Finch his Alphabet, or,
A Godly direction, fit to be perused of each true Christian.
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ADAM our Father being the first man,
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Through EVE his wife the which vile sinne began:
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But God of his mercie thought it very good,
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We should be sav'd through Christ our Saviours blood.
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BEtimes in morning when thou do'st awake,
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Unto the Lord see thou thy Prayers make:
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And after that then goe to thy Vocation,
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This is a way that leadeth to salvation.
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COmfort of comforts, none that I doe finde,
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So great as for to have a constant minde:
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Trusting in God, and in his onely Sonne,
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Comfort of comforts like to this is none.
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DEath as a Sergeant commeth unto all,
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Prepare thyselfe therefore against he call:
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For he that is prepared well to dye,
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Shall live with Christ in heaven eternally.
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ENvie thou not to see my friend doe well,
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Envie is a fiend that leadeth soules to hell:
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Through envie Cain did slay Abell his brother,
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When on the earth there was not found another.
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FLie thou from sinne, and eke from fond delight,
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And feare the Lord of heaven both day and night:
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For he that onely God the Lord doth feare,
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No evill ever to him may appeare.
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GIve laud unto the Lord of heaven on high,
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Which made the earth, the sea, and eke the skie:
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And men he made him onely for to serve,
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Then from his statutes see thou doe not swerve.
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HAve mercy Lord on me I doe thee pray,
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And eke conduct me in thy holy way:
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And let thy precepts alwayes be to mee,
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As sweet as ever hony from the Bee.
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IN thee, O Lord, I onely put my trust,
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For thou, O Christ, art onely true and just:
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There is no other God I know but thee,
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In whom I onely trust saved to be.
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KNowledge a vertue is most excellent,
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If to know Christ the mind be onely bent:
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But not to know him, and know all beside,
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No goodnesse to the soule there can betide.
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LOve God, in him put all thy trust and stay,
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Both day and night unto him doe thou pray:
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And be not idle either day or night,
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So shalt thou please the Lord of heaven aright.
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MArke well my words, and ponder in your minde,
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And then no doubt but you shall comfort finde:
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Put trust in Christ who for mankinde did die,
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So may'st thou live with him continuallie.
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NO man there is that two Masters can serve,
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To one he cleaves, from other he will swerve:
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He that on Mammon setteth his delight,
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He cannot serve the Lord of heaven aright.
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OMnipotent Lord, send to me thy grace,
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Here in this life, in heaven a dwelling place:
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And when my soule depart from body is,
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Grant me sweet Christ to live with thee in blisse.
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PUt all thy trust and confidence in God,
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And he will guide thee with his holy rod:
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For he that trusts in him, and to him pray,
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Shall live in blisse with him another day.
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QUit thou thyselfe alwayes from worldly care,
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And see that thou the Lord of heaven doe feare:
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For he that feares the Lord of heaven aright,
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Shall live eternall with the Lord of might.
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REmember man that thou art borne to die,
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And not to live on earth eternallie:
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Then live on earth while here thou doe remaine,
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Though being dead, to live with Christ againe.
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SInne not, but stand in awe of God the Lord,
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Who made the heaven, the earth, and sea by word:
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The skie, the Sunne, the Moone, the Starres also,
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And every creature that on earth doe goe.
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TRust thou in God the Father of all might,
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And pray unto his Sonne both day and night:
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Intreat his Spirit may thee alwayes guide,
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So from his statutes thou shalt never slide.
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UNto the Lord see that thou call and crie,
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So mayest thou live with him eternallie:
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He is the Judge that Widowes cause doth take,
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And fatherlesse, when moane to him they make.
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WIsedome in man is a most precious thing,
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When God did say to Solomon the King,
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Aske what thou wilt, and I will give to thee,
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Wisedome (good Lord) grant wisedome unto me.
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XErxes for his beastlinesse he had great blame,
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Galba for his vertue he did get much fame:
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T[?] affirmes that nothing is more pure
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In man, then for in vertue to endure.
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YOuth in itselfe vaine glory oft doth showe,
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But age experience brings, whereby men know,
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The idle follies that wilde youth doth bring,
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Which makes them sigh when they may sit and sing.
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ZEale mixt with faith, and in one heart combind,
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Doth please the Lord, and comforteth mans mind.
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So to conclude (with zeale) I make an end,
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Zeale joyn'd with Faith unto the Soule is friend.
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