A Lying Spirit mis-informed The common peeple, who suppose If things went on to be reformed They should their ancient Customs lose, And be beside to courses ty’d Which they not yet their Fathers knew, And so be wrapt in fangles new. Great multitudes therefore were joyned To Sathans plyant instruments, With mallice, ignorance combined, And both at Truth their fury vents; First Piety as Enimy They persecute, oppose, revile, Then Freind as well as Foe they spoyle. The beuty of the Land’s abollisht, Such Fabericks by Art contriv’d, The many of them quite demollisht, And many of their homes depriv’d Some mourn for freinds untimely ends, And some for necessaries faint, With which they parted by constraint. But from those storms hath God preserved A people to record his praise, Who sith they were therefore reserved Must to the heigth their Spirits raise To magnify his lenity Who safely brought them through the fire To let them see their hearts desire Which many faithfull ones deceased With teares desired to behold, Which is the Light of Truth professed Without obscuring shaddowes old, When spirits free, not tyed shall be To frozen Forms long since compos’d, When lesser knowledg was disclos’d. VVho are preserv’d from foes outragious, Noteing the Lords unfound-out wayes, Should strive to leave to after-ages Some memorandums of his praise; That others may admiring say Unsearchable his judgments are, As do his works alwayes declare. Meditacions The first Meditacion. The Morning is at hand, my Soule awake, Rise from the sleep of dull security; Now is the time, anon ’twill be to late, Now hast thou golden opportunity For to behold thy naturall estate And to repent and be regenerate. Delay no longer though the Flesh thee tell, Tis time enough hereafter to repent, Strive earnestly such mocions to expell, Remember this thy courage to augment The first fruits God requir’d for sacrifice, The later he esteemed of no price. First let’s behold our natural estate How dangerous and damnable it is, And thereupon grow to exceeding hate With that which is the onely cause of this; The which is Sin, yea Disobedience Even that which was our first parents offence. The reasonable Soule undoubtedly Created was at first free from offence, In Wisdom, Holinesse, and Purity, It did resemble the Divine Essence, Which being lost, the Soule of man became Like to the Serpent, causer of the same. The Understanding, Will, Affections cleare, Each part of Soule and Body instantly Losing their purity, corrupted were Throughout as by a loathsom Leprocy The rayes of Vertu were extinguisht quite And Vice usurpeth rule with force and might.