The Complete Works of the Hon. Job Durfee, LL. D., Late Chief Justice of Rhode-Island; With a Memoir of the Author (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849. Excerpt: ... With isles begem'd, fringed by the hazy wood Of far Coweset, meets our Founder's view; So long had he 'neath shady forests trod, That when this prospect on his vision grew, His soul as from a prison seemed to flee, And on the wings of thought range an immensity. LXXVI. Raptured he pasued--here then was Waban's mead; In yonder little glen, the fountain by, He'd rear his shelter--here his flocks should feed, And graze these meadows 'neath the summer sky; There by his cot he'd sow the foodful seed, And round his garden raise a paling high; Here, by the dusky eve, should herds be seen, Led by the tinkling bell from meadows green. Lxxvji. Ay, here, in fancy, did he almost see A lovely hamlet in the future blest, Where Christians all might in one thing agree, To leave their God to judge the human breast; It seemed a refuge whither oft might flee The hapless exile for his faith opprest, And here to find his late bound conscience free, And for the scourge and gibbet--charity. LXXVIII. He thought he saw the various spires ascending Of many churches, all of different kind, And heard the Sabbath bells harmonious blending Tones speaking creeds that moved the various mind; And saw the crowds still as harmonious wending To several worships, as their faith inclined; And felt that Deity might bend the ear, From human nature's various chords to hear LXXIX. Harmonious worship rise. From thoughts like these Our Founder past, to meditate the day When o'er that plain, curled on the morning breeze, The smoke should rise from many a cottage gay, This may not imply that all doctrines are equally true, but simply that there may be a degree of truth in each. Embosomed in its groves of cherry trees, Where robins blithe should wake the roundelay; Whilst through the fields should gr...