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 't is 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 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 Sometimes his shaft is gone sometime 't is 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hits the White And so strikes vs into Eternall night ¶ Death is a Kalender compos'd by Fate Concerning all men neuer out of Date Her dayes Dominicall are writ in blood She shewes more bad dayes then she sheweth good She tells when dayes and months and termes expire And shewes thee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 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 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 Thy Surges and thy VVaues haue past vpon me Then Lord said I from out thy glorious sight I am reiected and forsaken quite Nath'lesse while these my wretched eyes remaine Vnto thy Temple will I looke againe The boyst'rous waters compasse me about 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 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 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 Whoso to Vanities themselues betake Renounce thy mercies 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 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 Meditatio septimu I Well record a holy Father sayes He teaches to denie that faintly prayes The suit surceases when desire failes But whoso prayes with feruencie preuailes For Pray'rs the key that opens heauen gate 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 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 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 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 Tymissa not with warre acquainted Fearing Charissa's death fell downe and fainted Dauntlesse 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 Fidissa made 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 Meditatio secunda 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 and there he is Swaying the Scepter of his Kingly blisse Bestride the earth beneath with weary pace And there he beares the Oliue branch of Grace Diue downe into th' extreme Abysse of Hell 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 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 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. THe haplesse Pylot finding no successe But that the storme grew rather more than lesse For all their toylesome paynes 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 O Sleeper O arise and see 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 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 'T was 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 'T was 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 't was 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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 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 I am an Hebrew sonne of 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 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 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 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 Why hast thou brought this mischiefe vpon vs What humour led thee to a place vnknowne To seeke a forrein land and leaue thine owne What faith hadst thou 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 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 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
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 life 's 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 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 In this thing to doe that which Ionah did Moreo're in charity 't is 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 then likewise heare Who knowes of Ionah whether yea or no A secret Spirit will'd him to doe so ¶ 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 't is 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 Her hony's spent and all her store is done Her winglesse Bees can finde out ne'r a bloome And crooked 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 New risen from the pillow of his Bride 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 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 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 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 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 'T was sinfull Ionah made her storme and rage 'T was sinfull Ionah did her storme asswage With that the Mariners astonish't were And feard Iehouah with a mighty feare Offring vp Sacrifice with one accord And vowing solemne vowes vnto the Lord. 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 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 Meditatio sexta LO Death is now as alwayes it hath bin The iust procured stipend of our sinne Sinne is a
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
are 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 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 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 So God the vengeance of his hand with-drew He tooke no forfeiture although 't were due The Euill that once he meant he now forgot Cancell'd the forfeit bond and did it not 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 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 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 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 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 't would 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 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 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 't is 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 This latter boone vnto thy seruant giue For better 't is for me to dye then liue So wretched Ionah But Iehoua thus What boot's it so to storme out-ragious Does it become
that which most doe couet most is best Best are the goods mixt with contented rest Gasp not for 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 Wealth is neither lasting nor our owne Riches are faire inticements to deceiue vs They flatter while we liue and dying leaue vs. 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 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 't is for me to dye then liue So said the Lord did interrupt his passion 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 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 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 Or bin bereaued of thine only Sheep 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 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 'T would 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 the Lord to Ionah thus bespake Dost thou bemoane and such compassion take Vpon a Gourd 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 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 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 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 'T is not the frailtie of mans corrupted nature Makes thee asham'd t' acknowledge man thy creature 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
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