No more o'er guilty minds he shakes the rod,
Arm'd with the terrors of his awful God;
While chill'd with horror starts the conscious soul,
And hears appall'd th' avenging thunders roll,
Sees visionary lightnings round her glow,
And trembles o'er the gulph, that burns below.
Angels that from their sphery thrones descend
To guide the meek, the friendless to befriend,
To warm with holy flames the pious breast,
And lull the cares of innocence to rest,
Oft saw thee emulate their gen'rous part,
To turn to piety the wand'ring heart;
Unwearied, stedfast, bold in virtue's cause,
And by example best enforce her laws;
Ardent to succour want, console distress,
Thy wish, thy labour, thy delight to bless;
And from their stations look'd with pleasure down
On worth, allied so nearly to their own.
Her bays each science scatters on thy bier;
Each social virtue drops the friendly tear;
Beneath a mould'ring temple's awful shade,
Among the solemn nodding ruins laid,
Religion weeps; her bosom swell'd with care
Heaves the sad sigh, half yielding to despair:
But cheerful faith sustains her drooping head,
And whispers comfort to the fainting maid.
But ah! what pow'r of language can express
Thy widow'd consort's woe? What keen distress
Tore all her heart-strings, when thy trembling sight
Snatch'd a fond, farewell-glance, and clos'd in night?
When the felt pulse, that at her touch before
Beat with a fuller tide, now throbb'd no more?
In foreign lands abandon'd, and alone,
She heard a darling husband's parting groan;
No children there receiv'd his last command,
Wept round the couch and kiss'd his dying hand;
No sad domestic bore the sable bier;
No mournful pupil pour'd the tender tear;
No soothing friend to minister relief,
And by dividing mitigate her grief:
She solitary brooded o'er her care.
Her only refuge plac'd in heav'n and prayer.
And when her native country to regain,
She measured back, the wide extended main,
As the fleet vessel flew before the wind,
How many a melting look she turn'd behind!
How, till in undistinguish'd vapour lost,
Caught each faint glimpse of the receding coast!
Where now, for ever from her eyes remov'd,
Lie the best relics of the man she lov'd.
That dear sad sight she never more must view,
Her longing eyes have look'd their last adieu:
That dear sad sight she wishes now in vain,
While ocean rolls unnumber'd waves between.
Yet curb the fond excesses of thy grief,
And in religion seek a sure relief.
Heav'n, gracious still, our real bliss befriends,
Is kind alike in what he takes, or lends;
To him indulgent, snatch'd the saint on high,
Approv'd mature for glory and the sky;
To thee indulgent, gave to taste of woe,
And copious bid the streams of sorrow flow,
To make the gen'rous seeds of virtue shoot,
And feed and ripen her immortal fruit.
Thus rushing down the skies, the Kindly rains
Give beauty to the groves and plenty to the plains.
Death not to him a messenger of woe,
Shook his grim horrors from his gloomy brow;
And through his mournful vales and caves of night
Attendant faith diffus'd a heav'nly light;
She bid in vision to his ravish'd eyes
A thousand shining scenes of glory rise;
The flaming guards, refulgent from afar ;
The fiery coursers, and the golden car.
Think, that you see the radiant prophet soar
To those blest regions, where he sighs no more;
Where led in triumph to the star-crown'd throne,
Religion smiling hails her fav'rite son;
Bids the victorious garland grace his brows,
While heav'n re-echos round the loud applause.
Then stop the tear, nor sorrow for the blest,
But with his fair example fire thy breast:
His worth still lives; that living worth regard,
And with like virtue seek the same reward.
Thrice happy spirit! while you praise above
A smiling God, and sing a Saviour's love,
Before the throne with bending cherubs stand,
Or burn a seraph 'midst the flame-rob'd band;
Or the great Parent tracing through the sky
From world to world, from sphere to sphere you fly,
And with exalted thoughts and pow'rs refin'd;
Swell the wide circuit of th' expanding mind;
O, if still conscious of our bliss or woe,
You look with kind regard on ought below,
Be thou my genius! Thy propitious aid
Spread, guardian angel, round my favour'd head.
May the great purpose, may the glow divine,
That warm'd thy bosom, now inspirit mine!
To imitate my God, to bless mankind
The sweet and sov'reign passion of my mind!
Be such thy praise! Be such my glorious aim!
Till my soul, kindled at so fair a flame,
And wing'd for bliss and heav'n, like thine shall rise To join her kindred-angels in the skies.
COURSE OF SERIOUS AND PRACTICAL
SUITED TO PERSONS OF EVERY CHARACTER AND CIRCUMSTANCE:
DEVOUT MEDITATION OR PRAYER
Testifying-Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jefas Christ.
Whom we preach; warning every Man, and teaching every Man in all Wisdom; that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus.
WITH the most affectionate gratitude and respect, I beg leave to present
to you a book, which owes its existence to your request, its copiousness to your plan, and much of its perspicuity to your review, and to the use I made of your remarks on that part of it, which your health and leisure would permit you to examine. I address it to you, not to beg your patronage to it, for of that I am already well assured; and much less from any ambition of attempting your character, for which, if I were more equal to the subject, I should think this a very improper place: but chiefly from a secret delight, which I find in the thought of being known to those whom this may reach, as one whom you have honoured, not only with your friendship, but with so much of your esteem and approbation too, as must substantially appear, in your committing a work to me, which you had yourself projected as one of the most considerable services of your life.
I have long thought the love of popular applause a meanness, which a philosophy far inferior to that of our divine master might have taught us to conquer. But to be esteemed by eminently great and good men, to whom we are intimately known, appears to me, not only one of the most solid attestations of some real worth, but next to the approbation of God and our own consciences, one of its most valuable rewards. It will, I doubt not, be found so in that world, to which spirits like yours are tending, and for which, through divine grace, you have obtained so uncommon a degree of ripeness. And permit me, Sir, while I write this, to refresh myself with the hope, that when that union of hearts, which has so long subsisted between us, shall arrive to its full maturity and endearment there, it will be matter of mutual delight, to recollect, that you have assigned me, and that I have, in some degree, executed a task, which may perhaps, under the blessing of God, awaken and improve religious sentiments in the minds of those whom we leave behind us, and of others, who may arise after us in this vain, transitory and insnaring world.
Such is the improvement you have made of your capacities for service, that I am fully persuaded, heaven has received very few, in these latter ages, who have done so much to serve its interests here below; few, who have laboured in this best of causes with equal assiduity, and equal success. And therefore I cannot but join with all who wish well to the christian interest among us, in acknowledging the goodness of providence to you and to the church of Christ, in prolonging a life at once so valuable and so tender, to
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