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Lift up your eyes then to that happy place,
O, look again, and view the God of grace;
Look, till your hearts, ascending with your eyes,
Learn all sublunar objects to despise ;
Reject the toys of time, and seek alone

The pleasures which surround your Father's throne,
Which, like a boundless ocean, shall endure

When death shall cease, and time shall be no more,

AN

ELEGY,

OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF MR. CHRISTOPHER

SELDON SLOW.

HAIL! happy saint; immortal splendors shine
Around thy head, the gift of love divine;
High thron'd in bliss, above yon azure skies,
In sweet enjoyment of the heav'nly prize,
Thy ransom'd spirit stands, divinely bright,
Crown'd with salvation in the realms of light.

See Seldon in the morning of his days,
Led by parental care in wisdom's ways;
By precept and example taught the road
Which leads from earth to heav'n, from sin to God.
A pious father's fervent pray'rs arise,

Ascends the clouds, and penetrates the skies;
Well pleas'd, Jehovah hears, and grants the boon,
His heart's best wishes for his darling son,
And bids all-potent grace erect her throne
In Seldon's breast, and seal him all her own.
Lo! winds and waves the favor'd youth convey
To Britain's isle in an auspicious day;

When Piltius blew the gospel trump; his voice
Bade sinners tremble, weeping saints rejoice;
To those a son of thunder, but to these
The gentle messenger of heav'nly peace:
He heard the faithful herald loud proclaim
The great salvation of the slaughter'd lamb;
He heard, and grace descended to impart
This great salvation to young Seldon's heart;
Now, like the bounding roe, with eager pace
He turns, he flies, to that delightful place,
Down Savoy's hill, where saints assembled join
In worship pure, devotion all divine;

And walks with God, while thrice the radiant sun
Measures ten summers, ere his work is done.
With ever cheerful heart and smiling face,
Patient he marches on his heav'nly race;
The widow's friend, the orphan's kind support;
Constant in all that bears a good report;
Benevolently good; with all replete

That forms the christian character complete.
When death, with stingless dart call'd him away;
And Gabriel bore him to the realms of day;
In vain your tears, ye faithful mourners, rise,
Your friend is safely lodg'd within the skies:
Clasp'd in Immanuel's arms, he proves the bliss
Of a blood-bought, eternal paradise.

Then cease your grief, ye saints, and onward press
Tow'rds the bright prize, a crown of righteousness.
But hark! from yonder cloud a whisper breaks!
Be hush'd, my soul, for 'tis Christopher speaks:
"Weep not for me, my dangers all are past;
I've run the race, and reach'd the goal at last

t;

The swelling tides of Jordan threat no more;
I'm safely landed on the wish'd for shore :
With conquest crown'd, triumphant now I stand,
In full possession of the promis'd land.

Satan and sin, no more my peace molest;

No more shall sighs of sorrow heave my breast:
I've left the cumb'rous load of flesh behind,
And found my Jesus faithful as he's kind.
Without a cloud, my father's face I see;
And bless the great God-man who dy'd for me.
Before his throne I fall in raptures down,
And at his feet I lay my glorious crown :
Gladly I tune my harp and voice to sing
The matchless triumphs of my matchless king;
Adore that sov❜reign love, and bless the grace
That gave me robes of perfect righteousness;
That saw me late in nature's darkness lay,
And gave me eyes to view his gospel day.
He knew my sorrows, pity'd all my woe;
And said to Satan, 'Loose, and let him go!'
He spake! 'twas done! my fetter'd soul set free,
To follow Jesus in true liberty;

Guided by wisdom, and upheld by grace,
He led me safely thro' the wilderness:
When foil'd by foes, he ran to give me aid;
And on his bosom would repose my head:
Beneath me spread his everlasting arm,

And heal'd my wounds with Gilead's precious balm;
When fainting under Sol's meridian beams,
Allay'd my thirst with ever-living streams:
And when I hunger'd, to my soul was giv'n
The real manna, living bread from heav'n;

Till Jordan's verge appear'd, replete with harms;
But Jesus bore me over in his arms,
And in his temple, on this happy shore,

I live a pillar, to go out no more;

But join cherubic songs to bless his name,
And sing salvation to the slaughter'd lamb.
Then weep no more for me, my friends, but rise
And follow Jesus to those radiant skies;
There we shall meet, from sin and sorrow free,
And death be swallow'd up in victory."

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