Emblemes by Francis Quarles.

XV.

[illustration]

JEREMIAH 32. 40.

I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

SO, now the soul's sublim'd: her sowre desires Are recalcin'd in heav'ns well-tempred fires: The heart restor'd and purg'd from drossie nature Now finds the freedome of a new-born creature: It lives another life, it breaths new breath; It neither feels nor fears the sting of death. Like as the idle vagrant (having none) That boldly' dopts each house he views his own; Makes ev'ry purse his chequer; and at pleasure, Walks forth, and taxes all the world like Caesar, At length by vertue of a just command, His sides are lent to a severer hand; Whereon his passe, not fully understood, Is texted in a manuscript of blood: Thus past from town to town, untill he come A sore repentant to his native home: Ev'n so the rambling heart, that idly roves From crimes to sin, and uncontroul'd removes From lust to lust, when wanton slesh invites From old-worn pleasures to new choice delights, At length corrected by the filiall rod Of his offended (but his gracious God) And lasht from sins to sighs; and by degrees, From sighs to vows; from vows to bended knees,

From •…•…ended knees, to a true pensive breast; 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 to torments, not by tongues exprest, 〈◊〉〈◊〉; (and from his sinfull self exil'd) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a glad father, he a welcome child: O then it lives; O then it lives involv'd In 〈◊〉〈◊〉 raptures; pants to be dissolv'd: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 royall Of spring of a second Birth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ope to Heav'n, and shuts the doors to earth: If love-sick •…•…ove commanded clouds should hap To rain such show'rs as quickned Danaes lap: Or dogs (far kinder then their purple master) Should lick his sores, he laughs nor weeps the faster. If earth (Heav'ns rivall) dart her idle ray; To Heav'n, 't is wax, and to the world, 't is clay: If earth present delights, it scorns to draw, But, like the jet unrubb'd, disdains that straw: No hope deceives it, and no doubt divides it; No grief disturbs it; and no errour guides it; No fear distracts it; and no rage inflames it; No guilt condemns it, and no folly shames it; No sloth besots it; and no lust inthralls it; No scorn afflicts it, and no passion gawls it: It is a •…•…arknet of immortall life; An A•…•…k of peace; the lists of sacred strife; A purer piece of endl•…•…sse transitory; A shrine of Grace, a little throne of Glory: A Heav'n-born Of-spring of a new-born birth; An earthly Heav'n; an ounce of Heav'nly earth.

S. AUGUST. de spir. & anima.

O happy heart, where pietie 〈◊〉〈◊〉; where 〈◊〉〈◊〉 subjects, where repentance correcteth, where obedience di∣rect•…•…th, where perseverance perfecteth, where power protecteth, whe•…•…e devotion projecteth, where charitie connecteth.

S. GR•…•…G.

Which way soever the heart turneth it self (if carefully) it shall commonly observe, that in those very things we lose God, in t•…•…ose very things we shall find God: It shall find the heat of his power in consideration of those things, in the love of whi•…•…h things he was most cold, and by what things it fell, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, by those things it is raised, converted.

EPIG. 15.

My heart! but wherefore do I call thee so? I have renoun•…•…'d my int'rest long ago: When thou wert false and fleshly, I was thine; Mine wert thou never, till thou wert not mine,