Divine glimpses of a maiden muse being various meditations and epigrams on several subjects : with a probable cure of our present epidemical malady if the means be not too long neglected / by Chr. Clobery ...

Eternity.

ETernity! Ah dearest Lord assist My shallow Muse; for she's quite over∣whelm'd In this vast Ocean: she's of footing miss't; Toss'd on the surging waves, like ship unhelm'd; Depriv'd of terminus à quo, from whence Her voyage to begin; and the ad quem, Where it should end: since he's depriv'd of sence Who in eternity doth seek for them: She no beginning had, nor end shall have, But from eternal to eternal be: VVas, is, and shall be, when death, and the grave, The Earth, the Sea, the Heavens (which we see) Were all meer nothing, unborn, unbegotten: Whilst they their time ordain'd continue shall; And when they all are vanish'd, and forgotten, She'll stay unmetamorphosed at all. In her, nor time, nor age, can change effect; Nor all the pow'rs of Earth and Hell prevayl To make a wrinkle in her sweet aspect, Nor frost one hair, though joyntly they assayl. VVhen Heav'n shall moult her Stars, & (like a roul) Involved be in flames, that shall consume The world's whole fabrick (save mans deathless soul:) And God shall in a moment us assume (Chang'd) to himself: Yet she shall still remain Immutable, by his divine decree Who her impowr'd that sameness to retain

In self-fruition to eternity. Old Idol-makers emblemiz'd her by A snake turn'd round, whose mouth and tayl did meet; VVhich endless form shew'd forth a deity, VVhose everlasting being, could not fleet, Nor end receive, but still revert again To its beginning: Others pourtray'd her In youthful shape, so ever to remain. Both in the right, and yet both out on't were; Though everlasting and unchangeable, She's but a creature: so they erred both In de-ifying her: yet no man's able Of her deep Essence to conceive the troth: She's of too lofty birth, too deep conception For our low, shallow apprehensions reach: The thought whereof should move us to reception Of humbled hearts, and soul-submission teach To our and her great God, whose wonders woo Our way-ward hearts from transitorie joyes, To will what he doth will, and that to do: To fix on him; and so abandon toyes. Sacred Eternity should make us slight These shadow-pleasures, short delights below, False creature-comforts; and to eye that light That leads to true and lasting joyes: we know Those soon shall fade: And our immortal souls Run parallel unto Eternity, In wo or weal. Who then, but heedless fools, Will loose firm joyes, to joy in vanity? Heark, fearless Dolt! hammer thy steeled heart On this firm Anvil; Oft in minde revolve Eternity, that she may make thee part From thy embosom'd lusts; the stone dissolve That's in thy breast; thy crusted conscience soften; Impow'r thee Satans wiles more to resist: To do good oftner, and not sin so often,

For fear of everlasting had I wist. This single word in brief doth comprehend All the surpassing joys that Heav'n affords: And all the torments that the damned find In Hell, them to express need no more words; For though the joys of one be infinite In number, weight and measure, and as well The others torments no less infinite: Eternity makes them both Heav'n and Hell. Her age in times meer infancy was vast, Transcending all Arithmeticians skill: The number of her fore-past years to cast, Though they should use the stars that Heaven fill, Each grass, and grain of dust that Earth can shew, And all the drops and sands in Sea and shore, With the Ayre's Atomes; they would be too few (Were each a thousand thousand millions more) For figures that grand number to express To which they would amount: Howe'er, when time Shall be no more, her youth will be no less Then at the first. O wonder most sublime! Here muse, and stand amaz'd, presumptuous man, Who squandrest pretious time in seeking that VVhich when possess'd annoys! Content ne'er can Be found in Treasures, Honours, Pleasures, flat False titillations: They the fancy please With momentaneous tickling: but the foul Can no satiety receive from these, Whilst her diviner eyes espie their foul And gross delusions, winning us to waste Our time of grace, (short week of working dayes) On toyes and trifles care away to cast, Neglecting (our creation's end) his prayse That formed us; and so to lose our pay In that eternal Sabbath's rest to come, And gull us with false hopes, that fade away

When Judgement dooms us Hell for our sad home; Whose everlasting flames should us deter From their allurements, and our souls provoke No longer true repentance to defer, But take upon us our Redeemers yoke, Embrace his endless love. And let that force Our souls to grace, by holy violence: Redeem our time by Faith and true remorse, And giving neither God nor man offence; For on the husbanding of this short span Of our frail life, eternal life depends, Or death eternal. Oh! when this we scan, It should unbottom us from all false ends: And keep us firm in truths sincerest wayes, And in the pathes of life; that when times race Is run, and all distinguishments by dayes, Hours, months & years, shall here no more have place, We may enjoy Eternity above: Whereof that we may not at last be mist, But ponder still in heart (what doth behove) Eternity! Ah dearest Lord, assist.

AMEN.