Schola Cordis or the Heart of it Selfe, gone away from God ::

Thou that art Light of lights, the onely sight
Of the blind world, lend me thy saving light:
Disperse those mists, which in my soule have made
Darkenesse as deepe as hells eternall shade.

Ode. 25.

1

Alas, that I
Could not before espie
The soule-confounding misery
Of this, more then Egyptian, dreadfull night!
To be deprived of the light,
And to have eyes, but eyes devoid of sight,
As mine have been, is such a woe,
As he alone can know,
That feeles it so.

2

Darknesse hath been
My God and me between
Like an opacous doubled skreen,
Through which nor light, nor heat could passage find.
Grosse ignorance hath made my mind,
And understanding not bleer-ey'd, but blind;
My will to all that's good is cold,
Nor can I, though I would,
Doe what I should.

102

3

No, now I see
There is no remedy
Left in my self: it cannot be
That blind men, in the darke should find the way
To blessednesse: although they may
Imagine that high midnight is noone-day,
As I have done till now, they'll know
At last unto their woe,
'Twas nothing so.

4

Now I perceive
Presumption doth bereave
Men of all hope of helpe, and leave
Them, as it finds them, drown'd in misery:
Despairing of themselves, to cry
For mercy is the only remedy
That sinne-sicke soules can have: to pray
Against this darknesse may
Turne it to day.

5

Then unto thee,
Great Lord of light, let me
Direct my prayer, that I may see.
Thou, that did'st make mine eyes, canst soone restore
That pow'r of sight they had before,
And, if thou seest it good, canst give them more.
The night will quickly shine like day,
If thou doe but display
One glorious ray.

6

I must confesse,
And I can doe no lesse,

103

Thou art the Sun of righteousnesse:
There's healing in thy wings: thy light is life;
My darkenesse death. To end all strife,
Be thou mine husband, let me be thy wife.
Then both the light, and life that's thine,
Though light, and life divine,
Will all be mine.

University of Virginia Library

The enlightening of the Heart.

Epigr. 25.

Ode. 25.

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