Divine Poems, Poem 1 – Poem 2
A Metrical Paraphraſe Upon the CREED.
SInce it befits, that I account ſhould give
What way unto Salvation I believe;
Of my profeſſion here the ſum I gather.
Firſt, I confeſs a Faith in God the Father:
In God, who (without Helper or Partaker)
Was of himſelf the Worlds Almighty Maker,
And firſt gave Time his being: who gave birth
To all the Creatures, both of Heaven and Earth.
Our everlaſting welfare doth conſiſt
In his great mercies, and in Ieſus Chriſt;
(The ſecond perſon of that Three in one)
The Father's equal, and his only Son;
That ever-bleſſed, and incarnate Word,
Which our Redeemer is, our life, Our Lord
For when by Sathans guile we were deceived,
Chriſt was that means of help, which was conceived;
Yea, (when we were in danger to be loſt)
Conceived for us, by the Holy Ghoſt.
And that we might not ever be forlorn,
For our eternal ſafety he was Born?
Born as a Man (that Man might not miſcarry)
Even of the ſubſtance of the Uirgin Mary,
And loe, a greater mercy, and a wonder;
He that can make All ſuffer, ſuffered under
The Jewiſh ſpite (which all the world revile at)
And Cruel tyrannies of Pontius Pilate.
In him do I believe, who was envied,
Who with extreameſt hate was Crucified:
Who being life it ſelf (to make aſſured
Our ſouls of ſafety) was both dead, and buried:
And that no ſervile fear in us might dwell,
To conquer, He deſcended into Hell:
Where no infernal Power had power to lay
Command upon him; but on the third day
The force of Death and Hell he did conſtrain,
And ſo in Triumph, He aroſe again.
Yea, the Almighty power advanc'd his head,
Aſwel above all things, as from the dead.
Then, that from thence gifts might o men be given,
With glory, He aſcended into Heaven:
Where, that ſupream and everlaſting throne,
Which was prepar'd, he clim'd; aid ſitteth on
That bleſſed feat, where he ſhall make abode
To plead for us, at the right hand of God
And no where ſhould he be enthroned rather,
Than there: for he is God, as is the Father
And therefore, with an equal love delight I
To praiſe and ſerve them both, as one Almighty:
Yet in their office there's a difference.
And I believe, that Jeſus Chriſt, from thence,
Shall in the great and univerſal doom,
Return, and that with Angels He ſhall come,
To queſtion ſuch as at his Empire grudge;
Even thoſe who have preſumed him to judge
And that black day ſhall be ſo Catholick,
As I believe not only that the quick
To that aſſiſe ſhall all be ſummoned,
But, he will both adjudge them, and the dead.
Moreover, in the Godhead I conceive
Another Perſon in whom I believe:
For all my hope of bleſſedneſs were loſt,
If I believ'd not it the Holy Ghoſt.
And though vain Schiſmaticks through pride and folly
Contemn her power, I do believe the holy
Chaſt Spouſe of Chriſt (for whom ſo many ſearch
By marks uncertain) the true Catholick Church.
I do believe (God keep us in this union,)
That there ſhall be forever the Communion
Of Gods Elect: and that he ſtill acquaints
His Children in the fellowſhip of Saints.
Though damned be Mans natural condition,
By grace in Chriſt I look for the remiſsion
Of all my foul miſdeeds; for there begins
Deaths end, which is the puniſhment of ſins.
Moreover, I the Sadduces infection
Abhor, and do believe the Reſurrection:
Yea, though I turn to duſt, yet through God, I
Expect a glorious riſing of the body,
And that, exempted from the cares here rife,
I ſhall enjoy perfection and the life
That is not ſubject unto change or waſting,
But ever-bleſſed, and for ever-laſting.
This is my Faith, which that it fail not when
It moſt ſhould ſteed me, let God ſay, Amen.
To whom, that he ſo much vouchſafe we may,
Thus as a member of his Church, I pray.
A Metrical Paraphraſe Upon the LORD'S PRAYER.
LOrd, at thy Mercy-ſeat, our ſelves we gather,
To do our duties unto thee, Our Father.
To whom all praiſe, all honour, ſhould be given:
For, thou art that great God which art in Heaven.
Thou by thy wiſdom rul'ſt the worlds whole frame,
For ever, therefore, Hallowed be thy Name.
Let never more delayes divide us from
Thy glories view, but let Thy Kingdom come.
Let thy commands oppoſed be by none,
But thy good pleaſure, and Thy will done.
And let our promptneſs to obey, be even
The very ſame in earth, as 'tis in heaven.
Then, for our ſelves, O Lord, we alſo pray,
Thou wouldſt be pleaſed to Give us this day,
That food of life wherewith our ſouls are fed,
Contented raiment, and our daily bread.
With needful thing do thou relieve us:
And, of thy mercy, pitty And forgive us
All our miſdeeds, in him whom thou didſt pleaſe,
To take in offering for our treſpaſſes.
And for as much, O Lord, as we believe,
Thou ſo wilt pardon us, as we forgive;
Let that love teach us, wherewith thou acquaints us,
To pardon all them, that treſpaſs againſt us.
And though ſometime thou find'ſt we have forgot
This Love, or thee, yet help, And lead us not
Through Soul or bodies want, to deſperation
Nor let abundance drive, into temptation.See Pro. 30. 8, 9.
Let not the ſoul of any true Believer,
Fall in the time of tryal: But deliver
Yea, ſave him from the malice of the Devil,
And both in life and death keep us from evil.
Thus pray we Lord: And but of thee from whom
Can this be had! For thine is the Kingdom.
The world is of thy works the graven ſtory,
To thee belongs the power, and the glory.
And this thy happineſs hath ending never:
But ſhall remain for ever, and for ever.
This we confeſs; and will confeſs agen,
Till we ſhall ſay eternally, Amen.
Thou ſhalt write them upon the poſts of thy houſe, and upon thy Gates,
Deut. 6. 9.
FINIS.
End of the text · George Wither, Divine Poems (1688)