ZION.
Ah! poor I am, mean, low, and desolate;
And few there be that pity my estate:
A long time I have in the Wilderness
Wandered about in sore and great distress;
Hiding my self from the Beasts furious rage,
And there have been until this very Age:
And having lately looked a little out,
Again he spied me, and doth search about:
For to destroy me 'tis his full intent,
Or drive me back again his mind is bent:
No rest nor peace to me or mine he'll give,
Declaring that we are not fit to live.
The Dragon too, hath with this Beast combined
To spoil both me and mine, when Us they find.
Th' old Lion, Lioness, and Lions Whelp,
Come out against me, other Beasts to help.
Dogs, Bulls, and Bears, and Wolves do all agree
To rend and tear, and make a spoil of me.
O that ever I, so delicately bred,
And my dear Babes, at the Kings Table fed,
Should be this day as one even quite cast out,
And they as Sheep now scattered round about.
Now to deliver me, there's none dare venture;
The Truth would fain, but knows not how to enter:
And Justice that is made to stand far off;
Whilst I become the Object of mens scoff.
Zion am I, that no man doth regard;
Mens hearts against me now are grown so hard:
Hurled to and fro, and tossed as with the wind;
And not one Dram of Comfort can I find.
My Children, which both young and tender are,
The fierce looks of these Beasts do greatly scare.
⟨p. 3⟩And some they seize upon as their own Prey,
And them into their Dens do bear away;
Where they are kept in sore captivity,
Mourning for me, and their extremity;
Who for Christ Jesus sake, with much content,
Do from their Foes endure all punishment:
For they in Prison rather choose to lie,
Then to obtain, by sin, their liberty.
The spoiling of their Goods with joy they take,
Before they will the Lord of Life forsake;
Or to be sent out of their native Soil,
Before they will their Consciences defile;
Or otherwise to suffer or be slain,
Than to expose the Gospel to disdain.
These are the Souls I love, I love most dear,
Who for the Gospels sake exposed are
To all those troubles I before did tell,
That they with Christ for evermore might dwell:
But O that men should ever be so blind,
Who lived have where Gospel-Light hath shined,
My Children dear thus for to persecute▪
Because they can't Gods holy Name pollute!
ZION.
Ah! poor I am, mean, low, and desolate;
And few there be that pity my estate:
A long time I have in the VVilderness
VVander'd about in sore and great distress;
Hiding my self from the Beasts furious rage,
And there have been until this very Age:
And having lately look'd a little out,
Again he spy'd me, and doth search about:
For to destroy me 'tis his full intent,
Or drive me back again his mind is bent:
No rest nor peace to me or mine he'll give,
Declaring that we are not fit to live.
The Dragon too, hath with this Beast combin'd
To spoil both me and mine, when Us they find.
Th' old Lion, Lioness, and Lions VVhelp,
Come out against me, other Beasts to help.
Dogs, Bulls, and Bears, and VVolves do all agree
To rend and tear, and make a spoil of me.
O that e'er I, so delicately bred,
And my dear Babes, at the Kings Table fed,
Should be this day as one even quite cast out,
And they as Sheep now scatter'd round about.
Now to deliver me, there's none dare venter;
The Truth would fain, but knows not how to enter:
And Justice that is made to stand far off;
VVhilst I become the Object of mens scoff.
Zion am I, that no man doth regard;
Mens hearts against me now are grown so hard:
Hurl'd to and fro, and tost as with the wind;
And not one Dram of Comfort can I find.
My Children, which both young and tender are,
The fierce looks of these Beasts do greatly scare.
⟨p. 3⟩And some they seiz upon as their own Prey,
And them into their Dens do bear away;
Where they are kept in sore captivity,
Mourning for me, and their extremity;
Who for Christ Jesus sake, with much content,
Do from their Foes indure all punishment:
For they in Prison rather chuse to lie,
Then to obtain, by sin, their liberty.
The spoiling of their Goods with joy they take,
Before they will the Lord of Life forsake;
Or to be sent out of their native Soyl,
Before they will their Consciences defile;
Or otherwise to suffer or be slain,
Than to expose the Gospel to disdain.
These are the Souls I love, I love most dear,
Who for the Gospels sake exposed are
To all those troubles I before did tell,
That they with Christ for evermore might dwell:
But O that men should ever be so blind,
Who lived have where Gospel-Light hath shin'd,
My Children dear thus for to persecute▪
Because they can't Gods holy Name polute!
