168. ATHEISM, Contradiction of. "No God! no God!" the simplest flower That on the wild is found, Shrinks as it drinks its cup of dew, No God astonished Echo cries And every wandering bird that flies The solemn forest lifts his head, High swells the deep and vengeful sea And red Vesuvius opes his mouth Lydia H. Sigourney. 169. ATHEISM, Desolation of. O! lives there, heaven! beneath thy dread expanse, One hopeless, dark idolater of Chance, Frail as the leaf in Autumn's yellow bower, What is the bigot's torch, the tyrant's chain? I smile on death, if heavenward hope remain! But, if the warring winds of Nature's strife Swift as the tempest travels on the deep, And sink, ye stars, that light me to the tomb! The unbeliever In sight of Heaven, a cold and fatherless, Arrive at utter nothingness; and have Most desperate effort of extremest sin. Hell's mad-houses are full of such; too fierce, near With blood-but not his own-the Jew drew [prayer. The mercy-seat, and heaven received his Yet still his hope was dimmed with doubt and fear: [might dare "If thou shouldst mark transgression who To stand before thee?" Mercy loves to spare And pardon: but stern Justice has a voice, And cries-Our God is holy, nor can bear Uncleanness in the people of his choice. But now One Offering ne'er to be renewed, Hath made our peace forever. This now gives Free access to the Throne of Heavenly Grace,- And intercedes before the Father's face. 176, ATONEMENT, Marvel of the. What laws, my blessed Saviour, hast thou broken, How hast Thou 'gainst Thy Father's will That so severe a sentence should be spoken? [contended, In what offended? With scourges, blows, and spitting, they reviled Thee: They crowned Thy brow with thorns, while King they styled Thee; When, faint with pains, Thy tortured body Then gall they offered. [suffered, Say! wherefore thus by woes wast Thou surrounded? [wounded: Ah! Lord, for my transgressions Thou wast God took the guilt from me, who should have On Thee He laid it. [paid it; How strange and marvellous was this correction! [tection; Falls the good Shepherd in His sheep's proThe servants' debt behold the Master paying, For them obeying. The righteous dies, who walked with God true-hearted: The sinner lives, who has from God departed; By man came death, yet man its fetters God it o'ertaketh. [breaketh; Shame and iniquity had whelmed me over: From head to foot no good couldst Thou disFor this in hell should I, with deep lamenting, cover; Be aye repenting. But oh! the depth of love beyond comparing, That brought Thee down from heaven, our burden bearing! I taste all peace and joy that life can offer, Whilst Thou must suffer! Eternal King! in power and love excelling, Fain would my heart and mouth Thy praise be telling; [nigh Thee, But how can man's weak powers at all come How magnify Thee? Such wondrous love would baffle my endeavor Yet this shall please Thee, if devoutly trying To keep Thy laws, mine own wrong will denying, I watch my heart, lest sin again ensnare it Johann Heermann, tr. by F. E. Cox. the score. See God descending in the human frame, 178. ATTAINMENT, Failure of If this mute earth Must canker in its coffer-if the links Its like in the cold world, must waste in tears- The spirit may find room, and in the love 180. ATTRACTIONS, Earthly. Farewell, ye gilded follies, pleasing troubles; Farewell, ye honored rags, ye glorious bubbles; Fame's but a hollow echo; gold, pure clay; Merely but pageants for proud-swelling veins; Of what it holds could speak, and every Fame, honor, beauty, state, train, blood, and 179. ATTAINMENT, Mockery of There are hopes And from Love's very bosom, and from Gain, heart birth Are but the fading blossoms of the earth. Francis Quarles. 181. ATTRACTION, Reversed. Chains of my heart, avaunt, I say; I will arise, and in the strength of love Pursue the bright track, ere it fade away, My Saviour's pathway to His home above. Sure, when I reach the point where earth Melts into nothing from th' uncumbered sight, [birth, Heaven will o'ercome th' attraction of my And I shall sink in yonder sea of light. John Keble. 182. AUTHOR, Fame of the. He hath built up, glorious architect, a monument more durable than brass; His children's children shall talk, of him in love, and teach their sons his honor; His dignity hath set him among princes; the universe is debtor to his worth; His privilege is blessing forever, his happiness shineth now, For he standeth of that grand Election, each man one among a thousand, Whose sound is gone out unto all the lands, and their words to the end of the world. M. F. Tupper. 183. AUTHORSHIP, Benefit of. It addeth immortality to dying facts, that are ready to vanish away, Embalming as in amber the poor insects of an hour; Shedding upon stocks and stones the tender light of interest, And illuming dark places of the earth with radiance of classic lustre. 185. AUTHORITY, Intoxication of. Authority intoxicates, And makes mere sots of magistrates; And make men giddy, proud, and vain; 186. AUTUMN, Beauty of. Soft as the kisses of first-born love, [skies Down through the blaze of these Autumn Comes the glad sunshine from realms above. Beautiful pictures it sketcheth now, Touched with the glowing hues of old, Painting the valley and mountain's brow Over with purple and red and gold. Whispers of beauty the spirit fills, Tales of a land that fadeth never, Beautiful rest for the weary soul, Over those halcyon days of bliss. Lift my spirit from realms of night. Soft as the beam of Autumn sun, Take my soul to those fadeless bowers. 187. AUTUMN, Lesson of. The sere leaves are flying; The harvest is heaping; There is nothing adorning; The rivers run chill; The red sun is sinking; And I am growing old, And life is fast shrinking; Here's enough for sad thinking! Thomas Hood. [be; 188. AVARICE of the Aged. And to a stranger's hand transfers the heap; Sir John Denham. 189. AVARICE, Disappointed. "I give and I devise" (Old Euclio said, And sigh'd) "my lands and tenements to Ned." [all? Your money sir?-"My money, sir, what, Why, if I must" (then wept), “I give it Paul." [cried, The manor, sir?-"The manor! hold," he "Not that I cannot part with that," and died. Alexander Pope. 190. AVARICE, Insatiable. Canst thou tell me what is insatiable? Oriental. 191. AVARICE, Misery of. And greedy avarice by him did ride Upon a camell loaden all with gold; Two iron coffers hang on either side, With precious metall full as they might hold, spare, To fill his bags, and richesse to compare: Yet child nor kinsman living had he none, To leave them to; but thorough daily care To get, and nightly feare to lose his own. He led a wretched life unto himselfe unknown, [suffice, Most wretched wight whom nothing might Whose greedy lust did lack in greatest store, Whose need had end, but no end covetise. Whose wealth was want, whose plenty made him poor, Who had enough, yet wished evermore. 192. AVARICE, Offerings of. crease; Fool! to expect them from a bullock's grease! And think'st that when the fatten'd flames aspire, Thou seest the accomplishment of thy desire! Now, now, my bearded harvest gilds the plain! The scanty folds can scarce my sheep contain, And showers of gold come pouring in amain! Thus dreams the wretch, and vainly thus dreams on, Till his lank purse declares his money gone. O souls in whom no heavenly fire is found, Fat minds, and ever grovelling on the ground! We bring our manners to the blest abodes, And think what pleases us must please the gods. Persius, tr. by John Dryden. 193. AVARICE, Peril of. Yet in thy thriving still misdoubt some evil, Lest gaining gain on thee, and make thee dim [devil, To all things else. Wealth is the conjuror's Whom when he thinks he hath, the devil hath him. [sticks Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it Unto thy hands, it woundeth to the quick. What skills it if a bag of stones or gold About thy neck do drown thee? raise thy head; Take stars for money; stars not to be told By any art, yet to be purchased. None is so wasteful as the scraping dame: She loseth three for one: her soul, rest, fame. George Herbert. 194. AVARICE, Slavery of. When thou wouldst take a lazy morning's nap Up, up, says Avarice; thou snor'st again, Stretchest thy limbs, and yawn'st but all in vain: At his command the unwilling sluggard The tyrant Lucre no denial takes; [wakes: What must I do? he cries: What? says his lord: [aboard: Why rise, make ready, and go straight With fish, from Euxine seas, thy vessel freight; Flax, castor, Coan wines, the precious weight Swear, fool, or starve; for the dilemma's even: 195. AVERSION, Isolation of. It needs not guards in front and rear to keep the crowd away; Aversion to the vulgar throng will hold them all at bay. Oriental. 196. BABE, Coming of a. The gates of heaven were left ajar: Hung on the glistening depths of even,Its bridges, running to and fro, O'er which the white-winged angels go, She had seen On her. Eva-or living-was her name; |