Classic Poem

W I th all the pow'r and vertues of my Soule
I doe adore thee holy Lord of All!
That when I had no name in thy check rowle,
thou wrat'st it on thy Palme , and me didst call.

I dwelt, sometimes, in blacke Obliuions Land,
where, in the shade of Death, I sadly sate;
But, thou (kind Lord) didst reach me, then, thy hand,
which, from thence, drew me to a glorious state.

Whenas I wandred, in the crooked wayes,
that, too directly, led to endlesse paine ,
Thou didst thy forces, then, against me raise,
to put me in thy way, perforce againe.

When thou hadst plung'd me in the Font of Grace ,
so clens'd the filth I was conceiued in,
Though there I vow'd to keepe me in that case,
I brake my vow and me re-suncke in sinne.

So that sweet Temple which thou sanctifi'dst
in me, for thee, I, cursedly, did blesse:
Raising therein, that which thou least abid'st,
namely, the Idoll of Voluptuousnesse .

Then, liu'd I as an Out-law ; when, it seem'd
by Law, or Fiend , or Foe might me surprise:
But, I, of thee yet, then was so esteem'd,
that thou , by Law , did'st quit me, in this wise:

The Law requir'd Death , or Obedience;
then, thou, for me, didst more then Law requir'd;
Which didst for sinne, yet liu'dst in innocence:
so thou, thereby, didst more then It desir'd!

Yet, ere I once did thinke vpon thy Grace
I liu'd as loose, as if I had beene bound
To nothing but to Persons, Time and Place
that sought my Soule and body to confound.

So, past my Dayes that rather lookt like Night;
nay, rather like the Darke that may be felt;
Wherein my selfe ne'er came within my sight,
although I might mine vnsweet life haue smelt.

Then, like blinde Baiard , being bold as blinde.
I ranne, as Fancy led me, eu'ry where,
To doe the Deedes of darknesse , in their kinde,
and, with me, others blinded so, did beare.

Then, what was it the Diuell could deuise
to clog a Soule with Sinne, exceeding Sinne ,
But I to doe it was as quicke, as wise?
the rather, sith my Soule did ioy therein.

Then, carnall beautie was the onely Sunne
that warm'd me at the heart; and lent me light;
A Light and Heate by which were quite vndone
mine Eyes, & Heart; nay, Body, Soule, & Spright.

For, all confounded were, as they had bin
no more themselues, but beauties shadowes vaine;
Attending her in whatsoeuer Sinne ,
as Toyes that had bin stitched to her Traine .

Then were my Feete as swift as swiftest Roes
Mans bloud to shed; and, so thy Forme deface:
My friends to wrong, and treble wrong my foes;
to shunne the good, and bad men to embrace.

Then, those things onely, pleased best my taste,
that were distastiue to thy sacred Sense:
And, that time (onely) I esteemed waste,
that to thy Seruice had most reference.

Thy Name, to my vncircumcized Eare,
was harsh, and fill'd the same with all offence:
Which I did deadly hate, through seruile feare;
but, seru'd thy Foes with treble diligence.

The World , the Flesh , and thy Competitor
(that for my Soule with Thee do aye contend)
Made me their Slaue, and seruil'dst Seruitor;
so, gaue my Minde, thy Kingdome, to the Fiend.

Thy Word to me seem'd most ridiculous,
as full of Crackes, as Contradiction:
And, no lesse witlesse, then most barberous;
so, made I it a Ground to play vpon.

The fairest Church (then) seem'd the fowlest Iaile:
a Preacher, like an Headsman, kill'd me quite:
Words, least diuine, with me did most preuaile;
and Peace of Conscience still in me did fight.

In briefe, I was, for which myselfe I hate,
such, as on whom Vice show'd what she could do
When she did light but on a low estate:
for, what Deedes shee deuis'd, my Hand was to.

In this time of my young, yet doating, Age,
thou didst expect me (Lord) and lent'st me breath:
Yea, didst attend me, like that Princes Page,
that alwayes put his Lord in minde of Death.

O altitude of Grace surmounting Grace!
├┤ magnitude of Mercy most extreame!
How many settings-out, in such a Race ,
haue beene o'er-taken with thy Furies Streame?

Yet I, most blessed-cursed blessed I
haue (by the Mercy, more then most diuine)
Beene suffer'd to be tir'd with vanitie,
and, yet preseru'd, till brought to Grace in fine.

Had Iustice hands, which, then, still vrged were,
drawne me before her High Tribunall Throne ,
And, by a Quest of Angels , tride me there,
I had beene cast, and more then ouerthrowne.

But, blest be thine vnconquer'd Patience ,
that me forbore, till I to sinne forbare:
And, blessed be thy Mercies prepotence,
by which, I warded was, and bid beware.

Forcing into my Soule the feare of Hell ,
the sight of Sinne, Lifes vaine and short expence
With thy Lawes strictnesse; all which still impell
my Heart, though Steele, to melt in penitence!

Yea, when my feet were fast in Follies Stockes,
thou didst by Grace (past Grace ) extort from me
Whole Flouds of Teares, from two most flintie Rockes ,
(my Heart, and Eyes) for, so, offending thee.

And, when I fled from thee, as if it had
beene matter of small moment Thee to flee,
Thou follow'dst me (I being worse then mad)
to keepe me from the Furies following mee.

Thus long we straue, and, striuing long, at length
thou didst preuaile, and tam'd my Coltish Will ;
Yet 'twas by holy Fraud , and mightie Strength ,
which claw'd me while they did restraine me still.

For, no lesse was thy Mercies skill herein,
then thy Pow'rs force; for, sinfull Soules to cure
Showes skilfull Grace: and, Men that most doe sinne
to justifie, bewraies almightie Pow'r .

And, ├┤ how many Graces giu'st thou me
with this meere guift of my Vocation!
Firme Faith , sure Hope , and perfect Charitie ,
with all the Vertues that attend thereon.

And though I cannot be assured Lord,
to serue thee to the end, and meeke withall:
Yet, doe my Faith and Hope rest on thy Word ,
which sure doth stand, though oft (vnsure) I fall.

Thy Sprit likewise, doth witnesse to my Sp'rit .
that thou dost loue me more than tenderly:
Sith in thy Loue, thou mak'st my Loue delight;
which loue erst lothed thy Loue mortally.

Blessed be thou, therefore, great Lord of Grace ,
for giuing me thy deare adopting Spirit
To nurse, and teach, and rule me in my Race ,
and, thee and me , vnioynde, to re-vnite.

And, blessed be that euer-blessed D AY ,
wherein that Ghest did make my Soule his Inne:
And be that Houre, and Moment blessed aye,
wherein my Will gaue way to let him in.

That Day was the true Sabboth of my rest;
that Day I left th' Egyptian seruitude:
That was my second Birth-day , truely blest,
who, then, was borne to all Beatitude .

It was mine Easter-day , wherein I rose
from Death of Sinne , vnto the Life of Grace!
It was the Day my Heau'nly Husband chose
to marry me; and, Coort me face, to face.

Let Iob and Ieremy ban their birth Day,
this will I blesse with Heart, Mind, Mouth, & Pen;
Sith, then, the Angels , in their best aray,
saluted me, as their Co-cittizen.

Wherein God call'd me Son, and Christ dear Spouse;
the Holy-Ghost his Temple , and when all
The Holy TRINITIE did trimme the House
of my poore Soule , that ready was to fall.

Deare Lord! with what deare Words , or dearer Deedes
no, dearest Words and Deeds are all too weake
To match thy Mercies , but my Soule must needs
quite breake, if not into thy Praises breake.

He sing to thee as Dauid once did sing,
O Lord, how glorious are thy Workes of Grace!
And as the Angels Peales of Praises ring,
so, will I praise thee though my voyce be base.

The worke of my Creation show'd great Loue;
and that of my Redemption, more exprest:
Yet that of my Vocation most did moue;
but that, that Iustifide me past the rest!

The gift of Glory (still to Saints assign'd)
is great, so great, that none may greater be;
Yet to be iustified, is, in his kinde,
as great a gift, and no lesse laudeth thee.

To make Men iust that are in sinfull case,
is more then to make iust Men glorious:
Sith greater ods there is twixt Sinn and Grace ,
then is twixt Grace , and Glory, God , and Vs.

My Making and Redemption had but made
m'excuse the lesse, and my Damnation more;
Except my Soule thou hadst made iustly glad,
in iustifying me that sinned sore!

Whiles, therefore, on these things I meditate,
my Soule entranced lies; as if she were
No more my Senses , or my bodies Mate,
but, were transform'd to Admiration here.

What shall I render Lord? ├┤ how shall I
remunerate, (├┤ that can ne'er be done;)
Or how shall I but praise thee worthily?
but, such praise doth my pow'r no lesse out runne.

O that the Organs of my Soule were such,
as, with thy praise , they Heau'n and Earth might fill;
I would therein reioyce much more then much,
but, Lord, accept the freedome of my Will.

For, could it make thee more then what thou art,
(thogh more cannot be wisht, much lesse conceiu'd)
I would performe a right Well willers part,
and make thee what it could, for Grace receiu'd:
Then, let my Will be aided by thy Might ,
That Will , in Deed, may praise thy Name aright.