they be of a spirituall nature yet know not neither can they put any thing in practice but naturally Yet herein further consists the unhappinesse of man that he cannot conceive nor will he be taught to understand that there is any more excellent happinesse attainable than that whereunto they have attained or may naturally come by Whereas the Believer after many calls wakenings warnings purposes promises shifts and debates being in the peremptory time of Gods appointment the time of love effectually wrought upon by the Spirit and word of grace and truth unto a gracious wakning quickened and illuminate to see themselves under darknesse and spiritually dead without God in the world and posting on in the way of destruction and so deservedly wondring that he is not long ago swallowed up in the gulf of irrecoverable wrath Seeing also the Vail rent and the entry made by the New and Living Way for a gracious relief and hereby beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord is translated from that naturall darknesse to his marvelous light And lanching forth into this Ocean of eternall unconceivable love where the deluge of unsearchable and self-destroying misery meets with the incomprehensible deeps of infinite mercy where plunged as in the extreams of contrary Tides swelling to such heights being heaved as it were to the Region of the Air and hurled as if they should be instantly sunk in these death-destroying surges of despair And yet so strengthened that they see the wonders of the Lord who before they be aware commands peace to appear maketh all quiet and by the breathing of a sweet and soft gale brings safe to the shoar And now reflecting upon the by-past and naturall lost condition first in the guilt of the most base and irrationall revolt of Originall defection and then in the stain and stintlesse superfluities of naughtinesse daily sprouting out in actuall provocations grieving Gods Spirit and now vexing the New Man Observing also and recenting the long-suffering patience rich mercy free grace eternall and unchangeable love that hes followed them in that miserable condition melted and made them up in a new mould so as the old things are past and all things are become new to them They are set upon a two-fold task 1. Of selfdetestation as self-destroyers and 2. Of Saviour-admiration in their deliverance hating denying and forsaking themselves loving imbracing and relying upon him in a continued fast of abstinence from all that hes been offensive to His good Spirit and studious to know and delighting to do whatsoever may be well-pleasing unto Him who hes been doing all things well for us when we were disdaining his divine bounty and this being the vast difference betwixt the man in his naturall estate and in the state of grace and that no man hes ground of boasting of any thing in themselves more then another and that there is no warrant to any man to despair but for confidence in following the means appointed sincerely And the matter being of greatest consequence I have been taking the more particular notice by way of comparison betwixt the first and second BIRTH and growth in a most familiar way how any under the least degree of grace may most easily discern what progresse they have made And have annexed hereto the portraict both of the new and old man the better to inflame the affections to the love of the one and loathing of the other Not that it is possible by any comparison imaginable whether real or supposed to decipher the unsearchable mysterious way of the spirit in the soul of the elect in the Ordinances of conversion or that either Ordinances or instruments can make effectuall the work of God begetting and bringing forth the new creature unto life without the enliving power of the spirit of the new life in the Ordinances Nevertheless seeing the Lord hes appointed and blessed means wherein he will shine and whereby he dispenseth His grace very reason is convinc'd that the means are to be followed And this comparison is no further to be streached then in a rationall way to incite the reasonable party to a reverent attending with attentivenesse to the Ordinances and a confident dependance upon the truth and tendernesse of the Author obedience to whose authority is ever well taken and never any forsaken that have been sincere seekers of Him according to the perfect rule of Scripture-truth THE COMPARISON AS the mater of the body of man by the supreme Ordinance of God in the ordinary â—ct of generation is conceived brought into form and capacitate to receive the spirit of life and the â—oul being created and infused in the body doth operate unto the perfecting of the body and so by the Lord 's singular and gracious preordination they do become one compound creature for the discharging of the offices of an intelligible spirit joyned with the Organs of a bodily substance whereby to conceive and by words and actions to expresse according as they shall be by means ordinar or extraordinar naturall or supernaturall taught as the first Mover shall see meet Even so the word of the Gospel containing the seeds of the New Man by the Ordinance of Preaching and the ordinar act of hearing impressions are left upon the understanding and will for conceiving and bringing it into form quality and capacity to receive the spirit of spiritual life which creats and infuseth grace in the soul whereby every Elect Child of God according to God's gracâ—ous preordination in this new creature by tâ— efficacious operation of the Holy Ghost is ingrafted in the Head Jesus Christ and by thâ— Union inabled unto the performance of all Christian duties incumbent to the New Man anâ— that by degrees according to our growth and increase in knowledge and experience either unto doing or suffering according as they be moved oâ— called thereunto But as in the naturall generation after the Infant hes received form life senses and faculties but not come out unto the light and so withouâ— the object and exercise of them but lying undeâ— darknesse in this weak condition the brittle embrio is in hourly hazard of imminent destruction from causes seen and unseen innumerable and often proves abortive by an over-slow or over sudden birth Even so the life of grace by the Spirit and Word of the Gospel being conceived yet is the New Man overclouded with much naturall darknesse the Devil taking advantage of the time sets to work all his machinations musters up all his legions lies in ambush with swarms of temptations assaulting from all airts uncessantly from corruption from carnall reason from suggestions naturall and unnaturall wearying the poor youngling with fearfull wrestlings â—ut faithfully guarded against this malice by the â—uthor of his reviving Only the yoke of â—ondage from the undeniable endictment and â—itnesse in his own guilty conscience dragging â—im back to the justice seat of a sin revenging â—od to receive the righteous doom of his own â—righteousnesse
how far above All finite apprehensions And unconceiv'd dimensions is His unchanged love Essentiall Simplicity Only sublime Infinity Supream transcendent Blesse Eternities unreachable Perfections unsearchable are absolutely His. This is our King He doth us claim And takes EMMANUEL for His Name us for his Spouse redeem'd Who unto sin and satan slav'd He sanctified hes and sav'd adopted Sons esteem'd Who is it then condemne that can The faithfull fruitfull Christian to Him that doth advert Where is that tribulation Affliction or tentation that can procure thy smart In this life Christian canst thou crave Better then did thy King receive since He so well allows Full freedom from these felt annoys And feelings of eternall joyes for all that Him avows Should we not chearfully with fear His dying in our bodie bear with Him who are to live Whose life shall be made manifest In such as purely have profest His Truth and thereto cleave Take courage then let come what can Christ and his crosse O Christian doth now the Crown preceed Delight to see the old man slain The New man form'd in thee again now by the divine seed Reviving Recollections and Soliloquies closing with the song of all Saints Rev. 7.12 SONG IV. O What sore troubles we endure By listning to the lyars lure What rescues rare do we injoy From dangers that should us annoy Bemisted under shadows here See not the perils that appear Till after trials we do track Them to the spring by looking back Darts of destruction daily flees From devils swift like swarms of bees The noysome Pestilence by night Maliciously pursues with might On Scorpions and on Serpents dread And on the Cockatrice we tread But sheltered be and and well preserv'd When they upon their spleen are starv'd And when we any pain abide Is it not when we step aside That on this stage we may fulfill Our task by time the truth untill And we by these characters spell The power that hes no parallel And by observance due do see That He hes an all-searching eye His retributive justice here And mercy precious doth appear Here doth the Well of Wisdome spring Knowledge and truth whereof we sing For in all generations Regions respective Nations In all imaginable places And in all conceived cases To all all times and every one All things are done by Him alone And done so well and wondrously That all men may admiring be And as they do admire adore His Royall Attributes before Whereby in time we timely taste And after time shall ever feast Upon that fulnesse when we shall Himself enjoy in and for all But Oh! How is 't that we can move In this infinity of love In this sublime simplicity Perfections and purity Immutable and all things moving Eternall Omnipotent proving O! What infirmity it is To slumber under so high blesse But Oh! How is 't we are not dying Th' excellencies that passes seeing Hearing knowledge or conceiving Till they come out above our craving When the Members all shall meet Incorp'rate in the Head compleat And as they have preserved been Unsearchably as they are seen Till one by one they be prepar'd And in appointed time declar'd All members moved by the mind Of him to whom they are inclin'd As by the weak resemblance here Of flesh and spirit may appear A fabrick wonderfully fram'd And strangly from the fountain stream'd Compos'd commixt conjoin'd divisive Wov'n var'ously visive invisive Hundreds above in numerous places Which from their office never ceases So naturally by nature led And by the vitall spirits fed Which by the soul her influence pure Unseen is set in order sure And seated in the brain doth move Each member for the mans behove And every instant at her will All powers do their part fulfill And she is every where perfecting Preparing dressing and directing As may make for the common right Wherein she daily doth delight How much more may we then believe Above what here we can conceive Of Him our Head who hes received More spirit then can be conceived And measures out abundantly To every member mightily All sp'ritual graces and anoints us As in His wisdome He appoints us Into our stations as seems meet To Him in whom we are compleat Anone alone that glorious day His Saints He shall so sweetly swey When we in regions ordered are Shining above the brightest Star Or as in constellations standing Minding only His commanding Who only minds the glorious blesse Of God who Universall is O happy day of all delights Wherewith compar'd are nought but nights The best of by-past dayes alone Compact and quintessenc'd in one One glimpse of which desired day Shall all afflictions past defray All anguish and perplexities Digested in festivities Of sp'rituall joyes for ever springing In His face to give us singing Renewing every minut store To raise our notes for evermore When all the mysteries manifold In Heavenly Pallaces inrold To admiration be revealed And nothing can be known concealed Which wondring still then shall we move Wrapt and rapt up in very love When many mighty men shall mourn And unto dens of darknesse turn Who desp'ratly did grace despise And mercy offered could not prise God to offend would not refrain And wisdomes warning did disdain Are now forsaken and in anguish Left eternally to languish And before felt-wrath shall flee Like lightnings sclenting through the skie Under the doom of torments chief Dying ever never relief Where Saints the righteous judgment reads That from their righteous Judge proceeds And all about the Throne the more Him in his mercy shall adore Then judgment just and mercy free The Dâ—apason sweet shall be Of all that Harmony compleat From members seeming infinite Ordered through these vast dimensions Extending over apprehensions And comprehended only be By the infinite Deity About the Throne of Glory then These millions of Elect men Through all that blessed boundlesse bounds With various and with vocall sounds With Angels pure pure Seraphims Exalt their King with holy Hymns For as the soul is full refin'd When glory thereupon hath shin'd So shall the body be made meet For to possesse the Holy Sp'rit By whom these curious Organs may Well managed His praise display In soul and body both to bring All Glory to our Glorious King SONG V. Of all Saints Rev. 7.12 Amen Blessing And Glory And Wisdome And Thanks-giving And Honour And Power And Might Be Vnto Our God For Ever And Ever Amen  AMEN AMEN for evermore Blessing to God whom we adore And to His Name which Glorious is Glory ascend in Glorious blesse And to the adored Deity Wisdome in all excellency And unto Him free Grace doth give Thanks-giving be by all that live And to His all-honoured Name Honour duely do proclaime And to Him who us preserves Power ascribe who power deserves And to the King Almighty high Might and eternall Majesty Be by all the Elect moving Unto God in Jesus loving Our God alone One Holy Sp'rit God
the naturall man by natures light Convinced be but never see aright Till by the Holy Ghost he be renewed And in the heart by speciall grace indued And led unto the new and living way Where closing with his Saviour he may Discern from whence these waters spring that flow And make the barren fruitfull ground to grow Come then incline divine assistance can From nature thee renew a spâ—ritual man Aright to see His condescensions Applying by firm apprehensions Him shining clear in His Anointed Who is for thy approach appointed For He unmov'd all motions moves Which minutly His praises proves Extracting from most clear distractions A cluster sweet of solide actions For all that is was or shall be Is His eternall wise decree Whose high designs ador'd as His duration Admits no parallel or alteration Whom we in Christ our Saviour sweet must see Imbrace enjoy or die eternally But come and do not in your dreg remain Take up the Book and read and read again A serious Survey of this journey take This Child of Grace through all his tryals tract Here shalt thou see an unseen strength sustain The weakest that hath at the battel been And wisdome shining in the most unwise Might make affections in a rapt to rise Which in the Babe new born again doth grow Whereby he doth in Songs of Praises flow A Garden here with arbors for reposing A Jewel clear the ground of all rejoycing A Fountain whence waters of life do spring A Mountain thence thou may'st with safety sing A Spirit here perceive our sp'rits inspires With sighs and groans and answers such desires Come then in faith and as thou seeks receive Light life relief from darknesse grief and grave In brief behold these whole assertions here By proof from truth believed made appear And He above believing shall convoy Thee with Himself Himself for to enjoy Himself who is thy Potent Prince Victorious Light Life Delight and Lover only Glorious Come then attend His call and humbly say Come Lord thy servant hears and shall obey A SURVEY Of the FIRST and SECOND DEATH Closing with a SEPARATION-KISSE Betwixt two intimate FRIENDS The SOVL and BODY By way of DIALOGUE betwixt NATURE and GRACE Under the Names of FLESH and SPIRIT Heb. 9.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgement Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses 1. THE body of man is of the earth naturall earthy 2. The soul of man is of a spirituall nature spirituall 3. The two joyned together in the time of life make up a person 4. The separation of the soul from the body is the naturall death of the person 5. The separation of Gods favourable Presence by His Spirit from the soul is the spirituall death of the person 6. All the Off-spring of the first man by his apostasie and disobedience are deservedly deprived of Gods favourable Presence by his spirit so come to the world dead in sins and trespasses 7. All these the naturall Off-spring of the first man that be left in this forlorn condition living and dying in this darknesse and ignorance of God and do never attain unto the first resurrection do ly under the first and be lyable unto the second death at the last day 8. The Elect and Chosen of God be by His free grace in a time of love called and by the effectuall working of His Spirit moved to believe His word and to joine with Jesus Christ for Salvation By whom neverthelesse that they be spiritually dead in sins and trespasses they are by His Spirit quickned to see and serve the living God dying unto sin and living unto righteousness and thereby made partakers of the first resurrection Against whom the second death at the generall resurrection shall have no place 9. To be spiritually-dead the mere naturall man knows not nor by reason of his atheism can know till the second death sieze upon him first at the seperation of the soul and body and secondly again at the resurrection and judgment 10. The Believer knows by woefull proof what it is to be spiritually dead by the dead works wherein they have walked before they knew themselves under darknesse 11. The Believer knows likewise what the second death means by being sometimes from provocation and sometimes from tryall deserted and often kept at distance and of such continuance as hath been both a hell of torments and hes bred fearfull anxiety and knows also and believes the Scripture-descriptions of the eternall torments never dying death and dolour that the wicked atheist must endure and perish under everlastingly As also by being condemned in themselves and saved by the Lord they know what it is to be absolved from that dreadfull condemnation 12. As to the dissolution of the body albeit it be a beginning of the second death to the wicked as it is a preparation to the second resurrection of the Godly whose souls are then feasting upon their Saviour His Face in Paradice It may be more properly named a Sleep as it is often in Scripture especially seeing the soul hes had her night of partiall separation in the body suppose but short in comparison of time yet under many sufferings whereas the bodies night in its element is free of trouble and for the length of time it is to rest there under darknesse It is not considerable in respect of the splendor of that day of eternal glory which is at the out-breaking And seeing it is with this temporall death of the bodie that the Believer hes only adoe let us look a little more particularly upon it and specially as it concerns the Believer It is appointed for all men to die naturall death being the separation of the soul from the body is rightly named unto mere naturall man the King of terrours A metaphor from a King or Tyrant who is unresistable for power unsatiable and unexorable for cruelty undefatigable for persistence furnisht with all manner of forces for execution in all places at all times through all the Continent where any of the sons of men takes life attending them constantly till every one of them fall under the fatall and finall stroak And there is nothing created in this Universe whether from within us or from without us from the furthest remote of the Stars to the least pile of grasse or pickle of dust which were all created for our good but hath been or may be the occasion of this dissolution As also by what means amongst so many and at what time so uncertain unto any that it is a wonder that the rationall creatures who knows themselves subject to it can think of it without terrour and most terrible that the most of men are over-turned before they think seriously of it But here appears the greatest wonder that ever any of the blind-born deservedly forsaken and self-lost generation of apostate man should come to know any more hereof then
any other but this being the prerogative of the regenerate by grace to see themselves by nature lost and saved by the Lord This death is nothing terrible nor troublesome to them but pleasant and comfortable in what colours by what knife at what time or in what place they commit their souls to the Father of spirits and surrender their bodies to the Elements whereof they were and are to be preserved unto the day that all things be restored for they see and know that this dissolution of the body is but the laying off or suffering the old spotted and defiled garments to be rent from us till they be refined and not that we may be uncloathed but cloathed upon with glory and immortality untill we receive again these naturall mortall corruptible bodies immortall incorruptible receptacles habilitate and fitted to imbrace and enjoy without interruption the glory that a glorified soul is admitted unto So that unto the Believer this naturall death is swallowed up of life being no more death unto them then the pinching of the body of the Infant in coming through these straits of ordinary Child-birth should be to the Child if it were capacitate to know the present case and place of its imprisonment and the light and liberty it were to come to But here nature even pure nature doth propose some most sensible and searching tryals for impugning my arguments and resolutions viz. Seeing this World was created for me and I created immortall without separation by death if I had stood in my integrity then should I never have had any further desire but of things present Now presuppone that the offer were made me of the allowance of all created contentments perpetually to my desire with the blessing upon them and the blessed use of them with that peace which should make up a continued feast should not we then rather be content to remain in the body then desirous to seperate from it 1. For answer The case is so far altered that the difference is very vast we not being by creation nor should have been by generation in the estate of innocency capable of any greater blesse then that wherein the first man was created which was to enjoy the allowed use of the creature and to converse with the Creator at such times by such means and in what measure as the divine Majesty should think meet 2. Whereas by regeneration the Believer attains unto and is made capable of a more sublime and supernaturall blesse by being made a member of Christ mysticall to see and enjoy God in Him by grace and to be translated unto glory after death which makes it desirable It is Objected Suppose the offer were made of a healthfull and lively body with the liberty and allowance of all outward contents with the speciall blessing of inward peace in the use of them and freedom from all disturbance which might allay that relish in the fruition of them untill the end of time and the coming of the Lord to the general Judgement Should I not then rather make choise to remain in the body unto that day then to separate from it that it may be consumed in the dust for that time For answer Let the supposition be strengthened with all the Arguments that may warrantably be alledged they cannot weaken the resolution of a Believer nor ballance his disposition of an instant and sincere desire to be dissolved with submission to the good pleasure of Gods will both for the time place and maner of his removall that mortality being swallowed up of life we may put on and be cloathed with immortality life and glory freed of all ground of provoking God or grieving Gods Spirit and admitted unto His Presence in whose Face is the fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are all true compleat and incomprehensible pleasures for evermore the body never being sensible of any losse and the soul being over-joyed in the continued sense of unconceivable advantage Hereby the Believer according to the growth of his faith and affection is looking and longing for that day when he may take possession in that house which is from heaven and is eternall in heaven And these Truths are so convincingly verified unto us by God himself by Jesus Christ our Lord and by the holy Spirit of God and of Christ speaking in his Prophets and Apostles and justified by instances of raising up the dead to life again as being past controversie all objection is removed except it be by the obstinate atheist giving thereby undeniable signs of utter and irrecoverable rejection And how is it then that the Believer can be any thing moved at the approach of that happiest of his dayes unlesse it were unto an excesse of joy from the sense of so joyfull a separation from a dying body lying under darknesse unto a living Head stated in all light and delight Shall the pangs of death restrain our desires or abate our resolutions in making through that strait entry unto such certain and eternall felicities Would the Child in the mothers womb if it were capable of sense and reason make choise to remain everlastingly in that dark Cell rather then to hazard upon what pains there may be in pressing out unto the light Would not the Prisoner fettered in the Gallies and there held under most cruell slavery if he should be called out of that bondage not only unto liberty but also in stead of his rags Princely Robes presented to him and of bands the enjoyments of all desirable delights that the most flourishing Nation under the Sun could render crowned with many dayes and years in the society of Princes and all Princely pleasures would not the change be most joyfully imbraced by any that were not more then brutish Now then how far above comparison is this change that the believing Christian is called unto from so many sorrows and sufferings as our sin hath brought and keeps us under while we are in the body unto a Crown of glory and immortality to be cloathed upon with the Robes of our Redeemer his Righteousnesse and feasted with the joyes that flourish in the Face of our Mediator being the fruits of that Land where there is no lesse then everlasting life light love delight resulting in superexcellent hymns and songs of eternall praise in exalting the King and Saviour of Saints Is it not from the weaknesse of our faith and not keeping our spirituall senses in action but sluggishly suffering our affections to frieze that we are not still attending when we shall be called to come out of the body to enjoy this beatitude And why should we be so anxious of the maner time or place of laying down our old cloaths It becomes us well to intrust all to Him of whom we are and for whom we are without whom nothing can befall us who is goodnesse it self and of whom we had such reall proof that He makes all things work together for our good And shall we
consum'd in which they 're pyn'd Then reason's corrupt faith's weak sense is gone Hope fails love still remaining's left alone Which surely though unsensibly unites The soul to Christ Christ to the soul invites Lo likewise here thou 'lt see the ground on which Some Christians are so toss'd some not so much With their procuring causes and occasions Grave warnings suting all such dispensations Lest when they be advanc'd they swell in pride And turn secure then sadly fall or slide With heartlesse frettings When they cannot have All things at all times their vain hearts do crave In all which things his words he fitly squares With sound experience its norm and dares With open face avow all here declar'd To have been clearly known found seen and heard Come therefore read and with all care peruse His words for love to thee did cause him chuse To publish them Thy good he did intend Next to Gods glory and if this great end Be reach'd he 's recompenc'd for all his pain Give praise to God thank him for thine 's the gains W. G. To my highly Honoured and very obliging FRIEND upon his rare and sutable Choise in the ensuing POEM MVch honoured Sir the stately peerlesse worth Of your high soaring spirit is held forth In slighting things terrene divine desiring With most undanted boldnesse high aspyring To know see yea injoy him whose perfections Cannot be reach'd by most inlarg'd conceptions Of most capacious sp'rits and deeply dyves In these hid â—hings which knowing souls in lives Your progresse since ingag'd in this abstruse Deep art being helped by the heavenly muse Appears in these well fram'd lines which contain A Christians present toyle but future gain O but your warnings wise and counsells be Wholsome convey'd with moving gravity Your skilfull well tun'd Songs shew that you 're taught In heavenly Poesie and fully fraught With free Urania's gifts your lofty strain Holds forth a heav'n sprung high Poetick vein Surely such soul-transporting Songs could not By any not transported be begot How hes your soul been fill'd with rapting joyes O how enlarg'd by the melodious noise Of these celestiall hosts and glorious throngs How elevated by their pleasant Songs When such sweet parallels were by your pen Convey'd of so great use to blind-born men Great Sir well done ye have not basely spent Your noble and broody spirit forc'd to vent It self on somewhat in devising vain Vtopian stories which Romanticks fain Who busk Chymerick notions which are not Else where but in the fanciers brain begot And with high-flown deckt words great things portend Which try'd into a noysome nothing end Your gravity would not permit you choise Such theams you fancy not a birthlesse noise Your subject's grave your drift's not transient pleasure But solide joy true peace these lasting treasures W. G. TO THE JUDICIOUS READER Upon the excellency and sutablenesse of the AUTHOR his Choise and Subject of the Turtle-dove in the ensuing POEM HO curious Sp'rits who love to spend your time In reading strange new things in Prose or Rime Come here a Creature rare describ'd you 'll see No Monster yet more strange then Monsters be She 's stil'd a Turtle-dove hereby's held forth Her Clement Nature Properties and Worth But if ye'll mark her with a searching eye Ye'll find her wonderfull made wondrously She is begot she 's born and yet O strange Created nay renew'd Ne're such a change Was heard of by Philosophers Yet more By that same act by which she 's made adore She is espous'd yea match'd Her Maker is Her Lover yea her Mate and she 's made his His milk's her food her Collactaneus Mother Sucks the same breasts their Nurse is al 's their Bâ— Yet both his members are He 's soul and head They Feasters He 's the Table and the Bread He 's Prophet Sacrifice Priest Judge and King They Judges Priests and Kings with him shall reign And though these seem to be moe when alone Yet Husband Mother Spouse Nurse makes but one WILLIAM GORDOUN The POEM with the accomplishmenes Epitomized BEauty and Valour many Volums prove To be the Object of most ardent Love And subject where the most profound confine Their deepest thoughts both morall and Divine The Streams of Truth unto the Fountain leads Where Vertue true from verity proceeds Unfading Beauty does in Vertue shine And Valour strong triumphs in Truth Divine Vertue Truth still victorious doth grace And Truth in Vertue Beauty fair imbrace What foes fair Vertue to deface contend Truth overturns and doth her cause defend From Truth what Rivall Vertue would allure Vertue disdains and does his death procure Fair Vertue does a constant Conflict keen From foes within and foes without sustain But by the Truth her Standart-bearer stands Against the malice of these mighty bands Most happy they and right Heroick sure Can faithfull hearts unto this fight procure But all these conflicts and these battels be Spirituall and discerned sp'ritually Yet carnall minds for substance shadows take But who for substance shadows does forsake True Valour Vertue Beauty Love come see The Subject of these Songs ensuing be Where shining in this Portraict shall appear The lineaments of a lively Christian clear Delineat from his birth and breeding glorious â—raught with the Trophees of triumphs victorious THE NICODEMIAN PARADOX EXPLAINED By a COMPARISON betwixt the Natural Generation of MAN and the Spirituall Regeneration of the NEW CREATURE CLOSING With the CHARACTERS of the OLD and NEW MAN THE PARADOX 1. Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. 2. That before we can come to GOD we must know our selves captives and slaves to Satan 3. That before we enter the way to Heaven we must see our selves in the way to hell 4. That the most sad Crosse produceth the most sweet fruit of most kindly comfort 5. That the Believer keeps a daily Feast and also a daily Fast. 6. That there is no true contentment attainable in any thing present 7. That the Believer enjoyes joyes unspeakable in things unseen 8. That the poor that have nothing possesse all things and make many rich THese and the like of these are unto every man in the state of nature clear contradictions for no Creature is able to surpasse its own Sphere The Vegetative attains not unto Sense The Animal attains not unto Reason The Rational can as little apprehend the things of God which are only discernable by the Spirit of God The most able of men for judgment understanding or other parts naturall or by learning and industry acquired or extraordinarly given by revelation are but common gifts of the Spirit as proper to the Believer in grace so to the unbeliever in nature and by the man wholly in nature naturally received and naturally practised As also the very devils are known to have more light by the many advantages and occasions they have of knowledge both by experience and revelation then all the sons of men and although
compleat a man But thou art carnall that objects And doth discover thy defects A little ponder understand Shall that All-wise All-working hand All-just All-good All-holy King Misse in that most intended thing His Eyes were on when He gave being To all things subject unto seeing Did He this spacious Globe erect And by their sourse the seas collect Becircled by the firmament Illustrious and so excellent With plenteous store to entertain Poor wretched men that lost have been No from eternity He knew All what was past what should ensue And in a Second Adam sweet Made man again with God to meet Who for the Elect Surety stood And them restor'd by His own Blood Their flesh assumed for that end And doth His Sp'rit unto them send Which Holy Sp'rit their sp'rit inspires With sp'rit-renewing sacred fires Quickning purging and perfuming Grace increasing vice consuming Eyes and heart and minds inlarging With His Image supercharging Such searching souls as do imbrace The splendor of his pleasing face Rapt and made apt with open eyes To dyve in these excellencies And in that sourse of sweet delight To feast upon his beauty bright Whereby he doth our souls decore And to his Image us restore On whom by faith firm fixed solely The whole affections are made holy And humble by a self-reflect Upon thy self for self neglect So modesty shines in the face And gravity that Christian grace That generous Spirit that doth â—acer Her self to serve her Saving Maker That Sapience that far far sees To compose content from contraries That chastitie that can contain Affections all in order clean That love that vertue doth allure And all licentious lusts can cure That liberall mind that lively spreads And frugally preserves the seeds That charity that chearfully Knows when how where to give supply That temperance that can subdue Proud passions as they do renew That courtesie that neatly can Carry the master like a man That clemencie that can declare The colours clear of vertue fair That patience that prudence leads That peace which pious Spirits feeds That fortitude that fairly founded With resolutions firmly grounded On truth with strong stability Expressed with alacrity Courage and circumspection so That never storm can overthrow That single heart sincere and sweet Where comfort and delight do meet That sp'rit of contemplation piercing And heavens holy myst'ries searching Longing thronging thirsting till The fruit of faith the Soul full fill Then God beholding the effects That by his beams on Saincts reflects And looking on that beauty rare Accounts and cals them sweet and fair For grace in vertue so doth shine That vertue doth become divine This is the vertue I avouch'd The vertue that I would have touch'd The vertue true that clarifies And qualifies the qualities That doth illustrate and ingrain And turns in substance shadows vain That giveth smell and taste unto All that we think or speak or do This vertue well accomplish can And compleat the Christian man Gain this vertue and thou shall Inherit Heav'n and Earth and all More solide solace sweet possesse Then heart can think or pen express Limb out her lineaments conceive Such riches where thou can receive Try her parts taste every place Such sweet thou can no where embrace Drink her in with all desire Untill she set thy heart on fire Her beams they will thy breast inflame Her streams will qualifie the same Choise of choises chief content Of all beneath the firmament Search her for she waits to see Who for her love will fervent be And if thou joine thou shalt enjoy That bliss which nothing can annoy For then thou shalt into his Image grow From whom this vertue fair doth freely flow The Portraict and Character oâ— the Old Man Under the name of Vice described COme you who wonders curious are to see Or monsters such as most detested be And you who can indeed discern aright This Brat begot in hell by heav'nly light Vice here behold stript naked to the skin Look on her outside see her well within Her port and gesture here how vile behold Vain proud implacable presumptuous bold Disorderly by satans order placed As basely in the heart they be embraced Each ruling in his sphere rounding the brain And heart with humors perverse and profane Where generositie should bud and flourish Debate deceit there doth she neatly nourish There where the truth sincerely should be stated Faithlesse hypocrisie is firmly seated Malice envy and horrid hatred there Where love should move is in her breast made bare Under the shew of chastity most clean Closs impudent incontinencie is seen Ambition avarice wrath and cruelty Watch as they may most serviceable be Within a cloud of Christian clemency And humane gentlenesse dissimulately She sets her subtil snares for to entyse The weak for she in wickednesse is wise Her sottish slaves who serve her she doth lead Their souls on sensual lusts to live and feed Or otherwise to pry how to surprize Their nearest dearest friends that they may rise To treasure state or store honour or ease As they may their beloved Idol please And for those ends do study to devise By all the means that be below the skies Without controle directly to content That humor in its fixed element Objection Can all that you have heretofore asserted Be held for truth Is poor man so deserted And by that dev'lish villany possest Which here you have so peremptory prest Is man who is the creature rational Below the brute so fallen by his fall You see most men do something civile live Vice misregard and unto vertue cleave It seems that he doth some true light retain Suppose it suffered hath a fearfull stain And if it were as you affirm then he Not only should below the brutish be But might be ranked in degree with devils The Author of these specified evils What find we more in that apostate sp'rit Finall impenitency to compleat Then you of man each man forlorn hath said Is it not for His wrack that he was made Answer Our Glorious King Eternall only Wise Almighty Mover moved by advice Of uncreated wisdome that he can No lesse have done then well in making man Man was made holy righteous and good But he did stumble when he should have stood Before the tryals of the tempter slie And slew himself and all his progeny By misbelieving Him by whom he lived Is left to live to him whom he believed And being left of God he is possest Of all the devilry that is here exprest Man unregenerate is below most sure The vildest bruit on earth and most impure What Lyon Tygre or destroying Boaâ— So fervent fierce or cruell to devour What can with that vild murtherer compare Who for to feast his idol will not spare His nearest friends brothers or native seed And will imbrew his hands in parricide And in his own hot blood for to fulfill His humor give the fatall stroak and kill What Crocodil what scorching Scorpion
unbounded Orb of love Wonders are by Believers brought about That cruell tyrants cannot cancell out And by Believers to be enjoyed are Joyes wonderfull above conceiving far But we shall spare for more exactly those Matters we must debate before we close Now to the purpose and the Person precious Whom I have seen and still esteemed gracious Notable in the Assemblies of the Saints And solemn Meetings where Believers hauntâ— I know the case and truly see it clear Fraught with the fruits of faith of love and fear But she is not in that condition now So to confesse far lesse this to avow But in this sentence most succinct I 'le shew The matter and the meaning shall pursue And this it is Heavens child of hope doth faint for want of sight Resolv'd to grope through darkest deeps for light And this assertion sure for to explain Take notice now and answer you again You see Celestiall from terrestriall things Exhaling vapours that much darkness brings Eclipses do our naturall Sun surprise Which yet we see most royally arise The worlds first birth from Gods most pure intention Eternall purpose and divine invention Was made to be by no materials Existent pre-existent Seminals In darknesse swadled up untill the bright Creating word in time commanded light And when this light aright composed stood Night to preceed day-light God saith is good Jea This dispensation sad you take I see To flow from causes one or more of three The first from provocation I conceive The second what for triall we receive The third to Soveraignity ascends The Cause supreme where causes all depends You know suppose that naturall things be used And to illustrate sp'rituall matters chused Spirituall things are not demonstrate clearly By naturall that worke by nature merely The one by the prefixed Rule doth run The other Arbitrary how and when And yet suppose these generals should contain Much to this purpose when by searching seen Yet ye must nearer come her case to clear From such effects as may be seen appear For if she be bemisted left alone In this confus'd condition she is gone Sam. Will ye not condescend that all things be Good in their time appointed certainly And that our only wise and holy King Profoundly hath contrived every thing Spirituall naturall morall arbitrary Contingent voluntar and necessary And ordered so this contrary to that Man may with dread and reverence stand thereat Jea We trust your charity hes so conceived That Scripture-truths are all by us believed Albeit that under trials severall may By strong assaults much weaknesse oft bewray We know He 's the supream and only good And all things to his glory do conclude And that suppose rejected we should be It were our place his grace to magnifie His wisdom justice truth and holinesse We question not but our untowardnesse In not adverting to his counsels grave Which only could and should from swerving save And yet our tender Lover hath appointed And with spirituall unction hath anointed With coming some and cordialls stor'd that be Soveraign for Soul-diseases seasonablie â—Mongst whom ye be of speciall esteem In binding up the wounds that desperat seem I pray you speak in proper speeches plain As this perplexed party best may gain And lead us in these mysteries divine Untill the Sun begin again to shine Sam. I know it worthy of our pains shall prove To dyve in this deep mystery of love Therefore I shall not spare to condescend Some of our precious time herein to spend This mourning Bride sure has propined been With precious sweet sp'rit-consolations clean Whereby the King of Kings doth recreate Replenish purifie and elevate The soul that to espouse he is whereby She in his absence sick of love doth ly Jea Be pleas'd more specially us to acquaint With these so precious presents and how sent And how received that so effectuall prove As to procure such firm and fervent love Sam. He cleared hes her blear'd and blinded eyes Inflam'd her heart so as she feels and sees Her Comforter convey himself with kissings And breath into her soul supernall blessings The beauty of whose visage her invites To trace him out when he doth make retreats For in her heart so hes he shed that seed Which her affections after him doth lead And at a word created now anew She bids the whole Creation adiew And in this Sphere of Love celestial soare Not stooping to terrestriall triffles more Untill her Lover come and do relieve Her weighted sp'rit and heart contrite revive Jea Why doth she not in patience possesse Her soul and so attend his timousnesse Sam. Basenesse of mind such patience she esteems Which would suspend her of these warming beams By influence whereof she alone doth live And therefore closely unto him doth cleave Jea But is her project lawfull let me know Sam. True love was never limited by law Jea But earthly minds in mounting high do burn Sam. The Spirit by habit heavenly doth turn Jea Doth she the body then the more disdain Sam. No but doth tune it to a spâ—rituall strain For it 's the organ ordained for to sing The praises of her Lovely Prince and King Jea How doth she then so sadly ly and still Sam. She doth attend his presence and his will Preparing straight his praises to expresse But till his coming lurks in heavinesse Jea But where is then the hold of Faith and Hope Fast held but pressing nearer hard to grope Desiring still the Marriage-day to see When in His Robes she may arrayed be And joyning then his sweet soul-feeding face Her firm affections fervent may imbrace Hele. Poor Pilgrim I in dole and deep unrest For want of Faith with hellish fears supprest Here wandring as a woefull wretch alone So void of sense can do no more but moan Unworthy of respect regard or view Much lesse your face my spirits to renew It is my wonder that your worth should stay So to respect this crocked clog of clay So hardned that affections cannot melt To mold a new by any motions felt Yet happy you you Blessings do procure Who would conduct and doth instruct the poor But from the wayes of wisdome I have gone So far astray that I may mourn alone And groan for grief now when I cannot mend But all my dayes in dole and dolor spend And for to understand your friendly speech Or meaning thereof hardly can I reach But true it is sometimes I have exprest Some secrets that should not have been confess Of feelings sweet above expression far Which for the time but seeming shadows are For now deserted like a desart owle I hopelesse ly and can but hopelesse howle Bewailing oft that ever I was born For all is gone and I am left forlorn Sam. Dear friends conveened here for this intent With misteries of Love to be acquaint Let us unweary willingly attend For all her griefs shall sure in gladnesse end Jea Our true desire and most delight shall be We
may more clear this Divine science see And with the whole affections of our heart To learn the Heavenly Methods of this Art I know the heart contrite and broken spâ—rit Is for our King a Receptacle meet I know with timous comforts he doth turn Unto the pure in sp'rit who for him mourn I know the thirsting soul and hungry heart In His sweet face have fulness for their part I know that pleasures in eternitie Attend their souls that fleshly follies flee I know the penny-earn'st of Peace and Bless Received by the meek and lowly is And wisely witnessed here may we see The might of truth and height of mercy free The strength of Faith shining through filial fear The wing of Love weak ones to hide and bear Hele. I wonder much that you so wise and grave Such groundlesse expectations can conceive For shew'd you are so far of this my case That I presumed should have made you cease But presuppone that these your strange conceits Were true of me which unto me relates But nothing unto me I think belong Yet were it fearfully free Love to wrong And should bewray ingratitude so far As justly might me from his grace debar For sure I am I had not been cashiered If to offend my King my heart had feared But gading I so far astray have stept And in confusions such my self have wrapt That now mine eyes are dimm'd my tongue bedumb'd Mine ears are deafned and my heart benumb'd That what I hear I do not apprehend But sure I see my well you do intend Jea Yet with permission and submission now My friend let me obtain this sute of you This is a day of grace and it may prove If you improve it well a time of love Unto this timous counsell grave advert Gainstand these griefs that do disturb thy heart Think on what light life liberty and peace Thou lately tasted hes by special grace The earnest of these Treasures rich procured For thee and by the Lover sweet secured But under cloud eclipsed thou must be By proof to find thine own infirmitie In Patience Faith Dependency Submission Importunately presse thou hes commission Then look and long and to this promise cleave And when thou art rebuked yet believe He. Madam your counsell gracious grave and good Does all desir'd felicities include But I have forfault all these offers fair And of these Blessings now am stripped bare And when I hear of former happinesse Grief horrour and despair the more increase Once was I light and now in darknesse ly Once was I life now in deaths jawes I dye Once had I freedome now in bondage bound Once had I peace now in vexation stound You speak of pleasures in a word anew But dolefully may I bid them adiew For I an earn'st of wrath endure I think Might all the sinfull sons of Adam sink The evil spirit when he does depart Returning enters in the empty heart And every devil of whatsoever deceit May in this soul receive a several seat And I will tell you more Jea No more Refrain There is too much of this untimely strain O fearfull but it be for to let slip Of Sacred Truths by Faith the saving grip And O! how bitter are the agonies Of absence in soul-searching secrecies O horrour terrour dread what dreadfull height Is absence totall in eternal night When timely tastes do so the godly tare Where shall the godlesse go beneath despair But I forbear Sir speak to her so plain That she may be brought to her self again Sam. This darknesse does th'approach of day presage And us the more unto the means ingage Thou harden dost thy self in thy mistakes And of our tendernesse advantage makes Thou dost expose thy self a present prey Syrene deceits of Sathan to obey Misled with carnal wit by quaint convoyance So subtilly to worke thy souls annoyance Wilt thou prescribe his coming or confine His counsels to these finit thoughts of thine Dare thou his faithfulnesse draw in debate Because he doth not on thy humours wait Doth he his influence dispense for hyre Dar'st thou a reason of his rules require But these demands in time and place recall Examine and answers receive we shall And now in patience yet we shall persist And with convincing arguments insist Think on when we from darknesse unto light Translated were and did receive our right Unto His Royal Court and House of Wine Where loves bright banner over thee did shine Then didst thou see in darknesse thou hadst been Clos'd Embrion-like into the womb unseen Untill thy Lover Mover in this place The fruits of His free love made thee imbrace Then didst thou clearly see that gracious He Indur'd to be obscur'd for gracelesse thee And that He might thy glorious dayes begin Assum'd thy flesh and suffered for thy sin Purg'd and perfumed thee His Bride to be And did present himself Bridegroom to thee Thy King thy Captain and thy Husband now And to engadge thee more him to avow His Princely Robes thou saw him lay aside Enter the lists and in his armour bide Till all thy foes he had defyed in fight And from their malice fred thee by his might And led thee here among these sweet contents Where only children of the King frequents But that thou may'st convinced be the more I shall this Countrie set thy face before For as it seems thou dost so sullen ly Thou art surprysed with a lethargie Or for a proof art left a little space To try what love thy Lover can displace Thou knowst the Citty of our Royall King Where He to breed and woo his Bride doth bring What glorie and excellencie alone Believers shining see about the Throne Thou seest Him righteous Judgements dayly read Give doome unto thy foes thy causes plead When from His Ivorie pallaces he comes Thee to imbrace the smell of His perfumes Affect the Virgin-bowels for to move Frames and inflames the quickned heart to love For certainly unto Beleevers true That be renew'd all things becometh new And in this World of wicked workers we A World enjoy of sweet felicitie Consisting in a Righteousnesse procured For us with sp'ritual joy and peace secured And this new heav'n and earth and citty fair Whether the Elect chosen called are Above comparison you know excells The rarest fairest richest parallels The River that out-through the Citty slides For every severall Cittizen divides Unto refreshment and the fruitfull tree That renders various fruits abundantly For every season unto all affections And soveraign physick health for all complexions Our everlasting light without declining Advancing gloriously and brightly shining Curse from the Crosse force from affliction shed The sting from death from fear and bondage fred Where we may dayly sing among the branches And swime among the streams our thirst that quenches And bath us in that River sweetly flowing And feed upon the Spices neatly growing About the banks of these delicious fields That hony milk and wine so pleasant yeeldâ—
this distressed Maid Is tainted with the things that we have said Or that such guilt so grosse could find a place For to obscure such gravity and grace But we by bitter proof have truly proved Matter in us remaining unremoved Which can such motions bring unto respect When on these painted Portraicts we reflect That are suggested by the serpent slie Or by the sense sent to the phantasie But though we cannot shun we see the craft And Arrows keen he doth against us shaft Armour of proof we stand in and resist The sharpest dart he at our heart can thrust The fairest Idol that he can invent The sweetest Apple that he can present And when we sleeping be surpriz'd and foyl'd And ere we be aware betray'd and spoyl'd Our Captain sees and cannot long refrain Us to relieve and set us right again So as to him we do more closely cleave And watchfull walk for all the time we live This subtile hunter he is ever spying Where we be weakest and is ever trying By all means set to make us swell or swither The spunk of life by spouts of hell to smother This impure sp'rit prince of the air doth carry Into the brain many vain vapours aery Which the affections surely should infect If timously we did them not detect But if this airt the carnall part incline To blink asquint when he doth Saint-like shine Then are we over-clouded and we know Our Jealous Lover must us then reprove For he corrivall never could indure But sealed for himself will have us sure Since all that we can wish conjoyn'd in one Of blesse combined is in him alone And we convinced be abundantly Of love-obligements unto loyalty And when he sees us truly humbled much Under these trials which the heart doth touch Then in his tendernesse to us doth turn With comforts as we in his absence mourn Thus when we stand or fight or faint or fall He is so near that we are saved all This love above all finite reach ascending Unalterable and so condescending That even when we are secluded sore We oblidg'd be for to believe the more For if we were not so rebuked then Carelesse we should become like carnall men These are the flames this is that force of love Floods cannot quench might slight cannot remove This is our King our Sunne our Shield our Friend Who by his blood hes us to him combin'd Whose splendent rayes full fraught with vertue shall From this grosse drosse affections pure exhale And fix within that element of love Where our delights alone on him may move Gris Much graced Matron your discourse devote Much verity and charity doth note Ye who above us do so far resort Can best discern these Arrows to retort That from the prince of darknesse darted still Within the dark for to infest the will Your charity grave Matron most agrees With rich experience and with cleared eyes The mystery of mercy you have seen Melted in love and moulded have you been So as no evill you can think or wrest To worst but all interprete to the best But many novices come to this place Who tasted have and do belong to grace Are often on extreams as they abound In feelings or are under absence drown'd And in their halâ—y on dayes will not allow Esteem to any that be them below As little for themselves do they preserve When under darknesse drouping they do starve And we be ever checking those mistakes But self-conceit obdurate many makes Till they be tortur'd under many tryals And taught to live by faith in self-denyals But for the number wherewith we must meet Not possible it is for to repeat Some hes been spoken to by our dear friends Both from intention purpose good and ends And suffer me as yet to signifie Of these our travels the necessitie As by this simile we 'll better see If we dissect our own Anatomie The matter composition and the Art Of Heav'n admirable in ev'ry part Flesh blood bones nerves veins arteries sustaining Humours hot cold moist dry and mixt containing Seat and assistance offices and ends Each other serving none another offends And all disperst through all this fabrick rare By instruments above a thousand pair From top to toe by searching we may see No lesse then wonders in variety The very head a magazin is made Of marvells most magnificent and dread And whoso should down to the foot descend And on the parts therein contained spend Some space in every place they should perceive Hundreds which wonders were for to conceive And every one that charge for to fulfill Appointed by the glorious Makers will As by pre-ordination God doth give These souls immortall whereby we do live Ye likewise see that all these parts and pow'rs Composed in this little world of ours And animated by this living breath Lyes dwining now under the sting of death And that through this defiled body spreads These soul-preserving now life-poys'ning threeds For as the body doth in part defect Then can the soul thereby work no effect Ye likewise see the soul cannot be seen Which in the body hath infused been That both might be an instrument to raise The Authors greatnesse and his goodnesse praise And for this end endow'd above conceiving With large capacities fit for receiving All that our Maker shall reveal to make Us see him and his service undertake So as her gifts in such excellencies In number worth and great varieties Exceeds what e're be said of bodies may As doth the breath of God excell this clay Not only ample simple pure capacious But also subtile pregnant and sagacious To dyve to search to soar and never cease Untill she do her Author once imbrace In whom she shall far far above desiring Be fed with wonders unto all admiring But now in all her parts so far depraved By listing to her lust and so beslaved That when she 's taught and rescu'd yet again Constant she cannot in her course remain But steps aside and doth her self deprive Of these revivings that should her enlive And as it is most strange aright to see These contraries corporeall to agree This structure of the body to maintain Untill it must turn to the dust again Albeit some interruptions often make The soul in all her agitations slack But how much more incomparable ye know Were it to keep in frame These fancies move In our light minds imaginations vain From which the carnall part cannot refrain Which most doth mar that special consolation We should enjoy by sp'rituall contemplation By dyving in these mysteries divine Wherein the glory of our King doth shine And whereby we are by his light delighted Untill by this his grace we be perfected But when his Spirit to prevent our swelling Or from the vapors of that venom dwelling In us obstructed is who then oh who So over-clouded can but sadly go For he 's the soul by which the soul doth live Ev'n as the soul the body keeps alive
trialls In darkest dayes gave dev'ls and men defyalls And never got a blink of light untill He fell submissive to his Makers will Thou knows we live by faith and not by sight By faith we suffer and prevail in fight Where is the fruit of all that sense receiv'd By thee before and what if all that 's crav'd Were streamed out upon thy strong desires Shouldst thou not spend them on thy carnall fires And when these sparkles of thy heart were spent So much the more thy sorrow should augment The child of light through fearfull darknesse groping Takes faster grip and firmer hold by hoping Thou canst not deem and nothing now thou knows Who at the coals of this corruption blows Nor see how sliely Lucifer can slide At twi-light time a plant of privy pride Ev'n when we do in all our strength resist Then can he at the part best fenced thrust And cunningly cause us ly open there Whereat the poyson'd dart he doth prepare This venom all of us do clearly see This child of grace her great vexation be And when she armed best against it is How Satan can infest her with a kisse Advert with wonder heav'nly earthly hosts Wonder all glorious glorified ghosts Wonders are seen which make you all adore Renewed marvels make you wonder more Pure spirits fill the souls of your desirings Extend your minds unto these deep admirings The quintessence of heav'ns counsell glorious Man murder'd on his murderer victorious In suff'ring Satan sift and so surprize And with such depth of subtilty devise Uncessantly and in such wyndings lurking Ev'n in our duties our destruction working But here the myst'ry of salvation is Crown'd with the cape-stone of eternal bless Of preservation by our glorious King Who our deliv'rance by his death doth bring An instance clear hereof before our eyes All the beholders evidently sees A chosen called faithfull child of grace Who for the prize most fervently doth prease Too much neglecting what she had before And strongly stretching to increase the more One much enrich'd with light and lively motions Experience deep and many sp'rituall notions In darknesse for deliverance debating Her poor condition and her case relating Sincerely set our counsell to receive But sylour'd can her self not undeceive For at her best attainment now you see How Satan snatches opportunity He sees the cup she doth delight to drink And in the liquor doth the poyson sink Let us infer from what we have been hearing And from this pregnant instance here appearing Since all the children of the first Creation Deservedly are under condemnation And that the cause ev'n to the Elect cleaves So close as unto any one that lives And that we ev'ry one are severally According to our humors diversly To some deceit or other more propense Then can appear by search unto our sense Which would unto infinitnesse amount Above what finite we could make acompt And that so many legions of lights Malicious devils and spirituall mights Our natures cases places erudition Daily attend our changes and condition And every one with every severall bait For every posture on us all await For this proud wretch doth desp'ratly disdain That we should be restor'd by grace again Or that our nature now should be renewed Or venom purged out that he had spued Therein whereby we in his Image stood Till it be blotted out by divine blood Yet we even we that most enlightned be Too carelesse live before this cruelty Much more and most for to be blam'd we prove Not studying still this boundlesse depth of love Which in our Lover moves him feed and keep His straying sterving and restored sheep Yet all that we can do doth but increase Our debt but more his mercy doth expresse This love we clearly cannot look to see Untill this body clarified be At least untill it be dissolv'd that so The soul her Lover to enjoy may go But how is this that we cannot submit Unto this wisdome and our selves acquit By firm believing as the duty chief Whereby from bondage we receive relief We see not that our drouping and dejections His faithfulnesse dishonours by reflections The growth of grace and inward peace obstructs The seeds of weeds into the heart conducts Th'envyous man with all his snares and cares The serpent slie with all his slights and snares Canst thou before the fiery tryall stand When men and devils do against thee band Such are in store and more thee to befall If fond conceits thy folly foster shall Ambition such were much to be commended Which with sobriety might be defended But ye who by confiding quiet may Repose beware presumption to bewray The Lark the Princely Eagle ne're envyes Suppose she see him skifting through the skies Ten thousand stage above her highest higher The suns resplendant beams and beauty nigher I am too tedious but to be excused Such disputs to anticipate are used Dear daughter once disdain for to repine At dispensations that are so divine Restrain the rising of such grosse deceits Refrain devising of such crosse debates A little faith finds out a fair relief Say I believe Lord help my unbelief And once resolve submission sincere Like to the pupill in the fathers fear Till which thou cannot put thy faith in act To comfort thee though thou thy brains should crack Come then threap kindnesse yet upon thy King Tell him that in the prison thou wilt sing His praises and ne're cease untill thou see His face in grace and then imbraced be This counsell daughter for to practice strive For it shall prove the way to make thee thrive He either shall the cloud of mist remove Or thee remove the clouds and mist above Where thou's be feasted in a minuts space With all the fruits of thy believing grace And from that instant in eternity Thy King enjoying shall rejoycing be Hele. O fearfull cloud of separation sad What heart can hear and not for fear fall mad Oh wonderfull that ye so wise can move Me to unmoved stand who must remove Where death bound ghosts down go depriv'd of light And suffer so in an eternall night Sam. How art thou now come up at words to carpe Perverting sense and using censures sharp And wherein thou convinced art before Would lead us unto repetitions more But lend a blink unto our travels past And thou thy self wilt censure for thy haste For we are leading thee into believing While thou unto thy facile sense art cleaving Hele. Oh to believe 't were possible for me But till I can excuse I cannot lie And well I know it is Gods love constrains You to this more then ordinary pains And I shall let you see I do not slight Your travels but do still recent them right For I confesse your presence all before There 's not a word hath past you less or more In reference to my condition duely But found so plain I do apply it truely And I shall not deny but I have tasted
The Heav'nly Manna and thereon have feasted And at the fountain have refreshed been Therein revived and returned clean And that when slumbring I began to swell I have been left in darknesse for to dwell Untill it pleas'd my King who knows my pain For my relief me to revive again I likewise do confesse what ye have said In ref'rence unto provocations made Which have recited been by severall here And pertinently made for to appear From sound experience much diversity And nearest numberlesse variety That with the like I have been led astray And drawn upon my self a cloudy day The crosse did with corruption so increase I forc'd have been my folly to confesse For I might read in every severall rod Real offences against a righteous God Who yet from wretched me did not remove His tender mercy faithfulnesse and love For in his coming I might daily see His goings were for wak'nings unto me Again I shall not take unto denyals But that I have acquainted been with tryals From all the Fiends and their infernall states Where I have often felt and dealt debates His brood within his instruments without Inviron and invest me round about And yet from all their cruelty and spight Have been preserv'd from that malicious might And where they had permission to perplex Turn'd to my good and them the more may vex And as this is by you my friends affirmed Is likewise now by me again confirmed But not the lesse â—lace that I can say I have no benefite thereby this day You have been arguing long and I replying Contending much and many things denying Wherein convinc'd that ye the right maintain Yet know ye not what sorrows I sustain For I had never darknesse known aright If once I had not seen the shining light Nor what it were to be beslav'd with devils If of their seed I had not seen the evils Nor what deliv'rance or defence could mean If fearfull danger were not something seen But while so many eminent I see For light and life inlargement liberty Forsaken and before the tryall fail How can I then presume for to prevail Who now so long so fearfully do ly Without relief or hope of remedy If ye my dolours knew ye would deplore That wofull anguish and vexation sore That I am wrangled with and wrapped in When terrours of the second death begin Of outward suffering I make no acount Although they do ye know too much amount A raging devil in the wicked reeling Venting their venom with villanous reviling Professed friends do privily supplant The most engaged in their ranting taunt And being held in fetters raging roar Because they cannot reach for to devour My person means profession and my name To burie in the dust of death they dream But when the prince of darknesse doth begin This dark and dozned heart again within To raise his works and to enlive his brood What can I men lesse then lost wretch conclude And more this tyrant hath attain'd the leading Of my affections ev'n while I am pleading Against his faunings and his flatt'ring baits Whereby I dragged am in dang'rous straits And cannot stint because I have no strength Nor hope to be relieved at the length For this I sigh for this I weep and mourn For this my bowels in my belly turn For this I seperate my self alone For this my blood and moisture both are gone Because the Comforter that can relieve My heart no answer for my grief doth give But in this desp'rate case at distance keep While all these serpents do about me sweep With open jaws sharp claws and cruell sting Trusting to sink and swallow quick they sing Sam. Well I perceive you have at length been plain Yet all doth turn unto one thing again Except some aggravation of the space The measure and ingredients in the case This closse eclipse with storms of flying fire Darknesse and thundring bolts of dreadfull ire From devils and from every instrument They could devise to work they detriment And then least for thy self to stand and fight So far above thy cunning and thy might Partly because that thou hes known them fall Compar'd with thee a shrub were cedars tall But yet look over thine accounts and cast Thou may come to a reckoning right at last These persons eminent at first did yeeld They never try'd the fight upon thee field And look again aright and thou shalt see Such as thy self triumph in victory Who in the fight by slight have oft been foil'd And yet by strength renew'd the spoiler spoild Consider also if thou couldst have stood Before old Belial and his brutish brood If they were not by chains of strength restrain'd And thou to use thy armes aright were train'd The measure and the space which most doth move thee Is the appointment of thy Prince to prove thee That thou may taste His power in preserving Under thy want and weaknesse of deserving Do no more plague thy self with this debate Against this blessed and believing state A fixed faith all slavish fear removes And in its orbe unto the Author moves For measure time and means simplie surrender Thy self to Him He is wise kind and tender Whereof much rich experience thou abuses And for tranquillity this torment chuses Wherein be sure thou shalt be tortured till Thou do submit sincerly to His will Hele. Now do I well perceive by your discourse I have not soundly looked to the sourse Of dispensations as I might have seen A secret providence did me sustain Ev'n in these darkest dayes and dangers dread Which all my torture and my torment breed For if I had then had I never thought These fiery-brands that my vexation wrought Had loosed been but were in fetters ty'd And suff'red but to bark till I were try'd I likewise see as you have said that such Who in a flourish hes professed much The field did never by confession face But turn'd in searching tryals with disgrace And for the measure and the space I know It 's good for me so to be keped low I suffered was many essayes to take Which weigh'd aright might many humble make And upon me there lyes unto believing More real bands then upon any living And now that I should limit him doth wound Me most to whom I am so deeply bound And that I have so wilfully resisted The sp'rit whereby you have with me insisted For I have doing been what in me lay My soul unto the murderer to betray But now my Saviour worthily shall have His will for He I see will me but save And here I do acknowledge my mistakes And that my diffidence the dottage makes Bemisted in the mud so have I been And so gainsaid what I have felt and seen The truth of all that ye have now exprest Is clear to me and so by me confest For He my Lover is not only wise And strong and fair and lovely in mine eyes But He is wisdom beauty might and love Where all
generations hath revived and brought forth from the Womb of Regeneration a fair Family of Believers and by the Gospel-ordinances gathered them into his Garden of grace by the New and Living Way where the Fountain and Well of Life is opened free for all that will come to smell the Flowers and feast upon the Fruits of eternall and unchangeable Bounty infinitely preferable to all their losses where he conversing with them prepares them for the Pallace-Royall the Place of his Habitation where Mansions are appointed for them that they may be where He is that they may see His Glory and reâ—oice in Him for evermore And that as they have born the image of the earthly so we may â—ear the Image of the Heavenly And here is the prime and most precious Subâ—ect of Christian Contemplation where the Believer may expatiate and ingratiate himself in the â—weetest Recreations and Consolations by attaining unto and entertaining of an unseparable communion with God in Christ by the Holy Ghost â—nseparably One and only adorable MAZE 1. for restriction Job 37.33 34 HEnce carnall minds that apprehend Erroniously The Incomprehensible to comprehend most impiously Lights glorious Center inaccessible who can behold Lifes-life eternall unexpressible who can unfold How then shall men come to conceive Of this rare Blesse some do receive By Gods preordinate appointing who be renew'd And by the Holy Ghosts anointing who be indowed Brightly to see that Majesty Of God-Man that great Mystery Of love unto the Elect-seed Whence admiration doth proceed May come and see and so confesse Professe His Name and praise expresse And you who humbled in the sense of wants And search to know the priviledge of Saints May come in faith with reverence and fear See that without this frame you do forbear MAZE 2. for instruction 1 John 3.2 IN all these Mazes where we move The ground we walk upon is love And where we make approachings near Let 's come in reverence and fear Before His glorious Name who is A Beam supream of boundlesse blesse But so resplendent and transcendent To make appear convincing clear Behold this naturall Sun whose gleams doth apprehend us And whose illuminating beams doth comprehend us And thence infer how far The supream Author of this all excels this Star In this all comprehensive name I AM so condescending Eternall simple still the same all comprehending And in Emanuell sweetly seen In this fair Garden ever green Where daily with celestial showrs Be nourished His rarest flowrs Untill He glorifie His grace In such as here do Him imbrace MAZE 3. For incouragement Isa 55 John 1.27 HEre Soveraignity doth shine In condescensions so divine That ye whose lights are now anointed And for these glorious sights appointed On whom the Holy Ghost alone Hes left impressions upon Look in loves Christ-all mirrour clear Where loves sweet mystery does appear Firmly fixed till acquainted Thou be by faith therein indented This is the Mountain of our rest This sweetest Fountain only best Come drink salvation at this cup And on these consolations sup Where pleasures joy and peace abounds And glory to His Grace redounds Who Wonderfull will not conceal His Excellence but does reveal Himself so clear that we may read Him in His Name and on Him feed This Food who tasts shall thirst no more For fading gain or earthly glore But longing still to be translated Where they may be for ever stated MAZE 4. Loves mysterie 1 Tim. 3 1â— YE all who find your selves secure By lively saving faith and sure Who hes smell'd and who hes tasted Who hes felt and who hes feasted On these Love-dazling Mysteries divine Which on our cleared eyes do shine Of Man in God and God in Man Who sp'ritually destinctly scan Humanity still unconfounded With Deity and conjunctly bounded And do before The Unity in Trinity adore Advance that most admired Grace And feed upon that fairest Face For there alone and no where else That Love is found of love that smels That can be feasted on and felt The heart of Adamant can melt It 's life alone to be resolv'd In this this love to be disolv'd Tract it still and be allur'd So shall ye surely be secur'd O for these breathings of this Love That would the whole affections move MAZE 5. The fountain inexhaustible I AM THAT I AM GOD All Glorious I am that pure immense Ens entium Ens. Am I not wisdome infinite and love That omnipotent omnipresent whence I in my justice and my mercy move Am I not that sublime profound Abysse God Trinity in Unity compleat All truth all light all life eternall blesse Glorious holy Father Son Sp'rit GOD Holy Ghost eternall and infinite All Light all Life all Vertue pure compleat Irradiant being by whom all beings be Most blessfull breathings of the Vnity Sublime all-piercing and all-searching Spirit God Holy Ghost Eternall and Infinite E Expressed Splendor of the Deity M Might Majesty admir'd in Man Divine M Mercy rejoyc'd with Justice to agree A And Justice seen with joy in Mercy shine N Nerve of substantial Truth Illustrious fair V Wisdome and Well of Life where beauty springs E Eternall God of God God to declare L Lights Center where all Saints enlightned sings MAZE 6. Loves Labyrinth Eph. 5.23 THe race of man sprung from th'apostate reins deplorable And bitter root that all the branches stains restorable The mystery of man's defecting ponder The mind of God in mans perfecting wonder Perfected man degenerate by defection Defected man regenerate to perfection Adam by nature damn'd when he defected Damn'd Adam now refram'd by grace perfected O happy they may now we say Are such as sees with sp'ritual eyes aright these mysteries And do with reverence adore This Glorious Majesty before Fixed by faith till they prevail By pregnant prying through the vail The root of man elected leads this round And with the fruit of this great mist'ry's crown'd Come then and see the King as ye would live And by believing herein deeply dyve His power and his promise both believe So shalt thou see delight and love and live And with Heav'ns Quiristers adore and sing High Hallelujahs to this Glorious King MAZE 7. Loves mirrour Isa 45.22 LOve-dazled eyes look up and see Where purest spirits prying be And with seraphick love inflam'd You shall by fixing prove refram'd Gods only Son Gods rebell-wrath indure O love alluring Gods Sonship to Gods rebels to procure O large procuring We lay in darknesse till His glory shin'd And now He hes our souls in His combin'd Ingrav'd upon His Heart and Hands we be Ingrafted in His God-Man-Flesh be we Members more made Mates for Marriage loves To Him for whom the whole Creation moves In heaven and earth and hel whose scepter sweyes And dazles humane eyes with divine Rayes This Love all limits far exceeds Of length and depth and heighth and breadth Past comprehension by perusing A tractat for eternall musing Oh that our whole
affections were Fixed upon this glorious Star Which lightens all the Stars above And on poor welps lets out this love MAZE 8 Types and emblems Rev. 5.6 9 10 HEre does the Rose in Sharon lively grow The faces of the comers colouring Here living waters from the fountain flow And graces be abundant bullering Here feeds the Pelican her fainting brood Dying but being revived by her blood The Phenix tasting death death to subdue Life to restore and nature to renew Captives to rescue here the Lyon dread see and adore The Lamb in suffering death a ransome made man to restore Thy faith-bred thoghts unto these theams confine Where these transcendent mysteries do shine For every minut in eternity New marvels in this mirrour thou shalt see Join with heavens holy host in heavenly hymnes Sing hallelujahs with the Seraphims Amongst these pregnant Spirits ever poring In this abysse of blesse and joy adoring Adoring God whose wisdome bountie bright Doth shine so fair in this dark cloudy night Infer confer when thou com'st out to see These mysteries clear what shall that glory be MAZE 9. Loves union Joh. 17.22 23 NOw Happy Holy Ones who sees The Myst'ry sweet of Mysteries How from that Myst'ry myst'ries flow And from that Wonder wonders grow Fitting for souls eternall thinking When the Redeem'd are ever drinking At the Cisterns of salvation In the cups of consolation Life from the ever-living Fountain Moving on the unmoved Mountain In that celestial Communion Sublime and unconceived Union Where never then incensing stain Unto rebuke shall us arraign Nor possible again seclude From this felicity so good Of joyes transcending and exceeding All that on his face are feeding Past separation quite which is The Crown of our eternall blesse That blesse all finite thoughts above Feasting upon eternall love Where from the splendor of illustrious beams Grace in immortall glory ever streams THE FIRST STEP TO THE JEWEL NOw in this Garden where we have been using And in these Mazes moved unto musing And be returning to our Cypresse bowres To take a breathing for some silent hours Let us beware for we in danger be To sleep away our sweet tranquillity We members of the Body mysticall Which Militant we ordinarly call Are to regard the universall cases Of all the parties in their sev'rall places Common desires delights designs devoted As this State-int'rest best may be promoted So when in person most remote we are We may in sp'rit be best imployed far Now let us try this course in our retirings Fervent and faithfull be in all desirings And dutifull endeavours for our King And for His cause so shall we daily sing And let us ever in the faith be eyeing Him in His glorious actings as by seeing We may the more by grace enlarged be His glorious Name for to exalt on hie And in our secret Soliloquies then How God hath granted grace for gracelesse men Recent resume and so the sp'rit compose As you in sp'rit may sp'ritually rejoice But O! what drousinesse and what decay Infirmity and failing we bewray When from the Garden we debarred be For any space untill for new supply The Silver Trumpet sounding in our streets For fainting souls a new approach invites For help this precious Jewel as the Root Of all the Garden spices flowers and fruit For spirit feeding feasting smelling healing Apply'd to thy affections for prevailing Effectuall prove for in these Gemmes imbosed All vertue efficacious is inclosed With fixed eyes and warm affections ponder And as thou dost revive rejoice and wonder The second Step to the JEWEL THis Microcosme Man of wonders full By God made wonderfully wonderfull And in his lively image made to live By breathing in this life that he doth give A compend of the whole Creation bright In whom the Divine Nature took delight There to converse as in a mansion meet Doth join with lifelesse dust a living sp'rit This soul doth all in all the parts remain Of all the body for the bodies gain Relief and preservation in all cases Her self unmov'd whose action never ceases So and infinitely above what can Imagin'd be by any soul of man The glorious Creator doth possesse His blessed Self in all this Universe Containing all things uncontain'd unmoving His glory in all motions promoving Which shining in His Name and nature prove No change to be in His eternall Love As by his operations appear That Majesty to man and angel clear By dyving wherein there is true delight Untill through darknesse we arrive at light The JEWEL of Jewels The LORD our GOD who 's only PURE In TRUTH and GOODNESSE doth endure PERFECTION JUST OMNIPOTENT OMNISCIENT and OMNIPRESENT INFINITE ONE WONDERFUL All these rich Gemmes in this fair Jewel seen All in all All all 's involves In our believing all resolves Believing knowing presupposing Fervent love and full rejoicing In these most sweet enliving Beams True living reviving Streams frō this one All who shining is In Bounty Beauty boundlesse This Pearle rare transparent doth contain ETERNALL BLESS and MERCIFUL EMMANUEL and high COUNSELLER LOVE LIFE and only COMFORTER UNCHANGEABLE and WISDOM bright LONG SUFF'RING sweet GRACIOUS LIGHT The use of the JEWEL THis firmament of starry constellations Planets Signs Poles in sep'rate scituations Which from the Sun the Prince of Stars receive Inliving vigour to the life they have On this Terrestial Glob from every Airt Their influence on bodies all impart To every sev'rall kinde by sweet infusion Diffused variously without confusion Wherein infinite multiplicity Each one may plead these heav'ns were made for me Like Iron and Adamant alike affecting And all things else except themselves neglecting Since then the God of nature hath impos'd This naturall necessity compos'd Dead Elements to quicken and revive Procreate preserve restore and to enlive The vegetives and sensitives what then Can be the glory he for elect men Reserv'd hath in himself to let them prove The force of servent free and fountain love In moving to discern with open eyes Aright a sight of divine mysteries This Garden treasure JEVVEL every jem Spring from that sweet sublime eternall stem In Gospel Ordinances so resplendent Industrious divinely condescendent And every one in every one so vive That every one doth every one revive Whence flow these various flowers that do affect Spirituall senses to a sweet reflect Cordials of comforts here ingrafted grow And soveraign balm from precious spices flow That by the influence of refreshing beams And constant current of spiritual streams Upon the proper object so effecting Directed duely by divine directing And straightly darted out from every point Curing securing every severall joynt From that One-All unmov'd eternall pure Where infinit perfection doth endure That Omnipotent Omnipresent is And Omniscient savingly to blesse In Him the Son of righteousnesse by name Emmanuel high that only glorious beam Where wisdom full of wonder shines so bright In ord'ring all these works of wonder right That goodnesse may be seen
distrust Him for our Conduct through death unto that Life and Kingdom that He hath purchast for us at so dear a price Or shall we not rather desire to endure what we can be able for him and to be with him who hath indured for us so much to have us with him from under the power and out of the reach of the sting of death which is now a vanquished enemy and not to be feared but become a friend to be especially loved And albeit the carnal part would keep us in exercise under the apprehension of a swift and sudden death which were dreadfull is not the spiritual part to be the more studious to make our calling and election sure and to be the more vigilant with the wise Virgins for the coming of the Bride-groom And if a lingring disease be apprehended it may prove a precious time for better preparation If violent and extreamly painfull it is the more speedily past If inflicted by the Persecutor of the Profession in whatsoever maner then it is accompanied with the highest degree of blessednesse for the Spirit of God and of glory rests upon you and great is their reward in heaven who suffer for righteousnesse And if by that which the natural man calls accident seeing all things in his eyes fall out alike to the good and to the evil Yet the Believer knows that nothing falls out but by a well-ordered providence not so much as a hair of their head to their hurt much lesse shall they be forsaken when they have most ado with present and immediate supplie And whereas some of Gods Children who have been of a long continuance in the Profession singular in their conversation and zealous in duties have been at a very low ebb for mater of comfort in the time of their departure And others also kept under much wrestling and conviction when as some of lesse note and esteem have had all their sails filled with the sense of that soul-saving sweetnesse that meets them from the Mediator at the time of their removall As also some very weak men have been wonderfully born out under most fearfull torments inflicted upon them by the Persecuter and others of far greater expectation have fainted and fallen off when the peril appeared and yet have been reclaimed by repentance and found mercy Some also we see that have lived very civilly all their dayes have died under much darknesse and without any signs of a gracious wakening while as others that have been most abominable in their lives have made a glorious end And now in contemplation of all these various dispensations may we not and must we not see and adore the glory of the Lord both in Soveraignty and Wisdom And is not every Believer unto their own felt and sensible experience in every passage of their severall exercises exceedingly benefited unto their increase of their inward and spirituall consolation And the beholders that are as yet making on to the way helped unto incouragement and confirmation Hereby also may all flesh be taught to finish their salvation in fear to beware of swelling under sense and of sinking under absence of prescribing Providence or ascribing any thing to our selves but subscribing and submitting absolutely in all things to the holy and good pleasure of His will with whom we have to do denying our selves relying and depending upon Him like little children making our entry into the kingdom of heaven by what way He will have us to go who is the Author of our vocation preservation perseverance and perfecting resting in quietnesse and confidence till we see the great salvation of God THE CLOSE IN A SEPARATION-KISSE Betwixt two most intimate FRIENDS The SOVL and BODY By way of DIALOGUE betwixt NATURE and GRACE Under the Names of FLESH and SPIRIT Spirit DEar Saviour now my soul receive Flesh blood and bones slide to your grave And separate sleep from grief and pain Till gloriously we meet again Flesh Shall now these tearms so oft repeated Be instantly for all compleated And must I now in dreadfull night Deprived be of Life and Light Oh had it not far better been This life that I had never seen Sweet Ghost is there no remedy But thou must go and I must die For of a meeting who can think When sinfull I in slime must sink Spirit It 's true no man by nature sees Nor can perceive these mysteries That by believing we conceive And do the earn'st thereof receive When our affections have been feasted Upon the fruits that we have tasted We part a space our grace to try Thou' rt not annihilat more then I And thou redeemed art from death As I and from eternall wrath Flesh I do confesse and call to mind At former warnings of this kind By force of these truths truly tende'rd Sometimes my soul have freely render'd But now it seems that too too slightly I have past by not ponder'd rightly How I to thee or thou to me Shall come or when I cannot see Were we not first immortall made And but by accident do fade Canst thou not now who grace hes found Find also how we two be bound So fast incorporat may remain Untill our Saviour come again Spirit Dear Flesh resist these carnall notions So marring and untimely motions Thou know'st it was our vile revolt That Paradice did on us bolt But now no losse incurres thereby Our Head exalted lifts us hie 'Bove by creation what we were Then earth 's below the highest star When I was sent thee to assume Could'st thou then know that I should come That seed whereof thou was congeal'd Thy Parents from their food did yeeld Digested which from fish flesh grain And fruits they had receiv'd again These grosse ingredients whence were they But from worms water grasse and clay Do not therefore dear mate repine But to thine element incline Till the refreshing time returne And turne thee up out of thine urne When all the Elements shall sweat Purging their drosse with fervent heat And tendering out our substance true Like drops refin'd of Cristal-dew While every soul shall be attending Their bodies fitted for ascending In that dread revolution glorious Dreadlesse thou shalt ascend victorious When all this world these wordly frameâ— Shall be burnt up in fiery flames When all the Heavens shall be roll'd And at an instant roundly scroll'd Sun Moon Stars Signs and Planets seen No more then if they had not been The glory of the Lord obscuring All sights and lights were most alluring He He alone then only being The sweetest Object of our seeing Nor shall there in this swirle be seen Confusions but conclusions clean Appear from these purpos'd decrees Establisht from eternities Perform'd peremptorly in time Now at the tinkling of this Chyme Like as our Horologe in part Keeping the method of the airt Unto the stinted time doth carry Not wearying nor seen to vary But at the period of the hours When she is most to shew her powers What
Then never think it strange to see us grieve When he is gone who should our heart relieve Nor strange to see him forc'd for to retire But rather wonder that he should appear And through the latters lend a friendly blink When he perceives the fainting heart to shrink And rather think it strange that so remisse We prove in searching what the quarrel is Of such desertions as the heart do vex And with dejection do the sp'rit perplex I do confesse believing were the best In quietnesse and confidence to rest But saving faith to holinesse adheres And guarded is with many filiall fears And out of love is ever sorely moved When evidences are of love removed Though you conversant are and so inured In heav'nly matters and so well secured Can stand before the gates of hell and make Your progresse yet the weak may stumbling take For in this case much grace we take to be Hopefull sincere in heart humilitie And studying to make out a true disjunction From every motion can obstruct that unction Whereby we be conjoyn'd in that communion With our dear Lover in a sp'rituall union So as by grace grafted in him we grow Up by that influence that from him doth flow Untill we be into his image formed And most devotly to his will conformed But you appear so prudent that therefore We leave to be consider'd lesse and more These our essayes at your command pursued To be by you corrected and renewed And as ye do think meet in time and place Compos'd and right applyed to the case Samuel Helena Sam. MOst precious people saved and secured By force of felt and fervent love allured Your conferences free I have been hearing And do approve and for your better clearing Do certify that your most Princely Love These actings in his children doth approve We who be named gracious be it known No grace but what is giv'n have of our own And by that grace immediatly maintained Converted call'd as you and so sustained The diff'rence only doth consist in this The King his pleasure good was us to blesse â—ince from the womb we came to humane sight To sanctify us by his heav'nly light And separate we be for this effect To do and suffer as he does direct â—ot specially his elect Flock to feed And them unto the living Fountain lead You have been over-hearing what was said â—n reference to this distressed Maid You have been carefull hereby to conceive The myst'ry of her case I do perceive You have been searching out for second causes Which cautioned would be with certain clauses â—ut you are sober and are satisfi'd â—om solide grounds of reason certifi'd And this is right for never one as yet Of soundest and profoundest searching wit In natures secrets by the Physicks poring Or winged with the Metaphysicks soaring Exactly could the causes and effects Matter and form with all their due respects Produc'd by natures infinite variety On severall objects marvelous rariety Conceiv'd by science or by all their Art Ever demonstrate to the thousand part Our princ'ples are with much experience fraught So by our practice we are daily taught And new essays are set on work again More light by new discoveries to attain Our King the God of Nature only knows The nature matter form effects and cause Of all things for by Him they are and shall Bring forth his glory and our gladnesse all This Microcosme Man a world contains Of various parts his Maker all maintains And this great world in all its sev'rall acts Subservient unto mans up-making makes Bodies celestiall in their sev'rall Spheres And all that to the Firmament adheres In all their various courses contribute To our continuance comfortable fruit What herb fruit flow'r beast fowl or fish there is But bend their best concurrence to our blesse The weak the strong the bitter sowre and sweet The hot the cold in their degrees compleat In all their concords and their sympathies Discords divisions and antipathies Find mater for their master Man to make Him see they do his service undertake And who can doubt but man immortal might Have stood if not deprived of that light Deservedly which in his soul did shine And did all knowledge necessar confine His present being to preserve if he Preserved had his prime integrity They stand in force but we now fallen blind Judicially death and destruction find Amidst the means of life but yet our King Doth us to light and life from darkness bring So as that now we may most clearly see That ev'ry case we come through doth agree With our condition present presuppose We should much weaknesse under wrath disclose And as amongst the sons of men we find That many are in many things inclin'd Alike none of all Adam's race have been That in all things to sympathize were seen For as we diff'rent in our faces be So in our gifts is great diversity But as all Simples from the earth that grow Or from th' elementary Ocean flow By skilfull composition refin'd Wonders do work when they are well combin'd Ev'n so with men in all their sev'rall motions Deeds dispositions and their various notions There doth result by heavens high decree To our great King a heav'nly harmonie Let it our study deep be to devise The Author of these wonders how to prize How we are wonderfully made to be From nothing and maintained wonderously How wonderfully have we wandred far How wonderfully we reclaimed are Wonder upon that glorious Majesty That shines on all his works so wondrously Wonder upon his condescentions sweet Whereby these wonders with our weaknesse meet Him him who perfect is and infinite Simple eternall essentially compleat Surpassing wonder sacredly adore And in adoring humbly wonder more Wonder upon his wisdomes deep contriving By death to bring thy death-bound lifes relivieng That his eternall Son thy flesh assum'd To ransom thee that unto death was doom'd That he eternally did so delight T' obscure his glory to procure thy light That by th' eternal Sp'rit he us inspires With grace divine faith and devote desires To know believe himself his truth and love And thereinto most loyally to move These be the contemplations best that can Beseem and do become the love-bred man These thoughts sublime can elevate alone The heart soul-savory fruit to feast upon To seal an union and communion sweet In all transcendent love divine compleat With him in heav'n who hath mans nature plac'd And by his spirit us on earth so grac'd Let us suppose that all the worlds of men Stood up on life that ever lived then That every man a different world were Of all things that hath been shall be or are And variously these all were animated With all indowments that have been created These all were also into one compacted And all were in one quintessence extracted Those spirits pure most peircing sure should prove And yet be dazled at this depth of love In darkest clouds this love finds out a
cleft To send a death-bound soul a quickning lift And when our Sun seems be eclipsed far Faith playes her course by the least twinkling star The Wran may flighter on this oceans brim The Dolphine dyve the Elephant may swim For loves sweet sympathies consist in looks Blinks smiles and smells whereby the Lover hooks The loved and the loved thence again From passion strong cannot it self refrain Let this suffice and ere we do remove We 'll consolate this Lady sick of love Her Lover shall ere it be long be sure Shine on her soul and so her peace procure For she in child-birth of fair grace doth ly Let us some cordials for her pangs apply And now speak damesell and let us hear What fruit from our endeavours doth appear Hele. Now am I so o'recome constrain'd to note Your travels for my well have been devote For ev'ry parcell of your free confessions Renews the sense to me of like transgressions But now in speciall you have specified Some errors that I would were rectified And all that ye have said I must confesse For every word my grief may well increase When I look up what my most Princely Love Before he brought me here made me to prove And likewise also since he brought me here What kingly bounty daily doth appear Freely bestow'd upon a fondling poor Whose worth could never thing but wrath procure And now I am convinc'd for I have prov'd That with such fervent love he hath me lov'd That for my frailties and infirmnesse great His grace and mercy he would not retreat Or that his bowels which for me were moved By this my stumbling should have been removed But this rich bounty and this love divine I lost and am deserv'dly left to dwine And pine away in sp'rituall poverty For pride of sp'rit unseen takes root in me Which now I find the cause of all my anguish Wherein I do consume away and languish Nor should I yet have seen this vain conceit But by the fruit of that vile root of late For I did suffer my fond heart to think That I was setled so I could not sink And that by grace receiv'd I could sustain Till from this tent translated I had been I doated on his gifts did not adore Himself of whom I did enjoy that store The idol of the heart was set in place Above the Author of my grace and peace And now therefore of force confesse I must His judgements are both righteous and just For grace abus'd thus gracelesse here to ly In place of peace in deep perplexity Sam. And art thou past recov'ry can'st thou say Is there no ground of hope whereon to stay Or art thou so vain-gloriously affected Ev'n when that seed of Satan is dissected Hele. No but I am therewith infected sore That seperate I cannot any more Therefrom then from my self for it 's become Deaf to rebuke and to defence but dumb Sam. Dost thou not know for this is still confesâ— Remnants in us remain undispossest Of much perversity which all our life To purge will keep us in continuall strife Hele. And I immunity do not indeed From provocation or correction plead But this a sprig so privily doth sprout And with the root and fruit of grace break out So sp'ritually and so commixt convoy'd Untill it get the life of grace destroy'd Ev'n as these sp'rits whereby we be enliv'd By veins and arteries the blood deriv'd Out from the heart the body to maintain Unknown contains therewith the bodies bain For what I do or what I do endure Progresse in grace to make or growth procure In mortifying self self to reform This venom unawars doth all deform I cannot speak a word by rule of reason Nor think nor act religiously in season But this vile poyson of spirituall pride Doth sliely in the heart deceitfull slide This is the thing our King could not endure In Angels for by pride they fell impure What may I then base wretch impure expect Who on some drams of grace receiv'd reflect I am as if of grace a treasure sure In store I could at my command procure Whereas my conscience shewes that I am stain'd With all that justly may make me disdain'd And that which might this mighty monster check His subtilty perverse detect and break But with this tincture now I am so tainted And throughly as I were therein indented Which when I see and am ashamed sore Haughty hereof I do become the more Sam. And what but grace in this most fearfull sight Could thee sustain against the Serpents slight Whereby thou formerly hes still prevailed ' Gainst all the policie he hes assailed Hele. The flesh and sp'rit defil'd with thoughts impure Which carnall hearts do unto lusts allure I see and do gainstand by grace but this Bred up with grace grace to displace it is And cannot pitch but on the print of grace Sincerity of grace for to deface Sam. How then is this thou can so moved be Since grace thou does confesse remains in thee Whereon this witch doth fix and keep thee waking And cast thee over in this fever quaking Consider when a King provok'd hes been By his own Son by many pranks obscene Should give commands in bands to make him ly In prison dark to humble him thereby And yet indulgently again relent To try if he his folly would repent Give orders for his further liberty Out of the prison dark to set him free And yet this ranting child should still remain So sensless as to think he could retain This life of freedom and abused light By his own industry or naturall right Were it not then convenient for to cast Him in the darkest pit in fetters fast Till he by pain and pinching hunger there Were taught of vain conceits for to despair Doth this comparison thy pallat please Can'st thou apply it to thy own disease And if thou can then shall it truely prove The strong effects of a Parentall love Hele. Nothing in nature can decipher more The case and cause of my distractions sore But naturall causes have a naturall cure Yet who a wounded spirit can endure How far the heavens above the earth doth bend Spirituall things our naturall thoughts transcend My Princely Parent penetrats the sp'rit And loves the single humble heart contrite He He alone with searching piercing eyes This privy pride and arrogancie sees And cannot passe't for it doth derogate Most from His dispensations intimate Hereby in bondage I indure these stounds These hellish torments and these deadly wounds Of conscience wherein I to death am bleeding Forc't by the folly of this fancie feeding Sam. I would have thought thou shouldst preferred far Thy Lovers wisdom and affections were All similies before could be devis'd By any finite creature or advis'd Thou by his secret censures sees he sees The deepest of these damned subtilties And throws thee under bondage till thou be Taught how to guard against this devilry Now then consider him who sees