The man whose heart is bent on pleasure
Small love will to his neighbour measure;
Who solely studies his own good,
Can't love another if he would,
Then how can pleasure-hunting elves
E'er love their neighbour as themselves?
V.
Can he whom sloth and loitering please
E'er love his neighbour like his ease?
Or he who feeds ambition's flame
Loves he his neighbour like his fame?
Such lazy, or such soaring elves,
Can't love their neighbour as themselves.
VI.
He whose gross appetites enslave him,
Who spends or feasts the wealth God gave him:
Full, pamper'd, gorg'd at every meal,
He cannot for the empty feel.
How can such gormandizing elves
E'er love their neighbour as themselves?
VII.
Then, since the man who lusts for gold,
Since he who is to pleasure sold;
Who soars in pride, or sinks in ease,
His neighbour will not serve or please;
Where shall we hope the man to find
To fill this great command inclin'd!
VIII.
I dare not blame God's holy word,
Nor censure scripture as absurd;
But sure the rule's of no avail
If placed so high that all must fail;
And 'tis impossible to prove
That any can his neighbour love.
Yes, such there are of heav'nly mould,
Unwarp'd by pleasure, ease, or gold;
He who fulfils the nobler part,
By loving God with all his heart;
He, only he, the scriptures prove,
Can, as himself, his neighbour love.
Then join, to make a perfect plan,
The love of God to love of man;
Your heart in union both must bring,
This is the stream, and that the spring;
This done, no more in vain you'll labour,
A Christian can't but love his neighbour.
If then the rule's too hard to please ye, Turn Christian, and you'll find it easy. "Still 'tis impossible," you cry,
"In vain shall feeble nature try."
"Tis true; but know a Christian is a creature Who does things quite impossible to nature.
THE WORLD SET UP TO SALE.
THE devil, as the scriptures show,
Tempts sinful mortals high and low;
And acting well his various part,
Suits ev'ry bribe to ev'ry heart:
See there the prince of darkness stands
With baits for souls in both his hands.
To one he offers empires whole,
And gives a sceptre for a soul;
To one, he freely gives in barter,
A peerage, or a star and garter;
To one he pays polite attention,
And begs him just to take a pension.
Some are so fired with love of fame,
He bribes them by an empty name;
For fame they toil, they preach, they write,
Give alms, build hospitals, or fight;
For human praise renounce salvation,
And sell their souls for reputation.
But the great gift, the mighty bribe,
Which Satan pours amid the tribe,
Which millions seize with eager haste,
And all desire at least to taste,
Is-plodding reader !-what d'ye think?
Alas! 'tis money-money-chink!
Round the wide world the tempter flies,
Presents to view the glittering prize;
See how he hastes from shore to shore,
And how the nations all adore :
Souls flock by thousands to be sold,
Smit with the fond desire of gold.
See, at yon needy tradesman's shop,
The universal tempter stop;
"Wouldst thou," he cries, "increase thy trea
"Use lighter weights and scantier measures, "Thus thou shalt thrive :" the trader's willing, And sells his soul to get a shilling.
Next Satan to a farmer hies,
"I scorn to cheat," the farmer cries:
Yet still his heart on wealth is bent,
And so the devil is content;
Now markets rise, and riches roll,
And Satan quite secures his soul.
Mark next yon cheerful youth so jolly,
So fond of laughter and of folly;
He hates a stingy griping fellow,
But gets each day a little mellow :
To Satan too he sells his soul
In barter for a flowing bowl.
But mark again yon lass a spinning,
See how the tempter is beginning;
Some beau presents a top-knot nice,
She grants her virtue as the price :
A slave to vanity's control,
She, for a ribbon, sells her soul !
Thus Satan tries each different state,
With mighty bribes he tempts the great ;
The poor, with equal force he plies,
But wins them with an humbler prize :
Has gentler arts for young beginners,
And fouler sins for older sinners.
Oft too he cheats our mortal eyes,
For Satan father is of lies;
A thousand swindling tricks he plays us,
And promises, but never pays us:
Thus we poor fools are strangely caught,
And find we've sold our souls for nought.
Nay, oft, with quite a juggler's art,
He bids the proffer'd gift depart;
Sets some gay joy before our face,
Then claps a trouble in its place;
Turns up some loss for promis'd gain,
And conjures pleasure into pain.
Be wise then, oh! ye worldly tribe,
Nor sell your conscience for a bribe;
When Satan tempts you to begin,
Resist him, and refuse to sin :
Bad is the bargain on the whole,
To gain the world and lose the soul!
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