George Withers' Emblemes

;
;
:;
FretbouahvitfallCrcwfialtfee,
^
Thy ground muft plough'd and harro'wd be.
>Efore the Plowman hopefull can be made,
'
His untilfd earch good Hay or Corne will yeeld,
He bieakes the hillocks downe, with Plough or Spade-,
And, harrowes over, all the cloddie Field.
Then,ftom the leaved ground, ar laft, he raowes
That Cropp of grafle, which he had hope to gaine
Or, there, doth :e3pe the fruit of what he fowes,
With profit, which contents him for his paine.
Our craggie Nature muft be tilled, thus,
Before it will, for Herbes of Grace, be fit.
Our high conceit, muft downe be broke in us 5
Our heart is proud, and God muft humble it.
Before good Seed, in us will rooting take,
Affliftitns ploughes and harrowes, muft prepare us
A nd, that the truer levell, he may make,
W hen we are (urnk too low, Cods hand muft reare us.
Th en, neither ftormingsof Adverfitie,
S\\all drowne the Stedes of Hope, which we have fowne 3
N or fhall the Sunnc-beames of Profperitie,
Dr ie up their moifture, ere they ripe are growne.
Oh ZW, thou know'ft the nature cf my minde ;
Tho u know'ft my bodyes tempers what they are
And, by what meanes, they fhall bebeftirclin'de
Such Fruits to yeeld, as they were made to beare.
My barren Soule, therefore, manure thou fo
So, harro to it ; fo emptie, and fo fill
So rat ft it up, andbrin^it^tw, fjlow
As beft may lay it/cvellto thy Will.
In this Deftre, th e worke is well begunne j
Say thou the Word, and all is fully aone.
True