Heark, vain man, heark, what the Apostle saith,
And do not boast so much of thy great faith;
For though 'twere able mountains to remove,
'Tis nothing worth unless it work by love;
Love is the life of it, 'tis that alone
Which quickens it, or else 'tis dead, 'tis none.
That man who breaths not at the mouth a jot,
Whose heart no motion hath, whose pulse beats not.
We say is dead; the like we may infer
Concerning faith, that's dead which doth not stir:
If it be living, 'twill be active too,
What the heart thinks, mouth speaks, the hands will do.
Let others shew their faith if that they please
Without their works, while I shew mine by these.
First my religion shall be pure, and then
Peaceable, if it be possible, with men;
Forgiving wrongs, giving what I can spare
To those that want and in distresses are;
I wil be feet to th' lame, eyes to the blind,
Helpful to all, and unto none unkind.
If thus my faith be qualifi'd, I shall
Approve it to myself, to God, to all.