Meat out of the Eater, Poems 5
In Confinement Liberty.
WHat may this Riddle mean?
Confined, and yet Free!
In Bands, yet Loose! A Prisoner,
And yet at Libertee!
'Tis but a Notion sure;
No, No, It's very True,
And that these Pages following
Will prove and plainly shew.
SONG I.
[1]
MOst men love Libertie,
And covet Elbow-room
To have their Wills, to serve their Lusts,
And up and down to rome.
God's Wayes they count a Prison,
Rom. 8.6, 7, 8.His Precepts and Commands
A heavy Yoke; his Threatenings
Like Fetters and strong Bands.
[2]
Come let us break their BandsPsal. 2 3.
And cast their cords from us:
Let's give the Reins unto our Lusts,
And not be Bridled thus.
This Liberty of theirsJohn 8.34. Rom. 6.16.
The greatest Bondage is:
For he's a Bondslave unto Sin
That loves to do amiss.
[3]
He is a PrisonerEph. 2.2.
Unto his mortal Foe,
Who leads him bound with Cords of sin
Unto Eternal woe.
Such Prisoners may enjoy
External Libertie,
And being under no restraint
They run to Hell more free.
[4]
Ah wofull Liberty!
To such as it abuse;
Which leads them to Captivity,
Who their own Bondage chuse.Prov. 1 32. & 5.22.
I rather had be bound
With Fetters made of Brass,
Then to enjoy my Liberty
And be at such a pass.
[5]
Job 36.8, 9, 10.God bindeth some in Chains,
And in Afflictions Cords,
And by these Bands, unto their Souls
More Libertie affords.
Who would not be in thrall,
Soul-Liberty to gain,
Rather then Sins and Satan's thrall,
And Captive to remain?
[6]
Manasseh was a slave
To Sin, and never free;
2 Chron. 3….10.11, 12, 13, 15.Untill his Foes had carried him
Into Captivitie:
But being bound in Chains,
He calls to minde his sins,
Humbleth himself, and to bewail
His former life begins.
[7]
His Prison was a place
Of greatest Libertie:
For from the bondage of his sins
It helpt to set him free.
As Liberty abus'd
Procur'd his Misery:
So Bonds him humbled and prepar'd
For blessed Liberty.
[8]
While Jonah's stubborn willJonah 1.
Did over him prevaile
It brought him down into the Deeps
And Belly of the Whale.
That fearful Prison houseChap. 2.
Him to Repentance brought,
And then for Body and for SoulVer. 10.
The Lord Salvation wrought.
[9]
The Basket of good FigsJer. 24.….6, … ▪
To Babylon were sent
In mercy, that they might be freed
From sorer punishment.
That being humbled there
Under God's mighty hand,
He might return them back again
Into their Native Land.
[10]
Thus some that are in Bonds
By Bondage, get more free:
Others are …ett'red with their sins
That walk at libertee.
His own IniquityProv. 5.22.
The wicked man shall take:
His sins, like Cords, shall hold him fast,
And Satan's Prisoner make.
SONG II.
[1]
THough Liberty it self
Is greatly to be sought;
And they are happy that know how
To use it as they ought;
Especially whose hearts
Esteem and highly prize
And likewise carefully improve
Their Spiritual Liberties.
[2]
Yet when the Lord is pleas'd
Such freedom to deny,
He can another Freedom give
Ev'n in Captivity.
When he our Will subdues,
And helps us be content
With his dispose, there's Libertie
Even in Imprisonment.
[3]
Man's unsubdued WillRom. 8.7, 8. Psal. 119.45, 47. 2 Cor. …0.5.
Is a most heavy Chain:
That man may walk at Liberty
That can this freedom gain.
When as the Will is brought
Into Captivity
Unto the holy Will of God;
This is sweet Liberty.Psal. 119.32.
[4]
Let but the Will be broke,Phil. 4.11, 12, 13.
Its Tyranny undone,
And other Bands that us restrain
Will quickly be as none.
For then the Soul applies
It self to get that good
Thereby, which God intends, and Christ
Hath purchas'd with his Blood.
[5]
And God that can bring goodRom. 8.28.
Out of the greatest ill,
If that we seek him seriously,
His Promise will fulfill.
He will unfetter us,Job 33.27. & 36.8, 9.10.
And set our Souls more free,
Ev'n by restraining Bands, from sin
And Satan's Tyranny.
[6]
Hee'll wean us from the world,
And all things here below;
Mar. 19.29. 2 Cor. 4.17, 18.And better things in stead of these
He will on us bestow.
Hee'll set our hearts upon
The things that are above:
And give us more and more to taste
The sweetness of his Love.
[7]
He will enlarge our Souls
To run his Precepts way:
2 Cor. 5.14. 1 Joh. 5.3.The love of Christ shall us restrain
Most gladly to obey.
And his Commandements
They shall delightfull be.
Thus he can make Restraint a means
Of greatest Libertie.
[8]
Hos. … 6, 7, 14.God hedges up with thorns
The Path of Wanderers,
That have of Creature-comforts been
Too eager Followers,
Stops their pursuit, them brings
Into a Wilderness,
That thereunto their humbled Souls
He may more Love express.
SONG III.
[1]
THe Saints have never been
To meet with God more free
Then when they have been most depriv'd
Of outward Libertee.
When Banished, Confined,
Impris'ned they have been:
They have God's Presence more enjoy'd,
And more his glory seen.
[2]
When Jacob fled from home
Because of Esau's spight,
And lay abroad i'ch'open AireGen. 28.11, 12, 13.
Upon the Earth all night:
He saw that wondrous Ladder,
Whose top to Heaven raught,
Which Jesus Christ God-Man, and our
Salvation by him, taught.
[3]
Exod. 3.1.2, 4, to 10.Moses i'th'Wilderness,
During his Banishment,
Meets with the God of Israel,
And is to Israel sent
To carry welcome news
Of their deliverance,
And that the Lord would lead them forth
To their Inheritance.
[4]
Dan. 6.22. Dan. 3.25. Rev. 1.9, 10, &c.Daniel i'th' Lions Den
Had Angels company.
And when those three were in the Fire,
The Son of God stood by.
John in his Patmos-Isle
Most glorious Visions had,
And Revelations of such things
As make God's Sion glad.
[5]
Acts 16.25, 26.While Paul and Silas sing
Together in the Stocks;
The Lord an Earthquake sends, and all
The Prison-doors unlocks.
Acts 23.11. & 27.24.Sundry sweet Visions
Had Paul in his Restraint:
The Lord appearing to confirm
And cheer his Suffering Saint.
[6]
The time would fail to tell
Examples of this kinde:
These are enough to prove, that Saints
May God in Prison finde,
Where God is most enjoy'd,
There's sweetest Liberty:
But many have enjoy'd him most
In their Captivity.
[7]
Lord, let me more enjoy
Thy Presence in Restraint:
And then of wanting Liberty
I need not make complaint.
My Soul bring out of Prison,Psal. 142.7.
That I thy Name may p…a…se:
Oh set my feet at liberty
To walk in Wisdom's wayes.