A Treasury of Divine Raptures, Epigrams · Epigrams C · Epigram 368 – Epigram 377
367. On Corruption.
HYblaean Hony is commixt with Wax:
The fineſt linnen hath both ſtains and bracks.
Gold hath its droſs, and on the ſelf-ſame ground,
Bright wheat, and alſo cumbrous weeds is found.
Ev'n ſo corruption in the Church of Chriſt,
May ſtand, and yet with it true Grace conſiſt:
In Heav'n there's none but good, there's none in hell
But bad; both bad & good on earth do dwell.
The Church is Heaven's Kingdom call'd, becauſe
Heav'ns King rules it by his Coeleſtial Laws.
Yet ſtill it is but Heaven upon Earth,
Whilſt militant, ſome failings will ſprout forth;
Nor may we therefore ſeparate, for ſure
The Goſpel's fair, though mens lives are impure.
Gods floor hath chaff with corn, his drag-net hath
Rubbiſh with fiſh, his houſe veſſels of wrath
With thoſe of honor; the Moon ſometimes wains,
And when 'tis at the Full, it hath ſome ſtains.
To the prepared it is not expreſt,
My friend, how came you in with ſuch a gheſt.
Corruption, ſuccedaneous to the fall
Of the firſt man, is that Original
…niquity which Adam by the act
Of his ſo foul tranſgreſſion, did contract,
And tranſmit to poſterity, this is
Th' effect of that which Adam did amiſs.
Corruption reigns not, though it may abide
…n Saints, God looks it ſhould be mortifi'd;
And he, if in the main we be upright,
Will paſs them by, and very much delight
In all our duties, though remain they do,
Yea them reward here, and hereafter too.
And now my ſoul be careful to diſcover
Thy ſpecial vile affections; O watch over
Sins of thy calling, nature, conſtitution,
Time, place, and with a conſtant reſolution
Strive to ſubdue them, by thy prayers wraſtle,
And give not o're till thou haſt won the Caſtle
370. On Coſmographie.
TIs ſaid the World is ſpherical and round,
And that's the reaſon whythere can be foun…
Little ſquare dealing, roundneſs. ſignifies
Perfection, yet below but little lies.
371. On Coſt.
OUr Saviours precious bloud was ſpilt,
To ſatisfie for all our guilt,
He did bleed out at ev'ry vein
Our pardon, by his loſs we gain.
372. On a Coſtardmonger.
THe Coſtardmonger ſels Pears, Apples, Plum…
Satan puts off his wares to all that comes.
273. On a Coſtrel.
THis Veſſel's full of Liquor, but alas!
My heart is empty of the wine of Grace.
374. On a Cottage.
THe body is a Cottage, and it muſt
Reſign it's Tenant, then return to duſt.
375. On Cotton.
OUr ſpungie eares are apt to drink
Foul language, as the Cotton Ink.
376. On a Couch.
KIng Davids Couch was watered
With tears, which for his ſins he ſhed.
And O that I for ſin could weep,
And my poor heart in ſorrow ſteep!
377. On the Covenant.
Do this and thou ſhalt live, the covenant old
Urg'd this, but this afforded comfort cold.
But the new ſays, …elieve and live for ever,
Accepting for the deed, our beſt endeavour.
The Law commandment gives, but not converts;
The Goſpel brings ſalvation to our hearts,
And our hearts to ſalvation; each Saint
Becauſe he is with God in covenant
Is bleſt already; I their God will be,
And they ſhall be a People unto me.
Happy that people, whoſe God is the Lord!
This is the crowning bleſſing, O ſweet word!
To have God to be ours, to be poſſeſt
Of God, cannot but make us fully bleſt.
No tongue can tell thy bleſſedneſs, who art
In Chriſt, and in his Covenant haſt part.
Mans fall did prove within a little ſpace,
An in-let to the covenant of grace.
The Covenants Tie is Sure, for all do grant,
Chriſt is the Suretie of the covenant.
They are the Favourites of Heaven, who are
Link'd to, and under Gods indulgent care.
Such only as are undefil'd with ſin,
And pure in heart, are intereſſed in
The covenant of Grace, we have no right
To the new covenant till waſhed white.
God he hath made his Will, and will not ſail
To ſettle Heaven, upon us by entail.
With this Proviſo in the Will, that we
Be purifi'd, and holy perſons be.
The covenant is our great charter, this
Entitles us to ev'ry thing that is
In Earth and Heaven, the Saint in wealth excels,
By having Chriſt, in whom all fulneſs dwells.
Chriſt is the hinge and pillar, upon which
The covenant of Grace (which makes us rich
In all things) turns; 'tis founded upon Chriſt,
And ſealed in his blood, an intereſt
We have in Chriſt, by faith, this golden chain,
Preſent and future things by faith we gain.
The covenant is a golden Zone or claſp,
That God to us, and us to God doth haſp.
In elder times the girdle was a token
Of chaſtity; the covenant once broken,
The Church doth loſe her pure virginity,
Iſrael Gods Spouſe fell to Idolatry:
A ſin that did directly cut in ſunder
Th'afed'ral knot, that ſhe's divorc'd what wonder?
Our ſolemn Obligations are of late,
As an old Almanack gone out of date:
But covenant violation is an high
Affronting ſin, which God will not paſs by
Without revenge, a bold affront will make
God draw his ſword, and vengeance on us take.
O if God's covenant ſo ſacred ſtill,
Will not reſtrain us, God hath chains that will;
Eternal chains: Have we not cauſe to mourn,
When Chriſtians do Carthaginians turn,
And make no reck'ning of their Oaths at all?
Unleſs we do repent, periſh we ſhall.
Mourn England, mourn for covenant violation.
Which is a flying roll againſt thy Nation.
The Sacramental covenants, thy vow
In Baptiſm, and at the Lords Supper, thou
Haſt ſtarted from, and haſt done nothing leſs
Than what thou promiſedſt in thy diſtreſs.
How ſhamefully haſt thou thy God forgot?
And made his covenants like a Gypſies knot,
Faſt or looſe at thy pleaſure; or reform
Thy ways and labour to prevent a Storm
Of falling vengeance; O repent betimes,
And God will pardon thy Heav'n-daring crimes.
378. On Covering.
THe wings of mercy hover over
A Saint, his ſins free grace doth cover,
Who of Chriſt Jeſus is a lover.