And fountains sparkle in the arid sands, And pillared temples rise Thy name to bless. For Thou didst ride the tempest-cloud of fate. O'er Judah's land Thy rainbow, Lord, shall beam, And the sad city lift her crownless head; And songs shall wake, and dancing footsteps gleam, Where broods o'er fallen streets the silence of the dead. The sun shall shine on Salem's gilded towers, On Carmel's side our maidens cull the flowers, To deck, at blushing eve, their bridal bowers, And angel-feet the glittering Sion tread. Thy vengeance gave us to the stranger's hand, And Abraham's children were led forth for slaves; With fettered steps we left our pleasant land, Envying our fathers in their peaceful graves. The stranger's bread with bitter tears we steep, And when our weary eyes should sink to sleep, 'Neath the mute midnight we steal forth to weep, Where the pale willows shade Euphrates' waves. The born in sorrow shall bring forth in joy; Yet, ere he die, to Salem's streets shall come. And Canaan's vines for us their fruits shall bear, And Hermon's bees their honied stores prepare; And we shall kneel again in thankful prayer, Where, o'er the cherub-seated God, full blazed the irradiate dome. HENRY HART MILMAN. Father! Thou must Lead. THE prayers I make will then be sweet indeed, That quickens only where Thou sayest it may. Unless Thou show to us thy own true way, No man can find it: Father! Thou must lead: Do Thou then breathe these thoughts into my mind, By which such virtue may in me be bred, The fetters of my tongue do Thou unbind, MICHEL ANGELO BUONAROTTI, Trans. by WORDSWORTH. Faith. NOT seldom, clad in radiant vest, The smoothest seas will sometimes prove, The umbrageous oak in pomp outspread, But Thou art true, incarnate Lord! Who didst vouchsafe for man to die; Thy smile is sure, thy plighted word No change can falsify! I bent before thy gracious throne, And asked for peace with suppliant knee; WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. Far from the World, O Lord, I Flee. FAR from the world, O Lord, I flee, From strife and tumult far; From scenes where Satan wages still The calm retreat, the silent shade, There, if thy Spirit touch the soul, Oh! with what peace, and joy, and love, There, like the nightingale, she pours Her solitary lays; Nor asks a witness of her song, Nor thirsts for human praise. Author and Guardian of my life, Sweet source of light divine, And (all harmonious names in one,) What thanks I owe Thee, and what love, Shall echo through the realms above, When time shall be no more. WILLIAM COWPER. Faith, the Evidence of Things Unseen. L ORD, how couldst thou so much appease Thy wrath for sin, as, when man's sight was dim And could see little, to regard his ease, And bring by faith all things to him? Bear firmly; yet a few more days, Christian! thy Friend, thy Master pray'd, Wilt thou not strive to do the same? O think'st thou that his Father's love Go, sufferer! calmly meet the woes Go! his eternal victory share. ANDREWS NORTON. WE Footsteps of Angels. HEN the hours of day are number'd, Wake the better soul that slumber'd Ere the evening lamps are lighted, |