UNDERWOODS. POEMS OF DEVOTION. THE SINNER'S SACRIFICE. TO THE HOLY TRINITY. O HOLY, blessed, glorious Trinity Help, help to lift Myself up to thee, harrowed, torn, and bruised By sin and Satan; and my flesh misused, All-gracious God, the sinner's sacrifice, For thy acceptance. O, behold me right, To thee more sweet? Eternal Father, God, who didst create Eternal God the Son, who not deniedst Eternal Spirit, God from both proceeding, feeding For acts of grace: Increase those acts, O glorious Trinity Of persons, still one God in Unity; Till I attain the longed-for mystery Of seeing your face; Beholding one in three, and three in one, The gladdest light dark man can think upon; Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, you three, Distinct in persons, yet in Unity One God to see. My Maker, Saviour, and my Sanctifier, 1 Qy. inbreathing? With grace, with love, with cherishing entire, O, then how blest! Among thy saints elected to abide, And with thy angels, placed side by side, But in thy presence, truly glorified Shall I there rest! A HYMN TO GOD THE FATHER. Hear me, O God! A broken heart Is my best part: If thou hadst not For, sin's so sweet, As minds ill bent Rarely repent, Until they meet Their punishment. Who more can crave Than thou hast done: That gav'st a son, To free a slave? First made of naught; Sin, Death, and Hell, And slight the same. But, I'll come in, Me farther toss, As sure to win Under his Cross. A HYMN ON THE NATIVITY OF MY SAVIOUR. I sing the birth was born to-night, The angels so did sound it, Yet searched, and true they found it. The Son of God, th' Eternal King, And freed the soul from danger; He whom the whole world could not take,2 The Word, which heaven and earth did make, Was now laid in a manger. 2 That is, contain, -a Latinism, Quem non capit. G. |