that ruine and calamitie which hath so miserably imbondaged and pinioned together the race of transgressors and holden them in irkesome slauery as chained and designed to a great and irkesome Captiuity XXXVI As for my selfe who am mine owne Capitall enemy I haue neuer had skill or will to pray for my trespasses but euen wandred in dreadfull expectation vnder a heauy burthen yet heerein I am somewhat cheered that by this experience of my estate thou hast let me see what a blacke and foule conscience I haue and hast mollified my heart that I might lodge contrition in my soule to obtaine grace and fauour with thee that in thine owne time merciful Lord thou wilt please to purge and wash it XXXVII Thou O my good God which hast beene from all eternities art neuer changed whereupon it is that wee bee not confounded but art euer one and the same without anie shadow of change for age time which consume al things serue for no other purpose but to confirme thine euerlastingnesse and men seeme to remaine heere vpon earth for no other cause but to behold thy incomprehensible greatnesse vnchangeable on the one side and their certaine dissolution approching out of their mortalitie on the other side XXXVIII For a man changeth not his shirt so often but the earth changeth her inhabitants more often yet thou my God art euen the same at this day that thou wert at the first which the heauens and earth continually sing vnto thee and that neither time past presēt or to come shall euer change thee XXXIX Keepe mee therefore O Lord in a stable and sober exercise of my faith and assurance that I do not wauer or shrink in the stormes of my mortalitie neither despaire at any time by sense of apparances or smart of feelings For hee which despaireth for his sin vnlesse thou please to designe that afflictō by desertion to giue experiēce of faith thereby he euen doth giue ouer his soule as already condemned and is like that abominable vsurer who hauing sustained some losse in his goods by and by bereaueth himselfe of his life also Make thou therefore strong steppes for my faith O Lord that I neuer dishonour thy name by the deceitfull sleights of my senses but euen stand fast armed with thy promises for euer XL. And so prepare mee vnto the chastisements of my peace these same sweete healing potions and appliances that the smart thereof neuer driue me from thee but euen rather as the lashes light vpon mee I may kisse the rod and say it is too little for I haue deserued much more but that of thine owne indulgence and pitie thou sparest me Giue me therefore O Lord to learne obedience by thy stripes and most welcome and sweete euen shall bee vnto mee thy afflictions yea euen the changes of my afflictions the lot of thy children XLI Thus instructing and nurtring mee in thy owne most holy schoole of discipline let me feele O Lord thy wil to take more rule and soueraignety ouer my will then it hath done in former times that I may tast and experience that pleasure which hee feeleth that is deliuered from the bond of captiuitie and set at libertie out of prisonne and thraldome wherein his enemies had long held him chained XLII For thou hast alreadie done verie much for my soule O Lord thou hast taken and held mee fast by the hand in all my dangers and set mee gentlie againe in the way of thy will with greater compassion then euer Paul did embrace Eutychus and madst mee vnderstand thy will and purpose Nay thou hast done more then that for mee thinks thou hast both opened mine eies and the heauens all at once that I should see the mightinesse of thy glorie as I do at this present sensiblie feele the goodnesse of thy grace XLIII Thou hast O Lord made mee se I say the mightinesse of that thy power whereunto no mortall man can attaine without thee for alasse should I poore sillie worme thinke that I am more then I am to go to seeke for that in the heauens which I cannot well see at my feete the eies of my body be duskie mistie and the eies of my soule be much worse but thou the mercifull Lord delightest to bring light forth of darknesse for manifestation of thy power euen thy blessed power XLIV And mens thoughts are maruellous vncertaine and wauering for the earthlie and corruptible bodie dulleth and maketh idle our spirits and tieth and bindeth our senses fast to the earth so that without thee my gentle Lord I can hope for no light heere belowe to know or discerne any thing aright But Christ Iesus is the way the truth life and light whose renewed obedience is still fragrant in thy presence euen hee is my light and portion for euer XLV And by him most mercifull Lord thou doest supplie my wants and leadest mee by the hand to see the counsels of thy eternall wisdome and hast heaued violently mooued my soule to make it capable and sensiblie to feele thy light and commiseration XLVI Wherefore O Lord touching my enemies and those who haue wrongfully oppressed mee and closed mee in much obscuritie and blemish of estate I do humblie and with all my verie heart intreat thee for them that thou please not to blow vpon them the wind and blast of thy curse but tarie sweete Lord if so it seeme good to thee to see if thy patience will bring them to do their duties nay rather draw them O Lord to repent their causlesse wrongs orphanings and violent outrage that they haue committed against me XLVII And as for mee though I bee couered ouer with their wounds and defamed with their iniurious dealings yet had I rather haue them subiect vnto thy mercie then once to feele thy iudgement and desire of thee if thou think good that their vnmercifulnesse vnto mee might rather serue to trie mee withall then for their condemnation XLVIII Thou knowest O Lord my desires takest view of them out of my most secret priuities and thoughts and that I neuer called on thee for vengeance for my receiued wrong No no the feelings of thy mercies vnto my vnworthy selfe make mee deepelie desire to bee farre from thinking of others smarts offered vnto me Indeed most mercifull Lord my vowes do importune nothing but thy mercies and my thoughts are addressed vnto nothing but vnto peace reconciled brotherlie fellowship XLIX The verie end of all my desires O Lord if thou please I report it is that I may passe my daies in seruing thee faithfullie and that thou wouldest grant mee thy holie house to dwell in euen in the congregation of thine owne chosen wife and spouse the church and that all the while I am separated from thee and a great waie off from thy heauenly tabernacle tied vnto the earth by reason of the counter poise of this my bodie I might vnite and tie all my thoughts vnto thee conforme my selfe whollie
our prâ—â—â—â—s bee not ours but the vehement desires of the spirit As for vs Quod postulamus idem ipse donat qui dat vt postulemus Alacke that wee haue no more conscience to hold fast and enioy the Lords gentlenesse and familiaritie with vs. What are we if he please to depart from vs and leaue vs to an accusing conscience nay what is the greatest Menarch in the world Oh heauy state well known vnto manie and in mercie something vnto the author heerof If the Lord doe set vp but one of our sinnes to pursue vs nay but one of our cogitations to accuse vs and depart from vs wee shall find such a flame of burning vnrest torment in our thoughts as to beseech him returne againe and helpe vs and take from vs all those worldlie priorities and shrined vanities of our abundance which haue seduced and snared our faculties in verie eminent and high degrees of consuming torments But men bee secure and by fulnesse and immunities their disease is growne so remedilesse as hardlie to beleeue there can bee any such miserie in mortalitie But I choose rather to lament their estate then conuince their presumptuous opinions and therefore will cut off and leaue all redresse vnto him that is both able and willing to worke for his owne and will call in his time those that bee appointed by what motion change or crosse soeuer may please him best To this gentle mercifull Lord I doe recommend thee patient Reader and this my poore labour as a seruice to superionrs my loue to equals and familiars and a compassionate well wishing vnto all that loue the comming of the Lamb euen the Lord Iesus The Contents of the booke in generall The former booke of Adams returne doth consist of open acknowledgements vnfolding the secret still liuing presumption and inherent leprosie in his posteritie which to auoid distaste the Author acteth in his owne rebellious selfe resembling Dauids penetentiall sorrowing Psalmes of humiliation This garden doth by open shew enlarge and demonstrate such exercises and renewed effects of the happie returne as the writer did receiue from the second Adam the Lord pleased to afford vnto him from cogitation and admiration of so happie a change Resembling Dauids illumination and cheered estate of thankefulnesse in his Psalmes of consolation Gather flowers of each rowe some And make a posie ' gainst Master come And hee will smile vpon thy choice And thanke thee with a gentle voice Ablessed thing to make him smile Who neuer heere in his exile For thirtie yeeres did one smile shew Let him now see thy Lilies grow ADAMS GARDEN I. OH my most mercifull Lord who hast enforced my returne after my running away from thee euen by the call of thy tender compassions whereby I was wonderfully affrighted confounded out of mine owne guiltie wounded conscience for disobaying thy word thereby losing thy freelie bestowed glorious garden vpon mee and now at the last doest exercise me in my desires of thankfull obedience for so great a fauour and deliuerance receiued to plant and present for thy delight euen a new second Garden far exceeding that of Eden out of the choice of thine owne created flowers in my verie sinnefull heart where thou hast pleased to leaue some little sparks of the first creation II. Good Lord helpe mee to plant to square and frame euerie quarter in such seemelie sort and proportion as beeing furnished with varietie of thy sweete and fragrant created flowers I may please thee and vndergoe my calling to digge and delue still by penaltie from the first Adam and may bee acceptable and delightfull vnto thee in and by the second Adam euen to make an habitation where thou and the Lambe may please to dine and sup and euen dwell still III. Nothing is hid from thee thou readest in the tables of my heart and well seest how my compunction and sorrow for abusing thy fauours euen load and presse mee downe yet heerein bee pleased to enlarge my cheere and confidence that much greater is the glorie of my returne and repaire then was the fruition of Eden to Adam IV. For therein as wofully appeareth I had power to lose both garden and blessing and indeed was no more but a priueledged creature for a time made of clay dust and the basest earth but now thou hast otherwise bewtified and shrined mee by thy loue vnto mee V. And of thy free mercie and gratious bountie now hast giuen mee a dignitie prioritie and priueledge whereby I am not onelie set free from satans subduings the worlds snarings deaths wouÌ„dings to hinder my now happy calling progresse but am in those combats of theirs made an open coÌ„queror ouer theÌ„ al for thou hast affoorded me a dignitie farre exceeding my first Creation So that I cannot be mooued though I bee shaken and tossed to trie my victorie ouer them for what conquest without opposition and combate VI. Now I can lose my kindred and garden no more Now I can fall finallie no more I can lose my vnion with Christ Iesus no more nor bee separated from him any more So true it is that whom thou calledst thou hast iustified and glorified whereby I am in thee so highlie aduanced as not onelie to bee Lord of all the workes of thy hand but conqueror of all enmitie arising against thy blessed will yea euen of that proposed enmitie which must continue till there bee no more time VII So that not onelie his descending and death is mine but his Rising and Ascending also yea his verie righteousnesse is mine by imputation whereby I am able to satisfie the whole lawe out of my owne crucified flesh in and by him who loueth mee Who or what shall I feare now since all the world trembleth at his voice who speaketh and ruleth out of my verie flesh VIII O mercifull Lord bowe downe and heare my crie and sighes for obedience and humilitie that the knowledge of this happie vnion make me not bold but onlie in the causes of thy glorie against that deuouring Satan that I may once deale large spoiles from that conquest which thou wilt giue mee ouer him euen for thy names sake and in fauour of this thy new reconcilement and couenant which thou hast made betwixt thy Christ and my sinnefull soule IX For alasse hee smarteth when I draw penaltie vpon me by disobedience In all my troubles he greeueth with mee and is troubled with mee For so long as this vnion lasteth which is foreuer that Christ Iesus is my head and I his member how can it bee but hee endureth my miserie euen with mee X. Oh wonderfull and vnspeakable bountie a secret hidde from many Hee hath not onelie made mee Lord ouer the whole earth but by his consecration hath communicated his glorious and passible spirit to bee wounded for my declinings Oh hearts of men and women where be they Oh that loue of Marie was great and sweete Tell me saith she where
vnto thy most righteous will L. Oh blessed habitation that is able to couer mee from all worldlie passions from all the lusts of the flesh and assaults of Satan for there O Lord thou art present with mee and comest downe from the heauens to keepe companie with mee and fillest mee with thy selfe that I might bee fenced against sinne and this my carnall will and conuerted into a heauenlie liuing and quickning spirite LI. That I may once feele effectually thy maruellous works comprehend thy mercies and conceiue of thy power and almightines Reueale therefore vnto thy seruant this thy will lay it vp in my heart that I may there keepe it most deerelie and in the midst of thy church may set vp an altar vnto thee euen in my mouth for an offering vnder the vaile of thy most holie word LII And to this end O Lord I beseech thee helpe mee continuallie for as mine infirmitie striueth commonlie against mee so also haue I neede of continuall helpe on euerie side Therefore good Lord when thou hast comforted mee doe still exercise mee and bee with mee I beseech thee and tary with mee knead mould and frame this lumpe of earth euen as thou wilt to thine owne seruice and worship LIII And now my most mercifull Lord hauing pleased thee so as thou art reconciled with mee and I with all mine heart resigned vnto thee euen to doe thy will what shall I neede to feare seeing all the world doth dread and fall down before thee that defendest thy seruants and hast assured mee to watch still ouer mee euen night and daie and keepe mee vnder the shadow of thine owne wings thou wilt giue the angels charge ouer mee that I hurt not my foote nor faint in my way nor bee wearie in my iourney vnto thy holie hill LIIII Thou art the mightie defender of the poore and orphaned and who is able to resist thy power Thy forces O Lord are not armies of men but Legions of Angels thy ministers are not onelie Princes and Captaines but thundrings lightnings and stormes thy wrath is not blowes and hurts but Earth-quakes swallowing vâ— of Cities and drowning of Countries so triumphant victorious and glorious art thou in all thy waies LV. But my Lord because thou doest hold backe this thy redressing hand of power and maiestie comfort me still with a sure hope that thou wilt not forsake me and giue me such a measure of faith as may lead mee vnto the hauen of thy promises and therein compact mee as a stone well squared for the masters building sited vpon Mount Zion which shall neuer be remooued LVI And me thinks thou saiest vnto me continually tarie a little for the time is not yet come that I haue appointed in the meane while trust thou assuredly vnto my promises and looke whatsoeuer wrong disgrace or affliction thou shalt beare I will bee with thee and giue thee strength to ouercom it thou hauing learned that all things woorke together for the best to them that loue mee I haue not laid thee in the fire to burne and consume thee but to fine thee and make thee orient in my sight euen as the Diamond by much and often rubbing is more beautifull LVII Heereby my courage O Lord encreaseth when I see my selfe thus seconded by thee and this thy fauour and gentlenesse doth more embolden mee vnto patience then all the applause of the people doth him that fighteth a combat when he is most strong and lustie in fight and seeth the victorie alreadie by his fainting aduersarie LVIII Certainelie I know the conscience of an innocent man that is founded and grounded vpon thy grace my Lord is more stable and sure then all the greatest rockes and cannot bee shaken or mooued by any wrong or inflicted violence whatsoeuer No no that mans inocencie is not to be wounded with any or all the practices of the vngodlie who are forced in the end to retire all wearied fainting and gasping for breath LIX O Lord their wofull plight they lie groueling vpon their bellies they bray grinne and mutine with verie anger bereaued of all power for thou hast broken both their armes teeth and their iawes and what not So that the onlie weapon left them is euen a will to continue in euill A thing so hatefull vnto thy diuine nature and maiestie O Ephraims God! that thou shouldest take all their iniuties as done vnto thy selfe and so in thy iustice throw the mountaines vpon them vtterlie to roote out the memorie of such an vnmercifull scoffing brood from amongst men LX. O Lord what a loue is this when a father shall not spare his owne onelie sonne but giue him to bee slaine and tortured to redeeme the miserie of his slaue wherefore O most louing holie one of old seeing that thou hast pleased to frame and traine mee vp with thine owne hand bought me with thy blood and purified mee by thy mercie forgiue euen now all my presumptuous offences cancell the hand-writing of euidence against mee purge my conscience that it accuse mee not and since I desire to forsake all the world to enioy thee thy presence and promises I do beseech thee reiect mee neuer for then will the wicked say Where is his God and the promise of his comming and manie other preiudiciall blasphemous speeches against thy name LXI O Lord I haue long since and euen now doe sacrifice my heart consecrate my affections and deuote my thoughts vnto thee violentlie plucking them out of the bottome of that euill heart of mine so that my onlie desire now is to serue thee faithfully with all my whole strength my soule and spirit and to loue my neighbour as my verie selfe But as it is not possible to write any thing vpon writing tables vnlesse that bee rubbed out which was written before Right so my mercifull God vnlesse thou purge and wash this same old besoiled contagion of my heart it is not possible to engraue thy word and will in it LXII Plucke vp therefore by the rootes those customary pollutions of my wicked vncleane course and according to thy gratious promises Make me heare of ioy and gladnes of heart by earnest of thy spirit Assuring me that my request standeth among the Angels tendered by the gronings of the comforter in the name of the Redeemer and shall haue a gratious answere Heare therefore O Lord my groanes and sighes which doe testifie thy goodnes and doe publish thy mercies Encrease my strength and courage that I may straine my cries and euen mount vp vnto thee and graciouslie incline vnto the same that out of a chaunged heart I may sing a new song of prayses vnto thee LXIII Satisfie me O Lord I beseech thee in casting downe all my sinnes vnder thy feete that no eye may bee able to see them by piercing through the same for I doe not onely blush to think vpon them but euen hate my selfe for committing them The remembrance thereof grieueth me the
times that I took very vngratiously therein be as a very vomit vnto my soule and my thoughts are sore wounded with the heauie representation thereof LXIIII. Pardon and deliuer me therefore mercifull Lord who through frailty haue yeelded my selfe vnto the bondage of sinne and with the onely twincke of thine eie my manacles shall flye from my wrests For when I poore sinner shal once fall downe and lift vp my thoughts heauie and sad before thee thou doest pittie me heare and accomplish all my desires and makest me enioy whatsoeuer J aske For what is thy delight But to fill the hungry with good things LXV But herein I faile wofully not for that thou changest thine ancient pittie and purpose but because I my selfe do keepe no couenant with thee No no I doe not that which I might verie well doe to keepe in the sweet warme worke of grace begunne in my heart and affoorded vnto mee whereupon thou mercifully Lord art euen forced to let me feele the want of the comfort I had and so J mournefullie and with bashfulnes returne vnto thee as the tiewant of the schoole doth to be histed at vpon his returne LXVI For alasse my most mercifull Lord as I haue said before so againe and againe I testifie It is my selfe that am an open enemie to my selfe by my fraile wandring vanities and vnstable hart that in thy very care thou takest mee vppe and correctest me in the open schoole by disgrace thereof seeking to worke compunction filiall feare and a more faithfull returne vnto thee my very sweet heart and to thy holy schoole But alas I am still weake and wauering so that if thou shouldest heare my request and forgiue me when I aske pardone without correction alasse let all men iudge what this is else but to pray thee giue mee leaue to continue in sinne still Alas my Lord my holy one thou knowest with what greefe I set down this censure vpon my selfe and others but I dare not but doe it faithfullie because I write vnto thee in the spirit of the second righteous Adam and â—…aue vnto thee all redresse and pitty euen in the shade of death for thou wilt doe it in time vnto such as are grieued with their frailties LXVII And therefore my mercifull Lord let not mee be shaken with the rods of thy schoole and academy but giue mee to reioice in all the stripes of my strayings yea euen in the changes of my changes which will keepe mee sweete and acceptable by the often scowring and purging of that inherent corruption which is diffused and dispersed through my verie marrowe LXVIII For otherwise running astray still in a sinfull secure dangerous peace of my affections such as the world only hath I shall grow like a puddle infected with manie foule stremes and stinkes in thy sacred nostrels afflict mee therefore my gentle Lord hold mee fast behind and before and lay thy hand vpon mee euen with all my verie heart for that which thy afflictions take from mee is nothing but my vanities and workes of sin and Satan for the nakeder I am before thee the more beautifull euer my gratious Lord. LXIX So that whatsoeuer thou laiest vpon mee it is onely to make easie the way vnto thy holie hill thereto receiue sanctification and holy moderation in all my conuersation for thou knowest both the daies and liues of all those that depend vpon thee and wilt guide them in thy waie giue vnto them whatsoeuer is needfull they shall lacke no good thing but possesse all peace plenty and ioy in their daies LXX For I know that all thy afflictions as those same happie roddes of thy schoole they are euer in thy owne most mercifull hands and measured in all pittifull moderation both in quantitie qualitie and continuance of time for quantitie thou propinest to each of thy poore wounded seruants a cuppe and portion conuenient for his brusing and incurable disease whereunto no man can applie a plaster but onelie thou the Lord alone And as for qualitie physicke must be a little bitter or else it is of no worth yet therefore doest thou temper it with the blood of the immaculate lam be the most happie Redeemer of the world to make it both settle nourish and heale the poore wounded creature LXXI And as for time thou giuest but daies of triall and affliction houres of tentation according to thy good pleasure and euen in this smal induring neuer any Goldsmith did so watch ouer his gold in the fire that it wasted not as thou tendest vpon thy children that in due season thou mightest draw them out O that same sweete zealous rebuke of the Lord Iesus vnto Satan Is not this a brand taken out of the fire the Lord rebuke thee Satan euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee LXXII Thou hast mercifull Lord made it knowne vnto me that thy seruant Iaacob wrestled with thee no longer then vnto the dawning of the day and that thereby I may be assured my troubles haue an appointed time for rest that weeping may abide in the euening but ioy commeth in the morning though Shadrach Meshach and Abednego be cast into the fire an Angel of thine owne presence shall goe with them and releeue them in due time So that neither fire nor floodes shall harme thy afflicted ones whom thou hast called by their names LXXIII For whatsoeuer thou most mercifull Lord doest exercise thy children withall it is but to make them know that tâ—eir blessednes is prepared in an other place and laide vp for them from eternitie And no man shall take them out of the Lambes hands for thou Lord who gauest them vnto him art greater then all and therefore in those same very times that thou goest away and leauest them to sorrow yet they shall possesse the inheritance whose riches is infinite An inheritance which beeing diuided amongst all the children will continue sound and whole for euer and euer whose parts shall be as great as the whole inheritance LXXIV Make vs strong therefore O Lord and in admiration of such a high and pretious price to scorne all the vaine things in the world all the countenances of men and the vttermost rage of persecuting tyrants For let Peter who denied thee by occasion of a weake woman haue thy presence with him and he will auowe boldly the crucified Lambe before those who put him to death so Lord shew vs the light of thy countenance and no alteration shall dismaie vs. LXXV Oh what a spectacle hast thou made for mine eies to behold nay I am now so assured of thy mercies and comforted by reason of the care I see thou hast of mee as though I should see the greatest Armie that possiblie may be prepared yet would I not be afraid but stand still vpon the vnchangeable written word and my owne happie experience of thy truth power and promises which are euer yea and amen LXXVI O Lord couer mee vnder the grace and