It is the index to eternity. [

He cannot mifs

1.97 Of endless blifs,

That takes this chart to fteer his voyage by. !isso (M Nor can he be mistook

That fpeaketh by this book...

A book to which no book can be compar'de 3 101For excellence ;

Pre-eminence Tet d doen sted

Is proper to it, and cannot be shar'd, ond y

Divinity alone

Belongs to it, or none.

It is the book of God. What if I fhould

His thoughts in

fmother,

Till he find other.

The Pulpit.m

IS dinner-time: And now I look

For a full meal. God fend me a good cook:

This is the dreffer-board, and here

I wait in expectation of good cheer. obes 29 Tako I'm sure the Mafter r of the houfe.

Enough to entertain his guefts allows of norm

alone,

And not enough of fome one fort
But choice of what beft fitteth every one.

God grant me taste and ftomach good:

My feeding, will diverfify my food; 'Tis a good appetite to eat,

And good digestion, that makes good meat.

'

The best food in itself will be,

Not fed on well, poison, not food to me.
Let him that speaks look to his words; my ear
Must careful be, both what and how I hear.

'Tis manna that I look for here,

The bread of heaven, angels' food: I fear
No want of plenty, where I know
The loaves by eating more, and greater, grow:
Where nothing but forbearance makes

A famine; where he only wants, that takes
Not what he will; provided that he would
Take nothing to himself but what he shouldi
Here the fame fountain poureth forth
Water, wine, milk, oil, honey, and the worth
Of all transcendant, infinite

In excellence, and to each appetite,

In fitnefs anfwerable; fo

That none needs hence unsatisfied go,
Whofe ftomach serves him unto any thing

That health, ftrength, comfort, or content can bring.

Yea, dead men here invited are

Unto the bread of life, and whilst they spare
To come and take it, they must blame
Themselves, if they continue ftill the fame.
The body's fed by food, which it
Affimilates, and to itfelf doth fit

But, that the foul may feed, itfelf must be submi Transformed to the world, with it agree.

To milk the strongest men must be

As new-born babes, whenever they it fee,
Defiring, not despifing it.

For strong meat babes muft stay, and strive to fit
Themselves in time, until they can

Get by degrees (which best beseem a man)

Experience-exercifed fenfès, able

Good to difcern from evil, truth from fables 3 285 29702

Here I will wait then; till I fee
The fteward reaching out a mess for me,
Refolve I'll take it thankfully,
Whate'er it be, and feed on't heartily.

Although no Benjamin's choice mess,

Five times as much as others,, but far lefs;
Yea, if't be but a basket full of crumbs,

'w dica

I'll blefs the hand from which, by which, it comes.
Like an invited gueft, Il will.

Be bold, but mannerly withal, fit ftill

And fee what the Mafter of the feaft
Will carve unto me, and account that beft
Which he doth chufe for me, not I'
Myfelf defire: Yea, though I should espy
Some fault in th' dreffing, in the diffing, or
The placing, yet I will not it abhor,

So that the nieat be wholesome, though
The fauce shall be toothfome, I'll not go
Empty away, and starve my foule
To feed my foolish fancy; but control
My appetite to dainty things,

Which oft instead of ftrength difeafes brings:- Jedi or A
But, if my pulpit-hopes fhall all prove vain,

I'll back unto the reading-pew again.141 of 22891 ViaV OT

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The Communion Table. O

ERE ftands my banquet ready, the last course,.
And beft provifion,

That I must feed upon,

Till death my foul and body fhall divorce,

And that I am

Call'd to the marriage-supper of the Lamb. Some call❜t the Altar, fome the Holy Table. The name I ftick not at,

Whether't be this or that,

I care not fo much, fo that I may be able
Truly to know

Both why it is, and may be called fo.

And for the matter whereof it was made,
The matter is not much,

Although it be of touch,

Or wood, or metal, what will laft, or fade; So vanity

And superstition avoided be.

Nor would it trouble me to fee it found
Of any fashion

That can be thought upon,

Square, oval, many-angled, long, or round: If clofe it be,

Fix'd, open, moveable, all's one to me.

And yet, methinks, at a communion,
In uniformity

There's greateft, decency,

And that which maketh most for union:
But needlefsly

To vary tends to th' breach of charity.

Yet, rather than I'll give, I will not take
Offence, if it be given,

So that I be not driven

To thwart authority, a party make
For faction,

Or fide, but seemingly, in th' action.

At a communion I wish I might
Have no cause to fufpect
Any, the leaft, defect

Of unity and peace, either in fight
Apparently,

Or in men's hearts concealed fecretly.

That which ordained is to make men one

More than before they were,

Should not itfelf appear,

Though but appear, diftin&tly divers. None Y Too much can fee

Of what, when moft, yet but enough can be.

If others will dissent and vary, who
Can help it? If I may,

As hath been done alway,

By th' beft, and moft, I will myself do fo;
Of one accord

The fervants fhould be of one God one Lord.

Communion-Plate.

EVER was gold or filver graced thus, FRA

NEVER

Before.

To bring this body and this blood to us oder a X A

Is more

Than to crown kings,

Or be made rings

For ftar-like diamonds to glitter in.

No precious stones are meet to match this bread

Divine.

Spirits of pearls diffolved would but dead

This wine.

This heav'nly food
Is too too good

To be compar'd to any earthly thing.