Prefs'd with a greater than feign'd Atlas' load Infinity before, It bow'd, and fhook beneath the burden of a God. Freth horrors feize the camp; despair, And dying groans, torment the air, And fhrieks, and fwoons, and deaths were there: The bellowing thunder, and the lightning's blaze Spread through the host a wild amaze; Darkness on every foul, and pale was every face; Confus'd and difmal were the cries, Let Moses speak, or Israel dies Mofes the spreading terror feels, No more the Man of God conceals His fhivering and furprize : Yet, with recovering mind, commands Silence, and deep attention, through the Hebrew bands. Hark! from the centre of the flame, All arm'd and feather'd with the fame, A flight of cherubs guard the words along, "I am the Lord: 'Tis I proclaim "That glorious and that fearful name, Thy God and King: 'Twas I, that broke "And thine the duty to fulfil. "Adore " Adore no God befide Me, to provoke mine eyes : "Nor worship Me in fhapes and forms that men devife; "With reverence ufe my name, nor turn my words to jest; "Observe my fabbath well, nor dare prophane my rest; "Honour and due obedience to thy parents give; "Nor fpill the guiltless blood, nor let the guilty live : "Preferve thy body chaste, and flee th' unlawful bed; "Nor steal thy neighbour's gold, his garment, or his "bread; "Forbear to blaft his name with falfehood, or deceit ; "Nor let thy wishes loose upon his large estate.” Remember your CREATOR, &C. CH Ecclef. xii. HILDREN, to your Creator, God, While vanity and youthful blood The memory of his mighty name, Nor dare indulge a meaner flame, Be wife, and make his favour fure, When youth and mirth are known no more, No more the blessings of a feast Shall relish on the tongue, The heavy ear forgets the taste And pleasure of a fong. Old Old age, with all her dismal train, Invades your golden years With fighs and groans, and raging pain, What will ye do when light departs, Without one beam to chear your hearts, How will you meet God's frowning brow, Or ftand before his feat, While nature's old fupporters bow, Nor bear their tottering weight? Can you expect your feeble arms, Shall make a strong defence, The filver bands of nature burst, The flesh goes down to mix with duft, Its vile original. Laden with guilt, (a heavy load), Uncleans'd and unforgiven, The foul returns t' an angry God, To be fhut out from heaven. Sun, Sun, Moon, and Stars, praise ye the LORD. FAIREST of all the lights above, Thou fun, whofe beams adorn the spheres, And with unweary'd swiftness move, To form the circles of our years; Praife the Creator of the fkies, That drefs'd thine orb in golden rays; Thou reigning beauty of the night, Arife, and to that Sovereign Power Ye twinkling stars, who gild the skies Proclaim the glories of your Lord, So rich a pavement for his feet. Thou Thou heaven of heavens, supremely bright, Fair palace of the court divine, Where, with inimitable light, The Godhead condefcends to fhine; Praise thou thy great Inhabitant, O God of Glory, God of Love, THE WELCOME MESSENGER. L ORD, when we fee a faint of thine With longing eyes, and looks divine, How we could ev'n contend to lay Our limbs upon that bed! We ask thine envoy to convey Our fouls are rifing on the wing, To venture in his place; For when grim death has loft his fting, He has an angel's face. Jefus, |