Do Muttering Thoughts Rise and Repine

Do muttering thoughts rise and repine¹
thy rod and word
teach patience Lord
And still those barking thoughts of mine

Am I tounge-ty’d and cannot pray²
thy word inspires
praying desires
Dumb lips unseals; tells what to say

When I in darkness erre and stray
thy word’s a light³
most clear and bright
And leads me back into the way

I’me foolish, simple, and want eyes
thy word’s light, rule
master and Schoole,
Which makes the commers to it wise

I see myself undone and poor
thy words infold
A mine of gold
A pearl of price; all richer score⁴

With God by nature I’me at odds
thy word my soul
converteth⁵ whole
from satans service unto Gods

Do outward troubles, inward grief
my soul torment
they word is sent
With comfort for my soules relief⁶

Am I perplext with doubts and fears
thy word of grace
Resolves the case
And so my clouded judgment clears

Or do despairing thoughts me take
thy word doth give
me hopes to live
for Christ my dearest saviors sake

Do multitudes of thoughts me presse
I call to mind
thy word, and find
Such comforts as my soul refresh

Cann’t I through weakness walk alone
thy word Lord is
Strength to my knees
And staffe⁶ to stay my hand upon

Thus though I thirst, faint, hunger pine
Thy word me feeds
in these my needs
Thy word it self is bread milk wine⁷

Thus thought poor, scorn’d, forsaken pained
Thy word alone
Hath all in one
Health, wealth, friends, honour, all contained

Thus though soul-sick, and wounded sore
With grievous sin
Which doth begin
To fester, rankling more and more

Thy word shows whence help may be had
And doth me guide
To christs pierc’d side⁸
Whence flows the balm of Gilead⁹

Yea thought in me no life remain,
Thy word is good
And living food
Which fetcheth me to life again¹⁰

A Poetical meditation, wherein the unfefulling
excellency, and several perfections of holy
Scripture are briefly hinted by i.c.

Thou Lord to me thy word holy given
precious, and pure
sweet, holy, pure
To guid me through the world to heaven

if all wants and necesities
thy word’s my lore
hopp’d running o’re
with plenty of most rich supplies

Temptations terrors dangers fears
those petty hells
thy word dispells
And all the way before me clears

When Satan flings his darts at me
then Lord thy word
is shield and sword
To save me and to make him flee

The world prevents it’s objects rare
but yet they word
doth that afford
Which for deemes to me far clothier ware

Then lust imuiets me to it’s pleasure
but to delightes
thy word ignuites
Which for purposes in weight and measure

Then errors their gum’d wares display
but scripture saies
shun errors wayes
Walk by my rule this is the way

Thus when I’me tempted unto sin
by thy word’s art
hid in my heart
both battle and reward i win.

Yea though sins have oe’ffd my soul
thy word can cleanse
those noylome dens
of lust and sins left strength controul

Have i an unbelieving heart
thy word, Lord hath
Power to work faith
By thy most holy sprits art

Have i an hard and stony heart
Thy word thus deals,
First breaks then heales
That stone is cured by this smart

Would I prolong this life for ever
The scripture shewes
Whence water flowes
Pure streams which whoso drinks, dye’s never

The Lord be blest who thus provides
And filleth full
My empty soul
With food, which evermore abides¹¹

Blesse God (my soul) that thus hath given
Strength, light, guide, way
Least thou shouldst stray
In this thy pilgrimage to heaven

This book, these sentences, these lines,
each word and letter
to me are better
Then chaines of pearl, and goldenmines

Tis heaven transcrib’d and glory pen’d
God’s truth no doubt
Was copy’d out,
When he this gift to men did send

Tis truth it self, God doth in tend,
Mans word¹² shall fall
Heaven, earth, and all
But this shall never have an end

My soul, admire that hand and quill
That did produce
For sinners use
Th’ eternal mind, the soveraign will.

Adore the author too and when
Thou canst not raise
Sufficient praise
Sit down and wondring say, Amen

 

Footnotes
¹Thoughts flow from good to bad/positive to negative. Back to text.
² When I cannot find the words to pray. Back to text.
³ Reference to Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path.”. Back to text.
⁴ Gold, Pearl, Price are expressions of value.The value of God’s word makes readers wise. Back to text.
⁵ Reference to Salvation, the christian practice of accepting Christ into ones heart in order to cleanse and confess to sins and be reborn. Romans 10: 9-10 Back to text.
⁶ Reference to Psalm 23:4, “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Back to text.
⁷ Reference to Christ’s word as physical nourishment; Hebrews 5:14.”Back to text.
⁸ Reference to the crucifixion; John 19:34. Back to text.
⁹ A fragrant, medicinal resign made from mixed spices in the town of Gilead. This is a biblical reference to a plea for healing through the pain that Christ endures. Back to text.
¹⁰ Biblical reference to the power of God’s word; Proverbs 30:5; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16; etc. Back to text.
¹¹ Reference to the act of Communion, or the Eucharist. Back to text.
¹² God’s word, specifically that from the gospel of John. Back to text.