"An empire, which thy [Jesus'] armies did not gain, / Not purchas'd by the blood of thousands slain, / But by thy own; an empire o'er the mind / Erected, and for heavenly ends design'd."
— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for A. Bettesworth and James Mack Euen
Date
1722
Metaphor
"An empire, which thy [Jesus'] armies did not gain, / Not purchas'd by the blood of thousands slain, / But by thy own; an empire o'er the mind / Erected, and for heavenly ends design'd."
Metaphor in Context
Thou glorious sun of righteousness didst rise,
And with thy orb adorn Judea's skies,
Whence by thy lustre, heat and influence,
Thou didst ten thousand benefits dispense.
The land around, from thy prolifick beams
Receiving life, with blest productions teems,
A godlike offspring from celestial seed,
Which genial dews from heav'n descending feed.
Thy conqu'ring rays put gloomy shades to flight,
And o'er the realms diffus'd reviving light,
Which issuing from a burst of glory, blest
The lands, from pole to pole, from east to west.
The nations, long with darkness overspread,
Saw truth immortal rear her starry head,
And now by thee inlightned glad embrac'd
Her heavenly precepts, in their minds defac'd.
Thee on thy progress kings submissive meet,
And cast their crowns and scepters at thy feet:
The judges of the earth thy aid implore,
And laurel'd victors vanquish'd thee adore:
The purple pow'rs, that Rome's proud scepter sway'd,
And who their chains on captive princes laid,
Receive thy milder yoke, revere thy throne,
And, to encrease thy empire, add their own:
An empire, which thy armies did not gain,
Not purchas'd by the blood of thousands slain,
But by thy own; an empire o'er the mind
Erected, and for heavenly ends design'd.
Thus thou thy royal portion didst possess,
And with just laws thy willing people bless;
Thou gracious didst advance to dignity
Sublime thy vo'tries from their low degree,
And mad'st them kings and priests to God most high,
Who firm on thy unerring word rely,
That soon an endless kingdom shall be theirs,
Of thy salvation uncontested heirs.
And with thy orb adorn Judea's skies,
Whence by thy lustre, heat and influence,
Thou didst ten thousand benefits dispense.
The land around, from thy prolifick beams
Receiving life, with blest productions teems,
A godlike offspring from celestial seed,
Which genial dews from heav'n descending feed.
Thy conqu'ring rays put gloomy shades to flight,
And o'er the realms diffus'd reviving light,
Which issuing from a burst of glory, blest
The lands, from pole to pole, from east to west.
The nations, long with darkness overspread,
Saw truth immortal rear her starry head,
And now by thee inlightned glad embrac'd
Her heavenly precepts, in their minds defac'd.
Thee on thy progress kings submissive meet,
And cast their crowns and scepters at thy feet:
The judges of the earth thy aid implore,
And laurel'd victors vanquish'd thee adore:
The purple pow'rs, that Rome's proud scepter sway'd,
And who their chains on captive princes laid,
Receive thy milder yoke, revere thy throne,
And, to encrease thy empire, add their own:
An empire, which thy armies did not gain,
Not purchas'd by the blood of thousands slain,
But by thy own; an empire o'er the mind
Erected, and for heavenly ends design'd.
Thus thou thy royal portion didst possess,
And with just laws thy willing people bless;
Thou gracious didst advance to dignity
Sublime thy vo'tries from their low degree,
And mad'st them kings and priests to God most high,
Who firm on thy unerring word rely,
That soon an endless kingdom shall be theirs,
Of thy salvation uncontested heirs.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "mind" and "empire" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Only 1 entry in ESTC (1722).
Text from Redemption: A Divine Poem, In Six Books. The three first demonstrate the Truth of the Christian Religion, The three last the Deity of Christ. To which is added, A Hymn to Christ the Redeemer. By Sir Richard Blackmore (London: Printed for A. Bettesworth ... and James Mack Euen, 1722).
Text from Redemption: A Divine Poem, In Six Books. The three first demonstrate the Truth of the Christian Religion, The three last the Deity of Christ. To which is added, A Hymn to Christ the Redeemer. By Sir Richard Blackmore (London: Printed for A. Bettesworth ... and James Mack Euen, 1722).
Date of Entry
08/10/2004
