Poems on Serious and Sacred Subjects Part 3

Lord of Existence! He expires to prove His matchless effort of celestial love; And ratify, while He resigns his breath, His glorious conquest o'er the gates of death!

A ma.s.sive tomb receives his sacred corse; And foes would guard it with a watchful force: Vain boast of folly's disbelieving rout!

Who thus confirm the Deity, they doubt!

The grave beholds the heavenly victor rise, And soar triumphant to his native skies.

His troubled servants still to calm and cheer See Him, in human tenderness appear!

And while the slow of faith He mildly blames, "My Lord! my G.o.d!" his doubt-freed saint exclaims.

Were He not G.o.d, and worthy of our trust, Could He admit such wors.h.i.+p from the just?

And bless the conscious of his heavenly right, Whose faith demands no evidence of sight?

Yet grace divine full evidence has given; Witness! Thou earth! by his dread sufferings riven!

Witness! Thou speaking firmament above!

When G.o.d proclaim'd Him offspring of his love!

Pleas'd to that blessed offspring to impart Prerogative divine, dominion of the heart!

Exulting angels hail his sovereign sway; Attest his glory, his commands obey; And usher Him, whom e'en the demons own As Earth's Redeemer, to his heavenly throne: Thence, while mankind receive a second birth, He ratifies the word, He spoke on earth; And pleas'd to see his rescued servants live, He gives them, what the world had not to give; Internal peace! the duteous mind's repose!

With powers to foil the most malignant foes!

This vital suns.h.i.+ne of enlighten'd hearts, This to his firm adherents He imparts; When duly grateful for his kind controul, They bless his empire o'er the willing soul, For in his own, as in his Father's name, He claims their boundless love; a righteous claim!

A claim, in which the proofs of G.o.dhead s.h.i.+ne!

Celestial attributes! and grace divine!

Hear how beyond the scope of mortal voice, He bids his servants in his word rejoice, Bids them for every good on Him depend!

As dearer far than every earthly friend, Regard Him, parents, children far above; And die with transport to secure his love.

Were He mere man, must not such orders seem Distracted arrogance, an impious dream?

So of men's lives He only might dispose; From whose divinity their safety flows, Who left the bosom of His heavenly Sire, To merit, what none other might acquire, A sacred right with that dread Sire to plead, To change the doom, his justice had decreed, And save the guilty from perdition's storm; Celestial victim in a human form!

Whose mediation, soft'ning wrath supreme, Taught nature to revive, in mercy's beam.

Gracious Restorer of a race condemn'd, Tho' by the thankless tribes revil'd, contemn'd.

Yet grat.i.tude, and truth, who round Thee fly, With all thy menial angels of the sky, Viewing thy gifts with rapturous amaze, Hail thy beneficence with heavenly praise: All bear eternal witness, that Thou art Justly a Sovereign in the human heart.

Man cannot yield too much, when, at thy call To Thee his grateful zeal resigns his all; Whate'er be may resign, yet more he gains, While in his heart his blest Redeemer reigns; By thy kind words he is inform'd aright, And Thee exulting owns his path, his light!

Whether we ponder, with a mind serene, The gracious marvels of thy earthly scene, Or the firm promise to thy servants given, Just ere they saw Thee re-ascend to Heaven; Or the fulfilment of thy grand bequest, The promis'd Comforter of man distrest!

That spirit, which, as man's unfailing friend, 'Twas thine, from thy celestial throne, to send The Spirit of thy Sire! of truth! and peace!

By whose blest influence base pa.s.sions cease; And Christians, worthy of their Lord, combine In the pure bond of charity divine!

Conscious from whom, their new sensations flow!

To whom their renovated hearts they owe!

And conscious, while their heavenly, guide they bless, Their grat.i.tude is safe from all excess!

In sentient beings, if their love and zeal Should rise proportion'd to the aid, they feel, Unbounded, as thy benefits, should be The thankful homage of our hearts to Thee.

Divine Deliverer! whose grace bestows Exemption from unutterable woes!

Such gifts on men, as they can ne'er requite, Made, from the slaves of darkness, sons of light!

Thou filial Deity! whose merits rise To such amazing height in human eyes, A justly humble mind, that feels their sway Too great for earthly language to display, Conceives, e'en seraphs, tho' in glory's beam, May find their voice unequal to the theme!

And seems to view them in their heavenly seat, Mute, from pure adoration, at thy feet: Thou blest Restorer of corrupted man From all the snares of Satan's dark divan!

Thou, who with true compa.s.sion, hast survey'd Lost wanderers peris.h.i.+ng without thy aid!

To whose pure eyes all wonders are reveal'd, That live in mortals, from themselves conceal'd!

Who view'st with favor, when they most aspire, Their narrow faculties, and vast desire!

O prosper, and sustain my anxious thought, Pondering thy attributes, as mortals ought!

That while I strive to make thy nature known, My zeal may tend to purify my own.

Pardon the daring aim of grateful love, If, in research, man's intellect above, I vainly seek such heavenly things to know, As Thou to mortals hast not deign'd to show, Veiling the mode of thy celestial birth From beings blind to mysteries of earth!

Thy geniture, and thy redeeming power Transcend the known extent of nature's dower: But pity weak mortality--that tries To reach, what may elude all human eyes!

The knowledge man desires, is found by none: The Eternal Sire, He only, knows the Son: Taught by this truth, be it our wish alone To know Him, only as he would be known, By grace divine! his bounty's blest effect On those, who hail Him with devout respect!

Thou filial Deity in manly shape!

Whose eye no deeds, no thoughts of man, escape!

Thy servants have no wound, Thou dost not feel, No sorrow, that thy aid can fail to heal!

In all the trials, I was born to bear, Many, and sharp, have fallen to my share; I bless them, leading me to feel, and see, Our sweetest comfort is our trust in Thee.

Calm acquiescence in thy sacred will Becomes an antidote to every ill; As tasks, ensuring favour in thy sight, Grief turns to joy, and anguish to delight; Till all the chasten'd heart exults to bless A Martyr's triumph o'er subdued distress!

Saviour! whose image pure maternal prayer, Fix'd in my heart, with just dominion there, Thou never banish'd thence! tho' in my youth, I heard rash sceptics, scoffing at thy truth, Deride thy Gospel, and thy deeds revile, As the false tales of an impostor's guile: Blest! that no impious wit had power to blind Thy dawn of favour in my opening mind!

There, in maturer seasons, grief, and pain, As heavenly agents, have confirmed thy reign.

My spirit's guardian! soother of my woes!

Still of my chequer'd days illume the close!

All mortals feel, their trespa.s.ses require An Intercessor with th' eternal Sire; And on their minds thy cheering favours s.h.i.+ne, Who feel, thou art an arbiter divine; Who thy dominion o'er the soul confess, And, as their final Judge, thy G.o.dhead bless!

Deign to befriend me in my dying hour!

Thou clear Vicegerent of thy Father's power!

And, while, within a grateful heart, I own My hopes to view Thee on thy heavenly throne.

With all thy merits on my soul imprest, May faith's firm wings convey me to thy breast!

Such, friendly disputant of studious mind!

Ever to good, in active life, inclind!

Such are my thoughts, my views, my hopes, my creed, Adverse, I own, to those, for which you plead!

And which, to speak without reserve, I deem A rash surmise, a dark Socinian dream!

Tho' tenets diversely our fancy strike, May both, in purity of heart alike, Still trust the hope, to that endowment given, To reach the glorious certainty of Heaven!

Where, when the pardon'd round their Lord unite Their errors will be lost in beatific light.

A COLLECTION OF HYMNS

1817.

_Hymn to Humility_

Of all the Christian virtues chief With modest charms, and mild relief, Most apt to heal the wounds of pride, and spleen, To thee, humility; I bend; O let me feel, thou art my friend!

Rule thou my bosom, as its gentle queen!

'Tis thine benignly to repress All proud conceit, all vain excess; To give the chasten'd mind its proper tone; To make it keep in sight The worth of others with delight, And never look too fondly on its own.

Teach me, with active zeal, to wake At nature's sigh, for pity's sake, When pride in dreams of apathy will nod!

Still guided by thy Christian breath, Keep me, thro' scenes of life, and death, To mortals kind, and dutiful to G.o.d.

_Hymn to Contrition._

Tenderest Herald of the sky, Nature's safeguard from perdition, Friend of sweet, tho' tearful eye, Call'd by angels meek Contrition--

Bid me with a due concern Sigh for recollected error, And to purer conduct turn, Full of hope, and free from terror!

All, who have thy succour tried.

Near to Heaven's expanding portal, Blessing Thee, their chosen guide, Joy, in ceasing to be mortal.

Hand-maid of the Saviour's throne, Sent by Him to check depression, Make my chasten'd soul thy own, Guarding it from all transgression.

_Hymn to the Saviour._