Psalm 49

ALL people hear
With carefull ear
The thing which I shall tell:
Yee great and small,
Rich, poor, and all
Throughout the earth that dwell.
My mouth (behold)
Shall now unfold
The wisdome of the wise:
My studious heart
In sacred art
It self shall exercise.
Yea I will mine
Own ears incline
This parable to mark:
With sweet harp sing,
While opening
My parable so dark.
Why should the day
Of grief dismay:
When as my conscience feels
It self hemm'd in
With all the sin
Of mine offending neels?
Concerning those
That trust repose
In wealth-replenish'd bags:
And, having more
Abundant store,
Of riches make their brags.
There's not a man
Of them that can
His brothers life redeem:
Nor for him may
A ransome pay
Sufficient in esteem.
For that's of too
Great price to do,
And so much cease for ever:
That alwayes he
Alive should be,
And see corruption never.
He doth perceive
All die and leave
To others their estate:
The fool, the wise,
And brutish dies;
For death's the common gate.

2. Part.
THey think that all
Their houses shall
Be set for ever fast:
Their dwelling place
From race to race
As they believe shall last.
Their mansions all
These worldlings call
By their appropriate name:
Yet man set high
In dignitie
Abides not in the same.
Like beasts, a thing
Soon perishing,
This is their foolish way,
Yet are they by
Posteritie
Approv'd in all they say.
Like sheep in fold
The grave doth hold,
Pale death shall them devour:
And upright men
Shall surely then
Have over them the pow'r.
When mornings light
Concludes this night:
And all their beautie brave,
Shall death expell
From whence they dwell,
To perish in the grave.
But God will sure
My soul secure,
When I this earth shall leave:
On me the grave
No pow'r shall have,
For he shall me receive.
When riches shall
To worldlings fall,
Be not discourag'd then:
When flattering fame
Exalts the name
And house of worldly men.
Who, once by death
Depriv'd of breath,
Shall no possession have:
His pomp shall end,
And not descend
With him into the grave.
Tho till he di'd
He magnifi'd
His soul for worldly pelf:
And worldly men
Will praise thee then
When thou befriends thy self.
Well, he shall go
To th'place below,
To which his fathers old,
When they were dead,
Were gathered,
And never light behold.
Man being high
In dignitie
Yet understanding not,
In his decease
Is like the beasts
Which quickly die and rot.