Upon the DEATH of that Aged, Pio [...]s, Sincere hearted CHRISTIAN, JOHN ALDEN, Esq Late MAGISTRATE of New-Plimouth Colony, who died Sept. 12th, 1687, being about eighty nin [...] years of age.
THE
[...]taff of bread, and water eke the stay,
From sinning
Judah God will take away,
The
prudent[?]
Counsellour; the
Honourable,
Whom Gracd and Holiness makes
delectable,
The
Judge, the
Prophet and the ancient
Saint,
The deaths of such cause sorrowful complaint,
The Earth and its Inhabitants do fall,
The aged
Saint bears up its pillars all.
The hoary head in way of Righteousness
A crown of glory is. Who can express
Th' abundant blessings by Disciples old
In very deed they're more than can be told.
The guise 'tis of a wanton generation
To wish the
aged soon might quit their station.
Tho' truth it be, The Lord our God does
Jrown,
When aged Saints by death do tumble down.
What tho' there be not such Activity,
Yet in their Prayers there's such
Fervency
As doth great mercy for a place obtain,
And gracious presence of the Lord maintain.
Tho'
Nature's strength in old age doth decay,
Yet th'
inward man renew'd is day by day.
The very presence of a Saint in years.
Who lifts his soul to God with pray'rs and rears,
Is a rich blessing unto any place
Who have that mercy to behold his face:
When sin is ripe and calls for desolation
God will'call home
old Saints from such a nation.
Let sinners then of th'
Aged weary be.
God give
me grace to mourn most heartily
For death of this, dear servant of the Lord,
Whose life God did to us so long afford:
God lent his life to greatest
length of days;
In which he liv'd to his Redeemer's praise.
In youthful time he made
Moses his choice,
His soul obeying great
JEHOV AH's voice,
Freely forsook the world for sake of GOD,
In His House with His Saints to have abode.
He followed GOD into this Wilderness;
Thereby to all the world he did profess,
Affliction with the Saints a better part
And more delightful to his holy heart
Than
sinful pleasures, lasting but a season:
Thus said his
Fa
[...] so saith not carnal
Reason
He came one of
[...]
first[?] into this Land,
And here was kept
[...]
[...]od's most gracious hand
Years
sixty-seven which time he did behold.
To poor
New-England mercies Manifold:
All God's great works to this His
Israel
From first implanting what to them befel:
Of them he made
[...]serious Observation,
And could of them present a large Narration,
His walk was
holy, humble, and
sincere,
His heart was filled with JEHOVAH's Fear
He honour'd GOD with much integrity,
God therefore did
him truly magnify.
She hearts of Saints intirely did him love,
His Uprightness so highly did approve,
That whilst to choose they had their liberty
Within the Limits of this
Colony
Their
Civil Leaders, him they ever chose.
His
Faithfulness made hearts with him to close.
With
all the Governours he did
Assist;
His Name recorded is within the List
Of
Plimouth's Pillars to his dying day.
His Name is precious to eternal Ay.
He set his Love on God and knew His Name,
God therefore gives him everlasting Fame.
So good and heav'nly was his Conversation,
God gave
long life, and
shew'd him His Salvation.
His work now finished upon this earth;
(Seeing the death of what he saw the birth)
His gracious Lord from heaven calls him home,
And saith,
My servant, now to Heaven come:
Thou hast done good, been faithful unto Me,
Now shall thou live in bliss ETRNALLY,
On dying bed his Ailes were very great,
Yet verily his heart on GOD was set.
He bare his griefs with Faith and Patience,
And did maintain his lively confidence:
Saying to some, The work which God begun,
He would preserve to its perfection.
His mouth was full of blessings till his death
To Ministers and Christians all: his breath
Was very sweet by many a precious word
He utter'd from the Spirit of his Lord.
He liv'd in
Christ, in
Jesus now he sleeps:
And his blest soul the Lord in safety keeps.
JOHN ALDEN. Anagram End al on hi.
Death puts an
End to
all this world enjoyes,
And frees the Saint from all that here annoyes.
This blessed Saint hath seen an end of all
Worldly perfections. Now his Lord doth call
Him to ascend from earth to heaven
high,
Where he is blest to all Eternity.
Who walk with God as he, shall so be blest,
And evermore in Christ His
bliss[?] shall rest.
Lord, Spare thy remnant, do not us forsake,
From us do not thy Holy Spirit take.
Thy Cause, thy Int'rest in this land still own:
Thy gracious presence ay let be our Crown.
J. C.