Solomon's recantation Intituled Ecclesiastes, paraphras'd. With A Soliloquy or Meditation Upon Every Chapter. By Francis Quarles |
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| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. | CHAP. XII. |
| XII. |
 | CHAP. XII. Solomon's recantation |  |
CHAP. XII.
The Creator is to be remembred in due Time. The Preacher's Care to edifie. The Fear of God is the chief Antidote of Vanity.
Remember thy Creator in thy Prime
Of present Youth, before the black-mouth'd Time
Of sullen Age approach; before the Day
Thy dying Pleasures find a dull Decay;
Before the Sun, and Moon, and Stars appear
Dark in thy microcosmal Hemisphere;
Before the Clouds of Sorrows multiply,
And hide the Crystal of the gloomy Skie;
Before the Keepers of thy crazy Tow'r
Be Palsie-stricken, and thy Men of Pow'r
Sink as they march, and Grinders cease to grind
Distastful Bread, and Windows are grown blind.
Then shall the Castles two-leaf'd Gates be barr'd
When as the Milstones Language is not heard;
The horn-mouth Belman shall affright thy Slumbers,
Thy untun'd Ear shall loath harmonious Numbers:
Each obvious Mole-hill shall increase thy Fears,
And careful Snow shall blanch thy falling Hairs;
A Fly shall load thy Shoulders: Thy Desire
And all thy bed-rid Passions shall expire.
Pale Death's at hand, and Mourners come to meet
Thy tear-bedabled Funerals in the Street.
Then shall the Sinews silver Cord be los'd;
Thy Brains gold Bowl be broke: The undispos'd
And idle Liver's Fountain dry'd;
The Bloods meandring Cisterns unsupply'd.
Then shall the Dust her Dust to Dust deliver,
Whose Spirit shall return to God the Giver.
Of present Youth, before the black-mouth'd Time
Of sullen Age approach; before the Day
Thy dying Pleasures find a dull Decay;
Before the Sun, and Moon, and Stars appear
Dark in thy microcosmal Hemisphere;
Before the Clouds of Sorrows multiply,
And hide the Crystal of the gloomy Skie;
Before the Keepers of thy crazy Tow'r
Be Palsie-stricken, and thy Men of Pow'r
Sink as they march, and Grinders cease to grind
Distastful Bread, and Windows are grown blind.
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When as the Milstones Language is not heard;
The horn-mouth Belman shall affright thy Slumbers,
Thy untun'd Ear shall loath harmonious Numbers:
Each obvious Mole-hill shall increase thy Fears,
And careful Snow shall blanch thy falling Hairs;
A Fly shall load thy Shoulders: Thy Desire
And all thy bed-rid Passions shall expire.
Pale Death's at hand, and Mourners come to meet
Thy tear-bedabled Funerals in the Street.
Then shall the Sinews silver Cord be los'd;
Thy Brains gold Bowl be broke: The undispos'd
And idle Liver's Fountain dry'd;
The Bloods meandring Cisterns unsupply'd.
Then shall the Dust her Dust to Dust deliver,
Whose Spirit shall return to God the Giver.
Whereto th'Ecclesiastick thus replies,
All, all is vain, and vainest Vanities.
Because his true repentant Soul was wise,
He read this Wisdom-lecture, did advise
And search the Fountain, whence he did convey
The fruitful Streams in a proverbial Way.
He sought and found such Words, which had the Might
To entermingle Profit with Delight;
And what his Spirit-prompted Pen did write
Was Truth itself, and most exact upright.
The wise Man's Words are like to Goads, that do
Stir up the Drowzy, and spur up the Slow:
And like to Nails to be made fast and driv'n
By Hands to th'Hearts of Men sent down from Heav'n.
All, all is vain, and vainest Vanities.
Because his true repentant Soul was wise,
He read this Wisdom-lecture, did advise
And search the Fountain, whence he did convey
The fruitful Streams in a proverbial Way.
He sought and found such Words, which had the Might
To entermingle Profit with Delight;
And what his Spirit-prompted Pen did write
Was Truth itself, and most exact upright.
The wise Man's Words are like to Goads, that do
Stir up the Drowzy, and spur up the Slow:
And like to Nails to be made fast and driv'n
By Hands to th'Hearts of Men sent down from Heav'n.
Make Use, my Son, of what this Hand hath pen'd,
There is no End of Pamphlets to no End;
These tire the Flesh, and after Age is spent,
They breathe some Knowledge, but no true Content.
Mark then the Ground where the main Building stands,
Fear thou thy God, observe his just Commands.
Within the Limits of this sacred Ground
Man's Duty lies; true Happiness is found:
No Work shall pass untry'd: No Hand hath done
What shall not plead at Heav'ns Tribunal Throne:
All Secrets good and bad attend his Eye;
His Eyes behold where Day could never pry.
There is no End of Pamphlets to no End;
These tire the Flesh, and after Age is spent,
They breathe some Knowledge, but no true Content.
Mark then the Ground where the main Building stands,
Fear thou thy God, observe his just Commands.
Within the Limits of this sacred Ground
Man's Duty lies; true Happiness is found:
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What shall not plead at Heav'ns Tribunal Throne:
All Secrets good and bad attend his Eye;
His Eyes behold where Day could never pry.
Deus his quoque finem.
| CHAP. XII. Solomon's recantation | |