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Retire, my soul, within thyself retire,
Away from sense and every outward show:
Now let my thoughts to loftier themes aspire,
My knowledge now on wheels of fire

May mount and spread above, surveying all below.

The Lord grows lavish of his heavenly light, And pours whole floods on such a mind as this: Fled from the eyes, she gains a piercing sight, She dives into the infinite,

And sees unutterable things in that unknown abyss.

TRUE WISDOM.

PRONOUNCE him blest, my muse, whom wisdom guides

In her own path to her own heavenly seat; Through all the storms his soul securely glides, Nor can the tempests, nor the tides,

That rise and roar around, supplant his steady feet.

Earth, you may let your golden arrows fly, And seek, in vain, a passage to his breast; Spread all your painted toys to court his eye, He smiles, and sees them vainly try To lure his soul aside from her eternal rest.

Our headstrong lusts, like a young fiery horse,
Start, and flee raging in a violent course;
He tames and breaks them, manages and rides
them,

Checks their career, and turns and guides
them,

And bids his reason bridle their licentious force.

Lord of himself, he rules his wildest thoughts, And boldly acts what calmly he design'd, Whilst he looks down and pities human faults; Nor can he think, nor can he find,

A plague like reigning passions, and a subject mind.

But oh! 'tis mighty til to reach this height, To vanquish self is a laborious art;

What manly courage to sustain the fight,

To bear the noble pain, and part

With those dear charming templers rooted in the heart!

"Tis hard to stand when all the passions move, Hard to awake the eye that passion blinds, To rend and tear out this unhappy love

That clings so close about our minds, And where the enchanted soul so sweet a poison finds.

Hard, but it may be done. Come, heavenly fire,
Come to my breast, and with one powerful ray

Melt off my lusts, my fetters: I can bear

A while to be a tenant here,

But not be chain'd and prison'd in a cage of clay

Heaven is my home, and I must use my wings
Sublime above the globe my flight aspires;
I have a soul was made to pity kings,

And all their little glittering things;

I have a soul was made for infinite desires.

Loos'd from the earth, my heart is upward flown; Farewell, my friends, and all that once was mine; Now, should you fix my feet on Cæsar's throne, Crown me, and call the world my own,

The gold that binds my brows could ne'er my soul confine.

I am the Lord's, and Jesus is my love;
He, the dear God, shall fill my vast desire;
My flesh below, yet I can dwell above,

And nearer to my Saviour move;

There all my soul shall centre, all my powers conspire.

Thus I with angels live; thus, half-divine,

I sit on high, nor mind inferior joys;

Fill'd with his love, I feel that God is mine,

His glory is my great design,

That everlasting project all my thoughts employs.

A SONG TO CREATING WISDOM.

PART I.

ETERNAL Wisdom, thee we praise,

Thee the creation sings;

With thy loud name, rocks, hills, and seas, And heaven's high palace rings.

Place me on the bright wings of day
To travel with the sun,

With what amaze shall I survey

The wonders thou hast done!

Thy hand how wide it spread the sky!
How glorious to behold!

Ting'd with a blue of heavenly dye,
And starr'd with sparkling gold.

There thou hast bid the globes of light
Their endless circles run;

There the pale planet rules the night,
And day obeys the sun.

PART II.

DOWNWARD I turn my wondering eyes
On clouds and storms below,
Those under-regions of the skies

Thy numerous glories show.

The noisy winds stand ready there
Thy orders to obey,

With sounding wings they sweep the air,
To make thy chariot way.

There, like a trumpet, loud and strong, Thy thunder shakes our coast, While the red lightnings wave along, The banners of thine host.

On the thin air, without a prop,
Hang fruitful showers around;
At thy command they sink, and drop
Their fatness on the ground.

PART III.

Now to the earth I bend my song,
And cast my eyes abroad,
Glancing the British isles along ;

Blest isles, confess your God.

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