How passing sweet to pure devotion's soul, Are proofs of thy unlimited controul! While the true Christian's mental eyes survey Thy heavenly origin, and healing sway. Only begotten Son of Sire supreme, Whose quickening bounty was thy vital beam, Ere nature lived, when, with thy filial aid, The vast foundation of all worlds was laid! When the paternal God was pleas'd to see A blight reflection of Himself in Thee! The splendour of his glory! form'd to share His purest power, his providential care, And, in consummating his gracious will, At length annihilate all cureless ill! To faith's pure eyes how ravishingly clear Signs of her Lord's Divinity appear! While earth and Heaven invite her to behold How the fair series of those signs unfold! A blest Redeemer, and without a trace Of man's corruption in his ruin'd race, Announc'd by mercy to our fallen sire, Soon made that contrite criminal respire: Age after age, of prophecy the breath. Softening the horrors in the doom of death, While nature strove with sin's dark woes to cope, Shed thro' her lighten'd heart religious hope. Thro' patriarchal times, in vision clear, Types of the great Deliverer appear: At length, when centuries have roll'd away. And faith stands watching for her promis'd day, She sees her Saviour from a virgin sprung, His advent by attending angels song! And wisdom usher'd by the guiding Star, Hails Him, with gifts of homage, from afar. The voice of Heaven proclaims his promis'd birth, And conscious nature feels her friend on earth. His uninstructed youth divinely sage, Transcends the knowledge of experienc'd age: The weak receive the strength, his will can give, The dead obedient to his mandate live, In power as mighty, as in mercy kind, He dies, the ransom of redeem'd mankind! Lord of Existence! He expires to prove His matchless effort of celestial love; And ratify, while He resigns his breath, His glorious conquest o'er the gates of death! A massive tomb receives his sacred corse; And foes would guard it with a watchful force: Vain boast of folly's disbelieving rout! Who thus confirm the Deity, they doubt! The grave beholds the heavenly victor rise, And soar triumphant to his native skies. His troubled servants still to calm and cheer See Him, in human tenderness appear! And while the slow of faith He mildly blames, "My Lord! my God!" his doubt-freed saint exclaims. Were He not God, and worthy of our trust, Could He admit such worship from the just? And bless the conscious of his heavenly right, Whose faith demands no evidence of sight? Yet grace divine full evidence has given; Witness! Thou earth! by his dread sufferings riven! Witness! Thou speaking firmament above! When God proclaim'd Him offspring of his love! Pleas'd to that blessed offspring to impart Prerogative divine, dominion of the heart! Exulting angels hail his sovereign sway; Attest his glory, his commands obey; And usher Him, whom e'en the demons own As Earth's Redeemer, to his heavenly throne: