205

Psalm lxiii. 6.

P.M.

1—In the still silence of the voiceless night, When, chased by airy dreams, the slumbers

flee,

Whom in the darkness doth my spirit seek,
O God, but Thee?

2—And if there be a weight upon my breast,
Some vague impression of the day foregone,
Scarce knowing what it is, I fly to Thee,
And lay it down.

3-Or if it be the heaviness that comes
In token of anticipated ill,

My bosom takes no heed of what it is,
Since 'tis Thy will.

4-Often in spite of present care,
Or anything beside, how joyfully
Passes that almost solitary hour,
My God, with Thee!

5-For what is there on earth that I desire,
Of all that it can give or take from me,
Or whom in heaven doth my spirit seek,
O God, but Thee?

206

Psalm lxix. 18.

1-Come nearer, nearer still;

Let not Thy light depart ;
Bend, break this stubborn will,
Dissolve this iron heart.

2-Less wayward let me be,
More pliable and mild,

In glad simplicity,

More like a truthful child.

3-Less, less of self each day,

And more, my God, of Thee ;—
O keep me in the way,

However rough it be.

4-Less of the flesh each day,

Less of the world and sin;

More of Thy Son, I pray,
More of Thyself within.

5-Riper and riper now,

Each hour let me become,
Less fond of things below,

More fit for such a home.

6-More moulded to Thy will,

Lord, let Thy servant be,
Higher and higher still,

Liker and liker Thee.

P.M.

7-Leave nought that is unmeet;
Of all that is mine own,

Strip me; and so complete
My training for Thy throne.

H. BONAR.

207

Psalm cxlviii. 2.

1-Ye angels, who stand round the throne,
And view my Immanuel's face,
In rapturous songs make Him known,
Tune, tune your soft harps to His praise.
He formed you, the spirits ye are,

So happy, so noble, so good;
When others sunk down to despair,
Confirmed by His power ye stood.

2-Ye saints, who stand nearer than they, And cast your bright crowns at His feet, His grace and His glory display ;

Oh tell of His love as is meet.

He saved you from hell and the

graveHe ransomed from death and despair, you He was mighty to save, Almighty to bring you safe there.

For

8.

3-Oh! when will the period appear,
When I shall unite in your song
I'm weary of lingering here;

And I to your Saviour belong.
I'm fettered and chained up in clay,
I struggle and pant to be free;
I long to be soaring away,

My God and my Saviour to see!

4-I want to put on my attire,

?

Wash'd white in the blood of the Lamb;
I want to be one of your choir,

And tune my sweet harp to His name.
I want, oh! I want to be there,
Where sorrow and sin bid adieu,
Your joy and your friendship to share,
To wonder and worship with you!

208

1 John iii. 2.

P.M.

1-What shall we be, and whither shall we go,

When the last conflict of our life is o'er,

And we return from wandering to and fro, To our dear home thro' heaven's eternal door?

When we shake off the last dust from our

feet,

When we wipe off the last drop from our

brow,

And our departed friends once more shall greet,―

The hope which cheers and comforts us below!

2-What shall we be, when we ourselves shall

see

Bathed in the flood of everlasting light, And from all guilt and sin entirely free, Stand pure and blameless in our Maker's sight?

No longer from His holy presence driven,
Conscious of guilt and stung with inward
pain,

But friends of God and citizens of heaven,
To join the ranks of His celestial train !

3-What shall we be, when we drink in the sound

Of heavenly music from the spheres above, When golden harps to listening hosts around

Declare the wonders of redeeming love?