God gave him reverence of laws, The eye of the Hawk, and the fire therein ! To Nature and to Holy Writ Alone did God the boy commit: Where flash'd and roar'd the torrent, oft The straining oar and chamois chase He knew not that his chosen hand, MILMAN. THE NATIVITY. THOU wast born of woman, thou did'st come, Was thy tempestuous road; Nor indignation burnt before thee on thy way. But thee, a soft and naked child, Thy mother, undefiled, In the rude manger laid to rest From off her virgin breast. The heav'ns were not commanded to prepare Nor stoop'd their lamps th' enthroned fires on high; Came wand'ring from afar, Gliding uncheck'd and calm along the liquid sky; The Eastern Sages leading on, As at a kingly throne, To lay their gold and odours sweet The earth and ocean were not hush'd to hear And seraph's burning lyres Pour'd through the host of heav'n the charmed clouds along, One angel troop the strain began, Of all the race of man, By simple shepherds heard alone, That soft Hosanna's tone. And when thou didst depart, no car of flame From fatal Calvary With all thine own redeem'd outbursting from their tombs. For thou didst bear away from earth But one of human birth, The dying felon by thy side, to be Nor o'er thy cross the clouds of vengeance break, The world in darkness lay, Then bask'd in bright repose beneath the cloudless sun: While thou didst sleep beneath the tomb, Ere yet the white-robed Angel shone Upon the sealed stone. And when thou didst arise, thou didst not stand Thy mother's coming feet, And bear the words of peace unto the faithful few: Then calmly, slowly didst thou rise Into thy native skies, Thy human form dissolved on high In its own radiancy. THE BURIAL ANTHEM. BROTHER, thou art gone before us, From the burthen of the flesh, And from care and fear releas'd, Where the wicked cease from troubling, And the weary are at rest. The toilsome way thou'st travell'd ̧ o'er, But Christ hath taught thy languid feet Where the wicked cease from troubling, Sin can never taint thee now, Nor doubt thy faith assail, Nor thy meek trust in Jesus Christ And there thou'rt sure to meet the good, "Earth to earth," and " dust to dust," Where the wicked cease from troubling, CHRIST COMING TO JUDGMENT. EVEN thus amid thy pride and luxury, Oh Earth! shall that last coming burst on thee, When all the cherub-throning clouds shall shine, The hundred-gated Cities then, The Towers and Temples, named of men The gilded summer Palaces, The courtly bowers of love and ease, Go gaze on fallen Jerusalem ! Yea, mightier names are in the fatal roll, 'Gainst earth and heaven God's standard is unfurl'd, The skies are shrivell'd like a burning scroll, And one vast common doom ensepulchres the world. X |