William Baxter Creation (1853)

FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER:

FOURTH SERIES.

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VOL. III.] BETHANY, VA. FEBRUARY, 1853. [NO. II.
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CREATION.
B Y    W I L L I A M    B A X T E R.
GOD spake! at his awful word,
      Which broke upon eternal night,
The depths of the abyss were stirred,
      And from its gloom uprose the light;
Type of the power that gave it birth,
To bless and gladden all the earth.

God spake! the glorious arch of heaven
      Spread its blue canopy on high;
Ere stars, like pearly isles were given,
      To float in that bright sapphire sky;
Yet all that vast expanse above,
Is not more boundless than his love.

God spake! earth sprang from out the deep,
      Eager to see the joyous light,
While ocean wakened from its sleep,
      Flung high its waves, which flash so bright;
And its hoarse murmurs on the strand,
Proclaimed God's wonder-working hand.

God spake! the azure vault on high
      Received the sun's first cheering light;
And full orbed in the evening sky,
      Arose the moon, fair queen of night;
And like a host through heaven's blue arch,
The stars began their glorious march.

God spake! and lo! the lifeless deep,
      Then teemed with life in every wave,
Where'er the winds its waters sweep,
      Life thronged each secret coral cave;
Then, too, the birds from every tree,
Poured forth their God-taught melody.

God spake! behold that form of clay,
      He breathes, it rises, lo! it lives,
God's crowning work is done to-day,
      For he to man his image gives;
Here centres all creation's plan,
Its great design made known in man.

God spake! and lo! the angel throng
      Which gazed upon the new-born earth,
Joined their glad voices in the song,
      The morning stars wake at its birth;
Perfect the whole creation stood,
And God pronounced his works all good.

[The Millennial Harbinger (February 1853): 119.]

ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

      William Baxter's "Creation" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, Fourth Series, Vol. 3, No. 2, February 1853. The electronic version of the poem has been produced from the College Press reprint (1976) of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1853), p. 119.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 21 June 1998.
Updated 28 June 2003.

William Baxter Creation (1853)
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