Songs of Sion Set for the ioy of gods deere ones, vvho sitt here by the brookes of this vvorlds Babel, & vveepe vvhen they thinke on Hierusalem vvhich is on highe. By W.L.

The first straine.

1.

LOrd heare my suite, my plainte, That my soule makes to thee. Lord in thy truth one looke of grace Grant in thy loue to me.

2.

Lord see the moane I make, Looke on me in thy grace Let not my sighes come backe in vaine But shewe to me thy face,

3.

Loe I was borne in sinne. My kind, my shape, my all, My stocke, my flocke, my selfe from birth O Lord from thee did fall.

4.

And I poore soule am sett In greefe, in paine, in woe, My sinnes come on, my soule doth faint, O quitt me of my foe.

5.

My sinnes the haires doe passe That are set on my head, My hart doth feare, and faint, and faile And I am as one dead.

6.

Thus goe I greeud, and goord, And frett in hart, and spright Thus am I faint vvith feare, & death My sinnes they doe me fright.

7.

The deeds that I haue done Are sett in vevve of eie. My faults, my thoughts, my sinne my shame Thy lavves thy lookes doe spie.

1. SIGHE.

O that my thoughts, vvords, vvorkes and vvaies vvere made so straight, and right, that I might keepe thy lavves 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lord all the daies, & nights of my vvhole life so should I be clere, & cleane from the guilt of sinne, & shame.

The second straine.

1.

O God if thou shouldst vvaighe My vvaies, and take a vevve, •…•…ould not scape thy rod, thy vvrath I should in vvoe it rue.

2.

•…•…iudge me not I pray, O sheeld me from my fall, •…•…r in thy sight none iust doth liue No none I say at all.

3.

•…•…rge is thy loue to me, For it vvith thee I treate •…•… grant me it for Christ his sake Gainst sinnes so huge, so great.

4.

O Christ vvhat vvight doth knovve? His sinne, & faults of life O cleanse me from my sinnes at once Which are in me most rife.

5.

And keepe me lord I craue Least sinnes doe ore me svvay, So shall I then be free, and faine, To keepe thy lavve for aie.

6.

This lord of thee I beg To thee I hold vp hands, And hart, & soule, both thirst, & gape As doth the drought in lands.

7.

As maids doe vvatch, and vvaite, On Queenes some grace to haue So doe I lord both day, and night For grace both beg, and craue.

2. SIGHE.

O that there vvere such an hart i•…•… me to feare thee, & to keepe all th•…•… lavves that it might goe vvell vvith me & mine for aye.

The third straine.

1.

LOrd turne thee to thy grace That once thou shewedst to me O saue me not for my good acts I seeke, I sue to thee.

2.

My soule vvhy dost thou faint? And art vvith greefe soe prest? My hart, my mind, vvhy doe you thus Fret •…•…ore vvithin my brest.

3.

Trust soule to god for aye, And thou the time shalt see When thou shalt thinke, & thanke him still For health, & peace to thee.

4.

For vvhy his vvrath doth last, A space, and then doth slacke But in his face, & grace for aye, Thou canst not ioy long lacke.

5.

Though gripes, and greefes full sor•…•… Doe lodge vvith thee all night Yet ioy, and grace shal be at hand Ere that the day be light.

6.

The lord is kind, and meeke When vve doe make him greeue, He is full slovve his vvrath to shevv, Great grace he doth vs giue.

7.

And loe vvhat loue good men To their ovvne seede doe beare, Like grace the lord doth shevve to such As searue him in his feare.

3. SIGHE.

O that I had vvings like a doue (my svvete loue) that I might fly hence to thee, & so be at rest both in mind, in thought, in hart, in soule, and in mine vvhole.

The fourth straine.

1.

THE lord that made me knovves My shape my mould my lust •…•…vve vveake, hovve vaine, hovve fraile, hovve fond, And that I am but dust.

2.

god in me set vp A pure hart in thy sight, •…•…d eke in all my parts let be A good, and meeke svveete spright

3.

With thy svveete spright of povver Cure thou o lord my sore, And I shall teach the good, and ill To bovve to thy svvete lore.

4.

My soule doth pant, and bray Mine hart is neere at rest •…•…t seekes to knovve thy lavve thy vvill, And vvhat may please thee best.

5.

O vvould it might thee please My vvaies to sett in right That I might both in hart, and deed. Thy lavves to keepe in sight.

6.

O lord I doe tend still My daies, my time to serue That I, nor miē may haue a thought From thy lavves once to svverue

7.

O saue me then o god, Looke on me vvith thy health For that I rate at such a price More thē the vvide vvorlds wealth

4. SIGHE.

O let the vvords of my mouth, the thoughts of my hart, the tune of my voice, & touch of my tongue be euer in thy sight o lord as a svveet smell for Christ his sake both at morne, Eue, & none daye.

The fift straine.

1.

WIth ioy lord of the Iust Let my poore soule be fraught That I may liue in peace, and glee, And free from all thats naught

2.

Lord keepe me for in thee I stay, and stand and feed Thou art my god, and of my goods O lord thou hast noe need

3.

I giue them to the Saincts That in the vvorld doe dvvell Yea to the folke of faith, and loue Whose care is to doe vvell.

4.

My hart is prest for aye, And eke my tongue is soe I vvill raise vp my soule in song In spight of hell, and foe.

5.

To praise my god that hath Shevvd loue and life to me, And made me scape both bloud, & blovve And soe did sett me free.

6.

O lord vvhat shall I pay To thee for this thy grace I vovve to thee, my selfe, my life My loue, and all my race.

7.

Grant lord I beg, and pray In thee that vve may rest So shall our soules sing to thy praise And aye in thee be blest.

5. SIGHE.

O my god vvhy art thou gone from me, and vvhy dost thou hide th•…•… svveete face from my prayer for seeke thee, & sue to thee vvith all m•…•… hart, and that thou knovvst full vvell.

The sixt straine.

1.

MY soule giue praise to god My spright shall doe the same, •…•…d all the parts of hart, and mind Shall praise for aye his name

2.

•…•…ue thankes for all his gifts Shevv soule thy selfe most kind, •…•…d let not his good deeds to thee Once slipp out of thy mind

3.

•…•…e quitt thee of thy faults He rid thy life from death •…•…is good, his grace doth vvaite on thee His vvord doth giue thee breath

4.

If thou vvert brought to graue, And turnd to mould, & dust Yet he vvill giue thee life in store As he to thee is iust.

5.

Teach me then, lord to knovve Thy lavve, thy loue, thy lore, Thy vvorkes, thy vvords, as signes▪ seal•…•… Ile lay them vp in store

6.

O day of ioy to me When I learnd first to knovve Hovve for to scape my selfe, my sin•…•… And hell that is soe lovve

7.

I giue mine all to thee, My bud my branch, my fruite I beg of thee, o lord, my god To grant to me my suite.

6. SIGHE.

O my god to thy hands I giue •…•… spright thou hast bine a pledge for m•…•… and that to death o god. Thou art th•…•… the god both of my health, life, & r•…•… for aye.

The seuenth straine.

1.

O Lord thou hast me tride, And day by day dost knovve 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thoughts, my vvords, my lookes my deeds, My sighs, my groans, my vvoe.

2.

•…•…y bones they are not hid Thou knevvst them all each one •…•…r in thy note they vvere all vvrote Each ioynt, and bone, by bone,

3.

•…•…ie still, and search mine hart, My thoughts proue day, & night •…•…d if the ill doe touch me lord O leade me to the right.

4.

•…•…r thou canst rule my raines As vvhen I vvas in vvombe. giude me in this life of mine, And rest me in my tombe.

5.

Keepe me from men that muse Of bloud of bane of ill, O let me thinke of thee o lord, And hovve to doe thy vvill.

6.

So shall noe shame me taynt My corps, my goods, my nam•…•… So shall I rest in ioy, and peace, And touch noe blot of sham•…•…

7.

So shall thy folke for me, Be glad, and sing thy praise, So shall my selfe, my seed, my so•…•… Be thine in all my daies.

7. SIGHE.

O let not my suite come in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to thee, but heare o my god, an•…•… to my soule I am, and vvill be thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from hell, thy port from the sea of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vvorld, and vvill bring thee to the•…•…▪ of blisse.