What springs or shades to look :
But that was all; and now with gladsome care They for the town prepare;
They leave their flock, and in a busie talk
All towards Bethlem walk
To see their souls' Great Shepheard, Who was
To bring all straglers home;
Where now they find Him out, and taught before, The Lamb of God adore,
That Lamb Whose daies great kings and prophets wish'd
And long to see, but miss'd.
The first light they beheld was bright and gay,
And turn'd their night to day;
But to this later light they saw in Him,
Their day was dark and dim.
JORD, bind me up, and let me lye
A pris'ner to my libertie,
If such a state at all can be
As an impris'ment serving Thee;
The wind, though gather'd in Thy fist,
Yet doth it blow still where it list,1
And yet shouldst Thou let go Thy hold
1 chooses. St. John III. 8. G.
Those gusts might quarrel and grow bold.
As waters here, headlong and loose,
The lower grounds still chase, and choose,
Where spreading all the way, they seek
And search out ev'ry hole, and creek ;
So my spilt thoughts, winding from thee,
Take the down-rode to vanitie,
Where they all stray and strive, which shal
Find out the first and steepest fal;
I cheer their flow, giving supply
To what's already grown too high,
And having thus perform'd that part
Feed on those vomits of my heart.
I break the fence my own hands made,
Then lay that trespasse in the shade ;
Some fig-leafs stil I do devise,1
As if Thou hadst nor ears nor eyes.
Excesse of friends, of words, and wine
Take up my day, while Thou dost shine
All unregarded, and Thy Book
Hath not so much as one poor look.
1 Genesis III. 7. It will be remembered that the quaint old translation of breeches' here for aprons' has given a name to the version, as the Breeches' Bible: various e ditions.
If Thou steal in amidst the mirth
And kindly tel me, I am earth,
I shut Thee out, and let that slip,
Such musick spoils good fellowship.
Thus wretched I, and most unkind,
Exclude my dear God from my mind,
Exclude Him thence, Who of that cel
Would make a Court, should He there dwel.
He goes, He yields; and troubled sore
His Holy Spirit grieves therefore;
The mighty God, th' eternal King
Doth grieve for dust, and dust doth sing.
But I go on, haste to devest
My self of reason, till opprest
And buried in my surfeits, I
Prove my own shame and miserie.
Next day I call and cry for Thee
Who shouldst not then come neer to me;
But now it is Thy servant's pleasure
Thou must-and dost-give him his measure.
Thou dost, Thou com'st, and in a showr
Of healing sweets Thy self dost powr
Into my wounds ; and now Thy grace
-I know it wel-fils all the place;
I sit with Thee by this new light,
And for that hour Th' art my delight;
No man can more the world despise,
Or thy great mercies better prize.
I school my eys, and strictly dwel,
Within the circle of my cel;
That calm and silence are my joys,
Which to Thy peace are but meer noise.
At length I feel my head to ake,
My fingers itch, and burn to take
Some new imployment; I begin
To swel and fome and fret within.
"The age, the present times are not
• To snudge1 in, and embrace a cot;
“Action and bloud now get the game,
"Disdein treads on the peaceful name;
"Who sits at home too, bears a loade
"Greater than those that gad abroad.
Thus do I make Thy gifts giv'n me
The only quarrellers with Thee;
I'd loose those knots Thy hands did tie,
Then would go travel, fight, or die.
Thousands of wild and waste infusions
Like waves beat on my resolutions;
As flames about their fuel run,
And work, and wind til all be done;
So my fierce soul bustles about,
1 sneak about: as a substantive a 'snudge' means a 'miser'. G.
And never rests til all be out.
Thus wilded' by a peevish2 heart,
Which in Thy musick bears no part,
I storm at Thee, calling my peace
A lethargy, and meer disease;
Nay, those bright beams shot from Thy eys
To calm me in these mutinies,
I stile meer tempers, which take place
At some set times, but are Thy grace.
Such is man's life, and such is mine,
The worst of men, and yet stil Thine.
Stil Thine, Thou know'st, and if not so,
Then give me over to my foe.
Yet since as easie 'tis for Thee
To make man good, as bid him be,
And with one glaunce,-could he that gain
To look him out of all his pain,
O send me from Thy holy hil
So much of strength, as may fulfil
All Thy delight-whate'r they be—
And sacred institutes in me!
Open my rockie heart, and fil
1 = made wild: used in a causative sense or query
wielded, governed? G.
2 Foolish, trifling. G.
⚫ Cf. Judges vi. 14 and St. Luke xxii. 61. G.
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