 | Poems (1830) |  |
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ON THE MISERIES OF THE TYME.
O gracious God! Almichtie, and eterne!
For Jesus' saik, thy Sone, we ask at thé,
Us to defend, consarve us, and governe;
And tak fra us, Lord, for thy grit mercie,
Thir plaigis that appeiris presentlie;
Pest, povertie, and most unkyndlie weir;
Hunger, and dearthe, that now is lyk to be,
Throw deid of beistis, and skant of corne this yeir.
For Jesus' saik, thy Sone, we ask at thé,
Us to defend, consarve us, and governe;
And tak fra us, Lord, for thy grit mercie,
Thir plaigis that appeiris presentlie;
Pest, povertie, and most unkyndlie weir;
Hunger, and dearthe, that now is lyk to be,
Throw deid of beistis, and skant of corne this yeir.
Bot, Lord, this cumis of thy just judgement,
For punischment of our iniquitie;
That never of our synnis will repent,
Bot perseveiris in impietie;
We ar sa sowpit in sensualitie;
Baith spirituall, and temporall estaite,
The peopill ar misguydit haillalie:
Nocht regneth now, bot troubill and debait.
For punischment of our iniquitie;
That never of our synnis will repent,
Bot perseveiris in impietie;
We ar sa sowpit in sensualitie;
Baith spirituall, and temporall estaite,
The peopill ar misguydit haillalie:
Nocht regneth now, bot troubill and debait.
Sumtyme the preistis thocht that thay did weill,
Quhone that thay maid thair beirdis, and schaif thair croune;
Usit round caps, and gownis to thair heill;
And mess and mateynis said of thair faschoune:
Thoch that all vyces rang in thair persoune,
Letcherie, gluttunnie, vain-gloire, and avarice;
With swerd and fyre, for zeill of religioune,
Of christiane peple oft maid sacrifice.
Quhone that thay maid thair beirdis, and schaif thair croune;
Usit round caps, and gownis to thair heill;
And mess and mateynis said of thair faschoune:
Thoch that all vyces rang in thair persoune,
Letcherie, gluttunnie, vain-gloire, and avarice;
33
Of christiane peple oft maid sacrifice.
For quhilk God hes thame punischit richt scharplie;
Bot had thay left their auld abusioune,
And turnit thame fra vyce to God trewlie;
And syne forthocht thair wrang intrusioune
In to the kirk be fals elusione;
The word of God syn preitchit faithfullie;
Thay had nocht cum to sic confusioune,
Nor thoilit had as yit sic miserie.
Bot had thay left their auld abusioune,
And turnit thame fra vyce to God trewlie;
And syne forthocht thair wrang intrusioune
In to the kirk be fals elusione;
The word of God syn preitchit faithfullie;
Thay had nocht cum to sic confusioune,
Nor thoilit had as yit sic miserie.
Now is Protestantis rysin us amang,
Sayand, thay will mak reformatioun;
Bot yit as now ma vyces nevir rang,
As pryd, invy, fals dissimulatione;
Dissait, adulterie, and fornicatioune;
Thift, reif, slauchtir, oppressioun of the puir;
Of policie plaine alteratioune;
Of wrangous geir now na man takis cuir.
Sayand, thay will mak reformatioun;
Bot yit as now ma vyces nevir rang,
As pryd, invy, fals dissimulatione;
Dissait, adulterie, and fornicatioune;
Thift, reif, slauchtir, oppressioun of the puir;
Of policie plaine alteratioune;
Of wrangous geir now na man takis cuir.
Thai think it weill, and thay the Paip do call
The Antechrist; and mess, idolatrie;
And syne eit flesche upon the frydayes all,
That thai serve God rycht than accordinglie;
Thocht in all thingis thai leif maist wickitlie:
Bot God commandit us his law to keip;
Fyrst honour him, and syne haive cheretie
With our neichtbouris; and for our sinnis weip.
The Antechrist; and mess, idolatrie;
And syne eit flesche upon the frydayes all,
That thai serve God rycht than accordinglie;
Thocht in all thingis thai leif maist wickitlie:
Bot God commandit us his law to keip;
Fyrst honour him, and syne haive cheretie
With our neichtbouris; and for our sinnis weip.
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Think weill that God, that puneist the papistis,
Is yit on lyve, and yow to punische abill,
As he did thame; that in your synnis insistis
As Godis word war haldin bot ane fabill:
Bot gif your hairt on God be ferme and stabill,
Thocht that his worde into your mouthe ye haive,
Except your lyf be thairto conformabill
In word, and wark; ye bot yourself dissaive.
Is yit on lyve, and yow to punische abill,
As he did thame; that in your synnis insistis
As Godis word war haldin bot ane fabill:
Bot gif your hairt on God be ferme and stabill,
Thocht that his worde into your mouthe ye haive,
Except your lyf be thairto conformabill
In word, and wark; ye bot yourself dissaive.
I meine nocht heir of faythfull christianis;
Nor ministeris of Godis word trewlie;
Quha at the samen stedfastlie remanis,
In word, and wark, without hypocrisie:
Bot I do mene of thame allenarlie
That callit ar the fleschlie gospellaris;
Quha in thair wordis appeiris rycht godlie,
Bot yit thair warkis the plaine contrair declaris.
Nor ministeris of Godis word trewlie;
Quha at the samen stedfastlie remanis,
In word, and wark, without hypocrisie:
Bot I do mene of thame allenarlie
That callit ar the fleschlie gospellaris;
Quha in thair wordis appeiris rycht godlie,
Bot yit thair warkis the plaine contrair declaris.
Bot, thocht of papistis, and protestantis, sum
Hes baith gane wrang, and Godis law transgrest;
Keip us, gude Lord, that never mair we cum
To sic errour; but grace to do the best:
That with all men thy trew fayth be confest;
That christiane folk may leif in unitie;
Vertu set up, and all vycis supprest,
That all the warld, gude Lord, may honour thé.
Hes baith gane wrang, and Godis law transgrest;
Keip us, gude Lord, that never mair we cum
To sic errour; but grace to do the best:
That with all men thy trew fayth be confest;
That christiane folk may leif in unitie;
Vertu set up, and all vycis supprest,
That all the warld, gude Lord, may honour thé.
| Poems (1830) | |