The faithful Watch-man being gon to rest

From's pious Labors, which he did not spare

To spend himself in; as All those attest

Who e'r convers'd with him, and know the Care

And earnest Pains which he did always take

To keep their drowzy Faculties awake:

Lest thy dull Soul should sleep the Sleep of Death,

For lack of som such Means to ope thine Eys;

Lo, he yet speaks, tho dead and void of Breath,

In such a manner as may make thee wise

Unto Salvation; if a serious Thought

Thou fix upon what in this Book is wrote.

Which I do for no other End produce,

But that his lively Notions of God's Lov,

(Whose Works and Ways it was his constant Use

By Night to contemplat, by Day improv

In all his Talk) may cure that gross Neglect

Of our tru Joyswhich doth the Earth infect.

Truths common, tho not heeded, to thy View

I here present; And, that they mayn't do less

Than rowz thy Sens, if not thy Sight renew,

Shew the Divine cloath'd in a Poët's Dress,

To win Acceptance: for we all descry,

When Precepts cannot, Poëms take the Ey.

And let the Soul that borrows hence a Spark

Of Light, so blow it up into a Flame

Of Holy Lov, as may not in the Dark

Suppress the Benefit: but to God's Name

Giv all the Thanks and Prais (whom the Author meant

To honor) and not him the Instrument.