ON THE SAME OCCASION.
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These verses the poet, in his common-place book, calls "Misgivings inthe Hour of Despondency and Prospect of Death." He elsewhere says theywere composed when fainting-fits and other alarming symptoms of apleurisy, or some other dangerous disorder, first put nature on thealarm.] Why am I loth to leave this earthly scene?How I so found it full of pleasing charms?Some drops of joy with draughts of ill between:Some gleams of sunshine 'mid renewing storms:Is it departing pangs my soul alarms?Or Death's unlovely, dreary, dark abode?For guilt, for guilt, my terrors are in arms;I tremble to approach an angry God,And justly smart beneath his sin-avenging rod. Fain would I say, "Forgive my foul offence!"Fain promise never more to disobey;But, should my Author health again dispense,Again I might desert fair virtue's way:Again in folly's path might go astray;Again exalt the brute and sink the man;Then how should I for heavenly mercy pray,Who act so counter heavenly mercy's plan?Who sin so oft have mourn'd, yet to temptation ran? O Thou, great Governor of all below!If I may dare a lifted eye to Thee,Thy nod can make the tempest cease to blow,Or still the tumult of the raging sea:With that controlling pow'r assist ev'n meThose headlong furious passions to confine;For all unfit I feel my pow'rs to be,To rule their torrent in th' allowed line;O, aid me with Thy help, Omnipotence Divine! * * * * *
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