PAGE of life, of light, and truth;
Prop to Age, and guide of Youth;
Let me now thy leaves unfold,
Precious more than gems or gold;
Read, and feel, thy prophet strain,
Immortality to gain:—
Awful is thy mystery,
Ope mine eyes thy light to see;
Ope mine heart thy truth to feel,
To my soul thy bliss reveal:
Man may err, and man may read,
Wrongfully thy blessed creed;
Understanding may not pry,
Through thy depths of prophecy
Yet the eager thirsty soul
Draws life from thy blessed scroll:
Life immortal: lamp of joy;
Living light without alloy,
Passing with the Cherubim,
Far from sorrow, pain and sin:—
Creeds may differ, hearts may change,
Sect, ’gainst sect, in anger range;
Swords be drawn in vengeful fight,
Persecution strive for might;
Though the Maker of thy law,
First forbade the hand to draw
Steel of enmity, to prove,
Peacefulness of holy love;
Thy command is “read and learn,”
Not thy fellow mortal spurn;
Shall man his own judgement trust,
Dare to judge his brother dust,
And in anger on him turn,
Who himself is but a worm?
Martyrs on the stake have burnt
Yet what lesson have we learnt?
Life is nought to those who fear
HIM who dries the mortal tear!
Pain can never change the heart,
Where His presence doth impart,
Power above the sweat of death,
Life beyond the-fleeting breath!
From example let us learn,
Man can never conscience turn 5—
“Founder of the christian’s creed!
“Thou who for man’s sin did bleed;
“Crucified on calvary,
“Bowed thine head for Sin to die,
“Thou didst pray to him who gave,
“Death to thee!—their souls to save!"
What is Man, that he should raise
Arm ’gainst arm in enmities;—
Dare to claim a christian state,
When his heart is fraught with hate?
Bend the knee—and lisp the prayer;
When his nature is at war,
With the precept sent from heaven
“Forgive, as thou ’dst be forgiven!"
Outward seeming doth blaspheme,
Him who died man to redeem;
If we do not inward feel
All the truths thy words reveal!—-
States and nations perish, must!
And like man unite with dust;
Sway Imperial—crouching want—
Luxury—and pittance scant—
Gold bound brow—uncover’d head,
Pillow each on Earthy bed!
Sombre Reason—Idiot smile--
Depth‘of thought—and folly’s wile—
Beauty—and Deformity,
Love,——and Hate, together lie;
Time the mighty chronicler,
Leaves no trace of what they were.—
HOLY WORK! thou ne'er canst die,—
Thou art of Eternity!
Ere thy light can cease to shine,
Heaven and Earth shall mould with Time,
Sun, and Moon, the Stars—this World
Into endless chaos hurl’d!
Heaven expand—the Trumpet blast
Proclaim—TIME has breath’d his last!
All but Thou and Thine will fall,
Wreck’d with this terrestrial ball!
HOLY Worm! thy blest abode
Is the presence of thy God:
“Father! thou of all, I pray,
Lighten thou my darksome way;
Give me heart to hear thy word,
Faith to keep when I have heard;
Strength of soul—that I may be
Everlasting child of thee.”
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