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 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 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 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 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 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 And mighty Ashur stands with deadly threat Their hearts are hardned that 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 How might I hope my words shall there succeed Which thriue not with the flocke I daily feed Moreo're I weet the Lord is wondrous kind 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 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 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 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
Sackcloth and his Prayre Not faintly sent to heauen nor sparingly But piercing feruent and mightie cry ¶ 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 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 ¶ Tune you your Instruments and let them vary 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 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 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 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 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 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 't is in heauen 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 'T is thou or none that shall supply my need O Lord Giue vs this day our daily bread 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 le ts me enuy my betters And then Forgiue my debts as I may detters 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 9 ¶ FOrtune that blind supposed Goddesse is Still rated at if ought succeed amisse 'T is 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 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 ¶ 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 that are veriest Fooles Three Soules in man Grace doth a fourth allow The Soule of Faith But this is Greeke to you 'T is Faith that makes man truly wise 'T is 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 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 AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Richard Moore and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard 1620. 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 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
Or shall we saue thee No for thou dost fly The face of God and so deseru'st to dye Thou Prophet speake what shal we doe to thee That angry seas may calme and quiet be 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 Can Word confesse him when as Deed denies him My sacred Muse hath rounded in mine eare 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 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 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 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 And doe the message sent her from the Lord That you would kill or cast me ouer boord Doe I doe this 'T is my deserued fine You all are guiltlesse and the fault is mine 'T is I 't is I alone 't is 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 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 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 't is 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 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 Meditatio quinta BVt
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 't is 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 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 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 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 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 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 nor Scepter sway'd 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 'T is not thine eyes which taught to weep by art Looke red with teares not guilty of thy hart 'T is not the holding of thy hands so hye Nor yet the purer squinting of thine eye 'T is 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 'T is no the strict reforming of your haire So close that all the neighbour skull is bare 'T is 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 't is none of this that God regards Such sort of fooles their owne applause rewards 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 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 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 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 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
my seruants heart to swell Can anger helpe thee Ionah Doest thou well Meditatio vndecima ¶ HOw poore a thing is man How vain 's his mind How strange base And wau'ring like the 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 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 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 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 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 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 lye Obscure and vndiscerned by the eye 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 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 but sleeping Ionas in the place 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 It lends a smile or twaine and steales away ¶ Man's life is fickle full of winged haste It mocks the sense with ioy and soone does waste ¶ Pleasure does crowne thy youth and lulls thy wants But sullen age approching straight auaunts ¶ Man's life is Ioy and Dolor seekes to banish 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 Which waking makes our wants the more extreame And what is Life A bubble full of care 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 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 't is but yet his many wants are such That better 't were 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 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