Almighty God, how hast thou born
    Wrongs not to be exprest;
Daring Rebellion, injur'd Love,
    Light quenched in my Breast!
Man would be God, and down he fell,
    To teach him better Skill;
Yet he lifts up his bruised Bones
    Against his Maker still.

Lord, what a Monster is base Man,
    Thus given to rebel!
O, that thou dost not cleave the Earth,
    And send him quick to Hell.
His Sins for Wages loudly cry,
    Justice, with dreadful Sound,
Cries too, Cut down this fruitless Tree,
    Why cumbers it the Ground?

But God waves his Advantages
    Of Right and Vengeance too;
And by his single Patience
    Doth daring Men out do.
The Creature doth disdain his God,
    By whom he is maintain'd;
Yet God maintains this Rebel-Worm,
    By whom he is disdain'd.

Fool, ask not where th' Almighty is,
    All Glory to him give;
Is not his Power fully prov'd
    In suff'ring thee to live?
Was he not God, he could not bear
    Such Weights as on him lie;
Weak things are quickly set on Fire,
    And to their Weapons fly.

Why should not Patience make me sing,
    When Hell would make me roar?
Lord, let thy Patience end in Love,
    I'll sing for evermore.

My God a God of Pardon is,
    His Bosom, gives me Ease:
I have not, do not please my God;
    Yet Mercy him doth please.
My Sins aloud for Vengeance call;
    But lo! a Fountain springs
From Christ's pierc'd Side, which louder cries,
    And speaketh better things.

My Sins have reach'd up to the Heav'ns ;
    But Mercy's Height exceeds:
God's Mercy is above the Heav'ns,
    Above my sinful Deeds:
My Sins are many, like the Stars,
    Or Sands upon the Shore:
But yet the Mercies of my God
    Are infinitely more.

My Sins in Bigness do arise
    Like Mountains great and tall;
But Mercy, like a mighty Sea,
    Covers these Mountains all.
This is a Sea that's bottomless,
    A Sea without a Shore:
For where Sin hath abounded much,
    Mercy abounds much more.

Manasseh, Paul, and Magdalen,
    Were pardon'd all by Thee:
I read it, and believe it, Lord;
    For thou hast pardon'd me.
When God shall search the World for Sin,
    What Trembling will be there?
O Rocks and Mountains, cover us,
    Will be the Sinner's Prayer.

But the Lamb's Wrath they need not fear,
    Who once have felt his Love:
And they that walk with God below,
    Shall dwell with God above.
Rage Earth and Hell; come Life, come Death,
    Yet still my Song shall be,
God was, and is, and will be good,
    And merciful to me.