Cogitations upon DEATH, OR, The Mirror of Man's MISERY  
Being very choice and profitable Lessons, for putting all Christians in a prepared condition for Mortality.  
The Sixth Edition Corrected and amended.  
EDINBURGH, Printed in the Year, 1688.   

The Mirror of Man's Misery.  

I Have such Dread when I should die,  
Not knowing where, nor in what place●  
Through course of kind he comes to m●  
Into his Arms would me embrace:  
He spares not the Rich for their riche●  
Nor on the Poor hath no pity,  
This causeth me to say alas,  
And have such Dread, when I should Diego   

When Ily sick on my Death bed,  
And all my life brought to an end;  
Then all the sins that ever I did,  
Will all compear into my mind.  
Crying, we are all works of thine,  
And now we are to go with thee;  
To bear witness what thou hast done,  
This makes me Dread, when I should Die●   

Then growth of grief, and great despair  
Will melt my heart, and break my gall  
That for my flesh I took such care,  
But gained no grace for my poor Soul:  
And now no time remains at all,  
To mend my life that none may see;  
But go to judgement general,  
This makes me Dread, when I should Die,   

Then when my Breath gins to fail,  
My feet and Hands they lose their might,  
My fear is for the Fiends of Hell,  
For they come fleeing on a flight,  
And every on shall see that sight,  
For at our ending they shall be,  
Reaving our souls if they have right,  
This makes me Dread when I should die.   

And then I fear that bitter Pain,  
How Death shall come and break my heart  
With many Thrach and grievous Groan,  
When he shall strick me with his Dart:  
He will make me to feel the smart,  
And streams of death most cruelly;  
Before my Life from me departs,  
Which makes me Dread when I should Diego   

And then I fear that wilsom way,  
Where I must wend when I am gone;  
For none comes back by night nor day,  
Their friends and Neighbours to forwarn,  
whether they be in joy or Pain,  
They must remain continually,  
For we are valued to our worth;  
This makes me Dread, when I should die.   

I fear what shall become of me,  
In that great day of God's just wrath,  
When furious flames of fire on high,  
O'er spreads the face of all the earth.  
Who will consume all his Creatures,  
Both Man and Beast; and Fowls that fly.  
And every thing that draweth breath  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

Then Christ the King of righteousness,  
Who ruleth all at his command,  
Will come with glory through the skies,  
With Angels bright a full great band:  
Then round about him they shall stand.  
Beholding still his Majesty,  
His face shall shine through all the land,  
This makes me dread when I should die,   

Then shall he send his good Angels,  
Which trumpets found both loud, and shrill,  
Throughout the parts of all the earth,  
To raise the dead and bring them till;  
Although it be against their will,  
To come before his Majesty,  
Yet force and might will them compel,  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

The heavens and earth shall flee away,  
And hid them from his angry face;  
Before that he begin to try,  
All sinners for their wickedness:  
Alas that is a woeful case,  
For sinners then in each degree,  
When heaven and earth shall take the chase;  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

Then when the dead both great and small,  
Shall be brought in for breach of law;  
Then Christ shall charge his servants all;  
To set them right upon a raw:  
And he his bloody wounds will shaw,  
Saying, what hast thou done for me?  
Then sinful men shall stand great awe;  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

And thus our counts begin to make,  
When we are called for our misdeeds,  
None shall escape for any ones sake,  
But every one his own roll reads:  
He shall tell forth with all good speed,  
Both good and evil what ever it be,  
And every man his sins shall read:  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

Into these books there 〈◊〉 be written,  
All their misdeeds and wicked works;  
All profane words that they have spoken  
With all unclean and wand'ring thoughts,  
Their love to sin shall be dear bought,  
For than they shall both prove and see,  
Their wage shall be as they have wrought  
This makes me Dread when I should Diego   

The large market of God's free Grace,  
That stood ay since Christ Jesus came,  
Shall be cried down but longer space,  
And ne'er to be proclaimed again:  
Because they would not take their time  
Therefore the gates of His mercy,  
For ever shall be closed on them,  
This makes me Dread when I should die.   

Then Satan with a great Army,  
Of damned Spirits, will come on flight;  
Crying O Judge who sits on high:  
On Sinners all now do me right:  
Who set thy law far out of sight,  
And served me most bussilie,  
With care and Pains both day and night,  
This makes me dread when I should die.   

What malice have ye had at me,  
Then Christ shall say to sinners all;  
That ran to serve mine Enemy,  
And me disdained when I did call;  
Was I and my Reward so small?  
That ye disdained to worship Me;  
Therefore I now disdain you all;  
This makes me dread when I should die.   

I gave you Life like to myself,  
With wisdom, wit, and Holiness:  
And made you Lords over all the Earth,  
Both Fish and Fowls, and its fullness:  
Yea, over all these my Creatures,  
Which were for your Commodity,  
Yet where is all your Thankfulness,  
And duty ye did owe to Me:   

And after ye broke my Commands,  
And brought yourselves in snare of death:  
I less my glory in the Heavens,  
And came to earth for your relief:  
To suffer sorrow, pain and grief,  
With scorn disgrace and misery;  
Yet where is all your thankfulness,  
For these my good deeds done for thee.   

For you they bound me like a thief,  
My naked Skin with scourges dang;  
They plet and put upon my head,  
A Crown of thorns both sharp and long:  
My sight grew dim, my head down han●  
I lost my life most painfully;  
But now where's all your thankfulness  
For these my sufferings done for thee?   

And then they led me to the cross.  
And nailed me fast both feet and hand,  
Full oft they spat into my face,  
A spear out through my sides they ran:  
The streams of blood that then out spran●  
Ran down my side most pitteouslie;  
But now no part ye have therein,  
Which may thee dread, when thou'rt to die.   

You have embraced more joyfulness,  
In one hours' pleasure of your sin,  
Than all the love you had to me,  
Since I put life your breast within:  
Although for you my blood did run,  
Out through my sides abundantly,  
Yet now no part you have therein,  
Which may thee dread, when thou●rt to die.   

When Christ gins for to propone,  
The dreadful doom of life and death;  
The hopeless soul shall faint and groan,  
Before the sentence pafs their teeth:  
With weeping eyes and doleful voice,  
They shall lament most pitteouslie,  
That ever they were made alas!  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

They shall be safe I dare well say,  
Who are well ruled at his right hand;  
And pass to heaven the self same day,  
With music, mirth, and Angels sound:  
But wretches all who have done wrong,  
Shall cry to hills and mountains high,  
That they would fall down upon them,  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

Then in his wrath he shall cry forth,  
Depart from me ye cursed band,  
For on the poor ye had no truth,  
Nor stood in awe at my command:  
Therefore go hence from my right hand,  
My face again ye shall ne'er see;  
But ay in darkness to remain,  
This makes me dread, when I should die:   

Then fra● their doom be once out gone,  
Remeed shall then be passed for ay;  
Tho they would weep & make great moan,  
Even while their eyes would melt away:  
And though they would both kneel and pay,  
Even till their flesh wore from their knee,  
Yet all shall not avail that day,  
This makes me dread when I should Diego   

And then though all the Saints in Heaven,  
And eke the Glorious Angels all;  
Would kneel down at the feet of Christ,  
And Mercy beg for one poor Soul:  
Yet Christ would then deny them all,  
And say, nay, nay, that may not be:  
They would not hear when I did call,  
This makes me dread when I should die.   

Then hope of Health they shall give o'er,  
When Cries and Tears can make no stead,  
And then Blaspheme for great despair;  
And curse the thing that did them good:  
Yea, curse the Father them begat,  
The Mother them bear in her Belly;  
And eke the Earth whereon they sa●,  
This makes me dread, when I should Diego   

Then God who gave them Life and Breath●  
And made them all of Dust and Clay,  
They shall Hish curse into his Face,  
Because he hath cast them away:  
Crying, woe, woe, and well-away,  
That ever we this day did see,  
●or we are lost for ever and ay;  
This makes me dread, when I should die   

The precious blood of Christ Jesus,  
They shall it curse with great disdain;  
That bought so many thousand souls,  
Because no drop was shed for them:  
To save them from that bitter pain,  
Which by no craft they now can flee,  
〈◊〉 or yet by force or might or main,  
This makes me dread when I should die.   

But Christ he will not suffer long,  
Them to blaspheme in his presence:  
But soon will bid east over them,  
In the black vail of his Vengeance:  
And then lead them away from thence,  
And cast them in with that menzle,  
Into that pit of endless pain,  
This makes me dread when I should die   

Then Christ shall close the mouth of Hell,  
And bar from the light of day;  
Then shall they all both shout and yell,  
When Flesh and Blood gins to fry:  
In fiery flames most furiously,  
Without all hope to be set free,  
For ever more therein to lie,  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

Then shall they swarm in that great flame  
Like worms into an earthly fire:  
And they therein shall still remain.  
Whilst that God's wrath begin to tire;  
But sure that time will never come,  
That God's just wrath revenged will be,  
Upon their filly sou●s for sin,  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

Alas! it is a longsome night,  
Where day will never dawn again;  
Alas it is a fearful sight,  
Where there is everlasting pain.  
Alas, that we ary longsome cry,  
Which God nor man will not pity,  
Nor hear their moan wherein they lie,  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

These blasphemers who stand no awe,  
God's holy name for to abuse;  
But makes it like a childir ba,  
To catch it on where ever they please:  
Their souls shall then get no more ease  
But in those flames shall scorched be,  
By wicked spirits and damned devils,  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

●●ese Glurtons' and these Drunkards all,  
●ho makes a god of their belly;  
●●t gains no grace for their poor soul,  
●al then be forced to cry sorely;  
For one small drop of cold water,  
●nd yet it shall not granted be,  
●o cool their tongues in flaming fire,  
●is makes me dread, when I should die.   

●hese whores who had no modesty,  
●or any shame, or saving grace;  
●●t lived in lust and lechery.  
●●nting their preys in every place:  
Their arms shall then be made embrace,  
●oth night and day continually,  
●he doolful flames of black darkness,  
●is makes me dread, when I should die.   

●hese proud persons who brags and boast  
●f honour wealth and their great Kin;  
●●t cares nothing to honour Christ,  
●ejecting saints belongs to him:  
These Idols Christ shall put from them,  
●nd cloth them all most dolefully,  
With long black Robs of lasting shame,  
●is makes me dread, when I should die.  
●hese covetous and worldly worms,   

Who puts their trust in their Riches,  
And will not deal the Poor their Alms,  
When they stand crying at their Gates:  
Therefore in Hell they shall be sure,  
To cry out for recovery,  
Where there is none them to relieve,  
This makes me dread, when I should die:   

These Murderers and common Thiefs,  
Who labours not with honesty,  
But sets themselves to Steal and Reave,  
As if there were no God to see;  
The Lord shall then bereave them all,  
Of all his Gifts and his Glory,  
And banish them all to Hell's pain;  
This makes me dread, when I should die.   

To sing I will no longer stay,  
For fear that 〈◊〉 do you molest;  
Of choises now I have but two,  
Therefore be sure to choice the best:  
The first is Love, Joy, Peace and Rest  
The next is Pain without pity,  
For we are called away in haste,  
This makes me dread, when I should die:   

Therefore my counsel to us all,  
Is to 〈◊〉 and mend with speed;  
And to prepare for the poor soul,  
Before the time be passed remeed:  
And ay hold Sin at deadly feed,  
And serve our God most carefully,  
Then shall we have no cause to dread  
Nor fear the time that we should die.   
FINIS.   

A Dialogue bewtixt Charon (i e. Satan, the ferryman of Hell) and Contention, that dangerous, wicked and horrid hellish Sin.  
To the Tune of, Through and through the Rainy Bow,  Contention. 

HAve o'er, have o'er the Stygian  
Charon, why dost thou stay man?  
Quickly prepare they Sails and Oars,  
And make no more del●y man:  
They Ferrie-Boat is now on float,  
Through favour of the tide man;  
Therefore make haste to have me placed  
Upon you yonder side man.   Charon. 

Who's there that calls, and makes such brawl●  
Because that I do tarry?  
I will not come till I see some  
To be a fraught to carry:  
For I am old, both stiff and cold,  
Besides the sea's so ragious,  
And I suppone for one alone,  
A two pence is small wages.   Contention. 

It's idle chat that thou dost prat,  
Behold, I have a groat man,  
May serve to be a double fee,  
For rowing of thy boat man:  
Besides I send, as is well kend,  
Though thou esteem it nought man,  
Of Souls each year a thousand near,  
And thou receives their fraught man.   Charon. 
etc.   

Any person who hath any more of those Verses, which was an excellent good Ballant 50. years ago, let them send them to the Printers hands in writ, whereby they may be printed and published.