He was a man among the few Sincere on Virtue's side; And all his strength from Scripture drew, That rule he prized; by that he fear'd, For he was frail as thou or I, But, when he felt it, heaved a sigh, Such lived Aspasio; and at last His joys be mine, each reader cries, They shall be yours, my verse replies,— ON A SIMILAR OCCASION, FOR THE YEAR 1790. "Ne commonentem recta sperne." Despise not my good counsel. BUCHANAN. He who sits from day to day, Hardly knows that he has sung. Where the watchman, in his round, None accustom'd to the sound So your verse-man I, and clerk, Death at hand-yourselves his mark— Duly at my time I come, Publishing to all aloud Soon the grave must be your home, But the monitory strain, Oft repeated in your ears, Seems to sound too much in vain, Wins no notice, wakes no fears. Can a truth by all confess'd Of such magnitude and weight, Grow, by being oft impress'd, Trivial as a parrot's prate? Pleasure's call attention wins, Hear it often as we may ; New as ever seem our sins, Though committed every day. Death and Judgment, Heaven and Hell, No more move us than the bell, O then, ere the turf or tomb Cover us from every eye, Spirit of instruction come, Make us learn that we must die. ON A SIMILAR OCCASION, FOR THE YEAR 1792. "Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas, Happy the mortal, who has traced effects To their first cause, cast fear beneath his feet, VIRGIL. THANKLESS for favours from on high, But he, not wise enough to scan To ages, if he might. Gall'd by Affliction's heavy chain, And hopeless of repose. Strange fondness of the human heart, Enamour'd of its harm! Strange world, that costs it so much smart, Whence has the World her magic power? Why deem we Death a foe? Recoil from weary life's best hour, And covet longer woe ? The cause is Conscience-Conscience oft Her tale of guilt renews: Then, anxious to be longer spared, 'Tis judgment shakes him; there's the fear That prompts the wish to stay: He has incurr'd a long arrear, And must despair to pay. Pay!-follow Christ, and all is paid; |