UNDERWOODS.

POEMS OF DEVOTION.

THE SINNER'S SACRIFICE.

TO THE HOLY TRINITY.

O Holy, blessed, glorious Trinity
Of persons, still one God in Unity :
The faithful man's believed Mystery,

Help, help to lift
Myself up to thee, harrowed, torn, and bruised
By sin and Satan ; and my flesh misused,
As my heart lies in pieces, all confused,

O, take my gift!

All-gracious God, the sinner's sacrifice,
A broken heart, thou wert not wont despise,
But 'bove the fat of rams, or bulls, to prize

An offering meet
For thy acceptance. O, behold me right,
And take compassion on my grievous plight !
What odor can be, than a heart contrite,

To thee more sweet?

Eternal Father, God, who didst create
This all of nothing, gavest it form and fate,
And breath’st into it life and light, with state

To worship thee:
Eternal God the Son, who not deniedst
To take our nature, becam’st man, and diedst,
To pay our debts, upon thy cross, and criedst,

66 All's done in me!”

Eternal Spirit, God from both proceeding,
Father and Son; the Comforter, inbreeding
Pure thoughts in man: with fiery zeal them
feeding

For acts of grace :
Increase those acts, () glorious Trinity
Of persons, still one God in Unity;
Till I attain the longed-for mystery

Of seeing your face;
Beholding one in three, and three in one,
A Trinity, to shine in Unity :
The gladdest light dark man can think upon;

O grant it me!
Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, you three,
All co-eternal in your Majesty,
Distinct in persons, yet in Unity

One God to see.

My Maker, Saviour, and my Sanctifier,
To hear, to meditate, sweeten my desire

i Qy. inbreathing ?

With
grace, with love, with cherishing entire,

0, then how blest !
Among thy saints elected to abide,
And with thy angels, placed side by side,
But in thy presence, truly glorified

Shall I there rest!

First made of naught;
With all since bought.

Sin, Death, and Hell,

His glorious name

Quite overcame;
Yet I rebel,

And slight the same.

But, I'll come in,
Before

my

loss Me farther toss, As sure to win

Under his Cross.

A HYMN ON THE NATIVITY OF MY SAVIOUR.

I sing the birth was born to-night,
The Author both of life and light;

The angels so did sound it,
And like the ravished shepherds said,
Who saw the light, and were afraid,

Yet searched, and true they found it.

The Son of God, th’ Eternal King,
That did us all salvation bring,

And freed the soul from danger;
He whom the whole world could not take,
The Word, which heaven and earth did make,

Was now laid in a manger.