A Paraphrase (On Thomas à Kempis)

L. III. C. 2

Supposed to have been written in 1700; first published from the Caryll Papers in the Athenæum, July 15, 1854.

SPEAK, Gracious Lord, oh, speak; thy servant hears:

For I ’m thy servant and I ’ll still be so:

Speak words of comfort in my willing ears;

And since my tongue is in thy praises slow,

And since that thine all Rhetoric exceeds:

Speak thou in words, but let me speak in deeds!

Nor speak alone, but give me grace to hear

What thy celestial Sweetness does impart;

Let in not stop when enter’d at the ear,

But sink, and take deep rooting in my heart.

As the parch’d Earth drinks rain (but grace afford)

With such a gust will I receive thy word.

Nor with the Israelites shall I desire

Thy heav’nly word by Moses to receive,

Lest I should die: but Thou who didst inspire

Moses himself, speak Thou, that I may live.

Rather with Samuel I beseech with tears,

Speak, gracious Lord, oh, speak, thy servant hears.

Moses, indeed, may say the words, but Thou

Must give the Spirit, and the Life inspire;

Our Love to thee his fervent breath may blow,

But ’t is thyself alone can give the fire:

Thou without them may’st speak and profit too;

But without thee what could the Prophets do?

They preach the Doctrine, but thou mak’st us do ’t;

They teach the myst’ries thou dost open lay;

The trees they water, but thou giv’st the fruit;

They to Salvation show the arduous way,

But none but you can give us strength to walk;

You give the Practice, they but give the Talk.

Let them be silent then; and thou alone,

My God! speak comfort to my ravish’d ears;

Light of my eyes, my Consolation,

Speak when thou wilt, for still thy servant hears.

Whate’er thou speak’st, let this be understood:

Thy greater Glory, and my greater Good!