In other garb my question I receive; And take the doubt the very fame I
Lo! as a giant ftrong, the lufty fun
Multiply'd rounds in one great round does run;
Twofold his courfe, yet conftant his career, Changing the day, and finishing the year. Again, when his defcending orb retires, And earth perceives the abfence of his fires; The moon affords us her alternate ray, And with kind beams diftributes fainter day, Yet keeps the ftages of her monthly race, Various her beams, and changeable her face. Each planet, fhining in his proper sphere, Does with juft fpeed his radiant voyage steer; Each fees his lamp with different luftre crown'd; Each knows his courfe with different periods bound; And, in his paffage through the liquid fpace, Nor haftens, nor retards, his neighbour's race. Now, fhine thefe planets with fubftantial rays? Does innate luftre gild their meafur'd days?
Or do they (as your schemes, I think, have shewn) Dart furtive beams and glory not their own,
All fervants to that fource of light, the fun? Again I fee ten thousand thousand ftars,
Nor caft in lines, in circles, nor in fquares
(Poor rules, with which our bounded mind is fill'd,
When we would plant, or cultivate, or build); But fhining with such vaft, fuch various light,
As fpeaks the hand, that form'd them, infinite.
How mean the order and perfection fought, In the beft product of the human thought, Compar'd to the great harmony that reigns In what the fpirit of the world ordains!
Now if the fun to earth tranfmits his ray, Yet does not fcorch us with too fierce a day; How fmall a portion of his power is given To orbs more diftant, and remoter Heaven? And of thofe ftars, which our imperfect eye Has doom'd and fix'd to one eternal sky, Each, by a native stock of honour great,
May dart ftrong influence, and diffuse kind heat, (Itself a fun) and with tranfmiffive light
Enliven worlds deny'd to human fight.
Around the circles of their ambient skies
New moons may grow or wane, may set or rife. And other stars may to thofe funs be earths;
Give their own elements their proper births; Divide their climes, or elevate their pole ; See their lands flourish, and their oceans roll:
Yet thefe great orbs, thus radically bright, Primitive founts, and origins of light,
May each to other (as their different fphere Makes or their diftance or their height appear) Be feen a nobler or inferior star.
And, in that space which we call air and sky, Myriads of earths, and moons, and funs, may lie Unmeafur'd and unknown by human eye.
In vain we meafure this amazing fphere, And find and fix its centre here or there;
Whilft its circumference, fcorning to be brought Ev'n into fancy'd space, alludes our vanquish'd thought. Where then are all the radiant monsters driven, 540 With which your gueffes fill'd the frighten'd Heaven? Where will their fictious images remain? In paper-fchemes, and the Chaldean's brain.
This problem yet, this offspring of a guess, Let us for once a child of truth confefs; That these fair ftars, these objects of delight And terror, to our fearching dazzled fight, Are worlds immenfe, unnumber'd, infinite.
But do these worlds difplay their beams, or guide Their orbs, to ferve thy ufe, to please thy pride? Thyfelf but duft; thy ftature but a span, A moment thy duration; foolish man! As well may the minutest emmet say, That Caucafus was rais'd to pave his way : The fnail, that Lebanon's extended wood
Was deftin'd only for his walk and food :
The vileft cockle, gaping on the coast
That rounds the ample feas, as well may boaft, The craggy rock projects above the sky,
That he in fafety at its foot may lie;
And the whole ocean's confluent waters fwell,
Only to quench his thirst, or move and blanch his fhell. A higher flight the venturous goddess tries,
Leaving material worlds and local skies;
Enquires, what are the beings, where the fpace, 565 That form'd and held the angels' ancient race.
For rebel Lucifer with Michael fought (I offer only what tradition taught); Embattled cherub against cherub rose,
Did fhield to fhield, and power to power oppose: 510 Heaven rung with triumph; hell was fill'd with woes. What were these forms of which your volumes tell, How fome fought great, and others recreant fell: These bound to bear an everlasting load, Durance of chain, and banishment of God;
By fatal turns their wretched strength to tire;
To fwim in fulphurous lakes, or land on folid fire: While thofe exalted to primæval light,
Excefs of bleffing, and supreme delight,
Only perceive fome little pause of joys
In those great moments when their God employs
Their miniftry, to pour his threaten'd hate On the proud king, or the rebellious state; Or to reverfe Jehovah's high command, And fpeak the thunder falling from his hand, When to his duty the proud king returns, And the rebellious ftate in afhes mourns? How can good angels be in Heaven confin'd; Or view that prefence, which no space can bind? Is GOD above, beneath, or yon', or here? He who made all, is he not every where ? Oh, how can wicked angels find a night So dark, to hide them from that piercing light, Which form'd the eye, and gave the power What mean I now of angel, when I hear Firm body, fpirit pure, or fluid air ?
Spirits to action fpiritual confin'd,
Friends to our thought, and kindred to our mind, Should only act and prompt us from within, Nor by external eye be ever seen.
Was it not therefore to our fathers known, That these had appetite, and limb, and bone ? Elfe how could Abraham wash their weary'd feet? Or Sarah please their tafte with favoury meat? Whence fhould they fear? or why did Lot engage 605 To fave their bodies from abufive rage?
And how could Jacob, in a real fight, Feel or refift the wrestling angel's might? How could a form in ftrength with matter try? Or how a fpirit touch a mortal's thigh?
Now are they air condens'd, or gather'd rays? How guide they then our prayer, or keep our ways, By ftronger blafts ftill fubject to be tost, By tempefts fcatter'd, and in whirlwinds loft?
Have they again (as facred fong pioclaims) Subftances real, and exifting frames? How comes it, fince with them we jointly fhare The great effect of one Creator's care,
That, whilft our bodies ficken and decay,
Theirs are for ever healthy, young, and gay? Why, whilft we struggle in this vale beneath With want and forrow, with difeafe and death, Do they, more blefs'd, perpetual life employ On fongs of pleasure, and in scenes of joy? Now when my mind has all this world furvey'd, 625. And found, that nothing by itself was made;
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