Silence, ye troubled Waves, and thou Deep, peace, Said then the Omnifick Word; your discord end! Nor staid; but, on the wings of Cherubim
Uplifted, in paternal glory rode
Far into Chaos, and the world unborn;
For Chaos heard his voice: Him all his train Follow'd in bright procession, to behold
Creation, and the wonders of his might. Then staid the fervid wheels, and in his hand He took the golden compasses, prepar'd In God's eternal store, to circumscribe This universe and all created things: One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd Round through the vast profundity obscure; And said, Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds. This be thy just circumference, O World! Thus God the Heaven created, thus the Earth, Matter unform'd and void: Darkness profound Cover'd the abyss: but on the watery calm His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread, And Earth self-balanc'd on her center hung.
Let there be light, said God; and forthwith Light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure,
Sprung from the deep; and from her native east
To journey through the aery gloom began,
Spher'd in a radiant cloud, for yet the sun Was not; she in a cloudy tabernacle
Sojourn'd the while. God saw the light was good; And light from darkness by the hemisphere
Divided light the Day and darkness Night,
He nam'd. Thus was the first day even and morn: Nor pass'd uncelebrated, nor unsung
By the celestial choirs, when orient light
Exhaling first from darkness they beheld;
Birth-day of Heaven and Earth; with joy and shout The hollow universal orb they fill'd,
And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning prais'd God and his works; Creator him they sung,
Both when first evening was, and when first morn.
The sixth, and of creation, last, arose
With evening harps and matin; when God said, Let the earth bring forth soul living in her kind, Cattle, and creeping things, and beast of the Earth, Each in their kind. The Earth obey'd and straight Opening her fertile womb teem'd at a birth Innumerous living creatures, perfect forms; Among the trees in pairs they rose, they walk'd, The cattle in the fields and meadows green, Those rare and solitary, these in flocks
Pasturing at once, and in broad herds upsprung.
Now heaven in all her glory shone, and roll'd Her motions as the great first Mover's hand First wheel'd their course. Earth in her rich attire Consummate, lovely smil'd; air, water, earth,
By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remain'd: There wanted yet the master-work, the end
Of all yet done; a creature who, not prone And brute as other creatures, but endu'd With sanctity of reason, might erect
His stature, and upright with front serene Govern the rest, self-knowing; and from thence Magnanimous to correspond with Heaven, But grateful to acknowledge whence his good Descends, thither with heart and voice, and eyes, Directed in devotion, to adore
And worship God Supreme, who made him chief Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent Eternal Father (for where is not He
Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake.
Let us now make man in our image, Man
In our similitude, and let them rule Over the fish and fowl of sea and air,
Beast of the field, and over all the Earth, And every creeping thing that creeps the ground. This said, He form'd thee, Adam, thee, O man, Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath'd The breath of life; in his own image he Created thee in the image of God
Express; and thou becam'st a living soul.
Male he created thee; but thy consort
Female, for race; then bless'd mankind, and said, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth; Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold Over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air,
And every living thing that moves on the Earth ; Wherever thus created, for no place
Is yet distinct by name; thence, as thou know'st He brought thee into this delicious grove, This garden planted with the trees of God, Delectable both to behold and taste;
And freely all their pleasant fruit for food
Gave thee; all sorts are here that all the Earth yields, Variety without end; but of the tree
Which, tasted, works knowledge of good and evil, Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st, thou diest, Death is the penalty impos'd; beware,
And govern well thy appetite; lest Sin Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death. Here finish'd he, and all that he had made View'd, and behold all was entirely good; So even and morn accomplish'd the sixth day : Yet not till the Creator, from his work Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd, Up to the Heaven of Heavens, his high abode; Thence to behold this new-created world The addition of his empire, how it show'd In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair, Answering his great idea. Up he rode Follow'd with acclamation, and the sound Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tun'd Angelick harmonies: The earth, the air Resounded, (thou remember'st, for thou heard'st,) The heavens and all the constellations rung, The planets in their station listening stood, While the bright pomp ascended jubilant. Open, ye everlasting gates! they sung,
Open, ye Heavens! your living doors; let in The great Creator from his work return'd Magnificent, his six days' work, a World; Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deign, To visit oft the dwellings of just men, Delighted; and with frequent intercourse Thither will send his winged messengers On errands of supernal grace. So sung
The glorious train ascending: He through Heaven, That open'd wide her blazing portals, To God's eternal house direct the way.
From MILTON'S PARADISE LOST.
HAST thou sounded the depths of yonder sea, And counted the sands that under it be?
Hast thou measured the heights of the heavens above? Then mayest thou mete out a mother's love.
Hast thou talked with the blessed of leading on To the throne of God some wandering son? Hast thou witnessed the angels' bright employ? Then mayest thou speak of a mother's joy.
« PreviousContinue » |