Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A15623
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Abuses stript, and whipt. Or Satirical essayes. By George Wyther. Diuided into two bookes
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Wither, George, 1588-1667.
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1613
(1613)
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STC 25892; ESTC S120210
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147,978
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333
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friend neare death and ready for to leaue This wretched life and if they heare him say Some parâ—ing words as if he might not stay Nay say not so these comforters reply Take heart your time 's not come ye shall not die What man and grace of God you shal be stronger And liue no doubt yet many a faire day longer Thinke not on Death with many such like words Such as their vnderstanding best affoords But where is now become this peoples wit VVhat doth their knowledges esteeme more fit Then death to thinke on chiefly when men be About to put off their Mortalâ—tie Me thinkes they rather should perswade them then Fearelesse to be resolu'd to die like Men. For want of such a resolution stings At point of Death and dreadfull horror brings â—e'ne to the soule cause wanting preparation She lies despairing of her owne saluation Yea and moreouer this full well know I He that 's at any time afraide to die â—s in weake case and whatso'ere he saith Hath but a wauering and a feeble Faith But what need I goe farther to relate The frailty I haue seene in Mans estate Since this I haue already said makes cleere That of all Creatures God hath placed here Prouided we respect them in their kind VVe cannot any more vnable finde For of our selues we haue not power to speake No nor to frame a thought we are so weake Against our bodies eue'ry thing preuailes And oft our knowledge and our iudgement failes Yea if that one mans strength were now no lesse Then all men doe in generall possesse Or if he had attaind to ten-times more Then all Gods creatures ioyn'd in one before Yet would his power be eauen then so small When he stands surest he 's but sure to fall 'T is onely weakenesse that doth make vs droupe And vnto Crosses and diseases stoupe That makes vs Vaine Inconstant and Vnsure Vnable any good things to endure It brings vs to the seruile base subiection Of all loose Passion and vntam'd affection It leads vs and compels vs oft to stray Both beside Truth and out of Reasons way And lastly we and that because of this Either doe Nothing or do all amisse Which being so we may with Dauid then Confesse that we are rather Wormes then men OF PRESVMPTION SATYR 4. SOft heedlesse Muse thou no aduisement tak'st Wast not of Men that last of al thou spak'st It was and of the weaknessâ— too of men Come then with shame now and denie 't agen Recaâ—t for so the matter rhou didst handle Thou maist be curst for t with Bell Booke Candle Is mankind weake who then can by their powers Into the Aire hurle Palaces and Towers And with one blaste'ne in a moment make Whole Kingdomes and braue Monarchies to shake Or what are they that dare for toaspire Into Gods seat and if it might be higher That forgiue sinnes as fast as men can do them And make Iehouah be beholding to them I 'ue heard of such what are they would I wist They can make Saints they say of whom they list And being made aboue the Stars caÌ„seat them Yea with their own hands make their Gods eat theÌ„ Ha are they men How dar'st thou then to speake Such Bâ—asphemy to say mankinde is weake I tell thee this Muse either Man is strong And through thy babling thou hast done him wrong Or else beyond his limits he doth erre And for presumption puts downe Lucifer I st so Nay then I prethee Muse goe on And let vs heare of his presumption For I doe know cause I haue heard him vaunt That he 's a Creature proud and Arrogant And it may be he is not of such might As he makes show for but vsurps some's right There't goe's indeed for though he be so base So weake and in such miserable case That I want words of a sufficient worth To paint his most abhorred vilenesse forth Yet such is also his detested Pride That I suppose the Diuell is belide By euery man that shall affirme or say He is more proud for doe but marke I pray This Creature man did Natures powerfull King God that of nothing framed eu'ry thing Mâ—uld out of Clay a peece which he had rent E'ne from the Earth the basest Element And whereas he might haue beene made a Thrall Yea and the very Vuderling of all That God with title of Chief Ruler grac't him And as a Steward ouer all things plac't him Gaue him a pleasant garden for to till And Leaue to eate of eu'ry tree at will Onely of one indeed he did deny him And peraduenture of that one to try him But see his insolence though God did threat Death if he eate and though that God was great And so exceeding Iust that he well knew All that he threatned doubtles would ensue Thogh God were stroÌ„g could had maÌ„ bin prouder Pore clay-bred worm haue stampt him into pouderâ— Yet not withstanding all this same did he Presume to tast of that forbidden tree A rash beginning but he sped so ill D' yee thinke he held on this presumption still To heare he had left that offence 't were newes But Cain and Nimrod Pharaoh and the lewes Shew'd it continued and grew much more Rather then lesser then it was before Caine in his murther and his proud replie Nimrod in that he dar'd to build so high Pharaoh by boldly tempting God to shew His sundry plagues to Egypts ouerthrow And many waies the last but what need I Recite examples of Antiquitie Or for to taxe old ages for that crime Since there was nere a more presumptuous time Then this that 's now what dare not men to doe If they haue any list or minde thereto Their fellow creatures they doe much contemne Vaunting that all things were ordain'd for them Yea both the gladsome daies and quiet nights Sun Moone Heauen with those glorious lights Which so be spangle that faire azure roofe They thinke were onely made for their behoofe When as alas their poore and weake command Cannot extend so farre for to withstand The least Starres force and them and their estate Sunne Moone and starres too do predominate Before our fall indded we did excell All other creatures that on earth did dwell But now I thinke the very worst that be Haue iust asmuch to boast vpon as we Our soule 's defil d And therefore if in Sence We place our worth and cheefe prehemmence T is knowne that there be diuers Creatures then VVill haue the vpper hand for they passe men And though we still presume vpon 't t is vaine To challenge our old Soueraingty againe For when that we from our obedience fell All things against vs also did rebell Lyons and Beares and Tigers sought our blood The barren earth deny'd to yeeld vs food The clouds raignd plagues and yet dare we go on We find such pleasure in Presumption But for because there 's some do scarcely know How we do in that
Of all presumptions the most accurst And fulst of Danger Silly man take heed Do not before thy selfe an euill deed For when God wil forgiue and man forget Thy owne ill Conscience will oppose and set Her selfe against thee tell thee thine offending And keep thee back from euer apprehending Grace of forgiuenesse neither wil affoord The smallest comfort of the sacred word But rather to thy sad remembrance call Each saying that may serue to prooue thy fall And though that fire wondrous torture brings Vnto the body yet when conscience stings Nor fire nor sword nor hell it selfe can yeeld Aworser to ment God defend and shield Me from the like and giue me grace to feare So that I may preserue my Conscience cleare In all my actions And then I shall be In better case a thousand fold then he That vnto wealth and honour hath obtaind With a craz'd Conscience that is blurd and stain'd Alas how easie wert to climbe or mount To worldly Reputation and Account How soone could I if I had an intention For to contriue or plot a damn'd inuention Get golden heapes yea and so priuily That though t were done by craft and villany I by the blinded World would yet be deem'd Perhaps more honest but much more esteem'd Then now I am But God forbid that I Such base vaine trash and dunghil stuffe should buy At such a rate for there 's no Iewell dearer Nor any losse a man can haue goe nearer Then peace of Conscience which for to be true The ancient Poets very wisely knew And therefore fain'd their Fâ—ries with intent For to declare the inward punishment Of guilty mindes which sure they might do well For there is in them Diuels yea and hell With all her torture what else was the cause Nero who knew no God nor feared lawes When he had kil'd his mother tooke no rest But thought he saw her comming to molest And plague him for 't What made him to surmise He was still tortur'd in such hellish wise That furies did to his appearance scorch His liuing body with a burning torch Wast not his Conscience that had priuy beene Vnto the fact was not the cause within His owne bad selfe If t were let 's to amending Of our presumptuous sinnes aud bold offending If neither in regard of God nor men Oh le ts for feare of our owne Conscience then Yet there 's another thing which wert wel weighd Our rash presumption would be som-what staid The End of life with the ne're-ending paine God for presumptuous sinners doth ordaine Could we note that with deaths vncertaine times And how it takes men acting of the crimes Euen in the very nick of their offence And beares them ere they can repent them hence To such a place where nothing shall appeare But all the Gastly obiects of grimme feare Whereas each sense shall seuerally sustaine The miserable smart of endlesse paine The tender feeling shall in euery part Be subiect to th' intollerable smart Of hellish flames commixt with chilling cold Tortures beyond conceit not to be told The dainty mouth that had the Curioust tast And of the choysest cates still made repast Shall be fild vp yea belly throat and all With filth more loath-some then the bitterest gall The once perfumed Nostrill there shall drinke Foule noysome smels beside the sulpherous stinke Of choaking flames and there the listning eare Fed with the sound of pleasing Musicke heare Shall change it for the wofull screeching cry Of Damned soules that in hels torture lye VVhose hydeous howlings can by no defence Be kept from percing that amazed sence And then while they shal trembling thinke to flye From those amazements that do seeme so nigh To there the feareful'st obiects of the sight Their quite despairing mindes shall more affright For garish formes of foule mishapen fiendes And vgly Bugs for euermore attends To thwhart each looke But if this do not make Thy ouer hardened heart oh man to quake If this relation be too weake to win Or to reclaime thee from thy wonted sinne Reader if this do no impression leaue So that thou canst not any feare conceiue Through this description thinke vpon t at night Soone in thy bed when earth 's depriu'd of light I say at mid-night when thou wak'st from sleepe And lonely darknesse doth in silence keep The Grim-fac't night And but immagine then Thou wert borne all alone to some darke den And there set naked though thou felts no paine Yet seeing no way to get out againe If thou shouldst in that naked loneness heare Some yelling voyce or some strange noyse drawneâ—â— VVith threatning or but calling on thy name Oh with what Patience couldst thou bide the samâ— But if withall thy wandring eyes should marke And now and then see pearing through the darâ— Some monstrous visages or vgly faces VVhich shold make proffer of some rude embrâ—â—â— And smetime seeme as if they would begin VVith griping pawes to ceize thy trembling skiâ— Or but suppose that in thy Chamber there Where cannot be the hundreth part of feare Because to thee the place well knowne will be And thou must haue wherewith to couer thee Yet there I say suppose thou shouldst behold Nor such grim obiects as are heere foretold But Onely heare the dolefull voyce of men Complaining in the darke And now and then Behold the ghastly shape of friends long dead Wrapt in their sheetes as they were buried Or else from out thy Chamber floore to rise A troupe of bony pickt Anatomies Come pointing to thee as if thou wert he That must ere long their bare companion be Then thou wouldst feare I know and think on him Whose might fearful power thou didst contemn Thou wouldst consider better of the feare And hellish horror I haue mention'd heare That Dungeons estate thou would'st conceiue And somewhat thy presumptuous actions leaue Thou wouldst not so cast all thy care behind thee But watch thy self for feare least death shold finde thee Doing some il nor wouldst thou thus delay Times of repentance still from day to day But oh show should I hope that this I plead Will worke in them that shall but barely read What I haue writ Since I my selfe that know And haue some inward seeling of that woe For get my selfe I thought when I shall be From such and such like cares and troubles free Then wil I all my vanities forsake A better course of life I le vndertake And only seeke the glory of his name By whom I liue That day ere long time came Then I had other lets but if that they As I did seeke they might were once away I would indeed my duty better doe Well so it pleas'd God I orepast them too Yet somthing hindred still that I could neuer In my intended Christian course perseuer But euer found vnto my griefe and sorrow That I was bad to day and worse to morrow But oh thou God that knowst my hearts desire Do not oh