Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A37724
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Noah's flood, or, The destruction of the world an opera / by Edward Ecclestone ...; Noah's flood. Libretto
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Ecclestone, Edward, fl. 1679.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing E140; ESTC R17281
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36,863
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70
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poor When I on Plants and Herbs did feed and all That e're the tedious Scyth of Time did fall When I in Towns and Cottages did live All that I had would no contentment give So lean and thin I look'd 't was only then I got the name of Sceleton from men But since at Court I 've fill'd this Rav'nous Jaw And with sweet Dainties cram'd and gorg'd my Maw That now I am grown so vigorous at heart I dare encounter Armies with my Dart. Sin Nay more your mighty Empire spreads so far It s boundless circuit does admit no Bar So Monarch-like you Reign o're ev'ry thing Except the Ark you 're Universal King That Ark which like the World if it should be O'rethrown you next to that will ruin me Then shall your Empire end so soon as I Do leave this World you too your self must die Dea. Since I have had such plenty and such store Of all varieties what need I more Therefore ne're fear I will Mankind pursue So far as to be forc'd to prey on you You are forbidden Fruit and if I try To tast of you I when I tast must die And lose this Earthly Paradise and be For ever lost in vast Eternity So for your sake the Ark shall safely sail And o're the Waves as they o're all prevail So Heavenly is your face you shall be seen In future Ages a most Glorious Queen You shall be deck'd in such deluding Charms That Kings shall wish to die between your Arms Lie panting on your Breast and with one smile You Universal Nature shall beguile A Talent but to touch or glance or toy A thousand for a kiss the World t' enjoy Nay men your company shall like so well Within your Tents they shall desire to dwell And for your Love shall pawn their Souls to Hell Sin You chear my Spirits now and I presage I shall grow mighty in th' ensuing Age As I have been in this but that the fall And price of sin won't be so general From Noah's Vineyard I already spy Him drunk with Wine and naked to the eye His laughing Son does a sad Curse obtain Such are th' effects of a distemper'd Brain A Curse which will for ever last and be A sad remembrance to Posterity Hence Curses Murthers Whoredom Rapes proceeds Incest Blasphemous words and desp'rate Deeds Hence do most mischiefs rise therefore my Son I call this sin my lovely Paragon From whence to you shall many Trophies fly By Surfets Feavers Broils do most men die Dea. This sin to me is a most welcom guest For ev'ry Day it yields a plenteous Feast The Dove with an Olive Branch flies cross the Stage But see the Dove with an indulgent care Hasts to the Ark through the mild peaceful Air And in his beak an Olive Branch doth bear Emblem of Peace white Parlee Flag which he The Ensign waves to set the Monarch free Pen'd up in th' Ark which on the Mount doth stand In safety now upon the stable Land Such joy will from this Embassage be giv'n As dying Saints in Vision view their Heav'n Therefore with haste you thither must repair With sly Temptations bring them to your snare I 'le follow you and whilst you make the set I over all will draw the fatal Net Sin Come Son like Ice I will to all appear Where they slide swiftly on and never fear Seldom look back to see what does pursue But boldly venture and ne're think of you Until at last they hear the dreadful crack In vain they then repent in vain look back Exeunt The Scene changes and discovers Noah in the Ark the Angel Gabriel appearing to him Gabr. Hail Earths preserver Heav'n remembers thee And all thy Creatures all thy Family For on the Earth he 's caus'd a Wind to blow Has struck the Flood and made it sink below Th' Almighty Word no sooner heard but they With hasty zeal march forward to obey And to their utmost Thule swiftly ran Sinking i' th' Deep from whence they first began The Earth her shrowd of Waters throws away And all appears most pleasant sweet and gay It seems to be Earths Coronation day A New-born Light springs from the Torrid Flood And Heav'n again declares that it is good He is all Peace and now sends his Command You from the Ark depart to Till the Land You and all yours must to the Earth repair Each creeping thing all Beasts and Birds of th' Air For he this Blessing doth bequeath once more Increase and Multiply the World with store Hail and Farewell Exit Noah turning to his Family Noa You hear th' Ambrosial Words Divinely sweet Like Harmony when Concords joyntly meet This immense Goodness like th' All High doth prove Almighty Merciful Almighty Love The Sun to th' Earth is reconcil'd again And Heav'n reiterates his Grace to men Therefore his Name we will with praise extol And on th' Omnipotent th' Immortal call Ev'n all the Ark shall with one voice declare Their Love and sound his Praises through the Air. So let our thanks for these great Blessings rise In Hallelujahs Ecchoing through the Skies Exeunt After some Harmony is heard the Scene changes and represents them descending from the Ark. Noa But hark what sweet Hosannas fill the Air And charming Notes our happiness prepare And in my Breast a secret Joy doth rise Whose Symphonies my very Soul surprize By this I know the Earth has found his Grace He doth the Prodigal again embrace And cloaths her all in an embroider'd dress Of many thousand Colours to express The mighty work of Nature and her Art Enamelling the Earth in ev'ry part With such Imbellish'd streams in such a hew They speak their own and Makers glory too With silent Oratory they declare His Praise but we in Sacrifice and Pray'r So in Burnt Offerings and Holy Fire Our Tributary thanks shall t' Heav'n aspire And touch the sense of him and all his Holy Quire Exit The Scene changes and represents them offering up a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Noa Since the All-High doth now again restore The World I hope he will destroy 't no more And that his Ancient Love he will renew And man no more with such dire wrath pursue But on the wicked let thy fury fly Let Reprobates with the polluted die But let the Innocent thy Grace enjoy Let not one Gangren'd Limb the whole destroy Accept this Sacrifice which is design'd In thanks for preservation of Mankind Suffer not time to shake our Glass too soon Nor let our Ages Sun-shine set at Noon But to our Patriarchs years let them abound Then fall like shedding Roses to the ground That like the Rose though wither'd parch'd and dry We may fall sweet and in perfumes may die The Angel Gabriel flies down to them Gabr. With your Oblations Heaven is pleas'd so well He from the Earth does a sweet savour smell And with the World a Covenant doth make He will no more destroy it for Mans sake So if