Respice finem

Hen as I heare Times sober Tongue (the Clock)
Call on me eu'rie howe to minde nune end.
It strikes ny hart with feare at eu'rie stroke
Because so ill Time, Life, and Breath I spend.
Then straight resolue I, to bestow them all
Vpon that Lord of all, that gaue them nice
When lo, the World vpon mee straight doth call
And bids me look to it, lest poore I be.
Twixt these two Calls I patted am intwaine:
The first my Spirit, the last my Flesh attends:
So twixt them two my pleasure is but paine:
For each the other euermore offends.
Sin tenders me al Ioyes, that rauish Sence,
And Sense doth pine if from Them It be held:
Grace offers Ioyes of much more excellence,
And faine my spirit would with Them befild.
But in fraile Flesh Sense such a Caesar is
That It Commands it to withstand the Sprit,
While it doth feed the Flesh with Earthly Blisse:
And so, my Sprite is vext with that delight.
Thus, while I am distracted in desire
Time (in his Language, after some Howrs pawse)
Tels me he flies, and bids me to retire
Before Confusion catch me in his iawes.
O Time (that thus endeerst me to thy loue)
I constantly adore thy sicklnesse,
That neuer mou'st, but dost my Sences moue
To mind thy flight, and this lifes trickelnesse.
O that I could make thee Aeternity!
And honor thee, for this, with state diuine
That with the God of Glory, thou and I
Might, like the Sun and Moone, for euershine!
Teach me, ô learned long-experienc'd Time
To glorifie thee with some heaunly Art,
Whose humble Muse would to thy Temples climb
To Lawrel-Crowne them, ere from Thee I part.
O let me be the Triton of thy praise:
Teach me to Trumpet foorth thyne Excellence:
Let me [though most vnworthy] grace thy Dayes
Wih all that may delight Intelligence.
Let me by thee [deer Time] be brought to Death
Ere I abuse thee in the least degrees.
For, he wins Blisse that doth but lose his Breath
To be still found, from Times Abuses free.
Then now, ô now, (sith now my Daies decline)
Let me this Moment enter in the Way
Of Vrtue, Grace, and holy Discipline,
And being in, thence, let me neuer staie
Prostination doth but Plagues protract,
Due to protraction of Conuersion:
Then, Time with Plagues my way ward Will Coact
To turne to Gracé, ere my subuersion.
Let it sufflce that I haue thee abusd
Since I was borne, in Wrongs not to be borne:
Then be thou, by me, hence foorth rightly vsd,
Or let me, by Thee, die, or liue forlorne:
For, I am wery, now of wronging Thee,
Then let me flee from Vice as thou dost Flee.