Scriptural poems being several portions of Scripture digested into English verse /

NOW unto Jonah, old Amittai's Son, Thus did the Word of the Almighty come, And said, Arise; Go thou forthwith & cry 'Gainst that great City Nineveh; for why, The Sins thereof are come up in my sight. But he arose, that he to Tarshish might Flee from God's Presence; and went down & found A Ship at Joppa unto Tarshish bound: He paid the Fare, and with them went on board For Tarshish, from the Presence of the Lord. But the Almighty a great Wind did raise, And sent a mighty Tempest on the Seas, So that the Ship was likely to be broken. Then were the Mariners with Horror strucken; And to his God they cried every one; And over-board was the Ships lading thrown To lighten it: but down into the Ship Was Jonah gone, and there lay fast asleep. So to him came the Master and did say, What meanest thou, O Sleeper! Rise and pray Unto thy God, and he perhaps will hear, And save us from the danger that we fear. ⟨p. 42⟩Then said they to each other, come, let's try, By casting Lots, on whom the Fault doth lie, In bringing all this evil now upon us. So they cast Lots, and the Lot fell on Jonah. Then said they, we entreat thee let us know, For whose cause we this evil undergo, Whence comest thou? What is thine Occupation? What Country-man art thou? And of what Nation? And unto them himself he did declare, And said, I am an Hebrew, and do fear The Living Lord, the God of Heaven, who Alone hath made the Sea and dry Land too. Then were the Men exceedingly afraid; And, wherefore hast thou done this thing? they said (For they did understand he did forgo God's Presence, for himself had told them so.) What shall we do unto thee then they said, That so the raging of the Sea be stayed? (For it did rage and foam.) Take me, said he, And cast me over board into the Sea; So shall the Sea be calm, for on my score I know it is, that thus the Waves do roar. Nevertheless they rowed hard to gain The Land, but all their labour was in vain; So much against them did the Tempest beat. Wherefore they the Almighty did entreat, And said, we do beseech thee, and we pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst not upon us lay The charge of guiltless Blood, nor let it be, That now we perish, on the account that we Take this Man's Life away; for thou alone, As it hath pleased thee, O Lord, hast done.