Awd Isaac :: :: University of Virginia Library

When Eden's floory garden smiled,
Nor Eve the Sarpent hed beguil'd,
Man stood upreeght an' undefiled
I' maand an' feeature,
An' sweetest conversation held
Wi' his Creator.

Bud when that awful monster sin
Hed gain'd its ugly entrance in
The warld, oor sorrows did begin;
Then Heaven froond,
An' t' glitt'ring swoord o' Justice gleeam'd
On all aroond.

Sin spreead destruction wide, an' seean
Grim deeath began his feearful reign;—
Satan wi' lees an' malice keen
Went teea an' fraw,
The frail, the noble sons o' men
Te owerthraw.

Bud the Almighty sent his aid,
Enoch an' Abraham obey'd,
An' Noah, Job, an' Daniel pray'd,
An' Gideon too;
An' mighty fooas throo mighty faith
They did subdue.

Then ancient Israel's altar's blazed,
An' solemn congregations gazed,
An' Holy men ther voices raaized,
An' trumpets soonded.
Then heathen armies stood amazed,
An' wur confoonded.

Then Joshua congker'd i' the vale,
An' gud Elijah did prevail;—
The wicked worshippers o' Baal
He owerthrew,
An' showed te them the living God
An' only true.

An' while the sacrifice was pure,
Destruction com nut neegh ther door;
I' moont or tent they wur secure
By neeght or day;
Whahl thraving groups o' flocks an' herds,
Aroond 'em lay.

They towght an' showed ther childer hoo
Ther Fathers kept ther solemn voo,
When the Almighty leead 'em throo
The desert land;
An' hoo thooase fell 'at wad nut boo
Te His command.

An' seea sud we oor childer teeach,
An' i' ther ears gud doctrine preeach,
Befoore corrupt ideas reeach
The tender maand;
An' when they up te manhood graw,
The gud they'll finnd.

Ey, tell 'em whea the sarpent stung,
Hoo Moses an' hoo Deborah sung,
An' hoo the Holy Hebrews yoong
Did walk throo fire;
An' try te tune ther infant tongues
Te David's lyre.

Remind 'em ov a Saviour's love,
Leearn 'em the way God will approve,
Te pray, an' fix ther thowghts above
Eearth's fleeting joys,
Which at ther best, when tried 'll proov,
Bud empty toys.

Consult the worthies ov' each age,
Wheas lives are doon i't' sacred page,
Nor rest till all the heart engage
Like them i' feight.
Then we like them oor hostile fooas,
Sal put te flight.

Te us they as examples stand,
As guide-poosts in a weeary land,
Or like seea monny beeacons grand,
On mountains heeigh,
Te shoo the way Jehovah's plann'd;
Or deeanger neeigh.

Bud men graw noo seea warldly wise,
Seea prooan te vanity an' lies,
T'best o' coonsel they'll despise,
Seea queer they live,
They'll scarce a proper question ax,
Or answer give.

Mankind i' gen'ral can espy,
The mooat 'at's in anoother's eye,
An' big an' busy as Paul Pry,
'Ll mark it doon;—
It helps fra' silly passers by
Te hide ther awn.

Theer's numbers seeams o' t' better soort,
Aroond oor chapels still resoort,
An' o' convarsion mack a spoort,
An' sins forgeean,
An' at the truly pious shoot,
Ther arrows keen.

Bud the Almighty sees ther ways,
An' thof he lenthens oot ther days,
An' his just rath he noo delays,
'Tis seer te cum;
The stootest o' the human race,
Mun meet ther doom.

Ey, when ther jolly days are spent,
If they i' taame deea nut repent,
They'll seerly doon te hell be sent
Te revell theer,
Te curse, an' fooam, an' pay ther rint
I' black despair.

Freeat nut thysel when thoo doast see
The wicked i' prosperity,
Te floorish like a green bay tree,
Or cedar tall;
He like a leeaf, by firm decree,
Mun feeade an' fall!

Consider thoo what hez beean sed,
An' o' ther threeats be nut afraaid,
Beware lest thoo sud be betray'd
By ther deceit;—
An' t'Lord gie thee, an' nut upbreead,
His Sperit's leeght!”

The coontry's all anxiety,
Te knaw Awd Isaac's pedigree,
An' sum cry oot 'tis all a lee,
A meead up thing;—
Te sike we think it nut woth whahl,
Oor proofs te bring.

For all that wish te knaw—may read,
The sum an' substance ov his creed;—
May catch, an' saw the lahtle seed
Wi' greeat success.
Bud whoor he liv'd, or whoor he deed,
'Tis left te guess.