Solomon's recantation Intituled Ecclesiastes, paraphras'd. With A Soliloquy or Meditation Upon Every Chapter. By Francis Quarles |
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 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XII. |
 | CHAP. VIII. Solomon's recantation |  |
Who's equal to the wise Man? who but he
Can judge of things, or what their Natures be?
Wisdom adorns the Cheek with lovely Grace;
And plants couragious Boldness in the Face.
Let me advise the Subjects Heart to stand
Devoted always to the King's Command:
For having sworn Allegiance to him, both
Heav'n and thy Conscience do attest the Oath.
Let not thy discontented Haste incite
Abrupt Departure from his awful Sight:
If thou hast err'd, continue not in Ill,
For Princes Acts are guided by their Will:
The potent Majesty of a Prince's Word
Is backt and made authentick by the Sword:
What vent'rous Tongue dare question, or demand
The least Account from his illustrious Hand?
Whose loyal Breasts observe the Laws of Kings,
Shall never know the Grief Rebellion brings:
The wise Man's Heart knows Times and Judgment too,
Not only when to speak, but what to do.
For there's to every Purpose among Men
A Judgment how to do, a Season when,
Which if mistaken, or not understood,
Brings so much Mis'ry upon Flesh and Blood.
For Man is ignorant of what may fall,
And who is he can tell him when it shall?
No Man hath Power to prolong his Breath,
Or make him Shot-free in the Day of Death:
There's no Retreat in that sad War, nor can
Man's Wickedness preserve the wicked Man.
All this have I observed, and have given
My Heart to note each Action under Heaven:
There was a time when the Oppressor's Arm
Opprest his Brother to th'Oppressor's Harm.
So have I seen grave Judges (but unjust)
That sat in Judgment honour'd to the Dust
Which hid their Crimes; these seemed to obtain
Some Happiness: This Happiness is vain.
Because a present Sentence is not past
Upon the Wicked, their dull Hearts at last
Grow quite obdure, resolv'd, and fully bent,
To act what Ills their greedy Lusts present.
Put case the Sinner multiply his Crime,
And his long Days e'en rust the Sithe of Time:
Yet well I know they only shall be blest,
That fear th'Almighty with a filial Breast.
Ay, but the Wicked shall not scape secure,
Though he live long, he shall not long endure;
But like a Shadow shall his Days appear,
Because he fear'd not whom he ought to fear.
There is a Vanity reigns here below,
I see the wise Man reap what Sinners sow,
And Sinners share when just Men sow the Seed;
This Grief (said I) all other Griefs exceed.
Then prais'd I Mirth, and held it the best Choice
Beneath the Sun, to eat, and to rejoice:
For this is all the Good, this all the Gains
Is like to chear our Days, and crown our Pains.
But when I set my busie Heart to know
Wisdom, and Heav'ns strange working here below:
(For Day and Night my Studies did deny
Sleep to mine Eye-lids, Slumbers to mine Eye)
O then I found his Works beneath the Sun
Past finding out; my fruitless Thoughts did run
This Heav'nly Maze, till they at length concluded,
Man's Wit stoops here; here Wisdom stands deluded.
Can judge of things, or what their Natures be?
Wisdom adorns the Cheek with lovely Grace;
And plants couragious Boldness in the Face.
Let me advise the Subjects Heart to stand
Devoted always to the King's Command:
For having sworn Allegiance to him, both
Heav'n and thy Conscience do attest the Oath.
Let not thy discontented Haste incite
Abrupt Departure from his awful Sight:
If thou hast err'd, continue not in Ill,
For Princes Acts are guided by their Will:
The potent Majesty of a Prince's Word
Is backt and made authentick by the Sword:
What vent'rous Tongue dare question, or demand
The least Account from his illustrious Hand?
39
Shall never know the Grief Rebellion brings:
The wise Man's Heart knows Times and Judgment too,
Not only when to speak, but what to do.
For there's to every Purpose among Men
A Judgment how to do, a Season when,
Which if mistaken, or not understood,
Brings so much Mis'ry upon Flesh and Blood.
For Man is ignorant of what may fall,
And who is he can tell him when it shall?
No Man hath Power to prolong his Breath,
Or make him Shot-free in the Day of Death:
There's no Retreat in that sad War, nor can
Man's Wickedness preserve the wicked Man.
All this have I observed, and have given
My Heart to note each Action under Heaven:
There was a time when the Oppressor's Arm
Opprest his Brother to th'Oppressor's Harm.
So have I seen grave Judges (but unjust)
That sat in Judgment honour'd to the Dust
Which hid their Crimes; these seemed to obtain
Some Happiness: This Happiness is vain.
Because a present Sentence is not past
Upon the Wicked, their dull Hearts at last
Grow quite obdure, resolv'd, and fully bent,
To act what Ills their greedy Lusts present.
Put case the Sinner multiply his Crime,
And his long Days e'en rust the Sithe of Time:
Yet well I know they only shall be blest,
That fear th'Almighty with a filial Breast.
Ay, but the Wicked shall not scape secure,
Though he live long, he shall not long endure;
But like a Shadow shall his Days appear,
Because he fear'd not whom he ought to fear.
There is a Vanity reigns here below,
I see the wise Man reap what Sinners sow,
And Sinners share when just Men sow the Seed;
This Grief (said I) all other Griefs exceed.
40
Beneath the Sun, to eat, and to rejoice:
For this is all the Good, this all the Gains
Is like to chear our Days, and crown our Pains.
But when I set my busie Heart to know
Wisdom, and Heav'ns strange working here below:
(For Day and Night my Studies did deny
Sleep to mine Eye-lids, Slumbers to mine Eye)
O then I found his Works beneath the Sun
Past finding out; my fruitless Thoughts did run
This Heav'nly Maze, till they at length concluded,
Man's Wit stoops here; here Wisdom stands deluded.
| CHAP. VIII. Solomon's recantation | |