should be the best of men, and in thy heart thou sayest they are the worst of men. And
Now thy folly I shall answer,
From the judgment drawn by thee,
If thou'st look'd to thy CREATOR,
And the Land in sin to be.
If from ME first the whole did burst,
And I did Man create,
And yet in sin they did begin
For to bring on their fate;
Then how can Man so upright stand,
Where Promises are made,
While Satan's roving through the land?
Thy wisdom weak was laid:
Had Abraham's seed in virtue stood,
And David stood the same,
Then surely I who DWELL ON HIGH
Must be more weak than Man.
If Man had power to subdue
The folly of his child,
Then how can I be just and TRUE
To let mankind be foil'd?
If Abraham's seed in virtue stood
I ask thee, why not MINE?
If David's sons in virtue came,
And bright in wisdom shin'd,
I ask thee then why mine began
To fall away from ME?
I tell you all, the things are plain:
These things compar'd must be
Now with the Fall, I tell you all-
Was David without sin?
Thou answerest, no: the truth is so;
Then how could he bring in
His children here for to appear
In virtue bright to shine,
When Men by ME created were?
But Satan had his time
To baffle all, and Men did fall,
Like David, at the first.
For there his crimes you now must call,
How David's sins did burst;
Upon his head they first were laid-
Thou knowest Urizh's death:
And then his children did proceed
In deeper crimes come forth.
So first began the Fall of Man,
I say of Adam's Fall;
The sin first there did sure appear;
But now I tell you all,
The Promise see at first to be,
The Curse was cast on Man;
And so the offsprings you do see
In every age com on;
Sin did abound in every sound,
Where I did Promise make,
Because the Curse was on the Ground,
And so that Curse did break;
I say on Man at first did come
So here stands DAVID'S REIGN:
The Promise great you may command,
That I shall bere explain:
The Curse at first on him did burst,
As 'twas pronounc'd on Man;
The Blessings great they all did miss,
But ne'er discern'd my plan,
How it was plac'd, ye fallen race,
Where Promise I did make;
I tell you all, back to the Fall
The truth of all must break;
For while on Man the Curse do stand,
No Promise I can free;
But now I tell you every one
My Promise all shall see.-
A DAVID'S REIGN I'll now explain,
As I have said before;
His children they were just like MINE,
And let the Jews appear :
In every land see how they stand,
And how they sought my Life;
But in the end, 'tis my intend
This way to clear the strife.
A DAVID'S REIGN I tell you plain,
Hath follow'd from the Fall;
And all my children you may see,
Have been like DAVIDS all;
Because that some in wisdom stand,
Like Solomon appear;
And other men in vice did come,
As Absalom did there.
So here my REIGN has been, like him.
Children to disobey:
And DAVID, he did act in sin;
The Fall of Man doth lay
Upon their head, as I have said;
Then how can man be free
Before the promise, they will plead?
And then the Curse must be
Upon the first, as it was cast-
'The Woman cast it there,
You know, upon the serpent's head.-
And now I'll answer here,
When this is done, I answer man,
And ADAM's truth shall burst:
IN MY OWN LIKENESS Man shall stand
As I made him at first!
But was it so? you well do know,
He did not stand like ME;
CONCERNING DAVID.
No: he did fall, I tell you all;
Then now his offspring see:
Then David here you soon would clear,
His standing was the same-
The man did fall, I tell you all,
And so his offspring came
To follow on as he began,
So tainted by the Fall;
And worse and worse they still went on,
I now do tell you all.
So Adam see, the Fall of he,
Which was the Fall of Man;
But after him, you all do see,
A fataller Fall become;
Because that Cain-call to your mind
A murderer did appear;
And so from David you do find
What murdering sons were there.
So all in sin they did begin;
The parents first did fall,
When I the Promise made to them;
Once more I tell you all,
While Satan stands in every land,
He hasty will pursue;
Like men of war he will appear ;
All ages find it true;
Because on mati the Curse did stand,
As I did say before;
And now I say, in every land
It strongly doth appear.
So marvel on as thou'st beguti,
To think of David's Fall:
You see the Tempter still is strong,
I say, to cast down all,
Where Promise great to them I make;
But see they cannot stand,
Until my Sceptre I do shake,
To gain the PROMIS'D LAND.
The Promise first for Man to burst;
The Serpent's curse appear;
Then all may say another way,
"We see the Promise clear:
"A David's Reign doth now begin
" In happiness to burst;
"We see the curse remov'd from men,
"Upon the Serpent cast."
Then children free all men will see,
Like Solomon appear;
That is in WISDOM great to be,
But not in SIN to err:
No, no; I say to thee, that day
When I destroy the Root,
And every evil take away,
Then Satan must stand mute.
"I've had my time I now do find, "When God did promise Men, "That he unto them would be kind, "If they would worship him." That is, to do, you all do know, As I do them command. But Satan he did find a way,
He would not let them stand: For like the first, this sure did burst, Like Adam's promise make; And Satan then so strong did come These promises to break. Then of what use can I produce A Promise great to Man ? They'll not obey what I do say; I see they cannot stand, While Satan here do strong appear. Weigh every Promise through: As Adam first I here have plac'd; My Bible all go through: And Moses see, I promis'd he The land of Canaan there, That I my children then would free; But how did they appear? Sin did abound in every sound, And Satan did pursue, Like Adam's Fall, I tell you all,
Was then their passage through. Then how could I who dwell on high, Preserve the life of Man ? I tell you, no: it was not so, My Promise first must stand: If men obey what I do say, I'shall fulfil my Word; But men did not, judge every lot: See how they fell from God: Though Abraham here I mean to clear, But Isaac he was bound; And know the Promise I made there, And see how soon was found Then Esau strong from him to comeAnd Esaus all may see ; While Satan's reign I do prolong, Your murderer he will be: So Jacobs here let men appearBut know his sons did fall; I say in sin they did beginThe Promise stands for all : I say, at first it there must burst, As Man so strong is bound; By Satan's chain they do remain, Where Promises are found So great to Man, he cannot stand, While Satan's power do reign;
CONCERNING DAVID:
And so a David you command.
These Promises see plain;
How man did fall, I tell you all,
Where every Promise stood;
Then how to Adam can you call,
And all to him allude,
When you see plain, ye sons of men,
How all did fall like he?
Then like the Woman now contend,
That I may set you free
From Satan's hand in every land,
And from his artful power;
And then you'll see the REIGN OF ME,
When Satan can't devour.-
A DAVID here I'll then appear
And bring MY CROWN to Man:
And every promise then I'll clear,
And shew how all shall stand;
When from the first the Promise burst
Unto the Woman made,
Then Satan shall receive his curse,
And men shan't be misled.
Like David here I did appear,
And like his words do cry;
Though he did ne'er receive the spear,
But mark what he did say-
"O Absalom! myson! my son!
"O that I'd died for thee!"
The shadow there that did appear,
The WORD's fulfill'd in ME :
So I did die-I tell thee why:
Because my sons I'll save!
And yet I hear, like Absalom's cry,
My throne they now would have.
The ways are two before thy view;
Some wish ME for to die,
That all their vice they may pursue,
Forgetting hell is nigh,
Where they must go, as he did do-
Such Absaloms are here!
Bring every thing before thy view,
And then thou may'st see clear,
How strong in sin men do go on,
Against my every WORD;
My KINGDOM they would sure unthrone
By mocking of their LORD.
Then now see clear, I tell thee here,
My children are like he-
The Absaloms are every where,
That soon cut doron will be.
Yet still I grieve that men will live
So much in Satan's power!
For-reason here they will not bear,
Men's senses he devours.
|