Page:Grave, a poem, or, A view of life, death and immortality.pdf/22

 And inquiſition of the forge. ——We know Th' illuſtrious Deliverer of mankind, The Son of God, thee foil ——Him in thy pow'r Thou couldſt not hold:——self-vigorous he roſe, And, ſhaking off thy ſetters, ſoon retook Those ſpoils his voluntary yielding lent; (Sure pledge of our releaſement from thy thrall: Twice twenty days he ſojourne'd here on earth, And ſhew'd himſelf alive to choſen witneſſes, By proof so ſtrong, that the moſt ſlow aſſenting Had not a ſcruple left. This having done, He mounted up to heav'n. ——Methinks I see him Climb the ſerial heights, and glide along Athwart ſevering clouds ——but the faint eye Flung backwards in the chace, ſoon drops its hold; Diſabled quite, and jaded with purſuing. Heav'n's portals wide expand to let him in; Nor are his friends ſhut out. ——As ſome great Prince Not for himſelf alone procures admiſſion, But for his train. It was his royal will, That where he is, there ſhould his followers be: Death only lies between ---A gloomy path! Made yet more gloomy by our coward fears! But not untrod. nor tedious---the fatigue Will ſoon go off. ---Besides, there's no by-road To bliſs. Then why, like ill-condition'd children, Start we at tranſient hardships in the way That leads to purer air and ſofter ſkies And a ne'er ſetting ſun!---Fools that we are! We with to be where ſweets unwithering bloom, But ſtraight our with revoke, and will not go. So have I ſeen, upon a ſummer's e'en, Faſt by the riv'let's brink, a youngſter plays How wiſhfully he looks to ſtem the tide! This moment reſolute, next unreſolv'd; At last he dips his foot; but as he dips, His fears redouble, and he runs away