In beautiful content,--beneath a tree Whose shadows hung o'er many a hallow'd sire, He sits; recording how creation rose From nothing, of the Word almighty born; How Man had fallen, and where Eden boughs Had waved their beauty on the breeze of morn; Or, how the angels still at twilight love To visit earth with errands from the sky. ISAIAH. Terrific bard! and mighty--in thy strain A torrent of inspiring passion sounds-- Whether for cities by the Almighty cursed, Thy wail arose--or, on enormous crimes That darken'd heav'n with supernat'ral gloom, Thy flash of indignation fell, alike The feelings quiver when thy voice awakes!-- Borne in the whirlwind of a dreadful song, The spirit travels round the destin'd globe, While shadows, cast from solemn years to come, Fall round us, and we feel a God is nigh! But when a gladness from thy music flows, Creation brightens!--glory paints the sky, The Sun hath got an everlasting smile, And Earth in temper'd for immortal spring-- The lion smoothes his ruffled mane, the lamb And wolf together feed, and by the den Of serpents, see! the rosy infant play. THE SAVIOUR. As o'er the grandeur of unclouded heaven Our vision travels with a free delight, As though the boundless and the pure were made For speculation--so the tow'ring mind, By inward oracle inspired and taught, The lofty and the excellent in mind adores. Then, Saviour! what a paragon art Thou Of all that Wisdom in her hope creates-- A model for the universe--Though God Be round us, by the shadow of His might For aye reflected, and with plastic hand Prints on the earth the character of things-- Yet He Himself,--how awfully retired Depth within depth, unutterably deep! His glory brighter than the brightest thought Can picture, holier than our holiest awe Can worship,--imaged only in I AM! But Thou--apparell'd in a robe of true Mortality; meek sharer of our low Estate, in all except compliant sin; To Thee a comprehending worship pays Perennial sacrifice of life and soul, By love enkindled;--Thou hast lived and breathed; Our wants and woes partaken--all that charms Or sanctifies, to Thine unspotted truth May plead for sanction--virtue but reflects Thine image! wisdom is a voice attuned To consonance with Thine--and all that yields To thought a pureness, or to life a peace, From Thee descends--whose spirit-ruling sway, Invisible as thought, around us brings A balm almighty for affliction's hour-- Once felt, in all the fullness of Thy grace The living essence of the living soul,-- And there is faith--a firm-set, glorious faith, Eternity cannot uproot, or change-- Oh, then the second birth of soul begins, That purifies the base, the dark illumes, And binds our being with a holy spell, Whereby each function, faculty, and thought Surrenders meekly to the central guide Of hope and action, by a God empower'd. THE CRUCIFIXION.