Then never think it strange to see us grieve When he is gone who should our heart relieve Nor strange to see him forc'd for to retire But rather wonder that he should appear And through the latters lend a friendly blink When he perceives the fainting heart to shrink And rather think it strange that so remisse We prove in searching what the quarrel is Of such desertions as the heart do vex And with dejection do the sp'rit perplex I do confesse believing were the best In quietnesse and confidence to rest But saving faith to holinesse adheres And guarded is with many filiall fears And out of love is ever sorely moved When evidences are of love removed Though you conversant are and so inured In heav'nly matters and so well secured Can stand before the gates of hell and make Your progresse yet the weak may stumbling take For in this case much grace we take to be Hopefull sincere in heart humilitie And studying to make out a true disjunction From every motion can obstruct that unction Whereby we be conjoyn'd in that communion With our dear Lover in a sp'rituall union So as by grace grafted in him we grow Up by that influence that from him doth flow Untill we be into his image formed And most devotly to his will conformed But you appear so prudent that therefore We leave to be consider'd lesse and more These our essayes at your command pursued To be by you corrected and renewed And as ye do think meet in time and place Compos'd and right applyed to the case Samuel Helena Sam. MOst precious people saved and secured By force of felt and fervent love allured Your conferences free I have been hearing And do approve and for your better clearing Do certify that your most Princely Love These actings in his children doth approve We who be named gracious be it known No grace but what is giv'n have of our own And by that grace immediatly maintained Converted call'd as you and so sustained The diff'rence only doth consist in this The King his pleasure good was us to blesse â—ince from the womb we came to humane sight To sanctify us by his heav'nly light And separate we be for this effect To do and suffer as he does direct â—ot specially his elect Flock to feed And them unto the living Fountain lead You have been over-hearing what was said â—n reference to this distressed Maid You have been carefull hereby to conceive The myst'ry of her case I do perceive You have been searching out for second causes Which cautioned would be with certain clauses â—ut you are sober and are satisfi'd â—om solide grounds of reason certifi'd And this is right for never one as yet Of soundest and profoundest searching wit In natures secrets by the Physicks poring Or winged with the Metaphysicks soaring Exactly could the causes and effects Matter and form with all their due respects Produc'd by natures infinite variety On severall objects marvelous rariety Conceiv'd by science or by all their Art Ever demonstrate to the thousand part Our princ'ples are with much experience fraught So by our practice we are daily taught And new essays are set on work again More light by new discoveries to attain Our King the God of Nature only knows The nature matter form effects and cause Of all things for by Him they are and shall Bring forth his glory and our gladnesse all This Microcosme Man a world contains Of various parts his Maker all maintains And this great world in all its sev'rall acts Subservient unto mans up-making makes Bodies celestiall in their sev'rall Spheres And all that to the Firmament adheres In all their various courses contribute To our continuance comfortable fruit What herb fruit flow'r beast fowl or fish there is But bend their best concurrence to our blesse The weak the strong the bitter sowre and sweet The hot the cold in their degrees compleat In all their concords and their sympathies Discords divisions and antipathies Find mater for their master Man to make Him see they do his service undertake And who can doubt but man immortal might Have stood if not deprived of that light Deservedly which in his soul did shine And did all knowledge necessar confine His present being to preserve if he Preserved had his prime integrity They stand in force but we now fallen blind Judicially death and destruction find Amidst the means of life but yet our King Doth us to light and life from darkness bring So as that now we may most clearly see That ev'ry case we come through doth agree With our condition present presuppose We should much weaknesse under wrath disclose And as amongst the sons of men we find That many are in many things inclin'd Alike none of all Adam's race have been That in all things to sympathize were seen For as we diff'rent in our faces be So in our gifts is great diversity But as all Simples from the earth that grow Or from th' elementary Ocean flow By skilfull composition refin'd Wonders do work when they are well combin'd Ev'n so with men in all their sev'rall motions Deeds dispositions and their various notions There doth result by heavens high decree To our great King a heav'nly harmonie Let it our study deep be to devise The Author of these wonders how to prize How we are wonderfully made to be From nothing and maintained wonderously How wonderfully have we wandred far How wonderfully we reclaimed are Wonder upon that glorious Majesty That shines on all his works so wondrously Wonder upon his condescentions sweet Whereby these wonders with our weaknesse meet Him him who perfect is and infinite Simple eternall essentially compleat Surpassing wonder sacredly adore And in adoring humbly wonder more Wonder upon his wisdomes deep contriving By death to bring thy death-bound lifes relivieng That his eternall Son thy flesh assum'd To ransom thee that unto death was doom'd That he eternally did so delight T' obscure his glory to procure thy light That by th' eternal Sp'rit he us inspires With grace divine faith and devote desires To know believe himself his truth and love And thereinto most loyally to move These be the contemplations best that can Beseem and do become the love-bred man These thoughts sublime can elevate alone The heart soul-savory fruit to feast upon To seal an union and communion sweet In all transcendent love divine compleat With him in heav'n who hath mans nature plac'd And by his spirit us on earth so grac'd Let us suppose that all the worlds of men Stood up on life that ever lived then That every man a different world were Of all things that hath been shall be or are And variously these all were animated With all indowments that have been created These all were also into one compacted And all were in one quintessence extracted Those spirits pure most peircing sure should prove And yet be dazled at this depth of love In darkest clouds this love finds out a
generations hath revived and brought forth from the Womb of Regeneration a fair Family of Believers and by the Gospel-ordinances gathered them into his Garden of grace by the New and Living Way where the Fountain and Well of Life is opened free for all that will come to smell the Flowers and feast upon the Fruits of eternall and unchangeable Bounty infinitely preferable to all their losses where he conversing with them prepares them for the Pallace-Royall the Place of his Habitation where Mansions are appointed for them that they may be where He is that they may see His Glory and reâ—oice in Him for evermore And that as they have born the image of the earthly so we may â—ear the Image of the Heavenly And here is the prime and most precious Subâ—ect of Christian Contemplation where the Believer may expatiate and ingratiate himself in the â—weetest Recreations and Consolations by attaining unto and entertaining of an unseparable communion with God in Christ by the Holy Ghost â—nseparably One and only adorable MAZE 1. for restriction Job 37.33 34 HEnce carnall minds that apprehend Erroniously The Incomprehensible to comprehend most impiously Lights glorious Center inaccessible who can behold Lifes-life eternall unexpressible who can unfold How then shall men come to conceive Of this rare Blesse some do receive By Gods preordinate appointing who be renew'd And by the Holy Ghosts anointing who be indowed Brightly to see that Majesty Of God-Man that great Mystery Of love unto the Elect-seed Whence admiration doth proceed May come and see and so confesse Professe His Name and praise expresse And you who humbled in the sense of wants And search to know the priviledge of Saints May come in faith with reverence and fear See that without this frame you do forbear MAZE 2. for instruction 1 John 3.2 IN all these Mazes where we move The ground we walk upon is love And where we make approachings near Let 's come in reverence and fear Before His glorious Name who is A Beam supream of boundlesse blesse But so resplendent and transcendent To make appear convincing clear Behold this naturall Sun whose gleams doth apprehend us And whose illuminating beams doth comprehend us And thence infer how far The supream Author of this all excels this Star In this all comprehensive name I AM so condescending Eternall simple still the same all comprehending And in Emanuell sweetly seen In this fair Garden ever green Where daily with celestial showrs Be nourished His rarest flowrs Untill He glorifie His grace In such as here do Him imbrace MAZE 3. For incouragement Isa 55 John 1.27 HEre Soveraignity doth shine In condescensions so divine That ye whose lights are now anointed And for these glorious sights appointed On whom the Holy Ghost alone Hes left impressions upon Look in loves Christ-all mirrour clear Where loves sweet mystery does appear Firmly fixed till acquainted Thou be by faith therein indented This is the Mountain of our rest This sweetest Fountain only best Come drink salvation at this cup And on these consolations sup Where pleasures joy and peace abounds And glory to His Grace redounds Who Wonderfull will not conceal His Excellence but does reveal Himself so clear that we may read Him in His Name and on Him feed This Food who tasts shall thirst no more For fading gain or earthly glore But longing still to be translated Where they may be for ever stated MAZE 4. Loves mysterie 1 Tim. 3 1â— YE all who find your selves secure By lively saving faith and sure Who hes smell'd and who hes tasted Who hes felt and who hes feasted On these Love-dazling Mysteries divine Which on our cleared eyes do shine Of Man in God and God in Man Who sp'ritually destinctly scan Humanity still unconfounded With Deity and conjunctly bounded And do before The Unity in Trinity adore Advance that most admired Grace And feed upon that fairest Face For there alone and no where else That Love is found of love that smels That can be feasted on and felt The heart of Adamant can melt It 's life alone to be resolv'd In this this love to be disolv'd Tract it still and be allur'd So shall ye surely be secur'd O for these breathings of this Love That would the whole affections move MAZE 5. The fountain inexhaustible I AM THAT I AM GOD All Glorious I am that pure immense Ens entium Ens. Am I not wisdome infinite and love That omnipotent omnipresent whence I in my justice and my mercy move Am I not that sublime profound Abysse God Trinity in Unity compleat All truth all light all life eternall blesse Glorious holy Father Son Sp'rit GOD Holy Ghost eternall and infinite All Light all Life all Vertue pure compleat Irradiant being by whom all beings be Most blessfull breathings of the Vnity Sublime all-piercing and all-searching Spirit God Holy Ghost Eternall and Infinite E Expressed Splendor of the Deity M Might Majesty admir'd in Man Divine M Mercy rejoyc'd with Justice to agree A And Justice seen with joy in Mercy shine N Nerve of substantial Truth Illustrious fair V Wisdome and Well of Life where beauty springs E Eternall God of God God to declare L Lights Center where all Saints enlightned sings MAZE 6. Loves Labyrinth Eph. 5.23 THe race of man sprung from th'apostate reins deplorable And bitter root that all the branches stains restorable The mystery of man's defecting ponder The mind of God in mans perfecting wonder Perfected man degenerate by defection Defected man regenerate to perfection Adam by nature damn'd when he defected Damn'd Adam now refram'd by grace perfected O happy they may now we say Are such as sees with sp'ritual eyes aright these mysteries And do with reverence adore This Glorious Majesty before Fixed by faith till they prevail By pregnant prying through the vail The root of man elected leads this round And with the fruit of this great mist'ry's crown'd Come then and see the King as ye would live And by believing herein deeply dyve His power and his promise both believe So shalt thou see delight and love and live And with Heav'ns Quiristers adore and sing High Hallelujahs to this Glorious King MAZE 7. Loves mirrour Isa 45.22 LOve-dazled eyes look up and see Where purest spirits prying be And with seraphick love inflam'd You shall by fixing prove refram'd Gods only Son Gods rebell-wrath indure O love alluring Gods Sonship to Gods rebels to procure O large procuring We lay in darknesse till His glory shin'd And now He hes our souls in His combin'd Ingrav'd upon His Heart and Hands we be Ingrafted in His God-Man-Flesh be we Members more made Mates for Marriage loves To Him for whom the whole Creation moves In heaven and earth and hel whose scepter sweyes And dazles humane eyes with divine Rayes This Love all limits far exceeds Of length and depth and heighth and breadth Past comprehension by perusing A tractat for eternall musing Oh that our whole
how far above All finite apprehensions And unconceiv'd dimensions is His unchanged love Essentiall Simplicity Only sublime Infinity Supream transcendent Blesse Eternities unreachable Perfections unsearchable are absolutely His. This is our King He doth us claim And takes EMMANUEL for His Name us for his Spouse redeem'd Who unto sin and satan slav'd He sanctified hes and sav'd adopted Sons esteem'd Who is it then condemne that can The faithfull fruitfull Christian to Him that doth advert Where is that tribulation Affliction or tentation that can procure thy smart In this life Christian canst thou crave Better then did thy King receive since He so well allows Full freedom from these felt annoys And feelings of eternall joyes for all that Him avows Should we not chearfully with fear His dying in our bodie bear with Him who are to live Whose life shall be made manifest In such as purely have profest His Truth and thereto cleave Take courage then let come what can Christ and his crosse O Christian doth now the Crown preceed Delight to see the old man slain The New man form'd in thee again now by the divine seed Reviving Recollections and Soliloquies closing with the song of all Saints Rev. 7.12 SONG IV. O What sore troubles we endure By listning to the lyars lure What rescues rare do we injoy From dangers that should us annoy Bemisted under shadows here See not the perils that appear Till after trials we do track Them to the spring by looking back Darts of destruction daily flees From devils swift like swarms of bees The noysome Pestilence by night Maliciously pursues with might On Scorpions and on Serpents dread And on the Cockatrice we tread But sheltered be and and well preserv'd When they upon their spleen are starv'd And when we any pain abide Is it not when we step aside That on this stage we may fulfill Our task by time the truth untill And we by these characters spell The power that hes no parallel And by observance due do see That He hes an all-searching eye His retributive justice here And mercy precious doth appear Here doth the Well of Wisdome spring Knowledge and truth whereof we sing For in all generations Regions respective Nations In all imaginable places And in all conceived cases To all all times and every one All things are done by Him alone And done so well and wondrously That all men may admiring be And as they do admire adore His Royall Attributes before Whereby in time we timely taste And after time shall ever feast Upon that fulnesse when we shall Himself enjoy in and for all But Oh! How is 't that we can move In this infinity of love In this sublime simplicity Perfections and purity Immutable and all things moving Eternall Omnipotent proving O! What infirmity it is To slumber under so high blesse But Oh! How is 't we are not dying Th' excellencies that passes seeing Hearing knowledge or conceiving Till they come out above our craving When the Members all shall meet Incorp'rate in the Head compleat And as they have preserved been Unsearchably as they are seen Till one by one they be prepar'd And in appointed time declar'd All members moved by the mind Of him to whom they are inclin'd As by the weak resemblance here Of flesh and spirit may appear A fabrick wonderfully fram'd And strangly from the fountain stream'd Compos'd commixt conjoin'd divisive Wov'n var'ously visive invisive Hundreds above in numerous places Which from their office never ceases So naturally by nature led And by the vitall spirits fed Which by the soul her influence pure Unseen is set in order sure And seated in the brain doth move Each member for the mans behove And every instant at her will All powers do their part fulfill And she is every where perfecting Preparing dressing and directing As may make for the common right Wherein she daily doth delight How much more may we then believe Above what here we can conceive Of Him our Head who hes received More spirit then can be conceived And measures out abundantly To every member mightily All sp'ritual graces and anoints us As in His wisdome He appoints us Into our stations as seems meet To Him in whom we are compleat Anone alone that glorious day His Saints He shall so sweetly swey When we in regions ordered are Shining above the brightest Star Or as in constellations standing Minding only His commanding Who only minds the glorious blesse Of God who Universall is O happy day of all delights Wherewith compar'd are nought but nights The best of by-past dayes alone Compact and quintessenc'd in one One glimpse of which desired day Shall all afflictions past defray All anguish and perplexities Digested in festivities Of sp'rituall joyes for ever springing In His face to give us singing Renewing every minut store To raise our notes for evermore When all the mysteries manifold In Heavenly Pallaces inrold To admiration be revealed And nothing can be known concealed Which wondring still then shall we move Wrapt and rapt up in very love When many mighty men shall mourn And unto dens of darknesse turn Who desp'ratly did grace despise And mercy offered could not prise God to offend would not refrain And wisdomes warning did disdain Are now forsaken and in anguish Left eternally to languish And before felt-wrath shall flee Like lightnings sclenting through the skie Under the doom of torments chief Dying ever never relief Where Saints the righteous judgment reads That from their righteous Judge proceeds And all about the Throne the more Him in his mercy shall adore Then judgment just and mercy free The Dâ—apason sweet shall be Of all that Harmony compleat From members seeming infinite Ordered through these vast dimensions Extending over apprehensions And comprehended only be By the infinite Deity About the Throne of Glory then These millions of Elect men Through all that blessed boundlesse bounds With various and with vocall sounds With Angels pure pure Seraphims Exalt their King with holy Hymns For as the soul is full refin'd When glory thereupon hath shin'd So shall the body be made meet For to possesse the Holy Sp'rit By whom these curious Organs may Well managed His praise display In soul and body both to bring All Glory to our Glorious King SONG V. Of all Saints Rev. 7.12 Amen Blessing And Glory And Wisdome And Thanks-giving And Honour And Power And Might Be Vnto Our God For Ever And Ever Amen  AMEN AMEN for evermore Blessing to God whom we adore And to His Name which Glorious is Glory ascend in Glorious blesse And to the adored Deity Wisdome in all excellency And unto Him free Grace doth give Thanks-giving be by all that live And to His all-honoured Name Honour duely do proclaime And to Him who us preserves Power ascribe who power deserves And to the King Almighty high Might and eternall Majesty Be by all the Elect moving Unto God in Jesus loving Our God alone One Holy Sp'rit God
offered unto me the liberty freedom and benefite of a long wished for retirememt I took the opportunity of the time to take notice of the most observable passages of 72. years time passed me Wherein for the space of 36. years from my birth being carried by the swey of mine own naturall and native inclination the concourse of the like company and the current of time and place 1. First in my minority I have had much fearfull proof of what impiety the blind-born fuâ—-born wrath-born brutish atheist is naturally poysoned with and proâ—e unto 2. And secondly after the years of discretion and the benefite of breeding a more fearfull proof of the vanity and deceit of self-confidence upon the ground of civile carriage and commerce 3. Thirdly and most dreadfull of all the conviction of that villany of hypocrisie under a formality of profession After all it being the good pleasure of my God in a time of love by the Ministry of the Word and convoy of the Spirit to clear mine eyes and open mine ears unto a right uptaking of mine own by-past madnesse and misery and of His marvelous long-sufferings and mercy so as by grace might have both humbled me and helped me And now again for the space of other 36. years being under the name of a standing but more properly stammering Professor I have found by better althogh bitter experience that the way of Gods Children through the wildernesse is strawed with innumerable piercing thorns of divers afflictions and variety of temptations And that the most searching tryals and sharpest afflictions are so unseparably conjoined as fire and heat under the exercise of desertion being unto the spirituall man and renewed party a present but temporary hell and yet carrying a heaven in the heart of it Whereas the Fools paradice of sinfull pleasures produces in a short time an everlasting hell And finding that out of the most terrifying and tormenting troubles songs of joyful deliverance were injoyed like sweet out of the strong and meat out of the eater although it should seem to the naturall man a Paradox Yet I shall speak a word to such as are inclining to better clearnesse then as yet they have attained unto That they would make it their study to know that the Child of God after regeneration in whom the seed of Grace is graciously infused by the effectuall operation of the Holy Ghost in the ministry of the word whereby the new Creature is formed in the soul where the old man of the flesh or corrupt nature formerly carried sway without controle that these two parties now in one person being of as different qualities as fire and water dispositions designs desires delights as God the Author of the one and Belial of the other the one being a young and new Intrant the other an old possessor strongly fortified they enter an intestine war with as great hostility as is betwixt Michael and the Dragon Where the new man endures daily incursions by the violence and subtile wranglings of the adversary the advantage of the one proving the prejudice of the other Which conflict being continued in the Beliver there is prepared for beating down the old works of the Devil and purging out the pollutions of the flesh potions and antidots answerable to all the poyson vented upon our nature by the old serpent and whereby we are naturally infected untill the vice vanity and villany of the first generation be fully mortified and the work of grace vertue and verity be implanted and promoved unto maturity and perfection And in the evidence whereof the soul is inwardly overjoyed under all the outward and temporary annoyances that she suffers humbly submitting unto all such dispensations finding them prove her sensible advantages and the means of her advancement unto present growth in Grace and hope of glory But this being the secret work of God in His own Children unseen and not discernable by the carnall man in whose eyes they be but abject and despicable persons who can pretend such principles or presume upon so unsensible grounds not able to conceive far lesse to give credit that such daily seen and sad sufferings as the Believer is subject unto could produce such sweet soul-satisfying fruit as can make them sing for joy and shout for gladnesse of heart whence flowes the most of mistakes And by this perpetuall repugnancy and constant opposition betwixt the spirituality of the new and the carnality of the old man being throughly pondered it shall easily be agreed upon that what is affirmedâ—nent the beatitude of the Believer and grounds of incouragement they have under all their most grievous afflictions is confirmed For it may be asserted being generally acknowledged by all the Children of God that the least spunk of confidence preserved by grace in the heart of the Believer under the conflict of faith powerfully working produceth incomparably more real ground of true inward and spirituall comfort then all the splendor pomp and externall glory that the invention or imagination of man and Angel with the accession of all the cretures of the universe concentered in one and flowing out upon the best capacitat and apprehensive person habilitute to swim without sinking or swelling in that Ocean of all carnall and temporary delights without the least disturbance or annoyance unto the largest extent of time that any of the sons of Adam hes attained unto And that although there were no more albeit in the second place by reason of the brevity of all these carnall transitory and perishing pleasures extinguishing in present stink and closing in perpetuall torment And the duration accomplishment and perfection of the other in eternall glory above all conceiving sense or believing Which finding and still the more looking and delighting to see and dive in the Majesty of that wisdom knowledge and providence that appears in the progress of that work of His grace in His chosen called and faithfull Children inferior to none of the wonders of the Lord Excepting first that great and unsearchable mystery of godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.16 2. And secondly that secret and unseen way of infusing the seed of saving grace in the soul for forming of the new Creature John 3.3 to the 9. Out of which considerations from the experience attained and insight of the breeding formes and dispositions both of Court Country School and Citty the best by breeding and the worst by birth that can be expected of many I have set about composed and personate the purpose and project in this order maner invention and verse under Scripture-figures and metaphors succinct significant and sententious for taking best impression upon mind memory and affections Not by art or humane learning wherein I am little versed but by the Rudiments of Christianity and experienced observations most materiall and applicable to the purpose I. And first in the generall and whole complex of this discourse there is held out the most blessed condition freedom and felicity of
consum'd in which they 're pyn'd Then reason's corrupt faith's weak sense is gone Hope fails love still remaining's left alone Which surely though unsensibly unites The soul to Christ Christ to the soul invites Lo likewise here thou 'lt see the ground on which Some Christians are so toss'd some not so much With their procuring causes and occasions Grave warnings suting all such dispensations Lest when they be advanc'd they swell in pride And turn secure then sadly fall or slide With heartlesse frettings When they cannot have All things at all times their vain hearts do crave In all which things his words he fitly squares With sound experience its norm and dares With open face avow all here declar'd To have been clearly known found seen and heard Come therefore read and with all care peruse His words for love to thee did cause him chuse To publish them Thy good he did intend Next to Gods glory and if this great end Be reach'd he 's recompenc'd for all his pain Give praise to God thank him for thine 's the gains W. G. To my highly Honoured and very obliging FRIEND upon his rare and sutable Choise in the ensuing POEM MVch honoured Sir the stately peerlesse worth Of your high soaring spirit is held forth In slighting things terrene divine desiring With most undanted boldnesse high aspyring To know see yea injoy him whose perfections Cannot be reach'd by most inlarg'd conceptions Of most capacious sp'rits and deeply dyves In these hid â—hings which knowing souls in lives Your progresse since ingag'd in this abstruse Deep art being helped by the heavenly muse Appears in these well fram'd lines which contain A Christians present toyle but future gain O but your warnings wise and counsells be Wholsome convey'd with moving gravity Your skilfull well tun'd Songs shew that you 're taught In heavenly Poesie and fully fraught With free Urania's gifts your lofty strain Holds forth a heav'n sprung high Poetick vein Surely such soul-transporting Songs could not By any not transported be begot How hes your soul been fill'd with rapting joyes O how enlarg'd by the melodious noise Of these celestiall hosts and glorious throngs How elevated by their pleasant Songs When such sweet parallels were by your pen Convey'd of so great use to blind-born men Great Sir well done ye have not basely spent Your noble and broody spirit forc'd to vent It self on somewhat in devising vain Vtopian stories which Romanticks fain Who busk Chymerick notions which are not Else where but in the fanciers brain begot And with high-flown deckt words great things portend Which try'd into a noysome nothing end Your gravity would not permit you choise Such theams you fancy not a birthlesse noise Your subject's grave your drift's not transient pleasure But solide joy true peace these lasting treasures W. G. TO THE JUDICIOUS READER Upon the excellency and sutablenesse of the AUTHOR his Choise and Subject of the Turtle-dove in the ensuing POEM HO curious Sp'rits who love to spend your time In reading strange new things in Prose or Rime Come here a Creature rare describ'd you 'll see No Monster yet more strange then Monsters be She 's stil'd a Turtle-dove hereby's held forth Her Clement Nature Properties and Worth But if ye'll mark her with a searching eye Ye'll find her wonderfull made wondrously She is begot she 's born and yet O strange Created nay renew'd Ne're such a change Was heard of by Philosophers Yet more By that same act by which she 's made adore She is espous'd yea match'd Her Maker is Her Lover yea her Mate and she 's made his His milk's her food her Collactaneus Mother Sucks the same breasts their Nurse is al 's their Bâ— Yet both his members are He 's soul and head They Feasters He 's the Table and the Bread He 's Prophet Sacrifice Priest Judge and King They Judges Priests and Kings with him shall reign And though these seem to be moe when alone Yet Husband Mother Spouse Nurse makes but one WILLIAM GORDOUN The POEM with the accomplishmenes Epitomized BEauty and Valour many Volums prove To be the Object of most ardent Love And subject where the most profound confine Their deepest thoughts both morall and Divine The Streams of Truth unto the Fountain leads Where Vertue true from verity proceeds Unfading Beauty does in Vertue shine And Valour strong triumphs in Truth Divine Vertue Truth still victorious doth grace And Truth in Vertue Beauty fair imbrace What foes fair Vertue to deface contend Truth overturns and doth her cause defend From Truth what Rivall Vertue would allure Vertue disdains and does his death procure Fair Vertue does a constant Conflict keen From foes within and foes without sustain But by the Truth her Standart-bearer stands Against the malice of these mighty bands Most happy they and right Heroick sure Can faithfull hearts unto this fight procure But all these conflicts and these battels be Spirituall and discerned sp'ritually Yet carnall minds for substance shadows take But who for substance shadows does forsake True Valour Vertue Beauty Love come see The Subject of these Songs ensuing be Where shining in this Portraict shall appear The lineaments of a lively Christian clear Delineat from his birth and breeding glorious â—raught with the Trophees of triumphs victorious THE NICODEMIAN PARADOX EXPLAINED By a COMPARISON betwixt the Natural Generation of MAN and the Spirituall Regeneration of the NEW CREATURE CLOSING With the CHARACTERS of the OLD and NEW MAN THE PARADOX 1. Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. 2. That before we can come to GOD we must know our selves captives and slaves to Satan 3. That before we enter the way to Heaven we must see our selves in the way to hell 4. That the most sad Crosse produceth the most sweet fruit of most kindly comfort 5. That the Believer keeps a daily Feast and also a daily Fast. 6. That there is no true contentment attainable in any thing present 7. That the Believer enjoyes joyes unspeakable in things unseen 8. That the poor that have nothing possesse all things and make many rich THese and the like of these are unto every man in the state of nature clear contradictions for no Creature is able to surpasse its own Sphere The Vegetative attains not unto Sense The Animal attains not unto Reason The Rational can as little apprehend the things of God which are only discernable by the Spirit of God The most able of men for judgment understanding or other parts naturall or by learning and industry acquired or extraordinarly given by revelation are but common gifts of the Spirit as proper to the Believer in grace so to the unbeliever in nature and by the man wholly in nature naturally received and naturally practised As also the very devils are known to have more light by the many advantages and occasions they have of knowledge both by experience and revelation then all the sons of men and although
they be of a spirituall nature yet know not neither can they put any thing in practice but naturally Yet herein further consists the unhappinesse of man that he cannot conceive nor will he be taught to understand that there is any more excellent happinesse attainable than that whereunto they have attained or may naturally come by Whereas the Believer after many calls wakenings warnings purposes promises shifts and debates being in the peremptory time of Gods appointment the time of love effectually wrought upon by the Spirit and word of grace and truth unto a gracious wakning quickened and illuminate to see themselves under darknesse and spiritually dead without God in the world and posting on in the way of destruction and so deservedly wondring that he is not long ago swallowed up in the gulf of irrecoverable wrath Seeing also the Vail rent and the entry made by the New and Living Way for a gracious relief and hereby beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord is translated from that naturall darknesse to his marvelous light And lanching forth into this Ocean of eternall unconceivable love where the deluge of unsearchable and self-destroying misery meets with the incomprehensible deeps of infinite mercy where plunged as in the extreams of contrary Tides swelling to such heights being heaved as it were to the Region of the Air and hurled as if they should be instantly sunk in these death-destroying surges of despair And yet so strengthened that they see the wonders of the Lord who before they be aware commands peace to appear maketh all quiet and by the breathing of a sweet and soft gale brings safe to the shoar And now reflecting upon the by-past and naturall lost condition first in the guilt of the most base and irrationall revolt of Originall defection and then in the stain and stintlesse superfluities of naughtinesse daily sprouting out in actuall provocations grieving Gods Spirit and now vexing the New Man Observing also and recenting the long-suffering patience rich mercy free grace eternall and unchangeable love that hes followed them in that miserable condition melted and made them up in a new mould so as the old things are past and all things are become new to them They are set upon a two-fold task 1. Of selfdetestation as self-destroyers and 2. Of Saviour-admiration in their deliverance hating denying and forsaking themselves loving imbracing and relying upon him in a continued fast of abstinence from all that hes been offensive to His good Spirit and studious to know and delighting to do whatsoever may be well-pleasing unto Him who hes been doing all things well for us when we were disdaining his divine bounty and this being the vast difference betwixt the man in his naturall estate and in the state of grace and that no man hes ground of boasting of any thing in themselves more then another and that there is no warrant to any man to despair but for confidence in following the means appointed sincerely And the matter being of greatest consequence I have been taking the more particular notice by way of comparison betwixt the first and second BIRTH and growth in a most familiar way how any under the least degree of grace may most easily discern what progresse they have made And have annexed hereto the portraict both of the new and old man the better to inflame the affections to the love of the one and loathing of the other Not that it is possible by any comparison imaginable whether real or supposed to decipher the unsearchable mysterious way of the spirit in the soul of the elect in the Ordinances of conversion or that either Ordinances or instruments can make effectuall the work of God begetting and bringing forth the new creature unto life without the enliving power of the spirit of the new life in the Ordinances Nevertheless seeing the Lord hes appointed and blessed means wherein he will shine and whereby he dispenseth His grace very reason is convinc'd that the means are to be followed And this comparison is no further to be streached then in a rationall way to incite the reasonable party to a reverent attending with attentivenesse to the Ordinances and a confident dependance upon the truth and tendernesse of the Author obedience to whose authority is ever well taken and never any forsaken that have been sincere seekers of Him according to the perfect rule of Scripture-truth THE COMPARISON AS the mater of the body of man by the supreme Ordinance of God in the ordinary â—ct of generation is conceived brought into form and capacitate to receive the spirit of life and the â—oul being created and infused in the body doth operate unto the perfecting of the body and so by the Lord 's singular and gracious preordination they do become one compound creature for the discharging of the offices of an intelligible spirit joyned with the Organs of a bodily substance whereby to conceive and by words and actions to expresse according as they shall be by means ordinar or extraordinar naturall or supernaturall taught as the first Mover shall see meet Even so the word of the Gospel containing the seeds of the New Man by the Ordinance of Preaching and the ordinar act of hearing impressions are left upon the understanding and will for conceiving and bringing it into form quality and capacity to receive the spirit of spiritual life which creats and infuseth grace in the soul whereby every Elect Child of God according to God's gracâ—ous preordination in this new creature by tâ— efficacious operation of the Holy Ghost is ingrafted in the Head Jesus Christ and by thâ— Union inabled unto the performance of all Christian duties incumbent to the New Man anâ— that by degrees according to our growth and increase in knowledge and experience either unto doing or suffering according as they be moved oâ— called thereunto But as in the naturall generation after the Infant hes received form life senses and faculties but not come out unto the light and so withouâ— the object and exercise of them but lying undeâ— darknesse in this weak condition the brittle embrio is in hourly hazard of imminent destruction from causes seen and unseen innumerable and often proves abortive by an over-slow or over sudden birth Even so the life of grace by the Spirit and Word of the Gospel being conceived yet is the New Man overclouded with much naturall darknesse the Devil taking advantage of the time sets to work all his machinations musters up all his legions lies in ambush with swarms of temptations assaulting from all airts uncessantly from corruption from carnall reason from suggestions naturall and unnaturall wearying the poor youngling with fearfull wrestlings â—ut faithfully guarded against this malice by the â—uthor of his reviving Only the yoke of â—ondage from the undeniable endictment and â—itnesse in his own guilty conscience dragging â—im back to the justice seat of a sin revenging â—od to receive the righteous doom of his own â—righteousnesse
he is under dreadfull confusiâ—ns and hesitations in hazard of miscarriage and â—ady to give over untill it please the Lord to reâ—eal Himself more clearly and thereby making â—o the work of faith with power brings out the â—risoner of hope unto the open air of the Goâ—el to lay hold upon the Prince of life and by â—eholding Him the Captain of our Salvation 〈◊〉 giving His Life to the death for penitent and â—elieving sinners hes destroyed death spoiled 〈◊〉 of the sting and the law of its strength quieâ—ng the conscience in satisfying justice and so â—eeing the fearfull soul from the rigorous exactiâ—s of a fierce and fiery law unto a further growth â—f grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But being by much weaknesse almost â—vercome in these wrestlings and like an unwise â—n having stayed long in the breaking forth of â—ildren by gracious assistance having gained â—me better ground of confidence I break out in â—is contest with my self Ho! hellish heath dost thou not tire to toile Thy self alongst this stinking Stigian Lake What canst thou like in this forsaken Soile Where all that drove of damned devils quake Ah dost thou look for Limbos Patrum here For Purgatory or poor Infants pain No the eternall wrath of God severe Doth ever burn none doth return again Ho! lo these swelling sulph'rous floods that roar Gaze no more on these griefly ghosts forlorn Wambling in wofull endlesse torments sore Blaspheming God that ever they were born Return withdraw now do ye danger dread Despair attends and can ye overturn Thou hadst dropt down if not upheld indeed Where all these ever-dying damned mourn He that upholds thee bids thee turn in haste To taste and feast upon this fervent Love Return my soul therefore unto thy rest Prepare thy heart His mercies force to prove How canst thou be so base as misbelieve Him who hes shed His blood to set thee free Wilt thou by incredulity deprive Thy self of peace so purchased for thee Thy guilty Conscience and the Law exact He silenc'd hes that ye can say no more And now thou may this day come see and take His truth His grace Himself thee to restore Is it not now so naturall to thee Him to believe since thou art born again As once it was His truth to vilifie When thou in nat'rall darknesse did remain Thy bands thy bondage all thy tort'ring terrors From infidelity unpurg'd do spring May not this ransom now remove thy errours When death and hell hereby hes lost the sting The Law like the Law-maker doth remain Righteous and holy sp'rituall and just So doth thy Conscience here bear witnesse plain Of what thou dost amisse for that it must But none of these can hinder thee to hold The grip that thou hast got of God by grace No they do let thee see that thou art sold By sin a slave to satan and do chase Thee now with speed timous supplie to take And wonder that thou art prevented so Before the Law thy conscience did awake For then remedilesse had been thy woe Thy reason cannot thy relief receive Thy guilt will ever keep thee under grief Then shalt thou so thine own poor soul deceive And it bereave of offered relief Arise therefore and mourn the more for sin That now thou seest it hes procur'd Gods ire Again to see slain Christ for thee begin Whose blood doth quench that fear'd infernall fire Doubtlesse I would be fred of this wanrest Wherein I wrestle as a wretch forlorn Under the weight of guilt and wrath supprest And with the torment of these terrours torn But now I see I must for life believe On Him who freely loves and freely gives Not that for my believing I may live That I may live He gives me to believe And firmly now to fix upon His Love His Mercy Truth and power infinite And by the motions of His Grace to move As He shall give assistance by His Sp'rit And yet as the naturall man before he comâ— to the years of discretion by education and experience is exposed unto many dangerous trialâ— and troubles wherein he is often in danger oâ— ruine being like an untamed Colt or a wildâ— Asse in the Wildernesse snuffing up the wind brutishly exposing himself unto the perill of perishing every day in his riot and insolency Right so the new Man albeit come out of the womb of Regeneration wrestled through the straits and travels of new Birth escaped the poweâ— of the Law bondage and darknesse where undeâ— he was kept and that for the time corruptioâ— hes been kept far under that it could not get up the head having tasted how good the Lord is and doth grow up by sucking in the sincere Milâ— of the Word Yet the old and bold Serpent that vigilant subtill and restlesse enemie of our Salvatioâ— sleepes not but lyes at all advantage by all means to make use of every time under all cases for undoing all that God hes done in us so far as lyes in his power Who seeing us so satisfied with what we have received lets us swell a little and then like an Angell of Light lifts us up and leads us ouâ— of the humble and holy way of self denyal and sincere dependence for daily and immediate support unto self-confidence and carnall contentment abusing the rich mercy and turning the free grace received unto wantonnesse so that before I was aware was left in the dark pestered with meny piercing temptations and much foiled under some fearfull devices Which perceivingâ— and after some serious pause turning to my strong hold and putting on the armour of proof entered the fight of faith under his Banner who overcame for me Confident that He would also overcome in me to the praise of the glory of His Grace I break out in this passion Thou damned Devil go to the hells and die That never dying death thy portion just Infernall Feind fall down and scoarchingly For ever Why It is thy doom thou must Down downly die and there thy power restrain The Lord reprove thy pride and malice vain This passion thou puts me to perforce â—ecause thou dost perplex and vex me still Who by thy wiles would me from God divorce â—nd dragg me after thy pernicious will In plots profound thy wits thou dost imploy By treacherous trains poor souls for to destroy Thou like a Syren canst thy song enchant Untill the carnall part thereto incline When in resemblance thou dost seem a Saint This cruell craft is found in thee and thine The world worldlings at thy wish thou hast And mine own flesh to keep me in unrest My facile mind thou also much dost mar With many foolish fantasies confuse And to my judgment erâ—ors also dare Present maintain with lies and bid me chuse The rules of reason and of carnall sense So to destroy my faith on this pretence Thou lets my sins forsaken me before And shews my sorrow is below my sin And that to
compleat a man But thou art carnall that objects And doth discover thy defects A little ponder understand Shall that All-wise All-working hand All-just All-good All-holy King Misse in that most intended thing His Eyes were on when He gave being To all things subject unto seeing Did He this spacious Globe erect And by their sourse the seas collect Becircled by the firmament Illustrious and so excellent With plenteous store to entertain Poor wretched men that lost have been No from eternity He knew All what was past what should ensue And in a Second Adam sweet Made man again with God to meet Who for the Elect Surety stood And them restor'd by His own Blood Their flesh assumed for that end And doth His Sp'rit unto them send Which Holy Sp'rit their sp'rit inspires With sp'rit-renewing sacred fires Quickning purging and perfuming Grace increasing vice consuming Eyes and heart and minds inlarging With His Image supercharging Such searching souls as do imbrace The splendor of his pleasing face Rapt and made apt with open eyes To dyve in these excellencies And in that sourse of sweet delight To feast upon his beauty bright Whereby he doth our souls decore And to his Image us restore On whom by faith firm fixed solely The whole affections are made holy And humble by a self-reflect Upon thy self for self neglect So modesty shines in the face And gravity that Christian grace That generous Spirit that doth â—acer Her self to serve her Saving Maker That Sapience that far far sees To compose content from contraries That chastitie that can contain Affections all in order clean That love that vertue doth allure And all licentious lusts can cure That liberall mind that lively spreads And frugally preserves the seeds That charity that chearfully Knows when how where to give supply That temperance that can subdue Proud passions as they do renew That courtesie that neatly can Carry the master like a man That clemencie that can declare The colours clear of vertue fair That patience that prudence leads That peace which pious Spirits feeds That fortitude that fairly founded With resolutions firmly grounded On truth with strong stability Expressed with alacrity Courage and circumspection so That never storm can overthrow That single heart sincere and sweet Where comfort and delight do meet That sp'rit of contemplation piercing And heavens holy myst'ries searching Longing thronging thirsting till The fruit of faith the Soul full fill Then God beholding the effects That by his beams on Saincts reflects And looking on that beauty rare Accounts and cals them sweet and fair For grace in vertue so doth shine That vertue doth become divine This is the vertue I avouch'd The vertue that I would have touch'd The vertue true that clarifies And qualifies the qualities That doth illustrate and ingrain And turns in substance shadows vain That giveth smell and taste unto All that we think or speak or do This vertue well accomplish can And compleat the Christian man Gain this vertue and thou shall Inherit Heav'n and Earth and all More solide solace sweet possesse Then heart can think or pen express Limb out her lineaments conceive Such riches where thou can receive Try her parts taste every place Such sweet thou can no where embrace Drink her in with all desire Untill she set thy heart on fire Her beams they will thy breast inflame Her streams will qualifie the same Choise of choises chief content Of all beneath the firmament Search her for she waits to see Who for her love will fervent be And if thou joine thou shalt enjoy That bliss which nothing can annoy For then thou shalt into his Image grow From whom this vertue fair doth freely flow The Portraict and Character oâ— the Old Man Under the name of Vice described COme you who wonders curious are to see Or monsters such as most detested be And you who can indeed discern aright This Brat begot in hell by heav'nly light Vice here behold stript naked to the skin Look on her outside see her well within Her port and gesture here how vile behold Vain proud implacable presumptuous bold Disorderly by satans order placed As basely in the heart they be embraced Each ruling in his sphere rounding the brain And heart with humors perverse and profane Where generositie should bud and flourish Debate deceit there doth she neatly nourish There where the truth sincerely should be stated Faithlesse hypocrisie is firmly seated Malice envy and horrid hatred there Where love should move is in her breast made bare Under the shew of chastity most clean Closs impudent incontinencie is seen Ambition avarice wrath and cruelty Watch as they may most serviceable be Within a cloud of Christian clemency And humane gentlenesse dissimulately She sets her subtil snares for to entyse The weak for she in wickednesse is wise Her sottish slaves who serve her she doth lead Their souls on sensual lusts to live and feed Or otherwise to pry how to surprize Their nearest dearest friends that they may rise To treasure state or store honour or ease As they may their beloved Idol please And for those ends do study to devise By all the means that be below the skies Without controle directly to content That humor in its fixed element Objection Can all that you have heretofore asserted Be held for truth Is poor man so deserted And by that dev'lish villany possest Which here you have so peremptory prest Is man who is the creature rational Below the brute so fallen by his fall You see most men do something civile live Vice misregard and unto vertue cleave It seems that he doth some true light retain Suppose it suffered hath a fearfull stain And if it were as you affirm then he Not only should below the brutish be But might be ranked in degree with devils The Author of these specified evils What find we more in that apostate sp'rit Finall impenitency to compleat Then you of man each man forlorn hath said Is it not for His wrack that he was made Answer Our Glorious King Eternall only Wise Almighty Mover moved by advice Of uncreated wisdome that he can No lesse have done then well in making man Man was made holy righteous and good But he did stumble when he should have stood Before the tryals of the tempter slie And slew himself and all his progeny By misbelieving Him by whom he lived Is left to live to him whom he believed And being left of God he is possest Of all the devilry that is here exprest Man unregenerate is below most sure The vildest bruit on earth and most impure What Lyon Tygre or destroying Boaâ— So fervent fierce or cruell to devour What can with that vild murtherer compare Who for to feast his idol will not spare His nearest friends brothers or native seed And will imbrew his hands in parricide And in his own hot blood for to fulfill His humor give the fatall stroak and kill What Crocodil what scorching Scorpion
cleft To send a death-bound soul a quickning lift And when our Sun seems be eclipsed far Faith playes her course by the least twinkling star The Wran may flighter on this oceans brim The Dolphine dyve the Elephant may swim For loves sweet sympathies consist in looks Blinks smiles and smells whereby the Lover hooks The loved and the loved thence again From passion strong cannot it self refrain Let this suffice and ere we do remove We 'll consolate this Lady sick of love Her Lover shall ere it be long be sure Shine on her soul and so her peace procure For she in child-birth of fair grace doth ly Let us some cordials for her pangs apply And now speak damesell and let us hear What fruit from our endeavours doth appear Hele. Now am I so o'recome constrain'd to note Your travels for my well have been devote For ev'ry parcell of your free confessions Renews the sense to me of like transgressions But now in speciall you have specified Some errors that I would were rectified And all that ye have said I must confesse For every word my grief may well increase When I look up what my most Princely Love Before he brought me here made me to prove And likewise also since he brought me here What kingly bounty daily doth appear Freely bestow'd upon a fondling poor Whose worth could never thing but wrath procure And now I am convinc'd for I have prov'd That with such fervent love he hath me lov'd That for my frailties and infirmnesse great His grace and mercy he would not retreat Or that his bowels which for me were moved By this my stumbling should have been removed But this rich bounty and this love divine I lost and am deserv'dly left to dwine And pine away in sp'rituall poverty For pride of sp'rit unseen takes root in me Which now I find the cause of all my anguish Wherein I do consume away and languish Nor should I yet have seen this vain conceit But by the fruit of that vile root of late For I did suffer my fond heart to think That I was setled so I could not sink And that by grace receiv'd I could sustain Till from this tent translated I had been I doated on his gifts did not adore Himself of whom I did enjoy that store The idol of the heart was set in place Above the Author of my grace and peace And now therefore of force confesse I must His judgements are both righteous and just For grace abus'd thus gracelesse here to ly In place of peace in deep perplexity Sam. And art thou past recov'ry can'st thou say Is there no ground of hope whereon to stay Or art thou so vain-gloriously affected Ev'n when that seed of Satan is dissected Hele. No but I am therewith infected sore That seperate I cannot any more Therefrom then from my self for it 's become Deaf to rebuke and to defence but dumb Sam. Dost thou not know for this is still confesâ— Remnants in us remain undispossest Of much perversity which all our life To purge will keep us in continuall strife Hele. And I immunity do not indeed From provocation or correction plead But this a sprig so privily doth sprout And with the root and fruit of grace break out So sp'ritually and so commixt convoy'd Untill it get the life of grace destroy'd Ev'n as these sp'rits whereby we be enliv'd By veins and arteries the blood deriv'd Out from the heart the body to maintain Unknown contains therewith the bodies bain For what I do or what I do endure Progresse in grace to make or growth procure In mortifying self self to reform This venom unawars doth all deform I cannot speak a word by rule of reason Nor think nor act religiously in season But this vile poyson of spirituall pride Doth sliely in the heart deceitfull slide This is the thing our King could not endure In Angels for by pride they fell impure What may I then base wretch impure expect Who on some drams of grace receiv'd reflect I am as if of grace a treasure sure In store I could at my command procure Whereas my conscience shewes that I am stain'd With all that justly may make me disdain'd And that which might this mighty monster check His subtilty perverse detect and break But with this tincture now I am so tainted And throughly as I were therein indented Which when I see and am ashamed sore Haughty hereof I do become the more Sam. And what but grace in this most fearfull sight Could thee sustain against the Serpents slight Whereby thou formerly hes still prevailed ' Gainst all the policie he hes assailed Hele. The flesh and sp'rit defil'd with thoughts impure Which carnall hearts do unto lusts allure I see and do gainstand by grace but this Bred up with grace grace to displace it is And cannot pitch but on the print of grace Sincerity of grace for to deface Sam. How then is this thou can so moved be Since grace thou does confesse remains in thee Whereon this witch doth fix and keep thee waking And cast thee over in this fever quaking Consider when a King provok'd hes been By his own Son by many pranks obscene Should give commands in bands to make him ly In prison dark to humble him thereby And yet indulgently again relent To try if he his folly would repent Give orders for his further liberty Out of the prison dark to set him free And yet this ranting child should still remain So sensless as to think he could retain This life of freedom and abused light By his own industry or naturall right Were it not then convenient for to cast Him in the darkest pit in fetters fast Till he by pain and pinching hunger there Were taught of vain conceits for to despair Doth this comparison thy pallat please Can'st thou apply it to thy own disease And if thou can then shall it truely prove The strong effects of a Parentall love Hele. Nothing in nature can decipher more The case and cause of my distractions sore But naturall causes have a naturall cure Yet who a wounded spirit can endure How far the heavens above the earth doth bend Spirituall things our naturall thoughts transcend My Princely Parent penetrats the sp'rit And loves the single humble heart contrite He He alone with searching piercing eyes This privy pride and arrogancie sees And cannot passe't for it doth derogate Most from His dispensations intimate Hereby in bondage I indure these stounds These hellish torments and these deadly wounds Of conscience wherein I to death am bleeding Forc't by the folly of this fancie feeding Sam. I would have thought thou shouldst preferred far Thy Lovers wisdom and affections were All similies before could be devis'd By any finite creature or advis'd Thou by his secret censures sees he sees The deepest of these damned subtilties And throws thee under bondage till thou be Taught how to guard against this devilry Now then consider him who sees
The Heav'nly Manna and thereon have feasted And at the fountain have refreshed been Therein revived and returned clean And that when slumbring I began to swell I have been left in darknesse for to dwell Untill it pleas'd my King who knows my pain For my relief me to revive again I likewise do confesse what ye have said In ref'rence unto provocations made Which have recited been by severall here And pertinently made for to appear From sound experience much diversity And nearest numberlesse variety That with the like I have been led astray And drawn upon my self a cloudy day The crosse did with corruption so increase I forc'd have been my folly to confesse For I might read in every severall rod Real offences against a righteous God Who yet from wretched me did not remove His tender mercy faithfulnesse and love For in his coming I might daily see His goings were for wak'nings unto me Again I shall not take unto denyals But that I have acquainted been with tryals From all the Fiends and their infernall states Where I have often felt and dealt debates His brood within his instruments without Inviron and invest me round about And yet from all their cruelty and spight Have been preserv'd from that malicious might And where they had permission to perplex Turn'd to my good and them the more may vex And as this is by you my friends affirmed Is likewise now by me again confirmed But not the lesse â—lace that I can say I have no benefite thereby this day You have been arguing long and I replying Contending much and many things denying Wherein convinc'd that ye the right maintain Yet know ye not what sorrows I sustain For I had never darknesse known aright If once I had not seen the shining light Nor what it were to be beslav'd with devils If of their seed I had not seen the evils Nor what deliv'rance or defence could mean If fearfull danger were not something seen But while so many eminent I see For light and life inlargement liberty Forsaken and before the tryall fail How can I then presume for to prevail Who now so long so fearfully do ly Without relief or hope of remedy If ye my dolours knew ye would deplore That wofull anguish and vexation sore That I am wrangled with and wrapped in When terrours of the second death begin Of outward suffering I make no acount Although they do ye know too much amount A raging devil in the wicked reeling Venting their venom with villanous reviling Professed friends do privily supplant The most engaged in their ranting taunt And being held in fetters raging roar Because they cannot reach for to devour My person means profession and my name To burie in the dust of death they dream But when the prince of darknesse doth begin This dark and dozned heart again within To raise his works and to enlive his brood What can I men lesse then lost wretch conclude And more this tyrant hath attain'd the leading Of my affections ev'n while I am pleading Against his faunings and his flatt'ring baits Whereby I dragged am in dang'rous straits And cannot stint because I have no strength Nor hope to be relieved at the length For this I sigh for this I weep and mourn For this my bowels in my belly turn For this I seperate my self alone For this my blood and moisture both are gone Because the Comforter that can relieve My heart no answer for my grief doth give But in this desp'rate case at distance keep While all these serpents do about me sweep With open jaws sharp claws and cruell sting Trusting to sink and swallow quick they sing Sam. Well I perceive you have at length been plain Yet all doth turn unto one thing again Except some aggravation of the space The measure and ingredients in the case This closse eclipse with storms of flying fire Darknesse and thundring bolts of dreadfull ire From devils and from every instrument They could devise to work they detriment And then least for thy self to stand and fight So far above thy cunning and thy might Partly because that thou hes known them fall Compar'd with thee a shrub were cedars tall But yet look over thine accounts and cast Thou may come to a reckoning right at last These persons eminent at first did yeeld They never try'd the fight upon thee field And look again aright and thou shalt see Such as thy self triumph in victory Who in the fight by slight have oft been foil'd And yet by strength renew'd the spoiler spoild Consider also if thou couldst have stood Before old Belial and his brutish brood If they were not by chains of strength restrain'd And thou to use thy armes aright were train'd The measure and the space which most doth move thee Is the appointment of thy Prince to prove thee That thou may taste His power in preserving Under thy want and weaknesse of deserving Do no more plague thy self with this debate Against this blessed and believing state A fixed faith all slavish fear removes And in its orbe unto the Author moves For measure time and means simplie surrender Thy self to Him He is wise kind and tender Whereof much rich experience thou abuses And for tranquillity this torment chuses Wherein be sure thou shalt be tortured till Thou do submit sincerly to His will Hele. Now do I well perceive by your discourse I have not soundly looked to the sourse Of dispensations as I might have seen A secret providence did me sustain Ev'n in these darkest dayes and dangers dread Which all my torture and my torment breed For if I had then had I never thought These fiery-brands that my vexation wrought Had loosed been but were in fetters ty'd And suff'red but to bark till I were try'd I likewise see as you have said that such Who in a flourish hes professed much The field did never by confession face But turn'd in searching tryals with disgrace And for the measure and the space I know It 's good for me so to be keped low I suffered was many essayes to take Which weigh'd aright might many humble make And upon me there lyes unto believing More real bands then upon any living And now that I should limit him doth wound Me most to whom I am so deeply bound And that I have so wilfully resisted The sp'rit whereby you have with me insisted For I have doing been what in me lay My soul unto the murderer to betray But now my Saviour worthily shall have His will for He I see will me but save And here I do acknowledge my mistakes And that my diffidence the dottage makes Bemisted in the mud so have I been And so gainsaid what I have felt and seen The truth of all that ye have now exprest Is clear to me and so by me confest For He my Lover is not only wise And strong and fair and lovely in mine eyes But He is wisdom beauty might and love Where all
delihgts most eminently move His countenance the Suns bright rayes obscures His love the adamantine heart allures His wisdom all His works in order dresses His might maintains His right and pride suppresses And I am bound His bountie to believe Which changes not but shall my sp'rit relieve In His good time on whom I do rely And studie shall my self how to deny Sam. Now art thou happy and my heart is glad To see thy faithfull heart from fainting fred Hold fast and follow hard with firm desires Faith quenches not but kindles sacred fires Hele. It doth become me well to wait I see But Oh again that He would smile on me How shall I find Him out and where I pray Sam. Hold straight believe me thou art in the way Deck up thy self approach He sees thee come And with His comforts shall thee overcome The Royal King a Princely Garden plants With curious flowres and thither daily haunts Feeding among the Lillies smelling Roses Nuts Spices and perfums composing Poses A sweet Loves feast for thee He doth prepare Down in the fruitfull flow'ry valleys there And from the valley shall convey thee thence Where thy try'd faith in that long long'd for sence Is swallowed up there where the marriage loves Exceeding all conceiv'd desires thou proves There where He shall thy faith bred soul imbrace Within the consolations of His face Wherein the splendor of that brightnesse poring And in the glory of that glore adoring Renewed rayes immortall life restoring Admiring magnifying and sweetly soaring High up amongst these holy heavenly hosts Of glorious and glorified ghosts With golden harps about the throne who sing New songs of their redemption to their King Hele. O but these sweet expressions relish well My frozen heart begins to melt I feel These words unto my wearied soul I think Like precious oyl so savingly do sink Slides down like my Beloveds wine so sweetly Wakens from sleep my tongue to speak compleatly O that once for Himself He would me seal What can be nam'd that may with love prevail Insist therefore For I do gladly hear And till the tongue be loos'd shall lend the ear Sam. The weakest means have force enough to move Affections when they be surpriz'd with love He cals and sees thee come from mountains steep Which Leopards and cruel Lyons keep Leaning on thy Beloved who doth love His truth and strength at length to see thee prove Observe with me this brief gradation now And I shall cease a space and hearken you For help to our capacity compare The outward splendor of this fabrick where By nature from the caverns of the womb Out of which dungeon to the world thou came Again compare the difference aright Betwixt this Paradice and that dark night Of nature which the other so transcends As over bodies lively sp'rits ascends And there the diff'rence vast again conceive Betwixt the life of sense we shall receive And this of faith wherein we forward thrust Untill we be refined in the dust When interruptions all shall be removed And we inlarg'd to love as we be loved In knowing and injoying him who is The Author of our everlasting blesse In this gradation we may something see But under what it is infinitley SONG I. Light out of Darknesse Hel. INfinitely most certainly for feeble we Conceive aright cannot these mysteries The spot upon our blotted eyes rejecting These rayes which yet with splendor bright reflecting Upon the then capacitated sp'rits Which warming beams affections invites But so transcendent that our present case Such super-excellency cannot imbrace For dazled with these glistring gleams What we receive seems be but dreams When we let slip by our secure neglectings The grip of faith glaming at these reflectings Spare therefore to compare our deepest apprehensions Do but impair his praise whose love 's above dimensions He is more fragrant when he 's most remote Then nearest dearest loves whereon we doat Conjecture then when he appears so near That thou may'st touch and taste and smell and hear Tell if thou can this other man And so we shall recall our long debate And treat of love for all For mine he is and I am his And who could wish so high a blesse As to be treas'ring up a stock of praise While we are hurling through these whirling dayes Sam. Now my dear friends it seems to me ye shrink And I may well conjecture what ye think I shew'd you first that you should surely see Matters to make you much a musing be Eliza. This sudden change makes me indeed admire And yet the reason must of thee enquire And that she may be prayed to proceed That on her fulnesse we may further feed Song I. continued Hel. God in his Saints ador'd admir'd My soul exalts this day desir'd Of his free grace he hath appointed Among this fellowship anointed With ghostly graces for my grieves So as my life a new revives Surpriz'd with sense of love so far That flaming my affections are And for the time can do no more But th' Author of this love adore And gladly would be set to sing The praises of my Spouse and King And to record his noble acts Who passeth by my fond mistakes And smiles upon my face again That I may faithfull hence remain Now all you sweetest saints that uses To haunt these shads you sacred Muses And Graces that with me did groan In my distracted mourning moan Earth rivers all below above Come sympathize in songs of love Of love above all parallell so far As stars above the earthly glob that are You Groves and Downs where erst I deadly lay I 'le rise and dance about your doors this day Eliza. Oh now for stirring spirits that could move Amongst the flames of this heart-forcing love Amongst the wonders of this world most strange What can compare with this sweet sudden change This day of gladnesse let us now agree To solemnize this glorious victory I reverence do the Providence Divine Which in this meeting doth so clearly shine But for to sing or say confused here I cannot speak or do but still admire Sam. Come I will take thee by the hand we 'll go With her alongst these Downs and Groves also Where she hath wandred in her weighty dayes And cease their sorrow with a song of praise Then South begin and blow upon our Myrtle trees And North proceed to show thy strength to eternize This glory in each airt a crosse the continent The whole Creation may with our Love-songs consent Now rocks begin to roar for ye's the Treble take And trees attend your lowre for ye's the Tenor make My self the Base shall be Muses be ye the Meen So we shall seriously sing Solace we have seen SONG II. Life out of Death Sam. SAy on say on solaced sweetly surely we have been Jea Play on play on sense-moving mater surely we have seen Rocks We's roar and cry Trees Our strength we's try Our roots lay by With startling
on our stumps Seas Huge Oceans we Mounts Main Mountains high Hills We Hills that be resound shal your transumpts Our solace is in thee who loves the heart contrite And is a sanctuary unto the broken sp'rit Great joyes to thine thou dost propine By love divine up with thy self eternall When all thy foes with the godlesse goes In endlesse woes down to the pit infernall Thus all the joy of mind And solace we have seen Is his sweet face inclin'd In love still springing green So glory we in knowing Thee our King to be our Life our Love our Light Who bought us dear and keeps us here till we appear by grace in glory bright Jea Sweet maid thou dost to melody incline Our minds to move in mysteries divine Rapt up in most Seraphick-love to sing The praises of our high exalted King SONG III. Liberty out of Bondage Sam. NOw thou who dyving is in this abysse of blesse Conveyed through all these wonders To be enjoyed by so many numbers Who were by Adam old depraved And by the second Adam saved Thou having then seen what thou can In that great mystery of Divine Majesty GOD-MAN And doth aspire with all desire to pry and to admire These excellencies the quintessences Of all felicity in their simplicity Yet think these things to be more high Then can conceived be under mortalitie More then the child unborn by its sagacity Hes of capacity for to conceive aright Of this large Universe where we converse untill it come to light So should it be with thee in heav'nly places Amongst these faces made so fair By the splendor shining there That thou should'st disdain And mourn to turn again Unto these earthly treasures And all created pleasures And shouldst admire so much and more As if thou wert design'd Alive to be enshrin'd in that live-tomb Of the mothers womb for evermore Yet think again what shall become of some who never dreams of these sad theams Till they be hurl'd in everlasting flames without remission or relenting When time is past of pardon by repenting Hel. Oh now my soul shall these thee now exceed In Songs alongst these streams whilst they thee lead Thou dazles doating where thy guides do go But prostrate be and here in excesse show With joy of heart that none can equalize A soul thus ravish'd who shall eternize The praises of her Love with such content Who freed her from so fearfull detriment Who feeds her now with so delicious fare And doth propine her with such riches rare And leads her to the Land where she may see His face by grace where joy and glory be Now that I may your sweetest songs excell I 'le on my Lovers face adoring dwell And as I see and do receive I shall Report unto your mutuall comfort all Be elevate with full consent again To prosecute this Evangelick strain SONG IV. The Joy of the LORD Hel. OUr glorious our victorious King doth reign The hosts of heav'n do sing about his Throne Where he is gone in all delights to live Whence we derive our light and life alone Know him who would make bold treat for a smile He never did beguile a true Believer He is a River full of divine delights None like Him in the depths nor in the heights For He was dead and is alive again He did sustain hells pain when he was slain Our freedom to procure he did endure What we deserved and never swerved And of these stounds he bears the wounds Thus shalt thou know him for he is non-such And thou shalt say too much cannot be said of such a One Whom man and angel heav'n and earth alone Have their dependency eternally upon So shalt thou need no more One blink shall heal thy sore And thou shalt thirst no more For He a Fountain is of blesse supernall And this eternall is For on his eyes indeed With soul-festivities they feed so sweet so sure They cannot more indure to gade And when He hides His face sad sad they be Bâ—t groping still and hoping till He smile again Or do translate them to his heav'nly Train Where all the Members mysticall delighted Triumph in him in whom they are perfected Sam. I do rejoice in this thy heart-content Hel. And I rejoice that thou wast hither sent Jea And I rejoice here with you both to be Hel. And I rejoice and praise my King for thee Sam. Now I must go unto my charge again Hel. I pray thee do not so but stay Sam. Refrain Hel. Then one word by thine Echo bid me speak Echo Speak Hel. Now need I any more but to believe E. Live Hel. And any more to do but live exact E. Act. Hel. What if I tempted be shall I endure Echo Dure Hel. In suff'ring what will free me from disgrace E. Grace Hel. Shall I promove and constantly persevere E. Ever Hel. And will my dear Love go from me or no E. No. Hel. Then shall I sure believe and live and act Endure by grace and perseverance make The Warning Jea OUr dearest friend unto his charge again Is gone and I no longer may remain But ere we part sweet girle I must thee give Some warnings that thou may more warily live Thou hast been weighted in this absence short But sees not what the journey may import Now thou art glistering fair upon the mountain Extracting life from the life-giving fountain They Sp'rits sp'rituallized are and poring Thy clearer apprehensions highly soaring Both bred and fed by divine excellencies And breathings of the sweetest influences And so delighted art to shine by grace And holinesse before thy Lovers face But yet remember when thou sadly lay In bondage under absence then this day Of so clear seeing if thou couldst conceive Right so bethink if now thou canst believe That ever such a thing should thee befall As may again thy liberty enthrall But in the bodie while thou art beware For we are tempted and in danger are To be insnar'd for the old man is prone To snatch at every bait before us thrown For this I wish thee wisely to uptake The case of every child of God and make The diffâ—rence right 'twixt the rebellious man And the obedient new-born Christian The last a weakling but a willing child The first both wicked false perverse and wild Upon whose back the crosse the rod must ly The serpents brood may be born down thereby Which both so numerous and so nimble be As atoms in the air before thine eye Or vapours-like from brooks corrupt that rise And do the shining of the Sun surprise Such is the sinning sin such is the seed Of Sathan in the soul such is the breed Whereby the new-born Christian is annoy'd Till by the grace of Christ they be destroy'd Worldly desires delights cares fears to daun The weeds of carnall lust how to supplant So as the seed of grace may sweetly spring Which successe makes us under sadnesse sing Believing certainly the truth of this
own frail faintings felt Immediate love and mercy shall thee melt And yet what if that thy good God advise A deeper draught thy folly to surprise We are so prone to fix on proofs we prove Both naturall in our faith our hope our love What then when in the light thou seems to live And in much lively liberty revive And with much confidence thou dost conceive That all that thou hast sought thou shalt receive And yet thou art not only quite denyed But the response is contrary replyed Well this is sharp but certainly it 's sweet That divine checks should with our idol meet That when vain we would our own morcels carve We should be left in hazard for to starve Himself Himself alone and nothing else But what of him and of His vertue smels He and not we knows what is for our good And never will His own thereof denude Both how and when to help for he doth hear Our sp'rituall supplications all sincere Which qualified according to His will He fails not for our well but shall fulfill What if again poor weakling yet alace Thou shouldst ly groaning at the Throne of grace And knowst not how to seek or what to say Far lesse can presse or pertinently pray Yet this is good God sees thy strong desires And flames the sacrifice with sacred fires And to His praise doth make our peace appear Out of the odours of our sighs sincere So that as yet we may convinced be That all His gifts are grace and mercy free For tho the way be strait and full of snares And we infirm possest with fears and cares Our fault it is we do not soar above What tempests all the gates of hell can move We should an heaven upon earth enjoy If thus we did believe thus him imploy On him repose him love in him delight Who is th'ingraven-form and glory bright Of the eternall God in whom we have Accesse by grace to come seek and receive All that is for our good who so doth give Above what we can ask seek or believe Hele. Enough enough there needs no more My Lover doth my life restore â—n him alone I move I live And bound I am him to believe Affections cannot have the force From his dear love me to divorce The flatteries frowns the hooked baits Whereby the cunning hunter waits To snatch me unawars my eyes Anointed are and clearly sees The lying Serpent sliely lurking And in his brood most boldly working Both from within and from without But my most Royal Captain stout Hath crusht the Serpents cruell head And pleads my cause against his seed And daily helps me to subdue The old man and his notions new To purge the heart and make it clean And in temptation doth sustain My fainting and my failings crave Both food and physick these I have And when I suffer with my Love Such comforts as come from above And on my sp'rit conferred be By His good Sp'rit spiritually That if the Devil knew he would Restrain his malice if he could So what can interrupt my peace In this free full unchanged grace Untill through times and trials we Make entry in eternity Jea Enough enough I do confesse indeed With this which is in watchfulnesse proceed Guard well against security and sure Thou shalt from swerving be the more secure These wak'nings and these warmings of affections As antidotes unto thy dull dejections Out of the cisterns of salvation spring Whence we in sucking consolation sing And if we hereby do our strength renew For stormy tempests that be to ensue Then happy we when we have rightly used These mercies rich But when they be abused By fond conceiving that they shall endure We fall asleep and carnally secure And sure before we be aware we shall In slipp'ry places slide or catch a fall And in that slumber be surpris'd again And with disgrace shall our Profession stain Most bitter proof and sad experience dear Hes made this truth in ages all appear That many sons go groaning to the grave For grieving him so graciously does save By whose immediate mercifull supply They be sustain'd that still dependent be There is no reason for our standing but Eternall love that chois'd us changed not Infinite mercie seen can also move The finite thing infinite love to love Thus living dyving in this sweet abysse I leave thee in a most transcendent blesse And to my charge again shall now apply And thou by sure experience shalt try The precious fruit of precious time so spent That these thy pains thou never shalt repent But as of my infirmnesse thou wast tender My Lord to thee shall recompences render Abundantly above what finite we Can seek believe or think infinitely Gris I likewise go farewell my friends most dear Who witness were unto these wonders here Our King how comely in his comings be And in his goings for our goods is He You see what sadnesse in his absence is And in his presence what a heav'n of blesse And that through godly sorrow from within Our sp'rituall comforts rise and do begin Now seek His Name for therein ye shall see His mercy meeting with your misery And that His grace and His unchanged love â—s greatly our ingratitude above And that His Name as precious ointments sweet Of fragrant smell the Virgins pure invite For in these ornaments he doth appear Amongst us in the Pallace-garden here Where by his breathings mixt with warming showres â—eds out in flourishes our sweetest flowres â—nd spices that he doth delight to see â—mell taste defend and cause to fructifie â—here shall we find our friends frequent that place â—ceiving and communicating grace â—o know our King as he doth visits give 〈◊〉 there the dwyning soul he doth revive â—e blind the deaf the dumb the lame also â—o see and hear and speak and come and go And for the stately pallace royall fair He purifies the comers and prepare Come let us come for here his glorious Name Of all the Students is the only theam And all these curious Mazes and Meanders Delightfull be unto the understanders Attending still till they translated be Into the mansions of eternity THE INTRODUCTION TO The Pallace Garden THe first Man Adam of the earth earthly made a living Soul forfeited to himself and all his posterity the greatest natural happinesse imaginable by the naturall Creature and that after possession received thereof in Paradise that Garden of all pleasures and preferments thaâ— the whole Universe and all therein containeâ— could afford and being crowned with the height of that beatitude a communion with God in the manner and measure of manifestation whereby the creature could be most capable of the Creator But this folly of the mutable creature could not frustrate the eternall design of the only wise and wonderfull God whose wisedom in the last ADAM a quickening Spirit the Lord from heaven took delight to be conversant with the children of men and out of these lost
exceeding good It shines in glory on ingratitude That mercy may in God admired be He makes an object of our misery Justice ador'd shines bright in Jesus bleeding By merits mercy for our persons pleading Eternall love shines clear in timous grace Gaining the elect of the rebell-race Counsell and comfort for the heart contrite Long suff'ring to convince the haughty sp'rit That life and light by which we see and live That sp'rit of truth whereby we do believe By whom alone these glorious rayes transcendent Become so bountifully condescendent And from the grounds of these ingredients green Sov'raign preservatives to save are seen For feeding breeding feasting framing right The Babe of Grace translated unto light A sp'rituall sympathy of inclination 'Twixt Head and Members by a new creation As naturall grafts well grafted in the root Come timely to their known and kindly fruit By shedding out and sucking substance sweetly Incorp'rate and corroborate compleatly This practicall Divinity could make Which of the Divine Nature doth partake For through the vail admitted by believing We instantly receive above conceiving To see our selves blind-born sin-born and more Death-born wrath-born forlorn for eveâ—more And in that minut then immediatly Light life relief and true tranquillity By looking up and in this JEWEL dyving Presented for perpetuall reviving As on the heart it doth impression take And kindly motions to the Mover make So as with longings we enlarg'd may be This glory to enjoy triumphantly From this One-all One-uncreated Blesse Who glorious in the whole Creation is Till face to face we Called come to see And chang'd from glory unto glory be The Symphonicall Desires and delights of all Saints in their Retirements SONG I. DArknesse depart do not our eyes deprive Of this bright Star of day that doth appear To usher in the Sun that can revive Our fainting hearts and clouded spirits clear The Rose of Sharon all our banks and bowers Perfumes with odours of all ointment sweet Our fields be sending forth the fairest flowres The singing birds our slownesse do invite The Turtle mourning for her Mate doth moan Because his comming he so long delayes And we affected with her griefs do groan And tune our Lutes unto her mourning layes Most glorious Sun of righteousnesse consent To hear to see to cause thy face to shine The clouds dispell make clear the firmament And for thy coming move us to incline Oh that we could Thee know believe and love Then could we not but for thy coming long Wonder importunate we do not prove Untill our sighs be turned to a song Most glorious King out through the continent The glorious Gospel gloriously convey Make all the Nations come with one consent To kisse the Son and on his statutes stay The Devil that by delusion doth deceive The world lost roaring in fiery rage Of whom the Beast and Prophet false receive Babel and Balaam's ruine for their wage Endite condemn discover give them doom With these the Whoor flagitious detect The Serpent and the Man of Sin consume From all their drifts redeem thy dear Elect. Triumphant Monarch for thy Truth appear And with thy brazen legs these tyrants turn Out of the way with eyes of flaming fire These fiends pursue and in thy fury burn When shall thy garments stain'd with blood be seen Of these proud foes that do thy grace disdain The glory of these wonders doth pertain To thee this might and malice to restrain How this wild Lion through the earth doth reel And prey upon poor blind-born Adams race Whirling the worldly minded like a wheel Up by his gins thy Image to deface Thou sees O Thou who pow'r hes to prevent This vile invet'rate and invective spleen And for destroying Satans works was sent Our evil deserts let not thy help detain Dread King who question dare thy just decrees Mysterious holy righteous and profound For out of all apparent contraries Glory and might right doth to thee redound Let all the hosts in heav'n and earth be still And with submission simple thee adore The Projects of thy wise eternall will To see fulfill'd rejoice for evermore All revolutions strange our King aright Doth by a change of providence direct By death and darkness making life and light Brightly appear for all his dear Elect. Heav'ns King our sp'rits more sp'ritually dispose And shine upon the seed of saving grace That faithfully and fruitfully repose We may and all the swey of flesh displace The time that thou art glorious to appear Hasten impediments out of the way Remove that seeing eyes clear'd to admire The magnified in thy members may The wicked world that doth in lies delight The voice of truth and wisdom doth disdain And will not see till everlasting night Close up their fight in soul-tormenting pain Longing we be when we himself may see Shining in glory on his glorious Throne Where feasting in his glorious face we 'll be When immortality we have put on Welcome great King let now the glorious Day Begin to dawn of thy eternall reign In righteousnesse thy Royall Scepter swey Of mercy and of judgement we may sing Time mend thy pace unto thy period post Stir up thy strength do not retard nor slide All shall be done anone be gone thou must Eternity to sink thee down doth glyde Let us our sp'rits a little time compose And fix upon the starry Firmament And all the Stars that are let us suppose Full as the Sun did shine so excellent And that this glob of earth transparent were And ev'ry star out from his glorious Sphere Darting his rayes and influence so far As all dimensions of the world appear â—oor worms we never could a blink endure Of this created glory we conceive â—ut in the beauty of this brightnesse sure Be raz'd because we could it not receive â—gain by faith in contemplation ponder What places for the Elect are prepared â—o far surpassing all the Stars in number â—nd to the glory of the Sun compared 〈◊〉 immortality when we 're arrayed â—nd for these places pure spiritualized â—ransparent in this splendor there displayed â—nd yet humane remain so subtillized Yet our great King those changes we perceive From naturall darknesse to this light of grace Exceeds more fully then we can conceive Till we receive that fulnesse in His face Where that all-glorious increated light Remains whence we our light and life derive And shall enjoy joyes in His joyfull sight Unseen unheard till there we do arrive Who see these marvels but they must admire Who see admire but doubtlesse they do long Who see admire and long but do aspire Seated to be these miracles among But rather how is it we do not weigh The wisdome of our King and condescend Simply unto His dispensations high Who our desires unruly doth suspend Untill by tryals strong through truth sustained Our lost condition and His love we see And by His grace be from the world weaned And fitted for this Life of Glory be
ever blest Trin One compleat For evermore our songs shall be Ever renew'd uncessantly And His praises to expresse Ever shall our selves addresse AMEN O Lord so let it be So be it in Eternity THE NATURAL MAN Debated with HOw come say some such sacred flames can boil So sweet perfumes out of this sullen soyl This curious question'st with carnall eyes Bemisted sees not in these mysteries How singing doth from sighing flow And gladnesse how from sadnesse grow How mourning melting motions move In frozen hearts hot flames of love From bitterness how sweetness springs Refreshment what felt-ruine brings How from the groans of inward grief Clear freedom rises and relief In deepest darknesse sure direction In dreadfull danger safe protection Result and what can be the root That renders this admired fruit For Answer this BY Grace we see our selves with shame Under abominable blame And not the lesse so freely loved Affections feelingly are moved And overflow like Nilus River In the heart of the believer Whence grief and gladnesse love and he at Reside as in the proper seat Whence bitter mourning grief and wo For grieving such a Lover so Who surfetted hes been with grief From grief to purchase our relief Whom seeing vively through the vail Love and delight thereby prevail So that as by approaching near Unto that splendor in its sphere Be in Combustion dazled so Within these gleams we undergo And in this current strong contesting Securely in his shadow resting Zeal the birth of love and hate Daily abates this love-debate Wherewith no concord can compare One end discussing all their care Being to be made pure and clean This fervent love to entertain Grace ' gainst corruption doth begin A furious fight the soul within So that in one poor person here Betwixt two parties doth appear A hot contest with fatall blows Tending to others overthrows Whence grows this bitter-sweet debate In this grace-griev'd divided state Hence flow these tides contrary turning Mourning to mirth mirth unto mourning The old man being pincht repines The new man sweetly sings and shines The old man dwyning in his living The new man rising and reviving What dolour the old man endures Delight to the new man procures When grace is most o'resway'd it swiâ—gs Corruption under foot and sings For on a mountain of increasement And at a fountain of refreshment Bullering up eternall love With sp'ritual breathings from above Reviv'd by all these blessefull beams Shining through our cristal streams We in these glist'rings flight'ring be Untill we take our flight on hie These be the Northern gales that blow And breathings from the South that flow Upon the Spices sweet and Flowres Seasoned with Celestiall showres And in this Garden do agree Spouses to feast deliciously Upon these fruits and spices sweet Where all their comforts are compleat Who do discern aright to rise These mercies rich rightly to prize But the Believer only sees That Majesty in these mysteries And substance through the shadows more Of glory then he can adore But that the rationall man yet we may lead Some length let us by nat'rall reason plead Seeing this naturall Sun we daily see On nat'rall bodies worke effectually Vapours exhaling out of earthy things Which rarifi'd and clarified brings Repell'd by colder air our early showres Enamelling the earth with fruits and flowres Shall not the Sun of Righteousnesse far more Natures Creator whom we do adore By his almighty Influence divine Which on the long-benighted soul does shine Affect attract and elevating move Affections for the element of love Which purify'd prepared and matur'd Are for the service of their Lord allur'd And further yet by naturall things to learn Spirituall mysteries best to discern This supposition make Conceive the bounds Of this vast Ocean that the earth surrounds If all the Floods therein were the extracts And quintessence that best ingredients makes And daily that some of these cristall drops Melt from such sweet and sun-refined sops And in this Ocean be ingulfed shall They not be then transchanged in the fall Our reason shews us that this strong perfume Should soon the drosse of this sweet drop consume Consider then when this immortall sp'rit By these divine irradiations sweet Here in the Region of grace matur'd For glory and the love thereof allur'd Doth from this cloud come out imbrac'd to be In that incomprehensible excellency At the first blink transchanged be so far As heat from cold and light from darkness are And though the rising of our bodies be From death to life again a mysterie Yet when we do behold how nature brings About life to restore to lifelesse things The earth renewing daily flowers and fruits From dozen'd dead corrupt and rotten roots The vapour that 's exhaled from the brim Where sholes of herring leave their spawn to swim Congealed in a cloud again shall powre Of herrings on the ground a swiming shower Oh wofull wretched wreaked naturallist That naturally doth see and not insist To see aright believe love and know more Who natures Author is and him adore For in His time thou with thy very eyes Disclos'd shall see these divine mysteries Our body from the Elements arise And sp'rited be to meet Him in the skies And at the peep of first appearance passe To pain or pleasure as the Inditement was Recorded clearly on the conscience gravâ—d Rend'ring response respective damned sav'd And all these revolutions orderly Accomplisht in the twinkling of an eye For this the period peremptor is Eternally determinat for this That Glorious Right'ous Justice shining clear And glorious righteous mercy may appear Where all the damn'd convinc'd in anguish ly The saved on their Saviour do rely And yet poor naturall atheist that inquires Where is this blesse and where these burning fâ—es Conceive of God aright who comprehends All things incomprehended and extends His glory in His dispensations free Of mercy and of justice righteously Wherein such Majesty ador'd does shine As moves to admiration divine Through all these vast dimensions created Where all the rationall creatures are stated Sin-poyson'd persons wheresoever they be Unpurg'd are under wrath perpetuallie Likeas the Saints are wheresoever plac'd Within the glorious love of God imbrac'd This is the hell beneath and heaven above Here flames of wrath abide there beams of love Justice effects producing so contrarious Upon the Objects so directly various This naturall Sun by nature putrifies Some matter and some matter purifies Some matter harden and some soften more Some strike to death and some to life restore In Summer shining with so fervent heat And on the vild defyled puddle beat The filth therein doth such a fume disclose As doth in darknesse all the dung inclose Ingend'ring serpents vile and cruell frogs Crawling and sprewling in their poysoned drogs Right so the Sun of Righteousnesse shines pure While such the poyson of their pest indure â—or all the perturbation torment anguish Is of themselves wherein they liveing languish Thus may
the naturall man by natures light Convinced be but never see aright Till by the Holy Ghost he be renewed And in the heart by speciall grace indued And led unto the new and living way Where closing with his Saviour he may Discern from whence these waters spring that flow And make the barren fruitfull ground to grow Come then incline divine assistance can From nature thee renew a spâ—ritual man Aright to see His condescensions Applying by firm apprehensions Him shining clear in His Anointed Who is for thy approach appointed For He unmov'd all motions moves Which minutly His praises proves Extracting from most clear distractions A cluster sweet of solide actions For all that is was or shall be Is His eternall wise decree Whose high designs ador'd as His duration Admits no parallel or alteration Whom we in Christ our Saviour sweet must see Imbrace enjoy or die eternally But come and do not in your dreg remain Take up the Book and read and read again A serious Survey of this journey take This Child of Grace through all his tryals tract Here shalt thou see an unseen strength sustain The weakest that hath at the battel been And wisdome shining in the most unwise Might make affections in a rapt to rise Which in the Babe new born again doth grow Whereby he doth in Songs of Praises flow A Garden here with arbors for reposing A Jewel clear the ground of all rejoycing A Fountain whence waters of life do spring A Mountain thence thou may'st with safety sing A Spirit here perceive our sp'rits inspires With sighs and groans and answers such desires Come then in faith and as thou seeks receive Light life relief from darknesse grief and grave In brief behold these whole assertions here By proof from truth believed made appear And He above believing shall convoy Thee with Himself Himself for to enjoy Himself who is thy Potent Prince Victorious Light Life Delight and Lover only Glorious Come then attend His call and humbly say Come Lord thy servant hears and shall obey A SURVEY Of the FIRST and SECOND DEATH Closing with a SEPARATION-KISSE Betwixt two intimate FRIENDS The SOVL and BODY By way of DIALOGUE betwixt NATURE and GRACE Under the Names of FLESH and SPIRIT Heb. 9.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgement Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses 1. THE body of man is of the earth naturall earthy 2. The soul of man is of a spirituall nature spirituall 3. The two joyned together in the time of life make up a person 4. The separation of the soul from the body is the naturall death of the person 5. The separation of Gods favourable Presence by His Spirit from the soul is the spirituall death of the person 6. All the Off-spring of the first man by his apostasie and disobedience are deservedly deprived of Gods favourable Presence by his spirit so come to the world dead in sins and trespasses 7. All these the naturall Off-spring of the first man that be left in this forlorn condition living and dying in this darknesse and ignorance of God and do never attain unto the first resurrection do ly under the first and be lyable unto the second death at the last day 8. The Elect and Chosen of God be by His free grace in a time of love called and by the effectuall working of His Spirit moved to believe His word and to joine with Jesus Christ for Salvation By whom neverthelesse that they be spiritually dead in sins and trespasses they are by His Spirit quickned to see and serve the living God dying unto sin and living unto righteousness and thereby made partakers of the first resurrection Against whom the second death at the generall resurrection shall have no place 9. To be spiritually-dead the mere naturall man knows not nor by reason of his atheism can know till the second death sieze upon him first at the seperation of the soul and body and secondly again at the resurrection and judgment 10. The Believer knows by woefull proof what it is to be spiritually dead by the dead works wherein they have walked before they knew themselves under darknesse 11. The Believer knows likewise what the second death means by being sometimes from provocation and sometimes from tryall deserted and often kept at distance and of such continuance as hath been both a hell of torments and hes bred fearfull anxiety and knows also and believes the Scripture-descriptions of the eternall torments never dying death and dolour that the wicked atheist must endure and perish under everlastingly As also by being condemned in themselves and saved by the Lord they know what it is to be absolved from that dreadfull condemnation 12. As to the dissolution of the body albeit it be a beginning of the second death to the wicked as it is a preparation to the second resurrection of the Godly whose souls are then feasting upon their Saviour His Face in Paradice It may be more properly named a Sleep as it is often in Scripture especially seeing the soul hes had her night of partiall separation in the body suppose but short in comparison of time yet under many sufferings whereas the bodies night in its element is free of trouble and for the length of time it is to rest there under darknesse It is not considerable in respect of the splendor of that day of eternal glory which is at the out-breaking And seeing it is with this temporall death of the bodie that the Believer hes only adoe let us look a little more particularly upon it and specially as it concerns the Believer It is appointed for all men to die naturall death being the separation of the soul from the body is rightly named unto mere naturall man the King of terrours A metaphor from a King or Tyrant who is unresistable for power unsatiable and unexorable for cruelty undefatigable for persistence furnisht with all manner of forces for execution in all places at all times through all the Continent where any of the sons of men takes life attending them constantly till every one of them fall under the fatall and finall stroak And there is nothing created in this Universe whether from within us or from without us from the furthest remote of the Stars to the least pile of grasse or pickle of dust which were all created for our good but hath been or may be the occasion of this dissolution As also by what means amongst so many and at what time so uncertain unto any that it is a wonder that the rationall creatures who knows themselves subject to it can think of it without terrour and most terrible that the most of men are over-turned before they think seriously of it But here appears the greatest wonder that ever any of the blind-born deservedly forsaken and self-lost generation of apostate man should come to know any more hereof then
distrust Him for our Conduct through death unto that Life and Kingdom that He hath purchast for us at so dear a price Or shall we not rather desire to endure what we can be able for him and to be with him who hath indured for us so much to have us with him from under the power and out of the reach of the sting of death which is now a vanquished enemy and not to be feared but become a friend to be especially loved And albeit the carnal part would keep us in exercise under the apprehension of a swift and sudden death which were dreadfull is not the spiritual part to be the more studious to make our calling and election sure and to be the more vigilant with the wise Virgins for the coming of the Bride-groom And if a lingring disease be apprehended it may prove a precious time for better preparation If violent and extreamly painfull it is the more speedily past If inflicted by the Persecutor of the Profession in whatsoever maner then it is accompanied with the highest degree of blessednesse for the Spirit of God and of glory rests upon you and great is their reward in heaven who suffer for righteousnesse And if by that which the natural man calls accident seeing all things in his eyes fall out alike to the good and to the evil Yet the Believer knows that nothing falls out but by a well-ordered providence not so much as a hair of their head to their hurt much lesse shall they be forsaken when they have most ado with present and immediate supplie And whereas some of Gods Children who have been of a long continuance in the Profession singular in their conversation and zealous in duties have been at a very low ebb for mater of comfort in the time of their departure And others also kept under much wrestling and conviction when as some of lesse note and esteem have had all their sails filled with the sense of that soul-saving sweetnesse that meets them from the Mediator at the time of their removall As also some very weak men have been wonderfully born out under most fearfull torments inflicted upon them by the Persecuter and others of far greater expectation have fainted and fallen off when the peril appeared and yet have been reclaimed by repentance and found mercy Some also we see that have lived very civilly all their dayes have died under much darknesse and without any signs of a gracious wakening while as others that have been most abominable in their lives have made a glorious end And now in contemplation of all these various dispensations may we not and must we not see and adore the glory of the Lord both in Soveraignty and Wisdom And is not every Believer unto their own felt and sensible experience in every passage of their severall exercises exceedingly benefited unto their increase of their inward and spirituall consolation And the beholders that are as yet making on to the way helped unto incouragement and confirmation Hereby also may all flesh be taught to finish their salvation in fear to beware of swelling under sense and of sinking under absence of prescribing Providence or ascribing any thing to our selves but subscribing and submitting absolutely in all things to the holy and good pleasure of His will with whom we have to do denying our selves relying and depending upon Him like little children making our entry into the kingdom of heaven by what way He will have us to go who is the Author of our vocation preservation perseverance and perfecting resting in quietnesse and confidence till we see the great salvation of God THE CLOSE IN A SEPARATION-KISSE Betwixt two most intimate FRIENDS The SOVL and BODY By way of DIALOGUE betwixt NATURE and GRACE Under the Names of FLESH and SPIRIT Spirit DEar Saviour now my soul receive Flesh blood and bones slide to your grave And separate sleep from grief and pain Till gloriously we meet again Flesh Shall now these tearms so oft repeated Be instantly for all compleated And must I now in dreadfull night Deprived be of Life and Light Oh had it not far better been This life that I had never seen Sweet Ghost is there no remedy But thou must go and I must die For of a meeting who can think When sinfull I in slime must sink Spirit It 's true no man by nature sees Nor can perceive these mysteries That by believing we conceive And do the earn'st thereof receive When our affections have been feasted Upon the fruits that we have tasted We part a space our grace to try Thou' rt not annihilat more then I And thou redeemed art from death As I and from eternall wrath Flesh I do confesse and call to mind At former warnings of this kind By force of these truths truly tende'rd Sometimes my soul have freely render'd But now it seems that too too slightly I have past by not ponder'd rightly How I to thee or thou to me Shall come or when I cannot see Were we not first immortall made And but by accident do fade Canst thou not now who grace hes found Find also how we two be bound So fast incorporat may remain Untill our Saviour come again Spirit Dear Flesh resist these carnall notions So marring and untimely motions Thou know'st it was our vile revolt That Paradice did on us bolt But now no losse incurres thereby Our Head exalted lifts us hie 'Bove by creation what we were Then earth 's below the highest star When I was sent thee to assume Could'st thou then know that I should come That seed whereof thou was congeal'd Thy Parents from their food did yeeld Digested which from fish flesh grain And fruits they had receiv'd again These grosse ingredients whence were they But from worms water grasse and clay Do not therefore dear mate repine But to thine element incline Till the refreshing time returne And turne thee up out of thine urne When all the Elements shall sweat Purging their drosse with fervent heat And tendering out our substance true Like drops refin'd of Cristal-dew While every soul shall be attending Their bodies fitted for ascending In that dread revolution glorious Dreadlesse thou shalt ascend victorious When all this world these wordly frameâ— Shall be burnt up in fiery flames When all the Heavens shall be roll'd And at an instant roundly scroll'd Sun Moon Stars Signs and Planets seen No more then if they had not been The glory of the Lord obscuring All sights and lights were most alluring He He alone then only being The sweetest Object of our seeing Nor shall there in this swirle be seen Confusions but conclusions clean Appear from these purpos'd decrees Establisht from eternities Perform'd peremptorly in time Now at the tinkling of this Chyme Like as our Horologe in part Keeping the method of the airt Unto the stinted time doth carry Not wearying nor seen to vary But at the period of the hours When she is most to shew her powers What
strange combustion does it make As if in shivers it should shake And when that revolution's spent The second to essay is bent But when the time prefixt is run Must be renew'd before begun Right so our hourly changes are Which seem to us irregular They be by divine art compos'd And wisely done as well propos'd So that this last of time shall crown All that is past with high renown Believe believe this shalt thou see With these thine eyes most certainly Were there not thousands in thy case When I was sent thee to imbrace Into the womb and can God misse Now in accomplishing thy blesse Me to direct again aright To fetch thee up unto his sight And I so long who was conversant With thee and with thy case acquaint Shall I not know thee love thee move thee And thou delighted be to prove me So now confirmed in the faith to meet This be a kisse of separation sweet FLESH Dear soul I dow not let thee go Nor dare I sweet soul say thee no Shall I refuse thee thee my life Shall I consent O fearfull strife I must agree my life to give Or grieve him dying by whom I live I am convinc'd I ought to yield Creation only wields the shield But death by sin doth beat it down Now new Creation is my crown It moves me likewise dearest Lover Who art alone my nearest Mover To see thee thus so long detain'd With me where we be daily stain'd The Galley-slave in fetters ty'd With sad affliction daily try'd Can have no more desire to be Deliver'd hence then thou of me And reason more for he 's but fred Of grief but thou with glorie clad I from this life have thee deferr'd Too long now let me be interr'd Suppose with losse of life I be Divorc'd from thy society So as thou may more blesse enjoy Then can compare with my annoy Sprent out spring up at thy desirings Possesse the prise of thy aspyrings For here I do consent and say Angels conduct thee in the way And I am moved to believe That thou wilt come me to relieve In that day of refreshing clear Which we confide shall soon appear Spirit Enough enough it 's all I crave Sincere submission to have For that I entered this debate Lest out account should come too late Now shall I further let thee see Thou shalt me fail or I fail thee And would thou have me with thee hence When thou denuded art of sense Thee to enjoy was my delight Albeit it was my drowsie night As thou a time must be absented Yet are we so by faith indented And sure ingrafted in our Head Living we be when seeming dead Let us while we do live believe And so we shall by dying live Hence carnall thoughts hence natures night Welcome now sweet celestiall light Light light light light light light so bright What we have seen sets out of sight And makes us to conceive of seeing Above the bounds of this our being Hence incredulity vile ghuest That faithlesse fears does still suggest O happy choise by closely cleaving Unto our Life by firm believing Thy glory by degrees begun Now fred of suff'ring and of sin And I shall still attending be Again to be possest of thee The fathers of the former ages The greatest and the gravest sages The clearest Saints that e're were seen Our meeting there shall not preveen Where We our Husband Head and King Enjoying shall his praises sing In glory unconceivable where we Shall God for evermore adoring be The FIRST and SECOND RESURRECTION AND THE GENERAL JUDGMENT Closing with a SONG of DEGREES Ascending from what we were to what we are and from thence to what we shall be after time AS AN INTRODUCTION TO That New SONG of endless PRAISE ot be taught in and entered unto when there shall be no more time Matth. 25.31 to the end When the Son of Man shall come in His glory c. 1 Cor. 15.12 to the end Now if Christ be preached c. THe Resurrection of the body and the Generall Judgement is universally acknowledged where Christianity is known except amongst the brutishly ignorant or the profest Atheist But if it were so known and believed as it is condescended unto it would put Believers to a more serious study to try their condition then they be at as yet for who could indure to know believingly that living and dying in their naturall estate without the interposition of a Mediator and Saviour for their restauration they being raised up to join with their soul again should then be cast down in utter darknesse finally and rejected of God totally deprived of all further expectation of grace the gnawing worm of conscience wakened the wrath of a sin-revenging God upon the guilty person where in these everlasting burnings amongst innumerable legions of devils and numberless multitudes of condemned men they be to indure eternal torment Can it be imagined say I that any person so believing and that there were a possibility of recovery could be in rest untill they had unto their utmost endeavour used all imaginable means not thinking any pains too great if it were in compassing the Continent and the coasts of the sea for timous relief If we seeing one of our neighbours in the extremity of a Gout a Gravel-stone or Gangren And that we were certainly perswaded that within such a short space we should be in the very like condition unlesse we did apply our selves to such a Person who could assuredly prevent this so fearfull terrible and horrible torment would there be any delay made or difficulty impede us in our journey for finding out the Physitian Much more if he were at hand making offer of our relief and the removall of all our fears could we make the refusall Again Is it not evident that the most part of men do intangle themselves in most dangerous travels and troubles for gaining of a little uncertain treasure pleasure or preferment whereunto few attain And where attained is past before it be well possest Is it possible then that if the Resurrection of the body and the General Judgment were believed and the blessed condition of those that have accepted of the offer of grace in time and the utter ruine and eternall perdition of all such as have contemned this Great-salvation to sieze upon them in that day when they shall call to the mountains to fall upon them and cover them from that fierce wrath which undoubtedly they must underly for evermore No certainly it is neither probable nor possible but if these Truths were believed there would be little rest amongst the Believers untill they attained to that assurance of relief that might give them solide rest And yet every man is so convinced that none that is worthy to have the name of a man dar be so shamlesse as to deny such unquestionable truths seeing that thereby they should be found to deny the Scriptures of God dyted by His own