What time good hope my soul doth cheer, And when my spirit quails with fear, When I approach life's closing scene, Good Lord, be Thou my help and stay ; Be with me in the vale of death, To Zion guide me—thus I pray. TO AN INFANT. Steele. CAN I bid thee, little stranger, Where attends thee many a danger, Hence, away, ye dark surmises, Oh, may Providence defend thee! Dangers shall in vain attend thee,- Shall I wish the world caressing? May'st thou know the gracious Donor, PRAISE TO GOD. Hogg. BLESSED be Thy name for ever, Of the desert and the ocean, Of the mountain, rock, and river, Blessed be thy name for ever. Thou who slumberest not, nor sleepest, Blest are they thou kindly keepest; God of evening's parting ray, Of midnight's gloom, and dawning day, That rises from the azure sea, Like breathings of eternity; God of life! that fade shall never, CHILDHOOD. Scott. CHILDHOOD, happy stage of life! Time, when all that meets the view, Then to toss the circling ball, Then the mimic ship to guide THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. Sir John Davies. O IGNORANT poor man! what dost thou bear Lock'd up within the casket of thy breast? What jewels, and what riches hast thou there? What heavenly treasure in so weak a chest? Look in thy soul, and thou shalt beauties find, Think of her worth, and think that God did mean, brace : Blot not her beauties with thy thoughts unclean, Nor her dishonour with thy passion base. Kill not her quickening power with surfeitings: Mar not her sense with sensuality: Cast not away her wit on idle things: And when thou think'st of her eternity, And if thou, like a child, didst fear before, Being in the dark, where thou didst nothing see; Now I have brought thee torch-light, fear no more; Now, when thou diest, thou canst not hoodwink'd be. And thou, my soul, which turn'st with curious eye To view the beams of thine own form divine, Know that thou canst know nothing perfectly, Whilst thou art clouded with this flesh of mine. Take heed of overweening, and compare, Thy peacock's feet with thy gay peacock's train: Cast down thyself, and only strive to raise Q |