Blefs'd in himself, had from his forming hand No creatures fprung to hail his wide command; Blefs'd, had the facred fountain ne'er run o'er, A boundless fea of blifs that knows no fhore!

Nor fenfe can two prime origins conceive, Nor reason two eternal Gods believe! Could the wild Manichæan own that guide, The good would triumph, and the ill fubfide! Again would vanquifh'd Arimanius bleed, And darkness from prevailing light recede!

In diff'rent individuals we find An evident disparity of mind; Hence ductile thought a thoufand changes gains, And actions vary as the will ordains; But fhould two Beings, equally fupreme, Divided pow'r and parted empire claim; How foon would univerfal order ceafe! How foon would difcord harmony displace! Eternal schemes maintain eternal fight, Nor yield, fupported by eternal might; Where each would uncontroul'd his aim purfue, The links diffever, or the chain renew! Matter from motion crofs impreffions take, As ferv'd each pow'r his rival's pow'r to break, While neutral Chaos, from his deep recefs, Would view the never-ending ftrife increase, And blefs the contest that fecur'd his peace! While new creations would oppofing rise, And elemental war deform the skies! Around wild uproar and confufion hurl'd, Eclipfe the heav'ns, and wafle the ruin'd world.

Two independent caufes to admit, Destroys religion, and debafes wit; The first by fuch an anarchy undone, The laft acknowledges its fource but one. As from the main the mountain ills are drawn, That wind irriguous thro' the flow'ry lawn; So, mindful of their spring, one courfe they keep, Exploring, till they find their native deep! Exalted Pow'r invifible, fupreme, Thou fov'reign, fole unutterable Name! As round thy throne thy flaming feraphs ftand, And touch the golden lyre with trembling hand; Too weak thy pure effulgence to behold, With their rich plumes their dazzled eyes infold; Tranfported with the ardors of thy praife, The holy holy holy! anthem raile! To them refponfive, let creation fing, Thee, indivifible eternal King!

III. SPIRITUALITY.

O fay, celeftial Mufe! whofe purer birth Difdains the low material ties of earth; By what bright images fhall be defin'd The mystic nature of th' eternal Mind? Or how fhall thought the dazzling height explore, Where all that reafon can-is to adore !

That God's an immaterial effence pure, Whom figure can't defcribe, nor parts immure; Incapable of paffions, impulfe, fear, In good pre-eminent, in truth fevere: Unmix'd his nature, and fublim'd his pow'rs From all the grofs allay that tempers ours;

In whofe clear eye the bright angelic train
Appear fuffus'd with imperfection's ftain !
Impervious to the man's or feraph's eye,
Beyond the ken of each exalted high;
Him would in vain material femblance feign,
Or figur'd thrines the boundlefs God contain;
Object of faith!-he fhuns the view of fente,
Loft in the blaze of fightlefs excellence!
Moft perfect, moft intelligent, moft wife,
In whom the fanctity of purenefs lies;

In whofe adjufting mind the whole is wrought.
Whofe form is fpirit! and whofe effence thought!
Are truths infcrib'd by Wifdom's brightest ray,
In characters that gild the face of day!

Reafon confefs'd (howe'er we may dispute), Fix'd boundary! difcovers man from brute; But, dim to us, exerts its fainter ray, Deprefs'd in matter, and allied to clay! In forms fuperior kindles lefs confin'd, Whofe drefs is æther, and whofe fubftance mind; Yet all from Him, fupreme of Caufes, flow, To him their pow'rs and their existence owe; From the bright cherub of the noblest birth, To the poor reafoning glow-worm plac'don earth; From matter then to fpirit ftill afcend, Thro' fpirit ftill refining, higher tend; Purfue, on knowledge bent, the pathlefs road, Pierce thro' infinitude in queft of God! Still from thy fearch, the centre ftill fhall fly, Approaching ftill-thou never fhalt come nigh! So its bright orb th' afpiring flame would join, But the vast distance mocks the fond design.

If he, Almighty! whofe decree is fate, Could, to display his pow'r, fubvert his ftate; Bid from his plaftic hand a greater rife, Produce a master! and refign his skies; Impart his incommunicable flame, The myftic number of th' Eternal Name; Then might revolting reafon's feeble ray Afpire to queftion God's all-perfect day! Vain tafk! the clay in the directing hand The reafon of its form might fo demand, As man prefume to question his difpofe, From whom the pow'r he thus abufes flows.

Here point, fair Mufe! the worship God requires,

| His all-enlight'ning Omniprefence own, [known; Whence first thou feel'ft thy dwindling prefence His wide Omniscience, juftly grateful, sing, Whence thy weak science prunes its callow wing! And blefs th' Eternal, All-informing Soul, [whole! Whofe fight pervades, whofe knowledge fills the V. IMMUTABILITY.

Nor want his fhining images below, In ftreams that murmur, or in winds that blow; His spirit broods along the boundless flood, Smiles in the plain, and whispers in the wood; Warms in the genial fun's enliv'ning ray, Breathes in the air, and beautifies the day!

Should man his great immenfity deny, Man might as well ufurp the vacant sky: For were he limited in date, or view, Thence were his attributes imperfect too; His knowledge, pow'r, his goodnefs all confin'd, And loft th' idea of a ruling Mind ! Feeble the truft, and comfortless the sense, Of a defective partial Providence! Boldly might then his arm injuftice brave, Or innocence in vain his mercy crave; Dejected virtue lift its hopelefs eye; And heavy forrow vent the heartless figh! An abfent God no abler to defend, Protect, or punish, than an absent friend; Diftant alike our wants or griefs to know, To cafe the anguish, or prevent the blow! If he, fupreme Director, were not near, Vain were our hope, and empty were our fear; Unpunith'd vice would o'er the world prevail, And unrewarded virtue toil-to fail! The moral world a fecond chaos lie, And nature ficken to the thoughtful eye! Even the weak embryo, ere to life it breaks, From his high pow'r its flender texture takes; While in his book the various parts inroll'd, Increafing, own eternal Wifdom's mould.

Nor views he only the material whole, But pierces thought, and penetrates the foul! Ere from the lips the vocal accents part, Or the faint purpose dawns within the heart, His fteady eye the mental birth perceives, Ere yet to us the new idea lives! Knows what we say, ere yet the words proceed, And, ere we form th' intention, marks the deed!

But Confcience, fair vicegerent-light within, Afferts its Author, and restores the scene! Points out the beauty of the govern'd plan, “And vindicates the ways of God to man."

Then, facred Mufe, by the vaft profpect fir'd, From heav'n defcended, as by Heav'n infpir'd;

As the Eternal and Omniscient Mind, By laws not limited, nor bounds confin'd, Is always independent, always free, Hence thines confefs'd Immutability! Change, whether the fpontaneous child of will, Or birth of force-is imperfection ftill. But he, all-perfect, in himself contains Pow'r felf-deriv'd, and from himself he reigns! If, alter'd by constraint, we could fuppofe, That God his fix'd stability should lofe; How startles reafon at a thought so strange! What pow'r can force Omnipotence to change? If from his own divine productive thought, Were the yet stranger alteration wrought; Could excellence fupreme new rays acquire? Or ftrong perfection raise its glories higher? Abfurd his high meridian brightness glows, Never decreafes, never overflows! Knows no addition, yields to no decay, The blaze of incommunicable day!

Below, through different forms does matter And life fubfift from elemental change; [range, Liquids condenfing flapes terreftrial wear, Earth mounts in fire, and fire dilliolves in air; While we, enquiring phantoms of a day, Inconftant as the fhadows we furvey! With them, along time's rapid current pafs, And hafte to mingle with the parent mafs; But Thou, Eternal Lord of life divine! In youth immortal fhalt for ever shine! No change fhall darken thy exalted names From everlasting ages ftill the fame!

If God, like man, his purpofe could renew, His laws could vary, or his plans undo; Defponding Faith would droop its cheerless wing, Religion deaden to a lifeless thing! Where could we, rational, repose our trust, But in a Pow'r immutable as just? How judge of revelation's force divine, If truth unerring gave not the defign? Where, as in nature's fair according plan, All fmiles benevolent and good to man.

Plac'd in this narrow clouded fpot below, We darkly fee around, and darkly know! Religion lends the falutary beam, That guides our reason thro' the dubious gleam; Till founds the hour, when he who rules the skics Shall bid the curtain of Omniscience rife! Shall diffipate the mists that veil our fight, And fhew his creatures-all his ways are right! Then, when astonish'd nature feels its fate, And fetter'd time thall know his latest date; When earth fhall in the mighty blaze expire, Heav'n melt with heat, and worlds diffolve in fire! The univerfal fyftem fhrink away, And ceafing orbs confefs th' almighty fway!

Immortal

Immortal He, amidst the wreck fecure,
Shall fit exalted, permanently pure!
As in the Sacred Bush, shall shine the fame,
And from the ruin raise a fairer frame!

VI, OMNIPOTENCE.

Far hence, ye vifionary charming maids,
Ye fancied nymphs that haunt the Grecian thades!
Your birth who from conceiving fiction drew,
Yourselves producing phantoms as untrue;
But come, fuperior Mufe! divinely bright,
Daughter of heav'n, whofe offspring ftill is light;
Oh condefcend, celeftial facred guest!
To purge my fight, and animate my breast,
While I prefume Omnipotence to trace,
And fing that Pow'r who peopled boundlefs fpace!
Thou prefent wert, when forth th' Almighty
rode,

While Chaos trembled at the voice of God![drew,
Thou faw'ft, when o'er th' immenfe his line he
When Nothing from his Word existence knew!
His Word, that wak'd to life the vast profound,
While confcious light was kindled at the found!
Creation fair furpris'd th' angelic eyes,
And fov'reign Wifdom faw that all was wife!

Him, fole almighty, nature's book difplays,
Diftin&t the page, and legible the rays!
Let the wild fceptic his attention throw
To the broad horizon, or earth below;
He finds thy foft impreffion touch his breast,
He feels the God, and owns him unconfeft;
Should the ftray pilgrim, tir'd of sands and skies,
In Lybia's wafte behold a palace rife,
Would he believe the charm from atoms wrought?
Go, atheift, hence, and mend thy jufter thought!
What hand, Almighty Architect! but thine,
Could give the model of this vaft design ?
What hand but thine adjust th' amazing whole?
And bid confenting fyftems beauteous roll!
What hand but thine fupply the folar light?
Ever beftowing, yet for ever bright!
What hand but thine the ftarry train array,
Or give the moon to fhed her borrow'd
ray
What hand but thine the azure convex spread?
What hand but thine compofe the ocean's bed?
To the vaft main the fandy barrier throw,
And with the feeble curb restrain the foe!
What hand but thine the wint'ry flood affuage,
Or ftop the tempeft in its wildeft rage!

Thee infinite! what finite can explore?
Imagination finks beneath thy pow'r;
Thee could the ableft of thy creatures know,
Loft were thy Unity, for he were Thou!
Yet prefent to all sense thy pow'r remains,
Reveal'd in nature, nature's Author reigns!
In vain would error from conviction fly,
Thou ev'ry where art prefent to the eye!
The fenfe how ftupid, and the fight how
That fails this univerfal truth to find!

Go! all the fightlefs realms of space survey, Returning trace the Planetary Way! The fun, that in his central glory fhines, While ev'ry planet round his orb inclines;

7

Then at our intermediate globe repose,
And view you lunar fatellite that glows!
Or caft along the azure vault thy eye,
When golden day enlightens all the sky;
Around, behold carth's variegated scene,
The mingling profpects, and the flow'ry green;
The mountain brow, the long-extended wood,
Or the rude rock that threatens o'er the flood!
And fay, are thefe the wild effects of chance?
Oh, ftrange effect of reas'ning ignorance!

Nor pow'r alone confefs'd in grandeur lies,
The glittering planet, or the painted skies!
Equal, the elephant's or emmet's dress
The wifdom of Omnipotence confefs;
Equal, the cumbrous whale's enormous mass,
With the small infect in the crowded grafs;
The mite that gambols in its acid fea,
In fhape a porpus, though a speck to thee!
Ev'n the blue down the purple plum furrounds,
A living world, thy failing sight confounds,
To him a peopled habitation shows,
Where millions taste the bounty God bestows!

Great Lord of life, whofe all-controuling might Thro' wide creation beams divinely bright, Nor only does thy pow'r in forming shine, But to annihilate, dread King! is thine. Shouldft thou withdraw thy ftill-fupporting

hand,

How languid nature would astonish'd stand!
Thy frown the ancient realm of night restore,
And raise a blank-where fyftems finil'd before!
See in corruption, all-furprising state,
How ftruggling life eludes the stroke of fate ;
Shock'd at the fcene, tho' fenfe averts its eye,
Nor ftops the wondrous process to descry;
Yet jufter thought the myftic change purfucs,
And with delight Almighty Wifdom views!
The brute, the vegetable world furveys,
Sees life fubfifting ev'n from life's decays!
Mark there, felf-taught, the penfive reptile come,
Spin his thin throud, and living build his tomb !
With confcious care his former pleasures leave,
And drefs him for the bus'nefs of the grave!
Thence, pafs'd the fhort-liv'd change, renew'd
he fprings,
Admires the skies, and tries his filken wings!
With airy flight the infect roves abroad,
And fcorns the meaner earth he lately trod!

Obedient ocean to their march divide The war'ry wall diftinct on either fide; While thro' the deep the long proceffion led, And faw the wonders of the oozy bed! Nor long they march'd, till, black’ning in the rear, The vengeful tyrant and his hoft appear! Plunge down the fteep, the waves thy nod obey, And whelm the threatn'ing ftorm beneath the fea! Nor yet thy pow'r thy chofen train forfook, When thro' Arabia's fands their way they took; By day thy cloud was prefent to the fight, Thy fiery pillar led the march by night; Thy hand amidft the waste their table fpread, With feather'd viands, and with heav'nly bread: When the dry wildernefs no ftreams fupplied, Guth'd from the yielding rock the vital tide! What limits can Omnipotence confine? What obftacles oppofe thy arm divine? Since ftones and waves their fettled laws forego, Since feas can harden, and fince rocks can flow! On Sinai's top, the Mufe with ardent wing The triumphs of Omnipotence would fing! When o'er its airy brow thy cloud difplay'd Involv'd the nations in its awful shade; When shrunk the earth from thy approaching And the rock trembled to its rooted bafe; [face, Yet where thy majefty divine appear'd, Where fhone thy glory, and thy voice was heard; Evin in the blaze of that tremendous day, Idolatry its impious rites could pay ! Oh fhame to thought!-thy facred throne inAnd brave the bolt that linger'd round its head!

[vade,

VII. WISDOM.

Othou, who, when th'Almighty form'd this All, Upheld the fcale, and weigh'd each balanc'd ball; And as his hand completed each defign, Number'd the work, and fix'd the feal divine; 0 Wifdom infinite! creation's foul, Whofe rays diffufe new luftre o'er the whole, What tongue fhall make thy charms celeftial

known?

>

What hand, fair Goddess ! paint thee but thy own
What tho' in nature's universal store
Appear the wonders of almighty pow'r;
Pow'r, unattended, terror would infpire,
Aw'd muft we gaze, and comfortless admire.
But when fair wifdom joins in the defign,
The beauty of the whole refult 's divine!

Breathes her wide influence on the world below,
And bids the tides alternate ebb and flow.
View how in course the conftant seasons rife,
Deform the earth, or beautify the skies:
First, Spring advancing, with her flow'ry train;
Next, Summer's hand, that spreads the fylvan
scene;

Hence life acknowledges its glorious caufe, And matter owns its great difpofer's laws; Hence in a thousand different models wrought, Now fix'd to quiet, now allied to thought; Hence flow the forms and properties of things, Hence rifes harmony, and order fprings; Elfe, had the mafs a fhapelefs chaos lay, Nor ever felt the dawn of Wisdom's day! See, how afsociate round their central fun Their faithful rings the circling planets run; Still equi-diftant, never yet too near, Exactly tracing their appointed sphere. Mark how the moon our flying orb pursues, While from the fun her monthly light renews;

Then, Autumn,with her yellow harvests crown'd;
And trembling Winter close the annual round.
The vegetable tribes observant trace,
From the tall cedar to the creeping grafs :
The chain of animated beings fcale,
From the fmall reptile to th' enormous whale;
From the ftrong eagle ftooping thro' the skies,
To the low infect that escapes thy cyes!
And fee, if fee thou canst, in ev'ry frame,
Eternal Wisdom fhine confefs'd the fame :
As proper organs to the leaft affign'd,
As proper means to propagate the kind,
As juft the ftructure, and as wife the plan,
As in this lord of all-debating man!

Hence, rea'sning creature, thy diftinction find, Nor longer to the ways of Heav'n be blind. Wisdom in outward beauty strikes the mind, But outward beauty points a charm behind. What gives the earth, the ambient air, or feas, The plain, the river, or the wood to please? Oh fay, in whom does beauty's felf refide, The Beautifier, or the beautified? There dwells the Godhead in the bright difguife, Beyond the ken of all created eyes; His works our love and our attention steal; His works (furprising thought!) the Maker veil; Too weak our fight to pierce the radiant cloud, Where Wildom thines, in all her charms avow'd.

O gracious God, omnipotent and wife, Unerring Lord, and Ruler of the fkies! All-condefcending, to my feeble heart One beam of thy celeftial light impart; I feek not fordid wealth, or glitt'ring pow'r; O grant me Wisdom-and I ask no more!

PROVIDENCE.