Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 90, by EDWARD TAYLOR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 90, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Eternal life! What life is this, I pray?
Last Line: Thy sweetest tunes shall ring eternall joy.
Subject(s): Future Life; Puritans In Literature; Retribution; Eternity; After Life


Eternal Life! What Life is this, I pray?
Eternity snick snarls my Brains, thought on:
Its the Arithimaticians Wrack each way.
It hath begining, yet it end hath none.
He that hath been ten thousand years therein,
'S as far from 'ts end, as when they did begin.

Eternity indeed is Adjunct to
The Life of Man. Of all men Good, and Bad.
As to Deaths Darksom Entery they goe
They e're shall live and joyous be, or sad.
Eternall life, then is dicotamizd
Into a Life of Joy or miseries.

This last is Calld Everlasting Punishment
Or Everlasting sad Distruction,
Or second Death. Not Life. Its Life all shent
Of Good, and filld with Deaths Edition.
This though the Worms alive, is Living Death,
A thousand times worse than to have no breath.

Eternall Life then's in a right Sense this.
That All things blissfull do to it belong
Life Naturall, and Spirituall Life's in bliss
Eternizde in Eternall Joyes that throng.
Though all by Nature Death indeed doth fine.
Yet, Lord, thou giv'st Eternall Life to thine.

Oh! what a Lord is mine? How rich? that he
Gives his, Eternall Life: that doth Contain
All Heaven and its Glory, Bliss, and Glee
Within it, Hee is Rightfull Lord of th'Same.
For none can give that which he never had:
Wheather that gift he gives be good, or bad.

And though he give this Gift so rich to his
His Wealth and Glory's not thereby Diminisht.
He hath the Spring of Life, and Life of bliss.
When they their Pilgrimage have fully finisht,
Out of His Spring of life and Bliss that flowth,
Confer Eternall Life on them he doth.

Life Naturall (although Essentiall to
All Living things) and Spirituall Life indeed,
Peculiar to Rationalls also
Containd are in Christs Gift as in a Seed,
Are both Adjuncted with Eternity
In that he gives them them Eternally.

Ripe Grace in all its Orient Blossoms bright
Ripe Glory in its flower of brightest Shine,
Ripe joy upon the highest branch full ripe
Are in this Life Eternall made most fine,
All blanched o're in orient Glory all
Do send their Shining Rayes on them to fall.

Oh! Boundless Sea, and Bottomless of Love,
Confer'd on Saints. Oh! richest gift ere gi'n!
Worth more than thousands Worlds: all Heaven above,
Whole Heavens of Love; and God to boot therein:
God, Bliss, Joy, Glory, Eternal Life enjoy'de
Oh! Happiness! Saints Happy shall abide.

Hence, Lord, I kiss thy Feet, and humbly Cry
Give mee this Gift, Eternall Life I pray.
'Twill gild my Harp O're very gloriously,
And spiritualize my Strings thy tunes to play.
Life Naturall's the Base: the Spirituall is
The Meane: the Tenour is Eternall Bliss.

Lord, make my Person, subject of thy Gift
Eternal Life its Adjunct gi'n by thee.
My Person then, thy Well-Tun'de Harp shall lift
Thy Praises up in Tunes sung forth by mee.
Then on my Spirituall Wiars harmoniously
Thy Sweetest Tunes shall ring Eternall Joy.





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