Meditation 60

An Electronic Edition · Edward Taylor (1642-1729)

Original Source: The poetical works of Edward Taylor. Edited with an introduction and notes by Thomas H. Johnson. New York, Rockland editions, 1939.

Copyright 2003. This text is freely available provided the text is distributed with the header information provided.

Full Colophon Information


1 Corinthians x: 4: And did all drink the same spiritual drink

Ye Angells bright, pluck from your Wings a Quill;  
Make me a pen thereof that best will write:  
Lend me your fancy, and Angellick skill  
To treate this Theme, more rich than Rubies bright.  
My muddy Inke, and Cloudy fancy dark 5.
Will dull its glory, lacking highest Art. 

An Eye at Centre righter may describe  
The Worlds Circumferentiall glory vast,  
As in its nutshell bed it snugs fast ti’de,  
Than any angells pen can glory Cast  
Upon this Drink Drawn from the Rock, tapt by 5.
The Rod of God, in Horeb, typickly.  

Sea water straind through Mineralls, Rocks, and Sands  
Well Clarifi’de by Sunbeams, Dulcifi’de,  
Insipid, Sordid, Swill, Dishwater stands.  
But here’s a Rock of Aqua-Vitae tri’de.  
When once God broacht it, out a River came 5.
To bath and bibble in, for Israels train.  

Some Rocks have sweat. Some Pillar[s] bled out tears,  
But here’s a River in a Rock up tun[n]’d  
Not of Sea Water nor of Swill. Its beere!  
No Nectar like it. Yet it once Unbun[g]d  
A River down out runs through ages all. 5.
A Fountain opte, to wash off Sin and Fall.  

Christ is this Horebs Rock, the streames that slide  
A River is of Aqua Vitae Deare  
Yet costs us nothing, gushing from his side:  
Celestiall Wine our Sinsunk souls to cheare.  
This Rock and Water, Sacramentall Cup 5.
Are made, Lords Supper Wine for us to sup.  

This Rock’s the Grape that Zions Vineyard bore  
Which Moses Rod did smiting pound, and press  
Untill its blood, the brooke of Life, run ore.  
All Glorious Grace, and Gracious Righteousness.  
We in this brook must bath: and with faiths quill 5.
Suck Grace, and Life out of this Rock our fill.  

Lord, oynt me with this Petro oyle. I’m sick.  
Make mee drinke Water of the Rock. I’m dry.  
Me in this fountain wash. My filth is thick.  
I’m faint, give Aqua Vitae or I dy.  
If in this stream thou cleanse and Chearish mee 5.
My Heart thy Hallelujahs Pipe shall bee.  

Full Colophon Information

Genre: Poetry
Subjects: Puritans
Period: 1650-1700
Location: New England
Format: verse

This poem was completed ca. 1685but not published until 1939 in New York.

The text of the document was initially prepared from and proofed against The poetical works of Edward Taylor. Edited with an introduction and notes by Thomas H. Johnson (New York, Rockland editions, 1939). All preliminaries and notes have been omitted except those for which the author is responsible. All editorial notes have been omitted except those that indicate significant textual variations. Line and paragraph numbers contained in the source text have been retained. In cases where the source text displays no numbers, numbers are automatically generated. In the header, personal names have been regularized according to the Library of Congress authority files as "Last Name, First Name" for the REG attribute and "First Name Last Name" for the element value. Names have not been regularized in the body of the text.