) 140 B'AXTER's · POEMS. Butwhere's his money, honours, lands ,and treasures-?< Left to his heirs, least they should wiser be, That the strong snare of fleshly worldly pleasures, · May tempt them all to live and die as he. Bnt where is Dives soul? Christ saith, in Hell: But his five brethren will not this believe: · Christ will not lie ; and who can better tell ? But Satan thus successors doth deceive. , . What hath he taken hen~e of all his gains ? God's wrath: the guilt and conscience of his sin: But not one drop to ease tormenting pains, Will all his honours, lands, and riches win. A preacher tells his brethren what Christ saith: He's charg'd of s1and'ring so great a man: A gaol, and scorn is the success he hath: Convince proud, wilful sinners no one can. And is not this a doleful Bedlam-case, When all a rich man's pleasure with him dies? His brethren madly follow the same chase ; At the same time while he in torment lies. He's paying for his long contempt of grace; They build his tomb, and celebrate his fame; He'd have them warn'd, and not come to that place; They praise his doings, and keep up his name. Could one at once but see them and their brother ; Him in his torment; them in their delight; How unlike are their thoughts to one another! One groans for that, for which the others fight. - Faith sees all this: but flesh and sense is blind: These brutes believe no more than what they see: .
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