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 ...

¶ Angel and Man. A Dialogue.

Ang.

LIsten, Oh Sinner, I shall make it plain, Mankind is wicked, altogether vain. Nature instructs the bru•…•…ts to bear in mind A friendly consort to each others kind; But Man more monstrous than of bruitish hue, First preys on them, then doth himself undo: Devouring Widows houses, in his way, Pretending Piety, seems oft to pray.

Will with himself and sins oft-times be vext, When as his zeal is only a pretext. Their very Prayers do themselves condemn. As Citizens o'th' new Jerusalem. They would appear, whenas their chiefest care Should be to crave a Pardon for their Prayer.

Man.

What glorious Creature can a tongue rehearse, May be compar'd to Man? the Universe Is subject to him; all things with applause Pay Homage to him, and obey his laws. God did not from the Angels nature frame His own, he took the seed of Abraham. Man hath his saults, which causeth melancholy; Even ye Angels, God doth charge with folly.

Ang.

Well have ye said, therein we do agree; For we are charg'd with such vain things as ye: We are your Guardians, so to direct; Ye safely sleep, we Watchmen do protect. So great a truth it is, no more but thus, They are well kept that are secur'd by us. And from the Sacred Writ we cleerly know That ev'ry man makes Vanity his show. Preferment, Pleasure, Profit, are the three That do compleat the Worldlings Trinity. He dies a sinner, as when he began At first to live; So vain a thing is man.

Man.

Well may the Angels feet ne'r step aside, When ye have God to be your glorious Guide. How can ye wander, or how can ye stray, When ye are always in, and with your way? Your Conversations must be void of Strife, When ye have God your Way, your Truth, & Life.

Ang.

Man was created in no less degree Than the bright Image of the Deity: He above other Creatures well may boast, As he's the Temple of the Holy Ghost; But how hath he that glorious form defac'd, Defi'd his Maker, and himself disgrac'd; Retaining principles his Soul bereaves, Making God's Temple seem a Den of Thieves?

How can Ingratitude sound louder than Yours to your God? So vain a thing is man.

Man.

But if we do repent, and pardon crave, As God can smite, so the same God can save; Then bring us Hallelujahs from your Quier, We'll vie whose notes shall sweetest be, and higher.

Both

All Glory be to God on High, And to the Holy Trinity: As first it was, is now, and may, When fading time shall want a day.