Miscellaneous works of George Wither

Last Midnight, many things to minde were brought;
Amongst wch, this that follows, came in thought.
Now, most men are in Bed; and, so am I,
(Employ'd in Musings, whil'st they sleeping lie)
Why, may not, in our Graves, a diff'rence be,
As well as in our Beds, 'twixt them, and me,
Which will my Soul, in somewhat, active keep,
Whil'st, in the Bed of Death, my Flesh doth sleep?

Since, God, made all things good; Why entred in,
Such enimies thereto, as Death, and Sinne?
Why, is the World, so over-spread with evill?
Why, is there not, a God, without a Devill,
As in Eternity, e're Time began?
Or, wherfore, seeing God created Man
In purest, and in perfect Innocence,
prevail'd it not, to keep him from offence?
And, why, so long as Time lasts, shall there be
Such warre, betwixt the two Seeds, as we see?

Some Thoughts, within me, to these Thoughts repli'd;
Th'Eternal Wisdome, did this means provide,
To make the Infiniteness of his Nature,
So farr forth knowable, unto his Creature,
That it might love him, and, enjoy Communion
With him, in an unseparable Union,
By having reall proofs, in Time and Place,
Of his eternall Righteousnes, and Grace:
Which could not be effected, but, by giving
A reasonable pow'r, with Rules of Living,

Upon Condition, safe and easie made,
By what, his Mercy, thereunto should add;
Except, he should have made him to excell
Those Angells, that, both stood in Grace, and fell:
Which, had been, to have made him of a Nature,
So far beyond the Limits of a Creature,
That, at the Moment, wherein first begun
Mans Being, he, with God, should have been One.
Which, was a Dignitie (though preordain'd
Eternally) to be, by man, obtain'd
Another way; whereby, it being known,
What Attributes were God's, and what his own,
The Love and Union, which, from thence should flow,
Would, to perfection, answerable grow.

Betwixt the supreme Creature, and his Maker,
There cannot be a Mean; or, a Partaker
In Supreme Power; neither, can there ought
Below the God-Head, possibly be brought
Into Existence, which, a Pow'r can have,
To make it own self; or, it self to save
From losing of that Being: But, by loving
His Maker; and, by faithfully improving
Those Talents he receiv'd: wherein, the Giver
Hath, also promised to each Receiver,
Concurring aid, both to beleeve, and Doe,
What he requires; and, will perform it, too,
In ev'ry soul, that swerveth not aside,
Through selfness, malice, wilfullness, or Pride.

As had the Angells, Man had pow'r to chuse
The Good way, and the Evill, to refuse:
And, had the self same blessed means of Grace
Which those Good Angells had, that kept their place.
Two disadvantages, alone, he had,
Whereto, no Angell was obnoxious made,

Flesh, and a Tempter, for which God did please,
To give, to Mankinde, two Advantages,
Deni'd to Angells; That is, Penitence;
And, One to satisfie, for their offence:
Who, from his fall hath rais'd Man, to be greater
Then Angells: yea, and to a State that's better
Then what he lost; if he, again, abuse not
His Talents, and renewed Grace refuse not.

By making Man, and all things, as they were
First made; And, by his ordering, ev'ry where,
Each Creature, in his Course, according to
Those motions, wherein, naturally, they goe,
The Justice, Love, and Wisdome, doth appear,
Of him that moveth in the highest Sphere.
Thereby he, in some measure, is exprest;
And, could be no way else, made manifest.

For, as God, is, he, fully can of none
Be known, or lov'd, but of hmself alone.
Meer Sense, to no mans understanding brings
The Notion of Intelligible things;
Nor, perfectly, all those that come within
Their own Orbe, till their knowledg, bought hath bin,
By some Privation. By the Night we know,
The Comforts of the Day. Our pains doe show
What Ease and Pleasures are; And, when we shall
Regain the Reason, maymed by our Fall,
It will, by ev'ry man, be understood,
That, as God, at the first, made all things good,
His Providence did likewise so forecast,
That, ev'ry thing shall turn to Good, at last.

Though, woe to them, by whom Offences come,
They are Expedients, and there must be some,
And will be, while the disagreeing Creature
Is lab'ring in the Common Course of Nature.

For, ev'ry diffring thing, conduceth to
That, which their Wise-Disposer means to doe.
Virtues, and Vices; things prophane, and holy;
Weakness, and Strength; true Wisdom & meer Folly;
Hypocrisie, Sincerenes, Truth, and Lies,
The most abhorred of all Heresies;
Turks, Jews, and Pagans; Martyrs, and Confessors;
Ev'n Rebells, Tyrants, Traytors, and Oppressors;
Yea, and the Devills too, shall help complete,
In their despight, the Work they would defeat;
And, as it was, before the World begun,
God shall be All in All, when All is done.

Thus, casually, to fill a vacant Rome,
These Midnight Musings into words are come,
Compos'd in haste; which will (it may be) keep
Some Readers, waking, when they thought to sleep,
To meditate, upon that End and Use,
Whereto, such Thoughts, most properly conduce;
And, learn, whil'st they amongst Disorders dwell,
To trust in him, who Orders all things well.

University of Virginia Library

[Last Midnight, many things to minde were brought]

To fill up the following spare pages, this Midnight Musing of the Author is here added.