20 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 Made dirt of dust? or that flesh, which was worn If on these things I durst not fook, durst I' 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 40 That thou may'st know me, and I'll turn my face. 42 THE LITANY. 1. THE FATHER. FATHER of heav'n, and him by whom From this red earth, O Father! purge away II. THE SON. O SON of God! who seeing two things, The other could thine heritage invade, And crucify'd again: Part not from it, tho' it from thee would part, Drown'd in thy blood, and in thy passion slain. 10 III. THE HOLY GHOST. O HOLY GHOST! whose temple I Am, but of mud walls and condensed dust, And being sacrilegiously Half wasted with youth's fires, of pride and lust, Must with new storms be weather-beat, Double in my heart thy flame, Which let devout sad tears intend, and let (Tho' this glass lanthorn, flesh, do suffer maim) Fire, sacrifice, priest, altar, be the same. IV. THE TRINITY.< O BLESSED, glorious Trinity! Bones to philosophy but milk to faith, Which, as wise serpents diversly Most slipp'riness, yet most entanglings hath, By pow'r, love, knowledge, be, Of these let all me elemented be, Of pow'r to love, to know you unnumb'red Three. V. THE VIRGIN MARY. FOR that fair blessed Mother-maid, 20 30 Which unlock'd Paradise, and made One claim for innocence, and disseiz'd sin; Our zealous thanks we pour. As her deeds were VI. THE ANGELS. AND since this life our nonage.is, And we in wardship to thine Angels be, Native in heav'n's fair palaces, Where we shall be but denizon'd by thee; Yields fair diversity, Yet never knows what course that light doth run; So let me study that mine actions be Worthy their sight, tho' blind in how they see. VII. THE PATRIARCHS. AND let thy Patriarchs' desire (Those great grandfathers of thy church, which saw More in the cloud than we in fire, Whom Nature clear'd more than us grace and law, And now in heav'n still pray that we 50 DIVINE POEMS. May use our new helps right): X Let not my mind be blinder by more light, VIII. THE PROPHETS. THY eagle-sighted Prophets, too, and did sound (Which were thy church's organs, Thy will, and it express. In rythmic feet) in common pray for me, That I by them excuse not my excess IX. THE APOSTLES. AND thy illustrious zodiac * Of twelve apostles, which ingirt this all, Their light, to dark deep pits thrown down do fall) That their books are divine, 70 1 May they pray still, and be heard, that I go I |