The Muses Sacrifice :: :: University of Virginia Library

Soule-searching Lord, and sole selfe-searching God,
Let my poore Soule thy vnknowne sweetnesse know.
Thy staying Staffe, & sin-correcting Rod
On me, on me (sweet Loue) in loue bestow.

Strength of my weaknes, my great weaknes strength,
guide thou my Goings, stay my stumbling feete:
My stumbling feet establish (Lord) at length,
in pathes that are as pure, as sure and sweet.

Eye of mine Eye, let my dimme Eye behold thee;
(Dim'd with the hellish mist of damn'd desires)
Ioy of my heart, ô let my heart infold thee,
and take my Spirit, that still to thee aspires.

O Beauties Beautie, wound my heart with Loue:
Life of my life, let my life liue in thee;
In thee I haue my being, liue and moue,
Of me but thou, then who should mouer be?

Celestiall Bridegroome, kisse thy Spouse, my Soule,
With kisses sweet of vnconceiued peace:

On thy transpierced palme her name enrowle,
With thy sinne-purging bloud my sinnes release.

Mellefluous Sweetnesse (sweetning sweetest sweets)
Sweeten my Sowre (sowre Leauen of offence)
Season my fleshes Lump with matter meete
For Sacrifice sweete smelling to thy sense.

O Goodnesse, let me (Badnesse) thee embrace
With hold-fast armes of euer-lasting loue:
O Well of Life, in this dry barren place,
Quench thou my thirst for thee which here I proue.

Be thou to me a plague-preuenting Towre,
When plagues engirt my Soule with fierce assault:
My forcelesse force, then strengthen with thy power,
that if o'er-borne, yet not through my Wils fault.

Doe ope the entries of my deafned Eares,
Deafe with the dinne of words, breath'd by despair:
O thundring Voyce, that Hel from Heauen heares,
Breake through the bars that let thy words repaire.

O let the deepes, in dreadfull harmonie,
Their Billowes tune vnto that awfull voyce;
Let Heauen and Earth (in ioynt conspiracie)
with it accord, to drownd Sinnes hellish noyse.

Turn thou mine Eies, with fearful Lightnings flash,
From Eye-bewitching Obiects of offence:

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Deaden my flesh, my bones to pouder dash,
That dead to Sinne, may quicke in thee, haue sense.

Encrease thy Streames, lay ope the water-springs,
That Earths foundations (proolesse) may appeare;
My earthly thoughts, all soild with earthly things,
Thy troubles streames (through mercy straind) will cleare.

O light vnseene (enlightning all that see)
Lighten mine eyes that they may see thy light,
That light that with no darknesse can agree,
O light of lights present that to my sight.

Sauour of life, giue new life to my smell;
That on the sent of thy diuine perfumes,
I may runne after thee through Heauen and Hell,
Through comfort, or throgh care that life consumes.

O touch my sensuall ill-affected Taste
With finger of thy sweet life-giuing Loue,
That it may proue the sweetnesse which thou hast,
Which may thy sweetnesse to my soule approue.

Giue me a Minde to minde thee, Heart to loue thee;
Soule to adore thee, Spirit to discerne thee:
A Reas'n that may in reason most approue thee,
And Reason most, for that doth most concerne thee.

O liuely Sweet! ô sweet Life-giuing Life;
O let my Loue in thy Loues life be bounded,

The life of loue portcullized from strife,
which liuely life, with louely loue's surrounded!

O life! my life, life without which I die,
(O laborinth of life, ô maze of loue!)
Where shall I finde thee? sweet loue, when shall I
my loue to loue, and life to life remoue?

O where art thou, thou great all-mouing mouer?
Can clouds encompasse thy vncompast Greatnes?
(Thou endlesse life, vnlimitable louer)
No, no sweet loue, then show to me thy sweetnes!

Be neere me in my heart, my minde, my mouth,
Neere in my hearing, and each other sense:
Neere in mine age, and neere me in my youth,
neere in mine end, to end without offence.

Through ardent loue, I pine away for thee;
For want of thee (deare sweet) my Soule is sad;
Then longd-for louely loue, appeare to me,
And with thy glorious presence make me glad.

Thy sense-refreshing sent my Spirit reuiues;
To minde thee's Nectar to my thirstie Soule,
Thy Inspiration, Consolation giues,
Such consolations as all cares controule.

But yet, ô yet, euen as the chased Hart
For water thirsts, so thirsts my Soule for thee;

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For thee (sweet loue) for my soules soule thou art,
Without which soule can my soule liuing be?

O when shall I (deare Lord) vnworthy I
Appeare in thy pure Palace Christiline?
My mounting Spirit (wing'd with Desire) doth flye
Aboue it selfe, to see that Court of thine!

Ioy of my soule, when, when (aye me) ô when
Shall I with eyes immortall, see thy glory?
Alas I liue a dying life till then,
Till when my longing soule can be but sory.

O why turnst thou (my Ioy, my hearts desire!)
Thy Sunne-ecclipsing glorious face from me?
Where art thou hid? Earth, Water, Aire or Fire
Cannot containe the smallest glimpse of thee!

Then where art hid? (ô changelesse fairest Faire)
For whom my rauisht soule, in loue doth languish,
The smell of whom lifes ruines doth repaire,
Though life assailed be with mortall anguish.

But ah (aye me) I see, I see thee not,
And that I cannot, kils my louing heart;
Yet when I heare thy voyce I haue forgot
What me annoid, and ioy suppresseth smart.

But why (ah why) from me hid'st thou thy face?
Perhaps thou saist, Man cannot, liuing, see it:

Bee't so (sweet Lord) I faine would death embrace,
To see the same; so be it, ô so be it.

Here let me dye, that I may see thee There,
There, where my Soule so much desires to see it:
That life as death I hold that holds me here,
Then let me dye, so be it, ô so be it.

Faine would my Soule this fardle of my Flesh
Lay downe at gastly Deaths vnfleshy feet,
That, being consum'd, I may resume afresh
Immortall flesh, for thy pure presence meet.

O Christ, my Iesus, take my spirit to thee,
(My spirit aspiring clogg'd with fleshes waight)
It's jaild too long, it longs let loose to be,
And euery moment for release doth waite.

My Ioy draw thou my heart, that ioyes in nought
but in thy ioy, sole ioy of blissefull hearts:
To thy true ioy, whose griefs such blisse hath bought,
which blisse my griefs (with ioy) to blisse conuerts.

Enter into me, Sweetnesse, make me sweet,
Sweet Ioy possesse me, make me (sad) reioyce:
Eternall light shine on me, make me meet
To see and know, and loue thee as my Choise.

The cause I loue not, is, I know thee not:
I know thee not in not perceiuing thee;

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I not perceiue; for, darknesse light doth blot,
Light shines in darkenesse, yet It cannot see.

Who sees thee, knows; who knows thee stil doth loue thee,
Who sees, & knows, & loues thee, loues his soule:
To see, to know, to loue thee, grace must moue me;
For flesh doth fancie by-pathes, filthy foule!

Who knowes thee, shall of force himselfe forget,
Who loues thee as his life, his life will loath;
Yea, lose his life, that he his life may get,
Immortall making Soule and Body both.

But I alas (accursed that I am)
For externe ioy, from interne blisse doth range;
My fairest sollace, is my foulest shame,
My sense betraid, the best for worst doth change.

Here-hence it is, I like not that thou lou'st:
I (wretch) loue outward, but thou inward Ioy:
I fleshly pleasures, spirituall thou approu'st;
I abiect things, which things thee most annoy.

Thou art in Heauen, and I in Earth doe dwell,
Nay, Heau'n of Heau'ns is thine abiding place;
But I in Earth, as low as lowest Hell
Remaine, and ioy in paine, in senselesse case.

Thou light, I darke; thou good, I passing bad,
Thou Ioy, I griefe; thou loue, I lump of hate;

Thou wise, I fond; thou meeke, with pride, I mad;
Thou rich, (most rich) and I in staruing state.

Then how (deare Lord) should so great difference
Be reconcil'd, and linckt in vnitie?
Ah here's my feare, here's all my diffidence!
Then help, ô help, help holy Trinitie.

In that all-doing powerfull power of thine,
Mend mine amisse, and me to Thee combine.