That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need
Either man's work or His own gifts; who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best; His
state

Is kingly; thousands at His bidding speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.’

HAIL, HOLY LIGHT.

From "Paradise Lost," Book III.

Hail, holy Light, offspring of Heaven first-born! Or of the Eternal coëternal beam,

May I express thee unblamed? since God is light,
And never but in unapproached light

Dwelt from eternity-dwelt then in thee,
Bright effluence of bright essence increate!
Or hear'st thou rather pure ethereal stream,
Whose fountain who shall tell? Before the Sun,
Before the heavens thou wert, and at the voice
Of God, as with a mantle, didst invest
The rising world of waters dark and deep,
Won from the void and formless Infinite !

*

*

For wonderful indeed are all His works.
Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all
Had in remembrance always with delight!
But what created mind can comprehend

Their number, or the wisdom infinite

That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep?

I saw when at His word the formless mass,
This world's material mould, came to a heap :
Confusion heard His voice, and wild uproar
Stood ruled, stood vast Infinitude confined;
Till, at His second bidding, darkness fled,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.

Robert Leighton.

1611-1684.

DUTY.

I reach a duty, yet I do it not,

And therefore see no higher; but, if done, My view is brighten'd and another spot Seen on my moral sun.

For, be the duty high as angels' flight,
Fulfil it, and a higher will arise,
E'en from its ashes. Duty is infinite—
Receding as the skies.

And thus it is, the purest most deplore

Their want of purity. As fold by fold, In duties done, falls from their eyes, the more Of Duty they behold.

Were it not wisdom, then, to close our eyes
On duties crowding only to appall?
No; Duty is our ladder to the skies,
And, climbing not, we fall.

Henry Vaughan.

1621-1695.

THE RAINBOW.

Still young and fine, but what is still in view
We slight as old and soil'd, though fresh and

new.

How bright wert thou, when Shem's admiring

eye

Thy burnish'd, flaming arch did first descry!
When Terah, Nahor, Haran, Abram, Lot,
The youthful world's gray fathers, in one knot
Did with intentive looks watch every hour
For thy new light, and trembled at each shower!
When thou dost shine, darkness looks white and
fair,

Forms turn to music, clouds to smiles and air :
Rain gently spends his honey-drops, and pours
Balm on the cleft earth, milk on grass and
flowers.

Bright pledge of peace and sunshine! the sure

Of thy Lord's hand, the object of His eye!
When I behold thee, though my light be dim,
Distinct and low, I can in thine see Him,
Who looks upon thee from His glorious throne,
And minds the covenant betwixt all and One.

Richard Barter.

1615-1691.

RESIGNATION.

Lord, it belongs not to my care,
Whether I die or live :

To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give.
If life be long, I will be glad,
That I may long obey;

If short, yet why should I be sad
To soar to endless day?

Christ leads me through no darker rooms

Than He went through before;

He that into God's kingdom comes

Must enter by His door.

Come, Lord, when grace has made me meet

Thy blessed face to see ;

For if Thy work on earth be sweet,

What will Thy glory be?

Then shall I end my sad complaints,
And weary, sinful days;

And join with the triumphant saints
That sing Jehovah's praise.
My knowledge of that life is small,
The eye of faith is dim ;

But 't is enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with Him.

Thomas Ellwood.

1639-1713.

PRAYER.

Unto the glory of Thy Holy Name,

Eternal God! whom I both love and fear,

Here bear I witness that I never came

Before Thy throne and found Thee loath to hear,

But, ever ready with an open ear.

And though sometimes Thou seem'st Thy face to hide,

As one that hath his love withdrawn from me, 'T is that my faith may to the full be tried, And I thereby may only better see

How weak I am when not upheld by Thee.

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