THE LAND WHICH NO MORTAL MAY

KNOW.

THOUGH earth has full many a beautiful spot,
As a poet or painter might show ;

Yet more lovely and beautiful, holy, and bright, To the hopes of the heart, and the spirit's glad sight,

Is the land which no mortal may know.

There the water of life bursting forth from the throne,

Flows on, and for ever will flow:

Its waves, as they roll, are with melody rife, And its waters are sparkling, with beauty and 1

In the land which no mortal may know.

Oh! who but must pine in this dark vale of tears, From its clouds and its shadows to go,

To walk in the light of the glory above,

And to share in the peace, and the joy, and the love,

Of the land which no mortal may know.

BARTON.

CHRISTIAN UNITY.

THE kindred links of life are bright,
Yet not so bright as those

In which Christ's favoured friends unite,
And each on each repose;

Where all their hearts in union cling,
With him their centre and their spring

THE WORM.

TURN, turn thy hasty foot aside,
Nor crush that helpless worm:
The frame thy wayward looks deride,
Required a God to form.

The common Lord of all that move,
From whom thy being flowed,
A portion of his boundless love
On that poor worm bestowed.

The sun, the moon, the stars He made,
To all his creatures free;

And spreads o'er earth the grassy blade,
For worms as well as thee.

Let them enjoy their little day
Their lowly bliss receive;

Oh! do not lightly take away
The life thou can'st not give.

GISBORNE.

GOD IS LOVE.

GOD is love-his mercy brightens
All the way in which we move;
Bliss he forms, and woe he lightens,
God is light, and God is love.

E'en the hour that darkest seemeth,
Shall his ceaseless goodness prove:
Through the mist his glory streameth,
Godi s light, and God is love.

THE MEMORY OF THE PAST.

He was one whose open face

Did his inmost heart reveal;
One who wore, with meekest grace,

On his forehead heaven's broad seal.

Kindness all his looks expressed,
Charity was every word;

Him the eye beheld and blessed;
And the ear rejoiced that heard.

Wealth, which prodigals had deemed Worth the soul's uncounted cost; Wealth, which misers had esteemed Cheap, though heaven itself were lost;

This with an unsparing hand,
To the poorest child of need,
This he threw around the land,
Like the sower's precious seed.

As the earth puts forth her flowers,
Heavenward breathing from below;
As the clouds descend in showers,
When the southern breezes blow;

Thus his renovated mind,

Warm with pure celestial love, Shed its influence on mankind, While its hopes aspired above.

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Full of faith, at length he died,
And, victorious in the race,
Won the crown for which he vied,
Not of merit, but of grace.

J. MONTGOMERY.

THE POWER OF THE GRAVE.

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave."— Hosea xiv. 14.

"EARTH to earth, and dust to dust!"
Here the evil and the just,

Here the youthful and the old,
Here the fearful and the bold,
Here the matron and the maid,
In one silent bed are laid;
Here the warrior and the king
Side by side lie withering;
Glory but a broken bust,

"Earth to earth, and dust to dust."

But a day is coming fast,

Earth, thy mightiest and thy last;
All shall see the judgment sign,
On the clouds the Lord shall shine:
Then shall dawn immortal day,
Death and sin no more have sway;
Angel myriads on the wing,
Earth upgazing on its King;
Earth enshrined in living light,
Heaven revealed to mortal sight.

CROLY.

THE SUNFLOWER.

EAGLE of flowers! I see thee stand,
And on the sun's noon-glory gaze;
With eye like his, thy lids expand,

And fringe their disk with golden rays:
Though fixed on earth, in darkness rooted there,
Light is thine element, thy dwelling air,
Thy prospect heaven.

So would mine eagle-soul descry

Beyond the path where planets run,

The light of immortality,

The splendour of creation's sun;

Though sprung from earth, and hastening to the

tomb,

I hope a flower of paradise to bloom,

I look to heaven.

J. MONTGOMERY.

THE DUMB CURED.

His eyes uplifted, and his hands close clasped,
The dumb man, with a supplicating look,
Turned as the Lord passed by: JESUS beheld,
And on him bent a pitying look, and spake;
His moving lips are by the suppliant seen,
And the last accents of the healing sentence
Ring in that ear which never heard before.
Prostrate the man restored falls to the earth,
And uses first the gift, the gift sublime,
Of speech, in giving thanks to Him whose voice
Was never uttered but in doing good.
GRAHAME.