
1View but this tulip, rose, or gillyflower
, 2And by a finite, see an infinite power.
3These flowers into their chaos were retired
4Till human art them raised and reinspired
5With beating
, macerating, fermentation, 6Calcining, chemically, with segregation;
7Then, lest the air these secrets should reveal,
8Shut up the ashes under Hermes’s seal
; 9Then, with a candle or a gentle fire,
10You may reanimate at your desire
11These gallant
plants; but if you cool the glass, 12To their first principles
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 Virbius
of a flower, 17Why should we fear, though sadly we retire
18Into our cause
? Our God will reinspire 19Our dormant dust
, and keep alive the same 20With an all-quick’ning
, everlasting flame. 21Then, though I into atoms
scattered be, 22In indivisibles
I’ll trust in Thee. 23Then let this comfort me in my sad story
: 24Dust is but four degrees removed from glory

25By Nature’s paths
, 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 ere
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,
32Incapable of quick’ning till it dies
, 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:
37Not like the resurrection at Grand Caire
, 38Where men revive, then straight of life despair;
39But, with my soul, my flesh shall reunite
40And ne’er involvéd be with death and night
, 41But live in endless pleasure, love, and light.
42Then hallelujahs
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.