%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A Lesson for all true Christians./ Which being well observed by old and young,/ And practiced with hand, and heart, and tongue:/ Great comfort in it at the last you'l find,/ Then mark it well, and bear it in your mind. C., J. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1684-1686 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 08/30/2007 20672

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

2.48 R234262 1 Letter for a Christian Family Fortune My Foe Letter for a Christian Family ALl you whose minds be high & heavenly bent,/ Observe Gods laws, and strive for to repent; title unclear: A Lesson for all true Christians. / Which being well observed by old and young, / And practiced with hand, and heart, and tongue: / Great comfort in it at the last you'l find, / Then mark it well, and bear it in y[o]ur mind. Pepys 2.48 Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 48 A Lesson for all true Christians./ Which being well observed by old and young,/ And practiced with hand, and heart, and tongue:/ Great comfort in it at the last you'l find,/ Then mark it well, and bear it in your mind. A Lesson for all true Christians. Which being well observed by old and young, And practised with hand, and heart, and tongue: Great comfort in it at the last you'l find, Then mark it well, and bear it in y[o]ur mind. A Lesson for All True Christians. Which Being Well Observed by Old and Young, And Practiced With Hand, and Heart, and Tongue: Great Comfort in It at the Last You'll Find, Then Mark It Well, and Bear It in Your Mind. C., J. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, 205 x 335 cropped left and right edges, uneven inking vertical rule, alphabetical acrostic in roman display-face capitals 1684-1686 Printed for J. C. W T. and T. P. J. C., W. T., T. P. Blagden

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 8/30/2007 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Devotion & Morality advice religiousconcepts vice virtue 5/27/2008 Checker Kris McAbee Transcription Corrected 8/30/2007 Checker Soren Hammerschmidt Prepared for XBallad 7/12/2007 Checker Soren Hammerschmidt Checked Transcription 11/16/2006 Transcriber Cat Zusky Original Transcription 2006 Bibliographer Jessica C. Murphy Bibliographic SQL Database Record Updated/Completed 8/16/2004 Bibliographer Margaret Sloan Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
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ALl you whose minds be high & heavenly bent, Observe Gods laws, and strive for to repent; Bear thou in mind these lines I shall unfold, And prize them better far then pearl or gold. BEar thou in mind that Christ dy'd for thy sin Upon the Cross, thy precious soul to win; Be frequent still in reading of his word, Which cuts down sin as with a 2 edg'd sword. COnsider well the bitter pains & death, Our Saviour Christ hath suffered on the earth; Unto the Cross they nail'd his hands and feet, So for our sins he shed his blood most sweet. DEfer no time, but pray continually, Thy sins against the still for Vengeance cry: Pray to the Lord thy sins may be forgiven, & that thy soul may live with Christ in heaven.
ETernal God if it be thy blessed will, Comfort all those that now are sick or ill; By Land or Sea relieve them of their pain, Restore them to their former health again. FOrbear to swear you children that are young, you parents pray correct them for their wrong And bring them up in fear to serve the Lord, For fear he scourge them with his heavy Rod. GReat oaths in vain too many people swear, The Lord in pieces willfully they tear: Strange imprecations they too common use, with such delights they do themselves abuse. HOw many false reports abroad do flie, People likewise are given much to lie: Likewise dissemble so with one another, We cannot tell how for to trust our Brother.
IN many places people sudden dye, Others again sore sick in bed do lye; Lord give them grace in time for to repent, And for their grievous sins for to lament. KEep thou in mind the Judgement day will come, When thou shalt answer for what thou hast done Whilst thou remainest here on the earth Therefore prepare thee for the hour of death. LEt not malicious thoughts possess thy breast, Nor wicked actions in thy conscience rest; In any case do not thy Neighbour wrong, Neither by thought, word, deed, nor yet by tongue. MAny there be that follow drunkenness, & make themselves far worse then any beast, & many when that they should go to Church Do in an Ale-house or a Tavern lurch. NOr do they heed, but spend their means in vain, which shou'd their wives & children maintain Until they have consum'd their whole estate, And ne'r repent before it be too late. OThers there be likewise doth rob and kill, And many a man and womans blood do spill; For money to maintain their grievous sin, And think not on the errors they run in. PItty it is they have no better care, But bring their souls and bodies in a snare; Their bodies here to dye in woful shame, Their souls to suffer in eternal flame. QUere thou after Gods word which is so pure Also the Gospel which will still indure; Seek thou the place whereas thy Soul may rest Amongst the Angels whom the Lord hath blest. REgard not thou the sin of covetousness, Seek for to right the widdow and fatherless, Help to relieve those that in prison lye, Also remember man that thou must dye.
SEt not thy mind upon Adultery, But from the beauty of lewd women flye, We find in Scripture that tis forbid, Then mind it well when as you do it read. TAke heed that you do not false measures u[se] With such deceit do not thy self abuse; Too many use it now, the more's the pit[y] In every place, in Country, Town and [City] UNdone are many by this false deceit, Let me advise such people, and intreat To leave it off & mark what I shall say, 'Twill rise against them at the Judgeme[nt day] WHen thou before thy maker shalt appear, To give account, and eke thy self to cle[ar] If well thou'st done, then happy shalt t[hou be] And live with Christ in joy eternally. XAmple take I pray both old and young, By those few lines that's penned in this s[ong] Bear it in mind I pray every one, And think on it when I am dead and gone. YOung-men & maidens love your parents kind Honour them still, and seek the Lord to find O mind your bibles more then all your pride & then be sure the Lord will be your guide. ZEalous and faithful to each other prove, Live not in hatred, but in perfect love; Peace is a vertue passeth gold so pure, Lord grant it may amongst us still endure. & Now at last for to conclude and end, These lines to all true Christians I do send; To read them o're, and of them take a view, What here's pen'd you'l find for to be true.
FINIS.
Printed for J.C.W T. and T.P.