Morning Meditations

O’er the wide earth yon torch of heavenly light
Its splendour spreads, and God’s proud works unveils;
My soul, enraptured at the marvellous sight,
Unwonted peace, and joy, and wonder feels,
And with uplifted thoughts of ecstasy
Exclaims, ‘How great must their Creator be!’

O, if a mortal’s power could stretch so high--
If mortal sight could reach that glorious sun,
And look undazzled at its majesty,
’Twould seem a fiery ocean burning on
From time’s first birth, whose ever-flaming ray
Could ne’er extinguish’d be by time’s decay.

There waves of fire ’gainst waves of fire are dashing,
And know no bounds; there hurricanes of flame,
As if in everlasting combat flashing,
Roar with a fury which no time can tame:
There molten mountains boil like ocean-waves,
And rain in burning streams the welkin laves.

But in Thy presence all is but a spark,
A little spark: that wond’rous orb was lighted
By Thy own hand, the dreary and the dark
Pathway of man to cheer--of man benighted;
To guide the march of seasons in their way,
And place us in a paradise of day.

Dull night her sceptre sways o’er plains and hills,
O’er the dark forest and the foaming sea;
Thy wond’rous energy all nature fills,
And leads our thoughts, and leads our hopes to Thee.
How great is God! a million tongues repeat,
And million tongues re-echo, ‘God, how great!’

But now again the day-star bursts the gloom,
Scattering its sunshine o’er the opening sky;
Thy eye, that pierces even through the tomb,
Has chased the clouds, has bid the vapours fly;
And smiles of light, descending from above,
Bathe all the universe with joy and love.