Divine poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Then Ionah turn'd his face to heav'n, and pray'd
Within the bowels of the Whale, and said,
“J cry'd out of my balefull misery
“Vnto my God, and he hath heard my cry;
“From out the paunch of hell J made a noyse,
“And thou hast answer'd me, and heard my voyce:
“Into the Deeps and bottome thou hast throwne me,
“Thy Surges, and thy Waves have past upon me.

“Then Lord (said I) from thy refulgent sight
“I am expell'd, I am forsaken quite,
“Nay'thelesse while these my wretched eyes remaine,
“Vnto thy Temple will J looke againe.

“The boystrous Waters compast me about,
“My body threats to let her pris'ner out,
“The boundlesse depth enclosd me, (almost dead)
“The weeds are wrapt about my fainting head,
“I liv'd on earth rejected at thine hand,
“And a perpetuall pris'ner in the Land;
“Yet thou wilt cause my life t'ascend at length,
“From out this pit, O Lord, my God, my Strength.
“When as my soule was over-whelm'd and faint,
“I had recourse to thee, did thee acquaint
“With the condition of my woefull case,
“My cry same to thee, in thine holy Place.

“Whose to Vanities themselves betake,
“Renounce thy mercies, and thy love forsake:
“To thee I'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes,
“With voyce of thankes, and ever-sounding praise:
“I'le pay my vowes; for all the world records
“With one consent, Salvation is the Lords.

But he (whose word's a deed, whose breath's a law;
Whose just command implies a dreadfull awe,
Whose Word prepar'd a Whale upon the Deepe,
To tend, and wait for Ionah's fall, and keepe
His out-cast body safe, and soule secure)
This very God (whose mercy must endure,
When heaven, & earth, when sea, & all things faile)
Disclos'd his purpose, and bespake the Whale,
To redeliver Ionah to his hand;
Whereat the Whale disgorg'd him on the land.