The fourth and concluding part has the title of « Christ's Triumph after Death," and is throughout beautiful, and in parts sublime. The triumphal entry of Christ into his kingdom is thus celebrated “Lift up your heads ye everlasting gates, And let the Prince of Glory enter in ! The sun did blush, the stars all dim were seen ; When springing first from earth he did begin To soar on angel's wings :-then open hang Your chrystal doors :"--so all the chorus sang Of heavenly birds, as to the skies they nimbly sprang! Hark! how the floods clap their applauding hands; The pleasant vallies singing for delight; And lofty mountains dance about the lands ; The while the fields, struck with the heav'nly light, Set all their flowers a smiling at the sight; The trees laugh with their blossoms,—and the sound Of the triumphant shout of praise that crown'd The Lamb of God rising to heav'n, hath passage found. Forth sprang the ancient Patriarchs, all in haste, To see the powers of hell in triumph led, And with small stars a garland interlac'd Of olive leaves they bore to crown his head, That was before with thorns so injured. After them flew the Prophets, brightly stold In shining lawn with foldings manifold, Striking their ivory harps, all strung with chords of gold. Gaze but upon the house where man doth live, With flow'rs and verdure to adorn his way; Where all the creatures due obedience give; The winds to sweep his chambers every day, And clouds that wash his rooms; the cieling gay have ! And if a heavy cloud opaque as night, In which the sun may seem embodied, Depur'd of all his dregs, we see so white, Burning in liquid gold his wat'ry head, Or round with ivory edges silvered :- If but one sun with his diffusive fires, Can fill the stars, and the whole world with light, And joy, and life, into each heart inspires ; And every saint shall shine in heav'n as bright, As doth the sun in his transcendent might, Here may the band that now in triumph shines, And who before they were invested thus, Pitch round about in order glorious, All their eternal day in songs employing ; Which whets and quiets greedy appetite; But one eternal day, and endless light, Gives time to those whose time is infinite. Speaking with thought, obtaining without fee ; Beholding him whom never eye could see; And magnifying him who cannot greater be. For things that pass are pass'd; and in this field, The spring indefinite, no winter fears; Th' unfading lily leaves of silver bears ; About the holy city rolls a flood Of molten chrystal, like a sea of glass; Of living diamonds the building was, That all things else it wholly did surpass : Her streets, the stars instead of stones did pave, And little pearls for dust it seems to have, On which soft streaming manna like pure snow did wave. In midst of this city celestial, Where the eternal temple should have rose, End and beginning of each thing that grows, That hath no eyes to see, nor ears to hear, eye and ear, Changer of all things, yet immutable; Before and after all, yet first and last; Who moving all, is yet immoveable; Great without quantity : in whose forecast Things past are present, things to come are past; No sweet content; or well-turned harmony; Or flowery odour, mixed with spicery; No soft embrace, nor pleasures bodily; And yet it is a kind of inward feast; A barmony that sounds witbin the breast, An odour, light, embrace in wbich the soul doth rest. A heav'nly feast, no hunger can consume; A light unseen, yet shines in every place; A sound no time can steal; a sweet perfume No winds can scatter; an entire embrace That no satiety can e'er debase : Receiv'd into so high a favour, there The saints, with their compeers, whole worlds odtwear ; And things unseen do see, and things unheard do hear. Ah foolish shepherds ! who were wont t'esteem, Your God all rough and shaggy hair'd to be; And yet far wiser shepherds than ye deem, For who so poor, though who so rich as he! When sojourning with us in low degree, He wash'd his flock in Jordan's spotless tide ; And that his dear remembrance might abide, Did to us come, and with us liv'd, and for us died ! But now such lively colours did embeam His sparkling forehead, and such shining rays Kindled his flamiug locks, that down did stream In curls along his neck, where sweetly plays, Singing his wounds of love in sacred lays, Fairest of fairs, that at his eyes doth dress Her glorious face; those eyes from whence are shed Attractions infinite; where to express His love, high God all hear'n as captive leads And all the banners of his grace dispreads; And in those windows doth his arms englaze, And on those eyes the angels all do gazė, And from those eyes, the lights of heav'n obtain their blaze. But let the Kentish lad that lately taught His oaten reed the trumpet's silver sound, The willing spheres from heaven to lead around crown'd * The human soul. |