Save a thief from the Gallows, and he'l Hang thee if he can,
Or, The Merciful Father, and the merciless Son.
To the Tune of, Fortune my Foe.
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YOu disobedient Children mark my fall,
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And by my timeless end take warning all,
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Against my own dear Father have I done,
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A deed the like did never graceless Son.
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In blooming years I was intic'd to sin,
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E're I perceiv'd what danger lay therein:
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And so from day to day, until this hour,
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To leave the same, as yet I have no power.
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My Mother dead, my Father cockered me,
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As men will do when Motherless we be:
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And nothing for me then he thought too dear,
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Which brought me thus into a graceless fear.
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And when as I to elder years did grow,
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By wicked courses got I timely woe;
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Each vain delight belonging to Young-men,
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Deceived me, and wrought my ruine then.
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The deadly sins that are in number seaven,
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without more grace have lost my joys in heaven:
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From first to last of these most cursed crimes,
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Have made me now a wonder of these times.
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For wanting means to nourish my delight,
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I went the wrong, and left the ways of right;
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Which to maintain, my Father growing poor,
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Forgetting God, I daily rob'd for more.
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Three times he sav'd me from the Gallow-tree,
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Three times he cast himself in debt for me:
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Three times he set me up in good estate,
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In hope to keep me from untimely fate.
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By me the Proverb is fulfilled here,
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Who saves a Thief from Gallow, finds it dear
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For saving me, I sought his dear life's woe,
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My gentle Fathers timeless overthrow.
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For wanting means still to relieve my need,
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Put me in mind to do a woful deed:
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And seek his blood, the high-way unto sin,
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Who wanting grace, I soon grew perfect in.
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My Father's Brother of good living known,
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Being dead, as next of Kin they were mine own
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[On]e which I wrought with these accursed hands
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To be the heir of all my Uncles Lands.
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With mind prepar'd for Murder thus I went,
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Unto the Field where he did much frequent,
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where meeting him, with mine own fathers knife
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Which I had stoln, I took away his life.
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And laid it down all bloody by his side,
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That all might see my Uncle therewith dy'd:
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And challeng'd it my Fathers knife to be,
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When people came the Murdered Corps to see.
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O homicide! O cursed viprous brood,
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Like Cain, to seek my fathers dearest blood;
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My own dear father being thus betray'd,
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I his own child the evidence was made.
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So judg'd to death for that he never did,
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The Lord in mercy did the same forbid:
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For as he was to Execution led,
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A World of torments in my bosom bred.
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To see him stand upon the Gallow-tree,
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From which before poor man he saved me:
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I could not chuse but tell what I had done,
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And so confess my self a wicked son.
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The Confession and Repentance of George Saunders, Gentleman late of Sugh,
in the County of Hertford, who killed his own Uncle, and accused his own Father for the Mur-
der, but by Gods providence being discovered, dyed for the same whereas he wrote this Song
with his own hand.
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GOds judgements now are rightly seen said I,
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Dear Father I have slain him, let me dye,
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O let me dye and set my Father free,
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Or else like Judas damned shall I be.
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Whereat the people in that very place,
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They praised God that gave me so much grace,
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To quit my Father from that crying sin,
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Which I with blood-red streams am drowned in.
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My Father sav'd and I to Prison sent,
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Where I remain'd with many a sad lament,
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Which when you see, you cannot chuse but say,
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Repentance comes before my Dying day.
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His Repentance in Prison,
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To the same Tune.
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MOngst Lyons fell in Daniels den am I,
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In lowest Prison cast with Jeremy:
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[F]ed with Elias by the Ravens fell,
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And plac'd with Judas in the Maw of Hell
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Naked with Esau fearful do I walk,
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Dumb with old Zahary silent do I talk,
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Afflictions bread with Micha is my food,
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And with the Prophet drink I sorrows flood.
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As poor as Job, even now so poor am I,
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Despis'd with Lazarus in great misery,
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Banished with David from my native land,
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Cast up with Jonas on the Nenivites sand.
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Made blind with Toby, by the Swallows dung,
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And with poor Joseph cast in Prison strong,
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I weep with Mary who had lost her Master,
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And run with Peter who should run the faster.
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I sinned have, for sin God curst the ground,
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I sinned have, for sin the world was drown'd,
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I sinned have, sin Sodom set on fire,
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Also for sin did AEgypt fell Gods ire,
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I sinned have, for sin did Adam dye,
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I sinned have, sin caused David, cry,
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I sinned have, and for sin Satan fell
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From an high Angel, to a Devil in Hell.
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Did David weep, and shall not I then cry,
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Did Mary weep, and shall mine eyes be dry?
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Did Esau weep, and shall not I weep more,
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Did Peter weep, such tears let me have store.
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Did Mary weep, for loss of master dear,
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Did Marthe weep, with sorrow touch her near.
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Spring Eyes with tears to wash his sacred feet,
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That for my sin did shed his blood so sweet.
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Lark like I flye into the living spring,
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Desiring pardon of my Heavenly King,
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Past worldly hope, now like the Thief on tree,
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I onely fix my faith and hope in thee,
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Look back on me, as thou did'st unto Peter,
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Speak to my soul, as to the theif most sweeter,
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O spye me out with Zache on the tree,
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And with sweet Bartholomew call me lord to thee.
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O let me now with holy Abraham spy,
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A saving Ram that Isaac may not dye:
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O let me live for to sound forth thy praise,
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That I may shew thy mercy in my days.
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Make me a swallow in thy house, O King,
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That Swallow like I may sit there and sing,
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O let me in thy Temple keep a door,
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That I may praise thy name for evermore,
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