iOT 4729 G484s : o I! SABBATICAL VERSES. JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him:" Col. iii, 17- LONDON: PUBLISHED BY J. AND A. ARCH, COUNHILL; SOLD ALSO BY DARTON AND HARVEY, GRACECHURCH STREET; E. X'RY AND SON, B1SHOPSGATE STREET; AND J. FLETCHER, NORWICH. 1837. * ADVERTISEMENT. The following essays in verse have been composed during a period of much affliction, and have helped to soothe some of my solitary hours of sorrow. In the prospect of leaving my native land, in order to pay a visit, in the capacity of a minister of the gospel, to some parts of America, I venture to present them to the christian public of this country, as a farewell token of affectionate respect and regard, London, 5th month, VAth, 1837. w»jw*j r- ■ /Fl f^> M THE GLORY OF CHRIST Cfjr jTu-s'i Cvraiirm. By whom also he made the worlds:" IIkb. i, 2. Blest be thy name, thou uncreated Word, With God before all worlds, thyself the Lord, By whom all nature into being sprang, While heaven applauded and the angels sang. Bright stars of morning hailed thee in their lays, The sons of God proclaimed their Master's praise, Themselves once fashioned by thy plastic hand, To thee they live, they move at thy command. B 2 GLORY OF CHRIST Well might they joy, when the celestial dove O'er shoreless oceans waved her wing of love, Gently incumbent, and through realms of night Ancient and wild, was poured the new-born light. Bright efflux from the unfathomed source of dav, And of the eternal co- eternal ray, Thine was the glory of that hallowed hour ; From God, from thee, its radiance ; thine the power That bade the seas recede, the land arise, Opened the fountains, spread the watery skies, Gave to the air its substance and extent, Built and adorned the azure firmament. Another day is come ; earth claims her bowers, Her vest of verdure, and her wreath of flowers. Sprung from no seed the budding wonders grow, The pines wave freely o'er the mountain's brow, Perfect at once the oaks dispense their shade, At once the lilv and the rose arrav'd In all their beauty shine; the primrose pale, Jasmine and hyacinth, perfume the vale; IN THE FIRST CREATION. 3 Cassia and myrrh their wasted odours pour, The purpling vines each rifted rock explore ; A thousand fruits with early blush appear, The promise of that bright primeval year. Their seeds are in them ; sweets untasted now To men, in every age, shall bend the bough. Again the evening came, the morn was given. Especial boons devolved on earth from heaven ; For ere that destined clay, the glorious sun Was not, or hid from earth his course had run ; No silver horn or perfect orb serene, No wandering gems, in heaven's dark vault were seen : But now the vast arrangement fitly made, The morn shall rise, the eve bestow her shade, Months, seasons, years, proceed by natural cause, While heaven's bright signs obey His changeless laws, Who made them all ; henceforth the greater light, Shall blaze by day ; the lesser rule the night. Thus didst Thou build and thus adorn a home For sentient creatures, countless tribes that roam B 2 4 GLORY OF CHRIST O'er earth's wide surface, all alike by Thee Endued with life's mysterious energy, And conscious joy. — Some animate the seas, Now dive below, now leap to inhale the breeze, Armed with their silvery scales, retreat, advance, Crop the soft weed, and urge the mazy dance ; While the smooth whales, disporting, lash the deep, And bid her fountains boil, or calmly sleep Like islands on her breast. — Some poised in air Flap the light wing and distant flight prepare, Or mount aloft, and to the sun unfold Their feathered pride of purple, green, and gold; Or less adorned for sight, a social throng, Charm the glad ear, and fill the groves with song. Some track a humbler path and move unseen In earth's dark soils, or hid in thickets green, Their fleshy ringlets formed for easy play, Contracting and dilating, wind their way. With arching neck, fork'd tongue, and eye of flame, Some slowly glide, or coil their circling frame. IN THE FIRST CREATION. 5 Some frolic wild, and bound along the plain, Or leap the rocks their wintry peak to gain ; Or on high bough the grateful kernel find, Impetuous spring, and chatter to the wind, Or couch and ruminate on all the glade, Or haunt the den, and penetrate the shade : Or to the pine-top lift a graceful form, Or rove the wilderness, and breathe the storm. Slow moves Behemoth o'er the trembling ground ; Of massive bars his framework, girt around With sinewy folds prodigious ; easy toil ! With share of ivory he ploughs the soil, Uproots his bulbous feast, intent to ply The lithe proboscis — while his lucid eye Beams with intelligence. The age must come When Asia's potentates and conquering Rome, Shall yoke his sons to the triumphal car, Train them to arts of peace, to strift of war; O'er the broad living flank, uprear the tower, And safely from its height their javelins shower, 6 GLORY OF CHRIST Untutored now — ere known the haunts of men. He wanders wild o'er forest, glade, and glen ; With draughts delicious cools his burning blood, And weens to dry the springs of Jordan's sacred flood. The hand that formed this wondrous living scene Must guide it still — no other hand between — Must prompt the purpose, and direct the will, Inspire unseen the philosophic skill, Conduct the instinctive arts, impel, controul, Move in each moving part, and speed the whole. Led by the gentle impulse of the breast, Untaught, untrained, each warbler builds her nest, At the right season, when the spring is green, Of right materials, though by her unseen Till now she needs them ; of the ancient form By which her sires were sheltered from the storm. What reason prompts the swallow's arduous flight Ere winter's frown prolongs the dreary night, Bids her to southern shores in haste repair, Directs her passage through the boundless air? IN THE FIRST CREATION. What sense forewarns ere warmer climates burn And marks the moment for her safe return ? Profound geometer ! who taught the bee To mimic science, and to rival thee ; With even hexagons to fill the plane, Thus ample room with utmost strength to gain ; Nor fill the plane alone ; through all the mass No waste of substance, and no loss of space; Each cell descending in the angle true That great Maclaurin by his fluxions knew? What proud inventive faculties impart, From age to age unchanged, the spider's art ? Around her home the magic circles run, Each thread of thousands wonderfully spun. The viewless gossamer man's skill exceeds, No teaching asks, no rule of science needs ; Her nets ethereal every bush adorn Dressed in the peerless dewdrops of the morn. What laws of order human wisdom vaunts Can match the civic polity of ants ? 8 GLORY OF CHRIST Commodious cities, and well guarded lands, Of willing labourers th' united bands ; The equal tending of ten thousand young, The silent touch for man's vociferous tongue. The appointed customs of each busy kind Involve the working of thy master mind. Fountain of science, spring of all that's wise, Thy moving power their energy supplies, The power that formed each creature's living frame With fitness nice to some peculiar aim. One general type the glorious scheme pervades, While special forms, and ever varying grades, Connect, adorn, diversify the plan, From the low reptile, up to complex man. Wisdom of God — high Partner of his throne, The Father's pleasure — with the Father one, From Thee of beautv flow the varied streams, With marks of Thee exuberant nature teems, Thy influence spreads above, around, below, The best philosophy is Thee to know. IN THE FIRST CREATION. {) As shapes and letters graven on the seal, Adorn its substance, and its end reveal, The melting wax a well known sign receives, The eye beholds it and the mind believes ; God's image thou and character express, In Thee he wills to quicken, form, and bless ; To worlds of life the sacred type is given, And nature's glory corresponds with heaven. But chicflv man. now risen from the dust, Of graceful carriage and proportions just, Fresh as the morn, and as the day-star bright, His visage beaming with celestial light, Of lofty look and awful form erect, Destined to guide, to govern, to protect, With lamp of reason, furnished from above, And filled with wisdom, holiness, and love, His frame the dwelling; of a soul that soars To heaven's high courts, and communes and adores — Man who alone the life eternal shares, Reflects thy beauty, and God's likeness bears. 10 GLORY OF CHRIST, &e. Alas, how soon, when Satan wins his way That form shall fade — that likeness shall decay ! Now all is perfect, all in Thee is hlest, And speeds its gentle course, the day of rest. THE GLORY OF CHRIST 5Tf)C j2rU) Creation. If any man be in Christ, it is a new creation : old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become new:" 2 Cor. v, 17. Clad with no verdure, by no waters fed, Behold on every side a desert spread ! No fruit, no food for man, the sands produee, Nor plant is there but of a poisonous juice, Or armed with thorns ; beneath each stunted brake, Or fatal scorpion, or envenomed snake, Unheeded lurks ; all life is deadly there, And the wild waste is pregnant with despair. Woe to the traveller who dares essay To happier climes that drear and trackless way ; 12 GLORY OF CHRIST His courage lost, exhausted all his stores — The farthest east or west his eye explores, Unknown, impassable, the plains extend, Hope withers, whersoe'er his footsteps bend ; When suddenly, beneath the lurid beam, Far, far ahead, the welcome waters gleam ; For so he weens ; intent his thirst to slake, And bathe with rapture in the lovely lake, He presses onward with unnatural strength, And paces swift the desert's weary length ; But flits the soft deception from his view; The burning, barren, sands alone are true ; Struck to the heart, he breathes a hopeless sigh, Then nerveless sinks, to suffer and to die. Such change the curse had wrought ; but who shall scan That deadlier wilderness, the heart of man ? Barren of all that's good — of strife and sin Productive always, spreads the waste within. IN THE NEW CREATION. 13 There Satan lurks in various guise conccal'd, The soul his victim, and the world his field ; Instils his poisons with consummate skill, Perverts the judgment and depraves the will, Inspires desease with dank, pestiferous, breath, Distorts the passions, then consigns to death. His was the suasion, his the murderous lie, 'Partake the fruit — thou shalt not surely die.' The dark deceit assumed fair reason's show, Presage to millions of eternal woe. Hence too our evils here ; the hope forlorn That sinks into despair; the festering thorn That rankles in the breast ; the bitter tear Of helpless poverty, and pallid fear Of death to come, and pain that mocks controul, Anguish of body, agony of soul, And brother's hand imbrued in kindred blood, And scowling want, and war's ensanguined flood, Sickness and plague in all their protcus forms, And ocean's rage, and faction's ruder storms; 14 GLORY OF CHRIST Lust, malice, fraud, and envy's evil eye, Rapine for gold, and curse of slavery. Though pomp and pleasure many a bait prepare, And fame her radiance shed, and beauty glare, And worldly wisdom with proverbial pride And quaint conceits, her native darkness hide, And curious learning spread her ample store, And philosophic ken the skies explore, And poesy in waves of magic roll, And patriot eloquence inflame the soul, And bravery assert the laurel crown, And love impassioned call mankind her own — All without grace, but imitate the gleam ( )f the false lake — they are not what they seem ; The flippant vision sparkles in the sun, Then fades in death, and leaves the world undone. Yes, that fair form " now risen from the dust, Of graceful carriage and proportions just," That " visage beaming with celestial light,"" " Fresh as the morn and as the day-star bright," IN THE NEW CREATION. 15 Beneath the curse, must soon to dust return, The senseless tenant of some silent urn. The worm must feed upon that glowing cheek, That tongue of eloquence must cease to speak, That eye forget its beam — no art can save Those manly features from their destined grave. But the dark future in her hidden womb, Holds deeper secrets — far below the tomb A prison frowns ; a mansion of despair, The deathless worm, the flames unquench'd are there ! Severed from God, the soul without resource, Helpless and hopeless, speeds her downward course ; And while the mortal wreck unheeding lies, Hers is the sterner death that never dies. Rise then, Immanuel, victor o'er the strife, Proclaim thine own free boon of light and life ! By thee the streams of reconciling love For ever flowing from the fount above, Ordered of God, obedient to his plan Of perfect holiness, descend to man. 16 GLORY OF CHRIST Hail, word of promise, graciously bestowed Ere man was driven from his blest abode, Promise of joy — f The woman's seed shall tread, Though bruised his heel, upon the serpent's head ; Shall level with the dust his rebel brow, Then bid him sink to boundless gulphs below ; Shall raise our fallen race to loftier height Than ere was compassed by thought's eagle flight, To happiness and virtue freely given, To God, to glory, to the throne of heaven.' Lo, blood is stealing o'er the grassy plain : — Pride of the flock, by faithful Abel slain ; Slain in obedience to His high behest, Who gives, then claims, the firstling and the best. Strange sacrifice, by reason unexplained ! Why should those virtuous hands with gore be stain'd? No flesh permitted yet to human need — The flame alone must on the victim feed ; Flame from the skies descending, radiant sign Of heaven's accord and pardoning love divine. IN THE NEW CREATION. 17 By faith, not reason, was the offering made ; And now that lambent light dispels the shade ; The fire celestial bursting into view, Consumes the type, and proves the promise true. Foreknown of God, before all worlds decreed, In time to come, for all mankind must bleed, A sinless Lamb — the woman's holy seed. Meanwhile the promise with the age extends Each rolling period some new feature lends, To mark its character with various line, Unfold its beauty, and its shape define ; Just as some germ in nature's fruitful field, Pregnant with forms well folded, well conceafd, Shoots and increases with revolving days, And part by part, the destined plant displays, Uplifts a stem obedient to the shower, Then pours a hundred leaves, then blooms a flower. From Abraham the promised Seed shall spring, From Judah's tribe the world accept her king, c 18 GLORY OF CHRIST From Jesse's root and David's royal line, Shall rise, with gentle force, that Branch divine. By heaven's own power a virgin shall conceive, And Bethlehem's shade the newborn Prince receive ; Not till yon temple on Moriah's height, Have sunk in flames — a second sprung to sight ; Nor till the sceptre of proud Judah's sway With all his laws, be trembling in decay ; The seventieth week that hallowed birth shall see, From Israel's hope renewed, and Persia's kind decree. Like yon pale star that ushers in the day, A royal herald shall prepare his way, Proclaim his coming with the Spirit's voice, And bid the wilderness in hope rejoice. Expected, then, upon the earth shall stand The saints' Redeemer, and with mercy's hand — Like Moses — yet with power to no man given, Shall save and regulate the flock of heaven ; Shall bid stout hearts to noble deeds be strung, And gently lead the weak, and fold the young IN THE NEW CREATION. 19 To his warm breast, that in those halcyon days Babes may rejoice, and sucklings sing his praise. Then like the hart, the lame with joy shall bound, The deaf be gladdened with the gospel sound, The blind with opened eye behold his face, Gaze on his glory, and admire his grace, While o'er the desert living waters roll, To quench the anxious thirsting of the soul. He, girt with faithfulness, and clad with zeal, Shall truth celestial to the meek reveal, Shall teach the simple and sincere to climb, To Zion's gate by virtue's path sublime — Himself their pattern, comrade, captain, friend — And crown with joy and praise their journey's end. The mighty God by nature and by name, The Lord our righteousness — the true I am — He yet shall suffer in our mortal frame ! From the dry soil the humble plant must grow, No wreath of comeliness adorn his brow ; c 2 20 GLORY OF CHRIST Where shall our glad report attract belief? Lowly his form — his visage marred with grief; Rejected; scorned, whom no man dares to know — Sorrow his friend — his fellowship with woe ! For us, for us, he bears the chastening rod, His are the stripes, and ours is peace with God ; The silent sufferer to the slaughter led — Our sins inflict his wounds, our crime is on his head ! Behold, the slain one shall prolong his day, The worm and Hades must resign their prey — Like ocean's vista with the moon-beam bright, Blazes his " path of life" with heavenly light. He lives ! he reigns! heaven's gates receive their king, " The Captor captive led," applauding angels sing. While prophecy, unfolding age by age, And ever germinant, adorned the page, God's ritual law, with pencil nicely true, The curious shadows of the future drew. Was it to signify the past alone, The paschal victim knew no broken bone. IN THE NEW CREATION. 21 Food of all Israel, and stained with gore The lintel and the posts of every door? Of old where'er that saered blood was sprent, No plague could taint, no deadly shaft be sent ; Now, for the soul that bears a lovelier stain, Death drops his sting, and Satan's darts are vain. Once every year a sacred day was kept, When Israel for her sins repentant wept, And purified afresh, in linen vest, Humble but clean, her solemn priest was dress'd. Doffed were his gorgeous robes and jewell'd crown, The bullock now must for himself atone, The goat for all the people; calm he stands Within the veil, the censer in his hands ; And while the perfume pours a balmy flood, Bedews, seven times, the mercy-seat with blood. But now the alternate goat with fillets bound, To meet his coming treads the holy ground, Allotted to escape, and with him bear The sins of Israel into desert air, 22 GLORY OF CHRIST Sins, which the priest before the Lord must spread, Then lay the burden on his spotless head. Away he springs, unconscious and alone, And hides his mystic load in lands unknown. The guilt he carries can no more return — Meanwhile, without the gate, the slaughtered victims burn ! The priest in humble garb, and holiest place, Conversing with Jehovah face to face — The dying beasts that pour the crimson tide — The scape-goat o'er the desert wandering wide — Pictures of truth with various art combined, Their end and substance in one Saviour, find. Saviour, incarnate, glorified, enthroned, Whose precious blood for all our race atoned, Well versed in death, familiar with the grave — A man to sympathise, and God to save — Thy prospect spreads interminably bright, Thy boundless retrospect is filled with light ; IN THE NEW CREATION. 23 Unnumbered, infinite, have sped thy years, Ere Seraphs sang, or rolled the starry spheres ; Centre in thee, past, present, and to come, The Father's bosom thy eternal home. Time saw its fulness, and the Saviour came, That messenger divine of hidden name, With whom, of yore, was Jacob's covenant made, Whom Abraham saw, and trusted, and obeyed ; Living Redeemer of the orphan'd sire, Who spake to Moses from the bush on fire, Before whose feet the awe-struck Joshua bowed, Who led all Israel in the flame and cloud ; Whose praise the seraphs chaunted as they flew When burst his glory on Isaiah's view, Ambassador at once, and Lord of heaven — When Mary's child was born, the Son of God was given. Now is the vast prophetic knot untied, The ancient vision cleared and verified ; The types and promises to facts apply, Each figure finds its own reality — 24 GLORY OF CHRIST All meet in Jesus, all in him combine, Ten thousand rays in one grand focus join ! Death to the sinful soul the law demands, And calls for vengeance at God's holy hands, But grace prevails and free remission gives. The Saviour died, the ransomed sinner lives. No human learning could that problem solve, Justice and peace around the cross revolve; Faith winged with prayer draws mercy from above, And sternest truth amalgamates with love. In every age by this appointed way, Some souls, redeemed, have sprung to endless day, Their faith proportioned to the light bestowed, Their end was glory, for they lived to God. But who shall speak the solemn soft repose, Which on his Saviour's breast the christian knows ? On Christ the burden of his sins is laid, On Christ, in reverent trust, his heart is stayed ; Contrite yet firm, the alarm of war recedes, The Saviour's righteousness alone he pleads ; IN THE NEW CREATION. 25 That plea victorious over Satan's wiles, His frown he fears not, for Immanuel smiles ; Opened for him is Zion's sacred flood, His conscience rests — his soul is cleansed with blood; Let troubles multiply, let pains increase — His inward treasure is the pearl of peace. But mark the unbending rule — no peace within, While man's frail bosom is the sport of sin; By passion tost, as miry billows roar, And spread pollution, when they lash the shore. The deep, deceitful, restless, heart of man, Must yield obedience to the gospel plan, Renounce its pride, commence a nobler strife, Rise from the dust, and struggle into life. Accepted be the boon of light divine That our redeeming God has given to shine In every human breast, else wholly dark ; Though often weak, yet pure the vital spark ; Call it not " conscience" — conscience is the eye That spark illumines, or the soul must die ; 26 GLORY OF CHRIST The moral truth attracts the mental sight, The medium that reveals its form is light. And God is light — from God the source of day, Through Him who died and lives, the Truth, the Way, Changeless from age to age, proceeds the ray, The same in Britain, India, Athens, Rome, Man's heart and conscience its appointed home. Thus Gentiles who no heavenly code possessed On stony tablet, to the law confest As read within, though faintly and in part, And showed its precepts graven on the heart. Like men once dead, but wakened from the tomb, Some gifted spirits burst the general gloom, In calm retreats, by classic reasoners trod, Gave form to virtue, and discoursed of God. Yet Grecia's sages but the twilight knew, No noonday radiance blazed before their view, Around e'en Plato's brows a vail was hung, Error with truth distilling from his tongue. IN THE NEW CREATION. 27 Then hail God's holy page, the gospel hail ! Unfurl the canvass, spread the swelling sail ; Fly forth ye words of truth from shore to shore, For heaven's own Sun is risen to set no more ! Gems beyond price the folded book conceals, And only Jesus can unloose its seals. Lion of Judah, Prince of all the tribes That worship God, as heaven itself prescribes, Pour thy bright beams, thy Spirit deign to give, And teach mankind to understand and live ; Anoint the slumbering eye, the stubborn ear, Melt the proud heart, inspire the godly fear, Convince of sin, and then disclose the tide Of blood and w r ater, from thy pierced side, That flows for ever ; cleanse thy church within ; Sprinkle the nations from their guilt and sin. Thou art the one baptizer ; thine the wave In which alone the leprous soul can lave ; As Naaman erst in Jordan's sacred stream Seven times immersed, his cure might fitly deem 28 GLORY OF CHRIST A new existence, and himself a child, Now soft and pure — once hardened and denied. What though an entrance on the joys of heaven Through the one sacrifice be freely given To all believers, none indeed believe But the regenerate — none but they receive The guerdon kept by Jesus for his own. Who bear the cross on earth, in heaven shall wear the crown. Bless'd Spirit, like the wind that viewless blows, Whence coming, whither fleeing, no man knows, Yet armed of heaven to break with giant stroke The towering cedar and the spreading oak ; Or mildly breathing as a summer breeze, Felt to refresh, perceptible to please — Spirit of truth — move onward as the wind, Break, humble, cleanse, and vivify mankind. Beneath that sovereign touch, that vital breath, The soul emerges from the realms of death, IN THE NEW CREATION. 29 Escapes her prison — flings her chain away, Claims a new life, and rises into day. Have ye not marked the verdant pastures gleam In diamonds dressed beneath the orient beam, Sparkles on every grassy blade a gem, On everv blossom rests a diadem ; So bright, so lovely, is the child of grace, In youth, just entered on the christian race ; Ardent but tender, pliable yet true, Beaming with love, and fresh with heavenly dew. What though as years roll on, and shift the scene, A calmer, cooler, mood may supervene, Yet spreads the root in the deep soil below, And riper fruits on firmer branches grow ; Well tempered charity, substantial peace, Wisdom and fortitude, with years increase ; Patience to suffer, meekness to forbear, With nice discernment of each hidden snare ; The watchful eye; the ever deepening sense Of man's defect, and God's omnipotence ; 30 GLORY OF CHRIST The chastened heart, oft prostrate in the dust, The stedfast walking, the unbending trust, And hope well settled on the joys above, The calm reflection of a Saviour's love — To perfect day, the just man's path shall shine, Thou Holy Comforter, its light is thine. Now breathe the spices, now the zephyr blows, Spreads the green carpet, God's broad river flows, Bursts forth the myrtle, shoots the box, the pine, Scents all the grove the twisted eglantine, The jasmine pours her stars, with roses crowned Sweet Sharon smiles, where once the desert frowned. No more impends the death-forboding gloom, While sweeps o'er boundless sands the hot simoom, Nor wounds the thorn, nor scorpion darts her sting Pregnant with death ; but round their odours fling, Fresh with soft showers, the blossoms of the spring. Hark, matchless melody ! the bridegroom's voice Steals o'er the gale and bids his spouse rejoice ; IN THE NEW CREATION. 31 " Awake, my fair one, winter reigns no more, The storms are past, the hurricane is o'er, Rise from thy couch and tread the dewy lawn, The turtle's note salutes the opening dawn All resonant with song, the groves, the bovvers, And lavish nature fills her lap with flowers. To please each sense their early sweets combine, The fig just ripening, and the fragrant vine ; Ten thousand charms shall bless this hallowed day, Arise my love — my fair one, come away." Hail new creation ! sovereign work of grace ! In Paradise shall man regain his place — A fruitful field in ancient Eden's stead With pure religion, o'er the world shall spread ; Break forth with praise ye mountains, sing ye plains, Applaud ye waving woods, for Jesus reigns. Yet death still lingers here ; then hail the love, That won for man a Paradise above ! Around the throne, the purchased myriads stand Of every kindred, and from every land ; 32 GLORY OF CHRIST, &c. O'er angel forms celestial garments flow Baptized in blood, yet whiter than the snow ; The church triumphant claims her Saviour's breast, In perfect victory, is perfect rest. THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith:" II EB. xii, 1,2. Where classic Elis spreads its level plain, Breathless they run a withering crown to gain ; No weight impedes them in their rapid night, Their loins are girded, and their vest is light, While circling multitudes inflame his soul, The victor bounds impetuous to the goal ; There, with spread arms, the noble Umpire stands, Grace on his lips, the laurel in his hands ; The painful struggle once himself had borne, The frame exhausted, and the hope forlorn ; D 34 THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. Yet great his victory : and now serene, He pours his golden gifts, and rules the scene. Speed on believer ! urge thy sacred course, Though faint thy nerve, exhaustlcss thy resource ; Defy the stormy blast, the burning sun, When weak yet strong, when halt prepared to run ; Refreshed by streams which meet no mortal eye, Sustained by hidden manna from the sky, In simple faith, pursue thy swift career, Unchecked by indolence, untamed by fear. But O ! beware lest some dear idol, prest With strong emotion to thy anxious breast, Some favourite passion, some besetting sin, Some fond ambition that still lurks within, Like golden wedge or leaden weight, be found, To bid thy footsteps linger o'er the ground ; — Discard, dismiss them all, and free as air, To yon pearl gates with ardent hope repair. Enlivening accents from the apostle's lyre, With comfort fraught, and winged with heavenly fire! THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. 35 But mine the rankling- thorn, the wound, the smart, The dreary darkness of the lonesome heart, The oppressive power of Satan's cumbering wing, His foul suggestions and his torturing sting; How can I rise triumphant to behold < Those gates of pearl, those streets of glass and gold, Those purest gems which once on earth were known, But now are sparkling in the Saviour's crown ? I wrestle not with flesh and blood alone, High powers of wickedness inspire the groan, The rulers of yon black impending sky, Buffet my soul, and bid me curse and die ! Come ! cease thy mourning, stay thy wild lament, For thee sweet messengers of joy are sent ; Unseen — but yet beholding — round thee stand Angelic witnesses, a glorious band, Assist thy progress through this vale of woe, And tell of climes where tears no longer flow. Vast was the host proud Syria sent of old, To drag Elisha from the embattled hold ; D 2 ,'3() THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. Alarmed his servant eyed the advancing force, The thousand chariots, the unnumbered horse ; But friends, from heaven, surrounded, — more were they Than all the foemen of that dread array ; And soon unfolding to his wondering view, They proved the prophet safe, the promise true. Such bright allies against infernal power, Camp round the christian in each dangerous hour, Pity his conflicts, wipe his useless tears, Polish his armour, and dispel his fears. Thou child of grace ! for thee a golden tie Binds heaven to earth in tenderest sympathy ; When to his God one weeping sinner turns, Joy in the hearts of myriad angels burns, And for salvation's heirs — no gulph between — The myriad angels minister unseen. Nor those pure powers alone who never fell, But saints redeemed from sin, and death, and hell, Whose stains were purged in Zion's sacred flood, Free-born, yet purchased with a Saviour's blood. THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. , 4 *7 Two such were sent on Christ himself to wait, Partake his counsels, and assist his state, When Hermon's dewy top, or Carmel's height, Beheld the Lord, and beam'd with borrowed light. Ye ransomed souls, from various land and clime, Gathered to glory in your Saviour's time ; One faith, one practice, led you to the skies, One blood redeemed you, and one song employs ! Patriarchs and prophets storied in the page Which charms and teaches through each passing age, The truly great of men, in whom were joined, The childlike credence, and the master mind ; The simple too yet wise, of every name, The watchful, humble, followers of the Lamb; Some dear companions of our happier days, Whose modest virtue was their highest praise, Though well adorned they were with sight and sense. And learning's store, and bright intelligence — Do they not see thee, mourner, call thee friend, Pray God to speed thee to thy journey's end ? 38 THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. Flail Christian fellowship ! thy comforts prove Our faith divine, our God a God of love; Unlike the unions of this changing world, Dear for a day— and then to ruin huiTd — Thy band with cords of heavenly strength intwined, And yet so soft, so tender, so refined, Displays Jehovah's wisdom ; He ordains Its gentle force to mitigate our pains. One mind pervades the children of the Lord, Who draw their wisdom from his written word, Renounce the elements of human strife, Deeply imbibe the message fraught with life, Repent their folly, weep their sin and thrall, And rest in Jesus as their all in all. One mind — because one Holy Spirit theirs, Their light, their strength, the answer to their prayers, Their friend to guide them, by no doubtful ray, Through all the labyrinths of this darksome day, Their cleanser, searcher, soother kindly given, The power that seals them as the sons of heaven. THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. 39 Joined to the head, where the sensorium lies, They learn to feel, to love, to sympathize ; A mystic body, knit in living bonds — One member grieves — each distant nerve responds. Yet, while a common life pervades the whole, Distinctive features mark each single soul, And soul with soul combines, by special ties, Peculiar love, and choice affinities. As changing form with diverse colour blends, God gains his vast variety of ends ; Ten thousand forms of fitness spring to view, And Zion blooms in beauty ever new. Nor is it likeness only that inspires The excelling warmth of friendship's heaven-born hies; Far different qualities in union meet, That each the other may assist, complete. Thus sound discretion, clothed in gentlest love, Constrains the rash to admire and then approve ; Thus zeal superfluous yields to just controul, Thus weakness leans upon the hardier soul. 40 THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. I sing of friendship — I have lost a friend, Whose faithfulness and truth could never bend ; Hers was the cultur'd and the lucid mind, The generous heart, the conduct ever kind, The temper sensitive yet always mild, The frank simplicity of nature's child — Nature unspoiled by fashion or by pride, And yet subdued by grace, and sanctified ; The cheerfulness, devoid of base alloy, That bade her speed her even course with joy, Yet left full scope, thro' her revolving years, For love's fond grief, and pity's softest tears ; The abstinence from self — a humble view Of all she said, and did, and thought, and knew ; The elder's judgment in the youthful frame, And love to God and man, a deathless flame. Ere childhood yet its playful course had run, Day's beam from heaven upon her spirit shone, Taught her 'twas strength and happiness to pray, Led her young footsteps to the narrow way, THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. 41 And while pure pleasure seemed her cup to fill, Gave her to know, the truth is lovelier still. Her early covenant not vainly made, Like some fair flower, she blossom'd in the shade, Till with advancing years affliction came, And wan disease oppress'd her slender frame. Anxious we watched her, while through many a day, In calm repose, on Jesu's breast she lay ; Her virtues grew in sorrow's lingering hour, Her faith was deepen' d by the Saviour's power, — She rose, replenished with abundant grace, For larger duties, in a wider space. Blest was our union ; all that life endears Brightened the current of those rapid years, Brightened and swelled — around, her bounty flowed, Her soul, enlarging, with fresh fervour glowed ; Her views of truth extending more and more, As scripture, daily studied, spread its store, 'T was hers each rougher wave of life to smooth, To advise and comfort, elevate and soothe. 42 THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. Fondly we hoped, when with no faltering voice, She hade her friends in Jesus Christ rejoice, Fondly we hoped her gifts with years would grow, To enlarge, improve, the struggling church below ; But God ordained a higher walk of love, In boundless regions, with the blest above; The summons came, the accepted hour was given, Her sainted spirit smiled, and sprang to heaven. Sweet to commune with those whose race is run ! The church in heaven, on earth, in Christ is one ; We feel their charity the grave survive, Their pure affection cannot cease to live, Till that blest moment when at Jesu's feet, In heaven's high courts, his people all shall meet, For ever joined to the seraphic throng. In perfect love, and one harmonious song. Such then our comrades, such the timely aid That helps to wing our footsteps through the shade Of life's short course ; but lo ! superior far, To every creature, beams the morning star, THE CHRISTIAN'S RACE. 43 Leads and attracts us o'er the toilsome way, The glorious herald of eternal day. Jesus ! the Lord and Umpire of the race, In thee thv friends ten thousand beauties trace ; Image of God, to thee my heart appeals, The Father's attributes thy face reveals ; Glory, and grace, and truth that cannot move, Unbending holiness, unfathom'd love, Omniscient wisdom too, and matchless skill To form the soul, and regulate the will ; Thyself once plunged in sorrow's deepest wave, Thou know'st to sympathize, thou know'st to save: In thee God's power with human pity blends, From thee our faith begins, in thee it ends ! THE CHILD OF THE LORD. How bless'd is the child of the Lord, When taught of the Father to run, When led by the light of his word, And cheer'd by the beams of his sun. He listens with fear and delight, To hear what the master shall say ; He sleeps on his bosom all night, And walks in his love all the day. Though terrors may compass him round, And wildly the tempest may blow ; He fears not; the rock he has found, That rock he will never forego. CHILD OF THE LORD. 45 'T is true that his pilgrimage here Is chequer'd with sorrows and fears ; 'T is true that the cross he must bear, And weep in this valley of tears : But patience, submission, and love, Can sweeten the bitterest hours ; And hope, from the heaven above, Still shines, when the hurricane lowers. Temptation, 'tis true, will assail, And trial without and within ; And deeply his soul must bewail For inward corruption and sin. But the rags he once counted his own, Are consumed in celestial flame, And a mantle is over him thrown, Wash'd white in the blood of the Lamb. ON SILENT WORSHIP. Let deepest silence all around Its peaceful shelter spread ; So shall that living word abound, The word that wakes the dead. How sweet to wait upon the Lord In stillness and in prayer! What though no preacher speak the word, A minister is there. A minister of wondrous skill True graces to impart ; He teaches all the Father's will, And preaches to the heart. SILENT WORSHIP. 47 He dissipates the coward's fears, And bids the coldest glow ; He speaks ; and lo ! the softest tears Of deep contrition flow. He knows to bend the heart of steel, He bows the loftiest soul ; O'er all we think and all we feel, How matchless his contronl ! And ah ! how precious is his love, In tenderest touches given : It whispers of the bliss above, And stays the soul on heaven. From mind to mind, in streams of joy, The holy influence spreads ; 'T is peace, 't is praise, without alloy, For God that influence sheds. 48 SILENT WORSHIP. 'T was thus, where God himself is known To shine without a cloud, The angel myriads round his throne, In solemn silence bowed. And all were still and silent long, Nor dared one note to raise, Till burst the vast extatic song, And heaven was fill'd with praise. THE PAVILION. " For in the time of trouble lie shall hide me in his pavilion :" Ps. xxvii, 5. Pavilions and palaces rise o'er the land, And noble and wealthy are they that command The pleasure and pomp of the world ; Delicious their viands and glowing their wine, And gorgeous and dazzling the emblems that shine On the banner by monarchs unfurled. But vain is their honour, and brief is their day, And the presage of night overhangs its display, They riot to wither and die ; No charm can enliven the house of the dead, Their banquet is past, and the cold worm is fed, Where princes and potentates lie. E 50 THE PAVILION. The glory that here to the worldling is given, Like meteors that gleam in the dark vault of heaven, Is lost in a moment to sight ; The sheen of the jewels, the glare of the crown, When the angel of death mows the lofty one down, Are quenched in the shadows of night. There is a pavilion the world cannot see, Of heavenly structure, appointed for thee, Thou child of affliction and fears ; Dismayed as thou art at the sight of thy sin, 'T is thine a compassionate Saviour to win, Who wept, and can pity thy tears. Though the troubler of Israel come in like a flood, Thy pardon is sealed with Immanuers blood, Immanuel calls thee his own ; He quiets the storm of the penitent breast, And under his shadow permits thee to rest, Till he waft thee away to his throne. THE PAVILION. 51 How soft is that shadow, how sure its defence, How transcendent its joys o'er the pleasures of sense, Like the joys of the angels above ! His table with spiritual dainties is spread, The wine of the kingdom, the heavenly bread, And his banner is infinite love. MARTHA AND MARY. Active, intent, with friendly ardour fraught, Each nerve responding to some busy thought, The faithful Martha strives ; In sooth no wonder that for such a guest, She deems it duteous to provide the best, For in his life she lives. Yes in her gentle friend, her lowly Lord, She views, with simple faith, the incarnate Word, In whom are all our springs ; Beneath that faded form, that eye of grief, The piercing vision of her soul's belief, Descries the King of king's. MARTHA AND MARY. 53 As Abraham erst his visitants to greet, And then to choose and dress the daintiest meat, With eager footsteps ran : Upon the mystic three, he joyed to wait, While Abraham's Lord himself conversed and ate, Or seemed to eat, with man. Not vain her labour, yet a better part Another chose, who had as warm a heart, And faith as clear and strong; Close at his feet, and level with the dust, Adoring Mary sat, in humble trust, And looked and listened long. The plaint that of the work she missed her share, Nor helped to ply the busy housewife's care, Was heard, but heard in vain ; The one thing needful was her happier choice, To learn of Jesus and in Him rejoice, And that she must retain. 54 MARTHA AND MARY. Saviour of men, Immanuel, hear our cry, Give us for Thee to live, in Thee to die, O calm the anxious breast ; However in thy cause we toil or roam, Still at thy feet provide a peaceful home, Where we may wait and rest. CHRIST THE BRIDEGROOM. PSALM XLV. My thoughts a glorious theme indite, And ready is my pen to write, Thou fairest of the fair ; And swifter still my tongue to raise, To thee an orison of praise, For grace beyond compare. Then gird thee round with belt and sword, Ride on, ride on, thou mighty Lord, Thy majesty display ; Well shall thy red right-hand express Thy zeal for truth and righteousness — Then prosper on thy way ! 56 CHRIST THE BRIDEGROOM. Winged by thy power, conviction's dart Shall strike through many a rebel heart, Nor pierce all hearts in vain ; While every foeman prostrate lies, A favoured few shall fall to rise, And die to live again. O God, above the starry spheres, Thy throne is set for endless years ; Pure justice bears thy sword ; Virtue and truth engage thy love ; Sin draws thy vengeance from above, Rejected and abhorr'd. Therefore hath God upon thy head Thy God — the oil of gladness shed, Without compare or measure ; From ivory halls with spices stored, Perfumes o'er all thy garments poured, Are redolent of pleasure. CHRIST THE BRIDEGROOM. 5/ The Tyrian maids with gifts attend, Before Thee royal virgins bend In jewelled drapery sheen ; And graceful on thine arm reclines, In purest gold from Ophir's mines, Thy partner and thy queen. O Lady, bow the listening ear, My counsel condescend to hear — The people once thy own, Thy father's house, forget to love, So shall the king thy charms approve, Ah ! worship him alone ! Daughter of kings — upon her vest See nature's fairest forms exprest With golden tissue wove ; All glorious is the Bride within, By God's free grace redeemed from sin, And heavenly is her love. 58 CHRIST THE BRIDEGROOM. Fair princess, in thy father's place Shall spring to life a godly race, And rnlc from shore to shore ; Victorious in their Saviour's name, With thee they share a deathless fame, And live for evermore ! PRINTED BY JOSIAH FLETCHER, UPPER HAYMARKET. \1^ ; SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 369 729 9 :W: :i l:iiii