IV
A PREFATORY MEDITATION
The sun rises in the East to restore the blessing of daylight,
and another sun, rising in the soul of man, brings
peace as well as justice.
And so Onward
Through earth's long day, the spirit and the flesh
Maintain their strife within; but our life's star
Illumines still the intellectual air,
Strength, beauty, brilliance gathering as it moves,
Till slowly upward soars man's nobler self
Towards calmer zones, to zeniths of the mind
Aspiring. Necessary helps vouchsafed
Our weakness strengthen—most, O mighty sea,
Thy vastness and thy voices, strength with strength
Enduing! And ye too, ye lonely roads,
Ye thickets only by the fox and bird
Frequented, and ye populous human haunts—
One whole gigantic heart, throbbing with life—
Ye also help in your own high degree!
But when these fail us, as our last resource,
The House of God remains to take us in;
And if to hearts inhibited at times
The ministrations in the Holy Place
Seem voided, know, the Master of the House,
With signs of presence, shall at need invest
Both inward chancel and external nave.
We cannot suppose that the man is approaching God
who has obviously no desire thereof; but we must hope that
deep in his heart there may still be a latent capacity of
that desire.
