Improvement of Imprisonment, Poem 13 – Poem 14
A Hint, of that, which may hereafter (if not deſpiſed) conduce to the Setling of Peace and Concord in Church and State.
This Scrap, though ſome will not diſgeſt,
Is caſt in here, among the reſt.
ELia's like, I thought my ſelf alone,
A while ago, and of my mind, knew none:
But, many I now hope, here living be
Who, joyn in one Faith, and one love with me.
My Soul, I long time, ſeemed to poſſeſs,
As when the Baptiſt in the Wilderneſs
Was to be Diſciplin'd, and there prepar'd
For, that, which he performed afterward.
As when he Preach'd Repentance, in his dayes,
High Prieſts, nor Lawyers, Scribes nor Phariſees,
Nor of the gay Herodians, any one
(Nor many, but the Vulgar ſort alone)
Regarded it; ſo, likewiſe, I might ſay
Of all my Premonitions, to this day;
And may (for ought I know) without regard
Purſue my Work, till I have his reward:
If ſo it happen, I am well content
To follow ſuch a holy Precedent.
I, am now (as it were) one in exile,
Like John, when baniſh'd into Pathmos Iſle;
And, to the ſeven Churches in theſe Nations
As he then, to the Aſian Congregations
Had ſomewhat to expreſſe; ſo, I from HIM
(As I believe) who ſent his mind to them
By that Diſciple, have a needful Errant,
To be delivered, by Authentick Warrant,
Which, muſt lie Dormant, until them to hear it
GOD, ſhall prepare, and fit me to declare it.
Mean while, I caſt in this Preoccupation,
To be a furtherance to that Preparation
Whereto GOD's Grace will ripen me, and The…
(Hereafter, in his own appointed time;
If nothing that ſhall be Co-incedent
Doth intervene, that purpoſe to prevent)
Thus Chriſt, did to a future time adjourn
What, he had then ſpoke, might it have been born;
And, his example doth inſtruct my Reaſon,
To chuſe for every work, a proper Seaſon.
I have a Love for all the whole Creation,
Much more, for every Chriſtian Congregation:
I, for each Member of them (whatſoere
Infirmities, I ſee in them appear)
Have ſuch a Love, and ſo inlarged, that
I can with every Church Communicate,
In all Eſſential duties, though they may
Be ſometimes, much abus'd with an Allay:
Becauſe, what me therein offendeth, I,
Without offending others, can paſs by;
And, at another time, in private, ſeek
To make them underſtand what I diſlike;
And, by a meek compliance in what's good,
Bear with a failing, not well underſtood.
Their Ignorance, or miſled Conſciences,
Give me no cauſe of Perſonal offences,
So, they the Fundamental Truths, profeſs
Without malicious minds, or wilfulneſs;
Or by approving, or continuing in
Prophanneſs, and committing open Sin.
For, ſince he that knows moſt, knows but in part
And, hath a Cloudy Region in his heart,
They, of my Pitty, rather Objects be
Then of my hate. They, ſo much hurt not me
As damnifie themſelves: And, I, thereby
Have of my Meekneſs, Faith and Charity,
Thoſe Exerciſes, for which (if I have them
In true ſincerity) GOD, chiefly gave them.
And, which way can they better be employ'd
Then, that a common good may be enjoy'd?
And that we to our Brethren may extend
That mercy, when we think they do offend,
Which GOD's long ſuffering doth vouchſafe to us?
And, ſince he did command it ſhould be thus?
The Church Catholick, is a Corporation,
Whereof, the ſeveral Churches in each Nation
Are Bodies Corporate, as here we ſee
In LONDON, many Corporations be
Members thereof diſtinct, govern'd by Laws
Peculiar to themſelves, as they found cauſe
To conſtitute them; yet, unto all theſe
Belong the Cities gen'ral Priviledges;
And every Individual Perſon; there,
Conforms unto thoſe Lawes which proper are
To this whole City; and they live together
In Peace, without intruding on each other.
What hinders (but our Ignorance, Ambition,
Our Avarice, and Love to Superſtition,)
That, Chriſtian Congregatious may not thus
Be form'd, and regulated ſo with us,
That, we may live henceforward in true Peace,
Morality and Piety increaſe?
Prophanneſs be ſuppreſt? and, no more, here,
Affairs Divine, and Civil interfere?
What hinders this, but, want of that true Love
And meeknes, which our knowledge might improve?
And, whence flowes Diſcord, but from intermedling
With what concerns us not? fooling, and Fidling
About thoſe things impertinent, which, whether
Their tendance be to this, or that, or neither
'Tis not material, ſo, that may not be
Infringed, which to all, ought to be free?
That Peace may be preſerv'd; men kept in awe
From violating of the morall Law,
And, GOD permitted to poſſeſſe alone
The Conſcience as (on earth) his Proper Throne?
For, he from none, will an account receive,
According to what other men believe,
Or ſhall command; but, anſwerable to
What he commands us to believe and do,
According to the Light he ſhall afford,
By his aſſiſting Spirit, and his Word:
And, therefore, they, who, out of ſlaviſh Fear,
Of thoſe who peaceably inclined are,
Force Innocents, to any hard Condition
(Thereby to free themſelves from their Suſpition
Which is incurable) are Tyrannous,
And foes to GOD, unto themſelves, and us.
In my late Tryal, I have had a ſhake,
But, it hath deeper driven in the ſtake;
And hath, I hope vouchſafed by that FIT,
An earneſt, he ſo faſt will ſettle it;
That, all the Tempeſts which in future dayes
The World, the Fleſh and Devil have pow'r to raiſe,
Shall more increaſe my courage; and, by mine
Some other, to the like Reſolves incline.
GOD, give us Grace, with ſeriouſneſs
Theſe things in time, with what elſe may
There is a way, how that, may yet be done
Which hitherto, is little thought upon;
And, thereof, in what is expreſſed here,
A Hint, if well obſerved, may appear.
A Hymn of Thankſgiving to Almighty GOD; compos'd by this Priſoner, for the gracious reſtoration of his Wives life and health; who, lying mortally ſick (as was ſuppoſed) at 52. miles diſtance during his Impriſonment, in a ſad diſconſolate condition, and reputed to be dead, about the ſpace of an hour, was miraculouſly reſtored.
To the Tune of the 148. Pſalm.
I.
HOw ſoon, my gracious GOD,
Haſt thou my Prayer heard?
How juſt, how kind, how Good,
Haſt thou to me appear'd?
Bleſt, be this Day:
For, what did fright my heart laſt night,
Thou doſt allay:
The Clouds, that made, this Morning ſad,
Are blown away.
II.
As when his moan to thee
The good Centurian made,
Though I unworthy be,
Like favour I have had
Vouchſaf'd to me;
Nay little leſs, in my diſtreſs
Receiv'd I have,
Then She, whoſe Son, and onelyonly one,
Was near his grave.
III.
At leaſt, I, ſo much Grace
Of thee, this day have had,
As daign'd to Jairus was
Whoſe Daughter thou foundſt dead,
Upon her Bed:
For, when my Wife, depriv'd of life
Had long time laine,
Thou, heeding there, our Prayers here
Gav'ſt life again.
IV.
Thus ſhe, who firſt was thine
(And ſo ſhall alwayes be)
Hath now, been twice made mine,
And, is enjoy'd by me;
For which, to thee
A double praiſe, LORD, all my dayes,
I ought to give;
Aſſiſt I pray, this due to pay
Whilſt here I live.
V.
And, let all, who now hear
What, thou for me haſt done,
Help me thy praiſe declare;
For, not to me alone
Extends this boone;
This Act of Grace, vouchſafed was
That, they thereby
Might at their need, know where to ſpeed
As well as I.
VI.
LORD, I have nought to give
For all thou haſt beſtown,
But, what I did receive
And was, and is thine own;
Oh! now therefore
This Sacrifice, do not deſpiſe
For, I am poor;
Therewith, I ſhall give ſelf and all,
Who can give more?
A Penitential Hymn, compoſed by occaſion of a Dream the 19th. of Octob. 1661. about Midnight.
I.
MY GOD, thou didſt awake me,
This night out of a ſad and fearful Dream,
That, ſenſible did make me
Of Sins, which heretofore ſmall Sins did ſeem;
And, ere I perfect heed could take,
Whether I ſlept, or was awake,
He, that is watching ev'ry hour,
Whom he may miſchief, and devour,
Sought, how he might thereby advantage make:
Rebuke him, for my Dear Redeemer's ſake.
II.
Permit thou no Tranſgreſſion,
Whereof, I heretofore have guilty been,
Nor great, nor ſmall Omiſſion,
Which I forgotten have, or overſeen,
(Either through want of penitence
Or of confeſſing my offence)
To riſe againſt me, great or ſmall;
For, LORD, I do repent them all:
And, likewiſe, (be it more or leſs)
Renounce all truſt, in my own Righteouſneſs.
III.
As Job complain'd, ſuch Viſions
To me ſeem'd repreſented this laſt night
Of my falings, and Omiſſions
That, ſleeping, they did much my heart affright;
Me thought a Spirit paſſed by
Not to be ſeen with mortal eye;
And, I was minded by a Voice
(That, ſpake unto me without noiſe)
Of things preceding, which (then quite forgot)
So, as I ought to do, I heeded not.
IV.
Oh God! moſt kind, moſt holy,
Remember not the errours of my life;
Call not to minde my folly
To add a new Affliction, to my Grief.
World, Fleſh and Devil, my foes are,
And, much more then my ſtrength can bear
On me, they have already caſt,
Unleſs, that thou compaſſion haſt;
Oh! throw my ſins out of thy ſight therefore,
That, they may not be ſeen, or heard of more.
V.
My Soul doth now abhor them,
Thine onelyonly Son, hath with his precious blood
Made ſatisfaction for them;
Thou, didſt accept it; I believe it good:
And, therefore, though they ſomtimes make
My heart to tremble and to ake,
My Soul is confident they pard'ned are
As if they ne're committed were;
Confirm it ſo, that, ſleeping and awake
Sweet reſt in thee, I may for ever take.
VI.
Dear GOD, of my Salvation,
Preſerve me by thy Love and mighty Pow'r
From perilous Temptation,
In Weal, in Woe, and at my dying hour:
Me, let thy Gardian Angels keep
When I do wake, and while I ſleep,
From ſhame without, and fear within;
From evil thoughts, and Actual Sin,
That, Friends and Foes and every one may ſee,
No man in vain, doth put their truſt in thee.
A Requiem to the Soul.
I.
MY Soul, vex not thy ſelf at thoſe,
Who, to all Godlineſs are Foes,
Although they make fair outward ſhowes,
And ſpread and flouriſh like the Bay;
For, deplorable is their caſe,
They, as the ſcorched Summer Graſſe,
Shall ſoon into oblivion paſſe,
And all their Beauty fade away.
II.
I have been young, and old am grown
And, many changes I have known,
Whereby, it hath to me been ſhown
Whereto, their wicked courſes tend:
With Honour I have ſeen them Crown'd,
With Pow'r and Riches to abound,
Whoſe Place no where can now be found;
For, all their Pomp is at an end.
III.
With ſhadows they themſelves beguile,
And, GOD, doth at their folly ſmile;
With patience therefore wait a while,
And, grudge them not their Portion, here;
Deſtruction, toward them is haſting,
Their Time is ſhort, and dayly waſting,
But, thine will be for everlaſting,
And, Griefs, as if they never were.
IV.
Employ thy ſelf in doing well,
And, GOD, with thee ſhall kindly deal;
Thou, in the Land ſhalt ſafely dwell,
Well fed and clothed, all thy dayes.
And when the Glory of their Name
Is blur'd out, with an evil Fame,
Then, ſhall thy Poverty and ſhame
Be mention'd unto thy praiſe.
V.
Let wordlings feed upon their Chaff,
Their Cups of Fornication quaff,
And at thy ſufferings grin and laugh;
A midſt thy Foes lie down and ſleep.
Whilſt in their malice, they perſiſt,
In GOD's Protection take thy reſt,
For, though thy Body be oppreſt
Thee, ſafe, in ſpight of them, he'l keep.
He, whoſoever he be, that ſpeaks this Charm,
Unto his Soul in Faith, ſhall have no harm;
Therefore, as a Receipt approved, take it:
For, for my ſelf alone, I did not make it.