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Bailey, Philip James - from Festus I - The Angel of Earth's plea for protection of Earth
Identifier
018517
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Festus - I - Philip James Bailey
Angel of Earth.
There's a blind world, dislumined late of God,
Smote into blackness thrice of darkness,
such as spreads where Light, God's shadow, not is;
by storms of stars meteoric wrecked;
and by base force invert of dissolute elements,
dragged to the verge of chaos,
rolling round space utmost.
There, the outcast of all being, good alone
Lacking from every rudiment of things,
Reigns ruin permanently.
Disaster sows, decay reaps.
Leave, leave me the lifeful earth;
Home, shrine of every virtue,
every law Spatial or spiritual
God hath given the world.
Stretch forth thy shining shield, O God!
the heavens over the prostrate earth, an armèd friend,
And save her from the swift and violent hell
Her beauty hath enchanted;
from the woe of love like his,
Oh, save her, though by death.