The Muses Sacrifice :: :: University of Virginia Library

Lest Thankelesnesse should close thy Bounties hand,
(which it alone (kind Lord) hath pow'r to do)
And sith thou giuest what thou dost command,
if we but stretch our Good-wils hand thereto:

Kinde lib'rall Lord, giue me an able will
to thanke thee for thy gifts; that by one gift
I may be gratefull for another still;
which is of Willing-want the onely shift.

I thanke thee then, not onely for my Being,
(being as I am the liuely forme of thee)
But for that thy high Prouidence all-seeing
doth striue to make me euer better Bee!

For, should thy hand be but a moment clos'd,
I should to nought resolue, as once I was;
For thou my time of moments hast compos'd,
the last of which I cannot ouer-passe.

Then looke how many moments I exist,
so many blessings dost thou giue to mee;
Preuenting me with others ere I wist,
that so my Being might right blessed be.

From my Conception, to Natiuitie
thou keptst me safe (thogh strait kept) in the womb,

My Mothers Bowels might haue strangled me,
but that thy Mercies hand still made me roome!

Wherein I felt (ere I could feele, or see)
the blessings of thy tender Prouidence:
And, lest I should (perhaps) abortiue be,
thou gau'st me there, full nine Months residence.

Where, how thou fedd'st me, by the Navle-string,
I may admire, but ne'er the same expresse!
And how thou didst my Parts together bring
(confus'd in slime) it is no wonder lesse!

The longings of my Mothers appetite,
her food, feares, griefes, fals, and such accidents,
Might haue enforc'd her, ere my Frame was pight,
eft to diffuse me in the Elements.

For, when I was an Embrio, but a thought
might haue redrown'd me in Not-beings Pit;
But then thou thoughtst on me, and so hast wrought
that Danger, from her Mouth, me, safe, did spit.

How happily-vnhappy had I bin
to be made Man in possibilitie,
And marr'd, eu'n as my making did begin;
so, straight to finde, and lose Humanitie.

That which we neuer had, we neuer lost:
therefore for losse of that we cannot grieue:

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But, rare things had, to lose, doth grieue vs most;
for better still dead, then but now to liue.

Then to be borne within no Pagan Clyme,
addes no small waight to this great Benefit:
But, come of Christians, in good place and time,
and, am a Christian, much more maketh it.

And am a Christian? ô that so I were
as I am nam'd; and still desire to be;
That I might say I am; and so appeare:
sith but to seeme good, is too bad with thee.

For thou great Good, that call'st thy selfe I AM,
dost loue I am; not was, nor yet will be:
Then, let me say I am (in deede, and name)
thy Seruant, that but liues to honour thee.

For, sith I haue such Beeing, let me be
such as I AM, not as I am; that is,
Such as Thou art, most perfect Pietie:
for, thou art, wast, and euer wilt-be this.

Besides, thou hast and dost preserue me still
from all misse-fortunes, and from sodaine Death:
Which, in this World (that dangers ouer-fill)
is more then Fortune can to Man bequeath.

How many haue I seene the Warres to weare!
& might haue seen hāg'd, drown'd, staru'd, burnt, & torne!

How many poyson'd! spill themselues, with feare,
with Pox, Plagues, Pestilence how many worne!

The thousands blinde, deafe, dumbe, lame, leperous;
besides the Millions otherwise distrest
In Minde and Body, with griefes dolorous,
make me to see how much my State is blest.

For, that which fell to any one of these
might me befall, be'ing euill as they be;
And, that I haue more soundnesse, ioy, and ease,
it is (to winne my loue) thy loue to me.

If any mortall King should for one crime,
many condemne; and saue but one or two:
And, I, of those condemnd, should be the prime,
yet first of those two saued, should be too:

How would my Heart be rauish'd with his Loue?
and how would all my Pow'rs striue him to serue?
Then, no lesse Grace thy grace doth make me proue;
nay, more, much more, thou dost my loue deserue.

For, double thou deseru'st, in treble kinde;
Thou sau'dst my Soule and body, doom'd to Death;
And from all franticke passions keep'st my Minde:
therefore I owe thee Minde, Soule, Body, Breath.

For, tis thy Grace, we be not all consum'd;
but, most of all my selfe, that most doth sinne:

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Sith on that Grace I haue, to sinne, presum'd;
yet still, by grace, seek'st me, from sinne, to win.

A Body thou hast giu'n me, that doth lacke,
all that thou giu'st me to continue life:
And, lest, through want thereof, It should to wrack,
with me those gifts are no lesse rich, then rife.

All things thou mad'st for me; and me, for Thee;
for me Ground, Graine; Trees, Fruit; Mines, Mettall bear:
Aire, Fowle; Seas, Fish; & Fish & Fowle, for me,
produce most glorious Pearle, and Plumes to weare!

For me, Seas, Ships; Ships, Sailes; Sailes, Winds endure,
to bring me Benefis from forraine Lands:
For me, Flouds, flow; Wels, spring; Springs, Water pure
doe yeeld; that I should yeeld to thy commands.

Sheepe, Oxen, Kine, Goates, Buckes, and other Beasts
yeeld Flesh, Fleece, Fels, Milke, Oile, & Hornes for me:
For me, the Hound doth cry, the Spaniell quests,
to teach me how to cry, with hope, to Thee.

The Hornes of Vnicornes (that precious be)
are mine, though they do weare them for my sake:
Plants Vertue haue, not for themselues, but me:
so, things of eu'ry suite me Prime doe make!

What would I more? there's nought hath being got
on, or in Earth, in Water, or in Aire,

That eyther feedes, or heales, or sports me not:
so that this World doth nought but me repaire.

If I the Elementall World transcend,
to view the Heau'nly Orbes; what Wonders There
Sunne, Moone, and Stars, I see, who all attend
but for my good, for which they framed were.

For me, alone, they influence impart
to these inferiour Bodies, seruing mine;
For me, doth Time himselfe in pieces part,
that I, beyond Time, might be wholy thine.

Nay, let me passe the nine-fold Orbes of Heau'n,
and to thy sacred Mansion let me flee;
For whom had all thine Angels essence giu'n,
But for thy seruice, and to waite on me?

To backe me, and defend me from my Foes;
to hold me vp, when ere I did decline:
To comfort me in Soule-afflicting Woes;
and, to thy presence bring my Soule in fine.

Now if the Ends, for which Things formed were,
be better then the Things (for, so they be)
Then, better than the Angels Men appeare;
sith they (it seemes) for men were made by Thee.

And, Men, and Angels fell through onely Pride;
but, for deare Mans Redemption thou didd'st die:

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Yet, for no one of th'Angels hast thou di'd;
which much augments mans hope, and dignitie!

O then what Heart can once but thought-conceiue
in what strict Tearmes I stand obleig'd to thee;
Sith me thou mad'st most Glory to receiue
through mee; as, through the Eye, Menglory see.

Wake, wake thy selfe, my Soule; why sleep'st thou stil?
see who it is that hath thus done: for whom?
Not for the Angels, which obey his Will;
but, for thee, sinfull Soule, his choisest Home!

Cast, if thou canst, a Number numberlesse;
and, count his gifts with Stars, or with Sea-sand:
The bottome gage, of his Grace bottomlesse;
Or, if thou canst not, wonder-mazed stand!

Yet, stand thou with, and for Him, while thou art;
that is, as long as he himselfe exists:
That is, while God hath but an humane Heart;
which is, but while Eternitie consists.

As God is God, he hath no Heart at all;
but, as true Man he is, he hath Mans Heart:
Then, God, and Man can ne'er asunder fall;
though Men from God themselues too often part.

But God, that hast Mans Heart (and, so, hast mine;
sith I am Man, although a sinfull one:)

Still let thy Heart be mine, and mine be thine:
that I may haue no Heart to grieue our owne.

I greatly doe desire, with great desire,
to praise and loue thee God (Mans harts repose!)
But Praise and Loue, in Mouth, and Heart of mire
(through foulenes of that filth) their grace do lose.

But, sith all Creatures thou hast made for mee,
(for, whatsoe'er is made, I owe the same!)
Ile call on them, with me, to call on THEE,
to giue me grace to loue and praise thy Name.

Then, ô yee all his Workes, your voyces reare
(with man his master-piece) that He would grant
To me his Grace, to sound his praises cleare:
and to supply, in Loue, my louings want.

To make my Mouth pure, fit to hold his praise;
and make my Heart cleane, meete to lodge his loue:
That Heart and mouth may so his glory raise,
while I his Grace, in grace or glory proue:
That I in Grace, and Glory may be knowne,
To liue but for that praise and loue alone.