Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SINCERE PRAISE, by ISAAC WATTS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SINCERE PRAISE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Almighty maker god!
Last Line: In sweet perfumes of praise.
Subject(s): Worship


Almighty Maker, God!
How wondrous is thy name!
Thy glories how diffus'd abroad
Through the Creation's frame!

Nature in every dress
Her humble homage pays,
And finds a thousand ways t' express
Thine undissembled praise.

In native white and red
The rose and lily stand,
And, free from pride, their beauties spread,
To show thy skilful hand.

The lark mounts up the sky,
With unambitious song,
And bears her Maker's praise on high
Upon her artless tongue.

My soul would rise and sing
To her Creator too,
Fain would my tongue adore my King,
And pay the worship due.

But pride, that busy sin,
Spoils all that I perform;
Curs'd pride, that creeps securely in,
And swells a haughty worm.

Thy glories I abate,
Or praise thee with design;
Some of the favours I forget,
Or think the merit mine.

The very songs I frame
Are faithless to Thy cause,
And steal the honours of Thy Name
To build their own applause.

Create my soul anew,
Else all my worship's vain;
This wretched heart will ne'er be true,
Until 'tis form'd again.

Descend, celestial fire,
And seize me from above;
Melt me in flames of pure desire,
A sacrifice to love.

Let joy and worship spend
The remnant of my days,
And to my God, my soul, ascend,
In sweet perfumes of praise.





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