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POEMS ON THE MOST Solemn Subjects.
WRITTEN BY Abraham Thompson.
Printed for the AUTHOR.
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Wisdom crying in our streets.
1.
HARK! Wisdom's crying in our streets,
With her inviting voice;
Addressing every one she meets,
Of her to make their choice.
2.
Come, come, we'll hear her sing awhile,
We'll hear her pleasant lays;
Her language is in heavenly stile,
Hark! Hark! hear what she says?
3.
"You need not journey here by land,
Nor take a voyage by sea
To search me out, for here I stand,
And daily wait on thee.
4.
Will not you now me entertain,
And lodge me in your heart?
If you but will—I'll there remain,
My wisdom there impart.
5.
I daily know what's done in heaven;
I am conversant there;
Riches immense to me are given,
You each may have a snare.
6.
If you want riches to endure,
With me they're to be found:
Riches in heaven I will ensure,
They there shall you surround.
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7.If you're ambitious for a crown,
And wish to reign a king,
I'll seat you on a glorious throne,
I'll you to honour bring.
8.
Perhaps thou never saw on earth,
A king's coronation day;
And here are not a prince by birth,
In heaven you one shall be.
9.
The New Jerusalem above,
That city great and grand,
Where all is peace, where all is love,
Your throne shall ever stand.
10.
A crown of life I'll there ensure;
A king you there shall be;
Honours immortal and all pure,
I'll daily roll on thee.
11.
Will overwhelm you all with joy,
And you like monarchs sing;
Eternity will yield employ
That well becomes a king.
12.
You'll there behold the blessed God,
And Jesus Christ his Son;
Your tongues will there spread all abroad,
What they for you have done.
13.
Angels will listen with surprise.
And smile to hear you sing,
And you'll look round with pleasant eyes,
As happy as a king.
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14.You will remember well the street,
The house you liv'd in here,
The very place where you shall meet,
To you will e'er be dear.
15.
You from your windows at me gaze,
By two, by three and four,
And here I travel your highways,
And call at every door.
16.
If you refuse this offer'd bliss,
This glorious crown—this throne,
I'll advertise you just of this,
The loss will be your own."
To the Young.
1.
YE young, ye fair, your rosed cheeks
May promise you old age;
But yet a few more setting suns
And death may you engage.
2.
He with his cold relentless hands
May force your souls away;
Nor can a crowd of weeping friends,
Persuade him then to stay.
3.
Then scenes of an eternal date,
Will open to your view;
They will be scenes of long distress,
Or lasting joys to you.
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4.They will be scenes of long distress,
If you ha'n't Christ your friend;
But if you him secure in time,
You'll make a happy end.
5.
Oh! then angels will have their wish,
All glad to see you come;
They will with twice ten thousand tongues,
Congratulate you home.
6.
But if you miss of Christ while here,
You'll be forever curs'd,
And every one in heaven will sing,
"God's holy true and just."
Consolation for Mourners in Zion.
1.
MOURNERS in Zion here below,
Oh, 'tis a blessed path you go!
What though there's troubles cross your way
And sorrows meet you every day.
2.
What though the world rejoice all round,
And are at heart both whole and sound;
While you do here a mourning go,
And look like one all form'd for woe.
3.
If sorrows still do you betide,
Oh! don't for kingdoms turn aside,
But persevere unto the end,
And there you'll meet an able friend.
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4.'Twill be a friend worth while to see,
A friend that will rejoice in thee;
A friend that will with all his heart,
A long reward to you impart.
5.
He'll clasp you (smiling) by the hand,
And lead you to the heavenly land.
Heaven will rejoice to see you come,
And you'll rejoice to find your home.
6.
He'll seat you down on Zion's mount,
Where all your sorrows you'll recount,
And when the sharpest you review,
Oh! how 'twill heaven endear to you!
7.
You'll then look round the heavenly fields,
See the production that some yields,
And can no longer hold your tongue,
And thus (perhaps) begin your song;
8.
"Oh! I'm arriv'd to endless day!
And tears for ages wip'd away!
Ages they are of endless date,
That none on earth can 'numerate.
9.
Oh! how my heart on earth did ache!
I really thought some times 'twould breaks.
Some times I thought with every breath,
I must resign myself to death.
10.
But tribulation I have pass'd,
I've seen an end of all at last;
[Page 8]I to my Father's house am come,
To never, never go from home.
11.
Here I shall take my lasting rest,
Embosom'd by the ever bless'd;
He doth himsef to me impart,
Which fills with joy my inmost heart.
12.
The prospect I behold is long,
That I shall here employ my tongue;
Ages I see of heavenly mirth,
Oh, welcome heaven, and farewell earth!"
Death at the Door of a Sinner.
1
HARK! hark! there's rumbling at my door,
Pray tell me who is there?
A strange unusual noise it is,
'Tis Death, I really fear.
2.
If 'tis, O what, what shall I do?
For him I'm unprepar'd;
To prayers and cries both loud and shrill,
He will pay no regard.
3.
He'll clasp me with his death cold hands,
My body wrapt in dust;
No way to shun him can be found,
But with him go I must.
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4.But oh the prospect I behold!
It wounds me to the heart;
My soul must wing to Christ my Judge,
To hear that word, depart!
5.
Depart to everlasting fire,
With devils there to dwell;
There weep, there wail, there gnash my teeth.
World without end in hell.
The Sufferings cf Christ.
1.
MY soul! my soul! come thou ascend,
The height of Calvary's mount,
There, there behold your heavenly friend,
His sufferings there recount.
2.
See him by foes all circl'd round,
Oh burst mine eyes with tears,
See there his cross lie on the ground,
See hammer, nails and spears.
3.
There see those inoffensive limbs,
The painful irons meet;
Hard-hearted soldiers from their bands,
There nail his hands and feet.
4.
Behold him reared in the air,
With hands extended wide,
His precious blood a streaming there.
from hands and feet and side.
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5.Behold him hanging in distress,
And GOD from him withdrew,
And earth and hell no more nor less,
With vengeance him pursue.
6.
But yet when yielding up the ghost,
Their wellfare doth pursue,
Father (he prays) do them forgive,
They know not what they do.
7.
He dies—nature to mourning goes—
The sun can't bear the sight,
The rocks can't now take their repose,
And day has took its flight.
8.
My soul you was concern'd in this,
Your sins did bring him there;
He shed that precious blood for thee,
To it come straight repair.
9.
There wash and cleanse from sin—come do
With him prepare to dwell,
Or you must join his murderers too,
With them must sink to hell.
Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth.
1.
REMEMBER now you that are young,
To your Creator fear;
Let words drop daily from your tongue,
That can't but bring him near.
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2.Him entertain, while free from cares;
While you have youth in prime;
For days will come all unawares,
When pleasure wings from time.
3.
Angels those heavenly suns of light,
Think of you every day,
And every morn and every night,
Think strange of your delay.
4.
Don't let the silver cord of life,
Be wasting every day,
When gone, you will aloud proclaim,
I've flung the whole away.
5.
Don't let the golden, golden bowl
Be broken in your hands,
While at the fountain fill each soul,
There plenty round you stands.
6.
Old age is hastening every day,
And death is on the wing,
When all your time is flung away,
This mournful song you'll sing,
7.
Alas for me! I now must die,
Must bid the world farewell,
My body in the grave must lie,
My soul likewise in hell.
8.
If I look back when I was young,
It yields me no relief;
[Page 12]Then all was pleasure—all was song—
That fills me now with grief.
9.
I disregarded then my GOD,
Rejected then his Son;
Oh lovely morning I then had,
Alas from me 'tis run!
10.
When I review my busy years,
When I had life in prime,
To seek the favour of my GOD,
I then could find no time.
11.
And now upon times utmost bound,
Bereav'd of comfort be;
No gleam of hope can now be found,
Oh gloomy hour with me!
12.
My hoary head, O GOD! is gone,
'Twill be no crown to me,
Tho' favour'd here with four-score years,
Not one employed for Thee.
13.
But yonder see the thickening cloud,
That han't yet on me burst,
But at the moment I leave time,
Then on me roll it must.
14.
'Twill sink me under wrath divine,
Where ever I must dwell,
And there exchange my mispent years,
For miserable hell.
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The Doctrine of universal Salvation, examined and rejected.
1.
MY soul with serious care attend,
To every day and hour;
Oh! come secure your heavenly friend,
Now while 'tis in your power:
2.
Oh! let not time all slip away,
And go not heedless on;
Death may o'ertake you now to-day,
And you cry out, undone.
3.
Undone for days that have no date,
For years that can't be told;
Eternity when all's too late,
Your ruin will unfold.
4.
Pay no regard to wandering stars,
Which triumph [...] here, [...];
Courageous ones, bold sons of Mars,
How sweet they sing of hell!
5.
'Tis only there to pay a debt,
Which justice doth require;
'Tis but one thousand years to sweat,
And thus be purg'd with fire.
6.
Then liberating work begins,
On young good-natur'd sons;
The willful stubborn, old in sins,
Will prove bold hardy ones.
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7.Ages of ages multiply'd,
By what they cannot tell,
When all will lay their wills aside,
And wing in crouds from hell.
8.
All to ascend to God above,
To celebrate his name;
To sing aloud redeeming love;
Redeeming love proclaim.
9.
My soul it is not thus with him,
That's holy true and just;
All that they say is but a whim,
Which now reject you must.
10.
His justice he'll not lay aside,
But strew it all around;
In heav'n spreads joy both far and wide,
In hell doth all confound.
11.
Both heaven and hell depend on this;
In this they both agree,
They both believe their lot is cast
For an eternity.
12.
To those that do this disbelieve,
I'll tell you when you die,
A disappointment great you'll meet,
Confounded with a lie.
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Work while the Day lasts.
1.
SINNERS, awake! awake! awake!
For your eternal all's at stake;
If you let time neglected run,
You'r for eternity undone.
2.
The days you have this side the grave,
Are precious jewels—do them save—
'Tis all you'll have beneath the sun,
Oh, let the prize by you be won!
3.
Don't think as some poor creatures do,
My sins are small, their numbers few;
And Christ cannot with all his heart,
Pronounce to me that word, depart.
4.
Sure some reserve he'll have in store,
In hell I sha'n't be evermore;
Some period sure beyond the grave,
From hell I shall redemption have.
5.
Come this I'll drop now from my tongue,
It matters not where you belong,
Whether you're Gentile or a Jew,
Eternal mis'ry waits for you.
6.
Hell is a poor mistaken place,
To think of mercy or of grace:
There no repentance can be given;
No pardons pass the seal of heaven.
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7.It is a world—but who reigns there—
Why nothing else but black despair:
He revels there in endless night,
Sporting with groans that can't him fright.
8.
He'll be commission'd from above,
(By him you call'd while here, all love,)
To bind you with his lasting chains,
Confine you to those dreary plains.
9.
Where you'll have leisure long and great,
To mourn your folly when too late;
You there will sure remember well,
The songs you heard concerning hell.
10.
No ease can they afford you there,
You must shake hands with black despair;
With hope must take a long farewell,
Eternity must waste in hell.
11.
Oh now I must entreat the world,
This doctrine from you may be hurl'd!
If you embrace it till you die,
In your right-hand you'll find a lie.
The Death of a Sinner, and his Punishment eternal.
1.
WHAT anguish must arrest
A dying sinner here,
When he beholds on all sides round,
No friend nor helper near,
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2.That's long been gathering wrath,
And fill'd his wicked soul,
That sees the fruit of all now ripe,
And he must reap the whole.
3.
Oh harvest sad indeed!
'Tis everlasting woe,
He leaves the world, and all things here,
And down to hell must go!
4.
Those fiery billows plunge,
That world must long explore;
Mansions of woe will him invite,
And open sting each door.
5.
And enter in he must,
Must all within behold,
Must see the furniture that's there,
His arms must it infold.
6.
Eternity goes on,
By long and slow degrees;
No grace or mercy he expects,
Nor spends one thought on these.
7.
No Universalist
Will preach his doctrine there,
His mouth will he forever shut,
And sealed with despair.
8.
Could he but entertain,
That he with GOD should dwell,
[Page 18]When years a million had run out,
'Twould yield him songs in hell.
9.
Despair would quit that world,
And hope soon in would go,
And all his prospects quite through hell,
Would surely banish woe.
10.
Hope would support him there,
It never would depart,
A blest eternity he'd see,
'Twould hourly cheer his heart.
11.
This an't believ'd in hell,
They don't it entertain,
Despair doth ever them surround;
O'er them will ever reign.
12.
And he that there arrives,
Despair will clasp him round,
There's no redemption from that place,
By him will e're be found.
13.
He'll know eternity,
As dreadful as it is,
With all its anguish—all its woe,
He must embrace as his.
14.
Must see a sight most sad;
Must see that heaven is gone;
Must see and feel 'tis he alone,
Which has himself undone.
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GOD every where.
1.
LORD, what shall I thy creature do,
To shun thy Spirit, hide from you;
Or where shall I now take my flight,
Sit down, and say you're out of sight?
2.
If I to heaven should wing my way,
And there allow'd one hour to stay;
See who is there—see what they do,
And hear them talk and sing of you.
3.
This thought direct would me arrest,
That you did reign in every breast:
There holy! holy! holy rings,
To Thee who art the King of kings.
4.
If I from thence should visit hell;
See how they look—see where they dwell;
This thought would pierce me thro' and thro',
That you was there, and I with you.
5.
Although I there my hands should wring,
Thy justice anguish there should bring,
I'm bold to say, and now declare,
That beauty reigns triumphant there.
6.
If I before the morning light,
Gird up my loins all trim and tight;
Skip to the East and meet the sun,
And with him twice twelve hours should run.
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7.O fool! O fool! I sure should be,
To think I'd then got rid of Thee:
'Twould be thy hand through all the way,
That would support me night and day.
8.
Should I attempt to shun the light,
And single out the darkest night;
That would with thee be heavenly noon,
Brighter by far than sun or moon.
9.
Should I attempt to explore all space,
Swifter than lightning speed my race,
That solitary place an't found,
Where I could say you wer'n't all round.
10.
'Tis't possible to shun thy face,
Throughout the vast extent of space.
To sin, oh may I never dare!
Since thou my GOD, art every where.
The Day of Judgment.
1.
GREAT is the day, 'tis coming on
As swift as time rolls o're,
When the last trump will loud proclaim,
That time shall be no more.
2.
Then he that once on Calvary di'd,
Will on a throne descend,
And spread his orders far and wide,
The solemn day to attend.
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3.The earth and sea 'll obey his voice,
And straight resign their dead,
The saints will then aloud rejoice,
But sinners out cries spread.
4.
Before his bar they must appear,
They can't from it retire;
There each his character must hear,
From him that's rob'd in fire.
5.
His friends he'll sever from his foes,
And seat at his right hand;
But those that did him here oppose,
He'll to his left command.
6.
Those on his right he'll thus address,
'Twill charming, charming be;
My Father's blessed ones now come,
A kingdom take from me.
7.
His foes must hear quite the reverse,
Depart ye cursed 't will be,
To everlasting fire prepar'd,
For devils and for thee.
Jacob worth imitating.
1.
LORD, may I ever do,
As good old Jacob did;
With the like zeal may I pursue,
The mercies which I need.
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2.When I retire for prayer,
May it Peniel be;
O Jacob's God! do meet me there,
Converse a while with me.
3.
And may I be engag'd,
To wrestle with my might,
And not give o'er the heavenly sute,
Tho' morning brings the light!
4.
And may I then thee clasp,
And never let thee go,
'Till I obtain what I request,
'Till thou my wish bestow!
5.
Then I can halt, be lame,
Can any trial meet;
For these if I can thee obtain,
Th' exchange, oh, 'twill be [...]!
Sinners friendless at Death.
1.
OH sinners! what, what will you do,
When time with you shall end?
For then look round which way you will,
Ye can't behold a friend.
2.
The GOD that your creator is,
Will be your righteous foe;
You'll see him in this doleful hour,
Unreconcil'd to you.
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3.The dear Redeemer who did die,
Entirely for your sake,
He will beside his Father sit,
Of you no notice take.
4.
The holy Spirit that did strive,
That woo'd you like a friend,
He will from you be far retir'd,
His treaty's at an end.
5.
The holy angels hovering round,
The blessed One in Three,
Each to the other will make known
They've no delight in thee.
6.
The holy saints, from first to last,
Will pay you no regard;
Each will be conscious to himself,
You've met a just reward.
7.
Come turn your eyes where darkness reigns,
That doleful world of woe,
Among the millions that there dwell,
You'll find each one your foe.
8.
Friendship will from you er'e be fled,
Ne'r to return to you,
Its long departure you'll bewail,
And won't know what to do.
9.
Then groans eternal will commence,
And you be fill'd with pain;
Ages will ever pass you by,
But no relief can gain.
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10.You must embrace eternal woe,
Must make your bed in hell,
Far from relief, and far from friends,
You there must ever dwell.
CONTENTS.
- Wisdom crying in our streets, Page. 1
- To the Young, Page. 5
- Consolation for Mourners in Zion, Page. 6
- Death at the Door of a Sinner, Page. 8
- The Sufferings of Christ, Page. 9
- Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth, Page. 10
- The Doctrine of universal Salvation examined and rejected, Page. 13
- Work while the Day lasts, Page. 15
- The Death of a Sinner, and his Punishments eternal, Page. 16
- GOD every where, Page. 19
- Day of Judgment, Page. 20
- Jacob worth imitating, Page. 21
- [...]nners friendless at Death, Page. 2 [...]