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In Salem Dwelt a Glorious King

In Salem dwelt a glorious King,

Raised from a shepherd's lowly state;

That did His praises like an angel

Who did the World create.

By many great and bloody

He was advanced unto

But more delighted in the

Than in the splendour of his precious stones;

Nor gold nor silver did his eye

The Works of God were his sublime reward,2A warlike champion he had been,

And many feats of

Had done: in kingly courts his eye had seenA vast variety Of earthly joys:

Yet he despis'd Those fading honours, and false

Which are by mortals so much prized;

And placed his happiness in other

No state of life which in this world we

Could yield contentment to his greater

His fingers touched his trembling lyre,

And every quavering string did yieldA sound that filled all the Jewish quire,

And echoed in the field.

No pleasure was so great to

As in a silent night to

The moon and stars:

A

Above them, even here, he seem'd to be:

Enflam'd with Love it was his great desire,

To sing, contemplate, ponder, and

He was a prophet, and foresaw Things extant in the world to come:

He was a judge, and ruled by a

That than the

Was sweeter far: he was a sage,

And all his people could advise;

An oracle, whose every

Contained in verse the greatest mysteries;

But most he then enjoyed himself when

Did as a poet praise the Deity.5A shepherd, soldier, and divine,

A judge, a courtier, and a king,

Priest, angel, prophet, oracle, did

At once when he did sing.

Philosopher and poet

Did in his melody appear;

All these in him did please the

Of those that did his heavenly music

And every drop that from his flowing

Came down, did all the world with nectar

He had a deep and perfect

Of all the glories and the

That in God's works are hid: the

Of such transcendent

Made him on earth an heavenly king,

And filled his solitudes with joy ;

He never did more sweetly

Than when alone, though that doth mirth destroy Sense did his soul with heavenly life inspire,

And made him seem in God's celestial

Rich, sacred, deep and precious

Did here on earth the man surround:

With all the Glory of the King of

He was most strangely crowned.

His clear soul and open sight Among the Sons of God did see Things filling Angels with delight:

His ear did hear their heavenly melody,

And when he was alone he all became That Bliss implied, or did increase his

All arts he then did exercise;

And as his God he did

By secret ravishments above the

He carried was

He died.

His soul did see and

What others know not; and became,

While he before his God did kneel,

A constant, heavenly, pure, seraphic flame.

Oh that I might unto his throne aspire,

And all his joys above the stars admire!

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Thomas Traherne

Thomas Traherne (1636 or 1637 – c. 27 September 1674) was an English poet, clergyman, theologian, and religious writer. The intense, scholarly s…

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