Great Salvation by Jesus Christ, Poem – Errata
A PREFATORY POEM OF THE AUTHOR'S
GReat Structures ſhould have Porches, but you'l ſay,
This F…brick is not great, and well you may,
And yet tis ſo, a Riddle but no Cheat,
The volum's little, but the Title's great;
The Workman's low, but yet the Building's tall,
The Matter great, though Modell be but ſmall.
Much treaſure lies in little room, and things,
When it conſiſts in jewells, and in rings.
This work is like the Ocean, which you know
Is ſtill the ſame at ebbe as tis at flow,
Or like the Sun; that Magazine of light,
The ſame in Clouds as ſhining in its might;
Or like a Map, where points and lines do ſtand
For Rivers and for Counties; Sea, and Land.
Though in Octavo written, you muſt know
The Subjects are the largeſt Folio:
Though Book and Price be ſmall (excuſe that wrong)
The names are ſhort, but yet the Things are long.
Salvation, and Damnation! Oh the height,
And depth of theſe expreſſions! Oh the weight
Of what they ſignify! Oh who can tell
The height of Heaven, or the depth of Hell?
Thats high that hath no topp you will confeſs,
And ſure that pitt is deep that's bottomleſs.
Salvation, Sin, Damnation, are not Theames
For ſleepy ſluggards, or for men in dreames:
Sin's cl…ath'd in Scarlet like a man of Blouds;
Damnation doggs it, like devouring flouds
Caſt from the Dragons mouth: Salvation stands
Like to a Refuge City on all hands.
Sin like a Sodom to deſtruct on tends,
Damnation's like a fire, whoſe ſmoak aſcends,
Salvation's like a Zoar, Soules like Lot,
Fly for your life, make haſt, and linger not.
God and your Teachers lowdly call, and cry,
Oh ſenſleſs ſinners wherefore will ye die?
Soules ſtop, and turne, oh turne, oh ſweeteſt breath!
God ſayes, and ſweares he joyes not in your death.
O hearken for the Call of this …ill voice
Sets Life and Death before the ſinners choice.
Reader, wilt live or die? Conſider well,
And then Reſolve, it's more than time to tell
Thy thoughts to God; If he ſhould ſnatch thee hence.
Thy beſt would prove a very poor defence;
Depart thou muſt into a ſtate forlorne
Will make thee wiſh thou never hadst been born.
Eternity will all thy Thoughts confound;
It's ſuch a Depth no Intellect can ſound:
We may the World and Witts out-run, yet be
But at the Entrance of Eternity;
Now wraſtle and prevaile, for who can tell
But Jacob may be Chriſtened Iſrael.
Chaff now is ſold for Wheat, and every dream
Which is but Froth, is now nick-named Cream.
Now Hereticks, and each Blaſphemer vents,
And greedy Doggs lick up their Excrements.
The Preſſe oppreſt g…ves out like, Lotteries
Too manj Blanks for one poor ſingle Prize.
Authors neglected lie, and ſleep as dead,
Except, than others taller by the head:
And Bookes in ſuch a crowd of ſhort and long,
Like London Cries, are vended for a Song.
He'is the beſt Artiſt now that beſt can tell
How to make Bookes, and then to make them ſell.
As in Samaria's ſeige the ruder throng
Are f…d with Aſſes heads, and Cabbs of dung.
How often have I dugge to find out Ore
In ſwarming Pamphlets? but alas how poore,
And full of Rubbiſh! little, little gaines,
And often leſs than nothing for my paines.
When they ſhould feed, and feed, and feed agen,
And hold out Milk for Babes, and meat for Men,
And draw out new and old from their full ſtore,
And ſhould with Milk, and Hony feed the poore,
Their Entertainments like a Witches feaſt,
A ſhew that feeds not, but deludes the gueſt.
How ſhould Babes thrive in a Step-mothers lap?
When Nurſes give them poiſon in their papp?
Oh that ſome Zealous powers would conſpire
To ſentence all ſuch Stubble to the fire!
The whole is out of Order; Church and State,
In my Prognoſticks this is Englands Fate,
The Land will mourne, and Men will find it true,
Till Caeſar come, who will give God his due.
Think not, kind Reader, that its my deſigne
To clowd the Sun that my dim Starr may ſhine;
It is a task for Eagles, not for Wrens
To ſtaine the beauty of deſerving Penns:
This Iron age ſuch Authors can rehearſe,
Whoſe golden penns deſerve a Golden verſe.
Works ſhould commend their Authors, this being ſcan'd,
As it deſerves, ſo let me fall or ſtand.
I never lik't thoſe Complements at Feaſts,
That wiſh the beſt were better for the gueſts:
Thoſe that in midſt of plenty w ſh for more,
And (guilty of exceedings) call it poore:
I ever thought the worſt diſh there too much,
The Courſeſt Morſell much too good for ſuch.
If here a Feaſt of fat things you do meet,
Give God the praiſe, and eat and drink the ſweet.
If any failing here or leaneſs be,
Take you the beſt, and leave the worſt to me.
Chriſt bids his Shepards feed, and feed, and feed,
His Lambs and Sheep, lo here is for your need,
And fill, ſerv'd in Firſt, Second, and Third Meſſe,
All wholeſome food, though but in homely dreſſe.
Eat, drink, and feaſt your ſelves, my Friends, but ſtay,
When that is done, do not riſe up to play:
If you will eat to live, and live to die,
Joyne ſtricteſt Practiſe with the Theory.
Though naked Truth be beſt, yet Fancies qua…nt
Eſteem the face the fairer for the paint;
And if we will mens queaſy palates woo,
Our meat muſt wholeſome be, and toothſome too;
Moſt are like Children, and refuſe to eat
Unleſs the diſh be gaudy as the meat:
Even Curious palates feed as they would wiſh,
When wholeſome food is in a garniſht diſh:
When pleaſure is with profit twin'd, its ſed
Its like the briſtle that draws in the thred.
Auſtine delighting Ambroſe for to hear,
His heart was led to Heav'n by his Ear,
And men muſt be indulged in this, or we
Our Books with duſt, and Cobwebs clad may ſee.
If Muſick dwell in diſcords, here are three
That make a Unity in Trinity;
Or if Variety delight your braine,
Trichotomize that Unity againe;
But I am word-bound, ſtarv'd in midſt of ſtore,
My ſubject is too rich, my Muſe too poore.
Reader proceed, thoult not thy labour loſe,
If halting Verſe go more upright in proſe.
Tis to catch precious Soules to God that I
Do bait the hooke of Proſe with Poetry,
Fiſhers of men muſt put on every guiſe,
Winners of Soules muſt ſtudy to be wiſe;
If Poetry be goats hair, and no more,
Yet it may ſerve to vail the Temple dore:
Ile not detaine you l…nger in the Porch,
Nor light you to the Sun with ſuch a Torch:
What furnitures within is now made free,
The Curtain's drawne, you may go in and ſee.
ERRATA.
Pag. 17. line 15. read able. p. 34. l. 3. biot out, and make figure. 1 before the next word. p. 36. l. 24. r. mankind. p. 50. l. 11. r. the for their. p. 59. l. 15. r. ſink p. 62. l. 5. r. vaſſalls. p. 69. l. 18. r. fold. p. 76. l. 2. r. I count. l. 14. r. maine thing. p. 91. l. 21. r. great wickedneſſe. p 24. l. ult. r. Apoſtaticall. p. 127. l. 10. r. certainty] in the ſame line r. aſſert. p. 128. l. 5. r. Apoſtates. p. 128. l. 18. r. road. p. 129. l. 23. r. preacher. p. 135. l. 1. r. word. p. 139. l 7. Jſay. 1. p. 144. l. 5. r. bring. p 150. l. 9. r. wet finger. p. 151. l 17. r. as his right eye &c. p. 186. l. 15. r. when. p. 192. l. 16. read puluerem. p. 196. l. 14. r. refuge. p. 200. l. 8. read ſo obdurate. p. 209. l. 3. r. Solamen p. 211. l. 11. read Maſters. p. 216 l. 23. r. foreign p. 218. l. 11. blot out if. p. 230. l. 5. r. ſtony heart. p. 236. l. 5. r. deſponde. p. 237. l. 22. r. owne deceived and deceitfull hearts p. 238. l. 8. r. whelpe.