 | PSALMOSTHEIOS[Greek], Or a Divine psalme or, Song, Wherein Predestination is maintained, yet the honour of Jehovah preserved and vindicated: And to that eternall song the holy Scripture dedicated. By John Davis [i.e. Davies]. Whereunto is annexed an Elogie upon the Patron, With certaine Divine Epigrams to whom the Author presented some of his Books |  |
Answ.
The argument I use, to quell this same,Is very great, as great as Gods own name
(Jehovah) is he not Cr'ator, a God?
May not parents spare one son, use a rod
To the other, although that they have bin
Joynt committers of the same fault or sin?
This is the onely argument or ground
Exprest in holy Writ, that e're I found,
God loveth because he loves, he will save:
For this reason, 'cause mercy he will have,
He will punish this man, the other kill;
And all this he will do because he will,
Certainly if we did consider, weigh
That we are in his hand like Potters clay,
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Gods right o're us, his Sovereignty,
As we are his creatures, that he may frame
Us how he please for th'glory of his name,
None would dare the Lord to interrogate
Why some he saves, and others reprobate?
Do not Gardners in their groūd for their mind
Root up one tree, prune others of that kinde?
Do not Nobles and Gentlemen pull down
One house, let others stand for their renown?
Do they not ruine Orchards, Gardens, Parks?
Do they not kil somtimes stags, somtimes larks?
Do they not kil this buck, this fowl, this hare?
And the other of their own pleasure spare?
Doth a frail, weak, uncertain mortal man
Take on him, that without controule he can
Do what he please, with goods that are well
Unto the world of right to be his own? (known
And shall we then, whose own we are, deny
To God that priviledge, that liberty?
No, let no man presume to tax or blame
The Lord, but rather magnifie his name:
We see that earthly Kings do now and then
Dispence, disf'vours as well as Love on men,
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Upon no other grounds, but that it is
Their pleasure, yet none presumes to say to
Their Sovereign, Sir, what is that you do?
And shall not the sole Cr'ator of all things,
Heavens Monarch, the Sovereign of Kings
Have so much honour to love or to kill?
On no other grounds but his royall will,
Shall we choose this man for a favourite,
And others disrespect, reject, and slight?
And shall not God according to his name
Bound by no desert of man do the same?
Yes, he will, for this is without dispute,
God will not be mock't, nor lose one attribute.
Look no further, but in this Common-wealth,
Doth he not bestow riches, honour, health,
On whom it pleaseth him, and whom he will,
Doth he not here pull down, destroy & kill?
Doth not he act those things wch none can let,
Though some at him do vex, repine and fret?
If now you grant, what here I do rehearse
That God doth what he please in our Un'verse:
Shall we not then allow him to elect
Whom he please? also whom he will reject?
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Consider the Lord his propriety
In us, for his pleasure he did ordain
And make us, not for any profit, gain,
Since of himself, he is omnipotent,
And wanteth not, be'ng all-sufficient:
Unto whose pleasure let frail finite man,
Submit himself and all his; for what can
A finite creature, wicked, frail and base
Deserve, merit at J'hova's throne of grace?
If God should say (these words) to us, Go hence
Into the lowest Hell, without ref'rence
To our sins at all, let none answer why
He dealeth so, but, 'tis his will, reply.
Th' Apostle for his brethrens good, did burst
Into this language, would I were accurst,
From Jesus Christ: & what now shall not we,
Though condemn'd, satisfi'd, contented be?
Shall man be angry to endure a rod
For th'only will and pleasure of his God?
But if we look on man, in Adam lost;
Who dare cōtend with the great Lord of host?
Who might all men, mankinde in pieces teare,
Being lost in Adam before they were;
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Strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel?
Again, doth not my faithfull patron call
Us sinners all, since that of Adams fall?
That we have broken all his laws, kept none
Of Gods commands, but to all evill prone?
And if any man dare this same deny,
Our very conscience in our face will fly:
Now will any for strangers condescend
So low as for a friend, a bosome friend?
And that all creatures are not sinners worse?
Doth not sin deserve an eternall curse?
Yet is it so, that God some men doth save,
O admire this love! at grace do not rave,
But rather love, and on this meditate,
How the great God at first did man create?
Man was at first the best, the chief of all
The creatures made, but lost it by a fall,
He had engraven on him heavens feature,
But by this fall, became the meanest creature.
O wretch man! could nothing content or suit
With thy desire, but the forbidden fruit?
O! 'Twas folly, shame, even too much haste
As soon as made; thus for our pleasant taste,
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By this 'twas bitter in the third degree;
For which man's a servant, yet worst of all
He fell from the tree int' eternall thrall,
From which doth God so good as to redeem
Some men: Oh have this love in high esteem!
Doth God this man unto salvation chuse,
Yet another as deep ingag'd refuse?
Lo, here 'tis manifested in thy sight,
That the love of the Lord is infinite;
Doth he save some this or that, & damn th'rest?
Lo, here's mercy and justice plain exprest;
Doth he not bring all out of their first state?
Blesse him that some he doth compassionate.
Do not injustice on the Lord retort,
But bless and praise his Name, & fear him for't.
Hath God made choice of thee, & not another?
Oh! the praises of thy heart do not smother,
But sing aloud unto the God of grace
Eternall thanks, for his indulgent face
Towards thee, who hast deserv'd as many,
And as great punishments for sin, as any.
If thou far'st well, do not of God complain,
That other souls have not what you obtain.
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Chosen other men, and rejected thee?
Do not rail and maligne, but do confess
It is Gods justice for thy wickedness,
His will, is not to be oppos'd, withstood,
Let not thine eye be ill, 'cause he is good:
Wish none cōdēn'd, because thou art not sav'd,
Blame none, because thy self thou hast enslav'd.
Let God do what he will, let him alone
To do his pleasure with what is his own:
Let him dispence, perform, or execute,
Which royall title, name, or attribte,
Is meet according to his holy will;
Then no malignant, sland'rous tongue or quill
Hath cause to say, he wrongs although he pardō
This man, or that alone, and others harden.
If Princes be so good as to promote
One traitor to their persons: just to vote
Anothers execution, with all speed
For th'very same offence, fact, or like deed,
Like King Pharaoh; I answer thus in short,
Who hath just cause to tax, to blame thē for't?
May not a Creditor be true, and just
Unto such loose debtors, that have through lust
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One, yet another sue, withall commit
Him to the Law, to be confin'd, restrain'd?
Doth not injustice here prove meerly fain'd?
What cause hath he of any just complaint,
Who for his wilfull debt hath just restraint?
If nat'rall parents have two prodigall
Sons, and they please to send for and to call
Home one, and what? if they likewise affect,
To make him be their heir, cast off, reject
The other, what shew is here all along
Exprest to him, of injury, or wrong?
Say Masters have two servants that abuse
Their words, and yet retein one, and refuse
To keep the other, but will forthwith cast
Him out of doors, is he not now displac't
Deservedly? God deals but even so
With wretched man since Adams fall, for oh!
What debtors, traitors, disobedient
Children are we? what faithlesse, negligent
Servants? the best deserveth not his breath
Of God, but reject'on ex'cut'on, death
Yet not withstanding doth it, will or please
Jehovah some to pardon, and release;
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Them for his heirs, and to cast out, refuse
Others, what wrong is here? though God award
His love to this or that, and some discard?
Doth all mankinde deserve rejection?
O what admirable love, affection
Doth God vouchsafe to shew! a higher note
Of love was never, nor a juster vote
By man, yet I wonder that God not prove
So true a lover, since his name is love:
Likewise I do not, dare not, neither must
Any man who is rebellious dust,
For God his well deserved justice blame
Him; for as love, so justice is his name.
From all the lines that I have here premised,
Let sinfull wretched man be well advised,
How he renders this great and mighty Name
Of God: for what his titles are, the same
He is now, let not frail, uncertain dust
Say God is partiall, mercilesse, unjust.
O! let him have the praise and glory due
Unto his titles nam'd from me, and you.
I judge it meet to make an end, because
I think enough's already said, to pause
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Gainsayers, and I do not love to toil,
But recreate, for it is my delight:
To praise Jehovah when I speak or write.
And though I here conclude this Psalm or Song
Yet if my God will but untie my tongue,
If he vouchsafe my worldly thoughts to raise,
And keep me still within his perfect wayes,
If he his Oracles to me impart
If he enlarge my much confined heart;
From heart with tongue I will alwayes
To him sing Hymns, and Psalms of praise:
Lord plant more Songs of Praises in my brest,
That though I end this Song, I may not rest
Praising thee, but my wel tun'd heart may bless
That love of thine, which tōgues cānot express.
| PSALMOSTHEIOS[Greek], Or a Divine psalme or, Song, Wherein Predestination is maintained, yet the honour of Jehovah preserved and vindicated: And to that eternall song the holy Scripture dedicated. By John Davis [i.e. Davies]. Whereunto is annexed an Elogie upon the Patron, With certaine Divine Epigrams to whom the Author presented some of his Books | |