Perhaps, thence stepping more disorder’d yet, He rushes his presumptuous flight to set Ev’n to the throne of God! with his dim eyes The Great Inscrutable to scrutinize; Sounding the gulf immense, that circles round The Deity, he ventures o’er its bound. What can he gain in such a pathless course But endless doubts, his ignorance the source? He seeks, proposes, argues, thinking vain. The ignorance that knew to raise, must fain Be able to resolve them. Hast thou seen Attempts that e’er have more audacious been? What! shall an atom such as he excel To comprehend the Incomprehensible? Without more light than reason him assign’d, The limits of immensity to find? Infinity’s beginning, middle, end? Dost Thou, Eternal Lord, then condescend To admit man to Thy councils, or to be With his poor reason in Thy sanctuary? A task so great as this dost Thou confide To his weak soul? ’Tis not so, be relied, My friend. To know God in His works above, To adore Him, melt in gratitude and love; The blessings o’er thee lavish’d to confess, To sing His glory, and His name to bless;-- Such be thy study, duty and employ; And of thy life and reason such the joy. Such is the course that should the wise essay, While only fools will from it turn away. Wouldst thou attain it? easy the emprise; Perfect thy being, and thou wilt be wise: Inform thy reason, that its aid impart Thee truth eternal: purify thy heart, To love and follow it: thy study make Thyself, but seek thy Maker’s light to take: There is high Wisdom’s fountain found alone: There thou thy origin wilt find thee shown; There in His glorious work to find the place ’Tis thine to occupy: there thou mayst trace Thy lofty destiny, the crown declared Of endless life, for virtue that’s prepared.