Madness called wisdom is, and rules in chief,
With all that cannot see beyond this life :
To them that see not beyond flesh and blood,
And taste no better than these senses' food;
That know not the true everlasting good,
Nothing on earth is rightly understood.
The heavenly light must open sinners' eyes,
Before they ever will be truly wise:
One real prospect of the life to come,
A true belief whither men's souls are gone,
Would more felicitating wisdom give,
Than foolish, sensual men will now believe.
Call not that wisdom which will end in shame,
Which undoes him who by it wins the game:
A wit that can deceive himself and others,
Wit to destroy his own soul, and his brother's:
Wit that can prove that sin's a harmless thing,
That sin's no sin, or no great hurt will bring;
That with the serpent can give God the lie,
And say, believe not God, you shall not die.
Wit that can prove that God speaks but in jest,
That fleshly pleasure is man's best.
Wit that can prove God's wisdom is deceiv'd,
And Sacred Scriptures should not be receiv'd.
Wit to confute God's word, reject his grace,
Lose time, sin boldly, post towards Hell apace;
Defend the devil's cause, his own damnation,
Slight God, neglect a Saviour and salvation.
Call not that wisdom, which men would disown,
And wish at last that they had never known.
To go with honour, ease, and sport to Hell,
And there with shame and late repentance dwell'
Truth is for goodness, wisdom's use and end,
To which true learning, and just studies tend,
Is that this may be th'roughly understood,
To be good, do good, and get endless good.'
False wit employ'd in hurting other men,
Writes its own death in blood, with its own pen :
It forceth many to their self-defence,
Who fain would live in quiet innocence.
Kites, foxes, wolves, have wit to catch their prey,
Yet harmless sheep live quieter than they;
Men keep their flocks that they may multiply,
So that but few by wolves and lions die;
But hurtful rav'nous beasts all men pursue,
While all destroy them, there remains but few.
Some slight God's word because weak men abuse it.
What's law or reason then, when all misuse it ?
Men will not despise God, nor sin, nor die,
But they will give a learned reason why.
What is so false, which wit cannot defend,
And that by volumes confidently penn'd?
Reason can justify the greatest wrong,
The basest lie can hire a learned tongue.
What cause so vile, that cannot wit suborn?
Men will not without reason be forsworn.
Reason can make rogues of the best of men,
And make a church of saints a serpent's den;
Can make usurping Lucifer a saint,
And holy martyrs like to devils paint.
Even reverend wit, can by transforming skill,
Make heretics, and schismatics at will;
It can prove white is black, and black is white;
That night is day, and grossest darkness light.
Say what you will, reason can prove it true,
What is't that drunken reason cannot do!
How rare is that blest place, that age or season,
Which may not own this character of reason?
And must we therefore brutishness prefer,
Because well used reason is so rare?
But when the drunken frenzy fit is gone,
And devils their deceiving work have done;
When death the dreaming sinner doth awake,
O what a dreadful change doth God then make
Then wise men only are the pure and just,
Who Christ, who God obey, and in him trust.
SEE the star that leads the day,
Rising, shoots a golden ray,
To make the shades of darkness go
From heaven above and earth below;
And warn us early with the sight,
To leave the beds of silent night.
From a heart sincere and sound,
From its very deepest ground,
Send devotion up on high,
Wing'd with heat, to reach the sky.
See the time for sleep has run!
Rise before or with the sun:
Lift thy hands, and humbly pray
The Fountain of eternal day,-
That, as the light, serenely fair,
Illustrates all the tracts of air,
The sacred Spirit so may rest,
With quick'ning beams upon thy breast;
And kindly clear it all within,
From darker blemishes of sin;
And shine with grace, until we view
The realm it gilds with glory too.
See the day that dawns in air,
Brings along its toil and care:
From the lap of Night it springs,
With heaps of business on its wings
Prepare to meet them in a mind
That bows submissively resign'd;
That would to works appointed fall,
That knows that God has order'd all.
And whether with a small repast
We break the sober morning fast;
Or in our thoughts and houses lay
The future methods of the day;
Or early walk, abroad to meet
Our business with industrious feet;-
Whate'er we think, whate'er we do,
His glory still be kept in view.
O, Giver of eternal bliss,
Grant, heavenly Father! grant me this?
Grant it to all, as well as me,
All those whose hearts are fix'd on thee,
Who revere thy Son above,
Who thy sacred Spirit love.
WHEN gath'ring clouds around I view,
And days are dark, and friends are few;
On him I lean, who, not in vain,
Experienced every human pain.
He sees my griefs, allays my fears,
And counts and treasures up my tears.
If aught should tempt my soul to stray,
From heavenly wisdom's narrow way,
To fly the good I would pursue,
Or do the thing I would not do;
Still He who felt temptation's power,
Will guard me in that dangerous hour.
If wounded love my bosom swell,
Despised by those I prized too well;
He shall his pitying aid bestow,
Who felt on earth severer woe;
At once betrayed, denied, or fled,
By those who shared his daily bread.
When vexing thoughts within me rise,
And, sore dismayed, my spirit dies;
Yet, He, who once vouchsafed to bear
The sickening anguish of despair,
Shall sweetly soothe, shall gently dry,
The throbbing heart, the streaming eye.
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