A Watch for a Wise-mans observation.
I.
ONe
God there is, of Wisedome, Glory, Might,
One
Faith there is, to guide our soules aright:
One
Truth there is, that errours doth descry.
One
Baptisme, for to know all Christians by.
II.
Two
Testaments there are, the Old and New,
Wherein the
Law, and
Gospel thou maiest view:
The one for
Works, &
Deeds doth precepts give,
The other sayes, the
Just by faith shal live.
III.
Three Persons in the Glorious
Trinity,
Make one true God, in perfect
Vnity,
The
Father, Sonne and
Holy Ghost, these three;
For ever equall and
Eternall be.
IV
Foure holy, blessed,
Sanctified men,
For comfort of all
Christians that did pen,
Our
Saviours Birth, Life, Death and passion,
Whereon depends our
Soules salvation.
V
Five
Senses do in every man maintaine,
A government of power to
Rule and
Reigne,
Thy
Hearing, Seeing, Tasting, Feeling, Smelling,
Which all at
Death, will leave thee, and their dwelling
VI
Six dayes thou hast allow'd to labour in,
(So
Mercifull and good thy God hath been)
Of seven, to himselfe he takes but one.
Oh rob him not of that, to leave him none.
VII
Seven liberall Arts, by a
Divine Instinct,
Vnto Mans understanding soule, are linckt:
Rhetorique, Grammer, Musicke, Geometry,
Arithmeticke, Logicke, and
Astronomy.
VIII
Eight Persons in the
Arke, of righteous
Noah,
Were
saved, when for
Sinne God did destroy,
The fowle defiled
World, all creatures drown'd,
Which in that
Ship of safety were not found.
IX
Nine
Muses like unto the Heavens
Spheares,
To
Sacred tunes intice inclining
Eares:
To elevate sad melancholy mind,
And cheare the heart that's dolefully inclin'd.
X
In ten
Precepts God hath his Law declared,
Man breakes them all, and so unlesse God spared,
And in his
Mercy did our
Sinnes remit,
Our just reward, were the
Infernall Pit.
XI.
Eleven
Disciples did with
Iesus pray,
When
Judas did the Sonne of God betray,
Through
Covetousnesse, for greedy gain he fell,
To be
Perditions child condemn'd to Hell,
XII
Twelve
Tribes there were amongst our fathers old,
Twelve
Articles, our Christian faith doth hold,
Twelve
Gates to new
Ierusalem there be,
Vnto which
City Christ bring thee and mee.
The Emperor, King, Noble, and Beggar all, Must yeeld to Death, and come when he doth call. Where is Alexander? Where is Plato? Where is Croesus?
Mortuus est.
O Earth, of Earth, observe this well,
When Earth in Earth shall come to dwell,
Where Earth with Earth shall close remaine,
Till Earth from Earth do rise againe,
And Earth before his Judge doe come,
For to receive a finall doome.
If Earth on Earth had lived so,
That Earth no fruits of Faith can show:
Then what reward shall Earth expect,
That did on Earth his God neglect,
Oh serve the Lord with all thy power,
For here thou hast no certaine houre,
Remember man when thou cam'st here,
How naked poor thou didst appeare,
And how againe (what ere thou have)
Thou naked must returne to Grave.
Thy wooden Chest, (a narrow place)
A Coffin lid close up thy face.
Thy soule (if sav'd) to heaven flyes,
Thy body here a rotting
[...]
Forsaken of thy friends and
[...]ine,
As thou on Earth hadst never been,
When they have brought thee to the grave,
And yeelded Earth, what Earth doth crave,
They backe returne from whence they came,
Till others do the very same,
In following them, as they did thee,
This course with all the world will be.
And heres thy portion and thy lot,
With men thou shalt be soon forgot,
And so into oblivion passe,
With such a man sometimes he was:
But neither beauty, riches, strength,
Could give his life a minutes length.
Therefore, O man, thinke on thy state,
Before thy life be out of date:
Unto thy God for Mercy pray,
That at thy last and dying day,
The glorious Angels may thee bring,
Where blessed Saints for ever sing.
Amen.
London Printed by R. I. for Samuel Rand dwelling at Holborne-Bridge. 1650.