Pity, my God, this sinking trembling Soul,
And let the hand that wounds me, make me whole:
Friends would, but cannot; all their help is vain.
But thou canst quickly give me joy for pain.
What can friends do, but make my grief their own?
And will not give me leave to die alone.
⟨p. 91⟩They can but add their fruitless tears and moans,
To join in a sad consort with my groans.
Their pity doth but make my wounds more deep:
While in compassion they stand by and weep.
Through me, thou woundest them: my pains are theirs:
And every tender friend a portion bears.
They can but pray for that which thou must give:
They strive in vain if thou wilt not relieve.
O spare me Lord! and press me not too low:
Lest I should peevish and impatient grow!
Lest I should have unworthy thoughts of thee,
Forgetting what thy Love hath done for me.
Lest blind distrust get ground against my faith,
And I grow mindless what thy Promise saith.
Lest griefs consume the soul which thou hast made,
And lest thy Praises with my Comforts fade.
Lest I thine ancient Loves no more rehearse,
But all my Thanks as a mistake reverse.
And lest unruly grief should make me break
Thy holy Laws, and things unseemly speak.
And lest the Tempter should advantage take,
The heaven-built structure of my Hopes to shake.
Lest I be drawn with Job to curse the day,
In which my Soul was married to Clay!
Lest this rash tongue thy precious Loves deny,
And in distress, should call thee Enemy.
Break not the heart on which thou wrotest thy Name,
Lest those blest Letters perish with the frame.
Thy Word commands us always to rejoice:
Fain I would do it, but thou stoppest my voice.
⟨p. 92⟩Can I rejoice, when as thine angry Dart,
Is piercing night and day my wounded heart?
Can I rejoice and bleed? Rejoice and die?
Can I rejoice, when thou dost Joy deny?
Can I mix night and day? or death and life?
Or heat and cold? or quietness and strife?
Or twist the highest joy with deepest sorrow?
Dwelling near Hell to day, & Heaven to morrow?
Will joys agree with heavy sighs and groans?
And sweetest comforts dwell with broken bones?
When I would rise and sing thy Love's renown,
Then comes another wave and strikes me down.
Brimstone and flames methinks upon me rain,
As if I were adjudged to Sodom's pain.
O my Dear God! why dost thou me forsake?
And all my bones and heart in pieces shake?
I took thee for my only Life and Joy:
Pity, my God, this sinking trembling Soul,
And let the hand that wounds me, make me whole:
Friends would, but cannot; all their help is vain.
But thou canst quickly give me joy for pain.
What can friends do, but make my grief their own?
And will not give me leave to die alone.
⟨p. 91⟩They can but add their fruitless tears and moans,
To joyn in a sad consort with my groans.
Their pity doth but make my wounds more deep:
While in compassion they stand by and weep.
Through me, thou woundest them: my pains are theirs:
And every tender friend a portion bears.
They can but pray for that which thou must give:
They strive in vain if thou wilt not relieve.
O spare me Lord! and press me not too low:
Lest I should pievish and impatient grow!
Lest I should have unworthy thoughts of thee,
Forgetting what thy Love hath done for me.
Lest blind distrust get ground against my faith,
And I grow mindless what thy Promise saith.
Lest griefs consume the soul which thou hast made,
And lest thy Praises with my Comforts fade.
Lest I thine antient Loves no more rehearse,
But all my Thanks as a mistake reverse.
And lest unruly grief should make me break
Thy holy Laws, and things unseemly speak.
And lest the Tempter should advantage take,
The heav'n-built structure of my Hopes to shake.
Lest I be drawn with Job to curse the day,
In which my Soul was marryed to Clay!
Lest this rash tongue thy precious Loves deny,
And in distress, should call thee Enemy.
Break not the heart on which thou wrot'st thy Name,
Lest those blest Letters perish with the frame.
Thy Word commands us alwaies to rejoice:
Fain I would do it, but thou stop'st my voice.
⟨p. 92⟩Can I rejoyce, when as thine angry Dart,
Is piercing night and day my wounded heart?
Can I rejoyce and bleed? Rejoyce and die?
Can I rejoyce, when thou dost Joy deny?
Can I mix night and day? or death and life?
Or heat and cold? or quietness and strife?
Or twist the highest joy with deepest sorrow?
Dwelling near Hell to day, & Heaven to morrow?
Will joyes agree with heavy sighs and groans?
And sweetest comforts dwell with broken bones?
When I would rise and sing thy Love's renown,
Then comes another wave and strikes me down.
Brimstone and flames methinks upon me rain,
As if I were adjudg'd to Sodom's pain.
O my Dear God! why dost thou me forsake?
And all my bones and heart in pieces shake?
I took thee for my only Life and Joy:
