Lines Occasioned by the death of the Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, at Alton, III.

Lines Occasioned by the death of the Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, at Alton, III.

"Blessed are the dead who die in the LORD."
REV. xiv. 3.

"These are they which came out of great tribulation."
REC. vii. 14.

FINISHED is thy strife, thy conflict's o'er,
The eyes that wept are now to weep no more:
GOD shall wipe away all tears in Heaven,
And there HIS saints shall never sigh again.
Hark! O my soul! the solemn voice of death
Is heard in Zion; calling HOME to bliss
A faithful steward, on deeply taught, and bold
In dealing out to MEN the truths of GOD.
Mighty in scripture, valiant for THE TRUTH,
Contending earnestly for the RIGHTS OF ALL,
He stood unmov'd by flattery or by frown,
A short, but glorious day!
In labors more abundant - honor'd more,
Than most who occupy the gospel field;
He told the CHURCH OF GOD their sins;
But they rejected all such wholesome food.
His LORD employ'd his tongue, and pen to tell,
The sufferings of those, who in bondage pine.
The poor oppressed people of our land (him)
Have lost a friend. His works bear witness of
Behold, the eyes of all with tears o'erflow.
For him "to live was CHRIST, to die is gain:"
A bright and shining light while here below,
And now, a brilliant star in JESUS' crown,
Refulgent in the firmament of bliss.
Bereav'd indeed are we, and mourn we must;
Where is another now, worthy to take
The mantle, and the spirit LOVEJOY wore?
Ambassadors call'd home presages war:
GOD has a controversy with our land!
HIS honor is insulted - TRUTH despis'd -
And traitorous formalists infest HIS courts.
"Shall I not visit, saith the LORD, for this?
"Shall I not be aveng'd on stubborn foes?
"My fan is in my hand; I'll purge my floor,
"And separate the precious from the vile!"

Such is the view of LOVEJOY'S death,

And such my thoughts of Zion's present state.
Oh! may her GOD appear, and plead her cause -
Unfurl her tarnish'd banners - build her walls -
And set up faithful MEN, who will proclaim
HIS TRUTH, fearless of Satan, and his Hosts.
Call we our Brother back to earth? O, no!
His race was fully run - this summer past,
His MASTER'S work accomplish's, and the last
Great end of all existence - GOD'S decree,
Call'd up his soul - quit of mortality.

New York, Nov. 25, 1837

Robert Sears

1:47, p. 2

1837.11.25