The Voice of the Last Trumpet Blown, Lesson 3
¶ The Seruauntes leſſon.
BRother come hither vntounto me,
And learne ſome parte of diſcipline:
For I am ſent to enſtruct the,
And teach the ſome Godly doctrine.
I am ſente to call the I ſaye,
Backe frō thy ſtoute & ſtubburne mind:
Take hede therefore, and beare away
Such leſſons as thou ſhalt here …inde.
Fyrſte conſidre that thy callynge,
Is to do ſeruice and obey:
Luke. xvii.All thy maiſters lawfull biddynge,
Bearinge that he ſhall on the laye.
If he be cruel vntounto the,
And ouer charge the with laboure:
Call to the Lorde, and thou ſhalte be,
Shortely out of his cruell power.
Remembre thou Iacobs kynred,
That in Egypt were ſore oppreſt:
But when they were moſte hard beſted,Exod. i.
The Lord brought them to quiet reſt.
They coulde not crye ſo ſone but he,
Had heard and graunted their requeſte:Exod. i. iii.
And ryght ſo will he do by the,
And ſe all thy great wronges redreſt.
He will I ſaye deliuer the,
Out of bondage and ſeruitude.
And brynge to paſſe that thou ſhalt be,Math. xxv.
Maiſter of a greate multitude.
And bicauſe thou didſt walke vpright
Shewynge thy ſelfe obedient:
Thy ſeruauntes ſhal hauehave ſtill in ſight,Math. vii. and .xiiii.
The feare of God omnipotent.
And like ſeruice as thou haſt done,
Thou ſhalt hauehave done to the agayne:
For ſence the worlde was firſte begone
Neuer true ſeruaunt loſt his payne.
Iacob ſerued full fourtene yere,
And dea…t truly with his maiſter:
As in the Bible doth appeare,Gene. xxi….
And was exceadinge riche after.
Fourtene yere he ſerued Laban,
Who was made riche by his labour:
But afterwarde Iacob began,
To groue to muche greater honour,
Laban was neuer of ſuch might
As Iacob was wythin ſhorte ſpace:
For his true ſeruice in Gods ſight,
Had purchaſt hym fauour and grace.
Thus ſeeſt thou how god doth regard
The good ſeruice of ſeruauntes true
And howe he doth in them reward
The ſeruice that is but their due.
It forceth not what maner man
1 Petre. ii.Thy maiſter is, ſo that thou be:
In thy ſeruice a chriſtian,
Doynge as Chriſt commaundeth the.
But if thy maiſter be wicked,
And woulde hauehave the do wyckedly:
Then ſe that thy fayth be pitched
On thy Lord God moſt conſtauntly
Call to thy minde good Daniel,
Who ſerued his prince fayethf…lly
Notwithſtandynge he was cruel
And eke his Lorde Gods enemy.
Serue him truly I ſay, for why,
God hath bade that thou ſholdeſt do ſo:
But do thou nothinge wickedly,
Neither for well nor yet for wo.
Se thou ſerue him as faythfully,
As he were thy Lord, and thy God:
…olo. iii. Ephe. vi.Not with eye ſeruice faynedly,
Neither for the feare of the rodde.
But for the conſcience thou doſt bear,
To thy Lorde Gods commaundement.
That is for louelove, and not for feare,
Of any worldely puniſhmente.
Do thus and then thou ſhalt be ſure,
Thy Lord wil euer proſpere the:
And at his good will and pleaſure,
Thou ſhalt not miſſe to be made fre.
But if thou wilt be ſtill ſturdy,
And do thy ſeruice wyth grudging:
The Lord ſhal …lage the worthely,
With manifolde kindes of ſcourginge.
Thou ſhall be put to drudgery,
Many a day…, ma grea thine head:
A…d be kepte ſtill in ſlauery,
Al thy life dayes till thou be dead.
And if thou chaunce to renue awaye,
Either th…u ſhalt be brought agayne:
Or elſe when thou doeſt chaunce to ſtay,
A worſe maiſter ſhall the retayne.
Once thou …halt be certayne of this,
Tha… if thou ref…ſe thy callinge:
Of miſerie …hou …halte not miſſe,
Th…gh thou eſca…e ſodayne fallinge.
Yea though thou do proſpere a while
And ſe…e to hauehave fortune thy frende:
Yet thou doeſt but thy ſelfe begile,
For miſery ſhall be thyne ende.
For as thou dideſt thy maſter ſerue,
So ſhall al thy ſeruauntes ſerue the:
And as thou didſt hys goodes preſerue
So ſhall thy goodes preſerued be.
And beſide this Gods wrath is bent,
Towarde the for diſobedience:
Wherefore vnles thou do repent
He wyl adde therto vehemence.
He wyl plage the here wonderouſly,
And at the ende caſte the in payne:
Where thou ſhalt lye eternally,
And wyſ…he to be a ſlaue agayne.
Repent therfore, I the aduiſe,
And ſeke thine owne ſaluation:
And then thou muſte in any wiſe
Walke ſtill in thy vocation.
Do thy ſeruice diligently,
And ſhewe no diſobedience:
Be thou not ſtoute, but ſtil apply,
And do all thynges with reuerence.
Refuſe nothing that muſt be done,
But do it with all redines:
And when thou haſt it once begone.
Then ſet a ſyde all ſlouthfulnes.
Be true, truſtye, and trifle not,
Be gentle and obediente:
And bleſſyng ſhall lyght on thy lot,
For doynge Gods commaundem…nt.
To make an ende hauehave ſtill in minde,
Thine eſtate and condition:
And let thine herte be ſtill enclinde,
To walke in thy vocation.