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 Christians Alphabet. |
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The Christians Alphabet.
An Angel good Satan himself can make;But the Apostles true, bid men beware.
Christ had his Paul the drowsie to awake,
Daring even Death it self; such was his care.
Earnest in zealous works, did sharply tast
Fortunes ill will in stripes of cruel measure;
Great was his troubles: he did oft forecast
Honour for God, in counting Death his treasure.
In Prisons frequent, from the sight o'th' Sun;
Kill'd oftentimes, and yet he did revive;
Lashes five times he had forty save one;
Menacing terms did frequently receive.
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Once was he ston'd, and three times beat with rods;
Perils came often; cold he was as Ice;
Quips oftner came than did his days by odds.
Render he did his thanks to God for all,
Such was his holy love and fervent Zeal,
Though first he was a persecuting Saul,
Undoing such as bless'd the Commonweal.
Wreaths crown his head because he was a Tree
Xactly good, too pretious for the flames,
Yielding such fruit as few have born but he;
Zealous for Heaven, where he in Glory reigns,
& so his Losses turn'd to be his Gains.
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