Religion

From 'The Mystic'

by Philip James Bailey 1816–1902

From The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse, ed. D. H. S. Nicholson and A. H. E. Lee (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1917)

Religion

God was, alone in unity. He willed
The infinite creation; and it was.
That the creation might exist, His Son,
And that it might return to Him, the Spirit
Disclosed themselves within Him; thus triune
But as the all-made must of necessity
Inferior be to its creator, thus
Arose the infinite imperfect, time,
The spirit-host angelic, heavenly race,
Brute life and vegetive, electric light,
Matter and fleshly form; to human souls
Nine generations from aeternity.
But God, who is Love, decreed it should return
By pure regeneration unto God;
Wherefore was need that He from whom came life
Should taste death, but in tasting swallow up;
That commune with all creatures might be made,
On this hand, and on that, with Deity.
Thus death and evil expiate ends divine;
The Spirit the imperfect hallowing, death
The Son; the soul regenerate hies to God;
And as in radial union with the point
Infinite, both in greatness, place, and power.
Lives with the maker and the all-made in love.

✦ ✦ ✦

Extract from The Mystic.

MLA

Bailey, Philip James. “From 'The Mystic'.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/bailey_pj/2/.

Chicago

Bailey, Philip James. “From 'The Mystic'.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/bailey_pj/2/.

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