I HEAR and tremble! Lord, what shall I do T' avoid thy anger? whither shall I go? What, shall I scale the mountains? 'las! they be Far less than atoms if compar'd with thee. What, shall I strive to get myself a tomb Within the greedy ocean's swelling womb? Shall I dive into rocks? Where shall I fly The sure discovery of thy piercing eye? Alas! I know not; though with many a tear In Hell they moan thy absence, thou art there; Thou art on earth, and well observest all The actions acted on this massy ball; And when thou look'st on mine, what can I say? I dare not stand, nor can I run away. Thine eyes are pure, and cannot look upon (And what else, Lord, am I?) corruption. Thou hatest sins; and if thou once begin To cast me in the scales, I all am sin. Thou still continuest one, O Lord; I range In various forms of crimes, and love my change. Lord, thou that mad'st me, bid'st I should present My heart unto thee; O, see how 'tis rent By various monsters; see how fastly held, How stubbornly they do deny to yield. How shall I stand, when that thou shalt be hurl'd On clouds, in robes of fire to judge the world, Usher'd with golden legions, in thine eye Carrying an all-enraged majesty, That shall the earth into a palsy stroke, And make the clouds sigh out themselves in smoke? How can I stand? Yes, Lord, I may; although Thou beest the judge, thou art a party too; Thou sufferest for these faults, for which thou shall Arraign me, Lord; thou sufferest for them all; They are not mine at all, these wounds of thine, That on thy glorious side so brightly shine, Seal'd me a pardon; in those wounds th' are hid, And in that side of thine th' are buried. Lord, smile again upon us; with what grace Doth mercy sit enthroniz'd on thy face! How did that scarlet sweat become thee, when That sweat did wash away the filth of men! How did those peevish thorns adorn thy brow? Each thorn more richly than a gem did glow! Yet by those thorns (Lord, how thy love abounds!) Are we, poor worms, made capable of crowns. Come so to judgement, Lord! th' Apostles shall No more into their drowsy slumber fall, But stand and hearken how the judge shall say, Come, come, my lambs, to joy! Come, come away! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CAELICA: 100 by FULKE GREVILLE ODE TO SILENCE by EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY THE DAY-DREAM: MORAL by ALFRED TENNYSON HYMN TO SCIENCE by MARK AKENSIDE BUILDING THE LIBRARY, TOKYO UNIVERSITY; NIGHT SCENE by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN |