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THE FEAST OF WEEKS—ANNIVERSARY OF SINAI. Come deck the sacred fane—sweet flowers bring,
Weave od’rous garlands of the joyous spring;
A fragrant arch above the portal twine,
With rainbow hues let every column shine;
The Feast of First-Fruits smilingly invites,
To taste its pure and sanctified delights.
Come, Israel, with holy fervour still,
Commemorate the gift from Sinai’s hill;
As heretofore, let all thy males appear,.
For lo! His Convocation drawetn near.
Exhale your fragrance, firstlings of the spring! Commingle incense with our offering Of grateful hearts.—All conscious of our trust,
Which raised to spirits what had else been dust,
The bosom swells, as in the green year’s bowers We contemplate the mission that is ours:
Ours, Israel! the heritage still left,
(Though sin and suffering all else have reft)
Fresh as when first “ the meek one ” bore to Heaven,
The plighted faith to revelation given;
That faith, the pledge which left us here below,
In charge of that which teacheth man to know The “ Lamp of Life ”—Whose bright eternal flame, Throughout all ages still must shine the same :
Its past our ancestors, its present we)
Its future guardians, our posterity;
Heir-loom to all, the special claim of none,
Which as it reached the sire, intact must reach the son. Time’s mouldering wing hath swept across the world,
And proudest nations from their greatness hurled;
The grandest monuments of earth-bom art,
The wisest plannings of the human heart,
Have passea away to nothingness, nor e’en A fragment left, to tell that they have been;
While our great mission, heaven-bora, still survives,
The only page upon the world’s archives
That ne’er has changed, that ne’er can change—for He
Hath stainpt it with His own eternity.
How more than mem’ry doth the graphic page Of Holy Writ the heart and mind engage,
With those events which this day celebrates,
Throughout the world, in scattered Israel’s gates. N List to the glowing record, even now!
And humbler to His holy footstool bow.
Awe-struck, yet hopeful, lies the expectant camp,
Each heart beats quick, each face bears terror’s stamp; The three days’ preparation round has spread A thrilling hope, a vague uncertain dread Of revelation,—not a priestcraft's thrall, *
But power supreme, made manifest to all.
From 8inei, favored by His will divine,
The light of truth is now about to shine.
He, who redeemed them from oppression’s chain, Strewing their path to freedom with the slain Of Egypt’s first-born; He, who at the sea,
Debit retribution out on tyranny;
H*. on this day. His glonoua work will crown,
Bringing from HeaV’a His dearest treeseae down;
The treasure cherished ere Creation saw Hit Wondrous —the imperishable law
JEfris fry f ,«<be sacred words will firsfhe given, T*blfcsthe>£ood on earth, and teach the way to Heav*. See, w, how the lightnings coruscate and flash Like steeds into war through the darkness they dash ■ Hark, hark, to the answering artillery’s roar ’
Oh, when did His thunder so echo before! ’
List, list, to the Shofar’s inspiriting blast,
Each bray more tremendous, more fierce than the last • All nature upheaved, is convulsed at the sight, ’ And owns its Creator in glory and might.
Hark! hark! through the clouds it breaks terribly clear
Not a form meets the eye, naught but voice greets the ear-’ And there issue forth words, unforgotten since then ’ Those Words of all words—the immutable Ten ! ’
Lo ! the people recoil; in their tenor they cry,
“ Do thou Moses hear for us—not we, lest we die.”
His mercy consents, and the wilderness mount Sees the opening for Israel of that living fount,
Which through ages shall well forth its hallowing course, Unrestrainable ever by man,—for its course ’
Shall through Israel flow ; and enlightened mankind Thence shall virtue imbibe,—there shall happiness find. As one man, with one heart, their deep voices they raise And the thunder to listen its violence stays ; ’
And an offering more grateful to Heaven ne’er rose, Than the two-fold expression the grateful ones chose; And never orison more meet for His ear Than that pledge of pure faith—“ We will do, we will hear.' Then, then, was the covenant given and sealed,
And man owned the worth of what Heaven revealed.
Three thousand years—a long unbroken train,
Unstayed by sword, captivity, or chain ;
Amid all care, all misery and woe,
Despite the tropic sun, the polar snow)"
In ancient east, in new-found distant west,
This day’s observances alike have bless’d.
Still do the offspring of that chosen race,
Who ’neath the mount received that code of grace,
Still do they celebrate that day’s event,
Proving themselves the living monument Of Revelation’s truth.—As was ordain’d;
To all the world, the blessings high contained In Israel's trust, are given :—but they alone Accept the boon in faith and hope, who own That trust thy charter, Israel.—That to doubt,
Is to blaspheme “ thy God who brought thee out”
Thia first is no command, except it be To recognize th’ initial stamp, and see Therefrom the witness—chosen to attest;
Whoso discredits thee, denies the rest.
Rage not ye nations then, that fee possess This glorious birthright;—does its light not bless You younger, with us first-bom equally ?—
But join us in this great solemnity,
And swell our choir this day with joyous note,
That all mankind, from universal throat,
One voice may raise in reverent acclaim,
To praise, adore, and aanctify His name.
Give ear while we recite the saerrd Ten,
For both our tasks will be apparent then ;
Tis yours to bring the heathen to the fold,
Preparing him for those great truths we hold.
Tis ours to guard, exemplify, preserve Those truths for ever :—so shall all deserve The promised peace, the prince Messiah brings, Anointed servant q| the Ki ng of kings;
And then, accomplia^wd His oehest,
Shall all mankind, supremely bleas’d,
Yield free obedieaae to the sacred’ word, .
And twrsbip Israel's God with one aecord.