No Knot of Friendship long can hold

Save that which Grace hath ty’d,

For other causes prove but cold

VVhen their effects are try’d;

For God who loveth unity

Doth cause the onely union,

Which makes them of one Family

Of one mind and communion.

Commocions will be in that place,

VVhere are such contraries,

As is inniquity and grace,

The greatest enimies,

Whom sin doth rule shee doth command

To hold stiff opposicion

Gainst grace and all the faithfull band

Which are in her tuision.

This is the cause of home debates,

And much domestick woes,

That one may find his houshold mates

To be his greatest foes,

That with the Wolfe the Lamb may ’bide

As free from molestacion,

As Saints with sinners, who reside

In the same habitacion.

By reason of the Enmity

Between the womans Seed

And mans infernall enimy,

The Serpent and his breed,

The link of consanguinity

Could hold true friendship never,

Neither hath neare affinity

United freinds for ever.

For scoffing Ishmael will scorn

His onely true born brother:

Rebeckahs sonns together born

Contend with one another,

No bond of nature is so strong

To cause their hearts to tarry

In unity, who do belong

To masters so contrary.

The wicked ordinarily

Gods dearest children hate,

And therfore seek (though groundlesly)

Their credits to abate,

And though their words and works do show

No colour of offences

Yet are their hearts most (they trow)

For all their good pretences.

And those that strongest grace attain,

Whereby sin is vanquished,

By Sathan and his cursed train

Are most contraried;

Because by such the Serpent feeles,

His head to be most bruised,

He turnes and catches at their heeles,

By whom he is so used.

His agents he doth instigate,

To vex, oppose, and fret,

To slander and calumniate,

Those that have scap’t his net,

Who servants are so diligent,

That like to Kain their father

They whose works are most excellent

They mischiefe will the rather.

Yet there are of the gracelesse crew

Who for some private ends

Have sided with prefessors tru

As trusty pious friends,

But to the times of worldly peace

Their friendship was confined.

Which when some crosses caus’d to cease

The thred of league untwined.

Such friends unto the Swallow may

Be fitly likened,

Who all the plesant Summer stay

But are in Winter fled:

They cannot ’bide their freind to see,

In any kind of trouble,

So pittyfull (forsooth) they bee

That have the art to double.

Such will be any thing for one

Who hath of nothing need,

Their freindship stands in word alone,

And none at all in deed,

How open mouth’d so e’re they are,

They bee as closely handed,

Who will (they know) their service spare,

They’re his to be commanded.

Therefore let no true hearted one

Reliefe at need expect,

From opposits to vertue known,

Who can him not afect:

For his internall ornaments,

Will ever lovely make him

Though all things pleasing outward sence

Should utterly forsake him.

In choise of Freinds let such therefore

Prefer the godly wise,

To whom he may impart the store

That in his bosome lies:

And let him not perniciously

Communicate his favours,

To all alike indifferently,

Which shewes a mind that wavers.

Gods children to each other should

Most open hearted bee;

Who by the same precepts are rul’d,

And in one Faith agree,

VVho shall in true felicity,

Where nothing shall offend them

Together dwell eternally,

To which I do commend them.

The Winter being over

In order comes the Spring,

Which doth green Hearbs discover

And cause the Birds to sing;

The Night also expired,

Then comes the Morning bright,

Which is so much desired

By all that love the Light;

This may learn

Them that mourn

To put their Griefe to flight.

The Spring succeedeth Winter,

And Day must follow Night.

He therefore that sustaineth

Affliction or Distresse,

Which ev’ry member paineth,

And findeth no relesse;

Let such therefore despaire not,

But on firm Hope depend

Whose Griefes immortall are not,

And therefore must have end:

They that faint

With complaint

Therefore are too blame,

They ad to their afflictions,

And amplify the same.

For if they could with patience

A while posesse the minde,

By inward Consolacions

They might refreshing finde,

To sweeten all their Crosses

That little time they ’dure;

So might they gain by losses,

And harp would sweet procure;

But if the minde

Be inclinde

To Vnquietnesse

That only may be called

The worst of all Distresse.

He that is melancolly

Detesting all Delight,

His Wits by sottish Folly

Are ruinated quite;

Sad Discontent and Murmors

To him are insident,

Were he posest of Honors,

He could not be content:

Sparks of joy

Fly away,

Floods of Cares arise,

And all delightfull Mocions

In the conception dies.

But those that are contented

However things doe fall,

Much Anguish is prevented,

And they soon freed from all;

They finish all their Labours

With much felicity,

Theyr joy in Troubles savours

Of perfect Piety,

Chearfulnesse

Doth expresse

A setled pious minde

Which is not prone to grudging

From murmoring refinde.

Lascivious joy I prayse not,

Neither do it allow,

For where the same decayes not

No branch of peace can grow;

For why, it is sinister

As is excessive Griefe,

And doth the Heart sequester

From all good: to be briefe,

Vain Delight

Passeth quite

The bounds of modesty,

And makes one apt to nothing

But sensuality.

My straying thoughts, reduced stay,

And so a while retired,

Such observacions to survay

VVhich memory hath registred,

That were not in oblivion dead.

In which reveiw of mentall store,

One note affordeth comforts best,

Cheifly to be preferd therfore,

As in a Cabinet or Chest

One jewell may exceed the rest.

God is the Rock of his Elect

In whom his grace is incoate,

This note, my soule did most affect,

It doth such power intimate

To comfort and corroberate.

God is a Rock first in respect

He shadows his from hurtfull heat,

Then in regard he doth protect

His servants still from dangers great

And so their enimies defeat.

In some dry desart Lands (they say)

Are mighty Rocks, which shadow make,

Where passengers that go that way,

May rest, and so refreshing take,

Their sweltish Wearinesse to slake.

So in this world such violent

Occasions, find we still to mourn.

That scorching heat of Discontent

VVould all into combustion turn

And soon our soules with anguish burn,

Did not our Rock preserve us still,

Whose Spirit, ours animates,

That wind that bloweth where it will Iohn 3.8

Sweetly our soules refrigerates,

And so distructive heat abates.

From this our Rock proceeds likewise,

Those living streames, which graciously

Releives the soule which scorched lies,

Through sence of Gods displeasure high,

Due to her for inniquity.

So this our Rock refreshing yeelds,

To those that unto him adhere,

Whom likewise mightily he sheilds,

So that they need not faint nor fear

Though all the world against them were.

Because he is their strength and tower,

Whose power none can equalize.

VVhich onely gives the use of power

Which justly he to them denies,

Who would against his servants