English

The soull under fears of declining.

I fear sometimes, I do decline
when I my self doe veiw
The seed, & bloom of grace is thine
Oh bid it not adeiw.

I cannot hold out one short day
if thou lett goe, thy hold
I stumble, & fall in my way
and soon grow dead, and cold.

Let not the thing, which I so fear
and always, greatly dread
Come on me, but let it appear
that I by thee, am led.

Oh let me never, make a stand
but always climbing be
Till entre'd in the holy land

The soull longing to be att home, can find no releive from the creture, but makes its moane to the god of pitty. July 18 72

How long shall thoughts perplex, and throng
For fear that I should here live long
and be deny'd
what is espy'd.

Thesse thoughts, doe put me on the rack
This is the thing which I doe lack
to be posest
of heavens rest.

None knows this pain, but those that feell
Ther souls, upon the racking wheel
Of strong desire
whilst they aspire.

And long to be posesed of

foly.

We fools, to broken cisterns goe
Although the fountain still doth flow

To which we may, have free recourse
whilst it doth run, with a full source

What mad ons then ar we to think
That sweeter, is this pudled drink

And purer, then the fountain head
In which coruption, never bred

The farther from the fountain we
To goe, the dregier it will bee

What fools ar we, to dote upon
Thesse filthy stremes, which run along

The soull courting death

When shall I bid thee welcome, death
unto this house of mine
When thou shalt take away my breath
I shall breath, more devine

I know not why, my hart should faill
when I shall see thy face
For why, although thou lookest pale
christs bloud, thee springled has

Thou art my freind, & canst not doe
me any reall harm
But break the wall, and let me through
into my saviours arm

Thou art to me, no enemy
Christ has took, out thy sting

our mistakes for want of skill in the methouds of the spirit in the actings of grace from whence proceeds trouble.

We fill our selfs with fear
And restlese, soull perplexety
Because we do not wisly eye
considering what is
Gods dealings here, with his
We look for god, & find him nott
Our ignorance doth so besott
Though he to us draw neer

We would be drawing lines
And boldly choking out the way
In which he should himself display
we this way look, and pore
whilst att another door

The best trade. July 10 72

Wouldst thou my soull, be very rich
A constant beger thou must be
This is the only way by which
Great riches, shall flow into thee
take up this holy trade
and thou'rt for ever made

Necessity it cannot blush
It knows no shame-face'd modesty
It will into gods presence rush
It cannot. will not., be put by
if get to speak it may
it will not, be said nay

True poverty, it doth lay claim
Unto the riches others have
Necessity will make the lame

the worst of Christ better then the worlds best excelencys.

Christs refuse is, better by far
then this worlds hapinese
The worst of Christ, doth wholy mar
the world, in her best drese

Att the door of thy house to stand
is more felicity
Then earthly kingdomes, to command
or be advanc'd on high

Ther's more of heaven, in thy frown
whilst after thee, we moane
Then's to be found, in the renown
of kings, upon the throne

Tis better to mourn, ore thy grave
and weep, when thee we mise

Foly of ploding, and carking for the world.

It seemeth, somtimes strang to me
When I a while do stand, and see

How busily, employ'd we are
Speanding our time, our thoughts, our care

about this durty world, as if
Wee were, for ever here to live

Wher as our life. is but a dream
Or rather like some hasty streame

Which swiftly runs, and sudenly
Is swalow'd in eternity

If reason. might but exersize
Her self, in us, or faith advize

Such fools, and Ideotts, we should not

free grace the souls encouragment to seek after great things, July 9 72

What is the reason thou shouldst not
My soull upon high projecks plot
seeing that grace is free
It may incourage thee
Still to persue
for somthing new.

I can see nothing, in my self
Should make me cease, to seek that wealth
that's freely given to
all those that in truth doe
Make it. their ayme
to get the same.

For if unworthynese might be
A let, or hindrance, to the free
And boundlese, grace of god

The soull gathering some releif from experience, though clouded, & far from what it would have,

I see thoult not cast me off quite
because of unbeleife
But allways dost, and wilt delight
To give in some releife.

Although not always in that way
that I do it expect
I will be thankfull for each ray
that doth on me, reflect.

The mercy is not ripe for me
or I'me not ripe for't yet
But I will hope, that I shall see
Thou dost not me, forget.

And though I cannot get so neer