A SPIRITVAL SONG OF Thanksgiving unto GOD, for his grace and power. Written by a close prisoner (with a coal) for his own comfort.  

LET others sing of this and that,  
I will sing to thy praise,  
Who dost out of adversity,  
Deliver me always:  
And ●●●●'st to me that Comforter,  
In all my sore temptation:  
Who doth refresh my sinful soul  
With spiritual consolation:  
And graunt'st to me such patience,  
For all my foes despite,  
As I to wait upon thy will,  
Do inwardly delight.  
And when I see my nature strive  
Against thy just correction,  
Then do I pray thy Majesty  
To help mine unsubiection.  
And when my troubles most increase,  
(As who lives well and smarts not)  
Then comes my Saviour next to me,  
And sticks by me and starts not:  
And when I feel my flesh to shrink  
Under thy heavy hand▪  
I am constrained my wretchedness,  
Better to vndersta●●●  
Calling to mind those grievous sins,  
I thought not on before,  
Lamenting them and purposing  
To do the like no more:  
But their contrary virtues all,  
Eft soon to put in ure  
From grace to grace, from strength to strength,  
Whyl'st my days shall endure:  
By thy free grace and perfect strength,  
Whereof alone I boast,  
For if I should do otherwise,  
My labour were but lost:  
Since all good gifts do come from thee,  
And thou wilt suffer none  
To rob thee of that praise which doth  
Belong to thee alone:  
Yet whyl'st by wrestling against sin,  
Reward for to obtain,  
I seek by desert of my works,  
Thou answer'st thus again.   

The answer.  
WHereas thy sins do far exceed,  
My grace doth more abound,  
And in thy weakness most of all,  
My power is tried and found:  
My grace in Christ sufficient is,  
And all my works doth pass:  
By it I am more glorified,  
Then aught that ever was:  
And as I made all things of nought,  
And darkness to be light,  
So make I nought for to be good,  
And feeble to be might:  
All persons and all things on earth  
I have shut under sin,  
That by my pardon, general,  
I might all glory win.  
I am the first, the midst, and last,  
And I am all in all,  
That all at all times should on me  
For help and mercy call.  
My grace is sure full free and pure.  
Or else it were no grace,  
It can not stand at any hand,  
Where works have any place:  
My power infailleable and most incomparable  
Is of no force in deed,  
When it is made of others aider,  
To stand in any need:  
Therefore I call the worst of all,  
And leave the righteous still.  
That all may see my grace to be  
According to my will:  
Therefore I bring both Clown and King  
To dust, to death, to nought:  
That every wight should know my might,  
All things alone hath wrought:  
Wherefore be still and flee from ill,  
And do well, but confess  
My gifts in thee both lent to be,  
And marred more or less:  
That still my grace may serve in place  
All thy defaults to mend,  
And that my power may every hour  
Uphold thee to the end,  
When there shallbe no sin in thee,  
Weakness nor want at all,  
But grace▪ might, wealth, peace, joy, right,  
Health and glory eternal.   

THus dost thou Lord direct my soul  
To quiet peace and rest,  
Whereby I am assured all  
Shall fall out to the best:  
And that no shame can me defame,  
For why thou art my praise,  
In life and death and all in all,  
To me at all assays,  
For thy great mercy's sake in Christ,  
In whom thou art well pleased,  
That heavy hearted sinners of  
Their burdens should be eased,  
And made partakers of those joys  
Unspeakable and rife,  
Which thou dost keep in store for them,  
After this woeful life:  
And in mean while the holy ghost  
Doth keep them safe and sound:  
No rage nor no resistance can,  
Their happy state confound.   

Now whilst mine enemies seek to drive  
Me into desperation,  
Thou forcest them against their wills  
To further my salvation:  
And thou dost turn all wiles and wrongs  
Unto their own disgrace:  
Who seek by all extremities,  
Thy servants to deface.  
And thou dost turn all other things  
To my behoof likewise,  
So that to better mine estate,  
My heart can not devise.  
How ever wretched worldlings deem,  
I am quite cast away▪  
And mine old friends a loof from me  
Do stand as at a bay:  
Yet thou dost stand at my right hand,  
And compass me about,  
And furnish me with divers gifts,  
To make me strong and stout:  
And outward gifts sufficient,  
And meet for me and mine,  
To serve thy grace, and show thy power  
By providence divine:  
Beyond reason without desert,  
Better than many more  
Of thy dear Saints who are content,  
And sing for joy also:   

Lord grant we pray that so we may,  
Since thou art strong and kind,  
(As in our conscience and experience  
We every day do find)  
That by things all which do befall,  
We may draw near to thee,  
Till thy sweet face in heavenly place,  
For ever we shall see.   
AMEN.   

M.D. XCII.