<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2008-12-03</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080927.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B03212">
<STC T="W">E393</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99890132</BIBNO>
<VID>182639</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="elegy">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 17 -->
<HEAD>An Elegy on the Death of that much Lamented And no le&s;s wanted, Indu&s;trious Labourer in Gods Vineyard, the Reverend Mr. Ralph Venning, Who quitted this Vale of Tears, and put on Immortality <DATE>the 10^t^h day of this In&s;tant <HI>March,</HI> 1673/4.</DATE></HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q LANG="lat"><L>&mdash;Fretum vitae gaudente Carina</L>
<L>Tranavit&mdash;Tutum tenet Anchora portum;</L>
<L>Nunc hilaris, ventos ridet, tumida&s;que Procellas.</L></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<LG>
<L>HArk! how our <HI>Sion</HI> with <HI>Heart-piercing</HI> Groans,</L>
<L>Her <HI>Chariots</HI> and her <HI>Hor&s;emens Lo&s;s</HI> bemoans;</L>
<L>See! how each <HI>Pious blubber'd</HI> Cheek doth wear</L>
<L>The &s;ad <HI>Ennamell</HI> of a Briny Tear;</L>
<L>Each Soul turns a <HI>Clo&s;e Mourner</HI> in its Cell;</L>
<L>And ev'ry <HI>Tongue</HI> becomes <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> Pa&s;sing-Bell:</HI></L>
<L>Mu&s;t <HI>good Men</HI> &s;till dye <HI>fir&s;t,</HI> and is there gone</L>
<L>Another <HI>Cedar</HI> in our <HI>Lebanon?</HI></L>
<L>Are Holy <HI>powr'full Preachers</HI> &s;natch'd &s;o fa&s;t?</L>
<L>They'r <HI>Pre<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">iou<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> Death, Oh! do not make &s;uch <HI>wa&s;t;</HI></L>
<L>Well may the <HI>Scarlet Whore</HI> begin her Tricks,</L>
<L>Such <HI>Lights</HI> pufe out, threatens our <HI>Candle&s;ticks;</HI></L>
<L>And we may fear that <HI>God</HI> intendeth <HI>wars</HI></L>
<L>When he <HI>thus</HI> fa&s;t calls home's <HI>Amba&s;&s;adors;</HI></L>
<L>Sweet Pious <HI>VENNING</HI> could no longer &s;tay,</L>
<L><HI>CARRYL</HI> in Glory <HI>Beckon'd</HI> him away,</L>
<L>Whil&s;t Heav'n to lend more <HI>Moi&s;ture</HI> to our Eyes,</L>
<L>At his <HI>Remove</HI> in Tears did <HI>Sympathize;</HI></L>
<L>But <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Zeal</HI> appear'd &s;o <HI>Chill</HI> below,</L>
<L>They &s;oon <HI>Congeal'd</HI> each falling drop to <HI>Snow,</HI></L>
<L>Yet that <HI>White Roah</HI> the Earth put on, did prove</L>
<L>But a black <HI>foil</HI> to what he wears <HI>Above.</HI></L>
<L>Go happy <HI>Saint!</HI> I knew 'twas not a Shrine</L>
<L>Of <HI>Fle&s;h</HI> could lodge &s;o pure a <HI>Soul</HI> as thine;</L>
<L>I &s;aw it <HI>Labour</HI> (in a holy &s;corn</L>
<L>Of living <HI>Du&s;t</HI> and <HI>A&s;hes</HI>) to be &s;worn</L>
<L>A Heav'nly <HI>Quiri&s;ter,</HI> it &s;igh'd and groan'd</L>
<L>To be <HI>di&s;&s;olv'd</HI> from Mortall, and Enthron'd</L>
<L>Among&s;t his <HI>Fellow-Angels,</HI> there to Sing</L>
<L>Perpetual <HI>Anthems</HI> to His Heavenly King:</L>
<L>He was a Stranger to his Hou&s;e of <HI>Clay,</HI></L>
<L>Scarce own'd it, but that nece&s;&s;ary &s;tay</L>
<L>Mi&s;-call'd it <HI>His,</HI> and only zeal did make</L>
<L>Him love the <HI>Building</HI> for the <HI>Builders</HI> &s;ake.</L>
<L>Among&s;t the <HI>Throng</HI> that Croud to Sacrifice</L>
<L>To's <HI>Memory</HI> the <HI>Torrents</HI> of their Eyes:</L>
<L>Let me (although a <HI>Stranger</HI> unto tho&s;e</L>
<L>That Weep in <HI>Rhyme,</HI> though oft I <HI>Mourn</HI> in <HI>Pro&s;e</HI>)</L>
<L>Water his <HI>Her&s;e,</HI> &s;ince my <HI>Big-bellied</HI> eyes</L>
<L>Long for <HI>Deliv'ry</HI> at his <HI>Ob&s;equies,</HI></L>
<L>Wherein what <HI>Art</HI> and <HI>Nature</HI> both deny,</L>
<L><HI>Grief</HI> and the <HI>Subjects Merits</HI> may Supply:</L>
<L>For who e're writes, but <HI>Truth</HI> of <HI>Him</HI> will be,</L>
<L>Slander'd by Ignorance with <HI>Poetry;</HI></L>
<L>And tho&s;e that &s;peak not half his worth in Ver&s;e,</L>
<L>The <HI>Sen&s;ual Crew</HI> may think Idolaters;</L>
<L>But <HI>flattery</HI> can never <HI>Reach</HI> his <HI>State,</HI></L>
<L>We only <HI>Prai&s;e,</HI> to make men <HI>Imitate,</HI></L>
<L>And &s;o mu&s;t &s;pe<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="damage" EXTENT="3 letters"> in <HI>&s;ober</HI> terms, for know,</L>
<L>If <HI>Saints</HI> in Heav'n can <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="damage" EXTENT="1 letter">ear</HI> things here below,</L>
<L>A <HI>Lye,</HI> though in his <HI>Prai&s;e,</HI> would make him <HI>Frown</HI></L>
<L>And <HI>Chide</HI> us, when in Glory he <HI>comes</HI> down</L>
<L>With his <HI>Dear Lord</HI> to <HI>Judge</HI> the World, and pay</L>
<L>Each Soul <HI>Rewards</HI> according to its <HI>way.</HI></L>
<L>He was no <HI>Jingling Drol&s;ter</HI> of the times,</L>
<L>That as on Stage, up to a Pulpit clymes</L>
<L>To tr<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">fle out an hour, Tickle the Ear,</L>
<L>And Lullaby their Heads to &s;leep that hear,</L>
<L>Who&s;e Preachments are but a Romantick Clatter,</L>
<L>A Sea of words, but &s;carce a drop of matter;</L>
<L>Some Pye-bald &s;craps of new Philo&s;ophy,</L>
<L>Or Dough-bak'd Dictates of Morality;</L>
<L>Nor was he of that ra&s;h unpoli&s;ht Race,</L>
<L>Who&s;e Slutti&s;h hands do Sacred things di&s;grace;</L>
<L>Knowledge and Zeal in him, &s;o &s;weetly met,</L>
<L>His Pulpit &s;eem'd a Second Oliver.</L>
<L>Where from his Lips he would deliver things,</L>
<L>As though &s;ome <HI>Seraphin</HI> had clap'd his Wings;</L>
<L>His painful Sermons were &s;o neatly dre&s;t,</L>
<L>As if an Antheme were in Pro&s;e expre&s;t;</L>
<L>Yet quick and pow'rfull, that without controule,</L>
<L>They reach'd the Heart, and peirc'd the very Soul;</L>
<L>Oh! what an excellent Surgeon has he been,</L>
<L>To Set a Con&s;cience (out of joint by Sin)</L>
<L>He at one blow could VVound and Heal, whil&s;t all</L>
<L>Wondred to find a Purge, a Cordial:</L>
<L>His Manna-Breathing Sermons often have</L>
<L>Given our Good Thoughts new Life, our Bad a Grave.</L>
<L>His Life was the U&s;e of's Doctrine &s;till annext,</L>
<L>And all his Actions Comments on his Text,</L>
<L>He made a Chri&s;tian Frame of Heart appear</L>
<L>So Imitable, that Preach'd ev'ry where;</L>
<L>Nor owe we le&s;s to his Ingenious Quill,</L>
<L>VVhereby (although now Dead) he Preaches &s;till;</L>
<L>The <HI>Way to Happine&s;s</HI> he plainly &s;how'd,</L>
<L>And how <HI>Canaan</HI> with <HI>Milk and Hony</HI> Flow'd;</L>
<L>To <HI>Things worth thinking on,</HI> he did apply,</L>
<L>And &s;till &s;ought to promote true Piety:</L>
<L><HI>Sins</HI> dreadfull <HI>Plague-Sore,</HI> which none &s;hould endure,</L>
<L>He &s;oon di&s;covers, and pre&s;cribes a Cure;</L>
<L>And when's quaint wit brought forth a <HI>Paradox,</HI></L>
<L>His Chri&s;tian Spirit made it <HI>Orthodox.</HI></L>
<L>In Life, he taught to Dye, and now did give</L>
<L>In Death, a great example how to Live:</L>
<L>Fond Earth then cea&s;e, and let thy childi&s;h eyes,</L>
<L>Ne'r weep for Him, thou ne'r knew'&s;t how to prize;</L>
<L>But if you needs mu&s;t weep, oh come, come in,</L>
<L>Ye Multitudes his pains have heal'd of Sin;</L>
<L>If you'l be grateful Debtors, pay him now</L>
<L>Some of tho&s;e Tears which he laid out for you.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the Year 1674.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
