Fruits of Retirement Or, Miscellaneous Poems, Moral and Divine. Being Some Contemplations, Letters, &c. Written on a Variety of Subjects and Occasions. By Mary Mollineux ... To which is Prefixed, Some Account of the Author |
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Of the Fall of Man.
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 | Fruits of Retirement |  |
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Of the Fall of Man.
The Holy One did, by his Word, CreateMan in a blessed Innocent Estate;
Gave him a Righteous Law, whereby he might
Live in Eternal, Pure, Unstain'd Delight.
But th'Serpent, the most Subtil Beast i'th' Field,
Soon with a Lye our Grandmother beguil'd,
Through a vain Hope; and to Iniquity
Enslav'd poor Man, breaking the Unity
Betwixt him and his Maker; leading him
Fondly to seek a Satisfaction in
Self-hood, and Transitory Things, below
The Chiefest Good: Whereby Man came to know
Sad Disappointments; whence he could not be,
By pow'r in Self, e'er ransom'd or set free.
But, ah, the Bowels of Eternal Love
Did then, with Pity and Compassion, move
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The Woman's Seed should bruise the Serpent's Head:
And, in the time appointed, freely gave
His Darling Son a Sacrifice, to save
Perishing Mankind from that dreadful State,
Which was so miserable desperate;
So that believing in the Heavenly Pow'r,
He comes to know his Lord and Saviour,
Redeeming him from Sin unto Salvation,
And to Eternal Reconciliation.
Written 1663.
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