| |
| MAN 1 of polluted lips, dar’st thou aspire | |
| So high a worke? Call for celestiall fire; | |
| Invoke some holy hand to guide thy pen, | |
| Some circumcized heart to teach thee: when | |
| Thou but conceiv’st a verse, sett’st doune a line, | 5 |
| Sigh for thy state, weepe for those sinnes of thine, | |
| Those actuall ones, that justice have cal’d downe, | |
| And made th’ Almightie, with an angrie frowne, | |
| Fright blessednesse from thee, making thy life | |
| A vale of miserie, a den of strife, | 10 |
| Scarce suff’ring thee, in almost sixtie yeeres, | |
| See ought but dangers, mischiefes, debts, and feares, | |
| Laying on thy soule such heavinesse, such woe, | |
| As, but His mercy helpe thee, thou must goe | |
| (And speedily) unto a grave, forlorne, | 15 |
| Wayling, and wishing thou hadst nev’r beene borne. | |
| Alas! but what am I, that he should daigne, | |
| In his abundant grace, to raise againe,— | |
| Me (groveling earth) that in confusion lies, | |
| Not daring to his throne erect mine eyes! | 20 |
| O my deiected spirit, rouse thy selfe, | |
| Be not with cares (as worldlings are with pelfe) | |
| Wholly be-numm’d: thy God (benigne and good) | |
| Knowes ev’n for thee thy Saviour shed his bloud: | |
| Be thou but penitent, and he will smile, | 25 |
| Wash thee with teares, and he with sacred oyle | |
| Will cheere thy lookes, and thou shalt cleerely see | |
| The loving kindnesse he intends to thee. | |
| The scales are falne already: I behold | |
| Divine infusion, (happy man,) am told | 30 |
| That his blest Providence (never forsaking) | |
| Did first excite thee to this undertaking; | |
| He bids thee write; relie on him, and send | |
| Thy prayers up, and he will fairely end | |
| This thy designe, and thou shalt comforts finde, | 35 |
| Both to thy travail’d life and troubled minde. | |
| Lead by this fiery-conduct (this darke night), | |
| Loe, thus I wander, (hopefull Israelite.) | |
