Let those their thankful voices raise, Before his altar kneel; The dictates of his will. Ye spirits of the just and good, To heav'nly niansions soar! Oh! let your songs his praise display, "Till heav'n itself shall inelt away, And time shall be no more. Praise him, ye meek and humble train, Ye saints, whom his decrees ordain The boundless bliss to share: Oh! praise him, till you take your way To regions of eternal day, And reign for ever there. Let us, who now impassive stand, Plac'd by the tyrant's stern command, Amid the fiery blaze, In hynns ot enuless praise. ELEGIAC LINES On the Death of the LADY CHARLOTTE SEYMOUR, only Daughter of the late Marquis Cholmondeley, and Widow of Colonel Huyh Seymour, M. P. for Antrim. [BY MRS. OPIE.) OH! lov’d and lost, thy widow'd mother's pride, Whose sweet consoler her Charlotte died; Thou, whom the tenderest brothers tried to save, Alas! in vain, from an untimely grave: Oft bave I mark’d, within the world's gay scene, Thy graceful person and thy modest mien; And what its eager votaries blessings call Birth, honours, loveliness,--thou hadst them all : While form'd still more in private life to shine, The spirit pure, the generous heart, were thine. Next, every other blessing far above, Thine was the meed of tender wedded love; Oh! state of happiness so vast, so dear, It might have made thee deem thy heaven was hereMade thee forget an holier home on high, And on the creature fix too fond an eye. But He, the merciful, who joys to save, Plung’d thy meek head in sorrow's deepest wave; Then, as thy lip all niurmuring still forbore, Because He did it,' snatch'd thee to the shore ; And, while with widow'r grief thy heart was riven, Replac'd thy earthly love with love of Heaven. Blest, bounteous proof of mercy and of grace! for soon how chung'd appeared that youthful face ! Decay's pale rose there oped its tell-tale bloomThat beauteous harbinger of coming doom, The flower that blossoms only near the tomb. Soon mild eye appear’d too clearly bright, Or faintly beam'd with wan phosphoric light, Till through the sleepless night and restless day, Mourners, who caught your Charlotte's parting breatlı, MORNING DISCIPLIN E. (VAUGHAN.] go this Yet never sleep the sun up; prayer should Dawn with the day : there are set awful hours "Twixt heaven and us; the manna was not good After sun rising ; far day sullies flowers : Rise to prevent the sun ; sleep doth sins glut, Aud heaven's gate opens when the world's is shut. Walk with thy fellow-creatures: note the hush And whisperings amongst them. Not a spring Or leaf but hath his morning hymn; each bush And oak doth know I AM.-Canst thou not sing? O leave thy cares and follies ! way, And thou art sure to prosper all the day. Serve God before the world; let him not go, Until thou hast a blessing ; then resign The whole unto him, and remember who Prevailed by wrestling ere the sun did shine : Pour oil npon the stones, weep for thy sin, Then journey on, and have an eye to heaven. Mornings are mysteries: the first, world's youth, Man's resurrection, and the future's bud, Shrowd in their births; the crown of life, light, truk, Is styled their star; the stone and hidden food : Three blessings wait upon them, one of which Should inove -they make us holy, happy, rich. When the world's up, and every swarm abroad, Keep well thy temper, mix not with each day : Dispaich necessities, life hath a load Which must be carried on, and safely may; Yet keep those cares without thee ; let the heart Be God's alone, and choose the better part. 192 GRACE. (BAXTER.] God's perfect power did this great world create, God's perfect wisdom all in order placed, God's perfect goodness made all very good, But sin God's image on man's soul defaced. Power caus'd necessity, and wisdom order, And both by goodness caused harmony; All in one perfect frame God's glory shew, Praise him and please himn with pure melody. Sin could not change necessity, nor that Disorder which God fixed izbove men's reach, But the free Lord free agents also made, and there by sin free-will did make the breach. This breach to man was punishment itself, For God before had order'd nature so, That poison would cause pain, and wounds cause smasta And sin to sinners misery and woe. Goodness is love delighting to do good, Wisdom resolves this foul breach to repair, And make advantage of man's sin and woe, Justice and inercy largely to declare lurt is soon done: the wound was quickly made, The cure must be performed by degrees : A Saviour's grace inust exercised be, Wisdom with love to do the work decrees, Man's soul incorruptible substance is, Essential life; not made itself to die. Its final state then like itself will be, Durable happiness or misery. |