<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
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<DATE>2008-12-02</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080841.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B04112">
<STC T="W">L255</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99887757</BIBNO>
<VID>183421</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB N="269" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 9 -->
<HEAD>A Letter for a Chri&s;tian Family.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Directed to all true Chri&s;tians to read.</HI></HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<LG>
<L><HI>Which being &s;ealed up in heart and mind,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Nothing but truth in it you'l find,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Both Old and Young, both Rich and Poor,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Bear it in mind, keep it in &s;tore:</HI></L>
<L><HI>And think upon the time to come,</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>For time doth pa&s;s, the Gla&s;s doth run,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Therefore whil&s;t thou ha&s;t time and &s;pace,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Call to the Lord above for Grace.</HI></L>
<L><HI>Then he will &s;urely thee defend,</HI></L>
<L><HI>And thou &s;halt make a happy end.</HI></L>
</LG>
</ARGUMENT>
<OPENER><HI>To the Tune of,</HI> The Godly Mans In&s;truction.</OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>BOth young and old, both rich and poor give ear,</L>
<L>Vnto thi&s;e ver&s;es which I &s;hall declare,</L>
<L>And give good heed to that which here is pen'd,</L>
<L>And &s;trive in time your wicked lives to mend.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But yet there's many that doth not regard,</L>
<L>Till for their &s;ins they have a ju&s;t reward:</L>
<L>But &s;till goes on, their wicked cour&s;es run,</L>
<L>Vntil both Soul and Body be undone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Therefore good people let us have a care,</L>
<L>And unto Chri&s;t with &s;peed let us repair;</L>
<L>Leave off your &s;ins which now do &s;o abound,</L>
<L>For 'twas for &s;in that once the world was drown'd.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>How many &s;ins within this Land we &s;ee?</L>
<L>In high and low of every degree;</L>
<L>Both rich and poor they now do live at &s;trife</L>
<L>And great debate is betwixt man and wife.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Brother and Si&s;ter they do di&s;agree,</L>
<L>As by experience now we daily &s;ee:</L>
<L>And children that have hardly u&s;e of Tongue,</L>
<L>Will Swear and Cur&s;e as they do pa&s;s along.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And &s;ome will Cur&s;e their Parents to their far,</L>
<L>Methinks to them it is a foul di&s;grace,</L>
<L>But 'tis forbidden in the Laws of God,</L>
<L>Therefore let's &s;erve him all with one accord.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The &s;in of pride we &s;ee doth &s;o excell,</L>
<L>In Men and Women now the truth to tell:</L>
<L>And for that &s;in we read that Satan fell,</L>
<L>From an high Angel to a Devil in hell.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Al&s;o we read of <HI>Dives</HI> pomp and &s;tate,</L>
<L>And of poor <HI>Lazarus</HI> that lay at his gate,</L>
<L>In <HI>Abrahams</HI> bo&s;ome he was nouri&s;hed,</L>
<L>And with &s;weet comforts he was daily fed.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Whil&s;t <HI>Dives</HI> for one drop did call and cry,</L>
<L>To cool his Tongue, he did in torments lye,</L>
<L>But any comfort could he not receive,</L>
<L>Becau&s;e poor <HI>Lazarus</HI> he would not relieve.</L>
</LG>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>fa&s;hions &s;trange and many a fond delight,</L>
<L>We plea&s;e our fancies now both Day &amp; Night,</L>
<L>And neverthink upon this time to come.</L>
<L>Although our Gla&s;s hath but one hour to run.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>There's many now that to the Church do go,</L>
<L>Their pomp and pride, and bravery to &s;how,</L>
<L>More than to hear the &s;acred word of God,</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> all &s;uch beware his heavy Rod.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Be not too covetous in heart and mind,</L>
<L>Nor to that &s;in he not too much inclin'd:</L>
<L>Remember <HI>Judas</HI> how he was too bold,</L>
<L>For <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">&s;ne&s;s his Lord and Ma&s;ter &s;old.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Be not too prudent in this thy worldly wealth,</L>
<L>Do not tru&s;t to it, for it is but pel<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">,</L>
<L>'Twill fade away and leave thee in the du&s;t,</L>
<L>From thence thou cam'&s;t, and thither return thou mu&s;t</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Lord give us grace to under&s;tand aright,</L>
<L>Thy holy laws and therein take delight;</L>
<L>And comfort tho&s;e the which are comfortle&s;s,</L>
<L>And help the Widdow in her great di&s;tre&s;s.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Likewi&s;e the Fatherle&s;s O Lord defend,</L>
<L>And thy true grace unto all Chri&s;tian &s;end:</L>
<L>And grant that we thy holy name may fear,</L>
<L>And &s;erve thee &s;till with heart mo&s;t pure and clear.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>How many Me&s;&s;engers the Lord hath &s;ent,</L>
<L>To give us warning that we &s;hould repent,</L>
<L>But yet our hearts &s;o &s;tubborn are I &s;ay,</L>
<L>That <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e God's holy word will not obey.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sermons on Sermons we do daily hear,</L>
<L>By Mini&s;ter swell learn'd as doth appear,</L>
<L>To give us warning to repeat our &s;in,</L>
<L>Which we &s;o long time now have lived in.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>All you that read the&s;e lines which hear are pen<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"></L>
<L>Ob&s;erve them well and &s;trive your lives to mend</L>
<L>For time doth &s;lide, and &s;wiftly pa&s;s away.</L>
<L>One hour or minute for no man will &s;tay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Our time which in this world we have to &s;pend,</L>
<L>In prayers and tears unto the Lord let's &s;end,</L>
<L>For to defend us from all Satans powers,</L>
<L>That &s;eeks our Souls and Bodies to devour.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now to conclude, the God of peace and love,</L>
<L>Grant that our Souls may dwell in Heaven above</L>
<L>And grant our King &amp; Queen a pro&s;perous reign</L>
<L>The Go&s;pel pure among&s;t us to maintain.</L>
</LG>
<BYLINE><HI>By me <HI>J. &V;.</HI></HI></BYLINE>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>Printed for</HI> W. Th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">ary, I. M. and A. M.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
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