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Cœli enarrant.
THE HEAV’NLY frame setts foorth the fame | |
| Of him that only thunders; | |
| The firmament, so strangly bent, | |
| Showes his hand-working wonders. | |
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| Day unto day doth it display, | 5 |
| Their course doth it acknowledg: | |
| And night to night succeeding right | |
| In darknes teach cleare knowledg. | |
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| There is no speach, nor language, which | |
| Is soe of skill bereaved, | 10 |
| But of the skies the teaching cries | |
| They have heard and conceaved. | |
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| There be no eyne, but read the line | |
| From soe faire booke proceeding; | |
| Their wordes be sett in letters greate | 15 |
| For ev’ry bodie’s reading. | |
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| Is not he blind, that doth not find | |
| The tabernacle builded | |
| There by his grace, for sunne’s faire face | |
| In beames of beuty gilded? | 20 |
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| Who foorth doth come, like a bridegroome | |
| From out his vailing places: | |
| As gladd is hee as giantes be | |
| To runne their mighty races. | |
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| His race is ev’n from endes of heav’n; | 25 |
| About that vault he goeth: | |
| There be no realmes hid from his beames; | |
| His heate to all he throweth. | |
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| O law of his, how perfect ’tis! | |
| The very soule amending: | 30 |
| God’s wittnes sure for ay doth dure, | |
| To simplest wisdome lending. | |
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| God’s doomes be right, and cheere the sprite: | |
| All his commandments being | |
| So purely wise, they give the eies | 35 |
| Both light and force of seeing. | |
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| Of him the feare doth cleannes beare, | |
| And so endures for ever: | |
| His judgments be self verity, | |
| They are unrighteous never. | 40 |
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| Then what man would so soone seeke gold, | |
| Or glittring golden money? | |
| By them is past, in sweetest tast, | |
| Honny or combe of honny. | |
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| By them is made thy servantes trade, | 45 |
| Most circumspectly guarded: | |
| And who doth frame to keepe the same | |
| Shall fully be rewarded. | |
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| Who is the man that ever can | |
| His faultes know and acknowledg? | 50 |
| O Lord, clense me from faults that be | |
| Most secret from all knowledg. | |
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| Thy servant keepe, lest in him creepe | |
| Presumptuous sinnes’ offences: | |
| Let them not have me for their slave, | 55 |
| Nor raigne upon my sences. | |
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| Soe shall my sprite be still upright | |
| In thought and conversation: | |
| Soe shall I bide well purifide | |
| From much abomination. | 60 |
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| Soe lett wordes sprong from my weake tongue, | |
| And my harte’s meditation, | |
| My saving might, Lord, in thy sight | |
| Receave good acceptation. | |
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