Prison-pietie, or, Meditations divine and moral digested into poetical heads, on mixt and various subjects : whereunto is added a panegyrick to the right reverend, and most nobly descended, Henry Lord Bishop of London / by Samuel Speed ...

¶ An Adieu to the World.

BE gone, false Joys, ye, and the World are frail, My Soul's immortal; ye shall not prevail To cheat me of an everlasting Jewel: For all your Glories are but menstrous fuel. God is Eternal; your bewitching Charms Are meerly vain, more vain than false Alarms. Heaven is my Home, the World is but my Inn, Stufft up with Straw, with Rubbish, Dung, and Sin. Your Gold, your Silver, and your Diamonds are But Dross; Heaven's Blessings are beyond compare. Here ye have Land, erect your Castles high, But there are Mansions for eternity. Your poor deluding Pleasures soon are o're, But there are Pleasures last for evermore.

Here Pride and Envy in swift motion move, But there the Angels dayly sing and love. Here live rich Fools that glut themselves to Hell, But there lives none but doth your best excel. God is my Portion, let Earth hallow thee; Mercy and Goodness both shall follow me: And whilst the Worldling doth in Torments cry, Glory attends the Righteous when they die. Heaven's transcendent Joys are firm and true, There lies my Aim; farewel, fond World, adieu.