Miscellaneous works of George Wither

This first Hymne (prepared for the publike Thanksgiving, injoyned on the thirtieth of Jan. 1650.) may, most properly, be sung at the beginning of Divine Exercises, publike or private, the same day.

Sing this as the 100. Psalm.

1

With aweful Joy, and joyful Fear,
To sanctifie, O Lord, this day,
Before thy Foot stool we appear;
And, our Thank-offrings here to pay:
Which though it be no other thing,
Then thy Free-mercies to confesse;
Or, Songs, unto thy praise to sing;
Vouchsafe acceptance, nay-the-lesse.

2

Within our selves, we are so poor,
That, we have nothing of our own,
But, what we had from thee, before;
Which, by our sins impair'd is grown:
For, our wit, beauty, strength, and health,
(The goods of body, and of mind)
Our time, our honours, and our wealth,
To serve our lusts, have been resign'd.

3

And, therefore, till thou shalt renew
Thine Image, by our fault defac'd,
We, and our Offrings, from thy view,
Deservedly, may forth be cast.
There is no musick in our Songs,
That's worthy to be heard of thee;
Because, our hearts, eyes, ears, and tongues,
Prophaned, and untuned be.

4

Yet, by those favours, heartned on,
Which were on us bestown, of late,
A Hymn, we joyntly have begun,
To sing this Day, at Mercies gate.
Lord! those eternall doores unclose,
Through which thy speciall graces flow;
The cords of our Corruption lose,
And, let thy Spirit on us blow.

5

Then, ev'ry word, we hear, or say,
With ev'ry thing, that's done, or thought
(In celebrating of this Day)
Shall do thee honour, as it ought:
And, they that study publike harms,
Or, flout, what we are doing here,
Shall be so bound up, by these Charms,
That when they flout us, they shall fear.

University of Virginia Library

Hymne. 1.

[With aweful Joy, and joyful Fear]

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