Poetical Fragments, Poem 8 – Poem 10
8. The Prayer of the Sick, in a Caſe like Hezekiahs.
To the Tune of the 51 Pſalm.
The Firſt Part.
1.
ETernal God, whoſe name is Love;
Whoſe mercy is my hope and ſtay:
O hear and help me from above,
That in diſtreſs to thee do pray.
Aſhamed to lift up my face,
Hence from the duſt to thee I cry:
Though I have ſinn'd againſt thy Grace,
Yet unto it alone I fly.
2.
I was at firſt in ſin conceiv'd,
Then liv'd a vain and ſinful life:
Rebellious fleſh which I receiv'd
Is ſtill againſt thy Grace in ſtrife.
Long it was Lord, alas too long,
Before I knew my ſelf or thee:
Vanity rul'd my heart and tongue:
And O that yet my Soul were free!
3.
But while I ſinned thou waſt kind,
And ſent'ſt thy Word and Spirit of Grace;
Thy Light did change my darkened mind,
And ſhewed me my wretched caſe.
Though I drew back, thou didſt prevail;
And I gave up my ſelf to thee.
Thou undertook'ſt for wind and ſail;
Both Ship and Pilot thou would'ſt be.
4.
I turn'd my back on worldly toyes;
And ſet my face toward Glory's Shore;
Where thou haſt promis'd higheſt Joyes,
And Bleſſedneſs for evermore.
I took my leave of Sin and Earth;
What I had lov'd, I now did hate;
Aſhamed of my former birth,
I gave my Life a newer date.
5.
But ſince that time how am I toſt?
Afraid of every ſtorm and wave:
Almoſt concluding I am loſt,
As if thou would'ſt not help and ſave.
If I look out beyond thine Ark,
Nothing but raging Seas I ſee:
On this ſide Heav'ns all's deep and dark:
But I look further unto thee.
6.
Cenſures and ſcorns, and frowns I hear:
Storms which before I never found;
And yet all theſe I ſhould not fear,
If all at home were ſafe and ſound.
But thy diſpleaſure wounds my heart:
I have but two parts Fleſh and Soul:
Both of thy wrath do bear their part;
And thou haſt left me neither whole.
The Second Part.
7.
All this is juſt, Lord, I confeſs;
I ſtaid too long ere I came in:
And how ſhould healing grace do leſs,
When I brought with me ſo much ſin?
Much Pride and Vanity I kept:
Too oft my heart was looking back:
Though God ſtood by me, yet I ſlept:
Heav'n was at hand; yet I grew ſlack.
Spare Lord, and pity thy poor duſt!
That fled into thy Ark for Peace!
O cauſe my Soul on thee to truſt!
And do not my diſtreſs increaſe.
O keep up life and peace within!
If I muſt feel thy chaſtening Rod;
Yet kill not me, but kill my ſin;
And let me know, thou art My God.
9.
Folly dwelt in my childiſh breaſt;
Sin rob'd me of my youthful daies:
Let not thy wrath cut off the reſt,
And ſtifle thine intended praiſe.
Whilſt I forgot thee, thou didſt bear:
Thy kindneſs did invite me home:
O rack me not with grief and fear!
Kill me not Lord, now I am come.
10.
The ſilent Duſt ſpeaks not thy fame:
Nor in dark Graves art thou renown'd:
The living Saints declare thy Name,
And in thy Church thy Praiſes ſound.
Yet let me with thy houſhold dwell;
Though I be numbred with thy Poor:
And with thy Saints thy Wonders tell,
Although I ſit behind thy door.
11.
Set not thy ſtrength againſt frail man:
O turn not yet this fleſh to Clay!
My life, thou know'ſt, is but a ſpan,
If I ſhould ſee the longeſt day.
Break me not all to pieces Lord;
Or elſe, let each piece have a tongue,
To cry, till thou relief afford;
But not to ſay, Thou doſt me wrong.
12.
Pity this poor unworthy Soul,
That here devotes it ſelf to thee:
Reſolve my doubts; my fears controul;
And let me thy Salvation ſee.
O let that Love which gave me groans,
And taught my needy Soul to pray,
Remove my fears, and hear the moans
Which ſorrow breaths forth night and day.
The Third Part.
13.
Why art thou, fainting Soul, caſt down?
And thus diſquieted with fears?
Art thou not paſſing to thy Crown,
Through ſtorms of pain, and floods of tears?
Fear not, O thou of little Faith!
Art thou not in thy Saviour's hand?
Remember what his promiſe ſaith:
Life and Death are at his command.
14.
To him I did my ſelf entruſt,
When firſt I did for Heav'n imbark:
And he hath proved kind and juſt:
Still I am with him in his Ark.
Could'ſt thou expect to ſee no Seas?
Nor feel no toſſing wind or wave?
It is enough that from all theſe
Thy faithful Pilot will thee ſave.
15.
Lord let me not my Covenant break:
Once I did all to thee reſign:
Only the words of comfort ſpeak,
And tell my Soul that I am thine.
It's no Death when Souls hence depart,
If thou depart not from the Soul:
Fill with thy Love my fainting heart,
And I'll not fading fleſh condole.
16.
Health is but Sickneſs with thy frowns:
Life with thy wrath is worſe than Death:
My comforts thy diſpleaſure drowns,
And into groans tunes all my breath.
Where is that Faith, and Hope, and Love,
By which thou markeſt all thy Saints?
Thy Joyes would all my griefs remove,
And raiſe this heart that daily faints.
17.
Am I the Jonas? doſt thou mean
To caſt me out into the deep?
It ſhall not drown, but make me clean:
Until thou raiſe me, there I'll ſleep.
O Death! where is thy poiſonous ſting?
O Grave! where is thy Victory?
Thy duſt ſhall ſhortly riſe, and ſing
God's Praiſe above the Starry Sky.
18.
My God, my Love, my Hope, my Life!
Shall I be loth to ſee thy face?
As if this world of ſin and ſtrife,
Were for my Soul a better place?
O give my Soul ſome ſweet foretaſt
Of that which I ſhall ſhortly ſee!
Let Faith and Love cry to the laſt,
Come Lord, I truſt my ſelf with thee.
John 11. 14. or 16.
O let not unbelieving Thomas words
Be now my anſwer: But my deareſt Lord's.
Amen.
9. The Covenant and Confidence of Faith.
To the common Tunes.
1.
My whole, though broken heart, O Lord!
From henceforth ſhall be thine:
And here I do my Vow record:
This hand, theſe words are mine.
All that I have, without reſerve,
I offer here to thee:
Thy Will and Honour all ſhall ſerve,
That thou beſtow'dſt on me.
2.
All that exceptions ſave I loſe:
All that I loſe I ſave:
The treaſure of thy Love I chooſe;
And Thou art All I crave.
My God, thou haſt my heart and hand:
I all to thee reſign.
I'll ever to this Covenant ſtand,
Though fleſh hereat repine.
3.
I know that thou waſt willing firſt;
And then mad'ſt me conſent:
Having thus lov'd meat the worſt,
Thou wilt not now repent.
Now I have quit all Self-pretence,
Take charge of what's thine own!
My Life, my Health, and my Defence,
Now lie on thee alone.
4.
Now it belongs not to my care,
Whether I die or live:
To love and ſerve thee is my ſhare:
And this thy grace muſt give.
If life be long, I will be glad,
That I may long obey:
If ſhort; yet why ſhould I be ſad.
That ſhall have the ſame pay.
5.
If Death ſhall bruiſe this ſpringing ſeed,
Before it come to fruit;
The Will with thee goes for the Deed;
Thy life was in the root.
Long life is a long grief and toil,
And multiplieth faults:
In long wars he may have the foil,
That ſcapes in ſhort aſſaults.
6.
Would I long bear my heavy load?
And keep my ſorrows long?
Would I long ſin againſt my God?
And his dear mercy wrong?
How much is ſinful Fleſh my Foe,
That doth my ſoul pervert,
To linger here in ſin and woe,
And ſteals from God my heart?
7.
Chriſt leads me through no darker rooms,
Than he went through before:
He that into God's Kingdom comes,
Muſt enter by this Door.
Come Lord, when Grace hath made me meet,
Thy bleſſed Face to ſee:
For if thy work on Earth be ſweet,
What will thy Glory be?
8.
Then I ſhall end my ſad complaints,
And weary ſinful daies;
And joyn with the triumphant Saints,
That ſing Jehovah's Praiſe.
My Knowledge of that Life is ſmall;
The Eye of Faith is dim:
But it's enough that Chriſt knows all;
And I ſhall be with him.
This Covenant my Dear Wife in her former Sickneſs ſubſcribed with a cheerful will.
Joh. 12. 26.
10. A Pſalm of Praiſe.
To the Tune of the 148 Pſalm.
1.
YE holy Angels bright,
Which ſtand before God's Throne,
And dwell in glorious Light,
Praiſe ye the Lord each one.
You there ſo nigh
Are much more meet
Than we the feet,
For things ſo high.
2.
You bleſſed Souls at Reſt,
That ſee your Saviour's face,
Whoſe Glory, even the leaſt
Is far above our Grace;
God's Praiſes ſound,
As in his ſight,
With ſweet delight,
You do abound.
3.
All Nations of the Earth,
Extol the World's Great King:
With Melody and Mirth.
His glorious Praiſes ſing.
For he ſtill reigns;
And will bring low,
The proudeſt Foe,
That him diſdains.
4.
Sing forth Jehovah's Praiſe,
Ye Saints that on him call:
Magnifie him alwaies,
His holy Churches all:
In him rejoyce;
And there proclaim
His Holy Name,
With ſounding voice.
5.
My Soul, bear thou thy part:
Triumph in God above:
With a well-tuned heart,
Sing thou the Songs of Love.
Thou art his own,
Whoſe precious Blood
Shed for thy good,
His Love made known.
6.
He did in Loves begin,
Renewing thee by Grace;
Forgiving all thy ſin,
Shew'd thee his pleaſed face,
He did thee heal,
By his Son's Merit,
And by his Spirit,
For Glory Seal.
7.
In ſaddeſt thoughts and grief,
In ſickneſs, fears and pain,
I cry'd for his relief,
And it was not in vain.
He heard with ſpeed;
And ſtill I found
Mercy abound,
In time of need.
8.
Let not his Praiſes grow,
On proſperous heights alone:
But in the Vales below,
Let his great Love be known.
Let no diſtreſs,
Curb and controul,
My winged Soul,
And praiſe ſuppreſs.
9.
Let not the fear or ſmart,
Of his chaſtizing Rod,
Take off my fervent heart,
From praiſing my Dear God.
What ere I feel,
Still let me bring
This Offering,
And to him kneel.
10.
Though I loſe friends and wealth,
And bear reproach and ſhame;
Though I loſe eaſe and health,
Still let me praiſe God's Name.
That fear and pain,
Which would deſtroy
My Thanks and Joy,
Do thou reſtrain.
11.
Though humane help depart,
And fleſh draw near to duſt;
Let Faith keep up my heart,
To love God true and juſt:
And all my daies,
Let no diſeaſe
Cauſe me to ceaſe
His joyful Praiſe.
12.
Though ſin would make me doubt,
And fill my Soul with fears:
Though God ſeem to ſhut out,
My daily cries and tears:
By no ſuch froſt
Of ſad delayes,
Let thy ſweet Praiſe
Be nipt and loſt.
13.
Away diſtruſtful care!
I have thy Promiſe Lord.
To baniſh all Deſpair,
I have thy Oath and Word.
And therefore I
Shall ſee thy face,
And there thy grace,
Shall magnifie.
14.
Though Sin and Death conſpire,
To rob thee of thy Praiſe.
Still towards thee I'll aſpire,
And thou dull hearts canſt raiſe.
Open thy Door;
And when grim Death
Shall ſtop this Breath,
I'll praiſe thee more.
15.
With thy Triumphant Flock;
Then I ſhall numbered be,
Built on th' Eternal Rock,
His Glory we ſhall ſee.
The Heav'ns ſo high,
With Praiſe ſhall ring,
And all ſhall ſing
In Harmony.
16.
The Sun is but a Spark,
From the Eternal Light:
Its brighteſt beams are dark,
To that moſt glorious ſight:
There the whole Chore,
With one accord,
Shall praiſe the Lord
For evermore.