120. ANGELS, Existence of These stars, though unbeheld in deep of night, [were none, Shine not in vain; nor think, though men That heav'n would want spectators, God want praise; Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep; All these with ceaseless praise his works be- walk With heav'nly touch of instrumental sounds In full harmonic number joined, their songs Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to heav'n. 121. ANGELS and Men. Milton. And all for love, and nothing for reward; Oh, why should heavenly God to men have such regard! Edmund Spenser. 123. ANGELS, Music of The multitude of angels with a shout With solemn adoration down they cast In Paradise, fast by the tree of life, Rolls o'er Elysian flowers her amber stream: Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the took Grieve when we sin, rejoice when we repent; Unthought of, unimproving? Rather say, God deign'd to man His angel hosts reveal, That man might learn like angels to obey; And those, who long their bliss in heaven to feel, [they. Might strive on earth to serve Him even as Bp. Mant. 125. ANGELS, Strife of. How oft do they their silver bowers leave, My dwelling had been situate beside The firmament was quick with life. As when [forth The prophet's servant look'd from Dothan On Syria's thronging multitudes, and saw, His eyes being open'd at Elisha's prayer, Chariots of fire by fiery horses drawn, The squadrons of the sky around the seer Encamping. Thus in numbers numberless The hosts of darkness and of light appear'd Thronging the air. They were not ranged for fight, But mingled host with host, angels with men. From the elect. There were no horned fiends [hate, The spirits of darkness freely intermix'd 126. ANGELS, Two. And rebuke him if he stray: Two recording spirits, reading Writes the good and evil wrought; Writes with truth that adds not, errs not, Purpose, action, word, and thought. One, the Teacher and Reprover, Marks each heaven-deserving deed; Graves it with the lightning's vigor; Seals it with the lightning's speed; 127. ANGER, Fruits of. Full many mischiefs follow cruel wrath: Abhorred bloodshed, and tumultuous strife, Unmanly murder, and unthrifty scath, Bitter despite, with rancour's rusty knife, And fretting grief, the enemy of life; All these, and many evils more, haunt ire. The swelling spleen, and phrenzy raging rife, The shaking palsy, and Saint Francis fire: Such one was wrath, the last of this ungodly tire. Edmund Spenser. 128. ANIMALS, Creation of. The sixth, and of creation last, arose With evening harps and matin; when God said, [kind, "Let the earth bring forth soul living in her Cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, [straight Each in their kind." The Earth obeyed, and Opening her fertile womb, teemed at a birth Innumerous living creatures, perfect forms, Limbed and full grown. Out of the ground [wons up rose, As from his lair, the wild beast, where he In forest wild, in thicket, brake, or den; Among the trees in pairs they rose, they walked: With spots of gold and purple, azure and | No voice that shall be heard in his defence? no sentence to be passed on green: These, as a line, their long dimension drew, Streaking the ground with sinuous trace; not all 129. ANIMALS, Treatment of. Verily, they are all thine: freely mayest thou serve thee of them all: They are thine by gift for thy needs, to be used in all gratitude and kindness; Gratitude to their God and thine,—their Father and thy Father, Kindness to them who toil for thee, and help thee with their all: For meat, but not by wantonness of slaying: for burden, but with limits of humanity. For luxury, but not through torture: for draught, but according to the strength: For a dog cannot plead his own right, nor render a reason for exemption, Nor give a soft answer unto wrath, to turn aside the undeserved lash; The galled ox cannot complain, nor supplicate a moment's respite; The spent horse hideth his distress, till he panteth out his spirit at the goal; Also, in the winter of life, when worn by constant toil, If ingratitude forget his services, he cannot bring them to remembrance; Behold, he is faint with hunger; the big tear standeth in his eye; His skin is sore with stripes, and he tottereth beneath his burden; His limbs are stiff with age, his sinews have lost their vigor, And pain is stamped upon his face, while he wrestleth unequally with toil; Yet once more mutely and meekly endureth he the crushing blow; That struggle hath cracked his heart-stringsthe generous brute is dead! Liveth there no advocate for him? no judge to avenge his wrongs? his the sad eye of the tortured pleadeth pathetically for him; Yea, all the justice in heaven is roused in indignation at his woes; Yea, all the pity upon earth shall call down a curse upon the cruel; Yea, the burning malice of the wicked is their own exceeding punishment. The Angel of Mercy stoppeth not to comfort, but passeth by on the other side, And hath no tear to shed, when a cruel man is damned. M. F. Tupper. 130. ANNIHILATION, Absurdity of Why life, a moment? infinite, desire? Who wishes life immortal proves it too. Why cordial friendship riveted so deep, Conscience of guilt is prophecy of pain, uncalled, What truth on earth so precious as the lie? Could'st thou persuade me, the next life could fail Our ardent wishes, how should I pour out My bleeding heart in anguish, new as deep! O, with what thoughts (thy hope, and my despair) Abhorred ANNIHILATION blasts the soul, 131. ANNIHILATION, Advocates of Are there on earth (let me not call them men!) Who lodge a soul immortal in their breasts, more. Are there (still more amazing!) who resist The rising thought? who smother, in its birth, [brutes? The glorious truth? who struggle to be Who, through this bosom-barrier burst their way, And, with reversed ambition, strive to sink? Of instinct, reason, and the world against Who fight the proofs of immortality? 132. ANNIHILATION, License of. Sense! take the rein; blind passion! us on; drive And ignorance befriend us on our way; brute, [man, Since, as the brute, we die . . . . the sum of Of Godlike man, to revel and to rot! Edward Young. How long shall sloth usurp the useless hours, Shall spring to seize thee like an ambushed 134. ANXIETY, Misery of Thou hast seen many sorrows, travel-stained pilgrim of the world, But that which hath vexed thee most, hath been the looking for evil; though calamities have crossed thee and misery been heaped on thy head, And Yet ills that never happened have chiefly made thee wretched. Verily, evils may be courted, may be wooed and won by distrust; For the wise Physician of our weal loveth not an unbelieving spirit; And to those giveth he good, who rely on his hand for good; And those leaveth he to evil, who fear, but trust him not. Ask for good, and hope it; for the ocean of good is fathomless; Ask for good, and have it; for thy Friend would see thee happy; But to the timid heart, to the child of unbelief and dread, That leaneth on his own weak staff, and trusteth in the sight of his eyes, The evil he feared shall come, for the soil is suspicion hath coldly put aside the ready for the seed, hand that was ready to help him. Therefore look up, sad spirit; be strong, thou coward heart, And 133. ANT, Lesson from the. Turn to the prudent ant thy heedful eyes, Observe her labors, sluggard, and be wise: No stern command, no monitory voice Prescribes her duties, or directs her choice; Yet, timely provident, she hastes away To snatch the blessings of the plenteous day; When fruitful summer loads the teeming plain, [grain. Or She crops the harvest and she stores the Or the feint of a subtle fencer, who measureth his thrust elsewhere; perchance a blessing in a masque, sent to try thy trust, The precious smiting of a friend whose frowns are all in love; Often the storm threateneth, but is driven to other climes, And the weak hath quailed in fear, while the firm hath been glad in his confidence. M. F. Tupper. 135. APOSTLES, Miracles of the. For them the fulness of His might is shown O'erleaping the strong bounds of Nature's law; Grim Death for them contracts his hasty stride; His horrid messengers, disease and pain, For them bright wisdom opens all her stores, 136. APOSTLES, Pre-eminence of the. 137. APPAREL, Costly. Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth, Painting thy outward walls so costly gay? men; 138. APPAREL, Poor. Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor; For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich: And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds, So honor peereth in the meanest habit. The little timid mendicant replies, [space "Give me so much of thy dominion's The boon is small, but will for me sufficeAs I can only by three steppings pace." The blinded Bali, mocking gave assent, [eye. And looked upon him with contemptuous Swift grew the dwarf through such immense extent, [the sky! That one step spanned the earth, one more, Then looking round, with haughty voice he said, [tell!" "The third where shall I take? O Bali, At Vishnu's feet the tyrant placed his head, And instantaneously was thrust to hell. Oriental, tr. by W. R. Alger. 140. APPEARANCES, Deluding. The world is still deceived with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt, But, being season'd with a gracious voice, Obscures the show of evil? In religion, What damned error, but some sober brow Will bless it, and approve it with a text, Hiding the grossness with fair ornament? There is no vice so simple but assumes Some marks of virtue on its outward parts. How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins And these assume but valor's excrement, weight: |