Book II, 38: On Leprous Naaman

The Leper, prompted with his lothsome griefe,
Seekes to the King of Israel for reliefe:
But Naaman's vayne desiers could not thrive;
Israel's no God; to hill, or make alive:
The Morall Man is of too meane a Stature,
To reach his hand above the head of Nature:
The willing Prophet undertakes the Cure;
The Leper must goe wash, and be secure
From his Disease: He must goe paddle straight,
In Iordan's water: 'Tis a faire Receipt:
And why in Iordan? Have our Syrian streames
Lesse pow'r then Isr'els? sure the Prophet dreames:
How hard it is for Mortals to rely
On Faith! How apt is sense, to question, why?
The Cure perplxes more then the Disease;
Prophets prescribe no better meanes then these?
I lookd his Ceremonious hand should stroke
The place; I look'd the Prophet should invoke:
Some men would faine he cleane, if God would stay
Their times, or would but cure them their owne way:
The techy Leper is displeas'd; hee'l hence:
The Iordan Prophet dallyes against sense:
His wiser servants urge their hasty Lord
To Iordan's streames: He washes; is restor'd
How good a God have we, whose grace fulfils
Our choyce desires oft-times against our wills!
The Leper's clens'd; And now he dos applaud
Not Isr'els streames alone, but Isr'els God:
The Prophet must have thanks, and Gold beside;
The thanks are taken, but the Gold's deny'd:
Who would not deale with Thee, that are not nice,
To sell such Pen'worths at so small a price!
Naaman, in lieu of his refus'd reward,
Vowes the true God; provided, when his Lord
Shall serve ith house of Rimmon, if he bow
For fashion-sake, he may secure his Vow:
Some will not stick to lend their God a house,
Might they reserve one roome for their owne use:
Gehazi thinks the Cure too cheape; He soone
Oretakes the Lepers Charit, asks a Boone
I'th' Prophets name: But marke what did befall;
He got his Boone; but got his plague withall:
Vnlawfull gaines are least what they appeare,
And ill got Gold is a alwayes bought too deare:
Lord, I did wash in Iordan, and was cur'd;
My Flesh, that false Gehazi, hath procur'd
A sinfull purchase, having over-run
The clensed Naaman of my Soule: What's done
By false Gehazi, let Gehazi beare;
Let Naamans Leprosie alone stick there;
O, clense them both, or if that may not be,
Lord, strike Gehazi; and keepe Naaman free,