George Herbert on thankfulness

Courtesy of Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner (whose thoughts I very much respect), here is a beautiful poem by the Anglican George Herbert (1593-1633):

GRATEFULNESSE

THOU that hast giv’n so much to me,
Give one thing more, a gratefull heart :
See how Thy beggar works on Thee
By art:

He makes thy gifts occasion more,
And sayes, If he in this be crost,
All Thou hast given him heretofore
Is lost.

But Thou didst reckon, when at first
Thy word our hearts and hands did crave,
What it would come to at the worst
To save.

Perpetuall knockings at Thy doore,
Tears sullying Thy transparent rooms,
Gift upon gift ; much would have more,
And comes.

This notwithstanding, Thou went’st on,
And didst allow us all our noise ;
Nay, Thou hast made a sigh and grone
Thy joyes.

Not that Thou hast not still above
Much better tunes then grones can make,
But that these countrey-aires Thy love
Did take.

Wherefore I crie, and crie again,
And in no quiet canst Thou be,
Till I a thankfull heart obtain
Of Thee.

Not thankfull when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare dayes ;
But such a heart whose pulse may be
Thy praise.

What a prayer: to ask for a heart whose pulse is His praise!