284. There are, who on this new-rais'd sod In wantonness will tread; There are, who think it vain to raise But Nature's powerful voice will plead And prompt it to indulge the thought And haply such as sorrow know, While bending o'er another's grave 285. That undisturb'd my dust should sleep, When Christ my Saviour draweth near. 286. Worship thy God; do good to all that live; Bear with thy brother, and his faults forgive: Thus saith the Ruler of the earth and skies,— "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." 287. Our lovely floweret drooped and died, to teach us the withering nature of earthly happiness. 288. O Stranger, repine not, whate'er be thy smart, But turn thee, all weary and worn as thou art, He watch'd o'er the dawn of the day of thy birth, He does what he will both in heaven and earth, And all that He doth must be well. Repent of the path thou hast erringly trod; And seek, through a Saviour, the mercy of God, 289. Bethink thee, Reader, nor unheeding pass These monumental stones record, alas! 290. If thou art poor and hast the grace of God; well mayst thou rejoice; if thou art rich and hast it not, well mayst thou tremble. K 291. Reader, fix thy wandering heart on that eternal home, Where everlasting pleasures reign, and sorrows never come; Then wilt thou upwards turn thy eyes with better hopes in view, And lightly lean upon the world, lest it should pierce thee through. 292. It is a joyful thing to bow, Amidst the assembled throng, Where God is sought with thanksgiving, And glorified with song. Sin, sorrow, and despair, And long, loud hallelujahs rise And fill the house of prayer. But O, how joyful must it be Through heavenly courts to wing, And bid the note of rapture rise Where seraphim adore, And all is purity, and peace, And pleasure evermore! 293. Stranger, whatever be the desires of thy heart, ponder for a moment over the mouldering dead, and be reminded by the silent monitors around thee of the uncertainty of life. Though thou hadst all that the world can give, it could not reverse the irrevocable sentence-" Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." 294. Death may not boldly meet thee face to face, 295. If thou canst feel a friendly glow This lowly spot demands a tear: Thy friend, the friend of man lies here. 296. Through life a libertine he rang'd, O Lord our God, we leave to thee! 297. In prayer and praise, a pilgrim here below, The skies shall roll together wrapp'd in flame; 298. The duties of friendship and religion occupied her time; and the pleasures of both constituted her chief delight. 299. Who seeks a world of brighter bliss 300. As thou hast caution'd well thy ruin'd race, So God will guard thee in the gloomy grave; Shall from the flaming ruin rescue thee. |