Thoughts in Prison, in Five Parts viz. The Imprisonment--The Retrospect--Public Punishment--The Trial--Futurity; By the Rev. William Dodd. To which are added, His Last Prayer, Written in the Night before his Death; The Convict's Address to his Unhappy Brethren; and Other Miscellaneous Pieces: With an account of the author, and a list of his works ... The fourth edition, with additions |
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| II. | II. SCRIPTURE-PENITENTS. |
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 | Thoughts in Prison, in Five Parts |  |
183
II. SCRIPTURE-PENITENTS.
(A Fragment.)
First in the list of penitents we place
The sinful parent of our sinful race;
Who by temptation foil'd, and man's first foe,
“Brought death into the world, and all our woe!”
The sinful parent of our sinful race;
Who by temptation foil'd, and man's first foe,
“Brought death into the world, and all our woe!”
Transgression's debt how deeply does he pay!
Depriv'd of innocence; to death a prey;
From Paradise expell'd; to toil assign'd,—
Toil of the fainting frame and sick'ning mind!
And doom'd to shed, for near a thousand years,
O'er fall'n descendants penitential tears!
Depriv'd of innocence; to death a prey;
From Paradise expell'd; to toil assign'd,—
Toil of the fainting frame and sick'ning mind!
And doom'd to shed, for near a thousand years,
O'er fall'n descendants penitential tears!
Thus seiz'd the triple league
on mortal man,
And thus, Repentance, thy sad reign began.
And thus, Repentance, thy sad reign began.
Yet, awful Power! how blest beneath thy sway,
Who feel Contrition's dictates, and obey!
Their vicious deviations who detest,
And hold Faith's cross, all-humbled, to their breast!
From God's lov'd presence then they need not fly
;
Nor ope in wrath the flood-gates of the sky:
For since to man perfection was deny'd,
By thee his deep demerits are supply'd:
And, led by thee a suppliant to the throne,
The God of mercy looks with pity down:
Smiles on the mourner, and delights to prove
How free is grace, and how triumphant love!
Who feel Contrition's dictates, and obey!
Their vicious deviations who detest,
And hold Faith's cross, all-humbled, to their breast!
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Nor ope in wrath the flood-gates of the sky:
For since to man perfection was deny'd,
By thee his deep demerits are supply'd:
And, led by thee a suppliant to the throne,
The God of mercy looks with pity down:
Smiles on the mourner, and delights to prove
How free is grace, and how triumphant love!
Eternal proof! See, bath'd in floods of tears,
Where David foremost in thy train appears:
How deep his crime, the prophet pictures well;
How deep his penitence, those sorrows tell!
That, whether to deplore the crime, or bless,
We stand suspended; since its evil less,
Less bright his soul's ingenuous grief had shone,
And less at once his comfort, and our own!
Where David foremost in thy train appears:
How deep his crime, the prophet pictures well;
How deep his penitence, those sorrows tell!
That, whether to deplore the crime, or bless,
We stand suspended; since its evil less,
Less bright his soul's ingenuous grief had shone,
And less at once his comfort, and our own!
Hear, like a torrent how his sorrows roll;
Conviction's tempest tearing up his soul!
Hear, sad and solemn, to the mournful strings,
In trembling anguish, how he weeps and sings!
Conviction's tempest tearing up his soul!
Hear, sad and solemn, to the mournful strings,
In trembling anguish, how he weeps and sings!
“Mercy, oh mercy, Lord! with humble heart;
“For thy known pity's sake, mercy I pray!
“Boundless in tender mercies as Thou art,
“Take, Lord! oh take my foul offence away!
“For thy known pity's sake, mercy I pray!
“Boundless in tender mercies as Thou art,
“Take, Lord! oh take my foul offence away!
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“Oh, from my loathsome guilt, wash, cleanse my soul;
“Remove, dear Father, each defiling stain:
“Guilty, oh, guilty, Lord! I own the whole;
“I see, I feel it; all excuse is vain.
“Remove, dear Father, each defiling stain:
“Guilty, oh, guilty, Lord! I own the whole;
“I see, I feel it; all excuse is vain.
“Against Thee, Lord! ev'n Thee, have I transgress'd;
“Lo, self-convicted, I before Thee fall!
“Just are thy words; their truth is thus confess'd;
“Just are thy judgments! Sinners are we all.
“Lo, self-convicted, I before Thee fall!
“Just are thy words; their truth is thus confess'd;
“Just are thy judgments! Sinners are we all.
“Prone to offend, or ere to birth I came,
“My mother, when conceiving, gave me guilt:
“Shapen in sin was my corrupted frame,
“When in the womb that wonderous frame was built.
“My mother, when conceiving, gave me guilt:
“Shapen in sin was my corrupted frame,
“When in the womb that wonderous frame was built.
“But Thou, of purer eyes than guilt to view,
“Thou wilt accept the soul's sincere desire;
“Pardon the past, the humbled heart renew,
“And wisdom by thy secret one inspire.
“Thou wilt accept the soul's sincere desire;
“Pardon the past, the humbled heart renew,
“And wisdom by thy secret one inspire.
“Then listen to my cry; and oh, my God,
“Purge me with hyssop, and I pure shall grow;
“Wash me, foul leper, in the mystic blood,
“And whiter I shall be than whitest snow.
“Purge me with hyssop, and I pure shall grow;
“Wash me, foul leper, in the mystic blood,
“And whiter I shall be than whitest snow.
186
“Against the voice of gladness let me hear
“Thy voice of pardoning love, for it is sweet:
“The soul dejected so shalt thou uprear,—
“The worm which, crush'd, lies trembling at thy feet.
“Thy voice of pardoning love, for it is sweet:
“The soul dejected so shalt thou uprear,—
“The worm which, crush'd, lies trembling at thy feet.
“Hide from my sins,—the objects of thy hate,—
“Oh, hide thy face, and blot them from thy view:
“A clean heart, God of grace, in me create,
“And a right spirit in my soul renew!
“Oh, hide thy face, and blot them from thy view:
“A clean heart, God of grace, in me create,
“And a right spirit in my soul renew!
“From thy lov'd presence let me not be driven;
“Let me not lose thy blessed spirit's aid;
“Again the joy of thy salvation giv'n,
“Uphold, support, sustain my heart dismay'd.
“Let me not lose thy blessed spirit's aid;
“Again the joy of thy salvation giv'n,
“Uphold, support, sustain my heart dismay'd.
“Then, of thy pardoning mercy satisfy'd,
“Thy pardoning mercy loud will I proclaim:
“So shall transgressors, taught by me, confide
“In thy compassions; turn, and bless thy name.
“Thy pardoning mercy loud will I proclaim:
“So shall transgressors, taught by me, confide
“In thy compassions; turn, and bless thy name.
“Ah! my soul shudders!—From the guilt of blood,
“Oh, from blood-guiltiness deliver me!
“Oh God, deliver—my salvation's God,
“And praise unceasing will I pay to thee.
“Oh, from blood-guiltiness deliver me!
“Oh God, deliver—my salvation's God,
“And praise unceasing will I pay to thee.
187
“Permit my lips, now clos'd by guilt and shame,
“Thy pardoning love, Jehovah, to express;
“Then to the list'ning world I'll tell thy name,
“Proclaim thy praise, and sing thy righeousness.
“Thy pardoning love, Jehovah, to express;
“Then to the list'ning world I'll tell thy name,
“Proclaim thy praise, and sing thy righeousness.
“For crimes like mine no offerings can atone;
“The gift of outward sacrifice is vain:
“Could these avail, before thy righteous throne
“Whole hecatombs I gladly would have slain.
“The gift of outward sacrifice is vain:
“Could these avail, before thy righteous throne
“Whole hecatombs I gladly would have slain.
“The contrite spirit and the sighs sincere,
“Which from the broken, bleeding heart arise,
“To thee more pleasing sacrifices are:
“Are gifts, my God, which thou wilt not depise.
“Which from the broken, bleeding heart arise,
“To thee more pleasing sacrifices are:
“Are gifts, my God, which thou wilt not depise.
“Hear then, and save! and to my people, Lord,
“Thy saving mercy graciously extend!
“Oh let our Zion live in thy regard;
“The walls of our Jerusalem defend!
“Thy saving mercy graciously extend!
“Oh let our Zion live in thy regard;
“The walls of our Jerusalem defend!
“So shall the righteous to thy temple go,
“And joyful bring their offering and their praise:
“So shall the blood of lambs in plenty flow,
“And incense on thy altar copious blaze .
“And joyful bring their offering and their praise:
“So shall the blood of lambs in plenty flow,
“And incense on thy altar copious blaze .
With joy, with grief, the penitent I see,
Offending Heav'n, yet Heav'n-absolv'd for me!
Oh while, like his, I feel my guilt and shame,
Be my repentance and my grief the same!
Then shall the truth which cheer'd his heart be mine;
Thy God has pardon'd thee, and life is thine.
Offending Heav'n, yet Heav'n-absolv'd for me!
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Be my repentance and my grief the same!
Then shall the truth which cheer'd his heart be mine;
Thy God has pardon'd thee, and life is thine.
But hark, my soul, what melancholy sound
Re-echoes from the dungeon's dark profound!
Hear, sympathetic hear: A King complains,
Fall'n from his throne, a prisoner, and in chains!
Re-echoes from the dungeon's dark profound!
Hear, sympathetic hear: A King complains,
Fall'n from his throne, a prisoner, and in chains!
“God of the world, at length thy rule I own,
“And prostrate fall before thy boundless throne:
“Thy power resistless, trembling I confess:
“In threat'nings awful, but in love no less!
“And prostrate fall before thy boundless throne:
“Thy power resistless, trembling I confess:
“In threat'nings awful, but in love no less!
“O what a blessing has that love assign'd,
“By penitence to heal the wounded mind!
“By penitence to sinners, who like me,
“More than th'unnumber'd sands that shore the sea,
“My crimes acknowledge; which, of crimson dye,
“In all their scarlet horrors meet my eye!
“By penitence to heal the wounded mind!
“By penitence to sinners, who like me,
“More than th'unnumber'd sands that shore the sea,
“My crimes acknowledge; which, of crimson dye,
“In all their scarlet horrors meet my eye!
“Oh eye, unworthy of the light of Heav'n:
“Oh sins too mountainous to be forgiv'n:
“Oh rebel to the law and love divine,
“How justly God's severest vengeance thine!
“Oh sins too mountainous to be forgiv'n:
“Oh rebel to the law and love divine,
“How justly God's severest vengeance thine!
189
“But oh, I bend my heart's obedient knee,
“In supplication, Lord, for grace from Thee!
“Yes, I have sinn'd, and I confess the whole—
“Forgive me then, nor cast away my soul!
“Save me from evil,—from thine anger save,
“And snatch me from the dark, untimely grave!
“In supplication, Lord, for grace from Thee!
“Yes, I have sinn'd, and I confess the whole—
“Forgive me then, nor cast away my soul!
“Save me from evil,—from thine anger save,
“And snatch me from the dark, untimely grave!
“Friend of the contrite, Thou wilt pardon give:
“A monument of mercy I shall live!
“And worthless as I am, for ever prove,
“That true repentence leads to saving love!
“That true repentance tunes to praise the heart,
“And in the choir of Heaven shall bear an ample part !’
“A monument of mercy I shall live!
“And worthless as I am, for ever prove,
“That true repentence leads to saving love!
“That true repentance tunes to praise the heart,
“And in the choir of Heaven shall bear an ample part !’
Thus, by affliction's deep correction taught,
Manasseh to the Lord for mercy sought:
By the kind chastening of a Father's rod,
Brought to the knowledge of himself and God!
Happy affliction, for such knowledge giv'n;
And blest the dungeon which led thus to Heaven!
Manasseh to the Lord for mercy sought:
By the kind chastening of a Father's rod,
Brought to the knowledge of himself and God!
Happy affliction, for such knowledge giv'n;
And blest the dungeon which led thus to Heaven!
| Thoughts in Prison, in Five Parts | |