Omnia, quæ Dominus dudum memoranda peregit

.
Hinc fibi de variis adsciscunt undique plures
Gentibus, amplexos præconia dia salutis.
At ftadiis bene confectis, fanctoque foluto
Munere, præceptis fastos vitisque relatis
In memores, obeunt: mox (quod cecinere) luporum
Turba subit scelerata, furentum immane luporum;
Quæ munus mentita facrum, myfteria cæli
Artibus invertent fædis, ut fuaferit auri
Insatiata fames, & bonorum immenfa cupido.
Exin vera facris folùm conscripta tabellis,
Ipse Dei lucem pandit quêis Spiritus unus,
Dira superstitio involvet, commentaque vana.
Deinde fibi titulos laudumque insignia quærent,
Imperiumque & opes, cæleftia fola professi,
Heu nimis in terras curvi, & cæleftium inanes.
Afferere audebunt fibi dona, patentia latè
Arduum iter Veri ingressis, & flumina amoris

Great numbers of each nation to receive
With joy the tidings brought from heav'n: at

length,
Their ministry perform'd, and race well run,
Their doctrine and their story written left,
They die. But in their room, as they fore-warn,
Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous wolves!
Who all the sacred mysteries of hear'n,
To their own vile advantages shall torn,

Of lucre and ambition ; and the truth
With fuperftitions and traditions taint,
Left only in those written records pure;
Though not but by the spirit understood.
Then shall they seek t'avail themselves of names,
Places and titles; and with these to join
Secular pow'r; though feigning still to act
By spiritual : to themselves appropriating
The spirit of God, promis'd alike, and giv'n

Divini claudent; statuentque immania jura,
Jura, homini quæ non insculpserit alta Dei mens.
Non vim Animæ faciant sanctæ, comitemque catenis
Subjiciant libertatem ? non perdere certent
Viva Dei delubra, fide servanda valenti,
Quæque fide propriâ, atque alienæ immunia ? nam quis
Mortalis falli tam nescius, ut regat omnem
Ipse fidem, et tacitum alterius fub pectore testem?
Quin hoc jactabunt multi, cunctosque lacessent
Tormentis, jus qui servent, Verique tenaces,
Pectoris ingenuo numen venerentur honore.
At reliqui facros, longè pars maxima, cultus
Ritibus ac specie vanâ conftare putabunt;
Transfixum opprobrii multâ Fas cuspide terras
Deseret ; & fidei vestigia rara legentur.
Perpetuâ hinc ferie terrarum degener orbis
Usque pios odio excipiet, pravosque favore,
Ipse suâ sub mole gemens: dum venerit olim

To all believers: and from that pretence,
Spiritual laws by carnal pow'r Thall force
On every conscience, laws, which none shall find
Left them inroll'd: or, what the Spirit within
Shall on the heart ingrave. What will they then
But force the Spirit of grace itself, and bind
His consort Liberty? what, but unbuild
His living temples, built by faith to fand,
Their own faith, not another's ? for on earth,

Who against faith and conscience, can be heard
Infallible? Yet many will presume:
Whence heavy persecution shall arise
On all, who in the worhip persevere
Of spirit and truth. The reft, far greater part,
Will deem in outward rites, and specious forms,
Religion satisfyid; Truth shall retire
Bestuck with land'rous darts,' and works of faith
Rarely be found. So shall the world go on,

Sancta

Summa Dies, justos meritâ quæ pace fovebit,
Vindi&tâque premet fontes : quum deinde redibit
Ille tibi çolumen dictus, spesque unica, Semen
Fæmineum; obscuræ di&tus fub imaginis umbrâ;
Nunc formâ propiore patens Dominusque Redemptorque:
At tandem, explicitâ per nubila luce, paternis
Effulgens aderit radiis, ac numine toto
Descendens Satanam temeratumque obruet orbem.
Hinc, conflagrantis maffæ cum excoxerit omnem
Flamma luem, cælofque novos terrasque recentes
Attollet: Fas, Pax, & Amor, fundamina rupe
Perpetuâ ftatuent; ibi sese uberrima pandet
Lætitia, æternasque effundent gaudia fruges.

Finierat: deinde hæc Genitor responsa remisit
Ultima: quàm celeri cursu, Sanctissime vatum,
Faticinis dictis stadium omne volubilis ævi
Vox tua metita est, Auxique fugacia mundi
Sæcula, dum fixo fteterit rota temporis orbe.

:

To good malignant, to bad men benign, Satan, with his perverted world ; then raise Under her own weight groaning; 'till the day From the conflagrant mass, purg'd, and refind, Appear of respiration to the juft,

New heav'ns, new earth, ages of endless date, And vengeance to the wicked: at return Founded in righteousness, and peace, and love; Of Him so lately promis d to thy aid,

To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal bliss. The woman's Seed; obscurely then foretold; He ended : and thus Adam laft reply'd : Now amplier known thy Saviour, and thy Lord; How soon hath thy prediction, Seer blest, Last, in the clouds from heav'n to be reveald Measur'd this transient world, the race of time, In glory of the Father, to diffolve

Till time stand fix'd ? Beyond is all abyss, Vol. II.

Hinc

PP

Hinc sese expandit vafta atque immanis Abyffus;
Æterna, omnipatens ; quam non pervaferit unquam
Ulla tuendo acies. At pectora humine puro
Perfusus, placidâque expletus pace, recedam;
Fluxit enim largo mihi fonte Scientia, quantam
Vas capere hoc potis eft: Demens, qui eniterer ultra!
Tandem animo sedet; imperiis parere, Deumque
Diligere & venerari unum; latus ufque prementem
Affiduè meminiffe, revolvere provida longe
Consilia, & patriæ penitùs confidere curæ.
Ille fuæ monumenta manûs fovet omnia amore,
Usque bonis mala pervincens; opera inftrumentis
Grandia molitur parvis: Illo auspice, fummas
Terrenæ virtutis opes tenuissima frangunt,
Atque animis rudibus fuccumbit confilii vis.
Pro verâ pugnare fide, & discrimina poffe
Cuncta pati, quæ palma fiet, qualisque triumphus;
Utque piis vitæ portam mors unica pandat,

Eternity, whose end no eye can reach.
Greatly instructed I fall hence depart;
Greatly in peace of thought; and have my 611
Of knowledge, what this vessel can contain:
Beyond which was my folly to aspire !
Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best,
And love with fear the only God; to walk
As in his presence ; ever to observe

His providence; and on him fole depend;
Merciful over all his works; with good
Still overcoming evil; and by small
Accomplishing great things ; 'by things deem'd

weak
Subverting worldly strong; and worldly wise
By simply meek; that suffering for truth's fake,
Is fortitude to highest victory ;.

Illius exemplo didici, quem lætus adorans
Jam nosco columenque meum, fanctamque falutem.

Tum deinde extremum affatur venerabilis Hospes:
His adeò tibi perspectis sapientia summa
Accessit; ne fpem arrectam fublimius effer ;
Non, fi ftellarum numeros ac nomina nôris,
Æthereas latè vires, arcana profundi
Vasta capaci animo prorfum comprenderis, & quæ
Per terras Pater omnipotens, perque aeris auras
Condidit, immenfumque polum, pontumque patentem:
Non, fi omnes gazasque, & cuncta coegeris unus
Imperia. At donis tu digna opera adde receptis;
Adde fidem, virtutem, animum fortem adde, potentem
Exiguo, docilemque pati; super omnia Amorem,
Cetera vi penitus vegetâ flammisque animantem
Lætificis; Pietas qui cara vocabitur olim.
Finibus his lætis deinde haud invitus abibis;
Intus enim Paradisus erit tibi corde sub ipso

And to the faithful death the gate of life; And all the riches of this world enjoy'dit,
Taught this by his example, whom I now And all the rule, one empire. Only add
Acknowledge my Redeemer ever bleft!

Deeds to thy knowledge answerable ; add faith;
To whom thus also th' Angel last reply'd : Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,
This having learn'd, thou haft attain'd the fum By name to come call'd charity, the foul
Of wisdom; hope no higher; tho' all the stars Of all the reft, then wilt thou not be loth
Thou knew't by name, and all th'ethereal pow'rs, To leave this Paradise, but shalt poffefs
All secrets of the deep, all nature's works, A Paradise within thee, happier far!
Or works of God in heav'n, air, earth, or fea; Let us descend now therefore from this top

P p 2

Lætior.