A Treasury of Divine Raptures, Epigrams · Epigrams C · Epigram 226 – Epigram 294
225. On the comming of Chriſt.
GOd ſent to us his Son, who to us brought
Salvation, who nor deſerv'd nor ſought
It of him; he came of his own accord,
He was not fetch'd nor forc'd; th'eſſential Word
Came to men, as when he was incarnate,
Comes in men by his Spirit of Grace of late;
And he with great Authority ſhall come
Againſt men at the dreadful day of Doom:
Then ſhall he as an Advocate appear
To plead for Saints; and as a Judge to clear
And crown them too, when Soul and Body ſhall
Be reunited and enrich'd with all
The wealth of Heaven; O thrice bleſſed day!
Wherein Chriſt ſhall in his moſt rich array
Appear triumphantly, and ſhine more bright
Then Midday-Phoebus. O reviving ſight!
O what tranſcendent beauty will adorn
Chriſts perſon at the Reſurrections morn!
How glorious will his Throne be! he ſhall ſit
Upon a Throne of Glory for him fit.
How glorious ſhall his Attendants be!
Heav'ns Courtiers ſhall bear him company.
To his bright Throne; his Majeſty hath been
Deſpis'd, now muſt his mighty Pow'r be ſeen.
At firſt he in Humility appear'd,
In Glory now, of all the Saints admir'd.
Then with poor Shepherds, now with Angels bright,
Then the contempt of Nations, now t' affright
And ſtartle the ungodly World, then crown'd
With thorns, but now with Majeſty renown'd;
Then judg'd by one man, judging now alone
All men; then in a Cratch, now in a Throne.
Where Chriſt is come, he ſin doth chaſe,
Reigns as a King, infers his Grace,
The Son of man came from Heav'ns coaſt,
To ſeek and ſave that which was loſt.
Then in our hearts he does appear,
When we into's own Image are
Transform…d by his working Grace,
And do his holineſs embrace.
When he to ſerve him makes us able,
This is a comming comfortable.
When to us he his S…ir…t imparts,
O then he enters in our hearts;
A Chriſt without's not worth a pin,
Unleſs we have a Chriſt within.
Chriſt comes to us, and ſhall not we
Come to him? Groſs ſtupidity!
Chriſt in us, us with Graces ſtores,
O let's not thruſt him out of doors▪
But entertain him as our King,
And his immortal praiſes ſing.
226. On coming to Chriſt.
WHen Jeſus Chriſt is by his ſpirit about
T'invade the ſinners ſoul, he ſhuts him out.
¶ A gracious ſoul although he bar out ſin,
Opens his heart, to let the ſpirit in;
What er'e are the diſeaſes of the ſoul,
O ſinner! come to Chriſt to make thee whole;
By faith come to him, and on him be clearing,
There's no way for a cure but by believing,
Faith is the applying of Chriſts merit & blood,
Receits, i… unappli'd, will do no good:
The ſon of God comes to the ſons of men,
And ſhall alas! the ſons of men diſdain
To come to th'ſon of God; proud duſt wilt thou
Not meet thy Maker; thy Redeemer too?
Sinners draw near if you deſire a pardon,
Come to him, you ſhall have him in his Garden,
Th▪aſſemblies of the ſaints, Lo! Manna lies
At your door, gather it if you be wiſe:
O come a little way to him that came
So far for you, come out of ſin for ſhame;
Chriſt hath ſent many preachers to invite
Us to ſalvation, but them we ſlight,
Demanding where? they anſwer, come and ſee,
(As Philip told Nathaniel) but we
Will not come neer, but at a diſtance ſtand,
Chriſt cannot ſee us on the coming hand:
The world, care, and the fleſh, three miſchievous
Remora's do from coming hinder us;
Chriſt himſelf calls, yet ah! you will not come
To me for life, ſure men are deaf and dumb.
Chriſt comes amongſt us Chriſtians, to his own,
But he is not received, O heart of ſtone!
Our coming near to Chriſt is not in place,
(So wicked men are neer him) but in grace
And quality, being as he is holy,
He muſt firſt draw us from our ſinful folly,
By grace, ere we can come, which being done
By true repentance after him, we run.
Man come to Chriſt when he come out of ſin,
And no man can come out, till Chriſt come in.
227. On a Commiſſary.
THe ravenous Raven was Gods commiſſary,
Proviſion to Eliſha for to carry.
228. On a Commiſſion.
THe Father to his Son commiſſion gave,
To come loſt ſinners for to ſeek and ſave,
A bleeding Chriſt will broken hearts recover,
He comes to heal, read his Commiſſion * over,
Me hath he ſent to heal the broken hearted,
Loſt ſinners are by him call'd, and converted.
*Luk. 4. 18.229. On Commodities.
THe beſt of our commodities do come
By water, weeping brings us comfort home.
230. On Common things.
THat which is common, proper is to no man,
For how can it be proper ſince tis common?
Nor can it ſtill be ſaid t'excell the reſt,
For what is common is not always beſt.
231. On a Common-Wealth.
A Common-wealth conſiſts of two things ſtill,
Reward for good, and puniſhment for ill.
¶ That common-weal becomes a common woe,
Where vertue finds no friend, and vice no foe.
232. On Commotion.
HE who allays the furious raging Ocean,
Can pacifie the peoples mad commotion.
233. On Communicativeneſs.
THe beſt things moſt communicative are,
Of what they have, what benefits is there
Of Diamonds in rocks; the end alone
Of life is uſefulneſs; the cloud pour down
Their ſilver ſhowrs; the ſun doth ſparſs abroad
Its golden beams, the ſea doth Rivers load
With pearly ſtreams; Chriſt is deffuſive ſtill,
And freely to us give himſelf he will:
Deſpair we might, ſhould he ſlight our condition,
And tell us we are not in his commiſſion:
To ſuch ſinners as we, he is not ſent;
But he is willing that we ſhould repent
And have him? thus his mind he doth declare,
Come unto me, all ye that weary are,
He fain would have the match made up between
Us and him, was ſuch freeneſs ever ſeen?
The upright Chriſtian hath a liberal heart
To Chriſts poor, he loves always to impart
To heal anothers wounds, the golden Balms
Of mercy, he is ever giving alms:
Mercy, and liberality always
Is th'Enſign that integrity diſplayes:
A good man is a common good, where e're
He lives, to ſhew mercy he doth not ſpare:
God-like he makes Charities ſprings to run
Among poverties valleys, bad men ſhun
Occaſions to do good; he that alone
Is good unto himſelf, is good to none.
234. On Communing.
MEn do commune with others at fit ſeaſons,
But ah! who is there with his own heart reaſons.
235. On Communion.
THe Saints communion is with Chriſt their head
In grace or glory,
And with his Members either live or dead,
Now glad, now ſorry:
A gracious heart with God communion hath
By contemplation;
By true deſire, pure Love, adhering Faith;
In converſation,
Up towards God from whom all comforts roul;
Grace bears the ſoul:
In prayer we ſpeak to God, in whom our bliſs is,
And God he kiſſes
Us with the kiſſes of his lips, in the
Sacrament, he
Gives us a privy ſeal of his free grace,
Doth us embrace.
The ſpirits Load-ſtone draws the heart by love
To God above.
God is the center of the Soul, and where
He is, tis there:
A Chriſtian as the Bird in the Neſt,
In God doth reſt;
God is our Father, Husband, Friend, Rock, Treaſure,
Good beyond meaſure:
In him all fulneſs and all ſweetneſs dwells,
O he excells!
My Soul to have with God ſweet intercourſe
Thy ſelf divource
From ſin, and from the love of worldly things,
Whence no true comfort, nor contentment ſprings.
236. On Commutation.
THe Sts. traffick with God by pray'rs & tears,
For grace and glory, rich caeleſtial wares.
237. On Company.
CHildren love to aſſociate and be
Together, precious is the company
Of Saints, the Saints of Chriſt with flock together
By companies; Birds of the ſelf-ſame feather
And ſo will ſinners too, ſinners will be,
Brethren together in iniquity.
The way to Hell hath ſtill the greateſt ſtore
Of paſſengers, both now and evermore?
But better go the ſtreight way ſingle, then
The broad with multitudes of wicked men.
Number makes not the thing good, but the weight
Of truth, the pebbles of the world we ſlight
As common; but the pearls of graces are
Much prized by us, as exceeding rare:
The vulgar ſtreams will bring no veſſel to
The land of Peace, but few to Heaven go:
The ſinner with ſad company ſhall dwell,
The Devil and his Angels black as hell:
Vain companie's the bate by which the Devil
Is angling for our ſouls, ſhun ſuch as evil:
Keep company with them that fear the Lord;
The Saints carry the Lanthorn of the word
Along with them, ſinners will cauſe our ſtay,
O walk with them, but light us in our way;
Let our delight be in them that excell
In vertue, then with us it will be well.
Four ſweet Aſſociates go with us in
Our journey, Chriſt'ans undefil'd with ſin,
Good works, good Angels, our good Savior too,
Who is the way, along with us doth goe,
So that none can of lonelineſs complain,
Who guarded are with ſuch a glorious train,
To Heav'nly Crowns & Thrones; O bleſt convoy
That ſafely brings us to the Courts of Joy.
238. On a Condition.
COmpare we our condition, and our
Deſert together, w'have deſerved more
Afflictions, and have deſerved leſs
Mercies from God, we cannot but confeſs.
Compare we our eſtate with others ſuch,
As may cauſe wonder that we have ſo much:
Compare we our eſtate with Chriſt upon
The earth; compare we our condition
With what it was, and ſhall hereafter be,
So ſhall we not complain of poverty.
We once lay in our blood, hell's heirs aſſign'd,
We ſhall dye ſhortly, and leave all behind,
If we have not what we deſire, we have
More then we brought, or carry to the grave.
239. On the Comparative Degree.
BAd men are apt to ſay, ſome men are worſe
Then they, and therefore may expect a curſe:
Good men are apt to think, that ſuch and ſuch
Are better then themſelves, and praiſe them much.
The worſt of Chriſt is better then the beſt:
Of the World, his afflictions end in reſt
All ſinful pleaſures fade, better be in,
Hell with Chriſt Jeſus, then in Heav'n with ſin.
240. On Compaſſing.
ER'e we get into Chriſt, we muſt come out
Of ſin, the next way home is round about.
241. On Compaſſion.
COmpaſſion doth as naturally flow
From God our heav'nly Father us unto,
As light does from the ſun, his bowels yearn
Towards his children, we muſt alſo learn
To be as he is, merciful and mild
To thoſe that of their comforts are beguil'd.
Chriſts Paſſion, nor his compaſſion
Is ended; oh his Bowels! every grone
Of the ſick patient goes to the heart
Of this Phyſitian; he doth impart
His cord'al-promiſes to ſtay the ſoul
From fainting, and does their eſtate condole
In his relenting ſpirit, his love-ſtreams in
Poor ſouls, that find themſelves heart-ſick of ſin:
Though he will ſinners wound and make them bleed,
Yet will he never break the bruiſed Reed:
Bonner, as one obſerv'd, was full of gutts,
But ah! empty of bowels, God he ſhuts
Not his compaſſion up, but does relieve
Our pining wants, and grieve with them that grieve,
242. On Compenſation.
WE ſhall be juſtifi'd according to
Our works, but not for any good we do:
God in Chriſt Jeſus our good works regards,
And through Chriſt Jeſus we expect rewards:
Faith in Chriſt Jeſus help us to a Crown,
All Popiſh Merits therefore we diſown.
243. On Compitency.
TO have a competency, and to want
Contentment, is an heavy puniſhment:
Covetouſneſs is a dry drunkenneſs,
Perchance if one had more, he would have leſs
Content; the more men have the more they ſtill
Deſire, man's heart the world can never fill:
He hath enough that is with his Eſtate
Contented; learn we then to moderate,
And leſſen our deſires; a little bleſt
Is much, a competent eſtate is beſt:
Did Eſau ſay I have enough of ſtore;
And oh ſhall not a Saint ſay ſo much more!
244. On a Competitor.
SAints are competitors for Heaven, that place
Of bliſs; Glory is for the heirs of grace.
245. On Complaining.
A Child of God complains of what he wants,
He grieves he is ſo bad; from ordinance
To ordinance, he goes for a ſupply
Of his great wants, though he dares not deny
The work of grace, yet he laments he hath
No more grace, that he hath ſo little faith,
So little love, ſo little zeal that's true,
And that he can for God ſo little do.
While ſome complain of poverty alas!
My ſoul, do thou complain thou wanteſt grace.
246. On a Complement.
WE complement with God, if we profeſs
We love him, yet delight in wickedneſs.
247. On Complexion.
CHriſt he is white and ruddy in complexion,
In him there is an excellent connexion
Of pureſt colours, he is full of grace,
Therefore the Virgin-heart doth him embrace.
248. On Complices.
SWorn foes to vertue, and faſt friends to vices,
Sprung from th'infernal Den, are fit complices
To further Satan's wicked enterpriſes.
249. On a Compoſition.
CHriſt is a compoſition of all ſweets,
O bleſſed they whom he divinely greets!
250. On Compriſing.
GOd is immenſe beyond all bounds extended,
And therefore can he not be comprehended.
251. On Compunction.
ALL they that have received the Spirits Unction,
Firſt felt conviction; after that, compunction.
252. On Computation.
MY ſins to ſuch a reck'ning do amount,
That they ſurpaſs Arithmetick's account.
253. On Compulſion.
SAtan can but perſwade, could he compell,
Scarce one ſhould go to Heav'n, but all to hell.
254. On a Comrade.
HE that in wickedneſs delights to trade,
May fitly ſtiled be the Devils comrade.
255. On Concatenation.
THe grace of the ſpirit are like a Row
Of orient Pearls, which hang together do
Upon Religion's ſtring, and ſerve to deck
Chriſt's Bride, this is the Chain adorns her neck:
Who hath one grace hath all, Gods ſpirit places
An habit in the heart of all the graces,
There is ſuch a concatenation
In them, that he who hath not all, hath none.
256. On Concealing.
WHo ſo conceals by ſin, and wickedneſs
Shall not be crown'd with proſperous ſucceſs,
But he that doth confeſs, and ſin forſake,
Shall obtain mercy for Chriſt Jeſus ſake.
257. On Conceaving.
BEhold! in ſin our mothers did conceave us,
What is bred in the bone will hardly leave us.
258. On Conceiving.
THe Joys which God ſhal to his Saints impart,
Out-vie the large conceptions of mans heart.
259. On Conceit.
MAny conceit they ſhall in Heaven dwell,
Whoſe lives declare they are deſign'd for hell.
260. On a Concent.
ANgels and Saints are ſinging in one tune,
Eternal praiſe to heavens great Trin-Une.
261. On Concluſion.
GRace terminates in glory, the concluſion
Of ſin, is miſery and ſad confuſion.
262. On the Concomitants of Faith.
COnſent is faith's concomitant, Chriſt whole
Is inthron'd in a true believers Soul;
The Soul conſents t'have Chriſt, and him to have
On his own terms, as well to rule, as ſave;
The Saint conſents t'have Chriſt for better or
For worſe, purely for love, ne're to part more,
Reſigning up all his ſelf-intereſt,
The beſt and pureſt of his love to Chriſt.
Deſire, is a concomitant of faith,
Pants after Chriſt, the thirſty ſinner ſaith,
O who will give me to drink of that floud
Of living water running in Chriſt's bloud!
A contrite ſpir't is a concomitant
Of faith, which the believers do not want;
The ſpirit of grace, as dew makes the heart ſoft
And tender, falling down upon it oft:
The ſoul is even melted into tears,
It weeps for love, no legal terror fears
It as before, oh that againſt ſo ſweet
A Saviour I ſin ſhould once commit;
He with a broken heart reflects upon
A broken Chriſt, which ſuffered and hath done
So much for him, thus woful Mary ſtood
At Jeſus feet, and wept a briny flood.
263. On Concord.
THe faireſt flower of a Princes Crown,
Is peace; to Church & State peace brings renown.
Peace is a girdle, that together tyes;
Family-Members; O let's Concord prize.
264. On a Concourſe.
FEw come to Sermons, how the means of grace
Is lightly ſet by! but a multitude,
As well the honourable as the baſe
Convene, to ſee an idle Interlude.
¶ That which is practis'd by the moſt, is worſt;
And for the greater number is accurſt.
265. On a Concubine.
SHe is the Devils hackney, dearly hir'd
To carry men to hell, with luſt infir'd,
Still us'd, and yet the Jade is never tir'd.
266. On Concupiſence.
MY Soul avoid concupiſcence,
It is the Fountain head, from whence
All our enormities do flow,
And conſequently endleſs woe.
267. On Condemnation.
NO condemnation is the ſhare
Of them, who in Chriſt Jeſus are,
Who never walk according to
The fleſh, but as the Spir't bids, do.
268. On Conditions.
IF we were our own carvers, we ſhould cut
The worſt piece oftentimes: Lot being put
To' his choice, Sodom was his choice deſire
Which was within a while conſum'd with fire:
The wiſe God ſees the ſame condition
Not fit for all, that which is good for one
May be for others bad; one ſort of weather
Serves not all mens occaſions altogether:
This, needs Sun-ſhine; he, rain; by Gods wiſe power
W'are plac'd in diff'rent Spheres, higher or lower;
Proſperity is not ſo fit for all,
Nor yet adverſity, Honey nor Gall.
Liberty is deſired by the Saint,
God will work his liberty by reſtraint;
Many, through high-flown pride, are not content
With what is given, or rather to them lent
By the great God; but very few alas,
Have learn'd Pauls leſſon! he contented was
In all eſtates, men are to that paſs grown,
They like any condition, but their own:
One man commends this kind of life; a ſecond
Commendeth that, a country life is reckon▪d
By him the beſt; and he a City-life
Highly applauds, this likes anothers wife
Far better then his own, if men be poor,
They learn to envy others that have ſtore;
If men are rich, their hand muſt then be greas'd,
Much covets more, nor poor, nor rich are pleas'd
Contentment as an Hony-comb, drops down
Sweetneſs into ev'ry condition:
There's no condition comes amiſs to him
That is content, let riches ſink or ſwim,
In the ſame poſture he is always found,
Knows as well how to want, as how t'abound:
His Croſs he doth not go to pick and chooſe,
But always loves, to be at Gods diſpoſe.
Who hath a ſilver Crutch to lean upon
Is pleas'd, but troubled when his Crutch is gon.
God Checker-works his Providences white
And black; the cloudy Pillar had its light,
And dark-ſide too; mercies and miſeries
Are interwoven by a God moſt wiſe.
Think what thou haſt deſerved at Gods hand,
And diſcontent will eaſily disband:
Thou haſt deſerv'd leſs mercies then are carv'd
To thee, and more afflictions haſt deſerv'd:
Some are in a for worſe condition, who
Perhaps deſerv'd, far better then you do?
Nay Chriſt himſelf, the Son and Heir of bliſs,
Was pleas'd to come in Forma pauperis:
Nothing thou haſt, but what thou ſoon maiſt loſe,
O be content to be at God's diſpoſe.
269. On a Conduct.
OUr foes are ſtrong to tear in ſunder,
We of our ſelves, weak to reſiſt,
Yet ſhall we conquer, fighting under
The conduct of our Captain Chriſt:
Sweet Jeſus help me to ſubdue
The World, and Sin, and Satan too.
270. On a Conduit.
CHriſt is a conduit, Saints to him goe
For living waters, which do from him flow.
271. On Confection.
SInners and Saints are here together mingled,
But at the Judgment day, they ſhall be ſingled.
272. On Confederacy.
THe World, the Fleſh, the Devil conſpire our ill,
And we muſt pray to God againſt them ſtill.
273. On Conference.
SOme Plants will better bear neer other Trees,
Then when they grow alone in godlineſs,
The Saints thrives beſt, when they aſſociate,
And one another's Faith corroborate:
When the Trees planted in Gods Orchard grow
At too great diſtance, they leſs fruit do ſhow.
274. On Confeſſion.
SInfulneſs is aſleep, confeſſion
A ſign we are awak'd, or there is none;
If our ſins to our God we open lay,
He will conceal them at the lateſt day:
God will not cancel what man doth conceal,
Confeſſion heals; he that will not reveal
His grief to his Phyſitian, hath no care
Of his own cure, too many ſuch there are.
275. On Confidence.
FRiends Venice-glaſſes are, uſe them we may,
But if we lean to hard upon them, they
Will break, but God for ever doth abide,
My Soul! therefore in him alone confide.
276. On Confines.
GOd who at once ſurveys the world's wide borders,
All things for his own glory wiſely orders;
Lord ſanctifie my heart, that I may not
From the bounds of thy Law depart one jot.
277. On Confits.
THe ſugred confits that the Devil
Preſents us with, are truly evil.
278. On a Conflict.
WE muſt conteſt againſt the Devils trial,
By Faith; & with our ſelves, by ſelf-denial.
279. On Conformity.
ROme roughly drives men to obſerve her Laws,
But to conform to his, God mildly draws.
280. On Confuſion.
COnfuſion of ſin muſt next enſue
Confeſſion, or Repentance is not true.
281. On Confutation.
THe Athieſt that denies a deity,
Shall when he comes to Hell confuted be.
282. On Congealing.
THe Sun of Right'ouſneſs diſſolveth in▪
To tears, hearts bound up with the froſts of ſin▪
283. On Congeſtion.
LEt ſons of Earth heap up their unſumm'd gold
My God! O may my heart thy graces hold.
284. On a Congey.
AT Jeſus Name each knee ſhall bow,
Him ſervice Men and Angels owe.
But good Romanio tell me who,
Commanded thee to congey ſo
At Jeſus Name, true Saints de…ie
Syllabical Idolatry.
285. On Congratulation.
THe bleſſed Angels do congratulate
The ſinners f…eedom from his natural ſtate.
286. On Congregation.
THat Congregation i… not well taught,
Whoſe Prieſt is either ignorant or naught.
287. On congruity.
SInners at league againſt the godly be,
And ſhall not Saints among themſelves agree!
288. On a Connie.
THe feeble Connie burroughs in the rock,
A Saint in Chriſt can at all dangers mock.
289. On Conjecture.
A Man may gueſs and be deceiv'd,
But what Truth ſays, muſt be believ'd.
290. On Conjoyning.
FRom Chriſt the Saints receive their Unction,
And they are One, O bleſt conjunction!
Great and good, rich and holy are
Happy, but yet conjunctions rare.
291. On a Conjurer.
HE that to do the Devils work engages,
Shall certainly receive damnable wages;
And ſuch as to the Devils workman run
For help, ſhall by ſo doing be undone.
292. On Connexion.
GOd, Duty and Reward together ties,
By ſweetning his Commands with Promiſes.
293. On a Conquerour.
MEekneſs is the beſt way to conquer Foes,
And melt their hearts; by roughneſs, Peace we loſe.
It is the greateſt conqueſt to o'rethrow
An Enemy, and never ſtrike a blow.
Mildneſs prevaileth more than fierceneſs ſtill.
Where the wedge cannot go, the Fire will,
The patient Soul even from his adverſary
Shall Letters teſtimonial have to carry.
When bloudy Saul at Davids mercy lay
And he cut off his skirt, and went away,
How was Sauls heart affected! he doth cry
To David, thou more holyer art than I.
Thou haſt not (when thou mightſt) bath'd in my bloud
Thy Sword, therefore the Lord reward thee good.
¶ Self conquerors are greater conquerors
Than ſuch as conquer mighty Forts and Towers.