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, Th' atoning blood had drench'd them o'er, And may the blood atone no more, Silence, ye brethren of the dead, 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, 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, Shall two, the meanest of their tribe, Are these-ye cannot blind them quite- Y. Korah. "And we too, Levites though we be, Did we not hear the Mountain Voice Grant but to Aaron's haughty line? Thus spake the proud at prime of morn; 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 ; |