The Descent into Hell Second Edition, Revised and Re-arranged, with an Analysis and Notes: To which are added, Uriel, a Fragment and Three Odes. By John A. Heraud |
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| XVIII. | XVIII. NOAH. |
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 | The Descent into Hell |  |
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XVIII. NOAH.
Then to that Brand thus plucked from out the fire,
The Lord spake—“Stand upon thy feet!”—and lo,
The entering Spirit did with life inspire,
The Lord spake—“Stand upon thy feet!”—and lo,
The entering Spirit did with life inspire,
And set him on his feet, and, standing so,
The penal swathings of his shame fell down
From off his limbs, which now with glory glow,
The penal swathings of his shame fell down
From off his limbs, which now with glory glow,
Invested with new raiment and a crown,
A mitre fair, on his anointed head;
Angelick garb, and he an angel grown.
A mitre fair, on his anointed head;
Angelick garb, and he an angel grown.
—Nor heard they not, those Armies of the Dead,
Who vailed o'erpowered, before that glorious Throne,
Their prostrate brows with reverential dread;
Who vailed o'erpowered, before that glorious Throne,
Their prostrate brows with reverential dread;
Nor, by the Spirit reanimate, alone
He rose, but the same spirit pervaded wide,
The adoring Nations; thus they arose, as one,
He rose, but the same spirit pervaded wide,
The adoring Nations; thus they arose, as one,
As one man they arose, and magnified
The triumph of redemption. There might be
Patriarch and Prophet, King and Priest descried—
The triumph of redemption. There might be
Patriarch and Prophet, King and Priest descried—
And thee, who saw a World expire, even thee,
Oh Noah, I beheld—encouraged so,
With thine innumerable Company,
Oh Noah, I beheld—encouraged so,
With thine innumerable Company,
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To hope, though great their wickedness and wo,
Aiming at heaven by means forbid to men,
Odious to Order, whence did deluge flow.
Aiming at heaven by means forbid to men,
Odious to Order, whence did deluge flow.
—His lips the Merciful unsealed, and then
He spake and said: “Oh, Lord my God! I kneel
Beneath the Seat of Judgement, now, as when
He spake and said: “Oh, Lord my God! I kneel
Beneath the Seat of Judgement, now, as when
Of ancient time I prayed, with fervent zeal,
That thou wouldst spare the World, and pretermit
The penal Deluge. Behold, I appeal
That thou wouldst spare the World, and pretermit
The penal Deluge. Behold, I appeal
To Thee, O Judge of Earth! Have mercy yet
Upon the Sinners whose imaginings
Were evil, and their hearts on evil set.
Upon the Sinners whose imaginings
Were evil, and their hearts on evil set.
A World implores—Men tried by Sufferings,
Lured by Temptation into errour's maze,
By length of years, by angel-ministrings.
Lured by Temptation into errour's maze,
By length of years, by angel-ministrings.
Oh, speak unto thy Servant! Are the days
Of old forgotten by thee? Shall the Past
Call thee its Saviour, worship thee and praise?”
Of old forgotten by thee? Shall the Past
Call thee its Saviour, worship thee and praise?”
—Whereto Messiah—“Noah, this thou hast
Spoken for others. For thyself,..I bear
Thee witness, that thy Faith withstood the blast
Spoken for others. For thyself,..I bear
Thee witness, that thy Faith withstood the blast
Of Tempest, and Death's sorrow, and Hell's fear.
Then came thy cry, when the Floods compast thee,
Within his Temple into the Almighty's ear.
Then came thy cry, when the Floods compast thee,
Within his Temple into the Almighty's ear.
—Prisoners of Hope! Heirs of Eternity!
Waiting for the consummate Day when Time
Shall be no more—Why on the past dwell ye?
Waiting for the consummate Day when Time
Shall be no more—Why on the past dwell ye?
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Prisoners of Hope! Look to the goal sublime
Of the expanded Future, and behold
The Flesh redeemed to its immortal prime.
Of the expanded Future, and behold
The Flesh redeemed to its immortal prime.
—I am ere the Beginning. Manifold
Creation, of the Father's will, by me
Expressed, in its begotten Order rolled—
Creation, of the Father's will, by me
Expressed, in its begotten Order rolled—
Image express of Him whom none may see,
My glory veils and shadows, for behoof
Of all his Creatures, his great Deity:
My glory veils and shadows, for behoof
Of all his Creatures, his great Deity:
Whereof ye are partakers, though aloof
It dwell from you, ye in its light do dwell,
Sun of the Soul—a pattern and a proof.
It dwell from you, ye in its light do dwell,
Sun of the Soul—a pattern and a proof.
—The Father sitteth inaccessible,
To eye or ear. In me his plentitude
Abides—his only Son from whom ye well,
To eye or ear. In me his plentitude
Abides—his only Son from whom ye well,
Rays of that Radiance wherein may be viewed
His Glory only. I his Brightness am,
His Word in whom he sole is understood.
His Glory only. I his Brightness am,
His Word in whom he sole is understood.
I am th' Eternal, ye of me forth came,
The Second Adam, ere the First am I,
Saviour of every Age and Clime the same.
The Second Adam, ere the First am I,
Saviour of every Age and Clime the same.
God of the Dead and Living,..born to die,
Dying to live, and rising to redeem,
Suffering..rejoicing, with Humanity,
Dying to live, and rising to redeem,
Suffering..rejoicing, with Humanity,
Made of my Substance, with its quickening stream
Nourished, replenished with the Blood devote
For aye upon the Shrine of the Supreme—
Nourished, replenished with the Blood devote
For aye upon the Shrine of the Supreme—
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Perpetual Sacrifice. For not without
Expense of Godhead may Creation be,
Much less Redemption of the Creature wrought.
Expense of Godhead may Creation be,
Much less Redemption of the Creature wrought.
Such His great Will, the inscrutable Decree,
Which I delight to do; Obedience pure,
Free to submit, when most submiss most free.
Which I delight to do; Obedience pure,
Free to submit, when most submiss most free.
—Ye live but in my Life, with me endure,
But die not in my Death, who, once for all,
Died, and your Sufferings are mine, besure!
But die not in my Death, who, once for all,
Died, and your Sufferings are mine, besure!
Members are ye of mine Incarnate Thrall,
I feel the pains of your Mortality,
Temptation, and infirmity, and fall;
I feel the pains of your Mortality,
Temptation, and infirmity, and fall;
Each feels its own. I sympathize, even I,
With all—all human Suffering, of mine
A partial echo, meant to purify
With all—all human Suffering, of mine
A partial echo, meant to purify
And perfect Souls till they become divine.
Earth's Griefs touch me in Heaven. My Spirit pleads
With groans unutterable, Man, for thine.
Earth's Griefs touch me in Heaven. My Spirit pleads
With groans unutterable, Man, for thine.
—Art born to trouble and to travail?..bleeds
Thy heart with the affliction of the strife,
That good and evil in thine embryo breeds,
Thy heart with the affliction of the strife,
That good and evil in thine embryo breeds,
And makes contention of thy future life,
Between the Flesh and Spirit, whose great war
In childhood and in age alike is rife,
Between the Flesh and Spirit, whose great war
In childhood and in age alike is rife,
Strongest in the most powerful, whom the star
Of their nativity directs to rule,
In arts or arms, the nations from afar?
Of their nativity directs to rule,
In arts or arms, the nations from afar?
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Do Climes and Times, the madness of the Fool,
The wrath of the Unskilful—the Proud's scorn,
The wisdom of the World, the Porch, the School,
The wrath of the Unskilful—the Proud's scorn,
The wisdom of the World, the Porch, the School,
Oppose the purpose wherefore thou art born,
And with thy Blood compel thee to baptize
The teeming age in its prophetick morn?
And with thy Blood compel thee to baptize
The teeming age in its prophetick morn?
—So Suffered I, in all thine agonies
Partaker; for it so behoved that I
Should feel the sense of thine infirmities;
Partaker; for it so behoved that I
Should feel the sense of thine infirmities;
So it became the filial Deity,
Creation's God, and yet Creation's heir,
The Ways of God to Men to justify.
Creation's God, and yet Creation's heir,
The Ways of God to Men to justify.
My Father chastens whom He loves most dear,
Not for His pleasure, but to exercise
The Chastened for his profit, in severe
Not for His pleasure, but to exercise
The Chastened for his profit, in severe
Affliction, teaching patience, making wise,
And bringing peace to the obedient Soul,
Whom out of suffering He glorifies.
And bringing peace to the obedient Soul,
Whom out of suffering He glorifies.
Albeit a Son, me only such control
Obedience taught unto His perfect will,
And my reward awaits me at the goal.
Obedience taught unto His perfect will,
And my reward awaits me at the goal.
A regal fortune fitted to fulfil,
A little lower than the Angels made,
Yet crowned with honour and with glory still—
A little lower than the Angels made,
Yet crowned with honour and with glory still—
For, by the Power of my Word, were laid
The bases of the Universe, wherein
I, as in me the Father, am pourtrayed.
The bases of the Universe, wherein
I, as in me the Father, am pourtrayed.
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The Mountains as my righteousness have been,
But not so stedfast; and the great Abyss
As my decree, whose depth may not be seen,
But not so stedfast; and the great Abyss
As my decree, whose depth may not be seen,
My Judgement more unfathomable is:
Ere my Voice thunders, lo, the Lightning flies,
My Fiat swifter executes than this.
Ere my Voice thunders, lo, the Lightning flies,
My Fiat swifter executes than this.
Thus, Adam, thou beheldst in Paradise
The present God, and felt him in all things;
But most in thine inherent energies,
The present God, and felt him in all things;
But most in thine inherent energies,
The heart's expansion and the spirit's wings,
The plastick power of Thought and of Desire,
Delight and Sorrow, Sin and Sufferings,
The plastick power of Thought and of Desire,
Delight and Sorrow, Sin and Sufferings,
Knowledge and Death, whose supernatural fire
Kindled and killed, that ye might be redeemed,
And after a far better life aspire.
Kindled and killed, that ye might be redeemed,
And after a far better life aspire.
—Therefore Law was, Earth might be less esteemed,
And Imperfection become manifest,
And Nature checked, however good it seemed,
And Imperfection become manifest,
And Nature checked, however good it seemed,
Not wholly good, and Will evolved, when best
Man's Freedom might be chartered, tried and proved,
And Life revealed, and Charity possest.
Man's Freedom might be chartered, tried and proved,
And Life revealed, and Charity possest.
For dear to God, as I his Son beloved,
The Freedom of the Soul, the Will, supreme
O'er Law, and Love fulfilling what behoved—
The Freedom of the Soul, the Will, supreme
O'er Law, and Love fulfilling what behoved—
This is the Mystery whereof all misdeem
On Earth, but ye are taught by Death and Time
The Truth and Meaning of the immortal Theme.
On Earth, but ye are taught by Death and Time
The Truth and Meaning of the immortal Theme.
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Through Faith on earth Man holds a Life sublime,
And in the Past and Future, as he lists,
Expatiates and confers with every clime—
And in the Past and Future, as he lists,
Expatiates and confers with every clime—
Through Faith he knows whereby the frame subsists
Of the expanded Universe, by whom
Created, and whereto it yet exists,
Of the expanded Universe, by whom
Created, and whereto it yet exists,
A Stranger and a Pilgrim,..till the tomb
Open the way to the celestial land
Where God prepares a City, as a womb—
Open the way to the celestial land
Where God prepares a City, as a womb—
So hopeful o'er the Grave the Faithful stand,
Wherein their Brethren in the dust repose,
Grasped in the Father's Omnipresent hand—
Wherein their Brethren in the dust repose,
Grasped in the Father's Omnipresent hand—
The Grave the Gate of Hope, whereof none knows
Save he who passes inward. There with earth
Earth mingles, changes and more perfect grows,
Save he who passes inward. There with earth
Earth mingles, changes and more perfect grows,
Sown as a seed, that dieth to have birth
More glorious, meet for spirit to indwell,
Perfect in Love, and consummate in worth—
More glorious, meet for spirit to indwell,
Perfect in Love, and consummate in worth—
A spiritual body,..capable
Of large performance, destined to aspire,
All will and purpose to accomplish well.
Of large performance, destined to aspire,
All will and purpose to accomplish well.
Witness the Body, which the Eternal Sire
Prepared for me, who came to do his Will,
Left in the tomb. But thence shall I require
Prepared for me, who came to do his Will,
Left in the tomb. But thence shall I require
It back, won from corruption, and fulfil
Redemption, captive lead Captivity,
And gifts receive for you..for all—until
Redemption, captive lead Captivity,
And gifts receive for you..for all—until
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The Kingdom cometh. So in hope wait ye.
—Lo, I am with you ever; and to you
The Gospel now is preached, that ye may be
—Lo, I am with you ever; and to you
The Gospel now is preached, that ye may be
Adjudged in righteousness, according to
Men in the flesh, but in the spirit live
According unto God. This hear, and do.
—What I receive, that unto you I give.”Men in the flesh, but in the spirit live
According unto God. This hear, and do.
| The Descent into Hell | |