Brothers and sisters and parents, what dear upon earth is and holy
Standeth before your sight as a witness; the Judge everlasting
Looks from the sun down upon you, and angels in waiting beside him
Grave your confession in letters of fire upon tablets eternal. 
Thus, then,—­believe ye in God, in the Father who this world created? 
Him who redeemed it, the Son, and the Spirit where both are united? 
Will ye promise me here, (a holy promise!) to cherish
God more than all things earthly, and every man as a brother? 
Will ye promise me here, to confirm your faith by your living,
Th’ heavenly faith of affection! to hope, to forgive, and to suffer,
Be what it may your condition, and walk before God in uprightness? 
Will ye promise me this before God and man?”—­With a clear voice
Answered the young men Yes! and Yes! with lips softly-breathing
Answered the maidens eke.  Then dissolved from the brow of the Teacher
Clouds with the lightnings therein, and lie spake in accents more gentle,
Soft as the evening’s breath, as harps by Babylon’s rivers.

“Hail, then, hail to you all!  To the heirdom of heaven be ye welcome! 
Children no more from this day, but by covenant brothers and sisters! 
Yet,—­for what reason not children?  Of such is the kingdom of heaven. 
Here upon earth an assemblage of children, in heaven one Father,
Ruling them all as his household,—­forgiving in turn and chastising,
That is of human life a picture, as Scripture has taught us. 
Blest are the pure before God!  Upon purity and upon virtue
Resteth the Christian Faith:  she herself from on high is descended. 
Strong as a man and pure as a child, is the sum of the doctrine,
Which the Divine One taught, and suffered and died on the cross for
Oh, as ye wander this day from childhood’s sacred asylum
Downward and ever downward, and deeper in Age’s chill valley,
Oh, how soon will ye come,—­too soon!—­and long to turn backward
Up to its hill-tops again, to the sun-illumined, where Judgment
Stood like a father before you, and Pardon, clad like a mother,
Gave you her hand to kiss, and the loving heart was for given
Life was a play and your hands grasped after the roses of heaven! 
Seventy years have I lived already; the Father eternal
Gave rue gladness and care; but the loveliest hours of existence,
When I have steadfastly gazed in their eyes, I have instantly known them,
Known them all again;—­the were my childhood’s acquaintance. 
Therefore take from henceforth, as guides in the paths of existence,
Prayer, with her eyes raised to heaven, and Innocence, bride of man’s childhood
Innocence, child beloved, is a guest from the world of the blessed,
Beautiful, and in her hand a lily; on life’s roaring billows
Swings she in safety, she heedeth them not in the ship she is sleeping. 
Calmly she gazes around in the turmoil of men; in