Ancient Poems [11]
Forbear to call, their skill will never do, They are but mortals here as well as you: I give the fatal wound, my dart is sure, And far beyond the doctor's skill to cure. How freely can you let your riches fly To purchase life, rather than yield to die! But while you flourish here with all your store, You will not give one penny to the poor; Though in God's name their suit to you they make, You would not spare one penny for His sake! The Lord beheld wherein you did amiss, And calls you hence to give account for this!
LADY.
Oh! heavy news! must I no longer stay? How shall I stand in the great judgment-day? [Down from her eyes the crystal tears did flow: She said], None knows what I do undergo: Upon my bed of sorrow here I lie; My carnal life makes me afraid to die. My sins, alas! are many, gross and foul, Oh, righteous Lord! have mercy on my soul! And though I do deserve thy righteous frown, Yet pardon, Lord, and pour a blessing down. [Then with a dying sigh her heart did break, And did the pleasures of this world forsake.]
Thus may we see the high and mighty fall, For cruel Death shows no respect at all To any one of high or low degree Great men submit to Death as well as we. Though they are gay, their life is but a span - A lump of clay - so vile a creature's man. Then happy those whom Christ has made his care, Who die in the Lord, and ever blessed are. The grave's the market-place where all men meet, Both rich and poor, as well as small and great. If life were merchandise that gold could buy, The rich would live, the poor alone would die.
Poem: ENGLAND'S ALARM; OR THE PIOUS CHRISTIAN'S SPEEDY CALL TO REPENTANCE
For the many aggravating sins too much practised in our present mournful times: as Pride, Drunkenness, Blasphemous Swearing, together with the Profanation of the Sabbath; concluding with the sin of wantonness and disobedience; that upon our hearty sorrow and forsaking the same the Lord may save us for his mercy's sake.
[FROM the cluster of 'ornaments' alluded to in the ninth verse of the following poem, we are inclined to fix the date about 1653. The present reprint is from an old broadside, without printer's name or date, in possession of Mr. J. R. Smith.]
YOU sober-minded christians now draw near, Labour to learn these pious lessons here; For by the same you will be taught to know What is the cause of all our grief and woe.
We have a God who sits enthroned above; He sends us many tokens of his love: Yet we, like disobedient children, still Deny to yield submission to His will.
The just command which He upon us lays, We must confess we have ten thousand ways Transgressed; for see how men their sins pursue, As if they did not fear what God could do.
Behold the wretched sinner void of shame, He values not how he blasphemes the name Of that good God who gave him life and breath, And who can strike him with the darts of death!
The very little children which we meet, Amongst the sports and pastimes in the street, We very often hear them curse and swear, Before they've learned a word of any prayer.
'Tis much to be lamented, for I fear The same they learn from what they daily hear; Be careful then, and don't instruct them so, For fear you prove their dismal overthrow.
Both young and old, that dreadful sin forbear; The tongue of man was never made to swear, But to adore and praise the blessed name, By whom alone our dear salvation came.
Pride is another reigning sin likewise; Let us behold in what a strange disguise Young damsels do appear, both rich and poor; The like was ne'er in any age before.
What artificial ornaments they wear, Black patches, paint, and locks of powdered hair; Likewise in lofty hoops they are arrayed, As if they would correct what God had made.
Yet let 'em know, for all those youthful charms, They must lie down in death's cold frozen arms! Oh think on this, and raise your thoughts above The sin of pride, which you so dearly love.
Likewise, the wilful sinners that transgress The righteous laws of God by drunkenness, They do