Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903.
By Henry Vaughan (1622–1695)Providence
| SACRED and secret hand! | |
| By whose assisting, swift command | |
| The angel shewed that holy well, | |
| Which freed poor Hagar from her fears, | |
| And turned to smiles the begging tears | 5 |
| Of young distressèd Ishmael. | |
| If I Thy servant be, | |
| Whose service makes ev’n captives free, | |
| A fish shall all my tribute pay, | |
| The swift-wing’d raven shall bring me meat, | 10 |
| And I, like flowers, shall still go neat, | |
| As if I knew no month but May. | |
| Poor birds this doctrine sing; | |
| And herbs, which on dry hills do spring | |
| Or in the howling wilderness, | 15 |
| Do know Thy dewy morning hours, | |
| And watch all night for mists and showers, | |
| Then drink and praise Thy bounteousness. | |