Schola Cordis or the Heart of it Selfe, gone away from God ::

That on the good ground are they, which with an honest, and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Lvke 8. 15.

Epigr. 28.

Lest the field of mine heart should unto thee,
Great Husbandman that mad'st it, barren be,
Manure the ground, then come thy self and seed it;
And let thy servants water it, and weed it.

Ode. 28.

1

Nay, blessed Lord,
Unlesse thou wilt afford
Manure, as well as tillage, to thy field,
It will not yeeld
That fruit which thou expectest it should beare:
The ground I feare
Will still remaine
Barren of what is good: and all the graine
It will bring forth,
As of its owne accord, will not be worth
The paines of gathering
So poore a thing.

2

Some faint desire,

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That quickly will expire,
Wither, and die, is all thou canst expect.
If thou neglect
To sow it now't is ready, thou shalt find
That it will blind,
And harder grow
Then at the first it was. Thou must bestow
Some further cost,
Else all thy former labour will be lost.
Mine heart no corne will breed
Without thy feed.

3

Thy Word is feed,
And manure too: will seed,
As well as fill mine heart. If once it were
Well rooted there,
It would come on apace: O then neglect
No time expect
No better season.
Now, now thy field mine heart is ready: reason
Surrenders now,
Now my rebellious will begins to bow,
And mine affections are
Tamer by farre.

4

Lord, I have laine
Barren too long, and faine
I would redeem the time, that I may be
Fruitfull to thee,
Fruitfull in knowledge, faith, obedience,
Ere I goe hence:
That when I come
At harvest to be reaped, and brought home;
Thine Angels may

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My soule in thy celestiall garner lay,
Where perfect joy, and blisse
Eternall is.

5

If, to intreat
A crop of purest wheat,
A blessing too transcendent should appeare
For me to beare,
Lord, make me what thou wilt, so thou wilt take
What thou do'st make,
And not disdaine
To house me, though amongst thy coursest graine,
So I may be
Laid with the gleanings gathered by thee,
When the full sheaves are spent,
I am content.

University of Virginia Library

The seeding of the Heart.

Epigr. 28.

Ode. 28.

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