University of Virginia Library

“Worthy, indeed, all honor and all praise
Is he, who first hath proved to us new power,
Godlike, arisen within us: for, as his,
So, doubtless, too, already, though untried,
The strength of each compeer: and such will be,—
Due time o'erpast,—the strength of even those,
Weakest among you now; such the sure growth
Of Spirit unto Godhead. 'Vantage great
Henceforth we have, into the hidden ways
Of God to pierce; and even his surest aim
To arrest, or turn aside. But ne'er, methinks,
Shall be, or can be, vantage such as now.
All, indeed, know we not; but yet enough
Our course to point. What this Redemption is;
How to be wrought; and when; and what its power
'Twixt man and God,—as yet, lies all in night.
Then, this strange thing, Messiah—Son of God,
Yet born of woman,—of a virgin, too!
What monster that may prove, we guess not yet.
But this we know,—and, knowing this, know all
Of instant moment,—on the gossamer thread
Of woman's life-long abstinence from sin,—
Her perfect holiness, both in act and thought;
From her now tender spring, throughout the years
Of glowing summer, and the ripening heat
Of autumn; when oft drops the fruit, that long
Had stood 'gainst roughest blast,—on such frail thread;
And on a second, scarce more strong perchance,—
The life-long holiness of man,—from youth,
Through headlong, scorching manhood, and old age;
Cold, but yet sensual oft, and prone to gripe
At riches, power, and honor; and all else
That in his stiffening clay may stir up life,—
On gossamer threads like these, on lines of mist,
Hangs this grand scheme, Redemption! Did we see
Man scheming, on the rainbow's arch to build
A tower to scale the Heavens,—less might we laugh,
At mortal folly, than at wisdom, now,
Of heaven's All Wise. Meantime, ye growing gods!
This aye remember. Never be the word
By Spirit uttered, which, of this great good,
This knowledge priceless,—may the secret tell,
To man, or aught of Heaven: else, down at once,
By our great enemy cast, our hopes will go:
And some new scheme, even from his angels hid,
Will be conceived, to baffle us; and work,—
As, unopposed, it will,—his end designed.