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Chapter XII.
[verse 1 2] WHen all the elements of mortall life,
Were placed in the mansion of their skin,
Each hauing dayly motion to be rife,
Closde in that body which doth close thē in,
God sent his holy spirit vnto man,
Which did begun when first the world began.
So that the body which was king of al,
Is subiect vnto that which now is king,
Which chastneth those whom mischiefe doth exhale,
Vnto misdeeds from whence destructions spring:
Yet mercifull it is though it be chiefe,
Conuerting vice to good, sin to beliefe.
[verse 3] Old time is often lost in being balld,
Balld because old, old because liuing long,
It is reiected oft when it is calld,
And weares out age with age, still being yong:
Twice children we, twice feeble, and once strong,
But being old, we sin, and do youth wrong.
The more we grow in age, the more in vice,
A house-roome long vnswept wil gather dust,
Our long vnthawed soules wil freeze to ice,
And weare the badge of long imprisoned rust:
So those inhabitants in youth twice borne,
Were old in sin, more olde in heauens scorne.