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The poems and verse-translations of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor

For the first time collected and edited after the author's own text: With introduction. By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart [in Miscellanies of The Fuller Worthies' Library]
Taylor, Jeremy (1613-1667)

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II. Festival Hymns.
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HYMNS CELEBRATING THE MYSTERIES AND CHIEF FESTIVALS OF THE YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE MANNER OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH: FITTED TO THE FANCY AND DEVOTION OF THE YOUNGER AND PIOUS PERSONS, Apt for memory, and to be joyned to their other PRAYERS.
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Hymns for Advent, or the weeks immediately before the Birth of our blessed Saviour.
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The Second Hymn for Advent; or Christ's coming to Jerusalem in Triumph.
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Hymns for Christmas-day.
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The Second Hymn; being a Dialogue between Three Shepherds.
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The Third Hymn: of Christ's Birth in an June.
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[The Fourth] Hymn for Christmas Day.
  
Chorus.
  
A Hymn upon St John's day.
  
Upon the Day of the Holy Innocents.
  
Upon the Epiphany, and the Three Wise Men of the East coming to Worship Jesus.
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A Meditation of the Four last things Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell For the time of Lent especially.
  
A Meditation of Death.
  
The Prayer.
  
Of the Day of Judgement.
  
Of Heaven.
  
Of Hell.
  
On the Conversion of St. Paul.
  
On the Purification of the blessed Virgin.
  
On Good-Friday.
  
On the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin.
  
Easter Day.
  
On the day of Ascension.
  
On the Feast of Pentecost, or Whitsunday.
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Penitentiall Hymns.
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A prayer for Charity.
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III. Job's Curse.
  
[Let the night perish, cursèd be the morn]
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IV. Verse-portraits of the Four Evangelists;
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1 St. Matthew.
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2 St. Marke.
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3. St. Luke.
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4. St. John.
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V. Aurea Grana.
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I. From “Deus Justificatus or a Vindication of the Glory of the Divine Attributes in the Question of Original Sin: in a Letter to a Person of Quality.” 1656 (12o) and 1657 (folio).
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1. THE FALL.
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2. GUILT AND DESTINY.
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3. ORIGINAL SIN.
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4. NO MASTERS: ONE MASTER.
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5. THE SOFT ANSWER.
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6. HINDRANCES.
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7. CONSCIENCE.
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8. TRUE IF NEW.
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II. From “A Discourse of the Nature, Offices, and Measures of Friendship” 1657 and 1673 (folio) and 1678 (12o.)
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9. FRIENDSHIPS.
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10. LOVE FOR LOVE.
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11. MUTUAL FRIENDS.
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12. A FRIEND NOT MONEY.
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13. A NOBLE FRIENDSHIP.
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14. UNSELFISHNESS IN FRIENDSHIP.
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15. BROTHERS.
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16. FRIENDSHIP IMMORTAL.
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17. HELP IN ADVERSITY.

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Penitentiall Hymns.

I.

[Lord, I have sinn'd, and the black number swells]

Lord, I have sinn'd, and the black number swells
To such a dismal sum,
That should my stony heart and eyes,
And this whole sinful trunk a flood become,
And run to tears, their drops could not suffice
To count my score,
Much less to pay:
But Thou, my God, hast blood in store,
And art the patron of the poore.
Yet since the balsam of Thy blood,
Although it can, will do no good,
Unless the wounds be cleans'd with tears before;
Thou in Whose sweet but pensive face
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Laughter could never steal a place,
Teach but my heart and eyes
To melt away,
And then one drop of balsam will suffice.
Amen.

II.

[Great God, and just! how canst Thou see]

Great God, and just! how canst Thou see,
Dear God, our miserie,
And not in mercy set us free?
Poor miserable man! how wert thou born,
Week as the dewy jewels of the morn,
Rapt up in tender dust,
Guarded with sins and lust,
Who like Court-flatterers waite
To serve themselves in thy unhappy fate.
Wealth is a snare, and poverty brings in
Inlets of theft, paving the way for sin:
Each perfum'd vanity doth gently breath
Sin in thy Soul, and whispers it to Death.
Our faults like ulcerated sores do go
O're the sound flesh, and do corrupt that too:
Lord, we are sick, spotted with sin:
Thick as a crusty leaper's skin;
Like Naaman, bid us wash, yet let it be
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In streams of blood that flow from Thee:
Then will we sing.
Touch'd by the heavenly Dove's bright wing,
Hallelujahs, psalms and praise
To God the Lord of night and dayes;
Ever good, and ever just,
Ever high, Who ever must
Thus be sung; is still the same;
Eternal praises crown His name.
Amen.
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