Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
our lives and our estates:
Therefore for fear we durst appear
no better than our mates.
CXXVI
To whom the Lord returns this word;
O wonderful deceits!
To cast o aw of Gods strict Law,
and fear mens wrath and th [. . .] eats!
To fear Hell-re and Gods erce ire
less then the rage of men!
As if Gods wrath could do less scath
than wrath of bretheren!
CXXVII
To use such strife to temp’ral life
to rescue and secure!
And be so b [. . .] ind as not to mind
that life that will endure!
This was you [. . .] case, who carnal peace
more then [. . .] ue joyes did savour:
Who fed on dus [. . .] , clave to your lust,
and spurned at my [. . .] avour.
CXXVIII
To please your kin, mens loves to win,
to ow in wo [. . .] ldly wealth,
To save your skin, these things have bin
more than Eternal health.
You had your choice, wherein rejoyce,
it was your portion,
For which you chose your Souls t’ expose
unto Perdition.
CXXIX.
Who did not hate friends, life, and state,
with all things else for me,
And all forsake, and’s Cross up take,
shall never happy be.
Well worthy they do die for ay,
who death then life had rather:
Death is their due that so value
the friendship of my Father.
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