Through yielding glooms behold his face, Nor form, nor comeliness is there. Last eve, by those He call'd his own, In all their malice, rage, and pride. Brought forth to judgment, now He stands He bears their buffeting and scorn, No guile within his mouth is found, But Hark! He prays,-'tis for his foes; Truly this was the Son of God! -Though in a servants' mean disguise, And bruised beneath the Father's rod, Not for Himself,-for Man He dies. CALVARY. CUNNINGHAM. FROM Calvary a cry was heard, A horror of deep darkness fell Combined to shake thy filial trust. The scourge, the thorns, the deep disgrace, These thou could'st bear, and not repine; But when JEHOVAH veiled his face, Unutterable pangs were thine. Let the dumb world her silence break; Lord, on thy cross I fix my eye; If e'er I slight its pure control, O let that dying, piercing cry Melt and reclaim my wandering soul! 1 YOUNG. RELIGION! thou the soul of happiness, There sacred violence assaults the soul; sun. He sighs!-the sigh earth's deep foundation shakes. If in his love so terrible, what then My theme! my inspiration! and my crown! My light in darkness! and my life in death! THE DEATH OF JESUS. GRAHAME. 'Tis finished: he spake the words, and bowed His head, and died.-Beholding him far off, They who had ministered unto him hope Thrice begging help of those, whose sins Yet him, the meek, the merciful, the just, he bore, Upon the cross his rebel people hung, And thrice denied of those, not to deny had And mock'd his dying anguish. worn; This unexampled deed?"-The heavens Thy naked feet the thorns of sorrow trod, exclaim And tempests beat thy houseless head forlorn. Before the Ages were, the Eternal, eldest born. Thy birthright in the world was pain and grief, Thy love's return ingratitude and hate; The limbs thou healedst brought thee no relief, "'Twas Man;—and such strange pangs The eyes thou openedst calmly view'd thy my bosom rent, That still I groan and shudder at the past." -To Man, gay smiling, thoughtless Man I went, And ask'd him next:-He turn'd a scornful eye, Shook his proud head, and deign'd me no reply. INCARNATION, MIRACLES, AND DEATH OF CHRIST. MILMAN. THE Lord of Hosts hath walked This world of Man; the one Almighty sent His everlasting Son to wear the flesh, And glorify this mortal human shape :And the blind eyes unclosed to see the Lord; And the dumb tongues brake out in songs of praise; And the deep grave cast forth its wondering dead; And trembling devils murmur'd sullen hoinage: fate: Thou, that wert wont to dwell Nor heart conceive the bliss of thy celestial state. They dragg'd thee to the Roman's solemn Hall, Where the proud Judge in purple splendour sat; Thou stoodst a meek and patient criminal, With all mankind to hear their everlasting fate. Thou wert alone in that fierce multitude, When "Crucify him!" yell'd the general shout; No hand to guard thee mid those insults rude, Nor lip to bless in all that frantic rout; Whose lightest whisper'd word The Seraphim had heard, And adamantine arms from all the heavens broke out. P They bound thy temples with the twisted thorn, Thy bruised feet went languid on with pain; The blood, from all thy flesh with scourges torn, Deepen'd thy robe of mockery's crimson grain ; Whose native vesture bright Was the unapproached light, Slow struggled from thy breast the parting And every limb was wrung with agony. When at that voice sprang forth the rolling And thou wert laid within the narrow tomb, The sandal of whose foot the rapid hurri- Thy clay-cold limbs with shrouding grave cane. They smote tby cheek with many a ruthless palm, With the cold spear thy shudd'ring side they pierced; The draught of bitterest gall was all the balm They gave, t' enhance thy unslaked, burning thirst: Thou whose words of peace Did pain and anguish cease, clothes bound; The sealed stone confirm'd thy mortal doom, Whom heaven could not contain, Of vast Infinity inclose or circle round. For us, for us, thou didst endure the pain, And the long buried dead their bonds of T' avert the Father's wrathful vengeance |