Great Brittains Arlarm to Drowsie Sinners in Destress
Being a Rule for all sorts of people to follow in these distracted and dangerous Times: Shewing the Judgements which hang over our heads for Sin, and the way by Repentance, to avoid the same. Very good and necessary for all sorts of people to peruse.
All you that do this Larum hear,
Strive to live well, and God to fear.
The Tune is, Aim not too high.
ROuse up dull Sinners all with one accord,
With prayers & tears now call upon the Lord,
Security hath lull'd us fast asleep.
When as we have most cause to mourn and weep.
Remember Man, thy time it is but short,
Then of the same thou should'st not make a sport;
Least thou by sudden death be snatcht away,
To give account at the great Iudgement-day.
Whilst thou in prime of youth dost spend thy days,
And takest pleasure in thy wicked ways:
Be well advis'd, and think upon thy doom,
That young and old must all to judgement come.
So soon as in the morning you awake,
Vnto your Lord by Prayer your selves betake:
Then to thy labour fall if thou art poor,
And God will bless thy basket and thy store.
Defraud no man although thou
[...] be in want
But be content, although thy stock be stane,
For goods ill gotten will consume away,
And leave a Curse that will remain for aye.
Vnto thy honest Neighbours still be kind,
And sure therein great comfort thou shalt find
A friend will stick when Riches they are gone,
Therefore endeavour to provide for one.
If thou art blest with Children at the board,
Be sure you bring them up to serve the Lord:
And for a portion God he will provide.
And give a blessing to their Souls beside.
A Child ill-natur'd proves a grievous Curse,
His wicked courses will offend thee worse:
A twig will bend when it is young and weak,
But being old and stubborn it will break.
Flye from all sin, as from a Serpents sting,
Much harm to Soul and body it will bring:
VVhen sinful pleasures are blown o're and past,
Then grief and sorrow doth remain at last.
VVhat pleasure hath the Drunkard in his wine,
To make himself far worse than any Swine:
His wealth consumes away, if wealth he have,
And surfeits sends him to his loathed Grave.
He that on Harlots spends his gold and pelf,
He neither values credit nor himself:
Vntil diseases brings him to his end,
And then it is too late for to amend.
The Swearer he doth damn his Soul in vain,
No benefit thereby that he doth gain:
So that he doth fulfill his base desire,
He never thinks of Hells eternal fire.
The sin of Pride amongst us is too rife,
VVho should exceed in bravery is the strife:
They do not think that one day dye they must,
And then their Pride is laid within the dust.
The covetous Miser makes his Gold his God,
Whilst others wants it, he doth plot and plod
To fill his Coffers whatsoe're befall,
Vntil at last he gets the Devil and all.
These are the sins, besides a many more,
That brings Gods iudgements down upon us sore
And makes him smite us with his heavy Rod,
Because we do offend our gracious God.
Lord turn thy wrath away from us again,
Least under thy displeasure we remain:
For thy fierce anger we have felt of late,
Yet it does not our hanious sins abate.
With Plague and Fire we have suffered sore,
And now with Wars our Land is vexed more:
These judgements for our sins the Lord doth send,
And worse may come, unless our lives we mend.
For blest be God, no Famine we have felt,
The Lord hath mercifully with us dealt:
But if we once provoke his wrath again,
We may have cause for hunger to complain.
Once more, I say, O sinners now awake,
And all your hanious sins in time forsake▪
Who knows but that the Lord will hear our prayer▪
And shew us mercy for unfeigned tears.
And let each one that reads what here is pen'd,
Strive night and day their lives for to amend:
That God in mercy all our Souls may save,
When as we fall into the silent Gra
[...]e.
Printed for P. Brooksbys at the Harp and Ball in Pye-Co [...]ner, near West Smithfield.