Heaven. Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667). VII. Death: Immortality: Heaven. Bliss Carman, et al., eds. 1904. The World's Best Poetry. IV. The Higher Life

Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume IV. The Higher Life. 1904.

VII. Death: Immortality: Heaven

Heaven

Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667)


O BEAUTEOUS God! uncircumscribèd treasure
Of an eternal pleasure!
Thy throne is seated far
Above the highest star,
Where thou preparest a glorious place,	5
Within the brightness of thy face,
For every spirit
To inherit
That builds his hopes upon thy merit,
And loves thee with a holy charity.	10
What ravished heart, seraphic tongue, or eyes
Clear as the morning rise,
Can speak, or think, or see
That bright eternity,
Where the great King’s transparent throne	15
Is of an entire jasper stone?
There the eye
O’ the chrysolite,
And a sky
Of diamonds, rubies, chrysoprase,—	20
And above all thy holy face,—
Makes an eternal charity.
When thou thy jewels up dost bind, that day
Remember us, we pray,—
That where the beryl lies,	25
And the crystal ’bove the skies,
There thou mayest appoint us place
Within the brightness of thy face,—
And our soul
In the scroll	30
Of life and blissfulness enroll,
That we may praise thee to eternity. Allelujah!