Can turn away from or despise the bait Flesh Must I be made the foot-ball of disdain And call'd a precise fool or Puritane Spirit Remember him that did despise the shame And for thy sake bore undeserved blame Thy journey 's of small moment if thou stay Because dogs bark or stones lie in the way If life lay on it wouldst thou turn again For the winds blowing or a little rain Is this thy greatest love to thy dear Lord That canst not for his sake bear a foul word Wilt thou not bear for him a scorners breath That underwent for thee a cursed death Is not Heav'n worth the bearing of a flout Then blame not Justice when it shuts thee out Will these deriders stand to what they say And own their words at the great dreadful day Then they 'd be glad when wrath shall overtake them To eat their words and say they never spake them Flesh How Forsake all Ne're mention it more to me I 'le be of no Religion to undo me Spirit Is it not thine more in thy Fathers hand Then when it is laid out at sins command And is that sav'd that 's spent upon thy lust Or which must be a prey to thieves or rust And wouldst thou have thy riches in thy way Where thou art passing on and canst not stay And is that lost that 's sent to Heav'n before Hadst thou not rather have thy friends and store Where thou maist dwell for ever in the light Of that long glorious day that fears no night Flesh But who can willingly submit to Death Which will bereave us of our life and breath That laies our flesh to rot in loathsom graves Where brains and eyes were leaves but ugly caves Spirit So nature breaks and casts away the shell Where the now beauteous singing bird did dwell The secundine that once the infant cloath'd After the birth is cast away and loath'd Thus Roses drop there sweet leaves under-foot But the Spring shew's that life was in the root Souls are the Roots of Bodies Christ the Head Is Root of both and will revive the dead Our Sun still shineth when with us it's night When he return's we shall shine in his light Souls that behold and praise God with the Just Mourn not because their bodies are but dust Graves are but beds where flesh till morning sleep's Or Chests where God a while our garments keeps Our folly thinks he spoils them in the keeping Which causeth our excessive fears and weeping But God that doth our rising day foresee Pitties not rotting flesh so much as we The birth of Nature was deform'd by sin The birth of Grace did our repair begin The birth of Glory at the Resurrection Finisheth all and brings both to perfection Why should not fruit when it is mellow fall Why would we linger here when God doth call Flesh The things and persons in this world I see But after death I know not what will be Spirit Know'st thou not that which God himself hath spoken Thou hast his promise which was never broken Reason proclaims that noble heav'n-born Souls Are made for higher things than Worms Moles God hath not made such faculties in vain Nor made his Service a deluding pain But Faith resolves all doubts and hears the Lord Telling us plainly by his holy Word That uncloath'd Souls shall with their Savior dwell Triumphing over Sin and Death and Hell And by the Power of Almighty Love Stars shall arise from graves to shine above There we shall see the glorious face of God His blessed presence shall be our abode The face that banisheth all doubts and fears Shuts out all sins and dryeth up all tears That face which darkeneth the Sun's bright rayes Shall shine us into everlasting joyes Where Saints and Angels shall make up one Chore To praise the Great Jehovah evermore Flesh Reason not with me against sight and sense I doubt all this is but a â—ain pretence Words against Nature are not worth a rush One Bird in hand is worth two in the bush If God will give me Heav'n at last I 'le take it But for my Pleasure here I 'le not forsake it Spirit And wilt thou keep it brutish flesh how long Wilt thou not shortly sing another Song When Conscience is awakened keep thy mirth When sickness death comes hold fast this earth Live if thou canst when God saith Come away Try whether all thy friends can cause thy stay Wilt thou tell Death and God thou wilt not die And wilt thou the consuming fire defie Art thou not sure to let go what thou hast And doth not Reason bid thee then forecast And value the least hope of endless Joyes Before known vanities and dying toyes And can the Lord that is most just and wise Found all man's duty in deceit and lies Get thee behind me Satan thou dost savour The things of Flesh and not his dearest favour Who is my Life and Light and Love and All And so shall be whatever shall befall It is not thou but I that must discern And must Resolve It 's I that hold the stern Be silent Flesh speak not against my God Or else hee 'l teach thee better by the rod. I am resolved thou shalt live and die A servant or a conquered enemy Lord charge not on me what this rebell sayes That alwaies was against me and thy wayes Now stop its mouth by Grace that shortly must Through just but gainful death be stopt with dust The thoughts and words of Flesh are none of mine Let Flesh say what it will I will be thine Whatever this rebellious Flesh shall prate Let me but serve thee Lord at any rate Use me on earth as seemeth good to thee So I in Heav'n thy Glorious face may see Take down my Pride let me dwell at thy feet The humble are for earth and heav'n most meet Renouncing Flesh I Vow my self to thee With all the Talents thou hast lent to me Let me not stick at honour wealth or blood Let all my dayes be spent in doing good Let me not trifle out more precious hours But serve thee now with all my strength and powers If Flesh should tempt me to deny my hand Lord these are the Resolves to which I stand Octob. 29. 1659. Richard Baxter 8. The Prayer of the Sick in a Case like Hezekiahs To the Tune of the 51 Psalm The First Part. 1. ETernal God whose name is Love Whose mercy is my hope and stay O hear and help me from above That in distress to thee do pray Ashamed to lift up my face Hence from the dust to thee I cry Though I have sinn'd against thy Grace Yet unto it alone I fly 2. I was at first in sin conceiv'd Then liv'd a vain and sinful life Rebellious flesh which I receiv'd Is still against thy Grace in strife Long it was Lord alas too long Before I knew my self or thee Vanity rul'd my heart and tongue And O that yet my Soul
were free 3. But while I sinned thou wast kind And sent'st thy Word and Spirit of Grace Thy Light did change my darkened mind And shewed me my wretched case Though I drew back thou didst prevail And I gave up my self to thee Thou undertook'st for wind and sail Both Ship and Pilot thou would'st be 4. I turn'd my back on worldly toyes And set my face toward Glory's Shore Where thou hast promis'd highest Joyes And Blessedness for evermore I took my leave of Sin and Earth What I had lov'd I now did hate Ashamed of my former birth I gave my Life a newer date 5. But since that time how am I tost Afraid of every storm and wave Almost concluding I am lost As if thou would'st not help and save If I look out beyond thine Ark Nothing but raging Seas I see On this side Heav'ns all 's deep and dark But I look further unto thee 6. Censures and scorns and frowns I hear Storms which before I never found And yet all these I should not fear If all at home were safe and sound But thy displeasure wounds my heart I have but two parts Flesh and Soul Both of thy wrath do bear their part And thou hast left me neither whole The Second Part. 7. All this is just Lord I confess I staid too long ere I came in And how should healing grace do less When I brought with me so much sin Much Pride and Vanity I kept Too oft my heart was looking back Though God stood by me yet I slept Heav'n was at hand yet I grew slack Spare Lord and pity thy poor dust That fled into thy Ark for Peace O cause my Soul on thee to trust And do not my distress increase O keep up life and peace within If I must feel thy chastening Rod Yet kill not me but kill my sin And let me know thou art My God 9. Folly dwelt in my childish breast Sin rob'd me of my youthful daies Let not thy wrath cut off the rest And stifle thine intended praise Whilst I forgot thee thou didst bear Thy kindness did invite me home O rack me not with grief and fear Kill me not Lord now I am come 10. The silent Dust speaks not thy fame Nor in dark Graves art thou renown'd The living Saints declare thy Name And in thy Church thy Praises sound Yet let me with thy houshold dwell Though I be numbred with thy Poor And with thy Saints thy Wonders tell Although I sit behind thy door 11. Set not thy strength against frail man O turn not yet this flesh to Clay My life thou know'st is but a span If I should see the longest day Break me not all to pieces Lord Or else let each piece have a tongue To cry till thou relief afford But not to say Thou dost me wrong 12. Pity this poor unworthy Soul That here devotes it self to thee Resolve my doubts my fears controul And let me thy Salvation see O let that Love which gave me groans And taught my needy Soul to pray Remove my fears and hear the moans Which sorrow breaths forth night and day The Third Part. 13. Why art thou fainting Soul cast down And thus disquieted with fears Art thou not passing to thy Crown Through storms of pain and floods of tears Fear not O thou of little Faith Art thou not in thy Saviour's hand Remember what his promise saith Life and Death are at his command 14. To him I did my self entrust When first I did for Heav'n imbark And he hath proved kind and just Still I am with him in his Ark. Could'st thou expect to see no Seas Nor feel no tossing wind or wave It is enough that from all these Thy faithful Pilot will thee save 15. Lord let me not my Covenant break Once I did all to thee resign Only the words of comfort speak And tell my Soul that I am thine It 's no Death when Souls hence depart If thou depart not from the Soul Fill with thy Love my fainting heart And I 'll not fading flesh condole 16. Health is but Sickness with thy frowns Life with thy wrath is worse than Death My comforts thy displeasure drowns And into groans tunes all my breath Where is that Faith and Hope and Love By which thou markest all thy Saints Thy Joyes would all my griefs remove And raise this heart that daily faints 17. Am I the Jonas dost thou mean To cast me out into the deep It shall not drown but make me clean Until thou raise me there I 'll sleep O Death where is thy poisonous sting O Grave where is thy Victory Thy dust shall shortly rise and sing God's Praise above the Starry Sky 18. My God my Love my Hope my Life Shall I be loth to see thy face As if this world of sin and strife Were for my Soul a better place O give my Soul some sweet foretast Of that which I shall shortly see Let Faith and Love cry to the last Come Lord I trust my self with thee John 11. 14. or 16. O let not unbelieving Thomas words Be now my answer But my dearest Lord's Amen 9. The Covenant and Confidence of Faith To the common Tunes 1. My whole though broken heart O Lord From henceforth shall be thine And here I do my Vow record This hand these words are mine All that I have without reserve I offer here to thee Thy Will and Honour all shall serve That thou bestow'dst on me 2. All that exceptions save I lose All that I lose I save The treasure of thy Love I choose And Thou art All I crave My God thou hast my heart and hand I all to thee resign I 'll ever to this Covenant stand Though flesh hereat repine 3. I know that thou wast willing first And then mad'st me consent Having thus lov'd meat the worst Thou wilt not now repent Now I have quit all Self-pretence Take charge of what 's thine own My Life my Health and my Defence Now lie on thee alone 4. Now it belongs not to my care Whether I die or live To love and serve thee is my share And this thy grace must give If life be long I will be glad That I may long obey If short yet why should I be sad That shall have the same pay 5. If Death shall bruise this springing seed Before it come to fruit The Will with thee goes for the Deed Thy life was in the root Long life is a long grief and toil And multiplieth faults In long wars he may have the foil That scapes in short assaults 6. Would I long bear my heavy load And keep my sorrows long Would I long sin against my God And his dear mercy wrong How much is sinful Flesh my Foe That doth my soul pervert To linger here in sin and woe And steals from God my heart 7. Christ leads me through no darker rooms Than he went through before He that into God's Kingdom comes Must enter by this Door
Run fastest when the Truth 's behind No Heresies with you are sown There 's not a Truth but all will own A mixture we get here by rote And Errour keeps the major Vote There Pride and Faction cannot enter There 's no Division in the Center The Saints there play not Satan's part They use not any Carnal Art Their Righteous Brethren to Defame And by untruths to blot their Name There you are Comely and not Black Each One hath All yet None do lack What sin or smart can you befall Where SELF 's put off and God is All. Look up and see now VINES is gone Are not the Stars the more by One No but One fewer in our sight For we have forfeited his Light And such an One as all do miss Save those whose pleasure darkness is And who can Number Stars above When Saints so fast to Heav'n remove If but three such in all our times As USHER GATAKER and VINES Were taken hence by fatal sleep Three Nations should consent to weep And if an Age this loss repair The Church will think it very fair They shine in Glory now to God Who shin'd and burn'd here to a Clod. May such a sinful Worm as I Aspire and ascend so high That Kingdom 's mine in Hope and Right Which you possess by Love and Sight That God that Christ hath loved me Whose Glory blessed VINES doth see We were both washed in one stream And both enlightned by one beam One Garment also did us cloath At once One Pulpit held us both Much more One Church for we agreed Both in One Method and one Creed One Evil we did both condole As animated by One Soul Methinks where thou art I should be Although the lowest in degree Though thou art gone and I am here Yet is my Passing-hour near Time is at work both Night and Day Even when it seemeth to delay My Grave and Coffin are at hand My Glass hath but a little Sand Now I am writing and anon They 'l also say of me He 's gone Then I shall see the shining face Which is the Glory of your Place But lest in vain I hope and run Lord perfect what thou hast begun 14. A Dialogue between Death and the Believer A Rustick Song set to a pleasant Tune Death COme with me poor Mortal Quickly come away My Name is Dreadful Death Through this narrow Portal Come without delay For here I 'le stop thy Breath Presently my Dart Shall pierce thee to the Heart And away thy Life I 'le have It is in vain to fly Or any Friend to try For there 's none that can thee save Believer 2. Welcome friendly Death What canst thou do to me ' That I have cause to fear Though thou shalt stop my breath Yet I in Life shall be When thou shalt not be there And though the Gate be streight It leads unto that height Where I shall defie thy Dart Willingly I yield As armed by that Shield That will save my nobler part Death Come away frail Man And open now thy Breast And take thy mortal wound Let Friends do what they can And Physick do its best They 'l all too weak be found Lay now aside thy mirth And turn unto thy Earth I will give thee the fatal blow It is in vain to wish Thou canst not save thy Flesh For my Power thou shalt know Believer 4. Readily I come As being not the first That hath past through thy door Thou shalt but help me home When thou hast done thy worst And thou shalt be no more By drawing out my blood Thou shalt but do me good And ease me of my grief And though thou look so grim Thou shalt bring me to him That will give me full relief Death 5. Thy Flesh I 'le turn to Clay And all thy Bones to Dust And leave thee in the Grave Make no longer stay For come away thou must It is in vain to crave Cloathed from head to feet But with a Winding-sheet My Prisoner thou shalt be Bearing my loathsom Mark Thou shalt lie in the dark And the face of no man see Believer 6. Thou shalt but dig the ground Where God his Seed will sow And raise it at the Spring And there I shall be found And Christ his own will know And unto Glory bring When here I cease to live A better Life he 'l give Which thou shalt not destroy And though This Life thou spill My Soul thou canst not kill Nor again with fears anoy 7. When thou put'st out these Eyes I shall receive my sight My Day will all be Noon Above the spangled Skies Where never shall be Night Nor need of Sun or Moon The Grave also shall keep My Dust in quiet Sleep Till the Coming of my Lord That Flesh shall shine with God That now is but a Clod And must lie as a thing abhorr'd Death 8. Thy merry Daies are gone Thou shalt no longer stay Thy Life shall end in pain Thy Time and work is done And all thy Sport and Play And never shall come again Here take thy leave of Health And of thy Goods and Wealth And of every pleasant Friend Bid farewel to them all For here thy Corps shall fall And the World to thee shall end Believer 9. Boast not O conquered Foe For thou could'st have no strength But what comes from my sin My Lord will overthrow Thy Power at the length And will thy Prisoners win Thou could'st not keep my head When he lay in thy Bed But he rose and now doth Reign He 'l take away thy sting And endless Life will bring And with him shall I remain 10. How oft have I undrest me And laid my Garments by And dyed till the next day I do but go to rest me And shall rise speedily My Lord will not delay When thou hast broke this shell My Soul with Christ shall dwell And with Saints and Angels bright This World is but the Womb From which my Soul must come Into the Eternal Light 11. And what though Death be painful The pain is quickly past My Soul shall soon be freed My Lord shall make it gainful The gain shall ever last And Joy shall Grief succeed And though the Place seem strange And Nature fear a change Yet I with Christ shall be And when with him I dwell I know I shall be well And his glorious Light shall see 12. Thou shalt but kill my sin And crown my painful Race And end my Grief and Fear Thou shalt but let me in To see the blessed face Of my Redeemer dear And is it any loss To follow with my Cross Till I attain the Crown It 's he that truly dyes That Mercy doth despise And at last God will disown 13. I knew that from my Birth I was a mortal man My frailty is confest I knew my Flesh was Earth My Life was but a span And here is not my Rest If thou canst say no more All this I knew before And yet thy threats defie Have I long sought in pain And would I not obtain Joyful Eternity 14. O feeble thing How canst thou conquer Christ And make his Promise void First overcome my King And his Command resist By whom thou art employ'd First win the World above And conquer endless Love And then I 'le be thy slave Kill an immortal Soul And we will all condole And fear a darksome grave 15. It 's Christ that doth thee send To bring about his end And him thou must obey He is my dearest Friend And doth no harm intend In calling me away And why should he fear ill Whom Love it self doth kill And numbreth with the Blest Why should not Death fulfil His good All-ruling WILL My SPRING my GUIDE my REST. Hoc migraturus scripsi sub imagine Carmen FArewel vain World As thou hast been to me Dust and a shadow such I leave to thee The unseen Life and Substance I commit To him that 's Substance Life Light Love to it Some Leaves and Fruit are dropt for soil seed Heaven's Heirs to generate to heal and feed Them also thou wilt flatter and molest But shalt not keep from Everlasting Rest Vel Munde dolose vale mihi vera palestra fuisti Perficitur Cursus certa corona manet Vita fugax cessat Praestant aeterna caducis Mens superos visit Pulvere pulvis erit Excipe Christe tuum Tibi vixi Errata remitte Spe tibi commissum perfice Christe tuum Tu mortis mors es Vitae tu vita perennis Gloria nostra Tua est Gloria Lumen Amor. Non loca non coetus non hinc sperata videntur Optimus Omnividens Maximus illa videt THE English Verses written on a fair Marble over the Grave where my Wife and her Mother are buried in the upper end of Christ's-Church Chancel broken and lost by the fall of the Church when burnt were these Thus must thy Flesh to silent Dust descend Thy mirth and worldly pleasure thus will end Then happy holy Souls but woe to those Who Heav'n forgot and earthly pleasures chose Hear now this Preaching Grave without delay Believe Repent and work while it is day FINIS Mar. 3. 20. 21. 2. Cor. 5. 13. Matth. 20. v. 21. Matth. 19. v. 29. * Thuanus Davila * The Earl of Orery's Answer to a Petition * He dyed suddenly on the Lord's Day at night after he had Preacht and Administred the Sacrament * Mr. Anthony Burgesse was Minister at Lawrence Church Mr. Love succeeded him and was beheaded by the Remnant of the Long Parliament which cut off the King for sending Money to some about the present King Mr. Vines succeeded him * Those that saw me stand in his Pulpit at Lawrence Church between his Leggs when I Preacht for him because he could get no other Room in the Church understand this †See his Letter in the end of my Confession
out go them both Sir Fulk Grevil Lord Brook a man of great note in his Age hath a Poem lately Printed for Subjects Liberty which I greatly wonder this Age would bear There are no Books that have been Printed these twenty Years that I more wonder at that ever they were endured than Richard Hookers eight Books of Ecclesiastick Policy dedicated by Bishop Gauden to our present King and vindicated by him and these Poems of Sir Fulk Grevill Lord Brook Davie's Nosce Teipsum is an Excellent Poem in opening the nature Faculties and certain Immortality of Man's Soul But I must confess after all that next the Scripture Poems there are none so savoury to me as Mr. Herbert's and Mr. George Sandys's I know that Cooly and others far excel Herbert in Wit and accurate composure But as Sencca takes with me above all his Contemporaries because he speaketh Things by words feeling and seriously like a man that is paâ—â— jest so Herbert speaks to God like on that really believeth a God and whose business in the world is most with God Heart-work and Heaven-work make up his Books And Du Bartas is seriously Divine And Sandy's Omne tulit punctum dum miscuit utile dulci. His Scripture Poems are an elegant and excellent Paraphrase But especially his Job whom he hath restored to the original glory O that he had turned the Psalms into Metre fitted to the usual Tunes It did me good when Mrs. Wyat invited me to see Boxley Abby in Kent to see upon the old Stone Wall in the Garden a Summer-house with this inscription in great golden Letters that In that place Mr. G. Sandys after his Travels over the World retired himself for his Poetry and Contemplations And none are fitter to retire to God then such as a retired with seeing all the vanities on Earth Sure there is somewhat of Heaven â—â— Holy Poetry It charmeth Souls into â—oving Harmony and Concord We â—â—we two Brothers in this City of â—hom one hath written a Book called â— friendly debate to make those seem â—ious or contemptible who were aâ—â—inst his way It had too much sucâ—â—ss and so far destroyed Love and â—oncord as will not easily be recoveâ—â—d in this age His Brother Mr. Paâ—ike of the Charter-house hath with â—â—ous skill and seriousness turned into â—new Metre many of David's Psalms â—â—d the advantage for holy affections â—â—d harmony hath so far reconciled â—â—e Non-Conformists that divers of â—â—em use his Psalms in their Congreâ—â—tions though they have the old â—â—es Rouses Bishop Kings Mr. Whites â—â—e New Englands Davisons the Scotsâ—â— â—â— agreed on by two Nations in â—â—mpetition with it But I digress too â—â—r All that I have to say for these Fragments is 1. That being fitted to Women and vulgar wits which are the far greatest number they may be useful to such though contemptible to those of higher elevation expectation 2 And being suited to afflicted sick dying troubled sad and doubting persons the number of such is so great in these calamitous times as may render them useful to more than I desire 3. And if my present grief may but excuse the Publication he that needeth them not may let them alone Some of them need an Exposition which I must not give the world I have added two or three Printed heretofore that they may be altogether The Lord by his merciful providence and his Grace tune up our dull and drooping Souls to such joyful praises as may prepare us for his everlasting praise in Heaven Amen London At the Door of Eternity Aug. 7. 1681. Rich. Baxter LOVE Breathing THANKS and PRAISE The First Part. ETernal God this Worm lifts up the head And looks to Thee by Thee encouraged Cheer'd by thy Bounty it would speak thy praise Whose wondrous Love hath measur'd all my daies If thou vouchsafe to make a Worm rejoyce Give him a thankful praising heart and voice Thy shining Glory blessed Angels see Angels must sing thy Highest praise not we But if thy warming beams cause Worms to speak Their baser part will not the Consort break When Time was yet no measure when the Sun It s rapid motion had not yet begun When Heav'n Earth Sea were yet unfram'd Angels and Men and all things else unnam'd When there did nothing else exist but Thee Thou wast the same and still the same wilt be When there was none to know or praise thy Name Thou wast in perfect Blessedness the same The Father Word and Spirit One in Three Trinity doth with Unity agree Th' Eternal Life that quickens all that lives The soul of souls the Light which all Light gives Immense and boundless present every where Beyond all place and creatures thou art there Uncomprehended comprehending all Foreknowing whatsoever shall befall Uncaus'd thou causest all that hath a Being Unknown thou know'st unseen thou art all-seeing Though necessary yet without constraint Unmov'd yet moving all dost never faint All things depend on Thee and Thou on none And changing all things art unchang'd alone One in th' innumerable multitude Perfectly ordering things which seem most rude Infinite Power one accent of whose breath Can sentence Heav'n and Earth to life or death Yea by one act of efficacious Will Canst make and unmake worlds give life and kill Reason transcending all created Reason Not only knowing all things in their season But with a Knowledge perfect infinite Knowing Thy self in Thine Eternal Light A knowledge which doth utterly excel The Knowledge of the Earth the Heav'ns Hell To know ten thousand worlds were but to know The finite streams which from thy Will do flow Existents Futures all Contingencies Conceal'd from man are naked to thine eyes Of every thing thou know'st the Form and Cause As giving all their Nature and their Laws Nature's whole frame is but one piece to thee The Place and Use of all things thou dost see The Globes of Heav'n and Earth are in thy span Thou seest not things by parcels like poor Man Our narrow minds see here and there a letter Not rightly plac'd and therefore read no better We make the Events of this day our sorrow Because we know not what will be to morrow Things present past and future old and new Thou see'st entirely with one single view Thou seest all at home that 's understood Loving thy self thou lovest all that 's Good Goodness it self and perfect Excellence Transcending humane Reason Will and Sense Good in thy self and to thy self alone Before thou wast to any creature known Blest in thy own Eternal pleasing sight Thy own Eternal Love Thy own Delight Those that can find in Thee no greater Good Than that thou giv'st them life and health food And bountifully from thy ample Treasure Blessest thy creatures with desired pleasure Set up themselves and do the worst they can To make themselves the Gods and Thee the Man They that can love thee but for loving them Make thee the casket and themselves the gem To love
not go I learn'd to creep Then thou beganst to loose my Infant tongue And taught'st me Abba Father when but young First by the Book and some unworded groans After by heart-indited words and moans Thy dyet first was Milk then stronger food But alwaies that which wholsom was and good Though Preachers were too often dry and dull Thy holy Word was quick and powerful The many precious Books of holy men Thy Spirit used on me as his Pen Perkins Sibbs Bolton Whateley holy Dod Hildersham Preston other men of God How pertinently spake they to my case They open'd Heav'n and Hell before my face They did unfold the Gospel-Mysteries And set Christ crucified before my eyes They shamed sin they shewed me the snare Opened the danger charg'd me to beware In every duty they did me direct Told me the sin and danger of neglect They search'd my heart help'd me to try my state My earthly Mind they help'd to elevate What strong quickening motives did they bring To raise my heart and winde the slackned spring These happy Counsellors wero still at hand The Maps and Landskips of the Holy Land This food was not lockt from me but I could Go read a holy Sermon when I would How cheaply kept I many Rare Divines And for a little purchas'd Golden Mines My griefs they eas'd my many doubts resolv'd With great delight I daily then revolv'd O my dear God! how precious is thy Love Are these thy Candles What 's the Sun above At last my Fears became my greatest Faar Lest that my whole Religion should lie there No man hath more of Holiness than Love Which doth free souls by complacency move Common Grace goes as far as Fear alone This eateth not the meat but gnaws the bone A slavish fear desireth leave to sin It doth but tie the hands and wash the skin Hypocrites act a forc't affected part Where Love is absent God hath not the heart He 'l not accept what 's done against mens will That if they durst had rather have done ill Oh my dear God! shall not my Heart be thine Then I shall wish it never had been mine Objects of Sense do soonest move the Passion But sure Thou hast my highest Estimation My Will 's Resolved Choice is to be Thine My Soul and Body I to Thee resign To Thee the motions of my Soul do bend Thou art the Scope to which my Life doth tend The Motions of the higher Faculties The Ruling Powers are chiefest in thine eyes Thou tak'st the Love and Homage which they pay Though Rebel Passion doth not them obey What makes me laugh most makes me not most glad What made me weep most made me not most sad My Love to one choice friend hath oft more passion Than my much greater Love to Church Nation O had I all my Powers at command As readily as tongue or foot or hand My eyes should empty first the serous store Because I love so good a God no more And next some of the florid Blood should spend Because the God of Love I did offend The rest should serve for Oil unto Love's Fire Wasting in restless vehement Desire At every mention of thy Blessed Name My ravisht Soul should mount up in Love's flame Each Sermon should Elias Chariot be To carry up my longing heart to Thee The Saints Assemblies I would make more bright Where many Heav'n-aspiring flames unite And when my Lord's Love-sufferings I read My pierced and Love-wounded heart should bleed Love should enforce each word when I do pray A Flaming Heart I 'd on thy Altar lay When halving Hypocrites give Thee a part Love should present my Whole though Broken heart When in thy Word I read Love's Mysteries There I would sweetly feed my greedy eyes Each Sacrament should be an Eucharist There Heart with Heart Love with Love should twist My friends and I would in our daily walk Of Love's Delights and Entertainments talk My working Love should others Love excite In Love I 'd be a Burning Shining Light Love through the Lanthorn of my flesh should shine Who heard me speak should hear that I am Thine Remembring that in Love I must be made Equal to Angels I would learn their Trade Yea I would reach up to a higher shelf And as my Copy look to Christ himself Love's work I 'd do with all my diligence Though men should think I were beside my sense My daily Love should rise before the Sun And it in speed and constancy out run Love as my Life should fill up all my daies Desire should be my Pulse my Breath thy Praise And I would winde up all the strings as high As Blessed Paul was in his Extasie Heav'nly Love should all my words indite And be the soul and sense of all I write My heart of Love's Delights should sweetly think I 'd write with flaming fire instead of Ink And yet thy holy Day should be my Best In it my thirsty Soul should tast of Rest My daily food should increase to a Feast O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love O could I mount thus to the Flames above These are Love's pantings after thee my God! Though with my Soul imprison'd in a clod ☞ My Soul and Love shall shortly be set free And then my Soul my Love shall feast on Thee If thou wouldst grant the very thing I crave And give me leave to chuse what I would have Should it be lusts or Sports or Fleshly pleasure Sould it be Lordly Rule or Earthly Treasure No I could gladly leave this Dirt to Swine And let the World be theirs if Thou be mine I would not thirst to tast of their Delight If lively Faith might see the blessed Sight I would not be ambitious of a Throne I could have full content in God alone For mens Esteem and Praise I would not care All other Wit and Knowledge I could spare To Know and Love my God should be my choice Give me but This and how shall I rejoyce Under my hand Lord This is it I choose O give me this whatever else I lose Is there no spark of Love in this Desire When a poor Soul doth unto Thee aspire To Know and Love thee is my thirst and strife Nothing more makes me weary of my life Than that I feel no more the heav'nly Fire But look and reach and yet can reach no higher Here lyes my pain This is my daily sore ◠hate my Heart for loving God no more Do I not Love Thee when I Love to Love Thee And when I set up nothing else above Thee Next GOD himself who is my END REST Love which stands next Thee I esteem my Best And Loving God shall be my Endless Feast O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love These are thy Earnests of the Life above Fear is to Love as was the Law to Grace And as John Baptist goes before Christ's face Preaching Repentance it prepares his way It is the
Or playing on a Bag-pipe or a Fiddle But hath not learned how to Live and Die Nor where his Soul must dwell eternally God and all wise men judge him but a fool Who is not wise enough to save his Soul When Heav'n's made sure all Knowledge then is good For Faith and Love can turn it into food It 's pleasant then to study any Book When we see GOD the sense where ere we look When as the way to Heav'n we know each place And see God's beauty in each creature's face And when we stick not in the form and letter But all our Knowledge tends to make us better When still the more we Know the more we Love And draw more with us to the Joys above Fine Fancies are not like clear minds nor those Like Love by which the Soul with God doth close Wisdom it self will make the Mind most wise He that ascends to God doth Highest rise Sure Pisgah was Parnassus or the Mount Where three Apostles did three Glories count Christ's living streams are the true Helicon None make true Poets but Heav'ns springs alone What poor low toyish work make frothy wits Like Bacchus Scholars in their Pot-wise fits Like Childrens Poppets drest with Lace and Pin Like handsom Pictures something wants within A painted Feast carv'd with a painted Knife A Living Soul can feel it wanteth Life Without a Holy Subject End and Spirit True Wisdom's sacred Titles none can merit O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love These are the drops what are the streams above Immortal thanks my Soul doth owe my God For his well-order'd needful healing Rod The Book and Rod do well befit thy School Correction is the portion of the Fool The Rod it self will make the Sluggard rise The Rod and Book make foolish Children wise I felt or fear'd no evil at the first But my Soul's misery which is the worst Whilst for a Soul-remedy I did look Thy angry storm my Body overtook Languishing weakness shortens strength breath Consumes my flesh and threatens speedy death And what I felt reviv'd the fears of more For now my Judgment seemed at the door I knew not but it might be a foretast Of greater woe which I might feel at last My new awaken'd Soul amazed was To think that unto Judgment it must pass And see the unseen World and stand before The dreadful God whom Heav'n Earth adore I was unready to behold thy face Having no more assurance of thy Grace Having but lately too familiar been With my seducing flesh and hateful sin My Thoughts of Thee were terrible and strange And of so great and an untimely change The threatned Ruine I did thus condole O must my scarce-born unprepared Soul Before my dreadful Judge so soon appear And the decisive final Sentence hear And all my Reckonings so soon bring in And give account to God for every sin Before I do my Soul's condition know Or any scaled Pardon have to shew What if I prove an unconverted Wretch And Justice should my Soul to torments fetch How know I but the endless flames of Hell May be the place where next my Soul shall dwell Mercy would save me but I did reject it Christ's Blood would cleanse it but I did neglect it And though I am not hopeless who can bear To die uncertain under so great fear I O that my Tunes had all been better spent And that my caâ—â—y Thoughts had all been bent In preparation for the Life to come That now I might have gone as to my home And taken up my dwelling with the blest And past to everlasting Joy and Rest O that the pleasures of my sports and toyes Had all been turn'd to man-like holy Joyes And those Delights which Vanities engrost And spent on fleshly Lusts were worse than lost Had all been sweet Rejoycings in the Lord And in his holy Service and his Word O that I could my wasted Time call back Which now my Soul for greater works doth lack What would I give now for those precious daies Which once run out in pleasures and delaies O had I liv'd a strict and holy Life Though under hatred and malicious strife Though Men's and Devil's fury I had born And been the world's reproach contempt scorn Then welcome Death would but have quencht my thirst And bid the envious world now do their worst Their malice would but to my Joyes accrew And well-spent Time be sweet to my review O happy men whose portion is above Whose hearts to God and to his Service clove Who made him and his Word their chief delight And walkt in uprightness as in his sight Approv'd their Hearts and Waies to him alone As ready to appear before his Throne Now I had rather far be one of them Than one of worldly Wealth or Princely Stem O now my undrest Soul is passing forth I see both what the World and Christ are worth Thus did the face of Death my Soul awake The bonds of dead stupidity it brake Strict holy Truth I easily confest I saw that Godliness is not a jest My late besotted mind is now past doubt That Folly's careless Wisdom is devout I saw more clearly than I did before What lies on an ungodly Sinners score For what man's pow'rs were made what is their use To what all means and mercies do conduce What is man's business while he 's here below How much his creatures to their Maker owe Whether the Saint or Brute be in the right Whether it 's best to live by Faith or Sight What is true Wit what Learning 's most sublime How I and all should value precious Time I saw it 's not a thing indifferent Whether my Soul to Heav'n or Hell be sent Death also further taught me how to pray And made me cry unto thee every day It set me on the trying of my state Lest I should prove deceiv'd when 't was too late Often and carefully I searcht my heart Whether in Christ by Faith I had a part It shew'd me so much work to do at home That alien needless matters found small room It curb'd my Pride and buryed my Ambition Made me not only bear a low condition But chuse it and all things to estimate As God my Soul and Heav'n should set the rate For now as clearly as I saw the Sun I saw in lines which they may read that run That Endless things are All when we compare And transitory trifles Nothing are That Worldlings in their sleep do talk and go And all their lives are but a dreaming shew Only the true Believer lives awake And doth not spend his daies in meer mistake That all who are not Saints are worse than Brutes These O my Father were thy Rod's first-fruits O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Thus we rebound up to the Joyes above Long thus before my God I lay prostrate Begging for healing mercy at his gate And for some longer time to know his Truth And
more advantage here than danger find Thy Soil is oft manured by such dung I 'le Honour give to whom it doth belong It may be safe to others but to me 'T was best from such Temptations to be free Let my preferment lye in serving all While I sit low I have not far to fall Keep me from the Temptations of the Devil For so thou dost deliver us from Evil. My youthful Pride and Folly now I see That grudg'd for want of Titles and Degree That blush'd with shame when this defect was known And an inglorious Name could hardly own Attempting to have hid it twice or thrice With vile equivocations next to lies And to thy Methods was unreconcil'd Because I was not Rabbi Doctor styl'd Forgive this Pride and break the Serpent's brain Pluck up the poisonous Root till none remain Give me the Wisdom I 'le not beg the Fame Grant me the thing let others take the name Give me the Learning and it is no harm If thou shalt place me in the lowest Form Honours are shadows which from seekers fly But follow after those who them deny I brought none with me to thy work but there I found more than I easily could bear Although thou wouldst not give me what I would Thou gavest me the promis'd hundred-fold O my Dear God! how precious is thy Love Thy wayes not ours lead to the Joyes above The Third Part. THE wondrous Mercy of my bounteous Lord which sent me forth to Preach his sacred Word Prepar'd my way and call'd me to the place Where I must first proclaim his Saving Grace All things thou suitedst fitly to my need Giving me freedom season ground and seed Poor thirsty Souls attend with greedy Ear Crowding in multitudes thy Word to hear Thy Mercy opening so wide a door Gave some first-fruits betimes and hopes of more The various places where my Lot did fall Were all appointed to me by thy Call I never was to any of them brought By the Direction of my own forethought Much less was ever any by me sought And least of all by price or bargain bought I nere found cause of one place to repent Although my sins in all I must lament None were foreseen yet after seen to reason To be the fittest for the work and season But among all none did so much abound With fruitful mercies as that barren ground Where I did make my best and longest stay And bore the heat and burden of the day Mercies grew thicker there than Summer flowers They over-numbered my daies and hours There was my dearest Flock and special Charge Our hearts in mutual love thou didst enlarge 'T was there that mercy did my Labours bless With the most great and wonderful success Yet there were Sons of Belial whose rage Reason with Truth and Love could not asswage Who Lov'd and Hated just as Satan bid them Rul'd by the Reins of Lust by him that rid them In swinish drunkenness they drownd their wits Most furious in their rude tumultuous fits As Boars or Stags at other times more tame When lustful heats their blood and brains inflame Fiercely assault such as stand in their way None 's safe before them till their heats decay So doth the love of revellings and sport Poor brutish fleshly sinners so transport That ragingly they fly in that man's face Who doth by sacred Truth their sin disgrace And as in Armies Drums and Trumpets sound The frightful cries of wounded men to drownd And even the fearful in the furious crowd Are carry'd on to death through streams of blood So those ensnared Youths who formerly Out of the Rout retain'd some modesty Conjoyned with the Rabble did as they The common fury and their lusts obey Run with the Herd Mirth and the Rables noise Drown Reasons Plea and God's reclaiming voice Death is forgot Conscience cannot be heard Hell and Damnation now are little fear'd They have their curse their own sentence pass Away with Jesus give us Barr abas Away with Preachers who disturb our game Talk not of Judgment Let us bear the blame Whilst grieved Preachers can but wish groan O that your day of mercy you had known O my Dear God! how precious is they Love Which looks on such with pity from above Now England's horrid Civil Wars began When God a sinful Nation meant to fan When sin grown high bold out-fac'd the Light When Pride and Faction pleaded Divine Right When most their Love some their Patience lost When proud malicious men must not be crost When wise men seemed fools fools seem'd wise And when the worst were best in their own eyes When Piety with Lazarus was loath'd And Sin with Purple and fine Linnen cloath'd And when the sacred Tribe despising Souls Through love of wealth honor blow'd the coals When Demas for the World deserted Paul And their own matters were first sought by all When they that sought their good things in this life Had banisht Love fill'd the Church with strife Where striving factions Charity defy'd And carnal Counsels did the Church divide When swinish Gadarens did Christ refuse And the prophane his servants did abuse When Holiness the common Foe was deem'd And nothing more intollerable seem'd When holy Truth and Preachers were despis'd And wicked means to cast them out devis'd When sin presum'd to make a mock of grace And folly spit reproaches in Christ's face When vulgar rage had found this common vent And impious scorn on Godliness was spent When sin was not so much oppos'd as God Then were we ready for the bloody Rod. When those sins reign'd that must not now be nam'd But by Heav'ns Justice shall at last be sham'd When old condemned vanities and crimes Became the Reverend Virtues of the Times Then God in Judgment sate to plead his Cause And judge the proud despisers of his Laws Banish'd Love doth feaster'd hearts forsake Blindness suspicions wrath possession take Each man unto the fire his Fagot brought And each against another quarrels sought The whirlwind in the North did first arise And raise the dust which troubled English Eyes And though Heav'ns mercy there prevented blood The Irish fury shed a crimson flood The French blood shew'd the temper of the Nation Their Faith and Faithlesness keep Moderation Their Bartholomews hot dog-daies thirst had cost Thirty or forty thousand lives at most But Ireland's Romish Zeal was hotter far And in their preparation to a War Two hundred thousand they surpriz'd and slew Not that their Will so small a measure knew But here God checkt their Power heard the cries Of dying Innocents which pierc'd the Skies England affrighted by her neighbours harm Threatned to be the next takes the Allarm As Citizens that see a raging flame Threaten the Neighhours houses with the same Do leave their Trades and all together run Trying to quench the Fire where it begun And then pull down the houses which adjoyn Some seek to
save the goods some to purloin The well-built Piles curious Rooms must down To buy the Safety of the fearful Town A Neighbour's house is used like a Foe 's Because the Fire the Hook no diff'rence knows Fear pulleth down the next to save the most And ruines more than needs lest all be lost Smoak and confused crouds do blind men's eyes All are amaz'd with hideous flames and cryes So England too combustible before Seeing so great a flame so near her door Was frighted into such Convulsion Fits As first did break her Peace and next her Wits Dangers breed fears and fears more dangers bring The Bees to save their Honey use their Sting Rowz'd in an angry Swarm they seek their Foe The next they meet must feel the smarting blow Caetera desunt praesunt adsunt I purposed to have recited the most notable mercies of my Life in continuing this Hymn of Thanksgiving to my gracious God but the quality of the Subject and the Ages Impatience stopt me here and I could go no further and my painful and spiritless Age is now unfit for Poetry And the matter is so large as would have made the Volume big 3. The Resolution PSAL. 119. 96. Written when I was Silenced and cast out c. LORD I have cast up the Account What it will cost to come to thee I find to what it will amount A serious Christian to be When Flesh was weighing thou put'st in Thy Love and the Eternal Crown Against a Feather and a Sin And yet it thought these weigh'd thee down Fool as I was I took its word And chose what Flesh did recommend How could I more have wrong'd my Lord Or more his Love and Name offend It had been wiser to have thought The Earth is weigh'd down by a Fly Than to prefer a thing of nought Before the Love of the Most High I see now what false Scales can do In a deceitful partial hand I will no more believe a Foe But to the holy Covenant stand 1. Will Friends turn Foes That cannot be They were my greatest Foes before That would have kept my Soul from thee Their Malice now can do no more I 'll bid these cruel Friends farewel Even Satan would be such a Friend He 'd please and flatter me to Hell And thither doth their friendship tend He wants not Friends that hath thy Love And may converse and walk with thee And with thy Saints here and above With whom for ever I must be In the Communion of Saints Is Wisdom Safety and Delight And when my heart declines and faints It 's raised by their Heat and Light Thy Spirit in them speaks and prayes Their speech is holy clean and quick Dead hearted fools talk but of toyes Their speech and mirth even makes me sick 2. Must Lies and slanders me defame That Innocence may not be known Must proud men's malice blot my Name With Epithets that are their own Thou justifi'st when Men accuse Thou 'lt answer all the spite of tongues And do them right whom men abuse And plenteously repair their wrongs It 's no great matter what Men deem Whether they count me good or bad In their applause and best esteem There 's no contentment to be had I stand not to the Bar of Man It 's thy displeasure makes me sad My thoughts and actions thou wilt scan If thou approve me I am glad 3. Must I before the Ruling Power Be call'd with shame to plead my Cause And judged as an evil doer And as a breaker of their Laws So was the Lord of Life accus'd Slander'd and scorn'd with cruel spight And as a Malefactor us'd And one that claimed Caesar's right False witness cloudeth Innocence Truth seemeth conquer'd by a Lie Patience for bears a just defence And Life it self is judg'd to die Methinks I see thee cloath'd with scorn And spit upon and buffeted And crowned with the piercing Thorn Away to Execution led It most amazeth me to think Thou barest the repute of Sin The bitter Cup which thou didst drink Had nothing bitterer therein The Sun did well to hide his face When Sin did Righteousness eclipse And the most Just is with disgrace A Sinner judg'd by sinners lips Thy steps Lord in this dirt I see And lost my Soul from God should stray I 'll bear my Cross and follow thee Let others chuse the fairer way My face is meeter for the Spit I am more suitable to shame And to the taunts of scornful wit It 's no great matter for my Name 4. Must I be driven from my Books From House and Goods and dearest Friends One of thy sweet and gracious looks For more than this will make amends The World 's thy Book There I can read Thy Power Wisdom and thy Love And thence ascend by Faith and feed Upon the better things above I 'll read thy works of Providence Thy Spirit Conscience and thy Rod Can teach without book all the sense To know the World my Self and God Few Books may serve when Thou wilt teach Many have stoln my precious time I 'll leave my Books to hear thee Preach Church-work is best when thou dost chime As for my House it was my Tent While there I waited on thy Flock That work is done that time is spent There neither was my Home nor Stock Would I in all my Journey have Still the same Inn and Furniture Or ease and pleasant dwellings crave Forgetting what thy Saints endure My Lord hath taught me how to want A place wherein to put my head While he is mine I 'll be content To beg or lack my daily bread Heav'n is my roof Earth is my floor Thy Love can keep me dry and warm Christ and thy Bounty are my store Thy Angels guard me from all harm As for my Friends they are not lost The several Vessels of thy Fleet Though parted now by Tempests tost Shall safely in the Haven meet Still we are centred all in thee Members though distant of one Head In the same Family we be By the same Faith and Spirit led Before thy Throne we daily meet As Joynt-Petitioners to thee In spirit we each other greet And shall again each other see The Heavenly Hosts world without end Shall be my company above And thou my Best and Surest Friend Who shall divide me from thy Love 5. Must I forsake the Soil and Air Where first I drew my vital breath That way may be as near and fair Thence I may come to thee by death All Countries are my Father's Lands Thy Sun thy Love doth shine on all We may in all lift up pure hands And with acceptance on thee call Those banish'd are that go from thee Strange to thy Service Love and Grace And lost in sin do never see Thy Kingdom and thy pleased face May but my Soul dwell near my God And walk with him in Faith and Love No matter where be my abode Till to his Glory I remove 6. What if in
Prison I must dwell May I not there converse with thee Save me from sin thy wrath and Hell Call me thy Child and I am free No walls or bars can keep thee out None can confine a holy Soul The Streets of Heav'n it walks about None can its Liberty controul Alas my darkened mind is chain'd To Earth and Flesh through unbelief It looks and longs by distance pain'd When wilt thou hear and send relief O loose these Chains of Sin and Flesh Enlarge my heart in thy Commands Could I but love thee as I wish How light would be all other bands 7. Must I feel Sicknesses and smart And spend my daies and nights in pain Yet if thy Love refresh my heart I need not overmuch complain This Flesh hath drawn my Soul to sin If it must smart Thy Will be done O fill me with thy Joyes within And then I 'll let it grieve alone Then to its sufferings I 'll consent To be avenged on my Foe That pain may help me to repent And sin may be consum'd by woe Pain will be short Joyes will be long Yet Lord remember man is weak Drop in thy Cordials make me strong Lest heart and hope with Flesh should break 8. I know my Flesh must turn to dust My parted Soul must come to thee And undergo thy Judgment just And in the endless world must be In this there 's most of Fear and Joy Because there 's most of Sin and Grace Sin will this mortal frame destroy But Christ will bring me to thy face Here 's Faith 's great Tryal Pain may force And Pride may willingness pretend A stupid Fool die like his Horse And Heathens make a Beast-like end Frail sinful Flesh is loth to die Sense to the unseen world is strange The doubting Soul dreads the Most High And trembleth at so great a change Yet Faith can see beyond the Skies Where now our Head in Glory is And above Flesh and Sense can rise Unto the World of Saints in bliss Cleansing the Soul from Flesh and Sin Abstracting it from things below It draws the Veil and entering in Love's glorious Mysteries can know Put forth thy Beams and Hand of Grace Open mine Eyes Take up my Heart Acquaint it with the Holy Place The Joyes and Glory where thou art O let me not be strange at home Strange to the Sun and Life of Souls Choosing this low and darkened Room Familiar with Worms and Moles Shall I be strange unto my Head The World of Knowledge Love and Joyes Conversing here among the Dead And taken up with Dreams and Toyes And strange to Angels who attend On Man and in his good delight And though unseen do us defend Ministring for us day and night Am I the first that go this way How many Saints are gone before How many enter every day Into thy Kingdom by this door Christ was once dead and in a Grave Yet conquer'd Death and rose again And by this Method he will save His Servants that with him shall Reign Shall I draw back and fear the End Of all my Sorrows Tears and Pain To which my Life and Labours tend Without which all had been in vain Can I for ever be content Without true Happiness and Rest Is Earth become so excellent That I should take it for my best Or can I think of finding here That which my Soul so long hath sought Should I refuse those Joyes through fear Which bounteous Love so dearly bought All that doth tast of Heav'n is good When Heavenly Light doth me inform When Heavenly Life stirs in my Blood When Heavenly Love my Heart doth warm No wonder if Time's womb be streight And Souls through pain and strangeness go Into the glorious World of Light Which Death translateth them unto This strangeness will be quickly over When once the Heaven-born Soul is there One sight of God will it recover From all this backwardness and fear To us Christ's lowest parts his feet Union and Faith must yet suffice To guide and comfort us It 's meet We trust our Head who hath our Eyes Christ seeth all that I would see The Way and End to Him are known He hath prepar'd the Place for me He 'l Love and Use me as his Own How many guiltless creatures die To be a feast or food for me Who love their Lives as well as I And hath not God more right to me Must I be priviledg'd alone Or no man Die until he please And God deposed from his Throne And humane generation cease Though all these Reasons I can see Why I should willingly submit And comfortably come to thee My God thou must accomplish it The Love which fill'd up all my daies Will not forsake me to the end This broken Body thou wilt raise My Spirit I to thee commend Decemb. 3. 1663. 4. Divine Love's Rest Written on Herbet's Poems THe amorous Needle knows no other REST But at its dear attractive Loadstone's breast Though lying dead before the Potent touch Its Object and Affection were not such The Oily Body married to a Spark Which some cold Flint had lockt up in the dark By the unseen Hot Soul is made so bright As if in it that Soul appear'd to sight Which in revenge for its restraint and toil Still working up wards wasts the loving Oil Having a higher Love is not content Until it reach its proper Element Thus Heav'n-born Souls but lately dead in sin By Faith and Love the heavenly Life begin And daily mounting upwards take their flight From Flesh and Earth unto the World of Light Where Darkness Sin or Grief shall never enter Where all the Saints are one in God their Center Where Love reveals it self with open face Ravishing Souls prepar'd by Saving Grace Love is their Kingdom it 's a world of Love Which they were hatcht for by the holy Dove Here he is kindling the coelestial fire Which knows its rise and doth to God aspire God who is all shall there have all my store And yet my Friends have not the less but more Love is now panting groaning in my breast Love will be then my Soul 's Eternal Feast Love now salutes us in the Gospel story But then Eternal Love will be our Glory Up then my Soul and swiftly Heavenward tend Where Love shall have no check no bounds no end 5. On David's Psalms MY God! since first thy Love this heart did touch It saith I cannot love my God too much It looketh up and panteth for that Grace Which may exalt it and unveil thy face Darkness and Distance are its grievous Chains Sad doubts and fears do feed its griping pains It sighs and wonders thou canst be so strange Where thou hast freely made so great a change Long it hath search't in hope to find the Art To raise and warm a dull and heavy Heart And now I find it practised by One That now is praising thee before thy Throne Here are the sacred words Here 's David's Lyre But
Come Lord when Grace hath made me meet Thy blessed Face to see For if thy work on Earth be sweet What will thy Glory be 8. Then I shall end my sad complaints And weary sinful daies And joyn with the triumphant Saints That sing Jehovah's Praise My Knowledge of that Life is small The Eye of Faith is dim But it 's enough that Christ knows all And I shall be with him This Covenant my Dear Wife in her former Sickness subscribed with a cheerful will Joh. 12. 26. 10. A Psalm of Praise To the Tune of the 148 Psalm 1. YE holy Angels bright Which stand before God's Throne And dwell in glorious Light Praise ye the Lord each one You there so nigh Are much more meet Than we the feet For things so high 2. You blessed Souls at Rest That see your Saviour's face Whose Glory even the least Is far above our Grace God's Praises sound As in his sight With sweet delight You do abound 3. All Nations of the Earth Extol the World's Great King With Melody and Mirth His glorious Praises sing For he still reigns And will bring low The proudest Foe That him disdains 4. Sing forth Jehovah's Praise Ye Saints that on him call Magnifie him alwaies His holy Churches all In him rejoyce And there proclaim His Holy Name With sounding voice 5. My Soul bear thou thy part Triumph in God above With a well-tuned heart Sing thou the Songs of Love Thou art his own Whose precious Blood Shed for thy good His Love made known 6. He did in Loves begin Renewing thee by Grace Forgiving all thy sin Shew'd thee his pleased face He did thee heal By his Son's Merit And by his Spirit For Glory Seal 7. In saddest thoughts and grief In sickness fears and pain I cry'd for his relief And it was not in vain He heard with speed And still I found Mercy abound In time of need 8. Let not his Praises grow On prosperous heights alone But in the Vales below Let his great Love be known Let no distress Curb and controul My winged Soul And praise suppress 9. Let not the fear or smart Of his chastizing Rod Take off my fervent heart From praising my Dear God What ere I feel Still let me bring This Offering And to him kneel 10. Though I lose friends and wealth And bear reproach and shame Though I lose ease and health Still let me praise God's Name That fear and pain Which would destroy My Thanks and Joy Do thou restrain 11. Though humane help depart And flesh draw near to dust Let Faith keep up my heart To love God true and just And all my daies Let no disease Cause me to cease His joyful Praise 12. Though sin would make me doubt And fill my Soul with fears Though God seem to shut out My daily cries and tears By no such frost Of sad delayes Let thy sweet Praise Be nipt and lost 13. Away distrustful care I have thy Promise Lord. To banish all Despair I have thy Oath and Word And therefore I Shall see thy face And there thy grace Shall magnifie 14. Though Sin and Death conspire To rob thee of thy Praise Still towards thee I 'll aspire And thou dull hearts canst raise Open thy Door And when grim Death Shall stop this Breath I 'll praise thee more 15. With thy Triumphant Flock Then I shall numbered be Built on th' Eternal Rock His Glory we shall see The Heav'ns so high With Praise shall ring And all shall sing In Harmony 16. The Sun is but a Spark From the Eternal Light It s brightest beams are dark To that most glorious sight There the whole Chore With one accord Shall praise the Lord For evermore 11. The Complaint WHat mean impatient men to call it Pain That do the creatures wrath alone sustain But alas how much greater is my woe That must God's sharp displeasure undergo If a Worm's fury seemeth hard to bear Who dare before an angry God appear I thought my God had blotted out my sin And it no more remembred should have bin And wilt thou now call up what 's past and gone And charge upon me all that I have done Why then where is my Saviour ' where 's his blood Shall not thy Promises be all made good Where are thy tender bowels where 's that grace That shew'd me once thy reconciled face Dost thou repent or can God changed be O no! it 's I that falsly turn'd from thee Yet be not angry with me O my God! If thy Child cry and plead against the Rod Not daring to accuse thy narrow path But humbly bold to deprecate thy wrath Is it thy pleasure to behold my grief When thou canst with a word send full relief Dost thou delight to see me drencht in tears And overwhelm'd with doubts and horrid fears Wilt thou stand by and see my Soul thus sink While wasting flesh doth stand at the pits brink Shall grief and sickness leave but skin and bones And shall I know no breath but sighs and groans Have I no passions left but griefs and fears Are groans the only musick for thine ears And have I sense only to feel my woe And reason only misery to know And wilt thou suffer sinful unbelief To banish Joy and keep out all Relief How can that gracious Lord my woe desire That did so much to save me from the fire How can that Saviour be against my good That dy'd in love and washt me by his blood Can the same voice now pass so sad a doom That from my sin so lately call'd me home Wilt thou now frown me down to fears death That lately gav'st me a new life and breath Or can that hand that snatcht me from the flame Tear me and cast me back into the same Pity my God this sinking trembling Soul And let the hand that wounds me make me whole Friends would but cannot all their help is vain But thou canst quickly give me joy for pain What can friends do but make my grief their own And will not give me leave to die alone They can but add their fruitless tears and moans To joyn in a sad consort with my groans Their pity doth but make my wounds more deep While in compassion they stand by and weep Through me thou woundest them my pains are theirs And every tender friend a portion bears They can but pray for that which thou must give They strive in vain if thou wilt not relieve O spare me Lord and press me not too low Lest I should pievish and impatient grow Lest I should have unworthy thoughts of thee Forgetting what thy Love hath done for me Lest blind distrust get ground against my faith And I grow mindless what thy Promise saith Lest griefs consume the soul which thou hast made And lest thy Praises with my Comforts fade Lest I thine antient Loves no more rehearse But all my Thanks as a mistake reverse And lest unruly grief should make me break
now I doubt it 's lost by theft I find none but the Law 7. And when my Soul I had undrest And thought some ease to find I found distress instead of rest Through anguish of my mind 8. For Thorns were put into my Bed Where I was wont to sleep Grief is the pillow for my head On which I lie and weep 9. And if I slumber up I start My dreams awake my fears The thorns have pierced head and heart And drawn forth more than tears 10. The stormy Rain an entrance hath Through the uncovered top How should I rest when showers of wrath Upon my conscience drop 11. My goods I fear are gone to waste The best I cannot find The rest are in disorder cast Which yet are left behind 12. I lock'd my Jewel in my Chest I 'le search lest that be gone If this one Guest had quit my breast I had been quite undone 13. I know it's Sin that did all this For nothing else could do it I 'le charge upon it all I miss And with the Law pursue it 14. My treacherous flesh hath plaid its part And opened Sin the Door And they have spoil'd and rob'd my heart And left it sad and poor 15. How shall I see my Landlord's face How shall I pay his Rent When I have thus abus'd his grace And have his Treasure spent 16. Yet have I one great trusty friend That will procure my Peace And all this loss and ruine mend And purchase my release 17. When I the Prodigal had plaid And all my Portion spent He told me he my Debts had paid And bade me but Repent 18. Yea this by his supply was done Whose Covenant bade me do it Because I had not of my own So much as would serve to it 19. And after this when my false heart Forgot my Dearest Lord He did perform a Saviour's part And still my Soul restor'd 20. I fear'd lest as but once he dy'd He would but once forgive But still when in distress I try'd He did my Soul relieve 21. Still when He took me by the hand My Father on me smil'd Oft have I broken his Command And yet he call'd me Child 22. I know his Power And for his Love It spoke by pains and blood Largely doth he his kindness prove And make his Promise good 23. Therefore I 'le never more despair Nor take my self for lost For he will all my loss repair Though at the dearest cost 24. Yea more I have his hand to shew That when my Lease is out A Kingdom he 'l on me bestow He chides me if I doubt 25. I 'le trust on him and use his Name Whatever be my need And I shall scape the wrath and shame And shall be sure to speed 26. And for that sin that plaid the Thief I 'le stop its poisonous breath Or pine it with consuming grief And famish it to death 27. And I 'le take heed for time to come Of wandering abroad With my best constant friend at home I 'le settle mine aboad 28. The Bellows I 'le yet take in hand Till this small spark shall flame Love shall my heart and tongue command To praise God's holy Name 29. Once more I mean to sweep all clean And cast out filthy sin And Christ again I 'le entertain And wait on him within 30. I 'le mend the Roof I 'le watch the Door And better keep the Key I 'le trust my treacherous Flesh no more But force it to obey 31. I 'le make a Covenant with my eyes My tongue shall know its Law I 'le all the baits of sin despise And keep my heart in awe 32. My Bed shall be made soft by Love And there I 'le take my rest Or else I 'le wake till I remove Where none dwell but the Blest 33. What have I said That I 'le do this That am so false and weak And have so often done amiss And did my Covenants break 34. I mean Lord All this shall be done If thou my heart wilt raise And as the work must be thine own So also shall the Praise 12. The Lamentation Jan. 18. 1660 1. For Sin afflicting the Sinner especially by the grievous sufferings of Friends With the Relief of the Self-condemning Soul O Mercy Mercy Mercy O my God! Must I feel nothing but thy smarting Rod Must I be daily on the rack of sears And have no drink to quench my thirst but tears Where is the Spring that feeds this bitter stream That stops not either when I wake or dream These Worms of Fear and Grief whose food I am Into the world as brethren with me came Youthful diversions cast them once asleep But Light awaken'd them to bite more deep Since then I liv'd between thy Book and Rod And in thy School of Discipline abode Sometimes thy gentle twigs toucht but the skin Sometimes thy sharper stroaks did enter in Most of them fell but on my outward part But now they pierce they wound they kill my heart Spare Lord I sigh I groan I weep I cry O spare before I bleed I sink I die O spare the Heart or wound none but mine own And let me sigh and weep and mourn alone It 's I that sinn'd these Sheep what have they done I sinn'd but with One Heart O break but One Shall I that have extoll'd thy peoples Joyes And told men of the sweetness of thy waies Now by my plaints and dolor make them think Thou giv'st us Gall and Vinegar to drink Set me not as a spectacle of wrath To frighten commers from the holy path Be silent flesh my God is Wise and Just Hast thou not sinned stoop and kiss the dust If Passion did not blind thee thou might'st see Justice is good even when it falls on thee It is not causless if he pierce the Heart He doth but chuse the foul the guilty part Had not the door been open'd first to sin Terrour and sorrows could not have got in If it have room for thoughts of Pride and Iust That trouble should dwell with them is but just Where should the tent be put but in the wound We cleanse the ulcerous part and not the sound Where should Jehovah's battering Cannons play But at the Fortress where his Enemy lay Thence came the viperous brood there was the root Of all the bitter poisonous deadly fruit There God should have been entertain'd in Love His Will as End Spring each wheel should move But how unkindly was he there abus'd His tender Love and healing Grace refus'd Oft have I shut the door when he hath come I play'd or slept or would not be at home Should God be sleighted by a stubborn Heart And not rebuke its folly by its smart I sinn'd and laugh'd I lightly pass'd it over Should God do so and not his wrath discover Just is the Lord My sin hath found me out I find his threatenings true beyond all doubt What have I done All 's now to Conscience known It s
deep remorse tells me What I have done What have I done It 's graven all in Stone This heart of flint feels now What I have done What have I done my pained flesh and bone Cry out with anguish O what have I done What have I done I see I feel I groan The sad effects proclaim What I have done What have I done My friends distress and moan Cry to me night and day This thou hast done Melt sinful heart and spare not welcome grief Away delights I 'le none of your relief Shew me the Wilderness the secret Cell Where grief and I may still together dwell Where Hills and Woods may eccho all my groans And hearers may not interrupt my moans Where mortal Eyes may see no more the face Which folly hath confounded with disgrace Where I may Die alive and Live in Death And spend in Lamentation all my breath Seeing deceitful heart-tormenting sin So cunningly is crept and woven in Break it in pieces turn this Heart to dust Melt out the dross purge out the filth and rust Spare not the Lance Or if that will do good Drench it in tears Stop not this brinish flood Jesus Peace troubled Soul I 'le wash it in my blood Woman why weepest thou was the first word After his Rising spoken by our Lord To which his Angels Preface did accord John 20. 13. 15. The Relief Jesus PEace troubled Soul It 's not thy brinish flood Nor troubling Passions that must do thee good Come freely drank and bathe thee in this Blood Sinner What I so vile a wretch it cannot be Alas I fear it was not shed for me Jesus Yea even for thee So far 't was shed for all That they may come and welcome at my Call Sinner Alas Lord I have trampled on thy Blood And thy Reproofs and Calls of Grace withstood Jesus And yet I call thee Take my Mercy yet I 'le answer for thee I have paid thy debt Sinner What mine that have provoked thee so long And done thy Blood and Spirit so much wrong Jesus I dy'd for Enemies It is my Glory To wash foul hearts and blot out all their story Sinner What! one so long so terrible so sad Love one so hateful pardon one so bad Jesus Hast thou such sins as I cannot forgive Or any wants which I cannot relieve Sinner I know thy Blood can wash away my guilt I doubt not thou canst heal me if thou wilt Jesus How hath my Will deserved thy suspicion When I have made Acceptance the condition Consent and all is thine My Gift is free The purchase is not to be made by thee Sinner â— know what thou wilt do shall sure be done â—ut some God hates I fear that I am one Jesus And must the Love declar'd at such a rate So vail'd by the suspicion of Hate For this I came to Men from God above To manifest his great abundant Love Mark what my Doctrine Life and Death intend This is their principal design and end God's Power and Skill But chiefly his Great Mercy and Good Will Sinner Yet he will save none but his own Elect Not those that his Salvation neglect Jesus My Promise and thy Duty thou may'st see But canst not search the depth of God's Decree Mercy intreats thee here it 's brought unto thee Take it and God's Decree shall not undo thee All are Elect that do not to the last Refuse me and my Grace behind them cast Sinner This I have done and fear I shall do still Till I the measure of my sins fulfil Though God be Love it self I shall have none I fear my Day of Grace is past and gone Methinks I feel Grace doth my Soul forsake Thy Holy Spirit thou dost from me take Jesus Here thou art yet alive my Grace attends thee And from the jaws of Death and Hell defends thee Satan would fain at once thy Soul devour What dangers dost thou walk in every hour Yet thou art safe and hear'st the Preacher's voice Come close with Mercy and Heav'n will rejoyce Dost thou not feel my Spirit still contend And tell thee what it is that thou must mend If yet thou 'lt be but willing to be mine I and my Benefits will sure be thine I seek I knock thou find'st I have not done Yet dost thou say thy Day of Grace is gone Sinner O but I have a Heart as hard as Steel I see my misery but cannot feel Jesus Fully to feel what thou deserv'st is Hell What measure 's best it 's I that best can tell Sinner I can scarce weep a tear for sin This Heart Was never melted yet by all thine Art Sure it 's a sign my Day of Grace is gone When this unhumbled Heart remains a Stone Jesus Consent but to my Covenant and be sure The remnant of thy Hardness I will cure I 'le put a tender heart into thy breast Believe in me and I 'le forgive the rest It is no Mortal Hardness if thou chuse My Covenant and dost not me refuse Should'st thou but fully feel thy sin thou 'dst die None could sustain so great a load but I. I felt it for thee Leave it to my care To wound or heal to break afflict or spare Sinner My sin my wants my misery is such That I can never feel and grieve too much Jesus Such breaking 's good as breaks the heart of sin And maketh way for Love to enter in But not the grief that only breaketh ease Weakning the Soul and strengthning the Disease Hinder not Love and Joy but grieve in measure My Blood and not thy Tears must be thy Treasure Sinner Indeed my purest streams are too impure And cannot thy severity endure The grief of an impatient selfish spirit Cannot thy Pardon or Acceptance merit But if this hardened Heart do not relent And so great sin and misery lament How canst thou smile on such a brazen face As never felt the want and worth of grace Jesus Whence 〈◊〉 I this complaining language hear If neither want nor worth of grace appear I 'le save thee if but so far thou Repent As to my Gospel-Covenant to consent Wilt thou be healed Truly say I will And trust the cure on thy Physicians skill Sinner O there 's my sin and woe though Grace be free I cannot take thy Grace or come to thee My heart is hardened I cannot repent My Will 's enthrall'd I cannot consent This will condemn me at the dreadful day I may have Life but will not when I may Jesus Art thou not willing why then dost thou crave it Dost thou complain for grace wouldst not have it If thou hadst rather be ungodly still It seems thou speak'st all this against thy will Sinner Would not the worst of men be sav'd from Hell And in delight and endless pleasure dwell But to be Holy I have no desire But as a means to keep me from Hell fire When I seem to do good or ill forbear It is not out of