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Proverbs XVI. 18.
Pride goeth before Destruction.
Pride goes before Destructionand haughtiness before a fall,
Whoever pores his Merits on
shall be Endangered there withal.
Whoever vaults himself on high
in Contemplating his own worth
Shall find his wings soon melt thereby
and down he'll tumble to the Earth:
Have I got wit and memory
and can my tongue freely dispence,
To Charm the silent standers by
torrents of moving Eloquence.
Beauty sets Throned in my face
and my sweet Symmetry of parts
Yields such an uniformal Grace
as wins all Eyes and wounds all hearts.
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me of a noble Pedigree
From whence many fair Branches spread
more to adorn and cover me:
An Education liberal
has been bestowed me upon,
Have I to Crown these Blessings all
an healthy Constitution?
The Earth with her abundant store
yields me the greatest Confluence,
So that from her can be no more
to pamper and Indulge the sense.
Doth pleasure with her balmy hand
proffer to flood me on her streams
And subject unto my Command
whatever carnal sense Esteems?
Doth honour with her Courtly breath
invite me to her Turrets high
To rule and Govern on the Earth
whilest Thousands fore me prostrate ly?
To what a pleasing topick now
think I my fortune hath me rais'd,
Tis sweet to see whole Thousands bow
whilest by them every one I'm prais'd.
Now hard it is not to grow proud
and over others Tyranize
And think because I'm thus Endow'd
my self I well may Idolize.
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on the sweet feature of my face
Narcissus like I soon am took,
a Captive and confin'd the place.
O me to see my youthful blood
now in its prime activity
Comes Rushing like a ruby Flood,
the Lily skin to beautify.
When tempted thus at any time
then O my Soul don't thou forget
That these Endowments are not mine,
but for them all I'm still in Debt.
These are but Talents in my hand
of which I only have the use
And he that gave them gave Command,
they should be us'd without abuse.
The Man that gave them is Austere
and Reapest where he hath not straw'd
That is, He's dreadfully severe,
Exacting all he hath bestow'd.
My Talents all are Registred
in his book of Rememberance
And he has set a time to plead,
his book and take his recompence.
There's no vain action, no vain word,
nor vain Imagination
That ever in my heart hath stir'd
since there the vital Spirits run.
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so that all numbers they surmount
The smallest of them shall not hide,
nor be forgot in that account.
And in that awful Reckoning Day
escape his Vengeance shall not I
Unless exactly I repay
each Talent down with usury.
If it be so: say how shall I
improve those gifts he hath bestow'd?
He says, with men deal equally,
and walk thou humbly with thy God:
Serve him with awful Reverence
'tis thus thou must thy gifts Improve
And if I fail thro' Impotence,
the Law may be fulfil'd by Love.
For tho' He's Just, He's good also
the one doth not confound the other;
His Justice and his goodness too,
both set on equal Thrones together.
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