Let There Be Light

Night, stern, eternal, and alone,
Girded with solemn silence round,
Majestic on his starless throne,
Sat brooding o'er the vast profound —
And there unbroken darkness lay,
Deeper than that which veils the tomb,
While circling ages wheel'd away
Unnoted mid the voiceless gloom.
Then moved upon the waveless deep
The quickening Spirit of the Loud,
And broken was its pulseless sleep
Before the Everlasting Word!
"Let there be light!" and listening earth,
With tree, and plant, and flowery sod,
"In the beginning" sprang to birth,
Obedient to the voice of God.
Then, in his burning track, the sun
Trod onward to his joyous noon,
And in the heavens, one by one,
Cluster'd the stars around the moon —
In glory bathed, the radiant day
Wore like a king his crown of light —
And, girdled by the "Milky Way,"
How queenly look'd the star-gemm'd night!
Bursting from choirs celestial, rang
Triumphantly the notes of song;
The morning-stars together sang
In concert with the heavenly throng;
And earth, enraptured, caught the strain
That thrill'd along her fields of air,
Till every mountain-top and plain
Flung back an answering echo there!
Creator! let thy Spirit shine
The darkness of our souls within,
And lead us by thy grace divine
From the forbidden paths of sin;
And may that voice which bade the earth
From Chaos and the realms of Night,
From doubt and darkness call us forth
To God's own liberty and light!
Thus, made partakers of Thy love,
The baptism of the Spirit ours,
Our grateful hearts shall rise above,
Renew'd in purposes and powers;
And songs of joy again shall ring
Triumphant through the arch of heaven —
The glorious songs which angels sing,
Exulting over souls forgiven!