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Manners with fortunes, humours turn with climes; Tenets with books, and principles with times. Search then the ruling passion: There alone, The wild are constant, and the cunning known.

LXVIII. DESCRIPTION of a STORM of HAIL. ONG rush'd the victors o'er the sanguine field, And scarce were Gibeon's loftiest spires beheld; When up the west dark clouds began to rise, Sail'd o'er the hills and lengthened round the skies ; A ridge of folding fire, their summits shone, But fearful blackness all beneath was thrown ; Swift round the sun the spreading gloom was hurl'd, And night and solitude amaz'd the world.

At once the voice of deep resounding gales Rung slow and solemn in the distant vales; Then through the groves and o'er th' extended plain, With stormy rage the rapid whirlwinds ran ; Red o'er the glimmering hills with pomp divine, The lightning's flaming path began to shine; Far round th' immense, unusual thunders driven, Proclaim'd the onset of approaching Heaven; Astonish'd nature own'd the strange alarm, And the world trembled at th' impending storm. O'er the dark fields aghast Canaan stream'd; Thick in their course their scatter'd buckler's gleam'd ; Behind them Joshua urg'd the furious car, And tenfold horrors hovered round the war.

But when the chief the spreading storm survey'd, And trac'd Almighty arms in Heaven display'd; With piercing voice he gave the great command, Stand still, ye chosen sons, admiring stand! Behold what awful scenes in Heaven arise! Adore the Power, that brightens in the skies! Now God's tremendous arm asserts his laws; Now bids his thunder aid the righteous cause; Shows man how virtue saves her chosen bands, And points the vengeance doom'd for guilty lands. Behold what flames shoot forth! what gloom ascends! How nature trembles! how the concave rends !

How the clouds darken! see, in yonder sky,
Their opening skirts proclaim the Almighty nigh!
He spoke, and from the north a rushing sound

Roil'd thro' the heavens, and shook th' embattled ground;
Thron'd on a dark red cloud an angel's form
Sail'd awfully sublime, above the storm;
Half veil'd in mist, his countenance like a sun,
Inflam'd the clouds, and through all ether shone ;
Long robes of crimson light behind him flow'd;
His wings were flames; his locks were dy'd in blood;
Ten thousand fiery shapes were round him driven,
And all the dazzling pomp of opening Heaven.
Now, save Canaan's cries that feebly rung
Round the dark plain, a fearful silence hung;
Stretch'd in dire terror o'er the quivering band,
The etherial Vision wav'd his sun-bright hand;
At once from opening skies, red flames were hurl'd,
And thunders, roll'd on thunders, rock'd the world;
In one broad deluge sunk the avenging hail,
And fill'd with tempest, roar'd the hoary vale;
Fierce raging whirlwinds boundless nature blend;
The streams rush back, the tottering mountains bend;
Down the tall steep their bursting summits roll,
And cliffs on cliffs, hoarse crashing, rend the pole.
Far round the earth, a wild, drear horror reigns;
The high heavens heave, and roar the gloomy plains;
One sea of lightning all the region fills,

And waves of fire ride surging o'er the hills
The nodding forests plunge in flame around,

And with huge caverns gapes the shuddering ground;
Swifter than rapid winds Canaan driven,
Refuse the conflict of embattled Heaven.
But the dire hail in vain the victims fly,
And death unbounded shook from all the sky.

The thunder's dark career the seraph's arm,

Fierce vengeance blazing down the immense of storm,
From falling groves to burning flames they flew;
Hail roars around and angry hosts pursue;
From shaking skies, Alinighty arms are hurl'd,
And all the gloomy concave bursts upon the world.

LXIX. ADDRESS to the DEITY.

NATHER of light, exhaustless source of good.! Supreme, eternal, self-existent GOD!

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Before the beamy sun dispens'd a ray,

Flam'd in the azure vault, and gave the day,
Before the glimmering moon with borrowed light,
Shone queen amid the silver host of night,
High in the heavens, thou reign'st superior Lord,
By suppliant angels worshipp'd and ador'd.
With the celestial choir then let me join,
In cheerful praises to the Power Divine.
To sing thy praise, do thou, O God! inspire
A mortal breast with more than mortal fire..
In dreadful majesty thou sitt'st enthron'd,
With light encircled and with glory crown'd:.
Through all infinitude extends thy reign,

For thee nor heaven, nor heaven of heavens contain ;
But though thy throne is fixed above the sky,

Thy omnipresence fills immensity.

Saints rob'd in white, to thee their anthems bring,
And radiant martyrs hallelujahs sing:

Heaven's universal host their voices raise

In one eternal concert to thy praise;

And round thy awful throne, with one accord,
Sing, holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

At thy creative voice from ancient night,
Sprang smiling beauty, and yon worlds of light;
Thou spak'st-the planetary chorus roll'd,
Stupendous worlds! unmeasured and untold!
Let there be light, said God-light instant shone,
And from the orient burst the golden sun;
Heaven's gazing hierarchs, with glad surprize,
Saw the first morn invest the recent skies,

And straight the exulting troops thy throne surround,
With thousand, thousand harps of rapt'rous sound ;.
Thrones, powers, dominions (ever-shining trains!)
Shouted thy praises in triumphant strains;

Great are thy works, they sing, and all around,
Great are thy works, the echoing heav'ns resound.
Th' effulgent sun unsufferably bright,

Is but a ray of thy o'erflowing light.

The tempest is thy breath; the thunder hurl'd
Tremendous roars thy vengeance o'er the world;
Thou bow'st the Heav'ns, the smoky mountains nod,
Rocks fall to dust, and nature owns her God!
Pale tyrants shrink, the Atheist stands aghast,
And impious kings in horror breathe their last.
To this great God, alternately I'd pay,
The evening anthem and the morning lay.

FROM

LXX. A MORNING HYMN

ROM night, from silence, and from death,
Or death's own form, mysterious sleep,

I wake to life, to light and health;
Thus me doth Israel's Watchman keep.
Sacred to Him in grateful praise,
Be this devoted tranquil hour,
While Him, supremely good and great,
With rapt'rous homage I adore.
What music breaks from yonder copse?
The plumy songsters' artless lay;
Melodious songsters, nature taught !
That warbling hail the dawning-day.
Shall man be mute while instinct sings?
Nor human breast with transports rise?
O! for an universal hymn,

To join the chorus of the skies!
See yon refulgent lamp of day,
With unabating glory crown'd,
Rejoicing in his giant strength,
To run his daily destin'd round.
So may I still perform thy will,
Great Sun of Nature and of Grace!
Nor wander devious from thy law;
Nor faint in my appointed race.

What charms display the unfolding flowers?
How beauteous glows the enamell'd mead?
More beauteous still the heaven-wrought robe,
Of purest white and fac'd with red.

The sun exhales the pearly dews,

Those brilliant sky-shed tears that mourn
His nightly loss; till from earth's cheek

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They're kiss'd away by pitying morn.
For laps'd mankind what friendly tears,
Bent on our weal did angels shed?
Bound, bound our hearts, to think those tears
Made frustrate all when Jesus bled;
Arabia wafts from yonder grove

Delicious odours in the gale;

And with her breeze-borne fragrance greets
Each circumjacent hill and dale.
As incense may my morning song,
A sweetly smelling savour rise,
Perfum'd with Gilead's precious balm,
To make it grateful to the skies.

And when from death's long sleep I wake,
To nature's renovating day,

Clothe me with thy own righteousness,

And in thy likeness, Lord, array.

LXXI. HYMN TO PEACE.

HALL, sacred Peace; who claim'st thy bright abode
'Midst circling saints that grace the throne of God.
Before his arm around this shapeless earth

Stretched the wide heavens, and gave to nature birth;
Ere morning stars his glowing chambers hung,
Or songs of gladness woke an angel's tongue;
Veil'd in the brightness of th' Almighty's mind,
In blest repose thy placid form reclin'd;
Borne through the heaven with his creating voice,
Thy presence bade the unfolding worlds rejoice,
Gave to seraphic harps their sounding lays,
Their joy to angels, and to men their praise.

From scenes of blood these beauteous shores that stain,
From gasping friends that press the sanguin'd plain,
From fields, long taught in vain thy flight to mourn,
I rise, delightful power, and greet thy glad return.
Too long the groans of death and battle's bray,
Have rung, discordant thro' th' unpleasing lay;
Let pity's tear its balmy fragrance shed,
O'er heroes' wounds, and patriot warriors dead,
Accept, departed shades, these grateful sighs,
Your fond attendants to th' approving skies.

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