simple heart in love to grow With them or any thing they can propose The more I gain of them the more I lose And that through Christ and strength of grace I might Have all my whole affections vanquisht quite So kill'd so slain so conquer'd and orecome That in my heart there might be left no room For any filthy sin or lust to harbour That oft hath caus'd my soul to sigh and labour Under the pow'r thereof the grief the pain Of which my heart doth many times complain By reason of the domineering power Of Sin and Satan that for ev'ry hour Did once assault me with its bates and wiles Those cunning stratagems which oft beguiles Poor souls and brings them oft-times to a snare In which they 're taken ere they are aware But now this is become my souls ambition To have it brought in full and whole subjection To Jesus Christ my Lord that nought but he May rule and bear the sway in me and be Both uppermost and chief and reign as King Within my soul and heart oh that 's the thing I long to find and feel and know and have And day and night do always beg and crave That Christ might dwell by Faith so in my heart That I might get and learn that blessed Art To bring down ev'ry thought into subjection And cast down ev'ry vain imagination And ev'ry high thing that doth self and flesh Exalt against the Lord my God I wish And earnestly desire that I might be So dying to the world the world to me Transform'd by the renewing of my mind And not conform'd unto the world but find The Art to know and prove what is that good That perfect acceptable will of God And that I might the pow'r of Jesus know The power of his Resurrection so The fellowship of his dear suffering That my poor soul might be in ev'ry thing And his dispose and while I 've life and breath So made conformable unto his death That if by any means I might attain The resurrection of the dead and gain To be conform'd to th' Image of the Son Who ' mongst the many Brethren was first-born That I in heart and mind might dwell no more Here on the earth but in my spirit sore Rest dwell and live and walk and climb Into that Paradise that Throne sublime Where Christ doth sit in shining glory he I 'de there be with and ever with him be With which most glorious place O Lord affect My stony heart that I may have respect To nothing more nor nothing more so eye Than that reward that 's in Eternity That so my soul may have the strength to bear The troubles I am like to meet with here That in the darkest dismal'st time and day No trouble may my soul amaze nor fray And take away the Clouds and Mists that be Sometimes between my heart my soul and thee That sometimes vails from me that love light And hides thy face and glory from my sight Which makes my soul for to lament and mourn Such troubles are too heavy to be born And suffer not my soul no more to live So much below that glory thou wilt give To those that love thy Name to those that fear The Lord thy Christ and wait when he 'l appear And fill my heart and soul with such a measure Of Light in that estimable treasure That I by Faith thy glorious face may see With which my soul may still refreshed be And always have assurance of thy love By that sweet sealing-sealing-Spirit from above Take up my thoughts into those endless joys Let me no longer live upon those toys That 's here on earth those passing earthly things That rather to my soul disquiet brings Than any joy or comfort Lord I find There 's nothing in this world gives peace of mind In that Celestial place where thou dost dwell That place of glory that no tongue can tell Nor mortal eye hath seen nor heart conceive What 's there in store for them that do believe There where thy Presence is there 's fulness store Of joy and pleasures now and evermore Then by thy Spirit give me to behold The Glory of thy Self to me unfold That most transcendant Beauty and that Light Where Angels worship thee both day and night That though no heart is able to conceive it Nor mortal eye perceive the Brightness of it Nor tongue relate what things are laid up there For them that do thee love and serve and fear And though I can't the least of Mercies merit Yet Lord reveal them to me by thy Spirit That I may daily more and more so slight So disesteem the world that I so might Just as a pilgrim-stranger travel here So freed from all the world and worldly care That I might never think my self at home Until I find that City that 's to come Before thou canst arrive this blessed Port And enter in this Haven such a sort Of waves and tempests may against thee rise Which Satan will against thee so devise To keep thee off by force with wind weather Unless thou play the man thou 't ne'r come thither Then look about thee and consider well And hearken unto what I shall thee tell Thou seest thou hast a journey now to go Be careful that thou dost it travel so Still casting off those things that may thee let That thou may'st safely to the end on 't get Thou art no other than a stranger here A sojourner as all thy fathers were Then think not thou shalt be so kindly us'd For strangers many times are much abus'd Though strangers should be all received well And entertained be it all times fell That sojourners and such as strangers be Which travel towards Heav'ns eternity That holy City Heav'nly Canaan Did find small friendship here from any man Our fathers Abraham and Isaac too With Jacob and the rest did find it so For they did live as strangers in the Land Which was by Promise their own Country and Because they sought a City God had made That had foundations he the basis laid The builder and the maker of the same Was he alone they from their Country came To sojourn in the Land of Promise when God call'd them forth out of their Country then They sought by Faith another Country where They should have rest from travel and the care That usually attends the way they went To heav'ly Canaan where they were bent To go through thick and thin what ere it cost The end would make amends for all they lost They all did die in Faith did not receive The Promise yet the Promise did believe And if my soul thou dost intend to go In that same path they went thou'lt find it so That thou art but a Pilgrim-Stranger here A Travellor unto a Country where Thou wilt a Resting-place enjoy indeed Then go not back but on the way proceed Think it no hard thing thou shouldst be a stranger And that thou art
thy self from such another storm And likewise they 'l suggest the world 's a glory A famous lovely thing or such like story The wealth and honor of it worth the having The love of money nothing else worth saving The friendship of the world is very good That which a man may have and yet love God And that it would be mighty fine and brave If thou shouldst such or such a Living have And O how gallant would it he to meet An honorable person in the street If such a one should kindly thee salute And entertain with complements to boot Give thee respect and offer favours and I am your servant Sir at your command Then stand not out thou fool but with them close They may become thy friends that are thy foes And by that means thou maist thy state much better Than now it is by far and that were fitter Than thus to lye in Gaol and spend thy little Why sure thou shouldst be of another mettle There was a time when thou didst look more high Than so for shame wilt thou in New gate lie That dismal stinking foul and filthy place Fye be asham'd thy self so to disgrace With these and such like things thy flesh would please And so delight thee by proposing ease And pleasures of the world that so they might Cause thee to love the world and make thee slight Thy watch thy guard and garrisons and all And then what then thou' rt gone and soon wilt fall Into the pit the snare that they have made To take thee in on purpose they it laid Well then its time about thee now to look Account it mercy that thou art not took Prize it and well consider that it s now High time to use what strength thou canst but how To manage this affair against this so Come learn of Christ hee 'l shew thee what to do His Grace implore if thou dost wisdom lack Ask it of God he will not turn thee back Nor thee upbraid he giveth liberally Ask thou in faith he will not thee deny Moreover if thou mean'st the field to win Abstain from ev'ry lust all kind of sin Thy members on the earth now mortifie To all of them see that thou daily dye Account thy self alive to God to sin Live not but dye if thou the field wilt win Abstain from all appearances of evil Abhor the works of darkness and the Devil As for thy flesh provision no time make The lusts thereof to satisfie nor take No pleasure in a fleshly carnal mind Nor in a frothy spirit thou wilt find Them hurtful to thee prethee me believe A carnal mind doth oft God's Spirit grieve For they that have a fleshly carnal heart Stil mind the flesh and with their lusts won't part But such as are born of the holy Spirit Will mind those things they shall one day inherit Besides a carnal mind to death will lead And many foul and filthy lust doth breed But to be minded spiritually Is life and peace to perpetuity A carnal mind ' gainst God is enmity Nor is it subject to his Law but why Because it is an evil ill disease Who ever hath it can by no means please The Lord for thou maist well be sure of this He that Christs Spirit hath not is not his This is my soul a Maxime certainly Who lives after the flesh shall surely dye But If thou by the Spirit dost endeavour To mortifie the flesh thou 'lt live for ever Now here 's the war the battel is begun Hold out my soul till thou the field hast won The flesh against the Spirit now will lust The spirit against the flesh these twain are just Contrary unto each in opposition There can nor must be granted no admission Of peace or of agreement 'twixt these twain Then give not o're till thou the flesh hast slain Nor lend no ear to what thy flesh doth say But fervently in Faith against it pray And take thy Sword that holy Word of God To thy assistance 't will thee help afford And hide it in thy heart lay 't up within That thou against the Lord maist never sin Thou wilt not be asham'd when thou shalt have Respect to all his Precepts and them crave As for those things wherewith the flesh doth still Seek to deceive thee and doth sometimes kill Thee with so many fancies and thy mind Disturb with them and seek thy eyes to blind Thou might'st not see the glory that 's beyond The Grave and tell thee often that its fond To think of such and such brave things above But would have thee the world embrace and love But hearken unto me I 'le thee inform How thou against this Enemy shalt arm Now then my soul suppose wee 'l put the case That thou shouldst be so cowardly and base To hearken to the flesh and to it cleave And shouldst it follow and the Spirit leave And put the case my soul that thereby then Thou shouldst become as great as any man Encreas'd with wealth and worldly honor have Be counted wise enjoy what ere is brave Have th' world and all its glory in a string So much that thou needst not want any thing The flesh can wish or what thy heart can crave But it command and presently it have And what if with all these vain things together Thou shouldst a Rapier wear a Hat and Feather And be so proud so lofty and so stout That from a man thou 'lt scorn to take a flout And be so full of complements and gallant So full of valour quarrelsome and val'ant That if one should but give to thee the lye Make no more on 't but stab him presently Suppose I say that thou hadst all these things And all the glory this world with it brings What art the near in death they can't thee serve Nor from his dreadful strokes thy life preserve For when the King of terrors to thee comes Thee to arrest and seize then all the sums The world affords if all of them were thine Would insufficient be there 's no such Fine That he of thee will take thy life to spare Thy life must go he will not stay nor care For all the world if thou the world couldst give Then dye thou must and must no longer live And go to dust and leave the world behind thee And as thou dy'st just so shall judgment find thee For after death there is a day to come Which some men call the dreadful day of doom A dreadful day indeed a day of wrath Too late then to repent thee of that froath Thou livedst in while thou wast here so brave And then wilt rue that ere thou wast a slave Unto the flesh the devil and the world If head-long into Hell thou shouldst be hurld Oh then my soul consider well and see That all the world will nothing profit thee For there 's a time to come that shall and will All those that serve their lusts with horror fill When
SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES WITH Some Hints touching the Fall of the Mother of Harlots and the exaltation of the SON of GOD upon the Throne of DAVID Written in Newgate by JOHN GRIFFITH a Prisoner there My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King Psal 45.1 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.24 25. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Rev. 14.8 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion Psal 2.7 Printed in the year 1663. The Epistle Dedicatory To all in every place that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and Truth and that wait for his glorious appearing more especially unto that Remnant to whom I stand more particularly related Grace be multiplied with encrease of Faith and Love from God the Father and his Son Jesus the Anointed through the Comforter Christian Salutation Well-beloved ITs matter of comfort to the Lords poor despised people in a dark day that he is pleased not to leave his nothing-ones that either have or do suffer any thing for the sake of blessed Jesus without some signal tokens of his comforting and strengthening-presence with them by which they are in a good measure kept from fainting and that he doth seal up instruction to their souls leading them to the Rivers of Pleasures causing them to drink deep of his Love and Free-Grace in his dear Son Oh what a choice Mercy it is that the Most High God should so far condescend as to have regard to such worthless Creatures who in the day of their fulness so much provoked the Eternal God by their unthankfulness and mis-improvement of such Choice Mercy as the Mercy of the Gospel is It is wonderful Grace that God should notwithstanding such provocations wherewith he hath been provoked by Congregations in general and by every Member in particular still continue the good savour of his Grace upon the hearts of any of them or that he should account any of his poor servants worthy to suffer Reproach and Bonds for his sake Which Mercy which I esteem very choice and sweet to my soul he hath been pleased for some time to let me enjoy which is wonderful in my sight that such a nothing empty Creature as I am should be employed by him in such a Noble Work and in such a Noble Cause as to suffer Bonds for the sake of blessed Jesus Yet notwithstanding the length of time I have been in durance I find my heart is not so cleansed and brought to the foot of Christ as I hope it may and wait it should And if it so please the Lord to sanctifie these Bonds that I may by the help of his holy Spirit so crucifie the remains of Corruption that I find still in my heart and subdue and bring in subjection every vain imagination that every high thing that exalts it self may be brought in obedience to the King then may I bless the Lord for the day that ever I lay in Newgate The which I may say I am engaged and not without cause already to do for asmuch as God hath let me see my self and the baseness of my own heart the unbelief and diffidence that lodgeth there in some measure which giveâ— occasion to me to magnifie the Grace of God the more in that he should be graciously pleased to accept such an unworthy Worm as I am in his dear Son A clear evidence of which through Grace I can say I am not without in my soul yet not so as wholly to be without ups and downs occasioned by temptation working upon my Frailties which my dear Lord Jesus is pleased to assist me in and cause them to work for good unto my soul Blessed be Jehovah I have in this Poem rudely scattered here and there some of those MEDITATIONS and EXPERIENCES that God hath been pleased to visit my Soul with the which I present to the view and commend to the serious thoughts of all the Faithful but more particularly to that Remnant and chosen ones to whom I stand more immediately and particularly related in the bonds of the Gospel Hoping all the Spiritual will take them in good part and judge of them in the Spirit of Love to whose Christian correction I readily subject my self and Labours hoping also thâ—â— they will put the fairest construction and interpretation both upon them and me that Brotherly Love and Duty binds them to I could not willingly pass to the Conclusion of this poor Work until I had first hinted something touching the Fall of Mysterie Babylon that old and great Whore and of the Exaltation of our dear Lord the thoughts of which now in my bonds makes me very merry and is as a cordial to comfort my poor heath for which I wait and to which time I trust he will keep that which I have committed to him My dear Brethren 'T is but a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry In this time of our Pilgrimage let us labour to exalt him in our hearts that he may be chief and rule as Lord and King there that when we come to lay down this house of clay we may be cloathed upon with our House from Heaven and be found of him without fault at his coming To which end wait diligently upon the Lord in his Word and Ordinances Be much with God in Prayer praying for all Saints and for me the most unworthy Servant of Christ that I may be kept faithful to death and let your walks be in Heaven So shall the King greatly desire thy Beauty for He is thy Lord and worship thou Him Farwell Grace be with you all Amen From my poor pitiful Study in Newgate Septem 22. 1663. Your Brother in the dear love of Jesus JOHN GRIFFITH COurteous Reader by reason of the Authors absence many faults have escaped the Press which thou art desired to mend with thy Pen. SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES c. AS I in Prison lie I sometimes muse What should the reason be they me so use That they contrary unto Law Reason Should keep me here in Jayle so long a season No crime or charge against me can they lay Yet I shall lye in Prison still they say I think their will 's their Law I cannot see But that the reason is they thus use me What should the reason be they nought will have But what 's their will to keep me as their slave Within stone walls and bars of iron strong As if I had done unto them such wrong
sweeter Tho unto sence it seems to be so bitter Than any Princely Court or stately Palace When with his presence he the soul doth solace If in a Prison Jesus Christ be there It 's cause of joy to meet him any where No sorrow can nor will that soul betide That hath dear Jesus lying by his side And he that night and day can take a nap In Jesus Christ the Lord 's Anointed's Lap Can there rejoice and in a Dungeon sing For joy of heart that Christ is there with him Tho Paul and Silas in the stocks were laid At midnight they in that condition pray'd And sung for joy of heart their Lord was there And with his love did them refresh and chear And made their bonds so pleasant and so choice With his good presence comforts and sweet voice That made them sing aloud with joyful praise VVhich did their Jaylers stonish and amaze And put them into such a fright and fear They could not tell the Prisoners were there Not knowing that in Prison they were free VVhen others were in bonds in liberty Why should I then with Prison-bonds be frighted Tho in my bonds I am by many slighted Sith I full many many times have known That blessed Jesus leaves me not alone But doth refresh my soul both day and night I never am out of his Princely sight He by his Spirit doth my soul uphold So teach and comfort strengthen and new-mold So frame so form so fashion and compose My heart so vile to be at his dispose That with my bonds I 'm mighty well content And at 's command to be I 'm fully bent So he with strength and grace support my soul VVho ere he be in this that shall controul And so he please still to continue with me Nor will he ever leave me nor forsake me As he hath promis'd in his faithful word VVhich I believe and to it do accord And am ascertain'd that he cannot lye Nor ne'r his holy blessed self deny Nor will he break that Covenant he made VVith faithful Abraham and all his seed That seed of Faith I mean not of the Law That which the Scriptures long ago foresaw Then need not I to fear what man can do VVhat ere he be that saith he 'l make me rue If Christ my Jesus be but on my part I need not fear they cannot make me smart Nor can they touch my hair except he please Them to permit I cannot one hair leese But should he them permit to try my Faith My Love and zeal to him and for his truth On me some grievous torments to inflict VVith which my sinful flesh they should afflict And sorely bruise and wound and cut and burn Yet would such handlings to my comfort turn In taking up and bearing of the Cross There can nor will be to my soul no loss It is the certain way unto the Crown Christ went that way himself 't was his renown Then now O Lord assist me with thy Grace That I may run not faint that blessed race Which in the end will bring me to that rest Where Sin and Satan can't my soul molest Where I shall never hear Oppressions voice Nor grief nor pain nor trouble but rejoice In thee alone and praise thy holy Name Admire thy Glory Beauty and thy Fame Where I shall have no work to do but praise The God of Heav'n the King of Saints always And if thou Lord dost please still to employ me In any harder work thereby to try me Grant as the day is so my strength may be For strength I have not any but from thee And then command me what shall seem good to thee I am thy Servant ready to obey thee 1. MY soul praise thou the God of Might And in the Lord be glad His Grace is wondrous in thy sight for he such pity had 2. Of thee when thou a sinful wretch didst wallow in the mire Of lust and filth then did he snatch a brand out of the fire 3. He lov'd thee when thou lovd'st not him such was his Love and Grace He took thee from the very brim Of Hell that dismal place 4. VVhen terrors did my soul amaze and sorrows day and night He out of them my soul did raise to see those beams so bright 5. That on my darken'd soul did shine which darted from the Son Of Mercy Grace and Love Divine my soul with it was won 6. More to admire than comprehend comprehend I could not VVhat kind of love God did intend unto my foul I knew not 7. Comfort and light I did receive which sweetly staid my heart And made me wait hope and believe God would his mind impart 8. At length unto my thirsting mind that long'd so much to know More of his Grace and Mercy kind the Lord was pleas'd to show 9. unto my soul that these were pangs new-birth pangs upon me Which much in doubt for sometime hangs I knew not they were on me 10. But when the Lord had me begat a lively hope unto Then I perceiv'd 't was nought but that with cords my soul he drew 11. I say with cords of love so sweet so choice unto my soul VVith which the Lord did me then meet that was so vile and foul 12. Then straight-way did the Lord speak peace and issues out a pardon The troubles of my soul did cease that heart which I did harden 13. VVas then most sweetly mollifi'd even melted and so broken My soul was then so satisfi'd it hardly can be spoken 14. Oh then how was my heart inflam'd with love to Christ my Lord That of his word I was not asham'd but gladly could afford 15. To lose my All for his dear sake that lost his Life for me And laid it down that he might make my peace with God and be 16. An able Saviour that can save me to the uttermost That I an open way might have to God which I had lost 17. Oh then my soul how art thou bound thy self to serve no more Thou from the Lord hast mercy found praise thou his Name therefore 18. Be not a servant unto men their lusts do not obey Nor serve no longer any sin that will thee soon destroy 19. But serve the Lord with all thy might 't was he that hath thee bought Thou art non's else but his of right he thy salvation wrought 20. And paid a price for thee so dear so precious and so great Then praise the Lord him love and fear for that is wondrous meet 21. Forsake him not he is thy Life thy Peace thy Joy thy All A present help in time of strife in troubles great and small 22. And tho the wicked rage and storm and threaten what they 'l do There 's none of them can do thee harm Christ is thy Rock then lo 23. What cause to fear the wrath of man it 's that shall praise the Lord And the remainder he 'l restrain this shall be known abroad 24. My soul