Still whispering glorious things unseen?Faith makes the vision plain.

The world would kill her soon: but Faith Her daring dreams will cherish, Speeding her gaze o'er time and death

To realms where nought can perish.

Or is it Love, the dear delight

Of hearts that know no guile, That all around see all things bright With their own magic smile?

The silent joy, that sinks so deep,
Of confidence and rest,
Lull'd in a Father's arms to sleep,
Clasp'd to a Mother's breast?

Who, but a Christian, through all life
That blessing may prolong?

Who, through the world's sad day of strife,
Still chant his morning song?

Fathers may hate us or forsake,

God's foundlings then are we:

Mother on child no pity take",

But we shall still have Thee.

We may look home, and seek in vain

A fond fraternal heart,

But Christ hath given his promise plain
To do a brother's part.

Nor shall dull age, as worldlings say,
The heavenward flame annoy:

The Saviour cannot pass away,

And with him lives our joy.

Ever the richest tenderest glow

Sets round th' autumnal sun

But there sight fails: no heart may know
The bliss when life is done.

Such is thy banquet, dearest Lord;
O give us grace, to cast

Our lot with thine, to trust thy word,

And keep our best till last.

u Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isaiah xlix. 15.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER

EPIPHANY.

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. St. Matthew viii. 10.

I MARK'D a rainbow in the north,
What time the wild autumnal sun
From his dark veil at noon look'd forth,
As glorying in his course half done,
Flinging soft radiance far and wide
Over the dusky heaven and bleak hill-side.

It was a gleam to Memory dear,

And as I walk and muse apart,
When all seems faithless round and drear,

I would revive it in my heart,
And watch how light can find its way

To regions farthest from the fount of day.

Light flashes in the gloomiest sky,

And Music in the dullest plain,
For there the lark is soaring high

Over her flat and leafless reign,

And chanting in so blithe a tone,
It shames the weary heart to feel itself alone.

Brighter than rainbow in the north,
More cheery that the matin lark,
Is the soft gleam of Christian worth,

Which on some holy house we mark ;

Dear to the pastor's aching heart

To think, where'er he looks, such gleam may have a

part;

May dwell, unseen by all but Heaven,
Like diamond blazing in the mine;
For ever, where such grace is given,
It fears in open day to shine'.

▾ Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof. "From the first time that the impressions of religion settled deeply in his mind, he used great caution to conceal it ; not only in obedience to the rule given by our Saviour, of fasting, praying, and giving alms in secret, but from a particular distrust he had of himself; for he said he was afraid he

Lest the deep stain it owns within

Break out, and Faith be sham'd by the believer's sin.

In silence and afar they wait,

To find a prayer their Lord may hear:

Voice of the poor and desolate,

You best may bring it to his ear.

Your grateful intercessions rise

With more than royal pomp, and pierce the skies.

Happy the soul, whose precious cause

You in the sovereign Presence plead

"This is the lover of thy laws,

"The friend of thine in fear and need"

For to the poor thy mercy lends

That solemn style," thy nation and thy friends.”

He too is blest, whose outward eye

The graceful lines of art may trace,

should at some time or other do some enormous thing, which if he were looked on as a very religious man, might cast a reproach on the profession of it, and give great advantages to impious men to blaspheme the name of God." Burnet's Life of Hale, in Wordsworth's Eccl. Biog. vi. 73.

* He loveth our nation.