Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THOUGHTS IV, by THOMAS TRAHERNE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THOUGHTS IV, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: In thy presence there is fullness
Last Line: In heaven, and I, o lord my god, with thee!


In thy presence there is fullness
of joy, and at thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore.

Thoughts are the wings on which the soul doth fly,
The messengers which soar above the sky,
Elijah's fiery chariot, that conveys
The soul, even here, to those eternal joys.
Thoughts are the privileged posts that soar
Unto His throne, and there appear before
Ourselves approach. These may at any time
Above the clouds, above the stars may climb.
The soul is present by a thought; and sees
The new Jerusalem, the palaces,
The thrones and feasts, the regions of the sky,
The joys and treasures of the Deity.
His wisdom makes all things so bright and pure,
That they are worthy ever to endure.
His glorious works, His laws and counsels are,
When seen, all like Himself, beyond compare.
All ages with His love and glory shine,
As they are His all kingdoms are divine.
Whole hosts of angels at His throne attend,
And joyful praises from His saints ascend.
Thousands of thousands kneel before His face
And all His benefits with joy embrace.
His goodness makes all creatures for His pleasure,
And makes itself His creatures' chiefest treasure.
Almighty power doth itself employ
In all its works to make itself the joy
Of all His hosts, and to complete the bliss
Which omnipresent and eternal is.
His omnipresence is an endless sphere,
Wherein all worlds as His delights appear.
His bounty is the spring of all delight;
Our blessedness, like His, is infinite.
His glory endless is and doth surround
And fill all worlds, without or end or bound.
What hinders then, but we in Heaven may be
Even here on earth did we but rightly see?
As mountains, chariots, horsemen all on fire,
To guard Elisha did of old conspire,
Which yet his servant could not see, being blind,
Ourselves environ'd with His joys we find.
Eternity itself is that true light,
That doth enclose us being infinite.
The very seas do overflow and swim
With precious nectars as they flow from Him.
The stable earth, which we beneath behold,
Is far more precious than if made of gold.
Fowls, fishes, beasts, trees, herbs, and precious flowers,
Seeds, spices, gums, and aromatic bowers,
Wherewith we are enclos'd and serv'd, each day
By His appointment do their tributes pay,
And offer up themselves as gifts of love,
Bestow'd on saints, proceeding from above.
Could we but justly, wisely, truly prize
These blessings, we should be above the skies,
And praises sing with pleasant heart and voice,
Adoring with the angels should rejoice.
The fertile clouds give rain, the purer air
Is warm and wholesome, soft and bright and fair.
The stars are wonders which His wisdom names,
The glorious sun the knowing soul inflames.
The very heavens in their sacred worth
At once serve us, and set His glory forth.
Their influences touch the grateful sense,
They please the eye with their magnificence.
While in His temple all His saints do sing,
And for His bounty praise their heavenly King.
All these are in His omnipresence still,
As living waters from His throne they trill.
As tokens of His love they all flow down,
Their beauty, use, and worth the soul do crown.
Men are like cherubims on either hand,
Whose flaming love by His divine command
Is made a sacrifice to ours: which streams
Throughout all worlds, and fills them all with beams.
We drink our fill, and take their beauty in,
While Jesus' blood refines the soul from sin.
His grievous cross is a supreme delight,
And of all heavenly ones the greatest sight.
His throne is near, 'tis just before our face,
And all eternity His dwelling place.
His dwelling place is full of joys and pleasures,
His throne a fountain of eternal treasures.
His omnipresence is all sight and love,
Which whoso sees, he ever dwells above.
With soft embraces it doth clasp the soul,
And watchfully all enemies control.
It enters in, and doth a temple find,
Or make a living one within the mind.
That while God's omnipresence in us lies,
His treasures might be all before our eyes:
For minds and souls intent upon them here,
Do with the seraphims above appear:
And are like spheres of bliss, by love and sight,
By joy, thanksgiving, praise, made infinite.
O give me grace to see Thy face, and be
A constant mirror of eternity.
Let my pure soul, transformed to a thought,
Attend upon Thy throne, and as it ought
Spend all its time in feeding on Thy love,
And never from Thy sacred presence move.
So shall my conversation ever be
In Heaven, and I, O Lord my God, with Thee!





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