Classic Poem

O Render thanks to God unfeign'd
For his exceeding grace,
Because his mercy is maintain'd
From race to rising race.

Who can his noble acts express
By which the world he sways,
Or with sufficient ardour bless
In all the modes of praise?

They are the blest to whom is giv'n
A deep judicious mind,
And who have in their dealings thriv'n
By being just and kind.

Regard my suit in that degree,
Thou blest our herds and fleece,
And made thy people fat and free—
O visit me with peace.

That I may see, and seeing share
The bliss of thine elect,
And join their gen'ral thanks and pray'r
Whom heav'nly pow'rs protect.

But maugre all we've seen and felt
Of gratify'd desires,
We have in base injustice dealt,
Offending like our sires.

Our fathers learnt not to regard
Thy pow'r and love display'd
In Egypt, but their hearts were hard,
When seas, ev'n seas obey'd.

Yet still the helpless he supplyd,
Weak heads with heart of stone,
That he might make his pow'r to pride
And heathen baseness known.

He gave the sea a reprimand—
It cleft itself in two;
And there, as on the desart land,
He led his people through.

And from their enemies he sav'd
And every servile fear,
And that stupendous gulph they brav'd
With armies in their rear;

Which as they harrass'd their retreat,
Returning waters drown'd,
And total was the strange defeat,
Not one a refuge found.

Then gave they credence to his word
Which freed their souls from wrong,
And praise upon the march preferr'd,
And sang the pilgrim's song.

But soon they hasted to forget
His wonders, and were naught;
Nor would their vain affections set
Upon the word he taught,

Their minds abandoning to lust
While they were in the wild,
And still provoking God's disgust
As they themselves defil'd.

And to their murmurs he bestow'd
Their bodies to regale,
While conscience ply'd his inward goad,
And made their spirits fail.

And Moses too, the man of God,
They in their tents inflam'd,
And Aaron—till the budding rod
The priest of God proclaim'd.

So yawning earth took Dathan in,
And all his sect devour'd,
And bold Abiram and his kin
The terror overpow'r'd.

From hell the fiery torrents rush'd
The rebels to consume,
And all th' ungodly crew were crush'd
In this tremendous doom.

At Horeb's mount they dar'd rebel,
When Aaron they controul'd,
And in absurd prostration fell
Before a calf of gold.

And thus they danc'd and made a feast
Their glory to estrange
Into the likeness of a beast,
That feeds upon the grange.

And God no longer was esteem'd,
Which from their woes and toils
And Egypt's grievous chains redeem'd
In triumph and with spoils.

Which did such wonders in the coast
Of them that disbeliev'd,
And in the sea o'er Pharaoh's host
Such fearful things atchiev'd.

So that the fatal hour was fixt
For lust and discontent,
If Moses had not stood betwixt
Perdition to prevent

Yea, with misdoubtings and in scorn
That pleasant land they view'd,
The honey, milk, the wine and corn,
Which by his word he shew'd.

And murmur'd loudly in their camp
Against their Saviour's choice,
His goodness in conceit to cramp—
Nor hearken'd to his voice.

Then on their clamours and distaste
He rous'd his arm to lift,
And overthrew them in the waste,
And sent their souls adrift

Their seed amidst their foes to cast
Upon a distant shore;
And whirl them with an adverse blast
Where comfort is no more.

To Baal-Peor in crowds they swarm'd
With folly at their head,
And ate, as they the rites perform'd,
Their off'rings of the dead.

Thus reprobate, and idly vague
From his indulgent yoke,
The tribes he visits with a plague
Determin'd to provoke.

Then Phineas had the grace to kneel,
And to the Lord he pray'd;
And as he whirl'd the missive steel
The plague at once was stay'd.

And this was plac'd to his account
As righteous and sublime,
By which his glory shall surmount
The force of death and time.

They also anger'd him by doubt
At Marah's floods of gall;
So that he let his fury out
On one to rescue all.

Because they wou'd their chief incense
By clamours in their drowth,
So that he fell upon offence
Incautious with his mouth:

Nor were th' idolatrous destroy'd
According to their charge,
But with their wiles were they decoy'd,
And let them live at large;

And mingled with the spurious foe
The genuine seed of Seth,
Which now into their customs grow,
And learn their deeds of death.

In such, that to a hammer'd stock
Their souls from God they wean'd,
And offer'd, human ears to shock,
Their children to the fiend.

Yea, their own tender babes themselves
They nipp'd in early bud,
Devoting them to Canaan's elves
Till earth was whelm'd with blood

Thus with their works they went astray,
Their bodies to pollute
With acts of shame that shun the day,
From which there is no fruit.

Wherefore a dread consuming wrath
Was kindled from the Lord;
That those to whom he pledg'd his troth
He from his heart abhorr'd

And into strangers hands he gave
Their liberties and lives,
Who schem'd their manners to deprave,
And put their limbs in gyves

The barb'rous foe oppress'd their loins
Their morals to infect;
What God from his good grace disjoins,
The tyrant can subject.

Yea, many a time their ransom cost
A most stupendous price;
His patience they the more exhaust
With crimes of black device.

But when their cries began to pierce
Thro' hardship and constraint,
He gave their terrors a reverse,
And favour'd their complaint.

Himself in boundless love he binds
His mercy to maintain;
Nay more, he humaniz'd the minds
Of those that held their chain.

From heathen realms and gross revolt
To rank thy tribes restore,
And thee, O God! we will exalt,
And in thy praises soar

Give endless praise to Christ the king
From ev'ry tongue and pen,
And let all congregations sing
Hosanna and Amen.