Ye forests bend, ye harvests wave, to Him;§
Breathe your till fong into the reaper's heart,
As home he goes beneath the joyous moon.
Ye that keep watch in heav'n, as earth asleep
Unconscious lies, effuse your mildest beams,
Ye conftellations, while your angels strike,
Amid the spankled fky, the filver lyre.
Great fource of day! beft image here below
Of thy Creator, ever pouring wide,
From world to world, the vital ocean round,
On rature write with every beam his praife.
The thunder rolls: be hush'd the proftrate
world;
[hymn.
While cloud to cloud returns the folemn
Bleat out afresh, ye hills; ye mofly rocks,
Retain the found the broad refponfive lowe,
Ye vallies, raife; for the Great Shepherd
reigns;

A fweet forgetfulness of all my toils,
Unfeen, thy fov'reign prefence guards my fleep,
Wafts all the terrors of my dreams away,
Sooths all my foul, and foftens my repofe.
Before conception can employ the tongue,
And mould the ductile images to found;
Before imagination stands ditplay'd,
Thine eye the future eloquence can read,
Yet unarray'dwith fpeech. Thou,mighty Lord!
Haft moulded man from his congenial duft,
And spoke him into being; while the clay,
Beneath thy forming hand, leap'd forth infpir'd,
And liarted into life: through every part,
At thy command, the wheels of motion play'd.
But fuch exalted knowledge leaves below,
And drops poor man from its fuperior fphere.
In vain, with reafon's ballaft, would he try
To ftem th' unfathomable depth; his bark
O'erfets, and founders in the vast abyss.
Then whither fhall the rapid fancy run,
Though in its full career, to speed my flight
From thy unbounded presence? which, alone,
Fills all the regions and extended space
Beyond the bounds of nature! whither, Lord!
Shall my unrein'd imagination rove,
To leave behind thy Spirit, and out-fly
Its influence, which, with brooding wings out-
spread,
found.
Hatch'd unfledg'd nature from the dark pro-
If mounted on my tow`ring thoughts I climb
Into the heaven of heavens, I there behold
The blaze of thy unclouded majesty !
In the pure empyrean thee I view,
[fhrine,
High thron'd above all height, thy radiant
Throng'd with the proftiate Seraphs, who

ceive

Beatitude paft utterance! If I plunge
Down to the gloom of Tartarus profound,
There too I find thee in the lowest bounds
Of Erebus, and read thee in the scenes
Of complicated wrath: I see thee clad
In all the majesty of darknefs there.

birth

Sleeping I lay, and rip'ning to my
Yet, Lord, thy outstretch'd arm preferv'd me
there;

Before I mov'd to entity, and trod
The verge of being. To thy hallow'd name
I'll pay due honours, for thy mighty hand
Built this corporeal fabric, when it laid
The ground-work of existence. Hence I read
The wonders of thy art. This fra e I view
With terror and delight; and, wrapt in both,
I ftare at myself. My bones, unform'd
As yet, nor hardening from the viscous parts,
But blended with th unanimated mafs,
Thy eye diltinetly view'd; and, while I lay
Within the earth, imperfect, nor perceiv'd
The first faint dawn of life, with eafe furvey'd
The vital glimmerings of the active feeds,
Jult kindling to existence, and beheld
My fubitance fcarce material. In thy book
Was the fair model of this structure drawn,
Where every part in just connection join'd,
Compos'd and perfected th' harmonious piece,
Ere the dim fpeck of being learn'd to ftretch
Its ductile form, or entity had known,
To range and wanton in an ampler space.
How dear, how rooted in my inmost soul,
Are all thy counfels, and the various ways
Of thy eternal providence ! the fum
So boundlefs and immenfe, it leaves behind
The low account of numbers; and outflies
All that imagination e'er conceiv'd:
Lefs numerous are the fands that crowd the
Shores,

The barriers of the ocean. When I rife
re-From my foft bed, and fofter joys of fleep,
I rife to thee. Yet, lo! the impious flight
Thy mighty wonders. Shall the sons of vice
Flude the vengeance of thy wrathful hand,
And mock thy ling'ring thunder, which with-
holds

If, on the ruddy morning's purple wings
Upborne, with indefatigable courie
I feek the glowing borders of the east,
Where the bright fuo,emergent from the deeps,
With his first glories gilds the iparkling feas,
And trembles o'er the waves; ev'n there thy
hand

Shall thro' the watery defert guide my courfe,
And o'er the broken furges pave my way,
While on the dreadful whirls I hang fecure,
And mock the warring ocean. If, with hopes
As fond as falfe, the darkness I expect
To hide, and wrap me in its mantling fhade,
Vain were the thought; for thy unbounded ken
Daits thro' the thick'ning gloom, and pries
through all

The palpable obfcure. Before thy eyes
The vanquish'd night throws off her dusky
fhrowd,

And kindles into day: the flade and light
To man ftill various, but the fame to thee.
On thee is all the structure of my frame
Dependant. Lock'd within the filent womb

Nature, profufely good, with blifs o'erflows, Which not the heav'n of heav'ns, nor bound-And till is pregnant, tho' fhe ftill bestows.

Tall navies here their doubtful way explore,
And ev'ry product waft from shore to thore :
Hence meagre want expell'd, and fanguine
ftrife,

For the mild charms of cultivated life;
Hence focial union fpreads from foul to foul,
And India joins in friendship with the pole.
Here the huge potent of the fcaly train
Enormous fails incumbent o'er the main,
An animated ifle! and in his way,
Dafhes to heav'n's blue arch the foamy fea:
When fkies and ocean mingle form and

flame,

Portending inftant wreck to nature's frame,
Pleas'd in the fcene, he mocks, with confcious
pride,

The volley'd lightning, and the furging tide;
And while the wrathful elements engage,
Foments with horrid fport the tempelt's rage.
All these thy watchful providence fupplies,
To thee alone they turn their waiting eyes;
For them thou open'ft thy exhauftleis ftore,
Till the capacious wifh can grafp no more.
But, if one moment thou thy face should'ft
hide,

Thy glory clouded, or thy smiles deny'd,
Then widow'd nature veils her mournful eyes,
And vents her grief in universal cries :
Then gloomy death, with all his meagre train,
Wide o'er the nations spreads his difinal reign;
Sea, earth, and air the boundless ravage mourn,
And all their hosts to native duft return.

But when again thy glory is difplay'd,
Reviv'd creation lifts her chearful head ;
New rifing forms thy potent fmiles obey,
And life rekindles at the chearful ray":"
United thanks replenish'd nature pays,
And heav'n and earth refound their Maker's
praise.

When time fhall in eternity be loft,
And hoary nature languish into duft,
For ever young, thy glory fhall remain,
Vaft as thy being, endless as thy reign.
Thou, from the regions of eternal day,
View'it all thy works at one immenfe furvey:
Pleas'd thou behold'it the whole propensely tend
To perfect happiness, its glorious end.

If thou to earth but turn thy wrathful eyes,
Her bafis trembles, and her offspring dies:
Thou fmit'ft the hills, and, at th' Almighty
blow,

Their fummits kindle, and their inwards glow.
While this immortal spark of heav'nly flame,
Diftends my breaft, and animates my frame;
To thee my ardent praifes fhall be borne
On the first breeze that wakes the blushing

morn:

The latest star shall hear the pleasing found,
And nature in full choir fhall join around.
When full of thee my foul excurfive flies
Thro' earth, air, ocean, or thy regal skies;
From world to world, new wonders ftill I
find,

And all the Godhead flashes on my mind.

FATHER of all in ev'ry age,
In ev'ry clime, ador'd,'
By Saint, by Savage and by Sage,
Thou Great First Cause, least understood,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!

Who all my fenfe confin'd

To know but this, that Thou art good,

And that myself am blind;

Yet gave me, in this dark estate,
To fee the good from ill;
And binding nature faft in fate,
Left free the human will:
What confcience dictates to be done,

Or warns me not to do,

This teach me more than hell to fhun,
That more than heav'n puifue.
What bleffings thy free bounty gives

Let me not calt away:
For God is paid when man receives,
T' enjoy is to obey.

Yet not to earth's contracted span

Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think Thee Lord alone of man,

When thoufand worlds are round:
Let not this weak, unknowing hand

Prefume thy bolts to throw,
And deal danination round the land
On each I judge thy foe.

If I am right, thy grace impart
If I am wrong, oh teach my heart
Still in the right to stay;

To find that better way.
Save me alike from foolish pride,

Or impious difcontent,
At aught thy wildom has denied

Or aught thy goodness lent.
Teach me to feel another's woe,

To hide the fault I fee;
That mercy I to others show,

That mercy fhow to me.
Mean tho' I am, not wholly fo,

Since quicken'd by thy breath;
O lead me wherefoe'er I go,

Thro' this day's life or death.
This day, be bread and peace my lot;
All elfe beneath the fun
Thou know't if heft beftow'd or not,
And let thy will be done.

To

skies:

The tender lambs he raises in his arms,
Feeds from his hand, and in his bosom warms
Thus fhall mankind his guardian care engage,
The promis'd father of the future age.
No more fhall nation against nation rife,
Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes,
Nor fields with gleaming steel be cover'd o'er,
The brazen trumpets kindle rage no more;
But ufelefs lances into scythes thall bend,
And the broad faulchion in a plow-hare end.
Then palaces fhall rife; the joyful Son
Shall finish what his thort-liv'd Sire begun ;
Their vines a fhadow to their race fhall yield,
And the fane hand that fow'd fall the
The (wain in barren deferts with furprize [field.
Sees lilies fpring, and fudden verdure rite;
And ftaris, amidit the thirty wilds, to hear
New falls of water murmuring in his ear.
On rifted rocks, the dragon's late abodes,
The green teed trembles and the bulrun nods3
Watte fandy vallies, once perplex'd with thorn,
The fpiry fir and flapely box adorn ;
To leaflefs fhrubs the flow'ring palm fucceed,
And odious myrtle to the noifome weed.

Th' ethereal fpirit o'er its leaves fhall move,
And on its top defcend the myftic Dove.
Ye heav's! from high the dewy nectar pour,
And in foft filence fhed the kindly show'r!
The fick and weak the healing plant fhall aid,The
From forms a fhelter, and from heat a fhade;
All crimes fhall ceafe, and ancient fraud fha!!
Returning Justice lift aloft her scale, [tail,
Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend,
And white-rob'd Innocence from heav'n de-
fcend.

Swift fly the years, and rife th' expected morn!
Oh fpring to light, aufpicious Babe, be born!
See Nature haftes her earlieft wreathes to bring,.
With all the incenfe of the breathing fpring;
See lofty Lebanon his head advance,

See nodding forefts on the mountains Jance,
See fpicy clouds from lowly Sharon rife,
And Carmel's flowy top perfumes the skies!
Hark! a glad voice the lonely defert cheers;
Prepare the way! a God, a God appears!
A God, a God! the vocal hills reply,
The rocks proclaim th' approaching Deity.
Lo, earth receives him from the bending skies!
Sink down, ye mountains, and, ye vallies, rife!
With heads declin'd, ye cedars, homage pay;
Be imooth, ye rocks; ye rapid floods, give
way!
[told;
The Savicur comes! by ancient bards fore
Hear him, ye deaf! and, all ye blind, behold!
He from thick films fhall purge the vifual ray,
And on the fightlefs eye-ball pour the day:
He the obftructed paths of found fhall clear,
And bid new mufic charm th' unfolding ear
The dumb fhall fing, the lame his crutch fore-
And leap exulting like the bounding roe. [go,
No figh, no murmur, the wide world thall hear;
From ev'ry face he wipes off ev'ry tear.
In adamantine chains fhall Death be bound,
And hell's grim tyrant feel th' eternal wound.
As the good fhepherd tends his fleecy care,
Seeks fresheft pati ure and the pureft air,
Explores the loft, the wand'ring fheep directs,
By day o'erfees them, and bynight protects,

reap

lambs with wolves fhall graze the verdant
mead,

And boys in flow'ry bands the tiger lead:
The steer and lion at one crib fhall meet,
And harmless terpents lick the pilgrim's feet;
The (miling infant in his hand thall take
The crefted balilifk and fpeckled fnake,
Pleas'd the green luftre of their fcales furvey,
And with their forky tongue fhall innocently
play.

Rife, crown'd with light, imperial Salem, rife !
Exalt thy tow'ry head, and lift thy eyes!
See a long race thy fpacious courts adorn;
See future fons and daughters, yet unborn,
In crowding ranks on ev'ry fide arife,
Demanding life, impatient for the fkies!
See barb'rous nations at thy gates attend,
Walk in thy light, and in thy temple bend a
See thy bright altars throng'd with proftrate
kings,

And heap'd with products of Sabæan fprings!
For thee Idume's fpicy forests blow,
And feeds of gold in Ophin's mountains glow.
See heav'n its parkling portals wide display,
And break upon thee in a food of day.
No more the rising Sun fhall gild the morn,
Nor ev'ning Cynthia fill her filver horn;
But loft, diffolv'd in thy fuperior rays,
One tide of glory, one unclouded blaze (filine
O'erflow thy courts: the Light himself thall
Reveal'd, and God's eternal day be thine!
The feas fhall wafte, the fkies in fmoke decay,
Rocks fall to duft, and mountains melt away;
But fix'd his word, his faving pow'r remains:
Thy realm for ever lafts, thy own Meffiah
reigns!

C

$17. A