WRITTEN ON THE CHRISTMAS EVE OF 1794.
THIS is the time, when most divine to hear,
The voice of Adoration rouses me,
As with a Cherub's trump: and high upborne,
Yea, mingling with the Choir, I seem to view
The vision of the heavenly multitude,
Who hymned the song of Peace o'er Bethlehem's
Yet thou more bright than all the Angel blaze, That harbingered thy birth, Thou, Man of Woes! Despised Galilæan! For the GREAT
INVISIBLE (by symbols only seen)
With a peculiar and surpassing light
Shines from the visage of the oppressed good Man, When heedless of himself the scourged Saint
Mourns for the Oppressor. Fair the vernal Mead,
Fair the high Grove, the Sea, the Sun, the Stars;
True Impress each of their creating Sire!
Yet nor high Grove, nor many-coloured Mead,
Nor the green Ocean with his thousand Isles,
Nor the starred Azure, nor the sovran Sun,
E'er with such majesty of portraiture
Imaged the supreme beauty uncreate,
As thou, meek Saviour! at the fearful hour
When thy insulted Anguish winged the prayer
Harped by Archangels, when they sing of Mercy!
Which when the ALMIGHTY heard from forth his
Diviner light filled Heaven with ecstacy!
Heaven's hymnings paused: and Hell her yawning
Of Him whose Life was Love! Holy with power
He on the thought-benighted Sceptic beamed
Manifest Godhead, melting into day
What floating mists of dark Idolatry
Broke and misshaped the Omnipresent Sire:
And first by FEAR uncharmed the droused Soul.*
* Το Νοητον διηρηκασιν εις πολλων
Till of its nobler Nature it 'gan feel
Dim recollections; and thence soared to Hope,
Strong to believe whate'er of mystic good
The Eternal dooms for his immortal Sons.
From HOPE and and firmer FAITH to perfect LOVE Attracted and absorbed and centered there
God only to behold, and know, and feel,
Till by exclusive Consciousness of God
All self-annihilated it shall make
GOD its Identity: God all in all !
We and our Father ONE!
Who in this fleshly World, the elect of Heaven,
Their strong eye darting through the deeds of Men,
Adore with steadfast unpresuming gaze
Him Nature's Essence, Mind, and Energy!
And gazing, trembling, patiently ascend
Treading beneath their feet all visible things
As steps, that upward to their Father's Throne
Lead gradual-else nor glorified nor loved.
THEY nor Contempt embosom nor Revenge:
For THEY dare know of what may seem deform
The SUPREME FAIR sole Operant: in whose sight
All things are pure, his strong controlling Love
Alike from all educing perfect good.
Their's too celestial courage, inly armed-
Dwarfing Earth's giant brood, what time they muse
On their great Father, great beyond compare!
And marching onwards view high o'er their heads
His waving Banners of Omnipotence.
Who the Creator Love, created might
Dread not within their tents no Terrors walk.
For they are Holy Things before the Lord
Aye unprofaned, though Earth should league with Hell;
GoD's Altar grasping with an eager hand
FEAR, the wild-visaged, pale, eye-starting wretch,
Sure-refuged hears his hot pursuing fiends
Yell at vain distance. Soon refreshed from Heaven
He calms the throb and tempest of his heart.
His countenance settles: a soft solemn bliss
Swims in his eye-his swimming eye upraised:
And Faith's whole armour glitters on his limbs !
And thus transfigured with a dreadless awe,
A solemn hush of soul, meek he beholds
All things of terrible seeming: yea, unmoved
Views e'en the immitigable ministers
That shower down vengeance on these latter days.
For kindling with intenser Deity
From the celestial MERCY-SEAT they come,
And at the renovating Wells of LOVE
Have filled their Vials with salutary Wrath,
To sickly Nature more medicinal
That what soft balm the weeping good man pours
Into the lone despoiled traveller's wounds!
Thus from the Elect, regenerate through faith,
Pass the dark Passions and what thirsty Cares
Drink up the spirit and the dim regards
Self-centre. Lo they vanish! or acquire
New names, new features-by supernal grace
Enrobed with Light, and naturalized in Heaven.
As when a Shepherd on a vernal morn
Through some thick fog creeps timorous with slow foot,
Darkling he fixes on the immediate road
His downward eye: all else of fairest kind
Hid or deformed. But lo! the bursting Sun!
Touched by the enchantment of that sudden beam
Straight the black vapour melteth, and in globes
Of dewy glitter gems each plant and tree;
On every leaf, on every blade it hangs!
Dance glad the new-born intermingling rays,
And wide around the landscape streams with glory!
There is one Mind, one omnipresent Mind,
Omnific. His most holy name is Love.
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