Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.
Gods Glory and Goodnes InexplicableXXII. John Davies
T
Is vnderstood to bee: but how? And here
Is such a gulph of deepest mistery
As none, without bee’ng quite orewhelmd with fear,
Can looke therein to tell the secrets there!
For what beseeming that good evriething
Can we imagin, though we angels were?
That is as farre past all imagining
As we are short of paceing with his wing.
Nor in ought labour with more hard assay;
Yet nought we know with more hart’s ioy than them:
But in their search, if once we lose our way,
We may be lost and vtterly decay:
Its deadly dangerous then for them to looke
Through waies more sullen then the foe of day,
Without Faith’s lanthorne, Truth’s most blessed booke,
Which none ere left, but straight the way forsooke.
The gospell to promulgate from his brest,
His councels to disclose, our doubts to chere:
Then if we go to seeke this Beeing blest
Without these helpes, we strayeng neuer rest.