They, while they seem to roam,

Draw daily nearer home,
Their heart untravelld still adores the King of kings.

Or, if at home they stay,

Yet are they, day by day,
In spirit journeying through the glorious land,

Not for light Fancy's reed,

Nor Honour's purple meed,
Nor gifted Prophet's lore, nor Science' wondrous wand.

But more than Prophet, more

Than Angels can adore
With face unveil'd; is He they go to seek:

Blessed be God, whose grace

Shews him in every place
To homeliest hearts of pilgrims pure and meek.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

The

eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. Isaiah xxxii. 3.

OF the bright things in earth and air

How little can the heart embrace !
Soft shades and gleaming lights are there-

I know it well, but cannot trace.

Mine eye unworthy seems to read

One page of Nature's beauteous book ; It lies before me, fair outspread

I only cast a wishful look.

I cannot paint to Memory's eye

The scene, the glance, I dearest loveUnchang'd themselves, in me they die,

Or faint, or false, their shadows prove.

In vain, with dull and tuneless ear,

I linger by soft Music's cell,

And in my heart of hearts would hear

What to her own she deigns to tell.

'Tis misty all, both sight and sound

I only know 'tis fair and sweet'Tis wandering on enchanted ground

With dizzy brow and tottering feet.

But patience ! there may come a time

When these dull ears shall scan atight Strains, that outring Earth's drowsy chime,

As Heaven outshines the taper's light.

These eyes,

that dazzled now and weak, At glancing motes in sunshine wink, Shall see the King's' full glory break,

Nor from the blissful vision shrink :

In fearless love and hope uncloy'd

For ever on that ocean bright Empower'd to gaze; and undestroy'd,

Deeper and deeper plunge in light.

i

Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off. Isaiah xxxiii. 17.

Though scarcely now their laggard glance

Reach to an arrow's flight, that day They shall behold, and not in trance, The region"

very far away.”

If Memory sometimes at our spell

Refuse to speak, or speak amiss, We shall not need her where we dwell

Ever in sight of all our bliss.

Meanwhile, if over sea or sky

Some tender lights unnotic'd fleet, Or on lov'd features dawn and die,

Unread, to us, their lesson sweet;

Yet are there saddening sights around,

Which Heaven, in mercy, spares us too, And we see far in holy ground,

If duly purg'd our mental view.

The distant landscape draws not nigh

For all our gazing ; but the soul, That upward looks, may still descry

Nearer, each day, the brightening goal.

And thou, too curious ear, that fain

Wouldst thread the maze of Harmony, Content thee with one simple strain,

The lowlier, sure, the worthier thee;

Till thou art duly trained, and taught

The concord sweet of Love divine Then, with that inward Music fraught,

For ever rise, and sing, and shine.

CHRISTMAS DAY.

And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God. St. Luke ii. 13.

WHAT sudden blaze of song

Spreads o'er th' expanse of Heav’n ?
In waves of light it thrills along,

Th' angelic signal given-
Glory to God !" from yonder central fire
Flows out the echoing lay beyond the starry quire;