The Hymnes and Songs of the Chvrch Diuided into two parts. The first part comprehends the Canonicall Hymnes, and such parcels of Holy Scripture, as may properly be sung, with some other ancient Songs and Creeds. The second part consists of Spirituall Songs, appropriated to the seuerall Times and Occasions obserueable in the Church of England. Translated and Composed by G. VV. [i.e. George Wither] |
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| I. |
| III. |
| V. |
| VI. |
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| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIIII. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
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| XXIIII. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. | SONG XXVII. Lament. 4. |
| XXVIII. |
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| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
| XXXVI. |
| XXXVII. |
| XXXVIII. |
| XXXIX. |
| XL. |
| XLI. |
| XLII. |
| XLIII. |
| XLIIII. |
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| XLV. |
| XLVIII. |
| XLIX. |
| LIII. |
| LV. |
| LVIII. |
| LIX. |
| LX. |
| LXI. |
| LXII. |
| LXIII. |
| LXIV. |
| LXV. |
| LXVI. |
| LXVII. |
| LXIX. |
| LXX. |
| LXXIII. |
| LXXV. |
| LXXX. |
| LXXXIII. |
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| LXXXV. |
| LXXXVIII. |
| LXXXIX. |
| XC. |
 | The Hymnes and Songs of the Chvrch |  |
SONG XXVII. Lament. 4.
[1]
How dimme the Gold doth now appeare!(That Gold which once so brightly shone)
About the Citie here, and there,
91
The Sonnes of Sion late compar'd
To Gold (the richest in esteeme)
Like Potsheards are without regard,
And base as earthen vessells seeme.
2
The Monsters of the Sea haue care,Their breasts vnto their young to giue:
But crueller my people are;
And Estrige-like in Desarts liue.
With thirst the Sucklings tongues are drie;
And to their parched roofes they cleaue:
For bread young children also cry;
But none at all they can receiue.
3
Those that were vs'd to daintie fare,Now in the streets halfe starued lie;
And they that once did scarlet weare,
Now dung-hill rags about them tie;
Yea, greater plagues my peoples crime
Hath brought on them, then Sodomes were,
For, that was sunke in little time,
And no prolonged death was there.
4
Her Nazarites, whose whitenesse wasMore pure, then either Milke or Snow;
Whose ruddinesse did Rubies passe;
Whose veines did like the Saphire show;
Now blacker then the coale are growne;
And in the streets vnknowne are they;
Their flesh is clung vnto the bone,
And like a sticke is dri'd away.
92
5
Such therefore as the Sword hath slaine,Are farre in better case then those,
Who death for want of food sustaine,
Whilst in the fruitfull field it growes.
For, when my people were distrest,
Eu'n women (that should pittie take)
With their owne hands their children drest,
That so their hunger they might slake.
6
The Lord accomplish't hath his wrath;His fierce displeasure forth is powr'd;
A fire on Sion see he hath,
Which eu'n her ground-worke hath deuour'd,
When there was neither earthly King;
Nor through the whole world, one at all,
Thought any Foe to passe could bring,
That thus Ierusalem should fall.
7
But this hath happened for the guiltOf those that haue her Prophets bin;
And those her wicked Priests that spilt
The blood of Innocents therein:
Along the Streets they stumbling went;
(The blindnesse of these men was such)
And so with blood they were besprent,
That no man would their Garments touch.
8
Depart, depart ('twas therefore sed)From those pollutions get yee far:
So wandring to the Heathen fled,
And said, there was no biding there:
93
Exil'd, and made despised liue;
Yea, sent their Priests and Elders hath,
Where none doth honour to them giue.
9
And as for vs, our eies decai'dWith watching vaine reliefes we haue,
Cause we expect a Nations aide,
That is vnable vs to saue.
For, at our heeles so close they be,
We dare not in the streets appeare:
Our end we therefore comming see,
And know our rooting-out is neare.
10
Our persecutors follow on,As swift as Eagles of the skie:
They o're the mountaines make vs runne;
And in the Desarts for vs lie:
Yea, they haue Christ our life betraid,
And caus'd him in their pits to fall;
(Eu'n him) beneath whose shade we said.
We liue among the Heathen shall.
11
Oh Edom in the Land of Huz,(Though yet o're vs triumph thou may)
Thou shalt receiue this Cup from vs;
Be drunke, and hurle thy cloaths away.
For when thy punishments for sinnes
Accomplished, oh Sion, be;
To visit Edom he begins
And publike make her shame will be.
| The Hymnes and Songs of the Chvrch | |