University of Virginia Library

Above the Clouds, where the Sun's golden face
N'ere looks, nor Cynthia casts imperfect Rays,
There is a Place of purest hallow'd Light,
Painted with Stars, mark'd with Eternal White,
(Whether it comes from Souls, who knew no sin,
Or be the Shadow of the Light within)
Which leads the way to God's ætherial Throne,
By all Heav'n's Peers and common People known.
Here reigns th' Almighty, and from hence surveys
The subject Earth, wide Lands, and swelling Seas;
Him, King of Men, and Father of the Gods,
Stars, Earth obey, and tremble when he Nods.
Here from each part and corner of the Sky,
With nimble Wings affrighted Cherubs fly.
When the grand Silence thus th' Almighty broke,
And, shaking his Immortal Head, he spoke;
Are we despis'd? is all our Thunder vain?
And is it nothing in the Skies to reign?
Nothing to be a God?—
I with my Pow'r command the World below,
I teach the Waves to rore, and Winds to blow.
Me, when I Thunder, all the Globe shall hear,
And Man's rebellious Off-spring learn to fear;
O'er Birds, o'er Beasts he rules, o'er all the fry
Of Fishes Sailing through the Liquid Sky.
Him the large Monsters of the Deep obey,
But He more Monst'rous, more unkind than they:
I gave him Freedom, and a Soul Divine,
In ev'ry Limb a stroak of Heav'n does shine;
These Publick Gifts I equally did share,
Wide as the World, nor was I partial there;
I Abr'ham's Seed distinguish'd from the rest,
Abr'ham! the care and darling of my Breast.
I, pitying, set his Murm'ring Children free
From Egypt, and ignoble Slavery.
I Pharaoh, (for ye all remember) slew,
Him my strong Arm did through the Floods pursue;
The gazing Waters wonder'd as he rode,
Whilst Isr'el safely the sure bottom trod:
Th' unjointed Sea forgot his wonted force,
And loos'ned Nature did withdraw her Course;
You know how oft I've left th' Ætherial Tow'r,
(So much my Love prevail'd upon my Pow'r)
Divided Jordan's silver Streams can show,
I spoke, divided Jordan ceas'd to flow:
Witness the Ruler of the Day, the Sun,
Who stop'd his Race; witness the Seed of Nun,
Ordain'd by us for thousand Years before,
To lengthen Isr'el, and enlarge it's shore;
Witness those Kings thrust from their native Ground,
And Cities conquer'd with a Trumpet's sound.
Ev'n David, that ungracious King, can shew,
To whom I gave all that a God could do;
All that a greedy Monarch can require,
All that Ambition or his Lust desire;
Him from his Father's woolly Charge I took,
And gave him a bright Scepter for a Crook.
You all beheld, on Helah's bloody Plain,
By his young Hands the monst'rous Gathite slain.
I did the Hate of envious Saul repell,
And all the Malice of pursuing Hell.
By me his Pow'r does far and wide extend,
A boundless Empire, and without an end.

But now our Laws are scorn'd, unmindful He
Of Justice, Goodness, of himself and Me.
In'ocent Urias by his crime did fall,
Whose bleeding Ghost does still for Venge'nce call.
A thousand plagues the stubborn King shall bear,
And all Jerus'lem in my Judgments share.
Renown'd examples to the future age,
And lasting Mon'ments of eternal rage.