S. AUG. in Joh. Ser. xix.

:

God is all to thee if thou be hungry, he is bread; if thirsty, he is water; if darkness, he is light; if naked, he 1s a robe of immortality.

ALANUS de Conq. Nat.

God is a light that is never darkened; an unwearied life that cannot die; a fountain always flowing; a garden of life; a seminary of wisdom; a radical beginning of all goodness.

EPIG. 14.

My soul, if ignorance puff out this light,

She'll do a favor that intends a spite :

"T seems dark abroad; but, take this light away, Thy windows will discover break o'day.

REV.

Debilitata Fides Terras: Aftræ a reliquit

Faith now is weakend: of Coelestial Birth Divine astræa, quits the groaning Earth.

XV.

REV. xii. 12.

The devil is come unto you, having great power, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

1.

ORD, canst thou see and suffer? Is thy hand

Still bound to th'peace? Shall earths black monarch

A full possession of thy wasted land?

O, will thy slumbring vengeance never wake,
Till full-age'd law resisting custom shake

The pillars of thy right by false command?

[take

Unlock thy clouds. great Thund'rer and come down, Behold whose temples wear thy sacred crown; Redress, redress our wrongs; revenge, revenge thy own.

2.

See how the bold usurper mounts the seat
Of royal majesty; how overstrawing
Perils with pleasure, pointing ev'ry threat
With bug-bear death, by torments overawing
Thy frighted subjects; or by favours drawing
Their tempted hearts to his unjust retreat;

Lord, canst thou be so mild, and he so bold'
Or can thy flocks be thriving, when the fold
Is govern'd by the fox? Lord, canst thou see, and hold?

3.

That sw'ft-wing'd advocate, that did commence
Our welcome suits before the King of kings,

That sweet embassador, that hurries hence
What airs th'harmonious soul or sighs or sins,
See how she flutters with her idle wings;

Her wings are clipt, and eyes put out by sense?
Sense-conqu❜ring faith is now grown blind and cold,
And basely craven'd *, that in times of old

Did conquer heav'n itself, do what th'Almighty could.

4.

Behold, how double fraud does scourge and tear
Astræa's wounded sides, plough'd up, and rent
With knotted cords, whose fury has no ear?
See how she stands a pris'ner to be sent
A slave into eternal banishment,

I know not whither; O, I know not where:
Her patent must be cancel'd in disgrace:
And sweet-lip'd fraud, with her divided face,
Must act Astræa's part, must take Astræa's place.

5

Faith's pinion's clipt, and fair Astræa gone!
Quick-seeing Faith now blind, and Justice see:
Has Justice now found wings? And has Faith none ?
What do we here? Who would not wish to be
Dissolv'd from earth, and with Astræa flee
From this blind dungeon to that sun bright throne?
Lord, is thy sceptre lost, or laid aside?

Is hell broke loose, and all her fiends unty'd?

Lord, rise, and rouse, and rule, and crush their furious

[pride.

* Craven'd, i. e. dishearten'd, made to knock under, &c.

PETER