La scala santa, or, A scale of devotions musical and gradual being descants on the fifteen Psalms of Degrees, in metre : with contemplations and collects upon them, in prose, 1670.

CONTEMPLATIONS and COLLECTS ON THE Thirteenth PSALM of DEGREES, BEING The CXXXII. PSALM.

O Lord God! that thou mayest the more graciously consider us and our Affairs, Remember our Lord Jesus we beseech thee, and all his Afflictions, all his Humblings, all his Troubles, his Cares, and Loves, and Passions for us: look how through the whole Volume of thy Book it is written of him, That he should fulfill thy Will, O God! and therefore he begger'd himself so far as to be born of the Stock and Lineage of David, that he might perform the Promise he had made, not to fail his People, but to become their Righteousness, and their Redemption; and so though the Foxes had holes, and the Birds of the Air nests, he would not have where to lay his Head: Neither would he give sleep to his Eyes, but would be walking, and watching, and praying, whole Nights together, that he might be doing good to us, for us, in us, and with us, that here again in this base Earth and World of ours, he might find out an Ha∣bitation for the Mighty God, and a place where his holy Dove might rest. Grant then, O glorious Lord! that all his Labours and Desires, his Endeavours and good Will concerning us may not be frustrated, but let us be built up a Spiritual House upon him, and be blest in our Undertakings through him unto thy Glory; that as we have been directed, so we may go on (not stand still) to see thy Salvation, and to worship thy Goodness, which doth arise with healing under its Wings for us, as a Hen, and as an Eagle, to cure, to carry, to secure and feed us, to make our Natures thy Abode, our Hearts thy San∣ctuary, our Souls the resting Place, both for thee, and the Ark of thy Strength; and all this, to what purpose? but for our Advantage, (not thine) that we might be a Chosen Generation, a Royal Priest∣hood, cloathed with Christ's Righteousness, and cover'd with thy Comeliness, which invests us with all Peace and Joy through the Holy Ghost.

O therefore! let us lift up our Hearts with Love, and Praise, and Comfort, in believing, trusting, and begging, for thy Son's sake, that neither our Faces may be turned from thee to go a Whoring after other things (that are not God, nor indeed good), nor let the face of thine Anointed be turned so away from us, as not to know us at the last Day.

No, blessed Lord! grant us such an interest in our dear Redeemer, as that we may have a Title to thy Favour, and be able to put thee in mind how thou hast sworn, and wilt not fail unto thy well-beloved Son, that of the Fruit of his Body thou wilt set upon the Throne, and hast promised to all true Believers (his Servants,) that if they keep thy Covenant, they and their Children shall Reign with thee for

ever, and find new cause of rejoycing in thee, who hast chosen the Sons of Men for thy Zion, and desired their enlarged Souls for thy restful Habitation, and chief Delight!

But when shall we come to this Joy unspeakable, and full of Glory? When we have with patience waited on thy good pleasure, and not fainted in our expectation of thy faithfulness, then for certain we shall see thee, abundantly blessing and rewarding the small Provisions made here to serve thee withall, and thou wilt satisfie such as hunger and thirst after thy Kingdom with the Bread of Life, and with the Wells of Salvation, and they shall be array'd like thy Priests with Holiness, and shine like Lamps in thy Presence for evermore. Amen.

HElp us, O Mighty God of Jacob! to sing no Requiems to our Souls or Conditions here, 'till we have not only heard of thee with the hearing of the Ear, but hearkened unto thee with the attention of the Mind, and come unto thee with the obedience of the Will, finding out a place in our Affections and Understandings where thou mayest dwell, that thou mayest hereafter prepare a Mansion for us, even in thy House, O Father!

And with us be mindful of all Degrees amongst us, from David upon the Throne, to Job upon the Dunghill; be good unto them in all their Cares, Vows, Prayers, Devotions, and Afflictions, accor∣ding to the multitude of thy most tender Mercies, and comfortable Promises: Let the King rejoyce in thy strength, O Lord! and do thou make his Power to flourish, and his Righteousness to blossom like the Rod of Aaron; ordain a lustre of Honour and Happiness for him and his House for evermore; let not his Candle go out in obscurity, nor quench the Light of Israel, but let his Enemies be inveloped with disgrace and disappointments, and cloath thy Priests, and our Church of England, with Honour, Prosperity, and perfect Redemption, that the Horn of David may bud amongst us, and the Power of Godliness shoot forth every where in our Land, in the great City, in Princes Courts, and in thy House and ours, so that thou mayest have Mercy on Zion, and repair the breaches of thy Jerusalem, while she that sate Disconsolate as a Widow may now be feasted with Bread from Heaven, with the Manna of Divine Ordinances duly administred; so that no Soul amongst us may go empty away, but that even he who gathers least may have no lack.* 1.1

Lord! thou canst make thy holy Viands, like David's Provision at the Passover, be dealt so plentifully to every one, as that none shall be unprovided for, or ashamed, who depend like Ruth upon thy Bounty; but they who despise thee shall be wrapt up in Confusion as in a Cloak.

Therefore let thy Servants joy in thy Salvation, and all our People know the Lord, acknowledging his Goodness and his Bounty that blesses the Abundance of the Rich, and fills the Hungry with good things, that both may have Bread enough, and neither want nor repine, but seek their Food of God, while he makes those that depart wickedly from him to continue in shame and scarcity.

Ah! that we may stand in a we and not sin, lest we inherit the pro∣motion of Fools, instead of the Kingdom and Crown of David; so provide for us, gracious Master, in every state and condition, as may seem best to thy God-like Wisdom, and prove most to thine Eternal Glory, if not to ours, O! Our Father, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exod. 16.18.