So does the fragrant Sandal bow
In meek forgiveness to its doom,
And o'er the axe at every blow
Sheds, in abundance, rich perfume.
MAN with his whole posterity must die,
Die he or Justice must; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.
Say, heavenly powers, where shall we find such love? Which of you will be mortal, to redeem
Man's mortal crime, and just the unjust to save ? Dwells in all heaven Charity so dear?
He ask'd, but all the heavenly quire stood mute, And silence was in heaven: on Man's behalf Patron or intercessor none appear'd;
Much less that durst upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ransom set.
And now, without redemption, all mankind
Must have been lost, adjudged to death and hell
By doom severe, had not the Son of God,
In whom the fulness dwells of Love divine,
His dearest mediation thus renew'd :
Father! thy word is pass'd, Man shall find
And shall Grace not find means, that finds her
The speediest of thy winged messengers,
To visit all thy creatures, and toa 11,
Comes unprevented, unimplored, unsought?
Happy for Man, so coming; he her aid
Can never seek; once dead in sins and lost,
Atonement for himself or offering meet,
Indebted and undone, hath none to bring:
Behold me then; me for him, life for life
I offer; on me let thine anger fall;
Accept me Man; I for his sake will leave
Thy bosom, and this glory next to thee
Freely put off, and for him lastly die
Well pleased; on me let Death wreak all his rage;
Under his gloomy power I shall not long
Lie vanquish'd; thou hast given me to possess
Life in myself for ever; by thee I live,
Though now to death I yield, and am his due,
All that of me can die: yet, that debt paid,
Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsome grave,
His prey, nor suffer my unspotted soul
For ever with corruption there to dwell;
But I shall rise victorious, and subdue
My vanquisher, spoiled of his vaunted spoil; Death his death's wound shall then receive, and
Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarm'd.
I through the ample air, in triumph high
Shall lead Hell captive, maugre Hell, and show
The powers of darkness bound.-Thou at the sight
Pleased out of heaven shalt look down and smile,
While by thee raised I ruin all my foes;
Death last, and with his carcass glut the grave:
Then with the multitude of my redeem'd
Shall enter heaven-long absent, and return,
Father! to see thy face, wherein no cloud
Of anger shall remain, but peace assured
And reconcilement; wrath shall be no more
Thenceforth, but, in thy presence, joy entire,
WHEN marshall'd on the nightly plain,
The glittering host bestud the sky ;
One star alone, of all the train,
Can fix the sinner's wandering eye.
Hark! hark! to God the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem;
But one alone the Saviour speaks-
It is the Star of Bethlehem.
Once on the raging seas I rode,
The storm was loud, the night was dark, The ocean yawn'd, and rudely blow'd
The wind that tost my foundering bark.
Deep horror then my vitals froze,
Death-struck, I ceased the tide to stem;
When, suddenly, a star arose
It was the Star of Bethlehem.
It was my guide, my light, my all,
It bade my dark forebodings cease;
And through the storm and dangers' thrall
It led me to the port of peace.
Now, safely moor'd, my perils o'er,
I'll sing, first in night's diadem,
For ever and for evermore,
The Star-the Star of Bethlehem!
THANKFUL USE OF PRESENT BLESSINGS.
THE voice which I did more esteem
Than music in her sweetest key;
Those eyes which unto me did seem
More comfortable than the day;
Those now by me, as they have been,
Shall never more be heard, or seen;
But what I once enjoyed in them
Shall seem hereafter as a dream.
All earthly comforts vanish thus ;
So little hold of them have we,
That we from they, or they from us,
May in a moment ravished be.
Yet we are neither just nor wise,
If present mercies we despise ;
Or mind not how there may be made
A thankful use of what we had.
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