let Which doth not onely to the eyes give light But also to our eyes he giveth sight Guesse at the brightnesse of the King of Kings Wherâ— Angels vail their faces with their wings Whose eyes are dazled 'fore the glorious Throne Where his Majestick brightnesse on them shone If at the fight of Christs humanity The nat'rall Sun as then shall dark'ned be As some dark light when brighter doth appear His light Divine must needs be much more clear If on the life of God we contemplate Ours is as dust and dung so vile of rate Mans life 's a fluxe and hath of parts succession But God at once hath all his in possession He who desires comparingly to know Gods life from Mans at Sea doth ebbe and flow The Sea with some small Brook he may compare At so great distance differently they are The Sea is very great the Brook but small Seas keep their bounds but Brooks keep none at all The Sea is owner of her floods in store The Brookes have none but from the Seas before Gods life and mans are semblant in such sort God's infinite Man 's as a moment short His life consisteth doubtlesly in rest And all at once is instantly possest God's all â—n all his life depends on none Our life our all is from our God alone Earth as it was before doth earth become The Spirit Gods gift to him returneth home Gods knowledge is a pit that 's so profound That humane reason cannot reach nor sound God knowes all things ev'n such as yet are not Past present and to come he all doth note We things alternately do here espie But God seeth all at once with his clear eye We see things present why because they be But why things are is God that doth them see For God to see it is as if to will His wil'ls to do all this he doth fulfill Here for to know things we them look upon But God to know things views himself alone Because God's absolute and perfect wise All Modells are transparent to his eyes And in his will as Judge he doth deâ—â—â—e And sentence every chance what it shall be His holinesse it ought to be admired The Saints and Angels have not like acquired Ev'n as Gods Word the highest Heav'n doth call The Heav'n of Heav'ns for it incloseth all Others inferior and of lesse degree Within the highest that included be So God is nam'd by proper appellation Holy of holies in his heav'nly station Of Creatures holinesse a quality is all But God is sanctity it self substantiall God's self is holy are men or Angells no If they prove Saints 't is cause God makes them so Justice 'twixt God and Men we ought to know Men are deem'd just because just things they do Contrarily in God they are just things Being done by him on whom all justice hings Wherefore hee 's just for this no other cause Working his will prescribed in his Lawes Which in his Mandates us he sets before Still to obey observe for evermore And to our minde he doth the same impart And it engraves within our hidden heart He loveth justice truth and equity He hates the workers of iniquity He rootes out lyars and the men doth hate That thirst for blood he doth abominate Of his great goodnesse what ought we to say Which loves them hate him and do go a stray By which upon the just and wicked crew Daily his Sun doth shine and still râ—new By which he powrs his blessings down in rain Into their mouthes which do blaspheme his Name In chief this goodnesse that 's so infinite Shines in his Sonne his onely dear delight This Sonne before all time he did beget Eternally he him begetteth yet Sonne of his Father yet of equall date Both infinite and both interminate Eternall wisdome word essentiall God everlastingly beatificall This Sonne whom Esay calls the eternall Father Would make himself the Son of man the rather That we might be Gods children noâ—â—orlorn He was content in Stable to be born That we might have of Heav'n the full fruition ' Mongst beasts was born in poor and low condition He who er'st was and is of life the bread Did suffer hunger that we might be fed He who 's the Well of life he did not shrink To thirst himself that we might freely drink He who is life it self was pleas'd to dye That we might live and that eternally All this for Creatures vile which did rebell That he might free them from the jawes of hell These are the depths of grace no bottome hath We understand not we must reach by faith These recreate our hearts cause admiration Likewise no lesse adds to our consolation Here are the highest Tests can be exprest Of Gods great love to man so manifest The riches of that grace Angels admir'd To pry into have earnestly desir'd Now to what end may all these sayings move us But to love God who did so greatly love us And to admire the treasures of his grace With such like joy as Saints that see his face O God since that thy greatnesse hath no end Which dust and ashes cannot comprehend Thy bounties boundlesse past imagination Our Spirits are stopped with this contemplation Our words much lower are then is our mind Our thoughts beneath the truth are still confin'd Of this Gods greatnesse speak we stammeringly Our praises thee abase and villifie We draw the picture of the Sun most bright With a black Coal the Embleme of the night O God raise up our Spirits and Souls to thee And if our knowledge shall too feeble be Inflame our love with such an ardent zeal As thy pure Word is pleased to reveal Thou pleas'd to be our Father by dilection O touch our hearts with filliall affection Thou that dost daily give us apt occasion Of loving thee addict our inclination Though we be poor in means uncapable Thou only canst make us most acceptable All these and many more considerations Ingage our love by numerous obligations These raise our Spirits not for our selves to love This God but for his sake it doth us move Our God he duplicates this word it 's I it 's I For mine own sake saith sinners shall not dye His Church he doth resemble to a flock Which bears his name and his peculiar stock He safely guards her both by night and day Least she to Sathan should become a prey The third degree is not onely to love God above all things and more then our selves but also not to love any thing in the world but for Gods love THe third degree it is our God to love As both in Heav'n and Earth all things above And in this world what ere our God did make Nought must we love but onely for his sake This world hath many objects that we find From loving them we cannot stay our mind Yea on account it would be reckoned ill If we should not hold on to love them still A Father loves his Children and a
The love of God OR Love Divine Being the subject of these ensuing Meditations Collected out of Mr Gorings English Translation originally penned by Peter Du Moulin Preacher to the Reformed Church in PARIS Digested into Divine Poems by William Wood a Native and free Citizen of the Citie oâ— York now resient at Ekington in the Countie of Darby Printed at York by Tho Broad for the Author 1656. To all that love God especially the Magistracie Ministery and Commonalty of the Honourable Citie of Yorke and famous Town of Newcastle upon Tyne The Prologue York gave me birth Newcastle gave me breeding Blest be they both for love Law Cloth and feeding Having out liv'd the years of seventy four So that my seeing sence can see no more To Write or Read or to discern a Letter Yet still to Heav'n I stand oblig'd a Debter For lack and losse of this my nat'rall sight God gives me better his internall light As Vnderstanding Will and Memory His love to land his Name to glorifie My heart bethought me what I ought to tender For Gods great love 't was love for love to render Therefore on love Divine my meditations Come next in place with lovely Contemplations W Wood. Divine Poems Of true and false love LOve hath her Objects either false or true Which all our spirits restlesly pursue That which is pond'rous here in massive things Love in our soulâ— the same effect it brings As weight bowes earthly bodies to their rest True love allures our souls to that is best This love is that which gives the soul content Which in esteem is super-excellent Whereas false love is meer imagination Irregular and wild'ring agitation A whirling gadding giddy endlesse motion In true love's lore which hath no spirituall notion Such is fallacious love fil'ld with this dyet Of ill digestion breedeth much disquiet And 's often weary often doth despair Which is no rest because 't is clogg'd with care Deâ—ire doth still continue for a fit Like a tiâ—'d horse which often gnawes his bit The most desire the thing they least can do What they obey it often works their woe If we with ease enjoy that thing we love This we distast and often dis-approve That which we covet and atcheive with gain The lucre's often lost proves void and vain For worldly love resistance sets on fire And nuâ—st with dolour danâ—eth our desire If gâ—zing man shall fix his wandring eye On Mundane pleasures which in hast do flie All passe away but as a glimpse of glory The richest Geâ—â—m is worthlesse transitory Instead of durance stable firme content A Chain of cares turns to his detriment Linked together for his future woe For will he nill he Providence saith so The gravest sweets are sometimes sower and tart Befool the gust and fatuates the heart Riches and honour vain and worldly pleasure Do wast or wain or 's rapt by casuall seizure Uncertain are we of this worlds possession But sure we are to leave it to succession If these by casuall means they do not leave us Death shall at last of all our all bereave us These are imparted on the wicked train For no end else but to augment their pain Man to expose his love to things below Is as to chase the wind each where doth blow For when these things as good may termed be Thei 're frail and finite every hour we see The mark-man when the fowl in ayre doth flie Can take no aim by levell of his eye Nor we assurance have in pomp or pleasure By our designes to gourmandize base treasure For we must search for rest some other where Then on the earth in Heav'n we 're sure 't is there For as the lower Regions in their kind Are mixt with vapours tempests storms and wind But that approacheth nearer Sions hill Is calm and quiet peaceable and still So shall our love be restlesle wanting peace Whiles terrene troubles cause this love to cease But if in Heav'n she aim to build her nest In 's precious promises she shall find rest And for this cause the Pilot close doth stand Near to the Card to save from shelf and sand His floating ship lest that she should be wreck't By needles point he doth his course direct In semblant sort each faithfull Christians heart Amidst confuse afflictions noisome smart He shall enjoy those joyes shall never cease In that his love aims at the God of peace Which is the onely object of our love Most absolute the Saints do all approve This love can make us lovely for that she Can make us happy in a high degree And which alone and absolutely caâ— Most happy make the wretched state of man Man's ear nor 's eye hath heard nor seen nor 's heart Can comprehend what God will hence impart On those in chief sincerely do him love His speechlesâ—e mercies that 's reserv'd above Gods love doth move mankind to admiration For that mans soul is made Gods habitation His pleasant Palace which he likes full well His Spirits fair Temple where he loves to dwell This Maxime Athens Schooles did first ordain That God or nature nothing made in vain Mans boundlesse thoughts surge as the Marine flood Nothing can saâ—â— it but the Supreame good Which here on earth the wisest never found Must be in Heav n transcending this vast round Adde hereunto that God the world did frame For mans own use and man to blesse his name Amongst the various formes of every creature God made us men according to his feature In stature formed staight erect upright Lovely and comely in his Makers sight That he might love his God whose forme he bears Lift his desires above the Starry spheares Adde that we cannot gain the Spirits perfection Untill the Spirit of spirits unite affection Which to the creature doth communicate His vertue as the Sun in clearest state Darts forth his beams and doth his lustre lend To lower Lights which do on him depend True love is that which doth transform the Lover Into the thing beloved and no other Now if a man deform'd in 's extern part Love a corporeall beauty in his heart Nâ—'re shall he by that love correct his own Defectivenesse which generally is known Contrariwise by loving God we shall Be like to God who is our all in all As in a mirrour plainly we do see God face to face and changed then are we Of love 't is said that beauty is the first Hot spark or flame that sets this love on thirst Considerately we shall discern and see What we call love doth not with truth agree But such a love that 's superficiall Which covereth filth is but extrinsicall But God 's that light all beauties doth excell Whose radient rayes no mortall tongue can tell God being then the first and purest light Paternally of shining Lamps most bright By consequence Heav'ns Oracles have proved That he 's the light most worthy to be loved Yet humane wisdome much doth disagree With that 's
Divine it hath no sympathie For the Philosophy that 's naturall With Nat'ralists is deemed best of all Contrarily the Scriptures do declaâ—e That nat'rall love with heavenly holds no share For since that Sathan hath defac'd the Image Of God in Adam and in Adam's Image Man's turned towards the world in his desires From heav'n to earth his groveling thought retires Our carnall thoughts our Mundane base delights Hold enmity against the God of spirits If any one have grace his God to love The gift's not ours but God's that dwells above Therefore our Jesus saith in 's Gospell Law None comes to him except his Father draw And blessed 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 Did pull us out â—idâ—usâ—ful 〈…〉 The sacred verity of this 〈…〉 inâ—â—râ—'d We must love God bee use he lov'd us first This also 〈…〉 and firmâ— effect Of Gods true love if 〈…〉 Next under heaveâ—◠〈…〉 wâ— should require More then this grace to love with whole deâ—â—â—â— For to the faithfull this doth testifie That God with 's love his soul shall satisfie This lov 's the very first effeâ—â— of faith Traceth Gods image as the Scripture 〈◊〉 It is the mark and 〈…〉 For they are endow'd witâ— love and filâ—ull fear This love 's the soâ—â— of vertues 〈◊〉 and othâ—â— Hath soveraign eminenâ—◠〈◊〉 elder brother She sits as Judge our 〈…〉 regâ—leth Summs up the La◠〈◊〉 Judgâ— and 〈◊〉 This love sustaineth 〈◊〉 did Sâ—â—phâ—â— A ladder that can each â—â— high as Heaven She 's peace of consciencâ—â— yâ—elding that content Is superexcellently 〈◊〉 Yea it is such I dare â—ith boldnesse say Gives us a â—aste of Heav'n â—â— this our day It here begins the uâ—â—on endlesse â—â—st Communion with God amongst the blest Our thoughts and muse in this sweet meditation Cannot soar up to higher contemplation For what is thâ—â—â— thâ—n God that iâ— so grâ—â—t Or then his love to tell on oâ— to â—eat The profit likewise surely is no lesse Then it is sweet which no tongue can expresse Men are not good nor bad because that they Beleeve and trust but that they do obey 'T is said they 'r good even those that love good things None else is such but God the King of Kings Who not alone in goodnesse doth transcend But makes there so that love him to the end Let 's be instructed by Gods holy Spirit That 's love it self so shall we heav'n inherit And which will form our heaâ—â—â— unto the frame Of reall love and not a love in 〈◊〉 Least we should take a love corporeall In lew of love that 's true and spirituall An itching love that is importunate A furious heat our brains in 〈◊〉 â—â—ate To wit of vices that 's extrâ—â—mly ill For chief vertueâ— which God's â—ests fulfill A brutish sicknesse 〈…〉 For a perfection that 's Angell 〈◊〉 'T is doubtlesse 〈◊〉 of him that shall dispose Himself to love his God iâ— one of those Neglects all base and by considerâ—â—ions For serving God with willing inclinations Though he incurre the worlds malignant hate He 's not dejected nor 〈…〉 Starts not nor shrinks for all 〈…〉 disdain This worlds harsh hatred bringâ— thâ—e â—ndlesse gain Earths brittle pleasures Heav'ns afflicting rod Do work the weal of them which love their God Evills turn blessings not to onâ— bâ—fall Whom God shall scourge with stripes corporeall The bodies sicknesse proves a speciall cure Unto the soul the Magi hold it sure Heavens high Phisitian by 〈…〉 skill Can cure with poison that waâ— wont to kill His strokes are balm as holy David saith Matter of patience for to try our faith The passive sufferer meekly bears his Crosse And for Gods cause he values not his losse Theâ—e sufferings are like scarrs upon the face And honours man received in bloody chase Conformities unto our Captain Christ As Christian soldiers numbred in his list And all through under propping of this love Tartnesse iâ— tempâ—red that it sweet doth prove And maketh us entirely to rejoyce Some one will say and thereto doth assent Thâ— love of God'â— a verâ—ue excellent And that to love him we before must know What is this duty which to him we owe And that our knowledge here is most obscure Both dimme and dark bemisted and impure Yet in no wise we must forbear forget To study knowledge that 's before us set Our Ignorance must have no toleration Nor cause neglect in God's negotiation Of God although our knowledge be but small It us incites to love him therewithall One glimpse of his most radiant rayes and gleams Exceeds the Sun with his most splendent beams The knowledge knowing God with dark'ned sight Surpasseth nat'rall and the Gentiles light So if a prisoner do in dungeon lye And at a think some beam of 〈◊〉 espyâ— By that he knows the beauty of the light Which comforteth the silly Captive wight The petty portion and the 〈◊〉 of skill In knowing God whose fulnesse all things fill Sufficient is for to delight our taste With 's excellence above the Heav'ns plac't And with his love our souls so to enflame His love alone gives cause to blesse his name Besides God's knowledge that 's made known to any May savingly sufficient be to many The debts we owe to God by obligation For 's goodnesse in his love 〈◊〉 admiration Are fully set forth to â—â— in his Word As sacred Oracles the same record Which Paul the convert preaching hath not spared But Gods whole Councell unto us declared The fiâ—st degree of the love of God is to loâ—â— God because of the good which he doth â—â— â—â—d which 〈◊〉 to receive of him THe first and lowest step is God to love Mercies received hereto may us move On this degree David did much rejoyce Blessed his God because he heard his voyce For so it must be truly â—nderstood God will be lov'd in thaâ— hiâ— doth us good It 's God that made preserves and doth us guide Instructs our souls for bodies doth provide Redeems â—s by his Son next by his Spirit He sanctifies us Heaven foâ— to in hâ— it Directs us by his Word him for to serve Makes us his friends we shoul'd not from him 〈◊〉 Yea ev'n his children with himself 〈◊〉 Such love like this as yet 〈◊〉 ever none Plato in his blind way to God 〈◊〉 thanks For three things which he harshâ—â—â— in their raâ—ks First making him no Beast but made hi◠〈◊〉 Next born a Greek and no 〈◊〉 Yet to his lustre more to make it shine He termed was Philosopher Divine We that in quainter Schooles have been instructed In better wayes of prayâ—e have 〈◊〉 conducted His name of us ought also to be blest For three things likewise which are here exprest First that in mercy men he did 〈◊〉 make Next that of holy truth we do partake Thirdly ' mongst those who Christians called 〈◊〉 He makes us faithfull on â—â— through his ow◠〈◊〉 A fourth â—e'l adds that by his own decâ—â—â—ing He did adopt 〈…〉 world had bâ—â—ing For if a