Lament (4)

HOw dimme the Gold doth now appeare!
(That Gold, which once so brightly shone)
About the Citie, here and there,
The Sanctuary-Stones art throwne.
The Sonnes of Syon, late compar'd,
To Gold, (the richest in esteeme)
Like Potsheards, are without regard,
And base as earthen vessels seeme.

The Monsters of the Sea haue care
The breasts vnto their young to giue:
But crueller my people are;
And Estridge-like in Deserts liue.
With thirst the Sucklings tongues are dry;
And to their parched roofes they cleaue.
For bread young Children also cry;
But none at all they can receaue.

Those that were vs'd to dainty fare,
Now in the streets halfe starued lye.
And they that once did Scarlet weare,
Now dunghill rags about them tye.
Yea, greater plagues my Peoples crime,
Hath brought on them, then Sodoms were.
For, that was sunke in little time,
And no prolonged death was there.

Her Nazarites, whose whitenesse was
More pure then either milke or snow;
Whose ruddinesse did Rubies passe;
Whose veines did like the Saphir show:
Now blacker then the Cole are growne;
And in the streets vnknowne are they:
Their flesh is clung vnto the bone,
And like a sticke is dry'd away.

Such therefore as the sword hath slaine,
Are farre in better Case then those;
Who death for want of food sustaine,
Whilst in the fruitfull field it growes.
For when my people were distrest,
Eu'n women (that should pittie take)
With their owne hands their Children drest,
That so their hunger they might slake.

The LORD accomplisht hath his wrath;
His fierce displeasure forth is powrd;
A fire on Sion set he hath,
Which eu'n her ground-worke hath deuour'd;
When there was neither earthly King;
Nor, through the whole world, one of all
Thought any Foe to passe could bring,
That thus Ierusalem should fall.

But this hath happened for the guilt
Of those that haue her Prophets bin,
And those her wicked Priests, that spilt
The blood of Innocents therein.
Along the streets they stumbling went;
(The blindnesse of these men was such.)
And, so with bloud they were be-sprent,
That no man would their Garments touch,

Depart, depart; ('twas therefore sed)
From these pollutions get ye farre.
So, wandring to the Heathen, fled,
And said, there was no biding there.
And them the LORD hath now in wrath
Exilde, and made despised liue:
Yea, sent their Priests and Elders hath,
Where none doth honour to them giue.

And, as for vs, our eyes decay'd,
With watching vaine Releefes, we haue:
Cause, we expect a Nations ayde,
That is vnable vs to saue.
For, at our heeles so close they be,
We dare not in the streetes appeare.
Our end we therefore, comming see,
And know our rooting-out is neare.

Our Persecutors follow on,
As swift as Aegles of the Skie.
They o're the Mountaines make vs runne;
And in the Deserts, for vs lye.
Yea, they haue Christ (our life) betray'd,
And caus'd him in their pits to fall.
(Eu'n him) beneath whose shade, we sayd .
We liue among the Heathen shall.

O Edom, in the land of Huz,
(Though yet o're vs triumph thou may)
Thou shalt receaue this Cup from vs;
Be drunke, and hurle thy cloaths away.
For, when thy punishments for sinnes,
Accomplished oh Syon be;
To visit Edom he beginnes;
And publike make her shame, will be.