A Godly Song, entituled, A farewell to the VVorld, made by a Godly Christian, named Thomas Byll, being the Parish Clerke of West-Felton, as he lay vpon his Death-bed, shewing the vanitie of the World, and his desire to be dissolued.
To the Tune of, Fortune my Foe.
BEhold O Lord a Sinner in distresse,
Whose heart is vext with inward heauinesse;
Remit my sinnes my God, and mercie showe,
For here I liue in griefe, perplext with woe,
All flesh is frayle, and brittle like to glasse,
Mans life like fading Flowers away doth passe,
My time is come that I from hence must goe,
Then for sweet Iesus sake Lord mercy showe.
The day and houre is come that I must dye,
I trust my Souls shall strait ascend the skye,
Where Saints and Angells euer doe reioyce,
Giuing him praises due with heart and voice.
Oh sinfull Man deferre not thou the time.
Up
Iacobs Ladder Father let me clime,
Where as thy Angells vp and down descend,
Betwixt my Soule and Bodie at my end.
I must not die neuer to rise againe,
But I must die for to be fréed from paine;
My Sauiour by his death hath bought my life,
To raigne with him when finisht is this strife.
My earthly Spirits fayle, my time is run,
My face is wan, thy Messenger is come,
A welcome Guest that welcome is to mee,
To heave me hence vnto felicitie.
My Sun is sette, I haue not long to stay,
But ere the morning I shall see a day
That shall outshine the splendor of the Sun,
When to the holy Trinity I come.
Me thinks I (casting vp my dying eyes)
Behold the Lord in glory on the skies,
With all his heauenly Angells in that place,
Smiling with ioy to sée his chéerefull face.
Both King and Kesar euery one must die,
The stoutest heart the sting of death must trie,
The Rich, the Poore, the Aged, and the Babe,
When Sickle comes each flower then doth fade.
Then World farewell, I sée all is but vaine,
From dust I came, to dust I must againe,
No humane pompe our life from death can stay.
When time is come we must forthwith away.
For worldlie pleasure is but vanitie,
None can redéeme this life from death I sée,
Nor
Cresus wealth, nor
Alexanders fame,
Nor
Sampsons strength that could deaths fury tame
Our Father
Adam he for sin did fall,
Which brought destruction present on us all▪
But heauenly Father thou thy Sonne
[...] send,
Vs to redéeme his déerest blood did spend.
Farewell déere Wife and my
[...] Children
[...]
For I must goe when as the Lord doth call▪
The Glasse is run, my time is past away,
The trumpe doth sound, I can no longer
[...].
Nothing but one I in this world doe craue,
That is, to bring my Corp
[...] dead to the
[...]
And Angells shall my Soule in safetie kéepe,
Whilst that my Bodie in the graue doth sleepe.
The Bells most swéetly ringing doe I
[...],
And now sterne death with spéed approcheth
[...]
But the Bell towling doe I heare at last,
Swéet Lord receiue my Soule when
[...].
FINIS.
Thomas Byl.
The Soules Petition at Heauen Gate; Or, the Second Part of the Clerke of West-Felton, being Thomas Byll.
To the same Tune.
O God which framedst both the earth and skye,
With speed giue eare vnto my wofull crye,
Receiue my Soule with thée for to remaine,
In Angells blisse, where thou O Lord dost reigne.
Though I against thy Lawes rebelled haue,
For my rebellion Lord I mercie craue,
Remit my sinnes though I haue don amisse,
For Iesus sake take me into true blisse.
Where ioyes are euermore without an end,
And heauenly Quiristers the time doth spend,
In singing Himnes and praises to the Lord,
Lifting vp heart and voice with one accord.
Oh, what a comfort is it for to sée
The sacred Face of such a Maistie
As thou O God, amongst thy Angells bright,
The which no mortall can behold with sight.
Cast me not Lord out from before that face.
But with thy Saints grant me a dwelling place,
And from thy Throane, O Lord doe not expell
My Soule, but grant that it with thée may dwell.
Let me with
Dauid beg to kéepe a doore,
In that the
[...] Court where ioyes are euermore,
In
[...] Father let me sit,
[...] into the fierie pit.
[...],
[...],
[...],
[...], but let me enter in.
I
[...] I thée offended haue,
[...] am not worthy pardon for to craue,
But
[...] with thée all mercy is alone,
To whom my Soule for mercy now is flowne.
Take pitty then O Lord for Iesus sake,
Into thy Tabernacle my Soule take:
Remember how thy Sonne for me hath
[...],
And for my sake deathes passions did abide.
He is the Key the gate for to vnlock,
He makes me entrance when my soule doth knock,
Vnto repentant Soules he promise gaue,
That they with him a place in Heauen should haue.
Thou open vnto me O Lord thy Gate,
Where thou as King dost reigne in high estate,
Confound me not with them that wicked are,
But in thy mercies let me haue a share.
Deale not in iustice with my Soule O Lord,
For thou a heauie sentence thou'lt a
[...]rd
If sinfull Soules should haue their due desert,
In Hells hot flame they should for euer
[...]
Grant that my Soule may enter in true blisse,
Condeme me not though I haue don amisse,
But let my Soule with heauenly Angells sing
Most ioyfully to thée my Lord and King.
For there are ioyes which euer shall endure,
The waters swéet of Life flow there most pure,
There shall no worldly cares our minds
[...],
But there shall we remaine in truest rest.
Which blest inheritance O Lord I pray,
Giue to such Christian in thy righteous way
[...]
Grant that we all may gaine felicitie,
In Heauen to dwell aboue the starrie skie.
FINIS.
London printed for Henry Gossen.