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,

In general,

Contained therein. They with one voice proclaim

That none amongst them challenged such a

name.

I asked the seas and all the deeps below
My God to know;

I asked the reptiles and whatever is
In the abyss,-

Even from the shrimp to the leviathan
Inquiry ran;

But in those deserts which no line can sound
The God I sought for was not to be found.

I asked the air if that were He! but lo!
It told me "No."

I from the towering eagle to the wren
Demanded then

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 they

Said, "We obey

The God thou seekest. I asked what eye or

ear

Could see or hear,

What in the world I might descry or know
Above, below;

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
If that God was ;

Which with a mighty and strong voice replied,
As stupefied,-

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,
Swearing and lying;

I' the country, craft in simpleness arrayed,
And then I said,-

"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,
That cannot last;

Enthroned to-day, to-morrow in an urn,
Formed from that earth to which I must return?

I asked myself what this great God might be
That fashioned me.

I answered: The all-potent, sole, immense,
Surpassing sense;

Unspeakable, inscrutable, eternal,

Lord over all;

The only terrible, strong, just, and true,
Who hath no end and no beginning knew.

He is the well of life, for He doth give
To all that live

Both breath and being; He is the Creator
Both of the water,

Earth, air, and fire. Of all things that subsist
He hath the list,-

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.

Philip Doddridge.

1702-1751.

YE GOLDEN LAMPS OF HEAVEN, FAREWELL!

Ye golden lamps of heaven, farewell,
With all your feeble light!
Farewell, thou ever-changing moon,

Pale empress of the night!

And thou, refulgent orb of day,

In brighter flames arrayed;

My soul, that springs beyond thy sphere,
No more demands thine aid.

Ye stars are but the shining dust
Of my divine abode ;

The pavement of those heavenly courts
Where I shall reign with God.

* * * * *

*

There all the millions of His saints

Shall in one song unite;

And each the bliss of all shall view,
With infinite delight.

"DUM VIVIMUS VIVAMUS."

"Live while you live!" the epicure would say, "And seize the pleasures of the present day!" "Live while you live!" the sacred preacher cries, "And give to God each moment as it flies!" Lord, in my view let both united be; I live in pleasure while I live to Thee.