Improvement of Imprisonment, Poem 7 – Poem 8
Another Meditation in Newgate, ſomewhat alluding to this old verſe in Seneca,
Nunquam non Poteſt, eſſe Virtuti locus.
Which implies, that no Place, or Time can diſadvantage an Honeſt-man.
THere's diff'rence in the ſelf ſame Times and Places,
As GOD conferreth, or withdraws his Graces;
Or, as our Cauſe is; or, as we ſhall find
Our hearts, to be ought more or leſs inclin'd,
To bring the Fleſh into a due ſubjection,
Unto the Spirits Dictates and direction.
For, this Place, I perceive to be the ſame
To me, which I unto my ſelf, now am,
And, not that, which it is to moſt of them
Who are with me confined at this time.
By Burthens (though as great) are made more light,
Then theirs are unto them; The day or night,
Are no whit tedious; nor unpleaſing make
My ſleep, nor Cares renew, when I awake:
But, I as well contented am become,
In all reſpects, as ev'r I was at home;
Although, as well by my Intelligence,
I, my Afflictions feel, as by my Senſe:
For, ev'n thoſe things, which in themſelves are bitter,
To cure Diſtempers, prove not onelyonly fitter,
But ſweeter too, then that which in times paſt
Was more defir'd, and did moſt pleaſe my taſte.
The want of ſleep here, and of ſuch like things
As elſe where, and at other Seaſons, brings
Pain to the Fleſh, and to the Soul vexations,
Are either made to me ſweet Recreations,
Or give Inſtruction, in another mode,
And more effectually, then things abroad.
Laſt night, as in my Bed I muſing lay
How Time and Life, and all things paſs away;
How needleſly our ſelves we vex and pother,
Deſtroy, afflict, and perſecute each other;
What coſt, and pains, and time, we ſpend to build
That, which will in a little while be ſpoil'd;
And, how, the quiet of our lives we trouble
About our ſtructures of wood, ſtraw and ſtubble;
Which, when our ſeveral Fiery Tryals come,
Will into ſmoke and Aſhes, quite conſume;
It made me take into conſideration
What I had Built, and upon what Foundation,
That, I my ſelf, might therein be ſecure
Although my Works, the flame ſhould not endure.
And, thereof, having an aſſurance got
The loſs of all my Works diſturb me not:
For, I, a thouſand times more pleas'd am grown
With his on whom I Build, then with mine own.
My Soul then, (which in her complantings,
Flies like an Eagle mounted on her wings
Through wayes, which to no other can appear)
To various Objects, ſcatter'd here and there,
Her Flights directing; at the laſt deſcri'd
That Flame, whereby the works of men are try'd;
To which, mine Eye of Contemplation turning,
To ſee each ſingle humane ſtructure burning,
It was to me, a much more pleaſing ſight
Then Bon-fires on a Solemn Day at night
When young and old men round them in a Ring
Do ſit and hear a Fidler play and sing;
And, 'mongſt all things, which to the Fire then yielded,
The Paper works which have been lately builded
Did make the greateſt Blaze; and to mine eyes
Appear'd to be the beſt Burnt-ſacrifice
That had been off'red in this Age by men,
By, at the leaſt, nine and a half in ten;
Becauſe, they have a prime occaſion been
Both of our preſent Plagues, and of much Sin:
And, griev'd I was not, that, ſome of mine own
Muſt into that refining fire be thrown,
For, though that uſeful they might be ſome way,
Much of them, have (I fear) too much alay.
There are among our Papers-Edifices,
Some uſeful, ſanctifi'd, and harmleſs Peeces
Which may be helpful to preſerve thoſe Notions
Whereby, our Faith, our manners and Devotions
May be improved, and likewiſe to clear
The Lanthorn, which the ſaving Light doth bear,
From thoſe bedaubings, which the Foggs of Time,
And miſts of Ignorance, have made ſo dim,
That, many things, it very dubious makes
And doth occaſion manifold miſtakes:
But, they are buried ſo in heaps of traſh,
So choakt, with intermixed Balderdaſh,
And, ſo ſuppreſt by them who hate the Light,
(Or, perſecute the Authors with deſpight)
That, they are but like here and there a ſpark,
Which lies at Bopeep, twinckling in the dark;
And, would be quite quencht, if not oft reviv'd.
By him, from whom, they were at firſt deriv'd.
Yet (like the Fire which in a Wat'ry-Pit,
(Was hid) although ſuch ſparks be clouded, yet
They will break forth; and kindled by the blaſt
Of GOD's out-breathings, raiſe a flame at laſt,
That ſhall quite burn up, thoſe huge Piles of vain
And Peſtilent contrivements of the Brain.
For, they are, and have long time, been the Tinder
Of Pride and Luſt, and Diſcord. They, do hinder
The Publick Peace; The growth of Truth and Love
They do obſtruct; All wickedneſs promove,
And all Prophaneſs; Ignorance they cheriſh,
Deſtructive Animoſites they nouriſh:
Yea, have ſo fill'd the world with Books of lies,
Patcht up with forged probabilities,
That, 'tis impoſſible the Time ſucceeding
Should know the Truth of any thing by reading,
Without a more then common Intellect
Or, ſome Divine Aſſiſtance to direct.
For, they have put on moſt things, ſuch diſguiſes,
That, Vertues, hardly can▪ be known from Vices,
Or Truths from Hereſies, or wit from folly,
Or things prophane diſcern'd from what is holy;
Nor cheating Sophiſtries, from ſoundeſt Reaſon,
Nor Right from wrong, nor Loyalty from Treaſon;
Nor Reprobates from Saints; nor Saints from Devils,
Nor ſaving Doctrines from deſtroying Evils,
Except ſome help which hath vouchſafed been
From GOD, ſhall much improve the Light within.
This notwithſtanding, pleaſed be to know,
(Although there is to them pronounc'd a Woe
By whom offences come) it fitting were
That, if an Evil be, it ſhould appear:
And, (ſince GOD doth permit it for Probation
That good and evil in each Generation
Sholdu manifeſt it ſelf) that by the Crimes
Of others, men Approv'd may know the Times,
We with a ſanctified heart ſhould heed them
And, to thoſe ends improve them when we read them
For which they were permitted. Thus, from Acts
That evil are, the prudent man extracts
Good uſes, as Phyſitians when it needs,
Extracteth Phyſick out of poyſonous Weeds.
Thus far, my Muſe before I was aware
Had rambled; But, Ile caſt the Lure up, here.
Theſe, & ſuch thoughts as theſe, me waking kept
Whilſt, many Dream'd of other things, and ſlept.
This, of the laſt nights Muſings, portion was;
(Which, if you pleaſe, may for a Viſion paſſe)
And, when the morning came, thus, into words
I put, as much as memory affords.
Newgate, the 27th. day of the 7. MonethMonth, 1661.
A Meditation, occaſioned by the ſame Priſoners calling to mind, Jeremies Prophecie to Ebed-melech, the Blackmore, Jerem. 39.15.
I Am oblig'd, as much as I am able,
To be to other men as comfortable
As they have been to me; and, though (as John
And Peter ſaid long ſince) Gold I have none
Nor ſilver) what I have, I will repay,
And, that, perhaps, may uſeful be ſome way.
What was Ebed-melech, but, one of thoſe
Who, Nationally, were eſteemed Foes,
To GOD, and to his Church? which way, can we
By what is writ of him, advantag'd be
More then by other Common Hiſtories,
If, from what's mention'd in ſuch Peopheſies,
We may not with good warranty, apply
The ſame rewards of Faith and Charity,
(To ev'ry man in every Generation)
Which was recorded by the Jewiſh Nation,
Both to infuſe and warrant, the ſame hope
Which was confirmed to this Aethiope?
But, doubtleſly we may; ſince, for our learning
For our direction, comfort and forewarning,
All thoſe things, principally, were ordain'd
Which, in the holy Scriptures are contain'd.
This perſon, repreſents to us, our ſtate
By nature, and as men regenerate.
The life of Jeremiah he preſerved,
Who, elſe, within a Dungeon had been ſtarved:
Him, forth out of a lothſome Pit he drew,
When, nor Prince, Peer, or Prieſt, nor any Jew
To him vouchſafed mercy: he, alone,
Did more then any Iſra'lite had done,
Although a Gentile, and a Courtier too,
Who, ſeldom, works of Charity, will do.
And, this, was ſo accepted of the LORD,
That by the ſelf ſame Prophet, he ſent word
(Ev'n whilſt that he detain'd in Priſon was
As I am now) that, when upon the place
Of his abode, the dreadful doom foretold
Inflicted was, he ſhould the ſame behold;
And, that, to him, on their deſtruction day
His life, ſhould be vouchſafed, for a prey.
This Signal Mercy to my mind was brought,
In this place, pertinently, (as I thought)
Why, from this Patern therefore, may not I
Who, for declaring truth, impriſon'd lie,
Shew forth that mercy which I have receiv'd
And whereby, I am hitherto repriev'd
From what to me, might probably have been
As bad, as that which Jeremy was in?
For, Age and Poverty, in ſuch a place,
Might quickly have deſtroy'd one in my caſe.
My Soul, for this Compaſſion, praiſe thou him
Who hath vouchſafed it; and bleſſe thou them
My gracious GOD, who were the Inſtruments
In that, which my deſtruction here prevents:
Although, they of a forraign Nation are not
They, Neighbours, Kinſmen, or Familiars were not
But all of them (except a very few)
Such, as untill of late, I neither knew
In Perſon, or by name; ſome of them be
In judgement alſo, differing from me
In ſome points; which, infallibly doth prove
Their Faith is true, and perfected by Love.
Their Charity. (This I dare boldly ſay)
GOD, will reward, upon their Tryal day;
And, in thoſe future dreadful Viſitations
Which, likely are, to come upon theſe Nations
Preſerve their lives, to ſee them, who oppreſſe,
Receive their portions with the mercileſs.
As ſure, as I yet live, it will be thus;
Or, they, at leaſt, when Chriſt calls them, with us,
Before his Judgement-throne; repaid will be
What they have here vouchſafed unto me;
For, mercy, though extended to a Beaſt
(Much more to man) with ſome reward is bleſt,
And, though I were a more unworthy wretch
Then was by Nature, that Ebed-melech,
Yet, foraſmuch, as me they have received
As one of Chriſts Diſciples, and relieved,
(What er'e I am) he, Charity regards,
And, they, accordingly ſhall have rewards.
Newgate, Sept. 26. 1661.