DIVINE MEDITATIONS UPON Several Subjects. Whereunto is annexed GOD'S LOVE, AND Man's unworthiness. WITH SEVERAL Divine Ejaculations. Written by JOHN QUARLES. LONDON, Printed by T. J. for Peter Parker, and are to be sold at the first shop in Popes-head Alley on the right hand next Cornhill, 1671. To my Esteemed Friend, JAMES HOBARTE of Hales, in the County of Norfolk, Esquire. SIR. IF I am bold, it is in fulfilling your desires: I am confident you well remember when we were Prisoners together, that yourself gave me the several subjects of these short Meditations; I confess I have no cause to blush at the subjects, but I fear you will find cause to blush at the bad performance of your desires; however, I have done my endeavour; and if you please to own it worth your acceptance, I shall own your acceptance worth my labour, and ever remain Affectionately yours, JOHN QUARLES. TO THE READER. Kind Reader, LEt me lay this Injunction upon thee before thou permittest thy eye to survey this little Volume, that thou wilt resolve to pardon, I will not say for what, for fear thou shouldest be scrupulous and not read; The subject is Divine, and I confess too good to be so badly handled; however, I have done my endeavour, and Alexander did no more when he conquered Kingdoms: But Reader, because I will not detain thine eye too long in one place, I bid thee Farewell. To my Muse. TEll we presumptuous Muse, how dar'st thou treat Upon a Subject so sublime, so great! Alas how dare thy infancy aspire So high as Heaven, where the Celestial Choir Of Soul-enchanting Angels, hourly sing, Anthems of joy to their mellifluous King! This is a task that invocates the best And loftiest quills; heavens love must not b'exprest With wanton language: he that shall presume To labour in this work, must first perfume His Soul with true Divinity, and breathe Celestial airs, that Readers may perceive Their Author labours with a serious heart T'embalm his actions with divinest art; This is a field whose spacious bounds extend Themselves to infinite; who strives to end Shall still begin, and having once begun This pleasing progress, must not cease to run Until he stops in Heaven, there lies the gain, Who runs with Faith is certain to obtain. If then my Muse, thou canst divinely mount This sacred Stage, thou needst not fear't ' account Thy actions prosperous, strive thou to stand Guarded with Faith, and Heaven will lend a hand To prop thee up, his power will infuse Sufficient matter for an active Muse To work upon, his wisdom will direct Thy painful hand, his Mercies will correct Thy rambling thoughts, and teach thee to proclaim Th' unsummed up glories of his Royal Name; Abandon Earth, and bid vain thoughts adieu, Thou canst not serve thy God and Mammon too; Rouse then, and let thy well-pruned Eagles wings Mount thee aloft, let not terrestrial things Disturb thy resolutions, let them all Evade thy mind; thy thoughts must grow too tall For such low toys: stir up thy zealous fire, And what thou canst not well express, admire. DIVINE MEDITATIONS Upon several subjects. I. GRoans, midnight groans, usurp the Commonwealth, Oh my infringed Soul! I know no health, Nor feel no pleasure, all my joys are fled I know not where, and I am worse than dead. Heaven shouldering Atlas, if compared to me Bears nothing, mine's a weighty misery. II. Ah me, can nothing cure me, is my grief So much insanable, that no relief Can flow from Gilead? do my sins obstruct Those tides of grace which usually conduct Refreshments to me? Oh most dismal fate! He feels a plague too soon, that grieves too late. III. Cimmerian mists, alas! and what are they? (Compared to me) less than a glorious day. The sense of my own blindness makes me know The blindness of my senses. Can a woe Be more exub'rous? here's a grief refined, A seeing Body, and a Soul that's blind. IV. The sight-deprived wretch, whose darkened fate Makes day and night (as 'twere) incorporate, And knows no difference, but still gropes about, And finds his Day within, his Night without: But I, sad I, being muffled up in sin, Find Day without, alas! but Night within. V. Saddest of thoughts! Oh that I could espy One gracious Sunbeam, that my willing eye, Might, like the dawning of the Infant-day, Grow by degrees, and at the last display Some glorious rays to my endarkened heart▪ I'd hug that light, and never let it part. VI But I, unhappy I, whose former days Consumed in ill, have quite expelled the rays Of future happiness; and now I see All evil is epitomised in me. Too late I grieve, for what I feel too soon; The Sun le's fall his fiercest rays at noon. VII. Though foggy vapours oftentimes ascend, Being exhaled by a Solar friend, From Earth's i'll breast, and for a season shroud Themselves within an entertaining cloud. Yet at the last, (unwilling to remain) Discloud themselves, and fall to Earth again. VIII. But ah! my sin-exhaling soul is filled With noisome fogs that cannot be distilled; They keep a forced possession, and increase Within me, nay, and riot out my peace. Needs must the Empire of a troubled brain Feel store of torments where such Nero's reign. IX. Corporeal griefs, compartivelay, merit The name of Pleasures to a troubled spirit: Martyrs have taught, that temporary pains (If well improved) swell into future gains. Grief's banished quite from him that dies forgiven; A Storm on Earth portends a Calm in Heaven. X. As woe and trouble commonly await Upon the frailty of a humane state; So Grace and Mercy evermore are found Attending, where Divinity sits crowned. Ah! would it not be undiscreetly done, To sit in darkness to avoid the Sun? XI. If Heaven should please to banish from our sight His glorious Lamp, whose most diffusive light Gives life to nature, all things would retire Into a Chaos, and the world expire. The Soul's a World-divine, and Christ's the Sun, Who shining not, the World is changed, not done. XII. We may observe, when happiness concludes, How soon the sad and fatal interludes Of Misery appear: for Grief and Joy Are Initiators. When our sins destroy The happiness we had, Ah then appears Mischief attended with an host of fears. XIII. Adam (unhappy man!) with what a grace Could he present himself before the face Of his well-pleased Creator, till the heat Of his own lust compelled him to retreat From God's commands. Ah then, his new-bred fear Made him afraid to see, as well as hear. XIV. Let but the apples of the tender eye Receive a sudden touch, and by and by The sympathising part will quickly be Frighted (as 'twere) into a mutiny, So when the Sin: touched soul begins to smart, The sentiate faculties must bear a part. XV. Courage in Sin, is but a Sin enlarged; Which like a deepmouthed Cannon overcharged Recoils or breaks. Had Peter found no vent For his denying-sins, his soul had rend Itself in pieces. Blessed is he and wise, That can discharge his sorrow at his eyes. XVI. Sins that do float in tears, are often drowned In their own floods; When real sighs abound, They raise a tempest, and our sins are tossed Against the rocks of Mercy, till they're lost. When sins beleaguer us with hostile fears, There's no Artillery like David's tears. XVII. Cursed (like the Figtree) is that barren eye That in a flood of Sins is always dry. Tears are the choicest Jewels which are set Like Orient Pearls in Heaven's rich Cabinet. When Faith implores, th' Almighty One that lent A vent for tears, will send us tears to vent. XVIII. Faith is the Souls best Orator; 'tis known, There is no Music like a faithful groan. A Whispering faith will find a ready ear, When a loud-thundring faithless voice must steer From whence it came, no audience will be given, A soft tongued Faith on Earth speaks loud in Heaven. XIX. Faith feeds the hungry, and it safeguards those, That fear the danger of incensed Foes. 'tis Heaven's proof-armor, he that wears this shield May safely meet Goliath in the Field. 'Tis heavenly mirth to hear a David sing; 'Twas Faith that killed Goliath, not a sling. XX. The precious balsom of a sound belief, Expels the poison of a raging grief. The woman's bloody issue could not be Cured, but by Faith's Divine Chirurgery. When grief assails, the patient must be sure T'apply warm prayers, and Faith will end the cure. XXI. Reason and Faith are Combatants, the One Demands a (why) the other will be known Without a reason, for the powerful hand Of Faith can fight, where reason cannot stand. He that believes what's possible, can strain His Faith no higher than a humane brain. XXII. Faith is the minds establisher, should we Believe but what we understand, and see, We should prove Infidels: had Abraham tried His Faith by humane sense, his Faith had died. But barren Sarah, when her time was run, Blest aged Abraham with a smiling Son. XXIII. When our estranged ashes, shall lie hid In their corruptions, reason will forbid Their reuniting, but a faithful eye Sees them inclining to their unity. If we observe, we shall be sure to find T hat Faith sees best, when humane reason's blind. XXIV. A well-deserving eye, shall always find Faith and Theology, as close combined As March ' and Mary were; who strive to smother The one, must needs extirpate the other. Accursed be they that separate such friends: Destroy the consort, and the music ends. XXV. Th' inflamed Lamp shines in a darksome night, And fills each corner with a trembling light; But when extinguished our benighted eye, Leaves every object in obscurity. So shining Faith (snuffed out by sin) expires And leaves us muffled in our dark desires. XXVI. Faith's a Monoculist, and can descry The Sun of Glory with a single eye. It comprehendeth all things, every place Where she abodes, is beautified with grace. He's like a pregnant Land that knows no dearth, But brings forth many offsprings at one birth. XXVII. Faith can unnaturalize a Lion, and Make him lie subject to a strict command, Or Daniel had not lived, his Lamb had power, To make the Lions tremble, not devour: Be pleased Oh Lord, to look upon our Zion, And send this Lamb to chase away our Lion. XXVIII. When once despised Faith is laid aside, Needs must the Fabric of Religion slide. An unpropt-house, with danger is enjoyed, And Palaces prove rubbish when destroyed. Oh how unblessed is that declining Nation, Where Faith's quite lost, Religion's out of fashion. XXIX. Faith and Religion like the Turtledove, Having lost her first, admits no second love. The troubled Ocean is not easily stilled, 'Tis far more easy to destroy than build. When Faction thrives, Religion starves at nurse, Who sins with Egypt, must have Egypt's curse. XXX. Sure sad Religion, cannot choose but groan Under deformity, when every one Shall dress her at his pleasure: is it good To cancel that, which Martyrs sealed with blood? Sure no it is not, blessings are despised, When pure Religion's so much Proteunized. XXXI. I'd rather want a blessing, than abuse The blessing that I have, th' apostate Jew's Can evidence this truth, for whilst they stood To save the evil, they destroyed the good. Did it not add to pilate's sin, who cried, I find no fault, and yet our Saviour died? XXXII. Had Judas known the blessings he possessed, In being private to our Saviour's breast, Sure than his most inordinate desires, Had found no fuel to maintain his fires. Best things in their corruption prove the worst, Truth speaks aloud, for Judas was accursed. XXXIII. Alas how fond did our thoughts despise These sacred joys, which now we chiefly prise Because we want them, and we sadly prove The want of blessings tutors us to love The blessings that we had, if I transgress, Let David witness what my thoughts express. XXXIV. Th' unfathomed gulf of man's unsatiate mind Proves most outrageous, when 'tis most confined, I could persuade myself, if 'twere a sin Not to be sinful, Man would soon begin To practise goodness, for the flesh would be Oppugnant to the Spirits faculty. XXXV. The raging fire, the more it is depressed The more it burns, our Parent Eve transgressed Because she was forbid, although she knew What unavoided danger would accrue. Yet her unsatisfied desires were such, She could not choose but taste as well as touch. XXXVI. Faction's the worst of Evils, 'tis a sin Beyond addition; when we once begin To fall to Heresy, we know not how Nor what to act, alas we can allow A firm respect to nothing, for to day, We hug what we to morrow cast away. XXXVII. If we observe, it may be quickly seen How great a disproportion is between The Schools of God, and Nature, we conceive In Nature's Schools, before we can believe; But in the Schools of God we must aspire, First to believe, conceive, and then admire. XXXVIII. Affliction is the Christians badge, who knows Earth's greatest pleasure, find her greatest wees, Alas what are th' enjoyments of this life, But fleeting shadows which denote a strife? If david's troubles sojourn in my breast, Lord give me David's heart, and I am blest. XXXIX. He that endures Affliction, must abide The harsh directions of his knowing Guide: For they that travel in this world must take Affliction by the hand, or else they'll make A fruitless journey. He's a senseless slave, That dances with Earth's Music to his grave. XL. Affliction is sins Nursery, and they That kill the Brat, must take the Nurse away; If not, they must expect what's much more worse, For sin is known to be the Devil's Nurse. Then may they cry with lamentable breath, No wages will content the Nurse, but death. XLI. Wouldst thou prevent affliction? then draw near, I'll tell thee how, when sin begins t'appear, Drown it in tears, tears of a heavenly race, He that includes a sin, excludes a Grace. Sin often grows too aged for relief: There is no danger like a nonaged grief. XXLII. The wise man grieves not, that he undergoes Affliction, but because he fully knows His many sins deserved as many more, If ten times doubled, than he did before. Patience in things adverse, like Stars, shine bright, And most transparent in the darkest night. XLIII. 'Tis good to be afflicted, or else he That spoke it took delight in Misery. If David's sins infect thee, let thy heart Be bathed in David's tears, and then thou art Endeared unto Heaven: for he that lent Much time to sin, must borrow to repent. XLIV. Repentance leaps to Heaven, if we expect A future blessing, we must not neglect This present business, which if we delay, we'll want to morrow, what we lost to day: But let's consider e'er our time be spent, How soon we sin, and yet how late repent. XLV. He that delays Repentance, makes great haste To his own ruin, and commits a waste Upon his Soul, for every hour we spend And not repent, we wilfully befriend Our Adversary, Hell, whose Gins being set, He lies and watches, when to draw the Net. XLVI. The Net being drawn, well may we run about, And make ourselves more fast, attempting out. Then our betrayed Souls may sadly say Had we repent, when 'twas said, to day, This Net hath not ensnared us, nor we cry, We that did ever sin, must ever die. God's Love, AND Man's unworthiness. GOD! how that word hath thunder-clapt my Soul Into a ravishment; I must condole My forward weakness; Ah, where shall I find Sufficient Metaphors t' express my mind? Thou heart-amusing word, how hast thou filled My Soul with hallelujahs, and distilled Wonders into me! Oh, that I could break My heart in pieces, and divinely speak My mind in Raptures, that the frantic Earth May bathe itself in these sweet streams of mirth. Then rouse my Soul, and practise how to turn Thy wonders into language; do not burn Thy sacr●d fuel in a place where none Can have the benefit but thee alone Hoist up thy Sails, and let thy speedy motion Hurry thee hence into the boundless Ocean: Observe thy Compass, keep a constant pace, And Heaven will steer thee to the Port of Grace. 'Tis strange to think, how the Almighty can (That is so pure) love such a thing as Man, Whose primitive corruption makes him worse Than nothing, whose Rebellion claims a Curse, More than affection: How can Heaven endure A thing that can be nothing but impure? Man (like a word that's void of reason) sounds In every ear, his very name expounds A misery; at best, he needs must be But vain; And how can Heaven love vanity? Man (like a shadow) flies before the Sun Of his Afflictions, and is still undone By his own doing, he's his own pursuer; And how can Heaven love such a self-undoer? Man (like a naked worm) is often found Digging himself into the loathsome ground Of ruin, he's a Traitor to his Bliss; And how can Heaven love such a worm as this? Man (like a flash of lightning) courts the world With lavish flames, and by and by is hurled Into that Nothing, whence at first he came; Then how can God love such a short-lived flame? Man (like a Reed) is evermore inclined To shake, and totter with each blast of wind; He's always running to the ground with speed: And how can Heaven love such an earthly Reed? Man (like the dust) is always blown, and tossed From place to place, and flies, till it has lost Its Centre; never resting in one place: Then how can Heaven love that which flies in's face? Man (like a Fly) still buzzes up and down From cup to cup, and sips on, till he drown Himself in pleasure; fears no slander by: And how can Heaven love such a drunken Fly? Man (like a Rainbow) oftentimes appears Clothed in colours, but can claim no years, No days, nay hardly hours, but must decay; And how can heaven love that which loves no stay? Man (like a bubble) floats upon the waves Of his desires, whilst every blast enslaves His brittle substance, filled with windy troubles; And how can heaven love such unconstant bubbles? Man (like the froth) spewed from the Ocean's breast Is tided up and down, but knows no rest, Nor Perpetuity; and can betrothe Itself to nothing: Heaven loves no such froth. Man (like the wind) is every moment flying To every place, and hares to be complying Or resting any where; how can it be? That Heaven can love so much inconstancy? Man (like a Swallow) loves the fragrant spring Of earth's delights, but with a spreading wing Flies from the Winter's more congealed Breast; And how can Heaven love such a Summer Guest? Man (like a smoke) presumptuously aspires Into the air, and by and by retires Himself to nothing, nothing's his conclusion; And how can Heaven love such a base confusion? Man (like a fire) whose green and scragged fuel Denies to burn until it fights a duel With the encountering Bellows, which at last Obtains the conquest, than it burns as fast, And seems as 'twere, ambitious to expire; Then how can Heaven love such a raging fire? Man (like an Arrow) being once let go Out from the Archers well commanded Bow, Affronts the Clouds; at last, having spent the store Of his small strength, sals down, & seems t' adore Th' inferior Earth, which, with a welcome, hides His downcast head within her wounded sides, Where he remains, and scorns to be withstood: Man can be anything, but what is good. And cannot Man be good? strange kind of tone! What? has he wept himself into a stone, Like Niobie? no sure; I fear his eyes Were never loaded with such large supplies: Ah, could he weep a Flood, Heaven that prepares His ears to hear, would bottle up his tears In his remembrance; every drop should shine Like Pearls absconded in a golden Mine: His sins command a Deluge; could his head Be turned into a fountain, could he shed An Ocean at a drop, it could not cover His sins (which are mountainous) from the Lover Of real drops, for he would soon descry Those sand excelling crimes, where ere they lie: Yet would his Soul so much compassionate The flowing sorrows of his watery state, That with a calming hand he would remove His rocky sins, and hide them with his Love; He would have pity, and with speed consent T' express his love, when all our tears are spent. Should Heaven, who justly may, for every sin Drop down a Plague, and make it live within Man's guilty Soul, the world would quickly be Transformed, and changed into a leprosy. Let none despair, for heavens known mercies can Out infinite the greatest sins of man. Oh love beyond degree! Shall Heaven indulge Himself to Man? and shall not Man divulge A gratefulness to him, whose hand prepares To wipe away his sin-poluted cares? Ungrateful Miscreant, how canst thou view Thy former Miseries, and not renew Thy thanks to him whose Power set thee free, And brought thee back from thy Captivity? Hast thou abandoned Love? wilt thou imprint Thy Soul with baseness? Ah, what obvious flint Hath turned Affections edge? what, art thou bend To shoot at him, that labours to prevent The Arrows of thy ruin, which will fly Into thy breast, except he puts them by? Hast thou transformed thy heart into a rock That will not move? Shall mercy call and knock, And thou not hear? What? hast thou armed thy heart With senseless marble, that no flaming dart Of love can enter? Hast thou vowed to stand In opposition? Cannot Gods Command Force thee to bow? Art thou resolved to sport With thy destruction, and not yield the Fort? Oh yield betimes; do not resolve to be Too much a slave to Infidelity: For know (frail wretch) thy strength consists in clay When Mercy's lost, than Judgement finds the way. Rally thy thoughts together, and throw down Thy brazen walls, thy yielding yields a Crown: For 'tis in vain to oppose an arm that can Out-grasp the measure of so small a span. Alas, Alas! it may be quickly seen What a large disproportion is between Thy God, and thee: Consider, he is all, And thou art nothing; what can be more small? Or what more great? for he is infinite, And thou art finite: He is full of light, And thou of darkness; He is filled with love, And thou art stuffed with baseness; He's a Dove, And thou a Worm: Thus, thus thou mayst descry His firmness, and thine own infirmity. Then be not obstinate, but strike the Sails Of thy desires to him that never fails; And know, 'tis easy in an inch of time To take a worm engarrisoned with slime; For such a thing thou art, and all thy power Must yield to Heavens assaults; thy April shower Has no continuance: therefore do not strive Against a God, whose wisdom can contrive What pleases him: Alas! thy state is grounded Upon contingencies, thou art compounded Of nothing but uncertainties; thy Arm Assumes no power, except it be to harm Thy wilful self: Then why wilt thou contend With him that importunes to be thy friend? Thy friend, (soulsaving word) what higher bliss Can crown a heart, than such a friend as this? Oh life of Ravishment! how can it be A God, a worm, and yet a Sympathy? Strange condescension! was the like e'er known Or fpoke by any mouth, except his own? High balmy breath declares, that he will save And succour those that faithfully do crave His blessed assistance: Hark, and hear him say, Ye that are heavy loaded, come away, Oh come to me, I am content to bear Your burdens, and extenuate your care. What higher note of love was ever strained To any ear? Oh how hath man obtained So great a friendship! 'Tis a happy lot, Nay, and a wonder not to be forgot. And yet it is not strange, that he should prove So true a Lover, that's composed of Love, And can do nothing else: If he correct, 'Tis for thy crimes: he only has th' effect Of anger: for his grieved spirit moans To punish Sinners, and to hear their groans: His Soul takes no delight to crush to death The offending prisoners of th' inferior Earth: He is the rich Exchequer of all good, And is by nothing (except man) withstood. All things perform what they were made to do, But only man, that strives to prove untrue To his Creator: nothing can be found Within thy breast, but that which is unsound. How sad it is to hear th' Almighty say, I've nourished children, that are gone astray, And scorn to own me! Oh rebellious dust! That hate my paths, because my ways are just. The Ox will know his Owner, and the Ass His Master's crib; but Israel, alas, Will not acknowledge me, but have destroyed Themselves, & made their understanding void: Has not my fury then just cause to swell, Because they can do nothing but rebel? Nefandous Creature, how canst thou endure Thy wretched self? Ah, why wilt thou procure Thine own destructions? shall all creatures be Obedient to their owners, only thee? And wilt thou not acknowledge him that gave Large blessings to thee, and desires to save Thy Soul from torments, if thou wouldst incline Thy will to his, whose thoughts are all divine? Forget obduracy, and learn the Art Of loving him, that loves an upright heart: Go ruminate upon thy base estate, And be unto thyself, compassionate. Yield to thy Maker with a cheerful brow? First know what 'tis to love, and after, how▪ Love is the Laws fulfiller; he that will Love God aright, must practise how to fill His Soul with true affection; for the ways Of Heaven are paved with Love: Immortal praise Attend his Courts; he that forgets to love Forgets his God: They that desire to prove heavens amatorious Guests, must first admire How such a spark as man came to aspire To such a flame, and how he came to be, Not only Earth's, but Heavens, Epitome: Be serious then, and let thy thoughts reflect Upon heavens goodness, and thy disrespect. God out of Nothing (except Love) compiled This spacious World, as if some princely child Were to be born: His providential care Was (as it were) ambitious to prepare The quintessence of pleasures to invite Some stately Guest to banquet with delight. First he extracted from a darksome Cell A glorious Light, whose beauty pleased him well; Then he prepared a Canopy, inlaid With glittering Pearl, whose twinkling lustre made A Heav▪ nly show; and afterwards his hand Dashed back the waters from the naked Land: Then he commanded, that the Earth, being come Out from the Ocean's new delivered womb, Should be adorned with an embroidered Gown, That so her new-warmed bowels might abound With several fruits.— — Thus having played his part Upon this Theatre, this life of Art, He ushered in a thing, which pleased him best, (He made the Feast, and after made the Guest;) Called by the name of Man, a naked, small. And dusty, shiftless Creature▪ this was all, And all this nothing, but a lump of death, Until inspired by heavens all-quickning breath. Vain, simple wretch; ah, how couldst thou behave Thyself before a Judge so great, so grave? Hadst thou but seen thyself, thou wouldst have cried Thyself to death, and with a blush, defied Thy base estate, to think that thou shouldst be Nature's most base and rude Anatomy. Couldst thou expect that Heaven would entertain A thing so poor? so weak? so vile? so vain? Which like a spark blown from a newmade fire, Can only show itself, and then expire, Was it for this the All-Creator made Such large provision? Was't for this he laid Such rich Foundations? Was't for this his Power Decked this wellpleasing odoriferous Bower? Was it for this (this little world) he formed A world so great? was it for this he warmed The Earth's i'll bosom? was't for this he spent His six days Labour? was't for this intent He made a Paradise? where Flora spread Her fragrant offspring, and made Earth a Bed Of rare compounded pleasures, where he placed This new-come Guest, whose very looks disgraced The Face of Beauty, to whose thriftless hand He gave that Government, with this Command: Of all the Trees that here thou dost behold, Thy lips being authorised, thou mayst be bold To taste with freedom, only one, which I Conjure thee from, therefore restrain thine eye From lusting after it; if not, thy breath Shall glut itself in everlasting death: Forget not my Commands, but let thy breast Be always faithful, and thou shalt be blest. Thus the Recorder having spoke at large This well-delivered (although ill-kept) Charge, He after said; It is not good that man should be alone Without a help, I'll therefore make him one. Oh sacred prudence! Here we may discern A sweet conjunction; here our Souls may learn Wisdom and Love, both which, if not enjoyed, Pleasures prove vanities, and blessings void. Heaven, whose unidle artful hand had set Man, as a Jewel, in his Cabinet, Thought it unfit, that those delights which he Had made by his most powerful Love, should be Monopolised by one, he therefore laid Adam asleep, and having done, he made Out of a crooked Rib (strange kind of Art) A woman, fair, complete, in every part; Nay, and a helper too: for in conclusion She helped poor Adam to his own confusion. Oh most detested deed! Unconstant wife, To prove a Traitor to thy Husband's life As soon as made: Fond wretch could nothing suit With thy nice palate, but forbidden fruit? Ah, could thy longing lie no longer hid? What? didst thou long, because thou wert forbid? Was there no tree that could content thy eye, But only that which was forbidden? Fie, Oh shame to think thou shouldst so quickly waste Thine hours of pleasure for a minute's taste: Couldst thou not like, or fall in love with any But that? Heaven had but one, & thou hadst many Wherewith to please thine appetite; and yet Wouldst thou prove so ambitious, as to sit Upon the highest twig? Ah, could th' advice Of Satan tempt thee to this avarice With so much ease, and make thee rashly do So foul a deed, and tempt thy Adam too? Preposterous wretch, how hast thou spread a cloud Over thy head? what? didst thou think to shroud Thyself from vengeance? Having eat thy death, Couldst thou expect to live? Oh no, thy breath Offended Heaven: but ah, hadst thou but thought (Before thy heart had entertained a fault So great as this) what 'twas to die, thy mind Had made thee more abstemious, and confined Thy base inordinate desires; thy meat Had proved delightful, and thy comforts great: But now, unhahpy now, thy crimes have made Thy Soul Death's Debtor, and thou art betrayed By thine own self; therefore prepare to meet Thy wrathful Judge: 'tis said stolen goods are sweet, But thine proved sour, the fruits which thou hast stole sugared thy mouth, but wormwoodized thy soul: When thou hadst eaten, Ah! why didst thou not Tremble to death, to think thou hadst forgot Thy God's Commands, & that his Judgements must Fellow thy Soul, and blow thee into dust? Thus Eve, thus Adam, having vilipended Their God's Commands, their happiness soon ended Their joys were turned to mourning, & their light Was turned to darkness, and their day to night; Both being too much conscious, fled with speed To hide themselves from God, but not the deed. Even as some poor distressed wretch desires To hide himself from the enraged fires Of his incensed Foe, runs up and down To shun the rage of a condemned frown; At last observing his enquiring Foe Approach the place, lies still, and dares not blow, For fear the wordless Echo of his breath Should soon betray him to a sudden death: Being at last descried, his throbbing heart Gives an Alarm to each trembling part; Fear, like an Earthquake, then begins to shake His loosened joints, he knows not how to make A ready answer to his foes demands; But, as a sad convicted man, he stands Subjected to his will, that can dispense With nothing, but with death, to calm th' offence. Even so Guilt-loaded Adam having done A deed so foul, prepares himself to run To some close shelter where he might immure His naked body, and repose secure: But ah, in vain, in vain he strove to hide Himself from God, that need implore no guide To teach him where his sad offender lay; He needs must find when sin hath chalked th' way; But when heavens shril-enquiring voice surrounded The ears of Adam, Adam was confounded With deep distress, his heart began to call His quivering Senses to a Funeral: Fear, like a powerful fire, began to thaw His frozen thoughts, and keep his Soul in awe; He breathed in a Dilemma, and could find No Sanctuary for a perjured mind: At last the Language of th' Eternal God Stormed his Sin-armed Soul, and like a Rod Whipped him from his security, and cried, Adam, where art thou? Adam thus replied, I heard thee walking in the pleasing shade Of the cool evening, and I was afraid, And hid myself, because I must confess, I blushed to see my shameful nakedness. GOD. Tell me, thou trembling wretch, how dost thou know That thou art naked? say, who told thee so? What? has thy lips usurped the fruit which I Conjured thee not to touch? if so, reply. Adam. The woman which thou gav'st me, gave to me, And I did eat of the forbidden tree. GOD. Unconstant woman! Ah, why hast thou run Beyond thy bounds? what's this that thou hast done? Woman. The Serpents flowing language swelled too great For my low banks: he tempted, and I eat. God's Curse against the Serpent. Because thou hast thus subtlety deluded The lustful woman, thou shalt be excluded From future good; more shall thy curses yield Than all the Beasts and cattle in the field: Thy belly shall (because thou hast done this) Give to the earth a life-remaining kiss; Thou shalt not taste of any thing that's good, Dust shall supply the place of wholesome food. Cursed be thy ways, thou shalt no more be seen By me: I will put enmity between Thy seed and hers; hereafter thou shalt feel A bruised head, and she a bruised heel. God's Curse against the Woman. And as for thee, oh Woman, I'll enlarge Thy grief and thy conception; I'll discharge Thy joys, and load thee with a weighty grief; Thy pains in childbed shall find no relief; Thou shalt desire thy Husband, and his hand Shall overrule thee with a strict command. Adam's Curse. Rebellious Adam, unto thee I'll give A Life as bad as Death, for thou shalt live To see thy sorrows more and more abound, And for thy sake I'll curse the loathed ground; For thou hast hark'ned to the conquering voice Of thy frail wife, and made my fruit thy choice, And sepulchred my words within the grave Of thy false heart; begun, thou self-made slave: The thorny ground shall give a large increase To thy laborious hand; the name of Peace Shall prove a stranger to thy ears, and thou Shalt eat thy bread with a sweat-dropping brow▪ I'll murder all thy joys; thy breast shall burn With flaming care, until thy corpse return Into the bowels of th' inclusive earth; From whence thou hadst thy substance, and thy birth: For base thou art, and therefore thou shalt be A food for gnawing worms, and not for me: As thou art dust, to dust thou shalt retire; Hereafter let not dust presume t' aspire. Strange▪ alteration! Oh pernicious fate, Too quickly bred in such an Infant- state! He that but even now enjoyed a life Balanced with pleasures, now is filled with strife: He, whose Majestic Soul was lately crowned With blessed content, is now ingulfed, and drowned In sorrows Ocean; He, which was before Enriched with happiness, is now as poor As poverty can make him; He, which had The countenance of Heaven to make him glad▪ Is now eclipsed; he knows not where to run, Sin having interposed between the Sun And his dark Soul, the Centre of whose rest Is now removed, and he survives unblessed: He, which but even now had leave to dwell And revel in heavens eye, desires a Cell To entertain him! he which lived in Peace, Is now thrown down, and forfeited his Lease: Great was his Crime, great was his sudden Fall, Great was his Tenement, his Rent but small: Poor Adam's taken by his own decoys; Sin is the Sequestrator of all j is. Sad Pilgrim of the world, where wilt thou find (In the unpathed earth) a place so kind To entertain thee? Ah, where wilt thou keep (Thus tumbled from a Precipice so steep) The sad unpeopled rendezvouz? Oh where Wilt thou procure a hand that will unsnare Th'entangled Soul? Alas thy wearied life Hath two most sad companions; first a Wife, Than a bad Conscience, what two greater crosses Can hang upon a breast, whose cares▪ whose losses, Are grown so infinite, that no relief, But what distils from Heaven, can ease their grief? Thou wert the first of men that entertained So grand a sorrow, thou the first that stained So pure a colour, thou the first that dwelled In Eden's garden, thou the first that felt The scourge of fury; hadst thou not transgressed, Vengeance had found no hand, nor grief a breast. Ah, hadst thou not offended, sin had found No habitation, nor thy Soul a wound: Had not thy hand so wilfully unlocked The door of Death, Destruction had not knocked At thine impenetrable gates, or ventured T' approach so near, but being opened, entered Bold Customer of fate, that sought about To come within, and turn poor Adam out; Thy strength out strengthened his strength, & made him weak, A vessel cracked, how can it choose but leak? Sin proved Death's father, & man's heart the womb That brought it forth; this Deatb shall find a tomb When the Determiner of time hath hurled A finis to the volume of the world; Till then, man (mortalized by sin) must be A subject unto Death's Sovereignty. Poor man, in what a wilderness of sorrow Dost thou now ramble in: where wilt thou borrow A minute's rest? On what inclining ear Wilt thou expend thy groans? what canst thou hear But dialects of misery to vex (hear Thy bankrupt thoughts? The fatal disrespects Of Heaven will blow and toss thee up and down From place to place, his still renewed frown Will follow thee; therefore provide t' endure The hot pursuits of such a fierce Pursuer: Canst thou expect that this thy grand abuse (Which runs beyond the limits of excuse) Can be forgotten; dost thou think t'outlive Thy long-lived crimes, or hope for power to give Due satisfaction to thy God, whose rage▪ Thy heart cannot endure, much less assuage? Most lachrymable state! What canst thou do, Oh man, that may ingratiate or renew Thy former love? Alas, thy base condition Makes thee incapable of a Petition. Prepare thyself, see if thou canst invade His Soul with prayers, see if thou canst persuade His Heart to yield unto thy sad request, And reinthrone thee with thy former rest; Dissect thy Soul with groans, anatomize Thy Heart with sighs, and let thy winged cries Fly through the Angles of his sacred ear, And breed a harmony within the Sphere Of his blessed Soul; be circumspect, and lay The best foundation; hear what Heaven will say. Adam's Petition to God. Incensed Father of eternal light, Permit a darkened Soul t' approach the sight Of thine incomparble eye; unmask Thy Anger-clouded Soul, and let me ask Forgiveness for those loading Crimes which press My staggering Soul; I know not whom t'address My apostate self unto, but only thee, Whom I offended; Please to pity me: I have no pleasing sacrifice t' atone Thy wrathful Breast, except a hearty groan That's quadrupled with grief; Oh deign to look Upon the lines of my all-blotted book: Although I'm full of most detested spots, Yet Lord, I know that thou canst read my blots; Oh read them then, and let thy mercies run With thy progressive eye; I am undone, If not forgiven; Lord I thee implore To show some mercy to me, thou hast store, Decipher all my sins, and let them not Bear record in thy Rolls, but rest forgot; Revoke this Act of death, that I may sing Th' admired mercies of so blest a King. Oh lift me up, that now am thrown below; Make not my Soul the Custom-house of woe. Oh hear these bitter groans that I have spent, And send some comfort from thy Parliament. God's Reply. Thou Skelleton of baseness, high thee hence, Disturb me not; return, I say, from whence Thou cam'st at first; thou shalt as soon remove A mountain, as my mind: I cannot love, No nor I will not, nothing shall entreat My resolutions, for my fury's great. Begun, proud Rebel, do not think thy prayers, Thy vows, thy groans, thy sighs, thy sobs, thy tears Shall make my breast their receptacle; No: How can I be a friend to such a foe? Surcease thy importunities, let fall Thy high desires, I will not hear thee call, Thy Sins have barted my ears; I'll not be won With thy base airy words, for thou hast spun The thread of thy destruction, therefore wear What thou hast laboured for, and so forbear T'intrench upon my patience; 'tis in vain To seek for that which thou shalt not obtain. And is it thus, that Heaven will not regard My cries? Ah me! and must my groans be heard With disrespect by him, whose tongue affords Nothing, but grief, involved with bitter words? Alas, alas! what greater woe can crowd Into a breast than to be disavowed By God's high voice, whose most enraged breath Darts forth the Arrows of eternal death? What shall I do? Oh, whither shall I run To hide myself, until the glorious Sun Of his affections usher in the day Of welcome Joy? Oh, whither shall I stray? If I am silent, than my, silence turns My thoughts to fire; If speak, my speech returns Trebled with woe, into the brazen Tower Of my sad heart, my language has no power To work upon his ears, my words (like balls Banded, and thrown against th' obdurate walls Unyielding breast) bounds back again, and breaks Into my heart, and every sorrow speaks A volume at a word; yet, yet must I Return unheard; 'tis misery to die, And pain to live; thus in despair I draw The loathsome air: Destruction knows no Law. Grief reins a flood of doubt into my Soul; Ah me! I can do nothing but condole: I am despised; and if I bend the force Of my desires to him, he will divorce All thoughts of pity, and with rage redouble Th'unsumed up sums of my infringing trouble. I sail into the Straits, both wind and tide Prevail against me, and I have no guide To Pilot me unto the longed-for Port Of pleasing happiness; I am a sport To threatening Ruin, whose presumptuous waves Out-dares my Soul, whilst every blast enslaves My reeling Pinnace: If I strive to go Towards Scylla, Scylla will contemn my woe, Alas in vain I can expect relief, Scylla will bark at my unbridled grief; Or if my headlong vessel chance to hit Against Charybdis, I am torn and split Into ten thousand pieces; Oh hard hap! Thus am I tossed in Destructions lap. Where shall I find a heart that will advise My friendless Soul, and audiate my cries? I will not thus desist, I must implore, He that's lost once, sure can be lost no more. Adam's Petition to God. Once more, thou Metropolitan of all The spacious world, I here presume to call Upon thy mercy; Oh let me inherit The pleasing fruit of thy re-pleased Spirit: I am thy fabric, Oh some pity take, Preserve the building for the Bvilder's sake. Cloth not thy brow with frowns, but let thine eye (That rests enshrined with glorious Majesty) Reflect upon my sorrows; Oh incline Thy willing ears to hear this grief of mine: Oh do not say I shall as soon remove A mountain as thy heart, thou canst not love; Let not such harsh imbittered language flow Out of a mouth so sweet; I know, I know, Thou art as good as great; oh therefore bow Thy sacred ears to hear, oh hear me now: Bestow some scraps on me, that have deserved Nothing but stripes; for I have fond swerved From thy commands & have committed treason Against thy Majesty: Great God of Reason, View my en-humbled Soul, see how it lies Before thy sight, a weeping Sacrifice, I know thou know'st I am a heinous sinner, Yet pity me, that am a young beginner In this rich art of begging: Do not slight My real prayers; I know thou tak'st delight In being merciful; Oh let me not Return unanswered, or my prayers forgot: Oh hear the sorrows of my bleeding state, Let my complaints make thee compassionate. And let the fervour of my language turn Thy thoughts to pity; quench these flames that burn My wasting Soul; speak peace to me that find A civil war in my uncivil mind: Oh I have tasted of thy hot displeasure Too much, Ah shall thy vengeance know no measure? Say 'tis enough; though (Lord) I must confess I have deserved more, yet give me less. Thus with a melting heart I end my Suit, Ah me! how bitter is forbidden fruit! God's Reply. Thou boldfaced Orator, how dar'st thou come Before me, or be otherwise than dumb? Tell me, how dar'st thou interrupt my breast? I hate to see thee, or hear thy Request. Audacious wretch, What, has my Judgement made Thy heart grow peremptory? Have I laid Too small a burden on thee? If I have, I'll lay a greater, thou apostate slave: I will not note thee, nor I will not hear Thy words, which have usurped my deafened ear: Love thee, for what? be't known, sad wretch, I scorn To love a thing so base, so vile, forlorn; And if I cannot love, how can it be, That I can pity such a worm as thee? I'll neither love, nor pity, for my heart Is Adamantine; thou shalt feel the smart Of my displeasure; Go, my Soul disdains To look upon thee; thou art so filled with stains, And smel'st too much of Fruit to find respect, Thou art the subject of my great neglect: Thou art a barren Soil, nothing will grow Upon thy heart, except the seeds of woe. Tell me, from what conceit thou dost derive Thy working confidence, that thou dar'st drive Thy language to my ears, and be so bold T' approach my sight, and wilt not be controlled? Art thou resolved to make (what dost thou mean) My ears thy stage, and every word a scene? Sum up thy small, thy weak deserts, and see What large respects thou hast deserved from me, I placed thee in a Garden, not to eat The fruit for bidden, but to keep it neat: Had not the violation of my Laws Moved me to anger, thou hadst had no cause T' have felt the burden of my weighty stroke, Or live thus much subjected to the yoke Of thine owns sins; most shameful is that Loss That's crowned with negligence, & great the cross That's made with a self-hand; & they that climb Above their strengths impropriate a crime To their own Souls; Destruction is the end Of all Rebellion: Ruin knows no friend. Suppose I should invest and entertain Your Soul with Love, and call thee back again, The Tree is still the same, the fruit as sweet, Thy appetite as great, and thou mayst meet A Serpent too, whose oratorious skill May soon entreat thee to enact his will: He has a voice to tempt, and thou an ear Will reassume the privilege to hear: He has a hand to give, and thou another Freely to take: thus wouldst thou smother Thy new delights; therefore I will not trust A heart that can be nothing but unjust. Thou great Mugul of baseness, cease to plead, Thy tongue's a canker, and thy words are lead; Thy sins have made thee not deserve the air Thou entertainest; hadst thou employed thy care To serve me, when I loved thee, thou hadst had My heart-delighting joys to make thee glad; But now expect no favour, for no Art Of thine shall ever captivate my heart. High thee unto the shades of grief, bewail Thy sequestrated happiness, no bail Of thy procuring will I take to set Thy Soul at liberty; I will not let The vision of a comfort creep within Thy rambling thoughts, thou art a slave to sin: Hadst thou but loved or feared me at the first, thou'dst been as happy, as thouart now accursed: If now thou lov'st me, I shall quickly prove It is for fear alone, and not for love. Thy heart is steeled with wickedness, thy faults Are sparks enlivened by thy flinty thoughts. Breath out thy groans unto a senseless rock, And let thy sighs (like hammers) beat and knock Against her scragged sides, thou shalt as soon Have her consent, as mine, to grant thy boon: 'Tis therefore vain to multiply thy words, For ah, my breast, my hardened breast, affords. Thy Soul no pity: and the more thy cry Attempts my ear, the less I will reply, Alas! thy guilt-o're-burth'ned words renew Fresh thoughts of rage, I cannot hear thee sue Without impatiency; for ah, the longer Thou cravest, thou mak'st my sury grow the stronger. Avoid my presence, for I will no more Give audience to thy voice, then cease t'implore. Adam's Lamentation. Undone, undone! what mountain now will hide My loathed body from the swelling tide Of raging Vengeance? Whither shall I fly T'involve my Soul with true security? Stretches, stretch my lungs, and roar unto the deep T' entertain me: Oh that I might sleep Within her wavy bowels, till the blast Of heavens all-shaking thundering Voice were passed. Oh that some Rock would hear my sad request, And give me burial in her frigid breast! Oh that my grief-extended voice could cleave The solid Earth, and make her to receive My wretched limbs! Oh that some ranging beast Would prove so courteous to devour, and feast Upon my corpse! Oh that I could contrive A way to live, and yet not be alive! Ah, thus my sorrow-shaken fancy flies, And envies at impossibilities. I fain would die, but that I have no heart To kill myself, and yet I feel a smart Transcending death; I see I cannot shun The wrath of Heaven: Ah, thus I am undone By my own doing, this it is to eat Forbidden fruit: Oh most pernicious meat! I was too rash, and rashly have I taken A deadly fall, and falling, am forsaken: I'm bruised to death, and yet I cannot die; Ah, what can be so much unblessed as I? I am inflamed, and I daily drench My Soul with tears, and yet I cannot quench My raging fires; the more I strive t' assuage And mitigate my pains, the more they rage. What shall I do, or whither shall I go, To hide me from this Labyrinth of woe? I am composed of sorrow, and my veins, In stead of blood, are filled with griping pains. Cursed be these eyes of mine, which have let in The lawless tyrant of imperious Sin: Cursed be these lips of mine, which at the suit Of my fond wife received forbidden fruit: Cursed be these ears, that entertained the Charms Of that Inchantress, which procured my harms: Cursed be these hands of mine, which took, and fed My greedy Soul, and struck my Conscience dead: And now my lips, my ears, my hands my eyes, Must see, hear, taste, and feel, my miseries. Oh sad condition! Since there's no relief, I must be subject to perpetual grief. Here we will leave poor Adam in the state Of woe, and thus begin to ruminate. Are there not many in this toilsome age That meditate themselves into a rage, And wonder how a Serpent could express Himself, and reason with such readiness; Being by nature brute, nay and the worst Of living creatures, that he should at first Persuade and conquer, and instruct his will. How to determine both of good and ill? It would seem strange, if Reason were without Her wings, and could fly above this doubt: We may (and yet not slain the truth) declare It was the work of Satan to ensnare Frail Eve; although he was not named at all By Moses in the History of the Fall, It may not trouble us, for we must know, The bending Serpent was the Devil's bow, By which he shot the arrows of his spire, Which did [Oh grief to speak it!] fly too right: And he that dares so high a Crime to act (Though by another) needs must own the fact: And this our tongues may never cease to tell, The Serpent was the Intrument of Hell, Tuned to the Devil's voice: thus we may see His fraud, his malice, and his subtlety. First when he saw he could not over-turn The great Creator, he begun to burn With flames of envy, labouring to invade, And to disturb that order God had made In the Creation, and to change the features Of his own Image in the best of Creatures, That so he may by his too sooth delusion Make Man run headlong to his own confusion: Thus having laid the platform of his work, He then begun to agitate, and lurk For opportunity, which was effected As soon, nay if not sooner, than expected; He gave the blow, and by that blow he found The weakest Vessel had the weakest sound; But yet it strongly echoed to the voice Of his desires, and made him love his choice. Even as some boldfaced General, that dares To storm a well-maned Town; at first prepares A potent Army, which he soon sets down Before the Walls of the alarmed Town; He after views the ruine-threatning-Fort, Which speaks defiance, and begins to sport Their several shots, and with a sad delight Engage each other in a bloody fight; Then if the fierce Besiegers once perceive Themselves out-strengthed, they think it fit to leave So hot a work, and for a little space Desist, and fall upon a weaker place, Where finding smaller opposition, venture With greater Courage, and at last they enter The yielding Town, and cruelly begin To take revenge of them which are within. Even so the grim looked, malice-armed Devil, The base-resolved General of Evil, Perceiving that he could by no means take The sublime Fort of Heaven, plots how to make A fresh attempt, upon a weaker part, And so prepares to storm the flexive heart Of unresisting Eve; that could not grapple With such a Foe, but yielded for an Apple To those most false alarms which surrounded Her, much obedient, and soon confounded Her inward parts, and gave her Soul a wound, Which cannot be by time or art made sound, Except the grand Physician please to slake His swelling fury, and some pity take. Thus are our conquered parents sadly left In a deplored condition, and bereft Of all their comforts; they which have enjoyed The life of happiness, are now destroyed; And man (his wretched offspring) must be made Sorrows sad heir, and Peace must not be said T'inhabit in him. Adam's actual sin Made ours original; for we begin, As soon as made, to entertain the guests Of sin, and lodge them in our infant-brests. Now may our weak and despicable eyes Behold in them, our ample miseries: Now we may glut the air with this sad cry, The root being dead, the branches needs must die; For Adam's gone beyond all humane call: Rebellion never ends without a Fall. But stay my Muse, here let us rest a while; Our Journey's long, and 'tis not good to toil Too much at first, for Reason says 'tis best To pause a time, and take a little rest: Know then (kind Reader) that my Muse shall meet Thy serious eyes within another sheet. The end of the first Book. THE SECOND BOOK OF GOD'S LOVE, AND Man's unworthiness. ARe all hopes fled? and is there no relief? Must man still wander in the shades of grief? Will not the eye of Heaven be pleased to shine Upon his Soul, but leave him in the brine Of his own Sins? Is there no warbling voice Can charm his ears, and woe him to rejoice In being pitiful? Will nothing move The much incensed Soul of Heaven to love? Man [Map of Misery] who can prevail In thy requests? Or who can cut off th' entail Of thy distress? 'Tis not a Writ of Error Can satisfy, or guard thee from the terror Of thine own Conscience, which will always stare Upon thy face, and load thee with despair: 'Tis not a Habeas Corpus will remove The body of thy sin, none can disprove The Will of God, what he resolves to do Must neither be withstood, nor dived into: It lies beyond thy power to persuade Thy God to pity, whom thy Sins have made A wrathful Judge; what he intends, must be, Derived from himself, and not from thee; For thou hast nothing in thee worth the name Of good, because thy glory's turned to shame: Thou art corrupt and vile in every part, And who can know the evil of thy heart; Which like the Ocean, that no art nor eye Can search her bottom, or her banks descry: Therefore till heaven shall please to change the state Of thy condition, Reason bids thee wait; For be assured, the promised seed will spread Itself abroad, and bruise the Serpent's head. Even as the Fountain, whose exuberous breast Is always fluent, and admits no rest; But with a cheerful willingness she sends Her Crystal tokens to her smaller friends. Even so our God d●stilleth from above The healing streams of his refreshing love; For ah the lustre of his Sunbright eye Is drowned in tears, when our sad Souls prove dry! Oh admiration! that a God so just Should rain down floods upon a heap of dust! Oh Mercy! that so much incensed a God Should send forth Mercy, and keep in his Rod! His Soul is filled with pity, and his eyes Begin to view th' unsariate miseries Of Adam's downcast offspring: Though his ear Seems unto us resolved not to hear Their bitter cries, nor note the sad Devotions Of their contristed hearts; yet by the Motions Of his blessed Soul, he sends his Son and Heir Into this wretched world, that he might bear The Cross of our Transgressions, and expel The clouds of Sin, and conquer Death and Hell: Thus by his death we lived, and by his grief Our new-calmed Souls were furnished with relief. Oh sudden change! That wind which did before Drive wretched man upon the threatening shore Of unavoiding ruin, fills the sails Of his desires with mild and prosperous gales; The Boreas of his sin does now surcease His full-mouthed blasts, and Zephyrus speaks peace Unto his ship wracked Soul, and now he rides Upon the new-tamed backs of pleasing Tides. Oh that my tongue were able to rehearse The love of God with an Angelic Verse! Oh that some Heavenly Deity would fill The black mouthed concave of my wand'ring quill With pure celestial Ink, that I might write In heavenly characters, and learn t' indite Jehovahs' praises in a style as high As my desires, and make the lofty Sky Echo with Hallelujahs, that the Earth May (like a Mid wife) hug the joyful birth Of every word, and make each corner ring (With peals of joy) the Glories of our King: Is man delivered from the painful womb Of his foul sin, and raised from the tomb Of everlasting death? and shall not we Applaud that hand which set such prisoners free? What, shall we be afraid to crack and break The chains of silence, and attempt to speak The dialects of Angels? No; let's call Upon his name, that raised us from a Fall. Let's stretch our lungs, & with a warbling breath Sing to the life, how we were raised from death: And when our tongues are wearied, let's express By heavenly signs our real thankfulness. But stay, where runs my quill? what, have I lost Myself in raptures? or else am I tossed Into the Air of pleasure by the wind Of true delight? If passion proves so kind, I am content, Oh may I always rest Adorned and crowned with a heaven ravished breast! O love ineffable! Must wretched Man, The spawn of baseness, and the unmeasured span Of everlasting infancy, be made Loves object? Must th' Almighty's love be said To dwell in Man, whose tongue cannot deliver The least of thanks unto so great a Giver? Will the Sun-gazing Eagle, that soars high, Descend t' assist the web-infolded Fly? Will he that hearkens with a willing ear To pleasing music, turn away to hear Confounding discords? or will any woe A perjured enemy to come and go Into his Courts? will any hand forbear To strike at him that labours to impair His worth, and contumeliously upbraid His upright deeds? Will he that is betrayed Affect the Trayor, and with patience sue For reconcilement, when as death is due? All this blessed Heaven will do, that he might place Vain man within the Covenant of Grace. Consider man, how often hath this Mirror Of pure affection wooed thee from thine error? Thou inconsiderate dust, which every wind Can puff away, how canst thou prove unkind To such a Lover, that delights to spin His bowels out, to nourish thee within His milky bosom? Shall his bounty crave Thy base acceptance? Shall he be a slave To his own slaves? Ah, shall thy God implore, And beg of beggars to receive his store? Does he, whom Heaven and Earth cannot contain, No nor the Heaven of heavens, stoop down to gain Thy dull respects? And ah, wilt thou not raise Thy stupid Soul an inch to give him praise? Thy fervent Prayers he always will admit, Then how canst thou remember to forget A God so mindful? How canst thou forbear To numerate his love without a tear? How can thine eyes (when thou observest the Sun) Refuse to weep, to see him daily run His painful Progress, and rejoice to greet. The Earth with lustre to direct thy feet, Thy sinful feet, which every moment slide Into Rebellion, loaded with thy pride; How canst thou choose, when thou behol'dst the ground Whereon thou treadest, but voluntary drowned Thyself in briny floods, to think what care Indulgent Heaven hath taken to prepare For thee, before thou wert, and how his hand Hath for thy profit, fertilized the Land? How can thy rocky heart refuse to vent A stream of blood, when thou beholdest th'extent Of the unbounded Ocean, how it hides Within the bosom of her swelling Tides, Diversities of Fish, which live to seed Thy gulf of gluttony at time of need? Uncloud thy thoughts (O Man) and thou shalt set He who ordained all these things for thee, Created thee for him, that thou mayst give The praise to him, that lends thee leave to live. Be serious Man, consider how thou hast Converted all these blessings into waste: Know that the great Edificer of things Furnished thy Soul with Reason, gave thee wings To fly above all mortals, and hath crowned Thy head with heaps of Honour, and hath bound Inferior creatures, apprentice to thy will; And this he did, because thou shouldst fulfil Thy God's Commands; but thou that wert the best, Hast made thyself more loathsome than the rest, And by thy most derested deviation Abused thy glory, of thy free Creation: Though the Majestic Eagles will despise To be assistant to th' entangled Flies; Yet Heaven will from his lofty Throne descend And with a speedy cheerfulness defend The sons of men, who daily are betrayed By those insidious snares which Satan laid T' entrap their Souls: Alas, how void of care Is heedless man! How subject to a snare! But he, whose more than superficial love Is always active, labouring to improve Our hearts with thankfulness, denies to let Our Souls be taken in th' eternal net Of unconceived misery, and live In lasting death, not having power to give The least of drops unto our howling tongues, But suck the Flames, until our sulphurous lungs Crackle, and belch forth brimstone, till we tyre Our Carbonadoed members in a fire That's inextinct; the more we strive to turn Our parched Souls, still more and more they burn. Resolve these things within thy serious mind; Oh Man! let Love instruct thee to be kind To him that's loving; do no disrespect A God, whose Soul so dearly can affect: Pour out thy thoughts, and practise to relent, And let thy thoughts induce thee to repent: Grasp opportunity, Time's always flying; God's always living, and thou always dying: Dye then, before thou diest, redeem the time, Because thy days are evil; learn to clime jacob's erected ladder; thou shalt see thou'dst better clime a Ladder, than a Tree, As Judas did: Be wise, and do not fan Thy Soul with air; remember what a span Thou art; remember whose inspired breath Made thee a Soul; forget not whose sad death Made thee alive; be mindful that thou art Th' Epitome of Heaven; inure thy heart To love the best of loves, so shall thy breast Be filled with comfort, and thy Soul with rest: Prepare and know, the very fowls delight To prune their wings before they take their flight. Although terrestrial Kings will not permit A Traitor to his Courts, nor let him sit Before his presence, though they will not hear A Malefactor's prayers; yet heavens blessed ear Is always open, and his tongue invites Repentant sinners, for his eye delights To view them in his Courts when they appear; For muddy waters, may at last prove clear; 'Tis not unlike; ill scented dunghills may, At last bear flowers; that which is foul to day, To morrow may prove fair; the thing that cost Millions of silver, may as well be lost, As things of smaller value; Heaven can spy A mi●e, as well as mountains; for his eye Is lodged in every cranny of man's heart, And he knows all, that searches every part. Where breathes that Mortal that can comprehend The ways & thoughts of God, who knows the end Of his beginning?— He that can break a rocky heart in twain, And reunite it (if he please) again; He that can part the boiling waves, and stand Upon the Seas, as on the driest Land; He whose celestial power can make the graves To open, and command their slumbering slaves To rise; nay more, to stand; nay more, to walk; Nay more (if more than this may be) to talk: He that can make a Whale to entertain A Jonah, and to spew him out again; He whose almighty power can unlock The flinty bowels, of a scragged Rock, And make her headlong-gushing streams abound To wash the bosom of the thirsty ground; He that can transmutate by power divine The poorest water into richest wine; He that can curb rude Boreas, and assuage The lawless passion of the Ocean's rage; He that can rain down Manna to supply. The craving stomaches of mortality; He that can, like an all-commanding God, Make Almonds flourish from a sapless rod; He that can make the Sun and Moon stand still, Or run according to his sacred Will; He that saved a Daniel from the paws Of Lions, and can muzzle up their jaws; He that can make the greedy Raven carry Food to his Servants like a Commissary; He that can, with an unresisted hand, Dash fire into Ice, and countermand The wanton flames, & charm them, that they dare But burn his Servants cords, and not their hair; He that can cause ten thousand to be fed With two small fishes, and five loaves of bread; He that can clothe himself with fire, and name Himself, I AM, and make a bush to flame Without consuming; He that can convert A Rod into a Serpent, and not hurt; He that can make his visage shine so bright, That not a Moses can behold the light; He that can strike a hand with leprosy, And cure it in the twinkling of an eye; He that can in a moment cut and break Tongue-tying cords, & make the dumb to speak; He that can out of unregarded stones Raise unto Abraham many little ones; He that can heal the Cripple with a touch, And free him from the thraldom of his Crouch; He that can cure the deaf, and can expel A thousand Devils in despite of Hell; He that can perfect what he first begun, Expects that man should say, Thy Will be done. Consider man, and thou shalt find it true, Heaven can do all, but what he will not do: Think not because thou art of low estate, That he will scorn to love, and love to hate: Remember Dives, whose unsummed up store Improved so much, until he proved as poor As ever Job was: Job! unhappy I To speak it, he was rich in poverty; Heaven made poor Job so rich, that Satan's wealth Could purchase nothing from him, but his health, And that corporeal too; he could not boast His bargain, for 'twas Job that purchased most. " Happy is he that can at last inherit " Riches obtained by an impov'rished spirit: " We'd better lick with Lazarus the crumbs, " Than gripe with Dives for Soul-damning sums. Wealth cannot bribe the flames, yet scraps may feed The hungry wretch; he that has wealth▪ may need The Crumbs of comfort: David did condole Th' abundant famine of his hungry Soul: God's Love's not mercenary, to be sold For brain-distracting, heart-confounding gold. Hast thou not heard (O Man) the heavenly cry Of him that says, Ye that are poor, come buy, Come buy of me; your pennyworth shall be such, That for a little you shall purchase much. Here's Love that's spun unto the smallest thread, Though thou want'st money, yet thou mayst have bread Do thou but ask, thou shalt not fail to have For God's more free to give, than thou to crave: Fear not to ask of him, whose ready ear, Before thy tongue can ask, is apt to hear. Heaven loves the language of a broken heart, And he will hearken, and with joy impart His love into thee, and his milk and wine, Without the price of money shall be thine. Th' ingrated Prisoner, whose dull tongue is whet With sharpened hunger, will not fear, to let His language fly to every ear that comes Within his audience; and he always sums The totals of his grief in hungry words, Whilst thousands pass along, but few affords The blessing of an Alms; perhaps they'll grieve, And seem to pity, but will not relieve: Yet will he not desist, but hourly cry, Bread, bread, for heavens sake bread, or else I die. Hard hearted Man, why wilt thou not relent To hear thy Brother, almost hunger-spent, Craving thy succour? Where's thy love become? Because thouart deaf, ah! wouldst thou have him dumb Or dost thou think, because thy paunch is filled, He cannot hunger? He that first distilled Those mercies on thy head, expects that thou Shouldst feed thy Brother with a cheerful brow; Say not thou canst not give, thy treasure's light: But let thy heart record the widow's mite, So Heaven will fill thy Cisterns to the brim, And feed thy Soul, because thou hast said him. Should the Grandfather of true Charity Pass by the gates, and hear thee beg and cry, And not relieve thee; should he slight thy prayers And scorn to take a survey of thy tears; Wouldst thou not grieve, and pine thyself to dust And almost say thy God was much unjust To turn away his ears from thy complaint, And disrespect thy prayers, and let thee faint For want of food? Ah, whither wouldst thou fly To feed thy famished Soul, should Heaven deny? But ah he cannot, for his melting Soul Is always free, and willing to condole The sad conditions of distressed Man, Who only strives to do, but what he can To contradict him; yet he'll hear our grief: In multitudes of mercies lies relief. When our imprisoned Souls peep throw the grates Of this corrupting Earth, our God dilates Himself unto us, and he sends us meat From the rich store-house of his lofty seat; He hears; and hearing pities; pitying, sends; And sending, blesses; and with blessing ends. Even as the Sun, which every day surrounds The sublime Globe, and pries into the bounds Of this dark Centre; let his Beams reflect Upon a Molehill with as much respect As on a Mountain; for his glorious Beams Shine always with equivalent extremes, Even so the great and powerful Three in One, That sits upon his all-inlight'ning Throne, Does not deny to let his mercy crown The poorest Peasant with as much renown As the most stateliest Emperor; though he Invests his body with more dignity, Yet he's but earth, and must at last decay, For Prince and Peasant go the self same way; Their earth must turn to earth, their Souls return To him that gave them, or for ever burn; There's no distinction, one infused breath Made them alike, and both must live in death Or everlasting life; both must commence Divines in Heaven; there's no pre-eminence, But all equality, all must express, With equal Joy, their equal Happiness. Rouse up dull man, and let thy wakened Soul Be vigilant; oh let thy thoughts enrol The love of God, engrave it in thy breast, That his resounding tongue may read thee blest. O let thy sighs, like Pens, and let thy tears Like Ink, transcribe the Love, th'indulgent cares Of thy Creator, that himself may find (Within th' unblotted volume of thy mind) Himself recorded, so will he embrace Thy spotless Soul, and fill thee with his grace. Incline thine ears, and let th● heart rejoice To hear the strains of his harmonious voice: Hearken, and thou shalt hear his Prophets sing Th' admired Mercies of the glorious King. Thus saith the great, and everliving One, Isa. That rules the heavens, & governs earth alone, 43. Thus saith the Lord, that takes delight to dwell Amongst his Saints, that form Israel, Created Jacob, let thy sorrows flee Out of thy breast, I have redeemed thee: 'Twas I that made thy clouded visage shine, And called thee by my Name, for thou art mine. I will be with thee, when thy feet shall wade Thorough the waters; I will be thy aid; I'll make thee walk through Rivers, and the waves Shall prove ambitious to become thy slaves: And when thou walkest through the raging fire, Th' unruly flames shall not presume t' aspire Or kindle on thy garments. I alone The Lord thy God, and Israel's holy One, And thy dear Saviour, that was always true, Gave Aegppt, Seba, and Ethiopia too, To ransom thee; for thou wert my delight, And always precious in my gracious sight: Honours were heaped upon thee, and thou wert The tender love of my affecting heart; Therefore even I, that am well pleased, will give People for thy dear sake, that thou mayst live. Fear not, for I am with thee, and I'll stand In thy defence, and my all-grasping hand Shall bring thy seed from the remotest places, And fill thee with my satisfying graces. 6. My tongue shall call unto the North, and say Unto the South, Give, and they shall obey; Bring from a far my Sons and Daughters all, Hear my loud voice, be active when I call. 7 I have created them, and I proclaim They shall be called and honoured by my Name. I'll usher forth the blind, and make them see The splendent Glories of my Majesty: I le cure the deaf, and make their hearts rejoice To hear the Echoes of my warbling voice. Thus hath our God untied the tongues, and broke His Prophet's lips; thus have his Prophets spoke: And wilt thou be (O man) so much obdure, As not to credit him that will assure Perpetual happiness? Thou canst not ask That which he cannot give; do but unmask Thy shamefaced Soul, that so thou mayst descry Jehovahs' mercies with a faithful eye: Descant upon his promises, advise With thy own thoughts, let reason make thee wise; Inspect thyself, weigh well thy own condition, And thou shalt find thou want'st a good Physician To cure thy maculated Soul: Alas! Thou art like water stopped up in a glass, So weakly fortified, and fenced about, That one weak knock soon lets the Prisoner out. Vain lump of vanity, what can this Earth Afford thy thoughts more than a short-lived mirth? A mirth that fills thee with deluding toys, And like a Tyrant afterwards destroys. Dotest thou on Earth? For what? because her pleasure Can gild thy wanton eye? because her treasure Can cram thy bags? because her Siren's song Can ravish thee? because her power can throng Thy Soul with luxury? because her charms Can court thee with delight? because her arms Can pleasingly embrace thee, and impost Thy heart with gold, and lull thee, when thoust lost Thyself in sleep? Is this the little All That this great World can boast of? Must we call These things our pleasures? No, they'll prove our Our golden Fetters, and our silken Snares: These are the Joys we love, these are the things cares That make us fly with our Icarian wings Up to Ambition's Court, and there presume To gaze so long, until our waxen plume Dissolve with heat, and like presumptuous slaves Tumble ourselves into the raging waves Of speedy Ruin; Ruine's all that we Must hope t' obtain from Earth's base treasury. Let's scorn her wealth, and say, O Earth, thou art A painted Mistress with a rotten heart: Let's hate to love, that we may love to hate Th'unconstant glory of her fickle state. Even as the subtle Crocodile prepares Her flattering heart, and eye-commanding, tears To woe her Prey to come within the power Of her command, that so she may devour With more facility, and make her jaws To execute by her tyrannic Laws: Even so this World, those Crocodile-like eyes Are always flowing, wanting no supplies Of gliding tears to wash the rugged faces Of her designs with falsifying graces, That so she may by her too smooth delusion Make Man the Author of his own confusion. Frail flesh and blood, how canst thou take delight To love this World, that cannot give a mite Of comfort to thee but will still entrap, And daily lull thee in her lustful lap. she'll rock thy Soul to ruin, and she'll spawn Baseness into thee; she'll deceive, and fawn Upon the heart, and with her guilded baits she'll hook thy Soul unto the worst of fates: There's nothing in her that deserves the name Of Constancy; her glory is her shame. Smile at her tears, for every drop she vents Harbours ten thousand thousand discontents: Believe her not; but when she speaks the best, Believe the worst; and if she promise rest, Assure thyself of trouble; if she chance To promise Treasure, let thy thoughts advance Above her promises, contemn her dross, For what thou gainest from her will be thy loss: Let not her wealthy Donatives persuade Thy heart t' accept; when once thou art betrayed There's no resistance: They that well advise Before they act, deserve the name of wise: But they that study in her frantic Schools May prove her wise men; but heavens out-cast fools Ask her the way to Bliss: try if her skill Can give directions, ask her if she will Fill thee with blessed Eternity, conjure Her helpless aid, see if she can assure A safety to thee, ask her if she can Prescribe a cure for a despairing Man; Tell her thy Soul is sick, thou canst not live A minure longer; see if she can give A Cordial to thee, see if she can heal A broken heart; see if she can reveal Celestial Joys unto thee, and impart A heavenly comfort to thy grieved heart: If so, cheer up, and prosecute thy mirth, And say there is no other Heaven but Earth, Do thus (fond Man) and thou shalt quickly see A baffled World that cannot answer thee, But must be silent, for she cannot plead For her own self; she knows she cannot lead The way to Heaven, she's but a bad Director, A base Believer, and a worse Protector. Thus shalt thou make her envy swell and burst, And, like the Basilisk, discovered first, She needs must die; but if she should discover Thee first, farewel, thouart murdered by thy Lover: Then shalt thou hear the Soul-amazing tone Of him that sits on his immortal Throne, Pronounce against thee at the dreadful day Of thy accounts; thus shalt thou hear him say: Depart, ye cursed offsprings of a Father As cursed as you, avoid my sight, go gather The fruits of your deserts; you have forgot The God that made you, and I know ye not: See if the World, within whose folding arms You always slept, can quit thee from the harms That must ensue; see if her flattering power Can shelter thee, from the o'erflowing shower Of my fast-dropping rage; see if her breast Can entertain thee with eternal rest. Be gone, be gone, my fury hates to see Such Miscreants; had you remembered me, I now had known you; had you made me eat When I was forced to importune for meat, I now would bless you with celestial diet, And crown your Souls with everlasting quiet: Had you but quenched my raging thirst, or gave A single drop, that very drop should save Your death-adjudged Souls, and you should sup Abundant comforts from my streaming Cup: Had you (sad sons of vengeance) but supplied My nakedness with Garments, when I cried And called upon your charity to send Relief unto me, I had been your friend; Or had your (more than marble) hearts relieved M'impris ned body, now ye had not grieved: Had you, your world-affined Souls addressed Yourselves unto me when I was oppressed With lingrging sickness, than I would have fed Your Souls (which now are starved) with heavenly bread; But since you have not done it unto those Which I esteemed, y'ave proved yourselves my foes Therefore be gone, let darkness be your lot, Learn to remember that ye have forgot My mercies; go, and let my judgements dwell Within your guilty hearts; let black-mouthed Hell Plague you with torments, let him always lash Your hearts with flames, until ye howl, and gnash Your teeth together; Go, depart my sight, And taste the fruit of everlasting night. But as for you whose better deeds have found Acceptance in my heart, ye shall be crowned With unremoved happiness, because Ye have obsequiously performed my Laws; You fed my craving stomach, and you clothed My naked body, and you have not loathed To visit me; and when I was a stranger, Ye took me in, and guarded me from danger: Go then my Lambs, and let your Oratory Proclaim the greatness of your Father's glory: Go revel in my Courts; no discontent Shall breed a faction in my Parliament: I'll pass an Act of Peace, and it shall be Signed by the hand of my Eternity. My tongue shall style you blessed, and my voice Shall raise your Souls, and teach you to rejoice: Your unexcised pleasures shall abound To infinite; your ravished hearts shall sound The depth of my delights; all things shall move Within the sphere of uncontrolled Love: Be well assured, your pleasures shall be great; Then fly from Judgement to my Mercy-seat, And there rejoice with a triumphant mirth; My Love shall live with them that hated Earth. Obdurate Man, here, here thou mayst descry Judgement and Mercy, one to terrify, The other to persuade; and yet wilt thou Prove adamantine, and refuse to bow To thy Redeemer? Canst thou ruminate Upon his Love, and yet wilt not dilate Thy Soul unto him? Is thy brazen heart Impenetrable? Will no flaming dart Of true affection enter? Hast thou vowed To stop thy ears? Shall mercy call aloud, And thou not hear? Shall thundering Judgements rattle About thy ears, and yet wilt thou imbattle Against the Lord of Hosts? wilt thou invoke Perpetual vengeance to entail a stroke Upon thy stubborn heart? What, dost thou think Hell's void of flames, or that thy God will wink At thine enormities? Go, rally all Thy thoughts together, and discreetly shall Into a serious study.— — Let thy mind Be absolute, and really inclined To meditation; contradict the rage Of thine own passion: labour to assuage The fire of lust, that so thou mayst behold With more serenity, how manifold His mercies are, that every day prevents The sad incursions of depraved events. Think but in what a most defamed condition The Soul was in, before the grand Physician Of Heaven and Earth spontaniously set down A balm from his own Gilead to crown The sons of grief: think what we did endure, Before his wounds had perfected thy cure. Remember how undauntedly he stood, And sweat himself into a crimson flood To ransom thee; remember how his woes Were asperared by his raging foes; Remember how his sacred temples wore A spiny Crown, remember how it tore His sublime Front; remember how they broached His breast with Spears, and shamefully reproached His spotless fame; remember how they nailed His spreading hands, remember how they scaled His Ivory Walls, remember how they spawled Upon his face, remember how they bawled And banded at his Agony, whilst he Proved patient Martyr to their tyranny; Remember when he came unto the brink Of death, they gave him vinegar to drink: Nay more (because they vowed to empty all Their poisoned malice out) they gave him Gall. Oh bitter deed! Oh most abhorred Crimes! (Too nearly paralleled in these our times.) Thus having put a period to their plots, They thought it good to cast their hellish lots For his (I dare not say mean) clothes; I know They were our Saviour's, to whose worth we owe Perpetual thanks; 'twas his well finished breath Redeemed our Souls from everlasting death. Here's Love (O man) that does as far transcend Thy thoughts as thy deserts, that heaven should send His Son and Heir to be incarnated, And suffer death for thee, that wert as dead As sin could make thee; 'twas for thy offence He died; Ah, how, how canst thou recompense Such highbred Favours! Favours unexpected Deserve to be embraced, and not neglected. Do not (rash Soul) like Cleopatra nurse Embosomed Vipers; blessings prove a curse, If once abused; Ingratitude cuts off Th'entail of Love; it is a shame to scoff At Benefactors; after thou art fed, Wilt thou contemn the hand that gave thee bread? Wouldst thou not love that friend that should bestow A supper anuated crust, and show Respect unto thee, when the ebbing tide Of Fortune runs so low, that thou mayst ride Upon the sands of Poverty? Fond Man, Strive to be grateful, study how to scan The mercies of thy God; remember how He feeds thy Soul with Manna; learn to bow Th' unruly thoughts; (with admiration) think How often, and how much imbittered drink Thy Saviour drank; with what a doleful cry He begged of God to let that cup pass by; But knowing that his pleasure must be done, He proved himself his most obedient Son. And wilt thou not (copy wretch) drink one poor sup Of bitter drink for him, that drank a cup To sweeten thine? thou needest not fear nor scorn To taste, because heavens sacred Unicorn Hath purged the wa'ers, and they must be sweet Except they be reimpoys'ned by thy feet: If so, what wilt thou do? where wilt thou find An Antidote for an envenomed mind? It is reported, if the Spider chance To meet the obvious Toad, they'll both advance Their inward force, and mutually proclaim An open War; brave Combatants of fame! And having fummoned their imboweled might, March boldly on, and both incensed, they fight: The Toad being heavy loaded, cannot go, Or wheel about, like his encountering foe, But keeps his ground, & makes a small resistance: The Spider scorning to be kept at distance, Falls in upon him, and with nimble rage Assaults his foe, who now begins t' assuage His former fury, and would fain retreat From his small Foe, whose strength is grown too great For opposition; being thus distressed He crawls away, and with a cropsick breast Seeks for relief, and by and by descries A Plantain leaf, within whose veins there lies A secret Antidote, which did at length Expel his poison, and renew his strength: Having disgorged himself, he soon returns Into the Camp, where for a time he burns To be in action, and at last he sees The crafty Spider creeping by degrees To seize upon him, than his courage fails, He knows not what to do, his foe assails With all his might, constraining him to yield The conquest, and with shame to quit the field: Then he begins to seek, and hunt about, To find the sovereign healing Plantain out, Which had before relieved him, and supplied His wants; but that being gone, he burst, and died Even so, if Hell's black Spider chance to crawl From his infernal Web into the Hall Of this all-dusty World, he soon prepares Himself to sight, and suddenly declares, That he, the grim-looked General of Hell, Dares to encounter any Souls that dwell Within the limits of the spacious Earth, And in a moment qualify their mirth; Thus Satan boasts, and if he chance to meet A single Soul, he'll thus begin to greet. A DIALOGUE Between the Soul and Satan. Sat. SOul, thouart well met. Soul. 'Tis true, for I am well. Sat. Say, whither art thou going? Soul. Not to Hell. Sa. Pish, talk no more of that, but tell me whither Thou go, st.; come, prithee let's go both together. Soul. A pretty motion; when I want a guide I'll send for thee, till than thou art denied To be my Usher. Sat. Prithee tell me why Thou art so obstinate, as to deny So free a courtesy as I have shown; Mischance oft falls to them that walk alone; Be not so much a verse as to neglect This opportunity; I can protect Thy feet from sliding; dangers still attend Those that despise the favours of a friend. Sou. A friend! how canst thou prove that title? Sat. How? As thus; because I'm willing to allow The best assistance of my ready arm To guide, nay and protect thee from all harm; Therefore a friend. So. What you pretend to show Is but external; he that can bestow Internal friendship on a Soul distressed Is a true friend; no matter for the rest. If Heaven will guide my Soul I shall not stray, Or fear the evils of a dangerous way: But as for you, I needs must borrow leave To say, your friendship's only to deceive; Con●●●ion paths your ways, and if I run By your advice, Ineeds must be undone. God bids me fly from sin if I refuse Obedience to his will, I shall abuse His just commands; then will my sorrows cry, When Mercy stops, Judgement begins to fly. Sat. Desist (fond Soul) and labour to divorce Thy lips from this too fabulous discourse; Gild not thy words with vanity, persuade These thoughts (which are erroneous) to evade Thy serious mind; advise and thou shalt see My ways are best, be principled by me; Let not the swing of passion strike thee down, But follow me, 'tis I must give a Crown To thy deserts, 'tis I that can advance Thy downcast Soul above the reach of chance; 'Tis I (mistaken Soul) 'tis I alone That must conduct thee to the sublime throne Of true Salvation; 'tis my hand must bring Thy trembling Soul before th'all-judging King Of Heaven and Earth; it is my power can fill Thy heart with joy; believe me, and I will. Trust not the babbling languages of those That seem thy friends, but are thy greatest foes; They're great to thy destruction, they'll connive stories And fawn, nay almost bury thee alive; They'll talk of Heavn and Hell, they'll tell thee Of endless, boundless, unconceived glories; They'll tell thee of Eternity, and woe Thy Soul out of thy ears, if thou ' lt bestow Thy pains to hear them; they'll infuse, and brew Their own designs, and tell thee all is true That they declare; they'll tell thee that they're sent As Messengers from heavens high Parliament. Believe me Soul, 'tis I that can display The Gospel's Colours better far than they; There's nothing in that Volume so abstruse, But I can wind and twist it to my use: And there is nothing in this world can be Styled worth a Work, but can be done by me: I can do all, it lies within my power To make thee poor or rich in half an hour: I can command whole Legions to attend Upon my honour: Say, what nobler friend Canst thou embrace? I'll be a friend to all That will give audience to my faithful call; I'll make them swell with riches, they shall have As much, nay if not more, than they can crave: Am I not rare, and rich, and high, and great, Incomprehensible? Is not my seat The throne of happiness? Yet cannot I Invite thee to my sweet eternity? Come gentle Soul, into my twining arms, I'll hug thee, I'll delight thee with my charms, I'll show thee all my Joys, nothing shall lie Hid from the view of thy all gazing eye: Happy, beyond expression. Soul. Satan, slay The Progress of thy tongue, and give me way, That I may vent my thoughts, for you have spoke At large already; and is this the stroke Which you intent shall wound me? Be assured, The blows but small, and well may be endured. Sat. What, moved to passion! Is thy mind disturbed With foul mistrust? pray let those thoughts be curbed; What, dost thou think I am perfidious? Fie; 'Tis folly to condemn before you try. Alas, alas! what profit can accrue To me by wronging such a Soul as you? What I express is only for your good, But what is more than grave advice withstood? I doubt these weak, these empty thoughts presage A tempest, guarded with a storm of rage: Well then, storm on, and when thy storm is spent, Sat down and meditate, and then repent. Soul. Repent, Oh happy word! although expressed By a foul mouth; those that repent are blest. How dare thy hellish lips usurp a word Filled with divinity, but will afford No rest, no comfort, to thy horrid Soul? Be gone, be gone; and if thou canst condole Thyself, thou art (if Logic prove but true) Cursed in the Major, and the Minor too. Bless me, o heaven: what blust'ring stormy weather Drove such a vile prodigious Monster hither? Touchstone of baseness, dost thou come to prove Whether I'm gold, or dross? thou mayst remove Thy forward hopes, because I hope to be Metal at last for Heaven, and not for thee. Be gone, fallacious wretch, I cannot brook Thy golden baits, I have descried thy hook: Father of Lies, thy policy is built Upon the sands, and plastered o'er with guilt: Thy tongue foretells a storm; if so, be sure Thy sand-built policy shall not endure: Flattery's the life of baseness, and that Art Is well imprinted in thy subtle heart: Dost thou believe that I can entertain Belief from thee? Or dost thou think to reign Within my breast? No, no; thy cloudy powers Are at the best but falsifying showers: Be satisfis▪ d, I cannot give the least Of credit to thee, nor I dare not feast My thoughts with such uncertainties; I know Thy diet must and will corrupt to woe. Thou bidst me not condemn, before I make Some trial of thy trust; If I should take Such green advice, I quickly should undo My wretched self; and in condemning you What profit could I have; or what relief Could I epect to mitigate my grief, My accusations would be blown as dust Before the wind; I'll neither try, nor trust. Sat. Nor try, nor trust? Art thou resolved to cross My real motions? Do, and see whose loss Will prove most weighty; if I lose the heat Of thy weak love, my loss will not be great, But if I should withdraw my love from thee, How like a Map of well-drawn misery Wouldst thou appear? be wise, corect thy thoughts Neglected favours prove the greatest faults. Take my instructions, for 'tis I must bring Content unto thee; 'tis a glorious thing To be immortal: prithee Soul decline Thy former ways; say shall I call thee mine? Mine, mine thou art; I'll load thee with renown; Let me but conquer, thou shalt wear the Crown. How pleasing are my joys! how full of peace Are all my ways! my glories still increase: I'm great and good, I take delight to win Distressed Souls, and lead them from their sin; I cannot choose but pity those that lie Upon the beds of sensuality; My melting Soul is always free to give Comfort to them that study how to live. Alas, the care and trouble that I take Is more for their content, than my own sake: My gates are always open, they that venture To come to me shall (with a welcome) enter; And when they call, and cry, I will appear Myself unto them, and rejoice to hear Their sad complaints; I will not hide my face From them that seek the glory of my grace: I cannot be unconstant; I must grieve To hear their sorrows, and I will relieve. I will be pitiful to them that trust In me alone, I cannot be unjust; I cannot, no I cannot; Earth shall move Sooner than I will falsify my love: I am eternal; they that will endeavour To gain my love, shall have my heart for ever. Soul. 'Tis not your empty words shall make my breast Stoop to the flattery of thy vain request; Though I have ears to hear, I have a mind That will not shake at the hard-breathing wind Of your discourse; what you pretend for reason Is nothing but the froth of private treason: 'Tis not your multiloquious tongue can turn The Bias of my Soul, or make me spurn At Holy Writ; 'tis not your fond conceit Of being good, shall make me to retreat From heavens Commands; 'tis not your promised joys Can make me cheerful; or your painted toys Can lure me to your fist; 'tis not the dart Of your vain love can penetrate my heart; 'Tis not your seeming clemency can make My Soul to love you, for your Pity's sake; 'Tis not your always-open gates that shall Entice my steps to your large Guilded Hall; 'Tis not your self-appearance shall invite My well-composed thoughts to your delight; 'Tis not your greatness that shall make me yield To your desires; Religion is my shield: I'll neither fear nor love your rash evasions, Nor give attendance to your smooth persuasions: ‛ Nis difficult to serve two Masters well; Who strays from Heaven, must needs approach to Hell. I am advised to shun the broad-pathed ways That lead to ruin; what the Scripture says I must believe; 'tis dangerous to fly Without the wings of true Divinity: The Scriptures are my way, my light, my guide, And they that go without them needs must slide: The paths are straight in which I ought to run The course of grace, until my days are done; And they that change a Virtue for a Vice, Deserve no fruit from heavens blessed Paradise. Sat. Surcease those fond conceits, thou dost but spin Thine own destruction, and connive at sin: Urge not the Scriptures, for I dare maintain My paths are best, and other ways are vain: Thy Scripture- conscience will at last confound Th' amazed thoughts, and give thy Soul a wound That hates a cure, then shalt thou prove unblessed, Whilst others find the plainest Road's the best. Suppose thou wert (I speak it for thy sake) Moved by occasions, forced to undertake A long-wayed journey, wouldst thou not inquire The readiest way, but run into the mire? If thou shouldst act a crime so foully bad, Folly would style thee fool, and Wisdom mad. Stray not into the Wilderness of grief, But come to me, take courage and be brief In thy designs; persuade thyself, that I Am both thy light, thy way, and best supply In time of need; I am thy prop, thy stay; Therefore resolve, and trifle not away Thy thriftless Soul; be not thyself destroyer; I'll be thy Love, and thou my Love's enjoyer: Know that my real breast contrives no end, But what may merit so divine a friend As thine own self: folly and wisdom lies Before thy face; be either fool, or wise: Protract no time, but make a speedy choice, Thy welfare shall instruct me to rejoice; Observe my actions, pry it to my parts, Let's know each other by exchange of hearts; I'll give thee mine, and for my love restore Thine unto me; grant this, I'll ask no more. Be free to give, as I am free to crave; thou'dst better live my friend, than die my slave: For if thou shalt deny what I desire, I'll make my bellows to advance the fire Of thy distress, and sorrows shall corrode Thy stubborn heart, and care shall make abode Within thy breast; perpetuated grief Shall find a voice, but ramble from relief. I'll gripe thee, till I make thee understand The fiery language of my furious hand: Sigh, and groan, sobs, and rears, and cries Shall be thy sad Concomitants; thine eyes Shall stare upon (well may I call them new And horrid) Lights, such Lights as shall renew Thy growing torments; every thing shall be Thy fellow-slaves in servile misery: I'll yoke thee with distress, nay, and I'll chain Thy struggling Soul with everlasting pain; I'll crowed thee full of sorrows, and I'll double Thy unconceived, uncontrolled trouble, Whilst I, triumphing I, will sit aloft, And be adored, and scoff to see thee scoffed: Pity shall be a stranger to my breast; My care shall be to make thy Soul unblessed; The tides of woe shall overflow thy thoughts, And be equivalent unto thy faults; Be sure, that what extremity can be Thought worth the using, shall be used on thee: Now I have spoke, if thou wilt not repent, I'll cease to speak, and study to torment. Sou. How full of poison's's every word that flows Out of thy mouth? what trust can I repose In such a flatterrer? I dare not try, Or throw myself upon thy courtesy: I know thou canst not answer my request; There is no truth in a self-praising breast. If I should dive into the deep abyss Of thy black thoughts, what glory, or what bliss Should I discern? Or if I should deliver My heart to thee, thou'dst disrespect the giver; Though at the first perhaps thou wouldst express A seeming-unbeseeming thankfulness, Yet at the last I know thou would decline Thy promised ways, and style me to be thine. Fair words find easy passage, they proceed But from the tongue, th'event still crowns the deed Three things denote a friend; first to conceal A secret speech; the next is to reveal A private good; the ●ast, is to advise The safest way t' obtain an enterprise And he that can do this, as you pretend, Deserves the title of a real friend: But my Religion tutors me to say, (Nay and affirm,) You neither can, nor may; I'm sure it is (if reason dare prove true) One thing to speak, another thing to do. Your words are airy messengers, which fly Into my ears, and there enrol a Lie; Many untruths have broken the common Goal Of thy foul mouth; thou sayst thou canst prevail To make me glorious, and thou canst increase My joys, and crown me with eternal peace: Thou sayst thouart good and great, & that thy paths Led to Salvation; thou declarest thy Laws To be most just; if all these things be true, I needs must call the Scriptures false, or you; Truth bids me tell thee boldly, when thou criest thouart great, and good, and rich, and rare, thou list: If thou art good, and great, pray tell me why Thou wilt behold so vile a wretch as I? These things bespeak thee humble, unto which Thou plead'st not guilty; and if thou art rich, How can it be, that thou wilt condescend To feed my wants, that am so poor a friend? Strange is that charity, which seems to shine From such a diabolick breast as thine. If my belief could keep an equal pace With my swift tongue, how full of Faith & Grace Should I appear? Such Faith as would devast My wanton Soul, and make me weep as fast It is impossible to find a Zion That has no Governor, except a Lyon. The Souls Petition to God. Oh Heaven, I crave that thou wouldst keep me still From this most vile Progenitor of Ill: Suffer him not t'infold me in his arms, Or overcome me with his wanton charms; Oh make my heart obdure that he may knock Upon my Soul, as on a marble Rock; Be thou my Fort, and then I shall endure His furious On sets, and repose secure; Give me thy Grace, that I may be content; Make me as strong, as he is impudent. Now let the springtide of thy fierce desires Flow to the height, thou shalt not quench my fires Know Satan, know, my heart reserves no place For thy abode, I scorn thee to thy face; The well-dyed colours of my Soul declares Defiance to thee, and my breast prepares To give thee battle; strike, I rear thee not; Who's armed with Faith, needs fear no Cannon sho Sat. What impious tongue is that which dares defy My power with so much boldness? So. Wretch, 'tis I; 'Tis I (infernal Traitor) that will spend My strength to prove thou art flattering fiend. Sat. Move me to anger, do, and thou shalt find A courteous friend at last may prove unkind: Have I not wooed thee almost night and day To go to Heaven? Sou. The quite contrary way. Sat. Have I not laboured like a watchful father To nourish thee? Sou. Or like a Devil rather. Sat. Have I not always taken great delight? Sou. To take away good gold, and give me light. Sat. How much nocturnal and diurnal care Have I sustained for thee? Sou. True, t'ensnare. Sat. Have I not been assiduous to await Upon thy pleasure? Sou. and corrupt my state. Sat. Have I not proffered all that can be given To a sick Soul? Sou. To drive my Soul from Heaven San. Did I not promise to be true and just? Sou. Did I not say, I'd neither try nor trust? Sat. Did I not promise that I'd make thee wise? Sou. Did I not say thou wert composed of lies? Sat. Did I not promise to increase thy store? So. Did I not say such wealth would make me poor Sat. Did I not promise to advance thy fame? Sou. Did I not say thy honours were thy shame? Sat. Did I not promise to uphold thy peace? Sou. Did I not say such wars would never cease? Sat. Did I not promise thee a Crown of life? Sou. Did I not say that Crown would Crown my Sat. Did I not promise thee eternal glory? (strife? Sou. Did I not say that promise was a story? Sat. Did I not promise I would give thee all? Sou. Did I not say such promises were small? Sat Did I not tell thee I was great and good? Sou. Did I not answer 'twas in shedding blood? Sat. Did I not tell thee that my ways were best? Sou. Did I not answer that they were unblessed? Sat. Did I not tell thee that thou shouldst have joy? Sou. Did I not answer such as would destroy? Sat. Did I not tell thee that I did lament? Sou. Did I not answer that I was content? Sat. Did I not tell thee what a friend I'd prove? Sou. Did I not answer that I could not love? Sat. Thus by fair terms I laboured to obtain, Sou. Thus in foul terms I told thee 'twas in vain. Sat. Then I began to threaten thee with grief, Sou. And then I fled to Heaven, and found relief. Sat. I threatened to afflict thee with large pains, Sou. I told thee such afflictions were my gains. Sat. I told thee more than now I will express, Sou. My answers made thee wish I had spoke less. Sat. But now I see my real words can find No rest within the Centre of thy mind; For 'tis in vain to sow the seeds of life In a dead heart that is manured with strife: I'll therefore cease my importuning love, I'll show my Serpent, and keep close my Dove. Do, do thy worst, vile wretch, I'll make thee know Griefs abstract, and the quintessence of woe; I'll load thee with extremities, thy breast Shall always crave, but find no place of rest: Had but my grave advice received a place Within thy heart, thou hadst been filled with grace; But now the inundations of thy trouble Shall overflow thee, and I will redouble My new-contrived plagues; I'll make thee feel My melting heart is now transformed to steel: Thy tongue shall (like a bolt of thunder) roll And roar within thy mouth; thy sulphurous Soul Shall flash forth lightning, and thy blood-red eyes Shall blaze like Comets in the troubled Skies: Thy teeth shall gnash, as if they scorned to be Concomitants in so much misery; Oh how I'll carbonado every part, And fill thy body with increasing smart; Thy Soul shall lure for death, but that shall hate To pierch upon thee, and contemn thy state: Life shall be still encroaching, but thy breath Shall scorn that life, and hate it unto death; Thy flesh shall drop forth brimstone, and thy bones Shall court each other in their crackling tones; Horror shall be thy watchman, curses shall Possess thy rongue, one torment still shall call Upon another; when thy voice shall cry But for a drop; Confusion shall reply, No, no, thou shalt not, if a golden Mine Could buy a drop, that drop should not be thine: Then shalt thou say, if thou hadst been at first Advised by me, thou hadst not been accursed: Thus in this sad Dilemma shalt thou roar, And crave my succour, but I'll not deplore Thy woeful state, because thou wert averse To goodness, after folly comes a curse: Then shalt thou know and find I will exile All thoughts of pity, and I'll rather smile Than grieve at thy distress; ah know 'tis bard To force an entrance where the gates are barred: Fond Soul, be serious, let thy thoughts reflect On my indulgency, and give respect Unto my clemency; believe I will Be good to thee, do but forsake thy ill; Forsake, forsake that evil which will turn To thy destruction; do not, do not burn The precious fuel of thy chaste desires In idle, wanton, all-consuming fires, The post of time is swift, and knows no stay; 'Tis time to go when Reason calls away: Protraction's dangerous; it is not good To strive with that which scorns to be withstood. Then do not thou procrastinate, but take This opportunity, do but forsake Thy former ways, and readily incline Thyself to me, and I will make thee shine With so much lustre, that all eyes shall gaze Upon thy brightness, and admire with praise: Oh may my language reach thee too believe, That so my torments may not make thee grieve In utter darkness, that thou mayst embrace Those glories, which adorn my peaceful place: Repent, (dear Soul) repent what thou hast done, Then call me Father, and I'll love my son: Thus having told thee all, I'll here desist; Be thou more apt to yield than to resist. Sou. I find, I find you first in flict a wound, And then with balsam strive to make it sound: You make me smile at first, but after groan; One hand encloses bread, the other stone; I fain would take the bread, but that I stand In fear and danger of the stony hand: Therefore, to shun all danger, I'll despise Your fond advice, and practise to be wise: If all should prove, that you have told me, true, I know the best and worst that thou canst do; As for your threatenings, they shall not disturb My peaceful thoughts, my faith shall be their curb: Urge me no mote, but let me rest in quiet, Strong is that stomach can digest thy diet. Sat. And is it so? will no persuasions work Upon thy thoughts? Those pregnant crimes that lurk Within thy breast, will, like to Scorpions, gnaw Thy groaning heart; such sorrow knows no Law; But since thou wilt not be advised, expect To find reward, as I have found neglect. Ah, why fond wretch, why dost thou thus provide Thy feeble self to strive against the tide? Alas, alas! why art thou lulled asleep In folly's Lap? Rouse up for shame, and weep For thine infirmities; be not thus cross To him that would preserve thee from a Loss: 'Tis time to cast away the works of night, And clothe thee with the shining robes of light. Sou. If your strong Oratory had the skill To make me yield to your unsatiate will, It were enough; what more could you desire, Than a bad period to your bad desire? But stay (bold friend) I'll meditate and see What fruit will spring from thine infernal tree. Sat. What, must I stay (vile wretch) till you dispute And prove the goodness of my pleasing fruit? Must I be always waiting on the train Of your desires, and spend my time in vain? No, no, I will not: for it is unfit I should attend, if you will not submit; Th' incensed fury of my spirits burn To be in action, I will not adjourn A minute longer; go, and hug thy vice, Thou lov'st the bargain, but abhor'st the price: Urge me no more, away, I have forgot All thoughts of friendship, and I know thee not: And here I leave thee to the Lawless power Of thine own passion; Cursed be that hour That brought thee forth; if all this will not do, May all men curse thee, and I'll curse thee too. Sou. And can the spring of thy affections find So soon an Autumn? Canst thou be unkind With so much ease? and can your real breast (As you so call't) be so soon dispossessed Of Love and Patience? Oh how bad and strange Is the effect of such a sudden change! 'Tis disputable, for I know not whether Anger, or ' policy, or both together, Wharst thee to these extremes: well then pursue Thine own desires, and I will bid adieu To all thy follies; yet my heart begun T' expand itself before the glimmering Sun Of thy persuasions; if thy sharpened rage Had not so soon exploded me the stage, I fear, I fear, I had before this hour Been prostituted to thy tameless power: Be gone, be gone; but stay, hark Satan, hark, Go boast you shot, but fairly missed the mark. Sat. Why dost thou bid me go? I m sure you speak (As I have done) in jest, thou wilt not break The bonds of friendship; though thou hast expressed Thyself in anger, yet thou ar● in jest: Those good conceits that live in th'inner places Of my close heart, tells me thouart filled with graces: But there is none that can proclaim and cry They're free from rage, no not so much as I: When I am angry, than my heart is pleased, Because I'm satisfied; my mind is eased Of a most pressing load, which seems to tyre And waste me with a brest-consuming fire. " A wise man's ear must always entertain " Things spoke in passion to be void and vain: " The tongue's a restless member, and ofttimes " Outruns the wit, and then it flies and climbs Above all sense:" When Reason finds divorce, " The tongue proves subject to a headlong course. What I have spoke observe, and thou shalt find Proceeded from my passion, not my mind: The misconstruction of a word may make The dearest friends to vary, and forsake The plains of friendship, tho' their hearts are free From the cursed evils of inconstancy: Therefore mistake me not, nor do not thou Construe my words with an incensed brow; Smile on me then, and cheerfully impart The loving childings of a friendly heart; Then shalt thou see with what a willing arm I will conduct and guide thee from all harm; Believe me Soul, I am not come to scatter Uncertain stories, but a real matter; What I hold forth unto thee, is the stem Of a pure heart, thou art the only Gem Shall grow upon it; come, and let's combine, I shall rejoice to see thee prove divine. Sou. The Bias of thy Love runs now so strong, That I much fear 'twill not continue long; I find, I find thou hast the art to sail With any wind; thou labourest to prevail, But 'tis in vain, for know, I trust thee not, My zealous heart is fearful of a plot; I cannot be so foolish as to trust Without assurance that thou wilt be just: Wilt thou be true? Speak with a real breath. Sat. I will be just (believe me) unto death; I will, I will; oh may I never be True to myself, it I am false to thee. Sou. If thou art just and constant, tell me where Thy seat is placed, and who is Prince of th'air; Be true in this, and thou shalt find that I, According to thy answer, will reply. Sat. I'll tell thee then (because I'll now fulfil The vast desires of thy enquiring will) Where my refulgent Seat is placed; prepare Thy ears to hear, I'll speedily declare. The large extent of my unbounded grace Cannot be comprehended in one place, Because I am immortal, unconfined To time or place; I live in every mind That's truly real, and not disagreeing To my known Laws; I have no local Being: The World's a spacious Body, I the Soul Which lives in every part complete and whole: Thus this dispute is easily decided, For what's immortal cannot be divided. Nay more, because I'll fill thee with content, I say I'm Prince of every Element, Therefore of air: Now if thou canst inquire Any thing more, I'll answer thy desire. Sou. Before I suffer my swift thoughts to slide Into more questions, I'll be satisfied In what is past: If so it be, you have No local Being, how then will you save Those Hosts of Souls which you intent shall be Sealed with the Signet of Eternity? Did you not tell me, that your peaceful Seat Was rich, sublime, (and without measure) great? If thus it be, as 'tis expressed by you, 'Tis more than strange that 'tis not local too; Clear but this doubt, and thou shalt quickly find Those duties that attend an honest mind Flow from my breast, till then I'll rest in peace, As you perform, so shall my Love increase. Sat. Ambiguous Soul, why dost thou thus connive At thine own follies? Why dost thou deprive Thyself of comfort, comforts that will heal Th'exulcerous sores of thy distempered weal? Why art thou thus inquisitive? the thing That thou desir'st to know (if known) will bring Small satisfaction to thy dubious breast; He's wise enough that knows he shall be blest; If you inquire in such a doubtful case, You'll lose your rest in seeking out the place: Surcease thy thoughts, and do not proudly knock Thyself in pieces, now thou know'st the rock; Pry not too sarl et secret things alone, My Zodiac has more signs than must be known; 'Tis not the Heaven of Heavn's that can contain Me, the Creator, and my glorious train; I am even what I please and what I will be Even where I will. So. Where's that? Sa. what's that to thee The knowledge of my seat does no way tend To thy salvation, therefore cease to spend Such fruitless thoughts, cast by this needless care, Learn to know what I am, no matter where. Sou. I must confess, it is not good to pry In things that suit not the capacity; But seeing 'twas your pleasure to express So much of friendship, I made bold t' address Myself unto you; pardon then my crimes, You know that wisest men may doubt sometimes: Your weights are light, or else your courage fails, You have not strength enough to turn the scales Of my affections, yet you had almost Droven my ill man'd ship upon your Coast, The winds of your persuasions rage and roar Within my breast, I cannot find a shore For my desires; I'm tossed from wave to wave, And am become a most distracted slave; Those heavenly thoughts which formerly frequenred The closet of my breast are now prevented By base bred fancies, fancies that arise From a soul brain, and makes me to despise Almost myself; I know not what to do, I dare not, oh I dare not yield to you; And yet I hardly can believe thou wilt Burden thy conscience with so foul a guilt As to betray me, sure thou art morekind Than to abuse a well-affected mind; But yet I dare not trust a Soul pursuer, Because thou kill'st when thou pretendest to cure. I reel, I reel (if not sustained) I shall Receive a sudden and a deadly fall; What shall I do in this deplored condition? I fear, I fear I've lost my best Physician: Try Satan, try, and see what may be done For a sick Soul, that foolishly has run Beyond itself; oh see what thou canst do To give me ease, and then I'll call the true. Sat. Now Soul I love thee; rouse, bid grief depart Thou hast the symptoms of an honest heart: Me thinks I could, with much content, afford To say thou speakest a Christian at a word; Cheer up, and know that many troubles wait Upon the changes of an ancient State; The work of Reformation always brings Trouble at first, but afterwards it sings Anthems of Peace, whose fortunate event Will more than countervail thy discontent. He that has spent the treasure of his days Under one Roof, has reason to dispraise The troubles of removing; yet at last (When his defatigating cares are passed) He may declare himself to be a debtor To fortune, and confess that Life the better. Even so mayst thou (dear Soul) hereafter say, Blessed be that hand which led thee from the way And paths of Ignorance, although at first ['Tis often known, beginnings are the worst] Thou feelest a private nakedness within, Because thou hast unclothed thyself of sin: Although, I must confess there cannot be A vacuum in Nature, yet in thee There is an emptiness, and must be still, For what is empty, craves a time to fill: If he whose stomach hath sustained the rage Of sharp'ning hunger, should at first assuage His appetite with fullness, would it not Produce a surfeit, and impose a blot Upon his wisdom, raising such a strife Within his Microcosmus, that his life Would be endangered; therefore learn by rote, That moderation is the chiefest note; In all my Gammut, none can sing so high A note as moderation, only I. If I should let thee make too large a meal Of my rich joys at first, I should reveal Too much of folly; for it thou shouldst take A surfeit at the first, it needs must make Thee fear, nay hate, to entertain my diet; 'Tis better far to spare at first than riot: Moreover, should I let thee taste thy fill At first, I know the reins of thy fierce will Would scorn a hand, 'tis dangerous to trust; Presumptions spur can never want for rust: Come Soul, let reason rule thee, do not slain Thy well-dyed judgement, 'tis a greater pain To fear, than sufler; come, I long to see Thee wanton with me in Eternity; Then doubt no more, resolve, and let's away, There is no greater grief than to delay A happiness; be well informed of this, Procrastination is a foe to Bliss. Sou. Thy words imposthumate my heart, I feel A greater pain than ever Ixion's wheel Knew how t'inflict, extremities still crowd Into my thoughts; my sorrows call aloud, And none will hear; what shall I do; for I Unworthy am to live, unfit to die; Except th' all ruling power above will please T'inspect my Soul, and furnish me with ease, To whose blessed ears I'll recommend my suit, My sorrows will not let my tongue be mute. Great Auditor of groans, oh let my cries, My sighs, my tears, invite thy ears, thine eyes To hear, and view me; for I must confess, My crimes are great, and I am nothing less Than what is least; alas! and nothing better Than what is worst, oh pardon me thy debtor: I'm roast with grief, and know not where to fleer My shipwrecked self, but still my fins appear Before my face, whose looks almost affright, And make me start into eternal night: What shall I do? or whether shall I flee, That am an alien (Lord) except to thee? From thee I cannot, and I am too vile To come unto thee, having made a spoil Of those most sacred mercies, which thy hand Conferred upon me; there is no command But I have broke; yet gracious Lord, I know That thy abounding mercies can o'erflow My sand excelling sins, which cannot lie Absconded from thine all-surveying eye. With shame I must confess the subtle art Of Satan hath empoisoned my heart; Oh I am sick to death, I swell, I burst, Never was any Soul so much accursed. There's none but thee, thou sacred Antidote Can cure my grief, be therefore pleased to note My sad condition, let my sorrows lie Before thy face, oh hear me when I cry; Grant me the shield of Faith, that I may stand In opposition to the powerful hand Of active Satan, weaken (Lord) his power And add unto my strength; let every hour Afford new mercies, mercies that may sail Into my breast, ah should my Foe prevail, Oh, than I perish, shorten (Lord) his chain And lengthen out my patience, oh make vain His fierce attempts, that he my feel, and see When he is strongest, I'm as strong as he, Then shall my lips extol thee, and proclaim The greatness of thy glory, and his shame. Give but thy grace unto me (Lord) and then Say what thou wilt, my tongue shall say Amen. Let everlasting plagues and horror dwell Within so fit a soul, let black-mouthed Hell Remove his situation, and take An everlasting Lease, oh let him make A Ten'ment of thee; dost thou think that I Will hear thy prayers? oh no, I scorn thee, fie Away, begon— Sou. What voice is this, that makes this bold intrusion Into my ears and grumbles out confusion? Me thinks I see a storm-portending cloud, Boweled with thunder, and I hear a loud And horrid noise, a noise that will confound A wel-prepared ear, to hear the sound; Who would not quake at such a voice as this That roars forth Malice with an Emphasis? My thoughts are interrupted, and amazement, Flashes like Lightning through the brittle casement Of my ill glased-brest; it cannot be The voice of Heaven, a God so pure as he Hates to be envious, malice cannot spring From such a good and (Love-composed) King: Although his voice (made terrible) ofttimes By the addition of man's daily crimes Thunders against a sinner, yet his breath Can take no pleasure in a sinner's death. Hereafter (Lord) when malice finds a voice To speak, my understanding shall rejoice, In knowing who it is, this heart of mine Shall never quake at any voice but thine; Then let hell's deepmouthed bloodhound, roar and thunder I'll neither fear, nor love, nor quake, nor wonder. For 'tis not strange to hear a Lion roar That wants his prey, the more he has, the more He seeks for more, employing still his power In seeking how, and whom he may devour: Know therefore Satan, that I am prepared To meet thee, and I will not be outdared; 'Tis not thy false malicious tongue shall tempt My heart to love, no, nor thy rage exempt My thoughts from heaven, although thy craft still For opportunity to stop good works; When I compose myself, and strive to pray, lurks Thou seekest to turn my thoughts another way. Thou great corrupter of Diviner parts, Thou watchful thief that stealest into the hearts Of silly mortals, think not to devour My armed heart, with thy pursuing power. Sat. Will nothing move thee? wilt thou still mistrust If fair means will not move thee, foul means must. What dost thou think, my arm is grown so short It cannot reach thee? dost thou think to sport With my commands? say, thou imperious mite Who gave thee being, who created light, Who made the heavens, the Earth, the Sea, reply Audacious wretch, speak, was it thee, or I? Thou vain contend, dost thou think to gain By striving with me, any thing but pain, Oh no, thou shalt not, for I'll still renew Thy pinching sorrows: therefore bid adieu To all thy comforts, for thou shalt no more Enjoy those blessings thou injoy'dst before, Oh how thy horrid tongue shall roar and cry With Dives for a drop, but no supply Shall dare t'appear; the more thou cravest, the less Thou shalt be heard, for nothing shall express The least of pleasure to thy parboiled heart, Thy chiefest food shall be perpetual smart. Be well assured that thy ears, thy eyes Shall hear, nor see, nought but extremities, Be gone, be gone, my fury hates delay, Hell, and Damnation be thy lot, away. Sou. Experience makes me understand thou art A lively actor, of a deadly part, I find the greatness of your swelling rage; Your Prologue speaks 'twould be a bloody stage If you might act as King, but Heaven prevent The cursed plots of your accursed intent; I fear thee not, because I know thy power Is limited, and thou canst nor devour Without commission, therefore do thy worst, And let thy envy swell until it burst And fall to nothing, my Creator gives Me faith to say that my Redeemer lives, And will protect me from the rage of those That are my known and secret deadly Foes. Thy thundering words shall not make me complying For he's unwise that dies for fear of dying; Thus being guarded with the shield of grace I'll spit defiance in thine impious face. Thou art a Lion, and thou seekest for blood How bad's that soul that dares to think thee good; Urge me no more, cashier thy fruitless trouble, The more thou striust, the more I'll strive to double My resolutions, for I dare not venture To rest my heart on such a bloody centre, Oh no I dare not; he that shall let go, A certain friend, for a most certain foe, Justly deserves, to have no other same, But what reproach can build upon his name; Should I permit my rambling thoughts to glance Upon thy love, the Plea of Ignorance Could not be prevalent, because 'tis known Unto the blest-united three in one That I (by his assistance) have descried Thy real flattery, and thy humble pride; I dare affirm no greater pride can be Than that that's acted with humility, But here I'll stop, and leave thee to inherit Th' effects of a diabolique spirit. Sat. Accursed Caitiff, dost thou think to scape The fury of my hand, or make a rape Upon my goodness? no, the Sun and Moon Shall stop their usual progresses as soon As I will change my mind; Vengeance is mine And I'll repay it, on that Soul of thine. Be gone, be gone, expect thy sudden doom, It is thy sins give punishment a room: Let everlasting Plagues, and horror dwell Within so fit a Soul; let black-mouthed Hell Remove his situation, and so take A still continuing Lease, on her him make A ten'ment of thee, dost thou think that I Will hear thy prayers? oh no I scorn thee, fie Away, begon— Sou. If words could kill, I had been ere this time Worded to death, but now I hope to climb Above the reach of words in thy despite, Where thou mayst grumble at me, but not bite. Even as the surly blood-desiring Dog Tied with a chain, or loaded with a clog Grows fiercer with restraint, and stands in awe Of nothing but his Master, to whose Law He must submit and keep within his list; For fear will not permit him to resist: But if some wand'ring passenger should chance To walk along, he quickly would advance His watchful head, and running to and fro From place to place, he tuggs but cannot go Beyond his bounds, but labours still in vain (With fruitless bring of his senseless chain) To free himself, but when he finds his strength Is not sufficient to outgo the length Of his well-fastned chain, he soon divides His sharp fanged jaws, and bauls until his sides And lungs are weary, than he runs the round Until he lays himself upon the ground: Where he remaineth much displeased and vexed, Seeming to threaten ruin to the next. So thou (hell's ty'd-dog) if thou couldst but strain And quit thyself from heavens fast-holding chain What Soul should scape thy jaws, or be possessed Of lasting peace, or comfortable rest? How sad, how miserable had it been For patient Job, had but thy power been seen Upon his heart; but Heaven that will control In spite of malice, chained thee from his soul: Alas, alas! Thy chain is not so long, To reach a soul, not is thy power so strong To break it at thy pleasure, thou mayst bawl And bark forth envy, but not hurt at all; If thou art God [as thou pretendest] why, Why dost thou suffer such a thing as I T'expostulate so long, and dost not show Thy Judgements in my speedy overthrow? Sat. It is my goodness, and not thy desert That breeds forbearance in my tender heart, Alas, alas, what honour would accrue To me in conquering such a thing as you, I could within a moment's time assuage, (But that my clemency outvies my rage) Thy swelling fury, for I could discharge Volleys of wrath, and easily enlarge They restless torments, I could make thee run (Like morning mists before the rising Sun) Out of my presence, If I should but say The word be gone, alas thou couldst not stay, But ah, I cannot, for I hate to harm, Love guides my strength, & that strength guides my arm. Even as the Shepherd with bedewed locks Watches the feeding of his harmless flocks For fear the boldfaced Wolf should chance to peep Into the coasts of his beloved sheep, And like a lawless Tyrant, soon commence (Against those Emblems, of pure innocence) A bloody action, which would soon incite The Shepherd's grief, to see so sad a sight, So I th'eternal Shepherd daily watch My well-fed lambs, for fear Hell's wolf should catch Or fright (not being fearful to be bold) My gentle flocks from their delightful fold; I am beloved, and mine own, will own My sacred Name, my voice is not unknown Unto my sheep, they always will be all Firmly obedient to my cheerful call, For which obedience they shall find reward Nay such a one, as always shall accord To their desires, thrice happy shall they be In truly calling, and in owning me To be their Shepherd, nothing can more please M'indulgent soul, than such dear flocks as these, I will preserve them, and no wolf shall dare To seize upon them, or presume to tear Their downy fleeces, nothing shall be nearer Unto my heart, and nothing shall be dearer In my affections, for I will affect Even where, and when I find a true respect. Sou. What strange contusions hath thy language bred Within my serious thoughts? how hast thou fed My ears with flatteries, but it is in vain; Because my heart hath vowed not to retain Thy sained expressions, nothing shall remove My Love from God, nor nothing make me love Thy wretched self; then be content, and cease To urge my mind, or interrupt my Peace. Go, do thy worst, and when that worst is done Sat down as wisely, as thou hast begun. Sat. Art thou resolved? Well then, let vengeance Upon thy cursed head, be gone, thou mite (Nay less) of goodness, go, make haste t'inherit light Those plagues that wait upon so damned a spirit. Sou. May this be call▪ d a farewell, if it be, The self same farewell must attend on thee; I hate, nay, scorn to bid farewell to you, 'Tis charity enough to bid, adieu. The Souls Thankfulness, and Request to God. MOst gracious God, I having lately felt The fervour of thy mercies, needs must melt Into a thankfulness, Ah should I be Ungrateful to so blessed a God as thee 'Twere pity, ah 'twere pity, that the air Should give me breath, or thy fierce hand forbear To through me headlong to the deep abyss Of speedy ruin, where no comfort is: Oh glorious Lord, be pleased to inflame My heart with raptures, to extol thy Name; Alas I'm weak, and if thou shouldst deny Thy aid, nothing could be more weak than I. If thou wilt help me, I shall be so strong That nothing can prevail to do me wrong. Lord, I am blind, oh therefore let thy light Expel those clouds, that thus eclipse my sight; Be thou my guide, my strength, my sight, my way, Or else (being weak) I shall, or fall, or stray; Oh leave me not, but as thou hast begun To show me mercy, let thy mercy run With my desires, and grant that I may be A true forgetter of all things, but thee: And rather than I should forget thy call, Oh let me have no memory at all; Wean me, oh wean me from this nursing earth, Make it my sorrow, and thy Throne my mirth. Let every morning make me know, and say Thy Laws are Just, or let me know no day; Let every evening, make me take delight In thy commands, or let me know no night. Inspire my heart [O God] and make it glad Always in thee, or make it always sad; If thou afflict'st me, make me understand, Thou hast a storming, and a calming hand; If Poverty oppress me, whilst I live, Oh let thy mercy send me friends to give; Or if thy goodness please to send me store, Oh give me grace to think I may be poor. It matters not, O Lord, how poor I be Unto the World, if I am rich to thee: If I am hungry, o be thou my meat, If I am weary, o be thou my seat; Or if I feast, O Lord be thou my guest; If I am restless, Lord be thou my rest; If I am thirsty, Lord, be thou my spring; If I am subject, Lord, be thou my King; If I have Virtue, make me dote upon her; If Honourable, be thou my Honour: And if I cannot know that which I would, Be pleased to make me know, Lord, what I should; Then shall my ready lips express and show I know no more, than thou wouldst have me know. My untied tongue shall evermore proclaim Th'attendant glories of thy sacred Name. Divine Ejaculations. 1. GReat God, whose Sceptre rules the Earth, Distil thy fear into my heart, That being rapt with holy mirth, I may proclaim how good thou art, Open my lips, that I may sing, Full praises to my God, my King. Ejaculation 2. Lord, make the torments we endure The Symptoms of thy Love, not wrath; Thou art our Chiron, we thy cure Our Crime's, our sores, thy blood's our bath; O we are weak, be thou as strong; How long O Lord; O Lord, how long? Ejaculation 3. Just Judge of Earth, in whom we trust, Make sharp thy sword, and bend thy bow, Consume the wicked; save the Just, For thou the Reins, and heart dost know: Then shall our tongues sing forth thy praise, And praise thy justice all our days. Ejaculat. 4. Lord, teach us timely how to pray, And give us patience to expect; Thou hatest sin; Oh guide our way; Judge thou our Eoes: The Just protect: Then shall the wicked fall with shame, And we will sing that love thy name. Ejaculat. 5. Great Son of the eternal God, To whom the world subjected lies, Break not, but breed us with thy rod: O we are foolish, make us wise: And if thy wrath begin to flame, we'll seek protection in thy Name. Ejaculat 6. Lord, if our enemies increase, And we invoke, bow down thine ear; Be thou our shield, and make our peace, And we will scorn what worldlings fear. Great God of health, great Lord of rest, O make us thine, and we are blest. Ejaculat. 7. Thou righteous Hearer of Requests, Make void the counsels of th'unjust; Send peace into our trembling breasts, And fill our hearts with fear and trust: If thou wilt make thy face to shine, Let others joy in corn and wine. Ejaculat. 8. Lord, thou whose equal hand allays The poor man's grief, whose help thou art, Incline my heart to give thee praise, And I will praise thee with my heart: For sake me not; for, Lord I trust, As men are cruel, thou art just. Ejaculat. 9 Lord, crush my Lion-hearted Foes, Rout them that seek to ruin me; Rise up, O God, forget not those Whose wrongs refer their cause to thee: Or if the wicked must oppress, Be thou not far from my distress. Ejaculat. 10. Great God, thy Garden is defaced, The Weeds do thrive, thy Flowers decay; O call to mind thy promise past, Restore thou them, cut these away: Till then, let not the weeds have power To starve or taint the poorest Flower. Ejaculat. 11. Lord, leave us not too long a space; O view our griefs, and hear our prayer, Clear thou our eyes, unveil thy face, Lest Foes presume, and we despair. Lord, make thy mercy our repose, And we will sing amidst thy Foes. Ejaculat 12. Lord, teach me to renown thy Name, Which through the World is so renowned: Let man thy glorious works proclaim, Whose head with glory thou hast crowned. As Beasts to men subjected be, So Lord subject man's heart to thee. Ejaculat. 13. In all extremes, Lord, thou art still The Mount whereto my hopes do flee; O make my soul dearest all Ill, Because so much abhorred by thee, Lord, let thy gracious trials show That I am just, or make me so. Ejaculat. 14. Great God, whom Fools deny, how dare Our lips request thy glorious eyes! If thou but see, thou canst not spare, And what thou seest thou must despise. Lord, make us hear thy saying voice, Then may'st thou see, and we rejoice. Ejaculat. 15. Lord, cleanse my heart, and guide my tongue, Preserve my lips from false deceit; Protect my hands from doing wrong, Teach whom to love and whom to hate: Instruct me how to take and give; Lord, grant me this, and I shall live. Ejaculat. 16. Lord, teach my Reins, that in the night My tutored Reins, may tutor me; And keep me always in thy sight, For in thy sight all pleasure be: Let not my soul in darkness stray, O thou my life, O thou my way. Ejaculat. 17. Behold my Right, and right my wrongs Thou Saviour of all those that trust; O I am weak, my Foes are strong, Lord thou art gracious, thou art just. O make me rightly prise this life, And let thy glory be my strife. Ejaculat. 18. Great God, my strength, at whose command Whilst I serve thee all creatures serve me, Protect me from my Foe man's hand; O, as thou hast preserved, preserve me: With peaceful conquest crown my days, And I will crown thy power with praise. Ejaculat. 19 Great God, the work of whose high hands The glory of thy Name declare, How perfect sweet are thy Commands! How purely just thy Precepts are! Cleanse all my sins, clear every spot, Both open, secret, known, forgot. Ejaculat. 20. Accept, O God, my holy fires, Led thou our Armies, give success, Bless our designs, grant our desires; O hear and help in our distress: Preserved by thee, we shall prevail, When Chariots flee, and horses fail. Ejaculat. 21. O God, whose Judgements are severe, And mercies full of sweet compassion, Scourge thou thy Foes, save those that fear, Ravish my Soul with thy Salvation; And I will spend my joyful days In Psalms of thanks, and Songs of praise. Ejaculat. 22. My Jesus, thou that wert no less Than God, and yet with men forlorn, Earth's Comforter, yet comfortless, Heaven's Glory, yet to men a scorn. What thanks shall I return to thee, That wert all this, and more for me! Ejaculation 23. Great Shepherd of my Soul, thy hand Both gives me food, and guides my way; Subject my will to thy command, And I shall never starve, nor stray. If thou wilt keep me in thy sight, Thy House shall be my whole delight. Ejaculat. 24. Lord, purge my heart, and cleanse my hand, Direct my tongue, and guide my will; For nothing that's unclean can stand Within thy great, thy glorious Hill. Lift up my heart, depressed with sin, And let the King of Glory in. Ejaculat. 25. Lord, guide my footsteps in thy truth, And let thy grace be my repose; Forgive the frailties of my youth, And free me from my causeless Foes: Redeem thine Israel from their hand, And bring me to thy promised Land. Ejaculat. 26. Lord, keep me just and judge my right, Prove thou my reins, and try my heart; O make thy Temple my delight, And fix my dwelling where thou art: Redeem my Soul, confirm my ways, And give me power to give thee praise. Ejaculat. 27. My God, whose fear drives fear away, Show me the beauty of thy House; Preserve me in the evil day, That I may sing and pay my vows. Lord, grant me fear, and guard my path; Give patience, and with patience, Faith. Ejaculat. 28. O God, be thou my living Rock, Whereto my restless soul may fly: Blessed be thy Name, when I invoke, Thou hearest my suit and send'st supply. My Foes confound, or else convert Or weaken, that they may not hurt. Ejaculat. 29. Shall Mountain, Desert, Beast, and Tree, Yield to that heavenly Voice of thine, And shall that voice not startle me, Nor stir this stone, this heart of mine? No, Lord; till thou new-bore mine ear Thy Voice is lost, I cannot hear. Ejaculat. 30. Lord, let the evening of my grief Be followed with a morning joy; Hear thou my cry, and send relief, That tak'st no pleasure to destroy: If thou wilt lengthen out my days, Their task shall be to sing thy praise. Ejaculat. 31. Lord, thou ' that hoord'st thy grace for those That love and fear thy sacred Name, Redeem me from my conquering Foes, And vindicate my trust from shame: Give me fair Conquest at the end, Till then, true courage to attend. Ejaculat. 32. Let my confession lance my sore, And let forgiveness cure my wound; Lord, teach me early to implore, For I am lost till thou art found: Then shall my joyful Songs express Thy praises, and my thankfulness. Ejaculat. 33. Great Lord of Wonders, thou by whom My heart was framed and formed alone, From whose high Power all powers come, That didst but say, and it was done; Appoint the remnant of my days To see thy Power, and sing thy praise. Ejaculat. 34. Lord, let the Sunshine of thy face So clear mine eyes, so cleanse my heart, That being seasoned with thy grace, My soul may taste how sweet thou art. O let thy mercy make me just, And then my heart shall fear and trust. Ejaculat. 35. Lord plead my cause, and right my wrong, And take my Snarers in their snare; O be not from me, Lord, too long, Lest they triumph, and I despair. Let all my foes be clothed with shame, Whilst I sing praises to thy Name. Ejaculat. 36. Fountain of Light, and living breath, Whose mercies never fail nor fade, Fill me with life that hath no death, Fill me with light that hath no shade: Confound the proud in their pretence, And let thy wings be my defence. Ejaculat. 37. Be thou my Trust, my God, and I, When sinners thrive, will not repine; Or if my wants should want supply, I will not fret, I will not whine: What if their wealth, my wants, increase, They shall have plagues at last, I peace. Ejaculat. 38. Lord, in thy wrath correct me not, For I confess and hate my sin; My flesh consumes, my bones do rot, I've pains without, and pangs within. O thou that art the God of rest, Release my sin, relieve my breast. Ejaculat. 39 Lord, kerb my tongue, and make me see How few my days, how short their length: Incline my heart to trust in thee; Remove thy scourge, or give me strength: I am a Pilgrim, hear my cry, And send some comfort ere I die. Ejaculat. 40. Lord, thou whose mercies do exceed, O fill my language with thy praise, Stand thou my Helper at my need, Confound the wicked in their ways: Be thou my comfort in my grief, And crown my patience with relief. Ejaculat. 41. Lord, if thy pleasure make me poor, Thou wilt bless them that give me bread; If thy sick hand hath scourged me sore, That hand that struck will make my bed. Sustain me, Lord, be thou my store, I shall be neither sick nor poor. Ejaculat. 42. My God, full tears are all the diet That seed my sad, my drooping breast: In my distress, in my disquiet, Be thou my Stay, be thou my Rest: Be thou my God in my relief, And I will triumph in my grief. Ejaculat. 43. Lord, right my wrongs, and plead my right Against all those that seek my Ill; O let thy perfect Truth and light Conduct me to thy holy Hill: Then shall thy Altar make relation Of thy due praise, and my Salvation. Ejaculat. 44. Lord, our forefathers found redress In all their frights, in all their fears; Wilt thou be dumb to my distress, And not my God, as well as theirs? Redeem my Soul whose loyal knee ne'er bowed to any God, but thee, Ejaculat. 45. Great Bridegroom, fill thy dearest Spouse With outward glory, inward graces; May she forget her father's house, And only cling to thy embraces: Affect her heart with Love and Duty, And then take pleasure in her beauty. Ejaculat. 46. Lord, help me when my griefs do call, In my distress O be thou near; Then if earth change, or mountains fall, I will not faint, I will not fear. Show me thy wonders, and inflame My heart to magnify thy Name. Ejaculat. 47. Lord, let thy Judgements fill all those That love thy Mount with joy and mirth; Confound and crush all Zions Foes, Zion the glory of the Earth: Let all that love thy Zions glory, Recount her State, repeat her Story. Ejaculat. 48. Lord, teach me wisely to contemn All goods that transitory be, Let me not stand possessed of them, If they be not possessed in thee. If I be wealthy, and nor wise, I live but like a beast that dies. Ejaculat. 49. Lord God of Gods, before whose Throne Stand fire and storms, O what shall we Return to Heaven that is our own, When all the world belongs to thee! We have no offering to impart, But praises, and a wounded heart. Ejaculat. 50. Lord, if thy mercies purge my heart, Conceived in lust, and born in sin, Breath truth into my inward part, Renew me a firm spirit within: Then let thy goodness not detest The ruins of a broken breast. Ejaculat. 51. Let others boast in gold, and prise evil more than good, and love deceit, Thy mercies▪ Lord, are my supplies, And on thy Name will I await. Lord, let thy Mercies still inure My breast to love the thing that's pure: Ejaculat. 52. Lord, if thou take away thy hand, How all composed of fears are we! What arm can save? what strength can stand? When man, poor man's forsaken by thee? Lord, keep my faith in thee unshaken, For thou forsakest not till forsaken. Ejaculat. 53. Lord, let thy name secure and free My threatened Soul from all my foes; Stand thou with them that stand for me, Support all these, suppress all those: Then shall my Soul division run Upon thy praise till time be done. Ejaculat. 54. Hearer of prayers, confound my Foes, That bruise my tortured Soul to dust: In man, alas, there's no repose; Foes have no pity, friends no trust. My trust is in thy word, which says, They shall not live out half their days. Ejaculat. 55. O God, the malice of my Foes Increaseth daily more and more; But Lord, thou art my safe repose, Thou art my strength, thou art my store: Be thou my gracious God, and then I will not fear the power of men. Ejaculat. 56. Be gracious, Lord, unto my grief, For in thy shadow do I trust; O send me plentiful relief, For thou art merciful and Just; Then shall my spirits utter forth Twilight Hosannas to thy worth. Ejaculat. 57 Lord, keep me from those hearts and tongues That practice mischief from the womb; Weigh right to them that weigh us wrongs, And let confusion be their doom; But let the just be filled with mirth, And fear that God that rules the earth. Ejaculat. 58. Lord, save me from my Foes; make void Their plots, and all their Counsels vain; For ever let them be destroyed, For in thy hand my hopes remain: And I will always spend my days In Hymns of thanks, and Songs of praise. Ejaculat. 59 Lord, though we feel the bitter taste Os thy displeasure for a while; Yet thou art gracious, and at last Thy angry brow that frowned will smile. Oh when that storm is overblown, Thou'lt trample those that tread us down. Ejaculat. 60. Lord, hear my troubled voice, and bring My Soul to that sweet Rock of Rest; Protect all those that strive to sing Thy praises with a cheerful breast: Let comfort with our years increase, That we may praise thy name in peace. Ejaculat. 61. Lord God, from whom all mercy springs, Instruct my hopes to wait on thee; Teach me what vain and fruitless things The helps of what is earthly be. All strength belongs to thee alone, 'Tis thou, my God, must help, or none. Ejaculat. 62. Lord, how I long to see thy face, That I might spend me in thy praise; Thou art my glory in disgrace; Sustain my steps, direct my ways: Thou art my refuge; when oprrest With grief, my joy; with toil, my rest. Ejaculat. 63. Lord, hide me from my bloody Foes For in thy goodness do I trust; Protect my sought-for life from those That shoot in secret for the just. So then shall I that fear thy Name Have cause of glory, they of shame. Ejaculat. 64. Thou gracious Hearer of Requests, Hide all my sins behind thy merits; Shower down thy Spirit into our breasts, And drop thy Grace into our Spirits; That from our Faith rich works may spring, And give us cause to shout and sing. Ejaculat. 65. Lord, if thy flame must needs be felt, Let us be purged in that flame; Let our rebellious spirits melt Into the praises of thy Name; That we being tutored, and kept under, May fear with Love, and love with Wonder. Ejaculat. 66. Lord, let thy favour still inflame Our light'ned hearts to walk thy ways, That all the World may praise thy Name, And all the Earth may sing thy praise; So fructify our hearts, that we May bless thy Name being blest by thee. Ejaculat. 67. Lord, rise in power within mine heart, And chase my sins, thy Foes, and mine, Then shall I see thee as thou art, In Glory great, in Power divine. So I, more white than Snow, shall sing Thy ways, and praise my God, my King. Ejaculat. 68 To that sweet Lamb, which did sustain Grief above weight, Pain above measure; Whose stripes, and scoffs, and grief, and pain, Were only purchased by our pleasure. Be Honour, Glory, Praises, given By Souls on Earth, by Saints in Heaven. Ejaculat. 69. Let shame be their due recompense. That seek to wound my Soul with shame; Be thou their help and strong defence, That seek thee, Lord, and love thy Name. Make haste, O God, for I do waste My Soul with grief; O God, make haste. Ejaculat. 70. Lord, thou that underneath thy wing Didst keep me in, and from the womb, Assist my age, that it may sing Thy praise in ages yet to come. Preserve my Soul, protect my name; Shame be to them that seek my shame Ejaculat. 71. Great Prince of peace, whose Kingdom brings Justice, Redemption, power, and peace, That bends the knees and hearts of Kings, And fill'st all Nations with increase, All praises, Honour, Glory, be Ascribed alone, great Prince, to thee. Ejaculat. 72. O God, whose dreadful Voice, like Thunder, Affrights the Earth, and shakes the Air, Whose Works and Ways are full of wonder, That hearest my plaints, and grantest my prayer. Forsake me not, but when I stray, O let thy Crook reform my way. Ejaculat. 73. O thou, whose mercy did begin Before all Time, untied to Times, As thou forgav'st our Father's Sin, Be likewise gracious to our Crimes: thouart now a God, as well as then And we as they no more than men. Ejaculat. 74. O God, the Zion of my Soul Is wholly deso ate and waste, Where thou shouldst rule, my lusts control; O Lord, relieve; O God, make haste: Then shall my heart and tongue proclaim Eternal praises to thy Name. Ejaculat. 75. Glorious Creator, once more shine On this our poor distressed Land; Defend, and dress thy fading Vine, And bless the man of thy right hand: Let thy Freegrace inflame our hearts, And we will sing thy praise in parts. Ejaculat. 76. O God, our Song, our Strength, whose hand Hath broke our Bonds, and set us free, Incline our hearts to thy Command, And we will own no God but thee; Conduct and feed us as thy Flock, And give us honey from thy * Psal. 81. 16. Rock. Ejaculat. 77. Direct, O God, the Judge's breast, Preserve his hands, his eyes upright That he may vindicate th' oppressed, And guardhim from injurious might: O let him know that he shall be, As Judge of others, judged by thee. Ejaculat. 78. Lord, cast thine eyes upon thy Foes, Confound their Troops, that are combined Against thy Flock,, which thou hast chose, Make them like chaff before the wind: Defeat their Plots with sudden shame, That they may seek Jehovah's Name. Ejaculat. 79. Lord, teach mine Eyes, my Will, my Heart, To see, to choose, and to desire Thy beauteous Courts, wherein thou art; O fill my thoughts with holy fire. Be thou my Sun, whose glorious Rays May light my Soul to sing thy praise. Ejaculat. 80. O God, remit thy People's Sin, And show the Sunshine of thy face, Repress thy fury, and begin, T'inspire us with thy saving Grace; That Righteousness and truth may meet, And light our hearts, and lead our feet. Ejaculat. 81. Great Spring, from whence all mercy flows To them that trust and love thy Name, Give me thy strength, and then my Foes Shall see thy greatness, and their shame: Be thou my Way, my Truth, my Light, So shall I live and die upright. Ejaculat. 82. Sim, the glory of the Earth, And subject of my holy Passion, May all the Well-springs of my mirth Be founded upon thy foundation: Of all delights I wish no other, Than to be Son to such a Mother. Ejaculat. 83. Lord, let thy fury cease to burn, Or else my Soul must cease to be; Can praises issue from the Urn? What thanks can ashes give to thee? Enough, if thou but undertake me, Let death surprise, let friends forsake me. Ejaculat. 84. Lord, thou whose mercy fails not those That build their trust upon thy Name, Protect my Soul from all my Foes, Then shall my tongue thy worth proclaim: So shall the remnant of my days Be crowned in Peace, and thou with Praise. Ejaculat. 85. Eternal God, before whose Eyes A thousand years seem as a day, Direct our hearts, and make us wise To use that time we cannot stay: Send joy in our sad hearts, and bless Our prosperous actions with success. Ejaculat. 86. Though thousands here, ten thousand there, Do daily fall before mine eye, I will not faint, I will not fear, Beneath the wings of the most High: Let me be guarded, Lord, by thee, Then I'll not fear, nor faint, nor flee. Ejaculat. 87. Lord, purge my Soul, that I may learn To read my fortunes by thy hand; Let my instructed Soul discern, That worldly bliss is not thy brand. Lord, in thy Mercy make me thine, I have enough, shower thou, or shine. Ejaculat. 88 Great Monarch of the World, disclose Thy Power, and make thy Glory known; Out-flood the floods of all my Foes, And in my heart fix thou thy Throne: Plant Holiness within my breast, O Lord, my strength, O God, my rest. Ejaculat. 89. Just God of Vengeance, cast an eye Upon my poor afflicted breast; O send me help, O hear my cry, And let thy comforts be my rest: Suppress my Foes, and set me free, That have no Hope, no Help but thee. Ejaculat. 90. Great God of Gods, Great King of Kings, From whom, by whom we live, we be, In whom my Soul her triumph sings, To whom alone bows every knee: Teach me thy way; thy Will's my Feast, Thy Crook my Guide, thy Fold my Rest. Ejaculat. 91. Lord, let our Jesus, and thy Christ, Be all the subject of our mirth, Let Satan's power be dismissed, And let him rule, and judge the earth: Then, then Eternal Peace shall be Returned to us, and praise to thee. Ejaculat. 92. Great King of Glory, who art dressed In Clothes of Clouds, in Robes of Fire, Make evil hateful to my breast, Then shall I love thee most entire: Then shall my bosom reap that light Which thou hast sown for the upright. Ejaculat. 93. Great God of Wonders, that dost open The Gate of Life to our glad days, And found'st a help beyond all hope, O give us mouths to give thee praise; So guide our ways, just Judge, that we May joyfully be judged by thee. Ejaculat. 94. Great God, whose promise is to hear, Whose practice is to pardon Sin, Let my petitions find an ear, And cleanse my leprous Soul within. Thou, Lord, art holy, teach my heart To sing thy praises as thou art. Ejaculat. 95. Eternal Maker, grant that we May praise thee with a cheerful heart; Guide thou our ways, and let us be The sheep, where thou the Shepherd art: For, Lord, thy truth is always sure, And thy great Mercy shall endure. Ejaculat. 96. Lord, teach my heart to walk upright In public reverence, private fear; Keep thou the humble in thy sight, And to the proud be thou severe: Then shall thy Saints in triumph show Thy Mercy, and thy Justice too. Ejaculat. 97. O God, how poor a thing is man! Begot in sin, and born in sorrow; Our breath's a blast, our life a span, But here to day, and gone to morrow. How needfnl, Lord, is thy support! Our days are bad, our times are short. Ejaculat. 98. O thou, within whose tender breast Full streams of sweet compassion flow, Whose Mercies cannot be expressed By Saints above, or Men below; My Soul shall praise, my heart shall bless That goodness, tongues cannot express. Ejaculat. 99 Lord, every creature writes a story. Of thy full Majesty and Might, The contemplation of whose Glory Shall always be my heart's delight: Accept that praise my Soul can give, And it shall praise thee while I live. Ejaculat. 100 Dear God, the Pharaoh of our Souls Afflicts the Isr'el of our hearts; Where thou shouldst govern, he controls; What thou command'st his power thwarts: Confound his strength, and let thy hand Conduct us to the promised land. Ejaculat. 101. Lord, shouldst thou punish every sin, Or strike as oft as we offend, How quickly would our plagues begin! How soon this sinful world would end! But Lord, thy tender Mercies stand Within the gap, and hold thy hand. Ejaculat. 102. Lord let thy wonders, and thy ways, Inflame my heart, my tongue, my pen, That pen, and tongue, and heart may praise Thy Name before the Sons of men. Look where I list, high, low, or under, I see to learn, and learn to wonder. Ejaculat. 103. O Lord whose mercies, and whose paths Transcend th' expressions of my tongue Instruct my heart to keep thy laws And I will praise thee in my Song. Lend me thy power, or strengthen mine, And I will crush my Foes, and thine. Ejaculat. 104. O thou that sittest in Heaven, and seest My deeds without, my thoughts within, Be thou my Prince, be thou my Priest, Command my Soul, and cure my sin: How bitter my afflictions be, I care not, so I rise in thee. Ejaculat. 105. Lord, teach my humble eyes the art To see aright, and hands to do, Then will I praise thee with my heart In public, and in private too: Set thou thy fear in all my ways To make me wise, to give thee praise. Ejaculat. 106. Lord, plant thy fear before mine eyes, For in thy fear my Soul is blest; Thy Fear's that Spring, from whence arise My Crown, my Treasure, and my Rest. What fear I, fearing thee? and what Not fearing thee, Lord, fear I not? Ejaculat. 107. Highest of Highests, that dost raise The poor and needy from the dung, Advance my thoughts to give thee praise, And Lord, untie my stam'ring tongue: So shall my heart and tongue proclaim Rare hallelujahs to thy Name. Ejaculat. 108. O God, the Mountains and the Seas Confess thee, Lord of Sea and Land, They quake and tremble, if thou please To show the power of thy hand: So shall my heart, when thou think'st good, To turn my flint into a flood. Ejaculat. 109. Lord, teach our loyal hearts to build Their constant hopes upon thy hand; Thou art our Help, thou art our Shield, Wherein our hopes of safety stand: Send down thy blessings, and then we Will send all praises up to thee. Ejaculat. 110. My God, thy mercies so abound, That every minute speaks their story; They have no limits, have no bound; Ours are the comforts, thine the glory: And what thy mercy more displays, Thou art contented with our praise. Ejaculat. 111. Surpassing Lord, whose mercies have surpassed The limits of the world's expression, Whose truth continues firm and fast To thy elect, and their succession. To thee perpetual praise be given By Saints on Earth, and Souls in Heaven. Ejaculat. 112. Good God thy mercy and thy might What heart conceives? What tongue can tell? Thou fillest my darkness with thy light, And hast redeemed my Soul from Hell. Thou art my God, thou only art The strength, and music of my heart. Ejaculat. 113. O God thy Law's a field, in which The fruitful seed of life is sown; No seed so rare, no soil so rich; It renders infinite for one. O God, how fair these fields appear! O God, what pearls are buried he re! Ejaculat. 114. Great God, whose ever-wakeful eye Doth never slumber, never close, Teach all my dangers to rely Upon thy help, their safe repose: Be thou my shade, be thou my stay, I will not fear by night, by day. Ejaculat. 115. Lord let the fire of my true zeal Unto thy house for ever flame, Where let my thanks, and praise reveal The hidden honour of thy Name. Let Zions glory still increase, And bless her walls with plenteous peace. Ejaculat. 116. O God to whom thy thoughts direct Their constant hopes, and hopeful cries, Let not my Soul in vain expect For mercy, from such gracious eyes: Maintain thine honour; 'Tis not me The proud contemn, Great God, but thee. Ejaculat. 117. Lord give me a believing heart, Though wanting strength I fear not man, If thou be pleased to take my part, Let malice do the worst it can. Although ensnared I will not fear, For thou art stronger than a snare. Ejaculat. 118. Give me the heart, O God to trust, And lead my Footsteps in thy ways; Quell thou the power of the unjust, That righteous hearts may give thee praise. Do good to good men, and increase Their number, plenty, and their peace. Ejaculat. 119. Lord, we are Captives, and we bow To Satan's burden every hour, We sow in tears, oh when wilt thou With joy requite the weary sower? So bless my labours that I may, With comfort long to see that day. Ejaculat. 120. What I possess, or what I crave Brings no content great God, to me, If what I would, or what I crave Be not possessed, and blest in thee. What I enjoy, oh make it mine In making me, that have it, Thine. Ejaculat. 121. Lord, plant thy fears within my breast, That I may walk thy perfect ways; Then shall I prosper and be blest In all my deeds, in all my days: Then shall I see the fair increase, Of Zions' glory, Israel's peace. Ejaculat. 122. Lord since there must be always Foes T' afflict the Souls of flesh and blood, Let mine be such as do oppose Thy Church's peace, thy Zions good: Then let that righteous arm of thine, Confound, or cure thy foes, and mine. Ejaculat. 123. Hearer of prayers, O whom should I Implore, but thee, in my distress, For mercy harbours in thine eye, And thou art filled with righteousness. To thee, O God, my hopes shall flee, My Soul expects no help but thee. Ejaculat. 124. Lord if mine eyes should look too high, Or rancorous heart begin to swell, Break thou the tumour, kerb mine eye, Lest one grow fierce, the other fell. So shall my Soul grow wise, and flee From her own strength, and trust in thee. Ejaculat. 125. Lord let mine eyes not sleep until I build thy Temple in my breast, Take pleasure then, and make it still The chosen Palace of thy rest: Let all her foes be trodden down, And let thy Glory be her Crown. Ejaculat. 126. Lord we are several members joined To make one whole, whose head thou art, Let all our thoughts but make one mind, And give one body, but one heart. United Souls of Saints appear The sweetest music in thine ear. Ejaculat. 127. Light thou the Lamps, great God, that they Light'ned by thee may give us light, Let their bright lustre drive away All darkness from thy Courts by night; Bless us and them, that they: and we May bless thy name, first blest by thee. Ejaculat. 128. Let every wonder that I see In Heaven, and Earth, and in the Seas, Advance some honour, Lord, to thee That didst, and canst do, what thou please, Let others worship wood and stone, My Soul shall bless thee, Lord, alone. Ejaculat. 129. Good God, where e'er I cast mine eye, On Earth beneath, or Heaven above, I see thy goodness, and I spy Perpetual pledges of thy love. Thy favours through the world extend, And of thy mercy is no end. Ejaculat. 130. Lord, if my tongue, and busy quill Be not in Zions praise employed, Then let my hand forget her skill And be my tongue for ever tied; Thy praise shall be my chief delight Whilst tongue can speak, or hand can write. Ejaculat. 131. Kindle O Lord, my love with zeal, Light my affections with thy flame; Give my tongue courage to reveal The secret glory of thy name. Be thou my God, in all distress, And let thy hand be my redress. Ejaculat. 132. Lord, thou that mad'st me, and dost pry Into the secrets of my heart, From whose all presence none can fly Nor hide them there, but where thou art, Inform my Soul, inflame my breast, And lead me to eternal Rest. Ejaculat. 133. Lord keep me from myself that am The greatest Foe, I need to fear; O cover thou my face with shame And give my sins no dwelling here. Subdue my flesh; and then my spirit, Shall sing the praises of thy merit. Ejaculat. 134. Lord when my grief shall find a tongue To cry for help, find thou an ear, Whilst others seek to do me wrong, Make thou O God my conscience clear. In those self-snares they have prepared Let my insnarers be ensnared. Ejaculat. 135. When winter fortunes cloud the brows Of summer friends; when eyes grow strange, When plighted faith forget their vows, When Earth, and all things in it change, O Lord thy mercies fail me never, Where once thou lov'st, thou lov'st for ever. Ejaculat. 136. Judge not my actions by the Laws, For then my sorrows are but just, But let thy mercies plead my ●●●se, For in thy mercy is my trust. Those that oppose my Soul, oppose; I am thy servant, they thy foes. Ejaculat. 137. What is there, Lord, what is in me To hope for safety from thy power? What help can I expect from thee, That merit vengeance every hour? How great so ere my sins have been, Thy mercy's greater than my sin. Ejaculat. 138. Great God, whose Kingdom hath no end, Into whose secrets none can dive, Whose mercy none can apprehend, Whose Justice none can feel, and live, What my dull heart cannot aspire To know, Lord, teach me to admire. Ejaculat. 139. O Lord my judgement's dark, and blind, It cannot judge 'twixt good, and ill, My will is captived and confined, It wants a freedom how to will, Great Lord of power, great God of might Release my bands, restore my sight. Ejaculat. 140. Great God whose goodness doth replete, And fill our Coasts with full increase, That feedest us with the fat of wheat, And glad'st thy Zion with thy peace. How more than others are our days Extremely bound to give thee praise. Ejaculat. 141. Shall frost and snow give praise to thee, And shall my Soul not bear a part? Lord frost and snow appear to be Not half so cold as is my heart. Shine glorious Sun, thy beams but felt, My frost will thaw, my snow will melt. Ejaculat. 142. Great God to whom all praise belongs Whom Zion fing, and Israel fears, O stop those lusts that stop our tongues And fright thy glory from our ears. Do thou enlarge what flesh retains, And bind those Kings, our lusts, in chains. Ejaculat. 143. Lord season my unsavoury spirit And bridle my too headstrong will, That I may always take delight In acting good, and shunning ill. O give me grace to understand, My life is always in thy hand. Ejaculat. 144. Direct my steps, Lord, be my way, And make thy paths my sole delight, That like a traveller I may Not fail to rest with thee at night, O me, how happy, and how blest, (Lord) should I be in such a Rest! Ejaculat. 145. Lord, let the morning of my grief, Find out a night of lasting pleasure, Thou art the God of my relief, In poverty, thou art my treasure. I care not, Lord, how poor I be Unto the world, if rich to thee. Ejaculat. 146. Lord let thy sacred fire thaw The Ice of my hard-frozen zeal, And let thy will be my known Law, So shall my heart, thy worth reveal, And with a halalujous Song My tongue shall praise thee all day long. Ejaculat. 147. Great King of Peace, be pleased to send Thy peace to our distempered Land, O we are bad, reach us t' amend, And let not ruin be our brand, Then shall our lavish lips deliver. Our thanks in Peace, to our Peace-giver. Ejaculat. 148. If it be so that we must fight, Lord make our crimes to prove our Foes, For thou (our God) dost take delight, To see such pleasant Wars as those. O may such wars as these increase, Until our conquests end in Peace. Ejaculat. 149. Lord let the praises of thy Power, Advance the power of thy praises, Let every day, let every hour, Praise thee till hours fail, and days. To thee all power and praise be given, By Saints on Earth, by Souls in Heaven. THE END.