THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS.
AND is there care in heaven? And is there love In heavenly spirits to these creatures bace, That may compassion of their evils move? There is else much more wretched were the cace Of men then beasts. But O! th' exceeding grace Of Highest God, that loves his creatures so, And all his workes with mercy doth embrace, That blessed angels he sends to and fro, To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe! How oft do they their silver bowers leave To come to succour us that succour want! How oft do they with golden pineons cleave The flitting skyes, like flying pursuivant, Against fowle feendes to ayd us militant! They for us fight, they watch and dewly ward, And their bright squadrons round about us plant; And all for love and nothing for reward: O, why should Hevenly God to men have such regard!
THE WAYS OF GOD UNSEARCHABLE. Or things unseene how canst thou deeme aright
Then answered the righteous Artegall- Sith thou misdeem'st so much of things in sight? What though the sea with waves continuall Doe eate the earth? it is no more at all: Ne is the earth the lesse, or loseth ought: For whatsoever from one place doth fall Is with the tide unto another brought: For there is nothing lost, that may be found if sought
Likewise the earth is not augmented more By all that dying unto it doe fade; For of the earth they formed were of yore: However gay their blossome or their blade Doe flourish now, they into dust shall vade. What wrong then is it, if that when they die They turne to that whereof they first were made? All in the powre of their great Maker lie: All creatures must obey the voice of the Most Hie. They live, they die, like as He doth ordaine, Ne ever any asketh reason why.
The hils doe not the lowly dales disdaine; The dales doe not the lofty hils envy. He maketh kings to sit in soverainty; He maketh subiects to their powre obay; He pulleth downe, He setteth up on hy; He gives to this, from that He takes away : For all we have is His: what He list doe, He may.
Whatever thing is done, by Him is done, Ne any may His mighty will withstand; Ne any may his soveraine power shonne, Ne loose that He hath bound with stedfast band: In vaine therefore doest thou now take in hand To call to 'count, or weigh his workes anew, Whose counsel's depth thou canst not understand; Sith of things subiect to thy daily vew
Thou doest not know the causes, nor their courses dew.
For take thy ballaunce, if thou be so wise, And weigh the winde that under heaven doth
Or weigh the light that in the East doth rise; Or weigh the thought that from man's mind doth
But if the weight of these thou canst not show, Weigh but one word which from thy lips doth fall: For how canst thou those greater secrets know, That doest not know the least thing of them all? Ill can he rule the great, that cannot reach the small.
Most glorious Lord of lyfe! that, on this day, Didst make thy triumph over death and sin; And, having harrow'd hell, didst bring away Captivity thence captive, us to win:
This ioyous day, deare Lord, with ioy begin; And grant that we, for whom thou diddest dy, Being with thy deare blood clene washt from sin,
May live for ever in felicity!
And that thy love we weighing worthily May likewise love thee for the same againe And for thy sake, that all lyke deare didst buy, With love may one another entertayne! So let us love, deare Love, lyke as we ought: Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.
FROM depth of doole wherein my soule dooth dwell, From heauie heart which harbors in my brest, From troubled sprite whych sildome taketh rest, From hope of heauen, from dreade of darkesome hell,
O gracious God, to thee I crie and yell: My God, my Lorde, my louely Lorde alone, To thee I call, to thee I make my mone. And thou, good God, vouchsafe in gree to take This wofull plaint
Oh, heare me then, for thy great mercies sake! Oh, bende thine eares attentiuely to heare, Oh, turne thine eies-behold me how I waile; Oh, hearken, Lorde, giue eare for mine auaile; Oh, marke in minde the burthens that I beare! See how I sinke in sorrowes euerywhere; Beholde and see what dolors I indure; Giue eare and marke what plaints I put in vre: Bende willing eare, and pitie therewithall My wayling voyce,
Which hath no choyce
But euermore upon thy name to call.
If thou, good Lorde, shouldst take thy rod in hande,
If thou regard what sinnes are daylye done, If thou take hold where wee our workes begone,
If thou decree in iudgment for to stande, And be extreame to see our 'scuses scand,- If thou take note of euerythinge amisse, And wryte in rowles how fraile our nature is, O gloryous God! O King! O Prince of power! What mortall wight
To feele thy frowne, if thou haue list to lowre? But thou art good, and hast of mercye store; Thou not delyhgtst to see a sinner fall; Thou hearknest first before wee come to call; Thine eares are set wyde open euermore; Before wee knocke, thou commest to the doore: Thou art more prest to heare a sinner crie Then he is quicke to climbe to thee on hye. Thy mighty name bee praysed then alwaye: Let fayth and feare
Howe fast they stand which on thy mercie staye. I looke for thee, my louelye Lord, therefore; For thee I wayte, for thee I tarrye styll: Mine eies doe long to gaze on thee my fyll; For thee I watche, for thee I prie and pore: My soule for thee attendeth euermore; My soule dooth thyrst to take of thee a tast; My soule desires with thee for to be plast; And to thy worde, which can no man deceiue,- Myne only trust,
In confidence continuallye shall cleaue. Before the breake or dawning of the daye, Before the lyght be seene in lofty skies, Before the sunne appeare in pleasant wyse, Before the watche before the watche, I saye, Before the ward that waits therefore alway,
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