He spoke the wondrous word, and lo!
Creation ose at his command;

Whirlwinds and seas their limits know,
Bound in the hollow of his hand.

There rests the earth, there roll the spheres,
There nature leans, and feels her prop;
But his own self-sufficience bears
The weight of his own glories up.

The tide of creatures ebbs and flows,
Measuring their changes by the moon;
No ebb his sea of glory knows,
His age is one eternal noon.

Then fly, my song, an endless round;
The lofty tune let Michael raise,
All nature dwell upon the sound;

But we can ne'er fulfil the praise.

JESUS THE ONLY SAVIOUR.

ADAM, our father and our head, Transgress'd, and justice doom'd us dead; The fiery law speaks all despair,

There's no reprieve, nor pardon there.

Call a bright council in the skies:
"Seraphs, the mighty and the wise,
"Say, what expedient can you give,
"That sin be damn'd, and sinners live?

66

Speak, are you strong to bear the load, "The weighty vengeance of a God? "Which of you loves our wretched race, "Or dares to venture in our place?"

In vain we ask; for all around

Stands silence through the heavenly ground;
There's not a glorious mind above
Has half the strength, or half the love.

But, O unutterable grace !

The eternal Son takes Adam's place;
Down to our world the Saviour flies,
Stretches his naked arms, and dies.

Justice was pleas'd to bruise the God, And pay its wrongs with heavenly blood; What unknown racks and pangs he bore! Then rose: the law could ask no more.

Amazing work! look down, ye skies,
Wonder and gaze with all your eyes;
Ye heavenly thrones, stoop from above,
And bow to this mysterious love.

See, how they bend! see, how they look!
Long they had read the eternal book,
And studied dark decrees in vain :
The cross and Calvary makes them plain.

Now they are struck with deep amaze, Each with his wings conceals his face; Now clap their sounding plumes, and cry, "The wisdom of a Deity!"

Low they adore the Incarnate Son,

And sing the glories he hath won;

Sing how he broke our iron chains, How deep he sunk, how high he reigns.

Triumph and reign, victorious Lord,
By all thy flaming hosts ador'd;
And say, dear Conqueror, say, how long,
Ere we shall rise to join their song.

Lo, from afar the promis'd day
Shines with a well distinguish'd ray;
But my wing'd passion hardly bears
These lengths of slow delaying years.

Send down a chariot from above,
With fiery wheels, and pav'd with love;
Raise me beyond the ethereal blue,
To sing and love as angels do.

LOOKING UPWARD.

THE heavens invite mine eye, The stars salute me round; Father, I blush, I mourn to lie Thus grovelling on the ground.

My warmer spirits move,
And make attempts to fly;
I wish aloud for wings of love
To raise me swift and high;

Beyond those crystal vaults, And all their sparkling balls; They're but the porches to thy courts, And paintings on thy walls.

Vain world, farewell to you;
Heaven is my native air;
I bid
my friends a short adieu,
Impatient to be there.

I feel my powers releas'd
From their old fleshy clod;

Fair guardian, bear me up in haste,
And set me near my God.

CHRIST DYING, RISING, AND REIGNING.

HE dies! the heavenly lover dies!
The tidings strike a doleful sound
On my poor heart-strings; deep he lies
In the cold caverns of the ground.

Come, saints, and drop a tear or two
On the dear bosom of your God;
He shed a thousand drops for you,
A thousand drops of richer blood.

Here's love and grief beyond degree;
The Lord of glory dies for men!
But, lo! what sudden joys I see!
Jesus the dead revives again.

The rising God forsakes the tomb,
Up to his Father's court he flies;
Cherubic legions guard him home,
And shout him welcome to the skies.

Break off your tears, ye saints, and tell
How high our great Deliverer reigns;
Sing how he spoil'd the hosts of hell,
And led the monster, death, in chains