REVELATION 2 10.

Be thou faithfull unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life

1.

B E faithfull, Lord, what's that?
Believe: 'tis easie to believe: but what?
That he whom thy hard heart hath wounded
And whom thy scorn hath spit upon;
Hath paid thy fine, and hath compounded
For those feul deeds thy hands have done:
Believe, that he whose gentle palms
Thy needle-pointed sinnes have naild;
Hath born thy slavish load (of alms)
And made supply where thou bast faild:
Did ever mis'ry find so strange relief?
It is a love too strong for man's belief.

2.

Believe that he, whose side
Thy crimes have pierc'd with their rebellions di'd
To save thy guilty soul from dying
Ten thousand horrid deaths; from whence
There was no scape, there was no flying,
But through his dearest bloud's expence:
Believe, this dying friend requires
No other thanks for all his pain,
But ev'n the truth of weak desires,
And for his love, but love again:
Did ever mis'ry find so true a friend?
It is a love too vast to comprehend.

3.

With flouds of tears baptize
And drench these dry, these unregen'rate eyes;
Lord, whet my dull, my blunt belief,
And break this fleshly rock in sunder
That from this heart, this hell of grief,
May spring a Heav'n of love and wonder:
O, if thy mercies will remove
And melt this lead from my belief;
My grief will then refine my love,
My love will then refresh my grief:
Then weep mine eyes as he hath bled; vouchsafe
To drop for every drop an Epitaph.

4.

But is the crown of Glory
The wages of a lamentable story?
Or can so great a purchase rise
From a salt humour? can mine eye
Run fast enough t' obtain this prize?
If so, Lord, who's so mad to die?
Thy teares are trifles; thou must do:
Alas, I cannot; then endeavour:
I will: but will a tug or two
Suffice the turn? thou must persever:
I'll strive till death; and shall my feeble strife
Be crown'd? I'll crown it with a crown of life.

5.

But is there such a dearth
That thou must buy what is thy due by birth?
He whom thy hands did form of dust,
And gave him breath upon condition
To love his great Creatour, must
He now be thine by composition?
Art thou a gracious God and mild,
Or head-strong man rebellious rather?
O, man's a baso rebellious child,
And thou a very gracious Father:
The gift is thine; we strive, thou crown'st our strife:
Thou giv'st us Faith; and Faith a crown of life.