An "Imparted Pow'r which conquers Pride, and Lust ... plants Content instead, and rapturous Trust!"
— Woodhouse, James (bap. 1735, d. 1820)
Work Title
Date
1814, 1816, 1896
Metaphor
An "Imparted Pow'r which conquers Pride, and Lust ... plants Content instead, and rapturous Trust!"
Metaphor in Context
To prove dependent truths, let Reason plod,
Not clearly stated in the Word of God.
Take up Her Heav'n-lit Lamp, nor, hopeless, pry
In Earth's deep caverns, dark, with heedful eye,
And trace materials, with that Word's accord,
To deck the living Temple of Her Lord.
Full many a truth her feeble torch may find,
To benefit herself, and bless Mankind;
In close recesses of the human Soul
For practical instruction, or controul;
All useful, when reduce'd to proper plan,
To ease the Ills, or check the Crimes, of Man.
But first Her lessons learn in Christian school,
To prove God wise, but every Man a Fool--
His heavenly Kingdom, and His Christ, to seek,
With simple Spirit, humble, mild, and meek;
And when well-taught His Righteousness to know,
Then endless blessings from His Love will flow.
Attack His Foes in every hostile field,
Till all are vanquish'd, or, repentant, yield.
Prove, from that Book, He left pure Bliss above,
And came to Earth full-fraught with heav'nly Love.
Prove His blest plan, was, Rebels to redeem,
From Satan--Sin--and Misery's worst extreme!
How all His Words, and Actions, show'd the Friend!
How He accomplish'd Heav'n's mysterious End!
How both His Body, and His Soul, sublime,
Became a sacrifice for every Crime,
That Man by motive, word, or act, had wrought,
When he, repentant, such atonement sought--
For how can impious Blasphemy, and Pride,
Produce one proof He bled for ought beside?
Could God, the Father, such a deed have done
As doom to cruel Death a sinless Son?
Could He appoint Him baleful place below,
Exposed to ignominy--pain--and woe?
Could He, in Justice, on His awful Throne,
Condemn Him for transgressions, not His own?
Could He so deep have suffer'd Sinners' dread
Such sanguine sweat, or tears of sorrow, shed!
Or on a Cross complain'd, and bled, and died,
But for some Others' Passions, Lusts, and Pride!
Nor, as mere Man, could He one Merit claim
For sharpest punishments of pain and shame!
Impartial Justice ne'er could punish One
Whom Vice ne'er sham'd, but every Virtue shone;
Or, as a Creature, could one Creature win
A recompence from Heav'n, tho' free from Sin;
Much less presume with Deity to plead
Full pardon for Another's damning Deed;
Nor dare to think His dying Blood had bought
Remission for one sinful Word or Thought!
Yet He the crimes of all the World discards,
And claims, for faithful Friends, Heav'n's high Rewards!
Not cold Rewards, like what Earth's Kings bestow,
Wealth--Honours--Titles--Toys--but blanks, below!
That just inflate the heart with fickle Joy,
Which Chance oft checks, and Death will soon destroy!
Depending on weak Man's capricious Will,
Whose whims oft frustrate--Heav'n oft yields to Ill--
But Honours heap'd upon the least, and low'st,
All, all, attended by the heavenly Host!
Titles, to graceless Nobles never given,
Each chosen Child of God, and Heir of Heav'n!
Riches in Huts, thron'd Monarchs rarely find,
Faith--Hope--and Love--rich Treasures of the Mind!
Imparted Pow'r which conquers Pride, and Lust;
And plants Content instead, and rapturous Trust!
All bliss bestow'd from God's unbounded store
By Heav'n's rich Prince, on earth so mean and poor!
Nor these, alone, but, lest Mankind should miss
Earth's present Pleasures, and Heav'n's future Bliss,
The gracious Saviour gives a sacred Guide,
Who may o'er actions, words, and thoughts, preside--
And move them by His Wisdom, Love, and Might,
To prove what's wrong, and prosecute what's right--
To please their Father and redeeming Friend
Thro' Life's wild walk to Time's remotest End;
And, loos'd from temporal prisons, dull and dim,
Sit crown'd, like Kings, on Thrones, in Heav'n, with Him!!
Not clearly stated in the Word of God.
Take up Her Heav'n-lit Lamp, nor, hopeless, pry
In Earth's deep caverns, dark, with heedful eye,
And trace materials, with that Word's accord,
To deck the living Temple of Her Lord.
Full many a truth her feeble torch may find,
To benefit herself, and bless Mankind;
In close recesses of the human Soul
For practical instruction, or controul;
All useful, when reduce'd to proper plan,
To ease the Ills, or check the Crimes, of Man.
But first Her lessons learn in Christian school,
To prove God wise, but every Man a Fool--
His heavenly Kingdom, and His Christ, to seek,
With simple Spirit, humble, mild, and meek;
And when well-taught His Righteousness to know,
Then endless blessings from His Love will flow.
Attack His Foes in every hostile field,
Till all are vanquish'd, or, repentant, yield.
Prove, from that Book, He left pure Bliss above,
And came to Earth full-fraught with heav'nly Love.
Prove His blest plan, was, Rebels to redeem,
From Satan--Sin--and Misery's worst extreme!
How all His Words, and Actions, show'd the Friend!
How He accomplish'd Heav'n's mysterious End!
How both His Body, and His Soul, sublime,
Became a sacrifice for every Crime,
That Man by motive, word, or act, had wrought,
When he, repentant, such atonement sought--
For how can impious Blasphemy, and Pride,
Produce one proof He bled for ought beside?
Could God, the Father, such a deed have done
As doom to cruel Death a sinless Son?
Could He appoint Him baleful place below,
Exposed to ignominy--pain--and woe?
Could He, in Justice, on His awful Throne,
Condemn Him for transgressions, not His own?
Could He so deep have suffer'd Sinners' dread
Such sanguine sweat, or tears of sorrow, shed!
Or on a Cross complain'd, and bled, and died,
But for some Others' Passions, Lusts, and Pride!
Nor, as mere Man, could He one Merit claim
For sharpest punishments of pain and shame!
Impartial Justice ne'er could punish One
Whom Vice ne'er sham'd, but every Virtue shone;
Or, as a Creature, could one Creature win
A recompence from Heav'n, tho' free from Sin;
Much less presume with Deity to plead
Full pardon for Another's damning Deed;
Nor dare to think His dying Blood had bought
Remission for one sinful Word or Thought!
Yet He the crimes of all the World discards,
And claims, for faithful Friends, Heav'n's high Rewards!
Not cold Rewards, like what Earth's Kings bestow,
Wealth--Honours--Titles--Toys--but blanks, below!
That just inflate the heart with fickle Joy,
Which Chance oft checks, and Death will soon destroy!
Depending on weak Man's capricious Will,
Whose whims oft frustrate--Heav'n oft yields to Ill--
But Honours heap'd upon the least, and low'st,
All, all, attended by the heavenly Host!
Titles, to graceless Nobles never given,
Each chosen Child of God, and Heir of Heav'n!
Riches in Huts, thron'd Monarchs rarely find,
Faith--Hope--and Love--rich Treasures of the Mind!
Imparted Pow'r which conquers Pride, and Lust;
And plants Content instead, and rapturous Trust!
All bliss bestow'd from God's unbounded store
By Heav'n's rich Prince, on earth so mean and poor!
Nor these, alone, but, lest Mankind should miss
Earth's present Pleasures, and Heav'n's future Bliss,
The gracious Saviour gives a sacred Guide,
Who may o'er actions, words, and thoughts, preside--
And move them by His Wisdom, Love, and Might,
To prove what's wrong, and prosecute what's right--
To please their Father and redeeming Friend
Thro' Life's wild walk to Time's remotest End;
And, loos'd from temporal prisons, dull and dim,
Sit crown'd, like Kings, on Thrones, in Heav'n, with Him!!
Categories
Provenance
Searching "conque" and "mind" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Poem first published in its entirety in 1896. The 1814 first edition receives notice in The New Monthly Magazine (March 1815); the poem was written "in the last century" (w. 1795-1820?).
Text from The Life and Poetical Works of James Woodhouse, ed. R. I. Woodhouse, 2 vols. (London: The Leadenhall Press, 1896). <Link to Hathi Trust> <Link to LION>
Text from The Life and Poetical Works of James Woodhouse, ed. R. I. Woodhouse, 2 vols. (London: The Leadenhall Press, 1896). <Link to Hathi Trust> <Link to LION>
Date of Entry
02/06/2005
