Miscelanea :: :: University of Virginia Library

O let, ô Lord, thine eares enclined be
To heare the praiers that I make to thee:
And my hearts griefe that breaketh foorth in cries,
O let it haue the power to pierce the skies.

Turne not from me thy fauourable face,
What day or houre I am in heauie case:
But when I call to thee in my distresse,
O heare me, Lord, and send me soone redresse.

My daies and yeares, alas with little gaine,
Like vnto smoke, how are they past in vaine!
My forces, Lord, how are they parch't and dry!
Deuotions lacke yeelds moisture no supply.

The blasted grasse my image now can show,
My withered heart confirmes that it is so,
And I forgotten haue, vnto my griefe,
To eate the bread of my soules best reliefe.

And my too much regard of earthly care,
Before my selfe for grace I could prepare,
Made reason to abandon reason quite,
And to affliction fast it selfe vnite.

But now, ô Lord, since that I now beginne
To see my selfe, and know the shame of sinne;
From earthly traine I will retire my minde,
Thee will I seeke my sauing health to finde.

In desert like as liues the Pelicane,
Or as the Crowe that doth day light refraine,
Or chirping Sparrow sitting all alone,
I shrowd, I watch, retir'd I make my mone.

But while, O Lord, I doe endure this life,
Expecting peace, by fleeing worldly strife,
Old friends I finde become new noisome foes,
O loue me Lord, for losse of loue of those.

My penance not restraind through scorne of these,
My foode I take with ashes and with teares,
The more I feare lest thou on me shouldst frowne,
That canst me raise, and raising cast me downe.

My daies decline as doth a shadow passe,
And I as haie that whilome was as grasse:
But thou from age to age shalt euer be,
Then euermore, ô Lord, forget not me.

Vouchsafe, ô Lord, in puissance to arise,
To raise thy Sion that depressed lies:
Now is the time, the time doth now expire,
It mercy wants, and mercy doth desire.

This glorious worke was first begun by thee:
Thy seruants erst were glad the stones to see:
And they will grieue with hearts afflicted care,
If so the ruines thou dost not repaire.

But when, ô Lord, thy works shall shew thy fame,
The faithlesse people then shall feare thy name,
And earthly kings shall bend their glory downe
At thy celestiall glory and renowne.

Because thy Church, thy Sion, thou diddest build,
Where thou wouldst euer haue thy honor hild,
And hast not vnregarded heard the plaint
Of faithfull folke, thrald in vntruths restraint.

And that no time, remembrance may impaire
Of thy mainteined worke and mercy rare:
Let people now, for people to ensue,
Thy praise record, thy praises to renue.

For from high heauen to this low earthly place,
From blisse to bale our Lord enclines his face,
The groanes to heare, the grieued to release,
To free from thrall, to make affliction cease.

The more may Sion now sound foorth his fame,
Ierusalem his praises may proclaime,
Wherein his Church, his people do accord,
And where as kings are subiects to their Lord.

Who may, O Lord, the datelesse daies relate,
That of all ages ouerpasse the date?
It's thou to vs hast put appointed space,
O stop not me ere halfe I runne my race.

These elements by alteration strange
Shall changed be, and so remaine in change:
But thou, ô Lord, that workst all at thy will,
Wast earst the same, the same remaining still.

Vouchsafe, ô Lord, their ofspring to preserue,
That thee in feare, and faith, and loue do serue,
And in thy waies directed to remaine,
A lasting life in lasting blis to gaine.

Vnto the Father, Sonne and holy Ghost,
All praise and glory be ascribed most,
As heere before the world begun,
And as it now, and euer shall be done.