Imatges de pàgina
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Mark how they grace Lord Umbra, or Sir Billy.
Is yellow dirt the paffion of thy life?
Look but on Gripus or on Gripus' wife.
If parts allure thee, think how Bacon fhin'd
The wifeft, brightest-meaneft of mankind
Or, ravish'd with the whistling of a name,
See Cromwell damn'd to everlasting fame:
If all united thy ambition call,

From ancient story learn to scorn them all.

VARIOUS CHARACTERS.

"TIS from high life, high characters are drawn :

A faint in crape is twice a faint in lawn ;
A judge is juft; a chanc'lor jufter ftill;

A gownman learn'd; a bishop-what you will;
Wife if a minifter; but if a king,

More wife, more juft, more learn'd, more every thing.
'Tis education forms the common mind;
Juft as the twig is bent, the tree's inclin'd.
Boaftful and rough, your first fon is a fquire;
The next a tradesman meek and much a liar :
Tom ftruts a foldier, open, bold and brave:
Will fneaks, a fcriv'ner, an exceeding knave.
Is he a churchman? Then he's fond of power;
A quaker? fly: A prefbyterian? four:
A fmart free thinker? All things in an hour.
Manners with fortunes, humors turn with climes,
Tenets with books, and principles with times.
Search then the ruling paffion. There, alone,
The wild are conftant, and the cunning known.

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DESCRIPTION of a STORM of HAIL.
LONG rush'd the victors o'er the fanguine field,
And scarce were Gibeon's loftieft fpires beheld;
When up the weft, dark clouds began to rife,
Sail'd o'er the hills and lengthened round the skies;
A ridge of folding fire, their fummits fhone,
But fearful blacknefs all beneath was thrown;
Swift round the fun the spreading gloom was hurl'd,
And night and folitude amaz'd the world.

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At once the voice of deep refounding gales'
Rung flow and folemn in the diftant vales;
Then through the groves and o'er the extended plain,
With ftormy rage the rapid whirlwinds ran.
Red o'er the glimmering hills with pomp divine,
The lightning's flaming path began to shine;
Far round the immenfe, unufual thunders driven,
Proclaim'd the onfet of approaching Heaven;
Aftonifh'd nature own'd the ftrange alarm,
And the world trembled at the impending storm.
O'er the dark fields aghaft Canaan ftream'd ;
Thick in their courfe the fcatter'd bucklers gleam'd;
Behind them, Joshua urg'd the furious car,

And tenfold horrors hovered round the war.

But when the chief the fpreading ftorm furvey'd,
And trac'd Almighty arms in Heaven difplay'd;
With piercing voice he gave the great command,
Stand fill, ye chofen fons, admiring stand!

Behold what awful fcenes in heaven arife!
Adore the power, that brightens in the skies!
Now God's tremendous arm afferts his laws;
Now bids his thunder aid the righteous caufe;
Shows man how virtue faves her chofen bands,
And points the vengeance doom'd for guilty lands.
Behold what flames fhoot forth what gloom afcends !
How nature trembles! how the concave rends !
How the clouds darken! fee, in yonder sky,

Their opening fkirts proclaim the Almighty nigh!
He fpoke, and from the north a rushing found

Roll'd thro the Heavens, and fhook the embattled ground,
Thron'd on a dark red cloud an angel's form
Sail'd awfully fublime, above the ftorm;
Half veil'd in mist, his countenance like a fun,
Inflam'd the clouds, and thro all ether fhone ;
Long robes of crimfon light behind him flow'd ;
His wings were flames; his locks were dy'd in blood;
Ten thousand fiery fhapes were round him driven,
And all the dazzling pomp of opening Heaven.
Now, fave Canaan's cries that feebly rung
Round the dark plain, a fearful filence hung;
Stretch'd in dire terror o'er the quivering band,

The etherial Vifion wav'd his fun bright hand;
At once from opening fkies, red flames were hurl'd,
And thunders, roll'd on thunders rock'd the world;
In one broad deluge funk the avenging hail,
And fill'd with tempeft, roar'd the hoary vale;
Fierce raging whirlwinds boundless nature blend ;
The ftreams rush back, the tottering mountains bend ;
Down the tall fteep their burfting fummits roll,
And cliffs on cliffs, hoarfe crafhing, rend the pole.
Far round the earth, a wild, drear horror reigns;
The high heavens heave, and roar the gloomy plains;
One fea of lightening all the region fills,

And waves of fire ride furging o'er the hills:
The nodding forefts plunge in flame around,
And with huge caverns gapes the fhuddering ground;
Swifter than rapid winds Canaan driven,
Refuse the conflict of embattled Heaven.
But the dire hail in vain the victims fly,
And death unbounded shook from all the sky.
The thunder's dark career the feraph's arm,
Fierce vengeance blazing down the immenfe of storm,
From falling groves to burning flames they flew ;
Hail roars around and angry hofts pursue ;
From shaking skies, Almighty arms are hurl'd,
And all the gloomy concave bursts upon the world.

ADDRESS to the DEITY.

FATHER of light exhaustless source of good!
Supreme, eternal, felf-exiftent GOD!

Before the beamy fun difpens'd a ray,

Flam'd in the azure vault, and gave the day,
Before the glimmering moon, with borrow'd light,
Shone queen amid the filver host of night,
High in the Heavens, thou reign'ft fuperior Lord,
By fuppliant angels worship'd and ador'd.
With the celestial choir then let me join,
In cheerful praifes to the Power Divine.
To fing thy praife, do thou O God! inspire
A mortal breast with more than mortal fire.
In dreadful majefty thou fit'ft enthron'd,
With light encircled and with glory crown'd :.

Through all infinitude extends thy reign,

For thee nor Heaven, nor Heaven of Heavens contain ; But though thy throne is fix'd above the sky,

Thy omniprefence fills immenfity.

Saints rob'd in white, to thee their anthems bring,
And radient martyrs hallelujahs fing:

Heav'ns univerfal host their voices raise
In one eternal concert to thy praife;

And round thy awful throne, with one accord,
Sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

At thy creative voice from ancient night,
Sprang fmiling beauty, and yon worlds of light :
Thou fpak'ft the planetary chorus roll'd,
Stupendous worlds! unmeasur'd and untold!
Let there be light, faid God-light inftant fhone,
And from the orient burst the golden fun;
Heavn's gazing hierarchs, with glad furprife,
Saw the firft morn inveft the recent skies,

And strait th' exulting troops thy throne furround;
With thoufand, thousand harps of rapt'rous found;
Thrones, powers, dominions (ever fhining trains!)
Shouted thy praises in triumphant strains;
Great are thy works, they fing, and all around,
Great are thy works, the echoing heav'ns resound.
Th' effulgent fun unfufferably bright,

Is but a ray of thy o'erflowing light;

The tempeft is thy breath; the thunder hurl'd
Tremendous roars thy veangeance o'er the world;
Thon bow'ft the Heav'ns, the fmoaky mountains ned,
Rocks fall to duft, and nature owns her God!
Pale tyrants fhrink, the Athiest stands aghast,
And impious kings in horror breathe their laft.
To this great God, alternately, I'd pay,
The evening anthem and the morning lay.

A MORNING HYMN.

FROM night, from filence and from death,

Or death's own form myfterious fleep,
I wake to life, to light and health;
Thus me doth Ifrael's Watchmen keep.
Sacred to him in grateful praife,

Be this devoted tranquil hour,
While Him, fupremely good and great,
Wit rapt'rous homage I adore.
What mufic breaks from yonder copfe?
The plumy fongfters, artlefs lay;
Melodious fongfters, nature taught!
That warbling hail the dawning day.
Shall man be mute while inftinct fings ?
Nor human breaft with transports rife ?
O for an univerfal hymn,

To join the chorus of the fkies!
See yon refulgent lamp of day,
With unabating glory crown'd,
Rejoicing in his giant ftrength,
To run his daily deftin'd round.
So may I ftill perform thy will,
Great Sun of Nature and of Grace!
Nor wander devious from thy law;
Nor faint in my appointed race.

What charms difplay the unfolding flowers?
How beauteous glows the enamell'd mead?
More beauteous ftill the heaven wrought robe,
Of pureft white and fac'd with red.
The fun exhales the pearly dews,
Thofe brilliant fky fhed tears that mourn
His nightly lofs till from earth's cheek
They're kifs'd away by pitying morn.
For laps'd mankind what friendly tears,
Bent on our weal did angels fhed?
Bound, bound our hearts, to think those tears
Made fruftrate all when Jefus bled?
Arabia wafts from yonder grove
Delicious odors in the gale;

And with her breeze borne fragrance greets,

Each circumjacent hill and dale.

As incenfe may my morning fong,

A fweetly fmelling favor rife,

Perfum'd with Gilead's precious balm,
To make it grateful to the skies.

And when from death's long fleep I wakes
To natures renovating day,

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