Page:Moral Pieces in Prose and Verse.pdf/241

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229



HYMN.


GOD spake—and Chaos heard his voice,
    And nature rose from sleep,
And lo, this firm and solid earth
    Sprang from the liquid deep.

He spake—and light's transparent ray
    Silver'd each sparkling wave;
He spake—and twilight led the day,
    To Ocean's silent cave:

And darkness rais'd his giant size,
    Deep frowning in his might,
While thousand, thousand starry eyes
    Look'd from the cell of night.

The day-star and the trembling morn
    Seem'd hand in hand to move,
While morning matins tun'd the harps
    Of Seraphim above.

The earth with herbs, and plants, and flow'rs,
    Luxuriantly was drest;
And herds, and flocks, were seen to move,
    Upon her verdant breast: