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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Contemplation.
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Contemplation.
Great Prince of Peace! When I incline
To wait on thee,
Thou say'st in secret, Thou art mine;
Thou'st purchas'd me;
Not with Corruptible or Fading Things,
But with a Price that far exceeds the Crowns of Kings.
To wait on thee,
Thou say'st in secret, Thou art mine;
Thou'st purchas'd me;
Not with Corruptible or Fading Things,
But with a Price that far exceeds the Crowns of Kings.
Ah, Lord! Who can enough admire
Thy Boundless Love,
Which doth so far surpass desire,
Yea, often prove
Beyond what might expected be by me,
Unworthy of the smallest smiling Glance from thee.
Thy Boundless Love,
Which doth so far surpass desire,
Yea, often prove
Beyond what might expected be by me,
Unworthy of the smallest smiling Glance from thee.
O Gracious Love! Thy Sweets excel
All things below:
Alas! Earth's Beauty cannot parallel
Thy meanest Glimpse, I know;
For one's an Earnest of ne'er-fading Joy;
The other's an ensnaring Soul-deluding Toy.
All things below:
Alas! Earth's Beauty cannot parallel
Thy meanest Glimpse, I know;
For one's an Earnest of ne'er-fading Joy;
The other's an ensnaring Soul-deluding Toy.
Thy smallest gentle Ray invites
Our Souls to taste
Those never-fading fresh Delights,
Which always last;
And, as desired, more increase,
Unto the humble holy Child of Peace.
Our Souls to taste
Those never-fading fresh Delights,
Which always last;
And, as desired, more increase,
Unto the humble holy Child of Peace.
152
Mark how the Tapers feeble Light,
With Glimm'ring Ray,
Gilds as it were the Shades of Night,
Instead of Day;
But what's its Lustre, when the Sun appears
T'Illuminate our doleful Hemispheres!
With Glimm'ring Ray,
Gilds as it were the Shades of Night,
Instead of Day;
But what's its Lustre, when the Sun appears
T'Illuminate our doleful Hemispheres!
So, tho' Earth's Pleasures sometimes do,
With seeming Joys,
Allays small Sorrows, mitigate a Wo,
That from her Toys
Proceeds, and vex the groveling Soul that feeds
Upon her empty Husks, and noisome Weeds.
With seeming Joys,
Allays small Sorrows, mitigate a Wo,
That from her Toys
Proceeds, and vex the groveling Soul that feeds
Upon her empty Husks, and noisome Weeds.
Yet when the Brightness of thine Eye
Doth from above
Discover dark deluding Vanity,
And with its Love
Invite; how less than nothing then are those
Fondly Ensnaring Toys, and Flatt'ring Shows,
Doth from above
Discover dark deluding Vanity,
And with its Love
Invite; how less than nothing then are those
Fondly Ensnaring Toys, and Flatt'ring Shows,
Which only by Reflections do
Produce Remorse
In th'injur'd Conscience, to increase the Wo
That will with Force
Fall upon those that dote on Fading Toys,
But slight the Light that leads to endless Joys?
Produce Remorse
In th'injur'd Conscience, to increase the Wo
That will with Force
Fall upon those that dote on Fading Toys,
But slight the Light that leads to endless Joys?
Ah then, who can enough admire
Thy Love, thy Light!
Who can but long, with strong desire,
For such Delight!
This is the Light of Life, fades not away,
But shines—more bright unto the perfect Day.
Thy Love, thy Light!
Who can but long, with strong desire,
For such Delight!
This is the Light of Life, fades not away,
But shines—more bright unto the perfect Day.
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