Heaven's early care prescribed for every | On every leaf bedewed with drops of love age;

Divine, and with the eternal heraldry First, in the soul, and after, in the page. And signature of God Almighty stamped Or, whether more abstractedly we look, From first to last, this ray of sacred light, Or on the writers, or the written book, This lamp, from off the everlasting throne, Whence, but of heaven, could men unskill'a | Mercy brought down, and in the night of in arts,

Time In several ages born, in several parts,

Stands, casting on the dark her gracious bow Weave snch agreeing truths? or how, or And evermore beseeching men, with tears why,

And earnest sighs, to read, believe, and live. Should all conspire to cheat us with a lie? Unask'd their pains, ungrateful their advice, Starving their gain, and martyrdom their price.

LINES

| Said to have been found in Lord Byron's If on the book itself we cast our view,

Bible.
Concurrent heathens prove the story true:
The doctrine, miracles; which must con- | Within this awful volume lies
vince,

The mystery of mysteries.
For Heaven in them appeals to human sense : Oh! happiest they of human race,
And though they prove not, they contirm To whom our God has given grace
the cause,

To hear, to read, to fear, to pray, When what is taught agrees with Nature's To lift the latch, and force the way ; laws.

But better had they ne'er been born,

Who read to doubt, or read to scorn.
Then for the style, majestic and divine;
It speaks no less than God in every line :
Commanding words: whose force is still

THE BIBLE A LIGHT TO THE the same

CHRISTIAN'S FEET.
As the first fiat that produced our frame.
All faiths beside, or did by arms ascend;

MONTGOMERY.
Or sense indulged has made mankind their

F WHAT is the world a wildering maze, friend :

Where sin hath track'd ten thousand ways, This only doctrine does our lusts oppose :

Her victims to ensare ; Unfed by nature's soil, in which it grows;

All broad, and winding, and aslope, Cross to our interests, curbing sense and sin;

All tempting with pertidious hope, Oppress'd without, and undermined within,

All ending in despair. It thrives through pain; its own tormentors tires;

Millions of pilgrims throng these roads, And with a stubborn patience still aspires.

Bearing their baubles or their loads To what can reason such effects assign

Down to eternal night; Transcending nature, but to laws divine;

One only path that never bends, Which in that sacred volume are contain'd;

Narrow, and rough, and steep, ascends Sufficient, clear, and for that use ordain'd?

From darkness into light.

POLLOK.

Is there no guide to show that path ?
The Bible !--He alone who hath

The Bible need not stray ;
But he who hath, and will not give
That light of life to all that live,

Himself shall lose the way.

This book, this holy book, on every line
Marked witb the scal of high divinity,

His prey, nor suffer my unspotted soul | far more than labour-it was death in
For ever with corruption there to dwell; heav'n.-
But I shall rise victorious, and subdue | A truth so strange, 'twere bold to think it
My vanquisher, spoiled of his vaunted spoil; true,-
Death his death's wound shall then receive, | If not far bolder still to disbelieve.

and stoop :
Inglorious of his mortal sting disarm'd.
I thro' the ample air in triumph high
Shall lead Hell captive, mangre Hell, and

YOUNG. show The powers of darkness bound.--Thou at the THOV must indulgent, most tremendous sight

Power, Pleas'd out of Heaven shalt look down and Still more tremendous for Thy wondrous smile,

love ! While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes ;

That arms, with awe more awful, thy comDeath last, and with his carcass glut the

mands, grave:

And foul transgression dips in sev’nfold night. Then with the multitude of my redeem'd

How our hearts tremble at thy love immense! Shall enter Heav'n-long absent, and return,

In love immense, inviolably just! Father ! to see thy face, wherein no cloud

Thou, rather than thy justice should be Of anger shall remain, but peace assured

stain'd, And reconcilement; wrath shall be no more

Didst stain the cross; and work of wonders Thenceforth, but in thy presence joy entire.

The greatest, that thy dearest far might bleed;

far

Bold thought!-shall I dare speak it, or

repress? WONDERS OF REDEMPTION. Should man more execrate, or boast, the

guilt YOUNG

Which roused such vengeance? which such FIRST-BORN of Æther! high in fields of

love inflam'd light!

O'er guilt (how mountainous) with outView man, to see the glory of your God! stretched arms, Could angels envy, they had envied here : Stern justice, and soft smiling love embrace, And some did envy: and the rest, though | Supporting in full majesty thy throne,gods,

When seem'd its majesty to need support, Yet still gods unredeem'd (there triumphs Or that, or man, inevitably lost: man,

What, but the fathomless of thought divine, Tempted to weigh the dust against the skies) Could labour such expedient from despair, They less would feel, though more adorn my And rescue both? Both rescue! both exalt! theme.

Oh how are both exalted by the deed! They sang creation (for in that they shared :) The wondrous deed ! or shall I call it more? How rose in melody, that child of Love! A wonder in Omnipotence itself! Creation's great saperior, man! is thine! | A mystery no less to gods than men! Thine is redemption ; they just gave the key; 'Tis thine to raise and eternise the song: Though human, yet divine; for should not

this Raise man o'er man, and kindle seraphs

YOUNG. here?

AND what is this? Survey the wondrous Redemption ! 'twas creation more sublime; cure : Redemption ! 'twas the labour of the skies; And at each step let higher wonder rise !

Pardon for infinite offence! and pardon | Bound every heart! and every bosom Through means which speak its value infinite!

burn! A pardon bought with blood, with blood O what a scale of miracles is here? DIVINE!

Its lowest round high planted on the skies With blood divine of Him I made my foe! | Its tow'ring summit lost beyond the thought Persisted to provoke! though woo'd and Of man or angel! Oh that I could climb aw'd ;

The wonderful ascent, with equal praise! Bless'd and chastis'd, a flagrant rebel still! Praise ! flow for ever, (“ if astonishment A rebel 'midst the thunders of his throne ! Will give thee leave") my praise for ever Nor I alone ! a rebel universe! .

flow; My species up in arms !-Not one exempt! | Praise ardent, cordial, constant, to high Yet for the foulest of the foul he dies,

heaven Most joy'd for the redeem'd from deepest

More fragrant than Arabia sacrificed,

And all her spicy mountains in a flame. guilt ! As if our race were held of highest rank,And Godhead dearer as more kind to man !

JESUS CHRIST.

THE MESSIAH.

Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend,

And white-robed Innocence from heaven РОРЕ.

descend. Ye nymphs of Solyma ! begin the song: Swift fly the years, and rise the expected To heavenly themes sublimer strains belong. morn! The mossy fountains and the sylvan shades, | Oh spring to light, auspicious Babe, be The dreams of Pindus and the Aonian maids, born! Delight no more-0 Thou my voice inspire See, Nature bastes her earliest wreaths to Who touch'd Isaiah's hallow'd lips with fire! bring,

With all the incense of the breathing spring: Rapt into future times, the bard begun : See lofty Lebanon his head advance, A virgin shall conceive, a virgin bear a Son! | | See nodding forests on the mountains dance: From Jesse's root behold a branch arise, See spicy clouds from lowly Sharon rise, Whose sacred flower with fragrance fills the | And Carmel's flowery top perfume the skies:

skies! The ethereal spirit o'er its leaves shall move, Hark! a glad voice the lonely desert cheers; And on its top descends the mystic Dove. Prepare the way! A God, a God appears ! Ye heavens ! from high the dewy nectar A God, a God! the vocal hills reply; pour,

The rocks proclaim the approaching Deity. And in soft silence shed the kindly shower! Lo, earth receives him from the bending The sick and weak the healing plant shall skies! aid,

Sink down, ye mountains; and ye valleys, From storm a shelter, and from heat a shade. rise ; All crimes shall cease, and ancient frauds With heads declined, ye cedars, homage pay, shall fail;

Be smooth, ye rocks; ye rapid floods, give Returning Justice lift aloft her scale;

way.

The Saviour comes ! by ancient bards fore- To leafless shrubs the flowery palms succeed, told;

And odoruus myrtle to the noisome weed. Hear him, ye deaf; and all ye blind, behold! The lambs with wolves shall graze the verHe from thick films shall purge the visual dant mead, ray,

And boys in flowery bands the tiger lead. And on the sightless eye-ball pour the day: The steer and lion at one crib shall meet, 'Tis He the obstructed paths of sound shall And harmless serpents lick the pilgrim's clear,

feet. And bid new music charm the unfolding ear: | The smiling infant in his hand shall take The dumb shall sing, the lame his crutch | The crested basilisk and speckled snake, forego,

Pleased, the green lustre of the scales survey, And leap exulting, like the bounding roe. And with their forky tongue shall innocently No sigh, no murmur, the wide world shall play.

hear; From every face He wipes off every tear. Rise, crown'd with light, imperial Salem In adamantine chains shall death be bound, I rise ! And hell's grim tyrant feel the eternal wound. Exalt thy towery head, and lift thy eyes! As the good shepherd tends his fleecy care, See a long race thy spacious courts adorn ; Seeks freshest pasture, and the purest air; See future sons, and daughters yet unborn, Explores the lost, the wandering sheep di- In crowding ranks on every side arise, rects,

Demanding life, impatient for the skies! By day o'ersees them, and by night protects; See barbarous nations at thy gates attend, The tender lambs he raises in his arms, Walk in thy light, and in thy temple bend : Feedy from his hand, and in his boxom See thy bright altars throng'd with prostrate warms:

1 kings, Thus shall mankind bis guardian care engage, And heap'd with products of Sabean spring : The promised father of the future age. For thee Idume's spicy forests blow, No more shall nation against' nation rise, And seeds of gold in Ophir's mountains glow. Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful See heaven its sparkling portals wide display, eyes,

And break upon them in a flood of day! Nor fields with gleaming steel be cover'd No more the rising sun shall gild the morn, o'er,

Nor evening Cynthia fill her silver horn; The brazen trumpets kindle rage no more;

But lost, dissolved in thy superior rays, But useless lances into scythes shall bend. One tide of glory, one unclouded blaze And the broad falchion in a plough-share O'erflow thy courts: the Light himself shall end.

shine Then palaces shall rise; the joyful son Reveal'd, and God's eternal day be thine! Shall finish what his short-lived sire begun; The seas shall waste, the skies in smoke Their vines a shadow to their race shall

decay, yield,

Rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away! And the same hand that sow'd, shall reap

But fix'd his word, his saving power remains; the field.

Thy realm for ever lasts, thy own Messiah The swain in barren descrts with surprise reigns ! Sees lilies spring, and sudden verdure rise ; And starts, amidst the thirsty wilds to hear New falls of water murm'ring in his ear. PREDICTED ADVENT OF THE On rifted rocks, the dragon's late abodes,

MESSIAH. The green reed trembles, and the buirush

SOTHEBY nods. Waste sandy valleys, once perplex'd with REJOICE! Rejoice! (the son of Jess' exthorn,

claim'd,) The spiry fir and shapely box adorn : l 'Tis present. Lol the luminous vision clear!

N