Come, labour on! No time for rest, till glows the western sky, Come, labour on! The toil is pleasant, the reward is sure, BORTHWICK. FAITH. His promises surpass my thought, In unbelief I stagger not, For God hath spoke the word. Faith lends her realising light, Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees And looks to that alone, Laughs at impossibilities, And whispers, “It is done.” THE BEAUTIES OF CREATION. I PRAISED the earth, in beauty seen, I praised the sun, whose chariot rolled O God! how good, beyond compare ! Where Thy redeemed shall dwell with Thee! HEBER. GOD hath created nights As well as days to deck the varied globe; "ALL!" A NEW YEAR'S THOUGHT. GOD's reiterated" ALL," O wondrous word of peace and power! Each unknown day, each hidden hour, Only all His word believe, All peace and joy your heart shall fill, "All I have is thine," saith He! "All things are yours," He saith again! All the promises for thee Are sealed with Jesus Christ's Amen, For the coming year. He shall all your need supply, And He will make all grace abound; Always all-sufficiency In Him for all things shall be found Through the coming year. All His work He shall fulfil, All the good pleasure of His will, Keeping thee in all thy ways, And with thee always, all the days Of the coming year. FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL. B IMPERFECT. BROKEN Sunlight! shadows in its train ; Silenced where a sudden hush breaks in! Broken hopes, built up so high, so high, Broken paths, where hands may clasp no more; Broken smiles, on which the tear-drops fall; Broken prayers! O Father, dost Thou hear Broken life! poor, vain, imperfect thing; Weary heart, if thou art Christ's, be strong; EVANGEline. SWINGING from its great arms, the trumpet-flower and the grape-vine Hung their ladder of ropes aloft like the ladder of Jacob, On whose pendulous stairs the angels ascending, descending, Were the swift humming-birds, that flitted from blossom to blossom. Such was the vision Evangeline saw as she slumbered beneath it. Filled was her heart with love, and the dawn of an opening heaven Lighted her soul in sleep with the glory of regions celestial. LONGFELLOW. |