University of Virginia Library

‘Father belovèd, God is merciful.
Hath he not, for thy sake, Elihu spared?
That, even till Noah do return, a son
May for his absence comfort, and their loss
Whose cruel doom I weep. Oh, I had spoke
Ere this; and with my grief thy grief relieved;
But that, of youth admonished, I was fain
Years should teach wisdom. But there is in man
A spirit, and the inspiration of
The Almighty knowledge gives; of matter full,
And as with wine, am I constrained to speak.
Yea, now esteem me in God's stead to thee;
A Mediatour, but of clay composed,
Whose terrour need not make thee sore afraid.
—Think not, O Father, that the Highest seeks
Occasion to afflict, who loveth all
The creatures he hath made: yet, sooth to say,
Greater than man, he stoops not to account,
Or, if he speaks, man's understanding fails.
In dreams, in visions of the night, when sleep
Deepens on men; in slumberings on the bed;
Them hath he visited, himself revealed.
In sorrows also, tempering human pride,
He chastens even with life-abhorring pain,
And flesh-consuming agony, the soul
He would from hell deliver. Oft hath he
To such his Angel sent, interpreting
The grievous visitation merciful,
Instructing how uprightly thence to walk,
And thus avoid the need of lesson hard.
So worketh God with man. And why? that light
His life shall see, who loved the darkness erst,
Because his deeds were evil, now are good.
And shall we say, it nothing profiteth
Man should delight his soul with God? Be far
From God injustice. For his works, shall man
Abide the eternal Judgement; nor may he
Arraign decree divine. From whom hath God
His charge o'er earth derived; and who for him
The universe disposed? Let him but will,
The spirit, and breath of man should be recalled;
All flesh shall perish, and return to dust.
When he gives quiet, who can trouble make?
He hides his face—who can behold the same
Of nations, or of men? Befits us well
To say, that we have borne due chastisement,
And will offend no more. For none may claim
More righteousness than what to God belongs,
And think no profit to be cleansed from sin.
—What can it profit thee?—Nay, rather, him?
Look to the heaven—behold the clouds aloft;
Thou sinnest? well: 'gainst Him what doest thou?
Art righteous? what receives He thence from thee?
Thee—others—it may hurt, or may avail;
But the Most High how can it move, or reach?
Yet may his work be seen, even though from far—
But who can understand it, or know Him?
'Tis wisdom, not to question, but adore.’

Elihu thus. Even as he spake; the Youth,
Beautiful ever, glowed more beautiful.
Whoso beheld him, saw a mystery
In his composure, and his youthfulness:
Nor seemed his youth as of few years, but as
Of dateless, and unchanged eternity;
Even as the form of Wisdom, ere the hills
Begotten, yet new always in all ages;
Simple, and childlike, to the child a child,
To youth a youth appears; howbeit to age
Not old, but blooming fresh, as in the day
Of her espousals; and with growing charms,
Yet undiscovered, smiling, when the grave
Imprisons flesh, to set the spirit free.