SONG LIX.
Trinity Sunday.
[_]
Sing this as the ninth Song.
[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 confesse
In Thee (whom by our faith we view)
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 knit
A 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:
But one in Substance they are still
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 Trinitie
Thus, oh Creator, we adore
Thy euer-praised Deity,
And thee confesse for euermore,
One Father, one begotten Sonne,
One Holy-Ghost, in Godhead one.