Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.

St. Peter’s Day

XXXVIII. George Wither

HOW watchful neede we to become,

And how devoutly pray,

That thee, O Lord, we fall not from,

Upon our tryall day!

For if thy great apostle said

He would not thee denie,

Whom he that very night denayd,

On what shall we relie?

For of ourselues we cannot leaue

One pleasure for thy sake;

No, nor one vertuous thought conceiue,

Till vs thou able make:

Nay, we not onely thee denie,

When persecutions be,

But or forget, or from thee flie,

When peace attends on thee.

O let those prayers vs auail,

Thou didst for Peter daigne,

That when our foe shall us assaile

His labour may be vaine!

Yea, cast on vs those powerful eyes,

That mou’d him to lament;

We may bemoane with bitter cries

Our follies, and repent.

And grant that such as him succeed

For pastors of thy fold,

Thy sheepe and lambes may guide and feede,

As thou appoint’st they should;

By his example speaking what

They out in truth to say,

And in their lives confirming that

They teach them to obey.