Divine Poems, Prologue
THE Prologue
Let All theſe following Leſſons learn,
For all Mankind theſe Laws concern.
ALL you who Sons by Grace or Nature be,
Give ear to what my Muſes preach to me;
For, what I now do purpoſe to declare,
No leſs, than Univerſal Statutes are,
Which every Child of Adam (here beneath)
Muſt keep in perſon, on the pain of Death,
Or, by a faithful Penitence procure
An able Pledge, to pay his Forfeiture.
You, who by Nature, had the means to know
What Duties, Creatures to their Maker owe;
Read here, what by God's Finger once was writ
Within your hearts; that you may practiſe it.
And having loſt that Light which Nature gave,
Take what you may by Grace's tender have.
On fleſhly Tables once again renew
The fair impreſſion which at firſt he drew:
For, 'twas your Sin which thence Gods Law did blot
And, Ignorance therefore excuſeth not.
You, whom the ſpecial grace of our Creator
Brought by his power Almighty thro' the Water
Of ſound Baptiſm, (and, within the Flood
Of his dear Sons moſt pure and pretious Blood;
Drown'd all that Hoaſt of Sins, which our Grand Foe
Had muſtred, for our final overthrow:)
Obſerve you alſo, this renowned Law,
To keep it, with a loving filial awe,
Leſt (though you ſcap'd enraged Pharoh's Hoaſt)
Your entrance to the promis'd Reſt be croſt:
And leſt your following what your Luſt deviz'd
You, in your lawleſs wandrings be ſurpriz'd
By thoſe (yet living Tyrants) who poſſeſs
The paſſages, of this Lifes Wilderneſs.
For, though in Act we cannot keep entire
So ſtrict a Law, we may in our deſire;
And where Deſire is not perverted quite,
We have a ready means to ſet it right.
If any ſay or think this Obligation
Pertaineth only to the Jewiſh Nation;
They are deceiv'd; for if they well compare
Theſe Precepts, to thoſe Laws which written are
Within our hearts, it will be out of doubt
That, theſe, are but the ſame tranſcribed out.
In Stone, they were engraven long ago
Leſt all the World ſhould quite forgetful grow
Of theſe their Duties. To the Jews God gave them
To be preſerv'd from loſs: From them we have them
Diſtinguiſh'd by two Tables to be known,
From Laws, that were peculiars of their own:
And though ſome literal circumſtance be found
Appearing to oblige beyond the Bound
Of Legal Ceremonies, which to ſome
A means of ſtumbling and offence become;
Yet they, that meekly minded are, ſhall ſee
The Eſſence whole, and ſo diſtinct to be
From what is meerly Jewiſh; that no Doubt
Shall give the weaker conſcience thereabout;
For that which is eſſential may be 'ſpide
From what ſhould only for a time abide
As evidently as our bodies are
Diſcerned from the ground which once we were.
It is the Abſtract of the Law of Nature;
And that which every Reaſonable Creature
Which hath a Body, muſt ſubmit unto,
With Incorporials, we have nought to do:
Nor us, to ſearch concerns it any way
What Law they are obliged to obey.
Salvation comes not by this Law indeed,
Yet knowledge of our Sin, and that we need,
A Saviour for it, by this Law is taught;
Till which be known, no ſafety can be wrought.
Tis true, we can keep it, yet it may
Keep us, from running quite out of the way;
Or, keep us humble, That the works of Grace,
May in our hearts, the better take their place.
It maketh no man pure; Yet 'tis a Glaſs
By which the faireſt of old Adams race
May view themſelves deform'd, and alſo ſee
In what defects they ſhould repaired be.
It makes not ſtreight; and yet it may ſupply
A helpful means, our ſelves to rectify.
It gives not ſight; but they that ſee may find
It yieldeth light to thoſe who grow not blind,
By wilful faults; and Stubbornly contemn
Thoſe Beams of Grace, which might enlighten them.
It gives not ſtrength to go, (we muſt confeſs)
But, yet, it ſhews a way to happineſs;
And, they who can but love it, when they know it,
Shall either be vouchſafed ſtrength to go it.
By mediate help, or by immediate Grace,
Exalted be to their deſired place.
It cannot merit Love, But it may ſhew,
Whether, or no, our Love be falſe or true.
Though 'tis not life; It is the death of Sin,
Whereby the life of grace doth firſt begin
To ſhew that living Faith, wherein conſiſts
The truth of their profeſſion who are Chriſt's;
And they are not ſuſpected without cauſe,
Falſe Chriſtians, who conform not to theſe Laws.
It is a needful Tutor, though it ſtand
With looks ſtill frowning, and with Rod in hand
'Tis truly Good though Ill thereby we know,
And oft befriends us, though it ſeem a Foe.
It all condemns not, though it puts in fear,
It brings to Chriſt; and then it leaves us there.
In brief, this Law ſhall ever be in force,
Though from Believers God remove the Curſe.
It ſhall in Eſſence never fail a jot,
(Although ſome Accidents continue not)
And therefore, they whoſe Faith ſhall them prefer,
Obſerve it as a good REMEMBRANCER.
To theſe for comfort and encouragement,
The promiſe which attends it we preſent
With all the circumſtances, which may give
Aſſurances, of what they well believe;
Without thoſe Plagues or Terrors which we find
Preſented to correct a ſlaviſh mind,
For they that love their Founder need no bands
But love to keep them true to theſe commands.
Love is the Laws fulfilling, 'tis that end
To which both Laws and all good Actions tend:
And he that Loves, unto himſelf is made
A Law, whereto we nothing need to add.
Before the reſt, our Muſe, to fright them ſets
The Tipes of puniſhments, and horrid Threats:
If either, may bring home the Soul that errs,
God's be the praiſe, the Comfort of it theirs.
And let me ſhare the prayers and the bliſs
Of thoſe that ſhall pe profited by this.
Amen.