1.When God at first made man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by,
"Let us", said he, " pour on him all we can.
Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie,
Contract into a span".
So strength first made a way;
Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
Rest in the bottom lay.
*This means that after everything God has given to the man, and after there is nothing left, God gives the rest of his treasure even the lowest class of people irrespective of tribal affiliation."For if I should", said he,
Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
He would adore my gift instead of me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;
So both should losers be
*Man will end up being a worshipper of nature, thereby making God to be the loser of all the gifts and blessings he pours on him."Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast
- We should understand that if God and man are both "Losers", God for this reason allows man to keep the gifts but with discontent in every aspect of his life following this choice. Using the word "repining restlessness" suggest a state of human in satiation.
*Drawing nearer to God in this context simply means going back to the "Pulley". Everyman created by God is a free moral agent.