 | Zimri |  |
SCENE III.
To them, a Messenger and Chorus.Air and Chorus.
Tune your harps to songs of praise!
Happy tidings now I bear;
God with joy our grief repays,
God propitious hears our pray'r:
Not averted now his face,
Now his gracious ear inclin'd,
Now confess'd his chosen race—
Give your sorrows to the wind!
Recitative.
Moses.
Has not some patriot-hand laid Zimri low?
Mes.
It has. Th'apostate, as he pass'd along,
Embracing and embrac'd by Zuran's daughter,
Brave Phineas mark'd; and springing from his seat,
With sacred fury seiz'd his dreaded lance:
“Avenge the cause of Israel's God!”—he cried.
Obedient to the word the weapon flew,
And with one wound transfix'd the guilty pair.
Gasping they fell; and as they smote the ground,
Applauding thunder shook the vault above.
The sun with sudden blaze resum'd his glory;
The sick, inspir'd with instantaneous health,
Leap'd up; and horror seiz'd astonish'd Midian!
Moses.
See, where our foes precipitate their flight!
An Israelite.
Recitative accompanied.
They fly, but not from conscience; in their breasts
That stern Avenger of our wrongs they bear.
But soon the blameless mind shakes off it's sorrows;
For he whose will is fate, at first decreed,
No bands shou'd long bind innocence to woe.
Air.
That stern Avenger of our wrongs they bear.
But soon the blameless mind shakes off it's sorrows;
For he whose will is fate, at first decreed,
No bands shou'd long bind innocence to woe.
Smiling hope, a cherub bright!
Smiling hope is virtue's guest;
Soothing anguish to delight,
Healing soon the wounded breast.
Joy succeeds to sorrow past;
Give the beating heart to joy!
Virtue's joy shall ever last;
Ever last, and never cloy.
Smiling hope is virtue's guest;
Soothing anguish to delight,
Healing soon the wounded breast.
Joy succeeds to sorrow past;
Give the beating heart to joy!
Virtue's joy shall ever last;
Ever last, and never cloy.
Recitative accompanied.
Moses.
Yes! joy to guilt is but a transient beam,
Like the red lightning that makes night more dreadful:
To blameless minds 'tis sunshine without cloud,
That gives new splendour to the chearful day.
But other truths this awful day must teach:
It's judgments, else, but half are understood.
Air.
Like the red lightning that makes night more dreadful:
To blameless minds 'tis sunshine without cloud,
That gives new splendour to the chearful day.
But other truths this awful day must teach:
It's judgments, else, but half are understood.
Nor wit's deceit, nor beauty's charm,
Nor mirth nor wine's insiduous pow'r,
Eternal Justice e'er disarm,
Or stop the sure tho' ling'ring hour.
Who break Jehovah's sacred laws,
Whate'er the means, whate'er the cause,
Shall stand impeach'd without reply:
If mercy pleads no contrite tear,
Fair virtue's pledge whene'er sincere,
The guilty souls for ever die.
Nor mirth nor wine's insiduous pow'r,
Eternal Justice e'er disarm,
Or stop the sure tho' ling'ring hour.
Who break Jehovah's sacred laws,
Whate'er the means, whate'er the cause,
Shall stand impeach'd without reply:
If mercy pleads no contrite tear,
Fair virtue's pledge whene'er sincere,
The guilty souls for ever die.
Chorus.
Raise then to God the supplicating strain;
To God, whom virtue ne'er address'd in vain!
His gracious voice shall answer to the song—
“Be wise ye simple, and ye weak be strong.”
With joy receive the promise of the sky!
And in one chorus let your praise reply.
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