Emblemes by Francis Quarles.

PSALM 119. 120.

My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements.

LEt others boast of luck, and go their wayes With their fair game; know vengeance seldome playe•…•… To be too forward, but doth wisely frame Her backward Tables for an after-game: She gives thee leave to venture many a blot; And, for her own advantage, hits thee not; But when her pointed Tables are made fair, That she be ready for thee, then beware; Then, if a necessary blot be set, She hits thee; wins the game, perchance the set: If prosp'rous chances make thy casting high, Be wisely temp'rate; cast a serious eye On after dangers, and keep back thy game; Too forward seed-times make thy harvest lame: If left-hand Fortune give thee left-hand chances, Be wisely patient; let no envious glances Repine to view thy gamesters heap so fair; The hindmost Hound takes oft the doubling Hare. The worlds great Dice are false; sometimes they go Extremely high, sometimes extremely low: Of all her gamesters he that playes the least Lives most at ease, playes most secure and best: The way to win, is to play fair, and swear Thy self a servant to the Crown of fear:

Fear is the Primmer of a Gamesters skill: Who fears not Bad st•…•…nds most unarm'd to Ill: The Ill that's wisely fear'd, is half withstood; And fear of Bad is the best foyl to Good: True Fear's th' Elixar, which in dayes of old Turn'd leaden Crosses into Crowns of Gold: The World's the Tables; Stakes, Eternall life; The Gamesters, Heav'n and I; Unequall strife! My Fortunes are my Dice, whereby I frame My indisposed Life: this Life's the Game; My sinnes are sev'rall Blots; the Lookers on Are Angels; and in death the Game is done: Lord, I'm a Bungler, and my Game doth grow Still more and more unshap'd; my Dice run low: The Stakes are great; my car•…•…lesse Blots are many; And yet thou passest by, and hitst not any: Thou art too strong; and I have none to guide me With the least jog; the lookers on deride me: It is a Conquest undeserving Thee, To win a Stake from such a Worm as me: I have no more to lose; If we persever, 'T is lost; and that once lost I m lost for ever. Lord, wink at faults, and be no•…•… too severe, And I will play my Game with greater fear; O give me Fear, ere Fear has past her date: Whose blot being hit, then fears, fears then too late.

S. BERN. Ser. 54. in Cant.

There is nothing so e•…•…ectuall to obtain Grace, to retain Grace, and to regain Grace, as alwayes to be sound before God n•…•…t over-wise, but to •…•…ear: Happy art thou if thy heart be re∣plenished with three •…•…ears; a sear sor received Grace, a g•…•…eater fear sor lost Grace, a greatest •…•…ear to recover Grace.

S. AUGUST. super Psalm.

Present sear begetteth Eternall securitie: Fear God, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 above all, and no need to fear man at all.

EPIG. 4.

Lord, shall we grumble when thy flames do seourge us? Our sinnes breathe fire; that fire returns to purge us. Lord, what an Alchymist art thou, whose skill Transmutes to perfect Good from pe•…•…fect ill!