Let thy sober will Be sway'd by reason let thy reason still Lead thee to meditation then begin To search thy self and cypher up thy sin Having thus done thou quickly wilt discry Thy grief and where th' imperious humors lie And having found them out let no delay Damage thy Soul but quickly haste away And from the bottom of thy heart confess Thy greatest sins so Heav'n may make them less O kiss the Son for if his anger be Yea but a little kindled blest is he Whose groping Soul his seal'd up mercies found And cast his anchor in so firm a ground Heav'n smiles on them whose oft-repeated pray'r Expands their sins makes their God their care But when revolting negligence shall call Confounding ruine from th' imperial hall Of Heav'ns high-seated Palace and invite A dreadful vengeance to eclipse the light Of a resplendent happiness and double The lab'ring Soul with interposing trouble Ah then our pleasures shall be turn'd to toys And sudden grief shall expiate our joys And like Jerusalem confus'd shall we Wander and languish in obscuritie Then then our down-cast spirits shall lament And moan their just deserved punishment Then shall our Peace be drawn unto an end Then shall we look for but shall find no friend Then shall our sad Embassadors prepare And mount to Heav'n but find no audience there Then shall our blubber'd eyes in vain let slide Innumerable tears then shall the Tyde Of Heav'ns high-flowing anger rage and roar And dash against our sin-polluted shore Then shall we run and in our running meet Th' obvious sword in the blood-streaming street Then shall our hasty trembling feet retire To our sad houses there shall Death require Th' arrears of sorrow Lingring Famine shall Like to a lean-cheek'd Fury grasp us all And from our strouting veins shall squeez a flood A luke-warm deluge of diffused blood Then shall our children with their midnight cries Lament for food Then shall their mothers eyes Bedew their bosoms with the falling showres Of dribling tears Then shall their lothed hours Haste to an end And having thus exprest Their woes shall creep into Eternal rest Then shall the early melancholly Bells Sound mournful peals for their sad last farewels Ah now my Soul Can any griefs out-vy Such griefs as these Can any heart deny The justness of these Judgments If they do May they feel Sodoms and Gomorrahs too Heav'n cannot be unjust No no 't is we Provoking sinners are unjust not he Shall we offend and shall we every day Hale down his Judgments on our backs then lay The burthen of our faults on him and cry Like Traytor Judas Master is it I No no we must not but let every one Vnbosom all his actions and make known His misdemeanors then if any can Plead himself guiltless he 's a happy man Find out but ten good men and for their sake Heav'n will deduct a thousand plagues and shaâ—â— Ten thousand more from his incensed brest And for their sakes will give ten thousand rest Sodom can witness Heav'n brooks no denyal He had sav'd all had ten been found but loyal Oh blind and foolish is that City when Ten thousand doubled cannot number ten CHAP. III. Contents 1 The faithful bewail their calamities 22 By the mercies of God they nourish their hopes 37 They acknowledg Gods Justice 55 They pray for deliverance 64 and vengeance on their enemies 'T Is I have seen affliction by the rod Th' impetuous anger of the wrathful God He with a pitchy darkness mask'd my sight And hath not cloth'd me with the robes of light He turn'd his hand against me all the day He broke my bones and made my flesh decay His lab'ring fury hath built up a wall Against me and surrounded me with gall In dungeon places he me set like those Which in their graves have had a long repose And he hath made my toilsom chains to be Heavy He hedg'd me from my libertie And when I shout and cry he will not hear But makes my pray'r a stranger to his ear He hath inclosed me with stones that stay My hasty steps he hath incurv'd my way And as a lurking Bear observes my paces Or as a Lion in the secret places He turn'd me from my ways disturb'd my state Pull'd me in pieces made me desolate He bent his Bow and made my trembling heart The aym'd-at object of his fatal dart He caus'd his quivered guests t' inforce my veins And take a large possession in my reins I was my peoples laughing stock their song Was tuned to my mischief all day long He fill'd me full of bitterness and wo And made me drunk with nauseous wormwood too He brake my teeth with gravel stones and he With heaps of ashes hath involved me Banish'd my Soul from Peace Prosperity Is quite relapsed from my memory I said my strength my very hope is even Wasted and perish'd from the Lord of Heav'n Ponder my woes and my afflictions all Remember both the honey and the gall These things do still in my remembrance rest And ah my Soul is humbled in my brest This I recall to my swift-roving mind Therefore I hope and hoping hope to find It is the mercy of the Lord we sail So safe for his compassions never fail They 're every morning new thy faithfulness Is great and greater then I can express The Lord 's my portion saith my Soul and I Will therefore hope unto Eternity And that just Soul which dayly shall attend Upon the Lord shall never want a friend 'T is good that man should hope and wait upon Th' Almighties pleasure and salvation 'T is good for man to exercise the truth And bear the yoke of his offending youth He sits alone and silently makes known He bears no other burthen then his own His humbled mouth salutes the dusty ground As if some hopes of mercy may be found He 's fill'd with shame he willingly invites T'a second stroke the hand of him that smites For they that strive and really endeavor God will not leave nor cast them off for ever He will have pity though he sends a grief In multitudes of mercy lies relief He doth not punish nor augment the smart Of sinners children with a willing heart His feet take no delight to crush to death Th' offending pris'ners of th' inferior earth To turn away mans right his heart abhors Before the face of their superiors And to subvert a man in his just cause The Lord approveth not 't is not his Laws And who is he whose spend-thrift tongue dare say This thing shall come to pass when Heav'n says nay Out of the mouth of him that 's God indeed There doth not evil but known good proceed Why doth a living man with grumbling thoughts Complain as one that 's punisht for his faults Let 's search let 's try our ways let 's turn again To God and he will turn away our pain And let our hands b'extended with our Souls To Heav'ns
33. When I consider how I have offended My Souls dread Soveraign and vili-pended His gracious promises I much admire He casts me not into eternal fire But he in mercy makes me kiss his Rod Tells me I am a creature he a God MEDITAT. 34. Consider well my Soul why hast thou breath Since that the wages of thy Sins are death Thou hast deserv'd ten thousand times to dye But that thy GOD whose mercy doth deny A Sinners death reprieves thee for a time To make thee know the greatness of thy crime MEDITAT. 35. O meditate my Soul what Heav'n hath done For thee that art his most rebellious Son He hath prolong'd thy days and striv'd to win And draw thee from the lothsomness of sin Admired patience O indulgent care Mercy of Mercies how can Heav'n forbear MEDITAT. 36. Have I offended and shall I despair Oh no I dare not Ah my Soul forbear To harbor such a wickedness but know When thy sins ebb Gods mercies overflow His mercy is an Ocean and thy prayer Is th' only wind can raise a tempest there MEDITAT. 37. Then pray my Soul and let thy prayers reveal Thy bosom sins O think not to conceal A crime from him that is the God of Truth And knows the sins of thy offending youth Ah know my Soul the more thou striv'st to smother Thy sins the more one sin begets another MEDITAT. 38. Can Sin the Souls consuming Viper lie And lurk secure from Heav'ns all seeing eye O no 't is vain to think so though that we Are muffl'd up with sin yet Heav'n can see O then confess my Soul and thou shalt tread And trample on the Vipers poys'ny head MEDITAT. 39. But can Confession in it self obtain An absolute forgiveness Can we gain Heav'n by a sigh O no my Soul express A perfect sorrow when thou dost confess Then let resolved Constancy endure And thou my Soul shalt truly rest secure MEDITAT. 40. Dost thou my Soul desire to be partaker Of those celestial joys wherewith thy Maker Crowns those endeavoring Souls which study still To be obedient to his sacred Will Examine well the Scriptures they will show The ready way then practise how to go MEDITAT. 41. Let thy innocuous Meditations be Serious and fervent let integritie Still wait upon them which will still defend And guard thy actions to a prosperous end Then shall thy labors have a peaceful rest Then dayly labor to be dayly blest MEDITAT. 42. But have a care my Soul left malice chance To interpose it self and so advance Above thy patience and disturb that peace Which might have blest thee with a large increase O have a care this be no fault of thine Remember who hath said Vengeance is mine MEDITAT. 43. Dost thou desire my Soul that Heav'n should say Thy pardon 's seal'd and I will blot away Thy numerous sins nay and I will no more Remember them as I have done before Then learn my Soul to know whilest thou dost live He that will be forgiven must forgive MEDITAT. 44. If thou wouldst go to Heav'n my Soul go on Not as the sluggard of wise Solomon Be not so timerous as he to say There is a Lion lurking in the way Go on with courage let the way delight thee Then shall the Lion grumble and not bite thee MEDITAT. 45. The wise man saith that sluggards shall be cloth'd With rags and all his actions shall be loth'd And he that 's willing to obtain a prize Must be laborious and have watchful eyes My drouzy Soul make Heav'n thy prize then strain T' out-run thy sins and so thou shalt obtain MEDITAT. 46. When on the ladder Jacob did discry The Angels in his dream he saw them fly Vpwards and downwards which was to express How much they scorn'd and hated Idleness Then learn my Soul how to ascend apace From sin to the perfection of grace MEDITAT. 47. What was the reason Peter wept Nay why Did he go out and weep so bitterly Could he not weep within Did he not dare Before the wicked to disburse a tear By this example Peter makes it known Who truly grieves desires to grieve alone MEDITAT. 48. Hast thou my Soul with persecuting Paul Envy'd the Church Hast thou conspir'd her fall Why then my Soul wilt thou despair 'T is true The crime is great and GOD is gracious too A light may shine from Heav'n and thou shalt be With Paul converted from thy Tyrannie MEDITAT. 49. Hast thou with thrice-denying Peter cry'd I know him not but stubbornly deny'd The Lord of Life what then the Cock may crow God may look back upon thee and bestow His liberal blessings Then my Soul deny Thy sins with Peter and weep bitterly MEDITAT. 50. But was it not my Soul a sad disaster That Peter should so soon deny his Master For whose dear sake led lose his life O what A sudden change is this I know him not Nay more as if he thought this would not do He binds it with an oath forswears him too MEDITAT. 51. What was the reason that the Lions when They entertained Daniel in their Den Did rather fear then hunger Nay how can Destroying Lions fawn upon a man My Soul there was a Lamb that tam'd the Lion And made the Den prove Daniels safest Sion MEDITAT. 52. Advise my Soul and how could Daniel live Impris'ned in the Den and none to give Him dayly food How could he rest at quiet Without th' enjoyment of some slender diet When Heav'n commands his Angels they shal feâ— A Soul my Soul that Soul can never neeâ— MEDITAT. 53. 'T was Faith that guarded Daniel from the paws Of dauntless Lions whose imperious jaws Were ty'd by Heav'ns appointment so that they Forgot their Tyranny and learn'd to play My Soul with Daniel truly think upon Thy God and Faith shall be thy Champion MEDITAT. 54. Did great Goliah fall Could he not stand That was so strong against so weak a hand Could not his armour nor his storming power Maintain so mean a Combate half an hour Here here my Soul observe and thou shalt find An armed body but a naked mind MEDITAT. 55. But how did stripling David dare to show His childish face before so great a foe He had no armour on nor sword to shield His body yet he fought and won the field Here here my Soul observe and thou shalt finâ— A naked body but an armed mind MEDITAT. 56. Be sure my Soul when e're thou shalt begin To war with the Goliah of thy sin Take Davids armour and thou shalt or'ethrow Thy sin with a most advantagious blow Boast not too much but with bold courage fight The pebble-stones of Faith fly always right MEDITAT. 57. Faith is the arm of safety which defends The Soul from all approaching harm and lends A sword to fight with Satan who may venter To make a thrust or two but cannot enter Gain thou this arm of Faith my Soul and then Thou mayst out-dare a Lion in
Physician And if God once deny his Patient bliss Whose must the fault be when the fault 's not his Alas alas 't is but in vain for any To strive to cure one grief that had so many As sad Jerusalem had her plagues were more Then all the world could reckon up before She had a Monop'ly she need not borrow She was the Hierogliphick of all sorrow Yet if in time she 'd made repentant moan Heav'n could have cur'd them all as well as one There is no Sin let it be great or small But Heav'n can find a balsam for them all My Soul thou art my Monarch therefore I May boldly look into thy Monarchy First praise thou Heav'n then learn to be content With what he sends thee let thy government Be still Monarchical and fenc'd about With fervent prayers to keep Sedition out Let watch and ward be kept lest Traytor Sin Betray thee Let not Faction come within Thy lists And still be careful to surprize Rebellious thoughts as soon as they arise For if they once appear within thy borders They 'l breed confusion and confus'd disorders Learn to be wisely politick and be Ready to let Religion counsel thee Let Reason be thy guide and let thy Laws Be truly executed Let thy Cause Be just and real then my Soul be sure To let thy fundamental Laws endure Till he that sits on the refulgent Throne Shall take thee hence and keep thee for his own CHAP. II. Contents 1 Jeremiah lamenteth the misery of Jerusalem 20 He complaineth thereof to God BEhold Heav'ns Metropolitan hath spread His gloomy clouds of anger on the head Of sad Jerusalem He hath destroy'd Those bounteous treasures Israel enjoy'd And from his mem'ry hath his footstool thrown When he with floods of anger was o'reflown And Jacobs habitations he unfram'd And wrathfully consum'd them Thus inflam'd The strongest Castles Judahs Daughter had He tumbled down and made her people sad And he to shew what his grand power could do Defil'd the Kingdom and the Princes too His two-edg'd passion hath cut off the horn And Chief of Israel made him a scorn To his deriding Foes and also stayd Yea and withdrawn his right hand from his ayd His fury like an all consuming flame Burn'd against Jacob and devour'd his name His wrestless arm hath bent his yeelding bow He stood resolved like a dauntless foe And in the Tabernacle he hath flew The eyes delight like fire his anger flew He threw down Israels strongest scituations And fill'd Jerusalem with lamentations And like a fruitless garden hath layd voyd Th' infected Tabernacle and destroy'd Th' Assemblies structures and an angry wind Hath blown their Feasts and Sabbaths from his mind Both Kings Priests in anger he forgot And look'd on them as if he saw them not His holy places and his Altar he Abhor'd and gave unto the Enemie Her fairest Palaces their ill-tun'd voyces As on a feast-day fill'd the Church with noises His hand stretch'd forth a line when he intended To ruine Sion that so much offended He hath resolv'd destruction therefore all The rampart languish'd with the gliding wall He hath destroy'd and batter'd down her grates The gaping Earth imbowel'd all her Gates Her King and Princes dwell with Gentiles and Her Laws are banish'd from her lawless Land Her Prophets gaze about the frowning skies Do represent no vision to their eyes Her mournful Elders on the ground repose And silently consent unto their woes They cloth'd themselves with sackcloth and they crown'd Their heads with dust they borrowed from the ground No joys were pleasing to the eys of them That were the Virgins of Jerusalem My bowels yern my tear-distilling eyes Are sore with gazing on the miseries Of frail Jerusalem Alas the feet Of her dear sucklings stagger in the street And like the wounded in the City send Their sighs for food unto their dearest friend And whilst they slumbred on their mothers brest They pour'd their Souls into eternal rest What shall I witness for thee O thou Gem Thou pining Daughter of Jerusalem To what shall I compare thee What can be O Sions Daughter equal unto thee Let all the world recure thee if they can For Ah thy breach is like the Ocean Alas thy purblind Prophets all have been Hoodwink'd with folly vain things have seen But ne'er discover'd thine iniquity Which was the cause of thy captivity Their mis-informed senses were content To see false Reasons for thy Banishment All that past by and saw thee thus decaying Clapt their rude hands yea hist at thee thus saying Is this the City that the wordlings call Beauties perfection This the joy of all Thy foes revile thee and as they pass by They gnash their teeth against thee thus they cry This is the day we look'd for now we know She is destroy'd we see her overthrow That which the King of Heav'n devised now He hath enacted and fulfil'd his vow He hath thrown down without remorse O see Thy adversaries triumph over thee This hath th' Almighty done for them at length He made thē strong yea advanc'd their strength They mov'd the Lord with their uncessant cries O wall of Sions daughter let thine eyes Run down like rivers give thy self no sleep Forget to smile and practise how to weep Arise and in the silent night bemoan Thy grief O cry unto th' Almighty One In the beginning of the watch implore Thy growing sorrows make a flood before Th' Eternals face O crave that he would please To sent thy young faint hungry children ease Consider Lord to whom thou 'st done this great lie This unrepented ill Shall women eat Their span-long children Shall thy slain Priests Tomb'd with thy Prophet in thy Sanct'ary The young and old have shar'd in equal harms They lie and tumble in each others arms Upon the flinty streets my Virgins fall With my young men the sword disliv'd them all Thus in thine anger hast thou struck them dead Thus hast thou kill'd and never pitied As in a solemn day my terrors round About thou 'st called so that none was found In the Lords day of anger to remain Those that I swadled and brought up in vain I brought them up the enemy infum'd Envy'd this off-spring and their days consum'd Meditatio in Capitulum SEe see my Soul what Heav'n hath done O see What 't is t' offend a pow'rful Majestie Go go and quickly tell the sons of men What 't is to rouze a Lion from his Den Bid them keep peace and quietness in Sion Bid them turn Lambs or Heav'n will turn a Lion Bid them take notice she that was the stem Of honour now is poor Jerusalem Alas alas experience made her know Griefs abstract and the quintescence of wo And ah my Soul who knows the course of sorrow There 't is to day it may be here to morrow Then have a care let thy well tutor'd grief Know rather how to purchase a relief Then plagues and torments
Star-chamber where our God controuls We have rebelliously transgrest and thou Thou hast not pard'ned with a cheerful brow Thine anger hath o'reshadowed us thou hast Slain without pity we thy anger taste Th' ast vail'd thy self with clouds which will not let Our prayers pass thorough to discharge our debt And as th' off-scouring thou O Lord hast made us Amongst those factious people that betray'd us Our greedy enemies have op'ned wide Their mouths against us and our pains deride Fear like a snare incloses us about And desolation will not keep without Mine eyes run down like hasty floods of water For the destruction of my peoples Daughter Mine eyes are full and tears do stream upon My cheeks without an intermission Till Heav'n look'd down on my enriver'd face And view'd my weeping from his holy place Mine eyes affect my pining heart with pity Because of all the Daughters of my City And causless like a frighted bird that flies I still am chased by my enemies They have destroy'd me in the dungeon nay They cast a stone upon me where I lay Th' imperious waves mounted above my head And then I cry'd Alas alas I 'm dead I call'd upon thy Name O Lord my voyce Out of the dungeon made a dreadful noise Th' ast heard my cries Oh let thy ears not lie Hid from the breathing of my doleful cry And in that day when I on thee did call Thou cam'st and bid me never fear at all And when my Soul O Lord was fil'd with strife Thou didst both plead my cause and save my life And thou hast plainly seen my wrong'd estate Judg thou my cause be thou my Advocate For thou hast seen their vengeance thou dost see Their deep imaginations against me Thou their reproach hast heard and apprehended What against me their busie thoughts intended Thou know'st the very lips of them that rose Against me and the malice of my foes Behold their sitting and their rising I Am all their musick and their melody Render to them a recompence O God And let them feel thy handy-work thy rod O give them grief of heart O let them burst With dregs of sorrow let them be accurst And let thy angry persecuting hand Destroy confound and sweep them from the Land Meditatio in Capitulum COme come my Soul do not obnubilate Thy self with smoky pleasures nor create More vain delights to please thy toyish minde Be serious now let pleasures be confin'd Th' Almighty's angry and his angry Breath Expresses nothing but resolved Death His wrath is kindled and his furious hand Threatens a ruine to a sinful Land His bow is bent behold he stands prepar'd T is he 't is he that will not be out-dar'd And should his roving messenger impart A secret sorrow to a private heart What then Can all the balsams may be found â—ecure so great so terrible a wound No no O then let thy discerning eye â—e truly watchful for discovery â—ft-times prevents a mischief he 's a stranger â—o Heav'ns high Court that thinks t' outbrave a danger â—ehold my soul thou art inviron'd round â—ith troops of adversaries hark they sound Their vilifying trumpets hark they mock And make thy sorrows but their laughing stock Dost thou not hear them how they shout and cry As though they 'd cleave th' unseparable sky O be not deaf rouze up thy self advance Thy backward thoughts sleep not in ignorance Provoke not Heav'n too much O do not still Vrge more and more his most unwilling will Observe but how unpleasantly his arm Draws up his bow as one that 's loath to harm Methinks I hear him say O can ye tell Why will ye dye ye house of Israel Methinks I hear his never-ending breath Breathe a disdain against a sinners death Methinks I hear his grieved spirit say Ye that are weary come O come away And lay your burthens on my back and I Will bear them all I 'l bear them willingly Why will ye dye why will ye shut your eyes And thus run head-long after vanities Open your Adder ears come and rejoyce With me and mine let my harmonious voyce Invite you Ah what pleasures can accrue From shadows to such substances as you Cast off the works of darkness let true light Expel those mists O come when I invite What do ye mean O tell me tell me why Ye love to tumble in impurity Ah now my Soul let admiration prove That Heav'n's compos'd of nothing but of Love O Love beyond expression My deserts Rather then Mercy claim a thousand darts Call home thy wandring thoughts and let them all Like servants be obedient to thy Call Examine them the very best will show Thy best deserts are but an overthrow Review thy actions see if they can yeeld One grain of comfort see if they can shield Thy threatned state The more men strive to smother Their sins the more one sin begets another Then fly dull soul to Heav'ns high Court there Melt melt into an everlasting tear Attone thy God let not thy tongue deny The truth to him when he shall ask thee why Why hast thou done this wickedness Confess 'T is thou hast sinn'd 't is he that must depress That head-increasing Hydra Then shalt thou â—ehold with what a voluntary brow He 'l entertain thee and those joys impart To thee which wait upon a contrite heart He will have pity though he sends a grief In multitudes of mercy lies relief The God of Love did never take delight â—o mantle sinners with the clouds of night â—e's an indulgent Father and his care â— infinite as all his mercies are Compose thy numerous thoughts my Soul and run O tell that Father thou wilt be his Son CHAP. IV. Contents 1 Sion bewaileth her pitiful estate 13 She confesseth her sins 21 Edom is threatned 22 Sion is comforted HOw is the gold grown dim how is the fine The purest changed that was wont to shine The stones that pav'd the Sanct'ary are thrown Into the streets for beasts to trample on The sons of Sion which I could compare To finest gold behold see now they are Esteem'd as earthen pitchers which the hands Of the industrious Potter still commands The ill-shap'd monsters which the Ocean owns As proper guests nourish their little ones But ah my Daughters are grown pitiless Like Ostriches within the wilderness The wordless tongues of thirsty children cleave To their unliquid mouths they never leave Their integrating cries Poor hearts in vain They cry for food but can no food obtain And they that fed upon delicious sweets Are desolate in the unquiet streets They that were brought up in a scarlet dress Embrace a dunghil as their happiness For ah my peoples Daughter suffers more For her great sins then Sodom did before Her beautified Nazarites could show A purer white then milk whiter then snow Their bodies then the rubies were more red With shining Saphire were they polished But now their changed visages excel The coal in
distress We buy our water O unhappy fate And purchase fuel at too dear a rate Our necks are persecuted and unblest And still we labor but obtain no rest Unto the Egyptians we our hand have spread Desiring to be satisfied with bread Our buried fathers sin'd in former times And we have born the burthen of their crimes Servants have rul'd us and there 's none that will Deliver us but let them rule us still With peril of our lives we have obtain'd Our bread because the sword was unrestrain'd Our skins are black like to an oven and dry Because the Famine caus'd a Tyranny Sion and Judahs daughter have been led Away and violently ravished Princes are hang'd up by the hands the faces Of Elders have no honor but disgraces They made the young men grinde the children blood Fainted beneath the burthen of their wood The Elders at their gates did not abide The young mens musick too is layd aside The joy is ceas'd which was our hearts relief Our active dancing 's turn'd to passive grief The crown is fallen from our heads and wo Wo be to us that have offended so Our hearts are faint and our suffused eyes Are dim because of these calamities Because that Sions mountain's desolate The foxes walk thereon to recreate Themselves But thou O Lord shalt sit on high Upon thy Throne unto Eternity Wherefore dost thou forsake us and demure Thy self so long from us that seem secure Turn thou and we are turn'd Lord we implore Renew our days as thou hast done before But thou hast quite rejected us and thou Beholdst thy servants with an angry brow Meditatio in Capitulum COmplaining what is that will that relieve Impris'ned souls or teach theÌ„ how to grieve Tell me sad Soul can greater wants converse With flesh and blood nay what more lasting curse Can be entail'd on man then to complain To such an ear as will not once retain The least expression of a grief but cry Let woe attend him to Eternity O dismal sentence and if this be all 'T would grieve a man that e're he griev'd at all To be thus harshly answer'd and excluded From hopes of mercy Be not thus deluded Despairing Soul Jerusalem 't is true she did complain And was that all O no her tongue did chain A prayer to her Petition and her eyes Were dayly trickling for her miseries Where is that man that if he chance to be Deprived of his goods by robberie Will sit complaining by himself and try No lawful means for a recovery Of what he lost should we not deem him mad To lose that good which might be easily had If sought This Proverb calls it to my minde He that will spare to seek must spare to finde Even so if Satan whose depriving pow'r Shall take a watch'd advantage and devour The Manna of our Souls shall we then say 'T is gone 't is gone Satan has stoln 't away And ah can these these naked words recal A lost estate O no 't will but enthral Our happiness the more and make our grief The more extream admitting no relief My Soul if Satan e're shall make attempt Vpon thy weakness lab'ring to exempt And win thee from thy self go and make known Thy cause to Heav'ns Judg-Advocate bemoan Thy self with tears complain confess and pray God loves confession but abhors delay Run run unto him that thou mayst prevent The wrath and censure of his Parliament Go go for there thou shalt be sure to finde Abundance link'd together in one minde There is no faction no divisions there But all are setled in one hemisphere Of true Opinion There is none t' expect A bribe or else without a bribe neglect To agitate thy business or exact Vpon thy guiltless conscience or enact Their several humors There is none to bring Thy Soul in danger 'cause th' ast lov'd thy King Thy heav'nly King by whom thou shalt possess A true and no excised happiness O endless joy a joy that far transcends The deepest thoughts a joy that never ends Be ravish'd 0 my Soul and meditate Vpon Jerusalem Let her sad state Be as a caveat to thee let her fall Teach thee to stand let her detested gall Prove honey to thee so mayst thou derive Thy welfare from her sorrows and survive In everlasting bliss Peace beyond measure Shall crown thee with vicissitude of Pleasure Play well thy game and so will Heav'n extend His liberal grace and bless thee in the End DIVINE MEDITATIONS MEditation we may fitly call The Souls Arithmetitian summing all Our sins together Nay and every day Cyphers them up and teaches us to pray Then let us meditate and strive to do What our Arithmetitian leads us too He that will true examples learn to give First let him learn to dye and then to live Prefer the surest first for you and I Vncertain are to live but sure to dye MEDITAT. I. PElion is fallen upon Ossa's back The more I cry for help the more I lack There 's none will look upon me how I lie In the Charybdis of perplexity Escaping Scylla O I thought I 'd been Past danger but Charybdis was not seen MEDITAT. 2. I 'm now benighted and obscur'd from light My day of pleasure 's turn'd into a night Of clouded sorrow Grief comes sailing on Steer'd by the hand of my Rebellion Heav'n stop his passage may he never rest Within the harbor of my tender brest MEDITAT. 3. What have I done or what have I deserv'd That I am thus imprison'd and reserv'd For death and sad destruction Nay but why Why do I ask what I have done To dye To dye 't is too too little could a worse A worse succeed I have deserv'd the curse MEDITAT. 4. I have displeased Heav'n where shall I fly To hide my self from his offended eye If rocks or caves could hide me from my sin There there I 'd go and hide my self within The bowels of the Earth till Heav'n should say The night of sin is gone and now 't is day MEDITAT. 5. What if I storm'd Heav'ns Paradise with prayers â—nd so besieg'd it with an host of tears What if I undermin'd and layd a train â— blow it up with sighs 't were but in vain â—storm besiege all is but labour spent Except I could as David did Repent MEDITAT. 6. â—â—pent O what a sound that word imports 〈◊〉 how it penetrates How many sorts â—f Ecchoes answer it Repent of all â—e that leaves one repents of none at all â—e that will learn how to repent and when First let him strive to be a David then MEDITAT. 7. â—nd art thou still disquieted my Soul â—â—ust thou in God in God that doth controul â—â—th Heav'n and Earth 't is he that must and shal 〈◊〉 fear'd and honor'd yea and lov'd withall â—is he can send Jobs torments and his wo 'T is we must pray to have his patience too MEDITAT. 8. Fain would I come before my angry God But that my sinful years