The Doctrine of the Three Sacred Persons, Part 10
I.
Then learn O man! to part betwixt
Dead earth and th' earth wherewith thou're mint:
Sure walls of …lay may higher riſe,
Then what in earths …ead dungeon lies.
The Soul with Earth's already clad,
Earth upon earth would make more ſad.
Shall wings make maſſie Mountains fly?
Shall hands ſtitch Earth unto the sky?
Then dung-bill dro…es ſcale Heaven may,
And Muck-worms creep i'th' Milkie way.
To carry Earth to Heav'n ſome think:
But muſt Earth riſe? or Heaven ſink?
Nor Earth nor Heaven muſt be their prize;
But a fools (Mah'mets) Paradiſe.
If yet thine Earth to Earth adhere,
Then let the Dead the Dead interre;
If thou can't lift the inferior part;
Yet, as Gods Offring, heave thine heart.
Thy Body's but thy Beaſt, and ſure
All elſe is but its furniture:
Leave then thy heavy jade below,
Up to the place that God ſhall ſhow.
Earth's ever moving to Earths Center;
Man's for a more ſublime Advent'r:
'Tis pitty Duſt in th' Ayre or Eye
Should hinder a Celestiall ſpie.
With lumbering Body leave behinde?
The low, th' ignoble, ſervile mind:
Such men I mean as can't out-paſs
Old Abrah'ms ſervants, or his Aſs,
The ſecret ſecker only knows
What ſecrets Heaven can diſcloſe.
Gods Holy of Holies ſtill ſhuts out
The vulgar and unholy rout.
In ſecret places of the ſtairs
And clefts of Rocks lye mine Affaires.
Angels will ſcarce in crouds appear.
We ſay The few'r the better chear.
If buſie Ants of mole-hill birth
Promiſcuouſly converſe on Earth,
Let th' High-born Bird of Paradiſe
Scorning the Earth, ſtill ſcale the skies.
An Ant-hill and Exchange agree,
Save, Men the greater Trifters bee,
Thus mortals toyl to live below,
Whileſt Man by toyl to Heav'n might go.
What though thou've been ſhor…-winded? ſure
Heav'ns hill can Earths green-ſickneſs cure.
Or what needſt dread the journeys length,
Whileſt all along thy way's thy ſtrength?
II.
BEe'ng thus Aſcended, Binde and ſlaughter
Thy fin, thine Only Child of laughter,
In this Mount God will ſoon be ſeen
If ſome Dear ſin dont intervene;
Dear ſin indeed? whileſt Angels ſect
Their firſt Eſtates for it and Hell.
Dear ſin! whileſt for its bu…ks men do
Fair Heavens houſhold-bread forgo.
A preſent flaſh, and future flame
Is the beſt Income ſin can name.
'Twas ſin eclips'd the Angels Crown,
And what brought them, will keep thee, down.
Man doſt not ſee how Cherubs ſtand
With flaming ſwords on every hand,
From rape of ſuch to guard Lifes Tree
As of dead works the workers bee?
Ah! guilty ſoul, dar'ſt look abroad,
Or unagreed dar'ſt walk with God?
To reconcile dar'ſt thou aſpire
Thy droſs with that conſuming fire?
Sure ſuch Attonement ſhall begin,
When ſin proves grace, or grace proves ſin.
Since Earth's too dead, too dark, too low;
Sure Hell to Heav'n ſhall never go.
III.
BEe'ng thus far onward in this ſteep,
Wouldſt further climbe? then learn to creep.
Who try can tell th' Aſcents like theſe
Are the beſt ſ…al'd on th' hands and knees.
Angels firſt roſe, then fell; and ſo
By growing too high, became ſo low.
But Chriſt did raiſe his Royall Creſt
By building ſuch a lowly neſt,
The Phariſee that nothing knows
Of the true Temple, boldly goes
Into its ſhadow there to boaſt
Reck'ning proud fool without his Hoſt.
The Publican doth ſmite upon
His Heart, as if 'twere made of ſtone:
Which ſtone deſpiſed thought 't lay below
Did to a Temple ſooner grow.
Unto Gods Altar nakedneſs
God ſuffers to have no acceſs:
Th' indowments of mens minds we call
Their parts, importing therewithall,
No man of parts can decent be
Unleſs cloath'd with humilitie,
The Higheſt to the low gives grace:
Who veil …heir own ſhall ſee his face▪
In duſt and aſhes ſelf abhor'd
Are the accepted of the Lord.
Moſt flaring fair fac'd Dinas are
Sooner undone for being fair:
The veil'd Rebekah Iſaac takes,
And his dear boſom-conſort makes.
How can a near acquaintance grow?
Whileſt God proud hear…s far off doth know
Proud hearts know not themſelves and then
Sure Heav'n muſt needs be out o… ken.
Whileſt the void Aire and worthleſs wind
Brooks no way to be down confin'd,
Earthquakes muſt all things overthrow
Rather than empty Aire keep low;
Gems, Jewels; India's Treaſures dwell
In meaneſt Caverns low roof'd Cell.
Thus from the pots the Lord doth take
And into Crowns his Treaſures make.
Would'ſt then be profited by mee
From earth, ſin, and proud ſelf get free.
Yet 'tis a Trinity indeed
After the which with winged ſpeed
I would purſue, and ever may
Both body, ſoul, and spirit pray.
He whom I ſeek, and ever ſhall
Is THREE, and ONE: And ONE and ALL.
MEDITATE upon theſe things, give thy ſelf wholly to them, that thy proffiting may appear to all,
1 Tim. 4.51.
FINIS.
End of the text · Faithful Teate, The Doctrine of the Three Sacred Persons (1658)