 | Miscellaneous poems |  |
40
THUNDER STORM.
When the black clouds in curling columns rise,
And darken o'er the cheerful face of day;
When the wing'd tribe to seek for shelter flies,
And lowing herds forget to feed or play:
How dark how threat'ning now appears the cloud;
See the fork'd lightning flashing all around;
Hark now it bursts in thunder hoarse and loud,
While mortals tremble at the awful sound.
And darken o'er the cheerful face of day;
When the wing'd tribe to seek for shelter flies,
And lowing herds forget to feed or play:
How dark how threat'ning now appears the cloud;
See the fork'd lightning flashing all around;
Hark now it bursts in thunder hoarse and loud,
While mortals tremble at the awful sound.
See where the lightning rends the sturdy oak,
Around the wood the shattered atoms fly;
The savage herd astonished at the stroke,
Quick to their dens for shelter hie;
The boding raven e'en forgets to croak,
And nature seems in silent agony.
Around the wood the shattered atoms fly;
The savage herd astonished at the stroke,
Quick to their dens for shelter hie;
The boding raven e'en forgets to croak,
And nature seems in silent agony.
41
Now the poor wretch with guilt and fear oppress'd,
Gladly would fly the awful threat'ning scene;
His misspent life now rankles in his breast,
Horror without, and guilt and fear within.
And while he views his guilty pleasures past,
He thinks perhaps this moment is his last,
Yet how unwilling, how unfit to go,
To give account of time abus'd below.
Gladly would fly the awful threat'ning scene;
His misspent life now rankles in his breast,
Horror without, and guilt and fear within.
And while he views his guilty pleasures past,
He thinks perhaps this moment is his last,
Yet how unwilling, how unfit to go,
To give account of time abus'd below.
While he who knows no guilt, can feel no fear,
Calmly he thinks, if doom'd to yield his breath,
The hand of him who made him still is near,
To guide him through the icy vale of death.
His spotless soul no sign of terror shows;
If nature shudders, 'tis because he knows
'Tis natures God that does the tempest form,
Speaks in the whirlwind, rides upon the storm.
Calmly he thinks, if doom'd to yield his breath,
The hand of him who made him still is near,
To guide him through the icy vale of death.
His spotless soul no sign of terror shows;
If nature shudders, 'tis because he knows
'Tis natures God that does the tempest form,
Speaks in the whirlwind, rides upon the storm.
42
At his command the thunders roll,
At his command the lightnings fly
From shore to shore, from pole to pole,
And every human art defy.
The strongest tower, touch'd by his power,
Will into crumbling ruins fall,
Whelming its owners, 'neath its ponderous wall.
At his command the lightnings fly
From shore to shore, from pole to pole,
And every human art defy.
The strongest tower, touch'd by his power,
Will into crumbling ruins fall,
Whelming its owners, 'neath its ponderous wall.
Thou glorious, great, Omnipotent, to thee
Our comfort, peace, and even life we owe;
May we with grateful hearts, and bended knee,
Here dedicate our future lives to thee,
Whose mercies like a fountain ever flow.
Our comfort, peace, and even life we owe;
May we with grateful hearts, and bended knee,
Here dedicate our future lives to thee,
Whose mercies like a fountain ever flow.
Make us, great God, to love thee as we ought;
Oh let that love, through ev'ry action shine;
Oh let us not offend thee even in thought,
Or dare to irritate thy wrath divine.
Oh let that love, through ev'ry action shine;
Oh let us not offend thee even in thought,
Or dare to irritate thy wrath divine.
43
Make us to place such confidence in thee,
That though thy thunders shook the tott'ring world;
Though round us flaming elements we see,
And nature seems to swift destruction hurl'd;
That though thy thunders shook the tott'ring world;
Though round us flaming elements we see,
And nature seems to swift destruction hurl'd;
We may, tho' trembling at the awful sight,
To thee our souls in grateful praises give;
Whose hand can waft us to that place of light,
Where none e'er die, but all forever live.
To thee our souls in grateful praises give;
Whose hand can waft us to that place of light,
Where none e'er die, but all forever live.
| Miscellaneous poems | |