Lo! from afar the promis'd day Send down a chariot from above, LOOKING UPWARD. THE heavens invite mine eye, My warmer spirits move, Beyond those crystal vaults, And all their sparkling balls; They're but the porches to thy courts, And paintings on thy walls. Vain world, farewell to you; I feel my powers releas'd From their old fleshy clod; Fair guardian, bear me up in haste, And set me near my God. CHRIST DYING, RISING, AND REIGNING. HE dies! the heavenly lover dies! Come, saints, and drop a tear or two A thousand drops of richer blood. Here's love and grief beyond degree, The rising God forsakes the tomb, And shout him welcome to the skies. Break off your tears, ye saints, and tell And led the monster Death in chains. Say, live for ever, wondrous King! Born to redeem, and strong to save! Then ask the monster, Where's his sting? And where's thy victory, boasting Grave? THE GOD OF THUNDER. O THE immense, the' amazing height, He speaks and lo, all nature shakes, He rends the clouds with hideous cracks, Well, let the nations start and fly At the blue lightning's horrid glare, Atheists and emperors shrink and die, When flame and noise torment the air. Let noise and flame confound the skies, Celestial king, thy blazing power Thus shall the God our Saviour come, THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. AN ODE. ATTEMPTED IN ENGLISH SAPPHICS. WHEN the fierce north-wind with his airy forces And the red lightning with a storm of hail comes How the poor sailors stand amaz'd and tremble! While the hoarse thunder, like a bloody trumpet, Roars a loud onset to the gaping waters Quick to devour them. Such shall the noise be, and the wild disorder, Tears the strong pillars of the vault of Heaven, Flames all around 'em. Hark, the shrill outcries of the guilty wretches! Lively bright horror, and amazing anguish, [lies Stare through their eye-lids, while the living worm Gnawing within them. Thoughts, like old vultures, prey upon their heart strings, And the smart twinges, when the eye beholds the Lofty Judge frowning, and a flood of vengeance Rolling afore him. Hopeless immortals! how they scream and shiver While devils push them to the pit wide-yawning; Hideous and gloomy, to receive them headlong Down to the centre. Stop here, my fancy: (all away, ye horrid How he sits God-like? and the saints around him 0 Thron'd, yet adoring! may I sit there when he comes triumphant, Dooming the nations! then ascend to glory, While our hosannas all along the passage Shout the Redeemer. THE SONG OF ANGELS ABOVE. EARTH has detain'd me prisoner long, And I'm grown weary now: My heart, my hand, my ear, my tongue, Tir'd in my thoughts I stretch me down, Upward, my Father, to thy throne, |