XXII. John Davies

SITH God is euer changlesse as hee’s good,

We wormes most mutable in spight of change

May euer stand in him that euer stood,

By faith, and hope, and love; and neuer range

But when through him we go to places strange.

And though by nature mutable we be,

Yet may his grace from vs that state estrange,

And match vs to immutability

In the bride-chamber of feliecity.

Hee’s true of promise, sith he cannot change;

Then why should sorrowing synners feare to dye?

Since earth’s familiars are to heauen strange,

Then heauen we cannot haue while here we lye.

And he that’s free from all vncertainty

Hath in his euer neuer-failing word

Giu’n vs by deede, with his bloud seald, an hie

And heauenly mantion, which he doth afford

To all whose wills do with his will accord.

The euer-liuing God, sole Lord of life,

He was and is from all eternity:

If he be such a husband, shall his wife,

Or any member of her, fear to dye

In him with whom is immortality?

Hee’s life itselfe; then of himself he moues,

And all his members moues immediately

To rest in him: the rest from him he ’moues:

So all moues by him which he hates or loues.