A DIALL, WHEREIN Is contained a remembrance of DEATH, and the uncertainty of the time of DEATH.
With many good Rules how for to lead a good life.
FOR WE MVST
YOVTH MIDLE AGE OVLD AGE
1 THES. 5. 1.
Try all things, and keep that which is good.
LONDON, Printed, Anno, 1648.
To the Reader.
KInd Reader I desire, and wish to thee
All health and happinesse, may ever be,
This little book which heare I do present
Is for no ill, but for a good intent,
It is a dyall, so I have it named
According to some motions, in it framed
Likewise unto a garden we may it compare
Wherein both flowers and weeds there are
To both of these, you may it use at leasure
As time will serve, for you to take your pleasure,
Tis both, to put us all, in mind of death
While on the earth God lends us life & breath
As in a dyall, is motions of the houres
So in this garden is motions of sweet flowers,
As in some dyalls, be some false deeds,
So in this garden is some bad weeds,
All dyalls goes not true, that I do know
Some go too fast, and some do go too slow
But this may prove, to thee a true dyall
If thou thereof, do make a true tryall
This garden to, though, but a little ground
Yet there are here, sweet flowers to be found,
This dyall do thou buy, it is not deare
Learn by it how to live, while thou liv'st here
Though in his centre, thou no tongue discern
Yet thou by it, may some good lessons learn,
[Page]Prepare for death while thou hast time and space
Aad pray to God, to gvide thee with his grace,
Death he will come, though we know not the houre
At one, or two, at three, or else at foure,
Suppose he stay unto a farther line;
Till five, or six, to seven, eight or nine,
But if he stay till ten, eleven or twelve
Tis high time then for thee a grave to delve,
Chuse this thy ground, do thou not it refuse
And delve therein, tis made for thee to use
Do thou peruse it well, and spend some houres
To cast the weeds out, but preserve the flowers:
Gather some flowers, to deck you to your grave.
Observe this dyall well, and so it may
Serve for thy use, both for the night and day
In day time for to read, while it is light
And for to meditate on, in the night,
God grant us grace, that we may learne hereby
In goodnesse still to grow and multiply.
So I desire thee, for to read it o're,
And give to God the praise for evermore.
So I rest thy loving freind and well willer,
William Granger.
William Granger.
A DIALL.
GOod Christians all, of whatsoe're degree,
Give eare a while, and harken unto me
Both old, and young, it doth us all concern
The oldest he, is not too old to learne
We must dye all, by ordinance divine
How ere so high, we must at last decline
Our God he hath ordain'd it to be so,
Our Grandsire
Adam brought us to this wo
In
Genesis the third we may it read
Gen. 2. Gen. 3.
The sequell why, and how it was decreed
God pardon me, in plainnesse to bestow
A little time his wonderous works to shew;
In
Eden God, did chuse a plot of ground,
And planted fruitfull trees about it round
Fruits of all sorts, herbs of all sorts likewise
And made it be a pleasant Paradice,
And in that place; there water was enough
For pleasant strames, did run, this garden through
In midst of this faire garden, God even he
Did place the tree of knowledge for to be
This pleasant place, abundantly expelling
God gave to
Adam for to be his dwelling
God of the earth, a little time before
Did make him there, to rule all creatures o're,
Then made he
Adam a heavy sleep to bide
While he a rib did take out of his side,
And made a woman his helper for to be,
The case was altered soon, from that we see
Then God did say to him, of all the trees that be
Within this garden set, and plac'd by me
Take thou the fruit thereof, and freely eat
I give them thee, they shalbe for thy meat
[Page]But of the tree, in midst this garden great
I do comand thee, that thou shalt not eat
For this I say to thee assuredly
If thou do'st eat thereof thou sure shalt dye,
Then
Satan he, envying
Adams state
Began unto, himselfe thus to relate,
Shall man possesse, that place of high renown,
That glorious place, from whence I am cast down
O! no I say, I will away devise,
He shall not to that blessed place arise
Though he be blessed now, he shall accursed be,
And so I'le overthrow his Majesty,
But he no way could finde to make the man be curst,
But by enticing of the woman first;
Then did he take on him the Serpents shape,
And thought by this device man should not scape;
He presently got up without delay,
Into the Tree, and thus to
Eve did say,
Woman, quoth he, what is your charge so great,
Of all the fruits that's here you may not eat?
We eat said shee of all that here doe grow,
He that hath made us doth the same allow,
But of the Tree amidst this Garden great,
He hath commanded that we shall not eat,
And if we eat thereof we sure shall dye:
The subtill Serpent then made this reply;
No no, said he, you shall not dye at all,
You are unwise to keepe your selves in thrall,
Your Maker knows that when thereof you eat,
You shall be like to God in knowledge great,
You then shall understand both good and ill,
For this same cause hee'l keepe you from it still,
But how can you forbeare this fruit so fair?
Why is it kept from such a loving paire?
He pluckt an apple then, and gave it unto
Eve,
She saw it faire, did gladly it receive,
When she did taste, and found it savoury meat,
She gave to
Adam one and he did eat:
[Page]Then opened were their eyes, Immediately
And they ashamed were, their nakednesse to spy
God knowing this, in cool of day came down
And in the garden thus, his voice did sound
Adam where art, then they durst not abide,
But ran among the trees themselves to hide;
At last poore
Adam spake, and thus he said.
We hard thy voyce, and therefore were affraid.
Because that both, of us now naked be
And art thou naked now, who told it thee
Hast thou now eaten, of the forbidden tree
Said he, The woman that thou didst me give
She gave it me, and I did it receive,
Then unto
Eve, God did these words expresse
Why hast thou caused, thy husband to transgresse,
Said she, the Serpent, he enticed me
And made me doe this great offence to thee
So every one of us, our sinnes do smother
And put it from our selves, unto some other
Then God unto, the Serpent presently
Did say these words, which I doe now descry
Thou Serpent vile, which by thy subtilty
Seduced have this woman against me
And caused her so, her husband to betray
And my Commandement, so to disobay
I will torment thee, with continuall wo
Upon thy belly, thou shalt ever go,
Dust of the earth, shalbe thy daily meat
The very vilest of it thou shalt eat
Between the womans seed, and thine and thee
For evermore, there shall contention be,
Gen. 15.
Her seed shall break thy head, thine bruise his heel
These torments thou, for evermore shall feel
And woman then, which by enticement hast
Thy husband from, his happinesse down cast
By which thou hast, undone, both him and thee
And made you both, vile bondslaves for to be,
[Page]For this thy breaking my Commandement,
Thou shalt receive from me this punishment,
I'le punish thee in thy conceptions,
Because of this, thy sore transgressions;
And for thou hast not lived in my feare,
With pain and sorrow thou shalt children beare
Unto thy husband, thy desire shall be,
And he shall still have power and rule o're thee:
And
Adam, thou that didst not stand in fear
Of me thy God, but to thy wife gave eare,
I will no more so carefull be upon thee,
But I pronounce this sentence to be on thee:
For that you have been to me so unjust,
Out of this Garden now I will you thrust,
Now thou mayst say thou art of me forsaken,
Go dig the ground, from whence thou first wast taken:
Thou art but earth, therein go take some pains,
Gen. 3. 19.
For unto earth thoushalt returne again,
You both shall die, as you doe well deserve,
But when, I will unto my selfe reserve,
Because you have liv'd so rebelliously,
You both shall dye, and your posterity:
The earth also shall Thistles beare, and Thornes,
And thou shalt suffer many grievous stormes,
With sweat of brows thou now must get thy meat,
Thou must not idle be if thou wilt eat:
So I have done, now I have past my doom,
Learn to live better now before death come.
Thus God did curse what he before did make,
Gen. 3. 18.
He curst the very earth for
Adams sake,
His disobedience made him have this curse,
And we his off-spring all doe fare the worse,
For of our father
Adams grievous sin,
We, as his heirs, have all our shares therein,
And thus was
Adams sin our great downfall,
Therefore remember death,
We must dyall:
But here a comfort doth again arise,
Which subtill Satan never did surmise,
[Page]Though we were cursed by the womans deed,
We now are blest again by a womans seed,
As in the Scripture we may daily read,
The womans seed should break the serpents head,
Our Jesus Christ both God and man was he,
Came to this world our Saviour for to be;
Our Jesus Christ he hath our ransome paid,
For on his shoulders all our sins was laid,
Esay 53. 4. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Matth. 8. 17.
He offered up himselfe a sacrifice for sin,
For to redeeme us from the bondage we were in,
Those that believe in him by a true faith,
They shall be saved as the Scripture saith,
But 'tis ordain'd that once we must dy all,
Heb. 9. 27.
And yeild our life to death when he doth call,
And death at Gods command doth still atend
To bring each mortall wight unto his end,
Death is Gods Herrald, when command is given
To goe to all the Nations under heaven,
For to arrest and take into his power,
Some people therein every day and houre;
The greatest King cannot deaths power withstand,
When he comes with the King of Kings command,
No age can scape from cradle to the crutch,
No sex can keepe them from his fatall touch;
Kings and beggars to death are all alike,
There's none at all can say Death dares not strike,
But there's a time for all things under Sun,
Time hath been ever since the world begun,
A time for to be borne, a time to dye,
The wiseman saith, and none can it deny.
In time was
Adam made in Gods image,
In a short time he lost his heritage,
And infulnesse of time God sent his Son
Gal. 4. 4.
For to redeeme us that were all undone,
Death taketh time unto him as a brother,
To go with him and follow on another;
Time with his sythe, Death with his dismall dart,
These two between them both the world doth part.
[Page]Time he hath wings, a speedy pace to hie
And death can run as fast as time can fly,
Time takes our lives, and post to death doth run
Death meets with time, and so our lives are done
How carefull ought, we be, our lives to mend
Since two such watch-men, do on us attend,
Time he doth number all, our houres and days
And death doth watch, to catch us on our ways,
We must dy all, and yeild to death his due,
Though we know not the time, nor place, nor how.
Death he hath weapons more, besides his dart,
He hath more ways then one to kill the heart:
Some in the seas and brooks, are daily drownd
Some in the fires, are utterly consum'd,
Some are by powder all to peices torn,
Some have their lives, in deserts overworn;
Some there are daily, killed with the sword
Some dy a death, that most they have abroad
Some hath by poyson got a deadly stroke.
Some in their drink, a silly flie doth choake
Some dy of surfets, eating too much meat,
Some dy by famine having nought to eat,
Some conquering Captains, fighting in the field
Death conquers them, and makes them for to yeild,
To strike old age in bed, death doth not scorne
Nor doth he spare, the infants thats new borne
Thou canst not passe, no time a long the street.
To be assured no danger for to meet
Some wood or stone, may fall upon thy head
Down from church or house and strike thee dead,
Be carefull then, to be as thou shouldst be
Sith death so many wayes, may come to thee
Repent in time, and do thy life amend.
Before that death do come, thy life to end,
Be thou for death, all times, prepared be,
That sudaine death, may never come to thee
Unto the wicked death doth come with terrour,
Proverbs 28. 1.
For of his coming, he is still a fevour,
[Page]But to the godly, death is welcome ever,
He doth acknowledge God, of his life the giver
And that he must, returne it back againe
To him from whom, he did it first obtaine
Death he will come, though we know not how soon.
Luke 12. 40.
In midst of night, in morning or at noon,
In the spring time, or else upon the fall.
But sure enough it is, we must dye all
Although that Christ for all our sinnes did dye,
Yet we must carefull be, from sin to fly,
For sin within us still there doth remain,
O let it not within thee rule and reigne,
Be carefull then, thy God to serve and feare
And patient be affl
[...]ctions to beare
Lead a good life, an evill life abhorre
Rom. 12. 9.
That thou mayst live with Christ, for evermore
Live well and dye well, that proverb is true
But few in these days, that will do so now,
Some that would dye well, there were and there is
But yet they have lead, their lives for a mis
Numb. 23.
Balam desir'd the righteous death to dye
Mark 14. John 18. 10.
Although he lived not righteously
Judas that traytor, did not so in either
He did not live well, nor dyed well neither
Lets pray to God, to grant to us his grace
To keepe us all, from such a desperate case
Live thou a righteous life holy and pure
And thou shall dye, a righteous death be sure
There is a rule by Gods commandement
To teach thee how to live, and not be shent
Exod. 20.
Gods ten comands that he to us hath given
To be our guide, to lead us into heaven,
God be my guide, me to direct a right
For to explaine them, as I doe recite.
commandment 1 Thou shalt have no other gods but me.
There is but one, and I am only he
That brought thee out, from Pharoes cruell hand
Where thou in bondage wast in Egypt land
I am that God, that can condemne and save
And therefore thou, no other shalt have
[Page]
commandment 2 Thou shalt to thee, no graven image make
Thereby Gods honour, from him for to take
Likenesse of anything, in heaven above
Or in the earth below, to like or love
Fowls of the aire, or fishes in the sea,
An Image shalt thou make, of none of these
I say thou shalt, no image make at all
To bow to it, or down before it fall
Of any kind of met all, wood or stone.
All worship doth belong, to God alone
The Lord thy God, he is a jealous God
And he will visit daily with his rod
The fathers sinnes, upon their children here
That do him hate, whom they should love and feare
Unto the third, and fourth generation
All those that live in any land or nation
But unto thousands, mercy shew he will
Of those that his commands, keepe and fulfill.
commandment 3 Thou shalt not take Gods holy name in vaine
Thy mind to please, or cause for to maintaine
In any case, do not blaspheme his name
That gave thee breath and did thy body frame
He that to take his name in vaine is bold,
The Lord hath said, he will not guiltless hold.
commandment 4 Remember that, the Lords Day thou keepe holy
Abuse it not, by any kind of folly
Six dayes thou labour shalt, and do what longs thee to,
And keep the Sabbath, as thou oughtst to do:
For in six dayes, the Lord did all things make
And on the seventh, he his rest did take,
In it I say, thou shalt not work at all,
Thou nor thy servant, nor Ox within thy stall
God blest, the Sabbath day, and hallowed it:
Therefore look that no work thou do in it.
commandment 5 Honour thy father, and thy mother to,
And do them reverence, as thou oughtst to do,
That thou long days and good on earth may live
In any place that God shall to thee give:
Mat. 15. 4.
He that his father, or his mother curse,
His days on earth shall fewer be and worse.
[Page]
commandment 6 Thou shalt not any kind of murther use
In any case, thy brother to abuse
By this word murther we must understand
Some other mischeifes, used in our land
As envy, hatred, malice, and the like
And wicked slander, that mans life doth seeke
He that his neighbour, doth slander and defame
As good were take his life, as his good name
A good name is a good mans chiefe delight,
And highly is esteem'd in good mens sight.
Prov. 22. 1.
commandment 7 Thou shalt not commit Adultery,
Nor any other kind, of lechery
Of
Sodoms odious sinnes, do thou beware
To keep thy body chaste and pure have care,
After a woman see thou do not lust.
For if thou do, thy heart it is unjust,
If thou dost so, I tell thee for thy part
Adultery thou dost commit in heart.
Matth. 5. 8, 28.
commandment 8 Thou shalt steale, looke that thou do not so
Lest it doth chance, to turne unto thy wo
In dealing falsly, do thou not delight
Remember still, that thou art in Gods sight
Jer. 23. 23, 24. Levit. 19. 36.
Weights too light, or measures which be small
Do thou not use, lest thou in danger fall.
Deceit is stealing, in a kind of way
Which thou shalt answer for another day.
commandment 9 Thou shalt false witnesse against no man beare,
But for the truth stand up, and do not fear;
Do thou have God at all times in thy minde,
And take no bribes lest they do make thee blinde.
commandment 10
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house or land,
His wife or servants that be at his command,
His Oxe, his Asse, nor anything that's his,
If so thou doe, be sure thou dost amiss:
Thinke how King
Ahab and Queen
Jezabel
1 Kings 21. 13.
Against this last commandment did rebel,
Ahab did covet, and
Naboth's Vineyard crave,
Naboth deny'd what
Ahab fain would have,
Then
Jezabel false witnesses did bring
To swear that
Naboth had blasphem'd God and the King,
[Page]For that good
Naboth he was ston'd to death,
And with his Vineyard he did lose his breath:
What punishment they had the proofe is plain,
The dogs did eat her flesh, and he was slain:
And now the ten Comandments I have rehearst,
Some other things I have to be rehearst;
Pride doe thou shun, in any kinde of case,
Decent apparell is a comely grace,
But above all, be thou not proud in heart,
Prov. 16. 5, 12, 18.
I give thee counsell whosoere thou art:
Remember this before it be too late,
The proud in hea
[...]t the Lord thy God doth hate,
1 Pet. 5. 5.
Be humble minded then, and meeke in heart
And God will love thee then, if so thou art,
God will exalt the humble and the meeke,
Matth. 23. 12.
But the proud heart he will in peeces breake,
Nabuchadnezar that mighty King,
Dan. 4. 30.
His pride of heart did him great damage bring,
For God out of his Throne did down him cast,
Among the beasts to feed till seven years past.
Of Gluttony likewise do thou take heed,
Eat not too much, give some to them that need,
Rich
Dives he did feed on dainty fair,
Luke 16. 19.
But to poore
Lazarus, no crums would spare,
What came to him after his dainty faire?
He is in durance now where all vile torments are,
Vile drunkennesse do thou in no wise use,
Drinke not too much thy selfe for to abuse,
For drinking much may make thee for to want,
And so may death come to thee just upon't,
When
Holifernes had drunke of wine his fill,
Judith 13. 8.
His head was quite cut off by
Judith's skill,
It was Gods will for his own peoples sake,
In their revenge that she this way did take:
Noah crusht his grapes, and too much of the same
Gen 9. 21.
Did make him drunk, and so he shew'd his shame,
This is no pattern left for thee to follow,
If thou thinke so, thy wit is very shallow.
Some of Gods chosen have great sins committed,
2 Sam. 11. 4.
And by repentance they have been acquitted;
[Page]Then let this be unto thy minde to call,
Mat. 26. 74, 75.
That Gods dear children may at somtimes fall,
Not totally, but they may rise again,
And live with Christ above where he doth reign.
Envie no man, though he hath done thee wrong,
Take not from God what to him doth belong,
For we may read that God himselfe doth say it,
Vengeance is mine, I will my selfe repay it,
For envie
Cain did kill
Abel his brother,
Rom. 12. 19. Gen. 4. 8.
So by envie now doe we kill one another:
Hatred it is abominable thing
Against our God that is heavens great King;
For hatred
Jacobs sons did
Joseph sell,
Gen. 37. 28.
Which God did turn to good, though they did ill,
For
Jacobs sake it needs must be confest,
Unto Gods chosen all is for the best;
Joseph in
Pharoahs house so well did speed,
That he his fathers house did helpe at need;
God hath commanded that we should not hate,
But now we daily do it imitate,
To malice be thou not at all enclin'd,
It is much like to hatred his kinde,
And therefore for't I say no more but thus,
From all those sins the Lord deliverus.
To covetousnesse I now am come again,
A little farther for to make it plain,
What wretched man art thou that with annoy
Dost covet wealth thou canst not long enjoy?
Thinke thou what God did to the rich man say,
When he had made large barnes his goods to lay,
Thou fool this night thy soule shall taken be,
Luke 12. 20.
Then who shall have those goods laid up by thee?
If thou hast riches, set not thy heart thereon,
Thou doest not know how soon they may be gone;
Say thou not unto thy selfe that thou doest ow them,
They are but lent thee well for to bestow them;
Thou art a Steward, God lends thee them to use
Unto his glory, not for thee to abuse,
Do thou bestow them well, that so thou may
Give up a good account at the last day,
[Page]Give to the poore that at thy doore do cry,
Cloath thou the naked that in street do ly,
Comfort the widdows that are in distresse,
Relieve the children that be fatherlesse,
Visit the sick that are almost spent,
And those in prison that have long been pent;
Lay not thy treasure on earth for to enjoy them,
Matth. 6. 19.
For there be many wayes for to destroy them,
But lay them up in heaven for to be
Where they may prove a great estate for thee,
For there no evill comes for to destroy it,
But at the last thou safely shalt enjoy it,
All this if thou doest so God will thee blesse,
And thou at last a Kingdom shalt possesse;
When any worke thou undertak'st in hand,
Remember still thou art at Gods command,
And when thy worke unto good end is brought,
Doe thou not brag that thou thy self it wrought,
1 Cor. 4. 7.
But give the praise and glory unto God,
Lest he doe crosse thee with some kinde of rod:
When any journey thou dost mean to make,
Pray unto God that he may undertake
To be thy guide, and to direct thy way,
That thou mayst come to heaven at the last day,
Observe all these good rules and do them keep,
And blessed shalt thou be whether thou wake or sleep;
Thou shalt be blessed whatsoere befall,
Yea treble blest when death thy life doth call.
Now to conclude, this work is at an end,
God grant us grace our lives for to amend,
And thou kinde Reader that hast read it o're,
Though it be weak, do thou not it abhor,
The matter it is good, though not the writing,
The meaning is as good, not the inditing.
Let not a little fault in thee disliking move,
But take it as it is, 'tis done in love;
Let him that in it seeth not any ill.
Forgive the fault, and mend it when he will;
Full foute score years and three the Author is,
A younger man may doe some things amiss.
FINIS.