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His lips infpir'd the dying GOD proclaim !
And heathens bless the all-atoning LAMB!

But now the gospel's all-enlightning ray, O'er favour'd Britain wins its wid'ning way: Nor fooner truth's bright emanations fhone, Than verg'd the comet tow'rds the parent fun. And now, relum'd with more abundant grace, The midnight gloom he burfts, and fires the ample space!

So when th' awak'ning regent of the skies Bedecks the morn with gold and orient dyes; The darkling fhades confounded flee away, Purfu'd and whelm'd with floods of lucid day!

Now hell alarm'd with ftorming fury rofe,
The glorious cause all adverse powers oppose.
Blind fuperftition fpends her idle rage,
And perfecution's thousand arms engage.
Free, universal grace is now arraign'd,
And now its precepts impiously prophan'd.
Hell spreads her toils, and earth exhausts her force,
To check the herald, or divert his course.

As when from heaven the rapid torrent pours,
The deep-laid vale collects the liquid ftores.
Awhile their rage oppofing dams repel;
Repell'd, they rife, and inundations fwell.
Refiftless now, they break th' impetuous way,
And groves and cities into ruins lay.

So WESLEY rofe! So all opposers fell!

So heaven was victor! So was vanquish'd hell!

With

With foul undaunted, fee the champion ftands,
Threatning damnation to the guilty lands!
Lo! trembling Sinai feels th' indignant GOD!
His
vengeance flames! His arrows fly abroad!
The tempeft roars! the burfting thunders roll!
The rending earthquake tears up every foul!
But foon he cheers, and breathes in milder voice,
"Attend, O earth!-ye mourners now rejoice:
The fprinkled blood for you is fill the fame;
And free redemption through the SAVIOUR's name!"
He fpeaks: The mourners lift their eyes to heaven,
And mercy whifpers all their fins forgiven!
Rich, bleeding love his glowing tongue inspires!
Fills his rapt bofom with feraphic fires!

His heart elates! His nobleft powers employs!
Augments his fervour! and improves his joys!.
Not greater joy inflames a Seraph's breast,
When weary finners long for facred reft:
Not more delight angelic bofoms prove,
When lifping converts praife forgiving love!

Thus call'd; thus own'd; thus bleft the gospel word;
The nations fall before the Spirit's fword.
Where'er the herald wings his wond'rous way,
His track is blazon'd with a flame of day!
The crimson banner, dy'd with facred blood,
Triumphant flies! and Edom falls fubdu’d!
MESSIAH'S vengeance hell profoundly feels,
Dragg'd abject captive at his chariot wheels!
Ride on MOST MIGHTY! Raife thy triumphs high!
Gird, gird thy fword upon thy puiffant thigh!
May hell's ufurp'd dominion quickly fall,
And thy acknowledg'd fceptre fway the ball!

But

But fhall heaven's great defender thus prevail,
And hell quiefcent not her foe affail?
Shall truth refulgent floods of light difclofe,
And not the powers of darknefs interpofe?
No!-Earth and hell their banded powers unite,
To intercept the all-illuming light.

But vain th attempt: the scatter'd clouds give way,
And lo! he fhines with more diftinguish'd ray!

When black-wing'd ftorms convolving clouds upraise, A tranfient gloom obftructs the folar blaze.

But highly fpher'd great Sol his ftate maintains,
And theds his glories round th' ethereal plains.
The forms may rage; the vagrant clouds
may ftray;
But ftill he fhines, and flill holds on his way.
Till now fatigued the angry tempefls cease,
And fink the warring elements to peace.
Now added glories paint the Western skies,
Empyreal gems and rofeate fplendors rife,
Rich fields of light their faphire bounds extend,
And while the victor's burning wheels defcend,
Refplendent wreathes his radiant brows adorn,
And fpeak his glorious rife, the coming morn!

What ardor now my trembling veins infpires!
Now glows my bofom with fuperior fires!
I hear! I hear the flaming chariot roll !
The clouds drop fatnets on my melting foul!
See! See! the blazing portals wide extend!
He mounts! He flies!-My father! and my friend!
The rapid courfers gain the chryftal walls!
He difappears!--and lo, the mantle falls!

Adicu,

Adieu, thrice-happy spirit! Strung for thee,
Their golden harps in softest symphony,
The radiant Orders of the fkies employ,

And fill the heav'ns with ftrains of echoing joy!
Thy children too,—they gladly meet thee there,
And fhouts of tranfport load the ambient air.
Thee the bleft inftrument they jointly own,
But breathe their praife primæval to the throne.
Nor less thy pow'rs the grateful theme conjoin,
And give the all of praife to grace divine.

But Oh! while thus imperial Salem rings,
And each rapt feraph's tongue delighted fings;
While faints elated raise the holy fong,
And founds triumphant fweetly flow along;
Far other numbers, griet's expreffive ftrains,
Fill all our tongues, and thrill through all our veins !
For thee, bleft Sire! fhall ev'ry breaft he mov'd,
And all thy children fing the faint they lov'd!
For thee fhall Science drop the filial tear,

And facred Virtue fhall thy name revere !
For thee the Mufe fhall pour the forrowing lay,
And pure Devotion languish o'er thy clay!
Remoteft generations yet unborn,

Shall breathe the deep-felt figh o'er WESLEY'S urn!

END OF VOL. XIV.

ESSAY

SSAY on the Liberty of Moral Agents
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Dialogues on Predeftination

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113

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Original Sermons. By the Rev. J. Wesley. Sermon

LXI. on Luke xii. 20.

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Sermon LXII, on Matt. xxii. 12.

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Sermon LXIII. on Pfalm 1xxiii. 20.

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Sermon by the Rev. Mr. Nalfon, on Prov. xxiii, 26.

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Account of Mr. W. Black

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