University of Virginia Library

“transcribed march 2, 1722–3, upon thr Death of my Dear honoured father, Mr William Tompson, pastor of the Church of Christ in Braintry, Decemb. 10, 1666, whose dying words were: ‘loue the lamb, loue, loue the lamb.’ pend by that holy man of god, Mr John Willson, the first pastor unto ye first Church in boston, that holy reuerend man of god.”

Anagram i: William Tompson, most holy paule mine.

Most holy paule, mine answer was,
In my temptacions all,
When as the deuill tempted me,
As much or more then paul.
He did acount himselfe to be
Of sinners all the Chief;
So i my selfe accounted, yet
How great was his relief!
Nor did the lord Count it enōgh
To show him so much grace,
But mongst his one ambasadors
Gaue him a specill place,
And all his labours did so bless,
As none Conuerted more,
Amongst the gentiles, to the faith—
From heauen he had such power.
And me, unworthy me, the lord
Did pardon through Christs blood;
Yea, as his messenger he sent
To do his people good
In england ould, that found it so
There hath bene not a few,
Nor hath his blessing been with held
From me in England new.
And as paule exercised was
With trials more then any,
So he was pleased to uisit me
With trials more then many:
Not onely persecutions
Of proud malignant foos,
But he hath let the deuill loose
Me strongly to oppose,
As he did paule with buffeting
That he was black and blew,
So that he was at his wits end
And knew not what to do.
He prayed once, yea, twice, yea, thrice,
With Cryes importunate,
Yet Could not his requests obtain
In his forlorn estate.
His troubles still remaind and he
Was tempted more & more
With diabolicoll Assalts
Which uexed him full sore,
And all the answer which ye lord
Or first or last did giue him,
Was this: that with suphicient grace
His spirit should reliue him,
And Satan, when he did his worst,
Should not so far preuaile
As that gods fauour or pauls faith
Him utterly should faile.
No more it did; no more did mine,
Tho sumtimes I did think,
In midst of my temptacions
I utterly should sink.
How is it els, that all this while
So many Darts of hell
Haue not preuailed from my hart
Gods spirit to expel?
How is it els, with uiolenc
My self i did not kill?
Which was the deuils strong deuice
Might he have had his will.
How is it els, that all this while
I Cast not of the lord,
Tho he hath seemd to cast of me,
As of his soule abhord,
But in my hart haue loued him,
As peter eu'n then did
When as his tong once, twise, yea, thrice,
So fowly him denied?
And still his word, his ministers,
His ordinances, saints,
Haue still to me bene uery dear
In saddest of my plaints.
O, let not any think that I
Was quite of god forsaken,
Tho with such lamentable fits
I was so long o're taken.