That God is Love! It is the grace of Truth

And had been all its glory, if, since man,

His rich redemption, all its object was,

Man might-0 wonder-by such grace be won!

But he, ingrate, in faithlessness twice fallenForsaking innocence-refusing grace—

His measure of iniquity hath fill'd,

And laid necessity on Truth. Great be it, then,

The mystery of evil, by the guilt

Of man to interpret, as of holiness

The beauty to proclaim; as well, to set

Its hand of record in the cloud, and write,

In lines of lightning, the Anathema;

As, in the halo of the eastern star,

And with the angel sons of matin song,

For joy in heaven, and for peace on earth,
To shine and sing!

Sacred to verity!

Of judgments high-the righteous approof

Of whatsoever things, or just dispraise—

To hold with equal hand the balance here—

Actions to weigh; and then in wisdom's words,

And faithfulness, to give them character:

If unto holy men of old assign'd

Such task might be-not in adventure vain,

Or in vain-glorious seeming, be it mine
The harp to hold, in what high minstrelsy,
Few are the called-none were worthy deem'd;
Nor, else, unhopeful-to my purpose rais'd-

Truth-at thy bidding sped, and by my theme inspir'd!

With thee communing, spirit of my thought!

Thee in thy God-ward way emulating,

May I not learn of thee-the fellowship,

The goodly company of attributes

Duly to keep-where evermore they wait,

Still in their staid effulgence, at the shrine,

And breathing, at the oracle of God?

It is an altar that shall sanctify:

A worship which is inspiration;