Spiritual Songs, or, Songs of Praise to Almighty God Upon several Occasions Together with The Song of Songs Which is Solomons. First Turn'd, then Paraphrased in English Verse. The Second Edition, Corrected, with an Addition of a Sacred Poem on Dives and Lazarus [by John Mason] |
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| IV. |
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| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
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 | Spiritual Songs, or, Songs of Praise to Almighty God Upon several Occasions |  |
17
ABRAHAM'S Rejoynder.
A preaching Apparition would confound
Heaven-daring Giants with its dreadful Sound.
None quake so soon as those who Heaven do dare;
Who fear not God, the greatest Cowards are.)
But were the coast once clear, the shake once o're,
The Lees would settle as they did before.
“It was a waking Dream, they would conclude,
“A Juggle which our Senses did delude.
“Or did we something see? And something hear?
“Yet whence it came, it doth not yet appear.
Nay, they would gravely reason out the Case,
“What we can grasp, we gladly will Embrace.
“The rest we leave. To them let Children heark,
“And fright themselves with Fancies in the dark.
“What is a Spirit? What's Infinity?
“What does the word [ Eternal ] signify?
Charm'd are their Soules with this Oration made.
And now their fear shall vanish like the Shade.
Thus Fools ('tho pounded) will not lose a Grain,
And Frozen Snakes, when thaw'd, will hisse again.
Heaven-daring Giants with its dreadful Sound.
None quake so soon as those who Heaven do dare;
Who fear not God, the greatest Cowards are.)
But were the coast once clear, the shake once o're,
The Lees would settle as they did before.
“It was a waking Dream, they would conclude,
“A Juggle which our Senses did delude.
“Or did we something see? And something hear?
“Yet whence it came, it doth not yet appear.
Nay, they would gravely reason out the Case,
“What we can grasp, we gladly will Embrace.
“The rest we leave. To them let Children heark,
“And fright themselves with Fancies in the dark.
“What is a Spirit? What's Infinity?
“What does the word [ Eternal ] signify?
Charm'd are their Soules with this Oration made.
And now their fear shall vanish like the Shade.
Thus Fools ('tho pounded) will not lose a Grain,
And Frozen Snakes, when thaw'd, will hisse again.
Come now, thou that pretend'st to Act the Man,
Something there needs must be, which ne're began.
As all were nothing once, So 'twould be now.
A Number from bare Cyphers could not grow.
Nothing's a Barren Womb. If that could breed,
To be and not to be were well agreed.
One point is gain'd, that something ever was.
This hard word, Ever; You must let it pass.
Know'st thou how far this Ever doth extend?
You must grant what you cannot Comprehend.
But what was Ever? This Imperial Robe
Suits not the azure nor the Verdant Globe.
One is a turning Wheel that Spins out time,
The other Pooles with Spots of hardned slime.
Now mark the kinds of each, and you shall find
Unto their proper Sphears they are Confin'd.
Hereby is their Original Confest,
There's but a partial goodness in the best.
This is the Voice of their infirmity,
“Mere Beggars and Derivatives are we.
What's of it self, that doth its self Suffice,
'Tis from our Creatureship our wants arise.
What's of it self, that in it self is Blest,
'Tis its own Center and at perfect rest.
Rich is that Being whence all Beings are,
And whence each Being has its proper Share.
Nor is't a wonder of so High degree
To make to be, as of it self to be.
Something then ever was, which needs must be,
From all the shades of Imperfections free.
Hence are we. And to think, in vain we are,
Is to condemn his Wisdom at our Bar.
As Men the Badge of their dependance wear
On their frail Flesh (the Graves probationer)
And on their hearts, whose restless Motions show
Something they want, which is not here below:
So must they own whom they are forc'd to know,
And pay themselves to whom themselves they Ow.
Neither would this their Light of comfort Dim,
But they should serve themselves in serving him.
When Graves vpbraid proud Gravestones with their Lies,
Gods Servant is a Title never dies.
Something there needs must be, which ne're began.
As all were nothing once, So 'twould be now.
A Number from bare Cyphers could not grow.
Nothing's a Barren Womb. If that could breed,
To be and not to be were well agreed.
18
This hard word, Ever; You must let it pass.
Know'st thou how far this Ever doth extend?
You must grant what you cannot Comprehend.
But what was Ever? This Imperial Robe
Suits not the azure nor the Verdant Globe.
One is a turning Wheel that Spins out time,
The other Pooles with Spots of hardned slime.
Now mark the kinds of each, and you shall find
Unto their proper Sphears they are Confin'd.
Hereby is their Original Confest,
There's but a partial goodness in the best.
This is the Voice of their infirmity,
“Mere Beggars and Derivatives are we.
What's of it self, that doth its self Suffice,
'Tis from our Creatureship our wants arise.
What's of it self, that in it self is Blest,
'Tis its own Center and at perfect rest.
Rich is that Being whence all Beings are,
And whence each Being has its proper Share.
Nor is't a wonder of so High degree
To make to be, as of it self to be.
Something then ever was, which needs must be,
From all the shades of Imperfections free.
Hence are we. And to think, in vain we are,
Is to condemn his Wisdom at our Bar.
As Men the Badge of their dependance wear
On their frail Flesh (the Graves probationer)
And on their hearts, whose restless Motions show
Something they want, which is not here below:
So must they own whom they are forc'd to know,
And pay themselves to whom themselves they Ow.
Neither would this their Light of comfort Dim,
But they should serve themselves in serving him.
19
Gods Servant is a Title never dies.
The Thoughts in Man do prove his Soul to be;
His Conscience bodes his immortality.
This Bosom-Magistrate his Facts espies
And binds him over to the last Assize.
He trembles at his Summons to appear.
His fear makes not a God, God makes his fear.
Religion by Corroding doth assay
Even thro' an heart of Rock to force its way.
O might he to himself be so Syncere,
To strive to please whom he's constrain'd to fear.
His Conscience bodes his immortality.
This Bosom-Magistrate his Facts espies
And binds him over to the last Assize.
He trembles at his Summons to appear.
His fear makes not a God, God makes his fear.
Religion by Corroding doth assay
Even thro' an heart of Rock to force its way.
O might he to himself be so Syncere,
To strive to please whom he's constrain'd to fear.
Yet will he be a Vagrant all his days,
Without a Method to direct his ways.
What Ey e're pierc'd th'Almighties Sacred Breast?
Himself knowes only what will please him best.
Without a Method to direct his ways.
What Ey e're pierc'd th'Almighties Sacred Breast?
Himself knowes only what will please him best.
Since Man was made to serve his Makers will,
Which is an Height transcending humane Skill,
A Rule must needs be granted from on High
For him to regulate his Actions by.
This Heaven-sprung Rule that Sacred Roll contains
Which in the Consecrated Land remains.
Its words and Mysteries are all Divine,
And weighty Mountains hang on every Line.
It (Sun-like) Shines by its own Golden Beams.
And scorns its base Corrivals Senseless Dreams.
Those Spangles which the Heathen Sages left
Were from this Mine snatch'd by an Honest Theft.
Give me that hardy Brow, that dares deny
The Bibles well-attested History,
Moses said many things, and prov'd them too
With proofes, which all Hells magick did out-do.
Gods power he carry'd in his Hands, to show
That from his Mouth the truthes of God did flow.
And his Credentials on his Face did shine,
Which there were written by a Beam Divine.
The gazing Jewes were struck, who plainly saw
That whence he had his Light, he had his Law.
Which is an Height transcending humane Skill,
A Rule must needs be granted from on High
For him to regulate his Actions by.
This Heaven-sprung Rule that Sacred Roll contains
Which in the Consecrated Land remains.
Its words and Mysteries are all Divine,
And weighty Mountains hang on every Line.
It (Sun-like) Shines by its own Golden Beams.
And scorns its base Corrivals Senseless Dreams.
Those Spangles which the Heathen Sages left
Were from this Mine snatch'd by an Honest Theft.
Give me that hardy Brow, that dares deny
The Bibles well-attested History,
Moses said many things, and prov'd them too
With proofes, which all Hells magick did out-do.
20
That from his Mouth the truthes of God did flow.
And his Credentials on his Face did shine,
Which there were written by a Beam Divine.
The gazing Jewes were struck, who plainly saw
That whence he had his Light, he had his Law.
Those Sections which the Sacred Code begin,
Were by an Age of wonders Usher'd in.
The Prophets superstructure firmly stands
On two hewn Stones laid by th'Almighties Hands.
They count the footsteps of their coming Lord,
They view the Mercy-seat with one accord.
One tells his Name, another tells his place.
Another writes the Beauties of his Face.
Thus is he Glanc'd at by their piercing Eyes.
The last of them his Harbinger espies.
And O the brisk, the Charming Airs that Spring
From the consent of each Harmonious string!
He's over-wise who dreads Fictitious lines
From hands unbrib'd and Hearts without designes.
They wrote beyond themselves. Which serve to prove,
Their hearts and Hands were guided from above.
The Worlds just Age, and what was done of old
Are in this Sacred Register inroll'd.
Here may be seen the pristin state of Man,
And, that Niles Head, the Source where ills began,
Here may be seen what makes a second Spring.
Here is the best account of every thing.
The Wonders witness'd now by mortal Eyes,
Are but the products of its Prophecies.
The Scriptures rule the World. Till this shall burn,
All Ages on that Axle-Tree shall turn.
Were by an Age of wonders Usher'd in.
The Prophets superstructure firmly stands
On two hewn Stones laid by th'Almighties Hands.
They count the footsteps of their coming Lord,
They view the Mercy-seat with one accord.
One tells his Name, another tells his place.
Another writes the Beauties of his Face.
Thus is he Glanc'd at by their piercing Eyes.
The last of them his Harbinger espies.
And O the brisk, the Charming Airs that Spring
From the consent of each Harmonious string!
He's over-wise who dreads Fictitious lines
From hands unbrib'd and Hearts without designes.
They wrote beyond themselves. Which serve to prove,
Their hearts and Hands were guided from above.
The Worlds just Age, and what was done of old
Are in this Sacred Register inroll'd.
Here may be seen the pristin state of Man,
And, that Niles Head, the Source where ills began,
Here may be seen what makes a second Spring.
Here is the best account of every thing.
The Wonders witness'd now by mortal Eyes,
Are but the products of its Prophecies.
The Scriptures rule the World. Till this shall burn,
All Ages on that Axle-Tree shall turn.
21
This Heaven-inspired Volume doth avow
What reason may embrace or must allow.
When God describes himself, 'tis such an height
As far surmounts quick fancies highest Flight.
'Tis Reason, Reason should be puzzled here.
Man should be God if he knew what he were.
To these Vast heights thus sober Reason saith,
I see the Seales. And yields the Chair to Faith.
Now the Almighties Word shall Vermin slight,
When Heaven and Earth bear witness to its Might.
Vast Numbers from his Word at first did flow,
And must his Word pass for a Cypher now?
Nay. His Commands at first Creations were,
And now his Word Commands and gives an Ear,
It is a Sun that gives both Light and Eyes,
A Voice that bids and makes the dead arise.
It make Clods, Stars; And sends them to the Sky;
And turneth Heaven into a Colony.
What reason may embrace or must allow.
When God describes himself, 'tis such an height
As far surmounts quick fancies highest Flight.
'Tis Reason, Reason should be puzzled here.
Man should be God if he knew what he were.
To these Vast heights thus sober Reason saith,
I see the Seales. And yields the Chair to Faith.
Now the Almighties Word shall Vermin slight,
When Heaven and Earth bear witness to its Might.
Vast Numbers from his Word at first did flow,
And must his Word pass for a Cypher now?
Nay. His Commands at first Creations were,
And now his Word Commands and gives an Ear,
It is a Sun that gives both Light and Eyes,
A Voice that bids and makes the dead arise.
It make Clods, Stars; And sends them to the Sky;
And turneth Heaven into a Colony.
Unbelief is not Reason but a Lust.
Gods Hand and Sword give it its mortal thrust.
The Law of the two Tables will prevail,
When other (self-invented) means shall fail.
Whilest other Archers Level in the Dark,
The Arrowes from Gods Quiver hit the mark.
Gods Hand and Sword give it its mortal thrust.
The Law of the two Tables will prevail,
When other (self-invented) means shall fail.
Whilest other Archers Level in the Dark,
The Arrowes from Gods Quiver hit the mark.
What Voices or what Visions would you have,
Gods Voice (or nothing) will your Brethren save.
New Methods of Salvation to contrive
Is fruitless Labour. Let 'em hear and Live,
But if they wo'n't, their Mittimus is Seal'd.
A stubborn Patient never can be heal'd.
If Preachers rais'd by God they will disdain.
Preachers rais'd from the Grave should Preach in vain.
Gods Voice (or nothing) will your Brethren save.
New Methods of Salvation to contrive
Is fruitless Labour. Let 'em hear and Live,
But if they wo'n't, their Mittimus is Seal'd.
A stubborn Patient never can be heal'd.
If Preachers rais'd by God they will disdain.
Preachers rais'd from the Grave should Preach in vain.
| Spiritual Songs, or, Songs of Praise to Almighty God Upon several Occasions | |