 | My Mind and its Thoughts, in Sketches, Fragments, and Essays |  |
HYMNS.
REANIMATION.
WRITTEN AT THE REQUEST OF THE BOSTON HUMANE SOCIETY, AND INTENDED BY THE AUTHOR TO BE SUNG BY THE REANIMATED PERSONS WALKING IN PROCESSION.
Who from the closing shades of night,
When the last tear of hope is shed,
Can bid the soul return to light,
And break the slumber of the dead!
When the last tear of hope is shed,
Can bid the soul return to light,
And break the slumber of the dead!
No human skill that heart can warm,
Which the cold blast of nature froze,
Recall to life the perished form,
The secret of the grave disclose.
Which the cold blast of nature froze,
Recall to life the perished form,
The secret of the grave disclose.
But Thou—our saving God—we know,
Canst bless the mortal arm with power,
To bid the stagnant pulses flow,
The animating heat restore.
Canst bless the mortal arm with power,
To bid the stagnant pulses flow,
The animating heat restore.
Thy will, ere nature's tutored hand
Could with young life these limbs unfold,
Did the imprison'd brain expand,
And all its countless fibres told:
Could with young life these limbs unfold,
Did the imprison'd brain expand,
And all its countless fibres told:
As from the dust thy forming breath
Could the unconscious being raise,
So shall the wasted voice of death
Wake at thy call in songs of praise.
Could the unconscious being raise,
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Wake at thy call in songs of praise.
Since twice to die is ours' alone,
And twice the birth of life to see;
Oh let us, suppliant at thy throne,
Devote our second life to Thee.
And twice the birth of life to see;
Oh let us, suppliant at thy throne,
Devote our second life to Thee.
DEDICATION HYMN.
WRITTEN AT THE REQUEST OF THE CHURCH OF WEST BOSTON.
In vain would mortal hands prepare
The temple's blest abode;
Unless, supreme in mercy there,
Descend the accepting God.
The temple's blest abode;
Unless, supreme in mercy there,
Descend the accepting God.
In vain the warbled prayer we raise
In strains that seem divine;
Unless the heart's responsive praise,
Inspiring God! be thine.
In strains that seem divine;
Unless the heart's responsive praise,
Inspiring God! be thine.
Such was a Mayhew's
soul of zeal,
Adoring thee with fear,
He taught the sinner's heart to feel,
The avenging power was near.
Mayhew and Howard were Divines established to preach the Gospel in the former Sanctuary, the Reverend Mr. Lowell, a young man amiable and eloquent, was the ordained Pastor of the new Church.—These three Stanzas being local and personal, might be omitted upon any occasion for which the remaining lines might be made applicable.
Adoring thee with fear,
He taught the sinner's heart to feel,
The avenging power was near.
With milder light a Howard shone,
To him persuasion given,
He made thy pitying promise known,
Parent of earth, and heaven!
To him persuasion given,
He made thy pitying promise known,
Parent of earth, and heaven!
Such may your youthful Pastor prove,
The words of life to feel,
Be his a Howard's patient love,
A Mayhew's heavenly zeal!
The words of life to feel,
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A Mayhew's heavenly zeal!
O THOU! to whom the solar blaze
Is but a shadowy zone,
To thee our holiest dome we raise,
Glorious for God alone!
Is but a shadowy zone,
To thee our holiest dome we raise,
Glorious for God alone!
HYMN.
SORROW AND SUPPLICATION.
Though dark and deep offences flow,
Be the repentant grief sincere;
Pure as the falling fleece of snow,
Shall the accepted soul appear.
Thine is a pitying parent's care,
God of forgiveness! heed our prayer!
Be the repentant grief sincere;
Pure as the falling fleece of snow,
Shall the accepted soul appear.
Thine is a pitying parent's care,
God of forgiveness! heed our prayer!
If, pierced by many an earthly woe,
The breaking heart its peace resign;
On heaven that breaking heart bestow,
And be its healing mercies thine!
To thee our sorrowing thoughts we raise,
God of compassion! hear our praise!
The breaking heart its peace resign;
On heaven that breaking heart bestow,
And be its healing mercies thine!
To thee our sorrowing thoughts we raise,
God of compassion! hear our praise!
From the bright heaven's transcendent throne
Behold the Lord of life descend,
Making the sentenced earth his own,
The blessing of his love extend!
Saviour, and God! from thee we claim,
The christian's ever soaring flame!
Behold the Lord of life descend,
Making the sentenced earth his own,
The blessing of his love extend!
Saviour, and God! from thee we claim,
The christian's ever soaring flame!
The mind that rests its hope on high,
Though dark as night, as winter cold.
Adoring heaven's protective eye,
Shall to its glorious light unfold.
The breath of worlds, the soul divine,
Creative Deity! are thine.
Though dark as night, as winter cold.
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Shall to its glorious light unfold.
The breath of worlds, the soul divine,
Creative Deity! are thine.
HYMN.
PRAISE AND PRAYER TO GOD.
In this Hymn, the Author has in part attempted to imitate
the sublime adoration of the North American Indian, expressed
in the following Prayer.
“Oh Eternal, have mercy upon me—because I am passing
away!—O Infinite—because I am but a speck!—Oh most
Mighty—because I am weak!—Oh Source of Life—because
I draw nigh to the Grave—Oh, Omniscient—because I am in
darkness!—Oh All-Bounteous—because I am poor!—Oh
All-Sufficient—because I am nothing!”
In this Hymn, the Author has in part attempted to imitate the sublime adoration of the North American Indian, expressed in the following Prayer.
“Oh Eternal, have mercy upon me—because I am passing away!—O Infinite—because I am but a speck!—Oh most Mighty—because I am weak!—Oh Source of Life—because I draw nigh to the Grave—Oh, Omniscient—because I am in darkness!—Oh All-Bounteous—because I am poor!—Oh All-Sufficient—because I am nothing!”
Oh thou, who ere the lapse of time,
Wert glorious with unfading prime;
Enduring God! thy pity give,
To me who but a moment live.
Wert glorious with unfading prime;
Enduring God! thy pity give,
To me who but a moment live.
Thy strength the elements controuls,
And rules the axis of the poles;
To me, in sinful suffering weak,
The words of pardoning mercy speak.
And rules the axis of the poles;
To me, in sinful suffering weak,
The words of pardoning mercy speak.
Thou light of worlds! whose quenchless ray
Beams in the brilliant blush of day!
On me, in darkest error blind,
Pervading, pour the all-seeing mind!
Beams in the brilliant blush of day!
On me, in darkest error blind,
Pervading, pour the all-seeing mind!
Parent of life! to whom I owe
The nerves that thrill, the veins that glow,
Me, sinking to the oblivious grave,
May thy absolving goodness save.
The nerves that thrill, the veins that glow,
Me, sinking to the oblivious grave,
May thy absolving goodness save.
Immortal Being! God alone!
All-giving nature is thy own;
To Thee, her wandering race restore,
Till all her breathing world adore.
All-giving nature is thy own;
To Thee, her wandering race restore,
Till all her breathing world adore.
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HYMN.
GLORY TO GOD.
To thee, creative God, I owe
All that I have, or hope, or know;
Each ray of mind, that seems to shine,
Is but a passing gleam of thine!
All that I have, or hope, or know;
Each ray of mind, that seems to shine,
Is but a passing gleam of thine!
The lustred heavens present thy zone,
The peopled earth, thy living throne;
This globe, which nature holds of thee,
Is bound by thy infinity!
The peopled earth, thy living throne;
This globe, which nature holds of thee,
Is bound by thy infinity!
Poor, and unblessed, not mine the power,
To shield from want one frugal hour,
When through thy pitying care I drew
The bread of peace and promise too.
To shield from want one frugal hour,
When through thy pitying care I drew
The bread of peace and promise too.
How vain the pride of man appears,
How weak the vigour of his years,
Yet thou the VITAL RAY hast given,
That lights and leads his hope to heaven.
How weak the vigour of his years,
Yet thou the VITAL RAY hast given,
That lights and leads his hope to heaven.
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TWO HYMNS,
For the Celebration of the Lord's Supper, at the first Church in Dorchester.
[HYMN 1st.]
MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST TO THE GENTILES.
Matthew, 2d.
WRITTEN AT THE PARTICULAR REQUEST OF THE CHURCH AND ITS BELOVED PASTOR.
When on the midnight of the east,
At the dead moment of repose,
Like hope on misery's darkened breast,
The planet of salvation rose.
At the dead moment of repose,
Like hope on misery's darkened breast,
The planet of salvation rose.
The Shepherd, leaning o'er his flock,
Started with broad and upward gaze;
Kneel'd—while the star of Bethlehem broke
On music, wakened into praise.
Started with broad and upward gaze;
Kneel'd—while the star of Bethlehem broke
On music, wakened into praise.
If heathen monarchs from afar
Followed, when darkness round them spread,
The kindling glories of that star,
And worshipped where its radiance led.
Followed, when darkness round them spread,
The kindling glories of that star,
And worshipped where its radiance led.
Shall we, for whom that star has risen,
For whom that Shepherd music flow'd,
Regardless hear of sins forgiven,
Nor claim the promise God bestowed!
For whom that Shepherd music flow'd,
Regardless hear of sins forgiven,
Nor claim the promise God bestowed!
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Shall we, for whom the Saviour bled,
Careless his banquet's blessing see;
Nor heed the parting word, that said,
Remember Him, who died for thee!
Careless his banquet's blessing see;
Nor heed the parting word, that said,
Remember Him, who died for thee!
HYMN 2d.
FOR THE LORD'S SUPPER AT THE FIRST CHURCH IN DORCHESTER.
I.
And hast thou, Lord to sinners given,Pardon, and peace, and hope, and heaven!
To man's offending race restored
The blessing of the absolving word!
While to thy table we are led,
And pour that wine, and break that bread,
With which the incarnate God was fed!
With which the incarnate God was fed!
II.
Ne'er may the earth's vain wishes raise,Lips hallowed by thy prayer, and praise;
No more the thoughts of sin surprise
Hearts of the accepted sacrifice—
Hearts claimed by thee, whose wakeful woes
Gave the contending world repose;
Dark ere the sun of glory rose.
Dark ere the sun of glory rose!
III.
Dark ere the rays of mercy shone,Dark ere the gospel's light was known;
Dark, ere in guilt and misery's hour,
The Lord of life—of love—of power,
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Eternal victory to the grave;
And died—a sinning world to save,
And died—a sinning world to save!
STANZAS.
INTENDED FOR A YOUNG ECCLESIASTIC, RECENTLY ORDAINED ONE OF THE PASTORS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
In apology—It is observed, that these Stanzas were immediate upon hearing a Sermon by the young Priest, enforcing “the Duty of Penance”—on which very solemn occasion some among the more youthful females appearing to be rather too much charmed, it was thought that the injunction, seemingly intended for the Pastor, might not be wholly lost upon the Penitent.
In apology—It is observed, that these Stanzas were immediate upon hearing a Sermon by the young Priest, enforcing “the Duty of Penance”—on which very solemn occasion some among the more youthful females appearing to be rather too much charmed, it was thought that the injunction, seemingly intended for the Pastor, might not be wholly lost upon the Penitent.
What is the world's unhallowed charm,
To one whom martyr'd saints regard;
Calm is the pulse, the nerves are calm,
When mortals rest on heaven's reward.
To one whom martyr'd saints regard;
Calm is the pulse, the nerves are calm,
When mortals rest on heaven's reward.
And thou, like him whose TRUST
is thine,
Whose genius sheds its rays on thee,
Must every flower of earth resign,
For treasures of eternity.
Whose genius sheds its rays on thee,
Must every flower of earth resign,
For treasures of eternity.
Canst thou the fruits of pleasure scorn!
Wilt thou of wealth the hoards despise,
Gazing on gifts that life adorn,
With quiet undesiring eyes?
Wilt thou of wealth the hoards despise,
Gazing on gifts that life adorn,
With quiet undesiring eyes?
Canst thou, while others warm, grow cold,
Wilt thou while beauty kneels be blind;
Though cast in Nature's finest mould—
As if to Nature's self unkind?
Wilt thou while beauty kneels be blind;
Though cast in Nature's finest mould—
As if to Nature's self unkind?
Then, Pastor, to the heavens remove,
Let angels thy companions be;
Wants of the world, its hate, its love,
Are feelings unapproach'd by thee.
Let angels thy companions be;
Wants of the world, its hate, its love,
Are feelings unapproach'd by thee.
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Thee—bound to duty's rigid breast,
To penance, and its pains resign'd,
The passions of the soul suppress'd—
Recall'd the wandering thoughts of mind.
To penance, and its pains resign'd,
The passions of the soul suppress'd—
Recall'd the wandering thoughts of mind.
While some are doubting, some admiring,
Be thine the saintly teacher's part,
From the unholy world retiring,
To learn the sacrifice of heart.
Be thine the saintly teacher's part,
From the unholy world retiring,
To learn the sacrifice of heart.
To search the path his steps have trod,
Thy bishop blest—whose life divine
Moves gently onward to his God,
The lesson of that life is thine.
Thy bishop blest—whose life divine
Moves gently onward to his God,
The lesson of that life is thine.
| My Mind and its Thoughts, in Sketches, Fragments, and Essays | |