Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 138, by EDWARD TAYLOR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 138, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: My blessed blessing lord I fain would try
Last Line: Faith doth and meditation ever trace.
Subject(s): Puritans In Literature


My blessed blessing Lord I fain would try
To heave thy Glory 'bove the Heavens above,
But finde my lisping tongue can never prie
It up an inch above this dirt nor move.
Thy brightsom glory o're this dirty slough
We puddle in below and Wallow now.

But though I can but stut and blur what I
Do go about and so indeed much marre
Do thy bright Shine: I fain would slick up high
Although I foul it by my pen's harsh jar.
Pardon my faults: they're all against my Will.
I would do Well but have too little Skill.

What Golden words drop from thy gracious lips,
Adorning of thy Speech with Holy paint,
Making thy Spouses teeth like lambs that skip,
Oh flock of Sheep that come from Washing quaint.
Each bearing twins a pleasant sight to spy
Whose little lambs have leaping play and joy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * a flock of pure Washt Sheep more white:
* * * * * * borne babe and Church that hath relief
Whose name is in the book of Life wrote right
The New born Soule and that Society
I such espoused to my Lord most High.

What are these Teeth? Pray show, Some do suppose
They are the Spouses Military armes:
The Arguments that do destroy her Foes:
And do defend the Gospell truths from harms,
But Teeth in Sheep are not their Wepon though
The Lions teeth and Cur dogs teeth are so.

And others do say they note Christ's ministers:
That dress the Spouses food. Yet such seem Cooks.
When these are 'ployd like teeth 'bout meat as its dresser.
Yet still this seems a lesson not in books.
Methinks Christs Ministers may rather beare
The name of Cooks, than Teeth that eat the fare,

Hence methinks they the righter judge, that hold
These Teeth import true Faith in Christ alone
And Meditation on the Gospell, should
Be signifide thereby to every one.
Teeth are for the eating of the Food made good
And Meditation Chawing is the Cud.

The proper use of Teeth gives the first stroke
Unto the Meat and food we feed upon
And fits it for the Stomach there to sooke
In its Concoction for nutrition.

And Meditation when 'tis Concocted there
Take's its rich liquour having nurishment,
And distributes the same Choice Spirituall Cheer
Through all the new man by its instrument,
And hence that means of Grace doth as I thinke
Give nurishment hereby as meate and drinke.

This Faith and Meditation a pair appears
As two like to the two brave rows of Teeth
The Upper and the neather, well set cleare
Exactly meet to chew the food, beliefe.
Both eate by biting; meditation
By Chewing Spiritually the Cud thereon.

* * * * two those two exactly answer right
* * * Grindeing them and operation
Those in a naturall Sense in spirituall * * *
These two, and so they pare, each on their station.
The fore and hinder teeth, that bite and Grinde,
So Spiritually these bite and Chew in minde.

They paire each other too, in whiteness cleare
As those like Olivant, these sparkling show
With glorious Shine in a most brightsome geare
Of spirituall whitness that exceeds pure Snow.
Christ's milk white Righteousness and splendent Grace
Faith doth and Meditation ever trace.





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