A Paraphrase on The Ten Commandments in Divine Poems Illustrated With Twelve Copper Plates, shewing how Personal Punishments has been inflicted on the Transgressors of these Commandments, as is Recorded in the Holy Scripture. Never before Printed. Also, a Metrical Paraphrase upon the Creed and Lord's-Prayer. Written by George Wither |
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| IV. |
| IV. | Command. IV.
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 | A Paraphrase on The Ten Commandments in Divine Poems |  |
32
Command. IV.
[You that our Christian Sabbath do despise]
To hallow, do not thou forget
Those times, which God apart hath set.
Those times, which God apart hath set.
You that our Christian Sabbath do despise,
Behold this Figure with regardful eyes:
For, though on us this Precept doth not lay
The Ceremonial service of the day;
Behold this Figure with regardful eyes:
For, though on us this Precept doth not lay
The Ceremonial service of the day;
Or, to a Jewish Sabbath, us confine;
It n'retheless, a Duty doth enjoin,
Which no man living can be freed from
Till to the general Judgment Christ shall come.
It n'retheless, a Duty doth enjoin,
Which no man living can be freed from
Till to the general Judgment Christ shall come.
For, Nature urges, that convenient Rest,
Should be allowed both to Man and Beast,
Lest their corporeal substance should miscarry
Before the time; And 'tis as necessary,
The Soul should have some leisure to attend
His will, on whom her being doth depend.
Should be allowed both to Man and Beast,
Lest their corporeal substance should miscarry
Before the time; And 'tis as necessary,
The Soul should have some leisure to attend
His will, on whom her being doth depend.
Freemen, may rest their bodies when they please,
And Wise men, know how for to take their ease:
But, lab'ring Beasts, and Men who are depraved,
Or, they whom wants, or Tyrants have enslaved,
Had restless lived, till their life time ended,
Unless this holy Law had them befriended;
And they who to the flesh most favour show
For Soul affairs, but little time allow.
And Wise men, know how for to take their ease:
But, lab'ring Beasts, and Men who are depraved,
Or, they whom wants, or Tyrants have enslaved,
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Unless this holy Law had them befriended;
And they who to the flesh most favour show
For Soul affairs, but little time allow.
This God at first foresaw, and for that cause
(Though in Mans heart he then ingrav'd his Laws
Essential, and long oblig'd him not
To such additions as time since begot)
Yet when he found that error and transgression
Had wholly rased out the first impression;
To stop Corruptions Growth, he afterward
To Rites, to times, and places had regard.
(Though in Mans heart he then ingrav'd his Laws
Essential, and long oblig'd him not
To such additions as time since begot)
Yet when he found that error and transgression
Had wholly rased out the first impression;
To stop Corruptions Growth, he afterward
To Rites, to times, and places had regard.
All men at first had liberty to take
What daies they pleased holydaies to make;
Or, for convenient Rest. Nor did from all
This freedom cease when God the Jews did call
To keep their Sabbaths; For, to one set day
No Nation were oblig'd save only they;
Nor, had the Gentiles any other ties
Save to observe it in a moral wise,
So far as might preserve unto the Creature
The freedom and well being of its nature.
What daies they pleased holydaies to make;
Or, for convenient Rest. Nor did from all
This freedom cease when God the Jews did call
To keep their Sabbaths; For, to one set day
No Nation were oblig'd save only they;
Nor, had the Gentiles any other ties
Save to observe it in a moral wise,
So far as might preserve unto the Creature
The freedom and well being of its nature.
A Law concerning Rest and holy Dues
Confin'd indeed the people of the Jews
To one set day, even one set day in seven,
To them were Ceremonies also given
Concerning it; which no man might transgress
(Save in great need) without much guiltiness
That Law, which nature simply had received
At our first being was to them derived
With such like Accidents as might be best
To keep them firm, and bring in all the rest
In Gods appointed season to embrace
The Law of Nature in the Law of Grace.
Confin'd indeed the people of the Jews
To one set day, even one set day in seven,
To them were Ceremonies also given
Concerning it; which no man might transgress
(Save in great need) without much guiltiness
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At our first being was to them derived
With such like Accidents as might be best
To keep them firm, and bring in all the rest
In Gods appointed season to embrace
The Law of Nature in the Law of Grace.
Their Customs and their Ceremonial day
With Christ was buried and so swept away.
When he arose from death, that to renew
And celebrate the Sabbath of the Jew,
We are no more obliged than to rear
Their Temple, and to build their Altar here,
And yet, lest man's corruption and the lack
Of Accidents, might bring the Substance back.
Even to the first neglect, Christ dist instate
His Church with power to change or abrogate
The Circumstances of this Law, so far
As needful seem'd, Provided that it were
Essentially preserved, and in this
She hath performed what required is.
With Christ was buried and so swept away.
When he arose from death, that to renew
And celebrate the Sabbath of the Jew,
We are no more obliged than to rear
Their Temple, and to build their Altar here,
And yet, lest man's corruption and the lack
Of Accidents, might bring the Substance back.
Even to the first neglect, Christ dist instate
His Church with power to change or abrogate
The Circumstances of this Law, so far
As needful seem'd, Provided that it were
Essentially preserved, and in this
She hath performed what required is.
For, though the time be changed, it retains
The same proportion; It for use remains
The same in Essence, and that being so
The same obedience, is now due thereto,
And, to what Circumstance the Church thinks fit,
To help continue the right use of it.
The same proportion; It for use remains
The same in Essence, and that being so
The same obedience, is now due thereto,
And, to what Circumstance the Church thinks fit,
To help continue the right use of it.
Now therefore, though that every day be free
For works which truly necessary be;
And, though those Worshipers which are sincere
May worship any day or any where,
Yet none can without guiltiness despise
The Places, Rites or Times, of Sacrifice
Appointed by the Church, while they accord
What may be authorized by the word.
For works which truly necessary be;
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May worship any day or any where,
Yet none can without guiltiness despise
The Places, Rites or Times, of Sacrifice
Appointed by the Church, while they accord
What may be authorized by the word.
This Law is therefore broke when we despise
The Fastings, Feastings, or Solemnities
The Church appoints, or if we shall deny
Such daies to honour and to sanctify
By rest from Common Labours, whensoere
We may without much damage, them forbear;
Or, if we vilify those Christian Rites
Whereto the publick discipline invites,
Or, them perform not on their proper day
As often as conveniently we may.
The Fastings, Feastings, or Solemnities
The Church appoints, or if we shall deny
Such daies to honour and to sanctify
By rest from Common Labours, whensoere
We may without much damage, them forbear;
Or, if we vilify those Christian Rites
Whereto the publick discipline invites,
Or, them perform not on their proper day
As often as conveniently we may.
This Law is broke, if to our lab'ring Beast,
Or, Servant, we allow not so much rest
As nature shall require, and may conduce
To keep them able for our lawful use.
Or, if we shun not all occasious too
Whereby we may against this Law misdo.
And they are these; A hardned heart, a mind
Prophane, and unto Greediness inclin'd,
A false belief; false liberty; false knowledge,
Frequenting of the Company and Colledge.
Off false believers; (From whom self will pride
And Superstition no man can divide.
Let no man then that lawless freedom take
Which may occasion strife or scandals make,
By needless Labours, nor mis-censure them
Who take some liberties which they condemn,
In things indifferent, and shall not move
In such 'gainst which their Governors approve;
And in their manners let them peaceful be,
Though they in their opinions disagree.
Or, Servant, we allow not so much rest
As nature shall require, and may conduce
To keep them able for our lawful use.
Or, if we shun not all occasious too
Whereby we may against this Law misdo.
And they are these; A hardned heart, a mind
Prophane, and unto Greediness inclin'd,
A false belief; false liberty; false knowledge,
Frequenting of the Company and Colledge.
Off false believers; (From whom self will pride
And Superstition no man can divide.
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Which may occasion strife or scandals make,
By needless Labours, nor mis-censure them
Who take some liberties which they condemn,
In things indifferent, and shall not move
In such 'gainst which their Governors approve;
And in their manners let them peaceful be,
Though they in their opinions disagree.
Let not those times the Church hath set apart
To rest the body, to instruct the heart,
And to preserve a due Commemoration
Of every blessed means of our Salvation,
Be judged vain, or, that they do not draw
Authority sufficient for this Law:
But let them know for Truth, though not for news,
That all the Feasts and Sabbaths of the Jews
Were but the Types of ours; and that if they
Shall for the Shades the Substance cast away,
They are unwise; and guilty of offence
Against this Precept in the moral sense.
To rest the body, to instruct the heart,
And to preserve a due Commemoration
Of every blessed means of our Salvation,
Be judged vain, or, that they do not draw
Authority sufficient for this Law:
But let them know for Truth, though not for news,
That all the Feasts and Sabbaths of the Jews
Were but the Types of ours; and that if they
Shall for the Shades the Substance cast away,
They are unwise; and guilty of offence
Against this Precept in the moral sense.
Let those who for the bodies ease and pleasure
Part of this time allow; preserve the measure
That's justly due, and in due manner too
Do that which is allowable to do:
Not for the Soul's well being caring less
Than to prevent the Bodies weariness.
Part of this time allow; preserve the measure
That's justly due, and in due manner too
Do that which is allowable to do:
Not for the Soul's well being caring less
Than to prevent the Bodies weariness.
Let them who of the Soul most heedful seem,
Remember, still, the Body to esteem.
A Portion of that Manhood, for whose sake
Our Sabbath-maker did all Sabbaths make,
And give it so much liberty as may
Make pleasant all the Duties of the day.
Remember, still, the Body to esteem.
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Our Sabbath-maker did all Sabbaths make,
And give it so much liberty as may
Make pleasant all the Duties of the day.
And since no private Spirit can impose
A Rule for all; let all be rul'd by those
Who by a publick Spirit come to learn
What may a publick body best concern.
A Rule for all; let all be rul'd by those
Who by a publick Spirit come to learn
What may a publick body best concern.
Or, if among us any one shall deem
There is a truer way made known to him;
So let him walk that he himself approve
To be in all his waies a Child of Love.
For sure I am, that if the common peace
He keep until humility increase,
True knowledge in him he, then plain will see
Who best expounds this Law the Church or He.
There is a truer way made known to him;
So let him walk that he himself approve
To be in all his waies a Child of Love.
For sure I am, that if the common peace
He keep until humility increase,
True knowledge in him he, then plain will see
Who best expounds this Law the Church or He.
Come Holy Ghost, so sanctify my heart,
That from this Law I never may depart.
That from this Law I never may depart.
Amen.
| A Paraphrase on The Ten Commandments in Divine Poems | |