Songs of Zion, Poem 1 – Dedication 4
The first muse.
1.
…Eare soule thou hast thought of thy end
And novve muse on the vvay,
…he first part is a life vvell spent,
The last is deaths doomes day.
2.
…all I call that the vvay of vvoe
By vvhichwhich vve passe to blisse?
sure there is noe vvay but that
To bring me vvhere Christ is.
3.
…nd vvhat is death novve dost thou thinke?
But dovvne vvith all the stickes,
…f vvhichwhich this earth, & tent of ours
Is made, that gainst god kickes.
4.
…eath is the farevvell of old frends,
Till they meete to be blest,
…eath is the iudge to quitt frō iayle,
The soule that longs for rest.
5.
Death makes the corps of cla… … slee…
But vvakes the soule to see,
Death payes the debte, & teares th… bo…
And all to sett thee free.
6.
There is a death of deaths my soule
The death of hell, and vvoe,
But Christ his death hath payd fo… th…
His vvord doth tell thee soe.
7.
O Christ my soule doth thinke on th…
And thankes thee day, and nigh…
That thou hast r…d me frō this deat…
By thy great povver, and might.
1. THOUGHT.
Thy Christ o soule hath set the… free vvho through feare of death vver… all their life time in bonds and thrall.
HEB. 2. 15.
The second muse.
1.
… Muse my soule sith thou art safe,
Get home ene to thy rest,
…r god to praise in songs, & psalmes
I hold it for the best.
2.
…y soule hovve canst thou feare to goe
In stepps vvhere Christ hath bine;
…e hath to graue led thee the vvay
O then leaue of to sinne.
3.
…or hire of sinne is death, and graue
To death are deepe fell vvayes;
…here needs noe kinues, noe cords, noe svvords,
It comes on nights, and dayes.
4.
…ne by a slatt, a flye, a grape,
One by a bit of meate
…ne by the ayre, a flovver, a thorne
Comes to his doome so great.
5.
Why then my soule feare not th… dea…
The sting of it is lost
The bed of graue is svveete, and safe
Through Christ his care, & cost.
6.
Our sinne made death our foe at last
Our frend Christ hath it made;
By death vve pass the port of rest
When all things else doe fade.
7.
What if this giude doe lead my corps
Through graue both darke & fell …
Whiles at that tyme my soule doth liue
And vvith my Christ doth dvv…ll.
2. THOUGHT.
O my soule ioy, & be glad for thy Christ hath made thee say to death, o death vvhere is thy death, o graue vvhere is thy povver.
1. COR. 15. 55.
The third muse.
1.
WHat if my frends doe mourne for me
And sobb, and sigh in moane;
What if my seed doe crie, and roare,
And greeue, and vvaile, and grone?
2.
This vvhile my soule sees him that vvas
Once dead but novve doth liue,
And that for aye my Christ in god,
My lord that life doth giuegive.
3.
What care I vvho doth shutt mine …ies
Whē death doth make me see
As I am seene of god in Christ
And then vvith him shall be.
4.
What if my life the vvorld doe not
Set out in vvords, of fame
Whiles I liue vvith the god of life
What care I for the same.
5.
If death shovvld still be foe to me
He harmes but my vvorst part,
My best part farre out of his reac…
Scornes both his ruth, and dar….
6.
And more then this my corps once dea…
Feeles noe more sting of death,
But then my soule is free, and liues
In god by Christ his breath.
7.
Novve then my soule sich thou do… bea…
Tvvo things vvrapt vp in breast
Lett each part turne, and goe, & se…
His seate, his scite, his rest.
3. THOUGHT.
O god they that dvvelt in a darke place by thee hauehave seene the light, & they that vvalkt in the shade of death tho… hast brought them to the light vvith great ioy, & peace.
ESAY. 9. 2.
The fourth muse.
1.
SHrinke not deare soule at sight of death
Nor faint thou at gods call
…ovve oft hast thou hard bells to passe
For frends, for foes, for all.
2.
…ovve oft hast thou the sicke bede seene
Of vvights in woe most rife
…ovve oft hauehave things bine done to death
And all to giuegive thee life.
3.
…nd canst thou hope that some vvay else
For thee is made in sence
Whē kings, & Prests, & rich, & poore
And all must thus goe hence
4.
…asse on my soule, & sing, & ioy
In god that makes the graue,
A place for thee to pass to bliss
And knovves vvhat thou vvouldst hauehave.
5.
Hovve oft hast thou seene eies f… clo…
And heard by dint of svvord
Hovve oft vaine men in field ha… foug…
In fence of a vaine vvord
6.
What thē novve dost thou feare my soul…
The stage of death is bed,
And graue that rests our bones in pea…
That here on earth hauehave fed
7.
Let them feare death vvhose hart, & mind
Is more sicke thē their face
Hovve canst thou feare since novve thy Christ
Hath shed his bloud for grace.
4. THOUGHT.
O giuegive me light that am set in a darke place, & shade of death, and giude me by thy good grace o Christ to the vvay of peace.
LUCK. 1. 79.
The fift muse.
1.
WHat losse is this svveet soule to loose
This corps this flesh, this skinn?
…hen thou shalt vvinn thy god in Christ,
Thy selfe fred from thy sinn.
2.
…hen thou shalt see the soules the Saincts
…n ioy, in rest, in blisse
…hē thou this vvorld a sea of sinne
A sinke, a stye, shalt misse?
3.
… change most blest for thee to knovve
To rid thee of these raggs.
…nd thy selfe clad in robes of state
In spight of death his brags.
4.
…his skin, this shame, this dust, this dung,
This earth, this mire, this clay
…all shine as sunne in raies of rest
When thou shalt see that day.
5.
Thine eies that vvere full sad to …
Thine oft, and ill done deeds;
Shall then see Christ still in thy sigh…
Where grace, & good still feeds.
6.
These eares that heare the ruth & rag…
Of tongue, as hott as hell;
Shall then the voice of Christ sh… hea…
And saincts vvith him that dvvell
7.
And thē this tongue that novv dot… pla…
Of greefe, of vvoe, of gall
Shall tune a part in that svveet qui…
With Christ, vvith saincts, vvith a…
5. THOUGHT.
O my soule thy Christ hath tooke part vvith flesh, & bloud, that by deat… he might beate dovvne him that had th… povver of death.
HEB. …. 14.
The sixt muse.
1.
…Ovve vvhat is death thē say my soule
Ist not a sleepe in graue?
…ey that did feele the vvorst of it
The stile of sleepe it gaue.
2.
…d aske thy corps, o my svveet soule
Whē full vvith toyle of day,
…it hath not bine glad to rest
As cloyd vvith a foule vvay.
3.
…nd novve in this svveete sleepe of death
Thou art sure to be blest
…hy like a child vvilt thou not goe
To this thy bed thy rest?
4.
…idst thou ere see a bird in cage,
Sitt still vvith in the grate?
…hat might flie foorth to vvoods, to groues
To meete his louelove, his mate?
5.
Did Paule vvhen god his gyues … bu…
And rid him out of iayle?
Crie out, & say, not yet o lord
I doe not like this bayle.
6.
Paule slepte tvvixt tvvo that did … keep
But vvhē that he vvas free
And rid frō iayle did he once tu…
To iayle those bonds to see.
7.
O my svveete soule didst ere thou …
At sea men sing their song…
And vvhē to lād they …āe did gr…
And tell their frends of vvrong…
6. THOUGHT.
O heare me o lord, my god, & … light to mine eies least I sleepe the … of death.
PSAL. 30. 3.
The seuenth muse.
1.
…st thou o soule no mind to rest
In all thy paine, and toyle?
… vvilt thou still goe on, & drudge
… lott on sea, on soyle.
2.
…ve oft hauehave vvights in vvoe, & greefe
… ought death to ease their paine
…h death found thee, & vvilt thou not
…o goe from greefe be faine
3.
…th name of death the fright my soule
…hat if mē call sleepe death
…lt thou be fraid to close thine eies
…r feare to loose thy breath.
4.
…hat hurt vvill cōe to thee by that
The first man vvas in sleepe
…ē god a vvife made him for helpe
The man in ioy to keepe.
5.
And vvhat if novve thy god forth
Whilst thou dost sleepe in gra…
Doth make thy soule a spouse Ch…
His face, his grace to hauehave
6.
My death o soule but parts the fr…
That each hath led the vvay,
And novve shake hands but for sp…
Till meete in rest thy may.
7.
Goe then my soule to this sure gai…
Part vvith a frend a space
The tyme vvill come vvhen this … d…
Shall see thy Christ his face.
7. THOUGHT.
The due of sinne my soule is d… & graue, & hell. but the gift of god is l… ioy, and blisse by Christ my lord, & god
ROM, 6. 13.
The eight muse.
1.
TEll me my soule vvas thou not loth
At first to ioyne vvith me?
…hy novve art loth to part vvith that,
Which much vvoe letts thee see.
2.
…ost thou not heare the vvise to say,
The day of death is cheefe;
…d is more good then day of birth
Which brings thee vvoe, & greefe,
3.
…ost not thou trust the vvise mans vvords
On throne in state in glee,
…at thus did say of death, & birth
Then harke thou once to me.
4.
…he lord of life that knevve deaths force
Doth say that they are blest
…hat die in god, our lord, our Christ
And from their vvoes hauehave rest.
5.
O death hovve svveete is that th… rest
To vvights in vale of teares
Hovve svveete is thy grim face to those
That liue in vvoe, & feares?
6.
O soule vvhat man is so fell mad,
And so in soule cast dovvne?
To hide himselfe in base things here
To loose by them a crovvne
7.
My soule then see, & say in fine
With men of gods ovvne lore.
For me to die it is more good
Then liue on this ville shore.
8. THOUGHT.
O my soule if by one mans sinne death did raigne by one, much more they vvhichwhich hauehave much grace, & the gift of faith shall raigne in life by one Christ my lord and god.
ROM. 5. 17.
The ninth muse.
1.
WHat ayles thee o my soule, my deare,
Such face, such feare to shevve?
Novve death doe come to cite thee home
Is all thy faith, but devve
2.
Is death soe fearce, soe fell, to eies,
To thoughts that vvas soe free;
It is a shame to thee my soule
Thou dost noe more Christ see.
3.
Where is thy faith? in vvords thou couldst
Call oft for death in life
Is all but talke? is all but smoke?
Where is thy hope so rife?
4.
Hath thy svveete Christ novv sent for thee
And art thou loth to goe?
Rouze vp thy selfe for shame o soule
And doe not serue him soe.
5.
O lord raise vp this hart of mine
That faints, & droopes in death
O that I might thy cup once tast,
And liue in thy svveete breath.
6.
The spright vvould come, but fles is vvea…
Lord helpe this guest of thine,
And rid her from this flesh of sinne
Which is a broode of mine.
7.
I come to thee, o lord I come
Streach forth thine hand to me▪
O death, o graue vvhere is thy sting
My crovvene, my god I see.
9. THOUGHT.
They are blest that hauehave a p…t i… the first life for on such the last dea… shall hauehave not strength but they shal b… preests of god, and of Christ.
Apoc. 20. 6.
FINIS.
Alls Pauls Prayers.
Metphrased into words of one syllable of great Brittains language, & are to be vsed by a devout Christian soule in his priuate soliloquies, & holy solaces vvith his god.
And are set to the tune of I louelove the lord because my voice.
PSALM CXVI.
O lord my god thou hast brought vp my soule out of the graue & thou didst hold me from those that goe dovvne to the pitt.
To his much esteemed good frend Mr. NICHOLAS BACKHOUSE …archant one of the assistants of the vvorthy companie of the Marchant Aduenturers residing at Hamborough.
The ioy of Ierusalem, & peace of Syon.
MUch endeered. The cheefest parts of gods seruice are either prayer …r praise Prayer for vvhat vve vvant. Praise in thanks giuing for vvhat vve hauehave receaued.
The svveete singer of Israell in his heauenly composed hymes vseth …oth to pray to god, & to praise …od. I need not recomend vntounto you prayer I hope you vse it as I knovv you doe publikely soe I doubte no… but you vse it also priuatly Preaching is gods speach to you Prayer is ours to him. Preaching belongs to me, I preach to you … your pastor, & pray for you also Prayer belongs to you to pray for me, your selfe, all yours, all go… childrē. For the manner hovve no… better president, noe more perfect patterne, then S. Paulls practice … his prayers, vvhichwhich I hauehave here metaphrased for you in the syllables of your ovvne mother tongue. Go… the father is the objecte of your prayers, & prayses. God the sonne the presenter of them as the only master of requests in heauen. Go… the holy ghost the very breath … your prayers, the simle of you… soule. Vse this blessed exercise both of prayer, & praise. Be in louelove vvith it, & god vvill louelove you. To vvhichwhich louelove of his in this modell of my best louelove to you I recomend your vvell disposed thoughts in the sauing mercies of Christ Iesus your lord, & mine. Resting
To be required by you, or your frends in Christs seruice W: LOE.