| |
| OH heavenly Lord! who plain doost see | |
| The thoughts of ech man’s heart; | |
| Who sendest some continuall plague, | |
| And some relief of smart; | |
| |
| Pittie, O Lorde! the wofull state | 5 |
| Wherein I dayly stand; | |
| And onely for thy mercies’ sake | |
| Now helpe me out of hande. | |
| |
| And as it was thy pleasure fyrst, | |
| To plague me thus with greefe; | 10 |
| So canst thou, Lorde, if thee it please, | |
| With speede send me releefe. | |
| |
| I must of force confesse, O Lorde! | |
| I can it not denye, | |
| That I deserve these plagues, and worse, | 15 |
| And that continually. | |
| |
| Yet doo not Thou therefore on me | |
| Thy judgments just extend; | |
| But pardon me, and graunt me grace | |
| My life for to amend. | 20 |
| |
| And banish, Lord! from me delights | |
| Of worldly vanitie, | |
| And lend me helpe to pace the pathes | |
| Of perfect pietie; | |
| |
| And truly so to tread the pathes, | 25 |
| And in such godly wise, | |
| That they may bring me to the place | |
| Of perfect Paradice. | |
| |
| And not to wander up and downe | |
| In wayes of weary wo, | 30 |
| Where wicked, wily, wanton toyes | |
| Do leade me too and fro. | |
| |
| The sap of Sapience likes me not, | |
| That pleaseth not my taste; | |
| But fond delight, that wicked weede, | 35 |
| Was all my chief repaste: | |
| |
| Wherein, as hooke within the baight, | |
| So doo I plainly finde | |
| Some hidden poyson lurking lyes | |
| For to infect my minde. | 40 |
| |
| But wherefore doo I finde it now? | |
| Because I now do see | |
| That, wanting smart, I wanted grace | |
| For to acknowledge thee. | |
| |
| But now, O Lord, that I so sore | 45 |
| Doo feele thy punishment, | |
| I doo lament my folly great, | |
| And all my sinnes repent. | |
| |
| And to thy heavenly throane, O Lord! | |
| For mercy I appeale, | 50 |
| To send me, Lord, some heavenly salve | |
| My greevous sores to heale. | |
| |
| Beholde, O Lord! my sorrowes such | |
| As no man dooth endure; | |
| And eke my greevous sicknesse such | 55 |
| As none but Thou canst cure. | |
| |
| And as thou art a gratious God | |
| To men in misery, | |
| So pitty me, that thus, O Lord! | |
| Do pine in penurie. | 60 |
| |
| And as Thou art a help to all | |
| That put their trust in Thee, | |
| So held in this my deepe distresse | |
| Some comfort lend to me. | |
| |
| And hold, O Lord! thy heavy hand, | 65 |
| And lay thy scourge aside; | |
| For, Lord, the greevous smart thereof | |
| I can no longer bide. | |
| |
| Forgive my sinnes, forget the same; | |
| Beholde my humble heart, | 70 |
| Who onely, Lord, doo trust in thee | |
| For to releeve my smart. | |
| |
| And after this my wretched life, | |
| Lord, graunt me of thy grace, | |
| That I in heauen at latter daye | 75 |
| May have a joyfull place. | |
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