Meat out of the Eater, Poems 8
Life in Deaths.
WHat Mystery is this
To seek for Life in Death
The great Destroyer of the Sons
Of Adam and of Seth?
Can Death beget sweet Life?
Can such an Honey-comb,
So sweet and precious, come forth
Of Death's devouring Womb?
Yes: Christ hath broke the Teeth
And ta'ne away the Sting
Of Cruel Death; that Death is now
Become another thing.
It is a Messenger
Sent for to fetch us home
VntoUnto our Father's Royal House,
Whither all Saints must come.
It is a Bridge, whereby
We pass to Heavenly Rest,
Out of the Sorrows of this world
Wherewith we are opprest.
But I'le not here detain thee:
Reade on, and thou shalt see
Both many Deaths in one short Life,
And Life in Deaths to be.
SONG I.
[1]
THis World's a Wilderness
To God's afflicted Saints.
A place of Dangers, Fears, and Foes;
A place of Woes and Wants.
This Life's a very Death,
At least a dying life:
For this is Death in Life, to finde
Sin in our Hearts so rife.
[2]
That we not onelyonly are
Encompassed with Foes:
But have a treacherous Part withinRom. 7.17.
That doth with Satan close.
That's ready to seduce
And lead us into Evil,
And on a sudden to betray
Our Souls unto the Devil.
[3]
We pestered are with sin
So long as here we live:
Which makes us cry, From this vile death
Verse 24.Who will deliverance give?
Bodies of Sin and Death
We carry to and fro:
And carry must unto our grief,
Whil'st we are here below.
[4]
Verse 23.We finde a Law of Sin
Within our Members dwelling;
Which is against God's holy Law
(Chose by our minde) rebelling:
So that we cannot do
The good things that we would;
And oftentimes we do those things
Which leave undone we should.
[5]
For though we mourn for sin.
And watch, and strive and fight:
Yet is our weakness often foil'd
By Satan's subtile sleight.
This is a heaviness,
A Death unto the Saints,
Rom. 7.18, 19.Whereof the best while here on Earth
Make sorrowful complaints.
[6]
Oh what a glorious thing
In all true Christians eyes
Would full deliverance be from Sin▪Verse 24
They would this freedom prize
More then the richest Mynes,
Or most resplendent Gems:
They would prefer it far before
Scepters and Diadems.
[7]
It would be richer GainsPsal. 19.9, 10, 12. Psal. 119.5, 71, 72.
Then Honour, Pleasure, Wealth:
It would be sweeter to their Souls
Then Libertie or Health.
Yea Temp'rall Life it self
Might not herewith compare,
Which is more worth then all things else
Which most esteemed are.
[8]
Who would not then be willing,
When Christ him calleth hence,
To lay aside this sinful Flesh,
Cause of so much offence?
What Saint, that hateth sin,
Can love this life so well,
As for the sake thereof to chuse
In sinful Flesh to dwell?
SONG II.
[1]
THis then is Life in Death,
Heb. 12.23. 1 Joh. 3.2. Rev. 21.27.That Death will set us free
From Sin, which is our Spiritual Death,
And greatest Miserie.
We shall no more be griev'd
With mindes that are so vain:
Of Pride, or Sloth, or Worldliness
We shall no more complain.
[2]
1 Cor 13.10, 12.Our Ignorance shall cease;
So shall our Unbelief:
Our Passions shall no longer be
A cause of daily grief.
Against God's Providence
Our hearts no more shall swell:
Nor these our unsubdued Wills
Against his Will rebell.
[3]
Our Senses shall no longer
Be inlets unto Sin:
Nor shall there be an home-bred Thief
To let his Comrades in.
God, whom we here offend
And injure every day
In thought, word, deed, we shall no more
Offend him then for ay.
[4]
During this mortal life
We walk in midst of Snares,
And we are apt to be surpriz'd
And caught at unawares.
Our subtile EnemyLuke 22.31.
Us every hour besets,
Seeks to allure us by his Baits
Into his deadly Nets.
[5]
He like a roaring Lion1 Pet. 5▪8. Gen. 3.1, 2, &c.
Runs hunting for his Prey;
And like a subtile Serpent he
Lies watching night and day:
Lets no advantage slip
Whereby he may annoy us,
Draw us to sin, disturb our peace;
Distress, if not destroy us.
[6]
Death is the Red Sea, which
When once we are got through,
Exod. 14.3, 28, 29.Pharaoh (the Devil) with his Host
Can us no more pursue.
God will this Sea divide
And make it us inclose,
Like walls, letting us pass through safe▪
And then drown all our Foes.
[7]
Th'Egyptians cannot follow
Unto the other side:
They shall be drowned in the Sea,
O're-whelmed with the Tide▪
The Tempter shall no more
A wicked thought suggest:
Nor once entice to any thing
That God and we detest.
[8]
Temptations u…o sin
(Which vex us …ere so sore,
Although they do not Master us)
Shall trouble us then no more▪
Then shall our joyful Souls
Eternal Praises sing,
For this their full Deliverance,
To that Immortal King.
SONG III.
[1]
WHil'st we are here on Earth
We're dying every day:1 Cor. 15.31. Mat 6 34.
Each day brings some new woe or grief
Whil'st we are cloth'd with Clay.
We dwell in midst of Deaths
And Death amidst us dwells,
As too too well appeareth by
These daily doleful Knells.
[2]
Now one dear Friend departs,
E're long another goes:
Whose turn comes next, or mine or thine,
Or whose, God onelyonly knows.
Thus we are oft constrain'd
The pains of Death to 'bide:Acts 20.37, 38. 2 Cor. 11 29.
For Death doth often wound our heart
Through one or other's side.
[3]
Pains, Losses, Sicknesses,
Temptations, Sorrows, Sin;
All these are daily Deaths, from which
We can no freedom win,
Untill we die our last:
One death will end them all,
And set our Souls at liberty.
Which here are held in thrall.
[4]
Rom. 8.22, 23.The Pains of Life together
Amount unto no small pain:
Who would not one Pain more endure
And so get free from all pain?
Job 14.14.But we must stay God's time,
And wait till he shall call:
And then one Death will set us free
From Pains and Sorrows all.
[5]
Rev. 21.4. 2 Cor. 5.1. Rev. 14.13.Then once for all we die,
That die we may no more:
But live in Bliss eternally
The face of God before.
Death is of Life the Gate:
It is the Door whereby
We enter shall into a state
Of Immortality.
[6]
This then our Comfort is,
This is our Life in Death;
To know our Soul shall be in Bliss
When Death hath stopt our Breath.
And that this Body vile,1 Cor. 15.43. Phil. 3.21.
That now is laid in dust,
And turn'd to Earth, within a while
Be rais'd in Glory must.
[7]
So soon as Death hath clos'd
Our mortal Bodie's eyes:
Our Soul shall mount with greatest speedLuke 16.22.
Above the Starry Skies
Born upon Angel's wings
Unto that Heavenly Rest;
Where of Eternal HappinessMat. 25.46.
She shall be full possest.
[8]
O Death where is thy Sting?1 Cor. 15.55, 57.
Thy Victory O Grave?
How art thou conquered, and made
Our Servant, yea our Slave!
Thanks be to God, who gives us
Through Christ the Victory:
That we may live to praise his Name
For this Eternally.