A Looking-Glasse for all true Christians,
Very usefull and necessary for all people of what degree soever to look upon in these
troublesome times of sorrow. The tune is, Aim not to high.
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O Heark, O heark, methinks I hear a voyce,
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Which said the Lord made man for his own choise
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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 mortall man from sleep,
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Repent thy sin cry to the Lord and weep,
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For it is only he that 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 here thou dost remain,
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That being dead thy soul may heaven gain.
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If thou the Lord do fear that rules the Sky,
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And puts thy trust in him that sits on high
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Thou needst not doubt but God will thee defend,
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And bring thee to a true and faithfull end.
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But we to much delight in wicked wayes,
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And do not yield unto the Lord due praise,
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If we do think his mercies for to gain,
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Then we must seek his mercy to obtain.
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What wicked vice hath been in former time,
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That in our Land doth not begin to climb,
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Therefore with Ninivie 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 & mourn,
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But we do still offend the Lord of might,
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And still do follow pleasure and delight.
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Here every man takes care to please his mind,
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And seekes 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 seek 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 to run.
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The Lawyer he doth think upon his fee,
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The Usurer likewise on his Mony,
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The Glutton he thinks on his dainty cheere,
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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 who knows the hearts of all,
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Will bring them all tog[e]ther 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 twill be for them then to repent,
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With sorrow then their grief will still augment.
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Good Lord that man would but conceive aright,
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And fear the living Lord the God of might,
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Then would they not so much be bent to sin,
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But now would see 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 might be shown.
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And as we have offended thee full sore,
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Give me thy grace I may do so no more.
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MY thoughts tell me that I have done amisse,
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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 our land is full of pride,
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And also bent to covetousness beside,
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Which is a thing which doth offend the Lord;
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I Scripture we do find it is abhord.
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Then now let us prepare our he arts 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 to him with heart thats 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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Nor take no care untill the time be past.
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And then too late twill 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 lives amend
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That we may make a true and faithfull end.
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Methinks I see thee 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 toth poor and needy soul,
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The Lord will pay again to them ten fold,
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Do thou regard thy brother in distress,
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No question thou shalt ever vave the lesse,
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But tis no wonder now at all to see,
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A many like to Judas for to be.
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Theyl sell our Saviour Christ for gold and pr[?],
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Like unto Judas which did him betray.
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If that a man would think upon his death,
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While he doth live 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 late have had 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 of our Royall King,
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Did turn our joyes in sorrow for to sing.
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Which is a token of our great offence,
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And just reward for our find recompence,
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Because the Lord has justly took occasion,
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To muke us yield by 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 was still abhord.
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The Ninivites we read did soon repent,
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When God the prophet Jonas to them sent,
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Then why should we who have the Gospel pure
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Still seek our own eegruction to pro[cur]e.
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Remember man what wofull Torments be,
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Prepard in hell as warnings you may see,
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The poins ase wofull to be thrught upon,
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Besides all this they never will be done.
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And otherwise 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 Angells sing and never cease.
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Now to cenclude O Lord give us thy grace,
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That we may lead our life in such a case,
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That when we are departed hence away.
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We may then live in perfect peace and joy
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