Divine Poems, Commandment 10
Commandment X.
X Thou ſhalt not couet thy Neighbours Houſe, &c.
When in us this Vice begins,
Crowns we pawn for crooked pins.
And by coveting of more
Forfeit what we had before.
Blockiſh Ahab therefore mind
Who by fooling in this kind
Life and Kingdom (to his coſt)
For a Kitchen-garden loſt;
And his fall is on Record
That his fault might be abhorr'd.
Command. X.
Anothers right deſire not,
But be contented with thy Lot.
THou who to covet deem'ſt it no great crime,
Conſider well, what wickedneſs in time
Ariſes thence, what danger and what ſhame
Unleſs thou timely ſhall repent the ſame
This folly, and the ſequel of it view
In Ahab, and his guiltineſs eſchew
By heeding of this Law, whereon depend
All Duties, which the former Laws intend,
And which to us a Duty hath expreſt
More hard to be obſerv'd than all the reſt.
A power we have receiv'd to bend the knee,
To take, to give, to ſpeak, to hear, to ſee,
And execute thoſe Actions which may give
Moſt lookers on, occaſions to believe
That all God's other Laws we do fulfil,
In ſome degree according to his Will.
When we are falſe at heart, and keep not on
With ſuch uprightneſs, as we ſhould have done;
And were this Law left out, ſome perſons might
Perſwade themſelves that they were moſt upright.
But by this Precept we are taught to ſee
How foul the inſides of our Veſſels be.
This findeth out, and ſmiteth every ſin
Ev'n on the head, and where the Roots begin,
By checking of that Luſt which unexpreſt
In outward acts lies lurking in the breaſt:
For 'tis the Curſed Root, whence every thing
Which may be termed Evil, firſt doth ſpring;
And if it be ſubdued e're fulfill'd
Within his Egg a Cocatrice is kill'd.
This Law in Soveraignty aſſumeth more
Than all the Precepts mentioned before;
For it injoins to keep within command
My luſtful heart, which is not in my hand;
And, whoſe deſires, will offer, come and go
In ſpight of all that I can think or do.
Within my fleſh and blood a Law ſtill dwells
Which naturally againſt this Law Rebels,
And ſo rebels, that though my hands were clear,
My heart would foul and vitious oft appear
Unleſs a purging Medicine ſhe acquires
To purify her thoughts and her deſires.
Yea, though Man could not, and God would not ſee
The ſecret wickedneſs that is in me,
This Law, would never let me quiet bide
Till of my Guilt I ſhould be purifi'd;
For every hidden luſt it open lays,
And ſtill ſo ſhows me mine own wicked ways,
That when by others I am righteous thought,
It frights my Soul, and tells me I am naught.
At firſt, into diſpair it almoſt threw me,
But God's good Spirit pleaſed was to ſhew me,
That, what my power extended not unto
His Grace would ſo enable me to do,
As that it ſhould ſuffice if I aſſaid
To join my good endeavours to his aid.
Then I began to ſee, this Law did wound,
Not to deſtroy, but, that I might be ſound,
And that it is a needful Probe whereby
We may aright the curing Salve apply.
It ſhew'd me mine own frailty, that it might
Unto another make me take my flight.
And by inſtructing me to know my ſin
Hath taught me where amendment ſhould begin
For when the Heart hath learned to obey,
The Members will the ſooner find the way.
Though our Deſires, from evil are not free,
To us their Guilt imputed ſhall not be
If we reſiſt them: And although they wound,
We ſhall at laſt with Victory be crown'd.
Keep well this Law, and all the Precepts here
A Thouſand times more pleaſing will appear.
Guard well thy heart, and then this Precept will
Be found a Precept eaſie to fulfil.
Break this, and thou haſt broken down the ſluce
To Flouds, which thy deſtruction will produce.
The total ſum of what this Law requires,
Is firſt, that we confeſs our own deſires,
To be corrupt: For purity begins
To enter by confeſſion of our ſins.
Next, let us force our Longings to obey
The former Sacred Precepts what we may,
Becauſe, the failing in one Duty, ſtill
Lets in another luſting after Ill.
And, Laſtly let us alway be content
With what the Grace of God to us hath lent.
For, none will keep Law moral, or divine,
Who much at his Condition doth repine.
How can they love their God to whom he ſeems
To bar them what their appetite eſteems
Without regard their welfare to provide
(As many think) whoſe wiſhes are deny'd?
How can he love his Neighbour who doth crave
Their Heritage, their wives or goods to have?
And what Commandement will he reſpect
Who neither God nor Neighbour doth affect?
Contrary wiſe him who Contentment hath,
Naught urgeth to purſue a lawleſs path;
For, to what end ſhould he who doth poſſeſs
That precious Jem, embrace a wickedneſs?
He loveth God, becauſe he ſurely knows
God's Power and Wiſdom, juſtly doth diſpoſe
That portion which will prove the beſt for him,
Although it may be bitter for a time:
And him he therefore ſerves, as he is able,
In every Precept of the former Table.
And while this Chriſtian mind he entertains,
He findeth Godlineſs, no little gains.
Nor will thoſe men who in their lots delight
Or covet or uſurp a neighbours right,
For, he that is contented firſt believes
That every one his propor ſhare receives
And not anothers; next he ſtrives to ſee
How perilous to him theſe things may be,
Which God withholds; and weighs with ſuch regard
How fit thoſe are which he for him prepar'd,
That reſting in his portion well apaid
Nor Houſe, nor Land, nor Wife nor Man, nor Maid,
Nor Oxe, nor Aſs, nor any thing that is
Another man's deſires he to be his;
But praiſeth God, for what to him he gave,
And thanks him too, for that which others have.
Againſt no Law he greatly can tranſgreſs
Who is arriv'd at this contentedneſs.
And if to get this Grace our mind we ſet,
By Gods aſſiſtance, we may compaſs it
In that degree, whereby attain we may
To what we call perfection of the way.
But fleſh and blood no further can aſpire
Until that Kingdom comes, which we deſire.
Strive what thou mayſt, affections to withdraw
According to the ſtraightneſs of this Law,
Thy Neighbours wife deſire not then from him
Though kind, wiſe, rich, chaſt, good & fair ſhe ſeem;
For moſt who have this way their longings gain'd,
Inſtead of Bleſſings, Curſes have obtain'd,
By coveting the goods to others due,
The beggary of many doth enſue.
And Servants gotten, by anothers wrong
Are ſeldom gainful, to ſuch Maſters long,
Becauſe by being lawleſly poſſeſt,
They either prove unfaithful, or unbleſt;
But he that with his own remains content,
Shall gain much Bliſs, and many ſins prevent.
That which doth give occaſion to tranſgreſs
Againſt this Law, is want of watchfulneſs,
To heed the baits which our betrayer lays
In every object and in all our ways.
The want of meditating in our thought
What inconveniences are dayly brought,
On ſuch as make no covenants with their eyes,
Nor bound theſe longings which in them ariſe.
For, ſuch as this way do their beſt endeavour,
May ſtumble, but they ſhall not fall for ever.
"Lord, in my ſelf, I could not find the Will,
"Much leſs the Power, Thy ſtatutes to fulfil.
"But, I now feel my heart to entertain
"A willingneſs; Oh! be it not in vain.
"Thy Grace alone renew'd this Will in me,
"And I a worker now deſire to be,
"Who may, if thou enable to proceed,
"Improve my willingneſs unto the Deed
"Deny it not, Oh God! but from this day
"Ev'n to the lateſt moment of my ſtay,
"Vouchſafe unto me thy aſſiſting Grace,
"That I may run a warrantable Race.
"And keep this Law and all thy Laws entire
"In work, in word, and alſo in deſire.
Amen.