Classic Poem

Great trouble and vexation,
 the righteous shall sustaine:
By Gods determination,
 whil'st here they doe remaine.
Which grievous is and irkesome both
 for flesh and bloud to beare:
Because by nature we are loth
 to want our pleasure here.
And eke because our enemy
 that auncient deadly foe,
Sathan, with cruell tyrannie,
 the worker of our woe
Doth still provoke the wicked sort,
 in sinne which doe delight:
To please themselves, and make great sport
 to vexe us with despight.
Yet doe the righteous by the crosse,
 moe blessed things obtaine
Then any way can be the losse,
 the dolor, or the paine.
The losse is that which in few daies,
 would passe, fade and decay
Even of it selfe: the gaine alwaies
 no man can take away.
All earthly estimation
 the crosse may cleane deface:
But heavenly consolation,
 the soule does then imbrace.
Afflictions wordly pleasures will
 abandon out of minde:
Then is the Soule more earnest still,
 the joyes of heaven to finde.
The wordly riches, goods and wealth,
 by troubles may depart:
The inward joyes and saving health,
 may wholly rule the heart
In trouble friends doe start aside,
 as cloudes doe with the winde:
But Gods assistance doth abide,
 to cheare the troubled minde.
If we should feele these losses all
 at once, by sudden change:
We may not be dismaid withall,
 though it seeme very strange.
Job lost his friends, he lost his wealth,
 and comfort of his wife:
He lost his children and his health,
 yea all, but wretched life.
When all was gone, the Lord above
 did still with him remaine:
With mercy, kindnesse and with love
 assuaging all his paine.
Teaching him by experience,
 that all things fickle be:
(Which subject are to human sence)
 and yeeld all misery.
But godlinesse within the heart,
 remaineth ever sure:
In wealth and woe, it is her part,
 true comfort to procure.
Afflictions turn'th these worldly joyes
 to greater paine and woe
Because the love was linc'kt with toyes,
 Religion is not so.
For when mans heart doth most delight
 in pleasure, wealth and pride:
Religion then will take her flight,
 she may not there abide.
Whereby our soules in wofull plight,
 continually remaine:
Yet have not we the grace or might
 from such lusts to refraine.
In which estate most willingly
 (though tending right to hell)
We count our chiefe felicity,
 and love therein to dwell.
Therefore the Lord which is above,
 regarding us below:
With mercy, pitty, grace, and love,
 that alwaies from him flow;
Doth mix with griefe these earthly things
 wherein we doe delight
Which to our soules all sorrow brings,
 or else removes them quite.
Then doth the holy word of God,
 most comfortable seeme:
Which we (before we felt the rod)
 meere folly did esteeme.
The world which earst most pleasant was
 now loathsome seemes to be:
It doth appeare (as in a glasse)
 all fraught with miserie.
Then feare wel hell, then flie we sinne,
 then seeke we heaven the more:
To use good meanes we then begin,
 which we despisde before.
Then can we pray, then can we call,
 to God for strength and grace
Which things before might not at all,
 with us have any place
Then heare we with attentiveness,
 then read we with all care:
Then pray we with great ferventnesse,
 no travaile then we spare.
Then shall we see, feele and confesse,
 the state wherein we dwelt:
To be nothing but wretchednesse,
 though worldly joyes be felt
Because the soule by godlinesse,
 more comfort doth receive
In one day, than by wordlinesse,
 which they full soone shall leave.
Then we with David shall confesse,
 that God from heaven above
(By humbling us) doth well expresse
 his mercy and his love.
For ere we felt the scourging rod,
 we errde and went astray:
But now we keepe the law of God,
 and waite therein alway
Then for Religion love the Crosse,
 though it doe bring some paine:
The joy is great, small is the losse,
 but infinite the gaine.