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By the honoured Major Josias Winslow, on the said Mr. William Bradford, as followeth: William Bradford, Anagr. I made law for bridl. To make it spell his virtue, and proclaim His rare endowments, usd for God and us: Now such as honour God, hell honour thus. And yet a man, and yet composd of dust! Yes, God within these slender walls can find A noble, virtuous, studious, active mind. God did preserve him ever in the truth, And gave him grace to own him when but young, Whom afterward he made a champion strong, By wisdom, justice, prudence, and by laws; And, most of all, by his own good example, A pattern fit to imitate most ample. He flies his country, leaves his friends behind, To follow God, and to profess his ways, And here encounters hardships many days. Renouncing honour, profit, pleasure, ease, To suffer tossings, and unsettlements, And if their rage doth rise, to banishments. His conscience clear, and with Gods people serve Him freely, cording to his mind and will, If not in one place, hell go forward still. Safe, danger, hunger, colds, nor any dearth; A howling wilderness, nor savage men, Discourage him, hell follow God again: To us of quiet peace and settlement; I need not speak; the eldest, youngest know, God honourd him with greater work than so. This man was wholly Gods: his recompense Remains beyond expression, and he is Gone to possess it in eternal bliss. That still remain more changes here to see: Lets not lament that God hath taken him From troubles hence, in seas of joys to swim. And he to life of glory is attended; Nor let us grieve that now Gods work is done, In making him a happy blessed one. Duty to God, or men have disrespected; With earnest lamentations lets lament; And, whilst we may, lets seriously repent. For God, and for ourselves, this worthy wight; And now that God hath Moses takn away, Lets pray that he would give us Joshua; Gods and his peoples foes, whatever crew Oppose our journeys to that land of rest, Which till obtaind, were never truly blest. Let now our great necessity enforce Each man to study peace, and to improve His greatest strength to reunite, in love, The hearts and the affections of us all; Lest by our faults, Gods work to th ground should fall. I n heavens dwell, shall to eternity? L et not so many tears |
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