PART IV. WE see the Thames caress the shores, The rolling mountains of the deep Amidst thy watry kingdoms, Lord, And scaly monsters, at thy word, PART V. THY glories blaze all nature round, Infinite strength, and equal skill, But the sweet beauties of thy grace Our softer passions move; Pity divine in Jesus' face We see, adore, and love! GOD'S ABSOLUTE DOMINION. LORD, when my thoughtful soul surveys The sun is all in darkness lost, Lo, the Norwegians near the polar sky Their frozen limbs awake and glow, The vital flame touch'd with a strange supply, Rekindles, for the God of life is nigh; He bids the vital blood in wonted circles flow. Cold steel expos'd to northern air, Drinks the meridian fury of the midnight bear, And burns the unwary stranger there. Enquire, my soul, of ancient fame, Once to his court the God of Israel came, I see the furnace blaze with rage Sevenfold: I see amidst the flame Three Hebrews of immortal name; They move, they walk across the burning stage Unhurt, and fearless, while the tyrant stood A statue; fear congeal'd his blood; Nor did the raging element dare Attempt their garments, or their hair; It knew the Lord of nature there. Nature, compell'd by a superior cause, Now breaks her own eternal laws, Now seems to break them, and obeys Her Sovereign King in different ways. Father, how bright thy glories shine! How broad thy kingdom, how divine! Nature, and miracle, and fate, and chance, are thine. Hence from my heart, ye idols, flee, To chance and nature, tales and lies: What is the sun, or what the shade, His favour is my life, his lips pronounce me dead; Earth is my mother, or my grave. CONDESCENDING GRACE. IN IMITATION OF PSALM CXIV. WHEN the Eternal bows the skies, With scorn divine he turns his eyes Rides on a cloud disdainful by Laughs at the worms that rise so high, He bids his awful chariot roll Why should the Lord that reigns above Say, Lord, and why such looks of love Mortals, be dumb; what creature dares Dispute his awful will ? Ask no account of his affairs, But tremble, and be still. Just like his nature is his grace, All sovereign, and all free; Great God, how searchless are thy ways How deep thy judgments be! THE INFINITE. SOME Seraph lend your heavenly tongue, Or harp of golden string, 'That I may raise a lofty song To our Eternal King. Thy names, how infinite they be! Thy glories shine of wondrous size, Thine essence is a vast abyss, Which angels cannot sound, An ocean of infinities, Where all our thoughts are drown'd. The mysteries of creation lie Beneath enlighten'd minds, Thoughts can ascend above the sky, And fly before the winds. Reason may grasp the massy hills, |