HEALING.

HEAL me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise.-Jeremiah, xvii. 14.

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.-Malachi, iv. 2.

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurian, beseeching Him,

And saying, Lord my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.-Matthew, viii. 5. 6. 7.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep-market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.John, v. 2, 3, 4.

AROUND Bethesda's healing wave,

Waiting to hear the rustling wing
Which spoke the angel nigh, who gave
Its virtues to the holy spring,—
With earnest, fixed solicitude,
Were seen the afflicted multitude.

Among them there was one whose eye
Had often seen the waters stirred;
Whose heart had often heaved the sigh-
The bitter sigh of hope deferred;
Beholding, while he suffered on,
The healing virtue giv'n and gone;
No pow'r had he; no friendly aid.
To him the timely succour brought;
But while his coming he delayed,

Another won the boon he sought;
Until the Saviour's love was shown,
Which healed him by a word alone.
Bethesda's pool has lost its power!
No angel, by his glad descent,
Dispenses that diviner dower

Which, with its healing waters, went;
But He, whose word surpassed its wave,
Is still omnipotent to save.

B. Barton.

Oh! Thou who driest the mourner's tear,
How dark this world would be,
If, when deceived, and wounded here,
We could not fly to Thee!

The friends who in our sunshine live,
When winter comes are flown,
And he who has but tears to give,
May weep those tears alone.

But Thou wilt heal the broken heart,
Which like the plants that throw

Their fragrance from the wounded part,
Breathe sweetness out of woe.

Dread Omnipotence alone,

Can heal the wound He gave;

Can point the brim-full, grief-worn eyes,
To scenes beyond the grave.

Thus ever in the steps of grief,

Are sown the precious seeds of joy; Each fount of Marah hath a leaf, Whose healing balm we may employ. Then, 'mid life's fitful, fleeting day, Look up! the sky is bright above! Kind voices cheer thee on thy way! Faint spirit! Trust the God of Love!

Moore.

Burns.

Miss A. D. Woodbridge.

Heal me, for my flesh is weak;
Heal me, for thy grace I seek;
This my only plea I make,
Heal me for thy mercy's sake.

Thou cam'st with healing on thy wings,
Oh, gentle gale of spring!

Like one that some sweet message brings

Of hope and comforting;

Lyte.

So with a power to heal the smart
Of sin, comes grace unto the heart.

Egone.

HEALTH.

WHY art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.-Psalm xlii. 11.

Pleasant words are as an honey-comb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.--Proverbs, xvi. 24.

Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there; why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?--Jeremiah,

viii. 22.

I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord.--Jeremiah, xxx. 17.

HEALTH, brightest visitant from heaven,
Grant me with thee to rest!
For the short term by nature given,
Be thou my constant guest!

For all the pride that wealth bestows,
The pleasure that from children flows,
What 'er we court in regal state
That makes men covet to be great;

Whatever sweets we hope to find
In Love's delightful snare;
Whatever good by Heaven assigned,
Whatever pause from care:

All flourish at thy smile divine;
The spring of loveliness is thine,
And every joy that warms our hearts,
With thee approaches and departs.

Bland, from Alciphron.

Slow wand'ring on the margin of the deep,

I breathe the cheering gale of health once more; And see the billows gently dash the steep,

That rears its bold head on the sandy shore. Fresh looks the landscape with the dews of dawn; A bluish mist swims o'er the softened grove; The wanton deer bound lightly o'er the lawn, And ev'ry copse resounds with notes of love. The village-clocks proclaim the passing hour; The tall spires glitter to the early sun;

The ploughman, whistling, quits his low-roofed bow'r, And now his peaceful labour is begun.

Yet not this ocean, cheered with many a sail,
Nor all these rural sounds, and pastures fair,
To solace worn disease could aught avail,

Or from his bosom chase the clouds of care.

The merry morn no rapture could impart,

Nor converse sweet of friends his hours beguile;
In vain could beauty warm his aching heart,
Or on his cold-wan cheek awake a smile.

Yet oft we slight thy worth, O, blessed Health!
Poor mortals as we are, till thou art flown;
And thy sweet joys, more dear than fame or wealth
Touch not our hearts, but pass unfelt, unknown.
The joys, without whose aid what'er of biest,
Or great, or fair, the heavens to man ordain,
Is dull and tasteless to the unthankful breast,
Love loveless, youth old age, and pleasure pain.
Rev. E. Hamley.

What is life?-like a flower, with the bane in its bosom,

To-day, full of promise, to-morrow it dies!

And health like the dewdrop that hung on its blossom,
Survives but a night, and exhales to the skies:
How oft 'neath the bud that is brightest and fairest,
The seeds of the canker in embryo lurk!

How oft at the root of the flower that is rarest,
Secure in its ambush the worm is at work!

Dr. W. Beattie.

Green pastures and clear streams,
Freedom and quiet rest,

Christ's flock enjoy beneath his beams,
Or in his shadow, blest.

The mountain and the vale,

Forest and field they range;
The morning dew, the evening gale,
Bring health in ev'ry change.

The wounded and the weak

He comforts, heals, and binds;

The lost he came from heaven to seek,
And saves them when he finds.

J. Montgomery.

HEARING.

HEAR thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.-I. Kings, viii. 30.

They are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.-Psalm lviii. 4, 5.

He that planted the ear, shall he not hear?-Psalm xciv. 9.

Incline thine ear unto wisdom.-Proverbs, ii. 2.

The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.-Proverbs, xv. 31.

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.--Proverbs, xx. 12.

Take heed what ye hear.--Mark, iv. 24.

Take heed therefore how ye hear.--Luke, viii. 18.

THIS is the slowest, yet the daintiest sense;
For even the ears of such as have no skill,
Perceive a discord, and conceive offence;

And knowing not what's good, yet find the ill.
And though this sense first gentle music sound,
Her proper object is the speech of men;
But that speech, chiefly, which God's heralds sound,
When their tongues utter what His spirit did pen.
Sir John Davies.

As Thou hast touched our ears, and taught
Our tongues to speak Thy praises plain,
Quell Thou each thankless, godless thought
That would make fast our bonds again.
From worldly strife, from mirth unblest,
Drowning Thy music in the breast,
From foul reproach, from thrilling fears,
Preserve, good Lord, Thy servants' ears.
From idle words that restless throng,

And haunt our hearts when we would pray,
From pride's false chime, and jarring wrong,
Seal Thou my lips, and guard the way:
For Thou hast sworn that every ear,
Willing, or loath, Thy trump shall hear,
And every tongue unchained be,
To own no hope, O God, but Thee.

Keble.