THE
SAINT's FAITH
IN
CHRIST;
Being the Devout Breathings of a
PIOUS SOUL after the
REDEEMER.
Printed for, and ſold by David Murdoch
Blind Boy at Glaſgow.
(Price one Half-penny.)
A SACRED POEM, &c.
Some loving breath I feel;
I think I ſee ſome dawning light,
But do not know it well.
The ſtorm is turn'd into a calm,
The darkneſs into light,
The fearful darkneſs of the night
Doth vaniſh out of ſight.
I ſee the clouds withdraw themſelves,
And ſhadows flee away.
I think I ſee fome glancing rays
Of an approaching day.
The morning-ſtar I do diſcern,
The day on high to ſpring,
Which to the weary dying heart
Life from the dead doth bring.
The ſun doth riſe with beauteous beams,
And dazzling rays of light;
Of pureſt light, and only meet
To follow ſuch a night.
O but the light be ſweet to them
Whom darkneſs deep did hold,
And fure it is a pleaſant thing
The ſun now to behold.
O faireſt Sun of righteouſneſs!
O radiant beauty bright!
O glorious and wonderful!
O everlaſting light!
O amiable, ſweet and fair!
Moſt lovely and moſt pure!
O uncreated Glory, which
Shall evermore endure !
By thee the morning-ſtar gives light;
By thee the fun doth ſhine ;
ea, all the great and leſſer lights
Derive their light from Thine.
There is no need of ſun nor moon,
Nor ſtars therein to ſhine ;
There tho they were, they could not ſhine,
No light is light but Thine.
O loving ſpring of pureſt light,
From Thee ſweet ſtreams do go,
Of pureſt riches, deep and long,
Out of this fountain flow;
Which doth the dry and weary land,
And parched ground revive;
Which doth the weak and fainting heart
Reſtore, and it relieve.
Sure I am weak and fainting both,
And thereby pained ſore;
O let me have theſe ſtreams divine,
That I may thirſt no more.
O that unto the well of life]
I might ſet to my head,
That I might drink and draw my fill,
According to my need.
That ſweet and pleaſant voice which doth
Like many waters found,
That freſh and lovely breath of thine,
Which doth in ſtrength abound:
The ſmell of all thy garments do
New life in them contain ;
Which makes the dead and lifeleſs heart
Ariſe, and live again.
O living, loving, lovely one,
Thy love is raviſhing;
O height and depth, and length of love
Which heaven doth with it bring.
Love was Thy death, Thy love's my life
Which broughteſt life to me :
Give me Thy love, Thy love's my all
Unto eternity.
My bowels for Thee earn, my ſoul
For Thee doth pain fuſtain ;
O do thou ſet me on Thy heart,
Let me there ſtill remain;
That I may live on love at will,
That love may me incloſe;
That I may feed upon the ſweet
Of that pure Sharon roſe.
O precious and lovely one,
Thy love is ſweet to me,
And pow'rful upon my heart
I do it find to be.
O that I had my fill of love,
I long for more of Thee;
I love the Lord, doſt thou love me?
Can theſe two parted be;
Thy powerful and mighty love
My froward heart hath won,
And now my ſoul is captive led,
And all that's me within.
I think all men, and devils too,
Before thy love will bow,
If therefore thy allurements thou
Would'ſt upon them beſtow.
O fairer far than fons of men,
Thou never fades away;
Of beauty the perfection
In Thee doth ever ſtay.
The ſcatt'red beauties every one,
Which here below we ſee,
Are all thy handy-work each one,
By Thee ordain'd be.
That glorious beauty it doth ſhine,
In heaven, about the throne,
The brightneſs of that glory there
Proceeds from thee alone.
By thee the heavenly palaces
Were beautified of old ;
By Thee the New Jeruſalem
Looks like tranſparent gold.
O glory, glory, ev'ry where,
There many glories be ;
Of all the glory that is there,
The glory ſure is he.
The ſun and moon ſhall dark'ned be ;
The ſtars ſhall ceaſe to ſhine :
All other glories dark'ned be ;
None laſting is but thine.
O happy they for ever more,
That may ſtand by and ſee
The glories of thy countenance
Unto eternity,
Thy name is rightly wonderful,
All wonders in thee be;
Yea only wonderful thou art,
All wonders are in thee,
While I at greater diſtance ſtand,
And farther am from thee
The favour of thy name alone
Is pleaſant unto me.
No aloes, myrrh, nor caſſia,
Nor any ſpices are,
Nor yet the fragrant Lebanon,
Of ſuch a ſcent by far.
Thou art the high and lofty one,
Above the earth and heav'n,
And unto thee all power above
In heav'n and earth is giv'n.
Oe'r all the earth's inhabitants,
Unto the utmoſt end,
And o'er the angels glorious,
His power doth forth extend.
Both life and death are in his hand,
The keys of hell are his ;
And as the higheſt king of kings,
The crown of heav'n he wears.
Of all the heighth and depth of grace,
That's in the fountain full,
He hath the power to diſpoſe,
According to his will;
The light of the eternal life,
Out of the fountain pure,
Of pardon, peace, and holineſs,
For ever to endure.
The fullneſs of the father doth
In him for ever dwell;
He of th' eternal Father is
The Son to equal all.
The miniſters of flaming fire,
Who ſoon began his praiſe,
When he firſt by his mighty hand
The morning-ſtar did raiſe ;
The Cherubims and Seraphins,
Ye who by-ſtanders be,
In times beginning, when that ye
The new made heav'ns did ſee;
Long have ye look'd with wondering,
And yet ye looking be,
And yet your higheſt thoughts of him
With folly charged be.
Sure I of that myſterious one
Do ſpeak but ſtammeringly,
And by any want of knowledge, there
Is darkneſs unto me.
But when I come unto that place
Of glory, I ſhall be
Filld with the knowledge of the God
Of glorious majeſty ;
And ſee his face for evermore,
And be of ſin made free,
And fill'd with glory, joy, and love,
To all eternity.
FINIS.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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