Preaching and poetry 3: an elegy on the death of John Donne

Tis a sad truth. The pulpit may her plain
And sober Christian precepts still retain;
Grave homilies and lectures; but the flame
of thy brave soul, that shot such heat and light
As burnt our earth and made our darkness bright,
Committed holy rapes upon our will,
did through the eye the melting heart distill,
And the deep knowledge of dark truths so teach
As sense might judge what fancy could not reach,
Must be desired forever

Thomas Carew 'An elegy upon the death of the dean of St Paul's, Dr John Donne' 11-21