A Deity believ'd, is joy begun;
A Deity ador'd, is joy advanc'd; A Deity belov'd, is joy matur'd. Each branch of piety delight infpires:
Faith builds a bridge from this world to the next, O'er death's dark gulf and all its horror hides; Praise, the sweet exhalation of our joy, That joy exalts, and makes it fweeter ftill; Pray'r ardent opens heav'n, lets down a ftream. Of glory, on the confecrated hour Of man in audience with the Deity.
NARRATIVE PIECES.
SECTION I.
two young bears, in wanton mood, Forth iffuing from a neighbouring wood, Came where th' industrious bees had stor'd,, In artful cells, their luscious hoard; O'erjoy'd they feiz'd, with eager hafte, Luxurious on the rich repaft.
Alarm'd at this, the little crew
About their ears vindictive flew.
The beafts, unable to sustain Th' unequal combat, quit the plain; Half blind with rage, and mad with pain Their native fhelter they regain; There fit, and now, difcreeter grown, Too late their rashness they bemoan ;- And this by dear experience gain, That pleafure's ever bought with pain. So when the gilded baits of vice Are plac'd before our longing eyes, With greedy hafte we fnatch our fill, And fwallow down the latent ill; But when experience opes our eyes, Away the fancy'd pleafure flies.
It flies, but oh! too late we find,
It leaves a real fting behind.
THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE GLOW WORM,
A NIGHTINGALE, that all day long Had cheer'd the village with his fong,, Nor yet at eve his note fufpended, Nor yet when eventide was ended, Began to feel, as well he might, The keen demands of appetite; When, looking eagerly around, He fpied far off, upon the ground; A fomething thining in the dark, And knew the glow worm by his fpark. So, ftooping down from hawthorn top, He thought to put him in his crop. The worm, aware of his intent, Harrangued him thus, right eloquent; "Did you admire my lamp," quoth he, "As much as I your minftrelfy, You would abhor to do me wrong, As much as I to fpoil your fong; For 'twas the felf fame pow'r divine Taught you to fing, and me to fhine; That you with mufic, I with light, Might beautify and cheer the night." The fongfter heard his fhort oration, And, warbling out his approbation, Releas'd him, as my story tells, And found a fupper fomewhere else. Hence, jarring fectaries may learn Their real int'reft to difcern;
That brother, fhould not war with brother, And worry and devour each other:
But fing and fhine by fweet confent, Till life's poor tranfient night is spent ; Refpecting, in each other's cafe,
The gifts of nature and of grace.
Thofe Chriftians beft deferve the name, Who ftudiously make peace their aim;
Peace, both the duty and the prize
Of him that creeps, and him that flies.
PLAC'D on the verge of youth, my mind Life's op'ning fcene furvey'd :
I view'd its ills of various kind, Afflicted and afraid.
But chief my fear the dangers mov'd, That virtue's path enclose : My heart the wife purfuit approv'd; But O, what toils oppofe !
For fee, ah fee! while yet her ways With doubtful step I tread, A hoftile world its terrors raise, › Its fnares delufive spread.
how fhall I, with heart prepar'd,' Those terrors learn to meet ? How, from the thousand fnares to guard My unexperienc'd feet?
As thus I mus'd, oppreffive fleep Soft o'er my temples drew Oblivion's veil,-The wat'ry deep, An object ftrange and new.
Before me rofe: on the wide shore Obfervant as I ftood,
The gathering storms around me roar, And heave the boiling flood.
Near and more near the billows rife ; Ev'n now my steps they lave; And death to my affrighted eyes Approach'd in every wave.
What hope, or whither to retreat! Each nerve at once unftrung; feet,
Chill fear had fetter'd faft my
And chain'd my fpeechlefs tongue,
I felt my heart within me die; When fudden to mine ear
A voice, defcending from on high, Reprov'd my erring fear.
"What tho' the fwelling furge thou fee Impatient to devour;
Reft, mortal, reft on God's decree, And thankful own his pow'r."
Know, when he bade the deep appear, "Thus far," th' Almighty faid, "Thus far, no farther, rage; and here "Let thy proud waves be ftay'd." I heard ; and lo; at once controll❜d, The waves in wild retreat
Back on themselves reluctant roll'd, And murm'ring left my feet. Deeps to affembling deeps in vain Once more the fignal grave: The fhores the rufhing weight fuftain, And check th' ufurping wave. Convinc'd, in Nature's volume wife The imag'd truth I read ;
And fudden from my waking eyes
Th' inftructive vifion fled.
Then why thus heavy, O my foul! Say why, diftrustful still,
Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll O'er fcenes of future ill?
Let faith fupprefs each rifing fear,
Each anxious doubt exclude e; Thy Maker's will has plac'd thee here, Á Maker wife and good!
He to ev'ry trial knows
Its juft restraint to give ; Attentive to behold thy woes, And faithful to relieve.
Then why thus heavy, O my foul? Say why, diftrustful Atill,
Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll O'er fcenes of future ill?
Tho' griefs unnumber'd throng thee round, Still in thy God confide,
Whose finger marks the feas their bound, And curbs the headlong tide.
SECTION IV.
THE YOUTH AND THE PHILOSOPHER,
A GRECIAN youth of talents rare, Whom Plato's philofophic care Had form'd for virtue's nobler view, By precept and example too,
Would often boaft his matchlefs skill, To curb the feed, and guide the wheel; And as he pafs'd the gazing throng, With graceful ease, and fmack'd the thong; The ideot wonder they exprefs'd,
Was praise and tranfport to his breast.
At length, quite vain, he needs would fhow His mafter what his art could do
And bade his flaves the chariot lead To Academus' facred fhade.
The trembling grove confefs'd its fright, The wood nymphs started at the fight; The mufes drop the learned lyre, And to their inmoft fhades retire. Howe'er, the youth, with forward air, Bows to the fage, and mounts the car. The lash refounds, the courfers fpring, The chariot marks the rolling ring; And gath'ring crowds, with eager eyes. And shouts, pursue him as he flies.
Triumphant to the goal return'd, With nobler thirst his bofom burn'd ;, And now along th' indented plain The felf fame track he marks again, Purfues with care the nice defign, Nor ever deviates from the line. Amazement feiz'd the circling crowd; The youths with emulation glow'd; Ev'n bearded fages hail'd the boy; And all but Plato gaz'd with joy.
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