Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 107, by EDWARD TAYLOR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 107, by             Poet's Biography
First Line: Oh! What a lord is mine? There's none like him
Last Line: Thy praise, with angells and my grace shall shine.
Subject(s): Puritans In Literature


Oh! what a Lord is mine? There's none like him.
Born heir of th'Vastest Realms, and not Confinde,
Within, nor o're the Canopy or rim
Of th'Starry Region, and as vastly kinde.
But's bright'st Dominion gloriously lies
In th'Realm of Angells above the Starry Skies.

When man had sin'd he saw that nothing could
In all's Dominion Satisfaction make
To milke white Justice, but himselfe, who should
Then Drinke Deaths health, he did the matter take
Upon himselfe by Compact, new and good
On such Conditions that requir'd his blood.

Yet entred he in Cov'nant with God,
The Father for to do the thing himselfe
Which to perform he took a Humane Clod
In union to his Godhead, it enwealth,
That he might in it fully pay the Score
Of's fallen friends, and them from death restore.

And having in our nature well sufficde
The hungry law, with active Righteousness
His life did pay our debt. Death him surprizde.
His blood he made the Law's sufficing mess.
With Active and with Passive duties hee
Balanc't th'accounts, and set the Captives free.

But drawing nigh upon Death's Coasts indeed
He made his Will bequeathing legacies
To all his Children, a Choice Holy seed
As they did up in Covenant new arise.
He his last Night them feasts and at that meale
His Supper institutes his Cov'nant Seale.

Four Causes do each thing produc'd attend:
The End, Efficient, Matter and the Form.
These last th'Efficient passt through to the End,
And so obtains the same the babe is born.
So in this Supper causes foure attend
Th'Efficient, Matter, Form, and now the End.

The Primall End whereof is Obsignation
Unto the Covenant of Grace most sweet.
Another is a right Commemoration
Of Christs Rich Death upon our hearts to keep
And to declare his own till he again
Shall come. This Ordinance doth at these aim.

And Secondary Ends were in Christ's Eye
In instituting of this Sacrament,
As Union, and Communion Sanctity
Held with himselfe by these usd Elements
In Union and Comunion which are fit,
Of Saints Compacted in Church Fellowship.

But lest this Covenant of Grace should ere
Be held by doubting Saints all Violate
By their infirmities as Adams were
By one transgression and be so vacate
Its Seale is food and's often to be usd,
To seale new pardons freshening faith, misusd.

Then make me, Lord, at thy Sweet Supper spy
Thy graces all well flourishing in mee.
And seale me pardon up and ratify
Thy Covenant with mee, thus gracious bee.
My Faculties all deckt with grace shall Chime
Thy praise, with Angells and my grace shall shine.





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