<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>5-6-14</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Added TEMPHEAD, checked ID, and added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate. Checked for N=""s. Checked for GROUP tags. Proofed title pages; changed a couple Ps to Ls; added some BIBLs; removed two decorative P FIGUREs. Checked ^s. Reviewed structure; moved end FRONT beginning BODY. Checked placement and completeness of PBs; moved a PB. Checked for damage GAPs, #s, @s, oes, --s, and UNCLEARs. Corrected [dollar]s. Checked for &amp;cs with incorrect spacing. Checked for LBs. Checked for startqs and endqs, qs, abq's, Ae's, and Qs. Checked italic I / J and U / V. Checked for missing page GAPs. Checked for EPIGRAPHs and ARGUMENTS. Checked proofsheets and made corrections. Checked decorated initials. Checked FIGUREs. Checked CLOSERs, TRAILERs, SIGNEDs, OPENERs, SALUTEs, BYLINEs. Sample: 2 minutes. Proofing: 30 minutes. Tag review and corrections: 30 minutes. DONE.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B22878">
<STC T="W">F519</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">[ocm]19370320</BIBNO>
<VID>205476</VID>
</IDG>
<GROUP>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><HI>Mi&s;cellanea Sacra.</HI></P>
<P>CONTAINING
<LIST>
<ITEM>Scriptural Meditations,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Divine Breathings,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Occa&s;ional Reflections, <HI>and</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Sacred Poems.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<Q><P>Non paranda &s;olum nobis ea, &s;ed fruenda etiam e&s;t &s;apientia.</P> <BIBL><HI>Cic.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>John Lawrence,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in the <HI>Poultrey;</HI> And <HI>Jo&s;eph Wats,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard. 1692.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The PREFACE.</HEAD>
<P>ONE of the Anci|ents giving an Ac|count of the Life of Man, &s;aid it was (or at lea&s;t ought to be) <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a MEDITATION of DEATH:</HI> He &s;hould ra|ther have &s;aid, <HI>a Me|ditation of another Life,</HI> tho' I &s;uppo&s;e he
<PB REF="3"> meant it not of Death in it <HI>&s;elf,</HI> but as it tran&s;|mits us to a <HI>Better Life</HI> beyond it. But alas! how few are there that exer|ci&s;e their Thoughts upon &s;uch a Subject! &s;ince the generality of Men do live <HI>tanquam &s;emper vi|cturi,</HI> as though they were to live here <HI>always,</HI> or rather as if they thought their Souls and Bodies &s;hould <HI>peri&s;h together</HI>
<PB REF="3"> without the hopes of a Re|&s;urrection. And tho' <HI>Life and Immortality be brought to light by the Go&s;pel,</HI> yet even the Profe&s;&s;ors of it do too little exerci&s;e their minds in &s;uch Contemplations. Sometimes perhaps the Cro&s;&s;es and Troubles they meet with here below, may force their thoughts up|wards, and induce them to think on that uninter|rupted
<PB REF="4"> Peace and Felicity they expect hereafter; but this is u&s;ually but <HI>Mo|mentanea Philo&s;o|phia,</HI> Calvin. and they pre&s;ently return to their former cour&s;e of minding earthly things. And which is the &s;trange&s;t of all, tho&s;e that have &s;ome good A&s;|&s;urance of an Intere&s;t in a future Life of Ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s, and have experienced the <HI>Comfortable Be|ginnings</HI>
<PB REF="4"> of it here, yet as they too &s;eldom employ their thoughts about it, &s;o they are too often unwilling to depart hence, that they may enter in and po&s;&s;e&s;s it. I know if one &s;hould come to any of them, and ask them, <HI>If they be willing to go to Heaven?</HI> they would pre&s;ently an&s;wer, <HI>Yes, with all their hearts!</HI> but if Death look them in
<PB REF="5"> the Face in a fit of Sick|ne&s;s or &s;ome other eminent Danger, then they recoil, and entertain the thoughts of it with great reluctancy; then Heaven is be&s;ieged with earne&s;t and repeated Prayers for their Deli|verance, and if their Re|que&s;ts be granted, and their Lives continued, not|with&s;tanding the pronene&s;s of Men to Ingratitude and forgetfulne&s;s of God's
<PB REF="5"> Mercies, yet u&s;ually up|on this Occa&s;ion they are very free and hearty in their acknowledgments.</P>
<P>This is a thing I have &s;ometimes wondred at in Serious Chri&s;tians, who have profe&s;s<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">d them&s;elves to be <HI>Strangers and Pilgrims here,</HI> and <HI>to &s;eek a better Country,</HI> and yet could look upon the continuance of their <HI>Exile</HI> in a World
<PB REF="6"> full of <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Sorrow,</HI> as &s;o great a Mercy. As if they &s;hould &s;ay, <HI>Lord, we ble&s;s and prai&s;e thy Name that thou ha&s;t not yet made us perfectly happy; we admire thy Good|ne&s;s and Mercy to|wards us in length|ning out our Exile and Bondage, and continuing us a lit|tle longer ab&s;ent
<PB REF="6"> from thy Self. Thou mighte&s;t ere this have brought us to a full enjoyment of thy Self in un&s;peak|able Bli&s;s and Glory. Thou mighte&s;t ere this have brought us into a &s;tate of perfect Purity and Holine&s;s, where we &s;hould no more have di&s;obey'd thy Righ|teous Laws, no more
<PB REF="7"> have grieved thy HOLY SPIRIT, no more have abu&s;ed thy Grace, but have been equally capa|ble of Serving and Enjoying Thee to perfection. But thou ha&s;t been graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to continue us a little longer in this Vale of Sin and Mi&s;ery, where we &s;hall &s;till be expos'd
<PB REF="7"> to the Temptations of Satan, and fre|quently be over|come by them; where we &s;hall &s;till be over-born by our own Corruptions, &amp; by our Sins often provoke thee to An|ger again&s;t us; where we &s;hall &s;till feel the effects of our Sins and of thy Di&s;plea|&s;ure for them in
<PB REF="8"> tho&s;e many troubles and afflictions we &s;hall meet with as long as we continue here, and out of which thou ha&s;t gi|ven us hopes that thou wilt not yet deliver us,</HI> &amp;c. But how <HI>un&s;uitable</HI> is this to the <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> that is generally made of <HI>de|&s;iring to depart, and to be with Chri&s;t,
<PB REF="8"> which is far better!</HI> And tho' &s;ome may think this too uncharitable an Interpretation of &s;uch Ad|dre&s;&s;es, which are u&s;ually worded in &s;uch terms as renders them much more plau&s;ible both to them&s;elves and others; yet if Chri|&s;tians did but &s;eriou&s;ly con|&s;ider the deceitfulne&s;s of their own Hearts, and how much of the <HI>Love</HI> of <HI>Life</HI> and of <HI>Earthly</HI>
<PB REF="9"> things remains unmortifi|ed in the be&s;t of Men, it would make them ready to &s;u&s;pect the mo&s;t plau&s;ible excu&s;es for their de&s;ires of Long Life. Among which there is none of more &s;eem|ing weight than their un|preparedne&s;s for Death: to which I An&s;wer, that the Per&s;ons I am &s;peaking to are &s;uppos'd to be already (at lea&s;t in &s;ome good mea|&s;ure) prepared for it; or el&s;e
<PB REF="9"> it would indeed be ra&s;hne&s;s &amp; pre&s;umption to de&s;ire to leave this World when they are not qualified for being happy in another. But tho&s;e that have experienc'd a re|al work of Grace upon their hearts, that have found in their own Souls tho&s;e Pri|mitiae Regni, the Sanctify|ing Operations of the holy Spirit, 'tis impo&s;&s;ible for them to mi&s;carry. Such &s;ouls have a natural Tendency
<PB REF="10"> &amp; <HI>Inclination</HI> towards Heaven, both in Life and at Death, and cannot mi&s;s of it. But if they &s;ay, they de&s;ire time to be <HI>further</HI> prepared for &s;o great a Change, I grant that we cannot indeed be too well prepared for that &s;tate wherein we are to be for ever; and therefore it does highly concern every one to improve the time of Life allotted to them to
<PB REF="10"> the be&s;t advantage, and to make them&s;elves as rea|dy as they can; yet I would de&s;ire them to con|&s;ider that &s;uch is the be|witching Nature of this World, that the <HI>longer</HI> we live in it, the more <HI>unwilling</HI> we are to leave it; and that length of time will not only in|crea&s;e our <HI>Graces,</HI> but al&s;o di&s;cover our <HI>Cor|ruptions,</HI> &s;o that what|ever
<PB REF="11"> we are in <HI>reality,</HI> we &s;hall always be un|ready in our <HI>apprehen|&s;ions,</HI> and perhaps more hereafter than at pre&s;ent.</P>
<P>To per&s;wade therefore my &s;elf and others to be content to leave a <HI>&s;inful</HI> and <HI>mi&s;erable</HI> World, and willing to be perfect|ly <HI>holy</HI> and eternally <HI>happy,</HI> was the de&s;ign of compo&s;ing the en&s;uing <HI>Mi&s;cellanies,</HI> which
<PB REF="11"> were written at &s;everal times, and are now &s;e|lected out of many others on different Subjects: and if they may be any ways &s;erviceable to this end, I &s;hall not altogether repent of their Publication.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="12">
<HEAD>THE CONTENTS.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Scriptural Meditations.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Matth. 6. 21. <HI>For where your Trea&s;ure is, there will your hearts be al&s;o.</HI> Pag. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Philip 1. 23. <HI>For I am in a &s;trait be|tween two, having a de&s;ire to depart, and to be with Chri&s;t, which is far better.</HI> 7</ITEM>
<ITEM>John 14. 22. <HI>Lord! how is it that thou wilt manife&s;t thy &s;elf unto us, and not unto the World?</HI> 11</ITEM>
<ITEM>Micah 2. 10. <HI>Ari&s;e ye, and depart, for this is not your Re&s;t.</HI> 17</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<PB REF="12">
<HEAD>Divine Breathings.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Immortality.</HI> 27</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Life of Faith.</HI> 29</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Slothfulne&s;s.</HI> 33</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>True Riches.</HI> 34</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Spiritual Manna.</HI> 36</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Be&s;t Portion.</HI> 39</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Occa&s;ional Reflections.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>At my fir&s;t waking in the Morning.</HI> 49</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>On the Enjoyment of a Friend's Compa|ny.</HI> 52</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Upon winding up a Watch.</HI> 56</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>A Continuation.</HI> 59</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Upon my Indi&s;po&s;edne&s;s to write to a Friend.</HI> 62</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Upon the Singing of Larks.</HI> 65</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<PB REF="13">
<HEAD>Sacred Poems.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>The Love-Sick Spou&s;e.</HI> 71</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Pilgrimage.</HI> 75</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Emptine&s;s in the Creature, Fulne&s;s in God.</HI> 77</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Unprofitable Servant.</HI> 79</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Invitation.</HI> 83</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Welcome.</HI> 87</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Glymp&s;e.</HI> 89</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Prai&s;e.</HI> 94</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="13">
<P>SCRIPTURAL Meditations.</P>
<Q><P>O qu&agrave;m contemptares e&s;t Homo, ni&s;i &s;upra humana &s;e erexe|rit! <BIBL><HI>Sen.</HI></BIBL></P></Q>
<Q><L>&mdash;Tentanda via e&s;t, qu&acirc; me quoque po&s;&s;im</L>
<L>Tollere humo.&mdash;</L></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>John Lawrence,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in the <HI>Poultrey;</HI> And <HI>Jo&s;eph Wats,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard. 1691.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="meditations">
<PB REF="14">
<PB N="3" REF="14">
<HEAD>SCRIPTURAL MEDITATIONS.</HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>MATTH. VI. 21.</BIBL>
<Q>For where your Trea&s;ure is, there will your Hearts be al&s;o.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>BLUSH and be a&s;hamed, O my Soul, that thou art &s;uch a Stranger to a Heavenly Life: That thou &s;hould'&s;t be &s;o careful and &s;ollicitous about the things of this <HI>World,</HI> and &s;o re|gardle&s;s of the affairs of Heaven, and the concerns of <HI>Eternity.</HI> Do&s;t thou believe thou ha&s;t a <HI>Trea&s;ure</HI>
<PB N="4" REF="15"> in Heaven, why then is not thy <HI>Heart</HI> there al&s;o? How is it that thou do&s;t &s;o &s;eldom think on it? but thy mind is continually run|ning upon Earthly Vanities. Do&s;t thou pretend to be a <HI>Stranger</HI> and a <HI>Pilgrim</HI> on Earth, and yet art thou for building <HI>Tabernacles,</HI> and wilt thou &s;ay (or at lea&s;t think) <HI>It is good to be here?</HI> Do&s;t thou pretend to be <HI>travelling</HI> to a bet|ter Country, and wilt thou never think <HI>whither</HI> thou art going, nor &s;pend a thought on thy Journey's <HI>end?</HI> Do&s;t thou believe that Chri&s;t is gone before to prepare a <HI>Man&s;ion</HI> for thee, and would it not do well by a Holy Contemplation to go and &s;ee whether thou &s;halt like thy Dwelling? Surely it would be worth the while to a&s;cend the Mount and take a view of the
<PB N="5" REF="15"> Heavenly <HI>Canaan.</HI> How would it make thee long to be there, and be willing to do or &s;uffer any thing &s;o thou mai&s;t have a part in the Inheritance of tho&s;e that are &s;an|ctified? How would it make thee <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> the <HI>World,</HI> and all the <HI>Ho|nours, Profits,</HI> and <HI>Plea&s;ures</HI> of it? How <HI>little</HI> would they then ap|pear in thine eyes! How <HI>light</HI> would all Afflictions &s;eem when thou knowe&s;t that they will work out for thee <HI>&s;uch</HI> an exceeding weight of Glory? How patiently would'&s;t thou bear them, and be fully &s;atisfied with this, That <HI>Hea|ven</HI> will make amends for all.</P>
<P>LORD bring me out of this <HI>wor&s;e</HI> than <HI>Egyptian</HI> Slavery and Bondage; this bondage to <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Satan;</HI> this <HI>Sodom,</HI> out of which I am &s;o loath to depart; and let
<PB N="6" REF="16"> me e&s;cape to the <HI>Mountains.</HI> Let me no more long after the <HI>Fle&s;h-pots</HI> of <HI>Egypt,</HI> but let me ta&s;t the &s;weetne&s;s of Spiritual <HI>Manna.</HI> Oh that I could &s;ometimes go (with the <HI>Spies</HI>) to &s;earch the <HI>Promi&s;ed Land,</HI> and cut down a Clu&s;ter of Grapes at the Brook <HI>E&s;hcol,</HI> which would make me long for the full Vintage. Lord help me to &s;et my affections on <HI>things above,</HI> and not on things on earth. Alas! what is there here that de&s;erves a heart? And what heart does not owe all its Love to thee? Lord grant that I may &s;ay from my very heart, <HI>Whom have I in hea|ven but thee, and there is none up|on earth I de&s;ire in compari&s;on of thee.</HI> Be thou my Portion, and the Lot of my Inheritance, and I may well &s;ay, <HI>The lines are fallen
<PB N="7" REF="16"> to me in plea&s;ant places, and I have a goodly heritage.</HI> And grant that now at length I may lay up for my &s;elf a <HI>Trea&s;ure</HI> in <HI>Heaven,</HI> and then <HI>my Heart will be there al&s;o.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>PHILIP. I. 23.</BIBL>
<Q>For I am in a &s;trait betwixt two, having a de&s;ire to depart, and to be with Chri&s;t, which is far bet|ter.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>WHAT is there in this World that &s;hould make us &s;o loath to leave it? Is <HI>Vanity</HI> and <HI>Vexation</HI> of Spirit &s;o <HI>De&s;irable?</HI> And there is nothing el&s;e to be found here. Nothing but <HI>cares</HI> and <HI>troubles, wants</HI> and <HI>lo&s;&s;es, cro&s;&s;es</HI> and <HI>di&s;appointments</HI> to be met with
<PB N="8" REF="17"> in this Life. That which we call <HI>Contentment,</HI> how often do we &s;eek and hunt after it in vain? And no wonder, &s;ince we &s;eek for it where it is not to be found. We are apt to think 'tis in <HI>&s;uch</HI> or <HI>&s;uch</HI> an En|joyment, and all our endeavours are bent to gain that, and we fondly think, Oh if we had but <HI>&s;uch</HI> a thing, then we &s;hould be <HI>happy!</HI> Whereas if God be plea&s;ed to grant our de&s;ires, we often find tho&s;e very Enjoyments which ap|peared &s;o <HI>Charming,</HI> to be <HI>empty</HI> of that Comfort we expected in them, or el&s;e &s;o many Cro&s;&s;es do attend them, as <HI>imbitters</HI> all the &s;weetne&s;s that is in them. And after all this, we mu&s;t <HI>part</HI> with them, and the <HI>Grief</HI> and <HI>Sorrow</HI> which attends the <HI>Lo&s;s</HI> of them is u&s;ually <HI>greater</HI> and <HI>longer</HI> than
<PB N="9" REF="17"> the <HI>plea&s;ure</HI> we enjoyed in them.</P>
<P>WHO then would &s;et their hearts upon the Comforts, the <HI>empty, fading, peri&s;hing</HI> Comforts and Enjoyments of this Life, and not rather de&s;ire to <HI>depart,</HI> and to <HI>be with Chri&s;t,</HI> which is <HI>far better?</HI> The Joys of Heaven are <HI>real</HI> and <HI>&s;ub&s;tantial, full</HI> and <HI>&s;atisfactory, pure</HI> and <HI>unmixed, con&s;tant</HI> and <HI>immor|tal. There</HI> all <HI>tears</HI> &s;hall be wip'd away from our eyes, and <HI>&s;orrow</HI> and <HI>&s;ighing</HI> &s;hall flee away and be heard of no more for ever. <HI>There</HI> we &s;hall be free from all <HI>pains</HI> and <HI>&s;ickne&s;&s;es</HI> of <HI>body,</HI> and all <HI>trouble</HI> and <HI>perplexity</HI> of <HI>mind. There</HI> we &s;hall be free from all the <HI>tempta|tions</HI> of the World, the Fle&s;h, and the Devil. <HI>There</HI> we &s;hall be free from all <HI>Sin,</HI> and the fears of God's <HI>di&s;plea&s;ure</HI> for it. <HI>There</HI> we &s;hall
<PB N="10" REF="18"> meet with all our <HI>Friends</HI> and <HI>Re|lations</HI> that are gone before us; <HI>there</HI> we &s;hall <HI>meet</HI> and never <HI>part</HI> again. But above all, <HI>there</HI> we &s;hall <HI>be with Chri&s;t,</HI> which is far better than all, and in him enjoy un&s;peakable, unconceivable Bli&s;s and Happine&s;s to all Eternity.</P>
<P>LORD grant that as I do, or at lea&s;t ought to <HI>de&s;ire</HI> to depart, &s;o I may be al&s;o <HI>ready,</HI> that when|&s;oever thou come&s;t, thou mai&s;t find me watching, and &s;ay unto me, Well done! Enter into thy Ma&s;ter's Joy.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="11" REF="18">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>JOHN XIV. 22.</BIBL>
<Q>Lord! how is it that thou wilt ma|nife&s;t thy &s;elf unto us, and not unto the World?</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>WELL might the Di&s;ciples wonder at this conde&s;cen|ding and di&s;tingui&s;hing Love of their Lord and Ma&s;ter. And yet his <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> immediately before (as al&s;o his <HI>Prayer</HI> afterwards) was not de&s;ign'd to re&s;pect <HI>them</HI> only, but <HI>all that &s;hall believe in him through their word. He that hath my Commandments,</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>and keepeth them,</HI> (who&s;oever he be to the World's end) <HI>he it is that lo|veth me; and he that loveth me, &s;hall be loved of my Father, and I
<PB N="12" REF="19"> will love him, and will manife&s;t my &s;elf unto him.</HI> I will &s;hew him my Glory <HI>now</HI> in &s;ome mea&s;ure, and I will pray the Father that he may be with me and &s;ee my Glory <HI>hereafter.</HI> I will not only <HI>Love</HI> him, but I will <HI>manife&s;t</HI> that Love to him, and let him &s;ee and feel it, and the happy effects of it. And is this the manner of Men to deal &s;o familiarly with their Ser|vants? And is it not much more wonderful that the Lord of Life and Glory &s;hould &s;o far conde&s;cend as to reveal him&s;elf to poor de&s;pi|cable Worms! Have we not rea&s;on to cry out with the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the &s;on of man, that thou vi&s;ite&s;t him?</HI></P>
<P>But this is not all; for this is a <HI>peculiar</HI> favour to his Cho&s;en.
<PB N="13" REF="19"> He is pleas'd to manife&s;t him&s;elf to <HI>them,</HI> and not unto the <HI>World.</HI> Unto them he turns the bright &s;ide of the Cloud, while others, like the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> are in darkne&s;s. <HI>To you</HI> (&s;ays he) <HI>it is given to know the My&s;teries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to others it is not given.</HI> Oh, how may we admire this di&s;tingui&s;hing Love of our Divine Redeemer! and how may we (how can we but) rejoyce in it! As he once &s;aid to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>I have meat to eat which ye know not of;</HI> So may we &s;ay to the World, We have Spiritual Com|forts to feed and fea&s;t our Souls with, which you know not of. No, our Joys are &s;uch as <HI>Strangers</HI> do not <HI>intermeddle</HI> with. 'Tis not only <HI>Propriety,</HI> but <HI>Peculiarity</HI> which adds &s;weetne&s;s to all our
<PB N="14" REF="20"> Enjoyments, and both are here. <HI>We are thine, thou never bare&s;t rule over them, they were not called by thy Name,</HI> I&s;a. 63. 19. <HI>He hath not dealt &s;o with any Nation, and as for his Judgments they have not known them,</HI> P&s;al. 147. 20.</P>
<P>And why then are we not &s;a|tisfied with our Portion, but are ready to envy the enjoyments of the wicked? If <HI>we</HI> have Joys which <HI>they</HI> do not intermeddle with, why &s;hould we de&s;ire to intermeddle with <HI>theirs?</HI> Are not ours better, or would we <HI>change</HI> with them? Surely no: why then are we not abundantly contented with our Lot and Portion? If the Lord be our Portion, then &s;urely we can|not but &s;ay, <HI>The lines are fallen to us in plea&s;ant places, and we have a goodly heritage.</HI> And how can
<PB N="15" REF="20"> we be &s;ad or troubled? Does the <HI>Sun</HI> of Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hine upon us, and can we hang down our Heads? Does our dear Redeemer <HI>&s;mile</HI> up|on us, and can we be &s;orrowful in any condition? May he not &s;ay to us, as <HI>Elkanah</HI> did to <HI>Hannah, Why is thy countenance &s;ad? Am not I better to thee than ten Sons,</HI> than ten Friends? Could <HI>Micah</HI> &s;ay of his Idols, <HI>Ye have taken away my gods, and what have I more? And do ye ask what aileth me?</HI> And may not we better &s;ay, Ye <HI>cannot</HI> take away our God, but we have his comfortable pre&s;ence with us, and what can we have more, or how can we ail any thing? Could <HI>Dio|genes,</HI> being ask'd by <HI>Alexander,</HI> (who it &s;eems &s;tood betwixt him and the Sun) what he would re|que&s;t of him, and he &s;hould have
<PB N="16" REF="21"> it, could he an&s;wer, <HI>Nunc quidem paululum &agrave; Sole ab&s;is. At pre&s;ent only &s;tand out of my Sun&s;hine?</HI> Ci|cero. And can we de&s;ire any thing more than the warming comforta|ble beams of the Sun of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s? And would it not better become us than it did him to re|fu&s;e and contemn all tho&s;e vain Plea&s;ures, Profits, and Honours, which would ob&s;cure the light of God's Countenance, and hide his Face from us?</P>
<P>Oh Lord! Lift but thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon me, and it will put joy and glad|ne&s;s into my Heart more than when Corn and Wine (and all other Comforts) increa&s;ed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="17" REF="21">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>MICAH II. 10.</BIBL>
<Q>Ari&s;e ye, and depart, for this is not your re&s;t.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>'TIS an amazing thing to con&s;ider the <HI>perver&s;ene&s;s</HI> of men, that nothing can beat them off from expecting Re&s;t and Hap|pine&s;s in <HI>this World,</HI> nor per&s;wade them to &s;eek it in a better. Tho' they have been told over and over of the Experiences of <HI>all men,</HI> in <HI>all &s;tates</HI> and <HI>conditions,</HI> and in <HI>all Ages,</HI> how they have been cro&s;s'd in all their pur&s;uits after Happi|ne&s;s, and di&s;appointed of all their hopes of finding <HI>Re&s;t</HI> and Satisfa|ction in any thing here below; yet &s;uch is the <HI>incredulity</HI> of men,
<PB N="18" REF="22"> that they will not believe the At|te&s;tations of tho&s;e that have gone before them, but they mu&s;t needs try <HI>them&s;elves</HI> before they will be convinced of a Truth &s;o univer|&s;ally owned and acknowledged. And it were well if even <HI>that</HI> would &s;atisfie them, but alas it will not; for tho' they have made the Experiment them&s;elves again and again in vain, and have met with nothing but cro&s;&s;es and di&s;appoint|ments all their days hitherto, yet will they not &s;ay, <HI>There is no hope,</HI> but will lay the fault on the <HI>ma|lice</HI> of <HI>Enemies,</HI> or <HI>unfaithfulne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Friends,</HI> or their own <HI>Impru|dence,</HI> or any thing but the <HI>Vanity</HI> of the things them&s;elves, which one would think &s;o much dear-bought Experience might &s;uffici|ently convince them are <HI>uncapable</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="22"> of affording them that Comfort and Satisfaction they expected from them. And this were &s;till more <HI>excu&s;able</HI> if they had never heard of a place where this Re&s;t is <HI>certainly</HI> to be found, nor had ever been &s;hewn the <HI>way</HI> to obtain it. But even tho&s;e that know this, and pretend to believe that Heaven is a place of <HI>perfect</HI> Re&s;t and Happine&s;s, and &s;eem to make it their bu&s;ine&s;s to walk in the way to it, and to endeavour to qualifie them&s;elves for the obtaining and enjoyment of it, yet even tho&s;e are unwilling to <HI>ari&s;e and depart,</HI> unwilling to be where they are <HI>&s;ure</HI> to be <HI>perfectly</HI> and <HI>eternally</HI> Happy.</P>
<P>BUT why (O my Soul) do&s;t thou thus accu&s;e others, as if thou wert clear in this matter, when
<PB N="20" REF="23"> alas! thou art equally involved in the &s;ame guilt with other men? Notwith&s;tanding thou ha&s;t met with &s;o large a Portion of <HI>Afflicti|ons,</HI> which might have weaned thee from this World, and make thee de&s;irous of a better. But alas, how little of tho&s;e Effects have they produced in thee? How lit|tle ha&s;t thou chang'd thy Opinion of tho&s;e earthly things? Some|times indeed thou make&s;t &s;ad <HI>Com|plaints</HI> of the <HI>emptine&s;s</HI> of Earthly Comforts, and of the <HI>vanity</HI> and <HI>vexation</HI> that attends all worldly enjoyments, but this is only in a <HI>pet,</HI> upon &s;ome great Cro&s;s and Di&s;appointment, when the afflictive &s;en&s;e of it is worn off a little, thou pre&s;ently returne&s;t to thy old cour&s;e, and renewe&s;t thy vain pur|&s;uits after that which has always deluded thy expectations.</P>
<Q><PB N="21" REF="23">&mdash;<GAP DESC="foreign">; <BIBL>Theocr.</BIBL></Q>
<P>Why do&s;t thou &s;till follow that which always flies from thee? Nay, which is not in Nature.</P>
<Q><L>Credule, quid fru&s;tr&acirc; &s;imulachra fugacia captas?</L>
<L>Quod petis, e&s;t nu&s;quam. <BIBL><HI>Ovid. Met. 3.</HI></BIBL></L></Q>
<P>Why then do&s;t thou not ari&s;e by a Contemplation of Peace, and Re&s;t, and Happine&s;s, which if rightly &s;ought will never deceive thee, will never <HI>fru&s;trate</HI> thy ex|pectations, but abundantly <HI>&s;atisfie</HI> them and <HI>exceed</HI> them? Thou pre|tende&s;t to &s;eek a better <HI>Country,</HI> even an Heavenly, but how is it then that thou art &s;o little con|cern'd and &s;ollicitous about it? that it has &s;o little room in thy
<PB N="22" REF="24"> heart, &s;o &s;mall a &s;hare in thy thoughts and de&s;ires? And why then art thou for building Taber|nacles here? Is a <HI>&s;trange Land</HI> &s;o de&s;irable to thee? Are there &s;uch Charms in a Foreign Savage Coun|try, in a barren Wilderne&s;s afford|ing nothing but Briars and Thorns, Serpents and Scorpions, as to make thee carele&s;s and unde&s;irous of the Heavenly <HI>Canaan,</HI> a Land flowing with better than Milk and Honey? A place of uninterrupted Peace and Re&s;t. Here thou ha&s;t no <HI>continu|ing City,</HI> and while thou art here thou meete&s;t with nothing but la|bour, and toil, and trouble, but</P>
<Q>Is locus urbis erit, requies ea certa laborum. <BIBL><HI>Virg.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P>Here thou art always perplexing thy &s;elf with vain hopes and fears,
<PB N="23" REF="24"> and can&s;t not quietly enjoy tho&s;e little Comforts thou might &s;ome|times have, for thinking of what may come <HI>hereafter,</HI> but there</P>
<Q><L>No cares o'th' future their free thoughts employ,</L>
<L>The bu&s;ine&s;s of the place is to en|joy.</L> <BIBL><HI>Tate.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P>Here thou art perpetually to&s;t on a re&s;tle&s;s <HI>Sea</HI> of trouble and di&s;|quiet, but</P>
<Q><L>Illis parta quies: nullum maris aequor arandum;</L>
<L>Arva neque Au&s;oniae, &s;emper cre|dentia retro</L>
<L>Quaerenda.</L> <BIBL><HI>Virg.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P>Thou pretende&s;t to be Heir to a <HI>Kingdom,</HI> but how forgetful art thou of thine Inheritance? And what need ha&s;t thou to be awakened with an</P>
<Q><L>&mdash;Heu regni rerumque oblite tua|rum!</L> <BIBL><HI>Virg.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<PB N="24" REF="25">
<P>Awake then, O my Soul, lie not groveling in the Du&s;t, but ari&s;e and flie away, at lea&s;t in thy thoughts and de&s;ires, to thy Inheritance, thy Kingdom, thy Country, thy Re&s;t|ing place. For as God never re&s;ted till he had made Man, &s;o Man will never find true Re&s;t till he come to enjoy God.</P>
<P>LORD, rai&s;e up my thoughts above this tempe&s;tuous and tumul|tuous World, and grant that all tho&s;e Cro&s;&s;es, and Di&s;appointments, and Troubles, and Afflictions I meet with here, may at length &s;uf|ficiently wean me from this world, and make me weary of it, &s;o that I may heartily de&s;ire, <HI>Oh that I had the wings of a Dove, then would I flie away and be at re&s;t.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="25">
<P>DIVINE Breathings.</P>
<Q><L>&V;t jugulent homines &s;urgunt de nocte latrones,</L>
<L>&V;t teip&s;um &s;erves, non expergi&s;ceris?</L>
<BIBL>Hor.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><L>&mdash;I&s;que licet Coeli regione remotus,</L>
<L>Mente Diis adiit: &amp; quae natura ne|gabat</L>
<L>Vi&s;ibus humanis, oculis ea pectoris han&s;it.</L>
<BIBL>Ovid. Met. lib. 15.</BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>John Lawrence,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in the <HI>Poultrey;</HI> And <HI>Jo&s;eph Wats,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard. 1691.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="inspired thoughts">
<PB REF="26">
<PB N="27" REF="26">
<HEAD>DIVINE <HI>Breathings.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="inspiration">
<HEAD>Immortality.</HEAD>
<P>I Find that an <HI>Immortal</HI> Soul cannot be &s;atisfied with le&s;s than an <HI>Eternal</HI> Happine&s;s. Tho' &s;ome degenerate Souls that are drowned in Plea&s;ure and Sen|&s;uality can be contented to have their Portion in <HI>this Life,</HI> yet a &s;e|rious and &s;piritually-minded Chri|&s;tian has other thoughts and de|&s;ires, and cannot but be &s;ollicitous
<PB N="28" REF="27"> to &s;ecure a <HI>Future Happine&s;s</HI> that &s;hall have a longer date. Suppo&s;e <HI>Satan</HI> &s;hould come to him, as once to his Lord and Ma&s;ter, and &s;hew him all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glory of them, and &s;hould tell him, All this will I give thee to enjoy as long as thou <HI>live&s;t;</HI> he would an&s;wer, But what &s;hall I have when this Life is <HI>ended?</HI> Tho' there were no <HI>Hell,</HI> yet could not I be &s;atisfied if there were no <HI>Heaven</HI> neither. 'Tis not <HI>worth the while</HI> to live in this World if there were not an <HI>Eternal</HI> Life be|yond it. I can take little plea&s;ure in the enjoyments of <HI>this Life</HI> if it were not for the hopes of a bet|ter <HI>hereafter.</HI></P>
<P>Lord! as thou ha&s;t made me <HI>Immortal</HI> like thy &s;elf, &s;o make me <HI>Holy</HI> like thy &s;elf, and then thou
<PB N="29" REF="27"> wilt not only be my God and Guide unto <HI>Death,</HI> but my <HI>Por|tion for ever.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="inspiration">
<HEAD>The Life of Faith.</HEAD>
<P>WHat kind of Life is it, O my Soul, that thou live&s;t? A Life of <HI>Faith,</HI> or a Life of <HI>Sen&s;e?</HI> Are the Comforts and Enjoyments of this Life plea&s;ing and delightful to thee <HI>in them&s;elves,</HI> and for their <HI>own &s;akes,</HI> or rather as they are <HI>Tokens</HI> of the love of thy God, and <HI>Earne&s;ts</HI> of greater and diviner Ble&s;&s;ings hereafter? Can&s;t thou re&s;t in the&s;e as thy Happine&s;s and <HI>Portion?</HI> Then expect nothing hereafter but a <HI>Memento recipi&s;ti,</HI> Remember thou ha&s;t already re|ceived thy good things: Or ra|ther
<PB N="30" REF="28"> does not the greate&s;t plea&s;ure and &s;atisfaction in the&s;e enjoyments re&s;ult from the <HI>Comparing</HI> them with tho&s;e Joys re&s;erv'd in Hea|ven for thee? When thou &s;itte&s;t down at thy Table, is thy Meat only grateful to thy <HI>Ta&s;t?</HI> Or ra|ther art not <HI>thou</HI> filled with a &s;en&s;e of God's Love and Bounty to thee, who has not only provided &s;o plentifully for thy <HI>Body</HI> here, but will more &s;weetly fea&s;t <HI>Thee</HI> hereafter, when thou &s;halt be cal|led to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb, and <HI>eat bread in the King|dom of God?</HI> When thou lye&s;t down in a &s;oft and warm Bed, is it plea&s;ing to thee only becau&s;e it feels &s;o to thy fle&s;h? Or rather be|cau&s;e thou thinke&s;t the &s;ame Love which has given thee the&s;e Mercies, will ere long bring thee where
<PB N="31" REF="28"> thou &s;halt <HI>&s;tand in no need</HI> of &s;uch Refre&s;hments, where thou &s;halt not re&s;t day nor night from &s;ing|ing Prai&s;es unto thy God? And is not the <HI>fore-thought</HI> of this &s;weet|er than thy pre&s;ent <HI>Enjoyments?</HI> When thou goe&s;t to vi&s;it a <HI>Friend,</HI> is it <HI>their</HI> Conver&s;ation and Society that is the mo&s;t aceptable to thee? Or rather the conver&s;ing with <HI>God by them,</HI> and enjoying <HI>his pre&s;ence</HI> in them? Is their Love and Kind|ne&s;s in it &s;elf grateful to thee? Or rather as it is an <HI>Earne&s;t</HI> and <HI>Pledge</HI> of the <HI>Love of God</HI> to thee? This is the way to <HI>improve</HI> all outward Ble&s;&s;ings, and make them a thou|&s;and times &s;weeter to a true Chri|&s;tian, than the very <HI>&s;ame</HI> Enjoy|ments are to others. Suppo&s;e two Young <HI>Virgins,</HI> one of them the <HI>Prince</HI> intends to Marry, the other
<PB N="32" REF="29"> not: To the one he gives &s;everal thou&s;ands of pounds, but only as a bare <HI>Gift,</HI> to be her <HI>Portion;</HI> to the other he gives only a <HI>Ring or Jewel,</HI> but &s;ays, Take this as a Pledge of my Love, and re&s;t a&s;|&s;ured that <HI>all that I have and am is thine.</HI> Thus does God deal with the Men of the <HI>World,</HI> and with his own <HI>Children:</HI> Or rather as <HI>Abraham</HI> with <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> and his other Sons by <HI>Keturah;</HI> to the latter he only <HI>gave Gifts,</HI> and &s;ent them <HI>away,</HI> but to <HI>I&s;aac</HI> he gave <HI>all that he had.</HI></P>
<P>Lord <HI>let me have a portion of the good things of this Life, but let me not have my Portion in this Life.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="inspiration">
<PB N="33" REF="29">
<HEAD>Slothfulne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>WHY, O my Soul, art thou &s;o carele&s;s, &s;lothful, and negligent? Why is there &s;uch a <HI>di&s;proportion</HI> between thy <HI>Labour</HI> and the <HI>Reward</HI> thou expecte&s;t? Do&s;t thou hope to win <HI>Heaven</HI> by <HI>&s;leeping?</HI> Or to get Glory and Ho|nour, Immortality and Eternal Life by doing nothing? Tho' the <HI>be&s;t</HI> of thy Services cannot <HI>de&s;erve Heaven,</HI> yet &s;urely <HI>Heaven</HI> will <HI>de&s;erve</HI> the <HI>be&s;t</HI> of thy Services, the utmo&s;t of thy pains and dili|gence to obtain it. Tho' the mo&s;t thou can&s;t do can <HI>merit nothing</HI> from <HI>God,</HI> yet &s;urely he <HI>de&s;erves more</HI> from <HI>thee</HI> than he receives. O why wilt thou be negligent in
<PB N="34" REF="30"> the Service of &s;uch a Ma&s;ter? Thou &s;halt not &s;erve him for <HI>nought:</HI> No, he will give Grace and Glory, and <HI>no good thing</HI> will he with|hold from them that walk upright|ly, from them that &s;erve him di|ligently. O therefore &s;it not here all the day idle, but fall to work in earne&s;t, labour diligently, and doubt not of thy Reward.</P>
<P>Lord, quicken me according to thy word, and do thou work in me both to will and to do of thy good plea&s;ure.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="inspiration">
<HEAD>True Riches.</HEAD>
<P>THE Diligent hand makes rich, &s;ays <HI>Solomon;</HI> and it is as true in <HI>Spirituals</HI> as in <HI>Tempo|rals.</HI> How rich in Grace mighte&s;t
<PB N="35" REF="30"> thou be, O my Soul, if thou would'&s;t but <HI>labour</HI> for it? What a <HI>Stock</HI> mighte&s;t thou have lying by thee, to u&s;e and employ upon all occa&s;ions? How rich mighte&s;t thou be in <HI>Comfort!</HI> What a No|ble Table mighte&s;t thou keep, and daily <HI>Fea&s;t</HI> thy &s;elf with plenty and variety of Spiritual Dainties! Oh what rich Mines and Trea&s;ures mighe&s;t thou find and po&s;&s;e&s;s if thou would'&s;t but be at the pains to dig for them! Some Riches in|deed are to be found in the very <HI>Surface</HI> of Religion, but what greater &s;tore, and how much more precious are there <HI>within?</HI> Oh lo&s;e nothing for want of Diligence. Thou can&s;t never be rob'd of this Trea&s;ure. This <HI>Coin</HI> will be <HI>Cur|rant</HI> in another World, and thou maye&s;t carry it with thee into E|ternity.</P>
<PB N="36" REF="31">
<P>Lord, make me poor in Spirit, but rich in Grace here, and in Glory hereafter.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="inspiration">
<HEAD>Spiritual Manna.</HEAD>
<P>WHY wilt thou be almo&s;t fami&s;hed (O my Soul) for want of Spiritual Food, when there is &s;o much precious <HI>Manna</HI> lies &s;cattered round about thy <HI>Tent,</HI> of which thou may&s;t have thy fill, if thou wilt but be at the pains to <HI>gather</HI> it. See&s;t thou not <HI>Others</HI> gathering it apace, and re|turning with their <HI>Omers</HI> full of it, and feeding heartily upon it to their un&s;peakable Joy and Com|fort? Oh how does it nouri&s;h and &s;trengthen them! How does it make them thrive and be fat and
<PB N="37" REF="31"> well-liking! One may &s;ee it in their very <HI>Countenances.</HI> This is not &s;uch <HI>light Food</HI> as the World imagines. It makes them hearty and &s;trong for the Service of God. It makes them run and not be weary, and walk and not be faint. No wonder thou art &s;o faint and feeble, no wonder thou art &s;o dull and li&s;tle&s;s, and ha&s;t no mind to thy Work; no wonder thou ha&s;t &s;o little <HI>&s;trength</HI> to fight the Lord's Battles when thou ha&s;t been &s;o long <HI>Fa&s;ting.</HI> How much greater a Slaughter mighte&s;t thou have made of thy Spiritual Enemies, if thou had&s;t <HI>eaten freely</HI> of this <HI>Honey?</HI> What a greater <HI>Progre&s;s</HI> mighte&s;t thou have made in thy way to Heaven, and with how much chearfulne&s;s mighte&s;t thou have run the Race that is &s;et
<PB N="38" REF="32"> before thee, if thou had&s;t fed hear|tily of this <HI>Angels Food! Ari&s;e</HI> and <HI>eat,</HI> again and again, or el&s;e the <HI>Journey</HI> will be <HI>too great</HI> for thee. How can&s;t thou <HI>work</HI> if thou do&s;t not <HI>eat?</HI> Or how can&s;t thou expect to <HI>eat</HI> if thou do&s;t not <HI>work?</HI> Tho' this Bread be <HI>rained from Heaven,</HI> yet it will not <HI>drop into thy mouth</HI> of its own accord. In the &s;weat of thy brows mu&s;t thou earn (even this) thy Bread; but tru&s;t in the Lord, in the u&s;e of means, and verily thou &s;halt be fed.</P>
<P>Lord make me to hunger and thir&s;t after Righteou&s;ne&s;s, (and that will put me upon endeavours af|ter it) and then I &s;hall be filled.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="inspiration">
<PB N="39" REF="32">
<HEAD>The Be&s;t Portion.</HEAD>
<P>O My Soul! would'&s;t thou be a real Chri&s;tian, and happy here as well as hereafter? Then chu&s;e <HI>God</HI> for thy only Portion in the Land of the living. Seek thy Felicity in <HI>him</HI> only, and let no|thing in the World &s;tand in com|petition with him. And don't deceive thy &s;elf with <HI>thinking</HI> thou do&s;t &s;o (in the general) while&s;t earth and things below have &s;o much of thy &s;ecret Love and Af|fection; but be &s;ure thou bee&s;t in <HI>earne&s;t,</HI> that when thou come&s;t to be tryed (in any particular) it may evidently appear both to thy &s;elf and others. There is no <HI>dal|lying</HI> in the ca&s;e, nor hanging in
<PB N="40" REF="33"> <HI>&s;u&s;pence</HI> between Heaven and Earth: No, that will never do; but as <HI>Elijah</HI> &s;aid to the People of <HI>I&s;rael, How long halt ye between two Opi|nions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if</HI> Baal <HI>be God, then fol|low him:</HI> So, if <HI>God,</HI> and <HI>Heaven,</HI> and <HI>Eternal Glory</HI> be the chief Goods, &s;eek them; but if thou thinke&s;t the <HI>World,</HI> and the <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> and its &s;hort Plea&s;ures better, then &s;eek them, and let the <HI>other</HI> go; but never flatter thy &s;elf with the hopes of enjoying <HI>both,</HI> for a&s;&s;u|redly thou wilt be mi&s;taken, and (if thou goe&s;t on) thy Error will be fatal and remedile&s;s. There|fore make a final determinate <HI>Re|solution,</HI> and let nothing draw thee from it.</P>
<P>And is it hard to determine in the ca&s;e? When <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>Death,
<PB N="41" REF="33"> God</HI> and the <HI>World, Heaven</HI> and <HI>Earth</HI> are &s;et before thee, is it hard to make thy Choice? Is Earth &s;o lovely, and the Fle&s;h &s;o charming, and their Delights and Plea&s;ures &s;o <HI>&s;weet</HI> and <HI>grateful,</HI> &s;o <HI>&s;ure</HI> and <HI>la&s;t|ing</HI> as to render them more eligible than <HI>Heavenly Glories?</HI> No, no, my Soul, thou knowe&s;t they are not. No alas! they are <HI>vain</HI> and <HI>empty, fading</HI> and <HI>uncertain, tran|&s;ient</HI> and <HI>peri&s;hing, fooli&s;h</HI> and <HI>ri|diculous,</HI> and all (and more than all) that thou can&s;t think of <HI>vile</HI> and <HI>contemptible.</HI> But now turn thine Eye to <HI>God,</HI> and thou wilt find him a rich and <HI>&s;atisfying Por|tion;</HI> nothing can&s;t thou wi&s;h or de&s;ire but thou wilt find it in <HI>him,</HI> nay, infinitely more than thou can&s;t de&s;ire or conceive. He will be thy <HI>joy</HI> and <HI>rejoycing</HI> in <HI>Pro&s;pe|rity,</HI>
<PB N="42" REF="34"> thy <HI>&s;upport</HI> and <HI>comfort</HI> in <HI>Ad|ver&s;ity.</HI> He will fill thee with Joy and Comfort even in the mid&s;t of all outward Troubles and Afflictions. He will be a &s;ure <HI>help</HI> in time of <HI>need,</HI> and <HI>&s;tand by</HI> thee when all the World <HI>for&s;akes</HI> thee. He will be a <HI>&s;uitable</HI> &s;up|ply to all thy wants and nece&s;&s;ities <HI>here,</HI> and an <HI>Everla&s;ting Portion</HI> to thee hereafter.</P>
<P>And this thou can&s;t not doubt of, &s;ince thou ha&s;t <HI>experienced</HI> much of it already. Nothwith|&s;tanding thou ha&s;t <HI>loved</HI> him &s;o little, and <HI>&s;erved</HI> him &s;o poorly, and <HI>provoked</HI> him &s;o highly, with thy <HI>di&s;tru&s;t</HI> of his Goodne&s;s, <HI>repi|ning</HI> at his Dealings, and <HI>ingrati|tude</HI> for his Mercies: Notwith|&s;tanding thou ha&s;t &s;o oft <HI>for&s;aken</HI> him the Fountain of Living Wa|ter,
<PB N="43" REF="34"> and ha&s;t digged to thy &s;elf Ci&s;terns, which have proved <HI>bro|ken Ci&s;terns</HI> that would hold no Water: (For thou ha&s;t experienc'd enough of <HI>Earth</HI> too, to let thee &s;ee its <HI>vanity,</HI> and feel its <HI>vexa|tions,</HI> and to convince thee that all things here below, even the <HI>be&s;t</HI> of earthly Com&s;orts are flit|ting and <HI>uncertain,</HI> and not only <HI>un&s;atisfying</HI> but <HI>tormenting</HI> and then &s;urely very unfit to be cho&s;en and re&s;ted in as thy Felicity:) Not|with&s;tanding (I &s;ay) thou ha&s;t &s;o often run away from <HI>God,</HI> and &s;ought Re&s;t, and Happine&s;s, and Contentment in the <HI>Creature,</HI> he has only let thee alone a while to take thy choice, that thou mighte&s;t &s;mart a little for thy folly; and then as &s;oon as thou ha&s;t returned to him, he has received thee, and
<PB N="44" REF="35"> &s;weetned all thy Troubles, and given thee &s;trength to bear them, and given thee deliverance out of them.</P>
<P>And now can&s;t thou think that when thou for&s;ake&s;t the World (in thy heart and affections) and chu&s;e&s;t him only for thy Portion, that he will deceive thee? No, no; &s;uch a thought would be unwor|thy of him. He will rather, with the <HI>Father</HI> of the Prodigal, run to meet thee, and not &s;uffer thee to <HI>&s;peak</HI> thy de&s;ires before he will <HI>&s;a|tisfie</HI> them. And doubt not but whatever thou leave&s;t or lo&s;e&s;t <HI>for</HI> him, thou wilt find it abundantly &s;upplyed <HI>in</HI> and <HI>by</HI> him. And one thing more take along with thee for thy Comfort, He is a Portion that can never be <HI>lo&s;t</HI> or <HI>taken</HI> from thee. <HI>Friends</HI> may take
<PB N="45" REF="35"> them&s;elves away from thee, and be|come <HI>Strangers</HI> if not <HI>Enemies;</HI> and Enemies may take away mo&s;t of thy outward Comforts; (tho' nei|ther of the&s;e without his permi&s;&s;i|on) but neither <HI>Friends</HI> nor <HI>Ene|mies,</HI> neither <HI>Men</HI> nor <HI>Devils</HI> can take away thy <HI>God.</HI> Nay, even <HI>Death</HI> it &s;elf, which will deprive thee of all other things, cannot rob thee of this Trea&s;ure, but on the contrary will bring thee to a full po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and enjoyment of it.</P>
<P>Lord! be thou my Portion in the Land of the Living, and let me not only <HI>chu&s;e thee,</HI> but make it appear (it will thereby appear) that thou ha&s;t <HI>cho&s;en me.</HI> I am too apt to ex|pect more Happine&s;s and Content|ment from <HI>Creatures</HI> than they are ever able to afford me; but from <HI>thee</HI> I can never expect the thou|&s;andth
<PB N="46" REF="36"> part of what I &s;hall be &s;ure to find. I am too apt to fancy and imagine <HI>greater Excellencies</HI> in the <HI>Creatures</HI> than are really in them, but <HI>thy Excellencies</HI> and <HI>Perfections</HI> are far beyond my highe&s;t <HI>Con|ceptions,</HI> and &s;uch as I &s;hall never be able fully to <HI>comprehend.</HI> Yet be thou plea&s;ed to manife&s;t thy &s;elf to me as thou u&s;e&s;t to do to tho&s;e that love thee, and I &s;hall &s;oon comprehend &s;o much of thee (and the richne&s;s of my Portion in thee) as to make me &s;ing with the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t, The lines are fallen to me in plea&s;ant places, and I have a goodly Heritage.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="36">
<P>OCCASIONAL Reflections.</P>
<Q><P><GAP DESC="foreign">.</P>
<BIBL>Pythag.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><L>Memento te Immortalem e&s;&s;e.</L></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>John Lawrence,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in the <HI>Poultrey;</HI> And <HI>Jo&s;eph Wats,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Chruch-yard. 1691.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="occasional reflections">
<PB REF="37">
<PB N="49" REF="37">
<HEAD>OCCASIONAL <HI>Reflections.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="occasion">
<HEAD>At my first Waking in the Morning.</HEAD>
<P>NOW, O my Soul, mount up like the generous Lark, and &s;ing Prai&s;es unto thy God. It is but fit that he &s;hould have the <HI>Fir&s;t-fruits</HI> of thy <HI>Thoughts</HI> (this day and every day) from whom thou ha&s;t the <HI>power</HI> to <HI>think.</HI> Oh let not Sin or Vanity deflower and ravi&s;h thy
<PB N="50" REF="38"> <HI>Virgin</HI>-thoughts; do&s;t thou think the <HI>polluted remainders</HI> will be ac|ceptable to thy injur'd Lord and Husband? And is it not as <HI>ea&s;ie</HI> to ca&s;t the fir&s;t glance of thy waking thoughts upon <HI>God</HI> as upon the <HI>World?</HI> One would think thou &s;hould'&s;t <HI>grudge</HI> &s;o long a <HI>&s;leeping</HI>-time, which has kept thee &s;o long from thy Beloved; and as &s;oon as ever thou awake&s;t thou &s;hould'&s;t &s;eek him whom thy Soul loveth. And yet how often has he &s;tood at the Door knocking, <HI>till his head was filled with the dew, and his locks with the drops of the night,</HI> Cant. 5. 2. and thou ha&s;t <HI>refu&s;ed</HI> to ri&s;e and open to him; nay, wor&s;e than &s;o, when thou ha&s;t ri&s;en and opened, thou ha&s;t let in <HI>Sin,</HI> and &s;hut out thy Saviour! Thou ha&s;t let in thy <HI>Enemy</HI> and &s;hut out thy
<PB N="51" REF="38"> <HI>Friend!</HI> Is <HI>this</HI> thy kindne&s;s to thy Friend? Is <HI>this</HI> Love? Is <HI>this</HI> the <HI>return</HI> thou make&s;t for all which he has <HI>done</HI> and <HI>&s;uffered</HI> for thee? For all his Patience and Long-&s;uffering towards thee? Has he only de&s;erved <HI>this</HI> at thy hands? Oh! blu&s;h and be a&s;hamed of thy <HI>Ingratitude</HI> and <HI>Folly!</HI> that thou &s;houlde&s;t be &s;o fooli&s;h and unwi&s;e, as thus to requite thy Lord! And let his goodne&s;s and long-&s;uffering lead thee to Repentance. O beg of him that he would <HI>put his hand in by the hole of the door,</HI> that <HI>thy bowels might be moved for him:</HI> and that thou may&s;t <HI>ari&s;e and open to him before he</HI> (being grieved with thy unkindne&s;s) <HI>has with|drawn him&s;elf,</HI> Cant. 5. 4. And O long after &s;uch a frame of Spirit as that of <HI>David,</HI> when he &s;aid,
<PB N="52" REF="39"> <HI>How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! When I awake I am &s;till with thee,</HI> P&s;al. 139. 17, 18.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="occasion">
<HEAD>&V;pon the Enjoyment of the Compa|ny of a Friend, for two or three hours, which was too plea&s;ing and delightful to me.</HEAD>
<P>BLUSH and be a&s;hamed, O my Soul, that thou &s;hould'&s;t be &s;o much plea&s;ed and delighted with any thing here below, tho' never &s;o &s;weet and grateful. Has God &s;ent thee &s;uch a Friend to be a Companion for thee, and to help, and direct, and comfort thee in thy pa&s;&s;age to the Heavenly <HI>Canaan,</HI> and wilt thou be&s;tow that <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Complacency</HI> upon him, which thou owe&s;t only to thy
<PB N="53" REF="39"> <HI>God?</HI> Can&s;t thou be &s;o much plea|&s;ed with thy <HI>Inn,</HI> and with the Entertainments thou meete&s;t with in the <HI>way,</HI> as almo&s;t to forget the <HI>Home</HI> thou art Travelling to? We u&s;e to &s;ay, <HI>Home's home, tho' it be never &s;o homely:</HI> What think|e&s;t thou then will <HI>that</HI> Home be? That <HI>hou&s;e not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens!</HI> that <HI>Man|&s;ion prepared for thee!</HI> that <HI>Immor|tal Inheritance!</HI> that <HI>Kingdom of Glory!</HI> And wilt thou prize and value any thing here below before and above the <HI>hopes</HI> (which thou pretende&s;t to have) of &s;uch a Kingdom? O con&s;ider whether thy <HI>Practice</HI> agrees with thy <HI>Pre|tences</HI> or not, while&s;t thy Heart is &s;o taken up with the&s;e Earthly Enjoyments. Is <HI>this</HI> to act like one who&s;e <HI>Conver&s;ation is in Hea|ven?</HI>
<PB N="54" REF="40"> Is <HI>this</HI> a &s;ign thy <HI>Affections</HI> are &s;et on things <HI>above?</HI> Is <HI>this</HI> carriage becoming one who&s;e <HI>fel|low&s;hip</HI> is (or ought to be) with the <HI>Father,</HI> and with his <HI>Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t?</HI> Surely no. O then be a&s;hamed of this thy Folly; and whenever thou art again tempted to over-value Earthly Enjoyments, &s;ay, <HI>Ari&s;e and depart, for this is not thy Re&s;t,</HI> Micah 2. 10. Tho' this place be plea&s;ant, yet &s;till this is not <HI>Heaven:</HI> tho' the&s;e Enjoyments be &s;weet, yet &s;till they come far &s;hort of <HI>an exceed|ing weight of Glory:</HI> tho' the So|ciety of &s;uch a Friend be very delightful, yet &s;till <HI>to be with Chri&s;t is far better.</HI></P>
<P>BUT Ah Lord! how little has my carriage and behaviour
<PB N="55" REF="40"> towards thee, how little has it been like One that does <HI>really be|lieve</HI> all this! How often when I have come into thy Pre&s;ence (in Prayer or Meditation) how often have I been <HI>tir'd</HI> and <HI>weary</HI> of <HI>thy</HI> Company in <HI>half</HI> the time which I have &s;pent in the Company of this Friend with &s;o much delight and &s;atisfaction? Oh do thou rai&s;e my Affections from this Earth, and bring me into a nearer Com|munion with <HI>Thee,</HI> and then &s;ure|ly I &s;hould not delight &s;o much in the <HI>Creature.</HI> Tho' my Heart and Affections be <HI>naturally</HI> bent upon the&s;e inferiour Objects, yet Oh &s;hew forth thy <HI>Almighty Power</HI> in rai&s;ing them. As he &s;aid, <HI>Lord, if thou wilt, thou can&s;t make me clean.</HI> Matth. 8. 2. So I may &s;ay, <HI>Lord, if thou wilt, thou can&s;t make
<PB N="56" REF="41"> me Heavenly.</HI> Oh let me find and feel by <HI>Experience</HI> the <HI>truth</HI> of this upon my Soul! And do thou enable me for the future to walk as becomes the Go&s;pel of <HI>Je&s;us Christ,</HI> &s;o that tho' for a while my <HI>dwelling</HI> and <HI>abode</HI> be upon <HI>Earth,</HI> yet my <HI>Conver&s;ation</HI> may be in <HI>Heaven.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="occasion">
<HEAD>&V;pon Winding up a Watch.</HEAD>
<P>I HAVE ob&s;erved, that tho' I am forgetful enough of other things, yet I never (or very &s;el|dom) forget to wind up my Watch. And I have oft wonder'd at it, that tho' I be never &s;o intent upon other things, yet as &s;ure as I ri&s;e in the Morning, and go to bed at Night, &s;o &s;ure. I am to remember this.</P>
<PB N="57" REF="41">
<P>BUT alas, how negligent am I in the mean time of my <HI>Spiri|tual Watch!</HI> How little careful am I to keep it <HI>going</HI> continually? How often do I let it <HI>fall</HI> and <HI>&s;tand &s;till,</HI> and when it does go, how faint and &s;low are its Motions? When I am alone in my Study, or awake in my Bed, I can hear my Watch go apace, but alas, in the mean time how faint and lan|guid are the motions of my Soul <HI>Heaven ward?</HI> Surely if I was but as careful every Morning to wind up my <HI>Affections</HI> Heaven-ward, by the earne&s;t and lively Exerci&s;e of <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Love, De&s;ire</HI> and <HI>Hope, Joy</HI> and <HI>Thankfulne&s;s:</HI> O how vigorou&s;ly would the Pul&s;e of my Soul beat all the day after! What Heavenly <HI>Breathings,</HI> and
<PB N="58" REF="42"> pious <HI>Ejaculations</HI> would continu|ally be breaking forth? And tho' when I am among&s;t the <HI>croud</HI> and <HI>noi&s;e</HI> of the World, and the vain Concernments of it, I cannot &s;o well perceive whether this my Spiritual Watch go or not; yet no &s;ooner am I out of that hurry, and retir'd alone, but then I might ea&s;ily di&s;cern it again. O that my Soul were always in &s;uch a frame! Oh that the continual <HI>bent</HI> of my Soul was towards <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Heaven,</HI> and that it was <HI>pain</HI> and <HI>grief</HI> to me to think of any thing el&s;e! But alas! what a great deal of pains mu&s;t I be at to wind up this dull and earthly Heart of mine, and then how quickly is it down again!</P>
<PB N="59" REF="42">
<P>O LORD! do thou &s;et the Wheels of my Soul a going, and make me like the Chariots of <HI>Ami|nadib.</HI> Put Life into me, that I may move more con&s;tantly and vigorou&s;ly towards <HI>thee,</HI> and &s;trike off the Wheels when I am running to <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Vanity.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="occasion">
<HEAD>A Continuation.</HEAD>
<P>HOW many more In&s;tru|ctions might this Watch af|ford me? When I wind it up in the <HI>Morning</HI> I may think, My Watch has kept going all this Night (as I &s;ee by the Motion of the Hand) but I have been in a <HI>&s;otti&s;h, &s;en&s;ele&s;s &s;leep,</HI> and wholly un&s;erviceable either to God or
<PB N="60" REF="43"> Man. And therefore what rea&s;on have I to &s;pend this day (and every day) to the utmo&s;t of my power for the Glory of God, and the good of my own and others Souls? When I look at it again at <HI>Night,</HI> may it not &s;ugge&s;t to me &s;uch thoughts as the&s;e? Here are now &s;o many hours pa&s;t away &s;ince I look'd at it la&s;t, which can never be <HI>recalled;</HI> but what have I done for God or my Soul all this time? The&s;e hours were not given me to plea&s;e my <HI>Fle&s;h</HI> in, or to &s;erve my <HI>Self</HI> in, but to &s;erve <HI>God</HI> in; and how little of his Work have I done? I mu&s;t be ac|countable for every moment of this time, neither mu&s;t I think to e&s;cape with the bare <HI>lo&s;ing my Re|ward,</HI> but &s;hall be al&s;o <HI>puni&s;hed</HI> for my <HI>Idlene&s;s.</HI> But if my Con&s;cience
<PB N="61" REF="43"> acquit me that I have made it my bu&s;ine&s;s to &s;pend this day to God's Glory, then may I with Joy and Comfort think, Here is <HI>one day more</HI> of my weary Pilgrimage pa&s;t over, which will never come a|gain, and I am got &s;o much near|er my Journey's end.</P>
<P>LORD teach me &s;o to num|ber my days, that I may apply my heart to true Wi&s;dom. Oh make me &s;o wi&s;e, as to <HI>Live to day,</HI> &s;o as I may with comfort <HI>Die to morrow;</HI> and help me to wait all the days of my appointed time, till my Change come.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="occasion">
<PB N="62" REF="44">
<HEAD>&V;pon my Indi&s;po&s;edne&s;s to write to a Friend.</HEAD>
<P>HOW &s;eldom is it that I can get into a Humour of Wri|ting; and if not, how dull and lifele&s;ly do I perform it? And what a &s;ad thing it is, that the Service of God, and the Improve|ment of my own and my Friends Graces mu&s;t depend and wait up|on my <HI>Humour!</HI> Is the <HI>Love</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> the <HI>Joys</HI> of <HI>Heaven,</HI> the <HI>Va|nity</HI> of the <HI>World,</HI> the <HI>worth</HI> of <HI>Souls,</HI> the <HI>preciou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Grace,</HI> the <HI>&s;infulne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Sin,</HI> the <HI>Sufferings</HI> of <HI>Christ,</HI> the <HI>Priviledges</HI> of the <HI>Saints,</HI> (with many more) are all the&s;e &s;uch dry and barren Sub|jects, that I can find nothing to
<PB N="63" REF="44"> &s;ay of them? Is it not rather a &s;ign that I am too little conver|&s;ant with them?</P>
<P>CAN I be &s;en&s;ible of the <HI>Love</HI> of <HI>God</HI> in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> to <HI>me,</HI> and not break forth into pa&s;&s;ionate returns of <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Prai&s;e</HI> to <HI>him?</HI> Can I think of the <HI>Joys</HI> of <HI>Heaven,</HI> and by Faith look on them as re&s;erved for <HI>me,</HI> and can I be &s;ilent? Can I &s;ee and experienc<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> the <HI>Vanity</HI> of the <HI>World,</HI> and not per&s;wade every one I conver&s;e with to make &s;ure for a <HI>better?</HI> Can I &s;eriou&s;ly think of the <HI>worth</HI> of <HI>Souls,</HI> and yet take no more pains to &s;ave them from eternal Ruin? Can I &s;ee and know the <HI>preciou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of Grace, and yet not &s;trive to cheri&s;h and increa&s;e it where I find it, and do my ut|mo&s;t to per&s;wade others to get it?
<PB N="64" REF="45"> Can I &s;ee the <HI>&s;infulne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Sin,</HI> and not declaim again&s;t it? Can I be affected with the <HI>Sufferings</HI> of my dear <HI>Redeemer,</HI> and yet not let one pa&s;&s;ionate Exclamation drop from my Lips or Pen? And yet not for&s;ake tho&s;e Sins that Cruci|fie him afre&s;h? Can I know and under&s;tand the <HI>Priviledges</HI> of the <HI>Saints,</HI> and believe that they be|long to me, and not rejoyce in them, and &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">w them unto others? Would not my &s;ilence rather per|&s;wade others that I am a <HI>Stranger</HI> to mo&s;t of the&s;e things? O how far do I come &s;hort of living up to the Profe&s;&s;ion I make! How little force has the Love of Chri&s;t upon me to con&s;train me? Surely if I did but con&s;ider and <HI>mu&s;e</HI> upon the&s;e things, the <HI>fire would burn,</HI> and I could not but &s;peak the
<PB N="65" REF="45"> things which I have &s;een, and heard, and experienced.</P>
<P>LORD! take away this dul|ne&s;s and indi&s;po&s;ition of Spirit, and let me feel the Motions of thy Holy Spirit exciting me to diligence in the work of the Lord, and help me to hearken to them and obey them; that I may make it my <HI>bu&s;ine&s;s</HI> to promote thy Glo|ry, and the good of my own and others Souls; that I may be al|ways abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that my La|bour &s;hall not be in vain.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="occasion">
<HEAD>&V;pon the &s;inging of Larks.</HEAD>
<P>THIS Morning I took a walk into the Fields, and
<PB N="66" REF="46"> among&s;t other delightful Objects, I was very much plea&s;ed with the <HI>&s;inging</HI> of the <HI>Birds,</HI> and e&s;pecial|ly the <HI>Larks,</HI> which I ob&s;erv'd to mount and a&s;cend towards Hea|ven, and unweariedly and chear|fully to &s;ing the Prai&s;es of their great Creator.</P>
<P>IT pre&s;ently came into my thoughts, that this was a very fit Emblem of a <HI>Chri&s;tian's Life,</HI> who&s;e Conver&s;ation is in Heaven, and who&s;e Affections are &s;et on things above, and who&s;e daily Bu&s;ine&s;s it is to &s;hew forth the Prai&s;es of him who has called him out of dark|ne&s;s into his marvellous light. Tho' others, like the Bea&s;ts of the Field, have their eyes and thoughts always poring upon Earth and earthly things, and are con&s;tantly
<PB N="67" REF="46"> either feeding upon <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> &s;en&s;ual enjoyments, or ruminating on the <HI>pa&s;t,</HI> (or fore-ca&s;ting for the <HI>fu|ture,</HI> and making provi&s;ion for the Fle&s;h to fulfil the Lu&s;ts there|of;) yet a Chri&s;tian is of a far more noble and generous temper: he is daily a&s;cending <HI>upwards</HI> in his thoughts and affections, and lives like one that is an Inhabitant of a <HI>purer Region;</HI> from thence he can look down with a <HI>pious &s;corn</HI> and <HI>contempt</HI> upon the &s;ordid and feculent Plea&s;ures of the de|generate World; there he ap|proaches nigh unto his God, and can humbly conver&s;e with his Ma|ker; his <HI>Work</HI> and <HI>Employment</HI> is prai&s;ing of God, and maintaining Communion with him, and it is not more nece&s;&s;ary than delight|ful. His very <HI>Bu&s;ine&s;s</HI> is his greate&s;t
<PB N="68" REF="47"> <HI>Happine&s;s,</HI> and when he is exer|ci&s;ed in <HI>that,</HI> he is in his <HI>Element.</HI></P>
<P>LORD help me always to walk like tho&s;e who are redeemed from a vain conver&s;ation, and a&s;|&s;i&s;t me in the performance of that ble&s;&s;ed Work which I hope to be employed in to all Eternity, and ha&s;ten the time when I &s;hall do nothing el&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="47">
<P>SACRED POEMS.</P>
<Q><L>Videnti Deum omnis Creatura e&s;t Angu&s;ta</L>.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>John Lawrence,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in the <HI>Poultrey;</HI> And <HI>Jo&s;eph Wats,</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard. 1691.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sacred poems">
<PB REF="48">
<PB N="71" REF="48">
<HEAD>SACRED POEMS.</HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>The Love-&s;ick Spou&s;e.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>COME, dear <HI>Lord,</HI> and do not &s;tay:</L>
<L>Fetch thy Longing Spou&s;e away.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="1">
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<L>Think on what I &s;uffer here,</L>
<L>Whil&s;t thy <HI>Ab&s;ence</HI> I mu&s;t bear.</L>
<PB N="72" REF="49">
<L>How I langui&s;h, how I faint!</L>
<L>Whil&s;t I do thy Pre&s;ence want.</L>
<L>O at length return and come,</L>
<L>And in <HI>pity</HI> fetch me home.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Come, dear Lord! and do not &s;tay;</L>
<L>Oh I cannot brook delay.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="2">
<HEAD>II.</HEAD>
<L>Oh how &s;weet thy <HI>Vi&s;its</HI> are!</L>
<L>Nothing may with them compare:</L>
<L>But how <HI>quickly</HI> art thou gone?</L>
<L>Leaving me in tears alone,</L>
<L>In a dark&s;ome tedious <HI>Night,</HI></L>
<L>Longing for the Morning-light.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Come, dear Lord! and do not &s;tay;</L>
<L>Bring me to Eternal Day.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="3">
<PB N="73" REF="49">
<HEAD>III.</HEAD>
<L>Oh be pleas'd to &s;et me free</L>
<L>From my oft <HI>offending</HI> thee.</L>
<L>Bring me where I &s;hall re&s;ign</L>
<L>Perfectly my <HI>will</HI> to thine:</L>
<L>That I cannot now, does grieve me,</L>
<L>O in mercy, Lord, relieve me.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Come, dear <HI>Lord!</HI> and do not &s;tay;</L>
<L>Bring me where I &s;hall obey.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="4">
<HEAD>IV.</HEAD>
<L>Free me from this <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> which here</L>
<L>I about me alway<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> bear;</L>
<L>Which in ab&s;ence would per&s;wade me</L>
<L>To forget the God that made me:</L>
<PB N="74" REF="50">
<L> Which does <HI>tempt</HI> me unto ill,</L>
<L>And is oft <HI>prevailing</HI> &s;till.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Come, dear <HI>Lord!</HI> and do not &s;tay;</L>
<L>Do&s;t thou <HI>Love</HI> me, and delay?</L>
</LG>
<LG N="5">
<HEAD>V.</HEAD>
<L>Yes, I'm &s;ure, I'm &s;ure thou do&s;t,</L>
<L>Thou ha&s;t <HI>&s;hewn</HI> it to thy <HI>co&s;t;</HI></L>
<L>I have <HI>ta&s;ted</HI> of it too,</L>
<L>More than many others do,</L>
<L>Oh increa&s;e my Love to thee,</L>
<L>Who &s;o tender art to me.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Come, dear <HI>Lord!</HI> and do not &s;tay;</L>
<L>My Beloved, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters">me away.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="6">
<PB N="75" REF="50">
<HEAD>VI.</HEAD>
<L>Come <HI>Lord!</HI> for my treach'rous heart</L>
<L>Whil&s;t &s;o long thou ab&s;ent art,</L>
<L>Does to thee <HI>di&s;loyal</HI> prove,</L>
<L>And lets <HI>others</HI> have its Love.</L>
<L>Let that happy time ha&s;t on,</L>
<L>When I &s;hall be <HI>Thine alone.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Come, dear <HI>Lord!</HI> and do not &s;tay;</L>
<L>Fetch thy longing Spou&s;e away.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>The Pilgrimage.</HEAD>
<LG N="1">
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<L>IN vain we &s;eek for <HI>Re&s;t</HI> below,</L>
<L>Where 'tis not to be found:</L>
<PB N="76" REF="51">
<L>Re&s;t is a Plant that will not grow</L>
<L>In any earthly ground.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="2">
<HEAD>II.</HEAD>
<L>We're here engaged in a <HI>Race,</HI></L>
<L>A Race that mu&s;t be run;</L>
<L>Then look not for a <HI>Re&s;ting-place,</HI></L>
<L>Until our Race be done.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="3">
<HEAD>III.</HEAD>
<L>Some &s;hort refre&s;hing baits we may</L>
<L>Expect to find below;</L>
<L>Such as may help us on our way</L>
<L>More chearfully to go.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="4">
<HEAD>IV.</HEAD>
<L>Such are the <HI>Glymp&s;es</HI> of his Face,</L>
<L>And tho&s;e indearing <HI>Smiles,</HI></L>
<L>Which oft do quicken our dull pace,</L>
<L>And &s;weeten all our toils.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="5">
<PB N="77" REF="51">
<HEAD>V.</HEAD>
<L>But our Eternal Re&s;t's above,</L>
<L>Beyond the &s;tarry Sky,</L>
<L>In th' Arms of our dear <HI>Saviour</HI>'s Love,</L>
<L>And Everla&s;ting Joy.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>Emptine&s;s in the Creature, Fulne&s;s in God.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>COME now my Soul, retire unto thy <HI>God.</HI></L>
<L>There thou mai&s;t find the &s;weete&s;t be&s;t abode:</L>
<L>The hungry Soul may go to him and find</L>
<L>Full &s;atisfaction for his craving mind.</L>
<PB N="78" REF="52">
<L>Whil'&s;t all the <HI>Vanities</HI> and <HI>Follies</HI> here,</L>
<L>To &s;uch a Soul <HI>ta&s;tle&s;s</HI> and <HI>empty</HI> are.</L>
<L>There's nothing in them that can ever fill</L>
<L>A Chri&s;tian's Soul, but leaves it craving &s;till.</L>
<L>He knows not how to <HI>reli&s;h</HI> &s;uch like Food,</L>
<L>Which oft does <HI>hurt,</HI> but never can do <HI>good.</HI></L>
<L>But being wearied with tho&s;e Va|nities,</L>
<L>Straitway in &s;ecret to his <HI>God</HI> he flies:</L>
<L>And when he's fill'd with &s;weet refre&s;hing chear,</L>
<L>He cries, 'Tis good that I continue here.</L>
<PB N="79" REF="52">
<L>'Tis good indeed! O did the World but know</L>
<L>The Comforts which into his mind do flow</L>
<L>At &s;uch a time, they quickly would <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI></L>
<L>Their vain delights, and long for <HI>Heav'nly Joys.</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>The &V;nprofitable Servant.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>'TWAS on the day which God does call his own,</L>
<L>When I retir'd to meditate alone:</L>
<L>A Book I read, by which my thoughts were driven</L>
<L>To &s;erious views of the great Joys of <HI>Heaven.</HI></L>
<L>But ah! &s;o great my <HI>vilene&s;s</HI> did appear,</L>
<L>As told me I de&s;erv'd not to come <HI>there.</HI></L>
<PB N="80" REF="53">
<L>The Holie&s;t Saints are &s;o <HI>imperfect</HI> here,</L>
<L>And <HI>&s;inful</HI> too, thereby de&s;ert may fear</L>
<L>In&s;tead of <HI>Bli&s;s,</HI> to meet approach|ing doom;</L>
<L>And Oh how <HI>&s;hort</HI> (far <HI>&s;hort</HI>) of them I come!</L>
<L>How <HI>many Sins</HI> have &s;pread their guilt on me!</L>
<L>How <HI>few</HI> my <HI>Graces!</HI> and how <HI>weak</HI> they be!</L>
<L>How <HI>cold</HI> my <HI>Duties!</HI> and how <HI>poorly</HI> done!</L>
<L>How much of <HI>Sin</HI> polluteth ev'ry one!</L>
<L>And can I think to <HI>&s;uch</HI> there will be giv'n,</L>
<L><HI>Such</HI> &s;inful Service, a Reward in Heav'n?</L>
<L><HI>Pardon</HI> a &s;inner, and <HI>reward</HI> him too!</L>
<L>Yet Oh what cannot <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Mer|cy</HI> do?</L>
<PB N="81" REF="53">
<L>Oh what indeed! for as I ca&s;t mine eye</L>
<L>Upon my Book again, I there did &s;pie</L>
<L>This unde&s;erv'd, this gracious <HI>Elogie.</HI></L>
<L><HI>Well done! thou good and faithful Servant, come</HI></L>
<L><HI>Enter into thy Ma&s;ter's Joy, to whom</HI></L>
<L><HI>Thy faithfulne&s;s in little has been &s;uch,</HI></L>
<L><HI>That I will make thee Ruler over much.</HI></L>
<L>But Oh! the' indulgent Bounty that did &s;hine</L>
<L>Into my Soul thro' ev'ry gracious Line!</L>
<L>E&s;pecially when I believ'd that He</L>
<L>Will one day &s;peak tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed words to <HI>me.</HI></L>
<L>Ah Lord! &s;aid I, (and &s;ighing out the re&s;t,</L>
<L><HI>Love, Joy,</HI> and <HI>Shame,</HI> and <HI>Wonder</HI> fill'd my brea&s;t.)</L>
<PB N="82" REF="54">
<L>Ah Lord! &s;aid I, can ought that's done by <HI>me</HI></L>
<L>E're be accepted and approv'd by <HI>Thee?</HI></L>
<L>'Tis clear, thy Bounty from thy <HI>Love</HI> begins,</L>
<L>In pa&s;&s;ing by &s;uch <HI>multitudes of &s;ins.</HI></L>
<L>Tho&s;e Services which I my &s;elf do know</L>
<L>Are weak and &s;inful, <HI>Thou'lt</HI> not call them &s;o.</L>
<L>When to my <HI>utmo&s;t</HI> I my work fulfil,</L>
<L>I'm an <HI>&V;nprofitable Servant</HI> &s;till.</L>
<L>And even <HI>that</HI> if it performed be</L>
<L>Better than other, yet no thanks to me.</L>
<L>'Tis not by <HI>me</HI> done, but that <HI>Grace</HI> of <HI>thine</HI></L>
<L>Which in me dwells; yet the <HI>Re|ward</HI> is <HI>mine.</HI></L>
<PB N="83" REF="54">
<L>Therefore be pleas'd my drou&s;ie Soul to rai&s;e,</L>
<L><HI>Mine</HI> be the Work, and <HI>Thine</HI> be all the Prai&s;e.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>The Invitation.</HEAD>
<LG N="1">
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<L>LORD, let thy Holy Spirit come,</L>
<L>And <HI>lodge</HI> within my brea&s;t,</L>
<L>I find there is a <HI>little</HI> room</L>
<L>Would be by Thee po&s;&s;e&s;t.</L>
<L>Come in, and turn but out of door</L>
<L>The <HI>Sin</HI> that dwells there, and there will be <HI>more.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG N="2">
<PB N="84" REF="55">
<HEAD>II.</HEAD>
<L>But ah! my &s;in-polluted Brea&s;t Is &s;urely far unfit</L>
<L>For &s;uch a <HI>pure</HI> and <HI>holy</HI> Gue&s;t</L>
<L>To come and lodge in it.</L>
<L>Yet <HI>therefore</HI> come, that it may be</L>
<L><HI>Clean&s;ed</HI> from Sin, and <HI>&s;anctified</HI> to Thee.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="3">
<HEAD>III.</HEAD>
<L>Like the <HI>Augaean</HI> Stable now</L>
<L>Is my defiled heart,</L>
<L>Oh let a <HI>Stream</HI> of <HI>Blood</HI> run through</L>
<L>And clean&s;e't in ev'ry part.</L>
<L>That Blood will make the &s;ins that &s;how</L>
<L>As <HI>red</HI> as <HI>it,</HI> become as <HI>white</HI> as <HI>Snow.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG N="4">
<PB N="85" REF="55">
<HEAD>IV.</HEAD>
<L>My Brea&s;t's thy <HI>Temple,</HI> come and dwell,</L>
<L>O Gracious God, therein;</L>
<L>Thy <HI>Pre&s;ence</HI> quickly <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters">ll expel</L>
<L>And <HI>drive out</HI> ev'ry &s;in.</L>
<L>Do &s;o; for it my Spirit grieves</L>
<L>To &s;ee thy <HI>Hou&s;e</HI> thus made a <HI>Den of Thieves:</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG N="5">
<HEAD>V.</HEAD>
<L>Come Lord, I'll open wide the door,</L>
<L>That Thou may'&s;t enter in;</L>
<L>Which again&s;t thee was &s;hut before</L>
<L>By Vanity and Sin.</L>
<L>And they, when Thou ap|proach'd&s;t the Lock,</L>
<L>Made &s;uch a <HI>noi&s;e</HI> I could not hear Thee <HI>knock.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG N="6">
<PB N="86" REF="56">
<HEAD>VI.</HEAD>
<L>Though Thou ha&s;t often come <HI>in vain,</HI></L>
<L>Yet do not now forbear,</L>
<L>But com<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters">t lea&s;t <HI>this once</HI> again,</L>
<L>When I thy Voice will <HI>bear.</HI></L>
<L>Cam'&s;t Thou &s;o oft <HI>unask'd</HI> be|fore,</L>
<L>And now I <HI>woo</HI> Thee wilt Thou come no more?</L>
</LG>
<LG N="7">
<HEAD>VII.</HEAD>
<L>Yes, come, and be not &s;o unkind,</L>
<L>But come and <HI>Sup</HI> with me;</L>
<L>Yet <HI>Entertainment</HI> Thou wilt find</L>
<L>None but what <HI>comes with Thee.</HI></L>
<L>Thou mu&s;t not only be the <HI>Gue&s;t,</HI></L>
<L>But to my Soul <HI>Thy Self</HI> &s;upply the <HI>Fea&s;t.</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<PB N="87" REF="56">
<HEAD>The Welcome.</HEAD>
<LG N="1">
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<L>WElcome, Dear Lord Thou know'&s;t thou art</L>
<L>As welcome unto me,</L>
<L>As to a Longing Virgin's heart</L>
<L>Her coming Spou&s;e can be;</L>
<L>When like to be <HI>allur'd</HI> or <HI>forc'd</HI></L>
<L>From him from whom &s;he'd dye e're be divorc'd.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="2">
<HEAD>II.</HEAD>
<L>Go, get ye hence! ye <HI>Sins</HI> that have</L>
<L>So oft debarr'd my Love,</L>
<L>Him I with open Arms receive,</L>
<L>And now will <HI>con&s;tant</HI> prove.</L>
<PB N="88" REF="57">
<L>Ye oft excluded him before,</L>
<L>But (by his Grace) ye ne'r &s;hall do it more.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="3">
<HEAD>III.</HEAD>
<L>Dear Lord! How <HI>quickly</HI> did&s;t thou come</L>
<L>When I lift up my voice;</L>
<L>Welcome, thrice welcome, thou in whom</L>
<L>My Soul &s;hall &s;till rejoyce.</L>
<L>My crying makes it now appear</L>
<L><HI>Before</HI> I call'd, Thou (tho' un&s;een) wa&s;t <HI>near.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG N="4">
<HEAD>IV.</HEAD>
<L>Come, now be pleas'd to Sup with me,</L>
<L>Sit down, dear Gue&s;t! and eat;</L>
<L>Thou need'&s;t not fear but <HI>welcome</HI> be</L>
<L>To what's thine <HI>own:</HI> but yet</L>
<PB N="89" REF="57">
<L>Improperly I call Thee <HI>Gue&s;t,</HI></L>
<L>Since <HI>I</HI> am &s;o, and <HI>Thou</HI> my only <HI>Feast.</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>The Glymp&s;e.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>HOW tran&s;ient, Lord, thy Glorious <HI>Vi&s;its</HI> be</L>
<L>To tho&s;e on this &s;ide of Eternity!</L>
<L>They are but <HI>Glym&s;es,</HI> do not long remain,</L>
<L>But while we &s;ay, <HI>What's this?</HI> are gone again.</L>
<L>When <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> pray'd thy Glory thou would'&s;t &s;hew,</L>
<L>Thou but thy <HI>Back-parts</HI> did&s;t ex|po&s;e to view.</L>
<L>Thou mad'&s;t him in the clift o'th' Rock to &s;tand,</L>
<L>And hid him with the hollow of thy hand:</L>
<PB N="90" REF="58">
<L>Thou put a Skreen before his long|ing eye,</L>
<L>Till thy approaching Glory <HI>pa&s;&s;ed by.</HI></L>
<L>He only &s;aw thee <HI>going,</HI> &s;aw thee <HI>fled,</HI></L>
<L>Soon as his Eyes were well unco|vered.</L>
<L>So tran&s;iently thou do&s;t to us ap|pear,</L>
<L>Till thou art <HI>gone</HI> we know not thou wa&s;t <HI>here.</HI></L>
<L>Thy glorious Pre&s;ence we not long retain,</L>
<L>Thou only com'&s;t <HI>to bid Farewel</HI> again.</L>
<L>Yet the&s;e &s;hort Vi&s;its make us hope that we</L>
<L>Shall in thy &s;ight live to Eternity.</L>
<L>This glorious <HI>Sun</HI> to its <HI>Meridian</HI> gets,</L>
<L><HI>Clouded</HI> to us, un&s;een till when it <HI>&s;ets.</HI></L>
<PB N="91" REF="58">
<L>Yet, tho' its <HI>Light</HI> be quickly gone, we find</L>
<L>Its <HI>Heat</HI> and <HI>Influence</HI> &s;till remains behind.</L>
<L>As when &s;ome glorious <HI>Vi&s;ion</HI> of the Night</L>
<L>Silently glides before the clo&s;ed Sight</L>
<L>Of one 'twixt &s;leep and waking, &s;carce his eyes</L>
<L>Begin to <HI>open,</HI> when the Vi&s;ion <HI>flies.</HI></L>
<L>So thou un&s;een do&s;t to our Souls draw nigh,</L>
<L>Which are <HI>a&s;leep</HI> while thou art pa&s;&s;ing by;</L>
<L>But when this glorious Light be|gins to &s;hake</L>
<L>Our <HI>Slumbers</HI> off, e're we are well <HI>awake,</HI></L>
<PB N="92" REF="59">
<L>The Vi&s;ion's <HI>fled,</HI> and we with <HI>Ja|cob</HI> cry</L>
<L><HI>Sure, tho' we knew it not, the Lord was nigh.</HI></L>
<L>And then with &s;peed, like him, a <HI>Pillar</HI> rai&s;e,</L>
<L>And Offer up a Sacrifice of Prai&s;e.</L>
<L>Yet, tho' the&s;e Glymp&s;es be but <HI>&s;hort,</HI> we know</L>
<L>We mu&s;t expect no fuller <HI>Views</HI> be|low.</L>
<L>Could <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> thy familiar <HI>Friend,</HI> not &s;ee</L>
<L>Thy ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Face,</HI> then how alas &s;hould we?</L>
<L>While w'are in <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> our frailty cannot bear</L>
<L>A <HI>&s;teady view</HI> of Heav'nly &s;plen|dour near.</L>
<L>Should'&s;t thou di&s;play thy Glory, we &s;hould find,</L>
<L>Like <HI>Paul,</HI> that <HI>Lu&s;tre</HI> would but &s;trike us <HI>blind.</HI></L>
<PB N="93" REF="59">
<L>Come then but <HI>often,</HI> tho' thou &s;oon depart'&s;t,</L>
<L>'Twill be &s;ufficient to enflame our hearts;</L>
<L>For we the truth o'th' Ob&s;ervation prove,</L>
<L>That not <HI>fixt Views,</HI> but <HI>Glances</HI> kindle Love.</L>
<L>Yet thou in <HI>Heaven fully</HI> wilt im|part</L>
<L>Thy Self, and we &s;hall &s;ee thee <HI>as thou art.</HI></L>
<L>In <HI>Heaven</HI> all thy Glory will be &s;hown,</L>
<L>And we &s;hall know thee, even <HI>as we are known:</HI></L>
<L>But what this <HI>Knowledge,</HI> what this <HI>Sight</HI> &s;hould be,</L>
<L>We can't know <HI>here,</HI> but fai<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> would go to <HI>&s;ee.</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<PB N="94" REF="60">
<HEAD>Prai&s;e.</HEAD>
<LG N="1">
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<L>THY daily gracious dealings, Lord,</L>
<L>Do ev'n a&s;toni&s;h me,</L>
<L>Each hour fre&s;h Wonders does af|ford</L>
<L>Of thy Benignity.</L>
<L>No &s;ooner Troubles do ari&s;e,</L>
<L>But thou do&s;t them controul;</L>
<L>And with Divine and Heav'nly Joys</L>
<L>Sweetly refre&s;h my Soul.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="2">
<PB N="95" REF="60">
<HEAD>II.</HEAD>
<L>I &s;ee it is not all my &s;in,</L>
<L>Tho' ne'r &s;o great it be,</L>
<L>That can with-hold this Love of thine</L>
<L>From poor unworthy me.</L>
<L>O may my Life &s;hew forth thy Prai&s;e,</L>
<L>And thy Commands fulfil;</L>
<L>And may thy Goodne&s;s all my days</L>
<L>Wait and attend me &s;till.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</GROUP>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
