Classic Poem

Meditation III

A Dialogue, the Speakers being Faith and Unbelief.

Unbelief.

1

Thou speakest sleighty now
Of all these outward things:
But what, when Poverty thee wounds
With all her Pois'ned Stings?
What if thy Weaknesses
Bring on distressing wants?
How wilt thou then behave thy self?
Or live without complaints?

Faith

2

Perhaps I may not live
Those future months to see:
And then 'twere folly to take thought
For what shall never be
But if the Lord see fit
That I on Earth abide
A longer time, he can and will
Fit sustenance provide.

3

If I have meat and drink,
Though neither of the best,
And cloathes that will but keep me warm
I shall not be distrest.
Mean things give me content;
For God can mean things bless,
More then their overflowing Cups
That greatest things possess.

4

Those that abound in wealth
May lose it in a night;
And be despoil'd of all they have
Before the morning light;
And if they have no God
To help them in their need,
It matters not what once they were,
They'l then be poor indeed.

5

But he that hath the Lord
Engag'd by Covenant
To stand his Friend at every turn,
That man can never want
My Soul be thankful then;
Thou has a better lot,
Although thy substance be but small,
Then worldly men have got.

6

Thou has a gracious God
Who never will forsake thee,
But here on Earth he'll do thee good,
And then to Heaven take thee.
A blessed Portion He
To all that on him trust:
Whose Souls and Bodies he will feed;
But he'll not feed their Lust.

7

Our Saviour teacheth us
For daily bread to pray;
Not for a twelve months Bread at once,
But for each present day:
That so we might on God
From time to time depend,
Believing that our present help
Will help us to the End.

8

Of present things, my Soul,
What present need requires
Thou dost possess: here stay thy thoughts
And bridle thy desires.
Beware lest future things
Thy careful mind distract:
For carking care can nothing else
But guiltiness contract.

9

Good reason hath the man
To be content with small things,
Who when he is at lowest ebb,
Yet still possesseth all things
For God is All in all
Through Christs his gracious Son,
The Ocean whence all streams proceed
And into which they run.

10

He is a living Spring,
A Fountain never dry:
Though water in the Pitcher fail,
The Fountain can supply.
That man is not i'th' dark,
That still enjoyes the Sun:
Although his Fire be quite gone out,
And Candle ends be done.