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.
The Requeſt.
The Anſwer.
Anguiſh.
Of Submiſſion.
Hope.
The onely Comforter.
The Soules Flight.
The Virgins Offring.
To my Doves.
The Trimph.
To my Siſter. S. G.
Canticles 2.
THe Winter is paſt, the Summer is come, I will now ſolace my ſelfe in the Vineyards of my beloved; for he will guide me here by his Counſell, and at length receive me to his Glory.
The Rapture.
The Flight.
The Life.
My Wiſhes.
Ʋpon a paine at heart.
The Portion.
The Friday before Eaſter.
On Eaſter day.
The Pavillion.
The Submiſſion.
The Change.
The Choice.
The Reſt.
The morning Star.
The worlds farewell.
The Swans.
To a friend at Court.
Chriſts Kingdome.
Vaine thoughts baniſht.
My intention.
Earths honour ſlighted.
Luke 20. 36. In that world they ſhall be equall to the Angels.
Ʋpon the morning riſe.
Ʋpon hearing the Birds ſing.
My Robes.
The Dart.
Of Poetry.
To the King. writ, 1644.
To the Queen of Bohemiah.
The Lover.
The renowned King.
To my Siſter, S. S.
The Viſion.
The Heart.
The Bride.
On the day dedicated to the God of Heaven.
The Defiance.
When my Brother was ſick.
The Guard.
Felicity.
On ſudden Death.
Heaven.
The Giver engaged to the Receiver.
The Sun Beames.
To my Brother.
What I Love.
The onely bound.
The Chriſtians happineſſe.
The Retribution.
Gods Commands eaſie.
Praiſe.
The Companion.
Ʋpon the loſſe of my Brother.
On the Sun.
Being told, ſhe was proud.
My pleaſing Life.
To a Lady unfaithfull.
The Curſe.
This on my Tombe ſhall written bee, When I in Glory am with thee.
On marriage.
The Gift.
The choice of my Friend.
The change.
Promiſe Performed.
Not a Husband, though never ſo excelling in goodneſs to us, muſt detaine our deſires from Heaven.
My Deſcent.
To my Husband.
My Bill of thanks to Mr. C.
Being in paine.
Being taken with a ſudden pain on the Day appointed for God's publick Service.
The Antidote.
My Satisfaction.
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
Gods Prerogative.
My Manſion.
Mans unkindneſſe my Benefit.
My Second Part.
The Reſurrection.
Fearfull Ʋncertainty.
To Generall Cromwell.
To a Lady that bragg'd of her Children.
The Conqueſt.
Queſtions and Anſwers.
Qu. LOrd! why have I ſo much from thee?
An. Th'art child to me.
Qu. But why on earth have I ſuch ſtore?
An. In Heav'n is more.
Qu. Lord I have more then I doe need?
An. The poor then feed.
To a Friend for her Naked Breaſts.
Safety.
What Kingdome to be wiſht.
Comfort in Temptations and Afflictions.
On going to the Sacrament.
My Prayer in my Youth.
MY Lord, whoſe mercies to me are unſpeakable; who in thy works art great and powerfull, wholly bend mine affection on that which is certain, and not ſubject to varibility; to that which to that which no ſiniſter miſhap can alter; Oh, let not my Soul which thou haſt made to be fed with heavenly Manna (which ſtill will laſt) here ſeek to be ſatisfied with vain delights, which ſoon will vaniſh. Baniſh from me the Thoughts of vaine delights, and make me know that they muſt end. And for thoſe infinite bleſſings which thou haſt deigned to beſtow upon me, make me for ever to admire thee, and from my heart ſend up the ſweet incenſe of thanks and praiſe for thy heavenly benefits beſtowed on me thine unworthy ſervant.
The Temptation.
MY Soul! Woulſt thou finde favour with the Lord, be not then afraid to goe to him; Let not the feare of thy former paſt ſins, nor of thy continuall weakneſs be an occaſion to hinder thee of thy happineſs ▪ but let the aſſurance of the pardon of thy ſins, and the certainty of the promiſe to ſtrengthen thy weakneſs, animate thee to goe confidently to the throne of grace. There do not imagine that thou ſeeſt thy ſins ſtand as60 a thick cloud to keep thy prayers from aſcending to the preſence of thy God, nor think that through that dark cloud thou ſeem'ſt unſeemly in the eyes of thy loving father; be not thou ignorant that the bright beames of his gracious favour, hath diſperſed thoſe clouds of thy ſins, never to be gathered again together, before his pure eyes. Know thou, that he will not let ſuch fearfull ſights, and ſad appearances, to ſtand in his preſence, to afright his dear choſen children; No my Soul! ſuch ſights are not there; he that cals thee hath removed from thee all thoſe things which ſhould hinder thy ▪ paſſage to him; or diſturbe thy quiet appearance, before him. He cals thee, and bids thee be confident in his preſence; He aſſured thee by his word that thou ſhalt finde his ſpirit ſtrengthning thy weakneſs, and inabling thee to performe that which thou thoughteſt impoſſible for thee to overcome.
My Soul! he hath brought thee from thy ſtraying errours, he hath inabled thee to overcome the manifold temptations of thy ſuttle enemy, when he would have made thee to have 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 he61 perſiſting in his pernicious temptations, bid thee leave his ſervice, telling thee it was to no purpoſe to be ſo carefull to ſerve him, for thy prayers were not heard, thy tears not regarded, thy heavineſs not removed; and if Gods word be true, he hears all that cals upon him, and removeth from them their griefs. Thus ſubtly delt my enemy with me, thinking to havein wrapt me in his hidden nets of moſt pernicious temptations. Firſt, making me to think my God was angry, then that he heard not my prayers, and that his word was falfe: 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; 'tis 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 needs 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 ſo62 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 me 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 in63 wrapt 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 love 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 Lordunleſs thou loveſt me, thou wouldeſt not have cared for my love, and I know that it was in love that thou weanedſt 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 ſight 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 have64 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 time of thy moſt gracious dying: Sad, in reſpect of thy torments, O bleſſed Saviour; yet pleaſant in reſpect of the unexpreſſable liberty, and endleſs happineſs, which by thy powerfull dying we obtain'd.
Oh Bleſſed Spirits, I cannot now thinke, that you were diſpleas'd with us, for your nature doth ſo concur with his will, that it cannot be oppoſite to it.
But yet God was angry; yea, to the very apprehenſion of his onely Son, What elſe made him cry out ſo grievouſly, My God, Why haſt thou forſaken mee? God was angry then with his Son, for us; you had reaſon then of grief for him, not anger towards him: but yet ſure to ſee him angry with his Son, and to ſee his onely Son ſo grievouſly tormented, you could not but be mov'd, what then muſt move you? ſure it could be nothing, but our ſins for which he ſuffered.
Oh you heavenly Spirits. I finde you rejoycing, when we had our Saviour born, and ſure you could not but rejoyce, when the worke of our ſalvation was finiſhed, your joy was then intermingled with your ſorrow, if you be capable of ſorrow, for you could not but ſorrow, to ſee your God ſo grievouſly to ſuffer; you could not but rejoyce, to ſee that they on whom you attended, ſhould be ſo happy, that by his death they ſhould be admitted to injoy eternall life.
If you joy at our repentance, ſure your joy at our65 forgiveneſſe, and then was the time of our forgiveneſſe come, when he willingly yeelded up his life, that we might live eternally, then was our debts paid, when as thy now glorified body, Oh Son of glory, was debar'd of the heavenly appearance, of thine eternall Godhead.
Yee bleſſed Angels, yee joyed in your ſorrow, and not we, but our ſins were hatefull to you, which were the cauſe of his moſt grievous ſuffering.
On Earthly Love.
FRom thee, O Heaven of glorie flowes that celeſtiall ſtream, that being taken hath power to make us forgetfull of our earthly love, the which muſt vaniſh, and alone can ſet us free from thoſe tormenting paſſions.
Thou ſweet ſtream, having cur'd us of thoſe diſtempered paſſions, haſt then the power to work in our hearts a more peaceable and durable affection: earthly affection, ever brings diſtemper, ſometimes diſtraction; but that ſweet love, which thou O pearly fountain, raiſeſt in our breaſt, flameth in our hearts, peace, reſt, joy, and it worketh a perpetuall aſſurance of ſtill injoying what we love, wiſh, or can in heart deſire.
My Lord! My ſoule is raviſht with the contemplation of thy heavenly love; and I cannot chuſe but infinitely admire thy mercies to me thine unworthy ſervant;66 for grievous were the perturbations which I was ſubject to, when I was infected with the poiſon-bane of earthly affections, the which a time thou wert pleas'd to let reigne and tyrannize in my breſt, which like a thorne in the fleſh, not being drawne out, by the hand of art, lies throbbing and working torment, not onely to the place where it hath taken up its abode, but brings diſtemper to the whole body: So that unruly paſſion having taken up his place in my heart, did not onely tyrannize there, but wrought deſtraction in my Soul, and bred diſtemper in my body; But bleſſed be thy Majeſtie for that diſtemper, for in that time of my weaknes, thou Oh all-powerfull hand, by thy moſt heavenly art, didſt draw from my heart that tormenting paſſion, and by the addition of thy heavenly love, which thou didſt leave in the room thereof; thou repairedſt in me the breaches that that unrulie paſſion had made.
HOSEA 2. 19.My Contract.
MY Lord! Doth not thy Majeſtie ſend thy meſſages of love and favour, to thoſe that will take hold of them, and beleeve there ſhall be a performance of what is promis'd, Thy Word tels us, That they that beleeve in thee ſhall have eternall life: My Lord, I do beleeve it, and that this Meſſage, ſent by thy royal Embaſſador, belongs67 to mee, aſwell as to any other; [I will marry thee to mee for ever] Thou art righteous and wilt perform it; who would now refuſe ſo great, and ſo good a King? I diſdain not marriage, I deſire it with this great Prince, who is the Prince of Kings, and at whoſe foot-ſtool they muſt one day lay down all their Crowns, and bring in all their riches at his command: The greateſt of them muſt confeſs they hold their Scepters of him, and to him they muſt doe ſervice, at his will. This is a Prince of ſuch exact perfection, that I cannot ſee any thing in him any way to be diſlik't. When I conſider any creature, I can finde in it but little to be belov'd, but a great deal of inconvenience with it, to be diſlik't; why then ſhould I ſet my minde on the creature of ſo little worth? and not wholly have my minde intent on the Creator, who alone is excellent. Moſt mighty Prince, I muſt confeſs my ſelf unworthy to be the leaſt ſervant in the Court of ſo magnificent a King; much leſſe to be one who ſhall have the honour to be marryed to thee; but becauſe I doe thinke my ſelfe unworthy of thee, ſhall I be ſuch a fool to refuſe ſo great a fortune? No, I will not. My Lord! I now challenge thy promiſe, for I doe think thou haſt prepared me a minde for thy ſelfe, for thou madſt me long ſince to be ambitious of perfection, but when I ſaw it was not to bee obtain'd in this world, how ſlightly did I eſteem of all things in it? thou having prepared my mind for thy ſelf, by the diſlike of all imperfect creatures, and the love of perfection, Thou madſt me to ſee a clear perfection in thy ſelf, and wroughſt in me a love to thee; and becauſe I dare not preſume to the thoughts of poſſeſſing thee, thou ſeeing my deſires, ſent that comfortable meſſage to me, and to all that doe ſincerely love thee, that thou wil receive us to thy ſelfe, and wilt marry us to thee for ever.
The Soules Agitation.
MY great and glorious God! In what a ſtrange agitation is my Soul, being aſſail'd by two contrary conſiderations; the one of my heavenly bliſs, in which thou didſt at firſt make me, and to which thou haſt and wilt, in the fulneſs of time againe reſtore me; the other of the fordid and vile condition, in which I had by my rebellion inwrapt my ſelfe. The thoughts of the firſt fils me with a ſweet contenting joy; the conſideration of the other with a hatefull deteſtation of my ſelfe; for when I record in my minde, how thou at the firſt mad'ſt me a creature of a rare compoſition, one part of thine owne divine ſpirit, the other of earth purified, by thy heavenly art, and 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, ſend69 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 ſpo•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.
The Contempt of the World.
MY Gracious God! Doe I offend thee, if I contemn the world? I finde thy bleſt Apoſtle counting all70 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,71 fears, 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 ſufficient, 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•oo•; 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 deſtruction72 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 bleſſed Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, be to us fooliſhneſſe, and as a thing we delight not in, we may juſtly feare we are to periſh: but if it be eſteem'd by us the power and excellent wiſdom of God, which delights our hearts; we may be confident we ſhall be ſav'd; for the preaching of the Goſpel is to them that periſh fooliſhneſſe, but to us that are ſaved it is the power of God, 1 Cor. 1. 18.
PSALME 119. 165.The Soules Peace.
MY great God! how often doſt thou make us to ſee, and by experience to know the truth of thy moſt73 ſacred Word, 'tis great peace indeed, that they poſſeſſe who love thy law: thou keepeſt them in ſuch ſecure and pleaſant pavillions, that nothing ſhall ofiend them, they muſt ſpeak to thy praiſe, whom thou haſt bleſt, and if I have been thought too mean to ſpeake in the praiſe of an earthly King; My God, I cannot but confeſs my ſelf too mean, too ignorant to ſpeak off, and in the praiſe of the Majeſty of Heaven.
But Oh thou greateſt and higheſt Ruler of all the Great on earth, under whoſe feet lye all their crownes of Majeſty: Thou haſt told us thou art to reſpector of perſons, but thou accepteſt of the prayers and praiſes of thy meaneſt creatures. Then muſt my Soul ſpeak to the praiſe of thy Sacred Majeſty, for the peace that thou haſt given mee, ſince the time that thou haſt taught mee to love thy Law; thou haſt made me to delight in the multitude of peace, thou haſt given me peace in thee, thy bleſſed Son ſet me at peace with thee, and I have ſuch a peace in thee, that all the oppſition of the world cannot take from me. I am at peace with thy ſervants, I am ſure they will not hurt me; I am at peace with thy creatures, for thou haſt made the ſtones, and beaſts af the field to be at league with them that feare thy name; I paſſe by thy creatures, and thorow them without fear, for they are at peace with me.
But canſt thou my Soul ſay, thou thus poſſeſſeſt a happy peace withall No, I cannot: for then they that have ſought to diſturbe my peace, by their odd untruths, will tell me, I ſaid not true; for I have ſeen and felt their Arrows of uncivill war ſtrike againſt my heart: But my God thou haſt ſo ſtrongly arm'd it, that their arrows have recoyl'd back, and not pierc'd my heart: How can I chuſe then moſt bleſſed and ſweet finger of Iſrael but ſpeak in thy own words;
The Support.
MY Lord! When in my young years, the conſideration of thy infinite mercies, had penetrated my heart. I confeſs there was with it, an earneſt deſire, in me to doe or ſuffer ſomething, whereby I might ▪ manifeſt••my love to thy Majeſty, for thoſe great unexpreſſable favours that thou haſt deigned to beſtow on me thy unworthy ſervant. But then had I no other thoughts in me, but that if the contrary Religion (which then too much abounded) had prevail'd, I then might have offered up my life in flames, with devotion to manifeſt my love to thee: But now thou haſt turn'd the tide, and art pleas'd to ſuffer two great powers to riſe, both profeſſing to maintain the truth of our Religion, ſo that now thou haſt taken off my thoughts for ſuffering ſo for thy ſake, but thou haſt put me on another: My Lord•I will not ſay worſe for me: for whatſoever is done by thee, with me or by me: I am confident, it is the beſt and fitteſt for me, though death to ſome ſpirits be eaſier to bear then reproachfull ſpeeches: And I confeſſe with impatience heretofore did my unruly Spirit, deteſt reproachfull words, and thought a religious death far better: For my Lord, thou knoweſt what reproaches and ſlanderous ſpeeches they are ſubject to, that profeſſe thy name, or declare thy mercies to them.
But let them now ſpeak, and in their ſpeech, declare75 their little love to thee my Lord, and their malice and ſpite to thy children, thou ſhalt ſet my ſpirit beyond the reach of their contempt, where with a holy contempt with thee, I ſhall laugh ſuch fools to ſcorne. And now I dare not ſay, I am an ignorant woman, and unfit to write, for if thou wilt declare thy goodneſs, and thy mercy by weak and contemptible means, who can reſiſt thy will. My gracious God, I will be now ſo farre from being unwilling to doe it, that I will not reſt till I have done it, for in all ages thou wilt not leave thy ſelfe without a witneſſe of thy mercy and goodneſſe to thy children, and therefore I will ſend out my words to ſpeak thy praiſe, and as thou haſt made them comfort to ſome troubled mindes, ſo I wiſh they may be to more, when they ſhall ſee the truth of thy mercifull dealing with me, and how thou haſt made me ſo happy in this world, as my heart can wiſh; for thou haſt given me my hearts deſire, and haſt fulfil'd the requeſt of my lipps; for there is not that thing in the world that I can deſire more, then what thou haſt given to me. For long ſince, my Lord, when thou hadſt given me ſence to ſee, that no earthly thing though never ſo excellent or pleaſing could give us a perfect contentment, then made I my prayer to thy divine Majeſty, that thou wouldſt be pleaſed to give me that which the world could not give; and though I confeſſe I did then think it was unpoſſible ever to poſſeſſe a true content in this world, yet my dear Father, I muſt now aske thee pardon for thoſe miſdoubting thoughts; for I have ſeen thou canſt give us a joy, and a true content, beyond the expreſſion of our ſouls, in this world; for when we poſſeſſe thee with, and in thy creatures, we injoy a felicity that fils our hearts with an unexſpreſſable delight; My Lord! when thou art pleaſed to manifeſt thy ſelfe unto our ſouls, thou bringeſt all that can be deſired. Death that to ſome natures, the mention of it is bitter;76 to thine, thou mak'ſt it a pleaſing companion, and with paine thou makeſt them pleas'd and happy, and for the bitter ſpeeches of the world, which thy children muſt heare, thou mak'ſt us to forget or contemne them.
I muſt confeſſe to thy honour, my great King, that thou makeſt me not to remember the bitterneſſe of this life, thou anſwering me with ſuch joyes in my heart, and thus wilt thou at length, my gracious God, bleſſe all thy children that with an upright minde, and a ſincere heart, doe earneſtly ſeek their happineſſe alone in thee, and not from the world.
IN thee moſt bleſſed Prince, are thoſe two excellent ingredients mix'd, which yeeld ſo ſweet a ſent to the world, that no corrupted aire of our unſavoury enemy is able to diſperſe. Thy moſt bleſſed body, the ſweeteſt and trueſt perfume that ever proceeded out of the earth, was joyn'd with the odoriferous ſcent of righteouſneſſe from heaven. Bleſſed Ioſeph, knew thy perfect body needed no imbalming; That pure Balſam that came from heaven at the beginning, kept thy precious body from corruption.
On the croſſe was all that that was to be ſuffered in the body, finiſhed, God would not ſuffer his holy one to ſee corruption; truth made haſt, and ſprung the third day from the earth, and righteouſneſs ſhewed her ſelfe from heaven; in thee met mercy and truth, righteouſneſſe and peace there kiſſed each other. Now are77 they in thee conjoyn'd never againe to be ſeparated. 'Tis not for ignorant man, ſeeing thou haſt not reveal'd it, to examine what thou didd'ſt with thy precious ſoul, when thy body was in the grave. My Lord! I will not ſearch into thoſe ſecrets, kept in thine owne Cabinet: Thou haſt reveal'd enough to confirme my faith, and to make me happy. Thou haſt told me, That righteouſneſſe looked downe from heaven; I will not expect thy coming from any other place.
The Acknowledgement.
MY Omnipotent God, faine would I ſay ſomething to thee, but I am afraid. But ſhall my womaniſh fear make thee looſe thy glory; My God it muſt not! Thy glory muſt ſo dazle mine eyes, that I muſt not regard the cenſure of the world.
And if thou, O all-ſeeing eye! ſeeſt ought of my ſelfe, in what I write or ſay, reſtraine my hand from writing, and my tongue from ſpeaking; but if thy glory be the intention of my heart, let not my hand and tongue be aſham'd to confeſſe that I cannot but ſee thoſe infinite bleſſings that thou haſt beſtowed on me, which thou haſt not as yet beſtowed on all. My Lord! I were a fool if I did not ſee them; I were a beaſt if I did not acknowledge them; but thou haſt taught me to know the onely true God, and Ieſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent into the world, to take away my ſins; this wiſdome given me by thee, inlightens mine eyes to ſee thy bleſſings, and that I muſt not be like a beaſt which receives many favours from thee, without acknowledgment; Then with infinite thankes I doe acknowledge to thy glory, thou haſt inriched me with a multitude of thy bleſſings.
78And that I may know, that whatſoever is in me tending to good, is from thee: there are times that I cannot ſee any thing that hath any appearance of good in me; for when, by thy mercies, I lay me down in peace to take my reſt, being happy in the conſideration of thy infinite mercies, and full of thy goodnes; yet in my fleep I finde my thoughts buſied in nothing but a multitude of confuſed follies, and vaine imaginations, which plainly repreſent to me my naturall condition; that by nature I cannot think a good thought; but thou remembring thy mercies in the morning againe, reſtoreſt to me thy gifts and graces in which I was happy the night before; So that thou makeſt me to lye downe in peace, and to riſe with joy, when I ſee that thou doſt each day renue to me thy heavenly gifts, for thou art to me as thou art to all that fear thee, the light of my eyes, the joy of my heart, and a Crowne of glory to my head.
My Lord! ſhall not theſe bleſſings of thine be acknowledged by me, to thy praiſe and glory? for fear the world ſhould ſay, I were proud of them: Moſt people glory in ſomething or other, and thou haſt ſaid, Let them that glory, glory in the Lord. My God! thou haſt heard my prayer, that I leanrt of thy fervant, that thou wouldſt give me a glorying heart, and now thou makeſt me with him to rejoyce in the God of my Salvation. My Lord! experience hath taught me to know, that if I delight in earthly things, thou wilt take them from me; for thou wilt not have thy children delight in any thing more then in thy ſelfe. But if we love thee thou wilt manifeſt thy ſelfe to us, and wilt give us more full poſſeſſion of thy deſired ſelfe. But my beloved Lord, if after the expreſſion of my exceſſive joy, for being thine, I ſhall through the frailty of mine owne nature, and thy ſufferance fall into any great tranſgreſſion, to make thee for a while to withdraw from me, the pleaſing79 and joyfull light of thy countenance. My tender Father, aſſure me that thou wilt againe reſtore me to the joy of thy ſalvation here in this world, or thou wilt in thy mercy take me to a more full poſſeſſion of thee in the felicity of thy choſen, where I ſhall perpetually rejoyce with thy children. But to make me carefull of my ſelfe, let me remember thy warning, Let him tha thinketh he ſtandeth take heed leſt he fall.
The invincible Souldier.
MY Lord, the Lord of Hoſts; I being in ſweet ſecurity under thy banner, cannot but acknowledge with thankes thy mercy to me, for the meanes that brought me to this felieity. Thou art mercifull to me in letting me be borne of Parents, who were liſted under thy command, and to be brought up by her that did ſurvive, who knew thy ſervice was perfect freedom. She that was happy in being a Souldier of thine, uſed her authority by love, to bring her children under the obedience of that Generall, whom ſhe ſerv'd, and•o make me love him in my child-hood, whom her experience had taught to love and admire; inforc'd me to read his Royall ſtory, wherein I might ſee his victorio us conqueſt, who was neverfoil'd. There did I ſee his enemies had all their forces from him, wherewithall they reſiſted him. His wiſdome, his power, his valour, ſtole into my heart a little deſire to follow him. But when I came to conſider what a great Prince I ſhould ſerve, what impenetrable weapons and armour he had provided for me to defend my ſelf, what rewards he had promis'd to give to all that did overcome; I began to contemn the thoughts of ſerving any but that victorious Prince of glory. And ſeeing grea•God, thou haſt80 bid us take that impenetrable armour. I will not willingly ever goe without it. Then dear Prince beſtow on me the Girdle of Truth, and put on me the breſt-plate of thy Righteouſnes, and let my feet be ſhod with the Goſpel of peace, and let me have the ſhield of Faith, and ſet on my head the Helmet of Salvation, and inſtruct me how to weild the Sword of the Spirit, and when I am ſo arm'd, I ſhall not fear the fiery darts of the aſſailing enemies, Though they be principalities, and powers and rulers of darknes in this world; My Prince whom I ſerve, is a Ruler of thoſe Rulers, and will aſſiſt me: yea the ſtars ſhall aid us in their courſes againſt our adverſaries. That bright morning ſtar ſhall ariſe on our ſide, to enlighten us, and to dazle and afright our weak-ſighted reſiſters, with his exceeding brightneſs. The ſweet influence that flows from that over-ruling ſtar ſhall make us to renew our ſtrength, each houre to maintaine the battail: his gracious aſpect will make 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.
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 who81 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 m•iſt be clean, for thou needſt not doubt, but that fountain belongs to thee; for from eternity by election wert thou affianc'd to82 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; 'tis 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.
O•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, I have heard thee ſay, thou wouldſt haſt to that pure ſtream, and waſh thee83 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 erewhile, 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 hereafter84 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 that place from which Adam fell too mean for the felicity of 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 maiſt goe with my Soul, and eat thy temporall bread with joy, and drinke thy wine with a merry heart, and thy garments may be pleaſant and delighting, and thy head want no odoriferous ointment, for our bountiful and liberall God, hath given us many creatures for pleaſure and delight, as well as for neceſſity; but 'tis with a reſtraint, our bodies are of Adams race, we muſt not touch that which is forbidden; thou maiſt uſe them all with an innocency, not with any ſiniſter end, or to thinke to make thy ſelfe like a God, by them or with them; but thou maiſt lawfully uſe them all to praiſe thy God, for them and with them.
Thus my body, thou ſeeſt thou art happy with my Soule, and my Soul is happy in thee, and you ſhall be both glorious together in Heaven; and now my heart can wiſh no greater bliſſe on earth, but my tongue muſt ever ſay,
Ambition.
MY Lord, I will not winely deſire to pry into thy Cabinet of ſecrets, to finde out what was the reaſon, why thou didſt caſt down thoſe ſometime bright Angels in Heaven, now tormenting & tormented ſpirits in hel; but I have heard that ſome have thought that it was for having too ambitious and too high deſires.
My Lord! Could their deſires be rais'd higher then are mine? for I confeſſe mine reach unto thy Throne; Nothing will now ſatisfie me, but to be inthron'd with thee in glory. I am grown ſo confident too, that I aver thoſe high deſires in me to be lawfull, and know that for them thou wilt not caſt me from thee, but wilt inthrone me with thee,
My Lord! I ſee 'tis dangerous to doe any thing in thy ſervice without a command, or a meſſage from thee: For I ſee many things done by thy command, bleſt with felicity, when without, puniſht with miſery. I finde no command given them for ſuch deſires; but methinkes I hear that bleſt Apoſtle of thine, when returned from his heavenly rapture, cals to me, and tels me from thee, that I muſt ſeek thoſe things that are above, where Chriſt ſits at the right hand of God, and that my life is hid in Chriſt with thee: ſo that now I ſeeking to attaine my high deſires, made lawfull by thy command, am not onely placed on thy Throne, by thee, but I am in thee; and thoſe rebellious Spirits that ſought to obtain their ambitious deſires, without thy commands, are not onely caſt out of thy bleſſed preſence, but alſo are for ever to be tormented in eternall miſery.
MY God! I will not doe good on earth to ſhine with thee in glory: But becauſe I will ſhine with thee in glory, I will doe good on earth.
Ʋpon Peters denyall.
SAint Peter! How well had it been, hadſt thou ſpoke and kept thy word; for why ſhouldſt thou be offended at thy good Maſter; he telling thee that himſelfe ſhould be ſmitten, you ſhould but be ſcattered: Had he told you that you ſhould be ſmitten, and he ſeparated from you, there might have been ſome reaſon, you might have been offended; but when himſelfe was to be ſmitten, and for your ſakes too, to ſecure you from eternall deſtruction; Methinks the offence was taken on the contrary ſide. But if in thy family, it was ſo taken, thou ſtrict Prince of perfection, no wonder if it be ſo in families of looſer libertie, and full of imperfection. I doe not wonder to hear thee ſay, Thou wilt not be offended, but I wonder that thou wert not over-joyed to hear him telling thee, that for all he ſhould ſo ſuffer, yet he would after he was riſen, goe before you into87 Galilee. Methinks, I ſhould hear you filling the world with ſongs of thanks-giving, for joy of that Kingdome he hath promiſed you, from his Father, and for the aſſurance he gave you of his reſurrection; rather then hear thee denying ſuch a powerfull and loving Maſter, with Oathes. My Lord! Let me, with him, not be aſhamed to profeſſe thee; but keep me from the ſhame of denying thee, or if thou maiſt gain glory by my fall, give me with him, abundance of teares, and a heart and tongue to confeſſe my fault to thee, and to the world, that thou and they may ſee with him, my repentance.
My Redemption acknowledged.
MY Lord! Haſt thou ſpoken it, and ſhall it not be performed? It is impoſſible? Thou the Ruler of all the world, haſt by thy bleſſed Prophet, bid, that they which are redeemed by the Lord, declare with praiſe, how he hath redeemed them from the hand of the oppreſſor, rather then thy word ſhould not be fulfil'd to thy faithful friend; Thou vvilt raiſe him children out of the duſt of the earth, rather then this command not be performed, thou vvilt raiſe me who am as one out of the duſt to be one of them, that muſt declare vvith praiſe, hovv thou haſt delivered me from the hands of mine enemies. And though I finde it a thing now adays done but by few; and ſo by doing it, may make my ſelf a wonder, and ridiculous to the world, and ſome other womaniſh reaſons, that might detaine me from it; yet I cannot but know thou haſt redeemed me, and I muſt confeſſe, it was thou alone, my great God, that haſt done it, for it was none but the great God, and Ruler of the world, that could deliver me out of the hands of that great enemy of mine, and of all man kind;88 that Prince that rules in the aire, who goes about like a roaring Lyon, ſeeking each minute to devour us: Out of the arms and power of that fiery enemy, haſt thou unparalel'd Conqueror delivered me, elſe had I been led captive to his will; For that great deliverance of thine, my Soul ſhall render thee continuall praiſe: It was thou, O great Prince of life and death, that triumphed over death, thou only canſt deliver me from the feare of death, and make me imbrace it with a Heaven of contentment. It is onely thou my Lord, who alone doſt ariſe to them that fear thy name, with healing in thy wings, canſt, and haſt cur'd me of, (to man) uncurable diſeaſes. Thou haſt cur'd me too of the plague of my own heart.
BLeſſed King! Well maiſt thou ſay, Thou ſhouldſt be compaſt about with Songs of deliverance, when the Lord of Hoſts was thy hiding place; with him are no•Complainers; in his preſence is nothing but joy; thoſe that are under the protection of his pleaſant wings, cannot but have their hearts full of exceſſive joy, which89 moves their tongues to ſing ſongs of praiſes and thanksgiving to their great and powerfull protector for delivering 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.
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 towring90 in the turrets of contentment; and ſet 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.
Ʋpon 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,91 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, Devil to92 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.
Heaven upon Earth.
MY Lord! Though thou wilt not take me from earth to live in Heaven with thee; yet thou comming from heaven to live on earth with me, makes me on earth 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 to entertaine ſo great a Prince; yet thou haſt ſaid, If•ny love thee, thy Father will love them, and thou, and••ee, and thy holy ſpirit, which cannot be ſeparated from thee, will come and make thy abode with him. My Lord and King! thou knoweſt I love thee, for•ong ſince I was willing to have left the world, and all•he bleſſings that thou haſt given me in it, to have gone to live with thee: but what talke I, leaving the world to come to live with thee. Thou art come into•he world to live with mee and in me. But my great Lord, where in me, ſhall I finde thee; haſt thou in•hron'd thy ſelfe in my heart, give me then thy aſſiſt•nce, 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 out to covetouſneſſe. Let my feet be ſwift to run in•he wayes of thy commandements, and not to ſhed in•ocent blood: or if in my head thou haſt taken up thy94 ſeat, there let humility attend on thee too, or I ſhall fear thou wilt goe from me; for thou reſiſteſt the proud: but though thou beeſt high, and inſtabiteſt eternity, yet thou, O great Prince will dwell with the humble. Then in my head, and in all that belong to it doe thou finde humble obedience, that there I might retaine thee. Let not mine eyes have any proud look nor be windows to lett in vanity, but let them be ever looking to the hils from whence cometh my ſalvation. Let not my tongue which thou haſt given me to ſerve thee, be imployed to back-bite or defame any the leaſt of thy children, or any one; for how know I who are thine, or who not, but let my tongue be ever ſpeaking to thy praiſe and glory; and let the words of mouth be accprable in thy ſight; nor let mine ears liſten to any idle or unſeemly diſcourſe, that may diſpleaſe thy divine Majeſty, and let my noſtrils be ever filled with the ſweet ſavour that comes from thy heavenly garments: So if all the faculties of my body be imployed by my Soul, humbly to ſerve thee, I ſhall live and expreſſe a glorying heart, becauſe I know this body is th•Temple of the Deity.
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 or earth yet this rare creature, his love, his hatred not to be regarded, for thou canſt in an inſtant take away that95 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 now 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 wert attended by a multitude of bright Angels, and bleſſed Saints, which continually ſing thy praiſes with their heavenly voices; for thee to leave ſuch tranſcendent delights, to take on thee my frail fleſh, and come to me, and ſubject thy ſelfe to all the contempts that an inſulting enemy could impoſe: had not 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 love, for all that were thine to follow for love to m•e, thou wert content to dye, and the moſt painfull and ignominious death that could be inflicted on the meaneſt perſon: Thou who wert ſerv'd by all the world, was pleas'd thus to ſerve for me, and to dye, to ſave me from eternall death; and before I knew into what tormenting habitation I had plung'd my ſelfe by my rebellion, thou wert pleas'd to declare to me how thou hadſt redeem'd me out of thoſe moſt cruel inthralments, by thy willingly yeelding to dye for me; for none could have power, O great Prince of Heaven and earth, to96 have taken away thy life, hadſt thou not laid it downe of thine owne accord thou wert pleaſe to tell me too, though I live here among thy enemies and mine, yet I ſhould not be afraid of them, for they can but kill my body, and that too not without thy leave, for none can take thy children out of thy hand, unleſſe thou art 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 thoſe that beleeve on thee; where we ſhall receive from thy hand the beautifull Crowne of our eternall glory. O my God! Who can chuſe but be raviſht with thy unfadom'd mercy, and unexpreſſable love to thy poor, yet by thee inriched creatures. My dear Prince! What 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 that cruel adverſary, and for the glory that thou wilt inveſt her in, and that they would ſing publick praiſes unto thee, for thy mercies to themſelves too: would tha•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
Rom. 12. 1.
MY Lord! I cannot plead ignorance, for I muſt confeſſe I have often read it, and knew that I was to offer up my ſelf a living ſacrifice to thy Majeſty, and to give my ſelfe wholly to thy diſpoſing, and not to have any ſequeſtred thoughts from thee, dedicated to mine own ends, in either my actions, words or thoughts: but my dear Father, I now plainly ſee the neceſſity of entring•nto thy Courts, to hear thee, moſt gracious Prince ſpeake to us by thy Embaſſadors; And I, nor any other ought to ſay; what ſhould I go thither, to hear a man tell me, but what I knew before? But my Lord, thy Ordinances are powerful, and thou workeſt more effectually on our hearts for the moſt part, by the preaching of thy word from them, then by our own reading and ſtudy, and now I begin to ſuſpect, I have not offered up my•elfe ſo exactly to thee, as I ſhould; for me thought,•e beſought me from thee, to offer up my ſelf a living ſacrifice, wholly and acceptably to thee, My Lord! I have heretofore long ſince given my ſelfe to thee by piece meals; but I fear, reſerving ſomething from thee, and if offering my ſelfe wholly to thee, be but a reaſo•oble ſerving of thee, ſure when I reſerved any thing from thee, that ſervice was contemptible: But gracious Father, pardon all that heretofore I have done amiſſe in thy ſervice, for now I doe give up my ſelfe wholly to thee; But how ſhall I dare to ſay my ſelf, I dare not appeare by my ſelfe in thy preſence, yet with, and in my ſelf I may; Thou haſt taught me out of thy royall ſtory, to know that thou haſt given me that Princely Son of thine, I cannot chuſe but accept ſo rich a preſent; then ſeeing he is mine, and I am his, I am confident to preſent my ſelfe to thee, with and in98 him; My Lord, thou canſt not but take the care〈◊〉me, now I have given my ſelfe wholly to thee; the gracious Father let me live without fear of falling fro•thee; for if I fall from thee, wilt not thou looſe pa••of thy glory? My Lord, I know it ſtands not wit•thine honour to let that periſh which is committed i•to thy hands; then ſith I have commited my ſelf wholy to thee, let me with confidence ſit downe and reſ•and••ar no evill,
Ʋpon Adams fall.
MY Dear God! did thy Majeſty make Adam wiſe before he fell, then any man; or haſt thou ſinc•his fall given man the gift of Faith, or had he no nee•of Faith, or did Adam not beleeve thee the maker〈◊〉all things, ſo much as we beleeve each other? 〈◊〉Adam did not beleeve thee, when thou toldſt him th•the day he ſhould eat of that tree, he ſhould dye th•death. We thinke men wiſe when they avoid what told them will hurt them. I finde Adam not ſo wiſe and if one tell us, Mercury will cauſe our death,〈◊〉that are called the depraved Sons of Adam, will not ea•it, if we be in our right ſenſes, though the pureneſſe〈◊〉the colour may tempt us, and it be onely a morta•man that tels us ſo, who neither made it, nor eve•try'd it. Adam beleev'd not the O Lord, who made that tree, and gaveſt the nature to it; O Adam, wh••made thee to eat of that tree, hadſt thou not this great world full of all pleaſures to content thee, a beauti•u•healthfull active body, a minde indued with all excelent and pleaſing knowledge: No where couldſt tho•caſt thine eye but it had pleaſing objects: nothin•99couldſt thou taſt, but it was delicious; no troubled mind, no diſtracted thoughts, to take thee one minute, from theſe delights, or cauſe thee to wiſh a change. Oh what then was it? But now I muſt check my ſelfe; Great God pardon me, I now ſin with Adam, whiles I am inquiring why Adam ſinn'd: he would know what he ſhould not, I what I cannot; Thou hadſt made him ſo wiſe as was ſufficient for any mortall man; and hadſt given him ſuch qualities of his Soul as were requiſite to have made him for ever happy, in that bleſſed condition. Frail Adam, I will no more examine, whether thou hadſt faith or no, or whether thou didſt thinke to have been happier by what was kept from thee, then in poſſeſſing what was ſo plentifully given to thee.
Great God, I will content my ſelf to know thou hadſt made him at firſt in a happy condition, and us ſo in him; and will be patient now I ſee my ſelfe in a worſe: becauſe thou haſt given me faith to beleeve I ſhall be in a better. And as Adam made himſelfe unhappy by expecting to be happier; So I ſhall be more happy by beleeving I ſhall be gloriouſly perfect hereafter.
Security in Danger.
MY Lord! When with that bleſſed ſervant of thine I ſend up to thee my petitions for ſecurity againſt thoſe that riſe up againſt us; Let me receive his aſſurance that thou heareſt me out of thy holy hill, and let me ſay with him, I will lay me downe and alſo ſleep in peace, for thou Lord onely makeſt me dwell in ſafety. I will not be afraid, of ten thouſand of people, that ſhould beſet me round about; for ſeeing it hath pleas'd thee to let me be in a Kingdome of diviſion, though bleſſed be thy name who hath yet preſerv'd me, I am now in a place of peace, yet for ought I know I might to100 morrow be incompaſſed with ten thouſand enemies, though not to me in particular, yet to thoſe among whom I am now in ſafety: But if thou art pleas'd I ſhall be ſo inclos'd, then let not me be afraid of them, fhr thou canſt preſerve me, either by deſtroying thoſe that would harme me, or by letting me finde favour in the ſight of mine enemies, or by their hands canſt thou ſend me to thy bleſſed Tabernacle of ſecurity, where I ſhall never need any more to ſend up prayers for deliverance, but ſhall alwayes ſing praiſes to thee, for having ſo many wayes to deliver me.
The Royall Prieſt-hood.
PEace! Preſent now no more to me (to take my ſpirit from the height of felicity) that I am a creature of a weaker ſex, a woman. For my God! If I muſt live after the example of thy bleſſed Apoſtle, I muſt live by faith, and faith makes things to come, as preſent; and thou haſt ſaid by thy ſervant, that we ſhall be like thy bleſſed Son: then thou wilt make all thy people as Kings and Prieſts, Kings are men, and men are Kings; And Souls have no ſex; the hidden man of the heart, makes us capable of being Kings; for I have heard it is that within makes the man; then are we by election capable of as great a dignity as any mortall man; But thoughts of mortals! now Adieu; I will cloſe the eyes of my Soul, to mortality, and will not open them but to eternity; ſeeing that by thy grace and faith in thee, thou haſt made us partaker of thy divine nature, by thy aſſiſtance I will live by faith; I will no more101 now ſee my ſelf as mortall, but as an immortall King will I begin to live, that hidden man never dies, but when mine immortall King, that plac'ſt me in this Kingdome of felicity with him; ſhall ſee it fit time, he will raiſe me on a triumphant Chariot, compos'd of the wings of bright Angel, to his immortall Kingdome of Glory, where I ſhall reigne with him for all eternity, and never more deſire to change. Aud as a Royall Prieſt muſt I be to thee; ever offering up the ſweet incenſe of my praiſes to thy divine Majeſty, for thy infinite mercies to me, thy unworthy ſervant.
The ſecure Pavillion.
MY God, Thy children need not now pray that thoſe lips may be put to ſilence that ſpeak grievous things againſt them; they have long ſince had a freind, and thou a ſervant, that ſent up his petitions to thee for that, and as if he had been raviſht with a preſent anſwer from thee, he cryes out; O how great is thy goodneſſe, that thou haſt laid up in ſtore for them that fear thee, before the Sons of men, that would diſhonour thy ſervants. And now he hath brought us ſo pleaſing a meſſage from thee, that it is no wonder if we with diſregard ſlight thoſe unſavory words which we hear. And now look here all you who ſhall any way ſlight or annoy his children, by your odd ſpeeches; they are plac'ſt above your reach, for God will hide them in the ſecret of his preſence, from the pride of men, he will keep them ſecretly in his Pavilion, from the ſtrife of tongues, you may ſhoot, but your aime muſt be above your head, if you think to hit them, and when you have ſhot, your arrows cannot reach them, but they may light where you would not have them, on your own heads.
A Queſtion.
MY God! What buſineſſe on earth is worth detaining a Soul from Heaven, that is prepar'd with deſire to come from earth, to live in heaven with thee.
Palmer! Why told you me, God hath ſomething here remarkable for mee to doe, before I leave the earth; elſe could I have laid downe my head each night, with expectation of a mornings riſe in heaven; now I doe lay it downe onely with a contenting joy, that I am his, and that when his will is done with me, or by me here; I ſhall then goe to poſſeſſe tha Heaven which onely can content the deſire of my immortall Soul: Had you not told me ſo, I might have hop'd, that exceſſive joy, for the glory which I ſhall poſſeſſe, might have rais'd me to that bliſſe to which I doe aſpire. My God, my Soul breaths after thee, and cannot be ſatisfied, till ſhe comes to a full poſſeſſion of thee.