are In God and so agreeing None 's so fair XXXVIII Behold his lively image Chirst our Lord Where God himself unto us doth present He 's white and ruddy his face doth afford What ever may our souls like and content Power wisdom greatness riches glory grace And all that suits our wants dwells in his face XXXIX What ever we can wish desire or crave That may promote our hearts content or ease In God we may behold it and it have Yea so as perfectly our hearts to please When healed so as we can see aright All beauty 's far below his glory bright XL. If love and bounty may challenge as due Affection from us He the first is there God loves so and his favours old and new Are such as none like them there ever were We nothing have that 's good but He it gave us We no ill scape but He therefrom doth save us XLI Oh who God's love and goodness can set forth Who can his benefits justly repeat Their number 's numberless and such their worth As cannot be exprest it is so great Behind before about us look we round Above beneath we see his love abound XLII Where shall we first begin where make an end If with the world's beginning that 's too late Before the World God did us good intend Sure then his love is of an elder date And it 's his desire we should do well for ever His love 's eternal then and endeth never XLIII When God did make this World and Being give Unto each thing therein it was for man That He might be well and contented live Yea h's thoughts to make it before it began Were with an eye to us that we might Be And might his goodness and his glory see XLIV What a well furnisht house did God provide With all accomodations that might make Our lives most comfortable yea beside We of his heav'nly Image did partake God gave us pow'r and rule over the rest Of creatures and with fitness for 't us blest XLV Wisdom he gave to manage such a pow'r And such a manly courage majesty And countenance as well might make them lowre That would but dare t' oppose his Sovereignty Yea male and female for each other meet He made us that our converse might be sweet XLVI Yea further he did also us create Capable with himself converse to have And did his mind to us communicate What could we more of him desire or crave How great his love and goodness to us then When we were innocent and upright men XLVII But yet his love he shewed forth more sully When we by sin were fallen into woe And sins curst fruits did soul and body sully And we deserv'd he should have been our foe When we were helpless and had ever perish't Unless his love had us reliev'd and cherish't XLVIII When the whole World could not relieve our case But more then a whole World it did require To ransom us from ruin that his face We might behold with joy and ' scape his ire Then more then all this World he for us gave Oh how he lov'd us that he might us save XLIX He to redeem us sent his only Son Cloth'd with our flesh and blood made poor and weak Made sin and curse for us as one undone That he the pow'r of sin and curse might break He him deliver'd to death on the cross That by his death he might repair our loss L. Yet neither did his love and goodness here Take up and cease but knowing that we wanted A quickning pow'r us up again to rear And keep from death that quickning pow'r he granted For raising up his Son again from dead He fil'd him with all fulness o' th' God-head LI. Set him upon the throne of Majesty Made him a quickning spirit and so gave Him cloth'd with pow'r and all Authority To bring us back again from sin death grave Yea rescue and defend us from the Devil Fill us with blessings free us from all evil LII His Son his only Son by whom he made This World and all therein he thus did give A gift beyond the World it can't be said How great a gift he was that we might live For he a person is excelling far All things that by him either were of are LIII Through him he daily doth us feed and cloth And bountifully lade with benefits Upholds us in our tryals don't us loath Though bad requitals oft from us he gets Yea Heaven he opens to us and displays His glory to us thither us to raise LIV. Through his dear blood he hath prepar'd a way And grace affords that we his Sons may be Injoy his favour see his face alway Be satisfied with good from ill be free Yea and in glory ov'r other things Reign to eternity with him as Kings LV. The good and glory which he hath prepared For us unworthy sinful wretched men In our return to him can't be declared Oh what a lover of us is He then Yea all his rods and chastisements do tend To bring us to those joys that have no end LVI And to impow'r and move us to repent And close with him his Spirit doth us give With that grace and those means which us prevent That we though dead may hear and hearing live So that but yielding our obedience to him He 'll work our works nought shall pluck us fro him LVII He calls us to him bids us ask and crave What ever good we want us to supply Cleaving to him we shall it surely have For nought that 's good for us will he deny Yea much he freely gives unaskt that so To hope in him and ask he might us wooe LVIII And more then we can ask or think he 'll give Yea more then now our narrow hearts can hold If we believe on him and to him live The glory he will give cannot be told What love 's like his or where is such a lover Amongst all persons that we can discover LIX There 's none in Earth beneath nor Heaven above That loves like him his love if we do heed 'T will us convince that him again to love It 's meet yea love to him in us 't will breed The first love to him then rightly belongs Let him be first in all our praising songs LX. Yea he 's so worthy love that well we may Treble the exhortation with respect To him and to our selves and others say Love Love Love God who ever we neglect He 's worthy and we 're backward him to love Need therefore fervently thereto to move LXI Yea love 's his due in the highest degree Because his goodness is superlative With all things that we have with all we be He 's worthy love so long as we 're alive Love God therefore with all thy mind heart soul Love Love Love and let nought that love controule LXII Love God with all thy mind to him attend Consider what of him we hear and find Yea set our selves
'll come in to thee I with thee will sup I 'll spread thy Table I will fill thy cup I 'll put thee to no charge I 'll bring my meat And freely give to thee that thou may'st eat And drink abundantly of that blest wine Which will thee satisfie with joys divine Open therefore to me my Sister dear Open thy heart to me Oh taste my chear Give me thy self let me thy body have And heart also I will them bless and save It 's all I ask of thee I crave no more Give me thy self do but thou me adore Give me thy love and thy affections and Be thou but subject unto my command Cleave to me with thy heart put all thy trust In me believe in me for I am just I will not fail or leave thee But thou none Must entertain besides me I alone Challenge thy love and service and it 's fit That none besides me none from me them get I parted for thy sake with all I had To ransom thee from thy forlorn and sad Condition and I all that I again Receiv'd have of my Father not disdain Upon thee to bestow my self I gave To ransom thee my self I give to save Thee too and therefore I alone deserve That thou should'st me alone both love and serve The Devil and his works thou must forsake Thou may'st not serve him his suggestions take For truth use divinations witchcrafts charms Inchantments times observe for good or harms Consult familiar Spirits believe his lies Ask counsel of the dead Idolatries Practise or what ere crafts He doth devise He in the disobedient beareth sway Inticing them to sin and go astray From my right paths Thou must resist him and In nothing yield thy self to his command Thou must forsake this wicked World likewise Not list'ning to their counsels who despise Me and my doctrine nor associate Thy self with them who my good ways do hate It 's pomps and pastimes shows and braveries Vain customs fashions and formalities Thou may'st not dote on neither may'st thou take My gifts or Ordinances and them make Idols as is the guise of worldly men Who do despise me and my laws contemn Their Silver Gold their Riches Houses Lands Their Kings and Governors and their commands They Idolize while after them they lust And in them secretly do put their trust Prefer them before me and fear them so That in my straight ways oft they durst not go The flesh with it's desires also thou must Renounce even every sinful cursed lust Thy bruitish appetites to satisfie In Drunkenness Uncleanness Gluttony Excess of Riot Sports or rich Attire Or what else thy corruptions do desire My words thou must receive and them hold fast No Article of them thou by may'st cast But howsoere thy reason they may pose Thou in thy heart must truly with them close And firmly them retain My holy will Take heed unto that thou may'st it fulfill No Gods but Me in my sight may'st thou have However secretly for none can save Thee but the holy Trinity who all Do meet in me on none else may'st thou call Or look or trust to nor thy Conscience May'st yield to them upon any pretence No image may'st thou to thy self invent Nor may thy heart or knee thereto be bent No false imaginations of me or Devised worships for I them abhor But worship God in Me and as my Word Doth thee direct for I 'm a jealous Lord. Thou may'st not take my holy Name in vain Nor it with Blasphemies or false Oaths stain Or with a vain Profession without fruits Produced thereby such as with it suits Or blemish it with any sinful way For I 'll not such hold guiltless The seaventh day Thou must observe in me to take thy rest Who am the substance by that day exprest That I may sanctifie thee thou be blest To Father and to Mother while they live And to all thy superiours thou must give Due honour and subjection too in me Giving to Caesar what things Caesars be To all men owing nothing but to love Cheifly those loving who are from above All Murther with all Malice Envy Hate See thou avoid with all Strife and Debate Thy body keep in Chastity thou must Flee Fornication and unlawful Lust Thou must not others Wrong or from them take Ought that is theirs nor them Calumniate But yield thy self to Me and be content With Me and what I give letting no bent Of Avarice possess or stain thy mind Thou shalt in me all satisfaction find All which I certainly will work in thee If thou wilt but yield up thy self to Me. I put on thee no hard nor grievous task What I require I 'll give too if thou ask It of me and for it on me depend My Spirit to work it in thee I will send And wherein thou through weakness goest astray The vertues of my blood shall take 't away Be thou but upright and chast unto me I am and evermore will be for thee If thou refuse this offer thou must die And perish in thy sins eternally None other Lords or lovers can thee save What ere they be or seem they ne'r so brave For they be vanities of vanities Their strength is weakness their promises lies Their words are wind and all they meditate Is from a feined love a real hate Their smoothest language is false flattery Their best imbraces are but treachery Their kisses of thee are but like to his Who sometimes me betrayed by a kiss And when he said Hail Master yet even then He me deliver'd up unto those men That sought my life to whom he had me sold For thirty pieces not of yellow Gold But whitely silver or like his who while He feined love to Abner did beguile And smite him with a Weapon on his side Under his fifth rib that thereof he died And on another time as one well verst In that accursed craft Amasa pierc't With warlike Sword to th' heart while friendlike He Saluted him and as one with him free Did with his right hand take him by his beard And kist him till his blood him all besmear'd Such are the soft imbraces of those foes To thee and Me who do my words oppose Suggesting to thee that I am austere And put upon thee more then thou can'st bear That they are thy best friends and wish thee well And many pleasing stories to thee tell As that thou art whole strong wise holy just May'st live without me may'st follow thy lust That to deny thy self of thy desire Is foolishly thine own death to conspire With me who love thee not but wish thy loss And take delight to bring thee to the cross Where like unto my self thou may'st be made A publick scorn ' mongst those that drive the trade Of robbing by the high-way-side or those Who unto Kings and Magistrates are foes Rebelling against them and their commands And seeking in their blood to wash their hands Or else amongst such Hereticks most
THE DIVINE WOOER OR A POEM Setting forth The Love and Loveliness of the LORD JESVS and his great desire of our welfare and happiness and propounding many Arguments full of weight and power to persuade Souls to the faith and obedience of him and Answering divers Objections that are made there-against and that hinder many there-from Composed by J. H. a servant of God in the glorious Gospel of his well beloved Son Psal 45.1 My heart herein a good thing doth indite The things pertain to Christ which here I write A ready writer's pen may my tongue prove Imprinting on the Readers heart Christ's love Psal 34.8 11. O taste and see how good 's the Lord and just O happy man that maketh him his trust Come children unto me give heed I 'll teach You how to fear the Lord his grace I preach Quis leget haec Persius Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci Horat. A verse may find him who a Sermon flies And turn delight inâ—â— a sacrifice Herbert LONDON Printed for R. Taylor and T. Sawbridge and are to be Sold in Little-Brittane 1673. THE DEDICATION LOrd I would dedicate this work to Thee For its materials are mainly thine And those endowments too thou gav'st to me Through exercise whereof it became mine But yet that exercise of mine 's so short Of what ought t' have been that thou mayst abhor't II. I do confess that unto Thee I owe My self and all that I am or can do For all that 's good in me Thou did bestow And in my wants it is to Thee I go Therefore 't is meet that I devote to Thee My self my works and all that is in me III. But I 'm a very sinful dirty thing So much defil'd in heart mind head and hand That I no offring meet for Thee can bring Nought that before Thee thou mayst bear to stand If Thou do'st look upon it with pure eye And mark its many swervings narrowly IV. O wash me in the fountain of that blood Which thy most blessed Son for me hath shed Renew me with thy grace that can make good And clean both heart and mind both hand and head Then shall I better offrings bring to Thee Than either I or this my work now be V. The spring whence flowed out those streams which here Together gathered I have by study Is with what flows therefrom both pure and clear But ah the channel they ran through is muddy Thy words are all most pure but in my mind While they received are there dirt they find VI. Mistakes and earthiness carnal desires And selfish ends therein so frequent are That what results therefrom greatly bemires The heav'nly liquor and it almost marres Yet Lord let not thy wine be thrown away Though of the cask something it rellish may VII But let the Readers such good strainers find Of piercing judgment as to seperate What 's mine from thine so as what 's thine to mind And nothing thereof for my sake to hate Yea what in them or me thou seest amiss Pard'ning and purging to us both it bliss VIII Oh cause both me and them who read or hear Of what 's here writ of thy beloved Son The truth thereof behold so bright and clear As unto him at all times we may run And unto him resolve so fast to cleave As him by no means we may ever leave IX And O might all the musings of my mind And words or writings which from thence proceed Be such as may with Thee acceptance find And useful be to who them hear or read To what 's good therefore Thou my strength Lord be And from what ill inthrals me set me free TO THE READER THere is a Proverb saith Blest is the wooing That is soon over or not long in doing This Proverb hath its truth and verity In this same woing which unto thine eye And mind I here present if we respect The party wooed He that dont ' reject Christ's profer'd kindness or his patience tire But quickly yields himself to his desire Without excuses or delays is Blest And sooner of much happiness possest Whereas He that stands dallying long and gives Frequent denyals of much good deprives Himself mean while and many griefs sustains While between two He in suspense remains Yea and endangers the Great Wooer too To turn away in anger and then woo And anguish will succeed for there is none With whom the soul can live well but this One Though in respect of him that 's woo'd it s well That Christ upon his suit long time doth dwell That He 's not quick to anger but doth wait To shew his mercy even to such as hate To be reproved and do long resist That grace of God without which none is blist That He vouchsafes to call and knock and stay At the long-closed-Heart from day to day Till by his goodness and long-suffering He Subdues its unkind hardness makes it see Its folly Him so to oppose in whom All good and happiness to it doth come And without whom it must sustain such woe As it can neither bear nor get therefro Which patience and long-suffering doth commend This Wooer much that He will so attend Vpon such sorry persons and so long Before He leave his suit His love is strong Which led him hither through so many tryals And leads him too to take so oft denials When as He is so Great and perfect too That He no need hath any one to wooe Nor is there any worthy of his love Or to injoy him He 's a match above The Highest creature none in Heaven or Earth Can equal him in greatness goodness birth But who is that that 's wooed whom doth He court Is' t only some of the more wealthy sort Is' t only the brave gallants or is' t those Whose wit and breeding other mens out-goes Or is it such as are set up on high Invested with some great Authority We might suspect indeed that He some such Would take to him that in these matters much Come nearer to his greatness But alas For none of all those things He ought doth pass Nor do they make those who them have to be Any whit nearer to him in degree Than those who have them not they bear no sway With him at all that more of his heart they Then others should obtain but whosoere Do heartily him love to him are Dear It 's any soul in general that He Doth call and Woo that saved it might be To whom He by his works and words doth show His truth and goodness that it them may know And by his holy Spirit them evidences In any measure But men oft their senses So stupifie with pride and lust that they Do not perceive what he to them doth say But do neglect his voice till He them leave The fruits of their own folly to receive But wheresoere men hear him and do heed Those heavenly words which do from him proceed Believing on him He
He will freely grant He 's full and free and none will turn away That come to him and on his Name do stay To Him I call thee Reader Thou art He Who art invited and spoke to by me Who ere thou art rich poor wise or unwise I call Thee unto Christ do not despise What I present Thee though as 't is from me Thou many weaknesses therein mayst see Yea Christ doth call Thee by me in the main It is his language do not it disdain Slight not his love it 's He that doth Thee woo I 'm but his spokesman but the Trunk where thro He sends his voice to Thee do thou it hear Peruse this Book and mark well what is there Propounded to Thee Read it to the end And much good do 't Thee so desires Thy Friend April 30. 1673. JOHN HORNE Another to the READER of the Contents of this BOOK 1. REader If thou do'st look into this Book For wit and for high strains Thou 'lt loose thy pains 2. It was not my intent strains to invent Or witty phrases which some men count rich 3. 'T was not thy lust to feed while thou dost read Nor yet to satisfie a vain fancy 4. But 't was thy Soul to win from vice and sin And woo thee unto Bliss that I writ this 5. The mind and fancy have their lust and crave Food for their pleasure too which may undo 6. But here they will not find their sails with wind To fill I do not ride in state and pride 7. My wit runs plain and smooth yet doth not sooth Nor lull thy Soul a sleep to fall i th' deep 8. I do not soar or fly up loftily In words and phrases where all Stars appear 9. I go low near the ground both sure and sound My lines are not too heady but square and stedy 10. The matter which I write doth want no height But mounts up very high 'bove Stars and Sky 11. It opens Heaven to thee where thou mayst see Such excellencies as mans wit do pass 12. It treats of his high love who 's from above And who above is gone and 's on the Throne 13. Yet by the way doth tell the woes of Hell And warns thee for to keep from that sad deep 14. It shews the lovely face and glorious grace Of Heavens high heir in part to take thy heart 15. Though who can him declare He is so fair No pencel can set forth his wondrous worth 16. These great things to express I sought no dress Of flaunting eloquence nor great expence 17. Of wit and art for they cannot display Their glory more but hide their native pride 18. Is not his labour lost and all his cost Who would the Sun make fine and gild its shine 19. The finest cloth of Gold that may be sold Yea Pearls and Diamonds sure would it obscure 20. Rich lines with rich wits suits such tree such fruits Such as I have I give read well and live An Apology for writing the following Poem in Verse and at such a time as wherein I left my living it being writ in Anno 1662. after August 24. therein What 's hear thou'lt say A Preacher turn'd a Poet A marry'd man in 's Elder days to woo it What doth He dote Is this a time for him When He hath lost his Living to go rime As if He was well satisfi'd and pleas'd That He of Fourscore pounds by th' year is eas'd Alas He is not for a Poem fit His scull's too thick He wants both Art and Wit What can this Babler say can ought proceed From him that worthy is that we it read To this I something briefly answer shall And then commit it to thy perusal TO Poetry I do not much pretend Though at that time I found my Genius bend Somewhat thereto when this I wrote my skill Is small having but little dipt my quill In those still waters which do qualify The soul best for the Art of Poetry Yet to my inclination at that time A little I gave way to write in rime I scarcely can tell why but I did find That sort of Spirit or Muse to court my mind To which it having sometimes by the by Yielded it self a little amorously And yet divinely too at length it fell Vpon this subject wherewith it did swell Till far beyond what I did first intend It did this large production here forth send Wherein that happ'ned to me which sometime Befals young mayds or women in their prime Who while they tick and toy and to young men Perhaps their lovers they do now and then Yield up themselves after a wanton sort To taste the pleasures of the Nuptial sport Not thinking or desiring although wild Thence to conceive and to bring forth a child Yet after sometimes scaping which doth make Them bolder of those pleasures to partake Before they are aware they 're oft deceived Begin to swell and find they have conceiv'd Even so it far'd with me saving that I In my attempts did act more honestly And therefore not asham'd of what I did I have not sought to keep its product hid As is their wont who acting sinfully Are fill'd with shame and therefore seek to fly From peoples knowledge of it but while to That Spirit which my mind sometime did woo I somewhat pleasingly my self inclin'd It did insinuate into my mind That though I thought but only by the by To exercise my wit yet sodainly I felt my self to swell grow big and sick Of my conceptions that I see I quick Was prov'd before I thought so and perceived That something from that Spirit I had received That had the nature of an heavenly seed And this same Embrio in my mind did breed Which as it dropt into my mind in verse So I in meeter do it here rehearse A way which holy men have sometime took As may be shewed from Gods holy Book They holy things conceiv'd and pend in song Which their sweet singers did sing among The people at their solemn meetings oft As in the Book of Chronicles we 're taught Vnto the pure all things be pure and they May any gift of God use any way May take he leads them to thereby to draw Themselves and others more to mind his law And this of verse doth some men more delight Then if the same in prose peruse they might For I conceive that something there is found In most mens minds that doth of musick sound That it s much wrought on by and suiteth best With what in measur'd numbers is exprest And some where we are willed to our King Not only praise but skilful praise to sing The holy Spirit of Wisdom judges it A practise also for him not unfit To condescend to men in any ways Whereby He them from Earth to Heaven may raise And leads his servants to be All to any That they thereby may unto God win many That I should go a wooing now may be Perhaps an unbeseeming thing
's the top and height Of all our happiness That God with us we enjoy thus The Fountain of all bless 184. All which we have in Thee And with Thee perfectly Who can Thee reach or who can preach All thy perfections high 185. Oh thanks for evermore To God and to the Lamb Through Gods grace good and the Lambs blood It is that here we came 186. Where sulness of alâ— joy And pleasures evermore Our portion be therefore we Thee For ever do adore 187. The Scriptures we need not In dark they were our light Thou art our book on Thee we look And all things see aright 188. Tou art our GENESIS In Thee we were create Thou' rt our Beginning without Beginning And End beyond all date 189. By thee we out of dust Or nought our beings had All things in Thee to us are free And we have nothing bad 190. Thou art our EXODUS Our goings out of thrall Thou didst us save deliverance gave By thy high heav'nly call 191. Thour' t our LEVITICUS Through Thee to God we clave Through thy Priesthood and offrings good He never did us leave 192. We also to be Priests Were all by thee anneald Our Leprosie is cleans'd by Thee And all our issues heal'd 193. Thou art our NUMBERER In thee inrold we be Where God doth own in thee is shown Our Genealogie 194. Thou art our Second LAW A perfect summary Of Gods mercies and our duties We do in thee descry 195. Thou art our JOSHUAH Our Saviour Judge and King What we omitted or else forgetted Thou to our mind dost bring 196. It s thou in EPHRATA That hast done worthily Poor Gen iles thou when they did bow Hast lifted up on high 197. Thou art the perfect Scribe The writer of Gods Law Freedome declar'd and all repaird By thee we also saw 198. The poor and patient JOB Made poor and rich again Who thee opprest at thy request Yet mercy did obtain 199. Thou the sweet Singer art The chief Musitian who The Instrument didst first invent And play'st upon it too 200. Thou art our PSALM and Song Our hearts and tongues always Thou through thy love dost tune frame move To fing forth all thy praise 201. Thou only fulness hast All without thee is vain Thou art the Preacher and heavenly Teacher Who dost in Salem Raign 202. Thou' rt the Beloved one The swift Roe or young Hart The Song of Songs to Thee belongs Who its chief Subject art 203. Thy Testimony is Of all the Prophets old The quintessence and thou the sense Of Proverbs dost unfold 204. Thou from a low degree Hast rais'd us to the Throne The Righteous seed Thou hast all freed Here 's Lamentations none 205. Thou art the Gospels sum The tidings of great joy Blessings have we and peace in Thee Nothing doth us annoy 206. Thou Gods Epistle wert His mind in Thee He writ When we absent were he thee sent And Thou discoveredst it 207. Thou art the end of all In Thee God doth unfold And hath reveal'd what lay conceal'd In Thee we All behold 208. Thou all art and in all ALPHA and OMEGA Wherefore to Thee ever do we Sing Oh Hallelu-sah To the Holy Spirit 1. ANd yet again wee 'll sing and strike our strings Wee 'l shew forth whence the spring Of joy that makes us sing Oh 't is a glorious Fountain whence it springs 2. It is the Holy Spirit which he inherits Who did redeem us when We all were but lost men And purchast us to God by his great merits 3. The Spirit of Life which hath fil'd up our Faith And quenched all our griefs With his Cordial reliefs Hee 's Author of our good rejoyc'd us hath 4. He fils us with divine life as with wine And always flows into us And doth such glory show us That to rejoyce we jointly do combine 5. And cannot but rejoyce with pleasant voice And that continually And to Eternity With joys and gloryings in him rare and choice 6. That holy Spirit we will With utmost skill Set 〈◊〉 and magnifie And 〈◊〉 his love glory By whom God and the Lamb did all fulfil 7. He one is of the three in whom do we Live love and whom we doe Worship and bow unto Whose glory 't is our happiness to see 8. The glorious Father wild the word as skild Being that deep wisdom In which the will doth come Devâ—'d the Spirit of might it all fulfil'd 9 The Father and the word with one accord Decree'd devis'd to give Being to all that live And was the Spirit that being did afford 10. He is the mighty hand which the command Of the Father and the Son Which did through all things run Effected gave the world to be and stand 11. He the Heavens high out spred and adorned According as Gods will Holy and wise in skill Pleas'd to determine He them fashioned 12. The very crook't Serpent to his intent He form'd and all beside That was or doth abide According to Gods great commandement 13. He man to understand and to command All things in Earth and Sea That he did make to be Did form and fashion by his mighty hand 14. He is the fulness which is the most rich Forth-going of the High Father and Son whereby All things He built and as a tent did pitch 15. In him there is no less then all the bless And blessed vertues high Which do dwell perfectly In God and in the word and they possess 16. The fulness of all good like a great flood From the Ocean going And all overflowing Yea fuller 't is than can be understood 17. He from God and his word with them one Lord Searcheth the things most deep Which God in Christ doth keep The knowledge of them t is he doth afford 18. One with them twâ—â—â— was He As well know wee In all their councels old Most high and manifold Therefore they all by him declared be 19. Blest be that Spirit of grace who in its place Did both a body frame For the Word and th same Sanctifie that no sin might it deface 20. The eternal Spirit the same who did us frame Seeing us in sin dead And helpless pittyed Us all and blessed be his holy Name 21. He that we might from sin be freed wherein We lay condemn'd prepar'd As He had fore declar'd That blessed body unto us a kin 22. And fild it with his power that in the hour Of death and darkness He Upheld was did not flee From that great cup of vengeance sharp and sour 23. To which he by this Spirit that he might merit For us Redemption Accurst the Cross upon Did yield himself that we might Life inherit 24. Thou Spirit most blest didst raise within three days That body up again Loosing of Death the pain To justifie us for which we thee prasse 25. And for those infinite perfections bright That are in Thee and all Thy works both great and small Thou carryedst up that body to
Light might love infinite 71. To Thee oh Trinity in unity Eternal happiness Eternal endless Bless That art without all change eternally 72. We sing and shout alway Hallelu-jah Praise thee we will always Throughout our endless day And sing with heigth of joy Hallelujah Hallclujah Such things but far more pure and excellent Then any humane tongue or pen can vent Or any heart of man while here alive Can by all he may hear or read contrive Conceive or think of shall those gloriously Blest persors utter when they shall their high And everlasting Kingdome have and hold For their great joys and glories can't be told They 'r far above what mortal man can speak Thine heart to apprehend them is too weak For never any since the World began Hath ever heard no nor Angel nor man Hath by the care perceiv'd or by their eye Have seen the greatness of the dignity Or brightness of the glory foreprepar'd For those who unto God give due regard Who love him and for his appearance wait None but God see 's and knows their happy state Canto VI. The Worlds Vanity Seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousness c. Matth. 6.33 In the sixth Canto Christ presents In brief the former two's contents The Damneds woes Saints merriments Perswades the Soul to chase the best The Man consults with his own brest Couâ—sâ—ls the Soul the way to rest Chriâ—â—s Servant doth the same perswade The Soul inclines but is afraid To its Objection answer's made By Christ and by his Minister Christ doth himself and Name declare Gives Counsels which the safest are Renews â— is suits with earnestness With arguments the Soul doth press Him more to value the World less And by some instances 't is plain That their both ways and ends are vain Who judge this world to be the Main Chr. SEE I have set before Thee good and ill I say not chuse whither of them thou will But chuse the Life and good that thou mayst be Happy for ever and destruction flee Think on these things the doleful state of those Who do rebel against me and oppose My truth and my most equal government How dreadfull then will be their punishment Think if thou canst be able to endure So woful torments as sinners procure By sin unto themselvs think how great bless If me thou closest with thou shalt possess Accept my profer'd kindness me embrace Submit unto my Doctrine so my grace And favour thou shalt have and never know The woful plight of them that ly below Oh be perswaded now to let go all That doth pollute Thee and obey my call Follow my counsels let me have thy heart Thou shalt have mine and il'le ne're from thee part I 'le be thy friend for ever thou shalt have More happiness than thou canst think or crave Man Hast thou not heard my Soul what thy great Lord Proposeth to thee in his holy word Such things thou there hast heard wilt thou not then Unto his wholesome Counsels say Amen Consider with thy self how bad thy state In Adam was how thou deservedst hate What sinfulness unto thee yet doth cleave How good the Lord hath been who did not leave Thee in thy fallen state but such an one Hath sent forth for man even his only Son What he hath done for thee how he thee woes Unto himself that thou with him wouldst close How in his word and what it doth contain He answers the Objectors cavils vain That unto Atheism would thee fain move Shew's what will be hereafter dost approve His profer'd love Wilt thou of him accept Part with thy Idols or shall they be kept Without all doubt its best to let all goe To close with Christ who doth thee love and woo Consider with thy self if thou him slight All besides him to help thee have no might For they 'r poor sorry vanities can 't give Thee solid comfort or cause thee to live For ever or with full content while here They cannot satisfie thy soul not chear Tâ—y drooping Spirits when Death shall draw nigh And summons thee to yield thy breath and dy Alas how short and how uncertain be The lives of men as we may daily see How many dy while yet their bones are moist With marrow Even while they have much rejoyâ—'t In their firm strength while milk was in their brest How suddainly hath pale death them opprest Mini. If thou an Atheist wer 't and couldst not tell Whether in truth there be an Heaven or Hell Yet were it not far better so to think And seek for Heaven than only eat and drink Injoy this world a while and then down ly In a forgotten dark obscurity For if there be such things as thou hast heard If Heaven be never sought for Hell ne're fear'd Gods way and word despis'd his truth neglected And all his profer'd love and grace rejected Thy case must needs be sad for it doth tend Unto those miseries that never end And that there may be such things reason can't Any good warrant fancy not to grant Seeing the being of the world and all Therein with many things that do befall Evince a Deity and what so great But may be well conceiv'd as well as that This so great world a being given it had He that sees and believes this sure is mad To think impossible what e're beside Is as from him that made it testify'd Whereas if no such things should be which yet Who can suppose except that he can get All principles of Reason blotted out And wholly all those things which round about He sees so great denie to be yet then What shall he loose who them believeth when He comes to dy â— 't is but uncertain joys Which when Death comes men look upon as toys Some poor and fancâ—â—d injoyments which Do either ly without men and the pitch Of inward worth doth nought advance nor give Increase of quietness while men do live Yea oft increase disquiets fears and troubles Or if they something add within 't is bubbles Which swell a little and a while appear And then if looked for they are not there When as also they that perswaded be To chuse Gods ways and trust in him we see To live as well oft-times in outward state As they that mind this world and Gods ways hate And commonly express more inward peace When they afflicted be and when they cease Here to abide in life with joys far more Depart than they who have themselves up-bore By worldly riches honours injoyments Of pleasures or of any Earth-contents Man Sure 't is the best mysoul with him to close Who with such love and promises thee wooes Seeing such bless he gives as none besides Can give even bless that evermore abides Soul I do his promises like well and what He saith unto me they are very great It s my desire him to imbrace and take No better choise or bargain can I make But here 's a world so
to seek to know him bend Our thoughts to him and keep him in our mind With greatest earnestness his praises view To think on him bid all things else adieu LXIII Love God with all thy heart as him we know Let our affections close with and embrace Him freely fully all things high and low To the injoyment of him must give place Resign our wills to him on him rely Joy and delight we in his Majesty LXIV Seek his approvement fellowship and grace Joy in his word and service and adhere Firmely unto him seek his strength and face Above all things and the loss thereof fear Yea love the places whereon be his name His paths posts statutes and frequent the same LXV Love God with all thy soul the life and might Which soul united with the body gives To put forth all our strength it is but right Seeking and serving him who ever lives Remiss and slothful seeking him implies That our love to him 's cold and cold love dies LXVI Yea yet again we may be thrice put on To love the Lord because a Trinity There is in him He 's three though yet but one As Scriptures do expresly testifie Love God the Father Son and holy Spirit For each of them thy fervent'st love do merit LXVII For each and All are love in one and have Joyntly and severally their love exprest To us poor mortals that they might us save And that our miseries might be redrest In love the Father sent the Son unto us In love the Son came and the Spirit doth wooe us LXVIII In love the Father his Son yielded up To be made flesh and poor despis'd and dye 'T was He that gave to him that bitter cup Which wrung his Soul with many an agony In love to us he rais'd him up again And hath exalted him on high to reign LXIX In love to us the Son our flesh and blood Did at the Father's just appointment take And in our room and stead as surety stood And by his dying did atonement make And rose and off'red up himself on high Living to plead for us continually LXX In love to us he sent the holy Ghost And gifts did give to men as he thought good That so by them his Name in ev'ry coast Might be proclaim'd and his grace understood And unto those who do his grace retain He 'll come in glory and raise them to raign LXXI In love to us the Holy Ghost comes forth In Christ his Name and doth his truth make known Shewing the things of Christ and their great worth Wooing us to him that we might him own Waiting with patience for our turning in Ready to wash and cleanse us from our sin LXXII He guids us into truth he gives support Strengthneth in services and sufferings Unto our fainting Spirits he gives comfort Yea he all life and blessings to us brings Will raise us up from death and grave and give In glorious bodies us with Christ to live LXXIII Love Love Love God therefore intensively Who was and is and who is yet to come Love every person in the Trinity Oh that he had in my heart all the room Thus in the first place love to God is due But let us now a second Object view LXXIV Love secondly our Neighbour for the Text That bids us first of all to love the Lord Tells us the second precept which is next Is love our Neighbours and we in God's Word Good reason for it find because they are Our brethren though with God they can't compare LXXV All men are sprung from out one common stock Branches of the same root made of one blood Rais'd from one common mold chips of one block Fram'd by one hand capable of one good We had at first the same original And must at last into the same dust fall LXXVI Indeed there is in us such backwardness To love our Neighbours that this thrice repeated Word Love may be apply'd with earnestness That our cold hearts to love them may be heated God we so little love our selves so wrong That Neighbours get not what to them belong LXXVII 'T would be as good for them happy to be And to be miserable full as sad As to be happy will be good for thee And to be miserable for thee 's bad Seek to promote their good prevent their wooe Do to them as thou wouldst be done unto LXXVIII Especially fince it is God's good will And precept that thy Neighbour thou should'st love And that he might thee move it to fulfill His own example gives thee from above He hath both loved thee and others too As he hath done to thee to others do LXXIX God's love to thee obliges thee again Readily what he bids thee to obey To Love thy Neighbour then do not disdain Whatever lust of thine thereto say nay Though of thy love unworthy he doth seem Worthy of thine obedience God esteem LXXX But who 's our Neighbour surely every man Distinct from us at least till fil'd with evil Any we find that clearly see we can That they are thereby made one with the Devil For they that are God's enemies so far Out of our loves we lawfully may bar LXXXI But for all others they should loved be Whither they be our friends our foes or strangers Their good we should indeavour joy to see Defend and seek to rescue them from dangers Grieve for their harms and do what in us lies Their happiness to further any wise LXXXII Me thinks three sorts of Neighbours I espy God's friends our own and they that neither be Respectively to whom this trinity Of love-commands again apply may we Love those that love God love friends and allies Love other men strangers or enemies LXXXIII Love those that love God for they 'r worthy love In that they do the thing that 's good and right They are God's friends he loves them that may move Thee therefore in them to take much delight They love not God who do not love his friends And they are faulty who e'r them commends LXXXIV For in asmuch as any loves God He God's image in him in some measure bears They are Christ's vertues which in him we see God's and Christ's liv'ries he upon him wears And he that loves not God as seen in 's brother Loves not but hates God howe'r he it smother LXXXV If God thou lov'st and seek'st desirously Acquaintance with he with his people dwels In cleaving to their heavenly company Thou shalt meet with him as the Scripture tells If thou hast no desire his face to know Thou lov'st him not what face so e'r thou show LXXXVI Amongst all men they the first place should have In our affections because God's in them They 'r nearest to him what they of him crave He 'll give for he their pray'rs will not contemn They then who him neglect and them despise He needs must take to be his enemies LXXXVII They be Christ's favourites he doth them own As his dear