 | Divine Songs and 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.
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 God requir'd for sacrifice,
The later he esteemed of no price.
Tis time enough hereafter to repent,
Strive earnestly such mocions to expell,
Remember this thy courage to augment
The first fruits God requir'd for sacrifice,
The later he esteemed of no price.
First let's behold our natural estate
How dangerous and damnable 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.
How dangerous and damnable 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.
71
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.
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.
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 sanctitude to sin
Could but prognosticat a fearfull end,
Immediatly the dollout did begin,
The Curse that was pronounc'd none might defend,
Which Curse is in this life a part of some,
The fulnesse thereof in the life to come.
Could but prognosticat a fearfull end,
Immediatly the dollout did begin,
The Curse that was pronounc'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 Callamities exceedeth this,
A Tast of Hell, shee often doth sustain,
Rebukes of Conscience, threatning plagues for sin,
A world of Torments oft shee hath within.
The sence of Hunger, Thirst, of Sicknes, Pain:
The Soules Callamities exceedeth this,
A Tast of Hell, shee often doth sustain,
Rebukes of Conscience, threatning plagues for sin,
A world of Torments oft shee hath within.
72
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 Hell untill shee comes therein.
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 Hell 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.
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 & hellish feare
And yeelds forth nothing long to make us glad
As they that in the state of nature dy
Passe but from misery to misery.
In midst of laughter oft the heart is sad:
This world is full of woe & hellish feare
And yeelds forth nothing long to make us glad
As they that in the state of nature dy
Passe 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.
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.
73
Inordinate affections, and thy Will,
And carnall wisdom, must thou mortify,
For why, they are corrupt, prophane and ill,
And prone to nothing but impiety,
Yet shalt thou not their nature quite deface,
Their ruines must renewed be by grace.
And carnall wisdom, must thou mortify,
For why, they are corrupt, prophane and ill,
And prone 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 Gods Laws transgress
Resolving henceforth to be circumspect,
Desiring God to frame thy wayes direct.
With hatred therunto thy sins confesse,
And not because thou fearest punishment
But that therby thou didst Gods Laws transgress
Resolving henceforth to be circumspect,
Desiring God to frame thy wayes direct.
Each member of thy body thou dost guide,
Then exercise them in Gods service most
Let every part be throughly sanctifide
As a meer Temple for the Holy Ghost;
Sin must not in our mortall bodies raign
It must expelled be although with pain
Then exercise them in Gods service most
Let every part be throughly sanctifide
As a meer 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 fin 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.
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.
74
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.
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 fruicion of the Trinity,
Society with Saints then shalt thou have,
Which in this life thou didst so often crave.
Thy Conscience shall be at Tranquility,
And in the Life to com thou shalt enjoy
The sweet fruicion 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.
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.
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