Or ty'd in chains, they in close prison dwell, And cannot come, although they much desire. OBJECTION V. Well, well, say these vain spirits, though vain it is To think our souls to Heav'n or Hell do go; Politic men have thought it not amiss, To spread this lie, to make men virtuous so. ANSWER. Do you then think this moral virtue good? If then this virtue you do love so well, Have you no means, her practice to maintain : But you this lie must to the people tell, That good souls live in joy, and ill in pain? Must virtue be preserved by a lie ? Virtue and truth do ever best agree; By this it seems to be a verity, Since the effects so good and virtuous be. For, as the Devil the father is of lies, So vice and mischief do his lies ensue : For, how can that be false, which ev'ry tongue Which truth hath in all ages been so strong, For, not the Christian, or the Jew alone, This rich Assyrian drug grows ev'ry where; None that acknowledge God, or providence, For since the world for man created was, How doth God's wisdom order things below? And if that wisdom still wise ends propound, In all the world so poor and vile a thing? If death do quench us quite, we have great wrong, Since for our service all things else were wrought; That daws, and trees, and rocks should last so long, When we must in an instant pass to naught. But bless'd be that Great Pow'r, that hath us bless'd With longer life than Heav'n or Earth can have ; Which hath infus'd into our mortal breast Immortal pow'rs not subject to the grave. For though the soul do seem her grave to bear, We have no cause the body's death to fear; SECTION XXXIII. THREE KINDS OF LIFE ANSWERABLE TO THREE POWERS OF THE SOUL. FOR, as the soul's essential pow'rs are three; reason; Three kinds of life to her designed be, [season. Which perfect these three pow'rs in their due The first life in the mother's womb is spent, Where she the nursing pow'r doth only use; Where, when she finds defect of nourishment, Sh' expels her body, and this world she views. This we call birth; but if the child could speak, He death would call it; and of nature plain, That she would thrust him out naked and weak, And in his passage pinch him with such pain. Yet out he comes, and in this world is plac'd, Where he finds flow'rs to smell, and fruits to taste, And sounds to hear, and sundry forms to see. When he hath pass'd some time upon the stage, His reason then a little seems to wake; Which though she spring when sense doth fade with age, Yet can she here no perfect practice make. Then doth aspiring soul the body leave,. Which we call death; but were it known to all, What life our souls do by this death receive, Men would it birth or jail-deliv'ry call. In this third life, reason will be so bright, As that her spark will like the sun-beams shine, And shall of God enjoy the real sight, Being still increas'd by influence divine. SECTION XXXIV. THE CONCLUSION. O IGNORANT poor man! what dost thou bear? Look in thy soul, and thou shalt beauties find, And all that in the world is counted good. Think of her worth, and think that God did mean, This worthy mind should worthy things em brace : Blot not her beauties with thy thoughts unclean, Nor her dishonour with thy passion base. Kill not her quick'ning pow'r with surfeitings: Cast not her wit on idle things: Make not her free will slave to vanity. And when thou think'st of her eternity, Think not that death against her nature is; Think it a birth: and when thou go'st to die, Sing like a swan, as if thou went'st to bliss. And if thou, like a child, didst fear before, Being in the dark, where thou didst nothing see; Now I have brought thee torch-light, fear no more; Now when thou dy'st, thou canst not hood-wink'd be. And thou, my soul, which turn'st with curious eye, To view the beams of thine own form divine, Know, that thou canst know nothing perfectly, While thou art clouded with this flesh of mine. |