gone Then since thou cal'st with faith do thou me cloth A lame blind begger Lord do thou not loth SON VI. IN pride of youth when as vnbridled lust Did force me forth my follies to bewray I challenged as patrimony iust Each vaine affection leading to decay And trusting to that treasure post away I wandred in the worlds alluring sight Not reason vertue shame or feare could stay My appetite from tasting each delite Till want and wearinesse began me bite And so perforce to father I retire To whom I prostrate kneele vnworthie wight To name of sonne not daring to aspire Receiue me yet sweet sauiour of thy grace Poore penitent into a seruants place SON VII LAme of my limmes and sencelesse of my state Neere fortie yeares Lord haue I groueling line Before Bethesda poole yet still too late To wash me in the fountaine I encline Whence health wold come when Angel giues the sine If any one to aide me readie were But helplesse thus I readie am to pine My selfe vnable duly vp to reare Vouchsafe thou then me to this bath to beare By the assistance of thy heauenly grace Let not the force of foule affects me feare To prease forth first when Christ appeares in place Who is the fountaine Angell and the man That bath that blisse that cure my senses can SON VIII THy thundring voice and Angell Lord of long Hath cald my soule from slumber where it laie The harmony of heauenly musickes song Hath made my wandring feete at last to staie Direct thou me also the readie way Vnto thy church that in thy holy place Thy word and law I may in heart â—bay And worship thee before thy peoples face Grant me I say such measure of thy grace That greedily by faith I swallow vp The booke of truth and so thy word imbrace That frutefully I taste saluations cup. Thou who doest rule the earth the sea and land In my defence with power and glory stand SON IX AMong thy sheepe ô Lord I seemd to feed By Sacraments receiu'd into thy flocke By preached word I watred was indeed And works with fleece did seeme inritch my stocke But at my doore true faith did neuer knocke Which should be shepheard of my soules defence But thiefelike fond affections reason mocke And by the window of my wilfull sence Do enter to my heart and steale from thence Each motion of amendment which doth rise And shepheardlesse of grace transported hence By Sathan rauening woolfe in fearefull wise I call to thee sweet Sauiour shepheard true Teach me to know thy voice and thee insue SON X. BEhold ô Lord the Citie thou hast built Ierusalem this fleshly frame of mine By sin Assyrians sword is almost spilt And like to yeeld to Rabsake in fine Yet lo alas my soule doth much repine To see proud Satan so blaspheme thy name To threaten ruine to this temple thine Since thou art praysd and honord in the same Thou able art the rage of lust to tame The force of pride and furie to subdue Against Senacherib thy Angell came And all his host in one night ouerthrew So let thy holie spirit me defend And to my plaints and praiers comfort send SON XI SInce with Goliah I am now to fight And lacke the flight of holie Dauids sling Arme thou me Lord with heauenly armor bright Which power of flesh world to foile may bring Thy righteous brestplate gird on me with truth Prepare my feete with Gospel of thy peace The shield of faith which firie dartes beare forth Of wicked Satan whose assaults not sease The helmet of saluation and the sword Of spirit which is founded on thy law All these my praiers are that thou afford To make me stedfast spight of lyons claw Who roaring daily seekes as wished pray My silly soule from thee to take away SON XII NOw that thou hast prepard me to confesse Thy seruice Lord the which I vndertake I thee beseech my purpose so to blesse That I a good account to thee may make A Nazarit I am who do forsake The delicacies of the worlds delight Whose thirst thy purest fountaine still shall slake With faith and truth the which with sin shall fight I will not tast the wine of Satans slight Which doth confound all reason and all sence My vow shall be to serue thee day and night And trust in thee shall be my true defence Till death dissolue this promise made to thee Whose strength herein thy heauenly graces be SON XIII I Seeke ô Lord to shew thy powrefull hand Which hath conuerted this my sinfull hart Into a rod of strength which still might stand Strong in thy truth who powrefull onely art But Iamnes pride and Iambres lustfull hart By slight imposture of slie Satans might Two Serpents frame which will not thence depart But seeke against thy powrefull hand to fight But let my faith their fury put to flight And vertue thine deuour these imps of sin Let not these fleshly frutes appeare in sight Of truth which only can the conquest win Let faith shew forth the finger of thy hand And cleane consume ech power doth it withstand SON XIIII BEhold ô Lord a tree by high way side Vnfrutefull yet of any foode for thee In high way side as yet I do abide Where passers to Ierusalem I see Though sommer grow I cannot frutefull be Vnplanted by thy grace in garden thine I do confesse I am a wild fig tree For want of moisture which am like to pine Vnto my praiers Lord do thou incline Remoue me home into thy garden faire Let me behold the face of thy sunne shine Which may my withered leaues with life repaire So maist thou tast a frute of wholesome kinde And leaue a marke of mercy great behinde SON XV. Within thy garden Lord I planted was And watred well with thy most carefull hand But yet vnfrutefull I remaind alas And these thy blessings did not vnderstand In vaine I did employ possessed land Ten times three yeares thy seruants did replant My stocke and sought to bend my crooked wand And did supply ech aide I seem'd to want At length my frutes which daily grew more scant Wild thee resolue to haue me weeded out My foule affections were with folly brant My roote of faith was shakt with feare and doubt And lo I pine sweet Sauiour water me Paul and Appollos worke else lost will be SON XVI A Wicked Pharisie I long haue bene Whom sight of mercies thine allure to thee A shamed Lord of my faire clothed sinne In secret uight I seeke thy face to see That thou art God thy workes reueale to me That thou art mine thy sonne doth me assure Vouchsafe that I regenerate may be And that my praiers pardon may procure Purge by thy sprite and faith faire fountaine pure The senses dull that cannot vnderstand The heauenly birth which shall in blisse endure Not subiect vnto Satans sinfull band And with thy sonne let worldes affections die My
I no more offending health insue Thy vertue Lord which bidding me be cleane To yeeld me health of soule is readie meane SON LXI NOw that I see ô Lord my open shame Conuict of sin and voyd of clothing pure Which couer might my soule which naked came Of grace and me from storme of world assure I do mistrust my selfe long to endure The heate and cold which feare and frailtie bring And clothing of my owne workes to procure I finde in deed to be a frutelesse thing To hide my selfe vnder thy mercies wing I therefore hasten now in hope of grace Grant I beseech the world no more me wring Out of thy handes but let me see thy face With faith and comfort clothed by thy hand And Christ thy sonne in my defence to stand SON LXII WHilst that the chosen chieftaines of thy word Do bend their power by preaching to subdue The fleshly Canaan and put sin to sword And giue the soule to be possest a new With righteous Israel vnto whom of due Those earthly blessings rather do pertaine They send two spies my secret thoughts to vew The law and Gospell which discouer plaine My fainting force in feare for to remaine Where yet repentant Rahab readie is To lodge them safe whilst Satan seekes in vaine To slaie these messengers of heauenly blis I craue therefore sweet Sauiour for a sine Faith bearing frutes as pledge of safetie mine SON LXIII HOw oft ô Lord with more then tender care Hast thou by Prophets cald me to repent How great thy loue by sonne which didst not spare To staie me backe from hell whereto I went Who to that end from heauen to earth was sent Whose graces daily preached offred peace And sought to stop my course to ruine bent And me from guilt of death for to release Like as the henne whose voice doth neuer cease To clocke her chickens close vnder her wings When furious soules on silly pray do prease And would deuour alas the helplesse things O Lord thy care I feele and loue of me That thrall to Satan wouldst not haue me be SON LXIIII. WHilst with the wholesome food of heauenly truth The Manna which thy written word doth giue Thou soughts ô Lord to feed my wandring youth That it in plenteous peace by grace might liue By lust to Satan sought my soule to giue To breake obedient bandes vnto thy law Which my offences I protest do grieue My helplesse heart the which delight did draw The memory of Egypts store I saw Of vanities which carnall senses feed And wisht at length to fill againe my maw With dishes such as to destruction lead Thou in thy wrath with quailes didst cloy me so That plagu'd with sin my error now I know SON LXV SInce thou hast raysd my poore abiected spright From threshing floore where captiue I did stand And callest me thy battels for to fight Gainst sin the Madianite which wasts thy land Giue me a token by thy mightie hand O Lord whereby my faith may be assurde And be to me a pledge of former band That victorie by me shall be procurde Let heauenly dew by praier be allurde To moysten this my freewill fleece of wooll Then dry the dregs thereof to sin inurde Whose heauy waight makes grace and vertue dull And offring mine of praiers to thy name Accâ—â—t and with a holy zeale inflame SON LXVI WHilst that in wealth and ease I did possesse The Empire of thy many blessings sent I tooke in hand poore vertue to suppresse And pride with lust my powers they wholly bent To conquere reason which thy grace had lent And quite forgetting worlds late floud for sin To build a tower of trust wherein I spent The strength of flesh bloud high heauen to win As though in natures strength the force had bin To shield themselues from floud or heauenly fire But now confusion iust my soule is in Makes labouring flesh from folly such retire And craues alone within thy church to dwell Whose wals of faith truth may death expell SON LXVII THe Temple Lord of this my bodie base Where thou vouchsafdst to place my soule to dwell And promisest to make thy chosen place Whence sacrifice of praises thou wouldst smell Behold against thy lawes doth now rebell By worldly vanities thereto allurde Where couetise and pride their packe doth sell. At such a price as flesh and sin affoord But since ô Lord thy promise hath assurde My soule that thou art alwaies prest to heare The plaints of penitents which hath procurde Thy sonne himselfe in temple this t'appeare Whip forth fling down this worldly wicked pack Fro out my soule repell thou satan back SON LXVIII WIthin thy house this bodie base of mine It pleased thee ô Lord my soule to plant A steward of the gifts the which were thine And nature fild with measure nothing scant Of bodie or of mind no blessings want And fortunes fauours sharde with me no lesse In such proportion Lord I needs must grant As thou doest giue when thou doest vse to blesse But wantonly I wasted I confesse Thy treasure put into my hands of trust And now alas though late I seeke redresse Wise steward like to liue when dye I must I cast my count by Christ my debt to paie And frutes of faith from hell my soule shall staie SON LXIX NOw that it pleaseth thee Lord of thy grace To plucke me forth of sinfull Sodoms lake Where I haue dwelt alas this life long space Since I of holie Abram leaue did take Vouchsafe I pray thee for thy mercies sake To graunt thy church be refuge for my life The Zoar where I may my dwelling make Safe from reuenging Angels bloudie knife And though the frailtie of Lots lingering wife Lookt back with loue on sinfull worlds delight Which common weaknesse to all flesh is rife Yet keepe me constant by thy heauenly might And let me not grow drunke with blessings thine To procreate sin on lustfull daughters mine SON LXX WHilst in this worldly wildernesse about For want of faith I backe am forst to go Affraid of sinnes which Giant-like are stout And soule affections which like cruell foe Of Esawes race their might and power bestow To stop my passage to the promist land I gin to saint and to repine also Against the power of thy most mightie hand For which the Serpent Satan now doth stand In readinesse my silly soule to sting And close me vp in deaths eternall band Vnlesse to me thy mercie succour bring That brasen Serpent Christ nayld on the tree Whose sight by faith alone is cure to mee SON LXXI WHat am I else Lord but a sinfull wretch In sin and in iniquitie begot In conscience guiltie of the common breach Of euerie law that may my honor spot Thy blessing giu'n me I regarded not Thy threatned iugdements I did not esteeme My vowes to thee I wholly haue forgot My sinnes no sinnes to hardned heart do seeme Like to my selfe I
was induced for that I find manie oftentimes speciallie such as had most neede to praie and meditate to reade bookes rather for the affection of words then liking of matter and perhaps more to controll the compiling then commend the contents such yet so as they read shall giue me all that I craue and find I hope that they looked not for if not in all yet in some among manie of these Sonnets As for the apt nature of Poetrie to delight to contriue significatâ—â—â—ly in fewe words much matter to pearce and penetrate â—â—â—ections of men with the aptnesse thereof for helpe of â—eâ—orie I will not saie much but for my deducing tâ—ese passions into Sonnets it answereth as I suppose best for the shortnâ—sse to the nature of passions and common burner of men who are either not long touched with so good motions or by their worldly affaires not permitted to continue much reading as for the cause of my so preposterous placing of them and deuision onely into two sorts I confesse indeed I am perswaded their disorder doth best fit the nature of mankind who commonly is delighted with contraries and exercised with extreames and also as they were by God ministred to my minde to set downe by sundry accidents in my priuate estate and feeling so I suppose my prouidence could not by a formall placing of them so soone hit the affâ—ctions of euerie Reader as Gods direction by that which men call chaunce might this way incounter the common inconstant forme of reading which is by starts to turne ouer bookes and peruse only what by the praise of others told is commended vnto them or not sought for falleth into their view As they are therefore I recommend them to thy curtesie in reading and thee to Gods holie spirit in the perusing of them if they may haue the same working in thee that I praise God some of them had in me they shall not be vtterly vnprofitable If in matter they iumpe not to thy passions in all points thinke among the great Arsenall of Satans armour he hath choyce of weapons for sundry assaults and disposeth of them diuersly according to the strength or weaknesse of the partie he besiegeth Which being as indifferent in particular persons as Gods gifts are to them thou shalt do well to thy abilitie to reforme or supply my defect who hereby do onely inuite the better able to imploy in so fit a Theame their more fruitfull spirit If in maner of the verse or stile they be as I doubt not to be amended much I do not greatly seeke the praise of a curious Architect or neither without neglect of more necessarie dutie could I attaine to the required obseruances that way and therefore craue that thy disâ—ression may regard my intentioÌ„ And thus recommending my selfe to â—â—y fauourable acceptance who herein haue rather folowed the force of mine owne inward feeling then outward ornaments of Poeticall fictions or amplifications as best beseeming the naked cloathing of simple truth true Analogie of the nature of the Histories whereto they alude and harmonie of scriptures whence they are borrowed I heartely commend thee to the Almightie THE FIRST PART OF CHRISTIAN PASsions containing a hundreth Sonets of meditation humiliation and prayer PREFACE IT is not Lord the sound of many words The bowed knee or abstinence of man The filed phrase that cloquence affordes Or Poets pen that heauens do pearce or can By heauie cheere of colour pale and wan By pined bodie of the Pharisay A mortall eye repentance oft doth scan Whose iudgement doth on outward shadows stay But thou ô God doest hearts entent bewray For from thy sight Lord nothing is conceald Thou formdst the frame fro out the verie clay To thee the thoughts of hearts are all reueald To thee therefore with hart and mind prostate With teares I thus deplore my sinfull state SONET I. HOw should my soule Lord clad in earthly mold The prison where it readie is to pine Where vilde affections captiue it do hold And threaten naught but ruin in the fine Vnto one thought of hope or helpe incline Or raise the eyes vnto the heauens bright How may it Lord take hold on mercies thine Or presse it selfe in presence of thy sight Or how canst thou therein at all delight If mercy be not spokesman in this case If merit of thy sonne should not acquite The common gilt of Adams sinfull rase Which since by faith alone man may attaine Grant me first grace not faithlesse to remaine SON II. FRo out the darknesse of this sea of feare Where I in whale remaine deuourde of sin With true remorse of former life I reare My heart to heauen in hope some helpe to win I do confesse my fault who did begin To flie from thee ô Lord and leaue vndone Thy seruice which of right should first haue bin performd by woich so many should be wonne To praise thy name But feare alas begunne To represent to me my iourny long The dangers of the world my life should runne Which made me to my soule to offer wrong But since by show of death thou caldst me backe Thy gratious helpe at need let me not lacke SON III. WIthin this arke wherein my soule doth dwell My bodie floting on worldes troubled waue Which windes of fierce affections cause to swell And hardly can my power from sinking saue I crie to thee ô Lord and comfort craue Close vp this fountaine of this flowing sin Let me by faith againe once footing haue On frutefull earth and holie life begin Lighten the burden so vncleane within Of brutish vices raging in my minde Let cleane affects the greater partie win And so increase that plentie I may finde Of sacrifices pleasing in thy sight Of faith and loue which are thy soules delight SON IIII. IN humble wise as fitteth best my state An abiect wretch deuoyd of all desert I here approch before thy mercy gate O Lord of life with broke and contrite hart I need not to reueale to thee my smart A lump of sin and shame I am I know Wounded so deepe with deadly poysoned dart Of serpents sting which did from parents grow That now my humors so do ouerflow With foule affections of my feeble minde As presseth downe my eyes on earth so low As dares not search the heauens true helpe to finde Yet since thou hast made knowne to me my grief Guide me by grace to fountaine of relief SON V. VNto thy princely wedding Lord are bed Of euerie sort some guests to feast with thee One that a spouse but late before had wed One oxen bought one taken land to fee They from the banket therefore absent bee Regarding not thy messengers of grace In number of the like Lord hold not mee But let me haue I craue the offred place Yet ere that I appeare before thy face A wedding garment first I must put on My owne vnrighteous cloathing is too base And marchandise of merits now are
soule from hell with him ascend on hie SON XVII FIue foolish virgins in my senses dwell And seeke to make me slumber ouer long They dreame that all my deeds do fall out well Whereas indeed I headlong run to wrong To vanities their humors do belong And sin who doth their fancie chiefly feed They cheined are to linkes of lust so strong That their best soile brings forth but bitter weed They lacke the oyle which should be vsde in deed To lead them to the euerlasting light It growes not Lord in frute of humane seed Man sleepes all day and gropes his way at night Vnlesse thou lend thy hand and fill our lampes Our light goes forth with smothering sinful damps SON XVIII OVt of the fountaine of eternall life I poore Samarytan here readie stand To sinfull lust an old betrothed wife With pitcher readie in my trembling hand To draw a draught of liquor most diuine To quench the thirst of my inflamed hart With heauenly de◠ere that my soule do pine And qualifie the rigor of my smart A Prophet true thou art I vnderstand Or rather father of all truth thou art A stranger I from faire Iudaea land With these thy blessings craue for to impart Then guide my hand and teach my soule to tast True faith the fountaine where all blisse is plast SON XIX A Wicked soule sold to all fleshly sin Lord here I prostrate at thy feete to lie To gather crummes of grace soules health to win Which Lord to giue me do thou not denie The pretious oyle of penitence will I Powre forth with teares fro out my melting eyes o bath thy feete and after will I drie Them with my haires which balms no treasure bies Though worldly loue when he my fact espies Repine to see my soule so well inclind To my defence ô Lord vouchsafe to rise And fructifie this first frute of my mind Vouchsafe to sup with humble seruant thine And that of seruice better choyse be mine SON XX. A Poore Arabian whom base Agar bare First borne of flesh but last of promist grace Of basterd kinde bred vp with mothers care In wildernesse of world for a long space And famishing before my parents face Whose workes vnable were to lend me aide A bondman vnto sin as fleshly race To whom heauens heritage thy lawes denaide Amidst my wandring course by thee am staide And haue a promise not to die but liue Thy couenant Lord abundantly is paide If grace to seed by faith thou doest me giue My bondage thus release make thou me free My barren branch shall frute bring forth to thee SON XXI A Merchant I full long abroad haue straide By sea and land true happinesse to gaine The riches of the earth my eyes haue waide And see their profit to be light and vaine Such trifling trash my soule doth now disdaine And Iewels of more value I espye Among the rest one doth all other staine Which with my wealth I wish that I might buye But this rare pearle is of a price so hie As all the earth cannot esteeme the same Much lesse to purchase it can it come nie Yet doth the loue thereof my heart enflame Be thou the pledge sweet Sauior then for me That heauenly blisse shall so my riches be SON XXII AMong the prease of many that draw neare Vnto the feast of grace in temple thine A silly widow I also appeare With humble heart o Lord who here encline And vnto thee an offering of mine Present as precious to my poore estate The heards or flocks the store of corne and wine Without obedience Lord thou aye didst hate But broken hearts and soules which lye prostrate Before thy throne of grace and mercy craue Do mercie finde though it be neare so late Thy promise this assurance to vs gaue In trust whereof obeying thy behest My praiers to thy praise o Lord are prest SON XXIII INto thy vineyard Lord vnworthie I Desire to come to trauell out the day Thou calledst me thereto and didst espie Me loytring idle by the worldes high way At first to come my follies did me stay Whom cold and hunger now to worke compell Though halfe my daies be spent say me not nay The other halfe to trie employed well I do not hope my paines so deare to sell As they that beare the brunt of heat of day They merit most whose trauels most excell My slender seruice craues but single paye But if thy bountie giue behold me prest With thanks thy grace to taste among the rest SON XXIIII AS thou art pure and iust in all thy waies O Lord so should thy offrings also bee The tongue vncleane cannot set forth thy praise The wanton eye may not thy secrets see The lame of faith the blind of skill not hee That thou alotst thy sacrifice to slay The heart that is found cleane in each degree Is fittest for thy church wherein to stay Such is no flesh ô Lord the truth to say But as thou pleasest them to purifie By faith and by repentance euerie day Who then with Christ may boldly thee come nie Behold me then thus thy adopted childe Let me not from thy temple be exilde SON XXV I Follow thee ô Lord but far behinde As Peter did when he did see thee led To prison where the traitors did thee binde Amazed much with worldly seate and dred When as I saw the world all ouer spred With hatred and disdaine vnto the iust My courage it was quayld and quickly fled And had no liking to thy helpe to trust But Lord I know perforce I forward must If I intend to gaine the crowne I craue I must abandon flesh and fleshly lust And in thy promise all my hope must haue Grant thou me boldnesse then and constant will To perseuere in thy obedience still SON XXVI OF parents first two brothers borne that were The bodie and the soule did represent The elder Cain who Henocks wals did reare The yonger Abell dwelt in silly tent First man with plough the virgins soile he rent The other seru'd and shoare the silly sheepe To worldly lustes of flesh the one was bent Thy heauenly lawes the other sought to keepe A deadly discord twixt them so did creepe The elder did the giltlesse yonger slay That ancient hatred grounded is so deepe It striues in me alas vnto this day Accept my sacrifice Lord me defend My powres vnto thy holie pleasure bend SON XXVII LIke pined childe ô Lord from nurses brest Whom churlish stepdame ouer soone doth waine By wicked will alas I am opprest And crie to cruell flesh behold in vaine Who lets me languishing in sin remaine And sends no comfort to support my need My faults I know I do confesse them plaine That folly doth my weake affections feed I see my ruine neare at hand in deed And cannot call for aide whose tong is dum My feete so feeble cannot helpe at need Although I see at hand thy vengeance come Vnlesse thou
my deeds that should performe the samâ— I know the constant meanings whence they came But will and power are falne at strife and iarre What soule begins to do doth bodie marre What loue would build distrust would ouerthrow A plenteous offring zeale doth bid bestow But fainting faith likes not to set it farre My will at least his good intent shall show Which thou ô Lord cause vnto better frame A free will offring Lord thou wilt not blame Of such weake frutes as are on earth below Which yet shal grow More fruteful by thy grace And as they be wilt in thy sonne imbrace SON XIIII THe end whereto we all created were And in this world were plast to liue and dwell If we with iudgement do obserue it well Was nothing else but God to serue and feare In which we bâ—dges of his glorie beare To yeeld him right the most our weaknesse may Which to our strength we ought not him denay Who out of earth to heauen this dust shall reaâ—e Which when within my selfe I deeply way I do condemne the dulnesse which befell To me whose gifts in nothing do excell By which I might his glorie great display On whom do stay All things that being haue Who to each creature all things freely gaue SON XV. AS is the treasure frutelesse which is hid And blisse no blisse a man doth not enioy But rather is a meane to worke annoy To him that carefully preserue it did So often times the wisest sort haue slid Into like error whilst they do conseale The gifts of grace which God did them reueale And hide the talent which is them forbid As frutelesse is it to the common weale That men respectiuely become too coy And triflingly their time away do toy And without good to others let it steale I therefore deale To world and do impart These silly frutes which grow on feeling hart SON XVI THe pleasures of this new possessed land Fore-promised long since to children thine Whereto I haue arriued safe in fine And to enioy the same assured stand To paint with praises I would take in hand That so I might incourage many more To follow forth the conquest where is store Of corne of wine and oyle for faithfull band Our Iosua Christ himselfe is gone before And showes the clusters of the healthfull wine Whereof who tasts shall not with famine pine Nor starue when plentie is at Citie dore Ne need deplore The strength of Anaks race For he the power of hell will cleane deface SON XVII BEtwixt two strong extreames my thoughts do flie Twixt heat and cold twixt heigth and depth below And bâ—â—h of them from one desire do flow The sâ—rest way to sauing health to trie Faith bids me mount vnto the heauens hie Vpon the merits of my sauior deare A guiltie conscience bids me not come neare Lest in consuming iealousie I die A heart contrite doth will me to appeare With works of righteousnesse true faith which show Faith saies that god my streÌ„gth power doth know And that I cannot finde saluation heere But bids me cheere My soule nothing feare Loue in his sonne will make him me forbeare SON XVIII FRom far I see the stars which guide the way From East to West to finde my sauiour out I well might wander all the world about To seeke saluation and in no place stay If shining truth did not his house bewray Which in his word points forth his dwelling place By which directed I will walke a pace Whilst yet I do enioy the light of day And when I come before his blessed face To offer vp my presents will not doubt Although their basenesse all the world should flout So that by faith I may him once imbrace Which giueth grace And makes accepted well Mean works as much as those which more excell SON XIX NOw will I daunce ô Lord before the traine Of those which following thee seeke home to draw Thy holy Arke the treasor of thy law That it with vs may pledge of peace remaine I care not though the world my deed disdaine And thinke it not beseeming thing for me In such a worke an instrument to be Whose yeares they deeme more fit for other vaine For so I Lord thy sauing health may see And scape the harme of cruell Satans paw Though all the scorners of the world me saw Yet would I not ashamed be of thee For being free Of holie promist land I care not how my stare on earth do stand SON XX. NO recompence ô Lord is fit for thee If duly thy desert we do regard Ne hast thou want or need of mans reward At whose command all creatures readie bee Yet if our thankfull minds thy goodnesse see Confessing whence to vs these blessings flow And in the vse of them obedience show Although alas it be in meane degree Thou yet doest frame thy loue to ours below And as thou findst the giuers heart preparde Who to his power his present hath not sparde So doest thou cansell debt which he did owe And doest bestow More graces then we craue For which naught els but thiÌ„ks thou lookst to haue SON XXI HOw precious are the praiers of thy Saints Which able were thy threatned wrath to stay And make the sunne returne in pride of day When as Iosias heart for feare it faints Thy fauour vnto Abram vs acquaints Of how great force repentant heart is found When hauing viewd vile Sodom to confound To staie at seruants sute thy wrath thou daints By praiers man hath power euen death to wound By praier he may moue a mount away A faithfull seruent praier finds no nay If that the thing we craue be pure and sound Yea God hath bound Him selfe by them to man Whose worthie praise no tongue forth vtter can SON XXII THanks will I alwaies studie Lord to pay To thee the giuer of all good and grace And thankfully thy mercies will imbrace And witnesse forth thy workes from day to day My heart my mouth my pen they neuer stay To take occasion freshly to renue The memorie of praises to thee due Lest natures weaknesse let them passe away My frailtie in this point indeed I rue Who till I see new blessings in the place Forget the fauours late before my face And mercies thine fro which such bountie grew For it is true So dull our sences are That oft thy blessings do our iudgements marre SON XXIII WHere so I cast about my wandring eye By chance or choice by hap or else by will Before my sight some obiect is there still Wherein thy power and loue I do espye In view whereof if I my thoughts do trye To raise my heart in ioy I matter finde And vnto thee my loue so firme to binde That tong nor pen should neuer idle lye Whose grace vnto thy creatures is so kinde As patrons of the same the world doth fill Who mad'st not only but doest still instill Some feeling of the same vnto the