Life a Life so poor and mean A Life so larded with sad grief and pain As if his mortal foe a man would curse All his invention could not wish him worse Then I am now then I am I sad I Who that I may be sadder must not dye Lord how my Sighs with force ingeminate Pump up whole floods of Tears which when I eat Are now the only Sawces to my Meat For from my Eyes these as from Water-spout Like Rain swoln Torrents issue always out Then let me dye O let me quickly dye As others do and not so cruelly Be forc'd thus to survive my Losse and see Under the Heavens no sinful man like me No sinful man no none of all that Race So much opprest as I am none alace Of Heavens foes suffering so much as I Who liv'd by th' Laws and Rules of Piety As I who always studied to shun Those Courses which a many Mortals run As I who always shunn'd to give occasion To my indeed kind God of provocation But now I plainly see my former Zeal And Piety could not with him prevail T' avert this blow no no my clouds of Prayers Are now dissolv'd in deluges of Tears And I must suffer now what never man Endur'd before me since the world began Indeed in th' affluence of my former bless I still would fear this sad Catastasis And these same thoughts did so my Spirit seize As in the night time my o're wearied eyes Had little sleep for I could ne're endure In all my prosp'rous time to live secure As some who on their earthly Blessings rest Which makes me so uneasily dâ—gest My present troubles O then let me dye For since alace my â—eal and Piety My Prayers my Tears my daily Offerings Could not prevent my present Sufferings How should I think they can me extricate Out of this sad and miscrable state Then let me dye O let me dye again I beg it Lord let me be out of pain At any rate let not thy dreadful wrath Deprive me of the benefit of death As it has done of all things here below Nâ— my good God permit it not for so I shall in horrour live and possibly After long sufferings in despair shall dye O let me dye then for thy mercies sake Lord let me dye and force me not to take Those resolutions which some other men Would take if in such misery and pain Burst then poor heart O split burst speedily That I may have the happiness to dye To dye and then I know my Makers wrath For all this will be by my single death Quickly appeas'd and in the grave I shall Rest sweetly free of troubles after all O death what mortal can thy worth esteem Who 's he can thy intrinsick value name All states of life are daily to be sold But thou death art not to be had for gold Though th' world of life but one great mercat be Yet all 's bought up and there 's none left for me But that which even mad men would abhor Then why should I this life keep any more This life this hellish life O now kind death Ease me of this and take my parting Breath Then burst sad heart what cannot all my Art Be able yet to burst one broken heart Yes sure burst quickly let me quickly dye And in this ugly â—â—unghill where I lye Let me be buryed but my Friends take heed My Body with much earth be covered Under a heap of stones lest Labouring Men Digging this Dung hill in the Season when They dung their grounds should find my Carcass here For if uncovered will infect the Air. PART II. Cap. IV. JOB having thus attempted to express That inward grief which did his Soul oppress One of his three Friends Eliphaz by name Did him thus tartly for his passion blame Should we says he with thee expostulate And on the matter enter in debate We see the heat of thy impatience Is such as our discourse may give offâ—nce Yet though thou should st be vext and curse us all As thou hast done thy birth-day nothing shall Make us forget our duty for reprove The errors of a man we so much love We must indeed then pray who can forbear To answer thee when such discourse we hear Of thy great zeal and piety of late Thy grace thy virtue and I know not what By which thou'd make us think forsooth that he Who cannot act unjusâ—ly punish'd thee Without a fault preceeding very fair Pray who with patience can such language hear Should in our hearing one of God complain Unjustly and from answerâ—ng we abstain No no my friend we came not here indeed To hear thee in thy Passions exceed The rage of mad-men or allow thee so To cry and overact a man of woe For shame how mean a thing it is to see Thy mind thus discompos'd that such as thee Whose eminent prudence virtue piety And long experience o' th' worlds vanity We thought had taught thee to know better things That such as thee in foolish murmurings Should bluster thus Thou who didst others in affliction teach How to behave would to them patience preach And how with crosses they should be content Thy self to become thus impatient Thou who in troubles others hast restor'd Canst thou no comfort to thy self afford Others thou'd check when in Adversity As thou dost now they 'd passionately cry And curse their Birth-day as thou now hast done Afflictions at length are come upon Thy self and thou art griev'd it toucheth thee I' th' quick and thou art all in flames we see Where 's now thy fear of God thy confidence In him thy Uprightness thy Patience Where are those Virtues now what are they fled At such time as thou most of them hast need Why should'st my friend like mad-man then cry out In view of all thy Neighbours round about And set out thy condition with such Art As if without cause thou afflicted wer 't Have not thy sins call'd for thy punishment Prethee forbear then this thy vain Complaint Who ever perish'd being Innocent Pray call to mind how thou hast liv'd before As other sinners and complain no more Revise the Annals of thy former time And thou wilt surely find the hidden Crime For which we all of us perceive indeed Thou now art most severely punished Consider this pray and without debate Thou 'lt not so with thy God expostulate He acts according to most upright Laws And punishes no man without a Cause But I 've observ'd that Antecedent sin How slow soever still doth usher in Punishment to it self proportionate Which still attends the sinner soon or late So in his Judgement on his sins may read And see the Cause from whence his woes proceed For I have often seen that such as Plow Your heathy Ground and corrupt Seed do Sow For all their Labours when their Harvest came They'd Reap no other but the very same Vain men who
visitations For certainly if thou wilt call to mind Thy by past life I doubt not but thou'lt find Th' hast had some warnings were 't but in a dream Of thy afflictions long before they came Yes in a dream for often-times I know God is accustom'd seriously to show To men what often they conceal for shame Their future state i' th' mirrour of a dream For when the active soul outwearied With toile o' th' day at night is brought to bed Of a sound sleep then it begins to fly Then liberat from the bodies drudgery It soares aloft and in another sphere Begins to act nay then it doth appear To be what we cannot imagine here For being then as fit for contemplation Almost as 't will be after separation By vision intuitive it sees The state of things to come and by degrees Becomes so subtile and doth at that rate In contemplation then expatiate With such delight as if it did not mean By natural Organs e're to act again But when some hours it has thus wandered And in that time God has discovered What for its profit he intends at large Then he commands it to its former charge Have you not sometimes seen a General His Officers to his Pavilion call Whilst all the Army do securely sleep Save a few Companies who Guard do keep And there inform them what he would ha' done Give every one his Orders and anon Command each to his Post so let 's suppose When in profoundest sleep the eyes are close The Body one would think o're-come by death Were 't not that only it did softly breath Th' Almighty then is pleas'd as 't were to call The soul unto him and inform it all What he intends to do with it and then Commands it to the sleeping Corps again Whether when come the sad Noctambulant In a cold sweat with fear and rambling faint Rouzes the Body from its sleep and then Shows its instructions and begins t' explain What it has seen and heard and plainly shows What Miseries Calamities and Woes They may expect God will to them dispense If not prevented by true penitence Then as if God himself to them did speak When on these admonitions they reflect With fear and horrour they begin to quake For they consider that his sole intent By these night-warnings is but to prevent Their total fall and by such signs as these Divert them from those foolish purposes Which in their hearts they proudly do intend To prosecute did he not kindly send Such seasonable messages to show What will be th' event if they forward go In such mad projects and by consequence Make them to understand the difference 'Twixt humane power and his Omnipotence By Dreams and Visions then he doth allarme Th' unwary race of man and from all harm Preserve both soul and body which alace Would fall into the dreadful ambushes Of th' enemy o' th' world wer 't not that he Who fram'd both soul and body thus did free Them both from danger and did constantly Mind their concerns with a Paternal eye For else the murdered body soon would drop Into the grave the soul without all hope Of pardon in that deep abyss would fall Which God in justice has design'd for all Whom he doth hate and dolefully in Chains Compare short pleasures with eternal pains Thus then we see how much we should esteem The ordinar Phaenomenon of a dream And not contemn it because usual As if a common accident to all Occurring in their sleep ane aâ—ry thing Of which the wiser make no reckoning For sure those dreams and visions contain The mind of God and are not shown in vain Next as by dreams so by diseases too The Spirit of God is pleased to allow Kind warnings to us for if understood All sicknesses of body for our good Are sent upon us so that did we know What kindness by diseases God doth show To our poor souls we never would complain But think our selves most happy in our pain For let 's observe now don't we daily see How man in health from all diseases free Consumes his precious years so wantonly As if he never did expect to die He so imploys his time in sinful pleasure As for devotion he can find no leasure But when diseases on his body seize And conquering death approaches by degrees When th' lungs all overflow'n with constant rain Of Pituite that falls down from the Brain Afford scarce room for breathing when the Blood Is in its Circulation withstood By stagnant humours when the Bones do ake And all the Pillars of the Body shake When for his food he has no appetite And in his Table he takes no delite But every dainty Dish doth nauseate On which with pleasure he did feed of late VVhen all his flesh in health so plump and fair Now rotten and consum'd doth not appear As formerly but shrunk quite to the bone The bones which were not seen before anon Stick out i'th'figure of a Skeleton When in this sad condition on his bed Helyes and sees that all his hopes are fled And he must die when all he can perceive Is nothing but the avenue o'th'grave And with himself he now considereth There 's no avoiding of a certain death Then he begins with horrour to reflect Upon his by past actions and take Account of all his wandrings then he falls On thoughts of Heaven and for Preachers calls For pious men who in this sad occasion May by their words afford him consolation And teach him how he may attain salvation Then all his former wayes he doth abhorre Complains on sin and can endure no more To hear the voice of pleasure in his ears But buried now in sorrows pains and fears His only thought his sole consideration Is what shall become after separation Of his poor soul how that in death shall fare For which in life he took so little care And if perhaps which is rare to be found A man of God appear who can expound The matter to him and before his eyes Draw out the Map of his iniquities Speak to his soul and to his anxious heart The gracious language of the Heavens impart Then will this good man to his God address And say have pity on this sinners case Father of mercy for I 'me confident He of his sins doth seriously repent Restore him to his health and let him see How much O Lord he is oblig'd to thee Who when thou couldst have ruin'd him with ease And made him perish in this sad disease Art pleas'd to let him live that he may yet Express thy glory in his mortal state To this petition God shall lovingly Make answer well this sinner sholl not dye For I have found him in this exigent Vext at his sins and truly penitent Then let him live for I his heart have try'd And for his errors he hath satisfy'd I 'me reconcil'd and freely to him give Full liberty
to dye Nor should I offer to expostulate ' And with my Maker enter in debate Is there an Umpire to oblige us both And tye us by Subscription and Oath To stand to his award for who is he Dares arbitrate betwixt my God and me But let him hold a little and at least For some small time forbear at my request To torture me let him withdraw his Rod And let th' hot Pincers of an angry God Piece-meal my Soul no more O let his wrath Be satisfied with a single death Then would I boldly speak and without fear Before him in my own defence appear Then would I argue with such Eloquence As in short time would clear my Innocence But 'cause at present I am not in case For speaking I think fit to hold my peace Cap. X. MY Soul 's cut off and though I seem to breath Yet am I coop'd up in the jaws of death My Soul is fled my days of life are gone And this poor widow'd Body left alone To be the subject of some country fable As in its ruines only memorable This fashion'd piece of Earth which formerly One would ha' thought would shift Mortality For many years a Body which of late In health and vigour fully animate With a most cheerful Soul seem'd to imply As if at least some small felicity Were to be found below the Heavens this point Of the Creation framed joint by joint Into a reasonable shape at last By griefs consuming fury quite defac't Has now no figure but doth every day Like Wax before the Candle melt away For as a stranded Vessel by no hands To be got off and sticking on the Sands Obnoxious to the rage of every Tide Whilst each rude Wave beats ribs out of its side In its dimensions every day decreases Until at length 't is shattered all to pieces And then what was a statelie Ship before In Planks and Boards is cast upon the Shore So this frail Body which in health and strength Look'd like a tall Ship in its Course at length Stranding upon the Shelves of foul diseases In its proportion every hour decreases And that it may be ruin'd with dispatch Each ulcerous Billow doth large Gobbets snatch Out of that vigorous Body which alace Is now in a most despicable case Hence what remains is that this shattered frame Void of all honour beautie shape and name Should like infected Goods by no man own'd In Skin and Bones be hurried under ground Then what is Life O let me but admire What idle expectation can hire Insipid man upon this Earth to dwell And love that thing which we call Life so well Life like the Mornings-dew upon the Grass Exhal'd e're Noon-tide Life a simple lease At will and pleasure of a homelie Farm For us to toile in where we 're hardly warm In the possession of it when anon Our Lease runs out and we must all be gone Life but the parcels of a few years breath Summ'd up at last i' th capital of death Times wast-book health and strengths extinguisher Heavens great derider Hells remembrancer The old mans profit and the young mans loss The rich mans Idol and the poor mans cross Sins active Pander for some little space Then to Repentancea sad looking glass Pleasures mean vassal times obedient â—alve And a most faithful servant to the Grave Death charges Time Time charges Life by Roll To make account of every living Soul The grand Collector by just calculation Himself discharges of each Generation In deaths exchequer then begins afresh T' exact the impost of all living flesh This is that we call Life this is the thing Of which poor Mortals make such reckoning As if the sum of all their happiness Lay in their breathing for some little space Alace that men of reason thus should lye Sick of an universal phrenesie And not rouz'd up at length perceive for shame What is this Life which they so much esteem This Life a thing so burdensome to me As how I hate it you do clearly see May I not then oppress 't with Life repine Since there 's no Life comparable to mine The dregs of Life that do with me remain Are but the meer fomenters of my pain For who extended night and day on rack Would not with all his heart Death welcome make O let me then to God make my address O let me to himself my woes express He is a God of mercy and will hear Th'oppress't and have regard to every tear That drops from pious eyes A sore complaint then on my self I 'l make And in the anguish of my Soul I 'l speak I 'l say to God condemn me not and why Wilt thou contend with such a thing as I An Eagle take the pains to kill a flee Contend with me a thing not to be nam'd A thing of which even Nature is asham'd A piece of Earth that serving for no use Is thrown out on the Dung-hill as refuse The dross of human frailâ—â—y the abstract Of all that 's mouldy low decay'd and crack't A thing now grating at the gates of death Retarded only by a gasping breath A thing so mean as is not worth thy wrath Then why good Lord dost thou take so much pleasure T' oppress so mean a thing beyond all measure What doth this to thy Glory contribute How doth such usage with thy Justice sute Alace I know not how the matter stands But thus t' undo the labour of thy hands Thus to destroy a Creaure thou didst frame And once didst think it worthy of a name Nay as thy Creature thou was 't pleas'd to own Thus to reject it with a sullen frown Me thinks is strange What may the Atheists say When thy own servants are oppress 't this way Why they will surely in their scoffing mode Blaspheme the ever glorious Name of God See here they 'l say a man who seriously Apply'd his mind to th' art of piety Who his great God above all things ador'd A most devoted Servant to his Lord. One who not pleas'd with what his neighbours us'd Despised their Religion and refus'd T' acknowledge any of their Deities But in a zealous phrensy did devise A Deitie to himself peculiar Out of an humour to be singular See now they 'l say see how his God doth treat him See how his Lord he so much lov'd doth hate him How he doth whip him how he takes delite To vex a man who us'd himself to write A most obedient Servant to his God See how he beats him with a heavie Rod. Let him complain weep pray do what he can Let him cry out yet still this pious man Finds none to comfort pity or deplore him And for his God ' has no compassion for him But on the contrair doth appear t' abhor him Sure this will be their language thus alace Those impious wretches will themselves express Yes this will be their Table-talk I fear O then forbear for thy own sake
infus'd As by their Clients they are kindly as'd But when God speaks a suddain fear shall fall Upon those Preachers and confound them all For when he speaks he 'l tell you in your face You have provock'd him and abus'd his Grace He gave you Parts 't is true and Eloquence But never mean't that you in his defence Should use those Gifts or offer to debate For him unless you were commissionat By special warrant from himself for those Who in Enthusiastick fits suppose Men of all stations and degrees may preach And silly women if they please may teach Those who like you all others do despise And thinks there 's no man holy in their eyes But such as are of their opinion say They 're only perfect walk in Gods own way Sure these men grossly err for God doth own No such presumption and it is well known God in all ages doth such men select As he thinks fit should by commission speak For him to th' people and will sure destroy Those preaching fools whom he doth not employ Then you my friends must know that having spoke For him without commission you have broke His divine Statutes and in Heavens Court Incurr'd a premunire to be short For this your great presumption your name Shall be extinguish'd and your race for shame Shall shun mens converse this at length shall be The profit of such actings this the fee Of those officiously who undertake Without commission for their God to speak Then pray now from your foolish arguing cease And while I speak be pleas'd to hold your peace Forbear your talk for some time and be still For I intend to speak come out what will Come out what will I 'l speak I 'l boldly speak And to my Maker my discourse direct I 'l say Lord why am I thus punished Thus cudgell'd stead of being comforted Thus sharply tax'd by three comforting men As if without a cause I did complain Good Lord that I should be reprov'd by those Who if they felt the tenth part of my woes Would instantlie cry out and make a noise Using such faint expressions as Boys When whipp'd at Schools such as if they did feel What I endure would stagger foam and reel Like mad men such as if they knew the careâ— And grief I know would instantlie despair Yet such forsooth must censure me good Lord That those my friends who comfort should afford To me in this condition when they see What are my plagues and what my torments be By signs so manifest so plain and clear As when for pain my very flesh I tear When all o'r grown with Ulcers all o'r run With putria sores contemptible undone I here on Danghill sit and fain would crie To thee my God if I had libertie And were not interrupted by those men Who by me sit thou know'st O Lord how fain In private I 'd pour out my very Soul If those men who 've come hither to condole My sad condition as they do pretend Did not obstruct me how I fain would spend The small remainder of my troubled days In pious sighs and setting out thy praise By what I have observ'd and heard by fame From others since first to this world I came How fain I 'd pray how fain my sins bemoan If those tormenters would let me alone It seems indeed Lord thou design'st to make My case extreamlie sad for this I take As not the least part of my punishment That thou to me such comforters hath sent Yet Lord I 'l still apply to thee I know There is no other comfort here below Compassion pitie mercie there is none But what proceeds from thee good God alone I 'l therefore trust in thee in thee good Lord I 'l onlie trust I 'l hope and in a word Do with me what thou wilt let even thy wrath Be satisfi'd with no less than my death Yes kill me Lord cut me to pieces do As thou thinks't fit yet here I firmlie vow This heart this poor oppressed heart shall never Deviat from it's love to thee what ever Come of my person nay even when I die In my last gasping breath I 'l formallie Express my love to thee in thee I 'l trust My gracious Maker for as thou art just So thou art merciful besides good Lord I know thou only comfort can'st afford To men afflicted let me then be freed Of my officious friends who boldlie plead Against me ' stead of comforting for I Esteem my greatest woe their company I do indeed for I had rather choose Be plagu'd by thee then comforted by those Now Lord to them though I will not confess My sinful errors yet my wickedness Before thee I acknowledge as the cause Of all my woes Lord I have broke thy Laws And merit no less censure in thy sight Than instantly to be destroy'd down-right But after all I know O Lord that thou Wilt use me better than these talkers do Thou 'lt be more kind and whilst I am in pain For some small time allow me to complain And then restore me to my strength again For after all this trial thou shalt clear My innocence and make at length appear That I in sin have taken no delite And show these men I am no hypocrite Now then my friends observe be pleas'd to hear What I discourse For seriouslie I fear In all your talk of late you have abus'd Your selves more than the man you have accus'd For you have said because of my offence That I 'm by God rejected and from thence You did affirm I might expect no more To see his face as I had done before Ay me a sentence cruel and severe A doom in which great malice doth appear Now pray my friends by what authoritie Act you these things who gave you libertie To give out Judgment thus for to this hour I never heard that any of you had power From our Great God to excommunicat The poorest Wretch on Earth I therefore hope I quicklie shall be able To make appear how most unwarrantable Your sentence is for this I surelie know As God excels in acts of justice so In acts of mercy he doth so abound As no man needs despair he 's always found Of such as seek him and I know he 'l be As merciful as formerlie to me But were it so my friends as you have said That I 'm of God rejected then indeed Indeed in that case I should soon despair And be o' th' same opinion as you are Nor should you from my mouth hereafter hear Words of assurance words of confidence By which I do alleviat my sense Of present sufferings for I firmly know I know my God hath not determin'd so As you alledge I know he is more just Than to reject a man that puts his trust In him alone a man who never yet In all his sad and suffering estate From his first Principles has deviat For I do still believe that God
Why shouldst then be at so much pains good Lord To kill a thing which of its own accord Will quickly dye a thing that by thy Wrath As yet deny'd the liberty of Death Doth only some small sparks of Life retain And like a Dying Creature breaths with pain One entire Ulcer a meer lump of Boyls A heap of Sores one loaden with the Spoiles Of all Diseases one so fully spent In Body and in Mind so discontent No pleasure which the World affords can hire My Soul to Live pray let me now expire Or else I fear that through impatience Of my afflictions I may give offence For when I say my Couch shall me relieve And in my Bed I shall some comfort have When I imagine I may find some ease In-sleep to cull the edge of my Disease When I suppose I may find Consolation I' th' pleasure of a few hours Meditation And whilst on Pillow I my Head do lay To sleep away the sorrows of the day Then dost thou put my Soul all in a fright With fearful Dreams and Visions of the night In a cold sweat I lye my Flesh and Bones My Joints and Sinews tremble all at once Strugling with pain upon my Bed I rowl Whilst horrid Objects do night-mare my Soul And to my troubled fancie represent What neither Tongue can speak or hard can paint Hells Terrors plainlie are to me reveal'd Whilst with amusing sleep my Eyes are sealâ—d On which reflecting when I do awake Fear damps my Soul and makes my Body shake Hence Drowning Smothering Strangling of the Breath Or any of the numerous kinds of Death My Soul to Life prefers my generous Soul Abhorrs to live in such a lurking hole As is this body such a vile Hog-sty A Brutish Soul would even disdain to ly Within its Walls a Cottage so unclean So Cob web-furnish'd so obscure and mean As none but one of Life that 's wearyed In such a villanous Cave would lay his bed What Soul so poor and mean exceeding but The small Dimensions of a Hazel nut Would stoop so low as condescend to dwell In such an ugly smelling nasty Cell As is this body which I do call mine So thin the Sun doth clearly through it shine Is this a Lodging for a Thing Divine A tottering Fabrick which the rotten Bones Not able to support down all at once Will quickly fall is this a dwelling place For any thing come of a Heavenly Race No no fly hence my Soul fly hence make haste Why dost not fly for such a Noble Guest There 's here no room no fit Accomodation This body can afford no Habitation For such as thee Dear Soul O let me dy then let me dy good Lord O let me dy Death surely will afford Such comfort as I here expect in vain Why should I live then in such grievous pain And as a mark to all sad torments stand When pitying Death doth offer help at hand In this condition I do do life abhorr I baâ—e it and shall never love it more What should I for a few hours breathing give For 't is impossible I can longer live O spare me then for some small time at least That these o re wearyed bones may have some rest And in this life I may find ease before I take my Journey hence and be no more E're I be wrapp'd up in Eternity For all my days are but meer vanity Then what is Man that thou shouldst look upon him This wretched thing that thou shouldst so much own him Thou dost thy heart too much upon him set Which makes the silly Toad it self forget Valuing it self so much on thy esteem As it hath purchas'd to its self a name Beyond the other Creatures of thy hand Whereas if it it self did understand 'T is but as dust that 'fore the Wind doth fly A passing thought th' abstract of vanity Since thou canst then Lord by one word destroy This Creature why shouldst so much time employ In Torturing of it thus once and again And not by one blow put me out of pain One blow of favour Lord I do implore Kill me and then I shall complain no more But still I cannot fancy why shouldst thou Before whom all in Heavens and Earth do bow Have this same Creature Man in such esteem This flying Shade this passage of a Dream A thing so mean not worth thy Observation Why should'st allow it so much Reputation That thou the great Creator every day Shouldst of this pismire make so strict survey How long Lord shall I in these Torments lye â— Ah is there no end of my Misery Some respite Lord I beg I do request Some breathing time even so long time at least Free from these pains as I may swallow down My Spittle Oh good God let me alone But for a Moment that I may but try Thy goodness once again before I Dye Lord I have sinn'd 't is true I do confess My Error and my black unrighteousness What shall I do how shall I answer find To thee the great preserver of Mankind As worst of sinners Lord thou dost me treat For as my Sins so are my Judgements great Th' hast set me gainst thee as a Mark or Butt At which thy pointed Arrows thou dost shoot With Torments hast me so o'reloadened That long ago of Life I 'm wearied Why should thy wrath continually burn 'Gainst a poor sinner O let Grace return Pardon my sins wash from iniquity The Soul thou gavst me Lord before I dye Let me of Mercy hear the joyful sound For in an instant I shall not be found I dye I dye my Passing Bell doth Toul Have Mercy Lord have Mercy on my Soul Cap. VIII THus have we seen how Job with grief opprest By night and day has in his Mind no rest In this sad case with great impatience Appears to quarrel even Providence For those his Friends of whom he did expect Some Comfort rather sharplie did him check For th' Errors of his Life and openly Reprov'd him for his gross Hypocrisie We 've seen with how much Art and Eloquence One of his friends has given evidence Against him now another undertakes Th' argument and thus he answer makes How long sayes he friend wilt thou thus exclaim Against that justice which the Heavens did frame To what do all thy imprecations tend What means this clamour shall there be no end Of this thy idle talking shall we be Oblig'd to hear what none but such as thee Would stammer out what one in sober case Would be asham'd to speak such words as these Which thou in foolish passion hast us'd Against our God would hardly be excus'd Out of a mad-mans mouth but when they flow From such as thee friend whom we all do know To be of more than ordinary Sense We must condemn thy gross impatience Dost ' think that God whose great and mighty Name All things Created dayly do
Justice will proclaim My misdemeanors and make evident How I in courting sin my time have spent Nay though I were upright yet would I not Desire to live my Soul hath quite forgot Its former kindness to that piece of clay It lov'd so much before and every day Longs to be from its consort separate Whom it doth now with so much reason hate Yet here 's my comfort that I understand My God will punish with impartial hand Both just and unjust and will evidence That 'twixt them both he makes no difference Has no respect for persons no regard For one or other but gives out award In every point as he finds just and layes Every mans Cause in equal ballances In unjust Causes he will none maintain So of Gods Justice no man should complain If in his wrath God should the wicked slay And root them out what could those wretches say Against Gods Justice when their Conscience Assures them he has done them no offence Because Gods Judgements do their sins pursue And punishment t' offenders is as due As Wages to the Labourer for each sin First acts its part then Judgement does begin Where it leaves of and so pursues the Chace Until the breathless sinner end his Race This is his Justice but his Mercie sure Eternal to all ages doth endure Must not our God be full of Clemency When on the wicked even unwillingly He executes his Justice punishment Is long delay'd and vengeance seldom sent 'Gainst any but the stiff impenitent Who at his Judgement doth repine and cry Out upon Gods too great severity Sure that unhappy Creature doth mistake Gods Bounty and his own Condition make Worse than it was intended for we know In Mercy God is quick in anger slow A God of Mercy he himself doth write And so in sinners death takes no delite Far lesse than should the just and innocent Think God takes pleasure in their punishment Nor ought we to repine when we reflect How God the wicked Lords o' th' earth doth make How he puts Pastures Vineyards Houses Lands Power Jurisdiction Honours in their hands By which puff'd up a wanton life they lead Whilst godly men do toil for daily bread Nor how the Judges of the earth abuse Their Sacred Function and their Power do use T' oppress the Just whose eyes with avarice Are sealed up who boldly set a price On Justice and employ their utmost Art To sell the same as in a publick Mart. Who by their Friends use to negotiat For Quotes of Pleas and closely stipulat For so much at the Issue of the cause T' attain which point they cruciat the Laws And make them serve their ends so forcibly As all the world may see their Bribery If we consider how God doth permit Those men to live on earth as they think fit Because they 're none of his and have no share I' th'land of Promise whilst the upright are In sad afflictions toss'd and seem to be O're whelmed by a most impetuous Sea Of miseries wee 'l find these walk i' th'Road Of black Damnation of such Creatures God Doth take no care but le ts them all run wild Like Herds of Asses in the open field But his own Children he doth exercise In a continual tract of miseries That being keep'd in such strict Discipline In a full body they may mount the Line I' th' daily Seige of Heaven and in the end Possess the same only to be attain'd By Sighs and Tears whilst wicked men do run Without all order and so are undone Amidst their pleasures for they do compell Their Souls instead of Heaven to march to Hell Now were it lawful to repine did God Allow to any that do feel the Rod To say that his condition were sad Sure never any Mortal Creature had More cause than I poor wretch have to complain Who 've lost my years and spent my days in vain Swifter than Post my days their course have run That I might be more speedily undone My days are gone my time is vanished My hours are fled my life is finished My wretched life a Scene of woes has been Under the Sun I have small pleasure seen Whilst others of obscure and mean estate To Wealth and Honours have been elevate Their modest parts buoyd up by Friends and Fame Purchassing quickly to those Fools a Name Which impudently they would attribute To their abilities I destitute Of every thing that 's good do silently Spin out my days in grief and penury And as the south wind with a gentle breese Breaths on the verdant Plain and skims the Seas With little noise so I my days have spent My view o' th' world was meerly transient Have you not seen a Vessel under sail Swoln with a stiff but favourable gale Post through the stubborn Seas and make a Line Upon its surface in a foaming brine Or with what wonderful celerity The ravenous Eagle to her prey doth flye So have my days run out so have my years Plough'd through a sea of foaming brinish tears Now should I say I will complain no more But here my exclamations give o're Here to my querullous Notes I 'le put a stop And from this minute I 'le begin to hope Then all my sorrows all my woes and fears Would suddainly appear about my ears With ghastly looks they 'd stare me in the face And in their silence publish my disgrace Because however I my self do vent I know God will not hold me innocent If horrid sins then do my Soul distain Why do I thus excuse my self in vain If to my Maker I have given offence Why should I all this while plead Innocence No sure if things be so all I can say Is to no purpose only I betray My weakness in endeavouring to maintain My just demeanour where my guilt is plain For certainly however I pretend To Piety and Grace yet in the end The great Heart-searcher will make evident That to this minute I my days have spent In wickedness and sin in villany Not to be nam'd in stead of purity And thou O Lord in just conceived rage will Sentence such a Scandal of his age To utmost torment that the world may see How much thou hatest such a one as me Whilst all the Fig-leav'd arguments I use To palliate my sins and make excuse For my false dealings and unrighteousness ' Stead of concealing shall my guilt express For God Almighty's not a man as I'm That I should set my face to 't and defye him When he to Justice doth himself betake That I before my God should answer make An what am I a moulded piece of Dust Consigned to a few years breath in trust Awalking ghost a meer night wanderer Like th' empty figment of some Conjurer That such as I forsooth should undertake Harangues befor the King of Heavens to make And argue for my self whilst tacitely My Conscience tells me I deserve
has sent Upon me now this heavy punishment Only to try my faith that men might know Whether I be a hypocrite or no For were I such in this my horrid case I 'd be so far from trusting in his Grace As I 'd abjure him to his very face But O I know I know my God will never Exclude me from his mercies act however He 's pleas'd to vex me now I know indeed He will not to an outlawry proceed Against a man who 's willing to appear And answer all no no I do not fear I fear not that he has rejected me As you pretend for by what I can see Should I just now before my God be try'd I doubt not but I would be justify'd Then who 's the man pray that with me will plead And prove that for my sins I 'm punished Pray' let me know the man that so I may Debate the case a little with him pray Let him appear this favour friends allow That I may know with whom I have to do Pray let me know and I will instantly Argue my case with all sobriety For if I once should hold my peace I dye Will no man plead will no man undertake The argument then my address I 'le make To God alone two things I will implore Of his large bounty and demand no more Two things preliminary Lord I must Request of thee which as thou' rt good and just I know thou wilt allow that so I may With freedom speak all that I have to say In my defence First then some small time Lord forbear thy wrath That I may have some leasure but to breath That I may have but a few hours soulage And not be quite consumed in thy rage Next O my gracious God let not thy hot And wasting anger fright my soul let not Thy lifted hand so terrible appear Nor damp my Spirit with a killing fear Then what thou pleasest of me to demand I 'l answer so far as I understand Or if thou think it fit that I should speak I shall Lord and in favour I 'l expect Thou 'lt answer me For if I be allow'd this liberty With boldness then good Lord I will reply To all the questions thou to me shalt state And with my God take pleasure to debate If I must speak then I demand good Lord How many are my sins pray in a word How many are they tell me am I able To calculat them are they numberable What are my sins Lord of what quality How black how uglie of how deep a dye Why Lord it seems that since the world began Of all the sins practis'd by mortal man Sure mine must be the foulest mine must be Most venomous sins of the first degree For Whilst others sins with modesty have call'd For Judgements it appears that mine have baul'd And with great clamour furious zeal and heat Have ask'd as due rather than supplicat For Divine vengeance and with open voice At Heavens Gates made a tumultuous noise As idle Beggars for their Alms do crie And so by clamorous importunitie Extorted from a mild and gentle God Th' unwilling usage of an angry Rod. My sins have in a Cluster cri'd aloud For punishment no mercie has withstood The rude attaques of their impetuous sute But suffered them to gain without dispute Th' Almighties Ear who has accordinglie Sent Judgements out in such varietie And has me so severelie punished As all my Neighbours never suffered So many ills at once as I do now Besides what I may lay account for too Ere all be done for I perceive the wrath Of God encreases everie hour Whilst death Keeps at a distance and appears to smile Unkindly at my torments all this while Nay which is worst of all men on pretence Of comforting me with great violence Oppress my little spirits that remain And with their bitter words augment my pain What are my sins then Lord ah let me know What have I done Lord to be punish'd so What have I done what sins have I practis'd What horrid Treason have I e're devis'd Against Heavens King what are my faults good Lord Again I beg thee tell me in a word That so I may perceive the reason why I 'm punish'd with so much severity Now pardon Lord my great presumption In those demands let my condition Plead some excuse let me some pity find Some pity Lord to ease my troubled mind Have pity then have pity on my case And for thy Names sake do not hide thy face Because in that I all my comfort place Why then good Lord do'st thou to me deny Thy countenance I am no enemy To thee my God but one I dare avow As far as humane frailty will allow Loves thee with all his Soul and still shall do Why then am I thus punish'd why oppress 't With grief Why doth my Soul enjoy no rest Why is a Creature a poor dying Creature Debarr'd from dying by the course of Nature Why to suck in again a parting Breath Is it compell'd only t' endure thy Wrath To break a Leaf that 's driven to and fro I humbly think it is a thing below The Majesty of God! why such am I Or like the Stuble withered and dry When lightly it before the Wind doth fly Then why in such sad torment Why so vex't In Soul and Body Why so sore perplex't In Spirit Why so bitter Judgements sent Each moment to recruit my punishment Such Judgements make me now Lord call to mind Those sins which wasting time had cast behind Its Shoulder sins which I thought thou had'st not Recorded sins which I had quite forgot But now the Errors of my wanton years Appear afresh hence all these sighs and tears Hence these sad words which issue from my mouth Since for the sins of my disorderd youth I 'm punished thus why Lord I must confess Those whiffling errors do deserve no less Than I now suffer yet I still must cry For mercy from my God or clse I dye For mercy Lord I must thee still implore I 'l call to Heavens for I can do no more For mercy still this liberty at least I hope thou 'lt not deny this small request To a poor dying man allow me pray Allow me Lord that what I have to say In a few dying words I may expresse And then do what thy Majesty shall please With me thy prisoner thy wretched slave One save to be the stopple of a Grave That serves for nothing do then what thou wilt Dispatch me Lord or if my horrid guilt Require that I should live some longer time Why let it be so let my horrid Crime If possible it e're can be content Be glutted with my horrid punishment For I am thy close prisoner good Lord No power on Earth can me relief afford Escape I cannot no my feet are bound My hands ty'd up all naked on the ground More than half-dead o'r grown with sores I
cruel in his punishment So when thou sendst afflictons on the just And godly men who in thy mercy trust Thou 'lt not permit that any should conclude From thence that such men must be understood Guilty of all that 's evil for if so The blessed Saints in Heaven might undergo The censure of the most ungodly men That ever liv'd on Earth since it is plain None ever such afflictions endur'd As those and yet to say their sins procur'd All that they suffered and that all they felt Whilst in the land of misery they dwelt Was but the product of their faults and that Their judgements hardly were proportionat To their foul Crimes were inallowable Since thou O Lord hast made them capable Of thy eternal favour Nay this were To prove Religion were no more but Air That none were pious that no man did call Upon Gods Name aright no none at all But that all those goodly Inhabitants Of Heaven known to us by the name of Saints Were the meer dregs o' th' World Since in this Earth they knew no other state Of life then what we do commiserat Even though deserv'd in any whom we see In sad affliction though none pity me I do concclude then 't were a consequence Of dangerous import if we should from thence Infer that because that good men do endure Afflictions in this life that therefore sure Such men are impious vile and execrable For shame let none be so uncharitable As to maintain this error For I 'm perswaded Lord that one may be Under griat troubles and yet lov'd by thee Next Lord I hold it as a rule that all By thy just Statutes are not Criminal Who black with sorrow and o're come with pain Of their afflictions modestly complain If joint with such complaints they prayers send To Heavens and from their hearts do recommend To thy kind mercy the consideration Of their estate and mildly plead compassion Lastly I am perswaded after all That though sad woes like sheets of Snow should fall From Heavens upon a man who puts his trust In his Creator yet like blowing dust These clouds of woes shall vanish into air And their succeeding life shall look more fair Then that in sorrow gloomy did appear These are my principles good Lord from whence With thy good leave I would by consequence Infer that I 'm unjustly tax't by these Who call themselves my friends who proudly raise Themselves against me and do argue still My numerous sins alone say what I will Have brought upon me all that I endure And therefore hold me guilty and impure Thou seest then Lord how these my case mistake Then why should they themselves my Judges make Who in their Censures are so partial And to their own opinions wedded all Me thinks themselves they rather should decline Then by joynt council cunningly combine Under pretence of friendship to encrease My troubles by such arguments as these Should they be Judges they who openly Do value men by their prosperity And look on those who in afflictions waves Do swim with pain as men do look on slaves Coupled in chains Such flattery our God will not permit To go unpunish'd but when he thinks fit Upon those flatterers he 'll such judgements send As in a few dayâ—s space may make an end Not only of their persons but of all What these proud fools a memory do call Shall all their worldly pageantry deface And in his anger root out all their Race Now I remember whilst my sun did shine In its full Oâ—b and all things did combine To make me happy as a man might be In this vain world then would I daily see My friends in crouds within my walls appear Protesting nothing to them was so dear As was my interest and with cast-up-eyes Perswading me that they would sacrifice Their Means their Lives and should occasion call To do me service they would venture all That men call dear I 'm become poor of late By th' hand of God I 'm become desolat With sorrows on all hands environed And all my noon-tide friends are vanished My life is chang'd and all my friends are gone And in distresse I 'm visited by none But three whose visits I may say have been The worst affliction I have ever seen For truly I esteem those Visitants No Comforters but subtile Disputants Men who retain no pity in their hearts But would on this occasion show their parts On me in this deplorable estate Not meaning to condole but to debate Would they had spar'd their unkind kindnesse too And left me here as well as others do Then had I been more easy than I 'm now For all my other friends those Parasites Those Cuckows of my life those Hypocrites That gull the World with a fair pretence Of Love and Friendship are all marched hence Nay would their venimous malice rested there And as they 've quit me so they would forbear The mention of my name and when they meet At their Festivals would they would forget That ever such a thing was born as I am Would that some other Subject might supply'm With new Discourse and I had Liberty At least in dark oblivion here to die But O I 'm now become the Table-talk Of all my friends nay all men when they walk In Streets or Fields of my afflictions prate And speak with pleasure of my sad estate I 'm now the rabbles talk at Wakes and Faires My present sorrows sounding in their Ears Like a melodious Consort and God knows Hearing of my calamities and Woes Those Clowns are no less pleas'd than when they hear The noise of Tabret Fife or Dulcimer Nay so my foes have now their malice spread As those who never knew me never had Acquaintance of me when they hear my name So much bespattered by a foul-mouth'd fame Admire what curs'd and wicked thing I am My eyes with weeping for this cause are dim My heart with springs of grief swoln to the brim Both Day and Night affording new supplies Of brinish liquors for as water rise By force of Pump so from my bursting heart By force of Sighs without all help of art Fresh Streams are suck'd up hourlie issuing out Through either eye as through a Water-spout By this uninterrupting Flux at length With sorrows I perceive my former Strength Is quite exhausted and I now appear Like a meer shadow or a Damp of air This at first view may all good men surprize To see a man plung'd in such miseries A man who thinks at least God doth not hate His Person nor doth so excruciat Him as a Malefactor though he knows That all his sorrows all his pains and woes Are but his Merits these my sufferings May possibly occasion murmurings Amongst the best of men when they perceive My sad condition which though some believe To be the product of my sins yet these Know better things and viewing of my case Upon their own Deportment do reflect