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VOL. I.

They rush from beds with giddy heads,
And to their windows run,

Viewing this light, which shines more bright
Than doth the noonday sun.

Straightway appears (they see 't with tears,)
The Son of God most dread;
Who with his train comes on amain
To judge both quick and dead.

Before his face the heavens gave place,
And skies are rent asunder,

With mighty voice, and hideous noise,
More terrible than thunder.

His brightness damps heaven's glorious lamps,
And makes them hide their heads,
As if afraid and quite dismay'd,

They quit their wonted steads.

Ye sons of men that durst contemn
The threat'nings of God's word,
How cheer you now? your hearts I trow,
Are thrill'd as with a sword.

Now atheist blind, whose brutish mind

A God could never see,

Dost thou perceive, dost now believe

That Christ thy judge shalt be?

Stout courages, (whose hardiness
Could death and hell outface,)
Are you as bold now you behold
Your judge draw near apace?
They cry, "no, no: alas! and wo!
Our courage is all gone:
Our hardiness (fool hardiness)

Hath us undone, undone."

No heart so bold, but now grows cold
And almost dead with fear:

No eye so dry, but now can cry,
And pour out many a tear.

Earth's potentates and powerful states,
Captains and men of might,

Are quite abash'd, their courage dash'd
At this most dreadful sight,

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Mean men lament, great men do rent
Their robes, and tear their hair:
They do not spare their flesh to tear
Through horrible despair.

All kindreds wail: all hearts do fail:
Horror the world doth fill

With weeping eyes, and loud outcries,
Yet knows not how to kill.

Some hide themselves in caves and delves, In places under ground:

Some rashly leap into the deep,

To 'scape by being drown'd:

Some to the rocks (O senseless blocks!)
And woody mountains run,

That there they might this fearful sight,
And dreaded presence shun.

In vain do they to mountains say,
Fall on us and us hide
From judge's ire, more hot than fire,
For who may it abide?

No hiding place can from his face,
Sinners at all conceal,

Whose flaming eye hid things doth spy,
And darkest things reveal.

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Then were brought in, and charg'd with sin, Another company,

Who by petition obtain'd permission,

To make apology:

They argued, "We were misled,

As is well known to thee,

By their example, that had more ample
Abilities than we:

Such as profess'd they did detest

And hate each wicked way:

Whose seeming grace whilst we did trace,

Our souls were led astray.

When men of parts, learning and arts,

Professing piety,

Did thus and thus, it seem'd to us

We might take liberty.

The judge replies, "I gave you eyes,

And light to see your way,

Which had you lov'd, and well improv'd,
You had not gone astray.

My word was pure, the rule was sure,
Why did you it forsake,

Or thereon trample, and men's example,
Your directory make?

This you well knew, that God is true,
And that most men are liars,
In word professing holiness,

In deed thereof deniers.
O simple fools! that having rules
Your lives to regulate,

Would them refuse, and rather choose
Vile men to imitate."

"But Lord," say they, "we went astray, And did more wickedly,

By means of those whom thou hast chose
Salvation heirs to be."

To whom the judge; "what you allege,
Doth nothing help the case;
But makes appear how vile you were,
And rendereth you more base.

You understood that what was good

Was to be followed,

And that you ought that which was naught

To have relinquished.

Contrary ways, it was your guise,

Only to imitate

Good men's defects, and their neglects

That were regenerate.

But to express their holiness,

Or imitate their grace,

You little car'd, nor once prepar'd

Your hearts to seek my face.

They did repent, and truly rent

Their hearts for all known sin:

You did offend, but not amend,
To follow them therein."

"We had thy word," say some, "O Lord,

But wiser men than we

Could never yet interpret it,

But always disagree.

How could we fools be led by rules,
So far beyond our ken,

Which to explain did so much pain,
And puzzle wisest men."

"Was all my word abstruse and hard?
The judge then answered:

"It did contain much truth so plain,
You might have run and read.
But what was hard you never car'd
To know nor studied.

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And things that were most plain and clear You never practised.

The mystery of piety

God unto babes reveals;

When to the wise he it denies,

And from the world conceals.

If to fulfil God's holy will
Had seemed good to you

You would have sought light as you ought,
And done the good you knew."

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Who to evade the guilt that's laid

Upon them thus retort;

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"How could we cease thus to transgress?

How could we hell avoid,

Whom God's decree shut out from thee,

And sign'd to be destroy'd?

Whom God ordains to endless pains,
By law unalterable,

Repentance true, obedience new,

To save such are unable:
Sorrow for sin, no good can win,
To such as are rejected;
Nor can they grieve, nor yet believe,
That never were elected.

Of man's fall'n race who can true grace

Or holiness obtain ?

Who can convert or change his heart,
If God withhold the same?

Had we applied ourselves and tried
As much as who did most
God's love to gain, our busy pain
And labor had been lost.

Christ readily makes this reply ;
"I damn you not because
You are rejected or not elected,
But you have broke my laws:
It is but vain your wits to strain
The end and means to sever:
Men fondly seek to part or break
What God hath link'd together.

Whom God will save such will he have The means of life to use:

Whom he 'll pass by, shall choose to die, And ways of life refuse.

He that foresees, and foredecrees,

In wisdom order'd has,
That man's free will electing ill,
Shall bring his will to pass,

High God's decree, as it is free,
So doth it none compel
Against their will to good or ill,
It forceth none to hell.

They have their wish whose souls perish
With torments in hell fire,

Who rather chose their souls to lose,

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