ELIZA'S BABES OR THE Virgins-Offering BEING Divine Poems and Meditations Written by a LADY who onely desires to advance the glory of GOD and not her own LONDON Printed by M. S. for Laurence Blaiklock and are to be sold at his Shop neer the Middle-Temple Gate 1652. TO MY SISTERS LOoke on these Babes as none of mine For they were but brought forth by me But look on them as they are Divine Proceeding from Divinity To the READER WHen first the motion came into my minde that these Babes of mine should be sent into the world I would faine have supprest that motion for divers reasons which may be imagined by them that shall read them But especially by those that knew my disposition But rising one day from my Devotions it was suggested to my consideration that those desires were not given me to be kept in private to my self but for the good of others And if any unlike a Christian shall say I wrote them for mine owne glory I like a Christian will tell them I therefore sent them abroad for such a strict union is there betwixt my deare God and mee that his glory is mine and mine is his and I will tell them too I am not asham'd of their birth for before I knew it the Prince of eternall glory had affianced mee to himselfe and that is my glory And now to all such shall I direct my speech whose brave spirits may carry them to high desires Place not your affections in your Youth beneath your selves but if you would be happy on earth and enjoy these outward blessings with free and lawfull contentment bestow your first affections on my Almighty Prince I would have you all love him and him to love you all I being his must doe as he will have mee and methinks hee directs me to tell you that you shall never bee happy on Earth nor glorious in Heaven if you doe not love him above all earthly things More I must tell you that if you will dedicate to his service and present into his hands your wealth witt spirit youth beauty he will give you wealth if lesse more usefull your witt more pure your spirit more high and transcendent and your youth and beauty which time will steale from you or some malignant disease with paine rend from you them he will lay up awhile for you and returne them againe for eternity with great advantage And that you need not doubt of the certainety of what is told you they that tell it you have found part of it true and shall the rest I cannot be content to be happy alone I wish you all blessed too nor can I smother up those great and infinite blessings that I have received from him with private thankes That Great Prince of Heaven and Earth proclaimed by Angels that he was come into the world to shew his good will and love to mee was here content to dye a publique death for me to save me from a Hell of misery in which I lay and should have layen bad not he the Prince of Peace and the fairest and chiefest among the sons of men shed his most precious and royal blood for mee and before he dyed be left word that I should not feare for it was his great and glorious Fathers will to bestow on us a Kingdome And was so great a Prince not ashamed to avow so great affection and love to mee and shall I be ashamed to returne him publique thankes for such infinite and publique favours No I will not but with all my minde heart and soule I blesse and praise my Almighty God for so great benefits bestowed on me his unworthy servant Methinks it is not enough for my self onely to doe it but I must send out my Babes to doe it with mee and for me And if any shall say others may be as thankefull as shee though they talk not so much of it Let them know that if they did rightly apprehend the infinite mercies of God to them they could not be silent And if they doe not thinke the mercies of God worth publique thankes I doe and therefore I will not be ashamed to be that one in ten that returned to acknowledge himselfe a cleansed Leaper And now my Babes some may say to you unlesse you had been more curiously drest or more finely shap'd your Mother might have kept you in obscurity Tell them I sent you to their more learned and refined wits to forme you to a more curious shape and tyre you in a more inticing dress But this I will say for you You want none of your limbs and your cloaths are of rich materials I dare not say I am loth to let you goe Go you must to praise him that gave you me And more I le say for you which few Mothers can you were obtained by vertue borne with ease and pleasure and will live to my content and felicity And so Adieu But stay Something you may truly say for your own imperfections and your Mothers excuse That some of you were borne when herself was but a child but My joy my blisse my happy Story In Heaven is writ and that 's my Glory Psalme 56. Vers 10. I Glory in the word of God To praise it I accord With joy I will declare abroad The goodness of the Lord. All you that goodness doe disdaine Goe read not here And if you doe I tell yon plaine I doe not care For why above your reach my soule is plac'st And your odd words shall not my minde distaste And when you read these lines mistake not a Divine affection for a Poeticall fancy for I affect not to express my fancy but I would have my fancy express my affection The Invocation Come Sacred Muse to mee this day And ever here make you a stay Within the closet of my brest For I with thee doe finde great rest My sweet Companion here thou art Dear Lord Let it not from me part From thee this gift I did receive To thee the same I doe bequeath Aspire aspire my minde aspire From earthly things unto the higher Set not thy minde on base desires But thinke upon the heavenly Quires Of Angels sweet that singing be And still the face of God doe see Admiring much his wisedome great And glorious sweetnesse of his seat Then hie my Soule to that sweet place Where glory is with mirth and grace The Request Come sweet Spirit expell my feare Assure me that thou hast a care Of me and of my giddy youth Assure me of it still for Truth That thy Spirit shall me direct And that thy power shall me protect Then shall my spirit be at rest And with sweet thoughts my soule be blest When that I know thou lovest me And that my youth shall guided be By that Spirit that doth dispose All for the happinesse of those The which be servants unto thee Blest be thy Name that so made mee The Answer HIs Spirit much thou dost desire
He sees the wanton glances of your eye Think with your selfe and then you will refraine You both your self and your great Lord defame I wonder how you can this vain world love â—f you did forget your heaven above 〈◊〉 in your ill unlawfull actions live â—â—r God doth freely all things to you give â—ve you but constant to his love and true 〈◊〉 things are lawfull to be us'd by you The Curse 〈◊〉 thou detainst my right from me 〈◊〉 never will wish worse to thee â—ou ill enough hast in thy selfe 〈◊〉 right to thee will prove an Elf. 〈◊〉 Angels will be good to mee â—t Devils they will prove to thee Metamorphis strange I see â—gels with me Devils with thee â—us while I wish no ill to thee â—ith what I have God will blesse me â—nd will with what thou dost detain â—t thee to a most hellish paine This on my Tombe shall written bee When I in Glory am with thee â—Ain mortals you thinke I am dead You are deceiv'd for I am fled Into that Kingdome I did chuse When as the earth I did refuse And I in glory now am plac'st And with a Crowne in Heaven am grac'st My soul in fair bright Robes doth shine My Lord methinks they 'r like to thine Which in the Mountain did appear Glorious shining bright and clear On marriage LOrd if thou hast ordain'd for me That I on earth must married be As often I have been foretold Be not thy will by me contrould And if my heart thou dost incline Children to have Lord make them thine Or never let 't be said they 'r mine I shall not like what 's not divine I no ambition have for earth My thoughts are of a higher birth The Souls sweet Babes do bring no pain And they immortalize the name The Gift MY Lord hast thou given me away Did I on earth for a gift stay Hath he by prayer of thee gain'd me Who was so strictly knit to thee To thee I onely gave my heart Wouldst thou my Lord from that gift part I know thou wouldst deliver me To none but one belov'd by thee But Lord my heart thou dost not give Though here on earth while I doe live My body here he may retain My heart in heaven with thee must reigne Then as thy gift let him thinke me â—ith I a donage am from thee And let him know thou hast my heart â—e onely hath my earthly part â—t was my glory I was free And subject here to none but thee And still that glory I shall hold If thou my Spirit dost infold It is my blisse I here serve thee T is my great joy thou lovest mee The choice of my Friend PRay tell the world I did chuse thee Cause thou aspir'st to heaven with mee I did not chuse for earthly state But ' cause thou seem'st base earth to hate It was not earth my love did merit 'T was a high and heavenly spirit Thus with heaven I did decree That such a one my friend should be And while our spirits doe aspire To heaven I have my hearts desire And still methinks I am yet free We living both great God in thee The change Great God! HOw hast thou chang'd my thoughts in me For when I thought to be a wise I then did think troubled to be Because I saw most live in strife But thou a husband hast given me Whose sweet discretion doth direct And orders all things so for me As if of heaven he were elect To take all trouble quite from me That earths possession here doth bring And so doth leave me quite to thee Thy praises here to sit and sing Promise Performed MY Lord thou hast perform'd most free What in thy word thou promis'd me That if thy Kingdome first sought wee All things on earth should added bee Thou hast giv'n me earth water aire And heavenly fire which is more rare That heavenly flame thou hast sent me To offer up the earth to thee And if thou pleasest them to take I willingly shall them forsake I 'le not be loth to give to thee What of thy bounty thou gav'st me Plenty thou hast great God in store And if thou please canst give me more If earth thou tak'st and heaven giv'st me A gainer yet I much shall bee Not a Husband though never so excelling in goodness to us must detaine our desires from Heaven MY heart I finde upon her wings Ready to flee from earthly things But that the vertue lives in thee On earth a while retaineth me Not that of life I weary am For what on earth here wish I can From heavens great Prince receive I doe I must most freely tell to you Great blessings from him I injoy And with him I have no annoy Yet these must not retaine my heart Another of me claims his part To heavens great prince I must away No love on earth here must me stay He lent me but awhile to you And now I must bid you adieu My Descent IF any one thinke meane of me 'T is cause they doe not my birth see I did descend from a great King And an Immortall God did spring I 'me daughter to the King of Kings And must contemn base earthly things To heaven's great Prince he married me And now my linage you may see And while I mean am in your eye I often to my glory flye And with my great Prince do abide Where placed by his blessed side With heavenly blisse methinks I 'me crown'd His glorious beams do me surround Where I set and hear the story Of my Prince and see his glory To my Husband WHen from the world I shall be tane And from earths necessary paine Then let no blacks be worne for me Not in a Ring my dear by thee But this bright Diamond let it be Worn in rememberance of me And when it sparkles in your eye Think 't is my shadow passeth by For why more bright you shall me see Then that or any Gem can bee Dress not the house with sable weed As if there were some dismall deed Acted to be when I am gone There is no cause for me to mourn And let no badge of Herald be The signe of my Antiquity It was my glory I did spring From heavens eternall powerfull King â—o his bright Palace heir am I. â—is his promise hee 'l not lye â—y my dear Brother pray lay me 〈◊〉 was a promise made by thee â—nd now I must bid thee adieu â—or I 'me a parting now from you My Bill of thanks to Mr. C. THough my words rare thou dost not finde Might not God be prais'd by my minde The heart not phrase God doth esteem To him my heart in them are seen Let men like God my words not minde In them a thankfull heart they finde To praise him is my souls intent For his great blessings he hath sent You said at the end of my dayes God would them bring out to my praise My own praise I regard it
all his fighting Souldiers victorious Conquerors and at the length he will take them up into a Triumphant chariot of glory to raigne with him as Kings in his Kingdome of immortall felicity where he will place on their head a Crown of eternall glory On ECCLES 9.7 Goe eat thy bread with joy c. MY Dear Lord with what a sweet and pleasing object this morning hast thou presented mine eyes that they may deliver it to my heart for to my heart thou art pleas'd to speak it and if any shall aske if that message was sent to me I will aver it was for they who by the hand of faith lay hold on the promises of God are and shall be partakers of those promises My hand presented that object to mine eyes mine eyes delivered it to my heart my heart took hold of it by the hand of faith so that I may confidently say It belongs both to Soul and body And now methinks I hear my God saying to me Go But some may say Goe is a word of separation and so he will say to those that shall for ever be debar'd of his happy presence but yet to me he sayes Go but it is not from him but with him to that blessed place from which Adam fell and I am sure it is not from him but with him for from him is hell but here is joy and gladnesse to my heart and delicacy of cloathing and in his presence is the fulnesse of joy and at his right hand is life everlasting But did I say it is to that place from which Adam fell my thoughts then hover'd too neer the earth it is to heaven my God bids me goe with him for I must eat my bread with joy and drink my wine with a merry heart and let my garments be alwayes white and my head must want no odoriserous oyntment for God accepts thy workes My Lord When I consider that those words were spoken to those whose works thou acceptest My confidence is somewhat shaken whether or no those words were spoken to me for thou art a God of pure eyes and canst not behold iniquity I am a creature unclean defil'd with originall and actuall sin How then canst thou O God accept my workes for unclean hands defile what they touch But stagger not my soul nor doubt for now to my memory is presented that to the house of David was a fountain set open for sin and for uncleannesse Hast thee thither my soul that thou maist be clean for thou needst not doubt but that fountain belongs to thee for from eternity by election wert thou affianc'd to him that was to be the immortall son of David and so thou being of his linage the priviledge of that fountain must belong to thee yea my Soule thou hast heard himselfe cry out If any thirst let him come to him and drinke and out of him shall flow rivers of living water I wil not stay but will hast and run to thee O blessed fountain of life and I will drinke abundantly of that desired water that shall make me capable of so great a blisse and purge me clean from my actuall and originall pollutions so that my God may accept my works and I goe with confidence to eat my bread and drinke my wine with a merry heart But stay my Soul dost thou thinke to run to heaven in a full career of felicity and pleasure thou canst not but remember that the servants of God have eaten the bread of affliction and drunke the wine of astonishment and mingled their drinke with their tears this was their portion heretofore I confesse it was so but I finde in this message at now which cals to my minde that there was a time when I could not do so for when I lay polluted in the deformity of my sins and had my hands foul with the poison of mine iniquities 't is no wonder if then our bread be the bread of affliction and our wine the wine of astonishment and how can we chuse but mingle our drinke with our tears when we feed our selves with those hands which we have washt in poison how can we chuse but thinke that that bread must end us here and carry us from a fearfull life in this world to be tormented in a hideous place of misery for ever Onâ—y God! How can they either eat or drink with contentment who have not first sought out that fountaine wherein they may wash themselves clean from that dreadfull poison But my Soul have heard thee â—ay thou wouldst hast to that pure stream and wash thee cleane from thine iniquities and thou being clean maist now goe and possesse those free liberties My Soul Thou must now flee to heaven and there eat that living bread and drinke that wine of life which cannot be taken but with excessive joy so that out of them shall flow rivers of living waters springs of joy shall rise in thee and streams of thanks and praise shall flow from thee to thy dear God for his infinite blessings these will be to thee rivers of life And from heaven my soul maist thou take those white garments with which thou maist always be cloath'd for his garments were white and glistering then aske for those robes of purity that are his for thou maist be sure thou shalt obtaine and being cloath'd in those garments thou needst not fear thou sholdst ever be found naked or unseemly drest for thou shalt be gloriously habited because God will make thy righteousnes in him as clear as the light and thy just dealing as the noon day and now my Soul thou loving and desiring those garments of righteousnesse needst not fear that thy head shall want any precious ointment for if thou with and in that great King lovest right and hatest iniquity God even thy God will annoint thee with the oyle of gladnes And now my Soul Thou seest the priviledges that are presented to thee in this speech but thou saidst ere-while it belonged to thy body too I confesse it did but my thoughts were so taken up with the consideration of the infinite felicity of my Soul that I had almost forgot my body and truly did not she accord to the action of my Soul and desire with her onely to be happy by the priviledges that adhere to her by reason of my Soul I would never seek to content her nor regard any priviledges that belongs to her but she is an assenting companion to my Soul and an instrument to convey the promises of God to her and shall hereafter be a perfect glorious companion with her in eternall blisse I will now regard the priviledges that belong to her in this message And though I thought thaâ— place from which Adam fell too mean for the felicity oâ— my Soul yet for my body it is a place sufficiently considerable and seeing the benefits that were lost by the first Adam are all with many more restor'd to thee by the second My body thou