St BERRNADS Vision; or, a brief Discourse between the SOUL
and the BODY of a wicked Man lately deceased, blaming each other. With a SPEECH from
the Devil in Hell. To the Tune of Flying Fame, etc,
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The WRITER speaketh.
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AS I lay slumbering in my Bed one Night,
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A fearful Vision did me sore affright:
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Me thought I say a Soul departed late,
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By it the Body in a poor Estate.
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Wailing with Sighs the Soul aloud did cry,
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Upon the Body in the Coffin by:
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And thus the Soul to her did make her Moan,
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With grievous Sobs, and many a bitter Groan.
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The SOUL speaketh.
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Oh! sinful Flesh, which now so low doth lie,
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Whom Yesterday the World esteemd so high:
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It was but Yesterday the World was thine,
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The sun is set, which Yesterday did shine.
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Where is thy Train that did attend on thee?
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Where is thy Mirth? Where is thy Jollity?
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Where are thy sumptuous Buildings and thy Treasure?
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Thy pleasant Walks wherein thou tookest Pleasure.
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Gone is thy Train, thy Mirth to Mourning turnd,
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Thou in a Coffin in a Shrine art turnd;
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For thy rich Cloaths thou hast a Winding-sheet,
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Thy high built Roof now with thy Mouth doth meet.
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But I, poor Soul! was framd a noble Creature,
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In likeness to GOD, of heavenly Feature;
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But by thy Sin when we on Earth abode,
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I am made fouler than the loathsome Toad.
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Oh! wretched Flesh with me thou art forlorn,
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That well may wish thou neer hadst been born:
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Thou neer wouldst to any one agree,
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For which we evermore shall damned be.
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I am and must for ever be in Pain,
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No Tongue can tell the Torments I sustain;
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But thou and I we must descend to Hell,
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Were we, in frying Flames, must for ever dwell.
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It was thy Pride, Deceit, Luxury,
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Hath brought these Torments both on me and thee:
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Thy Wife, Children, and Friends, whom thou dost trust,
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Doth loath thy Carcase lying in the Dust.
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The Bond of God, which is both true and sure,
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Witness at large what Sinners shall endure:
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Thou that within the Bed of Death art laid,
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Arise and answer to the Words Ive said.
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The BODY speaketh.
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I know thee well, my Soul, who from me fled,
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Which left my Body senseless, cold, and dead!
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Cease thou to say the Fault was all in me,
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When I will prove the Fault was more in thee.
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Thou sayst, that I have led thee oft astray,
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And from well-doing drawn thee quite away:
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For if the Flesh the Spirits Power can move,
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The Fault is thine, as I will plainly prove.
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God, thou didst know, created thee most fair,
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And of celestial Knowledge gave you Share:
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I was your Servant made of Earth and Clay,
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You to Command, and I for to obey
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Twas in your Power for to restrain my Will,
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And hinder me from doing Things thats ill:
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The Bodys Works are from the Soul divided,
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And by the Soul the Body should be guided.
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The Body of itself no Ill hath known,
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If I did what thou didst the Guilts thy own?
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For without thee the Body resteth dead,
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The Soul commands, it rests upon thy Head.
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So to conclude thy Guilt exceedeth mine,
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Oh! how the Worms no tear me in my Shrine;
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And, therefore fare thee well, poor sinful Soul!
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Thy Sins surpass even mine, though they are foul.
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The SOUL speaketh.
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Most wretched Flesh, which in the Time of Life,
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Was foolish, idle, vain, and full of Strife:
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Though of thy Substance thou didst speak to me,
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I do confess I should have bridled thee.
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But thou, through Love of Pleasure, foul and ill,
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Still me resisted, and would have thy Will:
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When I would thee, O Body! have controld,
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Straight the Worlds Vanities did thee with-hold.
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So thou of me didst gain the Upper-hand,
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Alluring me with worldly Pleasures Band;
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That thou and I eternally are drownd
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In Hell, when glorious Saints in Heaven are crownd.
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But flattering Fancy did thy Mind so please,
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Thou never thought to die till Death did seize:
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This was your Fault, and cursed was our Fate,
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Which we repent, but now, alas! too late.
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The BODY speaketh.
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Oh! now I weep, being scourgd with my own Rod,
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And guilty stand before the face of God,
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Both are in Fault, but not do[t]h equally,
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The greater Burden, Soul, on the doth lie.
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No Wit so mean, bu[t] this for Truth it knows,
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That where most Gif[t]s of Virtue God bestows,
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There is due, and ought repaid to be,
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And unto this theres none but will agree.
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But foolishly thou yeilded unto me,
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And unto my vain Desire soon did agree;
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But O! I knew not at the latter Hour,
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But thou and I shoud find a Death more sure.
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I greatly fear an everlasting Fire,
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Yet one Thing more of thee I do desire?
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Hast thou been yet amongst the Friends of Hell!
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Are no Hopes left, that we with Christ may dwell.
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The SOUL speaketh.
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False Flesh, remember DIVES was denyd,
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When for one Drop of Water loud he cryd:
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Thy Question senseless Body wanteth Reason,
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Redemption now is hopeless out of Season.
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Vile Body, go and rot in Bed of Clay,
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Until the great and general Judgment Day:
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Then thou shalt rise and be with me condemnd.
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To Hells hot Lake for ever without End.
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So fare thee well, I will no longer stay,
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Hark! how the Fiends of Hell call me away:
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The Loss of Heavenly Joys tormenteth me,
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More than all Tortures that in Hell can be.
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The DEVIL speaketh.
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Oh! are you come whom we expected long,
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Now will we make you sing another Song:
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Howling and Yelling still shall be your Note,
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And melting Lead be powered down your Throat.
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Such Horror we do on our Servants load,
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Now thou art worse than is the crawling Toad:
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Ten thousand Torments thou shalt now abide,
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When thou in flaming Sulphur shall be fryd.
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Thou art a Soldier of our Camp enrolld,
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Never henceforth shalt thou the Light behold:
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The Pains prepard for thee no Tongue can tell,
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Welcome! O welcome to the Pit of Hell!
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The WRITER speaketh.
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At this the groaning Soul did weep full sore,
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And sure the Friends did make a hideous Roar,
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The Devils seemd more black than Pitch at Night,
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Whose horrid Shapes did sorely me affright.
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Sharp steel Forks each in their Hands did bear,
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Tusked their Teeth, like crooked Mattocks were:
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Fire and Brimstone then they breathed out,
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And from their Nostrils Snakes crawld all about.
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Foul filthy Horns on their black Brows they were,
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Their Nails were like the Tusks of a Boar:
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Those hellish Friends fast bound this wretched Soul,
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And draggd him in, who gre[iv]ously did howl.
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Then straight, me thought, appeared in my Sight,
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A beauteous young Man cloathed all white:
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His Face did shine most glorious to behold,
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Wings like the Rain Bow, and his Hair like Gold.
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With a sweet Voice, All hail! all hail! (quoth he)
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Arise and write whateer thou now dost see.
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Most heavenly Music seemed then to play,
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And in a Cloud he vanishd quite away.
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Awaking, straight I took my Pen in Hand,
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To write these Lines the young Man did command;
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And abroad so into the World them sent,
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That each great Sinner may in Time repent.
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Then let us fear the Lord both Night and Day,
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Preserve our Souls and Bodies I thus pray:
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God grant we may so run this mortal Race,
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That we in Heaven may have a Resting-place.
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God bless the King, the Prince, and Progeny;
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The Clergy, Council, and Nobility:
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Preserve our Souls and Bodies, I thee pray;
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Amen, with me. let all good Christians say.
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