Then even the most of misery to make,
The soules of some which (alwaies ill) grow worse,
(All sense quite lost) in sinne such pleasure take,
That frozen mindes can melt in no remorse;
No threatned terrours can their conscience wake,
Sinne hath so much, the sprite so little force.
"No physicke for the sicke, which live as sound,
A sore past sense doth show a deadly wound."
As such a burden it did burst to beare,
(Through horreur of our sinnes) the Earth doth
And shall it selfe ofttimes asunder teare,
Ere Christ his judgement manifest doth make;
Or else I know not, if it quake for feare
Of that great fyre which should it shortly take;
The living Earth to move, dead Earth doth move,
Yet earthly men then th' Earth more earthly prove.
In forraine parts whose ruines fame renownes,
In indignation of her sinfull seed,
(As men should doe their eyes) the Earth God
drownes,
[freede)
Which (that some captiv'd aire may straight be
Doth vomit mountaines, and doth swallow townes;
The world's foundation brandish'd, like a reed,
Whil'st with pale hearts the panting people thinke,
That Hell will ryse, or that the Heaven will sinke.
One earth-quake toss'd the Turke's imperiall head,
Dayes sensible, but violent some howers,
Till in that towne a monstrous breach was made,
(As charg'd at once by all the damned powers)
I know not whether buried first, or dead,
Troupes seem'd to striue in falling with their towers,
Whilst those who stoode long trembling did attend,
That all the world (at least themselves) should end.
Twixt Rome and Naples once (in Envie's eye)
What stately townes did the world's conquerours
found,
Which now wee not (noe, not their ruines) spie,
Since layde more low then levell with the ground?
They with all theirs en-earth'd by earth-quakes lye,
Whose stones (drawne down where darkenes doth
Like Sisiphus perchance a number roules, [abound)
Else Dis builds dungeons for the damned soules.
Late neare those parts whose ruines men admire,
Where wealth superfluous idle wonders wrought,
An earth-quake strange amazement did acquire,
A 'plaine conceav'd, and forth a mountaine brought,
Which diuers dayes disgorged flames of fyre,
And stones whose substance was consum'd to nought;
Hell's fyre it seem'd which (as God's wrath) did rise,
Growne great, flam'd forth, upbraiding sinners' eyes.
Last in this land our eyes saw one of late,
Whose terrour from some mynds rests not remoov'd,
Then any else as strange, though not soe great,
Not violent, but universall prov'd,
As if of Nature's course the threatned date,
All at one houre this kingdome trembling moov'd;
The old state lothing, longing for a new,
Th' Earth leapes for joy, as straight to have her due.
But ab! who walkes, when rock'd is all this round,
Or stryves to stand though even the Earth thus starts?
Though God doth tosse this ball till it rebound,
Who, lest it part, from his corruption parts?
Ah! that the world soe sencelesse should be found,
Both Heaven and Earth doe shake, but not meu's
hearts;
Since for his word the world disdaynes to bow,
Dumbe creatures doe denounce God's iudgments
I thinke the Earth by such strange throwes would
tell,
How much she doth her present state despise;
Or else all those who in her bowels dwell,
Doe rouze themselves, as ready now to ryse:
Her belly thus growne big doth seeme to swell,
As one whose travell soone should her surprise;
And yet her broode she viper-like must free,
Whose course must end when theirs beginnes to be.
As God that day of doome strives to make knowne,
By monstrous signes which may amaze the mynde,
That judgment great by judgements is foreshowne,
Whil'st all the weapons of his wrath have shin'd,
That others may (whil'st some rest thus o'rethrowne)
Stand in the furnace of affliction fin'd;
"For still the wretched most religious prove,
And oft examples more then doctrine move."
The sword of God shall once be drunke with bloode,
And surfet on the flesh of thousands slaine
Of those who (following evill) doe flie from good,
And (scorning Christ) professe to be prophane,
From God's wine-presse of wrath shall flowe a floode,
Which shall with blood their horses' bridles stajne;
None may abide, nor yet can flie his sight,
When arm'd with vengeance God doth thundring
fight,
When, father-like, God chastising his childe,
Plagu'd all the subjects for their soveraigne's crime,
What thousands then were from the world exil'd?
Even in three dayes (so soon turnes flesh to slime)
The Earth made waste, men had no more defil'd,
Had but one angell warr'd a little time:
Since by God's word the world did made remaine,
Lesse then his look may ruine it againe.
The pestilence of wrath chiefe weapon thought,
Which of all plagues, the plague is onely call'd,
As if all else (respecting it) were nought,
It hath so much the mindes of men appall'd;
That wound by God's own hand seems onely wrought,
Whose mediate meanes scarce rest to reason thrall'd:
And in God's power above our knowledge trust.
That which we not conceive, admire we must,
That poyson'd dart, whose strength none can gaine-
God us'd but rarely (when enflam'd with wrath)
stand,
And had it once been brandish'd in his hand,
All trembling stood (as 'twixt the jawes of death)
Then now it selfe, the fame more mor'd this land,
Of that great frenzy which infects the breath:
"A thing thought strange, by habite homely proves.
What first all griefe, at last all sense removes.”
Once in one age, few dayes, and in few parts,
The pest some people to repentance urg'd,
And did with terrour strike the strongest hearts,
Whil'st his vineyard the Heaven's great husband
purg'd,
The quiver of whose wrath did raine downe darts,
By which of late what kingdome was not scourg'd?
So that men now not feare that whip of God,
Like boyes oft beaten, that contemne the rod.
This raging ague bursts so ugly out,
Till men of those whom they love best, are dread;
Whil'st danger all in every thing doe doubt, [fled,
Men by the plague (made plagues) as plagues are
And are with horrour compass'd round about,
When that contagion through the ayre is spread;
The ayre which first our breath (abus'd) doth staine,
It poison'd so, but poisons us againe.
What thing more wretched can imagin'd be,
Then is a towne where once the pest abounds?
There not one sense rests from some trouble free;
Three doe infect, and two (though pure) beare
wounds;
Oft in one hole heapes throwne at once we see,
As where to bury fear'd for want of bounds:
Yea, whil'st in plaints they spend their plaguy
breath,
Of all things that are fear'd, the least is death.
Death (whil'st no drugge this feavers force oreOft, ere the patient the physitian clames, [throwes) The ayre they draw their heate more high still blowes,
Till even what should refresh, then most enflames; Of damned soules the state their torment showes, Who gnash their teeth as cold, whil'st fry'd with flames:
And 'twixt their paines this difference but comes in, Death ends the one, the other doth beginne.
To plague those parts where Christ's owne troops do dwell,
The angell that destroyes hath most been bent,
That whom words could not move, wounds might
Ere ruine come, in time now to repent, [compell,
By paine on Earth, made thinke of paine in Hell,
As this they flye, that that they may prevent.
"What can discourage those whom Christ doth love,
To whom evil good, griefe joy, death life doth
prove?"
Where we should alwaies strive the Heaven to gaine,
By prayers, plaints, and charitable deeds,
To raise up earth on earth, our strength we straine,
So base a courage, worldly honour breeds;
This doth provoke the darts of God's disdaine,
By which of some the wounded conscience bleeds:
"All head-long runne to Hell, whose way is even;
But by a narrow path are drawn to Heaven."
of vengeance now the store-house opened stands, O what a weight of wrath the world (ah) beares! Through terrour straight, why tremble not all lands, When God in rage a throne of justice reares? And poures downe plagues whil'st brandishing his brands,
The pest now past, straight famine breeds new feares. "Still thinke that mischiefe never comes alone, Who worse presage the present lesse bemone."
Since that the world doth loath celestiall food,
That sprituall manna which soule's nectar proves,
By grace drawne forth from the Redeemer's bloud,
A gift (and no reward) given where he loves,
Those who terrestriall things thinke onely good,
Them want shall try, whom no abundance moves:
"For, ah, of some so fat the bodies be,
That of their soules they not the leannesse see.
God's creatures (oft condemn'd) shall once accuse
Those who in wantonnesse them vainely spent,
Shall unto them more sparingly be lent,
And justly, what unjustly they abuse,
That which they now superfluously use,
Shall (made a curse) not nature's need content.
"A barren soule should have a barren earth,
Oft temporall plenty breeds a spirituall dearth."
Those in the dust who still propbanely roule, Whose thorny thoughts doe choake that heavenly seed,
Which by the word was sown in every soule,
Shall likewise want what should their bodies feed:
What most they trust, shall once their hopes con-
troule,
By earthly hunger, heavenly thirst to breed.
Thus those (like babes) whose judgement is not
deepe,
Who scorn'd a treasure, shall for trifles weepe.
What sauces strange (a fault which custome cloakes)
To urge the bodie's appetite are made,
Which nature's selfe sufficiently provokes?
But of the soule, when carnall cares it leade,
What art is us'd to quicken it when dead?
The appetite which (ah) even nature choakes,
Whil'st bodies doe too much, soules nought disgest,
But when the others' fast, are fit to feast.
Base belly-gods, whose food is Sathan's bate,
Whose judgements to your taste rest onely thrall,
The lord in wrath shall cut away your meate,
And for your honey, furnish you with gall,
Like loathsome beasts since you the acornes eate,
Yet looke not up to see from whence they fall;
Sonnes prodigall, who from your father swerve,
You keeping worse then swine, shall justly sterve.
To waken some which sleepe in sinne as dead,
The Lord ere Christ doe come all states to try,
Since but abus'd, shall breake the staffe of bread,
And as we him, make th' earth us fruits deny;
The corne shall wither, and the grasse shall fade,
Then men to nurse, since rather bent to dye;
As dutifull to him by whom they breed,
God's creatures pure, his rebels scorne to feed.
Now in this time, which is the last esteem'd,
The sprites impure doe all in one conspire,
And worke that God by men may be blasphem'd,
To purchase partners of eternall fire,
That who should them condemne, hath us redeem'd,
Makes envy blow the bellowes of their ire,
Till wicked angels irritated thus,
Not seeke their safety, but to ruine us.
More neare doth draw salvation to the just,
The more the dragon's minde doth envy wound,
That men (the slaves of death, the sonnes of dust)
As heires of Heaven, with glory should be crown'd,
And that perpetuall paines they suffer must,
Though (all immortall) to no bodies bound:
As many did possess'd by sprits remaine,
When first Christ came, salvation to beginne,
So likewise now before he come againe,
Some bodies daily which they enter in,
By desp'rate meanes would be dispatch'd of paine,
Else (bound in body) loose their soules to sinne,
And if that God not interpos'd his power,
Hell's tyrant straight would every soule devoure.
In some whom God permits him to abuse,
The prince of darknesse doth at divers houres,
His subtile substance fraudfully infuse
Till they his sprite, his sprite their soules devours:
He as his owne doth all their members use,
And they (as babes with knives) worke with his
O monstrous union, miracle of evils, [powers.
Which thus with men incorporates the divels!
When erst in Delphos, after ugly cryes,
The priestresse Pythia, seeming to be sage,
Big by the Divell, delivered was of lyes,
She to the terrour of that senselesse age,
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The liquid legions by tumultuous bands (Whose bellowing billowes to transcend contend) Do oft usurpe, and sometime leave the lands, Still stor'd with monsters, which a storme portend, Whil'st, crown'd with clouds, each murmuring mountaine stands,
Which acted first, but suffer must in end:
A mighty change, Heaven's Monarch now concludes,
Flouds first quench'd flames, flames straight shall
kindle flouds.o.9737 941 han twob 300 )
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The ayre whose power impetuous nought can bounda
Doth cite all soules to God's great parliament,
Whil'st thundring tempests roare a rumbling sound,
And the last trumpet's terrour represents!
Those blasts denounce the ruine of this round,
Which Heaven in showres seemes weeping to lament
Thus waters wash, winds wipe, and both conspire,
Still panting, swolne, Hell flaming through her eyes, That th' Earth (so purg'd) may be prepar'd for fre
Roar'd forth responses by propheticke rage;
And to her lord whil'st prostituted thus,
An image was of whom he fils with us.
Of those who are possess'd in such a sort,
Some to themselves whom Sathan doth accuse,
They mad (or he in them) doe bragge, or sport,
And whilst they would the lookers on abuse;
Doe secrets (to themselves not known) report,bu
And of all tongues the eloquence can use:
IMMORTALL monarch, ruler of the rounds, 17
Embalme my bosome with a secret grace,con. 7.1'
Whilst, lifted up above the vulgar bounds, of S
A path not pav'd my spirit aspires to trace,
That I with brazen breath may roare forth sounds,
To shake the heart, fixe palenesse in the face:
Lord, make my swelling voice (a mighty winde)
Lift up the low, beate downe the loftie minde.
What dreadfull sound doth thunder in myne cares?
What pompous splendour doth transport myne eyes?
I wot not what above my selfe me beares,
He comes, he comes who all hearts' secrets tryes.
Shout, shout for joy who long have rayn'de downe
[prise
Houle, houle for griefe you who vaine ioyes most
Now shall be built, and on eternall grounds,
The height of horrour, pleasure passing bounds.
Now (noe more firme) the firmament doth flie, DIÁ
As leapes the deere fled from the hunter's face;
Loe, like a drunkard reeles the cristall skied W
As garments old degraded from their grace,
All folded up Heaven's blew pavilion spie,
Which with a noyse doth vanish from the place; - &
The lanterne burnt, light utters utter worth,
Drawne are the hangings, majestie comes forth.,
Who can abide the glory of that sight, arot food
Which kills the living, and the dead doth rayse,
With squadrons compass'de, ungels flaming bright, A
Whom thousands serve, ten thousand thousands
My soule entranc'd is ravish'd with that light, T Which in a moment shall the world amazena That of our sprite which doth the powers condensed Of muddy mortalls farre transcends the sense in hos
A fyre before him no resistence findes,
Fierce sounds of horrour thunder in each eare,
The noyse of armies, tempests, and whirlewindes,
A weight of wrath, more than ten worlds can beare;
Thinke what a terrour stings distracted mindes,
When mountaines melt, and valleys burst for feare;
What? what must this in guilty mortalls breede,
While all this all doth tremble like a reede?
The God of battels battell doth intend,
To daunt the nations, and to fetter kings;
He with all flesh in judgment to contend,
At mid-night comes as on the morning wings.
O! tyme's last period expectations end,
Which due rewards for what hath past then brings;
The Lord's great day, a day of wrath, and paine,
Whose night of darkenesse never cleares againe.
That element still cleare in spight of nights,
Which (as most subtle) mounted up above,
To kindle there perchance those glorious lights,
Which dy'd by it, as deck'd by beauty, move;
Or else of curious thoughts too ventrous flights,
(As which may not be touch'd) a bounds to prove,
That they presume not higher things to see,
Than are the elements of which they be.
Marke how th' Eolian bands loos'd from the bounds,
Where them in fetters their commander keeps,
(As if the angry sprite of all the rounds)
Like tyrants rage,till Heaven to quench them weeps.
Whose rumbling fury, whil'st it all confounds,
Doth cleave the clouds, and part the deepest deeps,
By noyse above, and violence below,
Th' earthquakes and thunder both at once to show.
Even so fire which was made (nought to annoy)
To liquid limits clos'd with clouds-retire,
Lest what it fosters, it might else destroy,
O! when enlarg'd! and kindled by God's ire,
It him at mid-night doth as torch convoy,
All, all will seeme a piramide of fire:
To God what is this universall frame?
Now but a mote, at last a little flame?
The axel-trees on which Heaven's round doth move,
Shrunke from their burden, both fall broken down;
Those which to pilots point out from above,
Their wayes through waves to riches or renowne,
And so (though fix'd) the strayers helpers prove,
Night's stately lampes borne in an azure crowne:
Those guiding starres, may (as not needfull) fall,
When worldlings' wandrings are accomplish'd all.
The vagabonds above, lascivious lights, [mire,
Which from foud mindes that did their course adBy strange effects observ'd from severall heights, (As deities) idol's altars did acquire, Thrown from their spheres, expos'd to mortals' (As abject ashes, excrements of fire:) They (whilst thus ruin'd) farre from what before, Shall damne the nations which did them adore.
With lodgings twelve design'd by severall signs,
Now falls that building more than cristall cleare,
Which daye's bright eye(though circling all)confines,
Still tempring times, and seasoning the yeare;
All temporall light (no more to rise) declines,
That glory may eternally appeare:
All then made infinite, no bounds attend,
Times and half times quite past, time takes an end,
As slimy vapours whil'st like starres they fall,
Then Pleiades, Arcturus, Orion, all
Shot from their place, do hurle alongst the skie,
The glistering troupes (lights languishing) doe dye;
Like other creatures to confusion thrall,
They from the flames (as sparkes from fire) doe flye;
The Heavens at last, griev'd for their falling spheares,
(All else dry'd up) weep down their stars for teares.
As leaves from trees, the stars from Heaven doe sbake,
Darke clouds of smoke, exhausting those of raine,
The Moone all turnes to bloud, the Sunne grows
blacke,
Which (whil'st prodigious formes they doe retaine)
Of vengeance badges, signs of ruine make,
And not ecclips'd by usual meanes remaine:
Those common lights obscur'd, the just shine bright,
The wicked enter in eternall night.
Whil'st staggering reels this universall frame,
The Lord doth tread on clouds, enstall'd in state,
His scepter iron, his throne a fiery flame,
To bruise the mighty, and to fine the great;
Who of his glory can the greatnesse dreame,
That once was valued at a little rate?
He by his word did first make all of nought,
And by his word shall judge all of each thought.
When God his people did together draw,
On Sion's mount to register his will,
He (that they might attend with reverent aw)
Came clad with clouds (sterne trumpets sounding
shrill)
[law)
And threatened death (whil'st thundering forth his
To all that durst approach the trembling hill:
What compassed with death, he thus did give,
Ah, who can keep, or violate, and live?
Since this confounding forme did, mindes to tame,
(That of their yoke all might the burden know)
Those dreadfull statutes terribly proclaime;
All flesh for feare shall fade away below,
How they were kept when God a count doth claime,
A time of terrour more than words can show.
He gave in mercy, shall exact with ire,
The mountaine smok'd, the world shall burn on fire.
In spite of nature's powers, which then expire,
Through liquid limits breaking from above,
Loe, downwards tends the tempest of this fire;
The airie region doth a fornace prove,
To boile her guests (as vessell of God's ire)
Which tortur'd there can no where else remove:
Flames which should still for their confusion rage,
Thus kindled first perchance nought can asswage.
The growing creatures which do mount so high,
And as their earthly bounds they did disdaine,
Would (whil'st their tops encroach upon the skie)
Base men upbraid, who not their strength do straine
With heavenly helps still higher up to flie,
And spurne at th' Earth where rooted they remaine;
Those leavie bands while as they fanne the ayre,
As fittest baits for fire first kindle there.
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