Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A61261
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A dialogue between a blind man and death
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Standfast, Richard, 1608?-1684.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing S5208A; ESTC R221861
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3,802
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11
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A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A Blind Man AND DEATH Bl. M. THE more Men see the less they do enquire The worse they see the more they do desire Others to grant what Blindness cannot give And for Intelligence grow Inquisitive They ask to be inform'd who cannot see I know 't by Sad Experience Wo is me Death Where are you Sir What sitting all alone I did suppose 't was you by that Sad Moan Coming this way to gather what 's my due I thought it not amiss to call on you B. I do not know that Voice 't is sure some Stranger And by his words he seems to Boad me Danger D. You guess aright Sir and before I go I 'le make you know me whether you will or no. B. Why what are you Pray tell me what 's your name And what 's your Business and from whence you came D. I will declare what no Man can deny There 's none so great a Traveller as I Yet you must know I am no wandring Rover For my Dominion lies the World all over I March through Court and Country Town and City I know neither how to Fear nor how to Pity The highest Cedar and the lowest Flower Sooner or later do both feel my Power The mighty'st Emperours do Submit to me Nor is the poorest Tatter'd Beggar free In Peace I Glean here one and there another Sometimes I sweep away whole Streets together In times of War thus much I can Divine Whoever gets the Day the Triumph's Mine I am indeed a very great Commander 'T was I that Conquer'd that Great Alexander And after all the Victories he wan Compell'd him to Confess he was a Man Were you Goliah great or Sampson strong Were you as Wise as Rich as Solomon Were you as Nestor Old as Infant Young Had you the fairest Cheek the sweetest Tongue Yet you must stoop all these will nought avail For my Arrests do not admit of Bail For to deal plainly Sir my Name is Death And 't is my Business to Demand your Breath B. My Breath and Life shall both go out together D. And on that Errand 't was that I came hither I 'le have both Breath and Life without delay You must and shall dispatch Come Come away B. What need such posting haste pray change your Mind 'T is a poor Conquest to Surprise the Blind D. You may not call it Posting nor Surprise For you had warning when you lost your Eyes Nor could you hope your House should long be free After the Windows were possess'd by me B. But Life is sweet who would not if he might Have a long Day before he bid good Night O spare me yet a while slight not my Tears D. Hard Hearts and Hungry Bellies have no Ears B. I am not yet quite ready for the Table D. All 's one to me I am Inexorable B. Yet by your favour I may step aside D. Be not deceiv'd for 't is in vain to hide My Forces are dispersed through all Places And Act for me without respect of Faces I have a Thousand ways to shorten Life Besides a Rapier Pistol Sword and Knife A Fly an Hair the Splinter of a Thorn A little Scratch the cutting of a Corn Have sometimes done my Business heretofore So to the full that I need wish no more Should all these fail enough of Humours lurk Within your Body Sir to do my work B. Well then let some one Run for my Physitian Tell him I want his Aid in this Condition D. Run Boy and fetch him call the whole College do For I intend to have them shortly too I value not their Potions nor their Pills Nor all the Cordials in the Doctors Bills When my Time 's come let them do what they can We have my due so vain a thing is Man Should Galen and Hipocrates both join And Paracelsus too with them Combine Let them all meet to Countermine my strength Yet shall they be my Prisoners all at length I grant that Men of Learning Worth and Art May have the better of me at the Start But in long running they 'l give out and tire And quit the Field and leave me my desire As for those Quacks who Threaten to undo me They are my Friends and speed some Patients to me B. Well if I must I will yield you the Day 'T is so Enacted and I must Obey Henceforth I 'le count my self among your Debtors For 't is I see the measure of my Betters But tell me now When did your Power Commence D. My Power began from Adam's first Offence B. From Adam's first Offence O base Beginning Whose very first Original was Sinning D. My Rising did from Adam's Fall begin And ever since my strength and sting's from Sin B. To know wherein the Enemy's strength doth lie In my Conceit is half a Victory Have you Commission now for what you do D. I have Commission What 's all this to you B. Yes very much for now I understand I am not altogether at your Command My Life 's at his who gave you this Commission To him I 'le therefore make with my Petition I 'le seek his Love and on his Mercy trust And when my sins are Pardon'd do your worst D. That you may know how far my Power Extends I will Divorse you from your dearest Friends You shall resign your Jewels Money Plate Your Earthly Joys shall all be out of date I will deprive you of your dainty Fare I 'le strip you to your Skin Naked and Bare Linnen or Woolen you shall have to wind you As for the rest all must be left behind you Bound Hand and Foot I 'le bring you to my Den Where constant Dreadful Darkness Reigns and then Your only Dwelling-House shall be a Cave Your Lodging Room a little narrow Grave A Chest your Closet and a Sheet your Dress And your Companions Worms and Rottenness B. If this be all the Mischief you can do Your Harbingers deserve more Dread than you Diseases are your Harbingers I am sure Many of which 't is grievous to endure But when once Dead I shall not then complain Of Cold or Hunger Poverty or Pain D. There 's one thing more which here to mind I call When once I come then come I once for all And when my stroak doth Soul and Body Sever What 's left undone must be undone for Ever B. That 's a great Truth and I have learn't to know That there 's no Working in the Grave below To be before-hand therefore I will try That then I may have nought to do but Die But tell me Sir do all Men Die alike D. To me they do for whom God bids I strike Look how the Foolish Die so Die the Wise As do the Righteous so the Sinner Dies The greatest difference will appear hereafter But that 's a thing that is beyond my Charter That I to some prove better to some worse To some a Blessing and to some a Curse That 's none of mine I may not undertake it 'T is God's appointment and Mens works that make it Hence 't is that Sinners Troubles never Cease And that the Upright Man his End is Peace B. There now remains but only one thing more Will not your Power be one Day out of Door D. Must I needs tell you Sir 't is certain true There is a Death for me as well as you And mine 's the worse for I must Die for Ever You may Revive again but I shall Never B. By all that hath been said now I do see You needed not have been so rough with me D. Come let that pass The kinder to appear I will reveal a Secret in your Ear. The Death of Christ upon the painful Cross Which seem'd to be my Gain turn'd to my Loss All in his Hair the Strength of Sampson lay All with his Hair went Sampson's Strength away I have no strength but what I had from Sin I have no sting but what lies hid therein Christ Suffering Death to put this Sin away Hath made me his whom I suppos'd my Prey My strength is now Decay'd my sting Rebated My Boldness Checkt and my Dominion Mated And I am now both Faint and Feeble grown Much like to Sampson when his Hair was gone In my own Craft I was completly Routed My Jaws were broken and my Holders Outed What now I Catch I have no Power to keep My very Name is chang'd from Death to Sleep 'T is true I seiz'd on Christ and had him down And bound him in a Prison of my own But all my strongest Doors Bars Bolts and Bands Were but meer Nothings in his Mighty Hands He broke through all and left my Doors wide Ope And all his Servants Prisoners of Hope For though they Die yet with Devout Affection They do expect a Joyful Resurrection And with their Master to be brought again That they with him for ever may remain Thus Christ by Dying did become Victorious And from his Bed of Darkness rose more Glorious And I by Binding him made my self Fast And his I know will prove my Death at Last B. These words give Comfort and Instruction too Henceforth I shall be better pleas'd with you Decree'd it is for all Men once to Die After that Judgment then Eternity To Prayer therefore will I join Endeavour So to Live here that I may Live for Ever And seeing they that have and keep Christ's words Whether they Live or Die be all the Lords Repentance Faith and New-obedience shall Fit and prepare me for my Funeral From whence I trust my Saviour will Translate me In Season due beyond their reach that Hate me Even to that place of Life and Glory too Where neither Death nor Sin hath ought to do This Hope in me that Word of his doth Cherish He that Believes in me shall never Perish Now welcome Death upon my Saviours Score Who would not Die to Live for Evermore D. Sir I perceive you speak not without Reason I 'le leave you now and call some other Season B. Call when you please I will await that Call And while I stand make ready for my Fall In the mean time my constant Prayers shall be From Sudden and from Endless Death Good Lord deliver me Judg not of Death by Sense lest you mistake it Death 's neither Friend nor Foe but as you make it Live as you should you need not to Complain For where to Live is Christ to Die is Gain R. S. FINIS