How watchful neede we to become, <br />And how devoutly pray, <br />That thee, O Lord, we fall not from, <br />Upon our tryall day ! <br />For if thy great apostle said <br />He would not thee denie, <br />Whom he that very night denayd, <br />On what shall we relie ? <br /> <br />For of ourselues we cannot leaue <br />One pleasure for thy sake <br />No, nor one vertuous thought conceiue, <br />Till vs thou able make : <br />Nay, we not onely thee denie, <br />When persecutions be, <br />But or forget, or from thee flie, <br />When peace attends on thee. <br /> <br />O let those prayers vs auail, <br />Thou didst for Peter daigne, <br />That when our foe shall us assaile <br />His labour may be vaine <br />Yea, cast on vs those powerful eyes, <br />That mou'd him to lament <br />We may bemoane with bitter cries <br />Our follies, and repent. <br /> <br />And grant that such as him succeed <br />For pastors of thy fold, <br />Thy sheepe and lambes may guide and feede, <br />As thou appoint'st they should ; <br />By his example speaking what <br />They out in truth to say, <br />And in their lives confirming that <br />They teach them to obey.<br /><br />George Wither<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/st-peter-s-day-2/
