Immorality Reveal'd A poem. In four epistles. To a friend. [by Thomas Cooke] |
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| 2. | THE SECOND EPISTLE. |
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 | Immorality Reveal'd |  |
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THE SECOND EPISTLE.
Come then, my Cœlius, with thy Friend explore
The Truths long hid, or darkly seen before,
'Till Revelation with its glorious Light
Dispers'd the Gloom, and brought them into Sight:
But search we first, and traverse hand in hand
The Grounds, on which these Truths supported stand,
Weigh well the Proofs, that move us to receive
This Revelation, and from Heav'n believe.
The Truths long hid, or darkly seen before,
'Till Revelation with its glorious Light
Dispers'd the Gloom, and brought them into Sight:
But search we first, and traverse hand in hand
The Grounds, on which these Truths supported stand,
Weigh well the Proofs, that move us to receive
This Revelation, and from Heav'n believe.
That the All-wise, if so it pleas'd Him, cou'd
Reveal to Man Things once not understood,
Things far above his lab'ring Reach to find,
Or with new Lights relieve his doubting Mind,
Must be confess'd; and if Man's piteous Case,
Fallen perhaps, and sunk from what He was,
Might need such gracious Help to rise again,
And his lost former happy State attain,
Who will attempt presumptuous to dispute,
That with the Being Supreme it would not suit,
Not with his Nature stand to condescend
To grant such Aid, and grant to such an End?
Reveal to Man Things once not understood,
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Or with new Lights relieve his doubting Mind,
Must be confess'd; and if Man's piteous Case,
Fallen perhaps, and sunk from what He was,
Might need such gracious Help to rise again,
And his lost former happy State attain,
Who will attempt presumptuous to dispute,
That with the Being Supreme it would not suit,
Not with his Nature stand to condescend
To grant such Aid, and grant to such an End?
View the Creation round, and ponder well
Th'Effects, which ev'ry where the Author tell,
His Wonders in the wide Expanse above,
The glitt'ring Lights, that rest, or circling move,
His Wonders in the pregnant Earth below,
The num'rous Sorts, that breathe, and those, that grow,
His Wonders in the Deep, each finny Kind,
The Fluxes of the Tide, and veering Wind;
Consider these, and in their End weigh then
The great Beneficence of God to Men;
Not more conspicuous shine his Pow'r and Art
Than this throughout the Whole, and ev'ry Part;
Seems not his Goodness rather to outdo
Whate'er of Both in all his Works we view?
Made, if not solely, chiefly for our Good,
Our Pleasure, some, and some, our Use, or Food,
Do not these Wonders ev'ry-where declare,
How much belov'd, how dear to him we are?
From such unbounded Goodness what Effect
Can we conceive too wondrous to expect?
What Boon too great, too rich for Him to grant
In Aid of human Exigence and Want?
Th'Effects, which ev'ry where the Author tell,
His Wonders in the wide Expanse above,
The glitt'ring Lights, that rest, or circling move,
His Wonders in the pregnant Earth below,
The num'rous Sorts, that breathe, and those, that grow,
His Wonders in the Deep, each finny Kind,
The Fluxes of the Tide, and veering Wind;
Consider these, and in their End weigh then
The great Beneficence of God to Men;
Not more conspicuous shine his Pow'r and Art
Than this throughout the Whole, and ev'ry Part;
18
Whate'er of Both in all his Works we view?
Made, if not solely, chiefly for our Good,
Our Pleasure, some, and some, our Use, or Food,
Do not these Wonders ev'ry-where declare,
How much belov'd, how dear to him we are?
From such unbounded Goodness what Effect
Can we conceive too wondrous to expect?
What Boon too great, too rich for Him to grant
In Aid of human Exigence and Want?
If, as created mutable and free,
Subject to Error and Degen'racy,
Man had from Truth, and Virtue far declin'd,
Misus'd his Pow'rs, and vitiated the Mind,
Unable to recover unreliev'd
The Loss by such a Fall and Stain receiv'd,
Where is the Difficulty to conceive,
(Or rather what more easy to believe)
That Heav'n thus bounteous might with pitying Eye
Behold his laps'd Condition, and apply
Some wise and gen'rous Methods to redress
His Grievance, or alleviate his Distress?
Such Grace, tho' undeserv'd, must sure agree
With the All-good, All-gracious Deity,
Consist with all those Attributes, which join'd
Present his glorious Image to the Mind.
Subject to Error and Degen'racy,
Man had from Truth, and Virtue far declin'd,
Misus'd his Pow'rs, and vitiated the Mind,
Unable to recover unreliev'd
The Loss by such a Fall and Stain receiv'd,
Where is the Difficulty to conceive,
(Or rather what more easy to believe)
That Heav'n thus bounteous might with pitying Eye
Behold his laps'd Condition, and apply
Some wise and gen'rous Methods to redress
His Grievance, or alleviate his Distress?
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With the All-good, All-gracious Deity,
Consist with all those Attributes, which join'd
Present his glorious Image to the Mind.
If backward up to distant Times we go,
And search the Facts, which ancient Volumes show,
Those of the best Account, and earliest Date,
That sing or treat of Man's primeval State,
With one Consent they all agree in this,
That his first Days were Days of Peace and Bliss,
More innocent, and happier far than those
Which after in succeeding Times arose,
That Guilt and Folly soon quite chang'd the Scene,
And o'er the Earth wide spread their baneful Reign,
Ingend'ring Maladies of divers Kind
Afflictive to the Body and the Mind:
This both the Poet and the Sage of old
Transmitting down to future Times have told;
This they lamented, tho' they could not trace
The real Spring of this disastrous Case,
Or else, if by Tradition partly known,
They have in mythic Dress but partly shown.
And search the Facts, which ancient Volumes show,
Those of the best Account, and earliest Date,
That sing or treat of Man's primeval State,
With one Consent they all agree in this,
That his first Days were Days of Peace and Bliss,
More innocent, and happier far than those
Which after in succeeding Times arose,
That Guilt and Folly soon quite chang'd the Scene,
And o'er the Earth wide spread their baneful Reign,
Ingend'ring Maladies of divers Kind
Afflictive to the Body and the Mind:
This both the Poet and the Sage of old
Transmitting down to future Times have told;
This they lamented, tho' they could not trace
The real Spring of this disastrous Case,
Or else, if by Tradition partly known,
They have in mythic Dress but partly shown.
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Thus fallen and deprav'd in Mind and Heart,
What Pow'rs had Man then left him to exert?
What Means, that might avail him to regain
His former Loss, and wipe away the Stain?
Lament his Case He might, we may believe,
But never of Himself his Loss retrieve:
Heav'n then must interpose, no Pow'r, no Light
But thence deriv'd could raise and set him right,
Nothing of weaker Energy alarm
His grov'ling Soul, and break the hellish Charm,
Much less renew his Nature, and restore
That Rectitude, from which he fell before.
This some Philosophers of ancient Note
Observing Man's corrupted State have thought,
Such Help alone they judg'd could have Effect
To cure his Blindness, and his Heart correct,
And this, they hop'd, that God would sometime send,
Sooner or later, for that gracious End;
Reas'nable Hope! how justly it agreed
With God's Perfections, and our real Need.
What Pow'rs had Man then left him to exert?
What Means, that might avail him to regain
His former Loss, and wipe away the Stain?
Lament his Case He might, we may believe,
But never of Himself his Loss retrieve:
Heav'n then must interpose, no Pow'r, no Light
But thence deriv'd could raise and set him right,
Nothing of weaker Energy alarm
His grov'ling Soul, and break the hellish Charm,
Much less renew his Nature, and restore
That Rectitude, from which he fell before.
This some Philosophers of ancient Note
Observing Man's corrupted State have thought,
Such Help alone they judg'd could have Effect
To cure his Blindness, and his Heart correct,
And this, they hop'd, that God would sometime send,
Sooner or later, for that gracious End;
Reas'nable Hope! how justly it agreed
With God's Perfections, and our real Need.
But can we then with Certainty conclude,
Because the Being divine is kind and good,
And thro' our Fault we needed such an Aid,
Therefore such Revelation must be made?
Not so—however it must be confest,
This seems from hence more probable at least;
Without such Aid vouchsaf'd, forbear who can,
To think that God had quite abandon'd Man.
If then consistently with what we know
Of God, and his Regard to Things below,
Such Kindness might be hop'd, tho' not of Right,
Should not such Hope our Pains and Zeal excite
To search whatever has a fair Pretence
For claiming its Original from thence.
Because the Being divine is kind and good,
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Therefore such Revelation must be made?
Not so—however it must be confest,
This seems from hence more probable at least;
Without such Aid vouchsaf'd, forbear who can,
To think that God had quite abandon'd Man.
If then consistently with what we know
Of God, and his Regard to Things below,
Such Kindness might be hop'd, tho' not of Right,
Should not such Hope our Pains and Zeal excite
To search whatever has a fair Pretence
For claiming its Original from thence.
'Tis true, intriguing Men have sometimes feign'd
To serve their Aims, and push some fav'rite End,
A secret Commerce with the Pow'r divine,
And thence drawn Weight t'accomplish their Design:
In diff'rent Ages, and in distant Parts,
Such Men have practis'd these delusive Arts,
Hero, and Statesman both; too well they knew
The Force of these to gain their Point in view;
Believing Crouds their Dictates press'd to hear,
And what they heard, as Oracles, revere.
This then, 'tis own'd, should teach us to beware,
And in our Search employ the strictest Care;
But, since from these successful Frauds we see
How easily receiv'd those Notions be,
That God by Revelation might convey
New Lights to guide us, and direct our Way,
Shall we from thence, before we search, disclaim
Whatever bears that Character and Name?
Or not believe that, which on search we find
Maintain'd by Proofs the strongest in their Kind,
Such as have satisfy'd in ev'ry View
Men of the keenest Sense and Judgment too,
Such as the deepest Artists in Dispute
Could never weaken yet, much less confute.
To serve their Aims, and push some fav'rite End,
A secret Commerce with the Pow'r divine,
And thence drawn Weight t'accomplish their Design:
In diff'rent Ages, and in distant Parts,
Such Men have practis'd these delusive Arts,
Hero, and Statesman both; too well they knew
The Force of these to gain their Point in view;
Believing Crouds their Dictates press'd to hear,
And what they heard, as Oracles, revere.
22
And in our Search employ the strictest Care;
But, since from these successful Frauds we see
How easily receiv'd those Notions be,
That God by Revelation might convey
New Lights to guide us, and direct our Way,
Shall we from thence, before we search, disclaim
Whatever bears that Character and Name?
Or not believe that, which on search we find
Maintain'd by Proofs the strongest in their Kind,
Such as have satisfy'd in ev'ry View
Men of the keenest Sense and Judgment too,
Such as the deepest Artists in Dispute
Could never weaken yet, much less confute.
If we return, and carefully survey
The Means by which those Fictions made their Way,
Won the Assent of Crouds, and sometimes spread
Beyond the Countries where they first were bred,
Little appears t'have gain'd them Faith besides
The Word and Credit of those artful Guides,
The very Persons, who contriv'd those Schemes,
To help their Policy, or private Aims:
And can the sober Mind for this reject,
Or, for no other Reason, ev'n suspect
What brings, in Proof and Matter, ev'ry Sign,
Each wondrous Character of Truth divine?
The Means by which those Fictions made their Way,
Won the Assent of Crouds, and sometimes spread
Beyond the Countries where they first were bred,
Little appears t'have gain'd them Faith besides
The Word and Credit of those artful Guides,
The very Persons, who contriv'd those Schemes,
To help their Policy, or private Aims:
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Or, for no other Reason, ev'n suspect
What brings, in Proof and Matter, ev'ry Sign,
Each wondrous Character of Truth divine?
No one can say, but God in Mercy might
Have sent us Guides instructed by his Light
To teach us what we were at first, and whence
So happy then, so blind and wretched since,
How to retrieve our Loss, and what expect,
If such a gracious Message we neglect:
Supposing this, let us reflect and try
Upon what Proofs we safely might rely,
That the Instructions, which they taught abroad
Were not Man's Dictates, but the Will of God.
No doubt we might expect the Hand of Heav'n,
Whence they affirm'd their solemn Pow'rs were giv'n,
Should by Effects attend them in the Course
Of their Commission, and their Charge enforce,
Be ready with its wondrous Signs to seal
The Truth of what, they as from thence reveal;
Such Evidence might justly be requir'd,
Before we deem them sacred and inspir'd;
If then at their Appeals to Heav'n addrest
T'assert their Doctrine, and its Truth attest,
A Pow'r unseen controuling Nature's Laws
Strait interpos'd, and vouch'd their pleaded Cause,
Work'd Wonders by their Hands of various Kind,
And of such Sort, as cannot be assign'd
To any Pow'r but his, whom Earth, and Sea,
The Air, and all the starry Host obey,
This surely must beyond all Question prove
Their Mission, and their Doctrines from Above;
What greater Evidence could God ev'n give,
Or we, for our Belief, than this, receive?
Have sent us Guides instructed by his Light
To teach us what we were at first, and whence
So happy then, so blind and wretched since,
How to retrieve our Loss, and what expect,
If such a gracious Message we neglect:
Supposing this, let us reflect and try
Upon what Proofs we safely might rely,
That the Instructions, which they taught abroad
Were not Man's Dictates, but the Will of God.
No doubt we might expect the Hand of Heav'n,
Whence they affirm'd their solemn Pow'rs were giv'n,
Should by Effects attend them in the Course
Of their Commission, and their Charge enforce,
Be ready with its wondrous Signs to seal
The Truth of what, they as from thence reveal;
Such Evidence might justly be requir'd,
Before we deem them sacred and inspir'd;
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T'assert their Doctrine, and its Truth attest,
A Pow'r unseen controuling Nature's Laws
Strait interpos'd, and vouch'd their pleaded Cause,
Work'd Wonders by their Hands of various Kind,
And of such Sort, as cannot be assign'd
To any Pow'r but his, whom Earth, and Sea,
The Air, and all the starry Host obey,
This surely must beyond all Question prove
Their Mission, and their Doctrines from Above;
What greater Evidence could God ev'n give,
Or we, for our Belief, than this, receive?
But is it so? does it in Fact appear
That Persons of this sacred Character
By Heav'n selected, authoriz'd, and taught,
Have to the World such gracious Message brought?
Did the same Pow'r, in whose most awful Name,
They solemnly asserted, that they came,
By Signs peculiar to itself alone
Attest their Message, and Commission own?
These Queries, Cœlius, are the chief and main,
On which depends the Cause, that we maintain;
These fully clear'd, what can remain behind
To stagger, or suspend th'attentive Mind?
That Persons of this sacred Character
By Heav'n selected, authoriz'd, and taught,
Have to the World such gracious Message brought?
Did the same Pow'r, in whose most awful Name,
They solemnly asserted, that they came,
By Signs peculiar to itself alone
Attest their Message, and Commission own?
These Queries, Cœlius, are the chief and main,
On which depends the Cause, that we maintain;
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To stagger, or suspend th'attentive Mind?
That Jesus (whom the Christian World believe
Did such Commission from Above receive)
Assum'd this Office, and to Heav'n appeal'd
In witness of the Truths, which He reveal'd,
Nay further, in support of what He taught
Variety of signal Wonders wrought,
Is questionless; the Pagan and the Jew
Uniting here acknowledg'd this as true:
But that those Wonders were of Pow'r divine,
And of his Mission an undoubted Sign,
They both deny, and other Causes frame
From whence they urge his signal Actions came;
These chiefly, or than these no higher Source,
Infernal Agency, or Magic Force.
Did such Commission from Above receive)
Assum'd this Office, and to Heav'n appeal'd
In witness of the Truths, which He reveal'd,
Nay further, in support of what He taught
Variety of signal Wonders wrought,
Is questionless; the Pagan and the Jew
Uniting here acknowledg'd this as true:
But that those Wonders were of Pow'r divine,
And of his Mission an undoubted Sign,
They both deny, and other Causes frame
From whence they urge his signal Actions came;
These chiefly, or than these no higher Source,
Infernal Agency, or Magic Force.
With Meekness, Cœlius, such as breathes thro'out
His Answers to each Calumny, or Doubt,
Let us repel these Slanders, be their Rise
From Rancour, Blindness, Pride, or Prejudice;
Still let our Zeal with Pity temper'd move
Within the Bounds of Charity and Love.
His Answers to each Calumny, or Doubt,
Let us repel these Slanders, be their Rise
From Rancour, Blindness, Pride, or Prejudice;
Still let our Zeal with Pity temper'd move
Within the Bounds of Charity and Love.
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Suppose, what He perform'd, each wondrous Deed
Could from a Pow'r less than divine proceed,
Can it by Men of serious Sense be thought
That by malignant Spirits they were wrought?
What? when those very Miracles in Aid
Of Mens Distresses chiefly were display'd,
Acts of the greatest Charity and Grace
Apply'd in ev'ry piteous painful Case!
Could Wonders of such gen'rous, noble Kind
Come from an evil and malicious Mind?
From Pow'rs, whom in their Nature we suppose
To Acts of Love and Goodness utter Foes?
Besides, if we consider well the Ends,
To which his Doctrine principally tends,
Were they not plainly these, to triumph o'er
The Works of Darkness, which prevail'd before,
To root out Superstition, and reduce
Corrupt Religion to its pristine Use,
The Worship of the one true God, and show
Mistaken Man the Paths of Bliss and Woe?
What then can we imagine more absurd
Than that such Agents should their Help afford
To gain from Men Attention, Faith, and Fame
To Doctrine of such Tendency and Aim?
Could from a Pow'r less than divine proceed,
Can it by Men of serious Sense be thought
That by malignant Spirits they were wrought?
What? when those very Miracles in Aid
Of Mens Distresses chiefly were display'd,
Acts of the greatest Charity and Grace
Apply'd in ev'ry piteous painful Case!
Could Wonders of such gen'rous, noble Kind
Come from an evil and malicious Mind?
From Pow'rs, whom in their Nature we suppose
To Acts of Love and Goodness utter Foes?
Besides, if we consider well the Ends,
To which his Doctrine principally tends,
Were they not plainly these, to triumph o'er
The Works of Darkness, which prevail'd before,
To root out Superstition, and reduce
Corrupt Religion to its pristine Use,
The Worship of the one true God, and show
Mistaken Man the Paths of Bliss and Woe?
What then can we imagine more absurd
Than that such Agents should their Help afford
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To Doctrine of such Tendency and Aim?
Well—be it, that such Wonders could not owe
Their Rise to evil Spirits, do we know
He could not by some secret, curious Art
Such Wonders to the vulgar Sight impart?
Their Rise to evil Spirits, do we know
He could not by some secret, curious Art
Such Wonders to the vulgar Sight impart?
That Things surprizing might be done, 'tis own'd,
By those, who Nature's Depths unwearied sound,
Who trace her in her Mazes, and descry
Those Secrets, which escape th'incurious Eye:
Great are her hidden Pow'rs, when Art directs,
Compounds, or severs them, to work Effects.
But still whatever wondrous Feats may rise
From Skill in Nature's pow'rful Energies,
Who knows not, that some gen'ral Laws prevail,
'Gainst which all Art and Subtilty must fail?
Laws, which no Force can alter or suspend
But His, who form'd them for their proper End,
His only, or their Agency at least
Who far above the Rank of Man are plac'd,
Who next to God in Dignity and State
Attend his Will, and on his Pleasure wait?
By those, who Nature's Depths unwearied sound,
Who trace her in her Mazes, and descry
Those Secrets, which escape th'incurious Eye:
Great are her hidden Pow'rs, when Art directs,
Compounds, or severs them, to work Effects.
But still whatever wondrous Feats may rise
From Skill in Nature's pow'rful Energies,
Who knows not, that some gen'ral Laws prevail,
'Gainst which all Art and Subtilty must fail?
Laws, which no Force can alter or suspend
But His, who form'd them for their proper End,
His only, or their Agency at least
Who far above the Rank of Man are plac'd,
Who next to God in Dignity and State
Attend his Will, and on his Pleasure wait?
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Now if the Miracles, which Jesus show'd
In witness of the Truths by Him avow'd,
Were such, as did not only not depend
On Nature's Pow'rs, but all her Pow'rs transcend,
Quite break that Order, which has held the same
Since Things began in this establish'd Frame,
The Pow'r, by which those Miracles were done,
Must be most certainly from Heav'n alone;
And if from thence, must not his Doctrines too
Claim the same Rise, and, as divine, be true?
In witness of the Truths by Him avow'd,
Were such, as did not only not depend
On Nature's Pow'rs, but all her Pow'rs transcend,
Quite break that Order, which has held the same
Since Things began in this establish'd Frame,
The Pow'r, by which those Miracles were done,
Must be most certainly from Heav'n alone;
And if from thence, must not his Doctrines too
Claim the same Rise, and, as divine, be true?
These Wonders let us then survey with Care,
How they were wrought, observe, and what they were.
How they were wrought, observe, and what they were.
No Means from Art, or Nature's Pow'rs explor'd
Did in these signal Acts their Aids afford;
Without such Help, strait, in a Moment wrought
They struck the gazing Eye and wond'ring Thought:
Nought but a Touch preceeding them appear'd,
Or else a Word pronounc'd, or Pray'r preferr'd.
These were the only Methods, which He us'd,
How vain! had Heav'n to interpose refus'd;
Could Means like these without celestial Aid
Have work'd such Wonders, and such Pow'r display'd?
Did in these signal Acts their Aids afford;
Without such Help, strait, in a Moment wrought
They struck the gazing Eye and wond'ring Thought:
Nought but a Touch preceeding them appear'd,
Or else a Word pronounc'd, or Pray'r preferr'd.
These were the only Methods, which He us'd,
How vain! had Heav'n to interpose refus'd;
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Have work'd such Wonders, and such Pow'r display'd?
Here from their Couches bended Cripples sprung
With Limbs now upright, and each Sinew strong;
There Lepers of distain'd and pallid Hue
The ruddy Bloom of Health assum'd anew;
Here joyless Mutes their long deep Silence broke,
And, their Tongues loos'd, in ready Accents spoke:
There too the mournful Blind restor'd to Sight,
Look'd up to Heav'n, and hail'd the blessed Light.
Know we the Plague, the Malady, the Ill,
But what at once submitted to his Will?
Now burning Fevers leave the boiling Blood,
And Dropsies cease to pour the watry Flood,
Now frantic Lunacies distract no more,
And Demons fly the Wretch they vex'd before;
Ev'n from his Garments Virtue flows around,
Raises the Sick, and heals the bleeding Wound.
With Limbs now upright, and each Sinew strong;
There Lepers of distain'd and pallid Hue
The ruddy Bloom of Health assum'd anew;
Here joyless Mutes their long deep Silence broke,
And, their Tongues loos'd, in ready Accents spoke:
There too the mournful Blind restor'd to Sight,
Look'd up to Heav'n, and hail'd the blessed Light.
Know we the Plague, the Malady, the Ill,
But what at once submitted to his Will?
Now burning Fevers leave the boiling Blood,
And Dropsies cease to pour the watry Flood,
Now frantic Lunacies distract no more,
And Demons fly the Wretch they vex'd before;
Ev'n from his Garments Virtue flows around,
Raises the Sick, and heals the bleeding Wound.
By labour'd Process Art with Nature's Force
Its Purpose works, and gradual takes its Course,
We view th'Effects, and searching Nature's Laws
Find those Effects proportion'd to their Cause;
But instantaneous here produc'd we find
Effects the most stupendous in their Kind;
Must they not therefore from a Source have rose,
Of quicker Pow'r, and mightier far than those,
And is it possible we can assign,
Or think of ought but one, and that divine?
Its Purpose works, and gradual takes its Course,
We view th'Effects, and searching Nature's Laws
Find those Effects proportion'd to their Cause;
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Effects the most stupendous in their Kind;
Must they not therefore from a Source have rose,
Of quicker Pow'r, and mightier far than those,
And is it possible we can assign,
Or think of ought but one, and that divine?
See Thousands here from Two small Fishes fed,
These only with Five Loaves the Table spread,
Fed to the full they saw in Fragments more
Than what at first compos'd that little Store.
These only with Five Loaves the Table spread,
Fed to the full they saw in Fragments more
Than what at first compos'd that little Store.
There see Him walking on the rugged Main
Forc'd to receive his Laws, and Weight sustain;
Hush'd at his Word the hideous Tempests cease,
And warring Billows sink in silent Peace.
Forc'd to receive his Laws, and Weight sustain;
Hush'd at his Word the hideous Tempests cease,
And warring Billows sink in silent Peace.
There see Him o'er the Dead with Hand and Eye
Uplifted to the Throne of God on high!
Lo! He prevails, and in a Moment now
The putrid Blood begins afresh to flow;
Restor'd to Sense and Soundness ev'ry Part
Receives the vital Fluid from the Heart;
Up they arise to joyous Life, and leave
This, the sad Bier, and that, the loathsome Grave.
Uplifted to the Throne of God on high!
Lo! He prevails, and in a Moment now
The putrid Blood begins afresh to flow;
Restor'd to Sense and Soundness ev'ry Part
Receives the vital Fluid from the Heart;
31
This, the sad Bier, and that, the loathsome Grave.
If further Proofs than these we yet demand
That Jesus acted by divine Command,
Tho' sure it is not possible, but these
Must give the serious Searcher perfect Ease,
Let his Predictions of Events unite
Their Force to these, and lend their proper Weight.
That Jesus acted by divine Command,
Tho' sure it is not possible, but these
Must give the serious Searcher perfect Ease,
Let his Predictions of Events unite
Their Force to these, and lend their proper Weight.
Things future, which from God's high Purpose flow,
Or other Causes acting here below,
Above the Reach of finite Knowledge lye,
And all our curious, prying Pains defy;
In Time's dark Womb conceal'd they wait for Birth,
Still Secrets, till mature they issue forth,
Unless reveal'd by Him, who all Things sees,
And makes them Means to serve his just Decrees:
Beyond mere Guess the wisest never went,
And here they own their Labours vainly spent:
True Prophecy must then from God descend,
By Him imparted for some weighty End,
And may not this be justly deem'd as such
T'assert his Message, and his Truth avouch,
To give our Faith more firm and ample Ground,
Its Strength still greater, as its Proofs abound.
Or other Causes acting here below,
Above the Reach of finite Knowledge lye,
And all our curious, prying Pains defy;
In Time's dark Womb conceal'd they wait for Birth,
Still Secrets, till mature they issue forth,
Unless reveal'd by Him, who all Things sees,
And makes them Means to serve his just Decrees:
Beyond mere Guess the wisest never went,
And here they own their Labours vainly spent:
True Prophecy must then from God descend,
By Him imparted for some weighty End,
And may not this be justly deem'd as such
T'assert his Message, and his Truth avouch,
32
Its Strength still greater, as its Proofs abound.
With ev'ry noted Circumstance behold
His Death and Suff'rings by Himself foretold!
His Resurrection and Ascent on high
Triumphant o'er Hell's boundless Tyranny!
The mighty Change that would from thence ensue,
The World his Vot'ries, whom it scorn'd and slew!
The utter and irreparable Fall
Of Salem's Temple, Palaces, and Wall,
The People's direful and disastrous Woes,
From Faction, Famine, Plague, and bloody Foes,
The wide Dispersion of the wretched Few,
That should survive the Ills, their Country knew,
From Clime to Clime thro' hated Nations hurl'd,
The Scorn and Mock'ry of the Gentile World!
Could such Events, unless reveal'd, be known
To any but to God himself alone?
If not—the Person, who (in Proof that God
Had sent him to declare his Will abroad)
Foretold these Things, must doubtless be receiv'd
As his true Delegate, and be believ'd.
His Death and Suff'rings by Himself foretold!
His Resurrection and Ascent on high
Triumphant o'er Hell's boundless Tyranny!
The mighty Change that would from thence ensue,
The World his Vot'ries, whom it scorn'd and slew!
The utter and irreparable Fall
Of Salem's Temple, Palaces, and Wall,
The People's direful and disastrous Woes,
From Faction, Famine, Plague, and bloody Foes,
The wide Dispersion of the wretched Few,
That should survive the Ills, their Country knew,
From Clime to Clime thro' hated Nations hurl'd,
The Scorn and Mock'ry of the Gentile World!
Could such Events, unless reveal'd, be known
To any but to God himself alone?
If not—the Person, who (in Proof that God
Had sent him to declare his Will abroad)
Foretold these Things, must doubtless be receiv'd
As his true Delegate, and be believ'd.
33
But are we sure these very Proofs were giv'n
By Jesus, to avouch his Charge from Heav'n?
Have we such Grounds of Faith in this respect,
As no impartial Searcher can reject?
In Books of ancient Date, 'tis true indeed,
Such wondrous Things to Him ascrib'd we read;
But can we on those Monuments depend?
Will they suffice for this important End?
These Questions, Cœlius, must be solv'd before
We further search the Message, which He bore,
E're we extend our Views beyond the Grave,
And in our Thoughts these falling Mansions leave,
E're we contemplate those celestial Joys,
Those Scenes of endless Bliss, which He displays:
Upwards together then we'll soar on high,
And view those Scenes with Faith's exalted Eye,
Expatiate in the Prospect unconfin'd,
And look with Scorn on what we leave behind.
By Jesus, to avouch his Charge from Heav'n?
Have we such Grounds of Faith in this respect,
As no impartial Searcher can reject?
In Books of ancient Date, 'tis true indeed,
Such wondrous Things to Him ascrib'd we read;
But can we on those Monuments depend?
Will they suffice for this important End?
These Questions, Cœlius, must be solv'd before
We further search the Message, which He bore,
E're we extend our Views beyond the Grave,
And in our Thoughts these falling Mansions leave,
E're we contemplate those celestial Joys,
Those Scenes of endless Bliss, which He displays:
Upwards together then we'll soar on high,
And view those Scenes with Faith's exalted Eye,
Expatiate in the Prospect unconfin'd,
And look with Scorn on what we leave behind.
| Immorality Reveal'd | |