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

CHAP. IV.

BUT hereat Jonah was extremely vexed, And in his mind exceedingly perplexed: And to the Lord his God he prayed, and said, O Lord, I pray thee, was not I afraid ⟨p. 46⟩Of this, when I was yet at home? Therefore I unto Tarshish took my flight before: For that thou art a gracious God I know, Of tender Mercy, and to Anger slow, Of great Compassion, and dost oft recall The Evil thou dost threat Mankind withal: Now therefore, Lord, I earnestly do pray That thou wouldst please to take my Life away, For I had better die than live. Dost thou Do well, said God, to be so angry now? So then out of the City Jonah went, And on the East-side of it made a Tent, And underneath the shade thereof he sate, Expecting what would be the City's Fate: And over Jonah's Head behold, the Lord Prepared, and caused to come up, a Gourd To shadow him, and ease him of his Grief; And Jonah was right glad of this Relief. But God a Worm sent early the next day, Which smote the Gourd, it withered away: And when the Sun arose it came to pass, That God a vehement East wind did raise; Besides, the Sun did beat upon his Head, So that he fainted, saying, would I were dead, For it is better for me now to die, Than thus to lead my Life in Misery. And to distressed Jonah, said the Lord, Dost thou well to be angry for the Gourd? And he unto the Lord made this Reply, I do well to be angry even to die. Thou hast had pity, Jonah, on the Gourd, For which thou didst not labour, said the Lord, ⟨p. 47⟩Nor madest it to grow, which also came Up in a Night, and perished in the same: And should not I extend my gracious Pity To Nineveh, so populous a City, Where more than Sixscore thousand Persons dwell Who 'twixt their Right-hand, and their Left, can tell No difference, wherein are also found Cattle which do in Multitudes abound?