THE CHRISTIANS SPIRITUAL CONFLICT. Derived from Scripture by a Learned Divine.
[1]
MUse oft from whence thou cam'st, but blushing muse:
Psal. 51. 5. 84. 3.
Gen. 3. 19.
Rev. 20. 12.
Eccles. 2.
Eccles. 12. 7.
Matth 13. 41, 42, 43.
Revelat. 14. 13.
Revelat. 20. 5.
From Dust thou cam'st, to dust thou must return.
Muse oft where go thou must, but trembling Muse:
What! cause to joy, sure cause thou hast to mourn:
Thy Soul from God it came, and must return
In Heaven to rest, and joy, or in Hell burn.
[2]
Death certain is, and never fails his part:
Gen. 6. 3.
Iob 14. 1,
&c. Isa. 40. 6.
Luk. 12. 46.
Mat. 24. 36.
Mark. 13. 32. 1
King. 15. 14. 2
King. 18. 3. 22.
Psa. 1. 2. 119.
Mat 16. 18.
Rev 14. 13.
Psa. 37. 37. 1
Ioh. 3. 20, 21.
The Day's uncertain; more the Hour, and Way:
If thou the Lord hast serv'd with perfect heart,
Nor Hell, not Death, then may thee much dismay.
Against all Cares, yea Death, or what's term'd grief,
A well led life's, a sure and sweet relief.
[3]
Thy humble Soul do wicked thoughts molest;
Mat. 4 1.
Rom. 7. 18, 19 1
Cor. 10 13. 2
Tim. 1. 3. 12
Iam. 1. 2. 12.
Heb. 2. 18. 12.
Chap. 1, 2, 3.
Rev. 7. 14.
In pleniorem satisfactionem vide Perkins Case, page 94.
Why? this is Satans Sin, if no consent
To them thou givest, but wholly to detest
And eke abhorr them all, thine heart is bent:
Let them as freely go, as they do come,
The more thou striv'st, the more they'l prove irksome.
[4]
With Sins presumptuous, though they Soul be gored,
Mat. 12. 31. 2
Chr. 33. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Iob. 6. 4. 13. 26. 10. 9.
Ps. 6. 77. 31. 22.
Mat. 18. 22. 9. 12, 13.
Luk. 4. 18. 2
Cor. 5. 20.
Mark 9. 23.
Act. 2 38.
Mat. 3. 8.
Mark. 1. 4.
Prov. 24. 16.
Luk 13. 27.
Ioh. 5. 14.
Or though Despair by fits thy Soul hath seized;
Yea, or Relapse, dangerous to be deplored,
By Faith, and Sorrow, God may be appeased.
To err and fall is common and humane.
But to persist War, that's a divilish strain.
[5]
Then be not Faithless, nor in Sins persist,
Ioh. 20. 27.
Heb. 11. 6.
Ier. 3. 23.
in the Lam. Act. 2. 38. 2
Tim. 2, 19.
Isa. 57. 15.
Luk. 15. 12.
Ʋsque ad finem Prov. 28. 13.
Ezek. 18. 21.
With his, his Mercy God renews each morn,
Be penitent, from all thy Sins desist:
If truly grieved, then ne'r thou art forlorn.
A fit of Sorrows, but a fit not right,
Repentance, but amendment's Gods delight.
[6]
Serve thou the Lord with pure and perfect will,
1
Sam. 30 6. 26.
Rom. 8. 28.
Ezek 43. 7, 8.
Iosh. 7. 10, 11, 12. 2
Sam. 11. 27. 12. 1. 14.
Psal. 32. 3, 4, 5.
Iam. 2. 10.
Ioh. 9. 31.
Ioh. 3. 22.
Whatsoe'r befals thee, then count it for best:
But if that thou persist in ought that's ill,
Till thou forsake it, never look for rest.
If thou but walk in one of Satans Wayes,
So long thou doest Eclipse
Iehovahs rayes.
[7]
Else seventy seven times, though thou sin'st or more,
Matth. 18. 22, 23. 2
Chron. 23. 9. 10.
Isa. 1. 18.
Rom. 5. 20.
Ioh. 1. 29.
Iob. 19. 34.
Ioh. 16. 26.
Matth. 1. 21.
And eke in Sin hast swom, as in a flood;
Where Sin abounds, there Grace abounds much more,
A world of Sin is cleans'd by Christs dear blood:
Behold it streaming forth with Arms out-spread,
Thy Mediator, Saviour, and Head.
[8]
Recal to mind how God hath been thy friend,
Psal. 77. 10.
Io. 10. 29.
Heb. 13. 6.
Isa. 49 15.
Ezek. 18. 21, 22.
Psal. 19. 13. 1
Cor. 19. 9. 10.
Numb. 14. 45.
Ez. 18 24.
God ne're his Glory will give to another.
Whom God once loves, he loves unto the end.
Sin, nor Satan, can his Grace quite smother.
Presume not yet, nor tempt the Lord on high,
Lest as the Tree that falls, block-like thou lie.
[9]
Unfeign'd Desire, haste thou to cry and moan,
Psal. 10. 17. 145. 19.
Eze. 9. 4.
Psal. 34. 18. 102. 20.
Io. 7. 37.
Rom. 8. 26.
Isa. 55. 1, 2, 3.
Perkins Case 60.
foll. 167. 2
Cor. 8. 12.
To grieve for Sin, in Christ for to believe.
Can'st Pray? or, Can'st thou not? Can'st sigh, can'st groan?
Of all thy Sins then thou thy self may'st shrieve.
Thy honest mind for deed, will be repute,
Blot out thy sins, and never them impute.
[10]
Do'st love a man, because he loves the Lord?
1
Io. 3. 14.
Matth. 10. 41.
Luke 10. 6.
Coll. 3. 14.
Perkins Case, foll. 107.
Isa. 43. 25.
Mich 7. 18, 19.
Mark 3. 16, 17.
Why? this is Grace; as in a fading Tree,
There's life, if but one Branch her juyce afford.
So in a Soul distrest if Charity;
For God accepts what's his, remitting thine;
So much his Soul to his, still doth incline.
[11]
So though they Sins in dreadful tropes appear,
Isa. 55. 7.
Matth. 11 28.
Isa. 4. 10.
Psal. 34. 9.
Isa. 57. 15.
Matth. 11. 29.
Isa. 4. 7. 1. 12. 1
Pet. 1. 6, 7.
Draw neer unto thy God, the humble Soul
He dwells with, to revive, and for to chear.
If thou do'st seek him, Satan he'l controule;
What though he hides his face, his seal is sure,
'Twas but to try thee, if thy Faith endure.
[12]
Be humble, yet despair not though he hide
Matth. 5. 3.
Isa. 4. 6.
Psal. 22. 2. 69. 3.
Ephes. 6. 18.
Matth 4. 17.
Isa. 62. 6, 7.
Heb. 13. 16.
Matth. 9. 23.
Perkins Case, foll. 101.
His face till death, his Grace stands sure for aye;
Believe, repent, amend, praying abide,
Then can he never leave thee, though delay:
Impenitent faithless hearts debar Gods face,
Else all thy Sins cannot exclude his Grace.
[13]
Exclude then by thoughts, limit not the Lord,
Isa. 1. 2.
Ephes. 6. 13. 16.
Psal. 145. 9. 1
Cor. 10. 13. 2
Cor. 12. 19.
Heb. 2. 18.
Matth. 9. 12, 13.
Acts, 10. 43.
Acts, 4. 12.
Rev. 22. 17.
Heb. 11. 4, 5, 6.
For this, or that Sin, whatsoe'r thy grief;
Sufficient is his Grace, and will afford,
In all distress, some comfort and relief.
Take hold on Christ, on any terms whatsoe'r
If thou him lose, then thou art lost for e'r.
FINIS.