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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| XLV. |
| XLVIII. |
| XLIX. |
| LIII. |
| LV. |
| LVIII. |
| LIX. | SONG LIX.
Trinity Sunday. |
| LX. |
| LXI. |
| LXII. |
| LXIII. |
| LXIV. |
| LXV. |
| LXVI. |
| LXVII. |
| LXIX. |
| LXX. |
| LXXIII. |
| LXXV. |
| LXXX. |
| LXXXIII. |
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 | The Hymnes and Songs of the Chvrch |  |
159
SONG LIX. Trinity Sunday.
[1]
Those, oh, thrise holy Three in one,Who seeke thy Nature to explaine,
By rules to humane Reason knowne,
Shall find their Labour all in vaine;
And in a Shell they may intend,
The Sea as well to comprehend.
2
What therefore no man can conceiue,Let vs not curious be to know;
But, when thou bid'st vs to beleeue,
Let vs obey, let Reason goe:
Faith's obiects true and surer be,
Then those that Reasons eyes doe see.
3
Yet, as by looking on the Sunne,(Though to his substance we are blinde)
And by the course we see him runne,
Some Notions we of him may finde:
So, what thy Brightnesse doth conceale,
Thy Word, and Workes in part reueale.
4
Most glorious Essence, we confesse160
Three Persons, neither moe nor lesse,
Whose workings them distinctly shew:
And sure we are, those Persons Three
Make but one GOD, and thou art Hee.
5
The Sunne a Motion hath we know,Which Motion doth beget vs Light;
The Heat proceedeth from those two,
And each doth proper acts delight:
The Motion drawes out Time a Line,
The Heat doth warme, the Light doth shine.
6
Yet, though this Motion, Light, & Heate,Distinctly by themselues we take;
Each in the other hath his seat,
And but one Sunne we see they make:
For, whatsoe're the One will doe,
He workes it with the other two.
7
So, in the God-head there is knitA wondrous threefold True-loue-knot,
And perfect Vnion fastens it,
Though flesh and blood perceiue it not;
And what each Person doth alone,
By all the Trinitie is done.
8
Their Worke they ioyntly doe pursue,Though they their Offices diuide;
And each one by himselfe hath due
His proper Attributes beside:
161
In Vertue one, and one in Will.
9
Eternall all the Persons bee,And yet Eternall ther's but One;
So likewise Infinite all three,
Yet Infinite but One alone:
And neither Person aught doth misse,
That of the Godheads essence is.
10
In Vnitie and TrinitieThus, oh Creator, we adore
Thy euer-praised Deity,
And thee confesse for euermore,
One Father, one begotten Sonne,
One Holy-Ghost, in Godhead one.
| The Hymnes and Songs of the Chvrch | |