Three Private Meditations, Meditation 3
NIL ULTRA. Being a Soliloquie, wherein this Author, sxpreſſeth the improbability of an offectual proceeding further, in his endeavours (to prevent the Sins and Plegues increaſing) by ought offered to conſideration.
Pſalm 1. 3.
When Foundations are deſtroyed, what can the Righteous do?
I, At a Non-plus, am this day,
And, know not what to think or ſay,
Or, what part I am next to play:
That, therefore, which I now expreſſe,
Whether the maſk I miſſe or hitt,
To publick view I will commit,
And, leave to GOD, the giving it
In his own time, a good ſucceſſe.
2.
We neither love his Lawes nor him;
Thoſe men, whoſe Deeds we did condemn
We (by our imitating them)
Have juſtified in all their works.
They, who have ſeemed ſelf-deniers,
In their profeſſing Truths, are liers,
Like Lillies look, but ſcratch like Briars;
Talk, Chriſtian-like, but, live like Turks.
3.
Some, ſay I dote; and that 'tis ſo,
I almoſt am perſwaded too,
When I conſider what I do:
For little leſs then doteth he,
Who gives them bread, who look for Chaffe,
Caſts pearls to ſwine, who long for Draff,
And ſtrives to ſave them, who do laugh
When ſinking down to hell they be.
4.
Examples we have had of old,
And, daily, we fulfil'd behold,
What, hath been oft, of late foretold;
Yet, more and more beſotted grow.
Nor Chaſtiſements nor Mercy ſhew'd,
Though oft withdrawn, and oft renew'd,
Nor what hath for our ſins enſude,
Can make us heed the things we know.
5.
What can by me, be ſaid or done,
To ſtop them, who ſtill headlong run,
To meet the miſchieves coming on,
And, which already are in view?
Since, men will neither ſee nor hear
What is apparant ev'ry where,
Nor have Grace, Courage, wit or fear,
Who can prevent what may enſue?
6.
How can Good ſequels be expected,
Where Truth and Reaſon are neglected,
And, groſs crime, not alone ſuſpected,
But, acted alſo, with ſhame?
Where, men all prophanations dare,
In all well-doing, cowards are,
And ſeem to have nor ſenſe, nor care,
Either of good, or evil Fame?
7.
When, what relates to earth and heav'n,
Seems of it proper uſe hereaven,
(And what for common uſe was given,
Made, only, for th' Abuſers ſake)
VVhat humane wit, can ſave them from
A ſad inevitable doom,
VVho, falſe to other men become,
And, pitfalls, for themſelves do make?
8.
VVhen firſt I did converſe with men,
They were exceeding wicked then;
But, now ſeem worſe by five in ten:
For, till of late, I never heard,
That, ſuch abominations were,
So impudently acted, here
VVithin this clime, as now they are
By probable Reports, aver'd.
9.
If, Juſtice executed were,
If, we were what we would appear,
In thought, in deeds and word, ſincere,
Oppreſſors, and ſelf-ſeekers fewer;
It might be hoped, that, thoſe few,
VVho, to good principles are true,
Might more ſucceſſefully purſue
VVhat would at laſt, our weal procure.
10.
But, whilſt we ſee, one crying ſin
Brings ev'ry day, another in,
VVence new CorruptioNs do begin,
VVhat, can the Righteous hope or do;
But, meekly wait on GOD. (untill
Her meaſure, wickedneſs doth fill)
Submitting all things to his will,
And, adding their Amen, therero?
11.
VVhilſt we each mangie humour claw
Turn Grand Oppreſſions into Law,
Stand nor of GOD, or men in awe,
And, Truths, by Violence confute;
VVe bring but fewel to that fire,
Or, breath to blow the flame ſtill higher,
VVherein, our hopes will quite expire;
And, Prudence then, is juſtly mute.
12.
For, when GOD threatens Deſolations,
If men turn due humiliations,
To Triumphs, and vain Recreations;
VVhat, can be juſtly then expected?
But, changing hopes into deſpairs,
More Breaches, inſtead of Repairs,
And, that our formal thanks and prayers,
Should be offenſive, and rejected?
13.
Oft, under Truſt is hatched Treaſon,
VViſe to be thought, is to want Reaſon,
Sincerity is out of ſeaſon,
Foundations, likewiſe, are orethrown:
To ſpeak the Truth is now a Crime
To look for Juſtice, 'tis no time,
(To be a Knave, the way to elime)
And, ſin, almoſt full ripe is grown.
14.
My witneſs, therefore, having born,
(Among men in the hope forlorn)
I'le, all alone, ſit down and mourn
For that, which cannot be prevented.
My Lot, I le meekly take with thoſe,
VVhom, GOD, ſhall unto that expoſe,
VVhichWhich may befall both Friends and Foes,
And, therewith will remain contented.
15.
This, now, is all that can be done;
That, therefore, I reſolving on,
VVill let the world awhile alone,
And, GOD, therein, to work his wil?;
Ile only take that Ammunition,
VVhichWhich gives no juſt cauſe of ſuſpicion,
And (without ſeeking their perdition)
Let filthy men, be filthy ſtill.
16.
Thus far forth, I have trod the Maze,
VVithout offence to any cauſe,
Thats juſtifide, by Righteous Laws;
But, now, no further can proceed:
For, ſo, confuſion here abounds,
That, Good and Evil, it confounds,
And whirles us in an endleſs Round,
Which fruitleſs makes both word and deed.
17.
For, they who dance upon the brinck
Of Hell it ſelf (and fondly think
They are ſecure becauſe they wink;)
Their open danger cannot ſee,
But, are ſo vext to hear me tell
Their Heaven borders upon Hell;
That, for my wiſhing of them well,
They wiſh but little good to me.
18.
Perhaps too, as the Round now goes,
They who my good intents oppoſe,
(And are both mine and their own foes)
May ſeek to take my life away:
If they ſo do; when that is done,
I ſhall beyond their reach be gone;
And he who all deeds looks upon,
Will ſuddenly, their ſpight repay.
19.
Yet, I ſhall make no ſuch Requeſt,
As may not with their we…l conſiſt:
I, neither by the Sword, or Peſt,
Or Famine, wiſh aveng'd to be;
Or by ought elſe, which might deſtroy
The life which here they do enjoy,
(Though they that Mercy miſ-employ;)
This, rather ſhall my Prayer be.
20.
Let GOD confound their pride, their hate,
And all their Plots annihilate
Who ſhall deſign to practiſe that
Which may to his diſhonor tend.
Let none of thoſe endeavours thrive,
Whereby ungodly men contrive;
How, they another may deprive
Of his juſt freedom, Foe, or Friend.
21.
This deprecation, doth not reach
Mens Perſons, or that Love impeach
Which Chriſtian Verity doth teach:
For, to avenge themſelves of wrong,
That, giveth liberty to none;
But, to do good for evil done
Required is of every one,
To whom a Saintſhip doth belong.
22.
The publick welfare I prefer
Before mine own particular;
And this for truth I may aver,
Who ever ſhall the ſame deny;
My Countrey, or my Sovereign Lord,
Neither by actions, or by word,
Or by my Pen, or by my Sword,
To ſelf-ends, injured have I.
23.
I have not broke my Faith to thoſe
Who did a Truſt in me repoſe,
Whether they prov'd my Friends, or Foes,
But, did with Loyalty ſubmit
To do, or ſuffer under them
Who exerciſe; the Power Supream,
Which is at the diſpoſe of him
Who gives and takes, as he ſees fit.
24.
I never did for Love or Hate
Act, or Deſign, to innovate
The Government of Church or State,
But did my duties in my place;
And when I fear'd, that for our ſin
An Anarchy was creeping in,
Endeavor'd, when it did begin,
How, to preſerve the Common-Peace.
25.
When Civil Powers were ſo divided,
That then, both Fools and Wiſe men ſided
As Intereſt or Conſcience guided,
I ſought not to inlarge the rent;
But, being called Aid to bring,
To, (and by) them, whoſe counſelling
Had been Authoriz'd by the King,
I, to perform my duty, went.
26.
Retir'd from Court and City then,
I liv'd among plain Countrymen,
Employing otherwhile, the Pen,
My private Muſings to record;
Which, I had more deſire to do,
Then that which I was call'd unto,
Till I was importuned ſo
That, I at laſt, put on my Sword.
27.
To do my beſt, forth arm'd I came,
(My Conſcienee warranting the ſame)
And purpos'd nothing worthy blame,
By unjuſt violence, or guile.
For, in ſincerity I thought
A courſe we follow'd as we ought,
Whereby, means might to paſs be brought,
Divided Friends to reconcile.
But, ſo diviſions them inrag'd,
Who were in that Conteſt ingag'd,
And, ſuch ill conſequents preſag'd,
That, I my Troop did ſoon disband;
And, hopeleſs I ſhould ought aſſay
Succeſsful in a martial war,
My Sword, and Arms quite flung away,
And took my Pen again in hand.
29
Such new Adventures this began,
That, I appeared to be than
Betwixt the Fire and Frying-pan:
For, ſuch proceedings I eſpy'd;
That, they who wi…h the beſt intent
Purſu'd the way in which they went
(And ill to neither party meant)
Found leaſt reſpect, on either ſide.
30
To ſee what was done well; or ill,
I had juſt cauſe, againſt my will,
To be there, an ey-witneſs ſtill,
Where grand Affairs tranſacted were.
As well the Perſon as the Name
I knew of moſt men, who by Fame
Were ſaid to merit praiſe or blame,
And, who did beſt or worſt appear.
31.
Self-love, baſe Avarice, and Pride,
I ſaw among themſelves divide
The publick Rights, on either ſide;
Their, Foes befriending out of ſeaſon,
Well-meaning Innocents deſtroying,
Their power to favour guilt employing,
And, often, to a ſelf-deſtroying,
Againſt their Friends committing Treaſon.
32.
I ſaw both GOD and Man offended,
Much finding fault, but little mended,
Good Life and Piety pretended;
But, few whoſe words and works were one:
They who moſt quarrell'd with each other,
In evil ſo agreed together,
That to repoſe a truſt in either,
I found but little cauſe, or none.
33.
The worſe men were, they ſeem'd the better,
To ſerve their ends, and much the fitter
To be inriched, and made greater.
Him who did moſt indulge their ſin,
Or, to inflame their luſt brought fuell,
Or, were unto their foes moſt cruel,
They kept about them as a Jewel;
And, ſuch, their chief eſteem did win.
34.
Such as had neither Grace nor Wit,
Such as Job judged men unfit
Among his Shepherds dugs to ſit,
Even ſuch as were, the other day,
More worthy of contempt then thoſe
Who liv'd by picking Hips and Sloes
(With ſuch food as on Hedges grows)
Were honor'd; yea, few more then they.
35.
Theſe having ſcratcht up wealth and power
In Court, and City, Town, and Tower,
Did act as if our fatal hour
Were hither making an advance:
The mean while, men, here and abroad,
At Hazzard plaid, in ſuch a mode,
(At hide, at Even, and at Odd)
As if all things were rul'd by chance.
36.
Thereby, my hazzards greater were
Then thoſe which I had cauſe to fear,
When War moſt dreadful did appear:
For, at what I before had done,
One party only, took offence;
But, I have anger, ever ſince,
All parties, who have loſt the ſence
Of what they ſeem to carry on.
37.
This, made me dip my Pen in Gall,
Imparrially reproving all
Without regard what might befal
To me, whilſt juſt things I intended:
For, alwayes I regarded ſo
Their honor, and their profit too;
With whom my Muſes had to do,
That, none have cauſe to be offended.
38.
It ne'retheleſs, on me ſo brought
Their hate, whoſe welfare I had ſought,
That of mine own, they left me nought
Which might my likely want ſupply:
No place whereon to reſt my head,
No certainty of daily bread,
But, in my old Age to be fed
And cloathed, by pure Charity.
39.
In which ſtrait, GOD provided ſo
That, I yet live his work to do,
Well pleaſed with my portion too;
Yea, more then when it larger ſeem'd;
For, what's bereaved was but Lumber,
Which did with many cares becumber,
And, is not put into the number
Of things which merit beſt eſteem.
40.
I therefore, whatſoe're befel,
To high and low did plainly tell,
(Whether they took it ill or well)
Such things as I thought needful were;
And oft expreſſed with my Pen,
What might minde me and other men,
More heed to take, both how, and when,
Unto our ſelves, we traytors are.
41.
And, Time to come, when I am dead,
Shall finde, there will be ſtill much need,
To tollerate one in my ſtead,
That may perſue what I begun.
When God ſo pleaſeth, let him come
To do him ſervice in my room,
And, let the work he calls me from,
Thrive better, then it yet hath done.
42.
My time is almoſt wholly paſt;
And, thinking this may be the laſt,
For a Nil Ultra here 'tis plac't
As having no more now to ſay:
But if my life God longer ſpare,
And ſhall my heart a new prepare,
His pleaſure further to declare,
I'le take this Bounder-ſtone away.
43.
I ſute it thus, unto theſe times,
In that with which moſt fancies chimes,
Expreſſing that in gingling Rimes,
Which I ſuppoſe to be in ſeaſon:
Elſe little heed they give thereto;
Or, if plain Truths obſerve they do,
Good meanings are miſtaken ſo,
That, ſafe it is not to ſpeak Reaſon.
44.
Things may reſult ſometimes perchance,
Ev'n from a trifling circumſtance,
Which will be helpful to advance
Th' effecting of a Grand Deſign.
Once e're Eliſha would begin
To ſpeak, a Fidler was call'd in;
Of uſe, that ſeem'd then to have been
For his Work; ſo, may this for mine.
Man propoſeth, but GOD diſpoſeth, and his will be done.
God ſave the King.