IMMANUEL'S LAND.

61

XVI.

I shall sleep sound in Jesus,
Filled with His likeness rise,
To live and to adore Him.

To see Him with these eyes:
"Tween me and resurrection
But Paradise doth stand;
Then-then for glory dwelling
In Immanuel's land.

XVII.

The bride eyes not her garments,
But her dear bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory,

But on my King of Grace-
Not at the crown He giveth,
But on His piercéd hand :
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel's land.

XVIII.

I nave borne scorn and hatred,

I have borne wrong and shame
Earth's proud ones have reproached me,
For Christ's thrice blesséd name:
Where God's seal set the fairest,

They've stamped their foulest brand;
But judgment shines like noon day
In Immanuel's land.

62

SURELY I COME QUICKLY.

O'

SURELY I COME QUICKLY

'ER the distant mountains breaking, Comes the reddening dawn of day. Rise, my soul, from sleep awaking, Rise and sing, and watch, and pray, 'Tis thy Saviour,

On His bright returning way.

O Thou long-expected, weary
Waits my anxious soul for Thee'
Life is dark, and earth is dreary,
Where Thy light I do not see.
O my Saviour,

When wilt Thou return to me!

Long, too long, in sin and sadness,
Far away from Thee I pine;
When, oh, when shall I the gladness
Of Thy Spirit feel in mine!
O my Saviour,

When shall I be wholly Thine !

Heaven is my soul's salvation;

Spent the night the lay at hand;

Keep me in my lowly station,
Watching for Thee, till I stand,
O my Saviour,

In Tby bright and promised land!

With my lamp well trimmed and burning
Swift to hear, and slow to roam,
Watching for Thy glad returning,
To restore me to my home,

Come, my Saviour

O my Saviour, quickly come !

66 HE GOETH BEFORE THEM."

HE winds blow fierce across the barren wild,

THE

The storm-clouds gather darkly on our way; "Tis cold! But, oh, that loving face and mild,

Which goes before! there first the shadows stay And tempests reach Him first, our Shepherd there What He endures shall we complain to bear?

The night comes on-'tis dark! the stars are dim
We cannot see the way! But, oh, that form
Which goes before the night comes first to Him
And darkness first is His, as was the storm!
Shall we shrink back, or tremble to go on,
Where He, our Shepherd, first for us hath gone?

The way is rough, and wearying steeps arise;

And thorns are there to wound our aching feet But, oh, those sacred footsteps, firm and wise,

Which go before! they first the roughness meet

64

“HE GOETH BEFORE THEM.”

Ard briers reach them first' Oh, shall we dread To bear His cross-to walk where He hath led t

The stream is reached;-the river dark and cold
The waves are high! But, oh, that mighty One
Who goes before !—the billows o'er Him rolled;
He crossed the waters first, and shall we shun
The final anguish which our Shepherd bore?
His hand shall guide us to the other shore!

He goes before! And so we may not look
Backward at all, but onward evermore;
Keeping in sight the blessed path He took,

Patient to bear each cross He meekly bore,
Trusting His wisdom in the darkest hour;
O'ercoming every trial through His power!

He goes before! a shield against the storm:
A shadow in the noon-day,-lights at night;
In danger's hour, there is the Shepherd's form
But just beyond; though fears may dim our
sight,

Oh, earthly flock, fear not forevermore !

Where'er we walk, our Shepherd "goes before."

0

HIS NAME

WONDERFUL! round whose birth-hour

Prophetic song, miraculous power,

Cluster and hum, like star and flower.

Those marvelous rays that at Thy will,
From the closed Heaven which is so chill.
So passionless, stream'd round Thee still.

Are but as broken gleams that start,
O Light of lights, from Thy deep heart,
Thyself, Thyself, the Wonder art!

O Counselor! four thousand years,
One question, tremulous with tears,
One awful question, vexed our peers.

They ask'd the vault, but no one spoke ;
They ask'd the depth, no answer woke ;
They ask'd their hearts, that only broke.

They look'd, and sometimes on the height
Far off they saw a haze of white,
That was a storm, but look'd like light.

The secret of the years is read,

The' enigma of the quick and dead
By the child-voice interpreted.