Bible poem

Front matter

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

Shelf '-JZ.Jg.ID 5

BIBL.E POEM,

CHAPTER I. 1 0, Spirit, Eternal, Divine, ever pure

Which prompteth mankind in all good to endure, Inspire Thou my heart with Thj most holy flame, To sing to God's glory, His Word, Works and Fame.

2 God in the beginning made heaven and earth. The earth had no form and was void at the first, When darkness upon the great deep did behoove The Spirit of God on the waters to move.

-3 Then God said, *' let light be," which instantly came, Through Earth's nightly region it flashed o'er the main. God maketh the darkness, and light he creates, And doeth his pleasure in all things he makes.

4 God said, " light is good," for its radiance adorns All works of creation with brilliance and morn.

He called the light '• day," and the darkness called " night,' And evening and morn were the first day and right.

5 God said, " let a firmament be amid Heaven,

To raise vaporous waters from Earth be it given ; To form them in clouds and divide from the main, And waft round Earth's region, to shower it with rain."

6 Then God made a firmament, which did divide The waters above from the floods of the tide.

So God called the firmament " Heaven," and did say, The evening and morning make the second day.

7 Then God said, " let waters be gathered in one, Let dry land appear," and behold it was done — As Earth's cooling shrinkage pressed fires from their sleep, They lifted vast continents up from the deep.

S Whose waters retiring, left realms of dry land For subsequent Edens, for beast, bird and man. Then cold north-lPest hurricanes swept earth's domain And frosted her regions and bound in ice chains.

9 Then thundering glaciers plowed down mountain's side. And huge floundering ice-bergs sowed rooks in the tide ;

Then isles were uplifted by earth's inward throes, And tall mounts were reared to perpetual snows.

10 Then God said " let Earth bring forth grass, herb and seed, And trees yielding fruit of its kind/' as was need.

larth brought forth grass, herb and seed of itsTrind, And trees yielded fruit, as the Maker designed. .

11 God called dry land " earth," and the waters called " seas," Thus far things were made, and they did him well please.

. M all was good, and the eve and the morn Dispersed the third day of the Creation's dawn.

12 Then God said, " let lights in the firmament shine, Dividing the day from the night, and for signs, For seasons, for days and for years, let them be, For lights from the heavens, on earth and on sea."

13 God made two great lights, ruling Earth's day and night, The stars he set also, in heaven so bright.

To part light from darkness, bright radiant they stood, And evening and morn were the fourth day and good.

14 God said, " let the waters bring creatures that move, And fowls that may fly in the heavens above."

He made the great whales and all creatures of flood, Winged fowls of each kind, and He said ie it was good."

15 So God made all creatures, each after their kind, That each to its own sort should only incline, And blest them to increase in sea and on earth. When came the fifth day of the Creation's birth.

10 When God had made cattle and beasts of each kind, And all things that creep on the earth that we find. He said, " Let as make a new being calied man, Of will power and knowledge to keep a command.

17 For I will make man in My image, the best, With high God-like powers to obey or transgn But 1 will be mindful of man as My child,

And give him My Spirit, to lead him from guile.

18 No power can subdue, or confine or control,

Or force 'gainst its will, the will-power of man's soul, For which I will call him to judgnront to come, For deede good or bad in the flesh he hath done.

19 If man cannot sin, then he cannot obey ;

Nor could I regard, though he curse or should pray, Who cannot be false, they can never be true. Nor can I reward them for aught they should do.

20 No sin can defile, or obedienc keep clean,

A soul with no power to be good or be mean. No blame can exist where no choice doth abide, Nor righteousness be, where no free will decides."

21 So God made mankind in His image of love, And said, " multiply, and subdue and improve, And keep my commands, since "none else can 1 bless With joys of My love and eternity's rest.

22 Lest man fall in sin, and his guilt ever stain, I ordain a lamb for his sacrifice slain,

That all who repent and shall do My command,

May wash their robes white in the blood of that lamb."

23 Thus Heavens, Earth and Hosts were all finished and made, And called very good, when God rested and said,

I give man and beast herb and fruit for their meat, When sixth day, and age, made creation complete.

Chapter II

1 Blest Heaven inspire, and my spirit incline, To sing of God's glory and works most divine ; How He on the great seventh day made a rest, And ending His work, made that day ever blest,

2 O, ever blest rest, sanctified from above,

In which all shall enter who seek for God's love, Let not unbelief rob thy soul of that rest, And hinder thee entering to be ever blest.

3 My song now begins back to third day of earth, When things were first made at the Creation's birth. When God had not caused it to rain on the ground — To till and subdue Earth no man was yet found,

4 The Lord God formed man of the mould and the dust, And breathed in his nostrils his soul's life at first ; And man then became as a God-living soul,

With high powers of will, which man only controls.

5 God planted a garden in Eden's domain,

He there put the man in thai garden to reign.

Prom grounds of thai garden the Lord caused to grow,

Trees pleasant to sight and Cor good food also.

6 The fair tree of Life mid that garden was placed, To make man immortal — from death ever safe; And the tree of Knowledge, of good and evil —

Thou shall not eat of it, thy soul it will kill.

7 \ mist then arose, which did water the earth,

Then herbs, plants and flowers, bloomed in Eden's first birth. To water the garden a river was found, Which parted at Eden with four heads around.

S The first river, Pison, girds Havilah's land Of onyx-stone, bdellium, and gold bearing sand. The second is Gihon, which compasseth around The warm Ethiopia, where topaz abounds.

9 The third river lliddekel, long having ceased, Once rolled toward lands of Assyria cast. The fourth is Euphrates as history relates, It ran through the city of Babylon the great.

10 Then God placed the man in the garden to dress And keep it an Eden of undisturbed rest.

Then God did command the new man, and repeat, Of every tree here, thou mayest freely eat ;

11 But that tree of knowledge, of good and evil, Thou shalt not eat of it, lest thee it should kill ; Thy power to obey is thy power to transgress,

Thine act of that power then must curse thee or bless.

12 Accountable man to be blest must obey

The God who hath formed him of mould and of clay ; If thou touch the tree which I bid thee deny, Then surely all guilty, thou dying shalt die.

he man then surveyed both the fowl and the beasts, And gave them all names, from the great to the least, He wondered to see none like him, walk upright, But all bent to earth with no knowledge or light.

M He found none among them with whom he could mate, v; to peak to him, his soul to elate, He saw loving consorts 'mong birds and 'mong beasts, With whom they were sporting in amorous feasts.

15 Dove mates sweetly .cooing, while building their nests, Male birds fondly wooing in songs of caress ;

The stag with proud antlers, the doe with her fawns, Were prancing and bounding o'er woodland and lawn.

16 The man feeling lonely, for love he did sigh,

And said, " where's my mate?" as a tear dimmed his eye. "No consort to love me, or speak a kind word, I am not contented as beast, fish or bird.

17 It seems my dear Maker ought give me a love, That I might live joyful with her as the dove. A kind one and constant, to cheer me and bless, And meet my affections and fondest caress."

18 God said, " 'tis not good the young man be alone, He shall have a consort, a dear loving one.

I'll place her before him in angelic form,

His love, pride and glory, and bride to adorn."

19 So God caused deep sleep on the young man to press, And took from his side, and then closed up the flesh. From that which was taken, He built a fair maid And gave to the young man, who smiled as he said,

20 " Most fair in creation, most dear to my heart, It seems that from thee I could never depart.

Thou first formed in man, then from man built a maid, Divinely, twice wrought, is this love of my aid.

21 Thy temples pomegranite, 'neath golden, locks hid, Thy cheeks are fine damask, thy lips rosy red, Thy form wondrous graceful, thy step like the roe, Thine eyes with tha love of my Maker doth glow.

22 Dear bone of my bone, dear flesh of my flesh, All beauteous, fair woman, created to bless ; Since thou hast been taken and built from my side, Please tell me lov'd maiden wilt thou be my bride."

23 She spake as the rose of first love Unshed her cheeks, " gallant young man, since my love you do seek, Your pleasure, dear sir, I incline to respect,

Since man was created to love and protect.

24 At this sweet reply her fond swain ceased to speak,

The thoughts of her love filled his soul, flushed his cheek, He took her fine hand with first love's genial air, And touched holy kiss on the lips of his fair.

85 This lirst young man bowed, in first love to caress The first bride which Eden, or Earth ever blest ; And left all things else for her sake 'neath i ho sun, His choice, pride and dory, and most lovely one.

86 ffor this oause shall men leave their parents so kind, And cleave to their wives with fond hearts so inclined : To be no more twain, but forever one flesh.

To people the earth and their Maker to bless.

27 Our first parents then, had no sin to cause shame, Like young, harmless children, had never known blame With hearts pure and holy, no sin to forgive,

In that blest condition God taught them to live.

28 If man doeth not sin, endless life doeth him bless, But if man doth sin, sin shall bring him to death. Who serves Me shall eat of 31y fair Tree of Life, Who sins against Ale shall feel guilt, death and night.

Chapter III

The serpent means Satan, fallen angel, or devil, Or one who doth turn from known good to do evil ; Who made impious war once, 'mong angels in heaven, And for his rebellion was out to earth driven.

When God bade all angels to worship his son, Through whom man's redemption from sin was to come, Then Satan opposed the salvation of man, Refusing to worship God's son at command.

He drew on the rough edge of battle his band Of rebel-armed angels, the good to withstand ;

With fi re-flashing swords and with adamant shield-, sharged Michael's angels on ITeaven's fair fields.

Then Michael and angels, they fought and prevailed 'Gainst Satan the serpent, and forced him to quail. A loud voice in Eeaven was heard at that hour,

. v.ii ion God's kingdom, Christ's power.

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Who knows to do good, if he then doeth evil, Be transforms himself, by that act, to a devil ; Those who obey God, Hey are saints, of God born, Those who yield to Satan, to devils transform.

G The serpent, callecfSatan, was more subtle far Than all things living on earth that there are, He said to the woman " Yea, God said that ye, Shall not eat all fruit of this garden's fair tree?."

7 She said, " God permits us to eat of all trees. Within this fair garden, as oft as we please,, Except of one tree which he bade us deny, For if we eat of it we shall surely die."

8 Then Satan declared, " thou shalt not surely die,. For what hath been told thee is not but a lie. For, sure God doth know, in the day that ye eat r Your eyes shall be opened and ye be complete.

9 As gods, having wisdom, to know good and ill, That pleasures of knowledge, your spirits may thrill." When she thought the tree would yield fruit and make' wise, So beauteous and pleasant attracting the eyes.

10 She then ate the fruit from thereof, seeming sweet, And gave to her husband, who also did eat.

Their eyes were then opened, they felt guilt and pain, " God said, " they must die, or my son must be slain,"

11 The voice of the Lord in the garden they heard, Then, for the first moments, all guilty, they feared. Then God called to Adam, who answered and said, "I hid from Thy presence, for I was afraid. 1 '

12 God said, " hast thou ate of that tree which brings death?" "My consort gave to me, I ate, I confess."

God said to the woman, " hath sin been thy fate ?" " The serpent beguiled me," she said, " and I ate."

13 God said to the Serpent, "for this thou hast done, A worse curse be on thee, than all that hath come, Cast down on thy belly, with chains shalt thou strive, And grind, and bite dust, all the days of thy life.

14 'Tween thee and the woman, is enmity bred, 'Tween thy seed and hers, and it shall bruise thy head, Thou demon, who dost no compassion reveal,

If man shall repent, thou shalt but bruise his heel."

15 God said to the woman, " this sin must increase Thy sorrow, and bondage, disturbing thy peace, And Adam, because thou my law didst transgress, _lnd eat of that tree which I told thee brought death.

16 Now cursed is the ground for thy sake ; thou in strife, Ind sorrow, shall eal all the days of thy life,

thistle and thorn, both, shall damage thy field,

•;1 and in sweat shall thou live, till thou yield.

1? And turn to the ground from whence taken al first, Of dust thou art made and thou shalt go to dust."' Bere man was first subject to vanity made. By reason of hope God subjected and said,

18 I now subject man to this vanity dire.

■• For such I charged Adam that sin did require," Then God made for Adam and wife, coats of skins, And clothed them and said, " man is guilty in sin.

19 Xow lest he should eat of life's fair tree at hand.. And never taste death as I told in command.

I drive out the man to repent and gain grace.

And Cherub's swords flaming round I I place.

20 Then God taught young Adam and wife by his word, .To bring him sin offerings, atoning with blood.

Then Adam did call his fair consort's name Eve, Because she was mother of all that did live.

Chapter IV

1 Now Adam ami Eve's first-born son was called Cain, Eve said, "1 a man from the Lord have obtained." Their nes s Abel, a shepherd most kind. While Cain to the tilling of ground did incline.

2 Then God and his angels taught mankind and blest, Requiring of them pure sin offerings of p

All typical of the pure lamb that was slain,

When earth was first founded, man's life to sustain.

.'> For God had ordained ilii- pure offering at slake, To cleanse man from -in if it- -tain was his fate; That all. by repentance, might come and be clean, Aiid be, through obedience, forever redeemed.

4 In process of time, as was ordained of God,

Cain brought fruit of ground, offering it to the Lord ' While Abel brought firstlings of dock in Chirst's name ;

I loved Abel's offering, but did not like Cain's.

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5 Thus, Cain and his offerings, God did not respect ; Cain's countenance fell, he was wroth and sore vexed. The Lord said to Cain, " 0, why art thou so wroth ? The Lord must judge offerings by goodness and worth.

6 If thou doest well, I reject thee no more, If thou doest not well, sin lies at thy door. If thou wilt do well, then will Abel desire To have thee rule o'er him, and ever aspire."

7 Then Cain talked with Abel, then came it to pass, When lone in the field that Cain slew him in wrath. Then God said to Cain, " where is thy brother dear?" Cain said, "I know not," as he trembled with fear.

8 Then God said to Cain, " now what hast thou done ? The voice of thy brother's blood cries from the ground. Henceforth shalt thou from thy tilled ground get a curse, Which openeth her mouth for thy brother's blood first ;

9 A fugitive wretch shalt thou be in despair." Then Cain cried, " My punishment I cannot bear ; Because I am driven from all good in Earth ;

From God's love, while all men will slay me and curse."

10 Then God set on Cain this vile mark to remain, A vagabond guilty, and not to be slain,

Cain fled with his wife, from the presence of God, And dwelt in the land east of Eden, called Nod.

11 Cain's wife bore him Enoch, which name gained great fame. Then Cain built a city, called by his son's name ; .

Enoch begat Irad, Irad Mehujael,

The grandsire of Lamech, sire of Methusaei.

12 From Enoch to Lamech, these four sires connect Irad, and Mehujael, Methusaei, Lamech.

Then Lamech took wives, the one's name was Adah, The name of the other loved one was Zillah.

13 Then Adah bare Babal, in tents they did dwell His children kept cattle, by which they lived well. His brother was Jubal, whose children at will, Could handle the harp and the organ with skill.

14 And Zillah bare Tubal-cain, skillful by birth, His sister was Naamah, a lady of worth.

Then Lamech called Adah and Zillah, and said, " ! wives hear my voice now, for I am afraid.

15 I've slain a young man, to my sorrow and hurt, If Cain merits vengeance, men will me desert." Then Eve bore to Adam a son they called Set Ik Instead of good Abel, whom Cain put to death.

16 Eve said, " God appointed me true seed again, For seed of the righteous shall ever remain." To Seth was born Enos, of righteous reward, And men then began to call on the Lord.

chapter v

1 These are the generations from Adam to Noah, Since God made mankind in his image of yore, Both male and the female, in God's likeness best, And called their name Adam the same day, and blest.

2 At his hundred thirtieth year he did beget

A son in his likeness, and called his name Seth,

Then Adam lived eight hundred years from Seth's birth,

And had sons and daughters to people the earth.

3 At nine hundred thirty years' age, Adam died ; His son Seth, had Enos, at age sixty-five.

Thence eight hundred seven years from son Enos' birth Lived Seth, and had sons and fair daughters of worth.

4 Seth died in his nine hundred twelfth year, appears, Then Enos had Cainan, at age ninety years ; From thence Enos lived eight hundred fifteen years, And had sons and daughters, his long life to cheer.

5 Nine hundred five years, Enos on Earth did dwell. At age sev'nty, Cainan had Mahalabtd.

Thence eight hundred forty years from that son's birth, He had son- and daughters, and lived on the Earth.

Nine hundred fen years, were all Cainan's life had — Mahalabel's sixty-fifth year brought .Tared. Fears right hundred thirty, from birth of Jared, Mahalabe] lived and had children to wed.

7 Biahalabel lived eight hundred ninety-five years. At. sixty-five, Jared's son Enoch appears.

Jared lived eight hundred years from Enoch's birth, And had sons and daughters of goodness and worth.

8 In nine hundred sixty-two years Jared died. Enoch had Methuselah at age sixty-five.

From birth of Methuselah, walked Enoch with God, Pull three hundred years in commands of the Lord.

9 When three hundred sixty-five years had passed by, Good Enoch was not, for God took him on high. Methuselah lived hundred eighty-seven years,

And had a son Lamech, from History appears.

10 Thence seven hundred eighty-two years from that birth, Methuselah spread sons and daughters o'er Earth,

At nine hundred sixty-ninth year of his age Methuselah died, oldest man on life's page.

11 When one hundred eighty- two years had passed o'er, Then Lamech a son had, and called his name Noah. This son shall us comfort in toil and in work

Of ground, which the Lord, for man's sin hath once cursed.

12 From Noah, five hundred and ninety-five years Lived Lamach, and had sons and daughters to cheer ; When seven hundred seventy-seven years were all fled, Then good Lamech died, and was laid with the dead.

13 And Noah was five hundred years old at that time, And had three loved sons who were goodly inclined, Named Shem, Ham and Japhet, who virtue's paths trod, While Noah preached the faith of the gospel of God.

Chapter VI

When mankind began to increase on the earth, And daughters were born them of beauty and worth, The sons of God saw their fair daughters of rose And took to them wives of their love as they chose.

The Lord said, " My spirit shall not strive always With man, for he also is flesh, yet his days Shall be but an hundred and twenty years, when I will call for him to account to me then."

'Twas then, there were giants in Earth in those days, Also after that, when the sons of God clave To daughters of men, then their children they found, Became mighty men, goodly men of renown.

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•1 O'er one thousand years Erom this time, man grew worse, Sis wickedness great, fast prevailedin the earth. Then God fell repentanl thai he had made him, And grieved al his heart on account of man's sin.

5 And said. " I'll destroy man, from off the earth For working no goodness, but only a curse." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; He was a just man, having righteous reward.

6 His children so pious, vile men thought them odd,

While Noah preached them goodness and walked with his God. Noah's three sons were Shem, Ham and Japhot of worth, All flesh had corrupted its way on the earth.

7 For murder and violence stained earth with blood ; God looked on this world and found none doing good. He sorrowed and grieved, and lie said, " 'tis a curse To keep man to increase his sins on the earth."

8 Then God said to Noah, 'Ohm's death is at hand, They fill Earth with bloodshed and break all commands. Their will, their accountable power, they control,

None else can control the will power of man's soul.

9 Man is man no more then, unless he hath power To do good or ill in his life's every hour. Accountable beings must have power of will To take or reject either good or the ill.

10 I teach and admonish, to lead man to good,

I cleanse the obedient from sin by Christ's blood ; I plead and entreat them to give me their heart, 'Tis all I can do them, their will is their part.

11 I long plead with Cain, his own brother to love, I taught him well doings were all things above ; I told him that Abel would have a desire

To have him rule o'er him in love, and aspire.

12 But all my entreaties, ruin treated with scorn, And murdered his brother, and now, most forlorn, And wretched, and marked, with a murderer's name,

more among men, to be worthy of fame ! "

18 Then God aid to Noah, "of the gopher wood take, And build thee an ark, rooms in it shall, thou make, And pitch it both outside and inside, with pitch —

Of fashions to make it, I'll now tell the which.

14 Just three hundred cubits in length will be right, And fifty in width and but thirty in height.

A window above make thou in cubit size,

A door of three stories thou shalt make likewise.

15 Behold, I bring waters on earth, even I,

To drown the ungodly for sin, that they die. With thee is my covenant, and all righteous ones, Come thou in the ark, with thy wives and thy sons.

16 Of all living things, male and female, each kind, Bring thou in the ark, to keep live at this time ; Of fowls, cattle, creeping things, after their kind, Two of every sort shall come to thee, inclined.

17 To keep all alive store thou food in the ark." Thus Noah did Gcd's orders, ere they did embark,

And Noah preached to man that they stay the grjat flood By yielding their hearts in obedience to God.

18 That God might repent the great flood he designed, And not destroy man as he jiow was inclined ;

But they heeded not Noah's entreaties, but cast Their vilest abuses on him, 'till the last.

19 Thus man can withstand the entreaties of God, Thong if arms of imploring extend for his good. The wrath of the sinner, oft leads him to death, The rage is infernal that burns in his breast!

20 " Were man to live on in his own wicked way, Then violence and bloodshed would stain every day ; This race, now so wicked, must all come to naught,

I'll save ..those eight souls, who my goodness hath sought.

Chapter VII

1 The Lord said to Noah, " come, thou whom I approve, Come into the ark, all thy house whom I love.

I have seen thee righteous before me this day,

Thou hast taught my goodness, and learned men to pray.

2 Clean beasts male and female, by sevens shalt thou get, Unclean get by pairs, one pair each kind, except

Of fowls get by sevens, male and female, to keep Alive on the earth, when all clothed with the deep.

3 For yel seven tluys, and I'll cause it to rain

On Earth forty days, forty nights, unrest rained;" Ami Noah was .six hundred years old, when the ilood Of wains, like ocean, all o'er the earth stood.

4 r Jhenfoul beasts, and clean birds, and all things thai creep, Went m male and female, their lives for to ke< p.

When .-even days were past, as the Lord spoke at first, The waters of ilood then appeared on the earth.

5 When of Noah's life, in the six hundredth year, And di.y seventeenth, second month, did appear, The fountains of great deep broke up, and the rain, From Heaven's open windows, poured Hoods unrestrained,

6 That day, Noah, and Shem, Ham and Japheth embarked With all their wives lo be saved in the ark.

Each creature first ordered, then went in the ark, The male and female, as told in the start.

7 When all were safe entered, the floods did begin, From rains dashing fiercely, the Lord shut him in. The flood on the Earth, forty days did increase, And bore up the ark, day and night, without cease.

8 The waters prevailed, and increased with great rage, The ark, launching forth, did the billows eigage. The waters prevailed then exceedingly more,

'Till hills 'neath whole heaven, were all covered o'er.

9 Fifteen cubits upward, the floods more prevailed, 'Till mountains were covered, and all flesh did fail, But Noah and his people, in God's ark were saved, While floods covered earth one hundred fifty days.

10 A world of mankind, for their sin God hath slain, Except eight of righteous he saved, to remain ; Which showeth that good, was the object of man, To work out God's goodness in every laud.

11 Then he who cloth not unto good deeds incline,

• feel that he fills not his Maker's design. But like world of old, is G< I of wrath,

If b oid walking in wisdom's path.

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