SOLEMN praise And prayers devoutly breathed, the tears, the sighs Of wondering Greece. The Stoic's fond pretence The use of passion, deigned to feel himself And sympathize the miseries of man. THE silver trumpet's heavenly call JOHN LETTICE. Sounds for the poor, but sounds alike for all; No slaves on earth more welcome were than they; Are such a dead, preponderating weight, That endless bliss, how strange soe'er it seem, (See also BIBLE, REVELATION.) COWPER. GRACE-MERCY-PARDON. MERCY is seasonable in the time of affliction, as clouds of rain in the time of drought. ECCLESIASTICUS, XXXV, 20. We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ROMANS, v, 2. My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. II. CORINTHIANS, xii, 9. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. TITUS, ii, 11. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth with such as keep His covenant and testimonies. PSALM XXV, 10. The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works. PSALM cxlv, 9. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. LUKE, vi, 36. MERCY, that wipes the penitential tear, From righteous justice steals the 'vengeful hour, Disarms the wrath of an offended God, And seals my pardon in a Saviour's blood! MRS. CARTER. THOUGH Nature her inverted course forego, More mild and bright, and sure, O sun! than thine. IN the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy, And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. SHAKSPEARE. MANKIND are all pilgrims on life's weary road, G. P. MORRIS, THE quality of mercy is not strained; Ir is an attribute of God himself, And earthly power doth then show liker God's, SHAKSPEARE. THE flesh being proud, Desire doth fight with Grace, And there it revels, and when that decays, The guilty rebel for remission prays. SHAKSPEARE. THAT word, Grace, In an ungracious mouth, is but profane. By all the tender mercy SHAKSPEARE. God hath shown to human grief, By the helpless woe which taught me From the vain appeals for justice And wild efforts of my own,— I will hope though all forsake me- MRS. NORTON. WHEN winter fortunes cloud the brows Of summer friends,-when eyes grow strange,— When plighted faith forgets its vows, When earth and all things in it change, O Lord, thy mercies fail me never- O GOD! how beautiful the thought, How merciful the bless'd decree, JOHN QUARLES That Grace can e'er be found, when sought, Can be endured with faith and prayer. ELIZA COOK. MERCY descends From Heaven, and o'er the penitential heart, SAMUEL HAYES. O, THOU bounteous Giver of all good, Thou art of all Thy gifts, Thyself the crown; COWPER IF Heaven Did in the balance of strict justice weigh SAMUEL HAYES. MERCY'S gentle attribute Tempers the grief: He protects the poor O, THOU, whose piercing thought How fearless should our trust When from our brother of the dust THOMAS ZOUCH. We dare appeal to Thee! MRS. SIGOURNEY. BUT grace, abused, brings forth the foulest deeds, COWPER. once WHY, all the souls that were, were forfeit Ir, when you make your prayers, God should be so obdurate as yourselves, SHAKSPEARE |