Epistle To A Friend, On The Divinity Of Our Saviour Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEEFFGGHHCCBIEE JJKKLLMMJJNNOOLLCCJJ CCPPQQRRSSTTJJUUVVWW NNXXCCYYZZCCZZFFJJA2 A2B2B2CCC2C2JJD2D2LL KKE2E2LLZZF2G2LLH2H2 I2I2J2K2JJL2YKKM2M2J JN2N2LLO2O2JJJJTTYYJ JZZMMH2H2K2J2WWP2P2C CQ2Q2EEQQJJYYFFWWLLJ JR2R2FFJJCCVVJJCCS2S 2JJT2T2TTJJJJU2U2EEC CV2V2CCA2A2WWJJN2N2Z ZFFJJNNJJJJLLJJMMYYC CH2H2LLN2N2TTMMJJW2W 2CCLLA2A2CCJJV2V2LLX 2X2CCJJY2Y2WZ2LLEEV2 V2LLMMJJJJJJFFA3A3TT JJ

Inconcussa tenens dubio vestigia mundoA
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Dear Disputant whose mind would boldly soarB
And all theology's domain exploreB
I love the candid fervency of soulC
That scorns a dogmatist's austere controulC
Let liberal scholars as they surely oughtD
Claim and allow a latitude of thoughtD
As friends I honour with a love benignE
Many whose creeds may vary far from mineE
Secure from error I no mortal deemF
But all who truly seek for truth esteemF
Yet with a mild regret and kind concernG
I see temerity's ambition burnG
When zeal self blinded in a mental mistH
Denies that hallow'd mysteries existH
And deems that reason which no fears appallC
Has self sufficiency to clear them allC
Tis reas'ning pride not reason just and soreB
Which in religion finds no point obscureI
Which measuring Godhead with an earthly lineE
Would rob the Saviour of his rights divineE
There are who call Him by their dreams beguil'dJ
Mere man of mortal geniture the childJ
Tho' sanction'd by his Sire's almighty breathK
His Son a sovereign o'er life and deathK
'Tis not for mortals in their transient hourL
To pierce the secrets of primordial powerL
Or guess how God on his eternal throneM
To filial spirit could impart his ownM
But how can earth deny by truth unblam'dJ
Divinity that Heaven itself proclaim'dJ
Reason opposes pride's degrading planN
To sink the Saviour to a simple manN
Were He no more could He so born presumeO
With Heaven to mediate for all nature's doomO
No for so born Himself must then requireL
A mediator with th' eternal SireL
Disclaim his Godhead you at once implyC
His deeds are doubtful and his word a lieC
If not a God most guilty of mankindJ
His doctrine tends the human race to blindJ
Surpassing e'en the fiend who caus'd our fallC
By sharing worship with the Sire of allC
O ye whose reas'ning pride can so mistakeP
The truths He meekly spoke for mercy's sakeP
More humbly grateful learn ye to rejoiceQ
In all the dictates of his cheering voiceQ
Who to console his grief dejected flockR
Show'd how their faith is built upon a rockR
And in the closing of his earthly strifeS
Made manifest Himself as Lord of LifeS
And tho' to death the most disgraceful drivenT
Possessing all the powers of earth and HeavenT
Pure source of light and safety to the lostJ
Without Thee on a sea of darkness tostJ
Sovereign of grace and kindness so sublimeU
Thou view'st with pity their ungrateful crimeU
Who while they load Thee with degrading praiseV
Would darken in thy crown its heavenly raysV
And O how truly pitiable are thoseW
By nature mild nor truth's intended foesW
Whose strange illusion yet miscalls Thee manN
Tho' chosen to fulfil redemption's planN
Who of Thy Godhead want that sacred senseX
That cordial glow of gratitude intenseX
Which forms the bliss of their enlighten'd zealC
Who all the merits of thy mercy feelC
Who hail Thee quitting thy bright throne aboveY
Sublime example of celestial loveY
To clear for them a debt they could not payZ
And change their darkness to eternal dayZ
How passing sweet to pure devotion's soulC
Are proofs of thy unlimited controulC
While the true Christian's mental eyes surveyZ
Thy heavenly origin and healing swayZ
Only begotten Son of Sire supremeF
Whose quickening bounty was thy vital beamF
Ere nature lived when with thy filial aidJ
The vast foundation of all worlds was laidJ
When the paternal God was pleas'd to seeA2
A blight reflection of Himself in TheeA2
The splendour of his glory form'd to shareB2
His purest power his providential careB2
And in consummating his gracious willC
At length annihilate all cureless illC
To faith's pure eyes how ravishingly clearC2
Signs of her Lord's Divinity appearC2
While earth and Heaven invite her to beholdJ
How the fair series of those signs unfoldJ
A blest Redeemer and without a traceD2
Of man's corruption in his ruin'd raceD2
Announc'd by mercy to our fallen sireL
Soon made that contrite criminal respireL
Age after age of prophecy the breathK
Softening the horrors in the doom of deathK
While nature strove with sin's dark woes to copeE2
Shed thro' her lighten'd heart religious hopeE2
Thro' patriarchal times in vision clearL
Types of the great Deliverer appearL
At length when centuries have roll'd awayZ
And faith stands watching for her promis'd dayZ
She sees her Saviour from a virgin sprungF2
His advent by attending angels songG2
And wisdom usher'd by the guiding StarL
Hails Him with gifts of homage from afarL
The voice of Heaven proclaims his promis'd birthH2
And conscious nature feels her friend on earthH2
His uninstructed youth divinely sageI2
Transcends the knowledge of experienc'd ageI2
The weak receive the strength his will can giveJ2
The dead obedient to his mandate liveK2
In power as mighty as in mercy kindJ
He dies the ransom of redeem'd mankindJ
Lord of Existence He expires to proveL2
His matchless effort of celestial loveY
And ratify while He resigns his breathK
His glorious conquest o'er the gates of deathK
A massive tomb receives his sacred corseM2
And foes would guard it with a watchful forceM2
Vain boast of folly's disbelieving routJ
Who thus confirm the Deity they doubtJ
The grave beholds the heavenly victor riseN2
And soar triumphant to his native skiesN2
His troubled servants still to calm and cheerL
See Him in human tenderness appearL
And while the slow of faith He mildly blamesO2
My Lord my God his doubt freed saint exclaimsO2
Were He not God and worthy of our trustJ
Could He admit such worship from the justJ
And bless the conscious of his heavenly rightJ
Whose faith demands no evidence of sightJ
Yet grace divine full evidence has givenT
Witness Thou earth by his dread sufferings rivenT
Witness Thou speaking firmament aboveY
When God proclaim'd Him offspring of his loveY
Pleas'd to that blessed offspring to impartJ
Prerogative divine dominion of the heartJ
Exulting angels hail his sovereign swayZ
Attest his glory his commands obeyZ
And usher Him whom e'en the demons ownM
As Earth's Redeemer to his heavenly throneM
Thence while mankind receive a second birthH2
He ratifies the word He spoke on earthH2
And pleas'd to see his rescued servants liveK2
He gives them what the world had not to giveJ2
Internal peace the duteous mind's reposeW
With powers to foil the most malignant foesW
This vital sunshine of enlighten'd heartsP2
This to his firm adherents He impartsP2
When duly grateful for his kind controulC
They bless his empire o'er the willing soulC
For in his own as in his Father's nameQ2
He claims their boundless love a righteous claimQ2
A claim in which the proofs of Godhead shineE
Celestial attributes and grace divineE
Hear how beyond the scope of mortal voiceQ
He bids his servants in his word rejoiceQ
Bids them for every good on Him dependJ
As dearer far than every earthly friendJ
Regard Him parents children far aboveY
And die with transport to secure his loveY
Were He mere man must not such orders seemF
Distracted arrogance an impious dreamF
So of men's lives He only might disposeW
From whose divinity their safety flowsW
Who left the bosom of His heavenly SireL
To merit what none other might acquireL
A sacred right with that dread Sire to pleadJ
To change the doom his justice had decreedJ
And save the guilty from perdition's stormR2
Celestial victim in a human formR2
Whose mediation soft'ning wrath supremeF
Taught nature to revive in mercy's beamF
Gracious Restorer of a race condemn'dJ
Tho' by the thankless tribes revil'd contemn'dJ
Yet gratitude and truth who round Thee flyC
With all thy menial angels of the skyC
Viewing thy gifts with rapturous amazeV
Hail thy beneficence with heavenly praiseV
All bear eternal witness that Thou artJ
Justly a Sovereign in the human heartJ
Man cannot yield too much when at thy callC
To Thee his grateful zeal resigns his allC
Whate'er be may resign yet more he gainsS2
While in his heart his blest Redeemer reignsS2
By thy kind words he is inform'd arightJ
And Thee exulting owns his path his lightJ
Whether we ponder with a mind sereneT2
The gracious marvels of thy earthly sceneT2
Or the firm promise to thy servants givenT
Just ere they saw Thee re ascend to HeavenT
Or the fulfilment of thy grand bequestJ
The promis'd Comforter of man distrestJ
That spirit which as man's unfailing friendJ
'Twas thine from thy celestial throne to sendJ
The Spirit of thy Sire of truth and peaceU2
By whose blest influence base passions ceaseU2
And Christians worthy of their Lord combineE
In the pure bond of charity divineE
Conscious from whom their new sensations flowC
To whom their renovated hearts they oweC
And conscious while their heavenly guide they blessV2
Their gratitude is safe from all excessV2
In sentient beings if their love and zealC
Should rise proportion'd to the aid they feelC
Unbounded as thy benefits should beA2
The thankful homage of our hearts to TheeA2
Divine Deliverer whose grace bestowsW
Exemption from unutterable woesW
Such gifts on men as they can ne'er requiteJ
Made from the slaves of darkness sons of lightJ
Thou filial Deity whose merits riseN2
To such amazing height in human eyesN2
A justly humble mind that feels their swayZ
Too great for earthly language to displayZ
Conceives e'en seraphs tho' in glory's beamF
May find their voice unequal to the themeF
And seems to view them in their heavenly seatJ
Mute from pure adoration at thy feetJ
Thou blest Restorer of corrupted manN
From all the snares of Satan's dark divanN
Thou who with true compassion hast survey'dJ
Lost wanderers perishing without thy aidJ
To whose pure eyes all wonders are reveal'dJ
That live in mortals from themselves conceal'dJ
Who view'st with favor when they most aspireL
Their narrow faculties and vast desireL
O prosper and sustain my anxious thoughtJ
Pondering thy attributes as mortals oughtJ
That while I strive to make thy nature knownM
My zeal may tend to purify my ownM
Pardon the daring aim of grateful loveY
If in research man's intellect aboveY
I vainly seek such heavenly things to knowC
As Thou to mortals hast not deign'd to showC
Veiling the mode of thy celestial birthH2
From beings blind to mysteries of earthH2
Thy geniture and thy redeeming powerL
Transcend the known extent of nature's dowerL
But pity weak mortality that triesN2
To reach what may elude all human eyesN2
The knowledge man desires is found by noneT
The Eternal Sire He only knows the SonT
Taught by this truth be it our wish aloneM
To know Him only as he would be knownM
By grace divine his bounty's blest effectJ
On those who hail Him with devout respectJ
Thou filial Deity in manly shapeW2
Whose eye no deeds no thoughts of man escapeW2
Thy servants have no wound Thou dost not feelC
No sorrow that thy aid can fail to healC
In all the trials I was born to bearL
Many and sharp have fallen to my shareL
I bless them leading me to feel and seeA2
Our sweetest comfort is our trust in TheeA2
Calm acquiescence in thy sacred willC
Becomes an antidote to every illC
As tasks ensuring favour in thy sightJ
Grief turns to joy and anguish to delightJ
Till all the chasten'd heart exults to blessV2
A Martyr's triumph o'er subdued distressV2
Saviour whose image pure maternal prayerL
Fix'd in my heart with just dominion thereL
Thou never banish'd thence tho' in my youthX2
I heard rash sceptics scoffing at thy truthX2
Deride thy Gospel and thy deeds revileC
As the false tales of an impostor's guileC
Blest that no impious wit had power to blindJ
Thy dawn of favour in my opening mindJ
There in maturer seasons grief and painY2
As heavenly agents have confirmed thy reignY2
My spirit's guardian soother of my woesW
Still of my chequer'd days illume the closeZ2
All mortals feel their trespasses requireL
An Intercessor with th' eternal SireL
And on their minds thy cheering favours shineE
Who feel thou art an arbiter divineE
Who thy dominion o'er the soul confessV2
And as their final Judge thy Godhead blessV2
Deign to befriend me in my dying hourL
Thou clear Vicegerent of thy Father's powerL
And while within a grateful heart I ownM
My hopes to view Thee on thy heavenly throneM
With all thy merits on my soul imprestJ
May faith's firm wings convey me to thy breastJ
Such friendly disputant of studious mindJ
Ever to good in active life inclindJ
Such are my thoughts my views my hopes my creedJ
Adverse I own to those for which you pleadJ
And which to speak without reserve I deemF
A rash surmise a dark Socinian dreamF
Tho' tenets diversely our fancy strikeA3
May both in purity of heart alikeA3
Still trust the hope to that endowment givenT
To reach the glorious certainty of HeavenT
Where when the pardon'd round their Lord uniteJ
Their errors will be lost in beatific lightJ

William Hayley



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