Bleffings before-hand, ties of gratefulness,

The found of glory, ringing in our ears : errex
Without, our fhame; within, our confciences:

Angels and grace, eternal hopes and fears.

Yet all thefe fences and their whole array

One cunning bofom-fin blows quite away.

Affliction.

AL STIC ene. Hay un r
HEN first thou didst intice to thee my heart,

WHEN

I thought the fervice brave:

So many joys I writ down for my part

Befides what I might have

Out of my stock of natural delights,
Augmented with thy gracious benefits.

I looked on thy furniture so fine,

And made it fine to me;

Thy glorious household-stuff did me entwine,
And 'tice me unto thee,

Such stars I counted mine: both heav'n and earth,
Paid me my wages in a world of mirth.

What pleasures could I want, whofe king I ferved,
Where joys my fellows were?

Thus argu'd into hopes, my thoughts reserved

No place for grief or fear
Therefore my fudden foul caught at the place,
And made her youth and fierceness seek thy face.
At first thou gav’st me milk and sweetnesses;
I had my with and way;

My days were ftrew'd with flow,'rs and happiness :
There was no month but May.

But with my years forrow did twift and grow,
And made a party unawares for wo.

My flesh began unto my foul in pain,

Sickness clave my bones,

Confuming-agues, dwell in ev'ry vein,

And tune my breath to groans:

Sorrow was all my foul; I fcarce believed,
Till grief did tell me roundly, that I lived.

When I got health, thou took ft awa

away my life,

J

Ad more; for my friends die
My mirth and edge was loft; a blunted knife
Was of more use than 1.

Thus thin and lean without a fence or friend,
I was blown through with ev'ry ftorm and wind.

Whereas my birth and fpirit rather took

The way that takes the town,
Thou didst betray me to a ling ring book,
And wrap me in a gown.
I was entangled in the world of strife,
Before I had the power to change my life.
Yet, for I threaten'd oft'the fiege to raise,

Not fimp'ring all mine age,

Thou often did it with academic praife

Melt and diffolve my rage;
I took thy fweet'ned pill, till I came near,
I could not go away, nor perfevere.

Yet, left perchance I fhould too happy be "
In my unhappiness,

Turning my purge to food, thou throweft me""

Into more fickneffes.

Thus doth thy power cross-bias me, not making Thine own gift good, yer me from my ways taking,

Now I am here, what thou wilt do with me

None of my books will show:

I read and figh, and wish I were a tree,

For fure then I fhould grow

To fruit or fhade: at least some bird would truft Her household to me, and I should be just.

Yet tho' thou troubleft me, I must be meek;

In weakness must be ftout.

Well, I will change the service, and go feek
'Some other mafter out.

Ah! my dear God! tho' I am clean forgot,
Let me not love thee, if I love thee not.

Repentance.

LORD, 1 confefs my fin is great;

Great is my fin. Oh! gently treat

With thy quick flow'r, thy momentary bloom;

Whofe life ftill preffing

Is one undreffing,

A fteady aiming at a tomb.

Man's age is two hours work or three; Each day doth round about us fee. Thus are we to delights: but we are all

To forrows old,.

If life be told

From what life feeleth, Adam's fall.

O let thy height of mercy then
Compaffionate short-breathed men ;

Cut me not off for my moft foul tranfgreffion:

I do confefs
My foolishness;

My God accept of my confeffion.

Sweeten at length this bitter bowl, Which thou haft pour'd into my foul; i Thy wormwood turn to health, winds to fair weather: For if thou stay,

I and this day,

As we did rife, we die together. When thou for fin rebukest man, Forthwith he waxeth wo and wan:.. Bitterness fills our bowels; all our hearts

Pine and decay,

And drop away,

And carry with them the other parts.
But thou wilt fin and grief deftroy;
That fo the broken bones may joy,

And tune together in a well-fet fong,

Full of his praifes

Who dead men raises. ser

Fractures well cur'd make us more strong.

Faith.

LORD, how couldft thou so much appease

Thy wrath for fin, as when man's fight was dim,
And could fee little, to regard his ease,

And bring by faith all things to him?
Hungry I was, and had no meat,

I did conceit a moft delicious feaft;
I had it ftraight, and did as truly eat
As ever did a welcome guest.

There is a rare outlandish root,

Which when I could not get, I thought it here:
That apprehenfion cur'd fo well my foot,

That I can walk to to heav'n well near. [}

I owed thoufands, and much more:
I did believe that I did nothingowe,
And liv'd accordingly; my creditor
Believes fo too, and lets me go.

Faith makes me any thing, or all

That I believe is in the facred ftory:
And when fin placeth me in Adam's fall,
Faith fets me higher in his glory.

If I go lower in the book,

What can be lower than the common manger 2 a
Faith puts me there with him, who fweetly took
Our flesh and frailty, death and danger.

If blifs had lain in art or frength, None but the wife or ftrong had gain'd it: Where now by faith all arms are of a length; One fize doth all conditions fit,

A peasant may believe as much As a great clerk, and reach the highest ftature. Thus doft thou make proud knowledge bend and crouch, While grace fills up uneven nature.

When creatures had no real light
Inherent in them, thou didft, make the fun
Impute a lustre, and allow them bright

And in this fhew what Chrift hath done.
JE PO ise Fas

That which before was darken'd clean,

With bushy groves, pricking the looker's eye,#
Vanish'd away, when faith did change the scene :
And then appear'da glorious, sky.

What though my body ran to duft ?

Faith cleaves unto it, counting ev'ry grain,
With an exact and most plasticular trust,
Referving all for flesh again.