Which form in gilded phalanx, quick to lead
Black smoky sulphur underneath to spread.
The word's issu'd, the flaming arrows fly,
Dart through the mazy rampires to annoy
Thee, Sodom, and beset with deadly blaze
Thy prostitutes; who view with ghostly gaze
Lov'd house and home 'velop'd in fiery storm,
With dreadful crash, and into atoms torn;
Hear from a thousand mouths harsh thunders howl
Which give with horrid roar thy funeral knell;
See justice, double arm'd, come to assail,
And storm thy filthy holds with flaming hail;
Which miss no mark, but with unerring aim,
Quick, quick, O Sodom, thee and thine consume!
And that no wreck be left mankind to stain
With Sodomitish lust, licentious crime,
Earth, angry, gapes, and, with a dreadful groan,
Into her bowels gulps thy whole domain,
And o'er thee spreads to time's departing day,
'Mid dreary waste, a deep sulphureous sea.
Ere would oppression free from slavery, Or persecution cease her cruelty, Great Nilus' waves protruded seas of blood, And, Mizraim, in thy gaudy chambers stood In noxious groups, the filthy vermin-host To man a torment, and a plague to beast. Amphibious tribes next o'er thee croaking crawl; Thy boiling veins exude the loathsome bile. The greedy locusts, in devouring swarms, Make dreary waste of thy fructiferous plains;
A pitchy night her sable mantle spreads,
And rosy face of day impervious hides ;
Tremendous thunders roll and deadly hail,
Immix'd with flame, the trembling land assail;
Then death appears, and sounds his solemn knell,
And all thy first-born at his summons fall.
Still regal pride imperious will defy
A supreme power, but pays the penalty
Due for audacious guilt; the waves return,
Beneath their sweep the tyrant finds a tomb;
Proud Egypt's hosts and prince a wat❜ry grave
Have underneath the ocean's swelling wave.
Let these examples, infidelity,
Sent by an injur'd God to punish thee,
Give warning to believe ere comes the day,
Suspended o'er thy head, to sweep away
From burden'd earth thy harden'd, impious, host,
And all beneath eternal waves be lost.
Lo! all these punishments has mercy sent
To give belief God reigns omnipotent;
To work repentance by adversity,
So man make happy in eternity.
Now stretch'd upon the bed where soon must close My eyes in long and undisturb'd repose;
Adieu, vain world, thy pleasure's pass'd with me,
I soon no more shall nature's beauties see;
Yet, though far distant, comes a glorious morn,
On which from death I shall arise again !*
Come near me, Judah, and thy blessing hear,
'Tis thou, whom Israel's enemies shall fear,
Thy brethren shall thy mighty actions praise,
And humbly to thy seed due honors raise;
A Lion thou, as one shalt nobly reign,
And from thy branch shall glorious SHILOAH spring:
Nor is from thee the sceptre to depart,
Nor a lawgiver from between thy feet,
Until He come; then Israel's crown must flee
And nations unto Him obedient be.
Lord, here afflicted with disease and pain,
My life I loath; then let me hence be gone,
Quit my affliction, and this noisome place,
And to a happy land my journey trace!
Life's but a shade, my days to death decline;
Here pleasures fade and pass as a sunbeam,
Or, as ignited vapours, sportive play
Awhile, grow dim, then ever fly away.
Why should I be so fearful once to die?
This world's a bauble, nought but vanity!
If no life's after this, no world's to come,
Death sets my prospects in eternal gloom;
* See Genesis, chap. xlix.
But there's a something that proceeds from Him Who lit the vital spark, exudes the flame, Internal whispers, tells though hence I fly,
Hereafter I'll find an eternity;
Tells my Redeemer lives, now makes me know
That earth shall see Him on a future day ;*
That though by worms my body be destroy'd,
Yet I must rise from death t' approach my God;
And not an atom of my parts be lost,
Reviv'd, united, all shall quit the dust
To die no more, immortal e'er to be,
And, O my God, thy glorious presence see!
The mountain trembling stood absorb'd in flame, When to its summit the Creator came; The trumpet sounded loud,-was louder heard+ As towards earth approach'd the Mighty God:His thunders roll'd,—His lightnings vivid flew,— All Israel trembled at the awful view.
In sublime grandeur thus the King of heav'n
On earth transfix'd His majesterial throne,
That to His creatures thence Himself might give
A spotless law, in rectitude to guide
Through life; and them observing it to be
A chosen race His special care to see.
* See Job, chap. xix. ver. 25.
Give ear, ye mortals! Lo, that speaks 'tis He Who lives and reigns supreme eternally.*
"And you shall have no other Gods but Me.+ (13)
A graven image you must never make‡
"Like ought in heaven, or earth, or sea, and take
"It as your God to honor and obey,
"And to it humbly adoration pay:
"Behold! 'tis I Who am the Lord your God,
" "Tis I alone, who must be worshiped :
"I'm jealous of My just and lawful right,
"Shall visit them who Me unjustly hate.
"And children, which from you hereafter spring,
May suffer through the crimes yourselves have done;
"But they who love Me, My commandments keep,
My love and mercy certainly shall reap.
"You shall not use My holy name in vain ;§
"For those who do I guilty shall esteem.
"Remember! I the seventh day ordain||
"To be kept holy; you must work refrain,
"And all, on it, to Me your offerings raise
"Of gratitude, in fervent prayer and praise:
"Your children, servants, friends, within your gate,
"Shall gratefully a holy rest create;
"Your beasts of burden cast their yokes away,
"Not one must toil upon this hallow'd day;
* Exodus, chap. xx. § Third. || Fourth.
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