308 LYRIC POEMS. The rolls of fate werehalf unseal'd, He stood adoring by ; The volumesopen'd to his eye, And sweet intelligence he held With allhisshining kindred of the sky. 7 Ye seraphs that surround the throne, Tell, bow his name was thro' the pa- . lace known, How warm his zeal was, and how like your own; Speak it aloud, let half the nationhear, And 'bold blasphemers shrink and fear *: [phet's name. Impudent tongues! to blast a pro- The poison sure was fetch'd from hell, Where the old blasphemers dwell, To taint the purest dust, and blotthe whitest fame! Impudent tongues! You should be darted thro', Nail'dto your own black mouths,and lie Useless and dead till slanderdie, Till slander die with you. $ " We saw him, sayth' ethereal throng, We saw his warmdevotions rise, We heard the fervour of his cries, And mix'd his praises with our song: We knew the secret flights of his re- tiring hours, Nightly he wak'd his inward powers, Young Israel rose to wrestle with his God, And with unconquer'd force scald the celestial towers, To reach the blessing down for those that sought bis blood. Oft we beheld the thunderer's hand Rais'd high to crush the factiousfoe; As oft we saw the rolling vengeance. stand Doubtful t' obey the dread command. While his ascending pray'r upheld the falling. blow." Draw the past scenes of thy delight, My muse, and. bring the wondrous man to sight: Place him surrounded as he stood With pious crowds, while from his tongue A stream of harmony ran soft along, And ev'ry ear drank in the flowing good: Softly it ran its silver way, Till warm devotion rais'd the current strong: Then fervid zeal on the sweet deluge. rode, Life, love and glory, grace and joy,' Divinely roll'd promiscuous on the torrent -flood, And bore our raptur'd sense away, and thoughts and souls to God. O might we dwell for ever there! * Though he was so great end good a man he didnot escape censer.. No more return to breathe thisgrosser air, [care. This atmosphere of sin, calamity and to But hcav'nly scenes soon leave the sight, While we belong to clay, Passions of terror and delight, Demand alternate sway. Behold the man, whose awful voice- Could well proclaim the fiery law, Kindle the flames that Moses saw, And swell the trumpet's warlike noise. He stands the herald of the threat'n- ing skies Lo, on his reverend brow the frowns divinely rise, All Sinai's thunder on his tongue, and lightning in hiis eyes. Round the high roof the cup ses flew Distinguishing each guilty head,. Far from th' unequal war,the atheist fled, His kindled arrows still pursue, His arrows strike the atheist thro', And o'er his inmost powers a'shud- d'ringhorror spread. The marble heart groans with an in- wardwound Blaspheming souls of harden'dsteel Shriek out amaz'd at the new pangs they feel, And dread the echoes of the sound. The lofty wretch-arm'd and array'd In gaudy pride sinks downhis impious head, Plunges in dark despair, and mingles with the dead. II Now, muse, assume a softer strain, Now sooth the sinner's raging smart, Borrow of Gouge the wond'rous art To calm the surging conscience and assuage the pain ; He from a bleeding God derives Life for the souls that guilt had slain, Antj straightthe dying rebel lives, The dead arise again; The opening skies almost obey His powerful song ; a heav'nly ray Awakes despair to light, and sheds a .ehearful day. His wondrous voice rolls back the spherek, Recalls the scenes of ancient years, To make the Saviour known; Sweetly the flying charmer roves Thro' all his labours and bis loves, The anguish of his cross, andtriunsphs of his throne. 12 Come, he invites our feet to try The steep ascent of Cavalry, And sets the fatal tree before oureye : See here celestial sorrow reigns; Rude nails and ragged thorns lay by, Ting'd with the crimsonof redeeming veins. Inwondrous words he sung the vital flood Where all our sinswere drown'd, Words fit to heal and 6t to wound,
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