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Lust's fiercest flame rag'd ardent to pollute,
And innocence by craft to prostitute;
Whilst plunder cramm'd her foul insatiate maw
With all she found within her dreary way.
Each wicked act by blasphemy was fed;
Religion vanish'd, justice trembling fled;
Pale poverty in vain might seek her right,
As charity had wing'd her speedy flight;
With tyranny the rich dependants rul'd,
Oppression's iron rod alone prevail'd.
Omniscience beheld the horrid scene,
From punishing no longer could refrain ;
But bade a raging flood, without delay,
Unbounded roll to sweep the whole away.
A lesson this that He, Who being gave,
Can at His pleasure send us to the grave;
A lesson too by which we all may learn
That God will surely punish wilful sin.
Though holy teachers, truly preaching, say,
"Repent, ye sinners, and your God obey,
"Or, for your wicked deeds, you'll surely see
"That will be chang'd dry land to rolling sea,
"And every creature over earth bestrew'd,
"By an offended God shall be destroy'd;
"As He, who made, is supreme Lord of all,
"And can at pleasure extirpate the whole."
Though with more ardour made the warning cry
As time approaches they for certain know
Destruction will commence; and God, replete
With anger, armed come to extirpate,

And shew a stubborn race of rebels lewd,

That on them vengeance quickly shall be pour'd;
Yet like to sounds that ne'er the heart impress

Do all their solemn exhortations pass;

And proud derision thus contemptuous mocks,*
To ridicule turns wisdom ere she speaks:
"The morn blooms bright, come, let us see a sign,
"That this destroying work is to begin?

"Whence comes a flood to drown this mighty globe,
"Which has for ages so securely stood?

"Or where's the raging waves that shall not stop,

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Long ere they reach yon lofty mountain's top?

"What is that power, to whom you lowly bow,

"From whose fool stories you such nonsense know? "And for protection bids you build a cave

"To float upon this all-destroying wave;

"And into which, like cowards, you're to creep
"To 'scape the fury of the raging deep?
"Ah silly fools! will nought your folly stay?
"Believe, believe, your labour's thrown away !"
Thus harden'd vice, thou would'st no warning take
To rev'rence God, and thy foul paths forsake;
But boldly venture impiously to live,
To disregard remonstrance, vaunting strive
His anger to provoke, His power deny,
His arm Almighty tauntingly defy,

* How often, at this day, do we hear the just and solemn admonitions of the pious christian minister turned to ridicule in a similar manner by wicked men.

Till time arriv'd big with the dreadful wo,

When He resolv'd thou should'st His vengeance know;
That He, Omniscient, Supreme God and Lord,
Would give thee cause Omnipotence to dread;
When wickedness should from the earth be swept,
Yet, free from harm, the righteous safely kept.

DAVID, KING OF ISRAEL.

Lo! now He comes from th' ethereal height,*
On mighty floods to build His hall of state;
The heavens bow submissive to the sway
Of Him descending justice to display;

Earth's strong foundations dread th' impending stroke,
The lofty mountains reel and fearful shake,
The fiery cloud His flaming chariot bears,
The winds as wings his dreadful anger wears,
Mists dark and compact veil His glorious face,
In pitchy darkness rob'd His secret place;
Yet vivid lightning's bright destructive glare,
And rolling thunder, tell His presence near,
Come down to earth the sinner to assail,
With foaming waves to sweep the hill, the dale,
O'er earth's whole range a liquid mantle spread,
Give man to know who is his Lord and God.

* See Psalm xviii. and civ.

MOSES.

Last hour allowed for repentance pass'd,
And punishment irrevocably fix'd,

God gives command.*—The elements combine
Their mighty powers to sweep a world of sin,
And in tremendous raging force appear,
Equipp'd, prepar'd, to wage destructive war;
And as infuriate foes to orders given

Rush to destroy these dreadful arms of heav'n.
The sun, from night's repose to rule the morn,
Peeps o'er his orient bound with angry frown;
A flaming veil surrounds his brilliant face,
Which wears more gloom as his bright steps advance,
Till deadly glimmers every lucid ray,

And's hid the countenance of smiling day.
Attractive beams display uncuinber'd force,
Quick rises vapour from her humid source,
And forms in compact, fearful, cloudy range;
Heaven's lowering frown portends a dreadful change.
The raven fearful croaks on terror's wing,
Ethereal warblers cease the cheering song;
They to nocturnal haunts in silence flee,
And trembling man hastes loved home to see.
The giant warrior, terror of the age,
Not panted battle; cool'd of savage rage,

* "I, even I," destroy all flesh.

says God, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to Gen. chap. vi.

F

And, drown'd in thoughts of overwhelming dread,
He cast his eye to heaven and trembling fled
To castl'd haunt, strong barricaded den,
Long stain'd with plunder of marauding crime.
The lion's courage fails, with hideous groan
He quits the chase his den recluse to gain.
Revolving force repell'd, impulsive power
Lifts in a mighty sheet earth's liquid store;
And cleft, her bowels swell, her trunk upheaves,
And rolling seas rise in o'erwhelming waves.
Winds adverse meet to aid the great design,
In towering heaps ethereal storms intwine.
The roaring tempests fierce attack impel,
And marshal'd clouds to furious battle roll;
They, wove too cumbrous for recumbent air,
With mighty burst incessant torrents pour.
The shaking mountains bellow dreadful roars,
And from their bowels belch the burning ores.
Harsh thunder* peals, loud rolls the howling crash,
In fiery stream sweeps the destructive flash;
The tempest foams, and, o'er the fleecy bed
Stupendous wavy towers in grandeur ride;
The sloping strand submits, the barrier rock
Subservient bows to each renew'd attack;
The polar rampires fall, in pieces torn,
And icy turrets dance upon the storm.

*Though Moses does not inform us that thunder and lightning accompanied the rain that lasted forty days and forty nights yet, it is probable they would, as is generally the case in all violent rains.

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