A godly Ballad declaring by the Scrip
tures the plagues that have insued whordome.
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REfrain of youth thy vain desire.
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subdue thy lusts inordinate:
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Suppresse thou sparks lest if the fire,
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to quenche them it wil be to late.
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Thou knowste not what a poison strong
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thou lettest breed within thy brest,
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Whiche if thou keep within thee long,
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wil cause thee care and muche unrest.
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Though it seem sweet in thy conceit,
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beware thou never nurish it:
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The Fish is by a plesant bait,
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constrained to the deadly bit.
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Like as the woorm in Affrick bred.
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whose sting destroith with venem colde:
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Is not so noisome to be fled,
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as lust that reigneth uncontrolde.
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If reason cannot rule thy wil,
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but vice wil reign through appetite:
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Then let thy harmes that happen stil,
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(through lusts) refrain thy fond delight.
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Remember eke that in Noes dayes,
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when vice through lust was rifly growne:
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The whole world by suche wicked waies,
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by rage of Rain was overthrowne.
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The King of Egipt Pharao,
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was he not plagued of God moste just:
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Bothe he and all his house also,
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onely for he gave place to lust.
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So read we of Abimelech,
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the mighty King of Gerera:
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That God gave him a grevous check,
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for lusting after Saraa.
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Lust did destroy the Sodomites,
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as is in Scripture manifest:
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For lust were slain the Sichamites,
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when Sichem Dina had opprest.
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Lust did the wits so muche inchaunt.
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of Putipher the gipcians wife:
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That Jofeph for he would not graunt,
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her sute she brought nigh from his life.
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Bethsaba naked in bath,
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bewitched so King Davids brain:
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That giltles he procured hath,
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her husband Ury to be slain.
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The cheef among the Israelites,
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for noughty lust and eke offence:
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Wrought by the meanes of Moabites,
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were hanged up by Gods sentence.
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For lust Zimry the Israelite,
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as witnesseth Gods holy woord:
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And Cosby eke the Madianite,
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perished bothe through Zimphas swoord,
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The Israelites through fleshly lust,
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towards their enmies doughters were:
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Alluerd by them false Gods to trust,
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whiche all their thraldomes caused clere.
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Sampson the sonne of Monoa,
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that mighty Judge in Israel:
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For lust he had to Dalila,
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himself to kil greef did compel.
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Lo, him that none coulde foil in fight,
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whose puissant arme the Lion slew:
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Whose strength put thousands unto flight,
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by lust one woman overthrew.
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Lust in the tribe of Benjamin,
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cast twenty thousand down and five:
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So that in all for that one sin,
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were but six hundred left on live.
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If Ammons lust had not defilde,
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his sister Thamar with incest:
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He had not of his life been spoild,
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at Absolon his brothers feast.
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If lust had not impaird the name,
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of Salomon that witty King:
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He had not lost his roiall fame,
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nor fallen to Idolls worshiping.
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If Herod in his sinful life,
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had not by lust been sore misled:
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He had not kept his brothers wife.
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nor stricken of John Baptists head.
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Now what be these but tokens sure,
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that God wil plage all those that use:
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To lead their lives in lust unpure,
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and without fear themselves abuse?
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But some doo think God dooth not see,
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to eche mannes dooing in all things,
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Because some seem ful safe to be,
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and prosper stil in il livings.
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But if suche wil geve ear unto,
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Gods woord which dooth the truth us tel:
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Shal soon perceive those that live so,
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shall sudenly go down to hel.
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Therfore to God now let us pray,
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that he wil gide our harts aright:
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To flee from filthy lusts alway,
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and him to please with all our might.
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And also for our gracious Queene,
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that God long prosper her and then:
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Good dayes among us may be seene,
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whiche unto us he graunt. Amen.
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