What virtue kindles their pneumatic fire,
And whither at decease they filently retire;
Grand Sov'reignty, that thus was pleas'd to ftate
Their ends, and toils, and undeferved fate!
Too good, too guiltless to be treated thus.
To be enthrall'd, and sacrific'd for us!
What brighter forms in human fabric reign,
Innoble and impeach degenerate man;
Outfly weak sense no metaphyfic wings,
Yet ty'd to muscles and mechanic strings,
Deftin'd to light, and to diviner gust,
Wedded to clay, and prostitute to luft,
Remote from matter, and exempt from death,
Immediate progeny of Almighty breath!
In close afcents the rifing orders grow,
Holding communion still with those below.;
From meaneft microscopic fpecies there,
Of nature's armies the remoteft rear,
Up to the frontier fquadrons of the skies,
Does gradual kindred, and connexion rife:
Thus wisdom thro' whole nature's orb is feen,
Leaving no wide uncomely chafm between;
'Tis fin, alas! has all the mischief done,
Broke the creation's harmony and thrown
Beneath the baseft brutes our princely race
Down deep to hell, and to loft angels place;
How cou'd I weep (had I my eyes again)
The defp'rate case inchanted fouls are in,
Immers'd in earth and flesh, in filth and fin!
Is that the world fo courted, and fo fought?
For which the unfeen worlds have thro' all ages fought?
Blefs me! my guide, what wounding fight is here!
See, how the spacious regions of the air

Throng'd with thick fhoals of diff'rent fp'rits appear!
See now the fev'ral ranks, that fell

From innocence and joys unspeakable!
Look! fome of coarfe alloy, ignoble birth,
Delight in dens and caverns of the earth ;
Others, on other purposes intent,

The atmosphere's incircling climes frequent ;
Others, in whom a loftier genius reigns,
Are dwellers of the vast etherial plains,

Malignant

Τ'

Malignant all! and ftudious (as they can)
avenge their ruin upon envy'd man!
Poor mortals, drown'd in lethargy and vice!
Bewitch'd with wit, with apishness and noife!
To whom this view is all romantic theme,
Being nobly born to laugh, and drink and dream!
Blind to the world of unincarnate hofts!

The spoils the foot-balls of contending ghosts!
Dream on, mad world! thy frantic dreams attend!
Time flies apace to its appointed end!

Great Michael now prepares to take
His fatal trump to found,
Almighty trump! that foon will make
Earth's rooms, and heav'n's high roof to shake,
Death's adamantine courts to quake,

The quick and dead (lefs deaf o'th' two) to wake,
Will call paft time (unthought-of riddle!) back,
And (fince thy age fhall fuch, at least, be found)
Will in a moment raife fix thousand years from under
The patient judge juft ready is to rife

From off his throne, and to repair
To his tribunal in the air,

To hold thy universal, thy fevere afsize;
Venture, still venture his revengeful ire,
The raging billows of his furious fire!

[ground!

See then, what pow'r thy proud presumption hath
To fave thee from the injur'd Saviour's wrath!
Oh me! how roaring fiends, loos'd from their cell,
Run gathering round the globe, supplies for hell!
See how they scatter darkness and distrust,

Sow up and down their tares,

Like fire-balls, hurl strong scandals, bates and fnares,
With pregnant feeds of each enraged luft!

Look yonder dev'l does 'midst gull'd erouds record

Dark oracles, and craves to be ador'd!

Look, with what zeal that bufy one creates
Capricious feuds and jealoufies in states!
How archly that does grim complexion paint
With holy varnish, and belies the faint!
How t'other, near a murder'd carkass hid,
Walks ghastly, and bemoans th' untimely dead!
Ah! now each unbeliev'd mysterious rite

P 2

Of

Of talking spectrums is expos'd to light;
Of what loose mafs they form their pliant dress,
How change their mein and visage as they please;
What errands force them to appear below,
What ghoftly laws are giv'n them, when they go,
How they, untouch'd by lying fhapes, impose,
Dance in their chains, and revel in their woes ;
How they are struck, and strike our organs there,
Throw off their garb and fink to night and air.
Oh, dreadful! fee how fiery Demons fly
Thick o'er our heads along th' affrighted sky,
Dragging pale ghosts, all howling from afar,
Rent at the views of the decifive bar!.

But fee how heav'n's bright posts skip to and fro !
Some facred gifts convey,

Some brandifh'd swords of wrath display,
And pour deep vials out full-charg'd with woe.
O me! how tamely fome walk up and down,
Attending exiles, forc'd to lands unknown,
Look, fome to prifon hafte, refolv'd to be
With fellow-fervants there, or bound or free:
Others with wond'rous diligence furvey,
Guard little-ones in cradles, and at play,
Charg'd ftill to watch their growing years,
Difcufs their dangers and their fears,
Till by adult offences griev'd away.

Strange! yonder's one, 'midft threatning waves and air,
A velfel holds, oblig'd by potent pray'r:

Some with concern at facred temples wait,

(The porch of heav'n is beauteous Sion's gate)

With more concern, than ransom'd flocks that there

In fair pretending companies appear;

Wait, as if they with utmost pleasures came,
To hear the founds of the Redeemer's name ;
Pleas'd to behold (without our glimm'ring glafs!)
The executions of eternal grace;

Admiring skill divine, and profp'rous aid
In rearing an immortal church, difplay'd;
Expecting there, and overjoy'd to fee
New partners join'd to their fociety.
Thus does our peace
their pure
Bleft copies of eternal light and love;

affections move,

Oh !

Oh! with what speed and joy yon feraphs come,
Conducting their refpective charges home?-
Blefs'd God! cou'd earth's vile globes exalted be
To ring o'er heav'n, thus rais'd in thy decree,
Rais'd above all the numerous globes that lye
Within thy hand, beneath thy piercing eye?
Has that vile spot, thro' running time, engross'd
Divine compaffion, wisdom, thought,

Both fairly conquer'd and dear bought,
The world immenfely bleft, by being loft?
What royal grace purfues our finful foil,
With hell's ftrong prince divides the captive spoil?
Worthy in endless praise and fongs to found,
Does 'midft our guilt thus triumph and abound,
Refcues, exalts a chofen part as high,
As others low in deep destruction lye.

Thus the poor globe must cast its prim'tive right,
Be fpoil'd and drain'd of all its natives quite.
Entirely fhar'd 'twixt hell and realms of light.
No wonder facred oracles declare

It must fly thence, and quit its ancient sphere;
Be thrown afide, as ftain'd with fin's difgrace,
Or elfe refign'd for a more righteous race.
Blefs me! wou'd heav'n's high heir, th' eternal Son
Redeem his rebels, purchase the undone?
Wou'd he put on their flesh, and fojourn there?
Tread curfed foil and breathe polluted air?
Wou'd he there dye, refolv'd in boundless love
To fhow how he cou'd crim'nal dust improve?
Cou'd wash black fouls with facred blood of's own,
And lead an earthly spouse t'his father, and his throne?
Blefs me! muft yonder grov'ling pigmy-weights
Surmount the lords of thefe fuperior lights?
Muft they the court and prefence-chamber fill,
With statelieft courtiers vye in luftre and in skill?
Sing angels, fing! and let new harps be ftrung,
To echo confort to a new made fong!
Sing you, that fee bright love's myterious face!
Love that involv'd them in defigns of grace;
That fee the grace that all their fins out-reach'd,
That fee the hell from whence they're fav'd and fetch'd,

P3

(Sav❜d,

(Sav'd, while, alas! your doleful brethren are
Plung'd in vindictive flames and in despair.)
That fee his grandeur, whose rich blood was spilt
To wash their fouls, and blot their crimson guilt;
That fee the pow'r that will their lives retrieve;
That fee the glories they can scarce believe;
That fee (withal) their vile ungrateful mind;
That feel the joys for which they are defign'd;
That from the throne drink beams and pleasures new ;
That know what 'tis to join, and equal you;
You that fee this, these themes that must employ
The countless ages of eternity,

Who at these views are ravish'd with delight,
Whose finging pow'rs are equal to your fight,
O fing for them (if you have fongs to spare,
Songs that undue for your own glories are.)
Ye cherubs firft the rapt'rous fong begin,
And load the burden of your fong
With Hallelujahs loud and long;
Then feraphs in your time and place fall in ;
Fall in and catch the rifing found

At its remote rebound!
Warble, protract and be

'The chorus in th' applauding company;
And mount the mufic higher, and then
Ye tall arch-angels feal the fong with your Amen.
Thus live and fing! and as you fing, fall down,
Paying all homage to th' eternal crown;
Sing and adore, and by the fongs you raife
Atone for their unpardonable want of praife.

X.

But while I greedily furvey

The little globe, where I my being gain'd,
Methinks, I'm feiz'd upon the way,
And forcibly detain'd

By yonder grave proceffion that's begun.
Look there, with what folemnity,
And mournful decency,

That funeral pomp advances flowly on!
Alas! alas! I fee

By fomething of the company,

But