Page:Poetical Works of John Oldham.djvu/270

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260
PARAPHRASE UPON THE

Partakers now of all His triumphs there,
As they on earth did in His miseries share.
Of martyrs next, a crowned and glorious choir,
Illustrious heroes who have gained
Through dangers, and red seas of blood, the promised land,
And passed, through ordeal flames, to thy eternity in fire.
There, all make up the concert of Thy praise,
To Thee they sing, and never cease,
Loud Hymns and Hallelujahs of applause;
An angel-laureat does the sense and strains compose,
Sense, far above the reach of mortal verse,
Strains, far above the reach of mortal ears,
And all, a Muse unglorified can fancy or rehearse.

4

Nor is this concert only kept above,

Nor is it to the blessed alone confined;
But earth, and all thy faithful here are joined,
And strive to vie with them in duty and in love;
And, though they cannot equal notes and measures raise,
Strive to return the imperfect echoes of thy praise.
They through all nations own thy glorious name,
And everywhere the great Three-One proclaim:
Thee, Father of the world! and us, and Him,
Who must mankind, whom Thou didst make, redeem;
Thee, blessèd Saviour! Thee, adored, true, only Son
To man debased, to rescue man undone;
And Thee, Eternal, Holy Power!
Who dost by grace exalted man restore
To all he lost by the old fall and sin before;
You, blessed and glorious Trinity!
Riddle to baffled knowledge and philosophy,
Which cannot comprehend the mighty mystery
Of numerous One, and the unnumbered Three!
Vast topless pile of wonders! at whose sight
Reason itself turns giddy with the height,