SOWING. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”—Gal. vi. 7.

Are we sowing seeds of kindness?

They shall blossom bright ere long.
Are we sowing seeds of discord ?

They shall ripen into wrong.
Are we sowing seeds of honour ?

They shall bring forth golden grain.
Are we sowing seeds of falsehood ?

They shall yet reap bitter pain.
Whatsoe'er our sowing be,

Reaping, we its fruits must see.

We can never be too careful

What the seed our hands shall sow;
Love from love is sure to ripen,

Hate from hate is sure to grow.
Seeds of good or ill we scatter

Heedlessly along our way;
But a glad or grievous fruitage

Waits us at the harvest day.
Whatsoe'er our sowing be,

Reaping, we its fruits must see.

54

Why fear for thy Brother?

WHY FEAR FOR THY BROTHER?

"Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

"Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee? Follow thou me."-John xxi. 21, 22.

Why fear for thy brother?

Thy work and none other

Is pressing upon thee to-day;
Ere thou seek to conduct him,

To guide or instruct him,

Be sure thou knowest the way.

Thou but poorly discernest

How deep and how earnest

His love for his Saviour and Lord;

The founts of his feeling

Await their unsealing,

Not alone in the fulness of words.

The path he is treading
Unseen, may be leading

Why fear for thy Brother?

55

Through fresh fields of favour divine;
His eye may be clearer,
His feet

may

be nearer The city celestial, than thine.

Ah ! little thou knowest
How largely thou owest

The stature to which thou hast grown,
To his hushed prayers ascending
And fervently blending

With thine, at the heavenly throne.

Though he labour obscurely,
If singly and purely

He strive but to honour his Lord,
His burden shall lighten,
His pathway shall brighten,

In the smile of his Master's reward.

Thy work is before thee,
Soon, soon shall come o'er thee,

The gathering shades of the night.
Art thou willing and ready ?
Thy hand strong and steady?

Thine armour all burnished and bright ?

56

Rock of Ages.

ROCK OF AGES.

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,”

Thoughtlessly the maiden sang;
Fell the words unconsciously

From her girlish, gleeful tongue.
Sung as little children sing,

Fell the words like light leaves down
On the current of the tune :

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee."

“Let me hide myself in Thee;'

Felt her soul no need to hide !
Sweet the song as song could be

And she thought of nought beside.
All the words unheedingly

Fell from lips untouched by care,
Dreaming not that each might be

On some other lips, a prayer

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.”

“Rock of Ages cleft for me”'Twas a woman sang

them

now; Rose the song as storm tossed bird

Beats with weary wings the air, Every note with sorrow stirred

Every syllable a prayer“ Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee."

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me”—

Lips grown aged sang the hymn Trustingly and tenderly

Voice grown weak and eyes grown dim; “Let me hide myself in Thee,”

Trembling though the voice and low, Ran the sweet strain peacefully,

Like a river in its flow. Sung as only they can sing

Who behold the promised restSung as only they can sing

Who life's thorny path have pressed : “Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee."