blessed Saviour Jesus Christ be to us foolishnesse and as a thing we delight not in we may justly feare we are to perish but if it be esteem'd by us the power and excellent wisdom of God which delights our hearts we may be confident we shall be sav'd for the preaching of the Gospel is to them that perish foolishnesse but to us that are saved it is the power of God 1 Cor. 1.18 PSALME 119.165 The Soules Peace MY great God! how often dost thou make us to see and by experience to know the truth of thy most â—cred Word 't is great peace indeed that they possesse who love thy law thou keepest them in such secure and pleasant pavillions that nothing shall ofiend them they must speak to thy praise whom thou hast blest and if I have been thought too mean to speake in the praise of â—n earthly King My God I cannot but confess my self too mean too ignorant to speak off and in the praise of the Majesty of Heaven But Oh thou greatest and highest Ruler of all the Great on earth under whose feet lye all their crownes of Majesty Thou hast told us thou art no respector of persons but thou acceptest of the prayers and praises of thy meanest creatures Then must my Soul speak to the praise of thy Sacred Majesty for the peace that thou hast given mee since the time that thou hast taught mee to love thy Law thou hast made me to delight in the multitude of peace thou hast given me peace in thee thy blessed Son set me at peace with thee and I have such a peace in thee that all the oppsition of the world cannot take from me I am at peace with thy servants I am sure they will not hurt me I am at peace with thy creatures for thou hast made the stones and beasts af the field to be at league with them that feare thy name I passe by thy creatures and thorow them without fear for they are at peace with me But canst thou my Soul say thou thus possessest a happy peace withall No I cannot for then they that have sought to disturbe my peace by their odd untruths will tell me I said not true for I have seen and felt their Arrows of uncivill war strike against my heart But my God thou hast so strongly arm'd it that their arrows have recoyl'd back and not pierc'd my heart How can I chuse then most blessed and sweet finger of Israel but speak in thy own words Great peace and rest shall all such have As doe thy Statutes Love No danger shall their quiet state Impaire or once remove The Support MY Lord When in my young years the consideration of thy infinite mercies had penetrated my heart I confess there was with it an earnest desire iâ— me to doe or suffer something whereby I might manifest my love to thy Majesty for those great unexpressable favours that thou hast deigned to bestow on me thy unworthy servant But then had I no other thoughts in me but that if the contrary Religion which then too much abounded had prevail'd I then might have offered up my life in flames with devotion to manifest my love to thee But now thou hast turn'd the tide and art pleas'd to suffer two great powers to rise both professing to maintain the truth of our Religion so that now thou hast taken off my thoughts for suffering so for thy sake but thou hast put me on another My Lord I will not say worse for me for whatsoever is done by thee with me or by me I am confident it is the best and fittest for me though death to some spirits be easier to bear then reproachfull speeches And I confesse with impatience heretofore did my unruly Spirit detest reproachfull words and thought a religious death far better For my Lord thou knowest what reproaches and slanderous speeches they are subject to that professe thy name or declare thy mercies to them But let them now speak and in their speech declare their little love to thee my Lord and their malice and spite to thy children thou shalt set my spirit beyond the reach of their contempt where with a holy contempt with thee I shall laugh such fools to scorne And now I dare not say I am an ignorant woman and unfit to write for if thou wilt declare thy goodness and thy mercy by weak and contemptible means who can resist thy will My gracious God I will be now so farre from being unwilling to doe it that I will not rest till I have done it for in all ages thou wilt not leave thy selfe without a witnesse of thy mercy and goodnesse to thy children and therefore I will send out my words to speak thy praise and as thou hast made them comfort to some troubled mindes so I wish they may be to more when they shall see the truth of thy mercifull dealing with me and how thou hast made me so happy in this world as my heart can wish for thou hast given me my hearts desire and hast fulfil'd the request of my lipps for there is not that thing in the world that I can desire more then what thou hast given to me For long since my Lord when thou hadst given me sence to see that no earthly thing though never so excellent or pleasing could give us a perfect contentment then made I my prayer to thy divine Majesty that thou wouldst be pleased to give me that which the world could not give and though I confesse I did then think it was unpossible ever to possesse a true content in this world yet my dear Father I must now aske thee pardon for those misdoubting thoughts for I have seen thou canst give us a joy and a true content beyond the expression of our souls in this world for when we possesse thee with and in thy creatures we injoy a felicity that fils our hearts with an unexspressable delight My Lord when thou art pleased to manifest thy selfe unto our souls thou bringest all that can be desired Death that to some natures the mention of it is bitter to thine thou mak'st it a pleasing companion and with paine thou makest them pleas'd and happy and for the bitter speeches of the world which thy children must heare thou mak'st us to forget or contemne them I must confesse to thy honour my great King that thou makest me not to remember the bitternesse of this life thou answering me with such joyes in my heart and thus wilt thou at length my gracious God blesse all thy children that with an upright minde and a sincere heart doe earnestly seek their happinesse alone in thee and not from the world PSALME 85.10 The Perfume IN thee most blessed Prince are those two excellent ingredients mix'd which yeeld so sweet a sent to the world that no corrupted aire of our unsavoury enemy is able to disperse Thy most blessed body the sweetest and truest perfume that ever proceeded out of the
ELIZA'S BABES OR THE Virgins-Offering BEING Divine Poems and Meditations Written by a LADY who onely desires to advance the glory of GOD and not her own LONDON Printed by M. S. for Laurence Blaiklock and are to be sold at his Shop neer the Middle-Temple Gate 1652. TO MY SISTERS LOoke on these Babes as none of mine For they were but brought forth by me But look on them as they are Divine Proceeding from Divinity To the READER WHen first the motion came into my minde that these Babes of mine should be sent into the world I would faine have supprest that motion for divers reasons which may be imagined by them that shall read them But especially by those that knew my disposition But rising one day from my Devotions it was suggested to my consideration that those desires were not given me to be kept in private to my self but for the good of others And if any unlike a Christian shall say I wrote them for mine owne glory I like a Christian will tell them I therefore sent them abroad for such a strict union is there betwixt my deare God and mee that his glory is mine and mine is his and I will tell them too I am not asham'd of their birth for before I knew it the Prince of eternall glory had affianced mee to himselfe and that is my glory And now to all such shall I direct my speech whose brave spirits may carry them to high desires Place not your affections in your Youth beneath your selves but if you would be happy on earth and enjoy these outward blessings with free and lawfull contentment bestow your first affections on my Almighty Prince I would have you all love him and him to love you all I being his must doe as he will have mee and methinks hee directs me to tell you that you shall never bee happy on Earth nor glorious in Heaven if you doe not love him above all earthly things More I must tell you that if you will dedicate to his service and present into his hands your wealth witt spirit youth beauty he will give you wealth if lesse more usefull your witt more pure your spirit more high and transcendent and your youth and beauty which time will steale from you or some malignant disease with paine rend from you them he will lay up awhile for you and returne them againe for eternity with great advantage And that you need not doubt of the certainety of what is told you they that tell it you have found part of it true and shall the rest I cannot be content to be happy alone I wish you all blessed too nor can I smother up those great and infinite blessings that I have received from him with private thankes That Great Prince of Heaven and Earth proclaimed by Angels that he was come into the world to shew his good will and love to mee was here content to dye a publique death for me to save me from a Hell of misery in which I lay and should have layen bad not he the Prince of Peace and the fairest and chiefest among the sons of men shed his most precious and royal blood for mee and before he dyed be left word that I should not feare for it was his great and glorious Fathers will to bestow on us a Kingdome And was so great a Prince not ashamed to avow so great affection and love to mee and shall I be ashamed to returne him publique thankes for such infinite and publique favours No I will not but with all my minde heart and soule I blesse and praise my Almighty God for so great benefits bestowed on me his unworthy servant Methinks it is not enough for my self onely to doe it but I must send out my Babes to doe it with mee and for me And if any shall say others may be as thankefull as shee though they talk not so much of it Let them know that if they did rightly apprehend the infinite mercies of God to them they could not be silent And if they doe not thinke the mercies of God worth publique thankes I doe and therefore I will not be ashamed to be that one in ten that returned to acknowledge himselfe a cleansed Leaper And now my Babes some may say to you unlesse you had been more curiously drest or more finely shap'd your Mother might have kept you in obscurity Tell them I sent you to their more learned and refined wits to forme you to a more curious shape and tyre you in a more inticing dress But this I will say for you You want none of your limbs and your cloaths are of rich materials I dare not say I am loth to let you goe Go you must to praise him that gave you me And more I le say for you which few Mothers can you were obtained by vertue borne with ease and pleasure and will live to my content and felicity And so Adieu But stay Something you may truly say for your own imperfections and your Mothers excuse That some of you were borne when herself was but a child but My joy my blisse my happy Story In Heaven is writ and that 's my Glory Psalme 56. Vers 10. I Glory in the word of God To praise it I accord With joy I will declare abroad The goodness of the Lord. All you that goodness doe disdaine Goe read not here And if you doe I tell yon plaine I doe not care For why above your reach my soule is plac'st And your odd words shall not my minde distaste And when you read these lines mistake not a Divine affection for a Poeticall fancy for I affect not to express my fancy but I would have my fancy express my affection The Invocation Come Sacred Muse to mee this day And ever here make you a stay Within the closet of my brest For I with thee doe finde great rest My sweet Companion here thou art Dear Lord Let it not from me part From thee this gift I did receive To thee the same I doe bequeath Aspire aspire my minde aspire From earthly things unto the higher Set not thy minde on base desires But thinke upon the heavenly Quires Of Angels sweet that singing be And still the face of God doe see Admiring much his wisedome great And glorious sweetnesse of his seat Then hie my Soule to that sweet place Where glory is with mirth and grace The Request Come sweet Spirit expell my feare Assure me that thou hast a care Of me and of my giddy youth Assure me of it still for Truth That thy Spirit shall me direct And that thy power shall me protect Then shall my spirit be at rest And with sweet thoughts my soule be blest When that I know thou lovest me And that my youth shall guided be By that Spirit that doth dispose All for the happinesse of those The which be servants unto thee Blest be thy Name that so made mee The Answer HIs Spirit much thou dost desire
His Spirit much he will inspire What thou desirest that shall be Thou hast thy wishes granted thee With thee needs must I wish to live That mak'st me wish what thou wilt give Lord harden thou my heart as hard as steel And loves vaine passion let me never feel Onely in Heaven my soul shall seek her rest In Heaven perpetually to be blest On Earth a while I must tormented be Because that sin too much abides in me It is the injoying of thy Spirit That makes my soule here true joy inherit And here to shew me that thou hat'st my sin Thy Spirit like the Sun-beams is drawn in Then doth my Soul full wo and sad remaine Till that sweet spirit doth appeare againe Then when thy Spirit againe reigns in me Then comes my joy away my paine doth flee For when thy Spirit my Soul doth injoy Nothing can then my happy Soul annoy For why No cause of sorrow I can see Because beyond my selfe it raiseth me Anguish FRom this distraction Lord my poor soul bring That still thy heavenly prayses I may sing For this distemper doth my soul affright My Lord it takes from me all my delight And pleasure that I had in serving thee This trouble great vaine folly brings to me If from thy holy service I be tane No comfort can I find but endlesse paine For what can yeeld our Souls here true content If to serve thee we are not wholly bent For here I see vaine pleasures quickly fly And that which I did love must surely dye But in thy service if I pleasure take And thy sweet word my whole delight do make That word doth still my drooping soul assure That for the best it shall be all to me If patiently I doe awaite on thee Of Submission WHat comes to me Lord comes from thee Nought comes to me but comes from thee What though against my will it be If thou it fitting seest for me Let be and Master thou my will That I thy servant may fulfill Thy holy will and thee obey Make me obedient be I pray If I obey thy Majesty I need not fear although I dye Hope WHat though my morning be debard of light For me thou shalt break forth a noon most bright The onely Comforter WHat in this world doe I deerer esteem Or greater in my minde here still do deem Then that Spirit which floweth still from thee Which makes my soule in happy blisse to be For nothing in this world here can me please Nor yet my Soule from paine and grief can ease But thy sweet spirit which abides for aye For these vaine worldly things doe fade away My soul immortall did proceed from thee And pleas'd with mortall things she cannot bee You earthly pleasures I can use you all But treasures of my soule I le not you call Goe flee vaine pleasures for sure all must grant Nought can us please but what is permanent In thee my Lord my soul alone is blest In thee alone I doe attaine sweet rest The Soules Flight WHither away my Soule do'st high That thou so fain from me would'st fly Sure it is to some holy place That thou thy selfe there may'st solace Thou wilt not here abide with me But goe to God there to be free To him thou liv'st to him thou flyest That is the reason that thou highest And here I wish thee not to stay I wish to Heaven thou mighst away From Prison oft I wish thee free That thou mayst be at liberty The Virgins Offring WIth thee blest Virgin I would bring An Offering to please my King Two Turtle Doves thou didst present Can there be better by me sent A Lambe more pure then they could be I heard was thither brought by thee These two small Turtles now of mine To him I do present with thine The Lambe will serve for thee and mee No better offering can there be Thus with thee Virgin doe I bring An offering will please my King To my Doves YOur life I ment not till my death Might give you freedome with my breath And when I breath'd in Heavens Aire free I did intend your libertie But offer'd now you sure must be A Sacrifice of thanks from mee When we are dead we cannot give Our offerings must be while we live Two Doves no Phenix you must be I must see that live comes from me You as an offering goe from me But on your wings my heart must be My heart now free from all desire But what is kindled by heavens fire To him I doe present as free As ever he did give it me I on your wings would sore aloft And still live free from humane thought Accept great God what I present Thy glory is my Souls intent Goe now my Doves and soar aloft The drooping heart raise you full oft To such a heigth bear it away That it may see celestiall day And never lett it on earth rest But leave it in Heavens glorious brest The Triumph SIth thou from thrall hast sett me free I will sing prayses unto thee Thou hast brought me from Temptation And fild me with contemplation Of thy heavenly habitation In which lives a glorious Nation Which triumphantly doe sing Praise and glory to their King No darknesse nor no dolefull night Obscures their Vision of delight No noise doth interrupt their voice They doe incessantly rejoyce Mayst thou my Soule now be so bold That glorious place for to behold And say how that faire Cities blest In which the righteous shall have rest The wals are rais'd of Gems more bright Then are the Diamonds here in sight The Saphire Diamond Ruby fine Their beauty in each one combine The other Gems their lustre bright With them doe give so fine a light That like the Rainbow it doth show But far more bright you 'l think I know Most glorious things are said of thee Thou City where the mighties bee The streets are of the purest mold Exceeding farr the brightest gold And from Gods glorious Throne doth spring A River that sweet pleasures bring Adorn'd with many a goodly tree Which fresh and flourishing ever bee They doe not onely please the eye But heal the wounds would make us dye Nor fruitlesse doe their trees appear But pleasant fruit yeeld all the year I doe not wonder fruit so rife Upon these goodly Trees of life No change doth in this place appeare No scorching heat nor cold is here This heav'n the bright Lamb his wife gives And she in this place alwayes lives She is more lovely then the Rose Fresh faire and beauteous and still goes In long white Robes so pure and clear Like Orient Pearl she doth appear And on her head a Crowne more bright Then is the Sun here in our sight The pure white Lilly at her feet And pleasant Rose there strive to meet For all their beauty and their grace Is from reflexion of her face These lovely flowers doe never fade But for eternity were made How can
thought there was no God then thy God manifested himself to thee when he would have had thee taken pleasure in the vaine delights of this wicked world then thy dear father having a watchfull eye and a carefull minde over thee sent a heavy dulnes into all the powers of thy soul body inforcing thee as it were to leave those earthly vanishes because neither soul nor body could take delight in those things which others call pleasures by reason of thy exceeding heavy dulness Then dost thou my soul think that a most severe punishment on thee from thy father when thou sawest others injoy the blessings of thy God with great contentment Then in the height of this distemper wert thou my soul almost brought to the pit of despair When as the enemy pictur'd before the eyes of thy soul the sad appearance of the anger of thy God and still he â—ersisting in his pernicious temptations bid thee leave â—is service telling thee it was to no purpose to be so â—arefull to serve him for thy prayers were not heard â—hy tears not regarded thy heaviness not removed and â—f Gods word be true he hears all that cals upon him â—nd removeth from them their griefs Thus subtly â—elt my enemy with me thinking to have in wrapt me in his hidden nets of most pernicious tempâ—ations First making me to think my God was angry then that he heard not my prayers and that his word was false thus by consequence faine would he have made me to have doubted of thy being O my eternall and ever-being Father By these snares would he have bereft me of the hope I had in thy word by which I was brought to know thee Thy creatures teach us I acknowledge O Lord to know that there is a God but they cannot teach us to know how to come to this God or how to finde comfort in thee our God 't is onely thy word can declare to us what thou art and thy spirit it is that must assure us that this word is thine It was thy selfe O Lord who art able to performe what thou hast decreed that hast brought this flinty heart of mine to the knowledge of thee My Lord I must â—eeds confess thy powerfull working in framing this heart of mine to the belief of thy word and thee for before thy spirit mollified this heart of mine thy word was to it like water gliding over the hardest marble no whit entring or piercing the same My gracious Lord thy divine Majesty in all the changes and chances of my life hath had a most peculiar care of me for now hast thou taught me to know that those temptations and those perplexities in which my soul was in have been all disposed for the good and happiness of my Soul Now thou makest me to know that thy word is true and that our grief doth work for our good for though our temptations be never so great thou canst and wilt deliver thy children It was thy Majesty that kept me from doubting of thy being it was thy fatherly goodnes that stupified the powers of my Soul and Body with that heavy dulness not because thou wouldest punish me for my sins no! thou didst teach me to know that my gracious Saviour had already indur'd the punishment that my sins deserv'd My Lord thy Majesty did not lay that dejection on me proceeding from thy justice but thy mercy For my God! I must confess to thee that which thou then didst know for then I did love the world more then I loved thee and because thou wouldst have me love the pleasure that should never end thou madst me to take no pleasure in these delights which never end but in sorrow That heaviness was then a bitter pill to purge my Soul from the grosse humours of earthly love that afterwards she may be made more fit and apt to receive the sweet blisse of thine everlasting love This thy love to me kept me from falling into the miserable pit of despaire thy loving kindnesse it was that moved thee to let that word of comfort with which thou sustainest thy servant St. Paul sound ever in my ears That thy grace should be sufficient for me without which grace of thine I not having sufficient strength of my self should have fallen into the gulf of everlasting misery Thy love likewise kept meÌ„ constant to thee and thy service kept me from doing or saying that in my dispairing thoughts that had not been fit for thy servant to doe or utter Thy unwearied love and great wisdome it was that sent those tryals and temptations to me in my youth that thou mightest sanctifie my youth to thy service and make me carelesse of those pleasures that my young years were too much addicted to For if thy Majesty had suffered me to have run on to have taken pleasure in those vanities till I had been inwrapt in them and had set my whole delight in those vanishing pleasures Then had it been more hard and grievous to me to have left them But thou O my Lord didst deal more graciously with me for before I knew what pleasures meant thou took'st from me the â—ove of pleasure for which great mercy of thine I render thee most hearty thanks My Lord When I consider of these thine infinite mercies I cannot chuse but admire thy goodness and admiring say unto thy heavenly Majesty O Lord what am I that thou shouldest have such a peculiar care of me I am not worthy to be in thy thoughts much more unworthy to be belov'd of thee yet it doth evidently appear that thou dost love me in that thou takest off from me the love of the world for my Lord-unless thou lovest me thou wouldest not have cared for my love and I know that it was in love that thou weaâ—nedst me from the world because that I should love thee alone and not the world The Angels Joy YOu blessed Angels by my Father are we honoured to have you for our attendance Sure your lovely faces could not but look sad when my Saviour suffered for methinks it was a sad fight to behold your loving Lord hang tormented on a cursed tree and for those too whose sins caused his torment and then for you to hear him cry out in the bitterness of his Soul My God my God Why hast thou forsaken mee Methinks it should have so incens'd your wrath against us poor mortall creatures that you should have petitioned to your All-powerfull Lord that all humane flesh should have suffered endlesse torment seeing they had so justly deserved it rather then your righteous Lord should have dyed But whether my Soul in the deep consideration of the undeserved suffering of thy righteous Saviour dost thou run Shall the Angels which are our attendants be grieved at our happinesse My Soul wrong not those blessed spirits with such vain thoughts for God was not pleased nor his wrath appeased towards us till that time Oh sad time yet pleasant time the
time of thy most gracious dying Sad in respect of thy torments O blessed Saviour yet pleasant in respect of the unexpressable liberty and endless happiness which by thy powerfull dying we obtain'd Oh Blessed Spirits I cannot now thinke that you were displeas'd with us for your nature doth so concur with his will that it cannot be opposite to it But yet God was angry yea to the very apprehension of his onely Son What else made him cry out so grievously My God Why hast thou forsaken mee God was angry then with his Son for us you had reason then of grief for him not anger towards him but yet sure to see him angry with his Son and to see his onely Son so grievously tormented you could not but be mov'd what then must move you sure it could be nothing but our sins for which he suffered Oh you heavenly Spirits I finde you rejoycing when we had our Saviour born and sure you could not but rejoyce when the worke of our salvation was finished your joy was then intermingled with your sorrow if you be capable of sorrow for you could not but sorrow to see your God so grievously to suffer you could not but rejoyce to see that they on whom you attended should be so happy that by his death they should be admitted to injoy eternall life If you joy at our repentance sure your joy at our â—rgivenesse and then was the time of our forgivenesse â—ome when he willingly yeelded up his life that we â—ight live eternally then was our debts paid when as â—y now glorified body Oh Son of glory was debar'd â—f the heavenly appearance of thine eternall Godâ—ead Yee blessed Angels yee joyed in your sorrow and â—ot we but our sins were hatefull to you which were â—he cause of his most grievous suffering More bitter then grim death could be My sin my Lord was unto thee Because I sinn'd my Lord did dye Because he dy'd hate sin will I. On Earthly Love FRom thee O Heaven of glorie flowes that celestiall stream that being taken hath power to make us forgetfull of our earthly love the which must vanish and alone can set us free from those tormenting passions Thou sweet stream having cur'd us of those distempered passions hast then the power to work in our hearts a more peaceable and durable affection earthly affection ever brings distemper sometimes distraction but that sweet love which thou O pearly fountain raisest in our breast flameth in our hearts peace rest joy and it worketh a perpetuall assurance of still injoying what we love wish or can in heart desire My Lord My soule is ravisht with the contemplation of thy heavenly love and I cannot chuse but infinitely admire thy mercies to me thine unworthy servant for grievous were the perturbations which I was subject to when I was infected with the poison-bane of earthly affections the which a time thou wert pleas'd to let reigne and tyrannize in my brest which like a thorne in the flesh not being drawne out by the hand of art lies throbbing and working torment not onely to the place where it hath taken up its abode but brings distemper to the whole body So that unruly passion having taken up his place in my heart did not onely tyrannize there but wrought destraction in my Soul and bred distemper in my body But blessed be thy Majestie for that distemper for in that time of my weaknes thou Oh all-powerfull hand by thy most heavenly art didst draw from my heart that tormenting passion and by the addition of thy heavenly love which thou didst leave in the room thereof thou repairedst in me the breaches that that unrulie passion had made When I was sick I thought that I should dye I did mistake 't was earthly love not I. HOSEA 2.19 My Contract MY Lord Doth not thy Majestie send thy messages of love and favour to those that will take hold of them and beleeve there shall be a performance of what is promis'd Thy Word tels us That they that beleeve in thee shall have eternall life My Lord I do beleeve it and that this Message sent by thy royal Embassador belongs to mee aswell as to any other I will marry thee to mee for ever Thou art righteous and wilt perform it who would now refuse so great and so good a King I disdain not marriage I desire it with this great Prince who is the Prince of Kings and at whose foot-stool they must one day lay down all their Crowns and bring in all their riches at his command The greatest of them must confess they hold their Scepters of him and to him they must doe service at his will This is a Prince of such exact perfection that I cannot see any thing in him any way to be dislik't When I consider any creature I can finde in it but little to be belov'd but a great deal of inconvenience with it to be dislik't why then should I set my minde on the creature of so little worth and not wholly have my minde intent on the Creator who alone is excellent Most mighty Prince I must confess my self unworthy to be the least servant in the Court of so magnificent a King much lesse to be one who shall have the honour to be marryed to thee but because I doe thinke my selfe unworthy of thee shall I be such a fool to refuse so great a fortune No I will not My Lord I now challenge thy promise for I doe think thou hast prepared me a minde for thy selfe for thou madst me long since to be ambitious of perfection but when I saw it was not to bee obtain'd in this world how slightly did I esteem of all things in it thou having prepared my mind for thy self by the dislike of all imperfect creatures and the love of perfection Thou madst me to see a clear perfection in thy self and wroughst in me a love to thee and because I dare not presume to the thoughts of possessing thee thou seeing my desires sent that comfortable message to me and to all that doe sincerely love thee that thou wil receive us to thy selfe and wilt marry us to thee for ever I being wedded to Heavens King As his blest Spouse must his praise sing The Soules Agitation MY great and glorious God! In what a strange agitation is my Soul being assail'd by two contrary considerations the one of my heavenly bliss in which thou didst at first make me and to which thou hast and wilt in the fulness of time againe restore me the other of the sordid and vile condition in which I had by my rebellion inwrapt my selfe The thoughts of the first fils me with a sweet contenting joy the consideration of the other with a hatefull detestation of my selfe for when I record in my minde how thou at the first mad'st me a creature of a rare composition one part of thine owne divine spirit the other of earth purified by thy heavenly art and
leaving the world to come to live with thee Thou art come into â—he world to live with mee and in me But my great Lord where in me shall I finde thee hast thou inâ—hron'd thy selfe in my heart give me then thy assistance that no proud imagination for my own greatnes may arise to disinthrone thee and make the distaste that habitation but be thou in my heart ever attended by sweet humility and humble obedience Let all the members of my body be imployed in thy service Let my hands administer to thy Saints and not stretcht â—ut to covetousnesse Let my feet be swift to run in the wayes of thy commandements and not to shed innocent blood or if in my head thou hast taken up thy seat there let humility attend on thee too or I shaâ—â— fear thou wilt goe from me for thou resistest thâ—â— proud but though thou beest high and instabitest eternity yet thou O great Prince will dwell with thâ— humble Then in my head and in all that belong to 〈◊〉 doe thou finde humble obedience that there I mighâ— retaine thee Let not mine eyes have any proud look nor be windows to lett in vanity but let them be eveâ— looking to the hils from whence cometh my salvation Let not my tongue which thou hast given me to servâ— thee be imployed to back-bite or defame any thâ— least of thy children or any one for how know I who arâ— thine or who not but let my tongue be ever speakinâ— to thy praise and glory and let the words of moutâ— be accptable in thy sight nor let mine ears listen tâ— any idle or unseemly discourse that may displease thâ— divine Majesty and let my nostrils be ever filled witâ— the sweet savour that comes from thy heavenly garments So if all the faculties of my body be imployeâ— by my Soul humbly to serve thee I shall live and expresse a glorying heart because I know this body is thâ— Temple of the Deity Then where I am a Heaven must be For thou dost bring a Heaven with thee The true Object of Love MY Lord When thou wert pleas'd to take my thoughts quite off from the world I was directed to regard that place where thou bidst us cease from man for wherein is he to be accounted of for his breath is in his nostrils yet he a creature after thine owne image and the excellentest of all thy workman ship on earth yet this rare creature his love his hatred not to be regarded for thou canst in an instant take away that thin fume of life and then what power hath he to love or hate My Lord He is indeed a most contemptible creature in respect of thee But when my Soul enters into the consideration of thy greatnesse and deep abisse of thy endlesse power and mercy My Soul is struck dumbe and knows not what to say but silence giving me opportunity to consider of thy infinite love to me power forme beauty and excellency in and about thee my Soul is wounded with a deep affection towards thee and love cannot will not be silent And â—ow my great and powerfull God was it not enough for thee to make so great and beautifull a structure for me and for all men but when I had run from thee by my disobedience into the territories and tormenting arms of my enemy for thee O most glorious Prince of eternall blisse to leave thy Kingdome where thou â—ert attended by a multitude of bright Angels and blessed Saints which continually sing thy praises with â—heir heavenly voices for thee to leave such transcendent delights to take on thee my frail flesh and come â—o me and subject thy selfe to all the contempts that â—n insulting enemy could impose had nor this been enough to have manifested an unanswerable love to so contemptible a creature but thou My dear Prince I who wouldest set a perfect patterne of humility and â—ove for all that were thine to follow for love to mee â—hou wert content to dye and the most painfull and igâ—ominious death that could be inflicted on the meanâ—st person Thou who wert serv'd by all the world was â—leas'd thus to serve for me and to dye to save me from â—ternall death and before I knew into what tormentâ—ng habitation I had plung'd my selfe by my rebellion â—hou wert pleas'd to declare to me how thou hadst reâ—eem'd me out of those most cruel inthralments by â—hy willingly yeelding to dye for me for none could â—ave power O great Prince of Heaven and earth to have taken away thy life hadst thou not laid it downâ— of thine owne accord thou wert please to tell me too though I live here among thy enemies and mine yet â— should not be afraid of them for they can but kill my body and that too not without thy leave for none caâ—â— take thy children out of thy hand unlesse thou arâ— pleas'd to deliver them into the hand of their persecutors and by that fiery Chariot to convey us to that immortall Kingdome which thou hast promised to thou that beleeve on thee where we shall receive from thâ— hand the beautifull Crowne of our eternall glory â— my God! Who can chuse but be ravisht with thy unfaâ—dom'd mercy and unexpressable love to thy poor yeâ— by thee inriched creatures My dear Prince Whaâ— shall I doe to let all the world know what engagements my Soul hath to thee I do wish it were in my power as in my desires that all the world may sing Halalujahs to thee for the saving of my Soul from thaâ— cruel adversary and for the glory that thou wilt inveâ—â— her in and that they would sing publick praises untâ— thee for thy mercies to themselves too would thaâ— were their imployment then should not thy service be so much slighted nor thy name so much dishonoured nor thy servants so much contemn'd But Let them sing praises to thy name Whom thou hast blest And kept their Souls from endlesse paine And plac'st in rest Thou hast me kept from hellish paine And plac'st in rest How can I chuse but praise thy name When I 'me so blest Rom. 12.1 MY Lord I cannot plead ignorance for I must confesse I have often read it and knew that I was to â—er up my self a living sacrifice to thy Majesty and to â—ve my selfe wholly to thy disposing and not to have â—y sequestred thoughts from thee dedicated to mine â—wn ends in either my actions words or thoughts but â—y dear Father I now plainly see the necessity of entring â—to thy Courts to hear thee most gracious Prince â—eake to us by thy Embassadors And I nor any other â—ught to say what should I go thither to hear a man â—ell me but what I knew before But my Lord thy Ordiâ—â—nces are powerfull and thou workest more effectually â—n our hearts for the most part by the preaching of â—y word from them then by our own reading and stuâ—y and now I begin to suspect I have not offered up my â—lse so
exactly to thee as I should for me thought â—e besought me from thee to offer up my self a living â—acrifice wholly and acceptably to thee My Lord I â—ave heretofore long since given my selfe to thee by â—ierce meals but I fear reserving something from thee â—nd if offering my selfe wholly to thee be but a reasoâ—oble serving of thee sure when I reserved any thing â—om thee that service was contemptible But graciâ—us Father pardon all that heretofore I have done aâ—isse in thy service for now I doe give up my selfe wholly to thee But how shall I dare to say my self I â—are not appeare by my selfe in thy presence yet with â—nd in my self I may Thou hast taught me out of thy â—oyall story to know that thou hast given me that Princely Son of thine I cannot chuse but accept so â—ich a present then seeing he is mine and I am his I am confident to present my selfe to thee with and in him My Lord thou canst not but take the care 〈◊〉 me now I have given my selfe wholly to thee thâ— gracious Father let me live without fear of falling frâ—â— thee for if I fall from thee wilt not thou loose paâ—â— of thy glory My Lord I know it stands not wiâ—â— thine honour to let that perish which is committed iâ— to thy hands then sith I have commited my self whâ—â—ly to thee let me with confidence sit downe and reâ—â— and fear no evill For from all ill I shall be free Sure nothing can be ill to me Vpon Adams fall MY Dear God! did thy Majesty make Adam wiâ—â— before he fell then any man or hast thou siâ—â— his fall given man the gift of Faith or had he no neeâ— of Faith or did Adam not beleeve thee the maker 〈◊〉 all things so much as we beleeve each other Suâ—â— Adam did not beleeve thee when thou toldst him thâ—â— the day he should eat of that tree he should dye tâ—â— death We thinke men wise when they avoid what 〈◊〉 told them will hurt them I finde Adam not so wiâ—â— and if one tell us Mercury will cause our death wâ—â— that are called the depraved Sons of Adam will not eaâ— it if we be in our right senses though the purenesse 〈◊〉 the colour may tempt us and it be onely a mortaâ—â— man that tels us so who neither made it nor eveâ— try'd it Adam beleev'd not the O Lord who made that tree and gavest the nature to it O Adam whaâ— made thee to eat of that tree hadst thou not this greaâ— world full of all pleasures to content thee a beautifuâ— healthfull active body a minde indued with all exceâ—lent and pleasing knowledge No where couldst thoâ—â— cast thine eye but it had pleasing objects nothinâ— couldst thou tast but it was delicious no troubled mind no distracted thoughts to take thee one minute from these delights or cause thee to wish a change Oh what then was it But now I must check my selfe Great God pardon me I now sin with Adam whiles I am inquiring why Adam â—inn'd he would know what he should not I what I cannot Thou hadst made him so wise as was sufficient for any mortall man and hadst given him such qualities of his Soul as were requisite to have made him for ever happy in that blessed condition Frail Adam I will no more examine whether thou hadst faith or no or whether thou didst thinke to have been happier by what was kept from thee then in possessing what was so plentifully given to thee Great God I will content my self to know thou hadst made him at first in a happy condition and us so in him and will be patient now I see my selfe in a worse because thou hast given me faith to beleeve I shall be in a better And as Adam made himselfe unhappy by expecting to be happier So I shall be more happy by beleeving I shall be gloriously perfect hereafter Security in Danger MY Lord When with that blessed servant of thine I send up to thee my petitions for security against those that rise up against us Let me receive his assurance that thou hearest me out of thy holy hill and let me say with him I will lay me downe and also sleep in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety I will not be afraid of ten thousand of people that should beset me round about for seeing it hath pleas'd thee to let me be in a Kingdome of division though blessed be thy name who hath yet preserv'd me I am now in a place of peace yet for ought I know I might to morrow be incompassed with ten thousand enemies though not to me in particular yet to those among whom I am now in safety But if thou art pleas'd I shall be so inclos'd then let not me be afraid of them shr thou canst preserve me either by destroying those that would harme me or by letting me finde favour in the sight of mine enemies or by their hands canst thou send me to thy blessed Tabernacle of security where I shall never need any more to send up prayers for deliverance but shall alwayes sing praises to thee for having so many wayes to deliver me And so all fear I now may bid adieu Goe enemies I 'me secur'd from you The Royall Priest-hood PEace Present now no more to me to take my spirit from the height of felicity that I am a creature of a weaker sex a woman For my God! If I must live after the example of thy blessed Apostle I must live by faith and faith makes things to come as present and thou hast said by thy servant that we shall be like thy blessed Son then thou wilt make all thy people as Kings and Priests Kings are men and men are Kings And Souls have no sex the hidden man of the heart makes us capable of being Kings for I have heard it is that within makes the man then are we by election capable of as great a dignity as any mortall man But thoughts of mortals now Adieu I will close the eyes of my Soul to mortality and will not open them but to eternity seeing that by thy grace and faith in thee thou hast made us partaker of thy divine nature by thy assistance I will live by faith I will no more now see my self as mortall but as an immortall King will I begin to live that hidden man never dies but when mine immortall King that plac'st me in this Kingdome of felicity with him shall see it fit time he will raise me on a triumphant Chariot compos'd of the wings of bright Angel to his immortall Kingdome of Glory where I shall reigne with him for all eternity and never more desire to change And as a Royall Priest must I be to thee ever offering up the sweet incense of my praises to thy divine Majesty for thy infinite mercies to me thy unworthy servant The secure Pavillion MY God Thy children need not now pray that those lips may be put to silence that speak grievous things against them they have long since had a freind and thou a servant that sent up his petitions to thee for that and as if he been ravisht with a present answer from thee he cryes out O how great is thy goodnesse that thou hast laid up in store for them that fear thee before the Sons of men that would dishonour thy servants And now he hath brought us so pleasing a message from thee that it is no wonder if we with disregard slight those unsavory words which we hear And now look here all you who shall any way slight or annoy his children by your odd speeches they are plac'st above your reach for God will laide them in the secret of his presence from the pride of men he will keep them secretly in his Pavilion from the strife of tongues you may shoot but your aime must be above your head if you think to hit them and when you have shot your arrows cannot reach them but they may light where you would not have them on your own heads A Question MY God! What businesse on earth is worth detaining a Soul from Heaven that is prepar'd with desire to come from earth to live in heaven with thee Palmer Why told you me God hath something here remarkable for mee to doe before I leave the earth else could I have laid downe my head each night with expectation of a mornings rise in heaven now I doe lay it downe onely with a contenting joy that I am his and that when his will is done with me or by me here I shall then goe to possesse tha Heaven which onely can content the desire of my immortall Soul Had you not told me so I might have hop'd that excessive joy for the glory which I shall possesse might have rais'd me to that blisse to which I doe aspire My God my Soul breaths after thee and cannot be satisfied till she comes to a full possession of thee Lord what on earth can there be done by mee Worth keeping here my longing Soul from thee Wings my Doves you have now obtain'd To flee to that Invincible Rock Where you may hide you safe In those Clifts of Security From your Malignant Enemies Who may flee after you And think to graspe you And so to hurt you But they cannot But you may without any gaul tell them You are plac'd beyond their envies reach And with that blest Apostle may say 'T is a small matter for me to be judg'd By you or of mans judgement The Lord is Judge of all He judgeth me and I Am safe under His powerfull Wings