¶ A godly Ballad declaring by the Scriptures the plagues that haue insued whordome.
REfrain of youth thy. vain desire.
subdue thy lusts inordinate:
Suppresse ye sparks lest if the fire,
to quenche them it wilbe to late.
Thou knowste not what a poisō strong
thou lettest breed within thy brest,
Whiche if thou keep within thee long,
wil cause thee care and muche vnrest.
Though it seem sweet in thy conceit,
beware thou neuer nurish it:
The Fish is by a plesant bait,
constrained to the deadly bit.
Like as the woorm in Affrick bred.
whose sting destroith with venem colde:
Is not so noisome to be fled,
as lust that reigneth vncontrolde.
If reason caunot rule thy wil.
but vice will reign through appetite:
Then let thy harmes that happen stil,
(through lusts) refrain thy fond delight.
Remember eke that in Noes dayes,
when vice through lust was rifly growne:
The whole world by suche wicked waies,
by rage of Rain was ouerthrowne.
The King of Egipt Pharao,
was be not plagued of God moste iust:
Bothe he and all his house also,
onely for he gaue place to lust.
So read we of Abimelech,
the mighty King of Gerera:
That God gaue him a grenous check,
for lusting after Saraa.
Lust did destroy the Sodomites,
as is in Scripture manifest:
For lust were slain the Sichamites,
when Sichem Dina had opprest.
Lust did the wits somuche inchaunt.
of Putipher the gipcians wife:
That Ioseph for be would not graunt,
her sute she brought nigh from his life.
Bethsaba naked in bath,
bewitched so King Dauids brain:
That giltles he procured hath,
her husband Vry to be slain.
The cheef among the Israelites,
for noughty lust and eke offence:
Wrought by the meanes of Moabites,
were hanged vp by Gods sentence.
For lust Zimry the Israelite,
as witnesseth Gods holy woord:
And Cosby eke the Madianite,
perished bothe through Zimphas swoord,
The Israelites through fleshly lust.
towards their enmies doughters were:
Alluerd by them false Gods to trust,
whiche all their thraldomes caused clere.
Sampson the sonne of Monoa,
that mighty Iudge in Israel:
For lust he had to Dalila,
him self to kil greef did compel.
Lo, him that none coulde foil in fight,
whose puissant arme the Lion shew:
Whose strength put thousands vnto flight,
by lust one woman ouerthrew.
Lust in the tribe of Beniamin,
cast twenty thousand down and fiue:
So that in all for that one sin,
were but six hundred left on liue.
If Ammons lust had not defilde,
his sister Thamar with incest:
He had not of his life been spoild,
at Absolon his brothers feast.
If lust had not impaird the name,
of Salomon that witty King:
He had not lost his roiall fame,
nor fallen to Idolls worshiping.
If Herod in his sinful life,
had not by lust been sore misled:
He had not kept his brothers wife.
nor stricken of Iohn Baptists head.
¶ Now what be these but tokens sure,
That God will plage all those that vse:
To lead their liues in lust vnpure,
and with out fear them selues abuse▪
But some doo think God dooth not see,
to eche mannes dooing in all things,
Because some seem ful safe to be,
and prosper stil in il liuings.
But if suche wil geue ear vnto,
Gods woord which dooth the truth vs tel:
Shal soon perceiue those that liue so,
shall sudenly go down to hel.
Therfore to God now let vs pray▪
that he wil gide our harts a right:
To flee from filthy lusts alway,
and him to please with all out might.
And also for our gracious Queene,
that God long prosper her and then:
Good dayes among vs may be seene,
whiche vnto vs he graunt, Amen.
A. I.
Finis.
¶ Imprinted at London at the long Shop adioining vnto Sainct Mildreds Churche in the Poultrie by Iohn Allde.
Anno Domini 1566. Nouembris, 25.