Another Piece Of Advice Unto A Youth Poem by Rees Prichard

To cram thy body, ne'er thy soul destroy -
Nor anger God, to please th' infernal crew -
To purchase earth, ne'er sell celestial joy -
And sin no more - lest a worse thing ensue.

Tho' thou, each day, shou'dst heav'n-dropp'd manna eat,
And glut thy maw with the most dainty meat ;
What art thou better for such fare at last,
If thou in hell must keep an endless fast?

Though thou shou'dst daily drink the choicest wine,
And in rich robes of regal purple shine,
Or tread upon the neck of some great king;
If Heaven's lost - what profit can it bring?

Though thou didst own the riches of the east,
And wert of kingdoms; nay, the world possest ;
What wou'd such pomps and vanities avail,
If thou, at last, to save thy soul shou'dst fail?

Though Venus yielded to thy warm desires,
And fairest beauties deign'd to quench thy fires,
What are thy gains, when all is said and done,
When thy poor soul is to the Devil gone?

Though all the world to flatter thee shou'd join,
And buoy thee up in any bad design:
It matters not if all the world applaud,
If thou hast by thy vices ang'red God.

'Tis better God, than all the world, obey -
To curb a part, than throw the whole away -
Slightly to toil, than in fierce flames to dwell!
E'en bread and water, Hell's best feasts excel.

Serve Christ, but with the Devil combat hard,
And thou a crown shalt gain for thy reward:
Humble thy flesh, thy soul preserve with care,
And thou shalt in Christ's blessed banquet share.