The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-07-26
39oetrp.

Iron the Recorder and Telegraph
THE SACRIFICE OF ABRAHAM.
Morn breaketh in the East. The purple
clouds
Are putting on their gold and violet.
Tolook the meeter for the SUMS bright coming,
Sleep is upon the waters and the wind;
And nature, from the wary forest leaf
To her majestic Master sleeps. As yet
There Is no mist upon the deep blue sky,
And The clear dew is on the blushing blossoms
OF crimson roses in a holy rest.
How hallow'd is the hour of morning meet, |
Ay, beautifully meet, for the pure prayer.
The patriarch standeih at his tended door;
With his white locks uncovered. IT'S his |
wont
To gaze upon the gorgeous Orient;
Aud at that hour the awful majesty
OF man, who talketh often with his God,
Iswont to come again and clothe his brow
AS at his fourscore strength. But now, he
seem'd
To be forgetful Of his vigorous frame,
And bowelh TO his staff as at The hour
OF noontide sultriness. And that bright SUM-
He looketh at its penciil'd messengers
Coming in golden raiment, as if all
Were but craven scroll of fearfulness,
All, he is waiting Till il herald in
The hour to sacrifice his much lov'd son
Light pouleth on the world. And Sarah
stands
Watching the steps Of Abraham aid her child
And praying that her sunny boy faint not
Would she have WATCHED their path SO silently,
If she had known that ne was going w.,
Even in his fair hard beauty, to oe slain
As a white lamb for sacrifice? They trod
Together onward, patriarch and child
Tho hFfpht sa1n fhrntvipar hac fho n nSs
shade
In straight and fair proportions as of one
Whose years were freshly Numbered. He
stood up
Even in his vigorous strength, and like tree
Rooted in Lebanon, his frame bent not;
Ills thin white hairs had yielded to the wind,
And left his brow uncovered and his face,
Impressed with the stern majesty Of grief,
Nerv'd 10 solemn duty, now stood forth
Like rent rock, submissive. yet sublime.
But the young boy-he ofthe laughing eye
And ruby lip-the pride of life was on him
He seemNd TO drink the morning. Sun and
dew,
And the Aroma, Of the spicy trees,
And all that giveth the delicious East
Its fitness for an Eden, stole like light
Into his spirit, ravishing his thoughts
With love and beauty.-Every thing he met,
Buoyant or beautiful, the lightest wing
OF bird or insect, or the palest dye
vi the fresh flowers, won him from his path.
And joyously broke forth his tiny shout
As he Hung back his slken hair, and sprung
Away to some green spot, or clustering vine,
10 pluck his infant trophies. Every tree
And fragrant shrub was new hiding place,
And he would couch till the old man came
Then bound before him with his childish
laugh,
Stealing look behind him playfully,
10 see II be had made his father smile
Inc sun rode on in heaven. The dew stole up
From the fresh daughters Of the earth, and
heat
Came like sleep upon the delicate leaves,
And bent them with the blossoms TO their
dreams
still trod The patriarch on with that same step,
Firm and unialtering turning not aside
To seek the olive shades, or lave their Inns
In the sweet waters of the Syrian wells.
Whose gush hath so much music. WEAKNESS
Stole ON the gentle boy, and he forgot
10 toss his sunny hair from off his brow,
And spring for the fresh flowers and light
wings
As IN the early morning but he kept
Close by his fathers side, and bent his head
Upon his bosom like dropping bud,
Lifting it not, save now and then TO steal
look up TO the face, whose sternness awed
His childishness TO silence.
TWAS noon
And Abraham on Moriah bow',i himself,
And buried up his face, and pray,d for
strength,
lie could not look upon his son and pray.
But with bis hand upon the clustering curls
VI the fair kneeling boy, he pray'd that God
Would nerve him for that hour. oh man was
made
For the stern conflict. In mothers love
There is much tenderness the thousand cords.
Woven with every fibre Of her heart,
complain like delicate harp-strings at a
breath;
But love in man is one deep principle.
winch, like root grown in rifting rock,
Abides the tempest. He rose up and laid
The wood upon the altar. All was done,
41e stood moment-and deep quick flush 4
tass'd DER his countenance and then he
nerV'd
His spirit with bitter strength, and spoke
Isaac; my only son'-The boy LOOKED up,
And Abraham turned his face away, and
wept,
- Where Is the lamb, my father ?''--oh the
tones,
The sweet, the thrilling music of a child -
How it doth agonize at such an hour!
1t was the last deep struggle-Abrahan held
! His loved, his beauiiip,, ms ouiy son,
And lifted up his arm to call on God.
And 10. Gods angel staid him--and he fell
Upon his face and wept