Therewith, as for the moment lapsed and lost In backward contemplation, with amaze And shame and grief and joy and love and awe And thanks commingling in one surge of thought At what he thus in sudden transport saw, Paul into silence passed, which his rapt look Made vocal and more eloquent than voice. This Stephen reverenced, but at last he said: "O thou my teacher in the things of God, That riddle of wisdom in divine decree Whereof thou spakest, the linking in one chain Together, one fast bond and consequence, Of all the generations of mankind And all their races for a common lot Of evil or good, yet speak, I pray, thereof, To make me understand it if I may. Why should Jehovah on the children wreak The wages of the fathers' wickedness? Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Yea, doubtless, yea; but _that_--how is that right?" "His way is in the sea," said Paul, "His path In the great waters! Would we follow Him, His footsteps are not known! Blesséd be God!" "Amen! Amen! Forevermore amen!" As one who bound himself with sacrament, Assenting without interrupting said Stephen, and Paul went on: "Yet this note thou: It is not on the children, such by blood, That God will visit the iniquity Of fathers: the children must be such in choice As well, in spirit, must be the fathers' like-- And there another mystery! (for deep Sinks endless under deep, to who would sound The bottomless abyss of God's decree)-- The children ever, prave and prone, incline To follow where the fathers lead the way; The children, yea, must do the fathers' deeds, Then only share the fathers' punishment. This, by that prophet mouth, Ezekiel, God Taught with expostulation and appeal Pathetically eloquent of love With longing in our Heavenly Father's heart That not one human creature of His hand Be lost, but all, but all, turn and be saved.