FIRE.

PART I.

"The Lord thy God is a consuming fire."

CXLIX.

66

NADAB AND ABIHU.

Away, or ere the Lord break forth!

The pure ætherial air

Cannot abide the spark of earth,

66

'Twill lighten and not spare."

Nay, but we know our call divine,

We feel our hearts sincere ;

What boots it where we light our shrine,

If bright it blaze and clear."

God of the unconsuming fire,

On Horeb seen of old,

Stay, Jealous One, Thy burning ire....

It may not be controlled !

The Lord breaks out, th' unworthy die;

Lo! on the cedar floor

The robed and mitred corses lie

Be silent and adore.

Yet sure a holy seed were they,
Pure hands had o'er them past,
Cuirass and crown, their bright array,
In Heaven's high mould were cast.

Th' atoning blood had drench'd them o'er,
The mystic balm had seal'd.

And may the blood atone no more,
No charm the anointing yield?

Silence, ye brethren of the dead,
Ye Father's tears, be still:
But chuse them out a lonely bed
Beside the mountain rill;

Then bear them as they lie, their brows Scath'd with th' avenging fire,

And wearing (sign of broken vows)

The blest, the dread attire.

Nor leave unwept their desert grave,
But mourn their pride and thine,
Oft as rebellious thought shall crave
To question words divine.

CL.

THE BURNING AT TABERAH.

7.

THE fire of Heaven breaks forth, When haughty Reason pries too near, Weighing th' eternal mandate's worth In philosophic scales of earth,

Selecting these for scorn, and those for holy fear.

Nor burns it only then :

The poor that are not poor in heart,—

Who say,

"The bread of Christian men,

We loathe it, o'er and o'er again,"

The murmurers in the camp, must feel the blazing

dart.

Far from the Lord's tent door,

And therefore bold to sin, are they :

"What should we know of Faith's high lore!" Oh! plead not so there's wrath in store,

And temper'd to our crimes the lightnings find their

way.

CLI.

KORAH. DATHAN AND ABIRAM.

Dathan and Abiram.

"How long endure this priestly scorn,
Ye sons of Israel's eldest born?

Shall two, the meanest of their tribe,
To the Lord's host the way prescribe,
And feed our wildering phantasy
With every soothing dream and lie
Their craft can coin? We see our woe,
Lost Egypt's plenty well we know ;
But where the milk and honey?—where
The promised fields and vineyards fair;
Lo! wise of heart and keen of sight

Are these-ye cannot blind them quite-
Not as our sires are we: we fear not open light."

Y.

Korah.

"And we too, Levites though we be,
We love the song of liberty.

Did we not hear the Mountain Voice
Proclaim the Lord's impartial choice?
The camp is holy, great and small,
Levites and Danites, one and all.
Our God His home in all will make-
What if no priestly finger strake
Or blood or oil o'er robe or brow,
Will He not hear His people's vow?
Lord of all Earth, will He no sign

Grant but to Aaron's haughty line?
Our censers are as yours: we dare you to the shrine."

Thus spake the proud at prime of morn;
Where was their place at eve? Ye know,
Rocks of the wild in sunder torn,

And altars scath'd with fires of woe!

Earth heard and sank, and they were gone,

Only their dismal parting groan

The shuddering ear long time will haunt ;
Thus rebels fare: but ye profane,