THE NUN.

WHY, lovely maid, thus waste thy blooming prime,

Of earth regardless, and the things of Time ?
Thou may'st become an inmate of the skies,
Without dissolving Nature's tender ties ;

The gracious Power who rules o'er heaven and earth

Is not the foe of youthful, harmless mirth;
And though He bids thee think on things above,
Forbids thee not to own an earthly love;
All sentient creatures happy are and gay,
In the mild morning of life's little day,
And seldom scorn to bless the cheerful light,
Thro' apprehensions of the coming night;
Though Christ demands an undivided heart,
Yet kindred beings claim an inferior part;
Thus heavenly objects may thy thoughts employ,
In harmony with Friendship, Love, and Joy.

THE BIBLE.

PAGE of life, of light, and truth,
Prop to age, and guide of youth,
Let me now thy leaves unfold,
Precious more than gems or gold,
Read, and feel thy hallowed strain,
Immortality to gain.

THE DEPARTURE OF SUMMER,

THE glory of summer

Is faded and fled,

The wreaths that adorn'd her

Are dying, or dead;

The autumn is coming,
And, strong in its blast,

Will open for winter
A passage at last.

Oh! how to my spirit

It seemeth to say,

Thus too is thy summer

Fast fading away;

And the things that thou lovest,
Though beautiful now,

And the friends thou hast chosen
Are fragile as thou.

Dost thou covet a summer

More certain of bliss P

Go, seek thee a country
Far brighter than this;
Where joys thou hast lost

Thou shalt never deplore,

Where the friends thou hast chosen

Shall leave thee no more!

A MOTHER'S LOVE.

A MOTHER's love-how sweet the name!-
What is a mother's love ?

A noble, pure, and tender flame,
Enkindled from above,

To bless a heart of earthly mould;
Love that through life can ne'er grow cold;
This is a mother's love.

A parent's heart may prove a snare;
The child she loves so well,

Her hand may lead, with erring care,
Down the broad road to hell:
Nourish the frame destroy the mind;
Thus do the blind mislead the blind,
E'en with a mother's love.

Blest infant, whom his mother taught,
Early to seek the Lord,

And poured upon his dawning thoughts,
The day-spring of the word;
This was the lesson to her son-
"Time is eternity begun :"

Behold that mother's love.

J. MONTGOMERY.

BONDAGE OF ISRAEL.

Judges vi.

OH! Israel dark was the doom of thy nation, When the spoilers of Midian prevail'd o'er thy

pride,

When thy children were scattered in wide desola

tion,

And forced in the dens and mountains to hide.

They cried to the Lord to withdraw his just sen

tence:

He heard them and soon at his bidding, arose A prophet, to bring their hard hearts to repentance; A champion to humble the might of their foes.

No outward destroyers our land are oppressing: But, alas! we have foes who assault from

within

How many, perchance, whom I now am address

ing,

Have struggled for years in the bondage of sin!

Ye are driven by sin from your homes of calm quiet, Ye fly to the world, poor impoverished slaves; Yet degraded ye sigh in its scenes of wild riot, As desolate Israel mourn'd in her caves,

Thus sunk in the thraldom of shame and dejection, To whom can ye turn? to the Lord will ye plead ?

Will he send you a prophet to give you direction? Will he send you a Gideon to help you in need?

Ye need not a prophet to tell of your errors;

The fearless, firm preachers of God's holy word Have dwelt to you oft on his love and his terrors— But the message was slighted, the warning unheard.

THE SINNER'S FRIEND.

THOU Friend of sinners! who hast bought
Our freedom with thy precious blood;
Whose grace my wandering feet hath sought,
To bring me to the fold of God;

My sins forgive, my fears remove,
And fill my heart with grateful love.

Thee, let my ardent soul pursue;

To Thee with fervent love aspire ;
Oh may thy spirit still renew

Within my heart that heavenly fire;
And ever prompt my jealous care
To guard the sacred treasure there.

In suffering, be thy love my peace;

In weakness, be thy love my power;
And when this mortal life shall cease,
Bless with thy love my dying hour:
Point me to realms of endless day,
And wipe the latest tear away.