Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 58, by EDWARD TAYLOR Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: When in italian flourisht hand I would Last Line: Thy praise with zions virgins company. Subject(s): Puritans In Literature | ||||||||
When in Italian flourisht hand I would Lord, flourish up thy praise, my Quills too dry, My Inke too thick and naught (though liquid Gold) That will not write, this will not run, nay I My Standish finde is empty, Paper loose That drains all blotches from my inkie Sluce. What shall I then, Lord, doe? Desist thy praise? Thou Canst amend it. Steep my Stubborn Quill In Zions Wine fat, mend my pen, and raise Thy right arms Vean, a drop of'ts blood distill Into mine inkhorn, make my paper tite That it mayn't blot. In Sacred Text I write. Christen mine Eyeballs with thine Eye Salve then, Mine Eyes will spy how Isra'ls journying Into, and out of Egypt's bondage Den A Glass thy vissage was imbellisht in. Hunger Constrains. Jacob to Egypt highs. Herod Constrains and Christ to Egypt flies. God Jacob calls. Jacobs Son Joseph there Him brings and nourisht there, and God doth call Jacobs Son Joseph, Jesus brings there, where He nourisht him. This spills the Dragons gall And broke that aching tooth that at him snapt In Herods jaw bone and his Chops it flapt. God Israel calls from Egypt: up he 'pears. God calls his Son from Egypt: up he highs. The Wilderness tries Isr'el 40 years. Christ 40 days in Wilderness tride lies. The Cockatrice's egg in Jewry hatcht He shuns, and Nazareth doth him inlatch. But Isra'ls coming out of Egypt thus, Is such a Coppy that doth well Descry Not onely Christ in person unto us. But Spirituall Christ, and Egypt Spiritually. Egyptian Bondage whence gates Israel shows The Spirituall bondage whence Christs children goe. The Bondage State to Sin and Satan stand, In Peckled Black, red hellish Colours laid, By wicked Pharao and his hellish hand On Egypts Bondage in the brickiln trade. God Israel Calls . . . Pharao and Egypt grin. God calls the Soule. Satan now greatens Sin. God miracles doth work. Wonders out fly, Like flocks of birds with golden wings, and Claws. For Israels Sake, Pharao and Egypt fry In fiery Wrath. Israel attends Gods Cause. So here, when once the Soule doth Gods call heare Satan red mad doth rage. Wonders appeare. Isra'l Complies: runs into fire by this, Which Pharao's Wrath, and Egypts rage procure. Now Farewell Goshen; Farewell Rameses. Your Pleasures and Commotions we abjure. So here the Soule attends Gods Call. Farewell Worlds Smiling Sunshine. Tole your passing bell. Out Israel comes to Succoth, and from thence To Etham. God his banner ore them bright Erects His Cloude and firy pillard fence A Fence from foes. Lanthorn makes day of night. Pharao, and's Peers, horse, hosts and Charet wheels Rise and with flaming Swords persue at heels. So here, the Soul Call'd to Effect out goes To Succoth, to Gods tabernacles wings, The firy flag, God, banner ore him throws To keep, and Conduct him ins journeyings. Though Hell is all in arms, persues him hard, The Cloud and Fiery Pillar doe him guard. Isra'l thus bannerd Hiroths mouth attempt Whose teeth are Migdol, Baalzephon high. And throate the red Sea, Pharao's host them pent Behinde up, they then terrifide out Cry. Moses his rod divides the red Sea so They safely pass't but Pharao't ore doth flow. So here the Soule on goes into the jaws Of Worldly rage with mountains him do round. Hells armies Chase to tare him with their paws. The red Sea of Gods wrath seems quite to drownd. He Cries, Christs Cross divides the Sea whereby He passeth safe, and it his foes doth stroy. Isra'l sings praise, but yet finds weeping Cheere. Wilderness State is his and waters are At Mara bitter. Yet God sheweth here A tree whose wood did sweetly them repare. So here the Soul sings praise in Christ, yet shall The wilderness work griefe, but Christ makes all. Isra'l to Elim comes. Sweet joyes here findes Twelve Springs of Water Every tribe a Well, And Seventy Palm trees fruitfull to their minde A type that might things past, and future tell. Twelve Patriarchs the wells they sprung from so, And Seventy Elders that from them did flow. So here the Soule in Christ at twelve wells, drinks Of Living waters, twelve Apostles shewd Dates bore by seventy Palms set at their brinks The Seventy disciples, are this food. The Holy Scriptures, and Christs Doctrine are Waters these Wells, and Dates these Palm trees bare. Hence Israel goes the red Sea back to see, To minde him of the mercy shewn him there, And thence into the Wilderness goes hee Of Sin, where tried, and so to Sinai where By open Covenant God Israel takes His onely Church: and select peoples makes. Gives him his Laws and ordinances just. Erects his Worship, open fellowship Holds with him in the same wherein he must In the desert through various Changes trip Some very sweet, some of a bitter hande, Untill they Come to keep in Canaans land. So here indeed, the Soul in Christ doth back From Elim pass unto the Red Sea deare Of Christ's rich blood the mercy of that track To take more in as he about to viere Thence through the Wilderness of Sin, to rise In Covenant on Zion mount like wise. And here enricht with Holy Oracles And fellowship in holy worship so Through interchanging Course, like miracles, The Diaperd Encheckerd works must goe Of Providences, Honycombs and Stings Till here within Celestiall Canaan sings. What Wisdom's here? My Lord, what Grace? What bright Encheckerd Works, more rich than Rubies fair? Doe thou my Soule with this Rich trade delight And bring mee thus into thy promisd aire Wherein my Virginalls shall play for joy Thy Praise with Zions virgins Company. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...GOD'S DETERMINATIONS: THE JOY OF CHURCH FELLOWSHIP RIGHTLY ATTENDED by EDWARD TAYLOR GOD'S DETERMINATIONS: THE PREFACE by EDWARD TAYLOR PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 1ST SERIES: 1 by EDWARD TAYLOR PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 1ST SERIES: 32 by EDWARD TAYLOR PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 1ST SERIES: 38 by EDWARD TAYLOR PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 1ST SERIES: 8 by EDWARD TAYLOR PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 3 by EDWARD TAYLOR PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 56 by EDWARD TAYLOR GOD'S DETERMINATIONS: CHRIST'S REPLY by EDWARD TAYLOR GOD'S DETERMINATIONS: THE JOY OF CHURCH FELLOWSHIP RIGHTLY ATTENDED by EDWARD TAYLOR |
|