Divine Songs and Meditacions (1653) Part 3

Excessive worldy Greife the Soule devouers And spoyles the activnesse of all the Powers, Through indisposing them to exercise What should demonstrate their abilities, By practicall improvment of the same Unto the Glory of the givers name.

Though Envy wait to blast the Blossoms green Of any Vertu soon as they are seen, Yet none may therfore just occasion take To shun what Vertu manifest should make, For like the Sun shall Vertu be beheld VVhen Clouds of Envy shall be quite dispeld; Though there be some of no disart at all Who no degree in worth can lower fall, Prefer'd before the Verteous whom they taunt Onely because of some apparent want, Which is as if a Weed without defect Before the Damask Rose should have respect, Because the Rose a leafe or two hath lost, And this the Weed of all his parts can boast; Or elce as if a monstrous Clout should be Prefer'd before the purest Lawn to see, Because the Lawn hath spots and this the Clout Is equally polluted thoroughout Therefore let such whose vertu favours merits, Shew their divinly magnanimious spirits By disregarding such their approbacion Who have the worthlesse most in estimacion, For who loves G.o.d above all things, not one Who understands not that in him alone All causes that may move affection are, Glimpses wherof his creatures doe declare, This being so, who can be troubled When as his gifts are undervalued, Seeing the giver of all things likewise For want of knowledg many underprise.

Another Song

Time past we understood by story The strength of Sin a Land to waste, Now G.o.d to manifest his Glory.

The truth hereof did let us taste, For many years, this Land appears Of usefull things the Nursery, Refresht and fenc'd with unity.

But that which crown'd each other Blessing Was evidence of Truth Divine, The Word of Grace such Light expressing, Which in some prudent Hearts did s.h.i.+ne, Whose Flame inclines those n.o.ble minds To stop the Course of Prophanacion And so make way for Reformation.

But He that watcheth to devour, This their intent did soon discry, For which he strait improves his power This worthy work to nullify With Sophistry and Tiranny, His agents he forthwith did fill Who gladly execute his will.

And first they prove by Elocution And h.e.l.lish Logick to traduce Those that would put in execucion, Restraint of every known abuse; They seperate and 'sturb the State, And would all Order overthrow, The better sort were charged so.

Such false Reports did fill all places, Corrupting some of each degree, He whom the highest t.i.tle graces From hearing slanders was not free, Which Scruple bred, and put the Head With primest members so at bate Which did the Body dislocate.

A Lying Spirit mis-informed The common peeple, who suppose If things went on to be reformed They should their ancient Customs lose, And be beside to courses ty'd Which they not yet their Fathers knew, And so be wrapt in fangles new.

Great mult.i.tudes therefore were joyned To Sathans plyant instruments, With mallice, ignorance combined, And both at Truth their fury vents; First Piety as Enimy They persecute, oppose, revile, Then Freind as well as Foe they spoyle.

The beuty of the Land's abollisht, Such Fabericks by Art contriv'd, The many of them quite demollisht, And many of their homes depriv'd Some mourn for freinds untimely ends, And some for necessaries faint, With which they parted by constraint.

But from those storms hath G.o.d preserved A people to record his praise, Who sith they were therefore reserved Must to the heigth their Spirits raise To magnify his lenity Who safely brought them through the fire To let them see their hearts desire

Which many faithfull ones deceased With teares desired to behold, Which is the Light of Truth professed Without obscuring shaddowes old, When spirits free, not tyed shall be To frozen Forms long since compos'd, When lesser knowledg was disclos'd.

VVho are preserv'd from foes outragious, Noteing the Lords unfound-out wayes, Should strive to leave to after-ages Some memorandums of his praise; That others may admiring say Unsearchable his judgments are, As do his works alwayes declare.

Meditacions

The first Meditacion.

The Morning is at hand, my Soule awake, Rise from the sleep of dull security; Now is the time, anon 'twill be to late, Now hast thou golden opportunity For to behold thy naturall estate And to repent and be regenerate.

Delay no longer though the Flesh thee tell, Tis time enough hereafter to repent, Strive earnestly such mocions to expell, Remember this thy courage to augment The first fruits G.o.d requir'd for sacrifice, The later he esteemed of no price.

First let's behold our natural estate How dangerous and d.a.m.nable it is, And thereupon grow to exceeding hate With that which is the onely cause of this; The which is Sin, yea Disobedience Even that which was our first parents offence.

The reasonable Soule undoubtedly Created was at first free from offence, In Wisdom, Holinesse, and Purity, It did resemble the Divine Essence, Which being lost, the Soule of man became Like to the Serpent, causer of the same.

The Understanding, Will, Affections cleare, Each part of Soule and Body instantly Losing their purity, corrupted were Throughout as by a loathsom Leprocy The rayes of Vertu were extinguisht quite And Vice usurpeth rule with force and might.

This sudden change from sanct.i.tude to sin Could but prognosticat a fearfull end, Immediatly the dollour did begin, The Curse that was p.r.o.nounc'd, none might defend, Which Curse is in this life a part of some, The fulnesse thereof in the life to come.

The Curse that to the Body common is The sence of Hunger, Thirst, of Sicknes, Pain: The Soules Calamities exceedeth this, A Tast of h.e.l.l shee often doth sustain, Rebukes of Conscience, threatning plagues for sin, A world of Torments oft shee hath within.

Unlesse the Conscience dead and feared be, Then runs the soule in errors manifold, Her danger deep shee can in no wise see, And therefore unto every sin is bold, The Conscience sleeps, the Soule is dead in sin, Nere thinks of h.e.l.l untill shee comes therein.

Thus is the Conscience of the Reprobate, Either accusing unto desperacion, Or elce benummed, cannot instigate Nor put the Soule in mind of reformacion; Both work for ill unto the castaway, Though here they spent their time in mirth and play.

Yet can they have no sound contentment here, In midst of laughter oft the heart is sad: This world is full of woe & h.e.l.lish feare And yeelds forth nothing long to make us glad As they that in the state of nature dy Pa.s.se but from misery to misery.

Consider this my soule, yet not despaire, To comfort thee again let this suffice, There is a Well of grace, whereto repaire, First wash away thy foul enormities With teares proceeding from a contrite heart, With thy beloved sins thou must depart.

Inordinate affections, and thy Will, And carnall wisdom, must thou mortify, For why, they are corrupt, prophane and ill, And p.r.o.ne to nothing but impiety, Yet shalt thou not their nature quite deface, Their ruines must renewed be by grace.

If that thou canst unfainedly repent, With hatred therunto thy sins confesse, And not because thou fearest punishment But that therby thou didst G.o.ds Laws transgress Resolving henceforth to be circ.u.mspect, Desiring G.o.d to frame thy wayes direct.

Each member of thy body thou dost guide, Then exercise them in G.o.ds service most Let every part be throughly sanctifide As a meet Temple for the Holy Ghost; Sin must not in our mortall bodies raign It must expelled be although with pain

Thou must not willingly one sin detain, For so thou mayst debarred be of blis, Grace with inniquity will not remain, Twixt Christ and Belial no communion is, Therefore be carefull every sin to fly, And see thou persevere in piety.

So mayst thou be perswaded certainly, The Curse shall in no wise endanger thee, Although the body suffer misery Yet from the second death thou shalt be free; They that are called here to Holinesse Are sure elected to eternall blisse.

A Taste of blessednesse here shalt thou say, Thy Conscience shall be at Tranquility, And in the Life to com thou shalt enjoy The sweet fruition of the Trinity, Society with Saints then shalt thou have, Which in this life thou didst so often crave.

Let this then stir thee up to purity, Newnesse of life, and speedy Conversion, To Holinesse and to integrity, Make conscience of impure thoughts unknown Pray in the Spirit with sweet Contemplacion Be vigilant for to avoid Temptacion.

The Preamble.

Amid the Oceon of Adversity, Neare whelmed in the Waves of sore Vexation, Tormented with the Floods of Misery, And almost in the Guise of Despairacion, Neare dest.i.tute of Comfort, full of Woes, This was her Case that did the same compose:

At length Jehovah by his power divine, This great tempestious Storm did mittigate.

And cause the Son of Righteousnesse to s.h.i.+ne Upon his Child that seemed desolate, Who was refreshed, and that immediatly, And Sings as follows with alacrity.

The Second Meditacion.

The storm of Anguish being over-blown, To praise G.o.ds mercies now I may have s.p.a.ce, For that I was not finally orethrown, But was supported by his speciall grace; The Firmament his glory doth declare, Psal. 19. 1 Yet over all his works, his mercies are. Psal. 145. 9

The Contemplacion of his mercies sweet, Hath ravished my Soule with such delight Who to lament erst while was onely meet, Doth now determine to put griefe to flight, Being perswaded, hereupon doth rest, Shee shall not be forsaken though distrest.