And may this strain of mine the gladsome shower
45 Catch, which from placid clouds doth come, and flows
Deeply and all unsought into men’s souls,
And guide it into our new-fumed lands
In copious rills.
Now come: if any one
Still ignorant of God, and knowing naught
50 Of life to come, would fain attain to touch
The care-effacing living nymph, and through
The swift waves’ virtue his lost life repair,
And ’scape the penalties of flame eterne,
And rather win the guerdons of the life
55 To come, let such remember God is One,
Alone the object of our prayers; who ’neath
His threshold hath the whole world poised; Himself
Eternally abiding, and to be
Alway for aye; holding the ages all;
60 Alone, before all ages; unbegotten,
Limitless God; who holds alone His seat
Supernal; supereminent alone
Above high heavens; omnipotent alone;
Whom all things do obey; who for Himself
65 Formed, when it pleased Him, man for aye; and gave
Him to be pastor of beasts tame, and lord
Of wild; who by a word could stretch forth heaven;
And with a word could solid earth suspend;
And quicklier than word had the seas wave
70 Disjoined; and man’s dear form with His own hands
Did love to mould; and furthermore did will
His own fair likeness to exist in him;
And by His Spirit on his countenance
The breath of life did breathe.
Unmindful he
75 Of God, such guilt rashly t’ incur! Beyond
The warning’s range he was not ought to touch.
One fruit illicit, whence he was to know
Forthwith how to discriminate alike
Evil and equity, God him forbade
80 To touch. What functions of the world did God
Permit to man, and sealed the sweet sweet pledge
Of His own love! and jurisdiction gave
O’er birds, and granted him both deep and soil
To tame, and mandates useful did impart
85 Of dear salvation! ’Neath his sway He gave
The lands, the souls of flying things, the race