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But how instructed in each other's mind?

Or what commerce can men with monsters find?
Not daring to approach their wounded foe,
Whom her courageous son protected so,
They charge their muskets, and with hot desire
Of fell revenge, renew the fight with fire;
Standing aloof, with lead they bruise the scales,
And tear the flesh of the incensed whales.
But no success their fierce endeavours found,
Nor this way could they give one fatal wound.
Now to their fort they are about to send
For the loud engines which their isle defend;
But what those pieces, fram'd to batter walls,
Would have effected on those-mighty whales,
Great Neptune will not have us know, who sends
A tide so high that it relieves his friends:
And thus they parted with exchange of harms;
Much blood the monsters lost, and they their arms.

DIVINE POEMS.

OF DIVINE LOVE.

A POEM. IN SIX CANTOS.

Floriferis ut apes in saltibus omnia libant;
Sic nos Scripturæ depascimur aurea dicta;
Aurea! perpetua semper dignissima vita! **
Nam divinus amor cum cæpit vociferari,
Diffugiunt animi terrores. **

Lucretius, lib. iii.

Exul eram, requiesque mihi, non fama, petita est,
Mens intenta suis ne foret usque malis: **

Namque ubi mota calent sacra mea pectora Musa,
Altior humano spiritus ille malo est.

Ovid. de Trist. lib. iv. el. 1.

THE ARGUMENTS.

J. Asserting the authority of the Scripture, in which this love is revealed.

II. The preference and love of God to man in the creation. III. The same love more amply declared in our redemption. IV. How necessary this love is to reform mankind, and how excellent in itself.

V. Showing how happy the world would be, if this love were universally embraced.

VI. Of preserving this love in our memory, and how useful the contemplation thereof is.

CANTO I.

THE Grecian Muse has all their gods surviv'd,
Nor Jove at us nor Phoebus is arriv'd;
Frail deities! which first the poets made,
And then invok'd, to give their fancies aid :

Yet if they still divert us with their rage,
What may be hop'd for in a better age,
When not from Helicon's imagin'd spring,
But Sacred Writ, we borrow what we sing?
This with the fabric of the world begun,
Elder than light, and shall outlast the sun.
Before this oracle, like Dagon, all

The false pretenders, Delphos, Ammon, fall :
Long since despis'd and silent, they afford
Honour and triumph to the' eternal Word.

As late philosophy our globe has grac'd, And rolling earth among the planets plac'd, So has this Book entitled us to Heav'n,

And rules to guide us to that mansion giv'n : Tells the conditions how our peace was made, And is our pledge for the great Author's aid. His power in Nature's ample book we find, But the less volume does express his mind.

This light unknown, bold Epicurus taught
That his blest gods vouchsafe us not a thought,
But unconcern'd let all below them slide,
As fortune does, or human wisdom, guide.
Religion thus remov'd, the sacred yoke
And band of all society is broke.

What use of oaths, of promise, or of test,
Where men regard no God but interest?
What endless war would jealous nations tear,
If none above did witness what they swear?
Sad fate of unbelievers, and yet just,
Among themselves to find so little trust!
Were Scripture silent, Nature would proclaim,
Without a God, our falshood and our shame.
To know our thoughts the object of his eyes
Is the first step tow'rds being good or wise;

For though with judgment we on things reflect,
Our will determines, not our intellect.
Slaves to their passion, reason men employ
Only to compass what they would enjoy.
His fear to guard us from ourselves we need,
And Sacred Writ our reason does exceed;
For though Heav'n shows the glory of the Lord,
Yet something shines more glorious in his Word;
His mercy this, (which all his work excels!)
His tender kindness and compassion tells:
While we inform'd by that celestial Book,.
Into the bowels of our Maker, look...

Love there reveal'd, (which never shall have end,
Nor had beginning) shall our song commend;,
Describe itself, and warm us with that flame
Which first, from Heav'n, to make us happy, came.

CANTO II.

THE fear of hell, or aiming to be blest,
Savours too much of private interest.
This mov'd not Moses, nor the zealous Paul,
Who for their friends abandon'd soul and all:
A greater yet from Heav'n to hell descends,
To save and make his enemies his friends,
What line of praise can fathom such a love,
Which reach'd the lowest bottom from above?
The royal prophet', that extended grace
From Heav'n to earth, measur'd but half that space.
The law was regnant, and confin'd his thought;
Hell was not conquer'd when that poet wrote:

1 David.

Heav'n was scarce heard of until He came down,
To make the region where love triumphs known.
That early love of creatures yet unmade,
To frame the world the' Almighty did persuade;
For love it was that first created light,
Mov'd on the waters, chas'd away the night
From the rude Chaos, and bestow'd new grace
On things dispos'd of to their proper place:
Some to rest here, and some to shine above;
Earth, sea, and Heav'n, were all the' effects of love.
And love would be return'd: but there was none
That to themselves or others yet were known:
The world a palace was without a guest,
Till one appears that must excel the rest:
One! like the Author, whose capacious mind
Might, by the glorious work, the Maker find;
Might measure Heav'n, and give each star a name;
With art and courage the rough ocean tame;
Over the globe with swelling sails might go,
And that 'tis round by his experience know:
Make strongest beasts obedient to his will,
And serve his use the fertile earth to till.
When by his word God had accomplish'd all,
Man to create he did a council call;
Employ'd his hand, to give the dust he took
A graceful figure and majestic look ;
With his own breath convey'd into his breast
Life, and a soul fit to command the rest;
Worthy alone to celebrate his name

For such a gift, and tell from whence it came.
Birds sing his praises in a wilder note,

But not with lasting numbers and with thought,
Man's great prerogative! but above all
His grace abounds in his new favourite's fall.

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