Schola Cordis or the Heart of it Selfe, gone away from God ::

Like to a garden, that is closed round,
Thy heart is safely kept, which still is found
Compast with care, and guarded with the feare
Of God, as with a flaming sword, and speare.

Ode. 31.

The Soule.
Lord, wilt thou suffer this? Shall vermine spoile
The fruit of all thy toyle,
Thy trees, thine herbs, thy plants, thy flow'rs thus:
And for an overplus
Of spite, and malice overthrow thy mounds,
Lay common all thy grounds?
Canst thou endure thy pleasant garden should
Be thus turn'd up as ordinary mould?

Christ.
What is the matter? why do'st thou complaine?
Must I as well maintaine,
And keep, as make thy fences? wilt thou take
No paines for thine own sake?
Or doth thy self-confounding fancy feare thee,
When there's no danger neer thee?
Speak out thy doubts, and thy desires, and tell me,
What enemy or can, or dares to quell thee?

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The Soule.
Many, and mighty, and malicious, Lord,
That seek, with one accord,
To work my speedy ruine, and make haste
To lay thy garden waste.
The devill is a ramping roaring lion,
Hates at his heart thy Zion,
And never gives it respit day, nor houre,
But still goes seeking whom he may devoure.

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The world's a wildernesse, wherein I find
Wild beasts of ev'ry kind,
Foxes, and Wolves, and Dogs, and Boares, and Bears;
And which augments my feares,
Eagles and Vultures, and such birds of prey,
Will not be kept away:
Besides the light-abhorring Owles, and Bats,
And secret corner-creeping Mice and Rats.

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But these, and many more would not dismay
Me much, unlesse there lay
One worse then all within, my self I meane,
My false, unjust, unclean,
Faithlesse, disloyall self, that both entice,
And entertaine each vice.
This homebred traiterous partaking's worse,
Then all the violence of forain force.

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Lord, thou maist see my feares are grounded, rise
Not from a bare surmise,
Or doubt of danger only, my desires
Are but what need requires,
Of thy divine protection, and defence
To keep these vermine hence:

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Which, if they should not be restrain'd by thee,
Would grow too strong to be kept out by me.

Christ.
Thy feare is just, and I approve thy care.
But yet thy comforts are
Provided for, ev'n in that care, and feare:
Whereby it doth appeare
Thou hast what thou desirest, my protection
To keep thee from defection.
The heart that cares, and feares, is kept by me.
I watch thee, whilst thy foes are watch'd by thee.

University of Virginia Library

The keeping of the Heart.

Epigr. 31.

Ode. 31.

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