Prison-Pietie or, Meditations Divine and Moral. Digested into Poetical Heads, On Mixt and Various Subjects. Whereunto is added A Panegyrick to The Right Reverend, and most Nobly descended, Henry, Lord Bishop of London. By Samuel Speed, Prisoner in Ludgate, London |
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The Enquiry. |
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The Enquiry.
Tell me, my Soul, where doth thy passion bend?Doth it on Heaven, or things on earth attend?
If worldly Objects do thy Reason guide,
Thou mayst desire, but not be satisfi'd.
If thou dost Beauty love, it is a shade;
But Righteousness doth shine, and never fade.
If worldly Wisdom, 'tis but as a blast;
But heav'nly Wisdom doth the World outlast.
If earthly Riches, they have wings and fly;
But heav'nly Gems do last eternally.
Estates on earth do as in shipwracks reel;
In Heaven's harbour are no thieves to steal.
All thou canst compass here, is trifling store;
In Heav'n are Crowns laid up for evermore.
Would'st thou have Honour, which the World depaints?
What Honour can be greater than the Saints?
Or is it Pleasure? 'twill thy Soul destroy;
The Just shall enter in their Masters joy.
But tell me farther, what is't thou wouldst have?
Both Heav'n and earth on this side of thy Grave?
Away, vain fancies, ye are Vertues moth,
Pitty hath the promise of them both.
These lustful thoughts lead thee to splendid folly;
But if thou wouldst be happy, then be holy.
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