Divine Songs and Meditacions - The Original Classic Edition. Anne Collins
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[1]A. F. Griffith, Bibliotheca Anglo-Poetica (1815), p. 67. Griffith quotes the first two stanzas of "The Preface" as "detailing the
cause of the poems being written."
[2]Sir Egerton Brydges, ed., Restituta (1815), IV, xi. Brydges reprints passages from "The Preface," "To the Reader," "The Discourse," "A Song declaring that a Christian may finde tru Love only where tru Grace is," "A Song shewing the Mercies of God to his people...," "Another Song exciting to spirituall Mirth," "Another Song (II)," and "The Fifth Meditacion," III, 123-127, 180-184. [3]Catalogue of the Splendid, Curious, and Extensive Library of Sir Mark Masterman Sykes (1824), p. 39. Thorpe bought a very large percentage of the books in the Sykes collection.
[4]S. Austin Allibone, A Critical Dictionary of English Literature (1878), I, 411.
[5]I. A. Williams, "Bibliographical Notes and News," London Mercury, IX (1924), 529.
[6]Her poem on the Civil War suggests that she was not in sympathy with the left wing of the Puritan movement.
[7]"The Discourse" relates Miss Collins' interest in "Theologicall employments," especially as these filled her once empty life. There are 29 stanzas treating of the nature of the Trinity and the Law. In ten more stanzas, she paraphrases each of the ten Command-ments. The remaining 34 stanzas summarize the steps to salvation, and the joys of the Christian life. These theological verses follow the initial 26 stanzas, which are repetitious of "The Preface" in their autobiographical matter and pious observations. In addition to "The Discourse," the following titles have not been reprinted here:
A Song demonstrating The vanities of Earthly things; A Song manifesting The Saints eternall Happinesse;
A Song exciting to spirituall Alacrity;
A Song composed in time of Civill Warr, when the wicked did much insult over the godly; The third Meditacion;
The fourth Meditacion;
The fifth Meditacion;
Verses on the twelvth Chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Divine SONGS and
MEDITACIONS
Composed
By
An Collins.
3
LONDON,
Printed by R. Bishop. Anno Dom. 1653
To the Reader
Christian Reader,
I inform you, that by divine Providence, I have been restrained from bodily employments, suting with my disposicion, which en-forced me to a retired Course of life; Wherin it pleased God to give me such inlargednesse of mind, and activity of spirit, so that this seeming desolate condicion, proved to me most delightfull: To be breif, I became affected to Poetry, insomuch that I proceeded to practise the same; and though the helps I had therein were small, yet the thing it self appeared unto me so amiable, as that it enflamed my faculties, to put forth themselvs, in a practise so pleasing.
Now the furtherances I had herein, was what I could gather (by the benifit of hearing,) at first from prophane Histories; which gave not that satisfactory contentment, before mencioned; but it was the manifestacion of Divine Truth, or rather the Truth it self, that reduced my mind to a peacefull temper, and spirituall calmnesse, taking up my thoughts for Theologicall employments.
Witnesse hereof, this Discourse, Songs and Meditacions following; which I have set forth (as I trust) for the benifit, and comfort of others, Cheifly for those Christians who are of disconsolat Spirits, who may perceive herein, the Faithfullnesse Love, & Tender Compassionatnesse of God to his people, in that according to his gracious Promise, He doth not leave nor forsake them. Heb. 13.5. But causeth all things to work for theyr good. Rom. 8.28. This I doubt not, but most Saints in som measure, do experimentally know, therefore I will not seek by argument, to prove a thing so perspicuous. And now (Courteous Reader) I have delivered unto you, what
I intended, onely it remains that I tell you, That with my Labours, you have my Prayers to God through Jesus Christ; whose I am, and in him,
Yours,
in all Christian affection
An Collins.
The Preface.
Being through weakness to the house confin'd,
My mentall powers seeming long to sleep, were summond up, by want of wakeing mind, Their wonted course of exercise to keep,
And not to waste themselves in slumber deep; Though no work can bee so from error kept But some against it boldly will except:
Yet sith it was my morning exercise
The fruit of intellectuals to vent,
In Songs or counterfets of Poesies,
And haveing therein found no small content,
To keep that course my thoughts are therfore bent, And rather former workes to vindicate
Than any new conception to relate.
Our glorious God his creatures weaknesse sees, And therefore deales with them accordingly, Giveing the meanes of knowledg by degrees, Vnfoulding more and more the Mystery,
And opening the Seales successively, Rev. 6.
So of his goodnesse gives forth demonstracions, To his Elect in divers Dispensacions.
In legall wise hee did himself expresse
To be the only Lord Omnipotent A just avenger of all wickednesse, A jelous God in power emminent,
4
Which terror workes, and pale astonishment; Sith plagues for sin are holden forth thereby, But with no strength to crush inniquity.
Now with the Law the Gospell oft appeares, But under vailes, perspicuous unto few
Who were as those which of good tydings heares, Rejoyceing much at the report or show
Of that the Saints now by possessing know; Oft spake the Prophets Evangelicall,
Whose words like kindly drops of rain did fall. But when the plenerie of time was come
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