LORD! when those glorious lights I see | |
| With which thou hast adorned the skies, | |
| Observing how they movèd be, | |
| And how their splendor fills mine eyes, | |
| Methinks it is too large a grace, | 5 |
| But that thy love ordained it so,— | |
| That creatures in so high a place | |
| Should servants be to man below. | |
| |
| The meanest lamp now shining there | |
| In size and lustre doth exceed | 10 |
| The noblest of thy creatures here, | |
| And of our friendship hath no need. | |
| Yet these upon mankind attend | |
| For secret aid or public light; | |
| And from the world’s extremest end | 15 |
| Repair unto us every night. | |
| |
| O, had that stamp been undefaced | |
| Which first on us thy hand had set, | |
| How highly should we have been graced, | |
| Since we are so much honored yet! | 20 |
| Good God, for what but for the sake | |
| Of thy beloved and only Son, | |
| Who did on him our nature take, | |
| Were these exceeding favors done? | |
| |
| As we by him have honored been, | 25 |
| Let us to him due honors give; | |
| Let us uprightness hide our sin, | |
| And let us worth from him receive. | |
| Yea, so let us by grace improve | |
| What thou by nature doth bestow, | 30 |
| That to thy dwelling-place above | |
| We may be raisèd from below. | |
| |
