The Revolution | Elemental Edition

O Thou, which circumvolveth1
 all,
Not only on this earthly ball
Where I, a wretched pilgrim2
, crawl,

But those vast orbs which shine so bright,
And are so glorious to our sight,
From Thee have influence and light;

Not only those who yearly run
Round that illustrious globe, the sun,
When Thou bidst stay, their race3
 is done;

But4
 those fixed stars5
, whose radiancies6
Three hundred suns at least outvies7
,
Owe unto Thee their splendencies8
:

Shouldst Thou Thy glorious beams recall,
To horrid chaos9
 they would fall
And darkness would involve10
 them all.

When Thou send’st forth th’all-quick’ning breath11
,
All that exists begins their birth;
When Thou drawest back, they turn to earth.

Who can Thy infinite power rehearse12
,
Which didst create this universe
And canst to atoms13
 it disperse?

Should all annihilated be,
Which is as easy14
 unto Thee,
O what would then become of me?

Nay, rather all to dust calcine15
;
I gladly will my form16
 resign,
It will my carnal17
 heart refine.

My tears, my dust, shall rarefy18
To air which, circularly,
Thy blessed name shall magnify19
.

But as my tears in air ascends,
I’ll raise no storms to hurt my friends;
My soul hath far more noble ends.

But sighs, like winds, so fills my breast
That in this sphere I cannot rest,
Till20
 glorious beams may crown my crest21
.

For higher still I must aspire.
Thus, noble thoughts, do still fly higher
Till I delate22
 myself to fire.

And as I now burn high and clear,
Let me no prodigy23
 appear
To put the guilty world in fear;

For love and zeal my breast inflames.
Then follow, all heroic dames;
It will immortalize your fames.

And now24
 I am diffused to light
By Thy almighty power and might,
Let me enjoy Thy blessed sight.

My beams contracted as I shine,
This world to ashes would calcine,
But O, I could it not refine.

Nor back again I would not turn
Though I a thousand worlds might burn;
It would too long my joys adjourn.

Then let me ever with Thee shine;
All transmutations25
 I’ll decline;
The eternal glory shall be Thine.

Now you that scorn repentant tears
As if proceeding from base fears,
When yours26
 lies low, my dust it27
 rears

From this sad, solitary grove
To those eternal joys above,
Where all’s involved in light and love.