45. The Patient Church
|
{92}
BIDE
thou thy time! |
| Watch with meek eyes the race of pride and crime, |
| Sit in the gate, and be the heathen's jest, |
| Smiling
and self-possest. |
| O thou, to whom is pledged a victor's sway, |
| Bide
thou the victor's day! |
Think on
the sin [Note 1] |
| That reap'd the unripe seed, and toil'd to win |
| Foul history-marks at Bethel and at Dan; |
| No
blessing, but a ban; |
| Whilst the wise Shepherd [Note
2] hid his heaven-told fate, |
| Nor
reck'd a tyrant's hate. |
Such loss
is gain; |
| Wait the bright Advent that shall loose thy chain! {93} |
| E'en now the shadows break, and gleams divine |
| Edge
the dim distant line. |
| When thrones are trembling, and earth's fat ones quail, |
| True
Seed! thou shalt prevail! |
Off Algiers.
December 20, 1832. |