A paraphrase upon the canticles and some select hymns of the New and Old Testament, with other occasional compositions in English verse. By Samuel Woodford |
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The Prayer of JABEZ. |
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 | A paraphrase upon the canticles |  |
The Prayer of JABEZ.
—Invocavit autem Jabez Deum Israel, dicens.
Si benedicens benedixeris mihi, & dilataveris
terminos meos, & fuerit manus tua mecum, &
feceris me à malitia non opprimi!—Et præstitit
Deus quæ precatus est.
11. Part. 4.
I
Thus Jabez pray'd, and thus pray I;Great God, O, that it might Thee please,
Thy Servant, who upon Thee does relie,
With Thy choice Favours, and indeed to bless!
Tis Prayer alone can this obtain,
And, but to Thee, even Prayer is vain.
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II
Enlarge those Coasts, wherein I dwell,Nor let me ever live retir'd;
But in Thy CHURCH those mighty Wonders tell,
Which have my Verse with Heav'nly Flame inspir'd:
Lord to my House Thy Love secure,
And let it, like Thy Word, endure!
III
Yet not for Greatness do I pray,Nor, e're Thy Time is, to be known;
But do Thy Will, I can its Pleasure stay,
Waiting that Harvest, for which Thou hast sown:
Only till then, make me content,
And leave to Thee th' whole Management!
IV
Thou know'st I do Thy Temple love,I know there's time enough behind;
Why should I make th' Enjoyment bitter prove,
By hasting, what I'm sure Thou hast design'd?
In hope at present, I rejoyce,
And both my Heart employ and Voice.
V
For what concerns my poor estate,Since I to Thee my All commit;
No time, when e're it falls, shall be too late,
To soon it may, if I encumber it
With Wishes, that unlawful be,
And vain affects, which move not Thee:
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VI
No! I'll never think the time too long,How long so e're the time may be;
Let but Thy Hand, through Patience make me strong,
And keep off Evil from disturbing me!
If Jabez thus to Thee did cry,
And could be heard, Lord, why not I?
Hæc Sacrorum Ordinum desiderio raptus, mihimet ipsi meus
Vates, cecini, III Nonas Decemb. M. DC. LX. VII. In
quos post multas hujusce vitæ varietates, mediâ & maturâ
ætate, ab ærumnosis sæculi curis, & otio (neutiqam
licet ignobili) hoc juxta Vaticinium, biennio post redemptus
fui XIV. Kalend. Januar. Per Reverendum
admodùm in Christo Patrem & Dominum Dominum
GEORGIUM Episcopum Wintoniensem, cujus
R. R. Paternitati hîc, impares licet tanto Beneficio, grates,
quas tamen Divino Numini imprimis debeo, secundas saltem,
ex toto animo in conspectu Populi & Ecclesiæ refero.
—Manda Deus virtuti & confirma quod operatus
es a Templo Sancto tuo!
| A paraphrase upon the canticles | |