These Sentences these Lines Each Word and Letter to me are better Than Pearls and Golden Mines 'T is Heaven it self transcrib'd And Glory lively pen'd God's truth no doubt was copied out When he this Gift did send It 's Truth brought forth to light God did hereby intend Man's word should fall Heaven Earth and all But this should never end Dear Soul admiring stand At that blest hand and Quill That did produce for sinners use Th' eternal Sovereign Will Astonished admire The Author too and when Thou canst not raise sufficient praise With wondring say Amen To my Cousin John H. SWeet John I send you here A Song by heart to learn Not it to say as Parrots may But wisely to discern Oh! lay it deep to heart And mind it well I pray God grant you Grace to grow apace In virtue day by day As yet a Child you be And childish Toyes do please you But you 'l complain they all are vain When ever Grace shall seize you Nay When Convictions come In Gospel-Power and Truth You 'l surely cry Ah wretch am I Thus to have spent my youth Childhood and Youth were spent In things not to be nam'd Alas whaâ— praise was in those dayes Whereof I 'm now asham'd Dear John then lay to heart This needful timely hint Before the day of which you 'l say What pleasure have I in 't Begin to mind the Lord Who form'd you out of dust And did you raise to shew his praise Him love and fear you must In things that are of earth Spend not your youthful strength Its joyes and cares are all but snares To mischief you at length Where Christ in glory sits Place there your prime delight Let things above have all your love Your time care mind and might John Christ's fore-runner mind From whom you have your name Though from his birth liv'd mean on earth A shining Light became He chose a Desart life Fed hard was coorse attir'd He left the sport of Herod's Court Though he was there admir'd Sin he reprov'd in all And kept true witness clear He never sought himself in ought That Christ might more appear Another John you find The lov'd Disciple nam'd Who lean'd for rest on Jesus Breast With Gospel-love inflam'd To every Truth of Christ A witness bold he bear Though an Exile in Patmos-Isle Choice Visions he had there A Pattern if they be To you in word and deed Jehovah's eye will make supply To whatsoe're you need To my Cousin Sam. B. DEar Cousin Sam my pretty Lam this Song to you I send Whatever play aside you lay learn this from end to end With God begin take heed of sin know Jesus out of hand Betimes you must flee youthful lust Its first assaults withstand Spend not your dayes in wanton playes Though naughty boyes intice They first begin with little sin but end in deadly vice If naughty Boyes allure with Toyes to sin or lies to tell Then tell them plain you tempt in vain such wayes go down to Hell God's holy Eye our faults do spy and will to Judgment call us We must fear God more than the Rod or ought that can befall us How oft have I been like to die yea Death is alwayes near Chuse whom you will to follow still I Christ must love and fear Fathers best Boy and Mothers joy I then shall surely be And that that 's best of all the rest God will provide for me To my Cousin W. L. DEar Child although my Father's Will in Prison me hath bound Through uprightness and patience still my comforts here are found The presence of a gracious God doth this a Pallace make It makes the bitter of the Rod be sweet for Jesus sake But Oh! when guilt brings any here in Fetters to be bound Because of God they had no fear but were in evil found To such it is a dreadful place here guilt to judgment binds them Where if they don't repent apace Death Wrath and Vengeance finds them Of you dear Child with carefulness my heart hath many a thought Least you through youthful wantonness to greater sins be brought And so by adding sin to sin you wast your time and strength And when your judgment doth begin in vain you mourn at length I charge you then in any sort your great Creator mind Spend not your youthful dayes in sport that cannot be regain'd Avoid those rude and wicked Boyes that make a mock of sin Love not their playes and sinful Toyes to fear the Lord begin Keep close to School read Scriptures oft in private learn to pray Your Gospel-grounds keep still in thought Your Parents both obey Your Brethren love and teach them good a Christian learn to be Then God will give you clothes and food and you 'l be dear to me To my Kinsman A. L. MY pretty Child remember well you must your wayes amend For wicked Children go to Hell that way their courses tend But heark to me if you to be the Child of God desire The broad and open road must flee which multitudes admire Sâ—rive every day to mend you way learn Christ while you are young Take constant heed to every deed heart feet hands and tongue You may be quickly sick and die and put into the Grave From whence to judgment you must fly and righteous Sentence have Learn then to fear while you live here with Christ your time imploy Labour to live and die as one that leaves the World with joy My strength in cries I shall imploy that God will bless your youth I can have nothing like this joy My Children walk in truth To my youngest Kinsman R. L. MY little Cousin if you 'l be your Uncles dearest Boy You must take heed of every deed that would your Soul destroy You must not curse nor fight nor steal nor spend your time in games Nor make a lie what e're you aile nor call ungodly names With wicked Children do not play for such to Hell will go The Devils Children sin all day but you must not do so Begin I pray to learn that way that doth to Heaven tend O learn a little day by day which leadeth to that end For God and good men love such Boyes and will them good things give Father and Mother will rejoyce and I in comfort live Another to a Child insisting on Psal 119. 9. SInce I am naturally bent to take delight in Songs A Friend from Prison one hath sent that to my Soul belongs Which when I sing he doth intreat I would not mind my play But frequently with weight repeat How may I cleanse my way It is the use of such as I to Dance and Play and sing Or else to lie and rail and cry for will in every thing Why should our wantonness be crost or pleasures night and day We fear no danger to be loft what need we cleanse our way Should we our jovial play-mates shun when we return from Schools Should we not fight and
A Looking-Glass FOR CHILDREN Being a Narrative of God's gracious Dealings with some Little Children Recollected by Henry Jessey in his life-time Together with sundry seasonable Lessons and Instructions to Youth calling them early to remember their Creator Written by Abr. Chear late of Plymouth The Third Edition Corrected and Amended To which is added many other Poems very sutable As also some Elegies on departed Friends made by the said Abraham Chear All now faithfully gathered together for the benefit of Young and Old by H. P. Psal 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul Deut. 31. 19. Now therefore write ye this Song for you and teach it the Children of Israel put it in their mouths that this Song may be a witness for me c. London Printed for Robert Boulter at the Turks-Head in Cornhil 1673. To the Reader THou hast here gentle Reader brought to thy view in the first part of this Book a Narrative of the gracious dealings of God with several Children and what they gained in an early looking Heaven-ward in which thou mayest see and behold the condescention of the Lord to such little Ones in opening their understanding and giving them a sight and sense of their undone estate by nature from whence they were made to seek and enquire after a Saviour and by Grace helped to apply and improve his gracious Calls and Invitations to a full satisfaction in and by Faith a cleaving to His undertakings as the alone way and means to Salvation to their great comfort here and firm hope of glory hereafter All which was wonderfully effected to the praise of the free Grace of God and admiration of Relations and Beholders and now presented to thee being first written by that faithful Servant of the Lord Mr. Henry Jessey who in his life time gave it me to transcribe in order for the then Printing But it being small I waited to have somewhat to adjoyn to it which Providence hath lately brought to my hand as that which is worthy of publication being the Fruit of some idle hours of that Servant of the Lord Mr. Abraham Chear whilst in bonds for the truth of Christ wherein he expresses his well-wishes to the Souls of divers poor Children towards whom he then stood nearly related and dearly affected as by the second Part hereof you may largely see and if helped of God to make improvement of it so as carefully to mind and heedfully to walk in the practice of what is seasonably advised in the said Discourse you will have great cause to bless the Lord for such endeavours now published for your profit and advantage The Motive provoking me thus to recollect this little Book is chiefly from consideration of my daily observation of Youths great need of all endeavours to prompt them to that which is good they being naturally addicted to be drawn away through their own inclinations and the powerful prevalency of Satan to sin and disobedience by which they wrong their precious Souls Prov. 8. 36. thereby incurring Gods displeasure to their daily hardning their hearts from his fear and following the sins and pleasures of this vain World until they are prepared as Vessels of wrath fitted for Destruction and Perdition which is the certain effect of Sin ruling and reigning without restraint in the hearts of the Children of Disobedience Col. 3. 6. Which evil and judgment may be timely prevented by hearkning to Gods Call Prov. 9. 6. seeking and serving him betimes Prov. 8. 17. believing his Word avoiding evil company Prov. 4. 15 16. slighting the allurements of present pleasure and the sinful delights of the flesh and by making good-men examples to walk after Prov. 2. 20. Heb. 6. 12. 2. Chron. 29. 2. and therein esteeming and highly prizing the excellency of the Lord Jesus in all his glorious undertakings for poor sinners Phil. 3. 8. cleaving to his Righteousness only for Justification and Salvation 1 Cor. 1. 30. Which Mercy is greatly desired may accompany the Reader of this little Piece whereby he may say it was worth perusing for that by it the Lord made him to consider his latter end and remember him in the dayes of his Youth so as to make his Calling and Election sure as did these pretty Children That being my aim and end in the publishing hereof I shall daily wait for its success and remain yours In true desires after your Eternal happiness H. P. Go little Book and speak for them that be Lanch'd with great safety to Eternity Engaging Others by what they did find Their everlasting Peace chiefly to mind Their names are blest and had in memory They served God and thence in peace did die All you that read be earnest to obtain True faith in Christ which will be lasting gain And if while young God do his Work begin Vpon your Soul take heeâ— beware of sin It will prove to your Crown another day To cleave to Righteousness whilst yet you may Preceed in fear in love with true delight Vnto the Lord to serve him with your might Observe the Lessons given by Abram Chear That they your Soul may unto Christ endear Such Songs are good if well improved be Sung by experience with Soul harmony The Truths therein inserted make your own By practice in true love to Christ alone Mind chiefly now your everlasting Rest That in compare with all things is the best Love God and fear him in sincerity So shall you praise him to Eternity London 12th Month 12 day 1672. H. P. Of hopeful young Children the great joy of their Parents remembring their Creator in the dayes of their Youth Being trained up in the Holy Scriptures from their Infancy First Of Mary Warren Born in May 1651 Aged Ten years in May 1661. WHen his Child was about five or six years old she had a new plain Tammy Coat and when she was made ready was to be carried with other Children into Morefields But having looked upon her Coat how fine she was she presently went to her Chair sate down her tears running down her eyes she wept seriously by her self Her Mother seeing it said to her How now Are you not well What is the matter that you weep The Child answered Yes I am well but I would I had not been made ready for I am afraid my fine Cloaths will cast me down to Hell Her Mother said It 's not our Cloaths but wicked Hearts that hurt us She answered Aye Mother fine Cloaths make our hearts proud The Scriptures being daily read in the House when one had read Luke 10. she laid to heart the end of the Chapter how Mary sate at Christs feet and heard him And Martha complained and Jesus said Martha Martha Thou art careful and cumbred about many things but one thing iâ— needful Mary hath chosen that good part that shall not be taken from her Hearing this the tears ran down and she wept sore Being
from his great desire you be blest And in your choice reach everlasting rest He offers dear-bought light to guide your mind That to the better part it be inclin'd He shews a little in a homespun stile The one's simplicity the other's Guile What stocks they come of and their old descents Their various treasures and their plain intents What are their qualities their differing ends To what plain issue each proposal tends Their sundry overtures your love to gain In way of Dialogue betwixt them twain The love of Christ SWeet Virgin stop let Wisdom drop a word becoming Kings Pray be inclin'd to bend your mind unto coelestial things I beg your love for things Above nay all your Powers I claime I would adorn your youthful morn and crown your early aime The lust of the flesh Should any thought to mind be brought that interrupts your quiet Shall Virgins weep disturb their sleep desert their needful diet Tush drink in Plate and recreate your lively youthful Spirit Seek Courtly things delight in Kings which may proclaim your merit The love of Christ While Flesh pretends these pleasing ends its dire intents it hides But pray awake for Jesus sake while day of Grace abides Flesh lusts its Guests between its Breasts convictions to expel But deadly Charms are in its armes its Guests are lodg'd in Hell The Lusts of the flesh What strange conceits what silly cheats would drive thy joys away These Preachers tell but dreams of Hell and of the Judgment day 'T wil ne'r do well till mirth expel such sullen dumps as these The Timbrel bring come dance and sing eat drink and take thine ease The Love of Christ These Childish Toys may make a noise to please the carnal heart But all the while they but beguile nay wound the better part One glimps of love seal'd from above these highest joyes transcends From deeps 't will raise to heights of praise when that in torment ends The Lust of the flesh Shall wordy winds on gallant minds such deep impressions make That for a â—ound of things unfound they joys in Hand forsake This day invites to rare delights all Ladies who design T o've fortunes rais'd and beauties prais'd embrace thess paths of mine The Love of Christ Alas at length you 'l lose your strength mirth beauty sport and pleasure And when too late lament your state your mispent time and treasure They 'l take them wings and leave you stings with venom guilt and smart Then while 't is day I humbly pray chuse Mary's better part The Lust of the flesh Are such things fit that clogs your wit which now to heights aspires Such doatings leave till age bereave of moisture warm desires Your budding Spring prompts you to sing your warbling Princely straine In Courtly Modes with amourous odes your Gallants entertain The Love of Christ Such frothy freaks aloud bespeaks how slightly youths esteem Their nobler parts their precious hearts which Earth cannot redeem How hardly brought to turn a thought from Objects thus deprav'd Though Jesus cries Oh! fix your eyes on me and be ye sav'd The Lust of the flesh Such looks may grace some wither'd face or some grave Cloystered Nun Are counted blots not beauty-spots where Fame 's but now begun Tush rather prize those Comedies and rare Romances use Attend resorts to Princely sports and shades for interviews The Love of Christ What pitty 't is such trash as this with heaven-born Souls should take While Jesus stands with stretch'd out hands rich overtures to make Gold try'd in Fire and rich attire do your acceptance crave A crown of Bliss prepared is when each an end shall have The treaty stops but here you have a tast your friend hath longings that you may be Chast Preserv'd a Virgin and brought such to Christ By love constrained not by lust intic't A Description of an Elect Person in his threefold state by Nature Grace and Glory Collected by Va. Powel in the close of his Catechism translated into familiar Verse for Childrens better remembrance by A. Chear Ejaculation My blessed Father when my heart enclines To sing this Song or but to read these lines Let me thy Spirits Power or leadings find To form their lively likeness on my mind Work deep convictions and an holy fear To think what am I or what once I were And into fellowship Lord let it guide me With all this Grace the Gospel doth provide me That I may claim what this thy record saith By sound experience and unfeigned Faith And let the hope of yonder Glory raise My Soul to close with those reflects of praise 1. Nature BY Nature and as out of Christ born of the flesh was I Grace By Grace and as I stand in Christ I 'm new born spiritually Glory In Glory I with Christ shall reign and heavenly freedom have Refl Lord what is man that thou shouldst daign so vile a Wretch to save 2. Nature Flesh did my Members and my mind with quietness inherit Grace But now a Warfare I do find betwixt my flesh and spirit Glory The spirit promised at length all glorious will make me Refl For that his War 's above my strength let not my Christ forsake me 3 Nature My sensual lusts to satisfie a fleshly War I waged Grace But now for walking spiritually my spirit stands ingaged Glory Nay by Christ's quickning power at last transform'd I wait to be Refl Lord what am I that thou should'st cast a look of love on me 4 Nature To that which fleshly pleasure brings I wholly bent my mind But now unto the Spirit 's things Grace I chiefly stand inclin'd Glory At length my glorified eyes such sights alone shall see Refl Lord what am I that thou should'st prize so poor a Worm as me 5 Nature By sinful nature I was dead in trespasses and sins Grace By Gospel-Grace now quickened my Soul to live begins Glory The day approacheth when from sin I shall be wholly free Refl Lord what am I that thou hast been at so great cost on me 6. Nature In sin as in my Proper place I was well pleas'd to lie Grace But now I strive to walk by Grace in all simplicity Glory I shall presented be at last as my dear Christ is pure Refl What love is this that Christ so chast should such a Wretch indure 7. Subjected to the Law of sin Nature and death I once did stand Grace Made free I to obey begin the Spirit of Life's command Glory A glorious triumph 's yet in store o're sin and death for me Refl How should I Majesty adore that I thus sav'd should be 8. Nature Once Gods pure Nature Word and Law I hated as my foes Grace Now with them I in holy awe and dear affections close Glory Desires shall into full delight at length resolved be Refl Lord what am I that er'e my sight should such blest objects see 9 Nature Born ignorant of Heavenly things I teachings did despise Grace
to see in this provoking world His precious treasure basely kick't and hurl'd Determines Earth's not worthie to contain His Royal retinue his Princely train Or these rich treasures which they gladly bring And freely offer to endear their King In wrath he seems to speak my Saints retire To your strong Tower from my approaching Ire Come draw off from the gap desert the breach Let me and them alone To pray to preach Reprove or witness in the gate 's a crime Prudent keep silence 't is an evil time In Deps and caves a remnant I will hide In Prison holes some precious ones shall bide Some from their homes and land dispell'd shall be To bear a witness and stand ground for me But from your usefulness to this vile age More then to shew their sin disclose their rage And aggravate their Judgment I discharge you Yet in due season I le again enlarge you Nay strange not If I gather from your sight Some gems of honour stones of great delight I break and hide my Cabinet in dust Transfer my jewels where's no moth nor rust With just mens souls in light to set them down A constellation in a splendid Crown Till Christ appear his Jewels to collect To raise his dead to change his quick elect Their spirits souls and bodies to translate In blessed likeness to his raised state The King of glory swiftly thus dispos'd Of our choice Margaret not yet disclos'd In her inriching worthiness to all Till Come up hither was her blessed Call Ah wretched age must we in it remain Which sins away such Jewels to their gain But our loss irreparable unless The quickening Spirit from on high possess The Remnant that is left but scattered lie About the graves as bones exceeding dry Lord hast that blessing which thy truth contains Of its descending as the latter rains To usher in the glory of thy day Thy Kingdom come Sweet Jesus hast away In Memory of that Example of the grace and power of God Caleb Vernon who departed this life the 29. day of the 9th Month 1665. being aged twelve years and six months Caleb Vernon Anagram Bore unclean New clean Robe Through Adam's nature I unclean was bore Through grace betimes Christ's new clean Rebe I wore BY nature in my first estate A wretched babe was I In open field deserving hate In bloud and filth did lie And in that state I did delight As in my sport and play And therein would with all my might Have wallowed night and day And though from gross enormities I might by men be clear'd Yet to my maker's searching eyes Defil'd I all appear'd Though nature with a pregnant wit And comeliness adorn me And education adds to it To teach restrain reform me What prov'd it but deceiving paint On which defiling sin It did not kill but lay restraint Where outrage would begin A pleasant picture to the eye I hereby might appear By which to close-Idolatry Some might be drawn I fear But God that faithful he might be That deadly snare to break And that right early unto me He grace and peace might speak With tenderness on these intents He strips me of my vaile My costly coverings all he rents My countenance makes pale My comliness to rot he turns My witty words to groans My moisture up with drought he burns Discloseth all my bones And in a day of publick Ire Me these rebukes did meet When Pestilence as burning fire flew thousands at his feet I who to blossom did begin with such fair paint before Now as the early fruit of sin This Character I wore Despised Idol broke to earth A Potsheard no way fit To take up fire out of the hearth Or water from the pit But though neer corruptible dust This curious Frame was brought By gracious pleasure stay it must Till nobler work were wrought Till deep convictions of my sin Till Jesus form'd in me Till as my portion I begin The Lord 's dear Christ to see Till all my sins were done away Till terrours made me cease Till heart and mind could sweetly stay In thought surpassing peace Nay till in an accepted day My homage I could bring And in his instituted way Devote me to the King Till Christ put on his works allow'd His dying marks imbrac'd His cause confest his works avow'd His sufferings boldly fac'd His promise for a portion took Saints for companions chose And on him plac'd a fixed look For future free dispose Since then in an unusual way Rich Grace hath thus array'd me And in my young yet dying day With glory overlay'd me What properly should I desire But now dissolv'd to be And in this Marriage-white Attire My Bride-groom's face to see In Kedar who would not bemoan If there he must reside Oh wretched man Who would not groan In sinful flesh to bide who 'ld lodge in such a nasty shade As torturing tottering stands That hath a palace ready made Not with polluted hands Where sin temptation suffering strife shall fully be destroyed All-Dying swallow'd up of life and God at full injoy'd What ailes my Parents then to weep my friends to be dismay'd Relations such ado to keep to see a Child unray'd It s filthy garments lay'd in dust he lay'd repose to take Untill the morning when he must with New clean Robes awake May this a witness be to truth in this back sliding day A Christal mirrour unto youth How to amend its way Amen Verses affixed to the wall of the Prison at the Guild-hall in Plymouth where A. C. was detained a month and thence sent to the Island the 27th Sept. 1665. NIgh four years since sent out from hence To Exon Goal was I but special grace in three months space wrought out my liberty Till Bartholomew in sixy two that freedom did remain Then without Bail to Exon Gail I hurried was again Where having layn as do the slain 'mong dead men wholly free Full three years space my native place By leave I come to see And thought not then I here again a months restraint should find Since to my Den cast out from men I 'm during life design'd But since my lines the Lord assigns In such a lot to be I kiss the rod confess my God deals faithfully with me My charged crime in his due time He fully will decide And until then forgiving men In peace with him I bide On the beginning of his recovering from a great sickness on the Island of Plimouth To his truly Sacred Majesty the High and Mighty Potentate King of kings and Lord of lords Prince of Life and peace Heir of all things and Head over all to the Church The humble prostrature and thankfull acknowledgment of a poor Prisoner of hope whose life upon all accompts hath been marvellously preserved and delivered with a great Salvation from the pit of Corruption MOst glorious Soveraign to thy feet is brought The trembling of spring of a contrite thought By a poor Captive who attempts to