It is, indeed, a blessing, when the virtues Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep : Of noble races are hereditary : All these with ceaseless praise his works behold, And do derive themselves from th' imitation Both day and night. How often from the steep Of virtuous ancestors.--Nabb. Of echoing h'll or thicket have we heard Celestial voices to the midnight air, How vain are all hereditary honours, Sole, or responsive each to other's note, Those poor possessions from another's deeds, Singing their great Creator ! oft in bands Unless our own just virtues form our title While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk, And give a sanction to our fond assumption ! With heavenly touch of instrumental sounds In full harmonic number join'd, their songs Milton. ANGELS are men of a superior kind; Angels are men in lighter habit clad, High o'er celestial mountains wing'd in flight, By some plebeian vocation ! And men are angels loaded for an hour, Or, worse than that, your boasted line Who wade the miry vale, and climb with pain, May end in a loop of stronger twine, And slippery step, the bottom of the steep. Nor are our brothers thoughtless of their kin, Yet absent, but not absent from their love. Michael has fought our battles, Raphael sung 171. ANGELS: are always in heaven. Our triumphs, Gabriel on our errands flown, Sent by the Sovereign ; and are these, O man ! Then unbeguile thyself, and know with me, Thy friends and warm allies, and thou (shame burn That angels, though on earth employ'd they be, Thy cheek to cinder!) rival to the brutes !- Young. Are still in heaven.--Donne. 175. ANGELS. Ministry of 172. ANGELS. Care of the AND is there care in heaven? And is there love 'Tis your office, spirits bright, In heavenly spirits to these creatures base, That may compassion of their evils move? There is : else much more wretched were the case Powers of darkness flee away. Of men than beasts. But, oh, the exceeding grace Ever doth our unseen host Of highest God, that loves His creatures so, And all His works with mercy doth embrace, That blessed angels He sends to and fro, To serve to wicked man, to serve His wicked foe! And ye come on ready wing, When we drift toward sheer despair, How oft do they their silver bowers leave, To come to succour us that succour want ! How oft do they with golden pinions cleave The glittering skies, like flying pursuivant, Against foul fiends to aid us militant! They for us fight, they watch, and duly ward, And their bright squadrons round about us plant; 'Neath the world's vast woe and wrong. And all for love, and nothing for reward : Oh, why should heavenly God to men have such 173. ANGELS. Existence of regard !-Spenser. These stars, though unbeheld in deep of night, 176. ANGELS. Office of the Shine not in vain ; nor think, though men were none, That heaven would want spectators, God want | They are God's ministering spirits, and are sent praise. His messengers of mercy, to fulfill Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Good for Salvation's heirs. For us they still To win or storm the ramparts of the heart 178. ANGELS : their fall. Grieve when we sin, rejoice when we repent; The sever'd righteous at His holy hill, Unthought of, unimproving? Rather say, God deign'd to man His angel hosts reveal, That man might learn like angels to obey; And those who long their bliss in heaven to feel, Might strive on earth to serve Him even as they. Mant. If a man would be invariable, Sir 7. Davies, 179. ANGELS: their visits. 177. ANGELS. Strife of THE good he scorn'd Stalk'd off reluctant, like an ill-used ghost, Not to return; or, if it did, in visits Like those of angels, short and far between. Blair. 180. ANGELS. Two Man hath two attendant angels, Ever waiting at his side, With him wheresoe'er he wanders, Wheresoe'er his feet abide. One to warn him when in danger, And rebuke him if he stray : One to leave him to bis nature, And so let him go his way. My dwelling had been situate beside The myriads of a vast metropolis : But now astonish'd I beheld, and lo! There were more spirits than men, more habitants Of the thin air than of the solid ground : The firmament was quick with life. As when The prophet's servant look'd from Dothan forth On Syria's thronging multitudes, and saw, His eyes being open'd at Elisha's prayer, Chariots of fire by fiery horses drawn, The squadrons of the sky around the seer Encamping. Thus in numbers numberless The hosts of darkness and of light appeard Thronging the air. They were not ranged for fight, But mingled host with host, angels with men. Nor was it easy to discern the lost From the elect. There were no horned fiends As some have fabled, no gaunt skeletons Of naked horror; but the fallen wore, Even as the holy angels, robes of light; Nor did their ruin otherwise appear Than in dark passions, envy, and pride, and hate, Which like a brand upon their brow obscured The lustre of angelic loveliness. It was not open battle, might with might Contesting ; but uninterrupted war Of heavenly faithfulness and hellish craft. By every saint a holy watcher stood; By some a company of blessed spirits ; Each had their ministry assign'd. And oft From some superior chief the watchword passid, Or warnings came of stratagems foreseen, Or tidings from the court of glory sped From lip to lip more quickly than the thoughts Which men decipher from electric signs. Far off their armour gleam'd. On the other hand The spirits of darkness freely intermix'd With all ; innumerable legions armd ; And, baffled oft, to their respective lords The thrones and principalities of hell Repairing, better learn'd their cursed lore Two recording spirits, reading All his life's minutest part, Looking in his soul and listening To the beatings of his heart. Each with pen of fire electric, Writes the good and evil wrought; Writes with truth that adds not, errs not, Purpose, action, word, and thought. One, the Teacher and Reprover, Marks each heaven-deserving deed ; Graves it with the lightning's vigour ; Seals it with the lightning's speed ; For the good that man achieveth Good beyond an angel's doubtSuch remains for aye and ever, And cannot be blotted out. One (severe and silent Watcher) Noteth every crime and guile, Writes it with a holy duty, Seals it not, but waits awhile ; If the evil-doer cry not ‘God, forgive me l'ere he sleeps, Then the sad stern spirit seals it, And the gentler spirit weeps.-P. Prince. Those hearts that start at once into a blaze, And open all their rage, like summer storms At once discharged grow cool again and calm. C. Johnson. 181. ANGELS : with us unawares. We rarely know, till ’wilder'd eyes See white wings lessening up the skies, The angels with us unawares. Gerald Massey. 182. ANGER. Senseless, and deform'd, Convulsive anger storms at large; or pale And silent, settles into full revenge. Thomson. Loud complaint, however angrily 183. ANIMALS. Full many mischiefs follow cruel wrath : Abhorred bloodshed, and tumultuous strife, Unmanly murder, and unthrifty scath, Bitter despite, with rancour's rusty knife, And fretting grief, the enemy of life ; All these, and many evils more, haunt ire. The swelling spleen, and phrenzy raging rife, The shaking palsy, and Saint Francis' fire : Such one was wrath, the last of this ungodly tire. Spenser. Anger is like The heart is hard in nature, and unfit Cowper. Being once chafed, he cannot Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks What's in his heart.-Shakespeare. Unknit that threat'ning unkind brow; My rage is not malicious ; like a spark bu When anger rushes, unrestrain'd, to action, safest.–Savage. There is not in nature A thing that makes a man so deform'd, so beastly, As doth intemp'rate anger. – Webster. Verily, they are all thine : freely mayest thou serve thee of them all : They are thine by gift for thy needs, to be used in all gratitude and kindness; Gratitude to their God and thine,--their Father and thy Father, Kindness to them who toil for thee, and help thee with their all : For meat, but not by wantonness of slaying : for burden, but with limits of humanity. For luxury, but not through torture : for draught, but according to the strength : For a dog cannot plead his own right, nor render a reason for exemption, Nor give a soft answer unto wrath, to turn aside the undeserved lash; The galled ox cannot complain, nor supplicate a moment's respite; The spent horse hideth his distress, till he panteth out his spirit at the goal ; Also, in the winter of life, when worn by constant toil, If ingratitude forget his services, he cannot bring them to remembrance : Behold, he is faint with hunger ; the big tear standeth in his eye ; His skin is sore with stripes, and he tottereth beneath his burden; His limbs are stiff with age, his sinews have lost their vigour, And pain is stamped upon his face, while he wrestleth unequally with toil : The elephant is never won with anger; Where there's Killegrew. Yet once more mutely and meekly endureth he the The future of the present is the soul, crushing blow; How this life groans, when sever'd from the next! That struggle hath cracked his heart-strings-the Poor mutilated wretch, that disbelieves ! generous brute is dead ! By dark distrust his being cut in two, Liveth there no advocate for him ? no judge to In both parts perishes: life void of joy, avenge his wrongs? Sad prelude of eternity in pain ! No voice that shall be heard in his defence ? no sen Could'st thou persuade me the next life could fail tence to be passed on his oppressor ? Our ardent wishes, how should I pour out Yes, the sad eye of the tortured pleadeth pathetically My bleeding heart in anguish, new as deep! for him; 0, with what thoughts (thy hope, and my despair) Yea, all the justice in heaven is roused in indigna. | Abhorr'd ANNIHILATION blasts the soul, tion at his woes; And wide extends the bounds of human woe! Vea, all the pity upon earth shall call down a curse Young upon the cruel ; | 185. ANNIHILATION. Advocates of Yea, the burning malice of the wicked is their own exceeding punishment. ARE there on earth (let me not call them men!) The Angel of Mercy stoppeth not to comfort, but Who lodge a soul immortal in their breasts, passeth by on the other side, Unconscious as the mountain of its ore, And hath no tear to shed, when a cruel man is Or rock, of its inestimable gem? damned. — Tupper. When rocks shall melt, and mountains vanish, these Are there (still more amazing!) who resist 184 ANNIHILATION. Absurdity of The rising thought? who smother, in its birth, Why life, a moment ? infinite, desire ? The glorious truth? who struggle to be brutes ? Our wish, eternity? our home, the grave ? Who through this bosom-barrier burst their way, Heaven's promise dormant lies in human hope : And, with reversed ambition, strive to sink ? Who wishes life immortal proves it too. Who labour downwards through the opposing Why happiness pursued, though never found? powers Man's thirst of happiness declares it is, Of instinct, reason, and the world against them, For nature never gravitates to nought : To dismal hopes, and shelter in the shock That thirst, unquench'd, declares it is not here. Of endless night ?--night, darker than the grave's !-. Who fight the proofs of immortality ? With horrid zeal, and execrable arts, Work all their engines, level their black fires, Is not this torment in the mask of joy? To blot from man this attribute divine Why by reflection marrd the joys of sense ? (Than vital blood far dearer to the wise), Blasphemers and rank atheists to themselves? Young: Why labours reason ?- instinct were as well! 186. ANNIHILATION. License of Instinct far better--what can choose can err. 0, how infallible the thoughtless brute ! Duty! Religion !—These, our duty done, "Twere well his holiness were half as sure. Imply reward. Religion is mistake. Reason with inclination, why at war? Duty!-there's none, but to repel the cheat. Why sense of guilt? why conscience up in arms ? Ye cheats, away! ye daughters of my pride, Conscience of guilt is prophecy of pain, Who feign yourselves the favourites of the skies ! And hosom counsel to decline the blow. Ye towering hopes, abortive energies, Reason with inclination ne'er had jarr’d, That toss and struggle in my lying breast If nothing future paid forbearance here. To scale the skies, and build presumptions there, These, a thousand pleas uncall’d, As I were heir of an eternity- Vain, vain ambitions ! trouble me no more. | As bounded as my being be my wish. What truth on earth so precious as the lie? All is inverted; wisdom is a fool. This world it gives us, let what will ensue ; Sense ! take the rein ; blind passion ! drive us on ; This world it gives, in that high cordial, hope ; And ignorance, befriend us on our way; To thy Redeemer take that care, And change anxiety to prayer. Ye new, but truest patrons of our peace ! 187. ANT. Lesson from the TURN to the prudent ant thy heedful eyes, Fohnson. Hast thou a hope with which thy heart 191. ANXIETY. Misery of 188. ANTIQUITY. Charms of THERE is a power And magic in the ruin'd battlement, For which the palace of the present hour Must yield its pomp, and wait till ages Are its dower.-Byron. 189. ANXIETY : deprecated. Thee from the sweet repose Their joys, their cares, their woes. About thy tangled ways ? And He allows delays. Some good and loved design ? His perfect will to thine ! PERPETUAL anguish fills his anxious breast, Dryden. Thou hast seen many sorrows, travel-stained pilgrim of the world, But that which hath vexed thee most, hath been the looking for evil ; And though calamities have crossed thee and misery been heaped on thy head, Yet ills that never happened have chiefly made thee wretched. Verily, evils may be courted, may be wooed and won by distrust. Ask for good, and hope it ; for the ocean of good is fathomless; Ask for good, and have it ; for thy Friend would see thee happy; But to the timid heart, to the child of unbelief and dread, That leaneth on his own weak staff, and trusteth in the sight of his eyes, The evil he feared shall come, for the soil is ready for the seed. Therefore look up, sad spirit; be strong, thou coward heart, Or fear will make thee wretched, though evil follow not behind. Cease to anticipate misfortune, -there are still many chances of escape; But if it come, be courageous, face it and conquer thy calamity. There is not an enemy so stout as to storm and take the fortress of the mind, Unless its infirmity turn traitor, and fear unbar the gates. My God! the hearing ear impart, To hear Thee tell Thy will, And then bestow the ready heart All meekly to fulfil. 190. ANXIETY : how to get rid of it. Hast Thou within a care so deep, It chases from thine eyelids sleep? |