Church poetry : or, Christian thoughts in old and modern verse . second race ;Or taught my soul to fancy oughtBut a white celestial thought ;When yet I had not walked aboveA mile or two from my first love :And looking back, at that short space,Could see a glimpse of his bright face ;When on some gilded cloud or flowerMy gazing soul would dwell an hour, HOLY LIVING. 145 And in those weaker glories spy Some shadows of eternity ; Before I taught my tongue to wound My conscience with a sinful sound ; Or had the black art to dispense A several sin to every sense ; But felt through all this fleshly
Church poetry : or, Christian thoughts in old and modern verse . second race ;Or taught my soul to fancy oughtBut a white celestial thought ;When yet I had not walked aboveA mile or two from my first love :And looking back, at that short space,Could see a glimpse of his bright face ;When on some gilded cloud or flowerMy gazing soul would dwell an hour, HOLY LIVING. 145 And in those weaker glories spy Some shadows of eternity ; Before I taught my tongue to wound My conscience with a sinful sound ; Or had the black art to dispense A several sin to every sense ; But felt through all this fleshly dress Bright shoots of everlastingness. O how I long to travel back And tread again that ancient track ! That I might once more reach that plain, Where first I left my glorious train ; From whence th enlightened spirit sees That shady city of Palm-trees ; But, ah ! my soul with too much stay Is drunk, and staggers in the way. Some men a forward motion love, But I by backward steps would move ; And when this dust falls to the urn, In that state I came, 146 HOLY LIVING. Anonymous. EMPLOYMENT. Man is a busy thing, and heWill deal in all sorts of and trivial; each may be,The subject of his greatest cares ;But this shall my employment be,Still to be busied, Lord, with Thee. Some are all spirit, and will fly At nothing lower than a throne ; The proudest spires of dignity They, in their hopes, have made their own : But this shall my employment be, To seek my honour all from Thee. Some that are sprung from coarser clay Adore a paint-disguised face, And daily their devotion pay To spotted beasts, or else as base : But this shall my employment be, Daily to serve and wait on Thee. HOLY LIVING. 147 Some so enhance the price of gold,They judge their souls to be but dross ;And are so saving that they holdThe air, the breath, a mighty loss :But this shall my employment be,I will love nothing like to Thee. Some are so loyal to the bookTill they can criticise, and tellH
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectreligio, bookyear1848
