The Preparative

My Body being Dead, my Limbs unknown; Before I skilled [sic] to prize Those living Stars mine Eyes, Before my Tongue or Cheeks were to me shown, Before I knew my Hands were mine, Or that my Sinews did my Members join, When neither Nostril, Foot, nor Ear, As yet was seen, or felt, or did appear; I was within A House I knew not, newly clothed with Skin. Then was my Soul my only All to me, A Living Endless Eye, Far wider than the Sky Whose Power, whose Act, whose Essence was to see. I was an Inward Sphere of Light, Or an Interminable Orb of Sight, An Endless and a Living Day, A vital Sun that round about did ray All Life and Sense, A Naked Simple Pure Intelligence. I then no Thirst nor Hunger did conceive, No dull Necessity, No Want was Known to me; Without Disturbance then I did receive The fair Ideas of all Things, And had the Honey even without the Stings. A Meditating Inward Eye Gazing at Quiet did within me lie, And every Thing Delighted me that was their Heavenly King.