Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.
The Conversion of St. PaulXXXVIII. George Wither
A
Was that, when Saul a Paul became;
And, Lord, for making such a change
We praise and glorifie thy name;
For whil’st he went from place to place
To persecute thy truth and thee,
And running to perdition was,
By powerful grace cal’d backe was hee.
Or wrong it through our pointed zeale,
Oh, come and stop vs in the way,
And then thy will to vs reveale.
That brightnesse show vs from above,
Which proues the sensuall eyesight blinde;
And from our eyes those scales remoue
That hinder vs thy way to finde.
When he a conuert once became,
Exceeded thy apostles all
In painefull preaching of thy name;
So grant that those who haue in sinne
Exceeded others heretofore,
The start of them in faith may winne—
Loue, serue, and honour thee the more.