which fly In my crazy Brain defy Save Me O endless Truth from Vanity O come sweet Jesus come to Me All my Lusts will fly from Thee Pardon O pardon Lord my wandring Mind Which when for earnest Prayers design'd Can such foolish Objects find I love the World too well and Thoughts will fly Where e're the vain Affections lie And the Tempter's always nigh Oft with my Lips I pray when Lord my Heart Will from that holy Duty start And from Thee my God depart Truth spoke the Word The Treasure holds the Mind The Good are all to Heaven inclin'd But I with worldly Glory blind I love the Flesh and fleshly Things pursue But could the Spirit the Flesh subdue To my God I should be true Of what I love I love to talk and hear And home the fair Ideas bear And esteem them always dear Blest Lord is He who leaves the World for Thee And by a perfect Victory Lives from Nature's Furies free Calm is his Conscience and his Prayers are pure And He 's of Angels Bliss secure Nor can the Thoughts again of worthless Earth endure XLIX I have fought a good Fight henceforth there remains for me a Crown of Righteousness Christ MY Son Since from above thou feel'st a sacred Flame For from above those holy Ardours came Long'st to be gone and with a cloudless Eye To see my Face and grasp Eternity Enlarge thy Heart and with a vast Desire Blow up thy Wishes and advance thy Fire Thank thank thy God whose kind indulgent Love To visit Thee stoops from those Realms above Enflames thy Soul and with a powerful Hand Supports thy Heart and makes thee firmly stand This neither from thy Thought nor Labour flows But wondrous Grace the wondrous Boon bestows To make thy Valour shine more dreadful bright To humble Thee before the Ghostly Fight And Thee to Godlike Loves and holy Works excite The Fire may burn but Smoke attends the Flame And holy Souls whose inward Fervours aim At heavenly Bliss yet never hope to be From fleshly Lusts or dark Temptations free They love their God but with severe Allays Nor can thy Fire without incumbrance blaze Flesh has its own Convenience first in view And can't with perfect Love Eternal Joys pursue Ask not abundance nor Delights for Thee But what accepted with thy God may be Think well Thou 'lt find my Orders wiser far Than all thy Wishes or Attainments are I know thy Wishes and have heard thy Groans Thou long'st for Palaces and glittering Thrones Shining with endless Joys and fix'd on high Where God's blest Sons enjoy their Liberty But stay a while To Day 's a time for Fight For Pains and Trials thou wouldst glut thy sight With boundless Good but must thy Heats rebate I only AM for ray approaching Kingdom wait Thou must be longer exercis'd and tri'd Have Comforts here but not be satisfi'd Take Courage then be strong to do to bear A Man quite new a Man quite chang'd appear Renounce thy Will and oft against it move Not Thine but other Mens Designs improve They shall be heard when all thy Prayers are lost They shall but ask and have thy Words and Hopes be croft They shall be talk'd of Thou in Silence die They trusted useless Thou and slighted lie Nature will flinch at this but bravely born Victorious Silence will thy Life adorn God's Servant Thus Thus must his Son be taught Thus to deny and rule Himself be brought It 's to be mortifi'd indeed to see And suffer what 's so hard my Son to Thee And tho subjected to a Power Divine It 's hard rebellious Nature to confine And the resisting Will to God's Commands resign Weigh then my Son the Fruits of all thy Pains Their swift Conclusion and their mighty Gains Such Meditations will no Wounds procure But raise thy Courage and thy Heart obdure Thy Will here quitted shall be gain'd above There thou 'lt obtain thy Wishes and thy Love Good thou shalt have and never fear to lose Thy Will as Mine no private Interest chuse None shall resist Thee there nor stop thy Way But to thy utmost Hopes thy Soul convey I 'll give thee Honours for Disgraces past For Sorrows Praises and a Throne to last Tho when on Earth beneath the meanest cast Thus shall the Fruits of just Obedience shine And humblest Penitents obtain Rewards Divine O then to human just Commands submit Beneath their Laws with humble Patience sit Thy King 's thy Friends thy Parents Pastor's Will Take well and with sincere Address fulfil Let Brutes in various ways their Thoughts engage Enjoy the Praises of a flattering Age Brag of a thousand Honours spread their Fames And to the Stars exalt their lofty Names Boast not of such Atchievements but when Grace Makes Self to God resign its darling place Come Life come Death let Love thy Heart enflame And in new Hymns of Praise thy gracious Lord proclaim L. Turn Thee unto Me and have Mercy on Me for I am desolate and afflicted Bel. MY God dear holy Father may My Soul Eternal Blessings pay To Thee whose just Resolves have stood Whose Deeds are always kind and good Let Me blest Lord rejoice in Thee But not in other Men nor Me. Thou Lord canst all my Hopes employ My Crown my Glory and my Joy Ah to what can I pretend But what God himself must send All is thine from thee it flow'd But my Age is Lord bestow'd All in Sorrows all in Tears All in tedious Doubts and Fears While the Tyrant Lust appears Lord give thy Childrens Peace to Me Who feed in Comforts light with Thee Thy Peace thy heavenly Gifts infuse And I 'll thy Holy Gifts produce And all to sing thy Praises use But shouldst Thou dear Lord withdraw I should soon forget thy Law Such a Change would make me droop Make me tremble make me stoop Not as when I felt the Streams Of thy Mercies lively Beams And beneath thy Wings could be From design'd Temptations free The Time O righteous Father's now Which must thy faithful Servant prove This happy Moment Lord will show My suffering patient lasting Love That Time Dear Father known of old To Thee has laid its hands on Me When outward Woes my Life should hold But still my Heart should live to Thee I tho grosly slighted here I the weight of Passions bear Yet from thence should quickly rise And above the lofty Skies Bask in thy refulgent Eyes Thus thy Word of old ordains it Thus my present State explains it Lord it 's a Friendly Test of Love When I repeated Sorrows prove From thy All-guiding Providence The great Events on Earth commence I for my Good thy Scourge have known Now better wiser humbler grown Tho Confusion hides my Face I implore thy saving Grace And thy Judgments deeps admire While the Good and Bad expire Since thy prudent Orders shew Equity and Mercy too I Lord thy glorious Name adore Tho compass'd round with mighty Foes Since I
long'd-for Bliss which never never dies Think then on what the wisest Man reply'd The Eyes and Ears are never satisfi'd What er'e the longing Appetite receives Only a sickly Wish and tedious Longings leaves Turn then thy Soul from wretched Earth below And all thy Thoughts on heavenly Joys bestow So shall a spotless Conscience warm thy Breast And thou securely on thy Saviour's Bosom rest II. Know thy Self WOuldst thou know much my Soul and wouldst thou be From thy great Master's Service free Wouldst thou by curious Rules of Art descry The various Motions of the Sky Fond Wretch the Clown who but himself can read By that short Lesson will thy soaring Art exceed Know but thy Self thy Self thou'lt soon despise Nor to the World's Applauses rise Thy Works not Arts shall be severely scann'd When all the World in Judgment stand Cease then thy Pains and never court thy Woes Deceit and Madness still with mighty Learning goes Men pufft with Learning love the pointing Hand And much on swelling Titles stand And spend their careless Hours in empty Toys Which ne're advance their sober Joys But sure He 's mad who wondrous Knowledg gains Yet never knows the means to scape infernal Pains Great Words can never fill thy Appetite Great Actions only bring Delight Purge but thy self then boldly lift thy Face To the bright Throne of heavenly Grace Great Sense and Knowledg where the Practice fails Only the heavier Woes on wretched Souls entails Fear then thy flowing Parts thy matchless Sense And all thy vast Intelligence Know what thou wilt thou'lt but the sooner find A thousand things have slipt thy Mind A thousand Men whose Names are scarcely known Beyond thy Learning far and utmost Reach have gone Study thy Self with all exactness know How all Affairs within thee go Examin all thy Ways and soon to thee Thy Self the noblest Theme shall be If others thou before thy self prefer Such humble Thoughts express true Wisdom's Character Thou mayst perhaps another's Failures see His Crimes may lie expos'd to thee Yet scorn him not nor think thy self secure Our Steps on Earth are rarely sure Thou standst consider lest thy self should fall All Men are frail indeed but thou more frail than all III. TRVTH HAppy the Man whom Truth securely guides By secret Ways and powerful Influence Happy the Man in whose weak Head resides No false Opinion from deceitful Sense But Ignorance would rather chuse Than Time in vain Designs abuse We 're mad in Arts obscure to spend our Days To shun the Light and Intricacies chase Where God's Eternal Word the Truth displays We all at once may know and all embrace Where that once speaks we safely rest With Peace and Faith unfading blest O thou essential Truth my Soul unite To thee by all the Bonds of sacred Love O thou my Saviour O my Soul's Delight To whom alone my Passions fiercely move Let Earthly Teachers silent be But speak O speak dear Lord to me The more within our selves our Thoughts descend The more we see by God's superiour Light Pure Souls to Holy Works more strongly bend To raise God's Honour and his Acts recite Only our Lusts unconquer'd curb Our Motions and our Thoughts disturb The pious Soul those inward Lusts restrains Nor bows to them but them to Reason bows The brightest Crown the great Self-conqueror gains And by his Conquest daily stronger grows All other Skill's an empty Show And all 's imperfect here below Wouldst thou then go to God not glaring Parts But humble Thoughts can reach his glorious Seat Arts made by God are good but vertuous Hearts Pure Lives and lowly Thoughts more truly great And all in fruitless Error die Who more to know than practise try O would a foolish World at last improve As much in Goodness as in vain Disputes But thro what Gloom that subtle Head must move Whose Practice all his godly Talk refutes Who falls and leaves no Name behind Put out of Sight is out of Mind He 's truly great who 's great in Charity He 's great who 's humble and can Greatness scorn He 's wise who Worth in none but Christ can see He 's learn'd who 's to Divine Obedience born Tho all inferior Glories fly His balmy Name shall never die IV. PRVDENCE WHAT e're we read what e're we hear Let Holy Care with Patience weigh for Truth alas we weakly bear But Falshood gains a mighty Sway. The Wise Man knows our faulty State To loose Discourse and Guilt inclin'd And always measures things by Weight To no uncertain Tales resign'd He 'll ne're run headlong on nor will he be Stiff in his own Conceit and sensless Bigotry Receive not then each idle Tale Nor all thou hear'st to all relate But let a wise Man's Words prevail Above thy own his Counsels rate A Holy Life a Life refin'd Owners Godlike Wisdom proves And with Experience fills the Mind And with Divine Contentment moves Where God a lowly Heart a Subject gains There only Prudence thrives and inward Calmness reigns V. Search the Scriptures SEE Read these Sacred Volumes o're This wondrous Book survey Truth in its antient Springs explore Thy Studies on the mighty Subject stay Perhaps no modish Stuff no milky Phrase Thy sickly Sense may gratify Yet there blest Truth her Beams displays And all her Treasures lie See read again to clear thy Mind The Spirit 's Help implore That God's who first the Book design'd Whose Badg the well instructed Penmen wore Instructive Truth in common Language lies In plain and easy Words exprest But Falshood off like Vapour flies Tho ne're so gayly drest Shouldst thou mysterious Language love Or lofty Flights admire Thou 'lt meet with Raptures here above What e're thy own presuming Thoughts inspire Don't yet Devotions humble Stile despise But read with calm Attention there Brook the thirsty Lamb supplies Whose Streams are soft and clear Perhaps thou'lt find a Shepherd write A Herdsman prophesy But if the Spirit all indite Where can the Prejudice against them lie Authority and Learning only He On all that Holy Tribe bestows And all thy Studies there should be Where Truth sincerely flows If Truth in every Sentence shine And give thee certain Light Thou know'st Truth 's Words are all Divine Tho meanest Men her sacred Dictates write The mortal Penmen soon are past and gone To Dust from whence at first they came Truth claims Eternity alone And still remains the same Thy Wit thy Learning and thy Parts Perhaps are more than mine But God who reads our inmost Hearts May on my Soul with greater Favours shine Be thou impartial too with careful Eyes Examine all the Sacred Roll Th' inestimableTreasure prize As thy immortal Soul Wouldst thou in Holy Sense improve Then lay thy self aside All vain and curious Thoughts remove And Self-Conceit and unbelieving Pride Ask oft and with submissive Silence weigh What Holy Men declar'd of old Thy Judgments on their Dictates stay And their Directions hold VI. There is
pries Improv'd by daily Exercise Who on his Master longs to wait And would Earth's mean Incumbrance abdicate Watch then my Soul and shut the Door Admit inferiour Toys no more But hear O humbly hear what He My God my Lord will speak to Thee He 's all thy Health thy Life thy Peace And makes thy Inward Jars to cease Cast off poor transitory things And search for Truth 's Eternal Springs The World 's a Cheat the Creatures Cheats If once their mighty Lord retreats Throw off then all those Cheats below And Faith in thy Creator show If thou'dst the utmost Sweets of Heavenly Blessings know II. Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Believer SPeak Lord O speak thy Servant hears Unclose my Eyes unlock my Ears To me thy Sacred Dictates shew O to thy Words my Heart encline O make it yield to Truths Divine As Lillies bend with Morning Dew Thy awful Thunder's dismal Roar Made Israel's frighted Tribes implore Not Thee but Amram's Son to hear They trembled at his radiant Brow But when from burning Darkness Thou Declar'dst thy Name they dy'd for Fear With all submissive Boldness I To Thee alone for Counsel fly Speak Lord O speak thy Servant hears No Moses I no Saint require But thy dear Words alone desire O speak to my attentive Ears Sweet may the Prophets Language sound When they Mysterious Truths propound Plain are their Words their Counsels plain Without they show thy sacred Way And Plant and Water all the Day And Cry but Cry alas in vain From Thee the Spirit only flows By Thee the Heart with Fervor glows Thy Aid the Mystic Word explains Thou giv'st Perfection Strength and Light And mak'st the grateful Soil requite With weighty Fruit the Workman's Pains Then let no Moses speak to me On Thee Dear Lord I wait on Thee For Fruit for Life for endless Love O teach me what I hear to do And Love to what I know to shew And Faith by Holy Works to prove Speak then O speak thy Servant hears With Thee the living Word appears Thy Words Eternal Life bestow Speak Lord O give thy Self to Me And then my Lips and Heart to Thee Shall with Eternal Praises flow III. Be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Christ HEar then my Words my Son more sweet than those Which antient Philosophic Sages chose My Words are Life and Spirit far above That wretched Phrase which Human Senses love Not fram'd for itching Ears but humble Souls Where mighty Love the silent Thought controuls Happy the faâ—our'd Christian taught by Me Who lives from common Fears and wild Destruction free I taught my Prophets and my Priests of old And still to Men my saving Truths unfold Most lie like sensless Adders deaf or They The World more gladly than their Lord obey The World poor Trifles transient Joy propounds Yet every Street with eager Slaves abounds I promise pure Delights and endless Love Yet can't the stupid Hearts of Mortals move Nay in my Holy House the Plague prevails No little Priest for small Preferment fails To go to run to fly but scarce can crawl When I to Holy Pains and sharp Repentance call For paltry Sums how oft the noisy Bar Maintains a tedious and a costly War By Night by Day with restless Care they 'l ply If they some distant Glimpse of Gain descry But sensless Fools for never-changing Good For vast Rewards and Honour's rising Flood For Crowns of endless Bliss they 'l rarely try But at the very Thoughts of active Vertue die Blush then poor whining lazy Wretch to see How Slaves of Earth with more Activity For Hellish Deeps and Chains of Darkness strive Than Thou in thy Creator's Arms to live Those Fools can more in dull Delights rejoice Than Thou to hear thy Saviour's warning Voice Yet oft they lose their empty Hopes but I Ne'r broke my Promise nor was known to Lie Rocks may be torn and mighty Mountains fall One Word dissolve the vast Terraqueous Ball But where I find a constant Love to Me My happy Friends a full Reward shall see More than their largest Thoughts their Souls shall find Their Bosoms always calm their Maker ever kind Then on thy Heart my powerful Word engrave Peruse it well and my Assistance crave When Tempests gather in an angry Sky With Wisdom they 'll thy Head and Heart supply I oft my Friends with sharp Temptations prove As oft revive them with returning Love This makes them prosecute their Sins with Hate This makes them close at Vertue 's Altars wait But he who slights my kind Instructions shall Beneath the dreadful Stroke of weighty Vengeance fall IV. Lord I come to do thy Will Believer MY God my only Good may I To Thee one humble Word reply I wretched Worm more vile and low Than Words can speak or Heart can know Wilt thou thy worthless Servant own May I approach thy awful Throne Pity Dear Lord thy Pity send On him who nothing can pretend No Grace no Strength no Light 's in me But Weakness and Obscurity But Thou art Holy Just and Kind Immense and thy Almighty Mind Runs thro the World and fills it All But Souls which back from Vertue fall Thy Love thy tender Mercy Lord To Me a needy Slave afford Thy Goodness hates an empty Place O fill my Head and Heart with thy enlightning Grace How can I live a Stranger here Unless thy pitying Grace appear O let me Mercy Mercy see And never turn thy Face from Me Forsake not Lord my Soul lest I Like drowthy Fields or Desarts lie Unfruitful Barren Dismal Wild With Dragons and with Serpents fill'd Teach me Obedience Lord to Thee And Prudence and Humility Thy Wisdom reads my Soul my Heart Thy Truth examines every Part And e're the World or I were made Before thy searching Eyes my unborn Thoughts were laid V. And they who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth Christ WAlk then with Me Truth 's Sacred Motions trace And turn thy Heart to seek my glorious Face Truth will protect Thee from the Tempter's Rage And guard Thee from a vile seducing Age She 'll set Thee truly free and make Thee rise Above those Errors Men to break her Force devise Believer True Dearest Lord O may it be My God as Thou declar'st to Me Let Truth instruct me keep me sure And my Eternal Bliss procure From vile Affections Chains unbind And brutish Loves debauch'd and blind Then with a Heart sincere and free I 'll walk my God I 'll ever walk with Thee Christ To Thee I 'll all the Ways of Goodness show And thou my Son shalt all my Pleasure know Think on thy Sins think with the sharpest Sense Nor dream of Merits or of Innocence Thy Sins are many and thy Passions wild Thou oft by Hell's deceitful Arts beguil'd Thy Pains are worthless but thy Falls severe Chains Grief and Ruins round thy Tents appear No Praise on thy Phantastic Vertue waits But every thing thy swelling Pride
to Thee Since oft my Sins thy Throne alarm Against me all the World should arm Shame and Confusion's due to Me But Praise and Glory Lord to Thee And till I have my Heart subdu'd My haughty Heart to bear the rude Assaults of every Creature here And Nothing to my self appear No inward Peace no sacred Light Can me to Rest or Joys invite Or to Eternal God my wandring Soul unite XLII Not as the World giveth give I unto you Christ NE're with thy own vain Thoughts my Son comply Nor on a Man for Friendship cast thine Eye Unless thou ld'st live involv'd unstable die If Thou on living lasting Truth rely Unmourn'd thy Friends may live unmourn'd may die Be they Love's Circle but the Center I. The best of Men should be belov'd for Me Friendship without Me must uncertain be I only bless it with Eternity Die die my Son to all Affections here Thou 'lt then no lonesom Rocks or Desarts fear Who leaves Earth's Joys may to his God be near Search but thy Bosom first thy self to know Thou daily to thy self wilt viler grow And higher tow'rd thy mighty Maker go But He who Worth within Himself can find Must to his God's Superiour Grace be blind His Spirit only loves the lowly Mind Wer 't Thou from Love of Self and Creatures free My Grace should flow in mighty Streams on Thee But few the Maker thro his Works can see Subdue thy self for Me thou 'lt grow more light Thy Mind more towring and thy Wisdom bright But smallest Toys belov'd retard the noblest Flight XLIII The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power Christ DEspise fine Words my Son and smart Replies God's Kingdom not in Words but Practice lies My Words clear up the Mind enflame the Heart Sorrows unfeign'd and serious Joys impart Read 'um but not with Critick Art or Wit To mortify thy secret Lusts submit Mortification will more useful be Than all the subtle Quirks of empty Sophistry When Thou hast made vast Learnings Circle all Must on one little Point one Center fall I teach Men Knowledg and a purer Sense To Babes than Men can e're to Men dispense Where I Instructions sacred Light disclose The Soul more large more full the Wisdom grows But Wo to Those who Curious Arts explore And slightly pass my happy Service o're Christ the great Teachers Teacher whose Command Bright Angels own will soon in Judgment stand Examine all his Followers throughly o're The Conscience with impartial Eyes explore Search all his Churches as with Torches thro Expose the works of Darkness all to view And Men of Learned Tongues with Judgment 's weight pursue I in an instant raise the Humble Soul And make it stretch to Truth 's Eternal Goal And in a moment more of Sense to use Than Schools can in a Life 's long Course infuse No noisy Words no Novel Schemes confus'd No titled Pride no Arguments abus'd Are heard with Me I nobler Thoughts inspire To scorn the World and from its Joys retire To relish and to seek Eternity To bear with Scandals and from Praise to fly In Me to hope my Smiles alone desire And not to foreign Loves or Worldly Gains aspire My Saints for Love of Me their Silence broke Knew Wonders and Mysterious Wonders spoke More Knowledg too by Leaving All obtain'd Than they before by nice Distinctions gain'd Yet I to some but Common things disclose To some my Grace peculiar Notions shows In Signs and Dreams some read my Sacred Will Some I with Mystick Revelations fill Books speak to all alike but all alike Can't on the Point of Holy Learning strike I only teach them Inward Truths and I Search all their Hearts and all their Thoughts descry I give their Undertakings just Success And as I judg it best with various Favours bless XLIV Neither make thy self over wise Christ MY Son sometimes a learned Ignorance Will more thy Interests advance Than all that Learning which vain Worlds admire To be quite Crucifi'd to Earth below An Ear quite deaf to Sirens Charms to show More Pleasures more Delights will give Than high in Honour's Throne to live Thy Soul with better Thoughts of endless Peace inspire Turn O turn thy Eyes away From those Offences brutish Fools may lay Before thee Leave them to their vain Conceits He 's happier who from noisy Jars retreats Than He who hopes alas in vain He may a barbarous Age restrain Stand well with God If God but smile on Thee Then Fools of Conquests proud may see They 've only gain'd an Inauspicious Victory Blest God to what a pass the World is come Men mourn for Crosses And lament their Losses By Sea by Land Abroad at Home Spend tedious Days and Nights And renounce their Lives Delights To get a poor Subsistence here But of their Souls they never dream Their Souls a melancholick trifling Theme For them they 'd not an Angel's Warnings hear They hunt for Shadows and for Flies And the One necessary thing despise Bent all on outward Follies thoughtless all Unless a Gracious God their flying Sense recal XLV The Simple believeth every Word Bel. SInce Human Health and Helps are vain Lord let me thy Assistance gain Of promis'd Aids I oft have fail'd Where none were promis'd oft prevail'd Men are essential Vanity But all our Health and Hope 's in Thee Blest be my Lord my God in All Which on his faithful Servants fall But lost infirm unstable We A Mass of dull Mistakes and Mutability What happy Man so wisely keeps His Soul He neither nods nor sleeps Rarely mistakes is ne're perplext Nor with Events surprizing vext He who has fixt his Heart on Thee Alone can from those Rubs be free He when in Sorrow's Chains involv'd By Thee shall have his Bonds dissolv'd None e're was lost or cast aside Who on thy kind Supports rely'd Friends may deceive Us Thou alone Art always Faithful always One O were it so but once with Me My Hopes securely built on Thee My Heart no silly Fears would move And Words of Spite would idle prove Who can all future Ills foresee Or who from sudden Wounds be free I who to glorying Language yield Am hurt because without a Shield Men are but frail alas decay'd Tho by our Flatterers Angels made Whom should I credit Lord but Thee Thou great Eternal Verity But Men are Liars changing weak And vainly act and vainly speak Falsly with nearest Neighbours deal And with their Oily Words their venom'd Hearts conceal That I should of Mankind beware And of the Adversary's Snare And those who cry Lo here Lo there Thou oft hast made thy Servant hear My Duty now I dearly know O may I better wiser grow Watch o're my Words and ne'r confide Another should my Follies hide Lest when I think I 'm safe betray'd I should a common Jest be made O grant me thy Protection Lord From treacherous Brutes and Hands abhorr'd From Me deceitful Words remove My Lips with honest
Divine What Flames should then enlarge my Heart When in my Saviour I expect a Part How should I dress to meet my bleeding Lord While every Type great Kings and Saints of old ador'd David before that precious Ark of old Could not his warm Affections hold But danc'd with all his Might and loudly play'd His tuneful Harp he strung And to his Harp he sung When that thro' Sion's Gates its Entrance made Sweet were his Airs and soft his Stroke When he 'd His Jews to holy Joys provoke God's Spirit on his Heart abode And Prayers and Blessings with his Musick flow'd Such Zeal that Antient Type pursu'd And shan't my Heart with nobler Heat indu'd Shan't it with greater Spirit embrace The Substance than the Shade of future Grace Shan't I with springy Joys my Saviour meet And at his Altars bow and kiss his sacred Feet Fools oft to see pretended Reliques fly And cast a curious wondring Eye On Fanes to Saints Imaginary rais'd Where richest Silks and Gold The dowdy Corps enfold And Thieves and Rebels are for Martyrs prais'd A thousand Pilgrimages past They prove but Hell's obdurate Slaves at last O could they rest a while at home And not to follow sensless Fancies rome Wonders on Wonders here they 'd view Far more than e're Loretto's Shrine could shew Jesus with Love and Mercies crown'd Would shed his sacred Influences round And to the Loving Hoping Faithful Heart Would all his glorious Self his heavenly Joys impart O Thou great Architect of Earth and Skies Invisible to mortal Eyes To us how wondrous all thy Actions prove And here how sweet how kind Thy Favourites may find Th' immense Expressions of Prodigious Love Unfathomable Deeps how far Too short our wretched Intellectuals are When we would sound the vast Abyss Of unintelligible Mysteries What Art that Mirroir could compose By which the Souls of faithful Saints disclose Their Saviour in a Sacrament And on his bleeding gaping Wounds intent Eat his dear Flesh and drink his sacred Blood That Bread of Life and this immortalizing Flood Who can those Capillary Rills descry By which unbodied Graces fly Thro' bodied Symbols to the faithful Mind How pure Devotion 's Fires How Vertue 's warm Desires Room in the Sinner with Repentance find What hidden Sweets can Faith descry How sharp how piercing is the faithful Eye He meets a thousand Graces here Lost Vertues in his Soul reviv'd appear And tho deform'd by Sins before This can its Beauties and its Charms restore Nay the best balmy Symbols may New Life and Health to fainting Saints convey While Faithless Souls meer Bread and Wine partake And but a damning Feast of empty Symbols make But ah how cold how deadly cold we prove To meet our dear Redeemer's Love How we refuse his kind extended Arms Arms which alone can be Our Souls security From Death's Tyrannic Force and Hell's Alarms He purifies our Natures He From endless Torments dearly sets us free Beneath his Shade we safely move And feel the Beams shot from his Orb of Love Why should we then so cold appear To all his Loves Mysterious Tendries here Ah Blind ah Rocky-hearted Crew Who can so slow such wondrous Grace pursue More careless as their Master kinder grows And can with stubborn Hearts his offer'd Loves oppose Were but one single Sacrament design'd The World to one sole Priest confin'd What Sholes would to the distant Temple flow How would they stretch their Eyes To see these Mysteries How eager for that Heavenly Banquet grow But when a thousand Pastors wait And all may with their Lord participate When so immense his Loves appear Alas we nauseate the Celestial Chear Yet Jesus Holy Shepherd we Poor Exiles now present our Thanks to Thee Thy Flesh thy Blood our Souls relieves Thy tender Call our dying Faith retrieves Come all to Me with Sins vast Weights opprest I 'll give you sudden Ease I 'll give you certain Rest II. Behold how he loved Vs Believer MOV'D by thy Goodness and thy Mercies I Dear Lord to thy Assistance fly Touch'd with a thousand Plagues I come to Thee O be the great Physician Lord to Me Hungry and Thirsty Lord I bring A fainting Soul to Life's Immortal Spring A Beggar I Heaven's gracious King adore A Servant I my Master's Smiles implore Form'd by thy Hand Lord here I stand And for my great Creator's Bounties wait And for his Comforts in a ruin'd helpless State Whence is it that my God should come to Me O what am I thus grac'd by Thee How can a guilty Soul endure thy Sight How in a Miscreant can my God delight Thou know'st no Good resides in Me And I my own my inward Vileness see Thy Grace thy Goodness and thy boundless Love I own I honour and with Thanks improve And for thy sake I 'd here partake That I my tender smiling God might know O mayn't my horrid Crimes obstruct the wondrous Flow Sweet gracious God! with what respectful Praise Should I thy spreading Glories blaze Who for our sakes a mortal Nature took But who can thro' the Mystick Bounty look What can I think when worthless I May hold Communion with the Deity What can I do but with a prideless Mind Some Means t' extol thy boundless Goodness find Thy endless Praise My God I 'll raise But ever ever Lord my Self despise And from the lowliest State to heavenly Favours rise Lo Thou' rt incomprensible Sanctity A filthy loathsom Sinner I Unfit to raise my sinful Eyes to Thee But Thou Great God couldst condescend to Me. Lo Thou canst in a Wretch delight A Beggar to a plenteous Feast invite thou 'dst have me banquet on Celestial Food On Bread of Angels and Divinely Good Thou Lord wouldst be That Bread to Me That Bread of Life which from above descends And Life and Vigour thro a fainting World extends See! see my Soul whence such bright Loves can shine And Condescensions all divine What Thanks what Praise are to thy Saviour due How should thy Service as his Name be true How salutary Lord how kind In this we all thy mighty Counsels find The Food all costly and the Banquet sweet Where we by Faith our great Redeemer meet Thy powerful Cares Thy Truth declares Thy Words from Nothing sprung the World of old In less than Nothing now eternal Truths unfold My Lord my God Great God and Man that Thou Shouldst tow'rd a wretched Creature bow That thou thy self in Bread and Wine shouldst give In true Believers humble Hearts to live What Sense such Wonders can pursue So True so Strange yet not so Strange as True Thou Lord of All who hadst no need of Me Yet by a Sacrament my Guest wouldst be Lord keep my Heart O ne'r depart Till I by thy effectual Influence find A Body spotless pure to lodg a peaceful Mind It 's thy Appointment Lord design'd by Thee To celebrate thy Memory O may I oft thy Merits here record O may I oft here meet my
c. and that the Holy Ghost is in and by Himself Infinite Eternal Incomprehensible c. they will agree in that Point with the Church of England and the Argument deducible from those Concessions to prove that the Father is God the Son God and the Holy Ghost God and yet that there is and can be but one God will amount to a Demonstration They tell us indeed that their Writings look like fair well-furnish'd Houses where every thing is plain and regular but they may remember the famous Manchegan Hero who was as eminent for Chivalry as they are for Divinity took the beggarly Vent for a stately Castle bare Walls and Sluttishness for noble Furniture and a pair of Stroling Drabs for beautiful Damsels and Illustrious Princesses Again they find nothing but dark and obscure in the clearest Vindications of Eternal Truth but it 's because they are always blind at Home and their Eyes are in the ends of the Earth Indeed if Religion wanted Buffoons or Merry Andrews the Gentlemen might be of some use to Her For for a rude or Impertinent Jest a modish Droll a blasphemous Flirt or a long Declamation in praise of their own Elixirs Orvietans or Pouders of Pimperlimpimp they 'd outdo most of our riding Quacks or German Jugglers but for sound Reason Chrysippus his Dog outveyed'um and Balaam 's Ass might much better than They have superseded the necessity of Divine Revelation Answers to them are to the less purpose because they murder us so with their repeated Crambe's their wretched Quelque Chose shall be set again a hundred times upon the same Table only made a little poinant with the Sauce of a new Scoff or the Haut-goût of a Jeer and Nothing not the Eternal Deity himself can escape the ridicule when these Saints of a new Stamp take Pen in hand to assert the Reasonableness of Christianity to examine Scripture accurately to explode Mystery and to blaspheme the Holy and Undivided Trinity It 's hard to think they can have any Reverence for true Religion who write only for the Diversion of those who have none And we know what great Designs their late celebrated Champion had Scripture appear'd to him a meer Heap of Contradictions and to be reveng'd on those who would not swallow Christianity without Mysteries he piously resolv'd to set up Mahumetism in opposition to it and doubtless he knew very well that neither Scripture nor the Churches antient Confessions of Faith contain'd half so many Arguments for the Unitarian Divinity as the Alcoran Mysteries in Religion are very offensive to some weak Eyes Men of no Religion may perhaps be thought fittest to write the History of it they must needs be impartial because they have no Interest in the Subject they treat of but for Men of loose Lives to decry what they call Priest-craft for Men of very ordinary Intellectuals to explode Mysteries and for those of no Principles to take upon 'um to refine and vindicate Christianity is a Demonstration that Christianity is the best Religion Mysteries truly useful in it and the Christian Priesthood the noblest tho the most invidious Employment in the World Priest-craft is grown a Cant-word us'd by thoughtless Animals who seldom know their own meaning in 't Something they 'r angry at They cant sleep quietly in their Vices they can't live peaceably like Heathens in a Christian Country they can't devour the Patrimony of the Church without opposition nor set up Atheism without the danger of a Reprimand from some ill-bred Blackcoat In short Religion 's against them and therefore they are resolv'd to be against it This should render it the more valuable to sober Men it should make them study by Practical Holiness as well as weighty Arguments to crush the Heads of Atheism and Heresy to embrace kindly whatever promotes that Holiness and even to hug THE CHRISTIAN PATTERN how meanly soever Paraphras'd while it strives in the softest way to impress the sacred Image of our blessed Master on the Hearts of the greatest Priests or Bishops or of the humblest private Christians ERRATA PAg. 12. l. 14. r. fluttering p. 13. l. 6. r. nightly p. 47. l. 17. for this r. they p. 60. l. 23. r. presumptous p. 69. l. 1. r. disease p. 57. l. 18. r. shalt p. 69. l. 8. r. shalt p. 83. l. 17. r. by thy p. 86. after l. 11. a blank line is wanting p. 89. l. 1. after yet put p. 110. l. 8. r. Secrets p. 120. l. 15. r. strange for p. 155. l. 3. r. Live p. 186. l. 23. for while r. which p. 187. l. 18. after live make p. 206. l. 20. after can I make p. 223. l. 12. after ineffectually put p. 239. l. 17. r. God p. 245. l. 22. r. my Soul p. 260. l. 11. after eat put The Christian Pattern PARAPHRAS'D The First Book I. Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity WHOer'e to follow me his Steps applies Or'e his blest Head no gloomy Clouds shall rise But Life's pure Light shall fill his Heart and sparkle in his Eyes Thus spoke our Holy Jesus and can we Er'e dream of Light and Immortality That Truth 's pure Beams should our dark Fancies clear Unless like his our Lives reform'd appear O let our Thoughts then on his Actions dwell Whose Doctrines Man's divinest Rules excel If his enlightning Spirit guide the Mind 'T will treasur'd there the secret Manna find Truth sweet and tasteful as that Angels Food Not loath'd but always welcom'd by the Good If he withdraw tho with the Gospel blest Our Souls are still with lazy Dreams opprest But when enflam'd by him we try to live By those great Rules his heavenly Actions give All clear and plain his sacred Words appear And to the Heart reveal'd are grateful to the Ear. What tho I could with strange Acuteness pry Into the still Mysterious Trinity Only more Woes would me at last surprize Should my proud Soul from thence that dreadful God despise Not lofty Thoughts nor Words which smoothly roll But Purity to God endears the Soul Let others curious Definitions spin O let me feel true Grief for Guilt within And Floods of unseen Tears purge out my Stains of Sin What tho thy apprehensive Mind compriz'd What er'e those old Philosophers devis'd What tho thy faithful Mem'ry could recite What er'e in Scriptures Holy Penmen write Vain were thy Reach and vain thy Memory Unless God's Grace and Love were lodg'd in thee All 's Vanity and more than vainly vain But God's pure Love and our dear Saviour's Chain We 're wise indeed if we the World despise And grasp at Thrones and Crowns above the Skies It 's vain to covet or to trust in Gold It 's vain to be to Honours height extoll'd Vain are our carnal Lusts and fond Desires Whose Woes but preface Hell's Eternal Fires Vain is the longest Life when vainly spent Life's vain unless on future Glories bent It 's vain to love what like a Tempest flies And leave that
base Distrust and vile Reflections fall But those who for his own Dear sake can love Their Holy Jesus wiser prove Conscious of Sin they look for Sin 's Reward Sorrows Afflictions Anguish here below With Thanks their Master's Strokes regard And in his Rod his Kindness know Tho to a deep a hopeless Gloom confin'd They 'r grateful all and all resign'd O from that Love what mighty Wonders spring When private Interests no Distraction bring But Ah! what Mercenary Souls are they Who only serve their Lord for pay Who in his dearest Self no Charms could find To touch the humble Heart ease the love-sick Mind A Soul abstracted quite from things below We rarely very rarely know Could I for such a Temper freely give This mighty Globe alas 't were worthless all Should I a mournful Recluse live How short would Tears and Mourning fall Could I for it through Learning's Circle run The Purchase would be scarce begun Nay had I Vertue and Devotion too And only Extasy and Rapture knew Much would be wanting yet my Test would be If I my Self could conquer Me Could I the Rivals of my Lord dethrone And yet my Self at last a worthless Servant own The best of Saints will no Deserts pretend No Actions of their own commend They know their inward Frailties all and know How short their Labours of Perfection are And still as better humbler grow And still against Themselves declare They know their Master never wants their Praise Their Service can't his Glories raise I 'll tread their sacred Steps and boldly try To lay my self my wild Presumptions by I shall when meanest to my Self I seem Be greatest in my God's Esteem Poor in my self and despicably vile But rais'd to Strength and Wealth by his reviving Smile XII God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of Christ IT 's hard extreamly hard to hear the Cry Make haste take up the Cross thy Self deny Make haste thy Master's Steps pursue But harder far to hear that dismal Doom Depart damn'd Wretch to Hell's eternal Gloom To Flames and endless Torments due But those who bore their Cross of old appear All free from Horrors and from damning Fear And when the fatal Trumpets sound In Heaven the Banner of the Cross shall stand And all its Friends a bright Triumphant Band Their Standard and their Lord surround Why should I fear the Cross who claim the Crown That Cross which brought my Life and Safety down And me from all my Foes defends The Thoughts of That superiour Sweets diffuse And That my inward Strength and Joy renews And to Divine Perfection tends Front thence my Hope my dear Salvation flows I 'll bear it then and with my Saviour close With him the Marriage-Chamber gain That I might for a suffering State provide He bore the Cross and on the Cross he dy'd But Glory still rewards the Pain Try High and Low all ways for safety try Safety at last beneath the Cross must lie In Lusts and Passions mortify'd Strive to avoid it still thou 'lt find a Cross Thou 'lt find dark Grief sharp Pains Afflictions Loss And sudden Woes thy Time divide Perhaps my God may in a Cloud retire Perhaps my Neighbours may my Fate conspire Or I my Self my Self torment Thus God would have me by Affliction try'd More bright more clean more throughly purify'd By what I can't with Care prevent Could I all other Persecutors shun In vain my Self yet from my Self would run This Self would be a Cross to me By Sufferings I my Saviour's Lot may know More patient thence and more submissive grow And Peace and endless Glory see The Cross if with a chearful Heart I bear With that I 'll to the peaceful Harbour steer Where Griefs and Pains shall reach no more If I reject it I must bear it still A second must the same Design fulfil More weighty far than that before No Man no Saint yet liv'd from Sufferings free Not one short Moment could my Jesus be Without the bitter pondrous Load He Dy'd he Rose and thence to Glory pass'd And I may reach those Seats of Bliss at last By that Imperial Purple Road. Would I then dream of Pleasures dream of Rest Fond Fool I know this wretched Life 's opprest With endless Crosses endless Woes If I have Grace my banish'd earthly State Will Crosses to my longing Soul create And quickly break my soft repose Beneath the Cross I Heavenly Comforts find My Flesh fatigu'd but my Superiour Mind By inward strengthning Grace renew'd While thus I follow Christ my Joy shall rise My Faith he 'll by my patient Sufferings prize Tho with his Strength alone endu'd Flesh hates the weighty Cross the Rod the Chain To fly from Honours and Affronts sustain Nor can fond Self Himself despise Such Vertues only spring from Faith Divine And if the Cross on Faith's bright Armour shine Hell from the dreadful Vision flies Move then my Soul thy Cross submissly bear And for a thousand Cares and Griefs prepare Drink what thy Saviour drank before Rejoice in Sufferings little Bugbears all To that bright Crown which on his Brows may fall Who once his Cross with Patience bore If I in Sorrows once can Sweetness find My Soul to bear my Saviour's Cross resign'd I 've found a Paradise below But if I murmur at the Weight I bear And fly from Sufferings with a thoughtful Care I but from Chains to Tortures go Come Cross come Death then for my Saviour's sake My Lot I 'll with submissive Gladness take And so Eternal Peace obtain For should I mount with Paul above the Skies Affliction still might be my Exercise When I to Earth return'd again Ah! were I worthy that Immortal Fame To suffer for my dear Redeemer's Name How would the Saints rejoice for me Patience the most impatient Slaves will praise And Trophies to the smiling Martyrs raise When from the Cross themselves are free O may I then while living daily die To Sin to Earth and to my Self that I May fill my Heart with things above So may my God accept my happier Choice To die with Christ not with the World rejoice And thence approve my sacred Love Christ taught me thus and had His Wisdom known What safer Path could be to Glory shown To that He 'd all his Friends invite I 'll then to grasp at Him my Self deny And thro' a thousand Tribulations try To reach the dazling Realms of Everlasting Light The Christian Pattern PARAPHRAS'D The Third Book I. I will hear what the Lord will say unto me Believer LET 's now my Soul attentive be To what my God will speak to Me. Blest Souls which hear his charming Voice And in his sacred Words rejoice Blest Ears which hear those Heavenly Sounds Which no inferiour Noise confounds Thro which my God by various Ways To Me his powerful Truth conveys Blest Eyes on inward things intent Which foreign Objects can't prevent Blest Man who thro Heaven 's Secrets
God's Decrees are laid That where the World has wretched Captives made That very World should have a poisonous Sting And Sorrows and Confusions bring Like Russian Bears for Honey They Their Souls in pawn for bitter Sweets can lay But Thou my Son thy native Lusts subdue And self-denying Ways pursue Delight in God thy Lord and He Will give the Wishes of thy Heart to Thee Wouldst Thou have Comfort have sincere Delight Lo I thy thirsty Soul invite Give o're this paltry World and all Which here fond Men their Sweets their Comforts call So Blessings shall thy Heart thy Head surround With inexhausted Favours crown'd The more Thou' rt wean'd from Earth below The more the sweeter still my Comforts flow But e're the Race be gain'd the Battel won Thou 'lt thro a thousand Dangers run Ill Habits Flesh the Prince of Hell With utmost Force will struggling Grace repel But Prayer and Zeal and grounded Vertue may The furious Opposition lay And lawful Industry obstruct their fatal Sway. XIII Let this Mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Christ MY Son who e're rejects my lightsom Yoke Who e're would his Obedience vow'd revoke Rejects my Grace and real Good must lose While He his own fantastic Dreams pursues Who e're unfreely to his Pastor bends That Guide whom God with Heaven's Commission sends He 'll still indulge his Lusts and murmur still And kick against his great Creator's Will Then swiftly to thy lawful Teachers yield If o're thy self thou 'dst win the glorious Field For Foreign Foes to better Terms will come When Rebels once are throughly quell'd at at Home Self is a deadly Foe when Self presumes And Rebel-Arms against the Mind assumes That Self then with a just Contempt despise If thou'dst victorious o're the stubborn Inmate rise Thou quak'st to hear of just Obedience why Because that Self thy darling Self is by Is' t then so much when Dust and Nothing can For God's dear sake submit to Godlike Man Yet I the mighty God the Lord of All Whose Word from Nothing spoke this pondrous Ball I stoop'd to Earth assum'd inferiour Mould And for thy sake my self to Sufferings sold That thou might'st humble thy advancing Pride I like a Slave abus'd affronted dy'd Learn then vile Dust learn wretched mouldring Clay Thy Head beneath the meanest Fooosteps lay Learn learn at last to break thy stubborn Will And of a Subject all the pious Parts fulfil Let Zeal against thy self enflame Thee more Than all thy furious Passions could before Bow to the meanest Slave let Beggars be Superiour in thy own Esteem to Thee Wouldst Thou vain Dust of harsh Affronts complain How oft hast thou deserv'd Eternal Pain How oft hast thou affronted Him whose Hand Could Heaven and Hell to just Revenge command My Eye yet spar'd Thee that thy self might see How dear thy Soul's Salvation was to Me. That Thou my treasur'd Love mightst throughly know Thy grateful Heart and Lips with Praises flow That Thou mightst Favour in Obedience find Be always to the Hand of Heaven resign'd And to a Self-contempt reduce thy Humble Mind XIV How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Believer ON me blest God thy Thunders break And Terror all thy Judgments speak My Soul the dreadful Cracks confound My trembling Bones the dismal Sound Astonish'd Dearest Lord I see The Heavens themselves impure to Thee Since Angels Sins were punish'd there How foul must wretched I appear Those Stars from Heaven thy Vengeance threw And what can sinful Ashes do Those once who made a glittering show On Earth now sink to Pains below And those who Angels Bread could eat Would now be glad of Husks for Meat All our pleasing Actions we All our Good receive from Thee If thy Hand the Vessel steer Wise our happy Cares appear If the Helm thy Mercy quit We to Seas and Storms submit All our Courage Lord we own From thy Hand descends alone Only then our Hearts are sure When by thy Defence secure But our Guards in vain we keep If thy Eyelids close to sleep Left alas We sink we perish But our Lives thy Favours cherish Cold Unstable Wretched We Are confirm'd and warm'd by Thee O then how mean and low I to my self should show What Good in Me may seem How little worth esteem But O! what Gloom around Thy Judgments Lord is found With what Submissions I Before thy Feet should lie Since to my Self I there Poor Nothing Lord appear O Weight unmeasurable O Deeps unnavigable Where I can Nothing find Of Me but Shade and Wind. Where 's then my secret Pride How can my Heart confide In poor fantastick Dreams Of Vertues native Beams Since all my Glories tost On Judgment 's Seas are lost Lord in thy Sight What Toys are we How vain how light Compar'd with Thee Shall Dust invade The Scorners Chair With Him who made Himself compare He bears no part With fancy'd Wits Whose humble Heart To God submits He 'll all the Pride Of Earth refuse Whom Vertues guide And Truth subdues He can't Mens vain Applause endure Whose Hopes remain In God secure For Those who praise Are Nothings found And only raise An empty Sound Their Words are blown To Fairy Lands And Truth alone Eternal stands XV. Ye ought to say If the Lord Will. Christ THUS then my Son thy humble Thoughts declare Lord if it please Thee grant thy Servant's Prayer Lord if my Action may thy Praise proclaim O bless it with thy own auspicious Name Lord if it useful or expedient be O for thy Glory bless thy Works to Me But if They hurtful to my Soul may prove Or won't my happy future State improve From Me such fond Desires Dear Lord remove Tho right and good to me my Thoughts appear They mayn't the Spirit 's sacred Impress bear And if from Spirits Good or Bad they flow For Men it 's hard it 's very hard to know Nay sometimes Flesh and Blood their Dreams may bring And eager Hopes from swelling Lusts may spring So oft deceiv'd we think those Flames Divine Which only with a faint inferiour Lustre shine If then some lovely Object strike thy Soul With pious Cares and humble Fears controul Thy eager Wishes and thy All resign To th' firm Decrees of Providence Divine Say Lord Thou knowest alone what 's best for Me May all my Works receive their Turn from Thee What when how much than wilt Dear Father give While I beneath thy Wise Directions live O do thy Pleasure with Me make Me still Advance thy Glory and observe thy Will O guide Me fix Me by thy powerful Hand And Me at large in all Estates command Thy Hand now holds Me lead Me turn Me round But let Me still in Holy Paths be found Lo I thy Servant here prepar'd and free Nor would I live Lord to my Self but Thee O may my Heart and Tongue in Heavenly Praise agree The Prayer Believer TO me O tender Jesus give
Truth improve It 's Truth I would in others find O mayn't I be my Self to Lies inclin'd From Tatling and Credulity And Words which out unguarded fly He 'll keep Himself who 'd Peace pursue And He 'll reveal Himself to few To Thee great Lord of Hearts he flies No windy Words his Soul surprize But in his Thoughts and all his Deeds He by thy sacred Will proceeds That I may keep thy Grace Divine I shan't for fond Applause design Nor vulgar Air but carefully My Soul to Life reform'd and purer Zeal apply Man bloated up with empty Praise May like a slimy Meteor blaze But soon as shooting Stars appear And fall from his exalted Sphere But who in private spends his Days Not gaining but deserving Praise He thro' his Christian Course walks all in peaceful Ways XLVI Esteeming the Reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt Christ ON Me My Son fix all thy Pains and Care For empty Words are only empty Air. If Conscience sting to mend thy Life prepare If not think what thou for thy God could'st bear Frighted with Words canst thou contend with Blows Thy selfish Thoughts thy best Resolves oppose Scar'd with Reproach Fig-leaves thy Guilt would use And with a trifling Plea thy Coward Heart excuse Look thro' thy Bosom then O search it well Close there the World and vain Affections dwell Loth to be humbled or to blush for Sin Thou show'st that World still lives and reigns within Hear Me thou 'lt all inferiour Scandal slight Tho Malice should her utmost Force excite How should they hurt thee Son despise them all They from thy Head can't make one single Hair to fall God's Fear and Wisdom scorns the World's Disgrace And sober Faith will common Fears efface I the great Judg Mens common Practice know Who bears the Injury who gives the Blow I all the Thoughts of gloomy Hearts reveal Yet from themselves the secret Test conceal While to my Sentence Guilt and Innocence appeal Mens Judgments fail but mine unchang'd remain Obscure to Fools to Men of Wisdom plain To Mine then not thy Own Decisions stand The Just unmov'd may Fate 's last Force command Unvex'd with Malice and unshock'd with Lies Not Pride but Reason is his Exercise He knows I search the Heart and try the Reins No false Appearance e're my Doom restrains What Fools as Charity and Vertue prize Casts but an ugly Shade in my severer Eyes Bel. Just Mighty Judg Dear patient Lord To me thy Faith and Strength afford Thou knowst our frail Corruptions all How short my Sense and Wisdom fall Thou knowst what 's to my Self unknown I then should thy Chastisements own Mercy to Me O Mercy show And Pardon and thy Grace bestow Thy Mercy 's more indulgent far Than all our vain Excuses are Tho not self-conscious I should be Unfit to plead my Cause with Thee Without that Mercy I and All Beneath the weighty Strokes of dismal Vengeance fall XLVII For when He is tried He shall receive the Crown of Life Christ LET not my Son those Sufferings born for Me Those Sorrows thy tyrannic Conquerors be But let my Promise strengthen comfort Thee I can beyond the largest Thoughts repay Sorrows continue but for one short Day Wait humbly and they fly on Wings away The Time shall come when all that Pain and Noise Shall cease which now thy inward Peace destroys That 's short which only Time 's short Bounds employs Up rise to work with earnest Toils regard My Vineyard then I 'll be thy great Reward Write Read Sigh Sing Pray Cease thy Passions guard Such Exercise with Manly Courage bear That glorious Crown which thou at last shalt wear More Dangers may and sharper Toils endear I see I see the blest approaching Day No Night shall its Eternal Beams allay But thee to Rest and endless Peace convey who 'll from this Load of Death deliver Me How long shall I a mournful Pilgrim be Such Cries shall never more be heard from thee Death then shall yield and Life for ever last Thy cheerful Days no Sorrow's Wormwood taste With sweet Society and Splendor grac'd O couldst Thou see the Saints immortal Crown The Saints whom sensless Worlds of old bore down Their present Honours and their vast Renown thou 'dst soon be humble scorn the Joys beneath For God's dear sake embrace approaching Death And tho by Men despis'd Celestial Honours breathe Knew'st Thou but This could this thy Heart possess thou 'dst ne'r complain but think thy Sufferings less Compar'd with thy superiour Happiness Heav'n gain'd or lost is of a vast Concern Look up then thro' the Clouds thy Lot discern Mine and my Saints advancing Glories learn We who endur'd so many Wounds of old Peace now and Joys in full Possession hold In my Eternal Father's Royal Lists enroll'd XLVIII For the Things which are seen are Temporal and the Things which are not seen are Eternal Believer O Salem with Immortal Glories light O Day for ever ever bright Free from Clouds and free from Night Where Truth 's the Sun and sheds his gladsom Rays Where he diffuses cheerful Days And the same unchanging stays Sink wretched World O Day Eternal shine That Saints may bask in Beams Divine And may their blest Lot be Mine Those Days the Saints at Rest with gladness know We find these bitter here below Full of Mischief full of Wo. We 'r here defil'd with Sins with Lusts ensnar'd With Bugbear-Dreams and Terrors har'd And with endless Dangers scar'd Wild with too curious Thoughts and Fancies vain Opprest with Errors weighty Chain Rack'd with Wants and torn with Pain Or broke with soft delights all the Tempter's train When shall these Ills be past my Soul be free From Sins extream Servility So to think Dear Lord on Thee When shall I bathe in Joys immortal Springs And free from wretched Worldly Things Mount on Freedom's airy Wings When shall my Peace be solid full secure And firm on every side endure And my Saviour's Smiles procure When Lord shall I thy Kingdom 's Glories fee And make Thee all in all to Me And for ever reign with Thee Now I a poor a banish'd Wretch appear And now a thousand Sorrows bear While by Foes surrounded here Ah to an Exile Lord some Comfort give From Woes ray wretched Heart retrieve For in Thee my Wishes live Earth's Comforts are uneasy Weights to Me I long Dear Lord I pant for Thee Ah how ineffectually Dull Earth wild Passions check my Towring Soul When I 'd the lower World controul Lust alas subdues Me whole Thus Civil Wars distract my tortur'd Breast My Mind by Rebel Lusts opprest Loses all its private Rest How great 's my Torment while my Mind aspires To Heav'n but Carnal base Desires Quench the sacred rising Fires O don't in Wrath thy wretched Servant view But with thy pointed Shafts pursue And my struggling Lusts subdue Give Me but Wisdom I 'll the World deny And those Ideas vain
here if thou 'dst to Glory rise Take up the Cross if Thou with Me wouldst reign Those who embrace the Cross shall Life's pure Light obtain Believer Dear Jesus since to walk with Thee I by the World despis'd and crush'd must be Teach Me to scorn the World teach Me to cleave to Thee Servants beneath their Masters are And must to suffer with their Lords prepare Life from thy precious Life O let thy Servant share What e're abroad I read or hear Refreshments all in that and noblest Joys appear Christ My Son since Thou so much hast heard and known That Knowledg O with holy Practice crown He loves Me best who knows and keeps my Will His Soul I 'll with endearing Glories fill And He shall reign with Me on Sion's sacred Hill Believ Holy Jesus Dearest Lord O perform thy sacred Word See! The Cross I gladly bear Since thy Hand has laid it here Thence my better Life shall rise It 's my Guide to Paradise Lord I 'll bear it I 'll endure it Never never Lord abjure it Believ Forward Brethren let us move Jesus now our Guide will prove For his sake the Cross we bear For his sake we 'll persevere He 's our Captain he will aid us And thro' greatest Dangers lead us Come let 's boldly march behind him We in greatest Straits shall find him While our Duties we deny not While from Wars with Hell we fly not LVII Count it all Joy when Ye fall into divers Temptations Christ I Son in humble Patience more delight Those Vertues which a World of Woes excite Than all that brisk Devotion which appears In warm Professors in their calmer Years Thy Soul why should a petty Scandal tear Which should unmov'd the greatest Scandal bear Fie let it pass It 's not the first or last Life must a thousand sharper Potions taste Thou' rt brave and canst couragious Thoughts diffuse While like a Hand the distant Danger shews But when a sudden Storm o're-spreads the Skies Thy Wit and Courage sinks and faints and dies Think then how frail thou art how soon subdu'd To make thee wiser yet such Tests are oft renew'd Thou know'st the Truth then wretched Fears disdain And uninvolv'd thou may'st thy Lot sustain The Test with Joy at least with Patience bear Repress thy Passions let not others hear One Word unfitting from thy Lips proceed Lest such in weaker Souls should scandal breed Grace will both Woes and inward Lust resist And as I live I 'll soon thy Soul assist With new and greater Comforts visit Thee If Thou with faithful Prayers devoutly call on Me. Gird Thee to Sufferings with an easy Mind Temptations oft in their Effects are kind No God no Angel Thou but Flesh and Blood And since nor Man nor purer Angels stood Not these in Heaven nor those in Paradise Some crafty Sin thy Vertues may surprize But I the Mourning Soul can raise and those Who their own Frailties know with Godlike Joys compose Bel. Thy Words are sweeter Lord to Me Than dropping Hony-combs can be What should I do in Straits and Woes Did not thy Word thy Thoughts compose O may I suffer all things here May I a thousand Tempests bear If I at last my Port may gain If I may endless Life obtain O let Me in thy Favours die Let Me to Abraham's Bosom fly Thy Servant Dearest God respect And to thy Kingdom 's Joys thro' peaceful Ways direct LVIII How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Christ MY Son dispute not of that Gloom profound Those Deeps which my obscurer Ways surround Ask not why God that Man to Glory chose Why This to Hell's dark Flames rejected goes Why That should under long Afflictions groan And This exalted mount the sacred Throne These things all humane Sense surpass nor can Man's short-lin'd Sense unfathomable Judgments span If Hell then or if impious Men disclose A curious Humour thus their Dreams oppose God must be just and all his Judgments right Clear are his Judgments and his Justice bright My Ways are to be fear'd not vainly scann'd Nor can created Sense beneath the dreadful Burden stand Ask not what Grace was on the Saints bestow'd Who reigns the Greatest near their smiling God Dispute not what their Interests are above Nor seek by them to gain their Maker's Love Some fondly dote on those extinguish'd Lights Such Love not Heaven but Hellish Art excites Turn all thy Thoughts thy zealous Loves on Me I rais'd the Saints to their supream degree To them my strong effectual Grace was free I not Desert their Heads with Honours crown'd Their Weakness my preventing Graces found I knew them e're this World from nothing rose And them before its first Foundations chose They chose not Me but I by pity mov'd Them thro' corrupted Nature's horrors lov'd And by Afflictions surest Test improv'd With Comforts blest and Perseverance too And crown'd their Faith at last with promis'd Glories due The First the Last alike I kindly know And Love alike on all their Souls bestow I only in my Saints am justly prais'd In Them my Name above the Stars is rais'd While Poor Unactive Undeserving They Meer Objects of unbounded Mercy lay Love made 'um ONE made 'um Lights to Thee And to be follow'd where they closely follow'd Me. Saints but instruct Thee in thy Duty still I not themselves their vast Affections fill Rapt high above themselves they ever prove Unbounded Blisses and unbounded Love They live unchang'd while Truth their Souls invests And holy Flames enlarge their heavenly Breasts They serve Me only and in that should be Loves and Devotions Patterns to the World Thee It 's not thy Work with curious Art to pry Into the Mystick Secrets of the Sky What Saints departed do concerns not Thee Thy Vows thy Honours all belong to Me. Think how thy Sins in Bulk and Number rise How little Goodness in thy Bosom lies How far Thou mayst of their Attainments fail Who now on Joy's unstormy Ocean sail But don 't to them for Grace or Aids repair I only aid the Poor I only answer Prayer Could They alas thy vain Devotions hear They'd ne'r those misappli'd Devotions bear They know they merit nothing nor can do What foolish Men with foolish Vows pursue They love their God their Joys unbounded flow Nor happier by misguided Worship grow Before my Feet their starry Crowns they lay To him who ever lives submisly pray And to the spotless Lamb their Adorations pay Don't in those lightsom Realms at Greatness aim Thy Merits can't the smallest Favours claim Thy Sins thy weighty Sins would sink thee down And wouldst thou thoughtless Wretch deserve a Crown First be a Child in harmless Innocence From that low State thy happy Days commence Be humble first and leave the rest to Me Vast as thy largest Hopes thy vast Reward shall be Wo to those haughty Souls who scorn to be Harmless as Babes and yet pretend to Me Heaven's Gates