They always see their misery, Yet are themselves all night. 51. They are all dead, yet live they do, Yet neither live nor die. They die to weal, and live to woe, This is their misery. 52. Amidst all this so great a scare That here I do relate, Another falleth to their share In this their sad estate. 53. The legions of infernal fiends Then with them needs must be, A just reward for all their pains, This they shall feel and see. 54. With yellings, howlings, shrieks, and cries, And other doleful noise, With trembling hearts and failing eyes, These are their hellish joys. 55. These angels black they would obey, And serve with greedy mind, And take delight to go astray, That pleasure they might find. 56. Which pleasure now like poison turns Their joy to heaviness; Yea, like the gall of asps it burns, And doth them sore oppress 57. Now is the joy they lived in All turned to brinish tears, And resolute attempts to sin Turn'd into hellish fears. 58. The floods run trickling down their face, Their hearts do prick and ache, While they lament their woful case, Their loins totter and shake. 59. O wetted cheeks, with bleared eyes, How fully do you show The pangs that in their bosom lies, And grief they undergo! 60. Their dolour in their bitterness So greatly they bemoan, That hell itself this to express Doth echo with their groan. 61. Thus broiling on the burning grates, They now to wailing go, And say of those unhappy fates That did them thus undo. 62. Alas, my grief! hard hap had I Those dolours here to find, A living death, in hell I lie, Involv'd with grief of mind. 63. I once was fair for light and grace, My days were long and good; I lived in a blessed place Where was most heav'nly food. 64. But wretch I am, I slighted life, I chose in death to live; O, for these days now, if I might, Ten thousand worlds would give. 65. What time had I to pray and read, What time to hear the word! What means to help me at my need, Did God to me afford! 66. Examples, too, of piety I every day did see, But they abuse and slight did I, O, woe be unto me. 67. I now remember how my friend Reproved me of vice, And bid me mind my latter end, Both once, and twice, and thrice. 68. But O, deluded man, I did My back upon him turn; Eternal life I did not heed, For which I now do mourn. 69. Ah, golden time, I did thee spend In sin and idleness, Ah, health and wealth, I did you lend To bring me to distress. 70. My feet to evil I let run, And tongue of folly talk; My eyes to vanity hath gone, Thus did I vainly walk. 71. I did as greatly toil and strain Myself with sin to please, As if that everlasting grain Could have been found in these. 72. But nothing, nothing have I found But weeping, and alas, And sorrow, which doth now surround Me, and augment my cross. 73. Ah, bleeding conscience, how did I Thee check when thou didst tell Me of my faults, for which I lie Dead while I live in hell. 74. I took thee for some peevish foe, When thou didst me accuse, Therefore I did thee buffet so, And counsel did refuse. 75. Thou often didst me tidings bring, How God did me dislike, Because I took delight in sin, But I thy news did slight. 76. Ah, Mind, why didst thou do those things That now do work my woe? Ah, Will, why was thou thus inclin'd Me ever to undo? 77. My senses, how were you beguil'd When you said sin was good? It hath in all parts me defil'd, And drown'd me like a flood. 78. Ah, that I now a being have, In sorrow and in pain; Mother, would you had been my grave, But this I wish in vain. 79. Had I been made a cockatrice, A toad, or such-like thing;[13] Yea, had I been made snow or ice, Then had I had no sin; 80. A block, a stock, a stone, or clot, Is happier than I; For they know neither cold nor hot, To live nor yet to die. 81. I envy now the happiness Of those that are in light, I hate the very name of bliss, 'Cause I have there no right. 82. I grieve to see that others are In glory, life, and well, Without all fear, or dread, or care, While I am racked in hell. 83. Thus will these souls with watery eyes, And hacking of their teeth, With wringing hands, and fearful cries, Expostulate their grief. 84. O set their teeth they will, and gnash, And gnaw for very pain, While as with scorpions God doth lash Them for their life so vain. 85. Again, still as they in this muse, Are feeding on the fire, To mind there comes yet other news, To screw their torments higher. 86. Which is the length of this estate, Where they at present lie; Which in a word I thus relate, 'Tis to eternity. 87. This thought now is so firmly fix'd In all that comes to mind, And also is so strongly mix'd With wrath of every kind. 88. So that whatever they do know, Or see, or think, or feel, For ever still doth strike them through As with a bar of steel. 89. For EVER shineth in the fire, EVER is on the chains; 'Tis also in the pit of ire, And tastes in all their pains. 90. For ever separate from God, From peace, and life, and rest; For ever underneath the rod That vengeance liketh best. 91. O ever, ever, this will drown'd Them quite and make them cry, We never shall get o'er thy bound, O, great eternity! 92. They sooner now the stars may count Than lose these dismal bands; Or see to what the motes[14] among Or number up the sands. 93. Then see an end of this their woe, Which now for sin they have; O wantons, take heed what you do, Sin will you never save. 94. They sooner may drink up the sea, Than shake off these their fears; Or make another in one day As big with brinish tears; 95. Than put an end to misery, In which they now do roar, Or help themselves; no, they must cry, Alas, for evermore. 96. When years by thousands on a heap Are passed o'er their head; Yet still the fruits of sin they reap Among the ghostly dead. 97. Yea, when they have time out of mind Be in this case so ill, For EVER, EVER is behind[15] Yet for them to fulfill.

EBAL AND GERIZZIM,

OR