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OF

DIVINE LOVE.

A

POE M

IN SIX CANTO S.

"Floriferis ut apes in faltibus omnia libant; Sic nos Scripturæ depafcimur aurea dicta; Aurea! perpetuâ femper digniffima vitâ ! "Nam Divinus Amor cùm cæpit vociferari, Diffugiunt animi terrores.*

166

LUCRET. Lib. iii.

"Exul eram, requiefque mihi, non fama, petita eft, "Mens intenta fuis ne foret ufque malis: ** "Namque ubi mota calent facrâ mea pectora Musâ, "Altior humano fpiritus ille malo eft."

OVID. de Trift. Lib. iv. El. 1.

THE ARGUMENTS.

I. Afferting the authority of the Scripture, in which this Love is revealed.

II. The preference and Love of God to man in the Creation.

III. The fame Love more amply declared in our Redemption.

IV. How neceffary this Love is to reform mankind, and how excellent in itself.

V. Shewing how happy the world would be, if this Love were univerfally embraced.

VI. Of preferving this Love in our memory; and how ufeful the contemplation thereof is.

THE

CANTO I.

HE Grecian Mufe has all their Gods furviv'd,
Nor Jove at us, nor Phoebus, is arriv'd:
Frail Deities! which first the Poets made,
And then invok'd, to give their fancies aid.
Yet, if they ftill divert us with their rage,
What may be hop'd for in a better age;
When, not from Helicon's imagin'd spring,
But Sacred Writ, we borrow what we fing?
This with the fabric of the world begun;
Elder than light, and shall out-laft the fun.
Before this oracle, like Dagon, all
The falfe pretenders, Delphos, Ammon, fall:
Long fince defpis'd and filent, they afford
Honour and triumph to th' eternal Word.
As late philofophy our globe has grac'd,
And rolling earth among the planets plac'd:
So has this Book entitled us to heaven;

And rules, to guide us to that mansion, given:
Tells the conditions how our peace was made;
And is our pledge for the Great Author's aid.
His power in nature's ample book we find;
But the lefs volume does exprefs his mind.

This light unknown, bold Epicurus taught,
That his bleft Gods vouchfafe us not a thought:
But unconcern'd let all below them flide,

As fortune does, or human wisdom, guide.

3

Religion

Religion thus remov'd, the facred yoke,
And band of all society, is broke:
What use of oaths, of promife, or of test,
Where men regard no God, but interest?
What endless war would jealous nations tear,
If none above did witness what they fwear!
Sad fate of unbelievers, and yet just,
Among themselves to find fo little truft!
Were Scripture filent, nature would proclaim,
Without a God, our falfehood and our shame.
To know our thoughts the object of his eyes,
Is the first step tow'rds being good or wife:
For though with judgment we on things reflect,
Our Will determines, not our Intellect:
Slaves to their passion, Reason men employ
Only to compass what they would enjoy.
His fear, to guard us from ourselves, we need;
And Sacred Writ our Reafon does exceed.
For though Heaven fhews the glory of the Lord,
Yet fomething shines more glorious in his Word:
His mercy this (which all his work excels!)
His tender kindness and compaffion tells:
While we, inform'd by that celestial Book,
Into the bowels of our Maker look.

Love there reveal'd (which never shall have end,
Nor had beginning) fhall our fong commend:
Defcribe itself, and warm us with that flame,
Which first from heaven, to make us happy, came.

CANTO

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HE fear of hell, or aiming to be bleft,

THE

Savours too much of private interest. This mov'd not Mofes, nor the zealous Paul; Who for their friends abandon'd foul and all: A greater yet from heaven to hell defcends, To fave, and make his enemies his friends. What line of praise can fathom fuch a love, Which reach'd the lowest bottom from above? The Royal Prophet, that extended grace From heaven to earth, measur'd but half that space. The Law was regnant, and confin'd his thought; Hell was not conquer'd when that Poet wrote: Heaven was fcarce heard of, until He came down To make the region where love triumphs known. That early love of creatures yet unmade, To frame the world th' Almighty did perfuade; For love it was that firft created light, Mov'd on the waters, chac'd away the night From the rude Chaos; and bestow'd new grace On things difpos'd of to their proper place; Some, to reft here; and fome, to shine above: Earth, fea, and heaven, were all th' effects of love. And love would be return'd. But there was none That to themselves or others yet were known a The world a palace was, without a guest, Till one appears, that must excel the reft:

*David.

One!

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