THOMAS HEYWOOD. SEARCH AFTER GOD. I SOUGHT thee round about, O thou my God! I said unto the earth, "Speak, art thou he?" "I am not."—I enquired of creatures all, In general, Contain❜d therein;-they with one voice proclaim, That none amongst them challenged such a name. I ask'd the seas, and all the deeps below, I ask'd the reptiles, and whatever is Even from the shrimp to the leviathan But in those deserts which no line can sound, I ask'd the air, if that were he? but, I from the towering eagle to the wren, If any feather'd fowl 'mongst them were such? Offended with my question, in full quire, Answered," To find thy God thou must look higher." I ask'd the heavens, sun, moon, and stars, but they Said, "We obey The God thou seek'st."-I ask'd, what eye or ear What in the world I might descry or know -With an unanimous voice, all these things said, "We are not God, but we by him were made." I ask'd the world's great universal mass, Which with a mighty and strong voice replied, I am not he, O man! for know that I, Was fashion'd first of nothing, thus instated, I sought the court; but smooth-tongued flattery there Deceived each ear: In the throng'd city there was selling, buying, I' the country, craft in simpleness array'd : "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 ?"-What more could I Than dust and clay? Frail, mortal, fading, a mere puff, a blast, That cannot last; Enthroned to-day, to-morrow in an urn; I ask'd myself, what this great God might be I answer'd-the all-potent, solely immense, Unspeakable, inscrutable, eternal, 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 say, Earth, air, and fire. Of all things that subsist, Of all the heavenly host, or what earth claims, And now, my God, by thine illumining grace, (So far forth as it may discover'd be,) Methinks I see; And though invisible and infinite, To human sight, Thou, in thy mercy, justice, truth, appearest; In which to our weak senses thou comest nearest. O make us apt to seek, and quick to find, Give us love, hope and faith in thee to trust, Remit all our offences, we intreat; Most Good, most Great! Grant that our willing, though unworthy quest May, through thy grace, admit us 'mongst the blest. LIMITS OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE. To rip up God's great counsels who shall strive, Or search how far his hidden works extend? Into the treasure of his wonders dive, Or think his majesty to comprehend? These things are granted unto none alive. For how can such as know not their own end, Nor can of their beginning reason show, Presume his power and might unspeakable to know? If of thyself thou canst no reason show, How can we search the mysteries of the most High? Number we may as well the things to come, |