With the gaunt lion shall the fatling feed, And wolves with lambs shall crop the flow'ry mead; Leopards and kids in peace together rove, Fill'd with the presence of celestial love : Yea, sucking babes with mortal asps shall play, The dead shall rise! the blind their sight receive, Shed tears of transport, and their Lord believe : The dumb shall speak; and the loos'd tongue be free To sing the songs of perfect liberty: The ear's dull chords that never heard, be strung, And through its vaults ecstatic peals he rung: And the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, &c. Isaiah, ch. xi. The palsied limb its wonted vigour feel, And the stiff knee before its God shall kneel!* With healing wings the Day-spring from on high Proclaims the morning of redemption nigh.† Auspicious dawn of ever-smiling morn! Sweet consolation to a race forlorn! Shall sin appall'd forget the dazzling sight, Or new-born hope her undescrib'd delight, * And the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. Isaiah, ch. xxxv. v. 5, 6. Through the tender mercy of our Day-spring from on high hath visited us. God, whereby the No clouds of vengeance o'er thy visage frown'd; No frightful earthquakes shook the trembling ground; And streams of rapture flow'd from sphere to sphere, The gem-bespangl'd rock bow'd down its head; Dim was the diamond in its crystal bed; The emerald's green, the jasper's varied hue, The glittering jacinth and the sapphire's blue;† * And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying-Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men. Luke, ch. ii. v. 13, 14. † And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. Rev. ch. xxi. v. 19. The star-clad regions, the bright orb of day All lost their splendour in their Maker's ray : To fill the morn with glory, and to shine, O Sun of Righteousness, was only thine! * T' appease the justice of eternal laws; † To die and triumph in his creatures' cause; ‡ * The Sun of Righteousness also obscured the natural sun when our blessed Lord appeared to St. Paul.-" At mid-day, O king, I saw in the way a light from Heaven above the brightness of the sun." Acts, ch. xxvi. v. 13. † Then said I, lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Heb. ch. x. v. 7. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. Matthew, ch. v. ver. 17. v. 8. He will swallow up death in victory. Isaiah, ch. xxv. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John, ch. xv. v. 13. Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John, ch. xvi. v. 33. Unlock the springs of comfort, and impart His Holy Spirit to the contrite heart; * To be a pure example to the wise ;† A light to lead his people to the skies;‡ The long-lost image of their God restore, § And ope to all Believers Zion's door. || * I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter. John. ch. xiv. v. 16. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Ch. xiii. v. 15. I am the light of the world; he that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness. Ch. viii. v. 12. § And we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. ch. iii. v. 18. || And open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Church Liturgy. |