Of his own darksome thoughts, like the gross worm That spins itself a blinding panoply
From its own entrails, gropes along in dull And dark fatuity; or stirr'd by strife,
Convulsion, and fierce throes of boiling blood, Scorns heaven and earth, defies the tempest's wrath, Calls nature, and great nature's GOD-a liar.
Yet, Holy Father, thou canst still subdue All things unto thyself-beyond the yell Of human tumult, and distraction wild,
And where fierce passions glow, and fury's eye-ball Dare not intrude, thou sittest all enthroned In love, and lookest still with pitying eye On the rude scene around the struggling soul, And fain would make it like the cloudless sky, That near thy throne is daily all serene, Though writhing lightnings sting the nether air, And the deep thunder rolls-from all the storms Of bickering life; and oh! those quaking throes With which weak flesh in strange convulsion teems, And the gross fiery particles that move
Our smouldering dust, canst save us, and canst wake
The halcyon note of holy peace within us; That the heart's blood, which, like a heaving sea, Doth seem to rise and smite the very heavens In wild and drunken levity, may fall,
And "PEACE! BE STILL!" yet teach it to subside, Till far expanded, like a mirror pure,
It shows thy glorious presence, beaming fair, Like the bright sun upon the ocean's calm.
THE DIVINE LOVE.
SPIRIT of love! Spirit of love!-the soul Of Deity on earth :-the soul of soul, And essence of the universal weal; Encompassing, pervading, binding all The elements in one harmonious law Of beauty and sublimity. Twas thou, Bright aspect of the Holy One, didst move Upon the dark chaotic waters, ere
Matter caught glory from the golden sun; And beauty sprung in rapture from the deep, With the new earth, all smiles: while all the host Of heaven, the stars, the planets, and the range Of suns unnumber'd sung for very joy, And mingled with the everlasting spheres Triumphant melody. Yes, it is love,
Boundless, eternal love, that springs from Thee, Almighty Father, on the ruddy wings
Of morning, with the blithe young lark in joy; Or on the evening's tranquil holiness, Giving the parting, fascinating beam
Of the bright sun a milder charm, and pouring To the wrong'd heart a balm, and to the spirit Thoughts that eternity cannot annul.
The depths of nature, and the womb of earth, The peerless blue of heaven, in which the soul Expands as doth the circle in the lake, All eager to embrace infinity-the stars That draw us proudly to their vestal heights,
As the bright glow-worm wins her wandering mate, Give forth their everlasting tokens still
Of love and all that shed a fragrance on
The gentle gales of spring, and all that give
Their virgin blossoms to the summer sun, From that meek flower, low hidden in the sod, That lifts a sky-blue eye to gaze at heaven In heaven's own likeness, to the lofty pines Which tune great nature's ever-living lyre, To listening lowlands, from the rugged tops Of mountains where the eagle builds her nest, Above the range of thunder. Ocean, thou On whose dark emerald breast, sparkling with gold, The sun-beam wantons with the dolphin,-Earth, Sending up incense in the rosy cloud,
And rapture on the gale,—do ye not speak
Of boundless, deathless love, throughout the whole Of your vast stories?-and thou, fond soul of man, Although confined in this cold prison house Of sluggish clay,-thou too canst speak of love, From all those powers of high capacity, Those deep perceptions of the beautiful,
And those high efforts which give out the blaze Of latent immortality within us,
As the dull stone, when smote, its hidden fire: But most when contemplating, in a high And holy ecstasy, that work of love, Which calls thee to a forfeited estate, And opens wide heaven's portals to restore Thee to the bosom of thy God.
CHRIST OUR CONFIDENCE.
LORD of life! we shame inherit; We are bound who once were free We have neither praise nor merit, All our hope is placed in thee;
Oft on reeds have we depended, And some idol still adored; Yet hast thou our souls befriended, And the wandering sheep restored.
We too oft have found our weakness, Lord, we covet strength divine; May we grow in love and meekness; Let thine image in us shine; Wean our spirits from the creature, All below is little worth:
Fix them on the Great Creator, And on thee, the Hope of Earth.
Saviour! by thy blood and passion, With thy favour, full and free, View us with thine own compassion, Tenderness belongs to thee; Let us not augment the banish'd! On our hearts thy grace distil; And, when earth and time have vanish'd, Take us to thy holy hill!
My God! thy boundless love I praise; How bright on high its glories blaze! How sweetly bloom below!
It streams from thine eternal throne, Through heaven its joys for ever run, And o'er the earth they flow.
"Tis love that paints the purple morn, And bids the clouds in air upborne Their genial drops distil;
In every vernal beam it glows, And breathes in every gale that blows, And glides in every rill.
It robes in cheerful green the ground, And pours its flowery beauties round, Whose sweets perfume the gale; Its bounties richly spread the plain, The blushing fruit, the golden grain, And smile on every vale.
But in thy Gospel see it shine With grace and glories more divine, Proclaiming sins forgiven;
There Faith, bright cherub, points the way To realms of everlasting day,
And opens all her heaven.
Then let the love that makes me blest, With cheerful praise inspire my breast, And ardent gratitude;
And all my thoughts and passions tend To thee, my Father, and my Friend, My soul's eternal good.
Dart from thine own celestial flame One vivid beam to warm my frame With kindred energy;
Mark thine own image on my mind; And teach me to be good and kind, And love and bless like thee!
« AnkstesnisTęsti » |