A Looking Glass · Samuel Shaw
A Looking Glass, Text
A LOOKING-GLASSE, OR, PARALEL, OPPOSING The PROPHANE, Carnall PROFESSOR, and true BELEIVER, one to the other.
| Prophane, | Profeſſors, | Beleivers, |
| 1. ARe many to Profeſſors, | To Beleivers, | The feweſt of all, |
| 2. Reſt on forms at beſt, | Are but Formaliſts, | Reſt not on formalities, |
| 3. Hate profeſſion, | Profeſe only, | Profeſs and do, |
| 4. Are ignorant of the Scriptures, | Of the truth of the Scriptures, | Are acquainted with both, |
| 5. Will learn nothing, | Are ever learning, | Increaſe in knowledge, |
| 6. Tread Chriſts blood under foot. | Know not its worth, | Acknowledge its excellency, |
| 7. Are led about by Satan, | By their own luſts, | Only by the Spirit, |
| 8. Are weary of good duties, | Grow weaker in them, | Renew their ſtrength, |
| 9. Grow daily more vile, | Wax worſe, and worſe, | Are beſt at laſt, |
| 10. Say they beleive, yet beleive not. | Say they deſire to beleive, | Beleive, yet deſire more faith, |
| 11. Uſe no means but by conſtraint, | Uſe means and reſt there, | Uſe means, yet reſt on none, |
| 12. Think they may uſe too much means, | Limit themſelves, | Uſe means moſt of all, |
| 13. Think they may be too holy. | Are never truly holy, | Have perfect holineſs in Chriſt, |
| 14. Cannot endure to be queſtioned about Religion, | Are full of queſtions, | Deſire to be throughly tryed, |
| 15. Change Religion with the times, | Are eaſily changed, | Not by death or torture, |
| 16. Will not ſuffer for Religion, | Not much, | Suffer joyfully, |
| 17. Say they are more then they ſeem, | Seem more then they are, | Are more then they ſeem, |
| 18. Hate all ſhew of Religion, | All power, | Have both, |
| 19. Are Key-cold, | Luke-warm, | Truly hot, |
| 20. Are devout, the Sacrament neer, | The Sacrament day. | Truly devout alwaies, |
| 21. Are glad when the Sabbath's over, | When it comes they ſay, | Rejoyce moſt in that day, |
| 22. Care not for duties, | Know not how to do them, | Look for help from Chriſt, |
| 23. Say they are Sinners, but think not ſo, | Think they are Sinners, but not ſin it ſelf, | Know that they are nothing elſe but ſin, |
| 24. Talk of Chriſt occaſionaly, | Speak of him purpoſely, | Delight only in him, |
| 25. Call for Goſpel, Goſpel, | For Law; Law, | For both, |
| 26. Cry down terrible preaching, | Comfortable preaching, | Take pleaſure in both, |
| 27. Are not humbled by the Law, | Not comforted by the Goſpel, | Are by both, |
| 28. Account the Law rayling, | The Goſpel Daubing, | Know the uſe of both, |
| 29. Abuſe the Goſpel to looſneſs, | The Law to deſpair, | Uſe both aright, |
| 30. Place Religion in good meaning, | In good doing, | In faith in Chriſt, |
| 31. Are ſtrangers to all Righteouſneſs, | To Evangelicall Righteouſneſs, | Know Chriſts Righteouſneſs, |
| 32. Put all on Chriſt, and do nothing, | Do all and leave Chriſt nothing, | Do moſt, yet find fulneſs in Chriſt, |
| 33. Zealous at Common-prayer. | At Sermons or Faſts, | Alwaies, |
| 34. Talk little of Religion. | Will talk much, | Know how to be ſilent, |
| 35. Know no aſſurance of Salvation, | Are never aſſured, | Strive for, and may be infallibly certain, |
| 36. Brag of any good they do, | Are boaſters but craftily, | Deny themſelves. |
| 37. Poſt off Repentance till laſt. | Are repenting, yet repent not, | Repent, yet reſt only on faith in Chriſt, |
| 38. Would be Profeſſors at death, | Beleivers at death, | Live by faith in life and death, |
| 39. Glory in ſin, | In ſinfull duties, | In Chriſts Croſs, |
| 40. Cavell moſt at Profeſſion, | At beleiving, | Profeſs and beleive, |
| 41. Raiſe ſlanders of Profeſſors, | Of Beleivers, | Of none, |
| 42. Shun Profeſſors company, | Beleivers fellowſhip, | Imbrace Beleivers in love, |
| 43. Joyne with Atheiſts rather then Profeſſors, | With prophane then beleivers, | Love their like, |
| 44. Watch for Profeſſors halting, | Beleivers tripping, | Are grieved at both, |
| 45. Publiſh Profeſſors faults, | Beleivers infirmities, | Cover all in love, |
| 46. Mock Profeſſors, | Gird at beleivers, | Bear all for Chriſt, |
| 47. Hate Reprovers, | Bear rebukes hardly, | Love ſuch above all, |
| 48. Are implacable to Profeſſors, | Are ſo to Beleivers, | Are eaſily appeaſed, |
| 49. Take revenge on Profeſſors, | On Beleivers, | Leave all to God, |
| 50. Deride the brother-hood, | Hold fraternity in time of peace, | Part not with it to death, |
| 51. Are terrified by troubles, | Ever Caſt down, | Glory in Tribulation, |
| 52. Love not tidings of death, | Loath to dye, | Long for Chriſts coming, |
| 53. Love the praiſe of men, | Affect applauſe, | Give all glory to God, |
| 54. Are all for the world, | Are much intangled therewith, | Are Heavenly minded, |
| 55. Are hard hearted, | Cloſe fiſted, | Liberall minded, |
| 56. Nouriſh baſe Luſts, | Have their beloved ſins, | Hate all ſin truly, |
| 57. Are ſad in Profeſſors company, | In Beleivers fellowſhip, | Joy in ſuch Society, |
| 58. Nickname Profeſſors, | Beleivers, | Are nick-named of all, |
| 59. Are high-minded, | Much exalted, | Are meek and lowly, |
| 60. Love none heartily, | Love in word, | Love Believers til death, |
| 61. Requite good with evill, | Evill with evill, | Evill with good, |
| 62. Hate their Enemies, | Love their friends, | Love their Enemies, |
| 63. Are apt for Law-Suits, | Will go to Law for little, | Are hardly provoked, |
| 64. Glory in their Wealth, | Are highly exalted thereby, | Are content in all Eſtates, |
| 65. Are all for mirth, | Will be wantonly merry, | Rejoyce not in ſin at all, |
| 66. Will venture Soule for gain, | Will hazard much that way, | Love not filthy lucre, |
| 67. Are all for their belly, | Great belly Gods, | Hunger more for Chriſt, |
| 68. Would have States put down all ſhew of godlineſs, | All truth and power, | To maintain both, |
| 69. Are careleſs of Salvation, | Carefull only for that, | To walk as the ſaved, |
| 70. By ſinning grow more expert, | More wary, | More weakned to it, |
| 71. Keep others from Profeſſion, | Think it enough to profeſs themſelves, | Labour the converſion of others, |
| 72. Are not Profeſſors, nor will be, | Are not beleivers, yet ſeem to be, | Are both, |
| 73. Heare but keep nothing, | Heare and repeat, | Heare, repeat, and retain, |
| 74. Are open enemys to Chriſts Croſs, | Secret Adverſaries, | Are hearty lovers of the Croſs of Chriſt, |
| 75. Know not Chriſt at all, | Love him not, | Love him unfainedly, |
| 76. Are Devils in black, | Devils in white, | Glorious Saints, |
By S. S.
End of the text · Samuel Shaw, A Looking Glass (1661)