THE Compleat Bell-Man.
Being A Pattern for all sorts of People to tak [...] notice of the most remarkable Times and Dayes in the Year.
Very usefull for to read and meditate upon at a Times, both in Sicknesse and in Health.
Published for the help of all those that desire to [...] goldly in this life, and eternally happy in the life to come
By H: Crouch.
Newly Printed for FRANCIS COLES, at th [...] Half-Boul in the old Bailey.
A Table of all the Verses contained in this Book.
- [...] For Christs Birth-day.
- [...] For St. Stephens day.
- [...] For St. Iohn the Evangalist day.
- [...] For Innocents day
- [...] For the Circumcision of Christ
- 6 For New years day
- 7 For Twelfth day
- 8 For the Conversion of St. Paul.
- 9 For the Purificacion of Mary.
- 10 For Vallentines day
- 11 For St. Mathias day.
- 12 For the Annunciacion of Mary.
- 13 For good Friday.
- 14 For Easter day
- 15 For St. Marks day
- 16 For Phillip and jacobs day, or May day
- 17 For Ascencion day
- 18 For Whitsunday
- 19 For Barnaby bright
- 20 For St. Iohn Baptist [...] day
- 21 For St. Peters day.
- 22 For St. Iames day
- 23 For St. Bartholmews day.
- 24 For St Mathews day
- 25 For St Michaels day
- 26 For St. Lukes day
- 27 For Simon and Judea day
- 28 For All-Saints day
- 29 For Gunpouder-Treason day, or 5 of Nov.
- 30 For St. Andrews day.
- 31 For St. Thomas day
- 32 For St. Barnabas day.
- 33 For the S [...]bboth day
- 34 The Belmans Care
- 35 Gods Protection
- 36 Mans Mortallity
- 37 Mans Resurrection
- 38 Against Fear of Invasion
- 39 On the day of Doom.
THE Compleat Bell-Man. Being A Pattern for all sorts of People to tak [...] notice of the most remarkable Times and Dayes in the Year.
For Christs Birth-day.
THis is the Day, the joyfull Day indeed
Which God foretold, that the womans Seed
When Adam by his wife was then misled,
By Satans meanes, should break the Serpents head,
Christ came from Heaven upon the Earth to dwell
To die for us, and free our soules from Hell;
O blessed be his holy name therefore,
That gives a present Salve for every Sore.
For St: Stephens day.
SAint Stephen on this day was ston'd to death,
By misbeleiving Iewes he lost his breath,
For preaching Christ to them; which they withstood
Yet Stephen seald his Faith even with his blood.
Lord strengthen us against the day of tryall,
That we against our Faith make no denyall.
3 For St: Iohns day, the Evangelist.
SAint Iohn that holy Evangelist divine,
Whose Gospel over all the world doth shine,
Converted Heathens, was Christs bosom freind,
And preached pardon to us that offend,
[...]n leu of all, there is requir'd but this
To love and fear the Lord of joy and blis.
4 For Innocents Day.
THis was a bloody, dark, and dismall day,
When Herod did so many Children slay,
[...]ntending then our Saviour to have slain,
For feare lest he upon his Throne should raign,
Yet divine providence did guard him so
His time not come, that he escapt his fo;
Gods providence (you see) is for us all,
His tru Elect shall stand, the rest shall fall.
5 For the Circumcision of Christ, or New-years day.
OVr Saviour Christ came to fulfill the Law,
As all the Prophets in old time foresaw,
And as the Evangelists themselves doe say
Hée circumcised was on the Eight day.
Lord circumcise our hearts, and kéep us still
In thy true fear obedient to thy will.
6 Another for the same day.
THis is the first day of the year,
Begin it then in Gods true fear,
And if the old year bad was spent,
Begin the new well, and repent,
Because we cannot tell how soon
Our Morning may be turned to Noon,
Our Noon be turned into Night,
Our Soules from Bodies take their flight.
7 For twelfth day.
GOd by a Star directed the wise men
(As the Evangelists declare by their pen,
To find out Christ the Saviour of mankind:
They found and saw him; Wée by Faith him find:
They find by Faith who after him do thirst,
Hée found the lost sheep, so he found us first
8 For the Conversion of St: Paul.
THe admirable Conversion of St:
Paul
Séemes wonderfull and strange unto us all:
But those that do unto the Lord belong
Hée'l bring them home, the wicked from among,
Gifts of the spirit, God to him had given
And now remaines a blessed Saint in Heaven.
9 For the Purification of Mary or C [...]ndlemas day
THe Virgin Mary never did refuse
The Order and the Custom of the Iewes
For when the time of Purifying came,
Shée willing was and yéelded to the same;
Lord purifie our corrupt hearts within,
And clense our soules from soule-destroying sin.
10 For Vallentines Day.
YOung Men provide you fine new Gloves,
To give your Vallentines and Loves.
Arise, Arise; get up I say,
For this is merry Vallentines day,
Goe call up
Mary, Ioane, and
Ioyce,
And be you constant in your choyse,
11 For St Mathias Day.
BLessed Mathias, hée was chose in place
Of
Iudas that did fall away from grace,
O tis a fearfull thing to fall from God,
To ly for ever underneath his Rod,
To fall away and so receive our doom,
And have another taken in our room.
12 For the Salutacion of Mary, on March 25
HAil Mary, full of grace, the Angell sayd,
The God of Hosts is with thee, Holy Mayd,
Blessed above all other women-kind,
Such favour from the Highest thou shalt find,
The Holy-ghost shall over-shadow thee,
A Mayd shall bear a Son, that Son shall be
The Saviour of the world: praise yea the Lord
Who such a matchlesse mercy doth afford.
13 For good Friday
THis is the Day that we good Friday call,
This is the Day Christ sufferd for us all,
This is the Day Gods wrath was satisfide,
This is the Day weak Man was iustifide,
This is the Day Christs love to us was shown,
This is the Day the Devil was overthrown,
For which great love of his, let's thankfull bee,
That did from Sathans bondage set us free.
14 For Easter Day.
OVr Christ is risen from the Dead,
And opened the gate of Life,
Man redeem'd, the Devil fled,
Gods wrath appeasd, Christ ends the strife,
And for which unspeakable Love,
Let's evermore tru thankfull prove.
15 For Saint Marks Day,
SAint
Mark Gods holy Church instructed hath
So worthily and heavenly in the Faith,
And made the path way of our soules so even,
Wée cannot lightly misse the way to heaven,
Vnlesse we to our soules be so unkind
For to bée blown away by every wind.
16 For Phillip and Iacobs day or May-day.
YOung Men and Mayds do now prepare
Abroad to goe to take the Ayre,
To gather
May and many a thing
Thats brought forth by the plesant Spring
Together then they merry bee,
And wish
May-day as long as three.
17 For Ascencion Day.
CHrist is ascended up to Heaven,
And rich gifts to men hath given,
As we are members, he our head,
So we shall rise when we are dead,
And rest with him eternally
Where wee shall live and never dy.
18 For Whit-Sunday.
GOd sent on his Apostles his blest spirit
Of his own goodnesse, not their own merit,
Even so Lord give us all thy spirit of grace
And from our sinns give our poor soules release▪
That they to us may never be a terror,
And kéep us ever from the spirit of error.
19 For Barnaby bright.
THis day wee call
Barnaby bright
The longest day and shortest night,
The Summer now wee count half spent,
VVhich young Folk spend in merryment,
In pretty Sports and harmlesse Play,
Wishing that Summer still would stay.
20 For St. Iohn Baptists day.
AS on this day Iohn Baptist lost his life,
When
Herod married with his Brothers wife
For telling
Herod that he was misled,
King
Herods Daughter soon daunc'd off his head;
Tis always so when Tyrants bear the sway;
For speaking Truth, good men are made away.
21 For St. Peters Day
PEter his Lord and Master did deny,
But when his Lord on him did cast an ey,
He wept most bitterly, his tears did show
His troubled heart was full of grief and wo,
Lord cast thine ey of Mercy on us all,
And lend a hand when wée begin to fall.
22 For St. Iames Day.
SAint Iames his heavenly Doctrine divine.
Among the Christians evermore will shine▪
As God instructed him, so he doth all
To fear his Name, and ever on him call,
His sweet Epistles manifest full well
His Love to us, to shun the paths of Hell.
23 For St. Bartholomews day.
SAint Bartholmew did beleiv, & likewise preach
And did the Faith of Christ to Gentils teach,
Converting many Heathens to the truth,
A follower of the Gospel from his youth;
Let us by his example do the same,
And let Gods glory ever be our aym.
24 For St. Mathews day.
CHrist from y
e receit of Custom
Mathew did call,
And he forsook both Freinds, & wealth, and all:
O happy
Mathew! couldst so rule thy heart,
To leave the world, and choose the better part,
O follow
Mathew in a Course so even.
For why, his footsteps brings you all to Heaven
25 For Michael the Archangels day.
MIchael y
e Archangel (who was Christ) no lesse
Brought Satan and his Angels to distresse:
[...] thy heavenly Angels guard us still,
[...] Satan may not work us any ill,
P
[...]otect thy Church, O heavenly Lord most high,
It may not suffer under Tyranny
26 For Saint Lukes day
LƲke was a Physician, whom Christ did call,
Who left his Parents and the World, and all,
To follow Christ against the worlds controul,
And he became a Physician for the Soul,
Lord grant the physick of his Doctrin may
Cure all our sinfull Soules that walk astray.
27 For Simon and Iudes day.
SImon and Iude united both in love,
By the holy, heav'nly Spirit of God above,
So all Gods Saints combine themselves in one
Christ Iesus our blest Lord the Corner stone,
Lord grant thy Church may hold together so
That Scismaticks may never work our wo.
28 For all Saints day.
ALl Saints in Heaven agree and well accord,
The Church triumphant with our heavenly Lord
But the Church Millitant upon the Earth
Hath ever been at Discord from its Birth
The Reason is (if humane Witt can tell)
That Heaven cannot well agree with Hell;
If it be so, tis Satans Pollicy
For to disturb Gods Church with Heresy.
29 For the fift of November, or Gunpouder Treason.
THat Damned Hellish Pouder-plot
Layd under ground so deep,
Because it should not be forgot,
That day wee still do keep:
O let us all with one accord
Give praise unto our heavenly Lord
30 For St: Andrewes Day
SAint
Andrew suffered on the Crosse,
And did not think his life a losse
To gain eternall life thereby,
Knowing that Christ on Crosse did dy
To save both him, and you, and mée,
For which great love let's thankful thée
31 For Saint Thomas Day,
SAint
Thomas for Christs Death did greive▪
That Christ was rose did not beleive
Till he his Wounds did feel and see,
Thou art my Lord, my God, sayd hee▪
How blest are they that him ne'er saw
And yet beleive, and him obay.
32 For St. Barnabas day.
THis do we call holy Saint Barnabas day,
Let all Men to our heavenly Father pray
To give unto us such like gifts of grace,
That we in heaven may have a dwelling place,
Let each man labour ever to do well,
And pull his neighbour from the gates of Hell.
33 For the Sabboth.
SIx dayes is given you for to labour in
So mercifull and kind the Lord hath been
Of seven dayes, himself doth take but one,
O rob him not of that to leav him none:
Whoever will not on the Sabboth rest,
Shall never rest with him among the blest.
34 The Bel-Mans Care
VVEe walk abroad in Frost and Snow,
And many a weary step do go
To keep your houses from all harm,
While you ly in your Beds full warm;
Be carefull of your Fire and Light:
And so God blesse you Day and Night
35 Gods Protection
EXcept the Lord our Citty guard
In vain is all our watch and ward,
For Fire and Sword may you consume,
Then on our Care do not presume,
Both Night and Day Lord keep you all
By sudden death you may not fall
36 On mans Mortallity
O Serve the Lord with all your power
For here you have no certain hour:
Remember (man) when thou cam'st here
How naked, poor, thou didst appear;
And that whatever now thou have,
Thou must return so to thy Grave
37 On Mans Resurrection
THat Man must dy wee all do know,
A death to God for Sin wee ow,
O happy man that makes his peace
Before his mortall life doth cease;
For as the Tree (wee know) doth fall.
So rise again wee know it shall
38 Against fear of Invasion
HEe that doth truly trust in God,
Needs never fear nor Fire nor Sword,
His fear of God, and Conscience clear,
Remooveth all his Cause of fear:
Though Mountains into Seas were cast
His Faith is firm, his Fear is past
39 Vpon the day of Doom
VVHen Earth of Earth shall turn to Earth
That was but Earth even from its Birt
[...]
Then Earth from Earth shall rise again
To endlesse joy
[...] endlesse pain,
Let Earth then
[...]e and please his Maker
That Earth of Heaven may be pertaker.
FINIS.