Since then her heavenly kind she doth display, She cannot be from hence, but from above. And yet this first true cause and last good end As a king's daughter, being in person sought Yet can she love a foreign emperor Whom of great worth and power she hears to be, If she be wooed but by ambassador, Or but his letters or his pictures see. For well she knows that when she shall be brought Into the kingdom where her spouse doth reign, Her eyes shall see what she conceived in thought, Himself, his state, his glory, and his train. So while the virgin soul on earth doth stay, She, wooed and tempted in ten thousand ways, With these sometimes she doth her time beguile, But if upon the world's Almighty King She once doth fix her humble loving thoughts; Who by his picture drawn in every thing, And sacred messages, her love hath sought; 3 Wait for. Of Him she thinks she cannot think too much; As almost here she with her bliss doth meet. But when in heaven she shall his essence see, This is her sovereign good, and perfect bliss, Her longing, wishings, hopes, all finished be, Her joys are full, her motions rest in this. There is she crowned with garlands of content; That presence doth such high delights present, As never tongue could speak, nor heart could think. REASON III.-FROM CONTEMPT OF DEATH IN THE RIGHTEOUS. FOR this the better souls do oft despise The body's death, and do it oft desire; For when on ground the burthened balance lies, But if the body's death the soul should kill, For all things else, which nature makes to be, If then by death the soul were quenched quite, Doth preservation seek-destruction shun. Nor could the world's best spirits so much err, For what is praise to things that nothing be? Again, if by the body's prop she stand, If on the body's life her life depend; As Meleager's on the fatal brand, The body's good she only would intend. We should not find her half so brave and bold, Doubtless all souls have a surviving thought, REASON IV.-FROM FEAR OF DEATH IN THE WICKED. AND as the better spirit when she doth bear A scorn of death, doth show she cannot die; So when the wicked soul death's face doth fear, E'en then she proves her own eternity. For when death's form appears, she feareth not But she doth doubt what after may befal; Then she who hath been hoodwinked from her birth, Doth clear herself within death's mirror see; And when her body doth return to earth, She first takes care how she alone shall be. Who ever sees these irreligious men, With burden of a sickness, weak, and faint, But hears them talking of religion then, And vowing of their souls to every saint? When was there ever sentenced atheist brought That blessed power which he had set at nought, These light vain persons still are drunk and mad Then they discern, and then they speak the truth. If then all souls, both good and bad, do teach REASON V.-FROM THE GENERAL DESIRE OF IMMORTALITY. HENCE springs that universal strong desire, Not some few spirits to this thought aspire, Then this desire of nature is not vain, Fond thoughts may fall into some idle brain, From hence that general care and study springs, That launching, and progression of the mind, Which all men have so much of future things, That they no joys do in the present find. From this desire, that main desire proceeds, Which all men have surviving fame to gain, By tombs, by books, by memorable deeds; For she that this desires doth still remain. Hence, lastly, springs care of posterities, For things their kind would everlasting make: Hence is it that old men do plant young trees, The fruit whereof another age shall take. If we these rules unto ourselves apply, And view them by reflection of the mind, All these true notes of immortality In our hearts' tables we shall written find. THE WORTH OF THE SOUL. OH! ignorant, poor man! what dost thou bear Look in thy soul, and thou shalt beauties find, Like those which drowned Narcissus in the flood; Honour and pleasure both are in thy mind, And all that in the world is counted good. Think of her worth, and think that God did mean |