Self-Conflict, Concluding poem – Table of moral affections
The Concluding DAYRY-EMBLEM▪ Diſcovering the Myſtery and Nature▪ of this Religious Self-Conflict.
THis Churn behold without and inwardly,
As with thy bodies, ſo the Spirits eye;
And thus whilſt thou reflecteſt on this thing,
Inſtructing matter it to thee ſhall bring.
Without 'tis ſtill, within is uproar loud,
Like hollow drums, exciting battle proud,
When now two Armies in a Champain large,
Each others force prepared ſtand to charge.
The tumults cauſe is from two differing things,
Each other charging with enforced flings,
Within the Veſſel. The inſipid ſtream
Flows in the fat amongſt the thicke… Cream.
Hence the fray riſes, where theſe each would ſmother;
Now one gets uppermoſt, and then the other.
The Cream's now under, then the taſtleſs Whay,
Holding in doubt whoſe the victorious day
At length ſhall be; till after tedious fight,
The well-wrought Cream doth by degrees unite;
And now of hue become like tryed gold,
As in prevailing hands the Palm doth hold.
But though it floats above, it muſt abide
The dabblings of the Whay on every ſide.
Until a higher hand doth down convey
That wherewithal it bears it thence away.
Then in pure water throughly cleanſeth it,
Preſerves with ſalt, and into veſſels …it
…ncludes, and laſtly crowns. Where this regard,
Who overcomes ſo ſhall obtain reward.
He who this diſcord 'twixt the Cream and Whay,
With profit now deſires to overlay,
By an approved Limbeck let him bring
A noble matter from this trifling thing.
The Veſſel here is Man, therein the Broyl
Preſents the War 'twixt thoughts both good and vile.
The Cream's the Spirit; Whay doth Luſt Intend.
With reſtleſs ſpight each other theſe offend.
Awake, dull Saint, learn what's within thy heart:
The Spirit's not alone, nor th'fleſh apart:
Their powers are mixed, as together grown;
Both in thee are as interwove in one.
Much like the glimmering Dawn, that goes before
The ruddy day, which doth mans cares reſtore,
Diſcov'ring neither Darkneſs, nor yet Light,
Not Day, not Night alone, but Day and Night.
Or like refulgent White with Negro hue,
Nor white nor black, but gray, betwixt the two.
Or like cold ſtreams, which when to boyling thrown,
Is neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm grown.
Well, lo, the war begins, it goes to blows.
Each his All brings his Op'nent to oppoſe,
Fill'd with fix'd hate. The Fleſh embattel'd draws
Incorrigible youth, luſts 'nſlaving Laws,
Sports void of bounds, and Deeds of guilty Night,
As Drunkenneſs and all obſcene delight▪
Baſe worldly pleaſures, Envy, and what's worſe,
Lyes, treacherous Fraud, and filthy tongue▪diſcourſe.
The Spirit calmly comes, begirt with Prayer,
With Gods pure word, with words that ſeaſon'd a…,
With penitence, Humility, true Love,
Hope, conqu'ring Faith, and th'innocence o'th' dove.
The Combat's hot, where we may ſafely ſay,
It ſeems that Fleſh and Spirit now diſplay
Th'effects of fierceſt hatred, as if ſo
They the Souls powers would ſtraitway overthrow.
Until at laſt the ſtrugling Spirit's found,
Though after many dangers, many a wound,
Far more divinely beautiful and bright,
And more puiſſant than before the fight:
Yet not without all blemiſh; ſince the mind
That yet poſſeſſes which to luſts inclin'd,
Whereby in fight, ſince though it keeps the field,
'Tis oft compell'd to ſecret luſt to yield.
Until the Lord his hand doth down convey,
And him from Earth by Death doth take away,
Tranſlates into a Throne, purges from droſs,
And glorifies, whereby he gains by loſs.
Thrice happy he, (this firmly let's believe)
This Good who through Gods Spirit doth perceive.
Thrice bleſſed is that Soul, who in this night,
This upright war upholds, maint…ns this fight.
Immortal praiſe, a Crown of great regard,
Prepared is for ſuch a Souls reward,
Yet of pure mercy; our beſt works are ſin;
What we enjoy doth from his grace begin,
For his Sons ſake: the Lamb for us once ſlain,
Provides, that onelyonly they that Bliſs ſhall gain,
In whom the work of grace is found begun,
And to whom God aton'd is through the Son.
Eternal Power, one God in Perſons Three,
Bleſt who art in thy ſelf 'above things that be;
Whence all things flow, with ſtrength my mind poſſeſs,
When Devil, World and Fleſh my Soul oppreſs:
Againſt theſe ſo inſtruct me to contend,
That I may reach that glory in the end,
Which for thy Saints in Heaven thou doſt keep,
'Till in dark Graves their Fleſh and Griefs ſhall ſleep.
Certain godly Divines have epitomiz'd the Nature of the various inclinations of Man towards Good and Evil in this following Table, which I thought good here to inſert.
The INCLINATIONS
1. Of the Carnal man,
Evil. I do evil, and will do it.
Good. I do not do good, and I will not do it.
2. Of the Regenerate man,
Evil. The evil I would not do, that do I.
Good. The good I would do, that do I not.
3. Of the Glorified man,
Evil. I do not evil, and I will not do it.
Good. I do good, and I will do it.
FINIS.