Classic Poem

When God shall inquisition make
For sin, what man can chuse but quake?
No place he hath his head to hide,
Lurke where he will, he'el be espied.
But why with candles wil God look,
As if some corner or close nook
Of His Jerusalem could be—
Without their light—from His sight free?
No, He that form'd the eye wil see
Through the greatest obscurity.
Candles are uselesse; when the Day
Appears, we throw them then away.
Yea when the sun begins to shine,
The brightest stars their light decline.
God's eyes ten thousand times more bright
Are then the sun's, and there's no night
At all to Him; by candles then
He speaks to th' common sense of men,
Letting them know, that as when we
Intend to make a scrutinie,
And strictly search for some rare thing
That's lost, jewel or diamond ring;
We candles light, and pore about
The house, we pry within, without,
Leave not a hole unsearcht, for fear
The thing we look for should lye there.
So God, to take all thoughts from us,
Of scaping His inquiry, thus
Himselfe expresses: if He search
Jerusalem so close, His Church—
What wil become of Babylon
The wicked citie, where not one
Righteous is to be found? That needs
No inquisition, their ill deeds
Are too transparent to each eye
As he that runs may them espie;
Where crimes are open to the view
Of all, not search, but plagues are due.
Lord! give me grace for to prevent
As wel the search as punishment;
Teach me to cast mine eye within
My brest, and spie out every sin
Which there lies hid, that so I may—
Judging myself before the day—
Avoid the judgment just which shall
Upon the wicked heavy fall.