The Introduction.
BEfore that
Light or
Darkness did Appear,
When th' Earth lay void, and all things now in't were
As nothing, then
Iehovah, fashioned all;
By th'
Word Created hee both great and small;
The
Sun, Moon, Stars, and all i'th' Heavens be,
The
Day, the
Night, the
Dry Land, and the
Sea;
The Lord
Iehovah, hath all these things made,
Yea, they were formed by the
Word, He said.
But when made God, the Heavens, Earth, and Light,
'Twas i'th' beginning, as doth
Moses write.
By th' Word
Beginning, we must understand,
Not from Eternity, God made the Land,
Or ought therein, but first of all, before
Fishes did swim or
Fowls i'th' Air soare,
That is, before God did create the
Whale,
Which is the first of all things Animale,
'Twan't from Eternity the World was made,
But then when time, its first beginning had.
And why did
Moses write, and thus declare
To us, that these things i'th' beginning were?
First, to confute, or that we might not be
Deceiv'd by those maintain its Eternitie;
For if that People seriously do mind
To know the Truth, i'th' Scriptures they may find,
That from
Eternity, Eternal none
Is, but
Iehovah, who's the
Holy Oue,
Although 'tis so, that World to come, we say,
Is without End; yet this World goes away,
And as some say, that what e're had beginning,
As had this World, must also have an ending.
Some do not stick, to say,
A Generation
Of men there were, before Adam's
Creation,
And that
there was a World, before was he,
If we them credit, and no further see,
Or rather unto
Moses Writings may
Incline our Ears to hear what he doth say
Concerning the Creation of Mankind:
The first man, God created, (as we find)
Was
Adam, unto whom Dominion he
Had given him, o're
Birds, Beasts, and
Fish i'th' Sea;
'Twas he to whom God brought the
Fowls that fly,
And
Creeping things that on their Bellies lie;
The
Cattel all, and
Beasts both wild and tame
Were brought to
Adam that he might them name,
By which, mayn't I there Sayings here disprove;
For was a World, then what did in it move?
Did
Fowls o'th' Air,
Fishes, and
Beasts o'th' Field,
Who gave them Names, and to whom did
Trees yield
Their Fruit; God gave to
Adam for to feed
On every Tree and Herb that beareth Seed.
Though
Atheists dream, and
Heathenish People fain
Fabulous like, their Fancies would maintain;
Yet those themselves deem
Christians, they ought not
Open their Ears to hear, but rather shut
And close their Ears, than hear the Tales of such
Those things do broach, invalid Scripture much.
REmember thy
Creator in the
prime
O'th' Youth, before the
Evil dayes or
time
Come, when thou'lt say,
I take no Pleasure in
The Years and Days that lately I have seen.
Whilst
Light o'th'
Sun, o'th'
Moon, o'th'
Stars remain,
Before the
Clouds return, after the Rain;
That's whilst thy Eyes lend to thy Body light,
As doth the
Sun by day, the
Moon by night;
Or
Cloud return after the Rain, (that is)
Before
stark Blindness, as a
dark Cloud seize,
Upon thine Eyes, when many a
woful Tear,
With Humors, have them washt from
Year to
Year,
When the House-keepers, and the strong men all
Shall bow themselves, and tremble like to fall.
The
Grinders cease, because they are but few,
And those look out o'th' Windows, dark shall shew.
The strong men are the Legs, as Pillars stands
The keepers of the House, the Arms and Hands
Which with the
Paulsie waggel, shake and shiver
The Legs, though Props, shall tremble, bow and quiver.
And in the
Street, the
Door then shut shall be,
When noise (or sound) o'th' Grindings low, and he
At Voice o'th'
little Bird shall rise, and all
His
singing Daughters, their attention fall;
That's when thy
Ears have past
Musical season,
And can't attend to hear,
Deafness the reason.
The Door without, that is the
Mouth, so faint
As can't be open'd, but by some constraint.
The rising up at voice o'th'
Bird, doth show
Old Age is wakened, even with Cock-crow.
When
Men shall be afraid of that is high,
And likewise in the Way, they fear espy;
That's when they climb,
Fear doth possess them, and
They
stumble likewise on the
Plain they stand.
When th'
Almond Tree shall flourish, that (i'le show)
Is when thy
Head, shall with
white Fleeces grow.
When the
Grashoppers shall a burden be,
That's when thy
Legs, gouty are, and
crasie.
When all
Concupiscience from thee's gone quite,
That to thy
Meat, thou hast small Appetite.
Or e're the
Silver Cord be loos'd, or slack't,
Or
Golden Bowle be broke, or
Pitcher crack't;
Or
Wheel at
Cestern broke, that is, saith one,
The nervous Pinacles to th' Ʋrine gone.
The
Silver Cord, the
Back-Bone stretched out,
And
golden Bowle, the
Heart, whence
Life doth sprout.
The
Pitcher broke, at
Fountain doth narrate,
The heat o'th'
Liver lost, the
Stomachs fate.
THough
Sin at first, on all, through
Adam came;
Yet let not
him, (but
Self) bare all the blame.
For as I heard, perhaps the thing was true;
A
Rich Man, to a
Poor Man, this did shew,
Set him to work, who dig'd i'th' Ditch apace,
Till sweat o'th' Brows did trickle down his Face;
Then tossing up the Earth with
Shou'l or
Spade,
This Cry did utter, and these Words he said,
O Adam! Adam! Adam! And hard-by
His Master walking, thus did hear him cry,
And to him call'd;
Friend, why dost Adam blame?
O Sir! (said he) I need not tell the same,
'Tis full well known how I by
Adam's fall,
Not only I, but
We his
Off-spring all;
As he himself, with sweat o'th' Face i'th' Dust
Must work, since
he from
Paradise was thrust.
Had
He not sin'd, we'd not subjected bin,
Think I to work i'th' Earth: But for his
Sin
God sent him forth to Till the Earth:
He came
From it, and to 't
he must return again.
Thou
Adam blames; but how if in his stead
Thou wert, then thou wouldst do just as he did.
For this observe, these Words
I speak to thee,
Cast down thy Spade, leave Work, and follow me.
If my
Command and
Precept thou
[...]lt obey,
Two strokes of Work thou shalt not do all day;
But live at ease, and from thy Labour cease,
Taking thy Rest in Safety and in Peace.
If this my
one Command thou keep, 'tis small,
Thou shalt not want for any thing, but all
Thou canst desire, to
thee I'le freely give,
And
thou as 'twere in
Paradise shalt live.
Thou at my Table shalt set down to Meat,
And eke Diurnal of my Banquets eat
Of Dishes rare, of every Mess but
one,
Which shall be cover'd, look not thereon;
I mean not that
thou may not see th' out-side,
But don't uncover't; in
thy place abide;
Lust not to know what 'tis, but do refrain
From touching it, if I thee entertain:
Then if
thou dost this
one Command obey,
And keep my Precept,
thou shalt with me stay,
Living at Ease, with Comfort, Joy and Pleasure,
Rise when
thou wilt, and lie down at
thy pleasure.
Touch not the Mess, the Dish uncover not,
But let it stand alway clos'd up and shut.
So whilst thou dost this
my Command obey,
Within my House
thou may'st be sure to stay:
But if my
Precept thou do not observe,
But disobey, and from my
Counsel swerve,
Then of my Dainties rare,
thou mayst not feed,
But from my House shalt be expel'd indeed.
So, for some time, this Poor Man he remain'd
Within the House, being bravely entertain'd;
For
he had all his Heart could well desire,
Food in due season; when cold, a good Fire;
If weary, then a Bed, his Bones to rest:
Surely (thinks he) now I am greatly blest!
But on a time, when
he to
Dinner went,
Sate down at
Table, none being there present.
Then in
his mind it secretly did spring,
This is the time to see what's in this thing:
So up
he starts, the
Dish uncovers, then
Out leaps a
Mouse, away it runs; and when
He sees this
Mess, no other Rarity had
Forbidden Fruit, to take, doth make him sad.
In comes his Master, who brought him to his House;
What now! (saith he)
Why sad? Hast seen the Mouse?
Yea, (quoth the Man) I in the
Dish did peep,
And suddainly a
Mouse there out did leap.
So says his Lord,
Now see, leave off for shame,
No more blame
Adam, Self's only to blame:
When
Adam sin'd, from Paradise he went:
So hast
thou now broke my Commandment,
And from my House
and Table
thou
must go,
Because what in the Dish
was,
thou wouldst know.
Couldst thou have been contented in thy place,
Thou happy wert; but now art in disgrace,
And to
thy Work i
[...]th' Ground, with sweat o'th' Brow,
Return again,
thy Mind to digging bow;
And learn for time to come, content to be,
When placed where
thou mayst live so happily;
And learn for time to come, not
Adam blame,
But
Self, Self do, Self have, 'tis still the same.
If this be so, although the case was sad,
Yet 'twas no more than his Desert he had.
TEach me, O Lord, thy
Fear, which will begin
Wisdom in me, and lead me from my
Sin.
Teach me, O Lord, thy
Truth, and I thy Fame
Will spread abroad, trusting in th' holy Name.
Teach me, O Lord, of
One Accord to be
And of
One mind, with
Those that
Trust in Thee.
Teach me, O Lord, that I acquainted may
Be with the
Children of the
Light and
Day.
Teach me, O Lord, by thine
Admonishment,
In all estates, fully to be
Content.
Teach me, O Lord, for to rehearse thy
Acts,
And let my Hands commit no
Bloody Facts.
Teach me, O Lord, according to thy Will,
To ask in
Faith, that thou my Heart may fill.
Teach me, O Lord, my Wayes for to amend,
And grant I may to
Idols never bend.
Teach me, O Lord, when
Vain Thoughts do arise,
I Christlan-like by Prayer them surprise.
Teach me, O Lord, by thy
Eternal Might
Against thy Foes, couragiously to fight.
Teach me, O Lord, that I may never
Mock
At
Sin as Fools, nor be a
Laughing-stock.
Teach me, O Lord,
Offences for to take;
Yea,
ten times told, rather than
once one make.
Teach me, O Lord, as I desire of
Thee
To be forgiven, to
Forgive Injurie.
Teach me, O Lord, to slight all
Earthly Toyes,
And let my Heart be fixt on
Heavenly Ioyes.
Teach me, O Lord, a
true account to give,
Even of my
Stewardship whilst that I live.
Teach me, O Lord, that I my
Sins to thee
May all
confess, and by Christ be set free.
Teach me, O Lord, by
Divine Inspiration,
To sound thy Praise, amidst a
Crooked Nation.
Teach me, O Lord, that
what in Hand I take,
With
Wisdom I accomplishment may make.
Teach me, O Lord,
Ambitious Pride to shun,
That nought may be
Mis-thought, Mis-said, Mis-done.
Some Breathings of Love, which truly do move
Ʋnto such, that do Wisdom desire,
Declaring the Way, in which Wisdom may
Be found of those, for her enquire.
WHo seeks for
Wisdom, and would
Virtue find?
A secret Treasure, and a quiet Mind,
A fruitful
City, and a pleasant
Hill,
Whose glorious Prospect
Sharon's Rose doth fill,
Dropping down
Virtues Distillations sweet,
Cooling the Sons of
Zions ardent heat,
Whose strong Desires, as lively Sparks aspire
Still upwards, as doth naturally the Fire.
Its Scituation towards the
East doth stand,
(Or rising of the
Sun its Soil or Land;
Its F
[...]rtile Pleasant, Amiable and Faire,
Which
B
[...]shans Oaks, and
Lebanon's Cedars bare,
With all the stately
Trees o th
Forrest, and
The choicest Garden-
Spices, in this Land
Do grow, as
Myrrh, Spikn
[...]rd and
Cinamon;
With Trees of
Mence, Calamus and
Saffron.
A goodly Place 'tis, pleasant to the Eyes,
A Place to be desir'd, where dwell the
Mise,
And
Prudent Minds, who value
Vertue more
Than
precious Stones, or
Gold within the
Ore;
Because compar'd unto
Her, all things are
But Dross and Dung. A
Spotless Virgin faire,
In
whose Right-hand is
Time, with length of Dayes,
Her Left-hand
Honour, Riches; all
her Wayes
Are
Paths of
perfect Peace, and Pleasantness
With
her's great Treasure; Joy
She doth possess:
A Crown Immortal on
her Head,
she wears,
Deckt with bright
Diamonds, like to glittering
Stars.
Her Tyer is rich,
her Necklace of pure Gold;
Her Bracelets fill'd, with precious
Pearls ne'er told,
For number, numberless, innumerable,
Unto all
Vertuous Minds most delectable.
This is that
Queen of
Wisdom, who
her finds,
A greater Treasure hath, than all Earth's Mines
Of
Gold and
Silver: For
shee'l guide thy Way
From
Darkness gross, unto
Light's perfect Day.
Who doth
her seek, assuredly may find
Her in the Closet of an
Humble Mind,
In which
she dwells, darting
her Beams of Light
Into the Heart, that
she discover might,
The crooked Paths, and sinful Wayes, wherein
The simple Soul, a Captive long hath bin,
To free the Soul, that if it will, it may
Refuse Night Darkness, and embrace Light's Day.
O! then come all, who
Wisdom doth desire,
And thus, as once I did, for
her enquire,
Who sought not long for
her; but
she reveal'd
Her dwelling in my Heart had been conceal'd.
To
Wisdom I my Mind will bend,
And Understanding
she will send
To me; for on
her I'le depend,
And
she alone shall be my Joy.
I'le seek for
her, and
she will be
A
Guide, delightful unto me,
Walking i'th Paths of Equitie;
With
her alone will I rejoyce.
Where e're I do
her Works espye,
They are delightful to mine Eye,
For
she's of Assiduity.
With those that on
her do depend.
She's better than the
Silver fine,
And Richer than the
Golden Mine;
As bright as
Sol himself doth shine:
With
her dwells
Immortality.
I'le prize
her more, than Gold most pure,
And on
her, would be fixed sure;
For
she's a Rock that will endure,
And conversant with
Elohim.
She's Comly, Beautiful and Faire;
All precious Pearls, cannot compare,
To
her a
Tree of Life so rare,
And
she alone will I exalt.
THus seeking
Wisdom, Wisdom as a Light
Within my Heart, appear'd most glorious bright.
Like to the splendor of the glorious Sun,
Expelling
Clouds, and causing
Mists to run
Like scorched
Scrowls, and vanish quite away,
That
Truth and
Righteousness might now display
Its self, and put forth
Fruits o'th'
heavenly Vine,
Against the which the
Esaubites combine:
But let them know, their
Combinations are
To
Samson's strength, no better than a Hair.
The
Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands,
Must now increase, and greatly fill our Lands,
Assuredly, on whom this
Stone doth fall,
Its ponderous weight, to Powder grind them shall.
But they are happy: Fall upon this
Stone
Whose Hearts are broke, with true Contrition,
They shall be mollified with
holy Oyle,
And by the
Lamb's Blood, cleans'd from
Filth and
Soyle,
That they as
Virgins pure, array'd in White,
Prepar'd may be, to walk in
Wisdom's Light,
Which shineth in their Hearts, who
It obey,
Even more and more, unto the perfect Day.
Yea,
Wisdom cryes without,
her Voice i'th' Street
She utters loud, the Simple for to meet.
And turn them from that Way, to Death doth lead,
Wherein, like to Post, they haste with speed,
Calling amongst the press of all desiring,
And thronged croud of Thoughts, that
We retiring
May seek for
Wisdom: O!
ye Fools, saith
she,
Why will ye dye? Return, return to me,
That I my Mind may pour out to yon, and
May give you Knowledge, for to understand
Dark Words, and prudent Sayings of the Wise
With Parables, in Wisdom to surmise.
And recreate your selves, with Solace sweet,
That to embrace
her in your Hearts you meet;
Then keep
her, and to you
she'l be a Guide,
Receive
her in your Hearts, and
she'l abide,
And to your
Souls, with
Knowledge bring delight,
And cause you through
her Counsel walk upright.
O! seek
her early, while
she may be found;
She oft Instruction, with Reproof doth sound,
To those
her seeks, that they may understand
The
Fear of God, is the
Beginning, and
First
Gate of Entrance, to that
City where
None but the
Sons of
Vertue do appear,
Who sought for
Wisdom, more then Gold refin'd,
And till they found
her, could not rest in mind,
But rove from
Hills, to
barren Mountains, where
Like
scattered Sheep, amongst the
Wolves they were
Grievously bitten, pritcht and torn with Thorns,
Yea, often push
[...] with
Bashan's Bulls Brass-Horns,
Till almost tyr'd, yet at last
did appear;
Where think you? even in their
Hearts, most near
The proper Habitation of
her Rest,
That those who seek, may of
her be possest.
Who so doth find
her, hold
her fast, be sure,
Fot
she's a
Rock, that will for e're endure;
A hiding Place, a Covert, and strong Tower,
Whereto the
Righteous run, God's
Arm of Power,
His
Word, by which all things created were,
That in the
Heavens, Earth, Sea and
Land are.
A
Queen; before the
Depths, with Honour crown'd,
And
Virgin fair, for Beauty most renown'd.
He that approach into
her presence will,
Must
Self-deny, Self-mortifie and
kill,
And enter with the patient Crown of
Job,
And
she will cloath thee with a princely Robe.
Wouldst thou
her blessed Company enjoy,
Then bid adue, to all
Lusts base annoy.
If thou desirest to have
her for thy Friend,
With
Peace towards all, what may be, thy Mind bend:
For where is
Peace, there
Wisdom may be found;
But where is
Strife, can any thing be sound?
She is a
Virgin of more purer Eyes,
Than to behold
Sin's base Deformities.
She is a precious Pearl, and valued high:
Come, who can part with all, thou may
her buy.
Stay,
I'm not bought with Money; nay (saith
she)
Come, buy; come buy without Price;
I am free;
Come, buy ye
Milk and
Honey, is
My Call;
Come, buy
without Price, 'tis free for you all:
Why spend you
Labour, for that is not Food,
And
Strength for that which will not do you good?
Awake, awake, 'tis high time, ope' your Eyes,
Obey
Christ's Voice, let
Wisdom's Light arise
Within your Hearts, that checks for Evil; and
Be sure
Obedience yield to
Its Command,
That as a
Sword and
Hammer, by great Power
It may smite down, and as a Fire devour
The Stubble; for I know the Lord demands
The Fruits of Righteousness at all your hands,
You great Professors, that long time have been
Talking of Righteousness, but found in Sin.
And you who to God's
Light and
Truth confess,
Have felt its Virtue, yet do not posses
It in you: I a word of Exhortation
Unto you give, make you the Application.
Consider,
First, why God discovers Sin.
(The strait Gate) and broad VVay the VVorld walks in,
Vain Customs, Pride, Hypocrisie, Deceit.
(Truth, Righteousness and sound VVords, these more meet
Are your Profession to accompany,
Yea, perfect Fruits of true Christianity)
As those, who in the Life of Christ do dwell,
Experimentally to you can tell.
Are not these things thus laid before your Eyes,
That you the best may chuse, the worst despise?
And now, a word to you that hate the
Light,
And to Gods gracious
Spirit do despite,
'Counting that an Unholy thing, and Low,
A Natural Light, which doth to all men show
Their secret Sins; a Common Grace, whereby
There's no Salvation: thus you villifie
Christs precious Blood, that on the Cross was shed
For your Redemption, who through sins are dead,
Counting Gods only
Son, our Prince and
King,
The
Lamb, Christ Jesus, an Unholy thing;
Despising Gods
Free Grace and tender Love,
That in your Hearts from time to time hath strove,
Calling that Natural Light and Common Grace,
VVhich gives true Knowledge of God in the Face
Of Jesus Christ, Gods Covenant of
Light
Unto the
Gentiles, and his Arm of Might,
By
which, Salvation he doth work for all,
To th' ends o'th' Earth, that on his Name do call.
But Lord! who hath this our Report receiv'd?
And who hath in thy Christ, the
Light believ'd?
And to whom is thy powerful
Arm made bare,
And Out-stretched
Hand, by which all Nations are
Invited and allured by thy
Love,
To taste o'th' Bread of Life, comes from above,
And drink abundantly; for now Christ says,
He that believes in
Me, though dead, I'le raise:
I am the Resurrection,
Life and
Light,
Believe in
me to Day, before the Night
Of Darkness nigh, o're spread your Land, wherein
That
Light once shin'd, which manifested Sin,
And secretly reprov'd, when none was nigh,
The Evil to discover or discry.
This was Gods
Love, and is his
Grace to all,
Which ne'er consents to Evil, but doth call
From Sin to God, from Darkness to Light clear,
Breaks down Partition Walls, and so draws near
To God and Christ, by
Love's strong tying Band,
Against the which, the Gates of Hell can't stand.
Its Strength's so great,
it Armies over-powers;
Its Scent more sweet than Garden spiced Bowers;
Its Nature such, makes stoney Hearts to bleed,
Forgives
its Foes,
its Enemies doth feed;
Seeks not Revenge, but puts up Injuries,
Forgives and covers Faults, and so discryes
Its heavenly pure divine immortal
Birth,
From that below, born and brought forth i'th' Earth,
A Precious
Light in all Hearts doth arise,
Take heed thereto, be sure, all who be wise.
BElieve in Christ the
Light, who checks for Evil,
God's mighty
Power in all to slay the Devil.
CAnst thou, O man! complain for want of Power?
When God's
Love, Light and
Free Grace, every hour
DOth in thy Heart for Truth and Justice call,
That thou mayst be redeemed from the Fall.
EXamin well thy Heart, and thou mayst see
God's Love, Light and
Free Grace is great to thee.
FOr oftentimes a
Light, thou can't deny,
Within thine Heart doth Wickedness discry.
GReat is
Its Power, for this I right-well know,
Could
Satan with Hell-Gates
It overthrow,
HE would by no means suffer
That to be,
Makes known his dark Deceit so perfectlie.
INnto that
Light then, let thy Mind return,
Which as consuming Fire all Dross will burn.
KEep low in
It, and
It will purge thee so,
Thou shalt appear more White than driven Snow.
LIke one of
Sion's Sons in Righteousness,
Whose Robes are
Grace and
Truth, a comly Dress.
MInd, mind that
Light, all who desire to be
Freed from the Bondage of Iniquitie.
NO other
Power but Christ, Gods Sons of
Love,
Can from the Bondage of Corruption move.
O! That mens Eyes were open'd to behold
Gods
Light and
Love, more worth than finest Gold.
PRepare your Hearts, this Tydings to receive,
Great Joy and Gladness to all those believe.
QUake, Quake, ye Stout, before this
Light to stand,
Which is the
Thunders of Gods great Command.
RAise up your Forts, and let your Trench be cast,
Call all your strong, prepare to War, make haste;
SEt up your Standard, and your Ensign show,
Sound
Babel's Alarm, and her Trumpet blow.
THis is the Day the Lord of Host will be
A King in
Zion, and set
Israel free.
UNto the Lord, ye Lambs of
Light, sing Praise,
Now and forever, bless his Name always.
WO to the stout and lofty Cedars tall,
Who hate the
Light, and slight Gods
Mercies all.
YOu stubborn hearted Ones, who still persist
To smite the
Harmless with a bloody Fist,
ZEalously will the Lord in flames of Fire
Render you Vengeance in his dreadful Ire.
A Time of Darkness o're this Land has bin,
So thick, so dark, so gross because of
Sin,
That many People
Truth will not receive,
That God is
Light, nor in his
Son believe;
Although the Scriptures amply do declare,
That God and Christ the Name of
Light do bare.
And first concerning God, who all things made
By his eternal powerful
Word, He said,
Let it be so, and so it came to pass,
That all in Heaven, and Earth created was.
This God is
Light, and in the
Light doth dwell,
As doth the holy Scriptures plainly tell:
In many places you may plainly find,
Who read the Scriptures with an humble Mind,
And that his Son our Christ, who is the Lamb,
Is call'd the
Light, who from God's Bosom came
To lead Man up to God out of the Fall,
In which through Sin we are concluded all;
And so through
Sin, in
Death and
Darkness be,
Till by the
Light of Christ we are set free,
Who came to lead, all those that him obey,
Out of the Night, into the perfect Day.
O blessed Day! O glorious Day of
Light,
Which conquers Darkness, and expels the Night.
Blest be time in which thy
Day-Star bright,
And Morning redness of
Eternal Light,
Our Hearts did visit, and by splendant Rayes
Reveal the Glory of these latter Dayes,
In which the Lord of Host, our God most-high,
According to his Promise, doth draw nigh
Unto his People, and their
King will be,
And by his powerful out-stretch'd
Arm set free.
His Sons and Daughters, who long Captives were
Under oppressing
Pharoah, and did beare
The heavy
Yokes, oppressing
Burdens, and
Increasing
Talks of black dark
Egypt's Land.
Concerning Persecution.
SInce
Abel's time unto this present day
There is an
Evil that hath born great sway,
An
Evil Great, A Horrid and
Black Sin,
Call'd
Persecution: All that walk therein,
What e're they say, profess or do pretend,
By
Persecution People to amend;
Yet none of them could ever make appear
Co-ercive Means was a good Course to stere;
It ne're did
Mend, but rather always
Mar;
Who e're harpt on that ftring still made a
Iar;
IT is a hateful, foul, destructive thing:
To
King nor
People, It ne're good can bring:
The
Work and
Fruit thereof, as many write,
Nought else produceth, but a
Hypocrite.
I think it strange, why some should pleasure take,
And
Toil themselves, but
Hypocrites to make.
It is work that
Marks all in it are,
With
Mark and
Badge of Satan, which they weare,
The
Mark o'th' Flesh, and
Birth that's from below,
A
Badge with which all
Persecutors go.
For as it was, so still it is, I say,
The
Fleshly Birth the
Spirits Birth would slay.
Nothing more certain is, the
Mark and
Seat
O'th' wicked
Whore, than
Persecution great:
Nothing the
mark of the
false Church more plain,
Than Reformation
per force to maintain.
Nothing more plain is writ in
Letters Red
Than
Antichrist, where they mens Blood do shed
About Religion, and Religions things;
This is a truth; Conviction with it brings,
To all that sober, serious, moderate are,
It is an Argument great weight will beare;
For Christ commanded, that the
Wheat and
Care
Should grow together till the Harvest were.
The
Tares to be pluckt up he gave no leave,
Lest that thereby the
Wheat should hurt receive.
He also told to his Disciples all,
When that from Heaven they would Fire call,
They did not know nor understand aright
What spirit they were of; for his delight
Was, Mens Lives for to
save, and not to
kill;
For this end did he come, to do Gods will.
He also said, when that you
Cursed are,
Then you should
Bless; when
Persecuted, bear
It patiently, and
Pray for Enemies,
Do Good to those that hate you; none despise,
Because they are not now just as you are:
The time may come, they may Gods Image bear,
Though now
Adverse, Idolatrous and
Vain,
The time may come, they Mercy may obtain.
If now their Way be
False, Erroneous, and
Not
Right, in time, they
Truth may understand.
The
best way then, is
still to let them live,
And let your Light so
shine, as it may give
A better Understanding, that they may
Receive the
Truth, and walk in the
Right Way:
After this
manner Christ his Scholars taught;
And those 'teach
otherwise, their Doctrine's naught,
They ne'er did learn it of the Light, the Lamb.
For
Persecution from the Devil came;
'Tis he that sets men to this
Work, and they
Shall of him have their
Wages and their
Pay.
Therefore let none, that this
bad Work attend
Expect
Good Wages in their latter end.
Their Work is
bad, and their Reward will be
Gnashing of Teeth to all Eternitie.
Thus much concerning
Persecution here,
A thing from which all
Christians should keep clear.
Concerning Pride, Avarice and Luxury.
PRide, Avarice and
Luxury, these three
Are
Evils great, avoided for to be,
By all who Christ profess, and bare his Name;
His Life and Doctrine did condemn the same:
Pride was the Evil, which did first prevail
Mis'ry (on all, through
Adam) to entail.
Pride and
Self-love desires to grow so great,
Persues, and craves to
know what is not meet;
And when obtain'd, it works a strange exchange,
Drives out from
Paradise, on Earth to range.
So
Pride before Destruction goes, and all
That are of
Haughty minds must have a fall.
Proud man God did resist, and doth so still,
But doth the
Humble teach to do his
Will.
His
Will then done, Man does enjoy Gods Peace,
Rests in his
Sabbath, and from Sin doth cease.
Avarice is an
Evil great indeed,
Because from it all Evils do proceed.
A Root of Mischief, 'tis
Idolatry,
A Sin from which we all should swiftly fly.
But having touch'd on this great Sin before,
The less need say, and so now pass it o're.
Luxury next is that of which I write,
An
Evil great to indulge th' Appetite.
'Tis an
Excess of Pleafure and
Self-ease,
With Christian
moderation ne're agrees.
To say, What shall we eat, or drink, or weare,
It was the
Gentiles for those things took care.
But Christ to his Disciples thus did say,
Take ye not thought; he shew'd
another way.
First seek Gods Kingdom, and his Righteousness,
All
other things the Lord will add and bless,
By which those that
Luxuriously did feed,
And drink
excessive, are reprov'd indeed.
Indeed the same severe
Reproof doth merit;
For those it use, strange Mischiefs shall inherit,
Not only to their
Bodies and
Estates,
But on their
Souls brings burdens and great weights,
Impareth
Health, it shortens
Life, and still
Unfits the
mind to do Gods holy Will.
And those in
Luxury and
Self-ease dwell,
Forget God, so must be turn'd into
Hell.
There's One thing more, to you I now may name,
Apparels, first ordained to hide mans shame.
And why of
these should man be proud, I pray?
And for what reason should they be so gay?
Since the first
Coat, which
Adam wore, was spun
By
Sin, a Threed and Work hath all undone.
Why then should Man use so much
Cost and
Care,
His
Lapse to show, thus trim the
Badge to wear,
As if to all he meets, he would impart
His
Innocency lost, and
Pride of's Heart.
Well, this I say,
Pride, Avarice and all
Luxurious ways, sprung up through
Adam's Fall;
And as Man comes to be
Restor'd again
By Christ, these
Sins are mortifi'd and slain.
But those live in such
Evils and
Excess,
Be no good
Christians, what e're they profess.
TEMPERANCE is a Vertue choice and rare,
(This
Age) these Trees are scarce, such
Fruit doth bear.
This is an
Age, Intemperance and
Sin
Too much in
Fashion is, too much
liv'd in;
An
Age so strange, in which some strangely deem,
None can be
Loyal, Temperance esteem.
Temperance seems as banish'd from our Land,
While
Healths and
Huzza's in repute do stand.
Temperance yet good Men will highly prize,
It always was much valu'd by the Wise,
Because it leads in Ways, preserveth Health,
Ought more to be prefer'd than earthly Pelf:
The
Contrary, great Ill Convenience brings;
Most of Diseases from
Intemperance springs.
Extreams. Excess in Meat and Drink, anoy,
They hurt the Mind, and Body do destroy.
Therefore the best Advice that I can give,
Is
Abstinence, not too much to receive.
More are destroy'd by
Superfluity,
And dye, than those through
Want and
Penury.
Besides, the
Sin is great, men can't enjoy
Gods Mercies and his Blessings, but destroy
And spend the Creatures on their sinful Lust,
Offending God, provoking of the Just,
To bring their Heads down low unto the Dust.
IF
Health and
Happiness thou wilt obtain,
From
Costly Food, Rich Dainties then refrain.
If
Health and
Happiness thou highly prise,
Not many
Dishes use,
Two may suffise;
For many sorts of Food not well agrees,
Hinders
Digestion and breeds
Crudities.
The first
Concoction then, if not made well.
The
next can't mend it, as Physitians tell.
The meaner Food and simple Diet plain,
The Bodies
health most bravely doth maintain.
An Healthful Body and a Quiet Mind
Amongst the Epicures, who can them find!
What Health, or Strength, or Peace, or Quietness
Can those enjoy, live daily in Excess?
If
happiness in Health a man may find,
Surely
much happiness in clean Mind.
A Man whose Mind is Holy, Humble, Pure,
A
Treasure hath that alwayes will endure.
God gives his Creatures unto Man to use,
But Gods good Creatures many do abuse.
And on their sinful Lusts do spend the same,
Him they dishonour and blaspheme his Name.
Concerning the Soul's Travait after the Knowledge of the Right Way.
THere was a time in days by past,
When in my tender Years
I greatly cry'd unto the Lord,
To free me from my Fears.
My Fears, and Doubts, and Questionings,
Which greatly did attend,
Lest that I should miss of
that Way
Leads to an happy End.
That
Way in which the Lord alone,
To serve, I might be sure,
That
Way in which he's worshipped,
By such whose hearts are pure,
Who do the
Face of God behold,
And see his Glory great;
This was the thing I more long'd for,
Then for my natural Meat.
Then as I cry'd, and sought the Lord
The
Right Way for to know,
The Lord was pleas'd in his due time
The same to me to show.
But whilst among the
Watch-men of
The
Night I did enquire
The
Way, and my
Beloved seek,
Whom my Soul did desire,
I could not find the Way, nor yet
See my Belovod dear,
Till past
blind Guides and
Watch-men of
The
Night I was got clear.
One cry'd
lo here, and one
lo there;
One
that's the
Way, one
this;
So I still here was in great fear,
Lest
Right Way I should miss.
For all their Sounds
Vncertain were,
Their Trumpets did not blow,
So as to give a
certain Sound,
And Right
Way for to show.
For all their Sounds, and Cryes and Calls
Were unto things
without,
Wherein no Certainty was found
For to resolve my
doubt:
Then I remembr'd Christ foretold,
When some
lo here shall say,
And some
lo there, then go not forth
After them in their
Way.
For Heavens Kingdom is
within,
And who the Way will find,
Which unto Rest and Peace doth lead,
Turn
Inward must his mind.
For what is to be known of God
Within is manifest;
And till the Mind be
Inward turn'd,
None finds the way to Rest.
For till unto the
Light within,
And gift of Gods Grace free,
The Mind and Heart of man be turn'd
The
Right Way, he cannot see
Therefore the great concern of all,
Who after God doth seek,
And long to know his Way and Truth,
Is to be low and meek.
For those who
Meek and
Humble are,
The Lord will teach his Ways,
And raise them up by his great Power,
For to shew forth his Praise,
And as the Lord in mercy did
To me his Truth reveal,
So I will publish loud the same,
And not the Truth conceal.
Because I know the living God
Would
all the
Truth should know,
And none perish for want thereof,
Nor to Destruction go.
For God that did all Nations make
Of one Blood, for to dwell
Upon the face of the whole Earth,
Wills
None should go to Hell.
He made not man to be
destroy'd,
But for a better end,
Namely, to
serve and
worship him,
And on him to depend.
The purpose of Almighty God,
Was man might glorifie,
And honour his Creator great,
To all Eternity.
And not live unto himself,
Nor Satan serve in
Sin,
With
Lust o'th'
flesh or
Lust o'th'
eye,
Nor
Pride of
Life live in.
For
Such things they are not of God,
But of the wicked World;
And all that from them ben't Redeem'd
Must into th' Pit be hurl'd.
Now to the end that all Mankind
Might answer Gods designe,
He his good Spirit freely gives,
And those to it incline
Their Ears, and hearken what it saith,
And do the same obey,
Be sure therein they cannot Err,
Nor miss Gods
Perfect Way.
The
Way of
Light the
Way wherein
The
just men all did go,
The
Way of
Life, the
Way of
Truth,
The
right Way all do know,
Who walk therein, it is the
Way
That leads to
Peace and
Rest,
The Just Mans Path, a shining
Light,
All walk therein are blest.
This is the Path
Avel trod in,
And
Abraham also;
Our Fathers
Isaat and
Iacob
In
this same
way did go.
It is a
way the Vulters Eye
Can't see; no Ravenous Bea st
Can tread or set a foot
therein;
Nay, nor no Hireling Priest.
It is a
way for Ransom'd Ones
From the Earth are Redeem'd;
Those walk therein are lov'd of God,
Though by men dis-esteem'd.
Blest be the time in which
this way
And
day Light did appear,
Which leads to God out of all
Sin,
And frees from slavish Fear.
And frees from
Wrath and
Vengeance sore,
For Evil Deeds is due;
Which is the Portion o'th' Vnjust,
The Scriptures plainly shew.
Blest be the time in which
this way
And
Truth and
Light did shine
To th' satisfaction of my Soul,
That for the same did pine.
I hungred after
Bread of
Life,
And
[...]ited for Drink sore,
That Bread and Drink, which who receive,
Ne're hunger nor thirst more.
That is to say, for other Food,
Or other Drink, but still
They daily pray unto the Lord,
Thereof to have their fill,
For they that hunger, and do thirst
For
Righteousness most pure,
Are blest of God, and shall receive
Mercies that will endure.
And now the goodness of the Lord,
In making known
his Way,
And gathering out of the
by-paths,
Where many go astray.
And feeding of my hungry Soul
With Bread, and Peace, and Rest,
Doth me constrain still to declare,
His Name forever blest,
Who has done more for my poor Soul,
Then I could ask or think.
'Tis said in times of Ignorance,
(By past) the Lord did wink;
But now the Lord to all men calls,
Repentance for to make,
And from their sinful ways return,
Or else go into th' Lake.
'Tis not he that
Lord, Lord, shall say,
But he that doth Gods Will,
And through great Tribulations goes,
Shall stand on
Zions Hill,
With Harps in hands, singing aloud,
Praises to God most High.
Such they love not their Lives to Death,
But for the Truth can dye.
And those that can dye for the Truth,
And sor Truth lose their
All,
They are the Sons of the most High,
And have obey'd his Call.
They are a chosen People, and
A Generation pure,
A Royal Priesthood unto God,
That shall for aye endure.
Concerning the breaking forth of the Word and Power of God.
WHen God appeared in his
Power,
In his great
Love and
Light,
And to the Sons of men made
bare
His glorious Arm of Might:
When by his
Word he brake their Hearts,
Which hardned were by
Sin,
And clear'd their Understandings dark,
By
Light shining
within.
Then did they feel and see and know,
And understand aright,
That all the works which they had wrought
Were but toiling i'th' Night,
Though they did read, and pray, and preach,
And frequently attend
Duties and Exercise (so call'd)
From Weeks end to Weeks end.
Yet being err'd in mind from
that
Which is the ground, wherein
All Sacrifice accepted is,
Which from the same doth spring;
To wit, the
Spirit of the Lord,
And gift of his free
Grace,
Without the which none can approach
To God, nor see his Face.
What e're such said, or thought, or did,
It sinful was and vain,
Their Offerings did no more please God,
Than if a Dog were slain.
And when by
Light, and
Truth, and
Grace,
These things were understood,
Then from Self-acting they did cease,
For that could do no good.
And into Silence they were brought
On God alone to wait,
That in that Way they now might go,
Which
Narrow is, and
Straight.
And in those pleasant Rivers swim,
Where no
Galley with
Oars,
Nor
gallent Ship can pass thereby
I'th' Channel, nor near Shores.
Where
Self no Reputation hath,
But
Man's Will must be slain,
And all the Clory of proud flesh
Into the Dust be lain,
Where all Flesh must be silenced,
And Death not dare to speak;
No Woman in Transgression here,
Nor Man i'th' Fall so weak,
But only they whose Hearts the Lord
Prepares, whose Tongues also
The Lord hath touch't with a live Coal,
None else his Praise can show.
And till the Lord doth touch their Hearts,
And open their Mouthes wide,
In pure Retiredness they wait,
In silence they abide.
And when in
silence they do wait,
And on the Lord attend,
To do what he commandeth them,
And go where he doth send.
They do not
Speak until they feel
His
Word which is a Fire,
Within their Breast to burn, as they
To him their Minds retire.
Some then offended are hereat,
When they thus on God
wait,
And say,
no Profit can be known
In such a
Silent state.
VVhat benefit can be (say some)
VVhen none do
Preach nor
Pray,
But
Dumb and
Silent do remain,
It may be all the Day?
Thus
they, who call their Tongues their own,
Too much can Prate and Talk,
And gird themselves, do as they list,
And where they please will walk.
But such as know the Lord to gird,
And lead them in
that Way,
In which they would not go, when they
Formerly went astray.
They dare not
Speak their
own words then,
Their
Tongues are not their own;
That Member so unruly was,
A
Taming time has known.
Then as the work of God is wrought
Upon the Heart within,
And
Tongue is
tam'd, by that great
Power
Which frees the Soul from
Sin:
Such they can open wide their Mouthes
Gods VVorks for to declare,
And what they meet with for the same
Inabled are to bear.
For they are past the
Fear of man,
The Lord alone they fear,
And preach the
Gospel
[...], that all
The
[...] thereof may hear.
Inst ant in
Season they are found,
And out of
Season too,
Alway in readiness the VVill
And Work of God to do.
And if by some they are for bid
Thus to
Preach in Christs
Name,
More bold, and more couragiously
They do declare the
Same.
The more the
Truth opposed is,
The more the
Truth doth thrive,
Like Camemile, the more opprest,
The more it doth revive.
Truth may be blam'd, cannot be shamed;
Truth stronger is than all,
And all that dwell therein shall stand,
When
Babylon shall fall.
Mistery Babylon the great,
Mother of
Harlots, she,
Like to a Mill-stone shall be thrown,
And cast into the Sea.
Concerning Maintenance for the Poor.
IN antient days, as we may read
In
Deutronomy plain,
The Lord ordained ways and means,
The
Poor for to
maintain.
Yea, he took care, and gave strict charge,
The
Poor Reliev'd might be.
As also in
Leviticus,
We may both read and see;
And in the Book of
Samuell,
God made both
Rich and
Poor;
He lifteth up and bringeth low,
Let all his Power adore.
The Persons of the Princes great
Accepteth not the Lord,
Nor
more regards the
Rich than
Poor,
He made both by his Word.
The
Rich, who do the
Poor despise,
And Needy Ones disdain,
The time will come, that all their Wealth
Can't free them from their Pain,
The expectation of the
Poor
Shall perish not, nor fail,
Though Wicked men
them persecute,
And in Pride,
them assail.
The
Proud lay wait to catch the
Poor,
Their Eyes are priv'ly set;
The
Needy they seek to ensnare,
And take them in their Net.
But they are blest who do the
Poor
In their Distress consider,
And
help the
Needy in their
straits,
Their Leaf shall not soon wither.
The Lord will certainly
maintain
The just Right of the
Poor,
The Cause of the afflicted Ones,
For-a ye and evermore.
Although his Neighbours hate the
Poor,
And Brethren him despise,
Much Food is in his tillage, and
A Blessing on it lies.
Whoever do the
Poor Oppress,
And to them are unkind,
They do dishonour God, them made,
I'th' Scripture we so find.
We also read, that man is blest
Hath a
Bountiful Eye,
Because his Bread unto the
Poor
He gives, when they do cry.
The
Churle doth ill devices make
For to destroy the
Poor;
And them to slay with Lying words,
That they may rise no more.
The Person
Vile no more shall be
A
Liveral man esteem'd,
Nor yet the
Churle thought
Bountiful,
It must not so be deem'd.
The
Poor who walk in Uprightness,
And in Gods fear do dwell,
Are better than the
Rich, Perverse,
Whose ways lead down to Hell.
He that unto the
Poor doth give,
Sha'nt lack in time of need;
But he that hides his Eyes shall have
Many a Curse indeed.
Doth not the God of Heaven and Earth
The
Poor of this world chuse?
Doth not the Lord reject the
Rich,
No kindness to them shews?
The
Rich and
Poor together meet,
The Lord them both did make,
And though the
Rich regard
them not,
God for them care will take.