Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DIVINE POEMS: AN ODE, by JOHN HALL (1627-1656)


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DIVINE POEMS: AN ODE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Descend, o lord
Last Line: In begging -- lord, I pray thee give me thee!
Alternate Author Name(s): Hall Of Durham, John


I

DESCEND, O Lord,
Into this gloomy heart of mine,
And once afford
A glimpse of that great light of thine!
The sun doth never here
To shine on basest dunghills once forbear.

II

What though I be
Nothing but high corruption?
Let me have Thee,
And at thy presence 'twill be gone.
Darkness dare never stand
In competition, while the sun's at hand.

III

And though my sins
Be an unnumber'd number, yet
When thou begins
To look on Christ, do then forget
I helped to cause his grief:
If so, Lord, from it grant me some relief!

IV

All thou demands
Is that small piece of me, my heart;
Lo, here it stands
Thine wholly; I'll reserve no part;
Let the three corners be,
(Since nought else can) fill'd with one triple Thee.

V

Set up a throne;
Admit no rival of thy power;
Be thou alone
(I'll only fear thee) Emperour;
And though thy limits may
Seem small, Heaven only is as large as they.

VI

And if by chance
The old oft-conquer'd enemy
New stirs advance,
Look but upon him, and he'll fly:
The smallest check of thine
Will do't; so cannot all the power that's mine.

VII

Thy kingdom is
More than ten thousand worlds, each heart
A province is;
Keep residence in mine, 'tis part
Of those huge realms; I'll be
Thy slave, and by this means gain liberty.

VIII

Such as all earth
Ne'er could so much as fancy yet,
Nor can give birth
To thoughts enough to fathom it.
No, no, nor can blest I,
When I enjoy it, know what I enjoy.

IX

Then give me this
I ask for; though I know not what,
O Lord! it is:
But what's of greatest price, give that;
Or plainly bold to be
In begging -- Lord, I pray thee give me Thee!





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