THE staff of bread, and water eke the stay,
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From sinning Judah God will take away,
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The prudent Counsellour, the Honourable,
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Whom Grace and Holiness makes delectable,
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The Judge, the Prophet and the ancient Saint,
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The deaths of such cause sorrowful complaint,
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The Earth and its Inhabitants do fall,
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The aged Saint bears up its pillars all.
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The hoary head in way of Righteousness
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A crown of glory is. Who can express
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Th abundant blessings by Disciples old /
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In very deed theyre more than can be told.
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The guise tis of a wanton generation
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To wish the aged soon might quit their station.
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Tho truth it be, The Lord our God does frown,
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When aged Saints by death do tumble down.
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What tho there be not such Activity,
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Yet in their Prayers theres such Fervency
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As doth great mercy for a place obtain,
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And gracious presence of the Lord maintain.
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Tho Natures strength in old age doth decay,
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Yet th inward man renewd is day by day.
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The very presence of a Saint in years
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Who lifts his soul to God with prayrs and tears,
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Is a rich blessing unto any place
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Who have that mercy to behold his face:
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When sin is ripe and calls for desolation
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God will call home old Saints from such a nation.
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Let sinners then of th Aged weary be.
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God give me grace to mourn most heartily
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For death of this dear servant of the Lord,
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Whose life God did to us so long afford:
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God lent his life to greatest length of days;
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In which he livd to his Redeemers praise.
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In youthful time he made Moses his choice,
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His soul obeying great JEHOVAHs voice,
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Freely forsook the world for sake of GOD,
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In His House with His Saints to have abode.
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He followed GOD into this Wilderness;
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Thereby to all the world he did profess,
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Affliction with the Saints a better part
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And more delightful to his holy heart
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Than sinful pleasures, lasting but a season:
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Thus said his Faith, so saith not carnal Reason,
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He came one of the first into this Land,
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And here was kept by Gods most gracious hand
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Years sixty-seven, which time he did behold
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To poor New-England mercies Manifold:
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All Gods great works to this His Israel
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From first implanting what to them befel:
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Of them he made a serious Observation,
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And could of them present a large Narration,
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