Mount-Orgueil: or Divine and profitable meditations raised from the contemplation of these three leaves of natures volume, 1. Rockes, 2. Seas, 3. Gardens, digested into three distinct poems. To which is prefixed, a poeticall description, of Mount-Orgueil Castle in the Isle of Jersy. By VVilliam Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the sayd Castle. A poem of The soules complaint against the body; and Comfortable cordialls against the discomforts of imprisonment, &c. are hereto annexed.

About this Item

Title
Mount-Orgueil: or Divine and profitable meditations raised from the contemplation of these three leaves of natures volume, 1. Rockes, 2. Seas, 3. Gardens, digested into three distinct poems. To which is prefixed, a poeticall description, of Mount-Orgueil Castle in the Isle of Jersy. By VVilliam Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the sayd Castle. A poem of The soules complaint against the body; and Comfortable cordialls against the discomforts of imprisonment, &c. are hereto annexed.
Author
Prynne, William, 1600-1669.
Publication
London :: printed by Tho. Cotes, for Michael Sparke Senior, and are to be sold by Peter Inch of Chester,
1641.
Rights/Permissions

To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.

Subject terms
Jesus Christ -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800.
Christian literature -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A91224.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Mount-Orgueil: or Divine and profitable meditations raised from the contemplation of these three leaves of natures volume, 1. Rockes, 2. Seas, 3. Gardens, digested into three distinct poems. To which is prefixed, a poeticall description, of Mount-Orgueil Castle in the Isle of Jersy. By VVilliam Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the sayd Castle. A poem of The soules complaint against the body; and Comfortable cordialls against the discomforts of imprisonment, &c. are hereto annexed." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A91224.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 18, 2024.

Pages

Meditations of the third Ranke.
BEsides, the Sea exhibits to our sight A lively Emblem of the State and plight Of Gods Elect, with all those sore and great Stormes of Afflictions, which doe dayly beate Upon them, whiles they passe this Sea below. Whereg 1.1 World, Flesh, Devill, seeke to overthrow.

Page 69

1.
For first, the Sea is* 1.2 restlesse night and Day; Its flux and constant progresse, none can stay: Just so are Gods elect, who alwayes move; h 1.3 Tending to Heaven and the things above; No Bankes, Winde, Stormes,i 1.4 threats, death, their course can cease Till they arive at Heavens Port in Peace.
2.
The Sea is everk 1.5 tost from place to place With Winds, stormes, Tides: And is not this the Case Of Gods deare Saints? stilll 1.6 handed too and fro (By sundry Tempests which they undergoe) From Coast to Coast, from Goale to Goale, to shew They Pilgrims are, and Strangers here below. Fixt to no Certaine Clime, and that their home And resting place, is in the world to come.m 1.7
3.
The Sea is ever working, purging forth, Andn 1.8 casting out filth, weedes, trash of no worth Which falls into it, and corrupt, defile Its Christall streames, making them foule and vile. Thus Gods Elect stillo 1.9 purge out, and eject. Those Lusts, sinnes, vices, which their Soules infect With such suggestions as foule Devills cast Into their Hearts, them to pollute and Waste.

Page 70

4.
The Sea'sp 1.10 exposed to all stormes and Winds; Soq 1.11 Saints to Troubles, Crosses, of all kindes, To make them humble, and translate their love From things on Earth, unto the things above.
5.
None dare to crosse the Sea without a Card Or Compasse, which they still with care regard, Stearing their course thereby, for feare they stray Or misse their Port, and so be cast away: Thus Gods Elect, whilst they doe saile and rove In this worlds Sea, by Compasse ever move; Stearing their Rudder, byr 1.12 Gods Sacred Writ For feare they misse their Harbor, or else hit Their Soules against those Rockes, Shelves, Sands which lye To Crosse their voyage to Eternity.
6.
The Ebbing Sea discovers to the eye Those dangrous Rockes, Shelves, Sands, that hid∣den lye At full Sea Tides, which then oft drowne and sinke Those who approach them, when they least feare, thinke Of any danger: So the Ebbing State, The Crosses of Gods Chosens 1.13 Demonstrate And point out to them many Rockes, Shelves, Sands, To shipwracke Soules, betray them to the hands

Page 71

Of Hellish Pyrats, which still hidden lye, And undiscerned in prosperity. By which they shun their danger, and commend These Ebbes, which from such perills them defend, Before those Full-Sea-Tides of wealth and joy, Whicht 1.14 Shipwrecke thousands, and their Soules de∣stroy.
7.
The lowest Ebbe, hath still the highest Flood; Saints deepest sorrowesv 1.15 end in greatest good: Their Floods of joy transcend their Ebbes of woe Beyond compare, and all their griefes out-goe.
8.
When Seas are at their lowest Ebbe, they then Forth-with begin to spring and flow. So men Belov'd of God, when as they seeme to lye At lowestw 1.16 Ebbe, in deepest misery, Past helpe, past hope in Carnall mens account, Beyond all expectation, spring and mount Above their Crosses, and enjoy a Flood Of Peace, wealth, honour; and the greast good. If old examples faile, you may now view The truth hereof in some yet fresh and new.
9.
Godsx 1.17 Will and pleasure onely is the Cause Why Seas doe Ebbe and flow; not any Lawes Of Nature, Moone, or Planets: So the will Andy 1.18 blessed pleasure of our God is still

Page 72

The first chiefe cause, of all the Ebbes and Tides Which here befall his Saints, nought else besides: Yea, as Sea Stormesz 1.19 proceede from God, and tosse Men up towards Heaven: So each storme and crosse Which lite on Gods Electa 1.20 from him first springs And nearer Heaven them lifts up, and brings.
10.
The Sea isb 1.21 Salt and brackish: Crosses are The like, atc 1.22 first, to Saints who doe them beare.
11.
The Saltest Seas the sweetest Fishes breed: Saintsd 1.23 sweetest comforts from the Crosse proceede: Yea, as the best and largest Fish are found In Saltest waters: So the best, most sound, Large, strongest Christians, which wee finde, or know, Ine 1.24 harshest Floods of Sorrowes alwayes grow.
12.
The Seas salt waters clense and purifie Things that are filthy: Thus adversitie Dothf 1.25 purge and wash away from Gods Elect Those Spots, sinnes; vices, which their Soules infect.
13.
Seas brinish waters pickle and preserve Things from corruption: Sog 1.26 Afflictions serve To season Saints, who else would putrifie, And rot in those foule sinnes, which now they flye.

Page 73

14.
Sea stormes drive Men toh 1.27 prayers, cryes, and teares, Augmented and intended by their Feares: Yea, make them post to Harbours, for releefe; And bid the Sea adieu with Joy, not greefe: Thus troubles cause the Saints toi 1.28 pray and cry To God for helpe with greater fervencie; Intend, increase their prayers; make themk 1.29 flye To God their Harbour, for security; Cause them to loath andl 1.30 leave this world with joy: Whose waves and Tempests them still sore annoy.
15.
And as great blustring stormes doe sooner drive Ships to the Harbours where they would arive, Then Calmes and mildest Gales: Som 1.31 Crosses mend Gods darlings speed, and oft times sooner send Them unto Heaven, thenn 1.32 prosperity, Which calmes their Sailes, and makes them still to lye.
16.
The Tempest that befell the Ship wherein The Propheto 1.33 Jonah fled, and slept in sinne, Did never slacke nor cease, till he was cast Into the Sea, which done, the storme was past: So, Saints afflictionsp 1.34 never swage nor end, Till Jonah be cast out, and they amend, Which done, their Tempests cease, and calmes succeede, Unlesse some other Jonah in them breede.

Page 74

17.
In stormes at Sea, theq 1.35 waves come on so fast, That fresh succeede before the first be past: So Crosses on Gods Saints so thicke oft lite To humble,* 1.36 try, purge, wash and make them bright: That oner 1.37 treads on the others heeles, and new Come on before the old bid them adieu.
18.
Yet, as Sea-stormes, though long, stills 1.38 end at last In pleasant Calmes; thus Crosse, which so fast, So, thicke presse on Gods Saints for many Dayes, (Yea moneths and yeares oft-times)t 1.39 conclude alwayes, In Gods due time, in sweetest Calmes of peace, And Tides of Joy: Blest Tempests which so cease! O then in all thy sorrowes, Troubles, still Waite and depend on God by Faith, who will (Inv 1.40 fittest season) send such Joy and Ease As shall thine Heart cheare, and all stormes appease.
19.
The Seas great deluge did bothx 1.41 overflow The wicked old world, and it overthrow, Yet Righteous Noe did then escape its rage; And landed safely when the Flood did swage. Just thus, Afflictions waves and Delugey 1.42 wracke, And drowne all carnall wretches which doe lacke Gods grace and faith to hold them up; when they Who with true faith, their soules on God can stay

Page 75

And Anchor; never sinke; but swim and beare Theirz 1.43 heads above all Seas with joyfull cheare; Ariving safely, when the Stormes are past, In Heavens Harbour, where they Anchor cast.
20.
All those who use the Sea, doe ever minde Thea 1.44 Port to which thy Sayle; and as the wind Doth bring them nearer to it day by day Their Joyes increase, the more sayles on they lay, Longing to end their voyage, and arive At that sweete Haven unto which they drive: Thus Gods Electb 1.45 have alwayes in their Eye The Port above, to which they dayly flye With all their speede and might, and as each day Doth bring them nearer to this happie Bay; Their inward Joyes and Comforts still increase, The more they long there to arive in peace: Mending their speede, imbracing with delight (That which all others doth so sore affright) Grim* 1.46 pallid Death, the Pilot to convoy Them to this Haven of Eternall Joy. Lord, teach us Heavens Port thus still to eye Whilst here we saile, that when we come to dye, We may attaine it; and there safely ride Free from all perrils of winds, stormes, and tide. Lord make us thine Elect, that we may gaine This Port, where all thy Saints in blisse shall reigne.

Notes

Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.