Chapter IV: Part 4

Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain _bread_ from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.--Exodus, xvi. 4.

Man doth not live by _bread_ only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.--Deuteronomy, viii. 3.

_Bread_ which strengtheneth man’s heart.--Psalm civ. 15.

Cast thy _bread_ upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.--Ecclesiastes, xi. 1.

He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: _bread_ shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.--Isaiah, xxxiii. 15, 16.

Give us this day our daily _bread_.--Matthew, vi. 11.

The _bread_ of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.--John, vi. 33.

O King of earth, and air, and sea!
The hungry ravens cry to thee;
To thee the scaly tribes that sweep
The bosom of the boundless deep.

Thy bounteous hand with food can bless
The bleak and lonely wilderness;
And thou has taught us, Lord, to pray
For daily _bread_ from day to day.

And O, when through the wilds we roam,
That part us from our heavenly home;
When lost in danger, want, and woe,
Our faithless tears begin to flow;

Do thou thy gracious comfort give,
By which alone the soul may live;
And grant thy servants, Lord, we pray,
The _bread_ of life, from day to day.
_Heber._

_Bread_ of Heaven! on thee I feed,
For thy flesh is meat indeed.
Ever may my soul be fed
With this true and living _bread_;
Day by day with strength supplied,
Through the life of Him who died.
_Conder._

“Give us our daily _bread_,”--and was that prayer
Unanswered from high Heav’n’s eternal dome?
No, poor man, no!--its music entered there,
And blessings dropp’d upon our earthly home:
Let thy sad eye look round thee everywhere,
When the rich showers or golden sunbeams come,
And plenty greets thee from the teeming sod--
The fruit that blossoms from the hand of God?

“Give us our daily _bread_;” Heaven whispers, “Yes.”
“Give us our daily _bread_;” Earth mutters, “No,”
And mocks the weepings of her sons’ distress:
Bright hours of change are coming, sure though slow,
When pride, and want, and error shall be less,
And more of Heaven be registered below;
Even now the half of Slavery’s flag is furled,
And Thought’s free sunshine circles the wide world.
_Burrington._

Kill not the flower that feeds the useful bee,
For more than beauteous is that sweet flower’s blush;
’Tis toil’s reward that sweetens industry,
As love inspires with strength th’ enraptured thrush.

To fall’n humanity our Father said,
That food and bliss should not be found unsought:
That man should labour for his daily _bread_;
But not that man should toil and sweat for nought.

Not that the best should live a living death,
To give the worst a beastly sense of life;
And waste in servitude their fleeting breath,
Weeping with care and want a hopeless strife.
_E. Elliott._

Father in heaven! thy sacred name
In hallowed strains be sung!
Thy kingdom spread o’er all the earth;
Thy praise fill every tongue.

By happy spirits round thy throne,
As thy commands are done;
So be thy perfect will obeyed
By all beneath the sun.

Our numerous wants are known to thee,
Who canst alone supply;
O grant each day our daily _bread_,
Nor other good deny.
_Hancox._

BREAK--BREAKING.

Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; though thou hast sore _broken_ us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.--Psalm xliv. 18, 19.

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth the _broken_ in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.--Psalm cxlvii. 2, 3.

The Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the _broken_-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.--Isaiah, lxi. 1.

A bruised reed shall he not _break_.--Isaiah, xlii. 3.

For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a _breaker_ of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.--Romans, ii. 25.

O many
Have _broke_ their backs with laying manors on ’em
For this great journey.
_Shakspere._

Virtues like these
Make human nature shine, reform the soul,
And _break_ our fierce barbarians into men.
_Addison._

Unhappy man, to _break_ the pious laws
Of nature, pleading in his children’s cause.
_Dryden._

Almighty Power, by whose most wise command,
Helpless, forlorn, uncertain, here I stand;
Take this faint glimmering of thyself away,
And _break_ into my soul with perfect day!
_Arbuthnot._

See Heaven its sparkling portals wide display,
And _break_ upon thee in a flood of day.
_Pope._

Not streaming blood, nor purging fire,
Thy righteous anger can appease;
Burnt-offerings thou dost not require,
Or gladly I would render these.

The _broken_ heart in sacrifice,
Alone may thine acceptance meet;
My heart, O God, do not despise,
_Broken_ and contrite, at thy feet.
_J. Montgomery._

BREATH--BREATHING.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the _breath_ of his nostrils are they consumed.--Job, iv. 9.

Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their _breath_, they die, and return to their dust.--Psalm civ. 29.

Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire.

And his _breath_, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck.--Isaiah, xxx. 27, 28.

Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my _breathing_, at my cry.--Lamentations, iii. 56.

Since I in storms most used to be,
And seldom yielded flowers,
How shall I get a wreath for thee
From those rude barren hours?
The softer dressings of the spring,
Or summer’s later store,
I will not for thy temples bring,
Which thorns, not roses, wore:
But a twined wreath of grief and praise,
Praise soiled with tears, and tears again
Shining with joy, like dewy days,
This day I bring for all thy pain,
Thy causeless pain; and as sad death,
Which sadness breeds in the most vain,
O not in vain; now beg thy _breath_,
Thy quick’ning _breath_, which gladly bears
Through saddest clouds to that glad place
Where cloudless quires sing without tears,
Sing thy just praise, and see thy face.
_Henry Vaughan._

As those we love decay, we die in part,
String after string is severed from the heart;
Till loosened life, at last, but _breathing_ clay,
Without one pang is glad to fall away.
Unhappy he who latest feels the blow,
Whose eyes have wept o’er every friend, laid low,
Dragged lingering on, from partial death to death,
Till, dying, all he can resign is _breath_.
_Thomson._

BRIGHTNESS.

Through the _brightness_ before him were coals of fire kindled.--II. Samuel, xxii. 13.

God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his _brightness_ was as the light.--Habakkuk, iii. 3, 4.

Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the _brightness_ of his coming.--II. Thessalonians, ii. 8.

Impotent words, weak lines, that strive in vain,
In vain, alas! to tell so heavenly sight!
So heavenly sight as none can greater feign,
Feign what he can, that seems of greatest might:
Could any yet compare with Infinite?
Infinite sure these joys; my words but light:
Light is the palace where she dwells--O then how _bright_!
_Giles Fletcher._

Through a cloud,
Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine,
Dark with excessive _bright_ thy skirts appear.
_Milton._

Hope elevates, and joy
_Brightens_ his crest.
_Milton._

High in yonder realms of light,
Far above these lower skies,
Fair and exquisitely _bright_,
Heaven’s unfading mansions rise.

Built of pure and massy gold,
Strong and durable are they;
Deck’d with gems of worth untold,
Subjected to no decay.
_Raffles._

My Father’s house on high,
Home of my soul, how near
At times, to faith’s foreseeing eye,
Thy golden gates appear!

Ah! then my spirit faints
To reach the land I love,
The _bright_ inheritance of saints,
Jerusalem above.
_J. Montgomery._

BROTHERHOOD.

Thou shalt not hate thy _brother_ in thine heart.--Leviticus, xix. 17.

If thy _brother_ be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his _brother_ sold.--Leviticus, xxv. 25.

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy _brethren_ within any of thy gates, in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor _brother_: but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.--Deuteronomy, xv. 7, 8.

If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy _brother_ hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy _brother_, and then come and offer thy gift.--Matthew, v. 23, 24.

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my _brother_ sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.--Matthew, xviii. 21, 22.

Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth nor his _brother_.--I. John, iii. 10.

Come, Christian _brethren_, ere we part,
Join every voice and every heart,
Our solemn hymn to God we raise
Our final song of grateful praise.

Christians we here may meet no more,
But there is yet a happier shore;
And there, released from toil and pain,
_Brethren_, we all shall meet again.
_H. Kirke White._

Even now a radiant angel goeth forth,
A spirit that hath healing in its wings--
And flyeth east and west, and south and north,
To do the bidding of the King of Kings;
Stirring men’s hearts to compass better things,
And teaching _Brotherhood_ as that sweet source,
Which holdeth in itself all blessed springs;
And showeth how to guide its silver course,
When it shall flood the world with deep exulting force.
_Mrs. Norton._

A _brother’s_ grave oft leads the soul
Up to a _brother’s_ joys;
Joys which ne’er yield to time’s controul,
Beyond the jewelled skies.
_W. J. Brock._

Oh, if the thought be beautiful, if it be wise and kind,
To weave the bond of _brotherhood_, the whole wide world to bind;
And if to sheathe the murderous sword be called a holy deed,
Let all the praise be given to Thee, from whom all such proceed!
Hail, manifested Saviour King! _Brother_ of every man!
Of the poor negro in his chains, the roving mountain clan;
Redeemer of the forest child, and of the fettered slave;
Lover of every human soul, in city, waste, or wave.
_Emma Tatham._

Give me thy hand, _brother_--give me thy hand,
But not as our fathers did, dropping with gore;
Dash down the gauntlet, and shiver the brand,
But not in the fashion they did so of yore;
Throw away war’s array,--come let us prove
Which has the heart that is strongest in love.

Dost thou come from Columbia, afar o’er the deep,
Where the forest its requiem sings in the storm;
Where the bison and elk o’er the broad prairie sweep,
And the hero of labour has conquered a farm?
Ah, then come away, as a _brother_ should come,
For our fathers had birth in the same island home.
_J. B. Syme._

Oh! never let us lightly fling
The barb of woe to wound another;
Oh! let us never haste to bring
The cup of sorrow to a _brother_.

Each has the power to wound, but he
Who wounds that he may witness pain,
Has learnt no law of charity,
Which ne’er inflicts a pang in vain.

’Tis godlike to awaken joy,
Or sorrow’s influence to subdue:
But not to wound, nor to annoy,
Is part of virtue’s lesson too;--

Peace, winged in fairer worlds above,
Shall lend her dawn and brighten this,
When all man’s labour shall be love,
And all his thoughts a _brother’s_ bliss.
_J. Bowring._

In all around we see
Links of the chain that binds the soul of man
Unto his _brother_ man. No human eye
Can gaze undazzled where those links begin,
Nor trace them to their end. Alone to Faith,
With her far eagle-gaze, ’tis given to see
That the all-loving heart of Nature’s God,
And man’s Redeemer, is the burning clasp
That joins in one that all-embracing zone,
Round as the circle of eternity.

* * * * *

This truth, more beautiful than all beside,
That He, whose name is Love, and from whose heart,
As from a living and immortal root,
The whole fair universe hath budded forth,
Hath granted him the high and holy right
To call him “Father”--So all things speak
God’s Fatherhood, and _Brotherhood_ of man.
_H. M. P._

Not with the flashing steel,
Not with the cannon’s peal,
Nor stir of drum;
But in the bonds of love,
Our white flag floats above;
Its emblem is the dove,--
Thus we come.

Oh, then! in God’s great name,
Let each pure spirit’s flame
Burn bright and clear;
Stand firmly in your lot,
Cry ye aloud, doubt not,
Be every fear forgot,
Christ leads us here.

So shall earth’s distant lands,
In happy, holy bands,
One _brotherhood_,
Together rise and sing,
Gifts to one altar bring,
And heaven’s eternal King
Pronounce it good.
_Elnathan Davis._

In these romantic regions man grows wild:
Here dwells the Negro, nature’s outcast child;
Scorned by his _brethren_; but his mother’s eye,
That gazes on him from her warmest sky,
Sees in his flexile limbs untutored grace,
Power on his forehead, beauty in his face;
Sees in his breast, where lawless passions rove,
The heart of friendship, and the home of love;
Sees in his mind, where desolation reigns,
Fierce as his clime, uncultured as his plains,
A soil where virtue’s fairest flowers might shoot,
And trees of science bend with glorious fruit;
Sees in his soul, involved in thickest night,
An emanation of eternal light,
Ordained,’midst sinking worlds, his dust to fire,
And shine for ever when the stars expire.
Is he not man, though Knowledge never shed
Her quickening beams on his neglected head?
Is he not man, though sweet Religion’s voice
Ne’er made the mourner in his God rejoice?
Is he not man, by sin and suffering tried?
Is he not man, for whom the Saviour died?
Belie the Negro’s powers:--in headlong will,
Christian! thy _brother_ thou shalt prove him still:
Belie his virtues; since his wrongs began,
His follies and his crimes have stamped him man.
_J. Montgomery._

For God, who made this teeming earth so full,
And made the proud dependent on the dull--
The strong upon the weak, thereby would show
One common bond should link us all below.
_Mrs. Norton._

If I were a voice, a convincing voice,
I’d travel with the wind,
And wherever I saw the nations torn
By warfare, jealousy, or scorn,
Or hatred of their kind,
I’d fly, I’d fly, on the thunder crash,
And into their blinded bosoms flash;
And all their evil thoughts subdued,
I’d teach them Christian _Brotherhood_.
_C. Mackay._

CALAMITY.

They prevented me in the day of my _calamity_: but the Lord was my stay.--II. Samuel, xxii. 19.

Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my _calamity_ laid in the balances together!--Job, vi. 2.

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these _calamities_ be overpast.--Psalm lvii. 1.

He that is glad at _calamities_ shall not be unpunished.--Proverbs, xvii. 5.

Strict necessity
Subdues me, and _calamitous_ constraint!
Lest in my hand both sin and punishment,
However insupportable, be all
Devolved.
_Milton._

Much rather I shall choose
To live the poorest in my tribe, than richest
To be in that _calamitous_ prison left.
_Milton._

From adverse shores in safety let her hear
Foreign _calamity_, and distant war;
Of which, great heav’n, let her no portion bear.
_Prior._

Friends counsel quick dismission of our grief;
Mistaken kindness! Our hearts heal too soon,
Are they more kind than He who struck the blow?
Who bids it do His errand in our hearts,
And banish peace till nobler guests arrive,
And bring it back, a true and endless peace?
_Calamities_ are friends.
_Young._

When great _calamities_ afflict the soul,
Then, God of Mercy, then, we cry to Thee!
Thou the physician art to make us whole;
Thou art the help in our _calamity_.
But when the clouds of grief be overpast,
And we may bask in sunshine once again,
Then praise and prayer become a weary task;
Thee we forget, and so neglect to ask
The aid we implored amid our grief and pain.
_Calamities_ are links of that bright chain
Of love divine around us ever cast,
Weaning us from the world, and all things light and vain.
_Egone._

CALMNESS.

Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be _calm_ unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be _calm_ unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.--Jonah, i. 11, 12, 15.

As they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish! Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a _calm_.--Luke, viii. 23, 24.

Be _calm_ in arguing--for fierceness makes
Error a fault, and truth discourtesy.
Why should I feel another man’s mistakes,
More than his sicknesses or poverty?
In love I should, but anger is not love,
Nor wisdom neither: therefore gently move.
_Calmness_ is great advantage--he that lets
Another chafe, may warm him at his fire,
Mark all his wanderings, and enjoy his frets,
As cunning fencers suffer heat to tire.
Truth dwells not in the clouds: the bow that’s there
Doth often aim at, never hit the sphere.
_Herbert._

There is a _calm_ the poor in spirit know,
That softens sorrow, and that sweetens woe;
There is a peace that dwells within the breast,
When all without is stormy and distrest;
There is a light that gilds the darkest hour,
When dangers thicken, and when tempests lower;
That _calm_ is faith, and hope and love is given;
That peace remains when all beside is riven,
That light shines down to man direct from heaven.
_James Edmeston._

The roaring tumult of the billowed sea
Awakes him not: high on the crested surge,
Now heaved, his locks flowed streaming to the blast:
And now descending, ’tween the sheltering waves,
The falling tresses veil the face divine:
Meek through that veil, a momentary gleam,
Benignant shines; he dreams that he beholds
The opening eyes,--that hopeless long had rolled
In darkness,--look around bedimmed with tears
Of joy; but suddenly the voice of fear
Dispelled the happy vision. Awful he rose,
Rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea,
“Peace, be thou still!” and straight there was a _calm_.
With terror-mingled gladness in their looks,
The mariners exclaim--“What man is this,
That even the wind and sea obey his voice?”
_Grahame._

Earth has not anything to show more fair!
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty!
This city now doth like a garment wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields and to the sky--
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air,
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a _calm_ so deep!
The river glideth at its own sweet will;
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still.
_Wordsworth._

Like a frail bark upon an angry sea
Is man, o’erburdened with a weight of sin;
Tossed to and fro, and like to perish, he
Seeks how he best may ’scape, and safety win:
What trembling Jonah is it hides within,
That from the Lord would vainly strive to flee?
Seek till ye find him, straight the quest begin!
And cast him forth that ye may lightened be.
Then with a prayer approach the throne of grace,
The Saviour’s with thee, though he seems to sleep;
Have ye but faith, and wait a little space,
He will arise, and say unto the deep--
“Be still!” The waves will sink, like your alarm,
O’er troubled heart and soul will come a mighty _calm_.
_Egone._

CALVARY.

And when they were come to the place which is called _Calvary_, there they crucified him.--Luke, xxiii. 33.

O _Calvary_! how blessed are thy borders,
More holy than God’s sanctuary mount,
Of whose high praise be Angels the recorders;
But grateful Man thy praises shall recount,
There Jesus is adored, but here he died!
O _Calvary_! that road is as a fount,
Whence with a sanguine stream thou art supplied,
Yet healing as Bethesda.--_Calvary!_
_J. A. Heraud._

From _Calvary_ a cry was heard,
A long reiterated cry;
My Saviour’s every mournful word
Bespeaks thy soul’s deep agony.

* * * * *

Let the dumb world her silence break;
Let pealing anthems rend the sky!
Awake, my sluggish soul, awake!
He died, that we may never die.
_Cunningham._

When on Sinai’s top I see
God descend in Majesty,
To proclaim His holy law,
All my spirit sinks with awe.

When, in ecstacy sublime,
Tabor’s glorious steep I climb,
At the too transporting light,
Darkness rushes o’er my sight.

When on _Calvary_ I rest,
God, in flesh made manifest,
Shines in my Redeemer’s face,
Full of beauty, truth, and grace.

Here I would for ever stay,
Weep and gaze my soul away;
Thou art heaven on earth to me,
Lovely, mournful _Calvary_.
_J. Montgomery._

CANAAN.

And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of _Canaan_, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.--Exodus, vi. 4.

Behold the land of _Canaan_, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession.--Deuteronomy, xxxii. 49.

Unto thee will I give the land of _Canaan_, the lot of your inheritance.--I. Chronicles, xvi. 18.

O! could we make our doubts remove
Those gloomy doubts that rise,
And see the _Canaan_ that we love,
With unbeclouded eyes.

Could we but climb where Moses stood,
And view the landscape o’er;
Nor Jordan’s streams, nor death’s cold flood,
Should fright us from the shore.
_Watts._

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To _Canaan’s_ fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

O the transporting, rapt’rous scene,
That rises to my sight!
Sweet fields, arrayed in living green,
And rivers of delight.

All o’er those wide extended plains,
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son for ever reigns,
And scatters night away.

When shall I reach that happy place,
And be for ever blest?
When shall I see my Father’s face,
And in his bosom rest?
_Stennet._

Tell me, where is the promised land--
The _Canaan_ of our earthly hopes,
Where Peace and Joy go hand in hand,
By sparkling streams, and flowery slopes?
It may be far, it may be near,
Oh, Pilgrim, faith must be thy guide
Across the desert wild and drear,
And o’er the Jordan’s swelling tide.
_Egone._

CAPTIVITY.

By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away _captive_ required of us a song, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?--Psalm cxxxvii. 1, 2, 3, 4.

The Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their _captivity_.--Zephaniah, ii. 7.

That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken _captive_ by him at his will.--II. Timothy, ii. 26.

He that leadeth into _captivity_ shall go into _captivity_.--Revelations, xiii. 10.

We sat by Babel’s waters; and our tears
Mingled in silence with the silent stream;
For, oh! our hearts went back to happier years,
And brighter scenes, that faded like a dream.

Our harps, neglected, hung upon the trees,
That threw their shadows o’er the wave’s dark rest,
And sighed, responsive to each passing breeze
That stirred a ripple on its slumbering breast.

But they who led us _captive_ touched the string,
And waked its music with unhallowed hand,
And--mocking all our sadness--bade us sing
The song of Zion in a foreign land.

Oh! never, never!--hushed be now its strains,
Far, far away her exiled children roam;
And never will they sound on other plains,
The holy music of their native home.
_T. K. Hervey._

Thousands of Angels at Thy gate,
And great archangels stand,
And twenty thousand chariots wait,
Great Lord, Thy dread command!
Through all Thy great, Thy vast domain,
With Godlike honours clad,
_Captivity_ in _captive_ chains
Triumphing Thou hast led.
_Mickle._

CARE--CAREFUL.

And the _cares_ of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.--Mark, iv. 19.

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same _care_ one for another.--I. Corinthians, xii. 25.

Be _careful_ for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.--Philippians, iv. 6.

Casting all your _care_ upon him; for he _careth_ for you.--I. Peter, v. 7.

Esteem none happy by their outward air;
All have their portion of allotted _care_,
Though wisdom wears the semblance of content,
When the full heart with agony is rent,
Secludes its anguish from the public view,
And by secluding, learns to conquer too;
Denied the fond indulgence to complain,
The aching heart its peace may best regain.
By love directed, and in mercy meant,
Are trials suffer’d, and afflictions sent;
To stem imperious passion’s furious tide,
To curb the insolence of prosperous pride,
To wean from earth, and bid our wishes soar
To that blest clime where pain shall be no more;
Where wearied virtue shall for refuge fly,
And every tear be wiped from every eye.
_Hannah More._

The insect that with puny wing,
Just shoots along one summer ray;
The flow’ret, which the breath of spring
Wakes into life for half a day.
The smallest mote, the tenderest hair,
All feel our heavenly Father’s _care_.

E’en from the glories of His throne,
He bends to view this earthly ball;
Sees all as if that all were one,
Loves as if that one were all;
Rolls the swift planets in their spheres,
And counts the sinner’s lonely tears.
_Cunningham._

Will then the merciful One, who stamped our race
With his own image, and who gave them sway
O’er earth, and the glad dwellers on her face,
Now that our flourishing nations far away
Are spread, where’er the moist earth drinks the day,
Forget the ancient _care_ that taught and nursed
His latest offspring? will he quench the ray
Infused by his own forming smile at first,
And leave a work so fair all blighted and accursed?

Oh, no! a thousand cheerful omens give
Hope of yet happier days whose dawn is nigh.
He who has tamed the elements, shall not live
The slave of his own passions; he whose eye
Unwinds the eternal dances of the sky,
And in the abyss of brightness dares to span
The sun’s broad circle, rising yet more high,
In God’s magnificent works his will shall scan--
And love and peace shall make their paradise with man.
_W. C. Bryant._

Father of earth and heaven,
Whose arm upholds creation,
To thee we raise the voice of praise,
And bend in adoration.
We praise the Power that made us,
We praise the love that blesses,
While every day that rolls away,
Thy gracious _care_ confesses.
_Henry Ware, Jun._

Faithful servant of the Lord,
Sower of the gracious Word,
Scattering thy seed abroad,--

Much of it will fall, and sink
Where the cattle come to drink,
Trodden in the river’s brink;

Much of it on bogs unsound,
Much on hard and stony ground,
Much where thorns and briers abound.

In the path of daily life
Worldly _cares_, like thorns, are rife,
Ever with the word at strife.
_Egone._

CHANGE.

Because they have no _changes_, therefore they fear not God.--Psalm lv. 19.

My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to _change_.--Proverbs, xxiv. 21.

For I am the Lord, I _change_ not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.--Malachi, iii. 6.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be _changed_.--I. Corinthians, xv. 51.

Emblem of life! see _changeful_ April sail
In varying vest along the shadowy skies,
Now bidding summer’s stormy zephyrs rise,
Anon, recalling winter’s softest gale,
And pouring from the cloud her sudden hail;
Then, smiling through the tear that dims her eyes,
While Iris with her braid the welkin dyes,
Promise of sunshine, not so prone to fail.
So to us sojourners in life’s low vale,
The smiles of fortune flatter to deceive,
While still the fates the web of misery weave;
So hope exultant spreads her airy sail,
And from the present gloom the soul conveys
To distant summers, and far happier days.
_H. K. White._

Still on its march, unnoticed and unfelt,
Moves on our being. We do live and breathe,
And we are gone. The spoiler heeds us not.
We have our spring-time and our rottenness;
And as we fall, another race succeeds,
To perish likewise. Meanwhile nature smiles--
The seasons run their round--the sun fulfils
His annual course--and heaven and earth remain
Still _changing_, yet _unchang’d_--still doomed to feel
Endless mutation in perpetual rest.
_H. K. White._

Not seldom, clad in radiant vest,
Deceitfully goes forth the morn;
Not seldom, evening in the west,
Sinks smilingly forsworn.
The smoothest seas will sometimes prove
To the confiding bark untrue;
And if she trust the stars above,
They can be treacherous too.
The umbrageous oak, in pomp outspread,
Full oft when storms the welkin rend,
Draws lightening down upon the head
It promised to defend.
But Thou art true, incarnate Lord!
Who didst vouchsafe for man to die;
Thy smile is sure, thy plighted word
No _change_ can falsify.
I bent before Thy gracious throne,
And asked for peace with suppliant knee;
And peace was given,--nor peace alone,
But faith, and hope, and ecstacy!
_Wordsworth._

Of chance, or _change_, O let not man complain,
Else shall he never, never cease to wail;
For, from the imperial dome, to where the swain
Rears the lone cottage in the silent dale,
All feel the assault of fortune’s fickle gale;
Art, empire, earth itself, to _change_ are doomed;
Earthquakes have raised to heaven the humble vale,
And gulfs the mountain’s mighty mass entombed,
And where the Atlantic rolls, wide continents have bloomed.
_Beattie._

The day was dark and stormy; but the night
Dawns into brightness, and the silvery moon
Pours over sea and land her urn of light,
Making of midnight a most pleasant noon.
The autumn blasts were withering, and their blight
Brought desolation: but a richer boon
The balmy showers and breathing zephyrs bring;
And the cold earth, fanned by the breath of spring,
Again shall start into luxuriant life,
Deformity and beauty--storm and calm--
The day-dawn and the darkness--quiet and calm--
Throughout all nature, mix and mingle rife.
Then why should man expect a fixed state,
Where all is _change_--or shrink beneath his fate?
_A. Bethune._

CHARITY.

_Charity_ suffereth long and is kind; _charity_ envieth not; _charity_ vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

And now abideth faith, hope, _charity_, these three; but the greatest of these is _charity_.--I. Corinthians, xiii. 4, 5, 6, 7, 13.

Above all these things put on _charity_, which is the bond of perfectness.--Colossians, iii. 14.

Now the end of the commandment is _charity_.--I. Timothy, i. 5.

Above all things have fervent _charity_ among yourselves; for _charity_ shall cover the multitude of sins.--I. Peter, iv. 8.

Attain the sum
Of Wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars
Thou knew’st by name, and all the ethereal powers,
All secrets of the deep, all Nature’s works,
Or works of God in heaven, air, earth, and sea,
And all the riches of the world enjoyedst,
And all the rule, one empire; only add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith,
Add virtue, patience, temperance; add love,
By name to some called _charity_, the soul
Of all the rest.
_Milton._

Did sweeter sounds adorn my flowing tongue
Than ever man pronounced, or angel sung;
Had I all knowledge, human and divine,
That thought can reach, or Science can define:
And had I power to give that knowledge birth
In all the speeches of the babbling earth;
Did Shadrach’s zeal my glowing breast inspire,
To weary tortures, and rejoice in fire:
Or had I faith like that which Israel saw,
When Moses gave them miracles and law;
Yet gracious _Charity_, indulgent guest,
Were not thy power exerted in my breast,
Those speeches would send up unheeded prayer,
That scorn of life would be but wild despair;
A tymbal’s sound were better than my voice;
My faith were form; my eloquence were noise.

* * * * *

Each other gift, which God on man bestows,
Its proper bounds and due restriction knows,
To one fixt purpose dedicates its power,
And finishing its act, exists no more.
Thus in obedience to what heaven decrees,
Knowledge shall fail, and prophecy decrease,
But lasting _Charity’s_ more ample sway,
Ne’er bound by time, nor subject to decay,
In happy triumph shall for ever live,
And endless good diffuse, and endless praise receive.
_Prior._

Here see, acquitted of all vain pretence,
The reign of genuine _charity_ commence.
Though scorn repay her sympathetic tears,
She still is kind and still she perseveres;
The truth she loves a sightless world blaspheme,
’Tis childish dotage, a delirious dream;
The danger they discern not, they deny;
Laugh at their only remedy, and die.
But still a soul thus touch’d can never cease,
Whoever threatens war, to speak of peace.
Pure in her aim, and in her temper mild,
Her wisdom seems the weakness of a child:
She makes excuses where she might condemn,
Reviled by those that hate her, prays for them;
Suspicion lurks not in her artless breast,
The worst suggested, she believes the best;
Not soon provoked, however stung and teazed,
And if perhaps made angry, soon appeased,
She rather waives than will dispute her right,
And, injured, makes forgiveness her delight.
_Cowper._

Man is dear to man; the poorest poor
Long for some moments in a weary life,
When they can know and feel what they have been;
Themselves the fathers and the dealers out
Of some small blessings, have been kind to such
As needed kindness, for this single cause
That we have all of us one human heart.
Such pleasure is to one kind being known,
My neighbour, when with punctual care, each week
Duly as Friday comes, though press’d herself
By all her wants, she from her store of meal
Takes one unsparing handful for the scrip
Of this old mendicant, and from her door
Returning with exhilarated heart,
Sits by her fire, and builds her hope in heaven.
_Wordsworth._

Gentle reader, see in me,
An emblem of true _charity_;
That while my bounty I bestow,
I’m neither heard nor seen to flow;
And I have fresh supplies from heaven
For every cup of water given.
_Bishop Hoadly, on a Spring._

Were we as rich in _charity_ of deed
As gold--what rock would bloom not with the seed?
We give our alms, and cry “What can we more?”
One hour of time were worth a load of ore!
Give to the ignorant our wisdom!--give
Sorrow our comfort!--lend to those who live
In crime, the counsels of our virtue!--share
With souls our souls, and Satan shall despair!
Alas! what converts one man, who would take
The cross, and staff, and house with Guilt, could make!

* * * * *

Search the material tribes of earth, sea, air,
And the fierce SELF, which strives and slays, is there;
What but that SELF to man doth Nature teach?
Where the charmed link that binds the all to each?
Where the sweet law, (doth Nature boast its birth?)
“Good will to man, and _charity_ on earth?”
_Sir E. B. Lytton._

What though to poverty’s imploring voice
I give my earthly goods; though to the pile
I yield my body, if thy genuine love
Inspire not, this alike is void and vain.

* * * * *

Thou, mild and gentle nature, art estranged
From envy, hatred, insolence, or pride;
Thou seekest not thy own, but others’ weal;
Slow to reprove, but studious to applaud,
And from the eyes of malice to conceal
The weakness thou lamentest to behold:
For thou of each forgiv’st and hop’st the best,
Forbearing and forgiving every ill.

* * * * *

The time shall come when prophecy itself,
And all the knowledge which exalts mankind,
Shall lose their use; these, while the state of man
In imperfection lies, by Heaven are made
To compass ends sublime; but when that state
Imperfect, for perfection shall be changed,
Shall fade away, and boast that use no more.
But, subject to no change, through endless time
Shall Faith, and Hope, and _Charity_ endure;
And thou, O _Charity_, of these the chief,
In high pre-eminence shalt ever reign!
_C. P. Layard._

The consciousness of wrong, in wills not evil
Brings _charity_.
_Leigh Hunt._

When prophecies shall fail,
When tongues shall cease, when knowledge is no more,
And the Great Day is come, thou by the throne
Shalt sit triumphant.
_Glynn._

“Chief grace below, and all in all above!”
What shall I call thee? _Charity_ or Love?
Thy name is bliss; for let but grace remove
The Serpent, Selfishness, and lo! the Dove,
Cover’d with silver wings, or plumes of gold,[1]
Enters the rescued heart, and keeps her hold:
Then love to God on high, good will to men,
With all the gentle virtues in their train,
Flourish together, and together prove
That bliss is but another name for Love!
Blest affluence of that bright flame that glows
Amid the Seraphim, “in burning rows,”
Fill my whole soul! since who has most of Love,
Knows most of Heaven, and of the joys above.
_Mary Milner._

[1] Psalm lxviii. 13.

CHARGE.

The Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a _charge_ unto the children of Israel.--Exodus, vi. 13.

He shall give his angels _charge_ over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.--Psalm xci. 11.

Who shall lay any thing to the _charge_ of God’s elect. It is God that justifieth.--Romans, viii. 33.

A _charge_ to keep I have,
A God to glorify;
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfil;--
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will.

Arm me with jealous care,
As in thy sight to live;
And Oh! thy servant Lord prepare,
A strict account to give.

Help me to watch and pray,
And on thyself rely;
Assured if I my trust betray,
I shall for ever die.
_Wesley._

Since, with pure and firm affection,
Thou on God hast set thy love,
With the wings of His protection,
He will shield thee from above:
Thou shalt call on Him in trouble,
He will hearken, He will save,
Here for grief reward thee double,
Crown with life beyond the grave.

He shall _charge_ His angel legions
Watch and ward o’er thee to keep,
Though thou walk through hostile regions,
Though in desert wilds thou sleep;
On the lion vainly roaring,
On his young, thy foot shall tread,
And, the dragon’s den exploring,
Thou shalt bruise the serpent’s head.
_J. Montgomery._

CHASTENING.

O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither _chasten_ me in thy hot displeasure.--Psalm vi. 1.

Blessed is the man whom thou _chastenest_, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law.--Psalm xciv. 12.

Whom the Lord loveth he _chasteneth_, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.--Hebrews, xii. 6.

O keep up life and peace within,
If I must feel thy _chastening_ rod!
Yet kill not me, but kill my sin;
And let me know Thou art my God.
O give my soul some sweet foretaste
Of that which I shall shortly see!
Let faith and love cry to the last,
“Come, Lord, I trust myself with Thee!”
_Baxter._

When urged by strong temptation to the brink
Of guilt and ruin, stands the virtuous mind
With scarce a step between; all-pitying Heaven,
Severe in mercy, _chastening_ in its love,
Ofttimes in dark and awful visitation,
Doth interpose, and call the wanderer back
To the straight path, to be for ever after
A firm, undaunted, onward-bearing traveller,
Strong in humility, who swerves no more.
_Joanna Baillie._

So, Christian! though gloomy and sad be thy days,
And the tempest of sorrow encompass thee black;
Though no sunshine of promise or hope sheds its rays
To illumine and cheer thy life’s desolate track:
Though thy soul writhes in anguish, and bitter tears flow
O’er the wreck of fond joys from thy bleeding heart riven,
Check thy murmuring sorrows, thou lorn one, and know
That the _chastened_ on earth are the purest for Heaven;
And remember, though gloomy thy present may be,
That “the Master is coming,” and coming to thee.
_S. D. Patterson._

CHERUB--SERAPH.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the _cherubims_, shine forth.--Psalm lxxx. 1.

I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.... Above it stood the _seraphims_.... And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.--Isaiah, vi. 1, 2, 3.

And the sound of the _cherubims’_ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.--Ezekiel, x. 5.

Thou shepherd that doth Israel keep,
Give ear in time of need,
Who leadeth like a flock of sheep
Thy loved of Joseph’s seed;
That sitt’st between the _cherubs_ bright--
Between their wings outspread,
Shine forth, and from Thy cloud give light,
And on Thy foes Thy dread.
_Milton._

The Lord descended from above,
And bowed the heavens most high;
And underneath His feet He cast
The darkness of the sky.

On _cherub_ and on _cherubim_
Full royally He rode;
And on the wings of mighty winds
Came flying all abroad.
_Sternhold._

High on a throne of burnish’d gold,
With rays of Godhead crown’d,
Jehovah sat; His thunders roll’d,
And glory sparkled round.

His flowing train, of glittering white,
The spacious temple fill’d;
The angels, dazzled at the sight,
With wings their faces veil’d.

Around the throne, in burning row,
The six-winged _seraphs_ stood;
While millions, flying to and fro,
Tun’d all their harps to God.

Thrice holy, holy, Lord, they cry,
The God of Sabaoth’s Thou;
Thy glory fills the worlds on high,
And fills the world below.
_Cowper._

CHILDHOOD--INFANCY.

Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little _children_, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.--Matthew, xviii. 3.

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven.--Matthew, xviii. 10.

Have ye never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?--Matthew, xxi. 16.

And they brought unto him also _infants_, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little _children_ to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.--Luke, xviii. 15, 16.

When little tripping _children_ follow God,
And leave old doting sinners to his rod,
’Tis like those days wherein the young ones cried,
Hosanna! while the old ones did deride.
_Bunyan._

At his first aptness the maternal love
Those rudiments of wisdom did improve;
The tender age was pliant to command;
Like wax it yielded to the forming hand:
True to the artificer, the laboured mind
With ease was pious, generous, just, and kind;
Soft for impression, from the first prepared,
Till virtue, with long exercise, grew hard;
With every act confirmed and made at last,
So durable as not to be effaced,
It turned to habit; and from vices free,
Goodness resolved into necessity.
_Dryden._

The _child_ between her parents knelt,
Who prayed the more to God above,
Because so close to them they felt
The dearest gift of Heavenly love.

* * * * *

To her new beauty largely given
From deeper fountains, looked and smiled,
And, like a morning dream from heaven,
The woman gleamed within the _child_.
_John Sterling._

O! how I love the prattling of that _child_,
Frisking so blithely in its nurse’s hand!
Fair as her face who first in Eden smiled,
Ere blissful innocence had left the land!
Thy dimpled cheeks remind me of a time,
When first I ventured on life’s thorny way!
May no false joys consume thy early prime,
No friend mislead thee, and no friend betray;
Thy bark, like mine, is on a rocky sea;
For life’s a voyage far from shore to shore,
No resting-place, unless thine anchor be
The hope of glory when the course is o’er;
Blest hope for thee, just entering into bloom,
Thrice blessed hope for me just hast’ning to the tomb.
_J. Mayne._

“Suffer these little ones to come to me,”
Was the command of Him who, on the cross,
Bowed His anointed head, and with His blood
Purchased redemption for our fallen race--
And blessed they, who to that holy task
Devote the energies of their young years,
Teaching, with pious care, the dawning light
Of _infant_ intellect to know the Lord.
_C. Huntingdon._

The life that makes the heart to beat,
The light that from the heavens doth shine,
My daily strength,--the bread I eat,--
All, all, great Lord of Life, are thine.
Then let me seek Thee daily, Lord,
At morn, at noontide, and at even;
And do Thy will, and know Thy word,
That I may be Thy _child_ in heaven!
_W. Martin._

I remember, I remember,
The fir-trees dark and high,
I used to think their tiny tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a _childish_ ignorance,
But now ’tis little joy,
To know I’m farther off from heaven
Than when I was a boy!
_T. Hood._

Blessed Jesus ever loved to trace
The innocent brightness of an _infant’s_ face;
He raised them in His holy arms;
He blessed them from the world and all its harms:
Heirs though they were of sin and shame,
He blessed them in His own, and in His Father’s Name.
_Keble._

Christian! thy dream is now--it was not then:
O, it were strange if _childhood_ were a dream.
Strife, and the world, are dreams: to wakeful men
_Childhood_ and home as jealous angels seem:
Like shapes and hues that play in clouds at even,
They have but shifted from Thee into Heaven!
_F. W. Faber._

Something divine about an _Infant_ seems
To them, who watch it in that holy light
Of meaning, caught from these celestial words
Of Christ--“Forbid them not, but let them come.”
Fresh buds of being! beautiful as frail.
Types of that kingdom which our souls profess
To enter! Symbols of that docile love
And meek compliancy of creed and mind,
Which Heaven hath canonized, and for its own
Acknowledged,--well may thoughtful hearts perceive
A mystery, beyond mere nature’s law,
Around them girdled like a moral zone.
_R. Montgomery._

Death found strange beauty on that polished brow,
And dashed it out. There was a tint of rose
On cheek and lip. He touched the veins with ice,
And the rose faded. Forth from those blue eyes
There spake a wishful tenderness--a doubt
Whether to grieve or sleep--which innocence
Alone may wear. With ruthless hand he bound
The silken fringes of those curtaining lids
For ever. There had been a murmuring sound
With which the babe would claim its mother’s ear,
Charming her even to tears. The spoiler set
The seal of silence. But there beamed a smile
So fixed, so holy, from that cherub brow,
Death gazed, and left it there. He dared not steal
The signet-ring of heaven.
_L. H. Sigourney._

_Child_, there is One, the High above all Height,
Who doth not scorn thee--
Ever, from Him, may beams of Heavenly light
Comfort--but warn thee--
That from youth’s innocence each proud removal
Is a departure from His best approval.
_H. H. Weld._

The Lord of Heaven, who, from his throne above,
Governs the universe, yet deigns to hear
The praise which from the mouths of sucklings flows,
And from the lisping babe ordaineth strength.
_C. P. Layard._

There are smiles and tears in the mother’s eyes,
For her new-born _infant_ beside her lies.
O, hour of bliss! when the heart o’erflows
With rapture a mother only knows.
Let it gush forth in words of fervent prayer;
Let it swell up to heaven for her precious care.
_Henry Ware, Jun._

How soft and fresh he breathes!
Look, he is dreaming! Visions sure of joy
Are gladdening his rest; and ah, who knows
But waiting angels do converse in sleep
With babes like this!
_Arthur C. Coxe._

Little _children_, not alone
On the wide earth are ye thrown,
’Mid its labour and its cares;
’Mid its sufferings and its snares,
Free from sorrow, free from strife,
In the world of love and life,
Where no sinful thing has trod
In the presence of our God!
Spotless, blameless, glorified,
Little _children_, ye abide!
_Mary Howitt._

How oft, heart-sick and sore,
I’ve wished I were, once more,
A little _child_!
_Mrs. Southey._

CHRIST--CHRISTMAS.

We have heard out of the law that _Christ_ abideth for ever.--John, xii. 34.

We preach _Christ_ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, _Christ_ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.--I. Corinthians, i. 23, 24.

We preach not ourselves, but _Christ_ Jesus the Lord.--II. Corinthians, iv. 5.

_Christ_ is all, and in all.--Colossians, iii. 11.

For even hereunto were ye called: because _Christ_ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps;

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously--I. Peter, ii. 21, 22, 23.

With force of arms we nothing can,
Full soon were we down-ridden;
But for us fights the proper man,
Whom God himself hath bidden.
Ask ye, who is the same? _Christ_ Jesus is His name,
The Lord Zebaoth’s Son, He, and no other one,
Shall conquer in the battle.
_Martin Luther._

_Christ_ is a path,--if any be misled;
He is a robe,--if any naked be;
If any chance to hunger,--He is bread;
If any be a bondman,--He is free;
If any be but weak,--how strong is he!
To dead men life he is; to sick men health;
To blind men sight; and to the needy wealth;
A pleasure without loss, a pleasure without stealth.
_Giles Fletcher._

He that alone would wise and mighty be,
Commands that others love, as well as He.
Love as He loved! how can we soar so high?
He can add wings when He commands to fly.
Nor should we be with this command dismayed,
He that examples gives, will give His aid;
For He took flesh, that where His precepts fail,
His practice as a pattern might prevail.
_Waller._

In what torn ship soever I embark,
That ship shall be an emblem of Thy ark;
What sea soever swallow me, that flood
Shall be to me an emblem of Thy blood:
Though Thou with clouds of anger do disguise
Thy face, yet through that mask I know those eyes,
Which, though they turn away sometimes,
They never will despise.