George Withers' Emblemes

Live, ever mindful! of thy dying;
For, Time it afoayesfrom ibec flying.
:
W
[His vulgar Figure of a winged glaffe,
Doth fignifie, how fwiftly Time doth pafle.
By that leane 5«#,which to this boure-glajje clings,
We are informed what effe£ it bringsj
And, by the Words about it, wee are taught
To kecpe our latter ending (ltd itt thought.
The common boure-glafje, of the Life of UM*n y
Exceedeth not the largenefTe of a ftan.
The Sand-ViVc Minutes, flyc away fo faft,
That,jjMr« are ont,e're wcethinke months axe paft :
Yea,many times, our nat'raliday is gone,
Before wee look'd for twelve a electee At Ntwe-
And,\vhere wee fought for Feautie,at the Full,
Wee fiudc the Flejh quire rotted from the Skull.
Let thefe Expreflionsof Times pafiage, bee
Remembrancers for ever, Lord, to mee ;
That, I may (till bee guikleffe of their crime,
Who fruhlefly confume their precious Time:
And, minde my Death • not with a flaviih feare,
But, with a thankfull ufe, of lije-time, here
gncving, that my dajes away doc pott;
N 't
J:ur,cati!ig rather, that they bee not loft,
And, lab'ring with Difcretion, how I may
Redeeme the Time, that's vaincly dipt away.
So, when that moment comes, which others dread,
I, un Jifmay'd, (lull climbc my dying bed;
With joyfull Hopes, my FUfi toduft commendj
In Spirit, with a ftedf.ift Faith afcend ;
And, whilft I living am , to (wne fo dye,
That dying, I may live eternally.
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