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| WHEN the angels all are singing | |
| All of glorie euer springing | |
| In the ground of high heauen’s graces, | |
| Where all vertues haue their places; | |
| Oh that my poore soule were neare them, | 5 |
| With an humble heart to heare them! | |
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| Then should faith, in loue’s submission | |
| Ioying but in mercie’s blessing, | |
| Where that sinnes are in remission, | |
| Sing the ioyful soule’s confessing; | 10 |
| Of her comforts high commending | |
| All in glorie neuer ending. | |
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| But, ah wretched sinfull creature! | |
| How should the corrupted nature | |
| Of this wicked heart of mine | 15 |
| Thinke vpon that loue diuine, | |
| That doth tune the angels’ voices, | |
| While the hoast of heauen reioyces? | |
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| No! the songe of deadly sorrowe | |
| In the night that hath no morrow, | 20 |
| And their paines are neuer ended | |
| That haue heauenly powers offended, | |
| Is more fitting to the merite | |
| Of my foule infected spirit. | |
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| Yet while mercie is remoouing | 25 |
| All the sorrowes of the louing, | |
| How can faith be full of blindnesse | |
| To despaire of mercie’s kindnesse; | |
| While the hand of heauen is giuing | |
| Comfort from the euer-liuing? | 30 |
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| No, my soule, be no more sorie; | |
| Looke vnto that life of glorie | |
| Which the grace of faith regardeth, | |
| And the teares of loue rewardeth; | |
| Where the soule the comfort getteth, | 35 |
| That the angels’ musique setteth. | |
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| There when thou art well conducted, | |
| And by heauenly grace instructed | |
| How the faithfull thoughts to fashion | |
| Of a rauisht louer’s passion, | 40 |
| Sing with sainctes to angels nighest | |
| Halleluiah in the highest. Gloria in excelsis Deo. | |
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