Then shall I end my sad complaints, And join with the triumphant saints But 't is enough that Christ knows all, Thomas Ellwood. 1639-1713. PRAYER. Unto the glory of Thy Holy Name, Eternal God! whom I both love and fear, Here bear I witness that I never came Before Thy throne and found Thee loath to hear, But, ever ready with an open ear. And though sometimes Thou seem'st Thy face to hide, As one that hath his love withdrawn from me, "T is that my faith may to the full be tried, And I thereby may only better see How weak I am when not upheld by Thee. 2 Thomas Heywood. DIED about 1640. SEARCH AFTER GOD. I sought Thee round about, O Thou my God! In Thine abode. I said unto the earth, "Speak, art thou He?" She answered me, "I am not." I inquired of creatures all, Contained therein. They with one voice proclaim That none amongst them challenged such a name. I asked the seas and all the deeps below I asked the reptiles and whatever is In the abyss, Even from the shrimp to the leviathan But in those deserts which no line can sound I asked the air if that were He! but lo! I from the towering eagle to the wren If any feathered fowl 'mongst them were such ; But they all, much Offended with my question, in full choir, Answered, To find thy God thou must look higher." I asked the heavens, sun, moon, and stars; but With an unanimous voice, all these things said, We are not God, but we by Him were made." I asked the world's great universal mass Which with a mighty and strong voice replied, "I am not He, O man! for know that I By Him on high Was fashioned first of nothing; thus instated And swayed by Him by whom I was created." I sought the court; but smooth-tongued flattery there Deceived each ear; In the thronged city there was selling, buying, I' the country, craft in simpleness arrayed, "Vain is my search, although my pains be great; Where my God is there can be no deceit.” A scrutiny within myself I then Even thus began: “O man, what art thou ?” say What more could I Than dust and clay, Frail, mortal, fading, a mere puff, a blast, Enthroned to-day, to-morrow in an urn, I asked myself what this great God might be I answered: The all-potent, sole, immense, Unspeakable, inscrutable, eternal, Lord over all; The only terrible, strong, just, and true, He is the well of life, for He doth give Both breath and being; He is the Creator Earth, air, and fire. Of all things that subsist Of all the heavenly host, or what earth claims, He keeps the scroll, and calls them by their names. And now, my God, by Thine illumining grace, Thy glorious face (So far forth as it may discovered be) Methinks I see ; And though invisible and infinite, To human sight Thou, in Thy mercy, justice, truth, appearest, In which, to our weak sense, Thou comest nearest. O, make us apt to seek and quick to find, Thou, God, most kind! Give us love, hope, and faith, in Thee to trust, Thou God, most just ! Remit all our offences, we entreat, Most good! most great! Grant that our willing, though unworthy, quest May, through Thy grace, admit us 'mongst the blest. |