University of Virginia Library

DIVINE MEDITATIONS.

[Meditation we may fitly call]

Meditat. 1.

Delion is fallen upon Ossa's back,
The more I cry for help, the more I lack.
There's none will look upon me, how I lie
In the Charibdis of perplexity.
Escaping Scilla, Oh I thought I'd been
Past danger, but Charibdis was not seen.

Meditat. 2.

I'm now benighted, and obscur'd from light,
My day of pleasure's turn'd into a night
Of clouded sorrow; Grief comes sailing on,
Steer'd by the hand of my rebellion.
Heav'n stop his passage, may he never rest
Within the harbor of my tender brest.

Meditat. 3.

What have I done? or what have I deserv'd,
That I am thus imprison'd, and reserv'd
For death and sad destruction? Nay, but why,
Why do I ask, what I have done? To dye,
To dye, 'tis too too little, could a worse,
A worse succeed, I have deserv'd the Curse.

Meditat. 4.

I have displeased Heav'n, where shall I fly
To hide my self from his offended eye?
If rocks, or caves, could hide me from my sin,
There, there I'd go, and hide my self within
The bowels of the earth, till Heav'n should say,
The night of sin is gone, and now 'tis day.

Meditat. 5.

What if I storm'd heav'ns Paradise with prayers,
And so besieg'd it with an host of tears?
What if I undermin'd, and layd a train
To blow it up with sighes? 'Twere but in vain:
To storm, besiege, all is but labor spent,
Except I could, as David did, Repent.

Meditat. 6.

Repent: Oh what a sound that word imports!
Oh how it penetrates! How many sorts
Of Ecchoes answer it; Repent of all:
He that leaves one, repents of none at all:
He that will learn how to repent, and when;
First let him strive to be a David, then:

Meditat. 7.

And art thou still disquieted, my Soul?
Trust thou in God; in God, that doth controul
Both heav'n and earth: 'tis he that must and shall
Be fear'd and honor'd, yea and lov'd withall.
Tis he can send Job's torments, and his woe;
'Tis we must pray to have his patience too.

Meditat. 8.

Fain would I come before my angry God,
But that my sinful years, still fear the Rod
Of his Correction, yet appear I must;
Sure, sure he's merciful, as well as just:
Cheer up dejected Soul, and thou shalt see
His mercy's greater, then thy sins can be.

Meditat. 9.

Can Heav'n forget himself, or can he say
That thing o're night, he cannot do next day:
Can friends forget their children, or deny
Their dearest blood? or can a mountain fly?
Heav'n says, hee'l be a Father till the end:
Then he's a fool that doubts so true a friend.

Meditat. 10.

A friend indeed, but how can I expect
To purchase friendship, by my own neglect?
For ah, how often hath Heav'n pleas'd to say,
Ye that are heavy loaden, come away,
And I will give you ease: Alas but I
Thought sin no burthen, neither thought to dye.

Meditat. 11.

But now I see the frailty of my mind;
I thought I was imprison'd, when confin'd,
Only one hour to goodness; nay that hour
I thought a year, until I had the power
To free my self; when free'd, I had forgot
What goodness was, as though I'd heard it not.

Meditat. 12.

And should I strive to reckon up my sins,
How can he make an end, that still begins?
The sands upon the Seas, nay and then hair
Upon my head, are Cyphers in compare
Of my excessive sins, yet Heav'n can call
Me, as he did the spend-thrift Prodigal.

Meditat. 13.

I know my sins are great, and do increase
Within my Sion, and disturb my Peace:
Oh what am I (dear Heav'n) I am thy creature,
My sins are great, but yet thy mercy's greater.
Pardon (blest Heav'n,) forgive what I have done;
Thou art my Father, own me as thy Son.

Meditat. 14.

It is a happiness to scorn the mirth
Of this confused transitory earth:
And he who is ambitious to create
A happiness, must make the world his hate:
Then if self-love appear, we know for what;
We love our selves, in truly hating that.

Meditat. 15.

Life is the lifes preparative, and Death
The deprivation of unconstant breath.
A well directed life shall always find
Society in Death; a glorious mind
Shall have a glorious, a celestial friend
To guard its glory to a glorious end.

Meditat. 16.

But can a mind, enammell'd with the glory
Of Heav'n, have end; or else is Death a story?
Death is the end of Life, and yet we see
Life is derived from Deaths soveraigntie.
'Tis quickly known, the Death of Sin must give
The pard'ned Soul a priviledg to live.

Meditat. 17.

Heav'n is the seat of happiness, and Hell
The place of fury, where the Furies dwell.
Then mount my Soul upon the spreading wings
Of lofty Faith; fly towards the King of Kings:
Whilest here thou shalt inhabit, learn to know,
That Heav'ns too high for them that fly too low.

Meditat. 18.

I am but sordid earth, that's dayly plough'd
With grief and care; and sorrows hourly croud
Into my weak dominions, and remain
Like greedy Tenants, thirsting after gain.
My eyes are always open to behold
New woes, for I am form'd in sorrows mould.

Meditat. 19.

I am a reeling Pinnace, and I sail
From Port to Port; sometimes a humble gale
Salutes my spreading sails, and by and by
The waves, contemning my prosperity,
Spit in my face, being hurried by their tydes,
They seem to crawl into my sweating sides.

Meditat. 20.

I am a clouded day, I promise rain;
Sometimes I'm stormy, and then clear again;
Sometimes the Sun of Peace begins t'appear,
But cannot shine in sorrows Hemisphere:
Saddest of thoughts; needs must he be distrest
That finds unconstant weather in his brest.

Meditat. 21.

I am a vapor, having not the power
T'indure the fervour of one shining hour:
Vapors cannot withstand a mid-days heat;
Afflictions must be hot, where sins are great:
'Tis not unlike, a misty morning may
Oft times prove usher to a glorious day.

Meditat. 22.

I am a trembling reed, and every day
The wind and I, are subject to a fray:
I'm bruis'd, and shall be broken, if some hand
Sustain me not I shall forget to stand:
But stay my Soul, and here Jehova speak,
I vow, the bruised reed I will not break.

Meditat. 23.

I am but earth, corrupted with my deeds,
Which are but like unprofitable weeds;
My soil is ranck, and barren, and it bears
No grain at all, no, not so much as tears:
Would'st thou increase (my Soul,) Ile teach thee how
Sow but the seeds of Faith, God speeds the plow.

Meditat. 24.

Despair not, when affliction ploughs the ground,
Doubt not encreases, if the seed be found:
Heav'n loves a fruitful harvest, and his hand
Is always active to manure the Land;
He takes the chiefest care, the greatest pains,
He crowns the work, 'tis we that reap the gains.

Meditat. 25.

Man's like a house, whose outward beauty may
Yield pleasure to the eye; If we survay
The inward rooms, there we may find enough
Of untrim'd natures sluttish houshold-stuff.
Would'st thou be fair within (O man,) and neat,
Turn but thy inside out, thou'lt be compleat.

Meditat. 26.

Do greedy Ravens hunger? do they cry
For food? and are they fed? And must not I?
I beg, I crave, and yet am hungry still;
I pine, I starve, and Ravens have their fill.
I know (great God) I have offended thee,
Because thou feed'st the Ravens, and not me.

Meditat. 27.

Do Lillies flourish? do they still remain
Neatly adorn'd? And yet they take no pain;
They neither spin nor card, they take no care,
And yet they're cloth'd, and I, poor I, go bare.
I know (great God) I have offended thee,
Because thou cloth'st the Lillies, and not me.

Meditat. 28.

Why am I thus tormented with the rod
Of my afflictions? Hath my angry God
Forgot his creature? Shall I never have
A little ease, but be afflictions slave?
Forbear, my grumbling Soul, cheer up, and be
Mindful of him, and he'l remember thee.

Meditat. 29.

And why does Heav'n afflict me, but because
He'l make me know my self, and learn his Laws.
Then why am I disquieted? If he
Intends my good, shall I prove enemie
Unto my self? My Soul, take care, be still,
Unless he turns that good into an ill.

Meditat. 30.

Then learn, my soul, when Heav'n afflicts, to know
'Tis for thy sins he does it, and to show
The greatness of his mercy; and to make
Thee love affliction for the Afflictors sake.
Be wise and provident, and thou shalt see,
'Twas good for David, 'twill be good for thee.

Meditat. 31.

If thou wilt learn, my Soul, how to endure,
With patience, thy afflictions, be thou sure,
That when the hand of angry Heav'n shall smite,
Thou dost not grumble like the Israelite.
Strive thou for patience, heav'n wil teach thee how
To bear affliction with a cheerful brow.

Meditat. 32.

What though the waves of thy afflictions rise,
And rage abundantly; lift up thy eyes,
And cry to Heav'n, let patience calm thy mind,
And know that purest gold must be refin'd,
And when affliction brings thee to the brink
Of death, remember Peter did not sink.

Meditat. 33.

When I consider, how I have offended
My Souls dread Soveraign, and vili-pended
His gracious promises, I much admire
He casts me not into eternal fire:
But he in mercy makes me kiss his Rod,
Tells me, I am a Creature, he a God.

Meditat. 34.

Consider well, my Soul, why hast thou breath,
Since that the wages of thy Sins are death?
Thou hast deserv'd ten thousand times to dye,
But that thy GOD, whose mercy doth deny
A Sinners death, reprieves thee for a time,
To make thee know the greatness of thy crime.

Meditat. 35.

Oh meditate my Soul, what Heav'n hath done
For thee, that art his most rebellious Son;
He hath prolong'd thy days, and striv'd to win
And draw thee from the loathsomness of sin:
Admired patience! Oh indulgent care!
Mercy of mercies! how can Heav'n forbear!

Meditat. 36.

Have I offended? and shall I despair?
Oh no I dare not: Ah my Soul, forbear
To harbor such a wickedness; but know,
When thy sins ebb, Gods mercies overflow:
His mercy is an Ocean, and thy prayer
Is th'only wind can raise a tempest there.

Meditat. 37.

Then pray my Soul, and let thy prayers reveal
Thy bosom sins; Oh think not to conceal
A crime from him, that is the God of truth,
And knows the sins of thy offending youth:
Ah know my Soul, the more thou striv'st to smother
Thy sins, the more one sin begets another.

Meditat. 38.

Can Sin, the Souls consuming Viper, lie,
And lurk secure, from Heav'ns all-seeing eye?
Oh no, 'tis vain to think so; though that we
Are muffl'd up with Sin, yet Heav'n can see.
Oh then confess my Soul, and thou shalt tread,
And trample on the Vipers poys'ny head.

Meditat. 39.

But can Confession in it self obtain
An absolute forgiveness? Can we gain
Heav'n by a sigh? Oh no, my Soul express
A perfect sorrow, when thou dost confess,
Then let resolved Constancy endure,
And thou, my Soul, shalt truly rest secure.

Meditat. 40.

Dost thou, my Soul, desire to be partaker
Of those celestial joys where with thy Maker
Crowns those endeavoring souls, which study still
To be obedient to his sacred will?
Examine well the Scriptures, they will show
The ready way; then practise how to go.

Meditat. 41.

Let thy innocuous Meditations be
Serious and fervent: let integritie
Still wait upon them, which will still defend
And guard thy actions to a prosperous end.
Then shall thy labors have a peaceful rest;
Then dayly labor to be dayly blest.

Meditat. 42.

But have a care (my Soul) lest malice chance
To interpose it self, and to advance
Above thy patience, and disturb that peace
Which might have blest thee with a large increase.
Oh have a care this be no fault of thine!
Remember who hath said, vengeance is mine.

Meditat. 43.

Dost thou desire, my Soul, that Heav'n should say
Thy pardon's seal'd, and I will blot away
Thy numerous sins; nay, and I will no more
Remember them, as I have done before?
Then learn, my Soul, to know, whilest thou dost live,
He that will be forgiven, must forgive.

Meditat. 44.

If thou wouldst go to Heav'n, my Soul, go on,
(Not as the sluggard of wise Solomon,)
Be not so timerous as he, to say,
There is a Lyon lurking in the way:
Go on with courage, let the way delight thee,
Then shall the Lyon grumble, and not bite the{e}.

Meditat. 45.

The wise man saith, that sluggards shall be cloath'd
With rags, and all his actions shall be loath'd;
And he thats willing to obtain a prize,
Must be laborious, and have watchful eyes;
(My drowzy Soul.) make Heav'n thy prize, the strain
T'outrun thy sins and so thou shalt obtain.

Meditat. 46.

When on the ladder Jacob did discry
The Angels in his dream, he saw them fly
Upwards, and downwards, which was to express
How much they scorn'd, and hated Idleness:
Then learn my Soul, how to ascend apace
From sin, to the perfection of grace.

Meditat. 47.

What was the reason Peter wept? Nay why
Did he go out and weep so bitterly?
Could he not weep within? Did he not dare
Before the wicked, to disburse a tear?
By this example, Peter makes it known
Who truly grieves, desires to grieve alone.

Meditat. 48.

Hast thou my Soul, with persecuting Paul,
Envy'd the Church? Hast thou conspir'd her fall?
Why, then my Soul, writ thou despair? 'Tis true,
The crime is great, and GOD is gracious too.
A light may shine from Heav'n, and thou shalt be
With Paul, converted from thy Tyrannie.

Meditat. 49.

Hast thou with thrice-denying Peter, cry'd,
I know him not, but stubbornly deny'd
The Lord of Life? what then? the Cock may crow,
God may look back upon thee, and bestow
His liberal blessings: Then my Soul deny
Thy sins, with Peter, and weep bitterly.

Meditat. 50.

But was it not, my Soul, a sad disaster,
That Peter should so soon deny his Master;
For whose dear fake he'd lose his life? Oh what
A sudden change is this! I know him not.
Nay more, as if he thought this would not do,
He binds it with an oath, forswears him too.

Meditat. 51.

What was the reason that the Lions, when
They entertained Daniel in their Den,
Did rather fear, then hunger? Nay how can
Destroying Lions fawn upon a man?
My Soul, there was a Lamb that tam'd the Lion,
And made the Den prove Daniels safest Sion.

Meditat. 52.

Advise my Soul, and how could Daniel live,
Impris'ned in the Den, and none to give
Him dayly food? How could he rest at quiet,
Without the enjoyment of some slender diet?
When Heav'n commands his Angels, they shal feed
A Soul; (my Soul) that Soul can never need.

Meditat. 53.

'Twas Faith that guarded Daniel from the paws
Of dauntless Lions, whose imperious jaws
Were ty'd by Heav'ns appointment, so that they
Forgot their Tyranny, and learn'd to play.
(My Soul) with Daniel, t uly think upon
Thy God, and Faith shall be thy Champion.

Meditat. 54.

Did great Goliah fall? Could he not stand,
That was so strong, against so weak a hand?
Could not his armor, nor his storming power
Maintain so mean a Combate half an hour?
Here, here (my Soul) observe, and thou shalt find
An armed body, but a naked mind.

Meditat. 55.

But how did stripling David dare to show
His childish face before so great a foe?
He had no armor on, nor sword to shield
His body, yet he fought, and won the field.
Here, here (my Soul) observe, and thou shalt find
A naked body, but an armed mind.

Meditat. 56.

Be sure (my Soul) when e're thou shalt begin
To war with the Goliah of thy sin,
Take Davids armor, and thou shalt o'rethrow
Thy sin with a most advantageous blow.
Boast not too much, but with bold courage fight;
The pebble-stones of Faith fly always right.

Meditat. 57.

Faith is the arm of safety, which defends
The Soul from all approaching harm, and lends
A sword to fight with Satan, who may venture
To make a thrust or two, but cannot enter.
Gain thou this arm of Faith (my Soul) and then
Thou mayst out-dare a Lion in his Den.

Meditat. 58.

Learn how to prize thy Faith (my Soul) and know
She is thy only safety here below:
She is a trusty buckler to protect thee
From showres of evil, and to good direct thee.
Then rouze my Soul, and be not quite cast down,
Repentance brings in Faith, and Faith a Crown.

Meditat. 59.

A Crown, that's only fitting to adorn
A Princes brow; and subjects that are born
To an inferior fortune, must content
Themselves with that, which fortune freely lent.
But ah my Soul! be wise and understand,
A heavenly Crown's not made by humane hand.

Meditat. 60.

A glorious Crown of glory shall attend
Attentive hearts; my Soul, I recommend
This Crown to thee: consider but the price
It cost, and then remember Paradise.
Remember whose dear blood did trickle down,
Like tedious showres, to purchase thee this Crown.

Meditat. 61.

O boundless Love! would such a Lamb as he
Dye for such wolf-like sycophants as we?
His willing Soul did even joy t'express
This introduction to our happiness.
His blood gush'd out to wash us clean within:
He shed it for our sins, and yet we sin.

Meditat. 62.

Rouze thee my Soul, and let thy Eagle-eyes
Behold that Sun in whom thy safety lies:
Look well upon him, and thou shalt discover
A Lamb-like Patience, and a constant Lover.
Admire with how much Dove-like innocence
He suffer'd death for us that gave th'offence.

Meditat. 63.

Art thou not ravish'd yet, my Soul; then hear,
And I will recommend unto thy ear
The willing passion of that Lamb, which cry'd
Eloi, Eloi, Eloi, and so dy'd.
And by the virtue of his dying deed,
Our blood was stop'd, when he began to bleed.

Meditat. 64.