heauen to reare Touch thou my eies with faith wash me with grace In Sylo po◠〈◊〉 thy word which I embrace SON XXXIX HOw drunken are my humors all alasse With wine of vanitie and sensuall lust Which from one sin do to an other passe And after euill daily more do thurst Of force my faults for shame confesse I must My lauish vsage of thy graces sent My soules consent to action so vniust As death of Prophets teaching to repent Like Herod I about the matter went To please the follies of my flesh delight Incest'ous I to sin so much was bent That offred mercie pleased not my sight But Lord prepare my heart to see my sin That sorrow may away to mends begin SON XL. THough with thy Saints ô Lord I choise haue made To spend my daies in praising of thy name And in the studie of thy word to wade To feed my faith with portion of the same Yet can I not my choice so rightly frame Amidst the spatious fieldes where truth doth grow But whilst to gather healthfull hearbe I came A bitter bud I found of fearfull show Which threateth me with death and ouerthrow Vnto my soule which hungerly doth feed On sin the weed which Satan did bestow By poisoned tast thereof to pine in deed But Christ thy sonne by faith me helth shall bring Discharge the law and bruse this deadly sting SON XLI ACcording to the promise of thy word To giue the victorie ô Lord to those That fight thy battels with a faithfull sword Against the world flesh diuell and thy soes So seeke I Lord proud Ierico t'inclose Incouragde by thy graces from aboue My shoes of soule affects I pray thee lose Before on holy earth my path I moue Thy powerfull hand by praier let me proue Which daily seuen times I to thee direct Shake thou the walles of sin for my behoue And in this skirmish do thou me protect The frutes of flesh pride lust and error all So shall be wract sin shall not raise a wall SON XLII AMidst the graues of death these many a yeare My soule possessed with all sorts of sin Hath liu'd and held that frutefull place so deare That from the same no counsell could me win To beat my selfe my follies neuer lin No reason can with chaines binde so my will But to vnlose my lusts I do begin With helpe of furious feend who aides me still But since thy sonne appeareth me vntill I craue I may no more tormented bee Lest that my soule eternally he kill But from the force of Satan make me free These brutish sinnes in swine more fit to dwell Drowne in repentant seas of teares which swell SON XLIII IN deadly sleepe ô Lord sin hath me cast Wherein secure I lye and so remaine Raise me ô Lord out of this dreame at last And let me sight and light of heauen attaine The heauie humors which my iudgement staine And dazell so the reason of my minde Grant that they may their proper vse attaine And comfort in thy grace and promise finde All fleshly wisedome of it selfe is blinde Till thou by knowledge cleare their wandring sight Out of the snare of sin flesh cannot winde Vnlesse by faith they see thy sonne so bright Him let me still both see and eke admire And thee in him ô Lord I thee desire SON XLIIII MY wicked flesh ô Lord with sin full fraight Whose eye doth lust for euerie earthly thing By couetiâ—e allurde hath bit the baight That me to Satans seruitude will bring By violence I vertues right would wring Out of possession of the soule so weake Like vineyard which the wicked Acab king Possest by tyrants power which lawes do breake Let Prophets thine Lord to my soule so speake That in repentant sackcloth I may mone The murther of thy grace which I did wreake Whilst to my natiue strengh I trust alone And let my Sauiour so prolong my daies That henceforth I may turne from sinfull waies SON XLV IF thou vouchsafst Lord of thy goodnesse rare To sanctifie with holie presence thine The Cana marriage where thou doest not spare First miracle of water turnd to wine Then be thou present at this wedding mine Which twixt thy church and me by faith is ment To see the want in me thy eyes encline Whose wine of grace by wanton youth is spent But being toucht with view thereof repent And craue that water of earthes healthles well May issue forth from heart with sorrow rent And turnd to wine may so with grace excell That all that see and tast this change in me May grant this worke of thee alone to be SON XLVI SInce it hath pleased thee ô Lord to send Now in my barren age of hope and grace Repentant childe from ruine to defend My name and soule to liue before thy face Thy blessings I do thankfully embrace And in thy feare will frame his tender yeare The worldes regard in me shall haue no place If once thy word and will my heart do heare And when thou calst we both will then appeare Before thy Aulter in Moriath land To offer vp thy gift my sonne so deare Obedient childe to faithfull fathers hand Which sacrifice not worthie gift for thee With Christ my Sauior sufferings quit let bee SON XLVII OF euerie creature vncleane to fore Whereof thy holie people might not tast Thou didst present o Lord to Peter store Which were from heauen in sheet before him plast Which he at first refusde with mind most chast Not touching things polluted or defilde But afterward thy counsell he embrast And saw himselfe had bene before beguilde To thinke all sinners were for aye exilde From presence of thy mercies which abound Whom oft thou doest receiue as father milde If faith in Christ thy sonne in them be found By praiers faith by faith thy grace doth grow Cornelius blessing Lord on me bestow SON XLVIII HOw hard it is ô Lord for man to frame His minde corrupt to be preparde for thee With tongue vncleane to praise thy holie name With fleshly eies thy glorie for to see Homeward I bring thy blessings vnto me And make my soule their dwelling place to rest But so forgetfull of thy lawes we be That this my action Lord I see not blest Pride and contempt the waies haue so opprest That danger is the carriage ouerthrow Grant that thy grace to staie it may be prest That so my soule thy sauing health maâ—â—now Por to my flesh vnsanctified to trust Were aie to hasten death by iudgeâ—â—â—â— iust SON XLIX MY traitrous heart which long time hath rebeld Against thy spirit which should feed me still A secret counsell in it selfe hath held To contrarie thy knowne reuealed will Whose mutinie my sences so do fill With deeds repining to thy holie law That raging pride and lust lead me to ill Forgetting tokens of thy wrath they saw As Dathan and Abyram had no awe Of Moyses and of Aron thine elect But sought away
giue me grace to see and feare To pray in faith and thou thy hand forbeare SON XXVIII POlluted with the curelesse leprosie Of sin which is heriditarie now So lothsome growne that I dare not come nie Thy holy temple where my heart doth bow I craue ô Lord it please thee to allow The high Priest Christ thy sonne to view my sore Whose holy hand may guide and teach me how To cure this griefe it may returne no more I know ô Lord thou hast of mercy store And only thou doest pitie mans estate Which though my stubburne heart refusde before Repentance yet and faith comes not too late These sparrowes of repentance I present An offering through this worldly desert sent SON XXIX A Virgine pure ô Lord by birth I was The daughter of thy church adopt by grace But lothâ—ome lust foule feend did me alas Pursue and sought with me his dwelling place As many vertues as did seeke my grace By weddingâ— band to me to be vnight So many did this seend first night deface So oft I was depriu'd of my delight Seuen times a widow I with shame and spight Am left and liue now hopelesse of redresse Till thou with Raphaell send that medicine bright Of God to giue me grace sinne to suppresse Thy sonne my spouse shalbe who shall restore Tobias sight wealth comfort lost before SON XXX OF sinfull rase of mans licentious seed Whilst heauenly ofspring with faire humane kinde Do ioyne affects where wicked lusts do breed And so pollute the frutes of vertuous minde A bastard brood my selfe alas I finde Whose nature doth in tyrannie consist Of grace and reason growne so dull and blinde That I in wrong with stubburnesse persist Who seeing father Nature ere he wist A sleepe with sottish wine of worldly loue To hide his shame by wisedome had no list Which iustly curse of God on me did moue A slaue to sin therefore I did pursue Like Nymrod grace of God which now I rue SON XXXI AS oft as thou by grace wouldst draw me backe From sin whereto I am by nature thrall So oft alas I finde my will to lacke And power to follow thee when thou doest call From sin to sin I headlong thus do fall And quench repentance by a peruerse will I see my fall but haue no feare at all And to my vomit dog-like turne I still My frailtie doth thy wrathfull cup fulfill With flowing measure of reuenge and wo When I returne a litle backe from ill To wallow in the myre againe I go No power is in me Lord my life to mend Vnlesse thy hand from heau'n me comfort send SON XXXII FAine would I fence this feeble flesh of mine From Satans furie who me thus assailes Which doth besiege my soule and meanes to pine My conscience which my sin so sore bewailes His busie braine to win me neuer failes And leaues no stratagem at all vntride My fainting hope I know not what it ailes But it doth feare the battery to abide The safest way must be what ere betide To set a watch to looke vnto my waies Lest pride or lust or wrath do let him slide Into my heart which yet vnyeelded staies But like a theefe he stealeth me vpon Watch thou me Lord ech houre else I am gon SON XXXIII MY sinnes behold ô Lord are manifold Which do incamp my soule each houre about Still me intrenched with distrust they hold So that no frutes of faith can issue out Their fleshly champion is a soldiar stout Who is assist by world and Satans aide And foule affections readie are in rout To further force to lust but hardly staide The earthly treasures are with pleasure paide The hatefull Army which doth hast to hell My natiue power their passage not denaide Which makes their pride and peruerse wil to swell I see no way to helpe to shun decaie But on thy graces rescue Lord to staie SON XXXIIII THe greedinesse of this my corrupt minde Which tasteth not but of the earthly gaine And in thy glorie can no profit finde But seekes with symonie my soule to staine Makes me alas for carnall treasor vaine Like Elizeus seruant to desire A present of worldes pleasure mixt with paine As recompence of heauenly comforts hire I sorcerer like do also oft require Like marchandise thy graces for to buye Supposing morall vertues may aspire To saue my soule and sin to mortifie But lo I see soules leprosie herein And craue that praiers may my pardon win SON XXXV VOyd of true life and buried in the graue Of wicked flesh alas I long haue bin No earthly comfort can my conscience haue Which was corrupted with all lothsome sin My sister vertues to dispaire begin Of euer seeing once my lifes restore Ne is there any other way to win True life indeed which shall decay no more But prostrate Lord thy helpe for to implore And craue thy gratious presence at the last To aide the soule thy sonne hath lou'd before For time of grace with thee is neuer past Roll backe hard stonie heart bid him arise Who slaue to sin in earthly coffin lies SON XXXVI MY bodie Lord the house which hath bene long Possest with spirits to ruine of the same Which forst me forward vnto open wrong Of conscience by defacing of thy name Hath found some comfort since thy message came Vnto my soule which in thy word was sent Whose powerfull truth hath bound seeks to tame The furious lusts which to my ruine bent Graunt Lord from heart I may indeed repent And thereby chase these feends fro out of me Sweep cleane my house fro out of which they went And garnished with graces let it be Let puissant faith henceforth possesse the place Lest sin returne with legions of disgrace SON XXXVII AMidst this famine of Sarepta soile Where I a widow dwell poore and abiect Compeld by sin by sweat of browes to toile To gather stickes from cold me to protect Behold me Lord a caitiue thus neglect Whom sin hath banished thy blessed land Who yet in heart thy Prophets do affect And with thy church to life and death will stand I offer all my treasures here in hand That litle sparke of grace yet left behinde Increase it Lord vnto a great fire-brand Of faith which may a frutefull haruest finde My meale and Oyle ô Lord do thou encrease My selfe sonne shall praise thee so in pease SON XXXVIII BOrne blind I was through sinfull Adams fall And neuer since could see with carnall eies Ne know I where or how for helpe to call From out of sin to holie life to rise It pleased thee ô Lord that in this wise Thy power and glorie might to man appeare Who gracelesse groueling in earths darknesse lies And wants the eies of faith his soule to cheare But since thou sentst thy sonne my Sauiour deare To shine in light to those in darknesse weare To dvm the worldly wisedome seeming cleare And sinfull soules from hell to
piercing light of truth shall so bewray Ech stratagem their practise doth deuise Against my soule that there shall not arise One cloud of care to darken this my day But that my thoughts like to the Pilate wise Shall looke about lest that my heart should slide And by this sonne my course so constant guide That all their slightes shall not my soule disguise Which now espies The malice they me owe Which loÌ„g they clothd with shade of plesaÌ„t show SON III. WHen as my conscience layeth forth before My thoughts the sinnes which daily I commit I thinke my selfe an instrument vnfit To witnesse forth thy glory any more But when I see that sin was first the dore By which death entred and such hold did take That death did first our want apparant make And want first cause that man did ayd implore That praiers first thy mercies do awake That mercies do renue our dulled wit That ioyed heart should not vnthankfull sit And thanks to thee doth fleshly glory shake It straight doth slake The fear which bad me stay And bids me still proceed to praise and pray SON IIII. SInce to so holy vse I consecrate The silly talent Lord thou lentst to me That it a trumpe vnto thy praise might be And witnesse of their woe that thou doest hate Thou wilt ô Lord forget the abiect state Of flesh and bloud base mettle of my frame And since that thou hast sanctified the same Thou wilt giue grace my weaknesse to abate Thou that my former wandring will doest tame And me prepare in minde to honour thee Canst giue me gifts the which thereto agree How ere my proper power be weake and lame So shall thy name Be precious in my sight And in thy praise shall be my whole delight SON V. WOuld God I were as readie to confesse And yeeld thee praise sweet Sauiour day by day As for to craue my wants I'am forward ay And seruently at need I do thee presse To beg of thee alone thou wilt no lesse Because thou onely able art to giue And with each needfull thing by which we liue Thou promisest our prayers for to blesse But we with vse of them should not so stay And onely seeke to thee when need doth driue Whose blessings running through an open siue No praise for recompence vnto thee pay But when we pray We should thee laud also Our thankful harts with bountie thine should go SON VI. I Haue begun ô Lord to run the race Where flesh and bloud against the world must fight On heauenly kingdome gazing with my fight Where is appointed scope of resting place Wingd with the will of zeale of heauenly grace I do indeuor alwayes to proceed In constant course vnto the arke indeed Where in thy mercies I behold thy face A seruent faith it doth my courage feed And make my heauie limbs become more light When in thy sonne I see thy glorie bright The pledge vnto my soule that hope shall speed This blessed seed Thou hast Lord sowne in me And all the frutes shal to thee offred be SON VII WHere shall I finde fit words or proper phrase Wherewith to witnesse all the loue I owe Whose gratefull minde in thankfulnesse doth grow And to the world thy worthinesse would blase Vnfrutefully the greater sort do gase Vpon thy workes and blessings they receiue And carelesly thy honor they bereaue And suffer chance or wit thy same to rase Whilst vnacknowledged thy loue they leaue Forgetting all the gifts thou doest bestow Whose blinded nature so doth ouerflow That most vnkind to thee themselues they show But since I know By grace thy blessing great My pen thy praises alwaies shall repeat SON VIII THe more I seeke to dedicate my power In celebrating of thy honour great Whose throne is fixed in thy mercies seat The more my dutie groweth euerie hower Some times with Eagles sight aloft I tower And seeme to see the glorie of thy sonne But ere my willing wings haue scarse begunne To mount they drop with clog of heauie shower Vpon the hill of truth I footing wonne By faith which laboureth with feruent heat Of worthie praises thine for to intreat But ere I haue begune my worke is donne So farre I runne In seeking to begin I cannot write such maze my muse is in SON IX AS fareth with the man the which hath bin In perill but of late to haue bene drownd Though afterward he do recouer grownd Knowes not at first the safetie he is in So when I thinke vpon the flouds of sin Wherein I was neare drenched ouerhed What time all hope of comfort cleane was fled And I into despaire to sinke begin My fainting faith with feare euen well nigh dead My minde amazed it doth so confound That though thy mercies freely do abound In port of peace I am not free from dred But being led Fro out the perils sight I shall enioy more pleasure and delight SON X. SInce thou ô Lord hast giuen to me at last The victorie against the deadly foe Who like a lyon roaring still doth goe My soule poote Lot my kinsman deare to wast Since grace at length his pride hath now defast And by the hand off iâ—h he is subdude And that my strength by thee is so renude That his affections almost are displast Since thy high Priest with present me pursude Of bread and wine the which he did bestow And with the same the blessing gaue also Whence life whence libertie whence peace insâ—de I haue indude As proper vnto thee Thy church with tithe of faith thou gau'st to mee SON XI IF he to whom his Lord did but remit A silly debt was thankfull to him found And that the more the sinnes forgiuen abound The more he loues that pardond is of it Then sure it seemes it were good reason fit That I whose soule was sold to death and hell Whose sinnes in multitude did so excell With idle braine should not ingratefull sit But as thy flowing fauours daily swell So should my voice thy praises euer sound And since thou hast powrde oyle into my wound I should not spare thy mercies forth to tell And so as well as thou shalt giue me grace I will thee laud each season time and place SON XII NOw that I haue some safetie Lord attaind Fro out the laberinth wherein I was Since grace as guide therein to me did passe And loue was line with me my issue gaind Since that my wandring steps faith hath refraind And that thy word was Sybils braunch to mee Through hell and death away to let me see To Elizian fields where blisse for aye remaind I must not Lord so much vnthankfull bee To breake the vowes which once I made alas But I will show thy mercies in a glas That by thy words men may acknowledge thee The onely hee Hath any power to saue And raisd my soule fro out the verie graue SON XIII I Shame to see how large my promise are How slow
minde Which is not blinde Or too much obstinate Which later natures chiefly thou doest hate SON XXIIII WHilst I do studie fitly to begin To vtter forth some part of my intent Which to thy praise with zeale and loue is bent Far freeing me from due reward of sin I finde a laberinth that I am in Of many merits which do me inclose Which as this holie motion in me role Of diuerse subiects for to treat do win Among the rest my heart hath chiefly chose To giue thee thanks for comfort to me sent In staying me the wandring course I went And feeling faith with knowledge where And though I lose Therwith the world Yet will I ioy in hope of heauenly sight SOX. XXV SInce thou hast Lord vouchsaft to send me ayde By holie spirit thine in time of need As Philip to the Eunuch came in deed Which in my wandring iourny me hath stayde Since he hath taught me what thy Prophets sayde And what humilitie was in thy sonne Whose patience like a lambe hath freedom wonne Vnto my soule for which he raunsome payde I see no earthly things should stay vndone The duties which requirde of me I reed By faith vpon thy promises I feed And to thy Sacraments for strength I runne And thus begunne I will continue still To learne thy lawes and to obey thy will SON XXVI HOw can I limit well my tong or pen Within what bownds may I my selfe inclose Who such a theame to write vpon haue chose Whereon the more I muse more groweth it then It fares with me herein euen right as when A hastie mind forgetteth what to speake When stāmering words the perfect sence do breake And makes vs not be vnderstood of men Such worthie matter in my mind there growes So plentifull and I of skill so weake 〈◊〉 pleasing to me and so proper cake 〈…〉 choyse of them I iudgement lose 〈…〉 euen as those Want matter silent be 〈…〉 plentie of thy praise confoundeth me SON XXVII NOw that thy mercies do so much abound As thou vouchsafest Lord with me to dwell And glorious Arke of hope which doth excell Drawne home by hungry faith my heart hath found Since power thereof did sinfull Dagon wound And yet disdaineth not my humble state I freely open Lord my lowly gate Of lips and tong which may thy praises sound Thy blessings seeme to flow to me of late Since in my soule thy word I did embrace My zeale refreshed is with heauenly grace My comfort wealth that hell cannot rebate In such a rate Thy fauour I do finde As bindes me loue a father found so kinde SON XXVIII WHat should I render thee my Sauiour deare For all the gifts thou doest on me bestow Whose gratious measure so doth ouerflow As power of recompence cannot appeare I do imbrace thy gifts with ioyfull cheare And to thy alter speedily will runne To follow forth thy praise but new begunne Till all thy people may thy mercies heare Thy glorious image shineth in the sonne Thy loue to man did his obedience show His loue and mercy vnto man hath wonne The gifts of grace whence faith comfort grow Where through we know That we are thy elect And these our feeble frutes wilt not reiect SON XXIX THe powerfull pen the which records thy praise O Lord of life hath many volumes made Thy wondrous works each leafe doth ouerlade Which aye increase as growing are my dayes Vnsearchable indeed are all thy wayes In multitude thy numbers do exceed In glorie they do admiration breed Their goodnesse power of recompence denayes The hungry thou with plenteous hand doest feed Thy sauour to thy creatures doth not fade The more in view of all thy works I wade The more I finde my sence confound indeed But yet insteed of Eccho to thy fame I will giue thanks and laud vnto thy name SON XXX THis stately stage wherein we players stande To represent the part to vs assignde Was built by God that he might pleasure finde In beautie of the works of his owne band All creatures of the ayre the sea and land Are players at his appointment of some thing Which to the world a proper vse may bring And may not breake assigned bownds or band Some do in ioy still forth his praises sing Some mourne make their mone with heauy mind Some shew the frutes of nature weake and blind Some shew how grace base sin away doth fling God like a king Beholds Christ doth attire The plaiers with the shape their states require SON XXXI WHo so beholds with constant fixed eye The fauour and perfection of my choyce He cannot chuse but must in heart reioyce That mortall sight may heauenly blisse espie All earthly beautie he will straight defie As things too base to occupie his braine Whose fading pleasures so are payd with paine That they true tast of pleasure do denie But who so can this perfect sight attaine Cannot containe but yeeld with cheerfull voyce An eccho to the Angels heauenly noyse Who to his praise do singing still remaine They then are vaine Who fix their sight so low That such a glorious God they will not know SON XXXII O Heauenly beautie of loue the fountaine true Whose shining beames do penetrate my soule With such a zeale as former thoughts controll And drawes heart power and will thee to insue Thou mak'st my fainting sight for to renue And dazeling eyes new strength thus to attaine To whom alone perfection faire is due Thou mak'st earths bewtious shadow seeme but vain Thy works of glorie and of power remain Ingrauen in thankfull hearts which them inroll Thy loue and mercy made thee pay the toll Which to our dying soules true life did gain Thy loue doth wain My thoughts frō baser loue And mak'st my heart and mind to sore aboue SON XXXIII IF beautie be as men on earth suppose The comely shape and colours which agree In true proportion to the thing we see Which grace and fauour both do neuer lose If white and red be borrowed from the Rose If bright and shining to the sonne compar'd If high and straight to godlinesse w'award And beautie haue such base descriptions chose Then let the wise this beautie true regard Where all perfections in one subiect be Surpassing frute of the forbidden tree Which but to tast man suffred deaths reward Which is prepard And offred to our sight In Christ to loue and feed vs day and night SON XXXIIII HOw may this be that men of searching mind Whose curious eyes in beautie do delight The pleasing obiect of their fancies sight In outward shape and colour comfort find And yet the better beautie leaue behind Vnsought or vnregarded of at all Compard to which none can it beautie call Vnlesse a buzzard whom affections blind This earthly forme of flesh it is so small Of worth to charme the sence of noble spright As is a starre before faire Phoebus bright Whose glory doth their borrowed beauti ' apall
To whom forbidden skill did best appeare Neglecting graces him inclosing round But on the sound And written word I build Not Salomon such Oracles could yeeld SON XLVI HOw fond a thing it is which men do vse To beat their braines and so torment their hart In compassing the thing which breeds their smart And do not know what is the thing they chuse They childishly the name of loue abuse And would define the nature of the same By passions which belong to hatreds name Wherein to pine with pleasure they do chuse Who euer saw that figs on thorne tree came Or thistles roses beare by any art With pain with grief with shame with losse impart Their passions which they for their loue do frame With iudgement lame Loue is a heauenly thing Where being plast it perfect loue doth bring SON XLVII LEt earthly things in earth their loue repose For flesh and bloud on faith they cannot feed It is a frute indeed of heauenly seed Which who disgesteth well life cannot lose The soule fro out of other matter growes And vnto other matter turnes againe Immortally to liue in ioy or paine As grace to sundry vses it hath chose Then is it time my thoughts at length to waine For laying vp my treasure for my need Where mothes and canker do so common breed As in the world whose wealth is meerly vaine If I attaine But faith layd vp in store In Christ my Sauiour I desire no more SON XLVIII FYe fainting faith disswade me not so much From following of my louely heauenly choyce To thinke on whom I can sot but reioyce Whose name or memorie â—y heart doth touch What trauell ere befall I will not grutch Through fire and water I will him pursue Whose sight my fainting soule doth straight renue His loue and mercy both to me are such If I should dye for him it were but due By him I liue and follow will his voyce Regarding lightly fame or common noyse Which threaten paine and trauell to insue There are but few That passe the narrow way But crowne of honor doth their trauell pay SON XLIX I Finde my heart is bent for to amend And follow thee forsaking wonted way From wickednesse my footsteps for to stay And to thy will my works henceforth to bend But yet the cause which makes me this intend I finde is rather feare then loue of right Yet free-will offrings do thee more delight And to such works thou doest thy blessing send It is not ill to set before my sight Thy heauie plagues for sin from day to day But I had rather forth thy fauour lay And for their loue in quarrell thine to sight Which if I might By feruent zeale attaine Then should I hope the victorie to gaine SON L. NO sooner loue intirely me possest But see how iealousie doth me assaile She seekes with deepe distrust my faith to quaile And to remoue from conscience quiet guest She telleth me my Lord doth sin detest And that my deeds they too vnworthie are That from his fauour they will me debarre Whose loue is fixed only on the best Feare had begun to worke in me so farre That to amaze my minde it could not faile Till to my loue my state I did bewaile Who shining sweetly like the morning starre Did stay their iarre And bid my soule to rest In Christ by whom I surely shall be blest SON LI. HE is vnworthie to receiue a gift From any man that him mistrusts before I will not ought of thee Lord doubt therefore Although no reason can my hope vplift I know in deed it is flye Satans drift To laie before me this my vilde estate Which being sinfull thou of force must hate And I reiected be without all shift But when I with my selfe thy works debate Which haue examples of thy mercies store His reasons are of force with me no more Because that faith sets open wide the gate To me of late Which leades to treasure thine Where in thy sonne thou doest in mercy shine SON LII FAine would I follow thee through sea and land My louely Sauiour whom farre off I see Zeale makes my mind with speed to hast to thee But natiue weaknesse makes me doubtfull stand If to my ayde thou gau'st not forth thy hand And by thy word incouragde me to row I should so shun affections which do flow That feare should bend my faith like feeble wand But by thy offred grace now strong I grow And through the troubles of the world will be Bold to proceed and faith shall succour me To witnesse forth the thankfulnesse I owe Thou doest bestow On me both power will And with them both I will thee honour still SON LIII AS do the starres amidst the firmament With borrowed light beare reccord vnto thee O Lord of might in which we men do see The image of thy power to them but lent So when our weake indeuors Lord are bent To publish forth thy praises which excell These silly sparkes of light which in vs dwell Do shew thy grace which vs this motion sent Although therefore no speech or toong can tell How infinit thy glory ought to bee Which passeth humane sence by high degree As wisest men to grant they do compell Yet thou lik'st well We show herein our will Which I haue vowd vnto thy seruice still SON LIIII CAll me ô Lord for lo I do attend To follow thee where so thou doest direct I know thou wilt not my intent reiect Who gladly would proceed where so thou send I doubtfull stand which way my course to bend Because I finde such ignorance of skill To follow forth according to my will A frutefull course the which I did intend As thou with forward zeale my mind didst fill So shew me Lord whereto I am select And I shall carefully the same effect And feruently thereto go forward still Depend I will Vpon occasion fit That faithfully I may accomplish it SON LV. LIke silly babes such must thy seruants bee In innocencie and obedience still Vnto thy holy lawes ô Lord and will From wrath pride malice lust and enuy free With Serpents eyes of wisedome must they see And stop their eares which Sathan would deceiue With charmes of pleasure which a scar do leaue And lend obedient care onely to thee Yet with simplicitie of done receaue The yoke of law whose rule they must fulfill And suffer patiently the word to kill The force of sin which would soules health bereaue Such thou wilt heaue And hold in heauenly arme And with protecting hand defend from harme SON LVI WHo so could like to Steu'n behold and see The throne triumphant where our Sauior fits In Maiestie aloft as best him fits A Iudge and Sauior to his Saints to be CoeÌ„quall with his father in degree Possessor of the place for vs prepard Who readie stands our weake works to reward And from the fury of the world to free He were but base if ought he did
But when I do consider thou hast sent Thy sonne himselfe for to supply our place Whose patience did the death on crosse imbrace Those to acquite who did with faith assent All speeches spent Seeme then to me in vaine And only I admyring do remaine SON LXVIII I Haue bene blind and yet I thought I saw And now I see yet feare that I am blind No blindnesse like to that is of the mind Which doth the soule to deadly danger draw My carelesse steps did stumble at a straw And yet supposd my walke had bene so ware That to haue err'd had bene a matter rare When euery thought did violate thy law But since to search my selfe I do prepare So darke of sight my soule and sence I find That if thy Christ my loue were not more kind Eternall death I see should be my share But now I dare In spight of wicked foe A better course with constant courage goe SON LXIX WHy should he faint or thinke his burden great That hath a partner to support the same Why coward-like should he his honor shame That hath a champion readie at intreat Who can and doth death and confusion threat To all impediments which stop our way On whom repose our trust we boldly may He being iudge and plast in mercies seat He sees our thoughts and knows what we would say He doth our mouthes to fit petitions frame He hides our errors if our faith be lame And he himselfe doth also for vs pray We need but stay And trust to his good will And we are sure he will our want fulfill SON LXX ALthough the world do seek to stop my way By many stumbling blocks of feare and doubt And bid me seeke a farther way about And on the staffe of carnall strength to stay Though sin though hell though death do me denay That any power shall bridle their intent But would compell me walke as worldlings went The hedlong path of pleasure to decay Yet will I not this purpose mine repent So long as faith will be my souldier stout To ouerthrow this fearfull thronging rout Whom to subdue this grace was to me sent Ne shall be spent In vaine this paine of mine Hope against hope shall win the field in fine SON LXXI IT were vnfit a concubine to keepe Or that her children should possession haue Among the frutes which lawfull wedding gaue By vertuous spowse which in the soule doth sleepe And yet behold how shamefully do creepe Into possession of my power and will These thoughts and works which motions are to ill And trench themselues in fleshly fortresse deepe Whose base societie will with vices fill The holy brood which grace would spotlesse saue In such a doubt my yong affections waue That they consent I should them foster still But that would spill More vertuous heritage Therefore exilde these be though hell do rage SON LXXII SOmetimes my nature seemeth to repine To see the pleasure and the plenteous store The wicked do enioy for euermore Abounding in their corne their oyle and wine But when I see my weaknesse so encline To the abuse of portion I possesse My heart with ioy full often doth confesse Thy loue doth much in earthly scarstie shine These thing are good and bad as thou doest blesse Which I dare not directly craue therefore Such danger followes them euen at the dore That plentie lightly doth the soule oppresse And as I guesse Contentednesse doth grow In gratefull mind though state be neare so low SON LXXIII IF he vnworthie be the sweet to tast That shuns the sower as we in prouerbe say To honor pleasure profit in the way Great perill paine and cost so often plast If as vnworthie health he be disgrast That will refuse a bitter purge to take When he doth know it wiâ—l his feauer slake So do temptations proue the mind more chast If we with courage do the combat make And to the end immoueable do stay The more that Satan doth his spight display The more the pride and power of him we shake And he will quake And sin shall haue a fall And faith in Christ shall triumph ouer all SON LXXIIII TO shun the rocks of dangers which appeare Amidst the troubled waues of worldly life Which in each company are alwaies rife Which with soules perill most men buy full deare I feare almost to keep my course so neare The conuersation of such tickle tides And thinke him blest that banished abides In desert where of sin he may not heare But when I note where so a man him hides That still affections breed an inward strife That nature beares about the bloudie knife And to the death the proper soule it guides That fancie slides Away and I prepare In combats of the world to fight my share SON LXXV WEre it not straunge that members of the same One liuing bodie and one parents childe Should by the other daily be defilde And of vnseemly thing should haue no shame And yet we which of Christ do beare the name And children of his father vs do call At discord with this parent daily fall And Christ our eldest brother do defame It seemeth well we be but bastards all Though stock be true we be but Oliues wilde Who thinks vs better he is but beguilde Our frutes are bitter and increase but small And who so shall Examine well his works Shall see that gall in purest thoughts there lurks SON LXXVI IT is no light or curious conceipt O Lord thou knowest that maketh me to straine My feeble powers which blindfold did remaine Vpon thy seruice now at length to waight But only shame to see mans nature fraight So full of pregnant speech to litle vse Or rather oftentimes to thy abuse Whilst to deceiue they laie a golden baight And do not rather thinke it fit to chuse By praises thine true praise themselues to gaine And leaue those fond inuentions which do staine Their name and cause them better works refuse Which doth abuse The gifts thou doest bestow And oftentimes thy high contempt do show SON LXXVII FOr common matter common speech may serue But for this theame both wit and words do want For he that heauen and earth and all did plant The frutes of all he iustly doth deserue No maruell then though oft my pen do swarue In middle of the matter I intend Since oft so high my thoughts seeke to ascend As want of wisedome makes my will to starue But thou ô Lord who clouen tongs didst send Vnto thy seruants when their skills were scant And such a zeale vnto thy praise that brant As made them fearelesse speake and neuer bend Vnto the end One iot from thy behest Shall guide my stile as fits thy glory best SON LXXVIII HOw happily my riches haue I found Which I no sooner sought but it is wonne Which to attaine my will had scarce begunne But I did finde it readie to abound The silly faith I had was setled sound In Christ although