University of Virginia Library

Who has an Arm like God? who with his Word
And dreadful Voice, can Thunder like the Lord?
He walks array'd with Majesty and Light,
Hid by excess of Glory from our fight.
He casts his Terrors round on every side,
Observes the Great, and Laughs to see their Pride.
He frowns them to the Dust, their Power defeats,
And tramples down th'Ambitious from their Seats.
He gathers up the Ocean in his hand,
And binds the Billows in with Cords of Sand.
He broke th'Abyss up for the watry Stores,
And plac'd before the Waves his Rocky Doors.
He markt out for them their appointed Seat,
And said, Come hitherto, and then retreat.
He in a Ballance weighs the lofty Hills,
And stooping down with Ease takes up the Isles,
Which torn up from their Roots appear so light,
That when he poises them, they lose their weight.
By him the spacious Heav'ns are over-span'd,
And the Sea's lost when held within his hand.
How swift his flaming Darts of Light'ning fly,
Shot from the gaping Engines of the Sky?
His Voice of Thunder do's his Wrath proclaim,
And shakes affrighted Nature's rocking Frame.
Whene'er he bows the Heav'ns, and thence comes down,
He makes the Mountains tremble at his Frown.
The Rocks are rent where e'er his Terrors go,
Hills melted down like Wax before him flow.
He from their Seats with Ease the Mountains spurns,
And in his Wrath aspiring Hills o'erturns.
He makes the Earth warp from its ancient place,
And wrests its trembling Pillars from their Base.
By him rebuk'd, the Sun withdraws his Light,
And Stars lie hid, seal'd up with suddain Night.
He the wide Heav'ns transparent Curtain spreads,
And on the Sea's unstable Billows treads.
He gives Arcturus, and Orion Light,
And bids the Pleiades adorn the Night.
Hell all its dark Dominions to him shows,
Death and Destruction their sad Spoils disclose.
He rais'd the Southern Spheres, and bid them rowl
In unmolested Order round their Pole.
His Word suspends the Earth, and stretches forth
Above the empty Void, the Frozen North.
The Constellations shine at his Command,
He form'd their radiant Orbs, and with his Hand
He weigh'd, and put them off with such a Force
As might preserve an Everlasting Course.
This mighty King, whose Universal Sway
This, and the spacious Worlds above, obey;
Encompass'd with a vast Abyss of Light,
And mounds of Glory of excessive height,
Do's still unseen, and unmolested dwell,
Conceal'd in Splendor Inaccessible.
With perfect Wisdom he all Nature guides,
And Empires to precarious Kings divides.
Who while he pleases wear th'Imperial Crown,
And when he pleases lay their Scepter down.
Princes by Him, and mighty Monarchs Reign,
Justice Decree, and all their Laws ordain.
He first unsheaths the Sword, then bids it go,
And make a sinful Land Heav'n's Vengeance know.
The glitt'ring Spoiler not to be withstood,
Triumphs in Wounds, and Death, and reeks in Blood.
Enthron'd, on slaughter'd Heaps the Tyrant reigns,
And spreads with ghastly Spoils the Crimson Plains.
Where the red Glutton labours to asswage,
With bloody Riot his insatiate Rage.
Thus while the high Divine Commission lasts,
Realms to Destruction doom'd, th'bright Destroyer wasts:
But when th'Almighty bids the Spoiler stand,
He stops his Course, and owns the great Command.
He choaks th'Infernal Throat of Howling War,
And the black Mouths of Horror and Despair.
All Martial Noise, Uproar, and Tumult, cease,
Husht by the soft melodious Voice of Peace.
Long war-like Spears are chang'd for Shepherds Crooks,
And Swords and Shields for Spades' and pruning Hooks.
The Woolly Flocks again adorn the Hills,
And Rural Care the busy Vally fills.
The grisly shapes of Death and Terror gone,
New Life and Joy the smiling Regions crown.
So when a black Tempestuous Night is past
In which loud Winds have lofty Tow'rs defac'd
The Mountains rent, and laid the Forrest wast,
This strife the Morn composes with her Charms,
And all the fighting Elements disarms.
A joyful Peace succeeds this Stormy War,
And calms the troubled Empire of the Air.
The Sun's bright Beams the reeking Meads adorn,
And chearful Lab'rers to their toil return.
He in set bounds do's wild Ambition keep,
And to her say's, as to the raging Deep,
Here stop before the Bars which I have laid.
Here shall thy proud insulting Waves be staid,
They strive in vain these Banks to overflow,
Thus far they shall, but shall no farther go.
The Fate of Empires flow from his Command,
And all the Hearts of Kings are in his hand.
Which by his skill are guided and inclin'd
Ends to promote those Princes ne'er design'd.
Sometimes he raises by a mighty hand
Tyrannic Monsters to Supream Command,
At once to rule, and scourge a Sinful Land.
Who like the Prince of Darkness to asswage
Infernal Malice, and to cloy their Rage
Furys and bloody Ministers employ
Mankind with various Torments to destroy.
These mighty Nimrods eager of their Food
Hunt down Mankind and bath themselves in Blood.
Kingdoms with Desolation they deface
And in their Rage extirpate Adam's Race.
Then if the Guilty their Defection mourn,
And back to Vertue's Heav'nly Path return,
If humble Prayer and penitential Crys
With sacred Violence invade the Skys,
Which are the only Gyants that assail
The Throne of Heav'n, and in the War prevail,
For Heav'n and Earth together still repent,
This of its Guilt, that of the Punishment;
Th'Almighty's Bowels mov'd within him turn
And in his Breast mild flames of Mercy burn.
His Heart with soft Compassion melted flows
And he Decrees to ease that Nation's Woes.
Then do's he cause some Hero to arise,
Some mighty Leader, Valiant Just and Wise,
Some Moses, Joshua, Jeptha, Constantine,
Some pious Hercules of Race divine,
Some Arthur, or some Branch of Arthur's Line.
For this great Race with numerous Heros stor'd,
Always some great Deliverer will afford.
These he enjoyns the Monsters to invade,
And to support them gives his constant aid.
These from the Earth Tyrannic Spoilers chase,
The great Reproach and Plague of Humane Race.
These Ministers of Heav'n midst loud applause
Restore Religion, Right, and antient Laws.
Then fruitful Peace spreads out her brooding Wings,
And her bright train of Blessings Justice brings.
All freed from Violence and War-like noise,
Beneath their Fig-tree and their Vine rejoyce.