The Citizens Flight With their Recall; To which is added Englands Tears and Englands Comforts: By John Quarles |
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 | The Citizens Flight |  |
But if Poetick Lines have any power
Let me perswade my Reader from this hour
To be considerate, And thus begin
To ruminate: Alas! it is my sin
Hath caus'd these Judgments; Therefore i'st not fit
That I who did industreously commit
So many Crimes, should by my fervent prayer
Endeavour to extenuate my care?
There is a balm in Giliad can make sound,
And Cure the anguish of the deepest wound;
The Heav'nly Chiron hath so great a store,
That he can find a Salve for every sore;
He that hath promis'd will in mercy please
To give unto the heavy Laden ease;
We may be confident, and boldly trust
In him that is both merciful and just:
How happy is our flight, as oft as we
Fly from our selves, oh Lord, and fly to thee;
Nor do we ever with Devotion pray,
But thou dost meet our language half the way;
And when our zeal does once begin to burn
Then doest thou bless us with a quick return;
Then why should we distrust so good a God
That alwayes shakes (before he strikes) his Rod?
Thy mercy keeps us in the darkest night,
Nor dost thou in a sinners Death delight;
Oh let thy goodness spare us, for thine ire
We know full well is all-consuming fire;
It is thy mercy (Lord) must make us blest,
Alas, we are but stubble at the best;
O turn us (Lord) or else we cannot turn;
For as we are, w'are only fit to burn,
And if we needs must burn, oh Lord, reveal
Thy self unto us till we flame in zeal;
Such holy flames (oh Lord) will so aspire
That thou wilt take a pleasure in our fire;
A zealous flame gives a most glorious light;
A Christian like a Glow-worm, shines at night;
I care not Lord how dark I seem to be
Unto the world, if I am light in thee;
Oh let him grope in everlasting night
That will not own thee for the chiefest Light;
Be thou oh Lord, my Light, my Guide, my Way,
Then shall I never err, nor go astray;
He need not fear in slippery wayes to slide
That is supported by so blest a Guide;
A guide, whose goodness can as well direct
In power, as he in mercy can protect;
Be pleas'd oh Lord, to bring my feeble sight
From my Cæmerian darkness to thy light;
Oh give me light enough to let me see
My horrid darkness, let my object be
Thy mercies; then shall my eclipsed eyes
Have light enough to see my miseries,
Lord let me see my sins, for sin and I
Even like the Bas'lisk, first discover'd, die;
Then may I sing with a most heav'nly mirth,
The death of sin gives Righteousness a birth;
The death of sin does period all our strife,
The life of sin is but a dying life.
Let me perswade my Reader from this hour
To be considerate, And thus begin
To ruminate: Alas! it is my sin
12
That I who did industreously commit
So many Crimes, should by my fervent prayer
Endeavour to extenuate my care?
There is a balm in Giliad can make sound,
And Cure the anguish of the deepest wound;
The Heav'nly Chiron hath so great a store,
That he can find a Salve for every sore;
He that hath promis'd will in mercy please
To give unto the heavy Laden ease;
We may be confident, and boldly trust
In him that is both merciful and just:
How happy is our flight, as oft as we
Fly from our selves, oh Lord, and fly to thee;
Nor do we ever with Devotion pray,
But thou dost meet our language half the way;
And when our zeal does once begin to burn
Then doest thou bless us with a quick return;
Then why should we distrust so good a God
That alwayes shakes (before he strikes) his Rod?
Thy mercy keeps us in the darkest night,
Nor dost thou in a sinners Death delight;
Oh let thy goodness spare us, for thine ire
We know full well is all-consuming fire;
It is thy mercy (Lord) must make us blest,
Alas, we are but stubble at the best;
O turn us (Lord) or else we cannot turn;
For as we are, w'are only fit to burn,
And if we needs must burn, oh Lord, reveal
Thy self unto us till we flame in zeal;
Such holy flames (oh Lord) will so aspire
That thou wilt take a pleasure in our fire;
13
A Christian like a Glow-worm, shines at night;
I care not Lord how dark I seem to be
Unto the world, if I am light in thee;
Oh let him grope in everlasting night
That will not own thee for the chiefest Light;
Be thou oh Lord, my Light, my Guide, my Way,
Then shall I never err, nor go astray;
He need not fear in slippery wayes to slide
That is supported by so blest a Guide;
A guide, whose goodness can as well direct
In power, as he in mercy can protect;
Be pleas'd oh Lord, to bring my feeble sight
From my Cæmerian darkness to thy light;
Oh give me light enough to let me see
My horrid darkness, let my object be
Thy mercies; then shall my eclipsed eyes
Have light enough to see my miseries,
Lord let me see my sins, for sin and I
Even like the Bas'lisk, first discover'd, die;
Then may I sing with a most heav'nly mirth,
The death of sin gives Righteousness a birth;
The death of sin does period all our strife,
The life of sin is but a dying life.
| The Citizens Flight | |