S. AMBROS. in Ser. ad Vincula.
Peter stood more firmly after he had lamented his fall, than before he fell; insomuch that he found more grace, than he lost grace.
S. CHRYS. in Ep. ad Heliod. Monach.
It is no such heinous matter to fall afflicted, as, being down, to lie dejected. It is no danger for a soldier to receive a wound in battle, but, after the wound received, through despair of recovery, to refuse a remedy; for we often see wounded champions wear the palm at last, and, after fight, crowned with victory.
Triumph not, Cupid, his mischance doth shew
Thy trade; doth once, what thou dost always do:
Brag not too soon; has thy prevailing hand
Foil'd him? ah, fool, th' hast taught him how to stand.
I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
O, now the soul's sublim'd; her sour desires
Are recalcin'd in heav'n's well-temper'd fires :
The heart restor'd and purg'd from drossy nature,
Now finds the freedom of a new-born creature :
It lives another life, it breathes new breath;
It neither fears nor feels the sting of death:
Like as the idle vagrant (having none)
That boldly 'dopts † each house he views, his own ;
Makes ev'ry purse his chequer ; and, at pleasure,
Walks forth, and taxes all the world, like Cæsar;
At length, by virtue of a just command,
His sides are lent to a severer hand;
Whereon his pass, not fully understood,
Is taxed in a manuscript of blood;
Thus past from town to town; until he come
A sore repentant to his native home :
Ev'n so the rambling heart, that idly roves
From crimes to sin, and uncontroul'd removes
From lust to lust, when wanton flesh invites
From old worn pleasures to new choice delights;
At length, corrected by the filial rod
Of his offended, but his gracious God,
And lash'd from sins to sighs; and, by degrees,
From sighs to vows, from vows to bended knees
From bended knees to a true pensive breast;
From thence to torments not by tongue exprest;
* Recalcin'd; to calcine, is, with chymists, to burn to a cinder. 'Dopts; i. e. adopts, or makes his own.
Chequer; i. e. exchequer, or treasury.
Patet Ætheri, clauditur Orbi.
Open to learn, the Heart scorns Earthly Pride: Open to Heavn,tis shut to all beside.
Returns; and (from his sinful self exil'd)
Finds a glad father, he a welcome child :
O then it lives; O then it lives involv'd
In secret raptures; pants to be dissolv'd :
The royal off-spring of a second birth,
Sets ope' to heav'n, and shuts the door to earth:
If love sick Jove commanded clouds should hap
To rain such show'rs as quicken'd Danaë's lap :
Or dogs (far kinder than their purple master)
Should lick his sores; he laughs, nor weeps the faster.
If earth, (heav'n's rival) dart her idle ray;
To heav'n, 'tis wax,-and to the world, 'tis clay :
If earth present delights, it scorns to draw ;
But, like the jet * unrubbed, disdains that straw.
No hope deceives it, and no doubt divides it!
No grief disturbs it, and no error guides it;
No good contemns it, and no virtue blames it;
No guilt condemns it, and no folly shames it;
No sloth besots it, and no lust enthrals it;
No scorn afflicts it, and no passion galls it :
It is a cark'net † of immortal life;
An ark of peace; the lists of sacred strife;
A purer piece of endless transitory ;
A shrine of grace, a little throne of glory :
A heav'n-born offspring of a new-born birth;
An earthly heav'n; an ounce of heav'nly earth.
* Jet; i. e. black amber: which rubb'd, has an attractive quality + A cark'net; i. e. a necklace.
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