They laughed my words to scorn, They jested at my tears;
'Tis good that I were born,
For wine hath vanquished fears: Pour out libations, then!
Who cannot ills endure
That flesh is heir to, when
He hath a friend thus sure?
Fill ye the goblet high!
Let misery drain it up;
Affliction shall her pearl
Dissolve within that cup."
I said, and on my sense
Unearthly visions stole ;
Ages of old-to come-
Passed by my troubled soul;
And One appeared, whose brow
Was wounded with the thorn;
And He replied not, when
Reviled by men of scorn;
I heard him agonize
In prayer-God's holy Son-
Father! thy blessed will
Alone, not mine be done!
What said I to my glass
At such an hour as this?
I saw the tempter pass
Away-transporting bliss
Poured its full tide along
My bosom, and I said,
Or softly murmured, Thou!
Who heard'st me here repine,
In dust who seest me lie;
Forgive, and take me now
To thy embrace, for I,
Father! henceforth am thine.
LONG hath the crescent's glittering sign,
On Salem's temple shone;
Long hath Jehovah's awful shrine,
Stood desolate and lone.
The tents of Midian tribes unblest
On Shinah's plains are spread;
And wandering feet have rudely prest
The soil where Jesus bled.
But Shiloh comes to bless the land,
And Israel's tribes restore ;
Lo, Edom with Assyria's band,
On Calvary shall adore.
Fair Lebanon shall hear his voice,
And lands where Jordan flows,
With Sharon's desert shall rejoice,
And blossom as the rose.
No more shall Zion's daughter mourn,
Or captive Judah sigh;
JEHOVAH shall her walls adorn,
And bring his ransomed nigh.
STAR of the East! the Shepherd's Star!
Benignant was thy lustre, when
It told of mercy from afar,
And beamed Salvation down to men :
The mystery, surpassing ken
Of angel-powers, revealedst thou;
Celestial were thy glories then
That burst and streamed on Midnight's brow:
As bright thou burn'st in yon blue field,
How dim to thee the toys of kings!
Vain the delight their pageants yield,
Compared with that which from thee springs;
O, Earth and all her little things,
Of real bliss can give no ray;
Her fairest flowers have secret stings,
Her splendours shine and pass away.
Star of the East? no gems that burn
Amid these lesser orbs we see ;
Or where upon their axles turn
The worlds of vast infinity,
Thou peerless one! can vie with thee:
They never heralded the plan,
Conceived-performed by Deity-
That speaks of pardon, peace to man:
They hold along the empyrean coast
Their viewless march, unheard, unknown;
The least among the radiant host,
That silent shine, and shine alone;
But thou, bright Star! Redemption's own!
Didst wander mid the light of song;
Thou cam❜st with music from the throne,
Attended by a seraph throng.
Star of the East! the tempest-tost,
On life's uncertain billows borne,
Is by rude gales of trouble crossed,
By hidden rocks of sorrow torn-
When breaks the cheering Star of Morn,
When night and thrall for ever flee,
O, where the doubts and fears forlorn
Of him, the wanderer of the sea!
Break out, blest Star! with peaceful ray,
Our pilgrim footsteps to incline;
To guide and guard our weeping way,
Along these doubtful shores to shine;
The heavenly beacon light of thine
That trembled once on Bethlehem's plain,
Shall guide us to the Source Divine,
Shall lead us to the Child again.
WHILE the solemn note of Time
Warns me of his hasty tread;
While the silent march of days
"another week hath fled;"
While the hum of busy toil,
Works of care, and labour cease; While the six days' weary strife Yields to holy, welcome peace, Let me all the past review,
Much hath heaven bestowed on me,
Much have I to folly given;
God! what have I done for thee?
Nearer to my final hour,
Am I sealed with Jesus' blood?
Nearer to eternity,
Am I nearer to my God?
Hasten, pilgrim! on thy way,
Gird thee at the martyr's shrine;
Hasten, pilgrim! why delay?
Immortality is thine.
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