That childish thoughts such joys inspire,
Doth make my wonder, and His glory higher,
His bounty, and my wealth .more
It chews His Kingdom, and His work complete.
In which there is not anything,
Not meet to be the joy of
He in our childhood with us walks,
And with our thoughts mysteriously He talks;
He often visiteth our minds,
But cold acceptance in us ever finds:
We send Him often grieved away,
Who else would show us all His Kingdom's joy.3O Lord,
I wonder at Thy Love,
Which did my infancy so early move:
But more at that which did
And move so long, though slighted many a year:
But most of all, at last that
Thyself shouldst me convert,
I scarce know
Thy gracious motions oft in
Assaulted me: my heart did hard remain Longtime!
I sent my God
Grieved much, that He could not give me His joy.
I careless was, nor did
The End for which He all those thoughts
But now, with new and open eyes,
I see beneath, as if above the skies,
And as I backward look
See all His thoughts and mine most clear arid plain.
He did approach,
He me did woo;
I wonder that my God this thing would
From nothing taken first ,
I was;
What wondrous things His glory brought to pass!
Now in the World I Him behold,
And me, enveloped in precious gold;
In deep abysses of delights,
In present hidden glorious
These thoughts His goodness long
Prepared as precious and celestial
With curious art in me inlaid,
That childhood might itself alone be
My Tutor,
Teacher,
Guide to be,
Instructed then even by the Deitie.