A Prayer unto Christ



The Judge Of The World

O Dearest Dread, most glorious King,
I'le of thy justest Judgements sing:
So thou my head and heart inspire,
To Sing aright, as I desire.
Thee, thee alone I'le invocate,
For I do much abominate
To call the Muses to mine aid:
Which is th' Unchristian use, and trade
Of some that Christians would be thought,
And yet they worship worse then nought.
Oh! what a deal of Blasphemy,
And Heathenish Impiety,
In Christian Poets may be found,
Where Heathen gods with praise are Crown'd,
They make Jehovah to stand by,
Till Juno, Venus, Mercury,
With frowning Mars, and thundering Jove
Rule Earth below, and Heaven above.
But I have learnt to pray to none,
Save unto God in Christ alone.
Nor will I laud, no, not in jest,
That which I know God doth detest.
I reckon it a damning evil
To give Gods Praises to the Devil.
Thou, Christ, art he to whom I pray,
Thy Glory fain I would display.
Oh! guide me by thy sacred Sprite
So to indite, and so to write,
That I thine holy Name may praise,
And teach the Sons of men thy wayes.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:00 min read
193

Quick analysis:

Scheme A BBXXAACCXADAEEXDFFXXGGHHIIJJKK
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,015
Words 199
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 1, 30

Michael Wigglesworth

Michael Wigglesworth was a Puritan minister, doctor and poet whose poem The Day of Doom was a bestseller in early New England. more…

All Michael Wigglesworth poems | Michael Wigglesworth Books

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