Classic Poem

The signes and tokens shewed be fore the destruction, alluring he Iewes to repen tance, and their regard thereof, interpreting all things to be for the best, flattering themselues in their sinnes .

Yet marke the mercy of our gracious God,
Before the grieuous scourge to them was sent,
That they might shun his heauie smarting rod,
And hartely their filthy faultes repent :
Strange signes and wonders did he shew them still,
Fore-runners of their ruine, woe, and ill.

For one whole yeare as well by day as night,
A blazing starre appeared in the skie,
Whose bushie tayle was so excelling bright,
It dim'd the glory of the sunns faire eye,
And euery one that on this obiect gazed,
At sight thereof stood wonderous sore amazed.

In right proportion it resembled well,
A sharp two edged sword of mighty strength,
The percing poynt a needle did excell,
And sure it seem'd a miracle for length :
So strange a starre before was neuer seene,
And since that time the like hath neuer been.

And ouer right that goodly famous Cittie,
Hung still this dreadfull apparition,
Which might haue mou'd had they bin gracious witty,
For outward follies, inward hearts contrition :
And neuer did that wonder change his place,
But still Ierusalem with woe menace.

The wondring people neuer lookt thereon,
But their mistrusting heart suspected much,
Saying great plagues would follow thereupon,
Such priuie motions did their conscience touch :
But other-some would say it was not so,
But signe that they their foes would ouerthrow.

Thinke not (quoth they) that Iacobs God will leaue
The blessed seed of Abraham in distresse,
First shall his Sword the heathens liues bereaue,
As by this token he doth plaine expresse,
His fierie sword shall shield this holy towne,
And heaw in heapes the proudest Romains downe.

Thus flattered they themselues in sinfull sort,
Their harts were hard, their deepest iudgments blinded
What godly teachers did to them report,
They soone forgot, such things they neuer minded :
Their chiefest study was delight and pleasure,
And how they might by all meanes gather treasure.

Men would haue thought this warning had bin faire,
When God his standard gainst them did aduance,
His flagge of Iustice waued in the ayre,
And yet they count it, but a thing of chance :
This bad them yeild, and from their sinnes conuart,
But they would not till sorrow made them smart.

Then in the ayre God shewed another wonder,
When azurd skies were brightest faire and cleere,
An hoast of armed men, like dreadfull thunder,
With hidious clamours, fighting did appeare :
And at each other eagerly they ran,
With burnisht Falchions murdering many a man.

And marching fiercely in their proud aray,
Their wrathfull eyes did sparkle like the fier,
Or like inraged Lyons for their pray,
So did they striue, in nature and desire :
That all the plaine wherein they fighting stood,
Seem'd to mens sight all staind with purple blood.

This dreadfull token many men amazed,
When they beheld the vncouth sight so strange,
On one another doubtfully they gazed,
With fearefull lookes their coulour quite did change :
Yet all, they did interpret to the best,
Thinking themselues aboue all other blest.

The conquering sort that did with warlike hand,
Suppresse the other in the bloudy field,
Declares (quoth they) that Iudaes sacred band,
Shall make vnhallowed Romaines die or yeeld :
And ouer them we shall haue honour great,
That proudly now vsurpes King Dauids seat.

See how the Diuell doth sinfull soules beguile,
Filling the same with vaine imagination,
Thinking themselues cock-sure, when al the while,
They stand vpon the brink of desolation :
All faithfull Christians warning take by this,
Interpret not Gods fearfull signes amisse.

Yet loe the Lord would not giue ouer so,
But to conuert them, if that it might bee,
Hee doth proceed more wonders yet to show,
All to reclayme them from iniquitie :
That so he might remoue his plagues away,
Which threatned their destruction euery day.

The Temple gates all made of shining brasse,
Whose massie substance was exceeding great,
Which they with yron barres each night did crosse,
And lockt with brazen bolts, which made them sweat,
Did of themselues start open and vndoe,
Which twenty men of might could scant put to.

Vpon a day most high and festiuall,
The high Priest went after a sacred manner,
Into the glorious Temple most maiesticall,
To offer sacrifice their God to honour :
What time the Lord a wonder did declare,
To all mens sight, prodigious, strange, and rare.

A goodly Calfe prepar'd for sacrifice.
And layd vpon the holy Alter there,
Brought forth a Lambe most plaine before their eyes,
Which filled some mens hearts with sodaine feare :
And sore perplext the passions of their mind,
To see a thing so farre against all kind.

Soone after this they heard a wailefull voice,
Which in the Temple shreeking thus did say,
Let vs go hence, and no man heere reioyce,
Thus figuring foorth their ruine and decay,
All men did heare these speeches very plaine,
But saw nothing, nor knew from whence it came.

And foure yeares space before the bloody fight,
One Ananias had a youthfull sonne.
Which like a Prophet cried day and night
About the streets as he did go and runne :
Shewing the people without dread at all,
Most wofull plagues should on the Cittie fall.

And in this sort began his dolefull cry :
A fearefull voyce proceedeth from the East,
And from the West, as great a voyce did fly,
A voyce likewise from blustering winds addrest :
A voyce vpon Ierusalem shall goe,
A voyce vpon the Temple full of woe.

A mournefull voyce on wretched man and wife,
A voyce of sorrow on the people all,
Woe and destruction, mortall war and strife,
Bitter pinching famine, misery and thrall :
In euery place these threatnings still he had,
Running about like one distraught and mad.

With lofty voyce thus ran he through the towne,
Nor day and night did he his clamours cease,
No man could make him lay these threatnings downe,
By no intreaty would he hould his peace :
Although he was in Dungeon deeply layd,
Yet there his cryes did make them more afraid.

The Maiestrates that most forbad his crie :
And saw his bouldnesse more and more arise,
With grieuous scourges whipt him bitterly,
Yet came no teares out of his pleasant eyes :
The more his stripes, the higher went his voyce,
In sorest torment did he most reioyce.

But when the Iewes perceau'd how he was bent,
And that their eares were cloyed with his cries,
They counted it but sportfull merriment,
A nine dayes wonder that in short time dyes :
So that a fresh their follies they begin,
And for his speech they passed not a pin.

But as the holy Scriptures doe bewray,
To dainty cheere they iocondly sat downe,
And well refresht, they rose againe to play,
In smiling sort when God did fircely frowne :
And neuer more to mirth were they disposed,
Then when the Lord his wrath to them disclosed.