 | The Poetical Works of Walter C. Smith |  |
THE DISCOVERY OF GOD
Who was the man that found out God?
And what the method that he took?
Did he, with patient travail, look
For footprints on the sand or sod,
And what the method that he took?
Did he, with patient travail, look
For footprints on the sand or sod,
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Making it plain that, on a time,
A mighty Architect stood here,
Building the earth up, tier on tier,
And working out a plan sublime?
A mighty Architect stood here,
Building the earth up, tier on tier,
And working out a plan sublime?
Or did he trace, with curious skill,
Nice-fashioning touches on the clay
That man was made of, and the way
That it was modelled to fulfil
Nice-fashioning touches on the clay
That man was made of, and the way
That it was modelled to fulfil
The artist's purpose, when at length
The pulses of its life should beat,
And find the eye and ear complete,
And hand with delicate touch and strength?
The pulses of its life should beat,
And find the eye and ear complete,
And hand with delicate touch and strength?
And as he traced the facts and laws,
Close-linking the high argument
Of reason, was the great event—
An infinite all-designing Cause?
Close-linking the high argument
Of reason, was the great event—
An infinite all-designing Cause?
Thus, step by step, did he go on,
Groping through darkness to ward light,
Until the vision of glory bright
Dawned on his soul, and doubt was gone,
Groping through darkness to ward light,
Until the vision of glory bright
Dawned on his soul, and doubt was gone,
And in the splendour of the day
The universe revealed its sense,
And throbbed with clear intelligence,
And bade him worship now and pray,
The universe revealed its sense,
And throbbed with clear intelligence,
And bade him worship now and pray,
For lo! the wondrous Book, no more
Anonymous, disclosed to view
Its Author and its meaning too,
Which were a secret heretofore?
Anonymous, disclosed to view
Its Author and its meaning too,
Which were a secret heretofore?
Ah! what a moment that had been,
When such a thought first broke on him,
And filled his being to the brim
With awe of what his mind had seen!
When such a thought first broke on him,
And filled his being to the brim
With awe of what his mind had seen!
Who was the grand discoverer?
What age was honoured to contain
This man of subtle and daring brain—
The one divine philosopher?
What age was honoured to contain
This man of subtle and daring brain—
The one divine philosopher?
Could mortals e'er forget his name,
Or history fail to note the day
When that dread veil was rent away,
And God a proven Truth became?
Or history fail to note the day
When that dread veil was rent away,
And God a proven Truth became?
One finds a new world, one, a star
Undreamt of hitherto, and men
Hold high their names in honour then
Through all the ages near and far.
Undreamt of hitherto, and men
Hold high their names in honour then
Through all the ages near and far.
But what are these to him who found
The truth in which all others meet,
The central thought which makes complete,
And clears up all the glorious round;
The truth in which all others meet,
The central thought which makes complete,
And clears up all the glorious round;
The will which shapes what may befall,
The power that wrought whate'er hath been,
The light wherein all light is seen,
The life that is the life of all?
The power that wrought whate'er hath been,
The light wherein all light is seen,
The life that is the life of all?
Nay, no Columbus here may boast
That, plunging in an unknown sea,
He made this grand discovery,
Being sore-spent and tempest-tossed.
That, plunging in an unknown sea,
He made this grand discovery,
Being sore-spent and tempest-tossed.
No seeker sought, till he did find
The secret hid from ages past,
The mystery of the First and Last,
The Peace that filleth heart and mind,
The secret hid from ages past,
The mystery of the First and Last,
The Peace that filleth heart and mind,
By links of patient reason brought
Out of the sum of finite things.
He reasons ill whose reason brings
Such outcome from his partial thought—
Out of the sum of finite things.
He reasons ill whose reason brings
Such outcome from his partial thought—
From light and shadow perfect light,
Pure good from mingled good and ill,
From tokens of mechanic skill
Illimitable glory and might.
Pure good from mingled good and ill,
From tokens of mechanic skill
Illimitable glory and might.
Vain dreamer of an idle dream
In logic forms! Did any one
Discover by his quest the sun,
That seeks us with his searching beam?
In logic forms! Did any one
Discover by his quest the sun,
That seeks us with his searching beam?
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Who pries about the world to find
Proof that he is in heaven? who mines
The earth in search of frequent signs
That shall suffice to clear his mind,
Proof that he is in heaven? who mines
The earth in search of frequent signs
That shall suffice to clear his mind,
And certify the wondrous power,
That burns upon the morning cloud,
And makes the song-bird glad and loud,
And paints the shining leaf and flower?
That burns upon the morning cloud,
And makes the song-bird glad and loud,
And paints the shining leaf and flower?
Thou didst not find God hidden there
In problem of His acts and days;
But He reveals Himself, and lays
To the pure heart His glory bare.
In problem of His acts and days;
But He reveals Himself, and lays
To the pure heart His glory bare.
| The Poetical Works of Walter C. Smith | |