Moral Pieces, in Prose and Verse/Hymn
HYMN.
GOD spake—and Chaos heard his voice,
And nature rose from sleep,
And lo, this firm and solid earth
Sprang from the liquid deep.
He spake—and light's transparent ray
Silver'd each sparkling wave;
He spake—and twilight led the day,
To Ocean's silent cave:
And darkness rais'd his giant size,
Deep frowning in his might,
While thousand, thousand starry eyes
Look'd from the cell of night.
The day-star and the trembling morn
Seem'd hand in hand to move,
While morning matins tun'd the harps
Of Seraphim above.
The earth with herbs, and plants, and flow'rs,
Luxuriantly was drest;
And herds, and flocks, were seen to move,
Upon her verdant breast:
And Ocean spread his glassy wave,
And peopled was the flood;
And high upon the pathless air,
The wing'd musicians rode.
But more to swell the song of joy,
And fill the boundless plan,
Clad in the robe of innocence,
Forth walk'd majestic man.
Oh, had he lov'd the God, that stamp'd
His image on the clay,
And had he kept his gentle law,
How fair had been his way!
Cut whirling in a thoughtless course,
Ingloriously he fell,
And sadly does my song forbear,
That mournful fall to tell.
For as a stream whose restless wave
Forsakes its parent source,
Ungrateful man has found his way.
Embitter'd with remorse.