Dona praefentis rape laetus horae, ac

Linque fevera.

HORAT,

But thou, oh Nymph retir’d and coy!

My woes here shall clofe ne'er, In what brown hamlet dost thou joy

But with the closing tomb! To tell thy tender tale?

lappy! ye sons of busy life, The lowliest children of the ground,

Who, equal to the bustling strife, Mofs-rose and violet, blossom round,

No other viewiegırd! And lily of the vale.

Ev'n when the wished end 's denied, o say what foft propitious hour

Yet, while the busy means are plied, I belt may choose to hail thy pow's,

They bring their own reivard: And court thy gentle fivay?

Whilit I, a hope-abandun'd wight, When Autumn, friendly to the Muse,

Untitted win an aim, Shall thy own modest tints diffuse,

Meet ov'ry fui returning night And ihed thy inilder day :

And joylet, morn the came. When Eve, her dewy star beneath,

You, butlin, and jurtling,

Forget cach grief and pain;
Thy balmy spirit loves to breathe,

I, littlets yet reilers,
And ev'ry storm is laid;
If such an hour was e'cr thy choice,

Find ev'ry profpeet vain.
Oft let me hear thy soothing voice

How blest le Solitary's lot, Low whisp’ring thro’ the shade.

Whio, all-forgetting, all-forgot,

Within this humble cell,

The cavern wild with tangling roots, § 56. To Wijdom. Mrs. BARBAULD.

Sits o'er his newly-gather'd fruits,

Beside hi, cryftal well! WISDOM! if thy foft controul

Or haply to his cr’ning thought, Can footh the sickness of the soul,

By unfrequented stream, Can bid the warring pallions cease,

The ways of men are diftant brouglie, And breathe the calm of tender peace;

A faint-collected dreain: Wisdom ! I bless thy gentle fway,

While prailing, and railing And ever, ever will obey.

His thoughts to Heav'n on high, But if thou com'st with frown austere

As wand'ring, incand'ring, To nurse the brood of care and fear;

Ile vicw's the folemn iky. To bid our sweetest paflious dic,

Than I, no lonely Hermit plac'd And leave us in their room a sigh;

W'here never human footstep trac'd, Or if thine aspect stern have pow'r

Lofs fit to play the part, To wither each poor transient flow'r

The lucky moment to improve, That cheers this pilgrimage of woe,

And just to ftop, and just to mo!c, And dry the springs whence hope should flow "; With felf-reípecting art : Wisdom, thine empire I disclaim,

But ah! those picatures, loves, and joys, Thoi empty boast of pompous naine !

Which I tco kcerly taite, In gloomy shade of cloisters dwell,

The Solitary can detpise, But never haunt my cheerful cail.

Can want, and vet be blert! Hail to pleasure's frolic train !

He needs mor, he needs rot, Hail to fancy's golden reign!

Or liumzu lore or hate; Festive mirth, and laughter wild,

Whilft I herc, must cry here, Free and sportful as the child!

At perfidy ingrate! Hope with eager sparkling cyes,

Oh! enviable car.y days, And easy faith, and fond Turprise !

When dancing thoughtie's Picasure's maze, Let thele, in fairy colours drest,

To Care, to Guilt unknown ! For ever share my careless brcait :

How ill exchang'd for riper times, Then, tho' wife I may not be,

To feel the follies or the crimes The wife themselves ihall envy me.

Of others, or my own!

Ye tiny elves, that guiltless sport § 57. Despondency. An Orde. Burns. Like linnets in the buth, OPPRESS'D with grief, opprefs'd with care,

Ye little know the ills

ye court, A burden more ihan I can bear,

When manhood is

your with! I fit me down and figh:

The loilcs, the cronics, O life! thou art a galling load,

That active man engage ; Along a rough, a weary road,

The fears all, the tears all,
To wretches such as I!

Of din declining age !
Dm-backward as I caft my view,
What fick'ning scenes appear!

§ 58. Tre fruilty and Folly of Man. PRIOR.
What forrows yet may pierce me through, GREAT Hear'n! how frail tl.y creature Man
Too jultly may fear!
Still cariny, despairing,

llow by himself insensibly bctray'd! Must be my bitter dcom;

In

:

a

retreat.

In our own strength unhappily secure, How shall a child presume to sing
Too little cautious of the adverse pow'r;

His dreadful Majetty!
And, by the blaft of self-opinion mov'd,

How

great his pow'r is, none can tell, We wish to charm, and seek to be belov'd. Nor think how large his grace; 0. pleasure's flow'ry brink we idly stray, Not men below, nor saints that dwell Maders as yet of our returning way:

On high before his face. Secing no danger, we difarm our mind,

Not angels, that stand round the Lord, And give our conduct to the waves and wind :

Can scarch his secret will;
Then in the flow'ry mcad, or verdant shade,

But they perforin his heav'nly word,
To wanton dalliance negligently laid,
We weave the chaplet, and we crown the bowl, Then let me join this holy train,

And sing his praises till.
And smiling see the nearer waters roll ;
Till the strong guits of raging passion rise,

And my first off rings bring;

Th'xternal God will not disdain
Till the dire tempeft mingles carth and skies;

To hcar an infant ling.
Ard, swift into the boundlefs ocean borne,
Our foolith confidence too late we mourn: My heart resolves, my tongue obeys;
Round our devoted heads the billows beat; And angels thall rejoice
And from our troubled view the leflen'd lands To hear their mighty Maker's praise

Sound from a fecble voice.

Praise for Creation and Providence, $59. A Par apbrase on the latter Part of the Sixib Chapter of St. Mattbew. THOMSON.

I SING th' almighty pow'r of God,

That made the mountains rise ;
WHENmy breast labours with oppreflive care, That spread the flowing feas abroad,

Ando'er my cheek defcends the falling tear; And built the lofty ikies !
While all my warring passions are at strife,
Oh let me listen to the words of life!

I sing the Wisdom that ordain'd

The sun to rule the day;
Raptures deep-felt his doctrine did impart,
And thus he rais'd from earth the drooping

heart:

The moon fhincs full at his command,

And all the stars obey.
Think not, when all your scanty stores afford
Is spread at once upon the sparing board;

I sing the goodness of the Lord,
Think not, when worn the homely robe appears, He forin'd the creatures with his word,

That fill'd the earth with food;
While on the roof the howling tempeft bears;
What farther shall this feeble lifo sustain,

And then pronounc'd them good.
Ard what hall clothe these thiv'ring limbs again. Lord, how thy wonders are display'd,
Say, does not life its nourishment exceed? Where'er I turn mine eye !
And the fair body its investing weed :

If I survey the ground I tread,
Behold! and look away your low despair- Or gazc upon the sky;
See the light tenants of the barren air:

There's not a plant or flow'r below
To them nor stores nor granaries belong,

But makes thy glories known;
Nougat but the woodland and the plealing fong; And clouds arife, and tempelis blow,
Yer your kind heav'nly rather bends his eye By order from thy throne.
On the leaft wing that fits along the sky, Creatures (as nuin'rous as they be)
To him they fing when fpring renews the plain, Are subject to thy care ;
To him they cry in winter's pinching reign;
Nur is their music or their plaint in vain :

There's not a place where we can flee,

But God is present there.
He hears the gay and the distressful call,
And with unsparing bounty fills them all.

In heav'n he shines with beams of love,
Observe the rising lily's snowy grace,

With wrath in hell beneath !

'Tis on his earth I stand or move, Obferre the various vegetable race;

And 'tis his air I breathe.
They neither toil nor fpin, but carelefs grow,
! Yet see how warm they bluth! how bright they His hand is my perpetual guard :
glow!

He kceps me with his eye :
Tegal vestments can with them compare? Why should I then forget the Lord,
What king so ihining, or what queen fo fair?

Who is for ever nigh?
If ceaseless thus the fowls of heaven he feeds,

Praise to God for our Redemption.
If o'er the fields such lucid robes he spreads,

BLEST be the wisdom and the pow'r,
Will he not care for you, ye faithless, lay? The justice and the grace,
Is he unwise? or are ye less than they? That join'd in council to restore

And save our ruin'd race!
$ 60. Songs of Praise. WATTS. Our father ate forbidden fruit,
A general Song of Praise to God,

And from his glory fell;
HOW glorious is our heay’nly King,

And we his children thus were brought Who reigns above the sky!

To dcąth, and near to hell.

}

What

Bleft be the Lord that sent his Son

I would not change my native land
To take our flesh and blood !

For rich Peru, with all her gold :
He for our lives gave up.
his own,

A nobler prize lies in my hand
To make our peace with God.

Than East or Western Indies hold.
Hc honour'd all his Father's law's,

How do I pity those that dwell
Which we have disobey'd;

Where ignorance or darkness reigns!
He bore our fins upon the cross,

They know no hcav'n, they fcar no hell,
And our full ransom paid.

Those endless joys, thosc endlefs pains.
Behold him rising from the grave;

Thy glorious promises, O Lord,
Behold him rais'd on high :

Kindle my hopes and my desire;
He pleads his merit, there to save

While all the preachers of thy word
Transgressors doom'd to die.

Warn me to 'scape eternal fire.
There on a glorious thronc he reigns,

Thy praise fhall fill employ my breath,
And by his pow'r divine

Since thou hast mark'd my way to heav'n ;
Redeems us from the Navish chains

Nor will I run the road to death,
Of Satan and of lin.

And waste the blellings thou hast giv'n.
Thence shall the Lord to judgment come,

Praise for the Gospel
And with a lov'reign voice
Shall call and break up ev'ry tomb,

LORD, I ascribe it to thy grace,
While waking laints rejoice.

And rot to chance, as others do,
O may I then with joy appear

That I was born of Christian race,
Before the Judge's face !

And not a Heathen or a Jew.
And, with the bless 'd alleinbly there,

What would the ancient Jewish kings
Sing his redeeming grace !

And Jewith prophets once have giv'n,
Praise for Mercies Spiritual and Temporal.

Could they have heard those glorious things

Which Christ reveal'd and brought from heav'n!
WHENE'ER I take my walks abroad,
How many poor I see!

How glad the Heathens would have been,
What shall I render to my God

That worship'd idols, wood and stone,
For all his gifts to me!

If they the book of God had seen,

Or Jesus and his gospel known!
Not more than others I deserre,
Yet God has giv'n me more ;

Then, if this gospel I refuse,
For I have food while others starve,

How thall I c'er lift up mine cyes !

For all the Gentiles and the Jews
Or beg from door to door.

Against me will in judgment rile.
How many children in the street
Half naked I behold !

Praise to God for learning to Read.
While I am cloth'd from head to feet,

THE praises of my tongue
And cover'd from the cold!

I offer to the Lord,

That I was taught, and learnt so
While some poor wretches scarce can tell

young,

To read his holy word.
Where they may lay their heaci,
I have a home wherein to dwell,

That I am brought to know
And reft upon my bed.

The danger I was in;
While others early learn to swear,

By nature, and by practice too,

A wretched llave to fin,
And curse, and lie, and steal,
Lord, I am taught thy name to fear,

That I am led to see
And do thy holy will.

I can do nothing well;

And whither shall a sinner fice
Arc these thy favours, day by day,

To save himself from hell?
To me above the rest?
Then let me love thee more than they,

Dear Lord, this book of thine
And try to serve thee best,

Informs me where to go

For grace to pardon all my fin,
Praise for Birth and Education in a Christian Land. And make me holy too.
GREAT God! to chce my voice I raise, Here I can read and learn,
To thee my youngest hours belong ;

How Christ, the Son of God,
I would begin my life with praise,

Did undertake our great concern ;
Till growing years improve the fung.

Our ransom cost his blood.
'Tis to thy sov'reign grace I owe

And now he reigns above,
That I was born on British ground;

He fonds his Spirit down
Where ftreams of heav'nly mercy flow,

To lhew the wonders of his lore,
And words of sweet salvation found.

And make his gospel known,

Om, o may

a

O may that Spirit teach,

I now for ever fear
And make my heart receive,

T''indulge a sinful thought,
Those truths, which all thy servants preach, Since the great God can see and hear,
And all thy saints believe !

And writes down ev'ry fault !
Then thall I praise the Lord,

In a more cheerful strain,
That I was taught to read his word,

§ 63. Solemn Thoughts concerning God and Dearb. And have not learnt in vain.

WATT

THERE is a God that reigns above, 9 61. The Excellency of the Bible demonftraled. Lord of the heav'ns, and earth, and seas:

Watts. I fear his wrath, I ask his love, REAT God, with wonder and with praise And with my lips I sing his praise. On all thy works I look ;

There is a law which he has writ, But still thy wisdom, pow's, and grace,

To teach us all what we must do: Shine brightest in thy book.

My soul, to his commands fubinit, The stars, that in their courses roll,

For they are holy, just, and true. Have much inftruction given ;

There is a gospel of rich grace, But thy good word informs my soul

Whence finners all their comforts draw; How I inay climb to heaven.

Lord, I repent, and seek thy face, The fields provide me food, and thew For I have often broke thy law. The goodness of the Lord;

There is an hour when I must die, But fruits of life and glory grow

Nor do I know how soon 't will come; In thy most holy word.

A thousand children, young as I,
Here are my choicest treasures hid,

Are called by death to hear their doom,
Here my best comfort lies:
Here my desires are satisfied,

Let me jimprove the hours I have,

Before the day of grace is filed; And hence my hopes arise.

There 's no repentance in the grave,
Lord, make me understand thy law,

Nor pardons offer'd to the dead.
Shew what my faults have been;
And from thy gospel let me draw

Just as the tree, cut down, that fell
Pardon for all my sin.

To north or fouthward, there it lies;

So man departs to heav'n or hell,
Here would I learn how Chrift has dicd

Fix'd in the Itate wherein he dies.
To save my soul from hell:
Not all the books on earth beside

$ 64. Heaven and Helle WATTE Such heav'nly wonders tell. Then let me love my Bible more,

THERE is beyond the sky

A heav'n of joy and love; And take a fresh delight

And holy children, when they dica Bi day to read these wonders o'er,

Go to that world above, And meditate by night.

There is a dreadful hell, $ 62. The All-feeing God. WATTS.

And everlasting pains;

There finners must with devils dwell, ALMIGHTY, God,

thy piercing eye Strikes thro' the shades of night,

In darkness, fire, and chains, And our most secret actions lie

Can such a wretch as I All open to thy light.

Escape this cursed end? There's not a sin that we commit,

And may I hope, whene'er I dic,

I shall to heay'n ascend?
Nor wickcd word we say,
But in thy dreadful book 'tis writ,

Then will I read and pray,
Against the judgment day.

While I have life and breath, And must the crimes that I have done

Left I should be cut off to-day,

And sent to eternal death.
Be read and publith'd therç?
Be all expos d before the Sun,
WEile men and angels hcar?

$ 65., The Advantages of early Religion. WATTS. Lord, at thy foot alhamd I lie;

HAPPY the child whose tender years Upward I dare not look:

Rcceive instructions well; Pardon my sins before I die,

Who hates the finner's path, and fears And blot them from thy book.

The road that leads to hell. Remember all the dying pains

When we devote our youth to God', That my Redeemer felt;

'Tis plealing in his eyes; And let his blood walls out my stains,

A fiow'r when offer'd in die bud And aniver for my guilt.

Is no vain sacrifice.

ܪ

lofe

a

'Tis eafier work, if we begin

Samuel the child was wean'd, and brought To fear the Lord betimes;

To wait upon the Lord; While sinners that grow old in sin

Young Timothy beriines was taught Are harden'd in their crimes.

To know his holy word. 'Twill save us from a thousand snares,

Then why should I so long delay To mind religion young;

What others learn to foon? Grace will preserve our following years,

I would not pass another day And make our virtue firong.

Without this work begun. To thee, almighty God, to thee,

Our childhood we refign; 'Twill please us to look back and fee

$ 65. Again Lying. WATTS. That our whole lives were thinc.

'Tis a lovely thing for youth Let the fiveet work of pray'r and praise

To walk betimes in wisdom's way; Employ my youngest breath ;

To fear a lie, to speak the truth, Thus I 'm prepar'd for longer days,

That we may truit to all they say. Or fit for early death.

But liars we can never trust,

Tho' they should speak the thing that 's true ! § 66. The Danger of Deluy. WATTS.

And he that docs one fault at first, WHY hould I say,

“'Tis yet too soon And lies to hide it, makes it two. “ To seek for Hcav'n, or think of death?" Have we not known, nor heard, nor read, A flow'r may fade before 'tis noon,

How God abhors deceit and wrong ? And I this day may my

breath.

How Ananias was struck dead,
If this rebellious heart of mine

Caught with a lie upon his tongue ?
Despise the gracious calls of Iscaven,
I

So did his wife Sapphira dic,
be hardend in my fin,
may
And never have repentance given.

When the came in, and grew fo bold

As to contirm that wicked lic
What if the Lord grow vroth, and sucar,

That just before her husband told.
While I refuse to read and pray,
That he'll refuse to lend an ear

The Lord delights in them that speak

The words of truth; but ev'rr liar To all my groans another day!

Must Inve his portion in the lake What if his dreadful anger burn,

That buros with brimnfione and with fire While I refuse his offerid

grace, And all his love to fury turn,

Then let me always watch my lips, And strike me dead upon the place!

Left I be struck to death and heil,

Sinec God a book of reck’ning keeps 'Tis dangerous to provoke a God!

For ev'ry lie that children scil.
His pow'r and vengeance none can tell:
One stroke of his almighty rod
Shall fend young finners quick to hell.

$69. Aguinfo narvelling and Fighting. W'ATTi. Then 'twill for ever be in vain To cry for pardon and for giace;

LET dogs delight to bark and bite, To with I had my time again,

For God hath made thiem fo ; Or hope to see my Maker's face!

Let bears and lions growl and light,

For 'tis their nature too : § 67 Examples of carly Picty. WATTS.

But, children, you should never lc:
WHAT bless'd examples do I find

Such angry patuions risc;
Writ in the word of truth,

Your litule hauds were never made
Of children that began to mind

To tear each other's eyes. Religion in their youth!

Let love through all your actions run, Jesus, who reigns above the sky,

And all your words be mild ; And keeps the world in awe,

Live like the blessed Virgin's Son,
Was once a child as young as I,

That swect and lovely Child.
And kept his Father's law.
At twelve years old he talk'd with men,

His soul was gentle as a lamb:

And, as his stature grew, (The Jews all wond'ring stand) Yet he obey'd his mother then,

He grew in favour both with man

And God his Father too.
And came at her command.
Children a sweet hofanpah fung,

Now, Lord of all, he reigns above;
And bless'd their Saviour's naine!

And from his hcav'nly throne They gave hiin honour with their tongue, He fees what children dwell in love, While scribes and priests blafpheme,

And marks thein for his own.