A COAT OF DIVERS COLOVRS FIT FOR JOSEPH. OR, PIETY in VARIETY.
By Jos. W. Gentleman.
Psal. 139. ver. 23.24.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me: and leade me in the way everlasting.
Printed for J. W. 1656.
To the READER.
VVHen in the Night I muster up my wits,
and doth attend an holy Meditation,
A godly pleasure it in me begits,
that far exceeds a common estimation;
But I must take the Motion strong or weake,
for in a Moment they will be to seeke.
Of late in Bed it came into my Mind,
how that I had Compos'd a little Book,
Which to declare in part I am combind,
to bide the censure I have undertook;
Let Momus
mutter, and Pan
play on his Pipe
my mounting Muze above finds most delight
I David-
like, doe thinke on Time that's spent,
and communes with my heart,
Psal. 4.4.
& finds it sad,
Because I cannot, as I would, Repent,
for no Man living hath,
or ever had,
Power to Repent, or Grace to gain by Merit,
Mans work is weak, I find it by my spirit.
Its God alone, that Heavenly God of Power,
that Gilliads
Balme doth give to his elect,
Drops in their hearts of saving grace a shower
which in the way of blisse doth them direct
To heaven of heavens, where Saints &
Angels store
with glory sings their songs for evermore.
Go now my Booke, be not asham'd, nor blush,
let all men reade thy weak unlearned lines,
And feare no Sects, for either heart or crush,
thou hast a Guard, that He, or his Assignes
Will make thee help, when thou in need shall stand
so I commend thee to his helping hand.
I. W.
The Crowing of the Cocke.
VVHen
Cocke doth Crow,
Luke 22.61.
me thinks to me appearsHow
Jesus look'd on
Peter, Peter shedding tears.
O blessed Saviour, when thy pleasure is,
Look upon me, and mend what is amisse;
Psal. 119.132.
And give me grace, not onely Faith alone,
But Heart, Words, Thoughts, and Prayers all in one
May cry aloud in Christ my Strength and Rocke,
Psal. 71.3.
Mat. 7.8.
Have mercy Lord, and heare thy Servant knocke.
I thanke the
Bird, that touzed me from sleep,
To sighe for sin, which caus'd St.
Mark 14.92.
Mat. 26.75.
Peter weepSo bitterly, that it is thought by some,
His Cheeks was gutterd with the Teares that run:
God grant me grace, with
Peter to Repent,
And godly groanes, cause godly teares be spent.
Christ is the Ladder, by which I doe ascend,
Gen. 28.12.
As well as Angels; for I on Christ depend
To Heaven, where Christ my Cause doth pleat,
Rom. 8.26
And tells his Father, that his bloody swear
Upon the Crosse, did pacifie his wrath,
And cleans'd my sins through true effectuall Faith.
Rom. 3.25
Christ is the Truth, the Life, and eke the VVay,
John 14.6
My Hope, my Help, my Comfort and my Stay;
Thus sixt on Christ, in Christ my Faith I locke,
Made, through his Merits, one of the blessed Flocke.
All Honour,
1
Ep. Iohn 5.7.
Prayse, and thanks I give to thee,O holy, blessed, glorious Trinity.
This is my Faith,
The Authors faub.
if you beleeve it true,God of his mercy grant the same to you;
It is a Bulworke built with such a Hand,
That Hell, nor Devill, hath Power for to with-stand.
Then let us all the Lord of Lords give prayse
For this firme Faith in these old doting dayes.
Reade, and observe these Lynes aright,
They'l make you Pray upon the Night.
The Soules Desire.
Tell me (O thou whom my Soule loveth) where thou feedest, Cant. 1.7. where thou makest thy flocke to rest at noone.
There is foure sorts of Faith Required, to finde whom the Soule loveth.
1. TEll me my heart if thou dost love the Lord?
Psal. 119.1.
My heart to me this Answer did afford:
I love the Lord, and wish my love more strong
For to repulse my Enemies that throng,
To quench desire, and draw me from my love,
To my great griefe, they doe my patience prove:
But fervent Faith is fixt so in my breast,
Ile spare no pains to take my Love at rest,
A
strong faith.
In shady VVoods at Noone time of the Day,
Fast Sleeping with his Flocks there finde I may.
2. Being thus perplext, at length I chanc'd to heare
A sweet soft voyce, which calld,
Come, draw neer,
commanding me to marke what he did say,
And gave me charge I should his words obey;
Fly Vice, hate Sinne, incline thine Eare to me,
Psal. 116.1.2.
An obedient faith.
And love the Lord, because he loved thee.
With Heart and Soule I freely gave consent,
And Vowed to him to be obedient.
3. My Love and I was thus with Joy united,
My former Follies I presently invited,
And could them plainly, I had found a Love,
That mounts my joyes from Earth to Heaven above,
Col. 3.2.
Bids them be gone, and seek another Master,
I to my Heart had layd an Heavenly Playster,
Psal. 119.2
That killed Sin, and made my Conscience cleare,
To love my God, and keep my Heart sincere.
A
sincere faith.
4. Thus did my Heart declare it selfe at length,
And could me truth, it had but little strength;
But what in strength it found to be decaying,
It would make good by duitfull obeying,
And strive to live a life in godly feare,
VVith Heart upright, and with a Soule sincere,
Strong, obedient, sincere in Prayer and Fasting,
I love the Lord, he me for Everlasting.
Everlasting faith;
The Lepers Complaint.
LOrd looke upon my Leprosie,
Mat. 8.2.3.
The lepers petitiou.
not on the outward blaine,
But on the inward Malladie
that filleth every Vaine:
It runs, and spreads it selfe abroad
in every joynt and Linam,
I feele it is a filthy Loade
this Leprosie of sinn.
My fad complaints as sharpe as thornes,
my earnest long desire,
For cutting out these painfull Cornes,
and throw them in the Fire.
My crying sins, my sins of shame,
my sins that neer was seen,
Thou canst,
Mark 1.40.
by calling of thy Name,
if that thou wilt, make Cleane.
In thy Compassion pitty me,
I kneele,
I begge,
I crave,
None can me help, but onely thee,
thou knowest what
I would have.
Be faithfull then, and courage take,
be not as thou hast been;
Ver. 21
Doe all thy former sinnes forsake,
I will; then be thou Cleane,
A Zealous desire.
O God, my God, give Grace and Might,
with Prayers sincere to Pray to thee,
That
I may see that glorious Light
that shines in all Eternity:
This my Desire,
I humbly crave,
my God fast in my Heart to knit,
That it my silly Soule may save,
from the vast deep infarnall Pit.
No Condemnation then
I feare,
Rom. 8.1
all fleshly Lusts
I hate and fly;
Thy VVord makes mine Election cleare,
that
I shall live Eternally;
A lively Faith within my breast,
thy holy Spirit doth inspire,
And bids me set my Heart at rest,
the God of gods grant my desire.
A Watch over the Soule.
REst now my Soule, have care to kill
the power of Satan every day;
With feare worke thy Salvation still,
trembling, sobbing,
Phila. 2.12.
sighing PrayTo keep thee from that wicked thought,
for now the Devill begins to rore;
That sins no fin, a thing of nought,
1
Ep. Pet. 5.8.
Heb. 10.26.
and man once call'd, can sin no more.
Thus
David must confirme a Lye,
and
Paul to write that is not true,
1
Ep. Ioh. 1.8.
Psal. 51.3
Rom. 5.12
Rom. 3.9, 10.
Luke 22, 62. 2
Cor. 10.18.
Sure sin did cause Saint
Peter cry,
these men they were as good as you:
Audatious woefull wretched Sect,
this Devilish Doctrine to maintaine,
You cannot cousen Gods Elect,
Lament, Repent, and Blush for shame.
Psal. 118.28.
The God of Heaven I ser
[...] alone,
Ps. 118, 28.
he is a God of Majesty
[...]
My God sits on a glorious Throne,
this God I serve, and none but
He:
I thanke this God that gives me grace,
to call upon him Night and Day,
I hope to see him Face to Face,
that gives me grace in Faith to Pray.
Ʋpon a Cracke of Thunder.
I Know, O Lord, when thou dost speake,
Thy Voyce makes all the Clouds to breake:
Lord grant me Grace when I doe Pray,
My Prayers may peirce to Heaven a Way,
And from that Place, an answer bring,
Thy Prayers are heard, Rejoyce and Sing,
All Honour, Prayse, and Thankes to thee,
One Glorious God, in Persons three.
Pauls Determination.
For I Determine not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him Crucified, 1 Cor. 2.2.
A Godly Preacher gave a touch,
A man may sinne in knowing much;
The Devill did winke, gave
Eve a Nod,
And tould her,
They should be as God.
But Eate one Apple of that
Tree,
Gen. 3.5.
And you shall know as much as he:
This Knowledge was the fatall fall
Of
Adam,
Originall knowledge.
Eve, Man-kind and all.
Philosophers all things
[...] know,
Naturall knowledge.
That Naturally on Earth doe Grow,
As
Hearbs, and
Treet of every kind,
By Knowledge they their Vertues find:
But gods for God,
1
Cor. 8.4.
they fondly faine,Doting on phaneies idle braine;
Against the God of gods they sin.
Ver. 5.6.
Gives Nature that, that's due to him.
There is that knowledge doth affect,
1
Cor. 3, 2
And seems to know like Gods Elect;
They sinne, and feed themselves with hope,
And give their Conscience too much scope.
A general knowledge.
A generall Faith they hope is good,
That Christ for all did spend his blood;
But know poor Soule what ere thou be,
Iohn 11.26.27.
Thou must beleeve he dyed for thee.
Some use their Knowledge for to gaine,
That being got, they finde but vaine;
Rom. 14, 1.
Some bend their knowledge to Dispute,
So Vice seems sinne for to Confute:
Some use their knowledge to finde Grace,
Iohn 17.3.
Rom. 3, 24.
Effectuall faith.
That dare look sinne into the Face;
So some there is that knowledge have,
Effectually their Soule to save.
Its deep to know the Misterie,
That's VVrit in holy Historie;
A Sonne borne of a Virgin pure,
Isay 7, 14.
That Balme of Gillead all will Cure;
It is deep knowledge for to know,
Deep knowledge.
That God and Man should live below
Upon the Earth, yet had no sin,
No fraud, nor guile was found in him.
1
Ep. Pet. 2.22.
Wilt thou have knowledge that shall last,
Then fix thy Faith on Christ so fast
As he was nayl'd upon the
Tree,
Lasting knowledge.
So fast thy Faith one him shall be,
That mortall Death shall not thee dant,
Nor Fier of Hell shall make thee pant,
For Christ his Death, by Faith I know,
The power of sinne doth overthrow.
All this knowledge
Paul rejects,
Christ Crucified, that he affects.
Pauls Desire.
CHrist Crucified on the Crosse,
Mat. 27.25.
Rom, 5, 1.
by Faith I have in him,
Doth cleare me from the Law and Curse,
that's due to me for sin:
Thy suffering Lord shall mortifie
my Flesh that's fraile and vaine;
Thy buriall it doth testifie,
Mat. 27,
[...]0.
that thou, as Man, was slaine,
Thou didst Descend, yet by thy power,
didst Rise,
Mat. 28, 6.
and then AscendInto that heavenly glorious tower,
where joyes shall never end:
There thou on Gods right hand doth sit,
Heb. 10.12.
[...]
Ep. Pet. 2, 5.
and pleads for thine Elect,
That they with thee a place may git
a glorious prospect.
This is the knowledge that I crave,
all other shadowes be;
This fixed knowledge I would have,
Christ Crucified for me.
A Spirituall King.
For he must reigne till he hath put all his Enemies under his feet, 1 Cor. 15.25.
A Glorious King doth sit in Heaven,
Acts 7.5
[...]
which is the King that I affect,
Seen upon Earth by holy
Stoven,
and dwells on Earth with his Elect;
Iohn 6.50
Yet not in Pompe, nor State at all,
but Spiritually Majesticall.
To his Disciples he gave Power
on Earth, to
Teach, Preach, and
Baptize;
Mat. 10.7. Acts 2.38
That still remains, untill this hower,
to them he calls, and rightly rise,
With Hands layd on by holy Order,
confirm'd, approv'd by Heavens Recorder.
This King hath Lawes for to observe,
which all his Subjects must obey;
His little Flocke he will preserve,
from either Wolfe, or Lyons Prey:
Sinne and Vice, Death, Devill and Hell,
1
Cor. 13.55.56.
he in a moment will expell:
Reigne he shall, and Raigne he must,
Vntill his Foes be trod to dust.
Another of the same.
THe
King of
Kings in Heaven doth sit in State,
The kings foes.
He hates his Foes, his Foes him deadly hate;
The Devill as Chiefe, his kingdome to advance,
1
The Devill. 1
Peter 3.8.9.
Keeps Carnall men in simple ignorance;
Makes them beleeve, because they cannot Reade,
They neither hope, not help of Scripture need;
Rome, Rome, beware, that close this sinne doth smother,
Makes Ignorance to be Devotions Mother.
Ignorance 2
Ep. Pet. 3.5.8.
The Devill hath yet a keene sharpe-headed Arrow,
To pierce the bones, and sticke fast in the Marrow;
He telleth youth, he may Repent in time,
And spend in pleasure all his yeares of prime,
Make Drinke thy darling, let loose the reignes of Lust,
Gods made of Mercy,
Prolonging repentance.
he never tells he's Just:When scores of yeares doth turne thy Haires Gray,
Its time enough for to Repent and Pray:
And having brought him in this sad Condition,
Death shoots his Dart, and ends the Devils Commission.
And now an Enemy of great power doth spring,
Drawes many Subjects from this
Heavenly King;
The VVorke-mans worke against him doth rebell,
The world.
He made the VVorld, and it drawes Soules to Hell:
God made it good, but now it is abused
By wicked men, that
[...] their God refused.
The Gold of
Ophir makes VVorldlings to offend,
And Silver Mindes will never make them mend;
When Honour prickes Ambition to the Heart,
It makes him Cart-horse to vaine-glories Cart;
He pulls and sweats, it turns on Fortunes VVheeles,
And sneaking Envie, runs at honours heeles:
At length it mounts upon the Mount
Parnasses,
Then brought down head-long with a Teame of Asser.
O wretched man,
The Vse.
the Devill he is too cunning,He never tells thee that thy Glasse is running,
That Ignorance, is no excuse at all,
Delaying time, oft proves thy fatall fall.
The VVorld a VVitch, drawes men into a Maze,
That still he runs, untill he run his dayes:
Turne backe betime Repent, and Cry for Grace,
VVhen Christ appears, sinne hath an ugly Face.
Now last of all, grim Death must yeeld his Power,
This glorious
King will make that Tyrant cower:
Death, Devill, and Sinne, must all be forc'd to yeeld,
And
King of
Kings have Glory in the Field.
Thus all his Foes being troden under Feet,
He sits triumphing in a glorious Seat.
An Admonition for Children.
LOve and obey thy Parents in thy heart,
Prov. 6.20.21.22, 23.
where ere thou goest, they'l leade thee on thy way;
VVhen thou dost sleep, they will not from thee part,
and when thou wakes, they'l move thee for to Pray,
That God will blesse them, and increase their store,
That is the way to make thy blessing more.
Feare their Commands, they are a lampe so cleare,
that they will make thee vertuously to live;
Thy Fathers Care, and Mothers Love is deare,
and good Instructions they are bound to give;
VVhich being followed, mittigates all strife,
And brings the Child into the way of Life.
Luke 1.60.
BLest be the God that's
Israels Lord,
for his kinde Visitation,
VVho sent to us his Divine VVord,
that wrought our Soules Salvation:
From
Davids Loynes, and
Jesses Root,
a Vine did spring upright,
That spread all
Israel about,
a glorious Lampe of Light,
Thy holy Prophets did declare,
that we should saved be,
To keep that Promise that thou Sware,
thy Covenant to free,
Vs to deliver from the hand,
and feare of all our Foes,
In holinesse, upright to stand,
till Death our Dayes inclose.
And thou, O Child, and Prophet Great,
prepare the way thou must,
Through sorrows sad, and bloody sweat,
for to Redeeme the just:
Through tender mercy, God gave Grace,
from Darkenesse, Day to bring;
And made our way to perfect Peace,
from
Jess
[...] Root to Spring.
2
Ep. Tim. 2.8.
Meditations of Saint Steven.
POndring with Admitation,
how
Paul was wrapt to Meaven,
I had a Meditation,
upon the Death of
Itoven:
All faithfull Martyrs may,
by Faith, see all things fitting,
Heaven ope more cleare then Day,
and Christ ia Glory sitting:
Acts 7.
[...]5.
This Martyr was the first,
that see from Earth to Heaven,
A Comfort to the rest,
that sheds their blood like
Steven.
The Glory of the Trinity.
SAint
John came poor, had neither Gold nor Mony,
but yet he had the Spirit of
Elias;
His Meate was Locust, and a little Honny:
Mat. 3.4.
he Preached Repentance, and Cured
Hezekiah.
I never Read, he ever Preached of Merrit,
or workes of men could Heavenly joyes inherit.
In
Jerdans Flood,
John did Baptize indeed,
Ver. 17.
and thither did our blessed Saviour come;
From Heaven a Dove descended on his Head,
ver. 16.17.
a Voyce was heard,
this is my loved Sonne:
Blest Eyes and Eares, that there did heare and see,
without dispute, the blessed Trinitie.
Herod that Fox, accuseth
John the just,
Mat. 14.3.
for speaking truth; to Prison he must goe,
A Dancing Damsell, and unlawfull Lust,
ver. 6.
joyn'd joyntly both, poor
John to overthrow,
A damned Beldame of a cursed Seed,
ver.
[...]
& 10.
betraide poor
John, and made him lose his Head.
The Guides to Heaven.
VAine-glory, Honour, Pleasure, Pride,
Psal. 45.10.11.
Idolatry, and Lust,
VVhen
Pharaohs Daughter is a Bride,
She must lay in the Dust;
Then Marry her to
Canaans King,
She will content his mind,
Such vertuous Beauty for to bring,
leaves
Egypts sinnes behind.
Even so my Sovle, thou Christ shalt take,
thy Husband for to be,
And all thy former sinnes forsake,
and make thy Conscience free;
Not giving way to any one,
for one thy Soule may kill,
But give to Christ thy Soule alone,
who will all joyes fulfill.
Though Flesh be fraile, Fight, doe not yeild,
give no Consent be sure,
Unfaigned Faith must be thy Sheild,
it shall thy Soule secure:
True Charity must be thy Guide,
hold Hope fast by the hand,
Thy holy Angell Guards thy side,
so walke to
Canaans Land.
Pauls Counsell to the Gentiles.
SAint
Paul was Call'd the Gentiles for to Call,
1
Cor. 11.18.
And to Convert them to the Christian Faith;
He Preach'd with Power, to Comfort them with all,
And gave them Counsell, as the Scripture saith;
First try themselves by true Examination,
And then to take the Signes of their Salvation.
Forget, forgive, and make thy Conscience cleare,
Thy Darling Sinne pull up and throw away;
A Contrite Heart, joyn'd with a godly feare,
Will worke this Faith, that Christ thy debts did pay
Upon the Crosse; have but this strong beleife,
This saving Faith redeems thee from thy greife.
Sinne was the Cause thy sorrows are so great;
Let godly sorrow drive away thy sin,
It is but folly for to chafe and fret,
Rely on Christ, and put thy trust in him;
Repent in Heart, and Christ thy Soule shall feed
VVith Angels Food, in Signes of VVine and Bread.
Holy Advice.
BY holy VVrit, I heard it prov'd at large,
That we our selves to God should reconcile;
2
Cor. 5.20.
Not to delay the time, was given in charge,
But to Repent, and drive sinne to Exile:
For Christ, our Christ, for sinne hath borne the smart,
The Nayles his Flesh, the Speare did pierce his Heart.
Iohn 19.34.
Ver. 21.
He had no sinne, for me he was made sin,
Christ, onely Christ must pacifie Gods wrath;
Angell nor Man, nor any thing, but him,
This to beleeve is true effectuall Faith:
Lord I beleeve, help thou my unbeleefe,
Make strong my Faith like to the dying Theefe.
Luke 23.43.
A true Faith.
TAke time before, for he is bald behind,
Stretch forth thy hand, and take him by the locke;
Be strong in Faith, and thou shalt Comfort find,
Gates being shut, it is too late to knocke:
Mat. 25.10.12.
Christ lov'd me so, when I was at a losse,
To gaine my Soule, he Dyed upon the Crosse.
Thus he the
Just, for me unjust was slaine,
The
Righteous, for the unrighteous, Dyed;
The way to Heaven a fixed Faith makes plaine,
If that thy Faith be the right way applyed:
I doe beleeve that Christ did Dye for me;
Doe thou the like, and then he Dyed for thee.
A holy Desire.
SEarch thou,
Psal. 139.23.24.
O Lord, my heart at ground,and rip it up in every Vaine,
All wickednesse that may be found,
pull up by roots, I feare no paine.
And if I harbour any thought,
that is contrary to thy will;
Grant me that grace to count it nought,
and banish it for being ill.
Lord let me see my wicked wayes,
and grace for to abhorre the same,
All Glory, Honour, Laud, and Prayse
ascribe I will unto thy Name:
With Angels I will then rejoyce,
in time of all Eternity,
When thou admits my Soule and Voyce
to Sing, and see the Trinity.
A Conscience quiet, not good.
LOrd keep me from a Conscience free from griefe,
That ever liv'd in joy, and worldly pleasure;
But never sorrow felt, untill the Death,
To sighe for sin, he never took the leisure:
Yet he presumes Gods mercy is so great,
He shall be sav'd, though he doe not intreat.
A Conscience never quiet, yet good.
LOrd look upon a Soule that sighes for sinne,
And mournes in secret, with a heart sincere,
That Sathan seeks to catch within his Ginne,
But hath no power to quench his godly feare:
He grieves, and waits, when God will comfort send,
And so at length, obtaines his wished end.
A Conscience neither good, nor quiet.
OWofull wretch, whose Soule is never quiet,
Whose Conscience fryes him in a fiery Flame;
Yet drinks, and drabs, sweares, and feasts with ryot,
Till Deaths dart strike him in a mortall vaine:
Then cryes, and cries, will this paine last for ever?
VVhen will it end? A Voyce doth Answer,
Never.
A Conscience quiet, and good.
O Happy he, whose Conscience telleth him,
That goodly mones, hath wrought effectuall Faith.
Beleeves Christs blood hath wash'd away his sin,
That his deep wound appeas'd his Fathers wrath,
And doth desire, and Pray, and Pray againe,
That never sin have power in him to raigne.
God guard, and watch my thoughts from steps and falls,
For sinners feet stand oft one tottering balls.
No help in Man.
‘Whom have I in Heaven but thee; and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee,’
Psal. 73.25.
VVHen I collect all faculties I have,
I can find nought, but worthles worth in man,
No power at all he hath himselfe to save,
his Birth is painefull, and his Life a span,
As fraile as Grasse, let him doe what he can:
Who puts his trust in any Man at all,
Leanes on a Reed, and's sure to catch a fall.
Take Man alone, as meerly he is Man
for help, and counsell, he is far to seek;
In his Conceit, he thinketh now and than,
that every words a sentence he doth speak,
And to excell, he oft his braines doth breake:
Great Counsels now, that hath the ratest wits,
Their witty wisedome, proves but foolish fits.
Now Man, I leave thee, for thou art but vaine,
unlesse a Power from Heaven doe thee direct,
For by that Power, thou knowledge may obtaine,
to know thy selfe, and God for to affect,
To him alone give love and true respect:
VVhom have I then in
Heaven and Earth, but thee,
For all things else are fraile and vanity.
The Vanity of the World.
THree things there are thats counted faults in men,
And worldlings hates them to the very Death;
Honour offered,
Honour. VVrongs. Fashions.
and refused again;And VVrongs received, yet cannot urge the breath,
Counts worldly Fashions like an Aspen Leafe:
VVhom these affect, the worldling holds as Fooles,
And fit to live obscurely, like to Owles.
The first they hold a basenesse in the Spirit;
The second sencolesse, a food, or stupid humour;
The third, a scorne to time, deserves no merit,
And thus, poor Soules, they bide the worlds rumour:
Thus worldlings love that is the worlds consumer:
Thou Wretch, thou
[...], thou
[...], hast lost thy sight,
Thou art so blind, thou knowes not Day from Night.
The first doth hold, with God a true content;
The second hath a care to live secure;
The third holds Fashions, vaine and follies vent,
For Fashions are for sickle fooles a lure,
Fooles, and Fashions are tyed together sure:
Observe these signes, you shall perceive it plaine,
These three things good, it is the world thats vaine.
My Lent Labour, or Prayers, or Meditations.
O Lord set thou my heart upright,
Psal. 119.52.
and let my Meditations be,
To Pray to thee both Day and Night,
for to obtaine Eternity;
And that with Christ I may ascend,
Io. 20.17.
Into those joyes that never end.
Teach me, O Lord, in Faith to Pray,
Psal. 86.11.
with holy feare, and godly groanes,
That my poor soule may finde the way,
with sighes, and sobbs, and mourning moanes,
My glorious Fathers Face to see,
Psal. 17.15.
And sing Songs with felicity.
Deare loving Father, doe not frowne,
Psal. 30.7.
but in thy mercy look on me,
Least my sad sins doe sinke me downe,
and so I lose Eternity:
But still in Christ I put my trust,
Ioh. 3.26.
That he will place me with the just.
It was my
[...] Death,
It was my sinnes that made him Dye;
It was my sinnes that stopt his breath,
It was my sinnes, that cruelly
Did put the Lord of Life to paine,
But I was sav'd,
1
Pet. 2.2.
when he was slaine.It was his Love,
Ioh. 15.13.
not my deseart,It was his Love that set me free;
For this his Love, I give my heart,
It was his owne, he gave it me:
My heart,
Prov. 23.26. P
[...] 15.28.
Job. 19.30.
O Lord, thou dost require,Accept it then, whole and intire.
I thanke the Lord for this thy Death,
I thanke the Lord, that thus did Dye;
I thanke the Lord, that lost thy breath,
I thanke the Lord,
Luke 23.46.
Psal. 31.4.5.
that patientlyUpon the Crosse did pay my debt,
And broak the Coards of Sathans Net.
Thus for my Soule Lord I doe pleat,
Now for my Body I intreat,
My wants, good God, for to supply,
And Cure thy servants mallady:
I need not tell,
Mat. 6.11.
thou knowes my need,Give me, my God,
my Dayly Bread.
Cherish no Sinne.
IF Pagan Princes,
Heb. 12.1.
for their
Olympian sportsdid spare no cost, vaine-glory to obtaine,
By Running, Tilting, and Games of divers sorts,
feeding the fancies of a franticke braine,
Found ought, they thought their foolish fits would hinder,
Though nee'r so rich, would burne it to a Sinder.
If these, from whom was hid all saving grace,
would burne to nought, all that their pleasures crost,
What must we leave that runs a godly Race,
but all our sinnes fast tyed to a Post,
Let none be lost, no, not in thy desire,
But freely throw them Post and all in th'fire.
O thou my Soule, a blessed Race to runne,
throw every weight away that troubleth thee;
If fleshly Lusts seeke thee to overcome,
1
Ep.
[...]. 2.11.
bid it avoyde,
I hate thy company;
Thou art a weight that
I must throw away,
God give me grace to make it good,
I Pray.
Still
I am bound to make all speed
I can,
to run my Course with patience to the end,
More stops
I find, so vaine a thing is Man,
lusts of my Eyes, my Conscience doth offend,
They spie strange objects, that sets my heart a flote,
For to desire things farre above my lot.
And now my heart begins to mount aloft,
the world is all too little to content it,
It feeds on dainties, lyes on pillowes soft,
thus wealth breeds woe, unlesse a man repent it:
Though all these lusts
I finde in me too rife,
Good Lord defend me from the pride of life.
Lord heare my Prayer, take fleshly lusts away,
1
Ep. Pet. 1.2.
and give my Eyes no power to lust at all,
But on such things, as lawfully
I may
use, for to make the pride of lise to fall:
Quit of all these, take heart, be of good cheare,
Run forth thy Race,
Psal. 37.1.
be patient, doe not feare.Christs Love to Man.
THe true Elect,
Heb. 12.2.
by true effectuall Faith,beleeves that Christ by death hath them redeem'd,
A Prophet, Priest, and King, all three he hath
perform'd in Office, so deare he us esteem'd,
That nothing should be wanting for our good,
His Fathers wrath he hath appeas'd with blood.
Dare mortall man be bold as to desire,
but that the God of gods hath it reveal'd,
His working spirits makes mortalls to admire,
that our Salvation should not be conceal'd:
For wretched man had neer thought to have sought it,
Had not Gods love, and Christ with blood have bought it.
This blessed
Jesus, the Author of our Faith,
with Heavenly joy did guide the way before,
And finish all; for so the Scripture saith,
that on the Crosse, with shame, he clear'd our score;
For he doth fit upon a glorious Sear,
1
Ep. Pet. 3.22.
One Gods right hand, for our poor Soules to pleat.
An Article of our Faith. He suffered under Pontius Pilate.
MOurne mortall man in dolour of thy heart,
with sorrows sad, and sighes lament thy sin,
Christ Heaven forsakes,
Isay 53.4.
He suffered.
to beare a hellish smart,and took our base infirmities of him,
And for a time he made the Earth his stage,
To free us mortalls from his Fathers rage.
Tiberius then in
Rome did beare the sway,
and had the
Jewes obedient to his power;
Under Pontius Pilate.
Sent
Pontinus Pilate his Debuty away.
whose strict commands made all the
Jewes to lowre:
Yet for to please his Conscience, did Condemne,
unjustly judging, led by wicked men.
Ioh. 19.16.
The Lord of Life he did condemne to dye,
1
Cor. 2.8
by providence, he judged unto Death,
That no Death else, but that, could testifie,
VVas cruc
[...]fied.
the Lambe of God deprived of his breath:
All former Types and Prophesies of him,
He did fulfill, and clear'd the
Just of sin.
For to make good his Death, he buried was,
Dead and bur
[...]ed. Ioh. 19.41
within a Tombe where never none was layd;
To make it safe, a Guard on it did passe,
a jealious feare, did make the
Jewes afraid,
That his Disciples his body should convay,
Mat. 27.64.
And on the Night should steale his Corps away.
But by his Power, for he himselfe was Power,
Ioh. 10.18.
The grave is sometimes tak
[...]n for Hell. Mat. 28.6 Act. 2.24.
Ps
[...]. 16.10.
H
[...]
[...]e
[...]cended into hell, not locally. Hos. 13.14
he from the Grave did powerfully arise;
Mans Enemy, grim Death, he made to lowre,
triumphingly, the Grave he did despise:
For none but Christ, he had the power alone,
Free from Corruption was this holy one.
Then it is said,
to Hell he did descend;
by Hellish paines, he must worke mans salvation,
Not locally, for then I should offend,
among the damned, doom'd unto damnation,
As man, being there, be never could returne,
But evermore in fiery torments burne.
Where shall we finde that Christ perform'd his Passion?
not with the Damned,
Christ in his passion
neither in the Grave;But Praying in the Garden, as it was his fashion,
paine prickt his heart, sweat blood, and there to have
The paines of Hell, Gods wrath within a Cup,
VVhich could not passe, before he drunke it up.
This was not all, much more then this must be,
mockt,
Indured the shame, despised the crosse. All is finished. Mat. 27.46.
Psal. 22.7.
Rev. 5.1.
Gen. 49.9.
Rev. 5.5.
and arraign'd, condemn'd his Life to lose,Most shamefully be nayl'd unto a Tree,
and Crucified upon a wooden Crosse;
There finisht all that he did undertake,
When he did cry,
My God doth me forsake.
This crying Lambe, he undertook
Seaven Seales to open, and the book;
Of
Judahs Tribe, this was the Lyon,
That brought all joy and peace to
Syon;
This holy Lambe,
Ioh. 19 16.
our soules to gaine,Was by the
Jewes, and
Pilate slaine:
Gods onely deare, beloved Son,
Sinne, Devill, and Death did overcome;
Look on him Lord, yet bleeding see,
It is his blood that saveth me;
I thanke my God,
Eph. 3.6.
this Faith I hold,Thy promise Lord doth make me bold.
A Heaven on Earth.
REading an Author that I will not name,
who saith, the Elect beginneth Heaven on Earth;
And for my part I will beleeve the same,
for joyes are great thats found in a new birth.
VVhen God grants grace to rule and guide the heart,
There is no feare, true Faith will doe his part.
VVhat comfort more, when Saints by Faith doe hold
that God in glory fills the heavens with light,
No Summers heat to feare, nor VVinters cold,
the Sonne of Sonnes is ever in their sight:
There joyes and dayes are endlesse in their length,
Seen of all Saints, but not with equall strength.
God in his mercy will our workes regard,
but for our merits they are nothing worth;
Cold water in a Cup, he will reward,
and Martyrs blood by Tyrants powred forth;
They both shall be content to their desire,
But for desert, they nothing can require.
Strive then on Earth, in Heaven to have a place,
effectuall Faith, and Grace, will guide the way;
Let hope thee help, be sure in any case,
and love of God will force thee for to Pray:
Then Pray in Faith, it will thy soule prepare,
The world to scorne, in Heaven to have a share.
The Soules Complaint.
O Lord, when I doe summon up my sins,
they mount to be in number numberlesse,
Psal. 50.17.
Isay 57.15.
Psal. 50.1
Then godly sorrow in my soule begins,
and cryes for mercy in my great distresse:
For mercy Lord, for mercy I intreat,
Thy mercy farre exceeds my Sins, though great.
Look on the wounds before thy face that bleeds,
it was my sins that made those mortall wounds
Thy heavenly food, my soule with comfort feeds,
thy blessed Promises in all my sences sounds,
Joh. 6.47.
My sinnes are pardoned, for I trust in him,
VVhose bleeding wounds doth wash away my sin.
And now my soule, prepare thy selfe to take
those sacred signes that Christ hath Instituted;
Receive by Faith, they will thee joyfull make,
his righteousnesse be to thy selfe imputed:
That is the Robe that makes us Rich in Grace,
And shine like Saints before his glorious Face.
The Soules request toGod before the Communion.
TRy Heart,
Mat. 5.8.
and Reignes, without, within,Lord cleanse them cleane, and make them pure;
Plucke up by Roots all sorts of sin,
thy blood,
Isay 53.5.
Isay 43 4
O Lord, my wounds must cure,And being cured Lord by thee,
My soule shall live eternally.
As sure as I doe Eate the Bread,
My inward thoughts at the Communion. Ioh. 6.51.
and in my stomacke it disgeast,
By Faith upon Christs Flesh I feed,
a misticall and holy Feast.
And when I doe receive the Cup,
and Drinke the VVine, my Heart doth say,
It is Christs blood, by Faith drink't up,
then I give thanks, and thus I Pray.
Now then in me, and I in thee,
I
[...]h.
[...].56.
My Prayer after the Communion.
Joyn'd fast in Faith, knit one in one,
Lord let us never parted be,
Till heaven take soule, and earth the bone,
And both at Resurrection Rise,
Ioh 19.27.
By Gods great power made one againe,
Then I shall see thee with these Eyes,
And ever prayse thy holy Name.
All Glory be to God above,
That fills my heart with joy and love.
A Friendly Admonition to the Quakers.
O Lord my God, give grace to guide my Pen,
To write the truth of these vild wicked men,
VVhich doting, drives into the Hunters snares,
To breathe out Curses, when they should use Prayers:
Confound their Pillars, or convert their Rockes,
Mis-leading Leaders, cursed
Nayler, Fox;
False Zeale and Spirits, makes them boast and cracke,
For
Gilpin said,
they have both White and Blacke:
These men take pleasure on the Sabbath Day,
To trouble some, almost as bad as they.
Those that dare Preach, not Call'd by holy order,
Mat. 7.15.
With Hands layd on, approv'd by Heavens Recorder.
Doth runne themselves in danger of their Maker,
For to be punish'd equall with the
Quaker.
These hold, that they once call'd, can sinne no more,
Though
Thiefe, or Robber, Traytor, or a Whore;
Against all truth and Conscience, they aspire,
To guard damn'd Doctrine, and make truth a lyar;
Ioh. 1.8.
That crys we are damn'd, in every
Towne and Street,
This bids Repent, I hold that Doctrine sweet,
But both are led with such a subtile guide,
That shoots the strait,
Mat. 7.13
and runs the way thats wide;Lord cleare their Eyes, that they may see the evill,
And save their soules from running to the Devill.
They say,
the day of Judgement is at hand;
That I beleeve, for I doe understand,
That Christ himselfe fore-told of such a Sect,
That should deceive, but never his Elect.
This Sect lay close six hundred fifty Yeare,
One thousand more, yet never knowen here.
Audatious Rebels, that wrongs our Heavenly King,
Assumes that Honour that is due to him.
You say you are,
the Life, the Truth, the Way,
What have you left? to whom are we to Pray?
What, doe you thinke we take you to be gods?
Presuming thus, there is but little odds:
O wretched wretches, know you are but men,
And dye you shall, take heed of
Judgement then.
Christ is the
Life, which life he freely gave,
His faithfull servants, and Elect to save:
Christ is the
Truth, you dare it not deny,
He led the
Way, when he was plea'd to dye,
Was Buried, Rose, Assend, then seen no more,
Be faithfull, follow, the way is made before:
Stand still, and study, and blush you are amisse,
And cry for mercy, while there mercy is:
Love not that Spirit, that maketh all this strife,
Confesse you are, no way, no truth, no life.
FINIS.