A godly new Ballad, Intituled, A dozen of Points.
A dozen of Points you may here read,
Whereon each Christians soul may feed.
THe gift is smal, a dozen of points,
Wherewith I've wish you knit your joynts,
Kéep well the same and credit me.
Thy life most pure and just shall be.
The first Point's this I wish you kéep,
Is that at night before you sléep:
Still sée you ask God forgiveness
Of all your sins and wickedness.
The second Point is this I say,
When thou dost see the chearful day,
Arise and praise the God of might
That hath defended thée all night.
The third is this that thou wouldst require,
And on thy bended knees desire,
The God of heaven to be thy stay,
For to preserve thée night and day,
The fourth doth bid thée to be ware,
And to avoid the subtil snare,
For Satan with his crafty power
Doth séek mens souls for to devour.
The fifth good counsel doth thee give,
And warn thee well whilst thou dost live,
To kéep thy conscience clear and pure
Then God will bless thee to be sure.
The sixth of these my Points do will
That thou devise no subtle skil,
Whereby to work thy Neighbors wo,
Take heed I say and do not so.
The seventh saith, defraud no man,
But deal as justly as you can;
The Widow and the Fatherless defend
So God will bless thée to the end.
The eighth doth bid thée more or less
Still to beware of drunkennesse;
For drunkenness is abhor'd of God
On whom he lays his heavy rod.
The ninth saith, Fornication fly,
Those wicked Harlots will make thee die:
Thy body they'l consume I say,
And bring thy soul unto decay.
The tenth doth say, do not forswear,
False witness against no man bear:
Let no affection sway thy mind
The eye of Justice for to blind.
The eleventh enjoyns thee not to desire
Thy Neighbors goods for to require,
But the ten Commandements observe,
So shalt thou stand and never swerve.
The twelfth saith, fear the God of might,
And truely serve him day and night:
Obey the King as 'tis thy part
To thy Countrey bear a faithful heart.
Sée these my Points thou dost possesse,
Even when thou thy self dost rest:
Kéep well each one in his degrée,
And knit them fast and credit m
[...]
The Angell Gabriell, his Salutation to the Blessed Virgin MARY.
To the tune of,
The Blazing Torch.
WHen righteous
Joseph wedded was
to
Israels Hebrew maid,
A glorious Angel came from Heaven,
who to the Virgin said:
Hail blessed
Mary full of grace,
the Lord remains in thee:
Thou shalt conceive and bear a Son
thy Saviour to be.
That's wondrous strange quoth
Mary then
I should conceive and breed,
Being never toucht by mortal man,
but pure in thought and déed,
Fear not, quoth
Gabriel by and by,
it is no work of man:
But only God's, ordain'd at first
before the world began.
Which heavenly message she believes,
and did to
Jury go,
Threé moneths with her friends to stay,
Gods blessed will to show:
And then return'd with
Joseph back,
her Husband méek and mild,
Who thought it strange his wife should be
untoucht, thus grown with child.
Wherefore (thought he) to shun that shame
he thought her to forsake:
But that Gods Angel in his sléep
Gods mind did undertake.
Fear not just
Ioseph this thy wife
is still a spotlesse Maid,
And no consent to sin (quoth he)
against her can be laid.
For she is purely Maid and Wife,
the mother of Gods own Heir,
The Babe of Heaven, and blessed Lamb,
of
Israels stock so fair:
To save lost shéep to Satan sold,
whom
Adam lost by fraud,
When first in
Edens Paradise
the Lord had them bestow'd.
Thus
Mary with her Husband kind,
together did remain,
Vntil the time of
Iesus birth
as Scripture doth make plain.
Thus Mother, Wife, and Virgin pure,
our Saviour sweet conceiv'd,
All three in one to bring us joy,
of which we were bereav'd.
Sing praises then both old and young,
to him which wrought such things,
That thus without the help of man
sent us the King of Kings:
Which is of such a blessed power,
that with his word can quell
The World, the Flesh, and by his Death
could conquer death and hell.
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere and W. Gilbertson.