George Withers' Emblemes

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SheeJhall increafe in glory,/&'#,
VmiU her ligrft, the vorld, dothfin.
Ill
ILLVSTE Book. 2
[Hat in this EmbUm^hzx. mans meanings were,
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Who made it firft, I neither know nor care 5
For, whatfoerc, he purpofed, or thought,
To ferve mypurpoft, now it (hall be taught 5
Who, many times,before this Taskc is ended,
Muft picke ont Mora/Is, where was none intended.
This knot oiMoonts ("or Crefitnts) crowned thus,
Illuftrate may a Myftery to hs,
Of pious ufe(and, peradventure, fuch,
As from old Hieroglyphicks,er:es not much)
Old-Vmes, upon the Moone, three names beftow'd
Beaufc, three diverfe wayes, her felfe fhc ihow'd :
And, in xhefacred-bookes, it may be fliowne,
That boly -Churchy was figur'd by the Moonc.
Then, thefe three Meonts in one, may intimate
The holy-Churches threefold bleft eftate.
The Moone, ft ill, biding in our Hemitfbare,
May typifie the Church, confifting, here,
Of men, yet living : when (Tie fhewes her light
Amon^ us here, in portions of tbe night ;
The Church it figures, as confift (he may
Of them, whofe bodies in the Grave doe ftay •
And,whofcb!e(t#w'tt, are afcended thither,
Where Souk and Body meet, at laft, together.
Bur, when the Moonc is hidden from our eyes,
The Church-triumphant, then, fhe fignifies
Which, is a Crefcent yet, that, fome, and fome,
Muft grow, till all her parts together come
And , then, this Meow (hall beames, at full, difplay ;
Lord, haften tins great Coronation-day.
True
R