[The Courte of Vertu contaynynge many holy songes, Sonettes, psalmes and ballettes] [by John Hall] |
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The prayse of hope, out of many places of scripture. |
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 | [The Courte of Vertu |  |
The prayse of hope, out of many places of scripture.
Hope
(the medcyn against dreadfull dispayre)
If we should prayse as doth hir well behoue,
As holy Paull we nede had to repayre,
to the third heuen: or ells God from aboue
to sound his voyce, to one that he doth loue:
as in the holy mount Moyses dyd here,
And to Elias lykewyse did apere.
If we should prayse as doth hir well behoue,
As holy Paull we nede had to repayre,
to the third heuen: or ells God from aboue
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as in the holy mount Moyses dyd here,
And to Elias lykewyse did apere.
Or as the most blessed Apostles three,
At Olyuet, euen Peter, Iames, and Iohn,
Where they the glorie of the Lord dyd see,
Transfigured that holy mount vpon:
Beside which syght, they herde this voyce eche one:
This is myne only sonne and worde so bryghte,
In whom I fixe and set my whole delyght.
At Olyuet, euen Peter, Iames, and Iohn,
Where they the glorie of the Lord dyd see,
Transfigured that holy mount vpon:
Beside which syght, they herde this voyce eche one:
This is myne only sonne and worde so bryghte,
In whom I fixe and set my whole delyght.
Who so I saye myght once haue suche a syghte,
Should afterward lacke no knowledge nor skyll,
To prayse dame hope, that lady pure and bryght:
In whom all good men haue of ioye their fyll.
Who could without despayre suffer the ill,
That in this worlde we dayly see and byde,
If blessed hope stode not on our ryght syde?
Should afterward lacke no knowledge nor skyll,
To prayse dame hope, that lady pure and bryght:
In whom all good men haue of ioye their fyll.
Who could without despayre suffer the ill,
That in this worlde we dayly see and byde,
If blessed hope stode not on our ryght syde?
Our spirituall foes that dayly vs asaulte,
As is the fende, the flesh, and world also,
With ignorance and error eke so haulte,
Behynde, before, we no where lacke a foe,
So that if hope once banyshte were vs fro,
Alas who could of gods fauour be sure,
That daily sethe his owne wayes so vnpure?
As is the fende, the flesh, and world also,
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Behynde, before, we no where lacke a foe,
So that if hope once banyshte were vs fro,
Alas who could of gods fauour be sure,
That daily sethe his owne wayes so vnpure?
What man doth as god hath commanded playne,
That we should doe, or els perysh in hell?
Sith none therfore can there vnto attayne,
(For all doe disobey, synne and rebell:
Howe can we thynke in heauen then to dwell,
If blessed hope doe not oure fayth directe,
That we in Christe are vnto blysse electe.
That we should doe, or els perysh in hell?
Sith none therfore can there vnto attayne,
(For all doe disobey, synne and rebell:
Howe can we thynke in heauen then to dwell,
If blessed hope doe not oure fayth directe,
That we in Christe are vnto blysse electe.
In all the stormes of Sathans cruell rage,
Wherwith he seketh mans soule to destroye.
If in our soules good hope dyd not aswage,
The sorowes that doe seke the same to noye,
And comfort them with quietnes and ioye,
Assuryng them that doe their whole good wyll,
That Christ our lorde wyll all our wante fulfyll:
Wherwith he seketh mans soule to destroye.
If in our soules good hope dyd not aswage,
The sorowes that doe seke the same to noye,
And comfort them with quietnes and ioye,
Assuryng them that doe their whole good wyll,
That Christ our lorde wyll all our wante fulfyll:
Without this hope I saye who could Indure.
The boystrous brunte of this moste mortall fyght,
Our enmies are no babes I you assure,
But very strong in respect of our myght:
Wherfore we ought to praye both daye and nyght,
To god our lorde, that he woulde graunt vs aye,
That blessed hope with vs continue may.
The boystrous brunte of this moste mortall fyght,
Our enmies are no babes I you assure,
But very strong in respect of our myght:
Wherfore we ought to praye both daye and nyght,
To god our lorde, that he woulde graunt vs aye,
That blessed hope with vs continue may.
Howe apte are we from comfort to decaye,
If we hyr helpe had not in our distres.
Sith she in Christe doth cause vs for to staye,
And to be bolde not fearyng our weaknes.
Syth our captayne in his great manlynes,
Is able styll our foes for to withstande,
If we in hym that battell take in hande.
If we hyr helpe had not in our distres.
Sith she in Christe doth cause vs for to staye,
And to be bolde not fearyng our weaknes.
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Is able styll our foes for to withstande,
If we in hym that battell take in hande.
As sayth saynt Paule hope is the geft of god,
In whiche we are made safe in all our nede,
And takes away of care the heauy lode,
An armor strong, and spirituall indede,
An helmet sure, wherwith we may procede
Against the powres of darkness and of hell,
For heauenly thinges that we may wrestle well.
In whiche we are made safe in all our nede,
And takes away of care the heauy lode,
An armor strong, and spirituall indede,
An helmet sure, wherwith we may procede
Against the powres of darkness and of hell,
For heauenly thinges that we may wrestle well.
In it we ought to ioye and to reioyce,
As to the Romanes he doth farther saye:
And Peter also, with a feruent voyce,
Sayth that we ought without all doubt and staye,
To yelde a reason of our hope alway.
Hope is the meane that men to God drawe nere,
without the whiche none faythfull may apere.
As to the Romanes he doth farther saye:
And Peter also, with a feruent voyce,
Sayth that we ought without all doubt and staye,
To yelde a reason of our hope alway.
Hope is the meane that men to God drawe nere,
without the whiche none faythfull may apere.
Who without hope can truly loue the lorde?
Who without hope can serue god in true feare?
Who without hope can cause his lyfe tacorde
To vertues lore, and fylthy synnes forbeare?
Who without hope can praye in true maner?
Who without hope can yelde god laude and prayse?
Who voyde of hope wyll walke in Christen wayes?
Who without hope can serue god in true feare?
Who without hope can cause his lyfe tacorde
To vertues lore, and fylthy synnes forbeare?
Who without hope can praye in true maner?
Who without hope can yelde god laude and prayse?
Who voyde of hope wyll walke in Christen wayes?
The blessed martyrs, by the hope and truste,
That they had in the glorious lyfe to come,
Dyd from this worlde withdrawe their mynde & luste:
And gladly suffred cruell martyrdom,
By fyre, by sworde, and briefly all the summe,
No kynde of death or tormente dyd despyse,
That wicked worldlynges could for them deuyse.
That they had in the glorious lyfe to come,
Dyd from this worlde withdrawe their mynde & luste:
And gladly suffred cruell martyrdom,
By fyre, by sworde, and briefly all the summe,
No kynde of death or tormente dyd despyse,
That wicked worldlynges could for them deuyse.
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By hearyng scripture true hope doth procede,
And otherwyse can lyghtly not be had,
Confounded shall they neuer be in dede,
Whom perfect hope hath once with ioy made glad:
Whiche takes away all doubtfull dred so sad.
Whose hope in Christe therfore doth staye and reste,
We may well call them faithfull folke and bleste.
And otherwyse can lyghtly not be had,
Confounded shall they neuer be in dede,
Whom perfect hope hath once with ioy made glad:
Whiche takes away all doubtfull dred so sad.
Whose hope in Christe therfore doth staye and reste,
We may well call them faithfull folke and bleste.
What so before tyme wrytten is sayeth Paule,
It written was vs to instructe and learne:
That we through comforte of the scriptures all,
And pacience: might perfectly deserne
The perfect hope, to hope in God eterne.
Lo thus doth God in scripture vs procure,
Through hope in him of heauen to be sure.
It written was vs to instructe and learne:
That we through comforte of the scriptures all,
And pacience: might perfectly deserne
The perfect hope, to hope in God eterne.
Lo thus doth God in scripture vs procure,
Through hope in him of heauen to be sure.
We knowe sayeth Paule that tribulacion,
Doth bryng forth pacience, that goodly grace,
And pacience doth render forth anon
Experience, the whiche doth hope purchace:
Whiche blessed hope who so that may imbrace,
She neuer wyll confound them with no shame,
But bryngeth forth alyfe free from all blame.
Doth bryng forth pacience, that goodly grace,
And pacience doth render forth anon
Experience, the whiche doth hope purchace:
Whiche blessed hope who so that may imbrace,
She neuer wyll confound them with no shame,
But bryngeth forth alyfe free from all blame.
This pure and perfect hope that we declare
The gift is of the Lorde and at his wyll,
Whiche none can get by worldly wytte nor care:
But with this hope god his electe doth fyll,
With whome she doth continue euer styll:
Not by mans wyll, but by gods mercy pure:
This blessed hope with good men doth indure.
The gift is of the Lorde and at his wyll,
Whiche none can get by worldly wytte nor care:
But with this hope god his electe doth fyll,
With whome she doth continue euer styll:
Not by mans wyll, but by gods mercy pure:
This blessed hope with good men doth indure.
The God of hope therfore replenysh vs,
With peace and ioye, and with a lyvly fayth,
And make vs ryche in hope of Christ Iesus,
And tholy ghoste, whose powre all mistruste stayth,
Whiche is our comfort as the scripture sayth.
This Trinitie be praysed now therfore,
As hath been, is, and shalbe euermore.
With peace and ioye, and with a lyvly fayth,
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And tholy ghoste, whose powre all mistruste stayth,
Whiche is our comfort as the scripture sayth.
This Trinitie be praysed now therfore,
As hath been, is, and shalbe euermore.
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