Psalterium Carolinum The devotions of His Sacred Majestie in his solitudes and sufferings, Rendred in Verse [by Thomas Stanley]. Set to Musick for 3 Voices and an Organ or Theorbo, By John Wilson |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IIII. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIIII. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
Ode XXVII. Meditations upon Death after the votes of Non-Addresses,
and his Majesty's closer Imprisonment in Carisbrook Castle.
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 | Psalterium Carolinum |  |
Ode XXVII. Meditations upon Death after the votes of Non-Addresses, and his Majesty's closer Imprisonment in Carisbrook Castle.
Thou that fill'st Heaven and Earth, O King of Kings,
In whom no Death, whence Life eternall Springs:
Who canst our Souls unto the yawning Grave
Iustly condemne, or mercifully save.
Better be dead t'our selves, in thee survive;
Than rob'd of Thee, and to our selves alive.
O let the bitter means that aggravate
My fall, thy Comforts in my Soul dilate.
If thou art with Me, fear shall not assail,
Though I should walk along Deaths shady Vale.
Weak mortall man may with his Fate contend,
But 'tis thy Grace must strength to vanquish lend.
Thou know'st as Man what 'tis to dy with Me,
Teach me by Death to live, my God, with Thee.
Though I should dy I know thou ever liv'st:
Though thou should'st kill, eternall Life thou giv'st.
O hold not back thy Love more wish'd than Breath,
O be not far, for neere perhaps is Death:
All the close Snares for my Destruction set,
Thy Knowledg can disclose, thy Power defeat.
Let me thy will discover that declares,
The good of Thine, through the much ill of theirs!
As I am Man I beg Thee turn away
This Cup; as Christian I have learnt to Pray,
That not my will, but thine, my God, be done;
Mine into thine resolve, and make them One.
Let my desires Life with less fervour woe,
Than thy Commands to suffer, or to doe.
As thou hast pardon'd all my lives frail Errours,
So thou wilt save me from my Deaths false Terrours.
Make me content this nothing World to leave,
That all in thee (my All) I may receive.
My Foes their Duty to us both reject,
Let not thy mindfull Mercyes them neglect.
What profit by my blood can they obtain,
To loose their Souls, though they my Kingdome gain.
Though my just Power against my self they bent,
Let not themselves have their just Punishment.
Thou by thy Son thy Mercy's hast ally'd
To those Offenders, by whom Crucify'd?
Whil'st violence he suff'red from his Foes,
Yet for their sakes those wrongs did freely choose.
O hear the Voice of his acquitting Blood,
Then the accusing Cryes of mine more loud.
Let them their sins, and thy full mercyes know,
Not their own Souls deceive and overthrow.
Tempted by unjust Power, extreams t'employ,
And by fallacious Justice me destroy.
Cruell as false their mercy's have I found,
Pretending to defend, they seek to wound.
Their bloody fraud O do not thou pursue;
But with thy Pity, and my Love subdue.
And for my Blood when Inquisition
Thou mak'st; in that of thy beloved Son
Their Souls polluted, yet repentant dy;
That thy destroying Angel may pass by.
They think my Realm's too narrow both to hold,
Let thy wide Mercy me, and them infold,
So by our Saviour reconcil'd to Thee,
Weel' live above ambitious Enmity.
When their hard, heavy Hands press down with harms,
O let me fall into thy tender Arms.
That from my Lifes sad moments what away
Is cut, thy blest Eternity may pay.
In whom no Death, whence Life eternall Springs:
Who canst our Souls unto the yawning Grave
Iustly condemne, or mercifully save.
Better be dead t'our selves, in thee survive;
Than rob'd of Thee, and to our selves alive.
O let the bitter means that aggravate
My fall, thy Comforts in my Soul dilate.
If thou art with Me, fear shall not assail,
Though I should walk along Deaths shady Vale.
Weak mortall man may with his Fate contend,
But 'tis thy Grace must strength to vanquish lend.
Thou know'st as Man what 'tis to dy with Me,
Teach me by Death to live, my God, with Thee.
Though I should dy I know thou ever liv'st:
Though thou should'st kill, eternall Life thou giv'st.
O hold not back thy Love more wish'd than Breath,
O be not far, for neere perhaps is Death:
All the close Snares for my Destruction set,
Thy Knowledg can disclose, thy Power defeat.
Let me thy will discover that declares,
The good of Thine, through the much ill of theirs!
As I am Man I beg Thee turn away
This Cup; as Christian I have learnt to Pray,
That not my will, but thine, my God, be done;
Mine into thine resolve, and make them One.
Than thy Commands to suffer, or to doe.
As thou hast pardon'd all my lives frail Errours,
So thou wilt save me from my Deaths false Terrours.
Make me content this nothing World to leave,
That all in thee (my All) I may receive.
My Foes their Duty to us both reject,
Let not thy mindfull Mercyes them neglect.
What profit by my blood can they obtain,
To loose their Souls, though they my Kingdome gain.
Though my just Power against my self they bent,
Let not themselves have their just Punishment.
Thou by thy Son thy Mercy's hast ally'd
To those Offenders, by whom Crucify'd?
Whil'st violence he suff'red from his Foes,
Yet for their sakes those wrongs did freely choose.
O hear the Voice of his acquitting Blood,
Then the accusing Cryes of mine more loud.
Let them their sins, and thy full mercyes know,
Not their own Souls deceive and overthrow.
Tempted by unjust Power, extreams t'employ,
And by fallacious Justice me destroy.
Cruell as false their mercy's have I found,
Pretending to defend, they seek to wound.
Their bloody fraud O do not thou pursue;
But with thy Pity, and my Love subdue.
And for my Blood when Inquisition
Thou mak'st; in that of thy beloved Son
Their Souls polluted, yet repentant dy;
That thy destroying Angel may pass by.
They think my Realm's too narrow both to hold,
Let thy wide Mercy me, and them infold,
Weel' live above ambitious Enmity.
When their hard, heavy Hands press down with harms,
O let me fall into thy tender Arms.
That from my Lifes sad moments what away
Is cut, thy blest Eternity may pay.
Lord thy divine Salvation clearly I
Have seen: in Peace O let thy Servant dy.
Have seen: in Peace O let thy Servant dy.
| Psalterium Carolinum | |