Fruits of Retirement Or, Miscellaneous Poems, Moral and Divine. Being Some Contemplations, Letters, &c. Written on a Variety of Subjects and Occasions. By Mary Mollineux ... To which is Prefixed, Some Account of the Author |
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The Eighth Epistle to Cousin F. R.
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 | Fruits of Retirement |  |
The Eighth Epistle to Cousin F. R.
Shall Transitory Toys, vile Chaff and Dross,E'er be esteem'd and priz'd above the Cross?
The Cross of Christ, the Pow'r of God, whereby
The holy Men of Old did crucify
The World and Self-hood; and thereby obtain
A Crown of Glory, over all to reign,
With Sion's King, in Everlasting Peace,
Where Joys abound, but Griefs and Sorrows cease.
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In Ground prepar'd, so soon be overgrown
With Bryars and Thorns? Or must the scorching Ray
And parching Heat of Trials, cause decay
In that once green (tho' tender) sprouting Plant?
Hath it but little Root? Or doth it want
Refreshing Show'rs, or early Dews? O see
Why thus it seems to droop! Why should it be
So long neglected? It may sprout again
If cherished with first and latter Rain;
Which Bount'ous Heav'n will not too long deny,
If Disobedience and Idolatry
Do not provoke thereto: That Gracious Hand,
That planted it, can make a barren Land
More fertile for its sake; and if he please,
Can make a Fruitful Land a Wilderness.
Ah! let our Breathings for each other be,
That since we were from the wild Olive Tree
Remov'd and separated, that we might
Be grafted in the good, we may not slight
The Hand that planted, nor the Root that bare us,
Lest we decay; for can the Pruner spare us,
That spar'd not Nat'ral Branches, if we be
Unfruitful, but divide us from the Tree?
But that we ever may, as we depend
Upon the Root, feel Life and Sap ascend
Into our Branches; that pure Praise may spring,
And Fruits of Righteousness to Sion's King.
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