English Puritan & Reformed

Religious Rapture

Samuel Ward (1577-1640) · 826 words · 4 min

The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A97151.0001.001

Project Note

This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.

The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.

This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.

Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.

However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.

This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.

Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org

A most ELEGANT and RELIGIOUS RAPTURE, COMPOSED By Mr. Samuel Ward (that sometime famous and pious Pastor at Ipswich) during his Episcopal Imprisonment in the GATE-HOUSE, And by him Dedicated to King CHARLES the First. Now, Most exactly Englished by JOHN VICARS.

Precatiuncula de Theologico Magnete, Jesu Christo, ad rhythmi Bernardini, genium & formam.

          MAgne Magnes, Me dignare,
         
          Ad Te totum inclinare;
         
          Fac Cor meum anhelare,
         
          Ut Se possit applicare
         
          Devoto Tibi pectore.

          Canem vilem, allatrantem,
         
          Ovem perditam, balantem;
         
          Cervum fessum, anhelantem,
         
          Servum tardum, & cunctantem,
         
          Potenter ad Te pertrahe.

          Sic Me trahas, ut Te sequar,
         
          Sic convertas, ut convertar;
         
          Cordi meo Te conjungas,
         
          Ungas illud, & compungas,
         
          Spiritus tui flamine,

          Per medullam Cordis mei,
         
          Peccatoris, atque rei;
         
          Sic Vis tua tramittatur,
         
          Ut, Cor totum constringatur,
         
          Amoris tui Vinculis.

          Da Cor, Cordi similari,
         
          Da Cor, Cordi sociari;
         
          Da Cor durum perforari,
         
          Da Cor ferreum sauciari,
         
          Amoris tui Vulnere.

          Meum posse, velle, scire,
         
          Totum Tibi fac servire;
         
          Vehementer esurire,
         
          Et ardenter Te sitire,
         
          Fac Cor meum aridum.

          Rosa Sharon aperire,
         
          Cujus Odor fragrat, mire;
         
          Nares meas fac sentire
         
          Illas, illum fac haurire,
         
          Prae cunctis Suavitatibus.

          Manna dulce, Mel sincerum,
         
          Vinum suave, Nectar merum;
         
          In Quo, Nihil est amarum,
         
          Esto, Mihi, Tu, per-charum,
         
          Prae omnibus Deliciis.

          Ecce, Tibi appropinquo,
         
          Parce Mihi, si delinquo;
         
          Ecce, curro ad Te, sponte,
         
          Verecundà, tamen front,
         
          Ne, Me, quaeso, rejice.

          Praebe, Mihi, Te benignum,
         
          Ne repellas Me indignum;
         
          Totum, ad Te, Cor impelle,
         
          Totum impelle meum Velle,
         
          Ut, Te, nunquam, deseram.

S. W.

A short and sweet Prayer concerning the Theological Load-stone, Christ Jesus, according to S ^t Bernard's manner and Metre.

          LOvely Load-stone, grant to Me,
         
          Wholely, solely, Thine to be;
         
          Make my Heart for Thee to breath,
         
          That it may It Self bequeath
         
          With all fervor unto Thee.

          Me, a base, a barking Hound,
         
          Bleating Sheep, stray'd from my Bound;
         
          Me, a panting, chased Deer,
         
          Servant slack, and slow, most near,
         
          Strongly draw, to follow Thee.

          So Me draw, as to keep nigh Thee,
         
          So, Me turn, as turned by Thee;
         
          O Unite Thee to my Heart,
         
          And anoint It, make It smart,
         
          With thy holy Spirits blast.

          Through the marrow of my Soul,
         
          A poor Sinner guilty, foul;
         
          So, Thy Power, O Lord, transmit,
         
          As my Heart to Thee to knit,
         
          With thy pleasing Love-chains, fast.

          Give Me such a Heart as Thine,
         
          Give my Heart to Thee to join;
         
          Give Me my hard-Heart pierced quite,
         
          Giveit, though iron-hard, contrite,
         
          By thy piercing Wound of Love.

          My Power, my Will, and All I know,
         
          Whole Obedience make to show;
         
          Deadly hungry Christ's to be,
         
          Eagerly to thirst for Thee,
         
          My dry parched Soul, O, move!

          Spread, Thou Rose of Sharon, fairly,
         
          Whose sweet Savour sents, most rarely;
         
          Fill my Nosthrils with Thy Sent,
         
          Drawing from Thee more Content,
         
          Than from Earths Sweets, when at Fairest.

          Sweetest Manna, Honey clear,
         
          Pleasant Wine, and Nectar mere;
         
          And thou Sweet, where's Nothing bitter,
         
          O, may I count Nothing fitter
         
          Than Thee, for my Soul's All-rarest!

          Lo, I come, I fly to Thee,
         
          Spare, if ought offensive be;
         
          Lo, I run to Thee, apase,
         
          Yet, with bashful, blushing face,
         
          O, refuse Me not, I pray.

          Shew thy Self to Me propitious,
         
          Shun Me not, though I be vicious;
         
          Fully draw my Heart to Thee,
         
          Fully fill Its Longs for Thee,
         
          That, from Thee, I never stray.

J. V.

VOTUM MAGNETICUM, vel, Ejusdem Samuelis Ward, Votum devotum, de eodem Magnete Theologico, Jesu Christo.

PSAL. 27. 4.

Multa petunt à Te Multi, Queis multa dedisse,

Multum laesisse est; Sunt, Mihi, Pauca satis.

Pauca petunt à Te Pauci; Mihi Sussicit Unum;

Unum si dederis, non Ego Plura petam.

Hoc opus est Unum, Satis Unum, Plus-satis Unum;

Unum si dederis Tu, Mihi, Dives ero.

Hoc Unum petii, repetam, bis, terque, quaterque;

Unum si dederis Tu Mihi, gratus ero.

Ut trahar, utque traham ad Christum, Quos, morte redemit,

Unum hoc si dederis Tu, Mihi, Mille dabis.

Mille Tibi grates persolvam, Votaque reddam

Mille, Tibi; Laudes, secula, mille, canam. Amen.

S. W.

A DEVOUT VOTE, or, The holy Wish of the same M ^r Samuel Ward, touching the foresaid Theological Load stone, Christ Jesus.

PSAL. 27. 4.

LORD, Many ask Thee Much, t' whom, Much, if had,

Would do much hurt; Few Things would make Me glad.

Few ask Thee few Things, One would Me complete:

Give Me that One Thing. I will no more entreat.

This One I need, One fills, makes Mee run-ore;

Give me this One-Thing, Christ, and I have Store.

This One I crave, will crave twice, thrice, again;

This One-Thing granted, grateful I will remain.

That I, once brought, to Christ, his Saints may bring,

This one Grace given me, Hence, a Thousand spring.

For This a Thousand Thanks, and Vows I will pay;

To thee ten thousand Praises sing, for aye. Amen.