Fruits of Retirement Or, Miscellaneous Poems, Moral and Divine. Being Some Contemplations, Letters, &c. Written on a Variety of Subjects and Occasions. By Mary Mollineux ... To which is Prefixed, Some Account of the Author |
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The First Epistle to Cousin F. R.
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The First Epistle to Cousin F. R.
My Heart (dear Cousin) thy Eternal GoodTruly desires, and that Life's saving Food
Thy Soul may taste and feed upon; that so
Thou may'st unto a perfect Stature grow
In Jesus Christ, the bless'd Emmanuel,
And with him in pure Heav'nly Places dwell;
That in sincerity, thy Heart and Mind
May to this Loyal Lover be resign'd:
Then will it not be grievous unto thee
To wait to know his Will more frequently;
Which, when made known, be careful to obey,
That thou may'st travel in his holy Way;
Not still resisting, lest he cease to strive,
Who by his potent Love preserves alive.
O prize this Love! and see that, with disdain
Thou do'st not recompence this Love again:
Plead not for Flesh, nor Fleshly Vanity,
Lest thou be plung'd into Iniquity.
Thou know'st, thou hast a Talent to improve,
Yea, more than some: O do not grieve, or move
To Indignation, Him that doth extend
His tender Arm of Love thee to defend
From the devouring Dragon, that with Wiles
And sluggard Poisons, subtilly beguiles
Unstable Souls, that sell the precious Truth,
And in vain Pleasures waste their Prime of Youth,
But be not thou as they, who for meer Toys,
Contemn and Sell their Souls Eternal Joys:
Nor be asham'd (dear Friend) I thee intreat,
To honour Him that did thy Soul create,
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For Jesus sake; thou know'st thou wast not Born
To serve the World, the Flesh, nor Satan neither;
Therefore, altho' all these Conspire together,
Give Christ thy Heart, & he will give thee Strength
To overcome thine Enemies at length.
But if thou be, before the Sons of Men,
Asham'd to own thy self his Servant, then
He'll be asham'd of thee before his Father,
And Ever-Blessed Angels; therefore rather
Deny thou all for Him, than Him for any;
For tho' there be pretended Lovers many,
Let this the chiefest of Ten Thousand be;
For surely so he'll prove himself to thee,
If thou canst but believe, and not exclude
Thy self, through Sin and vile Ingratitude.
O set thy self to seek him, that seeks thee,
With his endeared Love, to set thee free
From the Oppression of the Enemy,
Thee to adorn in spotless Purity.
Tho' Troubles, Griefs, and Crosses, do attend
Thee many times, thou hast a Bosom-Friend,
To whom in secret thou may'st tell thy Grief,
Who will not fail to grant thee true Relief.
Come then (dear Cousin) in Humility,
Prove, and thou'lt find this Friend's Fidelity;
Who will undoubtedly from Griefs divert thee,
And unto Holiness and Peace convert thee:
His Grace sufficient is, He only can
Effect what seems Impossible to Man.
My Heart is full, and fluent to indite,
My Hand is therefore thus engag'd to write
Much more than at the first I did intend,
And yet I scarce can freely make an end.
Third Month, 1678.
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