 | Poems By John Hall |  |
A Hymne.
[Thou mighty Subject of my humble Song]
Thou mighty Subject of my humble Song,
Whom ev'ry thing speakes, though it cannot speake;
Whom all things Eccho, though without a tongue;
And int' expressions of thy glory breake.
Whom ev'ry thing speakes, though it cannot speake;
Whom all things Eccho, though without a tongue;
And int' expressions of thy glory breake.
Who out of nothing this vast fabricke brought;
And still preserv'st it least it fall againe,
And be reduc'd into it's ancient nought,
But may its vigour primitive retaine.
And still preserv'st it least it fall againe,
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But may its vigour primitive retaine.
Who out of Atoms shap'd thine Image, Man,
And all to Crowne him with Supremacy
Over his Fellow-creatures, nay and than
Didst in him raise a flame that cannot die.
And all to Crowne him with Supremacy
Over his Fellow-creatures, nay and than
Didst in him raise a flame that cannot die.
Whose purer fire should animate that drosse
That renders him but equall to the beast,
And make him, though materiate and grosse,
Not lesse then those that in no bodies rest,
That renders him but equall to the beast,
And make him, though materiate and grosse,
Not lesse then those that in no bodies rest,
Nay Lord above them, they did first of all
Turne Renegadoes to thy Majesty,
And in their ruine did involue his fall,
That caus'd him under thy displeasure lie.
Turne Renegadoes to thy Majesty,
And in their ruine did involue his fall,
That caus'd him under thy displeasure lie.
There did he loose his snowy Innocence,
His undepraved will, then did he fall
Down from the Tower of knowledge, nay from thence
Dated the losse of his, Heaven, thee, and all.
His undepraved will, then did he fall
Down from the Tower of knowledge, nay from thence
Dated the losse of his, Heaven, thee, and all.
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So wert thou pleas'd to let thy anger lay
Cloudes of displeasure 'twixt poore man and thee,
That Mercy might send forth a milky ray,
To tell, that ne'rethelesse thou would'st agree.
Cloudes of displeasure 'twixt poore man and thee,
That Mercy might send forth a milky ray,
To tell, that ne'rethelesse thou would'st agree.
Though man in sinning still new guilt should adde,
It never could expugne thy patience;
Thine, who not ever any passion had,
But can forgive, as well as see offence.
It never could expugne thy patience;
Thine, who not ever any passion had,
But can forgive, as well as see offence.
Yet though our hearts petrificated were,
And all our blood curdled to ruddy Ice,
Yet caused'st thou thy Law be graven there,
And set a Guardian or't, that never dies.
And all our blood curdled to ruddy Ice,
Yet caused'st thou thy Law be graven there,
And set a Guardian or't, that never dies.
But we eras'd that Sculpture, then thou wrote
In Tables, what thou hadst in stone before;
Yet were we not unto obedience brought,
But rather slackned our performance more:
In Tables, what thou hadst in stone before;
Yet were we not unto obedience brought,
But rather slackned our performance more:
Dead to all goodnesse and engulf'd in sinne,
Benummed by our owne corruptions,
That we were onely drown'd, not render'd cleane,
By th'streames that cover'd all the Earth at once.
Benummed by our owne corruptions,
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By th'streames that cover'd all the Earth at once.
Wandring without the least ability
To tread, or Eyes to see our safest way,
While fiery vengeance at our heeles did fly,
Ready to strike when thou the word should'st say.
To tread, or Eyes to see our safest way,
While fiery vengeance at our heeles did fly,
Ready to strike when thou the word should'st say.
Yet didst thou disappoint her, thy Sons blood
Suppli'd our want of Oceans of teares.
Suppli'd our want of Oceans of teares.
| Poems By John Hall | |