English

Eternall Lord , who art more prompt to heare
then Faith to pray; of that great grace of thine
Regard the Boone I aske in Loue and Feare;
and to mine humble suite thine eares incline.

Grant me fruition of thy DEITIE
that all my Soule may so be satisfied;
For lesse then that can her not satisfie,
though all els (boundlesse) were still amplifide!

Those gifts and graces that thy Grace may moue

Deare Lord , and God , true Louer of my Soule ,
in my desires , I wholy doe resigne
vnto thy blessed Will this Will of mine
To forme, reforme, direct and still controule.

And as my Soule my body moues alone,
without whose motion it would still be still:
so let thy Sp'rit still moue my soule and will .
Else, let them haue no motion of their owne.

Let me forsake myselfe for thy deare sake:

Deare Lord! while I bethinke me of the Ils
that me surround; and waigh the Woes I feele
Through mine owne fault (which me with Sorrow fils)
from Life to Death I ready am to reele.

The Sunne of my Care-clouded life hath past
his full Meridian; and doth now decline
To Seas of griefes , where Age doth sincke at last;
and, at each breath, Death seekes it to define.

Vse of offending, in my passed Dayes,

Thou hast commanded ( Lord ) in eu'ry Want ,
that Man , thy Creature, still should call on thee;
And thou his iust desires hast said to grant.
then now (├┤ now) thy Promise keepe with mee:

For now , eu'n from the Bottome of the Deepe ,
I cry to thee that art all Heights aboue:
I, crying, call; or rather, calling, weepe
for what I want; that is, thy Grace , and Loue .

Then, as thou art still soothfast, grant them me

O Thou that from the Bottome of Not-being
didst raise me to BEE thus, a MAN , like Thee:
And, ere I WAS , through thy diuine Fore-seeing ,
didst more then see what would become of me;

Giue, giue me leaue (thou God of endlesse Grace )
to enterplead with Thee without thine ire:
Why AM I, if thou turn'st from me thy Face ,
sith so a Brand I am but for Hell-Fire?

I could not choose but Be when thou would'st haue me;

G R eat God! from whom no thought can be conceal'd
sith it thou know'st ere thoght; & searched hast
All Hearts, ere they in Nature , are reueal'd,
forgiue my thoughts , that giue thee but distaste.

To my Confusion needes I must confesse,
my thoughts and Sinne are One; and, so, most base:
And though so base they be, yet n'erthelesse
oft Grace they mind; so Sinne presumes on Grace .

Lord! how am I deprau'd by Sinne , that can

W H en I looke vp and see the Heau'nly Spheares
roule on my Time , and my Lifes Line therin,
Thus say I to my Soule; Voine Soule thy yeares
are nothing, sith thou nothing dost but sinne?

Yet art thou made eternall (like thy Sire )
and all conceiu'st (like him) beneath the Sunne ,
Th' art in my Whole and Parts (like him) intire;
and hast (like him) right Reason Ill to shunne!

And yet ├┤ yet, thou dost, but Ill withall;

V P on the bended knees of my poore Sp'rit ,
(made poor by thy rich Mercies showr'd theron)
Thy Vertue I adore, with all my might,
├┤ diuine VERTVE, Israels Holy ONE!

Sith thou, of thy vnlimitable grace ,
hast deign'd to make me know thy grace and pow'r ,
Nay, show'd to me the splendor of thy face,
which doth my loue, much more then much allure.

For giuing me my Being , being nought

O Past beginning, and immortall Sprit ,
eternall, and incomprehensible:
Incircumscrib'd in Maiestie and Might;
seene all in All , yet most insensible:

Immutable, impassible, most iust;
inscrutable; in mercy, most compleate:
From whom they came, and vnto whom they must
that doe beleeue thou art as good, as great:

Who by thy ne'er too-much applauded Word
hast framed whatsoe'er created is;
One blessed TRINITIE , in true accord

W I th all the pow'r and vertues of my Soule
I doe adore thee holy Lord of All!
That when I had no name in thy check rowle,
thou wrat'st it on thy Palme , and me didst call.

I dwelt, sometimes, in blacke Obliuions Land,
where, in the shade of Death, I sadly sate;
But, thou (kind Lord) didst reach me, then, thy hand,
which, from thence, drew me to a glorious state.

Whenas I wandred, in the crooked wayes,