Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.
Psalme LIXII. William Hunnis
1
O
Whom God thy creatures call;
Which formedst man like to thyself,
Yet suffredst him to fall:
Didst fleshe of virgin take,
And so becamst both God and man,
For sinful fleshe’s sake:
To hell was ouerthrowne,
Didst meeklie suffer death on crosse,
To haue thy mercies knowne:
And fathers old diuine
From time to time preserue and keepe
By mercies great of thine:
And Abram daie by daie,
As he along through Ægypt past,
Didst guide him in the waie:
Didst safelie keepe also,
And Daniel from the lions’ iawes,
Thy mercie great to shew:
The sea like hils to stand,
That children thine might thorough pas
From cruell Pharoe’s hand;
Thy children did pursue,
Thou ouerthrewst them in the sea,
To prooue thy saiengs true:
Three daies didst keepe from paine,
Which was a figure of thy death
And rising vp againe:
Amidst the fierie flame
The three young men which sang therein
The glories of thy name:—
Thy goodnesse me restore,
And for thy mercies infinite
Thinke on my sinne no more.
Is more than can be told;
Wherefore I humblie doo desire
Thy mercies manifold.
May soone small faultes suffice;
But I, alas! for manie faults
For greater mercie cries.
Surpasseth salt sea land,
And that the filth of them deserue
The wrath of thy iust hand;
The sinnes of all in all;
Thou wilt with mercie vs relieue,
For mercie when we call.
So much for to transgresse,
As thou with mercie maist forgiue
Through thine almightinesse.
Than thousands else beside,
More noisome, and more odious,
More fowler to be tride,
19Wherefore, good Lord, doo not behold
How wicked I haue bin;
But wash me from my wickednesse,
And clense me from my sin.
Durst not approach thee nie,
Till they their garments and themselues
Had washed decentlie.
Ere they thy face would see;
Else had they perisht in their sinne—
Such Lord was thy decree.
To craue while I am heere,
To wash my foule and spotted soule,
That it may cleane appeare!
Doe manie washings craue,
Ere that the launder can obteine
The thing that he would haue.
The manie dewes of grace,
Ere it be cleane; for cankred sinne
So deepe hath taken place.
Could not be done away,
Till he seuen times in Iordan floud
Had washt him day by day.
For to be washed in,
Ere I be purged faire and cleane,
And clensed from my sin!
And washing lee also,
That shall both scowre and clense the filth
Which in my soule doe grow.
Of goodness thine to mee,
When that thy iustice willeth me
To put my trust in thee?
Which cannot be but true,
That thou wilt mercie haue on them
That turne to thee anew.
This promise shall stand fast:
Wherefore vnto thy Maiestie
I offer now at last
With all humilitie,
For heinous sinnes by it conceiu’d
Through mine iniquitie.
My sinnes stand me before;
I haue them in remembrance, Lord,
And will for euermore.
I still doo thinke thereon,
And set it vp before my face,
Alwaies to look vpon.