Elizas
Babes:
Or the
Virgins-Offering.
Being
Divine
Poems,
and
Meditations.
Written by a , who onely
desires to advance the glory of
God, and not her own.
London, {Handwritten addition: --06-25June. 25} end of handwritten addition
Printed by M. S. for Laurence Blaiklock,
and are to be sold at his Shop neer
the Middle-Temple Gate.
16521652.
To My
Sisters.
Looke on these Babes as none of mine,
For they were but brought forth by me;
But look on them, as they are Divine,
Proceeding from Divinity.
To the Reader.
When first the motion came into my
minde, that these Babes of mine,
should be sent into the world; I
would faine have supprest that
motion, for divers reasons which
may be imagined, by them, that shall read them:
But especially by those, that knew my disposition.
But rising one day, from my Devotions, it was
suggested to my consideration, that those desires
were not given me, to be kept in private, to my self,
but for the good of others.
And if any unlike a Christian shall say; I
wrote them, for mine owne glory. I like a Christian,
will tell them; I therefore sent them abroad;
for such a strict union is there betwixt my
deare God and mee, that his glory is mine, and
mine is his; and I will tell them too, I am not
asham’d of their birth; for before I knew it,
the Prince of eternall glory had affianced mee to
himselfe; and that is my glory.
And now to all such shall I direct my speech
whose brave spirits may carry them to high desires.
Place not your affections in your Youth,
beneath your selves; but if you would be happy
on earth, and enjoy these outward blessings, with
free and lawfull contentment; bestow your first
affections on my Almighty Prince. I would have you
all love him, and him to love you all. I being his,
must doe, as he will have mee: and methinks, hee
directs me to tell you, that you shall never bee
happy on Earth, nor glorious in Heaven, if you
doe not love him, above all earthly things. More,
I must tell you, that if you will dedicate to his
service, and present into his hands, your wealth,
witt, spirit, youth, beauty, he will give you
wealth, if less, more usefull: your witt more
pure, your spirit more high, and transcendent,
and your youth and beauty, which time will steale
from you, or some malignant disease, with paine,
rend from you; them he will lay up awhile for
you, and returne them againe for eternity, with
great advantage. And that you need not doubt of
the certainety of what is told you, they that tell
it you have found part of it true, and shall the
rest. I cannot be content, to be happy alone, I
wish you all blessed too; nor can I smother up
those great and infinite blessings, that I have
received from him, with private thankes. That
Great Prince of Heaven and Earth, proclaimed by
Angels, that he was come into the world, to shew
his
A3r
his good will and love to mee; was here content, to
dye a publique death for me, to save me, from a Hell
of misery; in which I lay, and should have layen,
had not he, the Prince of Peace, and the fairest and
chiefest among the sons of men, shed his most precious
and royal blood, for mee; and before he dyed
he left word, that I should not feare, for it was his
great and glorious Fathers will, to bestow on us a
Kingdome. And was so great a Prince, not ashamed
to avow so great affection and love to mee,
and shall I be shamed to returne him publique
thankes, for such infinite and publique favours?
No: I will not, but with all my minde, heart,
and soule, I blesse and praise my Almighty God,
for so great benefits, bestowed on me, his unworthy
servant. Methinks it is not enough for my self
onely to doe it, but I must send out my Babes, to
doe it; with mee, and for me: And if any shall
say, others may be as thankefull as shee, though
they talk not so much of it; Let them know that if
they did rightly apprehend the infinite mercies of
God to them, they could not be silent: And if they
doe not thinke the mercies of God worth publique
thankes; I doe, and therefore I will not be ashamed,
to be that one in ten that returned, to acknowledge
himselfe a cleansed Leaper. And now my
Babes soem may say to you, unlesse you had been
more curiously drest, or more finely shap’d, your
Mother might have kept you in obscurity. Tell
them, I sent you to their more learned and refined
A3
wits
A3v
wits, to forme you to a more curious shape, and
tyre you in a more inticing dress. But this I will
say for you, You want none of your limbs, and
your cloaths are of rich materials. I dare not say,
I am loth to let you goe: Go you must, to praise him,
that gave you me. And more Ile say for you,
which few Mothers can, you were obtained by
vertue, borne with ease and pleasure, and
will live to my content and felicity. And so
Adieu: But stay! Something you may truly say
for your own imperfections, and your Mothers
excuse, That some of you were borne, when her self
was but a child; but
My joy, my blisse, my happy Story
In Heaven is writ, and that’s my Glory/
Psalme 56. Vers. 10.
I Glory in the word of God,
To praise it I accord.
With joy I will declare abroad,
The goodness of the Lord.
All you that goodness doe disdaine,
Goe; read not here:
And if you doe; I tell you plaine,
I doe not care.
For why? above your reach my soule is plac’st,
And your odd words shall not my minde distaste.
And when you read these lines, mistake not a Divine
affection, for a Poeticall fancy; for I affect not to
express my fancy, but I would have my fancy express
my affection.
The Invocation.
Come Sacred Muse to mee this day,
And ever here, make you a stay
Within the closet of my brest,
For I with thee, doe find great rest.
My sweet Companion, here thou art,
Dear Lord, Let it not from me part.
From thee, this gift, I did receive,
To thee, the fame I doe bequeath.
A4 Aspire, A4v 2Aspire, aspire, my minde, aspire,
From earthly things unto the higher.
Set not thy minde on base desires,
But thinke upon the heavenly Quires,
Of Angels sweet, that singing be,
And still the face of God doe see.
Admiring much, his wisedome great,
And glorious sweetnesse of his seat.
Then hie my Soule to that sweet place,
Where glory is, with mirth and grace.
The Request.
Come sweet Spirit expell my feare,
Assure me that thou hast a care
Of me, and of my giddy youth,
Assure me of it, still for Truth,
That thy Spirit shall me direct,
And that thy power shall me protect.
Then shall my spirit be at rest,
And with sweet thoughts my soule be blest;
When that I know, thou lovest me,
And that my youth shall guided be,
By that Spirit, that doth dispose,
All for the happinesse of those,
The which be servants unto thee;
Blest be thy Name, that so made mee.
The Answer.
His Spirit much thou dost desire,
His Spirit much he will inspire.
What thou desirest, that shall be,
Thou hast thy wishes granted thee.
With thee, needs must I wish to live,
That mak’st me wish what thou wilt give.
Lord harden thou my heart, as hard as steel,
And loves vaine passion, let me never feel,
Onely A5r 3Onely in Heaven, my soul shall seek her rest
In Heaven perpetually to be blest
On Earth a while I must tormented be
Because that sin, too much abides in me.
It is the injoying of thy Spirit,
That makes my soule here, true joy inherit
And here to shew me that thou hat’st my sin
Thy Spirit like the Sun-beams, is drawn in
Then doth my Soul, full wo, and sad remaine
Till that sweet spirit doth appeare againe.
Then when thy Spirit, againe reignes in me
Then comes my joy, away my paine doth flee.
For when thy Spirit my Soul doth injoy,
Nothing can then, my happy Soul annoy.
For why? No cause of sorrow, I can see,
Because, beyond my selfe, it raiseth me.
Anguish.
From this distraction, Lord my poor soul bring,
That still thy heavenly prayses, I may sing.
For this distemper doth my soul affright;
My Lord, it takes from me, all my delight,
And pleasure that I had, in serving thee.
This trouble great, vaine folly brings to me.
If from thy holy service, I be tane,
No comfort can I find, but endlesse paine.
For what can yeeld our Souls here true content,
If to serve thee, we are not wholly bent?
For here I see vaine pleasures, quickly fly,
And that which I did love, must surely dye.
But in thy service, if I pleasure take,
And thy sweet word my whole delight do make.
That word doth still my drooping soul assure,
That for the best it shall be all to me,
If patiently I doe awaite on thee.
Of Submission.
What comes to me, Lord comes from thee?
Nought comes to me, but comes from thee.
What though, against my will it be,
If thou it fitting seest for me.
Let be, and Master thou my will,
That I thy servant, may fulfill
Thy holy will, and thee obey:
Make me obedient be, I pray.
If I obey thy Majesty,
I need not fear, although I dye.
Hope.
What though my morning be debard of light,
For me thou shalt break forth, a noon most bright.
The onely Comforter.
What in this world doe I deerer esteem?
Or greater in my minde, here still do deem?
Then that Spirit which floweth still from thee,
Which makes my soule in happy blisse to be?
For nothing in this world, here can me please
Nor yet my Soule, from paine and grief can ease:
But thy sweet spirit which abides for aye,
For these vaine worldly things, doe fade away.
My soul immortall, did proceed from thee,
And pleas’d with mortall things, she cannot bee.
You earthly pleasures, I can use you all,
But treasures of my soule, Ile not you call.
Goe flee vaine pleasures, for sure all must grant,
Nought can us please, but what is permanent.
In thee my Lord, my soul alone is blest,
In thee alone, I doe attaine sweet rest.
The Soules Flight.
Whither away, my Soule, do’st high,
That thou so fain, from me would’st fly?
Sure it is, to some holy place;
That thou thy selfe, there mayst solace.
Thou wilt not here abide with me,
But goe to God, there to be free.
To him thou liv’st, to him thou flyest,
That is the reason that thou highest.
And here I wish thee not to stay,
I wish to Heaven, thou mightst away.
From Prison oft, I wish thee free,
That thou mayst be at liberty.
The Virgins Offring.
With thee blest Virgin, I would bring
An Offering, to please my King.
Two Turtle Doves, thou didst present,
Can there be better by me sent.
A Lambe more pure, then they could be,
I heard was thither brought by thee.
These two small Turtles now of mine,
To him, I do present with thine.
The Lambe will serve for thee and mee,
No better offering, can there be.
Thus with thee, Virgin doe I bring
An offering will please my King.
To my Doves.
Your life, I ment not, till my death
Might give you freedome with my breath.
And when I breath’d in Heavens Aire free,
I did A6v 6I did intend your libertie,
But offer’d now, you sure must be,
A Sacrifice of thanks from mee.
When we are dead, we cannot give,
Our offerings must be while we live.
Two Doves, no Phenix, you must be.
I must see that live, comes from me:
You as an offering, goe from me,
But on your wings, my heart must be.
My heart now free, from all desire,
But what is kindled by heavens fire.
To him, I doe present, as free,
As ever he did give it me.
I on your wings, would sore aloft,
And still live free from humane thought.
Accept great God, what I present,
Thy glory is my Souls intent.
Goe now my Doves, and soar aloft,
The drooping heart raise you full oft,
To such a heigth, bear it away,
That it may see celestiall day,
And never lett it on earth rest;
But leave it in Heavens glorious brest.
The Triumph.
Sith thou from thrall hast sett me free,
I will sing prayses unto thee.
Thou hast brought me from Temptation,
And fild me with contemplation
Of thy heavenly habitation,
In which lives a glorious Nation,
Which triumphantly doe sing,
Praise and glory to their King.
No darknesse, nor no dolefull night,
Obscures A7r 7Obscures their Vision of delight,
No noise doth interrupt their voice,
They doe incessantly rejoyce.
Mayst thou my Soule, now be so bold,
That glorious place for to behold,
And say, how that faire Cities blest,
In which the righteous shall have rest.
The wals are rais’d of Gems more bright,
Then are the Diamonds here in sight:
The Saphire, Diamond, Ruby fine,
Their beauty in each one combine.
The other gems their lustre bright,
With them doe give so fine a light;
That like the Rainbow it doth show,
But far more bright, you’l think I know.
Most glorious things, are said of thee
Thou City, where the mighties bee,
The streets, are of the purest mold,
Exceeding farr, the brightest gold;
And from Gods glorious Throne doth spring
A River that sweet pleasures bring,
Adorn’d with many a goodly tree,
Which fresh and flourishing ever bee.
They doe not onely please the eye,
But heal the wounds, would make us dye,
Nor fruitlesse doe their trees appear,
But pleasant fruit yeeld all the year.
I doe not wonder, fruit to rife
Upon these goodly Trees of life.
No change, doth in this place appeare,
No scorching heat, nor cold is here.
This heav’n the bright Lamb his wife gives,
And she in this place alwayes lives.
She is more lovely then the Rose,
Fresh, faire and beauteous, and still goes,
In long white Robes, so pure and clear,
Like A7v 8Like the Orient Pearl she doth appear:
And on her head, a Crowne more bright,
Then is the Sun, here in our sight.
The pure white Lilly, at her feet,
And pleasant Rose there strive to meet,
For all their beauty and their grace,
Is from reflexion of her face.
These lovely flowers doe never fade,
But for eternity were made.
How can this place but pleasing bee?
When here such pleasures you may see!
And in this place, you may behold,
The anceint Martyrs Crown’d with gold,
With Palms of Victory, in their hand,
Which were giv’n them at Gods command.
By a bright streame like Christall pure,
The blessed Saints sit safe and sure.
In a faire Grove, pleasant and sweet,
They with great joy each other meet.
And they recount, their troubles past,
And their transcendent joyes at last.
The Quire of Angels, still do sing
Continuall praises, to their King
Like them, let me, be praising thee,
While here on earth thou’lt have me bee.
Here let me drinke, deep of that spring
That flows from thee, and I shall sing,
Sweet praises to thy holy name:
My tongue and hand, shall speake thy fame.
I still must end my God to thee,
All praise and glory given bee.
To my Sister. S.G.
Heavens bright shining star, shine in thy face,
Thy mortall body, with rare vertues grace.
I wish A8r 9I wish those beams may still thy soul inwrap,
That Satan may not thy sweet soul intrap.
From his malicious sunares, I wish thee free,
That thou mayst have thy soule at liberty.
Set not thy heart upon these fading pleasures,
Thou art an heire to heavens eternall treasures.
Their vain delights will not abide, but vanish
From thy pure soul, in youth them quickly banish,
If thou delight in them they’l breed thy paine,
But if thou banish them, then shalt thou gaine
To thy high-borne Soul immortal treasure,
Clestiall joy, true eternall pleasure.
Then here on earth they heaven thou shalt begin,
For pleasures vaine, intice thee unto sin.
Vaine pleasure soon, Sweet Sister doe thou fly,
That sin in thee, may fade full soon and dye.
Fix thou thine eyes on that faire Sun of light,
Who aye inwrap thee in his beames most bright
Dazle and blinde thine eyes, to earthly things,
Ope them in Heaven, where his sweet angels sings.
He bring thy soul to that immortall place,
Where like the Sun shall shine thy mortall face.
I know you pleas’d will be, to hear of me,
If I am blest or happy, you shall see.
My Soul, I therefore now have sent you drest,
When so shee’s tyr’d, she cannot but be blest.
My glory and my Lord have tane from me
The garments of sad mourning, you shall see:
Upon her head a Crowne of joy he’ath plac’t,
The bright faire robe of honour shee hath on,
Which can be giv’n but by himselfe alone,
Seeing he hath drest me for his throne of glory,
But I must stay to act another Story.
Canticles 2.
The Winter is past, the Summer is come, I will now
solace my selfe in the Vineyards of my beloved; for he
will guide me here by his Counsell, and at length receive me
to his Glory.
The Rapture.
Most people here below,
Too neer the earth, Ile not doe so;
But Ile arise, and to Heaven goe,
I will not tarry here below.
This earthly state’s, too meane for mee,
Ile flee where the bright Angels bee,
That still the face of God doe see,
With them, my Soul can best agree,
’Mong them Ile set me downe and sing,
The praises of our glorious King,
By him we have our blest being,
We with delight his praises sing.
Still in this Rapture let me bide,
And from this pleasing blisse nev’r glide,
But be like to the Eagle ey’d.
I have just now methinks descride
The glorious Sun in Heaven so bright,
On this transcendent throne of light;
It dazles now my humane sight;
The lustre of it is so bright.
I would not now with mortals be,
To tell them in what bisse are we.
Let them arise, and come to me,
If they would know our dignity.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately 2 letters] let me not to earth now goe,
How dark and hideous, it doth show,
They crawl like Ants methinks below,
Among such Creatures I’de not goe.
But if to earth thou wilt have me,
To doe what thy will doth decree;
Let me descend more willingly;
By me thy will must acted bee.
But yet before I goe away
Grant I beseech, for what I pray,
Or let me here with thee still stay,
Make no offence at my delay.
Oh let thy heavenly Sun of light
With me send down his beams most bright,
So to my soule shall be no night,
She being inwrapt in Heav’ns bright light.
The Flight.
Eliza for, aske now not here,
She’s gone to heaven, to meet her Peer.
For since her Lord, on earth was dead,
What tarry here! she’d not, she sed.
And to the heavens, she took her flight,
What she might be still in his sight,
And so to us she bid adieu,
But prov’d her selfe a lover true.
The Life.
If as men say, we live not, whree we are,
But where we love,
I live above.
For what on earth, or yet in heaven is there
Desir’d can be,
Tis none but thee.
Great God, thou onely worth desiring art,
And none but thee, then must possesse my heart.
My Wishes.
Iwish no wit to wrong my Brother,
I wish not wealth to wrong another;
I wish no beauty to enthrall,
I wish no worldly wish at all.
I wish from sin God would me bring
I wish for heaven, at my ending.
Upon a paine at heart.
God laid his hand upon my heart,
To see, if I would from it part:
I was content to let it goe,
I lik’t it best to have it so;
For then no more it should be pain’d,
When it with him a place had gain’d,
But hee’d hav’t here, a few more dayes,
An Instrumente unto his praise.
The Portion.
What if the world on me should frown,
Thou art my Crown;
If B2r 13If wealth and beauyy part away,
Thou art my stay.
Let others count this world a hell
In it I’me well;
No wonder, if I happy be,
Sith, I’me in thee;
For why? in thee all blisse doth dwell,
Then here, to me can be no hell.
The Friday before Easter.
Why should I now, lament & moan?
The blessed seed, to day was sown,
Shall never in the earth decay,
But rise in triumph, the third day.
On Easter day.
Arise and see, why dost thou sleep,
The bed of earth, could not him keep,
The Sun is risse, that made the day,
In grave, thou needs fear no decay.
Those glorious beames hath made the earth,
A place to give thee a new birth.
From Mothers wombe thou cam’st to be
A Creature of Mortality;
From wombe of earth, thou rais’d shalt bee,
A creature like the Deity;
When thou art pleas’d, that I shall dye,
I am content in earth to lye:
There shall I safely lye and rest,
Till thou wilt raise me with the blest.
Though I could wish, that it might bee
As were my childish thoughts in mee,
That like Elias I might rise,
On Cherubs wings, in Chariot wise:
B2 To B2v 14To thy bright heaven, where I might bee,
There cloath’d with immortality:
Those thoughts were childish tistis confest,
In grave I must be for heaven drest.
The earth a while, my body must retaine,
Though as a King, my Soul in heaven doth reign.
The Pavillion.
On thy fair wings, most sacred Dove,
Let me be rais’d, with thee on high
Unto the heavenly God of Love,
Where I shal rest me quietly.
No ill shall there my Dove affright,
I’le bid all feare on earth adieu,
For I am now at such a height,
As cannot reached be by you
In this Pavillion I shall sing,
Though I may see you fly at me,
I am assur’d by his bright wing,
He will not let me wounded bee.
The Submission.
My soul to Heaven would hast & fly,
And there make suit, that I may die
Because from heaven she is detain’d,
Lives in a body sometimes pain’d:
And in her glory cannot be,
So long, as here she stayes in me.
But that thy will shee doth respect,
And looks to what thou hast elect,
And will contented be to stay;
That B3r 15That here thy will, she might obey:
She wisheth rather to please thee,
Then in her glory for to bee.
The Change.
Vaine world, when as I loved thee.
Dire sadnesse still possessed me,
But since I lernt to dispise thee,
Sweet joys and gladnesse filleth me.
The Choice.
Heavenly treasure,
In some measure
Hast thou here unto me sent,
Yet I would dye,
And to heav’n fly
To possesse a full content.
My soul’s sweet joy
Nought doth annoy:
But my body’s sometimes pain’d,
I cannot bee
From all ill free,
Till bright heaven, I have obtain’d
Here the story
Of thy glory
Is that which doth me delight;
But sure more joy,
With no annoy
Must be in thy Palace bright,
With speed thy will
Let me fulfill,
And take me to thy heavenly light.
The Rest.
From Heaven still flows such sweet Celestiall joy,
That this earths troubles shall not me annoy,
For I above them shall set safe and free,
And underneath me shall them gliding see.
The morning Star.
Bright morning star of heavenly light,
Rise to my Soul, and banish night,
And with thy fair bright beams expell
Those clouds that make this world like hell:
And with thy sweet attractive power,
Raise thou me, to thy blissefull bower:
Where being rais’d, let me aye rest,
Fixt in the Region of thy brest;
Where like a bright star I shall shine,
I being array’d in rayes of thine.
And to the darkesome world shine bright,
I living in thy glorious light.
The worlds farewell.
Now to the world I bid adieu,
I’me hasting better things to view:
To Heavens faire Palace shining bright,
It may be I may fly to night,
And ’mong bright Angels spend my time,
To hear and see, but what’s Divine:
And with an Orient light be clad,
And live like to the Angels glad;
For what makes me so joyfull here,
Cause in thy robes, I shall appear,
Lye thou my body in the earth,
Till B4r 17Till thou shalt gain a better birth.
From earth thou cam’st spotted with sin,
And thither so return’st agen.
When thou art purified then I
Shall take thee and thou shalt not dye:
And when the Trumpet thou dost hear,
Thou in thy glory shalt appear.
A King doth come to bring that lott,
Which he himselfe for thee hath got,
A Kingdom ’tis, of joy and glory,
And now, I end my earthly story.
The Swans.
Faire Swans, you now beyond me go,
In pleasant Robes, like pure white snow,
But I ere long shall be more bright,
In faire eternall robes of light.
Your fair robes fall and fade away,
But my bright robes, shall nev’r decay.
You sing they say, before you dye,
But when I’me dead, then sing shall I.
To a friend at Court.
Retired here content I live,
My own thoughts to me pleasure give.
While thine owne actions anger thee,
Sweet quiet thoughts contenteth me.
This blessing sweet retirednesse brings,
We envy none, but pity Kings.
Christs Kingdome.
Withe you blest Angels, I must sing,
That brought the news of heav’ns great King
That from bright Heaven awhile did part,
To raise his Kingdome, with my heart.
Before he came there was great strife,
To lead me to a hellish life:
But like an humble Babe cam’st thou,
Yet made those mighty powers to bow.
Thou didst regain me for thy right,
For I at first sprang from thy light,
Satan aside a while drew me,
But could not keep me Lord from thee.
When thou hast cast off that foule sin,
Thy Kingdome in me didst begin,
And here thou wilt still reign in me,
Till I shall come and reigne with thee.
At thy approach, black shades did vanish,
And from my heart thou feare didst banish,
And in their room did light appear,
And joy instead of dreadly fear.
Sweet joy and peace, thou didst bring me,
How can I chuse but sing to thee:
To my great God all glory be,
Thou plac’st his Kingdome here in me.
Vaine thoughts banisht.
Adieu vain thoughtt, Adieu, Adieu,
My Soule no more delights in you,
You’r no companion for my spirit,
I must a heaven of blisse inherit.
Your darknesse dims my souls cleare sight,
And you debar me of heavens light:
When free from you I heaven can view;
Vain thoughts, I now will banish you.
My intention.
Go vaine invention, get you hence,
With me make not your residence,
Court not my Muse with fine invention,
To praise my God tis my intention,
Lord let no line be writ by me,
That excludes, or includes not thee,
Earths honour slighted.
Of Earthly honour tell not me;
The vanity of it I see:
Tis like a flower that soon doth rise,
If ruffly struck it falls and dies.
But that bright honour which I prise,
Sweetly springs up and never dies;
And’s like the Sun whose pleasing ray,
Doth banish night, and bring the day:
His pleasant sweet attractive light,
Raiseth B5v 20Raiseth me to a heavenly hight.
With this fair honour being drest,
I’me free from fear, and live in rest.
’Tis heavenly honour I esteem,
All earthly honour vain I deem:
The one is made to fall and dye,
I love what bides eternally.
Luke 20.36. In that world they shall
be equall to the Angels.
Here like the Angels let me be,
And as those blesseed spirits free:
From vaine engagements let me bide,
And as they with thee still reside.
Like them I’me made, by my new birth,
But I’me still wrapt in robes of earth.
Through a darke mantle I thee see,
But oh that I unwrapt may be.
This blessing now on earth me give,
That like thine Angels I might live.
So shall my soul such sweet joys find,
That earthly things I shall not minde.
Upon the morning rise.
Now welcome sweet and pleasant Morn,
Doe you not thinke, that I you scorn:
Cause with a more Orientall light,
Imbellisht is my blest spirit.
With thanks I still you entertaine.
For B6r 21For by your light, my eye-sight gain:
But you are darknesse, to that light,
That is discride, by my souls sights.
Upon hearing the Birds sing.
Sweet Birds with you Ile set and sing,
Due praises to our heavenly King.
Like you me thinks, I am as free,
So made great divine Prince by thee.
My Robes.
I Will not now to thee Lord come
As I from Adam came,
But I will come as in thy Son,
His Robys shall hide my shame.
He is my Spouse, and my lov’d Lord,
In him thou lovest me,
I to thy will would still accord,
And with him still agree.
In his bright Robes, I will present
My selfe to thee and say,
To doe thy will is my intent;
In him I thee obey.
Thou canst not now, Lord me reject,
Thou must me perfect see:
His beauty doth on me reflect,
I’me beautifull to thee.
The Dart.
Shoot from above
Thou God of Love,
And with heav’ns dart
Wound my blest heart.
Descend sweet life,
And end this strife:
Earth would me stay,
But I’le away.
I’le dye for love
Of thee above,
Then should I bee
Made one with thee.
And let be sed
Eliza’s dead,
And of love dy’d,
That love defi’d.
By a bright beam, shot from above,
She did ascend to her great Love,
And was content of love to dye,
Shot with a dart of Heavens bright eye.
Of Poetry.
Poets they say are always poor,
But tis not they are at thy door.
They cannot chuse but wealthy be,
For why? Rich poems flow from thee.
Tis B7r 23Tis they that clime the hill, is none of thine,
But goe for aid unto the Muses Nine.
No wonder though such fools are poor,
That goe for Alms to a wrong door.
They seek to them to get their wealth,
Who have too little for their selfe.
To the King. writ, 16441644.
To thee, Great Monarch of this Isle
I send my Babes, pray make them smile;
For yet methinks tis in thy power,
To make them smile, or let them lower.
They’r children to that Prince of might,
Who is the Prince of peace behight.
Do not with war my Babes affright,
In smiling peace is their delight,
My Prince by yeelding won the field,
Be not too rigid, dear King yeeld:
Examples that are great and high.
I hope you’l follow, fix your eye
On my great prince, that is your King,
He left a Heaven, you peace to bring.
A Kingdome I’de not have you leave,
But rather three reform’d receive.
All blisse and peace I wish to you,
Let us in peace, your presence view.
To the Queen of Bohemiah.
Long since, it was by me desir’d
To see that Queen so much admir’d;
But B7v 24But well I knew, t’was not for mee,
Great Princesses to goe to see.
But thraldomes key, did let me out,
And trouble brought my wish about,
By thraldome then I freedome gain’d
By trouble my desire obtain’d
I then did see her so admir’d,
And thy rich graces Lord inspir’d.
A minde so great and bravely beare,
What in the most breeds care and feare.
A spirit high so humble bee,
To deigne her sweet regards to me.
Her I admire, and for her pray
On earth she may live many a day:
And when this earth she shall forsake,
That into heaven, thou wouldst her take,
Where onon a Throne she may be Crown’d,
And with bright Angels compast round.
The Lover.
Come let us now to each discover,
Who is our friend, and who our Lover,
What? art thou now asham’d of thine,
I tell thee true, Ime not of mine.
And you will say when you him see,
That none but he, desir’d can bee,
He is the onely pleasing wight,
Whose presence can content my sight.
For He’s the purest red and white,
In whom my soule takes her delight:
He to the flowrs heir beauty gives,
In him the Rose and Lilly lives,
His pleasant haire with seemly grace,
Hangs by his faire sweet lovely face,
And from his pleasing eyes doe dart
Their arrows which do pierce my heart.
These beauties all are richly grac’st,
For on his head, a crown is plac’st,
Of glory, which doth shine so bright,
As mortall eye can see this light,
This lovely Lord’s, the Prince of Peace,
In him, my joyes will still increase;
For he’s the true, and constant friend,
Whose love begun, will never end.
From Heaven he came with me to dwell,
And sav’d my soul from direfull hell,
Tis he alone my heart doth gaine,
That keeps me from eternall pain.
While here I live, here he will bee;
Death cannot separate him from me:
And when I dye, he will me place,
Where I shall ever see his face.
Into his glory, hee’l take mee,
This doe I know, this shall you see
And now you know my loved friend,
My loves begun, it will not end.
The renowned King.
Ladies! if beauty you desire,
Or to high fortunes does aspire,
Come now with me Ihave descride,
A Prince, that to all, can you guide.
He is a King of great renown,
And on your head can place a Crowne
And with immortall beauty blesse,
Can you wish more? yet wish no lesse
If you desire this Prince to see,
Then leave the world and goe with me,
To true Elisian fields, i’le guide
You, where I this great Prince espi’d.
The holy leaves of Sacred writ
Are thos Elisians, there let’s gett,
Where with joy we shall him finde,
This glorious Prince will please your mind.
He’s like the Rose in Sharon fields,
Pleasant to sight, and sweetnesse yeelds,
With sweet and faire, from his bright face,
The Lilly and the Rose gets grace,
With serious thoughts now him behold
If you him love you may be bold,
And in his presence ever bee,
His beauty will reflect on thee.
If thou get beauty from his face,
He will you take from your mean place,
And on his Throne he will set thee,
Where with his Crown thou crown’d shalt bee,
That beauty still with thee will stay,
Time will not carry it away.
That Crowne shall no man take from thee,
But thou shalt wear’t eternally.
To my Sister, S.S.
Sweet Sister, Let us in Heaven greet,
Since here on earth we cannot meet
Hard by that stream of Christall pure,
To meet thee there I will be sure.
That streame which from this Throne doth rise;
Whose waters pure cure our ill eyes:
Then let us sit us downe and rest,
No enemies shall us there molest.
Lets leave our bodies here as dead,
When thus our Soules to heaven are fled:
Where we possesse a ravisht joy,
When as the world lies in annoy.
Let’s take those waters now and drink,
’Twill make us then no more to think
Of these base follies here below,
Dear Sister, let us both doe so.
Then let us set us down and tell
By whom we were redeem’d from hell,
T’was he that sits on yon bright Throne,
Wrought our redemption all alone.
Who would not now their soules prize high,
For whom so great a Prince did die.
Come let us up those streams and see,
Where those bright glories sitting bee.
There Three in One conjoyn’d we see,
And yet each Person differing be.
There sets our powerfull God alone,
Upon his glorious heavenly Throne,
At his right hand sits his dear Son,
Oh! Who would think he’d let him come
From that bright Throne to suffer here.
And for our sakes vile to appear.
C Ten C1v 28Ten thousand, thousand Angels bee
Tending about his Throne you see:
They sing the praises of that King,
Oh hear, how rare, and sweet thy sing!
My sense now are ravisht quite,
My Soule is fill’d with such delight,
That if I now my choice might have,
They should my body lay in grave,
And say, That I did chuse to dye,
And let my body on earth lye,
Till it most glorious should bee,
Like to Those Angels what we see.
The holy Spirit there doth bide,
For in the Son they all reside.
No bodily presence doth appear,
But of that God that sufferd here.
These glories cannot limned bee
By my frail pencell, well I see.
Now let us down those banks, like green
Rich Velvet, whereupon are seen
Bright orient Pearl, and Rubies fair,
Strow’d on the velvet here and there,
Bright Diamonds scattered there doe lye,
Look! there springs up the violet by:
As if a pride that sweet flower took,
Her face in that bright Gem to look,
The pure white Violet doth delight,
To hang upon that Ruby bright,
The sweet Carnation Pink that growes
By that rich Pearl, howe fine it show’s.
Now let us on these sweet bancks rest,
Methinks we are divinely blest.
Look by those christall streams, there grows
The Lilly fair, and lovely Rose.
How in the waters they doe show,
Brighter then they do where they grow.
A Lustre C2r 29A Lustre fine those waters give
Into those plants that by them live.
Some let us now goe walk and see,
Like whom we shall hereafter be,
See there Elias doth appear
Like to the Angels that are here,
I did forget; we shall in light,
Be like his glorious body bright,
But hark! Methinks I hear one say,
Thou must from Heaven to Earth away:
You must your children goe and teach,
How they this blessed place may reach,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]will be a pleasant sight to see
Their faces like those Angels bee,
The which ere while, we did behold,
In Robes more bright then is the gold;
The which on earth we think so fine,
When we in those base mettals shine,
But yet before you goe away,
Here me a little what I say:
If crosse you find things goe below,
On earth a while it must be so,
Set it not trouble your blest mind,
In Heaven you shall no crossness find,
If any aske you how I fare,
Then tell them sure I’me free from care;
For I’me in heaven, you left me there.
The Vision.
Why from celestiall bliss, did you
Draw me? these meaner things to view,
Through those faire gates of pearl, get I
C2 And C2v 30And that most pleasant wall past by,
Up that pure river strait I went,
That from the throne takes his ascent,
Then to the glorious throne I got,
Where I did see, O God, what not:
For whatsoever doth excell,
In thee, doth in perfection dwell.
That glorious Lustre and bright ray
Made me forget my mortall day.
Me thought that fine Orientall light,
Made me like it appear as bright.
From these sweet joyes why draw you me
My self in meaner Robes to see?
For since I us’d to heaven to go,
All things on earth do sordid show.
The Heart.
Two hearts in one breast can there not remain,
The one heart puts the other heart to pain.
My heart I will still keep, take thou thine own,
My heart is happy when disturb’d by none.
Without a heart I know you cannot live,
Therefore your own I freely to you give.
Mine is in Heaven, and will admit no change,
To leave my rest in heaven, on earth to range.
I’de have it written in my happy story,
None had my heart but heav’ns great prince of glory
My youths affection, to him I did send,
None can have any but what he will lend.
From mortall thraldome deare Prince keep thou me
So though on earth, I as in heaven shall bee.
The Bride.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]th you me ask, Why borne was I?
I’le tell you; twas to heaven to fly,
Not here to live a slavish life,
I being to the world a wife.
When I was born, I was set free,
From mortals thraldom here to bee;
For that great Prince prepaar’d a bride,
That for my love on earth here dy’d.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproduction1-2 letters]y not I then earths thraldom scorn,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproduction1-2 letters]th for heavens Prince I here was born?
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproduction1-2 letters]match’t in heaven I weare a Crown,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproduction1-2 letters]t earthly thra’dome puls me downe.
On the day dedicated to the God of
Heaven.
Lord, if this day belongs to thee,
No part of it pertains to mee.
Then sith this Day, is wholly thine,
Yet thoughts and actions be divine.
Let my soule, be divinely clad,
And let me be like Angels glad.
With Angels food, this day feed mee,
And let heav’ns Nectar my drink bee.
And to compleat my hearts desire
And downe a beam of heav’ns bright fire.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word] it let me that pure path see,
That leads to glorious blss and thee.
The Defiance.
Come now tumultuous flouds and show,
Your spite by tumults, you shall know,
Eliza’s plac’st above your reach
Upon her soul you make no breach,
Unto the world, you do let see
You’d have her loose, but gain shall shee.
What you can get she doth not mind,
Her treasure lies not in your wind.
When my Brother was sick.
If that my Brother thou wilt take from me,
Lord with thy will make me contended be.
But if it be, thy blessed will my Lord,
To my request to bend and to accord.
And if no harm, to him, that it might bee
In this request, then gracious God hear me,
And grant, that well and long, he here may live,
And honor thee, and glory to thee give
And be an instrument here of thy praise,
And in thy service, spend and end his daies.
But if in his young years, my Lord thou please
From paine and grief to take him unto ease.
And if thou fitter dost my Brother see,
With thee to raign in glory, then to be,
Here subject to a world of slavish fears;
For in this mortall world we must have cares.
Onely in heaven we shall sweet freedom gain,
In heaven, there is no fear, no care, nor pain.
Then to thy holy will, my gracious Lord,
Make me thy servant ever to accord.
And C4r 33And if to Heaven thou wilt my Brother take,
I pray thee teach my soul for to forsake
Vain earthly thoughts, and flee from earth to thee,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]o with my Brothers soul my soul shall bee.
My wishes are, those beams may ravish thee,
That wrapt me now in sweet felicity.
The Guard.
You blessed Angels, that still live,
And tendance on us mortals give,
Ffom my most dear Lord you are sent,
To tend on me, for the intent,
From harm and danger me to keep.
You are my guard while I do sleep,
I do not grudge for to confesse,
May my poor soul can say no lesse;
I am unworthy of that favour,
Granted to me from my Father,
That you on me, should tendance give,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]ee which in glory still do live.
I have offended him each hour,
And done the ill lay in my power.
Then you, that still obedient be,
Oh! why should you attend on me.
This is a mystery full deep;
You being righteous, sinners keep.
My God I pray thee make me know,
Why those blest Angels should do so?
For should I my deserts consider,
My judgement thus I must deliver,
Into the pit, and dungeon deep
Where Satan is adjudg’d to keep:
Where fire and brimstone raging be
Where C4v 34Where pain abides perpetually,
Into this place of misery,
There should I goe, when that I dye.
Go leave thy thoughts, thy own thoughts leave,
And from thy God, answer receive.
From that fierce place of misery,
Thee for to save, the Lord did die.
And though no sin he did commit,
He of his goodnesse thought it fit
To take thy sins, and quit them all,
And bid thee then no more to fall.
And tells thee, thou needs not to fear:
For why of thee he takes the care.
And that on earth while thou dost live,
For tendance on thee he will give.
His Angels charge, thee to protect,
And be that guard of his Elect;
His mercy is the onely reason
We are secur’d from Satans Treason.
Felicity.
I Am my Gods, and he doth let me see
In him a true and sweet felicity.
Those springs of joy, that rise still fresh in me,
Proceed my dear sweet heavenly Prince from thee
On sudden Death.
If thou in hast shalt send for me
Great God to live in Heaven with thee,
Though to some minds ot sodain be,
It is not sodain unto me.
Heaven.
Lord thou dost bring a heaven with thee,
Then where I am a heaven must be,
For thou art ever Lord with mee.
The Giver engaged to the Receiver.
Thou saist thou art ingag’d to me
For what I give, when I’m to thee:
Thou dost accept a gift that’s poor.
For it I have ten thousand more.
The Sun Beames.
Thy blessings, like the Sunbeams bee
Reaching from heaven to earth on me.
Like a rich Canopy they show,
Spreading from Heaven, doth round me flow.
’Tis not abundance rich makes me,
But a sufficiency from thee.
To my Brother.
Eliza saies when as she dies,
Shee’l banish tears from all your eyes,
Unlesse for envy you will weep,
That you could not her blest soul keep
From her eternall blisse and joy,
To live with yours in earths annoy.
When C5v 36When you have brought me to my grave,
Then tell the world, tis what I’de have,
Yee need not say you left me dead,
But say, I am laid in my bed.
Where I shall safely lye and sleep,
For heavens great Emperor doth me keep.
’Mong Kings and Princes that attend.
Till to our glory we ascend.
What I Love.
Give me a Soule, give me a Spirit,
That flyes from earth, heaven to inherit.
But those that grovell here below,
What! I love them? I’le not do so.
The onely bound.
My boundlesse spirits, bounded be in thee,
For bounded by no other can they be.
The Christians happinesse.
Gods high Spirit shall thee direct,
His Angels shall thee still protect.
They shall thee guard, while thou dost sleep,
The from all evill shall thee keep.
So thou no evill needs to fear,
Because of thee God takes the care.
The Retribution.
If thou art pleas’d to have my heart,
Accept it Lord from me,
Sith thou dost chuse it for thy part,
I give it none but thee.
Mine eyes to thee I doe present,
Accept them now of me;
For thou unto me hast them lent,
They doe belong to thee.
Thus heart and eyes, and all are thine,
That doe belong to me.
Before I knew that they were mine,
They were all made by thee.
Gods Commands easie.
My Lord! how easie is thy will
Do, as I would be done unto.
Thy holy Law I then fulfill,
And give the Lord his praises due.
Why should I to another doe,
What I would not have done to me,
All praises to thee Lord, is due,
For all we have proceeds from thee.
Praise.
Glory to my gracious Lord,
Who to my wishes doth accord,
While C6v 38While here I live, I must thee praise,
For as in Heaven I spend my dayes.
For nought doth here my soul annoy,
But I possesse a Heaven of Joy.
And when from this blisse, thou’le take me,
In glorious Heaven my soul shall be.
The Companion.
Who doth an heavenly Muse injoy,
Regards not this vain worlds annoy.
Nor can they ever be alone,
Heavens Muse is there Companion.
Upon the losse of my Brother.
When losse of ought would thee torment,
Cry; ’tis thy will, Lord I’me content.
My love must not divided be,
’Twixt Earth and Heaven, thou’lt have me see.
My brother from me thou hast tane,
But yet content I must remaine.
A Brother and a friend was he,
But much more thou wilt be to me.
When thoughts of absence moves a tear,
Thy will is, that I should forbear,
He went not but by thy decree,
And I must not displeased be.
On the Sun.
At height of noon, it cannot be,
That I can fix mine eyes on thee,
But C7r 39But when at setting; I am bold,
With setled eyes thee too behold,
Converter of Atheistick thought,
Thou wert to me, when as I sought
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters] remedy against that sin,
Which I too deep was falling in.
Some one above thee must make thee,
Thou govern’d by a God must be.
Being told, she was proud.
My body, it must surely dye,
Off to be proud then what have I.
Yet proud, if they will have me be,
My high-borne soule, it is of thee.
But Lord, my Soul, is none of mine,
Shall I be proud, of what is thine?
As being thine, from pride I’me free,
It is enough I’me freed by thee.
My pleasing Life.
Sweet quiet, sweet obscurity,
Here in this life, best pleaseth me,
Till from earth’s thrall I shall be free
To live in glorious blisse with thee.
When from earths tumults I am free
To contemplate great God on thee
A heaven of blisse in thee I see
How can this life, but pleasing be.
Nothing of thee merit I can,
But yet when free from thrall of man,
I can C7v 40I can thee serve with a heart more free,
Then from that thraldome still keep me.
To a Lady unfaithfull.
Madam,
The Prince of heaven being in love with you
Did to his glorious Kingdom, bid Adieu.
The heaven, he was awhile content to leave
To see, if you would his chast love receive.
You did belong to him, when he you sent
Into the world; but you from him soon went,
And his chast love, so pleasing and so sweet,
You left your wanton Paramour to meet,
With his unlawfull love you pleas’d your selfe,
Fye Madam, leavfe him, he is but an Elf.
See what your dear sweet Prince hath done for you,
’Tis very strange, but yet tis very true.
When he did see you wantonize with them
Who were professed enemies to him:
He then with his fierce enemy did fight,
To reingain you as his ancient right.
He lost his royal bloud to purchase you,
How can you then but to this Prince prove true.
Can you a Coward love, and stain your name
By being false unto this Prince of fame?
Your wanton lovers actions hate the light,
And you’r ashame’d to act them in our sight.
Then here I le tell you, if you know not it,
All your actions, and vain thoughts unfit,
Your true and lawfull Lord doth straight espie,
He sees the wanton glances of your eye.
Think with your selfe, and then you will refraine,
You both your self, and your great Lord defame.
I wonder how you can this vaiun world love,
As C8r 41As if you did forget your heaven above,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]in your ill unlawfull actions live.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]r God doth freely all things to you give:
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]e you but constant to his love and true,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]things are lawfull to be us’d by you.
The Curse.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]thou detainst my right from me,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]never will wish worse to thee.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]ou ill enough hast in thy selfe,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]right to thee will prove an Elf.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word] Angels will be good to mee,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]t Devils they will prove to thee.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]Metamorphis strange I see,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]gels with me, Devils with thee;
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]us while I wish no ill to thee,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]ith what I have God will blesse me.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]d will with what thou dost detain
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]t thee to a most hellish paine.
This on my Tombe shall written bee,
When I in Glory am with thee.
Vain mortals, you thinke I am dead,
You are deceiv’d, for I am fled.
Into that Kingdome I did chuse,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]hen as the earth I did refuse.
And I in glory now am plac’st,
And with a Crowne in Heaven am grac’st.
My soul in fair bright Robes doth shine,
My Lord, methinks they’r like to thine.
Which in the Mountain did appear
Glorious shining, bright and clear.
On marriage.
Lord! if thou hast ordain’d for me,
That I on earth must married be:
As often I have been foretold,
Be not thy will, by me contrould.
And if my heart thou dost incline
Children to have, Lord make them thine,
Or never let’t be said they’r mine.
I shall not like what’s not divine.
I no ambition have for earth,
My thoughts are of a higher birth.
The Souls sweet Babes, do bring no pain,
And they immortalize the name.
The Gift.
My Lord, hast thou given me away?
Did I on earth, for a gift stay?
Hath he by prayer of thee gain’d me,
Who was so strictly knit to thee.
To thee I onely gave my heart,
Wouldst thou my Lord from that gift part?
I know thou wouldst deliver me
To none, but one belov’d by thee.
But Lord my heart thou dost not give,
Though here on earth, while I doe live
My body here he may retain,
My heart in heaven, with thee must reigne.
Then as thy gift let him thinke me,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]ith I a donage am from thee.
And let him know thou hast my heart,
He onely hath my earthly part.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]t was my glory I was free,
And subject here to none but thee,
And still that glory I shall hold
If thou my Spirit dost infold.
It is my blisse, I here serve thee,
Tis my great joy; thou lovest mee.
The choice of my Friend.
Pray tell the world, I did chuse thee,
Cause thou aspir’st to heaven with mee.
I did not chuse for earthly state,
But ’cause though seem’;st base earth to hate.
It was not earth, my love did merit,
’Twas a high and heavenly spirit,
Thus with heaven, I did decree
That such a one my friend should be.
And while our spirits doe aspire
To heaven, I have my hearts desire,
And still methinks I am yet free,
We living both great God in thee.
The change.
Great God!
How hast thou chang’d my thoughts in me,
For when I thought to be a wife,
D I then D1v 44I then did think troubled to be,
Because I saw most live in strife.
But thou a husband hast given me,
Whose sweet discretion doth direct,
And orders all things so for me,
As if of heaven, he were elect.
To take all trouble quite from me,
That earths possession here doth bring,
And so doth leave me quite to thee,
Thy praises here to sit and sing.
Promise Performed.
My Lord, thou hast performed most free
What in thy word thou promis’d me.
That if they Kingdome first sought wee,
All things on earth should added bee.
Thou hast giv’n me earth, wather, aire,
And heavenly fire which is more rare,
That heavenly flame thou hast sent me.
To offer up the earth to thee.
Ad if thou pleasest them to take,
I willingly shall them forsake.
I’le not be loth to give to thee
What of thy bounty thou gav’st me.
Plenty thou hast, great God in store,
And if thou please canst give me more.
If earth thou tak’st, and heaven giv’st me
A gainer yet, I much shall bee.
Not a Husband, thou never so excelling
in goodness to us, must detaine our
desires from Heaven.
My heart I finde upon her wings,
Ready to flee from earthly things.
But that the vertue lives in thee,
On earth a while retaineth me.
Not that of life I weary am,
For what on earth here wish I can,
From heavens great Prince, receive I doe,
I must most freely tell to you.
Great blessings from him I injoy,
And with him I have no annoy,
Yet these must not retaine my heart,
Another of me claims his part.
To heavens great prince I must away,
No love on earth here must me stay.
He lent me but awhile to you,
And now I must bid you adieu.
My Descent.
If any one thinke meane of me,
’tis cause they doe not my birth see,
I did descend from a great King,
And an Immortall God did spring.
I’me daughter to the King of Kings,
And must contemn base earthly things.
To heaven’s great Prince, he married me,
And noe my linage you may see.
And while I mean am in your eye.
I often to my glory flye,
And with my great Prince do abide,
Where placed by his blessed side.
With heavenly blisse methinks I’me crown’d,
His glorious beams do me surround,
Where I set and hear the story
Of my Prince, and see his glory.
To my Husband.
When from the world, I shall be tane,
And from earths necessary paine.
Then let no blacks be worne for me,
Not in a Ring my dear by thee.
But this bright Diamond, let it be
Worn in rememberance of me.
And when it sparkles in your eye,
Think ’tis my shadow passeth by.
For why, more bright you shall me see,
Then that or any Gem can bee.
Dress not the house with sable weed,
As if there were some dismall deed
Acted to be when I am gone,
There is no cause for me to mourn.
And let no badge of Herald be
The signe of my Antiquity.
It was my glory I did spring
From heavens eternall powerfull King:
To D3r 47To his bright Palace heir am I.
Tis his promise, hee’l not lye.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word] my dear Brother pray lay me,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word] was a promise made by thee,
And now I must bid thee adieu,
For I’me a parting now from you.
My Bill of thanks to Mr. C.
Though my words rare thou dost not finde,
Might not God be prais’d by my minde.
The heart, not phrase, God doth esteem,
To him my heart in them are seen.
Let men, like God, my words, not minde
In them, a thankfull heart they finde.
To praise him is my souls intent,
For his great blessings he hath sent.
You said at the end of my dayes,
God would them bring out to my praise.
My own praise! I regard it not.
I have enough; God is my lot.
I would hear God now praised bee
For his great blessings giv’n to me.
For earthly blessings, and they’r due.
Shall not then heavenly blessings be
More priz’d then earth; they shall by mee.
This Bill of thanks to you I send,
What though it be not rarely penn’d?
Tis the intention of my heart,
That I in it to you impart.
It is not onely sent to thee,
But Preachers all praise God for me.
I with a Trumpet could proclaime
Praises to the God of fame;
D3 For D3v 48For teaching me to know his name,
All people for me doe the same.
Being in paine.
Lord, if my sin produce my paine,
Pray let me never sin againe.
For pain is grievous unto me,
And sin is hatefull unto thee.
Let me not do what troubleth thee,
And thou’lt not send what grieve shall me.
But if my patience Lord thou tryest,
If I will bear, what thou applyest,
To cure the malady of sin,
Cease not my pain, but send’t again;
For pain I rather would endure,
Then grieve thine eyes of light so pure.
That our most secret thoughts doe spie,
And wanton glances of the eye:
For which thou sendest punishments,
Or else corrects with sapience.
Being taken with a sudden pain on the
Day appointed for God’s
publick Service.
Let not this pain Lord, deter me
From publick offering praise to thee.
Though private prayers may pleasing bee
From others, and as well from me.
But publick blessings, thou giv’st me,
And publick praise I’de offer thee.
Thou test me, if I will confess
Thee before men; thou’lt do no lesse
For D4r 49For me before thine Angels bright,
And thy great Father in his light.
In private I may serve thee here,
But that to men doth not appeare.
I then in publick will serve thee,
Whiles here thou givest me liberty.
And not depend on charity,
To think I doe belong to thee.
The Antidote.
This Antidote will cure your fear.
The God of heaven for you takes care.
They cannot fear, that live above,
Their fear is cured by their love.
My Satisfaction.
I Am content with this earths fate,
Cause I am borne for higher state.
Sweet quiet here I wish no more,
I’de have my glory kept in store,
Yet I have on those Robes of glory,
Of which I oft have read the story.
That pure refined souls doe wear,
Living in regions free from care.
For with the eye of faith I see
My selfe sweet Prince, as I’me in thee:
And with thee I doe live above,
Because we live where we doe love.
But Oh my God! when shall it be that the
dark Lanthorne or Faith, shall be swallowed
up in the bright mantle of sweet fruition?
Being called a Stoick
Not as a Stoick I’me exempt from care,
But as a Christian I would all things beare.
Nor that I blinded am and nothing see,
No: I see all, but take all patiently.
Gods Prerogative.
Lord, shall I grudge at thy just will,
Or shall I question thy great skill,
And think the world thou dost not rule
As thou art wont; peace silly fool.
Without his rule it cannot stand,
All things are done at his command.
Doe not then grudge at what he doth,
Nor in thy heart have any ruth
’Gainst them who now do rule the Land,
They have no power but from his hand.
The earth is his, and he plucks down
Who him displease, and gives the Crowne
To others, if thy him obey,
They shall still rule; if not, then they
Shall be destroyed with his frown,
And to their foes hee’l give their Crown,
Then let me Lord my selfe submit
To what thy wisdom seeth fit.
Sith no authority can be,
But what appointed is by thee.
My Mansion.
ELiza for, doe you not care,
She lives in heaven, free from earths feare,
Her ’bidings in those regions be,
Her converse with the Deity.
Mands unkindnesse my Benefit.
Lord, what a courtesie doth man to me,
When he’s unkind, he drives me straight to thee.
Where I my deer sweet Prince, do ever finde
Carefull for me, contenting, pleasing, kinde.
Then let them be, as liketh them to me,
Ile not complain, sith I can come to thee,
Who art my joy, my love, my crown, my peace,
In whom my joys abound, and still increase.
My Second Part.
Idid withdraw me from the stage
Of this vain world, in my best age.
Thinking for heaven thou hadst bedrest,
So I retired for my rest.
But thou a Prophet hadst me made
Unto my selfe when I had said.
Another part I here must play,
Before I went from hence away.
A wife thou choost out for my part,
Which I misliked in my heart;
And thought wedded to none to bee
Great Prince of Heaven and earth but thee.
But thou that hadst ordain’d that part,
Foundst out a means to turne my heart:
Because D5v 52Because my Lord, thou’lt have me see
We happy in that life may be,
But then on thee, we must depend,
For thou alone that blisse canst send.
For should our Husbands love fixt be
Upon some others, not on thee.
Heavens Prince will never thee forsake,
But still his darling will thee make.
And should hee of thee carelesse bee,
Heavens Prince, he will more carefull bee.
He from the earth wil raise thy heart,
That thou content maist act that part.
The Resurrection.
Why should I be afraid to dye,
Or let my body in earth lye.
In that safe bed I’me laid to sleep,
When others in their closets weep.
It is to me a quiet night,
And next day brings the wished light,
That makes for me eternall day,
My body there feels no decay.
And when I waken, I shall finde
All things well pleasing to my minde.
Youth, beauty, spirit, now present
Themselves for that days Ornament.
With Robes more bright then are the beams,
That from her pleasing Sun here streams,
Decay they say they never will,
For they were made with exact skill,
To adorne the bodies that ascend,
And on the Deity attend,
How shall I see my Princely peer,
That I on earth did hold so deer.
And with him still converse shall I,
Who would not now let their soul fly,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]eing there’s no fear of decay,
Fools that think death a dismall day.
Fearfull Uncertainty.
Oh you that know not when you dye,
Whither your Souls to heaven shall fly,
Or wander, in the dismall shade,
No wonder though you be afraid.
Would you not wear black hellish weeds?
Avoid then, wicked sinfull deeds.
Do actions that are just and right,
If you would livein heavenly light.
Do you think peace you can enjoy,
That others with your deeds annoy?
No! what you unto others doe
Assure your selves, shall fall on you.
And if good councell, now you slight
Look in Hells mouth, and be affright.
Avoid betimes, that hellish fume,
Which all your pleasures will consume.
To Generall Cromwel.
The Sword of God doth ever well
I’th hand of vertue! O Cromwell,
But why doe I, complain of thee?
’Cause thou’rt the rod that scourgeth mee?
But if a good child I will bee,
I’le kiss the Rod, and honour thee;
And if thou’rt vertuous as ’tis sed,
Thou’lt have the glory when thou’rt dead.
Sith Kings and Princes scourged be,
Whip thou the Lawyer from his fee
That is so great, when nought they doe,
And we are put off from our due.
But they for their excuse do say,
’Tis from the Law is our delay.
By Tyrants heads those laws were made,
As by the learned it is said.
If then from Tyrants you’l us free.
Free us from their Laws Tyranny.
If not! wee’l say the ehad is pale,
But still the sting lives in the tail.
To a Lady that bragg’d of her
Children.
If thou hast cause to joy in thine,
I have cause too to joy of mine.
Thine did proceed from sinfull race,
Mine from the heavenly dew of grace.
Thine D7r 55Thine at their birth did pain thee bring,
When mine are borne, I set and sing.
Thine doth delight in nought but sin,
My Babes work is, to praise heav’ns King.
Thine bring both sorrow, pain and fear,
Mine banish from me dreadfull care.
The Conquest.
God made on earth a paradice at first,
For man, but he by sin betrayd his trust.
But heavens great Prince who came to conquer sin,
For me won Heaven and Paradise againe.
Questions and Answers.
Qu.
Lord! why have I so much from thee?An.
Th’art child to me.Qu.
But why on earth have I such store?An.
In Heav’n is more.Qu.
Lord I have more then I doe need?An.
The poor then feed.Then sith I’me thine,
I’le be divine,
And what I’ve more.
I’le give the poor.
To a Friend for her Naked Breasts.
Madam I praise you, ’cause you’r free,
And you doe not conceal from me
What hidden in your heart doth lye.
If I can it through your breasts spy.
Some Ladies will not show their breasts,
For feare men think they are undrest,
Or by’t their hearts they should discover,
The do’t to tempt some wanton Lover.
They are afraid tempters to be,
Because a Curse impos’d they see,
Upon the tempter that was first,
By an all-seeing God that’s just.
But though I praise you have a care
Of that al-seeing eye, and feare,
Lest he through your bare brests see sin,
And punish you for what’s within.
Safety.
My gracious God be not my foe,
It matters not if man be so.
And let my wayes great God please thee,
Then from all foes I shall be free.
What Kingdome to be wisht.
Whose Kingdome can I wish but thine,
Who mak’st hell, Heaven and me divine.
That Kingdome ought I wish to be,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductiontwo letters]t where all thine shall reign with thee.
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]l thoughts of Kingdoms I will banish,
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]t of thy Kingdome will not vanish.
No Kingdome must I wish,
But Heav’ns great Prince of glory,
Which if I be divine,
Will be mine onely story.
Earthly blessings doe me surround,
With heavenly blessings I am crown’d.
In earth I live free from all care.
Because heavens King I love and feare.
Comfort in Temptations and
Afflictions.
Come Christians that so mazed bee
At earths events, O come and see
What cause there is for your dismay,
When God takes care for you each day.
Th’Apostle D8v 58Th’Apostle bids us then to joy,
When as temptations us annoy.
And heavens great Prince sed unto you
Before, he bid the earth adieu.
Let not your hearts here troubled be,
For if you do beleeve on me,
In heav’n a Palace there is for you,
Fear not, in me, it is your due.
I’st prison that doth you afright?
In dungeon deep hee’l be your light.
I’st war whose fear you do pretend?
The Lord of Host can you defend.
I’st sicknes that doth cause your dread?
He easie can make your sick bed.
Unless by these he will you take
Into his glory, and there make
You to behold those Visions fair,
Will ravish you from all your care.
Then sith heav’ns King can safe you keep,
There is no cause for you to weep.
You shall not enter to his rest,
If you by doubting him molest.
On going to the Sacrament.
Ito the world Lord will let know,
That I desire thy death to show;
By going to some publick place,
And take the pledges of thy grace.
And when I take the bread, then I
Will say my Lord did for me dye.
And thus Ile doe great God for thee,
For thou hast done much more for mee;
And when I drinke the wine Ile tell
Thy blood redeem’d my soul from hell;
And E1r 59And then Ile offer up to thee
What thou sweet Prince! requirest of me.
None but the Sacrifice of praise
Dost thou require now adayes,
And that I should remember thee,
When as these things are done by mee.
My Prayer in my Youth.
My Lord, whose mercies to me are unspeakable;
Who in thy works art great and powerfull, wholly
bend mine affection on that which is certain, and not
subject to varibility; to that which no sinister mishap
can alter; Oh, let not my Soul which thou hast made
to be fed with heavenly Manna (which still will last)
here seek to be satisfied with vain delights, which soon
will vanish. Banish from me the Thoughts of vaine delights,
and make me know that they must end. And
for those infinite blessings which thou hast deigned to
bestow upon me, make me for ever to admire thee,
and from my heart send up the sweet incense of thanks
and praise for thy heavely benefits bestowed on me
thine unworthy servant.
The Temptation.
My Soul! Wouldst thou finde favour with the Lord,
be not then afraid to goe to him; Let not the
feare of thy former past sins, nor of thy continuall wakness
be an occasion to hinder thee of thy happiness;
but let the assurance of the pardon of thy sins, and the
certainty of the promise to strengthen thy weakness,
animate thee to goe confidently to the throne of grace.
There do not imagine that thou seest thy sins stand as
E
a thick
E1v 60
a thick cloud to keep thy prayers from ascending to the
presence of thy God, nor think that through that dark
cloud thou seem’st unseemly to the eyes of thy loving
father; be not thou ignorant that the bright beames of
his gracious favour, hath dispersed those clouds of thy
sins, never to be gathered again together, before his
pure eyes. Know thou, that he will not let such fearfull
sights, and sad appearances, to stand in his presence,
to afright his dear chosen children; No my Soul! such
sights are not there; he that cals thee hath removed
from thee all those things which should hinder thy passage
to him; or disturbe thy quiet appearance, before
him. He cals thee, and bids thee be confident in his
presence; He assured thee by his word that thou shalt
finde his spirit strengthning thy weakness, and inabling
thee to performe that which thou thoughtest impossible
for thee to overcome.
My Soul! he hath brought thee from thy straying errours,
he hath inabled thee to overcome the manifold
temptations of they suttle enemy, when he would have
made thee to have thought there was no God, then thy
God manifested himself to thee, when he would have had
thee taken pleasure in the vaine delights of this wicked
world, then thy dear father having a watchfull eye, and
a carefull minde over thee, sent a heavy dulnes into all
the powers of thy soul & body, inforcing thee as it were
to leave those earthly vanishes, because neither soul
nor body could take delight in those things, which others
call pleasures, by reason of thy exceeding heavy
dulness. Then dost thou my soul, think that a most severe
punishment on thee from thy father, when thou
sawest others injoy the blessings of thy God with great
contentment, Then in the height of this distemper were
thou my soul almost brought to the pit of despair. When
as the enemy pictur’d before the eyes of thy soul, the
sad appearance of the anger of thy God, and still he
per-
E2r 61
persisting in his pernicious temptations, bid thee leave
his service, telling thee it was to no purpose to be so
carefull to serve him, for thy prayers were not heard.
thy tears not regarded, thy heaviness not removed; and
if Gods word be true, he hears all that cals upon him,
and removeth from them their griefs. Thus subtly
delt my enemy with me, thinking to have inwrapt
me in his hidden nets of most pernicious temptations.
First, making me to think my God was angry,
then that he heard not my prayers, and that his word
was false: thus by consequence faine would he have
made me to have doubted of thy being, O my eternall
and ever-being Father. By these snares would he have
bereft me of the hope I had in thy word, by which I
was brought to know thee. Thy creatures teach us (I
acknowledge O Lord) to know that there is a God, but
they cannot teach us to know how to come to this
God, or how to finde comfort in thee our God; ’tis
onely thy word can declare to us what thou art, and
thy spirit it is that must assure us, that this word is thine.
It was thy selfe O Lord, who art able to performe what
thou hast decreed, that hast brought this flinty heart
of mine to the knowledge of thee. My Lord I must
needs confess thy powerfull working in framing this
heart of mine to the belief of thy word, and thee; for
before thy spirit mollified this heart of mine, thy word
was to it like water gliding over the hardest marble,
no whit entring or piercing the same.
My gracious Lord, thy divine Majesty in all the changes
and chances of my life, hath had a most peculiar
care of me, for now hast thou taught me to know, that
those temptations, and those perplexities, in which my
soul was in, have been all disposed for the good and
happiness of my Soul. Now thou makest me to know
that thy word is true, and that our grief doth work for
our good: for thou our temptations be never so
E2great
E2v 62
great, thou canst and wilt deliever thy children.
It was thy Majesty that kept me from doubting of
thy being; it was thy fatherly goodnes that stupified
the powers of my Soul and Body with that heavy dulness,
not because thou wouldest punish me for my sins,
no! thou didst teach me to know, that my gracious
Saviour had already indur’d the punishment that my
sins deserv’d; My Lord, thy Majesty did not lay that
dejection on me proceeding from thy justice, but thy
mercy. For my God! I must confess to thee, that
which thou then didst know, tfor then I did love the
world, more then I loeved thee, and because thou wouldst
have me love the pleasure that should never end; thou
madst me to take no pleasure in these delights, which
never end but in sorrow. That heaviness was then a
bitter pill to purge my Soul from the grosse humours
of earthly love, that afterwards she may be made
more fit and apt to receive the sweet blisse of thine everlasting
love. This thy love to me kept me from falling
into the miserable pit of despaire; thy loving kindnesse
it was that moved thee to let that word of comfort
with which thou sustainest thy servant St. Paul, sound
ever in my ears, That thy grace should be sufficient for
me without which grace of thine, I not having sufficient
strength of my self, should have fallen into the gulf of everlasting
misery. Thy love likewise kept me constant
to thee and thy service, & kept me from doing or saying
that in my dispairing thoughts, that had not been fit for
thy servant to doe or utter. Thy unwearied love and
great wisdome it was that sent those tryals and temptations
to me in my youth, that thou mightest sanctifie my
youth to thy service, and make me carelesse of those
pleasures, that my young years were too much addicted
to.
For if thy Majesty had suffered me to have run on, to
have taken pleasure in those vanities, till I had been inwraptwrapt
E3r
63
in them, and had set my whole delight in those
vanishing pleasures. Then had it been more hard and
grievous to me to have left them; But thou, O my
Lord, didst deal more graciously with me; for before
I knew what pleasures meant, thou took’st from me the
love of pleasure, for which great mercy of thine, I render
thee most hearty thanks.
My Lord! When I consider of these thine infinite
mercies, I cannot chuse but admire thy goodness, and
admiring, say unto thy heavenly Majesty. O Lord, what
am I that thou shouldest have such a peculiar care of
me; I am not worthy to be in thy thoughts, much
more unworthy to be belov’d of thee; yet it doth evidently
appear that thou dost love me, in that thou takest
off from me the love of the world; for my Lord—
unless thou lovest me, thou wouldest not hve cared for
my love, and I know that it was in love that thou weanedst
me from the world, because that I should love
thee alone, and not the world.
The Angels Joy.
You blessed Angels, by my Father are we honoured
to have you for our attendance. Sure your lovely
faces could not but look sad when my Saviour suffered:
fro methinks it was a sad sight to behold, your loving
Lord hang tormented on a cursed tree, and for those
too, whose sins caused his torment; and then for you
to hear him cry out in the bitterness of his Soul, “My
God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken mee?” Methinks it
should have so incens’d your warath against us poor mortall
creatures, that you should have petitioned to your
All-powerfull Lord, that all humane flesh should have
E3suffered
E3v 64
suffered endlesse torment, seeing they had so justly deserved
it, rather then your righteous Lord should have
dyed.
But whether my Soul; in the deep consideration of
the undeserved suffering of thy righteous Saviour dost
thou run? Shall the Angels which are our attendants
be grieved at our happinesse? My Soul, wrong not those
blessed spirits with such vain thoughts; for God was
not pleased, nor his wrath appeased towards us till that
time: O sad time, yet pleasant time, the time of thy
most gracious dying: Sad, in respect of thy torments,
Oh blessed Saviour; yet pleasant in respect of the unexpressable
liberty, and endless happiness, which by thy
powerfull dying we obtain’d.
Oh Blessed Spirits, I cannot now thinke, that you
were displeas’d with us, for your nature doth so concur
with his will, that it cannot be opposite to it.
But yet God was angry; yea, to the very apprehension
of his onely Son, What else made him cry out so
grievously, “My God, Why hast thou forsaken mee?”
God was angry then with his Son, for us; you had reason
then of grief for him, not anger towards him: but
yet sure to see him angry with his Son, and to see his
onely Son so grievously tormented, you could not
but be mov’d, what then must move you? sure it could
be nothing, but our sins for which he suffered.
Oh you heavenly Spirits. I finde you rejoycing, when
we had our Saviour born, and sure you could not but rejoyce,
when the worke of our salvation was finished,
your joy was then intermingled with your sorrow,
if you be capable of sorrow, for you could not but sorrow,
to see your God so grievously to suffer; you could
not but rejoyce, to see that they on whom you attended,
should be so happy, that by his death they should
be admitted to injoy eternall life.
If you joy at our repentance, sure your joy at our
for-
E4r 65
forgivenesse, and then was the time of our forgivenesse
come, when he willingly yeelded up his life, that we
might live eternally, then was our debts paid, when as
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]y now glorified body, Oh Son of glory, was debar’d
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]the heavenly appearance, of thine eternall Godhead.
Yee blessed Angels, yee joyed in your sorrow, and
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]ot we, but our sins were hatefull to you, which were
the cause of his most grievous suffering.
More bitter then grim death could be,
My sin, my Lord was unto thee,
Because I sinn’d my Lord did dye,
Because he dy’d, hate sin will I.
On Earthly Love.
From thee, O Heaven of glorie flowes that celestiall
stream, that being taken hath power to make us
forgetfull of our earthly love, the which must vanish
and alone can set us free from those tormenting passions.
Thou sweet stream, having cur’d us of those distempered
passions, hast then the power to work in our
hearts a more peaceable and durable affection: earthly
affection, ever brings distemper, sometimes distraction;
but that sweet love, which thou O pearly fountain, raisest
in our breast, flameth in our hearts, peace, rest,
joy, and it worketh a perpetuall assurance of still injoying
what we love, wish, or can in heart desire.
My Lord! My soule is ravisht with the contemplation
of thy heavenly love; and I cannot chuse but infinitely
admire thy mercies to me thine unworthy servant;E4vant;
E4v 66
for grievous were the perturbations which I was
subject to, when I was infected with the poison-bane of
earthly affections, the which a time thou wert pleas’d to
let reigne and tyrannize in my brest, which like a
thorne in the flesh, not being drawne out, bu the hand
of art, lies throbbing and working torment, not onely
to the place where it hath taken up its abode, but brings
distemper to the whole body: So that unruly passion having
taken up his place in my heart, did not onely tyrannize
there, but wrought destraction in my Soul, and
bred distemper in my body; But blessed be thy Majestie
for that distemper; for in that time of my weaknes,
thou Oh all-powerfull hand, by thy most heavenly art,
didst draw from my heart that tormenting passion, and
by the addition of thy heavenly love, which thou didst
leave in the room thereof; thou repairedst in me the
breaches that that unrulie passion had made.
When I was sick I thought that I should dye,
I did mistake, ’twas earthly love, not I.
Hosea 2. 19.
My Contract.
My Lord! Doth not thy Majestie send thy messages
of love and favour, to those that will take hold of
them, and beleeve there shall be a performance of what
is promis’d, Thy Word tels us, “That they that beleeve in
thee shall have eternall life:” My Lord, I do beleeve it, and
that this Message, sent by thy royal Embassador, belongslongs
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to mee, aswell as to any other; [I will marry thee
to mee for ever] Thou art righteous and wilt perform it;
who would now refuse so great, and so good a King?
I disdain not marriage, I desire it with this great Prince,
who is the Prince of Kings, and at whose foot-stool they
must one day lay down all their Crowns, and bring in all
their riches at his command: The greatest of them must
confess they hold their Scepters of him, and to him they
must doe service, at his will. This is a Prince of such
exact perfection, that I cannot see any thing in him any
way to be dislik’t. When I consider any creature, I can
finde in it but little to be belov’d, but a great deal of
inconvenience with it, to be dislik’t; why then should
I set my minde on the creature of so little worth? and
not wholly have my minde intent on the Creator,
who alone is excellent. Most mighty Prince, I must
confess my self unworthy to be the least servant in the
Court of so magnificent a King; much lesse to be one
who shall have the honour to be marryed to thee; but
because I doe thinke my selfe unworthy of thee, shall I
be such a fool to refuse so great a fortune? No, I will
not. My Lord! I now challenge thy promise, for I doe
think thou hast prepared me a minde for thy selfe, for
thou madst me long since to be ambitious of perfection,
but when I saw it was not to bee obtain’d in this
world, how slightly did I esteem of all things in it?
thou having prepared my mind for thy self, by the dislike
of all imperfect creatures, and teh love of perfection,
Thou madst me to see a clear perfection in thy self, and
wrought in me a love to thee; and because I dare not
presume to the thoughts of possessing thee, thou seeing
my desires, sent that comfortable message to me, and
to all that doe sincerely love thee, that thou wil receive
as to thy selfe, and wilt marry us to thee for ever.
I being wedded to Heavens King,
As his blest Spouse must his praise sing.
The Soules Agitation.
My great and glorious God! In what a strange agitation
is my Soul, being assail’d by two contrary considerations;
the one of my heavenly bliss, in which thou
didst at first make me, and to which thou hast and wilt,
in the fulness of time againe restore me; the other of
the sordid and vile condition, in which I had by my rebellion
inwrapt my selfe. The thoughts of the first fils
me with a sweet contenting joy; the consideration of
the other with a hatefull detestation of my selfe; for
when I record in my minde, how thou at the first mad’st
me a creature of rare composition, one part of thine
owne divine spirit, the other of earth purified, by
thy heavenly art, and built up fit for a Temple for thy
divine greatnesse to inhabite; these thoughts fill me
with a pleasing contentment. But whjen the consideration
of my vile condition, in which by my too much
yeelding to please my earthly companion, comes into
my minde, I then hate my selfe, for I have thereby
made my self subject to all painfull diseases, yea, to
mortality, by my intemperance; for how justly might
I have pleas’d my selfe in the lawfull and temperate use
of all thy other creatures; and could not a whole world
of pleasures content us, but we must take that one forbidden?
My God! I am to my selfe, a hatefull creatnure,
how much more must I needs be to thee, whose
eyes can behold no impurity? but my dear Father look
on me as new arrai’d by thy blessed Son, the King of
Saints.
And to settle the disturbed motion of my mind, send
downe
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downe a beam from thy gloriuos divinity, that might so
inlighten the eyes of my Soul, that I might now behold
my selfe, as cloathed with thy self, fro thou wert pleas’d
to cloath thy divine nature with my mortality; that my
mortall nature might be made immortall, by being joyned
to thy divinity. My great God! these thoughts will
not onely take off my hatred from my self, but I fear, if
it be possible, make me too much love and admire my
selfe: but it cannot be; for that bright beame from
thee, makes me see my selfe, not but in thee, and
with these thoughts hast thou so rais’d my Soul beyond
what it was, that I see my self cloath’d with the bright
white robes of thy pure innocence; for thou knowest
no sin. I now look on my selfe as sacred, and on this
flesh as immortall, onely because it hath sported it selfe
with sin, after thou hadst made it purer then the common
earth; therefore in the earth must it be laid again to
be purified till it be fit to be new built up a glorious
structure for her divine companion: Then wilt thou
take us both up into thy glorious habitation, where we
shall not be capable of doing any thing that shall any
more cause us to part from our selves or thee.
I once immortall was Lord! made by thee,
I that bliss lost; But I againe it see
Restor’d with more, great Prince of Saints to me.
The Contempt of the World.
My Gracious God! Doe I offend thee, if I contemn
the world? I finde thy blest Apostle counting all
but
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but dung in respect of the knowledge of thee; then by
his example I hope I offend thee not; but yet, when I
consider it is thy workman-ship, which is most excellent,
and thou hast given it to the sons of men, I
cannot but call my thoughts in question with some suspition
of fear of offending thee; for my dear God! I
confess, that what I see most desired by people, for
themselves or for others, is to me most displeasing and
distastefull. My powerfull God! if I doe not offend
thee in it, still keep me in this minde; if I doe, root
out (as it is my daily prayer) this contempt, and all
things else that within me disliketh the pure eyes of
thy divine Majesty.
My Lord! Somewhart to clear my selfe to the world,
that I doe not offend in this point (for thou knowest my
heart) I doe not contemn any thing in it, as thinking
meanly of it, as thou hadst made it; My great God! thou
madest all things good at the beginning, but since the
making of them, the perfection of all things is much
changed. Our sins altered the purity of all things in the
world; then as it is made sordid, by our sins, I distaste
those odde things I see pleasing to the most.
But my Lord! This may draw me into another inconvenience,
and make some thinke, I thinke better of
my selfe then of others, for distasting those things sullyed
with sin; But I know thou wilt answer for me, that
I confess to thee that by nature I am sinfull, addicted to
love those things soyled by our sins; so that it doth not
make me think will of my self, but it makes me love and
admire thee the more; when I see thy abundant mercy
to me, in giving me a minde, so contrary to the most;
for I doubt not but thou hast made many in the world
as happy as thou hast made me, in giving them such a
minde; For my deare Father! What do they atchieve
when they attaine that here whihc they desire, a few
conveniences, accompanied with ten thousand troubles,
fears,
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fears, and distastefull cares; for I have often heard some
express, how happy they should be but for such and
such inconveniences, when I having food and raiment
sufficient, and possesse a heaven of felicity in thee, am
happy without a But.
The Royal Gods.
My Lord! With what a Title hast thou honored the
Kings of the earth: “I have said yee are Gods; and the
Children of the most high.” Thou hast given them that Title
their desires pretended too, to be Gods, and to be of
their race, they that knew not thee, my great God! nor
from what true immortall race they sprung; yet would
have the world think them to be of divine linage, and
themselves to be gods. And shall not wee, who know
from whom and by whom Kings reigne, think our Princes
to be as thy are stil’d by that great King, who set
them to reigne for him? God forbid, but that we should
so think of them, and they of themselves. He is the great
God of the world, and hath set them as lesser Gods under
him, to governe and protect that people over which
he hath plac’st them. The people must then honor their
King, as a God under him, not observe or adore him above
him; and hee must esteem himselfe as a God too!; if he
be of that great immortall race he will not degenerate,
but will be like to him: He will be like a fiery pillar in
the night of ignorance and darknesse, to direct them
which way they shall walk: and as a cloud in the day
of persecution, to keep them from the pursuing adversary:
he will my God with thee hide them under his
wings, and they shall be safe under his protection: hee
will be just too; punishing those who seek the destructionction
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of thine and his people. His bowels of mercy will
be extended, and he will not punish according to their
deserts; and rather then destruction shall come to
thine and their people, they will follow the example of
that renowned Prince, thy first-born Son, they will with
him a while leave their glory, and take up with him an
humble deportment, and cry with him, “Thy will be done
not mine”: They thus imitating thee, their great patterne,
shall be blessedt by thee with eternall renown, and crowned
by thee in immortal glory: bnut first thou hast said,
“They must dye like men.”
The Rule.
My Lord! What an infallible rule hast thou left us, to
know, whether we be thine or no; for if the preaching
of the Gospel of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, be to
us foolishnesse, and as a thing we delight not in, we may
justly feare we are to perissh: but it be esteem’d by
us the power and excellent wisdom of God, which delights
our hearts; we may be confident we shall be
sav’d; for the preaching of the Gospel is to them that
perish foolishnesse, but to us that are saved it is the power
of God, 1 Cor. 1.18.
Psalme 119. 165
The Soules Peace.
My great God! how often dost thonu make us to see,
and by experience to know the truth of thy most
sacred
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Sacred Word, ’tis great peace indeed, that they possesse
who love thy law: thou keepest them in such secure and
pleasant pavillions, that nothing shall ofifend them, they
must speak to thy praise, whom thou hast blest, and if I
have been thought too mean to speake in the praise of
an earthly King; My God, I cannot but confess my self
too mean, too ignorant to speak off, and in the praise of
the Majesty of Heaven.
But Oh thou greatest and highest Ruler of all the
Great on earth, under whose feet lye all their crownes of
Majesty: Thou hast told us thou art no respector of
persons, but thou acceptest of the prayers and praises
of thy meanest creatures. Then must my Soul speak to
the praise of thy Sacred Majesty, for the peace that thou
hast given mee, since the time that thou hast taught
mee to love thy Law; thou hast given me peace in
thee, thy blessed Son set me at peace with thee, and I
have such a peace in thee, that all the oppsition of the
world cannot take from me. I am at peace with thy servants,
I am sure they will not hurt me; I am at peace
with thy creatures, for thou hast made the stones, and
beasts of the field to be at league wtith them that feare
thy name; I passe by thy creatures, and thorow them
without fear, for they are at peace with me.
But canst thou my Soul say, thou thus possessest a happy
peace withall No, I cannot: for then they that have
sought to disturbe my peace, by their odd untruths, will
tell me, I said not ture: for I have seen and felt their
Arrows of uncivill war strike against my heart: But my
God thou hast so strongly arm’d it, that their arrows
have recoyl’d back, and not pierc’d my heart: How
can I chuse then most blessed and sweet singer of Israel
but speak in thy own words;
Great peace and rest shall all such have
As doe thy Statutes Love,
No danger shall their quiet state,
Impaire or once remove.
The Support.
My Lord! When in my young years, the consideration
of thy infinite mercies, had penetrated my
heart. I confess there was with it, an earnest desirein
me to doe or suffer something, whereby I might manifest
my love to thy Majesty, for those great unexpressable favours
that thou hast deigned to bestow on me thy unworthy
servant. But then had I no other thoughts in
me, but that if the contrary Religion (which then too
much abounded) had prevail’d, I then might have offered
up my life in flames, with devotion to mainifest my
love to thee: But now thou hast turn’d the tide, and
art pleas’d to suffer two great powers to rise, both professing
to maintain the truth of our Religion, so that now
thou hast taken off my thoughts for suffering so for
thy sake, but thou hast put me on another: My Lord!
I will not say worse for me: for whatsoever is done by
thee, with me or by me: I am confident, it is the best
and fittest for me, though death to some spirits be
easier to bear then reproachfull speeches: And I confesse
with impatience heretofore did my unruly Spirit,
detest reproachfull words, and thought a religious death
far better: For my Lord, thou knowest what reproaches
and slanderous speeches they are subject to, that professe
thy name, or declare thy mercies to them.
But let them now speak, and in their speech, declare
their
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their little love to thee my Lord, and their malice and
spite to thy children, thou shalt set my spirit beyond the
reach of their contempt, where with a holy contempt
with thee, I shall laugh such fools to scorne. And now
I dare not say, I am an ignorant woman, and unfit to
write, for if thou wilt declare thy goodness, and thy
mercy by weak and contemptible means, who can resist
thy will. My gracious God, I will be now so farre
from being unwilling to doe it, that I will not rest till
I have done it, for in all ages thou wilt not leave thy
selfe without a witnesse of thy mercy and goodnesse to
thy children, and therefore I will send out my words to
speak thy praise, and as thou hast made them comfort
to some troubled mindes, so I wish they may be to
more, when they shall see the truth of thy mercifull
dealing with me, and how thou hast fulfil’d the request of
my lipps; for there is not that thing in the world that
I can desire more, then what thou hast given to me.
For long since, my Lord, when thou hadst given me
.
sence to see, that no earthly thing though never so excellent
or pleasing could give us a perfect contentment,
then made I my prayer to thy divine Mahesty, that thou
wouldst be pleased to give me that which the world
could not give; and though I confesse I did then think
it was unpossible ver to possesse a true content in this
world, yet my dear Father, I must now aske thee pardon
for those misdoubting thoughts; for I have seen
thou canst give us a joy, and a true content, beyond the
expression of our souls, in this world; for when we
possesse thee with, and in thy creatures, we injoy a felicity
that fils our hearts with an unexspressable delight;
My Lord! when thou art pleased to manifest thy selfe
unto our souls, thou bringest all that can be desired.
Death that to some natures, the mention of it is bitter
Fto
F1v 76
to thine, thou makst it a pleasing companion, and with
paine thou makest them pleas’d and happy, and for
the bitter speeches of the world, which thy children
must heare, thou makst us to forget or contemne
them.
I must confesse to thy honour, my great King, that
thou makest me not to remember the bitternesse of this
life, thou answering me with such joyes in my heart,
and thus wilt thou at length, my gracious God, blesse
all thy children that with an upright minde, and a sincere
heart, doe earnestly seek their happinesse alone in
thee, and not from the world.
Psalme 85. 10.
The Perfume.
In thee most blessed Prince, are those two excellent
ingredients mix’d, which yeeld so sweet a sent to
the world, that no corrupted aire of our unsavoury enemy
is able to disperse. Thy most blessed body, the
sweetest and truest perfume that ever proceeded out of
the earth, was joyn’d with the odoriferous scent of
rigteousnesse from heaven. Blessed Ioseph, knew thy
perfect body needed not imbalming; That pure Balsam
that came from heaven at the beginning, kept thy
precious body from corruption.
On the crosse was all that that was to be suffered in
the body, finished, God would not suffer his holy one
to see corruption; truth made hast, and sprung the
third day from the earth, and righteousness shewed her
selfe from heaven; in thee met mercy and truth, righteousnesse
and peace there kissed each other. Now are
they
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they in thee conjoyn’d never againe to be separated.
’Tis not for ignorant man, seeing thou hast not reveal’d
it, to examine what thou didd’st with thy precious
soul, when thy body was in the grave. My Lord! I
will not search into those secrets, kept in thine owne
Cabinet: Thou hast reveal’d enough to confirme my
faith, and to make me happy. Thou hast told me, That
righteousunesse looked downe from heaven; I will not
expect thy coming from any other place.
The Acknowledgement.
My Omnipotent God, faine would I say something
to thee, but I am afraid. But shall my womanish
fear make thee loose thy glory; My God it must
not! Thy glory ust so dazle mine eyes, that I must
not regard the censure of the world.
And if thou, O all-seeing eye! seest ought of my
selfe, in what I write or say, restraine my hand from
writing, and my tongue from speaking; but if thy
glory be the intention of my heart, let not my hand and
tongue be asham’d to confesse that I cannot but see
those infinite blessings that thou hast bestowed on me,
which thou hast not as yet bestowed on all. My Lord!
I were a fool if I did not see them; I were a beast if I
did not acknowledge them; but thou hast taught me
to know the onely true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou
hast sent into the world, to take away my sins; this
wisdome given me by thee, inlightens mine eyes to see
thy blessings, and that I must not be like a beast which
receives many favours from thee, without acknowledgment;
Then with infinite thankes I doe acknowledge
to thy glory, thou hast inriched me with a multitude of
thy blessings.
And that I may know, that whatsoever is in me tending
to good, is from thee: there are times that I cannot
see any thing that hath any appearance of good in
me; for when, by thy mercies, I lay me down in peace to
take my rest, being happy in the consideration of thy
infinite mercies, I lay me down in peace to
take my rest, being happy in the consideration of thy
infinite mercies, and full of thy goodnes; yet in my
sleep I finde my thoughts busied in nothing but a multitude
of confused follies, and vaine imaginations, which
plainly represent to me my naturall condition; that by
nature I cannot think a good thought; but thou remembring
thy mercies in the morning againe, restorest
to me thy gifts and graces in which I was happy the
night before; So that thou makest me to lye downe in
peace, and to rise with joy, when I see that thou dost
each day renue to me thy heavenly gifts, for thou art
to me as thou art to all that fear thee, the light of my
eyes, the joy of my heart, and a Crowne of glory to my
head.
My Lord! shall not these blessings of thine be acknowledged
by me, to thy praise and glory? for fear
the world should say, I were proud of them: Most people
glory in something or other, and thou hast said,
Let them that glory, glory in the Lord. My God! thou
hast heard my prayer, that I leanrrnt of thy servant, that
thou wouldst give me a glorying heart, and now thou
makest me with him to rejoyce in the God of my Salvation.
My Lord! experience hath taught me to know,
that if I delight in earthly things, thou wilt take them
from me; for thou wilt not hvae thy children delight
in any thing more then in thy selfe. But if we love thee
thou wilt manifest thy selfe to us, and wilt give us more
full possession of thy desired selfe. But my beloved
Lord, if after the expression of my excessive joy, for
being thine, I shall through the frailty of mine owne nature,
and thy sufferance fall into any great transgression,
to make thee for a while to withdraw from em, the pleasingsing
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and joyfull light of thy countenance. My tender
Father, assure me that thou wilt againe restore me to
the joy of thy salvation here in this world, or thou wilt
in thy mercy take me to a more full pssession of thee
in the felicity of thy chosen, where I shall perpetually
rejoyce with thy children. But to make me carefull
of my selfe, let me remember thy warning, “Let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
The invincible Souldier.
My Lord, the Lord of Hosts; I being in sweet security
under thy banner, cannot but acknowledge
with thankes thy mercy to me, for the meanes that
brought me to this felicity. Thou art mercifull to
me in letting me to be borne of Parents, who were lifted
under thy command, and to be brought up by her that
did survive, who knew thy service was perfect freedom.
She that was happy in being a Souldier of thine, used
her authority by love, to bring her children under the
obedience of that Generall, whom she serv’d, and to
make me love him in my child-hood, whom her experience
had taught to love and admire; inforc’d me to
read his Royall story, wherein I might see his victorious
conquest, who was never foil’d. There did I see his enemies
had all their forces from him, wherewithall
they resisted him. His wisdome, his power, his valour,
stole into my heart a little desire to follow him. But
when I came to consider what a great Prince I should
serve, what impenetrable weapons and armour he had
provided for me to defend my self, what rewards he had
promis’d to give to all that did overcome; I began to
contemn the thoughts of servinc any but that victorious
Prince of glory. And seeing great God, thou hast
F3bid
F3v 80
bid us take that impenetrable armour. I will not willingly
ever goe without it. Then dear Prince bestow on
me the Girdle of Truth, and put on me the brest-plate
of thy Righteousnes, and let my feet be shod with the
Gospel of peace, and let me have the shield of Faith,
and set on my head the Helmet of Salvation, and instruct
me how to weild the Sword of the Spirit, and
when I am so arm’d, I shall not fear the fiery darts of
the assailing enemies, Though they be principalities, and
powers and rulers of darknes in this world; My Prince
whom I serve, is a Ruler of those Rulers, and will assist
me: yea the stars shall aid us in their courses against
our adversaries. That bright morning star shall arise on
our side, to enlighten us, and to dazle and afright our
weak-sighted resisters, with his exceeding brightness.
The sweet influence that flows from that over-ruling
star shall make us to renew our strength, each houre to
maintaine the battail: his gracious aspect will make all
his fighting Souldiers victorious Conquerors, and at the
length he will take them up into a Triumphant chariot
of glory, to raigne with him as Kings in his Kingdome
of immortall felicity, where he willplace on their head
a Crown of eternall glory.
On Eccles. 9. 7.
Goe eat thy bread with joy, &c.
My Dear Lord! with what a sweet and pleasing object
this morning hast thou presented mine eyes,
that they may deliver it to my heart, for to my heart,
thou art pleas’d to speak it, and if any shall aske if that
message was sent to me, I will aver it was, for they who
by
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by the hand of faith lay hold on the promises of God,
are and shall be partakers of those promises; My hand
presented that object to mine eyes, mine eyes delivered
it to my heart, my heart took hold of it by the hand of
faith; so that I may confidently say, It belongs both
to Soul and body; and now methinks I hear my God
saying to me, Go, But some may say, Goe is a word of
separation, and so he will say to those that shall for ever
be debar’d of his happy presence: but yet to me he
sayes, Go, but it is not from him, but with him, to that
blessed place from which Adam fell; and I am sure it
is not from him, but with him; for from him is hell,
but here is joy and gladnesse to my heart, and delicacy
of cloathing, and in his presence is th fulnesse of joy
and at his right hand is life everlasting. But did I say it
is to that place from which Adam fell; my thoughts
then hover’d too neer the earth; it is to heaven my
God bids me goe with ihim; for I must eat my bread
with joy, and drink my wine with a merry heart, and
let my garments be alwayes white, and my head must
want no odoriferous oyntment, for God accepts thy
workes.
My Lord! When I consider that those words were
spoken to those whose works thou acceptest: My confidence
is somewhat shaken; whether or no those words
were spoken to me, for thou art a God of pure eyes,
and canst not behold iniquity. I am a creature unclean,
defil’d with originall and actuall sin. How then canst
thou O God accept my workes, for unclean hands defile
what thy touch.
But stagger not my soul, nor doubt; for now to my
memory is presented, that to the house of David was a
fountain set open, for sin, and for uncleannsse: Hast
thee thither my soul, that thou maist be clean, for thou
needst not doubt, but that fountain belongs to thee;
for from eternity by election wert thou affianc’d to
F4him
F4v 82
him, that was to be the immortall son of David, and so
thou being of his linage, the priviledge of that fountain
must belong to thee: yea my Soule, thou hast heard
himselfe cry out; If any thirst let him come to him and
drinke, and out of him shall flow rivers of living water.
I wil not stay, but will hast and run to thee O blessed
fountain of life, and I will drinke abundantly of that desired
water, that shall make me capable of so great a
blisse, and purge me clean from my actuall and originall
pollutions, so that my God may accept my works, and
I goe with confidence to eat my bread and drinke my
wine with a merry heart.
But stay my Soul! dost thou thinke to run to heaven
in a full career of felicity and pleasure; thou canst
not but remember that the servants of God, have eaten
the bread of affliction, and drunke the wine of astonishment,
and mingled their drinke with their tears; this
was their portion heretofore; I confesse it was so, but
I finde in this message at (now) which cals to my minde
that there was a time when I could not do so; for when
I lay polluted in the deformity of my sins, and had my
hands foul with the poison of mine iniquities; ’tis no
wonder, if then our bread be the bread of affliction, and
our wine the wine of astonishment; and how can we
chuse but mingle our drinke with our tears, when we
feed our selves with those hands which we have washt in
poison? how can we chuse but thinke that that bread
must end us here, and carry us from a fearfull life in this
world to be tormented in a hideous place of misery for
ever.
On y God! How can they either eat or drink with
contentment, who have not first sought out that fountaine
wherein they may wash themselves clean from
that dreadfull poison: But my Sonul, I have heard thee
say, thou wouldst hast to that pure stream, and wash thee
cleane
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cleane from thine iniquities, and thou being clean, maist
now goe and possesse those free liberties.
My Soul, Thou must now flee to heaven, and there
eat that living bread, and drinke that wine of life, which
cannot be taken but with excessive joy, so that out of
them shall flow rivers of living waters; springs of joy
shall rise in thee, and streams of thanks and praise
shall flow from thee, to thy dear God, for his infinite
blessings; these will be to thee rivers of life.
And from heaven my soul maist thou take those white
garments with which thou maist always be cloath’d, for
his garments were white and glistering: then aske for
those robes of purity that are his, for thou maist be sure
thou shalt obtaine; and being cloath’d in those garments
thou needst not fear thou sholdst ever be found
naked or unseemly drest, for thou shalt be gloriously
habited, because God will make thy righteousnes in
him as clear as the light, and thy just dealing as the
noon day; and now my Soul thou loving and desiring
those garments of righteousnes, needst not fear that
thy head shall want any precious ointment; for if thou
with and in that great King, lovest right and hatest iniquity;
God, even thy God will annoint thee with the
oyle of gladnes.
And now my Soul, Thou seest the priviledges that are
presented to thee in this speech: but thou saidst erewhile,
it belonged to thy body too; I confesse it did,
but my thoughts were so taken up with the consideration
of the infinite felicity of my Soul, that I had almost
forgot my body; and truly did not the accord
to the action of my Soul, and desire with her onely to
be happy by the priviledges that adhere to her by reason
of my Soul, I would never seek to content her, nor
regard any priviledges that belongs to her, but she is
an assenting companion to my Soul, and an instrument
to convey the promises of God to her, and shall hereafterafter
F5v 84
be a perfect glorious companion with her in eternall
blisse, I will now regard the priviledges that belong
to her in this message: And though I thought that
place from which Adam fell too mean for the felicity of
my Soul, yet for my body it is a place sufficiently considerable;
and seeing the benefits that were lost by the
first Adam, are all, with many more restor’d to thee by
the second: My body, thou maist goe with my Soul,
and eat thy temporall bread with joy, and drinke thy
wine with a merry heart, and thy garments may be
pleasant and delighting, and thy head wand no odoriferous
ointment, for our bountiful and liberall God,
hath given us many creatures for pleasure with delight,
as well as for nefcessity; but ’tis with a restraint, our bodies
are of Adams race, we must not touch that which is
forbidden; thou maist use them all with an innocency,
not with any sinister end, or to thinke to make thy
selfe like a God, by them or with them; but thou
maist lawfully use them all to praise thy God, for them
and with them.
Thus my body, thou seest thou art happy with my
Soule, and my Soul is happy in thee, and you shall be
both glorious together in Heaven; and now my heart
can wish no greater blisse on earth, but my tongue must
ever say,
To my Great God all glory bee,
That gives such blessings unto me.
Ambition.
My Lord, I will not vainely desire to pry into thy Cabinet
of secrets, to finde out what was the reason,
why thou didst cast down those sometime bright Angels
in Heaven, now tormenting & tormented spirits in hel;
but I have heard that some have thought that it was for
having too ambitious and too high desires.
My Lord! Could their desires be rais’d higher then
are mine? for I confesse mine reach unto thy Throne;
Nothing will now satisfie me, but to be inthron’d with
thee in glory. I am grown so confident too, that I aver
those high desires in me to be lawfull, and know that
for them thou wilt not cast me from thee, but wilt inthrone
me with thee,
My Lord! I see ’tis dangerous to doe any thing in
thy service without a command, or a message from thee:
For I see many things done by thy command, blest with
felicity, when without, punisht with misery. I finde no
command given them for such desires; but methinkes
I hear that blest Apostle of thine, when returned from
his heavenly rapture, cals to me, and tels me from thee,
that I must see those things that are above, where
Christ sits at the right hand of God, and that my life is
hid in Christ with thee: so that now I seeking to attaine
my high desires, made lawfull by thy command, am not
onely placed on my Throne, by thee, but I am in thee,
and those rebellious Spirits that sought to obtain their
ambitious desires, without thy commands, are not onely
cast out of thy blessed presence, but also are for ever to
be tormented in eternall misery.
Now on thy Throne thou hast plac’st me,
Great God with thee,
No greater blisse can wished be,
My Lord by me.
I will set me downe and rest
Being so high blest.
My God! I will not doe good on earth to shine with
thee in glory: But because I will shine with thee
in glory, I will doe good on earth.
Upon Peters denyall.
Saint Peter! How well had it been, hadst thou spoke
and kept thy word; for why shouldst thou be offended
at thy good Master; he telling thee that himselfe
should be smitten, you should but be scattered: Had
he told you that you should be smitten, and he separated
from you, there might have been some reason, you
might have been offended; but when himselfe was to
be smitten, and for your sakes too, to secure you from
eternall destruction; Methinks the offence was taken on
the contrary side. But if in thy family, it was so taken,
thou strict Prince of perfection; no wonder if it be so in
families of looser libertie, and full of imperfection. I
doe not wonder to hear thee say, Thou wilt not be offended,
but I wonder that thou wert no over-joyed
to hear him telling thee, that for all heshould so suffer,
yet he would after he was risen, goe before you into
Galilee,
F7r 87
Galilee. Methinks, I should hear you filling the world
with songs of thanks-giving, for joy of that Kingdome
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]e hath promised you, from his Father, and for the assurance
he gave you of his resurrection; rather then hear
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]ee denying such a powerfull and loving Master, with
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]athes. My Lord! Let me, with him, not be ashamed
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]professe thee; but keep me from the shame of denying
thee, or if thou maist gain glory by my fall, give
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]e with him, abundance of teares, and a heart and
tongue to confesse my fault to thee, and to the world,
that thou and they may see with him, my repentance.
My Redemption acknowledged.
My Lord! Hast thou spoken it, and shall it not be
performed? It is impossible? Thou the Ruler of
all the world, hast by thy blessed Prophet, bid, that
they which are redeemed by the Lord, declare with
praise, how he hath redeemed them from the hand of
the oppressor, rather then thy word should not be fulfill’d
to thy faithful friend; Thou wilt raise him children
out of the dust of the earth, rather then this command
not be performed, thou wilt raise me who am as one out
of the dust to be one of them, that must declare with
praise, how thou hast delivered me from the hands of
mine enemies. And though I finde it a thing now adays
done but by a few and so by doing it, may make my
self a wonder, and ridiculous to the world, and some other
womanish reasons, that might detaine me ftrom it;
yet I cannot but know thou hast redeemed me, and I
must confesse, it was thou alone, my great God, that
hast done it, for it was none but the great God, and
Ruler of the world, that could deliver me out of the
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]ands of that great enemy of mine, and of all man kind;
that
F7v 88
that Prince that rules in the aire, who goes about like
roaring Lyon, seeking each minute to devour us: O[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one word]
of the arms and power of that fiery enemy, hast the
unparalel’d Conqueror delivered me, else had I bee[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]
led captive to his will; For that great deliverance [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
thine, my Soul shall render thee continuall praise: [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
was thou, O great Prince of life and death, that trium
phed over death, thou only canst deliver me from the
feare of death, and make me imbrace it with a Heaven
of contentment. It is onely thou my Lord, who alo[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
dost arise to them that fear thy name, with healing i[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]
thy wings, canst, and hast cur’d me of, (to man) uncurable
diseases. Thou hast cur’d me too of the plague of
my own heart.
No Conqueror did Conquer ought,
But o’re what Death had power,
Thou Conqueror hast Conquer’d Death,
Which Conquer’d us each houre.
Psalme
Thou hast compast me about with Songs of
Deliverance.
Blessed King! Well maist thou say, Thou shouldst be
compast about with Songs of deliverance, when th[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]
Lord of Hosts was thy hiding place; with him are n[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]
Complainers; in his presence is nothing but joy; those
that are under the protection of his pleasant wings, can
not but have their hearts full of excessive joy, which
move
F8r 89
moves their tongues to sing songs of praises and thanksgiving
to their great and powerfull protector for delivering
them out of all their troubles; needs must thou
be compassed about with Songs of delight, thou couldst
not chuse but sing thy Self too, those Songs thou diddest
teach to thy chief Singers; that they might inclose
thee in the sweet aire of delighting praises, and
with thee my Soule must desire to sing, when with thee
I am so protected.
Saint Stephen.
God can make our faces to shine like Angels to daunt
our enemies; and he here can make us to see his
face to shine in glory, to comfort our Souls: Why
then should we fear our fiercest enemies; why then
should we not be confident of the aide of our loving
and powerfull God.
Thy blessed power is like thy Light,
But our frail fear is like our night.
My Soul being plac’;st on the wings of contemplation,
with them raises me to the Regions of felicity.
The foundation and felicity
My great God! Thou that hast aided me in laying the
foundation of assurance, assist me still now towring
in
F8v 90
in the turrets of contentment; and let all know that
they can never with safety ascend the turrets of delighting
contentment; if they have not first laid the
true foundation of assurance.
Upon the Temptation of the doubting of
Heaven.
My Soul! Though that subtle enemy of thine, and
of all men, doe seek to seduce thee, by his insinuating
perswasions, to doubt of that unexpressable and
immortall felicity of thy Soul and body: yet my Soule,
faint not! For if the holy Writ be true, thy felicity is
certaine; the which my gracious God I doe most
confidently believe, to be the written word of the
God of all the world, by whose word and will, I, and
this Fabrick were created; though that pernicious
enemy, seeks to perswade me that it is a fancy of a studious
braine, and writ to keep people in awe to human
obedience. And because nothing doth please our Souls,
but the thoughts of eternall blisse, nor afright them,
but the dread of eternall punishment, therefore have
they fained a heaven for reward of the vertuous, and a
hell for punishment of the disobedient; and that those
felicities, of which I have written, are but fictions of my
owne braine, and somewhat like they that invented it,
and partly taken out of it.
But my gracious God, keep me, that I fall not by
these temptations, but let me know why he is, and hath
been so busie in drawing me to doubt of thy being, and
of that glorious heaven, which I do notwithstanding his
temptations, believe I shall possesse with thee.
My God is it to drraw me to a loose liberty of my life,
and
G1r 91
and so by disobeying thee, I might live n fear of being
cast out of thy favour to eternall punishment? if so!
I will tell him, that he may cease his labour: for if that
which I beleeve to be the holy word of God, be a fancy
of any braine, it is so just and pleasing to my soul, that
with all my power and might; I will endeavour to lead
my life according to the direction of that exact and royall
Law; and so hatefull is any thing to me that is contrary
to it, that when thorow my frailty I doe what in
it is forbidden, I am hatefull to my selfe, till I am assured
that that offence be washed from me, and that
something within me assures me, that the breach of that
transgression, is pardon’d. This is a strong argument to
me against that temptation, and of the divinity and eternity
of my Soul; for if my Soul were not to be eternally
either happy or miserable, why should the expectation
of eternall misery, trouble me, and the assurance
of eternall blisse so exceedingly joy me. Tempter
goe! Reason and experience teacheth us to see, that
likenesse breeds love; our Souls, our minds (for such
things there are) can never love nor delight in what is
not; but our Souls affect eternall glory, then sure such
a thing there is: but be it so, or be it not, such a thing
is presented to our consideration, and if I am not to
live a life of eternall blisse hereafter; yet for the happinesse
of my present life, I will so neer as I can run in
the paths that lead to that heaven, which I so much affect,
that I might live with a confident hope that I shall
possesse it, for nothing can trnuely satisfie my Soul, but
a heaven of eternity, and with these thoughts I can live
on earth in a heaven of felicity.
Tempter! Thou art like to loose thy labour, for I
must take up that resolution, not to live a sensuall and
vicious life; for if I have no grace, such a life is hatefull
to my disposition, and such a life would not I live,
were there no God to give blessednesse, or no Devil to
Gtormeut.
G1v 91
torment. But one thing more I have now to tell thee;
I in the Sanctuary of the great God of all the world,
presenting my petitions to him, that by something I
might be assur’d that thy wicked suggestions to make
me doubt of his being, were false, I was directed to
consider the glorious Sun, which then shined bright in
mine eyes; so that I plainly see, that great God, of
whose being thou wouldst have me doubt, doth aid and
assist me against thy wicked temptations: for it cannot
be but a great God, that can make and governe so
glorious and so great a light, the God that made that,
made me; that God I did offend in my first parents,
and since in my owne person, but to him am reconciled
in his first borne Son Jersus Christ, who is God and
man, and for his sake shall I possesse a Kingdome of felicity
here, and at the last a Kingdome of eternall glory.
On the Sun-rising.
Ass the appearance of the Sun-beams, disperseth the
clouds of darkness, which brings sadness to the
earth: so let the bright shining beams of thy Spirit, O
heavenly Son of light disperse the clouds of darke despairing
thoughts and vaine imaginations, the which
do darken the brightness of my Soul, and bring sadness
to my heart. Let them purifie and raise my minde, that
I may still be singing praise, and let me ever say.
To my great God all glory be,
Who makes his light to shine on me.
Heaven upon Earth.
My Lord! Though thou wilt not take me from earth
to live in Heaven with thee; yet thou comming
from heaven to live on earth with me, makes me on
earth to live in heaven with thee.
The Temple.
My God! Is my body the Temple of the Holy Ghost?
What Palace can there be in this small Fabrick, fit
to entertaine so great a Prince; yet thou hast said, If
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word] love thee, thy Father will love them, and thou, and
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one word]e, and thy holy spirit, which cannotbe separated
from thee, will come and make thy abode with him.
My Lord and King! thou knowest I love thee, for
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one word]ng since I was willing to have left the world, and all
the blessings that thou hast given me in it, to have
gone to live with thee: but what talke I, leaving the
world to come to live with thee. Thou art come into
the world to live with mee and in me. But my great
Lord, where in me, shall I finde thee; hast thou inthron’d
thy selfe in my heart, give me then thy assistance,
that no proud imagination, for my own greatnes,
may arise to disinthrone thee, and make the distaste
that habitation; but be thou in my heart, ever attended
by sweet humility and humble obedience. Let all
the members of my body be imployed in thy service;
Let my hands administer to thy Saints, and not stretcht
out to covetousnesse. Let my feet be swift to run in
the wayes of thy commandements, and not to shed innocent blood: or if in thy head thou hast taken up thy
G2
seat,
G2v 94
seat, there let the humility attend on thee too, or I shall
fear thou wilt goe from me; for thou resistest [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
proud: but though thou beest high, and instabitest etternity,
yet thou, O great Prince will dwell with the
humble. Then in my head, and in all that belong to[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
doe thou finde humble obedience, that there I might
retaine thee. Let not mine eyes have any proud look
nor be windows to lett in vanity, but let them be e[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one word]
looking to the hils from whence cometh my salvation.
Let not my tongue which thou hast given me to serve
thee, be imployed to back-bite or defame any th[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
least of thy children, or any one; for how know I who are
thine, or who not, but let my tongue be ever speaking
to thy praise and glory; and let the words of mou[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
be acceptable in thy sight; nor let mine ears listen [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
any idle or unseemly discourse, that may displease the
divinet Majesty, aund let my nostrils be ever filled with
the sweet savour that comes from thy heavenly garments:
So if all the faculties of my body be imployed
by my Soul, humble to serve thee, I shall live and expresse
a glorying heart, beacuse I know this body is the
Temple of the Deity.
Then where I am a Heaven must be,
For thou dost bring a Heaven with thee.
The true Object of Love.
My Lord! When thou wert pleas’d to take my
thoughts quite off from the world, I was directed
to regard that place, wher ethou bidst us cease from
man, for wherein is he to be accounted of, for his breath
is in his nostrils, yet he a creature after thine owne image,
and the excellentest of allthy workman ship on
earth yet this rare creature, his love, his hatred not to
be regarded, for thou canst in an instant take away tha[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]
thin
G3r 95
thin fume of life, and then what power hath he to love
or hate. My Lord! He is indeed a most contemptible
creature in respect of thee. But when my Soul enters
into the consideration of thy greatnesse and deep a-
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]isse of thy endlesse power and mercy. My Soul is struck
dumbe, and knows not what to say, but silence giving
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]e opportunity to consider of thy infinite love to me,
power, forme, beauty and excellency, in, and about
thee; my Soul is wounded with a deep affection towards
thee, and love cannot, will not be silent: And
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone letter]ow my great and powerfull God, was it not enough
for thee, to make so great and beautifull a structure for
me, and for all men; but when I had run from thee,
by my disobedience into the territories and tormenting
arms of my enemy, for thee, O most glorious Prince
of eternall blisse, to leave thy Kingdome where thou
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word] attended by a multitude of bright Angels, and
blessed Saints, which continually sing thy praises with
their heavenly voices; for thee to leave such transcendent
delights, to take on thee my frail flesh, and come
to me, and subject thy sselfe to all the contempts that
an inssulting enemy could impose: had not this been
enough to have manifested an unanswerable love to so
contemptible a creature, but thou, My dear Prince!
who wouldest set a perfect patterne of humility and
love, for al that were thine to follow for love to me,
thou wert content to dye, and the most painfull and ignominious
death that could be inflicted on the meanest
person: Thou who wert serv’d by all the world, was
pleas’d thus to serve for me, and to dye, to save me from
eternall death; and before I knew into what tormenting
habitation I had plung’d my selfe by my rebellion,
thou wert pleas’d to declare to me how thou hadst redeem’d
me out of those most cruel inthralments, by
thy willingly yeeldng to dye for me; for none could
have power, O great Prince of Heaven and earth, to
G3
have
G3v 96
have taken away thy life, hadst thou not laid it down
of thine owne accord thou wert please to tell me too
though I live here among thy enemies and mine, yet I
should not be afraid of them, for they can but kill my
body, and that too not without thy leave, for none can
take thy children out of thy hand, unlesse thou are
pleas’d to deliver them into the hand of their persecutors,
and by that fiery Chariot to convey us to that immortall
Kingdome, which thou hast promised to those
that beleeve on thee; where we shall receive from thy
hand the beautifull Crowne of our eternall glory. Oh
my God! Who can chuse but be ravisht with thy unf[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately three letters]
dom’d mercy, and unexpressable love to thy poor, yet
by thee inriched creatures. My dear Prince! What
shall I doe, to let all the world know what engagements
my Soul hath to thee. I do wish it were in my
power, as in my desires, that all the world may sing Hallalujahs
to thee for the saving of my Soul from that
cruel adversary, and for the glory that thou wilt inve[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately three letters]
her in, and that they would sing publick praises unto
thee, for thy mercies to themselves too: would th[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
were their imployment, then should not they service be
so much slighted, nor thy name so much dishonoured
nor thy servants so much contemn’d; But
Let them sing praise to thy name,
Whom thou hast blest,
And kept their Souls from endlesse paine
And plac’st in rest.
Thou hast me kept from hellish paine,
And plac’st in rest.
How can I chuse but praise thy name
When I’me so blest.
Rom.12.1.
My Lord! I cannot plead ignorance, for I must confesse
I have often read it, and knew that I was to
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately four letters]er up my self a living sacrifice to thy Majesty, and to
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately four letters]e my selfe wholly to thy disposing, and not to have
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]y sequsstred thoughts from thee, dedicated to mine
own ends, in either my actions, words or thoughts: but
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]dear Father, I now plainly see the necessity of entring
to thy Courts, to hear thee, most gracious Prince
speake to us by thy Embassadors; And I, nor any other
ought to say; what should I go thither, to hear a man
tell me, but what I knew before? But my Lord, thy Ordinances
are powerful, and thou workest more effectually
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]our hearts for the most part, by the preaching of
thy word from them, then by our own reading and study,
and now I begin to suspect, I have not offered up my
life so exactly to thee, as I should; for me thought
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]besought me from thee, to offer up my self a living
sacrifice, wholly and acceptable to thee, My Lord! I
have hertofore long since given my selfe to thee by
piecemeals; but I fear reserving something from thee,
and if offering my selfe wholly to thee, he but a reasonoble
serving of thee, sure when I reserved any thing
from thee, that service was contemptible: But gracious
Father, pardon all that heretofore I have done amisse
in they service, for now I doe give up my selfe
wholly to thee; But how shall I dare to say my self, I
[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately one letter]are not appeareby my selfe in thy presence, yet with,
and in my self I may; Thou hast thaught me out of thy
royall story, to know that thou hast given me that
Princely Son of thine, I cannot chuse but accept so
rich a present; then seeing he is mine, and I am his, I
am confident to present my selfe to thee, with and in
him;
G4v 98
him; My Lord, thou canst not but take the care[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
me, now I have given my selfe wholly to thee; t[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately three letters]
gracious Father let me live without fear of falling f[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately three letters]
thee; for if I fall from thee, wilt not thou loose p[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately three letters]
of thy glory? My Lord, I know it stands not w[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately three letters]
thine honour to let that perish which is committed [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
to thy hands; then sith I have commited my self wholly
to thee, let me with confidence sit downe and re[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately three letters]
and fear no evill,
For nothing all ill I shall be free,
Sure nothing can be ill to me.
Upon Adams fall.
My Dear God! did thy Majesty make Adam wi[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
before he fell, then any man; or hast thou fi[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
his fall given man the gift of Faith, or had he no need
of Faith, or did Adam not belleve thee the maker [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
all things, so much as we beleeve each other? So
Adam did not beleeve thee, when thou toldst him th[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
the day he should not eat of that tree, he should dye t[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
death. We thinke men wise when they avoid what [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
told them will hurt them. I find Adam not so wise
and if one tells us Mercnury will cause our death, [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
that are called the depraved Sons of Adam, will not eat
it, of we be in our right senses, though the purenesse [Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionone word]
the colour may tempt us, and it be only a mortal
man that tels us so, who neither made it, nor ever
try’d it. Adam beleev’d not the O Lord, who made
that tree, and gavest the nature to it; O Adam, wh[Gap in transcription—flawed-reproductionapproximately two letters]
made thee to eat of that tree, hadst thou not this great
world full of all pleasures to content thee, a beautiful
healthfull active body, a minde indued with all excellent
and pleasing knowledge: No where couldst thou
cast thine eye but it had pleasing objects: nothing
could
G5r 99
couldst thou tast, but it was delicious; no troubled mind,
no distracted thoughts, to take thee one minute, from
these delights, or cause thee to wish a change. Oh what
then was it? But now I must check my selfe; Great
God pardon me, I now sin with Adam, whiles I am inquiring
why Adam sinn’d: he would know what he
should not, I what I cannot; Thou hadst made him
so wise as was sufficient for any mortall man; and hadst
given him such qualities of his Soul as were requisite to
have made him for ever happy, in that blessed condition.
Frail Adam, I will no more examine, whether
thou hadst faith or no, or whether thou didst thinke to
have been happier by what was kept from thee, then
in possessing what was so plentifully given to thee.
Great God, I will content my self to know whou hadst
made him at first in a happy condition, and us so in
him; and will be patient now I see my selfe in a worse:
because thou hast given me faith to beleeve I shall be
in a better. And as Adam made himselfe unhappy by
expecting to be happier; So I shall be more happy
by beleeving I shall be gloriously perfect hereafter.
Security in Danger.
My Lord! When with that blessed servant of thine
I send up to thee my petitions for security against
those that rise up against us; Let us receive his assurance
that thou hearest me out of thy holy hill, and
let me say with him, I will lay me downe and also sleep
in peace, for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety.
I will not be afraid, of ten thousand of people, that
should beset me round about; for seeing it hath pleas’d
thee to let me be in a Kingdome of division, though
blessed be thy name who hath yet preserv’d me, I am
now in a place of peace, yet for ought I know I might to
morrow
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morrow be incompassed with ten thousand enemies,
though not to me in particular, yet to those among
whom I am now in safety: But if thou art pleas’d I
shall be so inclos’d, then let not me be afraid of them,
shr thou canst preserve me, either by destroying those
that would harme me, or by letting me finde favour in
the sight of mine enemies, or by their hands canst thou
send me to thy blessed Tabernacle of security, where I
shall never need any more to send up prayers for deliverance,
but shall alwayes sing praises to thee, for having
so many wayes to deliver me.
And so all fear I now may bid adieu,
Goe enemies, I’me secur’d from you.
The Royall Priest-hood.
Peace! Present now no more to me (to take my spirit
from the height of felicity) that I am a creature
of a weaker sex, a woman. For my God! If I must
live after the example of thy blessed Apostle, I must
live by faith, and faith makes things to come, as present;
and thou hast said by thy servant, that we shall be like
thy blessed Son: then thou wilt make all thy people
as Kings and Priests. Kings are men, and men are Kings;
And Souls have no sex; the hidden man of the heart,
makes us capable of being Kings; for I have heard it is
that within makes the man; then are we by election
capable of as great a dignity as any mortall man; But
thoughts of mortals! now Adiue; I will close the
eyes of my Soul, to mortality, and will not open them
but to eternity; seeing that by thy grace and faith in
thee, thou hast made us partaker of thy divine nature,
by thy assistance I will live by faith; I will no more
now
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now see my self as mortall, but as an immortall King
will I begin to live, that hidden man never dies, but
when mine immortall King, that plac’st me in this Kingdome
of felicity with him; shall see it fit time, he will
raise me on a triumphant Chariot, compos’d of the
wings of bright Angel, to his immortall Kingdome of
Glory, where I shall reigne with him for all eternity,
and never more desire to change. Aund as a Royall
Priest must I be to thee; ever offering up the sweet
incense of my praises to thy divine Majesty, for thy infinite
mercies to me, thy unworthy servant.
The secure Pavillion.
My God, Thy children need not now pray that
those lips may be put to silence that speak grievonus
things against them; they have long since had a freind,
and thou a servant, that sent up his petitions to thee
for that, and as if he had been ravisht with a present answer
from thee, he cryes out; O how great is thy goodnesse,
that thou hast laid up in store for them that fear
thee, before the Sons of men, that would dishonour
thy servants. And now he hath brought us so pleasing
a message from thee, that it is no wonder if we with
disregard slight those unsavory words which we hear.
And now look here all you who shall any way slight or
annoy his children, by your odd speeches; they are
plac’st above your reach, for God will hide them in
the secret of his presence, from the pride of men, he
will keep them secretly in his Pavilion, from the strife
of tongues, you may shoot, but your aime must be above
your head, if you think to hit them, and when
you have shot, your arrows cannot reach them, but they
may light where you would not have them, on your
own heads.
A Question.
My God! What businesse on earth is worth detaining
a Soul from Heaven, that is prepar’d with desire
to come from earth, to live in heaven with thee.
Palmer! Why told you me, God hath something
here remarkable for mee to doe, before I leave the
earth; else could I have laid down my head each
night, with expectation of a mornings rise in heaven;
now I doe lay it downe onely with a contenting joy,
that I am his, and that when his will is done with me,
or by me here; I shall then goe to possesse that Heavenn
which onely can content the desire of my immortall
Soul: Had you not told me so, I might have hop’d
that excessive joy, for the glory which I shall possesse,
might have rais’d me to that blisse to which I doe aspire.
My God, my Soul breaths after thee, and cannot
be satisfied, till she comes to a full possession of
thee.
Lord, what on earth can there be done by mee,
Worth keeping here, my longing Soul from thee.
Wings my Doves you have now obtain’d
To flee to that Invincible Rock
Where you may hide you safe
In those Clifts of Security
From your Malignant Enemies,
Who may flee after you.
And think to graspe you,
And so to hurt you,
But they cannot.
But you may without any gaul tell them,
You are plac’d beyond their envies reach,
And with that blest Apostle may say
’Tis a small matter for me to be judg’d
By you, or of mans judgement
The Lord is Judge of all;
He judgeth me, and I
Am safe under
His powerfull Wings.