A30125:91
A book for boys and girls, or, Country rhymes for childrenA book for boys and girls, or, Country rhimes for children
A book for boys and girls, or, Country rhymes for children by J.B.A book for boys and girls, or, Country rhimes for children by J.B.
London: printed for N.P., 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A BOOK FOR Boys and Girls, &c. › Poem 3: III Meditations upon an Egg.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
III Meditations upon an Egg.
1 The Egg's no Chick by falling from the Hen; Nor man a Christian, till he's born again. The Egg's at first contained in the Shell; Men afore Grace, in sins, and darkness dwell. The Egg when laid, by Warmth is made a Chicken; And Christ, by Grace, those dead in sin doth quicken. The Egg, when first a Chick, the shell's its Prison; So's flesh to the Soul, who yet with Christ is risen. The Shell doth crack, the Chick doth chirp and peep; The flesh decays, as men do pray and weep. The Shell doth break, the Chick's at liberty; The flesh falls off, the Soul mounts up on high. But both do not enjoy the self-same plight; The Soul is safe, the Chick now fears the Kite.
1 THe Egg's no Chick by falling from the Hen; Nor man a Christian, till he's born agen. The Egg's at first contained in the Shell; Men afore Grace, in sins, and darkness dwell. The Egg when laid, by Warmth is made a Chicken; And Christ, by Grace, those dead in sin doth quicken. The Egg, when first a Chick, the shell's its Prison; So's flesh to th'Soul, who yet with Christ is risen. The Shell doth crack, the Chick doth chirp and peep; The flesh decays, as men do pray and weep. The Shell doth break, the Chick's at liberty; The flesh falls off, the Soul mounts up on high. But both do not enjoy the self-same plight; The Soul is safe, the Chick now fears the Kite.
2. But Chick's from rotten Eggs do not proceed; Nor is an Hypocrite a Saint indeed. The rotten Egg, though underneath the Hen, If cracked, stinks, and is loathsome unto men. Nor doth her Warmth make what is rotten found, What's rotten, rotten will at last be found.