Inward a glowing heat I feel, A fpark of heavenly day; But earthly vapours damp my zeal, And heavy flesh drags me the downward way. And mortal paffion charms my foul astray. And call me high To mingle with the choirs of glory and of blifs. Awakes the fong, and guides the way; There love and zeal divine and bright Trace out new regions in the world of light, I'm in a dream, and Fancy reigns, She spreads her gay delufive scenes; Behold Religion on her throne, In awful state descending down. [view. And her dominions vaft and bright within my fpacious She fimiles, and with a courteous hand She beckons me away; I feel mine airy powers loofe from the cumbrous clay, And with a joyful haste obey Religion's high command. What lengths and heights and depths unknown ! Broad fields with blooming glory fown, And feas, and fkies, and ftars her own, In an unmeafur'd sphere! What heavens of joy, and light ferene, Where nor the roving Mufe has been A long farewell to all below, Now the fwift tranfports of the mind Leave the fluttering Mufe behind, [wind. A thoufand loofe Pindaric plumes fly fcattering down the Amongst the clouds I lofe breath, my The rapture grows too ftrong : Till the grofs organ well refin'd Can trace the boundless flights of an unfetter'd mind, And raife an equal fong. The The following Poems of this Book are peculiarly dedicated to Divine Love*. The Hazard of loving the Creatures. WHI HERE-E'ER my flattering paffions rove, 'Tis dangerous to let loose our love Beneath th' Eternal Fair. Souls whom the tie of friendship binds, And partners of our blood, Seize a large portion of our minds, Nature has foft but powerful bands, And reafon fhe controls; While children with their little hands Hang clofeft to our fouls. Thoughtless they act th' old ferpent's part; What tempting things they be! Lord, how they twine about our heart, And draw it off from thee ! Our hafty wills rufli blindly on And thus we make our fetters ftrong *Different ages have their different airs and fashions of writing. It was much more the fashion of the age, when thefe poems were written, to treat of divine fubjects in the ftyle of Solomon's Song than it is at this day, which will afford fome apology for the writer, in his younger years. Dear Sovereign, break thefe fetters off, And fet our fpirits free; God in himself is blifs enough, Defiring to love CHRIST. COME, let me love: or is thy mind Harden'd to ftone, or froze to ice? I fee the bleffed Fair-one bend And ftoop t' embrace me from the skies! O! 'tis a thought would melt a rock, That thofe fweet lips, that heavenly look, I was a traitor doom'd to fire, Infinite grace! Almighty charms! Did pity ever stoop fo low, Drefs'd in divinity and blood? Again he lives; and fpreads his hands, Sure I must love; or are my ears IF The HEART given away. there are paffions in my foul, (And paffions fure they be) Now they are all at thy control, My Jefus, all for Thee. If love, that pleafing power, can reft Let the gay world, with treacherous art I have convey'd away my heart, I feel my warmest passions dead |