When that great Gen’ralissimo of all
Infernal Janizaries shall
His Legions of Temptations raise, enroul,
And muster Them ‘gainst Thee, my Soul:
And Ranks of Pleasures, Profits, Honours bring,
To give a Charge on the right Wing:
And place his dreadful Troops of deadly Sins
Upon the Left, with murth’ring Gins:
And draw to his main Bodie thousand Lusts,
And for Reserve, wherein he trusts,
Shall specious Sanctities Brigade provide,
Whose Leader is spiritual Pride:
And having treacherously laid his Trains
In Ambush, under Hope of Gains
By sinning, as so many Scouts, to finde
Each March and Posture of thy Mind:
Then, Soul, sound an Alarm to Faith, and presse
Thy Zeal to be in Readinesse;
And leavie all thy Faculties to serve
Thy CHIEFE. Take Pray’r for thy Reserve
Under the Conduct of his SPIRIT; See
Under the Banner that they be
Of thy Salvations CAPTAIN: Then be sure
That all thy Out–works stand secure.
Yet narrower look into th’ indenting Line
Of thy ambiguous Thoughts: Designe
With constant Care a Watch o’re every Part;
Ev’n at thy Cinque–ports, and thy Heart
Set Centinels: Let Faith be Captain o’re
The Life–Guard, standing at the Dore
Of thy well–warded Breast: Disloyal Fear
That corresponds with Guilt, cashear.
Nor let Hypocrisie sneak in and out
Thy Garrison, with that Spie, Doubt.
The Watch–word be IMMANUEL: Then set
Strong Parties of thy Tears; and let
Them still to salie forth prepared stand,
And but expect the Souls Command;
Waiting until a blest Recruit from High
Be sent, with Graces free Supplie.
Thus where the LORD of Hosts the Van leads, there
Triumphant Palms bring up the Rere.
(Edward Benlowes)
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Based on Topics: Mind Poems, Soul Poems, Hope Poems, Belief & Faith Poems, Pride Poems, Pleasure Poems, Doubt & Skepticism Poems, Leading & Managing Poems, Leadership Poems, Temptation PoemsBased on Keywords: recruit, dore, sanctities, chiefe, disloyal, bodie, immanuel, presse, spie, designe, treacherously