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

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
The glorious King thus answering,
all to his voice attend:
God gracious is, quoth he, like his
no Mercy can be found;
His Equity and Clemency
to sinners do abound.
CXXXV
As may appear by those that here
are plac’d at my right hand;
Whose stripes I bore and clear’d the score
that they might quitted stand.
For surely none but God alone,
whose Grace transcends man’s thought,
For such as those that were his foes
like wonders would have wrought.
CXXXVI
And none but he such lenitee
and patience would have shown
To you so long, who did him wrong,
and pull’d his judgements down.
How long a space (O sti-neck’t Race!)
did patience you aord?
How oft did love you gently move
to turn unto the Lord?
CXXXVII
With cords of Love God often strove
your stubborn hearts to tame:
Nevertheless, your wickedness
did still resist the same.
If now at last Mercy be past
from you for evermore,
And Justice come in Mercies room,
yet grudge you no [. . .] therefore.
CXXXVIII
If into wrath God tu [. . .] ed hath
his Long-long [. . .] ue [. . .] ing,
And now for Love you Vengeance prove,
it is an equal thing.
Your waxing worse, hath stopt the course
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