FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   198   199  
200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   >>  
h, Or thought can think the depth of so deare wound? Whose bleeding sourse their streames yet never staunch, But stil do flow, and freshly still redownd*, 165 To heale the sores of sinfull soules unsound, And clense the guilt of that infected cryme, Which was enrooted in all fleshly slyme. [* _Redownd_, overflow.] O blessed Well of Love! O Floure of Grace! O glorious Morning-Starre! O Lampe of Light! 170 Most lively image of thy Fathers face, Eternal King of Glorie, Lord of Might, Meeke Lambe of God, before all worlds behight*, How can we thee requite for all this good? Or what can prize** that thy most precious blood? 175 [* _Behight_, named.] [** _Prize_, price.] Yet nought thou ask'st in lieu of all this love But love of us, for guerdon of thy paine: Ay me! what can us lesse than that behove? Had he required life for us againe, Had it beene wrong to ask his owne with game? 180 He gave us life, he it restored lost; Then life were least, that us so little cost. But he our life hath left unto us free, Free that was thrall, and blessed that was band*; Ne ought demaunds but that we loving bee, 185 As he himselfe hath lov'd us afore-hand, And bound therto with an eternall band; Him first to love that was so dearely bought, And next our brethren, to his image wrought. [* _Band_, cursed.] Him first to love great right and reason is, 190 Who first to us our life and being gave, And after, when we fared* had amisse, Us wretches from the second death did save; And last, the food of life, which now we have, Even he himselfe, in his dear sacrament, 195 To feede our hungry soules, unto us lent. [* _Fared_, gone.] Then next, to love our brethren, that were made Of that selfe* mould and that self Maker's hand That we, and to the same againe shall fade, Where they shall have like heritage of land, 200 However here on higher steps we stand, Which also were with selfe-same price redeemed That we, however of us light esteemed. [* _Selfe_, same.] And were they not, yet since that loving Lord Commaunded us to love them for his sake, 205 Even for his sake, and for his sacred word Which in his last bequest he to us spake, We should them love, and with their needs partake; Knowing that wh
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   198   199  
200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   >>  



Top keywords:

brethren

 

blessed

 

loving

 

againe

 

himselfe

 

soules

 

amisse

 

wretches

 

therto

 
eternall

reason

 
cursed
 
dearely
 

bought

 
wrought
 

esteemed

 

redeemed

 

higher

 
Commaunded
 

partake


Knowing

 

sacred

 

bequest

 
However
 
hungry
 

sacrament

 

heritage

 

Starre

 

Morning

 

glorious


Floure

 
lively
 

Fathers

 

worlds

 

behight

 

Eternal

 

Glorie

 

bleeding

 
overflow
 

redownd


sinfull
 
freshly
 

staunch

 

unsound

 

sourse

 

fleshly

 

Redownd

 
enrooted
 

streames

 
clense