And the pure stream, in liquid gushes singing, Riches make wings, and grandeur is a dream. Gladly to bless the thirsty plain; And from the laden bee, when homeward winging Its tuneful flight, doth not disdain BETHUNE. The Father spake! In grand reverberations Through space rolled on the mighty musictide, While to its low, majestic modulations, The clouds of chaos slowly swept aside. And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes-in wave, or bird, or soul, "Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that grand tune to which the planets roll! MRS. OSGOOD. Hail heaven-born music! by thy power we raise The uplifted soul to acts of highest praise; HOPKINSON. The man we celebrate must find a tomb, And we that worship him ignoble graves. COWPER. We turn to dust, and all our mightiest works Die too: the deep foundations that we lay, Time plows them up, and not a trace remains. We build with what we deem eternal rock; A distant age asks where the fabric stood; And in the dust, sifted and searched in vain, The undiscoverable secret sleeps. COWPER. Gather ye rose-buds as ye may, HERRICK. Ere Mirth can well her comedy begin, WILSON. MYSTERY-NATIVITY-NATURE. God keeps his holy mysteries Just on the outside of man's dream, To hear their pinions rise and sink, MRS. BROWNING. O God, for thee There is no weight nor measure; none can mount Up to thy mysteries; reason's brightest spark, Though kindled by thy light, in vain would try To trace thy councils, infinite and dark; 221 These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens, In these thy lowest works; yet these declare MILTON. By swift degrees the love of nature works, And thought is lost ere thought can soar so The joy of God to see a happy world. THE NATIVITY—(See CHRISTMAS.) Nature all o'er is consecrated ground, Teeming with growths immortal and divine. YOUNG. NATURE. Nature, attend! join, every living soul THOMSON. From dearth to plenty, and from death to life, A soul in all things, and that soul is God. There's not a plant or flower below, WATTS. Earth with her ten thousand flowers; I read His awful name emblazoned high, In every leaf that trembles to the breeze, Motionless torrents! silent cataracts! sun Clothe you with rainbows? Who, with living Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet? COLERIDGE. Ye living flowers that skirt the eternal frost! Nature's self, which is the breath of God, I have learned To look on nature, not as in the hour Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes Not harsh nor grating, though of ample power Great Ruler of all nature's frame! we own To chasten and subdue. thy power divine; We hear thy breath in every storm, for all the winds are thine. WORDSWORTH. Thou hast not left Thy mercy tempers every blast to them that Thyself without a witness, in these shades, |