XIV. CANTICLES II. III.
I sate under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
1
Look how the sheep, whose rambling steps doe stray
From the safe blessing of her Shepheards eyes
Eftsoone, becomes the unprotected Prey
To the wing'd Squadron of beleagring flies;
Where, sweltred with the scorching beames of day,
She frisks from Bush to Brake; and wildly flies
From her owne selfe, ev'n of her selfe affraid;
She shrowds her troubled browes in ev'ry Glade,
And craves the mercy of the soft removing shade.
2
Ev'n so my wandring Soule, that has digrest
From her great Shepheard, is the hourely prey
Of all my Sinnes, These vultures in my Brest
Gripe my Promethian heart both night and day;
I hunt from place to place, but find no rest;
I know not where to go, nor where to stay:
The eye of vengeance burnes; her flames invade
My sweltring Soule: My soule has oft assaid
But she can find no shrowd, but she can feele no Shade.
3
I sought the Shades of Mirth, to weare away
My slow-pac'd houres of soule-consuming griefe;
I search'd the Shades of Sleepe, to case my day
Of griping sorrowes with a nights repriefe;
I sought the Shades of Death; thought, there, t'allay
My finall torments with a full reliefe;
But Mirth, nor Sleepe, nor Death can hide my howres
In the false Shades of their deceitfull Bowres;
The first distracts, the next disturbes, the last devoures.
4
Where shall I turne? To whom shall I apply me?
Are there no Streames where a faint soule may wade?
Thy Godhead, JESUS, are the flames that fry me;
Has thy All-glorious Deity nev'r a Shade,
Where I may sit, and vengeance never eye me,
Where I might sit refresht, or unaffraid?
Is there no Comfort? Is there no Refection?
Is there no Covert that will give Protection
T'a fainting soule, the subject of thy wraths reflexion?
5
Looke up, my soule; advance the lowly stature
Of thy sad Thoughts; advance thy humble eye:
See, here's a Shadow found; The humane nature
Is made th'Umbrella to the Deity,
To catch the Sun-beames of thy just Creator;
Beneath this Covert thou maist safely lie:
Permit thine eyes to climbe this fruitfull Tree,
As quick Zacheus did, and thou shalt see
A Cloud of dying flesh betwixt those Beames and thee.
GUILL. in Cap. 2 Cant.
Who can endure the fierce rayes of the Sun of Justice? Who shall not be
consumed by his beames? Therefore the Sun of Justice took flesh, that through
the conjunction of that Sun and this humane, body, a shadow may be made.
S. AUGUST. Med. Cap. 37.
Lord, let my soule flee from the scorching thoughts of the world under the
Covert of thy wings, that being refreshed by the moderation of thy shadow, she
may sing merrily. In peace will I lay me downe and rest.
EPIGRAM 14.
[Ah, treach'rous soule, would not thy Pleasures give]
Ah, treach'rous soule, would not thy Pleasures give
That Lord which made thee living, leave to live?
See, what thy sinnes have done: Thy sinnes have made
The Sun of Glory now become thy Shade.
