Like souls wherein the hidden strength
Of their new-birth is waked at length,
When, robed in holiness, they tell
What might did in those waters dwell.

Lord, o'er the waters of my soul
The word of power be said;
Its thoughts and passions bid Thou roll
Each in its channell'd bed ;
Till that in peaceful order flowing,
They time their glad obedient going
To Thy commands, whose voice to-day
Bade the tumultuous floods obey.

For restless as the moaning sea,
The wild and wayward will
From side to side is wearily
Changing and tossing still;

But sway'd by Thee, 'tis like the river
That down its green banks flows for ever,
And, calm and constant, tells to all
The blessedness of such sweet thrall.

Then in my heart, Spirit of Might,
Awake the life within,

And bid a spring-tide, calm and bright,

Of holiness begin :

So let it lie with Heaven's grace

Full shining on its quiet face,

Like the young Earth in peace profound, Amid th' assuagèd waters round.

H

To correct and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your Heavenly Father.

AFFLICTION.

Henry Vaughan.

EACE, peace; It is not so.

PEACE,

call

Thou dost mis

Thy Physick; Pills that change

Thy sick Accessions into settled health; This is the great Elixir that turns gall

To wine and sweetness, Poverty to wealth,

And brings man home, when he doth range.
Did not He, who ordain'd the day,

Ordain night too?

And in the greater world display

What in the lesser He would do?

All flesh is Clay, thou know'st; and but that God
Doth use His rod,

And by a fruitful Change of frosts and showres
Cherish and bind thy pow'rs,

Thou wouldst to weeds and thistles quite disperse,
And be more wild than is thy verse.
Sickness is wholesome, Crosses are but curbs
To check the mule, unruly man ;

They are heaven's husbandry, the famous fan,
Purging the floor which Chaff disturbs.
Were all the year one constant Sun-shine, wee
Should have no flowres ;

All would be drought and leanness; not a tree
Would make us bowres.

Beauty consists in colours; and that's best
Which is not fixt, but flies and flowes.
The settled Red is dull, and whites that rest
Something of sickness would disclose.
Vicissitude plaies all the game;
Nothing that stirrs,

Or hath a name,

But waits upon this wheel;

Kingdomes too have their Physick, and for steel Exchange their peace and furrs.

Thus doth God Key disorder'd man,

which none else can,

Tuning his brest to rise or fall;
And by a sacred, needfull art,
Like strings, stretch ev'ry part,

Making the whole most Musicall.

Render unto Him humble thanks for His fatherly visitation, submitting yourself wholly unto His Will.

THE LENT JEWELS.

A JEWISH TALE.

Elegiac Poems.

N schools of wisdom all the day was spent :

IN

His steps at eve the Rabbi homeward bent, With homeward thoughts which dwelt upon the

wife

And two fair children who consoled his life.

She, meeting at the threshold, led him in,
And with these words, preventing, did begin :
"Ever rejoicing at your wished return,

Yet do I most so now: for since this morn
I have been much perplexed and sorely tried
Upon one point, which you shall now decide.
Some years ago, a friend into my care
Some jewels gave, rich, precious gems they were;
But having given them in my charge, this friend
Did afterward nor come for them, nor send,
But left them in my keeping for so long,
That now it almost seems to me a wrong
That he should suddenly arrive to-day,
To take those jewels, which he left, away.
What think you? Shall I freely yield them back,
And with no murmuring ?—so henceforth to lack
Those gems myself, which I had learned to see
Almost as mine for ever, mine in fee."

"What question can be here?—Your own true heart

Must needs advise you of the only part.

That may be claimed again which was but lent,
And should be yielded with no discontent:
Nor surely can we find herein a wrong,

That it was left us to enjoy it long."

"Good is the word," she answered; "may we

now

And evermore that it is good allow!"

And rising, to an inner chamber led,

And there she showed him, stretched upon one

bed,

Two children pale,—and he the jewels knew,
Which God had lent him and resumed anew.

Render unto Him humble thanks for His fatherly
visitation.

COUPLETS.

R. C. Trench.

G

UEST in a ruinous hut, thou loathest to depart :

Were thine a finer house, 'twould prove a bitterer

smart.

God's dealings still are love-His chastenings are alone

Love now compelled to take an altered louder tone.

When thou hast thanked thy God for every blessing

sent,

What time will then remain for murmurs or lament?

Their windows and their doors some close-and murmuring say,

The light of heaven ne'er sought into my house a

way.