Sacred poems, or, Briefe meditations, of the day in generall and of all the dayes in the weeke
Browne, Edward., Du Bartas, Guillaume de Salluste, seigneur, 1544-1590. Sepmaine. English., Sylvester, Josuah, 1563-1618.
Of the Morning Light.
FIrst in the morning when I ope mine eye,
If it be light, me thinkes I doe espie
A glimps of Glory: But if darksome night
Be not orepast, then doe I close my sight,
And musing thinke of that eternall horrour,
Where is no comfort, but dismaying rerrour;
Then doe I muse on the materiall lights
That God prepared hath to helpe our sights;
The Sun, the Moone, the Starres and twinkling Tapers,
That men invent which vanish into vapours;
And with these Temp'rall lights, mee thinks I see
That spirituall light hath great Affinity,
And this Spirituall light's Illumination
From Divine knowledge by Gods Inspiration,
The hea•hens knowledge is much like the light,
That men doe make to helpe their darkned sight,
Whereby they know there is a God, that hee
Doth punish vice, Crownes those that vertuous bee;
The Jewes light's the Divine and holy Law,
Which as the sages star their hearts might draw
And drive to Christ, whom they doe daily see
In Types and figures shaddowed to be;
The Papists Knowledge is most like the Moone,
Which they doe borrow from the Gospells Sun.
But Truth's so wrapped in blind errours lap.
As clouds their light and shewes their hard mishap;
Page 3But knowledge in our Land is like the rayes
Of the bright Sun which shineth at noone dayes,
Free'd from all foggs and mysts of E•rours vaine,
And unto all men open cleare and plaine.
Oh what confused horrour dread and feare,
Should wee in our distressed bodies beare,
If but depriv'd of light for a few dayes;
Wherefore we have great cause to give God praise,
Not onely for this temp'rall changing light,
But much more for the glorious Gospells sight.
