Classic Poem

Concerning the good opinion of men

What is the vain aplause of man
Who cannot actions, throughly scan
Or what will ther vain breath
Stand thee, in steed at death
let me not care
for this fond ayr.

Let me aprove, my hart to thee
In truth and in sincerity
And then a straw for men
I'le ne're desire their ken
provided I
may glorifie.

Thy name, whilst I am here below
And may not give, them cause to throw
Durt on thy holy ways
And soe eclips, thy praise
Oh rather I
would chance to dye.

Could men unto the Judgment seat
Goe with thee, & for thee defeat
The sentence pronounced
By Christ, the king, and head
and Judg of all,
both great, & small.

Then somthing might be said, by thee
Which might excusive, seem to be
Why thou thine ear shouldst bow
To mind, what they say now
but tis not soe
Oh no, oh no.

They must on even ground then stand
With thee, when in that other land.
and Judged they shall be
By Christ as well as thee
appeall theirs none
to any one

What need we care, though man defame
If god, who only knows our aym
pronounce upright at last
His voice, must give the cast
and if he clear
what need we fear.

Men Judg acording to the eye
But god, into the hart doth pry
Acordingly needs must
his Judgment still be Just
because that he
all things doth see.

What is the good opinion
Of all, or any single one
It will apear but light
and vain, in our eye sight
When we draw nigh
eternity.

Those that speak well, of thee to day
To morrow, they may quit unsay
All that which they have said
and why, cause they are led
More by the eye
then verity

Ther's nothing then, soe vain endeed
As this, oh why should we give heed
Or listen with the ear
what we, of self can hear
From others when
they ar but men

Give me thy love, and thy esteem
And what care I, what others deem
This is the thing I chouse
for which I will refuse
The world as vain
with all its traine

Oh let my nobler mind aspire
To gain those things, that have far high'r
Excelency in them
then what can spring from men
Though good, & Just
they ar but dust.

Oh let me always, through thy grace
Esteem the praise, of Adams race
As worthlese vanity
and soe contemptuously
Let me tread it
still under feet.

When on a death bed I shall lye
Drawing neer to eternity
Such thoughts as I have then
of the esteem of men
Let me now have
I humbly crave.

The way to get a blessed name
And glorious, eternall fame
Is for to glorifie
God here, and when we dye
he will us crown
with true renown.