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Occasioned by the death of the reverend and learned Mr Samuel Willard.
I SING the man, by heaven’s peculiar grace, | |
| The prince of prophets, of the chosen race, | |
| Rais’d and accomplish’d for degenerate times, | |
| To stem the ebb with faith and zeal sublime; | |
| T’ assert forsaken truth, to check the rage | 5 |
| Of rampant vice, and cure a wicked age. | |
| Such times need such a prophet,—in his death | |
| Is quench’d the light of Israel, and their breath. | |
| Plain was the saint, his soul by grace refin’d, | |
| His girdle mean, but much adorn’d his mind: | 10 |
| In face, as well as mind, above the toys | |
| Of this vain world, and all its sensual joys: | |
| Simple in diet, negligent of dress, | |
| Hairy and rough his robe, meet to express | |
| One mortify’d to things of time and sense, | 15 |
| To truth and things divine a love intense. | |
| Jealous for Israel and the Lord of hosts, | |
| Disdain’d to see Him rival’d by a post, | |
| Mourn’d his forsaken covenant, and worship lost. | |
| Courageous, dar’d alone to stand the shock, | 20 |
| Of numerous priests of Baal and to deride their stock. | |
| Fac’d fierce tyrannous powers, told their crimes | |
| And shames deserv’d the judgments of their times. | |
| His and truth’s triumphs glorious: strange to say! | |
| A debauch’d nation convert in a day, | 25 |
| And sham’d, enrag’d imposters fled away! | |
| A wondrous saint; inspir’d, employ’d and led | |
| By heavenly love; by many wonders fed. | |
| The care of heaven, the darling of his God, | |
| Signally sav’d, cheer’d by His staff and rod. | 30 |
| Voracious ravens yield him up their prey: | |
| Glad angels to his succor wing away: | |
| And heaven, to show its empire more, commands | |
| Hopeless relief from famishing widow’s hands. | |
| He pray’d, the sealed heavens withheld their rain; | 35 |
| He pray’d, the open’d clouds discharge again. | |
| Provok’d he ask’d; strange blazing showers of flame | |
| Stream down, and Sodom’s day renewed came. | |
| He struck the floods,—the refluent waves divide; | |
| His mantle’s breath drove back the flowing tide. | 40 |
| What ail’d thee, O astonish’d sea, to fly? | |
| Jordan! from Joshua’s days thy banks not dry! | |
| Yet greater wonders view: he spake,—the dead | |
| In sin, or grave, lift up their fallen head: | |
| Witness the happy mother, fully won | 45 |
| To heaven as she receiv’d her raised son: | |
| Blest work of grace! the mercy of the mean | |
| Illustrious, as the saving change is seen. | |
| Not less miraculous the prophet’s fast, | |
| Labors and travels gloriously surpass’d: | 50 |
| His strength and application, as his trust, | |
| Noble and vast, angelic and august: | |
| In public toils consum’d, of life profuse, | |
| Exhausted in retired holy muse, | |
| On the deep things of God, and mysteries abstruse. | 55 |
| Such labors bounteous heaven is wont to crown | |
| With heavenly visions, light and joys unknown. | |
| So heavenly glories dazzled Moses’ eyes, | |
| And laboring Paul was caught to paradise. | |
| No less Elijah to his Saviour dear, | 60 |
| No less his cares and toils, his prayers and tears; | |
| Nor less would heaven his suff’ring soul to cheer. | |
| The God of Israel pass’d before the cave, | |
| In majesty, as erst the law he gave, | |
| And frighten’d nature seem’d to seek a grave. | 65 |
| Tempests, and flames, and earthquakes march’d before, | |
| Speaking the terrors of almighty power; | |
| These usher’d in the small still voice of grace; | |
| His soul grew calm, serene the troubled place; | |
| Hush’d as the winds were all his boisterous fears, | 70 |
| The humble saint, call’d forth by God, appears; | |
| With mantle wrapt about his face he stood, | |
| Afraid to hear, nor wish’d to see his God. | |
| Yet lest the hero as his God we show, | |
| Or he elate with visions, vain should grow, | 75 |
| At times his passions did the man betray, | |
| That saints have sin, and prophets are but clay. | |
| Too timorous, ’midst his triumphs; left to fly | |
| A woman’s rage and threats, and wish to die. | |
| Desponding moan’d Christ of his church bereft, | 80 |
| And not a single saint in Israel left. | |
| All to hide pride from man, to show how vain | |
| We are at best, and undue thoughts restrain. | |
| God is the light, in whom’s no shade at all, | |
| To him in prostrate adorations fall. | 85 |
| Created brightness ever has its blots, | |
| And even Persia’s idol has its spots. | |
| Yet admiration, reverence and love | |
| Are due to saints on earth, or those above. | |
| Sure the curst spirit that hates is born of hell, | 90 |
| Nor is less monster then foul Jezebel: | |
| She murd’rous sought his blood: Ahab his name | |
| (Dearer than life) with slanderous lies defames: | |
| And both invet’rate hate, and deadly war proclaim. | |
| Yet spite of envy, spite of malice curst, | 95 |
| Virtue shall live: see, bloated fiend, and burst! | |
| See the fair name immortal in my verse! | |
| See the strew’d glories on the hero’s hearse! | |
| A name embalm’d shall be the just man’s lot, | |
| While vicious teeth shall gnash, and names shall rot. | 100 |
| Return, my muse, and sing his faithful care, | |
| And noblest trust, in happy Bethel’s chair. | |
| Hail, venerable seat! from Jacob’s days | |
| Sacred to Israel’s God, and to his praise! | |
| Blest evermore with visions! the resort | 105 |
| Of holy angels! heaven’s inferior court! | |
| Hail dreadful place! the Eternal’s blest abode! | |
| The gate of heaven, and the house of God! | |
| Here stood the spacious college, Israel’s pride: | |
| And here the illustrious seer did preside. | 110 |
| Stately the dome, worthy the beauteous train, | |
| Religion pure devoted to maintain, | |
| And to the age to come the laws divine explain. | |
| Richly endow’d by every pious zeal, | |
| Studious of Zion’s glory and her weal: | 115 |
| Blest tribute! dear to heaven: a pious aid | |
| Given to Christ, and liberally repaid | |
| In richer blessings to the church and state; | |
| So he returns us what we consecrate. | |
| Hence Israel’s chiefs, and hence our teachers came; | 120 |
| Hence truth and grace, hence issued light and flame; | |
| Hence men renown’d, and of celebrious fame. | |
| Micaiah one: from foul illusion free, | |
| Faithful to God, and Ahab true to thee! | |
| Kings trembled as he spake, and homage paid, | 125 |
| Of truth and the superior man afraid. | |
| Elisha too, to greater glories born, | |
| Was hence: and high exalted is his horn! | |
| These beauteous sons were the blest prophet’s pride, | |
| Under his wing they bloom’d, and flourish’d by his side; | 130 |
| Paid him a reverence profound and true, | |
| To heaven’s election, Israel’s suffrage due. | |
| Them, as by office bound, he did inspect, | |
| Taught heavenly truth, and errors did correct: | |
| Cherish’d the good, and form’d their manners well, | 135 |
| But search’d out vice, th’ infection to expel. | |
| Meek and majestic, affable and grave, | |
| Lowly and good; and all that’s great and brave, | |
| He overaw’d and charm’d: base hearts he won, | |
| And perfected where goodness was begun. | 140 |
| To them, his lectures on the holy law, | |
| Sublime they were, new mysteries they saw: | |
| Like him with heavenly light and joys inspir’d, | |
| Their ravish’d minds the sacred deeps admir’d. | |
| They saw the promised Messiah’s days, | 145 |
| And the glad schools resounded with his praise. | |
| They sang the Baptist in their prophet’s spirit, | |
| And bless’d the saint elect that should inherit. | |
| They sang of the transfigur’d Saviour’s rays, | |
| What favorite saints from heaven itself to gaze | 150 |
| On glories yet unknown; and talk of high | |
| Mysterious truths; into which angels pry, | |
| And pass in transports immortality. | |
| They sang his high ascent, and gifts ineffable, | |
| The cloven tongues of fire on Pentecost that fell, | 155 |
| And what great type should all these wonders figure and foretel. | |
| Thus taught, they waited long the great event, | |
| Foresaw the day, amaz’d at the portent: | |
| Stupendous grace and power they view’d, ador’d | |
| The sov’reign God, and pry’d into his word. | 160 |
| And now the saint had his last visit made, | |
| His solemn charge, and final blessing said. | |
| His weeping sons receiv’d his last adieu, | |
| With eager eyes their breath departing view, | |
| And following far behind to Jordan’s brink they drew. | 165 |
| Each emulous to succeed, but well prepar’d | |
| To welcome him whom heaven had heir declar’d. | |
| Elisha he! The wisdom of the choice | |
| Applauded with united hearts and voice. | |
| Unenvy’d in the schools, had long outshone | 170 |
| In gifts divine, and rival there was none. | |
| Glorious the seer’s fidelity was here, | |
| And heaven’s good conduct splendid did appear. | |
| Nor blood, nor name, his upright zeal retard, | |
| God’s choice and will he simply did regard; | 175 |
| Whom heaven accomplishes it will reward. | |
| The happy youth cleav’d to his father’s feet, | |
| Minist’ring to him with a duty meet; | |
| From his oraculous lips ask’d counsel sage, | |
| And had the prayers and blessings of his age. | 180 |
| Yet there remain’d the last and dying bequest, | |
| And the wise son had ready his request. | |
| “Say, now at parting, what I shall bequeath!” | |
| Trembling he fell the prophet’s feet beneath, | |
| Grieved to part, afraid to speak his thought, | 185 |
| Conscious how vast the blessing was he sought: | |
| With mouth in dust he said,—“May I inherit | |
| A double portion of thy blessed spirit! | |
| O might my last and highest wish have place, | |
| An em’nent measure of thy gifts and grace!” | 190 |
| Divine ambition! to be wise and good! | |
| So he his fame and interest understood. | |
| Modest his wish, he only ask’d a part, | |
| And heaven gave all, even an equal heart: | |
| Obvious the truth from sacred record known, | 195 |
| None came so near Elijah as his wondrous son. | |
| ’T was at high noon, the day serene and fair, | |
| Mountains of lum’nous clouds roll’d in the air, | |
| When on a sudden, from the radiant skies, | |
| Superior light flash’d in Elisha’s eyes: | 200 |
| The heavens were cleft, and from th’ imperial throne | |
| A stream of glory, dazzling splendor shone: | |
| Beams of ten thousand suns shot round about, | |
| The sun and every blazon’d cloud went out: | |
| Bright hosts of angels lin’d the heavenly way, | 205 |
| To guard the saint up to eternal day. | |
| Then down the steep descent, a chariot bright, | |
| And steeds of fire, swift as the beams of light. | |
| Wing’d seraphs ready stood, bow’d low to greet | |
| The fav’rite saint, and hand him to his seat. | 210 |
| Enthron’d he sat, transform’d with joys his mein, | |
| Calm his gay soul, and like his face serene. | |
| His eye and burning wishes to his God, | |
| Forward he bow’d, and on the triumph rode. | |
| Saluted, as he pass’d the heavenly cloud, | 215 |
| With shouts of joy, and hallelujahs loud. | |
| Ten thousand thousand angel-trumpets sound, | |
| And the vast realms of heaven all echo’d round. | |
| They sang of greater triumphs yet to come, | |
| Their next descent to wait the Saviour home: | 220 |
| And the glad errand of the final day, | |
| The raised dust of saints to bring away | |
| In equal triumph, and in like array. | |
| Thus ’midst inspir’d, sublime, prophetic songs, | |
| (Sweet melody,) the vision pass’d along. | 225 |
| The prince of air accurs’d fled swift the light, | |
| And heavenly sounds, more grating than the sight; | |
| Blasphem’d, and rag’d, and gnash’d in furious spite, | |
| Elisha saw: “My father,” loud he cried, | |
| “My father! Israel’s safety! and her pride! | 230 |
| More wert thou our defence and glory far, | |
| Than all our chariots and strong troops of war. | |
| Thy prayers and power with God did more secure | |
| Our tott’ring state, and naked coasts immure, | |
| Than all our arms.”— | 235 |
| He said: nor more could see: immense the space! | |
| The flying glory now had gain’d the place | |
| Of light, ne’er to be seen by mortal eye: | |
| No longer gaz’d he on the closing sky. | |
| With anguish seiz’d his goodly robes he rent, | 240 |
| Himself, the church, and schools did sore lament. | |
| The prophet’s bliss could not his tears restrain, | |
| He wept their loss, in his eternal gain. | |
| Nor yet in useless tears stay’d he to vent | |
| His mighty griefs, on greater things intent: | 245 |
| The mantle fall’n with joy surprising spy’d, | |
| Laid the dear pledge close to his panting side; | |
| Sovereign receipt! his fainting heart reviv’d, | |
| By it install’d in the blest Prophet’s place! | |
| With it receiv’d his spirit and his grace! | 250 |
| The sacred banner flying in his hand, | |
| Display’d his empire, on the distant strand; | |
| Nature obsequious, to his dread command. | |
| Triumphant-wise, the pensive conqueror stood, | |
| The precious relic wav’d, and smote the flood: | 255 |
| “Where is the Lord, Elijah’s God?” he cry’d. | |
| Th’ obedient waves again in haste divide. | |
| He pass’d: the ravish’d Prophets saw: confess’d | |
| The miracle of grace, and thankful bless’d | |
| Th’ Eternal Spirit, and his glorious rest. | 260 |
| O’erjoy’d they ran the saint elect to meet, | |
| And bow beneath the bright successor’s feet. | |
| They breathe their prayers and blessings in his arms, | |
| Cheer his sad soul, and their own passions charm. | |
| Their hearts within ’em glow, their graces burn; | 265 |
| Each speak mysterious oracles in their turn: | |
| Inspired their mind, transform’d their very mien, | |
| In both superior grace and beauty seen. | |
| In holiness and truth sweet their accord, | |
| And faith their consolation did afford, | 270 |
| Elijah’s more illustrious second coming with his Lord. | |
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