Joshua Sylvester Poems >>
The Father

ALPHA and Omega, God alone:  
 Eloi, My God, the Holy-One;  
Whose Power is Omnipotence:  
Whose Wisedome is Omni-science:  
Whose Beeing is All Soveraigne Blisse:
Whose Worke Perfection's Fulnesse is;  
 Under All things, not under-cast;  
Over All things, not over-plac't;  
Within All things, not there included;  
Without All things, not thence excluded:  
 Above All, over All things raigning;  
Beneath All, All things aye sustayning:  
Without All, All conteyning sole:  
Within All, filling-full the Whole:  
 Within All, no where comprehended;
Without All, no where more extended;  
Under, by nothing over-topped:  
Over, by nothing under-propped:  
 
Unmov'd, Thou mov'st the World about;  
Unplac't, Within it, or Without:
Unchanged, time-lesse, Time Thou changest:  
Th' unstable, Thou, still stable, rangest;  
No outward Force, nor inward Fate,  
Can Thy drad Essence alterate:  
 
To-day, To-morrow, yester-day,  
With Thee are One, and instant aye;  
Aye undivided, ended never:  
To-day, with Thee, indures for-ever.  
 
Thou, Father, mad'st this mighty Ball;  
Of nothing thou created'st All,
After th' Idea of thy Minde,  
Conferring Forme to every kinde.  
 
Thou wert, Thou art, Thou wilt be ever:  
And Thine Elect, rejectest never.