To leaflefs fhrubs the flow'ry palms fucceed,
And od'rous myrtle to the noifom weed.
The lambs with wolves fhall graze the verdant mead,
And boys in flow'ry bands the tiger lead;
The fteer and lion at one crib fhall meet,
And harmless ferpents lick the pilgrim's feet.
The fmiling infant in his hand fhall take
The crefted bafilifk and fpeckled fnake,
Pleas'd the green luftre of the scales furvey,
And with their forky tongue fhall innocently play.
Rife, crown'd with light, imperial Salem, rife!
Exalt thy tow'ry head, and lift thy eyes!
See a long race thy fpacious courts adorn;
See future fons, and daughters yet unborn,
In crouding ranks on ev'ry fide arise,
Demanding life, impatient for the skies!
See barb'rous nations at thy gates attend,
Walk in thy light, and in thy temple bend;
See thy bright altars throng'd with proftrate kings,
And heap'd with products of Sabæan springs !
For thee Idume's fpicy forests blow,
And feeds of gold in Ophir's mountains glow.
See heav'n its sparkling portals wide display,
And break upon thee in a flood of day!
No more the rifing fun fhall gild the morn,
Nor ev'ning Cynthia fill her filver horn;
But loft, diffolv'd in thy fuperior rays,
One tide of glory, one unclouded blaze
O'erflow thy courts: the light himself shall shine
Reveal'd, and God's eternal day be thine!
The feas fhall wafte, the fkies in fmoke decay,
Rocks fall to duft, and mountains melt away;
But fix'd his word, his faving pow'r remains;
Thy realm for ever lafts, thy own Meffiah reigns!
ATHER of all! in ev'ry age,
In ev'ry clime ador'd,
By faint, by favage, and by sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!
Thou great firft caufe, leaft underflood:
Who all my fense confin'd
To know but this, that thou art good,
And that myself am blind;
Yet gave me, in this dark eftate,
To see the good from ill;
And binding nature faft in fate,
Left free the human will.
What confcience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,
This, teach me more than hell to shun,
That, more than heav'n pursue.
What bleffings thy free bounty gives,
Let me not cast away;
For God is paid when man receives,
'T' enjoy is to obey.
Yet not to earth's contracted fpan
Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round:
Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Prefume thy bolts to throw,
And deal damnation round the land,
On each I judge thy foe.
If I am right, thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay :
If I am wrong, oh teach my
To find that better way.
Save me alike from foolish pride,
Or impious difcontent,
At aught thy wisdom has deny'd,
Or aught thy goodness lent.
Teach me to feel another's woe,
To hide the fault I fee;
That mercy I to others fhow,
That mercy fhow to me.
Mean tho' I am, not wholly fo,
Since quick'ned by thy breath;
O lead me wherefoe'er I
Thro' this day's life or death,
D 4
This day, be bread and peace my lot:
All elfe beneath the fun,
Thou know'ft if beft beftow'd or not,
And let thy will be done.
To thee, whofe temple is all space,
Whofe altar, earth, fea, fkies!
One chorus let all being raife!
All nature's incenfe rife!
|