The Works of William Fowler :: :: University of Virginia Library

[OMITTED]trew soveraine good and blissidnes be found
[OMITTED]men within thame selfs wenes for to find but ground
[OMITTED]he that this may saye my soule is frie from sin
[OMITTED]from that poole his father plundge him in
[OMITTED]fallowes so and punishment offence
Quhat blissednes consists in soule or yet in inuard sence?
yea, in the bodye much far les: for who is such an ass
that can beliue the soueraine good suld fal in to a mass?
and sence the noble better part dois not assume the same,
sal then the servill massiue lump and bodye it acclame—
a lump, a mass, and bodye toe, so subiect into euill,
that both within and als without his actions serves the diuill?
whair sal we seik this blissed good, quhair sal we find it then?
in beastes? that beastlye wer to much, so beastes wer more than men.
In creatueris and sensles things far les it may be found,
for not in thame nor yet for thame may any bliss rebound.
o glistren gold, so higlye valved of men of litill witt,
that burning in the breist of thame mak conscience [OMITTED] to flitt,
how can yow happye mak a man, whose vse and service stands
in leaving him aga[in]st his hart to pass to other hands,
and quhils with him you ar his gasts, and with him dois remaine,
yow bring him nothing ells but some conceate of worldlie gane,
And thairwith cair in keping yow, and feare yow for to lose,
desyre to hoord yow vp but vse, and in a wall to close?

283

And thow, o feiding faiding foode, canst thow bring bliss to man,
whose taists hads not within the corss the space of half a span,
which can not feid nor nourish yet bot in corruptioun thyne,
nor is bot in the losing felt, and Instrument is syne
of maladyies of sondrie sorts, and finallye of death,
proceurd be the which maks the cors be lothed of the breath?
and yow celestial circles all which endleslye doe move,
dois man vpon your influence his hap or wanhap proue?
how sensles ar they so dois think and thame from sence estrainge,
such that yow must a caddence thole and in your self a chainge!
And being such euen as you ar, yow for to know vs send
one gretar far then yow be all, on quhome you al depend.
And yow expectent spiritual[OMITTED]
sal furnish vs of perfyte hap and of felicitie?
yow happie creaturs be indeid, yet yow bot cr[eaturs be],
vnable thairfor to repair the grace [of god In me];
and will yow say yow creat wer on me that to bestow
which yow your selfs hes not receaved, nor in your gardens grow?
now since I nothing found ells whair, below or yet aboue,
that can giue me in part or whole that which I seik & moue, [?]
suld I be then so voyd of witt, or yet of wisdome voyde,
to think that be my self on me this hap may be employd?
how can our bliss in barren things, or Iustice in our sin,
or [OMITTED] lyfe in gyltie death be found be vs heirin,
sith we be barren of good works, and ar bot sin and death,
and thr[ou]gh our fault of our great god deserved hes the wreath?
bot, o my god, so stands the cace, and so it is we see
no hurt so sore in euil is incurable to the.
theme, lord, which hes of nothing maid, of nothing all things drawen,
can thow be hindred in thy work to mak agane thy ouen?

284

and thow that caused light to come euen out of darknes dark,
can thow me bring from death to lyfe me that [OMITTED] my uark?
yes, certenlie, o gracio[u]s [?] god, or otherwyse the state
wer not so strong as death, which would then thrust the from thy seate.
Now then, o lord, sith my disease is past of men the cuir,
and sith no other creat thing can vs of helth assuir,
we come to the which canst do all that [thow] dois list or will,
and but assistance gyds al things, yea, wheather bad or ill;
we come to the, who more hes shawen such wittnes of thy love
in saving man then he thy might dois in his making prove:
thy might was wittnessed most strainge by meanes becumming the,
quhen thow of nothing something maid by thy eterne decrie,
and to thyne Image formed him and to thy liknes framed,
that in his actions and his warks thy praise might be proclamd.
bot quhat is all this in respect of that most blissid work
by which is man redemd from sin as out of preson dark?
then blist is he not simplie whome thow creat hes and maid,
bot rather he whome thow hes boucht and hes his ransom payd:
so les vnworthie is that wight of Thy great gifts and grace,
which yet hes not a being at all than sinners in this cace.
bot, o great deipth of goodnes great, that is not sheire content
for to restore to man that bliss which he hes lost and spent,
bot thow hes him so far inrichte with better gifts and more
then he possessd al that tyme or yet hes lost before.
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but having formost past be sin and first hes wrought amisss;
not that I saith bliss come out of sin, but rather that becaus
grace presupposeth miserie as pardon faults men knawes.

285

but whence dois cum this pardon, lord, bot from thy bontye pure
which quickneth vs quhen we are deid and maks [?] be faith vs suire?

and how dois come this pardon, lord? by quitting but my faults,
and covering my sins eache one, not rekkneth vp my haults,
nor me vpbradeth with my sin, nor calling thame to compt,
dois me alone my wekednes by bontye far surmont.
yet must thy Iudgments, Iustful Ioue, be satisfied euen whole,
for not a myte nor farthing thus vnpayed past will thoale.
heire then behold an other deip of gods eternal grace,
behold the secret sene al great maid now a ma[i]st cleir cace,
and manifested by effect, whair god in pardoning all
hes punisht all, and quhair as we be debt be all in thrall
yet find ourselfs to haue repayed the debt we neuer payed,
and satisfied the dew which we haue euer more delayed.
now Iudgment mercye is become, and death hes brought vs life,
and out of curs hes blessing drawen, and
o god, al this thy doing was: for quho culd haue it done
but thow that hes emanuell sent, thy weill beloued sone,
for to repayre within him self this naturs [OMITTED] poore,
which is and was conceaved in sin and sinful sal indure?
this righteous pledge of righteousnes the ransom payd al large,
the suretie quho ought nothing, and payed vs to discharge.
quhairfor then troublest thow thy self, o heavie conscience sad?
is thair not mater much enuegh the more to mak the glad?
that frailtie and corruption that dois with sin the spott
is by the holy holy one and be his blood out blott;
that want of righteousness in the which is requird in the
is be obedience of this lord fulfilled in al degrie.
quhat resteth bot that thow but glosse vnfainedlie confes
thy self to be in death, that thow herby may death suppres,
and may receave this saving lyfe, this lyfe be lyflye faith,
which be effects may schew it self thow tradst a rightlye paith?

286

for euen as god can nowayes [?] be be man deceaved this whyle,
so he deceavers will not save nor bauldful spreits of guyle:
He is a god, a god of treuth, who falshood al di[OMITTED]
And weil discernes these spreits of gyle who[OMITTED]
who tharefor will wash his filth from him and clense him self from sin
for to returne to the filth he first hes fyld him In?
Is pardoun geven that we suld sin, forgeivnes to forgett?
or suld remissioun cast contempt?
dois light vs into darknes bring, can grace vs bring dispair?
suld mercie or the hop of it to further sins vs snair?
not so, o god, our gracious lord, from vs this mynd remove.
and as no fitter prove may be then which my self I prove,
so will I publisht to this end, and for a mirrour serve
and paterne to other folk, that they no forther suerve.
alas, in quhat paine was I, lord, wer not my febill bones
with heavines dryed vp, alas, and with my grevous grones.
was thair euer sommers drought more parching then this heate,
which vterlie hes marred me and al [OMITTED] abait?
thow oft haue bene overque[l]hmd with anguish of my hart,
not able to vter fu[r]th on word of my cons[umin]g [?] smart.
how often on the other syd I houled have and cryed
the day long, night long, at all houers, o lord, to the besid!

and not without Iust caus, o god, for al the tymes I felt
the terrible strokes of thyne awen hand that maid my moysture melt.
bot yet, good god, althogh that I did so torment my self,
and tost the ship of al my helth vpon a sandye schelf,
whair fou[n]d I remedie at length, or helth in such d[is]ease,
whair fou[n]d I plasters for my sore my sorrouis to appease?
attend herto then euerye one, forgett it not my soule,
and in the memorie of thy mynd as regester inroule:

so long I sought me to excuse and cover my offence
in all or any part þairof most vaine was my pretence,

287

so long as I did go about to counterpaise agane
and conterbalance al my faults with my tormenting pane,
so long as I aga[in]st the spurre did spurr the more and more,
my mischeif grew ay farther one, which now I do deploir;
bot blissed be that name which heath me ane vther way,
and draweth me from my sinsful course which maid me [go] astrey.
I come to the, eternal god, o god I come to the,
whom I, o lord, as righteo[u]s Iudg and adverse partie se.