To Nature's GoD your first devotions pay, Ere you salute the rising day, 'Tis he calls up the sun, and gives him every ray. Serpents, who o'er the meadows slide, Which thousand mingling colours make; In harmless play twist and unfold Insects and mites, of mean degree, And curl'd and painted with a various die; Praise him that wears the' ethereal crown, THE COMPARISON AND COMPLAINT. INFINITE power, eternal Lord, How sovereign is thy hand! All nature rose to' obey thy word, And moves at thy command., With steady course thy shining sun And all the hours obedient run But ah! how wide my spirit flies, The raging fire, and stormy sea, And every beast, and every tree, While my wild passions rage within, Nor thy commands obey; And flesh and sense, enslav'd to sin, Draw my best thoughts away. Shall creatures of a meaner frame Great God! create my soul anew, Seize my whole frame into thy hand; Here all my powers I bring; Manage the wheels by thy command, And govern every spring. VOL. XXIII. Then shall my feet no more depart, Nor wandering senses rove; Devotion shall be all my heart, And all my passion love. Then not the sun shall more than I Nor travel swifter through the sky, Nor with a zeal so warm. GOD SUPREME AND SELF-SUFFICIENT. WHAT is our God, or what his name, The spacious worlds of heavenly light, He spoke the wondrous word, and lo! There rests the earth, there rolls the spheres But his own self-sufficience bears The weight of his own glories up. The tide of creatures ebbs and flows, Measuring their changes by the moon : Then fly, my song, an endless round, JESUS THE ONLY SAVIOUR. ADAM, our father and our head, Transgress'd; and justice doom'd us dead: Call a bright counsel in the skies; 'Speak, are you strong to bear the load, In vain we ask for all around Stands silence through the heavenly ground: There's not a glorious mind above Has half the strength, or half the love. But, O unutterable grace! The' eternal Son takes Adam's place: Justice was pleas'd to bruise the God, And pay its wrongs with heavenly blood; What unknown racks and pangs he bore! Then rose :-The law could ask no more. Amazing work! look down, ye skies, See, how they bend! See, how they look! Now they are struck with deep amaze, Each with his wings conceals his face; Now clap their sounding plumes, and cry, The wisdom of a Deity!' Low they adore the' incarnate Son, Sing how he broke our iron chains, Triumph and reign, victorious Lord, And say, dear Conqueror, say, how long, |