it do's but sojourn here He that alone would wise and mighty be Commands that others Love as well as he Love as he Lov'd how can we soare so high He can add wings when he commands to fly Nor should we be with this command dismay'd He that example gives will give his aid For he took flesh that where his Precepts fail His practice as a pattern may prevail His love at once and Dread instructs our thought As man he suffer'd and as God he taught Will for the deed he takes we may with ease Obedient be for if we Love we please Weak thô we are to Love is no hard task And Love for Love is all that Heav'n do's ask Love that would all men just and temperate make Kind to themselves and others for his sake T is with our minds as with a fertile ground Wanting this Love they must with Weeds abound Unruly Passions whose effects are worse Than Thorns and Thistles springing from the curse CANTO IV. TO Glory man or misery is born Of his proud foe the Envy or the scorn Wretched he is or happy in extreme Base in himself but great in Heav'ns esteem With Love of all created things the best Without it more pernitious than the rest For greedy Wolves unguarded Sheep devour But while their hunger lasts and then give or'e Man 's boundless Avarice his want exceeds And on his Neighbours round about him feeds His Pride and vain Ambition are so vast That Deluge-like they lay whole Nations wast Debauches and Excess thô with less noise As great a portion of Mankind destroys The Beasts and Monsters Hercules opprest Might in that Age some Provinces infest These more destructive Monsters are the bane Of ev'ry Age and in all Nations reign But soon would vanish if the World were blest With Sacred Love by which they are represt Impendent death and guilt that threatens Hell Are dreadful guests which here with mortals dwel And a vext Conscience mingling with their Joy Thoughts of despair do's their whole life annoy But Love appearing all those Terrours fly We live contented and contended dye They in whose brest this sacred Love has place Death as a passage to their Joy embrace Clouds and thick vapours which obscure the day The Suns Victorious beams may chase away Those which our life corrupt and darken Love The Nobler Star must from the Soul remove Spots are observ'd in that which bounds the year This brighter Sun moves in a boundless Sphear Of Heav'n the Joy the Glory and the Light Shines among Angels and admits no night CANTO V. THis Iron Age so fraudulent and bold Toucht with this Love would be an Age of Gold Not as they fain'd that Oaks should hony drop Or land neglected bear an unsown Crop Love would make all things easy safe and cheap None for himself would either sow or reap Our ready help and Mutual Love would yeild A nobler Harvest than the richest Field Famine and Dearth confin'd to certain parts Extended are by barrenness of hearts Some pine for want where others surfeit now But then we should the use of plenty know Love would betwixt the rich and needy stand And spread Heav'ns bounty with an equal hand At once the givers and receivers bless Encrease their Joy and make their sufferings less Who for himself no miracle would make Dispens'd with nature for the peoples sake He that long fasting would no wonder show Made Loaves and Fishes as they eat them grow Of all his Power which boundless was above Here he us'd none but to express his Love And such a Love would make our Joy exceed Not when our own but other mouths we feed Laws would be useless which rude nature awe Love changing nature would prevent the Law Tygers and Lyons into Dens we thrust But milder Creatures with their freedom trust Divels are Chain'd and tremble but the spouse No force but Love nor bond but bounty knows Men whom we now so fierce and daing'rous see Would Guardian Angels to each other be Such wonders can this mighty Love perform Vultures to Doves Wolves into Lambs transform Love what Isaiah prophecy'd can do Exalt the Valleys lay the Mountains low Humble the Lofty the dejected raise Smooth and make strait our rough and crooked ways Love strong as death and like it levels all With that possest the great in Title fall Themselves esteem but equal to the least Whom Heav'n with that high Character has blest This Love the Center of our union can Alone bestow compleat repose on man Tame his wild Appetite make inward peace And forrein strife among the Nations cease No Martial Trumpet should disturb our rest Nor Princes arm thô to subdue the East Where for the Tomb so many Hero's taught By those that guided their Devotion faught Thrice Happy we could we like Ardor have To gain his Love as they to win his Grave Love as he Lov'd a Love so unconfin'd With arms extended would embrace Mankind Self Love would cease or be dilated when We should behold as many selfs as men All of one family in blood ally'd His precious blood that for our ransome dy'd CANTO VI. THô the Creation so divinely taught Prints such a lively Image in our thought That the first spark of new Created light From Chaos struck affects our present sight Yet the first Christians did Esteem more blest The day of rising than the day of rest That ev'ry week might new occasion give To make his Triumph in their memory live Then let our Muse compose a Sacred Charm To keep his blood among us ever warm And Singing as the Blessed do above With our last breath dilate this flame of Love But on so vast a subject who can find Words that may reach th' Ideas of his mind Our Language fails or if it could supply What Mortal Thought can raise it self so high Despairing here we might abandon Art And only hope to have it in our heart But though we find this Sacred Task too hard Yet the Design th' endeavour brings Reward The Contemplation does suspend our Woe And makes a Truce with all the Ills we know As Saul's afflicted Spirit from the sound Of David's Harp a present Solace found So on this Theame while we our Muse engage 〈◊〉 Wounds are felt of Fortune or of Age 〈◊〉 â—…e Love to Meditate is Peace 〈◊〉 makes all care of meaner things to cease Amaz'd at once and comforted to find A boundless Pow'r so infinitely kind The Soul contending to that light to fly From â—…er dark Cell we practice how to dye Imploying thus the Poets winged Art To reach this Love and grave it in our heart Joy so compleat so solid and severe Would leave no place for meaner Pleasures there Pale they would look as Stars that must be gone When from the East the Rising Sun comes on Floriferis ut Apes in saltibus omnia libant Sic nos Scripturae depascimur aurea dicta Aurea perpetuâ semper dignissima
DIVINE POEMS By EDMOND WALLER Esq LICENSED Octob. 3. 1685. Rob. Midgley In the Savoy Printed for Henry Herringman and are to be sold by Jos. Knight and Fran. Saunders at the Sign of the Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New-Exchange in the Strand 1685. OF Divine Love 6. CANTO'S 1. ASserting the authority of the Scripture in which this Love is reveal'd 2. The preference and Love of God to man in the Creation 3. The same Love more amply declared in our redemption 4. How necessary this Love is to reform Mankind and how excellent in it self 5. Shewing how happy the World would be if this Love were universally embrac'd 6. Of preserving this Love in our memory and how useful the contemplation thereof is CANTO I. THe Grecian Muse has all their Gods surviv'd Nor Jove at us nor Phoebus is arriv'd Frail Deities which first the Poets made And then invok'd to give their Fancies aid Yet if they still divert us with their Rage What may be hop'd for in a better Age When not from Helicons Imagin'd Spring But sacred Writ we borrow what we Sing This with the fabrick of the World begun Elder than Light and shall out-last the Sun Before this Oracle like Dagon all The false pretenders Delphos Hammon fall Long since despis'd and silent they afford Honour and Triumph to th' Eternal Word As late Philosophy our Globe has grac'd And rowling Earth among the Plannets plac'd So has this Book intitl'd us to Heav'n And rules to guide us to that Mansion giv'n Tells the conditions how our Peace was made And is our Pledge for the great Authors aid His Power in nature's ampler Book we find But the less Volume does express his mind This Light unknown bold Epicurus taught That his blest Gods vouchsafe us not a thought But unconcern'd let all below them slide As fortune do's or humane wisdom guide Religion thus remov'd the sacred Yoke And band of all Society is broke What use of Oaths of Promise or of Test Where men reguard no God but Interest What endless War would Jealous Nations tear If none above did witness what they swear Sad fate of unbelievers and yet just Among themselves to find so little trust Were Scripture silent nature would proclaim Without a God our falshood and our shame To know our thoughts the Object of his Eyes Is the first step t'wards being good or wise For thô with Judgment we on things reflect Our Will determines not our Intellect Slaves to their Passion Reason men imploy Only to compass what they would enjoy His fear to guard us from our selves we need And sacred Writ our Reason do's exceed For thô Heaven shows the Glory of the Lord Yet something shines more Glorious in his Word His mercy this which all his work excells His tender kindness and compassion tells While we inform'd by that Celestial Book Into the Bowels of our Maker look Love there reveal'd which never shall have end Nor had beginning shall our Song commend Describe it self and warm us with that flame Which first from Heav'n to make us Happy came CANTO II. THe fear of Hell or ayming to be Blest Savours too much of private Interest This mov'd not Moses nor the Zealous Paul Who for their Friends abandon'd Soul and all A greater yet from Heav'n to Hell descends To save and make his Enemies his Friends What line of Praise can fathom such a Love Which reacht the lowest bottom from above The Royal Prophet that extended Grace From heav'n to earth measur'd but half that space The Law was regnant and confin'd his thought Hell was not conquer'd when that Poet wrote Heav'n was scarce heard of until he came down To make the Region where love triumphs known That early Love of Creatures yet unmade To frame the World th' Almighty did perswade For Love it was that first Created Light Mov'd on the Waters chac'd away the Night From the rude Chaos and bestow'd new Grace On things dispos'd of to their proper place Some to rest here and some to shine above Earth Sea and Heav'n were all th' Effects of Love And Love would be return'd but there was none That to themselves or others yet were known The World a Palace was without a Guest Till one appears that must excel the rest One like the Author whose Capacious mind Might by the Glorious Work the Maker find Might measure Heaven and give each Star a name With Art and Courage the rough Ocean tame Over the Globe with swelling Sails might go And that 't is round by his experience know Make strongest Beasts obedient to his Will And serve his use the fertile Earth to Till When by his Word God had accomplisht all Man to Create he did a Council call Imploy'd his Hand to give the Dust he took A graceful Figure and Majestick Look With his own breath convey'd into his breast Life and a Soul fit to command the rest Worthy alone to Celebrate his Name For such a gift and tell from whence it came Birds sing his Praises in a wilder note But not with lasting numbers and with thought Mans great Prerogative but above all His grace abounds in his new favorites fall If he Create it is a World he makes If he be ang'ry the Creation shakes From his just wrath our guilty Parents fled He curst the Earth but bruis'd the Serpents head Amidst the storm his bounty did exceed In the rich promise of the Virgins seed Thô Justice death a satisfaction craves Love finds a way to pluck us from our Graves CANTO III. NOt willing Terror should his Image move He gives a pattern of Eternal Love His Son descends to treat a Peace with those Which were and must have ever been his foes Poor he became and left his Glorious seat To make us humble and to make us great His business here was happiness to give To those whose malice could not let him live Legions of Angels which he might have us'd For us resolv'd to perish he refus'd While they stood ready to prevent his loss Love took him up and nayl'd him to the Cross. Immortal Love which in his Bowels reign'd That we might be by such a Love constrain'd To make return of Love upon this Pole Our Duty does and our Religion rowle To Love is to believe to hope to know 'T is an Essay a taste of Heav'n below He to proud Potentates would not be known Of those that lov'd him he was hid from none Till love appear we live in anxious doubt But smoak will vanish when that flame breaks out This is the fire that would consume our dross Refine and make us richer by the loss Could we forbear dispute and practice Love We should agree as Angels do above Where Love presides not Vice alone does find No entrance there but Vertues stay behind Both Faith and Hope and all the meaner train Of moral vertues at the door remain Love only enters as a native there For born in Heav'n
vitâ Nam Divinus Amor cum caepit vociferari Diffugiunt Animi Terrores Lucr. Exul eram requiesque mihi non Fama petita est Mens intenta suis ne foret usque malis Namque ubi mota calent Sacrâmea Pectora Musâ Altior humano Spiritus ille malo est De Trist. OF Divine Poesie Two Canto's Occasioned upon sight of the 53d Chapter of Isaiah turn'd into Verse by Mrs. VVharton CANTO I. POets we prize when in their verse we find Some great employment of a worthy mind Angels have been inquisitive to know The secret which this Oracle does show What was to come Isaiah did declare Which she describes as if she had been there Had seen the Wounds which to the readers view She draws so lively that they Bleed anew As Ivy thrives which on the Oak takes hold So with the Prophets may her lines grow old If they should dye who can the World forgive Such Pious Lines When wanton Sapho's live Who with his Breath his Image did inspire Expects it should foment a Nobler fire Not Love which Brutes as well as Men may know But Love like his to whom that Breath we owe. Verse so design'd on that high Subject wrote Is the Perfection of an ardent thought The Smoak which we from burning Incense raise When we compleat the Sacrifice of Praise In boundless verse the Fancy soars too high For any Object but the Deity What Mortal can with Heav'n pretend to share In the Superlatives of Wise and Fair A meaner Subject when with these we grace A Giants habit on a Dwarf we place Sacred should be the product of our Muse Like that sweet Oyl above all private use On pain of Death forbidden to be made But when it should be on the Altar laid Verse shows a rich inestimable Vein When drop't from Heav'n 't is thither sent again Of Bounty 't is that he admits our Praise Which does not him but us that yield it raise For as that Angel up to Heav'n did rise Born on the Flame of Manoah's Sacrifice So wing'd with Praise we penetrate the Sky Teach Clouds and Stars to praise him as we fly The whole Creation by our fall made groan His Praise to Eccho and suspend their Moan For that he reigns all Creatures should rejoyce And we with Songs supply their want of voyce The Church Triumphant and the Church below In Songs of Praise a present Union show Their Joys are full our expectation long In Life we differ but we joyn in Song Angels and we assisted by this Art May Sing together thô we dwell apart Thus we reach Heav'n while vainer Poems must No higher rise than Winds may lift the Dust. From that they spring this from his breath that gave To the first Dust th' Immortal Soul we have His Praise well sung our great endeavour here Shakes off the Dust and makes that breath appear CANTO II. HE that did first this way of Writing grace Converst with the Almighty face to face Wonders he did in sacred verse unfold When he had more than Eighty Winters told The Writer feels no dire effects of Age Nor verse that flows from so Divine a rage Eldest of Poets he beheld the Light When first it triumph'd 'ore eternal Night Chaos he saw and could distinctly tell How that confusion into Order fell As if consulted with he has exprest The Work of the Creator and his rest How the floud drown'd the first offending Race Which might the figure of our Globe deface For new made Earth so even and so fair Less equal now uncertain makes the Air Surpriz'd with heat and unexpected cold Early distempers make our Youth look old Our Days so evil and so few may tell That on the ruines of that World we dwell Strong as the Oaks that nourish't them and high That long-liv'd Race did on their force rely Neglecting Heav'n but we of shorter date Should be more mindful of impendent fate To Worms that crawle upon this Rubbish here This Span of Life may yet too long appear Enough to humble and to make us great If it prepare us for a Nobler seat Which well observing he in Numerous Lines Taught wretched man how fast his Life declines In whom he dwelt before the World was made And may again retire when that shall fade The lasting Iliads have not live'd so long As his and Deborah's triumphant Song Delphos unknown no Muse could them inspire But that which governs the Coelestial Quire Heav'n to the Pious did this art reveal And from their store succeeding Poets steal Homer's Scamandâ—…r for the Trojans faught And swell'd so high by her old Kishon taught His River scarce could fierce Achilles stay Hers more succesful swept her Foes away The Hoast of Heav'n his Phaebus and his Mars He Arms instructed by her fighting Stars She led them all against the common foe But he misled by what he saw below The Powers above like wretched men divides And breaks their Union into different sides The Noblest parts which in his Hero's shine May be but Copies of that Heroine Homer himself and Agamâ—…mnon she The Writer could and the Commander be Truth she relates in a sublimer strain Than all the Tales the boldest Greek could feign For what she sung that Spirit did indite Which gave her courage and success in fight A double Garland Crowns the Matchless Dame From Heav'n her Poem and her Conquest came Thô of the Jews she merit most esteem Yet here the Christian has the greater Theam Her martial song describes how Sisera fell This sings our Triumph over Death and Hell The rising Light employ'd the sacred breath Of the blest Virgin and Elizabeth In Songs of Joy the Angels sung his Birth Here how he treated was upon the Earth Trembling we read th'affliction and the scorn Which for our Guilt so patiently was born Conception Birth and suffering all belong Tho various Parts to one Caelestial Song And She well using so divine an art Has in this consort Sung the Tragick part As Hannah's seed was vow'd to sacred use So here this Lady consecrates her Muse. With like reward may Heav'n her bed adorn With fruit as fair as by her Muse is born Of the Paraphrase on the Lords Prayer Written by Mrs. Wharton SIlence you Winds listen Etherial Lights While our Urania sings what Heav'n indites The Numbers are the Nymphs but from above Descends the Pledge of that Eternal Love Here wretched Mortals have not leave alone But are instructed to approach his Throne And how can he to miserable Men Deny Requests which his own Hand did Pen In the Evangelists we find the Prose Which Paraphras'd by her a Poem grows A devout Rapture so divine a Hymn It may become the highest Seraphim For they like her in that Coelestial Quire Sing only what the Spirit does inspire Taught by our Lord and theirs with us they may For all but pardon for Offences pray Some Reflections of his upon the several Petitions in the same Prayer I. HIS sacred Name with reverence profound Should mention'd be and trembling at the sound It was Jehovah 't is our Father now So low to us does Heav'n vouchsafe to bow Brethren to him that taught us how to pray And did so dearly for our Ransom pay II. His Kingdom come For this we pray in vain Unless he does in our affections raign Absurd it were to wish for such a King And not Obedience to his Scepter bring III. His Will be done In fact 't is always done But as in Heav'n it must be made our own His Will should all our Inclinations sway Whom Nature and the Universe obey IV. It is not what our Avarice hoards up 'T is he that feeds us and that fills our Cup Like new-born Babes depending on the Breast From day to day we on his Bounty feast Nor should the Soul expect above a day To dwell in her frail Tenament of Clay The setting Sun should seem to bound our Race And the new day a gift of special Grace V. That he should all our Trespasses forgive While we in hatred with our Neighbours live Though so to pray may seem an easie task We curse our selves when thus inclin'd we ask This Prayer to use we ought with equal care Our Souls as to the Sacrament prepare The Noblest Worship of the Power above Is to extol and imitate his Love Not to forgive our Enemies alone But use our Bounty that they may be won VI. Guard us from all Temptations of the Foe And those we may in several stations know The Rich and Poor in slippery places stand Give us enough but with a sparing Hand Not ill-perswading want nor wanton Wealth But what proportion'd is to Life and Health For not the Dead but Living sing thy Praise Exalt thy Kingdom and thy Glory raise Favete Linguis Virginibus Puerisque Canto Horat. FINIS