Wesley, Samuel, 1662-1735:
THE HISTORY OF THE Holy Bible, In Verse, with Sculptures. [from The History of the Old Testament in verse (1715)]

CCLVI. [H]-> Jonah, Chap. I.


Jonah commanded to go to Nineveh: He flees from the presence of the Lord: Is swallow'd by a Whale, & c.

10650    Tho' Israel God's First-born, his chosen Race,
10651    Tho' his Pavilion he in Salem place;
10652    The Nations too their Maker's Goodness share,
10653    Nobly diffusive as the Sun or Air;
10654    His Grief to punish, his Delight to spare .
10655    For this to Nineveh was Jonah sent,
10656    To bid their vast unnumber'd Crowds repent:
10657    A hopeless Task! when Israel won't believe,
10658    How shou'd the faithless Heathen him receive?
10659    A Tyrian Bark the wayward Prophet bore
10660    A different Course, for the Tartessian shore.
10661    In vain he from the Omnipresent flies,
10662    The Winds and Waves in Arms against him rise,
10663    And stop the Fugitive, nor Oar, nor Sail
10664    Can stem the Storm, nor nautic Art prevail:

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10665    Their Course is lost, they lose the sight of Day,
10666    All Hope is gone, for now the Sailors pray :
10667    On Moloch these, and these Astarte call,
10668    On Dagon some, and some on mighty Baal;
10669    Deaf to their Pray'rs, and helpless Idols all.
10670    Jonah alone did still his Cabin keep,
10671    (O how cou'd Jonah's Guilt so calmly sleep!)
10672    Till rouz'd, among th' affrighted Crew he goes,
10673    At once the Danger and the Cause he knows.
10674    Glory he gave to Heav'n, and thus he said,
10675    ---I serve the Hebrews God, from him I fled :
10676    Cease your mistaken Pray'rs and causless Fear,
10677    This Storm, his Messenger, arrests me here.
10678    Me, me, devoted to the raging Seas,
10679    An Off'ring cast, you'll soon their Wrath appease:
10680    Unwillingly they his Request perform,
10681    They heave him o're, and with him lose the Storm :
10682    ---Nor is he yet beyond th' Almighty's Care,
10683    Th' Almighty did a monstrous Fish prepare;
10684    Which seiz'd him falling, whose capacious Womb,
10685    Three dismal Days and Nights his living Tomb.
10686    --- Vain Grecian Poets hence, of after-date,
10687    By Tyrian Hercules the Fact relate,
10688    And steal their Hero's Fame from Jonah 's wond'rous Fate.

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CCLVII. <-[H]-> Jonah, Chap. II.

Jonah's Prayer. He's cast out from the Whale's Belly.


10689    What cannot Faith and Penitence obtain?
10690    Imprison'd Jonah sues not here in vain :
10691    Nor did he in this horrid Gaol despair,
10692    But thus to Heav'n directs his fervent Pray'r .
10693    ---When sinking deep beneath the briny Wave,
10694    Th' unfathom'd Ocean my untimely Grave :
10695    To thee, O God, I cry'd, nor cry'd too late,
10696    Thou sav'st me from the gaping Jaws of Fate .
10697    Beneath the wat'ry World confin'd I lay,
10698    Where rolling Waves forbad the sight of Day :
10699    The Floods begirt, the Seas besieg'd me round,
10700    My fainting Head with weedy Fillets bound.
10701    The strong Foundations of the Mountains steep,
10702    The wealthy Chambers of the aged Deep,
10703    The massy Bars that Earth's huge Frame support,
10704    The Mother-Water's unfrequented Court,
10705    Secrets to mortal Eyes before unknown,
10706    Thou hast, O God! to me thy Servant shown:
10707    Yet still I live, and hope for happier Days,
10708    My God in his High Temple hope to praise :
10709    Let others fondly trust in Idols vain,
10710    The stupid World adore the Gods they feign;

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10711    As stupid as their sensless Deities,
10712    Leave Truth and Mercy, and believe in Lies;
10713    To thee alone, my God! I'll sacrifice;
10714    Admiring Crowds shall hear my joyful Songs,
10715    Salvation only to the Lord belongs.

10716    Jehovah hears, agen he Light shall see,
10717    He bids his monstrous Gaoler set him free;
10718    Who dares detain his sacred Guest no more,
10719    But gently casts him out upon the Oozy Shore .

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CLVIII. Jonah, Chap. III.

Jonah preaches to Nineveh: Their Repentance, &c.


10720    To Nineveh the Sea-born Prophet came,
10721    He dares no longer weak Excuses frame,
10722    War, War does from the Lord of Hosts proclaim .
10723    Their lofty Tow'rs, said he, that threat the Skies,
10724    These Walls, that with the Pride of Babel 's rise,
10725    It must be so, their Doom as sure as just,
10726    Shall soon transvers'd, be buri'd in the Dust :
10727    Thy Judge allows thee Forty Days Reprieve,
10728    Prepare, fair Town! thou hast no more to live !

10729    The dreadful News with wise Affright they hear,
10730    Terror and Guilt in every Face appear:
10731    Their trembling Monarch from the Throne descends,
10732    His Crown laid by his purple Robes he rends,
10733    A mournful Court their Suppliant Prince attends.
10734    See where the Royal Penitent appears!
10735    Behold the Dress his untaught Sorrow wears!
10736    With Sackcloth cover'd, Ashes on his Head,
10737    And Dust beneath for Tyrian Carpets spread.
10738    A strict and gen'ral Fast he bids proclaim,
10739    To God the Glory give, to Man the Shame :

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10740    Repent, ye Sinners! thus the Heralds cry
10741    Around the spatious Streets --- Repent or Die !
10742    Who knows but Heaven may from its Anger turn,
10743    And boundless Pity comfort those that mourn!

10744    This saw th' All-high from those etherial Plains,
10745    Where thron'd in Glory undisturb'd he reigns:
10746    Yet not unmov'd at wretched Mortals Cares,
10747    He with a gracious Ear regards their Pray'rs :
10748    The Angels of his Vengeance, who prepare,
10749    To spread their wrathful Vials round the Air,

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10750    He wills away, they from their Stations come,
10751    Mild Mercy pleads, and he recalls their Doom .

10752    Thus can true Sorrow Heaven's just Wrath assuage,
10753    A Day's Repentance thus may save an impious Age .


CCLIX. Jonah, Chap. IV.


Jonah's Gourd, &c.


10754    The Prophet saw, and thus to God began,
10755    (His Faith, the Saint, his Passions shew'd the Man,)
10756    ---And must I bear a base Impostor 's Name?
10757    This, this was what I fear'd before I came:
10758    I knew thy Nature to Compassion prone,
10759    To those indulgent who thy Pow'r disown :
10760    How oft thou lett'st the sentenc'd Sinner live,
10761    How slow to Wrath, how easie to forgive !
10762    O take my Life ---my hatred and disdain !
10763    When Honour vanish'd Life itself's a Pain !
10764    ---Thus did Amittai's angry Son complain;
10765    Then quits the Town, a leavy Booth he made,
10766    And sate repos'd beneath its short-liv'd Shade :

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10767    ---For soon the mid-day Beams with burning Heat,
10768    Wither the Boughs, and on his Temples beat;
10769    When God a Gourd of speedy Growth prepares,
10770    Which o're his Head a pleasing Arbor rears;
10771    Beneath whose verdant Canopy he lay,
10772    Enjoy'd the Breez and shunn'd the scorching Day :

10773    How ling'ring is our Pain ! how short our Joys !
10774    A feeble Worm the with'ring Gourd destroys.

10775    Arose the Sun with fierce and sultry Beams,
10776    And pours directly down his golden Streams;
10777    As on his burning Equinox he rides,
10778    And equal Rays to both the Poles divides:
10779    Enrag'd the fainting Prophet gasps for Breath,
10780    His Gourd is gone, he asks the Shades of Death :
10781    When thus that Goodness which the Best forbears,
10782    And Sinners till full ripe for Vengeance spares;

10783    Can Jonah for a night-born Gourd lament,
10784    And shall not God for Nineveh relent!
10785    The Beasts themselves the common Makers Care,
10786    Shou'd he regardless them forget to spare,
10787    Myriads of Innocents wou'd plead for Mercy there.