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266

A Meditation vpon the former Tractate.

I

To Thee, the Saints that in thee trust;
To Thee, the Soules of all the Iust;
And wretched I,
To Thee now cry,
That am indeed no more than Earth and Dust.

II

The Heav'nly Hierarchies aboue,
That are to Thee conjoyn'd in Loue,
In Hymnes and Layes
To Thee giue praise,
And to the innocent Lambe and spotlesse Doue.

III

The Angels and Archangels all,
Vertues and Powers Cœlestiall,
Who stand before Thee,
And still adore Thee,
As Messengers still ready at thy Call:

IV

All magnifie Thee without cease,
Not fainting, rather with encrease
Of Will and Voice,
Laud and reioyce
In Thee, that art the God of Power and Peace.

V

And I, fraile Man, that am not least
Of thy Creation, would thy Heast,
Far as I may,
Serue and obey,
And beg in thy great Mercies, Interest.
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VI

Light therefore in my Heart infuse;
Instruct my Tongue, Thy Name to vse:
That I may finde
Both Heart and Minde,
Hourely on Thee, and onely Thee, to muse.

VII

Clense, to that end, and make me cleane,
That am polluted and obsceane:
My sinnefull Soule,
Spotted and foule,
Dares not for that cause on thy Mercies leane.

VIII

From Outward things, to what's Interior;
To what's Aboue, from Things Inferior;
My Thoughts transcend
To apprehend
Thee solely, that or'e all things art Superior.

IX

O blessed Spirits, bright and pure,
You that the Sacred Throne immure!
That Place Sublime,
In first of Time,
Was made for you alwayes therein to endure.

X

Your Makers Face you there behold,
In numerous Bands and Hosts vntold,
You, to Him solely
Sing, Holy, Holy,
Holy; Whose Brightnesse no Tongue can vnfold.

XI

You, in your sweet and musicall Quire,
See what to Loue, and to Admire,
(That Ioy and Blisse
Which endlesse is)
And to attaine vnto, we all desire.
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XII

For from that Place Cœlestiall,
From henceforth there can be no Fall:
In that Congruity
Is Perpetuity,
Which, as Before it hath bin, Euer shall.

XIII

No refractorie Spirits there,
Since Lucifer dar'd to appeare,
In Battell fell
By Michael,
All these rebellious Angels captiv'd were.

XIV

He, the old Dragon gyv'd and bound,
Who, Mankinde labors to confound;
Still day by day,
Vs to betray:
And to that end the World doth compasse round.

XV

With Him, the Sp'rites of Aire and Fire,
The Water, and the Earth, conspire,
Early and late,
To insidiate
All such as after Heav'nly things acquire.

XVI

But Thou, the blest Angels of Light
Against them hast made opposite,
Both to direct vs,
And to protect vs
From their knowne Malice both by day and night.

XVII

Therefore to Thee (ô God) alone,
In Persons Three, in Substance One;
The Trinity
In Vnity,
To search in whose Identity, there's None
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XVIII

So bold as dare, so wise as can.
The Father, God; Sonne, God and Man;
The Spirit Diuine,
Third in the Trine;
All Three, One God, before the World began.

XIX

Father Vnborne, the Sonne Begot,
Spirit Proceeding; let vs not
Through their procurements,
And sly allurements,
Be stain'd with Sinne, but keepe vs without spot.

XX

O Thou, the glorious Trinitee,
Whose pow'rfull Works insep'rable be;
Support and aid
What Thou hast made,
And keepe our Soules from their Temptations free.

XXI

Thou President, of an vnequal'd Parity;
Thou Plurall Number, in thy Singularity;
Those Diuellish Foes
Still to oppose,
Grant vs firme Faith, strong Hope, and constant Charity.

XXII

Whom (Father) thou hast Made, do not forsake;
Of whom thou hast redeem'd, (Son) pitty take:
Good Spirit guyde
Those sanctify'd,
And keepe vs from the euer-burning Lake.

XXIII

That, We, with Saints and Angels, may
Thy Honour, Pow'r, and Praise display;
Thy Glory bright,
Mercy and Might,
Within Thy New Ierusalem for ay.

Deus est indivise vnus in Trinitate, & inconfuse Trinus in Vnitate. Leo Pap.

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