The Dedication

By Henry Vaughan

To my most merciful, my most loving, and dearly

     loved REDEEMER, the ever blessed,  the only

     HOLY and JUST ONE,

JESUS CHRIST,

     

The Son of the living GOD, and the sacred        Virgin Mary.

   I.

MY God !  Thou that didst die for me,

These Thy death's fruits I offer Thee ;

Death that to me was life and light,

But dark and deep pangs to Thy sight.

Some drops of Thy all-quick'ning blood

Fell on my heart ; those made it bud,

And put forth thus, though, Lord, before

The ground was curs'd, and void of store.

Indeed I had some here to hire

Which long resisted Thy desire,

That ston'd Thy servants, and did move

To have Thee murder'd for Thy love ;

But, Lord, I have expell'd them, and so bent,

Beg Thou wouldst take Thy tenant's rent.

II.

Dear Lord, 'tis finished !  and now he

That copied it, presents it Thee.

'Twas thine first, and to Thee returns,

From Thee it shin'd, though here it burns.

If the Sun rise on rocks, is't right

To call it their inherent light ?

No, nor can I say, this is mine,

For, dearest Jesus, 'tis all Thine ;

As Thy clothes, when Thou with clothes wert clad,

Both light from Thee, and virtue had ;

And now,as then, within this place

Thou to poor rags dost still give grace.

This is the earnest Thy love sheds,

The candle shining on some heads,

Till at Thy charges they shall be

Cloth'd all with immortality.  

III.

My dear Redeemer, the world's light,

And life too, and my heart's delight !

For all Thy mercies and Thy truth,

Show'd to me in my sinful youth,

For my sad failings and my wild

Murmurings at Thee, when most mild ;

For all my secret faults, and each

Frequent relapse and wilful breach,

For all designs meant against Thee

And ev'ry publish'd vanity,

Which Thou divinely hast forgiven,

While Thy blood wash'd me white as heaven ;

I nothing have to give to Thee,

But this Thy own gift, given to me.

Refuse it not ;  for now Thy token

Can tell Thee where a heart is broken.

REVEL. CAP. I. VER. 5, 6, 7.

   

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our  sins in His own blood.    And hath made us kings and priests unto God and  His Father ;  to Him be glory and dominion, for ever  and ever.   Amen.    Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall  see Him, and they also which pierced Him ;  and all  kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him : even  so,  Amen.

In the first edition of Silex Scintillans the heading is simply “The Dedication,” and only the first stanza is given.