But, had he flay'd: What then? A question feem'd, To which in anfwer thus by night we dream'd. "Falfe reafon cover'd with a florid ftile, "So quickly blufh'd when he expos'd the guile : "We might have feen, we thought, had he but ftay'd, "Truth riding more triumphant by his aid: "Her equal caufe more uncontroul'd by far "Had he appear'd puiffant at the bar.
"Would Zion's eyes have feen her healthful fons
Difgorge the MARROW, and digeft the bones? *
"Her ferious clerks with numbers sport themselves:
"And for twelve Brethren, Queries hatch by twelves?†
"Would rowers into waters great have brought
"The batter'd veffel with fo little thought?
"Would Arius' ghoft got leave t' appear, and fhew
"The Webster's flighted libel too too true? ‡
"Would furious minds have turn'd the church's keys
"To galling fpurs and riding committees ? ||
"Would o'er the brethren arbitrary sway
"Have thrown a whole quaternity away? S
"Would rage have hafted with a violent ruth,
"To ruining extremes her pow'r to push,
"Had CUTHBERT flay'd to put her to the blufh?
"No, no; we thought, had we our Atlas here,
"His head would have upheld the falling fphere."
Thus vain we thought, and wifh'd him living still;
Yet fear his life had brought a greater ill:
For, jealous Heav'n might fee us on the road
Of homage to him as a guardian God:
* Alluding to the controverfy about the MARROW OF MODERN DIVINITY, a book condemned by the General Affembly. See the affair laid open, Vol. I. P. 232. Vol. II. p. 304, 305. Vol. III. p. 44.
Twelve Minifters, commonly called the TWELVE MARROW-MEN, becaufe they defended the doctrine laid down in that book. They had twelve Queries propounded to them, on that fubje&t, by the Affembly; to which they made anfwer.
Pointing at the profecution against Profeffor SIMSON. See the affair briefly flated, Vol. II. p. 466, 467. Vol. IV. p. 146.
Referring to the Committees appointed by the General Affembly to fettle minifters upon reclaiming and diffenting congregations, on the footing of the Patronage Act, when the Prefbytery, in which the settlement happened to be, refufed to do it. See the great evil of Patronage laid open, Vol. V. p. 198. 319.351.392. 418 419.
Alluding, no doubt, to the fufpending and depofing of the Four Brethren; a fhort account of which affair may be feen, Vol. V. p. 298, 299, 390.
And therefore made his days a narrow span,
Left we deprav'd had idoliz'd the man,
Who in the fenates could have led the van.
Such is the dubious ftate of mortals here,
We know not what to wifh or what to fear.
Dark clouds envelop, till the labouring mind
Be to the wife difpofe of Heav'n refign'd.
Heav'n thought his death a ftroke too too fevere,
Too troublous for a peaceful hemisphere;
And therefore then did fhake the British globe
With th' infurrection of a furious mob:*
That noife of blood and arms, of fwords and fpears,
Might drown the clamours of our mournful lyres:
That burning flames of rude inteftine wrath
Might dry the tears of forrow for his death;
Left floods of grief had swell'd beyond their fhore,
And like a deluge drown'd the earth once more.
Heav'n wrathful fent the meffenger of death,
Then to demand our CUTHBERT's precious breath,
To 'venge the crying guilt of daring crimes,
And fcourge the bold rebellion of the times.
This Phoenix rare, whofe life the earth defir'd,
Then Phoenix-like in chearful flames expir'd.
He from his life's decay could joy conceive,
And kindle into transport at a grave.
For, though his confcious mind could own her flips;
And kindly wail the errors of its lips;
Which might, he thought, in praife of Jefus more
Have daily lavifh'd out her fluent ftore:
Yet, living high by faith, could joyful go
Through all the loud alarms of death below.
Nor can the foul that to IMMANUEL clings,
Whofe courage from the depth of knowledge fprings,
Fear inevitable and deftin'd things.
The pleafant mould in which kind Heav'n him caft,
Maintain'd amidit the formidable blaft,
His charming chearful temper to the last.
His inward pulfe, as death advanced nigh,
Beat ftrong with vigorous immortality.
Upward we faw his heav'n-born fpirit rife,
And boldly claim acquaintance with the fkies.
The rebellion which took place Anno 1715. This was alfo fucceeded
by another in the year 1745. by the fame difaffected party.
He on a death-bed could auditors teach,
And his own glorious resurrection preach;
And prefs the good, the holy gofpel-way,
By all the glories of the awful day.
He spoke his Mafter's name, his words, and wounds,
Then stretch'd and foar'd beyond times narrow bounds,
To speak his praise in more majestic founds.
His foul expanding her immortal wings,
Loft by degrees the fight of mortal things.
With him once conjunct in the past'ral chair,
We saw the Gospel-herald, worthy MAIR,
Constrain'd his wonted theme to fuperfede,
And from the pulpit, o'er the hearse to bleed,
And blaze abroad the praises of the dead.
Declaring "by his death that day there fell,
"A great man; yea, a prince in Ifrael."
See now, though yet the colours dark appear,
The picture of the famous CUTHBERT here.
My pencil having drawn but half the man,
Must leave unfinish'd what it rafh began.
Thefe honour'd with his converfe once will find
His livelier image pictur'd on their mind.
We fee him fall, and to augment the moan,
The great, the grave, judicious BOSTON *
gone,
Who once t, like Athanafius bold, stood firm alone.
Whofe golden pen ‡ to future times will bear
His fame, till in the clouds his Lord appear.
With him bleft HoGG, the venerable fage,
The humble witness 'gainst the haughty age,
Was fwept, with other worthies, off th' unworthy ftage.
But thus if Horfemen and Commanders die,
How can, alas! the Infantry but fly?
We dread our fine new Lights the Church enthrall,
When former glorious Luminaries fall.
But, hark! are now these bright and stately forms A defpicable prey to greedy worms?
True! but, behold! their better part furvives,
And Zion's glorious KING for ever lives.
* He died on Saturday, May 20. 1732.
↑ Viz. In the affair of Profeffor SIMSON at the General Assembly, Anno 1729. Meaning his excellent writings that were corrected by himfeif for the prefs.
NE TANTI VIRI, NOMEN, FAMA,
Celebritas et quibus pollebat, dotes, oblivione deleantur, Sequentis quoque ELOGII centuriam linearum (aptis quorundam Authorum phrafibus bic illic interfperfis) adjicere vifum.
CARMEN ELEGIACUM,
In Memoriam Viri celeberrimi Domini JACOBI CUTHBERT, Paftoris non ita pridem Culroffenfis.
FUNERA CUTHBERTI, Boreæ fub fidere nati,
Scotigeni Jubaris, Scotia maella canat.
Te tamen ante omnes decet, ah! Fifana Camana,
Fundere ftabilibus carmina grata modis:
Vim cui contulerat Paulina wavoia fancta
Edis enim noftræ decidit hoc columen.
Moribus, Ingenio, Doctrina clarus et Arte,
Hæc reliqua in terris funt monumenta fui:
Quodque mori potuit quamvis nunc marcet in urna,
Fama, Decus, Virtus intemerata virent.
Sæpe mihi luctus, mors invidia, caufa fuifti;
Merfifli teneras fæpius imbre genas.
Sæpe fuos flevit Refpublica noftra parentes,
Hoftili quondam qui cecidere nece:
At vix ulla fuit tam jufti caufa doloris,
Scotia, CUTHBERTO defpoliata tuo.
Ornabat patriam nuper, templumque relictum,
Nec fupereft tantis mens cummulata bonis.
Nunquam vidi ullum, fe præter, (parcite docti)
Quem pariter potui dicere doctiloquum.
[3]
Multorum volitatque per ora loquacibus alis
Vir femel hic lucens, fol velut in tenebris:
Cujus honorandæ voces oracla fuere,
Omnimode docti pectoris indicia :
Et merito, os cujus tam grata lavamina fudit,
In memorum annales hicce relatus ineft.
Rebus in humanis humanior haud fuit alter,
Rebus et in divis divior alter ubi ?
Affertor fidei quo vix nervofior ullus,
Corrector felerum, malleus hærefium
[4]
Chriftique infeftos, ut murus aheneus, hoftes
Voce facri late fudit Evangelii.
Sic rudium validas in vifcere vertere vires
Mos erat, ut docuit, dummodo vel domuit
Litigiofa cohors, coram hoc Domitore diferto,
Tollere depreffum non fuet aufa caput.
Ingenium Mufæ, mores vis enthea, mentem
Excoluit pietas, oraque delicæ.
Hic hilarans hilaris qui mifcuit utile dulci,
Seria jucundis, omnia puncta tulit.
[ 5 ]
Dotibus eximiis Comitis, Paftoris, Amici,'
Vix magis ornatum protulit ulla dies;
Ne dotes natura omnes conferret in unum.
Quæque aliis tribuat, dona nec ulla forent
Mors veruit; propero carnis pede vencla refolvens.
Quot decorum cumulos, hu! brevis hora rapit?
Non vigor ingenii, lepidæ non gratia linguæ.
Non probitas potuit pellere tela necis.
Quem redamant omnes, omnes abiiffe dolebant,
Quantus amor cunctis, tantus iifque dolor.
[6]
Nomen adhuc redolens quadam dulcedine cunctos
Mulfet, et immemores non finit effe fui.
Lychnus Evangelii fulgens, verique perennis
Præco pius, comptus, magnanimufque fuit.
Dogmata facra Dei, myfteria condita Chrifti
Expofuit docto, perfpicuoque ftylo.
Abdita enim pandit Deus huic penetralia regni,
Amplaque domino munera claufa finu.
Que prifcos latuere Sophos, latuere recentes,
Condi hujus voluit pectore cuncta Deus.
[7]
Calitus hæc didicitquæ terricolis patefecit,
Nunc cum cœlicolis quæ patefacit habet.
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