When the grave houfhold round his hall repair,
Warn'd by a bell, and close the hours with pray'r.
At length the world renew'd by calm repose
Was ftrong for toil, the dapple morn arose;
Before the pilgrims part, the younger crept
Near the clos'd cradle where an infant flept,
And writh'd his neck:-the landlord's little pride
(O ftrange return!) grew black, and gasp'd, and dy’d.
Horror of horrors! what! his only fon;
How look'd our hermit when the fact was done?
Not hell, tho' hell's black jaws in funder part,
And breathe blue fire, could more affault his heart.
Confus'd, and ftruck with filence at the deed,
He flies, but trembling fails to fly with speed.
His steps the youth purfues; the country lay
Perplex'd with roads, a fervant fhew'd the way:
A river crofs'd the path; the paflage o'er
Was nice to find; the fervant went before;
Long arms of oak an open bridge supply'd,
And deep the waves beneath the bending glide.
The youth, who seem'd to watch a TIME to SIN,
Approach'd the careless guide, and thrust him in ;
Plunging he falls, and rifing lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and sinks among the dead.
Wild fparkling rage inflames the father's eyes,
He burfts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
Detefted wretch !-But fcarce his fpeech began,
When the ftrange partner feem'd no longer man:
His youthful face grew more ferenely sweet,
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon his feet;
Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair,
Celestial odours breathe in purpled air;
And wings whose colours glitter like the day,
Wide at his back their dazzling plumes display.
The form etherial burfts upon his fight,
And moves in all the majefty of light.
Tho' loud at first the pilgrim's paffion grew,
Sudden he gaz'd, and wift not what to do:
Surprize in fecret chains his words fufpends,
And in a calm his fettling temper ends.
But filence here the beauteous angel broke,
(The voice of music ravish'd as he spoke.)
Thy prayer, thy praise, thy life to vice unknown, In fweet mémorial rise before the throne.
These charms fuccefs in our bright region find,
And force an angel down to calm thy mind;
For this, commiffion'd I forfook the sky,
Nay, ceafe to kneel-thy fellow-fervant I.
Then know the truth of government divine,
And let these fcruples be no longer thine.
The Maker juftly claims that world he made,
In this the right of providence is laid;
Its facred majefty thro' all depends,
On ufing second means to work his ends:
'Tis thus withdrawn in ftate from human eye,
The power exerts his attributes on high;
Your actions uses, nor controuls your will,
And bids the doubting fons of men be still.
What strange events can ftrike with more furprize, Than those which lately ftruck thy wond'ring eyes?
Yet taught by these, confefs th' Almighty just,
And where you can't unriddle, learn to trust!
The great vain man, who far'd on coftly food,
Whose life was too luxurious to be good;
Who made his iv'ry stands with goblets fhine,
And forc'd his guests to morning draughts of wine;
Has, with the cup, the graceless custom loft,
And still he welcomes, but with less of coft.
The mean fufpicious wretch, whofe bolted door
Ne'er mov'd in duty to the wand'ring poor;
With him I left the cup, to teach his mind
That heaven can blefs, if mortals will be kind;
Confcious of wanting worth, he views the bowl,
And feels compaffion touch his grateful foul.
Thus artifts melt the fullen ore of lead,
With heaping coals of fire upon its head;
In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,
And loose from drofs the filver runs below.
Long had our pious friend in virtue trod,
But now the CHILD half-wean'd his foul from God;
(Child of his age) for him he liv'd in pain,
And meafur'd back his fteps to earth again.
To what exceffes had his dotage run?
But GOD, to fave the FATHER, took the SON;
To all but thee, in fits he feem'd to go,
(And 'twas my miniftry to deal the blow.)
The poor fond parent, humbled in the duft,
Now owns in tears the punishment was juft.
But how had all his fortune felt a wreck,
Had that falfe fervant fped in fafety back!
This night his treafur'd heaps he meant to fteal;
And what a fund of charity would fail!
Thus heaven inftructs thy mind: this trial o'er, Depart in peace, resign, and fin no more.
On founding pinions here the youth withdrew,
The fage ftood wond'ring as the seraph flew:
Thus look'd Elisha, when to mount on high
His mafter took the chariot of the sky;
The fiery pomp ascending, left the view;
The prophet gaz'd, and wish'd to follow too.
The bending hermit here a pray'r begun,
Lord! as in heaven, on earth thy will be done.
Then gladly turning fought his ancient place,
And spent a life of piety and peace.
"AVE angels finn'd, and fhall not man beware? How fhall a fon of earth decline the fnare? Not folded arms, and flackness of the mind, Can promise for the fafety of mankind : None are fupinely good: thro' care and pain, And various arts, the fteep afcent we gain. This is the feat of combat, not of rest; Man's is laborious happiness at best. On this fide death his dangers never cease,. His joys are joys of conqueft, not of peace.
ILT thou, fupreme JEHOVAH ! condescend To be my guide, my father, and my friend? Dare I, thus guilty, once presume to claim Or hope a refuge in thy facred name? I, who fo often from thy precepts ftray'd, Enjoy'd thy gifts, nor grateful homage paid; When GRACE and REASON to affift were near, And I, ungrateful, turn'd the deafen'd ear! Thy preservations are an endless train, And yet how few in memory remain ! Thy mercy boundless! as thy love was free, No innate caufe for fuch regards in me; No excellence, no human acts of mine, But ere the worlds were, a DECREE of thine! If aught of WORTH my guilty nature claim, From JESU's fide that worth IMPUTED came, If great my guilt, redeeming love's more bright, As day more radiant, when oppos'd to night. I plead his merits-thence my humble claim, To hope protection in thy facred name. O, for his fake, impart thy fpecial aid, While here I traverfe life's declining shade! And when my wand'rings end-permit my soul To gain thy courts above yon ftarry pole: There with the heavenly host my voice I'll raise, To fing thy wonders, and exalt thy praise.
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