With cords of love God often strove
137
With Cords of love God often strove
your stubborn hearts to tame:
Nevertheless your wickedness,
did still resist the same.
If now at last Mercy be past
from you for evermore,
And Justice come in Mercies room,
yet grudge you not therefore.
138
If into wrath God turned hath
his long long suffering,
And now for love you vengeance prove,
it is an equal thing.
Your waxing worse, hath stopt the course
of wonted Clemency:
Mercy refus'd, and Grace misus'd,
call for severity.
139
It's now high time that ev'ry Crime
be brought to punishment:
Wrath long contain'd, and oft restrain'd,
at last must have a vent:
Justice severe cannot forbear
to plague sin any longer,
But must inflict with hand most strict
mischief upon the wronger.
140
In vain do they for Mercy pray,
the season being past,
Who had no care to get a share
therein, while time did last.
The man whose ear refus'd to hear
the voice of Wisdoms cry,
Earn'd this reward, that none regard
him in his misery.
141
It doth agree with equity,
and with Gods holy Law,
That those should dye eternally
that death upon them draw.
The Soul that sins damnation wins,
for so the Law ordains;
Which Law is just, and therefore must
such suffer endless pain[s].
142
Eternal smart is the desert,
ev'n of the least offence;
Then wonder not if I allot
to you this Recompence:
But wonder more, that since so sore
and lasting plagues are due
To every sin, you liv'd therein,
who well the danger knew.
143
God hath no joy to crush or 'stroy,
and ruine wretched wights,
But to display the glorious Ray
of Justice he delights.
To manifest he doth detest,
and throughly hate all sin,
By plaguing it as is most fit,
this shall him glory win.
144
Then at the Bar arraigned are
an impudenter sort,
Who to evade the guilt that's laid
upon them, thus retort;
How could we cease thus to transgress?
how could we Hell avoid,
Whom Gods Decree shut out from thee,
and sign'd to be destroy'd?
145
Whom God ordains to endless pains,
by Law unalterable,
Repentence true, Obedience new,
to save such are unable:
Sorrow for sin, no good can win,
to such as are rejected;
Ne can they grieve, nor yet believe,
that never were elected.
146
Of Man's fall'n Race, who can true Grace,
or Holiness obtain?
Who can convert or change his heart,
if God withhold the same?
Had we apply'd our selves, and try'd
as much as who did most
God's love to gain, our busie pain
and labour had been lost.
147
Christ readily makes this Reply,
I damn you not because
You are rejected, or not elected,
but you have broke my Laws:
It is but vain your wits to strain,
the end and means to sever:
Men fondly seek to part or break
what God hath link'd together.
148
Whom God will save, such he will have,
the means of life to use:
Whom he'll pass by, shall chuse to dy,
and ways of life refuse.
He that fore-sees, and fore-decrees,
in wisdom order'd has,
That man's free-will electing ill,
shall bring his will to pass.
149
High God's Decree, as it is free,
so doth it none compel
Against their will to good or ill,
it forceth none to Hell.
They have their wish whose Souls perish
with Torments in Hell-fire,
Who rather chose their Souls to lose,
than leave a loose desire.
150
God did ordain sinners to pain
and I to Hell send none,
But such as swerv'd, and have deserv'd
destruction as their own.
His pleasure is, that none from bliss
and endless happiness
Be barr'd, but such as wrong'd him much
by wilful wickedness.
151
You, sinful Crew, no other knew
but you might be elect;
Why did you then your selves condemn?
why did you me reject?
Where was your strife to gain that life
which lasteth evermore?
You never knock'd, yet say God lock'd
against you Heav'ns door.
152
'Twas no vain task to knock, to ask,
whilst life continued.
Whoever sought heav'n as he ought,
and seeking perished?
The lowly meek who truly seek
for Christ, and for Salvation,
There's no Decree whereby such be
ordain'd to Condemnation.
153
You argue then: But abject men,
whom God resolves to spill,
Cannot repent, nor their hearts rent;
ne can they change their will.
Not for his Can is any man
adjudged unto Hell:
But for his Will to do what's ill,
and nilling to do well.
154
I often stood tend'ring my Blood
to wash away your guilt:
And eke my Spright to frame you right,
lest your Souls should be split.
But you vile Race, rejected Grace,
when Grace was freely proffer'd:
No changed heart, no heav'nly part
would you, when it was offer'd.
155
Who wilfully the Remedy,
and means of life contemned,
Cause have the same themselves to blame,
if now they be condemned.
You have your selves, you and none else,
your selves have done to dy.
You chose the way to your decay,
and perisht wilfully.
With Cords of love God often strove
your stubborn hearts to tame:
Nevertheless your wickedness,
did still resist the same.
If now at last Mercy be past
from you for evermore,
And Justice come in Mercies room,
yet grudge you not therefore.
138
If into wrath God turned hath
his long long suffering,
And now for love you vengeance prove,
it is an equal thing.
Your waxing worse, hath stopt the course
of wonted Clemency:
Mercy refus'd, and Grace misus'd,
call for severity.
139
It's now high time that ev'ry Crime
be brought to punishment:
Wrath long contain'd, and oft restrain'd,
at last must have a vent:
Justice severe cannot forbear
to plague sin any longer,
But must inflict with hand most strict
mischief upon the wronger.
140
In vain do they for Mercy pray,
the season being past,
Who had no care to get a share
therein, while time did last.
The man whose ear refus'd to hear
the voice of Wisdoms cry,
Earn'd this reward, that none regard
him in his misery.
141
It doth agree with equity,
and with Gods holy Law,
That those should dye eternally
that death upon them draw.
The Soul that sins damnation wins,
for so the Law ordains;
Which Law is just, and therefore must
such suffer endless pain[s].
142
Eternal smart is the desert,
ev'n of the least offence;
Then wonder not if I allot
to you this Recompence:
But wonder more, that since so sore
and lasting plagues are due
To every sin, you liv'd therein,
who well the danger knew.
143
God hath no joy to crush or 'stroy,
and ruine wretched wights,
But to display the glorious Ray
of Justice he delights.
To manifest he doth detest,
and throughly hate all sin,
By plaguing it as is most fit,
this shall him glory win.
144
Then at the Bar arraigned are
an impudenter sort,
Who to evade the guilt that's laid
upon them, thus retort;
How could we cease thus to transgress?
how could we Hell avoid,
Whom Gods Decree shut out from thee,
and sign'd to be destroy'd?
145
Whom God ordains to endless pains,
by Law unalterable,
Repentence true, Obedience new,
to save such are unable:
Sorrow for sin, no good can win,
to such as are rejected;
Ne can they grieve, nor yet believe,
that never were elected.
146
Of Man's fall'n Race, who can true Grace,
or Holiness obtain?
Who can convert or change his heart,
if God withhold the same?
Had we apply'd our selves, and try'd
as much as who did most
God's love to gain, our busie pain
and labour had been lost.
147
Christ readily makes this Reply,
I damn you not because
You are rejected, or not elected,
but you have broke my Laws:
It is but vain your wits to strain,
the end and means to sever:
Men fondly seek to part or break
what God hath link'd together.
148
Whom God will save, such he will have,
the means of life to use:
Whom he'll pass by, shall chuse to dy,
and ways of life refuse.
He that fore-sees, and fore-decrees,
in wisdom order'd has,
That man's free-will electing ill,
shall bring his will to pass.
149
High God's Decree, as it is free,
so doth it none compel
Against their will to good or ill,
it forceth none to Hell.
They have their wish whose Souls perish
with Torments in Hell-fire,
Who rather chose their Souls to lose,
than leave a loose desire.
150
God did ordain sinners to pain
and I to Hell send none,
But such as swerv'd, and have deserv'd
destruction as their own.
His pleasure is, that none from bliss
and endless happiness
Be barr'd, but such as wrong'd him much
by wilful wickedness.
151
You, sinful Crew, no other knew
but you might be elect;
Why did you then your selves condemn?
why did you me reject?
Where was your strife to gain that life
which lasteth evermore?
You never knock'd, yet say God lock'd
against you Heav'ns door.
152
'Twas no vain task to knock, to ask,
whilst life continued.
Whoever sought heav'n as he ought,
and seeking perished?
The lowly meek who truly seek
for Christ, and for Salvation,
There's no Decree whereby such be
ordain'd to Condemnation.
153
You argue then: But abject men,
whom God resolves to spill,
Cannot repent, nor their hearts rent;
ne can they change their will.
Not for his Can is any man
adjudged unto Hell:
But for his Will to do what's ill,
and nilling to do well.
154
I often stood tend'ring my Blood
to wash away your guilt:
And eke my Spright to frame you right,
lest your Souls should be split.
But you vile Race, rejected Grace,
when Grace was freely proffer'd:
No changed heart, no heav'nly part
would you, when it was offer'd.
155
Who wilfully the Remedy,
and means of life contemned,
Cause have the same themselves to blame,
if now they be condemned.
You have your selves, you and none else,
your selves have done to dy.
You chose the way to your decay,
and perisht wilfully.
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