Where far you wander down the vale,
When balmy scents perfume the gale,
And purling rills and linnets hail
      The King of kings,
To muse with you I never fail,
      On heavenly things.

Where dashing cataracts astound,
And foaming shake the neighbouring ground,
And spread a hoary mist around,
      With you I gaze!—­
And think, amid’st the deaf’ning sound,
      On wisdom’s ways.

Where rocky mountains prop the skies,
And round the smiling landscape lies,
Whilst you look down with tearful eyes
      On grovelling man,
My sympathetic fancy flies,
      The scene to scan.

From Pisgah’s top we then survey
The blissful realms of endless day,
And all the short but narrow way
      That lies between,
Whilst Faith emits a heavenly ray,
      And cheers the scene.

With you I wander on the shore
To hear the angry surges roar,
Whilst foaming through the sands they pour
      With constant roll,
And meditations heavenward soar,
      And charm the soul.

On life’s rough sea we’re tempest-driven
In crazy barks, our canvas riven! 
Such is the lot to mortals given
      Where sins resort: 
But he whose anchor’s fixed in heaven
      Shall gain the port.

Though swelling waves oft beat him back,
And tempests make him half a wreck,
And passions strong, with dangerous tack,
      Retard his course,
Yet Christ the pilot all will check,
      And quell their force.

So talk we as we thoughtful stray
Along the coast, where dashing spray
With rising mist o’erhangs the day,
      And wets the shore,
And thick the vivid flashes play
      And thunders roar!

Whilst passing o’er this giddy stage,
A pious and a learned sage
Resolved eternal war to wage
      With passions fell;
How oft you view with holy rage
      These imps of hell!

See! with what madd’ning force they sway
The human breast and lead astray,
Down the steep, broad, destructive way,
      The giddy throng;
Till grisly death sweeps all away
      The fiends among!

As when the mad tornado flies,
And sounding mingles earth and skies,
And wild confusion ’fore the eyes
      In terrors dressed. 
So passions fell in whirlwinds rise,
      And rend the breast!

But whilst this direful tempest raves,
And many barks are dashed to staves,
I see you tower above the waves
      Like some tall rock,
Whose base the harmless ocean laves
      Without a shock!

’Tis He who calmed the raging sea,
Who bids the waves be still in thee,
And keeps you from all dangers free
      Amidst the wreck;
All sin, and care, and dangers flee
      E’en at His beck.

And on that great and dreadful day
When heaven and earth shall pass away,
Each soul to bliss He will convey,
      That knows His name;
And give the giddy world a prey
      To quenchless flame.