Bright to the soul thy seraph bands convey
The morning dream of life's eternal day;
Then, then the triumph and the trance begin,
And all the phoenix spirit burns within!
Oh! deep enchanting prelude to repose,
The dawn of bliss, the twilight of our woes!
Yet half I hear the panting spirit sigh,
"It is a dread and awful thing to die!"
Daughter of faith! awake, arise, illume
The dread unknown, the chaos of the tomb!
Melt, and dispel, ye spectre-doubts, that roll
Cimmerian darkness in the parting soul!
Fly, like the moon-eyed herald of dismay,
Chased on his night-steed by the star of day!
The strife is o'er!-the pangs of nature close,
And life's last rapture triumphs o'er her woes.
6. The Assurance of Hope, in Final Judgment.
Oh! who shall then survive?
Oh! who shall stand and live?
When all that hath been is no more;
When the round earth, hung in air,
With all its constellations fair
In the sky's azure canopy,
When all the breathing earth, and sparkling sea,
Is but a fiery deluge without shore,
Heaving along the abyss profound and dark,
A fiery deluge, and without an ark?
Lord of all Power! when Thou art there alone,
On Thy eternal fiery-wheeled throne,
That in its high meridian noon
Needs not the perish'd sun nor moon: When Thou art there in Thy presiding state, Wide-sceptered Monarch o'er the realm of doom, When from the sea-depths, from earth's darkest womb, The dead of all the ages round Thee wait;
And when the tribes of wickedness are shown,
Like forest-leaves in the autumn of Thine ire: Faithful and true! Thou still wilt save Thine own! The Saints shall dwell within th' unburning fire, Each white robe spotless, blooming every palm, Even safe as we by this still fountain side, So shall Thy Church, Thy bright and mystic Bride, Sit on the stormy gulph, a halcyon bird of calm. Yes, 'mid yon angry and destroying signs, O'er us the rainbow of Thy mercy shines, We hail, we bless the covenant of its beam, Almighty to avenge! Almightiest to redeem!
When, strict inquiring, from herself he found
She was the same, the daughter of his friend,
Of bountiful Acasto-who can speak
The mingled passions that surprised his heart,
And through his nerves in shivering transport ran,
As thus Palemon, passionate and just,
Poured out the pious rapture of his soul!-
"Art thou, then, Acasto's dear remains?
She whom my restless gratitude has sought
So long in vain ? O yes! the
very same, The soften'd image of my noble friend; Alive his every feature, every look,
More elegantly touch'd. Sweeter than Spring!
Thou sole-surviving blossom from the root
That nourished up my fortune! say, ah! where,
In what sequestered desert hast thou drawn
The kindest aspect of delighted heaven?
O let me now into a richer soil
Transplant thee safe! where vernal suns and showers Diffuse their warmest, largest influence,
And of my garden be the pride and joy!
2. The Joy of a Pardoned Offender.
As when a felon, whom his country's laws
Have justly doom'd for some atrocious cause,
Expects in darkness and heart-chilling fears,
The shamefnl close of all his mis-spent years;
The warder at his door the key applies,
Shoots back the bolt, and all his courage dies;
If then, just then, all thoughts of mercy lost,
When Hope, long lingering, at last yields the ghost,
The sound of pardon pierce his startled ear,
He drops at once his fetters and his fear;
A transport glows in all he looks and speaks,
And the first thankful tears bedew his cheeks.
Joy, far superior joy, that much outweighs
The comfort of a few poor added days,
Invades, possesses, and o'erwhelms the soul
Of him, whom Hope has with a touch made whole.
'Tis Heav'n, all Heav'n descending on the wings
Of the glad legions of the King of kings;
'Tis more- -'tis God diffus'd through ev'ry part,―
'Tis God himself triumphant in the heart.
3. Joy at a Father's Return.
Slowly the melancholy day
In cloud and storm pass'd o'er ;
Fearful and wild the tall ships lay
Off the rude Northumbrian shore;
'Mid the thunder's crash, and the lighting's ray,
And the dashing ocean's roar.
And many a father's heart beat high
With an aching fear of woe,
As he gaz'd upon the ghastly sky,
And heard the tempest blow;
Or watch'd with sad and anxious eye,
The warring waves below!
Oh! many a mournful mother wept ;
And closer, fonder prest
The babe, that soft and sweetly slept
Upon her troubled breast;
While every hour that lingering crept,
Her agonies confest!
And one upon the couch was laid,
In deep and helpless pain;
Two children sought her side, and played,
And strove to cheer-in vain :
Till breathlessly, and half afraid,
They listened to the rain.
""Tis a rough sea your father braves!"
The afflicted mother said;
"Pray that the Holy Arm that saves,
May guard his precious head!—
May shield him from the wrecking waves,
To aid you-when I'm dead!"`
Then low the children bended there,
With clasped hands, to implore
That God would save them from despair,
And their loved sire restore :-
And the heavens heard that quiet prayer,
'Mid all the tempest's roar !
'Twas eve!-and cloudlessly at last,
The sky in beauty gleamed!
O'er snowy sail and lofty mast
The painted pennon streamed; The danger and the gloom had past, Like horrors-only dreamed!
Swift to the desolated beach
The Fisher's children hied;
But far as human sight could reach,
No boat swept o'er the tide!
Still on they watched-and with sweet speech, To banish grief they tried!
Long, long they sat-when lo! a light
And distant speck was seen,-
Small as the smallest star of night,
When night is most serene!
But to the Fisher's boy that sight
A sight of bliss had been!
"It comes!" he cried, our father's boat!
See!-sister-by yon stone!
Not there not there,-still more remote,-
I know the sail's our own!
Look!-look again!-they nearer float!
Thanks!-thanks to God alone!"
Four happy, grateful hearts were those
That met at even-fall;
The mother half forgot her woes,
And kissed and blessed them all!
"Praised! praised!" she said, "be He who shows Sweet mercy when we call!"
4. Angels Rejoicing at the Saviour's Birth.
Oh! never, never since we came
On wing of light, and form of flame;
Have angels known entrancing bliss
Unfathomably deep as this!-
For lo! the manger where He lies
A world-redeeming Sacrifice :
Peace on earth! to man good-will!
Let the skies our anthem fill!
Hail, Virgin-born! transcendent child!
Of mortal semblance, undefiled,
By ages visioned, doomed to be
The Star of Immortality!
Hail, Prince of Peace! and Lord of Light!
Around Thy path the world is bright;
Where'er Thou tread'st, an Eden blooms,
And earth forgets her myriad tombs!,
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