And filled and quickened by Thy breath,

Our souls are strong and free, To rise o'er sin and fear and death, O Love of God, to Thee!

ELIZA SCUDDER.

I

God is Love

CANNOT always trace the way

Where Thou, Almighty One, dost move, But I can always, always say,

That God is love.

When fear her chilling mantle throws
O'er earth, my soul to heaven above,
As to her native home, upsprings,
For God is love.

When mystery clouds my darkened path,
I'll check my dread, my doubt reprove;
In this my soul sweet comfort hath,
That God is love.

Yes, God is love, — a thought like this
Can every gloomy thought remove,
And turn all tears, all woes, to bliss,

For God is love.

That which we Dare Invoke to Bless

HAT which we dare invoke to bless ;

THAT

Our dearest faith; our ghastliest doubt;
He, They, One, All: within, without,
The Power in darkness whom we guess.

I found Him not in world or sun,
Or eagle's wing, or insect's eye;
Nor thro' the questions men may try,
The petty cobwebs we have spun.

If e'er when faith had fallen asleep,
I heard a voice, "Believe no more,"
And heard an ever breaking shore
That tumbled in the Godless deep.

A warmth within the breast would melt
The freezing reason's colder part,
And like a man in wrath, the heart
Stood up and answer'd, "I have felt."

No, like a child in doubt and fear;

But that blind clamor made me wise;

Then was I as a child that cries,

But, crying, knows his father near.

And what I am beheld again

What is, and no man understands: And out of darkness came the hands That reach thro' nature moulding men.

ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON.

“A

Toward Emmaus

JOURNEYING to Emmaus

The grandest Man of men with us The Christ of God was then with us, As we went down to Emmaus. How burned our hearts upon the way At every word we heard Him say! We never may forget the day

We journeyed down to Emmaus! "

Oh! blest disciples-chosen two-
How gladly had we walked with you
And talked of Him, who talked with you
As you went down to Emmaus!

Have touched the hand and found it warm
That raised the dead, and stilled the storm;
Have worshipped God in human form

As He walked down to Emmaus !

But Jesus walks and talks with men
As perfectly to-day as then,

And hearts burn now as yours burned when
You walked with Christ to Emmaus!

In starless night or sunless day,
Whoever walks life's weary way,

Forgetting not to watch and pray,
Is journeying to Emmaus.

SIMEON TUCKER CLARK.

I

BELIEVE it! 'Tis Thou, God, that givest, 'tis I who receive:

In the first is the last, in Thy will is my power to believe.

All's one gift: Thou canst grant it moreover as prompt to my prayer,

As I breathe out this breath, as I open these arms to the air.

*

*

*

*

Would I suffer for him that I love? So wouldst Thou so wilt Thou!

So shall crown Thee the topmost, ineffablest,

uttermost crown

And Thy love fill infinitude wholly, nor leave up nor down

One spot for the creature to stand in! It is by no breath,

Turn of eye, wave of hand, that salvation joins issue with death!

As Thy love is discovered almighty, almighty be proved

Thy power, that exists with and for it, of being beloved!

He who did most, shall bear most! the strongest shall stand the most weak.

'Tis the weakness in strength, that I cry for! my flesh, that I seek

In the Godhead! I seek and I find it. O Saul, it shall be

A Face like my face that receives thee: a Man

like to me,

Thou shalt love and be loved by, forever: a Hand like this hand

Shall throw open the gates of new life to thee; See the Christ stand!

ROBERT BROWNING.