Lord, I confess my sin is great;
Great is my sin. Oh! gently treat
With thy quick flow’r, thy momentany bloom;
Whose life still pressing
Is one undressing,
A steady aiming at a tomb.
Man’s age is two hours’ work, or three:
Each day doth round about us see.
Thus are we to delights: but we are all
To sorrows old,
If life be told
From what life feeleth, Adam’s fall.
O let thy height of mercy then
Compassionate short-breathed men.
Cut me not off for my most foul transgression:
I do confess
My foolishness;
My God, accept of my confession.
Sweeten at length this bitter bowl,
Which thou hast pour’d into my soul;
Thy wormwood turn to health, winds to fair weather:
For if thou stay,
I and this day,
As we did rise, we die together.
When thou for sin rebukest man,
Forthwith he waxeth woe and wan:
Bitterness fills our bowels; all our hearts
Pine, and decay,
And dropp away,
And carry with them th’other parts.
But thou wilt sin and grief destroy;
That so the broken bones may joy,
And tune together in a well-set song,
Full of his praises,
Who dead men raises;
Fractures well cur’d make us more strong.
(George Herbert)
More Poetry from George Herbert:
George Herbert Poems based on Topics: God, Man, Soul, Praise, Joy & Excitement, Work & Career, Sin, Health, Age, Fool, Confession- The Church-Porch. Perirrhanterium (George Herbert Poems)
- The Church Militant (George Herbert Poems)
- Longing (George Herbert Poems)
- Miserie (George Herbert Poems)
- Home (George Herbert Poems)
- The Search (George Herbert Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, God Poems, Soul Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Work & Career Poems, Sin Poems, Praise Poems, Age Poems, Fool Poems, Forgiveness Poems, Health PoemsBased on Keywords: bowels, forthwith, cur, raises, wormwood, transgression, compassionate, dropp, sweeten, waxeth, aiming