THE GOSPEL-CALL.
In METRE.
READER, awake, awake, my Soul and all
That is within me, hearken to the Call
Of God, most gracious; who calleth thee
His Name to hallow and to glorifie;
And from vile lusts, vain glory, cheating pelf,
Invites thee to Communion with himself.
This is thy chief end, thy Felicity,
Thy greatest good, thy highest dignity.
Here is Light, Life, Love, all that's meet,
Needful and useful, holy, right, and sweet;
And all which truly fills the heart and eyes;
Elsewhere is nought but emptiness and lies.
Jehovah calls, the Father, and the Son;
The Holy Ghost, Blest Three, in Essence One.
Nothing but God, the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Can fit and fill thy Soul's vast appetite.
The Soul's a Spirit, and while not unite
To God, who is a Spirit Infinite,
It wandreth, seeking rest, but findeth none,
Nor ought that gives it contentation.
Immortal Souls, in things which fade with time,
Cannot find rest: Come restless soul to him
Who in Eternity hath his abode,
And is from and to everlasting God;
Who changeth not, with whom is no mutation,
Nor any shadow of an alteration:
Who is, and was, and shall be still the same,
Whose Name alone is,
I am that I am.
When thy heart fails, thy hearts strength he will be,
And thy sure Portion to Eternity.
God Infinite in wisdom, only wise,
Calls, Wilt thou, fool, Wisdom's advice despise?
It's God Almighty who doth thee command,
Wilt thou, frail wretch, Omnipotence withstand,
Since the most Holy calleth upon thee?
To disobey were gross profanity,
Since the most Just, most justly doth thee press,
To disobey were meer unrighteousness.
He who thee calls is good and gracious,
To anger slow, in mercy plenteous.
He's lovely, loving, Love, who calls on thee:
Wilt thou from love, grace, goodness, mercy flee?
He who doth call, most faithful is and true.
Trust Truth it self, and thou shalt never rue.
The Great Creator calls, whose Word did call
What was not, and of nothing formed all;
Who all thy Members wrought most curiously,
And form'd thy Spirit in the midst of thee:
He gave, and still he life to thee doth give.
Thou liv'st in him, wilt thou without him live?
Thou mov'st in him, from him move not away:
From him in whom thou go'st, go not astray:
In him thou dost exist; and canst thou be
Without him, who gives being unto thee?
Where art thou
Adam, when the Lord doth cry,
Where's God, my Maker, Man should then reply.
When he in whom thou liv'st, and doth consist,
Commands, how dares thou for thy life resist?
When he in whom thou mov'st doth thee command,
To come to him, how dares thou lingring stand?
Lord, what is Man, that thou so much should'st make
Of such a nothing, and such knowledge take
Of Man, who is but dust, and fading grass,
And, which is worse, a loathsome filthy Mass
Of darkness, horror, lust, profanity,
Unrighteousness, of sin and misery;
Conceiv'd in sin, form'd in iniquity,
A slave to divers lusts, lusts of the eye,
Lusts of the flesh, and to the pride of life,
To anger, hatred, malice, wrath and strife.
All in him is corrupt and vitiate;
His heart's deceitful, wicked, desperate;
Estrang'd from God, straying as soon as born;
Inclin'd to lies, apostate, and forlorn.
This Man, whom thou, O Lord, didst once create
In thine own Image, in a happy state,
Hath quite dis-made himself: He who was light,
Is darkness now; he who was made upright,
Is now perverse, ungodly and unjust,
Conform to Satan, to his will and lust;
Without the Lord, under Gods curse and wrath,
Liable to the first and second death:
To plagues in this life, which were long to tell,
And to the easeless, endless pains of Hell.
Lord, what but Grace and Mercy could thee move
Upon thy hateful Foes to set such love?
To speak to them who hearken not to thee,
To follow them who from thy presence flee:
To shew thy self to them who shut their eyes
On thee, and turn them unto vanities:
To stretch thy arms to those which turn their back,
And not their face to thee; and thus forsake
The Spring of living waters, and in vain,
Dig Cisterns, which no waters can contain.
To love the loathsome lying in their blood,
To overcome their evil with thy good.
Of these who sought thee not, lo, thou art found:
Where sin aboundeth, Grace doth more abound.
O wonderful, that thy delights should be
With Sons of Men from all Eternity!
Since thou art Love, thy love must wondrous be,
For all is wonderful that is in thee.
Thy love, most High, doth far surpass in height
The highest reach of Men or Angels sight:
Its endless length no finite eye can see;
For it is from and to Eternity.
But O the depth past diving! Who can sound
How low Love stoops? O lowliness profound!
That the most High, who cloathed is with light,
To which none can approach, should from the height
Of Glory, which doth Heaven of Heavens transcend,
Unto the lower parts of Earth descend,
To take up fallen Man; yea, to take on
Frail Humane Nature: So that now the Son
Of God is Man, the Word is Flesh; and thus
Behold, God is become like one of us.
In likeness of Man's sinful flesh God sent
His own, His only Son, with this intent,
That he for us an Offering should be,
And bear our sins in's body on the Tree.
All we like wandring sheep had gone astray,
The Lord on him did our transgressions lay
The blameless Lamb dies for the Sheep who stray,
And did restore that he took not away.
He who is blest, did bear the curse that we
Who cursed are, in him might blessed be.
He who knew no sin, was made sin for us,
That we in him might be made righteous.
The Prince of life did die, that so the dead
In sins, might by his death be quickened.
He taken was, and bound to set us free,
He was condemn'd, that we absolv'd might be.
He quietly did stripes and wounds endure,
That by his stripes he all our wounds might cure.
The trouble of his Soul, his Agony,
Procur'd our Peace, and Soul's Tranquility.
His Soul was exceeding sorrowful,
That we might joy, that our joy might be full.
He was forsaken of his God, that we
Unto God's prefence might have access free.
His blood was shed, Justice to satisfie,
To purge away all our iniquity.
His flesh is meat, his blood is drink indeed,
On which poor hungry, thirsty souls may feed.
He's God and Man, a Mediator meet,
To make the Peace, and God, and Man unite.
The fullness of the Godhead, bodily,
Dwelleth in him, what then can wanting be?
He's full of Grace and Truth, that empty we,
May from his fullness have compleat supply.
To us a Child is born, a Son is given,
To us he came, di'd, rose, and went to Heaven.
He's all for us, all who obey his call,
Shall find all in him, who fills all in all.
In him is all that needy souls require,
All their salvation, all their desire.
Why stayest thou, O my soul? Canst thou refuse?
What sayest thou? What pretend'st thou for excuse?
Thy call is clear; thou maist, yea, thou must come,
Thy Soveraign calls, God faithful is, by whom
Thou called art unto Communion,
And Fellowship with Jesus Christ his Son.
The Son invites thee, spreading out his Hands,
He shews himself, cries, knocks, and waiting stands:
Ho, every one who thirsteth, come, he cries;
Come, come; he double, triple multiplies:
Come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live;
Come, weary souls, I rest to you will give.
The Spirit says, Come, whosoever will;
Take living water freely, drink thy fill.
Thus thou must love, or hate; come, or rebel:
And all who hate Christ, love Death, Wrath, and Hell.
All who despise his Love, revenging Wrath
Shall them pursue unto Eternal Death.
Thus thou hast heard his voice, now lift thine eyes,
Behold him, who, Behold, behold me, cries.
Behold the true God, who is over all,
God blest for ever, consubstantial.
With God the Father, God's own only Son,
The Father's daily delectation.
The brightness of the Father's Glory bright,
His Person's express Image, light of light,
Immanuel, that's plainly, God with us,
God-Man, One Person Great and Gracious:
The Lord of Lords, the Prince and King of Kings,
The Sun of Righteousness, who in his wings
Hath Healing; yea, hath Life; for he's the Light
Of Life, who gives unto the blind their sight.
The great High-Priest, who by the Eternal Spirit,
Offered himself a Sacrifice compleat.
All in him lovely is, in him is all
That lovely is, All Good we should him call.
He's God, yet Man, and near of kin to us;
Most High, yet lowly, Great, yet gracious.
We sent not for him, yet behold he's come:
Think who he is, who cometh, and to whom
He had no need of nothings, who are less
Than nothing: Fullness comes to emptiness.
We made the breach, we sinned, yet his Grace
Prevents us, seeks our love, intreats for peace.
This Plot of Love the Gospel doth reveal;
God was in Christ the world to reconcile
Unto himself, and then a Ministry
Of Reconciliation we do see
Intrusted to his Messengers of Peace,
To publish, and make Offers of his Grace.
If we his Messengers slight and abuse,
We God himself despise, slight and refuse.
He who despiseth them, doth God contemn,
Since God himself beseecheth us by them.
Again, my Soul, consider thy estate,
While thou from Christ continues separate:
Lo, thou art blind, naked, miserable;
Thou canst not help thy self, but Christ is able
To help, and save, even to the uttermost,
Those who are self-destroyed, dead and lost:
His Name is
Jesus: He did get that Name
Which speaks salvation, because he came
To save his people from their sins, and from
The dreadful everlasting wrath to come.
His Name is
Christ, that is to say, anointed;
For he to save is fitted and appointed.
As it's his Office, so it is his Joy
To save the lost, and Satan's works destroy.
If thou art poor, wouldst thou do him a pleasure?
Come with thy emptiness unto his Treasure,
Where thou wilt find Riches unsearchable,
Fine tried Gold, and Substance durable.
Thy eyes are blind, come unto him; for he
Hath Eye-salve, which doth make the blind to see.
Art thou asham'd of thy vile nakedness?
Here's fine white Raiment, perfect Righteousness.
Thou art a Fool, of wisdom destitute,
Like a wild Asses Colt, a stupid Bruit.
Lo he is wisdom, and is wisdom made
Unto the foolish, who no wisdom had.
Thou art by Nature darkness of the Night;
He is that light which maketh darkness light.
Thou errest and wandrest, going still astray,
He is the truth, the leader, and the way;
The way of life, the true new living way,
By which unto the Holiest come we may;
And by the blood of Jesus, which makes peace,
With confidence may access have to Grace.
The true, the faithful witness, the
Amen,
Is given for a leader unto men.
A just Commander, and a gracious Guide,
From strangers on the Earth he will not hide,
But open up the Scripture, clear the Eye
Of th' Understanding, Scripture-light to see.
The light of truth he unto them doth show,
That truth from error they may clearly know.
He shows what's right, what's wrong, what's good, what's ill,
For to inform the Mind, reform the Will.
He takes them by the arms, learns them to go,
And holds them, that they reel not to and fro.
If thou art weak, thy help on him is laid,
Who mighty is, in straits a present aid.
Thou filthy art without, unclean within,
He is a Fountain opened for sin.
Thou art diseased, this Physician can
Heal all Diseases incident to Man.
This Man's the Peace in midst of Enemies,
The heart's support under Infirmities:
He is the Ark in midst of a Deluge,
When wrath pursues a City of Refuge.
If thou art dead, he's life; if lost, salvation;
If comfortless, he's
Israel's consolation.
Jesus is All, by Jesus Name alone,
To Men is given God's salvation.
All they which are in him are justified,
Regenerate, adopted, glorified.
Come, come to him, and then thou shalt be free
From condemnation, and accepted be,
As Just, through his Obedience to the Death,
Imputed to thee, and receiv'd by Faith.
Thy sins and guilt shall never thee confound,
Though they be sought for, they shall not be found.
They are renew'd who are in him that's true,
Old things are past, and all things are made new.
Christ lives in them, and Christ in them is found,
And to his Image they are all conform'd.
They die to sin, they live to him who died,
And rose, that they might be all sanctified.
As many as receive him, who doth come
To them, they all the Sons of God become:
They have his Spirit, they have access free
To Grace, and
Abba, Father, they may cry:
They by his Name are call'd, by him protected,
Provided for, they'r chast'ned and corrected;
Yet not cast off; their Father's power and love
Keeps-them to their inheritance above:
They all are Heirs of life perpetual,
Heirs and joynt-heirs with Christ, the Heir of all.
They persevere, and never fall away
From Grace, in which they firmly stand for ay.
For God's Foundation standeth ever sure;
He knows his own, his love doth still endure.
There's none, there's nothing whatsoever that
Them from the love of Christ can seperate.
He will not leave them, he doth promise make,
That he will not them leave, nor them forsake.
They shall not leave the Lord, for in their heart
He puts his fear, that they may not depart.
None can them pluck away, they firmly stand,
As holden in the Son's and Father's Hand.
Christ's Intercession, which doth still prevail,
Procureth, that their Faith shall never fail.
They persevere in Grace, in Grace they grow;
From Christ in them moe benefits do flow:
Assurance of God's favour and his grace,
In midst of trouble, inward rest and peace
Of Conscience, the joy of God's salvation,
Which makes them glory, even in tribulation.
Their Souls at death are perfectly made free
From sin to glory, pass immediately:
Their bodies sleep in Christ, in whom they have
Rest till the Resurrection in the grave.
Then their vile body, so by Death deform'd,
Shall to Christ's glorious body be conform'd,
The Soul and Body being unite shall be
For ever with the Lord, and clearly see
His Glory in his Light; they shall see Light:
There is no darkness there, there is no Night:
Shadows are fled, the Lattess here below
Did well, through which the Lord himself did show.
But when the perfect day is come, and grace
Is crown'd with glory, they see face to face,
Not in a glass, nothing doth interveen,
To mar their sight, they see as they are seen,
And known; there needs no Candle there,
Nor Moon, nor Sun, these lights are darkness where
God's Glory shines, and where the Lamb's the light:
He fills the eye, and perfect makes the sight.
In his own glory, they his glory see,
And like him are, because they perfectly
Behold him as he is: The Light Divine
Inlightens them, that like the Sun they shine.
They see his love, it's in their heart and eye,
That he is God, their Soul doth taste and see;
And in his love, the Spring of Life Divine,
They Water drink that's better far than Wine
Rivers of pleasures in upon them flow,
And fill their Soul throughout, and overflow,
Yet do not drown: These living waters give
Eternal life to all who in them live.
Their love is perfect, God's love makes abode
In them, they dwell in love, and dwell in God.
And then a whole Burnt-offering they prove,
Wholly inflam'd, but not consum'd by love.
They'r free from sin, free from all that defiles,
From all temptations, from all Satan's wiles;
No spot remains, Holiness is perfect.
Here they lov'd cleanness, there they wake in white.
No trouble's there, dishonour, nor disgrace,
But perfect Glory, Honour, Rest and Peace:
There is no grief, nor ought that can annoy,
Christ's Joy's in them, they enter into Joy.
No doubts perplex them, nor suspicious fear,
For God's Name is in all their Fore-heads clear.
Come now to Christ, and then he unto whom
Thou comest, will kindly thee invite to come
Into his Kingdom; yea, he will thee own,
As a Joynt-Heir, and thee with Glory Crown.
And (which doth pass all admiration)
Thou shalt be fet with him upon his Throne.
They who will not come now, must then be gone
From Christ to Hell, and to destruction.
For when the Lord, whom now they will not hear,
Shall as great Judge at the great day appear.
His words shall thunder terror through their heart,
When they shall hear the dreadful Doom, Depart,
Depart, ye curst, to fire unquenchable,
With Satan and his Angels execrable,
Where there is endless weeping, fruitless tears,
Gnashing of teeth through anguish, and where fears,
Consuming terrors, horrors do abound,
Shame and contempt eternally confound:
There they who would not look to Christ the Light,
Shall be for ever shut out from his sight.
In utter darkness, in an endless night,
Blackness of darkness shall them still affright.
They who despise his love, shall drink his wrath,
And streams of Brimstone kindled by his breath.
The wine is wrath, the wrath of God without
All Mixture, is unto them pour'd out
Of Divine Indignation's dreadful Cup.
They swallow wrath, and wrath them swallows up,
With wrath and fury they are fill'd and drunk,
And in a lake of fire and brimestone sunk:
Their torments smoak ascendeth up for ever,
They have no rest, their torment ceaseth never.
Now life and death are set before thee, chuse
What thou wilt take, & what thou wilt refuse.
Wilt thou, fool, turn eternal life to death?
Wilt thou refuse God's favour, chuse his wrath?
And turn from Jesus Christ to go to Devils?
Refuse all good, and chuse all sorts of evils?
Darkness prefer to light, wilt thou refuse
Rivers of pleasures, streams of brimstone chuse?
If thou the God of Truth, Love, Mercy, Grace,
Forsake, and lying vanities embrace,
Thy conscience, the worm that doth not die,
Shall torture thee to all eternity.
Now tell me, Soul, what thy Objections are:
Is it Christ's Yoke, Rod, Cross, that doth thee scare?
His Yoke is easie, and his Burthen light,
His Laws not grievous, but the Soul's delight;
All his Commandments are holy, just & good,
And better far than thy appointed food.
They sweeter than the Honey-Comb shall prove;
For all his Laws are summed up in love.
The love of God, who is the chiefest good,
And of our Neighbour, our own flesh and blood.
To the in hatred is on Earth a Hell,
But it's a Heaven on Earth in love to dwell.
Shouldst thou not love the Lord with all thy heart,
Who goodness is, and doth good impart?
With all thy soul, since he's the God alone
Which to the soul gives satisfaction?
With all the mind? for he doth fill the mind,
And cannot be by finite thoughts confin'd.
With all thy strength? Thy Powers are not able
Him to desire as he is desirable,
Tho all thy soul to th' utmost thou extend,
It cannot boundless goodness comprehend.
Love sweetly joins the heart to God alone,
And other gods before him will have none.
It will have none on Earth or Heaven above,
But God for its desire, delight and love.
The Spouse disdains (this is love's holy pride)
By Christ's companions to turn aside.
To please the Lord love doth the soul dispose,
And with his will in every thing to close.
Love worship's God according to his mind,
And loves to be within his will confin'd.
Love fears his Jealousie, and stands in awe,
To take ought from, or add ought to his Law.
It casts all worship forged by man's will,
And doth the sale of Idol-mongers spill.
Love God; and then his glorious Name to thee
As precious Ointment poured out will be.
Strongly, yet sweetly Love will thee restrain
From taking his most holy Name in vain.
Love God, so Sabbath-days from morn till night,
Shall be by thee accounted a delight.
These Sabbaths of the Lord are holy blest,
Love's tristing times, Feast-days, and days of Rest.
Then the beloved blesseth Saints with grace
And glory, then they see his lovely face.
He entertaineth them in holy rest;
Days in his Courts of all days are the best.
From love to God neighbourly love doth flow,
From this sweet root this pleasant plant doth grow.
Since man was made in Gods similitude,
Since all men are of the same flesh and blood,
It's for God's honour, and our own behoof,
That we our Neighbour as our selves should love.
The light of Nature cries it's righteous,
To do as we would men to do to us.
If thou thy neighbour love, thou wilt delight
To keep him blameless, and to do him right.
Love turns Superiors to Fathers kind,
And makes them of a condescending mind.
Love bounds their wrath, moves to commiseration,
Love tempers rigour, pleads for moderation.
When Justice, matcht with Mercy, sweetly reign,
Then all of Justice, and of Mercy sing.
Blest is the land in which the law of love
Doth rule in those below and those above.
Love maketh Equals deal with one another,
As every one were one another's brother.
Where Love prevaileth in inferiors,
It makes them kindly honour higher powers.
Love envies not superiors higher place,
But doth in God's Order still acquiesce.
Love maketh Subjects patient and mild,
Like to a kindly tender hearted child,
Who tho injur'd with grief and shamefac'dness,
Conceals his Father's faults and nakedness.
Love maketh man abhor man's blood to shed,
[...]ince God hath man in his own Image made.
To sinful Anger, Hatred, Envy, Spite,
Malice, Revenge, Love is most opposite.
Pure love destroys vile filthy lusts, and flies
From Fornications and Adulteries.
[...]t purifies the heart, and guards the eye,
And will not wrong a Neighbour's chastity.
He who is loving, seeks his Neighbour's wealth,
And wrongeth none by Rapine or by stealth.
Love is most tender of a Neighbour's Name,
It thinks no evil, and will not defame;
It loveth truth, and doth abhor all lies,
False-witnessing, reproaches, calumnies.
Love is contented well with its own lot,
And what belongs to others covets not.
It's opposite to the first inclinations,
Which tend to ill, to sinful delectations.
Since Love's the end, and sum of all the Law,
It's pleasant in Love's easie yoak to draw,
The Law of Love is holy, good and just;
But Oh! the lawless Law of sin and lust,
Like to a stinking humour spoils the taste
Of Lust-sick men, that the sweet food distaste,
To man's stiff Neck, which galling lust doth spoil,
The Yoak seems hard, which softer is than Oil.
Yea, no meer man is able since the Fall
To keep these perfect Laws, but breaks them all:
And every sin deserves God's curse and wrath
Both in this present life and after death.
Yet, O poor sinner, turn not desperate,
Since with the Father there's an Advocate,
Even Jesus Christ the Righteouss who hath
Fulfill'd the Law, appeas'd revenging wrath.
He hath the Law establisht, answered
All that it did demand, or threatned.
Justice hath found a Ransom in the Son,
Full satisfaction for transgression.
He under lay the curse, that he might free
All from the curse who unto him do flee.
Come unto him who is the Lord's salvation,
And thou shalt not come into condemnation.
For all sins of omission and commission
Thou shalt receive a full and free remission.
He will take off thy rags of filthiness,
And cloath thee with white robes of righteousness.
Was ever Traitor so perverfly mad,
To slight a pardon when it might be had?
To seek for cautioneis poor debters run:
Wilt thou an able off'red Surety shun?
Art thou with sins too heavy burden prest?
Come, weary soul, and Christ shall give thee rest.
Art thou for foughten, and quite out of breath
With the old man, that man of sin and death?
Groan unto him, that he may pity thee:
Say, I'm opprest, Lord, undertake for me.
He who cri'd out,
O wretched man am I,
Within a little sung of Victory.
Cry, Help, Lord, sins prevail against me, do;
Purge me, subdue them, and them quite undo.
Since without him thou canst do nothing right,
Be strong in him, in the power of his might.
When thou com'st up out of the wilderness,
Lean upon him, lean on him all thy stress.
Would thou have peace and comfort, come to Jesus:
He is the peace, and he alone can ease us.
By Faith receive him to dwell in thy heart:
He will thy conscience purge, and ease its smart.
Take him as off'red in the Gospel-Call:
With this great gift the Father giveth all.
Stay wholly on him, rest on him alone
For to accomplish thy salvation;
To save thee from all sin and misery,
And with all goodness thee to satisfie.
Is not this work of Faith the hearts delight?
Is not this labour ease? this burden light?
A hungry thirsty man will never think,
That it's a grievous work to eat and drink.
It's easing to a man with loads opprest,
To be disburden'd, and to find a rest.
The wind tost traveller is glad to find
A hiding place, to hide him from the wind.
And they whom a tempestuous storm doth beat,
With pleasure to a covert make retreat.
Tho thirsty, when in a dry place they see
Rivers of waters, thither they will flee.
If travellers see a great high Rock stand
In a Sun burnt, and scorched weary land,
Tho they be weary, yet they mend their pace,
To find in its cool shadow some solace.
The drowning man longs at the Rock to be,
The chased man into a strength doth flee,
Yet all these things, when they together twist,
Are but meer shadows when compar'd with Christ.
He is the Truth, true Light, true Life, true Food,
A refuge from all ill: He's all that's good.
To buy this Pearl all things are wisely sold;
For it's a treasure that cannot be told.
Riches unsearchable in Christ do meet:
In this one Pearl all treasures are unite.
Earth's Riches, upon which poor worldlings dote,
Tho they appear to be, yet they are not:
They are uncertain, yea, uncertainty,
And certainly they will make wings and fly:
They are but shadows when they seem to stay,
And are found nothing when they flee away.
These many things to nothing do amount,
When in Death's shadow men cast the account.
Oft-times in life these Riches take their wing;
When death is come, they signifie nothing,
Except to vex the rich, they cannot free
From death, nor him in death accompany.
But here true wealth, riches unsearchable,
Eternal riches, substance durable.
With many things vex not thy heart or head,
Since in one Pearl all good is treasured.
Rest not in hear-say, come, himself behold,
And thou shalt see much more than hath been told.
Buy without price, or money, O! cheap rate,
And calculate for our poor mean estate.
Sure it's free grace which hath this match made,
Where all things good may be for nothing had.
Put to thy hand, fear not, thou maist be bold,
Since he himself commands thee to take hold.
Since sweetness, better, by the taste than eye,
Or ear is known, O come! and taste and see,
How good the Lord is: eat that which is good,
Fatness and Marrow, soul-delighting food.
Drink wine that's well refined on the Lees,
Drink poverty away and miseries.
Be filled with the Spirit, do not fear,
Lest thou exceed, there is no excess here:
Drink, thirsty soul, and drink abundantly:
He who drinks most, liveth most soberly.
This drink doth not the sence and head confound,
It clears the eyes, makes mind and judgment sound:
It doth not pervert, but right the heart,
And from all evil to all good convert.
They reel not; for the Spirit doth them lead,
They safely go, their paths are stablished.
Their Mirth's not madness, it is solid, pure;
Ends not in sadness, but doth still endure.
They who are filled with the Spirit, rejoice,
Make melody to God with heart and voice.
They Psalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs do sing,
Give thanks to God, through Christ, in every thing.
These Joys begin the perfect melody,
Which is above; come, taste, and sing, and see.
Ah carnal wretch, who knows no other Feasts,
But such as common are to men with beasts:
Who seeks no better meat, nor better drink,
Than what corrupts, and turns to filth and stink.
Thy belly is thy God, thy glory shame,
Thy pleasure is the shadow of a dream,
Which goes in coming, when it comes it goes,
And leaves a filthy stain upon the soul;
It leaves a sting for thy vexation
And guilt, which binds to condemnation.
Thy momentary mirth, thy pleasures vain,
Brings on most real and eternal pain.
Thy fill is emptiness, thy mirth is madness,
The laughter of a fool that ends in sadness.
Thy fleshly lusts, tho they seem to delight,
Against thy soul most fiercely they do fight.
Their fond embraces are death's cruel grasps:
Their seeming sweetness is the gall of Asps.
The money's spent for that which is no bread,
But is the bane whereby thou'rt poisoned.
Thy labour's spent for vexing vanity,
Which doth torment, but cannot satisfie.
When wilt thou come unto thy self, and say,
Ah! I am famished, I pine away
With hunger; I am cheated, poisoned:
I feed vile lusts, by them I'm murthered.
I hear of bread indeed, and bread to spare,
And of a Feast, where all things ready are.
Since I am called, shall I not make haste,
And run before I die? But Oh! the Feast,
And the Feast-maker, are just at my hand,
Before the door, tho closed he doth stand.
He knocks, and doth me lovingly invite:
Since he's so near, alas! shall we not meet?
If any man what ere he was before,
My voice hear, and to me open the door,
I will come in, and sup with; if he,
Poor thing have nothing, he shall sup with me.
These are his words, if I had ears to hear,
Lord, open them, give me the hearing ear.
Since, Lord, thou art so near, do not depart:
Stand not without, ah! shall a door us part:
Make the King's Keys, or since thou'rt not for breaking,
Right the split lock, it is of thine own making.
I have it split, it will not budge nor gee
For any thing that can be done by me.
Lord, thou canst mend it, put thy hand within,
Open my closed heart, thou know'st the gin:
When
David's Key in thy Almighty Hand,
Doth open, none can shut, or thee withstand.
Come in, O mighty one, and dispossess
Satan and Lust, which do my soul oppress.
Of thy own goodness, Lord, the Feast provide,
Enlarge my heart, and my mouth open wide,
And fill it; for both hunger and the fill
Proceed from the good pleasure of thy will.
Without thee I am nothing, nothing have,
And nothing good can think, will, do, or crave,
Unless thy Spirit help my infirmity,
And grace perfect all that concerneth me.
I cannot come, except that I drawn be:
Draw me, O Lord, and I will come to thee
O wretched sinner, cry for mercy, cry,
When Christ, the Son of
David, is so nigh.
Blind
Bartimeus heard that Christ past by:
He takes the tide, and doth for Mercy cry.
Many did think his crying a disgrace,
And charged him, that he should hold his peace.
But he the more did lift his voice and cry,
O Son of
David, mercy have on me.
Jesus stood still, he thought it not a shame
To be thus call'd, but answer'd to his Name.
The Beggar being called, made no stay,
But in his haste, did cast his Cloak away.
He seeks for sight, obtaineth his request:
He came in faith, in love he follows Christ.
Let nothing which Devils or Men can say,
Scare thee; cast all impediments away.
Since the great Master calls, make no delay,
Turn a deaf ear to all, who him gain-say.
Do as the woman of
Canaan did,
From whom Christ, tho retir'd, could not be hid:
She crieth out,
Have mercy on me, Lord:
Christ hears her cry, but answers not a word.
And when he speaks, his words discourage more
Than did the silence which he kept before:
I am not sent but to Israel
's lost sheep,
Says Christ: The woman will not dive so deep,
To dispute his Commissions extent,
To whom he was, to whom he was not sent;
But kindly came, and humbly him ador'd,
Prest her suit, and cries out,
Help me, O Lord.
It is not meet to cast to dogs the bread,
Says Christ,
with which the children should be fed.
She storms not at a Dog's disgraceful Name,
But wifely makes advantage of the same:
Since I'm a dog, saith she,
for crumbs I plead:
Give me some crumbs, Lord, of children's bread.
Christ praised her great faith, and did fulfil
All her desire, and gave her all her will.
Tho Christ withdraw, seek him, he will appear:
He hears thy cry when he seems not to hear.
Tho he seem strange, unto him kindly come:
Tho thou be call'd a dog, yet seek a crumb.
If Satan say, thou art a reprobate,
That by a dispute dark and intricate,
Concerning secret things, and depths profound,
He may affright thee, and thy mind confound.
Listen not to a lying murthering cheat;
Enter not with him on that great debate.
Come on, Christ's call, effectual vocation,
Will free thee from the fears of reprobation.
All whom he draws, are called in effect,
And were from all Eternity elect.
But if thou say, I fear the bitter smart
Of a repenting prickt, rent, broken heart,
I must confess my sins with grief and tears,
And watch against my lusts with careful fears.
And thus my mirth is marr'd, and my gladness
Is turn'd to grief and melancholly sadness.
I answer that it is of God's free grace,
That for repentance there is any place.
Justice might say, go weep in Hell, and burn:
It's grace that says, Sinner, repent and turn.
The pricking of the heart lets out the sin,
Which festers and destroys when kept within.
It's for thy health, that thy hard heart be rent,
That so thy vile impostume may be vent.
It's not a Foe's, but a Physician's wound:
God breaks the heart to make it whole and sound.
The Lord doth heal the broken in their heart,
Their pain is gain, there's pleasure in the smart.
There's peace and safety in their watchful fears;
The Oil of Joy is mixt with Gospel-tears.
The Lord is broken by our whorish heart:
Should not our heart then break with grief and smart?
When Christ was bound, our sins did make the bands,
They were the Nails that pierc'd his feet and hands;
They were the Thorns that tore and rent his head;
They were the Spear that made his heart to bleed.
The lashing Whips, the Fists that did him beat,
They made his body weep a bloody sweat.
His outward pains, the Agony within,
His troubled soul, procured were by sin.
Look on him whom thou pierced, Oh! look on still,
That grief thy heart, and tears thine eyes may fill;
That kindly thou maist weep and mourn, like one
Who mourneth for a first and only Son.
Sin is against the Lord, breaks his laws;
It mars his Image, and from God withdraws.
Thy sin doth vex and grieve the holy Sp'rit:
Should thou with grief for sin contrite.
They shall find mercy, who confess and turn;
Comfort is promised to these who mourn.
The Oil of Joy the Lord for mourning gives,
And he the humble contrite heart revives.
If godly sorrow will not thee destroy,
It tends to life, its tears are seeds of joy.
Gospel-grief, which melts the heart aright,
Is sweeter far than all the world's delight.
And even godly grief, the sweeter then
All the delights of all the sons of men,
Who can the peace of God, who doth transcend,
And pass all understanding, comprehend.
Their Joy that's full of glory, who is able
To express? for it is unexpressable.
Christ calleth on thee, Sinner, to repent,
And he exalted is for this intent,
To give repentance and remission.
Imploy him to remove thy heart of stone.
They who are turn'd from sin to God by grace,
Find Wisdom's paths both pleasantness and peace.
The Word, the Sacraments, Prayers, and Praise,
Are lightsome, pleasant, and delightsome ways.
Blessed is he who knows the joyful sound,
And who can say, O Lord, thy words were found:
I did them eat, and thy word was to me
My heart's delight, and joyful melody,
Admire the Lord's low condescendency,
That he would speak and write to such as we,
And write so plainly, that each hungry one,
Tho simple, findeth food to live upon;
And so sublimely, that the Learned might
Not nauseate, but search, desire, delight;
And in such useful, sweet variety,
For to prevent loathing satiety.
Here Histories of grace, and ancient things,
Of persons good and great, of Saints and Kings,
Examples rare of Faith and Self-denial,
Of patience under the fiery Trial:
Of hope when Sense spoke nothing but despair,
Of Love, over-coming ill with good, O rare,
Of Fortitude join'd with a broken Sp'rit,
Of warlike courage in a heart contrite,
And wit to rule an Army and a Nation,
With wisdom that made wise unto salvation.
But O! the History of Histories,
So full of Miracles and Mysteries;
The Son of God his Incarnation,
His coming with life and salvation.
These good news are, and will be ever fresh,
That God was manifested in the flesh,
And dwelt with us; then on the Cross did die,
Rose from the Grave, ascended up on high.
Much may be seen of God in the Creation,
But he's more clearly seen in man's salvation:
For here appears God's wisdom manifold,
His spotless Justice doth it self unfold,
Suing the guiltless Surety till he died,
Not quitting him till he had satisfied.
Here Love shines bright, as in its proper place,
Upon the Mercy-seat, the Throne of Grace.
Lo, this is love, God who is Love, did give
His Son to death, that Enemies might live:
His own beloved, loving, lovely Son,
Only begotten, with his Father one
In Essence, one in Mind, and one in Will,
who all his Father's Precepts did fulfil,
Who holy, harmless, spotless was, yet he
Got a command for the lost sheep to die:
To die both in their stead, and for their good
To wash away their sins with his own blood.
Christ lov'd the Father, and he lov'd the sheep,
And so took pleasure this command to keep.
O matchless love! it passeth all degree;
The Judge doth for the Malefactors die.
It was his meat to do his Father's will,
His work to finish, Righteousness fulfil:
He went from place to place, still doing good,
Healing the sick, giving the hungry food;
Delivering from all maladies and evils,
Relieving them who were opprest with Devils.
He was most meek, lowly in heart and mind,
Most merciful, most affable and kind.
Easie he was to be intreated, all
Who call'd him, found him ready on a call.
When called to a Marriage, he went,
And made their water wine, when wine was spent:
When call'd, he went with
Publicans and Sinners,
And even with
Pharisees unto their Dinners.
All who did come for good, got all they sought,
And often better than they askt or thought.
The man sick of the
Palsie, laid before
Christ on a bed, seeks health, Christ giveth more:
He first forgiveth his Iniquity,
Then cures his body of its malady.
To teach the sick to seek more earnestly
To be from sin, than from their sickness free.
Christ sees a Widow following the Bier
Of her dead only Son; he draweth near,
And on the Widow hath compassion,
Restores to her alive her only Son.
Thus he prevents her expectation
With unexpected consolation.
His piercing eye is sharp to see, to see
His
Israel's affliction; his eye
Affects his tender heart with feeling stounds,
And all his bowels mercies, mercies sounds.
He quickly comes with all convenient speed,
And helps and succours in the time of need,
In Christ all persons of each rank and station,
May see a pattern for their imitation.
Church-Members, learn of him to countenance
God's Servants, and each holy Ordinance.
Jesus when eight days old was circumcis'd:
He heard
John preach, would be by him baptiz'd.
He loved Church-communion; for he
When others were baptiz'd, baptiz'd would be
He kept the Passover, and after that
His own Supper he himself did eat.
He sought and took each fit occasion
For spiritual communication,
And did from earthly things occasion take
Of divine heavenly purposes to speak.
Vile men things holy wrest to vile abuse,
He sinful things drew to an holy use:
He pray'd with others, taught them what to say,
And in what order they to God should pray.
To pray that God's Name may be hallowed,
His kingdom come, his will accomplished
In Earth, as it's in Heaven; then he allows
To seek for bread, not things superfluous;
And to seek more for liberation
From sin and snares, than from affliction.
Our hearts, when we begin our prayers to raise
To God in Heaven, and end them in praise.
Pastors, from the great Pastor learn to preach,
Who truth with all authority did teach.
His words were right words, plain, and words of grace,
Sweet, sharp, and suited to his hearers case.
He smote proud Hypocrites with Thunderdarts:
He pour'd the Oil of Joy in broken hearts,
And as a Hen her brood under her wings
Gathers, so would he gather wandring things:
He call'd, and prest his hearers to repent,
And to believe on him whom God had sent.
On fools, who to believe, of heart were slow,
He with much patience did great pains bestow:
In prayer he prais'd their knowledge, tho but weak,
And of their little Faith right much did make.
He wept o're those who from him turn'd away,
And would not know, nor ponder in their day
The things which did belong unto their peace,
While they were visited with Gospel-grace.
And by their slighting of Christ's Visitation,
Brought on themselves ruine and desolation.
To Christ let Children, Servants, Subjects look,
How pleasantly he bare Subjections Yoak.
To
Joseph and his Mother due respect
He gave, and did himself to them subject.
He payed Tribute; he would not offend:
And in his Doctrine he did recommend,
To give to
Caesar what to him belong'd.
He was most patient when by Rulers wrong'd.
He served Rulers, yea, he thought it meet
To serve his servants, and to wash their feet.
Let all whom the most High hath set above,
Their Fellow-Creatures learn of Christ to love,
And condescend to those of low degree.
This lowly love adorns Authority.
Meekness and Mercy, Lowliness in Christ,
With Majesty and Justice well consist,
Because of Truth, Meekness and Justice, he
Rides prosperously in stately Majesty.
He glorieth in goodness, mercy, grace,
His kingdom stands in righteousness and peace,
And Joy spiritual. O! happy they
Who learn of Christ to rule, and to obey.
Learn of Christ to suffer, and to die;
He had his sufferings often in his eye,
And to
Jerusalem did set his face,
Went foremost in a more than usual pace:
Went to the Garden which his Foes did know,
And when they came, himself to them did show.
He did meet Death before his strength was lost,
He cried loud when he gave up the Ghost.
He from his Father's Hand the bitter Cup
Receiv'd most pleasantly, and drank it up.
Pure Nature hath a sinless aversation
From wrath and death, and loves self-preservation:
So that it cannot chuse but fear and shrink,
When sin-revenging wrath doth mix the drink.
This Humane harmless will Christ giveth up
Unto his Father's will, and drinks the Cup,
Freely submits his inclination,
And says,
Lord, not my will, but thine be done.
With fervent cries, and tender tears he pray'th,
And multiplies the acts of Love and Faith.
For
my God, my God, Abba Father, prove
The strength of Faith, and fervency of Love.
When that the Sword through his pure Soul was thrust,
He did his Spirit to his Father truft,
And to the hand which did him bruise and smite,
In Faith and Love he did his Sp'rit commit.
And as his love was wonderful to men
At all times, so it was most wondrous then,
When sorrows fill'd, and did his soul surround,
His kindness and compassion did abound.
Tho he fore-saw his torment and reproach,
And saw the Prince of this World make approach,
And found his soul with trouble so much prest,
That its grief could not be by words exprest,
Yet none of these his loving heart diverts
From comforting his sad Disciples hearts.
Before the Passover, when Jesus saw
His hour was come, and that he should withdraw
From this world to the Father, having lov'd
His own, t'ward the world he constant prov'd,
Lov'd them unto the end. Since now he went
To God, from whom he came, his love must vent.
Like a kind Friend, who from his Friends must part,
In his farewel pours out his loving heart.
In words and deeds, and sufferings, O! how
His love bursts out, and doth all bands o're-flow.
He girds himself to be for service meet,
He stands, stoops, washes, wipes his servants feet,
To teach them not to lord it, as above
Their fellow-servants, but to serve in love.
The Passover he did most heartily
Desire to eat with them e're he did die.
The Paschal-Lamb slain, roasted which they eat,
Meant Christ slain, scorch't in Wrath's just burning heat.
But Christ, Death, Pains, Agony, Sweat of blood,
Lov'd as they were our life, ease, peace and food.
He straitned was till all was finished,
And his blood-baptism accomplished.
Behold! again his love will represent
His death our life, in a new Sacrament.
Two feasts, one end; O rare! in such a night
[...]n which he was betray'd, to take delight
To act his own sad death once and again,
A death in which blood, shame, and lingring pain:
And which was worst of all, a Curse did meet,
To make his terror every way compleat.
He ante-dates his death for their behoof,
Turns his sad death in a sweet feast of love.
He gives his broken body for their food,
And for their drink he gives his precious blood.
The Sword of Justice against him awoke,
It stroke him, broke him, he did bear the stroak.
The Shepherd bore it, who God's equal is,
That the poor little ones the stroak might miss.
His body broken for them in their stead,
Is life-procuring, and life-giving bread.
The Sword of Justice, the blood-thirsty blade
Pursues; for blood rests not till blood be shed.
The blood of beasts cannot God's wrath appease,
Nor purge the Conscience, nor give it ease.
Vile finite man could never satisfie
For sin against God infinite, tho he
Should bleed for ever in this helpless case.
Christ cometh in for his poor sheep's release.
He saith,
I come, I come; behold and see,
As in the book it written is of me;
A Body, Lord, thou hast for me prepar'd:
Draw blood of me, and let the sheep be spar'd.
I do delight even my hearts blood to shed
For them, that their sin may be pardoned.
Come all ye whom the fiery law doth charge
With guilt and wrath, and who your hearts enlarge
For righteousness, and who for pardon pant,
Come, drink the blood of the new covenant.
This drink will quench thy thirst, and scorching heat,
Which guilt and wrath do in thy soul beget.
Christ gives himself for food, to intimate,
That he himself is ours, in us, and that
He is one with us by a lively union,
And that our life consisteth in communion
With him, who gives us life, and growth, and strength,
And perfects what concerneth us at length.
This puts his loving kindness out of doubt,
That he comes in, and will not stand without;
And comes in, that he with his Friends may feast,
And gives himself for food to every guest:
He gives his flesh for bread, and to make up
The feast, he pours his blood into the Cup.
White others have but Bread and Wine for food,
Believers eat Christ's Body, drink his Blood.
He will not live without them, he doth give
Life unto them, and Christ in them doth live.
Yea, the life which they in the flesh do live,
They live it as they on the Son believe.
Behold again his Love, behold him die,
Behold him leave his little ones a legacy,
In a most sure, well order'd Testament,
And gives it sealed by a Sacrament,
This Testament containeth all that's good,
All that is purchased by Jesus blood:
It cannot changed be, it must endure;
The great Testator's death doth make it sure
He dies to ratifie his latter Will,
He lives Executor, it to fulfil:
He gave himself for them, to them he gives
Himself; for them he dies, for them he lives.
Yet still here's more of love, the loving art.
Is learned best from Christ's most loving heart:
He leaves a token of his love most kind,
To keep him: and his death still in their mind.
A token which he will have to remain
With them, until he come from Heaven again.
He says,
This is my body for you broken,
Take this, as of my love a sign and token:
Take, eat, and when this braken bread you see,
And take and eat it, then remember me.
And drink this Cup, and drink ye of it all:
As often as this Bread and Cup ye shall
Eat and drink, ye shew forth, and do record
The bloody breaking death of Christ the Lord.
Since these Love tokens are most excellent,
Which do to us most clearly represent
An absent friend, to shew what he hath done
For us, what hardships for us undergone:
And those most charming and endearing prove,
Which represent his loveliness and love.
This Sacrament is an illustrious
Symbol of love, presenting Christ to us,
As broken, bleeding, dying in our stead,
Broken, that he might unto us be bread;
Bleeding, that he might us with drink relieve,
And dying, that we by his death might live.
His Farewell Sermon, register'd by
John,
Is full of love and consolation,
Where you will find most kindly compellations,
Comforting Truths, strengthening Exhortations,
And promises most great and precious,
Most fit for them, most sweet and gracious.
His Sermon sweet, in a sweet Prayer ends,
Where he them to his Father recommends;
And prays for all that should believe upon
His Name, through the Word, that ye might be one,
As thou (says he)
O Father, art in me,
And I in thee, they one in us may be.
I will that they whom thou hast given me,
Be with me, that they may my Glory see.
I have declared unto them thy Name,
And will continue to declare the same,
That the love wherewith thou hast loved me,
May be in them, and I in them might be.
Himself, his Glory, and his Father's love
To him, he gives to them; and this doth prove,
He will no good deny, but all impart
Unto his Spouse, who ravisheth his heart.
For her his hands, feet, side, and heart did bleed:
These streams did from the Spring of Love proceed.
His bleeding hands, feet, side, and heart, do prove,
That our Lord Jesus Christ did die for love.
In suffering, he acted, finished
His work, his Father's will accomplished;
Payed the price, Justice to satisfie,
His Prisoners to ransom and set free.
And when he ignominiously did die,
His Foes he vanquished most gloriously.
Heroick Facts, which Histories record,
Are nothing to the acts of Christ the Lord,
Who the Red Dragons, the old Serpent's head
Bruised, and all Hell's Powers vanquished;
Destroyed Death, and took away its sting,
And rend'red it, tho grim, a harmless thing;
O'recame the world, and made an end of sin,
And everlasting righteousness brought in.
To God he Glory gave, to Earth brought Peace,
And towards worthless men good will and grace.
The feigned Loves which are in forg'd Romances,
Tho they be strain'd, are dull and cloudy Fancies,
And nothing to his matchless wondrous love,
Which is all finite minds and thoughts above,
The Spirit did the Gospel oft indite,
And moved four Evangelists to write,
That we might often read, and hear, and see
Of godliness the true great mystery;
That in beholding we might be transform'd
Into Christ's Image, and to him conform'd.
If thou take pleasure to read Prophesies,
Again into the Scripture turn thine eyes,
Where thou wilt find, that in the days of old
Things future were long e're they came foretold,
The Promises of Christ are there most clear,
And were fulfilled when he did appear.
They who had eyes to see, could not mistake
Him, of whom
Moses and the Prophets spake.
All circumstances here did meet and twift,
What they foretold fulfilled was in Christ.
The Promises so great and precious
Assures us, that the Lord is gracious.
His Word and Oath, which ever do endure,
Do make his mercies to his people sure.
May worthless I these Promises embrace?
Thou maist, for they are Promises of Grace.
If thou be miserable and impure,
They promise cleansing, they are mercies sure.
As cleansing purgeth from impurity,
So mercy pities, saves from misery.
If thou do thirst and hunger after all
The Promises, thine own thou maist them call.
The needy soul that longs for righteousness,
May claim the Promise, fulness blessedness.
Since Christ hath blest the hungry thirsty foul,
Such sure are blest, none can his Word controul.
Once close with Christ, all Promises are then
Thine; for in him they are,
Yea and Amen.
If thou embrace all his Commands aright,
Thou maist in all his Promises delight.
Would you read laws, in Scripture you may see
The laws of God most holy and most high,
Whose Will's the rule of all holiness,
Of love and mercy, and of righteousness.
These pure commands light to the eyes impart:
They'r right and good, and do rejoice the heart.
Receive them in thy mind, since they are light:
And since they'r good, make them thy hearts delight.
Great peace have they, O Lord, thy law that love
Nothing to them a stumbling-block shall prove.
Would you read Proverbs, much sence in few words,
The Scripture Proverbs plenteously affords.
In Scripture rare Epistles you will find,
Where to his Friends Christ writes his heart and mind:
And as their case requires, so he in love
Sometimes commends, and sometimes doth reprove.
Would you read news, here's news both great and true,
Good tidings of great Joy, and ever new,
That God was manifest in humane flesh,
Will be for ever wondrous news and fresh.
He is the same to day, and yesterday,
And is the same for ever and for aye.
His love's the same, it never waxeth old,
His blood's still fresh, his vertue grows not cold,
He's white and ruddy still, his beauty rare
Doth never fade, no age can it impair;
His locks are black, no grey hairs there are seen,
His Marriage bed continues ever green.
All earthly things do languish and decay;
The fashion of the world doth pass away.
These things are nothing else but shadows fleeing,
Which seem to be, and have no solid being:
But Christ is truth, and new creatures true,
Old things are past, lo all things here are new.
These things fade not with time, they grow not frail,
They are eternal and shall never fail.
New creatures wax not old, they never die;
Newness of life lasts to eternity.
New are their hearts, their spirits, minds and sense,
Their acts are acts of new obedience;
Their way is new, as light it shines alway,
Still more and more unto the perfect day.
These creatures new have a new secret name,
And a new City,
New Jerusalem;
A new Heav'n and new Earth, which far excell
This World; for there all righteousness doth dwell.
New various fruits they gather from the tree
Of Life, and drink new wine perpetually;
Eternal draughts of Light, Love and Joy,
While God himself they fully do enjoy.
Ah Fools! who seek for needless Novelties,
To feed fantastick Curiosities,
Of precious time so prodigally lost,
Your brave new nothings will not quit the cost.
Search for the new things that are great and true,
And of this labour thou shalt never rue.
These news thy soul to wondering will raise,
And yield sweet matter of new Songs of praise.
Art thou dispos'd to sing? apply thine ear,
In scripture thou a joyful sound shalt hear
Of Psalms, and Hymns, and Songs Spiritual,
Which make a melody celestial.
No Poet now can such Composures write;
For the great Maker did these Songs indite:
They came from Heaven, and by a heavenly strain,
They lift the soul from Earth to Heaven again.
There are high Songs made touching the great King,
Who hath pre-eminence in every thing:
There are most stately Songs of acts divine,
Sweet Songs of Love, which better are than wine.
Here mournful Songs, and Songs of joy and gladness,
And here are Songs compos'd of mirth and sadness.
The Psalm begins sometimes with sighs and tears,
And sad complaints of dangers and of fears;
But while the Psalmist sings, the grief and fray
Evanish, and are sweetly sung away.
These fingers travel much aloft, to raise
Their hearts and tongues to highest Notes of praise:
They call for help, invite the creatures all
In Earth, Seas, Air, the Hosts celestial.
But all the praise that creatures can afford,
Is far below the praise due to the Lord.
This rent will never fully payed be,
Through all the Ages of Eternity:
But they who ever praise, are ever blest,
In restless praise there is eternal rest.
Unto the word the Lord subjoined hath
The Sacraments, for to confirm our Faith,
That as we hear, so we may clearly see
Christ and his Grace presented to our eye.
In Baptism, behold, Christ doth apply
His Blood and Spirit us to purifie,
To purge away our guilt and filthiness,
To give us holiness and righteousness.
Be pure and clean, and of a holy frame,
Since thou wast washed in God's holy Name.
Unto the holy One, the holy Three,
Thou offer'd wast, should'st thou not holy be?
Think never shame holiness to avow,
Glory to stand to thy Baptismal Vow.
Abhor the filthy lusts of Swinish Hogs,
Disdain to cast what's holy unto Dogs:
Watch, fight against all worldly lusts and evils,
Resist unclean, lying and murthering Devils:
Be strong in God, and in his power of might,
The War is holy, and the Cause is right:
Put on Gods armour, stand, stand, do not flee,
Upon the Captain always fix thine eye.
He is the Captain of Salvation,
Cleave unto him, and thou shalt surely win;
For he hath given to all thy Foes the foil,
Come after him, and gather up the spoil:
He will thee feast in midst of all thy fight,
Cover thy Table in thine Enemies sight.
A Banquet in the fight expect thou may,
Since Christ Love's Banner doth o're thee display.
O! let it not be ever said of thee,
That from Christ's Colours thou away did flee.
Christ and his fulness in the union-feast,
We may both hear, and see, smell, touch, and taste.
By these same ports were Satan, Death, and Sin,
Enter'd, Christ, Life and Righteousness, come in.
Adam did hear, take, smell, touch, taste t
[...] fruit,
And was transform'd to a vile mortal Brute.
He is the Living, the Life-giving Bread,
Here is the meat indeed the drink indeed,
Under the shadow of this true Apple tree,
Sit down, it's Fruit to thy taste sweet shall be.
This tree of life, this true and noble Vine
Yields Grapes, which bleed true life, a life divine.
Christ would be broken, that he might be bread,
And that the dead might live, he would be dead.
He would bleed out his life, that we might drink
Life in his blood, remember him, and think
Still of his Death, and in his Temple still
Think of his Love, and of his latter Will.
Thou who art willing Christ himself to take,
And all his fulness, no more scruples make;
For as the bread thou eat'st, and as the wine
Thou drink'st, belongs to thee, so Christ is thine.
As food the empty body satiates,
And life and strength recruits and recreates;
So Christ to souls doth full contentment give:
He is their strength and life, by which they live.
If he dwell in thee, thou shalt filled be
With all Gods fullness most abundantly,
And thou shalt live, not thou, but rather he,
Who is a quickning Spirit, shall live in thee.
Faint not when to great works thou hast a call;
In Christ, who strengthens thee, thou maist do all.
Thou wilt him find life giving, strenthening food,
The living Spring of all that's truly good.
Prepare thy self for this great holy Feast,
The King himself observeth every guest:
He who had not his Wedding-garment on,
Incurr'd the Sentence of Damnation.
If thou come thither as to common food,
Thou wilt draw on the guilt of Jesu's blood.
Come with repentance, mourn when thou dost see
The Lord, whom thou by sin didst crucifie.
Come hungring, thirsting for this holy Feast,
The hungring soul shall be with goodness blest:
Come meek and lowly to Christ crucified,
The meek shall eat, and shall be satisfied:
Christ dwells with those who are of humble Spirit,
And doth revive the heart of the contrite.
Thou must have Faith, that Christ himself thou may
Eat Spiritually, not in a carnal way.
Purge out the leaven of hypocrisie,
And eat this feast with heart-sincerity:
Purge malice out, Division detaste,
This is a Love, and a Communion-feast.
Forgive the sins of others heartily,
As God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven thee.
If wants discourage, guilt stare in thy face,
Then judge thy self, beg mercy, seek for grace.
If thou seek Jesus, fear not, do not stay,
He hath all that thou want'st, haste, come away:
Come to the blood of sprinkling with thy sin,
The Fountain's open, wash thy self therein.
As it's of grace that the most glorious Lord
Speaks unto us, and seals his faithful Word
By Sacraments; so it is of his grace,
That we may speak to him in every place:
Yea, he most graciously of us requires,
That we in every thing make our desires
Known t' him by prayer and supplication,
That we may freed be of all vexation,
And that we may to our comfort find,
The peace of God guarding our heart and mind.
Offer thy hearts desires unto the Lord,
For things agreeable unto his Word:
Pray in the Spirit, who helps up every groan,
And sigh and suit, we cannot pray alone:
Pray in Christ's Name, if access thou would'st have
To grace, and answers of thy suit receive.
This is the new and living way, the gate
Of life, that leadeth to the Mercy-seat.
All those for whom Christ doeth interceed,
Mercy and grace, find in the time of need.
Be humble, fervent, pray in love and faith:
Life up pure hands without doubting and wrath:
Confess thy sins with sorrow and with shame:
For mercies praise the Lord's most holy Name:
And pray that God's Name may be hallowed,
Before thou com'st to seek for daily bread.
If answers come not soon, wait, knock again,
He hath not said,
Seek ye my face in vain.
Seek, ask, knock, wait with expectation,
Thou shalt rejoice in God's salvation.
The very pouring out of a sad heart
Before the Lord, will somewhat ease its smart.
He heareth prayer, and he loves to hear
His Doves, his Turtles voice; he bows his ear.
All their desires, groans, breathings, chatterings,
Are pleasant musick to the King of Kings:
These broken Notes he joins in pleasant sets
Of Musick, and their moaning words repeats:
He hears
Ephraim, while he doth bemoan
Himself; he telleth every word and groan:
His bowels move, he hath compassion
Upon his pleasant child, and his dear Son.
Is it not meet that since the Lord takes pleasure
To hear, and to repeat thy suits takes leasure,
That thou with pleasure should'st persist to cry,
And wait his leasure till he do reply?
Sometimes he answers Prayers e're they are done;
Sometimes he answers e're they be begun:
For he regardeth our necessity,
And answereth our need before we cry:
And sometimes humble, patient expectation
Is a most needful part of supplication.
That man is indiscreet who is offended,
That he's not answered ere his suit be ended.
The needy he will not forget alway:
The poor man's hope shall not be lost for ay.
Think it not then a weariness to pray,
To come by this new, true and living way,
With boldness by the Blood of Jesus Christ,
The Son of God, the merciful High-Priest,
Who doth for ever live to interceed
For sinners sensible of sin and need;
And takes those who come to him by the hand,
And brings them into grace, wherein they stand,
Into the holiest, the Mercy-seat,
That from the God of Grace they Grace may get;
Pardons of sins, cures of all maladies,
And for all wants full suitable supplies;
Light, Life, Strength, Grace to do and persevere,
When they are tempt with pleasure or with fear:
Yea, more than they can ask, or think upon,
Grace, Grace, sure mercies, God's salvation.
Are not then all God's Ordinances sweet,
Since in them he doth with his people meet?
Himself, his Mind, his Grace he doth impart
To them, and they pour out to him their heart.
Blessed are they the joyful sound who hear,
And to God's Word apply their heart and ear.
It's Spirit and Life; it light in darkness gives,
And when they faint and fear, it them relieves.
O! blessed are they who are washed in
The Fountain opened for faults and sin:
These Waters cleanse, heal, quicken, and make grow
All things, where they do come and overflow.
And happy are they who by Christ, the King,
Are brought into the house of banquetting:
And happy they who by his Sp'rit are led
Unto his house of Prayer, and there made glad.
If this begun-communion be so sweet,
What will it be when it's in Heaven compleat?
As for Christ's Rod and Cross, tho they appear
So sharp and sad, yet follow, do not fear:
That he himself doth humble to reprove,
And chasten thee, it's condescending love:
For if thou wert without correction,
Thou wouldst a Bastard be, and not a Son.
It's better to endure Paternal Ire,
Than bear the vengeance of eternal fire.
If thou receive the rod with spirit mild,
Thou maist be sure God treats thee as a child.
Why shouldst thou his chastising hand suspect,
Since for thy profit he doth thee correct,
That we may partake of his holiness,
And may bring forth the fruits of righteousness?
His fire will not consume thee, but thy sin:
It purgeth out thy filthy dross and tin.
These Thorns are kindly sharp, which hedge the way,
That thou maist not thy lovers find, but say,
I will to my first husband go; I know
That it was better then with me than now.
He is to anger slow, he stirs not all
His wrath, he quickly lets the quarrel fall:
He spares even when he strikes, debates in measure,
Waits to be gracious, gives space and leasure
To those whom he chastiseth to repent,
Speaks to their heart, to move it to relent:
Despise not the Almighty's chastisement,
And when he thee rebuketh, do not faint:
Humble thy self under his mighty hand,
Obey his will, it's madness to withstand.
Turn to his hand that smites, and kiss the rod:
And it is meet that thus thou say to God,
I have chastisement born, I'le not offend:
Have mercy, give me Grace my faults to mend:
What I see not, Lord, teach me, that I may
Know secret sins, and no more go astray.
Blest is the man who is of God chastised,
And from his Law thus taught and exercised.
Sin brings down rods, rods bring forth fruits of peace,
Christ turns the fruits of sin to means of grace:
God's soveraign Grace makes changes strange of things:
It life from death, sweet from bitter brings;
Peace out of trouble, out of darkness light;
Out of the Eater meet, from grief delight.
What of it self did to destruction tend,
Grace makes it in salvation to end.
As for Christ's Cross, be not at it offended;
For it can never be enough commended:
O! it's a holy, pleasant, stately thing,
To be conform'd to him in suffering.
Remember oft his oft repeated word,
The Servant is not greater than his Lord:
It is enough, and very fair that he
Who's a Disciple, as his Master be.
Is thy condition mean? canst thou not find
Accommodation unto thy mind?
Hast thou no harboury, no house, nor hold,
To shelter thee from storms? look and behold,
The First-begotten to the world brought in,
In an Out-house, and not into the Inn.
He, unto whom the Angels worship paid,
Is in a Manger, not a Cradle laid.
Foxes have holes, and each fowl hath its nest,
Christ had not whereupon his head to rest.
Want'st thou wherewith to buy thy daily bread?
Some of their substance to him ministred.
Or art thou from thy Native Soil exil'd?
Christ driven was to
Egypt when a child.
Art thou reproached? Vile iniquities
Were cast on him, calumnies and lies;
Vile drunkenness, sensual gluttony,
Collusion with Devils, blasphemy,
Madness, deceit, and friendliness to vice,
And all that crafty malice could devise,
Was charg'd on him, whom they proclaim'd abroad,
An Enemy to
Coesar and to God.
Do Friends turn Foes, or do they faint and flee
From thee in straits? to Jesus turn thine eye:
His own Disciples did leave him alone:
They to their own were scattered and gone:
He was by
Judas traiterously betrayed,
By
Peter thrice most shamefully denied.
Art thou a Prisoner, and hardly used,
Pursu'd to death, and scornfully abused?
Christ as a Thief, was apprehended, bound,
As a mock-King in purple cloath'd, and crown'd
With pricking Thorns, a Reed put in his hand,
As a mock-Scepter; then they do command,
That he hood-wink't, should tell who did him smite.
To shew at him as Prophet, their despite,
They spit on him, and scourge him cruelly,
And lead him out upon a Cross to die
A lingring, shameful, painful, cursed death,
On which he bore our sins and divine wrath.
These were the weights that did his soul distress:
His sweat was blood, when bruised in this press.
The Cross, as Christ hath left it, we may say
Is light, Christ took its greatest weight away:
He wrath, the bitterness of death drunk up,
And left no vengeance in his peoples cup:
For wrath and death, he love and life puts in,
Which
Marab's waters make more sweet than wine.
Take up his burden, it is light and meet,
And drink his cup, it healthful is and sweet.
To bear about the dying of sweet-Jesus
Will not us kill, but quicken, strengthen, ease us.
They're highly honoured who suffer shame
For Jesus sake, and for his glorious Name:
Reproach for Christ, is Riches much more great
Than
Egypt's Pleasures, Treasures, Honours, State:
Shame for him honour is, and loss is gain:
In death for him is life, and ease in pain.
When all day long they're killed for his sake,
Like sheep for slaughter, burned at a stake
They Conquerors, and more than Conquerors prove,
Through him who them eternally doth love.
Turn thine eyes from the dark side of the Cross,
On which appears dishonour, pain and loss,
And turn upon the lightsome side thine eye,
Where pleasure, gain and glory thou maist see.
Christ's own Example will us best direct,
How of the Cross to take a right prospect.
The Son of man is glorified, he said,
And God in him is also glorified.
If God in him thus glorified be,
God shall in him himself straight glorifie.
He Glory saw in being crucified,
He saw God by his suffering glorified:
He saw the heavenly glory to ensue:
Keep still this Triple Glory in thy view.
Sigh not then at the Cross, as sad and sorry,
But shout in triumph, Glory, glory, glory.
Live to God's Glory, for his Glory die,
It is thy Glory God to glorifie.
If by thy death God glorified be,
Thou shalt in Glory live eternally.
They who with Christ do suffer, with him reign,
And bearing palms, eternal triumph sing.
If for the Name of Christ reproach'd thou be,
The Spirit of God and Glory rests on thee.
These momentary crosses which are light,
Work endless Glory of exceeding weight.
Yet go not from thy way to seek a cross,
Follow thy calling, to God's way keep close:
That Cross which thy wise Lord for thee thinks meet,
Is in thy way, in the great King's High-street:
That thou must take it up, or else go wrong,
Medling in what doth not to thee belong.
If in thy sufferings thou wouldst have delight,
See that thy call be clear, the cause be right:
Take up thy Cross in Christ's Name, and his strength,
That of thy race thou maist run all the length.
Pray to be strengthen'd by his glorious might,
To suffer with all patience and delight.
Tho thou wert burned, yet if thou hast not
Love, burning will not profit thee a Jot.
Unto thy hungry Enemy give food:
Love those who hate thee, vanquish ill with good:
And pray that those who do impoverish thee,
With the true riches may enriched be:
That they who cause thee wander far abroad,
May from their wand'ring be reclaim'd to God.
Those who from Earth pursue thee till thou die,
Endeavour to draw them to Heaven with thee.
Our blessed Lord, when hanging on the tree,
Prayed for those who did him crucifie:
He to his Father for their pardon pray'd,
And did say for them all that could be said.
How far was
Stephen from leaving of his death
On those who ston'd him, witness his last breath:
He kneel'd, and cri'd, this sin, Lord, do not lay
To their charge: Thus in love he slept away.
O lovely blessed sleep! O sure 'twill be
A heavenly thing in love to live and die.
Love is the way to Heaven, love is the flame
In which the soul surmounts the starry frame.
This is the work and life of Saints above,
To love, and loved be; for God is love:
He's light and love, he freely doth impart
Light to the mind, and goodness to the heart.
With his resplendent Glory fill thine eye,
And in his goodness place thou all thy Joy.
Come see and taste, Come, come, and taste and see,
With goodness fill thy heart, with light thine eye.
The Father, Son and Spirit, Persons three,
Who are in Essence one, do call on thee
To come from dolesome darkness unto light,
From ill to good, from sorrow to delight;
From death to life, from guilt to righteousness;
From the vile filth of sin to holiness;
From want to fullness; from weights which thee load,
To rest and ease; from Satan unto God;
From Hell to Heaven, from lusts base drudgery,
To that high service, God to glorifie.
Not that we can unto his Glory add;
For it is boundless. He hath ever had,
And hath, and shall have to Eternity
Perfection infinite, but that poor we,
With mind, heart, mouth, acknowledge and confess
His glory, as he doeth it express
In all his Works, and in his holy Word,
And in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord:
And that in eating, drinking, in each thing
We do, God's Glory we may still design.
But surely it is wonderfully sweet
To see Gods Glory and man's good unite.
In these same acts by which they glorifie
The Lord, they do enjoy his company:
And these same acts which do unite the soul
Unto the Lord, his Glory do extol:
By acting Faith, and hoping in his Word,
They praise the Grace, Truth, Power of the Lord:
By acting Faith, they in their heart receive
The Lord to dwell in them, great peace they have:
Whose mind and heart upon the Lord is staid,
Of evil tidings they are not afraid:
When they themselves most quietly do hide
Under the shade of his wings, and abide
In the most secret place of the most high,
What harm of evil can to them come nigh?
Munition of Rocks doth them secure;
Their bread and water are to them made sure:
God with broad Rivers them surrounds, that so
No Ship nor Galley can against them go.
Since in them God is Glory, and a wall
Of sire about them, surely they have all,
Glory within their mind and heart to fill,
A fire without, to guard them from all ill.
How can they but be safe, who have salvation,
For VValls and Bulwarks, for their preservation.
The more they trust, the more they glorifie
God, and his wondrous loving kindness see,
Which he to them hath greatly magnified
Within a city that is fortified.
No outward force disturbeth their solace,
When they thus guarded, see and taste his grace.
Love doth at once the Lord himself embrace,
And glorifies his goodness, love and grace,
While we above all things the Lord do love,
We in our heart set him all things above,
While we desire him, and do in him joy,
We move to him, and God himself enjoy:
Yea, every act whereby we glorifie
The Lord, in it we do the Lord draw nigh,
And God to us. Thus are his servants blest:
For all their service is their interest.
Christ from himself servants sent not away,
His word is come, follow me, with me stay:
If any serve me, let him follow me,
And where I am, there shall my servant be.
Since Christ is foremost, sure the way is right:
Since he's the way, the Leader, and the Light,
The way is safe, take courage, talk no more
Of fear and danger, since God is before:
The way is pleasant, it's a sight most sweet,
To see the steps of Jesus lovely feet;
And to walk in them, in them to walk on,
Since our fore-runner in these paths hath gone:
Tho he be gone before, yet he is near,
He's on the front, and also on the rear;
And still on thy right hand thee to uphold:
Yea, in thy heart, to make thee humbly bold.
As he walks in them, this of them is crav'd,
That they walk in him, as they him receiv'd.
It is his promise to be with them still:
That they be still with him, is his good will.
Thus all the service he to them commends,
To Glory, Union, and Communion tends:
Their Master's Service is their interest,
In glorifying God they're truly blest:
This is thy chief end God to glorifie,
And to enjoy him to eternity.
Come to the Mediator Jesus Christ,
In him alone the Lord with man's wellpleas'd.
Come unto God by him, though thou be'st lost,
He will thee save unto the uttermost.
Come, take himself, and take his fulness all;
Deny thy self, follow upon his call.
Follow him fully, follow him with delight;
His yoke is easie, and his burden light:
His holy Ordinances are most sweet,
His Rod is needful, and his Cross is meet:
All service he requires, is reasonable,
All Rods and Crosses needful, seasonaable:
It's only for a time, if need there be,
That trials come in great variety:
And though they sadning be, yet they are blest,
And tend to Holiness, Praise, Glory, Rest.
Come, come, thy service all, all thy distress,
Is for God's Glory, and thy Happiness.
Now since by God, the Father, and the Spirit,
Thou art from sin and torments infinite,
Called to come, through Christ, the living way,
To Fellowship with God, which lasts for aye;
Behold, by whom, from what, through whom, to whom
Thou called art, all calls on thee to come:
The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; let all who hear,
Say, Come; and let them come, who thirsty are:
Here is Life's Fountain, whosoever will,
Of living water freely take thy fill.
That all who hear, may come, Lord, draw, that we
May come, and run, and follow after thee.
Come with thy Grace and Glory speedily:
Lord Jesus, come.
Amen. So let it be.
FINIS.