thought there was no God then thy God manifested himself to thee when he would have had thee taken pleasure in the vaine delights of this wicked world then thy dear father having a watchfull eye and a carefull minde over thee sent a heavy dulnes into all the powers of thy soul body inforcing thee as it were to leave those earthly vanishes because neither soul nor body could take delight in those things which others call pleasures by reason of thy exceeding heavy dulness Then dost thou my soul think that a most severe punishment on thee from thy father when thou sawest others injoy the blessings of thy God with great contentment Then in the height of this distemper wert thou my soul almost brought to the pit of despair When as the enemy pictur'd before the eyes of thy soul the sad appearance of the anger of thy God and still he â—ersisting in his pernicious temptations bid thee leave â—is service telling thee it was to no purpose to be so â—arefull to serve him for thy prayers were not heard â—hy tears not regarded thy heaviness not removed and â—f Gods word be true he hears all that cals upon him â—nd removeth from them their griefs Thus subtly â—elt my enemy with me thinking to have in wrapt me in his hidden nets of most pernicious tempâ—ations First making me to think my God was angry then that he heard not my prayers and that his word was false thus by consequence faine would he have made me to have doubted of thy being O my eternall and ever-being Father By these snares would he have bereft me of the hope I had in thy word by which I was brought to know thee Thy creatures teach us I acknowledge O Lord to know that there is a God but they cannot teach us to know how to come to this God or how to finde comfort in thee our God 't is onely thy word can declare to us what thou art and thy spirit it is that must assure us that this word is thine It was thy selfe O Lord who art able to performe what thou hast decreed that hast brought this flinty heart of mine to the knowledge of thee My Lord I must â—eeds confess thy powerfull working in framing this heart of mine to the belief of thy word and thee for before thy spirit mollified this heart of mine thy word was to it like water gliding over the hardest marble no whit entring or piercing the same My gracious Lord thy divine Majesty in all the changes and chances of my life hath had a most peculiar care of me for now hast thou taught me to know that those temptations and those perplexities in which my soul was in have been all disposed for the good and happiness of my Soul Now thou makest me to know that thy word is true and that our grief doth work for our good for though our temptations be never so great thou canst and wilt deliver thy children It was thy Majesty that kept me from doubting of thy being it was thy fatherly goodnes that stupified the powers of my Soul and Body with that heavy dulness not because thou wouldest punish me for my sins no! thou didst teach me to know that my gracious Saviour had already indur'd the punishment that my sins deserv'd My Lord thy Majesty did not lay that dejection on me proceeding from thy justice but thy mercy For my God! I must confess to thee that which thou then didst know for then I did love the world more then I loved thee and because thou wouldst have me love the pleasure that should never end thou madst me to take no pleasure in these delights which never end but in sorrow That heaviness was then a bitter pill to purge my Soul from the grosse humours of earthly love that afterwards she may be made more fit and apt to receive the sweet blisse of thine everlasting love This thy love to me kept me from falling into the miserable pit of despaire thy loving kindnesse it was that moved thee to let that word of comfort with which thou sustainest thy servant St. Paul sound ever in my ears That thy grace should be sufficient for me without which grace of thine I not having sufficient strength of my self should have fallen into the gulf of everlasting misery Thy love likewise kept meÌ„ constant to thee and thy service kept me from doing or saying that in my dispairing thoughts that had not been fit for thy servant to doe or utter Thy unwearied love and great wisdome it was that sent those tryals and temptations to me in my youth that thou mightest sanctifie my youth to thy service and make me carelesse of those pleasures that my young years were too much addicted to For if thy Majesty had suffered me to have run on to have taken pleasure in those vanities till I had been inwrapt in them and had set my whole delight in those vanishing pleasures Then had it been more hard and grievous to me to have left them But thou O my Lord didst deal more graciously with me for before I knew what pleasures meant thou took'st from me the â—ove of pleasure for which great mercy of thine I render thee most hearty thanks My Lord When I consider of these thine infinite mercies I cannot chuse but admire thy goodness and admiring say unto thy heavenly Majesty O Lord what am I that thou shouldest have such a peculiar care of me I am not worthy to be in thy thoughts much more unworthy to be belov'd of thee yet it doth evidently appear that thou dost love me in that thou takest off from me the love of the world for my Lord-unless thou lovest me thou wouldest not have cared for my love and I know that it was in love that thou weaâ—nedst me from the world because that I should love thee alone and not the world The Angels Joy YOu blessed Angels by my Father are we honoured to have you for our attendance Sure your lovely faces could not but look sad when my Saviour suffered for methinks it was a sad fight to behold your loving Lord hang tormented on a cursed tree and for those too whose sins caused his torment and then for you to hear him cry out in the bitterness of his Soul My God my God Why hast thou forsaken mee Methinks it should have so incens'd your wrath against us poor mortall creatures that you should have petitioned to your All-powerfull Lord that all humane flesh should have suffered endlesse torment seeing they had so justly deserved it rather then your righteous Lord should have dyed But whether my Soul in the deep consideration of the undeserved suffering of thy righteous Saviour dost thou run Shall the Angels which are our attendants be grieved at our happinesse My Soul wrong not those blessed spirits with such vain thoughts for God was not pleased nor his wrath appeased towards us till that time Oh sad time yet pleasant time the
them out of all their troubles needs must thou be compassed about with Songs of delight thou couldst not chuse but sing thy Self too those Songs thou diddest teach to thy chief Singers that they might inclose thee in the sweet aire of delighting praises and with thee my Soule must desire to sing when with thee I am so protected Saint Stephen GOd can make our faces to shine like Angels to daunt our enemies and he here can make us to see his face to shine in glory to comfort our Souls Why then should we fear our fiercest enemies why then should we not be confident of the aide of our loving and powerfull God Thy blessed power is like thy Light But our frail fear is like our night MY Soul being plac'st on the wings of contemplation with them raises me to the Regions of felicity The foundation and felicity MY great God! Thou that hast aided me in laying the foundation of assurance assist me still now â—owring in the turrets of contentment and let all know that they can never with safety ascend the turrets of delighting contentment if they have not first laid the true foundation of assurance Vpon the Temptation of the doubting of Heaven MY Soul Though that subtle enemy of thine and of all men doe seek to seduce thee by his insinuating perswasions to doubt of that unexpressable and immortall felicity of thy Soul and body yet my Soule faint not For if the holy Writ be true thy felicity is certaine the which my gracious God I doe most confidently believe to be the written word of the God of all the world by whose word and will I and this FabriCk were created though that pernicious enemy seeks to perswade me that it is a fancy of a studious braine and writ to keep people in awe to human obedience And because nothing doth please our Souls but the thoughts of eternall blisse nor afright them but the dread of eternall punishment therefore have they fained a heaven for reward of the vertuous and a hell for punishment of the disobedient and that those felicities of which I have written are but fictions of my owne braine and somewhat like they that invented it and partly taken out of it But my gracious God keep me that I fall not by these temptations but let me know why he is and hath been so busie in drawing me to doubt of thy being and of that glorious heaven which I do notwithstanding his temptations believe I shall possesse with thee My God is it to draw me to a loose liberty of my life and so by disobeying thee I might live in fear of being cast out of thy favour to eternall punishment if so I will tell him that he may cease his labour for if that which I beleeve to be the holy word of God be a fancy of any braine it is so just and pleasing to my soul that with all my power and might I will endeavour to lead my life according to the direction of that exact and royall Law and so hatefull is any thing to me that is contrary to it that when thorow my frailty I doe what in it is forbidden I am hatefull to my selfe till I am assured that that offence be washed from me and that something within me assures me that the breach of that transgression is pardon'd This is a strong argument to me against that temptation and of the divinity and eternity of my Soul for if my Soul were not to be eternally either happy or miserable why should the expectation of eternall misery trouble me and the assurance of eternall blisse so exceedingly joy me Tempter goe Reason and experience teacheth us to see that likenesse breeds love our Souls our minds for such things there are can never love nor delight in what is not but our Souls affect eternall glory then sure such a thing there is but be it so or be it not such a thing is presented to our consideration and if I am not to live a life of eternall blisse hereafter yet for the happinesse of my present life I will so neer as I can run in the paths that lead to that heaven which I so much affect that I might live with a confident hope that I shall possesse it for nothing can truely satisfie my Soul but a heaven of eternity and with these thoughts I can live on earth in a heaven of felicity Tempter Thou art like to loose thy labour for I must take up that resolution not to live a sensuall and vicious life for if I have no grace such a life is hatefull to my disposition and such a life would not I live were there no God to give blessednesse or no Devil to torment But one thing more I have now to tell thee I in the Sanctuary of the great God of all the world presenting my petitions to him that by something I might be assur'd that thy wicked suggestions to make me doubt of his being were false I was directed to consider the glorious Sun which then shined bright in mine eyes so that I plainly see that great God of whose being thou wouldst have me doubt doth aid and assist me against thy wicked temptations for it cannot be but a great God that can make and governe so glorious and so great a light the God that made that made me that God I did offend in my first parents and since in my owne person but to him am reconciled in his first borne Son Jesus Christ who is God and man and for his sake shall I possesse a Kindome of felicity here and at the last a Kingdome of eternall glory To him be Glory On the Sun-rising AS the appearance of the Sun-beams disperseth the clouds of darkness which brings sadness to the earth so let the bright shining beams of thy Spirit O heavenly Son of light disperse the clouds of darke despairing thoughts and vaine imaginations the which do darken the brightness of my Soul and bring sadness to my heart Let them purifie and raise my minde that I may still be singing praise and let me ever say To my great God all glory be Who makes his light to shine on me Heaven upon Earth MY Lord Though thou wilt not take me from earth to live in Heaven with thee yet thou comming â—rom heaven to live on earth with me makes me on â—arth to live in heaven with thee The Temple MY God! Is my body the Temple of the Holy Ghost What Palace can there be in this small Fabrick fit â—o entertaine so great a Prince yet thou hast said If my love thee thy Father will love them and thou and â—ee and thy holy spirit which cannot be separated â—rom thee will come and make thy abode with him My Lord and King thou knowest I love thee for â—ong since I was willing to have left the world and all â—he blessings that thou hast given me in it to have gone to live with thee but what talke I
His Spirit much he will inspire What thou desirest that shall be Thou hast thy wishes granted thee With thee needs must I wish to live That mak'st me wish what thou wilt give Lord harden thou my heart as hard as steel And loves vaine passion let me never feel Onely in Heaven my soul shall seek her rest In Heaven perpetually to be blest On Earth a while I must tormented be Because that sin too much abides in me It is the injoying of thy Spirit That makes my soule here true joy inherit And here to shew me that thou hat'st my sin Thy Spirit like the Sun-beams is drawn in Then doth my Soul full wo and sad remaine Till that sweet spirit doth appeare againe Then when thy Spirit againe reigns in me Then comes my joy away my paine doth flee For when thy Spirit my Soul doth injoy Nothing can then my happy Soul annoy For why No cause of sorrow I can see Because beyond my selfe it raiseth me Anguish FRom this distraction Lord my poor soul bring That still thy heavenly prayses I may sing For this distemper doth my soul affright My Lord it takes from me all my delight And pleasure that I had in serving thee This trouble great vaine folly brings to me If from thy holy service I be tane No comfort can I find but endlesse paine For what can yeeld our Souls here true content If to serve thee we are not wholly bent For here I see vaine pleasures quickly fly And that which I did love must surely dye But in thy service if I pleasure take And thy sweet word my whole delight do make That word doth still my drooping soul assure That for the best it shall be all to me If patiently I doe awaite on thee Of Submission WHat comes to me Lord comes from thee Nought comes to me but comes from thee What though against my will it be If thou it fitting seest for me Let be and Master thou my will That I thy servant may fulfill Thy holy will and thee obey Make me obedient be I pray If I obey thy Majesty I need not fear although I dye Hope WHat though my morning be debard of light For me thou shalt break forth a noon most bright The onely Comforter WHat in this world doe I deerer esteem Or greater in my minde here still do deem Then that Spirit which floweth still from thee Which makes my soule in happy blisse to be For nothing in this world here can me please Nor yet my Soule from paine and grief can ease But thy sweet spirit which abides for aye For these vaine worldly things doe fade away My soul immortall did proceed from thee And pleas'd with mortall things she cannot bee You earthly pleasures I can use you all But treasures of my soule I le not you call Goe flee vaine pleasures for sure all must grant Nought can us please but what is permanent In thee my Lord my soul alone is blest In thee alone I doe attaine sweet rest The Soules Flight WHither away my Soule do'st high That thou so fain from me would'st fly Sure it is to some holy place That thou thy selfe there may'st solace Thou wilt not here abide with me But goe to God there to be free To him thou liv'st to him thou flyest That is the reason that thou highest And here I wish thee not to stay I wish to Heaven thou mighst away From Prison oft I wish thee free That thou mayst be at liberty The Virgins Offring WIth thee blest Virgin I would bring An Offering to please my King Two Turtle Doves thou didst present Can there be better by me sent A Lambe more pure then they could be I heard was thither brought by thee These two small Turtles now of mine To him I do present with thine The Lambe will serve for thee and mee No better offering can there be Thus with thee Virgin doe I bring An offering will please my King To my Doves YOur life I ment not till my death Might give you freedome with my breath And when I breath'd in Heavens Aire free I did intend your libertie But offer'd now you sure must be A Sacrifice of thanks from mee When we are dead we cannot give Our offerings must be while we live Two Doves no Phenix you must be I must see that live comes from me You as an offering goe from me But on your wings my heart must be My heart now free from all desire But what is kindled by heavens fire To him I doe present as free As ever he did give it me I on your wings would sore aloft And still live free from humane thought Accept great God what I present Thy glory is my Souls intent Goe now my Doves and soar aloft The drooping heart raise you full oft To such a heigth bear it away That it may see celestiall day And never lett it on earth rest But leave it in Heavens glorious brest The Triumph SIth thou from thrall hast sett me free I will sing prayses unto thee Thou hast brought me from Temptation And fild me with contemplation Of thy heavenly habitation In which lives a glorious Nation Which triumphantly doe sing Praise and glory to their King No darknesse nor no dolefull night Obscures their Vision of delight No noise doth interrupt their voice They doe incessantly rejoyce Mayst thou my Soule now be so bold That glorious place for to behold And say how that faire Cities blest In which the righteous shall have rest The wals are rais'd of Gems more bright Then are the Diamonds here in sight The Saphire Diamond Ruby fine Their beauty in each one combine The other Gems their lustre bright With them doe give so fine a light That like the Rainbow it doth show But far more bright you 'l think I know Most glorious things are said of thee Thou City where the mighties bee The streets are of the purest mold Exceeding farr the brightest gold And from Gods glorious Throne doth spring A River that sweet pleasures bring Adorn'd with many a goodly tree Which fresh and flourishing ever bee They doe not onely please the eye But heal the wounds would make us dye Nor fruitlesse doe their trees appear But pleasant fruit yeeld all the year I doe not wonder fruit so rife Upon these goodly Trees of life No change doth in this place appeare No scorching heat nor cold is here This heav'n the bright Lamb his wife gives And she in this place alwayes lives She is more lovely then the Rose Fresh faire and beauteous and still goes In long white Robes so pure and clear Like Orient Pearl she doth appear And on her head a Crowne more bright Then is the Sun here in our sight The pure white Lilly at her feet And pleasant Rose there strive to meet For all their beauty and their grace Is from reflexion of her face These lovely flowers doe never fade But for eternity were made How can
deserts consider My judgement thus I must deliver Into the pit and dungeon deep Where Satan is adjudg'd to keep Where fire and brimstone raging be Where pain abides perpetually Into this place of misery There should I goe when that I dye Go leave thy thoughts thy own thoughts leave And from thy God answer receive From that fierce place of misery Thee for to save the Lord did die And though no sin he did commit He of his goodnesse thought it fit To take thy sins and quit them all And bid thee then no more to fall And tells thee thou needs not to fear For why of thee he takes the care And that on earth while thou dost live For tendance on thee he will give His Angels charge thee to protect And be the guard of his Elect His mercy is the onely reason We are secur'd from Satans Treason Felicity I Am my Gods and he doth let me see In him a true and sweet felicity Those springs of joy that rise still fresh in me Proceed my dear sweet heavenly Prince from thee On sudden Death IF thou in hast shalt send for me Great God to live in Heaven with thee Though to some minds it sodain be It is not sodain unto me Heaven LOrd thou dost bring a heaven with thee Then where I am a heaven must be For thou art ever Lord with mee The Giver engaged to the Receiver THou saist thou art ingag'd to me For what I give when I 'm to thee Thou dost accept a gift that 's poor For it I have ten thousand more The Sun Beames THy blessings like the Sunbeams bee Reaching from heaven to earth on me Like a rich Canopy they show Spreading from Heaven doth round me flow 'T is not abundance rich makes me But a sufficiency from thee To my Brother ELiza saies when as she dies Shee 'l banish tears from all your eyes Unlesse for envy you will weep That you could not her blest soul keep From her eternall blisse and joy To live with yours in earths annoy When you have brought me to my grave Then tell the world t is what I 'de have Yee need not say you left me dead But say I am laid in my bed Where I shall safely lye and sleep For heavens great Emperor doth me keep 'Mong Kings and Princes that attend Till to our glory we ascend What I Love GIve me a Soule give me a Spirit That flyes from earth heaven to inheritâ— But those that grovell here below What! I love them I 'le not do so The onely bound MY boundlesse spirits bounded be in thee For bounded by no other can they be The Christians happinesse GOds high Spirit shall thee direct His Angels shall thee still protect They shal thee guard while thou dost sleep They from all evill shall thee keep So thou no evill needs to fear Because of thee God takes the care The Retribution â—F thou art pleas'd to have my heart â— Accept it Lord from me â—ith thou dost chuse it for thy part â— give it none but thee Mine eyes to thee I doe present Accept them now of me For thou unto me hast them lent They doe belong to thee Thus heart and eyes and all are thine That doe belong to me Before I knew that they were mine They were all made by thee Gods Commands easie MY Lord how easie is thy will Do as I would be done unto Thy holy Law I then fulfill And give the Lord his praises due Why should I to another doe What I would not have done to me All praises to thee Lord is due For all we have proceeds from thee Praise GLory to my gracious Lord Who to my wishes doth accord While here I live I must thee praise For as in Heaven I spend my dayes For nought doth here my soul annoy But I possesse a Heaven of Joy And when from this blisse thou'le take me In glorious Heaven my soul shall be The Companion WHo doth an heavenly Muse injoy Regards not this vain worlds annoy Nor can they ever be alone Heavens Muse is there Companion Vpon the losse of my Brother WHen losse of ought would thee torment Cry 't is thy will Lord I 'me content My love must not divided be 'Twixt Earth and Heaven thou 'lt have me see My brother from me thou hast tane But yet content I must remaine A Brother and a friend was he But much more thou wilt be to me When thoughts of absence moves a tear Thy will is that I should forbear He went not but by thy decree And I must not displeased be On the Sun AT height of noon it cannot be That I can fix mine eyes on thee â—ut when at setting I am bold With setled eyes thee too behold â— onverter of Atheistick thought â—hou wert to me when as I sought â— remedy against that sin Which I too deep was falling in Some one above thee must make thee Thou govern'd by a God must be Being told she was proud MY body it must surely dye Off to be proud then what have I. Yet proud if they will have me be My high-borne soule it is of thee But Lord my Soul is none of mine Shall I be proud of what is thine As being thine from pride I 'me free It is enough I 'me freed by thee My pleasing Life SWeet quiet sweet obscurity Here in this life best pleaseth me Till from earth's thrall I shall be free To live in glorious blisse with thee When from earths tumults I am free To contemplate great God on thee A heaven of blisse in thee I see How can this life but pleasing be Nothing of thee merit I can But yet when free from thrall of man I can thee serve with heart more free Then from that thraldome still keep me To a Lady unfaithfull Madam THe Prince of heaven being in love with you Did to his glorious Kingdom bid Adieu The heaven he was awhile content to leave To see if you would his chast love receive You did belong to him when he you sent Into the world but you from him soon went And his chast love so pleasing and so sweet You left your wanton Paramour to meet With his unlawfull love you pleas'd your selfe Fye Madam leave him he is but an Elf. See what your dear sweet Prince hath done for you 'T is very strange but yet t is very true When he did see you wantonize with them Who were professed enemies to him He then with his fierce enemy did fight To reingain you as his ancient right He lost his royal bloud to purchase you How can you then but to this Prince prove true Can you a Coward love and stain your name By being false unto this Prince of fame Your wanton lovers actions hate the light And you 'r asham'd to act them in our sight Then here I le tell you if you know not it All your actions and vain thoughts unfit Your true and lawfull Lord doth straight espie
not â— have enough God is my lot â— would hear God now praised bee For his great blessings giv'n to me You 'ave bils of thanks oft sent to you For earthly blessings and they 'r due Shall not then heavenly blessings be More priz'd then earth they shall by mee This Bill of thanks to you I send What though it be not rarely penn'd 'T is the intention of my heart That I in it to you impart It is not onely sent to thee But Preachers all praise God for me I with a Trumpet could proclaime Praises to the God of fame For teaching me to know his name All people for me doe the same Being in paine LOrd if my sin produce my paine Pray let me never sin againe For pain is grievous unto me And sin is hatefull unto thee Let me not do what troubleth thee And thou 'lt not send what grieve shall me But if my patience Lord thou tryest If I will bear what thou applyest To cure the malady of sin Cease not my pain but send't again For pain I rather would endure Then grieve thine eyes of light so pure That our most secret thoughts doe spie And wanton glances of the eye For which thou sendest punishments Or else corrects with sapience Being taken with a sudden pain on the Day appointed for God's publick Service LEt not this pain Lord deter me From publick offering praise to thee Though private prayers may pleasing bee From others and as well from me But publick blessings thou giv'st me And publick praise I 'de offer thee Thou teâ—st me if I will confess Thee before men thou'lt do no lesse For me before thine Angels bright And thy great Father in his light In private I may serve thee here But that to men doth not appeare I then in publick will serve thee Whiles here thou givest me liberty And not depend on charity To think I doe belong to thee The Antidote THis Antidote will cure your fear The God of heaven for you takes care They cannot fear that live above Their fear is cured by their love My Satisfaction I Am content with this earths fate Cause I am borne for higher state Sweet quiet here I wish no more I 'de have my glory kept in store Yet I have on those Robes of glory Of which I oft have read the story That pure refined souls doe wear Living in regions free from care For with the eye of faith I see My selfe sweet Prince as I 'me in thee And with thee I doe live above Because we live where we doe lowe But Oh my God! when shall it be that the dark Lanthorne of Faith shall be swallowed up in the bright mantle of sweet fruition Being called a Stoick NOt as a Stoick I 'me exempt from care But as a Christian I would all things beare Nor that I blinded am and nothing see No I see all but take all patiently Gods Prerogative LOrd shall I grudge at thy just will Or shall I question thy great skill And think the world thou dost not rule As thou art wont peace silly fool Without his rule it cannot stand All things are done at his command Doe not then grudge at what he doth Nor in thy heart have any ruth ' Gainst them who now do rule the Land They have no power but from his hand The earth is his and he plucks down Who him displease and gives the Crowne To others if they him obey They shall still rule if not then they Shall be destroyed with his frown And to their foes hee 'l give their Crown Then let me Lord my selfe submit To what thy wisdom seeth fit Sith no authority can be But what appointed is by thee My Mansion Liza for doe you not care She lives in heaven free from earths feare â—er ' bidings in those regions be â—er converse with the Deity Mans unkindnesse my Benefit LOrd what a courtesie doth man to me When he 's unkind he drives me straight to thee Where I my deer sweet Prince do ever finde Carefull for me contenting pleasing kinde Then let them be as liketh them to me â—Ile not complain sith I can come to thee Who art my joy my love my crown my peace In whom my joys abound and still increase My Second Part. I Did withdraw me from the stage Of this vain world in my best age Thinking for heaven thou hadst be drest So I retired for my rest But thou a Prophet hadst me made Unto my selfe when I had said Another part I here must play Before I went from hence away A wife thou choo'st out for my part Which I misliked in my heart And thought wedded to none to bee Great Prince of Heaven and earth but thee But thou that hadst ordain'd that part Foundst out a means to turne my heart Because my Lord thou 'lt have me see We happy in that life may be But then on thee we must depend For thou alone that blisse canst send For should our Husbands love fixt be Upon some others not on thee Heavens Prince will never thee forsake But still his darling will thee make And should hee of thee carelesse bee Heavens Prince he will more carefull bee He from the earth wil raise thy heart That thou content maist act that part The Resurrection WHy should I be afraid to dye Or let my body in earth lye In that safe bed I 'me laid to sleep When others in their closets weep It is to me a quiet night And next day brings the wished light That makes for me eternall day My body there feels no decay And when I waken I shall finde All things well pleasing to my minde Youth beauty spirit now present Themselves for that days Ornament With Robes more bright then are the beams That from her pleasing Sun here streams Decay they say they never will For they were made with exact skill To adorne the bodies that ascend And on the Deity attend Now shall I see my Princely peer That I on earth did hold so deer And with him still converse shall I Who would not now let their soul fly Seing there 's no fear of decay Fools that think death a dismall day Fearfull Vncertainty OH you that know not when you dye Whither your Souls to heaven shall fly Or wander in the dismall shade No wonder though you be afraid Would you not wear black hellish weeds Avoid then wicked sinfull deeds Do actions that are just and right If you would live in heavenly light Do you think peace you can enjoy That others with your deeds annoy No! what you unto others doe Assure your selves shall fall on you And if good councell now you slight Look in Hells mouth and be affright Avoid betimes that hellish fume Which all your pleasures will consume To Generall Cromwell THe Sword of God doth ever well I' th hand of vertue O Cromwel But why doe I complain of thee ' Cause thou' rt the rod that scourgeth mee But if a good child I
built up fit for a Temple for thy divine greatnesse to inhabite these thoughts fill me with a pleasing contentment But when the consideration of my vile condition in which by my too much yeelding to please my earthly companion comes into my minde I then hate my selfe for I have thereby made my self subject to all painfull diseases yea to mortality by my intemperance for how justly might I have pleas'd my selfe in the lawfull and temperate use of all thy other creatures and could not a whole world of pleasures content us but we must take that one forbidden My God! I am to my selfe a hatefull creature how much more must I needs be to thee whose eyes can behold no impurity but my dear Father look not now on me as I have cloath'd my self but look on me as new arrai'd by thy blessed Son the King of Saints And to settle the disturbed motion of my mind send downe a beam from thy glorious divinity that might so inlighten the eyes of my Soul that I might now behold my selfe as cloathed with thy self for thou wert pleas'd to cloath thy divine nature with my mortality that my mortall nature might be made immortall by being joyned to thy divinity My great God! these thoughts will not onely take off my hatred from my self but I fear if it be possible make me too much love and admire my selfe but it cannot be for that bright beame from thee makes me see my selfe not but in thee and with these thoughts hast thou so rais'd my Soul beyond what it was that I see my self cloath'd with the bright white robes of thy pure innocence for thou knowest no sin I now look on my selfe as sacred and on this flesh as immortall onely because it hath spoâ—ted it selfe with sin after thou hadst made it purer then the common earth therefore in the earth must it be laid again to be purified till it be fit to be new built up a glorious structure for her divine companion Then wilt thou take us both up into thy glorious habitation where we shall not be capable of doing any thing that shall any more cause us to part from our selves or thee I once immortall was Lord made by thee I that bliss lost But I againe it see Restor'd with more great Prince of Saints to me The Contempt of the World MY Gracious God! Doe I offend thee if I contemn the world I finde thy blest Apostle counting all but dung in respect of the knowledge of thee then by his example I hope I offend thee not but yet when I consider it is thy workman-ship which is most excellent and thou hast given it to the sons of men I cannot but call my thoughts in question with some suspition of fear of offending thee for my dear God! I confess that what I see most desired by people for themselves or for others is to me most displeasing and distastefull My powerfull God! if I doe not offend thee in it still keep me in this minde if I doe root out as it is my daily prayer this contempt and all things else that within me disliketh the pure eyes of thy divine Majesty My Lord Somewhat to clear my selfe to the world that I doe not offend in this point for thou knowest my heart I doe not contemn any thing in it as thinking meanly of it as thou hadst made it My great God! thou madest all things good at the beginning but since the making of them the perfection of all things is much changed Our sins altered the purity of all things in the world then as it is made sordid by our sins I distaste those odde things I see pleasing to the most But my Lord This may draw me into another inconvenience and make some thinke I thinke better of my selfe then of others for distasting those things sullyed with sin But I know thou wilt answer for me that I confess to thee that by nature I am sinfull addicted to love those things soyled by our sins so that it doth not make me think well of my self but it makes me love and admire thee the more when I see thy abundant mercy to me in giving me a minde so contrary to the most for I doubt not but thou hast made many in the world as happy as thou hast made me in giving them such a minde For my deare Father What do they atchieve when they attaine that here which they desire a few conveniences accompanied with ten thousand troubles â—ears and distastefull cares for I have often heard some express how happy they should be but for such and such inconveniences when I having food and raiment â—ufficient and possesse a heaven of felicity in thee am happy without a But. The Royal Gods MY Lord With what a Title hast thou honored the Kings of the earth I have said yee are Gods and the Children of the most high Thou hast given them that Title their desires pretended too to be Gods and to be of their race they that knew not thee my great God! nor from what true immortall race they sprung yet would have the world think them to be of divine linage and themselves to be gods And shall not wee who know from whom and by whom Kings reigne think our Princes to be as they are stil'd by that great King who set them to reigne for him God forbid but that we should so think of them and they of themselves He is the great God of the world and hath set them as lesser Gods under him to governe and protect that people over which he hath plac'st them The people must then honor their King as a God under him not observe or adore him above him and hee must esteem himselfe as a God â—ooâ— if he be of that great immortall race he will not degenerate but will be like to him He will be like a fiery pillar in the night of ignorance and darknesse to direct them which way they shall walk and as a cloud in the day of persecution to keep them from the pursuing adversary he will my God with thee hide them under his wings and they shall be safe under his protection hee will be just too punishing those who seek the destruction of thine and his people His bowels of mercy will be extended and he will not punish according to their deserts and rather then destruction shall shall come to thine and their people they will follow the example of that renowned Prince thy first-born Son they will with him a while leave their glory and take up with him an humble deportment and cry with him Thy will be done not mine They thus imitating thee their great patterne shall be blessedt by thee with eternall renown and crowned by thee in immortal glory but first thou hast said They must dye like men The Rule MY Lord What an infallible rule hast thou left us to know whether we be thine or no for if the preaching of the Gospel of our
leaving the world to come to live with thee Thou art come into â—he world to live with mee and in me But my great Lord where in me shall I finde thee hast thou inâ—hron'd thy selfe in my heart give me then thy assistance that no proud imagination for my own greatnes may arise to disinthrone thee and make the distaste that habitation but be thou in my heart ever attended by sweet humility and humble obedience Let all the members of my body be imployed in thy service Let my hands administer to thy Saints and not stretcht â—ut to covetousnesse Let my feet be swift to run in the wayes of thy commandements and not to shed innocent blood or if in my head thou hast taken up thy seat there let humility attend on thee too or I shaâ—â— fear thou wilt goe from me for thou resistest thâ—â— proud but though thou beest high and instabitest eternity yet thou O great Prince will dwell with thâ— humble Then in my head and in all that belong to 〈◊〉 doe thou finde humble obedience that there I mighâ— retaine thee Let not mine eyes have any proud look nor be windows to lett in vanity but let them be eveâ— looking to the hils from whence cometh my salvation Let not my tongue which thou hast given me to servâ— thee be imployed to back-bite or defame any thâ— least of thy children or any one for how know I who arâ— thine or who not but let my tongue be ever speakinâ— to thy praise and glory and let the words of moutâ— be accptable in thy sight nor let mine ears listen tâ— any idle or unseemly discourse that may displease thâ— divine Majesty and let my nostrils be ever filled witâ— the sweet savour that comes from thy heavenly garments So if all the faculties of my body be imployeâ— by my Soul humbly to serve thee I shall live and expresse a glorying heart because I know this body is thâ— Temple of the Deity Then where I am a Heaven must be For thou dost bring a Heaven with thee The true Object of Love MY Lord When thou wert pleas'd to take my thoughts quite off from the world I was directed to regard that place where thou bidst us cease from man for wherein is he to be accounted of for his breath is in his nostrils yet he a creature after thine owne image and the excellentest of all thy workman ship on earth yet this rare creature his love his hatred not to be regarded for thou canst in an instant take away that thin fume of life and then what power hath he to love or hate My Lord He is indeed a most contemptible creature in respect of thee But when my Soul enters into the consideration of thy greatnesse and deep abisse of thy endlesse power and mercy My Soul is struck dumbe and knows not what to say but silence giving me opportunity to consider of thy infinite love to me power forme beauty and excellency in and about thee my Soul is wounded with a deep affection towards thee and love cannot will not be silent And â—ow my great and powerfull God was it not enough for thee to make so great and beautifull a structure for me and for all men but when I had run from thee by my disobedience into the territories and tormenting arms of my enemy for thee O most glorious Prince of eternall blisse to leave thy Kingdome where thou â—ert attended by a multitude of bright Angels and blessed Saints which continually sing thy praises with â—heir heavenly voices for thee to leave such transcendent delights to take on thee my frail flesh and come â—o me and subject thy selfe to all the contempts that â—n insulting enemy could impose had nor this been enough to have manifested an unanswerable love to so contemptible a creature but thou My dear Prince I who wouldest set a perfect patterne of humility and â—ove for all that were thine to follow for love to mee â—hou wert content to dye and the most painfull and igâ—ominious death that could be inflicted on the meanâ—st person Thou who wert serv'd by all the world was â—leas'd thus to serve for me and to dye to save me from â—ternall death and before I knew into what tormentâ—ng habitation I had plung'd my selfe by my rebellion â—hou wert pleas'd to declare to me how thou hadst reâ—eem'd me out of those most cruel inthralments by â—hy willingly yeelding to dye for me for none could â—ave power O great Prince of Heaven and earth to have taken away thy life hadst thou not laid it downâ— of thine owne accord thou wert please to tell me too though I live here among thy enemies and mine yet â— should not be afraid of them for they can but kill my body and that too not without thy leave for none caâ—â— take thy children out of thy hand unlesse thou arâ— pleas'd to deliver them into the hand of their persecutors and by that fiery Chariot to convey us to that immortall Kingdome which thou hast promised to thou that beleeve on thee where we shall receive from thâ— hand the beautifull Crowne of our eternall glory â— my God! Who can chuse but be ravisht with thy unfaâ—dom'd mercy and unexpressable love to thy poor yeâ— by thee inriched creatures My dear Prince Whaâ— shall I doe to let all the world know what engagements my Soul hath to thee I do wish it were in my power as in my desires that all the world may sing Halalujahs to thee for the saving of my Soul from thaâ— cruel adversary and for the glory that thou wilt inveâ—â— her in and that they would sing publick praises untâ— thee for thy mercies to themselves too would thaâ— were their imployment then should not thy service be so much slighted nor thy name so much dishonoured nor thy servants so much contemn'd But Let them sing praises to thy name Whom thou hast blest And kept their Souls from endlesse paine And plac'st in rest Thou hast me kept from hellish paine And plac'st in rest How can I chuse but praise thy name When I 'me so blest Rom. 12.1 MY Lord I cannot plead ignorance for I must confesse I have often read it and knew that I was to â—er up my self a living sacrifice to thy Majesty and to â—ve my selfe wholly to thy disposing and not to have â—y sequestred thoughts from thee dedicated to mine â—wn ends in either my actions words or thoughts but â—y dear Father I now plainly see the necessity of entring â—to thy Courts to hear thee most gracious Prince â—eake to us by thy Embassadors And I nor any other â—ught to say what should I go thither to hear a man â—ell me but what I knew before But my Lord thy Ordiâ—â—nces are powerfull and thou workest more effectually â—n our hearts for the most part by the preaching of â—y word from them then by our own reading and stuâ—y and now I begin to suspect I have not offered up my â—lse so