to the weary Pilgrim on his way What 's greater joy than when he sees and wheâ— His friends receive him safe return'd agen Such straits had I in all my life yet still I sought to be submissive to the will Of my good God and shall I quest'on now That Strength and Goodness which I ever knew No thou art welcome as the Harbinger To call me hence where my affections were All this sad time that I have liv'd on earth No man's more willing to resign his breath Death Thou' rt not afraid of death as Dives was Laz. No Sir you see that I have no such cause Death You are a debtor too and 't must be paid Laz. Yes unto nature What my sins have made Me liable to th' Law when Christ did bleed He said that from the same I should be freed Whose Cross my Crown and Blood my Treasure is This being so pardon I cannot miss Death Then thou art ready Laz. Yes through Heav'ns Grace And hope e're long to see his blessed face â—n Glory Who is that behind you stands Death It is an Angel into whose blest hands You must resign your Soul Now I must see The Rich Man's Funeral Solemnitie Pride Sexton Chyrurgions Masons Carvers Pr. This loathsome pale-fac'd Death made me retire â—rom my deceased Lord whose last desire Was That you Sexton ring his passing Bell And you Embalmers dress his Body well And that you Masons out of Marble Rock â—ig for his Statue a substantial Block 〈◊〉 length sev'n foot breadth four and somewhat more â—or's just dimension as he was before â—ou'r wish'd likewise who Mallet use and Tool â—o cut th' Effigies while his wandring Soul â—oth miriads of years 'bout Lethe Streams â—ange drink and sleep until his newer Dreams Remove him to the fair Elizium Where none but such as my dear Dives come Sext. Master I went about your just Commands But flaming Spirits flood and held my hands Saying That since you you had damn'd his Soul He was no better if the Bell did towl Though then at Pray'r these unexpected words With stranger Faces and prodigious Swords Repell'd my spirits so as I seem'd to be As fit for my last Fun'ral Rite as he Pr. Well 't is no matter I and Gluttony In spight of Heav'n and Hell will Ringers be Chyrurg ' on s view the Corps and spare no cost We do too little when we do the most For our dead Father Dives by whose breath All men received either life or death Though we 'bove all as Trustees must our skill Use till we have performed his last Will. An 't shall be done Artists what say you to 't Chyr Sir Art availeth not we cannot do it The sparkling Glow-worm yesterday shin'd bright Melts into Rottenness A horrid sight Pr. Where is the leaden Coffin put him in Chyr Nor this Sir can we do he hath no skin His flesh and bones consume nothing remains So save your Gold good Sir as we our pains Pr. Is' t usual for dead men to do so Chyr No no it only speaks where he 's to go Pr. Why He 's already in th' Elizian Groves Chyr Be not deceiv'd Heav'n no corrupt'on love Pr. And do you truly think his state is bad Chyr We do so truly and think your's as sad Without Repentance Pr. Now I know ye rave Chyr We knew what we should have no more we crave Pr. Masons where is the Stone that I bespoke For 's Statue Mas Coming hither it was broke Pr. I think we shall be cross'd in each design Mas We ne're were so till now 't is a bad sign Pr. I never heard so much of these till now Mas Such om ' nous things may make a proud man bow Pr. Bow with a Pox then what must the most do Mas We answer soon learn to be humble too Pr. Be gon ye Rogues about your business Mas From such as you we ne're expected less Pr. Carvers have you no such already made Car. Yes but we must take pains about the head which we with artificial hairs must cover And in his hands put bags of Gold however Now Sir it 's done according to your mind Pr. Come take your Mony I 'll have that 's behind Mourners Thrice cursed be the day and Fate That did our bliss obliterate Our golden Mine is now shut up Its owner drinks of Styg'an Cup While we his Votaries do groan Being depriv'd of him alone From whom we all our living had All but his Flatter'rs wanted bread His Friends though few he loved well Since for them he would go to Hell Where we must leave him and repent E're our last glass of time be spent Or else we must expect that Doom To which he is too surely come For his neglect of Pietie Of which he would no lover be Our Tears are vain then let 's give o're And take possession of his store It is sufficient that his Glory Will live as long as Sacred Story And name of Dives will be sweet To every earthly Proselyte Who make their God of gilded clay Till Heav'n as him sweep them away There needs no Tomb most Rich Mens Purses Wrap him as Children by their Nurses Death Angel Lazarus Death Friend Lazarus how like you my returnâ— Laz. Well though your absence gave me cause to mourn Had not the glor'ous Light you left behind Made my past mis'ries vanish from my mind Death Doth not the Doom of the Rich Man affright Thy feeble flesh Laz. Ne're while I see this Light Which I am sure is earnest of that bliss I shall receive when come where Jesus is Keep me no longer here I am most willing Thou canst not hurt me having lost thy Sting Speaketh to the Angel And you if sent from God to be my Guide Hold fast dark night rough way may make me slide Ang. Joy of thy Lord I 'm come for that same end To bring thee safe to Heav'n he did me send Whose will I always cheerfully obey Yet e're we take our wing pray let us stay And talk of your Adventur's here below This I desire Laz. I 'll tell you what I know What entertainment had you all this time On earth Laz. As Cynthia now Full now Prime Or as bright Phebus whose resplendant Rays Give heat and light to the renewed days And yet are sometimes wrapt in Clouds and Mist That if he shine or not it is not guest Or when pale Luna overshades his face So various was my state while in this place Ang. Is there not then 'mong Mortals difference Laz. Yes that 's one cause for which I would go hence Some swim in pleasure some are drown'd in want Though this last happens where true Grace is scant The Rich oppress the Poor the fat devour The lean and yet this lasteth not an hour Being compared with Eternity Ang. Do not some say that they shall never dy Laz. Yes so said the Rich Man but yesterday Now I am almost weary of my stay For
Sir know not my Doom Abr. They 'll know 't I doubt too soon when they are come To that same place of torment where you are Div. Then send O send Sir e're they go too far Is not the gate of Heav'n ope ' while they live They may repent and God their sins forgive Abr. 'T is but in vain to send one from the dead Se'ing he can say no more than may be read In Moses Isai ' weeping Jeremie And all the rest whose Inspirations be Divine Then cursed wretch thou must give o're To cry bidding Adieu for evermore To Heav'n where Lazarus must now remain With me and thou in Hell's tormenting pain The Rich Man's EPITAPH FOR The EPILOGUE HEre li'th the Man who never did Good while he livâ—d nor Vice forbid Here li'th the Man who to his Wealth Trusted his Souls and Bodies health Here li'th the Man who out of measure Glutted himself with beastly pleasure For which his hungry Soul and dry Is doom'd eternally to fry In Hell A warning unto those Who in base Earth their trust repose His Sentence past let such give o're God's just still as he was before Avertat Deus hoc malum à nobis FINIS FIRE And Brimstone OR THE DESTRUCTION OF Sodom Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luk. 13.3 The Persons Prologus Angel God Angels of God Abraham Sarah Sodomites Lot Lot's Sons Devil Lot's Wife Chorus Prologus IF any think my Buskin is too much Like to Satyr know 't is not a touch If the Physitian can a Gangrene kill He must use Corrosives as well as skill Else putrid matter will infest the part That 's sound till it hath seized on the heart This is too often seen to be disapprov'd Let not the courteous Reader then be mov'd If I have laid the Axe to the Tree's root Thinking to fell it O! that I could do 't If Lot's Wife who was led by Angel's hand Scap'd not God's Judgment but doth Pillar stand Of Salt And seeing Justice doth begin With House of God must we not all fear sin That Adam out of Paradice did cast And after him drown'd the old World at last That slaved Israel four hundred years And costs each Heav'n-born Child much briny tears What say I tears for it the Son of God Sweat drops of blood and bore a heavy load Of wood for 's Cross and then resign'd his breath That who believes might not taste second death For it is Sodom burnt our present Theme We must beware of Sin or bear the blame If we give way this Circe will bewitch The best The fire 's hot made of wood pitch But hotter far that 's kindled by the breath Of Sin-revenging God eternal death FIRE and BRIMSTONE OR The Destruction of Sodom Angel God Abraham Sarah Angels BEhold how Sodom swaggers in its Pride And Lust and Gluttony none is espied That thoughts of Heaven have or bowe a knee But one poor Stranger who adoreth me My Servant Lot whose holy Soul they vex Because there 's no distinction made of Sex Nor age But all promiscuously do go Like Goats and Leopards that all they may know Each other Come we will go down and see Those horrid facts whose cry has come to me I am the Holy One who sit above My purer Eye cannot such things approve The Soul that sinneth it shall surely die Awake my Just revenge I 'le down and try If they my handy work who are but clay Dare quarrel with their Potter and say nay But we will do it Who can us controul What profiteth Religion since the Soul Is mortal as our flesh and cannot rise Let 's heap up sin on sin and heav'n despise Put on your walking habits Let us go And view the place to see if it be so Yet there 's a trusty Friend lives in our way By Mamre Grove there we must make some stay See Yonder is the place where Sun doth shine Gilding the Oakes whose tops seem to encline To bid us welcome Angels Eternal Son true Day-Star from on high It is our honour that we may draw nigh So great a Light and be employ'd by thee To execute thy Will we ready be Ab. Sarah Sa My Lord. Ab. Do'st not see strangers come Sa. I do I do 't is well you were at home Ab. Their gate bespeaks them great I 'le run and see Walking on foot perhaps they weary be Al-hail my Lord if I have favour found With thee pass not from off thy servant's ground Untill a little water fetched be To wash your Feet and you under this Tree Rest for a while it being almost noon You shall go on as soon as Dinner 's done For therefore to your servant are ye come Ang. 'T is true go quickly do as thou hast said Ab. Up my dear Sarah now I lack thine aid Of Meal three measures thou shalt dress knead Cakes on the hearth make of it we want bread And I my self will bring a fatted Calf Out of the herd young man dress you its half Bring Milk and Butter hither unto me With Veal both roast and boil'd my Lord you see Your homely dinner Let your Friends take place Where the Almighty eats there needs no grace Accept such things as you are pleas'd to send To your poor Servant who will you attend Ang. These Favours I will certainly requite Upon thee and thy Wife who 's out of sight Where is thy Sarah Is she not at home Ab. Yes in the Tent. Ang. Then why did she not come For I intend about this time next year To come again and she shall surely bear A Son though Abraham be old and she Have no fore-runner of a pregnancie Sar. Ha ha Is not this likely to be true Have I been thus long Married to you Without Conception shall my nutted Breast And barren Womb procure a cleansing Feast No I shall sooner far expect my grave Than that such Pleasure you and I should have Ang. Hark Sarah laughs good Abra'm tell me why She cannot be thy Wife if she deny That the Almighty can all Natur 's laws Reverse dilate contract as he see 's cause Or thinketh she that any thing on Earth Can be too hard for him who gave all breath Once more I say I will return and she This time next Year shall Joyful Mother be Sar. Alas What shall I do he did me spie Laughing yet Woman-like I will denie I did not laugh Ang. Nay but thou didst forbear He cannot be deceiv'd who 's Eye and Ear. Arise Let us go hence a fearful stink Comes to my nostrils from that filthy sink Whose crying sins do hasten its decay Ab. Pray let your Servant bring you on your way Ang. Well Abraham since thou hast served me So faithfully nothing shall hidden be Of all that I am now about to do Here I will all relate before I go For thou shalt surely a great Nation be And all the World shall blessed be in thee The Sin
since you the handmaid gave And said of her you shall raise seed to me I thought this was enough to make her free I' th' house but now I see 't is otherways Favours of this kind have sudden decays However your desire I will fulfill Hagar be gone it is thy Mistress will Ang. Well said my friend for I desire the same Thy Family must from Isaack have its name And blessing too Ab. Thy will I shall obey Come Sirs get up and make no more delay The Lord commands whose laws are all to me Just though contrary they to nature be This Bread and Water take and so go hence You have abus'd your Mistress patience Though I know nothing I must not controul This peevish humour grieves my very Soul Chorus Each day hath its succeeding night Clouds sometimes darken the Suns light The Flowers that florid are to day Tomorrow Frost nips quite away Youth like a shaddow flies and age Sayth 't is my turn to tread the Stage Life must give place to grim-fac'd Death There 's nothing fixed made of Earth But all dance round and Circle make While one anothers place doth take The passions likewise have their turns One Breast with Love and Hatred burns One's sad and merry Melancholly And all sometimes are counted folly Honours and pleasures are so brittle That most wise men esteem them little In fine there 's nought but thoughts of Heaven That bringeth Wages home at Even Angel Abraham Devil Faith Flesh Despair Ang. Abra'm my faithful Servant do'st thou hear I must give thee a visit once a year Iâ—ave found thee perfect always hitherto And now I am come to try if thou wilt do What I command thee without stay or grudge Remember once thou call'd me righteous Judge Ab. I 'm here speak Lord thy Servant hears and will Count all thy precepts Just and them fulfill Ang. What could'st thou freely part withal for me Ab. What could I not since I have all from thee Ang. Then thou must take thy Son thine only Son And sacrifice him so my will is done The Mount Moriah's fittest for thy turn There thou shalt lead young Isaack and him burn This action Abraham will please me well Ab. My Lord if you command I 'le go to Hell Devil Fond fool give o're Religion makes thee mad Heav'ns Minions never yet rejoycing had Without a damp their sweet is mix'd with soure It is not possible for humane power To act what he commands being as strict As those who bid men without straw make brick Faith Give o're thou murd'ring Sp'rit do not delude The friend of God all whose commands are good If he should fear or fret at his desire Thou canst not keep him from a fiercer fire Than he is bid to kindle for his Son That 's Brimston and will last when this is done And yet will be no pleasing Sacrifice To God nor him do Abraham and be wise Flesh What Father ever yet so cruel was To Murther his own Child without a cause View but these Limbs and features of his face His sparkling Eyes then there will be no space Left in thy harden'd heart for cruelty A faithful man will never Butcher be Of humane Bodies Faith Faint flesh those Eyes and Features are but toys That fade with time and age there 's greater Joys Laid up for Isaack immortality What needs thou care then if he burned be Besides hast thou not heard how Phaenix rare Burned to ashes doth her self repair Out of the same being first a little Worm If thou believe thou need'st not fear this storm Despair Thou canst not be belov'd of God since he Bids thee perform such monstrous cruelty They say he 's merciful if it be so Thou may'st lye still and never think to go To Mount Moriah whom he loves he loves But this command rather his hatred proves Faith This is an old tone and bespeaks thee fool Know that he hath given ev'ry man his Soul Which if he back again from him requires By Famine Sword or Pestilence or Fires 'T is never to destroy that he doth this But for removall to Eternal bliss Ab. Give o're give o're now it is almost day I will no more dispute Believe and pray I will for success on my loved host I spend but time my God is at the cost He gave me Isaack and desires that he In fire and flames should from the Altar be Sent whence he came Sarah Abraham Servants Sar. My Lord I fear you have a troubled head For I could scarcely hold you in your Bed Tell me your Dream it fearful is I 'm sure For I have Dreamed too and can't endure Now when awake no not to think of it I saw a Bow from Heav'n bent and hit My darling Ab. Sarah then our Dreams are one God bids me go and burn my little Son Sar. Burn him alas I see I laugh'd too soon Then must my hopes and comforts all be gone Ab. Peace Sarah it is God requires the Lad And he shall have him if I twenty had Can I bestow them better than to give My Maker all in whom I move and live Sar. My Lord 't is but a Dream as yet forbear Such things require a double Messenger Ab. Dearest thou know'st my Dreams are always true Though such a Dream as this I never knew However honey let us with submission Part with the Lad obeying Heav'ns commission His pow'er is great so is his mercy too Thou know'st not what he is about to do For I may safely with the Boy return And if I do not there 's no cause to mourn We are but as were and he another May give whom thou may'st call Isaack's Brother The promiser is all-sufficient We can have no just cause then to repent Our Piety which always promise hath Of grace and freedom from Eternal Death Sar. My Lord he is your own and God your Friend Obey him mean while I will Prayers send For him to Heav'n as soon as you are gone And beg he may not give me cause to moan Who laugh'd before Ab. Go Sadle me my Ass and two of you Must go with me where yet I do not know Call my Boy softly tell him he must rise To see his Father offer Sacrifice Go to the Log-pile and choose out some wood Cleave none for use but that 's exceeding good Ser. Sir all is ready Ab. Sarah fare thee well Still hope in God the Lad may live and dwell Again with thee his Mother till he come To mans ' state or another in his room Sar. My doubts are over may the Lord direct You in your Journey for if he protect Or kill the Boy I shall leave to complain Perhaps he doth intend a greater gain Than either you or I as yet expect Kiss me dear Child and thou my God effect The present work my Husband is but clay And may stretch out his hand another way Than is thy will again kiss me my Son Then go with courage Heav'ns