The Poetical Works of Robert Montgomery Collected and Revised by the Author |
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INSPIRATION OF THE PAST. |
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 | The Poetical Works of Robert Montgomery |  |
INSPIRATION OF THE PAST.
“Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets,
do they live for ever?”—Zech. i. 5.
“God ------ in time past, spake unto the fathers.”—Heb. i. 1.
Our fathers, where are they,
The prophets of the past?—
Like solemn dreams, long flown away,
And with th' eternal class'd!
The prophets of the past?—
Like solemn dreams, long flown away,
And with th' eternal class'd!
Those patriarchs of the soul
Of lion heart and mien,
Scorning the world's depraved control,
They hallow'd history's scene;
Of lion heart and mien,
Scorning the world's depraved control,
They hallow'd history's scene;
Heroes of faith and prayer,
They fought salvation's fight,
Ready to do, and boldly dare,
When God reveal'd the right.
They fought salvation's fight,
Ready to do, and boldly dare,
When God reveal'd the right.
Such were those mental sires
Who made our English mind,
Whose page the saintly heart inspires,
Whose words entrance mankind.
Who made our English mind,
Whose page the saintly heart inspires,
Whose words entrance mankind.
Yes! they, indeed, were men
Of loftiness divine;
And not till such shall breathe again,
Will British glory shine.
Of loftiness divine;
And not till such shall breathe again,
Will British glory shine.
We want majestic hearts
Like those which burn'd and bled,
When Rome, with her resistless arts,
Denied the Church's Head.
Like those which burn'd and bled,
When Rome, with her resistless arts,
Denied the Church's Head.
The dungeon, steel, and stake,
A bloody doom, or block,
Not one of these their vow could break,
When summon'd to the shock.
A bloody doom, or block,
Not one of these their vow could break,
When summon'd to the shock.
Peaceful as lambs, as lions brave,
The saints of hoary time,—
Still may we hear them from the grave
Preach with a voice sublime.
The saints of hoary time,—
Still may we hear them from the grave
Preach with a voice sublime.
Their tongues are tipp'd with fire,
Their accent sounds the free,
And into us such men inspire
Their own eternity.
Their accent sounds the free,
And into us such men inspire
Their own eternity.
| The Poetical Works of Robert Montgomery | |