Songs of Zion, Poem 7 – Dedication 11
The first depth.
1.
I am the man o lord
HaueHave felt thy vvrath, thy rod
O send me helpe in this my vvoe
My lord, my Christ, my god.
2.
Thy stormes, & clouds of ire
Doe beate me day, & night
Thou shevvst me vvoe, & vvast, & warre
And hidst from me the light.
3.
All the day long o lord
Thine hand is turnd gainst me
Noe helpe, noe hope, noe ioy, noe mirth
That I poore vvretch can see.
4.
My flesh, & skin are vile▪
And parcht as in a drought,
My bones, my hart are broke … …
This lord thy vvrath hath vvroug…
5.
O lord thou makst a fo…
With me to vvarre, & fight
With gall▪ & greefe thou dost me …
And none vvill doe me right▪
6.
As they that long are dead,
And cleane cast out of mind
So am I sett in night of death
With vv…, & greefe all pind.
The second depth.
1.
AN hedge is pight me round
To close me in this vvoe
… can'not stirre thy chaines me bind
O lord vvhat shall I doe?
2.
And vvhen I cry, & roare
In all my greefe, & gall
He shutts me out, & vvill not heare
Ne cares he for my call.
3.
He ramzes me in so fast.
With stones, & clay full thicke
My pathes he crokes, & giues noe ease
My soule is faint, & sicke.
4.
As beares doe teare their pray,
And vvaite more bloud to spill
So hath my foes me rent, & tom…
As if it vvere thy vvill.
5.
I peece, by peece am hald,
And puld by hand to raggs
I by my selfe do sitt, & vveepe,
While my foe sitts, & braggs.
6.
Thy bovve o lord is bent,
To shoote at my pale face
I am a marke for shafts to hitt
O yett shevve me some grace.
The third depth.
1.
FOr see the shafts doe sticke
In all my raynes through out
I am the butt, & none but I
At vvhichwhich shootes all the rout.
2.
My foes make me their iest
And song by night, & day
Where is thy god, thy lord, thy helpe
Thus they to me doe say.
3.
Mine hart is fraught vvith gall,
My bloud is drunke vp still
With shame, & greefe I vvaile, & vvast
Make hast me lord to kill
4.
My strength is dasht, my teeth
Are broke vvith in my head
Thou laist on loade on me poore
I vvish I vvere cleane dead …
5.
My soule doth not once heare
Of peace, of grace, of light
I can▪not call to mind my state
That once I had in sight.
6.
O lord my strength, my hope▪
My helpe I looke from thee.
But all is gone, & there is none
That cares, nor lookes to me▪
The fourth depth.
1.
… call to mind svveet god
This moane, this woe of mine
…his gall, this greefe, this plaint, this cry
For I o lord am thine
2.
…y soule is faint, & failes
When I to mind doe call
…y greefe hath made me cry, and roare
To see my vvoe, & fall.
3.
…et hauehave I hope in thee
That thou vvilt helpe at last,
… vvilt not quite my soule for aye
From thy svveet sight out cast.
4.
It is thy louelove o lord
That I am not quite fold,
And rid from earth, both braunch & roote
And closd vp in the mold.
5.
Thou failst me not in morne,
All night I feele thy stay,
Thy hand is great, & in thy truth
Thou hearst vvhat I doe say.
6.
For thou o lord art mine
My soule doth hope in thee
Thou art my lot, my land, my rent
Once more lord sett me free
The fift depth.
1.
O thou art good o lord
To them that vvayte, & tend
To soules that seeke, & sue to thee
Thou dost thy grace dovvne send
2.
It is right good o lord
To hope for helpe from thee
For of thee lord is all mans good
O shevve thy smile to me.
3.
It is full good for man
In youth to beare thy rod
For he shall learne there by to knovve
The lord to be his god.
4.
Then sitts he pale, & vvan▪
And mute vvith out a pe…are
He will take heede all tymes that …
Doe searue the lord in feare
5.
And if he see theres hope
His mouth from dust vvill cry,
And to the lord make plaint, & …
To day that he doth dye.
6.
He giues his cheeke to such
As smite him, & doe taunt
He vvil not giuegive his eare to those
That vaine & vile things cha…
The sixt depth.
1.
…He lord doth not for aye
Cast of his choice of men
…ut though they greeue yet in his tyme.
He takes them from that den.
2.
…or by his vvill the lord
Greeues not his flocke at all
…ot doth he crush the sonnes of mē
When they on him doe call.
3.
…e rights men in their ill▪
The face of the most high
… sett to helpe the flocke of Christ
Yea he vvill dravve them nigh.
4.
Out of gods ovvne svveet mo…
Comes forth not good, & ill
When vve are plagud it is our …
That doth our deare soules kill▪
5.
Let vsus then search our vvaies,
And turne to our good god
So shall he quite put farre from
His scourge, his plague, his …
6.
Lift vp both hand, & hart
To him that dvvells on hi…
And shevve our sinns, ours … …
Least that for them vve dye.
The seuenth depth.
1.
…Hou hast vsus slayne o lord
And hidst vsus vvith a cloud
… that our sute comes not to thee
Though vve doe cry full loud
2.
…e are as drosse, and doung,
Our foes doe on vsus rage
feare, & snare is come on vsus,
And that from age, to age.
3.
…ine eies cease not to vveepe
But day, by daye vve moane
…ill thou o lord dost looke from high,
& ease vsus of our grone.
4.
My eies, and hart doe ake,
The one vvith teares doth run…
My hart it sobbs, & sighes full so…
For that vvhichwhich I hauehave done.
5.
Men chase me like a bird,
They hauehave cut of my life
They cast great stones to keepe m… dovv…
They kill me in their strife.
6.
Yet from these depths o lord
I hauehave cald on thy name
Thou to my voice vvilt giuegive an …
And ease me of the same.
The eight depth.
1.
THou vvontst to say, Feare not,
Thou vvontst my cause to plead
…nd to the streames of louelove, & life
Thou vvast vvont me to lead.
2.
… lord my vvronge thou seest
Iudge thou my cause vvith those.
…hat gape, & hope to eate me vp
With rage they doe me close
3.
…hou lord hast hard their cries
Hovve they doe rage, & roare
…ovve they doe spite, & spitt at me
And raue still more, & more.
4.
They make their songs on me
They iest, & gibe, & mocke
When they sitt dovvne, or rise, … wal…
They flout, they feare thy floc…
5.
GiueGive them their lott o lord,
Looke on the vvorke the vvroug…
GiueGive them thy curse vvith greef of ha…
That hauehave my vvoe thus sough…
6.
Cast them all cleane from thee
Let not the earth them beare
For that they doe not seeke to the
But rage vvith out all feare.
A METAPHRASE.
Of the fourth, and fift Chapters of Ieremies Lamentations for the sacking, & burning of Ierusalem, and the temple▪ by Nebuchadnezer king of Babell, and by Nebuzaradan the captaine of … gard, put into monosyllables of great Brittains language.
And is set to the tune of I lift mine hart to thee. PSAL. xxv.
To his much esteemed good frend Mr. JOHN STAMPE, marchant one of the cōpanie of the Merchants-Adventurers residing at Hamborough.
Eternall blisse in Christ Iesus.
MYNE vnfained louelove in Christ vntounto you. Noe vvise man vvould sell his thoughts for all the vvorld. For as they are much pleasing to a mans selfe so are they beneficiall vntounto others. I little thought vvhe I began to make an Essay into this businesse that it vvould hauehave enlarged it selfe into eleuen branches. What it is, & as it is▪ Euen the all of it I devote to all my table-brothers▪ Wherein your selfe hauehave a part. I shall desire your aecentance vvith the rest And euen so herein I commēd my louelove to you, my lines to the vvorlds rensure, & the vse of thē to gods children; for vvhose s…ke I hauehave endeuored this Thus … my prayers for your succesfu… prosperity in all things. I leaue yo… to gods sauing grace. Remaying
Your affectionate W. LOE.