Solemn consideration. Reader, have you fled for refuge to the hope set before you in the gospel? Have you felt the alarm in your soul under a sense of sin and judgment? Were you dead, and are you made alive? O, then, while you bless the Saviour for such unspeakable mercies, seek with all diligence, as life is prolonged, to extend the blessing to others. There is no work nor device in the grave, whither we are all hastening, that can

benefit mortals. The great gulf will be fixed, and our state be finally decided for eternity. O, then, if you have not yet attained that good hope of heavenly felicity, sure and stedfast-hasten-yes Hasten, O sinner, to be blest,

And stay not for the morrow's sun;
For fear the curse should thee arrest
Before the morrow be begun.'

GEO. OPFOR.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ENSUING DISCOURSE.

1. THESE lines I at this time present

To all that will them heed,
Wherein I show to what intent

God saith, Convert* with speed.
2. For these four things come on apace,
Which we should know full well,
Both death and judgment, and, in place
Next to them, heaven and hell.
3. For doubtless man was never born
For this life and no more:
No, in the resurrection morn
They must have weal or woe.

4. Can any think that God should take
That pains, to form a man

So like himself, only to make
Him here a moment stand?

5. Or that he should make such ado,
By justice, and by grace;
By prophets and apostles too,
That men might see his face?
6. Or that the promise he hath made,
Also the threatenings great,

Should in a moment end and fade P

O! no, this is a cheat.

7. Besides, who is so mad, or worse,
To think that Christ should come
From glory, to be made a curse,

And that in sinners' room,
8. If nothing should by us be had
When we are gone from hence,
But vanities, while here? O mad
And foolish confidence.

9. Again, shall God, who is the truth,
Say there is heaven and hell

'Convert,' for 'be ye converted,' was a common mode of speech in Bunyau's time. It is so used in Holy Writ, Is. vi. 10. -(ED.)

And shall men play that trick of youth

To say, But who can tell?

10. Shall he that keeps his promise sure
In things both low and small,
Yet break it like a man impure,

In matters great'st of all?

11. O, let all tremble at that thought,
That puts on God the lie,
That saith men shall turn unto nought
When they be sick and die.

12. Alas, death is but as the door

Through which all men do pass,
To that which they for evermore
Shall have by wrath or grace.
13. Let all therefore that read my lines,
Apply them to the heart:

Yea, let them read, and turn betimes,
And get the better part.

14. Mind therefore what I treat on here,
Yea, mind and weigh it well;
'Tis death and judgment, and a clear
Discourse of heaven and hell.

OF DEATH.

1. Death, as a king rampant and stout
The world he dare engage;
He conquers all, yea, and doth rout
The great, strong, wise, and sage.

2. No king so great, nor prince so strong.
But death can make to yield,
Yea, bind and lay them all along,
And make them quit the field.

3. Where are the victors of the world,
With all their men of might?
Those that together kingdoms hurl'd,
By death are put to flight.

4. How feeble is the strongest hand, When death begins to gripe!

The giant now leaves off to stand,
Much less withstand and fight.

5. The man that hath a lion's face

Must here give place and bend,

Yea, though his bones were bars of brass, "Tis vain here to contend.

6. Submit he must to feeble ones,

To worms who will enclose

His skin and flesh, sinews and bones,

And will thereof dispose

7. Among themselves, as merchants do
The prizes they have got;
Or as the soldiers give unto

Each man the share and lot,

8. Which they by dint of sword have won, From their most daring foe;

While he lies by as still as stone,
Not knowing what they do.
9. Beauty death turns to rottenness,
And youth to wrinkled face;
The witty he brings to distress,

And wantons to disgrace.

10. The wild he tames, and spoils the mirth Of all that wanton are,

He takes the worldling from his worth,
And poor man from his care.

11. Death favours none, he lays at all,
Of all sorts and degree;

Both old and young, both great and small,
Rich, poor, and bound, and free.

12. No fawning words will flatter him,

Nor threat'nings make him start;
He favours none for worth or kin,
All must taste of his dart.
13. What shall I say? the graves declare
That death shall conquer all;

There lie the skulls, dust, bones, and there
The mighty daily fall.

11. The

very looks of death are grim

And ghastly to behold;

Yea, though but in a dead man's skin,
When he is gone and cold.

15. How 'fraid are some of dead men's beds,
And others of their bones;

They neither care to see their heads,
Nor yet to hear their groans.

16. Now all these things are but the shade
And badges of his coat;1

The glass that runs, the scythe and spade,
Though weapons more remote:

17. Yet such as make poor mortals shrink
And fear, when they are told,

These things are signs that they must drink
With death; O then how cold.

18. It strikes them to the heart! how do They study it to shun!

Indeed who can bear up, and who

Can from these shakings run?

19. But how much more then when he comes To grapple with thy heart;

To bind with thread thy toes and thumbs,"
And fetch thee in his cart ?

20. Then will he cut thy silver cord,

And break thy golden bowl;

Yea, break that pitcher which the Lord
Made cabin for thy soul.

21. Thine eyes, that now are quick of sight,
Shall then no way espy

How to escape this doleful plight,

For death will make thee die.
22. Those legs that now can nimbly run,
Shall then with faintness fail

To take one step, death's dart to shun,
When he doth thee assail.

23. That tongue that now can boast and brag
Shall then by death be tied
So fast, as not to speak or wag,

Though death lies by thy side.

24. Thou that didst once incline thine ear
Unto the song and tale,

Shall only now death's message hear,
While he, with face most pale,

25. Doth reason with thee how thy days
Hath hitherto been spent ;

And what have been thy deeds and ways,
Since God thee time hath lent.

26. Then will he so begin to tear

Thy body from thy soul,

And both from life, if now thy care
Be not on grace to roll.

27. Death puts on things another face
Than we in health do see:

Sin, Satan, hell, death, life and grace
Now great and weighty be.

28. Yea, now the sick man's eye is set
Upon a world to come:

He also knows too without let3 That there must be his home. 29. Either in joy, in bliss and light,

Or sorrow, woe, and grief;
Either with Christ and saints in white,
Or fiends, without relief.

30. But, O! the sad estate that then
They will be in that die

Both void of grace and life! poor men!
How will they fear and cry.

81. Ha! live I may not, though I would

For life give more than all;

And die I dare not, though I should
The world gain by my fall.

32. No, here he must no longer stay,
He feels his life run out,

Ilis night is come, also the day That makes him fear and doubt. 33. He feels his very vitals die,

All waxeth pale and wan;
Nay, worse, he fears to misery

He shortly must be gone.

34. Death doth already strike his heart
With his most fearful sting

Of guilt, which makes his conscience start,
And quake at every thing.

35. Yea, as his body doth decay

By a contagious grief,

So his poor soul doth faint away

Without hope or relief.

36. Thus while the man is in this scare,
Death doth still at him lay;

Live, die, sink, swim, fall foul or fair,1
Death still holds on his way.
37. Still pulling of him from his place,
Full sore against his mind;
Death like a sprite stares in his face,
And doth with links him bind.
38. And carries him into his den,
In darkness there to lie,

Among the swarms of wicked men

In grief eternally.

39. For only he that God doth fear

Will now be counted wise:

Yea, he that feareth him while here,

He only wins the prize.

40. 'Tis he that shall by angels be
Attended to that bliss

That angels have; for he, O he,
Of glory shall not miss.

41. Those weapons and those instruments
Of death, that others fright:
Those dreadful fears and discontents
That brings on some that night.
42. That never more shall have a day,

Brings this man to that rest Which none can win but only they Whom God hath called and blest 43. With the first fruits of saving grace, With faith, hope, love, and fear Him to offend; this man his face In visions high and clear,

1 Alluding to wrestlers. Some modes of throwing each other down are called fair, others foul or unfair.-(ED.)

44. Shall in that light which no eye can

Approach unto, behold

The

rays and beams of glory, and Find there his name enroll'd,

45. Among those glittering stars of light
That Christ still holdeth fast

In his right hand with all his might,
Until that danger's past,

46. That shakes the world, and most hath dropt Into grief and distress,

O blessed then is he that's wrapt
In Christ his righteousness.

47. This is the man death cannot kill,
For he hath put on arms;

Him sin nor Satan hath not skill
To hurt with all their charms.
48. A helmet on his head doth stand,
A breastplate on his heart:

A shield also is in his hand,
That blunteth every dart.

49. Truth girds him round the reins, alsɔ
His sword is on his thigh;

His feet in shoes of peace do go

The ways of purity.

50. His heart it groaneth to the Lord,
Who hears him at his call,

And doth him help and strength afford,
Wherewith he conquers all.

51. Thus fortified, he keeps the field
While death is gone and fled;
And then lies down upon his shield
Till Christ doth raise the dead.

OF JUDGMENT.

1. As 'tis appointed men should die, So judgment is the next That meets them most assuredly;

For so saith holy text.

may,

2. Wherefore of judgment I shall now
Inform you what I
That you may see what 'tis, and how
"Twill be with men that day.

3. This world it hath a time to stand,
Which time when ended, then
Will issue judgment out of hand
Upon all sorts of men.

4. The Judge we find, in God's record, The Son of man, for he

By God's appointment is made Lord
And Judge of all that be.

5. Wherefore this Son of man shall come At last to count with all,

And unto them shall give just doom,

Whether they stand or fall.

6. Behold ye now the majesty

And state that shall atterd
This Lord, this Judge, and Justice high
When he doth now descend.

7. He comes with head as white as snow,
With eyes like flames of fire;
In justice clad from top to toe,

Most glorious in attire.

8. His face is filled with gravity;

His tongue is like a sword;

His presence awes both stout and high,

The world shakes at his word.

9. He comes in flaming fire, and
With angels clear and bright,
Each with a trumpet in his hand,

Clothed in shining white.

10. The trump of God sounds in the air, The dead do hear his voice;

The living too run here and there,

Who made not him their choice. 11. Thus to his place he doth repair, Appointed for his throne,

Where he will sit to judge, and where He'll count with every one. 12. Angels attending on his hand

By thousands on a row;

Yea, thousand thousands by him stand,

And at his beck do go.

13. Thus being set, the books do ope
In which all crimes are writ.
All virtues, too, of faith and hope,
Of love; and every whit

14. Of all that man hath done or said,
Or did intend to do;
Whether they sinn'd, or were afraid
Evil to come into.

15. Before this bar each sinner now

In person must appear;
Under his judgment there to bow
With trembling and with fear:
16. Within whose breast a witness then
Will certainly arise,

That to each charge will say Amen,
While they seek and devise

17. To shun the sentence which the Lord
Against them then will read,

Out of the books of God's record,
With majesty and dread.

18. But every heart shall opened be
Before this judge most high;
Yea, every thought to judgment he
Will bring assuredly.

19. And every word and action, too,

He there will manifest;
Yea, all that ever thou didst do,
Or keep within thy breast,

20. Shall then be seen and laid before
The world, that then will stand
To see thy judge open ev'ry sore,
And all thy evils scann'd.
21. Weighing each sin and wickedness
With so much equity,
Proportioning of thy distress
And woful misery.

22. With so much justice, doing right,
That thou thyself shalt say,

My sins have brought me to this plight,
I threw myself away.

23. Into that gulph my sins have brought
Me justly to possess,

For which I blame not Christ, I wrought
It out by wickedness.

24. But O! how willingly would these
That thus in judgment be,

If that they might have help or ease,
Unto the mountains flee.

25. They would rejoice if that they might
But underneath them creep,
To hide them from revenging right,
For fear of which they weep.

20. But all in vain, the mountains then
Will all be fled and gone;

No shelter will be found for men
That now are left alone.

27. For succour they did not regard
When Christ by grace did call
To them, therefore they are not heard,
No mountains on them fall.

28. Before this Judge no one shall shroud
Himself, under pretence

Of knowledge, which hath made him proud,
Nor seeming penitence.

29. No high profession here can stand,
Unless sincerity

1

Hath been therewith commixed, and

Brought forth simplicity.'

30. No mask nor vizor here can hide
The heart that rotten is;

All cloaks now must be laid aside,
No sinner must have bliss.

31. Though most approve of thee, and count Thee upright in thy heart;

Yea, though preferred and made surmount
Most men to act thy part,

32. In treading where the godly trod,
As to an outward show;

Yet this hold still, the grace of God
Takes hold on but a few,

Sincerity is the fountain and source of all real inquiries after truth, holiness, and heaven. It leads to personal examination of God's Word, which draws us from the complexity of human inventions to the simplicity of the gospel.-(ED.)