Believer.
9.
Boast not, O conquered Foe:
For thou couldest have no strength,
But what comes from my sin:
My Lord will overthrow
Thy Power at the length;
And will thy Prisoners win:
Thou couldest not keep my head,
When he lay in thy Bed;
But he rose, and now doth Reign:
He'll take away thy sting,
And endless Life will bring,
And with him shall I remain.
10.
How oft have I underest me,
And laid my Garments by,
And dyed till the next day?
I do but go to rest me,
And shall rise speedily;
My Lord will not delay.
When thou hast broke this shell,
My Soul with Christ shall dwell,
And with Saints and Angels bright.
This World is but the Womb,
From which my Soul must come,
Into the Eternal Light.
⟨p. 132⟩11.
And what though Death be painful?
The pain is quickly past;
My Soul shall soon be freed:
My Lord shall make it gainful:
The gain shall ever last;
And Joy shall Grief succeed.
And though the Place seem strange,
And Nature fear a change;
Yet I with Christ shall be.
And when with him I dwell,
I know I shall be well,
And his glorious Light shall see.
12.
Thou shalt but kill my sin,
And crown my painful Race,
And end my Grief and Fear:
Thou shalt but let me in
To see the blessed face
Of my Redeemer dear.
And is it any loss
To follow with my Cross,
Till I attain the Crown?
It's he that truly dyes,
That Mercy doth despise,
And at last God will disown.
13.
I knew that from my Birth
I was a mortal man:
My frailty, is confessed.
I knew my Flesh was Earth;
My Life was but a span.
And here is not my Rest.
⟨p. 133⟩If thou canst say no more,
All this I knew before,
And yet thy threats defy.
Have I long sought in pain,
And would I not obtain,
Joyful Eternity?
14.
O feeble thing!
How canst thou conquer Christ,
And make his Promise void?
First overcome my King,
And his Command resist,
By whom thou art employed:
First win the World above,
And conquer endless Love;
And then I'll be thy slave:
Kill an immortal Soul,
And we will all condole,
And fear a darksome grave.
15.
It's Christ that doth thee send,
To bring about his end;
And him thou must obey.
He is my dearest Friend,
And doth no harm intend,
In calling me away.
And why should he fear ill,
Whom Love it self doth kill?
And numbereth with the Blest?
⟨p. 134⟩Why should not Death fulfil,
His good All-ruling WILL,
My SPRING, my GUIDE, my REST.
Believer.
9.
Boast not, O conquered Foe:
For thou could'st have no strength,
But what comes from my sin:
My Lord will overthrow
Thy Power at the length;
And will thy Prisoners win:
Thou could'st not keep my head,
When he lay in thy Bed;
But he rose, and now doth Reign:
He'l take away thy sting,
And endless Life will bring,
And with him shall I remain.
10.
How oft have I undrest me,
And laid my Garments by,
And dyed till the next day?
I do but go to rest me,
And shall rise speedily;
My Lord will not delay.
When thou hast broke this shell,
My Soul with Christ shall dwell,
And with Saints and Angels bright.
This World is but the Womb,
From which my Soul must come,
Into the Eternal Light.
⟨p. 132⟩11.
And what though Death be painful?
The pain is quickly past;
My Soul shall soon be freed:
My Lord shall make it gainful:
The gain shall ever last;
And Joy shall Grief succeed.
And though the Place seem strange,
And Nature fear a change;
Yet I with Christ shall be.
And when with him I dwell,
I know I shall be well,
And his glorious Light shall see.
12.
Thou shalt but kill my sin,
And crown my painful Race,
And end my Grief and Fear:
Thou shalt but let me in
To see the blessed face
Of my Redeemer dear.
And is it any loss
To follow with my Cross,
Till I attain the Crown?
It's he that truly dyes,
That Mercy doth despise,
And at last God will disown.
13.
I knew that from my Birth
I was a mortal man:
My frailty, is confest.
I knew my Flesh was Earth;
My Life was but a span.
And here is not my Rest.
⟨p. 133⟩If thou canst say no more,
All this I knew before,
And yet thy threats defie.
Have I long sought in pain,
And would I not obtain,
Joyful Eternity?
14.
O feeble thing!
How canst thou conquer Christ,
And make his Promise void?
First overcome my King,
And his Command resist,
By whom thou art employ'd:
First win the World above,
And conquer endless Love;
And then I'le be thy slave:
Kill an immortal Soul,
And we will all condole,
And fear a darksome grave.
15.
It's Christ that doth thee send,
To bring about his end;
And him thou must obey.
He is my dearest Friend,
And doth no harm intend,
In calling me away.
And why should he fear ill,
Whom Love it self doth kill?
And numbreth with the Blest?
⟨p. 134⟩Why should not Death fulfil,
His good All-ruling WILL,
My SPRING, my GUIDE, my REST.
