Zion in Distress, Poem 2
The AVTHOR's REQUEST.
I.
SOme things, great God, my Soul doth long to have,
Before theſe tranſient days of mine be o'er;
Which things in deep humility I crave,
Before I go from hence, and be no more.
Till my Requeſts I can of thee obtain,
I ſhall be fill'd with ſorrow, grief, and pain.
II.
Alas my Griefs are now increaſed double!
O that thou would'ſt be pleas'd to hear O Lord!
Then ſhould my Soul be free from inward trouble
If what I humbly ask thou would'ſt afford
Until thy grace allows me my Requeſt,
I cannot ceaſe, nor give thee any reſt.
III.
'Tis not for fading Riches of this World,
Nor empty Honour, that to thee I cry;
Such with a puff are oft to nothing hurld,
They get them Wings, and from Poſſeſſors fly.
All ſublunary things uncertain be;
I ask them not, ſome better things I ſee.
IV.
'Tis not for Pleaſures that are tranſitory,
Which fill vain Fancies with a fooliſh Joy;
But for ſome Glimpſes of Diviner Glory,
Which my tranſported Soul longs to enjoy.
Can Riches, Honours, fading Pleaſures give
The things I want, whilſt on the Earth I live?
V.
The things that I am longing to receive,
Moſt precious are; O let me humbly urge,
That thou thy preſence unto me would'ſt give,
My heart from ſin that thou wouldſt alſo purge.
Theſe are the things my never-ceaſing Cry
Petitions for; Lord grant them e'er I die.
VI.
Thy preſence does more conſolate my heart,
Then ſweeteſt Honey, or the Honey-Comb:
I will (with Mary) chuſe the better part:
'Tis Sin my Soul would be deliver'd from:
Then I thy Name in Songs will magnifie
And happy be, when e'er I come to die.
VII.
Let thy good Spirit be my bleſſed Guide,
And in thy Houſe let me for ever dwell;
From Goſpel-Truths O let me never ſlide,
Nor find my Conſcience like another Hell:
And I thy Name for evermore ſhall praiſe
And happy be when I ſhall end my Days.
VIII.
Lord whatſoever my Eſtate is here,
With ſweet Submiſſion let me be content,
When I'm moſt troubled, then be thou moſt near,
And never from me thy dear ſelf abſent:
This will my proſtrate Spirit highly raiſe,
And if I ſuffer, to thy Name be praiſe.
IX.
Teach me, I pray thee, that Celeſtial Skill,
My Days to number, as thy Saints have done;
Let me ſtill yield unto thy bleſſed Will,
And wait upon thee till my Glaſs be run:
So ſhall my Raptur'd Tongue thy praiſe proclaim
And ſing Hoſanna's to thy Glorious Name.
X.
O regulate my Tongue, and make me ſee,
How few my days are, and how ſhort their length,
Let all my Truſt be ſtill repos'd in thee;
Relax thy ſcourge, or add unto my ſtrength:
Be thou my way, my ſtrength, my light that I
May learn to live, and in thy favour die.
XI.
When hungry, let thy Manna be my meat;
When circled in the dark, enlighten me;
When I am weary, O! be thou my Seat;
And when impriſon'd, do thou ſet me free:
So fill'd, enlightned, after ſweet repoſe,
Enlarg'd from Bonds, I will thy praiſe diſcloſe.
XII.
In time of wrath, when fury waxes great,
Be thou my Bulwark and ſecureſt Tower;
To thy tranſcending Name let me retreat,
And be defended by thy mighty Power.
Secure me till thy Vengeance is paſt over,
That I thy Praiſes may to all diſcover.
XIII.
Let me with Patience run that bleſſed Race,
And From my weights, which very ſore have bin,
Be now ſet free, that with a ſwifter pace
I may the Prize of laſting Glory win.
Be thou my Guide, do thou direct my Path,
Lord give me Patience, & with Patience Faith.
XIV.
Thy Children are as (many) Members joyn'd
Which make one body, whoſe bleſt Head thou art,
O cauſe them with an undivided mind
And perfect Union, to have all one heart:
Then ſhall I hope to ſee a bleſt increaſe
Of sion's Glory, and of Iſrael's Peace.
XV.
Thy Children have in many things provok'd
Thee, but in Mercy paſs Offences by.
By Grace, O Lord, let Judgment be revok'd
That they may live thy Name to magnifie;
And I thy Goodneſs will proclaim to all,
And warning take, leſt I my ſelf do fall.
XVI.
Remember Sion in her aking grief,
She mourns, ſhe weeps, and is in inward pain,
Do thou in Mercy, ſend her ſuch relief
That ſhe (with cauſe) may never more complain;
Then (not till then) my ſorrows will be over,
And I thy goodneſs will to all diſcover.
XVII.
O let thy Goſpel through the Earth be ſpread!
Rome's black deſign, O let thy Grace prevent!
Permit not them to grow into a Head,
As they have purpos'd, with a full intent.
Then ſhall I (quickned by a holy Flame)
Aſcribe the Glory to thy Bleſſed Name.
XVIII.
I pray thee ſcatter our inraged Foes,
And baffle all who proudly have combin'd
Againſt thine Heritage, do thou expoſe
Them to be toſt as Chaff before the Wind;
Preſerve thy Flock from bloudy Babels hand,
Eſtabliſh Truth and Quiet in the Land.
XIX.
O God whoſe dreadful Judgments are ſevere,
And whoſe great Mercy's full of ſweet compaſſion
Destroy thy Churches Foes both far and near,
And grant to me the joy of thy Salvation;
Then will I ſpend the Remnant of my days.
In Pſalms of Thanks to thee, and Hymns of Praise.
XX.
Make haſt to judge the Perſecuting Whore,
Thy righteous Judgment quickly execute;
Let her ſo fall that ſhe may rise no more.
O Lord be pleas'd to grant my earneſt ſuit,
That I may ſee her fall before I die.
That I thy Name may therefore magnifie.
XXI.
O Lord, eſtabliſh thiee own intereſt,
And ſet thy Son upon his bleſſed Throne;
Destroy the Kingdom of the Scarlet Beaſt,
Let Chriſt his Foes to conquer now go on,
That on the Top of Sion I may ſing
Aloud, Hoſanna to the Higheſt King.
XXII.
What thou, O Lord, haſt to thy Sion told
Of Bleſſings that thou haſt for her in Store;
Them once fulfill'd, O let mine Eyes behold,
And then let me go hence and be no more
In this diſturbing World, but let me be
Tranſlated to a bleſt Eternity.
XXIII.
In all the courſe of my ſhort Pilgrimage,
Be thou my Load-Star, let my heedful Eye
Be fixt on thee, that when I leave the Stage,
I may be fitted and prepar'd to die;
That when this tranſitory life is o'er,
With Angels I may fing for evermore.
XXIV.
Whate'er of any Suit thou doſt deny,
Grant me True Faith, that I may ſtill believe
That through Chriſts Ranſom, when I come to dy
A Glorious Crown from thee I ſhall receive,
O Lord of Hosts, vouchſafe me my requeſt,
Let me enjoy but thee, and I will rest;
For having thee, all precious things I have,
And in the World there's nothing elſe I crave.