Appendix: Two Poems from Poetical Fragments (1681)
Two Poems from Poetical Fragments (1681)
1. The Prayer of the Sick, in a Case Like Hezekiah's
(pp. 75-80) (selected verses)
Eternal God, whose name is Love;
Whose mercy is my hope and stay:
O hear and help me from above,
That in distress to thee do pray.
Ashamed to lift up my face,
Hence from the dust to thee I cry:
Though I have sinned against thy grace,
Yet unto it alone I fly.
I was at first in sin conceived,
Then lived a vain and sinful life:
Rebellious flesh which I received
Is still against thy grace in strife.
Long it was, Lord, alas too long
Before I knew myself or thee:
Vanity ruled my heart and tongue,
And O that yet [i.e., now] my soul were free!
But while I sinned thou wast kind,
And sent’st thy Word and Spirit of grace;
Thy light did change my darkened mind,
And shewed to me my wretched case.
Though I drew back, thou didst prevail;
And I gave up myself to thee.
Thou undertook’st for wind and sail;
Both ship and pilot thou would’st be.
I turned my back on worldly toys,
And set my face towards glory’s shore,
Where thou hast promised highest joys
And blessedness for evermore.
I took my leave of sin and earth;
What I had loved, I now did hate;
Ashamed of my former birth,
I gave my life a newer date.
But since that time how I am tossed,
Afraid of every storm and wave;
Almost concluding I am lost,
As if thou would’st not help and save.
If I look out beyond thine Ark,
Nothing but raging seas I see:
On this side heaven all’s deep and dark,
But I look further unto thee.
Censures and scorns and frowns I bear:
Storms which before I never found;
And yet all these I should not fear,
If all at home were safe and sound.
But thy displeasure wounds my heart:
I have but two parts, flesh and soul:
Both of thy wrath do bear their part,
And thou hast left me neither whole. . . .
Spare, Lord, and pity thy poor dust,
That fled into thy Ark for peace!
O cause my soul on thee to trust!
And do not my distress increase.
O keep up life and peace within!
If I must feel thy chastening rod,
Yet kill not me, but kill my sin,
And let me know, thou art my God. . . .
Pity this poor unworthy soul,
That here devotes itself to thee:
Resolve my doubts; my fears control;
And let me thy salvation see.
O let that love which gave me groans
And taught my needy soul to pray,
Remove my fears, and hear the moans
Which sorrow breathes forth night and day.
Why art thou, fainting soul, cast down,
And thus disquieted with fears?
Art thou not passing to thy crown,
Through storms of pain, and floods of tears?
Fear not, O thou of little faith!
Art thou not in thy Savior’s hand?
Remember what his promise saith:
Life and death are at his command. . . .
Lord, let me not my covenant break;
Once I did all to thee resign:
Only the words of comfort speak,
And tell my soul that I am thine.
It’s no death when souls hence depart,
If thou depart not from the soul:
Fill with thy love my fainting heart,
And I’ll not fading flesh condole [i.e., sorrow with]. . . .
My God, my love, my hope, my life!
Shall I be loth to see thy face?
As if this world of sin and strife
Were for my soul a better place?
O give my soul some sweet foretaste
Of that which I shall shortly see!
Let faith and love cry to the last,
Come, Lord, I trust myself with thee.
John 11:14 [and 15] or 16
O let not unbelieving Thomas’ words
Be now my answer: but my dearest Lord’s. Amen.
2. The Covenant and Confidence of Faith
(pp.81-83) (selected verses)
My whole though broken heart,
O Lord, From henceforth shall be thine;
And here I do my vow record:
This hand, these words are mine.
All that I have, without reserve,
I offer here to thee;
Thy will and honor all shall serve
That thou bestow’dst on me.
All that exceptions save I lose;
All that I lose I save:
The treasure of thy love I choose,
And thou art all I crave.
My God, thou hast my heart and hand;
I all to thee resign.
I’ll ever to this covenant stand,
Though flesh hereat repine.
I know that thou wast willing first,
And then mad’st me consent;
Having thus loved me at the worst,
Thou wilt not now repent.
Now I have quit all self-pretence,
Take charge of what’s thine own!
My life, my health, and my defence,
Now lie on thee alone.
Now it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live:
To love and serve thee is my share,
And this thy grace must give.
If life be long, I will be glad
That I may long obey:
If short, yet why should I be sad,
That shall have the same pay? . . .
Christ leads me through no darker rooms
Than he went through before;
He that into God’s kingdom comes
Must enter by this door.
Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet
Thy blessed face to see;
For if thy work on earth be sweet,
What will thy glory be?
Then I shall end my sad complaints
And weary sinful days,
And join with the triumphant saints
That sing Jehovah’s praise.
My knowledge of that life is small;
The eye of faith is dim:
But it’s enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with him.
This covenant my dear wife in her former sickness
subscribed with a cheerful mind.
John 12:26