A. L. O. E.

“ Thou wilt thy Lord and Saviour meet,
Within thy heart prepare His throne,
And pour thy treasures at His feet!
For think not Christ thy Guest can be
Unless thy works His presence prove,
As in Zaccheus, God in thee
See acts of justice, deeds of love.
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Pure is the heart if God be there,
That shrine no second lord receives;
Christ suffers not His “house of prayer”
To be the shameful “den of thieves.”
Far from the temple that He loves
He drives base passions, selfish care,
With His own blood each stain removes,
Then comes and dwells for ever there! ”

“ The Saviour awoke from His slumber—
He spake, and rebuked the rude main;
Though the wild cry for aid
Feeble faith had betrayed,
E’en that cry was not uttered in vain.
“Lord, careth Thou not that we perish!”
This oft is the cry of despair,
When affliction’s waves roll,
And the agonized soul
Scarce can breathe forth her anguish in prayer.
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Yet the Saviour is watching beside us,
His eye cannot slumber or sleep,
The bark which he guides
Where His Presence abides
Can never be wrecked on the deep. ”

“ Then turn thy gaze to earth, and thou art—nought;
The globe itself a speck—an atom thou!
Oh, child of dust, shall pride exalt thee now?
In one thing only thou mayst glory still,
And let exulting joy thy bosom fill,—
Glory in this—and what is all beside,—
That for this worm—this atom—Christ hath died!
Does conscious genius fire thy haughty mind,
Genius, that raises man above his kind,
The lofty soul that soars on wing of fire,
While crowds at distance marvel and admire? ”

“ Thus spake the Eastern sages, thus the pious Gentiles spake,
But Judah would not know her Lord, His people would not wake;
The earth’s Creator was on earth, unnoticed or forgot,
The Saviour came unto His own, His own received Him not.
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The Gentile world that lay in darkness, they have seen the light,
Wherefore doth Zion turn away on whom it rose so bright!
Oh! thou that bearest joyful tidings, why so mute art thou?
Lift up thy voice, Jerusalem, behold thy Saviour now!
Oh! joy to those who seek Messiah while He may be found ”

“ Art proud of riches? of the glittering dust
Each day may rob thee of, and one day must,
When mines of wealth will purchase no delay,
When dust to dust must turn, and clay to clay,
And nought remain to thee of all possest,
Save one dark cell in earth’s unconscious breast!
150 Or proud of power? on this little ball
Some petty tract may thee its master call,
Some fellow-mortals, bending lowly down,
Bask in thy smile, or tremble at thy frown;
Great in the world’s eyes, in thine own how great,
How swells thy breast with conscious pride elate! ”

“ THE HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS.
The stately mansion riseth beneath the builder’s hand,
When our children sleep in dust that mansion still may stand;
But a nobler and more lasting dwelling to the saints is given,
In a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heaven.
The poor in spirit and the meek, the merciful and pure,
On them the Saviour blessings breathed, for ever to endure;
Those persecuted for His sake, from friends or kindred driven,
Share a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heaven. ”

“ Praise to the Sun of life and light,
Who lived to bless, and died to save!
We calmly gaze on life’s dark close,
The tomb shall not our forms retain—
E’en as our God and Saviour rose
His own shall rise again! ”

“ And on the Saviour’s mercy rest
Their hopes of heaven alone;
To all applies the suppliant word,
“Have mercy on a sinner, Lord!”
Can vain thoughts, covetous desires,
And proud presumptuous hearts,
Endure the pure eye that requires
Truth in the inward parts?
91 Self-righteousness, deluding sin,
Would shrink if light but streamed within.
Nor deem we good deeds can atone
For one—the smallest—sin;
That virtues, in the balance thrown,
May God’s acceptance win,—
On tainted works man dare not rest,
“Unprofitable” at the best.
Ne’er be the impious hope allowed ”

“ I would not take what is not mine, for hoards of wealth untold,—
Far better grasp the red-hot steel, than touch another’s gold;
The love of money, God hath said, of evil is the root,
And if dishonesty thence spring, destruction is the fruit. ”

“ I hear my Saviour’s voice,
I feel His arm sustain me,
I triumph and rejoice!
105 The Lord will bless for ever
Those who His love have known,
Nor life, nor death shall sever
The Saviour from His own!
Victorious and free
His people shall be;
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, thy victory?”
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XLVIL
DEATH IS NOT DREADFUL.
Death is not dreadful, no! ”

“ Off’rings of love to those He loves, He will accept in Heaven.
But still the noblest gift that man can lay before God’s throne
Is the rich tribute of a heart that trusts in Him alone;
The poorest—least—this gift may bring, but oh! ”

“ That richer than the wealth of worlds that hallowed gold will be,
Those sacred odours fragrance breathe through all eternity?
But now the Saviour sits enthroned above the Seraphim;
When all creation owns his sway, and angels worship Him,
Can our poor gifts acceptance find before His glorious throne?
The earth is His and all therein, not e’en our lives our own. ”

“ The Saviour meets the sorrowing one,
And they that bear the bier stand still,
The voice of grief is hushed in awe,
And all in silence wait His will.
The “Man of Sorrows” sees her woe,
He who knew grief, for grief can feel;
Weep not, thou mourner, Christ is near,
As Man to pity, God to heal. ”

“ A blessing to a bane.
Flowers above and thorns below,
Little pleasure, lasting woe,
Such is the fate that sinners know.
O Lord, to Thee we pray,
Do Thou our faith increase,
Make us to walk in Wisdom’s way,
The only way of peace! ”

“ Why dread the future, trembling one,
Since whatsoe’er the griefs it bring,
A Father’s voice pronounced the fate
It bears upon its rapid wing?
Canst thou not trust thy earthly hopes
To Him in whom thy soul confides;
Nor cast thy cares upon thy Lord
When angels whisper “God provides.” ”

“ Yet I venture to hope that those who love to labour in God’s vineyard, will not be sorry to bear to their poorer brethren verses intended to meet their peculiar trials, and cheer them under their peculiar sorrows; while the subjects of many of the hymns are such as are of vi equal interest to the prince as to the peasant. Humbly I commend my little work to Him whose blessing can alone make it useful in strengthening the tempted, in cheering the sad, or in lifting up the hearts of the happy in joyful adoration and praise. ”

“ Who, heir of an eternal, heavenly throne,
Rests all his hopes on Christ, and Christ alone!
Wisest of men—for he alone is wise;
Richest of men—secure his treasure lies;
Greatest of men—his mansion is on high ”

“ As guardian angels spread their wings
O’er mortals that they love,
Around the Doomed her arms are thrown,
His form protected by her own,
With him will she the worst await,
And save his life, or share his fate! ”

“ Who the mansions of light for His people prepares;
For though man from his Maker can nothing deserve,
God hath graciously promised Himself to reward
Their labours of love who are “serving the Lord.”
To the hand ever prompt in the business of life,
But which never would close over fraudulent gain,
To the heart firm and strong in the world’s busy strife,
Which can holy, and humble, and faithful remain,
God in life and in death will His blessing accord,
“Be not slothful in business, but serving the Lord.”
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XXXIV.
SOCIAL HYMN.
How beautiful is Nature’s face! ”

“ The Lord of Angels deigned to come
To bear our punishment and pain,
He made our dark abode His home,
That we might rise, that we might reign.
And those who in His Word delight,
Who trust His love, His will obey,
Shall shine in robes of spotless white
In Heaven’s everlasting day!
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XXX.
GARDENER’S HYMN.
Ere our first parents fell, the ground
All beauty and abundance crowned;
But now the soil our labour needs,—
The earth produces thorns and weeds.
And trials on our pathway grow,
The prickly care, the stinging woe,
How oft the wounded spirit bleeds,—
Our life produces thorns and weeds. ”

“ That stained his hands with guiltless blood,
His soul with blackest sin.
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No courage is like that
Which steadfast faith bestows;
With God our Friend, we would be safe
Were all the world our foes!
Faith but the duty sees
Where doubt would danger scan;
’Tis through the fear of God alone
We crush the fear of man. ”

“ Heavenly aid and heavenly blessing,
To the work of mercy pressing,
Save e’en one.
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Who the worth of souls can measure?
Save—save one!
Who can count the priceless treasure?
Save—save one!
Like the stars shall shine, for ever
They who faithfully endeavour
Dying sinners to deliver,
Save—save one! ”

“ Her claspèd hands, and eloquent eyes,
More than her accents pleading;
“Was he not brave in war, and kind
And true in peace? did he e’er break
The solemn wampum league, or bind
The captive to the stake?
For him a wife afar may sigh,
A lonely mother mourning die,
For who shall now with sounding bow
Bring down for them the elk or roe,
130 Whose hatchet shall defend their home
When hostile tribes with war-cries come! ”

“ Not on proud tower or stately palace streams the radiance mild,
But where the carpenter’s meek wife bends o’er her blessed Child.
Hail, Mary, highly-favoured, hail! God’s power o’ershadoweth thee,
Blessed amongst all women thou in thy humility!
Yea, rather blessed they who seek Christ’s precepts to fulfil,—
His mother, brethren, sisters, they who know and do His will.
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The sages to the infant Saviour bring their offerings meet,
Rich odours fill the perfumed air, gold glitters at His feet ”

“ Oh! deem ye not them sufferers alone
Whom poverty consumes, or cares oppress,
Who mourn o’er health departed, hopes o’erthrown,
Or—severed from a parent’s fond caress—
Find the world changed into a wilderness ”

“ Where angels keep watch round the Holy One’s throne.
Then, when clock after clock tells the hours that are fleeting,
I think how each brings the day near and more near,
When around the dread judgment-seat multitudes meeting,
The last solemn verdict of justice shall hear.
On the right hand will stand Christ’s redeemed ones, possessing
Robes washed in His blood, with His righteousness crowned;
58 On the left the lost souls that rejected the blessing ”