The school of the heart, or, The heart of it self gone away from God, brought back again to him, and instructed by him in XLVII emblems.

Embleme 11.

[illustration]

CORDIS REVERSIO

Redite praeuaricatores ad COR Jsai•• 40.••

Quin mihi iam toties reuocata reuerteris ad COR! Nolle redire merum velle perire, puta.

Michel uan lochem excū.

The returning of the Heart.

ISAY 46.8.

Remember this, and shew your selves men: bring it again to heart, O ye transgressors.

Epigr. 11.

OFt have I call'd thee: O returne at last, Returne unto thine heart: let the time past Suffice thy wanderings: Know that to chersh Revolting still is a meer will to perish.

ODE. 11.

Christ. 1.

Returné O wanderer, returne, returne. Let me not alwayes wast my words in vaine As I have done too long. Why dost thou spurn And kick the counsells that should bring thee back again?

The Soule. 2.

What's this that checks my course? Me thinks I feel A cold remisnesse seising on my mind: My stagger'd resolutions seem to reel, As though they had in hast forgot mine heart behind.

Christ. 3.

Returne, O wanderer, returne, returne. Thou art already gone too farre away, It is enough: unlesse thou meane to burne In hell for ever, stop thy course at last and stay.

The Soule. 4.

There's something holds me back, I cannot move

Forward one foot: me thinks the more I strive The lesse I stirre. Is there a pow'r above My will in me, that can my purposes reprive?

Christ. 5.

No power of thine own: 'tis I, that lay Mine hand upon thine haste: whose will can make The restlesse motions of the heavens stay, Stand still, turne back againe, or new, found courses take

The Soule. 6.

What? am I riveted, or rooted here? That neither forward, nor on either side I can get loose? Then there's no hope I feare, But I must back againe, what ever me betide.

Christ. 7.

And back again thou shalt. I'll have it so. Though thou hast hitherto my voyce neglected, Now I have handed thee, I'll have thee know, That what I will have done shall not be uneffected.

The Soule. 8.

Thou wilt prevaile then, and I must returne. But how? or whither? when a world of shame, And sorrow, lies before me, and I burne With horror in my self to think upon the same.

9.

Shall I returne to thee? Alas, I have No hope to be received: a runne-away, A rebell to returne! mad men may rave Of mercy miracles, but what will Justice say?

10.

Shall I returne to mine owne heart? Alas, 'Tis lost, and dead, and rotten long ago, I cannot find it what at first it was, And it hath been too long the cause of all my woe.

11.

Shall I forsake my pleasures, and delights, My profits, honours, comforts, and contents, For that, the thought whereof my mind affrights, Repentant sorrow, that the soule asunder rents?

12.

Shall I returne, that cannot though I would? I, that had strength enough to go astray, Find my self faint, and feeble, now I should Returne. I cannot runne, I cannot creep this way.

13.

What shall I doe? Forward I must not goe, Backward I cannot: if I tarry here, I shall be drowned in a world of woe, And antidate mine own damnation by despaire.

14.

But is't not better hold that which I have, Then unto future expectation trust? Oh no: to reason thus is but to rave. Therefore returne I will, because returne I must.

Christ. 15.

Returne, and welcome: if thou wilt thou shalt. Although thou canst not of thy selfe, yet I, That call, can make thee able. Let the sault Be mine, if when thou wilt returne I let thee lie.