His ears are open to the softest cry,
His grace descends to meet the lifted eye;
He reads the language of a silent tear,
And sighs are incense from a heart sincere.
Such are the vows, the sacrifice I give;
Accept the vow, and bid the suppliant live:
From each terrestrial bondage set me free;
Hush every wish that centres not in thee;
Bid my fond hopes, my vain disquiets cease,
And point my path to everlasting peace.
If the soft hand of winning Pleasure leads
By living waters, and through flowery meads,
When all is smiling, tranquil, and serene,
And vernal beauty paints the flattering scene,
Oh! teach me to elude each latent snare,
And whisper to my sliding heart-Beware!
If, friendless, in a vale of tears I stray,
Where briers wound, and thorns perplex my way,
Still let my steady soul thy goodness see,
And with strong confidence lay hold on thee;
With equal eye my various lot receive,
Resigned to die, or resolute to live;
Prepared to kiss the sceptre or the rod,
While God is seen in all, and all in God.
I read his awful name emblazoned high
With golden letters on th' illumined sky;
Nor less the mystic characters I see
Wrought in each flower, inscribed on every tree;
In
every leaf that trembles to the breeze,
I hear the voice of God among the trees;
With thee in shady solitudes I walk,
With thee in busy crowded cities talk,
In every creature own thy forming power,
In each event thy Providence adore.
Thy hopes shall animate my drooping soul,
Thy precepts guide me, and thy fear control.
Thus shall I rest, unmoved by all alarms,
Secure within the temple of thine arms,
From anxious cares, from gloomy terrors free,
And feel myself omnipotent in thee.
Then when the last, the closing hour draws nigh,
And earth recedes before my swimming eye;
When, trembling, on the doubtful edge of fate
I stand, and stretch my view to either state;
Teach me to quit this transitory scene,
With decent triumph and a look serene;
Teach me to fix my ardent hopes on high,
And, having lived to thee, in thee to die.
O THOU eternal One, whose presence bright
All space doth occupy, all motion guide;
Unchanged through time's all devastating flight;
Thou only God, there is no God beside.
Being above all Beings, Mighty One,
Whom none can comprehend and none explore;
Who fill'st existence with Thyself alone:
Embracing all,-supporting,- ruling o'er,—
Being whom we call GOD-and know no more.
In its sublime research, philosophy
May measure out the ocean deep-may count
The sands or the sun's rays-but, God! for Thee
There is no weight nor measure:-none can mount
Up to Thy mysteries; reason's brightest spark,
Though kindled by Thy light, in vain would try
To trace Thy counsels, infinite and dark;
And thought is lost ere thought can soar so high, Even like past moments in eternity.
Thou from primeval nothingness didst call
First chaos, then existence ;-Lord, on Thee Eternity had its foundation :-all
Sprung forth from Thee :-of light, joy, harmony, Sole origin :-all life,—all beauty thine.
Thy word created all, and doth create:
Thy splendour fills all space with rays divine.
Thou art, and wert, and shalt be, glorious, great,
Light-giving, life-sustaining Potentate.
Thy chains the unmeasured universe surround,
Upheld by Thee, by Thee inspired with breath.
Thou the beginning with the end hast bound,
And beautifully mingled life and death.
As sparks mount upwards from the fiery blaze,
So suns are born, so worlds spring forth from Thee;
And as the spangles in the sunny rays
Shine round the silver snow, the pageantry
Of heaven's bright army glitters in Thy praise.
A million torches lighted by Thy hand
Wander unwearied through the blue abyss:
They own Thy power, accomplish Thy command,
All gay with life, all eloquent with bliss.
What shall we call them? Piles of crystal light-
A glorious company of golden streams-
Lamps of celestial ether, burning bright
Suns lighting systems with their joyous beams: But Thou to these art as the noon to night.
Yes! as a drop of water in the sea,
All this magnificence in Thee is lost;—
What are ten thousand worlds compared to Thee?
And what am I, then? Heaven's unnumbered host, Though multiplied by myriads, and arrayed
In all the glory of sublimest thought,
Is but an atom in the balance weighed
Against Thy greatness is a cipher brought
Against infinity! What am I?—Nought!
Nought! But the effluence of Thy light divine
Pervading worlds, hath reached my bosom too;
Yes! in my spirit doth Thy Spirit shine,
As shines the sunbeam in a drop of dew.
Nought! But I live, and on hope's pinions fly
Eager towards Thy presence: for in Thee
I live, and breathe, and dwell: aspiring high,
Even to the throne of Thy divinity.
I am, O God! and surely Thou must be.
Thou art, directing, guiding all.-Thou art!
Direct my understanding then to Thee;
Control my spirit, guide my wandering heart:
Though but an atom 'midst immensity,
Still I am something, fashioned by Thy hand:
I hold a middle rank 'twixt heaven and earth;
On the last verge of mortal being stand,
Close to the realms where angels have their birth,
Just on the boundaries of the spirit-land.
Creator, yes! Thy wisdom and Thy word
Created me, Thou source of life and good;
Thou Spirit of my spirit, and my Lord;
Thy light, Thy love, in their bright plenitude
Filled me with an immortal soul, to spring
Over the abyss of death, and bade it wear
The garments of eternal day, and wing
Its heavenly flight beyond this little sphere,
Even to its source-to Thee-its Author there.
O thoughts ineffable! O visions blest!
Though worthless our conceptions all of Thee, Yet shall Thy shadowed image fill our breasts, And waft its homage to Thy Deity.
God! thus alone my lowly thoughts can soar;
Thus seek Thy presence-Being wise and good! 'Midst thy vast works, admire, obey, adore; And when the tongue is eloquent no more, The soul shall speak in tears of gratitude.
God! I feel thy presence nigh,
Every where o'er nature's face;
Whereso'er I turn my eye,
I thy living footsteps trace.
Not in the distant spheres alone,
Where countless moons and suns are glowing,
But, where the valley-flowers are blowing
Thou art, as in the starry zone;
Every where o'er nature's face,
I thy living footsteps trace.
Where moves the leaf the western breeze,
Where the fruit-tree-blossoms wave,
Where the storm-wind rends the trees,
Where the mountain-torrents rave,
Where ebbs and flows the swelling main,
Where the valley-spring is gushing,
Where the meadow-stream is rushing,
|