A Memorandum to London, Poem 5
A Petitionary Meditation on the behalf of F. S. The Authors much Honoured and Charitable, Friend then viſited by a Languiſhing Sickneſs.
In my contemplatings, VERSE, is to me
What DAVID's Harp, to him, was wont to be;
And, (on occaſions offered) unto GOD)
I, often, make Addreſſes, in this mode.
LORD, thou didſt raiſe me friends, when few or none
I had, whom I could much depend upon;
And, none of thoſe, had they not firſt been thine,
Could poſſibly have been a Friend of mine,
In ſuch a manner, or at ſuch a time
As when thy kindneſs did appear in them:
For, ſuch Reſpectiveneſs, to men that are
In my caſe is at this time, very rare.
Thereby, they worthily therefore, are grown
More precious for thy ſake, then for their own;
And, me to them it binds, in Bonds more ſtrong,
Then if their frindſhip, from themſelves had ſprung.
My GOD, to thee, for one of thoſe by whom
Thou haſt refreſhed me I now am come
To offer what my poverty affords;
Which (though it be no more then hearty words)
Be pleaſed to accept, for thoſe proceeds,
That were extended unto me in deeds;
And, thereunto, vouchſafe thou to impute
That vigour, which I cannot contribute;
Since, there is nothing in my beſt oblation ▪
Which of it ſelf, can merit acceptation.
On his behalf, whom thou to me haſt given,
I, here on earth, Petition thee in heaven,
Not for our own deſerts, but for his ſake,
Who did for all mankind atonement make)
That (if it ſhall be pleaſing unto thee)
His crazed health may now renewed be,
And, he continue by thy preſervation,
A faithful ſervant to this generation,
Till he thoſe works hath finiſh'd altogether,
For which thou principally ſentſt him hither;
And, till they who yet want him, leſs may miſs
His paſſage from them, to eternal Bliſs:
For, Life, and all that therewith is beſtown,
He had, as well for their ſakes, as his own.
Thy people thought themſelves oblig'd to plead
To Chriſt for him, who for them, had but made
A Synagogue: Elias thou didſt hear
For, her, by whom, refreſh'd his bowels were:
And, thou haſt promiſed an eaſie bed,
To them, by whom the hungry ſoul is fed;
Whereby I am incourag'd, and inclin'd,
To pray for him; who hath to me been kind,
With hope, it ſhall ſome good product beget
Both to thy glory, and his benefit.
For, thou haſt to the prayers of the poor,
An ear as open, now, as heretofore,
And grantſt the humble ſutes of faithful men,
Aſwell, as of thy greateſt Prophets, then.
To thee, I dare not abſolutely pray
For ought, belonging to the preſent day,
Save what that patern warrants, which hath taught
To whom, for what, and how to pray we ought.
When therefore LORD, my frailty ſhall incline
My will, to what repugnant is to thine,
(Though I ſhould ask it) let it be deny'd,
And, wants, according to thy will ſupply'd.
The objects, and the ſubjects, of my prayers
Are poſitively, nor hopes fears, or diſpaires,
Or paines, or pleaſures; neither joy nor greif;
No nor a temporary Death or Life,
(Though they concern my ſelf) except they fall
Within the verge of that Conditionall
With which thou bound'ſt them: For enough there is
Beſides that, grantable, unleſs amiſſe
We ask it. And ſoon'ſt, thou wilt that diſpence,
When Faith aſſaults thee with moſt violence.
Such things as thou haſt promis'd, we may crave;
Such things in their beſt ſeaſon, we ſhall have,
Though they are oft deferr'd, till we know better
How, by their uſe, to make the bleſſings greater:
Such things, I dare to ask, and perſevere
In asking them, untill vouchſafd they are;
And, ſuch things, ile now beg of thee, for him
Whoſe cauſe I plead: LORD, therefore grant thou them
Confirm him in that Love, whence all things had
Their Beings, when created things were made;
And, which at laſt, will knit up all in one
That was created, when the world begun.
Contentment give him, with what change ſoere
Thou ſhalt be pleas'd to exerciſe him here.
Preſerve him in the ſaving faith of CHRIST,
Which will ſecure the bleſſed intereſt
That, he to all men offers; and to none
Denieth, who, to lay faſt hold thereon
Not wilfully, and finally neglects,
Thou having cur'd his natural defects.
Grant him true ſelf-denyal: him befriend,
With conſtant perſeverance to the end
Of all his tryals: Every ſin forgive
Committed in the fleſh, whilſt he ſhall live.
Enable him, whilſt he hath time and place,
To make ſuch an improvement of thy grace
On him conferred, that, as day by day,
Sin ſprouts up, it may rooted be away.
In all, whereby the world, the fleſh, or Devil
May him aſſault, deliver him from evil,
And all diſtemperatures, that may begin
Either from things without him, or within.
Let theſe Petitions, for his Conſolation
Be ſanctified by CHRIST's Mediation,
And lie ſtill ſpread before thee, whilſt in life,
My Friend is ſenſible of pains and grief.
So far forth alſo, as that, which by me
Is pray'd for now, ſhall with thy will agree,
Let him with faith, in our Redeemers name
Both for himſelf and me, deſire the ſame.
And (to conclude this prayer) let all thoſe
By whom, thou haſt been pleaſed to diſpoſe▪
Thy manyfold Love-tokens unto me,
In all, here prayed for, partakers be
At ev'ry need; till thou tranſlatſt us thither
Where, all thine, ſhall with thee, live ſtill together.
Amen.
ERRATA.
PAge 3 l. 29. read perſecute. p. 8. l 31. r. perſever. p. 13. l. 15. r. war for fear p. 17. l. 1. r. our own p. 23. l. 1. r. ſo to p. 24. l. 4. r. their Fallacies p. 25. l. 13. r. harveſt time, & p. 40. l. 18. God, praiſe p. 46. l. 5. r. through, & for Reb. r. Rebels p. 50 l. 10. r. the, for there. p. 56. l. 13. thee for the p. 58. l. 30. r. on for in.
FINIS.
End of the text · George Wither, A Memorandum to London (1665)