Thomas Jefferson Papers
Documents filtered by: Author="Anonymous" AND Recipient="Jefferson, Thomas" AND Recipient="Jefferson, Thomas"
sorted by: date (ascending)
Stable but non-permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-7456

To Thomas Jefferson from Anonymous, 19 February 1808

[on or before 19 Feb. 1808]

Thou art The Man, thy People have ordain’d,

On all occations their rights to maintain

Thy precepts do shew forth Gods light within

He into Thee has pourd his holy Flame

On thine Heart his kind rays of Light does dawn

Mounting their Splendor like the Rosy Morn

Arraying of thine Head with Knowledge bright }
So sould thy Reason like the Sun Unite
Joining the Fountain which first gave it Light
Every riseing thoughts God Spirit Makes }
For on the Heart it shines and life creates
For of Gods Son every one partakes

Ever expanding their hearts: To perform

Rarefaction their Minds for to adorn

So does Mans thoughts arise that grace the head

Out of the heart begot; by Light: from Shade

Nothing but Infinite can guide aright

Purifying our thoughts by His own Light

Reason should unto concience then resort

Entering her cases at his holy cort

Sons should unto their sires always attend,

Instruction for to gain, their Life to Mend.

Due Rev’rence then is due, to Gods own Spirit

Every Pow’r our Reason does Inherit

Now we do see from concience doth arise

To the thoughts he does begit to make her wise

On concience then our Reason does depend

For Reason’s Pow’rs do all from Him descend

Then unto reason Sire, let each take heed

He’s a sure Guide our Souls to Heav’en to Lead

Every thing, the Universe contains

Unto this Spiri’t owes. For quickning Flames

Natures Great Parent animates the Whole.

It is his Spir’it that begits every Soul

The Earth’s Nutricious particles contains

Envigourateing Life, from Gods pure Flames;

Deriveing Energy from His own Light

So the Kind Son this Spirit does Unite

The Hidden blaze within the Mass is cheer’d

Attracted by Kind Heav’ns bright Eye Tis rear’d

Tow’ering aloft to vigitable birth

Enriching of the Earth with a New-Born-Life

So the Son giveth light & Life to Earth

On it He pours Gods influential Breath

For God first breathed Light within each seed

And has ordain this Light: His Fountain light should feed

Man who retains the Light of God within

Enjoys supplies from Gods undbounded Flame

Redemption with this Spirit our God Has wrought

In Christ who Obey’d what this Spirit Taught

Christ was begotten by this holy Spirit

A Second Adam New life did in Herit

Maintaind the Laws Gods Spirit did procribe;

And to the Heart, restor’d the holy guide;

Your concience, doth the truth of this Maintain

Gods light within around all Hearts does flame

On its dark Vale it shines createing Love

Does Accuse or excuse: While it does move

Those warm desires, to seek our Greatest Good

Heavn to Obtain, or bliss for its aboad

Ever unto this Son of God Attend

Enticeing Thee, thy own self to befriend:

Beloved Man, Kiss Thou, this Son of God,

Lest your Strength fail, on Lif’s dark tedious Road:

Ever unto His wooing charms attend; }
Strict to his counsils all thy reason bend
So shall Thou Open to Gods Son Mans Friend

For if this Spir’it, receiv’d into The Heart

Remov’d Its fears will be: And Now life ’twill Impart

O, Kind refiner who alone can clonse

Mans heart from filth and purge out all his Sins

Instruction, May thy warming Glowes impart;

Of Light and Life; to my dark Fearful Heart

Now while I do salute my Guardean Friend

Awake O Heav’nly Dove, Loves warming Flame

Turne thou with sweet imbraces to my breast

Here in my Heart kindle the Heav’nly Feast

Awake the trembling Lamp Stifled with Fear }
New Oil restore th’ Neglected Lamp to cheer
Ever may I this holy Son revere

Dim is my Lamp within because that I

My Talants have not us’d: nor sought supply

Embraceing the kind offers of His grace

Shunning unkindness Mercy to imbrace

Therefore Gods Candle I’ve not made my Guide

Ever in Wisdoms Path for to Abide

Returne Thou Reason from thy dark retreat;

Open thine Eyes; the Son of God to Greet.

For if Thou draw nigh Unto God you’ll find, }
Mercy From God, will pour now light divine;
Around thine Heart his rays of Light will shine.

Light’ing Thy mind, with new created thought

Driv’n from the Heart; they to the Head are brought

E’very thought that to the Head does Soar

Now would I bing to Concience; to Explore

Concience Shall be My counsellor, or guide;

Omniscience shall for My Reason precide

Unto unering Light, will I resort;

Natures unering Spirit, shall Me support.

Therefore My Concience, shall sift all my thoughts.

Young is My Reason which this Sire Supports

On thoughts My Reason Finds: on them she lives

Fear Mix’d with Love, the composition is

Mans Fear, from disobediance, does arise;

It is that two Edg’d Sword, which Light distroys

Death it doth bring to Man, by its imbrace

Dark Clouds of fear have prov’d Mankinds disgrace

Love is from light, Gods spirit it begits, }
Each humane breast, of this Spirit partakes.
So light’s compounded; or with dark fear Mix’d

Enlight’ning concience, sifts the Good from Ill

X makes a Cross, & fear will cross Love still.

So concience sifteth fear, from out the Thought,

To shew that Love alone, to reason should be wrought.

Avoid all fear of Man; for God does rule

The Concience this doth teach, which should the mind controle.

Envy nor Fear: But pitty evil Men.

On all thy works, then God will kindly Shine.

Fear naught, but to offend against true Light:

Mercy, & truth, will guide, Thee then Aright

Armies, & Kings, are under Gods controle;

Sinners are scurges: but God rules the Whole

Shun Thou Injustice;: practice righteousness;

And God is sure, thyself, with grace, to bless.

Convince thyself, what’s just for to be, done

Hearken to concience, for this is Gods Son

Unite your Reason, to its still small Voice.

Seek Wisdoms Road, & in Her ways rejoice

Europe, Asia, & Africa Likewise;

Togeather Arm’d, should all Against you rise,

Thou needst not Fear their Numbers nor their Pow’r

So Long, As Righteous acts guides every Hour!!!!

This homespun Verse, is Ment this to convey,

That Righteousness and truth should Lead the way;

That Justice, never needs injustice fear;

Mercy and Love, will always have their shear.

That He who fears not, when He suffers wrong,

And dares be just amidst a G[ec]idy throng

Is a brave patriot, and a noble sage,

Deserveing of Respect thro’ every Age;

Whose Mind, does Soar Above the Storm of Pride;

And in the Car of Righteousness doth ride,

Blest with the Fountain, of Eternal Light.

Views hauty Fools,drunk with their fears to fight:

While He stands firm, cloathed in righteousness;

A Tear of Pitty falls, for their distress

Hee sees vain fear, does all contention make

Begiting Lust make Man New methods take,

To seek unLawful gains, to create joy.

And by these Means their Strength & Peace distroy

Or Seek to raise their name, by Scorning Some

Which draws reveng to execute their doom

For Scorners reep the fruit that grows from Scorn

Envy, Wrath, Malice, Hatred, grows therefrom

Which is the food on Which Scorn does Live on,

For disrespect and discord to them doth belong;

Who fain would pull Another down for Fear

His Glory would out shine, the guilty here;

Or if His Glory shin’d ’twold sul their own

Ignorant from whence all glory did first come

That ’Twas from Light All Glory did first, rise

And in Man’s fear that all His Glory dies

Therefore the Man whom dark fear don’t controle

Acts from true Love Looks to the good of All.

Viewing the streight and Narrow Road of right

He walks therein b’eing guided by true Light

For Unto concience he always takes Heed

Loves Father, Reason Seer, & Wisdoms Guide

For conceince is Gods Spirit, which Shines in all;

His talants Lent does Animate the whole.

DLC: Papers of Thomas Jefferson.

Index Entries