As to explain their meaning quite away
For foul put body, furface for the centre?
By this fame rule, we might destroy all sense,
And make the facred books mean what we pleafe.
But as they have declar'd, that wicked men
Into the lower parts of earth fhall go,
And that our Savior alfo thither went,
T'accomplish moft important purposes,
Of hell's locality we need not doubt;
But
may believe 'tis in earth's centre found.
This is no pious fraud of gloomy priests,
Howe'er it may be ridicul'd by men :
JEHOVAH hath thought fit to represent
The matter thus, and who can himn gaiasay?
Rather would I believe him than difpute,
Or once fuppofe that his defcription', false,
But who can paint the place where darkaefsdwells ?
Or who can count the many millions there,
Shut up, on whom the light had never fhone
Since first they enter'd, till that bleffed day
When Jefus went, deliv'rance to proclaim
To captives bound in adamantine chains,
Which he alone could break, and fet thofe free
Who were in prifon, in the pit confin'd,
Where not a drop of water could be found,
Or comfort to affuage their bitter grief.
Th' amazing gulf impaffable, which parts
Gehenna from the land of Paradife,
Which none had crofs'd 'till then, nor hop'd to pass, The breaker up attempted, not in vain,
For he fucceeded, maugre all the pow'r
Of hell's grim menarch, who oppos'd his march
With most infernal fury; for he fear'd
The Confequences of his entrance there.
Lut Jefus broke the gates of brafs, and cut
The iron bars in funder, and obtain'd
The keys of hell and death, which now he holds.
He fhuts, and none can open, but himself;
He opens, none can fhut; all pow'r is giv'n,
All judgment is committed to the Son.
All hell was mov'd, on that occasion strange,
To fue the King of Glory enter in.
When Babylon's proud Monarch came to dwell In thofe dark regions, hell was mov'd to meet So great a tyrant, and ftirr'd up the dead, The mighty ones, the princefs of the earth, Who, rifing from their thrones, addrefs'd him thus : Art thou become like us? As weak as we ? Thy pomp and noise is to the grave brought down: The worms are fpread beneath, and cover thee. 555 How art thou fallen from the height of heav'n, ✪ Lucifer, fon of the morning bright ! How to the ground like other worms thou'rt cast. Who weaken'd nations, and destroy'd mankind! Thou faid'ft, I will afcend to heav'n above, And fix my throne above the ftars of God;
I'll fit upon the congregation's mount,
Where God hath plac'd his name, I'll make my feat,
Above the highest clouds myfelf I'll raife;
Like the Most High in glory I will be:
These were thy boafts, but now, brought down to hell,
Within the prifon of the pit confin'd,
Thy pow'r is gone, thy flaves no longer fear,
But look to fee thy visage alter'd so,
And thus contemn thee with their taunting words;
Is this the man that made the earth to shake? 571
Made Kingdoms totter on their bases deep!
That turn'd the world into a wilderness!
Destroy'd towns, cities, countries, nations, lands;
That never open'd prifon doors, nor fet
His captives free, once taken by his hand?
Thus hell's inhabitants infulted him.
And ✪ what num'rous nations, there were found!
When Egypt was destroy'd by Chaldea's king,
And Pharaoh proud defcended to the pit,
All nature seem'd to mourn his dreadful fall.
The deeps were cover'd and the floods reftrain'd,
Great waters ftay'd, and high Libanus mourn'd,
The fruitful trees feem'd fainting at his fall.
How fhook the nations when God hurl'd him down
To hell! the nether parts of earth, the pit,
With many nations join'd with him in death.
The heav'ns were mantled, and the stars were dark,
The fun was cover'd with a fable cloud,
And God forbade the filver moon to fine.
All the bright lights of heav'n were darken'd then;
Darkness and clouds were fet upon the land.
Such numbers then defcended all at once,
Slain by the fword; if that would comfort them,
None furely confolation need to want.
But O, the lamentable, wailing hear,
Which God commanded for the multitude
Of Egypt flain, and all their company.
Wail Son of man, for proud Egyptians flain,
And caft them down, nor them alone, but all
The daughters of the nations greatly fam'd
To earths moft nether parts. its centre deep,
With them that to the gloomy pit go down:
Whom dost thou pafs in beauty, Egypt fair ?
Go down, with the uncircumcis'd be laid.
They by the fword fhall fall among the dead.
bhe is deliver'd to the dreadful ftroke :
Draw her, and all her multitudes together.
The ftrong among the mighty out of hell,
Shall speak to him, and to his helpers flain;
They are gone down, they lie uncircumcis'd,
Slain by the fword, and many nations more.
Afhur is there, and all her company
His graves are round about him, all destroy'd
By cruel war; dire fruits of mortal fin !
See there her graves around her, in the fides
Of the deep dreary pit ; O awful thought!
Her company is round about her grave;
All flain, and by the fword cut off from earth,
Who caus'd their terror far to spread abroad. -620:
Elam, with all her multitude around,
Sla fallen by the fword uncircumcis'd,
Gone down into the nether parts of earth;
Who caus'd their fear upon mankind to fall;
Yet have they borne their fhame, as others have, 625
Who have gone down together to the pit.
A bed is fet among the flain for her,
And for her multitude, whofe graves furround him, Uncircumcis'd, unclean, flain by the sword.
What profit can it be to them, that once
They to the living were fo terrible ?
For they must bare their fhame, and dwell among
The melancholy dead, whom swords destroy'd.
There's Methech, Tubal, and her num'rous hofts,
Plac'd in the manner as before defcrib'd;
635
Their character the fame, the fame their end..
But for fome reafon feparated there
From other mighty ones uncircumcis'd,
Who with their warlike weapons went to hell;
(How little of that hidden ftate we know)!
Their cruel fwords under their heads are laid,
But their iniquities are on their bones;
Their fins lie down with them and give them pain,
And make their fouls in. bitt'reft accents mourn.
They once the terror of the mighty, now.
Are feeble, and a terror to themselves.
Yea, pow'rful as thou was, thou fhalt be broke,
And take thy portion with the vulgar tribe,
And with th' uncircumcifed flain shall lie.
Edom, with all her princes, dukes and kings, 6500
Lie there in ruin, brought exceeding low.
Their might is perifh'd, and their grandeur gone;
And in the pit their habitation lies.
There be the princess of the north, with them
The pow'rful fons of fam'd Zidonian race..
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