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| WHERE is thy mercie, which exceeds thy power, | |
| Great Intercessor for the sinnes of man? | |
| The one thy arme oppresseth euery hower; | |
| O let the other fall as thick as sand. | |
| Our sinnes abound so much, thy mercie more; | 5 |
| Els shall I thinke thou wilt not me restore. | |
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| The wicked flourish like the freshest baye, | |
| And they are counted for the happiest men; | |
| But I am laught at, who do daily pray: | |
| If Peter should dispaire, sweete Lord, how then! | 10 |
| To see that they which neuer thinke on thee | |
| Spend out their dayes in chiefe prosperitie. | |
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| But, Lord, I do forsee the end of those: | |
| Thou wilt be deafe when they shall call to thee; | |
| I shall be heard before mine eyes do close; | 15 |
| O gracious God, that is enough for mee— | |
| But they, when as they helpe shall most require, | |
| Shall dye with blindnesse of their ill desire. | |
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| Their heauen is earth; my earth is onely hell; | |
| Their ioy is riches, mine thy sauing health: | 20 |
| That which all ioy and gladnesse dooth excell, | |
| The bodie’s treasure, and the soule’s rich wealth: | |
| O let me once possesse that ioyfull place, | |
| And separate me from their sinfull race. | |
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| Here is nothing but the deadly sinnes of shame, | 25 |
| That like a serpent spitteth venome foorth: | |
| They which comes neare them haue the like defame; | |
| So are thy chosen held like them in worth: | |
| Wipe, Lord, this wicked slaunder from thine owne, | |
| And hast vs quickly to thy heauenly throne. | 30 |
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| Then shall we looke on earthly vanities, | |
| And loath that we did euer liue therein; | |
| Pitty the world’s accurst calamities: | |
| When we are chang’d from that we once had beene, | |
| Then shall thy seruant Peter weepe no more, | 35 |
| Because of heauenly things he tastes such store. | |
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