A SPIRITVAL SONGE OF Thankesgiuing vnto GOD, for his grace and power. VVritten by a close prisonner (with a coale) for his owne comforte.
LET others singe of this and that,
I will singe to thy prayse,
Who doest out of aduersitie,
Deliuer me alwayes:
And [...]'st to me that Comforter,
In all my sore temptation:
Who doeth refreshe my sinfull soule
With spirituall consolation:
And graunt'st to me such patience,
For all my foes despight,
As I to wayte vpon thy will,
Doe inwardlie delight.
And when I see my nature striue
Against thy iust correction,
Then doe I pray thy Maiestie
To helpe myne vnsubiection.
And when my troubles most increase,
(As who liues well and smarts not)
Then comes my Sauiour next to me,
And stickes by me and startes not:
And when I feele my fleshe to shrinke
Vnder thy heauie hande▪
I am constrain'd my [...]chednes,
Better to vndersta [...]
Calling to minde those grieuous sinns,
I thought not on before,
Lamenting them and purposing
To doe the like no more:
But their contrarie vertues all,
Eft soone to put in vre
From grace to grace, frō strength to strength,
Whyl'st my dayes shall endure:
By thy free grace and perfect strength,
Whereof alone I boast,
For if I should doe otherwyse,
My labour were but loste:
Since all good giftes doe come from thee,
And thou wilt suffer none
To rob thee of that prayse which doeth
Belong to thee alone:
Yet whyl'st by wrestling against sinne,
Rewarde for to obtaine,
I seeke by deserte of my workes,
Thou aunswer'st thus againe.
The aunswere.
WHereas thy sinnes doe farre exceede,
My grace doeth more abounde,
And in thy weakenes most of all,
My power is tryed and founde:
My grace in Christ sufficient is,
And all my workes doeth passe:
By it I am more glorified,
Then ought that euer was:
And as J made all things of nought,
And darkenes to be light,
So make I nought for to bee good,
And seeble to bee might:
All persons and all things on earth
I haue shutt vnder sinne,
That by my pardon, generall,
I might all glorie winne.
I am the first, the middest, and last,
And I am all in all,
That all at all times should on mee
For helpe and mercie call.
My grace is sure full free and pure.
Or else it were no grace,
It can not stande at any hande,
Where workes haue any place:
My power infailleable and most incomparable
Is of no force in deede,
When it is made of others ayde [...],
To stande in any neede:
Therefore I call the worst of all,
And leaue the righteous still.
That all may see my grace to bee
According to my will:
Therefore I bring both Clowne and King
To dust, to death, to nought:
That euery wight should knowe my might,
All things alone hath wrought:
Wherefore bee still and flee from ill,
And doe well, but confesse
My guiftes in thee both lent to bee,
And marred more or lesse:
That still my grace may serue in place
All thy defaultes to mende,
And that my power may euery hower
Ʋpholde thee to the ende,
When there shalbe no sinne in thee,
Weaknes nor wante at all,
But grace▪ might, wealth, peace, ioye, right,
Health and glorie eternall.
THus doest thou Lord direct my soule
To quiet peace and reste,
Whereby I am assured all
Shall fall out to the beste:
And that no shame can me defame,
For why thou art my praise,
In life and death and all in all,
To me at all assaies,
For thy great mercies sake in Christ,
In whom thou art well pleased,
That heauie harted sinners of
Their burthens should be eased,
And made partakers of those ioyes
Vnspeakable and rife,
Which thou doest keepe in store for them,
After this wofull life:
And in meane while the holy ghoste
Doeth keepe them safe and sounde:
No rage nor no resistance can,
Their happie state confounde.
Nowe whilest mine enimies seeke to driue
Mee into desperation,
Thou forcest them against their willes
To further my saluation:
And thou doest turne all wiles and wrongs
Vnto their owne disgrace:
Who seeke by all extremities,
Thy seruauntes to deface.
And thou doest turne all other things
To my behoofe likewise,
So that to better myne estate,
My harte can not deuise.
How euer wretched worldlings deeme,
I am quite cast awaye▪
And myne olde friendes a loofe from me
Doe stande as at a baye:
Yet thou doest stande at my right hande,
And compasse me about,
And furnishe me with diuers giftes,
To make me stronge and stout:
And outwarde giftes sufficient,
And meete for me and mine,
To serue thy grace, and shewe thy power
By prouidence diuine:
Beyonde reason without desert,
Better then many moe
Of thy deare Saintes who are content,
And singe for ioye also:
Lorde graunt wee pray that so we may,
Since thou art stronge and kinde,
(As in our conscience and experience
We euerie day doe finde)
That by things all which doe befall,
We may drawe neare to thee,
Till thy sweete face in heauenly place,
For euer wee shall see.
AMEN.