PLEASURES OF PIETY.

A Deity believ'd, is joy begun;

A Deity ador'd, is joy advanc'd;
A Deity belov'd, is joy matur'd.
Each branch of piety delight infpires:

Faith builds a bridge from this world to the next,
O'er death's dark gulf and all its horror hides;
Praise, the sweet exhalation of our joy,
That joy exalts, and makes it fweeter ftill;
Pray'r ardent opens heav'n, lets down a ftream.
Of glory, on the confecrated hour
Of man in audience with the Deity.

As

CHAP. II.

NARRATIVE PIECES.

SECTION I.

THE BEARS AND THE BEES.

two young bears, in wanton mood, Forth iffuing from a neighbouring wood, Came where th' industrious bees had stor'd,, In artful cells, their luscious hoard; O'erjoy'd they feiz'd, with eager hafte, Luxurious on the rich repaft.

Alarm'd at this, the little crew

About their ears vindictive flew.

The beafts, unable to sustain
Th' unequal combat, quit the plain;
Half blind with rage, and mad with pain
Their native fhelter they regain;
There fit, and now, difcreeter grown,
Too late their rashness they bemoan ;-
And this by dear experience gain,
That pleafure's ever bought with pain.
So when the gilded baits of vice
Are plac'd before our longing eyes,
With greedy hafte we fnatch our fill,
And fwallow down the latent ill;
But when experience opes our eyes,
Away the fancy'd pleafure flies.

It flies, but oh! too late we find,

It leaves a real fting behind.

SECTION II

THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE GLOW WORM,

A NIGHTINGALE, that all day long
Had cheer'd the village with his fong,,
Nor yet at eve his note fufpended,
Nor yet when eventide was ended,
Began to feel, as well he might,
The keen demands of appetite;
When, looking eagerly around,
He fpied far off, upon the ground;
A fomething thining in the dark,
And knew the glow worm by his fpark.
So, ftooping down from hawthorn top,
He thought to put him in his crop.
The worm, aware of his intent,
Harrangued him thus, right eloquent;
"Did you admire my lamp," quoth he,
"As much as I your minftrelfy,
You would abhor to do me wrong,
As much as I to fpoil your fong;
For 'twas the felf fame pow'r divine
Taught you to fing, and me to fhine;
That you with mufic, I with light,
Might beautify and cheer the night."
The fongfter heard his fhort oration,
And, warbling out his approbation,
Releas'd him, as my story tells,
And found a fupper fomewhere else.
Hence, jarring fectaries may learn
Their real int'reft to difcern;

That brother, fhould not war with brother,
And worry and devour each other:

But fing and fhine by fweet confent,
Till life's poor tranfient night is spent ;
Refpecting, in each other's cafe,

The gifts of nature and of grace.

Thofe Chriftians beft deferve the name, Who ftudiously make peace their aim;

MERRICK

Peace, both the duty and the prize

Of him that creeps, and him that flies.

SECTION III.

THE TRIALS OF VIRTUE.

PLAC'D on the verge of youth, my mind
Life's op'ning fcene furvey'd :

I view'd its ills of various kind,
Afflicted and afraid.

But chief my fear the dangers mov'd,
That virtue's path enclose :
My heart the wife purfuit approv'd;
But O, what toils oppofe !

For fee, ah fee! while yet her ways
With doubtful step I tread,
A hoftile world its terrors raise, ›
Its fnares delufive spread.

how fhall I, with heart prepar'd,'
Those terrors learn to meet ?
How, from the thousand fnares to guard
My unexperienc'd feet?

As thus I mus'd, oppreffive fleep
Soft o'er my temples drew
Oblivion's veil,-The wat'ry deep,
An object ftrange and new.

Before me rofe: on the wide shore
Obfervant as I ftood,

The gathering storms around me roar,
And heave the boiling flood.

Near and more near the billows rife ;
Ev'n now my steps they lave;
And death to my affrighted eyes
Approach'd in every wave.

What hope, or whither to retreat!
Each nerve at once unftrung;
feet,

Chill fear had fetter'd faft my

And chain'd my fpeechlefs tongue,

COWPER

I felt my heart within me die;
When fudden to mine ear

A voice, defcending from on high,
Reprov'd my erring fear.

"What tho' the fwelling furge thou fee Impatient to devour;

Reft, mortal, reft on God's decree,
And thankful own his pow'r."

Know, when he bade the deep appear,
"Thus far," th' Almighty faid,
"Thus far, no farther, rage; and here
"Let thy proud waves be ftay'd."
I heard ; and lo; at once controll❜d,
The waves in wild retreat

Back on themselves reluctant roll'd,
And murm'ring left my feet.
Deeps to affembling deeps in vain
Once more the fignal grave:
The fhores the rufhing weight fuftain,
And check th' ufurping wave.
Convinc'd, in Nature's volume wife
The imag'd truth I read ;

And fudden from my waking eyes

Th' inftructive vifion fled.

Then why thus heavy, O my foul!
Say why, diftrustful still,

Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll
O'er fcenes of future ill?

Let faith fupprefs each rifing fear,

Each anxious doubt exclude e; Thy Maker's will has plac'd thee here, Á Maker wife and good!

He to ev'ry trial knows

Its juft restraint to give ;
Attentive to behold thy woes,
And faithful to relieve.

Then why thus heavy, O my foul?
Say why, diftrustful Atill,

Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll
O'er fcenes of future ill?

Tho' griefs unnumber'd throng thee round,
Still in thy God confide,

Whose finger marks the feas their bound,
And curbs the headlong tide.

SECTION IV.

THE YOUTH AND THE PHILOSOPHER,

A GRECIAN youth of talents rare,
Whom Plato's philofophic care
Had form'd for virtue's nobler view,
By precept and example too,

MERRICK..

Would often boaft his matchlefs skill,
To curb the feed, and guide the wheel;
And as he pafs'd the gazing throng,
With graceful ease, and fmack'd the thong;
The ideot wonder they exprefs'd,

Was praise and tranfport to his breast.

At length, quite vain, he needs would fhow His mafter what his art could do

And bade his flaves the chariot lead
To Academus' facred fhade.

The trembling grove confefs'd its fright,
The wood nymphs started at the fight;
The mufes drop the learned lyre,
And to their inmoft fhades retire.
Howe'er, the youth, with forward air,
Bows to the fage, and mounts the car.
The lash refounds, the courfers fpring,
The chariot marks the rolling ring;
And gath'ring crowds, with eager eyes.
And shouts, pursue him as he flies.

Triumphant to the goal return'd,
With nobler thirst his bofom burn'd ;,
And now along th' indented plain
The felf fame track he marks again,
Purfues with care the nice defign,
Nor ever deviates from the line.
Amazement feiz'd the circling crowd;
The youths with emulation glow'd;
Ev'n bearded fages hail'd the boy;
And all but Plato gaz'd with joy.