3668 R55p Roberts A poetical essay THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD ENDOWMENT FUND POETICAL ESSAY, ON THE EXISTENCE O F G O D. PART I. BY -THE REV. W. H. ROBERTS, OF E T o N, LATE FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. rov T^ocrs^ojugyo^ ry g<5 3 r o]i 'EST I. LONDON, Printed by J. and H. HUGHS: And foJd by J. WILKIE, in St. Paul's Church-yard -, T. PAYNE, at the Mews-Gate ; WOODYER, at Cambridge ; and J. POTE, at Eton. M.DCC.LXXJ. T O THE REVEREND * <~ _ EDWARD BARNARD, D. D. CHAPLAIN IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY, PROVOST OF ETON. COLLEGE, AND CANON OF WINDSOR, THIS POETICAL ESSAY, ON THE ; EXISTENCE OF GOD, AS A TESTIMONY OF GRATITUDE AND ESTEEM, IS INSCRIBED, BY HIS MOST OBLIGED, AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, WILLIAM HAYWARD ROBERTS. 870433 ARGUMENT OF THE FIRST PART. General invocation-~Firft Proof of the Exigence of God, drawn from the Creation of the World The Ariftotelian fyftem of the World 's Eternity, an oljeElwn to that proof- That fyftem ftated and refuted ift, From the latenefs of Hiftory, Arts, Sciences, &c. 2dly, From the imperfeft ft ate of Geography ^dly. From the alteration and corrup- tion of things. Second Proof of God ' s Exiftence drawn from the impoffibility of any thing making itf elf which introduces the Epicurean fyftem Epicurus" s objections to the Wifdom of God in the Creation ftated and refuted, Third Proof of the Exiftence of God drawn from the force of Confcience An Apoftrophe to Confcience Fourth Proof of the Exiftence of a God drawn from univerfal Confent inftanced in Pagans- Mahometans Chriftians A Prayer for the Univerfality of the Chriftian Religion: PART PART I*. ON THE EXISTENCE O F G O D. OThou, who fhrined in beams of pureft light, Encircled by the bright Angelic hoft, Thy Minifters, furvey'ft whatever is In earth, in higheft heaven, Thee I approach With awful rev'rence trembling : toward thy feat I ftretch my dazzled eye, if chance a ray Shall dart from thence acrofs my mortal Spirit, * It was not the intention of the Author, either in this or the two following Parts, (one of which is on the Attributes, the other on the Providence, of God,) to introduce all the arguments, which have fo frequently and forcibly been made ufe of on thefe fubjects ; but only to felect thofe which feemed moft adapted to a work of this nature. And *And touch my lips with fire. Then fhall the Mufe. Difdain all humbler themes ; and foaring far Above the vapours of this earthly fphere, Bafk in the fields of Heaven's fereneft air, Where -f Seas of cryftal gird the fapphir throne* Sceptic, if never yet thine eye furvey'd Yon bright empyreal ; if thy mind ne'er rov'd O'er Other's fpacious plains ; look up, and tell From what exhauftlefs ftrearn the Lord of Day Drinks never- wafting fire ; what hidden power Wheels the bright planets round their central orb ? Who bids the filent moon with fober pace Steal o'er the cloudiefs azure ; and with ftars Spangles the vault of night? Who told the clouds : To drop rich moifture on the thirfty foil ? Who friap'd the lightning's nimble wing, and rais'd The thunder's awful voice ? At thy command, * Then flew one of the Seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand -. and he laid it upon my mouth, and faid, This hath touched thy lips ISAIAH vi. 6, 7. -f And before the throne there was a fea of glafs, like unto cryftal. REV. iv. 6. Great [ 7 ] Great Architect, at thy creative word, Up from the vaft and fhapelefs chaos rofe Harmonious Order. Thee, Thee, mighty Lord, Even to the center of the formlefs void Confufion heard ; and, with her thoufand tongues, c At thy ftrong Bidding,' Difcord funk to reft. 'Twas then, then firft, from Night's ungenial womb, With all her hills, her vales, and founding floods, This goodly planet fprung : then firft the earth Smiled with delicious verdure ; fruit and flower Scatter'd frefh odours thro' the fragrant air ; The vaft deep roar'd ; and on the mountain's brow The waving foreft rear'd his ftately head. Or fhall we rather fay, this antient globe, An emanation, which the Eternal Mind By Fate, not Freedom, from his eflence fhed, With Him coeval, and with Him to endure, Runs on a ceafelefs round? Such was the tale, That in Lyceum, by the hallow'd grove Of Academe, the fubtle Stagyrite Told [ 8 ] Told his admiring tribe ; and drew their minds From the Firft Good, Firft Perfect, and Firft Fair, To idle dreams of vain philofophy. Dreams, which nor haunted on Hydafpes' bank The frantic Brachman ; nor Phoenicia's feers Vers'd in high pedigree, and antient lore ; Nor Memphis, tho' the wonder-working Prieft In myftic fymbols 'grav'd on many a ftone Her fabulous annals. Let proud Pekin's fons Trace her dark records thro' a thoufand kings ; But fliall that haughty empire date her birth Ere Time his courfe began ? Go, afk of Earth, Have thy fteep hills for ever pierc'd the ikies ? Afk of the Deep, if lince his howling waves Dath'd the rough rock, eternal years have rolFd ? Enquire, if Everlafting be his name ? J Where, if this globe's eternal^ where are all Her Kings, her Patriots ? Where, alas ! are all Her antient monuments of arts, and arms, J LUCRETIUS, Lib. v. And [ 9 1 And tales of bleeding heroes ? Shall we fay, Till Niinrod led his mighty bands to war, That never Chief had hurl'd the pointed lance, Or drove the winged car ? Did never Bard, Till Amram's fon pour'd forth his raptur'd ftrains, Record paft adions of the brave, and wife ? Why uneflay'd the deep, till from her fhores Aftonifh'd Greece faw daring Cadmus fpread His fwelling fails, and o'er the Tyrian main Bring peace and fcience to her favage fons ? Why did no fage explain, how the white ray> Refraded by dioptric glafs, difplays Hues indiftincl: before, till Newton came, Pride of Britannia's ifle ? Why thro' the veins Circled the blood unknown, ere Hervey rofe ? Hark, how the heroes of imperial Rome Boaft their wide empire's univerfal fway ! To diftant climes her conquering eagles flew, To Calpe's hills, to Thule's utmoft fhore, And where proud Ganges rolls his golden fands. B Vain Vain pride ! in evil hour too foon file found What mighty multitudes, who ne'er had felt Her galling chain, were hid in regions dark Of ice andfroft; till from their barren caves The populous North poured all her warriors forth From Wefer, and from Elbe, to Anio's bank, And Tiber's frighted ftream ? Have we forgo tr, How, ftrange to tell, the wondering mariner, Far in the bofom of the Weftern deep Found worlds unknown before ; and from the top Of Andes, faw the Amazonian ftream Swoln by the tribute of expanded lakes, Rivers, and cataracts, o'er forefts wild Direct his floods, and in his rapid courfe Vifit a thoufand tribes ? And fliall we call That world eternal^ whofe undaunted fons Ne'er circled half her orb ? or can we deem That everlafting ages could have roll'd, Ere fome uncheck'd adventurer had defied The Hefperian foam, and to his hardy crew Shewn Shewn the rich tribute of Potofi's mines ? Even yet much refts unknown. The day will come, "When fome fad fhip (hall roam the Southern main, With fails, and enfigns torn ^ and in the wide Expanfe of roaring waters, far beyond Where the Sun turns to vifit Northern climes, Braced by the Antarctic circle (hall defcry Some mighty continent. The ambitious Thrones Of diftant Europe 'crofs the line (hall fend Their thronging colonies, and difturb the reft Of peaceful nations. Thee, Iberia, thee, And thy falfe faith, fome dying Motezume Again {hall curfe, and, with his life, refign His wrefted fceptre to a ftranger's hand. Befides, that ne'er eternal may be named, Which accident can alter, time corrupt, Or force deftroy. Behold what rocks arife, Mountains and hills, that caft their evening (hade Far o'er the plain beneath: why has not time Bent their proud fummits to the humble vale ? B 2 Why Why hare not ftorms, and winds, and driving hail Moulder'd their ftrength ? why has no earthquake torn Their yawning cliffs ; or fubterrancan fire HutTd their fcorch'd entrails to the hilling deep, And continents remote ? With all his fnows Stands Teneriff ; and Athos yet overhangs The ./Egean, ftudded thick with (hining ifles, Cyclad and Sporad. If thofe lofty hills Knew no beginning, tho' ten thoiifand years But one fmall grain impaired, their names, their place, Had long been loft ; beneath the infatiate waves Each atom wafli'd away ; * like that fam'd ifle. Fancied of antient fabulifts, that with all Her tower-crown'd cities, palaces, and fanes, Sunk in the bofom of the Atlantic deep. Whatever is, hear Reafon's voice, was made, Or increate. If increate, 'tis God ; If made, by whom ? Or was itfelf at once Maker, and work, productive, and produced ? Vain fophiftry! to fome firft plaftic caufe * See Plato. Trace .; C '3 ] Trace then its birth, and that -fir ft caufe, is God. For fay, could matter by inftindiive force . Start into fenfe, and motion ? Haft thou feen The cold dead clod ftart into warmth, and Hie ? Say, did old Ocean with capacious hand Scoop the deep channel for his humid train? Did the tall mountain, with unborrow'd force Lift his afpiring head ? or the pale moon By unimpaired, and effential power, Mould her bright fphere, and point her filver (hafts? Did the free Atoms, in fage council met, Debate where each fhould move ? or did they float Thro' tracts of endlefs fpace, 'till Chance contrived This Order, 'till from univerfal ftrifc This univerfal harmony began ? Who, that on fome deferted coaft beheld A ftately pile with antique frieze adorn'd, Ionic, or Corinthian, who would fay That ftorms had torn it from the mountain's fide With all its tov/ers ; or think the boifterous wind Haply C H 1 Haply had fix'd it on its folid bafe? Who, but would rather deem that painful art, Tho' now a ftranger to this filent fhore, Had polifli'd every column, every dome, The moulded architrave, and fretted roof? But who is He, that round yon garden bends His feeble fteps, and with prefumptuous tongue Arraigns Jehova's works ? I know him now ; The Sage of Pleafure : with the fons of Greece I mix, and liften to his impious tale. * f Think not a hand divine could form that globe, c Where fcarce a trace of Wifdom may be feen, * Of Goodnefs, or of Power. For part the fun ' With direct rays, and fire intenfe, denies c To human ufe; or dark Cimmerian froft c Has hid from mortal habitant : and part c Vaft lakes, huge rocks, rough thorns, and barren fands c O'erfpread ; 'till man with patient care reform 4 The ftubborn earth, and tame the ungenial foil. * See Lucretius, B. 5. 4 'Yet [ '5 ) c Yet then, even then, when all his hopes are high, c When ripening fruits expect the reaper's fcythe, c Oft he bewails the fcorching heat ; or weeps 4 To fee the fummer's angry ftorrn defcend, c And years of labour in a moment loft. i What mean thofe minifters of vengeance ; Gout; ' And racking Stone, and Fever's raging fire ? * Why (hakes the South contagion from his wings ; ' While Death, grim tyrant, with unerring hand c Directs his dartunfeen? On the bare ground, c Like the poor fhipwreck'd mariner, whom ftorms c Have caft on fonie inhofpitable fhore, * The new-born infant lies ; thro' many a year, 4 Helplefs and weak, he wails his bitter lot, * And each fad hour beholds his artlefs tear. * Not fo the tenant of the field : he quits ' His parent's fide, and wantons o'er the lawn c Rejoicing; Earth for him fpontaneous fpreads 1 Ambrofial banquets ; and for him the brook 1 Winds thro' fequefter'd vales his amber ftream.' Fool, [ '& 3 Fool, waft thou prefent, when the Almighty funk Earth's deep foundations, and to Ocean faid, * Here thy proud Waves be {laid ;' when firft the Stars Chaunted their matin fong, and Angels cried * Hofanna to the Higheft ?' Thou waft not tl.ere; But WISDOM was. Ere yet the earth was made. Ere yet the mountains were brought forth, or ere The day-fpring knew his place, at God's right hand She fat, his chief delight. She fat, and faw His fpirit moving o'er the watry deep ; Saw genial light, obedient to his call, Spring from the womb of darknefs ; he beheld The ground yield grafs and herb, yield fruit and flower, And Man, imperial Man, the Lord of All, Rife from the duft. She faw that all was good, And with her voice divine ftamp'd every work. Think'ft thou the zone, that girds the torrid foil, Untrod by human ftep ? The Pilot, born Far from the Sun's masandring path, defies The burning equinoctial : to the woods Of C '7 ] Of hot Borneo, to Guiana's fhore, He fleers his prow undaunted. Oft within The frozen circle of the Arctic pole, He moors his veflel on fome Northern ifle, Greenland, or Zembla. There the frigid tribes O'er their bleak mountains roam ; nor wifh to change Their darkling twilight, and ungenial froft, For brighter funfhine, or for milder fkies. What tho' with thorns and fand the earth be fpread ? Say, would'ft thou banifh painful induftry ? Say, would'ft thou wifh, with folded hands fupine, Like thine own Gods to fit, and dofe away A life Oi f fenfelefs eafe ? What tho' the ftorm Oft blafts the planter's hope ? drives not that ftorm From the purg'd air the putrid Peftilence, Stalking thro' noon-day's heat ? What tho' difeafe InfecT: the feeble frame ? yet hence arife Cool thought, repentance, hence contempt of life, And eager hope, that fprings beyond the grave. Is Death an evil ? Tell me, would'ft thou drag C Alin- [ 18 A lingering dotage of eternal pain, And, thro' fucceflive generations, fhake Thy hoary hairs, unhonour'd ? Would'ft thou wifli To fall, ere Reafon be matur'd by time ; Ere each fair object, that around thee {nines, Strike thy rapt foul with wonder ? Think not then That Man can ripen, as the beaft, that foon Arrives at perfect growth, and foon decays ; Nor judge from Parts unknown, this wond'rous Whole* Thus Heaven, and Earth, declare their Maker's praife z. Nor that alone ; but in the human bread A faithful monitor the Almighty placed, A witnefs of Himfelf. Come then, the fcene Of frantic mirth is o'er : the focial bowl, The midnight frolic, and the fcornful jeft, Are gone ; thy youth is paft, thy ftrength decay'd, And all the partners of thy wanton hours Are funk in friame, and forrow, to the graven Come, tell me, did a felf-convicted foul Ne'er [ 19 1 v Ne'er check thy guilty joys ? Did that bleft Spirit That wakes each hope, that fcatters every fear, And o'er the firmer Y penitent mind diftils His precious balm, ne'er interrupt th^r peace, 'Mid the rude Tallies of unholy mirth, And impure paffion ; when the ftill finall voice Of Confcience, made the hour of folitude To thee more hideous, than the filent watch Of midnight to the fleeplefs eye of pain, Or pining care ? O Confcience, heavenly guide, Thou, 'mid the ftorms, and tempefts of the world, 'Mid the rude blafts of chilling penury, In tears of woe, in death's alarming hour, Spread'ft round the good man's couch thy {helt'ring wing, And all is peace : But Oh ! how {harp the pang, When in the finner's unrelenting heart Thou pierced deep, and driv'ft the guilty wretch Far from the confines of tumultuous joy To fcenes of melancholy, and black delpair J But whence thefe boding doubts ? Why fhrinks the foul C 2 From C 20 T From future ill ? If no fuperior Power Claims homage, why do fancied evils fcare The heart of Wifdom, that to crafty tales Ne'er yielded tame fubmiflion ? Mighty Lord, 'Tis Thou, that in the finner's breaft doft move With kindlieft influence ; 'tis thy tender rod. That * heals his foul with medicinal wounds :: The voice of Confcience is the voice of God.. Thee, univerfal King*, thy peopled earth,. Thro' every nation, every tribe, adores.. And tho' rude Ignorance, with favage rites,. And uncouth geftures-, howls her hymn of praiie ^ Tho' fenfelefs Idols, or created Lights Of Heaven ufurp thine homage ; yet to- Thee Their voice is rais'd ; to Thee their incenfe fmokes ;. To Thee in grove and vale their temples rife.. * And with his ftripes we are healed. ISAIAH liii. 5. J Nulla gens ufquam eft, adeo contra leges morefque projeda, ut non aliquos - Decs credat. With C 21 ] With feathery crown, and flaming gems adorn'd, The gaudy Mexican from cups of gold Pours out the captive Warrior's reeking blood At Vitzipultzi's flirine ; while, with loud fhoutSj In myftic maze the Virgins of the Sun Dance round the bleeding vi&im. Near the banks Of Zaara-$ whence the Merchant, dreadful trade I Comes fraught with flavery to Caribbean ifles, The tawny African o'er Ocean's ftream % Spreads forth his arms ; on bended knee implores The howling winds; and begs the farm to drive The cruel Ghriftian far from Congo's coaft. Where Efperanza to the Indian main Extends its rocks, the filthy native bows. With humbleft reverence to the Moon : From her He afks ripe fruits, and fertile feafons mild ; And ever as {he fvvells the impetuous tide, With antic dances, and rude carol, greets Her rifing beams. On rich Golconda's walls Ten Ten tedious nights, and ten long fleeplefs days* The felf-tormented Bramin fits : if F O Well-pleas'd behold his pain, it recks not him That torn with hooks of fteel his mangled flelh Pours ftreams of blood, or from his burning head With livid light the fpiral flames afcend. See, where the turban'd Caliph o^er the fields Of fertile Syria fpreads wide- wafting war, And famine : nor can groves of ravag'd palm, Olives and figs, nor defolated vines That crown'd the brink of Pharphar, lucid ftream ! Nor widow's piercing flhriek, nor orphan's tear, Melt his obdurate foul : for not the luft Of frantic power, or empire unconfin'd, But raging zeal, and hope of future blifs, Arm him with tenfold fury. On he goes Till vanquifh'd millions glut his righteous rage $ Then pours to Mahomet a fervent prayer, While Vidtory wafhes from her favage hands The : c 23 i The blood of flaughter'd hofts. Thefe, mighty Lord, Thefe all thy Being, and thy Power adore. Thy Name unknown. Not fo in thofe bleft climes, Where thy dear Son has rear'd his Crofs. For us He left the regions of eternal Day ; While all the hoft of Angels carol'd round < Glory to God on high.' From Eaft to Weft, Swift as a Sun-beam darts, the tidings flew Of peace, and glad falvation. Mighty Kings In vain confpir'd to check its rapid courfe, And Perfecution drew her flaming fword : Thy word, great God, prevaiFd. O may it foon O'er unenlightened realms its beams diffufe ! Then, to his long-lamented home reftor'd, The wand'ring Hebrew fhall rebuild the walls Of facred Salem, and on Calvary's top Adore his fuffering Lord. The feaft of Love r The banquet of remembrance dear, {hall rife. In t'% 1 In wild Savanna's, and 'mid boundlcfs woods. '* Then the fierce Arab, that now prowls for prey O'er fcorching fands, {hall drink the cnp of life, Purg'd in Baptifmal ftreams ; and every tribe Of favage Indians, in the houfe of prayer Kneel with meek faith, and (hew "Thy Kingdom come* POETICAL ESSAY, ON THE ATTRIBUTES O F G O D. PART II. BY THE REV. W. H. ROBERTS, FELLOW OF ETON COLLEGE. 'O IIa?i} Sy ^ g *ww TEAEIO2 l$i. LONDON, Printed by J. and H. HUGHS : And Sold by J. W ILK IE, in St, Paul's Church-yard; T. PAYNE, at the Mews-Gate j J. WOODYER, at Cambridge j and J. POTE, at Eton. M.DCC.LXXI. .Y A a r ' T ,11 O T I j a H a a o ARGUMEN T OF THE SECOND PART. General addrefs to the Deity i. On tic UNITY of God On Polytheifm On Idolatry inflamed in the conduct of tie Jfraelites The Manichean doctrine of iisco Jirft Principles re- futed 2. On the ETERNITY of God on the defruElicn cf the idols ^ and oracles ) in the Heathen wcrld 3. On the OMNI- PRESENCE 4, On the OMNIPOTENCE of God extended ever the whole creation particularly over Man inftanced in the deftruEtion of Pharoah^ and the fettlement of the Ifraelites in Canaan in the cafe of Nebuchadnezzar God's power exhi- bited in the Sea 5. On the OMNISCIENCE 6. 0/z the Wis- povi of God in the produEiion of various animals /';; the formation of Man in the faculties of the human mind 7. On the GOODNESS of God -{hewn in the animal world in the vegetable in the change offeafons in the various pro duffs of various countries in providing herbs, &c. for medi- cine 8. On //^VERACITY of God Jheivn in fulfilling the predictions of his Prophets 9. On the JUSTICE of God the unequa^Diflribution of Good and Evil an objection to the Jujlics, of God that objection anfwered The fame objection enforced anfwered again , by foewing that all thefe inequalities will be adjufted hereafter exemplified in the ftory of the Rich Man y and Lazarus 10. On the MERCY of Gcd the office of Mercy to f of ten the Severity of Jujlice "The Redemption of Man un- dertaken by Chrift His Mercy in his life -and at his death. PART ^^.- PART II. ON THE ATTRIBUTES O F GOD. GOD is, and God is ONE ; the firft, the laft, c Immutable, immortal, infinite ;' His wonders who (hall tell ? His hand fupports The * golden chain, that links a thoufand worlds. His undivided eflence fills the realms Of Time, and boundlefs Space : His eye furveys Effects far diftant, ere their caufes rife. _-.. J His all-pervading mind difdains the help * ; j Of equal, or inferior : He unmix'd, Unaided, undirected, uncontroul'd, Reigns Sovereign o'er his works, and reigns alone. Horn. II. viii. 19.' Ere C 6 3 Ere yet the Sun of Righteoufnefs difpeli'd The clouds of popular error, not a hill, But on his fecret top, nor tufted grove, But deep within embowering {hades, enfhrined A tutelary Power, Fauns hence, and Nymphs, Oread and Dryad, and that rabble rout, Pan's fylvan court : befides what Deities Of mightier name, renown'd in ancient Greece, Or Phrygia, or Etruria's gloomy vales, Claim'd general homage o'er the fpacious earth. Where fam'd Alpheiis wafhes Pifa's plain, Arm'd with his light' ning flood Olympian Jove, Of Gentile Gods fupreme. The Thracian bow'd To Mars, flern King of War. The vaft domain Of waters arth-encircling Neptune held, His lot ; while Pluto, pitylefs Tyrant, ruled The fleeting fubjqfts. of his nether world. O ignorant of truth ! One only Power , Rolls his loud thunder thro' the low'ring Iky, With light'ning wing'd : the fame dread Lord of Ho/Is Cireds r 7 Directs the fpear, and on the warrior's thigh Girds the ftrong fword of conqueft : roaring winds, And all the tempefts of the ftormy deep, Obey his voice ; and at his vengeful wrath Fallen Seraphs tremble in the realms of night. Ah ! faithlefs Judah ! could'ft thou then forget The firetch'd-out arm that clave the Red-fea waves, That rain'd down Manna on thy wandering fons, And led thee thro' the pathlefs wildernefs Far from the houfe of bondage ? The fweet land, That flow'd with milk and honey, ne&ar'd ftreams, Refrefh'd thy weary feet. But oh ! what mean Thofe fhouts of diflbnance, and frantic mirth, Round yon grim idol ? See thy daughters bow To devils ! See, thy princes bend the knee To Moloch, and to Dagon ! Soon, too foon, Shall fad captivity, and a ftranger's land Receive thee : foon thy harp untuned fliall hang By Babylon's proud waters ; never more, Till feventy tedious moons have twelve times waned, 2 To To fing the fongs of Sion. God fhall rife, ; And vindicate his name : with jealous eye He guards his honour iminjur'd ; nor will deign Tojbare the facrifice of prayer, and praife ; For He is O N E ; God ever, God alone. Yet fome there are, who think two Principles, Equal in power, in nature oppofite, Divide the world ; Author of evil this, And that of every good : that one with frofts, And noxious mildew blafts the ripening fruit ; Lets loofe the rage of famine, and of war, Of tyranny, and wide-wafting peftilence ; Firm foe to Man, prompts the defponding mind To deeds of defperation ; arms with fteel The dark affaffin of the midnight hour ; And in the full-fwoln veflels of the foul Pours luft, and rage, and rancorous envy : while The Rival of his reign with gentle fhowers Waters the thirfty foil ; o'er ravag'd fields Sends peace, fends plenty ; from contagious mifts Purges t > 3 Purges the winnow'd air ; the drooping fpirit Revives with Hope's ftrong cordial ; blunts the point Of the drawn dagger ; and diftills the dew Of foft affe&ion o'er the melting heart. But flrall not this divided kingdom fall ? Shall not the world, by adverfe powers eonvuls'd, Shake to the center ? Or fubfift its laws Immutable by everlafting ftrife ? O fountain pure, from whofe original ftream \: t f[ To beaft, to man, and all the angelic hoft, Flows life, thy Being inexhauftible End, nor beginning bounds. The motley crew Of idols, Afhtaroth and Baalim, Are fled : no more the Syrian damfels weep Their loft Adonis ; and the frantic maid No more hears Delphi, central rock, refound With oracles obfcure : Dodona's oaks Are filent ; and deferted ftands the fane, Where dwelt Ammonian Jove. But Thou art ftill The fame thro* endlefs ages : Earth's ftrong bafe j B . Thy C .0 ] Thy hand firft laid, and fcoop'd the vault of heaven* Earth^s bafe fliall fink, and the high vault of heaven rfsJI Shall melt away ; yet Thou - flialt ay endure. ; 1Q Thro' the vaft regions of unbounded fpace, --fta ?' O'er all thine elements, o'er all thy worlds, Thine effence fpreads. What tho' the Sinner flee To foreft dark, or thickeft grove, retired From human fight ? thy never- fleeping eye Pierces the gloom, and marks his devious path.. What tho' he curtain round his pillow'd head, Wrapt in the folds of fleep ? about his couch Thou art ; to Thee the darknefs and the light Shine with one blaze, and night is clear as day. O whither then, fay whither fhall he go From thy pervading prefence ? Shall he foar To heaven's high towers ? but there enthroned thou fit'ft : Or fhall he fink into the deep abyfs, There, where the roots of earth and ocean grow, Unfathomable ? yet ftill thy fpirit broods O'er hell's dark womb, and fills the vacant gulf. 4 Great C * 3 Great is the Lord. He, nor confin'd by place> Spirit aetherial, nor by fate controul'd, Difplays the glories of OMNIPOTENCE, The wonders of his might. When from his throne' He darts the forked lightning ; when his voice Speaks in loud thunder to the fons of earth ; Huge Ocean trembles thro' his world of waves ; The cloud-capt mountains fmoke ; with all her trees, Cedar, and pine, the lofty foreft bows. But Man undaunted ftands afnidft the fliock With vacant, unregarding eye : He fears Nor rattling elements, nor all the bolts Of vengeance, tho' fufpended, foon to fall With threefold force on his devoted head. Stop, Pharoah, flop. Behold the waves return : Hark, how the mighty waters round thee roar ! While yon vile flaves, fafe landed on the beach, Defy thofe idle threats : the Arabian gulf Shuts clofe, and fwallows thee with all thine hoft. Fear not, O Ifrael, fear not : to the land, B 2 (Whence W hence Jacob led thy great progenitors To Gofhen, fruitful foily.) fhalt thou return.. There fhalt thou find nor famirie-blafted plains, Nor waters prifonM in the fteely rock ; But from. each, pore the gufhing ftream. fhall flow To flake thy thirft ; the olive, and. the vine^. Shall weave their twifted foliage round thy head,, And every valley fijig with waving corn. On, Ifrael, on. Fear not or Eglon's king^, Or Sihon, or the giant forrn-of Og, lord of the, herds^that range o'er Bafan's meads : Fear not, tho' all the powerful monarchs leagued, Even .from the river (that; in Eden flow'd, Watering the tree; of knowledge,) to the fea, With waving banners, and confederate fpears, Breathe vengeance. 5 Tis. thy God, that leads thee 03 : 'Tis He fhall quell the force of Ammorite, And proud Philiftine ;. He fhall fpeak, and: ftrait The Suns fLall flop to - hajl thy vidory, While half the nations of the. aflonifh'd eaith Shall [ '3 3 Shall howl in mid- day darknefs. In the land, The promis'd land, thy kings {hall iheath the fwordj And all thy fona, and daughters, reft in peace. But what is that, which o'er the fpacious mead^ (Where Tigris and Euphrates, mingled ftreams^ Hafle to the Perfian fea,) moves flowly on>, And paftures forrowing on the verdant grafs ? Is that the great Nebuzar ? is that He Who round the towering walls of Babylon Ten thpufand chariots drove ; who to the fpires Of facred Salem led the embattled hoft ^ Who defoliated Jordan's fertile fields,. And laid God's favoured temple in the duft ? Alas, how fallen -1 Learn hence ye Great, ye Vaio y . Learn. hence, ye Sovereign Monarchs of the eartlr, How impotent your power. The. King of kings Laughs all your pomp to fcorn, and blafts the pride. Of vifionary conq.ueft ^ whether thro' Wide pathlefs woods ye feek the intrenched foe^, Qr tempt the perils of the roaring deep. With [ '4 ] With floating pennants, and expanded fails, Safe in her port the gallant veffel rides. From every fide the winding coaft refoimds With feftive fliouts : the creaking anchor's rais'd ; The fhip no more is feen : far, far from fhore. Secure 'tis bounding o'er Bifcaya's bay, Or thro' the ftraits Herculean. But behold The ftorms and winds arife, the rains defcend, From heaven's wide gate the thunder roars amain ; Where, where is now her ftrength ? ah ! what avails The ftout oak, harden'd by Norwegian frofts ? What profit now tough cables, towering rnafts, And all the brazen inftruments of war ? 'Tis God, that bids his clafhing elements Confound the pride of Man. See, where the deep Yawns wide ! the {hip, with all her freighted crew, Down' finks, and not a wreck is left behind. As one, who firft furveys the unbounded main, Pacific, or Hefperian, ftretches far His aching eye to where heaven's concave arch Bends C 5 Bends to the waves, yet ftill nor all the expanfe, Nor depth conceives ; fo labours the weak fpirit, That in the bounds of mortal intellect Strains to comprefs OMNISCIENCE. Who {hall fcan Thy knowledge, wondrous Lord ? or how fhall dwell That vaft idea in created mind ? For not an atom heaven, Or earth contains, Not one wing'd word, no^ thought, yet unconceiv'd, Is hid from thee. The tongue, the heart is thine ; And in thy book was written every limb While yet urrfafhion'd in the plaftic cell. From the fmall infect, that eludes the fearch Of microfcopic eye, thro' all the tribes Of this full-peopled globe, thro' every ftagc Of fenfe, of inftinct, or of intellect, To Man's imperial race, God's WISDOM ihines ;, But chief in him, the lafr, the nobleft work. Yet boaft not, Man, thy well- compacted frame, Thy fymmetry of fhape, thy graceful limbs ; j each to each adjufted, all perform Their Their proper functions ; boaft nor ftrength in fight, Nor fwiftnefs in the race. Can'ft thou o'ertake The towering eagle in his courfe ? or bid The famifli'd lion crouch within his den, Scared by thy lifted arm ? 'tis Mind, 'tis Mind, That o'er each bird, which cleaves the liquid air, O'er every beaft, that ranges wood, or wild, Exalts thee : there in exprefs characters Great * ElohinVs hand his own bright image drew. From each fair object to the enthroned Soul, Like rivers, that with tributary floods Increafe old Ocean's ever-flowing ftream, The SENSES, faithful minifters, convey Their vivid images. The liftening tar Sounds pleafing, or of harfher diflbnanc, Leads through her du&ile channels to the foul. Hence, if the fprightly clarion pierce the air, Rekindling ardour fires the warrior's bread, * In the beginning God [ Elohim ] created the heaven, and the earth. GEN. I. i. Panting I 7 ] Panting for fields of glory. Down the cheek Of penfive Pity drops the melting tear, When the foft lute, with plaintive minftrelfy, Pours lengthen'd notes of forrow. The keen ye, That darts from earth to heaven, each object fcans, Hill, vale, or fhady grove, and on the mind The juftly-reprefented landfcape paints In tints of livelieft hue. So on the bank Of fome clear ftream the wondering fliepherd ftands, And in the mirrour of the level lake Sees woods, and lawns, exa&eft portraiture, Reflected to his view. 'Tis thus the SOUL, Herfelf unmoved, receives her various (lores : Then JUDGMENT with flow art, and patient fldll Sorts each from each, disjoins, unites, compacts In jufteft fymmetry ; while fportive WIT With random hand confounds his painful toil ; And fmiling, to the fancy ftrait prefents From grave, and gay, from light, and darkeft fhade, One motley pifture. Soon the Mind, o'ercharg'd C With i8 With rich ideas, feeks a calm repofe ; And to the M E M O R Y 's faithful care commits Her ftill-increafing treafures j there for hours, For years they reft in filence, till drawn forth By fit occafion. Hence remembrance dear Of frientis long loft confoles the penfive mind : Hence the fweet fcenes of innocence and youth*. Renew'd by recollection, pleafe again : Vain elfe were human learning, human art, Vain all the ties of gratitude, and love. Far as the flaming walls, Creation's bound, Beafts wild, or tame, that o'er the foreft range, Or crop the flowery mead ; the finny race, And that Leviathan, who wont to iport In oceans of thick ice ; the birds, that fail O'er the clear azure on expanded wing, All, all declare thy GOODNESS. Now the grove Shoots forth luxuriant foliage, and the earth Flowers of a thoufand dies : 'Tis Spring ; and foon Swart Summer, waving with his ripen'd fruits, With C ip 3 With fliining hook will arm the reaper's hand. Next Autumn comes : He, with impurpled foot Shall tread the prefs, and from the full-fwoln grape Extracft delicious juice : 'tis he fhall ftain Each verdant leaf in tints of browneft hue, Till boifterous Winter with his giant hand Shakes the difmantled foreft, where each branch Shines fpangling to the Sun with hoary froft. Each change how regular ! By God's command Alternate feafons mark the varied year. He, univerfal parent, ftill fuftains All that his word created : fix'd on him Is every eye ; and from his open'd hand Flows liberal plenty o'er the Sons of Men. Not that each foil, or in degree, or kind, Boafts the fame produce. Thro' wide fields of rice Roam the parch'd hinds of India ; mantling vines Spread their foft tendrils o'er Burgundian hills. Sweet is the fragrance which the evening breeze From orange woods, on Lufitania's fhore, C 2 Wafts Wafts to the Weftern waves : joyous the found When Britain's" labouring fons have ftrip'd her fields, And fing their harveft done. 'Tis hence each land By mutual intercourfe, commercial bond, The wants of each fupplies. For tho' nor gold, Nor diamonds flame beneath the Northern fky, Nor trees weep odorous gums, yet think not hence That God with thrifty hand withholds his ftores From half his fons, and fcatters o'er the reft His partial favours. He, to roufe the mind By deeds of bold emprize, gave to each land Her feparate bleflings. .Hence o'er Albion's feas Rides the proud veffel, fraught with richeft ftores Of Afric, or the new-found Continent. Even in the wildernefs his hand has fpread A plenteous table ; even the filent brook, Mantled with creiTes, to the poor Man yields At once his beverage fweet, and wholefome food. But not with fruits, and wholefome food alone, Sweet to the tafte, and pleafant to the eye, Earth's 3 Earth's lap is fill'd : in ficknefs, as in health, O'er all extends God's falutary care. With toilfome ftep the peafant climbs the brow Of fome tall mountain : there with fkilful hand Culls every herb, each plant of healing power, Steep'd in the morning dew. Where the higheft fun- Darts beams direct on Lima's filver mines, The fcorch'd Peruvian from the bleeding tree Strips medicinal bark, and o'er the wave Sends health, fends vigour, to the diftant fons Of Britain, Queen of Waters. From the cave Of hollow rock, from earth's all-teeming wombj Burfts in full tide the life-difpenfing ftream, Sulphureous, or Chalybeate. Strait the bloom Of rofy health o'erfpreads the blufliing cheek ; Strait the wan virgin, that thro' many a year Had pined with flow decay, again revives To fcenes of fportive mirth, and tales of love. Hear, hear, O Heaven, and thou, O Earth, give ear, Tis [ * ] 'Tis God that fpeaks. * Yet once more will I fhakc The Land, the Sea, the Nations.' Thus proclaims The eternal King : O tremble at his voice, Created Worlds ; his T R U T H fliall never fail. By Him infpired the Seer furvey'd the womb Of dark futurity : before his eye Rofe fated fons of glory ; on his foul Prefs'd ages yet to come. The gaping croud Stood round, and liften'd to the ecftatic ftrains In blank aftonifhment : but ripening Time Matured each ad, and gradually difplay'd Scenes long foretold. Thus fell proud Babylon, Thy fcourge, O captive Ifrael ; thus the walls Of fea-girt Sidon ; thus Phoenician Tyre j Thus within Solyma's devoted gates Were heard dire fhrieks of horror : round her trench Hover'd the Latian eagle ; in her walls Raged fell fedition. Famine urged to deeds Of frantic violence : till, her temple fallen, Her warriors flain, compleated all her woes, In . : C 23 In the fad hour of each predicted curfe Sion, the pride of Cities, Sion fell. Fix'd is God's throne on the adamantine bafe Of J U S T I C E : in his hand is pois'd the fcale That weighs his creatures, and to each awards What each deferves. Whence then the different lot Of Man and Man ? Scorch'd by the fummer's heat The panting peafant toils the tedious day, Till, fhadows length'ning from the mountain's brow, His turf-built cot receives him : there he tears From the reludant ground his {lender fare, And drinks the ftagnate waters of the pool. Then on his couch of ftraw he fleeps till morn, And rifes to his labour : Near him ftands, Embofom'd in yon wood of tufted trees The palace of his tyrant Lord : for him A thoufand courfcrs neigh ; o'er paftures rich The milk-white heifers bound ; the menial train Obferve his nod, and wait his high command. Yet look once more ; that peafant, hungry, paor Who 24 ] Who lows, who reaps, yet taftes not of the fruit, With conference light, and fpirits ever gay, Hies whittling o'er the woodlands : Courfe his meal ; But Nature afks not better : hard his bed ; But found his flumbers : while his pamper'd Lord Sleeps not, tho' ftretch'd on cygnets' down. Remcfffe Drives in his mangled Ipirit her hooks of fteel, And each forc'd fmile is clouded with defpair. Yet fome there are, whofe unrelenting fouls The flings of confcience wound not : On they go Thro' life's gay flowery path, nor v ii^ave one figh, The tribute to their own, or others' woe. Secure they riot in the pride of health, And bathe in Golden ftrcams. Such once was He, To fate whofe palate Ocean pour'd his flores, And Earth unlock'd her caves : in thanklefs eafe He lived, he died ; nor lifted once a prayer To Him, the Giver of all. With upcaft eyes And folded hands, ftill patient tho' in pain, Faft by the barr'd inhofpitable gate Sat : - C '5 ] Sat pining Lazarus ; he fat, and aflc'd In the meek tone of modeft poverty, The humble pittance of fome broken meal, The refufe of his board, but afk'd in vain. Nor all his piercing cries, nor bleeding wounds, Nor famine, flaring thro' his haggard eyes, Could melt the fpirit of obdurate pride ; He died unpitied. Where was J U S T I C E then ? Slept (he ? or did the fcabbard hide her fword, Canker'd with ruft ? Yet, Sceptic, paufe awhile ; Arraign not Heaven's decrees ; the fcene is chang'd. See'ft thou that horrid dungeon drear, and dark, Whence peftilential vapours taint the air, And livid flames afcend ? See, there he lies, Writhing in agonies, and parch'd with fire ; See there he lies, that rudely from his gate Pufh'd the poor pathlefs wanderer. He the whiie Wafted to realms of blifs on Angel's wing Looks down, and drops a tear. Yea, mighty Lord, Juft are thy works, and righteous all thy ways. D Th< The day will come, when each (hall meet his doom r But who fliall ftand its coming ? Virtue's felf Shall (hrink appall'd, and tremble at the frown Of all-confuming Juftke. Still remains The laft, the only refuge. Near the throne^ Of God ftands M E R C Y. She on bended knee,, With outftretch'd hand, averts the vengeful fword< Of Juftice, rais'd to ftrike. The King of Heaver* Beholds her, and approves. He bids her rife ; Wipes from her eye the fympathetie tear, And owns her powerful influence. Soft the dew That evening feeds on Hermon,. favoured hill ; Soft are the ftrains, when Pity fooths Defpair ^ Yet fofter, Lord^ thy mercy. But in vain ; Stern Jujtice claims her due : the word was paft Irrevocable : the high beheft was given : Man fell, and Man muft fuffer. Who, oh ! who Shall interpofe ? What facrifice fhall bleed ? : For Sin fo foul what vi&im fhall atone ?' If c 2 7 If none, then all is loft, < On me, on me,' Exclaim'd the Son of God, c on me alone c Let all thy wrath be pour'd : theirs was the offence, c Be mine the punifliment.' He fpake, and left * The golden City's hyacinthine walls; And thro' the middle of the Eafiern gates, Hewn from one folid emerald, as he pafs'd, The Angel bow'd obeifance. Earth receiv'd Her gracious vifitant. By Him fubdued Legions of Spirits accurs r d their mangled prey Relu&ant quitted, and with horrid yell Howl'd hideous : touch'd by Him the palfied hand, Long wither'd, felt his genial warmth return, Circling thro' every vein. He fpake, and ftrait From the thick film was purg'd the vifual ray. Aw'd by his potent word the grave op'd wide His marble jaws, and yielded back to life * Rev. xxi, His [ 28 ] His putrid dead. But what could all avail ? Infulted, fcorn'd, betray 'd by thofe he lov'd, He fell. Yet bleeding on the accurfed tree, While the laft breath hung quivering on his lips, His Mercy ftill endured. Towards Heaven he caft The laft faint glances of his clofing eye, Forgive the?n y forgive He bow'd, and died. POETICAL ESSAY, ON THE PROVIDENCE O F G O D. PART III. BY THE REV. W. H. ROBERTS, FELLOW OF ETON COLLEGE. ja' on EBA2IAET2E KiJ 10$ o' sog o LONDON, Printed by J. and H. HUGHS: And Sold by J. WILKIE, in St, Paul's Church-yard; T. PAYNE, at the Mews-Gate i J. WOOD YE R, at Cambridge ; and J. POT E, at Eton. M.DCC.LXXL :rirr; A R G U M E N T OF THE THIRD PART. Otvkv-, -J^f Eftcurus denies the Providence of God in the government of . the world. The opinion of fome other ancient P hi/of ophers Dn that fubjeEl. Tlw Providence of God proved, 'tft, from the regular motion of the heavenly bodies the fatal confe- yucnce of any change in that fyftem- zdfy^ from the At* mofphere 3<^/y, from the revival of every thing after Winter preceded by a defer iption cf Winter.- *fhe impoffibility of vegetation^ &c* being reftored by Chance ^.thly, from the propagation of animals ', ex- emplified in birds , beajls, infeEls. TZe Calamities > to which the human race is expofed, would be deftru&ive of the fpecies^ without the intervention of Providence in- Jlanced in difeafes Ptf&hnct ' Famine Wai - which introduces the $th proof of God's Providence in repairing this havock by the propagation by the prefervation of Man. *fhe confederation of God's preferving Providence^ matter of comfort to Men under the fevereft ajjfliElions. A 2 Impoffible Impofftble to judge of the whole fcheme of God*? moral Providence from a partial view of it. The Conquefts of the Romans an in/lance of God's Providence, who made ufe of them as an inftrument, to prepare Mankind for the reception of Cbriftianity. The Gift of Tongues the Pro- pagation of the Gefpel the declenjion of it, where it for- merly flourijhed parts of God's plan of Government. A particular Providence afferted exhibited in a more vifble manner in the prefervation of Empires in none more than that of Britain. PART PART III. O N T H E PROVIDENCE O F GOD. c TT^^k E E P in the Olympian vales, and far retired * I From mortal, or immortal, where the voice < -* ^ Of prayer is never heard, nor rolls one cloud c Of fragrant incenfe, fits the placid God, * Or ftretch'd on Amaranthine beds, diflblves 1 In peaceful Jlumber ; there, if haply rous'd. c By roaring whirlwind, or the thunder's peal, c Wakes to ambrofial banquets, quaffs the bowl. c Of neclar, beverage fweet, prefs'd from the fruit * Of thofe unfading trees, that mantle round * Heaven's I 6 ] c Heaves Hoping hills, then finks to reft again> c Wrapt in ths folds of ileep : For fleep is eafe j ' And cafe is happinefs. To wing the ftorm, * To point the bolt of vengeance, ftill to fit c With vigilant eye, left fraud, or force affail, * Is this the taflc of "Gods ? are thefe (he joys c Which death fhall never end ? then happier they, ( Heirs of an hour, who fall to rife no more.' Thus fpake the Athenian ; he who taught, that Chance, Scattering her random atoms thro' the void, Composed this wond'rous Whole, Vain Sage ! can Gods Delight in apathy, or fenfual blifs, Contented even to be ? O happier far, O far more glorious, o'er the fons of earth, O'er all the tenants of a thoufand worlds To pour forth blefiings ; to create, preferve, To govern with impartial fway ; to check With deferv'd chaftifement the lawlefs acts Of Violence, of Oppreffion ; and to wreathe Bright ' - [ 7 J Bright flaming crowns of * vegetable gold, The guerdon fair of Virtue's patient toil ! Ganft thou, convinc'd that Deities exiftj Canft thou deny their Providence ? Go then, Afk the f Milefian, if the darkeft deed That ever Night wrapt in her fable veil ; Afk, if the dawning of the fimpleft thought,., Efcape that Ancient of eternal days, The J unbegotten God ? Aflc of the Sage, On whofe foft lips Hymettian bees diftill'd Their choiceft honey, if that fubtle Spirit, Which animates the || living Uhiverfe, Negledl the race of man ? Go to the Porch,, Enquire of Zeno's fens, whether that globe, 'ATT' ciyXctuv Sevfgeav - FIND. Olyir.p. 2; f" THALES. 'Hgcurna-s Tit auTor, AriOo/ ? / fiaLVQ*iJitv~y e quse et fe, et ipfum fabricata fit, et omnia moderetur, moveat, regat, &rc. Cic. Ac. 2. II '? cTs TV xoo-w }jwtv won DIOG. LAERT. in Zcnon. There < ; c 9 ] v There are again, who think that every wheel Whofe motion fpeeds thro' fpace this vaft machine, Is ftill adjufted, as occasion calls, By God's directing hand. His care appears Alike confpicuous, whether from the firft He framed this All^ that not a part fhould need His interpofing power ; or whether yet Orb within orb he guards, left haply one, Lawlefs may deviate from its proper path, Extravagant. Then fatal were the fhock Of difuniting elements ; the world, Tho' now faft bound by Gravitation's chain, Would burft, and Anarchy again return. Behold yon Sun, thron'd in meridian height, Fountain of fire, round which fix wandering ftars For ever roll, and eager to approach With force centripetal, due diftance keep, By adverfe force reftrain'd : quench but that light, And univerfal darknefs fhall involve Creation's wide domain. Tho' now their times, B Their Their rounds ordain'd thofe planets all abfolve, Check, or accelerate their fpeed, the Sun Will fteep them in a lake of liquid fire, Or madly they will ftray exorbitate Beyond the zone of Saturn. Ill, O Earth, 111 would it fare with thee : thy fruits, thy flowers, And all that vegetates, and all that lives, One petrifying blafl would fmite to the root, And feas, that roll beneath folftitial heat, Freeze to their center. See'ft thou near the Bear, Or in the Galaxy, faft by the crown Of Cepheus, fcepter'd king, with ftreaming light, That fweeps meteorous half the fpace of heaven, Yon roving comet ? let him fhoot tranfverfe, Thwarting the Ecliptic, where the convex globe Rolls in her annual courfe, earth, air, and feas Will blaze in dire combuftion : Is it Chance That curbs his fpeed, and tells him where to roll ? O, no j the expanfe of heaven God's praife proclaims, The firmament his power : day tells to day, And C ] And night to night, his providential care. Above, around, the ambient air is fpread, Denfe, or of rarer texture : thro' each pore The elaftic fluid wins his eafy way, Invifible : change but the incumbent weight, Expand it, or comprefs it, lefs, or more, What then, or who {hall breathe ? Behold the Moon ; Nor cloud, nor rain, her atmofphere deforms ; Nor mifty fog, fave fuch as nightly rife From this dank globe, obfcure from mortal eye Her vales, and lofty mountains. Give but earth That uniform ferene, and all that moves Shall fink annihilate. Exhalations rife, Nor dewy vapours hover round in vain ; Hence life to beaft, to man : 'tis God commands, And ftorms, and raging winds, his word obey. Stern winter chills the world. From fnow-top'd hills,, Haemo, and Rhodope, the {harp North blows, And drives the naked Thracian to his cave. Or from thofe rocks of thick-rib'd ice, where roams B 2 The [ I The fhivering Savoyard, with intenfer cold Sweeps o'er Grenoble's champain to the ftreams Of Ifere, and the Rhone. Now to his fledge, Where Lapland confines on the Chronian main, The blighted native yokes his rein-deer s ; they O'er many a league of fnow run panting on From Kola to Warfuga. To the wind The crackling foreft roars : the leaflefs elm Spreads o'er the frozen ftream her bare broad arms ;;. And that tall oak, which on the mountain's brow Three hundred fummers flood, beneath whofe {hade. Fathers, and fons, had led the ruftic dance,. Falls ponderous down the riven precipice. Up torn. Returning from the Bothnian gulph. The failor in the horizon's utmoft verge. Oft fpied her top rejoicing ; on the helm, c Britain,' the pilot with loud fhout exclaim'd, And, c Britain,' all the exulting crew replied. Shall Nature's chearful face no more be feen ? Shall frofl eternal bind the barren earth,. And ; [ '3 3 And mock the toil of man ? or ihall blind Chance Call from the teeming foil, fruit, herb, and all Her vegetable ftores ? The putrid clod Now foftens by mild Zephyr's tepid breath, And down from hoary hills the melted fnow Falls in far- founding cataracts. The blade Shoots thro'' the loofen'd glebe : on the foft green, Aching from defolation's ravag'd fcenes, The wearied eye repofes. O'er the main, Lured by the genial breeze, the feather'd tribe, That fled for flicker to a milder {ky r Return Ipontaneous. Now thro' every grove They chaunt their nuptial fong, and in the depth Of fome clofe-tangled brake, or on the fide Of coving cornice, or beneath the tile, Safe from the dropping eaves, fufpend their neft, Ingenious artrfts. Could the dainty hand Of her, inventrefs of mechanic powers, Minerva, or Cecropian Pallas nam'd, Vie with thefe heav'n-taught architeds ? With wool, And t '4 J And twifted hair, feme line their downy beds, And weave their walls with mofs : others with day, More hardy, pave the floor, and fence the fides With platted twigs ; while birds of fmaller wing Arch o'er their heads a pendant roof, to fave Their urifledg'd brood, which ill could bear the damp Of April's chilling fhowers. Thefe all obey God's firft command, Increafe and multiply ; Thefe for their new-hatch'd offspring, or from plain, Or pathlefs wood, or from the fedgy fide Of ftagnate pool, felecl: their flimy food : All but the * Oflrich : fhe, poor thoughtlefs bird, Leaves her neglected eggs, nor recks it her Tho' fome deep-laden camel, or the foot Of cafual pilgrim crufti them. Yet even thefe Not unregarded lie : the genial fun With rays prolific warms them, till the birds Burft from their fhell, and foon outftrip the courfe Of fwifteft Arab on his fiery fteed. * JOB xxxix. 14. Behold ; C 's 3 Behold the fwarms that wing the liquid air Or people the green mead ! The niggard ant, Sagacious infect ; the flow- creeping fnail, That bears her ponderous houfe from bough to bough^ The loyal bee, the fpider, that beneath Some lonely rafter weaves her fine-lpun woof, And millions more, that in this ample world Unnotic'd and unnamed claims each his place, God's general plan fulfil. By him impelled They propagate their flock ; by his command They drive each bold invader from their young, Arm'd with new courage by parental fear. But who, O Man, who {hall preferve thy kind ? From Plague, from Famine, from the avenging Sword, What {hall protect thy race ? Shall active Chance Repair the breaches of devouring war ? Shall Chance fupply frefli {lores to propagate Succeffive generations ? With the feaft, Where riots jocund youth, Intemperance Mixes his lurking poifon. In the blood, Till [ 16 ] Till waken'd by maturing Time, the feeds Of many a mifchief deep; and from the fire, With life imparted, to the fon defcend, Fatal- inheritance ! joint-racking Gout, Confumption, cankering on the virgin's cheek, And moping Melancholy, and frantic Rage, That fpurns controlling reafon : and what elfe From accident on flood, or tented field, Severs the mangled limbs. But who fhall count The corfes, reeking to the putrid air, When born on Aufter's wing the Peftilence Vifits afflicted nations ? Such as once When the deftroying Angel fmote the tribes Of humbled Ifrael, what time Jeffe's fon From Afcalon to Gilead, from the mount Of northern Lebanon to the Afphaltic lake, Number'd his populous hofts. Such too the fcene, When Laced^mon pour'd- her hardy troops O'er mourning Attica. Such in thy ftreets, Augufta, Britain's pride, the fhrieks of woe, 5 When [ '7 ] When thy dead citizens ftrew'd eveiy path, An undiftinguifh'd heap : the famifli'd hounds Bark'd diftant ; and the hungry birds of prey Fled fcreaming to the woods for purer air. Nor thefe alone the dangers, that befet The mortal pilgrim, wandering thro' the vale Of tears, and pain, and forrow, yet upheld By that invisible hand, which ft ill fupports Man's feeble race, and from extinction faves His undiminifri'cl progeny : for fee The fruits are blafted in their bud ; the boughs Droop with their fickly leaves ; the barren earth, Impenetrable by fun, or fofteft fhower, Hoards all her ftores : as when the ^Egyptian dearth, Reveal'd by two prophetic vifions, fpread To Beerflieba from the land of Nile, And the great Patriarch, with all his tribes, Settled in Ramefes. Nor lefs the grief, When by the brook of Cherith ravens fed The wandering Seer, till in Sarepta's walls C He [ '8 ] He found the criiife of never-wafting oil, Shelter'd beneath the hofpitable roof Of that Sidonian, who for his repaft Pour'd forth with liberal hand her fcanty ftores. But who, oh who a fhall the dread landfcape paint Of defolation, when the lawlefs fons Of war come pouring o'er the cultur'd plains,, Tartar, or Coffee, and in one fhort hour Confound the toil of ages ? Now the din; Of clafhing armour, helm and plated mail-* Is heard no more ; but engines fraught with fire Sweep o'er the field whole legions ! * Now, even now^ From North to South, to Marmora's white cliffs. Convuls'd Europa from the Baltic {hakes Thro' all her kingdoms. In the crouded ftreets Of fad Byzantium to each mofque repairs The turban'd multitude, and every dome Re-ecchoes c Allah, Allah P Now prepares The vengeful Spaniard yet again to roufe * Written in November 1770. The [ '9 ] The fleepbg rage of Britain, and renew War's bloody bufmefs, But, great Lord of Hofts, And thou, O blefied Meffenger of Peace, Knap every fpear in twain, and fill their fouls With mild benevolence, and fockl love ! He, mighty God, whofe providential eye Looks down upon the meaneft of his works, 'Midft every natural, every moral ill, Preferves the human race. He fows the feeds Of Charity, that melts the obdurate foul ; He draws by fecret cords the ductile heart Of fex to fex. When now the purple glow Spreads o'er the virgin's cheek, for fome foft youth She fighs in fecret j all the tender names Of mother, and of fifter, pleafe no more : On him her hopes are fix'd ; with him fhe longs To travel hand in hand down life's fteep vale, And fliare with him health, ficknefs, blifs, or woe. O happy they, whom tendereft love unites In bonds connubial, where each thought is fpelt, C 2 Each 20 Each wifli prevented, and each glance explained ! But lawlefs Luft has quench'd the nuptial torch In Difcord's bitter ftreams. The impatient Dame Beholds her Lord with alienated eye, Smiles at the feoffs of fame, and quits her houfe, Her babes, without a blufh, without a tear. But what avails to propagate the race, If none preferve ? Say, can the new-born child By reafon, or by ftrength, direct his way, While weak the tottering body, while the mind With not a character engrav'd, prefents One univerfal blank ? Yet then thy hand, Great God, fupports his fteps, and guides his feet. Vain elfe were human fkill ; vain all the care Of the fond mother, who with downcaft eye, And fmiles of tendereft love, bends o'er her baber, Whifpering low ftrains that lull to foft repofe. Thus He who made,, preferves : the common Sire Of all, for all provides. What tho' the fig Fall unconco&ed from the Wafted bough, Tho' Tho' fwelt'ring Sirius fcatter thro' the land Difeafe, and rank contagion ; tho' the din Of war ring dreadful on the clanging fliield, Still thou rejoice, O Man : thy Maker reigns. And yet, myfterious are the ways of Heaven ; God's counfels dark. He, thro' a regular maze Ofcaufes, all conne&ed, tho' unfeen, Conducts each great event. From age to age By flow gradation imperceptible It ftill advances ; till arrived at laft To full perfection, it difplays the depth Of that unfathom'd Wifdom, which contriv'd, That Providence, which, watching every ftep> Finifli'd the wond'rous plan. The Sons of men,, Whofe puny generations pafs away In quick fucceffion, and fill up the time 'Twixt the commencement, and the accomplifFd end, See but one link of that ftupendous chain, And, wonder what fupports it ; but at length, The whole compkat, each well-adapted part, Each Each nice dependence, each connection juft, Appears in full proportion, and broad light. What means Quirimis ? Shall thofe lowly huts Change to imperial towers? Thofe vagrant clans> The (liame, the refufe, of each nation round, To conquerors of the world ? Vain thought ! and yet So wills the King Supreme. The Gabian yields, JQ. The Tufcan falls, the Sabine joins his powers, And even from Arno to Tarento's gulph All Italy obeys. Yet what avails ? Beyond the confines of the middle fea Nations remain imconquer'd. Spread the fails ; Stretch to the Libyan more ; great Carthage there-, SkilFd in commercial arts, and bold in war, Defies thy threats ; great Carthage falls. And now The towering Eagle o'er Numidia's fands, O'er Egypt's fertile fields, o'er Perfia's fea, To Indus, and to Ganges bends his flight. Thence, to North -Weft, thro' Edom's palmy groves, He circles all the Levant coaft, and o'er The C 23 ] The -Egean waves, from leffer Afia's hills, O'er Greece, o'er Thrace, and humbled Macedon, Directs his airy path, and, as he flies, Bids every vanquifli'd nation bend the knee To Rome's majeftic tyrant. Science too Darted her bright beams on the Latian towers^ And with foft manners humanized the foul. 'Twas hence to many a favage lawlefs horde The generous conqueror gave the refin'd arts Of focial life, and taught them what the rights Of civil polity, the charities Of fweet domeftic union. Thus compact In one great empire, bound by every tie Of fear, of love, of mutual intereft, The Kingdoms bow'd to Rome. But whence, O whence, This grandeur, fuch as ne'er before was known In Babylon, or Niniveh's proud walls, Names fam'd of old ? Say, were thefe mighty deeds, Unparalleled even in romantic tale, The genuine fruits of more than mortal ftrength- ? 6? C 34 ] Or was it He, the Capitolian Jove, To whom thine incenfe fmoked, that bound thy fpear With Vidory's green palm, and bade thee lead Reludant monarchs up the facred hill, To grace thy pompous triumph ? Roman, no ; That idol, which thy fuperftitious foul Fear'd and adored ; that idol, which thine hand Hew'd from rough ftone, or caft in fufile gold, Had ears, but heard not : nor could all thy force Have rear'd that column of imperial power, But that the God, who moulds the ductile heart, And fways man's will, to his own glory turn'd Thy pride, thy martial rage : He chofe thee out, An inftrument moft apt, to execute His gracious purpofe, and with all thy ftates, With all thy tributary thrones, receive The meflenger divine of peace and love, He came ; the wond'rous ftory foon was known In every nation, and in jevery clime, Where Rome had rais'd her banner. Hark ! what means That That roaring found ? Was it a Northern blaft Rufhing impetuous from his feven-mouth'd cave ? No ; 'twas the Spirit fpake ; it was the voice Of infpiration. There the faithful fat, Waiting their promifed Comforter ; when each Unpra&is'd in a foreign phrafe, at once Spake every language ; nor in accent flrange, And dialed uncouth, as one who firft Holds painful converfe in a ftranger's land, But in peculiar didion, and fweet tones Harmonious. In mute filence flood the croud, And marvell'd what it meant ; Arabians, Cretes, Phrygians, and Elamites, and they who fpread From Tigris to Euphrates, and the flaves Of Cappadocia, Lydians, Parthians, Medes, And tenants of Cyrene, torrid foil. c Are thefe', faid they, and on each other gaz'd In awful admiration, c - thefe the words c Of rude, unletter'd peafants ? are thefe they, * The pilots of the Galilean lake, c Who plied their humble craft, and bent their oar, D Undifci- c Undifcipliti'd in fcience ? does the art c Of potcnf itiagic, of Theffalian fpells, c Cheat our deluded fenfe with fancied founds ? c Or has new wine inspired their fpecious tongues c With random oratory ? It is not art f Cheats our deluded fenfe with fancied founds ; 4 Nor is it wine infpires : for fcarce three hours c Have pafs'd, fince firft the morn with orient light ' Dawn'd o'er yon hill of Olives ; and the voice c Of fober reafon, of pcrfuafive truth, c Pierc'd our relenting hearts. Ye holy men, * Yes, we confefs that Jefus rofe again, * That your Meffiah reigns Ye holy men, < Lead us, O lead us, to fome hallow'd fount, * And in baptifmal water purge our fouls, ' Till we be pure as ye/ They fpake, they bow'd With lowlieft reverence, and to diftant climes Proclaim'd the wond'rous tale ; while Antioch faw The faithful Patriarch of the rifing feel: Unite his votaries in their Mafter's name. But oh the change ! Tell, gracious Governour, Tell, C *7 ] Tell, for thy ways are hid from men, and all Thy counfels, like thy throne, immoveable, Are wrapt in clouds and darknefs, why, where once Repenting nations at the feaft of love Sat, and remember'd their departed Lord, Reigns Mecca's bold impoftor ? In thofe ftreets, Whence the great Conftantine with holy zeal Drove Rome's barbaric idols, Chriftian, tread With cautious ftep ; elfe favage hiffes rude, And taunts malicious fhall profane the name Of him, thy bleft Redeemer. Syria weeps To fee the crefcent ftreaming thro' her vales ; And Abana, tranfparent flood, that wafli'd Full many a convert, rolls her mournful tide, Lamenting the fad change. Even from the verge Of that bleft monument, where lay the bones Of his fepulcher'd Lord, the Saracen With cruel rage, and fcorn indignant, drove The way-worn pilgrim. Then, oh then, in vain Fought lion-hearted England, and France fpread His focial fails : in vain flout Godfrey reared His [ 28 ] f His banner, while ten thoufand croffes blazed - Thro 1 all the faithful fquadrons : Still prevail'd The infulting Infidel. And yet the day Shall come, when every nation of the earth Shall bend with reverence at their Saviour's name. That day knows no man : Be alone can tell, Who, with wife providence, and fovereign fway, Conduces, controuls, accelerates, delays, Events, conceal'd from mortals ; He alone, Who bade four thoufand fummers roll, or ere He fent his Son, tho' promis'd long before Even to the Sire of Men, when to bleak fcenes He led his weeping tempter, doom'd to toil, Nor dar'd look back on Eden's blooming bowers. There are, who own that o'er the general plan The firft great Architect, intent to guard His favourite works, yet watches, but difdains The partial care of each. Mark then the event : Of Individuals Generals are compofed ; If one exifts, unnotic'd by the eye Of heaven, why not another ? why not all ? In *9 In that vaft volume, where recorded lie Creation's ads, in faireft chara&ers Is regifter'd whate'er was made : nor bone, Nor vein, nor branching finew, but is rang'd In order due : nor hair, nor colour'd plume, Nor infecYs painted wing, but in its page Is clafs'd, and claims protection from its God. And fhall not He, who numbers all his ftars, Who counts each fand, and every wave that rolls, Explore the human heart ? The Lord of All Is Lord of every one ; his hand is ftretch'd O'er each \ each feels his providential care. But chief o'er States his tutelary power Extends. Some fink, an unrefifting prey To defpicable conquerors ; others ftand, Tho' human /kill, and mortal fuccours fail, Safe 'gainft united legions. Thus fell Rome ; To refcued freedom thus Batavia rais'd Seven focial altars , thus Britannia fits, Thron'd like a fcepter'd Sovereign, in the midft Of tributary feas. Thou, gracious Lord, '[. 30 ] Full oft haft faved her from the invader's arm, From anarchy's wild uproar, from the chain Of galling fervitude. Thou, when the land, By civil difcord torn, faw half her Tons Lie welt'ring in their blood, her nobles flain, Her monarch in the duft, thou didft remove, Safe from the ufurper's arm, the fhelter'd branch Of blafted royalty, and in due time Tranfplant it to the hereditary throne, When tyranny, and democratic rage Yielded to peace, and order. Thou, when zeal, And frantic bigotry untied the bonds Of plighted faith, and from his forfeit crown Exil'd her Sovereign, on the vacant feat Didft place that Guardian Monarch, who fecured, Safe from each inroad of defpotic fway, Her fair inheritance. O may'ft thou ftill Protect this ifle ! Pour all thy bleffings down On HIM, THY PEOPLE'S SHEPHERD I O defend Our Laws, the wifdorn of a thoufand years 1 Preferve thine altars ; let that h6ly flame, Fed C 4 ] Fed by the blood of many a martyr'd Saint, Blaze with unclouded luflre. Long the yoke Had gall'd our fathers ; from his awful chair, Fenc'd by an hoft of Monks, and bearded Friars,. The Pontiff fulmin'd o'er the proftrate world, Infallible ; nor ceas'd, till all the rights Of civil, of religious freedom, bow'd To venal difpenfation. Then arofe The unbending fpirit of Luther. He alike Difdain'd the Papal, and Imperial threats, And to his wondering votaries firft difplay'd Thofe facred treafures, long, too long conceal'd. The Covenants of Salvation. Albion faw The glorious ftruggle of Germania's Sons, And caught the facred fire. Ah ! bloody Queen, Ah ! Woman, that, with unaverted eye, Could'ft view the flames wrap round the feething flefh Of Age, and Innocence, let me not write Thy name, nor blot my chafte page with a curfe CalFd on thy gloomy Spaniard ! Drag'd, fad fcene ! Drag'd by his hoary hair, old Latimer Embraced Embraced the fire ; while Ridley, by his fide, Confoled the venerable Sage, and fell Exulting, tho' in pain. Confm'd in fmoke The fullen flame confum'd by flow delay Meek, patient Hooper ; while, with fteady look, Undaunted Cranmer o'er the fatal pile Stretch'd his apoftate hand. Ye murder'd Saints, Once faithful feeders of your Matter's flock, But now the feal'd of God, your race is run, Great is your meed in heaven. Yet oh ! look down, Nor fpurn the praife of men, from whofe freed fouls Ye (hook Rome's galling (hackle. Oft to you Pofterity {hall raife the choral hymn ; Still fliall your ads furvive, ye faithful band, In Memory's grateful records. For the fea Shall fooner round their ramparts ceafe to roar, Sooner their ifle fliall in the Southern main Fix her deep roots, than Britons e'er forget That faith, thofe rights, for which their fathers bled. FINIS. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. Form L9-50m-7,'54 (5990)444 THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. LOS ANGELES PR Roberts - 3668 A poetical essay A 00