Where not so much as dreams of light may shine, Nor any thought of greenness, leaf or bark. And yet, as if some deep hate and dissent, Bred in thy growth betwixt high winds and thee, Were still alive, thou dost great storms resent Before they come, and know'st how near they be. Else all at rest thou lyest, and the fierce breath So murthered man, when lovely life is done, And his blood freez'd, keeps in the center still Some secret sense, which makes the dead blood run At his approach that did the body kill. And is there any murth'rer worse than sin? Than true remorse, when with past sins at strife? He that hath left life's vain joys and vain care, But though thus dead unto the world, and ceas'd From sin, he walks a narrow, private way; Yet grief and old wounds make him sore displeas'd, And all his life a rainy, weeping day. For though he should forsake the world, and live But as shades set off light, so tears and grief, Though of themselves but a sad blubber'd story, By shewing the sin great, shew the relief Far greater, and so speak my Saviour's glory. If my way lies through deserts and wilde woods, Where all the land with scorching heat is curst, Better the pools should flow with rain and floods To fill my bottle than I die with thirst. Blest showers they are, and streams sent from above, But these chaste fountains flow not till we dye: Rom. vi. 7. He that is dead is freed from sin. Of THE JEWS. WHEN the fair year your Deliverer comes, And that long frost which now benums Your hearts shall thaw; when angels here Shall yet to man appear, And familiarly confer Beneath the oke.and juniper; Which now these many, many springs Hath kept above, Shall with spread wings Descend, and living waters flow To make drie dust, and dead trees grow; O then that I Might live, and see the olive bear And, without root and sap, decay, For as your fast and foul decays, Forerunning the bright morning star, Did sadly note his healing rayes Would shine elsewere, since you were blind, And would be cross, when God was kinde, So, by all signs Our fulness too is now come in ; And the same sun, which here declines And sets, will few hours hence begin To rise on you again, and look Towards old Mamre and Eshcol's brook. For surely He Who lov'd the world so as to give His onely Son to make it free, Whose Spirit too doth mourn and grieve To see man lost, will for old love From your dark hearts this veil remove. Faith sojourn'd first on earth in you, You were the eldest childe; and, when Thus, Righteous Father! doest thou deal By turns, and timely, and so heal P BEGGING. AYE do not go ! thou know'st I'll dye! To lend me, though from far, one look! My sins long since have made thee strange, No morning meetings since this change, Why is my God thus slow and cold, Well fare those blessed days of old, O do not thou do as I did, Do not despise a love-sick heart! What though some clouds defiance bid, Thy sun must shine in every part. Though I have spoil'd, O spoil not thou! Hate not thine own dear gift and token! Poor birds sing best, and prettiest show, When their nest is faln and broken. * Ishmael. |