AN ELEGIE
OFFERED UP
TO THE MEMORY
O that late faithfull Servant of GOD,
Mr. JEREMIAH BURROUGHS,
Minister of the Word at Giles Cripplegate and Stepney.
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TO adde more ashes to our mortall Store,
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Burroughs is followd now, those gone before;
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Unconquerd Death, that spareth no degree;
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But fetters all in his Captivity,
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Hath seized him, a servant of the Lord.
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Who preached JESUS, as hes in the Word:
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Set forth to all, he for them mercy hath,
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If they upon him will depend their Faith:
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These things (this Man of God) did to us preach,
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And to us plainly Jesus he did teach;
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Declaring to us, hes the only way
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For to be saved, to him we must pray,
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If we would ever Heavens Gates enter in,
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We must leave all, we must forsake our sinne,
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On such good things he thought; the faithfull Preacher
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Spent all his life for Christ,who was his Teacher,
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For Christ our Saviour did alone him teach,
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And none but Christ our Saviour would he Preach.
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The world he scornd, though plenty of it having,
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But at Gods hands for grace was daily craving;
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Too base it was, that he to it should bend,
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Or to her Riches any credit lend;
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For, what are Riches? But like a Post ins way,
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Or, like a span, or like the flower in May:
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So worldly honours unto him seemd base,
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To honour Christ that was his only grace:
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For Christ alone he lovd, so lovd to live
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That he might alwayes praises to him give.
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The grace of God was alwayes in his thoughts.
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The love of God, in sparing such foule faults
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Which he committed daily in his sight,
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Yet from the Lord would never take his flight.
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For Jesus Christ was only his delight,
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And Christ his Crosse was alwayes in his sight,
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Christ was his joy, he was his whole desire.
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What shall I say? Christ did he love intire.
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An happy end this godly man did make,
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The world, her Riches from him he did shake.
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Elijah like, his mantle left behind
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For others to possesse, that they might find
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A loving friend of him, and might confesse
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That to his Neighbours all he was no lesse,
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Then a Jonathan unto King David,
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Fors love was fixt, fixt where he loved.
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The truth of this, if you desire to know,
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Doe you unto his Printed Sermons goe;
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For they doe there unto the world declare,
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What was their masters heart, what was his care
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To those that loved grace, and loved those
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That truly loved Christ, and him had chose.
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London afflicted in the face I see.
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That such a man from us by Gods decree,
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Should thus be snatchd away, and from us part,
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The thoughts of which might melt the hardest heart;
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For in this City, for him being deceast,
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Thousands are mourners, and I not the least:
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Yet mourn, why should we? Or, why should we weep,
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When Burroughs is not dead, but is a sleep:
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This man of God unto that glorious place,
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Ascended is, ever to see Gods face.
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