A Looking-Glass for all true Christians,
Very useful and necessary for all people of what degree soever, to look upon in these trouble-
some times of sorrow. The Tune is, A[i]m not too high.
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O Hark, O hark, methinks I hear a voice,
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Which said, the Lord made Man for his own choice,
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And yet he will not reconciled be,
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To leave his sins and to live righteously,
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Awake, awake, thou mortal man from sleep,
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Repent thy sin, cry to the Lord and weep;
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For it is he that only must thee save,
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Do thou repent, and mercy thou shalt have.
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Remember Man that thou art made of Clay,
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And in this Land thou art not long to stay;
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Then lead thy life while thou dost here remain,
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That being dead, thy Soul may Heaven gain.
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If thou the Lord dost fear that rules the sky,
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And put'st thy trust in him that sits on high:
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Thou needst not doubt by God will thee defend,
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And bring thee to a true and faithfull end.
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But we too much delight in wicked ways,
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And do not yield unto the Lord due praise;
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If we do think his mercys for to gain,
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We must then think his mercys to obtan.
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What wicked vice hath been in former time,
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Which in our Land doth now begin to climb;
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Therefore with Nineve let us repent,
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The Lord to us his Messenger hath sent.
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But all these warnings will not serve our turn
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To make us leave our sins with speed and mourn
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But we do still offend the Lord of might,
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And still we follow pleasure and delight.
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Here every Man takes care to please his mind,
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And seeks not for the Living God to find;
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The which they will repent when 'tis too late,
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When they shall ask God mercy at his gate.
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We all do seek for worldly wealth and pleasure,
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And not to have store laid up in treasure;
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Some do not think upon the world to come;
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And therefore still a wicked course do run.
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The Lawyer he doth think upon his fee,
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The Usurer Likewise on his money;
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The Glutton he thinks on his dainty Chear,
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The Drunkard on his Tobacco and Beer.
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And many grievous sinners more there are,
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And for to speak of all I do not dare;
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But God alone that knows the hearts of all,
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Will bring them all together great and small.
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And when that day to many doth appear,
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And see the Lord in judgment, then I fear
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Too late it will be for them to repent,
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With sorrow then their grief will still augment.
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Good Lord that men would but conceive aright,
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And fear the living God, the God of might;
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Then would they not be bent so much to sin,
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But now would seek a new life to begin.
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O Lord my God to thee I make my moan,
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Desiring that thy favour may by shown:
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And as we have offended thee full sore,
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Give us thy Grace, we may do so no more.
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MY thoughts tell me that I have done amiss
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And now I seek for favour and redress;
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Of thee sweet Lord I here do pardon ask,
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That I may please thee well in this my task:
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Methinks I see the Land is full of Pride,
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And also bent on covetousness beside:
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Which is a thing that doth offend the Lord,
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In Scripture we do find it is abhor'd.
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Then now let us prepare our hearts to live,
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And to the Lord let us our Prayers give;
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And then no doubt but he will have respect
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To pardon us, our great and hainous fact.
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The Lord doth say if a Sinner doth repent,
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And turn him with a heart that'[?]s Penitent,
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He will forgive him his offences past,
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And will receive his Soul to him at last.
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But we in Sin do flourish and remain,
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And do not seek Gods favour to obtain;
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We think not on the judgment day at last,
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Neither take care untill the day is past.
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And then too late it will be for us to pray,
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When as the Soul from Body is away;
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Therefore in time let us our selves amend,
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That we may make a true and faithfull end
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Methinks I see the poor in great distress,
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The Rich to them do yield but small redress;
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They do complain in wofull misery,
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And few there be that do regard their cry.
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Look what men give unto the poor and needy soul,
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The Lord will pay agen to them ten fold
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Do thou regard thy brother in distress,
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No question thou shalt ever have the less:
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But 'tis no wonder now at all to see,
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Many like unto Judas for to be.
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Who sell our Saviour Christ for gold or pay,
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Like unto Judas who did him betray;
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If that a man could think upon his death,
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Whilst he doth think upon the earth beneath;
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He could not chuse but fear the Lord on high,
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That made the earth, the Sea, and eke the sky.
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We lately have ill fortune us befall,
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The which is like to be a grief to all;
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True Loyall Subjects to our Royal King,
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Did turn our joys in sorrow for to sing;
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Which is a token of our great offence,
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And just reward of our sins recompence;
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Because the Lord hath justly took occasion
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To make us yield by this his kind perswasion.
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Remember how Jerusalem did fall,
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And how their enemies did them inthrall;
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Which were but righteous judgments from the Lord
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Because his holy word shall be abbor'd.
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The Ninevites we read did soon repent,
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When God the Prophet Jonah to them sent,
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Then why should we who have the Gospel sure
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Still seek our own Destruction to procure?
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Remember Man wha[t] wofull Torments be
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Prepar'd in Hell as torments you may see.
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The Pains are wofull to be thought upon,
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Besides all this, they never will be done;
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And other wise all those that fear the Lord,
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And follow after his most holy Word:
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Shall live with Christ in perfect joy and peace,
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Where Heavenly Angels sing and never cease.
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Now to conclude O Lord give us thy grace
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That we may lead our lives in such a case,
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That when we are departed hence away
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We then may live in perfect peace and joy.
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