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Not thus, our infidels th' ETERNAL draw,
" A GOD all o'er, consummate, absolute,
" Full orb'd, in his whole round of rays complete;"
They set at odds heaven's jarring attributes,
And with one excellence another wound;
Maim heaven's perfection, break its equal beams,
Bid mercy triumph over—GOD himself,
Undeified by their opprobrious praise:
A GOD all mercy is a GOD unjust.

Ye brainless wits! ye baptized infidels!
Ye worse for mending! wash'd to fouler stains!
The ransom was paid down; the fund of heaven,
Heaven's inexhaustible exhausted fund,
Amazing and amazed, pour'd forth the price
All price beyond; though curious to compute
Archangels fail'd to cast the mighty sum:
Its value vast ungrasp'd by minds create,
For ever hides and glows in the SUPREME.

And was the ransom paid? it was: and paid—
What can exalt the bounty more? for you:
The sun beheld it—no, the shocking scene
Drove back his chariot; midnight veil'd his face,
Not such as this, not such as nature makes;
A midnight nature shudder'd to behold;
A midnight new! a dread eclipse, without
Opposing spheres, from her CREATOR's frown!
Sun! didst thou fly thy MAKER's pain? or start
At that enormous load of human guilt,
Which bow'd his blessed head; o'erwhelm'd his cross;
Made groan the centre; burst earth's marble womb

" Expended DEITY on human weal."
Feel the great truths, which burst the tenfold night
Of heathen error with a golden flood
Of endless day: to feel is to be fired;
And to believe, LORENZO ! is to feel.

Thou most indulgent, most tremendous power !
Still more tremendous for thy wondrous love !
That, arms with awe more awful thy commands ;
And foul transgression dips in sevenfold night :
How our hearts tremble at thy love immense !
In love immense, inviolably just !
THOU, rather than thy justice should be stain'd,
Didst stain the cross ; and, work of wonders far
The greatest—that thy dearest far might bleed !

Bold thought! shall I dare speak it, or repress ?
Should man more execrate, or boast the guilt
Which roused such vengeance ? which such love inflamed ?
O'er guilt, how mountainous, with out-stretch'd arms
Stern justice, and soft-smiling love embrace ;
Supporting in full majesty thy throne,
When seem'd its majesty to need support,
Or that, or man inevitably lost.
What, but the fathomless of thought divine,
Could labour such expedient from despair,
And rescue both ? both rescue—both exalt !
O how are both exalted by the deed—
The wondrous deed ! or shall I call it more ?
A wonder in OMNIPOTENCE itself !
A mystery, no less to gods than men !

Not thus, our infidels th' ETERNAL draw,
" A GOD all o'er, consummate, absolute,
" Full orb'd, in his whole round of rays complete ;"
They set at odds heaven's jarring attributes,
And with one excellence another wound :
Maim heaven's perfection, break its equal beams,
Bid mercy triumph over—GOD himself,
Undeified by their opprobrious praise :
A GOD all mercy is a GOD unjust.

Ye brainless wits! ye baptized infidels!
Ye worse for mending! wash'd to fouler stains!
The ransom was paid down: the fund of heaven,
Heaven's inexhaustible exhausted fund,
Amazing and amazed, pour'd forth the price
All price beyond; though curious to compute
Archangels fail'd to cast the mighty sum :
Its value vast ungrasp'd by minds create,
For ever hides and glows in the SUPREME.

And was the ransom paid ? it was : and paid—
What can exalt the bounty more ? for you :
The sun beheld it—no, the shocking scene
Drove back his chariot; midnight veil'd his face,
Not such as this, not such as nature makes ;
A midnight nature shudder'd to behold ;
A midnight new ! a dread eclipse, without
Opposing spheres, from her CREATOR's frown !
Sun ! didst thou fly thy MAKER's pain ? or start
At that enormous load of human guilt,
Which how'd his blessed head; o'erwhelm'd his cross :
Made groan the centre; burst earth's marble womb

Yale Center for British Art, 2010

81978.43.1372 ba-obj-2293-0001