you may see The laws of God most holy and most high Whose Will 's the rule of all holiness Of love and mercy and of righteousness These pure commands light to the eyes impart They 'r right and good and do rejoice the heart Receive them in thy mind since they are light And since they 'r good make them thy hearts delight Great peace have they O Lord thy law that love Nothing to them a stumbling-block shall prove Would you read Proverbs much sence in few words The Scripture Proverbs plenteously affords In Scripture rare Epistles you will find Where to his Friends Christ writes his heart and mind And as their case requires so he in love Sometimes commends and sometimes doth reprove Would you read news here 's news both great and true Good tidings of great Joy and ever new That God was manifest in humane flesh Will be for ever wondrous news and fresh He is the same to day and yesterday And is the same for ever and for aye His love 's the same it never waxeth old His blood 's still fresh his vertue grows not cold He 's white and ruddy still his beauty rare Doth never fade no age can it impair His locks are black no grey hairs there are seen His Marriage bed continues ever green All earthly things do languish and decay The fashion of the world doth pass away These things are nothing else but shadows fleeing Which seem to be and have no solid being But Christ is truth and new creatures true Old things are past lo all things here are new These things fade not with time they grow not frail They are eternal and shall never fail New creatures wax not old they never die Newness of life lasts to eternity New are their hearts their spirits minds and sense Their acts are acts of new obedience Their way is new as light it shines alway Still more and more unto the perfect day These creatures new have a new secret name And a new City New Jerusalem A new Heav'n and new Earth which far excell This World for there all righteousness doth dwell New various fruits they gather from the tree Of Life and drink new wine perpetually Eternal draughts of Light Love and Joy While God himself they fully do enjoy Ah Fools who seek for needless Novelties To feed fantastick Curiosities Of precious time so prodigally lost Your brave new nothings will not quit the cost Search for the new things that are great and true And of this labour thou shalt never rue These news thy soul to wondering will raise And yield sweet matter of new Songs of praise Art thou dispos'd to sing apply thine ear In scripture thou a joyful sound shalt hear Of Psalms and Hymns and Songs Spiritual Which make a melody celestial No Poet now can such Composures write For the great Maker did these Songs indite They came from Heaven and by a heavenly strain They lift the soul from Earth to Heaven again There are high Songs made touching the great King Who hath pre-eminence in every thing There are most stately Songs of acts divine Sweet Songs of Love which better are than wine Here mournful Songs and Songs of joy and gladness And here are Songs compos'd of mirth and sadness The Psalm begins sometimes with sighs and tears And sad complaints of dangers and of fears But while the Psalmist sings the grief and fray Evanish and are sweetly sung away These fingers travel much aloft to raise Their hearts and tongues to highest Notes of praise They call for help invite the creatures all In Earth Seas Air the Hosts celestial But all the praise that creatures can afford Is far below the praise due to the Lord. This rent will never fully payed be Through all the Ages of Eternity But they who ever praise are ever blest In restless praise there is eternal rest Unto the word the Lord subjoined hath The Sacraments for to confirm our Faith That as we hear so we may clearly see Christ and his Grace presented to our eye In Baptism behold Christ doth apply His Blood and Spirit us to purifie To purge away our guilt and filthiness To give us holiness and righteousness Be pure and clean and of a holy frame Since thou wast washed in God's holy Name Unto the holy One the holy Three Thou offer'd wast should'st thou not holy be Think never shame holiness to avow Glory to stand to thy Baptismal Vow Abhor the filthy lusts of Swinish Hogs Disdain to cast what 's holy unto Dogs Watch fight against all worldly lusts and evils Resist unclean lying and murthering Devils Be strong in God and in his power of might The War is holy and the Cause is right Put on Gods armour stand stand do not flee Upon the Captain always fix thine eye He is the Captain of Salvation Cleave unto him and thou shalt surely win For he hath given to all thy Foes the foil Come after him and gather up the spoil He will thee feast in midst of all thy fight Cover thy Table in thine Enemies sight A Banquet in the fight expect thou may Since Christ Love's Banner doth o're thee display O! let it not be ever said of thee That from Christ's Colours thou away did flee Christ and his fulness in the union-feast We may both hear and see smell touch and taste By these same ports were Satan Death and Sin Enter'd Christ Life and Righteousness come in Adam did hear take smell touch taste tâ—â— fruit And was transform'd to a vile mortal Brute He is the Living the Life-giving Bread Here is the meat indeed the drink indeed Under the shadow of this true Apple tree Sit down it 's Fruit to thy taste sweet shall be This tree of life this true and noble Vine Yields Grapes which bleed true life a life divine Christ would be broken that he might be bread And that the dead might live he would be dead He would bleed out his life that we might drink Life in his blood remember him and think Still of his Death and in his Temple still Think of his Love and of his latter Will. Thou who art willing Christ himself to take And all his fulness no more scruples make For as the bread thou eat'st and as the wine Thou drink'st belongs to thee so Christ is thine As food the empty body satiates And life and strength recruits and recreates So Christ to souls doth full contentment give He is their strength and life by which they live If he dwell in thee thou shalt filled be With all Gods fullness most abundantly And thou shalt live not thou but rather he Who is a quickning Spirit shall live in thee Faint not when to great works thou hast a call In Christ who strengthens thee thou maist do all Thou wilt him find life giving strenthening food The living Spring of all that 's truly good Prepare thy self for this great holy Feast The King himself observeth every guest He who
Eternity Perfection infinite but that poor we With mind heart mouth acknowledge and confess His glory as he doeth it express In all his Works and in his holy Word And in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord And that in eating drinking in each thing We do God's Glory we may still design But surely it is wonderfully sweet To see Gods Glory and man's good unite In these same acts by which they glorifie The Lord they do enjoy his company And these same acts which do unite the soul Unto the Lord his Glory do extol By acting Faith and hoping in his Word They praise the Grace Truth Power of the Lord By acting Faith they in their heart receive The Lord to dwell in them great peace they have Whose mind and heart upon the Lord is staid Of evil tidings they are not afraid When they themselves most quietly do hide Under the shade of his wings and abide In the most secret place of the most high What harm of evil can to them come nigh Munition of Rocks doth them secure Their bread and water are to them made sure God with broad Rivers them surrounds that so No Ship nor Galley can against them go Since in them God is Glory and a wall Of sire about them surely they have all Glory within their mind and heart to fill A fire without to guard them from all ill How can they but be safe who have salvation For VValls and Bulwarks for their preservation The more they trust the more they glorifie God and his wondrous loving kindness see Which he to them hath greatly magnified Within a city that is fortified No outward force disturbeth their solace When they thus guarded see and taste his grace Love doth at once the Lord himself embrace And glorifies his goodness love and grace While we above all things the Lord do love We in our heart set him all things above While we desire him and do in him joy We move to him and God himself enjoy Yea every act whereby we glorifie The Lord in it we do the Lord draw nigh And God to us Thus are his servants blest For all their service is their interest Christ from himself servants sent not away His word is come follow me with me stay If any serve me let him follow me And where I am there shall my servant be Since Christ is foremost sure the way is right Since he 's the way the Leader and the Light The way is safe take courage talk no more Of fear and danger since God is before The way is pleasant it 's a sight most sweet To see the steps of Jesus lovely feet And to walk in them in them to walk on Since our fore-runner in these paths hath gone Tho he be gone before yet he is near He 's on the front and also on the rear And still on thy right hand thee to uphold Yea in thy heart to make thee humbly bold As he walks in them this of them is crav'd That they walk in him as they him receiv'd It is his promise to be with them still That they be still with him is his good will. Thus all the service he to them commends To Glory Union and Communion tends Their Master's Service is their interest In glorifying God they 're truly blest This is thy chief end God to glorifie And to enjoy him to eternity Come to the Mediator Jesus Christ In him alone the Lord with man's well-pleas'd Come unto God by him though thou be'st lost He will thee save unto the uttermost Come take himself and take his fulness all Deny thy self follow upon his call Follow him fully follow him with delight His yoke is easie and his burden light His holy Ordinances are most sweet His Rod is needful and his Cross is meet All service he requires is reasonable All Rods and Crosses needful seasonaable It 's only for a time if need there be That trials come in great variety And though they sadning be yet they are blest And tend to Holiness Praise Glory Rest Come come thy service all all thy distress Is for God's Glory and thy Happiness Now since by God the Father and the Spirit Thou art from sin and torments infinite Called to come through Christ the living way To Fellowship with God which lasts for aye Behold by whom from what through whom to whom Thou called art all calls on thee to come The Spirit and the Bride say Come let all who hear Say Come and let them come who thirsty are Here is Life's Fountain whosoever will Of living water freely take thy fill That all who hear may come Lord draw that we May come and run and follow after thee Come with thy Grace and Glory speedily Lord Jesus come Amen So let it be FINIS Twenty Five CONSIDERATIONS OF THE PAINS prepar'd for SIN After this Life WITH A SERMON Preached on Acts VII 60. I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write From henceforth Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14.13 LONDON Printed for Richard Butler in White-Lion-Court in Barbican 1688. Twenty Five CONSIDERATIONS OF THE PAINS prepared for SIN After this Life I. AMongst all the means which God useth towards the Children of Men to move them to this Resolution whereof I treat the strongest and most forcible to the common sort of men is the consideration of Punishments prepared by him for rebellious sinners and transgressors of his Commandments Wherefore he useth this Consideration often as may appear by all the Prophets who do nothing else almost but threaten plagues and destruction to Offenders And this means hath often times prevailed more than any others that could be used by reason of the Natural Love which we bear towards our selves and consequently the Natural Fears we have of our own danger So we read that nothing could move the Ninevites so much as the foretelling them of their imminent destruction And St. John the Baptist John the 5th Matth. the 3d. altho he came in a simple and contemptible way yet preaching unto the people the terror of Vengeance to come and that the Axe was now put to the Trees to cut for the fire all those which repented not he moved the very Publicans and Soldiers to fear which otherwise are people of very hard metal who came unto him upon his terrible Embassage and asked what they should do to avoid these punishments II. After then that we have considered of Death and of God's severe Judgment which ensueth after Death and wherein every man hath to receive according to his works in this life as the Scripture saith it followeth that we consider also of the punishments which are appointed for them that shall be found faulty in that account Hereby at leastwise no other consideration will serve to induce Christians to this Resolution of serving God For as I have noted before If
every man have naturally a Love of himself and desire to conserve his own ease then should he also have fear of peril whereby he is to fall into extream calamity This St. Bernard expresseth excellently according to his custom O man saith he if thou hast left all shame which appertaineth to so noble a creature as thou art if thou feelest no sorrow as carnal men do not yet lose not fear also which is found in very beasts We use to load an Ass and weary him out with Labour and he careth not because he is an Ass But if thou wouldest thrust him into fire or fling him into the ditch he would avoid it as much as he could for that he loveth life and feareth death Fear thou then and be not more insensible than a beast Fear Death fear Judgment fear Hell. This Fear is called the beginning of Wisdom and not shame and sorrow for that the Spirit of fear is more mighty to resist sin than the Spirit of shame or sorrow Wherefore it is said Remember the end and thou shalt never sin That is Remember the final punishments appointed for sin after this life III. First therefore to speak in General of the punishments reserved for the Life to come If the Scriptures did not declare in particular their greatness unto us That they are most severe dolorous and intolerable For first as God is a God in all his Works That is to say great wonderful and terrible so especially he sheweth the same in his punishments being called for that cause in Scripture a God of Justice as also a God of Revenge Wherefore seeing all his other Works are full of Majesty and exceeding our capacities we may likewise gather that his hand in punishment must be wonderful Also God himself teacheth us to reason in this manner when he saith And will ye not then fear me and tremble before my face which have put the sand as a stop unto the sea and have given the water a commandment never to pass no not when it is most troubled and the floods most outragious As if he should say If I am wonderful and do pass your imaginations in these works of the Sea and others which you see daily you have cause to fear me considering that my punishments are like to be correspondent to the same IV. Another conjecture of the great and severe Justice of God may be the consideration of his infinite and unspeakable Mercy the which as it is the very Nature of God and without end or measure as his Godhead is so is also his Justice and these two are the two arms as it were of God embracing and kissing the one the other as the Scripture saith Therefore as in a man of this world if we had the measure of one arm we might easily conjecture of the other so seeing the wonderful examples daily of God's infinite mercy towards them that repent we may imagine by the same his severe justice towards them whom he reserveth to punishment in the next life and whom for that cause he calleth in the Scriptures Vessels of his Fury or Vessels to shew his Fury upon V. A Third Reason to perswade us of the greatness of these punishments may be the marvellous patience and long-sufferings of God in this life As for example in that he suffereth divers men from one sin to another from one day to another from one year to another from one age to another to spend all I say in dishonour and despite of his Majesty adding offence to offence and refusing all perswasions allurements good inspirations or other means of friendship that his mercy can devise to offer for their amendment And what man in the world could suffer this Or what mortal heart can shew such patience But now if all this should not be requited with severity of punishment in the world to come upon the obstinate it might seem against the Law of Justice and Equity and one arm of God might seem longer than the other Saint Paul teacheth this Reason in his Epistle to the Romans Rom. 2. where he saith Dost thou not know that the benignity of God is used to bring to repentance And thou by thy hard and impenitent heart dost hoard up vengeance unto thy self in the day of wrath and appearance of God's just judgment which shall restore to every man according to his works He useth here the words of hoarding up of vengeance to signifie as a covetous man doth hoard up money to money daily to make his heap great so the unrepentant finner doth hoard up fin to fin and God on the contrary side hoardeth up vengeance to vengeance until his measure be full to restore in the measure against measure as the Prophet saith and to pay us home according to the multitude of our abominations This God meant when he said to Abraham that the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full up Also in the Revelation unto St. John the Evangelist when he useth this conclusion of that book He that doth evil let him do more evil and he that liveth in filth let him yet become more filthy For behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to render to every one according to his deeds By which words God signifieth that his bearing and tolerating with sinners in this life is an Argument of his greater severity in the life to come which the Prophet David also declareth when talking of a careless sinner he saith The Lord shall scoff at him foreseeing that his day shall come This day no doubt is to be understood the day of account and punishment after this life For so doth God more at large declare himself in these words Ezek. 7th And thou Son of man this saith thy Lord God The end is come now I say the end is come upon thee And I will shew in thee my fury and will judge thee according to thy ways I will lay against thee all thine abominations and mine eye shall not spare thee neither will I take any mercy upon thee but I will put thy own ways upon thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold afflictions cometh on the end is come the end I say is come it hath watched against thee and behold it is come the day of slaughter is at hand crushing is now come upon thee Shortly will I pour out my wrath upon thee and I will fill my fury in thee and I will judge thee according to thy ways and I will lay all thy wickedness upon thee mine eye shall not pity thee but I will lay thy way upon thee and thine abominations in the midst of thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of God himself VI. Seeing then now we understand in general that the punishments of God in the Life to come are most certain to be great and severe to all such as fall into them for which cause the Apostle
life he altereth his course of dealing he turneth over the leaf and changeth his stile of a Lamb he becometh a Lion to the wicked and of a Saviour a just and severe punisher What can be said or done more to move us that is forewarned and seeth his own danger before his face and yet is not stirred and made more wary or fearful thereby but notwithstanding will come or slide into the same may well be pitied but surely by no means can be helped making himself incapable of remedies that may be used FINIS A SERMON Acts VII 60. And when he had said this he fell asleep THese words contain in them the happy closure and upshot of Stephen's life wherein we have Three Particulars First The Person that fell asleep Secondly The Speech he made when he fell asleep Thirdly What he did when he had finished his Speech First We have the Person that fell asleep and that was Stephen He was a man full of Faith and full of the Holy Ghost as you may see Acts 6.5 He was the first Martyr that ever suffered for the Cause of Christ Hence I might gather this Doctrine viz. That the best of men are subject to sudden and violent Deaths Stephen that was full of the Holy Ghost was stoned to death and John the Baptist that was full of the Holy Ghost from the very Womb was beheaded Peter was crucified and so was Andrew Isaiah was sawed asunder Jeremiah was stoned and Zacharias was slain between the Temple and the Altar But I shall pass this The Second part of the Text is the Speech that Stephen made when he fell asleep Hcc dicte obdormivit That is when he had finished his Prayer he fell asleep Hence observe this That it is an excellent way to close up our Life with prayer To die praying is a most Christian way of dying the stoned Stephen calling upon God. After this manner Christ died he prayed Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having thus said he gave up the Ghost This he did that it might be a pattern to all Christians Prayer is a necessary duty at all times but especially when we are a dying And that for these Reasons First Because when we are to die we have most need of God's help for then the Devil is most busie and we most weak Secondly Because when we are to die we are to beg the greatest boon of God that is That he would receive us into his Heavenly Kingdom Now Prayer is the chief means to obtain this mercy for it is Porta Caeli Clavis Paradici the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us into Paradice Therefore we have great reason to die praying Thirdly Because when a Saint of God is dying he is then to take his last farewel of Prayer In Heaven there is no praying but all thanksgiving There is no need in Heaven therefore no praying in Heaven now a Saint of God being to take his leave of prayer when he is to die therefore it is fit to die praying I beseech you remember this pattern in the Text St. Stephen died calling upon God. Let us die praying as that Emperor said Oportes Imperatorem stantem mori So may I say Oportet Christianum mori precantem It behoves a Christian to die praying Quest But what was the Substance of Stephen's prayer Ans He prayed for himself Lord Jesus receive my Spirit ver 59. Secondly He prayed for his persecutors Lord lay not this sin to their charge ver 60. I will not enter upon this part of the Text for it would swallow up all my time Therefore I shall wave it and come to the Third part which is that that by God's assistance I purpose to speak unto to wit what Stephen did when he had finished his Prayer When he had said this he fell asleep that is he died Behold here the Magnanimity the Piety and the Christian Courage of Stephen The people were stoning of him and gnashing their Teeth upon him and the good man dies with as much quietness of mind as if he had died on his bed He fell asleep while they were stoning him while he died he prayed and while he prayed he died But what made Stephen die thus quietly Read the 55th Verse and you shall see the Reason of it Being full of the Holy Ghost he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This made him die with such a sweet quiet and calm Temper he saw Jesus Christ standing at the Right Hand of God ready to receive his Soul and that made him to die with such an extraordinary quietness of mind Death in Scripture especially the death of God's Children is often compared to a sleep It is said of David 1 Kings 2.10 that he slept with his Fathers And it is said 1 Thes 4.3 I would not have you ignorant concerning them that are asleep that is concerning them that are dead And 1 Cor 11.50 For this cause many are weakly and sick among you and many sleep that is many die This Expression is a Metaphorical Expression and will afford us many rare and pretious Instructions And therefore the Grace of God assisting me I desire to spend the rest of the time in opening this Metaphor The Doctrine is this viz. That when a child of God dies though his death be never so unnatural and violent yet it is nothing but a falling asleep Or A Child of God though stoned to death though burnt to ashes though it be never so violent or unnatural is nothing but a falling asleep When he had said this he fell asleep Somnus est mortis Imago Sleep is the Image of Death There are many notable resemblances betwixt sleep and death some of which I shall speak of at this time First Sleep is common to all men no man can live without sleep A man may live long without meat but no man can live long without sleep So it is true with death Death is common too It is appointed for all men once to dis and therefore David saith he was to go the way of all flesh Statutum est omnibus semel mori omnibus est calcanda semel Lethivia All men must sleep the sleep of Death or else be changed which is a metaphorical death Secondly As sleep ariseth from the Vapours that ascend from the Stomach to the Head and tie the Senses and hinder their Operations so Death came into the World by Adam's eating the Forbidden Fruit and by the poysonful Vapour of sin that brought death upon him and all his Posterity By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Had Adam never sinned Adam should never have died But in illo die said God But in that day thou eatest the forbidden fruit thou shalt die the death Sin brings omni modam mortem all kinds of death
THE GOSPEL-CALL In METRE Compiled by W. V. Whereunto is added Twenty Five Considerations OF THE PAINS prepared for SIN After this Life WITH A SERMON Preached on Acts VII 60. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound Psal 89.15 To day if you will â—ear his voice harden not your hearts Ps 95.7 8. Hear and your soul shall live Isa 55.3 Rise he calleth thee Mark 10.49 LONDON Printed for Richard Butler in White-Lion-Court in Barbican 1688. THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER Honest Reader THE sad Degeneracy of the Age we live in makes it appear but too great a Truth That such Books as these were never more necessary or more seasonable And therefore I hope there needs no Apology for publishing this The following Papers came recommended to me from Persons of known Honesty and Integrity Our Author has thought fit in Modesty to conceal his Name and I will not trouble my self or thee with impertinent Guesses Nor will I pretend positively to determine why he has cloath'd part of his Conceptions in a Poetick Dress since Examples are not wanting in all times in this kind The Royal Prophets David and Solomon have excell'd in Divine Poesie And we are not wanting in our own Age of great Men famous in our Generation who have oblig'd the World with their Excellent Labours of this Nature witness the Famous Quarles Inimitable Cowley Facetious Donne and the Divine Herbert to name no more who gives this Excellent Reason A Verse may find him who a Sermon flies And turn Delight into a Sacrifice As for the following Discourse 't is plain and honest fitted to the meanest Capacities which I hope will render it universally acceptable It treats of things of the greatest Moment and highest Consequence no less than the Concerns of Eternity I will no longer detain thee from the Perusal which I wish may redound to thy great benefit I heartily recommend it to thee and thee to the Grace of God. I am Thine R. B To the Author of the Gospel-Call THY Gospel-Call Dear Friend has out-done all Those gaudy florid Strains Which puzzle Vulgar Brains Thy Book has Worth Which needs no setting forth By my weak Pen The Praise is thine For which thy Name shall shine Bright like the Morning-Star Which ushers in the Day from far Until the Restitution of all things agen T. D. To the Author of the Gospel-Call AWake my Muse how can I silent be When I these pious Works of David see They that peruse this little Book may find The wise Suggestions of the Author's Mind How wittily this Worthy does impart His Sentiments with Judgment and with Art In Stile most Elegant in Sence profound In Morals practical and Doctrine sound Who like a Geographer does here display To Heaven the surest and the safest way In Gospel-Colours does delineate The lively Landschape of our future State. Dull Soul chear up here here 's thy chiefest Good 'T is not Terrestrial but Celestial Food A. T. THE GOSPEL-CALL In METRE READER awake awake my Soul and all That is within me hearken to the Call Of God most gracious who calleth thee His Name to hallow and to glorifie And from vile lusts vain glory cheating pelf Invites thee to Communion with himself This is thy chief end thy Felicity Thy greatest good thy highest dignity Here is Light Life Love all that 's meet Needful and useful holy right and sweet And all which truly fills the heart and eyes Elsewhere is nought but emptiness and lies Jehovah calls the Father and the Son The Holy Ghost Blest Three in Essence One. Nothing but God the Father Son and Spirit Can fit and fill thy Soul 's vast appetite The Soul 's a Spirit and while not unite To God who is a Spirit Infinite It wandreth seeking rest but findeth none Nor ought that gives it contentation Immortal Souls in things which fade with time Cannot find rest Come restless soul to him Who in Eternity hath his abode And is from and to everlasting God Who changeth not with whom is no mutation Nor any shadow of an alteration Who is and was and shall be still the same Whose Name alone is I am that I am When thy heart fails thy hearts strength he will be And thy sure Portion to Eternity God Infinite in wisdom only wise Calls Wilt thou fool Wisdom's advice despise It 's God Almighty who doth thee command Wilt thou frail wretch Omnipotence withstand Since the most Holy calleth upon thee To disobey were gross profanity Since the most Just most justly doth thee press To disobey were meer unrighteousness He who thee calls is good and gracious To anger slow in mercy plenteous He 's lovely loving Love who calls on thee Wilt thou from love grace goodness mercy flee He who doth call most faithful is and true Trust Truth it self and thou shalt never rue The Great Creator calls whose Word did call What was not and of nothing formed all Who all thy Members wrought most curiously And form'd thy Spirit in the midst of thee He gave and still he life to thee doth give Thou liv'st in him wilt thou without him live Thou mov'st in him from him move not away From him in whom thou go'st go not astray In him thou dost exist and canst thou be Without him who gives being unto thee Where art thou Adam when the Lord doth cry Where 's God my Maker Man should then reply When he in whom thou liv'st and doth consist Commands how dares thou for thy life resist When he in whom thou mov'st doth thee command To come to him how dares thou lingring stand Lord what is Man that thou so much should'st make Of such a nothing and such knowledge take Of Man who is but dust and fading grass And which is worse a loathsome filthy Mass Of darkness horror lust profanity Unrighteousness of sin and misery Conceiv'd in sin form'd in iniquity A slave to divers lusts lusts of the eye Lusts of the flesh and to the pride of life To anger hatred malice wrath and strife All in him is corrupt and vitiate His heart 's deceitful wicked desperate Estrang'd from God straying as soon as born Inclin'd to lies apostate and forlorn This Man whom thou O Lord didst once create In thine own Image in a happy state Hath quite dis-made himself He who was light Is darkness now he who was made upright Is now perverse ungodly and unjust Conform to Satan to his will and lust Without the Lord under Gods curse and wrath Liable to the first and second death To plagues in this life which were long to tell And to the easeless endless pains of Hell. Lord what but Grace and Mercy could thee move Upon thy hateful Foes to set such love To speak to them who hearken not to thee To follow them who from thy presence flee To shew thy self to them who shut their eyes On thee and turn them unto vanities To stretch thy arms to those which turn their
back And not their face to thee and thus forsake The Spring of living waters and in vain Dig Cisterns which no waters can contain To love the loathsome lying in their blood To overcome their evil with thy good Of these who sought thee not lo thou art found Where sin aboundeth Grace doth more abound O wonderful that thy delights should be With Sons of Men from all Eternity Since thou art Love thy love must wondrous be For all is wonderful that is in thee Thy love most High doth far surpass in height The highest reach of Men or Angels sight It s endless length no finite eye can see For it is from and to Eternity But O the depth past diving Who can sound How low Love stoops O lowliness profound That the most High who cloathed is with light To which none can approach should from the height Of Glory which doth Heaven of Heavens transcend Unto the lower parts of Earth descend To take up fallen Man yea to take on Frail Humane Nature So that now the Son Of God is Man the Word is Flesh and thus Behold God is become like one of us In likeness of Man's sinful flesh God sent His own His only Son with this intent That he for us an Offering should be And bear our sins in 's body on the Tree All we like wandring sheep had gone astray The Lord on him did our transgressions lay The blameless Lamb dies for the Sheep who stray And did restore that he took not away He who is blest did bear the curse that we Who cursed are in him might blessed be He who knew no sin was made sin for us That we in him might be made righteous The Prince of life did die that so the dead In sins might by his death be quickened He taken was and bound to set us free He was condemn'd that we absolv'd might be He quietly did stripes and wounds endure That by his stripes he all our wounds might cure The trouble of his Soul his Agony Procur'd our Peace and Soul's Tranquility His Soul was exceeding sorrowful That we might joy that our joy might be full He was forsaken of his God that we Unto God's prefence might have access free His blood was shed Justice to satisfie To purge away all our iniquity His flesh is meat his blood is drink indeed On which poor hungry thirsty souls may feed He 's God and Man a Mediator meet To make the Peace and God and Man unite The fullness of the Godhead bodily Dwelleth in him what then can wanting be He 's full of Grace and Truth that empty we May from his fullness have compleat supply To us a Child is born a Son is given To us he came di'd rose and went to Heaven He 's all for us all who obey his call Shall find all in him who fills all in all In him is all that needy souls require All their salvation all their desire Why stayest thou O my soul Canst thou refuse What sayest thou What pretend'st thou for excuse Thy call is clear thou maist yea thou must come Thy Soveraign calls God faithful is by whom Thou called art unto Communion And Fellowship with Jesus Christ his Son. The Son invites thee spreading out his Hands He shews himself cries knocks and waiting stands Ho every one who thirsteth come he cries Come come he double triple multiplies Come unto me hear and your soul shall live Come weary souls I rest to you will give The Spirit says Come whosoever will Take living water freely drink thy fill Thus thou must love or hate come or rebel And all who hate Christ love Death Wrath and Hell. All who despise his Love revenging Wrath Shall them pursue unto Eternal Death Thus thou hast heard his voice now lift thine eyes Behold him who Behold behold me cries Behold the true God who is over all God blest for ever consubstantial With God the Father God's own only Son The Father 's daily delectation The brightness of the Father's Glory bright His Person 's express Image light of light Immanuel that 's plainly God with us God-Man One Person Great and Gracious The Lord of Lords the Prince and King of Kings The Sun of Righteousness who in his wings Hath Healing yea hath Life for he 's the Light Of Life who gives unto the blind their sight The great High-Priest who by the Eternal Spirit Offered himself a Sacrifice compleat All in him lovely is in him is all That lovely is All Good we should him call He 's God yet Man and near of kin to us Most High yet lowly Great yet gracious We sent not for him yet behold he 's come Think who he is who cometh and to whom He had no need of nothings who are less Than nothing Fullness comes to emptiness We made the breach we sinned yet his Grace Prevents us seeks our love intreats for peace This Plot of Love the Gospel doth reveal God was in Christ the world to reconcile Unto himself and then a Ministry Of Reconciliation we do see Intrusted to his Messengers of Peace To publish and make Offers of his Grace If we his Messengers slight and abuse We God himself despise slight and refuse He who despiseth them doth God contemn Since God himself beseecheth us by them Again my Soul consider thy estate While thou from Christ continues separate Lo thou art blind naked miserable Thou canst not help thy self but Christ is able To help and save even to the uttermost Those who are self-destroyed dead and lost His Name is Jesus He did get that Name Which speaks salvation because he came To save his people from their sins and from The dreadful everlasting wrath to come His Name is Christ that is to say anointed For he to save is fitted and appointed As it 's his Office so it is his Joy To save the lost and Satan's works destroy If thou art poor wouldst thou do him a pleasure Come with thy emptiness unto his Treasure Where thou wilt find Riches unsearchable Fine tried Gold and Substance durable Thy eyes are blind come unto him for he Hath Eye-salve which doth make the blind to see Art thou asham'd of thy vile nakedness Here 's fine white Raiment perfect Righteousness Thou art a Fool of wisdom destitute Like a wild Asses Colt a stupid Bruit Lo he is wisdom and is wisdom made Unto the foolish who no wisdom had Thou art by Nature darkness of the Night He is that light which maketh darkness light Thou errest and wandrest going still astray He is the truth the leader and the way The way of life the true new living way By which unto the Holiest come we may And by the blood of Jesus which makes peace With confidence may access have to Grace The true the faithful witness the Amen Is given for a leader unto men A just Commander and a gracious Guide From strangers on the Earth he will not hide But open up the Scripture clear
Christ The woman will not dive so deep To dispute his Commissions extent To whom he was to whom he was not sent But kindly came and humbly him ador'd Prest her suit and cries out Help me O Lord. It is not meet to cast to dogs the bread Says Christ with which the children should be fed She storms not at a Dog 's disgraceful Name But wifely makes advantage of the same Since I 'm a dog saith she for crumbs I plead Give me some crumbs Lord of children's bread Christ praised her great faith and did fulfil All her desire and gave her all her will. Tho Christ withdraw seek him he will appear He hears thy cry when he seems not to hear Tho he seem strange unto him kindly come Tho thou be call'd a dog yet seek a crumb If Satan say thou art a reprobate That by a dispute dark and intricate Concerning secret things and depths profound He may affright thee and thy mind confound Listen not to a lying murthering cheat Enter not with him on that great debate Come on Christ's call effectual vocation Will free thee from the fears of reprobation All whom he draws are called in effect And were from all Eternity elect But if thou say I fear the bitter smart Of a repenting prickt rent broken heart I must confess my sins with grief and tears And watch against my lusts with careful fears And thus my mirth is marr'd and my gladness Is turn'd to grief and melancholly sadness I answer that it is of God's free grace That for repentance there is any place Justice might say go weep in Hell and burn It 's grace that says Sinner repent and turn The pricking of the heart lets out the sin Which festers and destroys when kept within It 's for thy health that thy hard heart be rent That so thy vile impostume may be vent It 's not a Foe 's but a Physician 's wound God breaks the heart to make it whole and sound The Lord doth heal the broken in their heart Their pain is gain there 's pleasure in the smart There 's peace and safety in their watchful fears The Oil of Joy is mixt with Gospel-tears The Lord is broken by our whorish heart Should not our heart then break with grief and smart When Christ was bound our sins did make the bands They were the Nails that pierc'd his feet and hands They were the Thorns that tore and rent his head They were the Spear that made his heart to bleed The lashing Whips the Fists that did him beat They made his body weep a bloody sweat His outward pains the Agony within His troubled soul procured were by sin Look on him whom thou pierced Oh! look on still That grief thy heart and tears thine eyes may fill That kindly thou maist weep and mourn like one Who mourneth for a first and only Son. Sin is against the Lord breaks his laws It mars his Image and from God withdraws Thy sin doth vex and grieve the holy Sp'rit Should thou with grief for sin contrite They shall find mercy who confess and turn Comfort is promised to these who mourn The Oil of Joy the Lord for mourning gives And he the humble contrite heart revives If godly sorrow will not thee destroy It tends to life its tears are seeds of joy Gospel-grief which melts the heart aright Is sweeter far than all the world's delight And even godly grief the sweeter then All the delights of all the sons of men Who can the peace of God who doth transcend And pass all understanding comprehend Their Joy that 's full of glory who is able To express for it is unexpressable Christ calleth on thee Sinner to repent And he exalted is for this intent To give repentance and remission Imploy him to remove thy heart of stone They who are turn'd from sin to God by grace Find Wisdom's paths both pleasantness and peace The Word the Sacraments Prayers and Praise Are lightsome pleasant and delightsome ways Blessed is he who knows the joyful sound And who can say O Lord thy words were found I did them eat and thy word was to me My heart's delight and joyful melody Admire the Lord's low condescendency That he would speak and write to such as we And write so plainly that each hungry one Tho simple findeth food to live upon And so sublimely that the Learned might Not nauseate but search desire delight And in such useful sweet variety For to prevent loathing satiety Here Histories of grace and ancient things Of persons good and great of Saints and Kings Examples rare of Faith and Self-denial Of patience under the fiery Trial Of hope when Sense spoke nothing but despair Of Love over-coming ill with good O rare Of Fortitude join'd with a broken Sp'rit Of warlike courage in a heart contrite And wit to rule an Army and a Nation With wisdom that made wise unto salvation But O! the History of Histories So full of Miracles and Mysteries The Son of God his Incarnation His coming with life and salvation These good news are and will be ever fresh That God was manifested in the flesh And dwelt with us then on the Cross did die Rose from the Grave ascended up on high Much may be seen of God in the Creation But he 's more clearly seen in man's salvation For here appears God's wisdom manifold His spotless Justice doth it self unfold Suing the guiltless Surety till he died Not quitting him till he had satisfied Here Love shines bright as in its proper place Upon the Mercy-seat the Throne of Grace Lo this is love God who is Love did give His Son to death that Enemies might live His own beloved loving lovely Son Only begotten with his Father one In Essence one in Mind and one in Will who all his Father's Precepts did fulfil Who holy harmless spotless was yet he Got a command for the lost sheep to die To die both in their stead and for their good To wash away their sins with his own blood Christ lov'd the Father and he lov'd the sheep And so took pleasure this command to keep O matchless love it passeth all degree The Judge doth for the Malefactors die It was his meat to do his Father's will His work to finish Righteousness fulfil He went from place to place still doing good Healing the sick giving the hungry food Delivering from all maladies and evils Relieving them who were opprest with Devils He was most meek lowly in heart and mind Most merciful most affable and kind Easie he was to be intreated all Who call'd him found him ready on a call When called to a Marriage he went And made their water wine when wine was spent When call'd he went with Publicans and Sinners And even with Pharisees unto their Dinners All who did come for good got all they sought And often better than they askt or thought The man sick of the Palsie laid before Christ on a bed seeks health Christ giveth
had not his Wedding-garment on Incurr'd the Sentence of Damnation If thou come thither as to common food Thou wilt draw on the guilt of Jesu's blood Come with repentance mourn when thou dost see The Lord whom thou by sin didst crucifie Come hungring thirsting for this holy Feast The hungring soul shall be with goodness blest Come meek and lowly to Christ crucified The meek shall eat and shall be satisfied Christ dwells with those who are of humble Spirit And doth revive the heart of the contrite Thou must have Faith that Christ himself thou may Eat Spiritually not in a carnal way Purge out the leaven of hypocrisie And eat this feast with heart-sincerity Purge malice out Division detaste This is a Love and a Communion-feast Forgive the sins of others heartily As God for Christ's sake hath forgiven thee If wants discourage guilt stare in thy face Then judge thy self beg mercy seek for grace If thou seek Jesus fear not do not stay He hath all that thou want'st haste come away Come to the blood of sprinkling with thy sin The Fountain's open wash thy self therein As it 's of grace that the most glorious Lord Speaks unto us and seals his faithful Word By Sacraments so it is of his grace That we may speak to him in every place Yea he most graciously of us requires That we in every thing make our desires Known t' him by prayer and supplication That we may freed be of all vexation And that we may to our comfort find The peace of God guarding our heart and mind Offer thy hearts desires unto the Lord For things agreeable unto his Word Pray in the Spirit who helps up every groan And sigh and suit we cannot pray alone Pray in Christ's Name if access thou would'st have To grace and answers of thy suit receive This is the new and living way the gate Of life that leadeth to the Mercy-seat All those for whom Christ doeth interceed Mercy and grace find in the time of need Be humble fervent pray in love and faith Life up pure hands without doubting and wrath Confess thy sins with sorrow and with shame For mercies praise the Lord's most holy Name And pray that God's Name may be hallowed Before thou com'st to seek for daily bread If answers come not soon wait knock again He hath not said Seek ye my face in vain Seek ask knock wait with expectation Thou shalt rejoice in God's salvation The very pouring out of a sad heart Before the Lord will somewhat ease its smart He heareth prayer and he loves to hear His Doves his Turtles voice he bows his ear All their desires groans breathings chatterings Are pleasant musick to the King of Kings These broken Notes he joins in pleasant sets Of Musick and their moaning words repeats He hears Ephraim while he doth bemoan Himself he telleth every word and groan His bowels move he hath compassion Upon his pleasant child and his dear Son. Is it not meet that since the Lord takes pleasure To hear and to repeat thy suits takes leasure That thou with pleasure should'st persist to cry And wait his leasure till he do reply Sometimes he answers Prayers e're they are done Sometimes he answers e're they be begun For he regardeth our necessity And answereth our need before we cry And sometimes humble patient expectation Is a most needful part of supplication That man is indiscreet who is offended That he 's not answered ere his suit be ended The needy he will not forget alway The poor man's hope shall not be lost for ay Think it not then a weariness to pray To come by this new true and living way With boldness by the Blood of Jesus Christ The Son of God the merciful High-Priest Who doth for ever live to interceed For sinners sensible of sin and need And takes those who come to him by the hand And brings them into grace wherein they stand Into the holiest the Mercy-seat That from the God of Grace they Grace may get Pardons of sins cures of all maladies And for all wants full suitable supplies Light Life Strength Grace to do and persevere When they are tempt with pleasure or with fear Yea more than they can ask or think upon Grace Grace sure mercies God's salvation Are not then all God's Ordinances sweet Since in them he doth with his people meet Himself his Mind his Grace he doth impart To them and they pour out to him their heart Blessed are they the joyful sound who hear And to God's Word apply their heart and ear It 's Spirit and Life it light in darkness gives And when they faint and fear it them relieves O! blessed are they who are washed in The Fountain opened for faults and sin These Waters cleanse heal quicken and make grow All things where they do come and overflow And happy are they who by Christ the King Are brought into the house of banquetting And happy they who by his Sp'rit are led Unto his house of Prayer and there made glad If this begun-communion be so sweet What will it be when it 's in Heaven compleat As for Christ's Rod and Cross tho they appear So sharp and sad yet follow do not fear That he himself doth humble to reprove And chasten thee it 's condescending love For if thou wert without correction Thou wouldst a Bastard be and not a Son. It 's better to endure Paternal Ire Than bear the vengeance of eternal fire If thou receive the rod with spirit mild Thou maist be sure God treats thee as a child Why shouldst thou his chastising hand suspect Since for thy profit he doth thee correct That we may partake of his holiness And may bring forth the fruits of righteousness His fire will not consume thee but thy sin It purgeth out thy filthy dross and tin These Thorns are kindly sharp which hedge the way That thou maist not thy lovers find but say I will to my first husband go I know That it was better then with me than now He is to anger slow he stirs not all His wrath he quickly lets the quarrel fall He spares even when he strikes debates in measure Waits to be gracious gives space and leasure To those whom he chastiseth to repent Speaks to their heart to move it to relent Despise not the Almighty's chastisement And when he thee rebuketh do not faint Humble thy self under his mighty hand Obey his will it 's madness to withstand Turn to his hand that smites and kiss the rod And it is meet that thus thou say to God I have chastisement born I 'le not offend Have mercy give me Grace my faults to mend What I see not Lord teach me that I may Know secret sins and no more go astray Blest is the man who is of God chastised And from his Law thus taught and exercised Sin brings down rods rods bring forth fruits of peace Christ turns the fruits of sin to means of grace God's soveraign Grace
makes changes strange of things It life from death sweet from bitter brings Peace out of trouble out of darkness light Out of the Eater meet from grief delight What of it self did to destruction tend Grace makes it in salvation to end As for Christ's Cross be not at it offended For it can never be enough commended O! it 's a holy pleasant stately thing To be conform'd to him in suffering Remember oft his oft repeated word The Servant is not greater than his Lord It is enough and very fair that he Who 's a Disciple as his Master be Is thy condition mean canst thou not find Accommodation unto thy mind Hast thou no harboury no house nor hold To shelter thee from storms look and behold The First-begotten to the world brought in In an Out-house and not into the Inn. He unto whom the Angels worship paid Is in a Manger not a Cradle laid Foxes have holes and each fowl hath its nest Christ had not whereupon his head to rest Want'st thou wherewith to buy thy daily bread Some of their substance to him ministred Or art thou from thy Native Soil exil'd Christ driven was to Egypt when a child Art thou reproached Vile iniquities Were cast on him calumnies and lies Vile drunkenness sensual gluttony Collusion with Devils blasphemy Madness deceit and friendliness to vice And all that crafty malice could devise Was charg'd on him whom they proclaim'd abroad An Enemy to Coesar and to God. Do Friends turn Foes or do they faint and flee From thee in straits to Jesus turn thine eye His own Disciples did leave him alone They to their own were scattered and gone He was by Judas traiterously betrayed By Peter thrice most shamefully denied Art thou a Prisoner and hardly used Pursu'd to death and scornfully abused Christ as a Thief was apprehended bound As a mock-King in purple cloath'd and crown'd With pricking Thorns a Reed put in his hand As a mock-Scepter then they do command That he hood-wink't should tell who did him smite To shew at him as Prophet their despite They spit on him and scourge him cruelly And lead him out upon a Cross to die A lingring shameful painful cursed death On which he bore our sins and divine wrath These were the weights that did his soul distress His sweat was blood when bruised in this press The Cross as Christ hath left it we may say Is light Christ took its greatest weight away He wrath the bitterness of death drunk up And left no vengeance in his peoples cup For wrath and death he love and life puts in Which Marab's waters make more sweet than wine Take up his burden it is light and meet And drink his cup it healthful is and sweet To bear about the dying of sweet-Jesus Will not us kill but quicken strengthen ease us They 're highly honoured who suffer shame For Jesus sake and for his glorious Name Reproach for Christ is Riches much more great Than Egypt's Pleasures Treasures Honours State Shame for him honour is and loss is gain In death for him is life and ease in pain When all day long they 're killed for his sake Like sheep for slaughter burned at a stake They Conquerors and more than Conquerors prove Through him who them eternally doth love Turn thine eyes from the dark side of the Cross On which appears dishonour pain and loss And turn upon the lightsome side thine eye Where pleasure gain and glory thou maist see Christ's own Example will us best direct How of the Cross to take a right prospect The Son of man is glorified he said And God in him is also glorified If God in him thus glorified be God shall in him himself straight glorifie He Glory saw in being crucified He saw God by his suffering glorified He saw the heavenly glory to ensue Keep still this Triple Glory in thy view Sigh not then at the Cross as sad and sorry But shout in triumph Glory glory glory Live to God's Glory for his Glory die It is thy Glory God to glorifie If by thy death God glorified be Thou shalt in Glory live eternally They who with Christ do suffer with him reign And bearing palms eternal triumph sing If for the Name of Christ reproach'd thou be The Spirit of God and Glory rests on thee These momentary crosses which are light Work endless Glory of exceeding weight Yet go not from thy way to seek a cross Follow thy calling to God's way keep close That Cross which thy wise Lord for thee thinks meet Is in thy way in the great King 's High-street That thou must take it up or else go wrong Medling in what doth not to thee belong If in thy sufferings thou wouldst have delight See that thy call be clear the cause be right Take up thy Cross in Christ's Name and his strength That of thy race thou maist run all the length Pray to be strengthen'd by his glorious might To suffer with all patience and delight Tho thou wert burned yet if thou hast not Love burning will not profit thee a Jot Unto thy hungry Enemy give food Love those who hate thee vanquish ill with good And pray that those who do impoverish thee With the true riches may enriched be That they who cause thee wander far abroad May from their wand'ring be reclaim'd to God. Those who from Earth pursue thee till thou die Endeavour to draw them to Heaven with thee Our blessed Lord when hanging on the tree Prayed for those who did him crucifie He to his Father for their pardon pray'd And did say for them all that could be said How far was Stephen from leaving of his death On those who ston'd him witness his last breath He kneel'd and cri'd this sin Lord do not lay To their charge Thus in love he slept away O lovely blessed sleep O sure 't will be A heavenly thing in love to live and die Love is the way to Heaven love is the flame In which the soul surmounts the starry frame This is the work and life of Saints above To love and loved be for God is love He 's light and love he freely doth impart Light to the mind and goodness to the heart With his resplendent Glory fill thine eye And in his goodness place thou all thy Joy. Come see and taste Come come and taste and see With goodness fill thy heart with light thine eye The Father Son and Spirit Persons three Who are in Essence one do call on thee To come from dolesome darkness unto light From ill to good from sorrow to delight From death to life from guilt to righteousness From the vile filth of sin to holiness From want to fullness from weights which thee load To rest and ease from Satan unto God From Hell to Heaven from lusts base drudgery To that high service God to glorifie Not that we can unto his Glory add For it is boundless He hath ever had And hath and shall have to