1View but this tulip, rose, or

gillyflower1

,

2And by a finite, see an infinite power.

3

These flowers into their chaos were retired2

4Till human art them

raised and reinspired3

5

With beating4

, macerating, fermentation,

6Calcining, chemically, with segregation;

7Then, lest the air these secrets should reveal,

8Shut up the ashes under

Hermes’s seal5

;

9Then, with a candle or a gentle fire,

10You may reanimate at your desire

11These

gallant6

plants; but if you cool the glass,

12To their

first principles7

they’ll quickly pass:

13From sulfur, salt, and mercury they came;

14When they dissolve, they turn into the same.

15Then, seeing a wretched mortal hath the power

16To recreate a

Virbius8

of a flower,

17Why should we fear, though sadly we retire

18Into our

cause9

? Our God will reinspire

19Our

dormant dust10

, and keep alive the same

20With an

all-quick’ning11

, everlasting flame.

21Then, though I into

atoms12

scattered be,

22In

indivisibles13

I’ll trust in Thee.

23Then let this comfort me in my sad

story14

:

24Dust is but four degrees removed from glory

25By

Nature’s paths15

, but God from death and night

26Can raise this flesh to endless life and light.

27Then, my impatient soul, contented be,

28For thou a glorious spring

ere16

long shalt see.

29After these gloomy shades of death and sorrow,

30Thou shalt enjoy an everlasting morrow.

31As wheat in new-plowed furrows rotting lies,

32

Incapable of quick’ning till it dies17

,

33So into dust this flesh of mine must turn

34And lie a while forgotten in my urn.

35Yet when the sea, and earth, and Hell shall give

36Their treasures up, my body too shall live:

37

Not like the resurrection at Grand Caire18

,

38Where men revive, then straight of life despair;

39But, with my soul, my flesh shall reunite

40

And ne’er involvéd be with death and night19

,

41But live in endless pleasure, love, and light.

42Then

hallelujahs20

will I sing to Thee,

43My gracious God, to all eternity.

44Then at thy dissolution patient be:

45If man can raise a flower, God can thee.