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Then wept they o'er each other, till the child
Exceeded, and the old man's heart reproved him
For lack of reverence in the excess of joy:
The ground itself seem'd holy! heaven and earth
Full of the presence—felt, not seen—of Him,
The Power above all power, the Light above
All light, the Name above all other names;
Whom he had call'd upon, whom he had found,
Yet worshipp'd only as “the Unknown God,”—
That nearest step which uninstructed man
Can take from Nature up to Deity.
To Him again, standing erect, he pray'd;
And, while he pray'd, high in his arms he held
That dearest treasure of his heart, the child
Of his last dying daughter,—now the sole
Hope of his life, and orphan of his house.
He held him as an offering up to heaven,
A living sacrifice unto the God
Whom he invoked:—“Oh! Thou who art!” he cried,
“And hast reveal'd that mystery to me,
Hid from all generations of my fathers,
Or, if once known, forgotten and perverted;
I may not live to learn Thee better here;
But, oh! let this my son, mine only son,
Whom thus I dedicate to Thee;—let him,
Let him be taught thy will, and choose
Obedience to it;—may he fear thy power,
Walk in thy light, now dawning out of darkness;
And, oh!—my last, last prayer,—to him reveal
The unutterable secret of thy Name!”
He paused; then, with the transport of a seer,
Went on:—“That Name may all my nation know;
And all that hear it worship at the sound,
When thou shalt with a voice from heaven proclaim it!
And so it surely shall be.”—

“For Thou art;
And if Thou art, Thou must be good!” exclaim'd
The child, yet panting with the breath of prayer.