Beware and wake; for else thy bed,
Which soft and smooth is made,
May heap more harm upon thy head
Than blows of enemies' blade.
Thus if this pain procure thine ease,
In bed as thou dost lie,
Perhaps it shall not God displease
To sing thus soberly :-
I see that sleep is lent me here,
To ease my weary bones,
As death at last shall eke appear,
To ease my grievous groans.
My daily sports, my hunger fed,
Have caused my drowsy eye,
As careless life in quiet led
Might cause my soul to die.
The stretching arms, the yawning breath,
Which I to bedward use,
Are patterns of the pangs of death,
When life will me refuse.
And of my bed each sundry part
In shadows doth resemble
The sundry shapes of death, whose dart
Shall make my flesh to tremble:
My bed itself is like the grave,
My sheets the winding-sheet,
My clothes the mould which I must have,
To cover me most meet.
The waking cock that early crows
To wear the night away,
Puts in my mind the trump that blows
Before the latter day;
And as I rise up lustily
When sluggish sleep is past,
So hope I to rise joyfully
To judgment, at the last.
Thus will I wake, thus will I sleep,
Thus will I hope to rise,
Thus will I neither wail nor weep,
But sing in godly wise.
My bones shall in this bed remain,
My soul in God shall trust,
By whom I hope to rise again
From death and earthly dust.
FROM depth of dole wherein my soul doth dwell,
From heavy heart which harbours in my breast,
From troubled sprite which seldom taketh rest,
From hope of heaven, from dread of darksome hell,
O gracious God, to thee I cry and yell:
My God, my Lord, my lovely Lord alone,
To thee I call, to thee I make my moan.
And thou, good God, vouchsafe in grace to take
This woful plaint
Oh, hear me then, for thy great mercy's sake!
Oh, bend thine ears attentively to hear;
Oh, turn thine eyes-behold me now I wail;
Oh, hearken, Lord, give ear for mine avail;
Oh, mark in mind the burdens that I bear!
See how I sink in sorrows everywhere;
Behold and see what dolours I endure;
Give ear and mark what plaints I put in ure;'
Bend willing ears, and pity therewithal
My wailing voice,
Which hath no choice
But evermore upon thy name to call.
If thou, good Lord, shouldst take thy rod in hand, If thou regard what sins are daily done,
If thou take hold where we our works begun,
If thou decree in judgment for to stand
And be extreme to see our 'scuses scann'd,—
If thou take note of every thing amiss,
And write in rolls how frail our nature is,
O glorious God! O King! O Prince of power!
What mortal wight
To feel thy frown, if thou have list to lower ?
But thou art good, and hast of mercy store;
Thou not delight'st to see a sinner fall;
Thou hearkenest first before we come to call;
Thy ears are set wide open evermore;
Before we knock thou comest to the door;
Thou art more prest to hear a sinner cry,
Than he is quick to climb to thee on high.
Thy mighty name be praised then alway:
Let faith and fear
How fast they stand which on thy mercy stay.
I look for thee, my lovely Lord, therefore;
For thee I wait, for thee I tarry still;
Mine eyes do long to gaze on thee my fill;
For thee I watch, for thee I pry and pore;
My soul for thee attendeth evermore;
My soul doth thirst to take of thee a taste;
My soul desires with thee for to be placed;
And to thy word, which can no man deceive,-
Mine only trust,
My love and lust,'
In confidence continually shall cleave.
Before the break or dawning of the day,
Before the ligh tbe seen in lofty skies,
Before the sun appear in pleasant wise,
Before the watch-before the watch, I say,
Before the ward that waits therefore alway,
My soul, my sense, my secret thought, my
sprite,
My will, my wish, my joy, and my delight,
Unto the Lord, that sits in heaven on high,
With hasty wing,
From me doth fling,
And striveth still unto the Lord to fly.
O Israel, O household of the Lord,
O Abraham's sons, O brood of blessed seed,-
O chosen sheep, that fear the Lord indeed,—
O hungry hearts, feed still upon his word,
And put your trust in him with one accord!
For he hath mercy evermore at hand;
His fountains flow, his springs do never stand;
And plenteously he loveth to redeem
Such sinners all
As on him call,
And faithfully his mercies most esteem.
He will redeem our deadly, drooping state;
He will bring home the sheep that go astray;
He will help them that hope in him alway;
He will appease our discord and debate;
He will soon save, though we repent us late.
He will be ours if we continue his;
He will bring bale to joy and perfect bliss;
He will redeem the flock of his elect
From all that is,
Or was, amiss,
Since Abraham's heirs did first his laws reject.
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