As that to central horrors; he looks down On all that soars; and spans immensity. Though night unnumber'd worlds unfolds to view, Boundless creation! what art thou? A beam, A mere effluvium of his majesty: 420 And shall an atom of this atom-world Mutter, in dust and sin, the theme of heaven? Down to the centre should I send my thought Through beds of glittering ore, and glowing gems, Their beggar'd blaze wants lustre for my lay; Goes out in darkness: if, on towering wing, I send it through the boundless vault of stars! 427 The stars, though rich, what dross their gold to thee, Great, good, wise, wonderful, eternal King! If to those conscious stars thy throne around, Praise ever-pouring, and imbibing bliss; And ask their strain; they want it, more they want, Poor their abundance, humble their sublime, 433 Languid their energy, their ardour cold, Indebted still, their highest rapture burns; Short of its mark, defective, though divine. Still more--this theme is man's, and man's alone; Their vast appointments reach it not: they see On earth a bounty not indulged on high; And downward look for heaven's superior praise! 440 First-born of ether! high in fields of light! View man, to see the glory of your God! Could angels envy, they had envied here; And some did envy; and the rest, though gods, Yet still gods unredeem'd (their triumphs man, Tempted to weigh the dust against the skies), They less would feel, though more adorn, my theme. They sung creation (for in that they shared); How rose in melody, that child of love! Creation's great superior, man! is thine; 450 Thine is redemption; they just gave the key: 'Tis thine to raise, and eternize, the song; Though human, yet divine; for should not this Raise man o'er man, and kindle seraphs here? Redemption! 'twas creation more sublime; Redemption! 'twas the labour of the skies; Far more than labour--it was death in heaven. A truth so strange! 'twere bold to think it true; If not far bolder still to disbelieve. 459 Here pause, and ponder--Was there death in heaven? What then on earth? on earth, which struck the blow? Who struck it? Who?--O how is man enlarged, 462 Seen through this medium! How the pigmy towers! How counterpoised his origin from dust! How counterpoised to dust his sad return! How voided his vast distance from the skies! How near he presses on the seraph's wing! Which is the seraph? Which the born of clay? How this demonstrates, through the thickest cloud Of guilt, and clay condensed, the son of heaven! 470 The double son; the made, and the re-made! And shall heaven's double property be lost? Man's double madness only can destroy. To man the bleeding cross has promised all;