not step out 'T is unbeleeving pride proud faithlesnesse 'S the bitter roote of all unhappinesse Looke on the humble-and-beleeving man He will be happy doe you what you can Below he lies the while he flies above Th' great'st evills and sweets the bitterest in love Still may I Act my God-adoring faith Not heare what sinne or sinfull sorrow saith Up up above I am out of the reach Of what in pact in peace will make a breach The cause once known the Cure's halfe done th' disease Exactly tane away the Symptomes cease Being as co-transient as co-incident Faith knowes no sinne nor humblenesse male-content Perverse and faithlesse faithlesse and perplext 'S the combination of the holy Text. A generation of perversenesses In whom's no faith no men of blessednesses Were they implanted in my pleasant rivers And suckt th' sweets m' All-abounding Name delivers Liberall to thirsty soules cu'd they the while Thus feeding runne to th' dry and barren soile Cry out for any want but want of care To keepe them fatting on Angely fare To stretch their wider branches to receive More of my fulnesse in more fruitfull leaves Happy happy soules indeed big with delight Knowne of and knowing the Lord what lust m' excite Him sit nay stand nay walke i' th' wayes of folly What blacke event becloud with melancholy Pure candid limpid quicke pellucid spirits Streame from the lively fountaine well demerits The honour o' th' parent grace Why 's living man Whose life is joy so sorrowfull what can What reas'n deject him man suffers for his sinne Which faith not suffering let 's no suff'rings in For while it comes to God it turnes from evill That found this left why troubled at words of divels But wary indigning simpathizing hearts Are Agents in their sweetly-played parts I le boldly say 't if truth say true So farre untoward so farre a Jew Untoward froward faith I can as well While melt in love gainst love rebell Untoward froward faith I can as well While blesse in heaven banne in hell Heare then the summe of Christian art Keepe faith in all things Acting's part Faith's onely where it lives and where it lives 'Ts the spirit the paire of nerves that motion gives To every action the man the worke is dead Is sinne where this is not the heart the head FOnd man in those first loynes himselfe unblest Fled from his nest cou'd never since find rest Now soares above now headlong fall's below That place-uncircumcised Being O That faith wou'd hold me still above my feare And feare below my pride Durst I presume To blesse my selfe my selfe unblessed doome Wer 't thou my feare great God how soone I 'd start Abhorre runne farre from this div'l swolen heart Aspires thy Throne in envious discontent To doe it's homage to thy regiment My wanton head wu'd it more Babells plot To reach forbidden fruite my froward heart not Rejoyce in all thy wills my stubborne hand Not quickly act thy soveraigne commands This head heart hand this all that first wu'd Thee Their Maker governe e're they 'd humble be Wert thou my trust shud I still sow the wind And reape the whirlewind tangle teare my mind With thorny cares such tireing circuits fetch To rake the Mammon makes me more a wretch Contrive a wisedome that thou never taughtst Create Chimaeras flocks of monstrous thoughts Headlesse conceipts that hold not of thy Christ The head the whole where all our worth 's compris'd Resolve upon an happinesse of mine owne Though by 't my happinesse be quite o're throwne Pitch such an height of learning unto which I will attaine what e're come on it itch After vaine applause be eminent or none Have what I will or else let all alone Silly-proud-childish-obstinate-God-denying else How madly lost when fondly sought my selfe How faithlesse pride the brainessets on the wracks While fretting grief the heart-strings gnawes and cracks Were God thy ayme thy stay this ne're wu'd neede H' accepts the doing will for th' willing deede How hard and yet how easie now I worke To please my Saviour sav'd me from the Turke My tireing Tyrant selfe expects the tale Of toylosome Brickes though time straw strength shu'd faile I will be rich will honors pleasures have Saith selfe or else I le venter on the grave But who pursues these riches honors pleasures He knownes not Christ his Alsufficient Treasures How easie is thy yoake thy burthen light When with selfe world divell mandates I them tight The faith that once of God hath got a taste Loves not the world so well to fall for hast But takes his time meanes measure manner kinde As willinger to be without were so his minde Whose manifold wisedome shewes its mighty power To keepe the soule whom neither th' golden showre O' th' glittering'st goods the cheating world can tender Nor th' bitting'st siege fiercest shots can make surrender And wherein faith most bravely hath acquitted 'T selfe 's not told so easily as pertinently omitted Since then the evill heart is to depart From thee and to depart from Thee 's the heart Of unbeleefe put in this faithfull feare Then shu'd I still be good because still here All blisse is in Thy presence th' evill heart 'S in evill case cause 't will from Thee depart Evill departs fares ill and all because This fearelesse unbeliefe not tends Thy lawes Stampt on the heart in golden Carracters Of ne're defaced loves and thence transfers Its thoughts to trash puts forth its hand to folly Th' luscious fare's resolv'd in t ' adust melancholly Fond fearelesse faithlesse man n'er findes his rest Runnes from his mercy least he shu'd be blest Then let thy feare fall and incompasse me From this false world while faith makes upward flie Thus both made one in love this faithfull feare Translates my soule to its celestiall Spheare To rest from th' labour I to 'th utmost doe And sing 't along ' cause thou wu't bring me through So gives he his beloved rest sweet sleepe Amidst the sprightly est activitie dost keep My spirits in reposed freshnesse while Th' world breakes their sleepe head heart with vaine turmoile Worke out salvation with a trembling feare Give love its perfect worke 't will cast out feare Th' excrementitious humours thus expeld Th' implanted spirit of faith's communion's held The better with the gracious love that sweetly feedes O' th' purer Pabulum of humble deeds 1 Joh. 3.9 CUd'st thou induce th' proposall t' vouchsafe a touch Unto the stateliest to yes the fairest moile The richest dâ—â—â—â—gerie what brave indignation'd boyle In that Heroick breast while thou sha't see The imminent Crowne of such an eminencie Surround thee in a glorious compasse hath no end Of time nor place but shud'st thou not intend Thy heedie faith but th' glancingst squint-eye lend From him to painted lies how soone thou d'st mend O how thy bowell's'd turne within thee with A sweete regret to think thy father seeth Cou'dst thou now sinne while such a
bayes are these thy brags They have no Grandeur to amuse My free-borne spirits scorne to choose What so inadequate will prove Unto the Heavenly vastnesse of my Love Nor when I see thee crosse my way Arm'd in thy terrors to essay Me with fell browes and felling blowes Canst make me stoope to thy dispose there 's no such amiablenesse appeares T' attract the sweetnesse of my feares So canst not play the Cheater nor The Thiefe I thus provided for Nor have I time nor strength t' attend Thy gaudy trifles nor to lend An eare unto thy trifling threats Whilst such a fearefull-Love compleats It selfe by growing more One in One My busied thoughts o're-whelm'd alone In my exceeding Great Reward My Buckler and my shielding Guard Whos 's Sunne-amasing bright aspects Majestique Grace Inf'nt protects Omnipotent Benignities Eternall favours my soule n're sees But wonder-struck it panting lies For life to live before those eyes Whose every glance conveies such sparkes As all created beauties darkes And wholly makes my loving feare Injoy th'inliv'ning dyings there Breaking through every object to Th'great Love with whom I have to doe That fires out mixtures while he warmes Pure hearts in 's purifying armes Trampling on worlds with all their force And fraud that strive to stop my course There lie thou sprawling feare and there Disheartned love so proudly'd dare T' usurp the name belongs to One Doth both as you yourselves oppone Let vulgar men have vulgar mindes Let false feare kill while fond love blindes Let vulgar men have vulgar mindes Move crosse and stumbling lie behinde Unenterfairing even pac't Affections smoothl'each other hast And me on them as the same feet O' th' same Heaven-journying soul to meet The same desire one blessed God Who ne'r made passions be at ods BUt Sin and Satan fear'st not them No no nor them they can't condemne Me that must be the Higher powre Whose feare their feare doth over-powre Why shu'd I so disgrace my Birth A piece of Heaven-inspired Earth Shall I degenerate from my Birth And to base feares resign my Mirth No 't is not them I feare but Him Whose love will never lose a limbe I conflict with a conquer'd foe Wh'hath only strength enough to show The stronger over ruling hand Subjecting All things to'ts command I 'le wary cautions active be And so my feare from feare shall free Give me no feare but that which meets In hearty joyes and honved sweets A well compos'd Ingredient To make the more compleat content A pure a cleane a cleansing sound Strong strengthning healthy feare whose ground Is Love is Faith a hopefull feare A feare of great delight 's my feare Sweet feare How oft I 'd name thee ere I 'd let thee goe who art so neare So deare unto my heart Sweet feare That mak'st such Musick in mine eare That feast'st me with such royall cheare Such heavenly fare the while I heare Thee say the King my Father 's here The King my Husband 's come to beare Me company to solace me W'th all manner o' pleasants hid for me Unworthy me to sup and dine To banquet with me with the wine The generous wine repleats my soule With raised spirits above th'controule Of men and divles while humbly waite On th' gratious Councels that impart So glad a course of watchfull worke T' avoid the sad temptations lurke About m'in every corner and Hath promis't me hee 'l ever stand Close by me wi'h's ne'r slumbring eye Ne'r shortned Arm that can espie That can prevent thought he so good Evill's at th'great'st distance but he wu'd Have them approach assault to try How much of that great God may lie In such a little piece of flesh What mighty powre he can expresse B' a broken contrite heart what high What unconceiv'd delights defie The highest-aspiring griefe and scorn T' be over-reached overborn By'ts cruell Talons but still soare Their Heaven-securing flights as more Advanced b' its pursuits while still Resolve t' be uppermost will-nill All th' ravenous griefes and Harpy feares Though th'hugest terriblest flock appeares Sweet feare still sweet And have I met Thy name again Though counterfeit That wu'd betray me while I let The feigned sound have entrance yet As error proved makes the truth More lovely so its falshood doth Thy faithfull friendship while I finde They 're purposely of him design'd These hid as well as open foes That may th' sagacity disclose That with the courage lies inclos'd In this my faithfull feare repos'd In that All-powerfull breast Sweet feare Wise Valiant feare still may I feare Yet never feare to lose thee feare Thy misse but not thy losse may heare May see as well as know thou art A constant lodger in my heart While still thou art in exercise Of some sage puissant enterprize Still watchest prayest workest wait'st Still fight'st still beat'st thy way through straights Sweet feare how oft I 'd name thee er'e I 'd let thee goe who art so neare So deare unto my soul sweet feare That mak'st such Musick in mine eare Well make it still within my heart VVe'r still together though we part Il faut avoir Courage iusques apres la mort THe shrill mouth'd Trumpet and the ratling Drum The clattering armour and the quivering Speare Swords glittering Canons roaring these become The Spirit that 's steel'd with Faith not bar'd with feare The smell of sulphure and the sight of blood The sence of wounds of death the heart yet good Thus muster up thy forces day by day Thus fight before thou fight'st this is the way To carry it sure put on thy Panoplie Arm'd Capapea thy proudest foe defie What need'st thou Christian feare maintain the field God is thy Shield Tower Captain never yeeld Or fear'st thou more the fiery darts of men Then divles these quench't shall those affright thee and when Thou shu'dst be bold because thou art afraid In weaknesse God his power is perfect made HAst seen the Hunter hurry down like thunder Headlong descents beare up the steepest Crag Leap hedge and ditch cut gates and bars asunder Break through the thickets plunder through the Quags Scowre o're the Hillocks flie it o're the Plaines Out-face the windes laugh at the storming raines Forget his hunger envy not the Bryars His clothes his flesh wi'h's Steed undaunted prance Through lonely Heaths perplexed Woods never tyres But on still on he rides and if he chance To get a fall leaps nimbly up again And makes the ground to feel's more swift disdain Thus fired with courage nought but feare refraines Thus sports in 's perils pleasures in his paines Up Heaven-bred heart up This 't is doth demerit The exercise of thine Heroique spirit Shall that brave breast recoile what what temptation Dismaies the man whose danger 's recreation How his resisted soule will reinforce It selfe and take new valour to its course Through all he breakes downe all he beares o're all He flies his saith is further'd by his fall For what his
we ENough Lord July 1640. Mercy enough take my life from me I better than my Fathers No s'bad I 'd die Were I left only Yet were I still with Thee But I 'm so fickle s'inconstant one while I Conquer Philistims break through all but then My strength is gone and I 'm like other men 〈…〉 renew'd and now had I 〈…〉 I 'd so imploy 〈…〉 â—ation Go their 〈…〉 Exalts it self above the highest Throne And sweeps down Stars whose lustre hath outshone Their artificiall Fires and made their Light Appeare th'ditch-plunging Vapours of the Night Lull'd were wee fast asleep while they Us shave But in thy Name wee 'le valiantly behave Our selves wee 've strength an t'spare wee 'le be more be Than Conquerours yea shortly on Them see Wh'have long depriv'd us of our sight and made Us grinde the grist keeps up the Romish Trade And now wee'z make them sport but such as makes Them and their Conclave feele their Downfall shakes Down down it goes this Lordly Machination On their own Lordlesse hearts this reputation Have all His Saints let not the vision be Prolonged Lord. When when shall I once see These Cockatrices Egges These Spiders webbs Crush't and swept down This Flood even now it ebbs While't more Rebellion then the Ocean sounds That curbs its proud Waves by its Makers bounds Is'nt th'Myst'ry of Iniqu'tie's Measure found Orerunning th'brim strik 't strik 't and throw 't to th' ground O when 's That 's Shortly Thou't under our feete contrite All desperate haters of Thy holy Might SWell on proud Toad and with thy swelling burst Spit venome still I 've m'Antidote How say'st I can't indur't Nor He thee thou accur'st That blest the meek I wonder how thou pray'st Thy Will be done What Wu't th' prerogative 'S His Glory To none other will He give A Touch a Pin a Word a Look make such a brable But brought on Bed thy self-will never eas'd Gi'th'Child its will give the Fool its bable And who more pleasant The devill 's well when Hee 's pleas'd But whose of God is pleas'd when He 's not well His Will 's his Pleasure and his own 's his Hell NO feare not Thou for Thou dost Jesus seek Meek righteous soul to make thee righteous meek Feare nothing nothing else but Him who can Yet cannot ' cause he will not hurt a Man A man of God whose single watchfull eye Heart minde strength might joy time doth all imploy In all Commands with all their due extents And sweetly still the humble soule relents And drooping dropping dropping in his breast will cry Ah wretch't unprofitable servant I O blest and profitable servant Thou Rewarded with th'All powerfull God and how How canst thou feare wh'hast Him who all things made Feare not He bids then feare to be afraid Feare not the Lion but the way watch pray He 'd keep th'in his who keeps His in their way THat feare and love is good and great That Goodnesse feares and Greatnesse loves Good for a slave may feare a threat And every rascall money moves Great the greatest feare from * Miserimum est fuisse foelicem Sin-and misery is as it is to Holinesse-and Happinesse Had not they first been we had never known these It is the full and feeling apprehension of their irrecoverable losse that makes Hell Hell to the wicked And the feare of their indiscoverable obscuring that makes feare feare to the godly In this so far exceeding that of the ungodly that the feare of the one ariseth from the losse of God of the other from the losse of themselves an infinitely sweet and gratious God a poore petty contemptible worm The soule of the one widened in the great vast apprehensions of the incomprehensible simplicity of God of the other shrunk up shrivelled in the strait narrow bounds of its own welfare That being a feare of Love the workings whereof are stronger than Death this of hatred that shall be kept under the power of Eternall Death That being that which draws the soul insinitely after him bindes it indissolvably to him makes it dwell everlastingly in him who is Love all Love and in whom is no hatred at all This that which contracts it into it self in a straight and scanty compasse carries it off makes it flie and keep at a distance from him who is Heaven while they are flying from Hell There being nothing that laies a stronger ingagement on the soule than Love and therefore nothing that doth more intend and increase the affections conducible to its preservation Which did an Arminian feele he would never exclaime against free Grace and absolute Predestination as a doctrine of sinfull liberty but rather as I may call it against forc't Grace and dependant Predestination The feares cares worries of the slave and mercenary beginning and ending in himselfe he not labouring out of a single eye but as seeing the whip and lash over his head the messe of Pottage at his hand while the adopted Son that lives at his Fathers Court and is ascertained of the Inheritance can as well qua talis as such whose heart is so enlarged and carryed forth in the sence of divine joyes and loves indure any the least aberration from its Fathers good pleasure as he that hearing him bespeake him with such like kinde compellations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my deare my precious Son the childe of my kisses my pleasant embracings for whose trouble my bowels are troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on whom in tender mercy I will have tendes everlastingly tender mercie c. can chuse but be affected with the most quick and ready concord of bowels the most passionately stirring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most Son-like givings givings up of soule and consequently acted with a more than manlike feare care working to be ever ever pleasing such a Father such a God to whom he findes it so good to draw to be so neare Losse doth rise Heroicque spirits catch not flies HOw full of sweetnesse is my foule While in this boundlesse Ocean 't roules 'T selfe in concurring floods of Blisse Where meets in One what ever is O How I dread thy mercies How Imbrace thy judgements on whose brow Sits lovely Soveraignety Inthron'd in an Identity Of awfull smiles whose holy beames Influence Seas of gratefull streames Through all thy wayes whose every path A sweetly fresh occurrent hath To bath my blissefull soul sings still Jehovah is in all and till He cease to be he never will To doe Great Good nor I to fill My reverentiall heart with praises Whose welcome feare my spirit raises To such an heighth of self-contempt that all This and the world below below me fall Poore despicable spectacles to 'th soule that feares Nothing but what it Loves nor loves but what it feares Hence pedling world with all thy paltry pack Trusse up away be gone Nor have I lack What Faire foule skins full empty bags Fresh rotting
thy Spirits thankes The very Ethnicks don't they doe the same I nothing singular that beare thy Name Who sit'st i' th heavens farre above all feares When all the world 's together by the eares Thou' rt still thy self Happy Happinesse When all the world blasphemes as when they blesse Oh cou'd I keepe my proper place with thee How farre above the daring'st Ill 's I 'de be I 'de play with flames exsult at th' thoughts of death And make my troubles keep m' i' th' better breath I 'de dance upon a dunghill sing in fire I 'de make a bed of Roses on a briar I 'de teach my teares to smile my sighes to laugh My paines to sport I 'de make thy rod my staffe Wut teach me this deare Lord teach teach m'excell To be in heaven while I am in hell For so was Christ and he and we are Christ Be then my dust below I 'le be at th' high'st What ayl's the livelesse corps whose soule 's in heaven My soule 's soule 's thou is thou my soule in heaven Heav'n is thy armes thy everlasting armes Be they still under wher 's the hell me harmes Let blustering windes and ratling tempests beat About m'assaulted eares with threats on threats O' th' terriblest stormes while I inhoused lie Imbedded in his Alisufficiencie And gather up my soule the closer in To his inwrapping comforts while I sing And they me rock i' th' faster sweeter sleep Of praising rest i' th' armes alone shall keep M' in safety maugre all the enemies I' th' maddest forciblest fury while th' world lies I' th' armes o' th' airy Prince who hath the skill To make faire weather where he meanes to kill ANd have I Lord so often wisht to die And yet I cannot live Have I so lost My soule for thee yet finde it cannot I Well still thou' rt good how ever I be crost Still will I wish and wish it with mine heart Subvert me Lord or make me more convert What shall I die alive shall I survive My selfe Shall I endure this life of pleasure Not I pray day and night How doe I thrive Where are the precious sheaves the hidden treasure Where is my livelyhood my livelynesse Well yet I have them ' cause I so confesse A word soon said but truly but of those Whose bleeding-carefull-zealous heart it knowes VVOrk on my love spare not thy pains 't is good T 's a kindly heat and sweat what art a drie Hungry with exercise take for thy food My Flesh my Blood thy thirst shall satisfie Work on these putrid humours still transpire Fresh pure sound by these Alteratives acquire I hunger Lord thirst for thy Righteousnesse My zeale doth so consume me I must have More food or faint much lesse can work afresh Hast no vvine t' spare no Milk no Hony I crave For strength not lust not for my selfe but thee That by much strength much honor'd thou mai'st be Be they but crums yet be th' o' th' childrens bread Be they but drops yet be th'o ' Salvations Well Even those can make a dog a dog that 's dead A living man these greater wonders tell O had I but the bucket 't get a sup How soon unto th'spring head 't wu'd mount me up Here will I draw ingage here all my strength Tug pull again and yet again and yet I 'le not give over 't will come I know at length It 's very aire my hope that will not let Me faint but when 't comes and I get a drinke You that have felt those joyes what th' are may thinke Lightned inlivn'd inlarg'd extold transport Beyond my selfe unto my selfe resort I see I see O when shall I once account My selfe fram'd to this patterne i' the mount Vnto my Lord deare Lord make me So like that who sees me may see Him drawne to th' very life each feature Each lineament thus a new creature I Am the fountaine and I purpose through These neighbouring intermixed Channells to Convey my selfe to each he who 'l not part His interposing earth let out his heart Reciprocate the freshning streames I send May stand stink dry not borrow who 'l not lend They 're Idiots indeed who h've private spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But who is not himselfe he onely merits Not to be counted mad and so sought he Us not himselfe in whom made wise we be We 're not our owne we 're purchas'd with a prise To live no more t' our selves but now to rise To higher things to live beyond our selves In By To Him who bought's brought 's off the shelves ' ' F so great a death to bring us of our selves Our greatest death when selfe-besotted Elfes Were we dissolved in the open Maine What spatious libertie were gotten to refraine Th' land bordering Rockes O wu'd the righteous Sun Looke on our frozen hearts how fast they 'd runne Their hardned selfe contracted clods so oft Dash one against another into soft To giving inlarged streames wu'd friendly close Themselves wu'd quickly in each other loose And all with sweet concurrence nimbly flow To their imbracing Ocean O wu'd we soe Change each to other till we each were none With what advantage shu'd we be our owne For one have all thus happily unite Are growne too strong for th' world for hells despight We 're all disjoyned by our fall but set In one againe the greater strength we get What I lay out in prayers purse study paines For them with how farre multiplyed gaines Of quick returnes I finde them all in theirs Shu'd I as I shu'd not be overwhelm'd with teares Feares griefes grow weak and feeble or as I shu'd Be alwayes poore and needy in spirit how good How good it is to know that he who is In all my thoughts hath me in his Who is more beneficiall by one thought then all The world can be by all their deeds I fall No sooner now but straite one helpes me rise So farr 's two better in one how rais'd how high's My drooping soule though absent in the body Present i' th' spirit with all the spirituall body How heartily I joy in sweetly injoy Their better ordered more establish'd joy M' affections are not mine nor theirs are theirs But each in th' other's mirth and sorrowes shares How steddy stand in ballance't griefes and joys While others still supply fresh counter poyses I live not in my self but them-and-thee Live thou and they and that 's enough for mee I live not in my self but them-and-thee Live thou and they I needs must living be And if all comforts God-and-h's Saints comprises All comfort then from one another rises Conspire we then in one in one expire That makes his melting Saints a mounting fire 'T is good being here and hither rise might all Wh'have skill have will in t ' one and other t'fall But he that will be of himselfe May glut not glad himself with pelfe Yea let him laugh his belly full Yet doth the shark himself
knoweth that hath God for his God Faile then heart and strength yet shall the strength of our heart faile never Shall be with us in the fire and in the water bee an Arke to his Noah a Zoar to his Lot Et pater mater dosunt nec restat amious Nec manet ulla domus noc manet ulla salus Tot haud habere sentias necem mala Omnia quae multis dantur tibi nulla sed ipsum Quod vel perpaucis reddidit ille Deus Hic instar omnium fit atque praevalet MY neare and deare friend in the Lord Jesus I cannot but according to your desire acquaint you with present passages and passages I may well say for all these things are but passing shadowes nothing Were we in our own place we might look down upon them as little fleeting vapoury clouds without raine Or else see our selves so far above them in this third region as wee need not feare the storme It is unworthy the thought of a Christian that hath already laid hold of eternall life to shrink at the appearing losse of a mortall But we are men But God is God And he is our own God the God of our salvation c. O that we could that we alwayes could see our selves so partakers of the divine nature so filled with all the fulnesse of God that we could look upon life and death principalities powers c. as things given in unto us and all as things under our feet at our command for so they are to him that beleeves for all are ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods Our faith must fall before we and our God before our faith For it is founded on that rock that living stone that is the life of all the building Let us stand therefore having taken us unto the whole armour of God for what can the man doe that comes after the devill And surely little nay no cause have we to feare in adversity that can stand in prosperity That soule and only that soule that in this estate can follow God fully be so satisfied with the hourely minutely presence of God that in all things it crosses it selfe of its own will as not enduring the least estrangement from him certainly in the other the mercies of God shall so follow him so shall he delight himselfe continually in him as that in all things hee will crosse men and devils of their wills against him and so over-powre him with the light of his countenance without which he was dead in the dearest injoyments and with which he lives in the deadliest confusions as shall make them gnash their teeth to see such a divine reflect from that light unspeakable and glorious whereby he shall be able to laugh death and destruction in the face But shall we not feare not grieve He is no true Christian that doth not Shall the Lion roare and we not tremble Yet must we be confident in this feare and joy in this sorrow And indeed the feare of God is strength Prov. 14.26 Psal 112.1 with ver 7. and 8. And by the humility of our heart is our trust in the Lord Prov. 28.25 But audaciousnesse and pride will shrinke in the wetting Neither will James his joy 1.2 hold good without Pauls sorrow 2 Cor. 7.7 Nor his sorrow without his joy It is not the excesse of feare and griefe but the defect of confidence and joy that hurts us Our own weaknesse can never too much fright us Our own and others sins grieve us Neither will it be found so proper and soveraign a salve to those happily languishing consciences to tell them they are too much dejected cast down sorrowfull but rather they have too little lifted up Christ in their hearts and their hearts in Christ It is impossible to think too basely of our selves and if there may be degrees in impossibility more impossible to think too highly of Him When we are led back by any particular sin to the Originall source of all as wee must if we mean to know it to any purpose and see the horrid shape of it and become sensible of the malignity the universality the inherencie of it c. with all those infinite as to us actuall breakings out of rebellion from it or rather the divers kinde of breaking out of one continued unintermitting act now while the soule is thus taking a bottome-and through-searching view of it selfe by a beame of the divine Light and Love shed abroad in its heart without which it could make no through no true discovery of it and thereupon throwes it selfe below the lowest hell in a sensible self-condemning while it is still held up by the hand of faith in an unspeakably blessed distraction now to see this Sun of Righteousnesse still rising and rising with its infinite-surpassing infinitenesse of glory splendor lovelinesse upon the lighttransformed soule lying under the gracious droppings of its healing wings O how sweet is that healing How how glorious that Sun But the seeing the feeling soul where is it How high how low How lost between both Be then as sorrowfull my soule as may be thou canst not be enough for sin As joyfull as may be thou canst not be enough for grace Abate not of that sorrow but increase this joy Goe as low as thou canst but bee sure thou risest higher by it To be so dejected and cast down as not to be heightned raised by it in the admiration the love the life of thy Saviour is indeed to have proud and haughty thoughts of thy selfe and low and undervaluing of thy Christ Never feare thy livelinesse and cheerfulnesse so far as duely objected on him Nor lessen so much thy love to the creature as augment it to Him thy Creator Affect with the strongest and heartiest indearement any thing beside him and yet abhorre it with the most detesting and abominating hatred for him There is nothing that I set my eye on that I wu'd not love as proceeding from him as subsisting in him But so far as degenerate from him as comming in competition with him the indignation wherewith it affects me is inutterable Thus shall Cesar best have his due and God his Himself and what is subordinate to him God takes away no affection no nor the intensivenesse of it but onely its obliquitie to the object Nay I am perswaded that all worldly feare all worldly sorrow fall farre short of spirituall the one being from a displeasing world which is finite the other from a displeased God who is infinite But how great then is that consident joy to which this fearing griefe is but a set off For these to overcome the soule and them for Christ to come and overcome that conquest what a triumph will there be Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. And blessed ever blessed be our God that we are not of them from whom hee hath hid the mistery of godlinesse strength made