To my most merciful, my most loving, and dearly loved
ER, the ever blessed, the only
LY and
ST
NE,
US
ST, The Son of the living
OD, and the sacred Virgin Mary. I.
MY God ! Thou that didst die for me,
These Thy death's fruits I offer Thee ;
Death that to me was life and light,
But dark and deep pangs to Thy sight.
Some drops of Thy all-quick'ning blood Fell on my heart ; those made it bud,
And put forth thus, though,
Lord, before The ground was curs'd, and void of store.
Indeed I had some here to hire Which long resisted Thy desire,
That ston'd Thy servants, and did move To have Thee murder'd for Thy love ;
But,
Lord,
I have expell'd them, and so bent,
Beg Thou wouldst take Thy tenant's rent.
II.
Dear Lord, 'tis finished ! and now he That copied it, presents it Thee. 'Twas thine first, and to Thee returns,
From Thee it shin'd, though here it burns.
If the Sun rise on rocks, is't right To call it their inherent light ?
No, nor can I say, this is mine,
For, dearest Jesus, 'tis all Thine ;
As Thy clothes, when Thou with clothes wert clad,
Both light from Thee, and virtue had ;
And now,as then, within this place Thou to poor rags dost still give grace.
This is the earnest Thy love sheds,
The candle shining on some heads,
Till at Thy charges they shall be Cloth'd all with immortality.
II.
My dear Redeemer, the world's light,
And life too, and my heart's delight !
For all Thy mercies and Thy truth,
Show'd to me in my sinful youth,
For my sad failings and my wild Murmurings at Thee, when most mild ;
For all my secret faults, and each Frequent relapse and wilful breach,
For all designs meant against Thee And ev'ry publish'd vanity,
Which Thou divinely hast forgiven,
While Thy blood wash'd me white as heaven ;
I nothing have to give to Thee,
But this Thy own gift, given to me.
Refuse it not ; for now Thy token Can tell Thee where a heart is broken.
EL.
AP.
I.
ER. 5, 6, 7. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father ; to Him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen. Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him ; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him : even so, Amen.
In the first edition of Silex Scintillans the heading is simply “The Dedication,” and only the first stanza is given.
