A most ELEGANT and RELIGIOUS RAPTURE, COMPOSED By Mr. Samuel Ward (that sometime famous and pious Pastor at Ipswich) during his Episcopall Imprisonment in the GATE-HOƲSE, And by him Dedicated to King CHARLES the First. Now, Most exactly Englished by JOHN VICARS.
Precatiuncula de Theologico Magnete, Jesu Christo, ad rhythmi Bernardini, genium & formam.
MAgne Magnes, Me dignare,
Ad Te totum inclinare;
Fac Cor meum anhelare,
Ʋt Se possit applicare
Devoto Tibi pectore.
Canem vilem, allatrantem,
Ovem perditam, balantem;
Cervum fessum, anhelantem,
Servum tardum, & cunctantem,
Potentèr ad Te pertrahe.
Sic Me trahas, ut Te sequar,
Sic convertas, ut convertar;
Cordi meo Te conjungas,
Ʋngas illud, & compungas,
Spiritus tui flamine,
Per medullam Cordis mei,
Peccatoris, atque rei;
Sic Vis tua tramittatur,
Ʋt, Cor totum constringatur,
Amoris tui Vinculis.
Da Cor, Cordi similari,
Da Cor, Cordi sociari;
Da Cor durum perforari,
Da Cor ferreum sauciari,
Amoris tui Vulnere.
Meum posse, velle, scire,
Totum Tibi fac servire;
Vehementèr esurire,
Et ardentèr Te sitire,
Fac Cor meum aridum.
Rosa Sharon aperire,
Cujus Odor fragrat, mirè;
Nares meas fac sentire
Illas, illum fac haurire,
Prae cunctis Suavitatibus.
Manna dulce, Mel sincerum,
Vinum suave, Nectar merum;
In Quo, Nihil est amarum,
Esto, Mihi, Tu, per-charum,
Prae omnibus Deliciis.
Ecce, Tibi appropinquo,
Parce Mihi, si delinquo;
Ecce, curro ad Te, sponte,
Verecundà, tamen fronte,
Ne, Me, quaeso, rejice.
Praebe, Mihi, Te benignum,
Ne repellas Me indignum;
Totum, ad Te, Cor impelle,
Totum impelle meum Velle,
Ʋt, Te, nunquam, deseram.
S. W.
A short and sweet Prayer concerning the Theological Load-stone, Christ Jesus, according to St Bernards manner and Metre.
LOvely Load-stone, grant to Me,
Wholely, solely, Thine to be;
Make my Heart for Thee to breath,
That it may It Self bequeath
With all fervour unto Thee.
Me, a base, a barking Hound,
Bleating Sheep, stray'd from my Bound;
Me, a panting, chased Deer,
Servant slack, and slow, most neer,
Strongly draw, to follow Thee.
So Me draw, as to keep nigh Thee,
So, Me turn, as turned by Thee;
O Unite Thee to my Heart,
And annoint It, make It smart,
With thy holy Spirits blast.
Through the marrow of my Soul,
A poor Sinner guilty, foul;
So, Thy Power, O Lord, transmit,
As my Heart to Thee to knit,
With thy pleasing Love-chains, fast.
Give Me such a Heart as Thine,
Give my Heart to Thee to joyn;
Give Me my hard-Heart pierc'd quite,
Give't, though iron-hard, contrite,
By thy piercing Wound of Love.
My Power, my Will, and All I know,
Whole Obedience make to show;
Deadly hungry Christ's to be,
Eagerly to thirst for Thee,
My dry parched Soul, O, move!
Spread, Thou Rose of Sharon, fairly,
Whose sweet Savour sents, most rarely;
Fill my Nosthrils with Thy Sent,
Drawing from Thee more Content,
Than from Earths Sweets, when at Fairest.
Sweetest Manna, Honey cleer,
Pleasant Wine, and Nectar meer;
And thou Sweet, where's Nothing bitter,
O, may I count Nothing fitter
Than Thee, for my Soul's All-rarest!
Lo, I come, I flie to Thee,
Spare, if ought offensive be;
Lo, I run to Thee, apase,
Yet, with bashful, blushing face,
O, refuse Me not, I pray.
Shew thy Self to Me propitious,
Shun Me not, though I be vitious;
Fully draw my Heart to Thee,
Fully fill Its Longs for Thee,
That, from Thee, I never stray.
J. V.
VOTUM MAGNETICUM, vel, Ejusdem Samuelis Ward, Votum devotum, de eodem Magnete Theologico, Jesu Christo.
PSAL. 27. 4.
Multa petunt à Te Multi, Queis multa dedisse,
Multum laesisse est; Sunt, Mihi, Pauca satis.
Pauca petunt à Te Pauci; Mihi Sussicit
Luc. 10. 42.
Ʋnum;Ʋnum si dederis, non Ego Plura petam.
Hoc opus est
[...]. Ʋno opus est.
Ʋnum, Satis Ʋnum, Plus-satis Ʋnum;Ʋnum si dederis Tu, Mihi, Dives ero.
Hoc Ʋnum petii, repetam, bis, terque, quaterque;
Ʋnum si dederis Tu Mihi, gratus ero.
Ʋt trahar, utque traham ad Christum, Quos, morte redemit,
Ʋnum hoc si dederis Tu, Mihi, Mille dabis.
Mille Tibi grates persolvam, Votaque reddam
Mille, Tibi; Laudes, secula, mille, canam. Amen.
S. W.
A DEVOƲT VOTE, or, The holy Wish of the same Mr Samuel Ward, touching the foresaid Theological Load stone, Christ Jesus.
PSAL. 27. 4.
LORD, Many ask Thee Much, t' whom, Much, if had,
Would do much hurt; Few Things would make Me glad.
Few ask Thee few Things,
Luk. 10. 42.
One would Me complete:Give Me that One Thing. I'll no more intreat.
This
One thing is needful.
One I need, One fills, makes Mee run-ore;Give mee this One-Thing, Christ, and I have Store.
This One I crave, will crave twice, thrice, again;
This One-Thing granted, grateful I'll remain.
That I, once brought, to Christ, his Saints may bring,
This one Grace giv'n mee, Hence, a Thousand spring.
For This a Thousand Thanks, and Vows I'll pay;
To thee ten thousand Praises sing, for aye. Amen.
J. V.