Classic Poem

Now , o're the Eastern Mountaines Headles heigh
We see that Eye (by which our Eies do see)
To peepe, as it would steale on Theeuish Night ,
Which from that EyeS -sight, like a Theefe doth flee
Least by the Same it should surprized be:
Then, is it time (my Muse ) thy wings to stretch
(Sith they are short, too short the worse for thee)
For, this daies Iournie hath a mightie Reach,
And manie a compasse thou therein must fetch.

Thou shouldst be pow'rfull in thy Winges [too weake]
Sith thou flee'st after Pow'r omnipotent:
Which may with labor, both thy Pinions breake:
And spend thy strongest Sp'rits ere they are spent:
Then recollect them to pursue thy intent.
This Powr's almightie, endlesse, infinite ,
Still most vnknown, yet, still most eminent:
Which none but O NE can hold by wrong or right;
For, if two had it, it were definite.

Of this, no Creature can be capable:
For, it can but receiue what it can hold:
And it can hold no more then it is able:
For if a Bucket in the Sea we should
Let downe, at once, t'exhaust it, if we could,
Yet that therein ingulph'd, could take no more
Then meerely but so much as fill it would;
Which in respect of that Flouds boundlesse Store.
Is, as no drop at all, the Bucket bore.

This Pow'r is euermore accompanied
Which two Consociates, that still glad, or griue;
Which Grace , and Iustice are entitled;
Yet more that Pow'r , by Grace with some doth thriue
Then doth, at other some, his Iustice driue
Which Pow'r , by either, is not euer like:
(Though in it selfe, it still alike doth thriue)
For, sometimes more, (aswell in proud as meeke )
Then other some, they do or stroke, or strike

And, in the Guifts of high'st Beneficence
This well appears, which in themselues are pure:
But yet, in vs not so: for, much offence
They giue the Giuer , by their state impure;
And such They be, sith it's not in our pow'r
So to receiue Them as they simple be;
But as we can: and, we can but immure,
Those Sp'rituall Guifts with Fleshes sluttery:
Thus Finite ne're can hold Infinitie .

Then, to be God , and be omnipotent
Is both in substance , one thing really:
Yet is that Pow'r (though ne're so preualent)
Not able Gods to make; moue Locally;
Deny himselfe; change, be vniust, or lye:
And many more such like he cannot do:
Sith in his Pow'r , is none Infirmitie
For, if he could do these; then, were he T WO ;
Both good , and bad and, either finite too.

Nor, is it (as some dreame) that by his Might
He can do all Impossibilities
Sith nought's impossible (bee't wrong, or right
As they suppose) to Pow'r without Comprise;
So, in his Will [they say] his Goodnesse lies
As if he would, he could do passing Ill ,
But that he will not: fond thought! most vnwise!
Can perfect goodnesse , perfect ill fulfill?
If so it can, it's most imperfect still.

His Pow'r (I grant) hath force it selfe t'extend
To endlesse Things, for number, infinite:
Though in his changelesse Will now all haue end:
So, cannot (for his Will ) do all he might;
Nor, cannot (for his Pow'r ) doo ought vnright
Nor yet, doth he his freedome lose hereby,
That, to his Will , doth so himselfe vnite;
Sith still his Will , and He hold vnity,
Then, bee'ng but O NE haue onelyest Liberty!

Nor, can He make that That which Is , is not:
For, then he Nought should make; which cannot Bee
For Nought can ne're be made, much lesse be'got;
Sith it's lesse then Priuation in degree;
Though He of Nought made all Things perfectly:
Yet, could he cause that Christ Is not, and Is ,
Then could he cause Nought Men should iustifie;
Which were repugnant to that Truth of his,
That flat affirmes, Christ cheefely worketh This

His Pow'r to two Things He hath fastned then,
That is to Nature still for Orders sake:
And to his W ORD , for his Words sake to Men;
That so they might his Word the rather take;
Who can aswell himselfe, as it forsake:
Yet, N AIVRES Bounds his Pow'r doth oft transcend,
When it works Miracles , Men good to make:
But past his W ORD it neuer can extend:
Sith it is That, which neuer can haue end.

So then, he can do whatsoere he will;
But yet he will not do what ere he can:
For he could melt the Heau'ns the Earth to spill:
But will not, nor destroy the righteous Man ,
Though all the World a Deluge ouer ran
He will not do so: sith he will not so:
The reason of his Will , his Will doth scan:
But, he that would the samEyet further kno,
Looke in his Word, but no step further go.

He can do nought but what is good , and iust;
And though that all he doth be simply so,
Yet doth it not ensue, that needs he must
Do what he doth; and, likewise do no mo
Lest he his Grace and Iustice should forgo:
No: if he would do more, or otherwise;
All should be good, and iust which he should do:
For, hee's the fount of G OODNES , whence doth rise
Pow'r infinite, all good to exercise!

But, some affirme that he can do no mo,
But what he did foresee he should performe
By his Pow'r actuall the same is so:
But his Pow'r Absolute can that reforme;
And make much more, in much more better forme:
So, though he, through his Purpose, did foresee
What he would do; yet did himselfe informe
That he could do much more, then now can Be
Because his Purpose is as fast , as free

But he saw all, he made, was perfect good:
Then could they not, by nature, better be:
He must haue chang'd their Essence with their mood
If he had made them better in degree;
Sith, in their kinds, he Them did perfect see:
No Pow'r can multiply a Numbers Store
But it must change the Number really:
So Man as he was made his Fall before,
Was good: if better; then, a Man no more

We meane, as he was good essentially:
For, accidentally, no doubt, he might
Haue bin complish't much more perfectly,
With neither Will , nor Pow'r to do vnright:
And haue continued in that perfect plight
Yet, as Immortall Saints are Men no more
Then we: so we though made more exquisite,
Should be but Men (as we were made before)
For, Fooles are Men aswell as Isidore .

But O! had he so pleas'd t'haue made Man staid,
Man had beene staidly-blest, till his remoue:
For, hence, at last, he should haue beene conuai'd
To stay for euer Motion farre aboue;
But how remou'd, God knowes; I cannot proue
Assumpted, some suppose; but howsoe're,
It should haue bin as best should Man behoue:
The Way could not haue bin throgh Death or Fear
For, Sinne made Them, els they had bin no where

But, why he made Man to His constant Forme .
Yet, made him changeable; so, most vnlike:
And why his Sonne endur'd his Angers Storme
Sith so Man chang'd; I am heerein to seeke;
But sure I am for It Hee Him did strike.
Could He resolue before he gaue the Wound
With his owne Paines (past Paines ) to heale the Sicke,
When with more ease he might haue kept them sound?
He did; and what he doth hath perfect ground.

Though he were G OD : yet suffe'rd he in Flesh
Such Agonies , as made that Flesh to sweat
Both Blood and Water ; which came streaming fresh
From all his Parts , to coole his Angers heat,
As he was God: which is as hot as great!
Nay, it was such, that, though true G OD he were
Yet, that the Cup might passe, he did intreat;
So much he did ensuing Torments feare,
Which he came to sustaine; yet, fear'd to beare!

His Glory was the Marke whereat did ayme
The Shame and Torments which he did sustaine!
Yet, why? sith he all glory wel might claime
As his owne Right , without so strange a Straine
As to endure for Glory shamefull paine:
But O! the depth of al Profundity
His Iudgements! ├┤ who can attaine
To know his Councels, ful of mistery!
Not one, not God as Man; then much lesse I!

It was his suffrance, and it was his will,
That man, made stailesse, so should fall, and rise:
So he permitted, not desired ill;
Or, if he Ill desir'd, t'was Good precise:
For ill he cannot will, thats onely wise:
Damnation's ill but in respect of vs:
But in regard of him, quite otherwise!
Then, if he will'd it, it were righteous,
Which makes (as well as Grace ) him glorious!

Mans Free-will was the Cause of all the ill
Beneath the Sunne ; which God did well fore-see:
Yet sith Mans dignity requir'd Free-will ,
No Man without it, could his Essence be;
Much lesse with Gods Forme could his Form agree:
For, by his Free-wil , and Intelligence
He is the Image of the Diety
And hauing ouer All preheminence,
I was fit he should command his Will and Sence

And though the Diuine wisedome did foresee
He would abuse Free-wil , to his decay;
Yet, with that Wisedome, it doth well agree,
To let him on his owne Supporters stay;
To stand vpright, or downeright fall away:
That so Gods Grace , and Iustice might appeare,
Which due Rewards and Punishments bewray:
Both which [as vselesse] quite extinguisht were
If Man from his foule Fall , had stil bin cleare

He knew that, through temptation, Man would sinne
Yet, made him apt in foulest sinne to slide;
Sith he fore-saw the good that Ill within
Made for his greater Glory ; sith he dide,
That Man then dead, might still in life abide;
Deeming it better ill should still consist,
That he through it might more be glorifi de
By doing highest Good , for Euill high'st,
Then that there should no Ill at all exist.

Yet he gaue Man not onely freest Will,
But, with it, Reason and Intelligence
To choose the Good , and to reiect the Ill ,
Sith he had heard t'would wound his Conscience,
And Diuine Iustice mightily incense:
So, had he Meanes the force of Ill to foile,
Had he but vs'd them with ful confidence;
But willingly he fel before the Broile:
So, freely did [though charg'd to fight] recoile.

Yet, was he framed so, that if he had
On God relide, as he both might and should,
He had o'recome in fight; but being mad
With Diulish pride; fell as the Deuill would:
Sith willingly of God, he loost his hold.
That man might see, God could not be distrest
For want of him, or what performe he could,
He made him free, to serue whom he likt best:
So, Sinne he seru'd, at his Freewils request

But yet the good which we by Sinne receaue,
Doth farre surmount the Ill that comes from thence:
If God, the World of Ill should quite beraue
There were no Test to try our Sapience ,
So, might want Reason , and Intelligence
But, we haue both to know the Good from Bad ,
So, know we God , and our Soules safe defence;
Then sith, by Ill , we are so well bestad,
We cannot greeue for ill but must be glad!

For, were there no Temptation , then, no Fight
And if no fight ; no Victory could bee:
No Victory ; no Palmes , nor Vertues white:
No Crosse , no Crowne of immortality :
And thus from Il comes good abundantly:
For, by the Conquest of it, we are Crown'd
With glorie, in secure felicity:
So, from great Ills , more Goods to vs redoun'd,
As oft most Sicknesse maketh vs most sound!

Ill (like a Mole vpon the W ORLDS faire Cheeke )
Doth stil set forth that Fairenes much the more:
She were to seeke much Good were Ill to seeke:
For, Good by Ill increaseth strength, and store;
At least in our Conceit, and Vertues Lore
" There's nought so euill that is good for nought:
[God giuing vs a Salue for ev'ry Sore]
The Good are humbled by their euil'st Thought:
So, to the Good , al's good that Ill hath wrought!

Then, better say some thinges cannot be done
Then that he cannot do them . For, he can
Do al that can be done; whose Pow'r is One
With his owne Essence infinite; and than
He can do more then can be thought by Man
If he could, sin could feare , could Weare could Dy :
These Coulds are sicke; no Paraclesian
Can cure them of their great infirmity:
For, to be able, so's debility;
And not so able, highest Potency!

So can his Pow'r , his Wil not straine, nor bow,
How ere it seemes to do it to our Sence :
Nor, can it do it, truely, but in show;
If truely we could see the Cause from whence
That shew proceeds by our Intelligence:
For, he is reall; and, doth hate to seeme:
Sith it doth strongly argue Impotence;
But when he seemes to mis-do, we misdeeme,
That still his workes of Iustice , disesteeme

Nor, chang'd he state, when He, in firy Tongues
Descended on his Darlings for, that Show
To vs, as Men, not him, as God , belongs;
Who cannot see him otherwise then so:
But, He, in forme confined, cannot go:
For if he were confin'd, he were no where;
Sith, by the same, he should his state forgo:
But, he to vs, doth often so appeare
(His state vnchang'd) as our weake state may beare

Nor chang'd he mind when as his Will reueal'd
He altred; as he did for Niniuy ,
Because he chang'd not then his Will conceal'd;
Which was to saue it through his Clemency:
Who knew they would repent, er'e they should die
And, touching him, for whom the Sunne went back
To crosse his will, erst show'n apparantly,
His secret Will , did That reuealed, wrack,
That one might firmely liue, by th'others lack

Heere am I Clouded with a Mistery
That makes my Muses Eyes quite lose their sight:
O Heau'nly Wisedome , Sonne of Verity ,
Disolue this Cloud , and lend those Eyes thy light,
To find this Truth , which is obscured quite:
For onely- Goodnesse can no Euill will;
Yet Ill it wills: but turnes that wronge, to right:
But, how he should a Wronge a right fulfill
Here lies the Maze , my Muse amazing still!

Yet, by the Clew of his directing Word
W'are led to say, he suffers Ill to Bee
With right good will; to make Ill more abhord
When it is Parraleld with Piety ,
Yet wils, what he permits, vnwillingly:
For, Ill he wils not, that good thence should spring,
Which to his Will , and Word were contrary:
And yet, against his Will can Be no thing:
So, wils a crosse in crosse considering.

Yet Contradictions, in one kind of Sense ,
He cannot [though he most almighty be]
Cause to exist: for that were violence,
To Nature , Truth , and his owne Equity ;
Which in great Pow'r , were great Infirmity ;
But, sith the Rule of Goodnesse , is his Will ,
Ill , is not Ill , that he wils willingly;
Because his Will to good conuerteth Ill
So, ill is good if he performe it stil

He did commaund him, who did hope, past hope,
To kill his onely Sonne ; which was not ill:
Because that euill hath no euill Scope
That is confin'd by his exact good Will
The Iudge that doomes death iustly, doth not kill:
Shimey Curst Dauid by the like commaund;
And yet the same he iustly did fulfill:
For, in the Bidders will no Ill can stand,
Sith by it Right is rul'd, with vpright Hand.

In Synne two Things we chiefely must respect
The Act it selfe; and Its deformity:
The Act (though it be euill in effect)
Yet, hath a Beeing , so, is good thereby;
For G OODNES , Beings made most righteously:
But, as it is deform'd, tis a Defect ;
So, not of G OD (free from Deficiency )
Who is an A CT ; and works, without neglect,
All Beings Being, be they low, or hye,
So, though we lie in Him, He doth not lye.

For, as one managing a Courser lame
Doth put him too't, to vse those Limbs of his,
That he doth stirre, his Rider works the same;
But, that he lamely stirs, his fault it is;
That through his lamenesse stirreth still amisse:
So: That we doo , of God the cause is still;
But that we doo Ill , we, too blame for This:
Then, not for dooing , but, for dooing Ill ,
We are condemn'd, as Steedes that stumble will.

We are condemn'd, and iustly so we are;
Sith Synn's the high contempt of his good Will ;
Synne is the Cause effecting all our care;
And with Confusion all the World doth fill,
Which is the Ill , producing eu'ry Ill :
All breake-backe Crosses , which we vndergo,
Are cast vpon vs, by this Euill still:
In Summe , it makes this World a Sea of Wo ,
Wherein we, sincking swim; tost to, and fro.

When I behold a Towne [erst fairely built]
Which Time (dissmantling) doth in Heapes confuse,
Thus say I to my selfe; Here Men haue dwelt ,
And, where Men dwell there Syn to raigne doth use.
And where Syn raignes Confusion still ensues!
Thus, from beginning to the End , I fall
Of this rude Chaos , (whereon moues my Muse )
And all the way I see Sinne ruin'd all;
So Synn's the Soule of Ills in generall

The Plague (which late our Mother-C ITTY scour'd
And erst the K INGDOME made halfe desolate!)
The H EAV'NS (through Aire contagious) on it pour'd
For odious Syns, which them exasperate,
For which they oft dissolue the Crownes of S TATE .
Likewise the D ELVGE (that did rince this R OVND )
Came, (sith foule Synne did it contaminate)
To make it cleane, and so to keepe it sound,
Else filthy Synne that B ALL would cleane confound.

Then, ├┤ how blest are they that dye to Sinne,
And liue to neuer dying Rightousnesse!
They, in this Sea of Misery, begin
To enter in the Hau'n of happinesse ;
Though ouerwhelm'd the while withall distresse:
For, in a Calme we fall to frolike it;
Or sleepe secure in Pleasures idlenesse:
Which doth preuent the Wil , corrupt the Wit
Vntill our Stearne be torne, and Keele be split.

With Thornes he Hedgeth in his Minions Way ,
That if they tread awry, they prick their feet:
So, thus Hedg'd in, they cannot go astray;
Or, if they do, their feet with Thornes do meet,
That make them strait go right through sharp regreet
But, with the Reprobate it is not so:
Their waies are wide, & faire, and smoth, and sweet:
So that, in all lose liberty, they go
Through Worlds of Pleasure , to a World of Wo .

Thus, is this Pow'r diuine, to Grace connext
For those that are to Glory preordain'd;
Yet, by that Pow'r , and Grace they stil are vext
For, want of Pow'r , and Grace to haue refrain'd
Some Synne which they perhaps haue intertain'd.
But touching the remorceles Reprobate
This Pow'r to Iustice euermore is chain'd:
Yea often Gifts of Grace , through secret hate
Do fat them vp for death in frolicke state.

Now, on this Pow'r of his Almightines
Hangs that greate Question in Religion
For which so many [with rare hardines)
Their Liuelihoods , and Liues haue erst forgon:
" But though Mens Faiths be diuers: Truth's but One.
To vrge his Pow'r , our Faith to strengthen still,
In that wherein his will is simply show'n
We iustly may: else, do we passing ill
To presse his Pow'r against his holy Will .

Hence may we take incoragement to giue
(With open hand) to those that are in neede:
For supernaturally he can releeue
Those that fast oft, the hungry Soule to feed,
Sith they are rarely constant in their Creed!
But now (alas) this free Beneuolence
Is shunned as a superstitious deede:
To offer [as some weene] the Poore our Pence
We make an Idoll of their Indigence .

Yet, nought's more sure then that that Members dead
That hath no feeling of his Fellowes paine:
So, if this fellow-feeling once be fled
From those that Faith professe, their Faith is vaine:
And they in Death insencibly remain;
A faithfull Heart, doth make an open Hand;
And, in all harts, an open Hand doth raigne:
For, they by Reasons rule should most command
That (like God) most releeue, on Sea and Land.

Riches (like Thornes ) laid on the open Hand
Do it no hurt; but gript hard, wound it deepe:
So, while a Man his Riches can command
He may command the World , and safely sleepe:
For, all men bound to him, to him will stand;
And from all Wants , and Woes him safely keepe:
But, they whose hands are clos'd by Auarice ,
Ly open to all Hate , and Preiudice .

From this almighty Pow'r , in deep'st distresse,
We fetch our Anchor ( Hope ) our selues to stay;
Where safe we lie [though plung'd in wretchednes]
For, well we wot, we neuer can decay
While, neuer-falling Pow'r our Sterne doth sway:
And, sith it's mighty, most in Clemency
[If wilfully we do not fall away]
We are secur'st in greatest iobardy,
Sith on that Pow'r alone we then rely.

All that G OD promiseth he hath a Will
(A willing will) to make good euery way:
And, what his Wil is willing to fulfill,
His Pow'r performes; and so his Will doth sway
Almighty Pow'r , which freely, doth obay:
Then, none can feare his Promises can faile
That his Omnipotency well doth waigh;
Sith as he wils that Pow'r doth still preuaile;
Then, Crosse we both, when we in Crosses quaile.

It that, of Nothing [onely with a Word]
Made this huge twy-form'd Fabrick which we see,
Can all assure, that is by It assur'd:
For, what It wils, it can; what ere it be!
Who doubts hereof denies the Diety .
Then, as we would not Athiests be in fact,
We must [like God] to all his Likes, be free:
For though our Sanctity doth seeme exact,
If nought we giue, nought is our holiest Act.

For, to beleeue alone, God died for Man,
And not to liue as we, in God , should dy
Our Faith is thus, but an Historian;
Liuing to Truth , and dead in Verity;
For, Faith liues not, if dead in Charity :
Who speake like God , and yet like Deuils do,
Speake Truth to their Damnation; for, his Eye
That sees their Words and Deeds are euer two
Doth doom them by their words, and damne them too.

Whose Pow'r doth muzzle Lions , Deepes deuide,
Make forceles fire , from scath to saue his Frends;
And, none that euer on the same relide
Had worse then heav'nly, if vntimely ends:
For it, in death, from Death his Saints defends!
It, from the dust of the obscurest Graue,
Doth raise to Glory What on It depends:
And from the deepnesse of the swelling Waue,
Doth lift to Heau'n all those It wils to saue.

In Summe , sith nothing is impossible
That good is, to his all-performing Pow'r
We should (with Hope and Frailties Spectacle
Which that Sea-damming Monster did deuou'r)
Depend thereon; and so, in Death be sure.
But now the greatest Taper in the Sky
Doth, like a Candle in the Socket dure;
Which seemes as it were at the point to die
Then die a while (dul'd Muse ) for Company.