THE CHRISTIAN HERO.
IM
MMORTAL God! whom men and angels own,
Thro' boundless first and last, I AM, alone!
Who fhall, approv❜d, thy fearching test endure?
Or in thy blissful realms a place fecure-
He, who with care the word divine furveys,
And by the gospel-rule directs his ways;
Who looks to JESUS as his only guide,
And hopes to live because his SAVIOUR died:
O power fupreme! whence every gift proceeds,
Affift my mufe to fing his wond'rous deeds:
Say, whence fuch courage to the CHRISTIAN given,
As spurns the earth, and bursts the gates of heaven?
Afham'd fo long a flave to fiends below,
And forc'd the downward way to endless woe;
He breaks his bands, and snaps th' infernal chain,
And back for happier regions turns again.
Now conqueft after conquest greets his eyes,
And battle after battle SATAN flies;
Till the whole man is to obedience brought,
And CHRIST, as Lord, prefides in every thought.
Now love, zeal, fear-dart forth their pow'rful rays,
Add beam to beam, and croud into a blaze;
Mortals admiring, every virtue fcan,
Revere th' ALMIGHTY, and approve the MAN;
Get round, in lift'ning throngs to hear him tell,
How bright the truth that guides his steps fo well;
Pleas'd
Pleas'd he relates the deeds his Lord hath done,
His high atchievements, and his battles won:
How he fubdu'd the proud infernal king,
And took from grifly DEATH his baneful sting;
In their own regions triumph'd o'er his foes,
Then left the darkfome fhades and greatly rofe.
Next, he ecftatic tells the blifs above,
The immediate vifion, the feraphic love,
The growing raptures of that facred place,
Where faints behold JEHOVAH face to face.
And while he fings tranfcendent glories there,
The heavenly music charms th' attentive ear;
Mortals attend, renounce the ways of fin,
Weep o'er paft faults, and upright lives begin.
Nor does his goodness end in things above,
For earthly things alike display his love;
His lib'ral hands to others wants extend,
And while he has, the POOR can't want a friend;
The wounded foul in him finds kind redress,
Th' afflicted widow, and the fatherless;
All he can give his needy brethren share,
And what he cannot give, he begs in prayer.
These pious deeds alarm the realms of dread,
And SATAN, trembling, rears his frightful head;
Sees the bold HERO fkim the heavenly way,
And thro' his regions scatter deep dismay;
Nor dares approach in this furprising strait,
To quell the foe, or fave his finking ftate:
Yet dreadful counfels, dreadful fears impart,
And forces vanquish'd, ftrength gives place to art.
The
The ferpent's feed is fummon'd from below,
To intercept the SAINT, and work his woe;
Storms after ftorms arife!the HERO's griev'd
By MEN his bounteous hands have oft reliev'd;
By MEN, their hellish parents perfect spawn,
Who, like him know, when beft to frown or fawn:
Now, feeming friends would balmy fweets afford,
Now, raging foes whirl round the glitt❜ring sword;
Here, wily HYPOCRITES intreat to turn,
And there, true fons of ROME cry——do, or burn.
Yet, tho' in murd'rous hands with woes oppreft,
No object dread, no rage difturbs his breaft;
But, while they scorn, he's finging heavenly lays,
And while they loud blafpheme-behold, he prays!
If GOD, to prove him, wonted aid denies, Afflicts with scorpions, or the fcourge applies; He owns his hand, fubmiffive, like a son, And fays no more, but-LORD, thy will be done! 'Tis true, he's plunged into deepest woes When JESUS frowns, and wrath eternal glows; "Tis then he pours out all his foul in tears, 'Tis then his GOD difpels his gloomy fears.
Thus does th' immortal man of heavenly birth, Purfue his warfare thro' this venal earth: Forgetting what's behind, he looks before, And longs, and strives, to reach the blissful fhore; Nor longs nor ftrives in vain ;-the prize is won! His race is finifh'd, and his work is done! Swift on a cherub's wings the HERO flies, And flaming legions guard him thro' the fkies:
The blazing portals of the realms of day,
At his approach, fly ope' to speed his way;
And fhining SAINTS in joyful crouds appear,
Commend his deeds, and bid him welcome there.
At laft, before IMMANUEL's throne he's brought,
And hears-WELL DONE-for every battle fought.
Receives the crown, and takes his blest abode,
Where ftreams of life make glad the Sons of GOD.
Nor are his glories to that world confin❜d,
But an exalted fplendor ftays behind;
His worthy deeds, age does to age proclaim,
And childrens children join to bless his name;
Or, if a FEMALE thus obtains the prize,
Hark! how her fame thro' future ages Alies!
-There's many daughters worthy deeds have done,
But thou, in thine, excell'ft them every one.
ON CHARITY.
TH
HOU heaven-born gift of more exalted kind! Thou spotless virtue of the christian mind! Each other act inferior far to thee,
Shrinks with its causes, and refrains to be:
But thou affert'ft thy kindred birth from high,
Sublimely bright, beyond the power to die.
THOUGHTS ON PHILIP. 1. XXIII.
I AM IN A STRAIGHT BETWEEN TWO, HAVING A DESIRE TO BE DISSOLVED, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.
FROM HUGO.
Ho
OW fhall I do to fix my doubtful love? Shall I remain below, or foar above? HERE, earth detains me, and retards my flight, THERE, heaven invites me to sublime delight: Heaven calls aloud, and bids me haste away, While earth allures, and gently whispers, stay! But hence thou fly inchantress of my heart! I'll break thy fetters, and despise thy art. Haste, haste, kind fate, unlock my prifon door! Were I releas'd, my foul aloft should foar? See, LORD! my struggling arms tow'rds thee are sent, And strive to grasp thee in their wide extent. Oh! had I power to mount above the pole, And touch the centre of my longing foul! Tho' torn in funder as I raptur'd flee,
I'd lose one half, might t'other reach but thee.
But thou above derid'ft my weak defigns,
And ftill oppofeft what thy word injoins.
Vainly I beg what thou doft ftill deny,
And stretch my hands to reach what's plac'd too high.
Oft to myself falfe hopes of thee I feign,
And think thou kindly com'ft to break my chain.
Now,
|