图书图片
PDF
ePub

Sweet is the noontide rest,

The leaning on His breast,

While down time's sky the fires of trial haste.

'He is the Morning Star!'

How lovely doth His dawning seem!

Not now so dim and far

As when mine eye first caught the blessed beam. My glory now is near,

For He must soon appear

From whom my soul's eternal light shall stream!

He is my God of hope!'

The thought of His return is sweet!

How fair that morn will ope,

When saints go forth their coming Lord to meet!

Oh! what a mingled flame

Of love, and joy, and shame

Will swell my heart when His advance I greet!

All this He is to me,

And more than language can reveal;

Much more He yet shall be

When heaven's long age His riches shall unseal.

Let hope to share His reign

Soothe every present pain,

And be the spring of every joy I feel!

KNOWLEDGE.

MRS ABDY.

"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"1 Corinth. i. 20.

KNOWLEDGE! thou idol that in youth I sought,
Yielding my spirit to thy potent spell,

Giving to thee my bloom of heart and thought,
And loving thee, not wisely, but too well;'
Ill were my love and faith repaid by thee
A bane, a bitter bane, thou wert to me!

Have I not woo'd thee by the waning light,
Climbing with patient pain thy rugged way;
Yet when I breathless gain'd the wish'd-for height,
Beheld up-rising hills my toil repay?

Fainting, I paused-repress'd the burning tear,
Then rush'd unquailing on my new career.

And how in sickness would I wail and grieve,
To think thy gifts could profit not the dead!

I dwelt on all the treasures I must leave,
On languages unstudied, books unread,
Countries unvisited, arts unattain❜d,

Problems unsolved, and sciences ungain'd.

But God has touch'd my heart with holier feelings :
Knowledge! I love thee with a chasten'd love,
And hold the proudest wealth of thy revealings
Poor to that sacred wisdom from above,
Which tells the humbled sinner how to win
Peace, pardon, and redemption for his sin.

Nor need we tow'ring intellect to learn

The lessons taught in revelation's page:
The simple peasant can those truths discern
As clearly as the poet or the sage;
God to no letter'd band confines his call-
mercy and his grace extend to all.

His

And when Death comes upon his awful mission,
We need not fear such knowledge to forego;
Since we shall reap in heaven the full fruition
Of all our humbly cherish'd hopes below,-
Faith on the "things unseen
reposes here,
And greets their glories in a happier sphere.

[ocr errors]

Knowledge! at length I view thee as thou art
Religion's handmaid; I can still allow
Thy power to charm and dazzle; but my heart
Rests firmly on the Rock of Ages now;
Nor pants proud'scientific lore to scan,
Content to know that Jesus died for man.

ADORATION.

ROBERT KAYE GREVILLE.

O GOD! we come before Thee
Oppress'd with doubts and fears;
We cease not to adore Thee,
With many sighs and tears:
But Thou canst comfort send us-
Oh, bid our fears depart!
And joy, if thou befriend us,
Shall reign in every heart.

The gold of earthly treasure
We count it all às dross-
The sum of earthly pleasure
As vanity and loss:

On Thee, O God! depending,
We seek a nobler prize,
A bright and never-ending
Reward beyond the skies.

To Thy own holy mountain
Oh, let us then press on!
And drink we at the fountain

Of life in Thy dear Son.
Oh, may we all things selling,
Obtain one pearl above,

And reach that happy dwelling
Of everlasting love!

THE DIFFUSION OF THE GOSPEL.

MARRIOTT.

THOU whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard,
And took their flight;
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And where the gospel-day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
"Let there be light!"

Thou who didst come to bring
On thy redeeming wing

Healing and sight;

Health to the sick in mind,

Light to the inly blind,

Oh, now to all mankind

"Let there be light!"

Spirit of truth and love,
Life-giving holy Dove,

Speed forth thy flight;
Move on the waters' face,
Bearing the lamp of grace,
And in earth's darkest place,
"Let there be light!"

« 上一页继续 »