WA FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 33C7 sz ^p yt-^p.. stU-^- ^i^^^tJ ^*7 ^^ Compiled by the Editor of M The Changed Cross," " Thi; Shadow of the Kock," " The Chamber of Peace," Etc. A T THE BEA UTIFUL Ga TE, and other Religious Poems. i8mo. Cloth, gilt edges. Price, 75 cents. Unto the Desired Ha ven, and oth- er Religious Poems. i8mo. Cloth, gilt edges. Price, 75 cents. The Pa la ce of the King, and other Religious Poems. iSmo. Cloth, gilt edges. Price, 75 cents. The above three vols, sold separately or i >i case. A T THE BEA UTIFUL Ga TE, Unto the Desired Haven, The Palace of the King. In one volume. Colored border line. Square i6mo. Cloth, gilt edges. Price, $2.50. Sent by mail, post free, on receipt 0/ Price. Fractional amounts can be remitted in postage- stamps. ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY, 900 Broadway, Cor. 20th St., New York. •/ AT The Beautiful Ga t e , AND OTHER RELIGIOUS POEMS Compiled by the Editor of ''THE CHANGED CROSS;" U THR SHADOW OF THE ROCK;"" "THE CHAMBER OF PEACE," ETC. NEW YORK Anson D. F. Randolph & Company, 900 Broadway, Cor. 20th Strekt. I 880. COPYRIGHT, 1879, BY Anson D. F. Randolph & Company. Kdwakd O. Jenkins' Print, Robert Rltter, Binder, 20 North William Sin 11, N. Y. 84 Beekman Street, N. Y. The Selections in this volume have been chiefly made from the religious newspaper and magazine. The compiler has sought to avoid the reproduction of poems already embraced in " The Changed Cross" " The Shadow of the Rock" "The Chamber of Peace" and in other similar collections. The names of the writers have been given so far as they could be ascertained. October, 1879 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library http://archive.org/details/agateoOOrand AT THE BEAUTIFUL GATE, AND OTHER RELIGIOUS POEMS. ftt tlje Beautiful (Sate. LORD, open the door, for I falter, I faint in this stifled air. In dust and straitness I lose my breath ; This life of self is a living death, Let me into Thy pastures broad and fair, To the sun and the wind from Thy mountains free ; Lord, open the door to me ! There is holier life, and truer, Than ever my heart has found ; There is nobler work than is wrought within These walls so charred by the fires of sin, Where I toil like a captive blind and bound ; An open door to a freer task In Thy nearer smile, I ask. Yet the world is Thy field, Thy garden ; On earth art Thou still at home. When Thou bendest hither Thy hallowing eye, My narrow work-room seems vast and high, Its dingy ceiling a rainbow dome — Stand ever thus at my wide-swung door, And toil will be toil no more. (5) AT THE BEAUTIFUL GATE. Through the rosy portals of morning Now the tides of sunshine flow, O'er the blossoming earth and the glistening sea The praise Thou inspirest rolls back to Thee ; Its tones through the infinite arches go ; Yet, crippled and dumb, behold me wait, Dear Lord, at the Beautiful Gate. I wait for Thy hand of healing — For vigor and hope in Thee. Open wide the door — let me feel the sun — Let me touch Thy robe — I shall rise and run Through Thy happy universe, safe and free, Where in and out Thy beloved go, Nor want nor wandering know. Thyself art the Door, Most Holy ! By Thee let me enter in. I press toward Thee with my failing strength ; Unfold Thy love in its breadth and length ! True life from Thine let my spirit win ! To the saint's fair city, the Father's throne, Thou, Lord, art the way alone. To be made with Thee one spirit, Is the boon that I lingering ask, To have no bar 'twixt my soul and Thine ; My thoughts to echo Thy will divine ; Myself Thy servant for any task. Life ! life ! I may enter through Thee, the Door- Saved, sheltered forevermore ! UNDER ORDERS. Unbcr (Drbcrs. WE know not what is expedient, But we may know what is right ; And we never need grope in darkness, If we look to Heaven for light. Down deep in the hold of the vessel The ponderous engine lies, And faithfully there the engineer His labor steadily plies. He knows not the course of the vessel, He knows not the way he should go ; He minds his simple duty, And keeps the fire aglow. He knows not whether the billows The bark may overwhelm ; He knows and obeys the orders Of the pilot at the helm. And so in the wearisome journey Over life's troubled sea, I know not the way I am going, But Jesus shall pilot me. I see not the rocks and the quicksands, For my sight is dull and dim ; But I know that Christ is my Captain, And I take my orders from Him. 8 THE TIME IS SHORT. Speak, Lord, for Thy servant hearcth, Speak peace to my anxious soul, And help me to feel that all my ways Are under Thy wise control ; That He who cares for the lily, And heeds the sparrows' fall, Shall tenderly lead His loving child : For He made and loveth all. And so, when wearied and baffled, And I know not which way to go, I know that He can guide me, And 'tis all that I need to know. ®l)c Coiocst place. GIVE me the lowest place : not that I dare Ask for that lowest place, but Thou hast died That I might live and share Thy glory by Thy side. Give me the lowest place ; or if for me That lowest place too high, make one more low, Where I may sit and see My God, and love Thee so. i (Tljc (Time io Gljort. SOMETIMES feel the thread of life is slender, And soon with me the labor will be wrought; THE TIME IS SHORT. Then grows my heart to other hearts more tender. The time, The time is short. A shepherd's tent of reeds and flowers decaying, That night winds soon will crumble into naught : So seems my life, for some rude blast delaying. The time, The time is short. Up, up, my soul ! the long-spent time redeeming ; Sow thou the seeds of better deed and thought ; Light other lamps while yet thy light is beaming. The time, The time is short. Think of the good thou might'st have done, when brightly The suns to thee life's choicest seasons brought ; Hours lost to God in pleasures passing lightly. The time, The time is short. Think of the drooping eyes thou might'st have lifted To see the good that Heaven to thee hath taught ; The unhelped wrecks that past life's bark have drifted. The time, The time is short. Think of the feet that fall by misdirection, Of noblest souls to loss and ruin brought, Because their lives are barren of affection. The time, The time is short. io THE TIME IS SHORT. The time is short. Then be thy heart a brother's To every heart that needs thy help in aught ; Soon thou may'st need the sympathy of others. The time, The time is short. If thou hast friends, give them thy best endeavor, Thy warmest impulse and thy purest thought, Keeping in mind, in word and action ever, The time, The time is short. Each thought resentful from thy mind be driven, And cherish love by sweet forgiveness bought ; Thou soon wilt need the pitying love of Heaven. The time, The time is short. Where summer winds, aroma laden, hover, Companions rest, their work forever wrought ; Soon other graves the moss and fern will cover. The time, The time is short. Up, up, my soul ! ere yet the shadow falleth ; Some good return in later seasons wrought ; Forget thyself when duty's angel calleth. The time, The time is short. By all the lapses thou hast been forgiven, By all the lessons prayer to thee hath taught, To others teach the sympathies of Heaven. The time, The time is short. CUMBERED ABOUT MUCH SERVING. 1 1 To others teach the overcoming power That thee at last to God's sweet peace hath brought ; Glad memories make to bless life's final hour. The time, The time is short. (Dntumrbs or fjomewarbs. STILL are the ships that in haven ride Waiting fair winds or turn of the tide ; Nothing they fret, Though they do not get Out on the glorious ocean wide. O wild hearts that yearn to be free, Look, and learn from the ships on the sea. Bravely the ships in the tempest tossed, Buffet the waves till the sea be crossed ; Not in despair Of the haven fair, Though winds blow backward, and leagues be lost. O weary hearts, that yearn for sleep, Look, and learn from the ships on the deep. Cnmbcrcb about mncl) Seining. CHRIST never asks of us such busy labor, As leaves no time for resting at His feet , The waiting attitude of expectation He ofttimes counts a service most complete. l 2 CUMBERED ABO U T M UCII SER VING. He sometimes wants our ear — our rapt attention, That He some sweetest secret may impart ; 'Tis always in the time of deepest silence That heart finds deepest fellowship with heart. We sometimes wonder why our Lord doth place us Within a sphere so narrow, so obscure, That nothing we call work can find an entrance ; There's only room to suffer — to endure ! Well, God loves patience ! Souls that dwell in still- ness, Doing the little things, or resting quite, May just as perfectly fulfill their mission, Be just as useful in the Father's sight As they who grapple with some giant evil, Clearing a path that every eye may see ! Our Saviour cares for cheerful acquiescence, Rather than for a busy ministry. And yet, He does love service, where 'tis given By grateful love that clothes itself in deed ; But work that's done beneath the scourge of duty, Be sure to such He gives but little heed. Then seek to please Him, whatso'er He bids thee ! Whether to do — to suiTer — to lie still ! 'Twill matter little by what path He led us, If in it all we sought to do His will ! FROM EGYPT TO CANAAN. 1 3 .from Cgiipt to Canaan. MY God, while journeying to Canaan's land, For peace I do not pray, Nor seek beneath Thy sheltering sweetness, Lord, To rest each circling day ; I cry to Thee for strength to struggle on, But do not ask that smooth the way may be ; Sufficient for Thy servant 'tis to know That earth's bleak desert ends at last with Thee. I do not ask of Thee that loving friends Should wander by my side, Or that my hand should feel an angel's touch, A guardian and a guide ; But Israel's God, do Thou go on before — An ever-present beacon in the way ; A fiery pillar in dark sorrow's night, A cloudy column in my prosperous day. I do not ask, O Master dear ! to lean My head upon Thy breast ; Nor seek within Thy circling arms to find An ever-present rest ; I beg from Thee that crown of prickly thorns That once Thy sacred forehead rudely tore : And I will press those crimson brambles close To my poor heart, and ask from Thee no more. But when, at length, my scorched and weary feet Shall reach their journey's end, And I have gained the longed-for promised land, Where milk and honey blend, 14 QUIETNESS. Then give me rest and food and drink, dear Lord ; For then another pilgrim will have past, As Thou didst, o'er the wastes of barren sand From Egypt into Canaan, safe at last. £ I) c ® i £> t g . UP the long slope of this low, sandy shore Are rolled the tidal waters day by day; Traces of wandering feet are washed away, Relics of busy hands are seen no more. The soiled and trampled surface is smoothed o'er By punctual waves that high behests obey ; Once and again the tides assert their sway, And o'er the sands their cleansing waters pour. Even so, Lord, daily, hourly, o'er my soul, Sin-stained and care-worn, let Thy heavenly grace^ A blest, atoning flood — divinely roll, And all the footsteps of the world efface, That like the wave-washed sand this soul of mine, Spotless and fair, smooth and serene, may shine ! (El n i c t n c s s . T WOULD be quiet, Lord, J- Nor tease, nor fret ; Not one small need of mine Wilt Thou forget. "LO, / AM WITH YOU ALIVA Y." 1 5 I am not wise to know What most I need ; I dare not cry too loud, Lest Thou shouldst heed ; Lest Thou at length should say : " Child, have thy will ; As thou hast chosen, lo ! Thy cup I fill !" What I most crave, perchance Thou wilt withhold, As we from hands unmeet Keep pearls, or gold ; As we, when childish hands Would play with fire, Withhold the burning goal Of their desire. Yet choose Thou for me — Thou Who knowest best ; This one short prayer of mine Holds all the rest. "£a, 3 am tmtl) tjou QUroan." NIGHT'S shadows lengthen till they meet and close, The mists are chill, and frost doth white the tree; Vet Jesus speaks from out the night of woes, " Unto earth's end I ever am with thee !" 1 6 THE LORD IS RISEN IX DEED. Endless the changes that take place around — Stars pale and sink into the moonless sea, And empires proud lie ruined on the ground — Yet doth He whisper: "Still I am with thee!" Lights glimmer o'er the drear and treeless wild, Then disappear ere yet the shadows flee ; But in the pathways, 'tween the rocks up-piled, Thy light, O Saviour, ever is with me ! Low, low upon the midnight grass I fall, Weary of treading paths I can not see ; " Rise up, my love, my fair one ! " Thou dost call ; " I will, my Lord, since Thou art still with me." In crooked ways I read Thy golden scroll — Thy pledge of everlasting help to me — I read, am strengthened ; though the billows roll, Thou sayest : " My child, I ever am with thee ! " Ever, my Saviour, till the earth doth end — Yes, through the ages of eternity — Until I see Thee, Shepherd, Saviour, Friend, I cling to this : " Thou ever art with me ! " (Eljc £ovb io Uisett Jnbecfc. THE Easter praises may falter; And die with the Easter Day; The blossoms that brightened the altar In sweetness may fade away; THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED. I J But after the silence and fading There lingers, untold and unpriced, Above all changing and shading, The love of the living Christ. For the living Christ is loving, And the loving Christ is alive ! His life hidden in us is moving Us even to pray and to strive. Alas ! that e'en in our striving We labor like spirits in prison, Forgetting that Jesus is living, Forgetting the Saviour has risen ! We join in the Easter rejoicing, And echo each gladdening strain, While a pitiful minor is voicing Our own secret doubting or pain. We weave Him a shroud of our sadness, We cover His smile with our gloom, And drive back the angel of gladness Who waits at the door of the tomb. We know not our own hearts have hidden Our Christ in a grave of our own ; We know not our own hands are bidden To roll from the threshold the stone. While our tearful eyes, drooping and weary With watching in sorrow and fear, Might see, with the heart-broken Mary, That the Lord is alive — and is near ! 1 8 CHIN MERE TIE G I) c a u c . r T^HE day is passed that seemed so wearisome, J- Now coming darkness all my toil relieves, And in the cool, gray twilight hastening home I sing along the way — Master, I come, Bringing my sheaves ! The ground was hard and stony, and I wept Over the tiny stalk, the tender leaves ; From hour to hour my loving vigil kept, Waited and toiled and prayed, while others slept. Behold my sheaves ! I am ashamed, dear Lord, they are so few ; Yet do I know Thy pitying love perceives — Searching this heart of mine all through and through — Not what I did, but what I tried to do ; Accept my sheaves ! (£ I) i n n c r c 1 1) . St. John xvi. 3-8. THE limpid waters of the sacred lake All sparkling lay ; Each wave an opal, laughed and danced, As o'er the emerald hills first glanced The new-born day. A tiny ship all through the night had rocked Upon tln v wave ; CHINNERETH. 19 Its owners heeded not the morning wind, For baffled hopes had made them, heart and mind, No longer brave. But, lo ! as toward the shining pebbly shore Their eyes they turn, They see, bathed in the morning's glorious light, A Form, so fair, their sad hearts at the sight Within them burn. Ah, waters pure ! above all waters blest, True name is thine, A harp — Chinnereth — and thy strings are pressed By sacred feet ; thy music lulled to rest Manhood Divine. Across the conscious billows came a voice, " What will ye gain, My children, from your weary night's turmoil ? For without Me even hard and earnest toil Must be in vain. " Cast ye your nets upon the ship's right side, And ye shall find." Obedient, they met their sure reward ; Their nets were filled. " We knew Thee not, O Lord, For we were blind." Across the billows of life's troubled sea There comes a voice To us, who all night long have toiled and tossed, Almost despairing at our labor lost, And we rejoice : 20 THE BLESSED TASK. " thou of little faith ! when wilt thou learn That without Me Thy heart, thy hopes, thy dreams are incomplete ? Cast now thy life on this side, at My feet, And thou shalt see " That He who in the wilderness can feed Ten thousand men With loaves and fishes — He can surely make Of thy poor gift, when offered for His sake, E'en talents ten." ®l)c JMcsscb ®a0k. I SAID : " Sweet Master, hear me pray ; For love of Thee the boon I ask ; Give me to do for Thee each day Some simple, lowly, blessed task." And listening long, with hope elate, I only heard Him whisper: "Wait." The days went by, but nothing brought Beyond the wonted round of care, And I was vexed with anxious thought, And found the waiting hard to bear; But when I said : " In vain I pray ! " I heard Him answer gently : " Nay." So praying still and waiting on, And pondering what the waiting meant, This knowledge sweet at last I won- And, oh, the depth of my content ! THE GATE. 21 My blessed task for every day Is humbly, gladly to obey. And though I daily, hourly fail To bring my task to Him complete, And must with constant tears bewail My failures at my Master's feet, No other service would I ask Than this my blessed, blessed task. QL\)c ©ate. O STRONG-BARRED gate, Open to me ! On the other side Such joy I see ! None ever weary, None are crossed ; Even the thought Of pain is lost. I prayed in vain Before the gate ; I watched and wept Early and late. I watched and wept From sun to sun ; At last I said : "Thy will be done. »» Said it in truth, And turned away 2 2 STRENGTH FOR THE DAY. To do God's will From day to day ; " One farewell look, My wish, to thee." Behold, the gate Was open to me ! Strength for tl)c Dan. BEFORE. THE morning breaks in clouds, the rain is falling, Upon the pillow still I sigh for rest, But yet I hear so many voices calling To work, by which my burdened soul is pressed, That I can only pray, " Strength for the day." 'Tis not a prayer of faith, but weak repining, For with the words there comes no hope, no light . In other lives a morning sun is shining, While mine is but a change from night to night ; So while I weep I pray, u Strength for the day." For it is hard to work in constant shadow, Climbing with tired feet an uphill road ; And so, while my weak heart dreads each to-morrow, And once again I lift my heavy load, Desponding still I pray, " Strength for the day." UP TO GOD. 23 AFTER. Now looking back to the long hours ended, I wonder why I feared them as they came ; Each brought the strength on which its task depended, And so my prayer was answered just the same. Now with new faith I pray, " Strength for each day." For in the one just closed I've learned how truly God's help is equal to our need ; Sufficient for each hour it cometh newly, If we but follow where its teachings lead, Believing, when we pray, " Strength for the day." He who has felt the load which we are bearing, Who walked each step along the path we tread, Is ever for His weary children caring, And keeps the promise made us when He said, He'd give us all the way u Strength for the day." Up to (5 tr . ABOVE the trembling elements, Above life's restless sea, Dear Saviour, lift my spirit up, — Oh, lift me up to Thee ! Great calmness there, — sweet patience, too, Upon Thy face I see ; 24 A PRA YER. I would be calm and patient, Lord, — Oh, lift me up to Thee ! I am not weary of Thy work, From earth I would not flee ; But while I walk and while I serve, Oh, lift me up to Thee ! That I may bless my tender friends, And those who love not me, Oh, lift me high above myself, Dear Jesus, up to Thee ! Whatever falls, of good or ill, Thy hand, Thy care I see, And while these varied dealings pass, Oh, lift me up to Thee ! And when mine eyes close for the last, Still this my prayer shall be, — Dear Saviour, lift my spirit up, — Oh, lift me up to Thee ! Qt pratjcr. I WOULD that I were fairer, Lord, More what Thy bride should be, — More meet to be the sharer, Lord, Of love and heaven with Thee ; Yet if Thy love with me Thou'lt share, I know that love can make me fair. "FEAR NOT; I WILL HELP THEE? 25 Oh, would that I were purer, Lord, More filled with grace divine ! Oh, would that I were surer, Lord, That my whole heart is Thine ! Were it so pure that I might see Thy beauty, I would grow like Thee. Oh, would that I could higher, Lord, Above these senses live ! Each feeling, each desire, my Lord, Could wholly to Thee give ! The love I thus would daily share, That love alone would make me fair. ".fear Xot: 3 toill ijcly dljee." BEING perplexed, I say, Lord, make it right ! Night is as day to Thee, Darkness is light. I am afraid to touch Things that involve so much ; — My trembling hand may shake, My skill-less hand may break : Thine can make no mistake. Being in doubt, I say, Lord, make it plain ! Which is the true, safe w r ay? Which would be vain ? I am not wise to know, Nor sure of foot, to go. 26 "FEAR NOT: / WILL HELP TI/EE." My blind eyes can not see What is so clear to Thee. Lord, make, it clear to me. Being in fear, I say, Lord, show Thy face ! Shine on my daily path, Lighting each place. Little will matter then How death comes, where, or when ; Little, what life may be ; Little, what griefs I see. All shall be well, with Thee. Being in straits, I cry, Lord, make a way ! Open a door for me : Help me, I pray ! Gold Thou hast, endless store : Strength, all I want, and more. All' hearts are in Thy hand, — Nothing can Thee withstand. Lord, look, and give command. Now, Lord, what wait I for? On Thee alone My hope is all rested, — Lord, seal me Thine own ! Only Thine own to be, Only to live to Thee. Thine, with each day begun, Thine, with each set of sun. Thine, till my work is done. N L Y. 27 Then, Lord, then bear Thou me Safe through the flood ; In Thy courts, welcome me, Bought with Thy blood. Once prisoner, now unbound ; Once lost, and by Thee found ; Brought home from sin and fears ; Brought home from death and tears, Home, for unnumbered years. Amen. (D n 1 n . ONLY a word for the Master, Lovingly, quietly said. Only a word ! Yet the Master heard, And some fainting hearts were fed. Only a look of remonstrance, Sorrowful, gentle, and deep. Only a look ! Yet the strong man shook, And he went alone to weep. Only some act of devotion, Willingly, joyfully done, " Surely 'twas naught ! " (So the proud world thought.) But yet souls for Christ were won ! Only an hour with the children, Pleasantly, cheerfully given. 2 3 THE TWO SHADOWS. Yet seed was sown In that hour alone Which would brine: forth fruit for heaven ! i & " Only." — But Jesus is looking Constantly, tenderly down To earth, and sees Those who strive to please ; And their love He loves to crown. £1)0 (£voo Sljabow G. u He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide tinder the shadow of the Ahnighty" — Fsalm xc. i. THERE are shadows near every pathway The daylight but partly conceals, And we hail with delight or with sadness The shadow that " hurts or that heals." One shadow falls darkly in sorrow, Regrets, disappointment and fears, And the hopes of a brighter to-morrow Are quenched in the anguish of tears. And man holds in memory only The love that once brightened his way, And bereaved, misanthropic, and lonely, Mourns its folly, deception — decay ; And without faith in Jesus or heaven Knows not the rich blessing of prayer, But rebellious, with sins unforgiven, Walks by Marah's dark waters of care. A DA Y-BLESSIWG. 29 So in gloom falls the shadow of life's evening O'er the soul like a mystical spell ; And silver-haired, wasted and weary, Life ebbs in a hopeless farewell. The other brings coolness and blessing — A refuge from noonday's fierce heat. It comes like a mother's caressing, With comfort ineffably sweet ; For we know that its love changeth never, That Christ is our " covert and shade," That the soul may in peace rest forever, For He our redemption has paid. O blood-bought and dearest possession Is the faith that brings pardon, repose ! O blessed beyond all expression Is the Presence Divine at life's close ! Then the shadow which death draws around us Shall be changed into light from above, As we clasp His dear hand in the valley, And behold only infinite love. & Dan-Blessing. "As thy day thy strength shall be" EACH morn on awaking A whisper I hear, That fills me with courage And quiets my fear. 30 A DAY-BLESSIXG. It tells that strength-blessings From the Strong One in heaven, Each day as I need them To me shall be given. Its faithful fulfilling Each moment I see, Whatever the duties The day brings to me ; There's a Helper beside me Who girds for the fight, And a Hand in the darkness That leads to the light. Whatever revealings Of toil or of care Bring the hours in their passing, I do not despair ; I may become weary, Too weary to sing, But I have the strength-blessing, And " do the next thing." And cheerily onward My journey I take, Hope need not be fainting, God will not forsake ; When strength is exhausted New gifts come again, And I find that God's promise Is never in vain. Sometimes, like a coward, 1 sighingly s;i\ , HOW TO LIVE. 31 " But what of the morrow That follows to-day ? " Then gently rebukeful The message is heard, And my heart that was timid To trusting is stirred. i & Since yesterday's blessings Avail not to-day, The work of to-morrow Aside I will lay ; To-day I will labor, To-night I will rest ; The needs of the future God knows of the best. God sends to His children Day-strength with day-bread ! Since the past with His blessing Has joyously sped, My heart shall be quiet In happy content, And in His good service My life shall be spent. £}oto to £iuc. SO should we live, that every hour Should die, as dies a natural flower- A self-reviving thing of power ; 32 MUCH MORE. That every thought, and every deed, May hold within itself the seed Of future good and future meed. Esteeming sorrow — whose employ Is to develop, not destroy — Far better than a barren joy. AX xx c I) ill o v e . 4 The Lord is able to give thee much more than this." — 2 Chron. xxv. 9. u 1\/T UCH morc than this "~~° lovin s Christ •' IVl The Father's greatest gift, In whom " all things " are ours — to Thee Our waiting eyes we lift ; Their askings can not grow too large, Since we with Thee are heirs, — Although by ways still dark, we hear Thy answer to our prayers. Thy kingly giving far outweighs All that we ask or think, Drawing us to Thy heart of love By many an upward link. And faith may climb the ladder, Prayer, Each step an answer given, Each round inscribed " much more than this," Up to the gates of heaven. The tender reachings of Thy hand p'ar underlie our wants ; GOD'S LOVE. S3 The same great love that stoops to hear. Interprets, ere it grants ; However ill we know to ask For blessings all untold, Thou knowest well what good to give, What wisely to withhold. And when, some lesser light gone out, We blindly grope for Thee, — - Teach us, dear Jesus, step by step, To trust Thee utterly ; Anoint our sorrow-lidded eyes With Thy sweet strengthening grace, And lift them to the Light of Life Full shining in Thy face. Take Thou these blind and stammering prayers, That scarce can spell Thy name ; Correct, enlarge them, make them bold To plead the children's claim ; Then pour the storehouse of Thy love, Send answer down, until Sweet mercy's measure running o'er, Our deepest need shafl fill ! (5ob 1 G £0DC. AS one who sails 'ncath Southern stars, Outlooking through the night, Beholds across dark leagues of sea, The golden fires of Stromboli, Uprising clear and bright ; 3 34 ALL THINGS FOR GOOD. And sails away, and comes again, But finds it still the same — Far out upon the world's dim verge, Steady and calm, above the surge, Like some vast altar's flame. So life's lone voyager, through his tears, Looks out across time's sea, And there, in darkest night of fears, God's love gleams brighter down the years, And through eternity. SUl (Iljings for ©cob. "All things work together for good to them that love God" FEAR not, O troubled heart, to take on trust This passport to thy rest, — For though thou canst not read, as yet, the whole, God's seal is manifest. " All things " — so runs the promise, broad and free, If only Christ be mine ; Sorrow and joy are servants of one Lord, And work out one design. The very griefs that vex and try my soul Sweet recompense will yield, And work the furtherance of His perfect will, Thus faithfully revealed. And I will take, from out the river's depth, Like Israel of old, THE SEED AND FRUIT. 35 Memorial stones, to mark where, at His word, The waters backward rolled. Father, Thy life-long mercies, old and new, Shall be the stones so fair, Built on the ground-work of a grateful heart, To raise an altar there ! To " all things " minister, of right, to me, — Things present, things to come ; And help to bring me on my pilgrim path To the eternal Home ! QLl)c Sccb anb Sinit. ,r I ^IS not its blood that bursts the vine J- When in the press it's trampled on, But healing, sacramental wine, The Holy Grail — the cup divine — Christ's life free-given for our'own. 'Tis not with angry stroke, but kind, The sculptor hews the marble stone ; His blows, their scars, if we will mind, But loose the angel there confined — An angel from a shapeless stone. 'Twas not in wrath the Psalmist old His inspired hand swept o'er the strings, And vexed his harp with beatings bold ; A purer, holier music rolled E'en from its sharpest quiverings. 3& STEP B Y STEP. And thus in all the world's great round, When we its meaning full divine — From fiercest twangs the sweetest sound ; By sharpest strokes the soul unbound ; From sorest bruise the sweetest wine. So to the faith now tossed with fear All seeming ills shall prove to be Each one the seed for harvest near ; " Though Christ was dead, He is not here ; " There needs the cross, the funeral bier, Ere we the resurrection see. Step brj Step. ON the mount of Contemplation, At the highest Aspiration, Oh, how near ! Oh, how near seems heaven's portal ! Quickly would we pass athwart all That's between, — O'er the clouds of snowy whiteness, Through the angel-fields of brightness, Up to God ! With desires pure, and feelings All aglow with Heaven's rcvealings, We would haste ! But our path is downward bending! We must mind our steps, descending All the way, IN THE SHADOW. 37 And the way is narrow, winding, 'Midst briers and stones and thickets, blinding Us from Heaven. Yet it is the way directed ; We shall find it intersected, Here and there, With the paths from beauteous places, Rays of light from angels' faces, — Waves of song ! Step by step while onward moving, Lights and signs and shadows proving, And the ground, We are slowly, slowly learning What will fit us for discerning, Nearer to God ! 3n ll)c Gljabou). a O ITTING in the shadow, singing ^-5 Such a sober song, Sure thou dost the merry season And thy sunshine wrong ! Forth among thy venturous brethren, Where great deeds are done ; Only in the wide arena Is the garland won. Fame and honors arc the guerdon Of the bold and strong. Singer, in the shadow singing Such a serious song, 33 IN THE SHADOW. What if unto thee derision And neglect belong ? " While thy slow, reluctant fingers On the lute-strings lie, Eager crowds to crown thy rivals Pass thee careless by. And thou sittest, singing, singing, Through the silence lone, To the same sad burden ringing Mournful monotone. And the busy will not hearken, Nor the idle heed ; The ambitious do not prize thee, Nor the happy need. Come forth to the sunshine, singer, 'Mong the haunts of men, Tune thy harp to blither measures — They will hear thee then. " Far above my compeers Couldst thou lift me now, Wreathing with thy laurels My triumphant brow, By my siren singing, Not a soul unmoved — In all hearts enthrone me, Chosen and beloved, More than Balak proffered To the recreant seer, All the mighty covet, And the proud hold dear, Should not, could not, tempt me, To a softer strain ; WASTE. 39 I must sing my song out, Though I sing in vain. " As the Master guides it, So the hand must play, And the words He whispers Needs must have their way. Let the world turn from me With a mute disdain, I must speak my message, Though I speak in vain ; I must sing my song out, Though I sing in vain. " Let men hurry by me, As they will to-day ; There will come a morrow When they needs must stay ; When they needs must listen, Murmur as they may. Therefore in the shadow Leave me singing on ; They will surely seek me At the set of sun, When life's day is waning, And her hopes are gone." o to ' a * 1 1 • HEART too deeply loving! Why fling away thy gold ? Love never can be bought or sold ; 40 WASTE. Love is no sum for proving ; Why strive for what thou canst not gain, And waste thy golden years in vain ? Sad heart ! too tightly round thee The magic chain is coiled ; The uses of thy life are foiled Since this deep spell hath bound thee ; And thy being vibrates to the touch Of a single hand loved overmuch. If one word hath the power To set ablaze the skies, Or bring tears brimming to sad eyes, And change life hour by hour, It prophesies of sorrow near; In vain — in vain — thou wilt not hear. It shows all things unreal ; For life, wide though it be, In all its wideness holds for thee But one — thine own ideal ; All other forms and faces fade Before the idol thou hast made. If e'en one glance averted, One cold clasp of a hand, Can make it darkness o'er the land, Make life seem all deserted — Beware, O heart ! lest thou hast given To earth the worship claimed by heaven ! And duties are around thee, Straight lying in thy path, DUTY. 41 But thy dull mind a shadow hath That hides what light surrounds thee, And far ahead the beacon lies Of thy transfixed steadfast eyes. Look down, sad eyes, look downwards, The earth is full of woe, Of wild laments and wailings low, Of harsh and jarring chords. Poor heart ! in soothing others* pain, The Light of Life will shine again. And life is worth the living, Though, as the years pass by, They bring no answer to thy cry, No gift to match thy giving ; Though thou must sadly journey on, With scarce a hope to lean upon. God gave thee life — to use it For His great ends, not thine ; And if the cup be bitter wine, Shrink not — nor dare refuse it. He knows thy love — He knows thy pain — Sad life ! thou wilt not be in vain. D n t tj . OH, ask not thou, how shall I bear, The burden of to-morrow ? Sufficient for to-day is care, Its evil and its sorrow ; 42 DUTY. God imparteth by the way Strength sufficient for the day. Endeavor, with unruffled brow And with a mind serene, To meet the duties of the Now, The Present and the Seen. He who doth a Saviour own Is not left to strive alone. If prosperity doth bubble Briskly in thy golden cup, Raise it to pale lips, that trouble Sorrowfully parcheth up ; Riches generously given May be found again in heaven. Clench thy difficulties fast With a determined hand, Until, in thy victorious grasp, They crumble into sand. He who overcomes at last Will not mourn about the past. But if, in thy narrow border, Many bitter herbs are set, Duly framed and kept in order, They may recompense thee vet. Use the bitter and the sweet As thy med'einc and thy meat. They who, in appointed dm Live most secretly with God, Shall come forth in fullest beauty. BETWEEN THE LIGHTS. 43 Blossoming like Aaron's rod. Plants can flourish in the dark, If within th** Golden Ark. Between tljc £igl)t A LITTLE pause in life, while daylight lingers, Between the sunset and the pale moonrise, When daily labor slips from weary fingers, And soft gray shadows veil the aching eyes. Old perfumes wander back from fields of clover, Seen in the light of suns which long have set ; Beloved ones, whose earthly toil is over, Draw near as if they lived among us yet. Old voices call me — through the dusk returning I hear the echo of departed feet, And then I ask with vain and troubled yearning, What is the charm which makes old things so sweet ? Must the old joys be evermore withholden ? Even their memory keeps me pure and true, And yet from out Jerusalem the golden God speaketh, saying, " I make all things new." " Father ! " I cry, the old must still be nearer ; Stifle my love, or give me back the past — Give me the fair old earth, whose paths are dearer Than all thy shining streets and mansions vast. Peace, peace, the Lord of earth and heaven knoweth The human soul in all its heat and strife, Out of His throne no stream of Lethe floweth, But the clear river of eternal life. lie giveth life, aye, life in all its sweetness, Old loves, old sunny scenes will He restore ; Only the curse of sin and incompleteness Shall taint thine earth and vex thy soul no more. Serve Him in daily work and earnest living; And faith shall lift thee to His sunlit heights ; Then shall a psalm of gladness and thanksgiving Fill the calm hour that comes between the lights. Praise. FOR gladsome summer days, For joy and peace always, Dear Lord, I sing my praise ; For woful winter's night, For grief's long, fearful fight, Still praise, O Lord of Light ! For all the calm I find For lightsome, happy mind, I praise Thee, Lord most kind ! For all life's toil and strain, For weary heart and brain, I praise Thee, Lord, again. For dear ones' health and peace, And joys that still increase, My praises shall not cease ; Yea, for their grief and care, And burdens loved ones bear, I praise Thee still with prayer. For home, for each dear friend, For life, till life shall end, My praises shall ascend ; For dear ones gone before, For Death's foot at my door, I'll praise Thee, Lord, the more. With gladness I'll receive The joys my God shall give, And praise Thee while I live ; The griefs Thou mayest send My heart in twain may rend — Still praises shall ascend. And when kind Death shall stand To lead me by the hand Into Immanuel's land, I'll praise Thee and adore, Upon the heavenly shore, Dear Lord, forevermore. ]) c a c c . AS flows the river, Calm and deep, In silence toward the sea, So fiowcth ever, And ceaseth never, The love of God to me. lie kindly keepeth Those He loves Secure from every fear. From the eye that wcepcth For one that sleepeth, He gently dries the tear. What peace He bringeth To my heart, Deep as the soundless sea ! How sweetly singeth The soul that clingeth, My loving Lord, to Thee ! How calm at even Sinks the sun Beyond the clouded west ! So tempest-driven, Into the haven, I reach the longed-for rest. ^ot iinta fjimsclf. 11 For none of us livcth unto himself \ and no ;u,j>: dietk unto him* set/.'''' — Rom. xiv. 7. UP from the dead He comes; no bands might bind Him Who came death's captives from their chains to save ; And those who in the morning seek to find Him, Only behold a lonely, rifled grave. Fresh from the dead He comes ; amid the flowers, Brighter, more fragrant, and more pure than they ; And those who bring their spice these early hours, An angel bids to look where Jesus lay. Up from the ground it comes ; the green grass springing Dead winter can not hold in its embrace ; Nor can the ice forever hush the singing Of streamlets rippling through that garden place. Up in our hearts it comes, — the new life throbbing Which Jesus wrested from death's ghastly hand. No more the dirge-like wail of Lenten sobbing May mar the music of Immanuel's land. Not for itself it comes, the spring's fair greenness, The fruit and beauty of the summer's life, But that, far off in autumn's ripened keenness, Our barns with grain and fruitage may be rife. Not to themselves they live, the golden sunshine, The myriad marvels of earth, sea, and air ; The teeming life of forest, hill, and prairie, Each ministers to each, and everywhere. Not for Himself Christ rose that Easter morning, Not to Himself the conqueror liveth now ; Not that His head alone might wear the crowning Placed He the diadem above His brow. 48 77/ A' PRICE. For us, for us His mighty wonder-working, For us He trod the wine-press all alone, Burst the rock-gates, and, through the garden taking I lis path, passed grandly upward to His throne. For us He lives through all the passing ages, Dropping through unclosed hands His gifts to men, The angel who records them on its pages Finds only loving deeds to us to pen. For us His grace, a treasury unfailing Of wisdom, faith, and love, and inner light, For us His instant prayer, and, all-prevailing, For us His armor proved in every fight. Not to ourselves we live the life He giveth, His resurrection life, our own to-day ; He only in Christ's resurrection liveth Who gives, as Jesus gave, His life away. Then gladly come we, this fair Easter morning, Bringing such spices as our lives afford, Not to an empty grave, but — no man scorning — - To those He rose for, and our risen Lord. & I) c Price. FOR the joy set before thee — The cross. For the gain that comes after — The loss. For the morning that smileth — The night. GOD KXOWS. 49 For the peace of the victor — The fight. For the white rose of goodness— The thorn. For the Spirit's deep wisdom — Men's scorn. For the sunshine of gladness — The rain. For the fruit of God's pruning — The pain. For the clear bells of triumph — A knell. For the sweet kiss of meeting — Farewell. For the height of the mountain- The steep. For the waking in heaven — Death's sleep. (5 o b U u u) s . THERE is a thought upon my bosom stealing, A thought that ever, with each tide of feeling, Ebbs and flows ; Flowing, my soul its mighty flood receiveth ; Ebbing, it still on me its impress lcaveth — " God knows, God knows." As ocean waves the cliffs majestic smiting, Upon the rock their records grand are writing, As on Time goes, 4 50 COD KNOWS, So on my soul, by waves of sorrow smitten, In never-fading characters is written, " God knows, God knows." God knows ! When the pure tides of joy arc rising, And all my spirit in their flow surprising With pleasure glows, Not on this transient mood my soul relieth , One blessed thought my joy intensifieth — " God knows, God knows." When in despair, no earthly comfort heeding, My spirit prostrate lies, all crushed and bleeding From cruel blows, Soothed is each shattered, throbbing nerve of feeling. Touched by this thought, as by a hand of healing — " God knows, God knows." As birds within their nests, no danger knowing, Are rocked by tempests that without are blowing, To sweet repose, Rocked in the cradle of Divine compassion My soul is safe amid the storms of passion ; " God knows, God knows." When with rebellious thought my heart is burning, When from the narrow way my feet are turning To walk with foes, In vain my soul her guilty secret hidcth ; Though men be blind, one awful truth abideth — " God knows, God knows." When on the promises of love relying. My soul in deep contrition bowed, is sighing THE HILLS OF GOD. 5 I In sorrow's throes, Like morning dew upon the flowers distilling, There comes a thought, my heart with comfort filling, " God knows, God knows." Great Sympathizer in my joy and sorrow, Great Keeper of the present and the morrow Till Time shall close, Grant that forever in my heart remaining, This truth may hold me by its power restraining — " God knows, God knows."