Miscellaneous Poems, with some Remarks on the Death of King Charles the II And the Happy Succession of King James the II. In a Poem to the Magistracy of England. By John Whitehall |
 |
The Soul, to a good Conscience.
|
 | Miscellaneous Poems, with some Remarks on the Death of King Charles the II |  |
22
The Soul, to a good Conscience.
I.
Welcom! thrice welcom, Sacred Guest!Thou Peace of Life, thou Balm of Death,
Thou Harbinger of an Eternal Rest,
How beaut'ous is thy Face! how fragrant is thy Breath!
Gabriel which to Mary did appear
The tidings of Eternal Peace did bring;
So Thou All hail! All hail! dost sing,
And fill'st me with a Joy, but not a Fear.
Thus Gideon, Peter, Paul,
Convers'd with Sp'rits Angelical;
Yet Thou to me
Dost seem to be
The lovli'st Cherub of them all.
II.
Continue here this night, and be my Guest,Thou shalt not now depart,
Take up thy Lodging in my humble heart,
Like Lot I will prepare my Feast,
23
With the unleavened Bread
Of Virtue and of Holiness,
And not the Leaven of the Pharisees:
Oh tarry then this tedious Night,
Until the Dawn of long Eternity!
Thou only canst me free
From the oppressing Sodomite,
And in the last Eternal Day,
When sinful Sodom's ready to expire,
'Tis only Thou canst lead me safe away,
From incens'd Heavens wrath, and the impartial Fire:
III.
Oh bold and noble Champion! whoJoyn'd to thy Sister Faith such Miracles canst do,
Who canst undaunted unto Prisons come,
Canst view the Flames, and smile on Martyrdom,
Who canst, like Paul, unconquer'd bear
Insulting Fates worst Tyranny,
And dost enjoy the greatest Liberty
Then when the flesh does Fetters wear,
Who hourly dost thy strength renew,
24
The Earthquake might
The unconverted Jayler much affright,
But thou art stedfast, fix'd, and not astonish'd by't.
IV.
Thy flaming Sword thou brandisnest about,To keep Pollution out;
Th' incestuous Strumpet could not move
Thee with illicens'd Love;
The heart of Joseph thou didst guard,
And the Adultress thence was barr'd,
Oh beauteous Susanna! much in vain
The lustful Elders strove to gain
A conquest o'r thy Modesty and Fame,
To prostitute thy Honour and thy Name;
Tho' Malice did its fruitless self dilate
Thou didst not tremble at the menaces of Fate;
If Daniel had not risen there
To make thy Innocence appear,
With Shadrach thou wouldst chuse in flames t'ave bin,
Rather than stain thy soul with the detested sin,
With welcom Death thou wouldst not have been griev'd,
But triumpht to have seen the Debauchees deceiv'd.
25
V.
The mighty Thunders speak aloud,And on the Mount descends a thick dark Cloud;
The sounding Trumpets rend the Sky,
And pointed Lightnings round the World do flie;
Sinai smoaks, for God is there,
The trembling Mountains do their Monarch own and fear.
Oh then! Oh who
Before Him dares appear!
Good conscience thou like Moses this canst do,
Before th' Almighty thou canst go;
Thou canst the holy Mount ascend,
Talk face to face with God, as with thy Friend,
While viler Souls astonish'd stand below,
They see the Lightning, and hear Thunder roar,
Yet for the Living God, the Golden Calf adore.
| Miscellaneous Poems, with some Remarks on the Death of King Charles the II | |