The Life and Poetical Works of James Woodhouse :: :: University of Virginia Library

God's word proclaims, in His unerring plan,
Chastising checks await poor, pecant, Man.
That Tribulation's tryal all attends,
Whom He adopts as Children and as Friends.
That Happiness's path, and Grace's gate,
Are steep, and narrow; difficult, and strait.
When left cheek's smitten by Caprice, or Spite,
In humble patience bids to turn the right.
Thwart not Contentious Spirits, nor provoke,
But when Force takes the coat, to give the cloak—
When to go one mile Tyrant's calls constrain,
In mute humility to travel twain.

Such humbling precepts, Heav'n, in mercy, meant
Curs'd Pride to combat, and promote content.
To spread mild meekness o'er the humbled breast,
And yield both heart and head most heavenly rest!

Imperious Pride may deviate or delay,
And Passion turn prudentish steps astray;
But false Abasement needs not block the road,
To fright weak Faith from Heavenly, blest, abode.
Mischievous Man will Man each day disturb,
But Christ alone can rightly scourge, or curb;
Nor need Man stoop to every Tyrant's whim;
But wholesome castigation sent from Him!
Not cringe or crouch, by Fellow's claim confin'd
To pains and miseries of a prison'd Mind;
Nor strive and struggle in a cribbing path,
Frail Fortune's tool—the Wretch of human wrath!
Not slavishly to suffer—pine—and die—
Nor rashly to resist—but freely fly.
True Self-denial turns no Virtue back,

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Nor makes supreme, or social, Duty, slack;
Yet needs not kiss the cross—revere the rod,
That graceless Man inflicts, but Father, God!

When Christianity, at first, arose,
Encompast with a World of powerful Foes,
Confronting calumny, and suffering scorn,
A Babe, among wild Beasts, in Cities, born;
She fear'd to struggle, in her infant state,
When each fell Tyrant's word was wing'd with fate;
But check'd her feeble hand—restrain'd her tongue—
While Wickedness was old, and She was young—
When every Potentate, and Priest, around,
Endeavour'd to destroy, or wish'd to wound—
When Prophets and Apostles hid their head,
And pure Evangelists and Prophets fled—
When brave Professors forfeited their breath,
And rash resistance expedited death.
When all its trembling Votaries vainly strove
To recommend its truths by Peace and Love.
When Wisdom, pure, and Grace, with Pow'r supreme,
Alone could execute the heavenly Scheme.
When only miracles and signs, sublime,
Could sanction Doctrines, and encounter Crime—
Could conquer Sinners' hearts—could Demons quell,
And gain full victory o'er the gates of Hell—
When strength celestial stooped to mortal Might,
Such precepts, and such practices, were right.
When God was pleas'd to work, by secret ways,
His Son's eternal throne, on Earth, to raise;
Justice then slumber'd—Pow'r, apparent, slept—
Tho' Martyrs bled, and all the Faithful wept—
But now to greater strength and stature grown,
She fills the Senate, and supplies the Throne—
Kings become Fathers, or professing Brothers,
And mighty Queens proclaim'd Her nursing Mothers—
While Princes prostrate fall before her feet—
And Nobles occupy her Judgment-seat—
Now Heav'n's pure Spirit's offer'd free to all,
And none, inferior, Fellow-Christian's call.
None, now, with Fellow-man may strive, nor strike,
For all Mankind, by Christ, are call'd, alike—
Bodies all form'd alike from earthly clod,
And reasoning Spirits all inspir'd by God—
Like innate Appetites, Pride, Passions, fire—
All fall'n, alike, with one, unfaithful Sire—
And all alike mixt up with mortal leav'n,
Alike the Heirs of Sin, of Hell, or Heav'n!

Who, then, the same, in Body and in Soul,
Shall now usurp, o'er others, stern controul?
Shall poor Professors rights and dues disclaim?
Among all genuine Christians just the same.
Shall they now stoop to arbitrary Pow'r,
Whose Wants—Time—Talents—Strength—would all devour?
Resist not Riches, Pomp, or titled Pride,
Which dare to set their dues, and rights, aside?
Obey the tyrant nods of boastful Birth,
Devoid of Knowledge—Learning—Wit—or Worth;
Because Heav'n's Lord, in Wisdom, and in Love,
Hath cast Wealth's lot below, and Want's above?
Bow down to sovereign Sceptre—Princely plume—
Because His Providence thus fix'd their doom,
While exercising full their frantic sway,
To make Men's liberties, and lives, a prey?
To Fellow-fall'n implicitly submit,
The Dupes of Despots in each selfish fit?
Forego, for cruel Tyrants, Grace, and Truth,
To please proud Males, or Females? Age, or Youth?
Let all Her dearest lessons dormant lie,
Because some courtly Fools, or Fops, are by;
And forfeit Reason's claims, and Common-Sense,
To 'scape the force of Profligates' offence?
Justice be deaf, and dumb, as well as blind?
Her sword and balance basely slung behind?
Ne'er stigmatize with pencil, tongue, or pen,
The worst of Women, or the worst of Men?
Her Laws dead letters—all her trusts betray'd—
Each moral compact social Man has made;
While Reason's aid, and Revelation's end,
To Bigotry, and Superstition, bend?
Shall Christians Liberty and rights resign,
And still with tameness weep? with patience pine?
All frantic force, and persecuting scorn,
With coward cringe, and brutal stupor borne?
Indignity, and insult, still endure,
Nor seek alleviation, cause, or cure?
From all Earth's hopes, and privileges, hurl'd,
Because their Kingdom's not this nether World?

Justice, and heavenly Truth, stands Penury's right,
As much as Emperor's—King's—and Men's of might;
For all who enter Christ's impartial School,

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Must humbly yield to one eternal rule,
Who lays, alike, on Sinners, and on Saints,
The same reciprocal, and strong, restraints;
Commanding Kings, and Clowns, and all betwixt,
However muster'd, or however mix'd;
“See that ye, simply, to all others, do
What ye would have all others do to you.”