Thus there broke forth a strong and vigorous flame, And almost melted down my mortal frame.

III.

But when thy bloody fweat and death I view,
I own (dear Lord) the conqueft of thy love,
Thou doft my highest flights outdo,

I in a lower orb, and flower move.

Thus in this ftrife's a double weakness fhewn, Thy love I cannot equal, nor yet bear my own.

W

The IMPATIENT.

1.

HAT envious laws are thofe of Fate,
Which fix a gulph (bleft fouls) 'twixt
us and you!

How 'twou'd refresh and chear our mortal state,
When our dejected looks confefs
The emptiness of earthly blifs,

[view!

Could we in this black night your brighter glories

II.

Vain comfort when I thus complain

To hear the wife and folemn gravely say,
Your grief and curiofity reftrain,

Death will e'er long this bar remove,
And bring you to the bleft above,

[ftay..

Till then with this great profpect all your longings

III.

But ah the joy peculiar here

Does from the greater excellence arife,
"Twill be worth nothing in an equal sphere.
Let me your noble converfe have

Bleft Spirits, on this fide the grave,
I fhall hereafter be as great as you, as wife.

IV.

Befides, when plung'd in blifs divine 1 fhall not tafte, nor need this lesser joy.

D 6

What

What comfort then does from this profpect shine-> 'Tis juft as if in depth of night, You rob a traveller of his light;

And promife to reftore't when 'tis clear day.

Bless

CONTENT.

I.

my Stars. I envy none,

Not great, nor wealthy, no nor yet the wise,
I've learnt the art to like my own,

And what I can't attain to, not to prife.
Vaft tracts of learning I defcry

Beyond the sphere perhaps of my activity,
And yet I'm ne'er the more concern'd at this,
Than for the gems that lie in the profound abyfs.

II.

Should I my proper lot. difdain

As long as farther good eclipfes mine,
I may t' Eternity complain,
And in the manfions of the bleft repine.

There fhall I numbers vaft efpy

Offorms more excellent,more wife,more bleft than I. fhall not then lament m' unequal fate.

And why fitould larger profpects now moleft my ftate? III.

Where all in equal stations move,

What place for harmony can there be found?
The lower fpheres with thofe above
Agree, and dance as free and briskly round.
Degrees of effences confpire,

As well as various notes t'accomplish Heaven's quire
Thus would I have't below, nor will I care
So the refult be harmony, what part I bear.

Against

WE

Against KNOWLEDGE.

1.

WELL, let it be the cenfure of the wife,
That wisdom none but fools defpife:
I like not what they gravely preach,
And must another doctrine teach.

Since all's fo falfe and vain below,
There's nought so indiscreet as this, to know.

II.

The thoughtless, dull, and lefs difcerning mind,
No flaws in earthly joys can find,
He closes with what courts his fight,
All coin will pafs by his dim light.
Though often baulk'd, he hopes for rest,
Sleeps on and dreams, and is in error bleft.
III.

But he that has refin'd and high-rais'd fenfe,
Can nothing tafte but excellence.
Nor can he nature's faults fupply,
By fancy's happy imag❜ry.

He fees that all fruition's vain,

Can't taste the prefent, nor yet trust again."

IV.

Our joys, like tricks, do all on cheats depend,
And when once known, are at an end.
Happy and wife, two bleffings are
Which meet not in this mortal sphere;
Let me be ignorant below,

And when I've folid good, then let me know.

ELL, now I needs must own,

WE

That I hate greatnefs more and more; 'Tis now a juft abhorrence grown

What was antipathy beforę:

II.

Your native glory does fo far out-do
That of the fphere wherein you move,
That I can nothing but your felf in you
Obferve, admire, efteem or love.
You are a diamond fet in gold,

The curious, the rich ftone, not this behold.
III.

All that to your late honour you can owe
Is only that you're brought in view;
You don't begin to have, but men to know,
Your votaries are increas'd, not you.
So the Sun's height add's not t' his light,
But only does expofe him more to fight.

IV.

To some whofe native worth more dimly fhin'd
Honour might fome improvement give,
As metals which the Sun has lefs refin'd
A value from their ftamp receive.

But you like gold, pafs for no more

Tho ftamp'd,than for your weight you wou'd before.

A Divine Hymn on the CREATION.

A

Wake, my lyre, and thy fweet forces joyn
With me to fing an hymn divine,

Let both our trains in pleafing numbers flow 3

But fee, thy ftrings with tedioufnels and pain
Arife into a tuneful train,

How canft thou filent Iye?'.

The univerfe is harmony,

Awake, and move by fympathy,

My heart's already tuned, O why arthou fo flow!!

II.

Jehovah is our theme, th' erernal King,

Whofe praife admiring Angels fing, They fee with fteddy and attentive eyes

His naked beauties, and from vifion raife
To wondrous heights their love and praise.
We mortals only view

His back-parts, and that darkly too,
We must fall fhort, what fhall we do,
But neither too can they up to his grandeur rise.

III.

No power can justly praise him but must be
As great, as infinite as he,

He comprehend's his boundless felf alone,
Created minds too fhallow are and dim
His works to fathom, much more him.
Our praife at height will be
Short by a whole infinity,

Of all his glorious Deity,

He cannot have the full, and ftands in need of none.

IV.

He can't be lefs, nor can he more receive,
But ftands one fix'd fuperlative.
He's in himself compendiously blest;
We, acted by the weights of strong defire,
To good without our felves afpire,
We're always moving hence

Like lines from the circumference,
To fome more in-lodg'd excellence.
But he is one unmov'd felf-center'd point of reft.

V..

Why then, if full of bliss that ne'er could cloy,
Would he do ought but ftill enjoy?
Why not indulge his felf-fufficing ftate,
Live to himself at large, calm and secure,
A wife eternal epicure?

Why fix days work to frame

A monument of praife and fame
To him whofe blifs is ftill the fame?

What need the wealthy cain, or he that's bleft create?

VI.

Almighty love the faireft gem that fhone

All-round, and half made up his throne,
His favourite and darling excellence,
Whom oft he would his royal virtue ftyle,
And view with a peculiar fmile,

LO