my Mind Truth to receive where-ever we it find Whether it shall express'd or written be In Verse or Prose it is the same to me Altho' 't is true there 's many do decry Writing in Verse and think it Levity Yet well I know God may the Mind prepare Important Truths in Verses to declare Nay well I know before true Verse be made All roughness of the Mind must be allay'd A smooth and equal Temper must be found ' Ere Words can have right Number and true Sound The Temper is as Forms which may be true And yet in that Men Evil may pursue And Words apply unto another End Than Truth directs to speak or did intend Hence it appears Verse may be good or ill According to the Subject and Man's Will On this Account I shall survey thy Lines And Matter thou deliver'd has in Rhymes But first observe if thou wilst write again 'T is requisite thou keep a milder Strain For I will not hard Words with hard repay Nor Force add unto Force to gain my way 'T is Truth I seek and it shall be my bound According as God's Gift and Power 's found I 'll not say of my self in that respect As thou once said at Brigg I am Perfect But this I 'll say in me the Truth did spring Before for Truth I acted any thing Yet I 'll not say that all I 've said and done In Weight and Number with the Truth will run But this I 'll say where wrong to Truth I 'll yield Before without it I would gain the Field Therefore come forth i' th' Method that is true And do thy best my Failings to pursue As Wooll well pack'd by yielding I 'll resist The greatest Force in which thou can persist For in the main I do for Truth contend And in the Truth that War must have an end With my last Letter I shall first begin Because I find thou takes it as a Sin Or as a Crime in me or great Offence So plainly unto thee to write my Sense To me 't is plain thou takes it in this sort By the detracting Words thou dost retort Affirming that I rage I rave and roar With storming foaming and a number more Words too severe and hard to have relation To what thou calls A friendly Salutation For which I know no Cause in what was writ So thinks that thy Mistake hath caused it In this thou hast not been so kind to me Nor to thy self if thou mistaken be As to set forth the Matter or that Thing Whence these hard Words and grand Displeasure spring I am therefore in no Capacity My self nor thee where wrong to rectifie In short I 'm right or wrong in what is done If right thou dost too hard upon me run But if I 'm wrong thou still art found to blame That didst not now partic'larize the same For gen'ral Charges all Men will declare To prove one Evil thing invalid are Nay 't is a Maxim That Deceit doth lurk In Gen'rals and doth there obscurely work Thus gen'ral Charges are like Deeds o' th' Night Where Men decline the Scrut'ny of the Light In short by those hard Words which thou hast us'd I apprehend my self to be abus'd But if thou think this Charge thou can'st retrieve By answering mine which I do not believe Yet that thou mayst incourag'd be unto it I promise so submit when thou canst do it Mean while I shall proceed t' observe the rest Which in a gen'ral way is still exprest Which seems to me no edifying way Because the Truth doth almost undiscerned lay First with the State of Rest thou dost begin Enumerating many Virtues in That Sate which as thou statest them appear Not plain but intricate thou speakest there Of th' Fold of Rest in th' heat o' th' Day to be Plac'd in the Rest which can't with Truth agree For in true Rest there is no Day too hot This clearly shows that in it thou art not In it no Inequalities there are But all its Parts are congruous calm and fair And where each Part 's alike equally sure There needs no Fold of resting to secure For thus a Fold into a Fold is got Which is improper or else needeth not The Fold of Rest is only in the Way For Travellers to rest in th' Heat o' th' Day For their Refreshment when too much opprest By Heat i' th' Way and travel for the Rest By Fold of Rest we then may understand The Shadow of the Rock in th' weary Land Thou sayest the Angel in the Rest doth stand Which leads the Flock into the Holy Land Thy Words as may be seen imply no less As each observant Reader will confess Which if good Sense and understood by me The Rest and Holy Land do not agree Nay they are not one State but differ wide For sayst the Angel from the Rest doth guide Into the Holy Land by which thou hast Rashly thy self into Confusion cast For sure the Rest and Holy Land are one And 't is as sure i' th' rest the Angel leadeth none That th' Angel leadeth in the Way I grant But in the Rest that 's true there is no want I know 't is glorious for in it I have been On the Lord's Day and then have plainly seen Those true Dimensions there by which I know A right Account of it thou dost not show And if a right Account thou cannot give 'T is evident in it thou dost not live And if thou lives not in 't then in a Dream Where there is nothing truth that so doth seem No wonder for thy Rest seems in the way In which is chiefly known the Working Day And they who take their Peace and Rest up here Exceeding great in their own Eyes appear Their Acts and Words and Forms they magnifie As outward things above their Value high Of their Injoyments wondrous Noise they make As if they could by Force the Kingdom take They none can know nor can they well agree With any but of that Fraternity They see not how the Rains and Dews do fall Nor how from God the Sun doth shine on all Their Way and Form becomes to them a Snare Which God at first might for their Good prepare That they might through its use look for the Seed To whom the Promise is in time of need But such seem Rich and Wise and nothing want Whilst they are Blind and Poor and Ignorant As this is seen if any disapprove And show 't it will their Indignation move To persecute such in an unjust Hate As Troublers and Disturbers of their State But 't is no News it 's not their Fault alone Self-Righteous Men in every Age have shown The same to such as happ'ned to displease By troubling them in their false Rest and Ease But as they 're mov'd and troubl'd soon 't is plain They never yet did the true Rest attain Nor whilst their Voice is heard so loud i' th' Street Did they with the strait Gate yet
fit our Souls the Kingdom to possess Yea in the Wilderness he doth us lead Till all is mortifi'd worn out and dead That is not fit t' enjoy that blessed Land Of which Canaan did a Figure stand A Servant-State precedes that of a Son A Sonship must be known e'er th' Work be done The faithful Servant doth his Master fear A Father's Honour doth i' th' Son appear The Fear i' th' first Estate precedes the Love The last excludeth Fear the Scriptures prove A Son abideth in the House alway The Servant is but for his Time and Day And knows not what is by his Master said Or acted whilst the Son is privy made For 't is his Meat to do his Father's Will And chearfully he doth it all fulfill A second Resurrection doth imply A first and second Death doth signifie That a first Death already 's passed by If the first Death we do not really find Until a second seizeth on our Mind Eternal Wrath will come to be our Share And who can that great Misery declare So then we must a first Death truly know E'er second come if we escape its Wo. The first Death on us by Transgression come And o'er our Minds as yet doth Pow'r assume Whilst we unto the World are found alive We 're dead to God and of his Life depriv'd Christ must arise in us before that we Can know this Death or from 't deliver'd be Sin is this Death and whilst its Pow'rs abide Unbroke in us Christ is as crucifi'd To us but if he rise he doth bequeath That Life whereby we apprehend this Death We know it thus and as we do partake Of this first Resurrection and do make Our Part in it assur'd we live thereby That Death to know which is in Christ to die Nor can we know it till we understand The Work is finish'd which he did command A second Death we may this Death express The first to Sin this to our Righteousness This is the Saints Death precious in God's Eyes Accepted as their sweetest Sacrifice And 't is their Gain for now to God they live And more they die more Life they do receive Christ made us live and we did Sin refrain But through this Death he cometh to be slain In us that has the Pow'r of Death the Devil In what he works like Good as well as Evil. This Death is that th' Apostle did profess His Longing for with so great Earnestness For unto all Self-righteousness he dy'd That he might know Christ and him crucify'd He first makes mention of his Resurrection Next of his Fellowship with his Affection And lastly of a true Conformity Unto his Death which he desir'd to see This last he did desire we plainly read T' attain the Resurrection of the Dead Much of these glorious Truths here might we write But if we would obtain a clearer Sight We must our selves in Seeking then delight For when all 's utter'd that can be declar'd Or spoken of that can be read or heard These Truths are Myst'ries still unto that Mind That does not them sincerely seek to find For such another never can them know The use of Words is to direct unto The Truth in us to find out ev'ry State Which unto us the Scripture doth relate They are not distant from us they are near If we could know the Truth of what we hear For God's the Substance of each Mystery And unto ev'ry Soul he 's always nigh He sills all Things and doth in all remain The Heaven of Heavens cannot him contain He 's nearer us than our most secret Thought If this we knew or were it truly taught Our Apprehensions would not be abroad At some far distant Place to seek our God For whilst such Notions prepossess our Mind The Truth of Godliness we cannot find Christ also doth near ev'ry Soul abide Being with the Father in strict Union ty'd The Holy Spirit which doth still proceed From th' Father and the Son as we may read In Scripture testify'd is also near If we look for him where he doth appear That Christ may formed be within our Heart Before he will the Mystery impart But unto whom do these great Truths belong Not to the wise the rich the high or strong In their own Eyes in this they have no Share But with their Skill and Art excluded are But unto such as low and needy be In ev'ry Age the Gospel has been free It was to such Isaiah did proclaim The Gospel-Riches in the Father's Name O every one that hungry is he cries Or thirsty let him come and without Price Buy Milk and Wine Thus God the Poor supplies But he that hath a Price for 't to be told Riches of Grace he never did behold For if 't can purchas'd be in any Case By what 's our own it cannot then be Grace For Grace as it is Free belongs to none But those in misery and Want alone Such then it was that Christ our Saviour sought When on an high Feast-day he thus cry'd out Let him that thirsty is come unto me That he may drink Lifes Water which is free And these his gracious Words may be apply'd To all Mankind that should in him confide The Time approach'd that such should truly know Out of their Bellies living Waters flow And this was said touching the Holy Spirit Which every true Believer should inherit This to reveal he then both came and dy'd But was not known till he was glorify'd None in this holy Path he came to shew Can walk but such as are upright and true All Forms without us are but this within By which he doth destroy the Root of Sin This is the Way which all that do believe In Christ should wait assur'dly to receive This Way he did before his Follow'rs ly It was to wait for Power from on high That perfect Gift that cometh from above From God who in the Heart doth shed his Love This Way he did before all Ways prefer To be enjoin'd on each Particuler For tho' he did that Heavenly Wisdom preach And taught them as no other Man could teach Yet unto them he plainly did declare He'ad much to say which yet they could not bear Nor could they bear 't if he should bodily With them remain Therefore 't was needful he Should in the Flesh depart that they might know The Truth of what he came to say and do I 'll pray said he the Father and he 'll give Another Comforter with you to live And he continually with you shall stay And never more removed be away The Spirâ—t of Truth out of the World is thrust Because they see him not nor in him trust But you him know and shall hereafter find Him that is with you dwelling in your Mind Then unto your Remembrance he will bring What I have told you as to ev'ry thing When he is come I tell you what is true He 'll tâ—ke of mine and shew it unto you All 's nine the Father hath you may believe Therefore I said he 'll take of mine and give To you Yet a short while and th' World no more Shall see me as they have done heretofore Bâ—t you shall see me and you then shall know Because I live that you shall live also That day you 'll know I in the Father be In you also and you shall be in me Go search the Scriptures and you shall not find Another Method to perfect the Mind FINIS
't is very plain He was intended to go home again Thus was he faithful till it came to pass That he deceived by a Prophet was Who yet prevail'd not till he let him know He was a Prophet and not only so But that th' Almighty by his Angel spake And bid go seek out and conduct him back Unto his House that he might with him stay To be refresh'd before he went away Thus far was Judah's Prophet faithful found Until this time he firmly kept his Ground But now he fail'd yet e're he was aware His rash Credulity drew on the Snare 'T is like he thought it was the Prophet's due To be believ'd all Prophets being true This show'd him young that small Experience had To think all Prophets good when some were bad That he a Prophet was none can deny He did not here mistake but in his Lye Thus do we find and are constrain'd to grant There may be Prophets true that Truth may want Hence it appears we ought not to depend On Prophets whatsoe're they may pretend Especially when they persuade us to What we believe we never ought to do Some right some wrong here is uncertainty If we depend upon them generally And what 's uncertain if we don't believe As certain Truth a Lye we do receive And what unto the whole cannot belong Of right belongeth not to any one Therefore when Prophets Credit greatly press Because themselves as Prophets they express At best from Truth they lead that so direct And them whene're they do 't we may suspect For Truth we know the Mind compleatly frees From ev'ry Doubt and all Uncertainties True Prophets therefore ever will direct Unto the Truth i' th' Mind to have respect So in the Mind there may no Doubt remain For those in Doubt are not in Truth 't is plain True Prophets do advise each one to know A certain Ground for what Men say and do Nor would have them on any so rely As to submit and know no reason why For Truth not being in 't there 's danger great Least such may be impos'd on by Deceit Or otherwise if their intent be true Such may mistake in what they do pursue And if the Blind led by the Blind shall be Neither the Danger of the Ditch can see Nor can intended Kindness justifie The doing ill that good may come thereby For if it could th' old Prophet an Excuse Of like import for his Deceit might use For tho' he ly'd it 's plain he did intend No less than Kindness to him as a Friend Nay his Design was unto him to shew Respect and Friendship as a Prophet true For he no sooner heard that he was slain By th' Lion which did by him yet remain But Love prevailing o'er the Terror led His friendly Heart to go take up the Dead To whom he kindly decent Burial gave As good as he himself desir'd to have For when he dy'd he did command his Sons To lay his Body by the Prophet's Bones And to his Honour said would come to pass All that by him at Beth-ell spoken was What Man can shew unto another more Respect than he to Judah's Prophet bore Both after Death had seiz'd him and before And yet in that he led him from the Way Which God on him as a Command did lay And by a Lye deceiv'd him it 's a Blot In After-Ages ne'er to be forgot Thus all his Kindness will not justifie His Fraud or wipe away his Infamy For our Instruction this was surely writ That we might truly caution'd be by it No Man against his Reason to persuade To acquiesce with us for as I said It is to him a Lye if he receives It for a Truth and otherwise believes Nor ought we to prefer at second Hand What Men are pleas'd to say is God's Command Contrary to what we believe his Will That we should value and keep to until It be perform'd or superseded by His Power that did on us that Service ly Nay if I should mistake had rather chuse Into God's Hands to fall than him abuse For Errors in this Case can rarely be But in such things as may with Truth agree And where I do believe there is an Awe Which as 't is true is as th' Almighty's Law To me and if to that as what I see Or do believe I shall contrary be As I transgress this Rule or it neglect God I dishonour and his Law reject But tho' I should mistake if but sincere God would at length the Truth unto me clear For where 's the Man that never yet has been Deceiv'd in what he'as thought he'as heard or seen Let him begin the first to censure this And when that 's done to prove it is amiss But Judah's Prophet in that he preferr'd Another's Sense before his own he err'd And for that Fault came into th' Lion's Pow'r Who did his Body kill tho' not devour For that was left that he might ever be A great Example to Posterity So that if we in this Affair transgress Our Fault is greater and Excuse is less If less can be because he could not know This grand Example which the Scriptures show Hence that blind Notion which so many git That Prophets unto Prophets should submit Is wrong if then it was as now in use We see 't corrected for a great Abuse Yea punished with great Severity Which shews it now as well as then a Lye Observe the Story and apply it well For with our Case it runneth parallel For had he only my last Letter meant Or with some Fact had bounded his intent His Words tho' hard might yet have been receiv'd As flowing from an Heart that 's only griev'd But not content that to condemn alone He will his Judgment fix on all I 've done In this he is too bold he soars too high His Judgment as unjust I must deny I must not fear his Threatning nor receive His seeming Kindness nor his Prayers believe For if he cordial be I truly find He shews to me but his mistaken Mind For God hath in this Matter said to me Go not to them let them return to thee And tho' you may this disregard and slight I know that in his Fear and Dread I write Whose Voice I must obey and Pow'r respect ' Gainst every one that shall the same reject In God's Command I must against him stand And all of his Opinion in the Land For I 'll affirm that God did me concern In truth by gen'ral Cautions to forewarn Friends of the danger of Formality Which he long since shew'd me approaching nigh The likeness of the Truth to be the thing That was instead of Truth like up to spring In this he shew'd me was the Mystery Of that which Scripture calls Iniquity On that Account Beware o' th' Form was mine Advice in Meetings where the Pow'r Divine Was wanting But the Words Beware o' th' Form Was the occasion that hath made you storm At me with
SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG In Two Parts The First being An ANSWER to a LETTER writ to him by Tho. Markham The Second A CONTINUATION and more full Discourse of the Matters treated of in the said Answer c. Published by a Friend of the Author 's since his Death LONDON Printed in the Year 1698. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER BElieving these ensuing Lines may be of use and service to those that will read and impartially weigh and consider them I thought fit to commit them to the Press for the Benefit of such into whose Hands they may come The Author was my intimate Acquaintance many Years and as Opportunity offer'd I have been often edify'd by his private as well as publick Discourses to the opening of my Understanding in Things of a Religious Nature He was a Man of great Thinking acute in most things of a sound and discerning Judgment that any unprejudic'd Person not bigotted to Parties or seeming Religious Societies must have receiv'd Benefit by conversing with him He was a Religious-minded Man and good Christian yet without Affectation or making a Show of his being so I doubt not but he is entred into that Rest which he travell'd for and had a large Taste of whilst in that Body with which my self and others have so often conversed The following Papers will give the serious Reader a clearer Evidence of the soundness of his Judgment than I can pretend to as also the Reasons why he writ in Verse which was occasion'd by one of his quondam Friends writing so to him by way of Admonition as was pretended I many times lament his being taken away from us because of the sweet Enjoyment and Christian Fellowship that I with some others had with him He was universal in his Love and good Wishes to all Mankind and has often said He did not believe that any Religious Society of People was the only true Church of Christ exclusive of the rest but that Sincerity of Heart toward God and good Will to Men without respect to Parties was that which only could intitle any to be Members of that Church of which he believ'd Christ Jesus to be Head and further added that the highest Pretenders to Religion in all Christian Reformations have not yet in a General way tho' some Particulars might come to know the likeness of the Truth cast out but rather in their Differences contend for it than for the Truth it self betwixt which there is as much difference as betwixt a Substance and its Shadow and that he believed was the Ground of those Janglings and Enmity amongst them upon a Religious Account and which he found true amongst his Friends the People call'd Quakers with whom he was in outward Fellowship Because he could not believe or value as others did some outward Rules and Orders set up amongst them to be any more than the Outward Court or like the Forms of other Professions For this he was slighted by some of those that esteem themselves Elders and Leaders amongst that People Above Twenty Years ago in some publick Meetings in London he had a more than ordinary impulse upon his Spirit amongst other things warning them to beware of Formality least God shou'd cause it to be proclaim'd in their Ears that altho' they increased in Number as the Sand of the Sea-shore yet a Remnant should but be saved And such a Remnant as truly travell'd after the Truth and for the true Rest he had Unity with to his dying Day which was the 24th of the Month December 1696. A little before his Departure he said to some that were with him being of sound and perfect Memory to his last that what he had writ and said about the difference betwixt him and Friends he was satisfy'd in and could not have done otherwise to have had Peace with that Divine Being into whose Rest he was going to enter and that he had no Regret or Trouble on his Mind for what he had done on that Account And for his giving a publick Caution in Meetings as is before-mention'd and at other times shewing his Dislike of some Practices amongst Friends it occasion'd some high-opinionated Elders and a Party amongst them from that time to his dying Day to spread Snares and ill Reports in his Way and carry'd their Enmity so high against him that they endeavour'd to take the Meeting from his House under the pretence of his not being in Unity with Friends which to my Knowledge he ever was with such as were sincere but those that seemed so and were not how great soever he never valu'd and it was they that he believ'd were the Snarlers at him as appear'd by his Neighbourhood's belief of his Sincerity Honesty and Christian Deportment of which the Meeting he belong'd to were so well satisfy'd that the Stratagem used on that account was rejected and the Meeting continu'd at his House in Course to his Death He lamented much the loss of that Life and Power that attended their Meetings in former Days But for himself I with some others must needs say he was not awanting in his Ministry which had always something lively new and fresh in it and was very edifying to such as without Prejudice heard him Therefore I could do not less than contribute this Epistle in testimony of my Love and Respect to his Memory who tho' he be taken away from us and tho' dead yet liveth as an Epistle upon my Heart and speaketh by these following Lines to them that are alive and will seriously peruse them Altho' his Attainments were great yet such Christians as were purely simple and innocent in all Appearances humbly seeking after higher Discoveries of God in Christ Jesus were dearly lov'd and own'd by him As to Worldly Affairs tho' he had much Business and some Trouble in it yet his Mind was not hurt by it for it rather sought him than he it and tho' he had many Losses and Disappointments yet I never saw him repine at any but bore all things with such an Equality of Temper as I have not often seen And as I am informed by some that were with him when he dy'd he bore the last and great Conflict of Death with the like Patience resigning his Soul unto him that gave it Now Reader I refer thee to the following Verses which I hope may be of use and benefit to the honest-minded and so remains thine and all Mens Friend and Well-wisher T.D. SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG PART I. My Friend T. Markam THINE without Date is safely com'd to Hand At which I was surpris'd and at a Stand To see thy Mind deliver'd there in Rhime Not knowing thou wast Poet till this time I also heard before I did it see That it an Answer unto mine should be But when perused I did nothing find That it was so intended or design'd But that 's not much the matter is not great If thou shouldst the like Disappointment meet Provided still thou wast but of
if you could but mind Might you not see the same and truly find But where the Bricks are fallen down and gone Are you resolv'd to build with hewen Stone Let me advise that be not done in pride For if it be you 'll lose when you are try'd Thou sayst Nor must thou more that wicked Leaven spread Nor in the Courts of Holy Temple tread What Temple 's this I pray thee well explain Whose hallow'd Courts I must no more profane What is its Form and where must it be found If Holy it shou'd stand on Holy Ground I ne'er of truly Sacred Temples heard But those that in Jerusalem were rear'd And of Jerusalems I find there 's two Yet which of them it is thou dost not show So leaves me as before uncertain where The Temple is of which thou speakest here Jerusalem above I certain am No Temple hath except God and the Lamb And yet thou hast not proved how thy Word With that most Holy Temple can accord For when thou sayst your Walls do want repair Don't think that there th' Courts of this Temple are I also find by seeking thus about You from the Courts above can't shut me out Your Power 's below and yet what Temple 's this Whose outward Court we find unmeasur'd is Limits and Bounds will you presume to set And measure that which God did not think fit Do you not hereby think your Form shall hold God by his Spirit as they did of old To whom the Prophets cried from the Lord When unto them they uttered his Word On that Occasion and in that respect In these plain Words or unto this effect Heaven's my Throne Earth as my Footstool lays Where is the House that you for me will raise Or where 's the Form Way or Place of my rest In all external Things to be exprest The World I form'd and its Foundation laid And every thing that 's in it I have made The Rivers Lakes and Seas and every Fountain With ev'ry Hill and Vale and ev'ry Mountain I 've made the Beasts that do upon them feed The fleecy Flocks and all the winged Breed The Fish I 've made that in the Waters move And these together do my Grandure prove And as I 've made them all they on me wait If I stood need I need not it relate To Man for mine they 're all and ever were And yet at all times empty do appear When Man has offer'd them to me as Merit Without a broken and a contrite Spirit A broken Spirit trembles at my Word To this I always did my Grace afford To this Man 't is that I did ever look And have of him at all times notice took And what from first has been by me preserr'd Unto the last I 'll have the same regard The Subject's high and I had much to say But time at present calleth me away Some things thou mayst observe I 've spoken to And query'd others that thou mightest show The Certainty of what thou did intend In these thy Words which I unto thee send And as thou didst another once direct That thou observe the same I do expect Whene'er thou writes or speakest be so plain As that the meanest may thy Sense attain Thus where thy Sayings are obscure to me I do expect they should explained be In the preceding part I 've noted some And more shall be adjoyn'd in what 's to come What Seamless Garment's this which you do wear And who are these that in it do appear When that is done I pray thee next descend To shew how I this Seamless Garment rend What Government of Truth do I withstand Demonstrate fairly under thy own Hand For how should I from Error guide my Feet If I don't know 't nor thou dost let me see 't What is this Power unto which I 'm bound And am against it in rebellion found The Charge is high remember thou produce Good Witness else th' art guilty of Abuse For to thy Charge Not Guilty I dare plead That I to tryal with thee might proceed What wicked Leaven is' t I must not spread Moreover where and what 's this Holy Seed And what 's my Creed I pray thee well explain By which I would lead back that Seed again What cleansing Wind is this whence doth it blow That Filth as Chaff out of the Church can throw What Filth is this that doth so light appear That with that Wind the Church of it you clear And once for all let it be understood What I oppose that is sincere and good As Truth is plain so it is also free To answer such as in sincerity Do seek the Truth by what they do inquire Which as above to know is my desire Thou wilst therefore by what is done be try'd As it is by thee granted or deny'd For as we friendly mutual Freedom take 'T is likely we may further Progress make To see the Things of Truth and more may learn Of Things that differ which may us concern For ev'ry Diff'rence is not really evil Except 't is aggravated by the Devil Nay there is diff'rence in a Sense that 's good If it could be but truly understood For God regards and doth his Love impart To ev'ry true upright and sincere Heart The outward cannot th' inward sanctifie Nor can our Souls for God be form'd thereby 'T is for the inward not the outward's sake God doth of Mankind truly notice take For there 's no Form that can acceptance find If there doth want Uprightness in the Mind But where the Mind to God-ward is sincere In any Place to such he draweth near For God hath left the outward Court unmet That we should not impeded be by it Nor that it should for th' future any more Be Cause of Envy as 't was heretofore So the right Use that should of Forms be made In them 's to wait for him on whom Help 's laid The Seed of old to Mankind promised To succour him and bruise the Serpent's Head If all in doing this could well agree There is no Diff'rence that can evil be O happy Time when this is brought about The Good is kept and Evil is shut out Then God with Love and Peace the Soul doth fill And unto Man there 's nothing but Good-will Here Man by Int'rest unto Love is bound And in that Case all gladly would be found Thou seest I call on thee to write again But mind thou be in thy Expressions plain For from dark Writing which the Intellect Cann't comprehend no Profit we expect Of many Things we have begun to speak And that which I from thee at present seek Is that thou willst proceed distinctly on From Point to Point until the whole be done For if thou 'l here in friendly sort assent I 'm well assur'd it will have good Event But if thou wilt reject what I propose And as before shall write then may I lose My Labour and Advice in this Assay But my Reward thou canst not
take away Where the Term You thou chanceth here to find It noteth Thee and others of thy Mind Those that are free I do not int'rogate Nor do I charge them to be in thy State My Words therefore I would not have thee stretch Beyond what I intended them to reach For if thou seekest my Intent to find Take the best Sense and thou wilt have my Mind But if to this thou shalt contrary do It is as thou wouldst not be done unto A noted Error do not thou stand in For that at last is finished in Sin Whate'er thou findest wrong do not defend For that 's no proper way the Fault to mend In what thou thinks thou' rt sure there modest be And then no doubt but still we may agree Thus in a friendly Mind I take my leave And rest thy Friend if thou can it perceive SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG PART II. TO write in Meter was not my Intent Until some Verses were unto me sent Which Matter when consider'd in my Mind The Author I believ'd some Fault would find If I did not my self to him address In the like way he did himself express And lest the Matter he should disrespect For want of writing in his Dialect I thought it better if I could but find Clearness in Verse to write to him my Mind Than otherwise and then it did appear As I consider'd it most plain and clear For on that Consideration this I found It was not Modes of Speech it was the Ground From which Words sprung or came with the Intent That they were brought forth and abroad were sent This was the Matter for we truly find Th' Abuse of Things doth never change their Kind Seeing God hath in the World made nothing Evil All Misuse and Abuse is of the Devil Yet what is Evil made by his Abuse May be at other Times put to good Use In speaking gen'rally this holdeth true And I would give to ev'ry Thing its due For Instance What can we more Evil show Than Words when from an evil Ground they flow And yet what Word is there so evil made But to good Use the same may well be said And what is here by me to Words apply'd It may in Verse and other Things be try'd For writing Verse I need not his Excuse Because himself hath put it first in use And therefore since he did me here precede My Way 's no other than what he did lead And no Man can another justly blame When he himself 's a doer of the same But thinking others may read hear and see What we have written besides him and me For them it is that I apologize That as they understand they may be wise Not to condemn before they prove the Way Of Words in Number which is my Assay For if there be for ev'ry Thing a Time A Season then there is to write in Rhime This all should note and no Occasion take Against the Matter for the Methods sake For unto me 't seems clear and manifest That weighty Truths may be in Verse exprest And such as find 'em there and them refuse Because o' th' Form the Truth they do abuse Try all things and retain whatever's good Speaks ev'ry Case where Truth is understood Or may be found If such will but apply Their Minds to search and things for Truth to try But if some will not try and yet condemn This seems to be rash Foolishness in them Or else I judge that such conceited are And then of Fools more hopes there is by far For Fools according to their Folly do And that 's because they do no better know But as deny'd of Reason therefore may Be more excused for a Fault than they Who have a Talent given yet refuse Their Talent to improve exchange or use How can they further plead Excuse when try'd Than he that did i' th' Earth his Talent hide Or what can such expect from Judgment just But like him be deprived of their Trust But who so blind as him that will not see Or foolish that 's resolved so to be And now to touch the Matter shall descend Of which to write at present did intend I find the Author in a gen'ral way Condemns me and great Fault doth on me lay Advising me that I may back return With speed and for my past Offences mourn But Faults he sheweth none therefore to me All I have acted must condemned be And forasmuch as he declares A Doom Is from some People like on me to come Some have it seems a Combination made Against me and some evil Project laid But that I may prevent that bad design Note this I pray The Work was none of mine What I have done it was at God's Command Or I at least do so it understand Good Conscience then in this Case I may plead And where no Evil is that you shou'd heed Lest rashly you your selves precipitate Into an Act which you may rue too late Perhaps you 'll say that all you do's in Love Which thinks no ill yet that doth nothing prove What Rule give you that I may certain be In what you say there 's no Hypocrisie But if you think you 're true how must I know That you may not mistake in what you do Produce the Rule by which the Truth you 'll shew And see if I cannot as good give you What tho' some seem in good will to begin That is not much the Syrens also sing Whilst their intent is with deluding Charms To draw the Saylers into fatal Harms Such as are wary when the Charms they hear Keep on their Course or do a better steer And by that Caution get entirely free O' th' sad Mishap wherewith they menac'd be But such as unto them an Ear shall lend May in quick Ruin surely find their End If this a Fiction be yet it is clear A noted Truth in'ts Moral doth appear For thus did th' Serpent to our Mother Eve When his design was only to deceive Therefore we are not suddenly to lay Our Hands on Man tho' he may sing or pray But wisely to consider of the End As well as Friendship that such may pretend Especially where we 've believ'd or learn'd That God's Command may be therein concern'd If Judah's Prophet this had carefully Observ'd on his Return from Bethel he By the old Prophet had not been deceiv'd Nor by the Lion of his Life bereav'd The Story 's mournful if we heed it well Because a Prophet by a Prophet fell As Judah's Prophet was sent by the Lord ' Gainst Bethel's Altar to declare his Word So in that place he was not Bread to eat Nor by the Way he thither went retreat Nor doth't appear but that he did intend God's Mandate to observe unto the end For all the Arguments the King cou'd use To make him stay to eat he did refuse Nay tho' to do 't he promis'd a Reward Yet that like th' rest he still did disregard And by another Way
for the inside took such wholsome Care To make it like the outside clean and fair For had they wisely made their inside clean At first their outside would as fair have been And what was said to th' Pharisees of old Unto such like at all times may be told But if objected this was under th' Law And nought to them that do the Gospel know We answer 't is as much in this our Day As 't was in by-past Ages every way For when the Devil can no longer keep in Sin In likeness of the Truth he always creepeth in In ev'ry Age yea and in ev'ry Nation Where any thing of zealous Reformation Was well begun to be advanced on Against the evil Works that he had done 'T is true he this resists with all his Pow'r At first Appearance and would all devour That him withstand in his pernicious Way But when the Pow'rs too great for him to stay The Reformation nay it still proceeds Against his Force and Wrath and Evil Deeds Then there 's no hope for him to keep his Ground By doing that which still is evil found And doubtless if he had no other Way His Kingdom might have ended e'er this Day For he has often been cast forth as Evil By th' Pow'r of God in Christ which doth the Devil Destroy in th' Heart and Soul and cast him out Yea and as sinful treads him under Foot And when cast forth he must without remain Except by Craft he can return again For he can ne'er re-enter 't is confest In the same Hue wherein he 's dispossest For there the Mind is chang'd the House is swept His Goods are spoil'd and he hath nothing left Which he can call his own or come unto Therein his Hellish Wrath or Pow'r to show Here he 's dethron'd and now no Pow'r hath Man to molest or trouble in his Wrath. For with a Sword he'as got a deadly Wound And Marks thereof are on that Body found He as an Evil Spirit is cast out And like as such he rangeth round about In all dry places seeking after rest But none can find whilst he is disposest Therefore resolveth to return because If he abide without he surely knows That Torment which shall be his final Doom Before the time is like on him to come This to put off at present he 'll assay Not by an evil but a Truth-like way For as the House is cleansed he must hide His Filth and enter lik't or be descry'd But if prevailing he like Truth get in Their last State 's worse than when they did begin And of all Reformations ne'er was one But was by this Device prevail'd upon By which he has kept up his War and Strife For Forms and Rules that never could give Life He comes not now as with a rushing Sound But rather like one speaking out o' th' Ground Bespeaking Peace in the most humble wise That his Deceit and Cunning can devise Like Gibeonites appointed to be slain But by their Crast did still i' th' Land remain And tho' they were to servile Labours put Yet from God's Service were not wholly shut Thus to re-enter and regain his place He 'll change his Voice his Habit and his Face He 's still a Foe but looketh like a Friend That is advising unto some good end This way he Man beguil'd in the Beginning When he did teach him first the way of Sinning For having then in Man no place or part By Force he could not enter but by Art But by his Craft he enter'd in and then Of an upright he made a sinful Man Again he 'll celebrate the righteous Praise Of those he caus'd to fall in former Days Like as he taught the Jews to beautifie The Prophet's Tombs and make their Master die Again he 'll over-value every thing That 's outward and from Truth did seem to spring As they that did to th' Brazen Serpent give That undue Honour which we may perceive Was by th' inspir'd Penman on record Left that to us Instruction't might afford Here Forms of Worship he will magnifie And 'bove their Value will extol them high And this he doth that he may make a Snare Of what God may permit or did prepare For good to Man that he might fitted be To wait and hope for the great Mystery Of God in Christ which fully doth perfect All Laws and Forms added in that respect Of this we have a Figure in the Jew Whose Form and Law by God ordain'd were true Yet were they added only to abide Till Christ did come this cannot be deny'd For whom they should have waited in its use Then should they have committed no Abuse Against their Prophets nor against their Lord But them receiv'd and obey'd his Word But when their Form they valued too high Thro' subtle Workings of the Enemy They could not see it was to have an end So evil did whilst they did it defend By keeping it they did oppose his Will Who gave it and did come it to fulfill Thus the true Prophets they could not receive Nor in their Saviour when he came believe Thus that which was for a good End brought in Became to them a Vail a Snare and Ginn And as it was in this Form to the Jew It hath or may be in all Forms that 's true For ev'ry Form that 's true has the like use And may therefore meet with the like Abuse And Forms have all been true that did commence According to God's powerful Influence Upon the Minds of Men to Reformation In every Age and every Generation For since that Day and Time the outward Court Was left unmet there many might resort To worship God in various Forms or Ways As Truth appeared to them in their Days But all that found acceptance did agree In this one Point to wit Sincerity For ne'er was Form that could acceptance find Where there did want Sincerity i' th' Mind But where the Mind being right gives God his due Forms hinder not that morally are true Nay they may help and introduced were To stay the Mind and check Sin 's full career They can't perfect the Mind they may prepare In a right use to wait for Christ the Heir To perfect Man and into Heaven guide This only to the Seed can be apply'd Which unto Man of old was promised That he alone should bruise the Serpent's Head This Forms cannot for they did but begin Or added was when Man was found in Sin And what was not before Transgression shown Must be fulfill'd before its end is known Nor can they be fulfill'd but as we find Christ by his Spirit to conduct our Mind Thus as there 's divers Forms yet as they tend To Holiness they seem to have an end And therefore as they in this Case agree Men never should about them angry be Nor strive to wrath or envy which is best Or which should be preferr'd above the rest Of every one there may have been some use And of
the best there may be an Abuse If here as in the outward Court we stay The Gentile State can never pass away For th' outward Court is not tho' ne'er so true The resting-place of the believing Jew Thus as above so here they 'gree again That none by Forms Perfection can attain So whilst about them Men contend and strive The Devil doth his Kingdom keep alive That there are divers Forms it doth appear But which of them excels is not so clear Well if one better than another bee It is with Truth as th' later doth agree And since that Reformation is begun We should not rest until the Work be done For of Christ's Government there is no end To its increase then we should all attend Yet what Form's best to me may not be best Unless I see it better than the rest Thus what I judge is best is best to me Until I can that which is better see For how should I its Excellence confess Except I do perceive a betterness And if my Conscience can't be satisfy'd That it excels I 'm not t' observe it ty'd Should I observe what I do not believe I cannot please my God but may him grieve For if 't appear not right I do not find I can approve on 't with an upright Mind And where an Act doth want Sincerity With God that Act 's no better than a Lye 'T is true true Worship in the Truth doth stand In which no Form nor Likeness doth command But this I cannot know till it is shown To follow my Belief till that is known Unto the Truth in me is nearer much Than what I know not nor believe is such Provided I 'm sincere and waits to know What God is pleased further to bestow For must be faithful first to what we see Before from God more will revealed be For if not faithful to what we believe We are not fit what 's better to receive And if in things below we are not just With things above God never will us trust In this Case then what we believe as true We 're bound unto it something like the Jew To that great Form which at Mount Sina came Whose Law was spoke from an amazing Flame By God who did the Heart affect with Fear Thro' what the Eyes did see and Ears did hear But tho' this Form was usher'd in with Pow'r Like Forms that are it was not to endure And as th' Observers it could ne'er perfect They should have had for it a like respect They might have priz'd it as the best they knew And yet left room for better to ensue According to his Mind that gave that Law Which they obliged were t' observe and do As God's Command to them and that until The fulness of Time came i' th' Father's Will To send his Son who from his Bosom came It to accomplish and remove the same It was not to perfect but to prepare Like Forms that are to wait for the true Heir That was and is and also is to come Into Men's Hearts for whom they should make room And this fullness of time continues still To all that wait to know the Father's Will For Christ Heir to the Prophets and the Law And of all Good in Forms that Man can know For God unto him did this Witness bear That he was Heir and that all should him hear But such as think to serve God by an outward Law As yet the Voice of Christ they do not truly know For where th' Object o' th' Mind 's an outward Rule Such are not com'd into Christ Jesus School For all that hear and 's taught of him inherit The Substance by the Conduct of his Spirit As he to all whose Souls do truly live Entrance to God doth by one Spirit give Not by one outward Way or Form for then It should have been deliver'd to all Men. But no such Form appeareth to be given By our Redeemer tho' he came from Heaven That Form to end and further to make known A greater Good than had before been shown Which if intended by external Ways Instead of larger in our later Days Had lesser been than unto Israel was For theirs did all succeeding Forms surpass Such Certainty in Forms doth not appear Now to Mankind as we alass may hear By those Contentions in our Saviour's Mind What Form he did intend to leave behind For God to Israel did their Form afford Immediately from Heaven by his Word And this being sure for Scripture proves the same Is more than any modern Form can claim Yet as 't was given in peculiar wise To them it after gave a dismal Rise To that grand Hatred in their Separation Made betwixt them and every other Nation But as 't became thus a Partition-Wall God took it down to shew his Love to all Now if to shew that Love he had design'd One Form to have prescribed to Mankind That with one Sacred Form he might remove The ground of Strise and introduce true Love 'T was requisite that Form should handed be From Heaven with undoubted Certainty Like Israel's with that Majesty convey'd That ev'ry Man must have the same obey'd For sure we are if God did that intend His Pow'r was mighty to command the End But that he did not this is very plain From those great Diff'rences which yet remain Amongst Mankind about that outward Way Which God as a Command on Man did lay Now if the Whole receiv'd not such Command As we from certain Grounds do understand It 's against Truth for any to suppose That God a part of Men again has chose To whom he an undoubted Form might give By which all Mankind should be bound to live This to conclude to Man is the broad Way Which doth the Ground of greatest Errors lay First as to God his Love such narrow still Contrary unto his revealed Will Such also on his Wisdom do reflect As no good Builder or wise Architect To take a Building down because he found A fault in it or that it was not sound And yet a second like 't erects again In which that Fault or Weakness doth remain On Mankind also has as ill Effect For 't is the Ground of all the Disrespect They shew each other on Religion's score Besides the Evil that is shew'd before For our believing like unto the Jew There 's but one outward Form that can be true Gives ground for ev'ry People to conceive That is the Way which they themselves believe This is the Cause of Envy and of Pride As in the Jewish Worship hath been try'd God's Kingdom this doth shut and there in vain Many attempt an Entrance to obtain This Error doth i' th' Universe abound It is too much in all Religions found And this Mistake the Devil makes the Cause That in Religion Men on Men impose For Forms we daily see continue still To be the Ground of Hatred and Ill-will As Men about them strive and do contend Until their Peace
and Fellowship they rend Yea oft proceed in their litigious Jars Till Wrath exerts it self in open Wars And there they seek each others Blood to spill This contradicts our Blessed Saviour's Will Who came not to destroy but Peace to send And Good-will unto Men this was his End What then to be his Will be signify'd As Gospel to Mankind doth still abide But some one Form alone to re-ordain Which Men in strife about it should retain Was to re-build what he before took down As in the Scripture is expresly shown With Men such Buildings do sometimes agree But cannot with th' Eternal Deity With him all Wisdom and all Pow'r doth dwell He can Effects in all their Causes tell He doth foresee them e'er they come to pass So could not be deceived in this Case From hence we may believe he would not lay The Ground for Envy which to take away He came and Power had that to prevent To make it then could not be his Intent Now if he did no more one Form erect Unto all Forms he hath a like Respect As Forms directing unto what is Good In which Sense this is to be understood And this to us doth certain Truth appear Since only they 're accepted that 's sincere This Doctrine is not strange nor is it new For it hath been in ev'ry Age as true It 's not more Truth because it is more seen For what 's a Truth as true has always been Yea even in the Jewish State at height Their greater ne'er condemn'd a lesser Light For ev'ry Man that feared God and wrought True Righteousness in ev'ry Age throughout The World Acceptance gain'd as Peter taught But God with his own Form a Fault did find In that it never could perfect the Mind And as that Form could not the Mind perfect No other Form can do 't in that respect The taking down of that doth plainly show That all should wait a greater Truth to know For best of Forms could only regulate The outward Man they reach no higher State The Branch they may cut off as 't springeth out But have no pow'r to reach unto the Root And tho' thus far they may be termed Good As outward evil is by them withstood Yet must there a more sublime Way be known As by our Saviour's Words is plainly shown Who told us That except we 're born again We in the Kingdom can no Place obtain No outward Guides can e'er compleat this Work For under that an Hypocrite may lurk Like Truth the Devil did get into those Who had God's Form but did his Pow'r oppose For ne'er was Form tho' 't was exactly Good But hath at last the Pow'r of Truth withstood Not from their Nature nor from their true Use But from their Weakness and their blind Abuse Thus outward Rules as set up to serve God Tho' they may disser in their Form and Mode All in the Ground agree alike in kind As they are made a Guide unto the Mind The highest State such can but Legal find So then their proper Use in them 's to wait To know the Gospel and the Legal State Tho all God's Dealings we may Gospel call Which he doth use to bring Man out o' th' Fall For what God addeth Man for to restore That we may put upon the Gospel Score And thus the Law the Gospel did begin But Gospel is o' th' Law a finishing For those Distinctions are to us as true As they were unto Israel or the Jew Since what was done i' th' Jewish Dispensation As Figures unto us they have relation For what God did that was not to remain It is the Substance that such Acts contain Which we should look for and inquire it out To find how our Salvation's brought about It was the Seed of Abr'am that God chose According to the Flesh and unto those He gave his Form that from Mount Sinai came And Christ came in the Flesh to end the same For as that Form measur'd and stinted was It could not end until it came to pass The Son of God from Heaven did descend An higher way to shew that Form to end He came not to destroy it but fulfill For Righteousness that was and is his Will And as he did then he doth now supply The lower Rules with Rules that are more high His Government goes on and doth not cease From good to better he doth it increase Whoever finds this Truth and in him trust They bring forth in external things what 's just Things strictly honest such both speak and do Not by compulsion of an outward Law Nor by Constraint but by a ready Mind For such are now to Good by Love inclin'd This last Appearance doth the first contain For in the last the Substance doth remain God's Work with Man doth in Progression run From less to more until the Work is done And when the Summ's computed at the last It comprehends the whole of what is past This nobler way that by our Lord was shown Was to the Jew and Gentile to be one And all Mankind in their whole Multitude He did in Jew and Gentile then include And of those twain doth one new Body make As of his Law and Gospel they partake The Jew as to the Flesh he did reject That in the Spirit he might him elect And he did Abr'am's fleshly Seed refuse That after th' Spirit he his Seed might chuse Thus all vain-glorious Boasting's laid aside None may in the defective Flesh confide For by Gods Spirit must Man's Works be try'd There none can on external Things relie That he 'll to all as to the Jew deny The Jew now inward is and so 's his Law Yea and in Spirit must he Gospel know For Law the Gospel it doth yet precede That Men might Gospel-everlasting read God's Holy Law in th' Hearts of every one The Substance is of what was writ in Stone For Moses Law we may a Transcript call Copy'd in Stone from this Original Christ to the outward Jew i' th' Flesh has been But so hereafter will no more be seen By them he was in that appearance slain Tho' in himself he alway did remain As now he is of him we ought to have Knowledge if him we know as from the Grave He rose to know Christ only as the Jews Is t' hear of him yet the right Way refuse To see him only as they did of old Is him and not his Myst'ry to behold The outward Law was needful good and true But by misuse became a Vail to th' Jew Which to this Moment doth obscure their Mind Nor can't be rent away but keeps them blind 'Till they are turn'd to Christ and know thereby 'T was the Messias they did crucifie Christ came i' th' Flesh 't was absolutely good For without that could not be understood The Mystery hid from the World's Foundation In all Mankind in every Generation This coming also may a Veil be made Which unperceiv'd draws on a gloomy Shade
enjoy The promis'd Land for he did there destroy Their Adversaries and supply'd their Want With House and Vineyard which they did not plant And these mirac'lous Dealings did effect That all their Time they paid him due respect They walkt with him magnify'd his Name And with loud Praises eccho'd forth his Fame But when a new Gen'ration did arise The good Land to enjoy they did not prize It truly nor the Mercy of the Lord Who to their Fathers did that Land afford His Law they did forsake and quickly swerv'd From God's true Worship and base Idols serv'd All this and more it seems did come to pass Because not sitted as their Fathers was They heard how their enslaved Fathers groan'd Whilst truckling under Phar'oh's proud Command This did they hear but did not understand The Wonders God perform'd i' th' Fields of Zoan They might have heard of but had never known The Fame of Phar'oh's Host might reach their Ear But being unseen it could not cause true Fear Nor bring them into Trouble Grief or Pain Nor did they know at all when they were slain They heard but saw not how God did divide The threatning Billows and the Channel dry'd They sometimes heard of God's most glorious Fame When on Mount Sina ' in the fiery Flame But did not know and see him so appear And therefore wanted that true Sense of Fear Nor knew the Travel through the Wilderness Which feelingly their Fathers could express No Wonder now if then they did decline That Vertue which did make their Fathers shine There was awanting that true Exercise By which God taught their Fathers to be wise For 't is in Scripture found if duely sought True that God's Fear in Exercise is taught Nor did he any in his Path advance But through deep Troubles had their Enterance At least none persevered to the End But were on God thus fitted to depend None truly can from hence we may discern God's Love or Fear by outward Precepts learn The Scripture is a Record which doth hold The Story of God's Noble Acts of old What are we better if we know no more Than what God did for others heretofore We may believe 't undoubted Truth What then The same may be believ'd by wicked Men Yet they 've a secret Sense which none can find But such as unto Good are well inclin'd This Myst'ry's vail'd in them to all Mens Eyes Who seek not Wisdom or doth it despise The History most certain Truth contains But th' Substance in the Mystery remains Which as 't is found the Scripture's made our own As in the Fulness others have them known Thus Egypt's King with the Egyptian Land A Figure of the Evil one doth stand As in the Darkness he doth rule the Soul And by his Power doth poor Man controul As likewise Israel in their Bondage great A Figure is to th' Soul which now doth meet With Bondage in the Spirit and thereby As truly for Deliverance doth cry As Israel did to God who them did hear And now as well as then he doth appear To quash the Devil's Pow'r and break the Chains Would press the Soul in t ' everlasting Pains The Pow'r's the same which now the Soul doth save That unto Israel then Deliverance gave The Difference is only as apply'd In th' outward then but now it must be try'd In th' inward Man where we the Truths behold Which Scriptures do in mystick Figures fold Nor is the captivated Soul resign'd And yielded up by Satan till he find God by his Judgment hath his First-born slain By him begotten in Man's Heart to reign When Man at first God's righteous Law transgress'd He on the Soul his Image then impress'd Which slain in us we do begin to tread The Ways that from his damned Borders lead But tho' his First-born in us God may kill Yet he that it begot remaineth still His Pow'r's not broken so but he 'll pursue The Soul to take its Bondage to renew As Phar'oh with his thund'ring armed Force Pursu'd the Isra'lites to stop their Course So Satan finds the Soul in such a case As straitned Israel flying from his Face For tow'ring Rocks are seen on either Side Before's a Sea devouring deep and wide And the Egyptian Host behind doth stay Seeming to wait for nothing but the Day No less than Death does in their Looks appear Which almost kill as well as puts in fear Now Israel's Straits such come aright to know And do partake of their Distress and Woe If such consult they find they must account The Danger greater than they can surmount Now 't is our Duty to stand still and wait To hear what God will speak to dissipate Our Fears as Israel did and so we find Our Angel-guard removed to behind For he that lately did before us stand Is now betwixt us and this armed Band To them he 's Dark but unto us a Light Who keeps them from us in this doleful Night If this we can but see 't may ease us from Our Fears until the Morning-watch shall come When God commands the Rod to check the Pride Of the insulting Waves and them divide And smooth a Passage o'er th' untrodden Sand Fenc'd with prodigious Walls on either Hand So for our Safety Sea is made dry Land When thus the Channel of the Deep we find Safe unto us God fills our joyful Mind With Praises great our Hope encreaseth more That we shall now ascend the farther Shore Which when attain'd and on its Banks we stand And do behold the Sea that God made Land We see the Waters which to us a Wall Of Safety were upon our Foes doth fall With Fury great for God doth them destroy And turns our Sorrow into cordial Joy The Work is true as thus it doth begin And Moses Song such learn aright to sing The Subject is a full Deliv'rance gain'd From all Impediments that us detain'd When we desir'd th' Egyptian Land to leave Which we must know God granteth to perceive Before we can unto him sacrifice What he approves as pleasing in his Eyes For as when th' Israelites in Egypt liv'd With Marble-hearted Phar'oh's Taxes griev'd They could not sacrifice no more can we Whilst chained by our Sins in Slavery The Devil will no more let 's worship God Than Egypt did until he feel his Rod But when deliver'd like them we proceed To follow him as he our Souls shall lead Now do we wait that we may know aright God in our Hearts his Mind and Law to write Which may the Knowledge of his Will assord Thus he becomes our Master and our Lord. Now do we wait that we may truly find His Tabernacle finish'd in our Mind According to the Pattern and Account Which he delivers from his holy Mount For in the Wilderness he doth appear His Tabernacle of Witness to rear Within our Souls to shew us his Intent When we must Journey and when pitch our Tent. Like Israel he conducts i' th' Wilderness To