■I ^^H ** ■ ^m ■ I ■ ^^H ■ I P*f - ■ • m m m H »%■ v/ / ¥95 1 fa/7037 *4 In Uniform Volumes. Hymns of the Ages. FIRST SERIES. Being Selections from Lyra Catholica, Germanica, Apostolica, and other sources. With an Introduction by Rev. F. D. Hun- tington, D. D. One volume. Hymns of the Ages. SECOND SERIES. Being Selections from Wither, Crashaw, Southwell, Hab- ington, and other sources. One volume. Hymns of the Ages. THIRD SERIES. One volume. TICKNOR AND FIELDS, Publishers. vH / HYMNS OF THE AGES. SECOND SERIES. BEING SELECTIONS FROM WITHER, CRASHAW, SOUTHWELL, HABINGTON, AND OTHER SOURCES. — BOSTON: TICKNOR AND FIELDS. M DCCC LXV. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year i860. By Ticknor and Fields, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE: Stereotyped and Printed by H. O. HOUGHTON. PREFACE. THE favor with which the first series of Hymns of the Ages was received, has led us to prepare a second, including, with hymns of a like character, many others which the plan of that forced us unwillingly to reject. For the previous volume we sought such utter- ances as in their gentle mysticism embodied a religious sentiment, fitted to console and soothe, to bind up broken reeds : in the present, our pur- pose being rather to strengthen the reeds that they may not break, and haply bend them into use, — we have given with less sentiment, more religious thought. Because both of their obscurity and striking merit, large selections are presented from verse- vi Preface. writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, " from the tender and earnest numbers of South- well and Crashaw and Habington," the gentle symphonies of Vaughan, the rugged verse of Donne and Jeremy Taylor, from the quaint " Church Emblems " of Quarles, and the volumi- nous " Hallelujah " of Wither, which touched with a poetic glow each object of every-day life. For the rest, we have, like the householder, brought together things " new and old : " some of the latter we must thank the German writers for pafling on to us, and Miss Winkworth and others for translating. We are also indebted to the compilers of a little Scottish Hymn Book, which, when we discovered the two worn vol- umes, had been through a score of editions at Edinburgh. Choosing irrespective of creed, we have been often guided by rare and deep associations of the past; hymns there are here which have been breathed by dying lips,, traced on the walls of prisons, sung with hushed voices in catacombs, or joyfully chanted on the battle-march, or fear- lessly at the stake. Preface vii The poet Robert Southwell, when in prison awaiting martyrdom nearly three hundred years ago, wrote thus to his friend : " We have sung the canticles of the Lord in a strange land, and in this desert we have sucked honey from the rock, and oil from the hard stone; but" " We now sow the seed with tears, that others hereafter may with joy carry in the sheaves to the heavenly granaries." The martyr's prophecy has seemed to us near- ing accomplishment, as in the course of our pleasant labor, we have gone back gleaning these precious handfuls which the years let fall. C. s. w. A. E. G. Roxiury, July, i860. CONTENTS. FAGE ASPIRATION I VIRTUE 8 TRUE GAIN 15 LOVE 25 ACTIVE DUTY 42 SAINTS 64 CONTENTMENT .' 74 TRUST 93 AFFLICTION I I 3 PATIENCE 133 PRAYER 152 CHRIST 179 GOD 209 DEATH 235 HEAVEN 279 MISCELLANEOUS 297 HYMNS OF THE AGES. ASPIRATION. rp] THE OFFERING. IHEY gave to Thee Myrrh, frankincense and gold ; But, Lord, with what mall we Present ourselves before thy majefty, Whom Thou redeemedfr. when we were sold ? We 've nothing but ourselves, and scarce that neither ; Vile dirt and clay ; Yet it is soft and may Impreflion take. Accept it, Lord, and say, this Thou hadft rather ; Stamp it, and on this sordid metal make Thy holy image, and it fhall outfhine The beauty of the golden mine. Amen. Jeremy Taylor. 1 650. Aspiration. PEACE. MY soul, there is a countrie Afar beyond the ftars, Where ftands a winged sentrie All fkilfull in the wars. There, above noise and danger, Sweet Peace sits crown'd with smiles, And One born in a manger Commands the beauteous files. He is thy gracious friend And (O my soul, awake !) Did in pure love descend, To die here for thy sake. If thou canft get but thither, There growes the flowre of peace, The rose that cannot wither, Thy fortrefTe, and thy ease. Leave, then, thy foolifh ranges ; For none can thee secure But One, who never changes, Thy God, thy Life, thy Cure. Henry Vaughan. 162 1— 1 695. Aspiration. OLOVE divine, how sweet thou art! When fhall I find my willing heart All taken up by thee ? I thirft, and faint, and die to prove, The greatnefs of redeeming love, — The love of Chrift to me. He only knows the love of God ; O that it now were fried abroad In this poor ftony heart ! For love I figh, for love I pine ; This only portion, Lord, be mine ; Be mine this better part. O that I could forever fit, With Mary, at the Matter's feet ! Be this my happy choice ; My only care, delight, and blifs, My joy, my heaven on earth, be this, — To hear the Bridegroom's voice. O that, with humbled Peter, I Could weep, believe, and thrice reply, My faithfulnefs to prove. Thou know'ft, (for all to Thee is known, Thou know'ft, O Lord, and Thou alone, Thou know'ft that Thee I love. Aspiration. O that I could, with favor'd John, Recline my weary head upon The dear Redeemer's breaft ! From care, and fin, and sorrow free, Give me, O Lord, to find in Thee My everlafting reft. Thy only love do I require, Nothing in earth beneath defire, Nothing in heaven above ; Let earth, and heaven, and all things go, Give me Thy only love to know, Give me Thy only love. Charles Wesley. ■***9^5^***" THE ANSWER. " A LLAH, Allah ! " cried the fick man, racked with J~\. pain the long night through j Till with prayer his heart grew tender, till his lips like honey grew. But at morning came the Tempter ; said, " Call louder, child of Pain ! See if Allah ever hear, or answers, c Here am I,' again." Aspiration. 5 Like a flab, the cruel cavil through his brain and pulses went ; To his heart an icy coldnefs, to his brain a darknefs, sent. Then, before him, ftands Elias j says, " My child, why thus dismayed ? Doft repent thy former fervor ? Is thy soul of prayer afraid ? " " Ah ! " he cried, " I 've called so often j never heard the c Here am I ' ; And I thought, God will not pity ; will not turn on me his eye." Then the grave Elias answered, "God said, * Rise, Elias ; go Speak to him, the sorely tempted ; lift him from his gulf of woe. "'Tell him that his very longing is itself an answering cry; That his prayer, " Come, gracious Allah ! " is My answer, " Here am I." ' Every inmoft aspiration is God's angel undefiled ; And in every c O my Father ! ' (lumbers deep a 'Here, my child.' Dscheladedd'n . Th cluck's verfwn. Tranjlated by Rev. James F. Clarke. Aspiration. CHEAP MEDICINE. THAT which makes us have no need Of phyfic, that 's phyfic indeed. Hark hither, reader ! wilt thou see Nature her own phyfician be ? Wilt see a man, all his own wealth, His own mufic, his own health ; A man whose sober soul can tell How to wear her garments well ; Her garments that upon her fit, As garments fhould do, close and fit ; A well-cloth'd soul that's not opprefT'd Nor chok'd with what (he fhould be drefT'd ; — A soul fheath'd in a cryftal fhrine, Through which all her bright features fhine ; As when a piece of wanton lawn, A thin, aerial veil, is drawn O'er beauty's face, seeming to hide, More sweetly fhows the blufhing bride ; A soul, whose intellectual beams No mifts do mafk, no lazy ftreams ; A happy soul, that all the way To heaven rides in a summer's day ? Would'ft see a man, whose well warmed blood Bathes him in a genuine flood ? A man whose tun^d humors be Aspiration. 7 A seat of rareft harmony ? Would'ft see blithe looks, frefh cheeks beguile Age ? Would'ft see December smile ? Would'ft see nefts of new roses grow In a bed of reverend snow ? — Warm thoughts, free spirits flattering Winter's self into a spring ? In sum, would'ft see a man that can Live to be old — and> ftill a man? Whose lateft and moft leaden hours Fall with soft wings, ftuck with soft flowers ; And when life's sweet fable ends, Soul and body part like friends ; No quarrels, murmurs, no delay ; A kiss, a figh, and so away ? This rare one, reader, would'ft thou see ? Hark hither ! and thyself be he. Richard Crajhaw. 1637-1650. Virtue. VIRTUE. IF Virtue be thy guide, True comfort is thy path, And thou secure from erring fteps, That lead to vengeance wrath. Not wideft open door, Nor spacious ways fhe goes ; To ftraight and narrow gate and way, She calls, fhe leads, fhe fhows. She calls, the feweft come ; She leads the humble spirited ; She fhows them reft at race's end, Soul's reft to heaven invited. 'T is fhe that offers moft ; 'T is fhe that moft refuse ; 'T is fhe prevents the broad way plagues, Which moft do wilful choose. Virtue. 9 Do choose the wide, the broad, The left-hand way and gate : These Vice applauds, these Virtue loathes, And teacheth hers to hate. Her ways are pleasant ways, Upon the right-hand fide ; And heavenly happy is that soul Takes Virtue for her guide. Robert Southwell. 1562-1569. WALKING IN LIGHT. WALK in the light! — So flialt thou know That fellowship of love, His Spirit only can beftow, Who reigns in light above ! Walk in the light! — And fin, abhorred, Shall ne'er defile again ; The blood of Jesus Chrift our Lord Shall cleanse from every ftain ! Walk in the light ! — And thou malt find Thy heart made truly His, Who dwells in cloudlefs light enfhrined, In whom no darknefs is ! 10 Virtue. Walk, in the light! — And thou fhalt own Thy darlcnefs paffed away, Because that light hath on thee fhone, In which is perfect day! Walk in the light ! — And even the tomb No fearful made mail wear ; Glory mall chase away its gloom, For Chrift hath conquered there! Walk in the light ! — And thou fhalt see A path, though thorny, bright ; For God, by grace, mail dwell in thee, And God Himself is light ! Barton. —&&Q — VEIL, Lord, mine eyes till fhe be paft, When Folly tempts my fight ; Keep Thou my palate and my tafte From gluttonous delight. Stop Thou mine ear from syrens' songs, My tongue from lies reftrain ; Withhold my hands from doing wrongs, My feet from courses vain : Teach, likewise, ev'ry other sense To acl: an honeft part, Virtue. ] I But chiefly settle innocence And purenefs in my heart : So nought without me or within, Shall work an ill effect, By tempting me to a£i a fin, Or virtues to neglect. George Wither. 1588-166 7. FAME. 'HAT mall I do left life in filence pafs ? And if it do, And never prompt the bray of noisy brafs, What need'ft thou rue ? Remember, aye the Ocean deeps are mute ; The fhallows roar ; Worth is the Ocean — Fame is but the bruit Along the more. What mall I do to be forever known ? Thy duty ever. This did full many who vet flept unknown, — Oh ! never, never ! Think'ft thou perchance, that they remain unknown Whom thou know'ft not ? By angel-trumps in heaven their praise is blown, — Divine their lot. 12 Virtue. What fhall I do to gain eternal life ? Discharge aright The fimple dues with which each day is rife ? Yea, with thy might. Ere perfect scheme of action thou devise Will life be fled, While he, who ever acls as conscience cries, Shall live, though dead. From Schiller. HIDDEN GROWTH. DEAR, secret greennefs ! nurft below Tempefts and windes and winter-nights ! Vex not, that but One sees thee grow ; That One made all these lefler lights. What needs a conscience calm and bright Within itself, an outward teft ? Who breaks his glafs to take more light, Makes way for ftorms into his reft. Then blefs thy secret growth, nor catch At noise, but thrive unseen and dumb ; Keep clean, bear fruit, earn life, and watch Till the white-winged reapers come ! Vauzkan. Virtue. 1 3 THE RIVER OF LIFE. THERE is a pure and peaceful wave, That rolls around the throne of love, Whose waters gladden as they lave The peaceful fhores above. While ftreams which on that tide depend, Steal from those heavenly fhores away, And on this desert world descend, O'er weary lands to ftray ; The pilgrim, faint, and nigh to fink Beneath his load of earthly woe, Refrefhed befide their verdant brink, Rejoices in their flow. There, O my soul, do thou repair, And hover o'er the hallowed spring, To drink the cryftal wave, and there To lave thy wearied wing. There droop that wing, when far it flies From human care, and toil, and ftrife, And feed by those ftill ftreams that rise Beneath the tree of life. 14 Virtue. It may be that the waft of love Some leaves on that pure tide has driven, Which, parting from the fhores above, Have floated down from heaven. So mail thy wounds and woes be healed By the bleft virtue that they bring j So thy parched lips fhall be unsealed, Thy Saviour's praise to fing. True Gain. 15 TRUE GAIN. ■■***© ^9 ****** SOUL AND BODY. POOR soul, the centre of my finful earth, Foiled by those rebel powers that thee array, Why doft thou pine within, and suffer dearth, Painting thy outward walls so coftly gay ? Why so large coft, having so fhort a lease, Doft thou upon thy fading manfion spend ? Shall worms, inheritors of this excefs, Eat up thy charge ? Is this thy body's end ? Then, soul, live thou upon thy servant's lofs, And let that pine to aggravate thy ftore ! Buy terms divine in selling hours of drofs ! Within be fed, without be rich no more ! So (halt thou feed on death, that feeds on men, And, death once dead, there's no more dying then. Sbakspeare. 1 6 True Gain. SOMETIME, O Lord ! at leaft in fhow, A thankful heart we do profefs, When Thou such bleffings doft beftow, As outward riches, health, or peace ; But for that means which may conduce Our souls to their true blifs to raise, We make not very frequent use Of thankful words, or hymns of praise. O God ! forgive this crying fin, More wise, more thankful, let us grow, To mend this fault let us begin, And grace obtain more grace to fhow : For corn, and wine, and oil's increase, A body sound, a witty brain, A free eftate, an outward peace, Without this blefling were in vain. George Wither. True Gain. lj TRAVELS AT HOME. OFT have I wiflied a traveller to be : Mine eyes did even itch the fights to see That I had heard and read of. Oft I have Been greedy of occafion, as the grave, That never says enough ; yet {till was crofTed When opportunities had promised molt. At laft I said, What mean'ft thou, wandering elf To ftraggle thus ? go, travel firft thyself. Thy little world can mew thee wonders great : The greater may have more, but not more neat And curious pieces. Search, and thou fhalt find Enough to talk of. If thou wilt, thy mind Europe supplies, and Afia thy will, And Afric thine affections. And if ftill Thou lift to travel further, put thy senses For both the Indies. Make no more pretences Of new discoveries, whilft yet thine own And neareft little world is ftill unknown. Away, then, with thy quadrants, compaffes, Globes, tables, cards, and maps, and minute glafTes Lay by thy journals and thy diaries ! Close up thy annals and thy hiftories ! Study thyself, and read what thou haft writ In thine own book, — thy conscience ! Is it fit True Gain. To labor after other knowledge so, And thine own neareft, deareft self not know ? Travels abroad both dear and dangerous are, Whilft oft the soul pays for the body's fare. Travels at home are cheap and safe. Salvation Comes mounted on the wings of meditation. He that doth live at home, and learns to know God and himself, needeth no further go. Cbri/iopber Harvey. WHY doth ambition so the mind diftrefle To make us scorne what we pofTefle, And look so farre before us, fince all we Can hope, is varied misery ? Goe find some whispering fhade neare Arne or Po, And gently 'mong their violets throw Your weary'd limbs, and see if all those faire Enchantments can charme griefe or care. Our sorrowes ftill pursue us ; and when you The ruin'd capitol fhall view, And ftatues, a disorder'd heape ; you can Not cure yet the disease of man, And banim your owne thoughts. Go travaile where Another Sun and rtarres appeare, True Gain. 19 And land not toucht by any covetous fleet, And yet even there yourself you'll meete. Stay here then, and while curious exiles find New toyes for a fantaftique mind, Enjoy at home what's reall : here the Spring By her aeriall quires doth fing As sweetly to you, as if you were laid Vnder the learn'd Theffalian fhade. Direct your eyefight inward, and you'll find A thousand regions in your mind Yet undiscover'd. Travell them, and be Expert in home cosmographie. This you may doe safe both from rocke and fhelfe : Man's a whole world within himselfe. Habington. 1605-1654. 20 True Gain. THOUGHT. COMPANION none is like Unto the mind alone, For many have been harmed by speech, — Through thinking, few, or none. Fear oftentimes reftraineth words, But makes not thoughts to cease ; And he speaks beft, that hath the fkill When for to hold his peace. Our wealth leaves us at death, Our kinsmen at the grave, But virtues of the mind unto The heavens with us we have ; Wherefore, for virtue's sake, I can be well content The sweeteft time of all my life To deem in thinking spent. Lord Faux. Died in 1555. True Gain. 21 THE PILGRIM. GIVE me my scallop-fhell of quiet, My ftaff of faith to walk upon ; My scrip of joy, immortal diet ; My bottle of salvation ; My gown of glory (hope's true gage), And thus I'll take my pilgrimage. Blood muft be my body's only balmer Whilft my soul, like a quiet Palmer, Travelleth towards the land of Heaven ; No other balm will there be given. Sir Walter Raleigh . 1 5 2 2- 1 6 1 8 . BUT what, or who are we [alas] That we in giving are so free ! Thine own before our offering- was, And all we have we have from thee. For we are guefts and ftrangers here, As were our fathers in thy fight ; Our days but fhadow-like appear, And suddenly they take their flight. George Wither. 22 True Gain. TRUE RICHES. In vain do men The heavens of their fortunes' fault accuse, Sith they know beft what is the beft for them j For they to each such fortune do diffuse As they do know each can moft aptly use. For not that which men covet moft is beft, Nor that thing worft which men do moft refuse ; But fitteft is, that all contented reft With that they hold ; each hath his fortune in his breaft. It is the mind that maketh good or ill, That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor ; For some that hath abundance at his will, Hath not enough ; but wants in greater ftore ; And other, that hath little, a(ks no more, But in that little is both rich and wise ; For wisdom is moft riches : fools therefore They are which fortune do by vows devise, Sith each unto himself his life may fortunize. Spenser. i553- r 599- True Gain. 23 WHEN WE PUT OFF OUR APPAREL. AS ere I down am couched there, Where now I hope to reft, I firft from what I daily wear, Begin to be undreft ; So in my grave ere I fhall be In bleft reposure laid, Of many rags yet worn by me I muft be disarray'd. My fruitlefs hopes, my foolifh fears, My luft, my lofty pride, My fleihly joys, my needlefs cares, Muft quite be laid afide. Yea, that self-love which yet I wear More near me than my fkin, Muft off be pluck'd ere I fhall dare My laft long fleep begin. Of these and all such rags as these, When I am disarray'd, My soul and body fhall have ease, Wherever I am laid : Nor fears of death, nor cares of life, Shall then disquiet me ; 24 True Gain. Nor dreaming joys, nor waking grief, My fleep's disturbance be. Therefore inftruft Thou me, O God ! And give me grace to heed With what vain things ourselves we load, And what we rather need. Oh, help me tear those clouts away, And let them so be loathed ; That I on my laft rifing day With glory may be clothed. And now when I am naked laid, Vouchsafe me so to arm, That nothing make my heart afraid, Or do my body harm. And guard me so when down I lie, And when I rise again ; That fleep or wake, or live or die, I ftill may safe remain. George Wither. 1 588- 1 667. 25 LOVE. LOVE. TILL love appear, we live in anxious doubt ; But smoke will vanifli when that flame breaks out This is the fire that would consume our drofs, Refine and make us richer by the lofs. Could we forbear dispute and practise love, We mould agree as angels do above. . Where love prefides, not vice alone does find No entrance there, but virtues ftay behind. Both Faith and Hope, and all the meaner train Of moral virtues, at the door remain ; Love only enters as a native there, For, born in heaven, it does but sojourn here. Weak though we are, to love is no hard tafk, And love for love is all that Heaven does afk. Love, that would all men juft and temperate make, Kind to themselves and others, for his sake. 'T is with our minds as with a fertile ground, Wanting this love, they muft with weeds abound : Unruly paflions, whose effects are worse Than thorns and thirties springing from the curse. Edmund Waller. 1 605— 1 68 7 . 26 Li LITTLE CHILDREN. LOVE divine its word hath spoken ; Hath its life exprefled ; — To the earneft, seeking spirit, It hath given a teft, Marking; the inheritors Of its heavenly reft. Oh, the blefling, the rich blefling ! Is it thine and mine ? Who are they, the true recipients Of the Love Divine ? Little children, little children! Not in years alone — Little children in the spirit, These He calls his own. Have ve love, like little children ? Have ye faith as they ? Do your angels, near the Father, See his face alway ? Then are ye within the kingdom ! Hold the blefling up ! This the u myftic hydrome " In life's golden cup. 'T was o'erturned when Eden's exiles Closed the garden door, Love. 27 But refilled again, forever Running o'er and o'er, With a new, divine elixir, Emanating power, Circling life with noble meaning And angelic lore, When the Holy Dove descended Upon Jordan's fhore. Little children, young and aged, Bear the bleffing up ! Pour around the life elixir, From your golden cup ! Love is the divine reftorer Of the souls of men ; This the new, perpetual Eden We muft seek again. Love is the eternal childhood ; Hither all muft come, Who the kingdom would inherit Of the Heavenly Home. 28 WHEN KINDRED MEET TOGETHER. HOW happy is it and how sweet, When kindred kind appear ! And when in unity we meet As we obliged are! Each blefling which on one doth fall, Will multiplied be ; And prove a blefling to us all, As long as we agree. As from high hills a fhower of rain Along the valleys trills, And as they vapour up again A moift'ning for those hills : So kindred, whether poor or rich, If truly kind they prove, Each other may advantage much, By interchange of love. The flendereft threads together wound, Will make the ftrongeft band ; And smalleft rods, if closely bound, The bender's force withftand. Love. 29 But if we those asunder take, Their flrength departs away ; And what a giant could not break, A little infant may. So if in concord we abide, If true in heart we prove, We may the more be fortified By interchange of love. Let us therefore, who now have met^ Observe this leflbn so, That we do not the same forget, When we apart mail go. Let none of us delight to tell, Or pleasure take to hear, Wherein his kinsman doth not well, Or faulty may appear. But let each of us our own crimes, With others' errors weigh ; And seek the fitteft means and times, To mend them what we may. If malice injure any one To whom allied we are, Let us repute the wrong as done To every person here. Yea, if a grief, a lofs, a fhame, To one of us befall ; Let us be tender of the same, As grievous to us all. 3° Lt So we that are but linked yet In bands of common kind, Shall at the laft be nearer knit By virtues of the mind. And when the ties of carnal kin By death (hall be undone ; We that have so allied been, Shall be forever one. George Wither. THERE is a plant that in its cell All trembling seems to ftand, And bends its ftalk, and folds its leaves From each approaching hand : And thus there is a conscious nerve Within the human breaft, That from the rafh and carelefs hand Sinks and retires diftreft. The preflure rude, the touch severe, Will raise within the mind A namelefs thrill, a secret tear, A torture undefined. Oh, you who are by nature form'd Each thought refined to know ! Lt 3 1 Reprefs the word, the glance, that wakes That trembling nerve to woe. And be it ftill your joy to raise The trembler from the fhade, To bind the broken, and to heal The wound you never made. Whene'er you see the feeling mind, Oh, let this care begin ; And though the cell be ne'er so low, RespecT: the gueft within. Lydia Huntley. 3 2 CHARITY. BREATHE thoughts of pity o'er a brother's fall, But dwell not with ftern anger on his fault : The grace of God alone holds thee, holds all ; Were that withdrawn, thou too would'ft swerve and halt. Send back the wanderer to the Saviour's fold, — That were an aclion worthy of a saint ; But not in malice let the crime be told, Nor publifh to the world the evil taint. The Saviour suffers when his children Aide ; Then is his holy name by men blasphemed ! And he afrefh is mocked and crucified, Even by those his bitter death redeemed. Rebuke the fin, and yet in love rebuke ; Feel as one member in another's pain ; Win back the soul that his fair path forsook, And mighty and eternal is thy gain. Edmejion. 33 ANGELIC MINISTRY. AND is there care in Heaven ? And is there love In heavenly spirits to these creatures base, That may companion of their evils move ? There is, — else much more wretched were the case Of men than beafts : but O! the exceeding grace Of higher!: God, that loves His creatures so, And all His works with mercy doth embrace, That blefled angels He sends to and fro, To serve to wicked man, to serve His wicked foe ! How oft do they their filver bowers leave, To come to succor us that succor want ! How oft do they with golden pinions cleave The flitting Ikies, like flying pursuivant, Againft foul fiends to aid us militant! They for us fight, they watch and duly ward, And their bright squadrons round about us plant ; , And all for love and nothing for reward ; Oh, why fhould heavenly God to men have such regard ? Edmund Spenser. 34 Love. LARYJE. MY little maiden of four years old (No myth, but a genuine child is fhe, With her bronze-brown eyes, and her curls of gold) Came, quite in disguft, one day, to me. Rubbing her moulder with rosy palm, — As the loathsome touch seemed yet to thrill her, She cried, — "Oh, mother, I found on my arm A horrible, crawling caterpillar ! " And with mischievous smile fhe could scarcely smother, Yet a glance, in its daring, half-awed and fhy, She added, — " While they were about it, mother, I wifh they'd juft finifhed the butterfly ! " They were words to the thought of the soul that turns From the coarser form of a partial growth, Reproaching the Infinite Patience that yearns With an unknown glory to crown them both. Ah, look thou largely, with lenient eyes, On whatso befide thee may creep and cling, For the poflible beauty that underlies The pafling phase of the meaneft thing ! Love. 35 What if God's great angels, whose waiting love Beholdeth our pitiful life below, From the holy height of their heaven above, Couldn't bear with the worm till the wings fhould grow ? Atlantic Monthly. THE GATE OF HEAVEN. SHE flood outfide the gate of heaven, and saw them entering in, A world-long train of mining ones, all warned in blood from fin. The hero-martyr in that blaze uplifted his flrong eye, And trod firm the reconquered soil of his nativity ! And he who had despised his life, and laid it down in pain, Now triumphed in its worthinefs, and took it up again. The holy one, who had met God in desert cave alone, Feared not to ftand with brethren around the Father's throne. 7 hey who had done, in darkeft night, the deeds of light and flame, Circled with them about as with a slowing halo came. 36 Love. And humble souls, who held themselves too dear for earth to buy, Now pafled through the golden gate, to live eternally. And when into the glory the laft of all did go, " Thank God ! there is a heaven," me cried, " though mine is endlefs woe." The angel of the golden gate said : " Where, then, doft thou dwell ? And who art thou that entereft not ? " — "A soul es- caped from hell." " Who knows to blefs with prayer like thine, in hell can never be ; God's angel could not, if he would, bar up this door from thee." She left her fin outfide the gate, fhe meekly entered there, Breathed free the blefTed air of heaven, and knew her native air. Disciple's Hymn Book. 37 GOD KNOWN BY LOVING HIM. TIS not the (kill of human art Which gives me power my God to know ; The sacred leflbns of the heart Come not from inftruments below. Love is my teacher. He can tell The wonders that he learnt above ; No other mafter knows so well ; — 'T is Love alone can tell of Love. O, then of God if thou wouldft learn, His wisdom, goodnefs, glory, see ; All human arts and knowledge spurn, Let love alone thy teacher be. Love is my mafter. When it breaks, The morning light, with rifing ray, To thee, O God ! my spirit wakes, And love inftructs it all the day. And when the gleams of day retire, And midnight spreads its dark control, Love's secret whispers ftill inspire Their holy leflbns in the soul. Madame Guy on. 38 LOVE. NO outward mark we have to know Who thine, O Chrift, may be, Until a Christian love doth (how Who appertains to thee: For knowledge may be reach'd unto, And formal juftice gain'd, But till each other love we do, Both faith and works are feign'd. Love is the sum of those commands, Which Thou with thine doft leave ; And for a mark on them it ftands, Which never can deceive: For when our knowledge folly turns, When fhows no fhew retain, And zeal itself to nothing burns, Then love fhall ftill remain. George Wither. Love. 39 THE SPILT PEARLS. HIS courtiers of the Caliph crave - " Oh, say how this may be, That of thy flaves, this Ethiop flave Is beft beloved by thee ? "For he is hideous. as the night: Yet when has ever chose A nightingale for its delight A huelefs, scentlefs rose ? " The Caliph then — "No features fair No comely mien are his : Love is the beauty he doth wear, And love his glory is. " Once when a camel of my train There fell in narrow ftreet, From broken cafket rolled amain Rich pearls before my feet. " I nodding to my flaves, that I Would freely give them these, At once upon the spoil they fly, The cofllv boon to seize. 40 " One only at my fide remained — Befide this Ethiop, none : He, movelefs as the fteed he reined, Behind me fat alone. " 4 What will thy gain, good fellow, be, Thus lingering at my fide ? ' — ' My king, that I (hall faithfully Have guarded thee,' he cried. " ' True servant's title he may wear, He only, who has not, For his lord's gifts, how rich soe'er, His lord himself forgot ! '" So thou alone doff, walk before Thy God with perfect aim, From Him defiring nothing more Befide himself to claim. For if thou not to Him aspire, But to his gifts alone, Not love, but covetous defire, Has brought thee to his throne. While such thy prayer, it climbs above In vain — the golden kpy Of God's rich treasure-house of love, Thine own will never be. Trench. Tranjlated from Saadi. Love. 41 FAITH THAT WORKETH BY LOVE. WHO keepeth not God's word, yet saith, I know the Lord, is wrong ; In him is not that blefled faith Through which the truth is ftrong ; But he who hears and keeps the word, Is not of this world, but of God. The faith His word hath caused to fhine Will kindle love in thee ; Alore wouldft thou know of things divine, Deeper thy love muft be ; True faith not only gives thee light, But ftrength to love and do the right. He is in God, and God in him, Who ftill abides in love ; 'Tis love that makes the Cherubim Obey and praise above ; For God is love, the lovelefs heart Hath in His life and joy no part. C. F. Gellert. 1 757. 42 JSi'rue Duty. ACTIVE DUTY. ARISE! ARISE ! ye lingering saints, arise ' Remember that the might of grace, When guilty (lumbers sealed your eyes, Awakened you to run the race ; And let not darknefs round you fall, But hearken to the Saviour's call. Arise ! Arise ! because the night of fin Muft flee before the light of day ; God's glorious Gospel, mining in, Muft chase the midnight gloom away : You cannot true disciples be If you ftill walk in vanity. Arise! Arise ! although the flefh be weak, The spirit willing is and true, And servants of the Mafter seek To follow where it guided to. Beloved ! oh, be wise indeed, And let the spirit ever lead. Aiise ! Attive Duty. 43 Arise ! because our Serpent-foe, Unwearied, ftrives by day and night ; Remember, time is fhort below, -And wreftJes on with helliih might. Then boldly grasp both sword and fhield — Who flumbers on the battle-field ? Arise ! Arise ! before that hour unknown — The hour of death that comes ere long, And comes not to the weak alone, But to the mighty and the ftrong. Beloved oft in spirit dwell Upon the hour that none can tell. Anse ! Arise ! it is the Matter's will : No more His heavenly voice despise, Why linger with the dying ftill ? He calls — Arouse you, and arise! No longer flight the Saviour's call, It sounds to you, to me, to all. Arise ! Ludwig Goiter. 44 Aftive Duty. WORK WHILE IT IS DAY. UP, Chriftian, up ! — and fleep'ft thou ftill ? Daylight is glorious on the hill ! And far advanced, the sunny glow Laughs in the sunny vale below : The morning's fhadow, long and late, Is ftretching o'er the dial's plate. And are thine eyes, sad walcer, say, Filled with the tears of yefterday ? Or lowers thy dark and anxious brow Beneath to-morrow's burthen now ? New ftrength for every hour is given — Daily the manna fell from heaven ! See, link by link, the chain is made, And pearl by pearl the coftly braid ; The daily thread of hopes and fears Weaves up the woof of many years ! And well thy labour fhall have sped If well thou weav'ft the daily thread. Up, Chriftian, up, thy cares refign ! The paft, the future, are not thine ! A£live Duty. 45 Show forth to-day the Saviour's praise ; Redeem the course of evil days j Life's fhadow, in its lengthening gloom, Falls daily nearer to the tomb ! Private Hours. SERVING GOD. ONOT to fill the mouth of fame My longing soul is ftirred ; O, give me a diviner name! Call me thy servant, Lord ! Sweet title that delighteth me — Rank earneftly implored ; O, what can reach my dignity ? I am thy servant, Lord ! No longer would my soul be known As self-suftained and free ; O, not mine own ! O, not mine own ! Lord, I belong to thee ! In each aspiring burft of praver, Sweet leave my soul would afk Thine every burden, Lord, to bear, To do thine every talk. 46 Aftlve Duty. Forever, Lord, thy servant choose, — Nought of thy claim abate ! The glorious name I would not lose, Nor change the sweet eftate, In life, in death, on earth, in heaven, No other name for me ! The same sweet ftyle and title given Through all eternity. T. H. Gill. ACTION. IT is not they who idly dwell In cloifter gray, or hermit cell, In prayer and vigil, night and day, Wearing all their prime away, Lord of Heaven ! that serve thee well. Action ftill muft wait on thought ; Life 's a voyage rough though fhort ; We muft dare the sorrow-wave, Many a fin-ftorm we muft brave, Ere we reach our deftined port. Sitting liftening on the fhore To the ocean's reftlefs roar, Atl'we Duty 47 Never launching on the main, Can the merchant hope to gain Wealth to swell his treasure-ftore ? Vain it were to watch befide The pits where we our talents hide ; We muft face the noise and ftrife Of the market-place of life, That our truftinefs be tried. Where our Captain bids us go, 'T is not ours to murmur, " No." He that gives the sword and fhield, Chooses too the battle-field On which we are to fight the foe. Though, where'er we look around, All we see is hoftile ground, Where our upturn'd eyes above Recognize His banner, Love, There it is we fhould be found. 48 Aalve Duty. L REPENTANCE. ORD, I have lain Barren too long, and fain I would redeem the time, that I may be Fruitful to thee ; Fruitful in knowledge, faith, obedience, Ere I go hence : That when I come At harveft to be reaped, and brought home, Thine angels may My soul in thy celeftial garner lay, Where perfect ; ov and blifs Eternal is. If to entreat A crop of pureft wheat, A bleffing too transcendent fhould appear For me to hear, Lord, make me what thou wilt, so thou wilt take What thou doff, make, And not disdain To house me, though among thy coarseft grain ; So I may be Laid with the gleanings gathered by thee, When the full fheaves are spent, I am content. Francis Quarks. 1592— 1644. Attive Duty. 49 NOTHING BUT LEAVES. NOTHING but leaves ; the spirit grieves Over a wafted life ; Sin committed while conscience flept, Promises made but never kept, Hatred, battle, and ftrife ; Nothing but leaves ! Nothing but leaves ; no garnered fheaves Of life's fair, ripened grain; Words, idle words, for earneft deeds ; We sow our seeds — lo ! tares and weeds ; We reap with toil and pain Nothing but leaves ! Nothing but leaves j memory weaves No veil to screen the paft : As we retrace our weary way, Counting each loft and mifTpent day — We find, sadly, at laft, Nothing but leaves ! And fhall we meet the Mafter so, Bearing our withered leaves ? 4 50 Ad we Duty. The Saviour looks for perfect fruit, — We ftand before him, humbled, mute ; Waiting the words he breathes, — " Nothing but leaves ? " QUESTIONS. WHY doft thou talk of death, laddie ? Why doft thou long to go ? The Mafter that hath placed thee here Hath work for thee to do. Why doft thou talk of heaven, laddie ? What would'ft thou say in heaven, When the Mafter afks, "What haft thou done With the talents I have given ? " I gave thee wealth and power, And the poor around thee spread : Where are the fheep and lambs of mine That thou haft reared and fed ? " I gave thee wit and eloquence Thy brethren to persuade : Aftive Duty. 51 Where are the thousands by thy word More wise and holy made ? " I placed thee in a land of light Where the Gospel round thee fhone : Where is the heavenly-mindednefs I find in all mine own ? " And laft I sent thee chaftisement, That thou might'ft be my son : Where is the trufting faith which says, 'Father! Thy will be done'?" — ©Q®— NO HEART ALONE. " I have learned," says the melancholy Peftalozzi, " that in this wide world no one heart is able or willing to help another." OSAY not. we through life muft ftruggle, Muft toil and mourn alone ; That no one human heart can answer The beatings of our own. The ftars look down from the filent heaven Into the quiet ftream, 52 Attive Duty. And see themselves from its dewy depths In frefher beauty gleam. The iky with its pale or glowing hues, Ever painteth the wave below ; And the sea sends up its mift to form Bright clouds and the heavenly bow. Thus each does of the other borrow A beauty not its own ; And tells us that no thing in Nature Is for itself alone. Alone, amid life's griefs and perils, The ftouteft soul may quail : Left to its own unaided efforts, The ftrongeft arm may fail ; And though all ftrength ftill comes from Heaven, All light from God above, Yet we may sometimes be his angels, The Apoftles of his love. Then let us learn to help each other, Hoping unto the end : Who sees in every man a brother, Shall find in each a friend. Aftive Duty. 53 CHARITY. THE pilgrim and ftranger, who, through the day, Holds over the desert his tracklefs way, Where the terrible sands no fhade have known, No sound of life save his camel's moan, Hears, at laft, through the mercy of Allah to all, From his tent-door, at evening, the Bedouin's call : " Whoever thou art, whose need is great, In the name of God, the Companionate And Merciful One, for thee I wait!" For gifts, in His name, of food and reft, The tents of Iflam of God are bleft. Thou, who haft faith in the Chrift above, Shall the Koran teach thee the Law of Love ? O Chriftian ! — open thy heart and door, — Cry, eaft and weft, to the wandering poor, — " Whoever thou art, whose need is great, In the name of Chrift, the Companionate And Merciful One, for thee I wait ! " Mifs E. J. Whittier. 54 ASlive Duty. MATTHEW 30: 34. GOME, blefled of my heavenly Father, come ! In the high heavens your kingdom is prepared ; Yours is the sceptre and the rich reward ; Hafte, for your Saviour calls you to your home : For I was hungry, and ye brought me bread ; I thirfted, and your cooling draughts were mine j O'er my cold limbs the needed veft ye spread j A ftranger was I, and ye took me in ; I pined in ficknefs, and ye brought relief; In the deep dungeon, and ye soothed my grief: For these, my brethren, these, the lowly poor, Ye sent not cold and empty from your door ; But ye relieved their wants, and heard their plea ; 'T was done for my sake, and 't was done to me ! I LENT. S this a Faft, to keep The larder lean And clean Attive Duty. 55 From fat of neats and fheep ? Is it to quit the dim Of flefh, yet ftill To fill The platter high with fifti ? Is it to faft an hour, Or ragg'd to go, Or mow A downcaft look and sour ? No : 'T is a faft, to dole Thy fheaf of wheat And meat Unto the hungry soul. It is to faft from ftrife, From old debate And hate ; To circumcise thy life ; To ftarve thy fin, Not bin : And that's to keep thy Lent! Robert Herrick. 1648. 56 Attive Duty. THE TWINS " Give " and " It-fhall-be-given-unto-you." GRAND rough old Martin Luther Bloomed fables — flowers on furze, The better the uncouther : Do roses ftick like burrs ? " A beggar afked an alms One day at an abbey-door," Said Luther ; " but, seized with qualms, The Abbot replied, * We're poor!' ' Poor, who had plenty once, 4 When gifts fell thick as rain : ' But they give us nought, for the nonce, * And how fhould we give again ? ' " Then the beggar, i See your fins ! 4 Of old, unlefs I err, 1 Ye had brothers for inmates, twins, 1 Date and Dabitur. " 4 While Date was in good case 1 Dabitur flourifhed too : u Attive Duty. 57 c For Dabitur's lenten face, * No wonder if Date rue. " c Would ye retrieve the one ? 4 Try and make plump the other ! 4 When Date's penance is done, 'Dabitur helps his brother. " l Only, beware relapse ! ' The Abbot hung his head. This beggar might be, perhaps, An angel," Luther said. Robert Browning, EPIPHANY. THAT so thy bleffed birth, O Chrift, Might through the world be spread about, Thy ftar appeared in the Eaft, Whereby the Gentiles found thee out ; And offering thee myrrh, incense, gold, Thy three-fold office did unfold. Sweet Jesus, let that ftar of thine, Thy grace, which guides to find out thee, Within our hearts forever fhine, That thou of us found out may'ft be : And thou fhalt be our King, therefore, Our Prieft and Prophet evermore. 58 AStive Duty. Tears, that from true repentance drop, Inftead of myrrh, present will we : For incense we will offer up Our prayers and praises unto thee; And bring for gold each pious deed, Which doth from saving grace proceed. And as those wise men never went To visit Herod any more ; So, finding thee, we will repent Our courses follow'd heretofore : And that we homeward may retire, The way by thee we will inquire. George Wither. THE CHAMBERED NAUTILUS. THIS is the (hip of pearl, which, poets feign, Sails the unfhadowed main — The venturous barque that flings On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings In gulfs enchanted, where the syren fings, And coral reefs lie bare, Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their ftream- ing hair. Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl ; Wrecked is the (hip of pearl ! And every chambered cell, Afiive Duty. 59 Where its dim-dreaming life was wont to dwell, As the frail tenant fhaped his growing fhell, Before thee lies revealed — Its irised ceiling rent, its sunlefs crypt unsealed. Year after year beheld the filent toil That spread his luftrous coil ; Still, as the spiral grew, He left the paft year's dwelling for the new, Stole with soft ftep its mining archway through, Built up its idle door, Stretched in his laft-found home, and knew the old no more. Thanks for the heavenly meffage brought by thee, Child of the wandering sea, Caft from her lap, forlorn ! From thy dead lips a clearer note is born Than ever Triton blew from wreathed horn ! While on mine ear it rings, Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that fings : Build thee more ftately manfions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll ! Leave thy low-vaulted paft ! Let each new temple, nobler than the laft, Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vaft, Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine out-grown fhell by life's unrefting sea! Dr. 0. W. Holmes. 6o Attive Duty. FROM "THE SEXTON'S DAUGHTER." STILL hope ! ftill a& ! Be sure that life, The source and ftrength of every good, Waftes down in feeling's empty ftrife, And dies in dreaming's fickly mood. To toil, in tafks however mean, For all we know of right and true, — In this alone our worth is seen ; 'T is this we were ordained to do. So {halt thou find in work and thought The peace that sorrow cannot give ; Though grief's worft pangs to thee be taught, By thee let others noblier live. Oh wail not in the darksome foreft, Where thou muft needs be left alone ! But, e'en when memory is soreft, Seek out a path, and journey on. Thou wilt have angels near above, By whom invifible aid is given j They journey ftill on tafks of love, And never reft, except in heaven. Sterling. Attive Duty, 61 THE CLOUD VOICE. MORTAL ! on our azure pathway Speed we where our errand lies ; Each our urn of treasures bearing, Frefhening earth with glad supplies. By no will of ours we rose here, By no choice of ours we live ; Powers, far, far above our scanning, Laws inevitable give. Our snowy forms, in mid-day air, Our sunset tints of fire, Our lightning-flalh, our thunder-roar, Obey a mandate higher. Our fky-course run, our miflion wrought, Wafted forms we fink to earth, Till that same Great Power recall us To another new air-birth. Thus far onward we tog-ether ; — For the forms of good and ill, 62 Attive Duty. The events which clufter round thee, These exift not through thy will. Yet within thy human bosom Dwells a force creative too ; Outward circumftance-it fafhions, All inverts with its life-hue. And thy glory lies in ufing, Right and true, this wondrous ftrength ; Soaring where thy chains permit thee, Not murmuring for more length. In the pride of human reason Thou haft spurned a finite power, And sought the Eternal Cause of all To grasp in life's fhort hour. Not to scan thy Father's counsels, But perform them, is thy tafk ; Duty finifhed — then the why Of thy being thou 'It not afk. Puzzle thee the paths of duty, As their varied course they run ? Oh linger not in wilds of doubt ! Strike unto the neareft one. 'T will lead thee to some fairer height, Radiant with celeftial glow, Aftlve Duty. <>3 Where the prospect all before thee Brighter, clearer, ftill fhall grow. Then whilft thou art upward haftening, New vifions from new heights to gain, No more fhall how onward vex thee ; — Duty done, life's path is plain. Perennial Flowers. 64 Saints. SAINTS. INFLUENCE. JOY of my life, while left me here ! And ftill my love ! How in thy absence thou doft fteere Me from above ! A life well lead This truth commends, With quick or dead It never ends. Stars are of mighty use : ..he night Is dark and long ; The rode foul ; and where one goes right, Six may go wrong. One twinkling ray, Shot o're some cloud, May clear much way, And guide a crowd. God's saints are mining lights : who ftays Here long, mull paffe Saints. 6 O're dark, hills, swift {breams, and fteep ways As smooth as glalle ; But these all night, Like candles, fhed Their beams, and light Us into bed. They are indeed our pillar-fires, Seen as we go ; They are that citie's fhining spires "U e travel! to. A sword-like gleame Kept man from fin Firlt cut; this beame Y^ ill guide him in. Henry Vaughan. J 62 1— 1 695. MY LOVE. NOT as all other women are Is (he that to my soul is dear; Her glorious fancies come from far, Beneath the filver evening ftar, And yet her heart is ever near. Great feelings hath fhe of her own, "VS hich letter souls may never know ; 66 Saints. God giveth them to her alone, And sweet they are as any tone Wherewith the wind may choose to blow. Yet in herself fhe dwelleth not, Although no home were half so /air ; No flmpleft duty is forgot, Life hath no dim and lowly spot That doth not in her sunfhine fhare. She doeth little kindnefTes Which moft leave undone or despise ; For naught that sets one heart at ease, And giveth happiness or peace, Is low-efteem£d in her eyes. She hath no scorn of common things, And, though me seem of other birth, Round us her heart entwines and clings, And patiently fhe folds her wings To tread the humble paths of earth. Blefling fhe is : God made her so, And deeds of week-day holinefs Fall from her noiselefs as the snow, Nor hath fhe ever chanced to know That aught were eafier than to blefs. She is moft fair, and thereunto Her life doth rightly harmonize ; Saints. 67 Feeling or thought that was not true Ne'er made lefs beautiful the blue Unclouded heaven of her eyes. She is a woman : one in whom The spring-time of her childifh years Hath never loft its frefh perfume, Though knowing well that life hath room For many blights and many tears. I love her with a love as ftill As a broad river's peaceful might, Which, by high tower and lowly mill, Goes wandering at its own will, And yet doth ever flow aright. And, on its full, deep breaft serene, Like quiet ifles my duties lie ; It flows around them and between, And makes them frefh, and fair, and green, Sweet homes wherein to live and die. y. R. Lowell. 68 Saints. THE UPRIGHT SOUL. LATE to our town there came a maid, A noble woman, true and pure, Who in the little while fhe flayed, Wrought works that fhall endure. It was not anything fhe said — It was not anything fhe did : It was the movement of her head — The lifting of her lid. Her little motions when fhe spoke, The presence of an upright soul, The living light that from her broke, It was the perfect whole : We saw it in her floating hair, We saw it in her laughing eye ; For every look and feature there, Wrought works that cannot die. For fhe to many spirits gave A reverence for the true, the pure, The perfect, — that has power to save, And make the doubting sure. Saints. 69 She paffed — fhe went to other lands, She knew not of the work fhe did j The wondrous product of her hands, From her is ever hid. Forever, did I say ? O, no ! The time muft come when fhe will look Upon her pilgrimage below, And find it in God's book, That, as fhe trod her path aright, Power from her very garments ftole ; For such is the myfterious might God grants the upright soul. A deed, a word, our carelefs reft, A fimple thought, a common feeling, If He be present in the breaft, Has from Him powers of healing. Go, maiden, with thy golden trefTes, Thine azure eye and changing cheek, Go, and forget the one who blefTes Thy presence through the week. Forget him : he will not forget, But ftrive to live and teftify Thy goodnefs, when Earth's sun has set, And Time itself rolled by. y. H. Perkins. 70 Saints. THE AGED PATRIARCH. OF life's part woes the fading trace, Hath given that aged patriarch's face Expreflion holy, deep, refigned — The calm sublimity of mind. Years o'er his snowy head have part, And left him of hrs race the laft, Alone on earth, but yet his mien Is bright with majefty serene ; And those high hopes, whose guiding ftar Shines from eternal worlds afar, Have with that light illumined his eye Whose fount is immortality ; And o'er his features poured a ray Of glory, not to pafs away. He seems a being who hath known Communion with his God alone j On earth by nought but pity's tie, Detained a moment from on hicjh, One to sublimer worlds allied, One from all pafiions purified, Even now half mingled with the iky, And all prepared, oh, not to die, But, like the prophet, to aspire To heaven's triumphal car of fire! Mrs. Hemans. Saints. 7 1 AN EPITAPH. THE modeft front of this small floor Believe me, reader, can say more Than many a braver marble can, — " Here lies a truly honefr. man ! " One whose conscience was a thing; That troubled neither church nor king ; One of those few that in this town Honour all preachers, hear their own. Sermons he heard, yet not so many As left no time to practice any ; He heard them reverently, and then His practice preach'd them o'er again ; His parlour-sermons rather were Those to the eye, than to the ear ; His prayers took their price and ftrength Not from the loudnefs nor the length ; He was a proteftant at home, Not only in despite of Rome ; He loved his father, yet his zeal Tore not ofF his mother's veil ; To th' church he did allow her drefs, True beauty to true holinefs ; Peace, which he loved in life, did lend Her hand to bring him to his end ; 72 Saints. When age and death call'd for the score, No surfeits were to reckon for ; Death tore not, therefore, but, sans ftrife, Gently untwined his thread of life. What remains, then, but that thou Write these lines, reader, on thy brow, And, by his fair example's light, Burn in thy imitation bright ? So, while these lines can but bequeath A life, perhaps, unto his death, His better epitaph fhall be — His life ftill kept alive in thee. Richard Crajhaw. 1 637-1 650. THE TOUCHSTONE. A MAN there came, whence none could tell, Bearing a touchftone in his hand ; And tefted all things in the land By its unerring spell. Quick birth of transmutation smote The fair to foul, the foul to fair ; Purple nor ermine did he spare, Nor scorn the dufty coat. Saints. 73 Of heirloom jewels, prized so much, Were many changed to chips and clods, And even ftatues of the gods Crumbled beneath its touch. Then angrily the people cried, — " The lofs outweighs the profit far ; Our goods suffice us as they are ; We will not have them tried." And fince they could not so avail To check this unrelenting gueft, They seized him, saying — "Let him teft How real is our jail ! " But, though they flew him with the sword, And in a fire his Touchftone burn'd, Its doings could not be o'erturn'd, Its undoings reffored. And when, to ftop all future harm, They ftrew'd its afhes on the breeze ; They little gueff'd each grain of these Convey'd the perfect charm. William Allingham. 74 Contentment. CONTENTMENT. -~©@««~ GRATITUDE AND GRACE. ALAS these vifits rare and rude Unto Thy holy place ! Our weak, wild burfts of gratitude, Thy calm, clear deeps of grace. Oh, never mall Thy mercy make Our souls to reft in Thine ? Nor mortal gratitude partake The flow of grace divine ? When fhall our grateful raptures rise Faft as Thy grace descends, And link to endlefs harmonies The love that never ends ? T. H. Gill. Contentment. 75 CONTENT. PEACE, muttering thoughts ! and do not grudge to keep Within the walls of your own breaft. Who cannot on his own bed sweetly fleep Can on another's hardly reft. Gad not abroad at every queft and call Of an untrained hope or paffion. To court each place or fortune that doth fall, Is wantonnefs in contemplation. Mark, how the fire in flints doth quiet lie Content and warm t' itself alone ; But when it would appear to others' eye, Without a knock it never fhone. Give me the pliant mind, whose gentle measure Complies and suits with all eftates ; Which can let loose to a crown, and yet with pleasure Take up within a cloifter's gates. This soul doth span the world, and hang content From either pole unto the centre : y6 Contentment. Where, in each room of the well-furnifhed tent, He lies warm and without adventure. Then cease discourfing, soul ; till thine own ground. Do not thyself or friends importune. He that, by seeking, hath himself once found, Hath ever found a happy fortune. George Herbert. 1 593-163 5. — @©^— POVERTY. SOME think there is no earthly ftate To be abhorred more, Or more deserving fear or hate, Than to be mean and poor : Yet such a portion I have got, That I am needy made ; Yea, this is fallen to my lot, And yet I am not sad. For earth and all that therein is, The Lord's poffeffions be ; Both He is mine and I am His, Who hath enough for me : The rich their own providers are, Yet sometimes they have need ; But God hath of the poor a care, And them doth always feed. Contentment. J J Though poverty seem grievous may, And much afHi£r.eth some, It is the beft and safeft way Unto the world to come ; For poverty in her extreme, Nor tempts nor so perverts, As great abundance tempteth them Who thereon set their hearts. Therefore, that every man might grow With his eftate content ; Thy Son, O God ! this way did go, When through this world He went; He wealth and honor prized not, Though we now prize it high, And Satan, therefore, nothing got By tempting Him thereby. Lord ! though I do sometimes complain That outward means are scant, And would afTume that luggage fain, Which I but think I want; Yet when I mind how poor a life My Saviour lived on earth, Wealth I condemn, and all my grief Is changed into mirth. Let ftill my heart be pleased so, Whate'er betide me fhall ; Yea, make me, though I poorer grow, Contented therewithal : Contentment. And let me not be one of them Who, in profeffion poor, Seem wealth and pleasure to contemn, That they may cheat the more. The works my calling doth propose, Let me not idly fhun ; For he whom idlenefs undoes, Is more than twice undone : If my eftate enlarge I may, Enlarge my love to Thee ; And though I more and more decay, Yet let me thankful be. For be we poor or be we rich, If well employ'd we are, It neither helps nor hinders much, Things needful to prepare ; Since God disposeth riches now, As manna heretofore, The feebleft gath'rer got enow, The ftrongeft got no more. Nor poverty nor wealth is that Whereby we may acquire That blefTed and moft happy ftate, Whereto we mould aspire ; But if Thy Spirit make me wise, And drive to do my belt, There may be in the worft of these A means of being blefFd. Contentment. 79 The rich in love obtain from Thee Thy special gifts of grace ; The poor in spirit those men be Who fhall behold Thy face : Lord ! grant I may be one of these, Thus poor, or else thus rich ; E'en whether of the two Thou please, I care not greatly which. George Wither. GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD. DAY by day the manna fell ; O, to learn this leflbn well ! Still by conftant mercy fed, Give us, Lord, our daily bread. ; Day by day " the promise reads ; Daily ftrength for daily needs : Caft foreboding fears away ; Take the manna of to-day ! Lord, our times are in thy hand ; All our sanguine hopes have planned, To thy wisdom we refign, And would mould our wills to thine. Thou our daily tafk (halt give ; Day by day to thee we live ; 8o Contentment. So fhall added years fulfil Not our own, our Father's will. O, to live exempt from care, By the energy of prayer j Strong in faith, with mind subdued, Glowing yet with gratitude ! Conder. RECONCILED. >: O YEARS gone down into the part ; What pleasant memories come to me, Of your untroubled days of peace, And hours of almoft ecftacy ! Yet would I have no moon ftand ftill, Where life's mod pleasant valleys lie ; Nor wheel the planet of the day Back on his pathway through the iky. For though, when youthful pleasures died, My youth itself went with them, too j To-day, aye ! even this very hour, Is the beft hour I ever knew. Not that my Father gives to me More bleflings than in days gone by, Contentment. 8 1 Dropping in my uplifted hands All things for which I blindly cry ; But that His plans and purposes Have grown to me lefs ftrange and dim; And where I cannot understand, I truft the iflues unto Him. And spite of many broken dreams, This have I truly learned to say — Prayers which I thought unanswered once Were answered in God's own befr. way. And though some hopes I cherifhed once, Perifhed untimely in their birth, Yet have I been beloved and blefr. Beyond the measure of my worth. And sometimes in my hours of grief For moments, I have come to ftand Where, in the sorrows on me laid, I felt the chaftening of God's hand ; — Then learned I that the weakefr. ones Are kept secureft from life's harms ; And that the tender lambs alone Are carried in the (hepherd's arms. And, fitting by the wayfide blind, He is the neareft to the light, 6 82 Contentment. Who crieth out moft earneftly, " Lord, that I might receive my fight !" O feet, grown weary as ye walk, When down life's hill my pathway lies, What care I, while my soul can mount As the young eagle mounts the fkies ? O eyes, with weeping faded out, What matters it how dim ye be? My inner vifion sweeps untired The reaches of eternity ! O death, moft dreaded power of all, When the laft moment comes, and thou Darkeneft the windows of my soul, Through which I look on Nature now ; Yea, when mortality diffolves, Shall I not meet thine hour unawed ? My house eternal in the heavens, Is lighted by the smile of God ! Phoebe Carey. Contentment. 83 CONTENT AND RICH. I DWELL in grace's courts, Enriched with virtue's rights ; Faith guides my wit x love leads my will, Hope all my mind delights. In lowly vales I mount To pleasure's higheft pitch, My fimple drefs sure honor brings, My poor eftate is rich. My conscience is my crown, Contented thoughts my reft, My heart is happy in itself, My blifs is in my breaft. Enough, I reckon wealth ; A mean, the sureft lot, That lies too high for base contempt, Too low for envy's mot. My wifhes are but few, All easy to fulfil ; I make the limits of my power The bounds unto my will. 84 Contentment. I have no hopes but one, Which is of heavenly reign : Effects attained, or not defired, All lower hopes refrain. I feel no care of coin, Well-doing is my wealth : My mind to me an empire is, While grace affordeth health. I clip high-climbing thoughts, The wings of swelling pride : Their fate is .worft, that from the height Of greater honor Aide. Silk .sails of largeft fize The ftorm doth sooneft tear : I bear so low and small a sail As freeth me from fear. I wreftle not with rage While fury's flame doth burn ; It is in vain to ftop the ftream Until the tide doth turn. But when the fhme is out, And ebbing wrath doth end, I turn a late-enraged foe Into a quiet friend ; Contentment. 85 And, taught with often proof, A tempered calm I find To be moft solace to itself, Bell cure for angry mind. Spare diet is my fare, My clothes more fit than fine ; I know I feed and clothe a foe That, pampered, would repine. I envy not their hap Whom favor doth advance : I take no pleasure in their pain That have lefs happy chance. To rise by others' fall I deem a lofing sain : All ftates with others' ruins built To ruins run amain. N _ change of fortune's calms Can call: my comforts down : W hen fortune smiles, I smile to think How quickly fhe will frown ; And when, in froward mood, She proved an angrv foe., Small gain I found to let her come, Lefs lofs to let her go. Robert Southwell. 1 5 62- 1 594. 86 Contentment. FOR A SERVANT. DISCOURAGE not thyself, my soul, Nor murmur, though compell'd we be To live subjected to control, When many others may be free ; For though the pride of some disdains Our means and much despised lot, We fhall not lose our honeft pains, Nor fhall our sufPrance be forgot. To be a servant is not base, If basenefs be not in the mind, For servants make but good the place, Whereto rheir Maker them affign'd : The greateft princes do no more, And if fincerely I obey, Though I am now despised and poor, I fhall become as great as they. The Lord of heav'n and earth was pleased A servant's form to undertake ; By His endurance I am eased, And serve with gladnefs for His sake: Though check'd unjuftly I fhould be, With filence I reproofs will bear, Contentment. 87 For much more injured was He Whose deeds mofr. worthy praises were. He was reviled, yet naught replied, And I will imitate the same ; For though some faults may be denied, In part I always faulty am : Content with meek and humble heart, I will abide in my degree, And acl an humble servant's part, Till God fhall call me to be free. George Wither. SCORN NOT THE LEAST. WHEN words are weak and foes encount'ring ftrong, Where mightier do afTault than do defend, The feebler part puts up enforced wrong, And filent sees that speech could not amend. Yet higher powers moft think though they repine, — When sun is set, the little ftars will mine. While pike doth range, the filly tench doth fly, And crouch in privy creeks with smaller fifti ; Yet pikes are caught when little fiih. go by ; These fleet afloat while those do fill the dim. Contentment. There is a time even for the worms to creep, And suck the dew while all their foes do fleep. The merlin cannot ever soar on high, Nor greedy greyhound ftill pursue the chase ; The tender lark will find a time to fly, And fearful hare to run a quiet race. He that high-growth on cedars did beftow, Gave also lowly mufhrooms leave to grow. In Haman's pomp poor Mardocheus wept, Yet God did turn his fate upon his foe ; The Lazar pined while Dives* feaft was kept, Yet he to heaven, to hell did Dives go. We trample grafs, and prize the flowers of May, Yet grafs is green when flowers do fade away. Robert Southwell. Contentment. 89 RESIGNATION. SAY, Reader ! canft thou bear and not complain, Grief's filent languor, or the hour of pain ; One small fick-room, with noiselefs footftep tread, And raise in peaceful hope the aching head ; Smile at the joy it is not thine to fhare, And make another's pleasure soothe thy care ? Canft thou, while they beguile the weary hours With Nature's charm of sunfhine, air, and flowers, Refigned, ftill quaff thy daily draught, nor mourn O'er days long paft, that never can return ? Say, canft thou look, with calm and tearlefs eyes, On thy imprisoned days, and nights of fighs ? Nor of each friend who calls, implore the fkill, And watch the glance that dooms thee well or ill ? Hold out the feverifh hand, nor ftart to see A face that changes on beholding thee ? Firm in thy God, and in thy heavenly truft, Canft thou remember fearlefs thou art duft ? Look to the future, glad and undismayed, And, smiling, see thy life recede in fhade ? Then, Reader, go — the world to thee can bring In trials, woes, temptations, not one fting. 9 o Contentment. ALL'S WELL. OWEET-voiced Hope, thy fine discourse o Foretold not half life's good to me : Thy painter, Fancy, hath not force To fhow how sweet it is to Be ! Thy witching dream And pictured scheme To match the fa6f. ftill want the power ; Thy promise brave From birth to grave Life 's boon may beggar in an hour. Afk and receive, — 'tis sweetly said; Yet what to plead for know I not ; For Wifh is worfted, Hope o'ersped, And aye to thanks returns my thought. If I would pray, I 've nought to say But this, that God may be God ftill ; Por Him to live Is ftill to give, And sweeter than my wifh His will. Oh wealth of life, beyond all bound ! i Eternity each moment given ! Contentrnent. 9 1 What plummet may the Present sound r Who promises a future heaven ? Or glad, or grieved, OpprefTed, relieved, In blackeft night, or brighter!: day, Still pours the flood Of golden good, And more than heart-full fills me aye. My wealth is common ; I poffefs No petty province, but the whole; What's mine alone is mine far lefs Than treasure fhared by every soul. Talk not of ftore, Millions or more, — Of values which the purse may hold, — But this divine ! I own the mine Whose grains outweigh a planet's gold. I have a flake in every ftar, In every beam that fills the day ; All hearts of men my coffers are, My ores arterial tides convey ; The fields, the ikies, And sweet replies Of thought to thought are my gold duft, — The oaks, the brooks, And speaking looks Of lovers' faith and friendfhip's truft. -_J Q2 Contentment. Life's youngeft tides joy-brimming flow For him who lives above all years, Who all-immortal makes the Now, And is not ta'en in Time's arrears : His life's a hymn The seraphim Might hark to hear or help to fing, And to his soul The boundlefs whole Its bounty all doth daily bring. " All mine is thine," the fky-soul saith : 41 The wealth I am, muft thou become : Richer and richer, breath by breath, — Immortal gain, immortal room!" And fince all his Mine also is, Life's gift outruns my fancies far, And drowns the dream In larger ftream, As morning drinks the morning ftar. D. A. Wajfon. Truft. 93 TRUST. AT SEA. THE night was made for cooling made, For filence, and for fleep ; And when I was a child, I laid My hands upon my breaft, and prayed, And sank to {lumbers deep. Childlike, as then, I lie to-night, And watch my lonely cabin-light. Each movement of the swaying lamp Shows how the veffel reels, And o'er her deck the billows tramp, And all her timbers ftrain and cramp With every mock fhe feels j It ftarts and fhudders, while it burns, And in its hinged socket turns. Now swinging flow, and flaming low, It almoft level lies : 94 Tru/t. And yet I know, while to and fro I watch the seeming pendule go With reftlefs fall and rise, The fteady fhaft is ftill upright, Poifing its little globe of light. hand of God ! O lamp of peace ! O promise of my soul ! Though weak and toffed, and ill at ease Amid the roar of smiting- seas — The fhip's convulfive roll — 1 own, with love and tender awe, Yon perfect type of faith and law. A heavenly truft my spirit calms — My soul is filled with light ; The ocean fings his solemn psalms; The wild winds chant ; f crofs my palms ; Happy, as if to-night, Under the cottage roof again, I heard the soothing summer rain. y. T. Trotvbridge . Truji. 95 THE PEACE OF GOD. WE afk for Peace, O Lord! Thy children afk Thy peace ; Not what the world calls reft, That toil and care fhould cease, That through bright sunny hours Calm Life fhould fleet away, And tranquil night fhould fade In smiling day, — is not for such Peace that we would pray We afk for Peace, O Lord! Yet not to ftand secure, Girt round with iron Pride, Contented to endure : Crufhing the gentle firings, That human hearts fhould know, Untouched by others' joys Or others' woe ; — Thou, O dear Lord, wilt never teach us so, We afk Thy Peace, O Lord ! Through ftorm, and fear, and ftrife, To light and guide us on, Through a long ftrus;2;lirig life : 96 Truji, While no succefs or gain Shall cheer the desperate fight, Or nerve, what the world calls, Our wafted might: Yet prefling through the darlcnefs to the light. It is Thine own, O Lord ! Who toil while others fleep, Who sow with loving care What other hands fhall reap : They lean on Thee, entranced In calm and perfecl: reft : Give us that Peace, O Lord ! Divine and bleft, Thou keepeft for those hearts who love Thee beft. A. A. Proftor. CHILDLIKE SUBMISSION. WHAT pleases God, O pious soul, Accept with joy ; though thunders roll And tempefts lower on every fide, Thou knoweft nought can thee betide But pleases God. The beft will is our Father's will, And we may reft there calm and ftill. Truft. 97 Oh make it hour by hour thine own, And wifh for nought but that alone, Which pleases God. His thought is aye the wiseft thought ; How oft man's wisdom comes to nought ; Miftake or weaknefs in it lurks, It brings forth ill, and seldom works What pleases God. His mind is aye the gentleft mind, His will and deeds are ever kind, He blefTes when againft us^speaks The evil world, that rarely seeks What pleases God. His heart is aye the trueft heart, He bids all woe and harm depart, Descending, fhielding day and night The man who knows and loves aright What pleases God. He governs all things here below, In him lie all our weal and woe, He bears the world within His hand, And so to us bear sea and land What pleases God. And o'er His little flock He yearns, And when to evil ways it turns, 7 98 Trujl. The Father's rod oft smiteth sore, Until it learns to do once more What pleases God. What moft would profit us He knows, And ne'er denies aught good to those Who with their utmoft ftrength pursue The right, and only care to do What pjeases God. If this be so, then, World, from me Keep, if thou wilt, what pleases thee ; But thou, my soul, be well content With God and all things He hath sent ; As pleases God. And muft thou suffer here and there, Cling but the firmer to His care, For all things are beneath His sway, And muft in very truth obey What pleases God. True faith will grasp His mercy faft, And hope bring patience at the laft, Then both within thy heart enfhrine, So mail the heritage be thine That pleases God. To thee for ever fhall be given A kingdom and a crown in heaven, Truji. 99 And there mall be fulnll'd in thee And thou fhalt tafte and hear and see What pleases God. Paul Gerhardt, 1653. ISAIAH, 3: 10. WHAT cheering words are these; Their sweetnefs who can tell ! In time and to eternal days, " 'T is with the righteous well." In every ftate secure, Kept as Jehovah's eye, 'T is well with them while life endures, And well when called to die. Well when they see His face, Or fink amidft the flood ; Well in affliction's thorny maze, Or on the mount with God. 'T is well when joys arise, 'T is well when sorrows flow, 'T is well when darknefs veils the ikies, And ftrong temptations grow. i oo Truft. 'T is well when Jesus calls, " From earth and fin arise, To join the hofts of ransomed souls, Made to salvation wise." EXODUS, 14: 15. WHEN we cannot see our way, Let us truft, and ftill obey ; He who bids us forward go, Cannot fail the way to fhow. Though the sea be deep and wide, Though a paflage seem denied ; Fearlefs let us ftill proceed, Since the Lord vouchsafes to lead. Though it seems the gloom of night, Though we see no ray of light ; Since the Lord Himself is there, 'T is not meet that we mould fear. Night with Him is never night, Where He is, there all is light ; When He calls us, why delay ? They are happy who obey. Trujl. i o i Be it ours, then, while we're here, Him to follow without fear ! Where He calls us, there to go, What He bids us, that to do. MATTHEW 14: 28, 29. HE bids us come ; His voice we know, And boldly on the waters go, To Him our Chrifr. and Lord ; We walk on life's tempeftuous sea, For He who died to set us free, Hath called us "by His word. Secure from troubled waves we tread, Nor all the ftorms around us heed, While to our Lord we look ; O'er every fierce temptation bound, The billows yield a solid ground, The wave is firm as rock. But if from Him we turn our eye, And see the raging floods run high, And feel our fears within ; Our foes so ftrong, our flefh so frail, Reason and unbelief prevail, And fink us into fin. 102 2r«/?. Lord, we our belief confefs, Our little spark of faith increase, That we may doubt no .more ; But fix on Thee our (ready eye, And on Thine outftretched arm rely, Till all the ftorm is o'er. THE QUIET, HOPING HEART. WHATE'ER my God ordains is right, His will is ever jufr. ; Howe'er He order now my cause I will be (till and trull. He is my GoJ, Though dark my road, He holds me that I (hall not fall, Wherefore to Him I leave it all." Whate'er my God ordains is right, He never will deceive ; He leads me by the proper path, And so to him I cleave, And take content What He hath sent ; His hand can turn my griefs away, And patiently I wait His day. Truft. 103 Whate'er my God ordains is right, He taketh thought for me, The cup that my phyfician gives No poison'd draught can be. But medicine due ; For God is true, And on that changelefs truth I build, And all my heart with hope is filled. Whate'er my God ordains is right, Though I the cup muft drink That bitter seems to my faint heart, I will not fear nor fhrink ; Tears pafs away With dawn of day, Sweet comfort yet fhall fill my heart, And pain and sorrow mail depart. Whate'er my God ordains is right, Here will I take my ftand ; Though sorrow, need, or death make earth For me a desert land, My Father's care Is around me there, He holds me that I fhall not fall, And so to Him I leave it all. S. Rodigaji) 1675. 104 Truji. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. I SAY to thee, do thou repeat To the firft man thou mayeft meet, In lane, highway, or open ftreet — That he, and we, and all men move Under a canopy of Love, As broad as the blue Icy above : That doubt and trouble, fear and pain, And anguijh, all are sorrows vain ; 'That death itself Jhall not remain : That weary deserts we may tread, A dreary labyrinth may thread, Through dark ways underground be led ; Yet, if we will our Guide obey, The drearieft path, the darkeft way, Shall iflue out in heavenly day. And we, on divers Jhores now cafl, Shall jneet, our perilous voyage paji, All in our Father's home at lafl. Trujt. 105 And ere thou leave them, say thou this, Yet one word more : — They only mifs The winning of that final blifs Who will not count it true that Love, Bleffing, not curfing, rules above, And that in it we live and move. And one thing further make him know, That to believe these things are so, This firm faith never to forego — Despite of all which seems at ftrife With blefling, and with curses rife — That this is bleffing, this is life. Trench. MY FATHER'S AT THE HELM. Jr a ^WAS when the sea's tremendous roar X A little bark affailed ; And pallid fear, with awful power, O'er each on board prevailed : Save one, the captain's darling son, Who fearlefs viewed the ftorm, And playful, with composure smiled At danger's threatening form. io6 Truft. " Why sporting thus," a seaman cried, " Whilft sorrows overwhelm ? " " Why yield to grief!" the boy replied, "My Father's at the helm" Despairing soul ! from thence be taught, How groundlefs is thy fear ; Think on what wonders Chrift has wrought, And He is always near. Safe in His hands, whom seas obey, When swelling billows rise ; Who turns the darkeft night to day, And brightens lowering ikies : Though thy corruptions rise abhorred, And outward foes increase ; 'T is but for Him to speak the word, And all is huihed to peace. Then upward look, howe'er diftrefled, Jesus will guide thee home, To that bleft port of endlefs reft, Where ftorms fhall never come. Jrujl 107 GRACE OF GOD. GRACE does not fteel the faithful heart, That it fhould know no ill : We learn to kifs the chaftening rod, And feel its fharpnefs ftill. But, ever as the wound is given, There is a hand unseen, Hafting to wipe away the scar, And hide where it hath been. The Chrifiian would not have his lot Bt other than it is ; For, while his Father rules the world, He knows that world is his. He knows that He who gave the beft, Will give him all befide ; AfTured that every good he afks Is evil, if denied. When clouds of sorrow gather round, His bosom owns no fear : He knows, whate'er his portion be, His God will ftill be there. 108 Tru/I. And when the threatened ftorm has burn 1 , Whate'er the trial be, Something yet whispers him within^ "Be ftill, for it is He!" Poor nature, ever weak, will fhrink From the afflictive ftroke, But faith disclaims the hafty plaint Impatient nature spoke. He knows it is a Father's will, And therefore it is good : Nor would he venture, by a wifh, To change it if he could. His grateful bosom quickly learns Its sorrows to disown ; Yields to His pleasure, and forgets The choice was not his own. Caroline Fry. Truji. 109 RESIGNATION. 1 Peter 5:7. LORD, it belongs not to my care, Whether I die or live : To love and serve thee is my {hare, And this thy grace muft give. If life be long, I will be glad, That I may long obey ; If fhort, yet why mould I be sad To soar to endlefs day ? Chrift leads me through no darker rooms Than he went through before ; He that into God's kingdom comes, Muft enter by his door. Come, Lord, when grace has made me meet Thy bleffed face to see ; For if thy work on earth be sweet, What will thy glory be ? Then mall I end my sad complaints, And weary, finful days ; And join with the triumphant saints, That fing Jehovah's praise. HO TruJ}. My knowledge of that life is small, The eye of faith is dim ; But 't is enough that Chrift knows all, And I mall be with him. R. Baxter. PEACE has unveiled her smiling face, And woos thy soul to her embrace : Enjoyed with ease, if thou refrain From earthly love ; else sought in vain. She dwells with all who truth prefer, But seeks not them who seek not her. Yield to the Lord, with fimple heart, All that thou haft, and all thou art ; Renounce all ftrength, but ftrength divine, And peace fhall be forever thine ; Behold the paths the saints have trod, The paths which led them home to God. Madame Guyon, 1 648-1 7 1 7. Trull. I r I THE PEACE OF GOD. O PEACE of God, sweet peace of God ! Where broods on earth this gentle dove ; Where spread those pure and downy wings To fhelter him whom God doth love ? Whence comes this bleffing of the soul, This filent jov which cannot fade ? This glory, tranquil, holv, bright, Pervading sorrow's deepeft fhade ? The peace of God, the peace of God ! It fhines as clear 'mid cloud and ftorm As in the calmeit summer day, 'Mid chill as in the sunlight warm. O peace of God ! earth hath no power To fhed thine unction o'er the heart; Its smile can never bring it here, — Its frown ne'er bid its light depart. Calm peace of God, in holy trufr, In love and faith, thy presence dwells, — In patient suffering and toil \\ here Mercy's gentle tear-drop swells. 112 Truft. Sweet peace, I see thy heavenly ray, And long to light my taper there ; Then mould I meet the cares of life, Like angels, answering to prayer. Monthly Religious Magazine. Affliction. 1 1 3 AFFLICTION. WORK. "HAT are we set on earth for? Say, to toil - Nor seek to leave thy tending of the vines, For all the heat o' the day, till it declines, And Death's wild curfew fliall from work aflbil. God did anoint thee with his odorous oil, To wreftle, not to reign ; and He afligns All thy tears over, like pure cryftallines, For younger fellow-workers of the soil To wear for amulets. So others fhall Take patience, labor, to their heart and hand, From thy heart, and thy hand, and thy brave cheer, And God's grace fructify through thee to all. The leaft flower, with a brimming cup may ftand, And fhare its dew-drop with another near. Mrs. E. B, Browning. 1 14 Affiiaion. LORD, fhall we grumble when thy flames do scourge us ? Our fins breathe fire ; that fire returns to purge us. Lord, what an alchymift art thou, whose fkill Transmutes to perfect good from perfect ill ! Francis ^uarles. DISCIPLINE. TREMBLE not, though darkly gather Clouds and tempefts o'er thy fky, Still believe thy Heavenly Father Loves thee beft when ftorms are nigh. When the sun of fortune fhineth Long and brightly on the heart, Soon its fruitfulnefs declineth, Parched and dry in every part. Then the plants of grace have faded In the dry and burning soil ; Thorns and briers their growth have (haded Earthly cares and earthly toil. AffliStion. i»5 But the clouds are seen ascending ; Soon the heavens are overcaft; And the weary heart is bending 'Neath affliction's ftormy blaft. Yet the Lord, on high prefiding, Rules the ftorm with powerful hand ; He the fhower of grace is guiding, To the dry and barren land. See, at length the clouds are breaking — Tempefts have not pafT'd in vain ; For the soul, revived, awaking, Bears its fruit and flowers again. i Love divine has seen and counted 1 Every tear it caus'd to fall, And the ftorm which love appointed, Was its choiceft gift of all. - ~-c^^>->^- i RESIGNATION. TN trouble and in grief, O God, A Thy smile hath cheered my way ; And joy hath budded from each thorn That round my footfteps lay. 1 16 Affliction. The hours of pain have yielded good, Which prosperous days refused ; As herbs, though scentlefs when entire, Spread fragrance when they're bruised. The oak ftrikes deeper, as its boughs By furious blafts are driven ; So life's viciffitudes the more Have fixed my heart in heaven. All-gracious Lord ! whate'er my lot In other times may be, I'll welcome ftill the heavieft grief That brings me near to thee. THY WILL BE DONE. " It is the Lord ; let him do what seemeth to him good." i Sam. 3 : 18. MY Jesus, as Thou wilt! Oh! may Thy will be mine! Into Thy hand of love I would my all refign. Through sorrow, or through joy, Conduit me as Thine own, And help me ftill to say, My Lord, Thy will be done ! djflittion. 117 My Jesus, as Thou wilt! If needy here and poor, Give me Thy people's bread, Their portion, rich and sure. The manna of Thy word Let my soul feed upon ; And if all else mould fail — My Lord, Thy will be done ! My Jesus, as Thou wilt ! If among thorns I go, Still sometimes here and there Let a few roses blow. But Thou on earth, along The thorny path haft gone, Then lead me after Thee ; My Lord, Thy will be done ! My Jesus, as Thou wilt ! Though seen through many a tear, Let not my ftar of hope Grow dim or disappear. Since Thou on earth haft wept And sorrowed oft alone, If I rauft weep with Thee, My Lord, Thy will be done ! My Jesus, as Thou wilt! If loved ones muft depart, J l! Affliction. Suffer not sorrow's flood To overwhelm my heart ; For they are bleft with Thee, Their race and conflict won : Let me but follow them ; My Lord, Thy will be done ! My Jesus, as Thou wilt! When death itself draws nigh, To thy dear wounded fide I would for refuge fly. Leaning on Thee, to go Where Thou before haft gone ; The reft as Thou fhalt please. My Lord, Thy will be done ! My Jesus, as Thou wilt ! All fhall be well for me : Each changing future scene, I gladly truft with Thee. Straight to my home above I travel calmly on, And fing, in life or death, My Lord, Thy will be done ! B. Schmolk. Jffliclion. 1 19 SUFFERING WITH CHRIST. LONG plunged in sorrow, I refign My soul to that dear hand of Thine, Without reserve or fear ; That hand fhall wipe my ftreaming eyes, Or into smiles of glad surprise, Transform the falling tear ! My sole pofTefTion is Thy love : In earth beneath, or heaven above, I have no other ftore : And though with fervent suit I pray, And importune thee night and day, I afk thee nothing more. My hours with undiminifhed force And speed pursue their deftined course, Obedient to Thy will : Nor would I murmur at my doom, Though ftill a sufferer from the womb, And doomed to suffer ftill. By Thy command, where'er I ftray, Sorrow attends me all my way, A never failing friend ; 1 20 AjfliSlion. And if my sufferings may augment Thy praise, behold me well content — Let sorrow ftill attend ! It cofts me no regret, that (he Who followed Chrift mould follow me ; And though, where'er she goes, Thorns spring spontaneous at her feet, I love her, and extracl a sweet From all my bitter woes. Mad. Guy on. THE SAFE REFUGE. COURAGE, my sorely-tempted heart ! Break through thy woes, forget their smart ; Come forth and on thy Bridegroom gaze ; The Lamb of God, the Fount of grace : Here is thy place ! His arms are open, thither flee ! There reft and peace are waiting thee, The deathlefs crown of righteousnefs, The entrance to eternal blifs : He gives thee this ! Then combat well, of nought afraid, For thus His follower thou art made, JffliSiion. 121 Each battle teaches thee to fight, Each foe to be a braver knight, Armed with His might. If ftorms of fierce temptation rise, Unmoved we '11 face the frowning fkies ; If but the heart is true indeed, Chrift will be with us in our need, — His own could bleed. The word hath ftill its glorious powers, The nobleft chivalry is ours ; Thou, for whom to die is gain, 1 bring Thee here my all, oh deign To accept and reign ■ y. H. Boh?ner. 1 704. FOR A WAKEFUL NIGHT. NOW darknefs over all is spread, No sounds the ftillnefs break; Ah when mail these sad hours be fled Am I alone awake? Ah no, I do not wake alone, Alone I do not fleep, Around me ever watcheth One Who wakes with those who weep. 122 Jfflittion. On earth it is so dark and drear, With Him so calm and bright ; The ftars, in solemn radiance clear, Shine there through all our night. 'T is when the lights of earth are gone The heavenly glories mine ; When other comfort I have none, Thy comfort, Lord, is mine. Be ftill, my throbbing heart, be (till ; Caft off thy weary load, And make His holy will thy will, And reft upon thy God. How many a time the night hath come, Yet ftill return'd the day ; How many a time thy crofs, thy gloom, Ere now hath pafT'd away. And these dark hours of anxious pain That now opprefs me sore, I know will vanifh soon again, Then I fhall'fear no more: For when the night hath lafted long, We know the morn is near ; And when the trial 's fharp and ftrong, Our Help fhall soon appear. Pajior Josepbsen. Jfflitfion. 123 LIGHT ARISING OUT OF DARKNESS. CHILDREN of God, who pacing How, Your pilgrim path pursue, In ftrength and wealcnefs, joy and woe, To God's high calling true — Why move you thus, with lingering tread, A doubtful, mournful band ? Why faintly hangs the drooping head ? Why fails the feeble hand ? Oh, weak to know a Saviour's power, To feel a Father's care ; A moment's toil, a paffing mower, Is all the grief ye mare. The Lord of Light, though, veiled awhile, He hides his noontide ray, Shall soon in lovelier beauty smile, To gild the clofing day ; And, burfting through the dufky fhroud, That dared his power inveft, Rise throned in light o'er every cloud, And guide you to his reft. Bowdler. 124 Affiiak AFFLICTION. PEACE, peace : it is not so. Thou doft miscall Thy phyficlc j pills that change Thy fick acceflions into settled health ; This is the great elixir that turns gall To wine and sweetnefs, poverty to wealth, And brings man home when he doth range. Did not He who ordain'd the day, Ordain night too ? And in the greater world display What in the lefTer he would do ? All flefh is clay, thou know'ft ; and but that God Doth use his rod, And by a fruitfull change of frofr. and fhowres, Cherifh and bind thy pow'rs, Thou would'ft to weeds and thirties quite disperse, And be more wild than is thy verse. Sicknefs is wholesome, croffes are but curbs To check the mule, unruly man ; They are heaven's hufbandry, the famous fan, Purging the floor which chaff difturbs. Were all the year one conftant sunfhine, wee Should have no flowres ; All would be drought and leannefs ; not a tree Would make us bowres. Affliction. 125 Beauty confifts in colours; and that's beft Which is not fixt, but flies and flowes. The settled red is dull, and whites that reft Something of ficknefs would disclose. Viciflitude plaies all the game j Nothing that ftirrs, Or hath a name, But waits upon this wheel ; Kingdomes too have their phyfick, and for fteel Exchange their peace and furrs. Thus doth God key disorder'd man, Which none else can, Tuning his breff. to rise or fall j And by a sacred, needfull art Like firings, ftretch ev'ry part, Mating the whole most musicall. Henry Vaughan. 1 621— 1695. ~oCOX<2>3o- DIVERS PROVIDENCES. WHEN all the year our fields are frefh and green, And while sweet fhowers and sunfliine, every day, As oft as need requireth, come between The heavens and earth, they heedlefs pafs away. The fullnefs and continuance of a bleffing Doth make us to be senselefs of the good j 126 Affliction. And if sometimes it fly not our poflefling, The sweetnefs of it is not underftood ; Had we no winter, summer would be thought Not half so pleafing ; and if tempefts were not, Such comforts by a calm could not be brought; For things, save by their oppofites, appear not. Both health and wealth are tafteless unto some, And so is ease and every other pleasure, Till poor, or fick, or grieved, they become, And then they relifh these in ampler measure. God, therefore, full of kind, as He is wise, So tempereth all the favours He will do us, That we his bounties may the better prize, And make his chaftisements lefs bitter to us. One while a scorching indignation burns The flowers and blofToms of our hopes away, Which into scarcity our plenty turns, And changeth new-mown grafs to parched hay ; Anon his fruitful mowers and pleafing dews, Commixed with cheerful rays, He sendeth down, And then the barren earth her crops renews, Which, with rich harvefts, hills and valleys crown ; For, as to relifh joys, He sorrow sends ; So comfort on temptation frill attends. George Wither. Ajflittwi. 12 J INCOMPLETENESS. NOTHING refting in its own completenefs, Can have worth or beauty : but alone Because it leads and tends to farther sweetnefs, Fuller, higher, deeper than its own. Spring's real glory dwells not in the meaning, Gracious though it be, of her blue hours : But is hidden in her tender leaning Towards the summer's richer wealth of flowers. Dawn is fair, because her mifts fade flowly Into day, which floods the world with light ; Twilight's myftery is so sweet and holy, Juft because it ends in ftarry night. Life is only bright when it proceedeth Towards a truer, deeper Life above ; Human love is sweeteft when it leadeth To a more divine and perfect love. Childhood's smiles unconscious graces borrow From ftrife that in a far-off future lies ; And angel glances veiled now by life's sorrow, Draw our hearts to some beloved eyes. 1 28 Affliction. Learn the myftery of progreflion duly ; Do not call each glorious change decay ; But know we only hold our treasures truly, When it seems as if they paffed away. Nor dare to blame God's gifts for incompletenefs ; In that want their beauty lies ; they roll Towards some infinite depth of love and sweetnefs, Bearing onward man's reluctant soul. Mlfi A. A. Proftor. LINES WRITTEN AFTER HEARING SOME BEAUTIFUL SINGING IN A CONVENT- CHURCH AT ROME. SWEET voices ! seldom mortal ear Strains of such potency might hear ; My soul that liftened, seemed quite gone, Dissolved in sweetnefs, and anon I was borne upward, till I trod Among the hierarchy of God. And when they ceased, as time mud bring An end to every sweeteft thing, With what reluctancy came back My spirits to their wonted track, And how I loathed the common life — The daily and recurring ftrife Jffliclion. 129 With petty fins, the lowly road, And being's ordinary load ! — Why, after such a solemn mood, Should any meaner thought intrude ? Why will not heaven hereafter give, That we for evermore may live Thus at our spirit's topmoft bent ? So afked I in my discontent. But give me, Lord, a wiser heart ; These seasons come, and they depart — These seasons, and those higher ftill, "V\ hen we are given to have our rill Of ftrength, and life, and joy with thee, And brightnefs of thy face to see ! They come, or we could never guefs Of heaven's sublimer blelTednefs ; They come, to be our ftrength and cheer In other times, in doubt or fear, Or mould our solitary way Lie through the desert many a day. They go — -they leave us blank and dead, That we may learn, when they are fled, V\ e are but vapors which have won A moment's brightnefs from the sun, And which it may at pleasure rill With splendor, or unclothe at will. Well for us they do not abide, Or we mould lose ourselves in pride, And be as angels — but as they 9 130 Affiiaion. Who on the battlements of day- Walked, gazing on their power and might. Till they grew giddy in their height. Then welcome every nobler time, When out of reach of earth's dull chime 'T is ours to drink with purged ears The mufic of the solemn spheres, Or in the desert to have fight Of those enchanted cities bright, Which sensual eye can never see : Thrice welcome may such seasons be ; But welcome too the common way, The lowly duties of the day, And all which makes and keeps us low, Which teaches us ourselves to know, That we who do our lineage high Draw from beyond the ftarry fky, Are yet upon the other fide — To earth and to its duft allied. Ajjliftion. 131 ON THE DEATH OF A CHILD. HEN I can truft my all with God, In trial's fearful hour, Bow all refigned beneath his rod, And blefs his sparing power ; A joy springs up amid diftrefs, A fountain in the wildernefs. Oh ! to be brought to Jesus' feet, Though sorrows fix me there, Is ftill a privilege ; and sweet The energies of prayer, Though fighs and tears its language be, If Chrift be nigh, and smile on me. An earthly mind, a faithlefs heart, He sees with pitying eye ; He will not let his grace depart ; But, kind severity ! He takes a hoftage of our love To draw the parent's heart above. There ftands our child before the Lord, In royal vefture dreft ; A victor ere he drew the sword, Ere he had toiled at reft. 132 Ajflittion. No doubts this blefTed faith bedim : We know that Jesus died for him. Oh blefTed be the hand that gave ; Still blefTed when it takes. BlefTed be He who smites to save, Who heals the heart he breaks. Perfe£t and true are all his ways, Whom Heaven adores, and Death obeys. Conder. Patience. 133 PATIENCE. DEAR Jesus, give me patience here, And faith to see my crown as near, And almofr. reach'd ; because 't is sure If I hold faft, and flight the lure. Give me humility and peace, Contented thoughts, innoxious ease, A sweet, revengelefs, quiet minde, And to my greater!: haters kinde. Give me, my God ! a heart as milde And plain, as when I was a childe. That when my throne is set, and all These conquerors before it fall, I may be found preserv'd by thee Amongft the chosen company, Who by no blood here overcame But the blood of the blefled Lamb. Henry Vaughan. 134 Patience. WAITING FOR CHRIST. UNCHANGEABLE, Almighty Lord, The true, and merciful, and juft, Be mindful of thy gracious word, Wherein thou causeft me to truft. My weary eyes look out in vain, And long thy saving health to see ; But known to thee is all my pain, When wilt thou come and comfort me ? Prisoner of hope, to thee I turn ; Thee my ftrong hold, and only ftay; Harden'd in grief, I ever mourn : Why do thy chariot-wheels delay ? But mail thy creature afk thee why? No ; I retra£t the eager prayer ; Lord, as thou wilt, and not as I ; I cannot choose : thou canft not err. To thee, the only wise and true, See then at laft I all refign ; Make me in Chrift a creature new, The manner and the time be thine. A Patience. 135 Only preserve my soul from sin, Nor let me faint for want of thee ; I '11 wait 'till thou appear within, And plant thy heaven of love in me. Wejley. THE ANGEL OF PATIENCE. " Ye have need of patience." — Heb. 10 : 36. GENTLE Angel walketh throughout a world of woe, With meffages of mercy to mourning hearts below ; His peaceful smile invites them to love and to confide, Oh ! follow in His footfteps, keep closely by His fide ! So gently will He lead thee through all the cloudy day, And whisper of glad-tidings to cheer the pilgrim-way ; His courage never failing, when thine is almoft gone, He takes thy heavy burden, and helps to bear it on. To soft and tearful sadnefs He changes dumb despair, And soothes to deep submiffion the ftorm of grief and care ; Where midnight fhades are brooding, He pours the light of noon, And every grievous wound He heals, moff. surely, if not soon. 136 Patience. He will not blame thy sorrows, while He brings the healing balm ; He does not chide thy longings, while He soothes them into calm ; And when thy heart is murmuring, and wildly afking why ? He smiling beckons forward, points upward to the fky. He will not always answer thy queftions and thy fear, His watchword is, " Be patient, thy journey's end is near ! " And ever through the toilsome way, He tells of joys to come, And points the pilgrim to his reft, the wanderer to his home. Spitta. GOD'S ANVIL. PAIN'S furnace-heat within me quivers, God's breath upon the flame doth blow, And all my heart in anguifh fhivers, And trembles at the fiery glow ; And yet I whisper — as God will ! And in his hotteft fire, hold ftill. He comes and lays my heart, all heated, On the hard anvil, minded so Patience. 137 Into his own fair fhape to beat it With his great hammer, blow on blow ; And yet I whisper — as God will ! And at his heavieft blows, hold ftill. He takes my softened heart and beats it ; The sparks fly off at every blow ; He turns it o'er and o'er, and heats it, And lets it cool, and makes it glow ; And yet I whisper — as God will ! And, in his mighty hand, hold ftill. Why fhould I murmur? for the sorrow Thus only longer lived would be ; Its end may come, and will, to-morrow, When God has done his work in me ; So I say, trufting — as God will! And, trufting to the end, hold ftill. He kindles for my profit purely Afflictions glowing, fiery brand, And all his heavieft blows are surely Inflicted by a Mafter hand ; So I say, praying — as God will! And hope in him, and suffer ftill. Julius Sturm 138 Path HOPE. ANGELS fhall free the feet from ftain, to their own hue of snow, If, undismayed, we reach the hills where the true olives grow ; The olive-groves which we muft seek in cold and damp, Alone can yield us oil for a perpetual lamp ; Then sound again the golden horn, with promise ever new, The princely doe will ne'er be caught by those that flack pursue, Yet the " White Doe " of angel hopes be always kept in view. Yes ! sound again the horn of Hope, the golden horn ! Answer it, flutes and pipes, from valleys ftill and lone; Warders from your high towers, with trumps of silver scorn, And harps in maiden's bowers, with firings from deep hearts torn, All answer to the horn of Hope, the golden horn ! Patience. 1 39 WAIT. WAIT! for the day is breaking, Though the dull night be long : Wait ! God is not forsaking Thy heart. Be ftrong — be ftrong! Wait ! and the clouds of sorrow Shall melt in gentle mowers, And hues from heaven mall borrow, As they fall amidft the flowers. Wait ! 't is the key to pleasure And to the plan of God ; O, tarry thou His leisure, Thy soul mall bear no load. Wait ! for the time is hafting When life mail be made clear, And all who know heart-wafting Shall feel that God is dear. Chauncy Hare Townsend. 1 40 Patience. WAITING. JESUS' hour is not yet come ; " Let this word thine answer be, Pilgrim afking for thy home, Longing to be bleft and free, Yet a season tarry on — Nobly borne is nobly done. While oppreiling cares and fears, Night and day no respite leave, Still prolonged through many years, None to help thee or relieve, Hold the word of promise faft, Till deliverance comes at laft. Every creature-hope and truft, Every earthly prop or ftay, May lie proftrate in the duft, May have failed or pafTed away ; Then when darkest falls the night, Jesus comes, and all is light. Yes, the Comforter draws nigh To the breaking, burfting heart, For, with tender sympathy, He has seen and felt its smart: Patience. 141 Through its darkeft hours of ill, He is waiting, watching ftill. Doff, thou afk, When comes His hour ? Then, when it fhall aid thee beft. Truft His faithfulnefs and power, Truft in Him and quietly reft. Suffer on, and hope and wait — Jesus never comes too late. Bleffed day, which haftens faff, End of conflict and of fin ! Death itself fhall die at laft, Heaven's eternal joys begin. Then eternity fhall prove, God is Light, and God is Love. S pitta. A LITTLE WHILE. A LITTLE while, and every fear, That o'er the perfect day Flings fhadows dark and drear, Shall pafs like mift away ; The secret tear, the anxious figh, Shall pafs into a smile ; Time changes to eternity, — We only wait a little while. J 42 Patience. A little while, and every charm That fteals away the heart, And earthly joys that warm, And lure us from our part, Shall cease our heavenly views to dim ; The world (hall not beguile Our ever faithful thoughts from Him, Who bade us wait a little while. A little while, and all around, — The earth, and sea, and fky, — The sunny light and sound Of Nature's minftrelsy, Shall be as they had never been ; And we, so weak and vile, Be creatures of a brighter scene, — We only wait a little while. Grevllle "»8 § >" ' TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW. HIGH hopes that burned like ftars sublime, Go down the heavens of Freedom ; And true hearts perifh in the time We bitterlieft need them ! But never fit we down, and say There 's nothing left but sorrow ; We walk the wildernefs to-day, The promised land to-morrow. Patience. 1 43 Our birds of song are fiient now, There are no flowers blooming ; Yet life beats in the frozen bough, And Freedom's spring is coming ! And Freedom's tide comes up alway Though we may ftand in sorrow ; And our good barque aground to-day, Shall float again to-morrow. Through all the long, dark nights of years, The people's cry ascendeth, And earth is wet with blood and tears ; But our meek sufferance endeth ! The kw (hall not forever sway, The many toil in sorrow ; The powers of earth are ftrong to-day, But heaven fhall rule to-morrow. Though hearts brood o'er the pah 1 , our eves With smiling features gliften ! For lo ! our day burfts up the fkies : Lean out your souls and liften ! The world rolls Freedom's radiant way And ripens with her sorrow ; Keep heart ! who bear the crofs to-day, Shall wear the crown to-morrow. O Youth ! flame earned:, ftill aspire, With energies immortal; To many a heaven of defire, Our yearning opes a portal : 144 Patience. And though age wearies by the way, And hearts break in the furrow, We '11 sow the golden grain to-day. And harveft comes to-morrow. Build up heroic lives, and all Be like a fheathen sabre, Ready to flam out at God's call, O chivalry of labor ! Triumph and toil are twins ; and aye, Joy suns the cloud of sorrow ; And 't is the martyrdom to-day, Brings victory to-morrow. Gerald MaJJey. MY PSALM. I MOURN no more my vanifhed years Beneath a tender rain, An April rain of smiles and tears, My heart is young again. The weft winds blow, and, finging low, I hear the glad ftreams run ; The windows of my soul I throw Wide open to the sun. No longer forward nor behind I look in hope and fear ; Patience. J 45 But, grateful, take the good I find, The beft of now and here. I plough no more a desert land, To harveft weed and tare ; The manna dropping from God's hand, Rebukes my painful care. I break my pilgrim ftaff, I lay Afide the toiling oar ; The angel sought so far away I welcome at my door. The airs of Spring may never play Among the ripening corn, Nor frefhnefs of the flowers of May, Blow through the xA.utumn morn ; Yet fhall the blue-eyed gentian look Through fringed lids to heaven, And the pale after in the brook, Shall see its image given ; The woods fhall wear their robes of praise, The south wind softly figh, And sweet, calm days in golden haze Melt down the amber /ky. Not lefs fhall manly deed and word Rebuke an age of wrong ; 146 Patience. The graven flowers that wreath the sword Make not the blade lefs ftrong. But smiting hands fhall learn to heal, To build as to deftroy ; Nor lefs my heart for others feel That I the more enjoy. All as God wills, who wisely heeds To give or to withhold, And knoweth more of all my needs Than all my prayers have told ! Enough that bleffings undeserved Have marked my erring track — That whereso'er my feet have swerved, His chaftening turned me back — That more and more a Providence Of love is understood, Making the springs of time and sense Sweet with eternal good — That death seems but a covered way Which opens into light, Wherein no blinded child can ftray Beyond the Father's fight — That care and trial seem at laft, Through Memory's sunset air, H7 Patience. Like mountain ranges overpaft, In purple diftance fair — That all the jarring notes of life Seem blending in a psalm, And all the angles of its ftrife Slow rounding into calm. And so the £hadows fall apart, And so the weft winds play ; And all the windows of my heart I open to the day. J. G. Whittier. ENDURANCE. A STRONG and mailed angel, With eyes serene and deep Unwearied and unwearying, His patient watch doth keep. A ftrong; and mailed angel In the midnight and the day j Walking with me at my labor, Kneeling by me when I pray. What he says no other heareth ; None liften save the ftars, 148 Patience. That move in armed battalions, Clad with the ftrength of Mars. Low are the words he spealceth — M Young dreamer, God is great ! *T is glorious to suffer ! 'T is majefty to wait ! " O, Angel of Endurance ! O, saintly and sublime ! White are the armed legions That tread the halls of Time ! BlefTed, and brave, and holy ! The olive on my heart, Baptized with thy baptizing, Shall never more depart. O, ftrong and mailed angel ! Thy trailing robes I see ! Read other souls the leflbn So meekly read to me ! Still chant the same grand anthem — The beautiful and great — " *T is glorious to suffer, 'Tis majefty to wait!" L. H. F. Patience. 149 TIMES GO BY TURNS. THE lopped tree in time may grow again ; Moft naked plants renew both fruit and flowers ; The sorrieft wight may find release from pain ; The drieft soil suck in some moiftening fhowers ; Times go by turns, and chances change by course From foul to fair — from better hap to worse. The sea of fortune doth not ever flow, She draws her favors to the loweft ebb, Her tides have equal times to come and go, Her loom doth weave the fine and coarseft web ; No joy so great, but runneth to an end ; No hap so hard but may in fine amend. Not always fall of leaf, nor ever spring ; No endlefs night, nor yet eternal day ; The saddeft bird a season finds to fing, The rougheft ftorm a calm may soon allay : Thus, with succeeding turns, God tempereth all, That man may hope to rise, yet fear to fall. A chance may win what by mischance was loft ; That net that holds no great, takes little fifh. ; 150 Patience. In some things all, in all things none are crofT'd ; Few all they need, but none have all they wifh ; Unmingled joys here to no man befall ; Who leaft, hath some ; who moll, hath never all. Robert Southwell. 1 562— 1594. PRESUMPTION AND DESPAIR. ONE time I was allowed to fleer, Through realms of azure light ; Henceforth, I said, I need not fear A lower, meaner flight ; But here (hall evermore abide, In light and splend.tr glorified. My heart one time the rivers fed, Large dews upon it 1 .y ; A frefhnefs it has won, I said, Which fhall not pafs away ; But what it is, it fhall remain, Its frefhnefs to the end retain. But when I lay upon the fhore, Like some poor, wounded thing, I deemed I fhould not evermore Refit my mattered wing ; Patience. 1 5 1 Nailed to the ground, and fattened there, This was the thought of my despair. And when my very heart seemed dried, And parched as summer duft, Such ftill I deemed it muft abide, No hope had I, no truft That any power again could blefs With fountains that waste wildernefs. But if both hope and fear were vain, / And came alike to naught, Two leflons we from this may gain, If ought can teach us aught; — One leffon rather, to divide Between our fearfulnefs and pride. Trench. LET them that would build caftles in the air, Vault -thither, without ftep or ftair, Inftead of feet to climb, take wings to fly, And think their turrets top the fky. But let me lay all my" foundations deep, And learn before I run, to creep. Who digs through rocks to lay his ground-works low, May in good time build high, and sure, though flow. Chrijiopher Harvey. 152 Prayer. PRAYER. PRAYER. PRAYER — the church's banquet; angel's age; God's breath in man returning to his birth ; The soul in paraphrase ; heart in pilgrimage ; The Chriftian plummet, sounding heaven and earth ; Engine againft th' Almighty ; Tinner's tower ; Reversed thunder ; Chrift's-fide-piercing spear ; The fix-days world transposing in an hour ; A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear ; Softnefs, and peace, and joy, and love, and blifs ; Exalted manna ; gladnefs of the beft ; Heaven in ordinary ; man well dreft ; The milky-way ; the bird of paradise ; Church bells beyond the ftars heard ; the soul's blood ; The land of spices ; something underftood. George Herbert. Prayer. 153 OJOYES ! infinite sweetnefs ! with what flowres And {hoots of glory my soul breakes and buds ! All the long houres Of night and reft, Through the ftill fhrouds Of fleep and clouds, This dew fell on my breaft ; O how it blouds, And spirits all my earth ! heark! in what rings And hymming circulations the quick world Awakes and Tings ! The riling winds And falling springs, Birds, beafts, all things Adore Him in their kinds. Thus all is hurl'd In sacred hymnes and order, the great chime And symphony of nature. Prayer is The world in tune, A spirit-voyce, And vocall joyes, Whose eccho is heaven's blifTe. O let me climbe When I lye down ! The pious soul by night Is like a clouded ftarre, whose beames, though said To fhed their light Under some cloud, 154 Prayer. Yet are above, And fhine and move Beyond that miftie fhrowd So in my bed, That curtain'd grave, though fleep, like afhes, hide My lamp and life, both (hall in Th ee abide. Henry Va ugh an. -so©— A GARDEN so well watered before morn Is hotly up, that not the swart sun's blaze, Down-beating with unmitigated rays, Nor arid winds from scorching places borne, Shall quite prevail to make it bare and fhorn Of its green beauty — fhall not quite prevail That all its morning frefhnefs fhall exhale, Till evening and the evening dews return — A bleffing such as this our hearts might reap, The frefhnefs of the garden they might fhare, Through the long day a heavenly frefhnefs keep, If, knowing how the day and the day's glare Muft beat upon them, we would largely fteep, And water them betimes with dews of prayer. Trench. 'oyer. 155 ENSAMPLES OF OUR SAVIOUR. OUR Saviour, (pattern of true holinefs,) Continual pray'd, us by ensample teaching, When he was baptized in the vvildernefs, In working miracles and in his preaching, Upon the mount, in garden groves of death, At his laft supper, at his parting breath. Nothing more grateful in the higher! eyes, Nothing more firm in danger to protect us, Nothing more forcible to pierce the fides, And not depart till mercy do respecl: us : And, as the soul life to the body gives, So prayer revives the soul, by prayer it lives. Robert Southwell. CALL TO PRAYER, GOME to the morning prayer, Come, let us kneel and pray ; — Prayer is the Chriftian pilgrim's ftaff, To walk with God all day. 1 5$ Prayer. At noon, beneath the Rock Of Ages, reft and pray ; Sweet is that fhelter from the heat, When the sun smites by day. At evening, fhut thy door, Round the home altar pray ; And, finding there the house of God, At Heaven's gate close the day. When midnight veils our eyes, Oh, it is sweet to say, I fleep, but my heart walceth, Lord, With thee to watch and pray ! THERE is an eye that never fleeps, Beneath the wing of night ; There is an ear that never shuts, When fink, the beams of light. There is an arm that never tires, When human ftrength gives way ; There is a love that never fails, When earthly loves decay. That eye is fixed on seraph throngs ; That ear is filled with angels' songs ; Grayer. i<>7 That arm upholds the world on high ; That love is thrown beyond the fky. But there 's a power which man can wield When mortal aid is vain ; — That eye, that arm, that love to reach, That liftening ear to gain. That power is prayer, which soars on high, And feeds on blifs beyond the sky ! ALONE WITH GOD. ALONE with God! day's craven cares Have crowded onward unawares ; The soul is left to breathe her prayers. Alone with God ! I bare my breaft, Come in, come in, O holy gueft, Give reft — thy reft, of reft the beft. Alone with God! how ftill a calm Steals o'er me, sweet as music's balm, When seraphs sing a seraph's psalm. Alone with God ! no human eye Is here with eager look to pry Into the meaning- of each fish. 158 Prayer. Alone with God ! no jealous glare Now flings me with its torturing stare ; No human malice says — beware! Alone with God ! from earth's rude crowd, With joftling freps and laughter loud, My better soul I need not fhroud. Alone with God ! He only knows If sorrow's ocean overflows The filent spring from whence it rose. Alone with God ! He mercy lends, Life's fainting hope, life's meagre ends, Life's dwarfing pain he comprehends. Alone with God ! He feeleth well The soul's pent life that will o'erwell ; The life-long want no words may tell ! Alone with God ! flill nearer bend ; O tender Father condescend In this my need to be my friend. Alone with God ! with suppliant mien Upon thy pitying bread I lean, Nor lefs because thou art unseen ! Alone with God ! safe in thine arms, O fhield me from life's wild alarms, O save me from life's fearful harms. Prayer. 159 Alone with God ! my Father, blefs, With thy celeftial promises, The soul that needs thy tendernefs. Alone with God ! O sweet to me This covert to whose ihade I flee, To breathe repose in thee — in thee! PRAYER FOR A NEW HEART. OFOR a heart to praise my God, A heart from guilt set free ; A heart that's sprinkled with the blood, So freely fhed for me! A heart refigned, submiffive, meek, My bleffed Saviour's throne, — Where only Chrift is heard to speak, Where Jesus reigns alone : A humble, lowly, contrite heart, Believing, true, and clean ; Which neither life nor death can part From Him that dwells within : A heart in every thought renewed, And full of love divine : 1 60 Prayer. Perfect and right, and pure and good; — A copy, Lord, of thine! Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart, Come quickly from above j Write thy new name upon my heart, Thy new, beft name of Love ! Wefiey. — *=>motOKe>3o- IMMANUEL. HOW good a God have we ! who for our sake, To save us from the burning lake, Did change the order of creation : At firft He made 178 Prayer. Man like Himself in his own image ; now In the more blefled reparation, The heavens bow, Eternity took the measure of a span ; And said, " Let us make ourselves like man ; And not from man the woman take, But from the woman, man." Hallelujah, we adore His name, whose goodnefs hath no ftore. Jeremy Taylor. 1667. Chrlft. 1 79 CHRIST. CHRISTMAS HYMN. CALM on the listening ear of night Come Heaven's melodious {trains, Where wild Judea ftretches far Her silver-mantled plains ! Celeftial choirs, from courts above, Shed sacred glories there ; And angels, with their sparkling lyres, Make mufic on the air. The answering hills of Paleftine Send back the glad reply ; And greet, from all their holy heights, The dayspring from on high. On the blue depths of Galilee There comes a holier calm, And Sharon waves, in solemn praise, Her filent groves of palm. 180 Chrlji. " Glory to God ! " the sounding fkies Loud with their anthems ring ; — Peace to the earth, — good-will to men, From heaven's Eternal Kino- ! Light on thy hills, Jerusalem ! The Saviour now is born ! And bright on Bethlehem's joyous plains Breaks the firft Chriftmas morn. Rev. E. H. Sears. A HYMN OF THE NATIVITY, SUNG BY THE SHEPHERDS. GLOOMY night embraced the place Where the noble infant lay: The babe look'd up, and show'd His face ; In spite of darknefs it was day. It was Thy day, sweet, and did rise, Not from the Eaft:, but from thy eyes. We saw thee in thy balmy neft, Young dawn of our eternal day ; We saw thine eyes break from the Eaft, And chase the trembling fhades away : We saw thee, and we bleft the night, We saw thee by thine own sweet light. Chriji. 18 1 Poor world, said I, what wilt thou do To entertain this ftarry Arranger ? Is this the beft thou canft beftow — A cold and not too cleanly manger ? Contend, the powers of heaven 'and earth, To fit a bed for this huge birth. Proud world, said I, cease your control, And let the mighty babe alone, The phoenix builds the phoenix's neft, Love's architecture is his own. The babe, whose birth embraves this morn, Made his own bed ere he was born. Welcome all wonders in one fight ! Eternity fhut in a span ! Summer in winter, day in night! Heaven in earth, and God in man ! Great little one, whose all-embracing birth Lifts earth to Heaven, ftoops Heaven to earth ! Welcome — tho' not to those gay flies, Gilded i' th' beams of earthly kings, Slippery souls in smiling eyes — But to poor shepherds, homespun things, Whose wealth 's their flocks, whose wit 's to be Well read in their fimplicity. To Thee, meek Majefty, soft King, Of fimple graces and sweet loves! 1 82 CbrijL Each of us his lamb will bring, Each his pair of filver doves ! At laft, in fire of Thy fair eyes, Ourselves become our own beft sacrifice! Crajhaw. 1637-1650. THE ASCENSION DAY. OUR Lord and brother who put on Such flelh as this we wear, Before us up to heaven is gone, Our places to prepare : Captivity was captive then, And He doth from above Send ghoftly presents down to men, For tokens of His love. Each door and everlafting gate To Him hath lifted been, And in a glorious wise thereat Our King is enter'd in : Whom if to follow we regard, With love and leave we may, For He hath all the means prepared, And made an open way. Then follow ; follow on apace Our Captain to attend, Chrift. 183 In that supreme and blefTed place Whereto He did ascend j And for His honor let our voice A fhout so hearty make, That heaven may at our joy rejoice, And hell's foundation fhake. George Wither. WHO FOLLOWS IN HIS TRAIN? THE Son of God goes forth to war, A kingly crown to gain ; His blood-red banner ftreams afar, Who follows in His train ? Who beft can drink his cup of woe, Triumphant ovfcr pain, Who patient bears his crofs below, He follows in His train ! That martyr firft, whose eagle eye Could look beyond the grave, Who saw his Matter in the fky, And called on him to save ; Like Him, with pardon on his tongue, In midft of mortal pain, 184 CbrijL He prayed for those that did the wrong: Who follows in his train ? A noble band, the chosen few, On whom the Spirit came, Twelve valiant souls, their hope they knew, And mocked the torch of flame ; They met the tyrant's brandifhed fteel, The lion's gory mane, They bowed their necks the ftroke to feel, Who follows in their train ? A noble army, men and boys, The matron and the maid, Around the throne of God rejoice, In robes of light arrayed. They climbed the fteep ascents of heaven, Thro' peril, toil, and pain ; O God ! to us may grace be given, To follow in their train ! Heber. Chrift. ,8 5 FOR ST. ANDREW'S DAY. WHILST Andrew, as a fifher, sought From pinching want his life to free, Chrift call'd him, that he might be taught A fifherman of men to be. And no delay therein he made, Nor questioned his Lord's intent ; But quite forsaking all he had, With Him that called gladly went. Would God we were prepared so To follow Chrift when He doth call, And could as readily forego Those nets which we are snared withal ! Yea, would this fifherman of men, Might us by his example move To leave the world, as he did then, And by our works our faith approve. But precepts and examples fail, Till thou, O Lord, thy grace inspireft; Vouchsafe it, and we fhall prevail In whatsoever thou required : 1 86 Cbriji. Yea, we fhall then that good perceive Which in thy service we may find, And for thy sake be glad to leave Our nets, and all our trafh behind. George Wither. Y THE GOOD SHEPHERD. ES ! our Shepherd leads with gentle hand, Through the dark pilgrim-land, His flock, so dearly bought, So long and fondly sought. Hallelujah ! When in clouds and mift the weak ones stray, He mows again the way, And points to them afar A bright and guiding ftar. Hallelujah ! Tenderly He watches from on high With an unwearied eye ; He comforts and suftains, In all their fears and pains. Hallelujah ! Through the parch'd, dreary desert He will guide To the green fountain-fide : Ghriji. 187 Through the dark, ftormy night, To a calm land of light. Hallelujah ! Yes! His "little flock" are ne'er forgot; His mercy changes not : Our home is safe above, Within His arms of love. Hallelujah ! Krummacher. THE HEART'S SONG. IN the filent midnight watches, Lift — thy bosom-door! How it knocketh, knocketh, knocketh, Knocketh evermore ! Say not 't is thy pulse 's beating ; 'T is thy heart of fin : 'T is thy Saviour knocks, and crieth Rise, and let me in ! Death comes down with recklefs footftep To the hall and hut : Think you Death will ftand a-knocking Where the door is fhut ? Jesus waiteth — waiteth — waiteth ; But thy door is faft ! J 88 Chrijl. Grieved, away thy Saviour goeth : Death breaks in at laft. Then 't is thine to ftand — entreating Chrift to let thee in : At the gate of heaven beating, Wailing for thy fin. Nay, alas ! thou foolifh virgin, Haft thou then forgot, Jesus waited long to know thee, But he knows thee not ! A. C. Coxe. TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? " Lord, to whom mall we go ? Thou haft the words of eternal life." John 6 : 68. WHEN our pureft delights are nipt in the blos- som, When those we love beft are laid low ; When grief plants in secret her thorn in the bosom, Deserted, — "to whom fhall we go?" When, with error bewildered, our path becomes dreary, And tears of despondency flow ; When the whole head is fick, and the whole heart is weary, Despairing, — "to whom fhall we go?'* Cbrijh 189 When the sad thirfty soul turns away from the springs Of pleasure this world can beftow, And fighs for another, and flutters its wings, Impatient, — " to whom fhall we go ? " O bleft be that light which has parted the clouds, . And a path to the pilgrim can mow, That pierces the veil which the future enfhrouds, And tells us to whom we (hall go ! THE REFUGE. WHITHER, O whither mould I fly, But to my loving Saviour's breaft ! Secure within thine arms to lie, And safe beneath thy wings to reft. I have no fkill the snare to fhun, But thou, O Chart, my wisdom art : I ever unto ruin run ; But thou art greater than my heart Foolifh, and impotent, and blind, Lead me a way I have not known ; Bring me where I my heaven may find, The heaven of loving thee alone. 1 90 Chrijl. Enlarge my heart to make thee room ; Enter, and in me ever ftay : The crooked then mail straight become ; The darknefs mail be loft in day. IVeJIey. THE VINE. John 15 : 1-5. JESUS, immutably the same, Thou true and living: vine. Around thy all-supporting stem My feeble arms I twine. Quicken'd by thee and kept alive, I flourim and bear fruit ; My life I from thy sap derive, My vigor from thy root. Grafted in thee by grace alone, In growth I daily rise ; And springing up from thee, the vine, My top fhall reach the fkies. I can do nothing without thee ; My ftrength is wholly thine ; Chrift. 191 Wither'd and barren fhould I be If sever'd from the vine. Upon my leaf, when parch'd with heat, Refrefhing dew mail drop ; The plant which thy right hand hath set, Shall ne'er be rooted up. Each moment watered by thy care, And fenced with power divine, Fruit to eternal life fhall bear The feebleft branch of thine. Toplady. 1 740-1 778. HYMN. JESUS ! the ladder of my faith Refts on the jasper walls of heaven ; And through the veiling clouds I catch Faint vifions of the myftic Seven ! The glory of the rainbowed throne Illumes those clouds like lambent flame ; As once, on earth, thy love divine Burned thro' the robes of human fhame. Thou art the same, O gracious Lord ! The same dear Chrift that thou wert then ; 192 Cbr'ijL And all the praises angels fing Delight thee lefs than prayers of men ! We have no tears thou wilt not dry ; We have no wounds thou wilt not heal ; No sorrows pierce our human hearts That thou, dear Saviour! doft not feel. Thy pity, like the dew, diftils ; And thy companion, like the light, Our every morning overfills, And crowns with ftars our every night. Let not the world's rude conflict drown The charmed mufic of thy voice, That calls all weary ones to reft, And bids all mourning souls rejoice! H. M. Kimball. IN SORROW. "Y soul, why doft thou in my breaft With griefs afflicted grow ; Why are my thoughts to my unreft, In me increased so ? And in thyself by mufings vain, Why doft thou seek for ease, Cbriji. 193 Since thou ftill more augment'fr. thy pain, By such like means as these ? When paflion hath enflaved thy heart, Why seeks't thou comfort there 5 When thou deprived of reason art, What reas'ning cureth care ? The more thy mind by muiing thinks From sorrow's depths to rise ; The further downward ftill it finks, The nearer hell it lies. Let, therefore, hence with speed be thrown Those thoughts which thee attend, Before they thither prefs thee down Whence no man may ascend : And let on Him thy mufings dwell Who, in mere love to thee, Hath dived the depths of death and hell, That thou might'st eased be. Sweet Jesu ! for thy paflion sake, This favour mow to me ; Out of my heart the sorrows take Which therein rasing be : My paflion calm, my soul direct, Her thoughts on Thee to place ; On my much troubled mind reflect The brightnefs of thy face. 13 >94 Chriji. Yea, let contrition for my fin So purge out carnal grief, That joy celeftial may bring in The fullnefs of relief: So this my sorrow mail but add A relifh to my joy, And cause contentments to be had, Which nothing can deftroy. George Wither. •■ I3 S-H CHRIST THE PURIFIER. HE that from drofs would win the precious ore, Bends o'er the crucible an earneft eye, The subtle searching procefs to explore, Left the one brilliant moment mould pafs by, When in the molten silver's virgin mafs He meets his pictured face, as in a glafs. Thus in God's furnace are his people tried ; Thrice happy they who to the end endure ! But who the fiery trial may abide ? Who from the crucible come forth so pure, That He, whose eye of flame looks through the whole, May see His image perfect in his soul ? Not with an evanescent glimpse alone, As in that mirror the refiner's face, Chrlji. 195 But ftampt with Heaven's broad fignet, there be fhown Immanuel's features, full of truth and grace, And round that seal of love this motto be, " Not for a moment, hut — Eternity." Montgomery. THAT ROCK IS CHRIST. 'Y hope is built on nothing lefs Than Jesus' blood and righteousnefs ; I dare not truft the sweeteft frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Chrift the solid rock I ftand, All other ground is finking sand. When darknefs veils his lovely face, I reft on his unchanging grace ; In every high and ftormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. On Chrift the solid rock I ftand, All other ground is finking- sand. His oath, his covenant, and blood, Support me in the finking flood ; When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and ftay. On Chrift the solid rock I ftand, All other ground is finking sand. 196 Chrlji. When I fhall launch to worlds unseen, O may I then be found in him, Dreft in his righteousnefs alone, Faultlefs to ftand before the throne. On Chrift the solid rock I ftand, All other ground is finking sand. Rees. JESUS OF NAZARETH PASSETH BY. WATCHER, who wakeft by the bed of pain, While ftars sweep on with their midnight train, Stifling the tear for thy loved one's sake, Holding thy breath left his fleep fhould break, In thy lonelieft hour there 's a helper nigh, " Jesus of Nazareth paffeth by." Stranger, afar from thy native land, Whom no man takes with a brother's hand, Table and hea'rthftones are glowing free, Casements are sparkling, but not for thee, There is one can tell of a home on high, "Jesus of Nazareth paffeth by." Sad one, in secret bending low, A dart in thy heart, that the world may not know, Wreftling the favor of God to win, The seal of pardon for days of fin, Chrijl. 197 Prefs on, prefs on, with thy prayerful cry, "Jesus of Nazareth paffeth by." Mourner, who fitteth in church-yard lone, Scanning the lines on that marble ftone, Plucking the weeds from thy childrens' bed, Planting the myrtle and rose inftead, Look up from the tomb with thy tearful eye, " Jesus of Nazareth paffeth by." Fading one, with the hectic ftrealc, In thy vein of fire and thy wafted cheek, Fear'st thou the made of the darkened vale, Look to the guide who can never fail, He hath trod it Himself, He will hear thy cry, " Jesus of Nazareth paffeth by." -o^OXd^>^>- CHRIST. JESUS, my Saviour, look on me, For I am weary and oppreft, I come to caft my soul on thee, Thou art my reft. Look down on me, for I am weak ; I feel the toilsome journey's length ; 198 Ghrift. Thine aid omnipotent I seek ; Thou art my Jlrength. I am bewilder'd on my way; Dark and tempeftuous is the night ; ftied thou forth some cheering ray ; Thou art my light. Why feel I desolate and lone ? Thy praises mould my thoughts employ ; Thy presence can pour gladnefs down ; Thou art my joy. Thou haft on me so much beftow'd, Surely I may relinquifh health ; Thou 'ft made me rich, yea, rich towards God ; Thou art my wealth. 1 hear the ftorms around me rise, But, when I dread the impending fhock, My spirit to her refuge flies ; Thou art my rock. When the accuser flings his darts, I look to thee — my terrors cease ; Thy crofs a hiding-place imparts ; Thou art my peace. Vain is all human help for me, I dare not truft an earthly prop ; Chriji. j 99 i 1 My sole reliance is on thee; Thou art my hope. Full many a conflict muft be fought ! But mail I perifh ? fhall I yield ? Is that bright motto given for nought, Thou art my Jhleld ? Standing alone on Jordan's brink, In that tremendous, lateft flrife, Thou wilt not suffer me to fink ; Thou art my life. Thou wilt my every want supply E'en to the end, whate'er befall ; Through life, in death, eternally, Thou art my all. Ma :dujf. CHRIST'S INVITATION. ~1|T 7TTH tearful eyes I look around; V ? Life seems a dark and ftormy sea ; Yet midft the gloom I hear a sound, A heavenly whisper — "Come to me." It tells me of a place of reft ; 1 1 It tells me where my soul may flee ; 200 Chrijl. Oh ! to the weary, faint, opprefr, How sweet the bidding — " Come to me When the poor heart with anguifh learns That earthly props refigned muft be, And from each broken ciftern turns, It hears the accents, — "Come to me." When againft fin I ftrive in vain, And cannot from its yoke get free, Sinking beneath the heavy chain, The words arreft me — " Come to me." When nature fhudders, loath to part From all I love, enjoy, and see ; When a faint chill (teals o'er my heart, A sweet voice utters — "Come to me." " Come, for all else muft fail and die ; Earth is no refting-place for thee : Heavenward direct the weeping eye ; I am thy portion — " Come to me." O voice of mercy ! voice of love ! In death's laft fearful agony ; Support me — cheer me — from above, And gently whisper — " Come to me.'* Chriji. 201 MY BELOVED IS MINE, AND I AM HIS." ONG did I toil, and knew no earthly reft ; Far did I rove, and knew no certain home ; At laft I sought them in His fheltering breaft, Who opes his arms, and bids the weary come. With him I found a home, a reft divine ; And I fince then am His, and he is mine. Yes, He is mine! and nought of earthly things, Not all the charms of pleasure, wealth, or power, The fame of heroes, or the pomp of kings, Could tempt me to forego his love an hour. Go, worthlefs world, I cry, with all that 's thine ! Go ! I my Saviour's am, and he is mine. The good I have is from His ftores supplied ; The ill is only what he deems the beft. He for my friend, I 'm rich with nought befide ; And poor without him, though of ail pofleff'd. Changes may come — I take, or I refign — Content while I am His, while he is mine. Whate'er may change, in Him no change is seen, A glorious Sun, that wanes not, nor declines ; Above the clouds and ftorms he walks serene, And sweetly on his people's darknefs fhines, 202 Chr'ijl. All may depart — I fret not nor repine, While I my Saviour's am, while he is mine. He flays me falling ; lifts me up when down ; Reclaims me wandering ; guards from every foe ; Plants on my worthlefs brow the victor's crown ; Which, in return, before his feet I throw, Grieved that I cannot better grace his fhrine Who deigns to own me His, as he is mine. While here, alas ! I know but half his love, But half discern him, and but half adore ; But when I meet him in the realms above, I hope to love him better, praise him more, And feel, and tell, amid the choir divine, How fully I am His, and he is mine! Lyte I JOURNEY through a desert drear and wild, Yet is my heart by such sweet thoughts beguiled Of Him on whom I lean, my ftrength, my flay, I can forget the sorrows of the way. Thoughts of His love — the root of every grace, Which finds in this poor heart a dwelling-place ; The sunfhine of my soul, than day more bright, And my calm pillow of repose by night. Cbriji. 203 Thoughts of His sojourn in this vale of tears — The tale of love unfolded in those years Of finlefs suffering, and patient grace, I love again, and yet again to trace. Thoughts of His glory — on the crofs I gaze, And there behold its sad, yet healing rays ; Beacon of hope, which lifted up on high, Illumes with heav'nly light the tear-dimm'd eve. Thoughts of His coming — for that joyful day In patient hope I watch, and wait, and pray ; The dawn draws nigh, the midnight fhadows flee, Oh what a sunrise will that advent be! Thus while I journey on, my Lord to meet, My thoughts and meditations are so sweet, Of Him on whom I lean, my ftrength, my ftay, I can forget the sorrows of the way. COURAGE. STAND but your ground, your ghoftly foes will fiy Hell trembles at a heaven-dire£f.ed eye •, Choose rather to defend than to affail — Self-confidence will in the conflict fail : 204 , Chrijl. When you are challenged, you may dangers meet- — True courage is a fixed, not sudden heat ; Is always humble, lives in self-diftruft, And will itself into no danger thruft. Devote yourself to God, and you will find God fights the battles of a will refigned. Love Jesus ! Love will no base fear endure — Love Jesus ! and of conqueft reft secure. Bijhop Ken. — @©©— MORNING HYMN. SEE the Day-Spring from afar, Ufher'd by the morning ftar ! " Hade ; to Him who sends the light, Hallow the remains of night. Souls, put on your glorious drefs, Waking into righteousnefs ; Clothed with Chrift aspire to mine, Radiance he of light divine; Beam of the eternal beam, He in God, and God in him ! Strive we him in us to see, Transcript of the Deity. ChrijL Burft we then the bands of death, Rais'd by his all-quick'ning breath ; Long we to be loos'd from earth, Struggle into second birth. Spent at length in nature's night ; Chrift attends to give us light, Chrift attends himself to give ; God we now may see, and live. Tho' the outward man decay, Form'd within us day by day, Still the inner man we view, Chrift creating all things new. Thou the life, the truth, the way, Suffer us no more to ftray : Give us Lord, and ever give, Thee to know, in thee to live. 205 Wejley. 2o6 Cbriji. A SUPPLICATION. OWAY for all that live! heal us by pain and lofs ; Fill all our years with toil, and blefs us with thy rod. •Thy bonds bring wider freedom ; climbing, by the crofs, Wins that brave height where looms the city of our God! Hallow our wit with prayer: our maftery fteep in meek- nefs ; Pour on our ftudy inspiration's holy light ; Hew out, for Chrift's dear Church, a Future without weaknefs, Quarried from thine Eternal Beauty, Order, Might ! Met, there, mankind's great Brotherhood of Souls and Powers, Raise thou full praises from its farther! corners dim ; Pour down, O fteadfaft Sun, thy beams on all its tow- ers ; Roll through its world-wide spaces Faith's majeftic hymn. Come, age of God's own Truth^ after man's age of fables ! Seed sown in Eden, yield the nations' healing tree! Cbriji. 207 Ebal and Sinai, Mamre's tents, the Hebrew tables, All look towards Olivet, and bend to Calvary. Fold of the tender Shepherd ! rise, and spread ! Arch o'er our frailty roofs of everlafting ftrength ! Be all the Body gathered to its living Head ! Wanderers we faint : O, let us find our Lord at length ! Rev. F. D. Huntington. IFE'S myftery — deep, reftlefs as the Ocean — Hath surged and wailed for ages to and fro ; Earth's generations watch its ceaselefs motion As in and out its hollow moanings flow •, Shivering and yearning by that unknown sea, Let my soul calm itself, O Chrift, in thee ! Life's sorrows, with inexorable power, Sweep desolation o'er this mortal plain ; And human loves and hopes fly as the chafF Borne by the whirlwind from the ripened grain : — Ah, when before that blaft my hopes all flee, Let my soul calm itself, O Chrift, in thee ! Between the myfteries of death and lite Thou ftandeft, loving, guiding — not explaining; We afk, and thou art filent — yet we gaze, 208 Chriji. And our charmed hearts forget their drear complain- ing ! No crufhing fate — no ftony deftiny ? Thou Lamb that hast been (lain, we reft in thee ! The many waves of thought, the mighty tides, The ground-swell that rolls up from otner lands, From far-off worlds, from dim eternal fhores Whose echo dafhes on life's wave-worn ftrands, — This vague, dark tumult of the inner sea Grows calm, grows bright, O, risen Lord, in thee ! Thy pierced hand guides the myfterious wheels ; Thy thorn-crowned brow now wears the crown of power ; And when the dark enigma prefTeth sore Thy patient voice saith, «" Watch with me one hour! " As finks the moaning river in the sea In filver peace — so finks my soul in Thee! Harriet Beecber Stowe. God. 209 GOD " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I defire befide thee." Psalm 73: 25. I LOVE (and have some cause to love) the earth; She is my Maker's creature, therefore good : She is my mother, for fhe gave me birth ; She is my tender nurse ; fhe gives me food : But what 's a creature, Lord, compar'd with thee ? Or what 's my mother, or my nurse, to me ? I love the air ; her dainty sweets refrefh My drooping soul, and to new sweets invite me ; Her fhrill-mouth'd choir suftain me with their flefh ; And with their Polyphonian notes delight me : But what 's the air, or all the sweets, that fhe Can blefs my soul withal, compar'd to thee ? I love the sea ; fhe is my fellow-creature, My careful purveyor ; file provides me ftore : She walls me round ; fhe makes my diet greater ; She wafts my treasure from a foreign more : 14 2 1 God. But, Lord of oceans, when compar'd with thee, What is the ocean, or her wealth, to me ? To Heaven's high city I direct my journey, Whose spangled suburbs entertain mine eye ; Mine eye, by contemplation's great attorney, Transcends the cryftal pavement of the fky : But what is Heav'n, great God, compar'd to thee ? Without thy presence, Heav'n 's no Heav'n to me. Without thy presence, earth gives no refection ; Without thy presence, sea affords no treasure ; Without thy presence, air's a rank infection; Without thy presence, Heav'n itself 's no pleasure; If not poflefT'd, if not enjoy'd in thee, What 's earth, or sea, or air, or Heaven, to me ? Francis Quarks. IN all extremes, Lord, thou art ftill The mount whereto my hopes do flee ; O make my soul deteft all ill, Because so much abhorred by thee : Lord, let thy gracious trials fhow That I am juft, or make me so. Shall mountain, desert, beaft, and tree, Yield to that heavenly voice of thine ; God. 2 r i And mall that voice not ftartle me, Nor ftir this ftone — this heart of mine? No, Lord, till thou new-bore mine ear, Thy voice is loft, I cannot hear. Fountain of light, and living breath, Whose mercies never fail nor fade, Fill me with life that hath no death, Fill me with light that hath no made ; Appoint the remnant of my days To see thy power, and fing thy praise. Lord, God of gods, before whose throne Stand ftorms and fire, O what fhall we Return to heaven, that is our own, When all the world belongs to thee ? We have no offering to impart, But praises, and a wounded heart. Thou who fitteft in heaven, and seed My deeds without, my thoughts within, Be thou my prince, be thou my prieft, — Command my soul, and cure my fin : How bitter my afflictions be 1 care not, so I rise to Thee. What I pofTefs, or what I crave, Brings no content, great God, to me, If what I would or what I have Be not poflefled and blefled in Thee : 212 God. What I enjoy, oh, make it mine, In making me — that have it — Thine. When winter-fortunes cloud the brows Of summer-friends, — when eyes grow ftrange, When plighted faith forgets its vows, — When earth and all things in it change, — O Lord, thy mercies fail me never, — When once Thou loveft, Thou loveft forever. "John Quarks, son of Francis , died in 1665. ~oC\SX(»x>o- PSALM CXXI. UP to those bright and gladsome hills, Whence flowes my weal and mirth, I look, and figh for Him who fills Unseen both heaven and earth. He is alone my help and hope, That I fhall not be moved ; His watchful eye is ever ope, And guardeth his beloved. The glorious God is my sole flay, He is my sun and fhade : God. 2 1 3 The cold by night, the heat by day, Neither (hall me invade. He keeps me from the spite of foes : Doth all their plots controul ; And is a fhield, not reckoning those, Unto my very soul. Whether abroad amidfc. the crowd, Or else within my door, He is my pillar and my cloud, •Now and forevermore. Henry Vaughan. >»vfi^fl4 PSALM CXLVIII. COME, oh! come, with sacred lays, Let us sound the Almighty's praise ; Hither bring in true consent, Heart, and voice, and inftrument. Let the orpharion sweet, With the harp and viol meet : To your voices tune the lute : Let not tongue nor firing be mute : Not a creature dumb be found, That hath either voice or sound. 214 God. Let such things as do not live, In ftill mufic praises give ; Lowly pipe, ye worms that creep On the earth or in the deep ; Loud aloft your voices frrain, Beafts and monfters of the main ; Birds, your warbling treble fing ; Clouds, your peals of thunder ring; Sun and moon exalted higher, And you ftars, augment the quire. Come, ye sons of human race, In this chorus take your place, And amid this mortal throng, Be you mafters of the song. Angels and celeftial powers, Be the nobleft tenor yours ; Let in praise of God the sound, Run a never-ending round, That our holy hymn may be Everlafting as is He. From the earth's vaft hollow womb, Mufic's deepeft bafs mail come. Sea and floods, from more to fhore, Shall the counter-tenor roar. To this concert, when we fing, Whiffling winds, your descant bring: Which may bear the sound above Where the orb of fire doth move, 2'5 God. And so climb from sphere to sphere, Till our song the Almighty hear. So fhall He from heaven's high tower On the earth his bleiling mower ; All this huge wide orb we see, Shall one quire, one temple be ; There our voices we will rear, Till we fill it everywhere : And enforce the fiends that dwell In the air, to fink to hell. Then, oh! come, with sacred lays, Let us sound the Almighty's praise. George Wither. 1588-1677. PSALM XXIII. HAPPY me! O happy fheep Whom my God vouchsafes to keep ; Even my God, even he it is That points me to these ways of blifs ; On whose paftures cheerful Spring All the year doth fit and fing, And, rejoicing, smiles to see Their green backs wear his livery. When my wayward breath is flying He calls home my soul from dying, 2 1 6 God. Strokes and tames my rabid grief, And does woo me into life : When my fimple weaknefs ftrays, Tangled in forbidden ways, He, my Shepherd, is my guide, He 's before me, on my fide, And behind me, He beguiles Craft in all her knotty wiles : He expounds the giddy wonder Of my weary fteps, and under Spreads a path clear as the day, Where no churlifh rub says nay, To my joy-conducted feet, Whilft they gladly go to meet Grace and Peace, to meet new lays Tuned to my great Shepherd's praise. Come now all ye terrors, sallv, Mufter forth into the valley, Where triumphant darknefs hovers With a sable wing, that covers Brooding horror. Come then, Death, Let the damps of thy dull breath Overfhadow even the fhade, And make Darknefs' self afraid ; There my feet, even there, mail find Way for a resolved mind. Still my Shepherd, ftill my God, Thou art with me ; (till thy rod, And thy ftaff, whose influence Gives direction, gives defence. God. 217 At the whisper of thy word Crown'd abundance spreads my board : How my head in ointment swims ! How my cup o'eriooks her brims ! So, even so ftill may I move By the line of thy dear love ; Still may thy sweet mercy spread A fhady arm above my head, About my paths ; so mall I find The fair centre of my mind, Thy temple, and those lovely walls Bright ever with a beam that falls Frefh from the pure glance of Thine eye, Lighting to Eternity. There I '11 dwell forever, there Will I find a purer air To feed my life with, there I '11 sup, Balm and necStar in my cup, And thence my ripe soul will I breathe Warm into the arms of Death. Richard Crajhaw. 218 God. THE GOODNESS OF GOD. ALL praise and thanks to God moft High, The Father of all Love ! The God who doeth wondroufly, The God who from above My soul with richeft solace fills, The God who every sorrow ftills ; Give to our God the glory ! The hoft of heaven thy praises tell, All thrones bow down to thee, And all who in thy fhadow dwell, In earth and air and sea, Declare and laud their Maker's might, Whose wisdom orders all things right ; Give to our God the glory ! And for the creatures he hath made, Our God mail well provide ; His grace fhall be their conftant aid, Their guard on every fide ; His kingdom ye may surely truft, There all is equal, all is juft ; Give to our God the glory ! God. 2 1 9 I sought him in my hour of need ; Lord God, now hear my prayer ! For death he gave me life indeed, And comfort for despair ; For this my thanks mail endlefs be, Oh thank him, thank him too with me ; Give to our God the glory ! The Lord is never far away, Nor sundered from his flock ; He is their refuge and their ftay, Their peace, their truft, their rock, And with a mother's watchful love He guides them wheresoe'er they rove. Give to our God the glory ! And when earth cannot comfort more, Nor earthly help avail, The Maker comes himself, whose ftore Of blemng cannot fail, And bends on them a Father's eyes Whom earth all reft and hope denies : Give to our God the glory ! Ah then till life hath reached its bound, My God, P 11 worfhip thee, The chorus of thy praise mail sound Far over land and sea ; Oh soul and body now rejoice, My heart send forth a gladsome voice : Give to our God the glory ! 220 God. All ye who name Chrift's holy name, Give to our God the glory ! Ye who the Father's power proclaim, Give to our God the glory ! All idols under foot be trod, The Lord is God ! The Lord is God ! Give to our God the glory ! J. J. Scbutz. 1673. "WHOM HAVE I IN HEAVEN BUT THEE? THOU art my all — to Thee I flee; Take me, oh, take me to thy keeping ! Make me thy vine, thy hufbandry ; Be thine the seed-time, thine the reaping. For what on earth but tells thy power ? And what but makes thy love its theme ? I read it in the vernal ihower, It cheers me in the summer beam : It glows while memory lingers yet O'er hours a mother's love beguiled ; For, ah ! a mother may forget, But Thou wilt not forget thy child. I had a friend — nor false his love ; But him on earth no more I see ; God. 22 1 O thou unchanging friend above, What is an earthly friend to Thee ? Give me no bright beheft of care, No grovelling boon of envied sod, No hopes that lead but to despair ; Ease, honors, wealth, are not my God. Nor aught in heaven ; for, angels, say, And paints escaped earth's guilt and sadnefs, What makes your everlafting day ? What tunes your harps to joy and gladnefs ? O ! there is nought in yon bright iky Worthy this worthlefs heart to own ; On earth there 's nought ; friends, creatures, fly ; I pant, my God, for thee alone. 2 22 God. IN A DARK NIGHT. WHAT though the comforts of the light This gloomy night denies ; Though me to trouble and affright, Unwelcome darlcnefs tries. What mould I doubt ? whom mould I fear ? Or why difliearten'd be ; Since thou, O God ! art ev'rywhere, And present ftill with me. What mischiefs hath a midnight hour My terror to procure ? What warrant hath a noontide power My safety to aflure ? I find no comforts in the day, If thou thy presence hid'ft ; Nor can the darknefs me dismay, If near me thou abid'ft. Indeed the fiend that hates the light, Doth oft occafion take, Amid the darknefs of the night, These bugbear mows to make : Yet sure the darknefs of our minds, Is that whereby this foe 223 God. Moft frequently occafion finds The greateft harms to do. Me from that darknefs to defend, Thy grace, O Lord ! afford ; To me th' enlightening Spirit lend, And lantern of thy = word. For then though Egypt's darknefs had Inclosed me round about ; Yea, though I sat in death's black fhade, That light fhould guide me out. George Wither. i COR. 3: 22. IF God is mine, then present things And things to come are mine ; Yea, Chrift, his word, and spirit too, And glory all divine. If He is mine, then from, his love He every trouble sends ; All things are working for my good, And blifs his rod attends. If He is mine, I need not fear The rage of earth and hell ; He will support my feeble power, Their utmoft force repel. 224 God. If He is mine, let friends forsake, Let wealth and honor flee ; Sure he who giveth me himself Is more than these to me. If He is mine, I '11 boldly pafs Through death's myfterious vale ; He is a solid comfort when All other comforts fail. Oh ! tell me, Lord, that thou art mine j What can I wifh befide ? My soul mail at the fountain live, When all the ftreams are dried. WHEN, before, my God commanded Anything he would have done, I was close and gripple-handed, Made an end ere I begun. If he thought it fit to lay Judgments on me, I could say, They are good ; but fhrink away. But the case is alter'd now : He no sooner turns his eye, But I quickly bend, and bow, Ready at his feet to lie : God. 225 Love hath taught me to obey All his precepts, and to say, Not to-morrow, but to-day. What he wills, I say I rauft : What I muft, I say I will : He commanding, it is juft What he would, I mould fulfil. Whilft he biddeth, I believe What he calls for he will give : To obey him, is to live. His commandments grievous are not, Longer than men think them so : Though he send me forth, I care not, Whilft he gives me ftrength to go ; When or whither, all is one ; On his bus'nefs, not mine own, I fhall never go alone. If I be complete in him, And in him all fullnefs dwelleth, I am sure aloft to swim, Whilft that Ocean overswelleth. Having Him that's all in all, I am confident I mail Nothing want, for which I call. Francis Quarles. 15 226 God. OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD. OTHOU by long experience tried, Near whom no grief can long abide ; My Lord, how full of sweet content, I pafs my years of banifhment. All scenes alike engaging prove, To souls impreffed with sacred love ! Where'er they dwell, they dwell in Thee, — In heaven, in earth, or on the sea. To me remains nor place nor time, My country is in every clime : I can be calm and free from care On any more, fince God is there. While place we seek, or place we fhun, The soul finds happinefs in none ; But with my God to guide my way, 'T is equal joy to go or ftay. Could I be caft where Thou art not, That were indeed a dreadful thought : But regions none remote I call, Secure of finding God in all. Madame Guy on. God. 227 GOD WITH ME. " When thou pafleft through the waters, I will be with thee ; and through the rivers, they fhall not overflow thee : when thou walked through the fire, thou fhalt not be burned ; neither fhall the flame kindle upon thee." — Isa. 43: 2. "Y God with me in every place ! Firmly does the promise ftand, On land or sea, with present grace Still to aid us near at hand. If you afk, " Who is with thee ? " God is here — my God with me ! No depth, nor prison, nor the grave, Can exclude him from his own ; His cheering presence ftill I have, If in crowds or all alone. In whatever ftate I be, Everywhere is God with me ! My God for me! I dare to say — God the portion of my soul ! Nor need I tremble in dismay When around me troubles roll. If you afk, " What comforts thee ? " It is this — God is for me ! 228 God. In life, in death, with God so near, Every battle I fhall win, Shall boldly prefs through dangers here, Triumph over every fin! " What ! " you say, " a viftor be ? " No, not I, but God in me ! C. F. Zeller. -^-£>^e>o~ MY GOD! I KNOW THAT I MUST DIE. Job 14: 11, 12. "Y God ! I know that I muft die, My mortal life is patting hence j On earth I neither hope nor try To find a lafting refidence ; Then teach me by thy heavenly grace, With joy and peace my death to face. My God ! I know not when I die, What is the moment or the hour, — 244 Death. How soon the clay may broken lie, How quickly pafs away the flower ; Then may thy child prepared be Through time to meet Eternity. My God ! I know not how I die, For death has many ways to come, — In dark myfterious agony, Or gently as a fleep to some. Juft as thou wilt ! if but it be Forever blefled, Lord, with thee. My God! I know not where I die, Where is my grave, beneath what ftrand, Yet from its gloom I do rely To be delivered by thy hand. Content, I take what spot is mine, Since all the earth, my Lord, is thine. My gracious God! when I muft die, Oh ! bear my happy soul above, With Chrifr, my Lord, eternally To mare thy glory and thy love ! Then comes it right and well to me, When, where, and how my death fhall be. B. Schmolk. Death. 245 TO DIE IS GAIN. WHY longed Paul to be dilTolv'd, And enter into reft ? The queftion here he hath resolv'd, — To 'be with Chrift is beft. And I, like Paul, defire to die, I long for death's arreft •> If any afk the reason why, — To be with Chrift is beft. My unbelief, that bosom foe, Which lurks within my breaft, So often seeks my overthrow, — To be with Chrift is beft. Should friends and kindred on me frown, And leave my soul oppreft ; Should evils crulh my comforts down, — To be with Chrift is beft. Had I a voice so loud and ftrong, To sound from eaft to weft ; I 'd tell the honor'd seeking throng, To be with Chrift is beft. 246 Death. come, sweet Jesus, quickly come, And cheer my fainting breaft ; 1 long to reach my heavenly home, — To be with Chrift is beft. Pinion'd with love, I 'd take the wing, And fly to thee, my reft : There with the Church triumphant fing, To be with Chrift is beft. Dob ell's GolleRion. PARTING. WHAT mean ye by this wailing, To break my bleeding heart ? As if the love that binds us Could alter or depart ! Our sweet and holy union Knows neither time nor place ; The love that God has planted Is lafting as His grace. Ye clasp these hands at parting, As if no hope could be ; While ftill we ftand forever In blefled unity ! Ye gaze, as on a vifion, Ye never could recall, Death. 247 While ftill each thought is with you, And Jesus with us all ! Ye say, " We here, thou yonder, Thou goeft, and we ftay ! " And yet Chrift's myftic body Is one eternally. - Ye speak of different journe\"=, A long and sad adieu ! While ftill one way I travel, And have one end with you ! Why fhould ye now be weeping These agonizing tears ? Behold our gracious Leader, And caff, away your fears. We tread one path to glory, Are guided by one hand, And led in faith and patience Unto one Fatherland ! Then let this hour of parting No bitter grief record, But be an hour of union More blefled with our Lord ! With Him to guide and save us, No changes that await, No earthly separations Can leave us desolate ! S pitta. 248 Death. SOUL'S joy, now I am gone, And you alone, (Which cannot be, Since I mult leave myself with thee, And carry thee with me,) Yet when unto our eyes Absence denies Each other's fight, And makes to us a conftant night When others change to light : O give no way to grief, But let belief Of mutual love, This wonder to the vulgar prove, Our bodies, not we, move. Let not thy wit beweep Words, but sense deep ; For when we mifs By diftance, our hopes-joining blifs, Ev'n then our souls fhall kifs : Fools have no means to meet, But by their feet ; Why mould our clay Over our spirits so much sway, To tie us to that way ? Death. O give no way to grief, But let belief Of mutual love, This wonder to the vulgar prove, Our bodies, not we, move. 249 Dr. Doyine. ?mw?&* A VALEDICTION FORBIDDING MOURNING. AS virtuous men pafs mildly away, And whisper to their souls to go, Whilft some of their sad friends, do say, The breath goes now, and some say no ; So let us melt, and make no noise, No tear-floods, nor iigh-tempefts move, 'Twere profanation of our joys, To tell the laity our love. Moving of the earth brings harms and fears, Men reckon what it did and meant ; But trepidation of the spheres, Though greater far, is innocent. Dull sublunary Lovers' love (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit Absence, because it doth remove Those things which elemented it. 250 Death. But we by a love so much refined, That ourselves know not what it is, Inter-aflured of the mind, Carelefs eyes, lips, and hands to mifs. Our two souls, therefore, which are one, Though I muft go, endure not yet A breach, but an expanfion, Like gold to airy thinnefs beat. If they be two, they are two so As ftiff twin compaffes are two ; Thy soul, the fixt foot, makes no show To move, but doth if the other do. And though it in the centre fit, Yet when the other far doth roam, It leans and hearkens after it, And grows ere£t, as that comes home Such wilt thou be to me, who muft, Like the other foot, obliquely run : Thy firmnefs makes my circle juft, And makes me end where I begun. Dr. Donne. Death. 25 THE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH. ■■* TT^IS but one family, — the sound is balm, X A seraph-whisper to the wounded heart, It lulls the ftorm of sorrow to a calm, And draws the venom from the avenger's dart. 'T is but one family, — the accents come Like light from heaven to break the night of woe, The banner-cry, to call the spirit home, The fhout of victory o'er a fallen foe. Death cannot separate — is memory dead? Has thought, too, vanifhed, and has love grown chill ? Has every relic and memento fled, And are the living only with us frill ? No ! in our hearts the loft we mourn remain, Objects of love and ever-frefh delight ; And fancy leads them in her fairy train, In half-seen transports paft the mourner's fight. Yes ! in ten thousand ways, or far or near, The called by love, by meditation brought, In heavenly vifions yet they haunt us here, The sad companions of our sweeteft thought. 252 Death, Death never separates ; the golden wires That ever trembled to their names before, Will vibrate ftill, though every form expires, And those we love, we look upon no more. No more indeed* in sorrow and in pain, But even memory's need ere long will cease, For we mall join the loft of love again, In endlefs bands, and in eternal peace. Edmefton. -^x-u>^8l» THE CHRISTIAN'S DEATH. LIFT not thou the wailing voice, Weep not, 'tis a Chriftian dieth, — Up, where blefTed saints rejoice, Ransomed now, the spirit flieth ; High, in heaven's own light, fhe dwelleth, Full the song of triumph swelleth ; Freed from earth, and earthly failing, Lift for her no voice of wailing ! Pour not thou the bitter tear ; Heaven its book of comfort opeth : Bids thee sorrow not, nor fear, But, as one who always hopeth, Humbly here in faith relying, Peacefully in Jesus dying, Heavenly joy her eye is flufhing, — Why mould thine with tears be gufhing ? They who die in Chrift are blefTed, — Ours be, then, no thought of grieving ! Death. 255 Sweetly with their God they reft, All their toils and troubles leaving : So be ours the faith that saveth, Hope that every trial leaveth, Love that to the end endureth, And, through Chrift, the crown secureth ! G. W. Doane. ON THE DEATH OF AN INFANT. SWEET babe, fhe glanced into our world to see A sample of our misery, Then turned away her languid eye To drop a tear or two and die. Sweet babe, fhe tafted of life's bitter cup, Refused to drink the potion up ! But turned her little head afide, Disgufted with the tafte, and died. Sweet babe, fhe liftened for awhile to hear Our mortal griefs, then turned her ear To angels' harps and songs, and cried To join their notes celeftial, fighed, and died. Sweet babe, no more, but seraph now, Before the throne behold her bow, To heavenly joys her spirit flies, Bleft in the triumph of the fkies, 256 Death. Adores the grace that brought her there Without a wifh, — without a care, — That wafhed her soul in Calvary's ftream, That fhortened life's diltrefling dream. Short pain, — fhort grief, — dear babe, was thine, Now joys eternal and divine. Yes, thou art fled, and saints a welcome ling, Thine infant spirit soars on angels' wing : Our dark affection ihould have hoped thy ftay, The voice of God has called His child away. Like Samuel, early in the temple found, Sweet rose of Sharon, plant of holy ground, Oh! more than Samuel blelt, to thee 'tis given, The God he served on earth, to serve in heaven. Cunningham. DEATH. O THINK that, while you 're weeping here, His hand a golden harp is ftringing ; And with a voice serene and clear, His ransomed soul, without a tear, His Saviour's praise is Tinging ! And think that all his pains are fled, His toils and sorrows closed forever; While He, whose blood for man was {Led, Death. 257 Has placed upon his servant's head A crown that fadeth never! For thus, while round your lowly bier Surviving friends are sadly bending, Your souls, like his, to Jesus dear, Shall wing their flight to yonder sphere, Faith lighteff. pinions lending. And thus, when to the filent tomb, Your lifelefs duft like his is given, Like faith fhall whisper, 'midfr. the gloom, That yet again in faithful bloom, That duft fhall smile in heaven ! Dr. Muie. WHEN A SOUL IS NEWLY DEPARTED. IF joy be made when men are born To live on earth below, Why mould we vainly weep and mourn, When up to heav'n they go ? To pains and griefs they hither come And when they hence are gone, Those troubles they are eased from V\ hich here they did bemoan. 258 . Death. Imprison'd in a living grave, The soul departed lay ; And ease or quiet could not have, Till call'd it was away. But we now hope it is at reft In Him from whom it came, And of eternal joys pofieff'd, For which we praise His name. We praise thee for that being, Lord ! And for that means of grace, Which to that soul thou dids't afford In this inferior place. And we, moreover, praise thee now, That thou haft set it free From those afflictions which below Avoided cannot be. George Wither, THE DYING CHRISTIAN. DEATHLESS principle, arise! Soar, thou native of the fkies ! Pearl of price by Jesus bought, To his glorious likenefs wrought, Go, to fhine before his throne, Deck his mediatorial crown ; Death. 259 Go, his triumph to adorn ; Made for God, to God return. Lo, he beckons from on high ! Fearlefs to his presence fly ; Thine the merit of his blood, Thine the righteousnefs of God ! Angels, joyful to attend, Hovering round thy pillow bend ; Wait, to catch the fignal given, And escort thee quick, to heaven. Is thy earthly house diftreft, Willing to retain its gueft ? 'T is not thou, but it, mull die — Fly, celcftial tenant, fly ! Burfl: thy fhackles, drop thy clay, Sweetly breathe thyself away. Singing, to thy crown remove, Swift of wing, and fired with love. Shudder not to pafs the ftream, Venture all thy care on Him, Him, whose dying love and power Stilled its tofling, hufhed its war : Safe as the expanded wave, Gentle as the summer's eve, Not one object of his care Ever suffered fhipwreck there ! 260 Death. See the haven full in view, Love divine fhall bear thee through : Truft to that propitious gale, Weigh thy anchor, spread thy sail ! Saints in glory perfect made, Wait thy pafTage through the made ! Ardent for thy coming o'er, See they throng the blifsful fhore ! Mount, their transports to improve, Join the longing choir above, Swiftly to their wifh be given, Kindle higher joy in heaven ! Such the prospects that arise, To the dying Chriftian's eyes ! Such the glorious vifta Faith Opens through the fhades of death ! Toplady. HEAVENLY MINSTREL. ENTHRONED upon a hill of light, A heavenly minftrel fings ; And sounds unutterably bright Spring from the golden firings. Who would have thought so fair a form Once bent beneath an earthly ftorm ! Death. 261 Yet was he sad and lonely here ; Of low and humble birth ; And mingled while in this dark sphere, With meaneft sons of earth, In spirit poor, in look forlorn, The jeft of mortals and the scorn. A crown of heavenly radiance now, A harp of golden firings, Glitters upon his deathlefs brow, And to his hymn-note fings. The bower of interwoven light Seems at the sound to grow more bright. Then, while with visage blank and sear, The poor in soul we see ; Let us not think what he is here, But what he soon will be ; And look beyond this earthly night, To crowns of gold, and bowers of light. Edmejion. 262 Death. GONE. ANOTHER hand is beckoning us, Another call is given ; And glows once more with angel fteps The path which reaches heaven. Our young and gentle friend, whose smile Made brighter summer hours, Amid the froft of Autumn time Has left us, with the flowers. No paling of the cheek of bloom Forewarned us of decay ; No fhadow from the Silent Land Fell round our fitter's way. The light of her young life went down, As finks behind the hill The glory of a setting ftar, Clear, suddenly, and ftill. As pure and sweet her fair brow seemed, Eternal as the fky ; And like the brook's low song, her voice A sound which could not die. Death. 263 And half we deemed me needed not The changing of her sphere, To give to heaven a mining one, Who walked an angel here, The bleffing of her quiet life Fell on. us like the dew; And good thoughts, where her footfteps preffed, Like fairy bloffoms grew. Sweet promptings unto kindeft deeds Were in her very look ; We read her face as one who reads A true and holy book. t The measure of a blefled hymn, To which our hearts could move ; The breathing of an inward psalm, A canticle of love. We mifs her in the place of prayer, And by the hearth-fire's light ; We pause befide her door to hear Once more her sweet " Good night ! '' There seems a fhadow on the day, Her smile no longer cheers ; A dimnefs on the ftars of night, Like eyes that look through tears. 264 Death. Alone unto our Father's will One thought hath reconciled — That he whose love exceedeth ours Has taken home his child. Fold her, O Father, in thine arms ; And let her henceforth be A meflenger of love between Our human hearts and thee. Still let her mild rebuking ftand Between us and the wrong, And her dear memory serve to make Our faith in goodnefs ftrong. And grant that fhe, who, trembling here, Diftrufted all her powers, May welcome to her holier home The well-beloved of ours. J. G. Wbittier GRIEF FOR THE DEAD. O HE ARTS that never cease to yearn O brimming tears that ne'er are dried ! The dead, though they depart, return As if they had not died ! Death. 265 The living are the only dead ; The dead live — nevermore to die; And often when we mourn them fled They never were so nigh. And though they lie beneath the waves, Or fleep within the churchyard dim — (Ah! through how many different graves God's children go to him !) Yet every grave gives up its dead Ere it is overgrown with grafs ! Then why fhould hopelefs tears be fhed, Or need we cry, Alas ! Or why mould memory veil'd with gloom, And like a sorrowing mourner craped, Sit weeping o'er an empty tomb Whose captives have escaped ! 'T is but a mound — and will be mofTed Whene'er the summer grafs appears; — The loved, though wept, are never loft ; We only lose our tears. Nay, Hope may whisper with the dead, By bending forward where they are ; But, Memory, with a backward tread, Communes with them afar! 266 Death. The joys we lose are but forecafr, And we fhall find them all once more; — We look behind us for the paft, But lo ! 'tis all before ! GOOD NIGHT. GOOD night! a word so often said, The heedlefs mind forgets its meaning ; 'T is only when some heart lies dead On which our own was leaning, We hear in maddening mufic roll That laft " good night " along the soul. "Good night" — in tones that never die It peals along the quickening ear ; And tender gales of memory Forever waft it near, When ftilled the voice — O crufh of pain ! — That ne'er fhall breathe "good night" again. Good night! it mocks us from the grave — It overleaps that ftrange world's bound From whence there flows no backward wave — It calls from out the ground, On every fide, around, above, "Good night," "good night," to life and love! Death. 267 Good night ! O, wherefore fades away The light that lived in that dear word ? Why follows that good night no day ? Why are our souls so ftirred ? O, rather say, dull brain, once more, "Good night! thy time of toil is o'er!" Good night! — now cometh gentle fleep, And tears that fall like gentle rain ; Good night ! O, holy, bleft and deep, The reft that follows pain ! How fhould we reach God's upper light If life's long day had no " good night." Chambers' 1 Journal. THE VISION. I FASHIONED in my soul a fantasy Of moft surpaffing richnefs ; as my heart In memory turns to it, figh follows figh, And my sad tear-drops in disquiet ftart. I walked upon heaven's calm and azure more, And o'er my ear, like murmurings of the sea, By diftance softened, came the gathering roar Of the far regions of mortality. 268 Death. And thou wert with me there — thou beft and bright one, Whom upon earth I loved and loft, and thou With that sweet voice that could so well delight one, Wert softly breathing thy heart's tremulous vow. And thou wert mine forever — yes, forever, In thine unfading beauty's earthlefs bloom; There were no mortal hands our vows to sever, There for our loves there yawned no mortal tomb. And thou bent on me thine eye's meek affection With an unchanging gaze ; there was no fear, No trouble in that sweet look, no dejection, No earthly made, save rapture's holy tear. Then a bright angel, with a lovely voice, Cried, " This for all your mortal sufferings ; This for your crofs in patience borne — rejoice ! " The light air trembled to his pafling wings. And rapturous was our lot ; undying youth, Hearts purified by trial, fadelefs love, Rejoicing in the fulnefs of its truth ; All that on earth we vainly hoped to prove. And yet, though angels now, we were meek-hearted : The vifion puffed ; in anguifh I awoke, Shed some sad tears o'er heavenly hopes departed, Then patiently put on my mortal yoke. Death. 269 THE REVERIE. O! THAT in unfettered union, Spirit could with spirit blend ; O ! that in unseen communion, Thought could hold the diftant friend ! Who the secret can unravel, Of the body's myftic gueft ? Who knows how the soul may travel, Which unconsciously we reft ? While in pleafing thraldom lying, Sealed in flumbers deep it seems, Far abroad it may be flying — What is fleep ? and what are dreams ? Earth, how narrow thy dominions, And how flow the body's pace ! O ! to range on eagle pinions Through illimitable space. What is thought ? can it be bounded ? Will it own a tyrant's chain ? By material things surrounded Will it in their grasp remain ? No ! it walks at large through nature, Leaving lingering winds behind, 270 Death. Tracing every well-known feature Of the friend's congenial mind. Has a ftrange, myfterious feeling, Something fhapelefs, undefined, O'er thy lonely mufings ftealing, Ne'er imprefled thy penfive mind ; As if he, whose ftrong resemblance Fancy in that moment drew, By coincident remembrance, Knew your thoughts — and thought of you ? When at Mercy's footftool bending, Thou haft felt a secret glow ; Faith and hope to heaven ascending, Love ftill lingering below ; Say, has ne'er the thought imprefled thee, That thy friend might feel thy prayer ! Or the wifh at leaft poflefled thee, He could then thy feeling fhare ? Who can tell ? that fervent blefling, Angels, did you hear it rise ? Do you thus your love exprefling, Watch o'er human sympathies ? Do ye some myfterious token To the .kindred bosom bear? And to what the heart has spoken, Wake a chord responfive there ? Death. 271 Laws, perhaps unknown, but certain, Kindred spirits may control ; But what hand can lift the curtain, And reveal the awful soul ? Dimly through life's vapor seeing, Who but longs for light to break! O this feverifh dream of being ! When, my friend, fhall we awake ? Yes, the hour, the hour is hafting, Spirit Jhall with spirit blend ; Faft mortality is wafting, Then the secret all fhall end. Let, then, thought hold sweet communion, Let us breathe the mutual prayer, Till in heaven's eternal union, O my friend, to meet thee there ! PART II. Oh ! the hour when this material Shall have vanifhed like a cloud When amid the wide ethereal, All the invifible fhall crowd ; And the naked soul, surrounded With innumerous hofts of light, Triumph in the view unbounded, And adore the Infinite. 272 Death. In that sudden, ftrange tranfition, By what new and finer sense Shall flie grasp the mighty vifion, And receive its influence ? Angels guard the new immortal Through the wonder-teeming space, To the everlafting portal, To the spirit's relting place. Will fhe there no fond emotion, Nought of early love retain ? Or, absorbed in pure devotion, Will no mortal trace remain ? Can the grave those ties diffever, With the very heart-ftrings twined ? Muff, fhe part, and part forever, With the friend fhe leaves behind ? No; the paft fhe ftill remembers; Faith and hope surviving too, Ever watch those fleeping embers Which muft rise and live anew ; For the widowed, lonely spirit, Mourns till fhe be clothed afrefh ! Longs perfection to inherit, And to triumph in the flefh. Angels, let the ransom'd ftranger In your tender care be bleft, Death. Hoping, trufting, free from danger, Till the trumpet end her reft ; Till the trump which makes creation, Through the circling heaven (hall roll, Till the day of consummation, Till the bridal of the soul. 273 Can I truft a fellow-being ? Can I truft an angel's care ? O, thou merciful All-seeing, Beam around my spirit there! Jesus, blefled iVIediator, Thou the airy path haft trod ! Thou, the Judge, the Consummator, Shepherd of the fold of God ! Blefled fold ! no foe can enter, And no friend departeth thence : Jesus is their sun, their centre, And their fhield Omnipotence : Blefled ! for the Lamb fhall feed them, All their tears fhall wipe away ; To the living fountains lead them, Till fruition's perfect day. Lo ! it comes, that day of wonder, Louder chorals fhake the fkies ; Hades' gates are burft asunder, See the new-clothed myriads rise ! 18 274 Death. Conder. Thought, reprefs thy weak endeavor, Here muft reason proftrate fall : O the ineffable For-Ever! And the Eternal All in All! *"***©©©**•• HEAVEN. THE golden palace of my God Towering above the clouds I see ; Beyond the cherub's bright abode, Higher than angels' thoughts can be. How can I in those courts appear Without a wedding-garment on r Conduit me, thou Life-giver, there, Conduct me to thy glorious throne ! And clothe me with thy robes of light, And lead me through Tin's darksome night, My Saviour and my God. RuJJian Poetry. Death. 275 THE VALEDICTION. 'HEN the death-dews dim my eyes, And my bosom panting lies, Ebbing life's receding fighs, Shorter, fainter, growing ; Ere my spirit breaks her way, Through her prison-walls of clay, Into realms of endlefs day — The land to which I 'm going — May the dear familiar band Of weeping friends that round me ftand, Watching the decreafing sand, Faft and fafter flowing, Chant some low ftrain, blending well With the solemn paffing bell, Of the holy home to tell — The land to which I 'm going. Let them ling, " Dear suffering one, Soon thy journey will be done, Thy fight be fought, thy race be run : Thy soul, with rapture glowing, The everlafting hills fhall see, Where pain no more can come to thee, 276 Death. And neither fin nor sorrow be — The land to which thou 'rt going. 41 He thy Saviour and thy guide, For thy guilty sake that died, Even now is by thy fide, Comfort thoughts beftowing. Angelic forms their arms extend, And smileth many a long-loft friend Glad welcome to thy journey's end — The land to which thou 'rt going." Then, as the burden of their song In faint sweet cadence dies along, One happy, radiant look among That group of mourners throwing ; Juft as they faded from my view, I fain would breathe one fond adieu, Till in that land we meet anew — The land to which I 'm going. Death. 277 OVER THE RIVER. OVER the river they beckon to me — Loved ones who 've croffed to the further fide ; The gleam of their snowy robes I see, But their voices are drowned in the rufhing tide. There 's one with ringlets of sunny gold, And eyes, the reflection of heaven's own blue ; He croffed in the twilight, gray and cold, And the pale miff, hid him from mortal view. We saw not the angels who met him there ; The gates of the city we could not see ; Over the river, over the river, My brother ftands waiting to welcome me ! Over the river, the boatman pale Carried another — the household pet : Her brown curls waved in the gentle gale — Darling Minnie ! I see her yet. She croffed on her bosom her dimpled hands, And fearleffly entered the phantom bark ; We watched it glide from the filver sands, And all our sunfhine grew ffrangely dark. We know fhe is safe on the further fide, Where all the ransomed and angels be ; Over the river, the myftic river, My childhood's idol is waiting for me. 278 Death. For none return from those quiet fhores, Who crofs with the boatman cold and pale ; We hear the dip of the golden oars, And catch a gleam of the snowy sail, — And lo ! they have parted from our yearning heart ; They crofs the ftream, and are gone for aye ; We may not sunder the veil apart, That hides from our vifion the gates of day. We only know that their barks no more May sail with us o'er life's ftormy sea ; Yet somewhere, I know, on the unseen more, They watch, and beckon, and wait for me. And I fit and think, when the sunset's gold, Is flufhing river, and hill, and fhore, I fhall one day ftand by the water cold, And lift for the sound of the boatman's oar ; I fhall watch for a gleam of the flapping sail ; I fhall hear the boat as it gains the ftrand ; I fhall pafs from fight, with the boatman pale, To the better fhore of the spirit land ; I fhall know the loved who have gone before, — And joyfully sweet will the meeting be, When over the river, the peaceful river, The Angel of Death fhall carry me. Mifs N. A. PF. Pr'teji. Heaven. 279 HEAVEN. HEAVEN. AN ANCIENT HYMN. BRIEF life is here our portion, Brief sorrow, fhort-lived care ; The life that knows no ending, The tearlefs life is there. Reward of grace how wondrous ! Short toil, — eternal reft! Oh ! miracle of mercy, That rebels fhould be bleft ! That we, with fin polluted, Should have our home so high ! That we fhould dwell in m^. r ions Beyond the ftarry iky ! And now we fight the battle, And then we wear the crown Of full and everlaftina: And ever bris;ht renown. 280 Heaven. I know not, oh ! I know not What social joys are there ; What pure, unfading glory ; What light beyond compare ; And when I fain would fing them, My spirit fails and faints, And vainly ftrives to image The aflembly of the saints. There is the throne of David ; And there, from toil released, The fhout of them that triumph, The song of them that feafr. ! O Garden free from sorrow ! O Plains that fear no ftrife ! O princely Bowers, all blooming ! O Realm and Home of life ! -»♦©©•*>- HEREAFTER. OTHO^, on earth beloved, adored, My friend, my father, and my Lord, I see thee now without a veil, — Help ; or my dazzled fight will fail. bear me to that burning throne 1 scarce can brook to gaze upon, Heaven. 28 1 And give my kindling soul to prove The raptures of ecftatic love ; And learn unutterable lays, And hymn thee in eternal praise ! Shrink like a scroll, thou frighted fky ! Earth — tremble into vacancy ! Lift to the pealing trumpet's swell, Ye hideous depths of death and hell, — Burft your ftrong chain, your gates unclose, And break the long — the laft repose. Bleft train of martyred saints, arise ! Look upward to your native fkies ! Arise! and claim your rich reward, And fhare the triumph of your Lord. Behold the promised heavenly home, — The conquering palm, — the golden throne, — And more than all, — that beaming eye, Whose glance is love and ecftacy ! But lo ! what sudden splendors beaming, O'er heaven's illumined arch are ftreaming ; What hues of varied beauty blending, What fair celeftial towers descending ! Salem, city of our God ! The saints' — the martyrs' bleft abode, — 1 see thy gates of pearl unfold, I see thy ftreets of burnifhed gold ; I see thy towers of cryftal mine! Meet temples for a King divine. Hail perfect, pure in virgin pride ! The mighty Lamb's resplendent bride ! 282 Hi eaven. Within thy hallowed courts are found, No lurking cares to vex or wound : No dim eye fheds the hopelefs tear, No bosom throbs with doubt or fear ; And hufhed is Shame's tumultuous thrill, And Paflion's warring ftorm is ftill. No bright sun beams by day, — by night No pale moon fheds her feebler light, — But from that throne of living fire, Where fits revealed the Eternal Sire, Where seraphs raise their loudeft {train, To hail the Lamb that once was (lain, — Though Faith and Hope have pafled away, Love fheds a pure unchanging ray ; What faintly fhone on earth before, Now beams and burns forevermore. Dale. ►HH* PRAISE IN HEAVEN. HARK! hark! the voice of ceaselefs praise, Around Jehovah's throne ; Songs of celeftial joy they raise, To mortal lips unknown. Upon the sea of glafs they ftand, In mining robes of light ; Heaven. 2B3 The harps of God are in their hand, They reft not day or night. Oh! for an angel's perfect love, A seraph's soaring wing, To fing with thousand saints above, The triumphs of our King. On earth our feeble voice we try, In weaknels and in fhame, We blefs, we laud, we magi.ify, We conquer in his name. But oh ! with pure and finlefs heart, His mercies to adore, My God, to know thee as thou art, Nor grieve thy spirit more. Oh! blelTed hope! a "little while," And we, amidtt. that throng, Shall live in our Redeemer's smile, And swell the angels' song. ^fgfP*^ 284 He THERE SHALL BE NO MORE SEA. Rev. 21 : 1. WHEN tempefts tofs, and billows roll, And lightnings rend from pole to pole ; Sweet is the thought to me, That one day it fhall not be so : In the bright world to which I go, The tempefr. mail forget to blow : There fhall be no more sea. My little bark has suffered much From adverse ftorms ; nor is fhe such As once fhe seemed to be : But I mail fhortly be at home, No more a mariner to roam ; When once I to the port am come, There will be no more sea. Then let the waves run mountains high, Confound the deep, perplex the fky, This fhall not always be : One day the sun will brightly fhine With life, and light, and heat divine ; And when that glorious land is mine, There will be no more sea. Heaven. 285 My Pilot tells me not to fear, But truft entirely to his care, And he will guarantee, If only I depend on him, To land me safe in his good time, In yonder purer, happier clime, Where fhall be no more sea. Fyjh. THERE WAS SILENCE IN HEAVEN. Rev. 8 : 1. CAN angel spirits need repose In the full sun-light of the fky ? And can the veil of flumber close A cherub's bright and blazing eye ? Have seraphim a weary brow ; A fainting heart, an aching breaft! No, far too high their pulses flow, To languifli with inglorious reft. Oh! not the death-like calm of fleep Could hum the everlafting song ; No fairy dream or flumber deep Entrance the wrapt and holy throng. 286 Heaven. Yet not the lighted tone was heard From angel voice, or angel hand ; And not one plumed pinion ftirr'd Among the pure and blifsful band. For there was filence in the fky, A joy not angel tongues could tell, — As from its myftic fount on high, The peace of God in ftillnefs fell. O what is filence here below ? The fruit of a conceal'd despair ; The pause of pain, the dream of woe} — It is the reft of rapture there. And to the way-worn pilgrim here, More kindred seems that perfect peace, Than the full chaunts of joy to hear, Roll on, and never, never cease. From earthly agonies set free, Tired with the path too flowly trod, May such a filence welcome me Into the palace of my God. Heaven. 287 HEAVEN. HERE may the band that now in triumph mines, And that (before they were inverted thus) In earthly bodies carried heavenly minds, Pitch round about, in order glorious, Their sunny tents and houses luminous ; All their eternal day in songs employing, Joying their end without end of their joying, While their Almighty Prince deftruclion is deftroying. Their fight drinks lovely fires in at their eyes, Their breath sweet incense with fine breath ac- cloys, That on God's sweating altar burning lies ; Their hungry ears feed on the heavenly noise That angels fing to tell their untold joys ; Their understanding, naked truth, their wills, The all and self-sufficient goodnefs fills, That nothing here is wanting but the want of ills. No sorrow now hangs clouding on their brow ; No bloodlefs malady empales their face : No age drops on their hairs his filver snow j No nakednefs their bodies doth embase ; No poverty themselves and theirs disgrace ; 288 Heaven. No fear of death the joy of life devours ; No unchafte fleep their precious time deflowers ; No lofs, no grief, no change wait on their winged hours. But now their naked bodies scorn the cold, And from their eyes joy looks and laughs at pain ; The infant wonders how he came so old, The old man how he came so young again ; Still refting, though from fleep they ftill refrain ; Where all are rich, and yet no gold they owe ; And all are kings, and yet no subjects know, All full, and yet no time they do on food beftow. About the holy city rolls a flood Of molten cryftal, like a sea of glafs, On which weak ftream a ftrong foundation ftood : Of living diamonds the building was, That all things else, befides itself, did pafs. Her ftreets, inftead of ftones, the ftars did pave, And little pearls for duft it seemed to have, On which soft ftreaming manna like pure snow did wave. It is no flaming luftre, made of light ; No sweet consent, or well-tuned harmony ; Ambrofia, for to feaft the appetite ; Or flowery odor mixed with spicery ; No soft embrace or pleasure bodily : Heaven. 289 And yet it is a kind of inward feaft, A harmony that sounds within the breaft, An odor, light, embrace, in which the soul doth reft. A heavenly feaft no hunger can consume ; A light unseen, yet mines in every place ; A sound no time can fteal ; a sweet perfume No winds can scatter ; an entire embrace That no satiety can e'er unlace ; Ingraced into so high a favor there, The saints with their beaupeers whole worlds outwear, And things unseen do see, and things unheard do hear. Ye blefTed souls, grown richer by your spoil, Whose lofs, though great, is cause of greater gains ; Here may your weary spirits reft from toil, Spending your endlefs evening that remains Among those white flocks and celeftial trains That feed upon their Shepherd's eyes, and frame That heavenly mufic of so wondrous frame, Psalming aloud the holy honors of his name ! Giles Fletcher. 15 86-1 623. J 9 290 He NEARER HOME. ONE sweetly welcome thought, Comes to me o'er and o'er ; I 'm nearer home to-day Than I 've ever been before ; Nearer my Father's house Where the many manfions be ; Nearer the Great White Throne, Nearer the Jasper Sea ; Nearer that bound of life, Where we lay our burdens down — Nearer leaving the crofs, Nearer gaining the crown. But lying dimly between, Winding down through the night, Lies the dark and uncertain ftream That leads us at length to the light. Closer and closer my fteps Come to the dark abysm, Closer Death to my lips Preffes the awful chrism ; Heaven. 291 Father, perfect my truft ! Strengthen my feeble faith ! Let me feel as I would when I ftand On the fhores of the river of Death — Feel as I would, were my feet Even now flipping over the brink ; For it may be I 'm nearer home, Nearer now, than I think! THE TWO WORLDS. Mf. Carey. TWO worlds there are. To one our eyes we ftrain, Whose magic joys we fhall not see again : Bright haze of morning veils its glimmering more. Ah, truly breathed we there Intoxicating air — Glad were our hearts in that sweet .realm of Nevermore. The lover there drank her delicious breath Whose love has yielded fince to change or death ; The mother kifled her child whose days are o'er. Alas ! too soon have fled The irreclaimable dead : We see them — vifions ftrange — amid the Nevermore. 292 Heaven. The merry song some maiden used to Ting — The brown, brown hair that once was wont to clinj To temples long clay-cold : to the very core They ftrike our weary hearts, As some vexed memory ftarts From that long faded land — the realm of Nevermore. It is perpetual summer there. But here Sadly we may remember rivers clear, And harebells quivering on the meadow-floor. For brighter bells and bluer, For tenderer hearts and truer, People that happy land — the realm of Nevermore. Upon the frontier of this fhadowy land We, pilgrims of eternal sorrow, ftand : What realm lies forward, with its happier (lore Of forefts green and deep, Of valleys hufhed in fleep, And lakes moft peaceful ? 'T is the land of Evermore. Very far off its marble cities seem — Very far off — beyond our sensual dream — Its woods, unruffled by the wild winds' roar : Yet does the turbulent surge Howl on its very verge. One moment — and we breathe within the Evermore. Heaven. 293 They whom we loved and loft so long ago, Dwell in those cities, far from mortal woe- — Haunt those frefh woodlands, whence sweet carol- ling soar. Eternal peace have they : God wipes their tears away : They drink that river of life which flows for Evermore. Thither we haften through these regions dim, But lo ! the wide wings of the Seraphim , Shine in the sunset ! On that joyous fhore Our lightened hearts fhall know The life of long ago : The sorrow-burdened paft fhall fade for Evermore. Dublin Unlverfity Magazine. Miscellaneous. 297 MISCELLANEOUS. ^T^Qjc$>g>