 | Poems By John Hall |  |
An Ode.
[Descend O Lord]
1
Descend O LordInto this gloomy heart of mine,
And once afford
A glimpse of that great Light of thine,
The Sunne doth never here
To shine on basest dunghills once forbeare.
2
What though I beNothing but high corruption?
Let me have thee
And at thy presence 'twill be gon,
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In competition while the Suns at hand.
3
And though my sinnesBe an unnumbred number, yet
When thou begins
To looke on Christ, do thenforget
I help'd to cause his griefe.
If so, Lord from it grant me some reliefe.
4
All thou demandsIs that small peice of me, my heart;
Lo here it stands
Thine wholly, I'le reserve no part;
Let the three corners be
(Since nought else can) fil'd with one triple thee.
5
Set up a Throne,Admit no rivall of thy power,
Be thou alone
(I'le onely feare thee) Emperour,
And though thy limits may
Seeme small, Heaven onely is as large as they.
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6
And if by chanceThe Old-oft-conquer'd Enemy
New stirrs advance,
Looke but upon him and hee'l fly,
The smallest checke of thine
Will do't, so cannot all the power that's mine.
7
Thy Kingdome isMore then ten thousand worlds, each heart
A Province is;
Keepe residence in mine, 'tis part
Of those huge Realmes; I'le be
Thy slave, and by this meanes gaine libertie,
8
Such as all EarthNe're could so much as fancy yet,
Nor can give birth
To thoughts enough to fathom it,
No no, nor can blest I
When I injoy it, know what I enjoy.
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9
Then give me thisI aske for, though I know not what
(O Lord) it is:
But what's of greatest price give that,
Or plainely bold to be
In begging, Lord, I pray thee give me thee.
| Poems By John Hall | |