The Poets of Methodism

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. OTHERS OF THE EPWORTH SINGERS. Say, what is life ? A mystery most to them Who strive to fathom its still changeful deep; Who fain exultingly the tide would stem That human bosoms in dim woe doth steep: Who soar aspiringly, yet still must weep; On towering pinions, chain'd to earthly coil;...
More Description

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. OTHERS OF THE EPWORTH SINGERS. Say, what is life ? A mystery most to them Who strive to fathom its still changeful deep; Who fain exultingly the tide would stem That human bosoms in dim woe doth steep: Who soar aspiringly, yet still must weep; On towering pinions, chain'd to earthly coil; Intensely questioning the vast, the deep, The gem enshrined within its mortal foil; The ethereal spark bedimm'd by sorrow and turmoil. fHERE is much mystery about what one may call the particular fate by which some families are followed. Distinguished as the household may be for gifts and culture, each member in succession appears, in some cases, to take the same unhappy turn at some one point in their course. So it was with the Wesleys. With but few exceptions, the Epworth family were either crossed in love, or proved unhappy in their wedded life. One of the exceptions was the beautiful little Mary; with a diminutive and somewhat deformed figure, there was an exquisite charm of countenance, sweetly expressive of the lovely temper and gracefulness of her soul. With the approbation of all her family, she became the much loved and loving wife of John Whitelamb, who, from humble birth and charity-school training, rose, under the care of Mary's father, to a successful college life, and to the pastoral charge of Wroote, a neighbouring parish to Epworth. The conjugal joys of the little rude primitive parsonage among the fens were broken up, however, in twelve months. Mary and her first infant were buried together in the ruralgrave-yard of her husband's first parish. Her sister, Me- hetabel, wrote this beautiful Epitaph on Mrs. Mary White- lamb, ? If highest worth, in beauty's bloom, Exempted mortals from the tomb, We had not round this sacred bier Mourned th...