MORAL REFLECTIONS &c. CONTINUED.
O LORD, how manifold are thy Works! in Wifdom haft Thou made Them All: The Earth is full of thy Riches. Pfalm. CIV. 24.
How Good is it to fee and confider the Works of the LORD; and His Dealings with the Children of Men. Eaftern Songs,
Which Way foe'er I turn my Face or Feet,
I fee thy Mercy, and thy Glory meet,
For Here, Great GOD! thy glorious Works do fhine Which manifeft thy Love, and Pow'r Divine,
RESH Beauties now my Eyes furvey,
My Heart affect with Love;
And which to ME do NOW convey
Sweet Thoughts of Things Above.
How bleft to feel the Mind impreft
By Means of Earthly Things!
But fweeter ftill in CHRIST to rest,
From Whom fuch Pleafure fprings.
Whate'er in outward Nature gives
To Man a folid Pleafure,
From GOD Alone most furely lives,
And is to Man a Treasure.
GOD is the Life of All his Works,
Howe'er defil'd by Man;
And tho' Disorder in Them lurks,
He ftill pursues His Plan:
Bleft Plan! to make Us Holy Here,
His Works defil'd renew;
That We for Heav'nly Things may care,
And His Defign pursue.
Pafs from this State of Things on Earth
To brighter Seénes in Heav'n,
Which pure Angelic Joys bring forth,
And to the Bleft are giv'n.
Did We not darken Heav'nly Light,
Which flows into the Mind;
We thou'd expect, in Heav'n moft bright,
Such Scenes as Thefe to find.
Scenes which exactly reprefent
Angels' bright inward State,
And do moft beautifully paint
What is their happy Fate.
To humble Minds Thefe Scenes convey
Some Thoughts of Heav'n moft bright,
And whisper that the Heav'nly Day
Such Scenes will bring to Light.
Nay, brighter Scenes than Earth can fhow,
Or Mortal's Pencil paint;
GOD will most certainly bestow
On Ev'ry humble Saint.
Tho' outward Scenes Thefe only are
To image Heav'n within,
Yet They fome Place in Us fhou'd share,
Being free from actual Sin.
In this They peak Creation's Praise,
It's outward Beauty fhow;
And call on Us our Hearts to raise,
And their Creator know.
Moft pow'rful Preachers fure They are
To Ev'ry thoughtful Mind,
And raife in Such that holy Pray'r
Which They defire to find.
Which inward Prayer opens Heav'n
In Ev'ry State and Place,
And unto which is freely giv'n
Abundance of GOD's Grace.
It draws down Heav'n into the Soul,
Brings Love to God and Man;
Which Love for Ever crowns the whole
Of GOD's redeeming Plan.
For Ever happy makes that Soul
Which feels it's facred Fire,
And will, whilft endlefs Ages roll,
All honeft Hearts infpire.
Oft have I heard of HAWKSTONE Park,
It's Beauties oft defin'd;
But All Description was but dark,
Compar'd with what I find.
To paint the Beauties I have seen
In these sweet Walks to Day,
Requires a more enlarged Pen,
A more infpired Lay.
Which I must leave to Men of Worth,
And more enlighten'd Hearts,
To fet fuch charming Beauties forth,
Which Heav'n to Earth imparts:
Well pleaf'd! if this my feeble Pen
Leads Those who read to view,
That in thefe Scenes is clearly feen
GOD's Love and Wifdom too.
And that We fhou'd HIм always praise
When fuch grand Works We fee,
And, thro' Them, Whilft We live, fhou'd raise
Our Hearts most gratefully.
Let POPE his WINDSOR FOREST praife,
OTHERS of RICHMOND boaft;
Of HAWKSTONE's Scenes I tune my Lays,
Because They please Me moft,
No Scenes, I Think, can Them excel,
Or image Heaven more;
Near to Them I cou'd like to dwell,
And Such grand Works explore.
For fure I am that I cou'd view
In Ev'ry Tree and Grove,
What doth a GOD moft clearly fhew,
HIS Beauty and HIS Love:
And what the fcoffing (b) ATHEIST ought To filence and reclaim;
And if He fuch Conviction fought,
He wou'd adore his Name.
He wou'd confefs His mighty Pow'r,
By Truth Divine o'ercome,
And love that BEING ev'ry Hour,
Which He proceeded from.
That there's a GOD all Nature shows,
Thro' all Her Works, fo Grand;
From whofe pure Mercy all Things rofe,
At his Divine Command.
For fearch all Nature, thro' and thro',
With your most curious Eye;
The Godhead clearly ftrikes your View,
And fhows his Prefence nigh.
That fame Almighty, gracious Hand,
Which form'd the Heav'ns Above;
Did here create the Sea and Land
By WISDOM Out of Love,
Whofe Pow'r fupreme for ever guides,
From Heaven rules the Whole;
And over all Things HERE prefides,
Of ev'ry Thing the Soul.
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