Be wise; place heaven before thine eye-
A glory and a certainty:
And write the word "HEAVEN" in thy heart,
In letters that will not depart;
That heaven may, as a living power,
Both save and govern thee each hour.
The days are dark and tempest-stirr'd:
To-morrow's greatly to be feared.
Without a certain object fixed,
One with the world unintermixed,
What is 't will keep thee in thy course,
And ease the weight of every cross?
Make heaven your object night and day;
'Twill never change or pass away.
A light 'twill be in densest gloom:
'Twill save thee from the coming doom:
And when the end of all draws nigh,
For thee it will unclose on high.