University of Virginia Library

A Song declaring that a Christian may finde tru Love only where tru Grace is.

No Knot of Friendship long can hold
Save that which Grace hath ty'd,
For other causes prowe but cold
VVhen their effects are try'd;

36

For God who loveth unity
Doth cause the onely union,
Which makes them of one Family
Of one mind and communion.
Commocions will be in that place,
VVhere are such contraries,
As is inniquity and grace,
The greatest enimies,
Whom sin doth rule shee doth command
To hold stiff opposicion
Gainst grace and all the faithfull band
Which are in her tuision.
This is the cause of home debates,
And much domestick woes,
That one may find his houshold mates
To be his greatest foes,
That with the Wolfe the Lamb may bide
As free from molestacion,
As Saints with sinners, who reside
In the same habitacion.
By reason of the Enmity
Between the womans Seed
And mans infernall enimy,
The Serpent and his breed,
The link of consanguinity
Could hold true freindship never,
Neither hath neare affinity
United freinds for ever.

37

For scoffing Ishmael will scorn
His onely true born brother:
Rebeckahs sonns together born
Contend with one another,
No bond of nature is so strong
To cause their hearts to tarry
In unity, who do belong
To masters so contrary.
The wicked ordinarily
Gods dearest children hate,
And therfore seek (though groundlesly)
Their credits to abate,
And though their words and works do show
No colour of offences
Yet are their hearts most (they trow)
For all their good pretences.
And those that strongest grace attain,
Whereby sin is vanquished,
By Sathan and his cursed train
Are most contraried;
Because by such the Serpent feeles,
His head to be most bruised,
He turnes and catches at their heeles,
By whom he is so used.
His agents he doth instigate,
To vex, oppose, and fret,
To slander and calumniate,
Those that have scap't his net,

38

Who servants are so diligent,
That like to Kain their father
They whose works are most excellent
They mischiefe will the rather.
Yet there are of the gracelesse crew
Who for some private ends
Have sided with prefestors tru
As trusty pious friends,
But to the times of worldly peace
Their friendship was confined
Which when some crosses caus'd to cease
The thred of league untwined.
Such friends unto the Swallow may
Be fitly likened,
Who all the plesant Summer stay
But are in Winter fled:
They cannot 'bide their freind to see,
In any kind of trouble,
So pittyfull (forsooth) they bee
That have the art to double.
Such will be any thing for one
Who hath of nothing need,
Their freindship stands in word alone,
And none at all in deed,
How open mouth'd so e're they are,
They bee as closely handed,
Who will (they know) their service spare,
They're his to be commanded.

39

Therefore let no true hearted one
Releife at need expect,
From opposits to vertue known,
Who can him not afect:
For his internall ornaments,
Will ever lovely make him
Though all things pleasing out ward sence
Should utterly forsake him.
In choise of Freinds let such therefore
Prefer the godly wise,
To whom he may impart the store
That in his bosome lies:
And let him not perniciously
Communicate his favours,
To all alike indifferently,
Which shewes a mind that wavers.
Gods children to each other should
Most open hearted bee;
Who by the same precepts are rul'd,
And in one Faith agree,
VVho shall in true felicity,
Where nothing shall offend them
Together dwell eternally,
To which I do commend them.