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Domine, ne in furore. The first Part.
O LORD, 1 when I myself behold, | |
| How wicked I haue bin, | |
| And view the paths and waies I went, | |
| Wandring from sin to sin; | |
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| Againe to thinke vpon thy power, | 5 |
| Thy iudgement and thy might; | |
| And how that nothing can be hid, | |
| Or close kept from thy sight; | |
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| Euen then, alas! I shake and quake, | |
| And tremble where I stand, | 10 |
| For feare thou shouldst reuenged be | |
| By power of wrathful hand. | |
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| The weight of sinne is verie great; | |
| For this to mind I call, | |
| That one proud thought made angels once | 15 |
| From heauen to slide and fall. | |
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| Adam likewise, and Eve his wife, | |
| For breaking thy precept, | |
| From Paradise expelled were, | |
| And death thereby hath crept | 20 |
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| Vpon them both, and on their seede, | |
| For euer to remaine, | |
| But that by faith in Christ thy Sonne | |
| We hope to liue againe. | |
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| The earth not able was to beare, | 25 |
| But quicke did swallow in, | |
| Corah, Dathan, and Abiron, | |
| By reason of their sin. | |
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| Also because king David did | |
| His people number all, | 30 |
| Thou, Lord, therefore, in three daies’ space, | |
| Such grieuous plague letst fall, | |
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| That seuentie thousand men forthwith | |
| Thereof dyde presentlie; | |
| Such was thy worke, such was thy wrath, | 35 |
| Thy mightie power to trie. | |
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| Alas! my sins surmounteth theirs, | |
| Mine cannot numbred bee; | |
| And from thy wrath, most mightie God, | |
| I knowe not where to flee. | 40 |
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| If into heauen I might ascend, | |
| Where angels thine remaine, | |
| O Lord, thy wrath would thrust me forth | |
| Downe to the earth againe. | |
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| And in the earth here is no place | 45 |
| Of refuge to be found, | |
| Nor in the deepe, and water-course | |
| That passeth vnder ground. | |
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| Vouchsafe therefore, I thee beseech, | |
| On me some mercie take, | 50 |
| And turne thy wrath from me awaie, | |
| For Jesus Christe’s sake. | |
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| Lord, in thy wrath reprove me not, | |
| Ne chast me in thine ire; 2 | |
| But with thy mercie shadowe me, | 55 |
| I humblie thee desire. | |
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| I know it is my grieuous sinnes | |
| That doo thy wrath prouoke: | |
| But yet, O Lord, in rigour thine | |
| Forbeare thy heauie stroke; | 60 |
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| And rather with thy mercie sweete | |
| Behold my heauie plight; | |
| How weake and feeble I appeare | |
| Before thy blessed sight. | |
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| For nature mine corrupted is, | 65 |
| And wounded with the dart | |
| Of lust and foule concupiscence, | |
| Throughout in eu’rie part. | |
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| I am in sinne conceiu’d and borne, | |
| The child of wrath and death, | 70 |
| Hauing but here a little time | |
| To liue and drawe my breath. | |
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| I feele myselfe still apt and prone | |
| To wickednesse and vice, | |
| And drowned thus in sinne I lie, | 75 |
| And haue no power to rise. | |
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| It is thy mercie, O sweet Christ, | |
| That must my health restore; | |
| For all my bones are troubled much, | |
| And vexed verie sore. 3 | 80 |
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| I am not able to withstand | |
| Temptations such as bee: | |
| Wherefore, good Lord, vouchsafe to heale | |
| My great infirmitie. | |
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| Good Christ, as thou to Peter didst, | 85 |
| Reach forth thy hand to me, | |
| When he upon the water went, | |
| There drowned like to be. | |
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| And as the leaper clensed was, | |
| By touching with thy hand; | 90 |
| And Peter’s mother raised up | |
| From feuer whole to stand: | |
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| So let that hand of mercie thine | |
| Make cleane the leprosie | |
| Of lothsome lust vpon me growne | 95 |
| Through mine iniquitie. | |
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| Then shal there strength in me appere, | |
| Through grace, my chiefe reliefe; | |
| Thy death, O Christ, the medicine is | |
| That helpeth all my griefe. | 100 |
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| My soule is troubled verie sore | |
| By reason of my sin: | |
| But, Lord, how long shall I abide | |
| Thus sorrowfull therein? 4 | |
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| I doubt not, Lord, but thou, which hast | 105 |
| My stonie hart made soft, | |
| With willing mind thy grace to craue | |
| From time to time so oft, | |
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| Wilt not now stay, but forth proceed | |
| My perfect health to make: | 110 |
| Although awhile thou doost deferre, | |
| Yet is it for my sake. | |
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| For, Lord, thou knowst our nature such, | |
| If we great things obtaine, | |
| And in the getting of the same | 115 |
| Do feel no griefe or paine; | |
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| We little doo esteeme thereof: | |
| But, hardly brought to passe, | |
| A thousand times we doe esteeme | |
| Much more then th’ other was. | 120 |
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| So, Lord, if thou shouldst at the first | |
| Grant my petition, | |
| The greatnes of offenses mine | |
| I should not thinke vpon. | |
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| Wherefore my hope still bids me cry | 125 |
| With faithfull hart in brest; | |
| As did the faithful Cananite, | |
| Whose daughter was possest. | |
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| At least, if I still knock and call | |
| Vpon thy holie name, | 130 |
| At length thou wilt heare my request, | |
| And grant to me the same: | |
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| As did the man three loaues of bread | |
| Vnto his neighbour lend, | |
| Whose knocking long forst him to rise, | 135 |
| And shew himselfe a frend. | |
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| Lord, by the mouth of thy deare Son | |
| This promise didst thou make, | |
| That if we knocke, thou open wilt | |
| The doore euen for his sake. | 140 |
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| Wherefore we crie, we knock, we call, | |
| And neuer cease will wee, | |
| Till thou doo turne to vs, O Lord, | |
| That we may turne to thee. | |
