Sick Mens Health - Meditation 4
Meditation IV
A Dialogue wherein the Speakers are Fear and Faith.
Fear
1
But what if Sickness bring
Extremity of Pain?
How shall I then have Patience, or
Good thoughts of God maintain?
I know Extremities
Are grievous for to bear:
And, which more grievous is, I shall
Dishonour God I fear.
Faith
2
Dread not Extremities
My Soul, thou need'st not fear it,
But if God please to lay more Pain,
He'l give more strength to bear it,
Such is his Faithfulness
He will no Burthen throw
Upon thy Back, but what himself
Will help thee undergo.
3
Thy Strength is very small,
Thy Patience that is less;
Thy Foes are strong, the World, the Devil,
And thine own wickedness.
Thou canst but little bear,
As well as little do:
But th' Everlasting Arms can bear
Thee and thy Burthen too.
4
If those Almighty Arms,
That made the World, infold thee:
No matter what the Pressure be;
Doubtless they will uphold thee.
His Spirit helps us bear
Our greatest Miseries,
And takes our Burthens heavier end
In our Extremities
5
If that our Pains increase,
And grow upon us sore:
He makes our Comforts to abound,
And Spiritual Joyes much more
For God most faithful is,
That lets not his be try'd
Beyond their strength; but them supports,
That they may it abide.
6
When left unto our selves,
Small Trials vex us sore:
And greater ones are better born,
When God assists us more.
In lesser straits, God's help
We are less apt to mind:
In greater straits we seek him more,
And more assistance find.
7
Hence then Extremities
Which makes us for to roll
Upon God's Power and Faithfulness
The Burthen of our Soul:
Which force us out of Self
And unto Heaven send us;
They do but drive us to our Strength,
For God will succour lend us.
Fear
8
But what if God withhold
His Countenances light
In time of great Extremity,
And leave me in the night:
If God forsake me then,
Alas, my Faith will fail:
And Satan watching for a prey,
Will over me prevail.
Faith
9
His countenances light
If God from us withdraw,
In Sickness, and with fear of wrath
Be pleased us to aw:
It's but if there be need,
And 'tis but for a while;
When th' end is once attain'd, his frown
Is turned to a smile.
10
The Sun can sooner cease
To shine out of the Sky:
Then Christ can cease to favour thee,
That do'st on him rely.
This Earth that stands so firm,
Shall from her Center move:
Sooner then God Unchangeable
Will take away his Love.
11
Nay he will thee support
And strengthen with his grace:
And while the one hand thee corrects
The other will embrace
He will not thee forsake,
Nor leave thee in the mire:
Yea he will bring thy Soul like Gold
More bright out of the fire
12
Soul, wherefore should'st thou then
Dread Sicknesses, or Pain?
Which in the upshot hurt no Saint,
But alwayes turn to gain
Lord, help me to rejoyce
When I am chastened,
That thou art now conforming me
To Christ my blessed Head.
Whoso is wise, and doth
These things consider well,
Shall know God's ways to be most right,
And forth his praises tell.
A Dialogue wherein the Speakers are Fear and Faith.
Fear
1
But what if Sickness bring
Extremity of Pain?
How shall I then have Patience, or
Good thoughts of God maintain?
I know Extremities
Are grievous for to bear:
And, which more grievous is, I shall
Dishonour God I fear.
Faith
2
Dread not Extremities
My Soul, thou need'st not fear it,
But if God please to lay more Pain,
He'l give more strength to bear it,
Such is his Faithfulness
He will no Burthen throw
Upon thy Back, but what himself
Will help thee undergo.
3
Thy Strength is very small,
Thy Patience that is less;
Thy Foes are strong, the World, the Devil,
And thine own wickedness.
Thou canst but little bear,
As well as little do:
But th' Everlasting Arms can bear
Thee and thy Burthen too.
4
If those Almighty Arms,
That made the World, infold thee:
No matter what the Pressure be;
Doubtless they will uphold thee.
His Spirit helps us bear
Our greatest Miseries,
And takes our Burthens heavier end
In our Extremities
5
If that our Pains increase,
And grow upon us sore:
He makes our Comforts to abound,
And Spiritual Joyes much more
For God most faithful is,
That lets not his be try'd
Beyond their strength; but them supports,
That they may it abide.
6
When left unto our selves,
Small Trials vex us sore:
And greater ones are better born,
When God assists us more.
In lesser straits, God's help
We are less apt to mind:
In greater straits we seek him more,
And more assistance find.
7
Hence then Extremities
Which makes us for to roll
Upon God's Power and Faithfulness
The Burthen of our Soul:
Which force us out of Self
And unto Heaven send us;
They do but drive us to our Strength,
For God will succour lend us.
Fear
8
But what if God withhold
His Countenances light
In time of great Extremity,
And leave me in the night:
If God forsake me then,
Alas, my Faith will fail:
And Satan watching for a prey,
Will over me prevail.
Faith
9
His countenances light
If God from us withdraw,
In Sickness, and with fear of wrath
Be pleased us to aw:
It's but if there be need,
And 'tis but for a while;
When th' end is once attain'd, his frown
Is turned to a smile.
10
The Sun can sooner cease
To shine out of the Sky:
Then Christ can cease to favour thee,
That do'st on him rely.
This Earth that stands so firm,
Shall from her Center move:
Sooner then God Unchangeable
Will take away his Love.
11
Nay he will thee support
And strengthen with his grace:
And while the one hand thee corrects
The other will embrace
He will not thee forsake,
Nor leave thee in the mire:
Yea he will bring thy Soul like Gold
More bright out of the fire
12
Soul, wherefore should'st thou then
Dread Sicknesses, or Pain?
Which in the upshot hurt no Saint,
But alwayes turn to gain
Lord, help me to rejoyce
When I am chastened,
That thou art now conforming me
To Christ my blessed Head.
Whoso is wise, and doth
These things consider well,
Shall know God's ways to be most right,
And forth his praises tell.
Translation:
Language:
Reviews
No reviews yet.