The time of rest, the promis'd sabbath, comes. Of this tempestuous state of human things Before a calm, that rocks itself to rest: For He, whose car the winds are, and the clouds The dust that waits upon his sultry march, When sin hath mov'd him, and his wrath is hot, Shall visit earth in mercy; shall descend, Propitious, in his chariot pav'd with love; And what his storms have blasted and defac'd.. For man's revolt shall with a smile repair. Sweet is the harp of prophecy; too sweet Not to be wrong'd by a mere mortal touch: Nor can the wonders it records be sung To meaner music, and not suffer loss. 1 But, when a poet, or when one like me, Happy to rove among poetic flow'rs, Though poor in skill to rear them, lights at last Oh scenes surpassing fable, and yet true, Scenes of accomplish'd bliss! which who can see, Though but in distant prospect, and not feel His soul refresh'd with foretaste of the joy? Rivers of gladness water all the earth, And clothe all climes with beauty; the reproach Exults to see its thistly curse repeal'd. And that one season an eternal spring, The garden fears no blight, and needs no fence, For there is none to covet, all are full. The lion, and the libbard, and the bear Graze with the fearless flocks; all bask at noon Together, or all gambol in the shade Of the same grove, and drink one common stream. Lurks in the serpent now: the mother sees, One Lord, one Father. Error has no place: The breath of heav'n has chas'd it. In the heart But all is harmony and love. Disease age. One song employs all nations; and all cry, ૯૯ Worthy the Lamb, for he was slain for us!" The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks Shout to each other, and the mountain tops * Nebaioth and Kedar, the sons of Ishmael, and progenitors of the Arabs, in the prophetic scripture here alluded to, may be reasonably considered as representatives of the Gentiles at large. Praise is in all her gates: upon her walls, And in her streets, and in her spacious courts, Is heard salvation. Eastern Java there Kneels with the native of the farthest west; And Æthiopia spreads abroad the hand, And worships. Her report has travell'd forth Into all lands. From ev'ry clime they come To see thy beauty and to share thy joy, Saw never, such as heav'n stoops down to see. Thus heav'n-ward all things tend. For all were once Perfect, and all must be at length restor❜d. (A sight to which our eyes are strangers yet) |