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The God I know of, I shall ne'er
Know, though he dwells exceeding nigh.
Raise thou the stone and find me there,
Cleave thou the wood and there am I.
Yea, in my flesh his spirit doth flow,
Too near, too far, for me to know.

— William Watson

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Source and credibility

Wikiquote does not flag this quote as disputed or misattributed.

Source: The Unknown God. Third and fourth lines are from "newly discovered sayings of Jesus." Probably an ancient Oriental proverb.
Source quality: Source identified Names the work or year, but without an exact location.

More by William Watson

The votes of veering crowds are not
The things that are more excellent.

Lacrymæ Musarum and Other Poems (1893)

Empires dissolve and peoples disappear,
Song passes not away.

Lacrymæ Musarum and Other Poems (1893)

Best they honour thee
Who honour in thee only what is best.

Wordsworth's Grave and Other Poems (1890)

God on His throne is
Eldest of poets:
Unto His measures
Moveth the Whole.

Lacrymæ Musarum and Other Poems (1893)

The thirst to know and understand—
A large and liberal discontent:
These are the goods in life's rich hand,
The things that are more excellent.

Lacrymæ Musarum and Other Poems (1893)

Earth is less fragrant now, and heaven more sweet.

Epigrams of Art, Life, and Nature (1884)

Man looks at his own bliss, considers it,
Weighs it with curious fingers; and 'tis gone.

Epigrams of Art, Life, and Nature (1884)

And, though circuitous and obscure,
The feet of Nemesis how sure!

All William Watson quotes →

Topics

God

More quotes by William Watson

Sea that breakest for ever, that breakest and never art broken.

The Father of the Forest and Other Poems (1895)

Braying of arrogant brass, whimper of querulous reeds.

The Father of the Forest and Other Poems (1895)

Hate and mistrust are the children of blindness.

Wordsworth's Grave and Other Poems (1890)

Thou hadst, for weary feet, the gift of rest.

The stars of heaven are free because
In amplitude of liberty
Their joy is to obey the laws.

Lacrymæ Musarum and Other Poems (1893)

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Most intellectual people do not believe in God, but they fear him just the same.

Wilhelm Reich Philosophy : An Introduction to the Art of Wondering (2005)

When the mind is not dissipated upon extraneous things, nor diffused over the world about us through the senses, it withdraws within itself, and of its own accord ascends to the contemplation of God.

Basil of Caesarea

Once you accept the existence of God — however you define him, however you explain your relationship to him — then you are caught forever with his presence in the center of all things.

Morris West The Clowns of God (1981)

God seeks comrades and claims love,
the Devil seeks slaves and claims obedience.

Rabindranath Tagore Fireflies (1928)

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: William Watson (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.