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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


THE SEVEN TEMPTATIONS, SELECTION by MARY HOWITT

First Line: THOU, THAT CREATEDST WITH A WORD EACH STAR
Last Line: EVIL IS BUT OF TIME; -- GOOD, OF ETERNITY!

THOU, that createdst with a word each star;
Who out of nothingness brought systems forth;
Yet didst exalt beyond creation, far,
The human soul, immortal at its birth; --
Thou gavest light and darkness; life and death;
Thou gavest good and ill,
Twin powers, to be
Companions of its mortal devious path;
Yet left the human will
Unlimited and free!
We know how pain and woe,
Sorrow and sin make up the sum of life!
How good and evil are at ceaseless strife,
And how the soul doth err in choice we know!
Yet not for this droop we, nor are afraid;
We know thy goodness, we behold thy might;
We know thy truth can never be gainsaid,
And what thou dost is right!
We glorify thy name that thus it is;
We glorify thy name for more than this!
We know that out of darkness shines thy light;
That out of evil cometh forth thy good;
That none shall circumvent the Infinite,
Nor can Omnipotence be e'er subdued!
We know that doubt shall cease, and feeble terror;
That thou wilt wipe all tears from every eye;
That Thine Almighty Truth shall vanquish Error,
And Death shall die!
We know that this shall be,
Therefore we trust in Thee,
And pour in balm to human hearts that bleed;
And bind the broken and the bruised reed;
And say, Rejoice, Rejoice!
For Truth is strong:
Exalt ye every voice
In one triumphant song --
For Truth is God, and He shall make you free!
Evil is but of Time; -- Good, of Eternity!



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