But born of him (b), and yet aver
His father's sons my mother's were (c).
I am divorc'd, yet marri'd still (d),
With full consent, against my will (e).
My Husband present is (f), yet gone (g).
We differ much, yet still are one (h).
He is the first, the last, the all (í),
Yet number'd up with insects small (j),
The first of all things (k), yet alone
The second of the great Three-one (1).

(b) JOHN i. 13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

(c) GAL. iv. 26. But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.

(d) Rom. vii. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead.

(6) PSAL. cx. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

(f) MATTH. xxviii. 20. Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

(g) JOHN xiv. 2. I go to prepare a place for you.

(h) JOHN xvii. 21. That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us.

(2) REV. i. 11. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. COL. iii. 11. Christ is all, and in all.

(j) Psal. xxii. 6. But I am a worm,

and no man.

(k) COL. i. 15. 16. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: for by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.

(2) 1 JOHN v. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. MATTH. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

A creature never could he be,
Yet is a creature strange I see (m).
And own this uncreated one,

The Son of man, yet no man's son (n).
He's omnipresence all may know (0);
Yet never could be wholly so (p).
His manhood is not here and there (q),
Yet he is God-man ev'ry where (r).

He comes and goes, none can him trace (s);
Yet never could he change his place (†).

(m) JOHN i. 1. 2. 3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. v. 14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

(n) MATTH. i. 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, is, God with us. LUKE i. 34. 35. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.

(0) PSAL. cxxxix. 7. 8. 9. 10. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

(p) LUKE xxiv. 6. He is not here, but is risen.

(q) JOHN xvi. 16. A little while and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

(r) MATTH. i. 23. See letter (0). Chap. xxviii. 20. Lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world.

(8) JOHN iii. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

(t) Is. lxvi. 1. Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

But though he's good (u), and ev'ry where,
No good's in hell, yet he is there (v).

I by him (w), in him (x) chosen was (y),
Yet of the choice he's not the cause (2):
For sov'reign mercy ne'er was bought (a),
Yet through his blood a vent it sought (b).

In him concenter'd at his death

His Father's love (c), his Father's wrath (d):

(u) PSAL. c. 5. The Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting. (v) PSAL. cxxxix. 8. If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

(w) As God.

(y) EPH. i. 4. foundation of the before him in love.

(x) As Mediator.

According as he hath chosen us in him, before the world, that we should be holy, and without blame

(z) But himself the Father's first elect, Is. xlii. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. MATTH. xii. 18. Behold, my servant whom I have choson, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased.

(a) JOHN iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. ROM. ix. 11. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. v. 13. It is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. God saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

v. 15.

(b) Rom. iii. 24. 25. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins, &c. Chap. v. 9. Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. v. 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.

(c) JOHN x. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

(d) Is. liii. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief,

Ev'n he whom passion never seiz'd (e),
Was then most angry, when most pleas'd (ƒ)

Justice requir'd that he should die (g),
Who yet was slain unrighteously (h);
And died in mercy and in wrath,
A lawful and a lawless death (i).

With him I neither liv'd nor died,
And yet with him was crucifi'd (j).
Law-curses stops his breath, that he
Might stop its mouth from cursing me (k).

'Tis now a thousand years and mo

Since heav'n receiv'd him; yet I know,

(e) Is. xxvii. 4. Fury is not in me.

(f) ROM. viii. 32. He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. EPH. v. 2. Christ hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

(g) HEB. vii. 22. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. Chap. ix. 16. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. v. 22. 23. And almost all

things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

(h) MATTH. xxvii. 4. I [Judas] have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. v. 23. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be

crucified.

(i) ACTS ii. 23. Jesus of Nazareth, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God; ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Chap. iv. 27. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together, &c.

(j) GAL. ii. 20. I am crucified with Christ.

(k) GAL. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

When he ascended up on high

To mount the throne, ev'n so did I (1).
Hence, though earth's dunghill I embrace,
I sit with him in heav'nly place (m).
In divers distant orbs I move,
Inthrall'd below, inthron'd above.

SECTION II.

The mystery of the saint's life, state, and frame.

Y

My life's a pleasure (a) and a pain (6) ;

A real loss, a real gain (c):

A glorious paradise of joys (d),
A grievous prison of annoys (e).

(2) COL. iii. 1. If ye then be risen with Christ, &c. HEB. vi. 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, &c.

(m) ЕPH. ii. 5. 6. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

(a) PROV. iii. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

(b) PSAL. cxx. 5. Wo is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar.

(c) PHIL. iii. 7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Chap. i. 21. 22. 23. 24. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour; yet what shall I chose, I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better nevertheless, to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you.

(d) 1 PET. i. 8. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

(e) PSAL cxlii. 7. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name.