A VVATCH For a Wise Mans OBSERVATION.
I.
ONe
God there is, of Wisdom, Glory, Might,
One
F
[...]i
[...]h there is, to guide our Souls aright,
One truth there is, that Errours doth descry,
One
Baptism, for to know all Christian by.
II.
Two
Testaments there are, the Old and New,
Wherein the
Law and
Gospel thou maid view,
The one for
Works and
Deeds doth Precepts give,
The other saies, the
Just by
Faith shall live.
III.
Three
Persons in the Glorious
Trinity,
Make one True
God in perfect
Unity;
The
Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, these Three,
For ever Equal, and
Eternal be.
IV.
Four Holy, Blessed
Sanctified Men,
(For Comfort of all Christians) that did Pen
Our Saviours
Birth Life, Death, and his
Ascending,
Whereof our
Faith must have true comprehending.
V.
Five
Senses do in every Man maintain,
A Governing of Power, Rule, and Raign,
Thy
Hearing, Seeing, Tasting, Feeling, Smelling,
Which all at
Death will leave thee, & their dwelling.
VI.
Sir
Days thou hast to Labour in,
(So
Merciful and
Good t
[...]y God hath been)
Of Seaven, to himself he takes but one,
Oh
[...]ob him not of that, to leave him none.
VII.
Seven
Liberal Arts, by a
Divine in
[...]t,
Vnto Man's Vnderstanding Soul is tinkt;
Rhetorich, Grammer, Musick, Geometry,
Arithmetick, Logick, and Astronomy.
VIII.
Eight Persons in the
Ark of Righteous
Noah,
Were saved, when for Sin God did destroy
The soul desired
World; all creatures drown'd,
Which in that Ship of safety was not found.
IX.
Nine
Muses like unto the Heavens nine
Sphears,
The
Sacred Tunes intice inclining
Ears:
To elevate each sad Melancholly mind,
And chear the heart that's dolefully inclin'd.
X.
Ten
Precepts God hath in his Law declar'd,
Man breaks them all: and so unless God spar'd,
And in his
Mercy did our
Sin remit,
Our just reward were in th'
Infernal Pit.
XI.
Eleven
Disciples did with
Jesus pray,
When
Judas did the Son of God betray:
Through
Covetousness: for greedy gain he fell,
To be
Perditions Child, condemn'd in Hell.
XII.
Twelve
Tribes there were amongst our
Fathers old,
Twelve
Articles our
Christian Faith doth hold:
Twelve
Gates in New
Jerusalem there be,
Vnto which
City, Christ bring thee and me.
Where is Alexander? Where is Plato? Where is Croesus?
Alexander
's Victories, Plato
's Wisdoms, Cresus
Wealth and Lust,
Is all Forgot, Consum'd, and come to Dust.
The Emperour, King, Nobel, Begger, All
Must yield to Death, and come when he doth call.
Mortuus Est.
O Earth of Earth, observe this well,
When Earth in Earth shall come to dwell;
Where Earth with Earth shall close remain,
Till Earth from Earth do rise again:
And Earth before his Iudge do come,
For to receive a final doom:
If Earth on Earth hath lived so,
That Earth no fruits of Faith can show
Then what reward shall Earth expect,
That did on Earth his God neglect?
O serve the Lord with might and power,
For here thou hast no certain hour:
Remember Man, when thou cam'st here,
How Naked, Poor, thou did'st appear;
And how again (what e're thou have,)
Thou naked must return to Grave.
Thy Wooden Chest (a narrow place)
A Coffin-lid close up thy face:
Thy Soul (if saved) to Heaven eyes,
Thy body here a rotting lies:
Forsaken of thy Friends and Kin,
As thou on Earth hadst never been:
When they have brought thee to the Grave,
And yeilded Earth what Earth doth crave;
They back return from whence they came,
Till others do the very same,
In following them as they did thee,
This course with all the World will be.
And here's thy Portion and thy Lot,
With men thou shalt be soon forget;
And so into Oblivion pass,
Who! such a Man sometimes he was:
But neither Beauty, Riches, Strength,
Could give his Life a Minutes length.
Therefore, O Man! think on thy State,
Before thy life be out of date;
Vnto thy God for Mercy pray,
That at thy last and Dying-Day,
The Glorious Angels may thee bring,
Where Blessed Saints for ever sing.
Amen.
FINIS.
Licensed, and Entred according to Order.
London, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the sign of the Angel in Ducklane: 1677.