The mountain Democrat., 1864-06-04
GODS FIRST TEMPLES,
BHYANr.

TAs sESy.S we're Code hr't temples. Ere nan
e. .shar, and lay the arehitrave,
AZ the roof shove theu,-ere be framed
Th vault, To gather and roll back
The !ound Of anthens, ,-iuthe darling wood,
Amidst 70. cool and silspee, be knelt down
And OheFvd TO the MigAtiest, sOleaan tb-Eks
And eupplicAttOa, For bic sia1ple hesEt
Might not resist the sacred influences
That, from the stiliy twilight Of the place,
AnA TIE gray Old trunks, that. high in heaven,
Mingled their uosSy bouEAs, asA from the sound
VI the tuyisibie breath that sWayed at once
Al their green tePs. stole over aim, and bowed
His s0irit with the thought o( boundleSs Power
4S6 iSaeeessibEe Njtsty. Al, Why
ehoaId We, in the world; riper y~aFs, neglect
God'G ancient SaHctuSrivS, add Gd0re
Only among the crowd, and under rOofs
That ear fEail haHdS have raised! Let me at least
Here, In the shadow Of thiS aged wood,
OneT one hymn1thriee happy, il 1t ind
Father, Thy hand
HAM reared these venerable columns Thou
OldSt weave this verdant roof. Thou didst look
down
Upon the naked earth, and, forthwith, rose
All THESE fa'r ranks Of trees. They, in Thy sun,
Budded, and shook their green leaves in Thy
breeze,
And shot towards heaven. TIE century living
Whose birth was in their tops, grew old and died
Among their branches, till at last they stood,
As now they stand, massytAEd tall, and dark
EN shrlne for humble worshipper to hold
Communion with his Maker. Here are seen
NO traces Of mani pOmp or pride mo silks
Rustic, no jewels shine, nor envious eyes
Encounters no fantastic carvings show
Ihe boast Of our vain race TO change the form
Oithy fair works But Thou art here-Thou Il'st
The solitude. Thou art in the soft winda
That run along the SUBMITS of these trees
In music Thou art in the cooler breath
That, from the inmost darkness of the place,
Gomez, scarcely felt the barky trunk, the
The freSh, moist ground, are all instinct with Thee.
here 10 continual worship mature, here,
In the tranquility that Thou dost love,
ENJOYS Thy presence. Noiselessly, around,
From perch to perch, the solitary bird
ssses and yon clear spring, that, midst its herbs
Wells eOitly forth, and visits the strong root,
~ half the mighty forest, tells no tale
" all the good it does. Thou hast not left
Ihyself without witness, in these shades,
vi Thy perfections. Grandeur, strength, and
grace,
Are here to speak OF Thee. This mighty oak
By whose immovable stem stand, and seem
Almlt annihilated-not prince,
In nnthe proud old world beyond the deep,
E'er wore his crown as loftily rs he
Wears the green cOronal Of leaves with which
Thy hand has graced him. Nestled at his root
!, beauty, such as blooms not in the glare
~ the broad sun. That delicate furest flower
With scented breath, aud look SO like smile
Seems, as it issues from the shapeless mould
An emanation Of the in dwelling Life,
4 visible token OF the uphUlding Love
That are the soul Of this wide universe
Ny heart is awed within me, when I think
VI the great miracle that still goes on,
In silence, round me-the perpetual work
Of Thy creation, finished, yet renewed
For ever Written on Thy works, l read
The lesson Of Thy own eternity.
1o ! all grow old and die: but see, again,
How, OIL the faltering footsteps Of decax,
Youth presses-ever gay and beautiflI buth-
In all Its beautiful forms. These lofty trees
Wave not less proudly than their ancestors
Moulder beneath them. o, there is not lost
- HhnT 49, 49,
AfeT the flight OF untold centuries,
The freshness Of her far beginning lies
And yet shall lie. Life mocks the idle hate
Of his arch enemy DeAth-yea, seats himself
Upon the sepulchrc, and blooms and smiles
And oi the triGmphs Of his CHASTITY foe
MAKES ms own nourithmcrt. For he came forth
frome ThiEe own bosom, and shall have 10 end.
There have been holy men, who hid themselves
Deep In the woody wilderness, and gave
Their lives to thought and prayer til they outlived
The generation born with them, nor seemed
Less aged than the hoary trees and rocks
GROUND them :-and there have been holy men
Who deemed it were not well to pass life thus.
But let me Often to these solitudes
Retire, and in Thy presence, reaSsure.
Ny feeble virtue. Here Its enemies,
Inc passions, at thy palmer footsteps shrink,
ana uemoIe, and are still. . God when Thou
Dost scare the world with tempeSts, set on fire
lhe heavens with falling thunderbolts, or fill
Wlth all the waters Of the ornament
me swift, dNIk whirwind, that uproots the woods
o HS tne Niuages When, at Thy call,
Uprlses the great Deep, and throws himself
Upon the continent, and overwhelms
Is cities who forgets not, at the sight
VI 1hese tremendous tokens of Thy power,
His pride, and lays his strifes and fhIlies by
On from these sterner aspects of Thy face
Spare me and mine nor let US need The wrath
or the mad, unclaimed clements to teach
Who rules them BE il ours TO mediate,
In these calm shades, Thy mlder majesty,
And to the beautiful order of Thy works
Learn to conform the order Of our lives,