\l LTBHAllY 
 
 'y/c// 
 
 OF CJX(i]i,ESS. 1 
 
 
 # 
 i 
 
 <^./,, 
 
 ^li.VITEO STATKS OF AMERICA,!' 
 
Ct?igHau ||0im5. 
 
 //■^ 
 
 FnirHOLEMAisr, 
 
 FOEMttRLt RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, BOONVILLE, MO. 
 
 O how timiable are Thy dwellings, Thou Lord of hosts 
 Psalm \xxxiv.— Prayer Book. 
 
 V' 
 
 <t PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, 
 
 BY THE CLAREMONT MANUFACTURING CO. 
 CLAREMOKT, N. H. 
 
 1865. 
 
T2> i^'^^ 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by 
 
 F. R. HOLEMAN, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of 
 New Hampshire. 
 
TO THE 
 
 REV. JOHN N. NORTON, D. D., 
 
 RECTOR OF ASCENSION CHURCH, FRANKFORT, KY., 
 
 S^^is fumble liilU Volume 
 IS KESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, 
 
 AS A SLIGHT TEIBUTE OF BEGABD. 
 
" Breast the wave, Christian, when it is strongest ; 
 Watch for day, Christian, when night is longest; 
 Onward and onward still be thine endeavor, — 
 The rest that remaineth endureth forever. 
 
 •* Fight the fight, Christian ; Jesus is o'er thee ; 
 Run the race, Christian ; Heaven is before thee: 
 He who hath promised faltereth never; — 
 Oh trust in the Lord that endureth forever. 
 
 " Lift the eye, Christian, just as it closeth ; 
 Raise the heart, Christian, ere it reposeth; 
 Nothing thy soul from the Saviour shall sever; 
 Soon shalt thou mount upward to praise Him forever.' 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Preface • 7 
 
 Domus Colurabse...* ^^ 
 
 Dead in Sin 15 
 
 Speak Gentle Words 20 
 
 The Rainy Sunday 24 
 
 When Christians are United 32 
 
 In the Future 36 
 
 No Church of God 42 
 
 Loneliness ^^ 
 
 Watching 50 
 
 Veni, Jesu 55 
 
 The Inner Life 61 
 
 Angel Songs ^8 
 
 The Lord's Prayer 1^9 
 
 Statuary 122 
 
 The Church, Independence, Mo 126 
 
 A Vision 12^ 
 
 A Missionary Story 135 
 
 Cross of Christ 140 
 
 1* 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 Christian Hearted 142 
 
 Church Bells 144 
 
 Advent 146 
 
 Easter 151 
 
 Ascension Day in St George's (C."W.) 153 
 
 Hymn of Death 158 
 
 Ministry of Angels 160 
 
 The Inquiry 163 
 
 The Unseen Way... 166 
 
 Gloria in Excelsis 168 
 
 The Light 172 
 
 Fairland 184 
 
 Hymn to Christ 189 
 
 The Flight 191 
 
 The Blessed 194 
 
 Notes 203 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The Churcli of Christ, teaching the pure 
 religion which She does, cannot but stir up the 
 hearts of those who" go round about Her" 
 and " mark well Her bulwarks." (Ps. xlviii. 
 11, 12.) In one form or another, we must 
 celebrate Her praise. It is but the natural 
 result of witnessing Her loveliness. The 
 Word of God d^wlling within Her according 
 to His promise — " Lo, I am with you alway, 
 even unto the end of the world " — exhibiting 
 Himself in Her Scriptures, Creeds, Liturgies 
 and the lives of Her children ; the ** Ministry 
 of the Word," reaching from the beginning 
 to the ending, building up the Kingdom of 
 the Redeemer by the Word, "the Sword 
 
Vm PREFACE. 
 
 of the Spirit;" the Holy Sacraments, repre- 
 senting the beginning and the growth of 
 the Life of God within us, and being the 
 means of building us up spiritually in the 
 strength and image of Christ, making us chil- 
 dren of God, and inheritors of the Kingdom 
 of Heaven, — are subjects which must stir the 
 souls of thoughtful Christians and make them 
 write or speak, whether they would or not. 
 Though one may have no great confidence in 
 his ability, yet must he do these things almost 
 of necessity. 
 
 No matter how imperfect our productions 
 may be in certain respects^ it is in this way, 
 in a great measure, that the Word of God 
 and the graces of the Holy Spirit are com- 
 municated from heart to heart. 
 
 The "Christian Poems," which are here 
 presented to my brethren, are but the natural 
 results of being a Christian Churchman. 
 They are necessarily imperfect, for the seed 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 has fallen upon very unproductive soil. The 
 critic will find little or nothing to admire, and 
 would not be paid for the trouble of reading. 
 The scholar will find very little to interest 
 him. But there are many Christians of an 
 humbler class, who might be pleased if not 
 benefitted by reading these pages ; and it is 
 with this thought that I humbly submit 
 them. 
 
 OsHAWA, C. W., Nov. 3, 1864. 
 
CHRISTIAN POEMS. 
 
 mu €ahm]iM. 
 
 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the 
 Spirit of God dwelleth in you? — 1 Cor. iii. 16. 
 
 1. 
 
 jTTffHERE is the Church of God ? 
 ^•^•^ Where, oh where? 
 Ask in the wealthy town, — 
 
 It is there : 
 Not in the feeble place 
 
 Where are poor — 
 Wealth builds a Church for self,. 
 
 Seldom more. 
 
12 DOMUS COLUMB^. 
 
 2. 
 
 Fair, in the lordly street, 
 
 Rich with domes, 
 There look, and you will find 
 
 Jesu's homes. 
 Sweet in the bright green wood, 
 
 There, oh there 
 Look, look and see a house 
 
 Built for prayer. 
 
 Yet, though poor we be, 
 
 Christ will dwell. 
 E'en in the poorest heart, 
 
 Just as well ; 
 And, though no wealth we have — 
 
 Shining gold — 
 .'Rich is the heart that e'er 
 
 Christ will hold. 
 
 Fair. is the bosom church. 
 
 Fair and sweet, 
 .Ay, when we look within 
 
 Christ to greet,: 
 
DOMUS COLUMBiE. 13 
 
 Bearing along with thee 
 
 Every-where, 
 There is the Church of God, 
 
 There, oh there. 
 
 Domus Columbse, ay, 
 
 Let me be, 
 From whence the Holy Dove 
 
 Ne'er shall flee ; 
 Like to a censer swung. 
 
 Filled with sweet. 
 E'er let my heart send up 
 
 Praises meet. 
 
 6. 
 
 Wandering with angels oft 
 
 Far away, 
 Let, let my spirit sing 
 
 Sweet as they ; 
 Oh ! be this bosom Church 
 
 Pure and clean. 
 
 Showing by sign without 
 
 What's within. 
 2 
 
14 DOMES COLCMB^. 
 
 7. 
 
 Wearing the cross of Christ 
 
 Without shame, 
 Shining more brightly ^hen 
 
 Others blame : 
 Christ's Church your bosom be, 
 
 Ever clean ; 
 Ope wide, whene'er He knocks 
 
 Let Him in. 
 
 8. 
 When one shall ask of thee 
 
 Where, oh where, 
 Is found the Church of God, 
 
 Tell him — there : 
 And if you pray to Him 
 
 Christ will come, 
 Making thy bosom too 
 E'er His home. 
 
galf in Sin, 
 
 am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 
 
 Matt. ix. 13. 
 
 1. 
 
 *tjf S winds in summer softly blow, 
 •mS^b a gentle voice, so sweet and low, 
 
 Was heard to say, — 
 Poor wand'rer through this vale of tears, 
 Why through so many weary years 
 
 From God astray ? 
 
 2. 
 The answer came, ** I'm dead in sin. 
 My heart is bare and foul within ; 
 
 Unfit am I 
 To walk with those who wait with God, 
 To tread the paths the Saviour trod. 
 
 So pure and high." 
 
16 DEAD IN SIN. 
 
 3. 
 
 Still, said the voice so sweet and low, 
 If life you wish, arise and go, 
 
 And never wait : 
 The life of God begin, begin ; 
 The Christian journeys but from sin 
 
 To Heaven's gate. 
 
 4. 
 
 But yet he said, "An erring child. 
 My heart is bare, and all defiled ; 
 
 Unfit am I 
 To walk with those who walk with God, 
 To tread the paths the Saviour trod, 
 
 So pure and high." 
 
 6. 
 
 An angel from the fields of heaven 
 Was passing at the fall of even, 
 
 And lingered by : 
 He heard these words, so meekly said. 
 And straight away in flight he sped 
 
 Into the sky. 
 
DEAD IN SIN. 
 
 6. 
 
 17 
 
 Far past tlie worlds liis fliglit lie bore, 
 Where blessed spirits ever soar 
 
 In life and liglit, 
 And, folding up his silver wings 
 Where anthems reach the King of kings, 
 
 He ceased his flight. 
 
 7. 
 
 And as the words he heard were told, 
 Sweet floods of music rose and rolled 
 
 Them gently on, 
 Till far among the worlds away, 
 The farthest in the realms of day 
 
 Were fully won. 
 
 An undulating golden flood. 
 
 They reached the dreadful Throne of God 
 
 And Christ the Son, 
 And angels hung on pendent wing- 
 To hear so strange and sad a thing 
 
 Beneath the sun. 
 2* 
 
18 DEAD IN SIN. 
 
 Then meekly passed, in silent flight, 
 The Saviour on the wings of light, 
 
 In endless love ; 
 And far along the trackless space, 
 Past worlds He came — His holy face 
 
 Like God above. 
 
 10. 
 
 He came and stood where, just before. 
 This erring mortal foul and poor 
 
 Confessed his sin ; 
 And at this heart, so full of stain, 
 He gently knocked and knocked again 
 
 To enter in. 
 
 11. 
 
 Then rose the voice he heard before. 
 Arise, arise, forevermore, 
 
 And let Him in, — 
 Who knocketh now without thy door 
 "Will cleanse thy heart, so foul and poor, 
 
 From all its sin. 
 
DEAD IN SIN. 19 
 
 12. 
 
 "Alas ! I am so bare and foul 
 He will not come into my soul," 
 
 The poor one said; 
 And still the Savior knocked, and knocked, 
 But entered not, — the door was locked. 
 
 As all were dead. 
 
 13. 
 
 Then from this heart, so foul and poor. 
 The Saviour passed, forevermore, 
 
 Away, away — 
 There are some hearts so dead in sin. 
 That He can never enter in 
 
 With living ray. 
 
 14. 
 
 But oh ! on earth there's naught so sad. 
 There is no heart so blindly mad, 
 
 So foul within. 
 Who has so woful bitter lot 
 As he who owns, but feeleth not 
 
 The depth of sin. 
 
^pitli inttU Mjaris. 
 
 I pray for them also which shall believe on Me through 
 their word. — St. John, xvii. 20. 
 
 t/PEAK gentle words, 
 C^ Do kindly things : 
 Let deeds of love 
 
 Have angels' wings ; 
 Be just and good, 
 
 Strive all you can 
 To soothe and bless 
 
 Your fellow man. 
 
 2. 
 
 For lo ! his breast 
 
 Is finely strung 
 "With cords that have 
 
 A strange, deep tongue, 
 
SPEAK GENTLE WORDS. 21 
 
 Where every touch 
 
 Can wake a strain 
 That never will 
 
 Be hush'd again. 
 
 3. 
 
 If rough the hand, 
 
 The note will wake, 
 The tender cord 
 
 Will sound and break ; 
 And as the wave 
 
 Spent on the shore, 
 The sound is hush'd 
 
 Forevermore. 
 
 4. 
 
 Ay, words and looks 
 
 Are living things, 
 That wake the depth 
 
 Of these soft strings ; 
 And, as the sounds 
 
 We hear at sea, 
 They echo in 
 
 The time to be. 
 
22 SPEAK GENTLE WORDS. 
 5. 
 
 A gentle word, 
 
 A kindly eye, 
 A deed of love 
 
 Done tenderly, 
 A thought expressed, 
 
 Can give to day 
 What never time 
 
 Can take away — 
 
 6. 
 
 Can touch the heart 
 
 With such deep power, 
 They cheer and bless 
 
 Life's darkest hour, 
 As spirits sent 
 
 On Heaven's wings, 
 As God Himself 
 
 Did touch the strings. 
 
 7. 
 Tliey fill the life 
 
 With gentle dreams, 
 And make the world 
 
 Less what it seems^; 
 
SPEAK GENTLE WORDS. 23 
 
 And hold a calm, 
 
 Soft, sweet control 
 When storms arise 
 
 To shake the soul. 
 
 8. 
 
 Kind words are sweet 
 
 And blessed things : 
 The Saviour moves 
 
 Upon their wings ; 
 And holy bands 
 
 Of angels go, 
 As gentle words 
 
 Fly to and fro. 
 
 9. 
 
 Kind words are forms 
 
 That spirits take, 
 When working for 
 
 The Saviour's sake ; 
 And Christ doth build 
 
 His Kingdom here, 
 By gentle words, 
 
 From year to year. 
 
%\t lining StttiJ^ag. 
 
 How dreadful is this place ! this is none other but the house 
 of God; and this is the gate of Heaven.— Geji. xxviii. 17. 
 
 1. 
 
 ^HE Sunday came, 
 And the pelting rain 
 Was pouring down 
 
 With its might and main ; 
 And clouds, as sprites 
 
 Of a misty wing, 
 Shook out their floods 
 As in time of Spring. 
 
 2. 
 
 And water stood 
 
 On the thirsty sod, 
 And nature seemed 
 
 To be praising God : 
 
THE RAINY SUNDAY. 25 
 
 The flowers too, 
 
 With a fresher bloom, 
 Sent up to Him 
 
 A more sweet perfume. 
 
 The mists arose 
 
 From the thankful wood, 
 As incense, up 
 
 From the earth to God ; 
 And e'en the "streets, 
 
 In the dusty town, 
 Most thankful seemed 
 
 As the rain came down. 
 
 And sweet, the Church 
 
 In the distance stood^ 
 And swung its bell 
 
 As a call from God ; 
 But, ladies fine. 
 
 With their tiny feet,. , 
 Would not come out 
 
 On the sloppy street. 
 
26 THE RAINY SUNDAY. 
 
 5. 
 
 Their silks and lawns 
 
 They had laid away, 
 To worship God ' 
 
 On a fairer day ; 
 As mortals dead 
 
 To a life on high, 
 The fairer robes 
 
 Of the soul, lay by. 
 
 6. 
 
 And Christian men, 
 
 With a pious look, 
 Would spend the day 
 
 With a pleasing book ; 
 And conscience clear, 
 
 Which would seem to say 
 That worship's due 
 
 But the fairest day. 
 
 7. 
 But loud the bell, 
 
 In the belfry swung, 
 So clear and sweet. 
 
 As an angel tongue 
 
THE RAINY SUNDAY. 27 
 
 Proclaimed to men, 
 
 Through the misty air, 
 The time to praise 
 
 And to offer prayer. 
 
 8. 
 
 The sturdy walls, 
 
 And the pictured pane, 
 Kept out the sound 
 
 Of the dashing rain ; 
 And though without 
 
 Was a stormy din, 
 The holy church 
 
 Was all calm within. 
 
 9. 
 
 And every thing 
 
 That I saw was bright. 
 For the Lamb of God 
 
 Is the Church's light ; 
 But, few were there 
 
 On that dusky day, 
 Though some had come 
 
 From afar away. 
 
28 THE RAINY SUNDAY. 
 
 10. 
 
 And yet, the priest 
 
 Of the Lord was there, 
 With clean white heart, 
 
 And in vestments fair, 
 To lead along 
 
 In the narrow way, 
 The same when dark 
 
 As when bright the day. 
 
 11. 
 
 • The stilly calm, 
 
 In the house of prayer, 
 With him proclaimed 
 
 That the Lord dwelt there ; 
 And puie and clear, 
 
 As too high for man, 
 The service sweet 
 
 Of the Church began. 
 
 12, 
 
 The sins confessed, 
 And the lowly prayer 
 
 Arose aloft 
 
 On the stilly air ; 
 
THE RAINY SUNDAY. 29 
 
 And meek and pure 
 
 As an angel sang, 
 The mellow tones 
 
 Of the organ rang. 
 
 13. 
 
 But all unseen, 
 
 In the Church the while, 
 Bright angels stood | 
 
 In the hallowed aisle ; 
 And, soft as light 
 
 From the window, drew 
 Where, cushioned well, 
 
 Was the empty pew. 
 
 14. 
 
 The time passed on, 
 
 And the service o'er. 
 The people went 
 
 From the church's door ; 
 But high and bright. 
 
 On their fleecy wings. 
 The angels went 
 
 To the King of kings, 
 
30 THE RAINY SUNDAY. 
 
 15. 
 
 And bore aloft, 
 
 On the upper air, 
 The songs of praise 
 
 And the lowly prayer ; 
 And soon were far 
 
 In the sky away, 
 "Within the realms 
 
 Of eternal day. 
 
 16. 
 
 And then I saw, 
 
 To the Lord are dear 
 The faithful prayers 
 
 Of His servants here ; 
 And that they rise 
 
 To the realms of light, 
 When dark the day 
 
 As when 'tis bright. 
 
 17. 
 
 And oh ! I saw. 
 Within my soul. 
 
 That when each pew 
 In the church is full. 
 
THE RAINY SUNDAY. 31 
 
 The angels hear 
 
 No worship away^ 
 But such as I heard » 
 
 On the rainy day. 
 
Slfent Christians Mt anitti. 
 
 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of 
 our Lord, and of His Christ ; and He shall reign forever and 
 ever.— Rev. xi. 15. 
 
 1. 
 
 I HE time doth hasten on apace, 
 And every day is nearer, 
 When Christian hearts, all bound in love, 
 
 Shall each to each be dearer : 
 The sound of strife shall fade away, 
 
 And every heart be plighted, — 
 It shall be known #^on that day 
 That Christians are united. 
 
 2. 
 
 The bells shall take the tidings glad. 
 
 And each to each deliver, 
 Till round and round the earth they sound, 
 
 And through the sky forever ; 
 
WHEN CHRISTIANS ARE UNITED. 33 
 
 The very sun shall brighter be, 
 
 The hills and vales delighted, 
 The foaming seas shall clap their hands 
 
 When Christians are united. 
 
 3. 
 
 The sons of men shall know a joy ^ 
 
 Which in the earth was never, 
 And sweets beyond their highest wish, 
 
 Forever, and forever ; 
 The heart shall answer back to heart 
 
 In truest friendship plighted, 
 And sorrow never more be known 
 
 When Christians are united. 
 
 4. 
 
 The folds of Christ, so scattered now. 
 
 Shall join, no more to sever ; 
 And tongues that erst were used in strife. 
 
 Shall strive no more forever : 
 All prejudice and angry pride. 
 
 Like birds of prey affrighted. 
 Shall take their everlasting flight 
 
 When Christians are united. 
 
34 WHEN CHRISTIANS ARE UNITED. 
 
 5. 
 
 Our Zion too, shall lift lier head 
 
 O'er every distant region, 
 And far and wide her hands shall spread 
 
 In many a peacef-iil legion ; 
 And loud her choirs, in rapture sweet, 
 
 As souls of heaven ignited, 
 Shall send the grand Te Deum up 
 
 When Christians are united. 
 
 6. 
 
 The priest, in robes of snowy white, 
 
 Shall answer back the choir ; 
 The thrilling notes shall go to God 
 
 In words of living fire ; 
 The smiling lands that heretofore 
 
 Were heathen, all benighted. 
 Shall join the endless hymns of praise 
 
 When Christians are united. 
 
 7. 
 The soft and sweet liturgic words 
 
 Shall gently rise to heaven ; 
 The Morning Prayer shall ope the day, 
 
 And prayer shall close the even ; 
 
WHEN CHRISTIANS ARE UNITED. 35 
 
 The Christian Year with holy feast, 
 
 Like gold with rubies lighted, 
 Shall brighter roll 'neath Paschal moon 
 
 When Christians are united. 
 
 The flocks of Christ shall wander forth 
 
 Beside the limpid river ; 
 One Fold there'll be, and Shepherd one, 
 
 Forever and forever ; 
 Then everlasting peace shall reign, 
 
 Nor tender hope be blighted, 
 And God Himself shall dwell with men 
 
 When Christians are united. 
 
|« i\t $x\tnxt. 
 
 The wolf algo shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard 
 shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf and the young lion 
 and the failing together.— IjaiaA xi. 6. 
 
 1. 
 
 ^]7[f ESTWARD, westward by the prairie, 
 ^*^»* Where the sun goes down to sleep, 
 Where the blessed Son of Mary 
 Has a few but scattered sheep. 
 
 2. 
 
 By the swiftly flowing waters, 
 O my soul, how sweet the thing ! 
 
 All Missouri's lovely daughters 
 Sang the chants I love to sing ; 
 
 3. 
 
 Sang them loud and sang them sweetly, 
 
 O'er the hill and o'er the dell, 
 Till my soul was lost completely 
 
 In the high tumultuous swell. 
 
IN THE FUTURE. 37 
 
 4. 
 
 Holy churches, rich and glowing, 
 
 Eose in every city fair ; 
 Golden crosses rising, showing 
 
 Where to find the house of prayer. 
 
 5. 
 
 All the cruel, vain dissensions 
 
 Died upon the air away ; 
 And the Church, in broad dimensions, 
 
 Towered in a flood of day. 
 
 6. 
 
 All her children fondly loved her 
 For her graces fair and sweet, 
 
 And the Lord above, that proved her, 
 Saw His children at her feet : 
 
 7. 
 
 Heard her teach, in gentle wooings, 
 
 In the holy ways He trod. 
 
 Of His life, and of His doings. 
 
 Leading all through Him to God ; 
 4 
 
38 IN THE FUTURE. 
 
 8. 
 
 Heard her at the Christmas season 
 Telling of His lowly birth, 
 
 Of the reason, blessed reason, 
 
 That the Church is green on earth. 
 
 9. 
 
 Of the star that led the wise men 
 O'er the hill, the rock and glen, — 
 
 Leading, by a light in heaven. 
 To the Light sprung up to men ; 
 
 f 
 
 10. 
 
 • 
 
 Showing to the world forever, 
 
 How that Christ was God indeed, 
 
 How the daily sins of many 
 Caused the Holy One to bleed : 
 
 IL 
 
 Telling of His death and passion. 
 In the solemn Lenten tide, 
 
 Filling all the year till Easter, 
 With the Saviour crucified. 
 
IN THE FUTURE. 
 
 12. 
 
 Priestly garments white and flowing, 
 Whispered of the angel's dress; 
 
 How the priest, with fervor glowing. 
 Must be clothed with righteousness. 
 
 13. 
 
 Gentle zephyrs, softly flying, 
 Bore upon their scented wing 
 
 Holy songs, the songs undying. 
 Which the distant Churches sing. 
 
 14. 
 
 Oh ! how sweetly rose at morning 
 Holy Church's daily prayer, 
 
 As arise the clouds at dawning. 
 Meekly on the quiet air. 
 
 15. 
 
 Gentler than the breath of heaven, 
 Daily rose the even chime ; 
 
 Bride of Jesus, by her worship. 
 Telling of the flight of time, 
 
 39 
 
40 IN THE FUTURE. 
 
 16. 
 
 Marking days, by holy music 
 
 Sweeter than the sounds we hear, 
 
 As is marked the time in Heaven 
 By the angel worshipper. 
 
 17. 
 
 But, this was a passing vision, 
 Bursting sweetly on my mind ; 
 
 Picture of my daily yearnings 
 For the blessing of mankind. 
 
 18. 
 
 Call me though no idle dreamer, 
 For I see an ao^e before — 
 
 See Thee, my blest Redeemer, 
 In Thy reign forevermore. 
 
 19. 
 
 Ever will my powers fail me, 
 
 Dwelling on this boundless theme ; 
 
 But beheve me, oh believe me. 
 This is not an empty dream. 
 
IN THE FUTURE. 
 20. 
 
 There shall be one Fold and Shepherd, 
 Out of every earthly creed ; 
 
 And the lion and the leopard 
 By the stalled ox shall feed. 
 
 21. 
 
 Then, Missouri, shall thy daughters 
 Sing in love the chants I sing. 
 
 Till thy very hills and waters 
 
 Clap their hands to Christ the King. 
 
 22. 
 
 Sing them loud, and sing them sweetly 
 O'er the hill, the rock and dell, 
 
 Till the land is filled completely 
 With the high tumultuous swell. 
 
 41 
 
l0 CI]urt| 0f (i0lj. 
 
 I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house, nor 
 climb up into my bed ; I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor 
 mine eyelids to slumber; neither the temples of my head to 
 take any rest; until I find out a place for the temple of the 
 Lord J an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. 
 
 Fs. cxxxii. 3 — 5. 
 
 1. 
 
 -flft Church of God ! 
 «**^ No place of prayer ! 
 Though many men 
 
 And fields so fair ! — 
 The sky is bright, 
 
 The wild birds sing, 
 Tliere is delight 
 
 In every thing. 
 
 2. 
 
 There 's wealth enow, 
 
 And plenty wood, 
 Where forests stand. 
 
 To build for God ; 
 
NO CHURCH OF GOD. 4^ 
 
 And man is strong, 
 
 With axe and nail, 
 To build a bouse 
 
 Witb cbancel-rail. 
 
 And people, too, 
 Are lost in sin, 
 
 There's need enow 
 That we begin : 
 
 But where are homes 
 In fine estate, 
 
 The Church of God 
 
 , Is desolate. 
 
 4. 
 
 The bending priest 
 
 To lead in prayer, 
 Alas ! may kneel 
 
 In open air ; 
 The wintry snow 
 
 His surplice white, 
 The frozen mound 
 
 The altar bright. 
 
44 NO CHURCH OF GOD. 
 
 5. 
 
 The fire to warm 
 
 Within his soul, 
 The glowing font, 
 
 The leaves that roll ; 
 The grapes that fall 
 
 Within the wood. 
 The sacrifice 
 
 Of Jesu's blood. 
 
 6. 
 
 The coldest things, 
 
 O God, that be, 
 Are human hearts 
 
 When cold to Thee : 
 Oh that my tongue 
 
 Were fire then. 
 Enough to warm 
 
 The hearts of men. 
 
 7. 
 I'd cry, until 
 
 The woods that wave 
 Were formed into 
 
 A holy nave ; 
 
NO CHURCH OF GOD. 45 
 
 For angel hosts 
 
 Weep tears of blood 
 When men have homes, 
 
 But none for God. 
 
 8. 
 
 But here, indeed, 
 
 A Church shall be, 
 With altar, desk 
 
 And baptistery ; 
 And ever, too, 
 
 An earnest throng 
 Shall pour to God 
 
 The worship-song. 
 
 9. 
 
 If men for Christ 
 
 Will build it ne'er, 
 The rocks and wood 
 
 The pile shall rear ; 
 For there shall be 
 
 No earthly sod. 
 Where blossoms not 
 
 A Church of God. 
 
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall 
 find, bid to the marriage. — Matt. xxii. 9. 
 
 1. 
 
 ^HE bright sweet Church, with cross 
 and book, 
 And altar fair to see, 
 May cheer full many a Christian heart, 
 But never cheereth me. 
 
 2. 
 
 The hallowed nave, with brown old oak, 
 
 And spangled roof above, 
 I never see, nor holy things 
 
 My soul hath learned to love. 
 
 3. 
 
 I never see the steeple-cross, 
 
 Nor hear the merry bell, 
 Nor see the chancel's holy light, 
 
 As the smile of Emmanuel. 
 
LONELINESS. 47 
 
 4. 
 
 I ne'er can look on the surpliced priest, 
 As lie kneels in the Church to pray, 
 
 Nor hear the deep-toned organ pour 
 The songs of the olden day. 
 
 5. 
 
 But far away o'er the western plains, 
 
 In a land unblest of God, 
 I lift the sign of the Saviour's death, 
 
 Upon the virgin sod. 
 
 6. 
 
 But I will not grieve for my lonely lot, 
 
 For I know the day will come 
 When the barren land shall be full of Christ, 
 
 And the earth shall be His home. 
 
 7. 
 
 And lo ! where'er my feet shall tread, 
 
 The Church of God shall be, 
 With chancel-rail and broken bread, 
 
 And holy baptistery. 
 
48 LONELINESS. 
 
 8. 
 
 And tliougli I sleep beneath the sod 
 Till Christ shall come again, 
 
 This land shall blossom all to God, 
 From hill-top unto glen. 
 
 9. 
 
 Then be the sky my vaulted roof, 
 With stars and holy scene ; 
 
 The woods, the pillars mossy-proof, 
 With the vines and living green. 
 
 10. 
 
 Where'er I kneel, an altar there, 
 And a font within the flood ; 
 
 And well my heart can eat, within. 
 The Body and the Blood. 
 
 11. 
 
 And though I never sit me where 
 
 My heart is wont to be, 
 I'll raise my soul above the earth 
 
 With loved ones far away. 
 
LONELINESS. 49 
 
 12. 
 
 And when the song of love shall roll 
 
 From East unto the West, 
 My soul shall catch the full sweet sound, 
 
 And swell it on to Christ. 
 
 13. 
 
 And when the rosy morning wakes 
 
 The wild birds' sportive lay, 
 ni fall upon my knees to God, 
 
 And for His Kingdom pray, 
 
 14. 
 
 That men may come o'er wood and wild, 
 
 From the lands along the sea ; 
 Till every heart shall be turned to God, 
 
 And the earth shall His Kingdom be : 
 
 15. 
 
 And temples shall rise o'er hill and glen. 
 
 With bells that shall never cease ; 
 
 And we feel in our hearts that Christ is come 
 
 In the endless reign of peace. 
 5 
 
Matt|nng. 
 
 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord 
 so comeih-as a thief in the night.— 1 Thess. v. 2. 
 
 I IS fall of eve, 
 And through the sky, 
 On golden wings 
 
 The day-beams fly ; 
 And distant stars 
 
 In might disclose, 
 The deepness of 
 The sky's repose. 
 
 2. 
 
 With beams lit up 
 
 By heaven's light, 
 They deck the brow 
 
 Of silent night. 
 
WATCHING. 51 
 
 And send those beams 
 
 In love to say, 
 There is a life 
 
 Afar away. 
 
 3. 
 
 The soft clouds float 
 
 With golden crest, 
 As birds, that fly 
 
 To seek their nest ; 
 So sweet their flight. 
 
 The tutor'd eye 
 Scarce marks them move 
 
 Along the sky. 
 
 4. 
 
 The homes of men 
 
 Are half in night, 
 While still they float 
 
 In beams of light ; 
 And meekly hold 
 
 Their silent way 
 Through galaxy. 
 
 And galaxy. 
 
52 WATCHING. 
 
 5. 
 
 As each one bore 
 
 In liquid fire, 
 From other worlds 
 
 An angel choir, 
 With trailing robes 
 
 Of snowy white, 
 And wondrous hues 
 
 Of heaven's light : — 
 
 6. 
 
 As if again 
 
 Were sang by them, 
 The angel song 
 
 Of Bethlehem ; 
 As if the Lord 
 
 In love they wait, 
 And float around 
 
 The outer gate. 
 
 7. 
 But O my soul, 
 
 When in the sky 
 I see the sweet 
 
 Clouds wander by, 
 
WATCHING. 
 
 53 
 
 And see tlie worlds 
 That sliine above, 
 
 The happy worlds 
 Of endlesss love, 
 
 Methinks I see 
 
 The pure and bright. 
 The spirits of 
 
 Those worlds of light ; 
 Tlieir bhssful homes 
 
 Away I see, 
 And every cloud 
 
 Is bright to me. 
 
 9. 
 
 Tlie night succeeds — 
 
 The quiet night, 
 And still I see 
 
 Those forms of light ; 
 And ever hear 
 
 My Saviour say, — 
 
 " Be faithful, true. 
 
 And watch and pray." 
 5* 
 
54 WATCHING. 
 
 10. 
 
 " In clouds I come, 
 
 And clothed with might : 
 But, as a thief, 
 
 I come at night." 
 Lord Jesus, come. 
 
 But let me be 
 All ready — clean, 
 
 And true to Thee. 
 
^m, 'inn. 
 
 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bride- 
 groom Cometh ', go ye out to meet Him.— Matt. xxv. 6. 
 
 3ESUS, Saviour, we adore Thee ! 
 Heathen hearts and Jews ignore Thee ; 
 Veni, Jesu, we implore Thee ! 
 
 Lord, we wait Thee in our weeping, 
 Wait Thee, Thy great promise keeping, 
 In the clouds with angels sweeping. 
 
 3. 
 
 Bright the day, Thou Light of Heaven, 
 When we meet Thee, sins forgiven, 
 And our chains forever riven ! 
 
56 VENI, JESU. 
 
 4. 
 
 We sliall ever stand before Thee, 
 TliroiiQjli all ao;es to adore Thee — 
 Come, Lord Jesus, we unplore Thee ! 
 
 In the clouds, come ere the dawning, 
 
 Ere the rosy light of morning, 
 
 Lo, we watch by thy sweet warning. 
 
 6. 
 
 Time, Lord Jesu, time is passing, 
 And our sorrows are amassing, 
 Thy delay our fears surpassing. 
 
 7. 
 We are bitter vigils keeping, 
 Though the foolish may be sleeping, 
 We are watching, yea, and weeping. 
 
 Long we wait, and Thou dost tarry, 
 And no cloud is seen to bear Thee, 
 Holy Son of blessed Mary. 
 
VENI, JESU. 57 
 
 9. 
 
 Yea, our lamps are trimmed and burning, 
 And our hearts are yearning, yearning, 
 Jesu, for Thy quick returning ! 
 
 10. 
 
 Why so long, O Bridegroom, tarry, 
 When the Bride is decked to marry ? 
 Can the Lord of love miscarry ! 
 
 11. 
 
 This is midnight, this Thy warning, 
 For no thief comes at the dawning, 
 Nor the Bridegroom in the morning. 
 
 12. 
 
 This is midnight, night of terror — 
 Lo ! Thy children walk in error : 
 Wisdom cries, nor will they hear her. 
 
 13. 
 
 Night of sorrow, night appalling. 
 As the very stars were falling, 
 And we heard the trumpets calling. 
 
58 VENI, JESU. 
 
 14. 
 
 Nation warretli now witli nation, 
 T3Tants hear no supplication, 
 Blood is spilt as a libation, — 
 
 15. 
 
 Grasping for wliat is another's, 
 Children, born of kindred mothers, 
 Rise in arms to stay their brothers :- 
 
 16. 
 
 Death his wings in anger spreadeth, 
 Where the cruel warrior treadeth ; 
 Every bosom quaketh, dreadeth. • 
 
 17. 
 
 Heaven's powers now are shaken. 
 Terrors upon terrors waken, 
 Man in every snare is taken. 
 
 18. 
 
 Threefold are Thy woeful scourges, 
 On the dreadful battle urges, 
 To and fro destruction surges. 
 
VENI, JESU. 59 
 
 19. 
 
 Antichrist in power reigneth, 
 
 Fills the Church, polluteth, staineth, 
 
 Scarcely now a saint remaineth. 
 
 20. 
 
 White-robed priests go from the altar — 
 Many in the struggle falter, 
 Bowing to a golden halter. 
 
 21. 
 
 There are those their Lord denying. 
 Him who bought them by His dying, 
 Human doctrines wildly trying. 
 
 22. 
 
 As if by a blast of thunder, 
 
 Zion, too, is rent asunder 
 
 East and West — sad thing of wonder ! 
 
 23. 
 
 Half the virgins. Lord, are sleeping, 
 Half in bitter grief are weeping, 
 Keeping fasts, and vigils keeping. 
 
60 
 
 24. 
 Dark the night — oh ! night of horror, 
 Night of anguish, night of sorrow ! 
 Come, Lord Jesu, ere the morrow. 
 
 25. 
 
 Come, Lord, Thy Church defending, 
 Let these terrors have an ending, 
 Jesu Saviour ! — have an ending. 
 
 26. 
 
 Take Thy Bride where none can rend Her, 
 Take Her to Thy halls of splendor, 
 In Thy bosom, Lord, defend Her. 
 
I. 
 
 PREACHING. 
 
 It pleased God by the fooliahness of preaching to save 
 them that believe. — 1 Cor. i. 21. 
 
 1. 
 
 yjjvWAS service-time, 
 
 ^^ And tlie House of prayer 
 
 That blessed morn, 
 
 "Was as wondrous fair 
 As 'twere a gem, 
 
 Or a ruby lit, 
 For the Lord Himself 
 
 Was the Light of it. 
 
 2. 
 
 The holy cross 
 
 On the belfry stood. 
 
 And I knew this Church 
 
 Was the home of God : 
 6 
 
62 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 A little child 
 
 Would have felt no loss 
 To know the Church, 
 
 By the sign of the cross. 
 
 3. 
 
 But peal on peal, 
 
 As the sweet bell swung, 
 Had the call to prayer 
 
 Through the village rung ; 
 And the loved of God, 
 
 From the world of sin, 
 To His house had come 
 
 And were gathered in. 
 
 And full and deep. 
 
 As the songs of love 
 The angels sing 
 
 In the sky above, 
 The service arose, 
 
 As it bore away 
 The hearts of all 
 
 Who were there that day. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 63 
 
 5. 
 
 Lo, tlie priest of God 
 
 In his snowy trail, 
 Like an angel stood ^ 
 
 Bv tlie chancel-rail, 
 As the words of song, 
 
 And the prayer so sweet, 
 Were poured in love 
 
 At the Saviour's feet. 
 
 6. 
 Yea, the heart went up 
 
 In humble prayer. 
 And the sins confessed 
 
 Of the lowly there ; 
 The Gloria, 
 
 And the Litany, 
 In faith went up 
 
 From the Church that day. 
 
 7. 
 But richer far, 
 
 Than are gems of gold. 
 Were the gentle things 
 
 Which the preacher told : 
 
64 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 He spoke of love, 
 
 That the Saviour taught, 
 And a life above. 
 
 That his dying wrought. 
 
 8. 
 
 He pointed up, 
 
 As he told the way 
 To the blissful realms 
 
 Of eternal day : 
 He said that man, 
 
 From a death in sin, 
 To the life of God 
 
 May be born again. 
 
 9. 
 
 Like a voice Divine, 
 
 To the ears of all, 
 Did the service clear 
 
 And the message fall ; 
 And every heart 
 
 Must have felt within, 
 How sweet indeed 
 
 Is a death to sin. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 65 
 
 II. 
 
 CONCEPTION. 
 
 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the 
 sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and 
 whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit.— 
 St. John iii. 8, 
 
 1. 
 
 But oh ! there was 
 
 In the Church that day, 
 A sight which none 
 
 But the lowly see ; 
 And sounds of love, 
 
 So soft and clear. 
 Which none but the pure 
 
 In heart can hear. 
 
 For the Word of God 
 
 From a world of bliss, 
 
 Has made His home 
 
 For a while in this ; 
 6* 
 
66 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 And all the year, 
 
 In the House of prayer 
 
 Is His glory seen, 
 And pictured fair. 
 
 3. 
 
 The Saviour speaks 
 
 In the colored pane ; 
 The service tells 
 
 Of His blessed reign ; 
 The glowing font. 
 
 And the altar fair, 
 Speak glorious things 
 
 In the House of prayer. 
 
 4. 
 
 The hearts of some 
 
 Who were there that day, 
 To Christ were clothed 
 
 In a bright array ; 
 They were indeed 
 
 All pure and clean, 
 With the Holy Ghost, 
 
 And the Lord, within. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 67 
 
 5. 
 
 And snowy-white 
 
 Was their holy dress — 
 Their robes were robes 
 
 Of righteousness ; 
 And thus they seemed, 
 
 To the spirit's eye, 
 An angel host 
 
 From the deep blue sky. 
 
 6. 
 
 Though every one 
 
 Was a child of earth — 
 But born to God 
 
 In the bright new birth — 
 Who, as mists of morn 
 
 In the heavens blend, 
 Had begun the life 
 
 Which shall never end. 
 
 7. 
 But often there 
 
 In the Church that day. 
 The Saviour sought 
 
 For the lost and stray ; 
 
68 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 To the hearts he went 
 Of the dead in sin, 
 
 And knocked and knocked 
 For to enter in. 
 
 8. 
 
 The voice clear 
 
 Of the preacher rose, 
 The soul was stirred 
 
 From its death-repose ; 
 The Word came in 
 
 To his home new-made, 
 And a great life burned 
 
 Where the heart was dead. 
 
 9. 
 
 The preacher speaks, 
 
 Nor alone is he — • 
 For all that ye hear 
 
 And all that ye see, 
 Bespeak the Lord 
 
 As well as he — 
 And the Church is full 
 
 Of His history. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 69 
 
 10. 
 
 And thus was love 
 
 In the heart conceived, 
 As the Word was preached, 
 
 And the lost believed ; 
 For the life of God, 
 
 By the Spirit groweth, 
 As the gentle wind 
 
 Where it listeth bloweth. 
 
 11. 
 
 The service o'er, 
 
 The ransomed went 
 As sheep 'mid wolves, 
 
 By the Saviour sent ; 
 And the Church was left, 
 
 As a ruby sweet, 
 To be trod alone 
 
 By the angel's feet. 
 
70 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 III. 
 
 THE NEW BIRTH. 
 
 Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom 
 of God.— St. John iii. 3. 
 
 1. 
 
 Again the bell 
 
 In the belfry rang, 
 As a joyous choir 
 
 Of the angels sang ; 
 And the loved ones came 
 
 In their beauty fair, 
 And knelt them down 
 
 In the House of prayer. 
 
 2. 
 
 To-day the priest 
 
 In his meekness stood 
 By the brimming font, 
 
 As he prayed to God ; 
 His prayer went up 
 
 O'er the sparkling wave. 
 That it, blessed of Him, 
 
 Might be strong to save. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 71 
 
 8. 
 
 It there was seen 
 
 In its brightness clear, 
 As the purest heart 
 
 Of the worshipper ; 
 An emblem pure 
 
 Of the Thing within, • 
 That washeth the heart 
 
 That is dead to sin. 
 
 4. 
 
 But lo ! I saw. 
 
 That the sparkling wave 
 Where the Lord is not. 
 
 Has no power to save ; 
 And only those 
 
 Can be washed from sin, 
 Whose hearts are full 
 
 Of a Life within. 
 
 5. 
 The water speaks 
 
 On the outer part, 
 Of the washing of God 
 
 That's done in the heart ; 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 And the life tliat is born, 
 Neither flesh is, nor blood 
 
 Nor yet of the will, 
 But is born of God. 
 
 6. 
 
 It taketh indeed 
 
 Of His nature Divine, 
 And is one in the Lord, 
 
 As a part of the Vine ; 
 Tis this that must lead 
 
 As the Saviour trod — 
 'Tis a lifetime on earth 
 
 In the life of God. 
 
 7. 
 
 The foul old man, 
 
 In the wave must die ; 
 The heart must live 
 
 In the life of the sky ; 
 A man all new. 
 
 As it were from the grave. 
 Must we come again 
 
 From the Baptal wave. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 73 
 
 But now the priest 
 
 In his snowy trail, 
 Was by the font, 
 
 And the chancel-rail ; 
 And sweet and bright 
 
 Did his visage seem, 
 For the home of God 
 
 Had been made in him. 
 
 9. 
 
 God's own he stood. 
 
 In his raiment bright, 
 As pure as snow 
 
 In the good Lord's sight ; 
 As ready to mark 
 
 With the cross and wave, 
 Each gentle soul 
 
 Whom the Lord would save. 
 
 10. 
 
 If Christ's, we must bow 
 
 To a daily cross. 
 All earthly things 
 
 We must count as dross ; 
 
74 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 The Baptal wave 
 Will the life begin, 
 
 And bearing the cross 
 Will purge us from sin. 
 
 11. 
 
 But Heaven was there, 
 
 In the Church that day, 
 Bright angel hosts 
 
 From the sky away ; 
 The aisles were full, 
 
 Where their light feet trod, 
 To gaze in their love 
 
 On the " born of God." 
 
 12. 
 
 Within the aisle, 
 
 Lo ! the Saviour came 
 With a gentle host, 
 
 Which He knew by name, 
 And He led them up 
 
 To the font's fair brim, 
 Where they knelt them down 
 
 And were named for Him. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 75 
 
 13. 
 
 The pearly drops, 
 
 As the dew is bright, 
 On their brows were seen 
 
 In a stream of light ; 
 But the angels saw, 
 
 Where they softly trod, 
 That their hearts were born 
 
 To the life of God. 
 
 14. 
 
 The children of earth. 
 
 With the mark of the grave. 
 Had triumphed o'er death 
 
 In the Baptal wave ; 
 Had a life begun 
 
 Which never shall die — 
 They were dead to the earth, 
 
 In the life of the sky. 
 
 15 
 
 Now the pure in heart 
 
 In their rapture sang. 
 Till the holy Church 
 
 With the sweetness rang ; 
 
76 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 Lo ! the angels were glad 
 As the people went, 
 
 For there's joy above 
 When the lost repent. 
 
 16. 
 
 Yea the cry went forth, 
 
 That the dead hi sin, 
 To the life of God 
 
 Had been born again ; 
 And I heard a voice 
 
 In its sweetness, say — 
 When such are born 
 
 They shall live alway. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 77 
 
 IV. 
 
 CONFIRMATION. PT. I. 
 
 1. 
 
 The sl5:y to-day 
 
 Was so soft and bright, 
 That the earth was filled 
 
 With a new delight ; 
 The merry birds, 
 
 In their pastime gay, 
 Sang their sweetest songs 
 
 In the woods away. 
 
 2. 
 
 The tiny leaves 
 
 Were as spirits bright, 
 They flapped their wings 
 
 With a strange delight ; 
 The zephyrs passed. 
 
 As the breath of God, 
 And shook the trees 
 
 In the bright green wood. 
 
 7* 
 
78 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 3. 
 
 But more bright and clear 
 
 Than the sky to-day, 
 More sweet by far 
 
 Than the woods away, 
 Was the holy Church, 
 
 Where it meekly stood, 
 As the Bride of Christ 
 
 And the home of God. 
 
 4. 
 
 To-day the sight 
 
 In the Church was new : 
 The giddy pressed 
 
 Into every pew ; 
 The richly dressed, 
 
 With the low and vile, 
 Were mingled well 
 
 In the Church's aisle. 
 
 5. 
 
 For the Bishop now 
 In the chancel stood. 
 
 As he yearly came 
 In the work of God ; 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 79 
 
 But, I saw full well, 
 
 That the giddy crowd 
 Had not come up, 
 ^ In the fear of God. 
 
 6. 
 
 Indeed, I saw 
 
 In the Church that day, 
 That many came 
 
 From the world away. 
 With the mark of death. 
 
 Who rarely before. 
 From the world had come 
 
 To the Church''s door. 
 
 7. 
 
 The Church to them 
 
 Was of grace bereft, 
 And nothing was fair. 
 
 As the world they left : 
 They never knew. 
 
 In their dreary lot. 
 That the heart must see 
 
 Where the world is not. 
 
80 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 8. 
 
 The cold sectary, 
 
 With an eye of scorn, 
 To the Church came up 
 
 On that Sunday morn — 
 A wanderer wild 
 
 To some chilly spot, — 
 Again in his home, 
 
 "While he knows it not. 
 
 9. 
 
 The day was bright. 
 
 Without cold or heat, 
 Nor was rain or mud 
 
 On the stony street ; 
 Tlie fair, who else 
 
 Would have staid away. 
 Right early had come 
 
 To the Church that day. 
 
 10. 
 
 In a gaudy dress, 
 
 With their gems so rare, 
 
 Were they all arrayed, 
 
 Though their hearts were bare ; 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 81 
 
 Their feet were shod 
 
 In a tiny dress, 
 But the way they trod 
 
 Was not righteousness. 
 
 11. 
 
 Nor they seemed to know, 
 
 In their pride arrayed, 
 That their gaudy things 
 
 By the worms were made ; 
 The foulest worm 
 
 Will pass the gold, 
 Which the dearest thing 
 
 Of this life they hold. • 
 
 12. . 
 
 Tliough fair they seemed 
 
 To the eyes of men, 
 There were other eyes 
 
 Which were looking then — 
 Where proudly they 
 
 In their folly stood, 
 All naked they were 
 
 In the eyes of God. 
 
82 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 13. 
 
 Nor ttey even knew, 
 
 In their pride of dress. 
 How bare and foul 
 
 Was their nakedness ; 
 Nor knew the robes 
 
 So clean and bright — 
 The Christians' robes 
 
 Of life and light. 
 
 14. 
 
 Ay, ay, in the Church 
 
 Full many there were^ 
 All whited withont 
 
 As a sepulchre ; 
 Though named for the Lord, 
 
 Their hearts were unclean. 
 They lived in the Church 
 
 But were buried in sin. 
 
 15. 
 
 But all were not such, 
 
 For the Lord's were there, 
 
 And children sweet 
 
 In the House of prayer ; 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 83 
 
 The "born of God" 
 
 In the bright new birth, 
 Were mingled in peace 
 
 With the dead of the earth. 
 
 16. 
 
 The good and bad, 
 
 With the rich and poor, 
 Had entered in 
 
 At the Church's door ; 
 And rags, with silks 
 
 Of the richest hue, 
 In the aisles were seen 
 
 And the crowded pew. 
 
84 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 V. 
 
 CONFIRMATION. — PT. II. 
 
 Tlien laid they their hands on them, and they received the 
 Holy Ghosi.— Acts viii. 17. 
 
 1. 
 
 With a noiseless step 
 
 Through the hallowed aisle^ 
 The meek Saviour walked 
 
 In the Church the while ; 
 To the loved ones known, 
 
 In that sacred spot, 
 Though the crowd was there 
 
 And they saw Him not. 
 
 2. 
 
 There, hovering f;^r 
 
 From their worlds of bliss, 
 Had the angels come 
 
 To their home in this : 
 They seemed indeed, 
 
 But the kith and kin 
 Of the man of God, 
 
 That is born within. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 85 
 
 3. 
 
 We never come 
 
 To the House of prayer 
 But the angels first, 
 
 As at home, are there. 
 It seems indeed. 
 
 As was said of yore, 
 That the Church on earth 
 
 Is but Heaven's door. 
 
 4. 
 
 As soft as light, 
 
 In their love they flew, 
 And were hung unseen 
 
 O'er the crowded pew ; 
 The Holy Dove 
 
 In the heavens the while, 
 They saw the Lord 
 
 In the hallowed aisle. 
 
 5. 
 
 But O my soul. 
 
 What a beauteous sight ! 
 A gentle host 
 
 In their raiment bright,. 
 
66 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 And hearts as clean 
 As the snowy veil, 
 
 Had knelt them down 
 At the chancel-rail. 
 
 6. 
 
 The same who erst 
 
 In the bright new birth, 
 Were born to God, 
 
 And were dead to earth ; 
 But the Holy Ghost 
 
 In the heart must be, 
 Ere yet the soul 
 
 Is redeemed for aye. 
 
 7. 
 
 "Defend, Lord," 
 
 Was the Bishop's prayer — 
 He prayed for the Dove, 
 
 In His gifts so rare ; 
 That more an<J more. 
 
 In His strength arrayed. 
 Would he grow and grow 
 • Where his hands were laid. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 87 
 
 8. 
 
 The Lord will hear 
 
 When His servant calls, 
 And His Spirit descends 
 
 Where His blessing falls ; 
 But the new-born receive 
 
 What no others can, 
 For His blessing descends 
 
 On the inner man. 
 
 d. 
 
 There was never a sound 
 
 Of the "rushing wind," 
 Nor were "cloven tongues" 
 
 To alarm the mind, 
 Nor a voice from Heaven — 
 
 But the Lord gave word. 
 And the Spirit had come 
 
 Where no sound was heard. 
 
 10. 
 
 As the Bishop prayed, 
 He had heard his prayer. 
 
 And had come to each heart 
 That was trembling there, 
 
88 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 And filled them with strength, 
 
 As never before, 
 To grow in His might, 
 
 Ever " More and more." 
 
 11. 
 
 I learned a truth 
 
 Which is dear to me : — 
 Where the Saviour dwells 
 
 Will the Spirit be ; 
 And man may walk 
 
 As the Saviour trod. 
 And live in the flesh 
 
 In the life of God. 
 
 12. 
 
 Yea, those who there 
 
 For the Spirit pray, 
 Are His very home 
 
 When they go away ; 
 And the man of flesh. 
 
 As the stone and wood, 
 The temple becomes 
 
 Of the living God. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 89 
 
 13. 
 
 Ay, the water can wasli 
 
 But the outer part — 
 'Tis the Spirit of God 
 
 That must wash the heart : 
 The first we have 
 
 In the Baptal wave, 
 But the Spirit must wash 
 
 Ere the water can save. 
 
 14. 
 
 Now the organ rolled, 
 
 And afar away 
 Went the giddy crowd, 
 
 In their trappings gay. 
 The chanters ceased. 
 
 And the music's trill, 
 And the Church again 
 
 Was all hushed and still. 
 
 15. 
 
 But the angels sang, 
 
 As they rose on the wing, — 
 
 How blessed, how blessed 
 
 Of the Holy Thing, 
 8* 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 For the child of God 
 
 Who shall yield to His sway, 
 Shall grow in His strength 
 
 For ave and ave. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 91 
 
 VI. 
 
 THE NEW MAN. 
 
 As unto babes in Christ.— 1 Cor. iii. 1. 
 1. 
 
 All weak indeed 
 
 When its life began, 
 Like an infant frail, 
 
 Was the inner man ; 
 But the Holy Church, 
 
 As a mother dear, 
 Will a child rear up 
 
 That is born in Her. 
 
 2. 
 
 For the care of God 
 
 O'er His children's Aveal', 
 No other heart 
 
 But the Lord's can feel ; 
 With a watchful eye 
 
 Will He guide aright. 
 All the stumbling feet 
 
 In the paths of light. 
 
92 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 3. 
 
 He will feed us too, 
 
 As He leads along, 
 Though He bruises the heart 
 
 As He makes it strong. 
 Yea, a shining host, 
 
 From the skies above, 
 Will He send to watch 
 
 O'er the child of His love. 
 
 4. 
 
 So the new man grows 
 And is free from harm. 
 
 As the infant sweet 
 On the nurse's arm ; 
 
 No babe that sleeps 
 On its mother's breast, 
 
 Hath such tender care 
 
 • As the babe in Christ. 
 
 5. 
 
 Lo ! Its powers soon 
 By the flesh is felt, 
 
 As It more and more 
 Makes the old man melt ; 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 93 
 
 And daily less 
 
 Grows the man of sin, 
 And tlie heart more strong 
 
 By the life within. 
 
 6. 
 
 But the flesh of man 
 
 Must indeed decay 
 As the flower of grass, 
 
 In the field away ; 
 For well we know 
 
 That the flesh and blood, 
 No portion can have 
 
 In the life of God. 
 
 Though weak and frail 
 
 When this life began, 
 Like an angel now 
 
 Is the inner man ; 
 All else is dead, 
 
 As it holdeth sway. 
 And the heart is full 
 
 Of Its strength alway. 
 
94 THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 The image of God 
 Is the man within, — 
 
 It dieth no more, 
 Nor is knoM-n to sin ; 
 
 It groweth still 
 
 Like the Father above, 
 
 For the inner man, 
 
 Is A LIFE OF LOVE. 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 95 
 
 VII. 
 
 Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His 
 blood, ye have no life in you.— 5^ John vi. 53. 
 
 1. • 
 
 Lo ! a feast to day 
 
 In the Church is spread, 
 We see the whie 
 
 And the broken bread ; 
 All freely there, 
 
 On the festal board, 
 Are the bread of life 
 
 And the Saviour's blood. 
 
 2. 
 No table sweet 
 
 As the Lord's is spread, 
 But the eyes behold 
 
 Not that living Bread ; 
 The thing we press 
 
 With the teeth, as meat. 
 Though a sign, is not 
 
 Of the food we eat. 
 
96 ^ THE INNER LIFE. 
 
 3. 
 
 Of all wlio come 
 
 To the festal board, 
 Only tliose can eat 
 
 Who are born to God : 
 The self-deceived 
 
 Who come and are dead, 
 Do only eat 
 
 Of the wine and bread. 
 
 4. 
 
 Nor can eyes of flesh 
 
 The fair board survey^ 
 The spirit must, 
 
 And alone can see ; 
 To the carnal mind 
 
 It is all unseen, 
 For the man who feeds 
 
 Is the life within. 
 
 5. 
 
 We feast in faith 
 At the Chalice-brim, 
 
 ^And become like Christ 
 If we feed on Him ; 
 
THE INNER LIFE. 97 
 
 His nature as ours 
 
 Must we duly impart, 
 Ere we "feed on Him 
 
 By faith in the heart." 
 
 6. 
 
 If we make not ourselves 
 
 In His likeness Divine, 
 We taste not His flesh 
 
 In the bread and wine ; 
 The thing which first 
 
 At the font began. 
 Thus grows and grows 
 
 To the perfect man. 
 
 To this board come not 
 Then the giddy crowd, 
 
 For they ne'er can feast 
 On the feast of God : 
 
 The carnal man 
 
 Hath no feast but sin, 
 
 And he knoweth not 
 
 Of the life within. 
 9 
 
" Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.' 
 
 jfCvHERE is a world of beauty, glowing 
 ^-^ In the starry realms above, 
 Where fleecy orbs, forever flowing, 
 
 Light a holy land of love ; 
 So far its light, though filling heaven. 
 
 Is unknown to mortal ken, 
 Nor yet has reached through all the ages, 
 
 To the homes of sinful men. 
 
 Eternal glory floats around it, 
 Gorgeous as the Autumn sky. 
 
 And milky clouds, like winged spirits, 
 Bright and peaceful, wander by; 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 And, robed liked Aaron, through the heavens 
 
 Seen upon their misty wings, 
 As if they bore a daily incense, 
 
 Meekly to the King of kings : 
 
 III. 
 
 Or, slow departing, cast their shadows 
 
 O'er the limpid lake, or glen, 
 As, when of old, the Saviour rising. 
 
 Sent His Spirit unto men ; 
 To cheer them in their bitter struggles, 
 
 Till the nations gather in. 
 And the world, with all her peoples. 
 
 Is redeemed from death and sin. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Soft winds with odors sweetly laden. 
 
 Sweep the meadows and the sea. 
 As barks unseen, but ever bearing 
 
 Spicy wealth from Araby ; 
 And everywhere the laughing waters. 
 
 Stirred in dimples, leap and sing. 
 And seem like many happy beings, 
 
 Ever mounting on the wing. 
 
100 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 V. ■ ^ 
 
 There too, are pathways, silent, olden, 
 
 Walks of angels, round the' hills — 
 Green vines, hung down with clusters golden, 
 
 Clothe the rocks above the rills ; 
 And, far beyond the reach of language, 
 
 More than any speech is full, — 
 Far beyond the hope of mortals, 
 
 Is this bright world beautiful. 
 
 VI. 
 
 As many priests in holy service. 
 
 With their snowy vestments on, 
 Ascend the chancel, and the singers 
 
 Chant the high Trisagion ; 
 Or when, at early confirmation 
 
 Come the young, in snowy veil, 
 And seeking for the Holy Spirit, 
 
 Kneel around the chancel-rail : 
 
 VII. 
 
 And rising, sealed as God's own children. 
 
 Dead to sin for aye and aye. 
 With clean white hearts, keep on their journey 
 
 To the upper realms of day — 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 101 
 
 Ten thousand thousand happy spirits, 
 
 Ever pure, and ever bright. 
 As meek as doves around their windows, 
 
 Wander in this world of light. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 And when the morning ray is softest, 
 
 Filled with love their beaming eyes. 
 Alike the swelling waves of Ocean 
 
 Far the notes of love arise ; 
 A sea-tide of the richest music, 
 
 Swelling till the close of day. 
 Until the sound is heard and echoed 
 
 In the worlds afar away. 
 
 IX. 
 
 And these are beings blessed of Heaven, — 
 Strong the wing, and deep the eye, 
 
 Beyond the light of suns their vision, 
 Piercing through the distant sky ; 
 
 Forever for their Maker's glory. 
 Wandering long, in weary flight, 
 
 They visit other worlds of beauty, 
 
 Shining in the realms of light. 
 9* 
 
102 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 X. 
 
 Their minds can see, the deepest beauties 
 
 Sleeping in the works of God, 
 The endless hosts of wondrous glories 
 
 Working for eternal good ; 
 But some are higher than the others 
 
 In the wondrous reach of mind, 
 In deepest wisdom far excelling 
 
 Any of the angel kind. 
 
 XI. 
 
 As when the holy priest in worship 
 
 Stands to tell of love and peace, 
 Of love, the life of worlds of Heaven, 
 
 Brought by Shiloh down to this ; 
 And far away the people gather, 
 
 From the noise and hum and glare, 
 And seek to learn the word of wisdom. 
 
 In the blessed House of prayer ; 
 
 XII. 
 
 And listen as it falls in mercy, 
 - As the rain in time of heat. 
 To stir their hearts, as notes of music 
 Floating from the Mercy seat : — 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 103 
 
 'Twas tliiis I heard an angel singing 
 Loud and sweetly to the throng, 
 
 As hosts on hosts were bent to listen 
 To the mighty angel's song : 
 
 1. . 
 
 There is a world of sin and sorrow 
 
 In the distant sky, 
 Where lives a race that on the morrow 
 
 Pines away to die ; 
 A race created for each other, 
 
 Made Divine as we. 
 Whom holy ties would bind together, 
 
 But they rend away. 
 
 The mighty gifts which God has given, — 
 
 High angelic powers, 
 Would make their world, mid worlds of Heaven, 
 
 Bright and sweet as ours : 
 For God has planted deep within them 
 
 Germs of endless peace ; 
 Nor made so hard, that they can win them 
 
 Untold happiness. 
 
104 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 3. 
 
 Tlie morning there is bright and glowing, 
 
 Sweet the tinted sky, 
 And fleecy clouds, forever flowing, 
 
 Wander lightly by ; 
 The trees, like harps of angels ringing. 
 
 Tremble all the day ; 
 The birds, as happy spirits singing. 
 
 Flit across the way. 
 
 4. 
 
 The shade is cooling as the even. 
 
 Soft the mossy bed. 
 And rocks, like weary ones from heaven. 
 
 Rest them in the shade ; 
 The glorious works of God forever 
 
 Shine serenely there. 
 The goodness of the gracious Giver 
 
 Floateth in the air. 
 
 5. 
 
 Bright hills are there, and snow-clad mountains, 
 
 Stretching to the sky. 
 In every vale are limpid fountains, 
 
 Pleasing to the eye ; 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 105 
 
 There happy creatures ever wander 
 
 Through the quiet air, 
 And men alone, of many millions, 
 
 Are unhappy there. 
 
 But, they are highest of creation 
 
 In this wondrous sphere, 
 The richest of the works of mercy 
 
 God has wrought out here ; 
 And yet, and yet, the things most holy 
 
 They will oft contemn, 
 And Whom we tremble here to honor 
 
 Seems unknown to them. 
 
 7. 
 
 Most cruel, cruel, strife engenders 
 
 Cruel strife again, 
 And men will wildly work together 
 
 Misery for men ; 
 The thoughts of Heaven, high and holy. 
 
 Working for their good. 
 Must e'er be traced, through all the, ages, 
 
 By the flow of blood. 
 
106 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 8. 
 
 No kindly power can persuade them, 
 
 Resolute and bold, 
 'Tis not by right, but by the strongest, 
 
 Men -will be controlled ; . 
 Their minds, with great and wondrous powers. 
 
 High inventive skill, 
 Are working ever for each other. 
 
 Instruments to kill. 
 
 9. 
 And even now, in man}' regions, 
 
 Wasting fleeting breath, 
 They follow after one another 
 
 In the work of death ; 
 They raise the hand in vengeful battle, 
 
 For a brother's blood ; 
 And often gore, like a river, 
 
 Rolls a crimson flood. 
 
 10. 
 
 And too, when all is peace around them. 
 
 They will carry still. 
 To raise in anger, or in hatred, 
 
 Instruments to kill. 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 107 
 
 / 
 
 There, oft from many tender bosoms 
 
 Tears run down like rain, 
 For man to man is ever cruel, 
 
 Prodigal of pain. 
 
 11. 
 
 E'en 'mong the very best and holy, 
 
 Sin doth have its sway, 
 Till man, alike the blasted flower. 
 
 Daily fades away ; « 
 
 Woe, woe, there is, and loud contention. 
 
 Everywhere they be. 
 In civil court, or Church convention. 
 
 Or iu holy sea. 
 
 12. 
 
 Though every sin doth have its sorrow 
 
 Like the barbed steel. 
 That strikes the heart that walks in error. 
 
 Where it most can feel ; 
 Yet, when they suffer strangely, deeply, 
 
 Seem they not to know 
 That walking in the paths of evil, 
 
 Brings upon them woe. 
 
108 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 13. 
 
 Alike a miglity surging ocean, 
 
 Where the waters roar, 
 That rush in foam, and wild commotion, 
 
 On the rocky shore ; 
 So, far among the sinful nations, 
 
 Storms arise and swell, 
 And sin and death are there triumphant, 
 
 In the woes of Hell. 
 
 * XIII. 
 
 The angel ceased — but now a sorrow 
 
 Filled the hearts of all the throng. 
 For never had been heard in Heaven 
 
 Such a mournful angel song ; 
 But few within the blissful region 
 
 Would the woeful song receive, 
 For that a race could be so wretched. 
 
 Never could their hearts believe. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 As when upon the great Niagara 
 Comes a cloud, with misty wreath. 
 
 And floating softly, meekly resteth 
 O'er the troubled waves beneath ; 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 109 
 
 Tlie music of the angel's singing 
 Scarcely faded on the ear, 
 
 When thus another angel, rising, 
 Sang in sweetness loud and clear 
 
 Oh, can there be a world of sorrow 
 
 In the distant sky, 
 Where worlds so decked in untold beauty 
 
 Roll forever by ! 
 For God has lavished every mercy 
 
 In creation broad, 
 And spread alike for every creature 
 
 Is the love of God. 
 
 2. 
 
 His mercy beams in smallest flowers 
 
 Ever made by Him, 
 And shinest in the frailest creature 
 
 As in cherubim ; 
 No eye created in the heavens, 
 
 Resteth on a spot, 
 
 Where is no sign of tender mercy 
 
 And His love is not. 
 10 
 
110 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 3. 
 
 Ay, all tlie worlds are filled with glory 
 
 In the peaceful sky, 
 Both those around in boundless splendor, 
 
 And those far away : 
 Can they, to whom are richly given 
 
 Intellectual powers, 
 E're make their homes less bright and peaceful 
 
 Than this world of our^? 
 
 4. 
 
 j^, ay, I ween there is no region 
 
 All the sky within. 
 Where there^are beings filled with sorrow, 
 
 And all dead in sin : 
 Then grieve not, grieve not, gentle spirits, 
 
 Till yourselves shall see, — 
 For lo ! I ween that in the heavens 
 
 This can never be. 
 
 XV. V 
 
 More sweetly now, beneath the heavens, 
 
 Did his mellow voice outring, 
 When bending on declining pinions, 
 
 Floating down, he ceased to sing ; 
 
ANGEL SONGS. Ill 
 
 And far and wide the hosts of heaven 
 
 Now were hushed, and quiet all 
 As limpid waters, far receding 
 
 From the distant waterfall. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 With one consent, they all confessed them 
 
 That this thing could never be, 
 And never was a world of sorrow 
 
 Rolling in the distant sky. 
 My bosom now to speak was sweUing, 
 
 For I would the truth revealed ; 
 But lo ! my tongue had lost its power, 
 
 And my ready lips were sealed. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 Ay, I could tell how true the angel 
 
 When he spoke of worldly things, 
 For well I knew the sins of mortals 
 
 And their many . sufferings ; 
 But very few of all the heavens 
 
 Could receive this story true, 
 For such a race of sinful beings 
 
 None the angels ever knew. 
 
112 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 But now I thought a great tribunal 
 
 Would be gathered in the sky, 
 That this high and holy angel 
 
 Might be tried for heresy ; 
 I thought of many holy councils, 
 
 Since the Christian age began, 
 Collected to condemn the wanderings 
 
 Of a single erring man. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 And yet, I saw no great tribunal 
 
 Gather in this world so fair, 
 For there is ever free opinion 
 
 Where the holy angels are ; 
 And heresy was never known here 
 
 Since this lovely world began. 
 For those, who fain would shackle reason. 
 
 Can be found alone with man. 
 
 XX. 
 
 Although they, fondly bound together, 
 
 Differ, yet they ever find 
 That while they differ, it is only 
 
 In the varied reach of mind ; 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 113 
 
 But erring mortals, frail and fickle, 
 Dare wliat they ne'er reach unto, 
 
 And guided by a seeming wisdom, 
 Brand tlieir fellows as untrue. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 That thing is error, which they know not, 
 
 What they think not, cannot be, 
 And what is truth to him who finds it. 
 
 Is to others heresy. 
 Ay, they will make their fellow-beings 
 
 Fear to tell what is unknown, 
 And press the stronger minds of others 
 
 To the meanness of their own. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 Yes, they will fondly meet together 
 To condemn what others see, 
 
 And not as taught, but as they view it, 
 Brand it as a heresy ; 
 
 They teach a hard, unfriendly doctrine, 
 AYhich is strange, as it is rude, — 
 
 That mind can ever fathom wisdom 
 
 Less by strength than multitude. 
 10* 
 
114 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 But truth is truth, howe'er we view it — 
 
 "We must see as best we can, 
 And when we use our utmost powers, 
 
 Cruel is the scorn of man. 
 O man ! the mite doth feed at pleasure, 
 
 All it sees and knows is true, 
 Yet it can never have the powers 
 
 Which are given unto you. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Nor are your powers even stronger, 
 
 To the greatest reach of mind. 
 And wiser beings fall in error, 
 
 If they judge among their kind. 
 Not seeing truth, as others see it. 
 
 We may rate, and oft condemn, 
 When feeble are our little powers 
 
 As compared in strength to them. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 By weighing words, and not the meaning, 
 
 Often are we led astray. 
 For faithful 'minds may seek expression. 
 
 For what words cannot convev ; 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 115 
 
 And silly people look no further, 
 
 All unapt the fault to see, 
 And, judging by a feeble language, 
 
 Think the truth a falsity. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 And we may even truly labor 
 
 To sustain a truth we see, 
 And yet another, just as truthful, 
 
 Proves what seems the contrary ; 
 But God, who seeth in the heavens, 
 
 Knows that neither is to blame, 
 For while we strive and seem to differ. 
 
 We may even mean the same. 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 While thus I thought, the hosts of heaven 
 
 All were peaceful and serene, 
 And not amid the shining angels 
 
 Was a single thought unclean ; 
 But, filled with love and gentle meekness, 
 
 None the angel would condemn, 
 For they had learne<:l to love each other 
 
 As the Father loveth them. 
 
116 ANGEL SONGS. 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 But as the clouds in gentle Springtime, 
 
 Sweet and peaceful floating by, 
 Their hearts into each other blendino- 
 
 Were these spirits of the sky ; 
 Their knowledge ever too increaseth, 
 
 As in Spring the flow^er grows, 
 That first the bud unopened cometh, 
 
 Tlien the fullness of the rose. 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 Their hearts increase alike their wisdom 
 
 And their high capacity. 
 And there. is boundless peace forever 
 
 'Mong the angels of the sky ; 
 But when as mortals hearing strange news, 
 
 Passing through some region' broad, 
 Collect in groups and earnest listen 
 
 As the speaker tells the crowd ; 
 
 XXX. 
 
 So coming far, the hosts of heaven 
 'Round each singing angel stood. 
 
 To hear explained this strange, strange story, 
 Of the hidden works of God, — 
 
ANGEL SONGS. 117 
 
 When thus, another holy angel 
 
 Rose upon his downy wing, 
 And, like the sounding of a trumpet. 
 
 Loud and sweet began to sing : 
 
 1. 
 
 Ay, both the holy angels 
 
 Sang them what is true, — 
 There is a world of sorrow 
 
 In the starry blue, 
 A world of glowing beauty, 
 
 Where are spread abroad 
 The glories and the mercies, 
 
 Of the Living God. 
 
 2. 
 
 There is a race of beings 
 
 This lovely world within. 
 Who even now are treading 
 
 All the paths of sin ; 
 And many millions suffer 
 
 In the distant sky. 
 And heap upon each other 
 
 Every misery. 
 
118 ANGEL SONGS.- 
 
 3. 
 
 But tliis sliall have an ending, 
 
 Every woe sliall heal, 
 And yet, a boundless glory 
 
 Sliall this world reveal ; 
 The time of sorrow floweth 
 
 But a little span, 
 And God His glory worketh, 
 
 In the race of man. 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 But now the heavens, growing dimmer, 
 
 Soon were faded from my sight. 
 And all the glory of the angels 
 
 Vanished with the fading light ; 
 The world was left much darker to me 
 
 Than before it seemed to be, 
 While ever from me, goes my spirit 
 
 To the calm and quiet sky. 
 
Lord, teach us to pray.— 5?. Luke xi. 1. 
 1. 
 
 ^JTOLY Prayer ! who loves not tliee, 
 •*•/ Knows no inward majesty, 
 Nor thy perfect way can see — 
 Reaching through eternity ; 
 
 2. 
 Nor can know the theme of Christ, 
 Nor the yearnings. Heaven-blest, 
 Treads not to the place of rest. 
 In the way that's truest, best ; 
 
 3. 
 
 Thinks no thoughts the Saviour thought. 
 Feels no life His dying taught. 
 Nor the light within has caught — 
 Walking as a Christian ought. 
 
120 
 
 Sees no Kingdom yet to be, 
 Nor how strangely, mightily, 
 Christ's dominion makes a way" 
 In the heart, from sea to sea ; 
 
 5. 
 
 Knows not he, in darkness still, 
 Of a high and holy thrill. 
 Bending to the Father's will, 
 Ever perfect, perfect still ; 
 
 6. 
 
 Knows not he how sweet to feel 
 Wounds received as given, heal 
 By a love for human weal. 
 Softening down the hearts of steel ; 
 
 i. 
 
 Feels not whence the light of day, 
 Whence the food he takes alway, 
 Nor temptations by the way. 
 Nor the evils which betray ; 
 
THE LO]*d's prayer. 121 
 
 9. 
 
 Has no Apostolic fire, 
 Has no high and pure desire, 
 Soon in life's rough way will tire, 
 Never thinking to require — 
 " Teach us, Lord, to pray." 
 
 11 
 
Statxiar^- 
 
 IN MERCANTILE LIBRARY, ST. LOUIS, MO. 
 
 1. 
 
 ttS ANGED with skill, thy lovely marble 
 (^«"» Stands, O artist, in my view ! 
 And I feel thou hast a power 
 Given only to the few. 
 
 Wondrous power ! wondrous workman ! 
 
 Tracing, with unerring skill, 
 Where have moved the Father's fingers 
 
 In the beings of His will. 
 
 3. 
 
 Printing, on thy pallid marble, 
 
 Thoughts no creature could conceive — 
 Imitating thoughts of Heaven, 
 
 Till thy .marble seems to live. 
 
STATUARY. 123 
 
 4, 
 
 Carve, artist, with thy chisel. 
 
 Such a being as I tell, 
 And thy highest work before me 
 
 Will not please thee half so well. 
 
 Make no form of gentle woman. 
 Showing more than meet to see — 
 
 Carve no perfect leg, or ankle, 
 With such skillful symmetry : 
 
 Make not, artist, with thy power, 
 What shall please the fleshly eye, — 
 
 Carve fof me a wondrous figure, 
 Which shall move and edify. 
 
 For thy model, choose a woman — 
 Take from her the woman's grace ; 
 
 Spend, oh spend thy deepest power 
 In the tracing of the face. 
 
124 STATUARY. 
 
 8. 
 
 Care not for tte classic feature- 
 Make thy figure true to life : 
 
 Let it be a good old woman, 
 Let it be an aged wife. 
 
 But I charge you make this figure, 
 So the Christian life shall be 
 
 Marked upon each grace and feature, 
 With the Christian's soft, meek eye. 
 
 10. 
 
 Show the cares upon her forehead, 
 Which have been for mortal good, 
 
 Building up herself and others 
 In the image of her God. 
 
 11. 
 
 Show those deep but gentle traces. 
 Made by time and Christian love, — 
 
 Show the heart within her, yearning 
 For her long sweet home above. 
 
STATUARY. 125 
 
 12. 
 
 Make, O artist, make this figure 
 In a woman's matcliless grace, — 
 
 Men will gaze and say, how lovely 
 Is an aged Christian face. 
 
 11* 
 
■i «|urt|. 
 
 NCE, MO. 
 1. 
 
 ^SThIS ugly little building, 
 ^^ With clumsy pew and stove, 
 Without a desk or chancel, 
 
 Despise not thou, but love : 
 'T is rude and very humble, 
 
 And in a lonely spot — 
 The world would hardly like it, 
 
 But thou despise it not. 
 
 The poor and erring built it, — 
 An emblem but to show 
 
 That what is truly lovely. 
 
 From perfect faith must grow ; 
 
THE CHURCH. 127 
 
 'Tis rough and poor, but earnest, 
 And cometli from the heart — 
 
 A gift unto their Maker, 
 
 Esteemed much more than art. 
 
 The pulpit is unseemly. 
 
 And altar hath it none, 
 Nor font, with holy washing, 
 
 To seal us for the Son : 
 And yet, this place is holy, 
 
 And known of God above — 
 The very place where dwelleth 
 
 The Saviour and the'Dove. 
 
 The soul here wakes from sleeping, 
 
 And here is born again 
 A life, which is eternal, 
 
 Within the hearts of men : 
 Then love this place, so humble, 
 
 That erst was lightly trod, 
 And ever henceforth call it 
 
 The Dwelling-place of God. 
 
128 THE CHURCH. 
 
 5. 
 
 He careth not for temples 
 
 All costly made within, 
 Unless tlie heart He knoweth 
 
 Is deadened unto sin : 
 If His, He dwelleth in us. 
 
 And everywhere we pray 
 We make for Him a temple, 
 
 As beautiful as day. 
 
 6. 
 
 He dwelleth all around us, 
 
 And hallows every spot 
 Where Christians come to worship, 
 
 And where the world is not : 
 Then love this little building, 
 
 Though rude and rough it be, — 
 It herein but resembleth 
 
 Our own impurity. 
 
Jl §man. 
 
 THE GRIEF OF THE ANGELS. 
 1. 
 
 /yTlHEN buried in my slumber 
 ^W^ In stillness of tlie niglit, 
 A grand and awful vision 
 
 Was opened to my sight ; 
 Long millions of long millions 
 
 Of eartbly miles away, 
 On misty wings I wandered 
 
 Into another day. 
 
 2. 
 
 The sun and all his planets 
 Were faded from my sight, 
 
 And worlds, that here we knew not. 
 Grew wondrously bright ; 
 
130 A VISION. 
 
 The brilliant stars, that glitter 
 Beyond the milky way, 
 
 Were hidden by the distance, 
 In dark obscurity. 
 
 3. 
 
 Here splendor upon splendor 
 
 Bedecked the new-born sky, 
 As countless arching sunbeams 
 
 Lit up the canopy ; 
 And worlds, all bathed in glory, 
 
 As in some shining sea. 
 Kept rolling on and rolling, 
 
 To all eternity. 
 
 4. 
 
 The fullness of this splendor 
 
 No mortal eye can see, 
 For vast, beyond conception, 
 
 Is God's immensity : 
 The Spirit onward led me — 
 
 How far I cannot tell. 
 But now I heard around me 
 
 The sweetest music swell. 
 
A VISION. 131 
 
 5. 
 
 I saw tlie fairest flowers, 
 
 And softest sky above, 
 And brightest crystal rivers 
 
 Roll througli this land of love : 
 A new, untasted pleasure, 
 
 And joys, unknown to me, 
 Made all this blessed region 
 
 A land of ecstasy. 
 
 6. 
 
 Bright bands of happy beings 
 
 Were scattered o'er the sod. 
 With eyes intent to study 
 
 The glorious works of God ; 
 Anon I saw a spirit, 
 
 With proud, majestic eye, 
 Whose gaze, of all the angels, 
 
 Went deepest in the sky : 
 
 7. 
 He stood, and gazed intently, 
 
 With angel's highest powers, 
 When lo ! within the distance. 
 
 Appeared this world of ours : 
 
132 A VISION. 
 
 He now was filled witli wonder, 
 And spread his downy wings 
 
 To see, with nearer vision. 
 The beauty of this thing. 
 
 8. 
 
 I witnessed nought but pleasure 
 
 Within this world so fair. 
 For far beyond expression 
 
 The angels happy are ; 
 But now a gentle slumber 
 
 Enwrapped me with its spell, — 
 How long I slept unconscious 
 
 I surely cannot tell. 
 
 9. 
 
 But oh ! a sound most woful 
 
 Aroused me from my sleep. 
 For all the holy angels 
 
 Most bitterly did weep ; 
 All joy was gone from Heaven — 
 
 All pleasure died away, 
 As when a midnight darkness 
 
 Dispels the light of day. 
 
A VISION. 133 
 
 10, 
 
 There never was in Heaven 
 
 A scene so sad as tliis, 
 For sorrow ne'er had entered 
 
 Into those realms of bliss ; 
 The angel who had wandered 
 
 Into the distant space, 
 Had come with tearful story 
 
 Into this Holy place : 
 
 11. 
 
 For he, with pinion rapid, 
 
 Had been where mortals dwell, 
 And live with one another 
 
 As denizens of Hell ; 
 He saw that wild confusion 
 
 Through every region ran, 
 And sin, with all its sorrows. 
 
 Marked out the homes of man. 
 
 12. 
 
 Tlie sad and weeping angel 
 
 Here covered up his face, 
 
 For in this world so wretched 
 
 He said he saw no peace ; 
 12 
 
134 A VISION. 
 
 Of all the worlds that glitter 
 The glorious sky within, ^ 
 
 He saw no one so buried 
 In misery and sin. 
 
 13. 
 
 Within this blissi'ul region 
 
 This sight was not, till then,— « 
 For never had they gazed on 
 
 A race of fallen men ; 
 For God, to them in mercy, 
 
 This world did far remove 
 From those most blissful regions, 
 
 Where angels dwell in love. 
 
 14. 
 
 The tearful vision left me — ' 
 
 I was on earth again, 
 And found my habitation 
 
 Among these fallen men ; 
 And now my soul is weeping 
 
 Its watery fountains deep — ■ 
 For ah ! the things of this world 
 
 Make holy angels weep. 
 
|L '^umux% <§t0rj|. 
 
 Tlie voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the 
 way of the Lord.— St. Mark i. 3. 
 
 1. 
 
 EIST, ye winds, that howl around me, 
 So unfeeling and so cold, 
 I will tell a fearful story, 
 
 Which I oft before have told ; 
 When ye hear it, bear it quickly — 
 
 Spread it widely as ye can. 
 Let it enter every city. 
 
 Every dwelling-place of man. 
 
 2. 
 Go where high and splendid churches 
 
 Rear their towers to the sky, 
 Tell it 'neath the costly arches 
 
 Where the wealthy bow the knee ; 
 
136 A MISSIONARY STORY. 
 
 Go where people kneel on cushions 
 Crimson as the Saviour's blood, 
 
 Rustling in their gloss and gewgaws, 
 To partake of Holy food. 
 
 Go where light from colored windows 
 
 Falleth softer than the day. 
 Where the golden-clasped prayer-book 
 
 Shineth in its rich array ; 
 Go where full and hearty choirs 
 
 Raise the notes of rapturQ high. 
 Which in souls all filled with worship 
 
 Seems like angel minstrelsy. 
 
 4. 
 
 Go where oak is carved in beauty 
 
 In the pulpit which ye see, 
 Where is sweetness 'round the altar 
 
 And around the Baptistery ; 
 Where ye hear the merry ringing, 
 
 Or the chiming of the bell, 
 Go ye winds and tell this story 
 
 Which ye now do hear me tell : — 
 
A MISSIONARY STORY. 137 
 
 5. 
 
 Tell it as tlie preachers bow them 
 
 In the surpUce white as snow — 
 Tell it as they speak of Jesus, 
 
 Of His sufferings and His w^oe, 
 Of His kingdom, of His coming, 
 
 Of His coming yet to be, — 
 When they speak of love and mercy. 
 
 Go, ye winds, and tell it ye — 
 
 6. 
 
 Tell them, tell them I'm their brother, 
 
 ^Yeak and youthful though I be — 
 Tell them of my daily struggle 
 
 With the common enemy, — 
 How ye came, like wintry bowlings, 
 
 All around and o'er the sod, 
 Yet ye saw, in all this region, 
 
 Not a single Church of God. 
 
 7. 
 
 Nave or chancel here ye see not. 
 
 Altars fair, nor Baptisteries, 
 
 Though the land is filled with people, 
 
 And the woods with no*ble trees ; 
 12* 
 
138 A MISSIONARY STORY. 
 
 Yea, from Iowa to Kansas, 
 
 Far along Missouri's tide, 
 I alone with clear credentials 
 
 Tell of Jesus crucified. 
 
 8. 
 
 Here no cheerful organ soundeth, 
 
 Here no people crowd to praise — 
 Worshippers are few and feeble, 
 
 Like the ship wrecked on the seas ; 
 Never sounds the merry church bell, 
 
 Calling us to service high — 
 All is dark as when the Saviour 
 
 Hung upon Mount Calvary. 
 
 9. 
 
 Go, ye winds, and tell this story. 
 
 Make the thoughtless stop to hear — 
 Tell them how this land so mighty 
 
 Hardly hath a worshipper ; 
 Tell it sadly, tell it truly. 
 
 Waft it far o'er hill and dell, 
 In the town and in the city, — 
 
 Go, this' mournful story tell. 
 
A MISSIONARY STORY. 139 
 
 10. 
 
 Tell it in the place of pleasure, 
 
 Tell it in the hall of glee, 
 Tell it where the sick man looketh 
 
 Only to eternity ; 
 Tell it in the bridal chamber, 
 
 Tell it too where sorrows be, — 
 Every place where there are Christians, 
 
 Go, ye winds, and tell it ye. 
 
€xa^$ 0f Cbrist, 
 
 God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ.— Ga/, vi. 14. 
 
 1. 
 
 ©CROSS of Christ! it ne'er sliall be, 
 That we shall seek to banish thee 
 From this thy home ; 
 But rear thee high in every place, 
 Where Adam's poor and fallen race 
 Shall ever come. 
 
 2. 
 Fit emblem then of Faith, think we — 
 Thou art to us no shameful tree 
 
 Which we should hate ; 
 For on thy arms extended, died, 
 For mortal sins, the Crucified — 
 
 To expiate. 
 
CROSS OF CHRIST. 141 
 
 3. 
 
 Then I will rear thee in my breast, , 
 And seek to gain eternal rest 
 
 By bearing thee : 
 And ever will I bless His name 
 Who died on thee, and bore thy shame, 
 
 Thou lovely Tree. 
 
Cl^Irristiitn Inrt^Jr. 
 
 But I say unto you, Love your enemies.— iS^ Matt. v. 44. 
 
 IK 
 
 1. 
 
 Ian, man, with Christian heart- 
 Jesus' own! 
 Who, who is like to thee, 
 
 'Neath the sun ? 
 Angels more pure than thou, 
 
 Are more high. 
 But, but they bear no cross 
 In the sky. 
 
 2. 
 
 Worldlings a rod will feel, 
 
 Lost in sin ; 
 Yet, yet no cross they wear, 
 
 Dead within; 
 
CHRISTIAN HEARTED. 143 
 
 Doing ho others hurt, 
 
 Harm ye bear, 
 Pleased if for others' good 
 
 Woes ye share. 
 
 3. 
 
 Seeking no pleasure here, 
 But above, 
 
 Passing your life away — ' 
 Life of love ; 
 
 Angels with angels dwell- 
 None to sin, 
 
 But ye must live with men- 
 Sinful men. 
 
 4. 
 
 Loving, where others hate, 
 Ye must be ; 
 
 Weak, weak, must bear much wrong 
 Patiently : 
 
 Man, man, with Christian heart- 
 Jesus' own, 
 
 Who, who is like to thee, 
 'Neath the sun ? 
 
CI]ttn| idls. 
 
 1. 
 
 T^ ISTEN to the church-bells— 
 AX Hear them how they ring, 
 Calling up the lost ones 
 
 To the Saviour King : 
 Some are ringing sadly, 
 
 Some with merry glee — • 
 Listen to the church-bells, 
 
 How they call to thee. 
 
 2. 
 
 Soon they '11 stop their ringing — 
 Ye no more shall hear ; 
 
 Now their gentle warning 
 Peals so loud and clear. 
 
C?HURCH BELL3. 145 
 
 Ye will wisli to hear them 
 
 And come back again, 
 But no bell can lead you 
 
 To the Saviour then. 
 
 Whither ye are going 
 
 Never will they ring — 
 And there *s no returning 
 
 To the Saviour King : 
 Hasten, then, to Jesus, 
 
 Make no longer stay — 
 Listen to the church-bells. 
 
 How they call for thee. 
 
 13 
 
^liiJij^ttt, 
 
 1. 
 
 Jj^ N old man passed 
 •^«* With a scythe in his hand, 
 And he seemed to press 
 
 To some distant land ; 
 Though he heard no call 
 
 That would bid him to stay, 
 He spoke to us all 
 
 As he hurried away. 
 
 2- 
 
 No child of the earth — 
 For he seemed as a king, 
 
 As he pressed along 
 On his downy wing ; 
 
ADVENT. 147 
 
 And I knew by his look, 
 
 Which was deep and sublime, 
 
 That the king whom I saw 
 Was the old king, Time. 
 
 3. 
 
 Ah, list ! I said, 
 
 To the Advent-bell, 
 Around the earth 
 
 Can I hear it swell : 
 Was ever a sound 
 
 So sweet and clear, 
 As the Advent-bell 
 
 Of the Christian-year ? 
 
 4. 
 
 He answered me not — 
 
 And I said yet again. 
 Will ye list ? will ye list 
 
 To the Advent strain ? 
 Oh stop in the Church, 
 
 And bend ye your ear. 
 And tell me what sounds 
 
 More sweet can ye hear. 
 
148 ADVENT. 
 
 5. 
 
 Yea, a sound is there 
 
 Where is never a tongue, 
 A song by the oak 
 
 And the marble is sung ; 
 Sweet voices arise 
 
 From the things that ye see- 
 'Tis the voice of God 
 
 That speaketh to thee. 
 
 6. 
 
 And all in the Church 
 
 That ye see and hear. 
 Will carry you back 
 
 For many a year : 
 They tell of a king 
 
 Of the olden time — 
 The Born of God 
 
 To a life sublime ; 
 
 7. 
 Who died on the cross. 
 
 As a ransom given 
 To build upon earth 
 
 The Kingdom of Heaven, — 
 
ADVENT. 149 
 
 Who diad, yet He lives, 
 And His Kingdom shall b^ 
 
 As the sand that is strewn 
 On the shore of the sea. 
 
 8. 
 
 Now the old man spoke, 
 As he hurried away — 
 
 " Most true, indeed, 
 
 " Are the things that you say 
 
 For joys which now 
 No heart can conceive. 
 
 Shall rest evermore 
 On those that believe. 
 
 9. 
 
 The King whom ye love 
 
 Shall return as He went- 
 The nations of earth 
 
 Shall see and repent : 
 All sorrow and war 
 
 And tumult shall cease^ 
 The heavens and earth 
 
 Shall mingle in peace. 
 
150 ADVENT. 
 
 10. 
 
 Then love still more 
 
 In the Church what ye see, 
 For she mingles the past 
 
 With the yet to be ; 
 There are in the ring 
 
 Of the Advent-bell, 
 More strange sweet sounds 
 
 Than the tongue can tell." 
 
€uUx. 
 
 " Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first- 
 fruits of them that slept."— 1 Cor. xv. 20. 
 
 1. 
 
 /JJhRIST is risen, O ye people ! 
 ^-J "He is risen, as He said;'* 
 Death is conquered, yea forever, — 
 Christ hath risen from the dead. 
 
 2. 
 Now has death no sting nor terror-— 
 
 Now, as from a sweet repose, 
 We shall rise, nor die forever, 
 
 Since the Blessed Redeemer rose. 
 
 3. 
 
 O, my Saviour, we shall follow — 
 Whither Thou hast gone we come ; 
 
 Well we know that Thou hast risen 
 But the first-fruits of the tomb. 
 
152 EASTER. 
 
 4. 
 
 Far away in life eternal, 
 Rising higher day by day, 
 
 We shall glory. Blessed Saviour, 
 In the life wrought out by Thee. 
 
 5. 
 
 Rising from a death in Satan, 
 Lotd, we'll live to Thee alone — 
 
 Keeping aye a twofold Easter 
 For Thy rising and our own. 
 
 6. 
 
 And our bodies risen with Thee, 
 Threefold shall that Easter be. 
 
 And will keep it. Blest Redeemer,. 
 E'er to all eternity* 
 
ILsaumn ^^ m Bl §mxg$. 
 
 When He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He 
 was taken up ; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 
 Acts i. 9, 
 
 IN a bright Canadian village, 
 By the waters clear and sweet, 
 Where the sky is filled with beauty, 
 And a thousand warm hearts beat ; 
 
 2. 
 
 I heard the bell of St. George's 
 As it pealed on the balmy air, 
 
 And called, called up the people, 
 To meet in the House of prayer ; 
 
 3. 
 
 And loud, from out the belfry 
 
 In tender peals it swung, 
 Till I went to the Church to worship, 
 
 As called by an angel tongue. 
 
154 ASCENSION DAY IN ST. GEORGE's 
 
 4. 
 
 I stood in the desk, by tlie chancel, 
 And the words of the service read ; 
 
 But vainly I tried to worship, 
 For my heart within was dead. 
 
 'T was the Feast, the Feast of Ascension, 
 And we saw the Saviour rise 
 
 ITp, up, through the gates eternal, 
 To His mansion in the skies. 
 
 6. 
 
 And we heard the white-robed angels 
 In the words of Heaven say, — 
 
 'T is thus the Lord in glory 
 Shall come in the latter day. 
 
 7. 
 
 But sad was nay heart within me. 
 For I looked to the vacant pew ; 
 
 And small was the band before me, — 
 A faithful band, but few. 
 
ASCENSION DAY IN ST. GEORGE's. 155 
 8, 
 
 For where, oh where ! St. George's — 
 
 Thy children, where were they, 
 That in the Church they came not 
 
 On this bright Ascension Day ? 
 
 9. 
 
 Oh where were the crowds that weekly 
 
 Are seen in thy hallowed aisle, 
 To join in the Sunday worship, 
 
 And sing to the Lord the while? 
 
 10. 
 
 I only thought for a moment, 
 For well have I learned to know 
 
 That loud calls the world on a week day, 
 And the people hear and go. 
 
 11. 
 
 And the bell might ring in the belfry 
 Till crumbled to dust are the walls, 
 
 And some would not stir from their business, 
 Nor list when the sweet bell calls. 
 
156 ASCENSION DAY IN ST. GEORGE ^S. 
 
 12. 
 
 I tliouglit, O Christ, of Thy children^ 
 Away from the Church, away, 
 
 Who loved not Thy bright ascension^ 
 Nor the hope of the latter day, 
 
 13. 
 
 I was gi'ieved in the holy servicey 
 For still the sad thought came — 
 
 How few do follow the Saviour, 
 Of all who are named in His name» 
 
 14. 
 
 I paused as I led in the worship, 
 
 For a voice was in my ear 
 As loud as a peal of thunder,. 
 
 Though others seemed not to hear. 
 
 15. 
 
 Up, up through the Church it echoed, 
 With a fearful sound and keen, 
 
 As an angel spoke with a trumpet, 
 And walked in the aisles unseen. 
 
ASCENSION DAY IN ST. GEORGe's. 157 
 
 16. 
 
 Awake, said the voice of wonder, 
 Nor grieve at the things you see, 
 
 For this is a picture of Heaven—r 
 Of the world that is yet to be. 
 
 17. 
 
 When the sun and moon in their splendor, 
 And the stars in the darkness roll. 
 
 And the world with all its peoples 
 As the winding up of a scroll, 
 
 18. 
 
 Ye then will see, in the heavens, 
 That there it is even the same, — 
 
 Not all are redeemed by the Saviour 
 Who here confess to His name. 
 
 14 
 
Ismn si gtat|. 
 
 He that believeth in Me, shall never die.— St. John xi. 26. 
 
 HJIRING my coffin, place it by me, 
 Jf^ 'T is a thing I learn to love, — 
 What before could terrify me, 
 Now but lifts my heart above. 
 
 Never can my being perish, 
 
 Though my body feel death's pain, 
 In my heart a life I cherish, 
 
 Which can never die again. 
 
 3. 
 
 In the heavens higher, higher 
 
 Ever shall my spirit be, 
 Till my being turn to fire 
 
 In the glories of the sky. 
 
HYMN OF DEATH. 159 
 
 4. 
 
 Wrap in death my clothes around me, 
 
 As upon a bridal day ; 
 Thoughts of death cannot confound me — 
 
 When I die I live alway. 
 
 5. 
 Take my measure ; fit me coldly 
 
 In the narrow bed of wood ; 
 Bars of iron cannot hold me — 
 
 When I die I live in God. 
 
 6. 
 
 Wife, I charge thee for me weep not, 
 Nor the mournful trappings wear ; 
 
 Days of sorrow keep, oh ! keep not, 
 When I am where angels are. 
 
 7. 
 Heap the sod and place the gravestone 
 
 Firm above my chilly head ; 
 But, I charge you, write upon it 
 
 That I sleep, and am not dead. 
 
iitistrj 0f Jiitpls^ 
 
 Behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it 
 reached to heaven : and behold the angels of God ascending 
 and descending on it — Gen. xxviii. 12. 
 
 1. 
 
 I HEAR no soft, sweet rusliing wings, 
 I see no wondrous forms of ligbt, 
 Nor can my eye trace holy things 
 That minister in Heaven's might. 
 
 2. 
 
 No fleecy clouds bear up a host . 
 
 Of beings which the eye can scan ; 
 Nor do I see the Holy Ghost, 
 
 That daily wings His flight to man. 
 
 3. 
 Nor hear I sounds of music sweet 
 
 Float trembling from the starry spheres, 
 Nor do I know those sounds — so meet . 
 
 For angels, not for human ears. 
 
MINISTRY OF ANGELS. 1(>1 
 
 4. 
 
 And yet from out yon realms of love 
 A host plies ever on the wing, 
 
 To bear our daily prayers above, 
 And daily answers back to bring: 
 
 5. 
 
 To feed us with a holy food. 
 
 And make us stronger day by day ; 
 
 To build us more and more like God, 
 As more and more ourselves decay. 
 
 6. 
 
 They wing around me, though unseen. 
 And hold a converse pure and high ; 
 
 They ever come and go between 
 God's poorest children and the sky. 
 
 I've felt the strength they brought and gave 
 
 Unto the life that burns within, 
 
 And feel that God thus sends to save 
 
 The body from the rule of sin. 
 14* 
 
162 MINISTRY OF ANGELS. 
 
 8. 
 
 And every moment tliat I spend 
 Among mankind in fleeting day, 
 
 These ministers of God attend, 
 And lead me in His holy way : 
 
 9. 
 
 And, though I hear them not nor see 
 Their soft wings floating light and thin, 
 
 They ever build me up to be 
 The image of my God within. 
 
%\t |«pirg. 
 
 1^0 you love God, my father' 
 •f'^ Spoke out a little child, 
 And waited for an answer, 
 His heart so undefiled. 
 
 You surely, surely love Him, 
 For mother loves Him so ; 
 
 But when she goes to praise Him, 
 You never wish to go. 
 
 Say, do you love Him, father. 
 And don't you often pray 
 
 When I, along with mother, 
 Am sometimes gone away ? 
 
164 THE INQUIRY. 
 
 4. 
 
 I love you both, my father, — 
 But you make mother weep ; 
 
 And oft I've seen her praying 
 When you were fast asleep. 
 
 5. 
 
 My mother often tells me 
 I must love God, so true ; 
 
 But tell me, dearest father. 
 Must I love Him as you ? 
 
 % 
 6. 
 
 My mother is so gentle, 
 But you are rarely so, — 
 
 Do you love God, my father ? 
 I'd like so much to know. 
 
 I heard you say but lately. 
 That all the living die ; 
 
 And mother says that then, too. 
 We live beyond the sky. 
 
THE INQUIRY. 165 
 
 If you love God, my father, 
 To live witli Him some day. 
 
 Pray tell if you, or mother, 
 •Pursue the better way ? 
 
 9. 
 
 For I love God, my father, 
 But know not what to do, — 
 
 Oh ! must I follow mother, 
 Or must I be like you ? 
 
%\t Mntn mn. 
 
 1. 
 
 I KNOW there's not a single hour 
 That wings its flight above my head, 
 But what a hidden form of power 
 
 Fills up the number of the dead ; 
 And not a single star that fades 
 
 In sweetness in the morning's dawn, 
 But life departs as fleeting shades, 
 And some immortal soul is gone. 
 
 2. 
 
 There is a shining way between 
 
 The earth we tread and heaven's day 
 
 There is a solemn host unseen, 
 
 That moves forever 'long that way : 
 
THE UNSEEN WAY. 167 
 
 And Death , the angel, ever tends 
 To lead along this unknown road, 
 
 As every moment one ascends, — 
 Or wanders farther from his God. 
 
 Among these passing hosts are they 
 
 Whose hearts are washed, and pure, and clean ; 
 Who float into the world away, 
 
 Forevermore redeemed from sin : 
 There scarcely rolls a moment by. 
 
 But somewhere in this world there be 
 Who lift their hearts above, and cry 
 
 Lord Jesus, lo ! I come to Thee. 
 
§hxu in €%tthn 
 
 ^^/i LORY be to God on high," 
 
 ^T Angels sang when Christ was born 
 Chaunting cherubs of the sky, 
 Telling of Salvation's dawn ; 
 In the quiet reign of night, 
 Floating from the realms of light, 
 Raising high the living strain — 
 " Glory to God, good will to men." 
 
 2. 
 
 Soon their notes no more were heard 
 Trembling on from sphere to sphere, 
 
 Telling of the living Word, 
 In His endless Kingdom here. 
 
C^ORIA IN EXCELSIS. 169 
 
 Holy Church caught up the strain — 
 "Glory to God," and ''peace to men ;" 
 Still the holy song is sung 
 Everywhere, by every tongue. 
 
 3. 
 
 Holy Church loves well to sing 
 Such a song, so full and sweet— 
 
 As a mighty living thing 
 Age to age re-echoes it. 
 
 Hearts of men are cords of fire, 
 
 Woven in a mystic lyre — 
 
 Notes of God, — on deathless wings, — 
 
 Living, linger on those strings. 
 
 4. 
 
 As the world rolls through the sky, 
 'T is a harp by angels strung — 
 
 "Glory be to God on high" 
 Rises from its burning tongue. 
 
 Heard in motions sweet and long, 
 
 Heard in daily Even-song ; 
 
 Angel host, thy gentle strain 
 
 Fills the earth again, again. 
 
170 GLORIA IN EXCEL^ft. 
 
 5. 
 
 Holy Mother, thus I hear 
 
 " Glory be lo God" in thee, 
 Filling all the Christian-year 
 
 With the high doxology. 
 Angels sang it, and the trill, 
 Age by age, must linger still ; 
 What awoke Salvation's dawn, 
 Wakes the Resurrection's morn. 
 
 6. 
 
 Loud I heard the choir sing 
 That sweet song I love to hear, 
 
 Till there seemed, on fleecy wing, 
 Hosts of Heaven ling' ring near ; 
 
 Through the lessons to the close, 
 
 Still to me the sweet song rose. 
 
 Till I knelt me down to be 
 
 Marked, Lord, and named for Thee. 
 
 7. 
 
 Pearly drops upon my brow 
 
 Priestly hands poured^ pure and clean, 
 And, as rose the burning vow, 
 
 Lo, a life was born within. 
 
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS. 171 
 
 And my ears were opened tlien — 
 Still I heard the angel strain 
 Rolling softly in the sky, 
 " Glory be to God on high." 
 
 8. 
 
 He whose heart is tuned aright, 
 Knows the heavens ever near — 
 
 Sees the many forms of light. 
 Hears what others cannot hear. 
 
 As the Saviour came to earth, 
 
 And the angels sang His birth. 
 
 They will ever swell the strain 
 
 As each heart is born again. 
 
 9. 
 
 Never in the realms above, 
 
 Nor on earth this song shall cease. 
 
 Till the earth is filled with love, 
 And forever shall be peace ; 
 
 Till the world shall catch the fire 
 
 Of the bright angelic choir. 
 
 And forever, evermore. 
 
 Shall the reign of death be o'er. 
 
The true Light, which lighteth every man that comelh into 
 the world. — St. John i. 9. 
 
 ifplLDEN, olden is the hist'ry, 
 ^^ Leading back to distant ages, 
 Unto which I beg you listen — 
 But it is a very strange one. 
 
 In the ages olden, olden. 
 Men had light, and yet in darkness 
 Were they ever blindly groping, 
 Groping in benighted reason. 
 
 Eyes they had, and yet they saw not — 
 Darker than Egyptian darkness 
 Rose the glorious things around them : 
 Then the perfect reign of reason — 
 
 Then the time for Paine and Voltaire, 
 And such other noted worthies ; 
 
THE LIGHT. 173 
 
 Then the time that boasted reason 
 Should have found the light of Heaven, 
 
 But they never, never found it : 
 Years advanced and years receded, 
 Great men rose, and lived, and flourished, 
 Yet they never, never found it. 
 
 All at once h light from Heaven — 
 Brighter than e'er known to mortals, 
 Living, burning, lighting all things, 
 Glowing forth in rays effulgent — 
 Burst upon the human vision. 
 
 They who long had sat in darkness. 
 In the valley of Death's shadow. 
 Saw the Light in vivid splendor. 
 
 Now they saw, though with the eyes shut, 
 Saw what ne'er before they thought of : 
 Holy beings, high, eternal — 
 Holy pathways in the heavens — 
 Mighty powers, shining virtues — 
 Saw the very heavens opened. 
 Heard the sweet songs of the angels, 
 
174 THE LIGHT. 
 
 Saw them rising and descending — 
 Thought the very thoughts of Heaven 
 Saw the Everlasting Father, 
 Light and Life of all creation ; 
 Saw the glorious hope of mortals — 
 In their great and endless glory, 
 Living through unnumbered ages, 
 Growing ever higher, higher ; 
 Saw the way, the way to Heaven, 
 Saw the pathways of the blessed ; 
 Saw the way of sorrow gilded. 
 Like the storm-cloud in the Summer 
 When the sun-light falls upon it, 
 Making all its edges silver — 
 Darker, though, to eyes of mortals, 
 Than it is as seen from Heaven. 
 
 But this Light of ages olden — 
 Brought by Shiloh from the Father, 
 Brightest jewel of the Heavens, 
 Was as strange as it was wondrous : 
 
 Reaching where no other reaches. 
 Piercing walls, and piercing bosoms — 
 Lighting up the dens and dungeons : 
 Crossing seas and mighty oceans, 
 
THE LIGHT. 175 
 
 Shining through all coming ages — 
 " Light of Light," supreme and perfect : 
 LOVE, the being of the Father, 
 LOVE, the Christian's life and glory, — 
 Burning chiefly in the bosom. 
 Beaming from the eyes and features, 
 Shining forth in holy walkings, 
 As a light-house o'er the ocean. 
 
 "When it reaches not the bosom 
 All is dread and bitter darkness, — 
 All the ways of life are hidden. 
 And the gates of Hell are yawning. 
 
 It must be within the bosom. 
 Or to us its light is nothing ; 
 For it lights the inner being. 
 Filling with its light the body. 
 
 Thus it shineth, ever shineth. 
 
 Holy Light that came from Heaven ; 
 
 Building up God's helpless creatures, * 
 
 Raising them to untold glories, 
 
 To the rest prepared forever 
 
 For His true and faithful children ; 
 
176 THE LIGHT. 
 
 Making all men good and holy, 
 Making one of all the nations. 
 
 Thus it shone in ages olden, 
 Melting all the icy heathen, 
 Driving off the clouds so murky 
 Gathered o'er the human reason, 
 Conquering nations by its brightness. 
 
 Vanquished were the realms of darkness, 
 Long it shone in vivid splendor. 
 Lighting up the fleshy temples 
 Fitted for the Holy Spirit, — 
 Buildings clean and pure and perfect, 
 Lighted by the Word eternal, 
 Brighter than are suns and systems. 
 
 Thus were Christians Christ's disciples — 
 No revilings, no contentions, 
 Walking like the Blessed Master ; 
 Like a mighty band of brothers 
 Conre, like Jesus, from the Heavens — 
 All united, all united; 
 Like the members of the Body, 
 Like a Vine with many branches : 
 
THE LIGHT. 177 
 
 Thus the love and peace of Christians 
 E'er their hearts had learned contention, 
 E'er the Church was rent asunder 
 By the power of the Dragon. 
 
 But the Lord, Who knoweth mortals — 
 Knows their hearts, how very feeble, 
 Knows them through all coming ages — 
 Wrote the Light, impressed and perfect. 
 Wrote it on a piece of parchment — 
 As a thing more firm, enduring 
 Than the hearts of erring mortals — 
 As a witness to all ages 
 Of the Light that came from Heaven : 
 That when men should turn from error, 
 And should seek this light of glory. 
 They would find it in the parchment. 
 
 Now receding, now receding, — 
 As the Lord Himself had told them 
 By the prophet sent from Patmos, — 
 Fading from the darkened vision 
 Went the blessed Light of Heaven ; 
 Faded from the human bosoni. 
 Shining mostly in the parchment. 
 
178 THE LIGHT. 
 
 First from out the holy Churches, 
 Planted by the bless'd Apostles 
 In the towns of Asia Minor, 
 Went the light out, slow receding. 
 
 Dimmer, dimmer, growing dimmer, 
 In the many, many Churches 
 Scattered over all the nations, 
 Soon the light grew very feeble ; 
 Feebler, as the Prince of Darkness 
 Gained again his lost dominions. 
 In the terror of his power. 
 
 Strange devices, superstitions, 
 Wicked deeds and shameful passion^ 
 Were the crying shame of mortals : 
 
 Demons from the lower regions 
 Came in all their fearful power, 
 Feasting in their woes and sorrows, 
 Filling every human bosom. 
 
 Webs were woMien, subtle, misty ; 
 As the webs by busy spiders 
 Working in some house or dungeon. 
 Dimming all the light that enters. 
 
THE LIGHT. 179 
 
 Some, however, pure and holy, 
 Kept the blessed light of Heaven 
 Ever burning in their bosoms ; 
 But the world was filled with darkness. 
 
 Long the sable Prince of terrors 
 Ruled the nations in his power, 
 And the light of God was hidden 
 In the dismal night of error. 
 
 Yokes were put upon the people, 
 Bands upon their powers fastened, 
 And the world was dark and gloomy : 
 
 But there were who hated darkness — 
 Hated all the deeds of evil — 
 Seeing, and most deeply feeling, 
 Darkness growing by oppression. 
 
 Then arose the Star of morning — 
 WyclifFe, with the light within him, 
 "Morning star " of Reformation ; 
 Then another, then another. 
 Like the burning comets, trailing 
 Brightly, sweetly, through the heavens, 
 Drawing eyes of nations to them 
 In their glowing tracks of splendor. 
 
180 THE LIGHT. 
 
 Then a great and mighty nation 
 Roused her from her midnight slumber, 
 Blew the ftame that rested in her — 
 Blew it, till from cot and hamlet 
 To the costly homes of princes, 
 Spread the flame of true religion 
 From one bosom to another, 
 Till it rose in glowing beauty, 
 Burning brightly in all England ; 
 Till it crossed the British channel — 
 Piercing through the sombre darkness. 
 
 Now arose the mighty heroes 
 Battling for the Saviour's Kingdom, — 
 With the light of love within them, 
 Fighting 'gainst the realms of evil : 
 
 Yea, they strove with all their power. 
 Till the dreadful bars were broken. 
 And the King of Death was shaken. 
 
 Now, the light in all its glory, 
 
 Burst again on mortal vision : 
 
 Church of England ! thou hast caught it. 
 
 Beaming in thy Altar-service, 
 
 Beaming in thy daily worship ; 
 
THE LIGHT. 181 
 
 In tlie lives of holy martyrs, 
 In the rolling Christian seasons ; 
 Yea, thyself hath found the parchment, 
 Written by the Lord's own finger. 
 
 But the light, which once was all men's, 
 Being lost in total darkness, 
 Men put on their divers glasses. 
 Looking with their utmost powers 
 Through their glasses, many-colored. 
 For the Light that came from Heaven — 
 Searching, searching, ever searching. 
 
 Some, while taking off the rubbish — 
 Piercing through the gloom of ages, 
 Through the mist of superstition. 
 Through the errors of the Churches — 
 See the light effulgent glitter, 
 Through a crevice they have opened 
 In the misty, misty darkness. 
 
 Even now will each man labor, 
 
 Opening for himself a crevice, 
 
 Joyous at the light that cometh, 
 
 Though it be but very little. 
 16 
 
182 THE LIGHT. 
 
 Thus it is that men will differ, 
 In their writing and their speaking, 
 Of the light which is from Heaven : 
 Seeing partly, never wholly, 
 Looking through their varied glasses, 
 Colored, colored, ever colored. 
 
 Thus the world is filled with "churches," 
 And the "churches" with contentions, 
 And the human heart with sorrows. 
 
 "When again the Light shall lighten — 
 Fill the hearts of erring mortals. 
 Shining in their ways and doings ; 
 Guiding in the ways of Heaven, 
 In the love which Jesus taught us : 
 When again the light is perfect, 
 And we cease to view it partly. 
 But receive it wholly, truly, 
 Shining forth in all its splendor — 
 Holy Light that came from Heaven, 
 Lighting most the human bosom, 
 Leading in the ways of Goodness, 
 Making us alike the Father : 
 Then shall all men be united — 
 
THE LIGHT. 183 
 
 One in Christ, He in the Father — 
 One forever and forever. 
 
 Oh ! the glory, peace, and beauty 
 Of the Saviour's endless Kingdom, 
 When the Light shall ever fill it, 
 As a mighty living temple. 
 
 Rise in might, O Church of England ! 
 Rise and strive, England's daughter! 
 Shine, until your light and glory 
 Fall upon the sleeping nations : 
 Till the wounds are healed in Zion, 
 Till the jarring noise of Babel 
 Cease within His holy Kingdom, 
 And the Lord shall reign forever. 
 
1. 
 
 V\f LAND, a land, of pure delight ; 
 •^^ Nor soiTow there, nor care to blight ; 
 That land so pleasing to my sight, 
 My spirit saw. 
 
 2. 
 
 It was a holy. Christian, land, 
 By gentlest winds forever fanned ; 
 Where wandered many a happy band, 
 In purest love, 
 
 3. 
 
 Each tender heart was filled with peace, 
 And here was kind, fraternal bliss — 
 A land so much unlike to this 
 
 In which we dwell. 
 
FAIRLAND, 185 
 
 4. 
 
 Full many a Churcli in Jesu^s name, 
 Lit up the land where'er I came ; 
 And "Churches," there, were all the same — 
 Were one in Christ. 
 
 5. 
 
 Tliese Homes of God were fair to see, 
 Nor rudely made to grieve the eye ; 
 The cross was on each steeple high, 
 To tell of Faith, 
 
 6. 
 
 The inside, too, was sweetly clean. 
 And little there of mortal sin ; 
 For those who came wore a cross within, 
 To be like Christ. 
 
 7. 
 
 The praying ones were never few — 
 
 At worship-time the number grew, 
 
 And there was not an empty pew 
 
 Or vacant seat. 
 16* 
 
186 FAIRLAND* 
 
 # 
 
 8. 
 
 No lolling there, wlien psalms up-rose, 
 To rise at Gloria at the close ; 
 In Church they sought not for repose — 
 They came to praise. 
 
 9. 
 
 The priests were clothed in flowing white, 
 Nor shame they felt, but thought it right 
 To wear pure robes when in God's sight, 
 In service high. 
 
 10. 
 
 From holy bosoms, deep and strong, 
 They lifted high the thrilling song ; 
 With every word went hearts along, 
 In deepest praise. 
 
 11. 
 
 Like Heaven's worship this did seem — 
 Each called to each in sacred hymn, 
 As angel unto cherubim 
 
 In heavenly scene. 
 
F AIRLAND. 137 
 
 12. 
 
 These gentle Christians ne'er contend — 
 There love is love without an end ; 
 Their hearts into each other blend 
 In endless peace. 
 
 13. 
 
 No other name than Christ's they bore, 
 For Christian was the name of yore — 
 Forever and forevermore 
 
 The truest Name. 
 
 14. 
 
 No hate was there, nor silly pride, 
 Which men in their religion hide ; 
 Nor wrong nor sting — but all abide, 
 As Jesus taught. 
 
 15. 
 
 There hearts were filled with truth and light, 
 And there, at last, they had no night : 
 No other land so pure and bright 
 
 As this sweet land. 
 
188 FAIRLAND. 
 
 16. 
 
 No sun could give a richer beam, 
 No glory of so sweet a gleam, — 
 But oh ! it was a fleeting dream 
 My spirit saw. 
 
 1 
 
Ipu U €\xut 
 
 1. 
 
 ©CHRIST! my heart I lift, 
 Burning to Thee : 
 Thou art the Life and Light, 
 Thou the Truth and Way. 
 
 2. 
 
 Thy Life the love of God — 
 
 Love, that in the sky 
 Lights up the starry halls, 
 
 As a temple high. 
 
 Ever within the world. 
 For the human weal, 
 
 Unseen, but in the heart 
 Making it to feel. 
 
190 HYMN TO CHRIST. 
 
 4. 
 
 Teaching the dead to live 
 In a life of love, 
 
 Leading as Spirit's walk 
 In the worlds above. 
 
 O Christ ! the life is high 
 Taught to us by Thee — 
 
 Angels and God alone, 
 Know its majesty. 
 
 6. 
 
 All light, and burning love- 
 Love so great, Divine ; 
 
 Thy Life and God's life — 
 May it. Lord, be mine. 
 
 Leading as Thou hast trod, 
 To the realms above — 
 
 Teach me, O Lord, to live 
 All a life of love. 
 
t llififet. 
 
 ^jtf S doves that fly 
 •^hL On wings of light, 
 
 That seek the cot 
 Ere comes the night ; 
 
 As flock on flock 
 These lovely things, 
 
 Fill all the sky 
 With silver wings : 
 
 2. 
 
 And floating on 
 
 Through fields of light, 
 Still others come 
 
 In silent flight : 
 So from the world, 
 
 The world of sin, 
 The hosts of Christ 
 
 Are gathering in. 
 
192 THE FLIGHT. 
 
 3. 
 
 They come from far^ 
 
 0*er hill and glen, 
 To own the Lord 
 
 Who died for men ; 
 They come to bear 
 
 The cross He bore, 
 To wear its shame 
 
 Forevermore, 
 
 4. 
 They come to Him, 
 
 The Light of Light— 
 His holy blood 
 
 Must make them white- 
 Must make them clean ; 
 
 For where they go, 
 Must all be white 
 
 As driven snow. 
 
 5, 
 They come to Him, 
 
 As when the light 
 Of quiet stars 
 
 Comes out at night ; 
 
THE FLIGHT, 193 
 
 Or as tlie clouds, 
 
 That sink to rest 
 At evening, in 
 
 The purple West, 
 
 6. 
 
 They come to Him 
 
 As comes the snow, 
 When clouds are dark 
 
 And wild winds blow; 
 They come to Him 
 
 Day after day, 
 As white-winged waves 
 
 Come o'er the sea, . 
 
 7. 
 
 They cease to come — 
 
 Then, through the sky, 
 The hosts of God 
 
 Come winging by : 
 Woe ! woe ! to them 
 
 In sin alway — 
 Now Cometh Christ's 
 
 Great Judgment Day. 
 
%\t %lmih 
 
 As wlien the angels come and go, 
 Tn raiment white as driven snow — 
 
 The priest, to-day, 
 In meekness and in beauty stood 
 Within the holy Church of God, 
 
 To praise and pray. 
 
 2. 
 
 And, led by him, the service sweet 
 Went up, — as to the Mercy Seat 
 
 Sweet odors rise, — 
 And onward, in an upward flight, 
 Rolled softly as a cloud of light, 
 
 Into the skies. 
 
 
THE BLESSED. 
 
 195 
 
 The Church was beautiful and fiair, 
 As if the blessed spirits there 
 
 Forever trod ; 
 Each sweet device and comely stone 
 There spoke, in language all its own, 
 
 Of Christ our God. 
 
 4. 
 
 Fit place was this, when from the hum, 
 The noise and worldly glare, we come - 
 
 As in the sky — 
 To talk with God, bewail our sin, 
 And lift our weary spirits, in 
 
 Communion high. 
 
 6. 
 
 To day, in every hue and style, 
 The very good and very vile 
 
 Were gathered there ; 
 And from the world — the world of sin 
 A little while were housed within 
 
 The place of prayer : 
 
196 THE BLESSED. 
 
 6. 
 
 There were, indeed, the rich and great, 
 The noble-born, of high estate 
 
 And lordly mien ; 
 The tender wife, and blushing bride. 
 The young and old, tbei*e side by side 
 
 In Church were seen ; 
 
 7. 
 
 The glowing youth and jeweled fair, 
 In every costly dress, were there 
 
 In pride arrayed ; 
 The man of wealth, whose wish controlled 
 Full many a pile of Hoarded gold, 
 
 His wealth displayed. 
 
 ft 
 8. 
 
 But some were there, both rich and poor, 
 Who strive to live forevermore 
 
 A life of love ; 
 And, walking in the paths of pain, 
 They labor, with their might and main. 
 
 Like Christ above : 
 
THE BLESSED. 197 
 
 No cold response nor wandering eye — 
 Their hearts and souls were in the sky 
 
 With Christ away ; 
 And every word they said, was felt, 
 As humbly on the floor they knelt 
 
 Them down to pray. 
 
 10. 
 
 As murmurs of the distant sea 
 The worship rose, and seemed to me 
 
 So full and high, 
 I felt there was no other place 
 So full of beauty, love and grace 
 
 Beneath the sky. 
 
 11. 
 
 In perfect notes, with voices sweet, 
 
 In moving tender airs, replete 
 
 With skill and fire ; 
 
 As winds that o'er the ocean rise 
 
 Tumultuous music to the skies — 
 
 So sang the choir. 
 17* 
 
198 THE BLESSED. 
 
 12. 
 
 I lieeded not the vacant^aze, — 
 I cared not for the worldly blaze 
 
 Of fashion there ; 
 1 felt not that the cold and dead 
 There heeded not the words they said, 
 
 In praise and prayer ; 
 
 13. 
 
 Nor thought I of their lordly mien 
 Who own the lowly Nazarene, 
 
 And wear His name : — 
 How oddly would their train appear 
 With Him Who was so humble here, 
 
 And died in shame 1 
 
 14. 
 
 Who labored on, with matchless grace, 
 To turn a lost and ruined race 
 
 To life and light; 
 Nor what could be this passing flow 
 Of worldly wealth or worldly show, 
 
 Within His sight. 
 
 I 
 
THE BLESSED. 199 
 
 15. 
 
 But upward now the worship went, 
 Still rising in its high ascent 
 
 Away, away; 
 Still onward, as a living thing, 
 It floated softly on the wing 
 
 To Heaven's day. 
 
 16. 
 
 So full and clear, it seemed to me 
 No earthly sound so sweet could be, 
 
 As on it went, — 
 Still floating up as if 't were flung 
 From some fair harp, by angels strung. 
 
 And Heaven-ward sent. 
 
 17. 
 
 Afar, afar, mid golden rays. 
 Along those fair and blessed ways, 
 
 By angels trod, — 
 It, softly moving, rolled along 
 And reached, with swelling tides of song, 
 
 The Throne of God. 
 
200 THE BLESSED. 
 
 18. 
 
 'T was heard, and God was pleased to hear 
 So sweet a sound, so fall and clear, — 
 
 And on the wing 
 He sent an angel from the sky. 
 With rarest gifts and blessings high 
 
 Aback to bring. 
 
 19. 
 
 Then, winging in his downward flight. 
 These ever blessed things of light 
 
 From Heaven's store — 
 As jewels sparkling on his breast, 
 Obedient to the high behest — 
 
 The angel bore ; 
 
 20. 
 
 And passing through the Church he stooH, 
 Just as the holy man of God 
 
 The blessing gave, — 
 And, with those winged words, he sent 
 These peerless gifts, omnipotent, 
 
 To cheer and save. 
 
THE BLESSED. 201 
 
 21. 
 
 Out from the Chiircli the giddy throng 
 Went gaily forth and passed along, 
 
 But were not blessed ; 
 For by the light and thoughtless face, 
 They showed no. gift of Heavenly graee 
 
 On them did rest. 
 
 22. 
 
 But when the earnest, lowly, came, 
 Who walk like Christ and bear His name, 
 
 A light was there ; 
 As if, within their hearts, they bore 
 Forever and forevermore 
 
 These graces rare. 
 
 23. 
 
 A strength they had — to strive and win, 
 To set at nought the wiles of sin. 
 
 And onward go ; 
 To suffer for another's gain. 
 Unmindful of the toil and pain, 
 
 The grief or woe. 
 
202 THE BLESSED. 
 
 24. 
 
 4 
 
 As now the angel passed away 
 
 A gentle voice then seemed to say : 
 
 But only such, 
 Of loving prayer and earnest song, 
 And not the rude outpouring throng, 
 
 God loveth much. 
 
 25. 
 
 Who tread then here, will tread in vain 
 Unless the heavy cross of pain 
 
 They ever hear ; 
 The gifts of God, — not gems and gold, — 
 High, priceless things,.nor bought nor sold, 
 
 God's children wear. 
 
 26. 
 
 By only such, in light arrayed, 
 Those holy sounds of love are made. 
 
 Which reach the skies ; 
 The heartless song, the heartless prayer, 
 And all the heartless words said here 
 
 Find no replies. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 PREFATORY NOTE. 
 
 The " Christian Poems " were contributed to the 
 •'Banner of the Cross" and the " Gospel Messenger," 
 during the last four or five years. Having met with 
 unexpected favor in England and America — being 
 extensively copied in both countries — they are now 
 offered in the present form, with the hope that they 
 may accomplish some good in our Master's cause. 
 
 A number of the pieces have never appeared in 
 print before. 
 
 I. 
 
 Jomtts Columbae. 
 
 Page 11. — This was a name given by the ancient 
 Christians to a church, and signifies "The Home of 
 the Holy Spirit." (See Bingham, Book viii., sec. 2, 
 page 27 6.) 
 
 it may be beautifully applied to a Christian, as in 
 1 Cor. vi. 19 : " Know ye not that your body is 
 the temple of the Holy Ghost ?" 
 
 Page 11. — Ask in the wealthy town. Here is an 
 allusion to the melancholy fact, that while we see 
 
204 NOTES. 
 
 beautiful churches in the neighborhood of the 
 wealthy, there are thousands upon thousands of 
 towns (and that within our own country) where 
 Church people, on account of their poverty, are not 
 able to have even the most common edifice. In the 
 State of Missouri alone, there are hundreds of such 
 places. 
 
 Page 12. — Yet, tJwiigh poor ive he. After all, that 
 person whose body is the temple of the Holy G-host 
 is in a better condition than if, without this, he should 
 worship in the most costly church in the world : for 
 he then becomes a part of that temple " not made 
 with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
 
 II. 
 
 J^ab ill ^i:t. 
 
 Page 15. — There is a certain class of persons, 
 known to every clergyman, who profess great humil- 
 ity and consciousness of their sinfulness and unwor- 
 thiness ; when in fact they know little of their real 
 condition, and are quite satisfied with themselves. 
 Consequently, day by day, they neglect the very 
 things our Saviour taught in order that they might 
 be saved. 
 
 Such persons deceive none but themselves. Hu- 
 mility or poverty of spirit is a high Christian grace, 
 but they have it not ; for this is that which opens the 
 heart to repentance and change of life, and they 
 neither repent nor change. Their lot is a very sad 
 one, from the fact that while they are not conscious 
 of their real state they profess total unworthiness, 
 and make this a plea for ^-ejecting the only means of 
 salvation. "lam not good enough," is with them 
 excuse suflBcient for disregarding Repentance, Faith, 
 
• NOTES. 205 
 
 Baptism, Confirmation, the Lord's Supper, and in fact 
 all the privileges of the Church. 
 
 Such should remember that the Church is not com- 
 posed of the perfect and sinless; but even the best of 
 us are poor sinful beings, liable at all times to fall 
 into sin, and committing many actual transgressions. 
 And we onlj differ from the world, in the fact that 
 we are trying to grow better, day by day, and for 
 that purpose are making use of the means which 
 Christ has provided in His Church, 
 
 III. 
 
 ^ceak §mi[t Wiox)is. 
 
 Page 20. — The learned Trench speaks of a certain 
 class of words as "fossils." So indeed they are: 
 others are acting, living things. In fact, the great 
 powers of Heaven, which are continuaL'y working 
 among us, and are living and eternal beings, are im- 
 perfectly expressed or brought before the mind em- 
 bodied in words — as, for instance, " Love." Thus our 
 Lord is called by St. John, " The "Word" which was 
 in the beginning with God, and which was God. — 
 (St. John i. 1.) 
 
 Page 20. — Zo ! his breast 
 
 Is finely strung. 
 
 Let those who do not weigh their words before they 
 speak, or who are in the habit of speaking unkindly, 
 remember this. Every word has its effect, and 
 touches the heart either for weal or woe. 
 Page 23. — Christ doth huild 
 
 Sis Kingdom here. 
 
 " It pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, 
 to save them that believe." 
 
206 NOTES. 
 
 lY. 
 
 Page 24. — There is a singular pleasure connected 
 with the worship of the Church, upon those Sundays 
 wiiich most people call disagreeable. 
 
 At such a time the gay, gaudy, giddy crowd — who 
 worship the Prince of this World, and who fill the 
 pews of the church upon a pleasant day only for the 
 purpose of seeing and being seen, or because they 
 admu-e the preacher, or would while away time 
 which otherwise would prove tedious, or from idle 
 curiosity — are comfortably housed at home, and 
 would not think of coming to church on such a day. 
 The formalist, the hypocrite, and the lifeless, indiffer- 
 ent Christian, also find it more convenient or pleasant 
 to be absent. 
 
 The humble and devout man of God, the earnest 
 and sincere alone, may be seen in the church. The 
 worship of such will come from the heart, and will go 
 to heaven. They would be few in number, but in 
 reality they constitute the Church of God ; and only 
 such as these have their names upon the Book of 
 Life. 
 
 To worship alone with these is infinitely more 
 sweet than to join with the thoughtless, worldly 
 crowd. The minister at such a time can see who 
 are on the Lord's side. 
 
 Pages 25, 26. — Ladies Jine B.n& Christian men. Much 
 to their shame, many who profess the name of Christ 
 do not think it their duty to attend the worship of 
 the Church upon unpleasant days. Rain, snow, 
 wind, mud, cold, heat, and such things, would not 
 keep them from business or pleasure ; but any one of 
 these would be enough, in their opinion, to excuse 
 their absence from church. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 207 
 
 Page 28. — And yet, the priest 
 
 Of the Lord was there. 
 If the minister of God can at all times be at his 
 place — in bad weather as well as good — why cannot 
 others do their duty as well ? 
 
 Page 31. — The angels bear 
 
 No u-orship away, ^-e. 
 Those who neglect God on unpleasant days, are such 
 as do not worship Him acceptably at any time. If 
 we have the true spirit of worship, we do not care 
 for the weather. Though the church may be full 
 of these fair-day Christians, they do not in the least 
 swell the tide of praise. 
 
 WMtw Cbrbtimis are ^nitcb. 
 
 • Page 32. — Tlie Kingdom of ("!hrist is now so rent 
 bj' divisions and contentions as to make the heart 
 of the true Christian ache for its welfare. 
 
 The ancient and Apostolic Church is broken into 
 three grand divisions, in which, with one or two ex- 
 ceptions, may be found all the Churches of Apostolic 
 origin. The Mother Church of Greece includes the 
 Eastern Churches, the Church of Rome the Western. 
 The Church of England, of which the Church of 
 America is a part, is the ancient Apostolic Church of 
 that country. But the Man of Sin has so thoroughly 
 done his work among us, that there exists no longer 
 any Christian fellowship or communion. Besides 
 this, there is a vast multitude of sects, calling them- 
 selves Christians, but sustaining themselves upon 
 principles directly opposite to the teachings of our 
 Master — ^for He prayed that we might all be " one." 
 • Antichrist is worshipped more than God, inas- 
 much as men chng to4;hat which is evil, while they 
 set at naught "charity," v/hich was the blessed 
 
208 NOTES. 
 
 teaching of Christ. Now is fulfilled the prophecy of 
 old concerning " the abomination of desolation" stand- 
 ing in the holy place. (St. Matt. xxiv. 15.) Antichrist 
 is in our midst in all his fearful power. 
 
 But the time is to come when this state of things 
 shall cease, and the Christian world be one^in Christ 
 as He is one in God. 
 
 But before this can bo brought about, there must 
 arise a Spirit in the Church — the Spirit of God — 
 which shall arouse her from her lethargy, and bring 
 into action all her latent powers. 
 
 Christian union is not to be brought about by 
 compromise, for this has often been tried and proved 
 a failure ; neither by ignoring differences and abol- 
 ishing creeds; nor yet by establishing a new church, 
 for all the many sects of the day started, in all proba- 
 bility, with this end in view. But the Church of 
 Christ, estabhshed by Him and His Apostles, which 
 now exists in the world (though on account of the 
 multitude of sects many are puzzled to find it), must 
 be taken as she is, and a new fife — the life of Christ 
 — infused into her. Reformation in the right direc- 
 tion must be caused by the working of the holy 
 teachings of love and peace. By such a reformation 
 unity will be produced. 
 
 Small dioceses, active, godly Bishops, faithful, 
 zealous Priests, a restored diaconate, the " Word of 
 God " truly preached and practiced, a working laity, 
 would soon unite all Christians, and make the king- 
 doms of the world the Kingdom of the Lord and of 
 His Christ. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Page 36. — Westward, tvestward, by the prairie.. 
 These lines were written in. Independence, in the 
 western part of Missouri, where begin those exten- 
 
NOTES. 209 
 
 sive prairies which reach to the Rocky Mountains. 
 They were suggested by prophecies concerning the 
 future glory of the Church. 
 
 To the poor missionary — who is continually, strug- 
 gling, not only against the wickedness in the world, 
 but also the cruel divisions among professing Chris- 
 tians—the thought of the extent and glory of the 
 Church, which shall be hereafter, is a source of nO' 
 little comfort. 
 
 VII. 
 
 |to Cljurtlj of l^ob. 
 
 Page 42. — Independence, which is now in a state 
 of ruin, was, before the war, the most beautiful town 
 in the West. The country around could not be sur- 
 passed in its richness ; consequently the population 
 was large, and the people wealthy. 
 
 The author was sent as missionary to this point, 
 just when the few people interested had become dis- 
 couraged in their efforts to establish the Church. 
 The storm which has since overrun the country was 
 just then gathering. There were but two or three 
 communicants in the place, and these were not of 
 much means. However, after a room, was procured 
 and the people became a little encouraged, the con- 
 gregation grew rapidly and the work went on well. 
 
 The conduct of military commanders has been such 
 that the wbole country has been spoiled, and in a 
 great measum depopulated. So that now, according 
 to the best information available, there is not left a 
 communicant, and perhaps not even a "friend" of 
 the Church. 
 
 Page 45. — When men have homes, 
 But none for God. 
 It is indeed a shameful thing, and enough to make the 
 angels weep, that men who never forget themselves 
 
210 NOTES. 
 
 should EVER forget their God. It is a disgrace for a 
 Christian man to live at ease in his own house, unless 
 one is provided for the worsliip of his Maker. 
 Page 45. — For there shall he 
 No earthly sod, 
 Where blossoms not 
 A Church of God. 
 Notwithstanding the sinful neglect of Christian 
 Churchmen, the time will come when God's Church 
 shall fill the whole earth. The " leaven shall leaven 
 the whole lump," The grain of mustard seed shall 
 become a great tree. And even this poor land, now so 
 desolated, "shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." 
 
 . VIII. 
 
 Page 46. — Those clergymen who live where the 
 Church is in all laer strength and beauty, can hardly 
 understand the lonely feeling of the missionary. 
 Generally he labors where there are very few who 
 feel any interest in the Church. For years he never 
 sees the face of a fellow-clergyman in his parish. 
 He has the hardest of work, and none to sympathize 
 with him. He has no church nor parsonage. Sub- 
 jected to every inconvenience, without any of the 
 comforts of older parishes, away from everything 
 that is dear to him on earth but his own family, he 
 does his Master's work, and is happy in the thought 
 that his labor is not in vain, and that by his cares 
 and sorrows the Kingdom of Christ is built up. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Page 50. — There is nothing so beautiful as the 
 evening sky in summer — especially as it is seen in 
 
NOTES, 211 
 
 and around Frankfort, Kj. The soft, mellow light — 
 the clouds of such wonderful and lovely hues — the 
 stars gradually making their appearance above the 
 horizon, all glowing in their mysterious Hght — in- 
 stinctively remind one of God, of the golden gates of 
 Heaven, of the bands of angels, of Christ and his 
 second coming. And the mind of the Christian calls 
 up the words of our Saviour, " Watch therefore, for ye 
 know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son 
 of Man cometh." And again, " Blessed is that serv- 
 ant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so 
 doing." 
 
 Page ot. — This is michiight, this Thy ivarniitg. Our 
 Saviour has taught us that when He shall come 
 again it will be suddenly, and at such an hour as we 
 expect not — "as a thief in the night." In the Para- 
 ble of the Ten Virgins, at midnight the cry was 
 made, " Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to 
 meet Him." 
 
 We live at a time when we see fulfilled all the 
 signs our Saviour predicted of His second coming, 
 (St. Matt, xxiv.) This is surely the midnight of tho 
 world, and we may with great reason look for the 
 speedy coming of our Lord. ' ' But of that day and 
 hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven ; 
 but my Father only." While the world is filled with 
 sin and impurity, and everything that is cruel and 
 horrible — while the Church is rent asunder by con- 
 tention and discord, and sects are multiplying contin- 
 ually — while Christians are vain and carnal, giving 
 themselves to the things of this world — still there are 
 many who look in hope to the coming of the Lord, and 
 will rejoice when they see His "sign " in the heavens. 
 
212 NOTES. 
 
 XI. 
 
 ^t Inner fife. 
 
 Page 61. — This little poem was written to illus- 
 trate the words of our blessed Lord, contained in the 
 seventeenth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel : " The 
 kingdom of God cometh not with observation. The 
 kingdom of God is within you." 
 
 Our Saviour is now in the Church as He was in 
 the flesh, working to reconcile the world unto God. 
 He is the "Word which was in the beginning with 
 God, and which was God, and by whom all things 
 were created. When He is preached eflfectually, He 
 Himself is the preacher, acting both upon the heart of 
 the speaker and the hearer. Thus does He first knock 
 at the door of our hearts, and thus is created the inner 
 life which produces the "new man in Christ Jesus," 
 which grows to perfection by t^ie use of the means 
 of grace which Christ has provided in His Church. 
 
 I. — PREACHING. 
 
 Page 61. — ^Preaching was the means which our 
 Saviour chose by which to convert and save the 
 world. "It pleased God by the foolishness of preach- 
 ing to save them that believe." (1 Cor. i. 21.) 
 Again, St. Paul writes : " How then shall they call 
 on Him in whom they have not believed ? and how 
 shall they believe in Him of whom they have not 
 heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 
 and how shall they preach, except they be sent ?" 
 (Rom. X. 14, 15.) For the purpose of preaching the 
 Word unto all generations of men, till the end of the 
 world, our Lord called His Apostles and established 
 a ministry, to reach through all time and all nations, 
 that all who would might believe in Him and live. 
 The first duty of this ministry was preaching, or 
 ministering the " Word." They were called the 
 
NOTES. 21$ 
 
 "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. v. 18) ; because 
 in their preaching, and ministering the " "Work" in 
 the Sacraments, Christ, the "Word," and God, was 
 reconcihng the world unto Himself— making the 
 ^' atonement." 
 
 II. — CONCEPTION. 
 Page 68. — To the hearts he went 
 Of the dead in sin, 
 And knocked and knocked 
 For to enter in. 
 "When Christ is faithfully preached, He is, as it were, 
 knocking at the hearts of the impenitent. He is un- 
 seen, indeed, but is ever in the Church, going from 
 heart to heart. Those who are truly His feel His 
 presence, and, I might say, see Him in his blessed work. 
 "When by preaching He has gained admittance into 
 the heart, it may be said that a new life is conceived 
 within by faith, which produces repentance. This 
 life here grows, as it were a babe in the womb, until 
 it comes to an open confession of Christ in Baptism. 
 
 III. — THE NEW BIRTH. 
 
 Page 10. — "When this life, has thus come to a new 
 birth, and we feel it within us warring against our 
 members, and bringing us into subjection to the will 
 of God, and into the image of Christ — when we feel 
 it burning within and leading us to every good work 
 — it may well be said that we are born again, and 
 that we "see the Kingdom of God." This may also 
 be understood as the inward or spiritual grace of 
 Baptism, as defined in the Catechism. 
 Page 71. — And only those 
 
 Can he xoashed from sin, 
 Whose hearts are full 
 Of a Life icithin. 
 This of course is written only in reference to adult 
 baptism. The child is received into the Church, and 
 
214 NOTES. 
 
 made an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven ; and as 
 he gpows to years of discretion the word is ministered 
 unto him, and the inner life built up within him, and 
 thus does he grow in the image of Christ and become 
 one in Him. The condition of the child is a blessed 
 one indeed ; for he is built up in Christ before he be- 
 comes acquainted with the evil that is in the world. 
 (See Catechism answer to question — "Why then are 
 infants baptized, when by reason of their tender age 
 they cannot perform them?") 
 
 IV. — CONFIRJrATION — PART I. 
 
 Page 11. — This is merely a description of the gaudy, 
 giddy congregations which gather in small towns 
 when the Bishop makes his canonical visitation. 
 
 V. — CONFIRMATION — PART II. 
 
 Page 84. — Confirmation is the laying on of the 
 hands of the Bishop, and the descent of the Holy 
 Spirit, upon the true children of God ; as upon our 
 Saviour after His baptism, and upon the Apostles 
 before they commenced their ministry, and also upon 
 those confirmed by the Apostles. (See Matt. iii. 16 ; 
 Acts ii. 3; viii. 17 ; xix. Q.) 
 
 In this part of the poem, the Saviour is represented 
 as unseen, in tlie church, bringing the new-born in 
 Him to the chancel-rail, to receive the gift of the Holy 
 Spu-it. This gift still remains in the Church, and St. 
 Paul assures us that of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, 
 as prophecy, speaking in divers languages and work- 
 ing miracles, none are equal to faith, hope and charity, 
 which God will shower abundantly upon all who 
 seek them. 
 
 VI. — THE NEW MAN. 
 
 Page 91. — By the preaching of the "Word, Baptism, 
 and Confirmation, we become fully members of Christ. 
 Then by making faithful use of the means of grace 
 which are provided in the Church — as prayer, fasting, 
 
NOTES. 215 
 
 meditation, worship, and the study of the Scriptures 
 — we grow up in Christ's image and strength. Thus 
 are our bodies redeemed from sin, and we are made 
 new creatures in Christ Jesus our Lord. ' 
 
 VII. — THE lord's supper. 
 
 Page 95. — Baptism and Confirmation, because of 
 tlieir nature, may not be repeated. But the Lord's 
 Supper, Hke preaching the Word, fasting and prayer, 
 was designed to be a continual means of grace. We 
 eat of the bread and wine in remembrance of Christ. 
 This the Church calls "feeding upon Him in our 
 hearts, by &ith, with thanksgiving." As we faith- 
 fully partake of this, we become more and more like 
 Him ; and if we do not become like Him we may be 
 sure that we taste not His body. A professed Chris- 
 I tian who can turn his back upon this holy feast is 
 none of Christ's ; and it is well that he goes away, for 
 he does not discern the Lord's body. But that so 
 many do turn then- backs upon it, is a sorrowful com- 
 mentary upon the teaching of the ministry. The 
 world cannot understand these thmgs, because they 
 are spiritual. 
 
 XII. 
 
 Page 98. — Who can look into the calm, quiet sky 
 of an evening, and see the holy stUlness and beauty 
 reigning there, and not feel his heart to ache when 
 he thinks of the noise, cruelty and wickedness of the 
 world in which he lives ? 
 
 As the angels are creatures of different degrees, 
 and varied powers and capacities, if they were such 
 as we, there would be among them divisions, conten- 
 tions and strife ; but we are taught that Heaven is 
 
:216 NOTES, 
 
 harmooj, peace and love : Heaven, therefore, is a 
 continual rebuke to men, and the very stars seem to 
 be entreating them to unity, peace and charity. 
 
 The religion of the Saviour was to teach us, by 
 charity, to dwell in peace and harmony. Hence He 
 taught us, in the prayer which He gave for our use, 
 to say " Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." 
 The time will come when men will thus do the will of 
 God ; for " This is the will of God, that ye love one 
 another." The chief design of this poem is to show 
 how poorly men have learned to do the will of God. 
 
 Page 113, — Yes, they will fondly meet together 
 To condemn ivhat others see. 
 
 It may yet be seen in the world, that men are tried 
 for their opinions : — condemned and punished by their 
 brethren who are of like frailty with themselves. If 
 God had designed that we sliould thus judge and con- 
 demn one another, He would have given us attributes 
 of the Godhead ; for without these we are unfit for such 
 an office. As it is, there are many truths entirely 
 beyond our comprehension, and it is presumption for 
 us to set ourselves up as judges of truth and error. 
 
 Again, we find it difficult to define our ideas so as 
 not to be misunderstood ; how then can we always 
 be certain that we do not misunderstand others ? 
 That man who combats error, by teaching what he 
 knows to be true, is safer than they who presume to 
 judge and condemn. "Who art thou that judgest 
 another man's servant ? to his own master he standeth 
 or falleth." 
 
 Page 118. — God His glory tvorketh, 
 In the race of man. 
 
 No one can tell why there is so much evil connect- 
 ed with man ; but this much we know, that God is 
 good and can do nothing wrong. 
 
NOTES. 217 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Page 119. — This prayer is found in every service 
 of the Church in America. In tlie Church of England 
 *it is used even more frequently: in the Morning 
 Prayer and Litany occurring three times ; in the Com- 
 munion Service, twice ; and twice in the Evening 
 Prayer. It is found also in the ancient liturgies. The 
 different parts of it, with the exception of the peti- 
 tion, " Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those 
 who trespass against us," seem to have been taken by 
 our Lord from the liturgy of the Jewish Church, the 
 eighteen prayers of the Synagogue-worship. Thus 
 He not only used forms Himself, in the Synagogue, 
 but has engrafted the same forever upon His Church. 
 
 There are some things which go to prove that this 
 was the daily prayer of our Lord: — 
 
 1. It contains all the great themes about which He 
 usually discussed. 
 
 2. We find similar petitions used by Him in other 
 places. 
 
 3. When His disciples first came to Him to be 
 taught to pray, He gave them this. 
 
 4. When a long time after they came again, He 
 gave them the same. 
 
 The prayer, in itselfj is wonderful, and could have 
 emanated from no other than a Divine source. That 
 man who can offer up every petition of it from his 
 heart, understanding its meaning fully, must of neces- 
 sity be a true Christian. But how often is it said, and 
 how seldom prayed. 
 
 To bring ourselves into such a spiritual condition 
 as to be able to pray this prayer perfectly and hearti- 
 ly, is the highest act of the Christian ; and none but 
 19 
 
218 NOTES. 
 
 a true follower of Christ will attain to such perfection. 
 Strange to say, the Sects, in their rashness, have 
 done away with the use of this in their services. No 
 wonder, then, that they should carelessly cast away 
 other treasures of tbe Church. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Page 122. — ^The taste of sculptors seems to run in 
 showing the beauty and proportion of the human form. 
 Hence great skill is often exhibited in the graceful form- 
 ation of the inferior portions of the body. But there is 
 a more diflBcult work than this which, too, might reflect 
 more credit upon the artist. This work is to show 
 the beautiful proportion of the human soul as de- 
 picted upon the countenance. A skilful heathen could 
 do the first, but only a true Christian could do the 
 last. 
 
 The calm, sweet, expressive face of the aged Chris- 
 tian, who has labored and suffered for the good of 
 others, is by far the noblest object we ever see. 
 
 XV. 
 
 INDEPENDENCE, MO. 
 
 Page 126. — This was a small brick edifice, rented 
 from the German Methodists, which answered the pur- 
 pose of the Church very well But it was small, ugly, 
 clumsy, and without any of those things which please 
 the eye of a Churchman in many of our beautiful tem- 
 ples. But the people who owned it were a quiet, 
 orderly congregation, and evidently rendered unto 
 God an earnest worship. Though the building was 
 
NOTES. 219 
 
 unseemly, it was set apart for God, and the very fact 
 that we then used it for His service made it sacred. 
 Every place where we call upon God's name is sacred, 
 and men should so regard it. It is as great a shame 
 for us to behave ourselves improperly in a common 
 building, used for such a purpose, as in the most 
 costly and finished temple. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 gi f ision. 
 
 Page 129. — This piece is intended to show the grief 
 which the blessed angels must feel, in beholding the 
 follies and wickedness of men. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 gi Pisstonarg ^torg. 
 
 Page 135. — At the time this piece was written, the 
 author was missionary at Weston, Mo., and was the 
 only clergyman of the Church between St. Joseph and 
 Palmyra, and Iowa and Kansas — a distance of hun- 
 dreds of miles each way. In all this region, where 
 there were many towns and thousands upon thousands 
 of people, there was not a single Church of God. And 
 the few churchmen, scattered through the land, were 
 indeed "Like the ship-wrecked on the seas." 
 
 Page 135.— G^o where high and splendid Churches 
 Rear their towers to the sky. 
 
 It really seems strange that Christian people will 
 build such rich and costly Churches for themselves as 
 we see in all their cities, and then so neglect the 
 destitute places of God's Kingdom : yet it is so. 
 
220 NOTES. 
 
 The fact that there are so many places destitute, 
 and so many others filled with wealth and magnifi- 
 cence, is a sad reflection upon the Christianity of the 
 times. 
 
 The "West, too, is a rich field within the grasp of the 
 Church, if her people would only open their hearts to 
 the true Catholic spirit which loves the whole world. 
 But how many are there whose hearts can only em- 
 brace themselves and their own particular parishes ! 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 « 
 
 Cross ai €\ixht 
 
 Page 140. — Among some people there is a great 
 dislike to the cross in and upon Churches. This spirit 
 has been carried so far as to become ridiculous ; and it 
 is not unfrequently the case that we see a great wooden 
 hand, a gilded ball, or a shifting weather-cock where 
 the cross of Christ should be, as an emblem of our 
 faith. 
 
 There was a time when this sacred emblem was 
 rudely torn from Churches by the hand of the mob. 
 
 To me the cross upon Churches seems, as it were, 
 a great angel, upon those high places, calling out to 
 men and telling them of Charity, the religion of the 
 Saviour ; of suflfering unto death in all good works, 
 as the duty and profession of the Christian ; of the 
 place whither the Lord has gone to prepare for those 
 who love Him, 
 
 The Romanists abuse the cross ; but why should 
 we abolish it because they abuse* it ? We know that 
 as Christians, our duty is to labor and suffer ; and the 
 cross of Christ tells us so every time we behold it. 
 There is no inanimate thing in the Church that speaks 
 .to us with such power, as the simple cross of Christ. 
 
NOTES. 221 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Page 142. — The life of the Christian is peculiar to 
 himself. There is no creature, either in Heaven or 
 earth, who, walking in the ways of God, has so great 
 a cross to bear : 
 
 "A little while, through grief and care, 
 
 Thy servants, Lord, their cross must bear ; 
 
 Still let this thought our hearts beguile,— 
 
 It is but for a little while." 
 
 XX. 
 
 Cfeimfe §tlk. 
 
 Page 144. — Many people despise the Church bells 
 now, and nevw regard them when they call to worship 
 — going on in their own ways. But when at the last 
 great day of the Lord they stand to be judged for their 
 sinfulness, how will they long for these lost opportuni- 
 ties which can never return ! 
 
 XXI. 
 
 gibtrcnt. 
 Page 146. — The services of the Church are so ar- 
 ranged that the whole history of our Lord, and the 
 great themes of the Gospel, are continually brought 
 before us in the seasons of the Christian-year. 
 Page 150. — She mingles the past 
 With the yet to he. 
 At Advent we commemorate the first coming of our 
 Lord in connection with the second — when He shall 
 come to judge the world. 
 
 Page 150. — More strange sweet sounds. "With the 
 second Advent are connected all the hopes of the 
 Christian, which are revived time and again as this 
 holy season rolls around. 
 
 19* 
 
222 NOTES. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 faster. 
 
 Page 151. — Easter being kept in commemoration 
 of the rising of our Lord from the dead, and observed 
 always after the Paschal full moon, is as a ruby set in 
 the Christian-year, and hung amid the stars, to remind 
 us of the blessed truth of the resurrection to ever- 
 lasting life. We know that we shall live again, for 
 Christ was " the first fruits of them that slept." 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 '^sttriBxan ^ag in ^t (^zoxQt$. 
 
 Page 153. — Ascension Day, or Holy Thursday, is 
 one of the leading festivals of the Christian Church — 
 being necessary to perfect the Christian-year. It 
 occurs forty days after Easter, and ten before Whit- 
 sunday. At Advent, the Lord comes; at Epiphany^ 
 He is manifested to the G-entiles ; Good Friday, He is 
 crucified, dead and buried ; Easter, He rises from the 
 dead, and remains with His disciples forty days, lay- 
 ing the foundations of His Church ; Ascension, He 
 ascends into Heaven and sits upon the right hand of 
 God the Father Almighty, from whence He shall 
 come again to judge both the quick and the dead; 
 Whitsunday, the Holy Spirit descends, according to 
 His promise — "If I depart, I will send Him unto you." 
 Thus in the Christian-year the Creed is written. If 
 Ascension were left out, one of its articles would be 
 lost, — the beauty of the whole would be seriously 
 marred. 
 
 Yet there are numbers of persons who, as far as 
 they are concerned, leave it out. There are too many 
 Sunday Christians, and too few of the better sort. — 
 
NOTES. 223 
 
 In almost every parish you may see the Church well 
 filled for a Sunday service, but on any other day it is 
 almost empty ; and this is the case even during the 
 most solemn seasons. 
 
 Page 15V. — Not all are redeemed. How many, alas, 
 who are here called Christians, hereafter will find that 
 they are not so regarded in Heaven. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Page 158. — Death is a thing which Christians should 
 rather love than fear, for in reality it is but the be- 
 ginning of life. 
 
 Pag6 159. — Mournful troppingn. The custom of 
 wearing mourning, or grieving after the departed, 
 seems to indicate that we do not believe the great 
 truths of Christianity. If we were mourning only 
 for those we think to be among the lost, it would be 
 less objectionable : but why should we grieve for the 
 children of God who have gonjB to His bosom ? It is 
 as if they had gone to sleep before us, or have gone 
 on a journey whither we ourselves would go. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 piuistrg of giitgels. 
 
 Page 160. — The spirits of Heaven are ever at 
 work in the hearts of men. We can have no good 
 thoughts unless by the operation of the Spirit of God 
 within us. Though these blessed beings cannot be 
 seen, yet can we know of their presence by the good 
 that is done in our hearts. It is a delightful thing 
 thus to know that they are ever round about us. 
 
224 NOTES. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 ^Ijc Inquirg. 
 
 Page 163. — What a pity it is that parents do not 
 see the eflfect of their conduct upon their children I 
 How many immortal souls are lost forever, from this 
 very thing. This little poem was intended to show 
 the difficulty of a little child in seeing the right way, 
 when the parent, to whom it looks for guidance, does 
 not regard it. 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 ^t Winstzn ^ag. 
 
 Page 166.— According to Professor C. F. W. Dei- 
 trich, of the University of Berlin, 32,000,000 persona 
 die every year ; 87,671 every day ; 3,653 every hour, 
 and 61 every minute. Hence, along this unseen 
 way numbers are continually passing. 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 (l^Ioria ht €xakh; 
 
 Page 168, — This hymn is also called the Greater 
 Doxology, and Angelical Hymn. It occupies a con- 
 spicuous place in the worship of the American Church. 
 It is found in the Morning and Evening Prayer, and 
 also in the Communion Service. 
 
 At first it consisted of the words, " Glory be to 
 God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards 
 men." It was afterwards enlarged — some say by 
 Telesphorus, Bishop of Rome, A. D. 130, which was 
 very near the Apostolic age, St. John having died but 
 a few years before. It seems that for a long time 
 
NOTES. 225 
 
 Bishops alone were allowed to use it, except on 
 Easter day — when priests also were allowed. 
 
 It was first sung by the Angels, when the birth of 
 the Saviour was made known to the Shepherds. It 
 has always been very popular in the Church, espe- 
 cially as the Communion Hymn. 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 ^t figlil. 
 
 Page 112. — If Christians would only see the re- 
 ligion of Christ as it is, and practice it as they should, 
 there would be no divisions in the Church. When 
 their hearts are truly filled with the love of God, they 
 will return again to unity. Now Antichrist is mani- 
 fested in the Church: "The abomination of desola- 
 tion, spoken of by Daniel the prophet," is standing 
 the Holy Place. 
 
 Page 173. — Never found it. Reason and philosophy 
 were never able to discover revealed religion, and 
 those persons who seem to comprehend it least make 
 the loudest boast of reason. 
 
 Page 175. — Love, the being of the Father, 
 
 Love, the Christian's life atid gloi'y. 
 
 Compare 1 John iv. 8 ; St. John x. 30, and xiv. 23. 
 
 Page 176. — Like a Vine with many branches. See 
 St. John XV. 1. 
 
 Page 177. — Wrote it on a piece of parchment. In 
 early times skins were prepared and used for writing, 
 and were called parchment. Books were then writ- 
 ten upon rolls of parchment, and were called *' a roll of 
 a book." (Jeremiah xxxvi. 2.) Search was made in 
 the roll. (Ezra vi. 1.) The New Testament Scrip- 
 tures were not completed until after the Church had 
 existed many years. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 Page l'?9. — Kept the blessed light of Heaven 
 Ever burning in their bosoms. 
 
 According to the promise of our Lord — " Lo ! I am 
 with you " — there have always (even in the darkest 
 times of the Church) been faithful men to battle for 
 the truth. 
 
 Page 179. — ^^ Morning star. ^' "Wycliffe was called 
 the "Morning star of the Reformation." 
 
 Page 180. — Then a great and mighty nation 
 
 Roused her from her midnight slumber. 
 
 England was among the last to submit to the Ro- 
 man yoke, and the first in the great work of Reform- 
 ation. 
 
 Page 181. — In the lives of holy martyrs. No Prot- 
 estant body in the world can present such a "noble 
 army of martyrs " as the Church of England. 
 
 Page 181. — Opening for himself a crevice. Of all 
 the blessed truths of the Holy Scriptures, there are 
 persons who can see but one or two ; and these they 
 give undue prominence, causing and keeping up 
 division and strife in the Kingdom of God. 
 
 Page 183. — Rise in might, Church of England! 
 Rise and strive, England^ s daughter ! 
 
 The Churches of England and America are the 
 hope of the world. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 Page 186. — To rise at Gloria at the close. There is 
 a custom growing in the Church, of sitting during the 
 Psalm and rising only at the Gloria Patri. This 
 would indicate that the Psalm is not to be considered 
 as a part of our praise : else, the person so doing 
 is acting improperly. Rising at the Gloria, when 
 
NOTES. 227 
 
 unable to stand during the Psalm is well; but to sit 
 during the Psalm, when able to stand through both, 
 shows indolence and indifference. 
 
 XXXI. ; 
 
 Page 191. — In the East these doves or pigeons are 
 often seen in such numbers as to obscure the light of 
 the sun. 
 
i 
 
^