Whitsunday

Whitsunday Listen sweet Dove unto my song,And spread thy golden wings in me; Listen sweet Dove unto my song,And spread thy golden wings in me;Hatching my tender heart so long,Till it get wing, and fly away with thee. Where is that fire which once descendedOn thy Apostles? thou didst thenKeep open house, richly attended,Feasting all […]

Vanity

Vanity The fleet astronomer can boreAnd thread the spheres with his quick piercing mind: The fleet astronomer can boreAnd thread the spheres with his quick-piercing mind:He views theirs stations, walks from door to door,Surveys, as if he had designedTo make a purchase there: he sees their dances,And knoweth long before,Both their full-eyed aspects, and secret […]

The World

The World Love built a stately house, where Fortune came,And spinning fancies, she was heard to say Love built a stately house, where Fortune came,And spinning fancies, she was heard to sayThat her fine cobwebs did support the frame,Whereas they were supported by the same;But Wisdom quickly swept them all away. The Pleasure came, who, […]

The Windows

The Windows Lord, how can man preach thy eternall word?He is a brittle crazie glasse: Lord, how can man preach thy eternall word?He is a brittle crazie glasse:Yet in thy temple thou dost him affordThis glorious and transcendent place,To be a window, through thy grace. But when thou dost anneal in glasse thy storie,Making thy […]

The Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Oh King of grief! (a title strange, yet true,To thee of all kings only due) Oh King of grief! (a title strange, yet true,To thee of all kings only due)Oh King of wounds! how shall I grieve for thee,Who in all grief preventest me? Shall I weep blood? why thou has wept such […]

The Temper II

The Temper II It cannot be. Where is that mighty joy,Which just now took up all my heart? It cannot be. Where is that mighty joy,Which just now took up all my heart?Lord, if thou must needs use thy dart,Save that, and me; or sin for both destroy. The grosser world stand to thy word […]

The Temper

The Temper How should I praise thee, Lord! how should my rhymesGladly engrave thy love in steel, How should I praise thee, Lord! how should my rhymesGladly engrave thy love in steel,If what my soul doth feel sometimesMy soul might ever feel! Although there were some forty heav’ns, or more,Sometimes I peer above them all;Sometimes […]

The Storm

The Storm If as the winds and waters here belowDo fly and flow, If as the winds and waters here belowDo fly and flow,My sighs and tears as busy were above;Sure they would moveAnd much affect thee, as tempestuous timesAmaze poor mortals, and object their crimes. Stars have their storms, ev’n in a high degree,As […]

The Sinner

The Sinner Lord, how I am all ague, when I seekWhat I have treasur’d in my memory! Lord, how I am all ague, when I seekWhat I have treasur’d in my memory!Since, if my soul make even with the week,Each seventh note by right is due to thee.I find there quarries of pil’d vanities,But shreds […]

The Holdfast

The Holdfast I threatened to observe the strict decreeOf my deare God with all my power and might: I threatened to observe the strict decreeOf my dear God with all my power and might:But I was told by one, `It could not be;Yet I might trust in God to be my light.’ `Then will I […]

The Dawning

The Dawning Awake, sad heart, whom sorrow ever drowns ;Take up thine eyes, which feed on earth ; Awake, sad heart, whom sorrow ever drowns ;Take up thine eyes, which feed on earth ;Unfold thy forehead, gathered into frowns ;Thy Saviour comes, and with Him mirth :Awake, awake,And with a thankful heart His comforts take.But […]

Sin’s Round

Sin’s Round Sorry I am, my God, sorry I am,That my offences course it in a ring. Sorry I am, my God, sorry I am,That my offences course it in a ring.My thoughts are working like a busy flame,Until their cockatrice they hatch and bring:And when they once have perfected their draughts,My words take fire […]

Repentance

Repentance Lord, I confess my sin is great;Great is my sin. Oh! gently treat Lord, I confess my sin is great;Great is my sin. Oh! gently treatWith thy quick flow’r, thy momentany bloom;Whose life still pressingIs one undressing,A steady aiming at a tomb. Man’s age is two hours’ work, or three:Each day doth round about […]

Redemption

Redemption Having been tenant long to a rich lord,Not thriving, I resolved to be bold, Having been tenant long to a rich lord,Not thriving, I resolved to be bold,And make a suit unto him, to affordA new small rented lease, and cancel the old.In heaven at his manor I him sought;They told me there that […]

Prayer II

Prayer II Prayer the Church’s banquet, angels’ age,God’s breath in man returning to his birth, Prayer the Church’s banquet, angels’ age,God’s breath in man returning to his birth,The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,The Christian plummet sounding heav’n and earth; Engine against th’ Almighty, sinner’s tower,Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,The six-days’ world transposing in an hour,A […]

Praise

Praise To write a verse or two is all the praiseThat I can raise: To write a verse or two is all the praiseThat I can raise:Mend my estate in any ways,Thou shalt have more. I go to Church; help me to wings, and IWill thither fly;Or, if I mount unto the sky,I will do […]

Clasping of Hands

Clasping of Hands Lord, Thou art mine, and I am Thine,If mine I am; and Thine much more Lord, Thou art mine, and I am Thine,If mine I am; and Thine much moreThen I or ought or can be mine.Yet to be Thine doth me restore,So that again I now am mine,And with advantage mine […]

Artillery

Artillery As I one ev’ning sat before my cell,Me thoughts a star did shoot into my lap. As I one ev’ning sat before my cell,Me thoughts a star did shoot into my lap.I rose, and shook my clothes, as knowing well,That from small fires comes oft no small mishap.When suddenly I heard one say,Do as […]

Antiphon

Antiphon Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing‘My God and King.’ Chorus Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing‘My God and King.’ Verse The heav’ns are not too high,His praise may thither fly:The earth is not too low,His praises there may grow. Chorus Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing,‘My God and […]

Affliction IV

Affliction IV Broken in pieces all asunder,Lord, hunt me not, Broken in pieces all asunder,Lord, hunt me not,A thing forgot,Once a poor creature, now a wonder,A wonder tortur’d in the spaceBetwixt this world and that of grace. My thoughts are all a case of knives,Wounding my heartWith scatter’d smart,As wat’ring pots give flowers their lives.Nothing […]

Affliction III

Affliction III My heart did heave, and there came forth, ‘O God’!By that I knew that thou wast in the grief, My heart did heave, and there came forth, ‘O God’!By that I knew that thou wast in the grief,To guide and govern it to my relief,Making a sceptre of the rod:Hadst thou not had […]

Affliction II

Affliction II Kill me not ev’ry day,Thou Lord of life, since thy one death for me Kill me not ev’ry day,Thou Lord of life, since thy one death for meIs more than all my deaths can be,Though I in broken payDie over each hour of Methusalem’s stay. If all men’s tears were letInto one common […]

Affliction

Affliction When thou didst entice to thee my heart,I thought the service brave: When thou didst entice to thee my heart,I thought the service brave:So many joys I writ down for my part,Besides what I might haveOut of my stock of natural delights,Augmented with thy gracious benefits. I looked on thy furniture so fine,And made […]

Aaron

Aaron Holiness on the head,Light and perfection on the breast, Holiness on the head,Light and perfection on the breast,Harmonious bells below, raising the deadTo led them unto life and rest.Thus are true Aarons dressed. Profaneness in my head,Defects and darkness in my breast,A noise of passions ringing me for deadUnto a place where is no […]

A Wreath

A Wreath A wreathed garland of deserved praise,Of praise deserved, unto thee I give, A wreathed garland of deserved praise,Of praise deserved, unto thee I give,I give to thee, who knowest all my wayes,My crooked winding wayes, wherein I live, Wherein I die, not live : for life is straight,Straight as a line, and ever […]

A Dialogue-Anthem

A Dialogue-Anthem Alas, poor Death! Where is thy glory?Where is thy famous force, thy ancient sting? Alas, poor Death! Where is thy glory?Where is thy famous force, thy ancient sting? Alas, poor mortal, void of story!Go spell and read how I have killed thy King. Poor Death! And who was hurt thereby?Thy curse being laid […]

A Dialogue

A Dialogue Sweetest Saviour, if my soulWere but worth the having, Man Sweetest Saviour, if my soulWere but worth the having,Quickly should I then controlAny thought of waving.But when all my care and painsCannot give the name of gainsTo Thy wretch so full of stains,What delight or hope remains? Saviour What, child, is the balance […]

Saviour, If Thy Precious Love

Saviour, If Thy Precious Love Saviour, if thy precious loveCould be merited by mine, Saviour, if thy precious loveCould be merited by mine,Faith these mountains would remove;Faith would make me ever thine:But when all my care and painsWorth can ne’er create in me,Nought by me thy fulness gains;Vain the hope to purchase thee. Cease, O […]

The Twenty – Third Psalm

The Twenty – Third Psalm The God of love my shepherd is,And he that doth me feed; The God of love my shepherd is,And he that doth me feed;While he is mine, and I am his,What can I want or need? He leads me to the tender grasse,Where I both feed and rest;Then to the […]

Death

Death Death, thou wast once an uncouth hideous thing ,Nothing but bones, Death, thou wast once an uncouth hideous thing ,Nothing but bones,The sad effect of sadder grones :Thy mouth was open , but thou couldst not sing. For we consider’d thee as at some sixOr ten years hence,After the loss of life and sense,Flesh […]