Classic Poem

OR ,

A Caueat for England to call to God for Mercy, lest we be plagued for our contempt and wickedness.

To the tune of, The Merchant .

When Christ our Lord drew nigh,
vnto Ierusalem ,
Foreseeing all the miseries
the which should fall on them ;
And casting of his looks
vpon that beauteous Town,
For very grief the bitter tears
from his fair eyes fell down.
Repent fair England, now repent,
repent while you haue space,
And do not like Ierusalem,
despise Gods proffered Grace.

Alas Ierusalem ,
Ierusalem (quoth he)
Which kil'd the Prophets of the Lord
when they were sent to thee ;
How oftentimes would I,
haue kept thee from all ill ?
Euen as the Hen her Chickens keep,
but thou art stubborn still.

O that thou hadst but known,
at least in that thy day,
The things which did concern thy peace
but now 'tis hid away :
Yea, from thine eyes 'tis hid,
thou shalt not see the same ;
And for thy sorrows coming on,
thy self do only blame.

Therefore the days shall come
thy enemies shall rise,
And trench thee in on euery side
regarding not thy crys :
Thy strong and stately Towers,
in wrath they shall confound,
And make thy sumptuous buildings all,
lie equal with the ground.

And such shall be their rage,
they shall not leaue in thee,
One stone vpon another stone
which shall not spoiled be :
Because thou knewest not,
the seasonable day,
Wherein the Lord did visit thee,
to wash thy sins away.

The Second Part, to the same Tune.

Thus Christ without the Town
did weep for their distress,
While they within, triumph in sin,
and vse all wickedness :
No whit they would belieue
the words which he did say,
But enuiously did practise still,
to take his life away.

He mourned and wept full sore,
to think vpon the smart,
While they full stout did go about,
to pierce his tender heart :
And for his pains they stript him,
and whipt him through the town,
And with a wreath of pricking thorns
his holy head did crown.

They scoff and laugh at him,
they dasht him in the face,
They calld him gracious Lord and king
in flouting and disgrace :
And thorow his hands and feet
they nail him to the Cross
Between two leud and wicked thieues,
but few lament his loss.

They gaue him for to drink,
sharp Vinegar and Gall,
And with a Spear they pierc'd his side,
till his heart blood did fall :
Yet patiently and mild,
he suffered euery thing,
And prayed his Father not to charge
them with this grieuous sin.

When thus they had dispatcht,
the Liuing Lord of might,
Full safely then they thought themselues,
from Sorrow, care and strife :
But within few years space,
as Christ before had told
The mighty Emperor of Rome ,
came thither with courage bold.

And with a mighty Host
he did besiege them round,
By Sword and Famine e're he went
he did them quite confound :
Yea, Dogs and Cats they eat,
Mice, Rats, and euery thing,
For want of food, their Infants young
into the Pot they bring.

No pitty could they find
at this their enemies hand,
But Fire, Sword, and cruel death
before them still did stand,
Their famous City fair,
he set vpon a flame,
He burnt their Temple vnto Dust,
that stood within the same.

And those that scap'd the Sword
and fury of his hand,
He made them slaues and bond-slaues all
within a foraign Land :
Thus fair Ierusalem
was cast vnto the ground,
For their great sin and wickedness
the Lord did it confound.

Awake England I say,
rise from the sleep of sin,
Cast off thy great security
which thou hast liued in,
Thy God hath often call'd,
and offered thee his grace,
His Messengers haue shown his will
to thee in euery place.

Great wonders he hath shown
to thee by Sea and Land,
And sent strange tokens in the air
to make thee vnderstand :
He is offended sore
at thy great wickedness
And that except thou dost repent,
thy plagues shall he express.

Remember how of late,
the Spaniard he assail'd,
And how by Gods especial power,
they ne'r a whit preuaild :
And all was for to try
if thou wouldst sin forsake,
And to an vpright holy life,
thy self at last betake,

But soon has thou forgot
his fauour in the same,
Which afterwards most grieuously
his wrath did so enflame :
That then he plagued thee
with Pestilence and Death,
Whereby in Country and in Town
a number lost their breath.
Yet wilt thou not forsake
thy wickedness and ill,
But in thy pride and couetousness
thou hast continued still :
Prouoke not God to wrath
with thy most loathsome sin,
But speedily to amend thy life,
with Prayers now begin.

And therefore now O England ,
at last for mercy cry,
And grieue the Lord thy God no more,
through thy iniquity :
Lest he forsake thee quite,
and turn away his face,
Because like to Ierusalem ,
thou dost despise his Grace.
Repent therefore O England,
repent while thou hast space,
And do not like Ierusalem,
despise Gods proffered Grace.