The Hierarchie of the blessed Angells :: :: University of Virginia Library

Aid me, ô Lord my God, for there be three
Grand enemies, the Flesh, the World, the Diuel:
Who with their Nets and Snares insidiat mee,
And now and at all times await me euill.
I cannot free me from this Body, nor
It part from me, but still beare it I must:
Thou gav'st it: to destroy it I abhor;
To mar what thou hast made, I were vniust.
Yet when I pamper what I dare not perish,
What is it lesse than mine owne Foe to cherish?

II

The World inguirts me, and fiue seuerall wayes
At once inuades me; by th' Taste, Touch, and Smel,
Hearing, and Sight: not one Sence but betrayes
The Fort, and 'gainst the Lord of it rebell.
Beauty assaults, and then the Eye giues place:
The Syrens sing, by which the Eare is taken:
Sweet Vanities haue still the Smell in chace:
The Touch by Lust: the Taste by Surfet shaken
Thus the vain world doth with temptations round me,
Making those Gifts that should preserue, confound me.

III

The Diuell, whom our weake Eyes cannot view,
Is therefore to be more bewar'd and fear'd,
As one that Man doth night and day pursue;
His wounds (when made) not felt, his voice not heard.
He baits his hooks with pride, with gold, with treasure.
A thousand ginnes are for our foot-steps layd;
Bird-lime he hath, and that's when aboue measure
We dote on things by which we are betrayd,
Self-loue, Vain-glory, fleshly Lusts, Ambition,
All his meere traines to bring vs to perdition.

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IV

If I be ignorant, he prompts me then
To dote on Folly, Wisedome to despise,
To prefer Ideots before Learned men,
And striue to be sequestred from the Wise.
Or if that I in reading take delight,
(At sorted leisure my spare houres to spend)
The Legend of some strange aduenturous Knight,
Or fabulous Toy, hee'l to my view commend.
But from mine eye the sacred Scriptures keepe,
Persuading th' are too plaine, or else to deepe.

V

Or if I after Learning shall enquire,
And to the least perfection can attaine;
Either he makes me mine owne Gifts admire,
Or others of lesse knowledge to disdaine.
Or if my Talent to my selfe conceale,
Then to search out things mysticall and hid,
Such as God had no purpose to reueale,
But in his secret Counsels hath forbid.
Assur'd, That 'mongst his other traines and baites,
None more than Curiositie God hates.

VI

If I be held a famous Rhetorician,
Able to equall Herod in his phrase;
Then am I puft vp with that proud ambition,
Preferring 'fore Gods honor, mine owne praise.
If a good Disputant, then in the stead
Of finding out the Truth, with Truth I wrangle;
And trouble with darke Sillogismes my head,
What else might seeme apparant to entangle.
Or if into Arithmeticke incline,
In studying Number, I ferget the Trine.

VII

Or if Theologie, (although the best
And choice of Studies) yet is that not free,
Nor can claime priuiledge aboue the rest:
Therein he rather most insnareth me.
As when I, more than Matter, seeke to please,

490

With curious language or affected straine,
Sow to mens elbowes pillowes for their ease,
More than Gods honor; couet Place, or Gaine:
When I for feare or fauor their sinnes smother,
Or be i'th Pulpit one, abroad, another.

VIII

Or when Gods mercies to that height I stretch,
That Men thereby the more presumptuous are;
Or on the contrary, his judgement preach
So far, as that it puts them in despaire.
Or when I shall exceed my strict Commission,
By adding or detracting from the Letter:
Or when I make too narrow inquisition,
And, than mine owne opinion, thinke none better.
Or in the Church pretending reformation,
I make my Zeale a cloake to Innouation.

IX

Or if Philosophie? the more I striue
Of things the naturall causes to finde out,
I bring the sweeter hony to his Hive;
For of my God he makes me stand in doubt.
And then a thousand arguments he hath,
And ev'ry of them pow'rfull to persuade
(Hoping by Reason to confound my Faith)
And proue that all things were by Nature made:
And bids my weakenesse no beleefe to lend
To any thing that Reason shall transcend.

X

He tells me, The Philosophers were wise,
And that by search they all things needfull knew;
Their morall vertues sets before mine eyes,
Saith, They in act and word were iust and true:
With their vprightnesse bids me then compare
Our liues that Christianitie professe;
Consider but how different they are,
And how we more beleeue, and practise lesse.
Then, whither hath to heav'n neerer affinitie,
Moralitie in them, or our Diuinitie?

491

XI

Or if he proue this stratagem too weake,
He wills vs after secret things enquire,
Into the cabinet of Nature breake,
And there to finde what's worthy to admire.
For there is two-fold Magicke, Blacke and White,
Studies at first ordain'd to beget wonder;
Such as at once both profit and delight,
Amaze the gods, and keepe the Furies vnder:
Thus lulls mans Sences in a pleasing dreame,
Till he be made his Maker to blaspheme.

XII

His darts and arrowes are Lust, Enuy, Wrath,
Whose poysonous heads are dipt in Stygian fire,
And more of that corrupted Nature hath,
T'enflame the Spleene, and poyson the Desire,
Mortiferous all. Then what shall me betide,
Poore wretched Man? or which way shall I turne?
Thus hedg'd, thus guirt, thus ambusht on each side,
Immur'd with hooks, with lime-twigs, darts that burne;
When Sorrow, Ioy, Soure, Sweet, alike appeare,
To be but the iust causes of my feare?

XIII

I am iealous both of Hunger and Repast,
Of Sleepe, of Watch, of Labour, and of Ease:
Nor know in which I more secure am plac't,
Because I am hourely tempted in all these.
My Iesting, as my Anger I suspect,
Left in my mirth I might some one abuse,
Or speake what might to his disgrace reflect,
And that's a sin I know not how t'excuse.
Though t'offend in Wrath be greater far,
Yet from the first it doth not take the skar.

XIV

Prosperitie I feare, as things aduerse:
For as the one by sweetning oft deceiues,
So when the other hath with vs conuerse,
Despaire or Murmuring it behinde it leaues.
Of sinnes in secret I am more afraid

492

Than those in publique, because that's vnseene
(Being vnknowne) doth all reproofe evade:
Secure, we thinke them hid behinde a skreene.
And when Securitie lulls fast asleepe,
The Tempter shoots his arrowes, and strikes deepe.

XV

The Flesh, in Delicacie doth suggest;
The World, in Vanitie; the Diuell, he
In better things; for when I am possest
With carnall thoughts, the Flesh then speakes to me,
Either importuning to lust or sleepe,
To idlenesse, to pleasure, or to play,
T'excesse, by feeding high, and drinking deepe.
When as the World assaults another way,
By Arrogance, Ambition, and Vain-glory,
Tumor of heart, and things like-transitorie.

XVI

When Ire and Wrath, and bitternesse of Spleene
Prouokes vs vnto mischiefe, bloud, and strage;
The Diuell then hath made his arrowes keene,
And in such passions he doth rore and rage.
When I shall feele such in my breast arise,
Let me assure my selfe the Tempter's there:
Therefore at that time ought I to be wise
And valiant, to oppose him without feare.
His study is to compasse and inuade;
We ought to watch there be no entry made.

XVII

As oft as we resist, we do subdue
The great Seducer. Then the Angels sing,
And Saints reioyce (those that are still in view
Of the Creator, Heav'ns almighty King.)
That GOD who to this Battell doth persuade vs,
And looks vpon vs when we enter list,
Still as he spurres vs on, doth likewise aid vs
Against that old and crafty Pannurgist:
Supports the Weake, the Willing doth defend,
And crownes such as continue to the end.

XVIII

O giue me courage then, make strong my hand,

493

Thou that dost teach my fingers how to fight;
And lend me pow'r their fury to withstand,
Who would depriue me of thy glorious Light,
That I, who all my life time haue oppos'd
My selfe against my selfe, and against Thee,
May by thy tender mercies he inclos'd,
And so be sure they shall not ruin mee.
That when this Body is confin'd to Dust,
My Soule may yet finde place among the Iust.

Ut Pila concussus, resurgo.