Prayer resources
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Batter My Heart
Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend Your force, to break, blow, burn and make me new. I, like an usurp’d town, to another due, Labor to admit you, but Oh, to no end, Reason your viceroy in me, me should defend, But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue. Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain, But am betroth’d unto your enemy: Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again, Take me to you, imprison me, for I Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. Oh my blacke Soule!
Oh my blacke Soule! now thou art summoned By sicknesse, death's herald, and champion; Thou art like a pilgrim, which abroad hath done Treason, and durst not turne to whence hee is fled, Or like a thiefe, which till death's doome be read, Wisheth himselfe deliver'd from prison; But dam'd and hal'd to execution, Wisheth that still he might be imprisoned. Yet grace, if thou repent, thou canst not lacke; But who shall give thee that grace to beginne? Oh make thyselfe with holy mourning blacke, And red with blushing, as thou are with sinne; Or wash thee in Christ's blood, which hath this might That being red, it dyes red soules to white. Oh might those sighes and teares
Oh might those sighes and teares return againe Into my breast and eyes, which I have spent, That I might in this holy discontent Mourne with some fruit, as I have mourn'd in vaine; In mine Idolatry what show'rs of rain Mine eyes did waste? What griefs my heart did rent? That sufferance was my sinne; now I repent 'Cause I did suffer, I must suffer paine. Th'hydroptique drunkard, and night scouting thief, The itchy lecher and self-tickling proud Have the remembrance of past joyes, for relief Of coming ills. To poore me is allow'd No ease; for long, yet vehement griefe hath been Th'effect and cause, the punishment and sinne. Oh, to vex me
Oh, to vex me, contraryes meet in one: In constancy unnaturally hath begott A constant habit; that when I would not I change in vowes, and in devotione. As humorous is my contritione As my profane Love and as soone forgott: As ridlingly distemper'd, cold and hott, As praying, as mute; as infinite, as none. I durst not view Heav'n yesterday; and today In prayers, and flatt'ring speeches I court God: Tomorrow I quake with true feare of his rod. So my devout fitts come and go away, Like a fantastique Ague: save that here Those are my best dayes, when I shake with feare. What if this present
What if this present were the world's last night? Marke in my heart, O Soule, where thou dost dwell, The picture of Christ crucified, and tell Whether that countenance can thee affright, Teares in his eyes quench the amazing light, Blood fills his frownes, which from his pierc'd head fell. And can that tongue adjudge thee into hell, Which pray'd forgivenesse for his foes fierce spight? No, no; but as in my Idolatrie I said to all my profane mistresses, Beauty, of pity, foulenesse onely is A sign of rigour: so I say to thee, To wicked spirits are horrid shapes assign'd, This beauteous forme assures a piteous minde. Thou hast made me
Thou hast made me, and shall thy work decay? Repaire me now, for now mine end doth haste, I runne to death, and death meets me as fast, And all my pleasures are like yesterday; I dare not move my dim eyes anyway, Despaire behind, and death before doth cast Such terror, and my feeble flesh doth waste By sinne in it, which it t'wards Hell doth weigh; Onely thou art above, and when t'wards thee By thy leave I can looke, I rise againe; But our old subtle foe so tempteth me, That not one houre myselfe can I sustaine; Thy Grace may wing me to prevent his art, And thou like Adamant draw mine iron heart. Death be not proud
Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe, For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow, Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee. From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do goe, Rest of their bones, and souls deliverie. Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings and desperate men, And dost with poyson, warre, and sickness dwell, And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well And better than thy stroake; why swell'st thou then? One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. |
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