CXXXIV.

But all too late; grief’s out of date,   when Life is at an end. 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,

_Mercy now shines forth in the vessels of Mercy._

CXXXV. [114]

“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 men’s thought. For such as those that were his foes   like wonders would have wrought.

_Did also wait upon such as abused it._

CXXXVI. [115]

“And none but lie such lenity   and patience would have shown To you so long, who did him wrong,   and pull’d his Judgment down. How long a space, stiff-neck’d race,   did patience you afford? How oft did love you gently move,   to turn unto the Lord ?

_The day of Grace now past_

CXXXVII. [116]

“With chords 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 Mercy’s room,   yet grudge you not therefore.

CXXXVIII. [117]

“If into wrath God turned hath   his long, long-suffering, And now for love you vengeance prove,   is an equal thing. Your waxing worse hath stopt the course   of wonted Clemency, Mercy refus’d and Grace misus’d   call for severity.

CXXXIX. [118]

“It’s now high time that ev’ry Crime   be brought to punishment; Wrath long contain’d and oft restrain’d,   at last must have a vent. Justice severe cannot forbear  to plague sin any longer, But must inflict with liand most strict   mischief upon the wronger.

CXL. [119]

“In vain do they for Mercy pray,   the season being past, Who had no care to get a share   therein, while time did last. The man whose ear refus’d to hear   the voice of Wisdom’s cry, Earn’d this reward, that none regard   him in his misery.

CXLI. [120]

“It doth agree with Equity   and with God’s holy Law, That those should die eternally   that Death upon them draw. The soul that sins Damnation wins,   for so the Law ordains; Which Law is just; and therefore must   such suffer endless pains.

CXLII. [121]

“Eternal smart is the desert   ev’n of the least offense; Then wonder not if I allot   to you this Recompense; But wonder more that since so sore   and lasting plagues are due To every sin, you liv’d therein,   who well the danger knew.

CXLIII. [122]

“God hath no joy to crush or ’stroy,   and ruin wretched wights; But to display the glorious Ray   of Justice he delights. To manifest he doth detest,   and throughly hate all sin, By plaguing it as is most fit—   this shall him Glory win.“

_Some pretend they were shut out of Heaven by God’s Decree._

CXLIV. [123]

Some pretend Then at the Bar arraignéd are   an impudenter sort, Who to evade the guilt that’s laid   Upon them, thus retort: “How could we cease thus to transgress?   How could we Hell avoid, Whom God’s Decree shut out from thee,   and sign’d to be destroy’d ?

CXLV. [124]

“Whom God ordains to endless pains   by Law unalterable, Repentance true, Obedience new,   to such are unable. Sorrow for sin no good can win,   to such as are rejected; Nor can they grieve nor yet believe,   that never were elected.