 | The teares or lamentations of a sorrowfull Soule |  |
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The fourth Lamentation in distresse.
Wherein the distressed prayeth for faith, for zeale, and strength in vndergoing Gods corrections, and to be deliuered from dangers prepared against him.
1
O Lord I lift my heart to thee,my soule in thee doth euer trust:
O let mee not confounded bee,
but make me righteous with the iust.
2
Let men not haue their wills gain'st me,but powre on mee thy comfort sweete
Thy sauing health Lord let me see,
who prostrate begg it at thy feete.
3
Let thy right hand and prouidence,be stretched out to hould me vp:
And giue me grace and patience,
in lowlines to tast thy cuppe.
4
So shall I sit on surest rocke,and strength and power to me get:
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though round about they me beset.
5
For why my comfort is in thee,and on thy prouidence I depend:
O keepe mee safe in libertie,
till all my troubles come to end.
6
From perills six hast me deliuered,I know therefore thou wilt from seauen
From earthly thoughts let me be seuer'd,
and conuersation haue in heauen.
7
I know that loue, a multitude,of shamefull sinnes doth closely couer:
Within the gates, I me include,
thou art my soules true spouse & louer.
8
The faithfull thereby may take hold,of hope to haue a prosperous end:
Of their desires, this makes me bolde,
for ayde and comfort to attend.
9
And with all patience to perseuer,I know thy word it is most sure:
Poore penitent by faith, i'le euer,
stand firme and to the end indure.
10
Alas deere God I nothing craue,to haue of thee by mine owne right:
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for hee's most gratious in thy sight.
11
Yea for his merrits thou do'st loue me,in him I know thou art well pleas'd:
And hearest sinners whē they moue thee
forgiu'st their sin, and they are eas'd.
12
Among'st whom Lord I am the chiefeand of good things am Ignorant:
Yet on the crosse did'st saue the theefe,
for Christ his sake me mercy graunt.
13
In this worlds vanities most vilde,I liue and haue no taste of trueth:
I knew not I was in exile,
but did in folly spend my youth.
14
Of thee alone I knowledge haue,(for of my selfe I am but weake)
Thou art my God that strength me gaue
to worke, to rest, to liue, to speake.
15
For of my selfe is misery,and of my selfe is all that's ill:
But from thee Lord comes all mercy,
and perfect power to worke thy will.
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With in, to consolation,of my sadde soule & wounded heart:
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of my weake body in each part.
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Therefore teach me ye truth oh Lord,thy sacred truth shew mee thy waies:
That I should walke, led by thy word,
& to thy glory spend my daies.
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Lord keep frō wicked thoughts mine heartmine hands that they commit noe ill:
Mine eies, my tongue, and euery part,
Lord grant they may performe thy will
19
My feete from falling still preserue,as of my selfe regard me not.
Deale not with me as I deserue,
as are my sinnes reward me not.
20
Behould not my deformitiesbut looke on me in Christ by loue:
My sinnes and all enormities,
as mists and cloudes from me remoue
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Thou righteous art and gratious,reformest sinners, sinnes forgiu'st:
O be to me propitious,
to liue in thee that euer liu'st.
22
Keep thou my soule, let me not perish,nor vtterly to be confounded:
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& ioy mine hart which thou hast wounded.
23
Thou art my strength & sure defence,in time of dangers imminent:
Though all helpe faile, experience,
hath taught me thou art permanent.
24
I goe vnto thine Oracle,and from thy word I councell take:
And finde a wondrous miracle,
thou neuer do'st thine owne forsake.
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Thy seruants that in thee do trust,thy tabernacle shall them shield:
In secret thou do'st hide the iust,
that are not with foule sinne defilde.
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Harken O Lord harken and heare,vnto my voice that call and cry:
O let thy loue to'wards me appeare,
with streames and floods of thy mercy
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Thou sayest O Lord, seeke yee my facewhat is it? but in my distresse:
To cry for helpe and craue thy grace,
and ayde in time of heauines.
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My soule by the pure priueledge,of thy free spirit which teacheth truth
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and faith and hope vnto thee sueth.
29
My tongue doth speake mine heart doth mutter,and euery member in his place:
Doth striue to speake & these words vtter
helpe me opprest hide not thy face.
30
Though, father that did me begett,my mother that frō wombe me bare:
And all my frindes forsake me yet,
thou Lord of me tak'st charge & care.
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O Lord thou wilt me not forsake,for so ha'st promis'd in thy word:
In all distresse noe feare i'le take,
but fourth with fly to thee O Lord.
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Thou giu'st not like our earthly Sires,nor wants suppli'st like carnall friends:
That would, but cannot our desires,
performe in deedes as heart pretends:
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Hopeles, I should downe faint & fall,did I not in thee surely trust:
That holdeth noe respect at all,
but vnto those whom Christ makes iust.
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And thou accept'st not vaine glorie,as worldlings do, nor thinges eternall,
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but to the thinges that are internall.
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A lowly and obedient heart,a troubled spirit thou do'st elect:
Of poore opprest, thou tak'st the part,
& proud men downe thou do'st deiect
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frame thou therefore my inward zealethat outward busines, me deceiue not:
Of comforts which thou dost reueale,
to thine, and me of ioyes bereaue not.
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When at thy mercy gate I knocke,do not as rich men vse the poore:
That gain'st them fast the gates do locke,
but quickly Lord set ope the dore.
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Let not my miseries depriue,my spirits of ioy or soules comfort:
Let noe vaine thinges ill men deuise,
drawe me to be of their consort.
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make strong my faith, & hope lord giue me,and i'le take hould of thy protection:
Be my defence and panoplie,
and guide me safe to thy election.
40
Thou hast O Lord my troubles seeneHast knowne my soule in bitternes:
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O helpe me now in my distresse.
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In mercies thou hast mightily,sau'd me from perills infinite:
My life consumes, mine heart doth die,
my yeares do waste, my daie is night.
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the day telles day, the night ye morrowthe base reproach of my disaster:
Yea friendes & foes, add griefe to sorrow
& each base mate doth me or'e-maister.
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I am now at the point to pine,O let it be thy blessed pleasure:
To ease my griefe for I am thine,
my paines asswage lord in some measure
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For thou my paines ha'st measured,and all that's good for those that feare:
Lord thou in store hast treasured,
to me Lord let the same appeare.
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In sight of those that are my foes,that thinke there is noe period:
Of all my tortures paine and woes,
graunt this for Christ his sake, O God,
| The teares or lamentations of a sorrowfull Soule | |