RULES AND LESSONS by HENRY VAUGHAN

When first thy eyes unveil, give thy soul leave
To do the like; our bodies but forerun
The spirit's duty; true hearts spread and heave
Unto their God, as flow'rs do to the sun.
Give him thy first thoughts then; so shalt thou keep
Him company all day, and in him sleep.

Yet, never sleep the sun up; prayer should
Dawn with the day; there are set, awful hours
'Twixt heaven and us; the @3manna@1 was not good
After sun-rising, far-day sullies flowers.
Rise to prevent the sun; sleep doth sins glut,
And heav'ns gate opens, when this world's is shut.

Walk with thy fellow-creatures: note the @3hush@1
And @3whispers@1 amongst them. There's not a @3spring@1,
Or @3leaf@1 but hath his @3morning-hymn@1; Each @3bush@1
And @3oak@1 doth know @3IAM@1; canst thou not sing?
O leave thy cares and follies! go this way
And thou art sure to prosper all the day.

Serve God before the world; let him not go
Until thou hast a blessing, then resign
The whole unto him; and remember who
Prevailed by @3wrestling@1 ere the @3sun@1 did @3shine@1.
Pour @3oil@1 upon the @3stones@1, weep for thy sin,
Then journey on, and have an eye to heav'n.

@3Mornings@1 are @3mysteries@1; the first world's @3youth@1,
Man's @3Resurrection@1, and the future's @3bud@1
Shroud in their births: the Crown of life, light, truth
Is styled their @3star@1, the @3stone@1, and @3hidden food@1.
Three @3blessings@1 wait upon them, two of which
Should move; they make us @3holy, happy@1, rich.

When the world's up, and ev'ry swarm abroad,
Keep thou thy temper, mix not with each clay;
Dispatch necessities, life hath a load
Which must be carried on, and safely may.
Yet keep those cares without thee, let the heart
Be God's alone, and choose the better part.

Through all thy @3actions, counsels@1, and @3discourse@1,
Let @3mildness@1 and @3Religion@1 guide thee out,
If truth be thine, what needs a brutish force?
But what's not @3good@1 and @3just@1 ne'er go about.
Wrong not thy conscience for a rotten stick,
That gain is dreadful, which makes spirits sick.

To God, thy Country, and thy friend be true,
If @3priest@1, and @3people@1 change, keep thou thy ground.
Who sells Religion, is a Judas Jew,
And, oaths once broke, the soul cannot be sound.
The perjurer's a devil let loose: what can
Tie up his hands, that dares mock God and man?

Seek not the same steps with the @3crowd@1; stick thou
To thy sure trot; a constant, humble mind
Is both his own joy, and his Maker's too;
Let folly dust it on, or lag behind.
A sweet @3self-privacy@1 in a right soul
Out-runs the Earth, and lines the utmost pole.

To all that seek thee, bear an open heart;
Make not thy breast a @3Labyrinth@1, or @3trap@1;
If trials come, this will make good thy part,
For honesty is safe, come what can hap;
It is the good man's @3feast@1; the prince of flowers
Which thrives in @3storms@1, and smells best after @3showers@1.

Seal not thy eyes up from the poor, but give
Proportion to their @3merits@1, and thy @3purse@1;
Thou may'st in rags a mighty Prince relieve
Who, when thy sins call for't, can fence a Curse.
Thou shalt not lose one @3mite@1. Though waters stray,
The bread we cast returns in fraughts one day.

Spend not an hour so, as to weep another,
For tears are not thine own; if thou giv'st words
Dash not thy @3friend@1, nor @3Heav'n@1; O smother
A vip'rous thought; some @3syllables@1 are @3swords@1.
Unbitted tongues are in their penance double,
They shame their @3owners@1, and the @3hearers@1 trouble.

Injure not modest blood, whose @3spirits@1 rise
In judgement against @3lewdness@1; that's base wit
That voids but @3filth and stench@1. Hast thou no prize
But @3sickness@1 or @3infection@1? stifle it.
Who makes his jests of sins, must be at least
If not a very @3devil@1, worse than a @3beast@1.

Yet, fly no friend, if he be such indeed,
But meet to quench his @3longings@1, and thy @3thirst@1;
Allow your joys @3Religion@1; that done, speed
And bring the same man back, thou wert at first.
Who so returns not, cannot pray aright,
But shuts his door, and leaves God out all night.

To heighten thy @3devotions@1, and keep low
All mutinous thoughts, what busines e'er thou hast
Observe God in his works; here @3fountains@1 flow,
@3Birds@1 sing, @3beasts@1 feed, @3fish@1 leap, and th' @3Earth@1 stands fast;
Above are restless @3motions@1, running @3lights@1,
Vast circling @3azure@1, giddy @3clouds@1, days, nights.

When @3seasons@1 change, then lay before thine eyes
His wondrous @3Method@1; mark the various @3scenes@1
In heav'n; @3hail, thunder, rainbows, snow@1, and @3ice@1,
@3Calms, tempests, light@1, and @3darkness@1 by his means;
Thou canst not miss his praise; each @3tree, herb, flower@1
Are shadows of his @3wisdom@1 and his pow'r.

To @3meals@1 when thou dost come, give him the praise
Whose @3Arm@1 supplied thee; take what may suffice,
And then be thankful; O admire his ways
Who fills the world's unemptied granaries!
A thankless feeder is a @3thief@1, his feast
A very @3robbery@1, and himself no @3guest@1.

High-noon thus past, thy time decays; provide
Thee other thoughts; away with friends and mirth;
The sun now stoops, and hastes his beams to hide
Under the dark and melancholy Earth.
All but preludes thy End. Thou art the man
Whose @3rise, height@1, and @3descent@1 is but a span.

Yet, set as he doth, and 'tis well. Have all
Thy beams home with thee: trim thy @3lamp@1, buy @3oil@1,
And then set forth; who is thus dressed, the @3Fal@1
Furthers his glory, and gives death the foil.
Man is a @3summer's day@1; whose @3youth@1 and @3fire@1
Cool to a glorious @3evening@1, and expire.

When night comes, list thy deeds; make plain the way
'Twixt Heaven and thee; block it not with delays,
But perfect all before thou sleep'st; then say
@3There's one sun more strung on my bead of days@1.
What's good score up for joy; the bad well scanned
Wash off with tears, and get thy @3Master's@1 hand.

Thy accounts thus made, spend in the grave one hour
Before thy time; be not a stranger there
Where thou may'st sleep whole ages; life's poor flow'r
Lasts not a night sometimes. Bad spirits fear
This conversation; but the good man lies
Intombed many days before he dies.

Being laid and dressed for sleep, close not thy eyes
Up with thy curtains; give thy soul the wing
In some good thoughts; so when the day shall rise
And thou @3unrak'st@1 thy @3fire@1, those @3sparks@1 will bring
New @3flames@1; besides where these lodge vain @3heats@1 mourn
And die; that @3bush@1 where God is, shall not burn.

When thy @3nap's@1 over, stir thy fire, unrake
In that @3dead age@1; one beam i' th' dark outvies
Two in the day; then from the @3damps@1 and @3ache@1
Of night shut up thy @3leaves@1, be chaste; God pries
Through thickest nights; though then the sun be far
Do thou the works of @3day@1, and rise a @3star@1.

Briefly, @3Do as thou would'st be done unto@1,
@3Love God, and love thy neighbour; watch, and pray@1.
These are the @3Words@1 and @3Works@1 of life; this do,
And live; who doth not thus, hath lost @3Heav'ns way@1.
O lose it not! look up, wilt change those @3lights@1
For @3chains@1 of @3darkness@1 and @3eternal nights@1?

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