Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-08-17
From the View FORK Statesman.

peral palace at Pekin. 1t is noble compo-
stion, worthy of all those honors]
o Thou Eternal One whose presence bright,
All space doth occupy--all motion guide;
Unchanged through Times all-devastatng
fight,
Thou only God There is no God beside
Being above all beings Mighty one
Whom none can comprehend and none ex-
plore:
Hin first ertstence NTH IHyselfaione
Embracing all-supportng DER
Being whom zee call God-and kno7o no more.
In its sublime research, philosophy
Maymeas,re out the ocean deep-may count
The sands, or the suns rays-but God! for
There is no weight nor measure; none can
mount
Up to thy mysteries. Reasons brightest spark,
Though kindled by thy light, in vain would
try
To trace thy counsels, infinite and dark;
And thoMghl is lost ere fhonghtca soar so high,
Even like past moments in eternity.
Thou from primeval nothngness didst call
First. chaos, then existence-Lord on thee
Eternity had its foundation all
Sprung forth from thee of light, Joy, har-
mony,
Sole original life, all beauty thine,
Thy word created all and doth create:
Thy splendor fills all space with rays divine,
Thou art, and vert, and shall be glorious
great
Life living, life sustaining potentate!
Thy chains the unmeQslu'd universe surround;
Upheld by thee, by thee inspir'd with breath
Thou the beginning with the end hast bound,
And beautifully mingled life and DEATH!
Assparks mount upwards from the fiery blaze,
So suns are born, SO worlds spring forth from
thee.
And as the spangles in the sunny rays
Shine round the silver snow, the pageantry
OF Heavens bright army glitters in thy
praise.
"A million torches lighted by thy hand,
Wander unwearied through the blue abyss
They own thy power, accomplish thy com
mand,
All gay with life, all eloquent with bliss,
What shall we cali theml piles of chrystal
light
A glorious company of golden streams
Lamps of celestial ether burning bright
Suns lightning systems with their joyous
beams
But thou to these art as the noon to night
Yes as drop of water in the sea,
All this magnifcence in thee is lost -
What are ten thousand worlds compared to
thee'
And what am l then Heavens unnumber'd
host,
Though multiplied by myriads and array'd
In all the glory of sublimest thought,
u but an atom in the balance weighed,
Against thy greatness--is CIPHER brought
Against infinity What am l, then Nought.
Nought but the efiuence ofthy light divine,
Pervading worlds, had reached my bosom
too;
les! in my spirit doth thy spirit shine,
rs shines the sunbeam in a drop Of deqv. |
Nought but live, and on hopes pinions fly |
Eager towards thy presence for in thee
live. and breathe, and dwell; aspiring high, |
Even to the throne of thy divinity,
lam, o COP and surely THOU MUST be-
Thou art directing, guiding ALL thou srt
Direct my understanding then to thee;
Control my spirit guide my wandering heart
Though but an atom midst immensely.
Still am something fashioned by thy hand
/ hold middle rank 'twiXt heaven and |
earth,
On the last verge of mortal beings stand,
Close to the realms were angels have their
birth,
Just on the boundaries cfths spirit land.
The chain of being is complete in me;
In me is matters last graduation lost,
And the next step is spirit--Dety!
] can command the lightning, and am dust
A monarch, and slave a worm, a God!
Whence came / here, and how ! so mar
vellously
Constructed and conceived unknown This
Lires surely through some higher energy!
For from himself alone it could not be.
Creator! Yes! Thy wisdom and thy word
Created me! thou source of life and good
Thou spirit of my spirit, and my Lord
Thy light, thy love, in their bright plenti-
tude.
Fill'd me with an immortal soul, to spring
Over the abyss of death and jbade il wear
The garments of eternal day, and wing
Its heavenly flight beyond this little sphere,
Even in its source-to thee-its author
there.
o thought ineffablc O visions blest II
Though worthless our conceptions all ofthee,
Yet shall thy shadow'd image fiji our breast,
And watt its homage to thy deity,
God! thus alone my lonely thoughts can soar
Thus seek thy presence--beng wise and
good!
midst thy vast works, admire, obey, adore
And when the tongue is eloquent no more,
The soul shoN speak IN tears Of gratitude.