A Contemplation

Great Prince of Peace! When I incline To wait on thee, Thou say'st in secret, Thou art mine; Thou'st purchas'd me; Not with corruptible or fading Things But with a Price that far exceeds the Crown of Kings.

Ah, Lord! Who can enough admire Thy boundless Love, Which doth so far surpass Desire, Yea, often prove Beyond what might expected be by me, Unworthy of the smallest smiling Glance from thee.

O gracious Love! Thy Sweets excel All things below, Alas! Earth's Beauty cannot parallel Thy meanest Glimpse, I know; For one's an Earnest of ne'er-fading Joy: The other's an ensnaring Soul-deluding Toy.

Thy smallest gentle Ray invites Our Souls to taste Those never-fading fresh Delights, Which always last; And, as desir'd, more increase, Unto the humble, holy Child of Peace.

Mark how the Taper's feeble Light, With glimm'ring Ray, Gilds as it were the Shades of Night, Instead of Day; But what's its Lustre, when the Sun appears T' illuminate our doleful Hemispheres!

So tho' Earth's Pleasures sometimes do, With seeming Joys, Allay small Sorrows, mitigate a Woe, That from her Toys Proceeds, and vex the grovelling Soul that feeds Upon her empty Husks, and noisome Weeds.

Yet when the Brightness of thine Eye Doth from above Discover dark deluding Vanity, And with its Love Invite; how less than nothing then are those Fondly ensnaring Toys, and flatt'ring Shows,

Which only by Reflections do Produce Remorse In th' injur'd Conscience, to increase the Woe That will with Force Fall upon those that dote on fading Toys, But slight the Light that Leads to endless Joys?

Ah then, who can enough admire Thy Love, thy Light! Who can but long, with strong Desire, For such Delight! This is the Light of Life, fades not away, But shines more bright unto the perfect Day.