Piety, and Poesy :: :: University of Virginia Library

'Twas time to cry Remember, 'twas an hour
Fit to invoke thy dying Saviour
For an eternal life, yet it is strange
To see this blessed, un-expected, Change
In thee, a Thief, how couldst thou hope to be
Preserv'd by him, that was condemn'd like thee?
Or if thou didst conceit his power could give
A Life to thee, Why didst not ask to live?
As did thy Partner, whose desire was thus,
If thou be Christ, save thou thy self and Us:
Then might ye hope after your strange Reprieves
To rob agen, be more notorious Thieves,
Resolve to keep the Passenger in aw,
To steal in spight of Conscience, or Law;
Why didst thou ask his Kingdom, there's no place
Fit for thy Trade, No Mask to hide thy face
From the known Traveller; the Wealth he gives
Can never be devour'd by Rust, or Thieves:
But this was not thy Aim, thy Lord could see;
'Twas not for this thou cri'dst Remember me:
For thou wert Penitent, and from each Eye
True drops did fall to purge thy Felony;

What ever thou didst force from any one
Thy Teares distill'd a Restitution;
But what did cause all this? sure 'twas that Eye
That look'd and made forgetful Peter cry
After his Third Deniall, whose bles'd Sight
Can give a Thief Repentance, blinde men, light;
Thence came that Faith, which made thee to believe
This Jesus had a Kingdom for to give:
That taught thee to obtain it, that did shew
How by Repentance thou must thither go;
That made thee to cry out undauntly,
When thou com'st thither, Lord, Remember me:
Let me Sweet Saviour take this Thief's advice,
And I shall be with thee in Paradise:
No Fagot, Gibbet, Rack, or Ax shall fear me,
If on my Crosse, I have a Cure so near me.