The workmanship of heauen soe bright and faire,
Thy power O Lord, and glorie doth declare;
One day Thy praise doth to another preach,
One night another doth in order teach;
Where euer any tongue or voyce doth sound,
In all the world their speech is heard around.
In middest of heauen, the hands of God hath pight[200]
For the sunne's lodgeinge, a pauilion bright;
Who as a bridegroome from his chamber goes;
Or GIANT, marchinge forth against his foes,
Hee issues; and from EAST TO WEST doth runne:
His peircinge heat noe liueinge weight[201] can shun.
God's lawe is perfect and man's soule renues,
And simple mindes with knowledge it endues;
Right are His statutes and rejoyce the heart,
Light to the eyes His precepts pure impart;
His feare is cleane and soe endures for aye;
His judgements true and righteous euery way;
More sweet then honie, to bee valewed more
Then many heapes of finest goulden oare.
They rectifie withall Thy seruants minde,
And who soe keeps them, great reward shall finde;
But Lord who knowes how oft hee doth transgresse?
O clense mee from my secret wickednes!
Nor let presumptuous sinns beare rule in mee,
Soe shall I from the great offence bee free;
And Lord! my strength and Sauiour! soe direct
My words and thoughts as Thou maiest them accept.
[Footnote 200: = pitched, as _ante_. G.]
[Footnote 201: A later hand has placed above this, 'wight': which is
only a different spelling. Mr. Bruce, (as before) adds Qu: It seeme
to have stood originally 'weigh.' The Corrector added a 't' and then
perhaps thinking it not quite clear, or not liking the incorrect
spelling, wrote 'wight' above it. G.]