friend But my Religion tutors me to say Nay and affirm You neither can nor may I 'm sure it is if Reason dare prove true One thing to speak another thing to do Your words are airy messengers which fly Into my ears and there enroul a lye Many untruths have broke the Common Goal Of thy foul mouth thou sayst thou canst prevail To make me glorious and thou canst encrease My Joys and crown me with eternal Peace Thou sayst th' art good and great that thy paths Lead to Salvation thou declarest thy Laws To be most just If all these things be â—â—ue I needs must call the Scriptures false or you Truth bids me tell thee boldly when thou cry'st Th' art great and good and rich and rare thou ly'st If thou art good and great pray tell me why Thou wilt behold so vile a wretch as I These things bespeak thee humble unto which Thou plead'st not guilty and if thou art rich How can it be that thou wilt condescend To feed my wants that am so poor a friend Strange is that charity which seems to shine From such a â—iabolick brest as thine If my belief could keep an equal pace With thy swift tongue how full of Faith Grace Should I appear Such Faith as would devast My wanton Soul and make me weep as fast It is impossible to find a Sion That has no Governor except a Lyon The Souls Petition to God Oh Heav'n I crave that thou wouldst keep me still From this most â—ile Progenitor of Ill Suffer him noâ— t' infold me in his arms â—r overcome me with his wanton charms Oh make my heart obdure that he may knock Upon my Soul as on a Marble Rock Be thou my Fort and then I shall endure His furious on-sets and repose secure Give me thy grace that I may be content Make me as strong as he is impudent Now let the spring-tyde of thy fierce desires Flow to the height thou shalt not quench my â—â—â—â— Know Satan know my heart reserves no place For thy abode I scorn thee to thy face The well-dy'd colours of my Soul declares Defiance to thee and my brest prepares To give thee battel strike I fear thee not Whose arm'd with Faith needs fear no Canon-shot What impious tongue is that which dares defie Sat. My power with so much boldness So. Wretch 't is I 'T is I infernal Traytor that will spend My strength to prove thou art a flatt'ring friend Sat. Move me to anger do and thou shalt find A courteous friend at last may prove unkind Have I not woo'd thee almost night and day To go to Heaven Sou. The quite contrary way Sat. Have I not labour'd like a watchful father To nourish thee Sou. Or like a Devil rather Sat. Have I not always taken great delight Sâ—ll To take away good gold and give me light Sat. How much nocturnal and diurnal care Have I sustain'd for thee Sou. True t' insnare Sat. Have I not been assiduous to a wait Upon thy pleasure Sou. And corrupt my state Sat. Have I not proffer'd all that can be given To a sick Soul Sou. To drive my Soul from Heaven Sat. Did I not promise to be true and just Sâ—ll Did I not say I 'd neither try nor trust Sat. Did I not promise that I 'd make thee wise Sou. Did I not say thou wert compos'd of lyes Sat. Did I not promise to encrease thy store Sou. Did I not say such wealth would make me poor Sat. Did I not promise to advance thy flame Sou. Did I not say thy honors were thy shame Sat. Did I not promise to uphold thy peace Sou. Did I not say such wars would never cease Sat. Did I not promise thee a Crown of life Sou. Did I not say that Crown would crown my strife Sat. Did I not promise thee eternal glory Sou. Did I not say that promise was a story Sat. Did I not promise I would give thee all Sou. Did I not say such promises were small Sat. Did I not tell thee I was great and good Sou. Did I not answer 't was in shedding blood Sat. Did I not tell thee that my ways were best Sou. Did I not answer that they were unblest Sat. Did I not tell thee that thou shouldst have joy Sou. Did I not answer such as would destroy Sat. Did I not tell thee that I did lament Sou. Did I not answer that I was content Sat. Did I not tell thee what a friend I 'd prove Sou. Did I not answer that I could not love Sat. Thus by fair terms â— labour'd to obtain Sou. Thus in â—oul terms â— told thee 't was in vain Sat. Then I begun to threaten thee with grief Sou. And then I fled to Heav'n and found relief Sat. I threatened to afflict thee with large pains Sou. I told thee such afflictions were my gains Sat. I told thee more then now I will express Sou. My answers made thee wish I had spoke less Sat. But now I see my real words can find No rest within the center of thy mind For 't is in vain to sow the seeds of life In a dead heart that is manur'd with strife I 'le therefore cease my importuning love I 'le shew my Serpent and keep close my Dove Do do thy worst vile wretch I 'le make thee know Griefs abstract and the quintessence of woe I 'le load thee with extremities thy brest Shall always crave but find no place of rest Had but my grave advice receiv'd a place Within thy heart thou hadst been fil'd with grace But now the inundations of thy trouble Shall overflow thee and I will redouble My new-contrived plagues I 'le make thee feel My melting heart is now transform'd to steel Thy tongue shall like a bolt of thunder roul And roar within thy mouth thy sulphurous Soul Shall flash forth lightening and thy blood-red eyes Shall blaze like Comets in the troubled Skies Thy teeth shall gnash as if they scorn'd to be Concomitants in so much miserie Oh how I 'le carbonado every part And sill thy body with increasing smart Thy Soul shall lure for death but that shall hate To pierce upon thee and contemn thy state Life shall be still incroaching but thy breath Shall scorn that life and hate it unto death Thy flesh shall drop forth brimstone and thy bones Shall court each other in their crackling tones Horror shall be thy watchman curses shall Possess thy tongue one torment still shall call Upon another when thy voyce shall cry But for a drop Confusion shall reply No no thou shalt not if a golden Myne â—ould buy a drop that drop should not be thine Then shalt thou say if thou hadst been at first Advis'd by me thou hadst not been accurst Thus in this sad Dilemma shalt thou roar And crave my succour but I 'le not deplore Thy woful state because thou wert averse To goodness after folly comes a curse Then shalt thou know and find
The Minde of the Frontispeece REader observe and see Jehovah stand Showring down blessings to the grasping hand Of new-made naked Man that takes delight To take the Crowns but cares not to requite The gratious giver of such gifts as those With any thing except it be with blows A fair reward but sure it much redowns To Mans disgrace to give God blows for Crowns GODS Loue MANS Vnworthiness By Jo Qu Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou so regardest him Ps 8. v. 4 London Printed for Jo Stafford dwelling in St. Brides Church yard GODS LOVE AND Mans Vnworthiness Whereunto is annexed a Discourse between the SOUL SATAN With several Divine Ejaculations Written by JOHN QUARLES LONDON Printed for John Stafford and are to be sold at his house in S. Brides Church yard and by Humphrey Moseley at the Princes Armes in St. Pauls Church yard and John Holden at the blue Anchor in the new Exchange 1651. TO My much-honoured and Esteemed Friend Edward Benlowes Esq SIR I Am confident you cannot have greater cause to wonder at my boldness then I have reason to admire at your Learning and Piety for indeed the rare example of your virtues addâ—d much alacrity to my endeavours which are but shallow if compar'd to the depth of your understanding Sir the limits of my request though they are large extend themselves no further then this That You would be pleas'd to permit this my unfleg'd bird to rest under the wings of Your protection that I may ever be engag'd to boast of so worthy a Patron Sir as I know I have errors so I know you have goodness to excuse them and I a heart to be thankfull and alwayes be a faithfull honourer of Your Virtues whilest I am Sir Your Servant to Command JOHN QUARLES To the Reader Kinde Reader LET me lay this Injunction upon thee before thou permittest thy eye to survey this little Volume which is That thou wilt resolve to pardon I will not say for what for fear thou shouldst be sâ—rupulous and not Read The Subject is Divine and I confess too good to be so badly handled however I have done my best endeavour and Alexander did no more when he conquered Kingdomes But Reader because I will not detain thine eye too long in one place I bid thee Farewell To my Muse TEL me presumptuous Muse how dar'st thou treat Upon a Subject so sublime so great Alas how dare thy infancy aspire So high as Heaven where the caelestial quire Of soul-enchanting Angels hourely sing Anthems of Joy to their mellifluous King This is a taske that invocates the best And loftiest quils Heav'ns love must not b' exprest With wanton language he that shall presume To labour in this work must first persume His Soul with true divinity and breathe Celestiall ayres that Readers may perceive Their Author labours with a serious heart T' embalm his actions with divinest art This is a field whose spacious bounds extend Themselves to infinite who strives to end Shall still begin and having once begun This pleasing progress must not cease to run Untill he stops in Heaven there lyes the gain Who runs with Faith is certain to obtain If then my Muse thou canst divinely mount This Sacred Stage thou needst not fear t' account Thy actions prosperous strive thou to stand Guarded with Faith and Heav'n will lend a hand To prop thee up his power will infuse Sufficient matter for an active Muse To work upon his wisdome will direct Thy painfull hand his mercies will correct Thy rambling thoughts and teach thee to proclaim Th' unsum'd up glories of his Royall Name Abandon earth and bid vain thoughts adeu Thou canst not serve thy God and Mammon too Rouse then and let thy well-prun'd Eagles wings Mount thee aloft let not terrestiall things Disturbe thy resolutions let them all Evade thy minde thy thoughts must grow too tall For such low toyes stir up thy zealous fire And what thou canst not well expresse admire See heer a Phoenix rare rais'd from ye dust of precious Parents Fathers Effigies just Who for his Genius ingenious Parts Of Learning Worth Witt to Conquer hearts By pleasant Poetry Seemes to inherit By Transmigration his rare Fathers Spirit As old Pythag'ras held So sweetly Hee Doth Patrizare in full Ex'ssencie Gods Love AND Mans Unworthiness GOD how that word hath thunder-clapt my Soul Into a ravishment I must condole My forward weakness Ah where shall I find Sufficient Metaphors t' express my mind Thou heart-amusing word how hast thou fil'd My Soul with Halelujahs and distil'd Wonders into me Oh that I could break My heart in pieces and divinely speak My mind in Raptures that the frantique Earth May bathe it felf in these sweet streams of mirth Then rouze my Soul and practise how to turn Thy wonders into language do not burn Thy sacred fuel in a place where none Can have the benefit but thee alone Hoist up thy Sails and let thy speedy motion Hurry thee hence into the boundless Ocean Observe thy compass keep a constant pace And Heav'n will steer thee to the Port of Grace â—is strange to think how the Almighty can That is so pure love such a thing as Man Whose primitive corruption makes him worse Then nothing whose Rebellion claims a curse More then affection How can Heav'n endure A thing that can be nothing but impure Man like a word that 's voyd of reason sounds In every ear his very name expounds A misery at best he needs must be But vain And how can Heav'n love vanitie Man like a shadow flies before the Sun Of his afflictions and is still undone By his own doing he 's his own pursuer And how can Heav'n love such a self-undoer Man like a naked worm is often found Digging himself into the loathsom ground Of ruine he 's a Traytor to his Bliss And how can Heav'n love such a worm as this Man like a flash of lightning courts the world With lavish flames and by and by is hurl'd Into that Nothing whence at first it came Then how can God love such a short-liv'd flame Man like a Reed is evermore inclin'd To shake and totter with each blast of wind He 's always running to the ground with speed And how can Heav'n love such an earthly Reed Man like the dust is always blown and â—ost From place to place and flies till it has lost Its Center never resting in one place Then how can Heav'n love that which flies in 's face Man like a Fly still buzzes up and down From cup to cup and sips on till he drown Himself in pleasure fears no stander by And how can Heav'n love such a drunken Fly Man like a Rain-bow oftentimes appears Clothed in colours but can claim no years No days nay hardly hours but must decay And how can heav'n love that which loves no stay Man like a bubble floats upon the
breed a harmony within the sphere Of his blest Soul be circumspect and lay The best foundation hear what Heav'n will say Adams Petition to God Incensed Father of eternal light Permit a darkened Soul t' approach the sight Of thine incomparable eye unmask Thy anger clouded Soul and let me ask Forgiveness for those loading Crimes which press My staggâ—ing Soul I know not whom t' address My apostare self unto but only thee Whom I offended Please to pity me I have no pleasing Sacrifice t' attone Thy wrathful Brest except a hearty groan That 's quadrupl'd with grief Oh deign to look Upon the lines of my all-blotted book Although I 'm full of most detested spots Yet Lord I know that thou canst read my blots Oh read them then and let thy mercies run With thy progressive eye I am undone If not forgiven Lord I thee implore To shew some mercy to me thou hast store Discipher all my sins and let them not Bâ—ar record in thy rouls but rest forgot Revoke this act of Death that I may sing Th' admired mercies of so blest a King Oh lift me up that now am thrown below Make not my Soul the Custom-house of woe Oh hear these bitter groans that I have spent And send some comfort from thy Parliament Gods Reply Thou skelleton of baseness hie thee hence Disturb me not return I say from whence Thou cam'st at first thou shalt as soon remove A mountain as my mind I cannot love No nor I will not nothing shall intreat My resolutions for my fury 's great Begone proud Rebel do not think thy prayers Thy vows thy groans thy sighs thy sobs thy tears Shall make my brest their receptacle No How can I be a friend to such a foe Surcease thy importunities let fall Thy high desires I will not hear thee call Thy sins have barr'd my ears I 'le not be won With thy base airy words for thou hast spun The thred of thy destruction therefore wear What thou hast labour'd for and so forbear T' intrench upon my patience 't is in vain To seek for that which thou shalt not obtain And is it thus that Heav'n will not regard My cries Ah me and must my groans be heard With disrespect by him whose tongue affords Nothing but grief involv'd with bitter words Alas alas what greater wo can crowd Into a brest then to be disavow'd By Gods high Voyce whose most enraged breath Darts forth the arrows of eternal death What shall I do Oh whither shall I run To hide my self until the glorious Sun Of his affections usher in the day Of welcom Joy Oh whither shall I stray If I am silent then my silence turns My thoughts to fire If speak my speech returns Trebbl'd with wo into the brazen Tower Of my sad heart my language has no power To work upon his ears my words Banded and thrown against th' obdurate walls like balls Unyielding brest bounds back again and breaks Into my heart and every sorrow speaks A volume at a word yet yet must I Return unheard 't is misery to dye And pain to live thus in despair I draw The loathsom air Destruction knows no Law Grief rains a flood of doubt into my Soul Ah me I can do nothing but condole I am despis'd and if I bend the force Of my desires to him he will divorce All thoughts of pity and with rage re-double Th' unsum'd up sums of my infringing trouble I sail into the Straits both wind and tyde Prevail against me and I have no guide To pilate me unto the long'd-for Port Of pleasing happiness I am a sport To threatning Ruine whose presumptuous waves Out-dares my Soul whilst every blast enslaves My reeling Pinnace If I strive to go Towards Scylla Scylla will contemn my wo Alas in vain I can expect relief Scylla will bark at my unbridled grief Or if my head-long vessel chance to hit Against Charybdis I am torn and split Into ten thousand pieces Oh hard hap Thus am I tossed in Destructions lap Where shall I find a heart that will advise My friendless Soul and audiate my cries I will not thus desist I must implore He that 's lost once sure can be lost no more Adams Petition to God Once more thou Metropolitan of all The spacious world I here presume to call Upon thy mercy Oh let me inherit The pleasing fruits of thy re-pleased Spirit I am thy fabrick oh some pity take Preserve the building for the Builders sake Clothe not thy brow with frowns but let thine eye That rests inshrin'd with glorious Majesty Reflect upon my sorrows Oh incline Thy willing ears to hear this grief of mine Oh do not say I shall as soon remove A mountain as thy heart thou canst not love Let not such harsh imbitter'd language flow Out of a mouth so sweet I know I know Thou art as good as great oh therefore bow Thy sacred ears to hear oh hear me now Bestow some scraps on me that have deserv'd Nothing but stripes for I have fondly swerv'd From thy Commands have committed treason Against thy Majesty Great God of Reason View my in-humbled Soul see how it lies Before thy sight a weeping Sacrifice I know thou knowst I am a hainous sinner Yet pity me that am a young beginner In this rich art of begging Do not slight My real prayers I know thou tak'st delight In being merciful oh let me not Return unanswer'd or my prayers forgot Oh hear the sorrows of my bleeding state Let my complaints make thee compassionate And let the fervor of my language turn Thy thoughts to pity quench these flames that burn My wasting Soul speak peace to me that find A civil war in my uncivil mind Oh I have tasted of thy hot displeasure Too much Ah shall thy vengeance know no measure â— Say 't is enough though Lord I must confess I have deserved more yet give me less Thus with a melting heart I end my Suit Ah me how bitter is forbidden fruit Gods Reply Thou bold fac'd Orator how darst thou come Before me or be otherwise then dumb Tell me how dat'st thou interrupt my brest I hate to see thee or hear thy Request Audacious wretch what has my Judgments made Thy heart grow peremptory Have I layd Too small a burthen on thee If I have I 'le lay a greater thou apostate slave I will not note thee nor I will not hear Thy words which have usurp'd my deafned ear Love thee for what be 't known sad wretch I scorn To love a thing so base so vile forlorn And if I cannot love how can it be That I can pity such a worm as thee I 'le neither love nor pity for my heart Is adamantine thou shalt feel the smart Of my displeasure Go my Soul disdains To look upon thee thou art fill'd with stains And smel'st too much of fruit to find respect Thou art the subject of my great neglect Thou art a barren soil nothing
will grow Upon thy heart except the seeds of woe Tell me from what conceit dost thou derive Thy working confidence that thou dar'st drive Thy language to my ears and be so bold T' approach my sight and wilt not be controul'd Art thou resolv'd to make what dost thou mean My ears thy stage and every word a scean Sum up thy small thy weak deserts and see What large respects thou hast deserv'd from me I plac'd thee in a garden not to eat The â—â—uit forbidden but to keep it neat Had not the violation of my Laws Mov'd me to anger thou hadst had no cause T' ave felt the burthen of my weighty stroke Or live thus much subjected to the yoke Of thine own sins most shameful is that loss That 's crown'd with negligence great the cross That 's made with a self-hand and they that clime Above their strengths impropriate a crime To their own Souls Destruction is the end Of all Rebellion Ruine knows no friend Suppose I should invest and entertain Your Soul with love and call thee back again The tree is still the same the fruit as sweet Thy appetite as great and thou mayst meet A Serpent too whose oratorious skill May soon intreat thee to enact his will He has a voyce to tempt and thou an ear Will re-assume the priviledg to hear He has a hand to give and thou another Freely to take thus wouldst thou quickly smother Thy new delights therefore I will not trust A heart that can be nothing but unjust Thou great Mugul of baseness cease to plead Thy tongue 's a canker and thy words are lead Thy sins have made thee not deserve the air Thou entertainâ—st hadst than implay'd thy care To serve me when I lov'd thee thou hadst had My heart-delighting joys to make thee glad But now expect no favour for no art Of thine shall ever captivate my heart Hie thee unto the shades of grief bewail Thy sequestrated happiness no bail Of thy procuring will I take to set Thy Soul at liberty I will not let The vision of a comfort creep within Thy rambling thoughts thou art a slave to sin Hadst thou but lov'd or fear'd me at the first Th' adst been as happy as th' art now accurst If now thou lov'st me I shall quickly prove It is for fear alone and not for love Thy heart is steel'd with wickedness thy faults Are sparks enlivened by thy flinty thoughts Breathe out thy groans unto a sensless rock And let thy sighs like hammers beat and knock Against her scragged sides thou shalt as soon Have her consent as mine to grant thy boon 'T is therefore vain to multiply thy words For ah my brest my hardned brest affords Thy Soul no pity and the more thy cry Attempts my ear the less I will reply Alas thy guilt-o're-burth'ned words renew Fresh thoughts of rage I cannot hear thee sue Without impatiency for ah the longer Thou crav'st thou mak'st my fury grow the stronger Avoid my presence for I will no more Give audience to thy voyce then cease t' implore Adams Lamentation Undone undone â— what mountain now will hide My lothed body from the swelling tyde Of raging Vengeance Whither shall I fly T' involve my Soul with true security Stretch stretch my lungs and roar unto the deep To entertain me Oh that I might sleep Within her wavey bowels till the blast Of Heav'ns all-shaking thundring Voyce were past Oh that some rock would hear my sad request And give me burial in her frigid brest Oh that my grief-extended voyce could cleave The solid Earth and make her to receive My wretched limbs Oh that some ranging beast Would prove so courteous to devour and feast Upon my corps Oh that I could contrive A way to live and yet not be alive Ah thus my sorrow-shaken fancy flies And envies at impossibilities I fain would dye but that I have no heart To kill my self and yet I feel a smart Transcending death I see I cannot shun The wrath of Heav'n Ah thus am I undone By my own doing this it is to eat Forbidden fruit Oh most pernicious meat I was too rash and rashly have I taken A deadly fall and falling am forsaken I 'm bruis'd to death and yet I cannot dye Ah what can be so much unblest as I I am inflamed and I dayly drench My Soul with tears and yet I cannot quench My raging fires the more I strive t' asswage And mitigate my pains the more they rage What shall I do or whither shall I go To hide me from this Labyrinth of Wo I am compos'd of sorrow and my veins Instead of blood are fill'd with griping pains Curst be these eyes of mine which have let in The lawless Tyrant of imperious Sin Curst be these lips of mine which at the suit Of my fond wife receiv'd forbidden fruit Curst be these ears that entertain'd the charms Of that inchantress which procur'd my harms Curst be these hands of mine which took and fed My greedy Soul and struck my Conscience dead And now my lips my ears my hands my eyes Must see hear taste and feel my miseries Oh sad condition Since there 's no relief I must be subject to perpetual grief Here we will leave poor Adam in the state Of woe and thus begin to ruminate Are there not many in this tollsom age That meditate themselves into a rage And wonder how a Serpent could express Himself and reason with such readiness Being by nature brute nay and the worst Of living creatures that he should at first Perswade and conquer and instruct his will How to determine both of good and ill It would seem strange if Reason were without Her wings and could not fly above this doubt We may and yet not stain the truth declare It was the work of Satan to ensnare Frail Eve although he was not nam'd at all By Moses in the Hist'ry of the Fall It may not trouble us for we must know The bending Serpent was the Devils bow By which he shot the arrows of his spite Which did Oh grief to speak it fly too right And he that dares so high a Crime to act Though by another needs must own the fact And this our tongues may never cease to tell The Serpent was the Instrument of Hell Tun'd to the Devils voyce thus we may see His fraud his malice and his subtiltie First when he saw he could not over-turn The great Creator he begun to burn With flames of envy lab'ring to invade And so disturb that order God had made In the Creation and to change the features Of his own Image in the best of Creatures That so he may by his too-sooth delusion Make man run headlong to his own confusion Thus having laid the platform of his work He then begun to agitate and lurk For opportunity which was effected As soon nay if not sooner then expected He gave the blow and by that blow he found The weakest vessel had
should withdraw my love from thee How like a Map of well drawn misery Wouldst thou appear Be wise correct thy thoghts Neglected favors prove the greatest faults Take my instructions for 't is I must bring Content unto thee 't is a glorious thing To be immortal prethee Soul decline Thy former ways say shall I call thee mine Mâ—â—e mine thou art I 'le load thee with renown Let me but conquer thou shalt wear the Crown How pleasing are my Joys how full of peace Are all my ways my glories still increase I 'm great and good I take delight to win Distressed Souls and lead them from their sin I cannot choose but pity those that lie Upon the beds of sensualliâ—y My melting Soul is always free to give Comfort to them that study how to live Alas the care and trouble that I take â—s more for their content then my own sake My gates are always open they that venture To come to me shall with a welcom enter And when they call and cry I will appear My self unto them and rejoyce to hear Their sad complaints I will not hide my face From them that seek the glory of my grace I cannot be unconstant I must grieve To hear their sorrows and I will relieve I will be pitiful to them that trust In me alone I cannot be unjust I cannot no I cannot Earth shall move Sooner then I will falsifie my love I am eternal they that will endeavor To gain my love shall have my heart for ever Sou. T' is not your empty words shall make my brest Stoop to the flatt'ry of thy vain request Though I have ears to hear I have a mind That will not shake at the hard-breathing wind Of your discourse what you pretend for reason Is nothing but the froth of private treason T is not your multiloquious tongue can turn The Biâ—s of my Soul or make me spâ—â—n At holy Writs 't is not your fond conceit Of being good shall make me to retreat From Heav'ns Commands 't is not your promis d joys Can make me cheerful or your painted toys â—â—â— sure me to your fist 't is not the darâ— Of your vaâ—â— love can penitrate my heart 'T is not your seeming clemency can make My Soul to love you for your pities sake 'T is not your always-open gates that shall Intice my steps to your large Guilded Hall 'T is not your self-appearance shall invite My well-composed thoughts to your delight 'T is not your greatness that shall make me yield To your desires Religion is my shield I 'le neither fear nor love your rash evasions Nor give attendance to your smooth perswasions 'T is difficult to serve two Masters well Who strays from Heav'n must needs approach to Hell I am advis'd to shun the broad-path'd ways That lead to ruine what the Scripture says I must believe 't is dangerous to fly Without the wings of true divinity The Scriptures are my way my light my guide And they that go without them needs must slide The paths are strait in which I ought to run The course of grace until my days are done And they that change a virtue for a vice Deserve no fruit from Heav'ns blest Paradise Sat. Surcease those fond conceits thou dost but spin Thine own destructions and connive at sin Urge not the Scriptures for I dare maintain My paths are best and other ways are vain Thy Scripture-conscience will at last confound Th' amazed thoughts and give thy Soul a wound That hates a cure then shalt thou prove unblest Whilst others find the plainest road's the best Suppose thou wert I speak it for thy sake Mov'd by occasions forc'd to undertake A long-way'd journey wouldst thou not enquire The readiest way but run into the mire If thou shouldst act a crime so fouly bad Folly would stile thee fool and Wisdom mad Stray not into the wilderness of grief But come to me take courage and be brief In thy designs perswade thy self that I Am both thy light thy way and best supply In time of need I am thy prop thy stay Therefore resolve and trifle not away Thy thriftless Soul be not thy self-destroyer I 'le be thy Love and thou my Loves enjoyer Know that my real brest contrives no end But what may merit so divine a friend As thine own self Folly and Wisdom lies Before thy face be either fool or wise Protract no time but make a speedy choyce Thy welfare shall instruct me to rejoyce Observe my actions â—â—â—â—â—â— my 〈◊〉 Let 's know each other by exchange of hearts I 'le give thee â—â—â—ne and for my love restore Thine unto me grant this I 'le ask no more Be free to give as I am free to crave Th' adst better live my friend then dye my slave For if thou shalt deny what I desire I 'le make my bellows to advance the fire Of thy distress and sorrows shall corrode Thy stubborn heart and care shall make abode Within thy brest perpetuated grief Shall find a voyce but ramble from relief I 'le gripe thee till I make thee understand The fiery language of my furious hand Sighings and groaning sobs and tears and cries Shall be thy sad Concomitants thine eyes Shall stare upon well may I call them new And horrid lights such lights as shall renew Thy growing torments every thing shall be Thy fellow slaves in servile miserie I 'le yoke thee with distress nay and I 'le chain Thy struggling Soul with everlasting pain I 'le crow'd thee full of sorrows and I 'le double Thy unconceived uncontrouled trouble Whilst I triumphing I will sit aloft And be ador'd and scoff to see thee sâ—offt Pity shall be a stranger to my brest My care shall be to make thy Soul unblest The tydes of woe shall overflow thy thoughts And be equivalent unto thy faults Be sure that what extremity can be Thought worth the using shall be us'd on thee Now I have spoke if thou wilt not repent I 'le cease to speak and study to torment Sou. How full of poyson 's every word that flows Out of thy mouth what trust can I repose In such a flatterer I dare not try Oâ— throw my self upon thy courtesie I know thou canst not answer my request There is no trust in a self-praising brest If I should dive into the deep abyss Of thy black thoughts what glory or what bliss Should I discern Or if I should deliver My heart to thee thou'dst disrespect the giver Though at the first perhaps thou wouldst express A seeming-unbeseeming thankfulness Yet at the last I know thou wouldst decline Thy promis'd ways and stile me to be thine Fair words find easie passage they proceed â—ut from the tongue 〈…〉 crowns the deed Three things denotes a friend first to conceal A secret speech the next is to reveal A private good the last is to advise The safest way t' obtain an enterprise And he that can do this aâ— you pretend Deserves the tiâ—le of a real
I will exile All thoughts of pity and I 'le rather smile Then grieve at thy distress ah know 't is hard To force an entrance where the gates are bar'd Fond Soul be serious let thy thought reflect On my indulgency and give respect Unto my elâ—mency believe I will â—e good to thee do but forsake thy Ill Forsake forsake that evil which will turâ— To thy destruction do not do not burn The precious fuel of thy chaste desires In idle wanton all consuming fires The Post of Time is swift and knows no stay 'T is time to go when Reason calls away Protraction 's dangerous it is not good To strive with that which scorns to be withstood Then do not thou procrastinate but take This opportunity do but forsake Thy former ways and readily incline Thy self to me and I will make thee shine With so much lustre that all eyes shall gaze Upon thy brightness and admire with praise Oh may my language teach thee to believe That so my torments may not make thee grieve In utter darkness that thou mayst imbrace Those glories which adorn my peaceful place Repent dear Soul repent what thou hast done Then call me father and I 'le love my son Thus having told thee all I 'le here desist Be thou more apt to yield then to resist Sou I find I find you first inflict a wound And then with balsom strive to make it sound You 'l make me smile at first but after groan One hand incloses bread the other stone I fain would take the bread but that I stand In fear and danger of the stony hand Therefore to shun all danger I 'le despise Your fond advice and practise to be wise If all should prove that you have told me true I know the best and worst that thou canst do As for your threatnings they shall not disturb My peaceful thoughts my faith shall be their curb Urge me no more but let me rest in quiet Strong is that stomack can disgest thy diet Sat. And is it so will no perswasions work Upon thy thoughts Those pregnant crimes that lurk Within thy brest will like to Scorpions gnaw Thy groaning heart such sorrow knows no Law But since thou wilt not be advis'd expect To find reward as I have found neglect Ah why fond wretch why dost thou thus provide Thy feeble self to strive against the tyde Alas alas why art thou lull'd asleep In follies lap Rouze up for shame and weep For thine infirmities be not thus cross To him that would preserve thee from a loss 'T is time to cast away the works of night And cloath thee with the shining robes of light Sou. If your strong Oratory had the skill To make me yield to your unsatiate will It were enough what more could you desire Then a bad period to your bad desire But stay bold friend I 'le meditate and see What fruit will spring from thine infernal tree Sat. What must I stay vile wretch till you dispute And prove the goodness of my pleasing fruit Must I be always waiting on the train Of your desires and spend my time in vain No no I will not for it is unfit I should attend if you will not submit Th' incensed fury of my spirits burn To be in action I will not adjourn A minute longer go and hug thy vice Thou lov'st the bargain but abhor'st the price Urge me no more away I have forgot All thoughts of friendship and I know thee not And here I leave thee to the lawless power Of thine own passion cursed be that hour that brought thee forth if all this will not do May all men curse thee and I 'le curse thee too Sou. And can the spring of thy affections find So soon an Autumn Canst thou be unkind With so much ease And can your real brest As you so call 't be so soon dispossest Of love and patience Oh how bad and strange Is the effect of such a sudden change 'T is disputable for I know not whether Anger or policy or both together Wharâ—t thee to these extreams Well then pursue Thine own deâ—iâ—â—s and I will bid adâ—e To all thy follies yet my heart begun T' expand it self before the glâ—â—'ring Sun Oâ—â—hy perswasions if thy sharp'ned rage I â—â—d â—ot so soon exploded me the stage I 〈…〉 I fear I had before this hour Bâ—â—n prostituted to thy tameless power Bâ—â—gone begone but stay hark â—atan hark Go bâ—â—st you shot but fairly miss'd the mark 〈◊〉 Why dost thou bid me go I 'm sure you speak 〈…〉 in â—â—st thou Wâ—lâ— not break 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 though thou hast exprest Thy 〈…〉 theâ—â—â—â—â—â— jâ—st 〈…〉 goâ—d 〈…〉 which lâ—ve in thâ—inner places 〈…〉 with graces 〈…〉 and câ—y 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 ' d 〈…〉 〈…〉 fire 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—ain 〈…〉 〈…〉 Above all sense when Reason finds divorce The tongue proves subject to a headlong course What I have spoke observe and thou shalt find Proceeded from my passion not my mind The misconstruction of a word may make The dearest friends â—o vary and forsake The plains of friendship though their hearts are â—râ—â— From the curst evils of Inconstancy Therefore mistake me not nor do not thou Construe my words with an incensed brow Smile on me then and cheerfully impart The loving chidings of a friendly heart Then shalt thou see with what a willing arm I will conduct and guide thee from all harm Believe me Soul I am not come to scatter Uncertain stories but a real matter What I hold forth unto thee is the stem Of a pure heart thou art the only â—â—m Shall grow upon it come and let 's combine I shall rejoyce to see thee prove divine Sou. The Bias of thy Love runs now so strong That I much fear 't will not continue long I find I find thou hast the art to sail With any wind thou labour'st to prevail But t is in vain for know I 'le â—â—ust thee not My zealous heart is â—eaâ—â—ul of a plot I cannot be so foolish as to trust Without assurance that thou wilt be just Wilt thou be true speak with a real breath Sat. I will be just beleeve me unto death I will I will oh may I never be True to my self if I am false to thee Sou. If thou art just and constant tell me where Thy seat is plac'd and who is Prince of th' â—ir Be true in this and thou shalt find that I According to thy answer will reply Sat. I 'le tell thee then because I 'le now fulfill The vast desires of thy enquiring will Where my refulgent Seat is plac't prepare Thy ears to hear I 'le speedily declare The large extent of my unbounded grace Cannot be comprehended in one place Because I am immortal unconfin'd To time or place I live in every mind That 's truly real and not disagreeing To my known Laws I have no local Being The World 's a spacious Body I the Soul Which lives in every part compleat and
whole Thus this dispute is easily decided For what 's immortal cannot be divided Nay more because I 'le fill thee with content I say I 'm Prince of every Element Therefore of Air Now if thou canst enquire Any thing moâ—e I 'le answer thy desire Sou. Before I suffer my swift thoughts to slide Into more questions I 'le be satisfy'd In what is past If so it be you have No local Being how then will you save Those Hosts of Souls which you intend shall be Seal'd with the Signet of Eternitie Did you not tell me that your peaceful Seat Was rich sublime and without measure great If thus it be as 't is exprest by you 'T is more then strange that 't is not local too Clear but this doubt and thou shalt quickly find Those duties that attend an honest mind Flow from my brâ—st till thâ—â— I 'le â—â—st in 〈◊〉 As you perform so shall my love encrease Sat. Ambiguous Soul why dost thou thus connive At thine own follies Why dost thou deprive Thy self of comfort comforts that will heal Th' exulcerous sores of thy distemper'd weal Why art thou thus inquisitive the thing That thou desir'st â—o know if known will bring Small satisfaction to thy dubiours brest He 's wise enough that knows he shall be blest If you enquire in such a doubtful case You 'l lose your rest in seeking out the place Surcease thy thoughts and do not proudly knock Thy self in pieces now thou knowst the rock Pry not too far let secret things alone My Zodiack has more signs then must be known 'T is not the Heav'n of Heav'ns that can contain Me the Creator and my glorious train I am even what I please and I will be Even where I wil So. Wher 's that Sa. What 's that to thee The knowledg of my Seat does no way tend To thy Salvation therefore cease to spend Such truitless thoughts cast by this needless care Learn to know what I am no matter where Sou I must confess it is not good to pry In things that suit not the capacity But seeing 'twas your pleasure to express So much of friendship I made bold t' address My self unto you pardon then my crimes You know that wisest men may doubt sometimes Your weights are light or else your courage fails You have not strength enough to turn the scales Of my affections yet you had almost Droven my ill-man'd ship upon your Coast The winds of your perswasions rage and roar Within my brest I cannot find a shoar For my desires I 'm tost from wave to wave And am become a most distracted slave Those heav'nly thoughts which formerly frequented The closet of my brest are now prevented By base-bred fancies fancies that arise From a foul brain and makes me to dispise Almost my self I know not what to do I dare not oh I dare not yield to you And yet I hardly can believe thou wilt Burthen thy conscience with so foul a guilt As to betray me sure thou art more kind Then to abuse a well-affected mind But yet I dare not trust a Soul-pursuer Because thou kill'st when thou pretend'st to cure I reel I reel if not sustain'd I shall Receive a sudden and a deadly fall What shall I do in this deplot'd condition I fear I fear I 've lost my best Physician Try Satan try and see what may be done For a sick Soul that foolishly has run Beyond it self oh see what thou canst do To give me ease and then I 'le call thee true Sat. Now Soul I love thee rouze bid grief depart Thou hast the symptomes of an honest heart Methinks I could with much content afford To say thou speak'st a Christian at a word Cheer up and know that many troubles wait Upon the changes of an ancient State The work of Reformation alway brings Trouble at first but afterwards it sings Anthems of Peace whose fortunate event Will more then countervail thy discontent He that has spent the treasure of his days Under one roof has reason to dispraise The troubles of removing yet at last When his defatigating cares are past He may declare himself to be a debter To fortune and confess that life the better Even so mayst thou dear Soul hereafter say Blest be that hand which led thee from the way And paths of Ignorance although at first â— 'T is often known beginnings are the worst Thou feel'st a private nakedness within Because thou hast uncloth'd thy self of sin Although I must confess there cannot be A 〈…〉 in nature yet in thee There is an 〈…〉 and most be still For what is empty craves a time to till If he whole stomack hath sustain'd the rage Of sharp'ning hunger should at first asswage His appeâ—â—ce with sulness would it not Produce a â—uâ—sere and impose a bloâ— Upon his wisdom raâ—â—ing such a stâ—â—fe Within his 〈…〉 that his â—â—â—e Would be endanger'd Therefore learn by rote That moderation is the chiefest note In all my Gammut none can sing so high A note as moderation only I. If I should let thee make too large a meal Of my rich Joys at first I should reveal Too much of folly for if thou shouldst take A surfeit at the first It needs must make Thee fear nay hate to entertain my diet 'T is better far to spare at first then riot Moreover should I let thee taste thy fill At first I know the reins of thy fierce will Would scorn a hand 't is dangerous to trust Presumptions spur can never want for rust Come Soul let Reason rule thee do not stain Thy well-dy'd judgment 't is a greater pain To fear then suffer come I long to see Thee wanton with me in Eternitie Then doubt no more resolve and let 's away There is no greater grief then to delay A happiness be well inform'd of this Procrastination is a foe to Bliss Sou. Thy words imposthumate my heart I feel A greater pain then ever Ixions wheel Knew how to inflict extremities still crowd Into my thoughts my sorrows call aloud And none will hear what shall I do for I Unworthy am to live unfit to dye Except thâ—all ruling power above will please T' inspect my Soul and furnish me with ease To whose blest ears I 'le recommend my suit My sorrows will not let my tongue be mute Great Auditor of groans oh let my cries My sighs my tears invite thine ears thine eyes To bear and view me for I must confess My crimes are great and I am nothing less Then what is least alas and nothing better Then what is worst oh pardon me thy debter I 'm tost with grief and know not where to steer My shipwrack'd self but still my sins appear Before my face whose looks almoâ—t affright And make me start into eternal night What shall I do or whither shall I dee That am an allen Lord except to thee From thee leannâ—â— and I am â—â—o vile To come unto thee having made â—â—poâ—l Or those