A thousand years are like a day, But mournful COWPER, wandering nigh, For rest beneath its shadow came, When lo ! the voice of days gone by Ascended from its hollow frame. O that the Poet had reveal'd The words of those prophetic strains, -Yet in his song the Oak remains. And fresh in undecaying prime, SONG, Written for a Society, whose Motto was FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, AND TRUTH." WHEN“ Friendship, Love, and Truth" abound Among a band of BROTHERS, The cup of joy goes gaily round, Each shares the bliss of others : Along this vale of sorrow: Shall bloom again to-morrow : On halcyon wings our moments pass, Life's cruel cares beguiling; Old Time lays down his scythe and glass, In gay good humour smiling : With ermine beard and forelock grey, His reverend front adorning, He looks like Winter turn’d to May, Night soften'd into morning ! How grand in age, how fair in youth, Are holy “ FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, and TRUTH !". From these delightful fountains flow Ambrosial rills of pleasure : A more resplendent treasure ? We'll form a Constellation, Shall gild his proper station. 13 RELIGION, AN OCCASIONAL HYMN. THROUGH shades and solitudes profound The fainting traveller winds his way; Bewildering meteors glare around, And tempt his wandering feet astray. Welcome, thrice welcome, to his eye, The sudden moon's inspiring light, When forth she sallies through the sky, The guardian angel of the night! Thus mortals, blind and weak, below Pursue the phantom Bliss, in vain ; The world's a wilderness of woe, And life a pilgrimage of pain ! E Till mild RELIGION, from above, Descends, a sweet engaging form, The messenger of heavenly love, The bow of promise in a storm! Then guilty passions wing their flight, Sorrow, remorse, affliction cease ; Religion's yoke is soft and light, And all her paths are paths of peace. Ambition, pride, revenge depart, And folly flies her chastening rod; She makes the humble contrite heart A temple of the living God. Beyond the narrow vale of time, Where bright celestial ages roll, To scenes eternal, scenes sublime, She points the way, and leads the soul. |