By its miraculous effusion, show'd
How great a pow'r he promis'd, and bestow'd;
Pow'r to reverse confusion, and impart
One living word to ev'ry honest heart.
Deaf to its influence the wicked stood,
And mock'd the just amazement of the good;
For want of sense, ascribing to new wine
Their joint acknowledgments of grace divine:
The world's devout epitome was taught,
And hid from pride the miracle, when wrought.
Known to the meek, but from the worldly wise, From scoffers hid, the wonderful supplies Of God's good spirit, now as near to men, Whose hearts are open to the truth, as then: Blest, in all climates, all conditions, they Who hear this inward teacher, and obey."
And hence the third distinctly glorious tie
Of love, which both are animated by:
All is one God, but he contains divine,
Living relations, evidently trine.
So far from hurting unity, that hence
The fulness rises of its perfect sense;
And ev'ry barren, spiritless dispute,
Against its truth, is pluck'd up by the root:
The faith is sólid to repose upon,
Father, Word, Spirit, undivided One;
By whom mankind, of threefold life possest,
Can live, and move, and have its being blest.
Not by three gods; or one supremely great,
With two inferiors; or the wild conceit,
God, Michael, Gabriel; or aught else, devis'd
For Christians, in no creature's name baptiz'd;
But of the whole inseparable Three,
Whose fertile Oneness causes all to be;
And makes an Heav'n thro' Nature's whole abyss, By its paternal, filial, spirit bliss.
ON TRINITY SUNDAY.
CO-EQUAL Trinity was always taught
By the divines most fam'd for pious thought:
The men of learning fill'd, indeed, the page
With dissonant disputes, from age to age;
But with themselves, so far as one can read,
About their schemes are not at all agreed;
When they oppos'd, by reason, or by wrath,
This grand foundation of the Christian faith.
For what more fundamental point, or grand,
Than our ascending Saviour's own command?
"Go and baptize all nations in the name"-
Of whom, or what? (For thence the surest aim
Of Christian doctrine must appear the most)
-The name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-
Our Lord's interpretation here we see,
Of "Thou shalt have no other gods but me”-
For can the phrase, so highly sacred, show The name of God to be omitted? No; By its essential Trinity exprest,
It show'd what faith Christ will'd to be profest:
One God the Jews had own'd; and one Supreme,
With others lower, was the pagan theme;
How one was true, and how Supreme prophan'd,
Our Lord's baptismal ordinance explain'd.
The one divinity of Father, Son,
And Spirit, teaches Christian thought to shun
Both pagan, and rabbinical mistake,
And understand what holy prophets spake;
Or in the ancient writings, or the new,
To which this doctrine is the sacred clue;
That so conducts us to the saving plan
Of true religion, as no other can.
For, were the Son's divinity deny'd,
The Father's must, of course, be set aside;
Or be a dark one-How can it be bright,
But by its own eternal, inborn light?
The glory of the Father is the Son,
Of all his powers begotten, or begun,
From all eternity; take Son away,
And what the Father can delight in, say.
The love, paternally divine, implies
Its proper object, whence it must arise,
That is, the Son: and so the filial too
Implies paternal origin in view;
ONE God the Father-certainly this term
Does not a barren deity affirm;
Without the Son; without the native light,
By which its fiery majesty is bright;
Without the spirit of the fire, and flame
Of life divine, eternally the same.
More one-than any thing beside can be,
Because of its inseparable three;
Which nothing can diminish, or divide,
Tho' it should break all unity beside;
For this, as self-begetting, self-begot,
And to itself proceeding, it can not.
This total oneness of its threefold bliss, Life, light, and joy of Nature's vast abyss, No tongue so well can utter, but the mind, That seeks for somewhat to object, may find; No end of questions, if we must contest A truth, by saints, of ev'ry age, exprest.
The church did always, always will, agree In its one worship of the Holy three; As taught, by Christ, that unity divine Was full and perfect, that is, unitrine: He said," Baptize all nations, and proclaim Of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the name." The holy! holy! holy! of the host Of Heav'n is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; Not holy-holier-and holiestBut one, triune, same holiness confest; One God, one loving, and beloved, Love; On Earth below ador'd, in Heav'n above.
One living fulness of all perfect good; Its own essential fountain, stream, and flood: And when, according to the Christian creed, Men worship God in spirit, word, and deed, Faith, hope, and love's triunity of grace, Will find, in their true, single heart, a place.
A CAUTION AGAINST DESPAIR. DESPAIR is a cowardly thing, And the spirit suggesting it bad; In spite of my sins I will sing, That mercy is still to be had.
For he that has shown it so far, As to give me a sensible heart,
How heinous soever they are, Delights in the merciful part.
By affliction, so heavy to bear,
He searches the wound he would cure; 'Tis his, to be kindly severe, 'Tis mine, by his grace to endure.
O! comfort thyself in his love, Poor sinful and sorrowful soul,
Who came, and still comes, from above, To the sick, that would fain be made whole.
Who said, and continues to say, In the deep of a penitent breast,
"Come sinner, to me come away, I'll meet thee, and bring thee to rest,"
A refusal to come is absurd; I'll put myself under his care; I'll believe his infallible word, And never, no never despair.
A PENITENTIAL SOLILOQUY.
WHAT! tho' no objects strike upon the sight!
Thy sacred presence is an inward light!
What! tho' no sounds shall penetrate the ear!
To list'ning thought the voice of truth is clear!
Sincere devotion needs no outward shrine;
The centre of an humble soul is thine!
There may I worship! and there may'st thou place
Thy seat of mercy, and thy throne of grace!
Yea fix, if Christ my advocate appear,
The dread tribunal of thy justice there:
Let each vain thought, let each impure desire
Meet, in thy wrath, with a consuming fire.
Whilst the kind rigours of a righteous doom
All deadly filth of selfish pride consume,
Thou, Lord! can'st raise, tho' punishing for sin,
The joys of peaceful penitence within:
Thy justice and thy mercy both are sweet,
That make our suff'rings and salvation meet.
Befall me, then, whatever God shall please! His wounds are healing, and his griefs give ease: He, like a true physician of the soul, Applies the medicine that may make it whole: I'll do, I'll suffer whatsoe'er he wills;
I see his aim thro' all these transient ills.
'Tis to infuse a salutary grief,
To fit the mind for absolute relief:
That purg'd from ev'ry false and finite love,
Dead to the world, alive to things above,
The soul may rise, as in its first form'd youth,
And worship God in spirit and in truth.
Just the reverse of this would Satan say,
That men should always faint, and never pray:
He wants to drive poor sinners to despair;
And Christ to save them by prevailing pray'r.
The judge, who feared neither God nor man,
Despis'd the widow when she first began
Her just request; but she, continuing on
The same petition, wearied him anon;
He could not bear to hear her praying still,
And did her justice, tho' against his will.
Can perseverance force a man, unjust,
To execute, however loth, his trust?
And will not God, whose fatherly delight
Is to save souls, so precious in his sight,
Hear his own offspring's persevering call,
And give the blessing which he has for all?
Yes, to be sure, he will; the lying no
Is a downright temptation of the foe;
Who first emboldens sinners to presume,
As if a righteous judgment had no room;
And, having led them into grievous faults,
With the despair of mercy, then, assaults.
Dear soul, if thou hast listen'd to the lies
Which, at the first, the tempter would devise,
Let him not cheat thee with a second snare,
And drag thee into darkness, by despair;
Pray, against all his wiles, for God will hear,
And will avenge thee of him, never fear.
He gives the grace to sorrow for thy sin, The sign of kindling penitence within; Let not the smoke disturb thee, for, no doubt, The light and flame will follow, and break out; And love arise to overcome restraint,
That thou may'st always pray, and never faint.
ON READING THE 5th AND 8th VERSES OF THE 37th PSALM.
Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure: Fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil. V. 8.
IN Psalm, this evening order'd to be read,
"Fret not thyself”—the royal psalmist said.
His reason why, succeeding words instill;
Or else, says he, " 'twill move thee to do ill."
Now tho' I know that fretting does no good,
Its evil movement have I understood?
Move to do evil! then, dear soul of mine,
Stir it not up, if that be its design:
Its being vain is cause enough to shun;
But if indulg'd, some evil must be done:
And thou, according to the holy king,
AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO EARNEST AND Must be the doer of this evil thing.
IMPORTUNATE PRAYER.
Luke 18, 1. And he spake a parable unto them, to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
A blessed truth for parable to paint,
That men should always pray, and never faint!
Men use thee ill-that fault is theirs alone; But if thou use thyself ill, that's thy own: Meekness and patience is much better treasure; Then leave off wrath, and let go all displeasure: Tho' thou art ever so ill treated-yetRemember David, and forbear to fret.
Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him, and he will bring it to pass. V. 5.
"Commit thy way unto the Lord"-Resign
Thyself entirely to the will divine:
All real good, all remedy for ill,
Lies in conforming to his blessed will:
By all advice that holy books record,
Thou must "commit thy way unto the Lord."
"And put thy trust in him"-all other trust, Plac'd out of him, is foolish and unjust: His loving kindness is the only ground, Where solid peace and comfort can be found: What other prospects either sink, or swim, Do thou stand firm, and "put thy trust in him." “And he will bring thy way to pass"-the whole Of all that thou canst wish for to thy soul: He wills to give it, and thy seeking mind, By faith and patience, cannot fail to find: To him, whatever good desire it has, Commit and trust, and he will bring to pass.
FROM THE AUTHOR TO HIS SISTER, WITH THE FOREGOING SOLILOQUY ENCLOSED.
DEAR SISTER, If soliloquy conduce, (Meant, as the name declares, for private use) To your contentment-if such kind of fruit Pleases your taste, you're very welcome to 't: Tho' pluck'd, one day in April, from the ground, It keeps, in pickle, all the seasons round.
'Tis summer, now, and autumn comes anon; Winter succeeds, and spring when that is gone; But be it winter, summer, autumn, spring, To nurture fretting is a simple thing: A weed so useless, to the use of reason, Can, absolutely, never be in season.
Without much nursing, that the weed will grow, I wish I had some reason less to know; Some less to see, how folly, when it grew In my own ground, could cultivate it too: Could hedge it round, and cherish, and suppose That, being mine, the thistle was a rose.
You know the saying, of I know not whom, "Little misfortunes serve till greater come;" And saying, somewhere met with, I recall, "That 't is the greatest to have none at all:" Rare case perhaps; they reach, we often see, All sorts of persons, him, her, you, or me.
"This being then," Experience says, What kind of conduct must a man embrace?" My 'pothecary, as you think, replies"Pray take 'em quietly, if you be wise; Bitter they are, 'tis true, to flesh and blood; But if they were not-they would do no good."
One time, when 'pothecary Patience found That his persuasion got but little ground, He call'd in doctor Gratitude, to try If his advice could make me to comply;
"I recommended patience, sir," said he,
Pray will you speak, for he regards not me."
"Patience! a custard lid" said Dr. Grat. "His case wants, plainly, something more than 'Tis a good recipe-but cure is longer [that; Than it should be; we must have something stronger:
A creeping pulse!—bare patience will not doTo get him strength, he must be thankful too.
"He must consider"-and so on he went,
To show thanksgiving's marvellous extent;
And what a true catholicon it was;
And what great cures it had but brought to pass;
And how best fortunes, wanting it, were curst;
And how it turn'd to good the very worst.
O what a deal he said!-and in the light,
But like good doctrine, of some good divine,
Wherein he plac'd it, all was really right:
Which, while 'tis preach'd, is admirably fine,
When doctor Gratitude bad left the spot,
All that he said was charming-and forgot.
Your doctor's potion, patience, and the bark,
May hit both mental, and material mark;
One serves to keep the ague from the mind,
As t'other does, from its corporeal rind:
There is, methinks, in their respective growth,
A fair analogy betwixt 'em both.
For what the bark is to the growing tree,
To human mind, that, patience seems to be;
They hold the principles of growth together,
And blunt the force of accident, and weather;
Bar'd of its bark, a tree, we may compute,
Will not remain much longer on its root.
And mind in mortals, that are wisely will'd,
Will hardly bear to have its patience peel'd:
Nothing, in fine, contributes more to living,
Physic, or food, than patience and thanksgiving;
Patience defends us from all outward hap;
Of inward life thanksgiving is the sap.
WRITTEN UNDER A PRINT, REPRESENTING THE
SALUTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
SEE represented here, in light and shade,
The angel's visit to the blessed maid;
To Mary, destin'd, when the time should come,
To bear the Saviour in her virgin womb;
Explaining to her the mysterious plan
Of man's redemption-his becoming man.
When ev'ry previous wonder had been done,
The Virgin then was to conceive a Son;
And, to prepare her for the grand event,
From God his Father Gabriel was sent,
To hail the chosen organ of his birth
Of God with us,-of Jesus upon Earth.
Unable to express celestial things
Imagination adds expanded wings
To human form exact, and beauteous face;
Which angels have, but with angelic grace,
Free from all grossness and defect; nor seen
But with a pure chaste eye, divinely keen.
Such Mary's was, whose posture here design'd The most profound humility of mind;
ARMELLE NICHOLAS'S ACCOUNT OF HERSELF.
Modestly asking how the thing could be;
And saying, when inform'd of God's decree,
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord! his will
Let him, according to thy word, fulfill."
What fair instruction may the scene impart
To them, who look beyond the painter's art!
Who, in th' angelic message from above,
See the revealing of God's gracious love
To ev'ry soul, that yields itself to all
That pleases him, whatever may befall!
Whatever circumstance of heav'nly grace
Might be peculiar to the Virgin's case,
That holy thing, that saves a soul from sin,
Of God's good spirit must be born within:
For all salvation is, upon the whole,
The birth of Jesus in the human soul.
WRITTEN UNDER A PRINT, REPRESENTING CHRIST
IN THE MIDST OF THE DOCTORS.
ENGAG'D, amidst the doctors here, behold,
In deep discourse, a child of twelve years old;
Who show'd, whatever question they preferr'd,
A wisdom that astonish'd all who heard,
And found, in asking, or in answ'ring youth,
Of age so tender, such a force of truth.
Observe his mild, but penetrating look;
Those bearded sages poring o'er their book:
That meek old priest, with placid face of joy;
That pharisaic frowner at the boy:
That pensive rabbi, seeming at a stand;
That serious matron, lifting up her hand.
A group of heads, as painting Fancy taught,
Hints at the various attitude of thought
In diff'rent hearers, all intent upon
The wond'rous graces that in Jesus shon:
Each aspect witnessing the same surprise,
From whence his understanding should arise.
We know, at present, what the learned Jew,
Disputing in the temple, little knew;
That, thro' this child, in every answer made,
God's own eternal wisdom was display'd;
That their Messiah, then, the truths instill'd
Which, grown to man, be perfectly fulfill'd.
We know that his corporeal presence then
On Earth, as man, was requisite for men;
That, by his spirit, he is present still,
And always was, to men of upright will:
To saving truth, whatever doctors say,
His inward guidance must assure the way.
Whether his actions therefore be pourtray'd
In printed letter, or in figur'd shade,
The books, the pictures, that we read or see,
Should raise reflection, in some due degree;
And serve as memorandums, to recall
The teacher Jesus, in the midst of all.
PASCAL'S CHARACTER OF HIMSELF. I LOVE and honour a poor humble state, Because my Saviour Jesus Christ was poor; And riches too, that help us to abate
The miseries, which other men endure.
I render back no injuries again;
Because I wish the doer's case like mine;
In which, nor good, nor evil, as from men
Is minded much, but from an hand divine,
I aim, sincerely, to be just and true;
For my good will to all mankind extends:
A tenderness of heart, I think, is due,
Where stricter ties unite me to my friends.
Whether in conversation, or alone,
Still to my mind God's presence I recall:
My actions wait the judgment of his throne,
And 'tis to him I consecrate them all.
These are my thoughts, and briefly thus display'd;
I thank my Saviour for them ev'ry day;
Who, of a poor, weak, sinful man, has made
A man exempt from vice's evil sway.
Such is the force of his inspiring grace!
For all my good to that alone I owe;
Since, if my own corrupted self I trace,
I'm nothing else but misery and woe.
ARMELLE NICHOLAS'S ACCOUNT OF HER
"To the God of my love, in the morning," said
"Like a child to its parent, when waking I flee;
With a longing to serve him, and please him, I
rise,
[eyes:
And before him kneel down, as if seen by these
I resign up myself to his absolute will,
Which I beg that in me he would always fulfil;
That the pray'rs of the day, by whomever pre-
ferr'd,
For the good of each soul, may be also thus heard.
"If, oblig'd to attend on some household affair, I have scarce so much time as to say the Lord's pray'r,
This gives me no trouble: my dutiful part
Is obedience to him, whom I have at my heart,
As well at my work, as retiring to pray,
And his love does not suffer in mine a decay;
He has taught me himself, that a work, which I
For his sake, is a pray'r very real and true.
" 1 dress in his presence, and learn to confess That his provident kindness supplies me with dress:
In the midst of all outward employment I find
A conversing with him of an intimate kind:
How sweet is the labour! his loving regard [hard;
So supporting one's mind, that it thinks nothing
While the limbs are at work, in the seeking to
please
So belov'd a companion, the mind is at ease.
"In his presence I eat and I drink; and reflect How food, of his gift, is the growing effect; How his love to my soul is so great, and so good, Just as if it were fed with his own flesh and blood: What a virtue this feeder, his meat, and his drink Has to kindle one's heart, 1 must leave you to think;
He alone can express it, no language of mine, Were my life spent in speaking, could ever define.
"When perhaps by hard usage, or weariness I myself am too apt to be fretful at best, [prest, Love shows me, forthwith, how I ought to take heed
Not to nurse the least anger, by word or by deed; And he sets such a watch at the door of my lips, That of hasty cross words there is nothing that slips;
Such irregular passions, as seek to surprise, Are crush'd, and are conquer'd, as soon as they rise.
"Or, if e'er I give place to an humour so bad, My mind has no rest till forgiveness be had; I confess all my faults, as if he had not known, And my peace is renew'd, by a goodness his own; In a manner so free, as if, after my sin, More strongly confirm'd than before it had been: By a mercy so tender my heart is reclaim'd, And the more to love him by its failing inflam'd.
"Sometimes I perceive that he hideth his face, And I seem like a person depriv'd of all grace; Then I say "Tis no matter, altho' thou conceal Thyself as thou pleasest, I'll keep to my zeal; I'll love thee, and serve thee, however this rod
May be sent to chastise, for I know thou art God; And with more circumspection I stand upon guard, 1
Till of such a great blessing no longer debarr'd.
"But a suff'ring, so deep, having taught me to What I am in my selfhood, I learn to rely More firmly on him, who was pleas'd to endure The severest extremes, to make way for our cure: To conform to his pattern, as love shall see fit, My faith in the Saviour resolves to submit; For no more than myself (if the word may go free) Can I live without him, can he help loving me.
"Well assur'd of his goodness, I pass the whole
day,
And my work, hard or easy, is felt as a play;
I am thankful in feelings, but, pleasure or smart,
It is rather himself that I love in my heart.
When they urge me to mirth, I think, O! were it
known
How I meet the best company when I'm alone!
To my dear fellow-creatures what ties me each hour,
Is the love of my God, to the best of my pow'r.
"At the hour of the night, when I go to my rest,
I repose on his love, like a child at the breast;
And a sweet, peaceful silence invites me to keep
Contemplating him, to my dropping asleep:
Many times a good thought, by its gentle delight,
Has with-held me from sleep, a good part of the
In adoring his love, that continues to share [night,
To a poor, wretched creature, so special a care.
"This after my heart was converted at last, Is the life I have led for these twenty years past: My love has not chang'd, and my innermost peace,
Tho' it ever seem'd full, has gone on to increase:
'Tis an infinite love that has fill'd me, and fed
My still rising hunger to eat of its bread;
So satisfy'd still, as if such an excess [possess."
Could have nothing more added, than what I
ON THE FOREGOING ACCOUNT.
How full of proof of Heav'n's all-present aid
Was good Armelle, a simple servant maid!
A poor French girl, by parentage and birth
Of low, and mean condition upon Earth,
By education ignorant indeed,
She, all her life, could neither write nor read.
But she had that which all the force of art
Could neither give, nor take away-an heart;
An honest, humble, well disposed will,
The true capacity for higher skill
Than what the world, with all its learned din,
Could teach-she learn'd her lesson from within:
Plain, single lesson of essential kind,
The love of God's pure presence in her mind.
Her artless, innocent, attentive thought
Was at the source of all true knowledge taught:
There she could read the characters imprest
Upon the mind of ev'ry human breast;
The native laws prescrib'd to ev'ry soul;
And love, the one fulfiller of the whole.
This holy love to know, and practise well,
Became the sole endeavour of Armelle:
Of outward things, the management and rule,
She wisely took from this internal school:
The work was servile, but the thing was grand.
In ev'ry work well done by such a hand,
There was a dignity in all she did,
Tho' from the world by meaner labours hid;
If mean below, not so esteem'd above,
Where all the grand of labour is the love:
In vain to boast magnificence of scene;
It is all meanness, if the love be mean.
ST. CECILIA'S HYMN.
O! BORN of a Virgin, most lowly and meek,
Thou sent of thy Father lost creatures to seek,
Vouchsafe, in the manner that pleaseth thee best,
To kindle thy love in my virginal breast;
Let the words of my mouth, and the thoughts of my heart,
Obey the sweet force, which thy grace shall impart;
Whilst angels assist me to offer my vows
To the God of my life, my redeemer and spouse.
My life I esteem, O Creator divine,
As a loving impression out flowing from thine;
As an act of thy bounty, that gives us a part
Of the light, love and glory, which thou thy self art:
May I always as little thy pleasure oppose,
As the pure simple nature from whence I arose;
And by thee, and for thee, created, fulfill
In thought, word, and deed, thy adorable will.
By this blessed will, howsoever made known,
With a dutiful joy will I govern my own;
And, deaf to all tempting enchantments of sin
I will hearken to thee, my Redeemer within;
Thy words will I ponder by night, and by day,
And the light of thy gospel shall mark out my
way:
Till at length I arrive at the honour I claim,
To live like a virgin, baptiz'd in thy name.
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