All hail the SON- now view the promis'd feed For whom the lamb, prophetic, us'd to bleed ! See from the ALTAR, lowing heifers turn, And offer'd incenfe cease at length to burn. The wounded victim, gasping, pants for breath, And half recovered struggles hard with death! The reeking blood, reluctant life bestows, Now feels restraint and ftagnates as it flows. No more the RITES Levitic priefts began, When CHRIST, their fubftance, laid the myftic plan; Now view the types, the darksome shadows gone †, And brighter day, hail DAVID'S ROYAL SON!

In humble guise behold the babe appear!

Nor crowns, nor fceptres, hail him welcome here.
But lo! the birth-ungrateful men deride,
Because the fubject mocks their native pride!
Not fo, where faith the humble fpirit guides,
Where virtue triumphs, and where love prefides;
Nor thus the mufenor thus let mortals fing,
But hail! moft welcome, Zion's INFANT KING.

importance; a fubject which ought to be well underflood, and, becaufe clearly revealed, implicitly believed by every perfon who makes the BIBLE a ftandard of faith and practice.

† As the facrifices under the ceremonial dispensation had their full accomplishment in CHRIST; it is hoped that this fhort defcription, though not accurate as to time, will be excufed. During his life, the Jewish ritual, which had long been in a declining state, was still obferved: probably the abolition of thofe rites and ceremonies was fignified at his death, by the rending of the veil between the holy place and the moft holies.

Brief, thou my foul, his life progressive scan,
From child to youth-from youth to riper man,
In each, in both, furrounding forrows 'tend,
And with life's bleffings, worst afflictions blend!
How hard to bear! Oh! more than human fate,
Where pain on want, where fhame on forrows wait;
Where each alternate bears triumphant fway,
And wounds, inceffant, the long-tortur'd prey:
But this his lot, who brought falvation near,
Whom angels worship, and whom faints revere!
And this his honor- -this let all approve→
Because the trials that atteft his love!

See blameless poverty-fee want prefides!
Now foes loud threaten, now bafe man derides-
Now friends forfake, now fhun the toilfome way,
And trait'rous JUDAS does at length betray!
O! foul ingratitude-O! treach'rous part!
O! foul offence but yet much fouler heart—
Alas! 'tis done the waiting ruffians stand !
They feize-they grapple-with rapacious hand!
With favage rage around their PURCHASE cling,
And drag in triumph, their despised king!
Before the PRIEST, for fanctity renown'd,
Behold the SAVIOUR with strong fetters bound!
There falfe accufers, there vile tongues degrade,
And words, blafphemous, to his charge are laid.
Now at the bar, where juftice fhould prefide,
The JUDGE of HEAVEN and EARTH, himself is tried!
See where he stands !the fcoff of blafting rage,
Nor aught but death can their loud cries affuage:

Nor grief, nor pity, impious hands restrain,
And innocence itself, but pleads in vain!
-Arraign'd-condemn'd-from judgment fee him

-th' infulted SAVIOUR dreft. ·

[torn,

And by the rabble, in bafe triumph borne ;
See from his fhoulders, rent the linen veft,
And in a robe-
The blushing robe, that mocks his kingly fame,
Tho' most descriptive of their want of shame!
See round his temples wreath'd the pointed thorn
(Sad tort'ring proof of their malicious fcorn)
See from beneath that rude-that piercing crown,
In various parts the blood faft trickle down!
From ftreet to ftreet, behold the victim bleed!
And diftant thousands wing'd with rapid speed ;
Crouds, meeting crouds, in mingled tumult throng,
To view the fuff'rer dragg'd with cords along.
With rage they prefs-infult-deride—rejoice,
And fcoff the SAVIOUR with united voice.

TO CALVARY next direct thy mournful view,
Behold the CROSS- -behold thy SAVIOUR too!
See wide extended on th' accursed tree,
Th' atoning facrifice that bleeds for thee!
See cruel death, his worft, his latest FIEND,
In regal ftate, th' affecting fcene attend!
In all the ghaftly forms of terror ftand,
Inflicting torments with relentless hand :
Forfook by all, but that grim tyrant death,
Th' EXPIRING SAVIOUR gafps and tugs for breath.
See ling'ring conflicts rend his tortur'd foul,

And feeling nature rock from pole to pole.

See

See all

-but MAN, for whom the SAVIOUR came, Express their forrow, or perhaps their shame! Or, fee the power of that expiring JEW, Both DAVID's root, and DAVID's offspring tooThe troubled earth heaves with convulfive breath, And quakes, prophetic, of its Maker's death! Graves, once tenacious, now forc'd open wide, Expose the corpfe, which they were meant to hide. Wide yawning chafms-fhock the starting foul! And rending rocks from their firm bafis roll. Yon western fun beholds the mournful fight, Holds back his luftre, and withdraws his light! Struck with the crime-in fable guife retires, Nor dares to fhine while NATURE'S GOD EXPIRES.

Say, thou my foul, whence this unbounded love, Why left the SAVIOUR yon bright realms above! Why leave the bofom, where he once reclin'd, Where glory triumph'd, where perfection shin'd! Where pureft pleasures, confcious virtue charms, And love, feraphic, each chafte bosom warms. With joy I fee EXPERIENCE points to man,

The fav'rite fubject of this mystic plan!

For him, the FATHER gave his ONLY SON,
For him, the SAVIOUR cry'd-" thy will be done,"

For

Not by OFFICE, nor in an improper and figurative fenfe, as fome without any fcripture authority confidently affirm, but A SON by NAThe ingenious DR. ERSKINE obferves," he is the SON OF GOD in a fenfe incommunicable to any creature, and which has not, yea, cannot have any thing parallel to it in univerfal nature." This

TURE.

For MAN he liv'd, for MAN his life he

gave, 'Tis MAN he ransom'd, and 'tis MAN he'll fave. His LIFE his DEATH- -his agonies unknown,

Aton'd for hellifh crimes but not his own!

O! wond'rous GRACE-unafk'd-divine and free, Lodg'd in the womb of vast eternity!

Maturing time unfolds th' amazing plan,
Completes and opens what LOVE first began.
Stupendous love!—immeasurably wide!

Nor height, nor depth, thy unknown bounds prescribe!
ETERNAL thou!-ETERNAL ftill remain,
Nor aught can fathom thy immenfe domain !
Hail! LORD of ALL-on this thy natal day,
Accept the tribute of my grateful lay :

While fenfual pleafures charm the heedlefs throng,
Do thou inspire the accents of my fong:
Diffuse thy virtues, all thy power impart,
And feize thy captive, this relenting heart.

Ye happy SAINTS, with circling glory crown'd,
In your bleft climes, feraphic joys abound!
HERE, nought but pain-THERE, endless pleasures
HERE, varied ills which ye once felt below: [grow,
'Tis thefe I feel'tis thefe I now deplore!
From these I flee, and feek your happy fhore.

important fubject is difcuffed with great accuracy and precision by the late very learned and judicious DR. GILL. Body Divin: vol. I. page 236.- See alfo his doctrine of the TRINITY vindicated, a pamphlet (of no great expence) worthy the perufal of every ferious and candid enquirer after TRUTH,

Ere