Divine Love, Dialogue – Poem 5
Holy Breathings: OR, A Divine Dialogue between Jeſus and the Soul. With other Poems.
Mat. 11.28.
Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reſt.
Soul.
COme unto me; what voice is this I here?
Ieſus.
It is the ſweet voice of thy Saviour dear,
He calleth labouring ſinners, to him flee,
He calleth laden ſinners, ſuch as thee.
He calleth ſinners, bids them come away,
He calleth all, Oh why then ſhouldſt thou ſtay?
He calleth ſuch as by ſin are undone,
He calleth thee, therefore unto him run.
Soul.
But how I ſhould come to thee Bleſſed Lord,
Sin is the only thing by thee abhord.
And I am nothing elſe but ſin, and thou,
Wilt not of ſin, of the leaſt ſin allow;
Beſides thou art in heaven, and how ſhall I,
Reach unto thee, thou art above the sky?
And I poor creature, grovling on the earth,
The mold from which at firſt I came by birth.
Ieſus.
Remember ſoul my bleſſed word that ſaith,
That coming to me, is alone by Faith.
Soul.
Thou Lord that putteſt faith into mans heart,
Beſtow on me that gift; to me impart
Such other graces as may let me ſee
My want of Chriſt, that I may come to thee.
My ſins thou know'ſt a heavy burden are,
A load that is too big for me to bear.
No ſlave that's under Turkiſh Tyranny,
Is under ſuch ſad bondage as am I.
But it is unto thee O Chriſt I come,
Believing in thee; Oh make me a Room
Within thy Arms, take me into thy heart,
And ſince my Faith is weak, ſtrong Faith impart.
Ieſus.
Poor Soul! take comfort, though thy Faith be ſmall,
A grain of muſtard ſeed's ſmalleſt of all.
Yet I of muſtard ſeeds of Faith allow,
So that thy Soul unto my Scepter bow.
Nay of one grain; a wonder let it be,
To thy poor ſoul that ſuch love is in me:
That I accept of Faith, even of the leaſt,
That I receive ſo poor, ſo vile a gueſt
As wretched man, who nothing hath to bring,
To make him acceptable but his ſin.
Soul.
O bleſſed Jeſus! mount me on the wing
Of Holy Faith; let me not feel the ſting
Of conſcience; but let me anſwer all
That I believed, and went at Chriſt his call.
My Saviour call'd, and I unto him went,
He gave me Faith, and helpt me to repent.
I come with ſorrow, that I ſinned have,
I come with Faith, that thou my ſoul wilt ſave.
It is but weak, O Lord, I muſt confeſs,
It is a feeble hand, yet ne're the leſs,
It is the hand of Faith, and it is true,
It lays holds on thee, claiming but its due,
And that is Reſt, which thou haſt promiſed me,
And my poor ſoul is reſtleſs, till with thee.
Reſt is that good all creatures do deſire;
Reſt is that good, to which all Saints aſpire.
If th' bodies resting after labour be,
So ſweet, ſo pleaſant, as we know, and ſee,
Then what is it to have the ſoul to reſt
In the enjoyment of a God ſtill bleſt.
From thee is all the reſt for which I look,
For it is written in thy ſacred book,
That thoſe that caſt, and roul themſelves on thee,
Thou wilt receive; O Lord receive thou me.
For ſtill this Prayer, I will pray, (though brief,)
Lord I believe, Lord help my unbelief.
Thou art now mine by faith, I thine by love,
From this perſwaſion let me never move.
Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes,
Pſal: 119.5.
1.
O That I could ſtand firm at laſt,
And not be reeling too and fro!
O that I could my God hold faſt,
And never, never, let him go!
2.
How often do I go aſtray,
And leave my reſt, my wonted bliſs?
Like a loſt ſheep in the High-way,
Which dangerous and barren is.
3.
I have no pleaſure in my ſin,
And yet I Act it o're and o're!
I'm ſtill the ſame that I have been,
Though fain I would be ſo no more.
4.
I long to keep the Law of God,
But ſtill I break it to my pain,
My ſtomach ſerves to take that food,
But ſtraight I caſt it up again.
5.
My God! O take me unto thee,
With fire hot zeal melt thou my heart,
That now I may newmoulded be,
And made ſound in my better part.
6.
Lord lead me by thy grace, that I
May never wander from thee more,
Thou art my life, I cannot die,
Thou art my all, I can't be poor.
I ſee another Law in my members, warring againſt the Law of my mind, &c.
Rom. 7.23.
WRetch that I am! my wiſhes are my pain,
Two Laws ſo different, rend my heart in twain.
My heart divided, bleeds in either part!
Offending either Law, I'm ſure to ſmart!
Inſlav'd to ſin, I'm forc'd to bear this yoke.
I kiſs the rod, ev'n whilſt I feel the ſtroak.
The ingrateful ſerpent in my breſt I warm!
How I drink poyſon, and imbrace my harm.
My pleaſure is my trouble, and the heat
Of fond deſire, what is't but a cold ſweat?
Alas! I'm taken with the baits of Sin!
Thoſe corrupt joyes but feed the worm within;
I triumph when my heart me pris'ner takes,
My minde is griev'd thus at the ſpoil it makes.
O Jeſus for me wounded! ſee my wound!
Give me thy Bruiſes, that I may be ſound!
With thy blood waſh my heart, in blood imbru'd!
Give me that peace, which may this War conclude.
Help thou my unbelief,
Mark 9.24.
HElp Maſter of my faith! I'm forc't to wink
At this bright truth! in theſe great depths I ſink!
O 'tis beyond my reach, I cannot tread,
Nor can I ſwim unleſs thou hold my head!
My reaſons at a ſtand, thus are thy ways
Paſt finding out! How dazling are thy rays
O Sun of righteouſneſs, to humane ſight,
Thou art ſo glorious, I can't ſee for light.
My joys are chang'd to doubts, and fears, which roul
Like ſtormy billows in my wavering ſoul!
Shine forth my Son, amidſt theſe ſhowers of tears,
Let thy clear beams pierce through theſe cloud of fears.
Shew me thy hidden Mauna, Angels food,
I long to taſt, and ſee that thou art good.
I'm come to ſee the Lord, though vile and poor,
O let me in; I'le die elſe at thy door.
Oh Lord reſtore me to thy Grace,
I hope thou doſt but hide thy face.
O Jeſus do but look on me,
Like Peter, I'le weep bitterly.
By thy bright face ſhew me my ſtain,
I'le pour forth tears to waſh it clean.
I hope the day will come again anon,
The Sun of Righteouſneſs is ſet, not gone.
Having the Loyns of your mind girded.
THere is a God! my ſoul how durſt thou ſtray?
Thou'lt meet his vengeance if thou go this way.
Return, Return, Lo this path ſeems too broad,
Here many go, the way to heaven's, no road.
My ſoul put on thy Garments, gird them faſt,
'Twill make thee comely thus to go ſtraight-lac't.
And now I am reſolv'd in ſpight of Hell,
And my falſe Heart; I'ie ſtill ſtrive to do well.
In all my warfare, I'le hold faſt my ſhield,
Then Satan do thy worſt, I'le win the field.
A Farewel to the World.
1.
FAlſ-hearted world; farewel, farewel, I find, thee too unkind.
I took thee for a friend, did love to play, with thee all day.
But thou didſt cheat me ſtill I to my ſhame loſt every game.
Thy ſtakes were pleaſures and deceitful toies,
Mine were true coyn, full weight, large ſolid joys.
2.
Now thou haſt got all that I had, I ſee Thou ſlighteſt me.
Thou uſed'ſt to imbrace me kindly, and give me thy hand.
With many promiſes of love, but lo, Thou art my foe.
Though all my ſerious thoughts and company
(Fool that I was) I left to follow thee.
3.
But I'le return to them again; I'le rome no more from home.
The mind that ſtays within ſhall ne're complain, of Wind, or Rain,
Of care, or greif, for ſtorms ſhake only breaſts that ſeek their reſts
Without doors; where is nought but toile, as though
To be kept warm, they'd lie in beds of ſnow.
4.
Great God, I leave the world and come to thee, open to me,
I call! O let me find thy throne of grace, I ſeek thy face,
I'le die to ſin, put off myſelf, and then, be born agen.
Chriſts blood ſhall be my life; the word (that can
Call up the Dead) is breath to the new Man.
FINIS.
Books Printed for Nath. Crouch.
THe Soundhearted Chriſtian, or a diſcourſe of ſincerity, with ſeveral other Sermons, by W. Greenhil late Miniſter of Stepney; Price as.
The freeneſs of the grace and love of God to believers, in ſeveral Sermons, by W. Bridg, late Miniſter at Yormouth, price 1s. 6d.
The evil Tongue tryed and found guilty, or a diſcourſe againſt backbiting and defaiming, by S. Ford Miniſter of the Goſpel in London price 1s. 6d.
Eternal Glorification begun in Regeneration, by S. Ford, price 1s. 6
A body of Divinity, or the ſubſtance of Chriſtianity, both as to faith and practice, by T. Collier of the weſt of England, price 4s.
Jacobs Ladder, or the devout ſouls aſcention to heaven in prayers, Thankſgivings and praiſes, with Sculptures, by Jo. Hall B.D. price 1 s.
A Guide to eternal glory, or brief directions to all Chriſtians, how to obtain a Saving intereſt in Chriſt, in order to their everlaſting ſalvation, price 6d.
The Compleat Engliſh Schollar in Spelling, Reading and Writing, teaching Children or others to ſpell and read exactly, with pictures, price 1 s.
A Journey to Jeruſalem, or the Travels of 14 Engliſh men in the year 1669 to Jeruſalem, price 1s.
Otto Techenius his Hippocrates Chymicus, with his Clavis, Tranſlated into Engliſh by J.W. price 5 s.
FINIS.
End of the text · Vavasor Powell, Divine Love (1677)