Whatever speaks the godhead great,
And fit to be ador'd,
Whatever makes the creature sweet,
And worthy of my paffion, meet
Harmonious in my Lord.
A thousand graces ever rife
And bloom upon his face;
A thousand arrows from his eyes
Shoot through my heart with dear surprize,
And guard around the place.
All nature's art fhall never cure
The heavenly pains I found,
And 'tis beyond all beauty's power
To make another wound :
Earthly beauties grow and fade;
Nature heals the wounds the made,
But charms fo much divine
Hold a long empire of the heart;
What heaven has join'd fhall never part,
And Jefus must be mine.
In vain the envious fhades of night,
Or flatteries of the day
Would veil his image from my fight,
Or tempt my foul away;
Jefus is all my waking theme,
His lovely form meets every dream
And knows not to depart :
5
Through all my veins,
And, floating round the crimson stream,
Still finds him at my heart.
Dwell there, for ever dwell, my love;
Here I confine my sense;
Nor dare my wildest wishes rove
Nor ftir a thought from thence.
Amidst thy glories and thy grace
Let all my remnant-minutes pass;
Grant, thou Everlasting Fair,
Grant my foul a manfion there :
My foul afpires to fee thy face
Though life fhould for the vifion pay;
So rivers run to meet the fea,
And lofe their nature in th' embrace.
Thou art my ocean, thou my God;
In Thee the paffions of the mind
With joys and freedom unconfin'd
Exult, and fpread their powers ahroad.
Not all the glittering things on high
Can make my heaven, if thou remove;
I shall be tir'd, and long to die;
Life is a pain without thy love;
Who could ever bear to be
Curft with immortality
Among the ftars, but far from Thee?
Mutual LOVE ftronger than DEATH.
NOT the rich world of minds above
Can pay the mighty debt of love I owe to Chrift God:
With pangs which none but he could feel
He brought my guilty foul from hell:
Not the first feraph's tongue can tell
The value of his blood.
Kindly he feiz'd me in his arms,
From the falfe world's pernicious charms
With force divinely sweet.
Had I ten thoufand lives my own,
At his demand,
With chearful hand,'
I'd pay the vital treasure down
In hourly tributes at his feet.
But, Saviour, let me tafte thy grace
With every fleeting breath?
And through that heaven of pleasure pafs
To the cold arms of death;
Then I could lofe fucceffive fouls
Fast as the minutes fly; So billow after billow rolls
To kifs the fhore, and die.
The fubftance of the following Copy, and many of the lines, were fent me by an esteemed friend, Mr. W. Nokes, with a defire that I would form them into a Pindaric Ode; but I retained his measures, left I should too much alter his fenfe.
A Sight of CHRIST.
ANGELS of light, your God and King furround,
With noble fongs; in his exalted flesh
He claims your worship; while his faints on earth,
Bless their Redeemer-God with humble tongues.
Angels with lofty honours crown his head;
We bowing at his feet, by faith, may feel
His diftant influence, and confefs his love.
Once I beheld his face, when beams divine
Broke from his eye-lids, and unusual light
Wrapt me at once in glory and furprize.
My joyful heart high leaping in my breast
With transport cry'd, This is the Chrift of God;
Then threw my arms around in fweet embrace,
And clasp'd, and bow'd adoring low, till I was loft in him.
While he appears, no other charms can hold Or draw my foul, afham'd of former things, Which no remembrance now deserve or name, Though with contempt; best in oblivion hid.
But the bright fhine and presence foon withdrew;
I fought him whom I love, but found him not;
I felt his abfence; and with ftrongest cries
Proclaim'd, Where Jefus is not, all is vain.
Whether I hold him with a full delight,
Or feek him panting with extreme desire,
'Tis he alone can please my wondering foul;
To hold or feek him is my only choice.
If he refrain on me to caft his eye
Down from his palace, nor my longing foul
With upward look can spy my dearest Lord
Through his blue pavement, I'll behold him still
With sweet reflection on the peaceful cross,
All in his blood and anguish groaning deep,
Gafping and dying there
This fight I ne'er can lofe, by it I live:
A quickening virtue from his death inspir'd
Is life and breath to me; his flesh my food;
His vital blood I drink, and hence my strength.
I live, I'm ftrong, and now eternal life
Beats quick within my breast; my vigorous mind
Spurns the dull earth, and on her fiery wings.
Reaches the mount of purposes divine,
Counfels of peace betwixt th' Almighty Three
Conceiv'd at once, and fign'd without debate,
In perfect union of th' eternal mind.
With vast amaze I fee th' unfathom'd thoughts,
Infinite fchemes, and infinite defigns
Of God's own Heart, in which he ever refts.
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