I said unto the Earth, "Speake, art thou HE?
She answered me,

"I am not." I inquired of creatures all,

In generall,

Contain'd therein;-they with one voice proclaim,
That none amongst them challenged such a name.

I ask't the seas, and all the deeps below,
My God to know.

I ask't the reptiles, and whatever is
In the abysse;

Even from the shrimpe to the leviathan,

Inquiry ran;

But in those deserts which no line can sound,
The God I sought for, was not to be found.

I ask't the aire, if that were He? but, lo!
It told me NO.

I from the towering eagle to the wren,

Demanded then,

If any feather'd fowle 'mongst them were such?
But they all, much

Offended with my question, in full quire,

Answer'd," to finde thy God thou must look higher."

I ask't the heavens, sun, moon, and stars, but they

Said, "We obey

The God thou seek'st."-I ask't, what eye or eare

Could see or heare;

What in the world I might descry or know

Above, below:

With an unanimous voice, all these things said, "We are not God, but we by him were made."

I ask't the world's great universal masse,

If that God was?

Which with a mighty and strong voice reply'd,

As stupify'd,

"I am not He, O man! for know, that I

By him on high,

Was fashion'd first of nothing, thus instated,

And sway'd by Him, by whom I was created."

A scrutiny within myself I, then,

Even thus began:

"O man, what art thou ?"-What more could I say, Than dust and clay ?

Fraile, mortal, fading, a meere puffe, a blast,

That cannot last;

Enthroned to-day, to-morrow in an urne;

Form'd from that earth to which I must returne.

Sprung forth from Thee':-of light, joy, Yes! in my spirit doth Thy spirit shine,

But Thou to these art as the noon to night. Thy light, Thy love, in their bright plenitud

But fix'd, O God; for ever stands thy Let heav'n be nought at thy command,