The Authors Hymne

GReat Almighty, GOD of Heauen,
Honour, praise, and glory be
Now, and still hereafter giuen,
For thy blessings daigned me:
Who hast granted and prepared,
More then can be well declared.

By thy mercy thou didst raise me,
From below the pits of clay;
Thou hast taught my lips to praise thee,
Where thy loue confesse I may:
And those blessed hopes dost leaue me,
Whereof no man can bereaue me.

By thy grace, those passions, troubles,
And those wants that me opprest;
Haue appear'd as water-bubbles,
Or as dreames, and things in ieast:
For (thy leisure still attending)
I with pleasure saw their ending.

Those afflictions, and those terrors,
Which to others grim appeare,
Did but shew me where my errors,
And my imperfections were:
But distrustfull could not make me
Of thy loue; nor fright, nor shake me.

When in publike to defame me,
A designe was brought to passe,
On their heads that meant to shame me,
Their owne malice turned was;
And that day, most grace was showne me,
Which they thought should haue vndone me.

Therefore, as thy blessed Psalmist,
When he saw, his warres had end,
(And his dayes were at the calmest)
Psalmes and Hymnes of praises pend:
So, my rest by thee enioyed,
To thy praise I haue employed.

Yea, remembring what I vowed,
When enclos'd from all but thee,
I thy presence was allowed,
While the world neglected me:
This, my Muse hath tooke vpon her,
That she might aduance thine honour.

LORD, accept my poore endeauour,
And assist thy seruant so,
In good Studies to perseuer,
That more fruitfull he may grow:
And become thereby the meeker;
Not his owne vaine Glory seeker.

Grant my frailties and my folly,
(And those daily Sinnes I doe;)
May not make this Worke vnholy,
Nor a blemish bring thereto:
But, let all my faults committed,
With compassion be remitted.

Those base hopes that would possesse me;
And, those thoughts of vaine repute,
Which doe now and then oppresse me,
Doe not, LORD, to me impute:
And, though part they will not from me,
Let them neuer ouercome me.

Till this present, from obsceannesse,
Thou, oh LORD, hast kept my Pen,
And my Uerse abhorr'd vncleannesse,
Though it vaine were, now, and then:
My loose thoughts it ne're enflamed:
But, I thereby them haue tamed.

Still with-hold me from delighting
That, which thine may mis-beseeme;
And from eu'ry kinde of Writing,
Whereby this may loose esteeme,
That I may with Faith and Reason,
Eu'ry future Uolume season.

Oh, preserue me from committing
Aught that's hainously amisse;
From all speeches him vnfitting,
That hath beene employ'd on this:
Yea, as much as may be daigned,
Keepe my very Thoughts vnstained.

That these Helpes vnto Deuotion,
May no scandall haue at all,
LORD, I make to thee this motion,
For their sakes that vse them shall:
Of the world I am not fearefull,
Nor of mine owne glory carefull.

Whil'st thy fauours thou dost daigne me,
I despise the worlds respect,
And most comforts entertaine me,
When I suffer most neglect:
Yea, I then am best rewarded,
When I seeme the least regarded.

For (oh) when I minde my Sauiour,
And how many a spightfull tongue,
Sland'red his most pure behauiour,
And his pious't workes did wrong:
I contented am, and care not,
Though my life, Detraction spare not.

Therefore, when that I shall blamed,
Or with cause, or causlesse be;
So thy Truth be not defamed,
Fall what can befall on me:
Let my fame of none be friended,
So thy Saints be not offended.

That is most my feare (oh Father)
Thy assistance therefore send;
And, oh let me perish, rather
Then thy little ones offend:
Let my life some honour doe thee,
Or by death returne me to thee.

For, thy praise I wish, and loue it;
And (oh) let my end be shame,
If for mine owne sake, I couet
Either life, or death, or fame:
So it may be to thy glory,
Let Detraction write my storie.

But to thee which way auailing,
Can my shame or honour be?
Truth shall euer be preuailing,
Whatsoe're is thought of me:
Thou nought loosest through my folly,
Nor gain'st ought by the most holy.

And I know, that whosoeuer
Hath thy glory in esteeme,
Will accept this good endeauour,
Whatsoe're the Workeman seeme,
Let (oh therefore) be fulfilled,
That which thou (oh LORD) hast willed.

And when I with Israels Singer,
To these Songs of Faith, shall learne,
Thy ten-stringed Law to finger,
And that Musicke to discerne:
Lift me to that Angell-quire,
Whereunto thy Saints aspire.