Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.
Stanzas from Origens RepentanceXLVIII. Jerom
H
A thirsty soule desires a sweete refreshing,
Whose birth-sinne by his father’s claime inherits
Hell as right heire—much more by his transgressions:
Heere yet let mercy triumph, cease thine ire,
And plucke me as a brand out of the fire.
My sinnes yell loude; yet louder speakes
Me and my guilt: I bring thee and thy crosse,
Wherein my place thou pledge and surety stood;
One drop of that balme will my conscience cure,
Applied by the hand of grace, and heale me sure.
All cordials, drugs, bezar-vrmione,
All smaragde, diamonds, rubies, earthe’s iniections,
All pearle, all gold, all mines that ere were torne;
They helpe the heart and body in a swound,
But this reuiues the soull, cures conscience wound.
Downe to his skirts did speedily descend,
So, Lord, with oyle of grace my soule be filling;
Drop downe thy myrrh, this hard heart cause to bend:
Me in thy garden set to gather spices,
Lop off my lusts, and weede out all my vices.
Checke my soule’s tempests, calmes will then ensue;
Poure out thy spirit, I’le poure forth my soule;
Reflect one glimpse of grace, ’twill me renue;
Turne thou my tongue, and it shall sing thy praises,
Touch thou my heart: my heart to heau’n thou raises.
Lend me thy hand, I shall redeem my fall;
Strike thou my heart, I shall be sinne-sicke sorry;
Ope thou my eares, and I shall heare thy call;
Vnloose my lips, and they shall swiftly moue,
To vent my heart’s diuine thoughts of thy loue.