 | The Muses Sacrifice |  |
The thirst of the Soule after God, the Fountaine of Life.
Mine heau'nly Head, giue me, thy Member, grace
Thee to desire; desiring, thee to seeke:
Seeking, to finde; finding, to loue thy face:
And, louing, lothe what is thee most vnlike.
Thee to desire; desiring, thee to seeke:
13
And, louing, lothe what is thee most vnlike.
To my Heart, Faith; to mine Eyes flouds of teares;
To my Soule, griefe; to that griefe, ioy of Spirit:
To my Faith, Hope; to my Hope, Loue and Feare;
And, vnto all, giue all direction right.
To my Soule, griefe; to that griefe, ioy of Spirit:
To my Faith, Hope; to my Hope, Loue and Feare;
And, vnto all, giue all direction right.
O Loue essentiall! increated Loue!
Loue infinite! the Fount of Loue and Grace:
With pow'r o'erflowing all the powers aboue;
Or whatsoeuer is in blessed case!
Loue infinite! the Fount of Loue and Grace:
With pow'r o'erflowing all the powers aboue;
Or whatsoeuer is in blessed case!
How can I choose but loue thee? how can I
But with such flaming Loue be fired quite?
That fires the whole Worlds Vniuersitie,
Yea, well-nigh burnes, & melts the same out-right!
But with such flaming Loue be fired quite?
That fires the whole Worlds Vniuersitie,
Yea, well-nigh burnes, & melts the same out-right!
O God! thou art the most abstracted Good;
Which, yet abstracted, art much more abstract!
Which is Loues Obiect, and Lifes liuelihood:
Which doth my Loue to Loue, in Loue, coact!
Which, yet abstracted, art much more abstract!
Which is Loues Obiect, and Lifes liuelihood:
Which doth my Loue to Loue, in Loue, coact!
How can I choose but flame, so set on fire
With loue, which burns what ere, in loue was made?
What, but that Loue, can quench my Loues desire?
Or me, to Loue, so pow'rfully perswade?
With loue, which burns what ere, in loue was made?
What, but that Loue, can quench my Loues desire?
Or me, to Loue, so pow'rfully perswade?
And if I cannot loue Thee for thy Loue,
Nor for thy goodnesse being more then Good,
Yet, me thereto should Profit more then moue;
For, of all Good th'art the boundlesse floud.
Nor for thy goodnesse being more then Good,
[13]
For, of all Good th'art the boundlesse floud.
Youth loues the Eld, from whom it Being drawes;
The Members loue the Head, by whom they liue
And all Effects, by nature, loue their Cause;
Sith It to those Effects doth Essence giue:
The Members loue the Head, by whom they liue
And all Effects, by nature, loue their Cause;
Sith It to those Effects doth Essence giue:
Then sith thou art my Cause, my Head, my Sire,
Looke what Those owe to These, by whom they be,
(Nay, more; for, thou art all in all intire)
That Lord, and more then That, I owe to Thee!
Looke what Those owe to These, by whom they be,
(Nay, more; for, thou art all in all intire)
That Lord, and more then That, I owe to Thee!
Thou gau'st me Being, ere my Sire it gaue:
For, with Thee was I, ere I was of Thee!
And now preseru'st the Being which I haue,
Better then by the Head the Members be.
For, with Thee was I, ere I was of Thee!
And now preseru'st the Being which I haue,
Better then by the Head the Members be.
Thou dost effect what in me wanting is;
(And from my second Cause my wants proceed)
Then what can cause so good effect as this,
But thou whose Will is still in act and deed?
(And from my second Cause my wants proceed)
Then what can cause so good effect as this,
But thou whose Will is still in act and deed?
Looke what I am at best, I am by Thee;
And when at worst, in thee my hope still is:
For, as no one, but Thou, could fashion me;
So none, but Thou, can mend my least amisse.
And when at worst, in thee my hope still is:
For, as no one, but Thou, could fashion me;
So none, but Thou, can mend my least amisse.
Then what I am in deed or else in hope,
(When I am best in both) of thee I am:
Thou art my Soule and bodies vtmost scope;
Thou mad'st them both, then oughst to haue the same.
(When I am best in both) of thee I am:
14
Thou mad'st them both, then oughst to haue the same.
If then Thou be my Beauties beauty; yea,
The beauty of my Soules diuinest Part,
(For Thou of beauty art the bancklesse Sea)
Who then but thou should wholy haue my Heart?
The beauty of my Soules diuinest Part,
(For Thou of beauty art the bancklesse Sea)
Who then but thou should wholy haue my Heart?
O Loue, that burn'st in Heauens eternall Breast!
O Dart that woundest the whole Trinitie!
O more, much more, then Crosse-wound me at least;
And let that Fire still burne me till I die.
O Dart that woundest the whole Trinitie!
O more, much more, then Crosse-wound me at least;
And let that Fire still burne me till I die.
O let my Soule melt Lord in thine applause.
Through holy-raging Flames of quenchlesse Loue;
O cause of causes, this vouchsafe to cause;
And let these Flames their force vpon me proue.
Through holy-raging Flames of quenchlesse Loue;
O cause of causes, this vouchsafe to cause;
And let these Flames their force vpon me proue.
O holy, holy, holy Trinitie!
Most holy Father! and most gracious Sonne!
Most louing Holy-Ghost, in Vnitie
A Trinitie, and but one God alone!
Most holy Father! and most gracious Sonne!
Most louing Holy-Ghost, in Vnitie
A Trinitie, and but one God alone!
When, when, ô when will you three dwell in mee?
And make me one with you, as one you are?
Of three make, foure; and one of one and three:
Your Essence keepe, let me your goodnesse share.
And make me one with you, as one you are?
Of three make, foure; and one of one and three:
Your Essence keepe, let me your goodnesse share.
When will it be? ô when? ô were it now!
Shall I ne'er see it? ô how long delay!
O tedious tarrying! how, ô Lord, ô how
Shall I straight rest in thee, mine onely stay?
Shall I ne'er see it? ô how long delay!
[14]
Shall I straight rest in thee, mine onely stay?
Haste thee, my Iesus, haste (deare Loue) make haste,
I cannot stay; then come (my Ioy) ô come;
My haste is great, and I but Time doe waste,
Till I thy Loue, and Time doe ouercome.
I cannot stay; then come (my Ioy) ô come;
My haste is great, and I but Time doe waste,
Till I thy Loue, and Time doe ouercome.
O my Soules Centre! my Wils sweet repose!
Light of my Mindes Eye! my Thoughts Paradise!
Heau'n of my Heart! Companion of my Woes!
Salue of my Sores! Cure of my Maladies!
Light of my Mindes Eye! my Thoughts Paradise!
Heau'n of my Heart! Companion of my Woes!
Salue of my Sores! Cure of my Maladies!
Ioy of mine Exile! and my Guide therein;
Breath of my Nostrils! End of my Desires!
Iudge of my Life, Forgiuer of my Sinne!
O all in all, whereto mine All aspires!
Breath of my Nostrils! End of my Desires!
Iudge of my Life, Forgiuer of my Sinne!
O all in all, whereto mine All aspires!
If thou be these, and all in all to mee,
Can I forget thee during but a Thought?
If so I should, let me remembred be
With pinching plagues to minde thee as I ought
Can I forget thee during but a Thought?
If so I should, let me remembred be
With pinching plagues to minde thee as I ought
If I so much forget my selfe and thee,
Let my right Hand forget her cunning quight:
Nay, let me not remember what I see;
That Memory so wrong'd, may minde thy right.
Let my right Hand forget her cunning quight:
Nay, let me not remember what I see;
That Memory so wrong'd, may minde thy right.
No sleepe mine Eyes, no rest mine Head shall haue,
Till thou my Head, within my Heart doe rest:
Then enter Loue, to enter ô vouchsafe,
It is but what thou offer'st I request:
Then let this offer of my Will and Loue,
Moue me to that, to which thou me dost moue.
Till thou my Head, within my Heart doe rest:
15
It is but what thou offer'st I request:
Then let this offer of my Will and Loue,
Moue me to that, to which thou me dost moue.
| The Muses Sacrifice | |