Hear us; for till thou hear us, Lord! We know not what to say: Thine ear to' our sighs, tears, thoughts, gives voice and O thou! who Satan heardst in Job's sick day, Hear thyself now, for thou in us dost pray. XXIV. That we may change to evenness Not threats in thunder, may" Awaken us to our just offices; [word. What in thy book thou dost, or creatures say, XXV. That our ears' sickness we may cure, And rectify those labyrinths aright; 210 Our praise, nor other's dispraise so invite; 220 And senselesly decline, From hearing, bold wits jest at king's excess, That we may lock our ears, Lord! open thine. XXVI. That living law, the magistrate, Which to give us and make us physic doth Our vices often aggravate; That preachers, taxing sin before her growth, Which will, if we starve, dine, When they do most accuse us, may see then XXVII. That Learning, thine embassador, For physic made, from poison be exempt; By dwelling lazily On Nature's nothing, be not nothing too; XXVIII. Son of God! hear us; and since thou, And let not both us and thyself be slain. 230 240 O let it not return to us again! 250 252 UPON THE TRANSLATION OF THE PSALMS, By Sir Philip Sidney, and the Countess of Pembroke, bis sister. ETERNAL God! (for whom whoever dare I would but bless thy name, not name thee now; Fix we our praises therefore on this one, Both told us what, and taught us how to do. 10 20 They tell us why, and teach us how to sing. [spheres; Make all this all, three choirs, heav'n, earth, and The first, heav'n, hath a song, but no man hears; Or as tho' one blood drop, which thence did fall, GOOD-FRIDAY, 1613. RIDING WESTWARD. 46 LET ET man's soul be a sphere, and then in this For their first mover, and are whirl'd by it. This day, when my soul's form bends to the east; to There I should see a sun by rising set, And by that setting endless day beget. But that Christ on his cross did rise and fall, Sin had eternally benighted all. Yet dare I almost be glad I do not see That spectacle of too much weight for me. Who sees God's face, that is self-life, must die; Zenith to us and our antipodes, Humbled below us? or that blood, which is Who was God's partner here, and fur ish'd thus Tho' these things, as I ride, be from mine eye, They 're present yet unto my memory, For that looks towards them, and thou look'st towards O Saviour! as thou hang'st upon the tree. [me, I turn my back to thee, but to receive Burn off my rust, and my deformity;' 40 That thou may'st know me, and I'll turn my face. 42 |