2 See how the bold usurper mounts the seat Of royal majesty; how overstrowing Perils with pleasure, pointing ev'ry threat With bugbear death, by torments overawing Thy frighted subjects; or by favours drawing Their tempted hearts to his unjust retreat; LORD, canst thou be so mild, and he so bold? Or can thy flocks be thriving, when the fold Is govern'd by the fox? LORD, canst thou see and hold? 3 That swift-wing'd advocate, that did commence Did conquer Heaven itself, do what th' Almighty could. 4 Behold, how double fraud does scourge and tear I know not whither, oh, I know not where: 5 Faith's pinion's clipt! and fair Astræa gone! Quick-seeing Faith now blind, and Justice see: Has Justice now found wings? And has Faith none? What do we here? Who would not wish to be Dissolved from earth, and with Astræa flee From this blind dungeon to that sun-bright throne? LORD, is thy sceptre lost, or laid aside? Is hell broke loose, and all her fiends untied? LORD, rise, and rouse, and rule, and crush their furious pride. The devil is the author of evil, the fountain of wickedness, the adversary of the truth, the corrupter of the world, man's perpetual enemy; he planteth snares, diggeth ditches, spurreth bodies, he goadeth souls, he suggesteth thoughts, belcheth anger, exposeth virtues to hatred, maketh vices beloved, soweth error, nourisheth contention, disturbeth peace, and scattereth affliction.-PETER RAv. in Matth. Let us suffer with those that suffer, and be crucified with those that are crucified, that we may be glorified with those that are glorified.—MACAR. If there be no enemy, no fight; if no fight, no victory; if no victory, no crown.-SAVANAR. EPIG. 15. My soul, sit thou a patient looker on; Speaks a new scene: the last act crowns the play. BOOK THE SECOND. No. I. Illustration—A Cupid snuffing a dull Candle set on a Globe; another Creature applying a Bellows to the Sun. You that walk in the light of your own fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled, ye shall lie down in sorrow.-ISAIAH I. 11. 1 Do, silly Cupid, snuff and trim Thy false, thy feeble light, And make her self-consuming flames more bright; Methinks she burns too dim. Is this that sprightly fire, Whose more than sacred beams inspire The ravish'd hearts of men, and so inflame desire ? 2 See, boy, how thy unthrifty blaze Consumes, how fast she wanes; She spends herself, and her whose wealth maintains Her weak, her idle rays. Cannot thy lustful blast, Which gave it lustre, make it last? What heart can long be pleased, where pleasure spends so fast? 3 Go, wanton, place thy pale-faced light Where never-breaking day Intends to visit mortals, or display Thy sullen shades of night: Thy torch will burn more clear In night's un-Titan'd hemisphere; Heaven's scornful flames and thine can never co-appear. 4 In vain thy busy hands address Their labour to display Thy easy blaze within the verge of day; The greater drowns the less! If Heav'n's bright glory shine, Thy glimm'ring sparks must needs resign; Puff out Heav'n's glory then, or Heav'n will work out thine. 5 Go, Cupid's rammish pandar, go, Whose dull, whose low desire Can find sufficient warmth from nature's fire, Spend borrow'd breath, and blow, Blow wind made strong with spite; When thou hast puft the greater light, Thy lesser spark may shine, and warm the new-made night. 6 Deluded mortals, tell me, when Your daring breath has blown Heav'n's taper out, and you have spent your own, What fire shall warm you then? Ah, fools! perpetual night Shall haunt your souls with Stygian fright, Where they shall boil in flames, but flames shall bring no light. The sufficiency of my merit, is to know that my merit is not sufficient.-S. AUGUST. By how much the less man seeth himself, by so much the less he displeaseth himself; and by how much the more he seeth the light of grace, by so much the more he disdaineth the light of nature.-S. GREG. Mor. xxv. The light of the understanding, humility kindleth, and pride covereth.-S. GREG. Mor. EPIG. 1. Thou blow'st Heav'n's fire, the whilst thou go'st about, Thy folly adds confusion to thy death; Heav'n's fire confounds, when fann'd with folly's breath. No. II. Illustration-A Cupid trying in vain to grasp a Globe in his arms. There is no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches.ECCLES. iv. 8. Он, how our widen'd arms can over-stretch Their own dimensions! How our hands can reach And coining new desires; desires not knowing 10 Where next to pitch; but, like the boundless ocean, |