Bleffings beforehand, ties of gratefulnesse,
The found of glory ringing in our ears:
Without, our fhame; within, our confciences ;-
Angels and grace, eternal hopes and fears.

Yet all these fences and their whole array
One cunning bofom-fin blows quite away.

Affliction.

When first thou didst entice to thee my heart,
I thought the fervice brave:

So many joyes I writ down for my part,
Befides what I might have

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

I looked on thy furniture fo fine,

And made it fine to me :

Thy glorious houthold-ftuff did me entwine,
And 'tice me unto thee.

Such ftars I counted mine: both heav'n and eartli
Payd me my wages in a world of mirth.

What pleasures.could I want, whofe King I ferved,
Where joyes 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 fierceneffe feck thy face."

At first thou gav'ft me milk and sweeteffes;

I had my with and way:

My day's were ftraw'd with flow'rs and happineffe;

There was no monetli but May.

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

20

My fleth began untomy foul in pain, -

Sickneffes cleave my bones;

Confuming agues dwell in ev'ry vein,

And tune my breath to grones: $ Sorrow was all my fout; I fcarce believed, Till grief did tell me roundly, that I lived

When I got health, thou took it away my life,

And more; for my friends die:
My mirth and edge was loft ; a blunted knife
Was of more ufe than I.
Thus thin and lean without a fence or friend
I was blown through with ev'ry ftorm and wind.

10

Whereas my birth and spirit rather took

The way that takes the town,”-
15 Thou didst betray me to a lingring 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 threatned oft the fiege to raise,

20

Not fimpring all mine age,

Thou often didft with Academick praise

Melt and diffolve my rage. I took thy fweetned pill, till I came where I could not go away, non perlevere.

ed

25 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 croffe-bias me, not making 30.Thine own gift good, yet me from my ways taking..

Now

40
Now I am here, what thou wilt do with.me

None of my books will show:

I read, and figh, and with I were a tree;

For fure then I fhould grow

To fruit or fhade: at leaft fome bird would crust. Her houshold to me, and I should be just.bbing link ૩

Yet, though thou troubleft me, I must be meek;

In weakness must be ftout. Well, I will change the fervice, and go feek.

Some other Master out.

Ah my dear God though bam clear forget, f
Let me not love thee, if I love thee notorii awold towi

¶Repentance, dando una f

Ord, I confefs my fin is great;
Great is my fin. Oh ! gently treat

With thy quick flow'r, thy momentany bloom seest whofe life fill preffing cla Is one undreffing,

A fteady aiming at a coinbo benton

Mans age is two hours work, or thrée : Each day doth round about us fee. This are we to delights: but we are albo

To forrows old I
If life be told

From what life fécleth, Adams fall. Pol

Blogigged a vaci

Olet thy height of mercy then

Compaffionate fhort-breathed men:

Cut me not off for my moft fouttranfgreffionisei

I do confefsocg ag awo

My foolishness;

My God, accept of my confeffion

23

Sweeten

Sweeten at length this bitter bowl,
which thou haft pour'd into my foul:

Thy wormwood turn to health, winds to fair weather;
For if thou ftay,
I and this day,

As we did rifé, we die together.

when thou for fin rebukeft man,
Forthwith he waxeth wo and wan:

Bitterness fills our bowels; all our hearts

10

Pine and decay,

And drop away,

And carry with them th' other parts.

But thou wilt fin and grief deftroy; That fo the broken bones may joy,. 15 And tune together in a well-fet fong,

Full of his praifes, A
Who dead men raifes.

Fractures well cur'd make us more ftrong,

Faith.

Lord, how couldft thou so much appeafe

20 Thy wrath for fin, as when mans fight was dim And could fee little, to regard his ease, at LA And bring by Faith all things to him?

Hungry I was, and had no meat:

I did conceit a moft delicious feaft; 35 I had it ftraight, and did as truly eat, As ever did a welcom gueft.

There is a rare outlandish root

T

Which when I could not get, I thought it here:
That apprehenfion cur'd fo well my foot,
30 That I can walk to heav'n well near.

I owed thousands and much more:
I did believe that I did nothing owe,
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 where fin placeth me in Adams fall,
Faith fets me higher in his glory.

If I go lower in the book,

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

If blifs had lien in art or ftrength,
None but the wife or ftrong had gained it:
Where now by faith all arms are of a length
One fize doth all conditions fit.

A peafane may believe as much

As a great Clerk, and reach the higheft ftature. Thusdeft thou make poor knowledge bend & crouch, While Grace fills up uneven Nature.

When creatures had no real light Inherent in them, thou didft make the Sun Impure a luftre, and allow them bright;

And in this fhew what Chrift hath done.

That which before was darkned clean With bushy groves, pricking the lookers eye, Vanifht away, when faith did change the fcene: And then appear'd a glorious sky.

What though my body run to duft? Faith cleaves unto it, counting ev'ry grain, With an exact and moft particular truft, Referving all for fleth again.

25

30.

Prayer.