Hope brings me home when I'm abroad; COWPER. HOPE with uplifted foot set free from earth, Pants for the place of her ethereal birth, On steady wings sails through th' immense abyss, Plucks amaranthine joys from bowers of bliss, And crowns the soul, while yet a mourner here, With wreaths like those triumphant spirits wear. Hope, as an anchor firm and sure holds fast, The Christian vessel, and defies the blast. Hope! nothing else can nourish and secure His new-born virtues, and preserve him pure. Hope! let the wretch, once conscious of the joy, Whom now despairing agonies destroy, Speak, for he can, and none so well as he, What treasures centre, what delights in thee. Had he the gems, the spices, and the land, That boasts the treasure, all at his command; The fragrant grove, th' inestimable mine, Were light, when weighed against one smile of thine. CONDER. BRIGHT morning star of bliss! whose cheering ray Shines through the mist of dark futurity, Illumes the night of wo, And gilds the clouds of care; Thou art the pulse of nature: urg'd by thee And animates the world. Kindled by thee, the world's bright meteors blaze: Thy magic name is on the hero's shield: The universe itself Is pension'd on thy smiles. And when from Paradise an exile driven, And strew his path with flowers. And oft thy syren voice would charm his grief, An Eden in the skies. Thy voice is like the wild Eolian harp, And steals away delight. When life's frail vessel drinks the briny wave, She weathers out the storm. The dungeon knows thy voice: nor gates nor bars The conqueror of death : For when this frame decays, and death appears, CAMPBELL. With mortal terrors clouds immortal bliss, UNFADING Hope! when life's last embers Daughter of Faith, awake, arise, illume, burn, When soul to soul, and dust to dust return! Heaven to thy charge resigns the awful hour! Oh! then, thy kingdom comes! immortal Power! The dread unknown, the chaos of the tomb. Melt, and dispel, ye spectre doubts, that roll Cimmerian darkness on the parting soul! Fly, like the moon-eyed herald of dismay, Chas'd on his night-steed by the star of day! What though each spark of earth-born rap- The strife is o'er-the pangs of nature close, The roaring waves, and called upon his God," And life's last rapture triumphs o'er her woes. Hark! as the spirit eyes, with eagle gaze, The noon of heav'n undazzled by the blaze, On heav'nly winds that waft her to the sky, Float the sweet tones of star-born melody: Wild as that hallow'd anthem sent to hail Bethlehem's shepherds in the lonely vale, When Jordan hush'd his waves, and midnight still Watch'd on the holy towers of Zion-hill! Soul of the just! companion of the dead! Where is thy home and whither art thou fled! Back to thy heav'nly source thy being goes, Swift as the comet wheels to whence he rose; Doom'd on his airy path a while to burn, And doom'd, like thee, to travel, and return. Hark! from the world's exploding centre driv'n With sounds that shook the firmament of heav'n, Careers the fiery giant, fast and far, But, wheeling homeward, when his course is run Curbs the red yoke and mingles with the sun! And o'er the path by mortal never trod, Peal'd their first notes to sound the march of Time, The joyous youth began-but not to fadeWhen all the sister planets have decay'd! When rapt in fire the realms of ether glow, And Heav'n's last thunder shakes the world below, Thon, undismay'd shalt o'er the ruins smile, And light thy torch at Nature's funeral pile! CHARITY. COWPER. TRUE charity, a plant divinely nurs'd, scene, Storms but enliven its unfading green : So glorious now, though once so disesteemed; To recollect, that, in a form like ours, He bruised beneath his feet th' infernal powers, Captivity led captive, rose to claim The wreath he won so dearly in our name; That, throned above all height, he condescends To call the few that trust in him his friends; That in the Heaven of heavens, that space he deems Too scanty for th' exertion of his beams, And shines, as if impatient to bestow Life and a kingdom upon worms below; That sight imparts a never-dying flame, Though feeble in degree, in kind the same. Like him the soul, thus kindled from above, Spreads wide her arms of universal love; And, still enlarged as she receives the grace, Includes creation in her close embrace. PRIOR. CHARITY, decent, modest, easy, kind; Softens the high, and rears the abject mind, Knows with just reins, and gentle hand to guide Betwixt vile shame, and arbitrary pride: Not soon provok'd, she easily forgives; And much she suffers, as she much believes: Soft peace she brings wherever she arrives; She builds our quiet, as she forms our lives: Lays the rough path of peevish nature even; And opens in each heart a little heav'n. Each other gift which God on man bestows, Its proper bounds, and due restriction knows: To one fix'd purpose dedicates its pow'r, And finishing its act, exists no more. Thus in obedience to what heav'n decrees, Knowledge shall fail, aud prophecy shall cease; But lasting Charity's more ample sway, As through the artist's intervening glass, Our eye perceives the distant planets pass; A little we discover, but allow That more remains unseen than art can shew; So whilst our mind its knowledge would improve, (Its feeble eye intent on things above) sight; Too great its swiftness, and too strong its light. But soon the mediate clouds shall be dis- The meanest foe of all the train pell'd: The sun shall soon be face to face beheld In all his robes, with all his glory on, Seated sublime on his meridian throne: Has thousands, and ten thousands slain. Thou tread'st upon enchanted ground, Perils and snares beset thee round; Beware of all, guard every part, Then constant Faith, and holy Hope shall But most, the traitor in thy heart. FAITH, Hope, and Love, now dwell on earth, And earth by them is blest; But faith and hope must yield to love, Hope shall to full fruition rise, And faith be sight above: These are the means, but this the end; For saints for ever love. FORTITUDE. BARBAULD. AWAKE, my soul! lift up thine eyes, See where thy foes against thee rise, In long array, a numerous host; Awake, my soul or thou art lost. Here giant Danger threatning stands Mustering his pale, terrific bands; There Pleasure's silken banners spread, And willing souls are captive led. See where rebellious passions rage, And fierce desires and lusts engage; PATIENCE AND RESIGNATION. MILTON. MANY are the sayings of the wise With studied argument, and much persuasion sought, Lenient of grief and anxious thought, Unless he feels within Some source of consolation from above, Secret refreshings, that repair his strength, And fainting spirits uphold. NORRIS. SINCE 'tis thy sentence I should part With the most precious treasure of my heart, I freely that and more resign, My heart itself, as its delight, is thine, My little all I give to Thee, Thou gav'st a greater gift, thy Son, to me. |