Silex scintillans, or, Sacred poems and priuate eiaculations by Henry Vaughan ...

Faith.

BRight, and blest beame! whose strong projection Equall to all, Reacheth as well things of dejection As th' high, and tall; How hath my God by raying thee Inlarg'd his spouse, And of a private familie Made open house? All may be now Co-heirs; no noise Of Bond, or Free Can Interdict us from those Joys That wait on thee, The Law, and Ceremonies made A glorious night, Where Stars, and Clouds, both light, and shade Had equal right; But, as in nature, when the day Breaks, night adjourns, Stars shut up shop, mists pack away, And the Moon mourns; So when the Sun of righteousness Did once appear, That Scene was chang'd, and a new dresse Left for us here; Veiles became useles, Altars fel, Fires smoking die; And all that sacred pomp, and shel Of things did flie; Then did he shine forth, whose sad fall, And bitter fights Were figur'd in those mystical, And Cloudie Rites;

And as i'th' natural Sun, these three, Light, motion, heat, So are now Faith, Hope, Charity Through him Compleat; Faith spans up blisse; what sin, and death Put us quite from, Lest we should run for't out of breath, Faith bring us home; So that I need no more, but say I do believe, And my most loving Lord straitway doth answer, Live.