Ad Summum Deum
If, oh God, thou art eternal,
Most omnipotent, supernal,
Spare us from life's pains diurnal!
Burning with doubt's torrid fever,
I, poor worm and unbeliver,
Ask of thee, supreme Deceiver,
Wherefore in such ways distress me?
If thou art Jehovah, bless me,
Or with proofs of power impress me!
How can I respect thy glory,
When through years of myth and story
Thou appearest stern and gory?
Can the throngs of souls, o'ertaken
By thy wrath, by thee forsaken,
Love and faith in men awaken?
Can we call thee just and blameless,
When by thy desertion shameless
We still groan here blind and aimless?
If thy glory could attain to
Heights of pardon, and disdain to
Curse thy creatures who are fain to
Love thee in devotion artless,
Thou couldst make the wide world smartless,
God malignant, dumb and heartless!
For thy Son's divine prediction,
Must weak mortals in affliction
Wait another crucifixion?
Why, if he has died to spare us
From all torments, shouldst thou bear us
Hate implacable, and dare us
In our wretchedest prostration,
With thine anger's desolation?
Are we not of thy creation?
If the sun and stars thou makest,
If supreme the spheres thou shakest,
If from naught thou something takest,
Prove it to us, though thou rend us
In divine ways and tremendous.
Thrill us with thy might stupendous!
For we scorn thy clamorous thunder;
When thou tearest clouds asunder,
We but smile and do not wonder.
Dost thou deem thy puny lightning,
Madly hurled through heaven and brightening
Voids of space, is our dread heightening?
No! we sneer; oh God prolific!
If thou art immense, omnific,
Find some emblem more terrific
Than thy flame and detonation,
To o'erawe with grand probation
Men who scorn death's castigation!
Oh, Jehovah, glad or cheerless,
Armored in my doubt and tearless,
Unto thee I cry out, fearless!
If thou wishest I should render
Tribute to thy questioned splendor,
I, a worm and an offender,
From the sin that here betrays me,
From the depths of ennui raise me,
By the wings of white hope daze me!
If thou givest one poor token,
That the words thy Son hath spoken
By thee never shall be broken,
I exultant bells will ring thee,
And with loud voice I will sing thee
Psalms, and to high altars bring thee
Flowers and incense to adore thee,
In my mind as God restore thee,
And, repentant, bow before thee!
Most omnipotent, supernal,
Spare us from life's pains diurnal!
Burning with doubt's torrid fever,
I, poor worm and unbeliver,
Ask of thee, supreme Deceiver,
Wherefore in such ways distress me?
If thou art Jehovah, bless me,
Or with proofs of power impress me!
How can I respect thy glory,
When through years of myth and story
Thou appearest stern and gory?
Can the throngs of souls, o'ertaken
By thy wrath, by thee forsaken,
Love and faith in men awaken?
Can we call thee just and blameless,
When by thy desertion shameless
We still groan here blind and aimless?
If thy glory could attain to
Heights of pardon, and disdain to
Curse thy creatures who are fain to
Love thee in devotion artless,
Thou couldst make the wide world smartless,
God malignant, dumb and heartless!
For thy Son's divine prediction,
Must weak mortals in affliction
Wait another crucifixion?
Why, if he has died to spare us
From all torments, shouldst thou bear us
Hate implacable, and dare us
In our wretchedest prostration,
With thine anger's desolation?
Are we not of thy creation?
If the sun and stars thou makest,
If supreme the spheres thou shakest,
If from naught thou something takest,
Prove it to us, though thou rend us
In divine ways and tremendous.
Thrill us with thy might stupendous!
For we scorn thy clamorous thunder;
When thou tearest clouds asunder,
We but smile and do not wonder.
Dost thou deem thy puny lightning,
Madly hurled through heaven and brightening
Voids of space, is our dread heightening?
No! we sneer; oh God prolific!
If thou art immense, omnific,
Find some emblem more terrific
Than thy flame and detonation,
To o'erawe with grand probation
Men who scorn death's castigation!
Oh, Jehovah, glad or cheerless,
Armored in my doubt and tearless,
Unto thee I cry out, fearless!
If thou wishest I should render
Tribute to thy questioned splendor,
I, a worm and an offender,
From the sin that here betrays me,
From the depths of ennui raise me,
By the wings of white hope daze me!
If thou givest one poor token,
That the words thy Son hath spoken
By thee never shall be broken,
I exultant bells will ring thee,
And with loud voice I will sing thee
Psalms, and to high altars bring thee
Flowers and incense to adore thee,
In my mind as God restore thee,
And, repentant, bow before thee!
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