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John Alden Broadside



Upon the DEATH of that Aged, Pious, Sincere-hearted CHRISTIAN, JOHN ALDEN ESQ:
Late MAGISTRATE of New-Plimouth Colony, who dyed Sept 12th. 1687. being about eighty nine years of age.

The staffe of bread, and water eke the stay
From sinning Judah God will take away,
The prudent Counsellour, the Honourable,
Whom Grace and Holiness makes delectable,
The Judge, the Prophet and the ancient Saint,
The deaths of such cause sorrowful complaint,
The Earth and its Inhabitants do fall,
The aged Saint bears up its pillars all.
The hoary head in way of Righteousness
A crown of glory is. Who can express
Th' abundant blessings by Disciples old!
In very deed they're more than can be told.
The guise 'tis of a wanton generation
To wish the aged soon might quit their station,
Tho' truth it be, The Lord our God does frown
When aged Saints dy death do tumble down.
What tho' there be not such Activity,
Yet in their Prayers there's such Fervency
As cloth great mercy for a place obtain,
And gracious presence of the Lord maintain.
Tho Nature's strength in old age cloth decay,
Yet th, inward man renew'd is day by day
The very presence of a Saint in years
Who lifts his soul to God with pray'rs & tears
Is a rich blessing unto any place
Who have that mercy to behold his face:
When sin is ripe and calls for desolation
God will call home old Saints from such a nation
Let sinners then of th, Aged weary be.
God give me grace to mourn most heartily
For death of this dear servant of the Lord,
Whose life God did to us so long afford:
God lent his life to greatest length of dayes;
In which he liv'd to his Redeemer's praise.
In youthful time he made Moses his choice,
His soul obeying great JEHOVAH'S voice,
Freely forsook the world for sake of GOD,
In His House with His Saints to have abode.
He followed GOD into this Wilderness;
Thereby to all the world he did profess,
Affliction with the Saints a better part
And more delightful to his holy heart
Than sinful pleasures, lasting but a season:
Thus said his Faith, so saith not carnal Peason.
He came one of the first into this Land,
And here was kept by God's most gracious hand
Years sixty seven, which time he did behold
To poor New-England mercies Manifold:
All God's great works to this His Israel
From first implanting what to them befel:
of them he made a serious Observation,
And could of them present a large Narration,
His walk was holy, humble, and sincere,
His heart was filled with JEHOVAH's Fear.
He honour'd GOD with much integrity,
God therefore did him truly magnify.
The hearts of Saints intirely did him love,
His Uprightness so highly did approve,
That whilst to choose they had their liberty
Within the Limits of this Colony
Their Civil Leaders, him they ever chose.
His Fait/'fulness made hearts with him to close.
With all the Governours he did Assist;
His Name recorded is within the List
of Plimouth's Pillars to his dying day.
His Name is precious to eternal Ay.
He set his Love on God and knew His Name,
God therefore gives him everlasting Fame.
So good and heavnly was his conversation,
God gave long life, and shew'd him His Salvation.
(His work now finished upon this earth;
Seeing the death of what he saw the birth)
His gracious Lord from heaven calls him home,
And saith, My servant, now to Heaven come:
Thou hast done pood, been faithful unto Me,
Now shalt thou live in bliss ETERNALLY.
On dying bed his Ailes were very great,
Yet verily his heart on GOD was set.
He bare his greifs with Faith and Patience,
And did maintain his lively confidence:
Saying to some, The work which God begun,
He would preserve to its perfection.
His mouth was full of blessings till his death
To Ministers and Christians all: his breath
Was very sweet by many a precious word
He utter'd from the Spirit of his Lord.
He liv'd in Christ, in Jesus now he sleeps:
And his blest soul the Lord in safety keeps.


JOHN ALDEN. Anagram End al on hi'.


Death puts an End to all this world enjoyes,
And frees the Saint from all that here annoyes.
This blessed Saint hath seen an end of all
Worldly perfections. Now his Lord does call
Him to ascend from earth to heaven high,
Where he is blest to all Eternity.
Who walk with God as he, shall so be blest,
And evermore in Christ His arms shall rest.
Lord, Spare thy remnant, do not us forsake,
From us do not thy Holy Spirit take.
Thy Cause, Thy Int'rest in this land still own:
Thy gracious presence ay let be our Crown.
J. C.