Shall the last darkness of the world dispel, The Mediator in his wrath Descending down the lightning's path. Yet, yet awhile, offended Saviour, pause, Thine outrag'd laws, O spare thy rebels for thine own dear sake; "Tis forfeit like the first-we own it allYet for love's sake, Let it not fall; But at thy touch let veiled hearts awake, That nearest to thine altar lie, Yet least of holy things descry. Teacher of teachers! Priest of priests! from Thee The sweet strong prayer Must rise, to free First Levi, then all Israel, from the snare. Thou art our Moses out of sight Speak for us, or we perish quite. d Exodus xxxii. 19. ASCENSION DAY. Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven. Acts i. 11. SOFT cloud, that while the breeze of May Chants her glad matins in the leafy arch, My soul is envious of mine eye, That it should soar and glide with thee so fast, The while my groveling thoughts half buried lie, Or lawless roam around this earthly waste. Chains of my heart, avaunt I say- Sure, when I reach the point where earth Melts into nothing from th' uncumber'd sight, Heaven will o'ercome th' attraction of my birth, And I shall sink in yonder sea of light : Till resting by th' incarnate LORD, Once bleeding, now triumphant for my sake, I mark him, how by seraph hosts ador'd He to earth's lowest cares is still awake. The sun and every vassal star, All space, beyond the soar of Angel wings, He listens to the silent tear For all the anthems of the boundless sky- Nay, gracious Saviour-but as now Our thoughts have trac'd thee to thy glory-throne, So help us evermore with thee to bow Where human sorrow breathes her lowly moan. We must not stand to gaze too long, Though on unfolding Heaven our gaze we bend, Where lost behind the bright angelic throng We see CHRIST's entering triumph slow ascend. No fear but we shall soon behold, Faster than now it fades, that gleam revive, Then shall we see Thee as Thou art, For ever fix'd in no unfruitful gaze, But such as lifts the new-created heart, Age after age, in worthier love and praise. SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 St. Peter iv. 10. THE Earth that in her genial breast Makes for the down a kindly nest, Where wafted by the warm south-west Yields, thankful, of her very best, To nurse her treasure: True to her trust, tree, herb, or reed, And to her Lord with duteous heed Gives large increase : Thus year by year she works unfeed, Woe worth these barren hearts of ours, |