I th' eternal Shepherd daily watch My wel-fed lambs for fear Hels wolf should catch Or fright not being fearful to be bold My gentle flocks from their delightful fold I am beloved and mine own will own My sacred Name my voice is not unknown Unto my sheep they always will be all Firmly obedient to my cheerful call For which obedience they shall find reward Nay such a one as always shall accord To their desires thrice happy shall they be In truly calling and in owning me To be their Shepherd nothing can more please M'indulgent soul than such dear flocks as these I will preserve them and no wolf shall dare To seize upon them or presume to tear Their downy fleeces nothing shall be nearer Unto my heart and nothing shall be dearer In my affections for I will affect Even where and when I finde a true respect Sou. What strange contusions hath thy language bred Within my serious thoughts how hast thou fed My ears with flatteries but it is in vain Because my heart hath vow'd not to retain Thy sain'd expressions nothing shall remove My Love from God nor nothing make me love Thy wretched self then be content and cease To urge my mind or interrupt my Peace Go do thy worst and when that worst is done Sit down as wisely as thou hast begun Sat. Art thou resolv'd Well then let vengeance Upon thy cursed head be gon thou mite Nay less of goodness go make haste t' inherit light Those plagues that wait upon so damn'd a spirit Sou. May this be call d a farewell if it be The self same farewell must attend on thee I hate nay scorn to bid farewell to you 'T is charity enough to bid adieu The Souls Thankfulness and Request to God MOst gracious God I having lately felt The fervor of thy mercies needs must melt Into a thankfulness Ah should I be Ungrateful to so blest a God as thee 'T were pity ah 't were pity that the ayr Should give me breath or thy fierce hand forbear To through me headlong to the deep abyss Of speedy ruine where no comfort is Oh glorious Lord be pleased to inflame My heart with raptures to extol thy Name Alas I 'm weak and if thou shouldst deny Thy aid nothing could be more weak than I. If thou wilt help me I shall be so strong That nothing can prevail to do me wrong Lord I am blind oh therefore let thy light Expel those clouds that thus eclipse my sight Be thou my guid my strength my sight my way Or else being weak I shall or fall or stray Oh leave me not but as thou hast begun To shew me mercy let thy mercy run With my desires and grant that I may be A true forgetter of all things but thee And rather than I should forget thy call Oh let me have no memory at all Wean me oh wean me from this nursing earth Make it my sorrow and thy Throne my mirth Let every morning make me know and say Thy Lawes are Just or let me know no day Let every ev'ning make me take delight In thy commands or let me know no night Inspire my heart O God and make it glad Always in thee or make it always sad If thou afflict'st me make me understand Thou hast a storming and a calming hand If Poverty oppress me whilst I live Oh let thy mercy send me friends to give Or if thy goodness please to send me store Oh give me grace to think I may be poor It matters not O Lord how poor I be Vnto the World if I am rich to thee If I am hungry ô be thou my meat If I am weary ô be thou my seat Or if I feast O Lord be thou my guest If I am restless Lord be thou my rest If I am thirsty Lord be thou my spring If I am subject Lord be thou my King If I have Vertue make me dote upon her If Honourable be thou my Honor And if I cannot know that which I would Be pleas'd to make me know Lord what I should Then shall my ready lips express and show I know no more than thou wu'dst have me know My unty'd tongue shall evermore proclaim Th'attendant glories of thy sacred Name Divine Ejaculations 1. GReat God whose Scepter rules the Earth Distil thy fear into my heart That being rapt with holy mirth I may proclaim how good thou art Open my lips that I may sing Full praises to my God my King Ejaculation 2. Lord make the torments we endure The Symptomes of thy Love not wrath Thou art our Chiron we thy cure Our Crime 's our sores thy blood 's our bath O we are weak be thou as strong How long O Lord O Lord how long Ejaculation 3. Just Judge of Earth in whom we trust Make sharp thy sword and bend thy bow Consume the wicked save the Just For thou the Reins and heart dost know Then shall our tongues sing forth thy praise And praise thy justice all our days Ejaculat. 4. Lord teach us timely how to pray And give us patience to expect Thou hatest sin Oh guide our way Judge thou our Eoes The Just protect Then shall the wicked fall with shame And we will sing that love thy name Ejaculat. 5. Great Son of the eternal God To whom the world subjected lyes Break not but breed us with thy rod O we are foolish make us wise And if thy wrath begin to flame Wee 'l seek protection in thy Name Ejaculat 6. Lord if our enemies encrease And we invoke bow down thine ear Be thou our shield and make our peace And we will scorn what worldlings fear Great God of health great Lord of rest O make us thine and we are blest Ejaculat. 7. Thou righteous Hearer of Requests Make void the counsels of th'unjust Send peace into our trembling brests And fill our hearts with fear and trust If thou wilt make thy face to shine Let others joy in corn and wine Ejaculat. 8. Lord thou whose equal hand allays The poor mans grief whose help thou art Encline my heart to give thee praise And I will praise thee with my heart For sake me not for Lord I trust As men are cruel thou art just Ejaculat. 9. Lord crush my Lyon-hearted Foes Rout them that seek to ruine me Rise up O God forget not those Whose wrongs refer their cause to thee Or if the wicked must oppress Be thou not far from my distress Ejaculat. 10. Great God thy Garden is defac'd The Weeds do thrive thy Flowers decay O call to mind thy promise past Restore thou them cut these away Till then let not the weeds have power To starve or taint the poorest Flower Ejaculat. 11. Lord leave us not too long a space O view our griefs and hear our pray'r Clear thou our eyes unvail thy face Lest Foes presume and we despair Lord make thy mercy our repose And we will sing amidst thy Foes Ejaculat 12. Lord teach me to renown
patience with relief Ejaculat. 41. Lord if thy pleasure make me poor Thou wilt bless them that give me bread If thy sick hand hath scourg'd me sore That hand that struck will make my bed Sustain me Lord be thou my store I shall be neither sick nor poor Ejaculat. 42. My God full tears are all the dyet That seed my sad my drooping brest In my distress in my disquiet Be thou my Stay be thou my Rest Be thou my God in my relief And I will triumph in my grief Ejaculat. 43. Lord right my wrongs and plead my right Against all those that seek my Ill O let thy perfect Truth and light Conduct me to thy holy Hill Then shall thy Altar make relation Of thy due praise and my Salvation Ejaculat. 44. Lord our fore-fathers found redress In all their frights in all their fears Wilt thou be dumb to my distress And not my God as well as theirs Redeem my Soul whose loyal knee Ne're bow'd to any God but thee Ejaculat. 45. Great Bridegroom fill thy dearest Spouse With outward glory inward graces May she forget her fathers house And only cling to thy embraces Affect her heart with Love and Duty And then take pleasure in her beauty Ejaculat. 46. Lord help me when my griefs do call In my distress O be thou near Then if earth change or mountains fall I will not faint I will not fear Shew me thy wonders and inflame My heart to magnifie thy Name Ejaculat. 47. Lord let thy Judgments fill all those That love thy Mount with joy and mirth Confound and crush all Sions Foes Sion the glory of the Earth Let all that love thy Sions glory Recount her State repeat her Story Ejaculat. 48. Lord teach me wisely to contemn All goods that transitory be Let me not stand possest of them If they be not possest in thee If I be wealthy and nor wise I live but like a beast that dyes Ejaculat. 49. Lord God of Gods before whose Throne Stand fire and storms O what shall we Return to Heav'n that is our own When all the world belongs to thee We have no offering to impart But praises and a wounded heart Ejaculat. 50. Lord if thy mercies purge my heart Conceiv'd in lust and born in sin Breath truth into my inward part Renew me a firm spirit within Then let thy goodness not detest The ruines of a broken brest Ejaculat. 51. Let others boast in gold and prize Ev'l more than good and love deceit Thy mercies Lord are my supplies And on thy Name will I await Lord let thy Mercies still inure My brest to love the thing that 's pure Ejaculat. 52. Lord if thou take away thy hand How all compos'd of fears are we What arm can save what strength can stand When man poor man 's forsook by thee Lord keep my faith in thee unshaken For thou forsak'st not till forsaken Ejaculat. 53. Lord let thy name secure and free My threat'ned Soul from all my foes Stand thou with them that stand for me Support all these suppress all those Then shall my Soul division run Upon thy praise till time be done Ejaculat. 54. Hearer of prayers confound my Foes That bruise my tortur'd Soul to dust In man alas there 's no repose Foes have no pity friends no trust My trust is in thy word which says They shall not live out half their days Ejaculat. 55. O God the malice of my Foes Encreaseth daily more and more But Lord thou art my safe repose Thou art my strength thou art my store Be thou my gracious God and then I will not fear the pow'r of men Ejaculat. 56. Be gracious Lord unto my grief For in thy shadow do I trust O send me plentiful relief For thou art merciful and Just Then shall my spirits utter forth Twi-light Hosanna's to thy worth Ejaculat. 57. Lord keep me from those hearts and tongues That practice mischief from the womb Weigh right to them that weigh us wrongs And let confusion be their doom But let the just be fill'd with mirth And fear that God that rules the earth Ejaculat. 58. Lord save me from my Foes make void Their plots and all their Counsels vain For ever let them be destroy'd For in thy hand my hopes remain And I will always spend my days In Hymns of thanks and Songs of praise Ejaculat. 59. Lord though we feel the bitter taste Os thy displeasure for a while Yet thou art gracious and at last Thy angry brow that frown'd will smile Oh when that storm is over-blown Thou 'lt trample those that tread us down Ejaculat. 60. Lord hear my troubled voice and bring My Soul to that sweet Rock of Rest Protect all those that strive to sing Thy praises with a cheerful brest Let comfort with our years increase That we may praise thy name in peace Ejaculat. 61. Lord God from whom all mercy springs Instruct my hopes to wait on thee Teach me what vain and fruitless things The helps of what is earthly be All strength belongs to thee alone 'T is thou my God must help or none Ejaculat. 62. Lord how I long to see thy face That I might spend me in thy praise Thou art my glory in disgrace Sustain my steps direct my ways Thou art my refuge when oprrest With grief my joy with toyl my rest Ejaculat. 63. Lord hide me from my bloody Foes For in thy goodness do I trust Protect my sought-for life from those That shoot in secret for the just So then shall I that fear thy Name Have cause of glory they of shame Ejaculat. 64. Thou gracious Hearer of Requests Hide all my sins behind thy merits Shower down thy Spirit into our brests And drop thy Grace into our Spirits That from our Faith rich works may spring And give us cause to shout and sing Ejaculat. 65. Lord if thy flame must needs be felt Let us be purged in that flame Let our rebellious spirits melt Into the praises of thy Name That we being tutor'd and kept under May fear with Love and love with Wonder Ejaculat. 66. Lord let thy favour still inflame Our light'ned hearts to walk thy ways That all the World may praise thy Name And all the Earth may sing thy praise So fructifie our hearts that we May bless thy Name being blest by thee Ejaculat. 67. Lord rise in power within mine heart And chase my sins thy Foes and mine Then shall I see thee as thou art In Glory great in Power divine So I more white than Snow shall sing Thy ways and praise my God my King Ejaculat. 68. To that sweet Lamb which did sustain Grief above weight Pain above measure Whose stripes and scoffs and grief and pain Were only purchas'd by our pleasure Be Honor Glory Praises given By Souls on Earth by Saints in Heaven Ejaculat. 69. Let shame be their due recompence That seek to wound my Soul with shame Be thou their help and strong defence That seek thee Lord
of men who dayly are betray'd By those insidious snares which Satan lay'd T' intrap their Souls Alas how void of care Is heedless man How subject to a snare But he whose more than superficial love Is always active lab'ring to improve Our hearts with thankfulness denies to let Our Souls be taken in th' eternal net Of unconceived misery and live In lasting death not having power to give The least of drops unto our howling tongues But suck the Flames until our sulphurous lungs Crackle and belch forth brimstone till we tire Our Carbonado'd members in a fire That 's inextinct the more we strive to turn Our parched Souls still more and more they burn Resolve these things within thy serious mind Oh Man let Love instruct thee to be kinde To him that 's loving do no disrespect A God whose Soul so dearly can affect Pour out thy thoughts and practise to relent And let thy thoughts induce thee to repent Grasp opportunity Time 's always flying God's always living and thou always dying Dye then before thou dy'st redeem the time Because thy days are evil learn to clime Jacobs erected ladder thou shalt see Th'adst better clime a Ladder than a Tree As Judas did Be wise and do not fan Thy Soul with air remember what a span Thou art remember whose inspired breath Made thee a Soul forget not whose sad death Made thee alive be mindful that thou art Th' Epitomy of Heav'n inure thy heart To love the best of loves so shall thy brest Be fill'd with comfort and thy Soul with rest Prepare and know the very fowls delight To prune their wings before they take their flight Although terrestial Kings will not permit A Traitor to his Courts nor let him sit Before his presence though they will not hear A Malefactors prayers yet Heav'ns blest ear Is always open and his tongue invites Repentant sinners for his eye delights To view them in his Courts when they appear For muddy waters may at last prove clear 'T is not unlike ill scented dunghils may At last bear flowers that which is foul to day To morrow may prove fair the thing that cost Millions of silver may as well be lost As things of smaller value Heav'n can spy A miâ—e as well as mountains for his eye Is lodg'd in every cranny of mans heart And he knows all that searches every part Where breathes that Mortal that can comprehend The ways thoughts of God who knows the end Of his beginning He that can break a rocky heart in twain And re-unite it if he please again He that can part the boiling waves and stand Upon the Seas as on the dryest Land He whose celestial power can make the graves To open and command their slumb'ring slaves To rise nay more to stand nay more to walk Nay more if more than this may be to talk He that can make a Whale to entertain A Jonah and to spue him out again He whose almighty power can unlock The flinty bowels of a scragged Rock And make her headlong-gushing streams abound To wash the bosom of the thirsty ground He that can transmutate by power divine The poorest water into richest wine He that can curb rude Boreas and asswage The lawless passion of the Oceans rage He that can rain down Manna to supply The craving stomacks of mortality He that can like an all-commanding God Make Almonds flourish from a sapless rod He that can make the Sun and Moon stand still Or run according to his sacred Will He that sav'd a Daniel from the paws Of Lyons and can muzzle up their jaws He that can make the greedy Raven carry Food to his Servants like a Commissary He that can with an unresisted hand Dash fire into Ice and counter-mand The wanton flames charm them that they dare But burn his Servants cords and not their hair He that can cause ten thousand to be fed With two small fishes and five loaves of bread He that can cloth himself with fire and name Himself I AM and make a bush to flame Without consuming He that can convert A Rod into a Serpent and not hurt He that can make his visage shine so bright That not a Moses can behold the light He that can strike a hand with leprosie And cure it in the twinkling of an eye He that can in a moment cut and break Tongue-tying cords make the dumb to speak He that can out of unregarded stones Raise unto Abraham many little ones He that can heal the Cripple with a touch And free him from the thraldom of his Crouch He that can cure the deaf and can expel A thousand Devils in despite of Hell He that can perfect what he first begun Expects that man should say Thy Will be done Consider man and thou shalt find it true Heav'n can do all but what he will not do Think not because thou art of low estate That he will scorn to love and love to hate Remember Dives whose unsumm'd up store Improv'd so much until he prov'd as poor As ever Job was Job unhappy I To speak it he was rich in poverty Heav'n made poor Job so rich that Satans wealth Could purchase nothing from him but his health And that corporeal too he could not boast His bargain for 't was Job that purchas'd most Happy is he that can at last inherit Riches obtain'd by an impov'rish'd spirit We'd better lick with Lazarus the crumbs Than gripe with Dives for Soul-damning sums Wealth cannot bribe the flames yet scraps may feed The hungry wretch he that has wealth may need The Crumbs of comfort David did condole Th' abundant famine of his hungry Soul Gods Love 's not mercenary to be sold For brain-distracting heart-confounding gold Hast thou not heard O Man the heav'nly cry Of him that says Ye that are poor come buy Come buy of me your pen'worth shall be such That for a little you shall purchase much Here 's Love that 's spun unto the smallest thred Though thou want'st mony yet thou mayst have bread Do thou but ask thou shalt not fail to have For God's more free to give than thou to crave Fear not to ask of him whose ready ear Before thy tongue can ask is apt to hear Heav'n loves the language of a broken heart And he will harken and with joy impart His love into thee and his milk and wine Without the price of mony shall be thine Th' ingrated Pris'ner whose dull tongue is whet With sharp'ned hunger will not fear to let His language fly to every ear that comes Within his audience and he always sums The totals of his grief in hungry words Whilst thousands pass along but few affords The blessing of an Alms perhaps they 'l grieve And seem to pity but will not relieve Yet will he not desist but hourly cry Bread bread for Heav'ns sake bread or else I die Hard hearted Man why wilt thou not relent To hear thy Brother almost hunger-spent
Craving thy succour Where 's thy love become Because th' art deaf ah wu'dst thou have him dumb Or dost thou think because thy panch is fill'd He cannot hunger He that first distill'd Those mercies on thy head expects that thou Shouldst feed thy Brother with a cheerful brow Say not thou canst not give thy treasure's light But let thy heart record the widows mite So Heav'n will fill thy Cisterns to the brim And feed thy Soul because thou hast sed him Should the Grandfather of true Charity Pass by the gates and hear thee beg and cry And not relieve thee should he slight thy prayers And scorn to take a survey of thy tears Wouldst thou not grieve and pine thy self to dust And almost say thy God was much unjust To turn away his ears from thy complaint And disrespect thy pray'rs and let thee faint For want of food Ah whither wouldst thou fly To feed thy famish'd Soul should Heav'n deny But ah he cannot for his melting Soul Is always free and willing to condole The sad conditions of distressed Man Who only strives to do but what he can To contradict him yet he 'l hear our grief In multitudes of mercies lies relief When our impris'ned Souls peep throw the grates Of this corrupting Earth our God dilates Himself unto us and he sends us meat From the rich store-house of his lofty seat He hears and hearing pities pitying sends And sending blesses and with blessing ends Even as the Sun which every day surrounds The sublime Globe and pries into the bounds Of this dark Center let his Beams reflect Upon a Molehil with as much respect As on a Mountain for his glorious Beams Shine always with equivalent extreams Even so the great and powerful Three in One That sits upon his all-inlight'ning Throne Does not deny to let his mercy crown The poorest Peasant with as much renown As the most stateliest Emperor though he Invests his body with more dignity Yet he 's but earth and must at last decay For Prince and Peasant go the self same way Their earth must turn to earth their Souls return To him that gave them or for ever burn There 's no distinction one infused breath Made them alike and both must live in death Or everlasting life both must commence Divines in Heav'n there 's no preheminence But all equality all must express With equal Joy their equal Happiness Rouse up dull man and let thy wak'ned Soul Be vigilant oh let thy thoughts enroul The love of God engrave it in thy brest That his resounding tongue may read thee blest O let thy sighs like Pens and let thy tears Like Ink transcribe the Love th'indulgent cares Of thy Creator that himself may find Within th' unblotted volume of thy mind Himself recorded so will he imbrace Thy spotless Soul and fill thee with his grace Incline thine ears and let thâ— heart rejoyce To hear the strains of his harmonious voice Harken and thou shalt hear his Prophets sing Th' admired Mercies of the glorious King Thus saith the great and ever-living One That rules the heav'ns governs earth alone 43. Thus saith the Lord that takes delight to dwel Amongst his Saints that formed Israel Created Jacob let thy sorrows flee Out of thy brest I have redeemed thee 'T was I that made thy clouded visage shine And call'd thee by my Name for thou art mine I will be with thee when thy feet shall wade Thorow the waters I will be thy aid I le make thee walk through Rivers and the waves Shall prove ambitious to become thy slaves And when thou walkest through the raging fire Th' unruly flames shall not presume t' aspire Or kindle on thy garments I alone The Lord thy God and Israels holy One And thy dear Saviour that was always true Gave Aegppt Seba and Ethiopia too To ransome thee for thou wert my delight And always pretious in my gracious sight Honors were heapt upon thee and thou wert The tender love of my affecting heart Therefore even I that am well pleas'd will give People for thy dear sake that thou mayst live Fear not for I am with thee and I 'le stand In thy defence and my all-grasping hand Shall bring thy seed from the remotest places And fill thee with my satisfying graces 6. My tongue shall call unto the North and say Unto the South Give and they shall obey Bring from a far my Sons and Daughters all Hear my loud voice be active when I call 7 I have created them and I proclaim They shall be call'd and honour'd by my Name I 'le usher forth the blind and make them see The splendent Glories of my Majestie I le cure the deaf and make their hearts rejoyce To hear the Ecchoes of my warbling voice Thus hath our God unty'd the tongues and broke His Prophets lips thus have his Prophets spoke And wilt thou be O man so much obdure As not to credit him that will assure Perpetual happiness Thou canst not ask That which he cannot give do but unmask Thy shamefac'd Soul that so thou mayst discry Jehovahs mercies with a faithful eye Descant upon his promises advise With thy own thoughts let reason make thee wise Inspect thy self weigh well thy own condition And thou shalt find thou want'st a good Physitian To cure thy maculated Soul Alas Thou art like water stop'd up in a glass So weakly fortifi'd and fenc'd about That one weak knock soon lets the Pris'ner out Vain lump of vanity what can this Earth Afford thy thoughts more than a short-liv'd mirth A mirth that fills thee with deluding toys And like a Tyrant afterwards destroys Dot'st thou on Earth For what because her pleasure Can guild thy wanton eye because her treasure Can cram thy bags because her Syrens song Can ravish thee because her power can throng Thy Soul with luxury because her charms Can court thee with delight because her arms Can pleasingly imbrace thee and impost Thy heart with gold and lull thee when th' ast lost Thy self in sleep Is this the little All That this great World can boast of Must we call These things our pleasures No they 'l prove our Our golden Fetters and our silken Snares These are the Joys we love these are the things cares That make us fly with our Icarian wings Up to Ambitions Court and there presume To gaze so long until our waxen plume Dissolve with heat and like presumptuous slaves Tumble our selves into the raging waves Of speedy Ruine Ruine's all that we Must hope t' obtain from Earths base treasurie Let 's scorn her wealth and say O Earth thou art A painted Mistress with a rotten heart Let 's hate to love that we may love to hate Th'unconstant glory of her fickle state Even as the subtile Crocodile prepares Her flatt'ring heart and eye-commanding tears To woo her Prey to come within the power Of her command that so she may devour With more facility and make her jaws To
thou abandon'd Love wilt thou imprint Thy Soul with baseness Ah what obvious flint Hath turn'd Affections edge what art thou bent To shoot at him that labours to prevent The Arrows of thy ruine which will fly Into thy brest except he puts them by Hast thou transform'd thy heart into a rock That will not move Shall mercy call and knock And thou not hear What hast thou arm'd thy heart With senseless marble that no flaming dart Of love can enter Hast thou vow'd to stand In opposition Cannot Gods Command Force thee to bow Art thou resolv'd to sport With thy destruction and not yield the Fort Oh yield betimes do not resolve to be Too much a slave to Infidelity For know frail wretch thy strength consists in clay When Mercy 's lost then Judgment finds the way Rally thy thoughts together and throw down Thy brazen walls thy yielding yields a Crown For 't is in vain to oppose an arm that can Out-grasp the measure of so small a span Alas Alas it may be quickly seen What a large disproportion is between Thy God and thee Consider he is all And thou art nothing what can be more small Or what more great for he is infinite And thou art finite He is full of light And thou of darkness He is fill'd with love And thou art stuff'd with baseness He 's a Dove And thou a Worm Thus thus thou mayst descry His firmness and thine own infirmity Then be not obstinate but strike the Sails Of thy desires to him that never fails And know 't is easie in an inch of time To take a worm ingarrison'd with slime For such a thing thou art and all thy power Must yield to Heavens assaults thy April shower Has no continuance therefore do not strive Against a God whose wisdom can contrive What pleases him Alas thy state is grounded Upon contingencies thou art compounded Of nothing but uncertainties thy Arm Assumes no power except it be to harm Thy wilful self Then why wilt thou contend With him that importunes to be thy friend Thy friend soul-saving word what higher bliss Can crown a heart than such a friend as this Oh life of Ravishment how can it be A God a worm and yet a Sympathie Strange condescention was the like e're known Or fpoke by any mouth except his own Hie balmy breath declares that he will save And succor those that faithfully do crave His blest assistance Hark and hear him say Ye that are heavy loaded come away Oh come to me I am content to bear Your burthens and extenuate your care What higher note of love was ever strain'd To any ear Oh how hath man obtain'd So great a friendship 'T is a happy lot Nay and a wonder not to be forgot And yet it is not strange that he should prove So true a Lover that 's compos'd of Love And can do nothing else If he correct 'T is for thy crimes he only has th' effect Of anger for his grieved spirit moans To punish Sinners and to hear their groans His Soul takes no delight to crush to death The offending pris'ners of th' inferior Earth He is the rich Exchequer of all good And is by nothing except man withstood All things perform what they were made to do But only man that strives to prove untrue To his Creator nothing can be found Within thy brest but that which is unsound How sad it is to hear th' Almighty say I 've nourish'd children that are gone astray And scorn to own me Oh rebellious dust That hate my paths because my ways are just The Ox will know his Owner and the Ass His Masters crib but Israel alas Will not acknowledge me but have destroy'd Themselves made their understanding void Has not my fury then just cause to swell Because they can do nothing but rebel Nefandous Creature how canst thou endure Thy wretched self Ah why wilt thou procure Thine own destructions shall all creatures be Obedient to their owners only thee And wilt thou not acknowledge him that gave Large blessings to thee and desires to save Thy Soul from torments if thou wouldst incline Thy will to his whose thoughts are all divine Forget obduracy and learn the Art Of loving him that loves an upright heart Go ruminate upon thy base estate And be unto thy self compassionate Yield to thy Maker with a cheerful brow First know what 't is to love and after how Love is the Laws fulfiller he that will Love God aright must practise how to fill His Soul with true affection for the ways Of Heav'n are pav'd with Love Immortal praise Attend his Courts he that forgets to love Forgets his God They that desire to prove Heav'ns amatorious Guests must first admire How such a spark as man came to aspire To such a flame and how he came to be Not only Earths but Heavens Epitomie Be serious then and let thy thoughts reflect Upon Heav'ns goodness and thy disrespect God out of Nothing except Love compil'd This spacious World as if some princely child Were to be born His providential care Was as it were ambitious to prepare The quintessence of pleasures to invite Some stately Guest to banquet with delight First he extracted from a darksom Cell A glorious Light whose beauty pleas'd him well Then he prepar'd a Canopy inlayd With glittring Pearl whose twinkling luster made A Heav nly shew and afterwards his hand Dasht back the waters from the naked Land Then he commanded that the Earth being come Out from the Oceans new delivered womb Should be adorn'd with an imbroidered Gown That so her new-warm'd bowels might abound With several fruits Thus having plaid his part Upon this Theatre this life of Art He usher'd in a thing which pleas'd him best He made the Feast and after made the Guest Call'd by the name of Man a naked small And dusty shiftless Creature this was all And all this nothing but a lump of death Until inspir'd by Heav'ns all-quickning breath Vain simple wretch ah how couldst thou behave Thy self before a Judge so great so grave Hadst thou but seen thy self thou wouldst have cry'd Thy self to death and with a blush defy'd Thy base estate to think that thou should'st be Natures most base and rude Anatomie Couldst thou expect that Heav'n would entertain A thing so poor so weak so vile so vain Which like a spark blown from a new-made fire Can onely shew it self and then expire Was it for this the All-Creator made Such large provision Was 't for this he laid Such rich Foundations Was 't for this his Power Deckt this well-pleasing odoriferous Bower Was it for this this little world he form'd A world so great was it for this he warm'd The Earths chill bosom was 't for this he spent His six days Labor was 't for this intent He made a Paradise where Flora spred Her fragrant off-spring and made Earth a Bed Of rare compounded pleasures where he plac'd This new-come Guest whose
joys thy brest shall burn With flaming care until thy corps return Into the bowels of th' inclusive earth From whence thou hadst thy substance and thy birth For base thou art and therefore thou shalt be A food for gnawing worms and not for me As thou art dust to dust thou shalt retire Hereafter let not dust presume t' aspire Strange alteration Oh pernicious fate Too quickly bred in such an Infant state He that but even now enjoy'd a life Ballanc'd with pleasures now is fill'd with strife He whose Majestick Soul was lately crown'd With blest content is now ingulf'd and drown'd In sorrows Ocean He which was before Inrich'd with happiness is now as poor As poverty can make him He which had The countenance of Heav'n to make him glad Is now eclipst he knows not where to run Sin having interpos'd between the Sun And his dark Soul the Center of whose rest Is now remov'd and he survives unblest He which but even now had leave to dwell And revel in Heav'ns eye desires a Cell To entertain him he which liv'd in Peace Is now thrown down and forfeited his Lease Great was his Crime great was his sudden Fall Great was his Tenement his Rent but small Poor Adam's taken by his own decoys Sin is the Sequestrator of all j ys Sad Pilgrim of the world where wilt thou find In the unpathed earth a place so kind To entertain thee Ah where wilt thou keep Thus tumbled from a Precipice so steep The sad unpeopl'd rendezvouz Oh where Wilt thou procure a hand that will unsnare Th'intangled Soul Alas thy wearied life Hath two most sad companions first a Wife Than a bad Conscience what two greater crosses Can hang upon a brest whose cares whose losses Are grown so infinit that no relief But what distills from Heav'n can ease their grief Thou wert the first of men that entertain'd So grand a sorrow thou the first that stain'd So pure a colour thou the first that dwelt In Edens garden thou the first that felt The scourge of fury hadst thou not transgrest Vengeance had found no hand nor grief a brest Ah hadst thou not offended sin had found No habitation nor thy Soul a wound Had not thy hand so wilfully unlock'd The door of Death Destruction had not knock'd At thine impenetrable gates or ventur'd T' approach so near but being open'd enter'd Bold Customer of fate that sought about To come within and turn poor Adam out Thy strength out strength'd his strength made him weak A vessel crack'd how can it chuse but leak Sin prov'd Deaths father mans heart the womb That brought it forth this Deatb shall find a tomb When the Determiner of time hath hurl'd A finis to the volume of the world Till then man mortaliz'd by sin must be A subject unto Deaths Soveraigntie Poor man in what a wilderness of sorrow Dost thou now ramble in where wilt thou borrow A minutes rest On what inclining ear Wilt thou expend thy groans what canst thou hear But dialects of misery to vex hear Thy bankrupt thoughts The fatal disrespects Of Heav'n will blow and toss thee up and down From place to place his still renewed frown Will follow thee therefore provide t' endure The hot pursutes of such a fierce Pursuer Canst thou expect that this thy grand abuse Which runs beyond the limits of excuse Can be forgotten dost thou think t'out-live Thy long-liv'd crimes or hope for power to give Due satisfaction to thy God whose rage Thy heart cannot endure much less asswage Most lachrymable state What canst thou do Oh man that may ingratiate or renew Thy former love Alas thy base condition Makes thee incapable of a Petition Prepare thy self see if thou canst invade His Soul with pray'rs see if thou canst perswade His Heart to yield unto thy sad request And re-inthrone thee with thy former rest Dissect thy Soul with groans anatomize Thy Heart with sighs and let thy winged cries Fly through the Angles of his sacred ear And breed a harmony within the Sphere Of his blest Soul be circumspect and lay The best foundation hear what Heav'n will say Adams Petition to God Incensed Father of eternal light Permit a darkened Soul t' approach the sight Of thine incomparble eye unmask Thy Anger-clouded Soul and let me ask Forgiveness for those loading Crimes which press My stagg'ring Soul I know not whom t' address My apostate self unto but only thee Whom I offended Please to pity me I have no pleasing sacrifice t' attone Thy wrathful Brest except a hearty groan That 's quadrupl'd with grief Oh deign to look Upon the lines of my all-blotted book Although I 'm full of most detested spots Yet Lord I know that thou canst read my blots Oh read them then and let thy mercies run With thy progressive eye I am undone If not forgiven Lord I thee implore To shew some mercy to me thou hast store Decipher all my sins and let them not Bear record in thy Rouls but rest forgot Revoke this Act of death that I may sing Th' admired mercies of so blest a King Oh lift me up that now am thrown below Make not my Soul the Custom-house of woe Oh hear these bitter groans that I have spent And send some comfort from thy Parliament Gods Reply Thou Skelleton of baseness hie thee hence Disturb me not return I say from whence Thou cam'st at first thou shalt as soon remove A mountain as my mind I cannot love No nor I will not nothing shall intreat My resolutions for my fury 's great Begone proud Rebel do not think thy prayers Thy vows thy groans thy sighs thy sobs thy tears Shall make my brest their receptacle No How can I be a friend to such a foe Surcease thy importunities let fall Thy high desires I will not hear thee call Thy Sins have bart'd my ears I 'le not be won With thy base airy words for thou hast spun The thread of thy destruction therefore wear What thou hast labour'd for and so forbear T'intrench upon my patience 't is in vain To seek for that which thou shalt not obtain And is it thus that Heav'n will not regard My cryes Ah me and must my groans be heard With disrespect by him whose tongue affords Nothing but grief involv'd with bitter words Alas alas what greater woe can crowd Into a brest than to be disavow'd By Gods high voice whose most enraged breath Darts forth the Arrows of eternal death What shall I do Oh whither shall I run To hide my self until the glorious Sun Of his affections usher in the day Of welcom Joy Oh whither shall I stray If I am silent then my silence turns My thoughts to fire If speak my speech returns Trebl'd with wo into the brazen Tower Of my sad heart my language has no power To work upon his ears my words like balls Banded and thrown against th' obdurate walls Unyielding brest bounds back again and breaks Into
execute by her tyrannike Laws Even so this World those Crocodile-like eyes Are always flowing wanting no supplies Of gliding tears to wash the rugged faces Of her designs with falsifying graces That so she may by her too smooth delusion Make Man the Author of his own confusion Frail flesh and blood how canst thou take delight To love this World that cannot give a mite Of comfort to thee but will still intrap And daily lull thee in her lustful lap Shee 'l rock thy Soul to ruine and shee 'l spawn Baseness into thee shee 'l deceive and fawn Upon the heart and with her guilded baits Shee 'l hook thy Soul unto the worst of fates There 's nothing in her that deserves the name Of Constancy her glory is her shame Smile at her tears for every drop she vents Harbors ten thousand thousand discontents Believe her not but when she speaks the best Believe the worst and if she promise rest Assure thy self of trouble if she chance To promise Treasure let thy thoughts advance Above her promises contemn her dross For what thou gain'st from her will be thy loss Let not her wealthy Donatives perswade Thy heart t' accept when once thou art betray'd There 's no resistance They that well advise Before they act deserve the name of wise But they that study in her frantick Schools May prove her wise men but Heav'ns out-cast fools Ask her the way to Bliss try if her skill Can give directions ask her if she will Fill thee with blest Eternity conjure Her helpless aid see if she can assure A safety to thee ask her if she can Prescribe a cure for a despairing Man Tell her thy Soul is sick thou canst not live A minure longer see if shee can give A Cordial to thee see if she can heal A broken heart see if she can reveal Celestial Joys unto thee and impart A heav'nly comfort to thy grieved heart If so cheer up and prosecute thy mirth And say there is no other Heaven but Earth Do thus fond Man and thou shalt quickly see A baffl'd World that cannot answer thee But must be silent for she cannot plead For her own self she knows she cannot lead The way to Heav'n she 's but a bad Director A base Believer and a worse Protector Thus shalt thou make her envy swell and burst And like the Basilisk discover'd first She needs must dye but if she should discover Thee first farewel th' art murder'd by thy Lover Then shalt thou hear the Soul-amazing tone Of him that sits on his immortal Throne Pronounce against thee at the dreadful day Of thy accounts thus shalt thou hear him say Depart ye cursed off-springs of a Father As curst as you avoid my sight go gather The fruits of your deserts you have forgot The God that made you and I know ye not See if the World within whose folding arms You always slept can quit thee from the harms That must ensue see if her flatt'ring power Can shelter thee from the ore-flowing shower Of my fast-dropping rage see if her brest Can entertain thee with eternal rest Be gone be gone my fury hates to see Such Miscreants had you remember'd me I now had known you had you made me eat When I was forc'd to importune for meat I now would bless you with celestial dyet And crown your Souls with everlasting quiet Had you but quencht my raging thirst or gave A single drop that very drop should save Your death-adjudged Souls and you should sup Abundant comforts from my streaming Cup Had you sad sons of vengeance but supply'd My nakedness with Garments when I cry'd And calld upon your charity to send Relief unto me I had been your friend Or had your more than marble hearts reliev'd M'impris ned body now ye had not griev'd Had you your world-affined Souls addrest Your selves unto me when I was opprest With lingrging sickness then I would have fed Your Souls which now are starv'd with heav'nly bread But since you have not done it unto those Which I esteem'd y 'ave prov'd your selves my foes Therefore be gone let darkness be your lot Learn to remember that ye have forgot My mercies go and let my judgments dwell Within your guilty hearts let black-mouth'd Hell Plague you with torments let him always lash Your hearts with flames until ye howl and gnash Your teeth together Go depart my sight And taste the fruit of everlasting night But as for you whose better deeds have found Acceptance in my heart ye shall be crown'd With unremoved happiness because Ye have obsequiously perform'd my Laws You fed my craving stomach and you cloath'd My naked body and you have not loath'd To visit me and when I was a stranger Ye took me in and guarded me from danger Go then my Lambs and let your Oratory Proclaim the greatness of your Fathers glory Go revel in my Courts no discontent Shall breed a faction in my Parliament I 'le pass an Act of Peace and it shall be Sign'd by the hand of my Eternity My tongue shall style you blessed and my voice Shall raise your Souls and teach you to rejoyce Your unexcised pleasures shall abound To infinite your ravisht hearts shall sound The depth of my delights all things shall move Within the sphere of uncontrouled Love Be well assur'd your pleasures shall be great Then fly from Judgment to my Mercy-seat And there rejoyce with a tryumphant mirth My Love shall live with them that hated Earth Obdurate Man here here thou mayst descry Judgment and Mercy one to terrifie The other to perswade and yet wilt thou Prove adamantine and refuse to bow To thy Redeemer Canst thou ruminate Upon his Love and yet wilt not dilate Thy Soul unto him Is thy brazen heart Impenetrable Will no flaming dart Of true affection enter Hast thou vow'd To stop thy ears Shall mercy call aloud And thou not hear Shall thund'ring Judgments rattle About thy ears and yet wilt thou imbattle Against the Lord of Hosts wilt thou invoke Perpetual vengeance to entail a stroke Upon thy stubborn heart What dost thou think Hell's void of flames or that thy God will wink At thine enormities Go rally all Thy thoughts together and discreetly sall Into a serious study Let thy mind Be absolute and really enclin'd To meditation contradict the rage Of thine own passion labour to asswage The fire of lust that so thou mayst behold With more serenity how manifold His mercies are that every day prevents The sad incursions of deprav'd events Think but in what a most defam'd condition The Soul was in before the grand Physitian Of Heav'n and Earth spontaniously set down A balm from his own Gilead to crown The sons of grief think what we did endure Before his wounds had perfected thy cure Remember how undauntedly he stood And sweat himself into a crimson flood To ransom thee remember how his woes Were asperared by his raging foes Remember how his sacred temples wore
A spiny Crown remember how it tore His sublime Front remember how they broach'd His brest with Spears and shamefully reproach'd His spotless fame remember how they nail'd His spreading hands remember how they scal'd His Ivory Walls remember how they spawl'd Upon his face remember how they bawl'd And banded at his Agony whilst he Prov'd patient Martyr to their tyranny Remember when he came unto the brink Of death they gave him vinegar to drink Nay more because they vowd to empty all Their poys'ned malice out they gave him Gall. Oh bitter deed Oh most abhorred Crimes Too nearly parallel'd in these our times Thus having put a period to their plots They thought it good to cast their hellish lots For his I dare not say mean clothes I know They were our Saviours to whose worth we owe Perpetual thanks 't was his well finished breath Redeem'd our Souls from everlasting death Here 's Love O man that does as far transcend Thy thoughts as thy deserts that heav'n shu'd send His Son and Heir to be incarnated And suffer death for thee that wert as dead As sin could make thee 't was for thy offence He dy'd Ah how how canst thou recompence Such high-bred Favors Favors unexpected Deserve to be imbrac'd and not neglected Do not rash Soul like Cleopatra nurse Imbosom'd Vipers blessings prove a curse If once abus'd Ingratitude cuts off Th'intail of Love it is a shame to scoff At Benefactors after thou art fed Wilt thou contemn the hand that gave thee bread Wouldst thou not love that friend that should bestow A super anuated crust and shew Respect unto thee when the ebbing tyde Of Fortune runs so low that thou mayst ride Upon the sands of Poverty Fond Man Strive to be grateful study how to scan The mercies of thy God remember how He feeds thy Soul with Manna learn to bow Th' unruly thoughts with admiration think How often and how much imbitter'd drink Thy Saviour drank with what a doleful cry He beg'd of God to let that cup pass by But knowing that his pleasure must be done He prov'd himself his most obedient Son And wilt thou not copy wretch drink one poor sup Of bitter drink for him that drank a cup To sweeten thine thou need'st not fear nor scorn To taste because Heav'ns sacred Vnicorn Hath purg'd the wa'ers and they must be sweet Except they 're reimpoys'ned by thy feet If so what wilt thou do where wilt thou find An Antidote for an invenom'd mind It is reported if the Spider chance To meet the obvious Toad they 'l both advance Their inward force and mutually proclaim An open War brave Combatants of fame And having fummon'd their imbowel'd might March boldly on and both incens'd they fight The Toad being heavy loaded cannot go Or wheel about like his encountring foe But keeps his ground makes a small resistance The Spider scorning to be kept at distance Falls in upon him and with nimble rage Assaults his foe who now begins t' asswage His former fury and would fain retreat From his small Foe whose strength is grown too great For opposition being thus distress'd He crawls away and with a crop-sick brest Seeks for relief and by and by discries A Plantain leaf within whose veins there lies A secret Antidote which did at length Expel his poyson and renew his strength Having disgorg'd himself he soon returns Into the Camp where for a time he burns To be in action and at last he sees The crafty Spider creeping by degrees To seize upon him then his courage fails He knows not what to do his foe assails With all his might constraining him to yield The conquest and with shame to quit the field Then he begins to seek and hunt about To find the soveraign healing Plantain out Which had before reliev'd him and supply'd His wants but that being gone he burst and dy'd Even so if Hells black Spider chance to crawl From his infernal Web into the Hall Of this all-dusty World he soon prepares Himself to sight and suddenly declares That he the grim-look'd General of Hell Dares to encounter any Souls that dwell Within the limits of the spacious Earth And in a moment qualifie their mirth Thus Satan boasts and if he chance to meet A single Soul he 'l thus begin to greet A DIALOGUE Between the Soul and Satan Sat. SOul th' art well met Soul 'T is true for I am well Sat. Say whither art thou going Soul Not to Hell Sa. Pish talk no more of that but tel me whither Thou go st come prithee let 's go both together Soul A pretty motion when I want a guide I 'le send for thee till then thou art deny'd To be my Usher Sat. Prethee tell me why Thou art so obstinate as to deny So free a courtesie as I have shown Mischance oft falls to them that walk alone Be not so much a verse as to neglect This opportunity I can protect Thy feet from sliding dangers still attend Those that despise the favors of a friend Sou. A friend how canst thou prove that title Sat. How As thus because I 'm willing to allow The best assistance of my ready arm To guide nay and protect thee from all harm Therefore a friend So. What you pretend to show Is but external he that can bestow Internal friendship on a Soul distress'd Is a true friend no matter for the rest If Heav'n will guide my Soul I shal not stray Or fear the evils of a dangerous way But as for you I needs must borrow leave To say your friendship 's onely to deceive Conâ—â—â—ion paths your ways and if I run By your advise Ineeds must be undone God bids me fly from sin if I refuse Obedience to his will I shall abuse His just commands then will my sorrows cry When Mercy stops Judgment begins to fly Sat. Desist fond Soul and labor to divorce Thy lips from this too fabulous discourse Guild not thy words with vanity perswade These thoughts which are erroneous to evade Thy serious mind advise and thou shalt see My ways are best be principl'd by me Let not the swing of passion strike thee down But follow me 't is I must give a Crown To thy deserts 't is I that can advance Thy down-cast Soul above the reach of chance 'T is I mistaken Soul 't is I alone That must conduct thee to the sublime throne Of true Salvation 't is my hand must bring Thy trembling Soul before th'all-judging King Of Heaven and Earth it is my power can fill Thy heart with joy believe me and I will Trust not the babling languages of those That seem thy friends but are thy greatest foes They 'r great to thy destruction they 'l connive stories And fawn nay almost bury thee alive They 'l talk of Heavn and Hell they 'l tell thee Of endless boundless unconceived glories They 'l tell thee of Eternity and woo Thy Soul out of thy ears if thou ' lt
bestow Thy pains to hear them they 'l infuse and brew Their own designs and tell thee all is true That they declare they 'l tell thee that they 're sent As Messengers from Heav'ns high Parliament Believe me Soul 't is I that can display The Gospels Colours better far than they There 's nothing in that Volume so abstruse But I can winde and twist it to my use And there is nothing in this world can be Stil'd worth a Work but can be done by me I can do all it lies within my power To make thee poor or rich in half an hour I can command whole Legions to attend Upon my honor Say what nobler friend Canst thou embrace I 'le be a friend to all That will give audience to my faithful call I 'le make them swell with riches they shall have As much nay if not more than they can crave Am I not rare and rich and high and great Incomprehensible Is not my seat The throne of happiness Yet cannot I Invite thee to my sweet eternity Come gentle Soul into my twining arms I 'le hug thee I 'le delight thee with my charms I 'le shew thee all my Joys nothing shall lie Hid from the view of thy all gazing eye Happy beyond expression Soul Satan slay The Progress of thy tongue and give me way That I may vent my thoughts for you have spoke At large already and is this the stroke Which you intend shall wound me Be assur'd The blow's but small and well may be endur'd Sat. What mov'd to passion Is thy mind disturb'd With foul mistrust pray let those thoughts be curb'd What dost thou think I am perfidious Fie 'T is folly to condemn before you try Alas alas what profit can accrue To me by wronging such a Soul as you What I express is onely for your good But what is more than grave advice withstood I doubt these weak these empty thoughts presage A tempest guarded with a storm of rage Well then storm on and when thy storm is spent Sit down and meditate and then repent Soul Repent Oh happy word although exprest By a foul mouth those that repent are blest How dare thy hellish lips usurp a word Fill'd with divinity but will afford No rest no comfort to thy horrid Soul Be gone be gone and if thou canst condole Thy self thou art if Logick prove but true Curst in the Major and the Minor too Bless me ô heav'n what blust'ring stormy weather Drove such a vile prodigious Monster hither Touch-stone of baseness dost thou come to prove Whether I 'm gold or dross thou mayst remove Thy forward hopes because I hope to be Metal at last for Heav'n and not for thee Be gone fallacious wretch I cannot brook Thy golden baits I have descry'd thy hook Father of Lyes thy policy is built Upon the sands and plaister'd o're with guilt Thy tongue foretells a storm if so be sure Thy sand-built policy shall not endure Flattery 's the life of baseness and that Art Is well imprinted in thy subtile heart Dost thou believe that I can entertain Belief from thee Or dost thou think to reign Within my brest No no thy cloudy powers Are at the best but falsifying showers Be satisfi d I cannot give the least Of credit to thee nor I dare not feast My thoughts with such uncertainties I know Thy dyet must and will corrupt to woe Thou bidst me not condemn before I make Some tryal of thy trust If I should take Such green advice I quickly should undo My wretched self and in condemning you What profit could I have or what relief Could I epect to mitigate my grief My accusations would be blown as dust Before the wind I 'le neither try nor trust Sat. Nor try nor trust Art thou resolv'd to cross My real motions Do and see whose loss Will prove most weighty if I lose the heat Of thy weak love my loss will not be great But if I should withdraw my love from thee How like a Map of well-drawn misery Wouldst thou appear be wise corect thy thoughts Neglected favors prove the greatest faults Take my instructions for 't is I must bring Content unto thee 't is a glorious thing To be immortal prethee Soul decline Thy former ways say shall I call thee mine Mine mine thou art I 'le load thee with renown Let me but conquer thou shalt wear the Crown How pleasing are my joys how full of peace Are all my ways my glories still increase I 'm great and good I take delight to win Distressed Souls and lead them from their sin I cannot chuse but pity those that lye Vpon the beds of sensuality My melting Soul is always free to give Comfort to them that study how to live Alas the care and trouble that I take Is more for their content than my own sake My gates are always open they that venture To come to me shall with a welcom enter And when they call and cry I will appear My self unto them and rejoyce to hear Their sad complaints I will not hide my face From them that seek the glory of my grace I cannot be unconstant I must grieve To hear their sorrows and I will relieve I will be pitiful to them that trust In me alone I cannot be unjust I cannot no I cannot Earth shall move Sooner than I will falsifie my love I am eternal they that will endeavor To gain my love shall have my heart for ever Soul 'T is not your empty words shall make my brest Stoop to the flatt'ry of thy vain request Though I have ears to hear I have a mind That will not shake at the hard-breathing wind Of your discourse what you pretend for reason Is nothing but the froth of private treason 'T is not your multiloquious tongue can turn The Biass of my Soul or make me spurn At Holy Writ 't is not your fond conceit Of being good shall make me to retreat From Heav'ns Commands 't is not your promis'd joys Can make me chearful or your painted toys Can lure me to your fist 't is not the dart Of your vain love can penetrate my heart 'T is not your seeming clemency can make My Soul to love you for your Pities sake 'T is not your always-open gates that shall Entice my steps to your large Guilded Hall 'T is not your self-appearance shall invite My well-composed thoughts to your delight 'T is not your greatness that shall make me yield To your desires Religion is my shield I le neither fear nor love your rash evasions Nor give attendance to your smooth perswasions ' Nis difficult to serve two Masters well Who strays from Heav'n must needs approach to Hell I am advis'd to shun the broad-path'd ways That lead to ruine what the Scripture says I must believe 't is dangerous to fly Without the wings of true Divinity The Scriptures are my way my light my guide And they that go without them needs must slide The paths
are strait in which I ought to run The course of grace until my days are done And they that change a Vertue for a Vice Deserve no fruit from Heav'ns blest Paradise Sat. Surcease those fond conceits thou dost but spin Thine own destruction and connive at sin Urge not the Scriptures for I dare maintain My paths are best and other ways are vain Thy Scripture conscience will at last confound Th' amazed thoughts and give thy Soul a wound That hates a cure then shalt thou prove unblest Whilst others find the plainest Road's the best Suppose thou wert I speak it for thy sake Mov'd by occasions forc'd to undertake A long-way'd journey wouldst thou not enquire The readiest way but run into the mire If thou shouldst act a crime so fouly bad Folly would style thee fool and Wisdom mad Stray not into the Wilderness of grief But come to me take courage and be brief In thy designs perswade thy self that I Am both thy light thy way and best supply In time of need I am thy prop thy stay Therefore resolve and trifle not away Thy thriftless Soul be not thy self destroyer I 'le be thy Love and thou my Loves enjoyer Know that my real brest contrives no end But what may merit so divine a friend As thine own self folly and wisdom lies Before thy face be either fool or wise Protract no time but make a speedy choice Thy welfare shall instruct me to rejoyce Observe my actions pry it to my parts Let 's know each other by exchange of hearts I 'le give thee mine and for my love restore Thine unto me grant this I le ask no more Be free to give as I am free to crave Th'adst better live my friend than die my slave For if thou shalt deny what I desire I 'le make my bellows to advance the fire Of thy distress and sorrows shall corrode Thy stubborn heart and care shall make abode Within thy brest perpetuated grief Shall find a voice but ramble from relief I 'le gripe thee till I make thee understand The fiery language of my furious hand Sighings and groanings sobs and rears and cries Shall be thy sad Concomitants thine eyes Shall stare upon well may I call them new And horrid Lights such Lights as shall renew Thy growing torments every thing shal be Thy fellow-slaves in servile miserie I 'le yoke thee with distress nay and I 'le chain Thy struggling Soul with everlasting pain I 'le crow'd thee full of sorrows and I 'le double Thy unconceived uncontrouled trouble Whilst I triumphing I will sit aloft And be ador'd and scoff to see thee scoft Pity shal be a stranger to my brest My care shal be to make thy Soul unblest The tydes of woe shall overflow thy thoughts And be equivalent unto thy faults Be sure that what extremity can be Thought worth the using shall be us'd on thee Now I have spoke if thou wilt not repent I 'le cease to speak and study to torment Sou. How full of poyson's every word that flows Out of thy mouth what trust can I repose In such a flatterrer I dare not try Or throw my self upon thy courtesie I know thou canst not answer my request There is no truth in a self-praising brest If I should dive into the deep abyss Of thy black thoughts what glory or what bliss Should I discern Or if I should deliver My heart to thee thou'dst disrespect the giver Though at the first perhaps thou wouldst express A seeming-unbeseeming thankfulness Yet at the last I know thou would decline Thy promis'd ways and style me to be thine Fair words find eafie passage they proceed But from the tongue th' event stil crowns the deed Three things denote a friend first to conceal A secret speech the next is to reveal A private good the â—ast is to advise The safest way t' obtain an enterprise And he that can do this as you pretend Deserves the title of a real friend But my Religion tutors me to say Nay and affirm You neither can nor may I 'm sure it is if reason dare prove true One thing to speak another thing to do Your words are ayry messengers which fly Into my ears and there enroul a Lye Many untruths have broken the common Goal Of thy foul mouth thou sayst thon canst prevail To make me glorious aud thou canst encrease My joys and crown me with eternal peace Thou sayst th' art good and great that thy paths Lead to Salvation thou declar'st thy Laws To be most just if all these things be true I needs must call the Scriptures false or you Truth bids me tell thee boldly when thou cry'st Th' art great and good and rich and rare thou lyst If thou art good and great pray tell me why Thou wilt behold so vile a wretch as I These things bespeak thee humble unto which Thou plead'st not guilty and if thou art rich How can it be that thou wilt condescend To feed my wants that am so poor a friend Strange is that charity which seems to shine From such a diabolick brest as thine If my belief could keep an equal pace With my swift tongue how ful of Faith Grace Should I appear Such Faith as would devast My wanton Soul and make mee weep as fast It is impossible to find a Sion That has no Governor except a Lyon The Souls Petition to God Oh Heav'n I crave that thou wouldst keep me stil From this most vile Progenitor of Ill Suffer him not t'infold me in his arms Or overcome me with his wanton charms Oh make my heart obdure that he may knock Upon my Soul as on a marble Rock Be thou my Fort and then I shall endure His furious On sets and repose secure Give me thy Grace that I may be content Make me as strong as he is impudent Now let the spring-tyde of thy fierce desires Flow to the height thou shalt not quench my fires Know Satan know my heart reserves no place For thy abode I scorn thee to thy face The well-dy'd colours of my Soul declares Defiance to thee and my brest prepares To give thee battle strike I rear thee not Who 's arm'd with Faith needs fear no Cannon sho Sat. What impious tongue is that which dares defie My power with so much boldnes So. Wretch 't is I 'T is I infernal Traytor that will spend My strength to prove thou art flatt'ring feind Sat. Move me to anger do and thou shalt find A courteous friend at last may prove unkind Have I not woo'd thee almost night and day To goe to Heaven Sou. The quite contrary way Sat. Have I not labour'd like a watchful father To nourish thee Sou. Or like a Devil rather Sat. Have I not always taken great delight Sou. To take away good gold and give me light Sat. How much nocturnal and diurnal care Have I sustain'd for thee Sou. True t' insnare Sat. Have I not been assiduous to await Upon
thy pleasure Sou. and corrupt my state Sat. Have I not proffer'd all that can be given To a sick Soul Sou. To drive my Soul from Heaven San. Did I not promise to be true and just Sou. Did I not say I 'de neither try nor trust Sat. Did I not promise that I 'de make thee wise Sou. Did I not say thou wert compos'd of lies Sat. Did I not promise to encrease thy store So. Did I not say such wealth would make me poor Sat. Did I not promise to advance thy fame Sou. Did I not say thy honors were thy shame Sat. Did I not promise to uphold thy peace Sou. Did I not say such wars would never cease Sat. Did I not promise thee a Crown of life Sou. Did I not say that Crown would Crown my Sat. Did I not promise thee eternal glory strife Sou. Did I not say that promise was a story Sat. Did I not promise I would give thee all Sou. Did I not say such promises were small Sat Did I not tell thee I was great and good Sou. Did I not answer 't was in shedding blood Sat. Did I not tell thee that my ways were best Sou. Did I not answer that they were unblest Sat. Did I not tel thee that thou shouldst have joy Sou. Did I not answer such as would destroy Sat. Did I not tell thee that I did lament Sou. Did I not answer that I was content Sat. Did I not tell thee what a friend I 'd prove Sou. Did I not answer that I could not love Sat. Thus by fair terms I labour'd to obtain Sou. Thus in foul terms I told thee 't was in vain Sat. Then I began to threaten thee with grief Sou. And then I fled to Heav'n and found relief Sat. I threatened to afflict thee with large pains Sou. I told thee such afflictions were my gains Sat. I told thee more than now I will express Sou. My answers made thee wish I had spoke less Sat. But now I see my real words can find No rest within the Center of thy mind For 't is in vain to sow the seeds of life In a dead heart that is manur'd with strife I 'le therefore cease my importuning love I 'le shew my Serpent and keep close my Dove Do do thy worst vile wretch I le make thee know Griefs abstract and the quintessence of woe I 'le load thee with extremities thy brest Shall always crave but find no place of rest Had but my grave advice receiv'd a place Within thy heart thou hadst been fil'd with grace But now the inundations of thy trouble Shall overflow thee and I will redouble My new-contrived plagues I 'le make thee feel My melting heart is now transform'd to steel Thy tongue shall like a bolt of thunder roul And roar within thy mouth thy sulphurous Soul Shall flash forth lightning and thy blood-red eyes Shall blaze like Comets in the troubled Skies Thy teeth shall gnash as if they scorn'd to be Concomitants in so much misery Oh how I 'le carbonado every part And fill thy body with increasing smart Thy Soul shall lure for death but that shall hate To pierch upon thee and contemn thy state Life shall be still incroaching but thy breath Shall scorn that life and hate it unto death Thy flesh shall drop forth brimston and thy bones Shall court each other in their crackling tones Horror shall be thy watchman curses shall Possess thy rongue one torment still shall call Upon another when thy voice shall cry But for a drop Confusion shall reply No no thou shalt not if a golden Myne Could buy a drop that drop should not be thine Then shalt thou say if thou hadst been at first Advis'd by me thou hadst not been accurst Thus in this sad Dilemma shalt thou roar And crave my succour but I 'le not deplore Thy woful state because thou wert averse To goodness after folly comes a curse Then shalt thou know and find I will exile All thoughts of pity and I 'le rather smile Than grieve at thy distress ah know 't is bard To force an entrance where the gates are bar'd Fond Soul be serious let thy thoughts reflect On my indulgency and give respect Unto my clemency believe I will Be good to thee do but forsake thy ill Forsake forsake that evil which will turn To thy destruction do not do not burn The precious fuel of thy chaste desires In idle wanton all-consuming fires The post of time is swift and knows no stay 'T is time to go when Reason calls away Protraction's dangerous it is not good To strive with that which scorns to be withstood Then do not thou procrastinate but take This opportunity do but forsake Thy former ways and readily incline Thy self to me and I will make thee shine With so much lustre that all eyes shall gaze Upon thy brightness and admire with praise Oh may my language reach thee too believe That so my torments may not make thee grieve In utter darkness that thou mayst imbrace Those glories which adorn my peaceful place Repent dear Soul repent what thou hast done Then call me Father and I 'le love my son Thus having told thee all I 'le here desist Be thou more apt to yield than to resist Sou. I find I find you first in flict a wound And then with balsome strive to make it sound You make me smile at first but after groan One hand incloses bread the other stone I fain would take the bread but that I stand In fear and danger of the stony hand Therefore to shun all danger I 'le despise Your fond advice and practise to be wise If all should prove that you have told me true I know the best and worst that thou canst do As for your threatnings they shall not disturb My peaceful thoughts my faith shall be their curb Urge me no mote but let me rest in quiet Strong is that stomack can digest thy dyet Sat. And is it so will no perswasions work Upon thy thoughts Those pregnant crimes that lurk Within thy brest will like to Scorpions gnaw Thy groaning heart such sorrow knows no Law But since thou wilt not be advis'd expect To find reward as I have found neglect Ah why fond wretch why dost thou thus provide Thy feeble self to strive against the tyde Alas alas why art thou lull'd asleep In follies Lap Rouze up for shame and weep For thine infirmities be not thus cross To him that would preserve thee from a Loss 'T is time to cast away the works of night And cloath thee with the shining robes of light Sou. If your strong Oratory had the skill To make me yield to your unsatiate will It were enough what more could you desire Than a bad period to your bad desire But stay bold friend I 'le meditate and see What fruit will spring from thine infernal tree Sat. What must I stay vile wretch till you dispute And prove the goodness of
my pleasing fruit Must I be always waiting on the train Of your desires and spend my time in vain No no I will not for it is unfit I should attend if you will not submit Th' incensed fury of my spirits burn To be in action I will not adjourn A minute longer go and hug thy vice Thou lov'st the bargain but abhor'st the price Urge me no more away I have forgot All thoughts of friendship and I know thee not And here I leave thee to the Lawless power Of thine own passion Cursed be that hour That brought thee forth if all this will not do May all men curse thee and I 'le curse thee too Sou. And can the spring of thy affections find So soon an Autumn Canst thou be unkind With so much ease and can your real brest As you so call 't be so soon dispossest Of Love and Patience Oh how bad and strange Is the effect of such a sudden change 'T is disputable for I know not whether Anger or ' policy or both together Wharst thee to these extreams well then pursue Thine own desires and I will bid adieu To all thy follies yet my heart begun T' expand it self before the glim'ring Sun Of thy perswasions if thy sharp'ned rage Had not so soon exploded me the stage I fear I fear I had before this hour Been prostituted to thy tameless power Be gone be gone but stay hark Satan hark Go boast you shot but fairly miss'd the mark Sat. Why dost thou bid me go I m sure you speak As I have done in jest thou wilt not break The bonds of friendship though thou hast exprest Thy self in anger yet thou arâ— in jest Those good conceits that live in th'inner places Of my close heart tels me th' art fill'd with graces But there is none that can proclaim and cry They 're free from rage no not so much as I When I am angry then my heart is pleas'd Because I 'm satisfy'd my mind is eas'd Of a most pressing load which seems to tire And waste me with a brest-consuming fire A wise mans ear must always entertain Things spoke in passion to be void and vain The tongue's a restless member and oft-times Out-runs the wit and then it flyes and climbs Above all sense When Reason finds divorce The tongue proves subject to a headlong course What I have spoke observe and thou shalt find Proceeded from my passion not my mind The misconstruction of a word may make The dearest friends to vary and forsake The plains of friendship tho' their hearts are free From the curst evils of inconstancy Therefore mistake me not nor do not thou Construe my words with an incensed brow Smile on me then and cheerfully impart The loving childings of a friendly heart Then shalt thou see with what a willing arm I will conduct and guide thee from all harm Believe me Soul I am not come to scatter Uncertain stories but a real matter What I hold forth unto thee is the stem Of a pure heart thou art the only Jem Shall grow upon it come and let 's combine I shall rejoyce to see thee prove divine Sou. The Biass of thy Love runs now so strong That I much fear 't will not continue long I find I find thou hast the art to sail With any wind thou labour'st to prevail But 't is in vain for know I trust thee not My zealous heart is fearful of a plot I cannot be so foolish as to trust Without assurance that thou wilt be just Wilt thou be true Speak with a real breath Sat. I will be just believe me unto death I will I will oh may I never be True to my self it I am false to thee Sou. If thou art just and constant tel me where Thy seat is plac'd and who is Prince of th' air Be true in this and thou shalt find that I According to thy answer wil reply Sat. I 'le tell thee then because I 'le now fulfil The vast desires of thy enquiring will Where my refulgent Seat is plac't prepare Thy ears to hear I 'le speedily declare The large extent of my unbounded grace Cannot be comprehended in one place Because I am immortal unconfin'd To time or place I live in every mind That 's truly real and not disagreeing To my known Laws I have no local Being The World 's a spacious Body I the Soul Which lives in every part compleat and whole Thus this dispute is easily decided For what 's immortal cannot be divided Nay more because I 'le fill thee with content I say I 'm Prince of every Element Therefore of air Now if thou canst enquire Any thing more I 'le answer thy desire Sou. Before I suffer my swist thoughts to slide Into more questions I 'le be satisfi'd In what is past If so it be you have No local Being how then will you save Those Hosts of Souls which you intend shall be Seal'd with the Signet of Eternity Did you not tell me that your peaceful Seat Was rich sublime and without measure great If thus it be as 't is exprest by you 'T is more than strange that 't is not local too Clear but this doubt and thou shalt quickly find Those duties that attend an honest mind Flow from my brest till then I 'le rest in peace As you perform so shall my Love encrease Sat. Ambiguous Soul why dost thou thus connive At thine own follies Why dost thou deprive Thy self of comfort comforts that will heal Th'exulcerous sores of thy distemper'd weal Why art thou thus inquisitive the thing That thou desir'st to know if known will bring Small satisfaction to thy dubious brest He 's wise enough that knows he shall be blest If you enquire in such a doubtful case You l loose your rest in seeking out the place Surcease thy thoughts and do not proudly knock Thy self in peices now thou knowst the rock Pry not too sarl et secret things alone My Zodiack has more signs than must be known 'T is not the Heav'n of Heavn's that can contain Me the Creator and my glorious train I am even what I please and what I will be Even where I will So. Where 's that Sa. what 's that to thee The knowledge of my seat does no way tend To thy salvation therefore cease to spend Such fruitless thoughts cast by this needless care Learn to know what I am no matter where Sou. I must confess it is not good to pry In things that suit not the capacity But seeing 't was your pleasure to express So much of friendship I made bold t' address My self unto you pardon then my crimes You know that wisest men may doubt sometimes Your weights are light or else your courage fails You have not strength enough to turn the scales Of my affections yet you had almost Droven my ill man'd ship upon your Coast The winds of your perswasions rage and roar Within my brest I cannot find a shoar For my
desires I 'm tost from wave to wave And am become a most distracted slave Those heavenly thoughts which formerly frequenred The closet of my brest are now prevented By base bred fancies fancies that arise From a soul brain and makes me to despise Almost my self I know not what to do I dare not oh I dare not yield to you And yet I hardly can believe thou wilt Burthen thy conscience with so foul a guilt As to betray me sure thou art morekind Than to abuse a well-affected mind But yet I dare not trust a Soul pursuer Because thou kil'st when thou pretend'st to cure I reel I reel if not sustain'd I shall Receive a sudden and a deadly fall What shall I do in this deplor'd condition I fear I fear I 've lost my best Physitian Try Satan try and see what may be done For a sick Soul that foolishly has run Beyond it self oh see what thou canst do To give me ease and then I 'le call the true Sat. Now Soul I love thee rouze bid grief depart Thou hast the symptomes of an honest heart Me thinks I could with much content afford To say thou speak'st a Christian at a word Cheer up and know that many troubles wait Upon the changes of an ancient State The work of Reformation always brings Trouble at first but afterwards it sings Anthems of Peace whose fortunate event Will more than countervail thy discontent He that has spent the treasure of his days Under one Roof has reason to dispraise The troubles of removing yet at last When his defatigating cares are past He may declare himself to be a debter To fortune and confess that Life the better Even so mayst thou dear Soul hereafter say Blest be that hand which led thee from the way And paths of Ignorance although at first 'T is often known beginnings are the worst Thou feel'st a private nakedness within Because thou hast uncloath'd thy self of sin Although I must confess there cannot be A vacuum in Nature yet in thee There is an emptiness and must be still For what is empty craves a time to fill If he whose stomach hath sustain'd the rage Of sharp'ning hunger should at first asswage His appetite with fulness would it not Produce a surfeit and impose a blot Upon his wisdom raising such a strife Within his Microcosmus that his life Would be endanger'd therefore learn by rote That moderation is the chiefest note In all my Gammut none can sing so high A note as moderation only I. If I should let thee make too large a meal Of my rich joyes at first I should reveal Too much of folly for it thou shouldst take A surfeit at the first it needs must make Thee fear nay hate to entertain my diet 'T is better far to spare at first than riot Moreover should I let thee taste thy fill At first I know the reins of thy fierce will Would scorn a hand 't is dangerous to trust Presumptions spur can never want for rust Come Soul let reason rule thee do not stain Thy well-dy'd judgment 't is a greater pain To fear than sufler come I long to see Thee wanton with mee in Eternitie Then doubt no more resolve and let 's away There is no greater grief than to delay A happiness be well inform'd of this Procrastination is a foe to Bliss Sou. Thy words imposthumate my heart I feel A greater pain than ever Ixions wheel Knew how t' inflict extremities still crowd Into my thoughts my sorrows call aloud And none will hear what shall I do for I Unworthy am to live unfit to dye Except th' all ruling power above will please T'inspect my Soul and furnish me with ease To whose blest ears I 'le recommend my suit My sorrows will not let my tongue be mute Great Auditor of groans oh let my cries My sighs my tears invite thy eares thine eyes To hear and view me for I must confess My crimes are great and I am nothing less Than what is least alas and nothing better Than what is worst oh pardon me thy debter I 'm rost with grief and know not where to fleer My shipwrack'd self but still my fins appear Before my face whose looks almost affright And make me start into eternal night What shall I do or whether shall I flee That am an alien Lord except to thee From thee I cannot and I am too vile To come unto thee having made a spoyl Of those most sacred mercies which thy hand Confer'd upon me there is no command But I have broke yet gracious Lord I know That thy abounding mercies can o'reflow My sand excelling sins which cannot lie Absconded from thine all-surveying eye With shame I must confess the subtile art Of Satan hath impoysoned my heart Oh I am sick to death I swell I burst Never was any Soul so much accurst There 's none but thee thou sacred Antidote Can cure my grief be therefore pleas'd to note My sad condition let my sorrows lye Before thy face oh hear me when I cry Grant me the shield of Faith that I may stand In opposition to the powerful hand Of active Satan weaken Lord his power And add unto my strength let every hour Afford new mercies mercies that may sail Into my brest ah should my Foe prevail Oh then I perish shorten Lord his chain And lengthen out my patience oh make vain His fierce attempts that he my feel and see When he is strongest I 'm as strong as he Then shall my lips extol thee and proclaim The greatness of thy glory and his shame Give but thy grace unto me Lord and then Say what thou wilt my tongue shall say Amen Let everlasting plagues and horror dwell Within so fit a soul let black-mouth'd Hell Remove his scituation and take An everlasting Lease oh let him make A Ten'ment of thee dost thou think that I Will hear thy prayers oh no I scorn thee fye Away begon Sou. What voice is this that makes this bold intrusion Into my ears and grumbles out confusion Me thinks I see a storm-portending cloud Bowel'd with thunder and I hear a loud And horrid noyse a noyse that will confound A wel-prepared ear to hear the sound Who would not quake at such a voice as this That roars forth Malice with an Emphasis My thoughts are interrupted and amazement Flashes like Lightning through the brittle casement Of my ill glased-brest it cannot be The voice of Heav'n a God so pure as he Hates to be envious malice cannot spring From such a good and Love-composed King Although his voice made terrible oft-times By the addition of mans dayly crimes Thunders against a sinner yet his breath Can take no pleasure in a sinners death Hereafter Lord when malice finds a voice To speak my understanding shall rejoyce In knowing who it is this heart of mine Shall never quake at any voice but thine Then let hels deep-mouth'd blood-hound roar and thunder I le neither fear
nor love nor quake nor wonder For 't is not strange to hear a Lyon roare That wants his prey the more he has the more He seeks for more imploying still his power In seeking how and whom he may devour Know therefore Sathan that I am prepar'd To meet thee and I will not be out-dar'd 'T is not thy false malicious tongue shall tempt My heart to love no nor thy rage exempt My thoughts from heav'n although thy craft still For opportunity to stop good works When I compose my self and strive to pray lurks Thou seek'st to turn my thoughts another way Thou great corrupter of Diviner parts Thou watchful thief that steal'st into the hearts Of silly mortals think not to devour My armed heart with thy pursuing power Sat. Wil nothing move thee wilt thou stil mistrust If fair means will not move thee foul means must What dost thou think my arm is grown so short It cannot reach thee dost thou think to sport With my commands say thou imperious mite Who gave thee being who created light Who made the Heav'ns the Earth the Sea reply Audacious wretch speak was it thee or I Thou vain contender dost thou think to gain By striving with me any thing but pain Oh no thou shalt not for I 'le still renew Thy pinching sorrows therefore bid adieu To all thy comforts for thou shalt no more Injoy those blessings thou injoy'dst before Oh how thy horrid tongue shall roar and cry With Dives for a drop but no supply Shall dare t' appear the more thou crav'st the less Thou shalt be heard for nothing shall express The least of pleasure to thy per-boyl'd heart Thy chiefest food shall be perpetual smart Be well assured that thy ears thy eyes Shall hear nor see nought but extremities Be gon be gon my fury hates delay Hell and Damnation be thy lot away Sou. Experience makes me understand thou art A lively actor of a deadly part I find the greatness of your swelling rage Your Prologue speaks 't would be a bloudy stage If you might act as King but Heav'n prevent The cursed plots of your accurst intent I fear thee not because I know thy power Is limitted and thou canst nor devour Without commission therefore do thy worst And let thy envy swell until it burst And fall to nothing my Creator gives Me faith to say that my Redeemer lives And will protect me from the rage of those That are my known and secret deadly Foes Thy thundring words shall not make me complying For he 's unwise that dyes for fear of dying Thus being guarded with the shield of grace I 'le spit defyance in thine impious face Thou art a Lyon and thou seek'st for blood How bad 's that soul that dares to think thee good Urge me no more cashiere thy fruitless trouble The more thou strivst the more I le strive to double My resolutions for I dare not venture To rest my heart on such a bloudy center Oh no I dare not he that shall let go A certain friend for a most certain foe Justly deserves to have no other same But what reproach can build upon his name Should I permit my rambling thoughts to glance Upon thy love the Plea of Ignorance Could not be prevalent because 't is known Unto the blest-united three in one That I by his assistance have descry'd Thy real flatt'ry and thy humble pride I dare affirm no greater pride can be Than that that 's acted with humility But here I 'le stop and leave thee to inherit Th' effects of a diabolique spirit Sat. Accursed Caitiffe dost thou think to scape The fury of my hand or make a rape Upon my goodness no the Sun and Moon Shall stop their usual progresses as soon As I will change my mind Vengeance is mine And I 'le repay it on that Soul of thine Be gon be gon expect thy sudden doom It is thy sins give punishment a room Let everlasting Plagues and horrour dwell Within so fit a Soul let black-mouth'd Hell Remove his scituation and so take A still continuing Lease on her him make A ten'ment of thee dost thou think that I Will hear thy prayers oh no I scorn thee fie Away begon Sou. If words could kill I had been ere this time Worded to death but now I hope to clime Above the reach of words in thy despight Where thou mayst grumble at me but not bite Even as the surly blood-desiring Dog Ty'd with a chain or loaded with a clog Growes fiercer with restraint and stands in awe Of nothing but his Master to whose Law He must submit and keep within his list For fear will not permit him to resist But if some wandring passenger should chance To walk along he quickly would advance His watchful head and running to and fro From place to place he tuggs but cannot go Beyond his bounds but labors still in vain With fruitless bring of his senseless chain To free himself but when he finds his strength Is not sufficient to out-go the length Of his well-fastned chain he soon divides His sharp fang'd jawes and bauls until his sides And lungs are weary then he runs the round Until he layes himself upon the ground Where he remaineth much displeas'd and vext Seeming to threaten ruine to the next So thou hels ty'd-dog if thou couldst but strain And quit thy self from heav'ns fast-holding chain What Soul should scape thy jaws or be possest Of lasting peace or comfortable rest How sad how miserable had it been For patient Job had but thy power been seen Upon his heart but Heaven that will controul In spight of malice chain'd thee from his soul Alas alas Thy chain is not so long To reach a soul not is thy power so strong To break it at thy pleasure thou mayst baul And bark forth envy but not hurt at all If thou art God as thou pretendest why Why dost thou suffer such a thing as I T' expostulate so long and dost not show Thy Judgements in my speedy overthrow Sat. It is my goodness and not thy desert That breeds forbearance in my tender heart Alas alas what honour would accrue To me in conquering such a thing as you I could within a moments time asswage But that my clemency out-vies my rage Thy swelling fury for I could discharge Vollies of wrath and easily inlarge They restless torments I could make thee run Like morning mists before the rising Sun Out of my presence If I should but say The word be gon alas thou couldst not stay But ah I cannot for I hate to harm Love guids my strength that strength guids my arm Even as the Shepherd with bedewed locks Watches the feeding of his harmless flocks For fear the bold-fac'd Wolf should chance to peep Into the coasts of his beloved sheep And like a lawless Tyrant soon commence Against those Emblems of pure innocence A bloody action which would soon incite The Shepherds grief to see so sad a sight So