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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| II. |
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| III. |
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| IV. |
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| V. |
| V. | Command. V.
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| VII. |
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| VIII. |
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| IX. |
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 | A Paraphrase on The Ten Commandments in Divine Poems |  |
40
Command. V.
[What of Rebelling Subjects will become]
On them all honours due, bestow,
Who, by the Name of Parents go.
Who, by the Name of Parents go.
What of Rebelling Subjects will become,
And graceless Children view in Absolom:
For, whose Offence the Earth did (as it were)
Refusal make his Bodies weight to bear,
And Heav'n rejects it; that they might present
Him hanging for a dreadful Monument
Through Ages all, to warn and keep in awe
The sleighters and Infringers of this Law.
And graceless Children view in Absolom:
For, whose Offence the Earth did (as it were)
Refusal make his Bodies weight to bear,
And Heav'n rejects it; that they might present
Him hanging for a dreadful Monument
Through Ages all, to warn and keep in awe
The sleighters and Infringers of this Law.
This foremost Precept of the second Table
Unto the first, in this is answerable
They both enjoyn and Honour where 'tis due,
Their differences are these which do ensue.
Here blessing follows; there it went before
One Parent, that concern'd; This, many more.
Unto the first, in this is answerable
They both enjoyn and Honour where 'tis due,
Their differences are these which do ensue.
Here blessing follows; there it went before
One Parent, that concern'd; This, many more.
He that shall break this Precept, maketh snares
Wherein to hang himself at unawares,
And overthrows (as much as in him lies)
All Common-weals, and all Societes;
Yet, some affect it not, but loudly cry
For times which may erect a Parity.
And, some who dream they keep it, are to blame
By being ignorant how far the Name
Of Parent reacheth, which we briefly show,
That they might better do and better know.
Wherein to hang himself at unawares,
And overthrows (as much as in him lies)
All Common-weals, and all Societes;
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For times which may erect a Parity.
And, some who dream they keep it, are to blame
By being ignorant how far the Name
Of Parent reacheth, which we briefly show,
That they might better do and better know.
We from the Parents of our bodies have
A natural being; and they justly crave
To be obey'd in all things, but in those
Which either may Superior powers oppose,
Or, to some Being hurries us, that shall
Be worse, than to have never been at all.
A natural being; and they justly crave
To be obey'd in all things, but in those
Which either may Superior powers oppose,
Or, to some Being hurries us, that shall
Be worse, than to have never been at all.
Beside these Parents, we to many moe
A Duty, by this Obligation owe.
The Fathers of our Country, by this Law
First claimeth of us, Honour, Love and Awe,
And from himself, the same Prerogatives
To his Inferiour Magistrates derives.
A Duty, by this Obligation owe.
The Fathers of our Country, by this Law
First claimeth of us, Honour, Love and Awe,
And from himself, the same Prerogatives
To his Inferiour Magistrates derives.
There is a Fatherhood in those that be
Our Elders, and our Betters in degree.
Our Masters also, may have warrant here,
To challenge from us, Reverence and Fear.
And Husbands also may infer from hence
Good proof of right to their preheminence;
And if a witness wanted thereunto,
My Wife I know would say the same I do.
And that, I give God thanks for as a blessing,
That is not founnd in every mans possessing.
Our Elders, and our Betters in degree.
Our Masters also, may have warrant here,
To challenge from us, Reverence and Fear.
And Husbands also may infer from hence
Good proof of right to their preheminence;
And if a witness wanted thereunto,
My Wife I know would say the same I do.
And that, I give God thanks for as a blessing,
That is not founnd in every mans possessing.
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Our Ghostly Fathers by whose careful pain
We are anew begot, and born again;
(Ev'n to a life more excellent than that,
Whereto our fleshly Fathers us begat)
Have Honours due, no less than those to whom,
We Sons and Daughters in the Flesh become,
Yea and our Fathers in some sort they be,
Who, from Thrall, Wants, and Death, hath set us free.
We are anew begot, and born again;
(Ev'n to a life more excellent than that,
Whereto our fleshly Fathers us begat)
Have Honours due, no less than those to whom,
We Sons and Daughters in the Flesh become,
Yea and our Fathers in some sort they be,
Who, from Thrall, Wants, and Death, hath set us free.
All these from us an Honour may command,
According to the place wherein they stand;
To some of them we do not owe alone,
That Honour which may outwardly be done,
Or, that unfain'd respect, which doth accord,
With bare Obedience. But we must afford
All helps, whereby we also, may prevent
The Want, the Shame, the Harm, or Discontent,
Which may befall them, we should meekly bear
Their words and blows, ev'n when unjust they are,
We should not pleasure take in any thought,
With which dishonour may to them be brought.
Though they should curse us, we must always bless,
Defend their lives and hide their nakedness,
We should not hear them wrong'd: nor should our tongue
To all men tell it, when they do us wrong,
But pray and strive, that blameless we might prove,
How crookedly so 'ere they please to move.
For he alone who thus obey them shall,
Hath an Obedience Evangelical.
According to the place wherein they stand;
To some of them we do not owe alone,
That Honour which may outwardly be done,
Or, that unfain'd respect, which doth accord,
With bare Obedience. But we must afford
All helps, whereby we also, may prevent
The Want, the Shame, the Harm, or Discontent,
Which may befall them, we should meekly bear
Their words and blows, ev'n when unjust they are,
We should not pleasure take in any thought,
With which dishonour may to them be brought.
Though they should curse us, we must always bless,
Defend their lives and hide their nakedness,
We should not hear them wrong'd: nor should our tongue
To all men tell it, when they do us wrong,
But pray and strive, that blameless we might prove,
How crookedly so 'ere they please to move.
For he alone who thus obey them shall,
Hath an Obedience Evangelical.
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Among those many who these Laws do break,
And pass unheeded any breach to make,
On this Command, who greatly are to blame,
In being disobedient to the same,
The first and worst are that ill tutor'd sect,
Who Magistrates, and Rulers contradict,
They who at all Superiors madly strike,
And fain would have us honour'd all alike,
Are deeply guilty, and this just command,
They frustrate make; if ought I understand.
The other sort, doth Government forsake,
Of whom God pleas'd this gracious Law to make,
Do sometime also grievously transgress,
Against this Law when they by wilfulness,
By Pride, or Cruelty, provoke or stir,
Those to rebel, who Sons or Vassals are.
And pass unheeded any breach to make,
On this Command, who greatly are to blame,
In being disobedient to the same,
The first and worst are that ill tutor'd sect,
Who Magistrates, and Rulers contradict,
They who at all Superiors madly strike,
And fain would have us honour'd all alike,
Are deeply guilty, and this just command,
They frustrate make; if ought I understand.
The other sort, doth Government forsake,
Of whom God pleas'd this gracious Law to make,
Do sometime also grievously transgress,
Against this Law when they by wilfulness,
By Pride, or Cruelty, provoke or stir,
Those to rebel, who Sons or Vassals are.
For, he that wilfully gives cause of ill,
Shares equal Guilt with him that acts it still.
By sinning he brings others to be naught,
Then suffers by them, for the Sin he taught.
For they who Tyrannous Commands do lay,
Shall find their Servants treacherously obey.
Shares equal Guilt with him that acts it still.
By sinning he brings others to be naught,
Then suffers by them, for the Sin he taught.
For they who Tyrannous Commands do lay,
Shall find their Servants treacherously obey.
The Crimes forbidden here as having bin,
Occasions of a more immediate Sin,
Against this Law; are Envy, Self-conceit,
Licentiousness (which thinketh over streight,
All tyes of Government.) Forgetfulness,
Of those Commodities which we possess.
By them who Rule us likewise we may add,
Ingratitude; Ill habits sooner had,
Than lost) Gross Rudeness; and the Vice,
Whence most Sins flow insatiate Avarice.
Occasions of a more immediate Sin,
Against this Law; are Envy, Self-conceit,
Licentiousness (which thinketh over streight,
All tyes of Government.) Forgetfulness,
Of those Commodities which we possess.
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Ingratitude; Ill habits sooner had,
Than lost) Gross Rudeness; and the Vice,
Whence most Sins flow insatiate Avarice.
I now remember that I named not
Some other Parents overmuch forgot.
We have a Heavenly Father unto whom,
His Children should more dutiful become
Than yet they be. But, what to him we owe,
The former Table of these Laws doth show.
Some other Parents overmuch forgot.
We have a Heavenly Father unto whom,
His Children should more dutiful become
Than yet they be. But, what to him we owe,
The former Table of these Laws doth show.
We have a Mother too, which (more our Sin)
Hath in this Age 'ore much neglected bin,
Nay worse; (I would it were untruly said)
She hath dishonour'd been and disobey'd,
More like a cruel Step-dame than like her,
Within whose blessed Womb conceiv'd we were.
I mean the holy Church the Spouze of Christ,
For we her wholsome Discipline resist,
Her comely Ceremonies we despise,
Her Government we often Scandalize,
We slight her Blessings, we her Counsels hate,
We of her Ornaments and her Estate
Dispoil her; her best Children we betray,
And when she would embrace we run away,
In all which things we disobey this Law,
And vengeance both on Soul and Body draw:
God grant this wickedness we may repent,
Before he change into a Punishment,
The Blessing promis'd: For he from the Land,
Will root the breakers of this great Command,
That men may know the danger to contemn,
A good Condition; when 'tis off'red them.
Hath in this Age 'ore much neglected bin,
Nay worse; (I would it were untruly said)
She hath dishonour'd been and disobey'd,
More like a cruel Step-dame than like her,
Within whose blessed Womb conceiv'd we were.
I mean the holy Church the Spouze of Christ,
For we her wholsome Discipline resist,
Her comely Ceremonies we despise,
Her Government we often Scandalize,
We slight her Blessings, we her Counsels hate,
We of her Ornaments and her Estate
Dispoil her; her best Children we betray,
And when she would embrace we run away,
In all which things we disobey this Law,
And vengeance both on Soul and Body draw:
God grant this wickedness we may repent,
Before he change into a Punishment,
45
Will root the breakers of this great Command,
That men may know the danger to contemn,
A good Condition; when 'tis off'red them.
Some are already gone: And though few see,
(Or will confess) that they afflicted be
For this offence: yea though few think that they,
Were rooted out, because they went away
By their own choice: Yet God to them hath shew'd
Their error by some Plagues which have ensu'd;
Since their departure, that they might perceive,
How frowardly they did their Mother leave;
And that the truly penitent might there,
Enjoy the Blessing they did forfeit here.
God open so their eyes in their distress,
And so instruct them in that Wilderness,
To which they run, that (though like Sarahs Maid,
They fly from her with whom they should have staid
They may divert our heavy Condemnation,
And leave a blessing to this Generation.
Lord Grant thou this, and that those may not shame
Their Brethren who departed without blame,
To civilize the Lands which know not yet,
Their blindness, nor what Sins they do commit.
(Or will confess) that they afflicted be
For this offence: yea though few think that they,
Were rooted out, because they went away
By their own choice: Yet God to them hath shew'd
Their error by some Plagues which have ensu'd;
Since their departure, that they might perceive,
How frowardly they did their Mother leave;
And that the truly penitent might there,
Enjoy the Blessing they did forfeit here.
God open so their eyes in their distress,
And so instruct them in that Wilderness,
To which they run, that (though like Sarahs Maid,
They fly from her with whom they should have staid
They may divert our heavy Condemnation,
And leave a blessing to this Generation.
Lord Grant thou this, and that those may not shame
Their Brethren who departed without blame,
To civilize the Lands which know not yet,
Their blindness, nor what Sins they do commit.
And gracious God, preserve a Heart in me,
Which to this Law may still obedient be.
Which to this Law may still obedient be.
Amen.
| A Paraphrase on The Ten Commandments in Divine Poems | |