Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A60349
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Poems in two parts first, an interlocutory discourse concerning the creation, fall, and recovery of man : secondly, a dialogue between faith and a doubting soul / by Samuel Slater.
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Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing S3967; ESTC R37559
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53,199
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130
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went through shame to glory And 't is not easie for us to deny Our life our peace or our prosperity The young man at this stumbling-block did fall He 'd rather part with Christ than part with all And many have at first fairly set out Who when the storm waxt great have tackt about Christ they esteâ—m'd far less than an Estate And would not have him at too dear a rate Christ and pleasures are good Christ earth too But they thought Christ alone would never do Now who can tell what we may meet before Our journey ended is and time no more Though now we fallow lie yet plowers may Make long their surrows on our back one day And in those surrows may my little store Of seeming-grace be buried rise no more If God should leave me ah how soon should I Desert his cause and from my colours slie In Sun-shine-days 't is nothing not to fear And challenge enemies when none appear It 's nothing to be good when seeming so Brings credit with it and preferment too Who would not hug a Christ when hugging him We may in Pleasures river daily swim But it is difficult for one to crie Hosanna when Rulers say Crucifie To bear a Cross for Christ and all forego Rather than shipwrack Faith and Conscience too To be disgrac'd a beggar nay to die Of deaths the worst rather than him denie This this is hard and calls for greater store Of Grace than I have though I had much more Than yet I have The very thought doth pinch Sure when I come in traces I shall slinch And break the yoke and he that doth not bear Christs heavy Cross his Crown shall never wear FAITH Why troublest thou thy self about the morrow The present day is big enough with sorrow Dangers at distance are the worst by far They lose their terrours as they nearer are A Lion's not so fierce as he is painted We sufferings may like when once acquainted Such as in corner sit by sire-side Say weather 's cold and who can it abide But when they once are up and out they find The day befriends them more than did their mind Such is the present case persons at ease Count flea-bites symptoms of some sad disease Nothing more certain is than thou shouldst be Ready to part with all for God when he Calls thee unto it no enjoyment shou'd Sever thee from his love no not thy blood But possibly thou shalt not thus be tri'd God in the hollow of his hand may hide Both thee and thy concernments thou mai'st have A sweet and easie passage to thy grave He in his Chambers may thee hide and then Safe thou shalt be from all the rage of men When storms abroad thy Halcyon-days shall last Until the Indignation's overpast Yet grant that he in wisdom number out Afflictions to thee compass thee about With gall and travel know that he can roul In sugar bitter pills lay in thy soul With such surpassing joys as thou shalt be Even in Heaven whilest in misery Men can no further reach than th' outward part He can by speaking peace ravish thy heart Of crosses the world hath not half such store As God of comforts for he can do more To chear thee in an hour than all the rage Of enemies to trouble in an age He can with grace so fortifie thy heart So shed his love as thou shalt not depart From him nor from his ways his power can Perfect the work of grace it once began And will he stick at either surely no He 'l bare his arm and broach his comforts too If thou shouldst lose thy land silver and gold He will to thee restore an hundred-fold If for his sake thou have a thousand foes He he alone will far out-number those When all these Stars are darkned that Sun will By his resplendent beams make day-light still If thou imprison'd be he at that time Will carry thee into his house of wine And feast thee richly there so in a trice Turn thy dark dungeon into Paradise So he hath done for others who have found Sweet unseen consolations most abound When they were heavy-laden with the cross Whereby their gains did much outweigh their loss They suffer'd all with joy in prisons sung Accounting all for Christ meer dross and dung When the Apostles whipt were for Christs name Away they went rejoicing in that shame And sure that God who strengthen'd them will be Act but thy faith full out as good to thee Burdens shall be proportion'd to thy back When strength is small yet strength thou shalt not lack If that thy way at last be dirt and mire Thou shalt get thorough it and shalt not tire Weather and way fear not no fear thou neither Both strength steps thou shalt renew together In arms of love Christ will thee carry through All the sharp trials which he calls thee to Therfore though weak fear not the wickeds rod Weak ones shall be as David he as God SOVL. All will be well within a change I find Some settlement in mine once shaking mind Time was I never could hold up my head But a doubt came and struck my comforts dead Making me droop again Did I but take Hold of a promise heart and hand would shake I thought my self too bold and still did fear Such high presumption would cost me dear But now the clouds begin to scatter and Darkness doth vanish I now can see land Who farely saw nothing but swelling Seas Of deep and boundless endless miseries When I go out methinks I see above God smiling on me with his beams of love And when at home I sit there is good store Of Gospel-comforts knocking at my dore Commanding entrance which do smooth my brow And I wax cheerful though I know not how It s calm within without I see it fair Those things that threatned now dispersed are Risen the Sun is and a glorious light Comes from him chasing hence my dismal night Where fears were rank sweet consolations grow Rejoice I must whether I will or no. But how comes this about what hand hath brought Such Cordials in when of them least I thought My peace beginning hath my fears an end But how I 'd gladly know and who 's my friend Oh! it is Faith precious and high born Faith Faith's voice alone it is which to me saith Shake off thy dust fear not arise and shine Thy light is come God and his all are thine Fool that I was that so long time should be Spent in such strangeness between Faith and me That I the door should ope to every doubt And shut at the same time believing out So I will do no more Faith's my relief I will believe Lord help mine unbelief Get thee hence Satan Doubts be gone I will Relie upon my God and trust him still My sins end sorrows though they 'r manifold Shall never force me to let go my hold But I upon his grace will hang and say Mine thou hast been art now shalt be for ay He is Immutable and why should I Doubt of that love which hath Eternity Abiding frowns such love cannot abide I 'le trust him therefore though he from me hide This is my fixt resolve which is not made In mine own strength but thine Lord faith would fade And soon give way to doubts were 't not each hour Preserved by thine own Almighty pow'r And so still let it be grant thou that I May live believing and believing die Faith is my strength be thou Faith's strength till we In Heaven meet once for eternitie When of these Creature-comforts I have none Let me rejoice in thee mine only One. Whatever I do want let me all make Up in thy self Lord for dear Jesus sake Yea when thou frownest and lay'st on thy rod Let me relie upon an angry God Grant me to cast my self and each affair At all times on thy tender love and care And Father while that I by Faith adhere Unto thy boundless grace make it appear Thou hast accepted me Lord feed my sense With thine own love draw up mine evidence And seal it by thy Spirit that I may Glory in thee my God throughout the day And when I leave the world let Angels be My convoy in my passage unto thee Let Hope at last end in fruition And Faith be swallowed up of Vision Conduct me to that place where I shall sing Eternal praise to thee my God and King FINIS
of love to thee and thine will die And shall by Death obtain the Victorie Nailing unto his Cross each enemie But unto man by death bring peace and rest So that whoe're believe in him are blest He judged you and he will come at last To judg the World when Judgment shall be past By him in Righteousness And then his own He will advance to his most Glorious Throne Where they shall reign in all felicity Without disturbance to eternity Mans Hymn of Praise Tune our Hearts Lord that we may speak thy praise Flat they are yet do thou them higher raise Affect us thoroughly Let us admire Thy Love and call in help from all the Quire Of Angels who with wonder have all seen How great thy goodness unto us hath been Who gav'st thy Son that he might for us die Who gav'st thy self for our Recoverie How freely did'st thou stoop when we did fall That we might Honey have thou drankest Gall. We eat the Fruit thou hung'st upon the Tree Which Life brought unto us Death unto thee Thy stripes our healing are thy thorn our flower Thy Blood our Balsom and thy Cross our Tower Thy wounds our Refuge and thy sighs our Song Of thee we 'l make our boast all the day-long Thou art the first-begotten of the Dead Thou of all earthly Princes art the Head Thou love'st us and washt us from our sins In thine own Blood making us Priests and Kings To God thy Father Therefore we will never Cease saying Glory be to thee for ever For we O Lord thy ransom'd Ones shall come Unto the Heavenly Zion as our Home With Songs caus'd by that blood which thou did'st shed And everlasting joy upon our head We shall obtain all gladness in that day When sorrow and sighing shall flee away FINIS A Dialogue BETWEEN FAITH AND A DOUBTING SOUL TO THE READER Courteous Reader ABout seventeen years ago a gracioas Woman one of that Flock which was by Divine Providence committed to my charge sorely laboured under many Doubts which created her much disquiet In her agonies she frequently repaired to me for help which according to the Grace given I did most readily afford her But by those Convulsion-sits which almost every day returned her memory was rendered so labil and unfaithful that all I said made no abiding impression Every time she came to me she brought with her the same perplexing thoughts and I had my work to do again Thereupon I resolved to draw up in Verse her Doubts and my Answers and gave them to her in writing in hope that her memory would more easily retain something which might befriend her at least that having these things by her she would make use of them as occasion required and so save both me and her self much labour Through the goodness of God my expectation was not disappointed she found much benefit as she did most freely and thankfully acknowledg and through mercy past the remainder of her days in a pleasant calm But good Soul she could not hide Gods loving kindness within her breast but communicated to others these lines which she counted a treasure several Copies were taken and disperst some sent into remote parts which found good acceptance and were not without their fruit Mine own Copy of them lay dormant long after indeed I concluded it lost until about two years since one of my Children found it among my loose Papers and with joy brought it to me Since then one borrowed it and another and more of which several took the pains to transcribe it And I have of late been so prest to make it publick that contrary to my own thoughts and resolution I have been constrained to yield unto their importunity Certain it is that Doubtings do abound in gracious Souls though wicked men enjoy a fatal peace and are not in trouble like them The Devil like a roaring Lion gapes upon and worries those that have escap'd out of his snares whilest he rocks his vassals and doth his utmost to keep them asleep in the cradle of carnal security Those that have true Faith have also many fears But those that are strangers to Faith are commonly free from them Doubts are good signs yet bad company They damp the spirit and weaken the hand and cover with a cloud that face which should shine They keep Faith from flourishing they deprive the Christian of that comfort which the breasts of Gospel-promises would yield him they rob God and Godliness of that honour which the cheerful lives of Saints would bring them and they render the converses of holy persons many times very unacceptable to their brethren though we should bear one anothers burdens and be very compassionate unto such as are deserted buffeted and disconsolate It is the unquestionable duty of Christs Ministers to be Messengers of peace as well as Sons of thunder as to startle and affright sleeping sinners so to revive drooping and sinking Saints We are to comfort the people of God by speaking to their case and to their hearts To strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees is a part yea a very sweet part of our work We have no dominion over their faith no none at all but should be helpers of their joy and rejoice to be so Vpon this Errand and Design is this little piece sent abroad into the world without question many will find themselves concerned in the things contained in it and I hope some will find advantage The answer to these Doubts are fetcht from the Word of God and grounded upon it and such are most cordial Nay none but such will bring healing to a wounded and settlement to a tumultuating spirit Let none be offended at the manner of composure but remember the reason before given and call to mind Davids Psalms together with the Apostles Exhortation To admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs A blessing from heaven go along with this little work and if thou receivest any spiritual benefit by it he hath his end who is A Friend and Servant to the Houshold of Faith SAMVEL SLATER A Dialogue between Faith and a Doubting Soul FAITH WHat joys like those which from above descend They know no bounds are strangers to an end My comforts overflow I sit and sing The night is day to me and Winter Spring While others think I want I enough have My heritage is good I nothing crave Come Soul put on a smile chase sorrow hence Whence flow these tears why is this great expence Of deep fetcht sighs groans thy Saviours voice Should clear thy brow make thy heart rejoice Husht dost not hear 't Salvations Captain comes With sound of Trumpets with beat of Drums 'T is not th' alarm of War he takes thy part His actions all along have spoke his heart For thee he did engage he fought and di'd And now triumphs All all makes on thy side Himself did tell me so be of good chear Away with doubtings