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Immense, and all His Father in him shone. About His chariot numberless were poured Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones, And Virtues, winged Spirits, and Chariots winged From the armoury of God; where stand of old Myriads, between two brazen mountains lodged Against a solemn day, harnessed at hand, Celestial equipage; and now come forth Spontaneous, for within them spirit lived, Attendant on their Lord. Heaven opened wide Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound, On golden hinges moving, to let forth The King of Glory in his powerful Word And Spirit, coming to create new worlds. On heavenly ground they stood; and from the shore They viewed the vast immeasureable Abyss, Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild, Up from the bottom turned by furious winds And surging waves, as mountains, to assault Heaven's height, and with the centre mix the pole.

Silence, ye troubled waves, and thou Deep, peace, Said then the omnific Word, your discord end! Nor stayed; but on the wings of cherubim Uplifted, in paternal glory rode Far into Chaos, and the World unborn; For Chaos heard his voice. Him all his train Followed in bright procession, to behold Creation, and the wonders of his might. Then stayed the fervid wheels, and in his hand He took the golden compasses, prepared In God's eternal store, to circumscribe This Universe, and all created things. One foot he centred, and the other turned Round through the vast profundity obscure, And said—Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds, This be thy just circumference, O world!