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,

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.

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

Is of an entire jasper stone?

There the eye

O’ the chrysolite,

And a sky

Of diamonds, rubies, chrysoprase,—

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,

And the crystal ’bove the skies,

There thou mayest appoint us place

Within the brightness of thy face,—

And our soul

In the scroll

Of life and blissfulness enroll,

That we may praise thee to eternity.Allelujah!