V This soaring, sacred thirst, Ambassador of bliss, approached first, Making a place in me That made me apt to prize, and taste, and see. For not the objects but the sense Of things doth bliss to souls dispense, And make it, Lord, like thee, Sense, feeling, taste, complacency, and sight, These are the true and real joys, The living, flowing, inward, melting, bright, And heavenly pleasures; all the rest are toys: All which are founded in Desire, As light in flame and heat in fire. THOUGHTS.--IV In Thy presence there is fullness of Joy, and at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Thoughts are the wings on which the soul doth fly, The messengers which soar above the sky, Elijah's fiery chariot, that conveys The soul, even here, to those eternal joys. Thoughts are the privileged posts that soar Unto His throne, and there appear before Ourselves approach. These may at any time Above the clouds, above the stars may climb. The soul is present by a thought; and sees The New Jerusalem, the palaces, The thrones, and feasts, the regions of the sky, The joys and treasures of the Deity. His wisdom makes all things so bright and pure, That they are worthy ever to endure. His glorious works, His laws and counsels are, When seen, all like Himself, beyond compare. All ages with His love and glory shine, As they are His all Kingdoms are Divine. Whole hosts of Angels at His throne attend, And joyful praises from His saints ascend. Thousands of thousands kneel before His face And all His benefits with joy embrace. His goodness makes all creatures for His pleasure, And makes itself His creatures' chiefest treasure. Almighty power doth itself employ In all its works to make itself the joy Of all His hosts, and to complete the bliss Which omnipresent and eternal is. His omnipresence is an Endless Sphere, Wherein all worlds as his delights appear: His bounty is the spring of all delight; Our blessedness, like His, is infinite. His glory endless is and doth surround And fill all worlds without or end or bound. What hinders then but we in Heaven may be Even here on Earth did we but rightly see? As mountains, chariots, horsemen all on fire, To guard Elisha did of old conspire, Which yet his servant could not see, being blind, Ourselves environ'd with His joys we find. Eternity itself is that true light That doth enclose us being infinite. The very seas do overflow and swim With precious nectars as they flow from Him. The stable Earth which we beneath behold, Is far more precious than if made of gold. Fowls, fishes, beasts, trees, herbs, and precious flowers, Seeds, spices, gums, and aromatic bowers,