All that I have, I give thee; and then see
All contrarieties unite in thee;
For thou hast join'd them, taking up our woe,
And pouring out thy bliss on worms below,
By filling with thy grace and love divine
A gult of evil in this heart of mine,
This is indeed to bid the valleys rise,
And the hills sink-'tis matching Earth and Skies!
I feel my weakness, thank thee, and deplore
An aching heart, that throbs to thank thee more;
The more I love thee, I the more approve
A soul so lifeless, and so slow to love;
Till, on a deluge of thy mercy toss'd,
I plunge into that sea, and there am lost.
GOD NEITHER KNOWN NOR LOVED
YE Linnets, let us try, beneath this grove,
Which shall be loudest in our Maker's praise!
In quest of some forlorn retreat I rove,
For all the world is blind, and wanders from his ways.
That God alone should prop the sinking soul,
Fills them with rage against his empire now;
I traverse Earth in vain from pole to pole,
To seek one simple heart, set free from all below.
They speak of love, yet little feel its sway,
While in their bosom many an idol lurks:
Their base desires, well satisfied, obey,
Leave the Creator's hand, and lean upon his works.
ore I can dwell with man no more;
Alowship, ye warblers! suits me best;
Puree has lost its prize, though prized of yore,
Profaned by modern tongues, and slighted as a jest.
GOD NOT LOVED BY THE WORLD.
My God, who form'd you for his praise alone,
Beholds his purpose well fulfilled in you:
Come, let us join the choir before his throne,
Partaking in his praise with spirits just and true!
Yes, I will always love; and, as I ought,
Tune to the praise of love my ceaseless voice;
Preferring Love too vast for human thought,
In spite of erring men who cavil at my choice.
Why have I not a thousand thousand hearts,
Lord of my soul! that they might all be thine?
If thou approve-the zeal thy smile imparts,
How should it ever fail! Can such a fire decline?
Love, pure and holy, is a deathless fire;
Its object heav'nly, it must ever blaze:
Eternal love a God must needs inspire,
When once he wins the heart, and fits it for his praise.
Self-love dismiss'd-'tis then we live indeed
In her embrace, death, only death is found:
Come then one noble effort, and succeed,
Cast off the chain of Self with which thy soul is bound!
Oh! I would cry, that all the world might hear,
Ye self-tormentors, love your God alone;
Let his unequall'd excellence be dear,
Dear to your inmost souls, and make him all your own
They hear me not-alas! how fond to rove
In endless chase of Folly's specious lure!
'Tis here alone, beneath this shady grove,
I taste the sweets of Truth-here only am secure.
I AM fond of the swallow-I learn from her flight,
Had I skill to improve it, a lesson of love :
How seldom on earth do we see her alight!
She dwells in the skies, she is ever above.
It is on the wing that she takes her repose,
Suspended and poised in the regions of air,
'Tis not in our fields that her sustenance grows,
It is wing'd like herself, 'tis ethereal fare,
She comes in the spring, all the summer she stays,
And dreading the cold, still follows the sun-
So, true to our Love, we should covet his rays,
And the place where he shines not, immediately shun,
Our light should be love, and our nourishment prayer,
It is dangerous food that we find upon earth;
The fruit of this world is beset with a snare,
In itself it is hurtful, as vile in its birth.
"Tis rarely, if ever, she settles below,
And only when building a nest for her young; Were it not for her brood, she would never bestow A thought upon any thing filthy as dung.
Let us leave it ourselves, ('tis a mortal abode),
To bask ev'ry moment in infinite love;
Let us fly the dark winter, and follow the road,
That leads to the day-spring appearing above.
An; reign, wherever man is found,
My Spouse, beloved and divine!
Then I am rich, and I am a bound,
When ev'ry human heart is thine.
A thousand sorrows pierce my soul,
To think that all are not thine own;
Ah! be adored from pole to pole;
Where is thy zeal? arise; be known!
All hearts are cold, in ev'ry place,
Yet earthly good with warmth pursue;
Dissolve them with a flash of grace,
Thaw these of ice, and give us new!
OF THE PROCEDURE OF DIVINE LOVE.
'Twas my purpose, on a day.
To embark, and sail away:
As I climb'd the vessel's side,
Love was sporting in the tide ;
"Come," he said,-" ascend-make haste,
Launch into the boundless waste."
Many mariners were there,
Having each his sep'rate care;
They that row'd us, held their eyes
Fiz'd upon the starry skies;
Others steer'd, or turn'd the sails
To receive the shifting gales.
Love, with pow'r divine supplied,
Suddenly my courage tried;
In a moment it was night,
Ship and skies were out of sight;
On the briny wave I lay.
Floating rushes all my stay,
Did I with resentment burn
At this unexpected turn ?
Did I wish myself on shore,
Never to forsake it more P
No-"My soul," I cried, "be still;
If I must be lost, I will,"
Next, he hasten'd to convey
Both my frail supports away;
Seized my rushes; bade the waves
Yawn into a thousand graves:
Down I went, and sunk as lead,
Ocean closing o'er my head.
Still, however, life was safe:
And I saw him turn and laugh:
"Friend," he cried, "adieu ! lie low,
While the wintry storms shall blow;
When the spring as calm'd the main,
You shall rise and float again."
Soon I saw him with dismay,
Spread his plumes and soar away;
Now I mark his rapid flight;
Now he leaves my aching sight:
He is gone whom I adore,
'Tis in rain to seek him more.
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