A Thanksgiving to God for His House

1Lord, Thou hast given me a cell

2Wherein to dwell;

3An little house, whose humble roof

4Is weather-proof;

5Under the spars of which I lie

6Both soft and dry;

7Where Thou my chamber for to ward

8Hast set a guard

9Of harmless thoughts, to watch and keep

10Me, while I sleep.

11Low is my porch as is my fate,

12Both void of state;

13And yet the threshold of my door

14Is worn by'th' poor,

15Who thither come, and freely get

16Good words, or meat;

17Like as my parlour, so my hall

18And kitchen's small;

19A little butterie and therein

20A little bin,

21Which keeps my little loaf of bread

22Unchipp'd, unflay'd;

23Some brittle sticks of thorn or briar

24Make me a fire,

25Close by whose living coal I sit,

26And glow like it.

27Lord, I confess too, when I dine,

28The pulse is Thine,

29And all those other bits that be

30There plac'd by Thee;

31The worts, the purslain, and the mess

32Of water-cress,

33Which of Thy kindness Thou hast sent;

34And my content

35Makes those, and my beloved beet,

36To be more sweet.

37'Tis Thou that crown'st my glitt'ring hearth

38With guiltless mirth;

39And giv'st me wassail bowls to drink,

40Spic'd to the brink.

41Lord, 'tis Thy plenty-dropping hand

42That soils my land;

43And giv'st me, for my bushel sown,

44Twice ten for one;

45Thou mak'st my teeming hen to lay

46Her egg each day;

47Besides my healthful ewes to bear

48Me twins each year;

49The while the conduits of my kine

50Run cream (for wine.)

51All these, and better Thou dost send

52Me, to this end,

53That I should render, for my part,

54A thankful heart,

55Which, fir'd with incense, I resign

56As wholly Thine;

57But the acceptance, that must be,

58My Christ, by Thee.