Wilfulness Openeth their Eyes Dwelleth in them Guideth their Thoughts Enliveneth their Hearts Giveth them Power And maketh them by his Grace To enjoy God In all his Works Ways Counsels Thoughts and Attributes Since goodness in the Father Since goodness in the Son and Since goodness in the Holy Ghost Are Wisdom Glory Are Peace and Blessednes Why should not we by Goodness alone Be fraught with Wisdom Glory Be fraught with Peace Blessedness And enjoy all things as God doth By delighting in his Blessedness In the Blessedness of Christ our Lord In the Blessedness of God the H. Ghost In the Blessedness of Angels and Men Especially since the Blessed of God and them is Goodness indeed the Delight which they take in our happiness O Goodness inessable Who never more expressest thy Goodness Than by making Creatures like Thee Sovereign and supreme in Goodness Restore us by thy Son and thy Holy Spirit By the Merits of the one By the Working of the other To the similitude of that Goodness Whereby thou enjoyest thy self in all things Enable us to delight in thee our God For loving us so Gloriously To delight in thy Highness In the Blessedness of thy Son In the Godhead and Blessedness of the H. Ghost In the Joy of Angels Cherubims That our selves in thy Likeness and Men May be the Joy and Blessedness Of all thy Hosts Thy Blessedness O Lord in all thy Creatures The Crown of thy Works The Centre of thy Beams The Temple of thy Goodness Thy peculiar Treasures For by this O Lord shall we Reign in Glory And now most holy Father I crave strength Eternally to perform my great desire Of Glorifying Thee Praising Thee Blessing Thee For all the Riches of thine eternal Love In the Redemption of the World Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Goodness In giving thy Son I should never have understood That thou givest us all things Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Love In giving all Things In making them Meet to be heavenly Treasures And giving us Powers endless to enjoy them I could scarcely have believed The giving of thy Son But now with Joy I praise thy glorious Name Because having made me In the best of manners Which is in thine Image To enjoy all things I know thou hast Redeemed me By the Death of thy Son And feel in my self a Nature answerable to the greatness
Goodness Nothing can discourage them Of Beauty and delight They are amiable in the Eye of God and Angels and ravished with security in the heights of Triumph Thanksgivings for the Blessedness of his LAWS GIve unto the Lord O ye Mighty give unto the Lord Glory and Strength Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness Ps. 29. 1 2. O that my Ways were directed to keep thy Statutes Ps 119. 5. I will praise thee with uprightness of Heart when I shall have learned thy Righteous Judgments Ps. 119. 7. I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Ps. 119. 16. Thy Testimonies O God are my Delight and my Counsellors Ps. 119. 24. O my God! Teach thy Servant to walk upon Earth In thy Similitude Open mine Eyes that I may behold wonderous Things out of thy Law Ps. 119. 18. Thy Laws O God Are greater Tokens of thy Love to me Than Heaven and Earth In them I see the Mirrour of the Mind In them I see the Beauty of the Love In them I see My Crown of Glory O how hast thou Magnified me thy Servant In thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord thou Tenderest my Happiness As the apple of thine Eye Commanding all others to love me As they love themselves Thou makest my Person sacred in the world Hedgest in my safety By thy holy Laws Wilt have no man to approach me But with Love and Reverence My Life My Honor My Estate and Goods My Soul My Body My dear Relations And dearest Friends My Ease My Peace My Joy Thy Laws Those Bulwarks of my Repose and Pleasure So wholly dignisie and exalt thy servant As if they had been made for me alone Should thy Goodness design to make a Creature The greatest imaginable The highest above the Cherubim The most Glorious among the Angels Thy Son thy Friend Thy Bride thine Image What greater Laws in favour of it could thy Wasdom provide than that upon pain of eternal 〈◊〉 all Angels Cherubim and Men should love that Creature as they love themselves What can he withhold that 〈◊〉 as himself With that Love thou hast given me Persons Honors Riches Houses Arts Hearts Abilities Their Beauty Strength Authority Vineyards Fields Gold and Silver And which is more than all hast compassed me about With all the Powers in Heaven and Earth Angels and Men For my Preservation Yea For my Delight Enlargement Honor Glory Nor can any thing but the intervening Rebellion of Men eclipse or hinder thine Eternal Bounty Thou hast made me to live In the Temple of their Soul To reign with thee In the Throne of their Minds Encompassed not with skies But blessed Affections I thank thee O Lord and praise thy Name for all the Consolation of thy holy Laws As if I alone Were the only Person for whom All things were made They are all commanded Angels and Men to love and take Care of me All other things to minister unto me All to magnisie please and delight me While I see thy Goodness Laying all the obligations In Heaven and Earth Upon Angels and Men to be kind to me And crowning their Obedience with the Same Rewards Where with thou rewardest their love to thee It is impossible they should proceed from any other than the infinite Ocean of eternal Love I bless thee more For commanding me to love all others Than for commanding them to love me In this O my God Thy Laws are not only The hedge of my Repose And steps unto my Throne But the Light of mine Eyes And the Crown of my Glory The Physick of my Soul And Rules of my Transformation To the Image of thy Blessedness Thy Laws are a Light to my feet and a Lamp to my 〈◊〉 Ps. 119. 105. The SUN is a glorious Light Whose Beams are most Welcom Whose Beams are most Necessary Whose Beams are most Useful To me and all the Sons of Men But thy Laws surpass the light of the Sun As much as that of a Gloe-worm Being the Light of Glory Teaching us to live On Earth in Heaven O how I love thy Law It is my Meditation all the Day Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than my Enemies for they are ever with me I have more Understanding than all my Teachers for my Testimonies are my Meditation I understand more than the Ancients because I keep thy Precepts Ps. 119. 97 c. And I must confess O Lord to the honor of thy great Name that Thy Laws in commanding others to love me have made all things mine that commend their love Their Oyl and Wine their Jewels Palaces Gold and Silver Heaven and Earth yea all the things that magnifie them are mine O Lord because the Ornaments of those Persons whom thy Laws command to love me as themselves Thy Laws are my Purveyors And in shewing me the sincerity of thine Eternal Love The Right of my Joys All things in Heaven and Earth they 〈◊〉 To be mine Even Thee my God The Fountain of them all The Soveraignty and Authority Whereby thou makest Laws They shew to be mine And ravish me both here And in Heaven for ever But in commanding me to love Angels and Men They teach me to live In the Similitude of God And are the inward Health And Beauty of my Soul Marrow Wine and Oyl WITHIN They teach me to live in the Similitude of thy Glory Shew me thine inward Goodness Make me a Joy and Blessing unto all THINE INWARD GOODNESS Is among all thy Treasures Thy best Delight While I possess that I am made The Tabret and the Song of thy chosen People The Jewel of thy Saints Joy of the Cherubim The Crown of Glory and a Royal Diadem To thy Holy Angels To thee my God a peculiar Treasure I marvel at the Divinity of thine eternal WISDOM Who environest me with Glory In the midst of all Fruitions Making me a Joy to all others While they are so to me There is an end of all Perfection but thy Commandments is exceeding broad Ps. 119. 96. The World which thou hast made Is the City of our God The Streets are Ages And every Soul a Temple in it In which thou O my God rakest delight to Dwell Thy Laws are the Statutes enjoyning My Affections to all the Citizens The Inhabitants of the World So glorious are thy Laws They are the Canons of thy Bounty The Rule of Life The enlargement of my Soul My Peace and Liberty I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou saith enlarge my heart Ps. 119. 32. O Lord they be The best of Laws Command the best of all possible Works Lead us to the highest of all possible Rewards Teach us to live in the Similitude of God Advance us to thy Throne Guide us in the paths of Blessedness Make us the sovereign End of all Things More than the Sole final and comprehensive Teaching us to love Thee more than our selves Derive into our
good no not one Ps. 14 2 3. They know not neither will they understand they walk on in darkness All the foundations of the earth are out of course Ps. 82. 〈◊〉 O Lord thy word testisieth What my experience seeth That the Sons of Men Err in their hearts From thy holy Ways The Glory of thy Kingdom they cannot see The Blessedness of their Estate None will regard Nor behold the Brightness of Thine eternal Treasures Nor how near they are to Thine eternal Love The glory of the Earth is Stainedby Sin Oppressed with Tares Spoiled with Briars and cursed Thorns But more with the corruptions Blindness of sinful Men. Errors of sinful Men. False Opinions of sinful Men. Wherein according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience They all walk In the Lusts of the Flesh In the vanity of the Mind Having the Understanding darkned Being alienated from the life of God Through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4. 17. 18. With one consent they wander up and down To polluted streams And will not refresh their Soul With living Waters The riches of thy bounty Which with infinite liberality Thou freely givest They disregard By that means turning the world into a 〈◊〉 Wilderness Of Owls and Dragons That thirst after happiness They know not what Seek it they know not where Find it no where They seek it in Gold not in Thee In Silver In Apparel In Feasts In Houses In any thing Little Rare False Counterseit Scarce Unknown But in the high Estate to which already they are by thee exalted they find no pleasure The freedom of thy Love hideth it from their Eyes The Truth and Commonness of thy Glorious Works They cannot see The daily Continuance and presence of thy Riches maketh them despised The Greatness of thy Wealth not understood Thou preventest us With the pure Blessings of thy Goodness Their Endlesness Excellency Abundance Service Variety 〈◊〉 Compasseth us about Yet Blmdeth our Eyes They Grope in Darkness Wander in the valley of the shadow of Death Are estranged from thy Treasures Err from Thee Hope for any End of their vain Endeavours Never attain any Rest in their feigned Riches Escape imaginary Wants But still increase Conceited Poverties O Lord they have drown'd not only themselves but the world also In Destruction and Perdition Covered it with Snares With Chains of Darkness Woes and Miseries By their false Opinions False Opinions concerning Happiness Till thy Word came and shined among us That plainly sheweth The Glory of the Father Bringing us back To the true Treasures Causeth us to see That we are already exalted And that it is not by seeking what we want But by enjoying what we have That we are truly Blessed Thy Word alone Extricateth our Souls from all their Snares Our Wants are none Thou hast wrought all things already for us Were a Sun that shineth Now to be created Millions of Gold would be thought Too little His Beams more Necessary Than the approach of Angels Are now Despised Being by reason of their presence not understood They animate our Blood Beautifie the World Give light to the Day Warmth and Spirits Without them no Morning Flowers Waters Springs could be But all the World a Cave of Datkness Death and Misery Which an Angels presence cannot mend Thy Laws thy Works thy Ways Thy Revelation from Heaven The Excellencies of our Soul The Endowment of our Body Thy Tender Love Thy Truth and Faithfulness These are the Riches Thou hast prepared for the Poor For Creatures cut out of Dust and nothing To these thy Word reduced us again That shining Light Infinitely more precious and Heavenly than the SUN That Holy Fountain Of Living Waters Refresheth the Soul Even of thy Holy Angels It self is a Treasure worth innumerable Millions of Gold and Silver A Book which thou hast sent To me from Heaven To Detect the vanities of this wicked World To Guide my feet into the way of peace To Shew me the Treasures of eternal Happiness To Elevate my thoughts Purifie my heart Enlighten my eyes Refine my Soul Direct my Desires Quicken my Affections Set my Mind in frame Restore me to thine Image Call me again to Communion with Thee In all thy Goods and Treasures O Lord thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name It sheweth me the Greatest and Highest Things Bringeth my Soul cut of Prison Leadeth me in the Paths of Blessedness and Glory Teacheth me to ponder upon the Works of thy Hands And to Meditate upon thy Laws Day and Night To speak of the might of thy terrible Acts To talk of thy Doings O my God every Day will I bless Thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever Ps. 141. 2. All thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall Bless the Ps. 145. 10. I will sing of Judgment and Mercy to thee O Lord will I sing And talk of all thy wondrous Works Ps. 145. 2. The Sons of Men hast thou given Me The Heavens and the Earth and all that is therein Thy manifold Wonders Ancient Miracles Laws Promises H. Oracles and Blessed Revelations In thine Image to be enjoyed Thy self and All Things The best of Treasures In the best of manners I Acknowledg thy Gift Thy Heavenly Gift And I adore the Wisdom and Glory of the Way whereby thou givest me the H. Bible To deliver me from the darkness of the disordered VVorld I needed O Lord a Book from Heaven I longed to receive it And panted after it with my Expectation Which above my Hopes Was already sent Before I was born A Book inclosing the best of Tidings the wisest Counsels the newest Revelations Heavenly Discoveries the profoundest Depths the highest Wonders the rarest Miracles the most glorious Examples the treasures of Wisdom the richest Promises the joys of God Divine Affections the greatest Encouragements Halclujahs Raptures Shewing us How Man is Magnified In Covenant with God Lord of his Works His Son and Friend Ministred to by Angels Admired by Cherubims Made for Heaven Called into the Glory of Almighty God Ordained for his Throne Redeemed by his Son Shal rise from the Dead Be made Immortal Overcome the World Be more than a Conqueror Inherit all things O Jerusalem Jerusalem Hadst thou known at least in this thy Day the things that concern thy Peace But now they are hidden from thine Eyes Had you seen Oh! ye Sons of Men the High Estate of your ample Glory how would you have been ravished Ye that are Crowned with Loving Kindness and Tender Mercies Beloved of God more than Himself Doth he not love his Son as Himself Tendered as his Eye Exalted above Angels In all things magnified by his Eternal Love as much as wisdom Goodness Power infinite could atcheive By all his Counsels Laws and Works exalted As in the Death of Jesus Christ. O my God I give thee Praise For
shall I be delighted in all thy Glory And be so much pleased as if thou went only glorified for my sake And all thy Sons that glorify thee shall be my Treasures O give me grace here upon Earth to glorify thee To be tender of thine Honour and to delight in thy Praises Since at all this expence thou magnifiest thy Friend and makest me so O let me not debaso my self as low as Hell by stooping down to Earthly principles but live like thee an understanding life and faithfully accomplish the work of Love O let the perfection of 〈◊〉 Essence always ravish me Who could'st never need because never be without all thy Joys Let thy loving kindness continually be before mine eyes With joy let me suffer the reproaches of thine enemies in defence of thy Glory Let it be delicious to me to die in thy service My Joy that thou Reignest blessed in Heaven No life pleases me but the similitude of God No Riches but thine O Lord. All are thine rightly understood Let nothing satisfy me but all Eternity And all within it Since men upon earth live in darkness and are infinitely beneath thy glorious ways Let me never be subject to their vain opinions but ever mindful of thee my God To walk in thy ways is to contemplate their Glory to imitate their Goodness to be sensible of their Excellency A Thanksgiving and Prayer for the NATION REmember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people O visit me with thy Salvation That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine Inheritance O Lord my God thou hast compassed me with Mercies on every side The Fields and Valleys Being truly seen are inestimable treasures The beauty of the Skies a magnificent joy To him that was nothing Created but yesterday Taken from the Dust To Day Half an hour since This very moment Rivers Springs Trees Meadows Even dry Land it self Clouds Air Light and Rain The Sun and Stars Are wonderful works Filling me with cheerfulness Made to serve us I praise the O Lord for the delights of Eden Such are these Among which were I alone like Adam Being wise I could not be 〈◊〉 But thou hast compassed me With innumerable Treasures Pleasant for variety Of infinite value Surmounting the created World 10000. fold The World is a Case Containing Jewels A silent Stage A Theatre for Actions Made for innumerable ends In all which thy fatherly wisdom hath shewn it self But O my God empty Cases Cabinets spoiled are dum shews The Jewels O Lord and Scenes and Actions These are the Treasures which most we prize The delights we esteem The Crown of Pleasure For the sake of which Cabinets were made Theatres erected Cases valued O Lord spare thy people Spare thy people O my God! Those Jewels in thy Cabinet those Persons on thy Stage that fill the World with wonderful Actions Make me a Moses to thee them Nehemiah to thee them Ezra David to thee them Did mine interest speak Could my heart understand it Did I see the value of all my joys Rivers of Tears running down mine eyes day and night would not suffice for the slain of my People O be not wrath very sore Let mine interest enflame me But thy goodness more Let Wisdom speak that respecteth me But Love cry out with groans unutterable For thy Mercy and Long suffering Unto this my people O Lord mine will be the loss I the sufferer My Bowels torn by those Wars My Bosom the Stage of those Calamities What ever love therefore thou bearest to thy Servant whom thou hast made a little lower than the Angels And Crowned with Glory and Honour For thy Servants sake be thou gracious to thy people Visit me with the savour which thou bearest unto them Shew it O Lord in their preservation We have sinned with our Fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly We understood not thy wonders Nor remembered the multitude of thy tender Mercies But provoked our God continually Both at Land and Sea Nevertheless he saved us for his own Name sake that he might make his mighty power to be known That we might see the Glory of his loving kindness And that the goodness of God might lead us to repentance But we have been all day long a stiff necked and rebellious people When thy hand is lifted up they will not see In the Land of uprightness we deal unjustly and will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. We are infinitely seared Waxed fat and unsensible And what shall we do in the end of it The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel is a brutish People that will not consider My God hath nourished and brought up Children that have rebelled against him Ah! Sinful Nation a people laden with In iquity a seed of evil doers Children that are corrupters They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger they are gone away backward Why should ye be stricken any more Ye will revolt more and more O my God! I see it plainly Neither Mercies will melt us Nor Judgment afright us Nothing soften nothing astonish us Nothing cause us to turn unto thee Thy Mercies we value not Under thy judgments are grown insensate Nothing less than the infinite multitude of thy tender mercies are able to bear with us any longer O my Bowels are yet lockt up Cannot ye be sensible of their Incorrigibleness Do what thou wilt in Judgment or Mercy We are Desperately bent to grow worse in Wickedness O Lord I confess the worst that can be spoken of us The worst that can be done have we atchieved Thy long suffering O God I importunately crave unto this people Of absolute Grace O thou in whose hands are the hearts of Kings to turn them as the Rivers of Water Rule the heart of thy chosen Servant our Royal Sovereign incline his Will to walk in thy way and make him thankful for evermore That in his prosperity we may walk in peace Convert him wholly unto thee O Lord Raise up Zerubbabels and Joshuahs Magistrates and Priests Careful Parents Of tender Bowels and contrite hearts That may endeavour the reformation of my peculiar people Leave a remnant always among us And for our Childrens sake that shall be born Throughout all Generations That these future Off-springs Of peculiar Treasures Whom thou infinitely esteemest May augment thy Kingdom O Lord if thou spare my life And give it me for a prey wherever I go Yet I shall be the sufferer in my peoples ruin Shall Nettles grow up in our pleasant Palaces Brambles in our Treasuries Owls and 〈◊〉 dwell in our Temples Briars and Thorns in the rubbish of our Stones O my Lord let me rather be blotted out of the Book of the living than be so bereaved Robbed of my Children Spoiled of my Glory Let them not lay
waste the heritage of the Lord Nor break down our Temples with Axes and Hammers Tread not underfoot thy mighty men In the midst of me Crush not my young men Carry not my Virgins away Captive O Lord. They respect not the persons of Priests or Elders Let not the breath of our Nostrils be taken in their pits Nor our Princes suffer the reproach of Servants Nor our Fathers be abused nor our Bodies lie as Dung upon the Ground nor our Wives be ravished nor our Children slain in the top of every Street What are all the Temples in the Land Though they should remain What the Cities Walls and Towers But silent Monuments of greater Woe If no man is inhabitant Or dwelling in them Nests of Snakes Owls and Dragons But no habitations of Joy and Melody A Salvage Indian among Rocks and Mountains Would be as happy as I in those possessions In the days of her affliction all the pleasant things that my people had of old would come into mind Increase my Melancholy And shew me the filth of her skirts in those What would their Scarlets Ermines Purple Gold and Pearl profit me in the day when they lie about me like idle ruins Though all that is in the Land were left My people gone The Joy and Life The Marrow Glory and Crown The Lustre Beauty and Delight Of all my delectable things is spoiled Forgive O Lord the ingrateful temper of my sinful people Heal O God the reprobate sence Wherewith we are perverted Open our eyes that we may see thy Treasures Admire while we have them Rejoyce in thy people Those Celestial Jewels The riches of thy bounty which thy love hath given us Nothing but the exceeding transcendent value Of thy wonderful Gifts hideth from us Thy love is lost in its own splendor Hid in its greatness Drowned in that Glory Of thine excellent Treasures The reality of thy Bounty blindeth us The freedom of thy love 〈◊〉 thy Bounty The possession of thy Wealth maketh us poor But reprobate is the blindness whereby we contemn the Gifts of God because they are common Shall nothing make us sensible of thy love But the absence of it Nothing teach us to prize thy Mercies But their removal from us O Lord the Children of my people are thy peculiar Treasures Make them mine O God even while I have them My lovely companions like Eve in Eden So much my Treasure that all other wealth is without them But Dross and Poverty Do they not adorn and beautifie the World And gratify my Soul which hateth solitude Thou Lord hast made thy Servant a sociable Creature for which I praise thy name A lover of company a delighter in equals Replenish the inclination which thy self hath implanted And give me Eyes To see the beauty of that life and comfort Wherewith those by their actions Inspire the Nations Their Markets Tillage Courts of Judicature Marriages Feasts and Assemblies Navies Armies Priests and Sabbaths Trades and Business the voice of the Bride-groom Musical Instruments the light of Candles and the grinding of Mills Are comfortable O Lord let them not cease The Riches of the Land are all the materials of my Felicity in their hands They are my Factors Substitutes and Stewards Second selves who by Trade and Business animate my Wealth Which else would be dead and rust in my hands But when I consider O Lord how they come into thy Temples fill thy Courts and sing thy Praises O how wonderful they then appear What Stars Enflaming Suns Enlarging Seas Of Divine Affection Confirming Paterns Infusing Influences Do I feel in them Who are the shining Light Of all the Land to my very Soul Wings and Streams Carrying me unto thee The Sea of Goodness from whence they came Their Rings and Jewels beautify us in adorning them Did I regard only the Fabrick of their persons Their Speech Face and Understanding To see another So infinitely exalted above all the Creatures A Divine Image more glorious than the World A second self Created besides for me to enjoy How should this transport me O Lord And if one in my solitude would be such a Treasure What O Lord is the variety of their Persons Dispositions and Actions Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the Light of thy Countenance In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness they shall be exalted For thou art the Glory of our Strength and in thy favour our Horn shall be exalted For the Lord is our defence and the Holy One of Israel our King Psal. Take me not away from thy joyful sound Nor thy joyful sound from me Destroy not my people for how then shall I walk in the light of thy Countenance Should I not rust O Lord and grow dull and heavy Though I believe in Jesus Being taught it by their means Though I see him on the Cross Adore him in the Heavens And shall always remember my Friend in thy Throne Need I not Spurs Wings Enflamers O my God how often should I die were it not for these thy Glorious Hosts Yes wo is me how often do I die and fail already By intermitting the continual Fruition of thy Joys I was glad when they said vnto me let us go into the House of the Lord. But my people being removed which are The Ornaments of thy Kingdom The Beautifiers of the Land The Intelligence of Temples The Tillers of the Ground The Singers of thy praises Like David in the Wilderness should I complain As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God! My Tears have been my Meat day and night while they continually say unto me Where is thy God When I remember these things I pour out my Soul in me for I had gone with the Multitude I went with them to the House of God with the voice of Joy and Praise with a Multitude that kept Holy Day Why art thou cast down O my Soul why art thou disquieted in me hope in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his Countenance The help of thy Countenance And the light of it O Lord The sweet combinations of private love Particular friendships Carried in the Bark of our Nations welfare Will all be laid waste in its desolation Those amiable objects so full of beauty And Heavenly commerce in Angels eyes Each of whom is An incarnate Cherubim A Member of Jesus Christ A penitent Transgressor O what wonders do mine eyes behold There is more joy in Heaven for the conversion of one Sinner than for ninety nine just persons that need no repentance For every Prodigal returning unto thee There is another Jubilee and Feast in Heaven For this cause therefore return thou on high and come and Save us My Goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints and to the excellent