Three Private Meditations, Meditation 2
To my Dearly Beloved Children.
ABout twenty years now paſt though I had then temporal poſſeſſions, which I might probly have given and bequeathed, I compoſed and intended for your Legacy, A Soliloquie and Prayer which I had ſpread in Writing before GOD on your behalves; and I believe it ſhall continue for ever in his view: But, there being but one Coppy thereof, both you and I were deprived of that Compoſure, when the Book for which I here ſuffer was taken out of my Cloſet. Therefore, being now likely to be ſo ſeparted from you, how much ſoever it may concern our temporal or ſpiritual well-beings, that I may thenceforth perhaps never ſee you more. I ſend you this Sacrifice of Praiſe and Prayer, next following, to be inſtead of that which is loſt; for it contains in effect ſomewhat, (as to the Petitionary part) of that which was ſpread before GOD (as aforeſaid) in a larger Scrol. Take it into your ſerious conſiderations, and lay it up among your Evidences; For it will ſpeak to your advantage, when I can ſpeak no more for you; when other men who can ſpeak for you, will not; when many perhaps will ſpeak againſt you, and when you ſhall not be able to ſpeak for your ſelves.
GOD, ſanctifie unto you this brief Memorandum, and you to his glory, that we may all meet together in him to our everlaſting joy. Be obedient to your Mother, the enjoyment of whoſe Company, will more then recompence the loſs of mine; For GOD hath endowed her with ſo much maternal prudence and love, that by her counſel, (if you deſpiſe it not) your Poſterity may be continued on the Earth untill Chriſt comes to gather together his Elect. Remember the counſel of your earthly Father, that the promiſe made by your heavenly Father to the Rechabites may be inlarged to you and your Poſterities; For, your and their perſonal obedience to GODs Covenant made with all Mankind in Chriſt Jeſu, will be required (according to that aſſiſting Grace which he vouchſafeth) toward the accompliſhing of what I have prayed for concerning you. The bleſſing of GOD be with you, and Farewell.
Your Affectionate Father, GEO: WITHER. Newgate Feb. 15. 1662.
A Sacrifice of Praiſe and Prayer Offered unto Almighty GOD, by George Wither for his gracious Providence, in providing for Him, his Wife and Children, during his Impriſonment in the diſgraceful Gaol of NEWGATE, and when left deſtitute of all ordinary means of ſubſiſtance, by being deprived both of his Eſtate and Liberty.
LORD, though my Prayers and my Praiſes, be
Unworthy to be offred up to thee,
Thus (as I am obliged) I aſſay
To adde unto thine honor what I may,
By publiſhing both with my Tongue and Pen,
Thy Loving kindneſs to the Sons of men;
Eſpecially, in thoſe particulars
Whereby thy kindneſs unto me appears.
Prais'd be thy bleſſed Name; For, thou art ſpeedy
In ſhewing thy compaſſion to the needy;
And leav'ſt not any ſuffrer in deſpair
Who, timely ſeeks thy help by faithful prayer,
In patient waiting during his probation,
For thy appointed hour of Salvation.
Of this, thy never failing Clemency,
Few men have had more evidence then I,
Or in all ſtraights, vouchſaf'd more ſeaſnably
A needfull, and a competent ſupply
Yea though my ſuffrings have been great & many
And, I, in fleſh as ſenſible as any
Of ev'ry grievance, thou haſt by their length
Improved ſo my patience and my ſtrength,
That, oft ſuch grievances, were not alone
As tollerable as if they were none:
But, ſuch as alſo, have my joy increaſt
When I to other men ſeem'd moſt oppreſt.
For, though I have compleated now, well-near,
In weal and woe, the three and fiftieth year,
And ſix Confinements, ſince I firſt begun
That work, which I thought needful to be done;
Thou haſt preſerv'd me ſo, and me ſo armed,
Againſt all changes, that, none me hath harmed:
Which, unto me, a knowledge doth derive
Of what thou art, that's more then ſpeculative;
That, what experimentally I ſpeak,
In other men, may more impreſſion make,
Then when I Notions only ſhall declare,
That were infus'd into me, through the ear.
And 'tis not thy leaſt Mercy, that of late,
Thou doſt their ſeeming Charity abate,
Who, thought, they might thereby have tempted
To wrong my conſcience, and be falſe to thee, me
By ſmothring, or Adulterating that
Which, to Truths vindication may relate:
For, when with needful food men bait their hook,
The heedleſs hungry Fiſhes are ſoon took;
And, whether, we confide in thee or no,
Whilſt we have Oil and Meal, tis hard to know.
Nor, I, nor mine, (though rob'd of all) ought lack,
That's needful for the belly, or the back.
Thou haſt my Wife and Children cloth'd and fed,
When I could give them neither Cloth nor Bread;
And, from the earth, when (in ſeed branch & root)
I ſeemed likely to be rooted out,
My Withred ſprouts, were then by the re-planted,
Where they enjoy the nouriſhment they wanted:
So timely, and in ſuch a manner too,
Was that vouchſafd, which thou were pleas'd to do,
That, for it, my well-wiſhers prais'd thy Name;
And vext thereat, my envious foes become.
Eſpecially, in that place, where their worſt
And laſt deſpights, were manifeſted firſt;
For, there, and in their ſight, by whom undone
I ſeem'd to be, that mercy was begun.
The Families, from whom I was deſign'd
To take my Being, thou haſt now twice joyn'd,
And, their two Surnames, being joyn'd together,
Denominate my Grandſon, HUNT L' WITHER,
Who, is in poſſibility to have
Earth of his own, wherein to make his Grave;
And find a livelyhood whilſt here he lives,
If he, thy Bounty thankfully receives;
(And, no whit farther ſhall be truſted in,
Then that ſhould be, which hath ſupplyed been
Inſtead of what I loſt) For, Lord, in thee,
(And, not in what thou giv'ſt) our truſt ſhould be.
My only Daughter, when left portionleſs,
And without any likely hopefulneſs
Of more then thou didſt on her Birthday give her;
Yea, when I was diſabled to relieve her
Thou didſt, ev'n in that great neceſſity,
Eſpouſe into a Loving Family,
Enobled, by a Pedigree, or Steem
Which hath no blemiſh to diſparage them;
Or, ſuch wants, as may make the reputation
Of Births, and Titles looſe their eſtimation.
Oh! let thy ſo uniting them together,
Make them a mutual bleſſing to each other;
And, by conſidring with due thankfulneſs,
What thou haſt done for me in my diſtreſs,
Make both my Children, and their whole deſcent
With thy good pleaſure, at all times content;
That, they to others, good example giving,
By their woell-doing, joyn'd with right believing,
(And likewiſe heeding how thou doſt proceed
With ſuch as in thy Fatherhood confide)
They never may deſpair, though quite bereſt
Of what their earthly Fathers might have left:
And, from my perſonal experiments,
Let them, thereof to minde them, take ſome hints.
For, when I by the world, ſeem'd quite forſaken
And, ſhe, with Lands and Goods, from me had taken
My Liberty; that, what then grieved me
Might more imbitter'd, and redoubled be
By what my Children ſuffred; when, they had
Mo means of comfort, and, thereby grew ſad:
Thou, didſt for that a Remedy provide,
By making them, a Bridegoome, and a Bride
(Whilſt I impriſon'd was within that place
Which added to my Poverty diſgrace)
To my good liking, and their own content,
Without ſelf-ſeeking, or diſpargement.
This providential mercy, did appear
The more, in that, they likewiſe married were,
(As I awhile before, preſag'd they ſhould)
Without ſuch portions, as I lately could
Have given them, when thou didſt me diſable
Not without cauſe. And, tis conſiderable
That, they kept both their Weddings in the ſight
Of thoſe, who them purſude with moſt deſpight;
Ev'n in my plundred houſe, and at that time,
In which my wife, had not to welcome them
A diſh or ſpoon, but what a neighbour lent;
Or Meat, but what by thee was thither ſent.
Yea, thou haſt, when the world deni'd us bread
Me, and my Conſort, competently fed.
(E're ſince, the world depriv'd us of our own)
By them, whoſe faces are to us unknown;
To evidence, that all thy Saints are friends,
To him, who on thy providence depends,
And to the utmoſt of his power perſevers
In juſt and conſcientious endeavers:
Yea, though corruption ſo in him prevaileth,
That of his duty many waies he faileth.
He, hoping thoſe Experiments, to ſome
May comfortable in like ſtreights become,
Thus, for their ſakes, in words expreſt they be;
For, without words, all things are known to thee.
All this conſider'd, I obliged am
To take unto my ſelf deſerved ſhame,
When, therewith I well heed, how oft, by ſin,
To thy Commands, I have rebellious been;
As alſo, that exceeding graciouſneſs,
Which thou to me vouchſafeſt ne'rtheleſs:
And, it begets in me a greater fear,
Then when thy Chaſtiſements upon me are;
For, in correcting me, thou art more mild
Then is a loving Father to his Child,
When he not only chideth, but intreats,
Kind language, mixing alſo, with his threats;
Whips him, then kiſſeth; and ſometimes to ſee
Him weep doth ſhed as many tears as he.
LORD, for thoſe mercies, graciouſly afforded,
(Well meriting, by me to be recorded)
Accept this petty Sacrifice of Praiſe,
And, make us truly thankful all our dayes,
(Not only in our verbal Thank-oblations
But alſo, in our lives and converſations)
For, though we cannot golden gifts prefer
Yet, we may offer Frankincenſe and Myrrh;
And from him, who hath not a Lamb to give,
A Dove, thou with acceptance wilt receive.
Vouchſafe us, in each temporary trial
A conſtant progreſs with true ſelf-denial;
Let not the Benefits we have received
Be underpriz'd, becauſe we were bereaved
Of thoſe externals, which we have enjoyed,
For, their enjoyment might have us deſtroyed;
Yea, thoſe whom thou mak'ſt poor thou lov'ſt as much
As thoſe, whom thou art pleased to inrich;
And, by thy Grace▪ we may advantage make,
Of whatſoever thou doſt Give or Take.
Keep me and mine from that Prevarication
Which turns thy proffer'd grace, to Reprobation
Incline us to deſire, and to embrace
All means of perſeverance in thy Grace,
And, never let the asking, or the granting,
Of any neceſſary gift be wanting.
Make us to ſhun and hate, all things, whereby
We may offend thy awful Majeſty;
Nor limiting thy Mercy, neither ſlandring
Thy juſt Decrees, as cauſes of our wandring:
For, no man to be wicked is inforc'd,
Or left by thee, untill he leaves thee firſt;
Which▪ all men will confeſs when from their eyes
That ſcurffe is rub'd, which yet upon them lies.
So knit us in one True love knot together
By loving thee, and love to one another.
That, we in all Temptations faſt may ſtand
And Sathan, nor the world diſſolve that band;
For, where Love, in the heart keeps reſidence,
Diff rence in Judgment, gives no more offence
Then diff'ring faces, although more delight
We take in thoſe, who love and judge aright.
When we offend, Correct us as our Father
With all thy Temporary ſcourges, rather
Then ſuffer ſins, by ſins to be corrected,
(Which is the greateſt Plague can be inflicted)
And that, we faint not underneath thy Rod,
With ſtripes, mix mercy ſtill, my gracious GOD.
I ask nor Honors, Liberty, nor Wealth,
Nor temporary pleaſures no nor health,
Save, ſo far only, as hou knowſt the uſe
Of ſuch things to thine honor may conduce
With our eternal ſafety, and the Good
Of thoſe with whom we have a Brotherhood.
And, hereto, I will add, but this Requeſt
(Which comprehends all that can be expreſt)
For me and mine. Oh! let it LORD, be plac…t,
Where it may ſtand, as long as Time ſhall laſt,
Within thy ſight; and though, nor I, nor they
For whom I ſue, can merit what I pray,
Vouchſafe it, for his ſake, in whom I have
So much confided, as his Boone to crave.
Let us Dear GOD, from whom our Children ſprung,
And, all their Off-ſpring, whether old or young,
Who, from our loins have being, or ſhall come
Into this world, untill the day of Doom,
By him be ſo preſerved, at whoſe coſt
Redeem'd we were, that no ſoul may be loſt,
Or be deprived of thy promiſes
In paſſing thorow this lifes wilderneſs,
Either by Adams fault, or our own guilt;
And then, of other things give what thou wilt:
For, this I value more, then if I had
Thy Grant, we ſhould all Kings and Queens be made,
Poſſeſſing in this life the largeſt meaſure
Of temporary honors, wealth, and pleaſure.
For they are Baubles, in reſpect of that
My ſanctify'd Ambition aimeth at.
They who obtain'd moſt of them, were but ſlaves
Who dropt with Infamy into their Graves;
And oft leſs miſery, to them befalls
Who get their bread, by robling under ſtalls;
Or, in this world, advanced are no higher
Then raking dirty rags out of the mire.
Thus, I in brief, have ſumm'd up my Requeſt;
Grant this, and let who pleaſeth, take the reſt.
LORD, I know none, who, ever heretofore
Did in this mode, thy Majeſty implore;
And, from what he believes of thee it comes,
That, ſo to do, thy ſervant now preſumes.
Forgive me if this abſolute Petition
Extends beyond the bound of my Commiſſion;
For, nothing I intend, what ere I crave,
Save, what thou art well-pleased I ſhould have,
Whoſe will I ſo prefer before mine own
In all things (if to me my heart is known)
That whatſoever may ſucceed thereon
Now, or hereafter, Let thy will be done.
My ſoul thou haſt inclined to belive
His Promiſes, who ſaid, Ask, and receive;
Help then my unbelief: For, if the grant
Of this Petition ſhall that fulneſs want
Which is deſir'd; no want of Love in thee
Occaſions it, but, ſome defects in me;
And, that Obſtruction, which thereon is caſt,
Shall by thy Love removed be at laſt.
He that in Faith and Love can to this Prayer
Say, for himſelf, Amen, ſhall nev'r diſpaire;
For, it implies, he is no ſtranger to
What, man may hope for, and what, GOD, will do.
Newgate Feb. 1661.
An Advertiſement.
WHen that private Poem, was taken from me' for which I am now a Priſoner, many Printed Books, Writings, and Evidences, being my proper Goods, were therewith unlawfully taken away; among which, there was a Manuſcript in Verſe, Intituled A Legacy to my Children, conſiſting (as I remembember) of about three or four ſheets, wherein, that which is prayed for in the preceeding Meditation, in relation to my Poſterity, was much inlarged with Expoſtulations and Petitions thereto pertinent. The Reſtoration thereof, I would acknowledge to be a favour, though it ought not in juſtice to be detained, becauſe it contains nothing offenſive to the Civil or Spiritual Government now Eſtabliſhed: And this Advertiſement is inſerted, in hope, one of thoſe to whoſe hand it may come, will be a means of reſtoring unto me both that Manuſcript, and an Elegy, which was alſo therewith taken from me. I would likewiſe be thankful to the Reſtorer.
Geo. Wither. At my Houſe in the Savoy, June 1665. was this Advertiſement added.