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1O Thou, which
circumvolveth1
all,2Not only on this earthly ball
3Where I, a wretched
pilgrim2
, crawl,4But those vast orbs which shine so bright,
5And are so glorious to our sight,
6From Thee have influence and light;
7Not only those who yearly run
8Round that illustrious globe, the sun,
9When Thou bidst stay, their
race3
is done;10
But4
those fixed stars5
, whose radiancies6
11Three hundred suns at least
outvies7
,12Owe unto Thee their
splendencies8
:13Shouldst Thou Thy glorious beams recall,
14To horrid
chaos9
they would fall15And darkness would
involve10
them all.16When Thou send’st forth
th’all-quick’ning breath11
,17All that exists begins their birth;
18When Thou drawest back, they turn to earth.
19Who can Thy infinite power
rehearse12
,20Which didst create this universe
21And canst to
atoms13
it disperse?22Should all annihilated be,
23Which is
as easy14
unto Thee,24O what would then become of me?
25Nay, rather all to dust
calcine15
;26I gladly will my
form16
resign,27It will my
carnal17
heart refine.28My tears, my dust, shall
rarefy18
29To air which, circularly,
30Thy blessed name shall
magnify19
.31But as my tears in air ascends,
32I’ll raise no storms to hurt my friends;
33My soul hath far more noble ends.
34But sighs, like winds, so fills my breast
35That in this sphere I cannot rest,
36
Till20
glorious beams may crown my crest21
.37For higher still I must aspire.
38Thus, noble thoughts, do still fly higher
39Till I
delate22
myself to fire.40And as I now burn high and clear,
41Let me no
prodigy23
appear42To put the guilty world in fear;
43For love and zeal my breast inflames.
44Then follow, all heroic dames;
45It will immortalize your fames.
46And
now24
I am diffused to light47By Thy almighty power and might,
48Let me enjoy Thy blessed sight.
49My beams contracted as I shine,
50This world to ashes would calcine,
51But O, I could it not refine.
52Nor back again I would not turn
53Though I a thousand worlds might burn;
54It would too long my joys adjourn.
55Then let me ever with Thee shine;
56All
transmutations25
I’ll decline;57The eternal glory shall be Thine.
58Now you that scorn repentant tears
59As if proceeding from base fears,
60When
yours26
lies low, my dust it27
rears61From this sad, solitary grove
62To those eternal joys above,
63Where all’s involved in light and love.