A Spiritual Hymn, Poem 1 – Poem 2
THE SACRIFICE OF A SINNER, TO CHRIST OVR REDEEMER.
1.
CHRIST of thy Saints the aEph. 4.15.Head, the bLuk. 1.33.King,
Whose bounties vn-exhausted spring
Doth to thy meanest cIoh: 1 16.members bring
Eternall streames of grace.
GiueGive mee, (sweet Saviour) Thee to sing,
In holy hymnes, with heart condigne
Which eating age, nor envyes sting
Shall in no time deface.
2
Thou Lord, with glorious beams dIoh: 1.9all bright
…lazing around thy Throne of light
Outreaching farre my feeble sight,eExod 33.20
heere, in deaths shade exylde,
…ns clouds dispell; guilts loade make light
Which doth surcharge my fainting spright,1. Tim. 6 16
…hat J may spreade thy praise, thy might,
with heart pure, vndefyl'de.
3
aIoh: 4.24.With worship chast, in soule sincere,
Thou shouldst bee celebrate in feare.
Hence, yee bMat. 7.6.vncleane, that darre appeare
with hands, with hearts prophaine.
O let a cEsay. 6.6, 7.Seraphim draw neare
A slamming Coale, whose hand doth beare
My lips, my heart, from Heauens high sphear…
to purge from double staine.
4
Then shall these documents divine,
By which thy crosses …ruits, doe shyne
To happie Life, conducting Thyne,
my Thoughts by day, by night.
With meditation deepe confyne:
At morne, midday, my weake engyne
While Heavens clear Torch his course decli…
shall in thy praise delight,
5
Sonne, with thy Syre, in dIoh. 1.12.yeares, in mig…
In all ePhil. 26 15.co-equall: fRo. 11.33.mans dimme sight
Transcending: gheb. 1.3. C…l. 1.6… 67like thy paterne bright
An Other, and the Same.
True God of God; myld hMatt: 1.16.1.Maid-borne wi…
Blest igen. 13 12.Ladder, reaching earth aright,
Co-apting things of greatest hight
with lowe: Lights glorious beame.
6
Safetie of Soules, sight of the blinde,
Haven, where the shipwrakt shelter finde,
End of all toyles, Ease of the minde,
press'd downe with sinfull loade.
Reward of works, due in no kinde,
To conflict past the Palme assignde,
Soules cure, with sins sore sicknesse pynde,
the banisht mans aboade.
7
Blest agen. 9.14.bow▪ bepaynting azure aire,
Thy pledge who did the World repaire,
bgen. 6.14.Arke, rendring Thine secure from care
of o…erflowing floods,
Their Crowne that fight, their pryze most rare
That run; earths peace, heauens joy: hells feare;
A saving c1. Cor. 10 4.Rocke to thine, a d1. Cor. 12.3.snare
to such as sinne secludes.
8
e…u… 2.32Israels glory, fluc. 10.Gentiles light,
Summe of the fathers wisht-for sight,
Of Paradise, the deare delight.
Eternall Tree of life.
ggen. 2… 9.On source which watering day and night
In foure cleare streames divided right
Preserues, from yeares, from dayes despight,
but arte, or gardners knife.
9
The aRom. 10.4.Lawes, the bAct. 10.43.Prophets scope, who she…
Thy face, when Thou the c2. Cor. 3.14.vaile withdrew
Of Types; of dCol. 2.17.Shads the body true;
eIo. 1.36Lambe, fHeb. 13 10.Altar, gHeb. 2.17.Priest at ones;
hRev. 13 8.Lambe kild before the Worlds first view;
Altar, which sinne inherent slew,
Priest, who in man did grace renew
mounting alone iHeb. 9 24heauens Thrones▪
10
J sing my kHeb. 9.15.Mediators praise,
Whose hand o're all the scepter swayes,
Who lCol. 1.20Angels fall did stint, yet stayes,
m1 Cor. 1.30.man falne, did raise againe.
Who filde the breach, by wondrous wayes,
Of Heauens proud Apostats, hells preyes,
Earthlings adornde with Angells rayes
'mong'st the immortall traine:
11
But say (sweet Iesu) what procurde
Thee, in a nPhil. 2.7.servants shape immurde,
To pittie man in sinne obdurde
Gods rebell to beefriend?
To pleade for him who thee abjurde,
Suffring thy Godhead lurke obscurde,
Last, on the oPhil. 2, 8.Tree (O Tears) indurde,
an ignominious end?
12
aTim. 1 15.Else perisht had the World for aye,
bCol. 1 20.No other Meanes Gods wrath could lay,
cRom. 6.4.None else, could, (working deaths decay,)
Mans Image fi…st, infuse;
dGal. 3.13.None else, Laws paine severe could pay;
Heauens wal's to scale no other way,
To vernish fresh graues rotten prey,
Means, Thou alone couldst vse.
13
…ithout Thee Lord, eRom. 8.11.supremely blest;
Whom highest honour doth invest,fPhil. 2.9.10, 11.
For Man with paines extremly prest,
by spoyles of conquer'd HellgEsay 53 7.10.
…eavens glorious courts had neere encrest:
…or should our fleshes loade, to rest
…boue the Spheares, its selfe addrest
'mid'st heauens blest hosts to dwell.
14
…ence, sprang Mans ease exyling toyle
…s hopelesse groanes, which, so did boyle
…y breast, that Thou pourd'st in the Oyle
of MercieMercy, in his wounds.
…is Plaints procur'd thy soules turmoylehEsay 5…
…at Thou his l…t di…st…ake, to foyle
…ne, Death and Hell O Glorious spoyle!
…hich, reasons ray confounds.
15
Our guilts soule shame, sname did deface,
Empurp…ring thy vnstained face:
Thy clouds, thy care, our light, our peace,
our Victorie thy liftes,
Thy hels, in heauen procurde vsus place,
Our honour grew by thy disgrace,
O Wisedome, if not found by grace,
Mans wit involves in mists.
16
O sauing Knowledge, which of right
a1. Cor. 1.21.The deepest Polititans sight
O'resyles, drownde in eternall night,
Jn clowdes of self-conceate!
O contrares, which by nature fight
Thus reconcil'de, mix'd by thy might,
Things weightie ballancing with light,
O change! O wonders great!
17
Thy dumpes, our doo…efull hearts did c…
Our teare-blind sights, thy teares did cle…
Thy deepe afflictions calmde our feare,
Thy bands vsus fred from paine.
b2 Cor. 8.9.Thy wants our wealth procur'de; we …
Roabs, by thy rags: grieves, thou didst …
Our greifes, our languishings, en-deare
thy blood, did ours restraine.
18
aluc. … 44That crimson sweat, these drops which drownd
Thy blessed face, with rayes ours crownde,
bRev. … 5.Sins leprous spots, which soules confound,
from Parents seede they purgde.
Thou, shak'd by deaths approaching wound,
'gainst death mad'st vsus secure be found,
Thou of our innocence the ground,
for vsus, with guilt was vrgde,
19
cMa… 27.46And when thou seemde some space to bee,
Depriv'de from heauen of all supplie,
Yet banisht Man, still deare to Thee
Thou neuer didst forsake.
Mans state was still before thine Eye
Till entring Hell, Thou sett him free,
O ddeut. 23.Crosse once curst, now happie Tree,
Source, whence all good wee take.
20
When Thou thy selfe triumphde o're sho's
Nailde to the Crosse, exposde to blo's,
Chargde by thy proud insulting foes
with infamie, with shame.
Torne, naked, pale, a mappe of woes,
Whilst floods of wrath thou vndergoes,
Thy syde trans-fixde, from which forth flo'es
a eIoh. 19 34.double gushing streame,
21
aluk. 23.46Thy soule commending to thy Syre,
While twixt two bluk. 23.39.Theeues, Thou didst expire
cCol. 2.15.Loe, then enlarging thine Jmpire
Thy foes Thou Captiues led,
Triumphing on the Tree, hells ire,
dhos. 13.14.Deaths sting, Earths Kings that did conspire
Bound, hand and foote, thy wraths hote fyre
their shame, before Thee bred.
22
Thou ledst (great Victor) foylde in fight
Those eheb. 2.14.bands, in darknesse that delight
Roots of mans ruine, foes to right,
fRom. 8.2.Sin, bound Thou didst detaine;
To Heauens high courtes, a glorious sight,
Gods Rebells vanquishde by thy might,
Condemnde in chains of horride night
for euer to remaine.
23
Loe, heere, deaths g1 Cor. 15.26.double-poynted sting,
h1 Cor 15.56.Laws hand writ there traverst, (deaths spring)
Trode vnderfoote, in triumph bring
Thou didst, iCol. 2.14.nail'd to thy crosse.
Thee, swallowing vp (death conqu'ring King)
k1. Cor. 15.55.Death to it selfe, the graue did bring:
On rav'ning Wol…e, preyde ravishde thing,
Victorious by losse.
24
By death insulting, held as dead,
Deaths death Thou was, and deaths remeed.
O Thou who dost Gods secreets spread,aIohn. 1.18.
Author, revealer wise,
Heauens pure delight, the womans seede,
Who bgen. 3.15.treading downe the Serpents head,
To wretched Man, didst pittie plead,
Way, leading to the Skyes,
25
Oh, what had beene our fearefull fate,
Deare soules Redeemer? what our state?
Of ire, what hudge inunding spaite
had quenchde our of-spring weake?
Without thee Lord? hells preys of late,
cCol. 1.1.Who mongst thy saints didst vsus relate,
And mounting heauens with glorie great,
deathes brazen barres didst breake.
26
Who saues vsus in the day of ire,
When all shall bee refinde with fire
Who with thy Sp'rit dost vsus inspire,
d… Co… 5.5.Arls of eternall Life.
Thy SP'RIT of peace, our pledge, our hyre,
Who,1. Eph. 13 14. all vnites of thy empire
To Thee, our Head, our soules desire,
for ever shunning strife.
27
His seuen-fold grace doth vsus defend
From snares, the World, the flesh, forth send,
From Fiends infernall, which doe bend theirs pow'rs 'gainst Thine, by night,
Which flie like apsal. 91 5.6.pestes by day, in end
On winges, with faith and hope empen'd,
Heauens starrie circuits, wee transcend by vertue of his might.
28
Hee, who eternallie foorth came
With Father, and with Sonne, the Same
Third b1. Ioh. 5 8.branch, joynd with that twofold stream, cRom. 8.16.witnesse on earth to beare,
By him confirmde, wee dEph. 2.18.accesse claime,
To Gods hie Throne: with feare and shame
Brought low; by him wee doe proclaime, eRom. 8.15.Abba, O Father deare.
29
fRom. 8.36.He sending vp a secreet grone,
Doth penetrat Gods eares anone,
No wordes, no cryes can reach his Throne, nor speedier pierce the skies,
He doth vnsyle the eyes alone
Of soules sincere, to them is showne
The lawes hid sense… Hee doth enthrone the lowe; the proud despise,
30
Soules languishing his grace revives,
To wandring steps hee regresse gives;
The falne liftes vp, deathes throe's releiues, by warme light of his flame.
The hardest heart of flint hee reaves,
For iubjects, Rebells home receiues;
Subdues the stubburne, that believes, no hardnesse breedes him shame.
31
Ev'n as perfumes, which most excell,
Worke on weake sents, and doe dispell
All former loathings: So befell
Thy Saints, the Virgines deare:
aCant. 1.2.3.How soone thy Names sweet fragrant smell
Was powred foorth, all prostrate fell,
Who gainst Thee did before rebell,
Thy yoke now gladly beare.
32
O let this dewy showre descend,
Of thy sweet Oyle, that We in end
That Rocke of safetie may ascend, admitting no retreat.
Conduct vsus who on thee depend,
(bCol. 3.4.Life-giuing essence) vsus defend,
Who here our days in dangers spend which vsus each moment meete.
33
Lead vsus, poore Pilgrims, vnexpert,
Our Compasse, Pilote, Pole, who art,
Through this inhospitall desert, this vaile of bitter teares,
Where perill lurkes in euerie part,
Where Asps their poys'nous stings forth dart,
Whose plaines, no pleasures else impart but scrotching drought, and feares.
34
aEsay. 55 1.Lead vsus, those rivers to frequent
Where milke and honey yeelds content.
O! euer blesse, with good event, the wrestlings of thine owne
Till, comming in the firmament
Unlookt for, by earths trembling tent,
When times last bRev 10.6.Period shall bee spent,
Thy glory thou make knowne.
35
That Day shall rest, cReu 6.14Heauens rolling spheares,
Earthes refluous tumults, deathes pale feares,
dReu 23.5.O day, which neuer night outweares,
Night, by no day displac't!
Then, to the source floods course reteires,
Time lurking then, no more appears,
Hid in the vast abysse of yeares, from whence, it first did haste.
36
aRev: 21.4O day, which doth all blesse impart
To all, who vpright are in heart;
bRev: 21.8.O day of horrour, full of smart, to all of sprite impure!
cReu: 21.4.Day, which shall sobs of saints convert
In songes of Joy: Day which shall dart,
Wrath on the wretcht, who then shall start wak'd from their sleepe secure.
37
dMat. 1 34.31.That Trumpets terrifying sound
That day, their ears, their souls, shall wound
In sine deepe Lethargie, long drownde, to heare a fearefull doome,
Whose noise, whose murmurings profound
Shall call, what e're earths limits bound
Or who in floods,Rev: 20 13 o'rewhelmde are found hid in the Oceans wombe.
38
Who cheardare with the Worlds bright Eye,
…nvest'd yet with mortalitie,fThess. 4 16.17.
Or whose dead ashes scattered flie, dispersde through earth or aire,
…his dayes sharpe tryall all must see,
…sentered once lifes miserie,
…ea, babes, which scarce yet breathing bee, must at this found appeare
39
a2. Thes. ….8.When flammes shall furiously confound
(Lightning thy glorious Throne around)
What e're shall bee their object found, in this inferiour Frame.
Shaking the World, ev'n to the ground,
Razde from its center, laid profound,
Dissolving what earths fabricke crownde with greatest Arte, or fame.
40
bMark. 13 24.The Suns cleare beames, clouds shall enfold,
cRev: 6 13Starres losse their light (earths pride controld)
What Earthlings did most pretious hold d2 Pet. 3.10.records of wit, of strength,
e2. Pet. 3 10.Shall with this mouuments rare mold,
More quicklie melt than can bee told,
All this great All shall, (as of old) a Chaos turne at length,
41
fEsay. 19 20.Then when the screiches, and frightfull cryes
Of such Gods wrath as vnderlyes,
Encrease the noise of rushing skies, of earthes disjoynted frame,
gMat. 25 22.Hee makes divorce, that's only wise,
The damned goates hee doth despise
Poynts out his lambes, hRev. 7 14.whose sinfull dyes hee pu…gde with bloody streame.
42
aRev: 7 9.When blessed soules shall fred of feare
Thy Throne encircling, Thee draw neare,
As dayes comforting Beame, the spheare the Orbe of purest heauen.
bRev: 11.12The clouds transcending, cRev: 14.14shining cleare,
Thy footsteps streatched foorth to beare,
Those trembling bands shall streight reteare downe to the Center driven.
43
Trembling to heare the thundring noise,
Of thy three-forked fearefull voyce,
Which streight their soules, with sad annoyes with terrours strange shall pierce.
dMat. 2….41.Hence, hence yee cursed, hells convoyes,
Who of this Portion earst made choyse,
In chaines of darknesse, end your Joyes, amidst hells furyes fierce.
44
Goe curst for aye, exy…de from light,
From hope, from eRev: 14 1….rest, from all delight,
Where wormes ne're dying, wrath and spight
fMatt. 25.20gnashing of teeth, and teares.
…then, what horrour, what affright,
…hall on those hopelesse prisners light,
…ebarrde eternally his fight, who on the throne appeares,
To the right Vertuous and WORSHIPFULL, THE MUSES Deare Minion, St. W. MVRE, Knight. Author.
Epigram.
WHen thy sweet Sophoclean straines I read,
Motions of Love, and Admiration breed
Within my breast; for thy soule-charming Songes
(To whom the Laurell as thy due belongs)
HaueHave rais'de in Mee hotte flammes of kinde Desire
That I must love Thee still, and still admire,
Thy glorious choyse, and with deserved praise
Stirre vp thy Muse, a higher flight to raise,
Well dost Thou now disclaime that Dwarfling fond,
And builds thy Thoughts vponupon a divine ground.
Walter Forbes