History upon death or, The mirror of man's misery

HISTORY

UPON

DEATH

OR, THE

MIRROR

OF

Man's Misery.

Being very choice and profitable lessons for putting all christians in a prepred condition for Mortality.
With the Pious Christian's preparation for his latter end.

 

Printed this Present Year.

THE

MIRROR

OF

Man’s Misery.

I Have such dread when I shall die,
Not knowing how nor in what place,
Thro course of kind he comes to me.
⁠Into his arms would me embrace,
He spares not the rich, for their riches,
⁠Nor on the poor hath he pity,
This causes me to say alas!
⁠And have a dread when I should die.
When I lay sick, on my death, bed,
⁠And all my life brought to an end;
Then all the tins that e'er I did,
⁠Will all come fresh into my mind,
Crying we are all works of thine,
⁠And now we are to go with thee,
To bear witness what thou hast done.
⁠Which makes me dread when I shall die.
Then grouth of grief and great despair,
⁠will melt my heart and break my gall,
That for my flesh took such care;
⁠but gain'd no grace for my poor four
And now no time remains at all,
⁠to mend my life that none may see
But go to Judgement general;
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die
Then when my breath begins to fail,
⁠my feet and hands do lose their might
My fear is for the fiends of hell,
⁠for they come all in flight,
And every one that sees that fight
⁠for at our ending they shall be,
Reaving our souls if they have right.
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die
And then I fear that bitter pain,
⁠now death shall come and break my heart.
With many thratch and grievious groan
⁠when he shall shake me with his dar(illegible text)
He will make me to feel his smart,
⁠and sting of death most cruelly,
Before my life from me depart,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die
Then shall he send his good angels,
⁠with trumpets founding loud and shrill,
Throughout the parts of all the earth,
⁠to raise the dead and bring them to,
Altho’ it be against their will
⁠to come before his majesty.
Yet force and might will them compel,
⁠this makes me dread when l shall die.
Then heaven and earth shall pass away,
⁠and hide them from his angry face,
Before that he begin to try
⁠all sinners for their wickedness
Alas that is a woeful case
⁠for sinners then in each degree.
When heaven and earth shall take the chace,
this makes me dread when I shall die,
⁠Then all the dead both great and small,
shall be brought in for breach of law,
⁠Then Christ shall charge his servants all,
to let them right upon a row,
⁠And he his bloody wounds will show,
saying, what hast thou done for me?
⁠Then sinful men shall stand great awe,
this makes me dread when I shall die.
⁠And then I fear that weary way,
where I must mend when. I am gone,
⁠For none come back by night or day,
⁠their friends nor neighbours to forewarn
Whether they be in joy or pain,
⁠They must remain continually,
For we are valued at our worth,
⁠This makes me dread when I shall die.
I fear what will become of me,
⁠in that great day of God's just wrath,
When furious flames of fire on high,
⁠o'er spread the face of all the earth:
Which will amaze all his creatures.
⁠Both man end beast and fowls that fly,
And every thing that draweth breath,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
Then Christ the king of righteousness,
⁠who ruleth all at his command,
Will come with glory thro' the skies,
⁠with angels bright a greatful band.
Then round about him shall they stand,
⁠beholding still his majesty.
His face shall shine thro' all the land,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
And this our counts begin to make,
⁠when we are called for our misdeeds,
None shall escape for any's sake,
⁠but every one his own roll reads,
He shall tell forth with all his speed
⁠both good and ill whatever it be,
And every man his sins shall read,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
Into this book there shall be writ,
⁠all their misdeeds and wicked words
All prophane words that they have spoke,
⁠and all unclean and wandering thoughts,
Their love to sin shall be dear bought,
⁠for they do both prove and see,
The wages shall be as they wrought,
⁠this makes me dread when shall die.
The large market of God’s free grace,
⁠that stood ay since Christ Jesus came,
Shall be cry’d down, but longer space,
⁠and ne’er to be proclaim’d again,
Because they would not take their time
⁠therefore the gate of his mercy,
For ever shall be clos’d on them,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
Then Satan with a great army,
⁠of damn’d spirits will come on fight,
Crying O judge who sits on high,
⁠on sinners all now do me right.
Who sets thy law far out of sight,
⁠and served me most willingly,
With care and pains both day and night,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
What malice have you had at me?
⁠then Christ shall say to sinners all,
That ye ran to serve the enemy
⁠and me disdain'd when I did call,
Was I, and my reward so small
⁠that ye disdain'd to worship me?
Therefore I'll now disdain you all,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
I gave you life like to myself,
⁠with wisdom wit and holiness,
And made you lords of all the earth,
⁠both fish and fowl, and its fulness,
Yea over all there my creatures,
⁠which were for your commodity
Yet where is all your thankfulness
⁠and duty ye did owe to me?
And after ye broke my commands,
⁠and brought yourselves in fear of death,
I left my glory in the heavens,
⁠humbled myself and came to earth.
To suffer sorrow pain and grief,
⁠with scorn, disgrace, and misery,
Yet where is all your thankfulness,
⁠and duty ye did owe to me?
They bound me like a common thief,
⁠my back and sides with scourges dang,
They plait and put upon my head.
⁠a crown of thorns sharp and lang,
My sight grew dim, my head down hang,
⁠I lost my life most painfully,
But where is all your thankfulness,
⁠and duty that ye owe to me?
And then they led me to the cross
⁠and nail’d me fast both feet and hands
Full oft they spat upon my face.
⁠a spear out thro’ my side they ran.
The blood and water then out sprang,
⁠ran down my sides most piteously;
But now no part ye have therein,
⁠this you may dread when thou’rt to die.
You have embraced more joyfulness
⁠in one hour’s pleasure of your sin,
Than all the love you had to me
⁠since I put life your breast within.
My precious blood full fast did run,
⁠out thro’ my side abundantly;
Yet you no part you have therein,
⁠this makes you dread when you shall die.
When Christ begins for to propone,
⁠the dreadful doom of life and death,
The hopeless soul shall faint and groan,
⁠before the sentance pass their teeth,
With weeping eyes and doleful voice,
⁠they shall lament most piteously
That ever they were made, alas!
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die,
They shall be safe I dare well say,
⁠who are well rul'd at his right hand,
And pass to heaven the self same day
⁠with music, mirth and angels band.
But wretches all which have done wrong.
⁠shall cry to hills and mountains high,
That they would fall them down upon.
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die
Then in his wrath he shall cry forth,
⁠depart from me ye cursed band,
For on the poor ye had no reuth,
⁠Nor flood in awe at my command,
Therefore begone, no longer stay,
⁠my face again you ne'er shall see,
But fill in darkness to remain.
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
Then if their doom be once out-gone,
⁠remeed shall then be past for ay,
Altho' they weep and make great moan
⁠ev'n till their eyes would melt away,
Altho' they would both kneel and pray.
⁠ev'n till the flesh wore from their knee,
Yet all shall not avail that day,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
And then tho' all the saints in heaven,
⁠and eke the glorious angels all,
Would bow down at the feet of Christ,
⁠and mercy beg for one poor soul,
Yet Christ would then deny them all,
⁠and say, nay, nay, that may not be,
They would not hear when I did call.
⁠this makes me dread when shall die.
Then hope of health they shall give o'er.
⁠when cries and tears shall have no stead,
And then blaspheme in great despair,
⁠and curse the thing that did them good,
Yea curse the father them begat.
⁠and mother them bare in her belly,
And eke the earth whereon they sat:
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die
Then God who gave them life and breath,
⁠and made them all of dust and clay,
They shall him curse unto his face,
⁠because he hath them cast away,
Crying woe, woe, and willaway,
⁠that ever we this day did see,
For we are soft for ever and aye,
⁠this makes me dread when i shall die.
The precious blood of Jesus Christ,
⁠they shall it curse with great disdain,
That bought so many thousand souls,
⁠because no drop was shed for them.
To save them from that bitter pain,
⁠Which by no craft now they can flee,
Nor yet by force of might or main,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
But Christ he will not suffer long,
⁠them to blaspheme in his presence,
But soon will bid cast over them,
⁠in the black vale of his vengeance;
And then lead them a way from thence,
⁠and cast them in with that menzie;
Into that pit pf endless pain,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
Then Christ shall close the mouth of hell,
⁠and bar them from the light of day,
Then they shall all both shout and yell,
⁠when flesh and blood begin to fry.
In fiery flames most furiously,
⁠without all hopes to be set free,
For evermore therein to lye,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
Then shall they swarm in the great flame
⁠like worms into an earthly fire,
And they therein shall still remain,
⁠while that God's wrath begins to tire,
But sure that time will never come,
⁠that God's just wrath reveng'd will be
Upon their silly souls for sin,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
Alas it is a lonesome night,
⁠where day will never dawn again.
Alas it is a fearful sight,
⁠where there is everlasting pain,
Alas it is a longsome cry,
⁠which neither God nor man will pity,
nor hear their moan wherein they ly.
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die,
There blasphemers who stood no awe,
⁠God's holy name for to abuse,
But makes it but a childish ba',
⁠to catch at it when e'er they please.
Their souls shall then get no more ease,
⁠but in these flames scorched shall be.
By wicked spirits and damned devils,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
These gluttons and these drunkards all,
⁠who make a God of their belly.
But got no grace for their poor souls,
⁠Shall then be forc'd to cry sorely
For one poor drop of cold water;
⁠and yet it shall not granted be,
To cool their tongue in flaming fire,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
There whores who have no modesty,
⁠nor any shame of saving grace,
But liv'd in lust and letchery,
⁠hunting their prey in every place;
Their arms shall then be made embrace
⁠both night and day continually,
The doleful flames of black darkness,
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die
These proud persons who brag and boast
⁠of honour, wealth, and their great kind
But care not to dishonour Christ;
⁠rejecting saints belongs to him,
These idols Christ shall put from him,
⁠and cloth them all, most dolefully
With long black robes of lasting shame
⁠this makes me dread when I shall die.
These covetuous and worldly worms,
⁠who put their trust in their riches,
And will not deal the poor an alms,
⁠when they stand crying at the gate,
Therefore in hell, they shall be sure
⁠to cry out for recovery,
When there is none them to relieve,
⁠this makes me dread when l shall di
These murderers and common thieves,
⁠who labour not for honest gain,
But let themselves to deal and reave,
⁠as if there was no God, to see,
The Lord shall then bereave them all,
⁠of all his gifts and his glory,
and banish them to hell's,sore pains,
⁠it makes me dread that I shall die,
will not sing nor longer stay,
⁠for fear that 1 do you molest
of choices then I have but two;
⁠be sure therefore to choose the best,
The first is love joy and rest,
⁠the next is pain without pity,
(illegible text)r we are call’d away in haste.
⁠it makes me dread when I shall die.
(illegible text)y counsel therefore to us all,
⁠is to repent and mend with speed,
And to prepare for the poor soul
⁠before the time be past remeed.
And hold fin ay at deadly feud,
⁠and serve our God most carefully,
Then shall we have no cause to dread,
⁠nor fear the time when we shall die.

 

FINIS.

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