Classic Poem

With all the powres my poor heart hath
Of humble love and loyall Faith,
Thus low (my hidden life!) I bow to thee
Whom too much love hath bow'd more low for me.
Down down, proud sense! Discourses die.
Keep close, my soul's inquiring eye!
Nor touch nor taste must look for more
But each sit still in his own Door.

Your ports are all superfluous here,
Save That which lets in faith, the eare.
Faith is my skill. Faith can believe
As fast as love new lawes can give.
Faith is my force. Faith strength affords
To keep pace with those powrfull words.
And words more sure, more sweet, than they
Love could not think, truth could not say.

O let thy wretch find that reliefe
Thou didst afford the faithfull thiefe.
Plead for me, love! Allege and show
That faith has farther, here, to goe
And lesse to lean on. Because than
Though hid as GOD, wounds writ thee man,
Thomas might touch; None but might see
At least the suffring side of thee;
And that too was thy self which thee did cover,
But here ev'n That's hid too which hides the other.

Sweet, consider then, that I
Though allow'd nor hand nor eye
To reach at thy lov'd Face; nor can
Taste thee GOD, or touch thee MAN
Both yet believe; and wittnesse thee
My LORD too and my GOD, as loud as He.

Help lord, my Faith, my Hope increase;
And fill my portion in thy peace.
Give love for life; nor let my dayes
Grow, but in new powres to thy name and praise.

O dear memoriall of that Death
Which lives still, and allowes us breath!
Rich, Royall food! Bountyfull BREAD!
Whose use denyes us to the dead;
Whose vitall gust alone can give
The same leave both to eat and live;
Live ever Bread of loves, and be
My life, my soul, my surer selfe to mee.

O soft self-wounding Pelican!
Whose breast weepes Balm for wounded man.
Ah this way bend they benign flood
To 'a bleeding Heart that gasps for blood.
That blood, whose least drops soveraign be
To wash my worlds of sins from me.
Come love! Come LORD! and that long day
For which I languish, come away.
When this dry soul those eyes shall see,
And drink the unseal'd source of thee.
When Glory's sun faith's shades shall chase,
And for thy veil gave me thy FACE.