PRIDE of his flock, and pride of all the good, See BUCKMINISTER, in early youth, adorn The sacred desk. And while an idiot lure Tempts many a young associate to avoid The sainted path of wisdom, and to seek A worthless good in Pleasure's syren wilds, Or with base ardour toil for worldly gain, Or climb the cragy cliffs of earthly power; Be his the higher aim to nobly shine The young Josias of a christian age; And, by a bright example, hasten on The promised era and the glorious reign Of him, who has ordain'd from infant lips Of babes and sucklings his perfected praise. With polish'd periods, grac'd with all the aid Of ancient lore and chastest modern style; And, what's more priz'd, with apt quotation grac'd, From the rich pages of the inspired pen, Which mock all human rhetorick to scorn, The classick christian breathes the chaste discourse; With temperate zeal the wandering sinner warns; Sustains the pious with the promise'd grace; Confirms the doubting; awakens the secure; With mild counseling voice the wretched cheers; And, with the purest elegance of speech, Gives new attraction to the gospel truth. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE PROGRESS OF POETRY; A VARIATION by MATTHEW ARNOLD A LEGEND OF THE NORTHLAND by PHOEBE CARY THE LAST GOODBYE by LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON HOME, SWEET HOME, FR. CLARI, THE MAID OF MILAN by JOHN HOWARD PAYNE THE CHALLENGE by ALEXANDER POPE SING-SONG; A NURSERY RHYME BOOK: 50 by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI |