University of Virginia Library

Search all the Earth, you ev'ry where shall see
Satan most busie; from the Church not free,
The very Pulpit haunts, and being vext,
Seekes how to put the Preacher from his Text.
Such as teach others, yet themselves neglect,
And with sinnes Cassocke, hide their owne defect;
From Pew, to Pew, unseene; Hell's Fiend do's creepe,
To dull the Hearers Eares, Ioggs some asleepe,
Some to vaine prattle, others still to prie,
With wanton lookes, for a bewitching Eye,
Some greedily imployes, to spie out fashions,
To glut the humours of proud womens passions,
Makes muddie Mortalls, at each other looke,
More then on Heav'n, or Gods all Sacred Booke.
And such is Satans craft, continuall motion,
To draw mankind from heav'n, and all devotion.
Tempts some to Hate, Ambition, some to slide
The sliprie sleights of Pompe, unpai'd for pride.
Others to swimme the Sea, Lust pleasing vice
Some wet damnation, most men Avarice
Servants to Satan; Satan which do's strive,
Man of all heav'nly solace to deprive.
God (for our sinnes) no sooner ang'ry growes,
But straight the roaring, sudden Devill throwes
His Pawes on us; and like himselfe beginnes
(For numbers numberlesse of desperate sinnes)
To seize the soule, made an eternall prey.
To burne in Hell; as Heav'ns just cast away:
Such is the Fate of soules, casnar'd within
Satans command; beware the Twigge of sinne,
Least touch will take the Pris'ner, Hellish guiles
Prove like the perilous paths of Crocodiles,
Who with their slimie tongues (lickt or'e) prepare
To murther Mortals, by a slip'rie snare.

Man is a Tree, whose root, is certaine evill,
Bad deeds the Body, yeelding to the Devill.
The Armes, ten proud aspiring discontents,
Breakers of all the ten Commandements.
The Branches are, our pronenesse unto ill,
The Leafes Pleasure, the faire fruit sinne, which still
With sweetest show of sweetnesse tempts, us on,
To feed and follow our destruction.
“There is feare above us, feare still beneath us,
“Feare round about, and yet no feare within us:
Satan like Dalilah, suffers not men
For to see danger; is't not fitting then,
By holy violence, we seize the sword
Of th' Omnipotents, Omnipotent word
To slaughter sinne in us, O shall not we
(That professe Sacred Christianitie,)
Conquer our crymes; thinke on the life to come,
The rising of the dead; the Day of Doome,
That dreadfull day; let us then never winke,
At our base follies; never forget to thinke:
When this vast Orbe of Earth shall blasing burne,
And all the world in Funerall flames shall mourne,
Then Heav'n and Hell amazing must appeare
In two extremes; Ioy, and excessive feare.
Heav'n, in bright shining All-Eternall Light,
Hell, in the Horrour of perpetual Night.
Heav'n shall triumph, Hell, tremble, Angells sing,
Gloria in Excelsis, to Heav'ns high King;
The King of Heav'n; Heav'n joyes perfect solace,
All-Ravishing, glit'ring glist'ring Palace,
Pleasures Paradise, immortall dwelling,
All-pure, excellent, past thought excelling.
Heav'ns Pavement, are the Starrs, in what excesse
Shines Heav'n, when star-pav'd, with Starrs numberlese
No thought of want, which mads the thoughts of men,
But plenties fulnesse, full abound in Heav'n.
“There, Virgin Chastity in life opprest,
“Glitters in Saint-like Glory, lives most blest.
“The poore Man tost from wrong, to injurie,
“In Heav'n finds comfort, firme felicitie,
“The wronged Widdow, injur'd fatherlesse,
“Bright Heav'n relieves, gives all their woes redresse.
“He, that for ill do's good, Heav'n will requite,
“Crowne his faire soule with comforts infinite,
It is not fit then, we our sinnes bewaile?
Thinke still on Heav'n? on Heav'n that ne'r did faile
The penitent soule, when (alas) distrest,
Naked, forlorne, when most of all opprest,
Then sends reliefe; miraculous reliefes,
Such is the love of Heav'n; Heav'n cures all griefes,

As for Tymes Wolfe-turn'd ill-affected great-ones,
Close-fisted to the poore, deafe to their groanes,
The Villaines, of this Age, that make profession,
Of a pure life, yet live by base oppression,
Hell shall confound their soules, that Den of Horrour.
(Circl'd with blacke affright, blew-burning terrour)
Shall boyle their soules, and bodies to th' black-sweat
Of an infernall poyson; and that eate
Still to renue new paines; plagues that excell,
Such are the never-dying paines of hell.

There, painted Pride lives crown'd in flaming fire,
Tymes glorious strumpet, whipt with burning wiere,
Fed is the Lust-provoking Letcher there,
With scorching coales; such as delight to sweare,
Swallow the Drunkards ever scalding oyle,
There, Vsurers, in Pooles of sulphure boyle,
Murther, Rape, Incest, endlesse torments feele,
The Rack of vengeance, and the burning wheele
Whirl'd round in blew flames; soule-amazing feare,
“More plagues then tongue can tell, the damned beare.
In burning beds of steele, soules blazing fry,
Tortur'd with torments, such as never dye;
Cursing the Time of their abus'd Creation,
Parents, Fate, sinne, and their owne damnation.
Better, O better never to be borne,
Then with such Terrour-striking torments torne.
Which to eschew, weepe wormes of Earth, repent,
Weepe, weepe for sinne, soule-killing sinnes prevent.
“Seeke heav'n, shun Hell, fly from the worlds intice,
“Heav'ns the reward of Vertue, Hell of Vice.
“Perfect repentance makes men bravely die
“That liv'd not so; fly then Hell's miserie.
“Repent, or damne, for sinne, weepe and weepe well,
“Soules that doe flout at teares, shall fry in hell.
“The Devill sets his baits in ev'ry Angle,
“No Corner's free from him, soules to entangle.
“Therefore in Vertues Path, strive to excell:
“Let firme faith still repulse the Fiend of hell.
Divines may preach else, till their heart-strings burst,
The height of sinne will mount, live still accurst.