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THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE.

FAR in the heavens my God retires,
My God, the mark of my desires,
And hides his lovely face;

When he descends within my view,
He charms my reason to pursue,

But leaves it tir'd and fainting in the' unequal chase.

Or, if I reach unusual height

Till near his presence brought, There floods of glory check my flight, Cramp the bold pinions of my wit,

And all untune my thought;

Plung'd in a sea of light I roll,

Where wisdom, justice, mercy, shines;

Infinite rays in crossing lines

[my soul.

Beat thick confusion on my sight, and overwhelm

Come to my aid, ye fellow-minds,

And help me reach the throne;

(What single strength in vain designs,

United force hath done;

Thus worms may join, and grasp the poles,

Thus atoms fill the sea)

But the whole race of creature-souls,

Stretch'd to their last extent of thought, plunge and are lost in thee.

Great God! behold my reason lies

Adoring; yet my love would rise

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On pinions not her own:

Faith shall direct her humble flight,

Through all the trackless seas of light,

To thee, the' Eternal Fair, the Infinite Unknown!

DEATH AND ETERNITY.

My thoughts, that often mount the skies,

Go search the world beneath,

Where Nature all in ruin lies,
And owns her sovereign, Death.

The tyrant, how he triumphs here!
His trophies spread around!
And heaps of dust and bones appear
Through all the hollow ground.

These skulls, what ghastly figures now!
How loathsome to the eyes!
These are the heads we lately knew
So beauteous and so wise.

But where the souls, those deathless things,
That left this dying clay?

My thoughts, now stretch out all your wings,
And trace eternity.

O that unfathomable sea!

Those deeps without a shore ! Where living waters gently play, Or fiery billows roar.

Thus must we leave the banks of life,
And try this doubtful sea;

Vain are our groans, and dying strife,
To gain a moment's stay.

There we shall swim in heavenly bliss,
Or sink in flaming waves,

While the pale carcase thoughtless lies
Amongst the silent graves.

Some hearty friend shall drop his tear
On our dry bones, and say,

These once were strong, as mine appear,
And mine must be as they.'

Thus shall our mouldering members teach
What now our senses learn:
For dust and ashes loudest preach
Man's infinite concern.

A SIGHT OF HEAVEN IN SICKNESS.

OFT have I sat in secret sighs,

To feel my flesh decay,

Then groan'd aloud with frighted eyes,
To view the tottering clay.

But I forbid my sorrows now,
Nor dares the flesh complain;
Diseases bring their profit too;
The joy o'ercomes the pain.

My cheerful soul now all the day Sits waiting here and sings; Looks through the ruins of her clay, And practises her wings.

Faith almost changes into sight,
While from afar she spies
Her fair inheritance, in light

Above created skies.

Had but the prison walls been strong,
And firm without a flaw,

In darkness she had dwelt too long,
And less of glory saw.

But now the everlasting hills
Through every chink appear,
And something of the joy she feels
While she's a prisoner here.

The shines of Heaven rush sweetly in
At all the gaping flaws;
Visions of endless bliss are seen;
And native air she draws.

O may these walls stand tottering still,
The breaches never close,
If I must here in darkness dwell,
And all this glory lose!

Or rather let this flesh decay,
The ruins wider grow,

Till glad to see the' enlarged way,
I stretch my pinions through.

THE UNIVERSAL HALLELUJAH.

PSALM CXlviii. PARAPHRASED.

PRAISE ye the Lord with joyful tongue,
Ye powers that guard his throne;
JESUS, the man, shall lead the song,
The God inspire the tune.

Gabriel, and all the' immortal choir
That fill the realms above,
Sing; for he form'd you of his fire,
And feeds you with his love.

Shine to his praise, ye crystal skies,
The floor of his abode,

Or veil your little twinkling eyes
Before a brighter God.

Thou restless globe of golden light,
Whose beams create our days,
Join with the silver queen of night,
To own your borrow'd rays.

Blush and refund the honours paid
To your inferior names;

Tell the blind world your orbs are fed
By his o'erflowing flames.

Winds, ye shall bear his name aloud

Through the etherial blue; For when his chariot is a cloud,

He makes his wheels of you.

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