 | The convict's appeal |  |
THE CONVICT'S APPEAL.
“Have I any pleasure at all, that the wicked should
die? saith the Lord God; and not that he should return
from his ways, and live?”
Ezekiel, c. 18, v. 23.
THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED TO JAMES MONTGOMERY: NOT ONLY IN CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR ORIGINAL INSERTION IN THE SHEFFIELD IRIS, BUT BECAUSE THE OBJECT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE, (The Amelioration of our Criminal Code,) MAY BE MATERIALLY ASSISTED BY THE EFFORTS OF A Poet, WHOSE TALENTS HAVE BEEN CONSPICUOUSLY DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS AND TRUEST HAPPINESS OF MANKIND.
B. B.
7
The hours fly fast, and soon the beam
Of life's last day must break;
And soon must be fulfill'd the dream,
From which 'twas joy to wake.
Of life's last day must break;
And soon must be fulfill'd the dream,
From which 'twas joy to wake.
I dreamt just now, when feverish sleep
My heavy eye-lids seal'd,
I could not sigh, I could not weep,
My heart was sear'd and steel'd.
My heavy eye-lids seal'd,
I could not sigh, I could not weep,
My heart was sear'd and steel'd.
I stood, methought, in mute despair,
Upon the scaffold's height,
And mark'd the thousands gather'd there,
To gaze upon the sight.
Upon the scaffold's height,
And mark'd the thousands gather'd there,
To gaze upon the sight.
8
O pardon, Heav'n! the impious thought,
For impious it must be,
Which in that dreadful hour was brought,
Unconsciously to me.
For impious it must be,
Which in that dreadful hour was brought,
Unconsciously to me.
Forgive me, if I wildly pray'd,
The yawning earth might ope,
And swallow those who thus survey'd,
A being 'reft of hope.
The yawning earth might ope,
And swallow those who thus survey'd,
A being 'reft of hope.
'Twas frenzied anguish brought that prayer,
To slumbering misery;
Yet sure 'twas cruel to come there,
My wretched death to see.
To slumbering misery;
Yet sure 'twas cruel to come there,
My wretched death to see.
For there were Fathers, Husbands too,
Who wives and daughters had;
And even Mothers came to view,
While mine!—it made me mad!
Who wives and daughters had;
And even Mothers came to view,
While mine!—it made me mad!
9
A suffocating thirst, a swell,
Which seem'd my breath to choak,
Came over me:—it broke the spell
Of sleep, and I awoke.
Which seem'd my breath to choak,
Came over me:—it broke the spell
Of sleep, and I awoke.
Though momentary the relief,
It seem'd a respite given;
A something to give vent to grief,
To weep, and kneel to Heaven.
It seem'd a respite given;
A something to give vent to grief,
To weep, and kneel to Heaven.
Now, thanks to God's most gracious name,
That frenzied hour is past;
Yet still o'erwhelm'd with grief and shame,
I can but dread the last.
That frenzied hour is past;
Yet still o'erwhelm'd with grief and shame,
I can but dread the last.
Must I then meet my death so soon?
Can they who power possess,
To grant of life the glorious boon,
Be deaf to my distress?
Can they who power possess,
To grant of life the glorious boon,
Be deaf to my distress?
10
From Virtue's paths though I have swerv'd,
And injur'd man, can I,
For bloodless crimes, have e'er deserv'd
That dreadful doom—to die?
And injur'd man, can I,
For bloodless crimes, have e'er deserv'd
That dreadful doom—to die?
Such is, it seems, the Law's decree,
No mercy can be shown;
My life the sacrifice must be,
Though ill it can atone.
No mercy can be shown;
My life the sacrifice must be,
Though ill it can atone.
To Thee, O God! who, through thy Son,
Hast proffer'd life to all,
Who feel themselves by sin undone,
I turn,—before Thee fall;—
Hast proffer'd life to all,
Who feel themselves by sin undone,
I turn,—before Thee fall;—
And supplicate with streaming eyes,
And heart with anguish rife,
From Thee, that mercy man denies,
From Thee, eternal life.
And heart with anguish rife,
From Thee, that mercy man denies,
From Thee, eternal life.
11
Vile and abandon'd as I am,
'Tis thine, this boon to give,
Thy Son was once declar'd the Lamb
Who died that all might live.
'Tis thine, this boon to give,
Thy Son was once declar'd the Lamb
Who died that all might live.
O grant me faith, ere yet the span
Of life is o'er with me,
To feel, that though condemn'd by man,
I'm pardon'd now by Thee.
Of life is o'er with me,
To feel, that though condemn'd by man,
I'm pardon'd now by Thee.
I know, and deeply humbled, feel
The sinfulness of sin,
Shown by that grace, which can reveal
Its turpitude within.
The sinfulness of sin,
Shown by that grace, which can reveal
Its turpitude within.
'Tis this gives death its bitterness,
My fall'n estate I see;
And condemnation's consciousness,
Hath driven my soul to Thee.
My fall'n estate I see;
And condemnation's consciousness,
Hath driven my soul to Thee.
12
No ray of hope the gloom could cheer,
Hadst Thou not rais'd the cry,
Prompted by penitence sincere,
“A Saviour! or I die.”
Hadst Thou not rais'd the cry,
Prompted by penitence sincere,
“A Saviour! or I die.”
Thou know'st how many snares were spread
Around my path with skill,
And how my heart was left unfed
With knowledge of thy will.
Around my path with skill,
And how my heart was left unfed
With knowledge of thy will.
Temptation rose on every hand,
No earthly friend was near,
To warn me early to withstand,
What now I loathe and fear.
No earthly friend was near,
To warn me early to withstand,
What now I loathe and fear.
Yet truth compels me, Lord, to own,
That thy in-speaking word
Still made both good and evil known,
If I had timely heard.
That thy in-speaking word
Still made both good and evil known,
If I had timely heard.
13
But slighted first, then shun'd, then fear'd,
Its voice more faint became;
And what obedience had endear'd,
Spoke but of sin and shame.
Its voice more faint became;
And what obedience had endear'd,
Spoke but of sin and shame.
No,—it were useless to evade
Compunction's piercing dart;
Nor would I wish to cast in shade,
The vileness of my heart.
Compunction's piercing dart;
Nor would I wish to cast in shade,
The vileness of my heart.
I feel it deeply: yet would trust,
In him who died for all;
Then hear me, humbled in the dust.
Upon thy mercy call.
In him who died for all;
Then hear me, humbled in the dust.
Upon thy mercy call.
My prayer is heard!—with awful fears,
And trembling doubts arise,
Sweet hopes which sanctify my tears,
And calm my struggling sighs.
And trembling doubts arise,
Sweet hopes which sanctify my tears,
And calm my struggling sighs.
14
But though redeeming love hath power
To sanctify the heart,
And fit it, in death's awful hour,
To act a Christian's part.
To sanctify the heart,
And fit it, in death's awful hour,
To act a Christian's part.
Though God may interpose, when man
Hath fix'd the dying day,
And faith, and grace, and mercy, can
Redeem a Cast-away:—
Hath fix'd the dying day,
And faith, and grace, and mercy, can
Redeem a Cast-away:—
Still, surely it deserves a thought,
An awful, solemn pause,
Whether the Creed, by Christians taught,
Can justify their laws?
An awful, solemn pause,
Whether the Creed, by Christians taught,
Can justify their laws?
Which doom not death alone, but—far
As human power is given,
Thus place before the Almighty's bar,
Man—unprepar'd for Heaven!
As human power is given,
Thus place before the Almighty's bar,
Man—unprepar'd for Heaven!
15
Ye who profess the Christian name,
Since vested in your hands,
A Christian nation's laws to frame,
Do what your faith commands.
Since vested in your hands,
A Christian nation's laws to frame,
Do what your faith commands.
Reflect how glorious 'tis to save,
How godlike to convert,
That the most virtuous dares not brave,
From God his just desert.
How godlike to convert,
That the most virtuous dares not brave,
From God his just desert.
This precept let your laws display,
“Return, repent, and live!”
Nor lightly take that life away,
Which God thought fit to give!
“Return, repent, and live!”
Nor lightly take that life away,
Which God thought fit to give!
| The convict's appeal | |