A feast for vvormes Set forth in a poeme of the history of Ionah. By Fra. Quarles.

A feast for vvormes Set forth in a poeme of the history of Ionah. By Fra. Quarles.

Table of contents

[1]

Title page

TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, ROBERT, LORD SYDNEY, Baron of Penshurst, Viscount Lisle, Earle of Leicester, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter.

TO THE READER.

THE PROPOSITION OF the whole Worke.

THE INTRODVCTION.

THE ARGVMENT OF THE HISTORY.

TO THE MOST HIGH: HIS HVMBLE SERVANT IMPLORES HIS FAVOVRABLE ASSISTANCE.

A FEAST FOR WORMES.

Sect. 1

Apolog. Authoris.

Applicatio.

Meditatio prima.

Sect. 2

Meditatio secunda.

Sect. 3.

Meditatio tertia.

Sect. 4.

Meditatio quarta.

Sect. 5.

Meditatio quinta.

Sect. 6.

Meditatio sexta.

Sect. 7.

Meditatio septimu.

Sect. 8.

Meditatio octaua.

Sect. 9.

Meditatio nona.

Sect. 10.

Meditatio decima.

Sect. 11.

Meditatio vndecima.

Sect. 12.

Meditatio duodecima.

Sect. 13.

Meditatio vltima.

THE GENERALL VSE OF this History.

The particular application.

A Hymne to God.

Eleuen Pious Meditations.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

[2]

Title page

Mors tua. 1

Mors Christi. 2

Fraus Mundi. 3

Gloria Coeli. 4

Dolor Inferni. 5

1 Mors tua.

2 Mors Christi.

3 Fraus Mundi.

4 Gloria Coeli.

5 Dolor Inferni.

§

§

§

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A FEAST FOR WORMES. SET FORTH IN A POEME OF THE HISTORY OF IONAH. By FRA. QVARLES.

ad hoc.

ab hoc.

per hoc.

This Naked Pourtraiture before thine Eye,

Is Wretched, helplesse MAN, MAN borne to Die:

On either side, an ANGELL doth protect him

As well from EVILL, as to GOOD direct him:

Th' one poynts to DEATH, the t'other to a CROVVNE;

Who THIS attaines, must tread the OTHER downe:

All which denotes the Briefe of MANS Estate,

That HEE'S to goe from HENCE, by THIS, to THAT.

AT LONDON. Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Richard Moore, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard, in Fleetstreet. 1620.

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TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, ROBERT, LORD SYDNEY, Baron of Penshurst, Viscount Lisle, Earle of Leicester, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter.

SIR: two things more especiall haue made me industrious to doe your Lordship seruice: The one is, the loue you did beare to my (long since) deceased Father; whom (dead) your Lordship did please to honour with your Noble remembrance. The other is, your vndeserued Fauours, and Honourable Countenance towards me in your passage thorow Germany, where you haue left in the hearts of men, a Pyramis of your Worth. As for the first, I am heire to that seruice, which my Father, (alwayes obseruant [Page] to your Honour) was ready to performe. As for the second, my selfe, in more particular stand obliged. In respect of both, heere I dedicate my selfe, and these few leaues to your truly-Noble Selfe, hoping your Lordship will vaile my boldnesse in your good acceptance, and crowne my labours with your approbation:

SIR,

Your Lordships truly obseruant, FRA. QVARLES.

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TO THE READER.

Reader, J fairely salute thee:

I List not to tyre thy patient eares with vnnecessary language (the abuse of complement.) My mouth's no Dictionary: it onely serues as a needfull Commentary, vpon the obscure Text of my meaning.

J haue heere sent thee the first fruits of an obortiue Birth. Jt is a dainty subiect, not Fabulous, but Truth it selfe.

VVonder not at the Title, (A FEAST FOR WORMES:) for it is a Song of Mercy: VVhat greater FEAST than Mercy? And what are Men but WORMES?

Moreouer, J haue gleaned some few Meditations, obuious to the History; Let me aduise thee to keepe the Taste of the History, whilest thou readest the Meditations, and that will make thee Rellish both, the better.

Vnderstanding Reader, fauour me: Gently expound, what it is too late to correct.

He le va de Golpe, Dios sea con ella.

Farewell.

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THE PROPOSITION OF the whole Worke.

'TIs not the Record of Great HECTORS Glory,

Whose matchlesse Valour makes the World a Story;

Nor yet the swelling of that Romans Name,

That onely Came, and Look'd, and Ouercame;

Nor One, nor All of those braue Worthies Nine,

(Whose Might was Great, and Acts almost Diuine,

That liu'd like Gods, but di' de like Men, and gone)

Shall giue my Pen a Taske to treat vpon:

I sing the praises of the KING of Kings,

Out of whose mouth, a two-edg'd Smiter springs,

Whose Words are Mystery, whose Works are Wonder,

Whose Eyes are Lightning, and whose Voyce is Thunder,

Who like a Curtaine spreads the Heauens out,

Spangl'd with Starres, in Glory round about:

'Tis HEE that cleft the furious waues in twaine,

Making a High-way passage through the Maine:

'Tis He that turn'd the waters into Blood,

And smote the Rocky stone, and caus'd a Flood:

'Tis HEE, that's iustly Armed in his Ire,

Behind with Plagues, before with flaming Fire:

More bright then mid-day Phoebus, are his Eyes,

And whosoeuer sees his Visage, Dyes.

I sing the Praises of Great Iudah's Lion,

The fragrant Flowre of Iesse, the Lambe of Sion,

Whose Head is whiter then the driuen Snow,

Whose Visage doth like flames of Fire Glow:

[Page]His Loynes begirt with Golden Belt, His Eyne

Like Titan, riding in his Southerne Shine,

His Feet like burning Brasse, and as the noyse

Of surgie Neptunes roaring, is his Voyce.

This is that Paschall Lambe, whose dearest Blood

Is soueraigne Drinke, whose Flesh is sauing Food:

His precious Blood, the Worthies of the Earth

Did drinke, which (though but borne of Mortall birth)

Returnd them Deities: For who drinkes THIS,

Shall be receiu'd into Eternall Blisse:

Himselfe the GIFT, which HE himselfe did giue,

His Stripes heale vs, and by HIS Death we liue:

HEE acting GOD and MAN in double Nature,

Did reconcile Mankind, and Mans Creator.

I, heer's a TASKE indeed; if Mortals could

Not make a Verse, yet Rocks and Mountaines would:

The Hils shall daunce, the Sunne shall stop his Course,

Hearing the subiect of this high Discourse:

The Horse, and Gryphin shall together sleepe,

The Woolfe shall fawne vpon the silly Sheepe,

The Crafty Serpent, and the Fearfull Hart

Shall ioyne in Consort, and each beare a part,

And leape for Ioy, when my VRANIA sings,

She sings the praises of the KING of Kings.

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THE INTRODVCTION.

¶THat

Assyria

Ancient Kingdome, that old Assur swai'd,

Shew'd two great Cities. Ah! but both decai'd,

Both mighty Great, but of vnequall growth;

Both Great in People, and in Building, both;

But Ah! What hold is there of Earthly Good?

Now Grasse growes there, where these braue Cities stood.

The name of one, Great Babylon was hight,

Through which the rich Euphrates takes her flight

From High Armaenia to the ruddy Seas,

Diodor, Siculus, lib. 3. rerum antiqu. 6.4.

And stores the Land with rich Commodities.

¶The other Ninus, Niniueh the Great,

So huge a Fabrick, and well chosen Seat,

Pliny, lib. 6. cap. 26.

Dan Phoebus fiery Steeds (with Maines becurld,

Strabo, lib. 16. princip.

That circundates in twice twelue houres the World)

Ne'r saw the like: By Great King

Assur. Genes. cap. 10.11. St. August lib. 15. de ciuit. Dei. Diod. Sic. cap. 1. rerum antiqu. The Cituation of the City. The height of the Walls. The Breadth.

Ninus hand,

Ptolimaeus, lib.6. Geograph. cap. 1.

'Twas raisd and builded, in th' Assyrians Land,

Which he subdude: 'Twas plac'd twixt riuers twaine,

Licus, and swift Tygris that runnes amaine:

Begirt she was with Walls of wondrous might,

Creeping twice fifty foot in measur'd height.

Vpon their bredth, (if ought we may relie

On the report of Sage Antiquity)

Three Chariots fairly might themselues display,

And ranke together in a Battell-ray:

The Circuit that her mighty Bulke imbraces,

The Circuit of the City.

Containes the mete of sixty-thousand paces:

[Page]Within her well-fenc't-walles you might discouer

Fiue hundred stately Towers,

The number of ber Towers. Diod. Siculus cap. 3. rerum antiquarum.

thrice told ouer;

Whereof the highest draweth vp the eye,

As well the low'st, an hundred Cubits hie;

All rich in those things, which to state belong,

For beauty,

Her beauty and strength.

Braue, and for munition, Strong:

Duly, and daily this Great worke was tended

With ten thousand Workmen;

The number of ber workmen. Radulf. Volateranus.

Begun, and ended

In eight yeeres space; How beautifull! How faire

Thy Buildings! And how foule thy Vices are!

¶Thou Land of Assur, double then thy pride, And let thy Wells of Ioy be neuer dri'de,

Thou hast a Palace, that's renown'd so much,

The like was neuer, is, nor will be such.

¶Thou Land of Assur, trebble then thy Woe,

And let thy Teares (doe as thy Cups) o'rflow;

For this thy Palace of so great renowne,

Shall be destroy'd,

Nab. 3.15.

and sackt, and batterd downe.

But cheere vp, Niniueh, thine inbred might,

Hath meanes enough to quell thy Foemans spite:

Thy Bulwarkes are like Mountaines, and thy Wall

Disdaines to stoope to thundring Ordnance call:

Thy watchfull Towers mounted round about,

Keepe thee in safety, and thy Foe-man out:

I, but thy Bulwarks aide, cannot withstand

The direfull stroke of High Almighties hand;

Thy Wafer-walles at dread Iehouah's blast

Shall quake, and quiuer, and shall downe be cast:

Thy watchfull Towers shall asleepe be found,

And nod their drowsie heads downe to the ground:

Thy Bulwarks are not Vengeance-proofe; thy Wall,

When Iustice brandisheth her Sword, must fall:

[Page]Thy lofty Towers shall be dumbe, and yeeld

To High Reuenge; Reuenge must win the field;

Vengeance cries loud from heauen, she cannot stay

Her Fury, but (impatient of delay)

Hath brim'd her Vials full of deadly Bane:

Thy Palace shall be burnt, thy People slaine:

Thy Heart is hard as Flint, and swolne with pride,

The sinnes of Niniueh.

Thy murth'rous Hands with guiltlesse blood are dy'de;

Thy silly Babes doe starue for want of Food,

Whose tender Mothers thou hast drench't in Blood:

Women with child, lie in the streets about,

Whose Braines thy sauage hands haue dashed out:

Distressed Widowes weepe, (but weepe in vaine)

For their deare Husbands, whom thy hands haue slaine:

By one mans Force, another man's deuour'd,

Thy Wiues are rauisht, and thy Maids deflowr'd,

Where Iustice should, there Tor [...] and Bribes are plac't:

Thy' Altars defild, and holy things defac't:

Thy Lips haue tasted of proud Babels Cup,

What thou hast left, thy Children haue drunke vp:

Thy bloody sinnes, thine Abels guiltlesse blood

Cries vp to heauen for Vengeance, cries aloud:

Thy Sinnes are ripe, and ready for the Sickle.

Heere rouze thy selfe, my Pen, and breathe a little.

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THE ARGVMENT OF THE HISTORY.

GOd Chap. 1. 1.2. sent Ionah the Prophet, to the Nineuites, to denounce his Iudgements against them for their sinnes:1.3. but Ionah tooke shipping, intending to fly to Tarshish: 1.4. God raised a Storme, which indangered the Ship: 1.5. Whereupon the Mariners (perplext)1.6. did cast Lots, to see for whose sake the Tempest was: The Lot fell vpon Ionah, 1.1 [...]. They all consented, and cast Ionah into the Sea: 1.17. But God prouided a Whale, which receiued Ionah, and swallowed him, in whose Belly he continued three Dayes, and three Nights: Where (Chap. 2.2. He praying to God) 2.10. God at length spake to the Whale, and the Whale did cast him vpon dry Land safe and sound: Chap. 3.1.2. So God commanded Ionah the second time, to goe and denounce his Iudgements against the Niniuites. 3.3. So Ionah went to Niniueh 3.4. and prophecied, that (vpon the expiring of forty dayes) Niniueh should be destroyed: 3.5. Whereupon the Niniuites beleeued; 3.7. And the King caused a Fast to bee proclaimed, 3.10. so that God likewise repented of the Euill that He had intended to haue done them;Chap. 4. [...]. Vpon which, Ionah was discontended, 4.5. Desired to die, 4. [...]. Went out of the City, & lay without the Gate, to see what would become of Niniueh after the forty dayes:4. [...]. There he made him a Booth of reeds and houghes, to guard him from the extremity of the heat of the [Page] Sunne, and Wind: But the heat of the Sunne, and the feruency of the Wind strait wither'd it: 4.6. Whereupon God raised vp a Gourd, which gaue him much content. 4.7. But the next morning, God sent a Worme which did eate it to the ground: 4.8. So Ionah grew againe into passion, for the losse of the Gourd, wisht to die, 4.9. And iustified his Anger: 4.10. Whereupon God deputes with Ionah, framing his argument, à minore ad maius, viz. That if thou (Ionah) hadst so much compassion, and grieued so much for the losse of a trifling Gourd, 4.11. Should not I (that am the God of mercy) take Compassion vpon so Great a City?

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TO THE MOST HIGH: HIS HVMBLE SERVANT IMPLORES HIS FAVOVRABLE ASSISTANCE.

O All-sufficient God, Great Lord of Light,

Without whose Gracious ayde, & cōstant Sprite,

No labours prosper (howsoe're begun)

But flie like Mists before the morning Sun:

O raise my thoughts, and cleare my Apprehension,

Infuse thy Spirit into my weake Inuention:

Reflect thy Beames vpon my feeble Eyes,

Shew me the Mirrour of thy Mysteries;

My Art-lesse Hand, my humble Heart Inspire,

Inflame my frozen Tongue with holy Fire:

Rauish my stupid Senses with thy Glory;

Sweeten my Lips with sacred Oratory:

And (thou O FIRST and LAST) assist my Quill,

That first and last, I may performe thy Will:

My sole intent's to blazon forth thy Praise;

My Ruder Pen expects no Crowne of Bayes.

Suffice it then, Thine Altar I haue kist:

Crowne me with Glory', and take the Bayes that list.

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A FEAST FOR WORMES.

THE ARGVMENT.

The Word of God to Ionah came,Historia Ionae incipit. Commanded Ionah to proclaime, The vengeance of his Maiesty, Against the sinnes of Nineuy.

Sect. 1

THe Dreadfull Word of God, his high Decree,

Chap. 1. vers. 1.

That aye remaines, and cannot frustrate bee,

Came down to Ionah, from the heuens aboue,

Came downe to

Jonah interp. is a Doue.

Ionah, heauens anoynted Doue,

Ionah, the flowre of old Amittais youth,

Ionah, the Prophet, Sonne, and Heire to

Amittai interp▪ is Truth.

Truth,

The blessed Type of him, that di' de for vs,

That Word came to him, and bespake him thus,

"Arise, trusse vp thy Ioynes, make all things meet,

Vers. 2. Gods charge to Ionah.

"And put thy Sandalls on thy hasty feet,

"Gird vp thy reynes, and take thy staffe in hand,

"Make no delay, but goe, where I command;

[Page]"Me pleases not to send thee (Ionah) downe,

"To sweet Gath-Hepher, thy deare natiue Towne,

"Whose tender paps, with plenty ouerflow,

"Nor yet vnto thy brethren shalt thou goe,

"Amongst the Hebrewes, where thy spredden fame

"Fore-runnes the welcome of thine honor'd name.

"No, I'le not send thee thither: Vp, Arise,

"And goe to Nineueh, where no allyes,

"Nor consanguinity preserues thy blood,

"To Nineueh, where strangers are withstood:

"To Nineueh, a City farre remou'd

"From thine acquaintance, where tha'rt not belou'd:

"I send thee to Mount Sinay; not Mount Sion,

"Not to a gentle Lambe, but to a Lion:

"Ne yet to Lydia,

Ier. 20.3.

but to bloody * Passur,

"Not to the land of Canan, but of Assur,

"Whose language will be riddles to thine eares,

"And thine againe will be as strange to theirs;

"I say, to Nineueh, the worlds great Hall,

"The Monarchs seat, high Court Imperiall:

"But terrible Mount Sinay will affright thee,

"And Pashurs heauy hand is bent to smite thee:

"The Lions rore, the people's strong and stout,

"The Bulwarkes stand afront to keepe thee out.

"Great Ashur minaces with whip in hand,

"To entertaine thee (welcome) to his land.

"What then? Arise, be gone; stay not to thinke:

"Bad is the cloth, that will in wetting shrinke.

"What then, if cruell Pashur heape on strokes?

"Or Sinay blast thee with her sulph'rous smokes?

"Or Ashur whip thee? Or the Lions rent thee?

"P'sh; on with courage; İ, the Lord haue sent thee:

[Page]"Away, away, lay by thy foolish pity,

"And goe to Niniueth that mighty City:

"Cry lowd against it, let thy dreadfull voice

"Make all the City eccho with the noyse:

"Not like a Doue, but like a Dragon goe,

"Pronounce my iudgement, and denounce my Woe:

"Make not thine head a fountaine full of teares,

"To weepe in secret for her sinnes: Thine eares

"Shall heare such things, wil make thine eyes run ouer,

"Thine eyes shall smart with what they shall discouer:

"Spend not in priuate, those thy zealous drops,

"But hew, and hacke; spare neither trunke, nor lops:

"Make heauen, & earth rebound, whē thou discharges,

"Plead not like Paul, but roare like Boanarges:

"Let not the beauty of the buildings bleare thee,

"Nor let the terrours of the Rampiers feare thee:

"Let no man bribe thy fist, (I well aduise thee)

"Nor foule meanes force thee, nor let faire entice thee:

"Ramme vp thine eares: Thy heart of stone shall bee;

"Be deafe to them, as they are deafe to thee:

"Goe cry against it. If they aske thee, Why?

"Say, God of heauen commanded thee to cry:

"In stead of prayers, and duties they should doe me,

"Behold, their wickednesse is mounted to me:

"The fatnesse of their fornication fryes

"On coales of raging lust, and vpward flies,

"And makes me sicke: I heare the mournfull grones

"And heauy sighs of such, whose aking bones

"Th' oppressor grindes: Alas, their grones implore me,

"Their pray'rs, and their oppressions come before me:

"Behold, my children they haue slaine, and kill'd,

"And bath'd their hands within the blood they spill'd:

[Page]"The steame of guiltlesse blood makes suit vnto me,

"The voice of many bloods is mounted to me;

"The vile prophaner of my sacred Names,

"He teares my titles, and mine honour maimes,

"Makes Reth'rick of an oath, sweares, and forsweares,

"Recks not my Mercy, nor my Iudgement feares:

"They eat, they drink, they sleepe, they tyre the Day

"In wanton dalliance, and delightfull play.

"Heauens winged Herald Ionas, vp, and goe

"To mighty Niniueh, Denounce my woe;

"Aduance thy voice, and when thou hast aduanc't it,

"Spare Shrub, nor Cedar, but cry out against it:

"I come my Selfe with plagues,

Explicit Hist.

Goe thou afore me,

"For all their wickednesse is come before me.

Apolog. Authoris.

IT was my morning Muse; And for her sake

I thus apply my selfe to vndertake

This serious taske, (A taske for Doctors Muse

To spend vpon) Then let me pleade excuse:

For as good Physicke will not bate his force,

And (being well appli'd) prooue ne're the worse,

Though giuē by hands, that could nor reade, nor write,

That skill not how, nor need not know t'apply't:

So this (perchance) may make another keene,

Though I, and it be blunt (as whetstones beene.)

Applicatio.

TO thee (Malfido) now I turne my Quill,

That God is still that God, and will be still.

[Page]The painfull Pastors take vp Iona's roome:

And thou the Niniuite, to whom they come.

Meditatio prima.

HOw great's the loue of God vnto his creature?

Or is his Wisedome, or his Mercy greater?

I know not whether: O th' exceeding loue

Of highest God! that from his Throne aboue,

Will send the brightnesse of his Grace to those

That grope in Darknesse, and his Grace oppose:

He helpes, prouides, inspires, and freely giues,

As pleas'd to see vs rauell out our liues.

He giues vs from the heape, He measures not,

Nor deales (like Manna) each his stinted lot,

But daily sends the Doctors of his Spouse,

(With such like oyle as from the Widowes cruse

Issued forth) in fulnesse, without wasting,

Where plenty may be had, yet plenty lasting.

I, there is care in heauen, and heauenly sprights,

That guides the world, & guards poore mortall wights.

There is; else were the miserable state

Of Man, more wretched and vnfortunate

Than sauage beasts: But O th' abounding loue

Of highest God! whose Angels from aboue

Dismount the Towre of Blisse, fly to and fro,

Assisting wretched man, their deadly foe.

What thing is Man, that Gods regard is such?

Or why should he loue retchlesse Man so much?

Why? what are men? But quicken'd lumps of earth?

A feast for wormes, A bubble full of mirth,

A looking-glasse for griefe, A flash, A minnit,

[Page]A painted Toombe, with putrifaction in it:

A mappe of Death; A burthen of a song:

A winters Dust; A worme of fiue foot long:

Begot in sinne; In darknesse nourisht: Borne

In sorrow, Naked, Shiftlesse, and forlorne:

His first voice (heard) is crying for reliefe.

Alas! He comes into a world of griefe:

His Age is sinfull, and his Youth is vaine,

His life's a punishment, his Death's a paine:

His life's an howre of Ioy, a world of Sorrow,

His death's a winters night, that findes no morrow:

Mans life's an Houreglasse, which being run,

Concludes that houre of Ioy, and so is dun.

¶Ionah must goe: Nor is this charge alone

To Ionah giuen, but giuen to euery one.

You Magistrates, arise, and take delight.

In dealing Iustice, and maintaining right:

There lies your Nineueh. Merchants, arise,

Away, and to your Ships, and Merchandise.

Artificers, arise, and ply your shops,

And worke your trade, and eate your meat with drops.

Paul, to thy Tents, and Peter, to thy Net,

And all must goe that way which God hath set.

¶Grant, liefest Lord, for our Deare Borrow sake,

Thy loue, in sending to vs, neuer slake:

Encrease succession in thy Prophets liew,

For loe, thy Haruest's great, and Workmen few.

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THE ARGVMENT.

But Ionah toward Tharsis went,

A Tempest doth his course preuent:

The Mariners are sore opprest,

While Ionah sleepes, and takes his rest.

Sect. 2

BVt Ionah thus bethought: The City's great,

Hist. Chap. 1. vers. 3.

And mighty Ashur stands with deadly threat,

Their hearts are hardned, yt they cannot heare:

Will greene wood burne, when so vnapt's the seire?

Strange is the charge: Shall I goe to a place

Vnknowne and forraine? Aye me! hard's the case,

That righteous Isr'el must be thus neglected,

When Miscreants and Gentiles are respected:

Prima occasio fugae.

How might I hope my words shall there succeed,

2. Occasio.

Which thriue not with the flocke I daily feed?

Moreo're I weet, the Lord is wondrous kind,

3. Occasio.

And slow to wrath, and apt to change his mind

Vpon the least repentance: Then shall I

Be deem'd as false, and shame my Prophesie.

O heauie burthen of a doubtfull mind!

Where shall I goe, or which way shall I wind?

My heart like Ianus, looketh to and fro:

My Credit bids me, Stay; my God bids, Goe:

If Goe; my labour's lost, my shame's at hand:

If Stay; Lord! I transgresse my Lords command:

[Page]If goe; from bad estate, to worse, I fall:

If stay; I slide from bad, to worst of all.

My God bids goe, my credit bids me stay;

My guilty feare bids fly another way.

So Ionah straight arose, himselfe bedight

With fit acoutrements, for hasty flight:

In stead of staffe, he tooke a Shipmans weed;

In stead of going, loe, he flies with speed.

Simile.

Like as a Hawke (that ouermatcht with might,

Doing sad penance for th' vnequall fight,

(Answ'ring the Faulkners second shout) does flee

From fist; turnes tayle to Fowle, and takes a tree:

So Ionah baulks the place where he was sent

(To Nineueh) and downe to

Ciuitas Palest

Iaffa went;

He sought, enquired, and at last he found

A welcome Ship, that was to Tharsis bound,

Where he may fly the presence of the Lord:

He makes no stay, but straightway goes aboord,

His hasty purse for bargaine finds no leisure,

(Where sin delights, ther's no account of treasure:)

Nor did he know, nor aske, how much his Fare:

He gaue: They tooke; all parties pleased are:

(How thriftlesse of our cost, and paines, are we,

O blessed God of heauen, to fly from thee!)

Now haue the Pilots drunke their parting cup,

And some (with Sailors tune) are hoysting vp,

Others the while, the faithfull Anchor wey,

The Ship, (as loth to leaue her quiet key,)

Creepes easly off, and (with directed course)

She glides along the shore with gentle force;

And now the whistling wind begins to dally

With Aura's fanne: Now stronger gusts doe fally

[Page]Forth, rudely playing on the hollow saile,

And from the Mountaines blowes a lusty Gale:

She mounts the billowes with a lofty grace,

And now she cuts the Deepe, and scuds apace

From land; from whence (vnwilling) she was driuen,

The Tempest

Nothing's perceiued now but Sea, and heauen;

Betwixt them both, the blustring winds doe play:

The waues know not which Master to obey:

For now the East wind mutin's with the West,

And now the West wind counterbuffes the East,

And now the hollow Boreas roares amaine,

And vexed Notus thwarts the North againe:

Thus crossely crost, they threaten in reuenge,

To force the world from off his stedfast henge.

The Guide's perplext, and knowes not what to doe,

His Art's amaz'd, in such a maze of woe:

The Welkin stormes, and rages more and more,

The Raine powr▪s downe, the Heauens begin to roare,

As they would split the massie earth in sunder,

From them that liue aboue, to those liue vnder:

The restlesse waues, and rolling billowes beate,

As they would shoulder Neptune from his feate;

The billowes seeme to mount the clouds, (or higher)

The dusky clouds did flash with often fier:

Now doth the Ship as high as heauen swell,

And now (o'rwhelm'd with waues) as low as hell;

The Barke no lesse doth yeeld to Neptunes sway,

Than lofty Tow'rs, when thundring Ordnance play.

The hardy Mariners begin to quaile:

Vers. 5.

They vere their maine sheet, and they strike their saile:

Their haire, bolts vp, pale Death vsurps their cheekes,

Their mouthes are ful of cryes, their tongues of shreeks:

[Page]They sound with endlesse line, and sound againe:

They pumpe, and still they pumpe, but all in vaine:

They row, and breake their Oares: At last th' assay

Each Mariner vnto his god to pray.

They prai'd, but winds did snatch their words away,

And lets their pray'rs not goe to whom they pray:

But still they pray, but still the wind, and wether

Do turne both pray'rs, & sayles they know not whither:

Their gods were deafe, their danger waxed greater,

They cast their wares out, and yet ne're the better:

But all this while was Ionah drown'd in sleep,

And in the lower Decke was buried deepe.

Explicit Hist.

Meditatio secunda.

Obiect.

BVt stay: This was a strange and vncouth word:

Did Ionah fly the presence of the Lord?

What mister word is that? He that repleats

The mighty Vniuerse, whose lofty seat's

Th' imperiall Heauen, whose footstoole is the face

Of massy Earth? Can he from any place

Be spar'd? or yet by any meanes excluded,

That is in all things? (and yet not included,)

Could Ionah find a resting any where

So void, or secret, that God was not there?

I stand amaz'd and frighted at this word:

Did Ionah fly the presence of the Lord?

Mount vp to heauen aboue,

Deus regnat in Coelis per gloriā.

and there he is,

Swaying the Scepter of his Kingly blisse:

In terris per gratiam.

Bestride the earth beneath (with weary pace)

And there he beares the Oliue branch of Grace:

Apud inferos per institiam.

Diue downe into th' extreme Abysse of Hell,

[Page]And there in Iustice doth th' Almighty dwell.

What vncouth Cloyster could there then affoord

A screene 'twixt faithlesse Ionah, and his Lord?

¶Ionah was charg'd, to take a charge in hand;

Resolue.

But Ionah turn'd his backe on Gods command;

Shooke off his yoke, and wilfully neglected,

And what was strictly charg'd, he quite reiected:

And so he fled the power of his Word;

And so he fled the presence of his Lord.

¶Good God! how poore a thing is wretched man?

So fraile, that let him striue the best he can,

With euery little blast hee's ouerdon.

If mighty Cedars of great Libanon,

Cannot the danger of the Axe withstand,

Lord! how shall we, that are but Bushes, stand?

How fond, corrupt, and sencelesse is mankind?

How faining deafe is he? How wilfull blind?

He stops his eares, and sinnes: he shuts his eyes,

And (blindfold) in the lap of danger flies:

He sinnes, despaires; and then, to stint his griefe,

He chuses death, to baulke the God of life.

¶Poore wretched sinner, trauell where thou wilt,

Thy trauell shall be burthen'd with thy guilt:

Climbe tops of hils, that prospects may delight thee,

There wil thy sins (like Wolues & Beares) affright thee:

Fly to the Valleys, that those frights may shun thee,

And there like Mountaines they will fall vpon thee:

Or to the raging seas (with Ionah) goe;

There will thy sinnes like stormy Neptune flow.

Poore shiftlesse Man! what shall become of thee?

Wher'ere thou fly'st, thy gryping sinne will fly.

¶But all this while the Ship, where Ionah sleepes,

[Page]Is vexed sore, and batter'd on the Deeps,

And well-nigh split vpon the threatning Rocke,

With many a boystrous brush, and churly knocke:

God send the comfortlesse, an happy howre,

And shield all good men from such stormy stowre.

THE ARGVMENT.

The Pilot thumps on Ionah's brest,

And rowzeth Ionah from his Rest:

They al cast Lots, (being sore affrighted:)

The sacred Lot on Ionah lighted.

Sect. 3.

Hist. Chap. 1. vers. 6.

THe haplesse Pylot finding no successe,

(But that the storme grew rather more than lesse,

For all their toylesome paynes,

The Pylot awakes Ionah.

and needlesse pray'rs,

Dispairing both of life, and goods) repaires

To Ionahs drowzie Cabbin; mainly calls;

Calls Ionah, Ionah; and yet lowder yawles;

Yet Ionah sleepes; and giues a shrug, or two,

And snores, (as greedy sleepers vse to doe.)

The wofull Pylot iogs him, (but in vaine.)

(Perchance he dreames an idle word, or twaine;)

At length he tugs and puls his heauie course,

And thunders on his brest, with all his force.

But (after many yawns) he did awake him,

And (being both affrighted) thus bespake him:

"Arise,

The Pylots speech to Jonab.

O Sleeper, O, arise, and see,

[Page]"Ther's not a twiny thrid, 'twixt death, and thee:

"This darksome place (thou measur'st) is thy graue,

"And suddaine Death rides proud on yonder waue;

"Arise, O Sleeper, O, arise and pray,

"Perchance thy God will heare, and not say, Nay:

"Perchance thy God's more powerfull then our's:

"Arise, Arise, and pray with all thy pow'rs,

"If so be, God will haue compassion on vs,

"And turne away this mischiefe he hath done vs,

The sturdy Saylers (weary of their paine,

Verse 7.

)

Finding their bootlesse labour lost, and vaine,

Forbare their toylesome taske, and wrought no more,

But wisht for Death, for which they look'd before;

They call a parley, and consult together,

They count their sinnes, (accusing one another)

That for his sinne, or his, this euill was wrought:

In fine, they all prooue guilty of the fault;

But yet the Question was not ended so:

One sayes, 'Twas thine offence, but he sayes, No,

But t'was for thy sake, that accuses mee;

Rusht forth a third (the worser of the three)

And swore it was anothers, which (he hearing)

Deny'd it flat, and say'd, 'Twas thine for swearing:

In came a fift, accusing all; (replying

But little else) they all chid him for lying;

One sayd it was, another say'd 'twas not:

So all agreed, to stint the strife by Lot:

Then all was whist, and all to prayer went;

(For such a buis'nes, a fit complement)

The lot was cast; 't pleas'd God, by Lots to tell.

The lot was cast; The lot on Ionah fell.

Exp. Hist.

[Page]

Meditatio tertia.

O Sacred Subiect of a Meditation!

Thy Works (O Lord) are full of Admiration,

Thy iudgements all are iust, seuere, and sure,

They quite cut off, or else by launcing cure

The festring sore of a Rebellious heart,

Lest foule infection taynt th' immortall part.

How deepe a Lethargie doth this disease

Bring to the slumbring Soule through carelesse ease!

Which once being wak't, (as from a Golden Dreame)

Lookes vp, and sees her griefes the more extreme.

How seeming sweet's the quiet sleepe of sin?

Which when a wretched man's once nuzz'ld in,

How soundly sleepes he, without feare, or wit?

No sooner, are his armes together knit

In drowzie knot, athwart vpon his brest,

But there he snorts, and snores in endlesse rest;

His eyes are closed fast, and deafe his eares,

And (like Endymion) sleepes himselfe in yeares;

His sence-bound heart, ne answeres to the voyce

Of gentle warning, no, nor does the noyse

Of strong reproofe awake his sleeping eare,

Nor lowder threatnings thunder makes him heare;

So deafe's the sinners eare, so numb'd his sence,

That sinne's no corrosiue, nor no offence;

For custome breeds delight,

Consuetudo peccandi tollit seasum peccati.

deludes the heart,

Beguiles the sence, and takes away the smart.

¶But stay; Did one of Gods elected number,

(Whose eyes should neuer sleepe, nor eye-lids slumber)

[Page]So much forget himselfe? Did Ionah sleepe,

That should be watchfull, and the Tower keepe?

Did Ionah (the selected mouth of God)

In stead of roring Iudgements, does he nod?

Did Ionah sleepe so sound? Could he sleepe then,

When (with the suddaine sight of Death) the men

(So many men) with yelling shreekes, and cries,

Made very heau'n report? and shooke the skies

So vncouth, that the ship it mought haue riu'n?

Hard must he winke, that shuts his eyes from heau'n.

O righteous Isr'el, where, O, where art thou?

Where is thy Lampe? thy zealous Shepheard now?

Alas! the rau'nous Wolues will worr' thy Sheepe;

Thy Shepheard's carelesse, and is fall'n asleepe;

Grim dogs will rowze thy Flock, and rule the rost;

Thy Sheepe are scatter'd, and thy Shepheard's lost;

Ah weladay! whose words beseeme the Altar,

Their works discent, and first begin to faulter;

And they, that should be Watch-lights in the Temple,

Are snuffes, and want the oyle of good example;

The chosen Watch-men, that the Tow'r should keepe,

Are waxen heauy-ey'd, and fall'n asleepe.

¶Lord, if thy Watch-mē wink too much, awake them;

Although they slumber, doe not quite forsake them;

The flesh is weake, say not (if dulnesse seaze

Their heauy eyes) Sleepe henceforth: Take your ease:

Math. 13.41.

And we poore weakelings, when we sleepe in sin,

Knock at our drowzie hearts; and neuer lin,

Till thou awake our sinne-congealed eyes;

Lest (drown'd in sleepe) we sinke, and neuer rise.

[Page]

THE ARGVMENT.

They question Ionah, whence he came,

His Country, and his peoples Name,

He makes reply: They mone their woe,

And aske his counsell what to doe.

Sect. 4.

Histor. Cap. 1. v. 8. Simile.

AS when a Thiefe's appr'ended on suspect,

And charg'd for some supposed malifact,

A rude concurse of people, strait accrewes,

Whose itching eares euen smart, to know the newes,

The guilty pris'ner (to himselfe betray'd)

He stands deiected, trembling and afrayd:

So Ionah stood the Saylers all among,

Inclosed round amid the ruder throng.

As in a Summers Euening you shall heare

In Hiue of Bees (if you lay close your eare)

Confused buzzing, and seditious noyse,

Such was the murmur of the Saylers voyce.

"What was thy sinfull fact,

The Mariners speech to Ionas.

that causes this

"(Sayes one) wherein hast thou so done amisse?

"Tell vs, What is thine Art (another sayes)

"That thou professest? Speake man, Whence awayes,

"From what Confines cam'st thou? (A third replies)

"What is thy Country? And of what allies?

"What, art thou borne a Iew? or Gentile? Whether?

"(Ere he could lend an answere vnto either)

[Page]A fourth demands: Where hath thy breeding been▪

All what they askt, they all askt o're againe.

In fine, their eares (impatient of delay)

Becalm'd their tongues, to heare what he could say.

So Ionah (humbly rearing vp his eyes)

Breaking his long kept silence, thus replies:

Ionahs speech to the Mariners.

"I am an Hebrew, sonne of

Hebraei quasi Abrahaei, S. Aug lib. 1. super Gen.

Abraham,

"From whom my Land did first deriue her name,

"Within the Land of Iury was I borne,

"My name is Ionah, retchlesse, and forlorne:

"I am a Prophet: ah! but woe is me,

"For from before the face of God I flee,

"From whence (through disobedience) I am driuen;

"I feare Iehouah, mighty God of Heauen:

"I feare the Lord of Heauen, whose glorious hand

"Did make this stormy Sea, and massy land.

So said, their eares with double rauishment,

Vers▪ 10.

Still hung vpon his melting lips, attent,

Whose dreadful words, their hearts so neere impierc't,

That from themselues, themselues were quite deuers't.

Like as in a hot Summers euentide,

Simile.

(When lustfull Phoebus re▪salutes his Bride,

And Philomela 'gins her caroling:)

A heard of Deere are browzing in a spring,

With hungry appetite, misweening nought,

Nor in so deepe a silence fearing ought:

A sudden cracke, or some vnthought▪ of sound,

Or bounce of Fowlers Peece, or yelpe of Hound,

Disturbes their quiet peace with strange amaze,

Where (sencelesse halfe) through feare, they stand at gaze:

So stand the Sea-men, (as with Ghosts affrighted,)

Entraunc'd with what, this man of God recited.

[Page]Their (whilome sturdy) limmes wox faint, and lither,

Their hearts did earne, their knees did smite together:

Congealed blood vsurpt their trembling hearts,

Which coldly crawld about in all their parts:

Who (trembling out some broken language,) thus:

The Mariners speech.

"Why hast thou brought this mischiefe vpon vs?

"What humour led thee to a place vnknowne,

"To seeke a forrein land,

Interrogatio.

and leaue thine owne?

"What faith hadst thou,

Admiratio.

by leauing thine abode,

"To thinke to fly the presence of thy God?

"Why hast thou not obey'd (but thus transgrest)

"The voice of God,

Neprehensio.

whom thou acknowledgest?

"Art thou a Prophet, and dost thou amisse?

"What is the cause? And why hast thou done this?

"What shall we doe? The tempest lends no eare

"To fruitlesse chat, nor doe the billowes heare,

"Or marke our language: waues are not attent,

"Our goods they float, and all our paines are spent:

"Our Bark's not weather-proofe, for aye to last;

"(No Fort so strong, but daily siege will wast.)

"The Lot accuses thee, thy words condemne thee,

"The waues (thy deaths-mē) striue to ouerwhelme thee:

"What shal we do? Thou Prophet, speak, we pray thee:

"Thou fear'st the Lord; Alas! we may not slay thee:

"Or shall we saue thee? No, for thou dost fly

"The face of God, and so deseru'st to dye:

"Thou Prophet,

Expl. Hist.

speake, what shal we doe to thee,

"That angry seas may calme, and quiet be?

[Page]

Meditatio quarta.

GIue leaue a little to adiourne your story,

Run backe a step, or twaine, and looke afore ye:

Can he be said to feare the Lord, that flies him?

Obiect.

Can Word confesse him, when as Deed denies him?

My sacred Muse hath rounded in mine eare,

Resolutio.

And read the myst'ry of a twofold feare:

The first, a seruile feare, for Iudgements sake;

And thus the damned Diuels feare and quake.

Thus Adam fear'd, and fled behind a tree:

And thus did bloody Kain feare and flee.

Vnlike to this, there is a second kind

Of feare, extracted from a zealous mind,

Full fraught with loue, and with a conscience cleare

From base respects: It is a filiall feare;

A feare whose ground would iust remaine, and leuell,

Were neither Heauen, nor Hell, nor God, nor Diuell.

Such was the feare that Princely Dauid had;

And thus our wretched Ionah fear'd, and fled:

He fled asham'd, because his sinnes were such;

He fled asham'd, because his feare was much.

He fear'd Iehouah, other fear'd he none,

Him he acknowledg'd; Him he fear'd alone:

Vnlike to those men, that (befoold with errour)

Frame many gods, and multiply their terrour.

Th' Egyptians, God Apis did implore,

God Assas the Chaldaeans did adore:

Babel to the Deuouring Dragon seekes,

Th' Arabians Astaroth; Iuno the Greekes;

The name of Belus, the Assyrians hallow,

The Troians, Vesta; Corinth, wise Apollo;

[Page]Th' Arginians sacrifice vnto the Sunne;

To Light-foot Mercury bowes Macedon;

To god Volunus, louers bend their knee:

To Pauor, those that faint, and fearfull bee:

Who pray for health, and strength, to Murcia those;

And to Victoria, they that feare to lose:

To Muta, they that feare a womans tongue:

To great Lucina, women great with young:

To Esculapius, they that liue opprest:

And they to Quies, that desire rest.

O blinded Ignorance of antique times,

How blent with errour, and how stuft with crimes

Your Temples were! And how adulterate!

How clog'd with needlesse gods! How obstinate!

How void of order, and how inconfuse!

How full of dangerous and foule abuse!

How sandy, were thy grounds, and how vnstable!

How many Deities! yet how vnable!

Implore these gods, that list to howle and barke,

They bow to Dagon, Dagon to the Arke:

But he to whom the seale of mercy's giuen,

Adores Iehouah, mighty God of Heauen:

Vpon the mention of whose sacred Name,

Meeke Lambs grow fierce, and the fierce Lyons tame:

Bright Sol shall stop, and heauen shall turne his course:

Mountaines shall dance, and Neptune slake his force:

The Seas shall part, the fire want his flame,

Vpon the mention of Iehouah's Name:

A Name, that makes the roofe of Heauen to shake,

The frame of Earth to quiuer, Hell to quake:

A Name, to which all Angels blow their trumps;

A Name, puts frolicke man into his dumps:

[Page](Though ne're so blythe) A Name of high renowne,

It mounts the meeke, and beates the lofty downe;

A Name, deuides the marrow in the bone;

A Name, which out of hard, and flinty stone,

Extracteth hearts of flesh, and makes relent

Those hearts that neuer knew what mercy ment.

O Lord! how great's thy Name in all the Land?

How mighty are the wonders of thy hand?

How is thy Glory plac't aboue the heau'n?

To tender mouthes of Sucklings thou hast giu'n

Coerciue pow'r, and boldnes to reprooue,

When elder men doe what them no'te behooue.

O Lord! How great's the power of thy hand?

O God! How great's thy Name in all the Land?

THE ARGVMENT.

The Prophet doth his fault discouer,

Perswades the men to cast him ouer:

They rowe, and toyle, but doe no good,

They pray to be excus'd from blood.

Sect. 5.

SO Ionah fram'd the speech to their demand;

Chap. 1. ve. 12. Iona's last will.

"Not that I seeke to trauerse the command,

"Of my deare Lord, and out of minde peruerse,

"T' auoyd the Niniuites, doe I amerce

"My selfe; Nor that I euer heard you threat,

"(Vnlesse I went to Niniueh, (the great)

[Page]"And doe the message sent her from the Lord)

"That you would kill, or cast me ouer boord,

"Doe I doe this; 'Tis my deserued fine:

"You all are guiltlesse, and the fault is mine:

"'Tis I, 'tis I alone, 'tis I am he:

"The tempest comes from heau'n, the cause from me;

"You shall not lose a haire for this my sin,

"Nor perish for the fault that mine hath bin;

"Lo, I the man am here: Lo, I am He

"The roote of all; End your reuenge on me;

"I fled from God of Heau'n; O, let me then

"(Because I fled from God) so flie from men;

"O, take me, (for I am resolu'd to die)

"As you did cast your Wares, so cast in Me;

"I am the man, for whom these billowes dance,

"My death shall purchase your deliuerance;

"Feare not to cease your feares; but throw me in;

"Alas! my soule is burthen'd with my sin,

"And God is iust, and bent to his Decree,

"Which certaine is, and cannot altred bee;

"I am proclaim'd a Traytor to the King

"Of heau'n, and earth: The windes with speedy wing

"Acquaint the Seas: The Seas mount vp on hie,

"And cannot rest, vntill the Traytor die;

"Oh, cast me in, and let my life be ended;

"Let Death make Iustice mends, which Life offended;

"Oh, let the swelling waters me embalme:

"So shall the Waues be still, and Sea be calme.

So said,

Vers. 13.

the Mariners grew inly sad,

(Though rude, and barbarous) and much ydrad,

As moou'd to see a Stranger (for their good)

Lay downe his life, which offer they withstood,

[Page]Till they had sought with all their pow'r and skill,

To saue the man, and not the Ship to spill:

They digg'd, and deepely delu'd the surrow'd Seas,

With brawny armes they plough'd the watry Leas,

Hoping (in vaine) by toyle to win the shore,

And wrought more hard, thē erst they wrought before.

Alas! their strength now failes, and weares away,

(For bodies wanting rest, doe soone decay)

The Seas are angry, and the waues arise,

Appeas'd with nothing, but a Sacrifice:

Gods vengeance stormeth like the raging Seas,

Which nought but Ionah (dying) can appease.

"Bootlesse it is, to thinke by any deed

"To alter that, which God of heau'n decreed:

"Ionah must die, 'tis folly to say, No;

"Ionah must die, or else we all die too;

"Ionah must die, that from his Lord did flie;

"The lot determines, Ionah then must die;

"His guilty word confirmes the sacred lot,

"Ionah must die then, if we perish not.

"If Iustice then it be, that he must die,

Vers. 14. The Mariners prayer.

"And we sad Actors of his Tragedie;

"(We begge not (Lord) a warrant to offend)

"O, pardon bloud-shed, that we must intend.

"Though not our hands, yet shall our hearts be cleare:

"Then let not stainelesse Consciences beare

"The pond'rous burthen of a Murthers guilt,

"Or voyce of harmelesse bloud, that must be spilt;

"For lo, (deare Lord) it is thine owne Decree,

"And we sad ministers of Iustice bee.

Expl. Hist.

[Page]

Meditatio quinta.

Obiect.

BVt stay awhile, this thing would first be knowne:

Can Ionah giue himselfe, and not his owne?

That part to God, and to his Country this

Pertaines, so that a slender third is his;

Why then should Ionah doe so great a wrong,

To deale himselfe away, that did belong

The least vnto himselfe? or how could he

Teach this, (THOV SHALT NOT KILL) if Ionah be

His lifes owne Butcher? What, was this a deed

That with the Calling he profest, agreed?

The purblind age (whose workes (almost diuine)

Did meerely with the oyle of nature shine,

That knew no written Law, ne yet no God,

To whip their conscience with a steely Rod,)

How much did they abhorre so foule a fact?

When (led by Natures glimpse) they made an Act,

That what man e're is so vnnaturall

To kill himselfe,

Homicida in se, insepultus abijciatur. Seneca.

should want a buriall;

Can such doe so, when Ionah does amisse?

What, Ionas, Isr'els Teacher! and doe this?

The Law of charity doth all forbid,

Resolu. Non ideo sine scelere facit alter, &c. S. Aug. lib. 1. de ciuitat, Dei. cap. 26. Iudg. 16.30.

In this thing to doe that, which Ionah did;

Moreo're, in charity, 'tis thy behest,

Of dying men to thinke, and speake the best;

The mighty Samson did as much as this;

And who dare say, that Samson did amisse,

If heau'nly Spirit whisper'd in his eare

Expresse command to do 't?

Spiritus latenter hoc iusserat. S. Aug.

then likewise heare,

[Page]Who knowes of Ionah, whether, yea, or no,

A secret Spirit will'd him to doe so?

Cum Deus iubet se iubere sine vllis ambagibus intimat, quis inobedientiam in crimen vocat? S. Aug.

¶Sure is the knot that true Religion tyes,

And Loue that's rightly grounded, neuer dyes;

It seemes a Paradox, beyond beliefe,

That men in trouble should prolong reliefe;

That Pagans, (to withstand a Strangers Fate)

Should be neglectiue of their owne estate,

Trusting their liues vpon a twyny thread,

And (dauntlesse) daunce about in dangers dread.

Where is this Loue become in later age?

Alas! 'tis gone in endlesse Pilgrimage

From hence, and neuer to returne (I doubt)

Till reuolution wheele those times about;

Chill brests haue staru'd her here, and she is driu'n

Away; and with Astraea fled to heau'n:

Charity, that naked Babe is gone,

Caritas est infans sine pannis, dans mel api sine pennis.

Her hony's spent, and all her store is done,

Her winglesse Bees can finde out ne'r a bloome,

And crooked

Dea Litis.

Ate doth vsurpe her roome;

Nepenthe's dry, and Loue can get no drinke,

And curs'd Ardenne flowes aboue the brinke:

Braue Mariners, the world your names shall hallow,

Admiring that in you, that none dare follow;

Your friendship's rare, and your conuersion strange:

From Paganisme to Zeale? A suddaine change!

Those men doe now the God of heau'n implore,

That bow'd to Puppets, but an houre before.

Their Zeale is feruent (though but new begun)

Before their egge-shels were done off, they run,

As when bright Phoebus, in a Summer tide,

Simile.

(New risen from the pillow of his Bride)

[Page]Enueloped with misty fogges, at length

Breaks forth, displayes the mist, with Southern strēgth;

Euen so these Mariners (of Peerelesse mirrour)

Their faith b'ing vayl'd within the mist of errour,

At length their Zeale chac'd ignorance away,

They left their Paganisme, and 'gan to pray.

¶Lord, how vnlimmited are thy Confines,

That still pursu'st man in his good designes!

Thy mercy's like the dew of Hermon hill,

Or like the Oyntment, dropping downward still

From Aarons head, to beard; from beard, to foot:

So doe thy mercies drench vs round about:

Thy loue is boundlesse; Thou art apt, and free,

To turne to Man, when Man returnes to thee.

THE ARGVMENT.

They cast the Prophet ouer boord:

The storme alay'd: They feare the Lord;

A mighty Fish him straight deuoures,

Where he remayned many howres.

Sect. 6.

EVen as a member,

Hist. Chap 1. ve. 15. Simile.

whose corrupted sore

Infests, and rankl's, eating more and more,

Threatning the bodies losse (if not preuented)

The Surgion (after all faire meanes attempted)

Cuts off, and with aduised skill doth choose,

To lose a part, then all the body lose;

[Page]Euen so the Mariners perceiuing all

Their labour spent, and the effect but small,

And of necessity that all must dye,

If Ionah leaue not their society,

They tooke vp Ionas, and with one accord,

And common ayde, threw Ionas ouer boord;

Whereat grim Neptune wip't his fomy mouth,

Held his tridented Mace vpon the South;

The windes were whist, the billowes daunc't no more,

The storme allay'd, the heau'ns left off to rore,

The waues (obedient to their beheast)

Gaue ready passage, and their rage surceast:

The skie grew cleare, and now the glorious light

Begins to put the gloomy clouds to flight:

Thus all on suddaine was the Sea tranquill,

The heau'ns were quiet, and the Waues were still.

As when a friendly Creditour (to get

A long forborne,

Simile.

and much-concerning debt)

Still plyes his willing debter with entreates,

Importunes dayly, dayly thumps, and beates

The batter'd Portalls of his tyred eares,

Bedeafing hm with what he knowes, and heares;

The weary debter, to auoyd the sight

He loathes, shifts here, and there, and eu'ry night

Seekes out Protection of another bed,

Yet ne'rethelesse (pursu'd and followed)

His eares are still layd at with lowder volley

Of harder Dialect; He melancholly,

Sits downe, and sighes, and after long fore-slowing,

(T' auoyd his presence) payes him what is owing;

The thankfull Creditour is now appeas'd,

Takes leaue, and goes away content, and pleas'd.

[Page]Euen so these angry waues, with restlesse rage,

Accosted Ionas in his pilgrimage,

And thundred Iudgement in his fearfull eare,

Presenting Hubbubs to his guilty feare:

The Waues rose discontent, the Surges beat,

And euery moments death, the billowes threat;

The wether-beaten Ship did euery minnit

Await destruction, while he was in it:

But when his (long expected) corps they threw

Into the deepe, (a debt through trespasse due)

The Sea grew kind, and all her frownes abated,

Her face was smooth to all that nauigated.

'Twas sinfull Ionah made her storme and rage,

'Twas sinfull Ionah did her storme asswage.

With that the Mariners astonish't were,

Vers. 16.

And feard Iehouah with a mighty feare,

Offring vp Sacrifice with one accord,

And vowing solemne vowes vnto the Lord.

Vers. 17.

But God (whose breath can make the heauens shake,

And in an instant, all that force can slake,

Whose pow'rfull word can make the earths foundatiō

Tremble, and with his word can make cessation,

Whose wrath doth mount the waues, & tosse the Seas,

And make them calme, and whist when e're he please:

This God, (whose mercy runs on endlesse wheele,

And pulls (like Iacob) Iustice by the heele)

Prepar'd a Fish, prepar'd a mighty Whale,

Whose belly should be prison-house, and baile

For retchlesse Ionah. As a Garner dore

Opens his double leafe, to take the store,

Wherewith the haruest quits the Ploughmans hope,

Euen so the great Leuiathan set ope

[Page]His beame-like Iawes, (as glad of such a boone)

And at a morsell, swallow'd Ionah downe.

Till Rosy-cheek't-Aurora's purple dye

Thrice dappl'd had the ruddy morning skye,

And thrice had spred the Curtaines of the morne,

To let in Titan, when the Day was borne,

Ionah was Tenant to this liuing Graue,

Embowel'd deepe in this stupendious Caue.

Explicit Hist.

Meditatio sexta.

LO, Death is now, as alwayes it hath bin,

The iust procured stipend of our sinne:

Sinne is a golden Causie, and a Road

That's leuell, pleasant, that is euen, and broad,

But leads at length to death, and endlesse griefe,

To torments and to paines, without reliefe.

Iustice feares none, but maketh all afraid,

And then falls hardest, when 'tis most delaid.

But thou reply'st, Thy sinnes are daily great,

Yet thou sitt'st, vncontrold vpon thy seat:

Thy wheat doth flourish, and thy barnes doe thriue,

Thy sheepe encrease, thy sonnes are all aliue,

And thou art buxom, and hast nothing scant,

Finding no want of any thing, but want,

Whil'st others, whō the squint-e'yd world counts holy,

Sit sadly drooping in a melancholy,

With brow deiected, and downe-hanging head,

Or take of almes, or poorly beg their bread:

But Young man, know, there is a Day of doome,

The feast is good, vntill the reck'ning come.

[Page]The time runnes fastest, where is least regard;

The stone that's long in falling, falleth hard;

There is a Day, a dying Day (thou foole)

When all thy laughter shall be turn'd to Doole,

Thy roabes to tort'ring plagues, and fell tormenting,

Thy whoops of Ioy, to howles of sad lamenting:

Thy tongue shall yell, and yawle, and neuer stop,

And wish a world, to giue for one poore drop,

To flatter thine intolerable paine;

The wealth of Pluto could not then obtaine

A minutes freedome from that hellish rout,

Whose fire burnes, and neuer goeth out;

Nor house, nor land, nor measur'd heapes of wealth,

Can render to a dying man his health:

Our life on earth is like a thrid of flax,

That all may touch, and being toucht, it cracks.

¶As when an Archer shooteth for his sport,

Simile.

Sometimes his shaft is gone, sometime 'tis short,

Sometimes o'th' left hand wide, sometimes o'th' right,

At last (through often triall) hits the White;

So Death sometimes with her vncertaine Rouer,

Hits our Superiours (and so shootes ouer)

Sometimes for change, she strikes the meaner sort,

Strikes our inferiours (and then comes short)

Sometimes vpon the left hand wide she goes,

And so (still wounding some) she strikes our foes;

And sometimes wide vpon the right hand wends,

There with impartiall shafts, she strikes our friends;

At length, (through often triall) hits the White,

And so strikes vs into Eternall night.

¶Death is a Kalender compos'd by Fate,

Concerning all men, neuer out of Date:

[Page]Her dayes Dominicall are writ in blood;

She shewes more bad dayes, then she sheweth good;

She tells when dayes, and months, and termes expire,

And shewes thee strange aspects of fearefull fire.

¶Death is a Pursiuant, with Eagles wings,

That knocks at poore mens dores, and gates of Kings.

Worldling, beware; for, lo, Death sculks behind thee,

And as she leaues thee, so will Iudgement finde thee.

THE ARGVMENT.

Within the bowels of the Fish,

Ionah laments in great anguish;

God heard his pray'r, at whose command,

The Fish disgorg'd him on the Land.

Sect. 7.

THen Ionah turn'd his face to heau'n,

Hist, Chap. 2. ver. 1.

and pray'd

VVithin the bowels of the VVhale, and sayd,

"I cry'd out of my balefull misery

"Vnto the Lord, and he hath heard my cry,

Verse 2. The prayer of Ionas out of the Whales belly.

"From out the paunch of hell I made a noyse,

"And thou hast answer'd me, and heard my voyce:

"Into the Deepes and bottome thou hast throwne me,

Vers. 3.

"Thy Surges, and thy VVaues haue past vpon me.

"Then Lord (said I) from out thy glorious sight

"I am reiected, and forsaken quite,

Vers. 4.

"Nath'lesse while these my wretched eyes remaine,

"Vnto thy Temple will I looke againe.

[Page]"The boyst'rous waters compasse me about,

Vers 5.

"My body threats, to let her pris'ner out,

"The boundlesse depth enclos'd me, (almost dead)

"The weedes were wrapt about my fainting head,

"I liu'd on earth reiected at thine hand,

Vers 6.

"And a perpetuall pris'ner in the Land;

"Yet thou wilt cause my life t'ascend at length,

"From out this pit, O Lord, my God, my Strength;

"When as my soule was ouer-whelm'd,

Vers. 7.

and faint,

"I had recourse to thee, did thee acquaint

"With the condition of my wofull case,

"My cry came to thee, in thine holy Place.

Vers. 8.

"Whoso to Vanities themselues betake,

"Renounce thy mercies,

Vers. 9.

and thy loue forsake.

"To thee I'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes,

"With voyce of thanks, and euer-sounding praise,

"I'le pay my vowes; for all the world records

"With one consent, Saluation is the Lords.

Vers. 10.

So God (whose Word's a deed, whose Breath's a law,

Whose iust command implies a dreadfull awe,

Whose Word prepar'd a Whale vpon the Deepe,

To tend, and waite for Iona's fall, and keepe

His out-cast body safe, and soule secure)

This very God, (whose mercy must endure

When heau'n, and earth, and sea, and all things faile)

Disclos'd his purpose, and bespake the Whale,

To redeliuer Ionah to his hand;

Whereat the Whale disgorg'd him on the Land.

Explicit Hist.

[Page]

Meditatio septimu.

I Well record, a holy Father sayes,

"He teaches to denie, that faintly prayes:

Quitimidè ora [...] ▪ docet negare.

The suit surceases, when desire failes,

But whoso prayes with feruencie, preuailes;

For Pray'rs the key that opens heauen gate,

Luke 11.9.

And findes admittance, whether earl' or late,

It forces audience, it vnlocks the eare

Of heau'nly God, (though deafe) it makes him heare.

Vpon a time

The Common-wealth.

Babel (the Worlds faire Queene,

Made drunke with choller, and enrag'd with Spleene)

Through fell Disdaine, derraigned Warre 'gainst them

That tender Homage to Ierusalem:

The Church.

A Mayden fight it was, yet they were strong

As men of Warre; The Battaile lasted long,

Much bloud was shed, and spilt on either side,

That all the ground with purple gore was dyde:

In fine, a Souldier of Ierusalem,

Charity.

Charissa hight, (the Almner of the Realme)

Chill'd with a Feuer, and vnapt to fight,

Into Iustitia's Castle tooke her flight,

Whereat great Babels Queene commanded all,

To lay their siege against the Castle wall;

But poore

Feare

Tymissa (not with warre acquainted)

Fearing Charissa's death, fell downe, and fainted;

Dauntlesse

Wisedome

Prudentia rear'd her from the ground,

VVhere she lay (pale, and sencelesse) in swound,

She rubb'd her temples (lost in swouny shade)

And gaue her water, that

Faith.

Fidissa made,

[Page]And said, Cheare vp, (deare Sister) though our foe

Hath ta'ne vs Captiues, and inthrall'd vs so,

We haue a King puissant, and of might,

Will see vs take no wrong, and doe vs right,

If we possesse him with our sad complaint,

Cheare vp, wee'l send to him, and him acquaint.

Timissa (new awak'd from swound) replies,

Our Castle is begirt with enemies,

And clouds of armed men besiege our walls,

Then suer Death, or worse then Death befalls

To her, (who ere she be) that stirres a foote,

Or dares attempt, this place to fally out:

Alas! what hope haue we to finde reliefe,

And want the meanes that may diuulge our griefe?

Within that place, a iolly Matron won'd,

With firie lookes, and drawen-sword in hond,

Her eyes, with age, were waxen wond'rous dim,

With hoary locks, and visage sterne, and grim;

Her name

Iustice.

Iustitia hight; to her they make

Their moane, who (well aduis'd) them thus bespake:

"Faire Maydens, well I wot; y' are ill bedight,

And rue the suffrance of your wofull plight,

But Pitty's fond alone, and rankles griefe,

And fruitlesse falls, vnlesse it yeeld reliefe:

Cheare vp, I haue a Messenger in store,

Whose speed is much, but faithfull trust is more,

Whose nimble wings shall cleaue the flitting skies,

And scorne the terrour of your enemies,

Prayer

Oratio hight, well knowne vnto your King,

Your message she shall doe, and tydings bring,

Prouided that

Math. 21.21.

Fidissa trauaile with her,

And so (

John 15.16.

on Christs name) let them goe together.

[Page]With that, Fidissa hauing ta'ne her errant,

And good Oratio, with Iustitia's Warrant,

In silence of the midnight, tooke their flight,

Arriuing at the Court that very night;

But they were both as any fier hot,

Oratio feruens, velox.

For they did flie as swift, as Cannon shot,

But they (left suddaine cold should doe them harme)

Together clung, and kept each other warme:

Oratio & fides comites indiuidui.

But lo, the Kingly gates were sparr'd, and lockt,

They call'd, but none made answere, then they knockt,

Together ioyning both their force in one,

They knockt amaine; Yet answere there was none;

But they that neuer learn'd to take deniall,

With importunity made further triall:

The King heard well, although he list not speake,

Till they with strokes the gate did wel-nie breake.

In fine, the brazen gates flew open wide;

Oratio moou'd her suit: The King replide,

Oratio was a faire, and welcome ghest;

So heard her suit; so graunted her request.

Fraile Man, obserue, In thee the practice lies,

Let sacred Meditation moralize.

Let Pray'r be feruent, and thy Faith intire,

And God will graunt thee more then thy desire.

[Page]

THE ARGVMENT.

The second time was Ionah sent

To Niniuy: so Ionah went:

Against her crying sinnes he cri'd,

And her destruction propheci'd.

Sect. 8.

ONce more the voyce of heau'ns-high-Cōmander

(Like horrid claps of heau'ns-diuiding-thunder,

Hist. Chap. 3. ver. 1.

Or like the fall of waters breach (the noyse

B'ing heard farre distant off) such was the voyce)

Came downe from heau'n, to Ionah new-borne-Man,

To re-baptized Ionah, and thus began;

Am I a God? Or art thou ought but Dust?

More then a man? Or are my Lawes vniust?

Am I a God, and shall I not command?

Art thou a man, and dar'st my Lawes withstand?

Shall I (the motion of whose breath shall make

Both Earth, and Sea, and Hell, and Heauen quake)

By thee (fond man) shall I be thus neglected,

And thy presumption scape vncorrected?

Thy Faith hath sau'd thee (Ionah:) Sinne no more,

Lest worse things happen after, then before;

Arise;

Vers. 2. Gods second charge to Ionah.

let all th' assembled pow'rs agree

To doe the message I impose on thee;

Trifle no more, and, to auoyd my sight,

Thinke not to baulke me with a second flight.

[Page] Arise, and goe to Niniuy (the great)

Where broods of Gentiles haue ta'ne vp their seat,

The Great-Queene-regent-mother of the Land,

That multiplies in people like the sand;

Away, with wings of time, (I'le not essoine thee)

Denounce these fiery Iudgements, I enioyne thee.

Like as a yongling that to schoole is set,

Simile. vers. 3.

(Scarce weaned from his dandling mothers tet,

Where he was cockerd with a stroking hand)

With stubborne heart, denyes the Iust command

His Tutor will's: But being once corrected,

His home-bred stomack's curb'd, or quite eiected,

His crooked nature's chang'd, and mollified,

And humbly seeks, what stoutly he deny'd;

So Iona's stout, peruerse, and stubborne hart,

Was hardned once, but when it felt the smart

Of Gods auenging wrath, it strait dissolu'd,

And what it once auoyded, now resolu'd

T' effect with speed, and with a carefull hand

Fully replenish'd with his Lords Command,

To Niniueh he flyeth like a Roe,

Each step the other striues to ouergoe;

And as an arrow to the mark does fly,

So (bent to flight) flyes he to Niniuy.

(Now Niniuy a mighty Citty was,

And all the Citties of the world did passe,

A Citty which o're all the rest aspires,

Like midnight▪ Phoebé 'mong the lesser fyers,

A Citty which (although to men was giuen)

Better beseem'd the mighty King of Heauen,

A Citty Great to God, whose ample wall,

Who vndertakes to mete with paces, shall

[Page]Bring Phoebus thrice a-bed, e're it be dun,

(Although with dawning Lucifer begun.)

When Ionas had approacht the City gate,

Vers. 4.

He made no stay to rest, ne yet to baite,

Nor yet with oyle, his fainting head he 'noynts,

Nor stayes to bathe his weather-beaten ioynts,

Nor smooth'd his countenance, nor slick't his skinne,

Ne craued he the Hostage of an Inne,

To ease his aking bones (with trauell sore)

But went as speedy, as he fled before,

The Cities greatnes made him not refuse,

To be the trump of that vnwelcome newes

His tongue was great with; But (like thunders noyse)

His mouth flew ope, and out there rusht a voyce.

Iona's prophecy to the Niniuites.

When dewy-cheek't Aurora shall display

Her golden locks, and summon vp the Day

Twice twentie times, and rest her drowzy head

Twice twentie more, in aged Tithons bed,

Then Niniueh this place of high renowne,

Shall be destroy'd, and sackt, and batterd downe.

He sate not down to take deliberation,

What manner people were they, or what Nation,

Or Gent, or Saluage, nor did he enquier

What place were most conuenient for a Cryer,

Nor like a sweet-lipt Orator did steare,

Or tune his language to the peoples eare,

But bold, and rough (yet full of maiesty)

Lift vp his trumpet, and began to Cry,

When forty times Dan Phoebus shall fulfill

His Iournall course vpon th' Olympian Hill,

Then Niniueh (the Worlds great wonder) shall

Startle the Worlds foundation with her fall.

[Page]The dreadfull Prophet stands not to admire

The Cities pomp, or peoples quaint attire,

Nor yet (with fond affection) doth pitty

Th' approching downfall of so braue a City:

But freely lifts his dismall voyce on high,

Not caring who excepts against the Cry,

When fortie Dayes shall be expir'd, and run,

And that poore Inch of time drawne out and dun,

Then Niniueh (the Worlds Imperiall throne)

Shall not be left a stone, vpon a stone.

Explicit Hist.

Meditatio octaua.

BVt stay; Is God like one of vs? Can hee,

Obiect.

When he hath said it, alter his Decree?

Can he that is the God of Truth, dispence

With what he vow'd? or offer violence

Vpon his sacred Iustice? Can his minde

Reuolt at all? or vary like the winde?

How comes it then to passe? How mought it bee,

That hauing limited his iust Decree

Vpon the expiring date of fortie dayes,

He then performes it not? But still delayes

His plagues denounc't, and Iudgement still forbeares,

And stead of fortie Dayes giues many yeares?

Yet fortie Dayes, and Niniueh shall perish?

Yet fortie yeeres, and Niniueh doth flourish:

A change in man's infirme; in God 'tis strange;

In God, to change his Will, and will a Change,

Resolut. Aliud mutare voluntatem; aliud velle mutationem. Aquin. 1. quaest. 19 art. 7.

Are diuers things: When God repents from ill,

He wills a change; he changes not his Will;

[Page]The subiect's chang'd, which secret he kept close,

But not the mind, that so did it dispose;

Denounced Iudgement God doth oft preuent,

Mutat sententiam, sed non mutat consiliū, lib. 20. mor. c. 29

But neither changes counsell, nor intent:

Moreo're He seldome threatens a perdition,

But with expresse, or an impli'd condition:

So that, if Niniuey do turne from ill,

God turns his hand, he doth not turne his Will.

¶The stint of Niniuey was forty dayes,

To cry for grace, and turne from euill wayes;

To some the time is large; To others small,

To some 'tis many yeeres; And not at all

To others; Some an hower haue, and some

Haue scarce a minute of their time to come:

Thy span of life (Malfido) is thy space,

Tempus vitae, tempus poenitentiae.

To call for mercy, and to cry for grace.

¶Lord! what is man, but like a worme that crawl's,

Open to danger, euery foot that falls?

Death creeps (vnheard) and steales abroad (vnseene)

Her darts are sudden, and her arrowes keene,

Vncertaine when, but certaine she will strike,

Respecting King, and begger both alike;

The stroke is deadly, come it earl', or late,

And once being struck, repenting's out of date;

Death is a minute, full of sudden sorrow:

"Then liue to day, as thou maist dye to morrow.

[Page]

THE ARGVMENT.

The Niniuites beleeue the Word;

Their hearts returne vnto the Lord;

In him they put their only trust:

They mourne in Sackcloth, and in dust.

Sect. 9.

SO said; the Niniuites beleeu'd the Word,

Hist. Chap. 3. ver. 5.

Beleeued Ionas, and beleeu'd the Lord;

They made no pause, nor iested at the newes,

Nor slighted it, because it was a Iew's

Denouncement: No, Nor did their gazing eyes

(As taken captiues with such nouelties)

Admire the strangers garb, so quaint to theirs,

No idle chat possest their itching eares,

The whil'st he spake: nor were their tongues on fier,

To raile vpon, or interrupt the Cryer,

Nor did they question whether true the message,

Or false the Prophet were, that brought th' embassage:

But they gaue faith to what he said; relented,

And (changing their mis-wandred wayes) repented;

Before the searching Ayre could coole his word,

Their hearts returned, and beleeu'd the Lord;

And they, whose dainty palats cloy'd whileare

With cates, and vyands were, and luscious cheare,

Doe now enioyne their lips, not once to tast

The offall bread, (for they proclaim'd a Fast)

[Page]And they, whose wanton bodies once did lye

Wrapt vp in Robes, and Silkes, of princely Dye,

Lo now, in stead of Robes, in Rags they mourne,

And all their Silkes doe into Sackcloth turne.

They reade themselues sad Lectures on the ground,

Learning to want, as well as to abound;

The Prince was not exempted, nor the Peere,

Nor yet the richest, nor the poorest there;

The old man was not freed, (whose hoary age

Had eu'n almost outworne his Pilgrimage;)

Nor yet the young, whose Glasse (but new begun)

By course of nature had an age to run:

For when that fatall Word came to the King,

Vers. 5.

(Conuay'd with speed vpon the nimble wing

Of flitting Fame) He strait dismounts his Throne,

Forsakes his Chaire of State he sate vpon,

Disrob'd his body, and his head discrown'd,

In dust and ashes grou'ling on the ground,

And when he rear'd his trembling corpes againe,

(His haire all filthy with the dust he lay in)

He clad in pensiue Sackcloth, did depose

Himselfe from state Imperiall, and chose

To liue a Vassall, or a baser thing,

Then to vsurpe the Scepter of a King:

His golden cup of Honour and Authority,

Made him not drunke, and so forget mortality,

(Respectlesse of his pompe) he quite forgate

He was a King, so mindlesse of his State,

That he forgate to rule, or be obey'd;

Nor did he weild the Sword,

[...] Hist.

nor Scepter sway'd.

[Page]

Meditatio nona.

¶IS fasting then the thing that God requires?

Can fasting expiate, or slake those fires

That Sinne hath blowne to such a mighty flame?

Can sackcloth clothe a fault? or hide a shame?

Can ashes clense thy blot? or purge thy' offence?

Or doe thy hands make God a recompence,

By strowing dust vpon thy bryny face?

Are these the tricks to purchase heau'nly grace?

No, though thou pine thy selfe with willing want;

Or face looke thinne, or Carkas ne▪r so gaunt,

Although thou worser weeds then sackcloth weare,

Or naked goe, or sleep in shirts of haire,

Or though thou chuse an ash-tub for thy bed,

Or make a daily dunghill on thy head,

Thy labour is not poysd with equall Gaines,

For thou hast nought but labour for thy paines:

Such idle madnesse God reiects, and loaths,

That sinkes no deeper, than the skinne, or cloaths;

'Tis not thine eyes which (taught to weep by art)

Looke red with teares, (not guilty of thy hart)

'Tis not the holding of thy hands so hye,

Nor yet the purer squinting of thine eye;

'Tis not your Mimmick mouthes, nor Antick faces,

Nor Scripture phrases, nor affected Graces,

Nor prodigall vp-banding of thine eyes,

Whose gashfull balls doe seeme to pelt the skyes;

'Tis no: the strict reforming of your haire

So close, that all the neighbour skull is bare;

[Page]'Tis not the drooping of thy head so low,

Nor yet the lowring of thy sullen brow,

Nor howling, wherewithall you fill the ayre,

Nor repetitions of your tedious pray'r:

No, no, 'tis none of this, that God regards;

Such sort of fooles their owne applause rewards;

Matth. 6

Such Puppit-playes, to heau'n are strange, and quaint,

Their seruice is vnsweet, and foully taint,

Their words fall fruitlesse from their idle braine;

But true Repentance runnes in other straine;

Where sad contrition harbours, there thy hart

Is first acquainted with an inly smart,

And restlesse grones within thy mournfull brest,

Where sorrow finds her selfe a welcome ghest;

It throbs, it sighes, it mournes in decent wise,

Dissolu's, and fills the Cisternes of thine eyes;

It frights thy pensiue soule, with strange aspects

Of crying sinnes committed; It detects

Thy wounded conscience; It cryes amaine,

For mercy, mercy, cryes, and cryes againe;

It vowes, it sadly grieues, and sore laments,

It yernes for grace, Reformes, Returnes, Repents;

I; this is Incense, whose accepted sauour

Mounts vp the heauenly Throne, and findeth fauour:

I; this is it, whose valour neuer failes,

With God it stoutly wrestles, and preuailes:

I; this is it, that pierces heauen aboue,

Neuer returning home (like Noah's Doue)

But brings an Oliffe leafe, or some encrease,

That works Saluation, and eternall Peace.

[Page]

THE ARGVMENT.

The Prince and people fasts, and prayes;

God heard, accepted, lik'd their wayes:

Vpon their timely true repentance,

God reuerst, and chang'd his sentence.

Sect. 10.

THen suddenly, with holy zeale inflam'd,

Hist. Chap. 3.7.

He caus'd a Generall act, to be proclam'd,

By good aduice, and counsell of his Peeres;

Let neither Man, nor child, of youth, or yeeres,

The Proclamation of the Niniuites.

From greatest in the City, to the least,

Nor Heard, nor pining Flock, nor hungry beast,

Nor any thing that draweth ayre, or breath,

On forfeiture of life, or present death,

Presume to taste of nourishment, or food,

Or moue their hungry lips, to chew the cud;

From out their eyes let Springs of water burst,

With teares (or nothing) let them slake their thurst:

Vers. 8.

Moreo're, let euery man (what e're he be)

Of high preferment, or of low degree,

D' off all they weare (excepting but the same)

That nature craues, and that which couers shame)

Their nakednesse with sackcloth let them hide,

And mue the vest'ments of their silken pride;

And let the braue cariering Horse of warre,

(Whose rich Caparisons, and Trappings are

[Page]Of sumptuous beautie, and of glorious show)

Let him disrobe, and put▪on sackcloth too;

The Oxe (ordain'd for yoke) the Asse (for load)

The Horse (as well for race, as for the road)

The burthen-bearing Cammell (strong and great)

The fruitfull Kine, and eu'ry kind of Neate,

Let all put sackcloth on, and spare no voyce,

But crie amaine to heau'n, with mightie noyse;

Let all men turne the Byas of their wayes,

And change their fiercer hands, to force of praise:

For who can tell,

Vers. 9.

if God (whose angrie face

Hath long bin wayning from vs) will embrace

This slender pittance of our best endeuour?

Who knowes, if God will his intent perseuer?

Or who can tell, if He (whose tender loue,

And mercy' extends his Iudgements farre aboue)

Will change his high Decree, and turne his sentence

Vpon a timely, and vnfain'd Repentance?

And who can tell, if God will change the lot,

That we, and ours may liue, and perish not?

So God perceiu'd their works, and saw their wayes,

Approu'd the faith,

Vers. 10.

that in their works did blaze,

Approu'd their works, approu'd their works the rather,

Because their faith, and works went both together;

He saw their faith, because their faith abounded,

He saw their works, because on faith they grounded,

H' approu'd their faith, because their faith was true,

H' approu'd their works, because on faith they grew;

He saw their faith, and works, and so relented,

H [...] approu'd their faith, and works, and so repented;

Repented of the plagues, they apprehended;

Repented of the Euill, that he intended:

[Page] So God the vengeance of his hand with-drew,

He tooke no forfeiture, although 'twere due;

The Euill, that once he meant, he now forgot,

Cancell'd the forfeit bond, and did it not.

Explicit Hist.

Meditatio decima.

¶LO, into what an ebbe of low estate

The Soule, that seekes to be regenerate,

Must first decline; Before the Ball rebound,

It must be throwne with force against the ground;

The Seed cannot encrease in fruitfull eares,

Nor can she reare the goodly stalke she beares,

Vnlesse bestrow'd vpon a mould of earth,

And made more glorious, by a second birth:

So fares with Man; Before he can bring forth

The braue exploits of truly noble Worth,

Or hope the granting of his sinnes remission,

He must be humbl'd first in sad contrition;

The plant (through want of skill, or by neglect)

If it be planted from the Sunnes reflect,

Or lack the dew of seasonable showres,

Decayes, and beareth neither Fruit, or Flowres;

So wretched Man, if his repentance hath

No quickning Sunne-shine of a liuely Faith,

Or not bedew'd with show'rs of timely teares,

Or works of mercy (wherein Faith appeares)

His pray'rs, and deeds, and all his forged grones,

Are like the howles of Dogs, and works of Drones:

The skilfull Surgeon, first (by letting blood)

Weakens his Patient, ere he does him good;

[Page]Before the Soule can a true comfort finde,

The Body must be prostrate, and the Minde

Truly repentiue, and contrite within,

And loath the fawning of a bosome Sin.

But Lord! Can MAN deserue? Or can his Best

Doe Iustice equall right, which he transgrest?

When Dust and Ashes mortally offends,

Can Dust and Ashes make Eternall mends?

Is Heau'n vniust? Must not the Recompence

Be full Equiualent to the Offence?

What mends by mortall Man can then be giu'n

To the offended Maiestie of heau'n?

O Mercie! Mercie! on thee my Soule relyes,

On thee we build our Faith, we bend our eyes;

Thou fill'st my empty straine, thou fil'st my tongue;

Thou art the subiect of my Swan-like song;

Like pinion'd pris'ners at the dying Tree,

Our lingring hopes attend, and wayte on thee;

(Arraign'd at Iustice barre) preuent our doome;

To thee with ioyfull hearts we cheerely come;

Thou art our Clergie; Thou that dearest Booke,

Wherein our fainting eyes desire to looke;

In thee, we trust to reade (what will release vs)

In bloudy Caracters, that name of IESVS.

¶What shall we then returne to God of Heau'n?

Where nothing is (Lord) nothing can be giu'n;

Our soules, our bodies, strength, and all our pow'rs,

(Alas!) were all too little, were they ours:

Or shall we burne (vntill our life expires)

An endlesse Sacrifice in Holy fires?

¶My Sacrifice shall be my HEART entire,

My Christ the Altar, and my Zeale the Fire.

[Page]

THE ARGVMENT.

The Prophet discontented prayes

To God, that he would end his dayes;

God blames his wrath so vnreprest,

Reproues his vnaduis'd Request.

Sect. 11.

BVt this displeasing was in Iona's eyes,

Hist. Chap. 4.1.

His heart grew hot, his blood began to rise,

His eyes did sparkle, and his teeth struck fire,

His veines did boyle, his heart was full of yre;

At last brake foorth into a strange request,

These words he pray'd, and mumbl'd out the rest:

Was not, O was not this my thought (O Lord)

Before I fled? Nay, was not this my Word,

Vers. 2. Ionas speech to God.

The very Word, that these my lips had shaped,

When this mis-hap mought well haue bin escaped?

Was there, O was there not a iust suspect,

My preaching would procuer this effect?

For loe; I knew of old, they tender loue;

I knew the pow'r, thou gau'st my Tongue, would moue

Their Adamantine hearts; I knew 'twould thaw

Their frozen spirits, and breed relenting awe;

I knew moreo're, vpon their true repentance,

That thou determin'dst to reuerse thy sentence;

For lo, I knew, thou wert a Gracious God,

Of long forbearance, slow to vse the Rod▪

[Page]I knew the power of thy Mercies bent,

The strength of all thy other works out-went;

I knew thy tender kindnes; and how loth

Thou wert to punish, and how slow to wrath;

Turning thy Iudgements, and thy plagues preuenting,

Thy mind reuersing, and of Eu'll repenting:

Therefore (O therefore) through this perswasion,

I fled to Tarsish, there to make euasion;

To saue thy credit (Lord) to saue mine owne:

For when this blast of zeale is ouer-blowne,

And sackloth left, and they left off to mourne,

When they (like dogs) shall to their vomit turne,

They'l vilipend thy sacred Word, and scoffe it,

Saying, Was that a God, or this a Prophet?

They'l scorne thy Iudgements, & thy threats despise,

And call thy Prophets, Messengers of lyes.

Vers. 3.

Now therefore (Lord) bow downe attentiue eare,

(For lo, my burthen's more then I can beare)

Make speed (O Lord) and banish all delayes,

T' extinguish (now) the tapour of my dayes:

Let not the minutes of my time extend,

But let my wretched howers find an end;

Let not my fainting sprite thus long aby

In her fraile mansion of mortality:

The thrid's but weake, my life depends vpon,

O cut that thrid, and let my life be done;

My brest stands faire, O strike, and strike againe,

For nought, but dying, can asswage my paine:

For liefer 'tis to dye, then liue in shame,

For better 'tis to leaue, and yeeld the game,

Then toyle for what at length must needs be lost;

O kill me, for my heart is sore imbost;

[Page]This latter boone vnto thy seruant giue,

For better 'tis for me, to dye then liue.

So wretched Ionah; But Iehoua thus;

What boot's it so to storme out-ragious?

Vers. 4.

Does it become my seruants heart to swell?

Can anger helpe thee, Ionah? Doest thou well?

Explicit Hist.

Meditatio vndecima.

¶HOw poore a thing is man! How vain's his mind!

How strange, & base! And wau'ring like ye wind!

How vncouth are his wayes! How full of danger!

How to himselfe, is he himselfe a stranger!

His heart's corrupt, and all his thoughts are vaine,

His actions sinfull, and his words prophane,

His will's deprau'd, his senses all beguil'd,

His reason's darke, His members all defil'd,

His hastie feet are swift, and prone to ill,

His guilty hands are euer bent to kill,

His tongue's a spunge of venome, (or of worse)

Her practice is to sweare, her skill to curse;

His eyes, are fierballs of lustfull fire,

And outward spyes, to inward foule desire,

His body is a well erected station,

But full of filth, and foule corrupted passion,

Fond loue; and raging lust, and foolish feares,

Virgil▪ Aeneid. 8. Hinc metuunt, cupiunt, dotent, gaudent (que), nec auras Respiciunt, clausae tenebris, & carcere caeco.

Excessiue ioy, and griefe o'rwhelm'd with teares

Immoderate; and couetous Desier,

And sinfull anger, red, and hot as fier;

These daily clog the soule, that's fast in prison,

From whose encrease, this lucklesse brood is risen,

[Page]Respectlesse Pride, and lustfull Idlenes,

Foule ribbauld talke, and lothsome Drunkennes,

Fruitlesse Despayre, and needlesse Curiositie,

Odious Ingratitude, Double Hypocrisie,

Base Flattery, and haughty-ey'd Ambition,

Heart-gnawing Hatred, and squint-ey'd Suspition,

Self-eating Enuie, Enuious Detraction,

Hopelesse Distrust, and too-too sad Deiection,

Reuengefull Malice, Hellish Blasphemie,

Idolatry, and light Inconstancie;

Daring Presumption, wry-mouth'd Derision,

Fearefull Apostacie, vaine Superstition.

¶What heedfull watch? And what contin'all ward?

How great respect? and howerly regard,

Stands man in hand to haue, when such a brood

Of furious hell-hounds seeke to suck his blood?

Day, night, and hower, they rebell, and wrastle,

And neuer cease, till they subdue the Castle.

¶How sleight a thing is man? How fraile and brittle?

How seeming great is he? How truly little?

Within the bosome of his holiest works,

Some hidden Embers of old Adam lurks;

Which oftentimes in men of righteous wayes,

Burst out in flame, and for a season blaze.

¶Lord teach our hearts, & giue our soules directions,

Subdue our Passions, Curb our stout Affections,

Nip thou the bud, before the Bloome begins;

Lord, keep all good men from presumptuous sins.

[Page]

THE ARGVMENT.

A Booth for shelter Ionah made;

God sent a Gourd for better shade;

But by the next approching light,

God sent a Worme consum'd it quite.

Sect. 12.

SO Ionah (sore opprest,

Hist. Chap. 4. ver. 5.

and heauy-hearted)

From out the Cities circuit straight departed,

Departed to the Easterne borders of it,

Where sick with anguish sate this sullen Prophet;

He built a Booth, and in the Booth he sate,

(Vntill some few daies had expir'd their date

With ouer-tedious pace) where he might see,

What would betide to threatned Niniuie;

A trunk that wanteth sap, is soone decay'd;

The slender Booth of boughs and branches made,

Soone yeelded to the fire of Phoebus Ray,

So dri'd to Dust, consuming quite away:

Whereat, the great Iehoua spake the word,

And ouer Iona's head there sprang a Gourd,

Vers. 6.

Whose roots were fixt within the quickning earth,

Which gaue it nourishment, as well as birth;

God raised vp a Gourd, a Gourd should last,

Let wind, or scortching Sunne, or blow, or blast;

As coales of fier rak'd in Embers,

Simile.

lye

Obscure, and vndiscerned by the eye;

[Page]But being stird, regaine a glimm'ring light,

Reuiue, and glow, burning a-fresh and bright;

So Ionah 'gan to cheare through this reliefe,

And ioyfull was, deuoyded all his griefe:

He ioy'd to see, that God had not forgot

His drooping seruant, nor forsooke him not;

He ioy'd, in hope the Gourds strange wonder will

Perswade the people, he's a Prophet still;

The fresh aspect did much content his sight,

The herball sauour gaue his sense delight;

So Ionah much delighted in his Gourd,

Enioy'd the pleasures, that it did affoord:

But Lord!

Vers. [...].

what earthly thing can long remaine?

How momentary are they! and how vaine!

How vaine is earth, that man's delighted in it!

Her pleasures rise; and vanish in a minnit:

How fleeting are the ioyes, we find below!

Whose tides (vncertaine) alwayes ebbe, and flow;

For lo! this Gourd (that was so faire, and sound)

Is quite consum'd, and eaten to the ground;

No sooner Titan had vp-heau'd his head,

From off the pillow of his Saffron bed,

But God prepar'd a silly, silly worme,

(Perchance brought thither, by an Easterne storme)

The worme that must obey, and well knew how,

Consum'd it quite, ne left it root, nor bow;

Consum'd it straight, within a minut's space,

Left nought,

Explicit Hist.

but (sleeping) Ionas in the place.

[Page]

Meditatio duodecima.

¶THe Pleasures of the world, (which soone abate)

Are liuely Emblems of our owne estate,

Which (like a Banquet at a Fun'rall show)

But sweeten griefe, and serue to flatter woe.

¶Pleasure is fleeting still, and makes no stay,

Ʋoluptas.

It lends a smile, or twaine, and steales away.

¶Man's life is fickle, full of winged haste,

Vita.

It mocks the sense with ioy, and soone does waste.

¶Pleasure does crowne thy youth, and lulls thy wants,

Voluptas

But (sullen age approching) straight auaunts.

¶Man's life is Ioy, and Dolor seekes to banish,

Vita.

It doth lament, and mourne in age, and vanish.

¶The time of pleasure's like the life of man;

Both ioyfull, both contained in a span;

Both highly priz'd, and both on sudden lost,

When most we trust them, they deceiue vs most;

What fit of madnes makes vs loue them thus?

We leaue our liues, and pleasure leaueth vs:

Why what are Pleasures? But a golden dreame,

Voluptas, quale

Which (waking) makes our wants the more extreame?

And what is Life? A bubble full of care,

Vita, quale.

Which (prickt by death) straight empties into ayre:

The flowers (clad in far more rich array,

Then earst was Salomon) doe soone decay;

What thing more sweet, or fairer then a flowre?

Nath'les, it blooms, and fades within an howre;

What thing more pleasing then a morning Sun?

And yet this pleasure euery Day is dun:

[Page]But thou art heire to Croesus, and thy treasure

Being great, and endlesse, endlesse is thy pleasure;

But thou (thou Croesus heire) consider must,

Thy wealth, and thou, came from, and goes to dust;

Another's noble, and his name is great,

And takes his place vpon a loftie seat;

True 'tis, but yet his many wants are such,

That better 'twere he were not knowne so much.

Another binds his soule in Hymens knot,

His Spouse is chaste, and faire withouten spot,

But yet his comfort is bedasht, and done,

His grounds are stock't, and now he want's a sonne.

¶How fickle, and vnconstant's mans Estate!

Man faine would haue, but then he knowes not what;

And hauing, rightly knowes not how to prize it,

But like the foolish Dunghill-cock imploy's it:

But who desires to liue a life content,

Wherein his Cruze of ioy shall ne'r be spent,

Let him consider what may be desir'd,

Boctius Philos. consol.

The date whereof is not to be expir'd:

For that's not worth the crauing, to obtaine

A happinesse, that must be lost againe;

Nor that, which most doe couet most, is best;

Best are the goods, mixt with contented rest;

Gasp not for

Folia vanitatis.

Honour, wish no blazing glory,

For these will perish in an ages story;

Nor yet for pow'r, for that may be conferr'd

On fooles, as well, as thee, that hast deseru'd.

Thirst not for Lands, nor Mony; wish for none,

For

Lil [...]a terrae.

Wealth is neither lasting, nor our owne;

Riches are faire inticements, to deceiue vs;

They flatter, while we liue, and dying, leaue vs.

[Page]

THE ARGVMENT.

Ionah desires to dye, The Lord

Rebukes him, He maintaines his word,

His anger he doth iustifie,

God pleads the Cause for Niniuie.

Sect. 13.

WHen ruddy Phoebus had (with morning light)

Subdu'd the East, and put the stars to flight,

Hist. Chap. 4. [...].

The Lord prepar'd a feruent Easterne wind,

Whose drought together with the Sunne combin'd,

Each adding fier to the others heat,

(With strong vnited force) amaine did beat,

And sore reflect vpon the helplesse head

Of fainting Ionah (that was well-nye dead)

Who turning oft, and tossing to and fro,

(As they that are in torments vse to doe)

And (restlesse) finding no successe of ease,

But rather, that his tortures still encrease;

His secret passion to his soule betrai'd,

Wishing with all his heart to dye, and said;

O kill me (Lord) or lo, my heart will riue;

For better 'tis for me to dye then liue:

So said, the Lord did interrupt his passion,

Vers. 9. Gods speech to Ionah.

Saying, How now? Is this a seemly fashion?

Doth it become my seruants heart to swell?

Can anger helpe thee? Ionah, do'st thou well?

[Page]Is this a fit speech? or a well-plac'd word?

What, art thou angry (Ionah) for a Gourd?

What, if th' Arabians with their ruder traine

Had kill'd thine Oxen,

Iob. 2

and thy Cattell slaine?

What, if consuming fier (falne from heauen)

Had all thy seruants of their liues bereauen,

And burnt thy Sheep? What, if by strong oppression

The Chaldees had vsurpt vniust possession

Vpon thy Cammels? Or had Boreas blowne

His full-mouth'd blast, and cast thy houses downe,

And slaine thy sonnes, amid their iollities?

Or hadst thou lost thy Vineyard full of trees?

[...]. King. 21.15.

Or bin bereaued of thine only Sheep,

2. Sam. 12.3.

That in thy tender bosome vs'd to sleep?

How would thine hastie spirit then bin sturr'd,

If thou art angry, Ionah, for a Gourd?

So Ionah frames his answere thus,

Ionahs answer.

and saith,

Lord, I doe well to vex vnto the death;

I blush not to acknowledge, and professe

Deserued rage, I'm angry, I confesse;

'Twould make a spirit that is thorow frozen,

To blaze like flaming Pitch, and frie like Rozen:

Why dost thou aske that thing, that thou canst tell?

Thou know'st I'm angry, and it beseemes me well.

So said,

Vers. 10.

the Lord to Ionah thus bespake;

Dost thou bemoane, and such compassion take

Vpon a Gourd,

Gods reply.

whose seed thou didst not sow,

Nor mou'd thy skilfull hands to make it grow,

Whose beautie small, and profit was but slight,

Which sprang, and also perisht in a night?

Hadst thou (O dust and ashes) such a care,

And in-bred pittie, a trifling plant to spare?

[Page]Hadst thou, (O hard and incompassionate,

To wish the razing of so braue a State)

Hadst thou (I say) compassion, to bewaile

The extirpation of a Gourd so fraile?

And shall not I (that am the Lord of Lords)

Whose fountaine's neuer dry,

Vers. 11.

but still affords

Sweet streames of mercie, with a fresh supply,

To those that thirst for grace? What shall not I,

(That am the God of mercie, and haue sworne

To pardon sinners, when soe're they turne?

(I say) shall I disclaime my wonted pitie,

And bring to ruine such a goodly Citie,

Whose hearts (so truly penitent) implore me,

Who day and night powre foorth their soules before me?

Shall I destroy the mightie Niniuie,

Whose people are like sands about the sea?

'Mong which are sixe-score thousand soules (at least)

That hang vpon their tender mothers brest?

Whose prettie smiles did neuer yet descry

The deare affection of their mothers eye?

Shall I subuert, and bring to desolation

A Citie, (nay, more aptly tearm'd a Nation)

Whose walls are wide, and wondrous full of might?

Whose hearts are sorrowfull, and soules contrite?

Whose infants are in number, so amounting?

And beasts, and cattell, endlesse, without counting?

What, Ionah, shall a Gourd so moue thy pitie?

And shall not I spare such a goodly Citie?

Explicit Hist▪

[Page]

Meditatio vltima.

¶MY heart is full, and knowes not how to vent;

My tongue proues traytor to my poore intent;

My mind's in labour, and find's no redresse;

My heart conceiues, My tongue cannot expresse;

My organs suffer, through a maine Defect;

Alas! I want a proper Dialect,

To blazon forth the tythe of what I muse;

The more I meditate, the more accrewes;

But lo, my faultring tongue must say no more,

Vnlesse she step where she hath trod before.

What? shall I then be silent? No, I'le speake,

(Till tongue be tyred, and my lungs be weake)

Of dearest mercie, in as sweet a straine,

As it shall please my Muse to lend a vaine;

And when my voyce shall stop within her sourse,

And speech shall faulter in this high discourse,

My tyred tongue (vnsham'd) shall thus extend,

Only to name, Deare mercie, and so end.

¶Oh high Imperiall King, heauens Architect!

Is man a thing, befitting thy Respect?

Lord, thou art wisdome, and thy wayes are holy,

But man's polluted, full of filth, and folly,

Yet is he (Lord) the fabrick of thy hand,

And in his soule he beares thy glorious brand,

How-e're defaced with the rust of sin,

Which hath abus'd thy stamp, and eaten in;

'Tis not the frailtie of mans corrupted nature,

Makes thee asham'd, t'acknowledge man, thy creature;

[Page]But like a tender father, here on earth,

(Whose child by nature, or abortiue birth,

Doth want that sweet and fauourable rellish,

Wherewith, her creatures, Nature doth imbellish)

Respects him ne'rthelesse; so stands the case,

'Twixt God, and sinfull man: Though sinne deface

The glorious portraiture that man did beare,

Whereby he loath'd, and vgly doth appeare,

Yet God (within whose tender bowels are

Deep gulfs of mercie, sweet beyond compare)

Regards, and loues, (with reu'rence be it said)

Nay seems to dote on man; when he hath strayd,

Lord, thou hast brought him to his fold againe;

When he was lost, thou didst not then disdaine

To think vpon a vagabond, and giue

Thine only Sonne to dye, that he might liue.

How poore a mite art thou content withall,

That man may scape his downe-approching fall?

Though base we are, yet didst not thou abhorre vs,

But (as our story notes) art pleading for vs,

To saue vs harmlesse from our foemans iawes;

Art thou turn'd Oratour, to plead our cause?

¶How are thy mercies full of admiration!

How soueraigne! How sweet's their application!

Fatning the soule with sweetnes, and repayring

The rotten ruines of a soule Despayring.

¶Loe here (Malfido) is the feast prepar'd;

Fall too with courage, and let nought be spar'd;

Taste freely of it, Here's no Misers feast;

Eate what thou canst, and pocket vp the rest:

These precious vyands are Restoritie,

Eate then; and if the sweetnes make thee drie,

[Page]Drink large Carouses out of Mercies cup,

The best lies in the bottome, Drinke all vp:

These cates are sweet Ambrosia to thy soule,

And that, which fils the brimme of Mercies boule,

Is dainty Nectar; Eate, and drinke thy fill;

Spare not the one, ne yet the other spill;

Prouide in time: Thy Banquet's now begun,

Lay vp in store, against the feast be done:

For lo, the time of banquetting is short,

And once being done, the world cannot restor't;

It is a feast of Mercy, and of Grace;

It is a feast for all, or hye, or base;

A feast for him that begs vpon the way,

As well for him that does the Scepter sway;

A feast for him that howerly bemoanes

His dearest sinnes, with sighs, and teares, and groanes;

A feast for him, whose gentle heart reformes;

A feast for MEN; and so a FEAST FOR WORMES

¶Deare liefest Lord, that feast'st the world with Grace,

Extend thy bountious Hand, thy Glorious Face:

Bid ioyfull welcome to thy hungry ghest,

That we may praise the Master of the Feast;

And in thy mercie grant this boone to mee,

That I may dye to sinne, and liue to thee.

FINIS.

S. AMBROSE.‘Misericordia est plenitudo omnium virtutum.’

[Page]

THE GENERALL VSE OF this History.

¶WHen as the Ancient world did all imbarke

Within the compasse of good Noahs Arke,

Into the new-washt world a Doue was sent,

Who in her mouth return'd an Oliffe plant,

Which in a silent language this related:

How that the waters were at length abated:

Those swelling waters, is the wrath of God,

And like the Doue, are Prophets sent abroad:

The Oliffe leafe's a ioyfull type of peace,

Whereby we note Gods vengeance doth decrease;

They salue the wounded heart, and make it whole,

They bring glad tydings to the drooping soule,

Proclaiming grace to them that thirst for Grace,

Mercie to those that Mercie will embrace.

¶Malfido, thou, in whose distrustfull brest

Despayre hath brought in sticks to build her nest,

Where she may safely lodge her lucklesse brood,

To feed vpon thy heart, and suck thy blood,

Beware betimes, lest custome and permission

Prescribe a Right, and so she claime possession.

¶Despairing man, whose burthen makes thee stoop

Vnder the terror of thy sinnes, and droop

Through dull despayre, whose too-too sullen griefe

Makes Heauen vnable to apply reliefe,

Whose eares are dull'd with noyse of whips & chaines,

And yells of damned soules, through tort'red paines,

[Page]Come here, and rouze thy selfe; vnseele those eyes,

Which sad Despaire clos'd vp; Arise, Arise,

And goe to Niniuey, the worlds great Palace,

Earths mighty wonder, and behold, the ballace,

And burthen of her bulk, is nought but sin,

Which (wilfull) she commits, and wallowes in;

Behold her Images, her fornications,

Her crying sinnes, her vile abominations;

Behold the guiltlesse bloud that she did spill,

Like Spring tides in the streets, and reeking still:

Behold her scortching lusts, and taint desier,

Like Sulph'rous Aetna blaze, and blaze vp hier;

She rapes, and rends, and theeues, and there is none

Can iustly call the thing he hath; his owne;

That sacred Name of God, that Name of wonder,

In stead of worshipping, she teares in sunder;

She's not enthrall'd to this sinne, or another,

But like a Leper's all infected ouer;

Not only sinfull, but in sinnes subiection,

She's not infected, but a meere infection.

No sooner had the Prophet (Heau'ns great Spy)

Begun an onset to his greater Cry,

But she repented, sigh'd, and wept, and tore

Her curious haire, and garments that she wore,

She sate in ashes, and put sackcloth on,

All drencht in briny griefe, all woe▪begon;

She calls a Fast, proclaimes a Prohibition

To man, and beast; (sad tokens of contrition)

No sooner prayd, but heard; No sooner groan'd,

But pitied; No sooner grieu'd, but moan'd;

Timely Repentance speedy grace procur'd,

The sore that's ta'ne in time, is quickly cur'd:

[Page]No sooner did her trickling teares, or'-flow

Her blubber'd cheekes, (slie messengers of woe)

But straitwaies heau'n wip't her suffused eyes,

And gently strok'd her cheeks, and bid her rise;

No faults were seene, as if no fault had bin,

Deare Mercy made a Quittance for her sin.

¶Malfido, rouze thy leaden spirit, Bestirre thee,

Hold vp thy drowsie head, Here's comfort for thee;

What if thy Zeale be frozen hard? What then?

Thy Sauiours Blood will thaw that frost agen:

Thy prayr's that should be feruent, hot as fier,

Proceed but coldly from a dull Desier;

What then? Grieue Inly, But doe not dismay,

Who hear's thy pray'rs, will giue thee strength to pray:

Though left awhile, thou art not quite giu'n o're,

Where Sinne abounds, there Grace aboundeth more:

¶'Las, this is all the good that I can doe thee,

To ease thy griefe, I here commend vnto thee

A little Booke, but a great Mystery,

A great Delight, A little History;

A little branch slipt from a sauing tree,

But bearing fruit as great, as great mought bee;

A small abridgment 'tis of Gods great loue;

A Message sent from heauen by a Doue:

It is a heauenly Lecture, that relates

To Princes, Pastors, People, all Estates

Their seu'rall duties.

¶Peruse it well, and binde it to thy brest,

There rests the Cause of thy Defectiue rest:

But reade it often, or else reade it not:

Once read, is not obseru'd, or soone forgot,

Nor is't enough to reade, but vnderstand,

[Page]Or else thy tongue, for want of wit,'s prophan'd,

Nor is't enough to purchase knowledge by it;

Salue heales no sore, vnlesse the party apply it:

Apply it then; 'Tis hard, and mickle paines,

Doe what thou canst,

Fac quod potes, & quod non pates, pete.

and pray for what remaines.

The particular application.

¶THen thou, that art opprest with sad Despayre,

Here shalt thou see the strong effect of Prayre:

Then pray with faith,

Ionah, Chap. 2. & chap 3.10. Application.

and (feruent) without ceasing

(Like Iacob) wrestle, till thou get a blessing.

¶Here shalt thou see the type of Christ,

Chap. 1.17.

thy Sauiour;

Then let thy Suits be through his name,

Application.

and fauour.

¶Here shalt thou finde repentance and true griefe

Of sinners like thy selfe,

Chap. 3.5.

and their beliefe;

Then suit thy griefe to theirs,

Application.

and let thy soule

Cry mightily,

Chap. 3.10.

vntill her wounds be whole.

¶Here shalt thou see the meeknes of thy God,

Who on Repentance turnes, and burnes the Rod;

Repents, of what he meant,

Chap. 4.

and seemeth sorrie;

Here mayst thou then behold him pleading for ye:

Then thus shall be thy meed,

Application.

if thou repent,

In stead of plagues and direfull punishment,

Thou shalt finde mercy, loue, and heauens applause,

And God of heauen (himselfe) will plead thy cause.

¶Here hast thou then compil'd within this Treasure,

First,

Chap. 1.2.

the Almighties high, and iust displeasure

Against foule sinne, or such as sinfull bee,

Or Prince, or poore, or high, or low degree.

¶Here is descri'd the beaten Road to Faith:

Chap. 3.4.

¶Here mayst thou see the force that Preaching hath:

Chap. 3.5.

[Page]¶Here is describ'd in (briefe but) full expression,

Chap. 3.6.

The nature of a Conuert, and his passion:

His sober Diet, which is thin, and spare,

His clothing, which is Sackcloth; and his Prayre

Not faintly sent to heauen, nor sparingly,

But piercing, feruent, and mightie cry:

Chap. 3.10.

¶Here maist thou see, how Pray'r, and true Repentance

Doe striue with God, preuaile, and turne his sentence,

From strokes to stroking, and from plagues infernall,

To boundlesse Mercies, and to life Eternall.

¶Till Zepher lend my Bark a second Gale,

I flip mine Anchor, and I strike my saile.

FINIS.

O Dulcis saluator Mundi vltima verba quae tu dixisti in Cruce, sint vltima mea verba in Luce; & quando amplius affare non possum, exaudi tu cordis mei desiderium.

[Page]

A Hymne to God.

WHo giues me then an Adamantine Quill?

A Marble tablet? And a Dauids skill?

To blazon foorth the praise of my dear Lord

In deep grau'n letters, aye vpon Record

To last, for times eternall processe, suer,

So long, as Sunne, and Moone, and Stars enduer:

Had I as many mouthes, as Sands there are,

Had I a nimble tongue for euery Starre,

And euery word I speake, a Caractere,

And euery minutes time ten ages were,

To chaunt foorth all thy praise it nought auaile,

For tongues, and words, and time, and all would faile:

Much lesse can I poore Weakling tune my tongue,

To take a taske befits an Angels song;

Sing what thou canst, when thou canst sing no more,

Weep then as fast that thou canst sing no more,

Be blurre thy booke with teares, and goe thy wayes,

For euery blurre will proue a booke of praise.

Thine Eye that viewes the mouing Spheares aboue,

Let it giue praise to him that makes them moue:

Thou riches hast; Thy Hands that hold, and haue them,

Let them giue praise to him, that freely gaue them:

Thine Armes defend thee, then for recompence,

Let them praise him, that gaue thee such defence:

Thy Tongue was giuen to praise thy Lord, the giuer,

Then let thy Tongue praise highest God for euer:

Faith comes by hearing, and thy faith will saue thee;

Then let thine Eares praise him, that hearing gaue thee:

Thy heart is begg'd by him that first did make it,

My sonne, giue me thy heart; Lord, freely take it:

Eyes, hands, and armes, tongues, eares, and hearts of men,

Sing praise, and let the people say, Amen.

[Page]¶:Tune you your Instruments, and let them vary,

Psal. 150.

Praise him vpon them in his Sanctuary,

Praise him within the highest Firmament,

Which shewes his power and his gouernment,

Praise him, for all his mighty Acts are knowne,

Praise him according to his high Renowne,

Praise him with Trump victorious, shrill, and sharp,

With Psaltry lowd, and many-stringed Harp,

With sounding Tymbrell, and delightfull Flute,

With (Musicks full Interpreter) the Lute,

Praise him vpon the Mayden Virginalls,

Vpon the clerick Organs, and Cymballs,

Vpon the sweet maiestick Vyalls touch,

Double your ioyes, and let your praise be such;

Let all, in whom is life and breath, giue praise

To mighty God of Hosts, in endlesse dayes;

Let euery Soule, to whom a voyce is giuen,

Sing Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of heauen;

For loe, a Lambe is found, that vndertooke

To breake the seuen-fold-seale, and ope the Booke:

¶O let my life add number to my dayes,

To shew thy Glory, and to sing thy praise;

Let euery minute in thy praise be spent,

Let euery head be bare, and knee be bent

To thee (deare Lambe;) Who ere thy praises hide,

O let his lips be clos'd, and tongue for euer ty'de.

Halelujah:

Gloria Deo in excelsis.

[Page]

Eleuen Pious Meditations.

1

¶WIthin the holy Writ I well discouer

Three speciall Attributes of God; His Power,

His Iustice, and his Mercy, All vncreated,

Eternall all, and all Vnseparated

From Gods pure Essence, yet from thence proceeding

All very God, All perfect, All exceeding;

And from that selfe-same Text three names I gather

Of Great Iehoua; Lord, and God, and Father;

The first denotes him mounted on his Throne,

In Power, Maiesty, Dominion;

The next descries him on his Kingly Bench,

Rewarding Euill with dreadfull punishments;

The third describes him on his Mercy-seate,

Full great in Grace, and in his Mercy great;

¶All three I worship, and before all three

My heart shall humbly prostrate, with my knee;

But in my priuate choice, I fancie rather,

Then call him Lord, or God, to call him Father.

[Page]

2

¶IN Hell no Life, in Heauen no Death there is,

In Earth both Life, and Death, both Bale, and Blis,

In Heauen's all Life, no end, nor new supplying;

In Hell's all Death, and yet there is no dying;

Earth (like a partiall Ambidexter) doth

Prepare for Death, or Life, prepares for Both;

Who liues to sinne, in Hell his portion's giuen,

Who dyes to sinne, shall after liue in Heauen.

¶Though Earth my Nurse be, Heauen, be thou my Father;

Ten thousand deaths let me enduer rather

Within my Nurses armes, then One to Thee;

Earths honor, with thy frownes, is death to mee:

I liue-on Earth, as on a Stage of sorrow;

Lord, if thou pleasest, end the Play to morrow:

I liue on Earth, as in a Dreame of pleasure,

Awake me when thou wilt, I wait thy leisure:

I liue on Earth, but as of life bereauen,

My life's with thee, for (Lord) thou art in Heauen.

[Page]

3

¶NOthing that e'r was made, was made for nothing:

Beasts for thy food, their skins were for thy clothing,

Flow'rs for thy smell, and Herbs for Cuer good,

Trees for thy shade, Their Fruit for pleasing Food:

The showers fall vpon the fruitfull ground,

Whose kindly Dew makes tender Grasse abound,

The Grasse is made for beasts to feed vpon,

And beasts are food for Man: But Man alone

Is made to serue his Lord in all his waies,

And be the Trumpet of his Makers praise.

¶Let Heau'n be then to me obdure as brasse,

The Earth as yron, vnapt for graine, or grasse,

Then let my Flocks consume, and neuer steed me,

Let pinching Famine want, wherewith to feed me,

When I forget to honour thee, (my Lord)

Thy glorious Attributes, thy Works, thy Word.

O let the Trump of thine eternall Fame,

Sound euer, Euer hallow'd be thy Name.

[Page]

4

¶GOd made the World, and all that therein is,

Yet, what a little part of it is his?

Quarter the Earth, and see, how small a roome

Is stiled with the name of Christendome;

The rest (through blinded ignorance) rebels,

O're-run with Pagans, Turks, and Infidels:

Nor yet is all this little Quarter his,

For (though all know him) halfe know him amisse,

Professing Christ for lucre, (as they list)

And serue the triple Crowne of Antichrist;

Yet is this little handfull much made lesser,

Ther's many Libertines, for one Professor:

Nor doe Professors all professe aright,

'Mong whom there often lurks an Hypocrite.

¶O where, and what's thy Kingdome? (blessed God)

Where is thy Scepter? wher's thine yron Rod?

Reduce thy reck'nings to their totall summe,

O let thy Power, and thy Kingdome Come.

[Page]

5

¶MAN in himselfe's a little World, Alone,

His Soul's the Court, or high Imperiall Throne,

Wherein as Empresse, sits the Vnderstanding

Gently directing, yet with awe Commanding:

Her Handmaid's WILL: Affections, Maids of Honor,

All following close, and duly wayting on her:

But Sin, that alwaies enui'd mans Condition,

Within this kingdome raised vp Diuision;

Withdrawne mans Will, and brib'd his false Affection,

That This, no order hath, nor That, Election;

The Will proues traitor to the Vnderstanding;

Reason hath lost her power, and left commanding,

She's quite depos'd, and put to foule disgrace,

And Tyrant Will, vsurps her Empty place.

¶Vouchsafe (Lord) in this little World of mine

To raigne, that I may raigne with Thee in thine:

And since my will is quite of good bereauen,

Thy will be done in earth, as 'tis in heauen.

[Page]

6

¶WHo liue to sin, they all are theeues to Heauen,

And Earth; They steale frō God, & take vngiuen;

Good men they rob, and such as liue vpright,

And (being bastards) share the free-mans Right;

They're all as owners, in the owners stead,

And (like to Dogs) deuoure the childrens bread;

They haue, and lack, and want what they possesse,

They're most vnhappy, in their most happinesse:

They are not goods, but riches, that thou hast,

And not be'ng goods, to eu'ls they turne at last.

¶(Lord) what I haue, let me enioy in thee,

And thee in it, or else take it from mee;

My store, or want, make thou, or fade, or flourish,

So shall my comforts neither change, nor perish;

That little I enioy, (Lord) make it mine,

In making me (that am a Sinner) thine;

'Tis thou, or none, that shall supply my need,

O Lord; Giue vs this day our daily bread.

[Page]

7

¶THe quick-conceited Schoole-men well approue

A difference 'twixt Charitie, and Loue;

Loue is a vertue, whereby we explaine

Our selues to God, and God to vs againe:

But Charity's imparted to our Brother,

Whereby we traffick, one man with another:

The first extends to God; The last belongs

To man, In giuing right, and bearing wrongs;

In number, they are twaine, In vertue, One;

For one not truly being, t' others none.

¶In louing God, if I neglect my Neighbour,

My loue hath lost his proofe, and I my labour:

My Zeale, my Faith, my Hope that neuer failes me,

(If Charitie be wanting) nought auailes me.

¶(Lord) in my Soule, a spirit of Loue create me,

And I will loue my Brother, if he hate me:

In nought but loue, lets me enuy my betters;

And then, Forgiue my debts, as I may detters.

[Page]

8

¶I Finde a true resemblance in the growth

Of Sin, and Man; Alike in breeding, both;

The Soul's the Mother, and the Diuell Syer,

Who lusting long in mutuall hot desier,

Enioy their wils, and ioyne in Copulation;

The Seed that fils her wombe, is foule Tentation;

The sinnes Conception, is the Soules Consent;

And then it quickens, when it giues content;

The birth of Sin is finisht in the action;

And Custome brings it to its full perfection.

¶O let my fruitlesse Soule be barren rather.

Then bring foorth such a Child, for such a Father:

Or if my Soule breed Sin, (not being wary)

O let it either dye, or else miscarry;

She is thy Spouse (O Lord) doe thou aduise her,

Keepe thou her chaste, Let not the Fiend entice her:

Trie thou my heart, Thy Trials bring Saluation,

But let me not be led into Temptation.

[Page]

9

¶FOrtune (that blind supposed Goddesse) is

Still rated at, if ought succeed amisse;

'Tis she (the vaine abuse of Prouidence)

That beares the blame, when others make th' offence;

When this mans barne finds not her wonted store,

Fortune's condemn'd, because she sent no more;

If this man dye, or that man liue too long,

Fortune's accus'd, and she hath done the wrong;

Ah foolish Dolts, and (like your Goddesse) blind!

You make the fault, and call your Saint vnkind;

For when the cause of Eu'll begins in Man,

Th' effect ensues from whence the cause began;

Then know the reason of thy discontent,

The eu'll of Sinne, makes Eu'll of punishment.

¶(Lord) hold me vp, or spurre me, when I fall;

So shall my Eu'll be iust, or not at all:

Defend me from the World, the Flesh, the Deuill,

And so thou shalt deliuer me from Euill.

[Page]

10

¶THe Priestly skirts of A'rons holy coate

I kisse; and to my morning Muse deuote:

Had neuer King, in any age, or Nation,

Such glorious Robes, set foorth in such a fashion,

With Gold, and Gemmes, and Silks of Princely Dye,

And Stones, befitting more then Maiestie:

The Persian Sophies, and rich Shaeba's Queene

Had ne'r the like, nor e'r the like had seene;

Vpon the skirts (in order as they fell)

First, a Pomegranat was, and then a Bell;

By each Pomegranat did a Bell appeare;

Many Pomegranats, many Bels there were;

Pomegranats nourish, Bels doe make a sound;

As blessings fall, Thanksgiuings must abound.

¶If thou wilt clothe my heart with A'rons tyer,

My tongue shall praise, as well as heart desier:

My tongue, and pen, shall dwell vpon thy Story,

(O Lord) for thine is Kingdome, Power, Glory.

[Page]¶THe Ancient Sophists, that were so precise,

(And often-times (perchance) too curious nice)

Auerre, that Nature hath bestow'd on Man

Three perfect Soules: When this I truly scan,

Me thinks, their Learning swath'd in Errour, lyes;

They were not wise enough, and yet too wise,

Too curious wise, because they mention more

Then one; Not wise enough, because not foure;

Nature, not Grace, is Mistres of their Schooles;

Grace counts them wisest,

Sapere est insipere.

that are veriest Fooles:

Three Soules in man? Grace doth a fourth allow,

The Soule of Faith: But this is Greeke to you:

'Tis Faith that makes man truly wise; 'Tis Faith

Makes him possesse that thing he neuer hath.

¶This Glorious Soule of Faith bestow on mee,

(O Lord) or else take thou the other three: Faith makes men lesse then Children, more then Men,

It makes the Soule crie, Abba, and Amen.

FINIS.

§

§

§

[Page]

PENTELOGIA: Or THE QVINTESSENCE OF MEDITATION.

Mors tua, Mors Christi, Fraus Mundi, Gloria Coeli, Et Dolor Inferni, sunt meditanda tibi.

Thy Death, the Death of Christ, the Worlds Tentation, Heauens Ioy, Hells Torment, be thy Meditation.

[figure]

AT LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Richard Moore, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard. 1620.

[Page]

[Page]

Mors tua. 1

¶ME thinks, I see the nimble-aged Syre

Passe by amaine, with feete vnapt to tyre,

Vpon his head an Hower-glasse he weares,

And in his wrinkled hand, a Sithe he beares,

(Both Instruments, to take the liues from Men,

Th' one shewes with what, the other sheweth when.)

Me thinkes, I heare the Dolefull Passing-bell,

Setting an onset to his lowder knell;

(This moody musick of impartiall Death

Who daunces after, daunces out of breath.)

Me thinkes, I see my dearest friends lament,

With sighs, and teares, and wofull dryriment,

My tender Wife, and Children, standing by,

Dewing the Death-bed, whereupon I lye.

Me thinkes, I heare a Voyce (in secret) say,

Thy Glasse is runne, and thou must dye to day.

[Page]

Mors Christi. 2

¶ANd am I here, and my Redeemer gone?

Can He be dead, and is not my life done?

Was he tormented in excesse of measure?

And doe I liue yet? And yet liue in pleasure?

Alas! could Sinners finde out ne'r a one,

More fit then Thee, for them to spit vpon?

Did thy cheekes entertaine a Traytors lips?

Was thy deare body scourg'd, and torne with whips,

So that the guiltlesse blood came trickling after?

And did thy fainting browes sweat blood and water?

Wert thou (Lord) hang'd vpon the Cursed Tree?

O world of Griefe! And was all this for mee?

¶Burst foorth, my teares, into a world of sorrow,

And let my nights of griefe ne'r finde a morrow;

Since thou art dead (Lord) grant thy seruant roome,

Within his heart, to build thy heart a Tombe.

[Page]

Fraus Mundi. 3

¶WHat is the World? A great Exchange of ware,

Wherein all sorts, and sexes cheapning are,

The Flesh, the Diuell sit, and cry, What lack ye?

When most they fawne, they most intend to rack ye;

The wares, are Cups of Ioy, and Beds of Pleasure,

There's goodly choice, downe weight, and flowing measure;

A Soul's the price, but they giue time to pay,

Vpon the Death-bed, on the dying Day.

¶Hard is the Bargaine, and vniust the Measure,

When as the Price so much out-lasts the Pleasure:

The Ioyes that are on earth are Counterfeits;

If ought be true, 'tis this, Th' are true Deceits;

They flatter, fawne, and (like the Crocadile)

Kill where they laugh, and murther where they smile:

They daily dip within thy Dish, and Cry,

Who hath betray'd thee? Mastre, Is it I?

[Page]

Gloria Coeli. 4

¶WHen I behold, and well aduise vpon

The Wisemans speech,

Eccles. 1.

There's nought beneath the Sun,

But vanitie, my Soule rebells within,

And loaths the Dunghill-prison she is in:

But when I looke to new Ierusalem,

Wherein's reseru'd my Crowne, my Diadem,

O what a Heauen of blisse, my Soule enioyes,

On sudden rapt into that heauen of Ioyes!

Where rauisht (in the depth of meditation)

She well discernes, with Eye of Contemplation,

The Glory of God, in his Imperiall Seat,

Full strong in Might, in Maiestie compleat,

Where troups of Powers, Vertues, Cherubins,

Angels, Archangels, Saints, and Seraphins,

Are chaunting praises to their heauenly King,

Where Halelujah they for euer sing.

[Page]

Dolor Inferni. 5

¶LEt Poets please to torture Tantalus,

Let gryping Vultures gnaw Prometheus,

And let Ixion turne his endlesse Wheele,

Let Nemesis torment with whips of Steele;

They far come short, t' expresse the paines of those

That rage in Hell, enwrapt in endlesse woes;

Where time no end, nor plagues finde no exemption;

Ex infernis nulla redemp.

Where cryes admit no helpe, nor place redemption;

Where fier lacks no flame, the flame no heate,

To make their torments sharp, and plagues compleat;

Where wretched Soules to tortures bound shall bee,

Seruing a world of yeeres, and not be Free;

Where nothing's heard, but yells, and sudden cryes;

Where fier neuer slakes, nor Worme e'r dyes:

But where this Hell is plac'd (my Muse)) stop there,

Lord, shew me what it is, but neuer where.

[Page]

1 Mors tua.

¶CAn he be Faire, that withers at a Blast?

Or he be Strong, that Ayery Breath can cast?

Can he be Wise, that knowes not how to liue?

Or he be Rich, that nothing hath to giue?

Can he be Yong, that's Feeble, Weake, and Wan?

So Faire, so Strong, so Wise, so Rich, so Yong is Man:

So Faire is Man, that Death (a parting Blast)

Crops his faire Flow'r, and makes him Earth at last;

So Strong is Man, that with a Gasping Breath

He totters, and bequeaths his Strength to Death;

So Wise is Man, that if with Death he striue,

His Wisdome cannot teach him how to liue;

So Rich is Man, that (all his Debts b'ing pay'd)

His wealth's the Winding-sheet wherein hee's lay'd:

So Yong is Man, that (broke with Care and Sorrow)

Hee's old enough to Day, to Dye to Morrow:

Why bragg'st thou then, Thou Worme of Fiue foot-long?

Th' art neither Faire, nor Strong, nor Wise, nor Rich, nor Yong.

[Page]

2 Mors Christi.

I Thurst; And who shall quench this Eager Thurst?

I Grieue; And with my griefe my Heart will Burst;

I Grieue, because I thurst without Reliefe;

I Thurst, because my Soule is burnt with Griefe;

I thurst; And (dri'd with Griefe) my Heart will Dye;

I Grieue, and thurst the more, For Sorrow's drie:

The more I grieue, the more my thurst appeares:

Would God! I had not grieu'd out all my teares;

I Thurst; And yet my Griefes haue made a Floud;

But Teares are salt; I Grieue, and Thurst for Bloud;

I Grieue for Bloud; for Bloud must send Reliefe;

I Thurst for Bloud, for Bloud must ease my Griefe;

I Thurst for sacred Bloud of a Deare Lambe;

I Grieue to thinke from whence that Deare Blood came;

'Twas shed for Mee, O let me drinke my fill,

Although my Griefe remaine Entier still:

O soueraigne Pow'r of that Vermilion SPRING,

Whose Vertue, neither Heart conceiues, nor Tongue can sing.

[Page]

3 Fraus Mundi.

I Loue the World (as Clients loue the Lawes)

To manage the vprightnes of my Cause;

The World loues me, as Sheepheards doe their Flocks,

To Rob, and spoyle them of their fleecy Locks;

I loue the World, and vse it as mine Inne,

To bait, and rest my tyred Carkasse in:

The World loues me, For what? To make her Game;

For filthy Sinne, she sels me timely Shame;

Foorth from her Eyes doe Springs of Venome burst,

But like a Basiliske I'le see her first;

And this my firme intended Course shall be,

To poyson her, or she will poyson me:

We liue at Iarres, as froward Gamesters doe,

Still guarding, not Regarding others Foe;

I loue the World, to serue my turne, and leaue her,

'Tis no Deceit to Coozen a Deceiuer;

Shee'l not misse me, I, lesse the World shall misse,

To lose a World of Griefe, t' enioy a World of Blisse.

[Page]

4 Gloria Coeli.

EArth stands immou'd, and Fixt, Her Cituation

Admits no locall Change, no Alteration,

HEAVEN alway moues, renuing still his place,

And euer sees vs with another Face;

EARTH standeth Fixt, yet there I liue opprests;

HEAVEN alway moues, yet there is all my Rest:

Enlarge thy selfe, my SOVLE, with Meditation,

Mount there, and there bespeake thy Habitation;

Where Ioyes are full, and pure, not mixt with mourning,

All Endlesse, and from which is no returning:

No Theft, no Cruell Murther harbours there,

No Hoary-headed-Care, no sudden Feare,

No pinching Want, no (Griping fast) Oppression,

Nor Death, the stipend of our soule Transgression:

But dearest Friendship, Loue, and lasting Pleasure

Aye there abides, withouten stin [...], or Measure;

Fulnesse of Riches, Comfort sempeternall,

Excesse without a surfeiting; And Life Eternall.

[Page]

5 Dolor Inferni.

THe Trump shall blow, The Dead (awak'd) shall rise,

And to the Clouds shall turne their wondring Eyes;

The Heauen shall ope, The Bridegroome foorth shall come,

To iudge the World, and giue the World her Doome:

Ioy to the IVST, to others Endlesse SMART;

To those the Voyce bids COME, to these, DEPART;

DEPART from LIFE, yet (dying) liue for Euer;

For Euer dying be, and yet Dye Neuer;

DEPART like Dogs, with DIVELS take your lot;

DEPART like DIVELS, for I know you not;

Like DOGS, like DIVELS goe, Goe Howle, and Barke;

DEPART in DARKNES, for your deeds were Darke;

Let roring be your MVSICK, And your Food

Be flesh of VIPERS, And your Drinke, their BLOOD;

Let FIENDS afflict thee, with REPROCH, and SHAME,

DEPART, DEPART into Eternall FLAME:

If HELL the Guerdon then of Sinners bee,

(Lord) giue me HEL on Earth (Lord) giue me HEAVEN with thee.

— vv — vv — I am Define Tibia versus.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A feast for vvormes Set forth in a poeme of the history of Ionah. By Fra. Quarles.

Quarles, Francis, 1592-1644.

Edition statement

1620

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A10260

ID [STC]

STC 20544

ID [STC]

ESTC S115474

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99850693

ID [PROQUEST]

99850693

ID [VID]

15917

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A10260)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 15917)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 974:3)

Source

— A feast for vvormes Set forth in a poeme of the history of Ionah. By Fra. Quarles., Quarles, Francis, 1592-1644..

Extent

[108] p.

Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Richard Moore, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard, in Fleetstreet,. At London :: 1620.. (In verse.) (With a title-page woodcut.) (Signatures: A-N⁴ O² .) (The first leaf is blank.) ("Pentelogia" has separate dated title page; register is continuous.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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