Beneath which it was necessary that we should be made To the 〈◊〉 we might be governed In a righteous Kingdom But couldst thou not have remitted our Knowledge and established to thy self a righteous Kingdom without composing our Bodies or the World By the Fall of some we know O Lord That the Angels were tried Which are invisible Spirits Needing not the World Nor clothed in Bodies Nor endued with Senses For our Bodies therefore O Lord for our earthly Bodies hast thou made the World Which thou so lovest that thou hast supremely magnified them by the works of thy hands And made them Lords of the whole Creation Higher than the Heavens Because served by them More glorious than the Sun Because it ministreth to them Greater in Dignity than the material World Because the end of its Creation Revived by the Air Served by the Seas Fed by the Beasts and Fowls and Fishes Our pleasure Which fall as Sacrifices to Thy glory Being made to minister and attend upon us O Miracle Of divine Goodness O Fire O flame of Zeal and Love and Joy Even for our earthly bodies hast thou created all things All things Visible All things Material All things Sensible Animals Vegetables Minerals Bodies celestial Bodies terrestrial The four Elements Volatile Spirits Trees Herbs and Flowers The Influences of Heaven Clouds Vapors Wind Dew Rain Hail and Snow Light and Darkness Night and Day The Seasons of the Year Springs Rivers Fountains Oceans Gold Silver and precious Stones Corn Wine and Oyl The Sun Moon and Stars Cities Nations Kingdoms And the Bodies of Men the greatest Treasures of all For each other What then O Lord hast thou intended for our Souls who givest to our Bodies such glorious things Every thing in thy Kingdom O Lord Conspireth to mine Exaltation In every thing I see thy Wisdom and Goodness And I praise the Power by which I see it My Body is but the Cabinet or Case of my Soul What then O Lord shall the Jewel be Thou makest it the heir of all the profitable trades and occupations in the World And the Heavens and the Earth More freely mine More profitably More gloriously More comfortably Than if no man were alive but I alone Yea though I am a Sinner thou lovest me more than if thou hadst given all things to me alone The sons of men thou hast made my treasures Those Lords Incarnate Cherubims Angels of the World The Cream of all things And the sons of God Hast thou given to me and made them mine For endless Causes ever to be enjoyed Were I alone Briars and thorns would devour me Wild beasts annoy me My Guilt terrifie me The World it self be a Desart to me The Skies a Dungeon But mine Ignorance more The Earth a Wilderness All things desolate And I in solitude Naked and hungry Blind and brutish Without house or harbour Subject unto storms Lying upon the ground Feeding upon roots But more upon melancholy Because void of thee Therefore thou providest for me and for me they build and get and provide for me My Bread Drink Clothes Bed My Houshold stuff Books My Houshold stuff Utensils My Houshold stuff Furniture The use of Meats Fire Fuel c. They teach unto me provide for me While I O Lord exalted by thy hand Above the Skies in Glory seem to stand The Skies being made to serve me as they do While I thy Glories in thy Goodness view To be in Glory higher than the Skies Is greater bliss than 't is in place to rise Above the Stars More blessed and divine To live and see than like the Sun to shine O what Profoundness in my Body lies For whom the Earth was made the Sea the Skies So greatly high our humane Bodies are That Angels scarcely may with these compare In all the heights of Glory seated they Above the Sun in thine eternal day Are seen to shine with greater gifts adorn'd Than Gold with Light or Flesh with Life suborn'd Suns are but Servants Skies beneath their feet The Stars but Stones Moons but to serve them meet Beyond all heights above the World they reign In thy great Throne ordained to remain All Tropes are Clouds Truth doth it self excel Whatever Heights Hyperboles can tell O that I were as David the sweet Singer of Israel In meeter Psalms to set forth thy Praises Thy Raptures ravish me and turn my soul all into melody Whose Kingdom is so glorious that nothing in it shall at all be unprofitable mean or idle So constituted That every one's Glory is benesicial unto all and every one magnified in his place by Service What is man O Lord that thon art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Kings in all their Glory minister to us while we repose in peace and safety Priests and Bishops serve at thine Altar guiding our Bodies to eternal Glory Physicians heal us Courts of Judicature stand open for our preservation The Outgoings of the morning and evening rejoyce to do us service The holy Angels minister unto us Architects and Masons build us Temples The Sons of Harmony fill thy Quires Where even our sensible bodies are entertained by thee with great magnificence and solaced with Joys Jesus Christ hath washed our feet He ministred to us by dying for us And now in our humane body fitteth at thy right hand in the throne of Glory As our Head For our Sakes Being there adored by Angels and Cherubims What is it Lord That thou so esteemest us Thou passed'st by the Angels Pure Spirits And didst send thy Son to die for us That are made of both Soul and Body Are we drawn unto thee O why dost thou make us So thy treasures Are Eyes and Hands such Jewels unto thee What O Lord are Tongues and Sounds And Nostrils unto thee Strange Materials are visible bodies Things strange even compared to thy Nature Which is wholly spiritual For our sakes do the Angels enjoy the visible Heavens The Sun and Stars Thy terrestrial Glories And all thy Wisdom In the Ordinances of Heaven In the Seasons of the Year Wondering to see thee by another way So highly exalting dust and ashes Thou makest us treasures And joys unto them Objects of Delight and spiritual Lamps Whereby they discern visible things They see thy Paradise among the sons of men Thy Wine and Oyl thy Gold and Silver By our Eyes They smell thy Perfumes And taste thy Honey Milk and Butter By our Senses Thy Angels have neither ears nor eyes Nor tongues nor hands Yet feel the Delights of all the World And hear the Harmonies not only which Earth but Heaven maketh The melody of Kingdoms The joys of Ages Are Objects of their joy They sing thy Praises for our sakes While we upon Earth are highly exalted By being made thy Gifts And Blessings unto them Never their contempt More their amazement And did they not love us Their Envy hereafter But now their Joy When our Glory being understood We shall
my Exaltation His Death my Life Liberty and Glory His Love my Strength And the incentive of mine His Resurrection my Release His Ascension my Triumph His Gospel my Joy The Light of his Countenance And of thine in him My Reviving Healing Comforting Sun In the day of thy Grace let me work for thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Goodness And according to the wideness of mine Understanding The Greatness of my Soul The Liberty of my Thoughts Walk at large In all the Regions of Heaven and Earth In all the Regions of Time and Eternity Living in thine Image Towards all thy Creatures On Angels wings Holy Meditations According to the transcendent Presence of my Spirit everywhere Let me see thy Beauties Thy Love to me To all thy Creatures In the First Creation In the Government of Ages In the Day of Judgment In the Work of Redemption In My Conception and Nativity In All my Deliverances In The Peace of my Country In Noah's Ark. With Moses and David Let me behold thy ways Delight in thy Mercies Be praising thee O shew me the excellency of all thy works In the Eternity that is before the World began let me behold the beauty of thine everlasting Counsels And in the Eternity which appeareth when the World is ended let me see thy Glory O God of infinite Majesty now I confess that the Knowledge I have of thee is admirable by that which I discover in my self for if in a thing so gross as is my Body there be a Spirit so noble as is my Soul which giveth it Being and Life governeth it and in it and by it worketh such stupendious things how much more necessary is it that thou be in the midst of this extended World who art that supream Spirit by whom we all are live move and have our being Since therefore thou art my Being and my Life thou art my Soul too and I rejoice to have thee for my 〈◊〉 loving thee infinitely more than my stlf O that all did know thee and love thee more than their Life and their own Soul since thou art the true Life and Soul of all To whom be Glory Honour and Praise for evermore Amen Thanksgivings for the Glory of God's Works BLess the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments hearkening to the Voice of his word Bless the Lord all ye his hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his WORKS in all places of his Dominion Bless the Lord O my soul. Psal. 103. 21 22 23. O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Psal. 8. 1. When I consider the Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him For thou 〈◊〉 made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his fect All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas Psal. 8. 3 4 c. O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world Thy works O Lord are for ever to be remembred The earth is full of thy riches The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal. 24. 1. The heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men As we are visible Bodies Conversing here beneath He hath given us the Earth To his Image As we are invisible and immortal Souls Hath he given the heavens And the heaven of heavens The woods and trees and fields and valleys hast thou subjected to the Government and work of our hands The heaven of heavens to our Understand To see their glory ings Admire their greatness Enjoy their delight Possess their treasures Rejoyce in their hosts And 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 Mines of gold and veins of silver The variety of precious stones Diversity of minerals Iron Brass Copper Lead and Tin Carbuncles Emeralds Pearls Diamonds All these Hast thou given to our bodies Subjected the same to the use of our hands That we might beautify the earth With Crowns and Scepters Regal Thrones Palaces and Temples Pillars Castles Cities Closets Jewels Rings Chains Ornaments Delectable things Which by the Use of all men Become the fruition Of every holy and wise Spectator Oyl and Wine Perfumes and Spices Wheat and Rye Fruits and Flowers Hast thou given to us to delight our Senses Apples Citrons Limons Dates and Pomgranates Figs Raisins Grapes and Melons Plumbs Cherries Filberts Peaches Are all thy riches for which we praise and bless thy Name Clouds and Vapours glorify thee By serving us Springs and Rivers praise thy Name Being far more precious than gold and silver The Day is thine the Night also is thine thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the Earth thou hast made Summer and Winter He appointed the Moon for seasons the Sun knoweth his going down O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches These serve us in their glorious heights so perfectly that we cannot alter their course because we cannot mend their Operation The Fowls and Fishes Beasts and creeping things Hast thou made ours By giving them Excellencies meet to serve us Strength Swifrness Fat Skin Hair Wool Flesh Sinews Veins and Senses By giving us Understanding and Bodies to subdue them By giving us a Right and Dominion over them For all these O Lord I bless and glorify thy Holy Name And give Thee Thanks So Glorious are thy Works that Skies full of Pearl Globes of Gold Spheres of Silver greater than the Earth are Dross and Poverty in Comparison of thy Treasure All which thou offerest me to partake of The Duty to which thou hast called me Is greater than my Wealth To contemplate thy Glory The Excellency of thy Wisdom 〈◊〉 Infinite Goodness The Riches of thy Love To me thy unworthy Servant Exhibited in those Their Value Fulness Ministery My Right Interest Property Thy Blessedness Mercy Favor And in all these My Wonderful Exaltation with thee my God Blessed is the Man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may Dwell in thy Courts He shall be satisfied with the Goodness of thy House even of thy Holy Temple They also which Dwell in the Utmost parts are afraid of thy Tokens thou makest the Outgoings of the Morning and Evening to rejoyce Thon visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly Enrichest it with the River of God which is full of Water Thou preparest them Corn when thou hast so provided for it Thou waterest the Ridges thereof abundantly thou
up in order unto thee When I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Psal. 40. 5. When I leave the Earth And ascend to thy Throne To see thy Glory above the Heavens There I am ravished with amazement and joy To see thy Love More great to thy Servant Than if thou hadst loved none besides Thou Sun of Righteousness Life and Glory Who gav'st thy self wholly to every Soul How wonderful are the Riches of thy manifold Wisdom Giving All things to One More than if they were given to him alone The Rays of the Sun Which shine in my eyes I know to be mine But those that fly to the utmost Stars That go to the Mountains Shine upon the Moon Are scattered and dispersed Over all the Heavens Seem to forsake me And fly wholly to other places Yet beautify the World And make me Possessor of all its glories They reflect again And closing in mine eye Cause me to see even all thy Glories Did that glorious Orb Of embodied Light Direct all his Beams to me I could not see him So perfectly as now If uniting into one they scorch'd me not A night of darkness Would still surround me The Heavens and the Earth Would to me be lost The beauty of all the Creatures be Buried in a Grave The World a Dungeon round about me Nor do those Rays which seem to leave me Illuminate alone They digest Gold Cherish Minerals Animate the Air Quicken Trees Excite the Influences of the very Heavens Melt the Waters Inspire living Creatures Ripen Fruits Perfect Flowers Raise Exhalations Cause the Rivers Begetting Propagating Enlivening all those Creatures Cherishing all those Creatures Preserving all those Creatures That are the life and beauty of my Habitation Thou hast created Cherubims Thou hast created Saints Thou hast created Angels Like Suns they shine Like Stars they serve Like Jewels they adorn Thy celestial Kingdom Their Beauty Love Melody Wisdom Order Goodness Ministry Power Their Thrones Joys and and Crowns Praises Make them like thee Whose Image they bear My supremest Treasures And me they serve As perfect Joys While I to them am made a Glory Hadst thou loved me and none besides Those glorious Hosts had never been Of those my Joys my soul had been bereaved More than thy self Hast thou given me In giving me beside thy self Those thine Images In every one of those As the Sun shineth both naked to mine eye Again in a mirror Hast thou given me thy self A second time But O the vast the 〈◊〉 the unconceivably sufficient and endless Powers Of mine immortal Soul That are able to enjoy thee Wholly in thy self Wholly in thy Son Wholly in each of all thine Hosts In advancing whom to the highest Thrones Thou hast employed thy Goodness Thou hast employed thy Wisdom Thou hast employed thy Power To enrich thy Servant With The Chief of Beings With Living Temples With Glorious Hosts With Second Selves With Inestimable Mirrors With Fellow-Members With Divinest Treasures In Communion with whom By all their Knowledge and Love enlarged I shall ever see thy glorious self In the unsearchable Excesses Of eternal Love Infinitely more than infinite In Glory for evermore Goodness for evermore Wisdom for evermore Blessedness for evermore Hadst thou created none but me alone And made me the Temple Of thine eternal Godhead In giving me thy self thy Bounty would be infinite In raising such Kings to love and see me Who are each thine Image Who are each thine Friend and Who are each thine Son Thy Love is more By giving me thy self In each of them Infinitely insinite O Lord I am transported With the Excesses of thy Love By making them thy Likeness As thou gavest me thy self Thou givest me them Employing all thy Wisdom Employing all thy Goodness Employing all thy Power In making them thine Image That in the Likeness of thy Glory That in the Likeness of thy Love and That in the Likeness of thy Blessedness They might be to me What my God is Each one A shining Light Each one An exceeding Joy Each one A Fountain of living Waters Each one A Royal Diadem Each one A Crown of Glory Thou hast given me thy self Again and again in each of those Especially by making me to them What thou art A Lover of their Happiness A Rejoycer in their Joy A Delighter in their Glory Thanksgivings for the Blessedness of God's Ways TO him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood And hath made us Kings and priests to God and his Father To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1. 5 6. Thou Lord art one and the same for ever LOVE ETERNAL more Thy Goodness infinite Thy Bounty omnipresent Thy Wisdom enriching every gift Making every Creature an endless Treasure Making every Thought and Action an endless Treasure Only we Are blind and dead and dull and foolish Only we Apostate Enemies careless Wanderers Only we Banishing our selves Only we Accustomed only to narrow things Like Runnagates we dwell in a dry Land And see not the Mysteries of thy holy Courts The inward Beauty of all thy Creatures Because we loath the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Restore thine Image Recall our Minds Enable us in thy Likeness To enjoy thy Works To see thy Wonders Possess the Worlds Delight in thy Laws Feel our selves Admire thy Riches Wean us O Lord from Vain Treasures Little Treasures Useless Treasures False Treasures Dead Treasures Unprofitable Treasures And elevate our Souls To thee and thine Make us acquainted Our Thoughts paralel Our Affections present Our Imaginations busie constant familiar With great things wide things fathomless things eternal things Thy Bride thy Son Thy Dominion over Ages The glory of thy Kingdom Which Includeth all Which Endureth for ever Teach us thy ways upon Earth Which are infinitely Holy Which are infinitely Sweet Which are infinitely Glorious Which are infinitely Delightful Which are infinitely Beautiful Transforming all that look upon them Exalting those that are busie in them Concerning all Reaching unto all To every Soul in Heaven and Earth From every Region From every Age and From every Kingdom O my Lord thou art in every thing Divine Wise Blessed Holy Heavenly Glorious Because in every thing thou overflowest 〈◊〉 to all Art infinite in Goodness in all thy Ways Infinitly Communicative of all thy Goodness Granting it wholly to all thine hosts In every thing wholly to every person In every place Every way For every End By him in thy Likeness wholly to be enjoy'd Whom thou constitutest likewise And appointest to be heir Of all that Goodness communicated unto all Recollecting the same And causing it to rest in him alone Yea not to rest But with greater joy From him to overflow To all thine Armies Let the same mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus Phil. 2. Who is gone before us to prepare a mansion In the beavens for us 10. 14. Teach us by Wisdom To enjoy
in its Womb In every moment an infinity of Joys Thy Ways O my God are infinitely Delicious From the beginning until now Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Wisdom Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Goodness Blessed be thy Name whose infinite Power Are in every thing Magnified Are in every thing Perfectly exalted Towards all thy Creatures Thy Condescention in creating the Heavens And the Earth Is wholly Wonderful Thy Bounty to Adam To me in him Most Great and Infinite Blessed be thy Name for the Employment thou gavest him More Glorious than the World To see thy Goodness Contemplate thy Glory Rejoyce in thy Love Be Ravish'd with thy Riches Sing thy Praises Enjoy thy Works Delight in thy Highness Possess thy Treasures And much more Blessed be thy H. Name For Restoring me by the Blood of Jesus To Thy glorious Works To Those blessed Emploments It is my Joy O Lord to see the Perfection of thy Love towards us in that Estate The Glory of thy Laws The Blessedness of thy Works The Highness of thine Image The Beauty of the Life that there was to be led In Communion with Thee Those intended Joys are mine O Lord In thee my God In Jesus Christ In every Saint In every Angel But the glorious Covenant so graciously renewed O the Floods the Seas the Oceans Of Honey and Butter contained in it So many thousand Years since my standing Treasure O reach me to Esteem it O reach me to Reposite it in my Family As that which by its Value is made sacred Infinitely Sacred because infinitely Blessed How ought our first Fathers To have esteemed that Covenant To have laid it up for their Childrens Children As the choicest Treasure The Magna Charta of Heaven and Earth By which they held their Blessedness The Evidence of their Nobility The antient Instrument of their League with God Their pledge claim to eternal Glory The sacred Mystery of all their Peace But they Apostatized and provoked thy Displeasure Sixteen hundred and fifty six Years Till thou did'st send a Flood that swept them away Yet did'st thou give them The Rite of Sacrificing The Lamb of God To betoken his Death From the beginning of the World Shewedft them thy Glory And that of Immortality By Enochs Translation Of which me also hast thou made the heir In the midst of Judgments thou hadst mercy on Noah And saved'st us both In an ARK by Water That Ark is mine Thy Goodness gave it me By preserving my Being and Felicity in it It more serveth me there where it is 〈◊〉 Than if all its Materials were now in my In that Act did'st thou reveal thy Glory As much as by the Creation of the World itself Reveal thy Glory to me and by many such Dispel the foggs of Ignorance and 〈◊〉 That else would have benighted And drowned my Soul The Rainbow is a Seal Of thyrenewed Covenant For which to day I praise thy Name As for the wicked They revolted back from the Life of God But the holy Sages brightly shined Whom thy Goodness prepared To be the Light of the World Melchisedec North 〈◊〉 himself In whom thy Goodness Blessed Me thy Servant In whom thy Goodness Blessed And all Nations Whom thy Goodness chiefly Blessed by making a Blessing When the World would have extinguished Knowledge And have lost thy Covenant Thou heldest the Clew and maintained'st my Lot and sufferedst not all to perish for ever Out of the Loins of thy beloved Thy Glory form'd a Kingdom for thy self Govern'd by Laws Made famous by Miracles 〈◊〉 by Mercy 's Taught from Heaven 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Witness thou dwelledst among them Thy Servant David in most Solemn 〈◊〉 sang Thy Praises Thy Glory appeared in Solomon's Temple But more in his Wisdom And the Prosperity of thy People Thy Prophers in their order ministred to us The concealed Beauty of thy Ceremonies Is wholly mine To me they exhibit in the best of Hieroglyphicks JESUS CHRIST The Glory of their Ministery Service and Expectation For two thousand Years is my Enjoyment For my sake and for thy Promise sake Did thy goodness forbear When their Sins had provoked Thee To destroy them wholly How did thy Goodness in the time of Distress Watch over them for Good When like a Spark in the Sea They were almost wholly Extinguished In the Babilonish Waves How Lord did'st thou Work in that Night of Darkness Making thy Glory and the Glory of Love More to appear Then was 〈◊〉 Welfare turning upon the hinge Our Hope gasping for a little Life Our Glory brought to the pits brink And beyond the possibility of human remedy Endangered in the Extinction of that Nution How then did thy Power shine In making Nehemiah the Kings Cupbearer Hester Queen Mordecai a Prince The three Children cold in the furnace Daniel Lord chief President of 127 Provinces Zorobbabel and Ezra especial favorites And in sending thy people home Without any Ransom That the influence of thy promise Might surely descend And our Saviour arise out of Davids Loins Be born at Bethlehem Crucified at Jerusalem According to the Prophesies That went before concerning him Blessed Lord I magnific thy holy Name For his Incarnation For the Joy of the Angels that sang his praises For the Star of his Birth For the Wise men's Offerings that came from the East For the Salutation of thy handmaid Mary For the Ravishing Song of the blessed Virgin For the Rapture and Inspiration of Zacharias thy Servant For the Birth of John our Saviours forerunner O Lord Who would have believed that such a worm as I should have had such Treasures In thy celestial Kingdom In the Land of Jury 3000 miles from hence So great a Friend such a Temple Such a Brest plate Glittering with Stones of endless price Such Ephod Mytre Altar Court Priest and Sacrifices All to shew me my Lord and Saviour By the Shining Light of nearer Ages By the Universal consent of many Nations By the Most powerful Light of thy blessed Gospel See that remoter in the Land of Jury More clearly to shine The universal Good which redounded to all Is poured upon me The root being beautified by all its branches The fountain enriched and made famous by its streams Their Temple Sacrifices Oracles Scriptures Ceremonies Monuments of Antiquity Miracles Transactions Hopes Have received credit and magnificence by successes By the Lustre Authority and Glory By the Conviction of Ages By the Acknowledgment of Sages By the Conversion of Philosophers By the Of Flourishing Cities Empires 〈◊〉 and mighty States All which enamel the Book of God And enrich it more for mine exaltation The very Trees and Fruits and Fields and Flowers that did service unto them Flourished for me And here I live Praising thy Name For the silencing of Oracles And the flight of Idolatry For demolishing the Temple When its Service ended For permitting the Jews In severity to them For permitting the Jews In mercy to me To kill my Saviour For
In the Tabernacle p. 115. l. 8. for to r. by p. 124. l. 〈◊〉 r. Glory p. 129. l. 20. r. how can A Serious and Pathetical CONTEMPLATION Of the Mercies of GOD IN SEVERAL Most Devout and Sublime Thanksgivings for the same Thanksgivings for the Body BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who 〈◊〉 all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and 〈◊〉 mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles O Lord who art clothed with Majesty My desire is to praise thee With the holy Angels and Archangels To glorisie thee And with all thy Saints in the Church triumphant For the eternal brightness Of thine insinite bounty The freedom of thy love Wherein thou excellest the beams of the Sun To celebrate thee I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How precious are thy thoughts also unto me O God! How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand When I awake I am still with thee Blessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God! For ever blessed be thy holy Name For that I am made The work of thy hands Curiously wrought By thy divine Wisdom Enriched By thy Goodness Being more thine Than I am mine own O Lord Thou hast given me a Body Wherein the glory of thy Power shineth Wonderfully composed above the Beasts Within distinguished into useful parts Beautified without with many Ornaments Limbs rarely poised And made for Heaven 〈◊〉 filled With celestial Spirits Veins wherein Blood floweth Refreshing all my flesh Like Rivers Sinews fraught with the mystery Of wonderful Strength Stability Feeling O blessed be thy glorious Name That thou hast made it A Treasury of Wonders Fit for its several Ages For Dissections For Sculptutes in Brass For Draughts in Anatomy For the Contemplation of the Sages Whose inward parts Enshrined in thy Libraries Are The Amazement of the Learned Are The Admiration of Kings and Queens Are The Joy of Angels Are The Organs of my Soul Are The Wonder of Cherubims Those blinder parts of resined Earth Beneath my Skin Are sull of thy Depths For Many thousand Uses For Hidden Operations For Unsearchable Offices But for the diviner Treasures wherewith thou hast endowed My Brains Mine Eyes My Heart Mine Ears My Tongue My Hands O what Praises are due unto thee Who hast made me A living Inhabitant Of the great World And the Centre of it A sphere of Sense And a mine of Riches Which when Bodies are dissected fly away The spacious Room Which thou hast hidden in mine Eye The Chambers for Sounds Which thou hast prepar'd in mineEar The Receptacles for Smells Concealed in my 〈◊〉 The feeling of my Hands The taste of my Tongue But above all O Lord the Glory of Speech whereby thy Servant is enabled with Praise to celebrate thee For All the Beauties in Heaven and Earth The melody of Sounds The sweet Odours Of thy Dwelling place The delectable pleasures that gratisie my Sense That gratify the feeling of Mankind The Light of History Admitted by the Ear. The Light of Heaven Brought in by the Eye The Volubility and Liberty Of my Hands and Members Fitted by thee for all Operations Which the Fancy can imagine Or Soul desire From the framing of a Needle 's Eye To the building of a Tower From the squaring of Trees To the polishing of Kings Crowns For all the Mysteries Engines Instruments wherewith the World is filled which we are able to frame and use to thy Glory For all the Trades variety of Operations Cities Temples Streets Bridges Mariners Compass admirable Picture Sculpture Writing Printing Songs and Musick wherewith the World is beautified and adorned Much more for the Regent Life And Power of Perception Which rules within That secret depth of sathomless Consideration That receives the information Of all our senses That makes our centre equal to the Heavens And 〈◊〉 in it self the magnitude of the World The involved 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 common sense The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 fancy The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Of things that are past The 〈◊〉 of things to come Thy 〈◊〉 be glorified For evermore For all the art which thou hast hidden In this little piece Of red clay For the workmanship of thy hand Who didst thy self form man Of the dust of the ground And breath into his Nostrils The breath of Life For the high Exaltation whereby thou hast glorified every body Especially mine As thou didst thy Servant Adam's in Eden Thy Works themselves speaking to me the same thing that was said unto him in the beginning WE ARE ALL THINE And why O Lord wouldst thou so delight To magnify the dust 〈◊〉 from the ground From the dark obscurity of a silent Grave Thou raisest it O Lord Herein indeed Thou raisest the poor out of the dust and 〈◊〉 the needy out of the dunghil That thou mayst set him with Princes even with the Princes of thy people But why would the Lord take pleasure in creating an earthly Body why at all in making a visible World Couldst thou not have made us immortal Souls and seated us immediately in the throne of Glory O Lord thou lover of Righteousness Whose Kingdom is everlasting Who lovest to govern thy Subjects by Laws and takest delight to distribute Rewards and Punishments according to right Thou hast hidden thy self By an infinite miracle And made this World the Chamber of thy presence the ground and theatre of thy righteous Kingdom That putting us at a distance A little from thee Thou mayst satisie the Capacities Of thy righteous Nature Thou wast always sit to reign like a King Able to rule by the best of Laws To distribute the greatest Rewards and Punishments That therefore thou might'st raise up Objects for these Thou hast seated us at a little distance from thee Not 〈◊〉 respect of thy Ubiquity but degree of Knowledge In Heaven thou 〈◊〉 ellest As a Bridegroom with thy Bride A Father with thy Children A King with Kings Governours and Peers Shewing and manifesting all thy Glory Unto which thou wouldst have us first to come As humble and obedient Servants That in us thou mightst see Ingenuity Thanksgiving Fidelity Wisdom Love Even to an absent Benefactor There is the Kingdom of eternal Glory Beyond which can be no Rewards The highest of all being there attained In which can be no trial Blessedness being seen with open face
to 〈◊〉 That Nature never gave to any thing a power in vain To what end therefore am I endned with these eternal Powers The similitude of thy Greatness in my Soul Infinity in my Soul Eternity in my Soul Is it not that I might live In the simili tude of thy Wisdom towards all thy Creatures Goodness towards all thy Creatures Holiness towards all thy Creatures For to nothing that is without the reach of my Comprehension Can my Thoughts extend To nothing without the sphere of my Knowledge Can I behave my self Amiably Can I behave my self Beautifully Can I behave my self Wisely To the intent therefore that being wise like thee I might be just and good to all thy Creatures And be holy towards them in all my Ways And be holy towards them in all my Thoughts And be holy towards them in all my Affections Hast thou made me thus in thy great similitude That being wise and holy towards thee and all things as I ought to be I might evermore be gloriously blessed In thy diviner Likeness To which I am created O my God! In the contemplation of my Soul I see the Truth of all Religion Behold all the Mysteries of Blessedness Admire thy Greatness Rejoyce in thy Goodness Praise thy Power Adore thy Love Am ravished with thy Wisdom Transported Pleased with the beauty of thy 〈◊〉 Who hast made me 〈◊〉 best and greatest Like thee Thine Image Friend Son Bride More than thy Throne Thy 〈◊〉 Treasure Such wonderful Power hast thou created in me That I am able to do more than my Soul durst once attempt to imagine A greater Power have I received of thee Than that of creating Worlds Could I create Worlds and not enjoy them It would be to no purpose Could I create millions of Worlds and enjoy them all I could only enjoy created things In receiving a Power To enjoy all things I am made able to enjoy even thee Who art infinitely greater Thee in every thing Every thing in thee My self in all things for evermore I have received a Power infinitely greater Than that both of Creating and Enjoying Worlds Infinitely more Blessed Infinitely more Profitable Infinitely more Divine Infinitely more Glorious O Lord I am contented with my Being I rejoyce in thine infinite Bounty And praise thy Goodness I see plainly that thy love is infinite And having made me such a Creature I will put my Trust in Thee Could I have chosen what power soever I pleased I would have chosen this A Power to Please thee A Power to Enjoy thee In all the Varieties of Works and In all the Varieties of Creatures Compared unto these A Power To Divide the Sea Turn Mountains into Gold Command the Sun Trample upon Divels Raise up the Dead With whatsoever all the fancy of man can imagine or desire Is Very feebleness Is Unprofitable Vanity Is Foolish Childishness Blessed be thy Name that thou hast given me Power to Praise thee A Power not only to Comprehend The Magnanitude Being Nature Order Place of Things Bat to love their Goodness Prize their value Delight in their Beauty Rejoyce in the Benefits which I receive from them Which is Wholly to enjoy them These things thou commandest my Soul to do That I might be Wise and Holy Yet givest me Liberty To do what I please Not that thou art careless or indifferent what I chuse But because thou wouldest make me Blessed and Glorious An Object of Delight to thine Eternal Godhead And like unto thee the Joy and Blessing of all thy Creatures Who by Loving them freely As Thou dost Delighting in their Beauty And prizing their Goodness Shall my self be Beautiful in all their eyes Thine IMAGE O Lord To thee and them a peculiar Treasure The Works thou commandest thou infinitely desirest and tellest us plainly They are better than Wine More precious than Fruits More pleasant than Spices Living Waters Even to thee our God Which satisfy the fire of thine eternal Love Being desired of thee because they are necessary To our happiness My soul O Lord doth magnify thee Because out of nothing thou hast exalted thy Servant Requiring that I should do the works which thy soul commandeth And not another That the glory of such Deeds might shine in me And the pleasure of the goodness whereby I do them That being honoured in the eyes of Angels and Men I might be enlarged by them Acknowledged Received into their bosoms Delighted in Embraced Crowned Thou makest thy Bride All Glorious within And her own Works Shall praise her in the Gates While chiefly she is beautiful To thee her God Shineth in thine Image Reigneth in thy Throne Most in thy bosom They all delight to look upon her And in every work thou requirest of her Rivers of Oyl and Wine are hidden Yea living Streams of Divine Affection Which thou more prizest then Thousands of Rams and tens of thousands of Rivers of Oyl Then Worlds though Millions of Gold and Silver The Work of Love Is the Soveraign Delight Of all the Angels The Cream and Crown of all Operations The Cause Efficient and the end of all Things The Navil Which conveys all the Joys of Heaven and Earth Into the Soul of Man The Oyl wherewith We anoint The Gold wherewith We Crown Thy Holy Angels Thy Saints Thy Son Our selves in them And thee in all A Power in this have we received O Lord To please thee more And to enrich thy Kingdom with Greater Treasure Than if Creating Worlds We presented them at thy feet At the feet of thy Saints Of every Angel They all like Thee More Desire our Good Works Than Crowns and Scepters Which are Holy Treasures In communion with Thee For ever to be enjoyed By doing them our selves we are made thine Image That we should have the Glory Of being Crowned with the Beauty Of our own Works Is not 〈◊〉 but more thy Glory Infinitely more thy Glory and Joy Most Holy Lord How infinite is thy Thirst That we should perform the thing thou desirest O Lord Thou so loved'st us That for our perfect Glory Thou didst adventure into our hands A Power of displeasing thee Which very confidence of thine ought more to oblige me than all the things in Heaven and Earth faithfully to love thee But wo is me I have sinned against thee I have sinned O Lord And put an Object before thee Which thou infinitely hatest An ugly Object Of infinite 〈◊〉 From which it is impossible Thou should'st turn away thine eyes And hadst thou not loved me With a greater Love Than all this I must like Lucifer Have 〈◊〉 into the Pit Of eternal Perdition But thou hast redeemed me And therefore with Hallelujahs Do I praise thy Name Recourting the ancient Glories Which thou 〈◊〉 in my Soul And 〈◊〉 That infinitely more is left unsaid O my God Sanctify me by thy Spirit Make me a Temple of the Holy Ghost A willing Person in the day of thy Power Let my Saviour's Incarnation be
all things as he enjoyeth them Goodness To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them Love To enjoy all things as he enjoyeth them In thy Likeness In Communion with Thee As Sons and Heirs As Kings and Priests As Brides and Friends As Coheirs with Christ As Partakers of the Divine Nature To the Praise of thy Glory To the Joy of thy Son By the Power of thy Spirit Dwelling in us Let him who is the Light of the World Be insinitly Profitable unto us The Light of Life to quicken our Sence The Light of Love to enflame with Goodness The Light of Knowledge to open our eyes O the Joy and Treasure of our Souls Jesus our Saviour Christ the anointed of the Lord Anointed for and given to us Thou artthe Purchaser of all our Glory And thy fruition of it The great Example Teaching us to enjoy it How were thine Affections here upon earth Present with all Families Present with all Kingdoms Present with all Ages Of what Esteem was every Soul in all the World By being the Image of thy Fathers Person Thou art thy self the brightness of his Glory His Son The Heir of all things Heb. 1. 〈◊〉 2 3. And the Glory which he hath given thee Thou hast give unto us Job 17. 22. O let us all with open Face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord be transformed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 13. 18. Make us to understand the Power which thou hast given us to become the Sons of God Teach us to use it For now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Jo. 3. 2. Thy Father needeth not The Heavens or the Earth The Seas or Stars The Clouds or Trees or Fields or Rivers For us he made them and Enjoyeth them only by his 〈◊〉 Goodness And love unto us He needeth not Cherubims He needeth not Angels He needeth not Men Being insinitely Blessed Without beginning His goodness enjoyeth them Only by this he exalteth them to Glory His Goodness enjoyeth them By making them Blessed And by the pleasure he taketh To see them sitting Like God himself In the Throne of Heaven His Goodness only needeth them And it is his Glory that his Goodness needeth them That God from all Eternity should infinitely Delight in exalting others Create them out of nothing Make them his Image By Almighty Power Give himself to one By infinite Love Communicate himself wholly to all his Hosts By eternal Wisdom That having no use of them But meerly to imploy his Goodness Advance them and Crown them He should infinitely desire to see them blessed This is his Glory Whose Goodness is his Wisdom For by that doth he inherit all his Works His Blessedness also For so good he is that himself is crowned In every Creature Himself enjoyeth the happiness of Angels Infinitely delighteth in the Blessedness of Men And by the way of Eminence Includeth all things Being therefore himself the object of Delight The exceeding Joy Ps. 43. Of all his Creatures His Goodness is so great That then he most enjoyeth himself When he is enjoyed He loveth to be seen and delighted in To be the Glory Joy and Treasure Of all his Hosts He loveth to be delighted in Because he delighteth To be The Sun of every Eye The crown of every head The Jewel and the Joy of Every Bosom Who when he is the object of all our Joy The delight of Angels The Ineffable Fathomless Eternal Object of all Delight To all his Creatures To all his Kingdoms To all his Ages Is then himself in eternal Glory Our Author and our End Enjoying himself By that which is himself His infinite Goodness Our Joy and Blessedness O then why should not we Ponder upon the Goodness Of our Author and our End And imitate the Goodness Upon which we ponder Since as he is our Author by doing all Things for us So he is our End by calling us to contemplate what he hath done Especially what he is Whose Love is his Blessedness Since as thou O Father enjoyest all things In creating us to Glory Thine eternal Son enjoyth all things In Redeeming them for us And us for them And by the joy that he taketh In seeing us attain The End of our Redemption Yea since the Holy Ghost by Goodness enjoyeth all Things In his Elect People When having healed their Rebellion He notwithstanding their Wilfulness Openeth their Eyes Dwelleth in them Guideth their Thoughts Enliveneth their Hearts Giveth them Power And maketh them by his Grace To enjoy God In all his Works Ways Counsels Thoughts and Attributes Since goodness in the Father Since goodness in the Son and Since goodness in the Holy Ghost Are Wisdom Glory Are Peace and Blessednes Why should not we by Goodness alone Be fraught with Wisdom Glory Be fraught with Peace Blessedness And enjoy all things as God doth By delighting in his Blessedness In the Blessedness of Christ our Lord In the Blessedness of God the H. Ghost In the Blessedness of Angels and Men Especially since the Blessed of God and them is Goodness indeed the Delight which they take in our happiness O Goodness inessable Who never more expressest thy Goodness Than by making Creatures like Thee Sovereign and supreme in Goodness Restore us by thy Son and thy Holy Spirit By the Merits of the one By the Working of the other To the similitude of that Goodness Whereby thou enjoyest thy self in all things Enable us to delight in thee our God For loving us so Gloriously To delight in thy Highness In the Blessedness of thy Son In the Godhead and Blessedness of the H. Ghost In the Joy of Angels Cherubims That our selves in thy Likeness and Men May be the Joy and Blessedness Of all thy Hosts Thy Blessedness O Lord in all thy Creatures The Crown of thy Works The Centre of thy Beams The Temple of thy Goodness Thy peculiar Treasures For by this O Lord shall we Reign in Glory And now most holy Father I crave strength Eternally to perform my great desire Of Glorifying Thee Praising Thee Blessing Thee For all the Riches of thine eternal Love In the Redemption of the World Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Goodness In giving thy Son I should never have understood That thou givest us all things Had I not seen the Excellence of thy Love In giving all Things In making them Meet to be heavenly Treasures And giving us Powers endless to enjoy them I could scarcely have believed The giving of thy Son But now with Joy I praise thy glorious Name Because having made me In the best of manners Which is in thine Image To enjoy all things I know thou hast Redeemed me By the Death of thy Son And feel in my self a Nature answerable to the greatness
Bosom all the treasures Of God Angels and Men Make all the enjoyments of Kingdoms ours Teach us to enjoy all thy Works and Holy Ways In the best of manners In the fulness of their service To Angels and Men Direct us to the End for which we were Created Are answerable to the Nature and Powers Of our Souls Shew that thou lovest us infinitely Since thou hast given us all things Among those in those by those thyself Are Laws sit for the Bride of God Articles of Marriage between us and thee The Copy of thy Bosom The Commentaries of Heaven and Earth Teaching us how they are all to be enjoyed Ordinances of thy House for the Sons of God Consonant to thy Nature Suitable to thy Works The very Laws which Angels keep in Heaven Requiring duties that are the Works of Glory Fixing us to thee Making us to live here in Heaven Even thou O Lord By Goodness inheritest thy Self and all Things Is it not my Joy Is it not a part of the beatifical Vision To see how perfectly thy Goodness loveth us How it enjoyeth all things for our sakes O God I love thy Goodness Delight in thy Nature Rejoyce in this that thou takest perfect pleasure In glorifying thy Wisdom And Power infinitely So to exalt us Who will not delight in being beloved of thee Yet that is all which thy Laws require When we are commanded to love thee To love thy Goodness To rejoyce in thy Favour To prize thy loving Kindness according to the Value And Glory of it Who being infinite Love Love unto us Exaltest thy Sovereignty Exaltest thy Wisdom Exaltest thy Power In all places of thy Dominion To Magnifie thy Sons To Adorn thy Bride To Enrich thy Servants Thy Laws O God Are the perfect Laws of Right Reason Nature speaks them Eternity rewards them Reason asserts them Wisdom suggests them Interest and self love doth prompt them Thy Benefits oblige us to them The Beauty of Holiness is exceeding Wonderful In one act all Gratitude Obedience together Goodness Blessedness together Wisdom Glory together To prize all things according to their value being The Perfect Work of Right Reason The Fulfilling of all Laws The Answer of all Obligations The Payment of all Gratitude The Way to all Rewards The Fruition of them Whereby we are in one Thy Servants Sons Thy Bride Image Objects of Delight to Almighty God The Joy of Angels The beautiful Possessors of Heaven and Earth Advanced to thy Throne Crowned with thy Glory By prizing we receive all thy Treasure By feeling we enjoy it By valuing we feel it By enjoying it We Glorisie thee Acknowledge thy Goodness Admire thy Power Fullfil the Work for which we were made Satisfie thy Design Accomplish the End of the whole Creation Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way How marvellous is thy loving Kindness O Lord How great is thy Goodness whichthou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thouhast wrought for them that put their trust in thee before the Sons of Men Having laid infinite Obligations upon us Thou commandest us to be Happy And With infinite Rewards recompencest Those That keep thy Commandments How excellent are thy Laws to me in particular They Require all Angels Cherubim and Men to delight in and promote my Happiness They command Kings Emperours To take care of and love me Wise Men Apostles To take care of and love me Patriarchs Prophets To take care of and love me Saints and Martyrs To take care of and love me Among Cherubim and Angels Command them to love and delight in all those whom I love and whom as my Friends and Brethren I love to see beloved delighted in and honored Command me those Duties which make me a Sovereign a supreme Blessing a Delight an inestimable Joy to the whole World Require me to do no other things than those only whereby I enjoy my supreme Happiness Make me a Delight to God himself who rejoyceth to see me enjoy his Happiness Command Cherubim Angels and Men to do me those services every one of which is More Sweet More Profitable More Amiable More Delightful More Satisfactory Than Seas of Amber Mountains of Pearls Thousands of Gold and Silver Which Works are To Love each other To Praise God To Behold his Works To Enjoy his Blessedness Ordaining them each to live perpetually in the Similitude of his HOLY LIFE Which is an endless Sphere of beautiful Delights Prepared for the enjoyment of me his servant O my God! Thy Laws are so convenient for every Soul As if they were prepared for him alone So perfectly promote the happiness of all As if nothing were regarded But the Publick Peace of the whole World They banish all things Evil from the Earth Anger Malice Injustice Oppression Covetousness Ambition Cruelty Pride Disorder War Those bitter Roots of Gall and Wormwood That would spoyl even Heaven being there They introduce all things good And profitable to Men Order Humility Love Wisdom Knowledge 〈◊〉 Justice Contentation Peace Security Joy Glory Establish the Happiness of all the Earth Make all things conspire for each others felicity Create a Benevolence in every Soul to all the World Make all the Sons of Men In their Actions Thoughts and Persons Like the holy Angels All A Blessing to each other All Like God the enricher of our happiness The world a Paradice Every one in it the heir of it They interpret and enrich the Works of God Which by serving all are serviceable to each While we like God Above the Sun the Stars the Skies Are a mutual Joy in all Generations And Thee Which is the greatest Benefit of all Being faithfully kept they allure to dwell Well pleased among us O make me to understand the way of thy Precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Disguised Duties Real Joys Having prepared for us such inestimable Treasures Nature it self requires us To See the Beauty that is in them To Love their Goodness To Rejoyce in their Glory Thy Laws are exceeding Righteous because they require what Right requires Infinitely Righteous and strangely so Because they command what Reason Wills What Wisdom it self Nature urges Thy Goodness by commanding us to live happily having shut up in one all Perfections It is Right O Lord That we should Understand thy Love Be sensible of thy Benefits we receive from Thee Answer the Obligations that lie upon us Live in thine Image towards all thy Creatures Prize every thing according to its Value Satisfie the Powers of our immortal Souls By sixing them on their proper Objects in a Blessed manner Do that which leadeth us to Bliss Accomplish the End for which we came into the World Be Delights like Thee To thine Eternal Majesty All these in one Work do thy Laws command How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth
Ps. 119. 103. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Ps. 119. 131. Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy Statutes Ps 119. 12. They make us blessed By teaching our Souls to imitate thee At midnight will I rise up to give thanks unto thee for thy Righteous Judgments Ps. 119. 62. I will delight in thy Law I will speak of thy Testimony before Kings I will meditare in thy Statures They satiate the Powers of our immortal Soul Ambition with the Honor of all the Angels Coveroushess with the Riches of Heaven and Earth Love with the goodness of God all things Make us fit for the Throne of Glory By making us a Joy to all Angels Kingdoms Ages O give me Understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Ps. 119. 34. O Lord I beseech thee give me love unto thy Laws Delight in thy Laws Meditation on thy Laws Right Understanding of thy Laws And entire obedience unto thy Laws If my delight had not been in thy Law I had perished in my Trouble Hallelujab Thanksgivings for the Beauty of his Providence THY Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy Faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds Thy Righteoushess is like the great Mountains thy Judgments are a great Deep O Lord thou preservest Man and Beast How excellent is thy loving Kindness O God therefor the Children of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings They shall abundantly be satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasures For with thee is the Fountain of Life and and in thy Light shall we see Light O continue thy loving Kindness to them that kdow thee and thy Righteousness to the upright in heart Let not the foot of Pride come against me and let not the hand of the Wicked remove me There are the workers of Iniquity faln they are cast down and shall not be able to arise Ps. 36. Let us with all the Saints in the Church Triumphant Sing The Song of Moses the servant of God And The Song of the Lamb Saying Great and Marvelous are thy Works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy Ways thou King of Saints Let their Beauty ravish us Let their Farness delight us Let their Goodness enrich us Let their Wisdom please us Let their Abundance transport us Let them ever be such in our Eyes as they are in thine Whose Delights have been in the habitable Parts of the Earth among the Children of Men. O Lord I delight in thee For making my Soul so wholly Active So prone to Imployment So apt to Love That it can never rest nor cease from thinking I praise thee with Joy For making it so wide that it can measure Ages See thine Eternity And walk with thee in all thy Ways It must be busie And it is happy for me Thou hast made it a LIFE like thine O God All Activity Its Rest is Imployment and its Ease is Business Teach me the best and fairest Business Teach my Soul to walk with thee By thinking Wisely Upon all thy Doings Let me never rust in 〈◊〉 or Sloth Nor sleep in Death Nor 〈◊〉 my self with Vanity Nor 〈◊〉 my self thorow with needless Fears or Sorrows We are always Desolate while our Souls are Idle But when our Thoughts are employed far and near upon then glorious Objects then are we encompassed with Festivals of Joy Solemnities and 〈◊〉 Blessed be thou O Lord And for ever Blessed be thy glorious Name For preparing for us in all Ages Perfect Treasures THE WORKS OF THY RIGHTEOVSNESS Are more pleasant to Angels Than apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver O Lord let me be in all my Solitudes As a Jeweller among thy Jewels As a Perfumer among thy Odors As a Servant among thy Treasures As a Son among thy Servants Thine Image and thine Heir Among all thy Works in all Kingdoms and Nations In the dead time of the Night In my greatest Retirements Let all thy Works be neer unto me All thy Ways Thy Wonders Thy Revelations from Heaven Thy MERCIES Thy JUDGMENTS My familiar Joys Let them fill me with Company when I am most alone Fill me with Delights Surround me with Beauty Turn my Retirements into Songs My Days into Sabbaths My Darkness into Day Or into a Night of Joy as in the solemn Assemblies For enflaming my Soul with the Thirst of Happiness For shewing me its Objects and the manner of Enjoying them For causing me to prefer Wisdom above hidden Treasure and to search for her as for Gold and Silver I Bless and Praise thy H. Name The Desire satisfied is a Tree of Life Had I never thirsted I should never 〈◊〉 valued nor enjoy'd WISDOM I know by experience that she is better that Rubies And all the things I can desire are not to be Compared with her She putteth on my head an ornament Of Grace A crown of Glory she giveth to 〈◊〉 Prov. 4 9. Maketh me a possessor of all thy Joys Bringeth me to the Store-house of thine everlasting Riches 〈◊〉 me in Paradice Surroundeth me with Flowers Yea with all the Delights in the Garden of God May Lillies compare with the Souls of Men Perfumes with Virtues Gold with Affections Crowns with Ages Temples Cities Kingdoms are in my ways Coronations Triumphs Victories surround my Feet No ways strewed with Lillies Pearls and Diamonds can equal these I. These sweeter far Lillies are No Roses may with these compare How these excel No Tongue can tell Which he that well and truly knows With praise and joy he goes How great and happy 's he that knows his Ways To be divine and heavenly Joys To whom each City is more brave Than Walls of Pearl and Streets which Gold doth pave Whose open Eyes Behold the Skies Who loves their Wealth and Beauty more Than Kings love golden Ore II. Who sees the heavenly antient Ways Of GOD the Lord with Joy and Praise More than the Skies With open Eyes Doth prize them all yea more than Gems And Regal Diadems That more esteemeth Mountains as they are Than if they Gold and Silver were To whom the SUN more pleasure brings Than Crowns and Thrones and Palaces to Kings That knows his Ways To be the Joys And Way of God These things who knows With Joy and Praise he goes The Souls of Men and Holy Angels are my delights How endless are thy Treasuries How wide thy Mansions How delectable my Joys Many millions of Miles from hence The Sun doth serve me The Stars many thousand Leagues beyond the Sun The morning Stars and Sons of God Abundantly beyond them all Nor is there any Bounds of my Habitarion The inestimable Presence of Almighty God Endlesly extendeth protracting my Joys And with an Eye from Infinity Beholdeth my Soul The Sun of Righteousness is my perfect Joy Mine Understanding seeth him In the highest Heavens In every moment I see Eternity Conceived
good no not one Ps. 14 2 3. They know not neither will they understand they walk on in darkness All the foundations of the earth are out of course Ps. 82. 〈◊〉 O Lord thy word testisieth What my experience seeth That the Sons of Men Err in their hearts From thy holy Ways The Glory of thy Kingdom they cannot see The Blessedness of their Estate None will regard Nor behold the Brightness of Thine eternal Treasures Nor how near they are to Thine eternal Love The glory of the Earth is Stainedby Sin Oppressed with Tares Spoiled with Briars and cursed Thorns But more with the corruptions Blindness of sinful Men. Errors of sinful Men. False Opinions of sinful Men. Wherein according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience They all walk In the Lusts of the Flesh In the vanity of the Mind Having the Understanding darkned Being alienated from the life of God Through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4. 17. 18. With one consent they wander up and down To polluted streams And will not refresh their Soul With living Waters The riches of thy bounty Which with infinite liberality Thou freely givest They disregard By that means turning the world into a 〈◊〉 Wilderness Of Owls and Dragons That thirst after happiness They know not what Seek it they know not where Find it no where They seek it in Gold not in Thee In Silver In Apparel In Feasts In Houses In any thing Little Rare False Counterseit Scarce Unknown But in the high Estate to which already they are by thee exalted they find no pleasure The freedom of thy Love hideth it from their Eyes The Truth and Commonness of thy Glorious Works They cannot see The daily Continuance and presence of thy Riches maketh them despised The Greatness of thy Wealth not understood Thou preventest us With the pure Blessings of thy Goodness Their Endlesness Excellency Abundance Service Variety 〈◊〉 Compasseth us about Yet Blmdeth our Eyes They Grope in Darkness Wander in the valley of the shadow of Death Are estranged from thy Treasures Err from Thee Hope for any End of their vain Endeavours Never attain any Rest in their feigned Riches Escape imaginary Wants But still increase Conceited Poverties O Lord they have drown'd not only themselves but the world also In Destruction and Perdition Covered it with Snares With Chains of Darkness Woes and Miseries By their false Opinions False Opinions concerning Happiness Till thy Word came and shined among us That plainly sheweth The Glory of the Father Bringing us back To the true Treasures Causeth us to see That we are already exalted And that it is not by seeking what we want But by enjoying what we have That we are truly Blessed Thy Word alone Extricateth our Souls from all their Snares Our Wants are none Thou hast wrought all things already for us Were a Sun that shineth Now to be created Millions of Gold would be thought Too little His Beams more Necessary Than the approach of Angels Are now Despised Being by reason of their presence not understood They animate our Blood Beautifie the World Give light to the Day Warmth and Spirits Without them no Morning Flowers Waters Springs could be But all the World a Cave of Datkness Death and Misery Which an Angels presence cannot mend Thy Laws thy Works thy Ways Thy Revelation from Heaven The Excellencies of our Soul The Endowment of our Body Thy Tender Love Thy Truth and Faithfulness These are the Riches Thou hast prepared for the Poor For Creatures cut out of Dust and nothing To these thy Word reduced us again That shining Light Infinitely more precious and Heavenly than the SUN That Holy Fountain Of Living Waters Refresheth the Soul Even of thy Holy Angels It self is a Treasure worth innumerable Millions of Gold and Silver A Book which thou hast sent To me from Heaven To Detect the vanities of this wicked World To Guide my feet into the way of peace To Shew me the Treasures of eternal Happiness To Elevate my thoughts Purifie my heart Enlighten my eyes Refine my Soul Direct my Desires Quicken my Affections Set my Mind in frame Restore me to thine Image Call me again to Communion with Thee In all thy Goods and Treasures O Lord thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name It sheweth me the Greatest and Highest Things Bringeth my Soul cut of Prison Leadeth me in the Paths of Blessedness and Glory Teacheth me to ponder upon the Works of thy Hands And to Meditate upon thy Laws Day and Night To speak of the might of thy terrible Acts To talk of thy Doings O my God every Day will I bless Thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever Ps. 141. 2. All thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall Bless the Ps. 145. 10. I will sing of Judgment and Mercy to thee O Lord will I sing And talk of all thy wondrous Works Ps. 145. 2. The Sons of Men hast thou given Me The Heavens and the Earth and all that is therein Thy manifold Wonders Ancient Miracles Laws Promises H. Oracles and Blessed Revelations In thine Image to be enjoyed Thy self and All Things The best of Treasures In the best of manners I Acknowledg thy Gift Thy Heavenly Gift And I adore the Wisdom and Glory of the Way whereby thou givest me the H. Bible To deliver me from the darkness of the disordered VVorld I needed O Lord a Book from Heaven I longed to receive it And panted after it with my Expectation Which above my Hopes Was already sent Before I was born A Book inclosing the best of Tidings the wisest Counsels the newest Revelations Heavenly Discoveries the profoundest Depths the highest Wonders the rarest Miracles the most glorious Examples the treasures of Wisdom the richest Promises the joys of God Divine Affections the greatest Encouragements Halclujahs Raptures Shewing us How Man is Magnified In Covenant with God Lord of his Works His Son and Friend Ministred to by Angels Admired by Cherubims Made for Heaven Called into the Glory of Almighty God Ordained for his Throne Redeemed by his Son Shal rise from the Dead Be made Immortal Overcome the World Be more than a Conqueror Inherit all things O Jerusalem Jerusalem Hadst thou known at least in this thy Day the things that concern thy Peace But now they are hidden from thine Eyes Had you seen Oh! ye Sons of Men the High Estate of your ample Glory how would you have been ravished Ye that are Crowned with Loving Kindness and Tender Mercies Beloved of God more than Himself Doth he not love his Son as Himself Tendered as his Eye Exalted above Angels In all things magnified by his Eternal Love as much as wisdom Goodness Power infinite could atcheive By all his Counsels Laws and Works exalted As in the Death of Jesus Christ. O my God I give thee Praise For
Blessedness of Heaven How dreadful the Fall of every Sinner How bottomless and infinite The Abyss of Misery How endless and unsearchable The Sphere of Mercy O my God since thou hast made me to be thy Friend Having made me thy Son in capacity That I might make my self so in Act By rightly using the power which thou givest me Without which it is impossible but that thou shouldest be displeased with thy Work Since the only Duty thou enjoynest me Is to live in thy Image And to be like thee To all thy Creatures To delight in thy Goodness And to enjoy thee in all thy Works Since thou leavest me to my self only for my Happiness and perfect Glory And art willing to save me In the best of all possible manners And nothing less than the best Can agree with thy Nature I acknowledge that if fail in so fair a Covenant and refuse to please thee in such a Duty The natural result of it is That I should be tormented for ever I be seech thee to forgive me what is past according to the infinite greatness of thy tender Mercies To remember that I am a sinner prone to evil And to give me thy Grace With all holy care watchfulness and Diligence To do that glorious work without intermission Whereby Thy happiness is enjoyed Thy Spirit delighted My Soul saved Crowned in thy Kingdom Advanced in thy Bosom Thanksgivings for God's Attributes Sing unto the Lord a new Song and his praise from the ends of the Earth ye that go down into the Sea and all that is therein Ye I sles and the inhabitants of the Earth Let the Wilderness and the Cities lift up their voice the Villages that Kedar doth inhabit Let the inhabitants of the Rock sing let them shout from the top of the Mountain Let them give Glory to the Lord and declare his praise in the islands Isd 42. 10 11 12. Forhe hath made my Soul In the Image of himself An understanding eye That like an open day Shall at once be present in all places Though because he is invisible By bodily eyes he cannot be seen Yet hath he manifested himself His Essence Wisdom Goodness Power In all places of his Dominion To the Understanding In the Fabrick of my Body Nature of my Soul Glory of the World Blessedness of his Laws soveraign Providence Miracles and Wonders O Lord I am satisfied with the fruit of thy Lips with the works of thy Hands And now I ascend to thine Eternal Glory To see the Treasure of thy Divine Essence Which thou hast hidden for us Since the beginning of the World men have not heard nor perceived by the Ear neithe hath the Eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him The Fountain it self is sweeter than the Streams O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with Majesty Who coverest thy self with Light as with a Garment who stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain Ps. 104 1 2. That Greatness Majesty Light and Glory hast thou made to be the enjoyment of every Soul Thy Soveraignity and Dominion is the glory of my Soul Thou hast made them 〈◊〉 by pleasing me perfectly and advancing me 〈◊〉 them O the beauty of thine infinite Kingdom It is impossible thou shouldst ever be without the eternity of infinite Wisdom The fathomless Treasury of unlimited Goodness shineth here more than the Sun in the very Heavens The Zenith and Nadir and the Poles of Power in all their Altitudes That infinite Wisdom Goodness Power are wholly mine in all their activities atchievements Glories Made so by the infinite workings of infinite Wisdom Goodness and Power In every Soul supreme in thy Kingdom Crowning mine O my God who could have made every Soul among innumerable millions The end of all things Every one King of all thy Kingdom Can every one be higher than all the rest One mans exaltation here upon Earth is the depression of another But in thy Kingdom every ones advancement the exaltation of all Every one highest Yea more than this Infinitely more than we can ask or think More than Supreme More than 〈◊〉 More than Sole More than the end of all things hast thou made every Person living in thy Kingdom My Soul is ravished with the elevation of thy Joys Sing O ye Heavens for the Lord hath done 〈◊〉 shout ye lower parts of the Earth break 〈◊〉 into Singing O Mountains O Forest and every Tree therein Isa. 44. 23. For the Lord is wonderful in the midst of his Saints It is strength to my Navil and marrow to my Bones to consider the perfection of thy Doings H. H. H. Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy Glory All the supremest and grearest Heights are easy to thee easy tobe seen through easy ' to bee understood Impossibles Impossibles overcome and attained transport and amaze us with delight and wonder Every one supreme Every one solel every one Soveraign If that be impossible what is it O Lord to be more than so All the beauty of Holiness in thy Kingdom is the Sphear of my delight and pleasure for ever To see thee magnified by all thine Hosts who art the Fountain and Author of all their Glory is my perfect melody joy and glory Thou hast made them mine by making them to please me to please me voluntarily and freely in their actions by praising thee Thine infinity thine eternity the exquisite perfection of thine Omnipresence are all mine in all their operations Because thou lovest me thou givest me thy self Thine eternity by creating me for had that not been I that was nothing should have had no beginning Thine Omnipresence in upholding me For without thee I should return into nothing Thine infinity by enlarging me enabling me to consider the infinite spaces beyond the Heavens where thy Divine Majesty more especially dwells But in giving me to see the Original of my being to understand my foundation and discern that by which I am enlarged Thou hast given me thine Eternity Infinity and Omnipresence in another manner As the object of mine eye Themes of my Praise Causes of my Joy Subjects of Complacency Grounds Yea Crowns of Glory Being infinitely present in every place thou makest me perceptive and I see thy Giory Being infinitely present in every place thou art exquisitely so and wholly there O Lord I admire the perfection of thy Presence the incomprehensible excellency of thine Omnipresence wholly every where I admire the effects and Glory of its attainments For by it alone art thou infinitely communicative Thy Wisdom it is thy Goodness it is and and thine Almighty Power it is one O Lord with all thine Attributes Thine infinity resideth in every Centre therefore in my Soul which were it not there I could not behold Thine eternity and infinity are both the same both are present in every moment therefore in me All the conceivable parts both of thine Infinity and
shall I be delighted in all thy Glory And be so much pleased as if thou went only glorified for my sake And all thy Sons that glorify thee shall be my Treasures O give me grace here upon Earth to glorify thee To be tender of thine Honour and to delight in thy Praises Since at all this expence thou magnifiest thy Friend and makest me so O let me not debaso my self as low as Hell by stooping down to Earthly principles but live like thee an understanding life and faithfully accomplish the work of Love O let the perfection of 〈◊〉 Essence always ravish me Who could'st never need because never be without all thy Joys Let thy loving kindness continually be before mine eyes With joy let me suffer the reproaches of thine enemies in defence of thy Glory Let it be delicious to me to die in thy service My Joy that thou Reignest blessed in Heaven No life pleases me but the similitude of God No Riches but thine O Lord. All are thine rightly understood Let nothing satisfy me but all Eternity And all within it Since men upon earth live in darkness and are infinitely beneath thy glorious ways Let me never be subject to their vain opinions but ever mindful of thee my God To walk in thy ways is to contemplate their Glory to imitate their Goodness to be sensible of their Excellency A Thanksgiving and Prayer for the NATION REmember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people O visit me with thy Salvation That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine Inheritance O Lord my God thou hast compassed me with Mercies on every side The Fields and Valleys Being truly seen are inestimable treasures The beauty of the Skies a magnificent joy To him that was nothing Created but yesterday Taken from the Dust To Day Half an hour since This very moment Rivers Springs Trees Meadows Even dry Land it self Clouds Air Light and Rain The Sun and Stars Are wonderful works Filling me with cheerfulness Made to serve us I praise the O Lord for the delights of Eden Such are these Among which were I alone like Adam Being wise I could not be 〈◊〉 But thou hast compassed me With innumerable Treasures Pleasant for variety Of infinite value Surmounting the created World 10000. fold The World is a Case Containing Jewels A silent Stage A Theatre for Actions Made for innumerable ends In all which thy fatherly wisdom hath shewn it self But O my God empty Cases Cabinets spoiled are dum shews The Jewels O Lord and Scenes and Actions These are the Treasures which most we prize The delights we esteem The Crown of Pleasure For the sake of which Cabinets were made Theatres erected Cases valued O Lord spare thy people Spare thy people O my God! Those Jewels in thy Cabinet those Persons on thy Stage that fill the World with wonderful Actions Make me a Moses to thee them Nehemiah to thee them Ezra David to thee them Did mine interest speak Could my heart understand it Did I see the value of all my joys Rivers of Tears running down mine eyes day and night would not suffice for the slain of my People O be not wrath very sore Let mine interest enflame me But thy goodness more Let Wisdom speak that respecteth me But Love cry out with groans unutterable For thy Mercy and Long suffering Unto this my people O Lord mine will be the loss I the sufferer My Bowels torn by those Wars My Bosom the Stage of those Calamities What ever love therefore thou bearest to thy Servant whom thou hast made a little lower than the Angels And Crowned with Glory and Honour For thy Servants sake be thou gracious to thy people Visit me with the savour which thou bearest unto them Shew it O Lord in their preservation We have sinned with our Fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly We understood not thy wonders Nor remembered the multitude of thy tender Mercies But provoked our God continually Both at Land and Sea Nevertheless he saved us for his own Name sake that he might make his mighty power to be known That we might see the Glory of his loving kindness And that the goodness of God might lead us to repentance But we have been all day long a stiff necked and rebellious people When thy hand is lifted up they will not see In the Land of uprightness we deal unjustly and will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. We are infinitely seared Waxed fat and unsensible And what shall we do in the end of it The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel is a brutish People that will not consider My God hath nourished and brought up Children that have rebelled against him Ah! Sinful Nation a people laden with In iquity a seed of evil doers Children that are corrupters They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger they are gone away backward Why should ye be stricken any more Ye will revolt more and more O my God! I see it plainly Neither Mercies will melt us Nor Judgment afright us Nothing soften nothing astonish us Nothing cause us to turn unto thee Thy Mercies we value not Under thy judgments are grown insensate Nothing less than the infinite multitude of thy tender mercies are able to bear with us any longer O my Bowels are yet lockt up Cannot ye be sensible of their Incorrigibleness Do what thou wilt in Judgment or Mercy We are Desperately bent to grow worse in Wickedness O Lord I confess the worst that can be spoken of us The worst that can be done have we atchieved Thy long suffering O God I importunately crave unto this people Of absolute Grace O thou in whose hands are the hearts of Kings to turn them as the Rivers of Water Rule the heart of thy chosen Servant our Royal Sovereign incline his Will to walk in thy way and make him thankful for evermore That in his prosperity we may walk in peace Convert him wholly unto thee O Lord Raise up Zerubbabels and Joshuahs Magistrates and Priests Careful Parents Of tender Bowels and contrite hearts That may endeavour the reformation of my peculiar people Leave a remnant always among us And for our Childrens sake that shall be born Throughout all Generations That these future Off-springs Of peculiar Treasures Whom thou infinitely esteemest May augment thy Kingdom O Lord if thou spare my life And give it me for a prey wherever I go Yet I shall be the sufferer in my peoples ruin Shall Nettles grow up in our pleasant Palaces Brambles in our Treasuries Owls and 〈◊〉 dwell in our Temples Briars and Thorns in the rubbish of our Stones O my Lord let me rather be blotted out of the Book of the living than be so bereaved Robbed of my Children Spoiled of my Glory Let them not lay