Improvement of Imprisonment, Poem 9
An Antidote againſt Fear, compoſed upon the Citizens being unexpectedly in Arms, Sept. 28. 1661. at night.
GOD, keep all ſafe abroad; I'm in my Bed,
And, ſee no danger yet, or cauſe of dread.
Emanuel my Protector is become,
He, keeps all Pannick-fears out of this Roome,
And, though the Devil and my Foes together
Confederated, they can bring none hither.
Here's nought, that any way doth me diſeaſe,
Unleſs, it be a few poor ſtarveling Fleas,
Which, I perceive are more afraid of me,
Then cauſe I have of them afraid to be:
For, if I do but ſhrugg, where it doth itch,
They skip into a hole, and there they couch.
No Thief, I think, to rob me dares appear,
Within theſe Walls, the Gallowes are ſo near;
And, likewiſe, I believe, 'tis known full well,
I've nought to loſe, nor ought for them to ſteal.
I no Back-biters had, ſince to this houſe
I my Commitment had, except, one Louſe
Which now is dead, (not having left behind
A ſon or daughter, that I yet can find)
And, though I were aſſaulted with a ſcore
(As here, ſome are oft-times with many more)
I am aſſur'd, my Landreſs hath a gift
To rid them; and it is a cleanly ſhift.
I do ſuſpect, that, thus it doth not fare
With all men, who rejoyce that I am here;
But, that, although they ſpeak big words and grin,
They have more fears without them, or within;
And, that, ſome thouſands who yet walk the ſtreet
With more, and with worſe miſadventures meet:
For, Terrors are abroad, and ev'ry where
It doth in Language, or in looks appear.
I, juſt now, hear a ſound like to Alarms;
Drums beating, and the …lattering of Arms;
I (as they paſs along, hear Souldiers voyces,
Words of Command, and Military Noiſes,
Which, by the time, and darkneſs of the night,
Doth many of the Neighbour-hood affright,
And makes me think (although I cannot tell
What is amiſs) that, all things go not well.
What ſhould the matter be? I hope, the men
Whom we ſaw dead, are not alive agen;
For, though I live yet, (and live longer may)
I did expect to riſe, aſſoon as they.
Moſt hoped, they, er'e now ſhould have been free,
From that, wherewith diſturbed they ſtill be;
But, many ſee, here's dayly an increaſe
Of what, may more infringe the Common-peace.
The Citizens, I hear, ſtrict watch do keep
This night, in Arms: I hope, were they aſleep
We ſhould be ſafe; and that, this will hereafter
Yield much leſs cauſe of ſorrow, then of laughter:
For, all our Factions are now of each other
So fearful, that they'l hardly come together,
Unleſs affrighted in the dark they are,
And fall foul on each other, unaware.
Men might (if there withall they could be pleas'd)
Of pains and coſt and troubles, be much eas'd,
(With much more ſafety, and more, honour too)
Yet, make no night Alarms as now they do.
He, that's a pious, and an honeſt liver,
Needs not the Mores Bow, nor the Parthians Quiver,
Nor, to be ſingly, much leſs double garded:
For, Innocence is by it ſelf, well warded;
And, when ſhe's moſt maliciouſly ſurrounded,
Then, ſooneſt, her Oppreſſors are confounded.
Of all the Foes, that are, or ever were,
There's none ſo bad, or …ngerous as Fear:
For, it not onelyonly many a man diſtreſſes,
When Plenty, Power, and Honour, he poſſeſſes,
(And all the pleaſures of his life deſtroys,
Whilſt ev'ry thing he ſeemingly enjoyes)
But, makes Plagues alſo, which will never come
To be a greater torment unto ſome,
Then they are, or, then they can be, if all
Whereof they are afraid, ſhould them befall.
Moreover, it is ſuch a foe as none
Can eaſily eſcape when ſeiz'd upon.
Nor Power nor Policy, nor Walls of Braſſe
To keep it out, can ſtrengthen any place;
Nor Fleſh and Blood, by Sratagem, or Ginn
Expell it can, when it hath broken in.
Were all the Wealth and Weapons in the Land,
And all the People, at one Mans Command,
They could not fortifie his heart from fears;
For, Terrours will creep in ev'n at the ears,
And paſſage make through ev'ry other Sence,
In ſpight of all reſiſtance and defence.
That Fear is ſuch a Terrour, I well know
For I have felt it, though I do not now,
Save, as a natural paſſion, which, if well
We moderate, is, what a Sentinel
Is to an Army; and by Fleſh and Blood,
Though, poſſibly, it cannot be withſtood,
(Eſpecially, when by a wilful Sin,
Againſt Good Conſcience acted, it breaks in
And growes inraged) yet, by Grace we may
Subdue it; And, this, is the only way.
Take Fear and Love, well tempered together,
(As much, as may ſufficient be of either)
Fire quencheth Fire; The oil of Scorpions, heals,
The Scorpions ſting; and, if, of all things elſe
You would be fearleſs, you muſt fear GOD, ſo
As man ought; Do, as to be done unto
You would expect, and to that Fear, add Love;
For, Love expelleth ev'ry other Fear
(If placed on right Objects, and ſincere)
Plucks up all Vices, and plants in their places
Habitual Vertues, and Celeſtial Graces.
The Love of GOD, with Filial Fear begins,
And with a deteſtation of all ſins.
The knowledge of our Natural Eſtate,
In us, Deſires to cure it will Create.
The Love of GOD in Chriſt, then, being known,
(And, what, when we incurable were grown
He hath done for us) will more Love beget
If we no falſe ſuggeſtions do admit;
That Love, will alſo, dayly ſtronger grow
If we GOD's nature truly learn to know.
And, not as Eve did, him ſuſpect of Evil;
Aſcribe to him, what's proper to the Devil;
Suſpect the Promiſes which he doth give us;
Nor think that he intendeth to deceive us.
For, if we love him, we will then believe him,
In all his Attributes due Glory give him.
We then will do, and not diſputing ſtand,
Of that which he forbids, or doth command.
Nor fear, nor ſtagger, from that Reſolution
(Who ever countermands their execution)
But, love him ſo, as having underſtood
That all his Works, and his Commands are good:
So love him, that, we love his whole Creation,
Nought hating, but what's his abomination.
We will not then permit Humane Tradition
With his known will, to ſtand in competition;
Lay bonds on them, whom he from Bondage frees;
Charge him, with Ordinances and Decrees
Which he did never make; but forged were
By him, who, layes for ev'ry Soul a ſnare;
Or, by his Inſtruments, whoſe Merchandizes
And Pomp, are much advanc'd by thoſe deviſes:
We will not, when he graciouſly invites,
To penitence, reject him with deſpights,
And, foes implacable, to them appear
Who zealous of their Weal and Safety are.
Theſe are the Well-ſprings of thoſe many errors
Diſtractions, miſeries, and Pannick Terrours
Which are among us. That, which chiefly here
Begetteth troubles and augmenteth fear,
Is, want of ſuch a Fear, and ſuch a Love,
As may become effectual to improve▪
Thoſe Judgements & theſe Mercies, which our eyes
Have ſeen; & whereby, (though we ſee GOD tryes
Theſe Nations to this day) nor Prince, nor Peer
Nor Prieſt nor People, doth as yet appear
So mindful as they ought to be of that
Which, was, for, or againſt them, done of late:
Nor ſee I any Fruit which thence proceeds,
Save Thorns & Brambles, Thiſtles, tares or weeds.
But, they who ſtop their Ears and ſhut their Eyes,
Againſt thoſe Wonders and thoſe Prodigies,
Which have been lately ſent to ſtartle them
From that ſecurity, wherein they Dream;
And they who are not much diſpleas'd alone
With Publication of what God hath done,
But, alſo with his Word; ſhall ſee and hear,
Thoſe things, ere long, with trembling & with fear,
Which will not be concealed; but, befall
So openly, as to be known to all.
Theſe, have the cauſes been, that Chriſtendom
Is lately, an Acheldama become;
For, theſe are thoſe things, which advance the works
Of Antichriſt, and make way for the Turks.
Let us repent therefore, whilſt we have ſpace,
Leſt Fields of Blood, be turned to Golgotha's.
Let us, in this our Viſitation day
Give ear unto GOD's Voice, whilſt yet we may;
Not like Bruit Beaſts purſuing one another,
But, lincking faſt in Charity together,
Be reconcil'd to GOD, with Loving-awe:
For, that ſums up the Goſpel, and the Law.
Do this, and if of ought your fearful be,
Let all, that you can fear, fall upon me.