When clouds are darkest round me,

Thou, Lord, art then most near,
My drooping faith to quicken,

My weary soul to cheer.
Safe nestling in Thy bosom,

I gaze upon Thy face,
In vain my foes would drive me

From Thee, my hiding place.
'Tis Thou hast made me happy;

'Tis Thou hast set me free.
To whom shall I give glory
For
ever,

but to Thee ?
Of earthly love and blessing

Should every stream run dry,
Thy grace shall still be with me

Thy grace to live and die !

LABOUR ON.

Go, labour on : spend and be spent;

Thy joy to do thy Father's will.
It is the way the Master went;

Should not the servant tread it still ?

Go, labour on; ʼtis not for nought;

Thy earthly loss is heavenly gain.
Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not;

The Master praises—what are men ?

Go, labour on; enough, while here,

If He should praise thee, if He deign Thy willing heart to mark and cheer,

No toil for Him shall be in vain.

Go, labour on; your hands are weak,

Your knees are faint, your soul cast down; Yet falter not, the prize you seek

Is near—a kingdom and a crown.

Go, labour on while it is day,

The world's dark night is hasting on; Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away,

It is not thus that souls are won.

Men die in darkness at your side,

Without a hope to cheer the tomb; Take up the torch and wave it wide

The torch that lights Time's thickest gloom.

30

Strength in Adversity.

,

Toil on, faint not, keep watch and pray ;

Be wise the erring soul to win ;
Go forth into the world's highway,

Compel the wanderers to come in.
Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice;

For toil comes rest, for exile home;
Soon shalt thou hear the bridegroom's voice,

The midnight peal, “Behold I come.”

STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY.

Deut xxxiii. 25.

Pilgrim on life's rugged road,
Tearful, fainting 'neath thy load,
On thy Lord thy burden roll;
He with strength renews thy soul;
Hath not Jesus said to thee,
“ As thy day, thy strength shall be !'
In the bitterness of grief,
Though thy prayer find no relief;
Bowed, forsaken and forlorn,
Though thy sighs prevent the morn,

Strength in Adversity.

31

Tarrying long, He comes at length,
To revive thy fainting strength !

Though thy Saviour long forbear,
He will hear His people's prayer !
What though He, when sorrowing sought,
Make as though He heard thee not ?
Watch, and without ceasing pray,
That thy strength be as thy day.

When temptation cometh in,
With a surging flood of sin,
And the burning billows swell
From the lowest deeps of hell ;
O my Saviour ! say to me,
“As thy day, thy strength shall be ! ”

Some, distrustful of their Lord,
Fear to lean upon His word;
One day, by the hand of Saul,
They are fearful they shall fall!
Still that word is sweet to me,
“ As thy day, thy strength shall be.”

32

Strength in Adversity.

What though His approach be late ?
It is good on God to wait :
He will prove His promise true,
By His gifts not small, nor few;
His salvation thou shalt see,
“ As thy day thy strength shall be."

When wild winds thy vessel sweep
O'er the dreary, boisterous deep,
And thy prostrate strength shall fail
As she drives before the gale.
Then cry mightily, and say,
“Let my strength be as my day!”

Dark may be the midnight hour,
With Death's shadow covered o'er ;
Yet, how drear soe'er the night,
God hath said, “ Let there be light!”
Jesus can, if thou wilt pray,
Turn thy darkness into day.

ANDREW DICKENSON.