Classic Poem

131

How can it be that God should see
his Creatures endless pain,
Or hear the groans and rueful moans,
and still his wrath retain?
Can it agree with Equitie?
can mercy have the heart
To recompence few years offence
with Everlasting smart?

132

Can God delight in such a sight
as sinners misery?
Or what great good can this our blood
bring unto the most High?
Oh, thou that dost thy Glory most
in pard'ning sin display!
Lord, might it please thee to release,
and pardon us this day?

133

Unto thy Name more glorious fame
would not such mercy bring?
Would not it raise thine endless praise,
more than our suffering?
With that they cease, holding their peace,
but cease not still to weep;
Grief ministers a flood of tears,
in which their words to steep.

134

But all too late, grief's out of date,
when life is at an end.
The glorious King thus answering,
all to his voice attend:
God gracious is, quoth he, like his
no mercy can be found;
His Equity and Clemency
to sinners do abound.

135

As may appear by those that here
are plac'd at my right hand;
Whose stripes I bore, and clear'd the score,
that they might quitted stand
For surely none, but God alone,
whose Grace transcends mens thought,
For such as those that were his foes
like wonders would have wrought.

136

And none but he such lenitee
and patience would have shown
To you so long, who did him wrong,
and pull'd his judgments down.
How long a space (O stiff neck'd race)
did patience you afford?
How oft did love you gently move,
to turn unto the Lord?

137

With Cords of love God often strove
your stubborn hearts to tame:
Nevertheless your wickedness,
did still resist the same
If now at last Mercy be past
from you for evermore,
And Justice come in Mercies room,
yet grudge you not therefore.

138

If into wrath God turned hath
his long long suffering,
And now for love you vengeance prove,
it is an equal thing.
Your waxing worse, hath stopt the course
of wonted Clemency:
Mercy refus'd, and Grace misus'd,
call for severity.

139

It's now high time that ev'ry Crime
be brought to punishment:
Wrath long contain'd, and oft restrain'd,
at last must have a vent:
Justice severe cannot forbear
to plague sin any longer,
But must inflict with hand most strict
mischief upon the wronger.

140

In vain do they for Mercy pray,
the season being past,
Who had no care to get a share
therein, while time did last.
The man whose ear refus'd to hear
the voice of Wisdoms cry,
Earn'd this reward, that none regard
him in his misery.