Amey Hayward of Limmington is known only for her book The Females Legacy of 1699. Even Limmington is unknown, but may be Lymington, Hampshire, or Limington, Somerset. Every poem in the book is "A Divine Poem". It contains meditations on various passages, including Matthew 25, Luke 19 and Exodus 9, 10 and 11. English Modern Women's Poetry includes, A Spiritual Meditation Upon a Bee, which is good. The Glorious Attributes of God is from the preface. The Author's Request follows A Meditation on the 25th of Matthew. The Author's Belief follows A Dialogue between Christ the Might King, and a Believer.
THE GLORIOUS ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
A few meditations on the glorious attributes of God
God’s attribute of goodness is most great,
And He in goodness is a God complete;
There is no man nor angel doth it know,
It is a fountain that doth overflow.
God’s attribute of love, it hath no end,
It doth above all other love transcend;
There is no man nor angel doth it know,
It is a fountain which doth overflow.
God’s attribute of mercy is so pure,
That now, and ever still it will endure:
No man or angel never can it know,
It is a fountain which doth overflow.
God’s attribute of glory is so bright,
That it doth dazzle all beholder’s sight;
It is a glory which doth so prevail,
The very angels doth their faces veil.
God’s attribute of knowledge is so high,
That He did know, from all eternity,
Adam would fall, with his posterity,
And so involve themselves in misery.
God’s attribute of wisdom, as we read,
By it the heavens and the earth was made;
It is a mystery which is so high,
The angels they desire therein to pry.
God’s attribute of justice none can let,
When He upon His judgment-seat shall sit,
To execute His judgments righteously,
‘Twill make the guilty sinners loud to cry.
To speak of all God’s attributes,
It is for me too high
Which am an empty barren soul,
Both withered and dry.
I empty am, Lord, fill me with thy grace,
And barren too here in my spiritual race:
Withered and dry, Thou know’st I am, O Lord,
Therefore to me Thy saving grace afford.
THE AUTHOR'S REQUEST
Lord give me oil of thy free grace
My vessel for to fill,
And help me to run out my race,
In doing of thy will.
Help me to cleanse my lamp about
From all the stinking snuffs,
So that I may not wiffer out
With any windy puffs.
But that my lamp it may burn clear,
To light me on the way,
That I may meet my Bridegroom dear,
Him to adore for aye.
Lord give me talents, two or five,
Which seemeth good to thee,
Them to improve, then I will strive,
Lord give them unto me.
But if it be thy pleasure, Lord,
To give to me but one,
And I should in the earth it hoard,
Then I shall be undone.
Therefore my God, for Jesus sake,
Give me a bigger portion,
And grant I may it double make,
Unto my great promotion.
Oh grant I may not be like him,
Which in his heart shall say,
My Lord delayeth for to come,
He will yet longer stay.
But that I may both watch and pray,
And waiting be also,
That when my Lord shall come, I may
Be ready for to go.
The Author’s Belief concerning the dealings of God towards the Sons and Daughters of Men, in order to the Compleating their Salvation by Amey Hayward
A soul cannot eternal life inherit
Unless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Do work together in a near relation
In order to complete poor man’s salvation:
The Father gives unto His Son the soul;
There’s nothing can His boundless love control.
The Son e’er He’ll impart with it again
Would give His body freely to be slain.
The Holy Spirit workers too also
Teaching each soul God’s blessed will to know.
This God for our good doth freely do,
Yet for the same He will be sought unto.
God’s chiefest end in making of mankind,
Was to fulfil the pleasure of His mind;
And He by all will glorified be,
Whether saved, or lost, to all eternity:
And seeing God His pleasure will fulfil,
Then what is now become of man’s free will?
Surely, free will was lost in Adam’s fall;
And now to good, man’s will is very small:
But God out of His matchless love, and treasure,
Makes man to will and do of His good pleasure.
