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The godly may the wicked's treasures gaine, But theirs the wicked never can attaine."

Ah, why should soules for senselesse riches care!
They mercy neede, it is a way to wrath:
The first man he was made, the rest borne bare;
Those floting treasures come, and goe with breath.
Not mortals' goods, no, mortalls' evils they are,
Which (since but dead) can nothing give save death.
Their seed base eare, their fruit is torturing paine,
A losse when found, oft lost, the looser's gaine.

The greatest good that by such wealth is sought,
Are flattering pleasures, which (whil'st fawning)

stayne,

A smoke, a shadow, froth, a dreame, a thought,
Light, sliding, fraile abusing, fond, all vaine;
Which (whil'st they last, but showes) to end soon
Of bravest thoughts, the liberty restraine. [brought,
As of Heaven's beauties, clouds would make us doubt,
Through mists of mindes, the sprite peeps faintly out.

That king (of men admir'd, of God belov'd,)
Whom such none did preceede, nor yet succeede,
Who wisedome's minion, virtue's patterne prov'd,
Did show what heighth of blisse this Earth could
breed,

Whose minde and fortune in like measure mov'd,
Whil'st wealth and wit striv'd which should most
exceed,

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Even he was cross'd alive, and scorn'd when dead, With gifts fit for their state, all are endu’d;
By too much happinesse, unhappy made.

Her store, franke Nature prodigally spent,
To make that prince more than a prince esteem'd,
Whilst Art to emulate her mistresse bent, [seem'd,
Though borrowing strength from her, yet stronger
He nothing lack'd, which might a minde content,
What once he wish'd, or but to wish was deem'd.
For, thoughts of thousands rested on his will,
"Great fortunes finde obsequious followers still."
With God the Father, he who did conferre,
And of the sonne plac'd for a figure stood,
He to God's law did his vile lust preferre,
His lust as boundlesse as a raging floud;
Who would have thought he could so grosly erre,
Even to serve idols, scorne a God so good?
"The strong in faith (when destitute of grace)
Like men disarm'd, fall faintly from their place."

God's way cannot be found, his course not knowne,
As hearts he did enlarge, or else restraine,
Some were made saints, who saints had once ore-
throwne,

1 Some once thought holy, turn'd to be prophane,
To mocke men's judgement, justifie his owne,
Whil'st God by both did magnifi'd remaine.
Let none presume, nor yet all hope despise;
When standing, feare, when falne, still strive to rise.
Through Hell to Heaven since our Redeemer past,
Thinke that all pleasure purchas'd is with paine,
Though the first death, none shall the second taste,
Who are with God eternally to raigne;

Chus'd, call'd, made holy, just and glorious last,
'Twixt Heaven and Earth they have a spirituall
chaine,

Whose fastening faith, whose linkes are all of love,
Through clouds by God's own hand stretch'd from
above.

Grace mercy still, wrath justice doth convoy ;
God cleares their sight of whom he will be view'd,
And blindes them here, whom hence he will destroy;
Those whom he did elect, them be renew'd, [joy:
Such live like beasts, but worse (when dead) re-
Those whom he leaves, they sinne, and sinne with

maine,

[paine:

Beasts dead, lose sense, death gives them sense with

This froward race that to confusion runnes,
Through selfe-presumption, or distrust of God,
Shall once disgorge the surfet of their sinnes,
Whil'st what seems light, then proves a burd'nous
lode,

With them in judgement once when God beginnes
To beat, to bruise them with an iron rod:
"Whil'st aiery pleasures, leaden anguish bring,
Exhausted honey leaves a bitter sting."

Yet wicked men, whom foule affections blinde,
Dare say (O now that Heaven not brimstone raynes!)
Let us alive have what contents the minde,
And dread (when dead) threats of imagin'd paines;
The debt we sweet, the interest easie finde,
At least the payment long deferr'd remaines:
But start at dreames, when they securely sleepe.
Who shadowes feare whilst they the substance keepe,

Ah, filthy wretch, more high thy fancies lift,
(That doth encroach which thou would'st thus delay)
Then eagle, arrow, shippe, or winde, more swift,
(Match'd onely by it selfe) time posts away,
Straight of all soules, God shall the secrets sift,
And private thoughts, with publike shouts display.
Then when time's glasse (not to be turn'd) is runne,
Their griefe still growes, whose joyes were scarce
begun..

Whil'st rais'd in haste, when soules from him rebell,
By inundations of impetuous sinne,
The flouds of God's deep indignation swell,
Till torment's torrents furiously come in,
Damnation's mirrours, models of the Hell,
To show what hence not ends, may here begiune.
Then let me sing some of God's judgements past,
That who them heare, may tremble at the last.

That glorious angell bearer of the light,
The morning's eye, the messenger of day,
Of all the bands above esteem'd most bright,
(As is amongst the rest the month of May)
He whom those gifts should humbled have of right,
Did (swolne with pride) from him who gave them
And sought (a traitour) to usurpe his seate, [stray,
Yea worse (if worse may be) did prove ingrate.
Their starry tailes the pompous peacocks spreade,
As of all birds the basenesse thus to prove,
So Lucifer who did Hell's legions leade,
Was with himselfe preposterously in love;
But better angels, scorning such a head,
No flattering hope to leave their Lord could move.
"Those who grow proud, presuming of their state,
They others doe contemne, them others hate."

The Divell to all an easie way affords,
That strife which, one devis'd, all did conclude,
Their armour malice, blasphemy their swords,
Darts sharp'd by envy, onely aym'd at good:
They when they met, did need to use no words,
The thoughts of others, who soone understood.
By bodies grosse when they no hindrance have,
Pure sprites (at freedome) all things may conceive.
As where uncleannesse is, the ravens repaire,
The spotted band swarm'd where he spu'd his gall,
Who fondly durst with God (foule foole) compare,
And his apostasie applauded all;
Then to usurpe Heaven's throne did bend their care,
So basting on the horrour of their fall, [strayes)
Whose trayterous head made (like a whore that
His flaming beauties prodigall of rayes.

Whil'st vainely puft up with preposterous aymes,
He even from God his treasure striv'd to steale,
The angels good (those not deserving names)
With sacred ardour, boldly did appeale; [fames,
Their eyes shot lightning, and their breath smok'd
As ravish'd with God's love, burnt up with zeale.
All lifted up their flight, their voyce, their hands,
Then sang God's praise, rebuk'd rebellious bands.

This mutiny a monstrous tumult bred,
The place of peace all plenish'd thus with armes ;
Bright Michael forth a glorious squadron led,
Which forc'd the fiends to apprehend their harmes,
The lights of Heaven look'd pale, clouds (thundring)
shed,

Winds (roaring trumpets) bellow'd loud alarmes :
Thinke what was fain'd to be at Phlegra bounds,
Of this a shadow, ecchoes but of sounds.

O damned dog, who in a happy state,
Could not thyselfe, would not have others bide:
Of sinne, death, Hell, thou open didst the gate,
Ambition's bellowes, fountaine of all pride,
Who force in Heaven, in Paradice deceit,
On earth us'd both, a traitour alwaies try'd.
O first the ground, still guilty of all evils, [divels.
Since whom God angels made, thou mad'st them
VOL. V.

When them he view'd, whose power nought can expresse,

To whose least nod the greatest things are thrall,
Although his word, his looke, his thought, or lesse,
Might them have made dust, ayre, or what more
small,

Yet he (their pride though purpos'd to represse)
Grac'd by a blow, disdain'd to let them fall,
But them reserv'd for more opprobrious stripes,
As first of sinne, still of his judgement types.

Those scorned rivals, God would judge, not fight,
And then themselves none else, more fit could finde,
Brands for his rage, (whil'st flaming at the height)
To cleare their knowledge it with terrour shin'd;
Whose guilty weakenesse match'd with his pure
Did at an instant vanish like a winde.
[might,
"Their conscience fir'd, who doe from God rebell,
Hell first is plac'd in them, then they in Hell."

That damned crue, God having spy'd a space,
First, lightning lookes, then thundred forth those
words,
"Baites for my wrath, that have abus'd my grace,
As once of light, of darkenesse now be lords,
Where order is, since forfeiting your place,
Passe where confusion every thing affords.
And use your spight to pine, and to be pin'd,
Not angels, no, doe evils as divels design'd."

If we great things with small things may compare,
Or with their Maker, things that have been made,
Marke when the falcon fierce soares through the ayre,
The little feathered flockes fall downe as dead;
As darkenesse flyes, Heaven (like a bride) lookes
faire,

When Phoebus forth doth fiery coursers leade,
Like some bride-groome bent for his wedding place,
Or like a mighty man to runne his race.

Even so as lightning (flashing from the sky)
Doth dye as it descends, scarce seen when gone,
More fast then follow could a thought, or eye,
Heaven's banish'd rebels fell downe every one;
Then abject runnagates over all did flye,
As seeking deserts where to howle and moane.
O what a deadly storme did then begin,
When Heaven rain'd divels to drown the world with
sin!

That forge of fraud, evils centre, spheare of pride, From blisse above, whom God's owne breath had blowne;

(As dogs bite stones for him who hath them throwne)
He, who his strength in Heaven in vaine had try'd,
Did hunt God's image, when in Adam spy'd,
And (grudging at bis state) despis'd his owne :
It never ended yet, which then began,
His hate to God, his envy unto man.

Ere tainted first with that most fatall crime,
Then Adam liv'd more blest then can be thought:
Babe, infant, childe, youth, man, all at one time,
Form'd in perfection, having need of nought,
To Paradice preferr'd from abject slime,
A graine of th' earth to rule it all was brought.
With him whom to content, all did contend,
God walk'd, and talk'd, as a familiar friend.
Y

Then of his pleasures to heape up the store,
God Evah did create with beauties rare,
Such as no women had since; none before,
Thinke what it is to be divinely faire,
And then imagine her a great deale more;
She, principall, the rest but copies are.
No height of words can her perfections hit,

Thus good and evill they learn'd to know by this,
But ah, the good was gone, the evill to be:
Thus monstrously when having done amisse,
They cloathing sought, (of bondage a decree)
"Loe, the first fruits of mortals knowledge is,
Their nakednesse, and hard estate to see:
Thus curiousnesse to knowledge is the guide,

The worke was matchlesse, as the workeman's wit. And it to misery, all toiles when tryde."

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Marke Adam's answer when his Maker crav'd,
If that his will had beene by him transgress'd;
"The woman (Lord) whom I from thee receiv'd,
Did make me eate, as who my soule possess'd:"
The woman said, "the serpent me deceiv'd:"
Both burden'd others, none the fault confess'd.
Which custome still their faulty race doth use,
"All first doe runne to hide, next to excuse."

But he who tryes the reynes, and views the heart,
(As through the clouds) doth through fraile bodies
And is not mock'd by men's ridiculous art, [see,
By which their crimes encreast, more odious be:
Who proudly sinne, they must submissely smart,
Loe, God craves count of what he did decree.
And those who joyn'd in sinne, are punish'd all,
All Adam's partners crush'd were with his fall.

Thus God first damn'd the fountaine of deceit,
"O most accurst of all the beasts which breed,
Still wallowing in the dust (a loathsome state)
Drawn on thy belly basely shalt thou feed;
The woman thee, thou shalt the woman hate.

Which hatred still inherit shall her seed.
Whose fierce effects both mutually shall feele,
Whil'st he shall breake thy head, thou bruise his
heele.

"And woman weake, whose thought each fancy
blowes,

I will encrease thy griefe, thy joyes restraine,
And since thy judgement doth depend on showes,
Thou to thy husband subject shalt remaine:
And (bringing forth thy brood with bitter throwes)
What was thy pleasure sown, shalt reape with paine.
Those beauties now which mustred are with pride,
In withered wrinckles, ruinous age shall hide.
"Fond Adam, thou (obeying thus thy wife)
What I commanded violate that durst:
Cares shall exhaust thy dayes, paines end thy life,
Whil'st for thy cause the earth becomes accurst,
With thornes and thistles, guerdoning thy strife,
Who sweating for thy food, art like to burst.
And looke no more for rest, for toile thou must,
Till whence first com'd, thou be turn'd back to dust."
By angels arm'd barr'd from the pleasant place,
When wretched Adam's pilgrimage was past,
The tree of sinne o're-shadowing all his race,
They from their minds all love of God did cast,
Them to reclaime who did contemne his grace,
Who weary was with striving at the last,
And of the world a harvest made by raine,
Did straight resolve to try new seede againe.

Yet since that Noah uprightly had liv'd,
He and his race stood safe on horrour's height,
And when all creatures' ruine was contriv'd,
Did live secure the forty-day-long night:

A Scotiscism for run, which frequently occurs To make the world repent, that good man striv❜d,

in these poems. C.

His swelling engine building in their sight.

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From guests prophane that th' Earth might be re· deem'd,

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The lights of Heaven quench'd in their lanternes lay,
The cloudy conduits but one cisterne seem'd,
Whil'st (save the waters) all things did decay:
The fire drown'd out, Heavens all dissolv'd were
deem'd,

Ayre water grew, the earth as wash'd away:
By monstrous storms, whil'st all things were ore-
turn'd,
[burn'd.
Then (save God's wrath) in all the world nought

Men to the mountaines did for helpe repaire,
Whence them the waves did violently chase;
In nature's scorne, came scaly squadrons there,
The forrest's guests inheriting their place:
By too much water, no, for lacke of ayre,
All were confounded in a little space.
"One creature needs all th' elements to live,
But death to all one element can give."

That moving masse against the storme did strive,
Which all the creatures of the world contayn'd;
As through the deepes it through the clouds did drive,
Not by the compasse, nor the rudder rayn'd:
No port, no land was, where it could arrive,
Whil'st th' earth with waters levell all remain'd.
The waves (the world all else as hush'd) at once,
Roard forth a consort with men's dying grones.

But when ore all God's breath did ruine blow,
The arke with others sinne from death did save:
Him whom the raging flouds did not orethrow,
Who (of God's judgements judge) did all perceive
A little liquor did at last o'rethrow,
Which to his sonne to mocke occasion gave.
"Thus drunkennesse disdainefull scorne doth breed,
A fertile vice which others still succeed."

As the first world did first by pride offend,
Whose burning rage to such a height did runne,
That it to quench, God did the waters bend:
O drunkennesse, the second world's first sinne,
The course of vice that element must end,
Which is oppos'd to that which did begin.
In every thing God's justice we may spy, [dry."
"As flouds drown'd pride, flames drunkennesse must

The peopled world soone left the Lord to feare,
And Sathan in their soules did raise his throne;
O what a burden, Nature, do'st thou beare,
Since that to sinne and live seeme both but one!
Men Babel's towers against the starres did reare,
Since like deserving, fearing what was gone,
As though that God could but one plague command;
(Ah, fooles) what strength against his strength can
stand?

Whil'st fondly they proud weaknesse did bewray, (Who can the deeps of his high judgements sound?) By making their owne tongues their hearts betray, The thund'rer straight those Titans did confound: Here divers tongues the worke of men did stay, Which afterwards the worke of God did ground. "One meanes made Christians joyne, and Ethnicks jarre,

Did helpe th' apostles, Babel's builders marre." When purpos'd to dissolve quicke clouds of dust, God's wrath (as stubble) sinners doth devoure; That towne to sacke, which had not ten men just, He brimstone rain'd (O most prodigious shoure!) Their bodies burn'd, whose soules were burn'd with lust,

What fayre was, ugly, what was sweet, grew sowre,
Yet of that fire, Lot scap'd the great deluge,
"God's holy mountaine is a sure refuge."

I thinke not of the ruine of those states,
Which since but strangers to the ground of grace,
Were carried head-long with their owne conceits,
And even (though brightly) blindely ran their race:
God's firme decrees, which fondly they call'd fates,
Did bound their glory in a little space. [mindes,
Whil'st tempests huge toss'd their tumultuous
Like reeds by rivers wav'ring with all windes.

Such rais'd not for their good, but for God's ends,
When bent his owne to punish, or support,
Doe (as his arrowes) hit but where he tends,
Else of themselves their power doth not import;
His spotted flocke, when he to purge intends,
They are but tooles us'd in a servile sort,
To fanne or cleanse, such fannes or besomes are,
Which afterwards he not in wrath doth spare.
Proud Ashur first did daunt all other soiles,
Till barbarous Persia did become her head;
The Greekes did glory in the Persian's spoiles,
Whose prince at last, Rome did in triumph leade;
Rome (ravishing the earth) bred bloudy broiles,
Yet was by whom she scorn'd a widdow made.
"The world a tennis-court, the rackets fates,
Great kings are balls, when God will tosse their
states."

To them whom God to doe great things doth chuse,
He generous mindes, and noble thoughts imparts,
And doth in them all qualities infuse,
That are requir'd to act heroicke parts;
Of matters base, then making others muse,
He breaks their sprites, and vilifies their hearts.
"As greatnesse still a gallant minde preceeds,
A staggering courage ruine still succeeds."
Of Greece and Rome, the glory mounting high,
Did minds amaze, (made all the Muses song)
On both the wings of worth, whil'st it did flye,
By valour rais'd, borne up on learning long;
But (loe) both base in abject bondage lye, [strong.
Whose brood proves now as faint, as once thought
That with their empires (made their enemies' spoiles)
Their sprites seeme too transferr'd to forraine soiles.
For, nations once which strangers were to fame,
On whom (as monsters) civill lands did gaze;
Those who in scorne did them barbarians name,
Doe now farre passe in all which merits praise:
Thus glorie's throne is made the seate of shame,
Who were obscure, doe honour highest raise.

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