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HYMN TO THE SUPREME BEING.
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ARGUMENT.
1. Manifestations of Deity from Terrestial Objects. 2. From the Heavens.—3. Moral Reflections.
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O Lord! the refuge thou hast been
Of all who ever fear'd thy name;
Man changes with the changing scene,
But thou art evermore the same.
Of all who ever fear'd thy name;
Man changes with the changing scene,
But thou art evermore the same.
Sceptres and thrones, the blaze of power,
Yea, all that charms the heart and eye,
Will plaudits raise their little hour,
And like a scroll be passed by.
Yea, all that charms the heart and eye,
Will plaudits raise their little hour,
And like a scroll be passed by.
But thou, unmoved, shalt still remain,
Encircled by thy robe of light;
Thou, thro' perpetual years, shalt reign,
When sun and stars are quench'd in night.
Encircled by thy robe of light;
Thou, thro' perpetual years, shalt reign,
When sun and stars are quench'd in night.
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Whirlwind and blast thy will perform,
Lightnings subserve thy high decree;
Thou rid'st upon the winged storm,
And thou dost calm the raging sea.
Lightnings subserve thy high decree;
Thou rid'st upon the winged storm,
And thou dost calm the raging sea.
Thou, unconfined by space or time,
Display'st thy power thro' endless years;
In every age, in every clime,
The Majesty of God appears.
Display'st thy power thro' endless years;
In every age, in every clime,
The Majesty of God appears.
Thy mandate gave all creatures birth,
From chaos, nature rose divine;
The deep foundations of the earth,
The everlasting hills are thine.
From chaos, nature rose divine;
The deep foundations of the earth,
The everlasting hills are thine.
Perfection marks thy works around,
The great, the small, are one to thee;
The element where thou art found,
Is all alike—Infinity!
The great, the small, are one to thee;
The element where thou art found,
Is all alike—Infinity!
The marv'lous skill on man bestow'd,
Profuse of order, wisdom, power;
Is in the meanest reptiles show'd,—
That charm and perish in an hour.
Profuse of order, wisdom, power;
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That charm and perish in an hour.
Thy dwelling, deep pavilions hide,
Mists bar access, dark waters frown;
Yet, here and there, the clouds divide,
And bring celestial visions down.
Mists bar access, dark waters frown;
Yet, here and there, the clouds divide,
And bring celestial visions down.
The birds that joyous stretch their wing,
And wanton in the summer air;
The insect, and the creeping-thing,
Reveal the tokens of thy care.
And wanton in the summer air;
The insect, and the creeping-thing,
Reveal the tokens of thy care.
These cannot grateful anthems raise,
Nor count thy favours o'er and o'er;
But we, with higher calls for praise,
Will love thee, serve thee, and adore.
Nor count thy favours o'er and o'er;
But we, with higher calls for praise,
Will love thee, serve thee, and adore.
Leviathan, with all his train,
Thro' ocean, in their myriads, spread;
The beasts that range the wood or plain,
All by thy bounteous hand are fed!
Thro' ocean, in their myriads, spread;
The beasts that range the wood or plain,
All by thy bounteous hand are fed!
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The shrubs and flowers, in fair array,
The golden corn, the lofty tree;
The fruits that bend the beauteous spray,
Still claim our thanks and point to thee.
The golden corn, the lofty tree;
The fruits that bend the beauteous spray,
Still claim our thanks and point to thee.
Thine is the summer's ample store,
Thee, teeming autumn owns her King;
Thou shin'st in winter's mantle hoar,
And thou renew'st the face of spring.
Thee, teeming autumn owns her King;
Thou shin'st in winter's mantle hoar,
And thou renew'st the face of spring.
On all that is, the Great First Cause
Stamps his imperishable lines;
Resistless power the Spirit awes,
Till thro' the awful mercy shines.
Stamps his imperishable lines;
Resistless power the Spirit awes,
Till thro' the awful mercy shines.
Thou, who, above all thought, art high,
The plastic source, the final end,
Dost hear the ravens when they cry,
And “goodness” to the worm extend.
The plastic source, the final end,
Dost hear the ravens when they cry,
And “goodness” to the worm extend.
Creation, to her utmost bound,
Regales the ear, and charms the sight;
Beneficence, the earth around,
Moves onward in her track of light.
Regales the ear, and charms the sight;
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Moves onward in her track of light.
We mark thee in the opening morn,
We view thee in the clouds of eve;
And generations, yet unborn,
Shall drink the transport we receive.
We view thee in the clouds of eve;
And generations, yet unborn,
Shall drink the transport we receive.
When to the Heavens we raise our eye,
Surpassing wonders there we see;
We trace, thro' all the spangled sky,
The finger plain of Deity!
Surpassing wonders there we see;
We trace, thro' all the spangled sky,
The finger plain of Deity!
Let the whole world, in chorus wide,
Laud thee, till faith expires in sight;
That thou didst cast the veil aside,
And give to man the starry night!
Laud thee, till faith expires in sight;
That thou didst cast the veil aside,
And give to man the starry night!
That tablet clear, that lucid page,
Whereon is read Jehovah's sway;
And which the Atheist, in his rage,
To blackest shades would tear away!
Whereon is read Jehovah's sway;
And which the Atheist, in his rage,
To blackest shades would tear away!
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There, sphere on sphere, with dance and song,
Direct to thee their airy lyre;
The daring vision toils along
Thro' regions, kindling still with fire.
Direct to thee their airy lyre;
The daring vision toils along
Thro' regions, kindling still with fire.
The moon august, Thou badest shine,
While, calm as thought, the concave glows,
Thou spak'st, and in one vast design,
Ten thousand beaming worlds arose.
While, calm as thought, the concave glows,
Thou spak'st, and in one vast design,
Ten thousand beaming worlds arose.
Amid the confluent flood of light,
Sent from Heaven's unimagined bound;
Suns, traversing, harmonious, bright,
The constellated vault profound;
Sent from Heaven's unimagined bound;
Suns, traversing, harmonious, bright,
The constellated vault profound;
Arcturus, stately, passes on,
Conspicuous thro' his lapse of years,
Orion, with his triple zone,
Alike in radiant pomp appears.
Conspicuous thro' his lapse of years,
Orion, with his triple zone,
Alike in radiant pomp appears.
And there the Pleiades proclaim
“Dominion!” to the Lord on High!
Whilst all the planets sing the same,
In their procession round the sky.
“Dominion!” to the Lord on High!
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In their procession round the sky.
Tho' countless orbs thro' ether roll,
Yet these are atoms, power confined;
Thou didst create the human soul,
Efflux of thine eternal mind!
Yet these are atoms, power confined;
Thou didst create the human soul,
Efflux of thine eternal mind!
Still higher! the angelic choir,
With all the glorious ranks above,
Sprang from thy fiat, Sovereign Sire!
Great source of Being! Fount of Love!
With all the glorious ranks above,
Sprang from thy fiat, Sovereign Sire!
Great source of Being! Fount of Love!
On earth, “Omnipotence!” we hear,
Sent forth from every form and sense;
While Heaven, with accent still more clear,
Again repeats, “Omnipotence!”
Sent forth from every form and sense;
While Heaven, with accent still more clear,
Again repeats, “Omnipotence!”
Sweet symphonies and concords float,
Borne upward from creation wide;
Man's the one discordant note,
Where all is harmony beside.
Borne upward from creation wide;
Man's the one discordant note,
Where all is harmony beside.
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And are there spirits, born to climb,
Who with the clod inglorious lie?
Who spurn the brightest gem of time,
The Hope of Immortality?
Who with the clod inglorious lie?
Who spurn the brightest gem of time,
The Hope of Immortality?
Their aspiration, aim, and end,
Confined to life's contracted stage;
Seeking, than wealth, no better Friend!
Than earth, no nobler heritage!
Confined to life's contracted stage;
Seeking, than wealth, no better Friend!
Than earth, no nobler heritage!
With faculties, acute to learn
Truths endless, curious, or profound,
And who can only, not discern
Thy Hand, emblazon'd all around!
Truths endless, curious, or profound,
And who can only, not discern
Thy Hand, emblazon'd all around!
'Mid arguments like suns array'd,
Which Deity to man recal;
'Mid proofs, ineffably display'd,
Of Him, who framed and governs all;
Which Deity to man recal;
'Mid proofs, ineffably display'd,
Of Him, who framed and governs all;
Who full on nature's lovely face,
With brutish apathy can gaze;
Nor ever to thy “Holy Place,”
The eye of adoration raise!
With brutish apathy can gaze;
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The eye of adoration raise!
The world, tho' vast, in endless round,
Gives the same image to the view;
But evil, by no limit bound,
Hath form and feature ever new.
Gives the same image to the view;
But evil, by no limit bound,
Hath form and feature ever new.
Are there a rude censorious host,
Obtuse, contentious, slaves of sense,
Who, in their chains, of freedom boast,
And with obedience dare dispense!
Obtuse, contentious, slaves of sense,
Who, in their chains, of freedom boast,
And with obedience dare dispense!
Proud, domineering,—left to stray,
Lost in their labyrinth of lies;
Who hold the Word of Life at bay,
And Heaven's Eternal Law despise!
Lost in their labyrinth of lies;
Who hold the Word of Life at bay,
And Heaven's Eternal Law despise!
Talk they of yon celestial land,
Who spurn the good, nor evil fear!—
See, Lucifer his gates expand,
A multitude is drawing near,
Who spurn the good, nor evil fear!—
See, Lucifer his gates expand,
A multitude is drawing near,
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O! are there hearts, in sable drest,
Men, cheer'd not by the blush of morn;
The cold misanthrope in their breast,
With eyes that only look, to scorn?
Men, cheer'd not by the blush of morn;
The cold misanthrope in their breast,
With eyes that only look, to scorn?
Who hates his race, must hateful be,
A Thing of Saturn, wandering here;
This is a world of sympathy;
Back to thine own unsocial sphere!
A Thing of Saturn, wandering here;
This is a world of sympathy;
Back to thine own unsocial sphere!
And must the eye, opprest and sad,
Behold still drearier sights around!—
The harp in cypress wreaths be clad,
And sorrow breathe her deepest sound!
Behold still drearier sights around!—
The harp in cypress wreaths be clad,
And sorrow breathe her deepest sound!
Are there blasphemers, bold to lead
The phalanx, from beneath imbued;
Advancing with gigantic speed
From dark to darker turpitude!
The phalanx, from beneath imbued;
Advancing with gigantic speed
From dark to darker turpitude!
With all the martyr's zeal, who strive
Their impious poisons to dispense;
And hope the venom may survive,
When they, “like chaff,” are hurried hence!
Their impious poisons to dispense;
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When they, “like chaff,” are hurried hence!
What bleeding heart, or streaming eye,
Shall grave their monumental stone;
Or, o'er their turf-grave, bending, cry,
My guide, my brother, thou art gone!
Shall grave their monumental stone;
Or, o'er their turf-grave, bending, cry,
My guide, my brother, thou art gone!
Crowds rather shall exclaim, while rise
Curses, uncurb'd, that must be given;—
You robb'd us of our richest prize,—
Our trust in Goodness, God, and Heaven!
Curses, uncurb'd, that must be given;—
You robb'd us of our richest prize,—
Our trust in Goodness, God, and Heaven!
There are distemper'd scoffers vile,
Who, with the Highest! war proclaim;
Who at the brooding storm can smile,
And dare thy thunders, law, and name!
Who, with the Highest! war proclaim;
Who at the brooding storm can smile,
And dare thy thunders, law, and name!
The creatures of an hour, beguiled
Against Heaven's Monarch to rebel!
Unutterable folly wild,
As when apostate angels fell!
Against Heaven's Monarch to rebel!
Unutterable folly wild,
As when apostate angels fell!
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Should men, upheld by Devils' aid,
To shake thine empire, schemes design;
Should all the beings thou hast made,
In impotent revolt combine:
To shake thine empire, schemes design;
Should all the beings thou hast made,
In impotent revolt combine:
Thy Word, which did at first create,
In prodigal profusion fair,
Might hurl them to their pristine state,
And new and better worlds prepare.
In prodigal profusion fair,
Might hurl them to their pristine state,
And new and better worlds prepare.
The rebel hosts may still increase,
Till they thy sweeping judgments see;
But never shall the faithful cease
To magnify and honour thee.
Till they thy sweeping judgments see;
But never shall the faithful cease
To magnify and honour thee.
The first! (o'erwhelming thought!) the last!
Who in Eternity dost dwell!
The self-existent Presence vast,
Pervading heaven, and earth, and hell!
Who in Eternity dost dwell!
The self-existent Presence vast,
Pervading heaven, and earth, and hell!
The Friend! our faintest sigh, who hears!
With whom our soul communion holds!
Our hope, thro' Christ! when Death appears,
And Heaven her portals wide unfolds!
With whom our soul communion holds!
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And Heaven her portals wide unfolds!
Thy throne, O God! shall firm endure,
And age to age thy praise rehearse;
Thine altar, is the Spirit pure!
Thy Temple, is the Universe!
And age to age thy praise rehearse;
Thine altar, is the Spirit pure!
Thy Temple, is the Universe!
| Dartmoor, and other poems | |