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Show no T 0 E M S. 'Tis this refolves, there are no lofles where Virtue and Reafon are continued there. The meaneft Soul might fuch a Fortune fhare. But no mean Soul could fo that Fortune bear. Tlius I compofe m y thoughts grown infolent, . As th' Irifh Harper doth his Inftrument \ Which if once itruck doth murmur and complain, But the next touch will filence all again. 2 Cor. 5.10. God was in Chriji Reconciling the World to himfelf. WHen God, contracted to Humanity, Could figh and fuffer, could be fick and die j W h e n all the heap of Miracles combin'd T o form the greateft, which was, fave Mankind: Then G o d took ftand in Chrift, ftudying a way H o w to repair theRuin'd World's decay. His Love, Pow'r, Wifdom, muft fome means procure His Mercy to advance, Juftice fecure : And fince M a n in fuch Mifery wasjiurl'd, It coft him more to fave, than make the World. O h ! what a defp'rate load of fins had we, W h e n God muft plot for our Felicity ! W h e n God muft beg us that he may forgive, And die himfelf before Mankind could live! And what ftill are we, when our King in vain Begs his loft Rebels to be Friends again ! What flouds of Love proceed from Heaven's fmile, At once to pardon and to reconcile 1 / What God himfelf hath made he cannot hate. For 'tis one act to Love and to Create : «g_ And he's too perfect full of Majefty, T o need additions from our Mifery. | He hath a Fathers, not a Tyrant's, joy; Shews more his Pow'r to fave, than to deftroy. Did there Ten Thoufand Worlds to ruine fall, One God could fave, one Chrift redeem them all. Be «, POEMS. Be filent then, ye narrow Souls, take heed Left you reftrain the Mercy you will need. But O my Soul, from thefe be different, Imitate thou a nobler Precedent: As G o d with open Arms the World does woo, Learn thou like G o d to be enlarged too -, As he begs thy confent to pardon thee, Learn to fubmit unto thy Enemy ; As he ftands ready thee to entertain, Be thou as forward to return again; As he was Crucify'd for and by thee, Crucifie thou what caus'd his Agony : And like to him be mortify'd to fin, Die to the World as he dy'd for it then. in ? »V The World, n <• . W E falfly think it due unto our Friends, That w e fhould grieve for their untimely ends. He that furveys the World with ferious eyes, And ftrips her from her grofs and weak difguife, Shall find 'tis Injury to mourn their Fate \ He only dies untimely who dies late. For if 'twere told to Children in the W o m b , To what a Stage of Mifchiefs they muft come j; Could they forefee with h o w much toil and fweat M e n count that gilded nothing, being Great j What pains they take not to be what they feem, Rating their blifs by others falfe efteem, And facrificmg their Content, to be Guilty of grave and ferious Vanity ; H o w each G&hdition hath its proper Thorns, And what or^ man admits, another fcorns; H o w frequently their Happinefs they mift, So far even from agreeing what it is, That tlie fame Perfon w e can hardly find, W h o is an hour together in one mind : Sure v |
