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The poems of George Daniel

... From the original mss. in the British Museum: Hitherto unprinted. Edited, with introduction, notes, and illustrations, portrait, &c. By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart: In four volumes

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 I. 
Cap. i.
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 IV. 
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213

I. Cap. i.

God only wise, Wise Ever; and shall be
Full in his Wisedome, to Eternitie.
Who can account with nice Arithmeticke
The Sands which floore the Sea? or who can seeke,
With curious Inquisition, eyther what
Drops fall in showers? or give the world a Date?
Or what more subtle Art can rightly give
The height of Heaven? or more then vainly strive
To Specifie the Earth? how must it be
Or in the breadth, or the Profunditie?
The wisedome of the Lord who can attaine,
Wch hath beene Ever, and shall Ever shine?
When nothing was, then Wisedome only was,
And only there where yet she is in place.
The Spring of Wisedome and the source of All
Is in the word of God Misteriall;
And the Eternall Pandicts which he writt,
Stand as the Gate or Entrance vnto it.
Who knowes the Root of wisedome? Or who can
Catch at the Raies of Knowledge? Or what Man

214

Can apprehend the Sacred Misteries
Of Wisedome? Or but where the Entrace is?
There is One Wise, and there is only one,
Ev'n the Most High, who sitts vpon the Throne,
The Almighty King of Power; He is the Lord,
Who did create her by his mighty word.
Hee, only Hee, hath seene her; and survayed
Her true dimensions, and her Light displaied
In all his worke. How much resplendent She!
How lucent in all flesh! and graciously,
In an aboundant Measure, he doth store
All such as love him, and his Name Adore!
The feare of God is glory and Content,
Filling a Soule with Sacred Ravishment;
It is a Crowne of Honour, & doth give
Felicitye & Ioy to Attend Long Life.
Thrice happie Hee, and more than happy thrice,
Who feares the Lord; him will not he despise,
But Bless, and favour, when the time shall come,
With a mild Sentence, and a gracious Doome.
The Love of God doth dignifie a Name
With Wisdome, to a never-dying Fame.
The Iust are seasonéd with a Holie feare
Of God, ev'n in the wombe; which, as it were,
Gives them Admittance to the Notion
Of Misteries in Knowledge; it is on
Selected Woemen; and is ever knowne,
With the Iust Man to Admiration.
The Feare of God is holy knowledge; which

215

Shall not preserve but Iustifie as much;
Adds comfort to the Heart, and maketh whole
A contrite Spirit, & a wounded Soule:
Prosperitie, his Life shall ever Blesse;
And when he dyes, he shall depart in Peace.
The Feare of God is full fruition
Of Wisedome, and it is in that alone;
She fills the house with Ioy, and she doth Blesse
The Garners with a full & large encrease;
Which both are gifts of Heaven. It is the Crowne
Of Wisedome, and a true Perfection,
To feare the Lord; it giueth health and Peace.
Hee numbred hath and seene her, what she is;
She showers downe knowledge, and doth apt the Mind
For vnderstanding, in the fullest kind;
Honour attends her Steps: and Honour must
(Soe Heaven is pleaséd) gratifie the Iust.
The root of Wisedome is to feare the Lord,
And her Spred branches shall long Life afford;
Wisedome gives perfect knowledge, and doth bring
Right vnderstanding; truly seasoning
And purgeing minds from Error's filthy blot;
Thus is she Faire, but Sinners love her not.
Where a true feare of God is, there shall Sin
Vanish away, nor ever enter in;
When she is present, Wrath and Anger shall
Noe more be seene, but glide away and fall;
For 't cannot Stand with Anger to be wise,
And Death Attends where wrath doth Tyrranize.

216

But loe, the patient Man endures a Time
And the Reward of Ioy shall fall to Him;
His Lips are Sealed to Anger, and his Name
Shall stand vnspotted in an Ample Fame.
In Wisedome, hidden secrets and darke things
Are seene and knowne; but yet the Sinner brings
Opprobious taunts t' obscure (if it might be)
Her Light, and hates th' Immortal Dietye.
If Wisdome thou desire, and seeke her waies,
Observe the Law; he is not Wise that Straies;
Keepe the Cōmandments, and she shall be,
In a full Measure, giv'n by God to thee;
For to feare God is full fruition
Of Wisedome; Him whose pleasure is alone
In faith and Meekeness: Be not then to Him
Rebellious, nor obstinate in Crime;
Nor come vnto Him with a double Heart,
Who knowes thy Zeale, a vaine fantastick Art;
Dissemble not with God, nor feigne a Zeale
To Him, from whom thou canst not ought conceale;
Thence may come Scandall to the world, and then,
As th' art despis'd by God, th' art scorn'd by Men.
Doe not alledge thy merit, nor Exalt
Thy selfe to God, least for that only fault
Thy Soule fall to dishonour, and Hee, wroth,
Discover secret Sins, which thy owne Sloth
Or arrogance forgotten had; and thou
Refuseing Mercy, fall in Iustice now,
A Spectacle of Scorne and Miserye;
Neglecting God, and loveing vanitie.