He called Philosophy, and with his heart
Reasoned he called Religion too, but called
Reluctantly, and therefore was not heard.
Ashamed to be o'ermatched by earthly woes,
He sought, and sought with eyes that dimmed

apace,

To find some avenue to light, some place
On which to rest a hope-but sought in vain.
Dark and darker still the darkness grew:
At length he sunk, and Disappointment stood
His only comforter, and mournfully
Told all was past. His interest in life,
In being, ceased: and now he seemed to feel,
And shuddered as he felt, his powers of mind
Decaying in the spring time of his day:
The vigorous weak became; the clear, obscure;
Memory gave up her charge; Decision reeled ;
And from her flight Fancy returned, returned
Because she found no nourishment abroad.
The blue heavens withered, and the moon, and sun,
And all the stars, and the green earth, and morn
And evening withered; and the eyes, and smiles,
And faces of all men and women withered;
Withered to him; and all the universe,

Was foolish still. His ear he stopped; his eyes
He shut; and thirdly, deafly obstinate,
Forced despera.ely his way from woe to woe.

One place, one only place, there was on earth
Where no man ere was fool-however mad.

Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die."
Ah! 'twas a truth most true; and sung in Time
And to the sons of men, by one well known
On earth for lofty verse, and lofty sense.
Much hast thou seen, fair youth! much heard:
but thou

Hast never seen a death-bed, never heard
A dying groan. Men saw it often: 'twas sad,
To all most sorrowful and sad-to guilt
'Twas anguish, terror, darkness, without bow.
But O, it had a most convincing tongue,
A potent oratory, that secured

Most mute attention: and it spoke the truth
So boldly, plainly, perfectly distinct,
That none the meaning could mistake, or doubt;
And had withal a disenchanting power,
A most omnipotent and wondrous power,
Which in a moment broke, for ever broke,

Like something which had been, appeared; but And utterly dissolved the charms, and spells,

now

Was dead and mouldering fast away. He tried
No more to hope: wished to forget his vow:
Wished to forget his harp; then ceased to wish.
That was his last. Enjoyment now was done.
He had no hope-no wish-and scarce a fear.
Of being sensible, and sensible

Of loss, he as some atom seemed, which God
Had made superfluously, and needed not
To build creation with; but back again
To Nothing threw, and left it in the void,
With everlasting sense that once it was.

And cunning sorceries of Earth and Hell.
And thus it spoke to him who ghastly lay,
And struggled for another breath: Earth's cup
Is poisoned; her renown, most infamous;
Her gold, seem as it may, is really dust;
Her titles, slanderous names; her praise, re-
proach;

Her strength, an idiot's boast; her wisdom, blind;
Her gain, eternal loss; her hope, a dream;
Her love, her friendship, enmity with God;
Her promises, a lie; her smile, a harlot's;
Her beauty, paint, and rotten within; her plea-

sures,

Oh, who can tell what days, what nights he Deadly assassins masked; her laughter, grief;

spent

Of tideless, waveless, sailless, shoreless woe!
And who can tell how many, glorious once,
To others and themselves of promise full,
Conducted to this pass of human thought,
This wilderness of intellectual death,

Her breasts, the sting of Death; her total sum,
Her all, most utter vanity; and all

Her lovers mad, insane most grievously,
And most insane, because they know it not.

Thus did the mighty reasoner, Death, declare;
And volumes more and in one word confirmed

Wasted and pined, and vanished from the earth, The Bible whole-Eternity is all.
Leaving no vestige of memorial there.

It was not so with him: when thus he lay,
Forlorn of heart, withered and desolate,
As leaf of Autumn, which the wolfish winds,
Selecting from its falling sisters, chase
Far from its native grove, to lifeless wastes,
And leave it there alone, to be forgotten
Eternally-God passed in mercy by-
His praise be ever new!-and on him breathed
And bade him live; and put into his hands
A holy harp, into his lips a song,
That rolled its numbers down the tide of Time.
Ambitious now but little to be praised
Of men alone; ambitious most to be
Approved of God, the Judge of all; and have
His name recorded in the book of life.

But few spectators, few believed of those
Who staid behind. The wisest, best of men,
Believed not to the letter full; but turned,
And on the world looked forth, as if they though:
The well-trimmed hypocrite had something still
Of inward worth: the dying man alone
Gave faithful audience, and the words of Death
To the last jot believed; believed and felt;
But oft, alas! believed and felt too late.

And had Earth, then, no joys? no native sweets
No happiness, that one who spoke the truth
Might call her own? She had; true, native sweets
Indigenous delights, which up the Tree
Of holiness, embracing as they grew,
Ascended and bore fruit of heavenly taste,
In pleasant memory held, and talked of oft.
By yonder saints who walk the golden streets

Such things were Disappointment and Re- Of New Jerusalem, and compass round

morse;

And oft united both, as friends severe,

To teach men wisdom: but the fool, untaught,

The throne, with nearest vision blest-of these
Hereafter thou shalt hear, delighted hear,
One page of beauty in the life of man.

THE COURSE OF TIME.

115

BOOK IV.

Harvests, beneath the frantic foot trode down;
Lands, desolate; and famine, at the door.

ANALYSIS.

The essence of earthly liberty and independence
was united with lust for power; "each sought to
make all subject to his will," while real liberty
was the freedom from sin: he only was free
"whom the truth of God made free."
Strange conflicts exhibited by the inconsistent and
opposite principles of the Christian heart. Yet
final victory was found on the side of holiness,
and after all his internal struggles, the Christian
was triumphant, and brought to the world of
glory.

The Books composed in Time, together with their
authors were doomed to oblivion under the
curse which returns dust to dust.

The Books entitled "The Medicine of the Mind,"
which were written for the help of virtue, were
alone exempted from oblivion.

The inscrutable and mysterious providences of
God, why deeds decreed were accountable, the
Trinity, and Incarnation, were subjects, which
Theology, Philosophy, Fancy, and finite wis-
dom, toiled in vain to comprehend.
The unequal distribution of worldly possessions
and intellectual gifts, plainly taught that God
did not estimate men by outward circumstances
only, or by their knowledge, but by their mora!
worth. Illustrated by the history of the gifted,
Byron.

It

These are a part; but other names it had,
Innumerous as the shapes and robes it wore.
But under every name-in nature still
Invariably the same, and always bad.
fought, and sceptre both and people gave
We own, indeed, that oft against itself
An equal aid, as long exemplified
In Albion's isle-Albion, queen of the seos-
And in the struggle, something like a kind
Of civil liberty grew up, the best
Of mere terrestrial root; but sickly too,

And living only, strange to tell! in strife
Of factions equally contending; dead,
That very moment dead, that one prevailed.

Conflicting cruelly against itself,

By its own hand it fell; part slaying part.
And men who noticed not the suicide,
Stood wondering much, why earth from age to age,
Was still enslaved, and erring causes gave.

This was earth's liberty, its nature this,
However named, in whomsoever found-
And found it was in all of woman born-
Each man to make all subject to his will;
To make them do, undo, eat, drink, stand, move,
Talk, think, and feel, exactly as he chose.
Hence the eternal strife of brotherhoods,
Of individuals, families, commonwealths.
The root from which it grew was pride-bad roo:!
And bad the fruit it bore. Then wonder not
That long the nations from it richly reaped
Oppression, slavery, tyranny, and war;
Confusion, desolation, trouble, shame.
And, marvellous though it seem, this monster,
when

THE world had much of strange and won- It took the name of slavery, as oft

derful:

In passion much, in action, reason, will;
And much in Providence, which still retired
From human eye, and led philosophy,

That ill her ignorance liked to own, through dirk
And dangerous paths of speculation wild.
Some striking features, as we pass, we mark,
In order such as memory suggests.

One passion prominent appears-the lust
Of power, which ofttimes took the fairer name
Of liberty, and hung the popular flag
Of freedom out. Many, indeed, its names.
When on the throne it sat, and round the neck
Of millions riveted its iron chain,
And on the shoulders of the people laid
Burdens unmerciful-it title took
Of tyranny, oppression, despotism;
And every tongue was weary cursing it.
When in the multitude it gathered strength,
And, like an ocean bursting from its bounds,
Long beat in vain, went forth resistlessly,
It bore the stamp and designation, then,
Of popular fury, anarchy, rebellion-
And honest men bewailed all order void;
All laws, annulled; all property, destroyed:
The venerable, murdered in the streets;
The wise, despised; streams, red with human

blood;

It did, had advocates to plead its cause;
Beings that walked erect, and spoke like men;
Of Christian parentage descended too,
And dipt in the baptismal font, as sign
Of dedication to the Prince who bowed
To death, to set the sin-bound prisoner free.

Unchristian thought! on what pretence soe'er
Of right inherited, or else acquired;

Of loss, or profit, or what plea you name,
To buy and sell, to barter, whip, and hold
In chains, a being of celestial make-
Of kindred form, of kindred faculties;
Of kindred feelings, passions, thoughts, desires;
Born free, and heir of an immortal hope :---
Thought villanous, absurd, detestable !
Unworthy to be harboured in a fiend!
And only overreached in wickedness
By that, birth too of earthly liberty,
Which aimed to make a reasonable man
By legislation think, and by the sword
Believe. This was that liberty renowned,
Those equal rights of Greece and Rome, where

Believed the essence answered to the name.
Historians on this theme were long and warm.
Statesmen, drunk with the fumes of vain debate,
In lofty swelling phrase, called it perfection;
Philosophers its rise, advance, and fall,
Traced carefully; and poets kindled still
As memory brought it up-their lips were touched
With fire, and uttered words that men adored,
Even he-true bard of Zion, holy man!

To whom the Bible taught this precious verse:
He is the freeman whom the truth makes free,"
By fashion, though by fashion little swayed,
Scarce kept his harp from pagan freedom's praise.

The captive prophet, whom Jehovah gave
The future years, described it best, when he
Beheld it rise in vision of the night-
A dreadful beast, and terrible, and strong
Exceedingly, with mighty iron teeth;
And lo, it brake in pieces, and devoured,
And stamped the residue beneath its feet!

True liberty was Christian, sanctified,
Baptized, and found in Christian hearts alone.
First born of Virtue, daughter of the skies,
Nursling of truth divine; sister of all
The graces, meekness, holiness, and love:
Giving to God, and man, and all below,
That symptom showed of sensible existence,
Their due unasked; fear to whom fear was due;
To all, respect, benevolence, and love.
Companion of religion! where she came

The man, the state in whom she ruled, was frce
All else were slaves of Satan, Sin, and Death.

Already thou hast something heard of good
And ill, of vice and virtue, perfect each:
Of those redeemed, or else abandoned quite ;
And more shalt hear, when at the judgment day
The characters we of mankind review.-
Seems aught which thou hast heard astonishing?
A greater wonder now thy audience asks:
Phenomena in all the universe;
Of moral being most anomalous;
Inexplicable most, and wonderful.
I'll introduce thee to a single heart;
A human heart: we enter not the worst;
But one by God's renewing spirit touched;
A Christian heart, awaked from sleep of sin.
What seest thou here? what mark'st? observe it
well.-

Will, passion, reason; hopes, fears; joy, distress
Peace, turbulence; simplicity, deccit;
Good, ill; corruption, immortality;

A temple of the Holy Ghost, and yet
Oft lodging fiends; the dwelling place of all
The heavenly virtues-charity and truth,
Humility, and holiness, and love;

And yet the common haunt of anger, pride,
Hatred, revenge, and passions foul with lust;
Allied to heaven, yet parleying oft with hell:
A soldier listed in Messiah's band,
Yet giving quarter to Abaddon's troops:
With seraphs drinking from the well of life,

There freedom came: where dwelt, there free- And yet carousing in the cup of death;

dom dwelt ;

An heir of heaven, and walking thitherward,

Ruled where she ruled, expired where she ex- Yet casting back a covetous eye on earth: pired. Emblem of strength, and weakness; loving now

"He was the freeman whom the truth made And now abhorring sin; indulging now,

free:"

Who first of all, the bands of Satan broke;
Who broke the bands of Sin; and for his soul,
In spite of fools consulted seriously;
In spite of fashion persevered in good;
In spite of wealth or poverty, upright;
Who did as reason, not as fancy bade;
Who heard temptation sing, and yet turned not
Aside; saw sin bedeck her flowery bed,
And yet would not go up; felt at his heart

The sword unsheathed, yet would not sell the
truth;

Who, having power, had not the will to hurt;
Who blushed alike to be, or have a slave;

And now repenting sore; rejoicing now,
With joy unspeakable, and full of glory,
Now weeping bitterly, and clothed in dust.
A man willing to do, and doing not;
Doing, and willing not; embracing what
He hates, what most he loves abandoning.
Half saint, and sinner half-half life, half death:
Commixture strange of Heaven, and Earth, and

Hell!

What seest thou here? what mark'st? a battle
field-

Two banners spread-two dreadful fronts of war,
In shock of opposition fierce engaged.-

Who blushed at nought but sin, feared nought but God, angels, saw whole empires rise in arms;

God:

Who, finally, in strong integrity

Of soul, 'midst want of riches, or disgrace,
Uplifted calmly sat, and heard the waves
Of stormy folly breaking at his feet;
Now shrill with praise, now hoarse with foul

proach,

And both despised sincerely; seeking this
Alone the approbation of his God,

Saw kings exalted; heard them tumbled down;
And others raised,-and heeded not: but here,
God, angels, looked; God, angels, fought; and
Hell,

With all his legions, fought: here error fought re- With truth; with darkness, light; and life with death:

And here not kingdoms, reputations, worlds,
Were won; the strife was for Eternity;

Which still with conscience witnessed to his The victory was never-ending bliss ;

peace.

This, this is freedom, such as angels use,
And kindred to the liberty of God.
First born of Virtue! daughter of the skies!

The badge a chaplet from the tree of life.

While thus within contending armies strove
Without the Christian had his trout les too
For as by God's unalterable laws.

THE COURSE OF TIME.

Of poisonous error, blackening every page;
And oftener still of trifling, second-hand
Remark, and old, diseased, putrid thought;
And miserable incident, at war

With nature, with itself and truth at war:
Yet charming still the greedy reader on,
Till, done, he tried to recollect his thoughts,
And nothing found but dreaming emptiness.
These, like ephemera, sprung in a day,
From lean and shallow soiled brains of sand,
And in a day expired: yet while they lived,
Tremendous ofttimes was the popular roar;
And cries of-Live for ever!-struck the skies.

One kind alone remained, seen thro' the gloom
And sullen shadow of the past; as lights
At intervals they shone, and brought the eye,
That backward travelled, upward, till arrived
At him, who, on the hills of Midian, sang
The patient man of Uz; and from the lyre
Of angels, learned the early dawn of Time.
Not light and momentary labour these,
But discipline and self-denial long,

And oft above the reach of common eye
Ascended far, and seemed well nigh the top:
But only seemed; for still another top
Above them rose, till giddy grown, and mad,
With gazing at these dangerous heights of God
They tumbled down, and in their raving said,
They o'er the summit saw: and some believed
Believed a lie; for never man on earth,
That mountain crossed, or saw its farther side.
Around it lay the wreck of many a Sage-
Divine-Philosopher; and many more
Fell daily, undeterred by millions fallen;
Each wondering why he failed to comprehend
|God, and with finite measure infinite.
To pass it, was no doubt desirable;
And few of any intellectual size,
That did not sometime in their day attempt;
But all in vain; for as the distant hill,
Which on the right, or left, the traveller's eye
Bounds, seems advancing as he walks, and oft
He looks, and looks, and thinks to pass; but still
It forward moves, and mocks his baffled sight,
Till night descends and wraps the scene in gloom:

And purpose staunch, and perseverance, asked, So did this moral height the vision mock;
And energy that inspiration seemed.
Composed of many thoughts, possessing, each,
Innate and underived vitality:

Which having fitly shaped, and well arranged
in brotherly accord, they builded up
A stately superstructure, that, nor wind,
Nor wave, nor shock of falling years could move;
Majestic and indissolubly firm,

As ranks of veteran warriors in the field;
Each, by himself alone, and singly seen-
A tower of strength; in massy phalanx knit,
And in embattled squadron rushing on-
A sea of valour, dread! invincible!

Books of this sort, or sacred, or profane,
Which virtue helped, were titled not amiss,
The medicine of the mind: who read them, read
Wisdom, and was refreshed; and on his path
Of pilgrimage with healthier step advanced.

In mind, in matter, much was difficult
To understand: but what in deepest night
Retired, inscrutable, mysterious, dark,
Was evil; God's decrees; and deeds decreed,
Responsible. Why God, the just, the good,
Omnipotent and wise, should suffer sin
To rise. Why man was free, accountable;
Yet God foreseeing, overruling all.
Where'er the eye could turn, whatever tract
Of moral thought it took, by reason's torch,
Or Scripture's led, before it still this mount
Sprung up, impervious, insurmountable,
Above the human stature rising far;
Horizon of the mind-surrounding still
The vision of the soul with clouds and gloom.
Yet did they oft attempt to scale its sides,
And gain its top. Philosophy, to climb,
With all her vigour toiled from age to age;
From age to age, Theology, with all
Her vigour, toiled; and vagrant Fancy toiled.
Not weak and foolish only, but the wise,
Patient, courageous, stout, sound-headed man,
Of proper discipline, of excellent wind,
And strong of intellectual limb, toiled hard;

So lifted up its dark and cloudy head,
Before the eye, and met it evermore.
And some, provoked, accused the righteous God.
Accused of what? hear human boldness now;
Hear guilt, hear folly, madness, all extreme!
Accused of what? the God of truth accused
Of cruelty, injustice, wickedness!
Abundant sin! Because a mortal man,
A worm at best of small capacity,
With scarce an atom of Jehovah's works
Before him, and with scarce an hour to look
Upon them, should presume to censure God-
The infinite and uncreated God!

To sit in judgment-on Himself, his works,
His providence! and try, accuse, condemn!
If there is aught, thought or to think, absurd,
Irrational, and wicked, this is more-
This most; the sin of devils, or of those
To devils growing fast; wise men and good,
Accused themselves, not God; and put their hands
Upon their mouths and in the dust adored.

The Christian's faith had many mysteries too.
The uncreated holy Three in One;
Divine incarnate; human in divine;
The inward call; the Sanctifying Dew
Coming unseen, unseen departing thence;
Anew creating all, and yet not heard;
Compelling, yet not felt :-mysterious these;
Not that Jehovah to conceal them wished;
Not that religion wished. The Christian faith,
Unlike the timorous creeds of pagan priest
Was frank, stood forth to view, invited all
To prove, examine, search, investigate,
And gave herself a light to see her by.
Mysterious these because too large for eye
Of man, too long for human arm to mete.

Go to yon mount, which on the north sidt
stands

Of New Jerusalem, and lifts her head
Serene in glory bright, except the hill,
The Sacred Hill of God, whereon no foot
Must tread, highest of all creation's walks,