The poems of Alexander Hume ... Edited from the text of Waldegrave (1599) with notes, appendices, and glossary by Alexander Lawson |
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| I. |
| II. | II. OF GODS BENEFITES BESTOWED VPON MAN. |
| III. |
| IIII. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
 | The poems of Alexander Hume |  |
17
II. OF GODS BENEFITES BESTOWED VPON MAN.
My saull is reueist vp fra me, my reson is bereft,
My sensis are astoneist all, my mind hir vse hes left,
My memorie is quite confusde, transported is mine hart,
My spreit is in ane extasie, as I were to depart:
When as the gratious gifts of God profoundly I perpend,
Beleifing ay to compas all, bot can not find ane end:
I maruel mair the mair I muse, the mair I knawledge craue,
Of hid and halie things, the mair my selfe I doo disceaue:
Maist like a man quhilk dois behald, the face of Phœbus bright,
And thinks throgh earnest luking lang, to perse it with his sight,
His optik beims trenspersis nocht, his vewing is in vaine,
The fers reflex his dimmed sight, reponsis back againe:
Sa when I cannot comprehend with weake & wauering thoght,
Nor penetrat Gods mightie warks, sa weill & wisely wrought,
I am compelled then to cry, O Lord, thy gifts are good,
My dull capacitie they pas, I am but flesh and bloud.
My sensis are astoneist all, my mind hir vse hes left,
My memorie is quite confusde, transported is mine hart,
My spreit is in ane extasie, as I were to depart:
When as the gratious gifts of God profoundly I perpend,
Beleifing ay to compas all, bot can not find ane end:
I maruel mair the mair I muse, the mair I knawledge craue,
Of hid and halie things, the mair my selfe I doo disceaue:
Maist like a man quhilk dois behald, the face of Phœbus bright,
And thinks throgh earnest luking lang, to perse it with his sight,
His optik beims trenspersis nocht, his vewing is in vaine,
The fers reflex his dimmed sight, reponsis back againe:
Sa when I cannot comprehend with weake & wauering thoght,
Nor penetrat Gods mightie warks, sa weill & wisely wrought,
I am compelled then to cry, O Lord, thy gifts are good,
My dull capacitie they pas, I am but flesh and bloud.
Great God, thy giftes are infinite, euen granted vnto man,
Whereof a part I sall recite, as truely as I can:
Exhause my prayer and thy praise, shaw me thy lifelie light,
Thy benefits, and bountie baith, that I may sing aright.
Whereof a part I sall recite, as truely as I can:
Exhause my prayer and thy praise, shaw me thy lifelie light,
Thy benefits, and bountie baith, that I may sing aright.
When Lucifer the Prince of pride, first interprised euill,
And from his happy hie estate, was changed in a devill,
Great was the number, and the fall of his vnhappie sect,
Quhilk fearefully from heauen to hell, the Lord he did deiect:
Their was na light of day as yet, nor shining beims so cleare,
The Moone yet in the firmament, nor sternis did nocht appeare,
Their was na earth to foster fruits, nor for the fishes seyes,
Na subtile fire, nor hailsome air, to flurish flowres or treis,
Nor finally, man was not made, na beast nor creeping thing,
Na skaillie fishes in the fluds, nor foull that flies on wing,
With pure immortall creatures clear, and sangs of Angels bright
The maiestie of God was praisd, with louings loud on hight.
And from his happy hie estate, was changed in a devill,
Great was the number, and the fall of his vnhappie sect,
Quhilk fearefully from heauen to hell, the Lord he did deiect:
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The Moone yet in the firmament, nor sternis did nocht appeare,
Their was na earth to foster fruits, nor for the fishes seyes,
Na subtile fire, nor hailsome air, to flurish flowres or treis,
Nor finally, man was not made, na beast nor creeping thing,
Na skaillie fishes in the fluds, nor foull that flies on wing,
With pure immortall creatures clear, and sangs of Angels bright
The maiestie of God was praisd, with louings loud on hight.
Bot yet his great beneficence, quhilk euer mair hes bein,
But mesor large and infinite, the heauens could not conteine,
Abundantly deborded all, and flowing heir, and there,
Maist plentiously replenist all, extending euerie where,
Euen be his wisedome, and his word, sa wondrouslie of nocht,
This machin round, this vniuers, this vther warld he wrocht:
He creat first the heauen, the earth, and all that is thairin,
The swelling seas, the fire, and aire, sine man deuoid of sinne.
Necessitie it mooued him nocht, nor hope of future gaine,
Sic passions falls not in the Lord, but in his sicht ar vaine:
Bot for his pleasure and his praise, his precepts to fulfill,
And last in peace for to possesse, his high and holy hill,
A perfite comelie corps of man, he made of earthly dust,
The vther part like to himselfe, trew, holie, wise, and iust:
This lifely Image of the Lord, can not defaced be,
Na creature the creator knawis, nor worship can, but he:
In earth nane this charácter hes, saif onelie man him sell,
Quhilk maks him master ou'r the beasts, & ou'r the deuills in hell.
But mesor large and infinite, the heauens could not conteine,
Abundantly deborded all, and flowing heir, and there,
Maist plentiously replenist all, extending euerie where,
Euen be his wisedome, and his word, sa wondrouslie of nocht,
This machin round, this vniuers, this vther warld he wrocht:
He creat first the heauen, the earth, and all that is thairin,
The swelling seas, the fire, and aire, sine man deuoid of sinne.
Necessitie it mooued him nocht, nor hope of future gaine,
Sic passions falls not in the Lord, but in his sicht ar vaine:
Bot for his pleasure and his praise, his precepts to fulfill,
And last in peace for to possesse, his high and holy hill,
A perfite comelie corps of man, he made of earthly dust,
The vther part like to himselfe, trew, holie, wise, and iust:
This lifely Image of the Lord, can not defaced be,
Na creature the creator knawis, nor worship can, but he:
In earth nane this charácter hes, saif onelie man him sell,
Quhilk maks him master ou'r the beasts, & ou'r the deuills in hell.
Then in his deadlie visage wan, he braithed braith of life,
And gaue him of a weaker sexe, to pleasour him a wife,
Twa liuing and Immortall saulls, he blissed with his grace,
Syne placed them in Paradise, a peerles pleasant place.
And gaue him of a weaker sexe, to pleasour him a wife,
Twa liuing and Immortall saulls, he blissed with his grace,
Syne placed them in Paradise, a peerles pleasant place.
Quhat sall I all the gifts recount, quhilk cannot numbred be,
Mair nor the glistering sternes of heauen, or sands into the sea?
Quhilk with the Lord indued hes, baith Adam and his kinde,
Sick beautie of the bodie rare, sick graces of the mind,
And for externall benefits, all things heare vnder heauen,
To pleasour, and to profit man, hes he not freely gevin?
Mair nor the glistering sternes of heauen, or sands into the sea?
Quhilk with the Lord indued hes, baith Adam and his kinde,
Sick beautie of the bodie rare, sick graces of the mind,
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To pleasour, and to profit man, hes he not freely gevin?
A seemely membred microcosme be number, and be waight,
Be measour, and proportion iuste, he maid erect and straight,
And euerie member maid to haue a certaine sympathie,
Amangs themselues, and with the heauens a decent harmonie,
Quhilks dois their office execute, maist promptlie but delay,
As Instruments and organis prest, thy will for to obay:
Sa sharp the senses they are all, intrinsick, and without,
That easely man may decerne of euerie darkesome doubt:
The eyes sa reddie are to see, so bissie to behald,
With bemming blenks, & persing luiks what sa the fantasie wald
The eares erected ar to heir, and quicklie to conceaue
Ilk liuelie voice, ilk speech, ilk sound, & knawis them be the leaue,
The smelling nostrels quick of sent, thay smell or they come near
All odors, quhilks the eyen, nor eirs, can neither see, nor heir.
Of euerie substance sapient, the sapor and the taist
If it be ather gude or bad, the mouth will try in haist.
The helping hands appointed ar to graip, to feill and tuitche,
And diligent in doing ar quhair euer thay may reitche,
The Lord hes placed pith and strength within the bains & nerfs,
Agilitie into the blude, quhilk spilt the bodie sterfs.
The feit ar swift and members meit, for to susteine the rest,
And spedilie will pace and run quhair sa man likis best.
All thir externall qualities, and graces corporell,
Albeit they be baith great and gude, ȝit vthers dois excell,
How far the pure immortall saull in substance dois surpas,
The mortall, caduck, carnall corps (a lowrd and brukill mas:)
Als far the functions of the saull surmounts the bodyis micht.
The puissance, and perfection baith, the science, and the slight,
For all these actions lodge in man, dois from the saull proceid:
Quhilk once dissolued fra the corps, the bodie is but deid.
Euen as the fire dois animat, and poussis in the air,
A weightie & materiall ball, rebounding here and thair,
Bot when the flames extinguisht are, downe fals the machin round
Sa when the actiue saull is gain, the bodie goes to ground.
Be measour, and proportion iuste, he maid erect and straight,
And euerie member maid to haue a certaine sympathie,
Amangs themselues, and with the heauens a decent harmonie,
Quhilks dois their office execute, maist promptlie but delay,
As Instruments and organis prest, thy will for to obay:
Sa sharp the senses they are all, intrinsick, and without,
That easely man may decerne of euerie darkesome doubt:
The eyes sa reddie are to see, so bissie to behald,
With bemming blenks, & persing luiks what sa the fantasie wald
The eares erected ar to heir, and quicklie to conceaue
Ilk liuelie voice, ilk speech, ilk sound, & knawis them be the leaue,
The smelling nostrels quick of sent, thay smell or they come near
All odors, quhilks the eyen, nor eirs, can neither see, nor heir.
Of euerie substance sapient, the sapor and the taist
If it be ather gude or bad, the mouth will try in haist.
The helping hands appointed ar to graip, to feill and tuitche,
And diligent in doing ar quhair euer thay may reitche,
The Lord hes placed pith and strength within the bains & nerfs,
Agilitie into the blude, quhilk spilt the bodie sterfs.
The feit ar swift and members meit, for to susteine the rest,
And spedilie will pace and run quhair sa man likis best.
All thir externall qualities, and graces corporell,
Albeit they be baith great and gude, ȝit vthers dois excell,
How far the pure immortall saull in substance dois surpas,
The mortall, caduck, carnall corps (a lowrd and brukill mas:)
Als far the functions of the saull surmounts the bodyis micht.
The puissance, and perfection baith, the science, and the slight,
For all these actions lodge in man, dois from the saull proceid:
Quhilk once dissolued fra the corps, the bodie is but deid.
Euen as the fire dois animat, and poussis in the air,
A weightie & materiall ball, rebounding here and thair,
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Sa when the actiue saull is gain, the bodie goes to ground.
The mightie God he gaue to man, a swift and agile thought,
Quhilk like a foull vp through the skies, from earth to hevin hes sought,
A strong imagination mixt, ilk figure to consaue,
A quick revoluing reasone rype to rewle all the laue,
A memorie for to conserue, quhilk like a thesaure deepe,
All things conceaued in the heart, dois weill retaine and keepe.
I wonder at the wit of man, whome God hes made so wise,
That all things speedefull for his vse, he promplie can deuise,
That can the present time obserue, and call to mind the past,
Confer and prudently espy, the future cumming fast.
Quhilk like a foull vp through the skies, from earth to hevin hes sought,
A strong imagination mixt, ilk figure to consaue,
A quick revoluing reasone rype to rewle all the laue,
A memorie for to conserue, quhilk like a thesaure deepe,
All things conceaued in the heart, dois weill retaine and keepe.
I wonder at the wit of man, whome God hes made so wise,
That all things speedefull for his vse, he promplie can deuise,
That can the present time obserue, and call to mind the past,
Confer and prudently espy, the future cumming fast.
The naturall course and causes all, of euerie thing he knawes,
What moues the mighty thunderclaps, & windie tempests blaws
What maks the feareful flauches of fire, & lightnings in the skies
And why the shill and freesing frosts, the waters deepe vpdryes,
And how the hard congealed yce, dissolued is againe,
What forms the haile, the stormy snawes, & sounding showres of rain,
Why thik infectiue mists sa marke, oreheills the earth and air,
And why the silver drops of dew, down fals in wedder fair,
Why oft the earth, quhilk of it selfe, is stable, firme, and steif,
With trimling and with awfull quaiks, in twa is like to cleif,
Why many diuers hewes appeirs, into the heauenly bow,
And why the raging Ocean seas, dois onely fleit and flow,
Why sodainely the Sun by day, is priuate of his light,
And why the shining Moone at full, indures eclipse by night,
Why monethly the Moone renewes hir hew, and hornes so paill,
Why monethlie hir fowie face is round, & lightned haill,
Why whylome in the firmament, strange tailed sterns appeiris,
Why whilome sindrie shaps of beasts, and flaming firie speiris:
He knawes the restles course and race of all the planets seauen,
The influence and order great, of all the hoste of heauen:
The forme and fabrik of the earth, and ample vniuers,
He knawes the force of euerie flower, of euerie plant and gers,
The vertue of all kinde of fruits, and euerie vegetal,
The properties of precious stanes, and mettals mineral,
He knawes the strange instinctions all, of everie brutall beast:
Of fishes and of flichtring fouls, and reptils which are least,
The rauenous and the raskall rout, wilde, venimous, & tame,
The hideous monsters meruellous man knaws them be their name:
And to be short, he knowes him selfe, and his originall,
That he mon die, and after death the heauen inherit sall.
What moues the mighty thunderclaps, & windie tempests blaws
What maks the feareful flauches of fire, & lightnings in the skies
And why the shill and freesing frosts, the waters deepe vpdryes,
And how the hard congealed yce, dissolued is againe,
What forms the haile, the stormy snawes, & sounding showres of rain,
Why thik infectiue mists sa marke, oreheills the earth and air,
And why the silver drops of dew, down fals in wedder fair,
Why oft the earth, quhilk of it selfe, is stable, firme, and steif,
With trimling and with awfull quaiks, in twa is like to cleif,
Why many diuers hewes appeirs, into the heauenly bow,
And why the raging Ocean seas, dois onely fleit and flow,
Why sodainely the Sun by day, is priuate of his light,
And why the shining Moone at full, indures eclipse by night,
Why monethly the Moone renewes hir hew, and hornes so paill,
Why monethlie hir fowie face is round, & lightned haill,
Why whylome in the firmament, strange tailed sterns appeiris,
Why whilome sindrie shaps of beasts, and flaming firie speiris:
He knawes the restles course and race of all the planets seauen,
The influence and order great, of all the hoste of heauen:
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He knawes the force of euerie flower, of euerie plant and gers,
The vertue of all kinde of fruits, and euerie vegetal,
The properties of precious stanes, and mettals mineral,
He knawes the strange instinctions all, of everie brutall beast:
Of fishes and of flichtring fouls, and reptils which are least,
The rauenous and the raskall rout, wilde, venimous, & tame,
The hideous monsters meruellous man knaws them be their name:
And to be short, he knowes him selfe, and his originall,
That he mon die, and after death the heauen inherit sall.
The Lord hes be his word, his will reveild vnto his awin,
And made his counsaile, & his court to mankinde clearly knawne,
He Adame lent a libre will to follow what he list,
And with his holy spirit, and grace his chosen dois assist:
Man hes a fragrant freshe ingyne all science to invent,
A faire and flowing facund tung, till vtter his intent,
And all are giftes, and graces great which with the liuing Lord,
But meriting a mortall man diuinely hes decord.
And made his counsaile, & his court to mankinde clearly knawne,
He Adame lent a libre will to follow what he list,
And with his holy spirit, and grace his chosen dois assist:
Man hes a fragrant freshe ingyne all science to invent,
A faire and flowing facund tung, till vtter his intent,
And all are giftes, and graces great which with the liuing Lord,
But meriting a mortall man diuinely hes decord.
I long to loue thy larges (Lord) and prudent prouidence,
But now of force I mon proceede, Lord prosper my pretence.
But now of force I mon proceede, Lord prosper my pretence.
How worthie are the sonns of men, and Adams catiue kinde,
That thou (great God) should them regarde, or haue so much in mind,
Such thing is fantasie to frame, & pansing vain procures
For what is all the vnivers, and liuing creatures?
All nathing worthie of themselues, but as thou list of loue,
With graces them to dignifie, and highly to promove:
Man is a wark which thou hes made, sa is the sunne and moone,
Thou hes him plac'd aboue the rest, thy holie will be done.
That thou (great God) should them regarde, or haue so much in mind,
Such thing is fantasie to frame, & pansing vain procures
For what is all the vnivers, and liuing creatures?
All nathing worthie of themselues, but as thou list of loue,
With graces them to dignifie, and highly to promove:
Man is a wark which thou hes made, sa is the sunne and moone,
Thou hes him plac'd aboue the rest, thy holie will be done.
With earthlie pleasures manifold, man compast is about,
He pleased is in comming in, and glad in going out,
Ilk beautifull and pleasant sight, he pleasure hes to see,
In hearing hes he not delite all kinde of facetie,
Ilk symphonie and seemely sound is pleasant to his eir,
Trew sapience and science baith, his hart delits to leir,
In smelling euerie savour sweete he pleasour hes perfite,
In taisting euerie daintie dish, he dayly hes delite,
To reason he reioysing hes, to learne, to teache, and talke,
He recreation takis to read, to run, to ride, and walke,
By nicht to ly and softly sleepe, to rest and to repose,
His helper to behald and treit he suirly may reiose,
And as the Lord hes institute to kiss hir pleasant face,
Ane propagation for to make, in loue hir to imbrace.
The ioy, the welth, the mirth of man & pleasour to compleit,
All things beneth the voult of heuin are sterned vnder feit,
He is maist like ane God on earth, for God he gaue him charge
Ou'r euerie bald and brutall beast, that feids in forrests large,
Ou'r euerie fleeing feathered fowle that swiftest is of flight,
Ou'r euerie swimming finned fish with shyning scales sa bright:
Our euerie litil creiping thing, or vther animant,
That in the sea, the fire, or air, or on the earth dois haunt:
The fiers and hardy Elephant, the horsses swift and strang,
As brutalls braue and bellicose, the battles from amang,
From dangers they his bodie beir, or quhair he list to passe,
The Camell bears his charges great, the Mule and simple Asse,
The busie beufs, laborious beasts they teill the fertile ground,
Least man with wearines, and wark in bondage suld be bound:
All venneson, and vther wilde they serue him at his neid,
The scheip, the nolt, & naughtie wormes they do him cleith & feid
The little friand fish in flude, and dentie volatil,
Quhilks shedds the waters, & the winds, he traps them at his wil
Baith cruell and abased beasts that hants in banks and bewis,
In denns, deserts, or cauerns deip, for pastime he persewis.
He pleased is in comming in, and glad in going out,
Ilk beautifull and pleasant sight, he pleasure hes to see,
In hearing hes he not delite all kinde of facetie,
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Trew sapience and science baith, his hart delits to leir,
In smelling euerie savour sweete he pleasour hes perfite,
In taisting euerie daintie dish, he dayly hes delite,
To reason he reioysing hes, to learne, to teache, and talke,
He recreation takis to read, to run, to ride, and walke,
By nicht to ly and softly sleepe, to rest and to repose,
His helper to behald and treit he suirly may reiose,
And as the Lord hes institute to kiss hir pleasant face,
Ane propagation for to make, in loue hir to imbrace.
The ioy, the welth, the mirth of man & pleasour to compleit,
All things beneth the voult of heuin are sterned vnder feit,
He is maist like ane God on earth, for God he gaue him charge
Ou'r euerie bald and brutall beast, that feids in forrests large,
Ou'r euerie fleeing feathered fowle that swiftest is of flight,
Ou'r euerie swimming finned fish with shyning scales sa bright:
Our euerie litil creiping thing, or vther animant,
That in the sea, the fire, or air, or on the earth dois haunt:
The fiers and hardy Elephant, the horsses swift and strang,
As brutalls braue and bellicose, the battles from amang,
From dangers they his bodie beir, or quhair he list to passe,
The Camell bears his charges great, the Mule and simple Asse,
The busie beufs, laborious beasts they teill the fertile ground,
Least man with wearines, and wark in bondage suld be bound:
All venneson, and vther wilde they serue him at his neid,
The scheip, the nolt, & naughtie wormes they do him cleith & feid
The little friand fish in flude, and dentie volatil,
Quhilks shedds the waters, & the winds, he traps them at his wil
Baith cruell and abased beasts that hants in banks and bewis,
In denns, deserts, or cauerns deip, for pastime he persewis.
Not onely ou'r the beasts on earth mans power dois extend,
But ou'r the Dragon, beast of beasts, a subtile serpent kend,
Above the deuill his deidlie fa, and frowart furies fell,
God gaue him might and moyen baith be force them to expell,
For thocht that enemie fell and fierce the state of man invyis,
And aye in wait him to deuore maist like a Lyon lyis:
Yet all the fellon feinds of hell thay trimble fast for feare,
And stoups when as the awfull curs, & dreadful dume they heare,
Pronounced by the mouth of man, against that bailfull band,
The rebels nather dow, nor dare the word of God gain-stand,
The secreits of religious rites, the sacred sacraments,
The blist Evangell maist of all, the tormentors torments.
But ou'r the Dragon, beast of beasts, a subtile serpent kend,
Above the deuill his deidlie fa, and frowart furies fell,
God gaue him might and moyen baith be force them to expell,
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And aye in wait him to deuore maist like a Lyon lyis:
Yet all the fellon feinds of hell thay trimble fast for feare,
And stoups when as the awfull curs, & dreadful dume they heare,
Pronounced by the mouth of man, against that bailfull band,
The rebels nather dow, nor dare the word of God gain-stand,
The secreits of religious rites, the sacred sacraments,
The blist Evangell maist of all, the tormentors torments.
But now flie far away, fra me ye cursed cateifs all,
Increduils hence ga hide you hie, the cluds are like to fall:
A mysterie high and halie baith, I sing without delay,
Ye misbeleeuers bide abacke, flie (fugitiues) away.
My lips delights not now in lies, vaine fictions I refuse,
The booke of God sall be my guide, the holie ghaist my muse.
Increduils hence ga hide you hie, the cluds are like to fall:
A mysterie high and halie baith, I sing without delay,
Ye misbeleeuers bide abacke, flie (fugitiues) away.
My lips delights not now in lies, vaine fictions I refuse,
The booke of God sall be my guide, the holie ghaist my muse.
When subtile Sathan had deceaued, the fragile femall Eue,
Who made the sinles man consent, defended fruict to preue,
Till eit against the Lords commaund, and greeuouslie offend,
He banisht was from blis to baill, to hell and death but end:
The Lord of mercie mesourles, man to redeeme againe,
From Sathan sin, and second death, from hell and endles paine:
Downe sent the Word, which with himselfe had coeternall bein,
In essence with the father God, and deitie diuine,
Which was before beginnings all, or times were yet begon,
Begotten of the father God, and called is his Son,
Be whom al kind of things were made, within the machin round
The onely Son of God (I say) descended downe to ground,
And for the foule offence of man, the father thought it good,
Be vertue of the Holie Gaist, to make him flesh and blood.
Who made the sinles man consent, defended fruict to preue,
Till eit against the Lords commaund, and greeuouslie offend,
He banisht was from blis to baill, to hell and death but end:
The Lord of mercie mesourles, man to redeeme againe,
From Sathan sin, and second death, from hell and endles paine:
Downe sent the Word, which with himselfe had coeternall bein,
In essence with the father God, and deitie diuine,
Which was before beginnings all, or times were yet begon,
Begotten of the father God, and called is his Son,
Be whom al kind of things were made, within the machin round
The onely Son of God (I say) descended downe to ground,
And for the foule offence of man, the father thought it good,
Be vertue of the Holie Gaist, to make him flesh and blood.
Sa great a wonder was not heard, sen first the warld began,
The onely sonne of God to be, both verie God and man,
Euen of a virgin to be borne, to suffer death and shame,
The sacrifice for manly sin, Christ Jesus is his name,
Which on the third day after death, arase foorth of the graue,
And gloriously past vp to heauen, the seede of man to saue,
Where at the right and holy hand, of God omnipotent,
He intercessor sits for sick, as truely shall repent,
Quhilk puts their hope into his death, and praises God therfore,
They shall receaue eternall life, and crowned be with glore:
All graces he will giue to sick, as dois him feare and serue,
And all without desert, for what can wormes and dust deserue?
Na nathing (Lord) bot all proceids, and flowed first from thee.
O mortels: sen we merit not, yet let vs thankfull be,
Acknowledge what societie sure, it pleaseth God to haue,
With all the humaine kind and how, he loues it by the laue:
For man on earth the marke of God, & Image bright he beares,
And Christ in heuen the nature weak, of man he waild & weares,
Christ vanquisht death, the devill & hell, & hes supprest their heid,
He surely is the sauiour sweete of sinfull Adams seid.
The onely sonne of God to be, both verie God and man,
Euen of a virgin to be borne, to suffer death and shame,
The sacrifice for manly sin, Christ Jesus is his name,
Which on the third day after death, arase foorth of the graue,
And gloriously past vp to heauen, the seede of man to saue,
24
He intercessor sits for sick, as truely shall repent,
Quhilk puts their hope into his death, and praises God therfore,
They shall receaue eternall life, and crowned be with glore:
All graces he will giue to sick, as dois him feare and serue,
And all without desert, for what can wormes and dust deserue?
Na nathing (Lord) bot all proceids, and flowed first from thee.
O mortels: sen we merit not, yet let vs thankfull be,
Acknowledge what societie sure, it pleaseth God to haue,
With all the humaine kind and how, he loues it by the laue:
For man on earth the marke of God, & Image bright he beares,
And Christ in heuen the nature weak, of man he waild & weares,
Christ vanquisht death, the devill & hell, & hes supprest their heid,
He surely is the sauiour sweete of sinfull Adams seid.
Lord, lose not thy redeemed flock, Christs death were then in vain
Bot let thy fauour and thy grace, with mortals ay remain:
And thou (O man) with all the gifts, wherewith thou art indued,
Extoll the Lord, let ay his praise and glorie be renewed,
Thy domicile and dwelling place Christ Jesus hes prepard,
Aboue quhilk blis but end salbe thy last and best reward,
The word and couenant of the Lord, his promisses are sure,
Mans ioy and mercies of the Lord, for euer shall indure.
But now my lips, and thou my Lute ming melodie amang
Againe vnto the mightie God, go sing a newar sang.
Bot let thy fauour and thy grace, with mortals ay remain:
And thou (O man) with all the gifts, wherewith thou art indued,
Extoll the Lord, let ay his praise and glorie be renewed,
Thy domicile and dwelling place Christ Jesus hes prepard,
Aboue quhilk blis but end salbe thy last and best reward,
The word and couenant of the Lord, his promisses are sure,
Mans ioy and mercies of the Lord, for euer shall indure.
But now my lips, and thou my Lute ming melodie amang
Againe vnto the mightie God, go sing a newar sang.
| The poems of Alexander Hume | |