A paraphrase upon the canticles and some select hymns of the New and Old Testament, with other occasional compositions in English verse. By Samuel Woodford |
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LENT.
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 | A paraphrase upon the canticles |  |
LENT.
Sestina al' Italiana Convertimento a Dio.
I
Welcome, great Queen of Fasts, thrice welcome Lent,With solemn Penance, and Devotion crownd,
Sweet Abstinence, clean thoughts, and chaste desires,
The Wings, whereby th' unpinion'd Soul does rise
Above this lower Circle, and exchange
Substantial Cares, for Joys unmixt and pure.
II
I well remember, when with thoughts less pure,Nor more to Piety a Friend, than Lent,
Pleas'd I could well have been ne're to exchange
My course of Living, no, tho to be Crown'd
With Bays Immortal, and Exalted rise,
In hopes as large, as are my chang'd desires.
III
But that time's gone, and with it those desires,Which held me down, and in their stead a pure
Ethereal Flame, which upward still does rise;
Kind thoughts of what's esteem'd severe in Lent,
My Soul (the Victim) has for the Alter Crownd
And ee'n burnt up, nor would I 'again exchange.
102
IV
This was Thy Work, Lord, Thou 'twas didst exchangeWhat was beyond my power to curb, stubborn desires,
Making them subject to the Head Thou 'hadst Crownd;
And now I'm Victor, with Robes clean, and pure,
(Pure to what once I wore) and this new Lent,
To 'attend the Triumph, rich in Spoils does rise.
V
And as that rises, such hope I to rise,When on the Fasts great close I shall exchange
For Easters Sun, the dewy Pearls of Lent;
Bathing, like Oar, with frequent Tears, desires,
Which only such a Flame can render pure,
Fin'd from all Dross, and worthy to be Crown'd.
VI
Hast Thee, blest Day, wherein with Glory crownd,The Worlds great Saviour from the Grave did rise;
And credence gives His Spouse, that like Him pure,
She shall rise too, and all her Spots exchange,
For Glories, larger than her vast desires,
And the' Pious Resveries of an holy Lent.
Were Lent, and Primitive Institutes thus Crown'd
With purgd Desires, and Lives, their Fame would rise,
And none the Church exchange, to be more Pure.
With purgd Desires, and Lives, their Fame would rise,
And none the Church exchange, to be more Pure.
Sent to my Excellent Patron, Sir Nicholas
Stuart, Baronet, 1672–3.
| A paraphrase upon the canticles | |